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Pound the Table | An X-Men Self-Insert

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So. Anyone know who the aspiring applicant was? Can't really tell from just that bit of power flexing.

Edit: Ah, a nameless applicant. Ok, that works.
 
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October Daye said:
None of us really knew why Dr. Donald Blake supported our little roller derby leagues. I'd asked Cate, but he'd been involved in the scene even before she had been, and even the people who'd been here first weren't entirely sure. What little we knew was that he spoke with a very slight Norwegian accent, he kept mentioning a brother that nobody had ever seen, and that he was apparently trusted by both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. But that was… pretty much it.
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Captain Comet!

October Daye said:
Or more specifically, this one rat that I kept seeing at the Washington Square station… how in the world did a rat get bigger than the average dachshund?
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Splinter!

October Daye said:
What was her name, even? I read it on her resume, but I couldn't even recall. Sarah, Susan, Sandra?
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Is that Marrow? Cause her real name is Sarah and she's a mutant.
 
October Daye said:
I absolutely hated using the subway. It was crowded, damp, old, pungent… and this was before I got to the rats.

Or more specifically, this one rat that I kept seeing at the Washington Square station… how in the world did a rat get bigger than the average dachshund?

And more than that, where did it keep finding pizza!?
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PIZZA RAT

Not sure if TTMNT or Dimension 20 reference

Dope either way
 
Vaermina said:
Captain Comet!


Splinter!


Is that Marrow? Cause her real name is Sarah and she's a mutant.
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She was a telekinetic, couldn't be. My first thought was that it was Susan Storm, but the powers don't fit her either, and she's also a tad more noticible.
Also, heh, Master Splinter has yet to start walking on his hind legs.
 
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October Daye said:
A blown whistle drew our attention, and almost as one we turned to see someone walking between the two teams, rubber end of his cane clicking on the hardwood floor. It was a man, short blond hair fading to gray at the temples, wearing a white doctor's coat out of place here in a roller derby rink, brown corduroy pants, a sky-blue button-up shirt, and a darker blue tie.

"Good evening everybody," Dr. Donald Blake said, both hands resting on his cane. "It looks like I'll be your referee again tonight."

"You've been the ref since I've been here!" Candace called out, drawing some laughs. "And you'll still be the ref after I die too, I bet!"
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... well I can tell exactly why we're starting off with the original identity of Thor back when the God Of Thunder was who Blake turned into. Although given what is revealed next, that's just the start.
October Daye said:
"Gods, I should hope not," Dr. Blake said with a smile, prompting a few chuckles from us. "Now, while I know that there can be some roughhousing here, I expect a good, clean match."

"No roughhousing, really doc? What do you think this is, field hockey?" Leticia asked, her voice heavy with amusement.

"Or hey, if you wanted clean, you should've ref'd water polo!"

"Sylvia, dear, water polo is just as brutal, with the added negative of being wet and chlorinated," the doctor fired back.
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Oh yeah, I can absolutely attest to that. My dad played water polo when he went to UCLA, then coached for a bit before we went on to D.C. as a staffer. He's shared the stories, including the obligatory "time I played a game even though I had an injury the doc said I shouldn't play with".
October Daye said:
None of us really knew why Dr. Donald Blake supported our little roller derby leagues. I'd asked Cate, but he'd been involved in the scene even before she had been, and even the people who'd been here first weren't entirely sure. What little we knew was that he spoke with a very slight Norwegian accent, he kept mentioning a brother that nobody had ever seen, and that he was apparently trusted by both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. But that was… pretty much it.
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We all know the answer is Loki. A long life with Loki, meaning this is pretty far into both Thor and Loki's personal story. Dr. Donald Blake is Thor pulling a Martian Manhunter, and very much earned that medical degree. That said, Loki's shapeshifting implications depicted without being memes or fanservice I am very interested in seeing.

Just please let it still be Tom Hiddleston Loki, they have the best smile.
October Daye said:
What mattered more, though, was his actions. His card routinely made the rounds at the Stonewall when people needed medical help. He provided several people with insulin, hormones, and other medicines either at cost or free. And while I hadn't had to try and source it from Dr. Blake, he was one of the few doctors I'd heard of that didn't try to patronize when prescribing birth control.
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I won't talk up pre-Christian cultures for stuff that's viewed with rose-tinted lenses, I have too much utterly unwarranted pride in my historical acumen to try, but given most people assume Asgard influenced ancient Scandinavian people I think that much could be attributed to Asgard being egalitarian.

For once.
October Daye said:
"Now search inside you." I frowned, opening my eyes ever so slightly as I offered a raised eyebrow at that. "Eyes closed, Noa. Look with your mind, not with your eyes."

"We've done this before," I murmured, but did as I was asked, and also kept my fingers on what looked for all the world like a crystal ball. The one time I called it that, though, I had received a death glare so focused that I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd spontaneously combusted.
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HA! I can very much see that.
October Daye said:
There was no real need to give a verbalized reply here. Instead, I gestured with my tail at the bulky duffel bag that I'd brought with me to 177A Bleecker Street. Stephen, taking the hint, picked up the bag and opened it, then withdrew the four objects from inside.

"You never did tell me how you got your hands on these," Stephen asked, turning the slightly-ornamented wooden scroll pins in his hand as he took them out.

"You mean you don't think I could have just bought four Atzei Chaim to do with as I pleased?" I asked rhetorically, a bit bemused. Stephen, to his credit, simply raised one of the Torah rollers and gestured in question. "Okay, fine. A particularly bad tornado rolled through St. Louis, ruined the synagogue, and they were going to be disposed of anyway. So I took them instead."
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... is Noa being real, or did she just invent the same excuse Magneto did?
October Daye said:
"Good," he said with a nod, relieved. Then his demeanor shifted, slightly, from concern back to professionalism, if a different kind than before. "Now Noa, remind me: when was the last time you were here for a proper checkup?"

"... um." That caught me ever so slightly flat-footed, and I had to actually think back. When was the last time I actually visited Stephen for something requiring his prefix instead of his title? That must have been, uh. "Last November, I think?"

"Ten months," he said. "Not quite long enough for me to justify a yearly physical. But, I do believe you're due for a flu shot!" Arcane traceries spit out from the ends of Dr. Strange's fingers, forming a small portal in front of his hand. He reached in, and a moment later, found himself with a handful of latex gloves and a syringe.

I could only wilt in dismay, as I knew the time of stabbing had come.

And if anything, my displeasure only made the good doctor's grin grow wider.
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And this is why we should all trust Mysterious Heroine XX, she is never wrong. I mean, look at that face. :V
October Daye said:
I absolutely hated using the subway. It was crowded, damp, old, pungent… and this was before I got to the rats.

Or more specifically, this one rat that I kept seeing at the Washington Square station… how in the world did a rat get bigger than the average dachshund?

And more than that, where did it keep finding pizza!?
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Well, when you're a single father dealing with extreme side effects from exposure to extraterrestrially-sourced mutetangic byproducts while raising four equally altered reptiles all going through puberty...

Actually, I don't think anybody's given pop culture legal analysis to any continuity of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
October Daye said:
The deadbolt on the side door unlocked mere moments before it opened, and an unfamiliar woman stepped into the office space.

But I was a bit too busy jumping out of my skin to pay any particular attention to the newcomer.

Holy—!" I yelped, almost dropping the framed newspaper article in my hands.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings, Schaefer," the woman said, swinging a small backpack around to her front as she stepped forward. She walked up and dropped it on my desk, even as I frowned at her for the rudeness, then stepped back and crossed her arms.

"Would it kill you to be polite, Raven?" I asked
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NGL, I keep mistaking Mystique for The Other Raven. Similar curt and cross with people vibe, especially post-TT cartoon eras.
October Daye said:
I took a moment to eye her, and found myself both impressed and unnerved. Once again, she looked completely different from how she did the last time we met. And just like that day two weeks prior, her appearance was utterly unremarkable. Nothing about her stood out: the mousy brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail, the mud-brown eyes, the skin ever so slightly tanned by a summer sun… all of it was so boring that I doubted I'd remember this woman if I met her again.

And that was the point, I thought to myself. This was the fifth skin I'd met the shapeshifter in, and I wagered that just like every other time before, I would forget what she'd looked like within an hour or two of seeing her.
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... Ok, I'm a little confused. Is this meant to be "that good at shapeshifting" or "outright cognitohazard".
October Daye said:
I set those letters aside on my desk, then reached into my purse and retrieved a set of five letters. A shared letter from Jonathan and Linda, another pair of letters from his grandparents, one from Katherine, and an update on his case from myself, all found their way into the backpack on my desk.

I'd scarcely finished zipping it up before Raven ripped it out of my grip and swung it over her shoulder. Honestly, what did Erik see in this, this… harridan? I'd barely spent more than a grand total of two hours in her presence, and I already wanted to strangle her.
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As a certain British spy, actor, and peerless father-figure once said, 'some men just want to watch the world burn'. I'd add that said motive doesn't necessarily preclude doing the burning alone.
October Daye said:
"Before you go." She turned around and crossed her arms, scowling at me. I took her surly expression as a signal to keep going. "You've been less than cordial towards me since the moment we met," I told her, sitting on the corner of my desk. "I should think I deserve to know what I did to deserve that treatment."

Raven turned back around and opened the door, but stopped before going through.

"It's nothing you did," she said, even as her hair, flesh, and even clothing rippled and writhed, settling into an appearance similar to the janitor I usually saw on this floor. "I just thought I had you pegged. I was wrong."
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OK, that enigmatic oneliner got me. I love it.
October Daye said:
If there was one thing that I would say was part and parcel of being Jewish, I would answer with one word: tradition.
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... if anybody asks, my Itunes did it.
October Daye said:
"Max!" Rabbi Schaefer yelled into the living room, then walked into the doorway separating it from the kitchen. "My daughter has arrived! Please, come meet her!"

"Are you sure I'm not intruding? I was just going to take my leave, I don't want to impose—"

"Max, it's no harm, truly! Please, come, say hello!"

Alarm bells went off in my head when I heard that voice. It was shockingly familiar, and I'd heard it quite a few times over the past two years. But it couldn't be, I told myself. What were the odds that—

"Noa, bubbeleh!" Aaron walked back into the kitchen, trailed by a man who froze at the sight of me, his friendly smile turning into a rictus grin from shock. "Max, this is my daughter, Noa. She left us to live in New York, but ah, she comes home for the high holidays, good daughter that she is!"

I wanted to say something in protest, but I couldn't form the words at the moment. Instead, I could only stare at the man that had walked into the kitchen behind my father.

"Noa, this is an old friend of mine, Max Eisenhardt. If not for him, I wouldn't have made it out of Auschwitz alive."

And meanwhile, the man I knew as Erik Lehnsherr stared back at me, his expression making the apology I knew he couldn't quite voice.
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... OK, so how long until "Max" stops by with a wealthy upstate colleague from their charity work in Haifa?
 
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October Daye said:
Stephen Strange was on her doorstep maybe a week after she moved in, with pointed questions as to why a new magic user was in his area.

Thor was there before Noa ever showed, and will be there long after she's gone.

Daredevil isn't Daredevil yet.

Raven Darkholme aka Mystique, Noa met through Erik. Who is Magneto.

And while she has seen Tony Stark at one or two shareholder's meetings, she's never actually interacted with the man.
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So, in order, Sounds not that strange for Strange

Considering what I've seen of the sport, its the closest he gets to blood sports down here ;D. In all seriousness, good for that guy to have a hobby! He needs more of em.

It'll be fun to see where his career(s) go with his newfound Mutant perspective

NOOOO! MY PREDICTION! ITS WROOOOOONG! Coffee gal dream is crushed T-T

She should be happy this isn't Drunk Tony. He didn't do very nice things for his share holders! Noa gets to cruise by on his wealth!

All in all, it was a really nice, comfy, wholesome, and enjoyable chapter! But damn you Eric and your showing up at family time!

Have a wonderful Chinese dinner Christmas Night Daye! On the off chance I don't say it to you before then!
 
All the speculation about the secretary applicants identity, despite the author indicating she's nobody, has me suspect her true name is Red Herring.
 
I see behind your lies!

This whole time, we thought that this was just a well written amazing behind the scenes look to a universe where mutant oppression interacts with the legal system... But no!

This was secretly a quirky romcom adventure where magneto finds true love!

Ah ha, I say!
 
Well I imagine that having some down time while she sets up her new office is really nice. Also good to see JJJ still has the news in a head lock and he is refusing to let go.

Also so many characters appearing is the best!
 
Damn. I completely dismissed Thor as one of the Avengers to meet because I couldn't think of a reason either of his identities would want her services as a lawyer.

Though I agree. Given Norse mythology and legend (more than just Loki) and ancient Norse traditions and practices (make-up and perfume is for men, doesn't matter who the genetic father is, etc.), and Thor being on Midgard specifically to learn humility and to do good, him being down with the Marvel-verse equivalent to the LGBTQ+ crowd makes far too much sense. It also both diffetentiates him from the other medical doctor characters and gives his mortal identity some purpose beyond being a cliche checkbox.

In short, I wholeheartedly approve and will be stealing this for the Marvel-verse rewrite thar exists only in my head.
 
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One thing that is interesting is that even as the LBGTQ+ community and the first modern militant gay rights movements have to deal with a lot less police harassment thanks to the bouts of Mutant intersectionality and also get some heat off of them thanks to Mutants having such a target on their backs in general, AIDs and the sometimes deliberately and maliciously neglectful response to the epidemic is still at its height and the same type of people that can juggle in their heads all the different hatreds they have for "illegal" immigrants, the black neighborhoods full of "inner city crime", "men-hating" feminists, "pinko" students, and yes "angry Muties" I think can also keep up also hating all those degenerate "f**s". I think Special Agent Cate has to be absolutely diving into the closet while at work or at anyplace that isn't a specific safe queer space, like the roller derby, where the FBI won't notice anything.
 
I imagine that as a woman who managed to achieve special agent status, a significant portion of her coworkers probably assume she's gay. Though I doubt they appreciate what that actually means.

But, yeah. Being a walking punchline at work has to be hell. Not to mention she probably has to walk a fine line of "being professional", "going along with the 'jokes'", and "not confirming any of the 'jokes'".
 
I do not understand the mindset of queer cops. If you are queer, why be a cop? Why subject yourself to that culture and why enforce the very hierarchies that oppress you?
 
October Daye said:
What mattered more, though, was his actions. His card routinely made the rounds at the Stonewall when people needed medical help. He provided several people with insulin, hormones, and other medicines either at cost or free. And while I hadn't had to try and source it from Dr. Blake, he was one of the few doctors I'd heard of that didn't try to patronize when prescribing birth control.
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Dang! Thor really out here being not just a good ally but saving the lives of diabetic people at their level of financial ability? It's always touching to see fanfic authors put in moments like this where they show our favorite heroes being wonderful people even out of costume! Thank you for this.
 
Thor must really hate the nazis and the neo-nazis. They appropriate his culture, or the descendants of his culture. Im not sure what the scandinavians are in the marvel universe.
 
I loved this intro to the new arc. The change in scenery and new characters was all handled really well.

Furthermore, congrats on the temporary improvement in your situation! I hope it leads into a more permanent fix.

And I see that the superhero activist world is exactly as much of a small world community as old-school queer activism. XD
 
Noa will never escape Magneto!

She could flee to the highest mountain, or the deepest cave, and in the dark stumbling ever deeper into the bowels of the Earth...

She would step on him while he was trying to take a nap or something.
 
I knew it was a Stan Lee cameo without having to check, we're a real Marvel project now folks :D

ExNihilo said:
And they were both bottoms, huh.

The Thor, uh, Posessee? Channeler? I never figured out how that worked. Still neat.

Where does she keep finding these people? She met Magneto in a library, the man who could be Thor at a roller derby, multiple members of the X-Men as potential witnesses (and one as a client), Mystique somewhere, the Sorcerer Supreme, Daredevil, and presumably the secretary is someone famous as well. That's quite the super team. Also JJJ, and I'm not sure she ever properly met Cap, and probably some others I'm forgetting.
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Well, it is New York in the Marvel universe, where 90% of superheroes are based out of.

Aranfan said:
I do not understand the mindset of queer cops. If you are queer, why be a cop? Why subject yourself to that culture and why enforce the very hierarchies that oppress you?
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A belief that the system can be changed from within, or that a more diverse force will be more reactive to the needs of a diverse public, or that they can be an example of how their group can be "normal" upstanding members of society.
 
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