#xavier is not one of my favourite characters by any means

[remusjohnslupin]

Wyler vs. Xavier's Happiness

#wednesdayedit #wednesdaynetflix #dailynetflix #tvedit #wednesdaynet #wyler #weyler #wednesday addams #tyler galpin #xavier thorpe #wylermine #wednesdaymine #listen... LISTEN #xavier is not one of my favourite characters by any means #but I kinda feel bad for him in these moments lol #the man is really trying here #but wednesday is like 'nah he's hot' aksdghjak #my girl has her priorities in order #respect

[sunbloomdew]

Love Confessions in the Baxter DLC

The sequel! Monochrome obsession continues. Part 2/3

Part 1 "The Wedding Confession"

Welcome, or hello again! I played the Baxter DLC a couple of times and I like it a lot, so I wanted to ramble about some of my favourite parts. Specifically about love confessions in Baxter’s version of Step 4, because they are all very well written and make me feel good :3

Reading the first part of this "series" isn't necessary, the introduction is just a bit more thorough in the first post. Furthermore if you've read the first part it might seem like i'm repeating myself with certain points, since those moments share some similarities and i like to be meticulous.

It is time for the second confession and the last one that can be initiated by the player. If you don’t confess here and pick an option in which MC expresses hope of Baxter returning their feelings, you will later reach the moment where Baxter asks MC out himself. This confession is my personal favourite, so prepare for me losing my mind over every single detail.

Spoilers for Baxter DLC!

The confessions all happen after the wedding ceremony, so if you hadn't played to this point yet, i recommend skipping this post (and maybe coming back later, if you wanna chat about them with me)! I may not bring up every single line, but i think this post still covers a good part of what happens.

I call this confession, The Morning Confession, because it takes place on the morning after the wedding! Simple name but it does the job.

There is also another reason for this name, but i'll get to it later.

The wedding is over and most stuff had been cleaned up. MC returns with Baxter to his apartment, after accepting his invitation to stay with him until they have to come back to their home. The two have finally reunited and they aren’t ready to part ways yet.

During that evening, MC and Baxter share a moment by the fireplace in the lobby of the building. I wanted to dedicate some time to this moment, because I think it’s a valuable context to the confession. And aside from providing insight into the mind of Baxter Ward, I love the way it’s written. So sue me, i wanna talk about it.

Despite the fact that they have reconciled, Baxter’s reasoning behind his actions still isn’t fully clear to MC. While being in the company of other people made the lingering unease between them bearable, it still remains. They can't act casually, as if nothing had happened, as if the years hadn’t been lost. So Baxter offers to clarify his point of view. “As sorry as I am, I don’t think I’ve been as open as I could have been” he says and well, that is the truth.

If the player chose to confess to Baxter before this conversation, this moment provides a deeper understanding of the character and explains his reluctance to accept the confession.

It is here by a fireplace – a fitting spot for another personal conversation, considering the duo's shared history – that Baxter reveals his innermost thoughts and fears. At his core, he believes he doesn’t contribute anything to any relationship, because he can't see his own value. And to him, if he doesn’t add anything, then he has no right to form and be in deep, mutually supportive relationships.

Baxter convinced himself that he doesn’t matter. That his only worth is in the entertainment he can provide or the help he can give. In his own words, he doesn’t know what it means to be significant to a person, just by being yourself. Which is why he doesn’t let people get close to him. He assumes that upon finding out that there is nothing more to him, they will leave. So it’s better to not let anybody get to know him, that way no one can be disappointed by his “true” self. He is unable to see that none of that is true because deep down, he thinks he is worthless as a person.

Those feelings about himself are something that have influenced Baxter’s decisions about relationships with other people, for example with Xavier. As the baker reveals later, they always felt that if Baxter had no reason to contact them again, he wouldn't. He kept himself away from others and believed that every connection he makes isn’t meant to last.

Still, Baxter wanted to create bonds with other people. And it terrified him.

He wanted to have that with MC, but he was too afraid to take that chance five years ago. It couldn't have worked out back then. Baxter had his assumptions about himself and others, and he held onto them strongly. It’s sad, but there was no way to make him change his ways back then. He was set on leaving no matter what would have happened.

This Baxter is different from the 19 year old who put his comfort above all else. During that conversation by the fireplace he is being vulnerable in ways he never allowed himself to be before. He tells MC that he missed them over those five years. That they made him feel wanted that summer, and as incredible as it felt, he couldn’t believe it would last. He makes it clear that it wasn’t any of MC’s actions that made him feel that way - he applied this mindset to every connection he made at that time.

It’s incredibly sad to witness his thoughts out in the open like that. I think Baxter’s struggles are something most of us can relate to in some way. Low self-esteem can make people withdraw from social situations and spiral into self-hatered. It’s terrible, to be so wrapped up in disliking yourself that you assume that nobody could ever like you. That you have no good qualities as a person, so you have to make up for them somehow. It can feel like it'll stay this way forever, and so there is no point in trying to connect with others.

However that is not true. In the end, Baxter came to understand this as well. He is worthy of love and friendship. He grew and learned from his past mistakes, and so can we.

He apologises to MC once again, and expresses deep regret over not staying in contact with them. And at last, MC can say that they actually know Baxter Alexander Ward.

I think this moment is really beautiful. It’s an apology without excuses, that provides an explanation. Baxter never had malicious intentions, but even so, his actions had hurt people who cared for him (and who he cared about), so he owns up to his mistakes and does his best to correct them.

Aside from being a really good moment of taking accountablity and being vulnerable with another person this conversation also sets the mood for the morning confession. The air is finally cleared. These two characters can finally show how much they value each other because there is mutual understanding and trust between them again. It will take some time to get to know each other after so long, but they are willing to try, and they know they can be honest.

After a day full of emotional revelations, Baxter and MC finally head to bed. Not only the characters, but the players can take a breath and prepare for what’s to come. And boy are we in for a treat.

The next day arrives and the players are given an option to sleep in as much as they want. What time MC wakes up will have an effect on dialogues and is one of the many examples of how the game lets us customize the protagonist however we want, even in the silliest ways. It is something i deeply appreciate about the Our Life series. The comfort level also changes the lines, for example MC's response to Baxter greeting them in the morning.

Eventually the sleeping beauty wakes up and the pair moves to the living room. Despite sleeping in for a while Baxter is still out of it and it’s so adorable (he's just like me fr).

I think the tone set for the confession is lovely. The atmosphere in the morning is relaxing and light and to me it feels like this is exactly what those characters needed. A new day has arrived, not only literally but figuratively for their relationship. There is no negative tension in the air, just the feeling of peace. They are clearly enjoying each other's company and it's great to finally have that again.

This is only my opinion, but the way this moment feels is exactly why i like it more than the wedding confession. The previous confession is meant to feel rushed, high on emotions and full of determination to declare the feelings right away. MC feels like they have to be upfront about their feelings in that moment so they confess. I do enjoy this type of tension, but i simply prefer this kind of setting. As much as i love convincing Baxter to truly express his feelings by shooting down the reasons not to date him (it's so intense and dramatic! absolutely amazing) i find that i like this quiet admission of feelings more.

While it might not be that intense as the moment right after the wedding, there is still this nagging feeling that urges MC not to wait any longer. They love that they are included in this private corner of Baxter's life and they wish they could have been before. It's this feeling of not wanting to lose any more time, that makes them think about confessing then and there.

And so, the player is presented with a choice:

It is time to confess! Hallelujah.

Just like in the wedding confession we can pick the way we want to confess - with words or with a gesture. If we pick the third option you lose the chance to confess yourself. Instead Baxter will do this when the time comes.

Upon choosing one of the ways to confess, MC has the same internal monologue they do in the wedding confession. I've already shared my thoughts about it in the previous post, but i'll just say here that it's a very nice scene. They reminisce about their relationship with Baxter as a whole, eventually coming to the conclusion, that they can hold on to him.

After the monologue ends, the player has a chance to reaffirm their decision, as they did in the previous confession.

If you back out, MC thinks that they can be together just not in the way they'd want to. They are afraid of confessing, in case they ruin what they just got back and make Baxter run away.

But, if you reaffirm your decision, you get my personal favourite confession scene. Let's get right into it!

I mentioned in Part 1 that Baxter reacts to MC's silence, as they reminisce about their relationship. I find it a little funny when i imagine them just sitting in silence and staring intensely for a while. Kinda like when magical girls have their transformations and the bad guys don't do anything to interrupt them. MC monologuing definitely gives off the same energy. Writing inner monologues is tricky like that.

During the wedding confession Baxter is anxious and worried, waiting to receive MC's verdict. Do they welcome him back to their life? Or do they reject him (even though there is no such option in the game)?. It's stressful and the prolonged silence makes Baxter slowly come back to his usual behaviour to protect himself, in case his vulnerability was the wrong move.

This isn't the case here. His reaction is wildly different. There is no tension or stress, just curiosity and anticipation. Instead of being nervous he is very smug, clearly knowing or at least suspecting what MC is thinking about. I gotta say, when i first picked this option i was stunned. I did NOT expect him to act in this way, but it was a pleasant surprise. Mr. Ward is very perceptive and i love this confident attitude of his.

MC asks him what is on his mind, and he comes back to reality. Baxter encourages them to continue, but they insist he tells them what's going on. And that's what he does. He says that he was remembering a "funny story". Then he asks MC if they want to know something absolutely embarrassing. With that kind of an opening, how could they refuse?

Baxter tells them that Jude and Scott attempted to speak to him about his and MC's... situation. He was surprised that they noticed he was sad and wanted to help him, when he was supposed to be doing that with their relationship. I think it was his feelings of inferiority that made him feel that way.

Moving on, the reason he brought that up wasn't to draw attention to how his poor relationship management skills made others concerned for him. But rather to point out, that the men knew, that MC is important to Baxter. Baxter states that he was grateful they met and despite ending their relationship five years ago, he was never sorry he knew MC. He is kinda chaotic with his admission, one second bringing up the chat with the grooms and the other expressing his affection for MC.

Understandably, it makes MC confused. They thought they were the one leading the dance - or the conversation in this case - but clearly now it's Baxter doing that (i mean he is a professional). Even so, he isn't as good with his words as usual and doesn't quite manage to convey what he wants to MC.

He thanks MC for letting him "ramble" for so long and stands up. Shit's getting real. We're about to enter the boss fight.

He moves to sit on the edge of the coffee table, which puts him at the eye level with MC, only closer than before. And then this silly man leans closer acting all calm and confident. Dude. Please. Everytime i play this moment i lose my precious ability to formulate thoughts, not to mention actual sentences. Because. Oh my god.

And then he hits you with THAT. He absolutely knew what MC was thinking about and he is having a lot of fun with teasing them. They realize that he caught on to what was going on and figure that at least it makes it easier to confess. The dialogue varies in this place because of the comfort level - these are their thoughts on the Direct setting. They also think about how hard would it be to tell him they liked him before he opened up to them. I find it pretty funny, because it’s clearly a tiny poke, towards players who did confess right after the wedding and faced this struggle. When you’re replaying those moments it does make you chuckle.

Now we can finally confess our feelings! When doing that verbally there are a couple of options to choose from, as in the case of the wedding confession. One of the options is: "Could I consider all the time we spent together a date?" and you already know i love this one. It's playful, it's a reference to when Baxter asked MC out five years ago, it's perfect. There is no contender, i always choose it.

...Is what i would say, but i actually always choose the option to confess with a kiss during this feelings reveal.

Confessing with a kiss looks a bit different from the first confession. This time there aren't multiple options to choose where we want to kiss him, MC goes straight (or is it?) for the lips. And the way that kiss is described is everything to me. I'm an absolute sucker for kissing scenes and this one is just so, so, so good! I cannot find fitting words in english (and neither can i in polish) so i'll just drop one screenshot from it and move along before i combust.

It's so tender and sweet and adorable please-

While Baxter was acting super confident and cocky, the second MC declares their love for him/moves to kiss him he turns into a shy, blushing mess. Despite knowing or at least suspecting what MC was about to do he is still caught of guard. I think that his reaction is absolutely adorable. Baxter doesn't blush a lot, so it's always a treat when he does.

We can choose to tell Baxter, that MC wanted to be with him even five years ago and this stuns him again.

Now that MC have confessed their love they're waiting for Baxter to respond. But GOD, is he struggling. It's the first time Baxter is so flustered and it makes me so giddy. He allows himself to show how much MC means to him and holy shit, this man cannot look at them for too long because he will just blush even harder.

From the way he is acting it's already clear that he reciprocates MC's feelings. But the fact that he gets so shy? Stole my heart, sir how dare you be so cute.

Of course, Baxter Ward cannot stay flustered for long and he eventually recovers. Damn it.

His response to the confession is so sweet. He basically says "my turn" and tells MC all the things he loves about being with them, how they made him feel and how much he appreciates them. There is still a moment of self-loathing, when Baxter regrets trying to keep MC out of his life- twice. He is surprised that MC still has feelings for him, still wants to be with him despite all the pain he caused them.

He still brings up all the potential reasons why this could be a bad idea. Limited connections, his current financial situation and his past ways of managing relationships. But unlike in the Wedding Confession, here those aren't statements for MC to refute. I'd say they are less of a warning for MC and more of an expose of himself, to be sure that he revealed everything he considers a flaw before accepting their confession. "By all accounts, I shouldn't be doing this. But I am." - those are his words. Even if he still has his doubts, he isn't going to turn MC down anymore. If he let them go now, in fear of potentially not being enough in this relationship, he would regret it.

And so that is his response: "If you'll have me you will have me." Don't mind if i do- yoink.

While he calmed down a bit for this admission, he gets flustered yet again. It's so adorable to see him be so affected by MC and this situation.

Baxter says that it was easier asking MC out himself all those years ago. He is still so out of it that he voices out loud that he has no idea what to do now. His usual grace and poise are still on leave it seems. He follows it up with that it would be the best if he switched from sitting on the coffee table to somewhere with a backrest, just in case. Dude. Baxter is so strongly impacted by this confession that he is fully aware that there is a possiblity that he will just topple down. I'm melting, it's so cute!

He moves to the couch and MC joins him over there. Once Baxter calms down a bit, he says he is starting to "remember some possiblities" and the two kiss again. I can't even begin describe how much i love the way the kissing moments are written. They're amazing and i'm losing my mind.

The last question Baxter has is if his feelings were obvious to MC. He recounts when Jude asked him point-blank if he was still 'into' MC - we get a couple of dialogue answers to pick, either reacting to Jude even asking about it or answering Baxter's question.

And that is the end of this confession! Baxter overcomes his sheepishness at last, no longer blushing intensely. Quite a shame, but i think we all love his usual charming self as well.

There are no more reservations about showing his true feelings. The pair has been reunited after five years and are finally ready to start a long-term relationship. Good for them <3

Baxter shares one last thought at the end of this long conversation:

And yes, this is the other reason why i call this confession the Morning Confession specifically! It's entirely because of Baxter pointing it out. And because he is so surprised about this turn of events.

The second part is finally over! I worked on it during those two weeks (holy fuck, why) it took me to post it. I'm a bit bummed it took me this long to finish it, but i did my best <3

This part is definitely longer than the first, the brainrot got to me. I haven't started the third part yet but i already replayed the last confession scene and honestly? I forgot how good it was compared to the other two! Shame on me, truly.

See you in the third part! Peace out~

Part 1

#baxter ward #our life beginnings & always #olba baxter #baxter dlc #olba #our life beginnings and always #our life #gamer hours #sunbloom talks #gb patch games

[hrts4scarr]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨ 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐱𝐨 ୧˚

౨ৎ requests﹕closed

౨ৎ taglist﹕open

★ pinned post | ☆ taglist | ★ rules | ☆ main masterlist

— how to request !!

if you'd like me to write for your favourite driver, request their name, trope, concept and anything else! ex : can i request a charles leclerc x reader, best friends to lovers, assistant!reader

— what i write !!

⭑ f1 ⭑ hp ⭑ blurbs ⭑ headcanons ⭑ fluff ⭑ smut ⭑ boy x girl ⭑ age gap (not super big tho.) ⭑ social media au ⭑ person x female reader ⭑ kinks (not super kinky.)

— what i don't write !!

⭑ angst (maybe if im in an angsty mood, but otherwise, no) ⭑ boy x boy (not that im not homophobic, im js not comfortable with writing stuff like that and nor writing original drivers x drivers) (to be fair i love gay relationships. like HEARTSTOPPER, HELLO??) ⭑ anything that has any hate towards to ANY drivers. ⭑ driver/person x oc (i only write person x reader!) ⭑ eating disorders ⭑ self-harm ⭑ mental/physical illness ⭑ cheating ⭑ incest

— drivers i write for !!

⭑ charles leclerc 16 ⭑ carlos sainz 55 ⭑ lando norris 4 ⭑ oscar piastri 81 ⭑ max verstappen 33/1 ⭑ daniel riccardo 3 ⭑ lewis hamilton 44 ⭑ logan sargeant 2 ⭑ kimi raikkonen 7 ⭑ jenson button 22 ⭑ sebastian vettel 5 ⭑ fernando alonso 14 (these are the drivers i feel comfy with writing, i might do other drivers tho)

— others i write for !!

⭑ toto wolff

— pjo characters i write for !!

⭑ luke castellan ⭑ percy jackson ⭑ annabeth chase ⭑ leo valdez ⭑ jason grace ⭑ clarrise la rue ⭑ will solace ⭑ frank zhang ⭑ hazel levesque ⭑ magnus chase ⭑ piper mclean (probably more but those are js my main ones)

— hp characters i write for !!

⭑ mattheo riddle ⭑ theodore nott ⭑ lorenzo berkshire ⭑ tom riddle ⭑ harry potter ⭑ hermione granger ⭑ cedric diggory ⭑ luna lovegood ⭑ ginny weasley (probably more too but these also are js my main ones)

— mcu characters i write for !!

⭑ peter parker (spiderman) | any film/actor ⭑ stephen strange (doctor strange) ⭑ tony stark (iron man) ⭑ steve rogers (captain america) ⭑ thor odinson ⭑ natasha romanoff (black widow) ⭑ wanda maximoff (the scarlet witch) ⭑ bucky barnes ⭑ loki ⭑ gamora ⭑ peter quill (star lord) ⭑ miles morales (more but are js my main ones)

— x-men characters i write for !!

⭑ alex summers (havok) ⭑ scott summers (cyclops) ⭑ jean grey (dark phoenix) ⭑ james/logan howlett (wolverine) ⭑ charles xavier (professor x) | before x-men: apocalypse ⭑ erik lehnsherr (magneto) ⭑ raven (mystique) (more but are js my main ones)

Even if my requests are closed, you can request for a second part and I might consider it. Otherwise, requests are closed. If you have any questions, don't be shy to ask me! <3

if you break these rules, request for things i clearly stated that i wasn't comfortable with writing, "just write this, it's not that hard," hate towards any drivers, then you can leave.

Please be patient when requesting. Remember, I only write for fun, so it's not like a job. Which means that I won't be able to write every minute of every day.

Please be specific when requesting. It'll help me get a better visual/thought of what you want me to write.

Please understand that I can't write every single request. i'll lyk if i can't write this request or if i don't feel comfy with writing it.

#౨ৎ﹔💌 ┄ scar's rules ! 🪽 #⪩⪨﹔💌 ┄ scar talks ! 🪽 #rules #hrts4scarr #lvrzzscarr

[commonpigeon]

its that time of year thats exciting exclusively for me. fanfic spreadsheet wrapped 2023.

this year i read 9,020,674 words :O thats over a million more than last year lol (7,815,414). i read 1172 fics total, which was less than last year (1325). so i suppose overall i was reading longer fics.

top ten fandoms

teen wolf - 405

fall out boy - 202

the untamed - 81

stargate atlantis - 53

the witcher - 50

the sandman - 48

x-men - 47

merlin - 46

ted lasso - 20

les miserables & atla & pride and prejudice all had 17 each lol

top ten pairings

derek hale/stiles stilinski - 389

patrick stump/pete wentz - 193

rodney mckay/john sheppard - 50

erik lehnsherr/charles xavier - 46

merlin/arthur pendragon - 45

geralt of rivia/jaskier - 44

dream/hob gadling - 43

lan xichen/jin guangyao/nie mingjue - 36

enjolras/grantaire, elizabeth bennet/fitzwilliam darcy, sokka/zuko - 17 each

aziraphale/crowley - 15

break down into months

january

top fandom was the sandman, top pairing was dream/hob. makes total sense because i was still clinging on from 2022.

top fic - And Not Ask Leave of Any - dream/hob 15th century faeries au. i have no recollection of this but january me loved it.

february & march

top fandom was the untamed, top pairing was lan xichen/jin guangyao/nie mingjue. i had been rewatching the untamed and was going insane despite not even getting to the best bits for that ot3 lol

Feb top fic - Some others I've seen - steddyhands established relationship - ed and izzy have a tavern and stede visits. again i have no recollection of this and i think its mostly sex

March top fic - An Elegant Solution - nie mingjue/wei wuxian/lan wangji. by far one of my favourite fics EVER and this was a reread and it still hurt me just as good as the first time. arranged marriage fic that fixes so many problems and weirdly the thing that hurts me most wasnt even the main pairing it was the nie minjue/lan xichen/jin guangyao. never has a fic made me pivot from hating to liking a character so effectively

crazy that neither of my fav fics were from my top read pairings lol

april

top fandom was x-men and top pairing was cherik.

my mum died in late march and i lost my MIND and could exclusively watch media i enjoyed between the ages of 12 and 14 and xmfc was The movie when i was that age

top fic - Weekend at Casterly - jaime lannister/brienne of tarth regency au. sorry i will always come back to these two altho ill admit this was rogue and came out of no where

may & june

top fandom was teen wolf, sterek

may top fic - Yes is a World - sterek. derek rejects stiles and then they get together after a few years and have to reassert boundaries. didnt finish where most fics finish and i enjoyed that extra insight into what happens after the get together

june top fic - it’s a long way forward (so trust in me) - geraskier. reread. geralt is an omega who wants too much. soooo embarassing to put omegaverse on here which i usually avoid but this fic is soooo good their dynamic is perfect

july

top fandom was the witcher, geraskier

THEY MADE THAT BARD BISEXUAL

Jinx Removing - sterek. this is saved as dr pepper fic on the spreadsheet which means nothing. another case of derek waiting for stiles and planning for them to be good for each other

bit funny that last month sterek was my top pairing but my fav fic was geraskier and now its swapped for july

august & september

top fandom was merlin, and merthur

august - Once & Future - geraskier, warlord au where geralt is a statue awoken by jaskiers kiss. really beautifully written

september - the devil's in the details - merthur. arthur lists the ban on magic and thinks merlin just learnt really really fast

i left a specific note for myself in september to lmk i was really into reece shearsmith but he simply has no fic. thanks past me

october

top fandom was sherlock, but the pairing was enjolras/grantaire. i simply have no idea how this happened

Epiphanies - enjolras/grantaire. modern au where they do a christmas reunion and enjolras isnt doing too well. i found this too relatable thumbs up emoji

november & december

ah. well this was the time of fall out boy and peterick. what a way to end the year

nov - Schrodingerverse - covid verse that was written during covid and the series that got me back into peterick. guilty pleasure fic for me

dec - time is luck - there was like 3 good fics this month it was very very hard to choose between. but this ons is the ultimate dynamic that im seeking from modern peterick fic where pete is entirely dedicated to patrick and completely accepting of their friendship and not wanting anymore. But What if He Could Have More???

in summary. when your mum dies make sure you read like a shit ton of sterek fic for 2 months in a tiny box room in a village itll be so good for you. and then go to see your favourite band from when you were 14 live and get back into rpf while trying to start 2 new jobs.

seriously though how did i read 405 teen wolf fics in like 2.5 months and then just never touch sterek again. i didnt even finish teen wolf

#praying the readmore works on this lol

[tepkunset]

The New Mutants Film is an Offensive Trash Fire

It’s done! Check out my video on the so-called New Mutants film adaptation. (Even if you’ve never read the any of the New Mutants comics, I explain everything you need to know about the characters!)

English subs included.

(Full script below)

I am an astronomically huge fan of the New Mutants comics, especially the classic and current volumes. In particular, Dani Moonstar is my favourite Marvel hero of all time; as a woman-aligned Indigenous person, she means the world to me. So to say I’m disappointed in the so-called New Mutants film adaptation of 2020 would be an understatement. I’m not disappointed; I am disgusted by just how offensive this film is, both in general and specifically in regards to calling itself a New Mutants film. At this point, I’m pretty sure the pent-up rage I have directed at this film can only be exhausted by talking about it. So, here we are.

The film features five of the core nine New Mutants from the classic comics. Well, at least in name. There’s Dani Moonstar, Roberto da Costa, Sam Guthrie, Illyana Rasputin, and Rahne Sinclair. Members of the team not included are Xi’an Coy Manh, Amara Aquilla, Doug Ramsey, and Warlock. Julio Richter and Tabitha Smith join the team late in the series as well, but are not typically regarded as core members. Xi’an is notably the only one of the Original Five missing from the film, instead replaced with Illyana, despite even being the team’s first leader. Imagine making an Original Five X-Men film with Wolverine instead of Cyclops… But right now, let’s compare the five characters in the comics to their film counterparts.

Dani Moonstar, AKA Mirage, is a Cheyenne girl from Colorado. Originally her power-set was limited to manifesting illusions of the deepest fears of a person, though as the Classic New Mutant series unfolds this evolves to include any illusion she can think of. In Classic X-Force, her powers evolve further and she learns to conjure psychic arrows that paralyze their targets in fear; a skill she still frequently uses in modern comics. Oh, and she also becomes a Valkyrie who can sense death. Because of her struggle managing her illusions when her powers first developed, Dani spent her time in isolation, with only her grandfather as company after her parents mysteriously disappeared. (Spoiler alert: They were eaten by a demon bear.) Then her grandfather is murdered, too, leading Dani to reluctantly go to Xavier’s school. Dani can come off as abrasive and rebellious, because she is very iron-willed and has a strong sense of her own morality. From the very moment she joins the team, she is not afraid to challenge even Professor Xavier. These traits are part of what make her a great team leader, which is the role she plays for the majority of the Classic New Mutants run. But for all her outward confidence, deep inside, she struggles with a desire for people to like her.

Dani develops a particularly strong relationship with Rahne in the comics; they call themselves soulmates and share a telepathic bond when Rahne is in her wolf form. However, in modern comics they drift apart, and it’s only very recently that they’re starting to get close again. In the film, they overtly become a couple.

Dani barely has any agency in the film. She’s like your typical soft-spoken new girl in a CW high school drama, where things happen to her, but it’s never really about her. I can’t really identify a personality for her, because she has none. I feel it’s also worth pointing out that, when paired with the racist casting of Henry Zaga as Roberto—which we’ll get to in a minute—it’s highly suspect that they also decided to cast a light-skinned Native actress to play a dark-skinned Native character. What makes it more suspect is that their other choice was True O’Brien, who is not Native. Josh Boone openly confirmed to having a casting call open to non-Natives for Dani in the same interview where he defended the racist casting for Roberto. I refuse to pat them on the back for Dani’s casting when there was so much bullshit behind the scenes, and when paired with flat out racist casting elsewhere in the film.

Roberto da Costa, AKA Sunspot and often called ‘Berto or Bobby, is an Afro-Brazilian boy who is established in New Mutants #2 to be the youngest of the group, at just thirteen years old. He has solar-powered super strength, and when using his powers, his body turns into complete shadow. Mutant abilities often appear for the first time in stressful situations, and in Bobby’s case, his powers manifested in the middle of a soccer game, when assaulted by racist players on the other team. If this isn’t traumatic enough, he then lost his girlfriend when she jumped in front of a bullet for him. Juliana’s death has haunted Roberto ever since. Because nothing can be easy for ‘Berto, to top everything off, this kid has major daddy issues. Rightfully so, given his father decided to join the Hellfire Club; arguably the X-Men’s second-most famous enemies, only behind the Brotherhood. And boy, do they ever want Roberto to join them. (Spoiler alert: They eventually get what they want.) Roberto acts like he’s the coolest kid on the block in public, while in private struggles deeply with, well, everything I just said. He can be a bit of a hot head, who like Dani is not afraid to challenge authority, especially if it’s in the name of sticking up for his friends. Roberto is extremely loyal to those he cherishes. He is also a huge Magnum PI fan, and yes, that is a defining trait of his personality.

Just like Dani and Rahne’s strong relationship, Roberto and Sam become extremely close, too. Unlike Dani and Rahne, they stay a great team. In modern comics, Roberto and Sam both join the Avengers for a time together, with ‘Berto becoming the leader of one of the branch-off teams, even. Quite an accomplishment for a kid who Xavier once wrote an entire report on the likeliness of becoming a supervillain.

In the comics, Roberto’s father is Black and his mother is white, and he himself has dark skin like his father. He makes his way through the world with a number of labels; Black, Latino, Mutant, and it gets complicated for him sometimes. In the film, the so-called Roberto da Costa is played by a Brazilian actor, yes, but he is not Afro-Brazilian. Director Josh Boone defended his choice of casting Zaga to play a Black character, saying, “I didn’t care so much about the racism I’ve heard about in Brazil, about light-skinned versus dark-skinned. To me, it was I wanted to represent Brazil in a positive way and I wanted to find somebody who seems like he could look like a guy who’s had the silver spoon in his mouth, who has like a really rich dad and [Henry] just exemplified all these things.” No amount of Brazilian identity that Zaga has within him can make up for the fact that he is not Afro-Brazilian like Roberto. No amount of Zaga “looking rich”, whatever that means, can make up for the fact that he is not Afro-Brazilian like Roberto. No amount of denial that racism exists in Brazil can make up for the fact that Zaga is not Afro-Brazilian like Roberto. Roberto is of African descent. Zaga is not. It is the complete and total erasure of a crucial part of the character’s story, and who he represents. It’s racist casting. The racism is enough to end the discussion, but oh, the butchering of this character doesn’t even end there… Roberto in the film is an asshole. The one character he isn’t a jerk towards is Sam, so at least they got a small sliver of their comic bond in there. But it’s a pathetically small sliver. What really gets me though, is they completely changed his powers! They switched his powers with Amara’s in the comics! What the fuck? They did this just so that they could say he was responsible for killing his girlfriend, because he got too hot and burned her. Oh my god. //Sighs

Sam Guthrie, AKA Cannonball, is the eldest child in a huge family, born and raised in Kentucky. When his father died from black lung, sixteen-year-old Sam dropped out of school for the coal mines himself to support his mother and siblings. On his first shift though, the mine collapsed, and Sam’s powers manifested. He has the ability to basically turn himself into a human rocket, which includes being “nigh invulnerable when blastin’”, as he is sure to not let anyone forget. Sam pretty easily slips into a big brother-ish role, probably because he’s used to having a group of younger siblings hanging around him. Sam cares about being seen as respectful and responsible more than any of the others, though does not always succeed. He also tries to maintain a cheerful and hopeful attitude. While Sam is a little too insecure and unsure of himself to be much of a leader at first, by the time of Classic X-Force, he really steps into his own and becomes a pretty solid one.

While Sam’s background is mostly accurate to the comics in his film, the difference being that in the film he is the reason for the mine’s collapse and his father’s death, personality wise, he is very angsty. At one point he cries in front of a mirror and then uses his powers to knock himself out. Rahne observes that Sam uses his powers to hurt himself a lot. Not sure how, when he’s supposed to be nigh invulnerable when blastin’. He spends the film beat to shit because of this.

Illyana Rasputin, AKA Magik, is the younger sister of X-Men member Colossus, born in Russia but was sucked into the other dimension Limbo as a child. While only seconds past on earth, seven years went by in Limbo, where she was raised by the demonic sorcerer Belasco as his apprentice. At age fourteen, she rebelled against Belasco and became the new ruler of Limbo. Returning to earth as a teenager, she joins the New Mutants. Illyana has the power to teleport herself and others through time and space, though she must always pass through Limbo to do so. She is also a master sorcerer, and wields her iconic soulsword. Illyana has a tendency to self-isolate and spiral into a session of self-hate, believing herself to be inherently evil because of her traumatic time in Limbo. She is slow to trust others and let them into her inner thoughts, feeling like she needs to tackle everything alone, but over time comes to greatly appreciate the support of her friends. When she’s not in a depressive state, she has a mischievous and playful spirit.

While in the comics, Dani is the first member of the New Mutants that Illyana comes to truly trust, in the film, Illyana is a racist bitch for some reason. She’s also portrayed as being this aloof nutcase that talks to a puppet version of Kitty’s dragon in the comics, Lockheed. Instead of being taken by Belasco, she was taken by a group only referred to as the Smiling Men. Who are the Smiling Men, you are probably wondering? Who the fuck knows! It’s never explained! Limbo is a place she created herself, though the details of that are also never explained.

Finally, there’s Rahne Sinclair, AKA Wolfsbane, who was raised by the horribly abusive Reverend Craig in Scotland. The Reverend instilled in her a belief that any abnormality was sinful. Fast-forward to Rahne developing the mutant power to turn into a wolf, or a hybrid state between human and wolf, and the Reverend led the town in a deadly chase after her with guns and torches, branding her as a witch. Rahne was shot, but saved and patched up by Moira McTaggart from X-Men fame. Rahne comes to see Moira as a mother-figure she never had. Rahne is a sweet and innocent girl who tries to think the best of everyone except herself. Rahne believes that her mutant powers are a curse from the devil, and that she is being punished for wickedness inside her. For a long time, this is her most defining trait. It takes years of character development for her to come out of this line of thinking, but eventually she does. Unfortunately, some writers, like Peter David, forget this character development, and in modern comics decide to write Rahne as a religious zealot whose only purpose is to cause homophobic drama at the expense of Rictor and Shatterstar. Yes, that’s right. Rahne is a homophobe who thought Shatterstar was stealing Rictor’s soul by turning him gay.

Rahne is a homophobe, but the film decided to put her in a Sapphic relationship with Dani. While at the same time, completely excluding the canonical lesbian character, Xi’an. (Who, might I add, also has a lot of romantic chemistry with Dani in the comics. Because Dani is so obviously very gay too, and that’s the hill I will die on.) But I digress.

Rahne’s film counterpart is easily the closest to her comic self of the bunch, both backstory wise and personality wise. But that’s not saying much.

There is one other character featured in the film, but she’s not a character from the New Mutants comics. She is an X-Man, Cecilia Reyes. I’m not overly familiar with Cecilia like I am the other characters here, but I know damn well enough that she’s not a villain. I do not know why on earth Josh Boone decided to make her such, when he could have used plenty of other characters in her place. Or hell, just made up a new one. Cecilia is also a Black woman, which Alice Braga is not. So, yeah, more racist casting. I’m starting to suspect Boone has something against darker skin…

But, back to the New Mutants. In case you didn’t pick up on the thread linking all them together, these are some seriously traumatized teens. It doesn’t end there. Xi’an lost her parents in the Vietnamese war and was raped by pirates when trying to flee to the US. Amara was almost killed in a sacrificial ritual by Selene, only saved when her powers manifested. Warlock fled to earth because his father wants to kill him. Julio was kidnapped and tortured by an anti-mutant militia known as The Right. Tabitha grew up in an abusive household until she ran away from home, living on the streets for some time. Trauma is basically the requirement to be a New Mutant. Doug is the only member who doesn’t have anything dark going on… up until he fucking dies. This is what separates the New Mutant comics from other young superhero teams. They’ve never been afraid to get serious, tackling things like abuse, suicide, rape, drugs, child death… So I can’t say I’m surprised that the so-called New Mutants film also attempts to do something a bit darker. Tone-wise, it would have been fitting if it was at all competent. Unfortunately, it starts and ends with the tone, because everything else about the story is just awful.

The film opens with a racist fake “Native American proverb”, giving you a taste of what’s to come. Then we’re thrown into a chaotic scene where Dani’s reservation is destroyed and everyone is killed, while she alone escapes. The scene transitions to Dani waking up handcuffed to a hospital bed, which she drags around the room while looking around in what is I’m pretty sure supposed to be comical but actually quite disturbing imagery.

We’re introduced to Dr. Reyes, who confirms to Dani that she is the sole survivor of her community and that Dani is a mutant. She then explains that there are other kids in the facility they’re in, built for troubled young mutants. Dani wants to leave, but Reyes says she will not allow it until she assesses Dani is not a danger.

We meet the other new mutants in group therapy. Dani’s first introduction to the group is Roberto laughing at her name, then saying she’s probably addicted to drugs and sex.

So, just to be clear, we’re ten minutes in and we’ve got a fake Native quote, the mass destruction of an entire Native community, the kidnapping of a young Native girl forced into containment in a school-like facility, making fun of said Native girl’s surname, and assumption that said Native girl has addiction struggles and sexualizing her. Gotcha.

Reyes asks Illyana to show Dani around the school, and Illyana reluctantly agrees, but makes it clear she hates Dani for no apparent reason, other than that she’s racist I suppose. Dani decides to make a break for it, but finds out the hard way that there’s a force-field surrounding the facility. Illyana laughs and teleports away.

Apparently Rahne can teleport now too, because she goes from watching Dani climb the clock tower from the ground with the intention of committing suicide, to magically appearing behind her. Rahne talks Dani out of it, and they spend the rest of the day together gossiping about the others.

Dani has nightmares about the destruction of her community. This triggers her powers, and Sam is sucked into an illusion that he’s back in the mines he worked in.

Dani finally stands up for herself when Illyana hurls racist insults again. Illyana jokes that Dani’s father sexually abused her, so Dani steals Illyana’s puppet and the two get in a fight. Reyes shows up just before Illyana attacks Dani with her soulsword, then puts both of them in solitary confinement. Yes, both of them, for some reason.

We get a brief flashback to Illyana as a child, insinuating that she herself was sexually abused by a group she calls the Smiling Men. Again, we know absolutely nothing about these fuckers.

Meanwhile, Dani’s powers activate through the night again, this time giving herself a nightmare of a demonic bear.

Reyes takes blood samples and reminds Dani that she’s dangerous, and that’s why she’s being locked up, until they can figure out how to control her powers.

Rahne enters the empty confession booth of the chapel and starts listing out her so-called sins, when an illusion takes over where she hears the voice of Reverend Craig calling her a witch.

The group of new mutants sneak up to the attic, where they start playing with a lie detector test. They ask Roberto how many girls he’s been with, and he gets caught lying. Sam takes a turn and talks about his father dying. Dani tells a story about a demon bear her father told her when she was little. Illyana reveals she killed 18 men. This is supposed to be a character development scene, I think?

In the next group session, Sam asks why he can’t go home, and spirals into talking about his nightmares. He ends up storming out.

That night, Illyana says she spiked the tea Reyes was drinking—no, we don’t know how she accomplished this—so the new mutants have a party through the house. Sam reveals to Roberto that he killed his father and crew in the mines. Rahne and Dani sneak outside to lay down and watch the rain’s effect on the barrier. They share a kiss. Roberto and Illyana also share a kiss in the pool, but then Roberto starts steaming up. He explains that he accidentally burned his girlfriend to death. It turns out that this Illyana was just an illusion, and she morphs into his dead girlfriend. This triggers Roberto’s powers to activate. Which again, I will remind you, are actually Amara’s powers. Sunspot has super-strength, not fire. What are you doing, Boone? Reyes puts him out by pushing him into the pool, which I will remind you he was just in before and had no effect at all, and then puts Illyana back in solitary confinement for spiking her drink.

The next day, Reyes begins medical experimentation on Dani, triggering Dani to have visions of young mutants being trained as soldiers. She has a breakdown and her powers surface again, creating illusions for Illyana and Rahne. This time the illusions take hard form, and Rahne is branded with another witch mark on her neck by the summoned Reverend. Illyana figures out its Dani doing all this and attacks her, dragging her to Limbo. Dani uses her powers to scare Illyana into letting her go, and Reyes knocks Illyana out with a sedative.

Dani brings the puppet Lockheed back to Illyana. They bond a little bit, teaching the audience that if you’re nice to racists, they will magically get better!

Reyes gets a notification from her superior with instructions to collect further DNA samples from Dani, and then kill her. It’s revealed that she’s working for the Essex Corporation, a nod to Mister Sinister that will never be fulfilled. At the same time, Dani tells Rahne that she suspects there are ulterior motives behind the facility.

Despite this, she allows Reyes to take her to an underground lab for some reason, where Reyes compares Dani to a feral dog that needs to be put down. While this is happening, Illyana and Sam are chased by another illusion of Illyana’s Smiling Men. Rahne uses her super wolf hearing to find Dani’s location. She attacks Reyes and saves Dani from the brink of death.

Illyana teleports away, and Sam uses his own powers to plow through the men. He meets up with Roberto who is furiously trying to get outside. They reunite with Illyana, who teleports back to them wielding her sword. The whole group meet up in Reyes’ office, while she herself tries to flee. The new mutants decide to kill Reyes as the only way of escape.

Rahne uses her powers to track Reyes down, and the group confront her about Essex Corp. Reyes uses her force-field powers on all of them, and says she will let them go if they surrender Dani, because Dani needs to die. But then the outer barrier is breached somehow by Dani’s demon bear that eats Reyes in what is easily the funniest scene in the film.

The demon bear continues its attack, but Dani won’t wake up. Illyana orders the others to take Dani away while she attacks, because we’re supposed to see her as a #girlboss now. Also, Lockheed is a real dragon, suddenly. No explanation is given for that, either, folks!

Rahne tries to wake Dani up while the others fight off the demon bear, and it finally works after Dani dreams of her father encouraging her. She confronts the demon bear and manages to soothe it out of existence.

The film ends with the new mutants leaving the facility, and a second voice over of the racist fake Native proverb again. Jesus fucking Christ.

So, yeah. A messy plot with pacing issues, bland characters, unanswered questions, and racism. This is what the film turned the New Mutants into. Not that there isn’t racism in the classic comics too, mind you. It’s in there, but the comics have the excuse of being dated, whereas this film does not. This film should know better. Josh Boone should know better.

So, what’s an alternative? Call me crazy, but why not simply adapt from the original graphic novel? No, I’m not crazy, because The Old Guard proved you can please comic fans and new fans alike by doing just that. The original New Mutants graphic novel is a prime target for adaptation, because it’s a perfect set up in terms of establishing the characters and tone in an easy to follow story. Which is what you want from a starting point to a potential new series. The filmmakers would only have to make moderate changes, like adding in Xi’an’s backstory since she was established prior to the graphic novel, for example.

In terms of what we have, there is no comic book story equivalent to whatever the fuck this film was trying to go for. No, I refuse to call it the demon bear arc just because the demon bear is present, any more than to call X-Men Origins: Wolverine a proper telling of Wolverine’s origin story simply because Weapon X is involved. Not that I’d want the demon bear arc adapted anyway. That racism present in the comics I mentioned? Yeah, prime example. But this is just Josh Boone’s fanfiction. And I’d be fine with that, really, if it wasn’t done so fucking poorly.

I hate this film to its fucking core, and Boone can meet me in the pit.

Anyways, read the comics. They’re so much better.

#new mutants #x men #marvel comics #xmcu #video essay #video #marvel meta #movie thoughts

[jandjsalmon]

2023 FFRC - February ❤️

HELLO everyone! I hope you had a wonderful February! It was a short month so there were slightly fewer stories to read and there was this ghost show that came out (you might have seen it flood your dash) that needed to be binged over and over again so we get a season two - but I still found moments to curl up with some favourite fics and I hope you did too! I was pretty focused on crossing off fic challenge tasks so I felt less enjoyment in my reading as usual. I hope this next month will be better.

Throughout February, I had a surprisingly large number of new followers (a substantial number of whom are not bots - shocking, right?!) and though I'm not sure how you all found me, I'm thrilled to have you here (and happy to see that you're real people and not bots).

As most of you know, I'm a regular participant (and low-key assistant) at the @fanfic-reading-challenge - additionally, for the last couple of years, I've been tracking all the fic I read and I've reported back here once a month with some stats and some recs, and a little bit of boring stuff about my life. (Or not boring - like traipsing after my daughter and her basketball team as they work their way to Provincials - their record is 22-4 so it's a possibility! Go Spartans!)

ANYWAY - I'm always looking for new fic recommendations, so if you have any stories you think I'll love, please drop me a line or send me a dm. Almost any pairing and any fandom. Shoot me a link!🖤

February 2023

As I said above, I've been plugging along on the @fanfic-reading-challenge. This month I've cracked 3million words and completed 143/309 tasks which means I've completed the "Regular" mode of the challenge. I'm working on the "Hard" mode so I need to do some searching for fics with minorities. Do you have favourite stories with minorities in them? Most of my fandoms appear to be a little lacking in that department - or at least I never think about it (like Inej is a woc - but I forgot about that until right this second). Anyway - I need to branch out - so any suggestions would be great!

As for my recs for you! Let's look at what I did read this month that you might enjoy. Try these:

--*--

Violent Delights by @ozmathegreatand (Wenvier - M 4/4)

Summary: Romeo and Juliet is far from her favorite Shakespeare play. (That honor goes to Titus Andronicus, of course.) But the crypt scene is achingly romantic, particularly the part where Juliet stabs herself. Few of the Bard’s heroines subject themselves to such violence in the name of passion. She wonders what practical effects the drama department has access to and imagines the torrent of blood she could rig.

Why you should read: Valentine's Day. Romeo and Juliet is being performed by the drama department and Romeo Xavier's costars keep meeting untimely ends. SUPER jealous (and hilarious) Wednesday. Mutual Pining. Shenanigans. This is Super Hilarious.

--*--

What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Want You More by sciencefantasy93 (Lucy/Lockwood - E 8/8)

Summary: It was all her fault. All her fault. He was losing his damn mind, and it was all because of her. One move, one second, one heartbeat, and his world crumbled apart like a warm cookie.

Or: Lockwood realizes he's attracted to Lucy, which sets in motion a chain reaction of events as he and Lucy try to take the next step without actually talking about their feelings.

Why you should read: The first steamy Locklyle fic that I've ever read and it did NOT disappoint. Very VERY in character - but also hot? Super good.

--*--

Chrissy and Eddie’s Infinite Mixtape by @little-scribblers-heart (Hellcheer - E 26/26)

Summary: Eddie was right when he told the Hellfire kids that there's no shame in running, which is why he takes a running leap to grab for the floating cheerleader in his living room.

OR: Chrissy lives and fixes what the Duffers broke.

Come for the canon-close Season 4 rewrite, stay for the explanatory chapter notes and the healing.

Why you should read: Epic in scale. Well researched and emotional without being sappy and trite. I should have known it would be amazing because it was a rec from my girl @feelavalanche - who has NEVER steered me wrong in over 10 years of fandom friendship. There is even a chapter named after David Bowie. See - you need to read this.

--*--

Hope is a Waking Dream by @writeradamanteve (Lucy/Lockwood - M 1/1)

Summary: Nightmares, dreams, it was all part of the agent package. Oh, and tea. Always tea.

Why you should read: FIRSTLY (and I shouldn't have to say this to long time followers) - It's adamanteve. You should read it because she wrote it - that should be good enough. Everything she writes is amazing. But then. SOFTNESS. The characterizations are THEM. Their mannerisms are real and their voices are beyond perfection. Comfort and lovely and wonderful. Read it!

ALSO - as I said last month, you should read and then subscribe to the_retro_witch's entire Sweet Nightmare series. It's a post-canon universe where after Crackstone's defeat, Wednesday and Xavier get together before they leave school and now it's grown into this amazing saga with mystery-solving soulmates and psychic and witchy amazingness. The other characters are developed and the plots are rich and fun. It updates pretty darn regularly and every word is a delight. Honestly. Read the series, you won't regret it. Let it be your first foray into Wenvier if you are on the fence. Don't be on the fence. Come ship with me! 🖤🖤

(lastly- I'm a little bit in love with this gif of Xavier waving - and I've been purposely flooding my dashboard with Percy for reasons - so the wave might become a theme for my year).

Anyway -👋🏼 Hiya -I'm happy you're here! I hope you have a wonderful March and I'll see you back here in a few weeks! Happy reading! 🖤

#jandy's fanfic reading challenge adventure 2023 #reading fics with jandy #fanfic reading challenge 2023 #2023 fic reading challenge #2023frc

[sososcareds]

Curious about your orginal characters from the mirror angel universe, what can you tell us about them that you haven’t already told if you don’t mind! :D

thank u 4 the question !! ^-^ this got very long so it is under the cut

i dont rlly remember what i have already said about them but some little details r that xavier is not the only angel on earth ! there is only one way out and no way back though, so there are very few. xavier has not interacted with any of these other earthbound angels yet

xavier also loves fishing ! it his favourite activity. he loves fish and got himself an aquatic animals encylopedia to learn all about them ^-^ his fishing rod is his prized possession

he is also not the first angel to steal the mirror shards. he's just the first to get caught. shard (which is not her real name, but the one goes by to xavier) is the first to steal mirror shards. she managed to stay under the radar however and to this day no one knows it was her

shard has a polaroid camera also ! it showed up in her room one day and she likes to take photos of anything and everything (including some of the view to xavier/earth via the mirror shards but the flash means that they never show up right)

shard felt very guilty for xavier predicament when it first happened. she believed that xavier had heard about someone stealing mirror shards (which are the only connection to earth) in the past, and tried to do it himself, but was unlucky. this is the reason she started talking to him through the shards she stole. she felt obligated to help him out if it was her fault anyway (as time passed she genuinely befriended him though, and now she talks to him because she wants to and finds it fun) (even if he spends most of their conversations trying to annoy her)

shard is interested in birds, of all animals on earth. xavier is yet to learn about this but she keeps a close eye out whenever he's holding his own mirror shard so it can see the sky/trees.

xavier broke his arm when he ended up on earth and was helped out by a old man who lived in the area and took care of other angels in the past, who gave him a spare room to stay in, and a sling for his arm. (he also has a dog, who xavier immediately fell in love with) (not the worst situation to fall to earth and learn about the beauty of dogs)

i cant think of anything else right now, but thank you so much 4 asking !! i love getting questions about them ^-^ sorry for my english

#theta--asks #thanatopia #mirror angels #xavier #shard #my ocs #angels

[floripire]

SHIPPING INFO // ANSWER THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR MUSE(S) SO PEOPLE KNOW HOW SHIPPING WORKS ON YOUR BLOG.

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER(S)?

@founderscouncil's jed is a big one, considering i came up with flori after reading about one of ace's wanted plots. i also like @d3adthings' pj and flori together because i think they'd be great. also, @ofvalor and i made flosie a thing - josie and flori - and i love everything about them. there is also @fatecrafted's werewolf, sylas priestly, who i love. sweet werewolf himbo who comes from a huge pack and has a lot on his shoulders. @loetise's allie is also someone that i very much adore and consider an otp for flori. platonically, flori loves the anti squad (mia, loren, faith) so fucking much. she'd fight, die and kill for them. they are her family. they're my platonic otp for sure.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

flori's in her late teens, early to mid twenties. so i would prefer to ship with muses in that same age range.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFW?

when the clothes come off and stuff below the belt gets mentioned. i may rb nsfw posts on here but i mostly write it out on discord.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

sorta kinda? i mean, ideally i would love for our muses to have chemistry but truthfully? if you're okay with it, i'm okay with it. so long as we keep each other in the loop about it. i've said it before and i'll say it again: i'm here to write and have a good time and i would like that to be the case for both/all of us.

WHO ARE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?

bear in mind, this is me throwing characters out there that i would think go well with flori - this is not me saying this should happen asap: - xavier thorpe - scott mccall - kira yukimura - maybe even liam dunbar - tory from cobra kai - hawk from cobra kai - michelle jones-watson - mcu!peter parker - mcu!harley keener - across the spiderverse's hobie brown - any of the 1996!yellowjackets ladies - olive stone - season 4!cal stone - tj morrison - apollo burns - juan ruiz - tilda weber - jack morton - alyssa drake - lilith bathory - hamish duke - randall carpio - tally craven - abigail bellweather - scylla ramshorn - raelle collar - your oc(s) and i am forever patiently waiting for the day where someone picks up colton gobbo as a fc so we can ship together lmao. look at how he looks at her in the gif.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?

just let me know that you'd like a ship and we can get the ball rolling. see #4 for more information.

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?

i'm ship obsessed! not just about my own but about your ships as well. if we're mutuals and you've got a ship going? chances are i will ask about them. prompted, unprompted. i will love them as much as you do, i can assure you that.

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?

heck yeah!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?

tvd: bonnie x happiness, first and foremost because bonnie's my girl. bonora has always intrigued me. klaroline seems fun. steroline. forwood. i've also read a couple of tylena fics here and there. i could see bonnie x elena x caroline. also bonnie x caroline. i haven't read as much bonnie x elena stuff yet, i don't think. to: i've always been a huge fan of gia x elijah and i will mourn the fact that they weren't endgame forever. i also ship @witchfirst and @savagevillain's characters together. legacies: i shipped emma x alaric for a minute before i jumped ship to dorian x emma who are, imho, superior. when it comes to the students, these are my ships: josie x rafael, mizzie, mizziethan, hosie, hafael, handon (as written out on the dash by my mutuals, specifically because i'm not as much of a fan of them in the show), handosie (forever mourning the fact that they did not go there), i'd be cool with hizzie too. cleo x kaleb. kaleb x jed. i shipped both kaleb x alyssa and jed x alyssa. and also kaleb x alyssa x jed. i was also - and mind you, this was way before cleo was even introduced - a big lizzie x kaleb stan. josie x jed is also adorable. idk if jed x lizzie was ever a thing but i'm putting them on the list also. jed x hope. cleo x hope. ethan x hope. hope x maya. i wanted more for finsie to be honest. brock x wade has always been a beloved crackship of mine; they never talked in the show but in my head, they are in love. dana x sasha x connor; sasha x connor; dana x connor; dana x sasha.

stolen from @witchwrld & @seesgood

#long post / #ooc.

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

8, 28, 33, 36, 40

8. Oldest WIP

My Hemispheres series. I've actually (FINALLY) been working on Chapter 2 of Part 3 the last few days, but I mean, this monster baby is going to go for a while, I think. I don't have an entire end goal in mind other than it'll likely somehow come full circle to the first part where Tony had woken up in the 'other universe' married to Loki, which was what sparked him - upon returning to his own universe - to go get Loki out of Asgardian prison.

28. Favourite side character

I've got a couple. Coulson, JARVIS, the elevator at the Avengers Tower, Agent Melinda May, (various of the AoS characters, actually), Sif and Fandral (odd that). And that's in Marvel, which is my main fandom to write for. If I write more for Stranger Things, I'll likely have other favorite sides like Robin or Dustin or even Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers. If I wrote more Hannibal, it would definitely be Beverly Katz and Winston (the dog).

33. Have you ever killed a main character?

Yes, essentially. Sort of. In They Bid Me Take My Place Among Them, I didn't really kill Tony, Loki, and Nat, but it was post-Endgame, and it was a short thing where the three of them are already dead - that Tony dies but shows up in Valhalla where Loki greets him and shows him that Nat's there, too. In You are the ghost behind my eyes, I essentially kill Old Steve. And in the Outside the dawn is breaking (But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free) series, my X3 Fix-it series, in Pt 2, I'll be killing off a (sort of) main character, and in Pt 3, I'll be killing off another (sort of) main character. I will say that it won't be either character of the story's ship, and it won't be any of the ones who are helping the ship.

36. Last sentence you wrote

From Chapter 2, Pt 3 Hemispheres:

(Loki is speaking to Steve)

“I encountered a quote while studying the internet, and while the person who said this seems to have been a somewhat…well, not nice politician, the quote is appropriate, I think. ‘If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are excited, it will calm you’,” he said and mirrored the way Steve rested his hip against the counter so that they faced one another. “So to answer your remark, yes, I really do like tea. I’ve seen the selection in the communal kitchen, and then Anthony and Bruce showed me websites where I could order what I like, and even Ms. Potts has suggested some of her favorites.”

40. Share some backstory for one of your characters

Emma Frost was born into a very wealthy family whose income has banked on the textile industry since the 1600s. Her father wielded his wealth and power with an iron fist, often that he'd use to keep his children, especially Christian and Emma, in line. The whole of her childhood was spent being groomed to be in control (and yet to still be controlled as her father never relinquished his control), to be powerful and intelligent, and to want far more than she wanted (which was to be a teacher). From her father's abuse and her mother's alcoholic/drug abuse apathy, she then experienced the lusts and abuse by teachers and then later Sebastian Shaw, though she did finally claim her power as the White Queen of the Hellfire Club before finally realizing her dream of being a teacher when she had her own school in Boston. While still being viewed as a villain, Emma experienced the devastating heartbreak of losing all of her students in Genosha, and not long past that, she was treated with constant suspicion when she joined the team/teachers at the Xavier Institute. Where she would spend far too many years of her life being compared to and treated as second choice/consolation prize to a corpse that refuses to stay dead.

Thank you for the asks!

A Writer’s Ask Game

#A Writer's Ask Game #stormxpadme #Thank you for the asks!

[phantom-le6]

Ramble of the month November 2022: Marvel Contest of Champions – Quarters, Semis and Finals of my fanfic-based clash of Marvel heroes

As promised in my October ramble, I’m using the November article to conclude the Contest of Champions I posited originally back in July’s ramble.  After two initial elimination rounds, we’re now down to the various varieties of final, and since that means four quarter finals, two semis and then a single final, I’m doing the whole lot in one post.

 Now as a quick reminder from last time for any regular readers, and to mention it for the first-time readers, this isn’t about arbitrary selection based on personal preference or telling a specific story.  Instead, I’ll be looking at things from an impartial examination of key factors.  These include powers and abilities, any weaponry/gadgets carried by default, perception biases and the fundamental nature of each character.  The analysis will also have some influence from the narrative outlines of my fan-fiction plans, so knowledge of events from any other Marvel continuities and their impacts aren’t going to factor in.  Also, as this would be the first contest, we’re looking at very basic knock-out fighting bouts between the heroes in plain, basic, gladiatorial arenas, so environment will mostly not be a factor either.

Right, now that that’s done, let’s hit the quarter-final bouts:

Quarter Finals

Bout 1: Black Panther/T’Challa vs Thor

Our first quarter final is a true battle royale as we pit the king of Wakanda against the prince of Asgard.  I’m sure Black Panther fans and people who’ve watched certain elements of season 5 of Avengers Assemble would put such a bout in T’Challa’s favour; one because he’s their favourite, the other because it provides a precedent for T’Challa planning contingencies against his fellow heroes.  However, the former is something we avoid in objective analysis, and the latter is ruled out by the contest rules (straight-up gladiatorial combat with no prep time) and the context for the fan-fiction universe (at this time, T’Challa hasn’t met or studied most other superheroes).

 As such, the contest is wide open until we consider all factors.  First, as ever, is powers; Thor significantly out-muscles T’Challa and brings a distance attack to the fray in the form of his lightning, not to mention his flight advantage.  However, T’Challa is also an agile opponent, so landing hits will not be entirely straight-forward for Thor.  Experience-wise, Thor’s extended lifespan means he’s had more time to learn and master combat than any human, so this adds to his edge over T’Challa.

 When we consider equipment, however, things even up a little more.  T’Challa’s suit being made of Vibranium means he’ll be more likely to absorb and even re-direct Thor’s lightning, which means the pair will be more likely to come to physical blows instead of fighting things out at range.  Psychologically, there’s nothing tipping the balance either way.  Long story short, it’s a closer bout than might be apparent at first glance, but without prep time, this bout will ultimately go to the God of Thunder.

Bout 1 winner: Thor

Bout 2: Captain America/Steve Rogers vs Storm/Ororo Monroe

Next, we pit the super-soldier against one of the last remaining X-Men-to-be in the contest (remember, Storm is at university following a stint as Xavier’s student before she returns as teacher and X-Men in the fanfic).  From a powers perspective, Storm has a considerable edge in that her weather-manipulation powers are varied, powerful, and are going up against the primarily physical power of Captain America.  Now as I noted back in my July ramble, Steve’s powers in the fanfic draw from the comics instead of films, so he’s only at peak human strength and fitness levels, but with the serum eliminated fatigue poisons to give him increased endurance and stamina.

 Considering this, Storm would have to rely on her more directly offensive weather manifestations, as trying to batter Cap with snow, wind, etc. isn’t going to wear him down as effectively as a normal human being.  However, that plays into Cap’s experience, which overall gives him an edge over Storm despite her Danger Room training.  To an old war horse like Cap, even tactics like fog wouldn’t avail Storm too much against him.  Next there’s the equipment aspect; Cap’s shield being made of a unique Adamantium-Vibranium alloy makes it both indestructible and fairly energy-absorbent, while Storm isn’t packing any weaponry or equipment of note for combat.

 Psychologically speaking, Storm is likely than some other X-students to be awed or intimidated by Cap, but there may still be a small element of this in play, while Cap will probably not be adversely affected by anything in the combat to hand.  Ultimately, I think Storm would have the initial advantage, but Cap’s experience, endurance and his shield would enable him to hang in long enough to come back and win the bout overall.

Bout 2 winner: Captain America

Bout 3: Hulk/Bruce Banner vs Domino/Neena Thurman

Gamma strength versus mutant luck; in most bouts, it’s fair to say each power is an insurmountable factor that all but guarantees the wielder of that power a win.  Pitted against each other, however, the question becomes which trumps the other. Ultimately, any application of the Hulk’s strength is as subject to probability as any other, but at the same time, if the Hulk uses area-effect strikes (e.g., a super-strength clap of his hands creating a massive shockwave that is impossible to avoid), luck can cease to be a factor.

 Looked at from this point of view, the powers at hand more-or-less cancel each other out.  Next comes experience, which Domino does have the advantage of over the Hulk, if only because the Hulk has poor memory and cognitive ability, fighting more from instinct or Banner’s subconscious prodding than any true tactical expertise of his own.  Domino is also armed where the Hulk is not, frequently using firearms in combat, and this together with her luck and experience, not to mention her ability to remain calm and think while the Hulk is a raging berserker, puts the fight into her hands.

 As a well-trained and experienced fighter, especially one who is operating alongside a martial arts master like Wolverine outside this contest, Domino will have both excellent marksmanship skills and some knowledge of pressure-point strikes.  If we then factor in the increased tensile strength of the Hulk’s skin, it’s very likely that high-calibre rounds from a rifle like the one Domino is typically depicted with could have the same kind of impact as a nerve-strike, if aimed right and backed up with Domino’s luck to ensure that outcome.  As a result, Domino would probably win this bout.

Bout 3 winner: Domino

Bout 4: Marvel Girl/Jean Grey vs Hercules

For the last of the quarter finals, we pit telepathy and telekinesis of the last of our remaining mutant characters against Olympian strength.  Now as was noted in last month’s ramble, the mind of any long-lived being required a level of physiological and psychological endurance beyond a human mind to withstand the greater volume of memory and knowledge such a mind would accumulate.  This means telepaths would struggle in a mind-to-mind clash with Asgardians, Olympians, etc.  This is part of why Thor defeated Psylocke in round 2 of the contest, and it means Jean’s not going to be able to bring this weapon to bear as well as she could against most other foes.

 However, enhanced strength is Hercules’ sole power while Jean is also a telekinetic, and she could easily use that power to turn the Olympian’s strength against him.  That said, Hercules as a longer-lived being possesses a considerable edge in experience, which would seem to put the advantage back in his corner.  In terms of equipment, Hercules has the option of his Mace of Power, but since he wouldn’t likely use it against an unarmed foe, especially a female opponent, this is almost a null factor.

 Ultimately, this bout comes down to psychological factors, and it’s here that Hercules would get tripped up.  In addition to being part-human and thus a little more susceptible to Jean’s telepathy than the average Olympian, Hercules is both braggart and chauvinist.  This means that where Jean’s telepathy can get through, she can exacerbate these qualities and cause Hercules to make a moderate fool of himself, thereby making use of her telekinesis almost a formality.  As a result, this final quarter final would end up being won by Jean.

Bout 4 winner: Marvel Girl

With the quarter finals judged, we now move to the semi-finals, which pitch avenger against avenger and mutant against mutant.

Semi-Finals

Bout 1: Thor vs Captain America/Steve Rogers

So, in a bout between the God of Thunder and the star-spangled avenger, who wins?  From the perspective of powers, Thor has a sizeable edge from his physical strength, lightning powers and flight abilities, whereas Captain America’s increased endurance doesn’t seem much by comparison.  Experience is also on Thor’s side, though Captain America isn’t exactly a slouch in this respect; only Thor’s greater life-span grants him an edge here due to a greater volume of experience.

 As such, we then come to equipment, and Cap’s shield is perhaps one of the few weapons capable of really holding up well against the mighty Mjolnir.  That then leaves psychological factors; considering we’re taking about a great warrior combatting a great soldier, neither combatant is going to be at any great advantage or disadvantage to the other in this regard. The reality is this would be a close-run bout but would ultimately go Thor’s way.

Bout 1 winner: Thor

Bout 2: Domino/Neena Thurman vs Marvel Girl/Jean Grey

So far in this contest, we’ve seen luck powers beat optic blasts, super-speed and super-strength, while telepathy and telekinesis has surpassed super-senses, amphibious abilities and an Olympian demi-god. Which of these, then, can beat the other.  Now as we noted back in the quarter finals, luck can only affect probability; if someone uses a power that can’t avoided, luck won’t help.  As such, one could argue that with a quick opening psychic attack, Jean would have the bout sewn up in an instant.

 However, in the fan-fic world where this contest takes place, Domino is part of the proto-X-Men, and as such will have been taught by Professor X himself to resist psionic assaults.  This means Jean’s greatest power advantage is again reduced in efficacy, though not by any means nullified in its totality.  However, telekinesis may not avail much against luck unless Jean has the wit to make the attacks wide-spread and thus unavoidable.  Experience-wise, Domino will also have the edge, as she does from an equipment point-of-view, though Jean’s telekinesis would easily deflect most if not all firearm rounds.

 This then brings us psychological factors, and here both women know each other well enough not to have any clear edge over each other.  Long story short, it’s a relatively even match-up that I think would just go Jean’s way.  Whether that’s because telepathy, especially of Jean’s level, is impossible to resist forever, or because Domino’s luck might consider it luckier to avoid Thor in the contest final, I leave to your judgement.

Bout 2 winner: Marvel Girl

 And with the semi-finals out of the way, it’s now time to look at the final.  Who will be the inaugural victor of the Contest of Champions in my fan-fic world from an objective perspective?  Let’s find out.

Final: Thor vs Marvel Girl/Jean Grey

Ok, as ever, let’s start with powers.  Jean’s telepathy will be all but useless against Thor due to his mental resilience combined with him being full Asgardian rather than a human-Olympian hybrid.  This means it’s her telekinesis against Thor’s super-strength, lightning and flight abilities.  As a telekinetic, Jean may be able to manage some levitation, so flight is not entirely Thor’s advantage, but lifting herself will deplete what else she can manipulate, including the possible deflection of Thor’s hammer.

 Experience, as ever in these bouts, lies with Thor as the longer-lived combatant and a warrior born-and-bred, and he is armed with his hammer where Jean has no equipment.  Having beaten Hercules, Jean might not be as easily cowed by Thor as some others would be, but let’s bear in mind we’re dealing with a late teens Jean whose powers, while formidable, have yet to truly reach their peak.  Moreover, considering how much those powers would be drained overcoming an Olympian and Domino’s luck powers, it’s quite likely that come the final, Jean would be running on fumes compared to Thor.  As such, I’m inclined to declare the Odinson as the inaugural CoC winner.

Champion: Thor

 And that concludes this first fan-fic-based Contest of Champions. I do have several others within this fan-fic world, as the idea was to have them happen once every four years like the Olympics (a US Olympic games in the 1980’s being the original genesis of the whole contest concept). If you’ve liked this one and want me to do the other contests in future rambles, leave a comment and I’ll be sure to work that in.  I’ll also probably mix things up a bit more on future ones as well (e.g., alternating environmental conditions, some bouts being among more than two combatants), so also bear that in mind when asking “do I want to see more of this kind of thing”?

 Anyway, that’ll be it for now in terms of Marvel stuff. Next month’s ramble will be both seasonal and dealing with raising awareness about another aspect of autism, so until then, ta-ta for now.

[earnestly-endlessly]

Cherik angst!

Ooooh the angst!! The cherik fandom has an abundance of angst fics and I could probably make a list of hundred fics to recommend, but these are some of my favourite angsty cherik fics. I should warn you though, some of these require tissues.

Cherik Angst

Everyday Love in Stockholm – tahariel

Summary: Magneto is the ruler of the posthuman world.

His only secret? Charles Xavier, the human he's kept locked in his bedroom ever since his right-hand woman, Mystique, came to him pleading for mercy for her stepbrother, who accepted her mutant form and protected her as a child. The human he started fucking after Mystique was killed in battle, despite the guilt he feels at contaminating even this last promise to the woman who was integral to his life's work and happiness.

Boden’s Mate – kaydeefalls

Summary: "Shaw has information that we need, and we need him alive to extract it," Moira says, and there it is: the job is on the table. Extraction.

XMFC/Inception fusion AU. Erik is an extractor, Alex is his point man. They're assembling a team to go after the most dangerous mind in dreamsharing: Sebastian Shaw. But unless Alex and the team can keep him in check, Erik's desire for vengeance might just rip the whole job apart around them -- and then there's the shade that haunts his dreams...

Ritual Self-Torture – TurtleTotem

Summary: Shaw is King, Charles is his royal consort and Erik is a Knight/Lord. Shaw is sterile but his kingdom can't find out, so he asks Erik to impregnate Charles.

He doesn't know Erik and Charles are in love.

The Winter of Banked Fires – Yahtzee

Summary: Charles Xavier has returned from the dead -- but is lost within his own mind. Rogue has cast aside her own power and doesn't know where she fits in the world any longer. The production of synthetic Cure means mutantkind itself is newly at risk. And Magneto, turned human against his will, is in despair until the day he feels a familiar consciousness tugging at his own

Us – Pangea

Summary: “Charles,” Erik says, and if his voice hits a pleading note then who can really blame him, “Charles, it’s me.”

It takes several longer moments before Charles musters up the strength to answer, breath stuttering horribly as he tries to breathe. He’s shaking, entire body trembling.

“Erik,” Charles says, his voice cracking, “Erik, I want to die.”

Enigma – Yahtzee

Summary: Erik dies, or finds a reversey-time mutant, or a magical time travelling device, and wakes up in the past. This time, though, it's before he ever met Charles - in fact, it's before his mother died.

He can save his mother that one time (thanks to his mastery over powers carrying back), but what does Erik do after that? Does he stick around, or escape and run to find Charles again (and hope everything doesn't go wrong)?

By Faint Indirections – kianspo

Summary: Erik is in his ~50s, and lonely and bitter. He survived the Holocaust and was only ~14 when the war ended; and even ~40 years later, living in a country that helped to end WW2 and the Third Reich, homosexuality is still a taboo topic. Then one day, he stumbles over Charles, who is young(early 20s) and bright and smart and cheeky and full of energy and beautiful. And moving in the same street where Erik lives.

Lonesome on the Shelf – ikeracity

Summary: After three years of marriage, Charles has to admit that his relationship with Erik has significantly cooled off. These days, they're barely ever home at the same time and it seems like every conversation they have turns into an argument. Charles misses the way they used to be, misses the spontaneous dinner parties and the surprise morning sex and the wake up calls in the early mornings to catch the sunrise. But it's going to take two of them to fix this marriage, and some days, it seems as if all Erik wants is to be rid of him.

A fic about rekindling marriage.

When the Spell Breaks – kianspo

Summary: Erik, a high-profile lawyer with a successful career, meets a 21-year-old grad student in a bar, and within a few short months marries him. He and Charles are blissfully happy, until Erik's boss runs a background check on Charles and discovers he's been cheating on Erik. Charles denies everything, as there was no affair, but Erik doesn't believe him and throws him out. As Charles tries to figure out how to survive and stay at school that he can no longer afford and makes a lot of bad if not plain dangerous choices, Erik has to fight his own battle of discovering the truth and winning Charles back.

The Tower and the Hurricane – dreamlittleyo

Summary:(Post-movie AU.) Five years after Shaw's death, Erik's predictions prove painfully accurate. Violence rages on both sides of the human/mutant conflict. In a world ravaged by war, it doesn't really matter who's more at fault. Charles struggles to teach his students a better way, but what choices will he make when peace really isn't an option?

The Attempt – Yahtzee

Summary: Charles knows everything about Erik, knows how obsessive and self-destructive he is, how Erik would do anything, give anything, in his quest for vengeance against Shaw. But he also knows that Erik loves him in ways that aren't exactly platonic.

I'd like to see a completely straight!Charles, out of pure love and care of Erik, initiate a romantic relationship with him. It can be because he wishes to give Erik something positive in his life or because he thinks it might help change Erik's mind about Shaw, the reason is up to author. Also, while Charles finds intimacy with Erik strange and awkward, he does enjoy the new, non-romantic layers that have developed in their relationship.

Apple Seeds – pprfaith

Summary: Charles, Erik, apple seeds and Shakespearean love affairs.

Ashes, Ashes – winterhill

Summary: Post-apocalyptic AU — When the bombs fall, and mutually assured destruction occurs, it turns out that Shaw was right and radiation does enhance mutant powers. Snapshots of the XMFC main ensemble in the time after the bombs: Erik decides to stay, Moira thinks she might be the only human left, Raven is having trouble sleeping, and Charles is losing his mind.

Warnings: nuclear holocaust: death (death in general, not a specific character), cancer, burns, medical procedure, mutant powers gone awry

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Tequila on a spaceship – faerie_ground

Summary: In 2014, Charles Xavier gets brutally murdered and Erik Lehnsherr spends the rest of his life mourning his death.

In 3014, Captain Lehnsherr and CMO Dr Xavier are colleagues, best friends and maybe a little more besides that aboard the Magneto I.

The Tower and the Hurricane – dreamlittleyo

Summary: Post-movie AU.) Five years after Shaw's death, Erik's predictions prove painfully accurate. Violence rages on both sides of the human/mutant conflict. In a world ravaged by war, it doesn't really matter who's more at fault. Charles struggles to teach his students a better way, but what choices will he make when peace really isn't an option?

Simple and Uncomplicated – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik and Charles had been fuck buddies for some, but when Charles is in an accident he figured their relationship would be over. Erik's visit to his bedside in the hospital changes his assumptions even as he has trouble believing Erik is sincere.

Lazarus – Clocks 

Summary: Erik is 19 when he says ‘I love you’ for the first time.

It would take five long years before Charles says it back.

Broken Eternity – CractasticDispatches

Sumnmary: It starts with being alone. It shouldn’t, perhaps, but it does because, of course, alone is what no one ever wishes to be.

Shout it Out Loud – dreamlittleyo

Summary: (Movie-Concurrent AU.) When Charles forges a telepathic link between himself and Erik, the two men find themselves bound together by more than just destiny. With the world on the brink of war, Charles and Erik struggle to cope with a psychic connection that may well be permanent.

Call Me By His Name – sinuous_curve

Summary: Charles wakes from the absence of noise.

There is an empty space in his room, beside his bed. Not quiet as in an abandoned room, but utterly, featurelessly blank. Like a box made of unblemished, impenetrable metal and Charles knows before he opens his eyes.

The Longest Word – septicwheelbarrow

Summary: "I'm Charles Xavier," he says, smiling from ear to ear. Then he gestures to his wheelchair. "Terminal spinal osteoblastoma, reaper due to collect in a year."

After some time, the man gestures at himself with a sardonic smile. "Same, one year. Lung." And then, reluctant, as if trying to keep his name to himself, "Erik."

I reject your reality and substitute my own. Doesn't really work that way, both ways.

Copy – chantefable

Summary: Charles wakes up without his memory. His sole caretaker, Erik, claims to be his husband, and tells him he's recovering from a car accident on their honeymoon.

Slowly falling for Erik again, Charles begins to regain his memories. He starts to notice strange things about his body, Erik, and their secluded mansion.

Myosotis – SomeCoolName

Summary: When Charles got back from Cuba, he lost the two things which made him stand: his legs and the love of his life, Erik Lehnsherr. Charles can get used to the wheelchair but he won't ever be able to get pass the loss of Erik.

"I wish I never met him" is something Charles says one night, maybe a bit drunk, absolutely wrecked for sure. It's a bit silly but Charles figures out his only solution is to use his own powers to erase Erik from his mind, progressively.

Except one day Erik comes back to the Xavier mansion to win him back. And even if Charles doesn't want to stop forgetting about him, Erik will do anything he can to convince him otherwise.

Das Haus am See – sareyen

Summary: The Lake House AU:

Erik is an estate planning lawyer who takes some time off to get away from the big city after his marriage fell apart. He lives in a picturesque lake house by Chautauqua Lake for almost two years, before moving back to New York City. This is in 2019.

Charles is a famous but very private author stuck in a creative rut, and moves to his lakeside estate for a short while to try and find a reason to write again. This is in 2017.

By magic or fate, Charles and Erik discover that the letter box at the lake house has the ability to send letters through time, between Charles in 2017 and Erik in 2019. Through letters that transcend the barriers of time, Charles and Erik fall in love. Charles vows to find Erik two years in his future, and Erik promises to wait for him. Two years - just two, meagre years.

But, fate is fickle, and time waits for no one.

Appropriate Boundaries – Yahtzee 

Summary: Charles has been having serious problems with back cramps in the year and a half since he's been in a wheelchair. His doctor prescribes massage therapy. But when Charles meets his masseur, Erik, in some ways they begin to heal each other. So how do you cross the boundaries between professional touch -- and the personal?

Unbound – Cesare, helens78

Summary: Thousands of miles apart, Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier form a soulbond. But when that bond is severed five years later, they have to spend the next ten years trying to rebuild their lives alone.

Do You Love Me – cgf_kat

Summary: Charles and Erik have been married for 25 years, thrown together by a mandatory post-apocalyptic pairing system attempting to increase and strengthen the population. They have seven children. They have never spoken of love, but change is on the horizon.

A Quiet Riot – cloudstroke (aQuired)

Summary: Erik can't stand the fact that his father has brought home a boy less than half his age.

But mostly because he's madly in love with Charles Xavier himself.

#cherik #cherik fic recs #fic recs #angst #asks #earnestly answers

[missanthropicprinciple]

A Tale of Elio and My Fixation with Lovable Androids

TL;DR Feel free to scroll past this unless you’re keen to read my ramblings about androids, Neoclassical art, children’s lit, and bad science fiction movies. 

Since the late 1990s one of my favourite books has been A Tale of Time City (1989) by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s a mildly confusing story but engaging, with memorable characters, including the android Elio, pictured above - my own fan art from a few years ago. Studio Ghibli really needs to make this film if no one does a live-action version, seeing as they brought Jones’ novel Howl’s Moving Castle to life. Here’s a scan of my favourite edition with mesmerizing cover art by Richard Bober.

This book inspired me so much I’ve done research on it. I wasn’t in a class in grad school that allowed me to write about it so I took it on as a casual independent project in 2019. Two days after my dad died of cancer I was scheduled to present my paper on Elio from ATOTC. Needless to say I was not able to finish writing the essay. I told the department coordinator I would likely not attend but I would let him know. He was seriously surprised that I showed up. I must have looked like a ghost - wearing a nice top, skirt, tights, and short heels. I was still in total shock but I thought I might as well press on. My paper’s working tile remains as it was: Elio: Android Autonomy and the Personification of the Sun God. I presented a long bullet point list of working ideas and research done up until that point. My work is still on the broad side because it’s an intersection of young adult fiction, Neoclassic art, and android autonomy; I have some narrowing to do. Here are my main arguments thus far: 

Firstly, the android character Elio’s physical characteristics and personality are inspired by Helios, the Hellenistic Greek god and personification of the sun. Apparently, Elio is a Spanish name meaning sun and also an Italian given name referring to the element helium, originally derived from the Greek name of the sun-god Helios. 

Secondly, Elio and Helios share more than an etymological connection and the comparison of Elio to Helios can be articulated in two distinct ways: the aesthetic comparison, and that Elio possesses some of the qualities Helios is known for. Jones’ work repeatedly associates Elio with sunlight and golden hues, aspects which are exemplified in the 1765 Neoclassical painting Helios as the Personification of Midday by Anton Raphael Mengs. (I vaguely remember translating a couple passages from a large art book written in German when I was studying Neoclassical art.) 

This work is considered an unusual depiction of Helios. Mengs uses a motif of the glowing arrow which is interpreted by François-Xavier Fabre as a symbol of the midday heat and the sun's rays which penetrate and give light to the earth. The representation of the sun in this way is considered unusual for the 18th century because it goes against Classical and Baroque iconography which portrays Helios riding a chariot. Ironically, Jones references this. Elio proclaims his fondness for films, particularly the chariot race from Ben Hur. Elio, like Mengs’ depiction of Helios, lacks a chariot but retains his beauty and powers.

As for Elio possessing some of the qualities of Helios, the god is often referred to as “all seeing” or “Zeus’s eye.” Similarly, Elio has the ability to anticipate problems and see what humans do not, but not because he’s a god, but because he’s a servant. However, this is where his self governing comes into play when he uses his observations to take action beyond any directives he has been given. His physical strength, like Helios, exceeds that of humans. Elio himself says, “my utmost is more than twice that of a born-human” (Jones, 211).

Thirdly, Elio’s self awareness allows him to use both his powers of observation and superior physical strength independent from humans. He does not always wait to be told how to use his power; he wields it. Not only does he play a part equal to that of humans in Jones’ plot, he specifically controls the fates of certain human characters. For example, he doesn’t always utilize his speed when he’s at the beck and call of his master, Sempitern. He makes choices not to fully comply with the demands made of him.

My fourth point, which I can’t quite articulate well, is that the most significant dynamic of this comparison is the body of Elio and how his physicality interacts with his autonomy. Elio acts as an individual who contributes to a wider mythology just as Helios does. Yet, while Elio is superior to humans in many ways, his quasi-humanity allows him to act in ways which align with Helios’ qualities.

For example, Elio makes personal choices and exhibits emotions not necessary for him, as an android, to function. He confesses a desire to harm another android out of annoyance where a passionate opinion would not be expected from an android. This human failing is indicative of the same autonomy which allows him to act as Helios does. Elio has been constructed as a superhuman body in terms of his abilities, however, the human qualities which contribute to his Helios-like powers undermine his intended purpose. 

Ultimately, Elio ascends the usefulness of his “owned” body by acting independently from the humans who utilize him. His human qualities make him vulnerable and therefore he loses some of his godlike powers. Elio, while only an assistant to his human owners, utilizes his own physical and mental powers to maintain his autonomy. Conversely, his god-like qualities make Elio more human rather than affirming his android identity.

This is a very complex subject and I don’t really know where I’m going with it and have possibly made some suppositional errors. TL;DR: What I do know is that Elio presents a paradox: being idealized for his abilities allows him to be autonomous while being autonomous disrupts the servitude of his body.

I am in the process of determining what lens I will use to analyze Elio’s experience and functionality of being an android. I’m thinking about using Alan Turning’s 1950 work Computing Machinery and Intelligence. I’m still navigating the literary theory aspect, or indeed philosophical aspect, of this area of study. 

This brings me to something I came across later that relates to Elio and ATOTC. 

SPOILERS AHEAD

The closest depiction of an android that I’ve seen to Elio other than Data is from a terrible and somewhat forgotten science fiction film from 1989. “Byron”, (played by pre-Jurassic Park-fame Bob Peck) the android in the painfully awful film Slipstream comes very close to Elio in terms of tone, attitude, and characterization. Despite the embarrassingly bad script and dialogue, Peck does a bang-up job, seemingly acting in a wonderful film running parallel to the absolute trash his co-stars were apparently “acting” in. Yes, I rewatched this film just to write this analysis. (The secondhand embarrassment is off the charts and I had it playing at a low volume most of the time Byron was not on the screen.)

When you first see Byron he’s acting out autonomy but you’re not aware he’s an android. The audience is told he’s an escaped fugitive, a murderer, and that’s all we know for over half the film. Yet there are several clues. When you first see him he’s running over rugged terrain in a suit which was kind of a big hint but nothing makes sense in this film so I just thought that it was a weird costume choice. Then he’s literally shot with a grappling hook. He doesn���t seem to be in pain even though he’s shocked by it, and then is pulled down by a bounty hunter named Tasker (Mark Hamill) and hits the ground from a great height and doesn’t die. He just quotes what I think is John Gillespie Magee, Jr.’s "High Flight”: “I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth….and touched the face of God.” Next time you see him, he’s in handcuffs, looking super depressed, and apparently not bleeding out from the now absent grapple hook that’s gone through his forearm. 

He eventually quotes Lord Byron to cryptically indicate his name which is lost on Bill Paxton’s character, Matt. “Byron” essentially means cowshed. It’s ironic because Byron the android is in many ways a receptacle of knowledge. Matt even says sarcastically, “Well aren’t you a walking storeroom of information,” and Byron responds cheerfully, “Yes.” 

Byron breaks out of his handcuffs saying they’d “become rather superfluous.” You think he’s just showing off but once you know he’s an android you know he’s just honest all the time. He then heals a blind child and paraphrases Psalm 127:3. Matt says, “I didn’t know you were a healer.” Apparently Byron can perform cataract surgery in less than five minutes. Along their journey together (Bill is set on collecting the bounty on Byron’s head before Tasker can catch up) they camp out. Byron sleeps with his eyes open. (Even if he is an android wouldn’t his eyes need to be “cleaned” in the same way humans need to close our eyes and blink?) Matt wakes up to find Byron seemingly strangling him. “I was feeling your carotid pulse,” he explains. “I was just checking for arrhythmia and episodes of ventricular tachycardia.” At this point you realize he’s not so much a spiritual healer as a doctor who philosophizes a lot. 

Byron’s miraculous behavior and pontificating is called into question by a nomadic spiritual community which has been torn apart by an attack on their village. As he lays dying, Ben Kingsley’s character calls Byron a “false prophet” but his faith in this stranger is somewhat restored when he says, “all that will be left of me is bits of gold in the sand. You have a soul, do not abandon it in death.” 

Another character says, “The stranger is no mortal man.” Therefore it is clear that Byron likely isn’t human. We don’t find out he’s an android until 46 minutes into the film. Once that’s cleared up, other concepts arise in the script. While not well executed, they are really interesting; emotion both positive and negative, free will, perfection, A.I. slavery, and murder are all addressed throughout the second half of the film. Byron says he doesn’t understand “hate” in context of his “master” to whom he was nurse, brother, father, mentor, and friend, but he admits he was more of a slave than anything else. 

The character Ariel takes an interest in him for a variety of reasons, especially romantically. In one very evocative moment we see Byron in a museum exhibit, a false garden of Eden, full of fake vegetation and taxidermies, full body mounts. So we’ve got an android having an Adam experience. Whether or not he experiences “original sin” with Ariel or if he’s “fully functional” is never acknowledged. Although one woman says, “Amanda slept with a robot?!” (who the f**k is Amanda?!) and a man says to another sitting next to him, “I hear they’re rather mechanical in the saddle.” 

Byron is less concerned with consummation and more excited about love, sleep, and dreaming. When he is with Ariel he doesn’t quite know how to act in terms of sexual play and then apologizes: “I’m not accustomed to being loved.” We see him closing his eyes when he’s cuddled up with Ariel; the next day he is certainly very pleased that he fell asleep with his eyes closed and had a dream. 

In terms of his servitude and autonomy they did not spend an adequate portion of the exposition on it. Matt has a change of heart and says instead of collecting the bounty, he’ll set him free as it’s briefly revealed that Byron killed his “master” upon the man’s request. Naturally, this brings up a lot of confusing feelings for Byron. “Is this what it’s like to be human? I don’t think I’m up to it,” he says. “Can I be trusted with human feelings?” And in a way he cannot. Ariel is brutally shot by Tasker.

Byron is angered over Ariel’s death and follows the bounty hunter to his ship. Instead of taking him in to collect a reward, Tasker tries to run him down with the glider plane. Byron manages to get himself caught in the engine and starts to strangle his assailant. Tasker quotes “touched the face of god” which brings Byron to his senses and he stops killing Luke Skywalker Tasker and tries to save the plane. It looks like he’s going to hot-wire it but then uses the wires like reins (chariot imagery???). They crash into the side of a mountain slope. Tasker dies but Byron survives. Apparently he’s basically indestructible and somewhat godlike. “I’m too dangerous to be human,” Byron tells Matt. In the end, he goes off in search of the place he’d been dreaming about. 

Although in terms of physical appearance the two androids are vastly different, they have so much in common. Here are some basic concepts. 

Character: Both are stoic, formal, intelligent, honest

Indestructible: Byron is injured with a grappling hook, takes a major fall of about 20 or 30 feet without a scratch: he is somewhat godlike or slave-like, meant to withstand destruction and pain. Elio is less indestructible but easily repaired.

Healer: Byron has the skills to heal people with basic surgery. Elio doesn’t take his own injuries seriously and experiences pain for the first time (Jones, 218-9).

Both think they deserve to be punished: Elio states this quite clearly (Jones, 276) and Byron says the same thing about himself with resigned passivity.

Complex relationship with “human emotions”: Both come to terms with violence, anger, and love.

Autonomy: At the end of the film Byron goes off on his own to look for a promised land. Elio decides his own fate by deciding to accompany the children of the story, stating that Vivian is a “particular favorite” of his (278). 

Dreaming and stories: Byron is searching for a place, “where I think I belong,” he says, which is a place he often thinks and dreams about. Dreaming is considered to be a human attribute, a non-essential bi-product to consciousness. Elio enjoys stories and old films (Jones, 180), similarly “human” in nature. 

(Peck, seen here waiting for Bill Paxton to learn how to act. Sorry, I’m salty.)

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress! This project is an intersection of niche subjects that interest no one but myself. 

Anyway, my point is (yes, I did have a point...or rather several) was that if anyone should adapt A Tale of Time City, Byron from Slipstream is the best example of how Elio should be portrayed in terms of characterization. I feel that Slipstream should have been centered around Byron. The film was kind of like, just about the “we’re both fighting over the bounty of this fugitive” sorta thing. It would have made more sense to focus on Byron as he is arguably the most interesting character and represents many of the conflicts within the story. I would like to combine my research on ATOTC and Slipstream one day. In any case, this is a good start. 

Works Cited (WIP) 

Jones, Diana W. A Tale of Time City: Knopf, 1987. Print. Perkowitz, Sidney. Digital People: From Bionic Humans to Androids. Washington, D.C: Joseph Henry Press, 2004. Print.

Roettgen, Steffi, and Anton R. Mengs. Anton Raphael Mengs: 1728-1779 Part 2. München: Hirmer, 1999. Print.

Turing, A. M. “Computing Machinery and Intelligence.” Mind, vol. 59, no. 236, 1950, pp. 433–460. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2251299. Wilson, Eric. The Melancholy Android: On the Psychology of Sacred Machines. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2006. Print

#A Tale of Time City #Diana Wynne Jones #my artwork #fan art #art #grad school adventures #Slipstream #c3po #neoclassic art #tldr #long post #personal #Richard Bober #book cover #my scans #my fan art #Bob Peck #1989 #my edits #androids #writing #essay #grad school #AI

[insertmeaningfulusername]

8, 11, 18, 41 for the cherik ask game 👀

Thank you for the ask, Mid, but also why do you have to make me think? :’)  (jk it’s a pleasure of course) 

If you could direct a Cherik movie - what would the plot be?

Mid, that is a dumb question. Of course, I’d want it to be Other Futures Than These! The plot is intriguing, the characterisation on point, the spotlight doesn’t only rest on Cherik but on a whole array of characters. Look, it’s already the perfect Cherik fanfic - only thing would be that it should probably be made into a TV series instead of a single movie, to prolong the angst ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The saddest Cherik scene you can think of that ISN’T the beach divorce? 

Oooh, I’m vacillating between Charles’ death in The Last Stand and the prison visit scene in X2 for that one. OH and the last scene in The Last Stand when Erik sits alone in front of the chessboard, though that one also carries a certain hope considering he’s on the way to getting his powers back. The scene in X2 though where Charles sees the welts on Erik’s face and realises his long term emotional support nemesis has been abused will never not break my heart, especially considering what happens right after. They just really never get nice things, do they? 

Which Cherik AU is your absolute favourite and why?

Don’t make me choose! (Also I don’t really understand what exactly this question wants from me. Does it mean a Cherik AU which I’ve read? Any common fanficition AU, no matter if it has been written as Cherik yet or not? I am confusion.) I do have a preference for Fantasy or Historical AUs though, especially if a human (or, like, approximately human) Charles gets lured in by an Erik who’s from a species that looks human but isn’t, not quite. 

If you had to Cherik an existing movie - which would it be?

Blade Runner all the way. Just imagine the sheer homoeroticism of Charles interrogating Erik while this one smokes a cigarette, very slowly and all under Shaw’s watchful eye. 

Charles clears his throat. The Voight-Kampff sensors are picking up... unusual things. 

“You’re reading a magazine. You come across a fullpage nude photo of a man.” 

Across from him, Erik Lehnsherr huffs, a smirk painting his voice a poisonous shade of lime green as he asks, “Is this testing whether I’m a replicant or a homosexual, Detective Xavier?” His eyes glint silvern in the smoky backlight, their pupils swallowed up by the intensity of his gaze. 

Crossing his legs, Charles licks his lips and chuckles uncomfortably. Suddenly, he’s starting to question himself, intoxicated by the enthralling presence in front of him. “Just answer the question, please.” 

Lehnsherr smiles and reaches forward to stub out the cigarette in a marble ashtray, wisps of smoke curling in front of his curved lips like veils. 

#midrashic #cherik #of sorts? #really hope that blade runner au will get written some day by someone

[kaydeefalls]

Tagged by @andrea-lyn​ , who is the most astonishingly productive writer I've ever known, which means I've got waaaay slimmer pickings than she did for this one. XD

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

My lofty goal this year was to post 100k words of fic, and I did! I managed just shy of 125k words (and wrote another 40k on my TOG Mini Bang, which won't be posted until Saturday, so I guess it'll jump start my 2021 total instead). That only wound up breaking down into 7 fics + 1 vid, but hey, a few of those fics were on the longer end. So picking of top 5 is more like...side-eyeing my bottom 3. WHATEVER.

1. Travellers from an Antique Land (Old Guard, Joe/Nicky + Andy/Quynh + ensemble)

Canon-divergent AU. Five hundred years ago, they lost Andromache to the sea. Now Quỳnh leads the team, a new immortal just woke up, and some pharmaceutical company is getting a little too interested in their business.

I nattered on about this one in a different askmeme, but look, I love canon-divergent AUs, and I love long plotty fics, and I really, really enjoyed writing this one.

2. life is very long (Old Guard, Joe/Nicky + team)

Andromache tells him: "The Greeks used to have seven different words for love. Well. More, probably. But I remember seven." She shrugs. "There are many ways to love one another, and life is long. We've time enough for them all. It's the only thing that makes it worthwhile." Nicky and his immortal family, over the centuries.

My first foray into TOG fandom, and MAN did I luck out. I hit the sweet spot of posting this a week after the movie hit and JUST as the fandom was taking off, and it got a truly stupid (for me) amount of kudos. But also, I am genuinely fond of this one, and it helped me wrap my head around Nicky as a character (which has served me well since).

3. We'll Show Them All (X-Men, Charles/Erik + Raven)

Pacific Rim AU. Ten years later, the monsters are back, and newly-instated Marshall Charles Xavier needs to pull a team together to prepare for the coming war. That means finding his talented sister a Drift-compatible copilot -- even if that turns out to be his old flame Erik.

It would be wrong for me to not include this, because X-Men is by far my personal longest-running fandom (I'm pretty sure I first posted fic for it in 2002?), and even if I've kind of let it drop off recently, I'm sure it'll pull me back in eventually. Also, I will always be a sucker for an X-Men fusion AU, and Drifting is fun. And the art by @irelise is GORGEOUS.

4. though it was not my task to watch (Old Guard, Joe/Nicky)

"Death always matters. It is not a game, it is not casual, it is real and it is painful and it is not a thing to be chased, not ever!" After Merrick, Nicky can't stand seeing any of them die. It takes Joe a while to put it together.

Wrote this to help myself process personal grief, when a close friend was unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal illness this summer. Kind of hard to go back to it now that he's passed. But still. I'm glad I wrote it. All our gays should be immortal.

5. When It Alteration Finds (Star Wars, Poe/Finn, WIP)

Poe is nine years old when his mark first appears, in an alien script he can't even read. When he's twelve, it…blurs. Like someone took an eraser to an old chalkboard, but couldn't quite scrub it out. That's not the end of their story. (Soulmark!AU. Sometimes it takes a while.)

Look. Did I finish it? No. Do I intend to? Yes, as soon as all these damn challenge deadlines have passed. But I'm still glad I started posting it as a WIP, because I honestly think I would have dropped it entirely if I hadn't forced the external motivation, and I am FOND of this dumb 'verse, okay? Poe and Finn are great and deserved better and I need to figure out how the hell to wrap this fic up without actively rewriting the entirety of TRoS.

Tagging @lindstrom2020, @turtletotem, @ladynox, @kianspo and whoever else wants to celebrate the fact that this year is OVER and you SURVIVED IT and you deserve to brag about the stuff you're proud of!

#my fic #rec yourself #because someone ought to! #ask me anything

[multific]

When He Finds You Crying - Preferences

Imagine: He comes home all excited and he finds you crying your eyes out, depressed as you are watching a movie/series/reading a book.

Steve Rogers

Steve had been fortunate enough that whenever he arrived home to you, you were always in a good mood, either singing or dancing or just straight up chilling in the living room. But that day, he froze and didn’t know what to do, he tried to calm you down and hugged you close. He didn’t know what to do, but he ended up doing exactly what you needed from him. He held you all night.

Bucky Barnes

At first, he thought you were joking or faking it, but the redness of your eyes couldn’t be faked nor the sadness behind them. He didn’t panic, he let you talk it out and was very understanding, especially when he didn’t really understand you due to your crying. But he didn’t leave your side for the next three days.

Tony Stark

He would shower you with gifts, order flowers, and chocolate. Little did he know that a simple hug from him would mean more at that moment than any other present. So, he ended up cuddling with you while you watched comedy on the TV. He would constantly ask if you are okay.

Dr. Strange

Probably over it. He doesn’t understand why would anyone cry over something so stupid as movies/series/books. But that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t comfort you, he would also bring calming tea along. However, you have to be prepared for his sassy ass comments or analysis of the very thing that caused your distress.

Peter Parker

Peter was in full panic mode, he went as far as calling Tony up and researched what to do on the net. He ended up doing exactly what Tony told him, which was to distract you with funny movies as kisses.

Xavier Plympton

He came home all excited since he just got a big role in a commercial and he couldn’t wait to share the news with you. But as soon as he saw you, he forgot all about his news and rushed to calm you. When he finally understood a situation and was positive that you didn’t get hurt, there was only one thing in his mind, a selfish thought, he hoped that one day he would give such a performance that would create such strong emotions in people. But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t comfort you and helped you calm down. He ran you a nice bath and even joined you. His news could wait until when you can be happy for him.

Michael Langdon

Michael was used to you comforting him, it was very very unusual of you to cry or be upset. He was a bit taken aback, but he remembered how you always calm him and how incredibly good it is for him, so he did just that. He ordered food, let you kill the delivery guy, since yeah, who doesn’t love a bit murdering? Then after you ate, he hugged you close and never let go of you. Your day was filled with beautiful moments, and Michael was glad that he could help you.

Kylo Ren

He felt your sadness through the force and immediately ran to you. He thought that you might have received bad news, but no, the death of your favourite character caused you to get upset. He’d try and do everything to calm you down and to lift your spirit a little. He would do a little thing that you named “Messing with the troopers” game. He would lift things with the force and you’d watch as they freak out. Many thought that there were ghosts on the ship, and watching them run in pure fear is the best thing ever. It instantly helped you. But the fact that during the night he whispered you sweet things was the cherry on top.

Armitage Hux

Armitage is a very uptight and reserved man, so naturally when he found his love crying, he tried to calm you down, but failed a couple of times before he found the only way to help you. Cuddling. Something he wasn’t really fond of, maybe after some night time activities he enjoyed cuddling, but other than that, he preferred to show his affection in different ways than touching, but if it meant that you’d calm down, he would do it without hesitation.

Poe Dameron

Poe would set up a romantic date for you, in hopes of a romantic night alone, but when he saw you crying, he got worried. After you explained the situation to him, he would just turn into the sweetest puppy and cuddle, kiss, and pamper you all night. His plan for the night could be redone on another day.

Clyde Logan

He closed the bar early, so he’d be able to spend time with you. He saw you upset and crying before, but this seemed different, and it worried him. So, he did what he thought would be a great idea, he let you talk it out, while he had you glued to him. You listened to his heartbeat as your tears wet his shirt, but he didn’t mind. He loved you and wanted to help you.

Adam Sackler

With Adam, anything could be resolved with sex. A couple rounds and he would be back to his normal self. But with you, it wasn’t so easy. Adam at first didn’t even know what to do, he left you alone with your thoughts for a few hours, and in the meantime, he came up with a plan. The plan as to how to get you to smile again. He decided to prepare dinner, but he wasn’t the best cook, so he messed up pretty much everything. So, when you went to grab a cup of drink, you witnessed him messily cutting meat while he nearly burned himself. His cooking didn’t help in a way he intended to, you didn’t smile, but as you bandaged him up, at least he got your mind off of the thing that made you sad. He  even kissed you as a thank you and when he gave a speech on how you shouldn’t let that affect you, you finally smiled

(A/N: I watched the anime, Given it was soo good but that episode…f*cked me UP. I don’t usually cry, so it inspired me to write this. If requested, I might do one for real people and not only characters.)

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[vostokovasmelina]

henlo friend!!! congrats on 700!!!! I am so happy for you! Since i am a lil bitch for drama can you recommend me some movies to watch. both a happy and a sad ending work <3. thank you

thank you, fren!!

legit one of my favourite genres, so i collected a few of my favourites for you xx

1. phantom thread (2017) dir. paul thomas anderson

already talked about this movie about a hundred times

you can find my thoughts summed up here

god tier cinema

2. the social network (2010) dir. david fincher

also one of my favourite movies directed by one of my favourite directors and featuring one of my favourite actresses

a part of the a-man-gets-depressed-and-moody-after-his-break-up-with-rooney-mara cinematic universe

andrew garfield is so hot in this one

the only downside is that it has two more a*mie h*mmers in it than any film should (no, literally, he plays a set of twins)

if you ignore that, it is a masterpiece

m*rk z*ckerberg does not deserve this movie

3. kill your darlings (2013) dir. john krokidas

pretentious ass dark academia movie

but it’s stunning so–

gay™

daniel radcliffe is fucking gorgeous in this film wth

4. hereditary (2018) dir. ari aster

okay so this is one of the most terrifying horror movies i’ve ever seen and they usually don’t scare me

but it is also a very messy family drama

and one of the most original films i’ve ever seen?

if only ari aster weren’t ableist,,,,

5. stand by me (1986) dir. rob reiner

so before y’all (rightfully) accuse me of having a phobia of older movies, here you go

old ass adaptation of stephen king’s novella

but like, really good?

i first saw it as a kid and it changed me forever (meaning: it caused immense trauma)

it’s also kind of a lot of fun throughout but the bittersweet ending leaves you sad, so don’t fall into its trap

6. the death & life of john f. donovan (2018) dir. xavier dolan

controversial take

some people think it’s absolute garbage

but i believe they don’t fully understand this movie and honestly, good for them

but i felt seen watching this

this is my comfort movie and no one can change my mind about its absolute brilliance

7. the dressmaker (2015) dir. jocelyn moorhouse

my mum would let me watch literally anything as a kid/pre-teen,,,,

this movie is all kinds of crazy

it’s practically a tragicomedy with a good chunk of dark humour

so one of my favourite things ever!

you haven’t seen anything like this ever before

honestly, if you watch any movie on this list, let it be this one

i’m begging you

8. there will be blood (2007) dir. paul thomas anderson

lmao another film directed by paul thomas anderson and starring daniel day-lewis. we love to see it

i don’t know what to tell you other than to go and watch this absolute masterpiece

okay, maybe don’t rush it

get into the right mood cos this is a long and mostly character-driven ride

but it’ll be one of your favourite movies once you’re finished

or maybe not

but at least you’ll have seen it and that’s enough

#700 followers celebration #caelys #mutuals tag #movie recs