black dahlia

[lovespeople]

( MESSY SCRIBBLES IN A SKETCHBOOK, MYSTERIES & TRUE CRIME, RUDE REMARKS TO HIDE BEHIND )▸ welcome to latverion, MICHELLE JONES. it’s time to be gracious, for in this vast multiverse, you have been saved by emperor doom. according to records you are 21 and use SHE/THEY pronouns. emperor doom expects you’ll enjoy your career as SYSTEMS ANALYST, or else. excellent. we look forward to your contribution. ( ZENDAYA )

ABOUT BASICS

FULL NAME: michelle jones-watson

ALIAS: mj

AGE: twenty-one

AFFILIATIONS: spider-man none

GENDER AND PRONOUNS: genderfluid nonbinary, she/her with feminine & neutral terms (girl, person, pretty creature) 

FACE CLAIM: zendaya

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

POINT OF ORIGIN: after spider-man: no way home, and a stint at mit earning her degree in computer science.

ABILITIES/SKILLS: smart, intuitive, observant. can wield a mace.

HAVE THEY BROUGHT ANY FAMILY OR PETS WITH THEM: no

ANY HEADCANONS YOU WANT OTHERS TO KNOW: thanks to dr. strange’s spell, she has no idea who peter parker is or has any recollection of her direct involvement with spider-man.

QUESTIONNAIRE

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER FEEL ABOUT EMPEROR DOOM? oh, he scares the shit out of her. all of this does, actually. but at the end of the day she thinks he’s kind of cool, in an interesting specimen kind of way. and funny. though the latter, she assumes, he doesn’t do purposefully. hail emperor doom, or whatever. 

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER FEEL ABOUT THE BATTLES? ARE THEY TRYING TO AVOID THEM? OR ARE THEY EAGER TO JUMP IN? she’s pretty sure she’d get herself maimed, or worse. half of the time she can’t even watch them. it’s not even the violence. that she can handle. maybe it’s the very real possibility she could be thrown in there at the whim of a madman that rules the entire planet? 

WHY HAS YOUR CHARACTER ACCEPTED THEIR JOB POSITION? WILL THEY USE IT TO GET CLOSER TO DOOM? OR WILL THEY USE IT EXPLOIT HIM? OR DO THEY SIMPLY LIKE THEIR JOB? it’s what she was studying, what she’s good at, and what she prefers to do. that being said, she’ll absolutely try to get closer to doom. not because she’s got an ulterior motive but because again, he’s kind of cool?  and working directly under him could be cool too. might uncover some shit while she’s at it.

gif credit to justaleapoffaith !

[lovespeople]

osbornsun​:

🧪— Goblet flinched like a good boy when she moved suddenly, his grin never breaking even as he jerked backwards slightly. “Good, now if you’re not I have emotional blackmail I shall use against you for years to come.” But the wave of anxiety had passed, for some reason despite all of Harry’s life leading up to this moment, he trusted her to keep her word. Once his main objective had been secured Harry finally moved his one hand from behind his back, presenting a soft pretzel that had dough died purple and green with a flourish. “Just for you, extra salt to match your favorite persons personality.”

💾 — MJ’s eyes ‘widened' at the gift, which, outwardly, was just an eyebrow twitch. Then her face relaxed again. She took it, then carefully examined the thematic treat. “You’re right. My sodium content is a real health hazard.” Punctuating her faux-accidental misunderstanding of his comment by biting into it. Harry’s ego was something she could count on, it was easy to anticipate, easy to counter. Almost as if by design... “By the way, I’m un-blackmail-able.” She took another bite. “Cannot be done. I’m not sorry to disappoint.” Her little grin accompanied by a bulge in her cheek as she chewed.

[lovespeople]

fromcomics​:

It could have been easy enough to poke hole in the theory, but what would be the point of that? With the multiverse confirmed, possibilities were endless, and it was better to lean into ideas than try and debunk them. “Yes, there was actually.” It gave her a chance for hope, that their universes weren’t so different after all. At the question she paused, trying to spark any memory, even the slightest, of the boy she asked about, but came up blank, so she regrettably admitted “I didn’t know a Ned… but he sounds great.” Pausing, she’s quick to remind “I’m sure he’ll show up… some version of him at least.” Silently, she hoped for MJ’s sake, that the Ned Leeds that did eventually rear his head would be hers.

💾 — Confirmation brought little comfort, but it was not not nice. It was hard, but she nodded. Surely he would show up somehow... in someway. “And you knew Harry?” That was a question she didn’t want to ask. Had all intent and purpose to avoid even bringing it up. But, a part of her had to know. “I don’t. Didn’t, I mean. It was just me and Ned... pretty much.” Without knowing the missing piece of her life, MJ found it hard to connect the two of them together. Was it a fluke, or was there a deeper meaning, buried beneath? “Well, and Flash.” 

[lovespeople]

thiefcfhearts​:

The idea that anyone would actually pay any money, let alone aftermarket prices for a Doom bear was crazy. But then Remy had seen people pay money for a lot of crazy things. “Somehow I bet our fearless leader has somet'ing t’ do wit’ dat,” he remarked, “‘Cause I can’t imagine regular people drivin’ up dose prices. Maybe Doomy has a bunch confiscated t’ pretend like dere scarce. I heard dat happened wit’ Beanie Babies back in de day.” As much as he thought the idea was stupid, if the bears really were collectible, maybe he had not made such a bad score after all. When she made an offer, Remy glanced at her. “If dey’re really as collectible as you say, why should I let it go for five bucks? You t'ink dis is my first rodeo, chere? I mean yeah, if you lyin’, I’d be stuck wit’ de bear. But if it’ll fetch me a good price on de secondary market, I t'ink I’d be silly t’ let it go now. Unless you wanna up your offer?”

💾 — “Almost definitely.” But she had no proof. Her demeanor is calm, collected, and trying very hard not to break out into laughter. It wasn’t particularly hilarious, but it was fun to watch him to take her intel and hit the ground running. That and the fact he was quick to change his tune... Not much was more entertaining than someone becoming protective over a stuffed animal. “So, which’ll it be?  Prove the game’s rigged, or cash in...” She was far from lying to the stranger, but that didn’t mean her intention wasn’t to yank a chain or two. Her hands tuck into her pockets, and she shrugged again, eyes rolled down in thought. “I’m packing thirty, tops.” She doesn’t wait for him to reject that offer too. “I’d get that little guy into protective packaging. Y’know, if I were you.”

[lovespeople]

offollies​:

“fair enough, i think i’d blame the cultural shift myself too.” and in truth, latverion didn’t get the nickname battleworld for being peaceful. “made for me,” she responded, slowly pulling the sword back and raising a brow at her. “what really brought you down here? i mean even to the arena? it’s closed today.” she asked, wondering if the issue of honesty was going to remain consistent or not. as she moved away and began to clean her weapons, she waited for a response - glancing over towards mj with a sense of interest and curiosity. “something tells me you’ve been through and seen some shit but…” she tilted her head, a smirk on her lips. “that hasn’t quite put you down, has it? you know exactly what to do when under pressure. you’d make a fantastic warrior.”

💾 — okay, she was going to let herself think it: valkyrie was cool, clearly, but she was pretty nice too. it made it easier for her shoulders to hang less... stiff. that didn’t last long without hiccup, though, as she was then questioned further. but a hiccup was all it was, as mj was already this far deep into it. “that’s why i’m here,” she admitted. “i didn’t think anyone would be here.” that didn’t answer the why, and she knew that. a moment passed, and she was left to wonder how long she’d get away with leaving it at that... “i wouldn’t say that.” if only she knew, or remembered, the shit she’d seen. even as she denied it, it came out feeling dishonest, like she knew deep down she was different. knew more than she believed. the comment piques her interest. “yeah?” she verbalized it. “is that, i mean, that’s what it takes?” in a world of superhumans and super beings, she found it hard to imagine it being about anything but powers. 

[lovespeople]

illyanarxsputina​:

“Sure, easy.” Not for the first time, Illyana wondered at the motivation behind Doom’s assignments. Was he sitting at a throne somewhere, laughing? Was it for the meme? If so, she might actually respect him a little more than she did before he’d sent off the letters. Marginally. Because she was still watching MJ tuck holy water into her jacket pocket and wondering at the sanity of sending someone into vampire-infested corridors with a stake and a flask of questionably blessed water.

Didn’t it have something to do with belief, anyway? “Are you even religious?”

The question fell out before she could stop it, but she’d never been known for impulse control. “Whatever, might not even matter. Just…stay close, stab anything that screeches,” depending on if they were 30 Days of Night vampires, or Twilight vampires, “And try not to get eate–”

A yell from inside cut her off, and Illyana found herself caught somewhere between excitement and genuine concern. Normally she’d take any excuse to swing her sword around, cast a few spells. This felt a little like a chore. “Eaten. You ready?”

💾 — “No, but...” It wasn’t that she wasn’t confident in her but. The gears were merely turning, clicking and clacking in her mind. “As long as they are, right?” Illyana had a point, but with their limited understanding, it was just as safe to assume than it was to suspect. 

She nodded. It is not just instructions, it was advice. “Don’t screech,” she joked, that dry humor coming out once more. A fair warning, too. As if cued, horror bellowed from the institute. MJ’s heart began to race, her grip around the stake tight. It took careful concentration for her to not tremble. 

“As ready as I’m going to get.” Power behind the words, determination in her eyes, she spared a glance to her partner and strode forward. This place, this task, it had nothing to do with her — hell, she hadn’t a clue what she was doing. But people were getting hurt. So, she approached the front entrance, not letting anything hold her back. 

The door flung open, a vampire waiting for them on the other side... but with her stake at the ready, held at shoulder level, it just took MJ a swing forward to stick it into their chest. Terror took her face and she struggled to inhale. A choked gasp. 

[ghostxtownxtriumph]

@latverionstarters​

Alright, Remy should have known better than to try and take anything from Doom & Busters. Obviously there were better places to rob, but at the same time, those places would probably be crawling with Doombots. The entertainment venue seemed a much more easy alternative, and even if it was not exactly going to be a goldmine, he had thought there would be something of value in there. Thus Remy was sorely disappointed when his big score turned out to be…a stuffed pink teddy bear wearing Doom’s mask and cloak.

He had been so bummed that a good while later, he was still standing in a nearby alley, glaring at the bear. When he heard someone approach, he did not even look up. Instead, he sighed and said, “Yeah, yeah, laugh away. Dis ain’t what I was hopin’ t’ end up wit’, alrigh’? Dey gotta work on gettin’ some better prizes in Doom & Busters. Who de hell would even want somet'ing like dis?”

[lovespeople]

💾 — MJ wasn’t laughing, but then she wasn’t exactly sure what she had strolled upon either. A grown adult trying to.. kill a plush with a look?  Once she made it close enough to see the black of his sclera, she pondered hey, maybe that was something he could do. If that’s the case, she was plenty interested to see that through. But the bear is untouched, and his frustrations grew. End up with, a curious way to put it. Must’ve been one shitty gamble. “Those are collectibles,” she explained. “Check Doomazon. After market prices shoot up at around two weeks. Or, five bucks and I take it off your hands. Right here, right now.” A steal, but if he was looking to sweep this all under a rug, who was she to deny offering aid?

[lovespeople]

offollies​:

“very bold indeed,” val agreed, giving a nod. “but it worked, so you were correct in your guess.” she offered a smile as she looked back down to her blade, turning it over in her hand slowly and admiring the work of it just as if she’d looked at it for the first time. “yeah,” she confirmed breaking the spell she had over the sword and looking over to mj. “i am a true valkyrie - it’s not just a name or a title, it’s who and what i am. this sword was meant and made for me.” she stepped closer, holding the weapon up into the light so that mj could have a better look. “dragonfang, and yes she’s enchanted.” she paused and tilted her head, regarding the other curiously. “you’re fascinated by weapons, magic, history? or all three?”

💾 — it was very difficult to maintain a steady calm whilst speaking to valkyrie. there was an air about her, consistent and dangerous. reminding the very mortal girl-adjacent that she was no match for the asgardian, and that being bold was really the only weapon at her disposal. that said, the moment she began talking about herself and her special sword, mj’s focus was on learning more — not so much the danger it presented. “all three,” she blurted, a little to excitedly than intended. “history first, magic recently.. and now, weapons. i blame the cultural shift.” they had a central battle arena that citizens either volunteered for.. or were elected to participate. “did you make it or, someone else?”

[lovespeople]

fromcomics​:

It’s be a lie to say that Gwen Stacy hadn’t felt a feeling deja vu among some of the occupants of Latveria, not the least of which was MJ. It was a strange feeling, a strong pull that led to nowhere. She didn’t know how to explain it, but the woman in front of her certainly had a curious thought. “I mean, if you really think about it — the chances a different me met a different you are probably higher than not. If the multiverse being confirmed taught us anything… its that anything is possible.”

💾 — It was different, having one of her less than solid theories just accepted like that. She’d heard Gwen was nice, very nice, but she was still somewhat caught off guard by the gentle way she reacted to what could easily be taken nonsensically. “Was there a, Midtown High where you’re from?” Something told MJ that’s where she knew her. The other MJ. From school or something very close to it. That’s what made the most sense, surely. “I met my best friend there. He’s, um, not shown up yet. Or a version of him.” She tried not to dwell too much on that. “Ned Leeds. Short, eccentric. Likes Star Wars.”

[selenas-gifs]

SELENA GOMEZ in Only Murders in the Building

[lovespeople]

osbornsun​:

🧪— “You know what I think you just like teasing me and being mean to me for the sake of it.” Harry felt a grin take over his entire face, it was odd, how easy the back and forth was, like they had been doing it for eons. “Kinda doing it for me you know…” The brat stepping out of her swing before she could smack him. “Fine fine, just, you’re going to be there right?” A trickle of genuine anxiety leeching it’s way into his voice, humiliation a fate worse than death.

💾 — “I take offense to that,” she argued, dryly. “I do it because it’s fun, I like it, and someone has to.” It was the least she could do, argue that is, as her eyes were busy soaking up the visual that was Harry, smiling. There was something about the smiles he wore. They were all so.. different— and, as this relationship progressed, seemed to evolve. He was asking for it, so she sort of anticipated his dodge. Her smacking hand drops, then she psyched him out with a full body jerk forward. “Punk.” Her eyes are back on his, unsure of what she saw behind them. “Of course.” A pause later, her features softening, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

[lovespeople]

bhartons​:

he can tell his sudden change in demeanor was noticed and he’s immediately frustrated with himself.  he stiffens, sheathing the sword and crossing his arms over his chest.  “ yeah, it’s dangerous out here.  where were you headed?  why are you out here? ”

💾 — mj knew she didn’t exactly come off as threatening. that alone could explain the sudden change, right?  though not nearly enough to calm her nerves. “home, now.” she added the second word reluctantly. clearly, she was where she was not supposed to be, but wasn’t planning on elaborating any more than she had to. “i was looking for someth— one. must have mixed up the directions. i’ll just, retrace my steps and call them in the morning.” don’t say it. please don’t. a beat later she asked, “what are you doing out here?” how that came out of her mouth sounding even remotely casual was a mystery she wouldn’t bother solving. he was head to toe in a black suit, wielding a sword. what on earth was she thinking, she asked herself.

[illyanarxsputina]

closed starter for @lovespeople

Xavier’s looked like something out of a gothic horror movie. Black clouds roiled above, fog wove around the foundation. Illyana half-expected the low rumble of thunder to rattle the windows. It had never been her favorite place, certainly not since Krakoa had been established, but there had always been something welcoming about the school. Something about friends, and the room she shared, and trying to learn how to be someone who wasn’t only meant for destruction. Then again, perhaps the clouds and the fog were more appropriate.

She cast a sideways glance at her partner-in-vampire-slaying for the day, half-tempted to teleport in without her. If MJ came out of Xavier’s a vampire, she wasn’t going to be the one to tell Doom. Or any of the spiders. Instead of dwelling, she tossed the duffel bag she had slung over her shoulder onto the ground, nudging at it with the toe of her boot.

“We’ve got stakes, water that someone somewhere has deemed holy, garlic, and various iconography. I did some research, and apparently it’s more about belief than the actual denomination. So I’m believing that if I just hack the interloper with my sword, then he will die permanently.” She nudged at the bag again for good measure, shrugging and finally turning her attention to MJ. “Ground rules, don’t get eaten. Anything else?”

[lovespeople]

💾 — MJ had always been a quick study. From a young age, throughout her adolescence. Even now, as she contracted with teams and conglomerates alike to figure out all the things they couldn’t on their own.. she was good with data. Knew how to absorb it, apply it, work it to her advantage. Everything between mutants to vampires had become necessary for her success to learn as much as she could, as fast as she could, and be good. 

Like Illyana, she had sought answers. Really anything that she could get her hands on in the crunched time they were given. The problem being, there was too much. Even before the incursions.. vampiric myth was as vast as it was ancient. And whoever this Dracula was, from whichever iteration, there was just no knowing what they were up against without meeting it head on. Her partner’s plan, even as sword centric as it was, was good as any.

So, she wasted no time looking through said supplies, sparing glances up at her teammate as she spoke. MJ tucked a flask of holy water into her jacket pocket, a clove of garlic in the other, and armed herself with a stake. “Should be easy enough,” she joked dryly, looking toward the shrouded school. “Uh. You don’t hide any bites from me, I won’t hide any bites from you?” That was a zombie thing, but she felt it could be applied here.

[lovespeople]

offollies​:

with a raised brow and a look of being impressed, val nodded towards her. “wow, honesty? good choice - gotta say, wasn’t expecting it in the least.“ she joked, offering her a smile to try to ease any unsettling nerves that mj might be feeling. “alright ‘some dude’ we’ll get you out of here on a white lie and my protection, yeah?” val asked, quickly stepping away from her sword and crossing her arms, “you just came down to have a conversation with me - i said sure and here we are, probably wanting to ask me about my sword? it’s antique and i’ve heard mythical - so that’s something cool, i suppose.” she shrugged, not really caring what the topic was but happy to oblige to help the other out before romanoff or worse the doom bots found out.

💾 — she didn’t know what to make of the situation. it seemed, for whatever reason, valkyrie was giving her every chance possible to make it out of here unscathed. which was interesting, considering how warranted, simple, and altogether easier it would be for the champion to simply scathe the human. “bold choice, i know, but felt like the right one, given the circumstances,” she explained, quiet and not nearly as confident as she’d hoped it’d sound. but she stood by it, and would continue to do so, hell or high water. like a switch had flicked, mj is listened to the others direction; geared and ready for step #2. what she didn’t expect was the topic valkryrie chose, a small smile spreading across the still semi-nervous michelle. “that does sound pretty cool. mythical like.. norse gods..?” she eased in, brow cocked. “does it have powers?” 

[lovespeople]

osbornsun​:

🧪— Delight shot through his nervous system, he had spent so many months isolated, angry and alone with only the voices in his head, but this easy back and forth was almost like the Harry that was was back. “You know I think you’re right…” Mischief lacing the smile on his face “…I’d make a killing on DoomlyFans.”

💾 — “That’s the thing about DoomlyFans... I can’t make one for you. Not unless you hire me as your manager,” she said, deadpanned. Being absolutely serious if he dared to take her up on it. It was quickly becoming their dynamic. Pushing to new extremes. Testing each others limits. MJ makes her approach, sizing the brat up. “I’m just fucking with you, Osborn— I’ll always be your number one hater.” 

[lovespeople]

offollies​:

“wasn’t expecting a civilian down here today,“ val called out as she entered through the door from the arena - a raised brow perfectly arranged and meant for the stranger. “then again, i might have to question romanoff’s control - given so many seem to slip in and out of here. unless… she sent you?” she knew very well it was likely the other wasn’t sent -  but giving an out and determining whether friend or foe was essentially vital. slowly, she angled herself towards her sword, it still had the stains of the last fight on it. “or are you here to train? a newbie?”

💾 — mj knew who that was. at least surface level information... knew valkyrie in regards to the fighter she’d seen down in the arena. knew what she was capable of. there was a moment, paired with confusion at the dropped name, that she felt tempted to snag the bait. if there was even the slightest chance it would keep her from seeing the business end of that sword... “i’m not supposed to be here,” she blurted instead, peeling off the wall she’d been pressed against. her head shook. “i’m just some.. dude.” nerves in the way he face scrunched. “i’m in trouble, aren’t i?” 

[lovespeople]

bhartons​:

he turns to look at the one who’d decided to intrude on his nightly stroll. ronin hisses lowly and shakes his head. “ what are you doing out here alone at this time of night? ”   he sheathes his sword and tilts his head.  “ you shouldn’t be out here.  come on. let’s take you somewhere safe. ”

💾 — the shift in the man’s tone had stunned her. literally. mj was mid-standing back up, hunched down on one knee as her arms clung tightly to her possessions. “what?” she finally asked, not much more than a squeak. “i didn’t meant to disturb you. i think i—” she debated her next words, brushing frizzy curls from her eyes. “yeah, i am definitely lost.”