#Better than any marvel movie from the last few years

[selencgraphy]

— 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒

prompt drabble series - nonverbal ways to say ‘i love you’

5 - remembering a trivial fact about them

prompts from promptingyou

PAIRING: logan howlett x gn!reader

TAGS: they/them pronouns for reader, fluff, actions speak louder than words is logan’s strong suit, tall!logan bc i love hugh jackman :)

A/N: deadpool and wolverine revived my love for logan so this is just self-indulgent bc i love him so so much. the x-men movies were my gateway into marvel so i just have to show my man some love yk? happy reading <3

WORD COUNT: 597

masterlist || request box <3

You and Logan weren’t that close. Aside from having rooms right next to each other and being co-workers, you didn’t know much about him. Rarely were you ever in a room with him when it was just you two. 

Heading over to the kitchen for a midnight snack, you stumble upon him smoking by the window. “Can't sleep either?" you asked as you quietly padded across the wood. 

Logan merely grunted in response, taking a drag of his cigar. Grabbing the tub of your favorite ice cream from the freezer, you took a seat at the counter. The tub was practically almost empty so you resorted to eating straight out of it. "Are those really any better than regular cigarettes?" you carefully asked in hopes of breaking the awkward silence—well, at least to you it was awkward. At your question, he turned over his shoulder and leaned to sit down against the window sill, his eyebrows furrowed a little deeper than they normally were.

"Haven't tried anything but these," he replied, glancing down at it before looking back at you, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"What?"

"You're the first person who's caught me smoking inside that didn’t immediately remind me of Chuck's stupid rule."

"I mean… it is a good rule considering this whole place is built of wood," you joked, taking another bite of ice cream before speaking again. "I'm not one for rules either anyways. It'd be a bit hypocritical of me to get on your case, don't you think?"

He hummed, the tiniest smirk on his face at your nonchalance. He'd been living and teaching (begrudgingly) at the mansion for a while now, but a lot of the kids and other X-Men were still intimidated by him. His tough guy façade certainly didn’t help much but that’s just how he was used to living after being alive for almost 200 years. But that never seemed to deter you. Putting out his cigar, he started to head back to his room. "Don't stay up too late, bub," he muttered as he passed you.

"Night, Logan,” you called over your shoulder, scraping the sides of the tub as you finished it out. Throwing it away, you made a mental note to grab more whenever you went back out to get groceries.

A couple days later…

“Shit,” you muttered under your breath as you made your way down to the kitchen. It was pretty early in the day, but you weren’t one to let the time of day deter you from snacking on a few scoops of ice cream. Then you remembered. You had eaten the last bit the other night when you ran into Logan and had yet to restock. Damn.

So it came as a surprise to see yet another full tub in the freezer when you went to rummage through it to find something else to satiate your sweet tooth. A post-it was taped to the top of it, big black letters scrawled across it.

For Y/N. If you’re not them, do not touch this. - Logan

Your face brightened as you read it. Sure, it wasn’t that sweet of a message, but you’d take what you could get. Pulling it out, you realized it was the same exact flavor—your favorite flavor—and brand you loved. You’d barely spent five minutes with each other the other night, but he remembered.

“I gotta thank him later,” you thought to yourself as you sat down, your day made by the gesture. Maybe your efforts to befriend him weren’t a lost cause after all.

[berzahoes]

“slut!” | tom blyth

summary: in a word full of boys, tom is a gentleman.

an: takes place before filming billy the kid

warnings: mean names hence the title also if you care, reader is the same age as tom lol

“so keep your boyfriends hidden because y/n is newly single!”

“how many boyfriends has she had in the last four years?”

“clearly she’s the problem if she can’t keep a boyfriend.”

you heard it all. the names people called you, the headlines, news reports. it was always the same. people would rather shame you for your love life than be quiet. in the past you did joke that you went on many dates, clearly the media didn’t care if you were joking or not.

your manager had even banned you from looking at the really negative comments on your phone. twitter was having a field day with your love life.

“slut!” was the phrase often directed towards you. while your loyal fans defend you, you could still see all the hurtful things people said about you.

“do you want to cancel tomorrow’s interview?” lisa, your manager, asked one day. you hadn’t answered your phone at all and she was concerned so she drove to your new york apartment and let herself in with the spare key she had. she had found you in the darkness of your room curled up with your plethora of blankets.

“cancel everything. i just want to rest for a while.” you managed to say. lisa was like your second mom. she cared about you more than anything.

“we can do that.” lisa assured.

“lisa?” you turned to face her.

“yes?”

“thanks for checking on me.”

“always.”

after that conversation, lisa made some calls and any movie or tv show deal you had were quickly cancelled. over the next few days, the media found out that you pulled out of many movies from big franchises like marvel and star wars. it was always a dream of yours to be in anything marvel or star wars related, but for now, those projects had to continue without you.

many friends and colleagues reached out to you, but all you could do was send a simple ‘thank you’ and be done with it.

days passed and you were still in your apartment. you didn’t mind being alone, you liked it better that way. sometimes lisa or your parents would drop by or even your upstairs neighbor, mrs. davis, a nice old lady who knew that your favorite cupcakes were red velvet so she made you some to cheer you up.

it was a tuesday afternoon when you heard someone cursing multiple out in the hallway. you figured someone got locked out so you ignored it. pretty much everyone in the entire building got locked out at least once. you were ignoring the cursing as you continued reading your book and ate your red velvet cupcake that your kind neighbor had made you. a few seconds later, you heard a knock on your door.

“no.” you groaned as you stood up to answer the door. you opened it to find tom. you had only known him because you had a mutual friend so you were surprised to see him at your door.

“hi,” he spoke. “i called and texted . . a lot. i just wanted to see how you were.”

“i’m alive as you can see.” you said.

“i know you’ve been asked this question a lot lately but are you okay?”

that’s when you broke down. you couldn’t keep it together in front of tom, but he didn’t mind comforting you. somehow he knew exactly what you needed to hear.

he would often come over to keep you company when lisa or your parents couldn’t. he understood you didn’t want to step foot outside so he didn’t force you. instead, you two would go up to the terrace of your apartment building and hang out. tom would bring lunch or dinner depending on the time that he decided to visit. during that time, you two would talk about whatever would come to mind. tom did his best to avoid talking about work, but you always asked how his filming was going or if he had auditioned for anything new.

“i got the part,” he admitted. “i’m playing billy the kid.” he smiled brightly.

“I’m so happy for you, tom! you deserve it!” you hugged him.

“it’ll be announced next week. you’re the first to know, well apart from my manager.” he chuckled.

“you deserve that and more.” you smiled.

“you do too. other people should see that,” tom said. “you’re so talented and amazing and everything about you is so. . . incredible. i wish people see you the way i do.”

you were speechless.

“are you okay?” tom asked when he noticed you were quiet.

fuck. fuck. fuck FUCK he thought to himself

“you mean it?” you managed to say. you could feel yourself start to blush.

“every bit and more. i enjoy being with you and if i could be with you for the rest of my life then i would die a happy man.”

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

You don't need to worry about the ATSV fandom dying. As someone whose been in the Marvel fandom over ten years - I can assure you this is natural.

The ATSV Fandom Isn't Dead: A brief look into the science of fandoms.

[me standing beside Hobie beaming my thoughts of love and adoration into his head like I'm professor x]

A lot of people are afraid of the ATSV dying - and I don't blame them.

In the era of shows releasing all in one day, or movies coming to streaming almost immediately - it's not hard to say we're in an era were content is consumed at ridiculously rapid rates.

I mean, this time last year Wednesday was breaking records on Netflix. Where's the hype now?

I know you see it too, there's less posts everyday in the Hobie tag, less screenshot breakdowns, etc etc etc.

But I'm here to tell you - The ATSV fandom is doing just fine. Better than fine. All of this is meant to happen.

Let me put it into perspective.

ATSV released on June 2nd - it's November.

ATSV released a little over six months ago.

For reference: The Avengers (2012) was released on May 4th.

The Avengers DVD wasn't available for purchase until SEPTEMBER 25th - almost SIX months later.

The time that the Hobie fandom has formed and existed - is the same amount of time people had to wait just to see The Avengers again.

Large periods of time where tags only get three posts a day TOPS was nothing to fear. xReaders and fanfics held the fandom over until the next trailer, the next sneak peek or leak.

Prior to the release of streaming, only a little more than ten years ago - it was NATURAL for a fandom to wait six months before even seeing the movie for a second time.

And mind you - streaming didn't exist. If you wanted to see The Avengers again, you had to go out and BUY it. $26.99.

If you wanted to order it online - you'd have to get it shipped to you. Before Disney plus, we watched on BlueRay Discs.

And the fandom was fine and healthy.

If a fandom that doesn't even have a DVD release can keep up content for six months, I think we'll be fine.

But I'll admit - there's still the question:

If the ATSV fandom is 'doing fine' then where is everyone going? Why are the tags getting slower?

The answer is simple:

FANDOM BIOLOGY

I LOVE social sciences and the systems people create and how they work - even unintentionally.

And I have a theory - one about the natural evolution and regeneration of fandom. Hear me out -

When it comes to ATSV:

We are leaving the Analysation Phase, the phase in which content creation is centered around deciphering and breaking down the most recent installment in the fandom.

During this phase usually see art of newer characters, new ships, meta breakdowns, easter egg point-outs.

We were in that phase.

Once the Analysation Phase dies down, usually main content creators may remain. The intermediate or liminal period.

The intermediate is usually when you'll see more x-reader art pop-up, the levels of fanart evening out as artists return to their favorite characters - usually incorporating any new ones they gained from the last installment.

Shitposts usually also become popular around this time, as the shock and weight of the story wear off, and we're more able to joke about the storyline a lot more light-heartedly.

That's why the intermediate point is often see as the passion 'dying out'.

When in fact, it is the fandom getting comfortable. Resting for the next phase.

And after a few months, the next phase comes:

The Speculation Phase:

The Speculation Phase cannot come until the Analysation Phase is over.

During the Analysation Phase the fandom begins to breakdown and digest the writers intentions. They integrate the new character into the story, and the fandom.

As the audience and fandom talk amongst each other, we get more solid ideas of who the characters are, what their motivations might be, and most important of all-

What they might do.

In the Speculation Phase we turn from the last installment - and start looking towards the future.

Let's take Hobie for example.

Looking at the timeline of the Hobie fandom, we can see a progression.

Originally taken as a punk-rockstar and little more, throughout the months the fandom began posting things about punk culture, the 70's, Hobie's motivation in the comics, and how that all correlates to him.

As the fandom analyzed, the collective zeitgeist and understanding of Hobie grew into something a lot more sound, and telling.

We looked at the parellels he provides in the story, and what kind of person he is.

And because if that we have seen a marked improvement in people's contextual understanding of Hobie - as a punk and a hero.

And now that we can understand him - we can predict him.

The same goes for Miguel - over the months, a lot of us have began to question if we know him as well as we think we do , if we really know the kinda person he is -

And if we really know what he's doing to do.

That's where the Speculation Phase comes in.

The Speculation Phase in fandom is when we see some of the most passion - and instead of tapering off overtime, it builds. More and more until the next release.

The Speculation Phase is when the fandom takes the analysis' and from there, they begin to theorize.

Now that we understand, we can begin to predict.

And this is arguably one of the most interesting parts in a fandoms natural ecosystem.

During the Speculation Phase, we can see a number of diverse opinions appear.

As more and more creators begin to gather their understanding, tips from the writers, new released news, and past comic book arcs, we start to see dozens of triguing paths the writers can take us on.

As more news releases, the more hype people get. I mean - imagine how you'll feel when they release the first new poster of Hobie, or Miles? Or when we get to see Miles.G in the trailer?

And with each new poster, or trailer, we're given clues. The theorizes develop more. And the plot thickens.

It's all natural.

So I can understand the fear. Only getting one or two new posts when you visit the Hobie tag can be a bummer. But it's natural and it's GOOD.

Y'all, we need to conserve our energy. We are in the liminal phase. And they never last long.

With the news of the voice actors back in the studio, and a cliff-hanger like we have - I can assure you, it's only a matter of time before we begin to see the theories, the trailer breakdowns, the people guessing what Miguel might do, or exactly how much tech Hobie is hiding.

And when that time comes we need to be READY. I can already feel it on the horizon.

I really wonder what they'll do with all that left over Hobie concept art.

Plus with explosion of Hobie approval, I wonder if they'll add him in even more. Hobie fan-service anyone?

Hmmm...

But chill y'all, we're on the right track -

-------------------------------------

If you read this far, as always THANK YOU SO MUCH!! And as a token of my appreciation, I hand you this Hobie. Hold him gently please

Bye 💗

[olsenmyolsen]

lifting the shorter one up so they can be seen in photos

But the opposite, with short but strong!R (or beefy!Kate/Yelena) lifting up the tall bombshell GF Wanda/Nat/Lizzie out of her way for a photo

The Widow Bites Concert

maroon master list . dark master list . request marvel master list . short n’ sweet master list

No Powers AU / Rockstar Band AU (Bishova)

Summary: Kate ends up going to her favorite band's show by herself. Que, a blonde named Lena.

Word Count: 3.5K

Content: Natasha, Wanda, and Carol are in a band, Fluff, Flirting, Awkward Flirting, Feelings, Soft Yelena

"Kate, I'm sorry!" It was the day of the concert, and Kate's friend America Chavez apologized over the phone for having to back out of their plans.

"I wish I could make it, but if I'm going to be anywhere near getting my doctorate soon, I have to go on this trip to Karma Taj with Dr. Strange." Kate rolled her eyes. A little playfully. A little annoyed. She bought tickets months ago to see one of her favorite bands, The Widow Bites, play at a local arena.

And she had confirmed beforehand with America so many times that she would still be going.

But leave to Chaevaz and her studies to make her bail.

"It's fine." Kate sighed into the phone. "Maybe I can sell the ticket or give it away or something." Money wasn't a problem for Kate, so it's not like she needed to sell the ticket.

"Promise me you'll still go!?" America pleaded over the phone. "I would hate for you to mope at your place all alone." Kate leans against the doorway to her kitchen.

She walks and talks whenever she gets on the phone.

"I don't mope," Kate said back defensively. "Kate," America replied. "You locked yourself in your room for two days when you found out the local ice cream place was closing."

"Well, it was unfair!"

"Kate, they found mice in the freezer!" Kate shrugged. "So! I know of a restaurant where the head chef is a rat!"

"Kate, for the last time, that's a movie, not a real place!" America sighed into the phone. "Look just please go to the concert! Have fun! They're your favorite band." Kate nodded into the phone. "Okay. I'll go. I'll go." She bounced off the doorframe. "By the way, I know the movie Ratatouille isn't real. It's animated. It's just based off a real story."

America didn't know whether Kate was joking, and she needed to get back to her studies, so she did what any friend would do and hung up.

"Hello? America?" Kate pulled the phone away from her ear and hummed as Kate's dog Lucky walked up with its leash in its mouth. "If only you could come with me," Kate said to the dog who tilted its head. "Ugh, what am I saying? You'd be the main star at the point, and the band wouldn't even come on stage!" Kate shakes her head at the golden retriever. "That's it, you're too cute. You can't come!"

Lucky dropped the leash from its mouth. Kate's eyes moved with it to the floor. "Alright. Alright. Damn. I'll take you out."

If the dog could roll its eyes, it would.

Regardless, a few hours later, Kate had arrived at the venue for the concert and was being directed by a security guard to her section.

Onto the floor.

Front row.

Well, she was supposed to be, but thanks to some last-minute outfit changes and the ability to yap on the phone with an old deaf man who had better things to do on his farm. She was late. Kate missed her early access sound check and the opportunity to be in the very front.

So, instead, she was a few rows behind.

Which didn't bum her out too much as the person standing beside her was a very attractive short blonde. The blonde wore an older cut-off band t-shirt, black jeans with holes cut into them, and black boots.

If Kate wasn't fruity before this should definitely would've bought an apple orchard.

"Hi," Kate said as she stood next to the woman who might be a few years older than her. The woman glances up and to her right before smiling. "Hi." The blonde said back with an accent.

Kate was drooling.

"I'm Kate," Kate said, sticking her hand out. Something she internally hated herself for. The blonde looked at the extended hand and Kate's face (and body) again before smiling as well and taking her hand to shake. "Hello, Kate. I'm Lena."

"Strong grip." Kate awkwardly chuckled before she and Lena let go. "I was- I was joking it was... It was fine! No good! The handshake was-" Kate stopped talking and turned away from the blonde. Hoping a sinkhole would open up and only take her as more people began to fill the room.

Kate was thankful that America and Lucky weren't here to see this.

However, Lena was fascinated with Kate.

"First time?" The blonde asked Kate, who wiped her ponytail and head around. "No, I've done it- I mean, shook hands before. Yes. I- I was just trying to make a joke earlier-" "Seeing the band?!" Lena clarified for everyone's benefit.

Kate shut her mouth before shaking her head. "I saw them two years ago in New Jersey." Lena's eyebrows shot up at that. "I was there too!" The blonde said, making Kate gasp. "Really!?" She questioned. "The show where Carol drummed so hard she broke the stick in half!?" Lena nodded and smiled. "It flew right over my head."

Kate remembers watching the stick fly into the audience from across the club. "Wow, that's insane!"

Lena nodded. "That place was smaller than here. I wonder how we didn't bump into each other." Lena said, eyeing up Kate once again.

Not that the younger woman noticed.

In fact, Kate shrugged. "I'm not sure, but we're here now." She said with a giant smile that Lena couldn't help but smile wide back at. "So, do you have a favorite song?" Kate asked as the place was about packed, making Lena scoot closer to Kate. Lena nodded as her eyes found Kate's. "Personally, I love Dinner & Vodka."

Kate gave a little bit of a surprised look at that. Not expecting Lena to pick a slow and acoustic song. "Wow, that's a good song! It deals with heavy themes." Lena nods. "Yeah, I cried the first time I heard it." She admits to Kate, making the taller woman give Lena an "awww."

Lena blushes and shakes her head. Kate smiles and leans closer. "So, do you believe the rumors that Natasha wrote that one for her sister as an apology for leaving her the second she turned 18?" Kate asks, not knowing that, yes, the rumor is true and she's talking to said sister.

Lena looks back at Kate. "Yeah, I believe it."

Kate nods. "Me too."

Kate glances around the room at the number of people, while Lena looks at Kate's side profile and inches herself closer. "What about you? What's your favorite song?" Lena asks, but before Kate can answer, the lights flash above the stage, making the crowd cheer and scream around them.

Kate's eyes go wide with excitement as she turns to face Lena. Who makes the same facial expression in return. But Kate doesn't forget the questions as she moves even closer to Lena. So close, in fact, that their arms are pressed against one another. "Honestly, I love all their songs, but for some reason..." She pauses as if scared to admit it. Lena throws up one of her eyebrows, waiting. "I think their cover of Heads Will Roll is my absolute favorite." Kate finally says with a shy smile.

The blonde looks at her with a large smile after hearing this. "That's hilarious." She says, making Kate's mouth drop. "Did you not hear me when I said I love all their songs?!" Lena laughs and nods. "I did! But I'm just saying I love that you love their covers so much!" Kate laughs because Lena's laugh is so damn infectious, and she looks cute when she scrunches her face.

"Oh man, Natasha is going to love that," Lena says as she turns back to face the stage. Kate, hearing that, tilts her head, confused, and looks to Lena to ask for clarification, but the roar from the crowd as the lights go out makes it impossible.

Kate spins her head towards the stage, and as the fog creeps in around the stage and the slow drumming from Carol starts thumping her body, Lena can't help but smile and watch Kate.

Especially when red lights come down and shine on each band member before Carol kicks it up and starts wailing on the drums as the lights go wild around them.

The crowd follows suit, and you'd be surprised to hear yourself think as they scream for The Widow Bites.

As the show rocks on and Kate watches her favorite band kick ass, she feels a hand grab her arm. It's Lena. "Yeah?!" She yells over the music as Lena scoots closer and rises on her tiptoes to yell into Kate's ear. "I'm going to grab a drink. Do you want anything?" Kate is a little taken aback by Lena's niceness and goes to shake her head to be polite, but she is severely thirsty. "A water, if you don't mind."

Lena smile. "I'll be back."

With that, the blonde disappears, and she's gone for the remainder of the current song. And then the next one. And the next one. By the time the fourth song since Lena left begins to start, she is looking around, worried and panicked for her new hot friend.

Wait, who said hot? Did you say hot?

"Here!" Kate snaps back and takes the water bottle from Lena as she holds it out to her and pushes her way back neck to Kate. "Dude, where did you go!?" Kate yells over the music, taking the after bottle from the blonde's green-painted fingernails. Lena hears the tone and smiles. "Were you worried about me?"

Kate pretends not to hear her over the music and turns back to the stage with pink on her cheeks.

Lena laughs and bumps Kate's shoulder, gathering her attention briefly. "Sorry, there was some drunk asshole at the merch line. I was going to surprise you with something, but I had to deal with the guy." Kate's eyes soften as she looks at Lena. "Oh!" She says, a little surprised and a little... she wouldn't know what word to use, but butterflies were definitely happening. "That's okay! And thank you! I was just making sure you were alright!" Lena smiled and laughed. "I'm alright." She says, looking into the taller girl's eyes before Natasha ends the song and starts talking to the crowd.

"You know, looking out into the crowd, I swear I see some familiar faces!" Natasha says as she walks from one end of the stage to the other. Her eyes quickly find her sisters before she looks at the taller person beside her. She hides a smirk and bites down the need to embarrass her sister while Kate's mouth drops at being looked at by THE NATASHA ROMANOV!

"She looked at me!" She squeals, making Lena laugh. "And you!" Kate says, grabbing Lena's arm and cheering for her. Lena's eyes look at the fingers gripping her before looking back up to Kate with a puppy dog look.

She was starting to become very down bad, barking at the gym or whatever that lyric was.

As Natasha starts talking to her bandmates about what song they should do next. (Even though it's all pre-planned.) Lena starts talking as Kate still has yet to let go of her arm. "You know..." Lena was enjoying Kate and her personality. She was cute and charming and had a smile that made Lena feel all the things. "I have an extra backstage pass for after the show... You can come if you want."

Kate looks to her left with a more than shocked expression before nodding furiously. "Yes! Yes! Oh my gosh!" Before Lena knows it Kate is crashing into her and wrapping her arms around her new best friend.

Ahh, the classic friends-to lovers.

Lena smiles and laughs as Kate squeezes her before the hug stops. "I don't know how I'll be able to thank you! I would take you out for ice cream, but my favorite place closed a while ago!" She yells over the music as the concert slowly fades into the background, and Lena and Kate only look at one another. "You don't need to thank me!" Lena tells her but secretly hopes that tonight won't be the last time she sees Kate.

Kate vibrated with happiness before turning back to the stage. Her arm was still wrapped around the blonde.

Lena slowly pulled her eyes from the side profile of Kate before she looked to the stage to see a smirking Natasha.

Lena makes a motion with her head that Natasha nods to, and later in the night, when they come back out for an encore, the band plays Kate's favorite.

"Oh my gosh!" Kate said louder than she meant to as she and Lena walked through a hallway after the show, towards the green room. The concert had made it hard for Kate to tell whether she was speaking normally or yelling.

Not that Lena minded.

As they walked through the hall, crew members and security nodded toward the blonde as she walked in front of Kate.

They all respected Natasha's younger sister and were always happy to have her come to shows.

"I can't believe this! Seriously, thank you!" Kate said as she sped up to stay step in step with the shorter woman. Lena looked up and over with a smile. "It's no problem."

"Still!" Kate said. "Backstage passes are like notoriously hard to get." Lena flicked her eyes up and nodded. "Yeah, but I have connections..."

Also, before you ask, it's not like Yelena Belova was hiding who she was or lying to Kate. She just got tired of people trying to get to her sister and the band and not knowing her.

But with Kate, she feels- she hopes it will be different.

However, the moment of truth is just around the corner.

"Fuck you!" Kate and Lena move flat against the wall as You and Wanda Maximoff come around the corner after another one of your fights.

Wanda swears she saw you flirting with someone while she was on stage, but after the millionth time of telling her it was an old friend of yours you were talking to, you got tired of it and wanted to leave. "When you want to apologize and make up, call me!" You shout as you groan and turn away from the brunette in a red corset.

Your eyes flash to Kate and then Yelena's as you go to walk away.

Wanda watches you, her girlfriend, leave and storm out the double doors at the end of the hallway before she turns to her friend and guest.

Kate swallows from watching what should have been a private interaction.

Wanda wipes her eyes before putting on a smile. "Hey." She says through a breath as she turns and puts an arm around Lena to hug her. "Sorry, you had to see that." Lena shrugs.

It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last.

"Umm, Wanda, this is my friend Kate." Kate looks between a member of her favorite band and her new friend. She thinks she's dreaming and has no idea how the blonde knows the band.

And yet she steps forward and extends her hand to Wanda. "Hi Kate, I'm Wanda." Kate closes her eyes, embarrassed. "Sorry, you're Wanda. I'm Kate." She chuckles and opens her eyes to see Wanda laughing and Lena smiling. "I'm sorry, but how do you know each other?! Am I missing something? Also, I always thought you..." She points at Wanda. "Were with Natasha."

Lena makes a disgusted face while Wanda covers her mouth as she laughs. "Oh god, no!" She then crashes into Lena's side. "Looks like you got a WandaNat truther." Lena rolls her eyes and pushes Wanda away. She chuckles and moves back to Kate's side.

Lena bites her lip as Kate keeps her eyes on her, waiting for her other questions to be answered. "You don't really think my sister and Wanda got together, do you?"

Kate's mouth drops, shocked as the bomb drops. She puts a hand to her head and breathes, looking at a nervous Lena and a smiling Wanda.

After a few moments, she lightly laughs. "Well, NOW I don't think Wanda and Natasha slept together."

Once again, Lena makes a face of disgust.

Wanda laughs and senses a conversation needing to be had between the two younger women. "I'll go let your sister know you're here." She says, retreating back to the green room. Kate watches Wanda walk until she disappears around the corner before looking at the blonde beside her.

"You're Natasha's sister?!" She questions, making Lena nod. "Lena... Yelena..." Kate sighs. "That makes sense." Yelena nods, and Kate looks over her face.

She wants to question why Yelena didn't tell her, but she can figure it out. Celebrities and fame make people lie and hurt other people.

Kate scoots closer to Yelena as they stand against the hallway wall. Her shoulder bumping the blondes. "I get it. I get you not telling me." Yelena looks over to Kate and smiles a little bit. "I just..." Yelena starts. "Since Natasha and I have become close again, people don't want me..." Kate looks over with a sad smile forming on her face. "They either figure out who I am or know it before I know them, and then they try and use me."

"I didn't, and I wouldn't." Kate quietly says as she turns her body to Yelena's—the blonde nods. "I know. I knew from the moment I met you in the crowd." Yelena smiles, making Kate smile.

"You're different," Yelena whispers, forcing pink to rise on Kate's cheeks. "Sorry." She then says into the space between them, but Kate shakes her head. "No, don't be." She bites her lip. "I enjoyed tonight. With you. And I like hearing what you say..." She smiles, which turns slightly into a smirk.

Yelena feels like she can tell where this is going, but Natasha, Carol, and Wanda show up around the corner before anything can happen.

Kate and Yelena straighten themselves out and turn towards the trio.

Natasha ignores the sexual tension between Kate and Yelena and runs towards her sister to hug her tightly. "I thought you weren't going to make it tonight!" Yelena hugs her sister back and laughs. "Natasha, I always say that whenever you're in town, and I'm always joking."

Kate's ear pick that up. "You live in the city?" Kate questions Yelena, making everyone look in between her and Kate as Natasha exits the hug.

Yelena awkwardly nods. "I live and work in the city," Natasha smirks. "Looks like you two will have some fun talking later." She winks to her sister before moving forward to Kate. She clears her throat. "Thank you for coming to our show." Kate lifts her hand up as her eyes look over Natasha in steel-toe boots, fishnets, and black leather shorts that go well with her white crop top. Kate swallows before glancing towards Yelena and back. "It's to meet Yelena's sister." She smiles at Natasha as Carol nudges Wanda behind her. "Oh, she's good." 

Wanda agrees. "Look at Yelena's smile... Oh, now she's looking at us."

Yelena shakes her head. "Yes, we can all hear you." Natasha nods and smiles at Kate, then Yelena, and back to the dark-haired woman. "Break her heart. I'll break your neck."

"Natalia!" Yelena exclaims, but that does nothing as Kate nods out of fear. She and Yelena aren't even dating as of this moment, but she still understands the message. "Go-got it."

Natasha smiles. "So, do you want a picture or anything before we head back to the green room? It's kind of an NDA space so no photos and video in the room."

Kate nods and pulls out her phone. Shaking it a little before Carol snatches it and looks Kate over. "Hmm. Ever been with a drummer?" She flirts, causing Wanda to push Carol. "You're married." Carol turns back. "Yes, but unlike you, Maria wouldn't mind."

"Both of you stop." Natasha takes the phone as the three of them surround Kate. Natasha holds up her arm, getting ready to take some selfies, but Kate looks to her left and right and doesn't see Yelena.

She then turns full all the way around to see Yelena looking extra small behind her. "Come on. I want a picture with you, too!" Kate laughs as she pulls Yelena forward in front of her.

"Oh great, now we can only see Yelena's head." Natasha jokes. "Ha ha ha." Yelena dryly speaks. "You sure missed your calling a comedian."

Kate smiles at the interaction between siblings before she looks up at the phone camera.

Yelena does the same and gets an idea.

"Natasha, now!" Yelena yells as she wraps her arms around Kate's waist and lifts her up to be seen. Everyone quickly moves with this plan, smiling and posing in a thousand different ways.

The picture of Kate laughing in her arms is still Yelena's favorite picture to this day.

And on the flip side, when they switched, the picture of Lena laughing in her arms is still Kate's favorite picture to this day.

dividers by @/benkeibear

[bloomeng]

I absolutely love Superboys Halloween costume. What costumes do you think the batboys would wear for Halloween?

Oh I’m so glad you asked.

I think as a kid Dick was very typical in that he liked dressing up as things he thought were cool, Robin Hood, pirates, cowboys. One memorable year he tried to convince Bruce to let him go as Robin and for Bruce to go as Batman, and he was unrelenting. Finally they compromised and Dick went as Batman and Bruce went as something vaguely resembling Robin. (He wore a red suit with like a green shirt and yellow tie.) As retribution Dick went as Superman the next year and now that’s his go to costume any year that he doesn’t have a better idea. The last few years he’s been really into pun costumes. Last year he went in a running outfit, then over the top he layered like sewing items and went as “Tailor Swift.” This year he constructed a cardboard chapel and grabbed an oar to be “Chapel Row’in.” Get it… like Chappell Roan. Yeah his family all groaned too. (Credit to Micarah Tewers for those ideas, I’m not nearly that clever)

Jason loved Halloween as a kid. He was really excited by the idea of dressing up as his favorite characters, but none of his favorite characters were things that normal 13 year old boys liked. So it was always like Mr. Darcy or Dr. Frankenstein. And he’d really get into the accuracy of the costumes, totally taking advantage of Bruce’s bank account. Bruce would of course indulge him, though it was usually Alfred helping him put his costumes together. Post-Death Jason stopped dressing up all together. It’s only been recently that he’s been getting back into it. The first year he decided to dress up again he opted for something simple that he thought had plausible deniability as “not a costume.” Dick clocked him immediately.

“Are you dressed as the guy from The Shining?”

“His name is Jack Torrence. How did you get that so fast, you don’t even know his name?”

“Jason, you would never wear flannel voluntarily.”

This year he’s going as a Deep One from “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.”

Tim is the definition of low effort costumes. Most years he doesn’t bother to dress up and when confronted about it he’ll say he’s dressed as “Tony Hawk.” However, he absolutely refuses to be that person who throws on a witch hat or some animal ears. When he does actually dress up it’s usually as someone famous in a specific niche community/field that most people would never know off the top of their head. This year he is going as someone “very obvious;” Magnus Carlsen. (Aka he’s wearing a suit, no tie and carrying around a chess board.)

For his first few Halloween’s with the Waynes Damian just let Alfred choose costumes for him. He had to approve of them, but other than that he claimed to not care, but really he was insecure about picking something for himself. He had limited exposure to pop culture and didn’t really even know his own taste at that point, so Alfred dressing him was safe. Alfred’s picks were nice, if a bit generic, and super biased. One year he went as a prince, another year Sherlock Holmes, really anything Alfred wanted to see on Damian. Around 12 he started feeling comfortable enough to pick for himself. Last year he went as the male lead in his favorite Shoujo manga (I don’t know if the manga he likes in canon has a name). This year Jon talked him into a group costume, so Jon is going as Naruto and Damian is going as Sasuke (the designs from the original series, not Shippuden.)

Duke tends to opt for famous film characters. He prefers costumes that he can build out of normal clothing, but as a kid he totally dressed up in those cheap Spirit Halloween costumes. If Marvel existed in their universe, he would have loved going as Miles Morales’ Spider-Man. Now that he’s a teenager, he’s too embarrassed to go as things he deems dorky. He has toyed with the idea of a MMA related costume, but that’s still too embarrassing for him, so he defaults back to cool movie characters. He’s gone as a lot Quentin Tarantino characters. It started with Jules Winnfield, and it spiraled from there. This year he’s going as Warren from “Hateful Eight.” (Not his favorite Tarantino film but he’s running out of new characters and he thinks his outfit is cool)

You didn’t ask about the girls but I have ideas for them too.

Steph ADORES Halloween and she goes all out. She loves dressing up in costumes that she feels hot in. Not in the “insert costume but sexy” way just things that allow her to dress up nice. When she and Tim were dating she tried to get him to do a couple’s costume with her. The result was a very high effort beautiful Corpse Bride next to the lowest effort Victor you’ve ever seen. She learned her lesson and the next year she dressed Tim herself (he bitched the whole time but admitted he looked good when she was done). They went as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. She usually planned their costumes a year in advance, but sadly they broke up before they made it to doing Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel. Tim awkwardly offered to still do it but she declined. Instead she went as Mary Van Tassel. This year she’s doing something classic, and going as a vampire, complete with Twilight-style sparkles. She’s also a big fan of fake blood and usually tries to incorporate into her costume in some way.

Cass is the wildcard of the family. She always keeps her costume a secret until the night of. As far as themes, her costumes tend to be all over the place. She tends to stay in the generic realm, so less referential, but she mixes it up whether or not she does something scary, or funny, or cool. I do think she tends to prefer costumes that include masks or helmets. I don’t know what they’re called but I have a friend who is really into those like cyberpunk robot helmets, I think she’d love those. However, this year she really mixed it up and decided to go as Ellie from “Last of Us” and roped Bruce into going as Joel. He had no idea who that was, but Cass sharing her Halloween plans prior to Halloween is a big deal, so he agreed immediately.

Babs is also a victim of the low effort Halloween costume. She’s fine throwing on a witch hat and calling it good. When she does dress up the costumes are usually fairly recognizable and comfortable. She likes to dress up as red haired characters like Kim Possible, or that one year she went as Lois Griffin (she thought she was hilarious). Another year she went as Link from Wind Waker specifically, just because she had a lot of green in her closet already. The most effort she ever put into a costume was when she poorly recreated (intentionally) the Discowing suit. This year she’s going as Ellie Sattler from Jurassic Park.

Also not a batboy, but we’ve done the whole family might as well do the Bat himself. When left to his own devices Bruce usually goes as one of two things: The Grey Ghost or James Bond. He basically just cycles between those two costumes every year, unless one of his kids requests something else (that is also reasonable). One year he lost a bet, and he dressed up as Superman and that was memorable. As I mentioned this year he is going as Joel for Cass. He hadn’t seen the show before she asked, and to be honest he’s probably only watched the first episode simply for the costume.

When asked Alfred says he’s dressed as the “Butler who did it” in reference to the murder mystery trope.

[keyotosprompts]

i quite literally had a marathon through your acc cus ur prompts are soo goooodd!!

i am currently working on a little oc story and desperately need a creative person's help. basically, my oc is Spiderwoman. she has a mask like Silk from Marvel but its nanotech (like a hologram on her face). i need prompts on how to unmask her. to set the scene its basically like the movie ATSV, where my oc is fighting a villain and at the end of it she meets the other vigilantes and then unmasks herself but idk how and what will cause her to do so (she does it willingly ofc). to make it even more dramatic shes a pretty pretty girl so everyone is like :0 when seeing her unmasked and i just need prompts on how she does so.

i hope this made sense, i am NOT good at wording bc eng isnt my first language but i hope you understood. LOVE U SM, STAY HYDRATED, MWAHH<3

mask off

superhero unmasking prompts hey! thank u for the compliment! ur oc story sounds super cool btw. i always love superhero stories (i have developed an oc for dcu and she's been active in my brain for the last 9 years)

⇴ person a nervously looks around as their mask begins to disappear. their heart is pounding in their chest as the anticipation in the air begins to rise.

⇴ person a takes off their mask to build trust with her new friends (friends, not coworkers!)

⇴ "um. surprise?" "you did not tell me you looked like that."

⇴ ^ "yeah, i think that's the point of a mask."

⇴ person a finally feels safe and comfortable around the other vigilantes, which allows her to finally take off her mask like everyone else has.

⇴ alternatively... person a sees that everyone else has taken their masks off and then takes their own mask off to join the crowd (this one is a lot less sentimental, as person a has no problem revealing their secret identity).

⇴ "wait. you have nanotech masks!? why doesn't my universe have a nanotech mask??"

okay, so i gave u some dialogue and some scenarios, but the superhero nerd in me wants to give u some tips too.

unmasking: reasons

⇴ as a way to build trust

⇴ as a way to build comradery

⇴ because they're all spidermen/spiderwomen/spiderpeople, so there's no reason to keep a secret identity in the first place

⇴ unmasking as a big plotpoint (could be the oc's climax or a way to build relationships between other characters)

unmasking yourself is personal in any circumstance. for example, even though all the spiderpeople in ATSV are seen unmasked, those people are only unmasked around the other spiderpeople, not around the people in their own universe.

when your oc is unmasking, make it a big plot point. how important is their secret identity? are they scared of unmasking after fighting the villain? what are the stakes at hand here?

unmasking: dialogue

since your oc is very pretty, think to yourself of how you would react when seeing a very beautiful person.

⇴ think of how you would respond, and then try to apply it to the other characters. of course, make sure it's not out of character.

if whatever you're thinking is not in line with what one of the characters would think, then don't include it (even if it's for the sake of storytelling).

⇴ when describing how characters are reacting, sometimes (instead of dialogue) using physical characteristics are better.

for example

"you're gorgeous!" person b gasps

person b gapes at person a for a few seconds. their eyes seem like they're bulging out of their head, and suddenly their mouth feels a lot drier than usual. a gulp escapes person b's mouth before saying, "you're gorgeous!"

doesn't that add a lot more? of course, write however you'd like, but if you really want to emphasize a character's beauty, try using physical reactions as well.

[symphonyofsilence]

Thanks for answering my ask before. If you don't mind me asking (again), can I ask, what are your top 7 favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series) and your top 7 favorite ships (can be canon or non canon) from any media ? Why do you love them?

Sorry if you've answered this questions before......

My pleasure! Thank you for your thought-provoking ask, and sorry for taking so long to answer.

Oh... that's very hard to choose!

1. Tolkien legendarium

Well... I think this one's kinda self-explanatory. What can I say that hasn't been told in these 70 years better than I could.

2. MXTX's works especially Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed and Heaven official's blessing but especially the former

God I love everything about how she writes! Especially the characters and the relationships between them! They all feel so real... so humane! And the relationships especially the platonic ones are so top-notch that like right now nobody can convince me that Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli are not my siblings! The characters and their relationships are so layered. And the subplots! THE SUBPLOTS! So beautiful! So haunting! They live in my head rent-free 24/7!

I love how the climaxes of the story, where everything starts to go down, they go down in such a spectacular way that you honestly can't find a way out of it even from a third-person perspective and they're so devastating they truly leave an impact on you to the point that it'ss hard to rawatch or reread them. I love how connected you feel to the characters that you feel the same love or sadness over their loss that the main character does. I love how things are sometimes so complicated that just like in the real world, there's no simple solution for them, and just like the real world, a magic solution doesn't descent from the skies, but the characters, true to who they are, in their own way try to deal with them the best they can (or not). (like how Wei Wuxian's and Jiang Cheng's love for each other would always be what separated them. And how there was never any way out for Jin Guangyao, ...)

Honestly. It's storytelling at its best!

And I think "The Untamed" is the peak of adaptation even if they had to face censorship from China's government, the adaptation is perfect! Some characters are even better in the show. I have such a deep emotional bond with it that I don't with the book itself.

3. Mike Flanagan's TV series especially Haunting of Hill House and Haunting of Bly Manor

Every single one of his TV shows is written and made in a way that every writer would wish to write! In his shows, Loss is not separable from love, heartbreak, and conflict and unintentional lasting harm is not separable from family, mortality from life, and price from success. They have a way of showing the ugly side, the usually ignored and always feared truths of the most beautiful concepts of life to you, and then show the beauty and grace that humans still can have in the face of it by bravely facing it and doing the best they can, and the solace they find in themselves and in each other. It always has such beauty and such solace and gentle sadness to them.

4. Avatar the Last Airbender

Exemplary worldbuilding, amazing character writings, extraordinary character developments, great relationships between characters, a masterful balance between lighthearted and serious and impactful and occasionally heartbreaking moments, perfect ways to address the many important issues it intended to address, marvelous finale, all in all the most flawless storytelling one can wish for.

5. Asoiaf

it's simultaneously the peak of High Fantasy and the peak of realism. With a few exceptions (Like Jeoffrey, Ramsay, Twyin, Maegor, Walder Frey, Roose Bolton, Gilly's father, and some other few I can't remember), people are not good or bad, people are people. they're multi-layered, they're complex, their characteristics feel real, their decisions make sense from their point of view, so does their mistakes, and they immediately, or sometimes in the long run, get the natural result of their actions. Their arcs and developments are amazing, their developments and redemptions feel earned. And the story! God! The story! What can I say about it! It's phenomenal! The pacing, the structures, the ups and downs, everything! And everything happens as the intertwined and natural result of every character's decision that is perfectly in line with the characters. Every character brings their own game to the table. Every character is unique and has a unique perspective. The dialogues are top-notch. The worldbuilding is extraordinary. The world feels so lived in. The concepts the story explores are explored thoroughly and in such great ways without being on the nose. It's really such a great work of fiction. I just wish GRRM WOULD JUST FINISH THIS GODDAMN BOOK!

And the TV series, the set design, the costume design, the music, the acting, the castings, the direction, the makeup, honestly everything except the writing of the last 2 seasons (and maybe more than two last seasons) was amazing.

6. Jujutsu Kaisen

The characters, heroes and villains and grey characters alike, the character dynamics, the character arcs, the plot, the themes, everything about it is absolutely perfect! The Hidden Inventory arc and Geto Suguru's character arc alone deserve all the awards! The power system is so intricate and interesting. Whether it's heartwarming, funny. or heartbreaking, at every turn the story makes you feel exactly what it wants you to feel. Every emotional peak of the story definitely strikes a chord without fail. It's so well-written in every aspect. The animation is out of this world and the music is great. Definitely one of the greatest out there. I could go on and on about it!

7. Bungo Stray Dogs

Each and every character is written masterfully. They're each unique and endearing. Every side character is as well-developed and as explored as the main one. And there's not a single character you can actually dislike till the end. Every antagonist (except Fyodor) that is introduced in one season is an ally in the next. (Or even before that) And explored more. And don't even get me started on the characters' dynamics! It's the heart of the show. And each and every one of them is perfect! The story and its ups and downs are so engaging and delightful, the pacing and the blend of comedy and drama are great. The way the characters outsmart each other is superb. The way every single character, friends, and rivals and previous enemies alike, with their abilities come together at the end and bring their own game to win against their common enemy is so beautiful and gratifying. The fights are always top-notch. The very interesting ways the lives and the books of the real authors are intertwined with the characters are nothing short of masterful. The way it explores its themes is very impactful. The character designs, the art style (in both the anime and the manga), and the animation (especially the fight scenes) are all perfect. I love everything about it!

the honorable mentions:

The Umbrella Academy

The Last of Us

The Sandman

I really enjoyed MCU while it lasted for a long time

Husky and his White Cat Shizun

Attack on Titan

The berserk

Good Omens

Fleabag

And here are the ships:

1. Satosugu (Gojo Satoru/Geto Suguru- Jujutsu Kaisen)

Such devotion, such longing, such yearning, such an everlasting bond despite all the years and everything in between, such a burning loyalty, such love, such grief!

What do you mean "My six eyes tell me that you're Geto Suguru but my soul knows otherwise"?! What do you mean that 11 years after their breakup, Gojo saw Kenjaku for one mili-second and immediately knew that it's not Geto despite all the evidence, and Geto, 11 years after their breakup, and one year after Gojo had literally killed him still upon hearing Gojo's voice rushed into action trying to choke Kenjaku- his own body- to save Gojo? Not because he was alive but because protecting Gojo was instinct to even his dead body! Something that he didn't do when Kenjaku threatened the two girls he raised for 10 years? What do you mean that Kenjaku, accessing Geto's memories, based his whole plan to capture the strongest based on the fact that Geto would be his weakness and Gojo would turn back and would be too shocked to do anything for a few seconds and his plan actually worked. What do you mean that Geto Suguru is actually Gojo's one weakness? What do you mean that Gojo smiled for a second when he thought Geto was back even though the prison realm was right in front of him? What do you mean that the whole Shibuya incident happened because Gojo couldn't burn Geto's dead body? What do you mean that he only lived one year after Geto and died on the same day as him on the most romantic day of the year because it was the day he chose for his fight to take back Geto's body and give it a proper burial? What do you mean Gojo chose to become a teacher because of Geto after he left, after "he couldn't reach him."? What do you mean that Gojo kept using "Boku" years after Geto left because Geto told him so? What do you mean that Geto wore a Gojo-kesa for ten years? What do you mean they're literally like "and everything I ever did was just another way, to scream your name, over and over and over again."? What do you mean "even so, Gojo's gaze, covered under the white bandages, had always, always been staring at the shape of Geto's soul"? What do you mean that when Gojo found Geto dying he chose to tell him that he sent his students because he still trusted him that he wouldn't do anything to really harm them? What do you mean that his last words made the dying, bleeding man blush and giggle despite him saying moments ago that in this world, he couldn't even smile? What do you mean that Gojo still fondly remembered him as "my best friend, my one and only."? What do you mean that Nanako and Mimiko knew how much Gojo meant to Geto that they wouldn't even direct their rage and hatred towards him even after he killed Geto? What do you mean that till his last breath and beyond, Gojo was thinking of Geto? What do you mean "Since all those years ago, I was left behind, I have to catch up now."? WHAT DO YOU MEAN "SATISFIED? MAYBE I WOULD HAVE BEEN SATISFIED IF YOU WERE AMONG THOSE PATTING MY BACK."

2. Soukoku (Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya- Bungo Stray Dogs)

The way Chuuya is the thing keeping Dazai alive and Dazai is the one that makes Chuuya feel the most humane. The way both of them can be just normal teenagers around each other. (Even way into their early twenties). The trust they have for each other! The way Dazai gets himself captured every time and even dies once fully believing that Chuuya will come (and succeed) to save him and Chuuya does, and every time Chuuya uses corruption he trusts Dazai with his life and Dazai never fails him, the way in the Dead Apple Chuuya knew Dazai so well and had such a faith/or maybe just hope in Dazai being alive that even knowing that he'd die using Corruption if Dazai were truly dead and weren't there to nullify his ability, still risked his life and used Corruption and single-handedly fought and destroyed a dragon made of all the abilities and saved Japan because of Dazai. The way Dazai risked the destruction of Yokohama and got a great portion of the Port Mafia killed to fight Verlaine just for Chuuya because Chuuya didn't want to go with Verlaine. The lengths they would go for each other!

The way with all Fyodor's genius, the one flaw in his master plan was that he didn't consider that there wouldn't be a moment when Chuuya wouldn't be on Dazai's side.

They work so well and so naturally together. They don't even need to communicate to know what to do it's like they just know and work in harmony together by instinct.

True soulmates!

They fit each other perfectly and are just what the other needs. They're both adrenaline junkies and in one way or another, adrenaline is what they provide for each other. Chuuya reminds Dazai why life is worth living. (Like 15-year-old Dazai before meeting Chuuya is like "Is there any value to this thing we call living? And 15-year-old Dazai barely a few days after meeting Chuuya says that he thinks living is worth trying), and Dazai firmly believes that Chuuya is human and makes him feel every human emotion possible. He makes him feel the moment so he doesn't keep troubling himself thinking about the past. They challenge each other, they support each other, they work perfectly together, they make each other feel alive.

3. Braime (Brienne of Tarth/Jaime Lannister- ASOIAF/GOT)

I love that they bring out the best in each other. I love the relationships where the ones involved are the best of themselves when they're together! I love it that when they're together, they both can the honorable knights they always dreamed to be. I love that with each other, they are for once, accepted, understood, believed, and believed in.

4. Xuexiao (Xiao Xingchen/Xue Yang- Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed)

Oh, the Yi City arc was a novel of its own. One of the greatest arcs ever! The agent of chaos and a kicked abandoned kitten in the world that has seldom shown him any good, being helped and gently taken care of by someone he swore revenge on, someone who's captured him and insisted for justice to be brought upon him, and then in the middle of enacting his perfect revenge plan he realizes that he's actually enjoying this little life in this little corner of the world that they have together. Realizes that he's experiencing warmth, peace, normality, affection and a home for the first time and he doesn't want it to end. He wants to play house just a little longer. Only for it all to come crashing down in the worst way possible. Only for the man who showed him nothing but kindness, and wanted to do nothing but good, to kill himself when he realized he's made his hands bloodied and even made him kill his own best friend that he gave his eyes for. Only for Xue Yang to realize, after Xiao Xingchen's death, how much he has meant to him and how he can't go on without him. Without the only one who showed him kindness. And he has no one to blame for it but himself. He risked his life, and eventually died clutching to Daozhang's last candy, trying to bring back Xiao Xingchen, who was shattered by this horrible betrayal beyond repair.

And they were so genuinely happy together and enjoyed each other's company!

Xiao Xingchen laughed easily and Xue Yang was funny and enjoyed making him laugh. Xiao Xingchen wasn't good at telling stories but Xue Yang was and told A-qing stories when they gathered around fire at night. XXC gave them candies because XY said he loves candies. XY would voluntarily go grocery shopping, he'd volunteer to go shopping for clothes with A-qing, he'd make her bunny-like slices of apple and give her advice against bullies! They were really like a little happy family in that coffin house.

But the tragedy of it all was so epic and so twistedly beautiful you can't help but love it!

It's a twisted found family, it's enemies to friends but not really, it's enemies to lovers but with a twist (they're still enemies), it's got fluff but makes it dark, it's got angst, it's got betrayal, it's got self-made tragedies!

It's wretchedly beautiful and perfect in every way!

5. 3zun but especially Xiyao (Nie Mingjue/Lan Xichen/Jin Guangyao- Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed)

This absolute trainwreck <3 It's so horrible I can't help but love it! The gothic horror of Nieyao, the being stuck in life and literally in death in one coffin, the way they'd never meet each other at one point in the middle because everything about them is polar opposites (as MXTx said, Nie Mingjue was written to contradict JGY in every sense) yet NMJ is so obsessed with JGY and they are stuck together!

The way NMJ was the first one (in the show) and or the second one (in the books) to respect JGY for his many capabilities and give him the status he deserves and JGY felt indebted to him for it but eventually JGY killed NMJ after NMJ's many attempts at his life and NMJ brought JGY's downfall and didn't leave him be even after his death and they'll be stuck in one coffin fighting each other for hundreds of years and won't ever find peace or get back to the cycle of reincarnation.

The way NMJ only saw the bad in JGY and LXC only saw the good.

The way JGY risked everything by saving LXC for no reason other than his kind heart, the way LXC always saw the best of him and was so understanding and considerate towards him. The way he always saw him and took his situation into account. He was the one who noticed others' behavior towards Meng Yao when he was serving them tea and shamed others by showing him respect and gratitude, he was the one who knew about his home situation in Jinlintai and explained it to NMJ and asked him to act more considerate towards him.

The way he always trusted him so much. in his capabilities, in his goodness, in his words, in whatever he did. Like even if he kept stepping up to protect him, the moment JGY indicated that he's got this handled, he'd step back and let him handle it. He said that it's not like he didn't know that JGY was doing fishy things all these years, but that he believed that he had good reasons for doing them.

The way they not only respected and admired and loved each other so much, but they really enjoyed each other's company and they kept seeking it. They used any chance to spend time together. They gossiped about Wangxian's love life!

But all this wasn't enough in the end. And LXC by mistake killed JGY but was still willing to stay and die with him in the end. And yet JGY even then couldn't Let that happen and used his last ounce of strength to push him away. And LXC was never the same person again.

And god! "Of all the evil in the world, what haven't I done?! But I've never even thought of harming you!"

The way this triad ended up ending each other!

6. Qijiu (Yue Qingyuan/ Shen Jiu- Scum villain's self-saving system)

Ah, the curse of Yue Qingyuan always being too late to save Shen Jiu. how he only ever wanted to save him and was never able to. How he spent his life trying to make up for it but even that wasn't enough and he was bound to lose him every time. How once Shen Jiu said that he'd give YQY all his loyalty and even after many future grievances he never stopped being loyal and always tried to save him. Even in his last days even with everything that LBH had done to him, he used the one chance he had to talk to YQY to break his heart so he wouldn't try to save him and endanger himself, but he didn't succeed and died knowing that YQY had died trying to save him. But in both the worlds he died without knowing why YQY never came back for him. all this tragedy! the way at the end of SVSSS everyone's got their happy ending except YQY and SJ. The way it's one tragedy if YQY never knows that Xiao Jiu is dead and one even worse tragedy if he finds out. There's no happy ending for them in any universe, but the love was and will always be there.

7. The ineffable husbands (Crowley/Aziraphale- Good Omens)

They are every Hozier song!

They've been together and loved each other since before the world was made. They're both too inquisitive and strong-willed to have a place among angels and or demons. They have a side of their own. Their bond prevented armageddon. They're so wholesome! So fit for each other! So... ineffable!

Honorable mentions:

Dani ClaitonXJamie Taylor (The Haunting of the Bly Manor)

GutsXGriffith (Berserk)

YumiHisu (Ymir/Historia Reiss- Attack on Titan)

Fengqing (Feng Xin/Mu Qing- Heaven Official's Blessing)

Beefleaf (He Xuan/Shi Qingxuan- Heaven Official's blessing)

Wanda/vision (Marvel)

Russingon (Maedhros/Fingon- Tolkien legendarium)

Nerdanel/Fëanor (Tolkien legendarium)

Ranwan (Mo Ran/Chu Wanning- Husky and his white cat Shizun)

Light/L (Death Note)

Hannigram (Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham- Hannibal)

Obanai/Mitsuri (Demon slayer)

Rapunzel/Eugene (Tangled)

[the16thtower]

I watched the Substance last night and I think it would be really funny if the whole Substance set-up was a Herbert West scheme.

So here’s my pitch for a 3rd Re-Animator (I’m pretending the actual 3rd one doesn’t exist).

Picture this: Dan and Herbert are in their 60s, working out of a crappy plastic surgery in LA and living in a cramped apartment above it, trying to make a legitimate living. They’ve been on the run for the last few decades, moving every time either the authorities or Doctor Hill catch up to them. While Dan tries to fill his days giving C-list celebrities nose jobs, Herbert is once again yearning for the god-like power he held as a younger man. He maintains a supply of the serum but only for his own usage (the first movie hints he has a bit of a dependency) and for emergency circumstances at the surgery. His experiments have ruined their lives too many times before and they’re getting too old to have to keep moving. The two of them are close and begrudgingly fond of each other, but there’s a lifetime of unspoken feelings between them.

The two of them get mistaken for a couple and this eats at Dan, who resents Herbert for making him impossible to have a normal life. It culminates in a massive argument, where Herbert says that Dan ruined his own life by never choosing to walk away and pursue the things he says he wants. He questions how badly Dan actually wanted the whole white picket fence charade and Dan likens Herbert to a black hole, drawing him back in even when he doesn’t want to. The fight fizzles out, with Herbert upset that Dan feels trapped by him even after all this time and Dan still frustrated but also reckoning with his admission that Herbert was more important to him than his previous female love interests and “normal life”.

Herbert returns to his studies in earnest, this time exploring the effects of the serum on cellular reproduction. He wants a new companion if Dan isn’t happy to fulfill that role anymore and what better than a clone of himself? He manages to get the egg yolk from the beginning of the Substance to replicate and, in true Herbert West fashion, turns the needle on himself to see what would happen. Dan bursts in as the new Herbert is being birthed from his back. While initially smugly triumphant, retrieving his glasses from the older body, the new Herbert collapses almost immediately. Panicking as blood pools from his nose, the younger Herbert apologises profusely for his recklessness as Dan realises he needs to be stabilised with spinal fluid from the host body. Cue the homoerotic needle scene and we then cut to a terse Dan, arms crossed, staring down the younger Herbert as he enthusiastically digs into a bowl of cereal in a fluffy bathrobe. Herbert sardonically refers to Dan as “my hero” and Dan has to contend with the unexpected delight that comes from seeing Herbert as he was when they first met.

Through intensive testing by Dan, the two figure out that the clone is near-identical to the original Herbert and is unstable by itself, leading to them developing the procedure laid out in the Substance. There is more than one comment from the clone about Dan’s “impeccable bedside manner” as Dan obsessively monitors both Herberts’ well-being.

After about a week, we cut to a scene where Dan and the younger Herbert are out at a bar celebrating the successful experiment, where Dan is both excited by Herbert’s boasts that he’s achieved immortality and sad that he’s never going to see the Herbert that he spent years with again. The clone once again collapses and Dan has to rush him home, leading him to hook him up to the unconscious Herbert out of desperation. The older Herbert wakes up and is thrilled to find out that his experiment was a success. One of his hands is left visibly aged from not being switched in time and while Dan is shaken by this, Herbert marvels the change as a valuable warning.

The clone gets dubbed ‘Junior’ and, because Herbert in any iteration can’t be trusted to be normal, the two treat each other like father and son. There’s a lot of terrible dad jokes from Herbert. Dan often refers to Junior as "the boy".

The three fall into a routine after several months, with Herbert and Junior using Dan as an intermediary to pass along letters to each other. Dan becomes more possessive and protective of Herbert, a change that Herbert is surprised but receptive to. (Dan’s saviour complex for once is not at odds with Herbert’s god complex).

There’s a scene where Dan is examining Herbert’s back scar…

Dan: “You’re healing up better than I hoped.”

Herbert: “Well, I had an excellent surgeon.”

Meanwhile, Dan’s relationship with Junior is more tumultuous - he’s very familiar with what Herbert was capable of in his prime and he doesn’t trust Junior not to draw unwanted attention. He ends up implanting a tracking device in Junior while he’s unconscious for emergencies. Junior himself is more probing and direct in asking Dan why he’s decided to stay with Herbert for all these years, discontent in continuing to allow Dan to hide behind excuses like his older counterpart. Cognizant of the fact that Dan doesn’t fully trust him, Junior starts leaving the house for days at a time to attend to personal projects, leaving Dan to stew in his conflicting feelings.

Eventually, Dan decides to go looking for Junior using the tracking device and finds him making out with an older man at a gay bar. They briefly lock eyes before Dan leaves immediately. We see Junior slip a USB similar to the one Elisabeth receives into the man’s pocket as he continues to kiss him. The next day, the two have an awkward discussion.

Dan: “Last night… it’s fine, I just didn’t realise…”

Junior: “Let’s not kid ourselves, Daniel - denial is not attractive on either one of us.”

Dan: “… Is this… both of you or…?”

Junior: “Why don’t you ask him?”

At the next switch, Herbert wakes up to Dan at his bedside, holding his hand, unable to look him in the eye. Herbert asks him what’s wrong and Dan responds by asking whether Junior can truly be the same as Herbert, taking into account nature vs nurture. Herbert replies that while they’re the same entity, Junior has opportunities that he never could have dreamed of and that he’s thrilled that at least one version of him can appreciate that (his answer is vague and can be interpreted as the opportunity for scientific or sexual exploration - it’s definitely both). Dan considers the answer and finally asks Herbert to clone him so that Junior may have a companion.

Herbert gets an erection is thrilled and the two begin preparation. During this time, Herbert and Dan start to receive strange patients looking for plastic surgery to correct unexplainable deformities, who post-surgery are prone to severe infection and necropsy despite their best efforts.

The night of Dan’s activation, Herbert gently bids Dan sweet dreams before switching as Dan injects the activator. Junior watches enraptured, fully nude, as Dan splits open and the younger self slides out. Junior cradles the younger Dan in a blanket reminiscent of the scene from the first Re-Animator movie and picks up the needle to sew up Dan: “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll take care of it.”

The younger Dan (who I will be nicknaming Danny) watches with rapt attention as Junior finishes his sutures, slowly draws the fluid from Dan’s back, and grips Danny’s thigh as he stabilises him: “You’re being such a good boy for me - look at you, you’re perfect.”

Danny shudders in relief and ecstasy. He manages to sit up, meeting eyes with Junior, who is drinking him in eagerly, still crouched. He looks to his older self’s face. Junior joins him, sweeping the hair from Dan’s face.

Danny: “Are we really that old?”

Junior: “With all we’ve accomplished… of course we are. It’s a minor miracle in itself.”

The two tend to their older selves before adjourning to their clinic, Junior leading Danny by the hand to begin their inspection of him. It’s slow, methodical, and Junior can barely keep his hands off Danny. (Whether this leads to outright sex, I'm in two minds about since medical and sexual intimacy are pretty much the same thing for Herbert. If it does, Herbert bottoms.)

We cut to later in the night. The two are outside of the house. Danny asks what they’re doing and Junior tells he’s got a secret he needs to show him. They arrive at a rundown warehouse. Inside we find a laboratory, video cameras, a setup for packaging medical equipment - Junior reveals that he’s been conducting his own experiments on how the cloning process functions, eliciting willing participants by repackaging it as a anti-ageing remedy for LA’s wilting celebrities and socialites. Danny finds himself pitying the subjects unable to use the Substance correctly, to which Junior objects.

Junior: “I’ve given them every tool to succeed - I can’t be blamed for their weakness. They may no longer be bound to the judgements of an unimaginative god, but if they succumb to their vanity, their greed… good riddance.”

The two spend an idyllic week together, enjoying LA for the first time since they arrived in the city and working on the research gathered on the Substance. They’re more casually intimate with each other, what was once fondness is now clear adoration. (Junior often uses pet names, Danny is big on touch).

There’s a scene where it’s late at night and they’re in the rain, Danny holding the umbrella as Junior is scraping up samples from a subject who disintegrated. He finds the heart and presents it to Dan, who smiles out of nostalgia.

Junior: “This one barely made it two months before it attempted to re-administer the activator. This really is the city of unfettered self-destruction.”

Danny: “To what end are we doing this? We already understand the limitations of this process.”

Junior: “I need data. I want every day I can get, Dan, and I need to make sure both of us can be there to enjoy it.”

In the background, we can see something is stalking the two of them, following them as they leave.

We cut to a seedy motel room, shutters drawn, lights dim, a chair wedged under the doorknob of the bathroom. A frazzled young woman with dried blood under her nose is trying to fight off a panic attack as she sits on the bed:

“I’ve taken too much of her time already - she’ll never forgive me. She’ll want to retaliate, I just know it. It’s not fair, I’m not the one who fucked up her life.”

Opposite, a man in a trench coat sits unnaturally straight, listening attentively.

“You poor thing. Of course it’s not fair - what an awful situation she’s put you in, so selfish. Getting angry at you for wanting to enjoy yourself…”

She listens distractedly, eyes focused on the bathroom door. Her attention returns to him as he starts making promises: that he can fix her other self, that she doesn’t need to worry, that he’s acquainted with cases like this and his talents as a surgeon can remedy the situation. She eventually leads him to the bathroom where an emaciated, oozing body is lying in the bathtub.

Dr Hill: “What a predicament. Let me speak to my patient.”

We cut to Junior noting later in the week that more subjects than usual are failing to properly switch or pick up their supplies. Danny slips one of Junior’s USBs into the pocket of a trophy wife Karen after watching her blow up in a coffee shop, which Junior takes as finally receiving implicit support from Danny on the venture.

However, before the switch, Danny uses a Sharpie to write instructions on Dan’s palm, warning him about Junior’s enterprise with the Substance. Dan wakes up and sees the note, showing it to Herbert.

Dan: “Your boy is a troublemaker.”

Herbert: “And yours is a tattle-tale.”

The pair are able to piece together what’s happening based off the data from the tracking device and the contents of Junior’s lab. Amongst the data and samples, Dan finds out a photo booth snapshot tacked to a wall, confirming Junior and Danny as lovers. Herbert finds him staring at it.

Dan: “… Do you think we’re still the same?”

Herbert: “I’d like to think so. Are we really that different? … I still have my boyish good looks.”

The pair’s moment is interrupted as they hear banging against the doors of the warehouse. As the doors begin to buckle, Dan and Herbert fall back on old instincts and start gathering as much of the research as they can. A dozen deformed humanoids stumble into the room, each clearly aged victims of the Substance having undergone drastic, futile plastic surgery in an attempt to regain their old appearances. The two flee back to their apartment and are attempting to barricade themselves into the room where the clones are unconscious as Dr Hill enters with his army. Hill reveals that he is still merely a head, held aloft on a borrowed body.

Herbert: "Doesn't it embarrass you, Dr Hill, that you survive off my crumbs? I'd say you're hardly better than a rat but a rat knows to keep to the sewer."

Dr Hill: "Rich coming from you, West - are you enjoying the prestige of being a sleazy Hollywood quack?"

Hill has his goons restrain Herbert and coerces Dan into grafting his head in place of Junior's under the threat of killing Herbert. Dan convinces Hill that Herbert will need to be connected to Junior to allow the body to survive such a drastic procedure, and manages to awaken both at once, allowing Junior to drive a syringe of activator into Hill's eye.

The three of them attempt to fight off the horde but Dan is quickly injured, leading him to desperately switch in Danny. Meanwhile, Dr Hill's skull splits with an almighty scream as the flesh underneath begins to bubble and swell, slowly filling the room with this enormous, pulsing brain covered in an angry chorus of Hill faces. Some of the horde flees, some are trapped underneath Hill's mass. Junior, Herbert, and Danny attempt to flee with the unconscious Dan but the Hill entity uses its hypnosis to force one of the remaining goons to grab Dan and push him into one of Hill's giant mouths. Herbert goes back after him and Danny has to stop Junior from following as Hill continues to grow.

We see from the street as Hill pops, exploding in a tsunami of blood. Later, cops pick apart the crime scene, counting Herbert and Dan among the dead. We then cut to a long pan through Herbert and Dan's ransacked apartment, as everything of value has been taken. We see into Herbert's private study, which has been similarly ransacked. We get the indication that much like Junior, Herbert has been working on his own project in secret, which appears to be a method of generating stabiliser without the original host.

We then cut to the car park out back of the apartment where Junior and Danny are desperately packing the last items into their car. Both are looking a little sickly and are hooked into some glowing IVs but are otherwise determined. It's not a perfect fix but it's better than nothing. Junior gently wipes away a trail of blood leaking from Danny's nose and the two peel away from the car park and onto the open road.

[marvelsfavoriteuncle]

Home videos / Marvel Fanfic 📹

Summary: What if there was a bit of context? A small added perspective on the home video Tony watch of his father?

Timeline setting: Iron Man 2

Established uncle and nephew relationship: Tony Stark & Jason Underwood

Click theses two fanfics for more context on the stories referenced

-> Friends Over The Years

-> What If Jason Stay At Home Stark? (This fic started the AU Saga btw hehe 😉)

Note: This is the scene in Iron Man 2 where Tony looks at old footage and an deleted scene that was supposed to be in the movie 🎥

——

The last 48 hours have been a bust. From long hour drives to the whole wisecracking donut incident downtown in Miami.

After a small load speech from Fury and the tiny reverse side of how things were left, it was time to settle things down.

Jason knew Tony needed some home videos to have a breather, older footage in the storage closet in the basement and some given to by SHIELD themselves.

It was late. The two sat down comfortably on the couch downtown as the projector played a couple of old moments from their past. From black and white to living grainy color.

It flipped across footage that showed Jason dancing with Peggy at a Christmas party to Tony’s first birthday where he smashed cake into his face. Even footage of Jarvis and Maria in the living room painting a wall.

Plenty of things to choose from as the two smiled softly at the small fragments of the past as the tapes just kept on rolling.

There was one snippet of footage that caught the blondes eye as he raised an eyebrow at the date. Not exactly remembering it being filmed as the tape began to play.

It wasn’t until he noticed the background Howard was set in, as he looked away realizing the office turned lab had furniture removed from the screen. It was a huge mess before with paperwork, toolboxes and items scattered around the flooring.

Tony seemed to noticed his facial expression changed and nodded, “What happened? You’re usually pointing out certain things..”

He paused the footage and glanced over at his nephew, “Don’t need to. Just, uh, before video was filmed, it seemed like it was two days after I left..”

“Hm? Sorry, context for the child here.”

He scoffed at that comment and added, “For more than a few days, me and your father didn’t even bother to speak to one another. We had a fight, it was harshly ended by pure shock and anger..you’re father said a few things and so did I involving the context of our current state.. and uh, things happened.”

“Oh, t-that doesn’t sound like you and dad.” Tony scoffed as it sounded like a light joke, “You were buddies.”

“Well we fought long and hard that night.”

“Where was i during all of this?”

“In your room playing with your infamous racetrack.”

“I loved that racetrack, one of the best gifts I ever gotten. Uh, was this the same week you left to go on a trip for work?”

“Yeah, I sorta half lied to you about the trip being just for work since you were only 7 and didn’t know any better. But me and your father needed a small break from each other.”

Tony snorted, “Oh god.”

“What?” Jason reply with a raised eyebrow.

“You sound like you and dad were dating or something with that statement. It’s weird. What was the fight about?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Well, our friends and family but you were mentioned a couple of times. Your father turned into a huge workaholic and a jerk, which pissed me off. And well, I pissed him off because I was trying to reason with him to cut the crap and focus on the bigger things in life.”

“Me huh?”

“Tony.”

“What? I’m surprised I was mentioned in the conversation. But I get it! Dad was more a work now, play later—or in his case, never kinda guy. I uh..I’ll just let the footage speak for itself.”

————

Tony pressed play as the projector kept the video rolling, he half glanced over at the footage since he was fumbling with an old notebook. Jason was laying down, turned sideways toward the screen listening to Howard talk.

He was introducing himself and Stark Industries as the camera tried to follow him. Howard was leaning against the table, looking over his shoulder and did a double take towards his young son, “Eh-Tony? What are you doing back there?”

It caused both young and older versions of him to face the man who said his name. Howard was telling Tony to put the item he had in his hand back where he got it from. All Jason could remember of a tiny Tony one afternoon telling him that dad seemed angry at him again as he hushed the boys worries. He shook his head at the thought, glancing at his nephew.

He watched the footage as Howard ushered his son off the screen and turning back to the camera man telling him a few things.

Tony looked at his uncle, “You sure you two had a fight? He doesn’t seem that annoyed.”

“It was two days ago after that fight he must’ve filmed this, so he could’ve just masked his anger and annoyance.” Jason tried to explain the best he could.

The footage skipped to a few other scenes of Howard having a small drink from talking nonsense to going off script. He wasn’t as focused, fumbling around with the trinkets on the table and blabbing onto the cameraman.

It was clearly being shown. The man was a bit of a mess.

Tony watched, noticing his father’s moments were similar to his own. He tends to blabber and ramble a lot, especially have his fingers fidget with something. Hell he was holding a old flip phone in his hand. He returned his eyes back to the old notebook with plenty of blank pages.

Jason took one the notebook’s from his lap, handing him the glass of ice cold soda, since he made a deal to cut down on daily drinks for the week. Sober him up a bit. He gave him a half smile in which he returned, glancing up at the footage.

Moments like this, it reminded him of Tony’s younger years where they watched old footage with his aunts and uncles on the couch. Just by the footage alone of Howard, there were flickers in his mind of the little boy who called him that same week he left asking when will he come back home.

Along with the thoughts of him in that very lab that Howard was standing in, where the fight broke out organically into a week long standing debate.

He knew it effected him not coming home after walking out of the house that week, because Howard didn’t expect for Jason to take that step. But he did.

Seeing Howard like this on the footage just spoke volumes itself.

He would never admit it but he was a fumbling mess, more than usual. Cracking lame jokes, pacing around the lab, muttering a couple of things and the way he glanced over at the door as if someone will magically appear.

As if Jason, Maria and or Elizabeth would magically appear to fix his issue and reset the clock for the time he wasted on footage. But neither one of them came, especially after it was clearly said by Howard to his friend to ‘Get out!’ before the blonde left.

It was as if Howard got reminded of those flashbacks from their fight and flipped the scripture of the video. As if he admitted to his mistakes and let the words Jason told him start to set into motion.

He said, “Tony. You’re too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you…I built this for you.”

All of that got Tony’s full attention, leaning into the edge of his seat, glancing between his uncle and father. It was as if the words hit home where Tony didn’t know they had to be.

Howard continued leaning against the table, “..and someday you’ll realize that it represents something a lot more than just people’s inventions. It represents my life’s work. This is the key to the future…I did not understand it at the time of building this but it is..”

The footage cut up a few small scale models of Stark Industries and The Expo as his voiceover was clear as day. He said he was limited by the technology of his time, which was very true, but knowing one day Tony will figure it out.

Because Tony shares a fraction of his father’s mind and his mother’s heart, in result he knows he will change the world. Tony was silent hearing this, glancing over at his uncle once again who softly smiled watching the tape as if it the message was very much becoming clear to Tony.

The fight he mentioned earlier that heavily mentioned him. Because a part of them knew his path would lead him somewhere they couldn’t imagine but fought onto wanting to share the knowledge with him.

Howard wasn’t sure if he was ready yet to know it all but Jason somehow was just making sure he got to spend time with him.

Howard spoke again facing the camera in all seriousness and smiles longingly, as a place of love came the next few words. He said, “What is and always will be, my greatest creation..is you.”

Jason softly nodded, blinking because his last breath to Howard before he walked out of the house was that Tony is his greatest creation.

His connections to his family and friends are the greatest creations he ever built, his legacy people will be talking about in his future.

“..he never told me about this..” The blonde muttered with a soft grin and nodded, “Not even after we made up..”

Tony looked at him with a gentle smile, “Really?”

“No. It never came up. That stinking idiot..but I’m actually kinda glad I never found out til now.”

“I didn’t know about this footage, period. I always thought dad was disappointed in me and just wanted me to stay away from his work..”

This time he met Tony’s eyes and chuckled, “Well to be fair, you were young and we were all kinda scared you would get hurt in the lab. Especially your aunt. But he wasn’t ever disappointed in you or wanted you to stay strictly away from it.”

“Yeah..?” Tony replies come out as a mere soft mutter.

“Yeah, he knew one day you’ll figure it out, understand why he did it to keep you as safe as possible. Let’s be real here, this lab always tends to be a bit of a fire hazard.”

“Tell me about. It’s why I have Dummy carry around a fire extinguisher.”

Both men chuckled and even snorted loudly at that comment.

Jason chuckled and sighed, “Exactly, there was always a part of him that wanted to share this work with you since before you were born but knew he had to wait or Lizzie would kill him.”

“Oh I know!” Tony replied with a smiled, “Mom and aunt Peg would’ve been furious too, if I was down there unsupervised or worse. I get it now cause I’m a adult but still. It bothered me.”

“And you have every right to feel that way.”

“Sometimes it felt like dad and I weren’t always on the same page either. He was a pain in the ass at time and sometimes I don’t know..”

“Yeah, we both know Howard wasn’t the best at showering people with grand affection but he did it his own way weather he showed it or not..”

“Dad never specified in saying ‘I love you’, he always just crack a joke about something or ruffle my hair and give me a nice squeeze..”

“He has always been like that with everyone.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah! He had his ways of tell something he cared for them. Like letting Jarvis and his wife stay at one of his houses, getting Peggy a new dress or your mother her favorite pair of pearl earrings.”

Tony smiled hearing that and nodded, “Or buying me a new toy! Now that sounds like something he would do. Hell I think I would do that for Pepper and my kids.”

“You see? He did care in his own way.” Jason added, “But he did love you, bubba. And he knew you would do something bigger with your life.”

The two kept talking, not realizing the footage kept running.

Tony grinned mid chat and glanced at the screen, noticing his father carrying his kid self in his arms affectionally rocking him back and forth a little, as he spoke to the camera. Patting his back as his small face was turned away from the camera in his pjs.

It seemed like he couldn’t fall asleep and went rushing to his father for comfort. His dad seemed more comfortable, having removed his suit jacket from earlier and stayed in a white button down and a loose tie.

He turned up the volume a bit to watch him in mid speech, leaning forward with a small smile.

“You’re the future.” Howard said, pointing to the camera then returned his hand onto to the son’s back rubbing small circles, “..you know i created so much in my lifetime. But you know what I’m most proud of? You. My son.”

Tony stayed silent looking down with a soft smile, glancing back at Jason who nodded watching the footage. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it once again.

Howard continued with a small grin, resting his head against Tony’s in a comforting way and said, “I know it said it already but you are my greatest inspiration and my greatest creation...don’t let your uncle hear this or he will know I sorta screwed up and that he was right..we both were about this. I just didn’t let it register in my brain yet that instead of just showing you everything, I gotta let you explore it as well. Come down to the lab more often than not and see what you can do..”

You can still tell that Howard was trying his best to format his wording where it makes sense and doesn’t sound like he’s rambling too much. Like he was figuring out the best way to say everything on his mind and the effort was clearly there.

Jason held back a chuckle at hearing that last part about himself and nodded, rolling his eyes as he glanced at Tony. His nephew smiled and shook his head hearing his father taking in everything he meant and more.

The man fell silent in a moment as if wanting the words to sink in. Howard nodded with a half smile and added, “I love you.” He glanced over at his son falling back asleep on his shoulder nodding, “Let’s get you back to bed.”

With that Howard walked off screen and the camera cut to black.

Tony blinked watching the vision of screen and the words that came out of his father’s own mouth. He wondered for a second if heard him correctly. Maybe he was wrong? His dad really did love people and his uncle was right that he has his own ways of showing it?

He was silent. He sinked back into his chair and took another sip of his drink, letting the whole footage register in his own head.

Have everything wrap around his own head all at once. It still didn’t all stay trapped in his head the words he just heard.

Then a small smile appeared on his lips as he murmured softly, “W-wow.”

Jason seemed to share the same sentiment as he scoffed, “Yeah. So, how are we feeling?”

“Sorta satisfied, if that makes sense?”

“That’s the way i would put it.”

“I didn’t know about this. A-are you sure you didn’t have knowledge about this video?”

“Nope. Just as surprised as you are.”

Jason just chuckled at that comment as Tony snickered. It was understandable how he didn’t know about the old footage and if he had to be honest, neither did he.

Maybe there was a reason why they both found the footage this time around?

Maybe it wasn’t random but yet fate cause there was a chance of something happening in their future?

Maybe there is something left behind in the past that was coming their way?

The two just had to wait and see.

——-

Ah that is all folks! Pls tell me know what you think 💭

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @gcthvile @cherrysft @missstrawbs2001 @mandylove1000 @eliohasmyheart @terry-perry @sherloquestea @superspookyjanelle @starkleila @buckysteveloki-me @parisparker269 @yetanotherwells @rickb-chaos @savemewattpad @lazywolfwiccan @daughter-of-melpomene @fototingobug @ocappreciation @ximehs @blueboirick

Other accounts — @ask-starrk @purpleprincessonfyre @wizzzardofoz z @thechoooooosenone @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh h @marvelsfavoriteuncle @elzabeth-stark @sci-fi-lexcon @meiramel @trulysummersprivate @savemewattpad and etc

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Sunflower, Book 1 Chapter 24

Tom Hiddleston x OFC Series rated: M Chapter warnings: Flashback smut AN: Opps, I seem to have spilled a splash of my daddy issues. Let me mop that right up. Wouldn't do to be splashing that around Sally, now would it? One last fluff before I hurt you.

Masterlist AO3 KoFi ~~~~~<3

Sally sat in the back seat of the car watching the world go by while her mother watched Tom drive. The adults were strange, she knew that much. But her mom had always been a strange one. That’s what made her so much fun!

Mia had always told the little girl that she simply had to be strange in order to be the best mother possible for her. 

The new man in their life was strange too. But they were a good strange together. She liked it when Tom was visiting and hoped he would visit more often. She hoped one day he would do more than just visit. It felt like she had a whole family when he was there. 

It felt like she had a Daddy when Tom was there, just like all the other kids. 

“Momma?” Sally asked, lingering on the thought. “Is Daddy coming today?” 

Mia stiffened in the front seat of the car. That was something she needed to talk to Tom about still. “I texted him where to meet us for cake and presents.” 

“He’s going to come?” Sally asked hopefully.

“He said he would.” Mia added after a thought, “But you know how busy he is. He could get caught up in work or traffic.”

It killed her inside every time she had to tamper down her daughter’s expectations but it was better to cause a little disappointment now than have total heartbreak later. 

Ray had said he would come but that meant very little to Mia. Ray had said he would be there for Thanksgiving and Christmas the year before too but that didn’t make him show up. 

Tom knew Ray was invited but he didn’t know he was potentially meeting his wife’s ex-boyfriend today. It was a bit selfish but he had assumed she hadn’t heard a response back. It wouldn’t have surprised him, he had been married to Mia for a few weeks as of today and as far as he knew, Sally hadn’t had any contact with her father in those weeks.

“Tommy?” 

“Yes, Petel?” Tom answered absently, focusing on the road and following the directions his phone was giving him.

“What do you do for work?”

“I’m an actor.” Tom answered simply, turning down a dirt road. They were almost there now.

“What’s that?” Mia smiled at Sally’s question.

“It means I get paid to play pretend so other people can watch it.”

“In movies?” Sally leaned forward in her seat. “For real?” 

“Yep, in movies. And TV shows, for real.” Tom enjoyed her simple amazement.

“A lot of them?” Sally asked. 

“I did four movies this year.” Getting to brag about his career to a newly five year old shouldn’t have made him this proud but it did. Oh boy, it made him as proud as it did to tell his own mother. Glancing over to Mia, he took in the look of surprise on her face. “I didn’t get a Marvel contract totally out of nowhere.”

“Like, in the movie theaters?” Sally asked.

Tom chuckled at the question. “Only one here so far. It’s in theaters right now ”

“Can I watch it?” Sally asked.

“It’s not really for little kids but maybe I’ll show you some clips from it tonight if your mom thinks it’s okay. It’s a superhero movie and I play the bad guy.”

“But you’re not a bad guy!” Sally was enthralled with the idea. “You don’t look like a bad guy!” 

Tom laughed, commenting on the magic of movies.

“What about me?” Mia asked. “Can I watch it?” 

“If you want?” Tom was surprised. 

Mia had stayed away from the topic of his work for a lot of their conversations. He never considered that she was putting on a show of disinterest. He had assumed she simply didn’t care to know more.

“Will you take mommy to the movies on a date?” Sally piped up from the back, dissolving into a fit of giggles over the idea. 

“Sure will.” Tom winked at Mia as she blushed. Finding her hand with his, he pulled it to his lips while focusing mostly on the road and placed a slight kiss on the knuckles. Sally ‘awed’ from the back and giggled some more as she watched her favorite fairytale play out. 

Mia wasn’t sure she could survive a day out and about if Sally was going to encourage Tom’s antics. The day was already in danger of feeling far too much like a day out with her boyfriend than some guy she’s only known for weeks.

Was that such a bad thing though? After a few weeks, wasn’t it okay for her to consider their level that of a early boyfriend level? What if it was okay?

~~~~~<3

They pulled up to a ranch and parked. Horses grazed on hay bales scattered around the desert grass pastures. 

“Tell me you didn’t buy her a pony.” Mia demanded threw clenched teeth and a forced smile.

“I didn’t buy her a pony.” Tom whispered in her ear as he wrapped an arm around her waist. This wasn’t on the list of possible activities he had run by Mia. “I bought a family pony ride and lessons. Is that better?”

Mia relaxed and let a smile slip, “Much.” 

Sally was eager to meet the horses and soaked up every instruction given with rapt attention. They were each given their own instructor and each worked on very different things, matching their abilities and age. 

Tom mostly acted as a tool for the instructors to demonstrate positioning and movements with. Mia could see his head grow three sizes under their praise and fawning even at a distance.

He had a foundation of riding though of a whole different style. Mounting on the bulky western saddle was awkward for Tom who was used to the sleeker English saddle. It was disorientating to be in a western saddle with so much between him and the horse. He had quickly become a proficient rider while working on War Horse but everything felt different with the different saddle, making him feel somewhat like he was bumbling along. 

When he accidentally kicked the horse into a trot trying to get a little more get up and go out of him, he found himself getting uncomfortably close with the horn on the front of the saddle.

That’s fine, he told himself as the pain caused him to lean forward, bracing on the horn and groaning in pain, trying not to double over. He wasn’t using that for a good while longer still it seemed anyway anyway. 

Sally’s giggles carried far as she was walked around the large arena, unaware of the pain Tom was in. The instructor was leading her mule through a lumbering slow walk as she instructed Sally on different ways to hold her arms and practice her balance. 

Between him and Sally was Mia. She was a sight on the mule she had been assigned. Sure, he had booked horseback lessons but they had said the mules were better for first timers. Looking down at his own mount’s short horse ears, he was feeling a bit left out of the long eared club. 

They were a cross between horse and donkey, the instructors had lectured. Tom soaked up the information as they were tacking up. It fascinated him that crossing the two resulted in such a functional animal, superior in some ways. They had learned that mules were far more hardy than horses, able to carry more for longer and less prone to losing weight. They ate fine on the desert grasses of Nevada and even tended to live longer. 

Mia was instantly in love with her assigned mule. Tom was pretty sure she’d have fallen for any mount assigned but kept that to himself as he took pictures of her rubbing ears and kissing snoots with the sun lighting up the warm gold in her brown waves. She shone like a beautiful sunflower in the desert. It was a picture he never wanted to forget. 

As she rode, the soft breeze played in the waves that spilled out under her helmet. Tom was struck again by how beautiful she was. It was something that floored him time and time again.

“I wish someone would look at me that way.” The instructor’s voice brought him back to reality. He hadn’t realized he had gotten lost in the view and came to a total stop. “How long have you two been married?” 

“Few weeks.” Tom answered. 

“Newlyweds.” The instructor smiled as she set out a course of cones. “I hope someday someone looks at me with that much love. She’s lucky.” 

“I’m the lucky one.”

~~~~~<3

Mia hated to admit that Tom had made a good call. Sally had loved the lesson and even more offensive to her, she had enjoyed it too. Sally was already asking for more lessons and Tom, having learned his lesson well, was noncommittal, leaving it in Mia’s hands to give a final ruling on, though he was sure he could swing it. 

He would have loved nothing more than to book a lesson package for the both of them but with Mia’s ever changing schedule, it wasn���t something he could take the lead on even if he wanted to brave Mia’s wrath. Mia put the idea down, at least for now. She feared having Sally get invested in a hobby and then not being able to continue it.

~~~~~<3

Tom was quick to change into his swim trunks when they returned to the apartment. He washed the horse dirt off his hands, arms, face, and neck then called it good. 

“I’m going to go set up.” He yelled through the apartment, waiting for acknowledgement before closing the door behind him. 

Sally was taking a quick shower while Mia gathered what few pool toys they had. Tom had already taken down the inflatable toys and the pump for inflating them. 

Mia stood in front of the large mirrors and tried to admire herself in her bikini. She wondered if anyone other than models felt good in a bikini. Maybe not even them. Over the years, she had tried to take pride in what her body looked like. The stretch marks that shimmered just above her hips told a story of creation. 

Mia was thankful at least for the under wire in the bikini cups. She couldn’t will her stomach into being perfectly flat or firm but she could prop her breasts up the same way a good bra did.

As Sally called to have the water shut off in the shower, Mia threw on a silk dressing robe. She hardly wore it but it felt good against her skin. She couldn’t wear it in the pool but at least she’d have it to hide in until she got into the water. 

“Is dad here yet?” Sally asked as she wiggled into her swimming suit. 

“Not yet.” Mia didn’t want to tell her that her father hadn’t answered a single text message all day. 

~~~~~<3

Tom arranged balloons and presents on the table. Nothing grand, most purchased either by Mia or with her approval. Tom was able to negotiate his way into buying her a bicycle but that had taken some work on his part. That was no pony but it did have a soft unicorn horn on the little basket hanging from the handle bars and rainbow light up training wheels. 

Mia had told him that Sally didn’t yet know how to ride a bike. In a selfish corner of his heart, he hoped he would be the one that got to teach her. He knew it was something typically considered a father’s task. 

Her father. It was easy for him to forget that Sally did have a father. 

Tom stood up from the table where he arranged the pizzas that had just been delivered as he pondered the man he had hardly given a thought to in the last few weeks. 

Mia had told him that she had inviting Sally’s father so it wasn’t like he was being blindsided. She couldn’t say how much, if anything, he knew about Tom’s presence in their lives though. Mia hadn’t said anything about Tom but the press had pictures of Mia and him together. 

They didn’t know how he would react finding another man in Sally’s life, planning birthday parties and buying bikes. Tom selfishly took pride in the fact that, at least in his eyes, he was filling a role Sally’s father had left vacant already, even if in such small ways. 

He wanted to fill that role in much bigger ways too. 

Tom wanted very much to drop everything and call his mother for advice. She would know how to navigate this situation, he felt it in his bones. His brain though, ever so much more logical knew that the odds of his mother being able to help him navigate the relationship between his wife’s ex-boyfriend, himself and his step daughter in America were minimal at best. 

~~~~~<3~~~~~<3~~~~~<3~~~~~<3~~~~~<3

The sounds of her moans as he moved within her were sweeter than any wine he had ever drank. She was surrounded by him and him, by her. The scent of her shampoo was thick as he rested his head against her shoulder for a moment. 

He was panting as he focused on staying up right. This wouldn’t be his best performance, he knew that. Later, he would make it up to her. Now he was chasing his need and just hoping he hit the right spots. By the sounds she made, he wasn’t doing a half bad job of it at least. 

He peppered her shoulder with wet kisses as he reached down to hook her leg with his arm, pulling it higher and changing the angle of her pelvis.

“Oh, fuck.” He moaned as a deeper moan poured from her throat. Whatever he did, it was good for them both. 

~~~~~<3 Tag List: @winterisakiller @alexakeyloveloki @jennyggggrrr @dangertoozmanykids101 @tilltheendwilliwrite @tinchentitri @wizardcherryblossom @kats72 @buttercupcookies-blog @violethaze @soulpiercing @evedia @princess-ofthe-pages

[s10127470]

Fant4stic: A Fantastic Failure (Part 1)

As I’m sure many of you are aware, this past Valentines Day, Marvel Studios released a poster promoting their upcoming Fantastic Four film, releasing about a year from now in July of 2025.

This has gotten people cautiously interested..... keyword: cautiously.

It's no surprise that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a major decline since Avengers: Endgame.

Largely due to ridiculous quantity of projects they've been pumping out a year.

Plus that fact that a lot of these projects quality-wise have been either mid or just straight up dog-shit.

This has led to the ongoing trend known as Marvel Fatigue.

Not helping any of this is some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that was revealed over the last few years.

From having their projects being helm by people who have little to no knowledge or care for the characters and the source material they're working it.

And we all know how well that turns out....

To more infamously, overworking and underpaying their VFX artists.

And given some of the shit they've had to animate, they NEED to start getting better pay....

Yes.....what you just saw was a real scene from a Marvel movie.

And just to add salt to the wound, in addition to the declining interest, is that these recent Marvel films have not been performing well financially.

Hell, The Marvels (their latest film) ended up being a box office bomb, only grossing $206 million worldwide against production budget of $274.8 million. Not only that, but it now holds the record for being the lowest grossing film in the franchise's history.

So yeah.....

Although the casting is pretty decent, the inclusion of H.E.R.B.I.E. was quite the surprise, and the 60s aesthetic/vibes are pretty cool, people still have their reservations for this film given the MCU's track record lately.

However, one thing everyone does seem to agree on is that this film can't be any worse than their last cinematic outing.....

The Fantastic Four have had, funnily enough, have had four feature-length adaptations.

The very first film adaptation of Marvel's First Family was the legendary 1994 film from Roger Corman.

Although it was completed and ready to release, it famously never got released (which I'll touch a little more on later).

However, copies of the film have been circulating since May 31st, 1994.

Over a decade later, the Fantastic Four would get their technically second but first true feature-length film in the form of the 2005 film, directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox on July 8th, 2005.

This film would also get a sequel just two years later with Rise of the Silver Surfer, directed again by Story and released by Fox on June 15th, 2007.

And finally, after almost a decade away from the big screen, the FF would return with their fourth and until the MCU film releases, latest film, the 2015 film, or more commonly known as Fant4stic, as that's how it was abbreviated...

A Fantastic Nightmare:

In August 2009, Fox would announce that they would be rebooting the Fantastic Four film franchise.

The reason why is because although Rise of the Silver Surfer did fairly well, grossing $301 million worldwide against a $120-130 million budget, the total gross was notably lesser than the first movie, which grossed $333.5 million worldwide.

And although there were plans for a third movie and a spin-off film focusing on The Silver Surfer, Fox feared those films could possibly be money sinks and opted to reboot the film franchise as a whole.

For the next three years, not a whole lot of progress was done with the planned reboot, apart from the hiring of producers and writers and the consideration of actors.

But the production of the film really started rolling in July 2012 when Fox hired Josh Trank, who was fresh off his directorial debut, Chronicle, to direct film.

And accompanying him was Jeremy Slater, who was hired to the screenwriter for the film, alongside X-Men: First Class writers Zack Stentz and Ashley Edward Miller.

And this where everything went to shit....

If any of you even know about Fant4stic, you'd probably know that it has one of the most turbulent production histories in the last decade of filmmaking.

Before we start actually looking into the production itself, first we need to look at the reason why it was even made in the first place.

And this point brings me back to the 1994 film.

Both that and this film were created for the exact same reason: copyright hoarding.

In 1983, the other producer of the 1994 film, Bernd Eichinger met with Fantastic Four co-creator and the Marvel legend himself, Stan Lee, in Los Angeles to explore obtaining an option for a movie based on Marvel's First Family. The option was not available until three years later, when Eichinger's production company Constantin Film obtained it for a price the producer called "not enormous" and which has been estimated to be $250,000.

Eichinger's initial plan was to have the movie be a full-on blockbuster directed by Chris Columbus, complete with a cast full of big name celebrities.

But despite some interest from Warner Bros. Pictures and Columbia Pictures, budget concerns precluded any production, and with the option scheduled to expire on December 31, 1992, Constantin asked Marvel for an extension. With none forthcoming, Eichinger planned to retain his option by producing a low-budget Fantastic Four film. In September 1992, he teamed with B-movie specialist Roger Corman, who agreed to produce the film on a $1 million budget, to be released by his distribution company New Horizons Pictures.

But we all know how that ended....

Essentially, the entire of that movie ended up in a one big legal loop-hole that only benefitted Eichinger, leaving dozen of people's lives played with and their hopes and dreams crushed.

And in the case of Fant4stic, it's essentially a tragic case of history repeating itself.

Fox only produced Fant4stic not because they were genuinely interested in doing another film based on The First Family, they only did it to use it as an excuse to latch onto the film rights.

As when the 2010s rolled out, Fox's time with the Fantastic Four were about to come to an end as eventually, their film rights would've been reverted back to Marvel, and to that extension, The Walt Disney Company.

But if they had made another Fantastic Four project pretty soon, they would be able to extend their time with the film rights.

And from what I've heard, it seems like Fox wanted to get this film rolling as quick possible with the approaching deadline to the rights.

That's probably the reason why they hired Trank out of all people that could've directed this film.

Which for a film like this, you would think that Fox would go with a director that's a bit more experienced since remember: upon his hiring as director for the project, Trank was fresh off his very first directorial film.

Though you're probably wondering what I meant when I said everything went to shit upon Trank's hiring, well....

There have been plenty of cases where the productions of films have been absolute chores for one of two reasons.

The director or producers just being infamously difficult to work with, like David O'Russel or Michael Bay.

The studio constantly meddling in the production, like....basically every film studio to ever exist.

But Fant4stic is one of the rare cases where both the studio and the director made the production a living hell.

Starting off with Fox (as funnily enough, they did the least amount of damage to the production), they were guilty of....

Forcing constant rewrites

Giving Trank a much-lower budget than initially promised

Hiring a prominent special effect expert for the film, then firing him and not telling Trank about it

When production finally wrapped on the film, they were so unhappy with the finished product, that they ordered massive reshoots, including the film climax

Upon finishing the reshoots, they locked Trank out of the editing room and finishing the theatrical cut of film without him

As for Trank.....Hoo boy! Where do I even begin?

He was guilty for......

Constantly butting heads with the studio executives

Treating the cast and crew like absolute shit

Not showing up to the set on time

Usually showing up completely hammered

Frequently hiding himself from everyone on set

Constantly getting into fights (verbal and even physical) with the cast and crew

Letting his dogs loose and causing $100,000 worth of damage on the set

Constantly fighting with the screenwriters about what the tone of the film should be like

And writing a now infamous tweet on Twitter just the day before the film's release, only to be instantly deleted the next day

And remember, this was the second film that Trank directed....

I've heard of Hollywood getting to people, but it usually takes a couple of years. But in the case of Trank, it practically happened overnight.

And funnily enough, a lot of this behind-the-scenes drama was revealed to the public even before the movie was released.

So expectations for this film were not particularly very high....

But now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about the actual movie itself.

The "Story":

Childhood friends Reed Richards and Ben Grimm have worked together on a prototype teleporter since youth, eventually attracting the attention of Professor Franklin Storm, director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies. Reed is recruited to join them and aid Storm's children, scientist Sue Storm and engineer Johnny Storm, into completing a "Quantum Gate" designed by Storm's protégé Victor Von Doom.

The experiment is successful, and the facility's supervisor, Dr. Allen, plans to send a group from NASA to venture into a parallel dimension known as "Planet Zero". Disappointed at being denied the chance to join the expedition, Reed, Johnny and Victor along with Ben use the Quantum Gate to embark on an unsanctioned voyage to Planet Zero, which they learn is a world filled with otherworldly substances. Victor attempts to touch the green lava-like substance, causing the ground they are standing on to erupt. Reed, Johnny and Ben return to their shuttle just as Sue brings them back to Earth and Victor is seemingly killed after he falls into the collapsing landscape. The Quantum Gate explodes, altering Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben on a genetic level and granting them superhuman abilities beyond their control: Reed can stretch like rubber, Sue can become invisible and generate force fields, Johnny can engulf his entire body in fire and fly, and Ben acquires a rock-like hide which gives him superhuman strength and durability. They are then placed in government custody to be studied and have their abilities tested. Blaming himself for the accident, Reed escapes from the facility and tries to find a cure for their changes.

One year later in 2015, Reed is now a fugitive and has built a suit that helps him control his ability. Hiding in Central America, he is eventually found by the United States military with Sue's help and captured by Ben, who has become a military asset along with Johnny and Sue. Johnny and Sue have been outfitted with specialized suits designed to help them control their abilities. Reed is brought to Area 57, where Dr. Allen conscripts him into rebuilding the Quantum Gate in exchange for giving Reed the resources to find a cure. Arriving in Planet Zero, Dr. Allen's explorers find Victor, who has been fused to his spacesuit and now possesses telekinetic abilities, and bring him back to Earth. Believing that Earth needs to be destroyed to protect his new home world from future invasions, Victor kills the scientists and soldiers in the base, including Dr. Allen and Professor Storm, and returns to Planet Zero using the Quantum Gate, with Ben, Johnny, Reed and Sue in pursuit.

Now dubbing himself "Doom", Victor activates a portal on Planet Zero using the Quantum Gate and begins consuming the landscape of the Earth using a structure he created from the rock formations in Planet Zero. He is confronted by the four and, after a short battle, Ben punches Doom into the portal's energy beam, disintegrating him while Johnny closes the portal. Returning to Earth, the group is rewarded by the US military for their heroics by being given a new base of operations known as "Central City" to study their abilities without government interference. They decide to use their powers to help people and adopt the mantle of the "Fantastic Four".

Yeah, I basically just copied and pasted the premise of this film from Wikipedia.

The reason why is because there really isn't a whole lot to talk about.

The plot is paper thin, and the execution doesn't do it any favors.

In terms of adaptation, this film doesn't really adapt any notable Fantastic Four storylines.

The closest thing to this is that it's a loose adaptation of the first volume/arc of Ultimate Fantastic Four.

You can see this with elements such as.....

The Four themselves being depicted as young adults

Reed and Ben being childhood best friends

Franklin Storm actually being a major character whereas in the 616 universe, he's largely irrelevant

The Baxter Building being turned into The Baxter Foundation

The reason for them getting their powers being a teleportation experiment gone wrong

And Doom being involved with the experiment as well and his famous armor being his actual skin instead

However, that's as far as it goes. They don't really bother to adapt the actual story of that arc, which has the team facing off against The Mole Man.

But one of the strangest story choices with this movie is in the case of Planet Zero.

Planet Zero is reportedly suppose to be Fant4stic's version of The Negative Zone.

Why they didn't just call it The Negative Zone, I have no clue.....

But as most of you know, The Negative Zone is famous for being the realm of one of the Fantastic Four's most prominent foes: Annihilus.

And with their version of The Negative Zone, you would think they would probably feature Annihilus in this movie.

But no! He doesn't appear at all nor is he even alluded to. In fact, Planet Zero is depicted as being a lifeless wasteland, with no living organisms in sight.

The Sucky Tone:

In contrast to the previous 3 FF films, this one is far more darker, serious and grounded.

This was because Trank wanted the tone of the movie to be, in his own words, "gritty, serious and as realistic as possible".

And it's safe to that Fox also encouraged this tone as well.

From the early 2000s into the mid-2010s, a good chunk of superhero films relied on taking superheroes and making them darker, gritty and more grounded than they were in their source material and other adaptations.

This can be largely attributed to the X-Men films, which were more serious and grounded than the comics and their other adaptations.

This was done because after the failure of Batman and Robin, comic books movies were briefly seen cinema poison.

The X-Men films, Daredevil, Elektra, The Dark Knight trilogy, The Amazing Spider-Man duology, and even the first few films of the DC Extended Universe all prided themselves on being more dark, gritter and grounded than their source material and sometimes even predecessors in film.

And while most of these movies are still fondly remembered, I'm gonna have to come out and say this....

I'm not a fan of these films.

Apart from some of these characters just not fitting with a darker and gritty tone, the biggest reason why I don't like these films is because a lot of them reek of this sense of embarrassment and contempt for the source material they're adapting.

Like, some of them are not even being that subtle about it.

I am so glad this was finally made fun of in an actual Marvel project.

And in an age where a lot of producers and directors working on a projects based on long, established properties have been open about either not caring or straight up disliking the properties they're working with, its made many of these films age kinda poorly.

However, there were some superheroes films from the 2000s that didn't fall into this trap.

Undoubtedly the biggest is in the case of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy.

Those films were unabashedly campy, and were obviously made by people who legitimately cared about, understood and loved Spider-Man.

That's why despite of a having a few faults, the films are still talked about in high regards, even after two decades.

And notably more so than the films I just mentioned.

But back to the film itself, to the Fantastic Four having a dark, gritty and grounded tone.

Most people, myself include, would have to say....

Fantastic Four, while having their dark and serious moments here and there are some of the most light-hearted characters in Marvel.

Trying to make them dark and gritty just feels incredibly tryhard.

And as for being grounded and realistic.

That's completely antithetical to the Fantastic Four.

They're adventurers and explorers. And many of their adventures have taken place in space, other dimensions, and alternate realties. It's one of the core appeals of the team.

And as you would expect, this tone did not do the film any favors.

Fant4stic is so. Fucking. Boring.

It is deathly serious with no sense of levity or humor to be detected.

The music is bland and generic, the color grading is dull as hell, and the performances....

Dear God....the performances.

I think this actually perfectly segways into the biggest and most important part of this post:

The "Characters":

One of the strongest draws of The Fantastic Four is, well, The Fantastic Four themselves.

All of them are very likable, charming, interesting and endearing in their own way.

And does Fant4stic capture anything that made these characters so great?

Let's start off with Reed first.

Reed in the comics and in just about every other medium is a genius, a polymath to exact.

In fact, he's tied with another one of the main characters I'll be talking about soon as being the smartest person in the Marvel Universe.

But besides being intelligent, Reed is also curious, adventurous, charismatic, level-headed, kind, and most importantly of all, passionate.

Reed is passionate about two things:

-His love for his family

-And his love for science and adventure

And while he can be little over-analytical, a little reserved at times, and have a bit of a one-mind track (so much so that he's been headcanon by just about everyone to be autistic), Reed overall is a very kind, caring and compassionate person.

Hell, he (along with the rest of the four) are some of the most morally righteous people in the Marvel Universe alongside Spider-Man and Captain America.

Now let's look at Fant4astic Reed....

Apart from being intelligent, level-headed and maybe curious, has none of the traits I just listed.

He's not adventurous.

He's not shown to be all that kind.

He has all the charisma of a funeral service.

And worst of all, he's not very passionate.

In the comics, Reed loves science and is always down to learn something new.

But the way Reed approaches science in the movie, it feels more like an obligation rather than something he's actually passionate about.

Next we have Sue.

Sue is pretty much the mother figure of the four.

Warm, caring, kind, mindful and responsible.

But she's also incredibly terrifying.

Sue's the most powerful member of the four and has proven to be a force to be reckon with for anyone who cares to hurt her family, especially her children.

Now let's look at Fant4astic Sue....

Well, how do l put this in the kindest way possible?

Yeah. Apart from being introverted, she's also shown to be incredibly sarcastic.

Like, modern animated adult comedy levels of being sarcastic.

And needlessly so.

Apart from still being responsible, Sue shows none of the traits I just listed.

The only character see isn’t needlessly sarcastic to is her and Johnny’s father, Franklin.

This version of the character is the walking definition of a killjoy.

Next we have her brother Johnny.

Johnny is the little brother of the group, since he’s the youngest.

He’s cocky, brash, hotheaded, a bit of a prankster, and kind of a showoff.

But in spite of that, Johnny is also a very kind and loyal individual.

The dude has been show that he’s willing to die for those he deeply cares for.

Now let’s look at Fant4stic Johnny.

Johnny is really the only character who somewhat resembles his original comic counterpart.

But even then, it still feels somewhat subdued.

Plus he has the same issue as Sue with him being needlessly a dick to people.

Like, Johnny had his dickish moments, but wasn't a massive asshole.

And plus, I should probably address the elephant in the room.

As you could probably tell for yourselves, Johnny here is African-American, making him and Sue adopted siblings.

And this would be the very first (and so far only) iterations of the Storm siblings who weren't blood-related.

And in all honesty, I'm not a fan of it.

Having Johnny and Sue not being biologically-related just feels wrong.

That would be like having Mario and Luigi not being related.

Or Goofy and Max.

Or Dante and Vergil.

Sometimes, you can't alter an important familial relationship.

As for why Johnny was made black while Sue wasn't.

Well....

Apparently, the Storm Family were all gonna be black, including Sue. But the higher-ups were not really onboard with Sue being black (I'm not even gonna try to make sense of that). But they were allowed to make Johnny and Franklin black. So thus, Sue ended up being adopted by the Storms.

And I must ask....

Why?

Why did they want to make the entire Storm family black?

I'm guessing it was to give a new fresh take on the characters.

But that's kind of debatable when we get to a point I'll bring up a little later.

And in terms of casting a black Johnny Storm, I don't think Michael B. Jordan was the best choice.

He just doesn't look like how most people would see Johnny as being black.

I think there's two reasons for that.

The hairstyle. Johnny has usually been depicted as having spiky hair. I think if had Michael those upward locs, then I could see him passing for a black Johnny.

The age of the actor. In fact, this applies to all the actors of the four as well. In the film, the four are said to be teenagers, specifically fresh out of high school age. So basically they would be around 17-18 years old. It's hard to see any of them as being around that age range when the actors who played them, where, at the time of the film's release, two of them were 28, one of them was 29, and one of them was 32! Did they really just not bother to look for actors who were like college-aged?

Now we come to Ben.

Ben is undoubtedly most people's favorite member of the Fantastic Four.

While gruff, tough and a tad pessimistic and grumpy due to his circumstance, underneath Ben's rocky exterior beats a heart of gold.

He deeply cares for his friends and family and will go out of his way to protect them no matter what.

Now let's look at Fant4astic Ben.

Ben, being only rivaled by the next character we'll be talking about, is the character who barely resembles his original counterpart the most.

First, there's his appearance. Specifically before he became The Thing.

Out of this already not-good cast, Jaime Bell was probably the most miscasted of them all.

For starters, he just doesn't look like Ben Grimm at all.

Like, take a look at this guy and tell me that he looks remotely like the pre-Thing Ben in the comics.

Basically, Jaime suffers from the same problem that Topher Grace had when he played Venom.

He's too short. Ben, even before becoming The Thing, was usually depicted as being pretty tall, 6'0 to be exact. Jaime is 5'7. The dude is literally no taller than me (and I'm 5'8).

He's way too skinny. Once again, even before becoming The Thing, Ben is usually shown to be a pretty muscular-looking guy. He is canonically a skilled brawler (due to him being part of a street gang during his youth) and played on the football team in high school.

Essentially, even before becoming The Thing, Ben looked like a guy who could and can beat your ass.

This Ben looks like the guy who YOU would be beating the ass of!

Then there's his characterization.

This Ben has none of the traits I just mentioned.

Apart from being kind, he's typically portrayed as being soft-spoken and somewhat meek.

Which just don't fit the character of Ben Grimm at all.

But I think the worst part of his characterization is that he doesn't even have a Brooklyn accent!

Yeah! He doesn't have a Brooklyn accent! Despite it being one of the most famous elements of his character.

I'm the guy who think that a character should have their accent intact if they originally had it.

I'm one of the few people who find it kinda annoying that Black Widow doesn't speak with a Russian accent anymore despite speaking with one all-time in her appearances pre-MCU.

And I'm sure that I'm the only guy on the planet who actually wants Magneto to speak with a German accent.

But Ben not speaking with a Brooklyn accent feels both disgraceful and just plain wrong.

But perhaps the worst thing about this version of Ben is with his trademark catchphrase: It's Clobberin' Time!

In this film, they decided to give the catchphrase an origin.

Because we all know that what's the fans were certainly asking for it....

But anyway, in the Fant4stic continuity, It's Clobberin' Time was what Ben's abusive older brother who regularly beat him, would say right before kicking his ass!

Why?

Why was this added?

Who thought this was a good idea?

It adds nothing to this already nothing story.

Having Ben's catchphrase being the result of abuse from his older brother comes off as both incredibly fucked-up and like the rest of this cursed movie, unnecessarily tryhard.

The people who thought that giving this iconic catchphrase a gritty reason for existing need to get repeatedly smacked in the face.

But like I mentioned before, there's only one other character in the movie that rivals Ben in being the biggest spit in the face to their original counterpart.

But I'm gonna save that for next time.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to end this post right here since I'm pretty close to reaching the media post limit.

So this is gonna be a two-parter.

Wasn't the original intent, but hey, you can't win them all.

But tune in next time where I finish looking at this terrible movie.

And beware....I'm not gonna be very kind.

[allycat75]

Hey Boston Dumb Fuck 👋! I've been seeing scenes from your lazy-as-fuck exercise in futility, Ghosted, lately and it has triggered a few things.

(A bit of a long one, so buckle up)

I don't know, maybe because the scenes I have seen of Jack in Red One remind me of Cole's cranky twin, or hearing your Nepo director go on about how impressed he is with himself reinventing Santa and how he's going to blow our minds with his genius, but it seems of late rich, mostly white men are just really turned on by their own mediocrity. Just walking around with blue balls because of it and the lack of oxygen to their brains is making them hypoxic. Even sweet Ryan Reynolds got high off his own supply when promoting the recent Deadpool. It was OK, but he and Hugh were making it out like this was the Citizen Cane of R rated Marvel movies (I still think they were throwing you a pity bone by casting you, BDF, and all I see when I look at your part is not Johnny Storm, but the worst version of Christopher Robert Evans, just slightly more horrible than you have been in real life the past few years, if you can call what you are doing living really. Was it a cry for help?).

I can't blame you for Red One. You are just a shitty actor looking for that sweet, sweet paycheck while The Rock and his minions run the show, so let your team set your program to "total bullshit bro douche" in a few weeks so you can get through the press junket without weeping at the fact you murdered Christmas, along with your fanbase that would have blindly seen this festering turd of a movie if you hadn't gaslit them all, making them look and feel stupid and crazy.

But I do blame you, from pillar to post, for Ghosted. You may think that Producer credit was for vanity and a bump in pay, but when push comes to shove, it actually means something. Just ask another Hollywood phony (and someone who was actually invited to the SNL X-mas party last year) Alec Baldwin. On Rust, he may not have been held responsible as the actor who shot the cinematographer dead, but as the producer he sure had the responsibility and accountability for all the things that went wrong, leading up to that preventable tragedy. And I know for you coddled princes, this idea of accountability is a new and scary concept, but woman up and get used to it, you fucking coward.

So, as producer of Ghosted, you should understand that you buy the premise, you buy the bit. How does the movie start- we see a beautiful woman named Sadie (in an ugly ass wig, by the way) at a farmer's market after just discussing with her boss that she is lost after a friend's death. The friend, a workaholic like her, didn't even have food in her house, but had a plant, which is more than Sadie has. Looking pensive and sad, but with a full basket of food she finds he way to the plants only to be confronted by a dickhead who treats her like shit at the worst possible time and tells her she should get a cactus because they are prickly and don't need much attention or care.

So I will stop there, because after this there is something only a male writer, producer and director would think they just saw- those two want to FUCK! Where most women (and to their credit, probably some men) would say, "Boy, if he would just apologize for being a complete and total asshole and make a kind gesture, because anyone with eyes could see she looked really sad, he could make her day better." And that is where it falls apart. Not that it would have really been any better because Cole is selfish in thinking he is everything she needs and doesn't consider maybe she has shit going on in her life that doesn't involve him, but it could have started on a better path if instead of running after her and saying, "Hey, I think we made a connection" (to which most women would have gotten out the pepper spray), he said "Hey, I want to apologize. I was out of line. It is none of my business what type of plant you should get and I should have been more respectful. Can I buy you a coffee to make up for it?". But heaven forbid a man ever apologize and make amends, especially for something they know they did wrong (none of that bullshit you said in the SMA article that came off like just apologize because she is upset and it will shut her up).

Even better would have been to get a few females looking at this script (maybe Scarlet did and that is why she jumped) and even totally flip the script to make it from Sadie's point of view. It would have been much more interesting watching a female special agent who had to target a friend and one of the few female colleagues she had, exploring the aftermath and getting back to her first mission since it happened. And to add insult to injury, also having to deal with this egomaniac one night stand, who hopelessly followed her, convincing him it isn't all about him and that he has no idea what it is like to be her. He has no right to judge. It could even still be funny (or start to be funny, because with the exception of Sebastian Stan, this movie had no Rom and no Com), but there is so much depth that could have been explored that was sacrificed for the male gaze. Instead of being empowering, because Cole was supposed to be the "damsel in distress", Sadie still remained the object that helped moved the story along for the boring, one-dimensional male protagonist.

One could say, "who the fuck cares- this movie (and its leading actor, after a string of current and future failures, both professionally and personally) are completely inconsequential", and I would agree, save for the fact that this is just one example of a larger problem we have seen over and over of men failing upward (I also include almost anything by Coppola and Scorsese- just look at Megalopolis for the former, and the latter only wrote his first decent female character last year). Unless there are consequenses for these kinds of epic failures Hollywood will continue to churn out more and more empty calories, drowning out real voices of all shapes, sizes, genders and colors. We need to call out these flaws instead of excusing them away so we can fix them for a more satisfying, authentic experience for everyone.

Side note...

Also, the last thing I remember about Ghosted was how you got shafted at the premiere and we're forced to give your little stevia (fake sugar) baby a spin on the red carpet, but no one was happy with you in the end- Ana and Dexter looked like they wanted to kill you, and your precious Nazi Succubus sure got her revenge for being shuffled back stage and out the door after only a few pictures without you. Remember, they forced you to fake marry the arrogant, racist, antimemtic, fatshaming, lazy, childish dumb dumb (everything opposite of what you said you wanted, even as recent as that stupid SMA article, but you are now an established pathological liar, so who knows what is true about you anymore).

You even had two kinda fake ceremonies- so, remind me again who you are trying to make seem insane in this narrative? Because it looks less and less like your former fans and more like you and your team with those pathological lies and ridiculous stunts. Even got your nuts so tight in a vice, they humiliatingly got you to make up for that red carpet debacle and sealed your fate as Hollywood's latest pathetic joke, spending 20 minutes on the Oscar (Conde Naste) Vanity Fair red carpet, where no one wanted to talk to you and you couldn't easily wipe your mouth when you had to kiss the little tantrum throwing wifey on the mouth for the cameras, like a good little CAA automoton. And I still don't know if I can forgive you for being so fucking careless and dissociated from your own life and moral fiber that you wore the colors of the Nazi Flag while parading the precious antisemite for your debut. Actions matter and for a smart man you do some really stupid things!

I know it seems I took a bit of a turn at the end there- just a reminder you really suck right now as a human being so you may want to think about how you can change all that, just like how Ghosted could have been better if you had your head out of your ass.

Have a great day, you prick 🫶!

[mytheoristavenue]

Day 1: Donatello + Mistletoe

Summary: Donnie catches you under the mistletoe with him!

Warnings: None!

Note: Yes I did make that banner in Canva, I tried my best! 😅

You stood back on the top step on the lair's entrance marveling at your work with a victorious grin. Somehow, you'd managed to convince Splinter to let you throw the guys a Christmas party, and you couldn't be more pleased with yourself. Of course there was a very tight guest list, but that's to be expected when you the hosts are mutants who shouldn't exist. Casey and April would be arriving shortly, and everything was decorated, it was nearly time. And to think, you'd managed to keep it all a surprise, just between you, the humans, and the rat.

"Guys, c'mere!" you shouted with uncontained glee. One by one, all the turtles filed in, each filled with wonder at the state of the living room. "Merry Christmas!" You chirped, exchanging an excited grin with their father, who had come in with them. "Well, don't be strangers! I put on some carols, we got a hot chocolate bar, and I even picked out a few movies for us to watch!"

"Wait-" Mikey froze, his eyes darting to the kitchen island, practically drooling over the assortment of cookies, hot milk, chocolate and toppings. "We get to make our own hot chocolate?!"

"Well, duh!" you laughed, walking over to him.

"Oh my gosh," he gushed, rocking on his heels and barely containing his enthusiasm. "That's so boss! I've never made hot chocolate before! Hey, by the way, what's hot chocolate?" Your jaw dropped as you scanned the boys' faces, all of them showing signs of confusion.

"You guys..." you chuckled, taking a cup from the selection. "C'mere, I'll show you." You demonstrated the process of making the treat, dropping a ball of chocolate into your mug, before pouring boiling milk over it. To their awe, the shell of melted to reveal a brown dust that floated around atop the liquid. After mixing it, you dropped a handful of marshmallows into the drink, before topping it with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. After you finished, you took a sip, humming with delight, beofre wiping away a small milk mustache. "That's just how I do it, but you can do it how ever you want! It's better with milk than water, though."

You barely had the chance to move out of the way before the bar was ransacked by grabbing hands, a chorus of bickering to accompany. You giggled, shaking your head and heading to the sofa, just in time for Casey and April to arrive.

-----

"So you guys have never celebrated Christmas before?" the ginger asked curiously, sipping her coco.

"Not exactly," Leo answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not like this at least."

"Christmas is a little different in Japan," Donnie explained. "Master Splinter's culture is the only one we know. Plus it's hard to celebrate anything when you live in the sewers."

"We still get gifts though!" Mikey boasted, hoisting up his skateboard and pointing to a sticker on the bottom of it. "Master Splinter gave me this last year."

"It's more about spending time with family for us," Raph added with a playful smirk. "Now matter how much it hurts."

The conversation droned on, everyone sharing a bit of what the holiday meant to them, or how they normally celebrated. Eventually it shifted to traditions, and symbols and the stories behind them. "So all this stuff has a meaning to it?" the eldest turtle asked, glancing around the room. "Even the star on top of the tree?"

You hummed in response. "Mhm! It's supposed to symbolize the star of Bethlehem, from the story of the birth of Christ. It's a Christian thing, but I just think it looks pretty!"

"What about that little plant hanging from the doorway to the lab?" Raph asked, cocking a brow and tossing a thumb towards it.

"Oh, that's just mistletoe." you replied nonchalantly.

"Wait," Donnie objected, brows furrowing together. "Isn't mistletoe poisonous?"

"Only if you eat it," you snickered. "I strongly advise against eating any of the decorations though."

"What does it symbolize?" he asked, tilting his head as he looked down at you from his seat to your left.

"Peace and fertility, I think." you answered, tapping your chin to ensure you remembered correctly. "It originated in Greece. When two people get walk under it at the same time, their supposed to kiss and make peace with each other."

The terrapin's face heated as he imagined sharing his first kiss over such an occasion. "Seems like somebody's just dyin' to make peace with you, (Y/N)." Raph chided, nudging his younger brother's side. You simply laughed them off as they began to argue.

-----

You hummed softly to the carols that were playing on the radio as you bustled around the lair cleaning up after the party. All the attendees had retired to where ever it was they chose to rest, and Casey and April had gone home for the night. You decided to sleep over, claiming the couch as yours.

Suddenly, a soft voice made you jump as you dropped the dish you were washing. "Hey, (Y/N)?"

"Donnie," you recognized, before turning back to the sink. "Mind giving me a hand with the clean up? You guys really did a number on this kitchen."

His eyes fell downcast, before perking back up to look at you again. Maybe if he persisted, you'd notice. "Um, sure but first can you-"

"Don, sweetie, you're gonna have to speak up, I can't hear you over this water." you called from over your shoulder, wishing he'd just come to you and talk so you didn't have to yell.

"S-Sorry," he muttered, before clearing his throat and upped his volume by a few notches. He felt so embarrassed shouting the words he needed to say. "Uh, could you come over here for just a-"

Finally, your shoulders slumped with frustration, and you shut of the water, drying your hands on a towel. When you turned to face him. it took you a moment to process, and you, unfortunately needed it spelt out for you. "Um, (Y/N)? W-Would you come over here with me for just a minute?"

Your cheeks caught fire at the sight of him standing there timidly, patiently waiting for you to kiss him under the mistletoe. "D-Donnie... I-"

"Y-You don't have to," he stated, losing all his courage. "Sorry, this was a stupid idea, just forget about it."

"I'd love to..." you paused, deciding to rephrase, lest you let on to having the wrong idea. "Come over there with you..."

Your heart pounded in your head as you approached him, each step seemingly getting you no closer. Finally, you were standing directly in front of him, both of you sharing an awestruck expression. Suddenly, he cleared his throat, almost as if he had a reversed speech to recite. "Oh, look," he said nervously, his voice meek and barely there. "Looks like we're under the mistletoe..."

"Guess that means we gotta make peace then..." you trailed awkwardly.

"Guess so..." he replied, glancing around for anything he could use to buy him a little bit of time to calm down. "Guess we should-uh, k-kiss now?"

"Probably..." you encouraged, waiting less than patiently for your first kiss. Eventually, you sighed, shoulders dropping with the realization that he'd chickened out. And you couldn't be the one to initiate, since he was the one that invited you, it'd be weird! Right?

Donnie fought a war with himself, one part telling him to just buck up and go for it, and the other telling him it wasn't the right time, and that he'd made a fool of himself. When he finally glanced back at you and noticed the sadness in your eyes, and you body language queued that you were going to depart, he decided to go with the former.

"Aw screw it," he suddenly snapped, swiftly wrapping an arm around your waist, while his free hand came up to cup your cheek as he dipped you slightly, looming over you with the calmest expression. You were entranced by how suave he'd managed to become at the drop of a dime, staring up at him through half lidded eyes, lips parted and more than ready. With no more hesitation, his lips came down and claimed yours, holding that connection for a few moments.

To the both of you, it felt like hours could have ticked by in the span of just a few seconds. When you finally parted, you gasped, having forgotten about the need for air almost completely. As you collected your breath, you began to feel his touch leaving you, prompting you to leap forward and catch him in another kiss, this one much shorter.

"Sorry," you blushed, pulling back. "I've just been waiting for that for a while."

"Well, if I would've known, you wouldn't have." he chuckled, pulling you into his chest for an embrace. "Merry Christmas, (Y/N)."

Taglist:

@sunshinesdaydream @helpyaw @thelaundrybitch @momii @camillahorne26 @turtle-babe83 @fyreball66 @sharpwindow @roseygardenfan @pheradream15 @post-apocalyptic-daydream @hyunonion

[spiderdreamer-blog]

2023 at the Movies: A Year in Review

2023 has been an odd year for American cinema in particular, between overall tepid box office outside of a few big hits and the combination of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes affecting release dates as well as promotional tactics. (Just so we're clear, this is a Union Solidarity Blog) But it was a fascinating year artistically nonetheless, especially on the blockbuster end. What this list aims to achieve is sort of a capsule review of the theatrical releases I saw (not counting streaming-only films even if I ended up seeing theatrical releases ON streaming) and how I felt about them in capsule review form. And even then, there's still stuff I need to catch up on like Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Oppenheimer, Elemental, or Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Anyhoo, on with my list, in chronological release order:

John Wick: Chapter 4: Much like its titular hero, there are perhaps some signs that this franchise could benefit from taking a bit of a rest. Some of the worldbuilding is going from knowingly absurd to just plain absurd, and a couple early action beats, while fun (NUNCHUCKS), are a little familiar in terms of director Chad Stahelski's neon-as-fuck aesthetics. Ultimately, it's not too much to derail things, as Keanu Reeves proves a capable grounding lead like always, and the Parisian third act is giddy, comically overblown violence in the grand John Wick tradition that reaches an unexpected poignancy. The supporting cast might also be one of the best in the series; while Asia Kate Dillion's unflappable Adjudicator is missed from the last installment, we do receive Bill Skarsgard doing an OUTRAAGEOUS French accent as a smarmy villain you really want to see dead by the end of this, Donnie Yen as a clever, funny spin on the blind swordsman trope, Rina Sawayama is both badass and touching, Shamier Anderson stands out by dialing down, and my beloved Clancy Brown has some of the best implicit "are you fucking kidding me" reactions I've seen in a while.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie: I was honestly dreading this for a while. Illumination Entertainment is a perfectly cromulent animation studio who makes films that, with a couple exceptions, represent pretty much everything I dislike about American family filmmaking: loud, hyperactive, deficient of nutritional value, and did I mention loud? But the trailers started impressing me in terms of how well they adapted the candy-colored toybox Nintendo aesthetic to a wider theatrical scope. And if nothing else, casting Jack Black as Bowser would probably be pretty awesome (spoiler alert: he was). Thankfully, it manages to be an immensely entertaining, zippy adventure film that minimizes potential annoyances at nearly every turn. This is primarily thanks to a ready-to-play, enthusiastic voice cast (outside of Black, I particularly like Pratt and Day's brotherly dynamic and Anya Taylor-Joy doing a Disney Princess-esque comedy action spin on Peach), a smartly simple story structure, and leaving a lot of potential open for the future like Seth Rogen's lovable ready-for-spinoff-movies Donkey Kong. It may not rock the boat, but it was better than it had any business being, and that counts for a lot in my book.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: The Marvel Cinematic Universe and I are admittedly on a bit of a break. Not because they're doing anything WRONG per se, just that a lot of their shows and movies haven't enticed me as much in the past year. I did get out to see this, though, which is both the best all around MCU film since Endgame and very possibly the best film of its own trilogy. James Gunn pulls out all the stops emotionally for his Marvel swan song (godspeed to you over at the still-in-progress trashfire that is Warner Bros. Discovery, good sir), crafting a beautiful, resonant journey for all the characters. The ensemble cast fires on all cylinders, for one. While Bradley Cooper is the obvious vocal standout as Rocket takes center stage, it's assuredly the role of Chris Pratt's career (other non-Mario/Marvel directors, take note! You can in fact have this guy be funny, credibly tough, AND sympathetic instead of missing out on the other two), Zoe Saldana navigates a difficult emotional dance, Pom Klementieff finds real heart in Mantis, Dave Bautista is still one of our most interesting wrestlers-turned-actors in the choices he makes, Karen Gillan has slowly become of the MCU's MVPs as Nebula, Will Poulter is endearingly dunderheaded as a comedic take on Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji proves a truly vile villain who exemplifies the maxim of "if you really want an audience to just HATE a motherfucker, have him torture cute animals". And of course Gunn's musical tastes remain impeccable, such as a Beastie Boys needle drop that prompts a truly bitchin' fight scene (oddly the second time this specific song happened this year in a Pratt-led vehicle). It's funny, it made me ugly cry at SEVERAL points, and I got to see a psychic cosmonaut dog beat people's asses with her mind. What more could I want?

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse: Into the Spider-Verse was a revolution and a revelation for what the American animated film industry could accomplish artistically and technically. How could a sequel possibly live up to it? Across does, against all odds, proving to be the Empire Strikes Back to the original's Star Wars in terms of going darker/more complex on the emotions and to greater visual heights (albeit with the caveat that maybe next time, we can manage the production better and not crunch people so much). Co-directors Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers, and Joaquim Dos Santos (who I've stanned as one of our best animation action directors from Justice League Unlimited through Voltron Legendary Defender) craft a propulsive narrative that asks big questions about who and what Spider-Man is. And while those will have to wait to be fully answered in the third installment, what it sets up is no less compelling or thrilling. Shout-outs in particular go to Hailee Steinfeld, who has to anchor this film with Gwen as much as Shameik Moore's still-iconic Miles; Daniel Pemberton for an outstanding score; Oscar Isaac for giving rich complexity to Miguel O'Hara, who could have felt like a boorish bully in lesser hands; and Jason Schwartzman for not just proving he transitions REALLY well into voicework between this and projects like Klaus, but being by turns pathetically funny and terrifying in ways I've never heard him be as the Spot. Can't wait to see where that goes next time in particular.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: "Pleasant surprise" comes to mind. While I never hated Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as much as most, it was definitely a little underwhelming as a possibly final Indy adventure. (Not helping is that Steven Spielberg immediately turned around and made an infinitely better indy movie in the form of The Adventures of Tintin) So I was curious to see how going to the well for seemingly the real final adventure would work this time around. Thankfully, director James Mangold proves he has a good eye for creative action, even if nothing here quite reaches the heights of the original trilogy, and Harrison Ford does some of his best acting in ages as a weary, burnt-out Indy; one always got the sense that THIS was much closer to his heart than Han Solo. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a terrific foil to him, joyously amoral (or so she says), while Mads Mikkelsen finds a new spin on coldly cruel cinematic Nazis; he has a tense reintroduction scene that had me squirming in my seat. Add in a slam-bang ending and a touching epilogue, and I'm pretty happy with where things end up for our favorite archaeologist. A solid B+, which we could use more of nowadays.

Also they Poochie-d Shia LaBeouf, which is hilarious to me on several levels.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One: The Mission: Impossible franchise has undergone a curious metamorphosis from where it started as one of many oldies TV adaptations in 1996 to a purposefully old-school action franchise. Director Christopher McQuarrie has become a pro at these over the last three installments, and Dead Reckoning (now no longer a part one, as the back-in-production followup will be retitled) has lots to offer both large and small for action fans even outside of the continued spectacle of Tom Cruise Possibly Wants To Die On Camera. Obviously the big stunt sequences remain a draw, like a terrific car chase through Rome or the climactic journey onboard the Orient Express because trains are ALWAYS bitchin' locations in movies. But just as good are pleasures like a tense cat-and-mouse game in an airport where nobody's quite sure whose side Hayley Atwell's thief Grace is on, Henry Czerny coming back to the franchise after 27 years and looking as shiftily patriotic as ever, Pom Klementieff on this list for the second time looking really hot as she whoops ass, and Cary Elwes getting an unexpectedly choice exposition monologue. Plus the whole deal with the A.I. villain ended up being, uh, fairly relevant.

Barbie: A brilliant human comedy from an unexpected source. This could have gone wrong in so many different ways, I can easily imagine a version that's WAY more lugubrious and, crucially, much less funny. But director/co-writer Greta Gerwig has quickly become one of our best talents between this and the wildly-different-but-has-more-in-common-than-you'd-think Little Women (I also still need to see to heard-it's-excellent Lady Bird). With an infinitely clever script (I love in particular that the "real world" is just as ridiculous in its own way as Barbieland) and Sarah Greenwood's impeccable production design, Gerwig and her cast craft a feminist fable that remains light and funny even at its most strident and angry. Margot Robbie has never been better, hilarious and gut-punching by equal measure, America Ferrera ends up as the unexpected heart of the piece, and Ryan Gosling is absolutely hysterical as Ken while still making him intensely sympathetic. He and Robbie deserve Oscar noms in particular. No, I'm not kidding. Might expand this one to a full review at some point tbh.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: I missed this in theaters and regret it immensely, given that this is a hilarious, cheerfully irreverent take on characters who've really managed a surprising amount of relevance in the modern age. Actually having teen actors voice the Turtles makes them feel so authentic, and they're matched well by an equally game cast like Ayo Edebiri's thoroughly modern April O'Neill, Jackie Chan as a more bumbling-but-heartfelt version of Splinter than usual, and Paul Rudd going full surfer bro as Mondo Gecko. And of course the scribbled-notebook underground comics vibe of the animation is a neat bit of full circle aesthetics if you know these guys' origins.

Wish: All of you are wrong and being dumb about this movie. It's not that I can't grok some of the criticisms as being legitimate, to be fair; for example, the songs, while very good on their own IMO, don't always hit the iconic level of a Frozen or Encanto. But the vitriol with which they've been expressed, and this odd narrative that Disney is in the toilet artistically and needs to nebulously "fix" things, is something I can't at all agree with. It's gorgeously rendered, for one; yes, I would potentially like to see a return to full 2D animated films for the studio at some point too. But if they're gonna experiment even marginally with CGI, I applaud co-directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn making it look this painterly as a starting point. And as with a lot of modern Disney, there's real richness and inner life to these characters. Ariana DeBose is a winning heroine as Asha, who feels distinct from other "princesses" by essentially being working class and unionizing the kingdom. And Chris Pine as Magnifico is a Disney Villain for the ages, blending real complexity in his relationships with scenery-chewing madness. (Also am I the only one who got major "studio executive/CEO" vibes off him?) If this is "mid" or "bland" Disney, I really question what some of y'all are seeing that I seemingly can't.

Also I liked the 100th anniversary references, sue me. The last one in particular gets points for quiet charm rather than grandstanding.

The Boy and the Heron: Hayao Miyazaki, anime's favorite grumpy old man, comes back out of retirement for like the fifth time. Seriously, remember when Princess Mononoke was supposed to be his last film 25+ years ago? I'll believe his "last film" is truly his last when he's in the cold, cold ground. Regardless of the continuing saga of Old Man Won't Retire Because He Seemingly Can't Be Alone With His Own Thoughts, this is a brilliant, haunting spectacle of animation that might be a new favorite for me. Some have called it confusing, whereas I go for "dreamlike", possibly his most to date. Nearly every frame is suffused with longing and melancholy (though this also has some of Miyazaki's best comedy in a while), and, oddly like Wish, this feels like a true career reflection, if a bit more fraught and questioning what legacy truly means. Joe Hisaishi contributes possibly his moodiest, most dissonant score, with little of the bombast or whimsical charm that typifies his music, but it works unfathomably well. Credit also to the dub, with Robert Pattinson as funny and menacing as you've heard, but Luca Pandoval is also excellent as our stoic lead Mahito, Florence Pugh manages to be both a total badass and a funny old woman (it makes sense in context, I promise), Christian Bale puts forth a fascinating two-step with his boisterous father, Gemma Chan and Karen Fukuhara nail some complex emotional turns, Willem Dafoe nearly steals the whole thing in under two minutes, Dave Bautista makes a real meal out of a part not much bigger than that, and Mark Hamill finds resonance as a tired old man.

[book-place]

Arcade

Warnings: various marvel movie spoilers, cursing, weapons, war, violence, mentions of death and torture, let me know if I missed any :)

Pairings: Avengers x reader platonic, Steve Rogers x reader platonic, Bucky Barnes x reader platonic

Request: Steve x Bucky platonic inspired by this song?? Listened to this while drawing bucky to get into the ✨️zone✨️ and cuz bucky has a very traumatic past in general. U can ignore this request if you want lol. Sorry, just wanted to add another note for the steve x bucky request Its love beyween friends… And make it angsty :')

Request by: @popfishjr

*not my gif*

Summary: There never seemed to be a down moment in your life, but your best friends always made it easier

A/N: Welcome to book place’s one year event!!

Inspired by: Arcade by Duncan Laurence

Please don’t plagiarize my work, you may reblog if you like but I’m asking that you don’t steal my hard work

A broken heart is all that’s left

You looked up to the sky, closing your eyes briefly at the blinding sun beaming down at you against the completely blue sky.

Taking a deep breath, you slowly turned your head back to face forward and blinked a couple of times just to make sure that no tears were resting in your eyes, waiting for the moment they could spring free and run down your face.

Before you could lose whatever strength you had been able to muster, you pushed open the diner door before you, and took a step in, eyes already scanning for the duo you were supposed to meet.

It didn’t even take a few seconds before they were waving you down dramatically. But you supposed you couldn’t expect anything less from your best friends.

Ever since the three of you met at the young age of six in school, you had all been attached at the hips and thick as thieves. Bucky and Steve were quick to become like the brothers you never had as the years passed on.

Only Bucky wore a large grin between the three of you, both you and Steve sitting in the booth solemnly, “Oh, come on, guys,” He complained playfully, “Lighten up! I’ll be back before you know it.”

He made it sound so easy. As if he wasn’t going to war with the uncertainty of return. This could very well be the last time you ever saw him.

“Seriously, guys,” The slight urgency in his voice made both of you look up. His smile had dimmed a bit and his eyes were begging, “Let’s not make today like that.”

Taking a deep breath, you decided to put a brave face on. If not for him, then for Steve.

“You know what,” You plastered a smile on your face, “You’re right, Buck, let’s enjoy today, but we’ll make sure to have an even better time when you get back.”

Though all three of you knew that it pained you to say such words and that there was more hesitation than sincerity behind them, Bucky's smile softened anyway and he looked upon you with appreciation.

As if it was his cue, the man dove right into a story about what had happened to him at the supermarket earlier, as if nothing was about to change. As if it was just another day with his two best friends.

The heaviness that hung in the air all around the three of you said otherwise.

You each ordered your usuals, chatting away with painted masks and heavy hearts for about two hours before Bucky finally rose from his side of the booth.

The uniform he wore fit him in a way that made you aware of the fact that it was specifically designed for him and him alone, and though you knew that it was supposed to make you proud, it only brought a lump to your throat, making it hard for you to swallow.

“Well, I’m off,” For the first time since the beginning of your meal, his grin faltered and eyes became less bright and lively.

It was safe to say that you couldn’t help yourself when you lept from your seat and threw your arms around his neck, drawing him in for a long hug, to which he gingerly wrapped his own arms around your waist in return.

“You know,” Steve cleared his throat, “I should be going there with you.”

You shook your head stubbornly, pulling back and refusing to acknowledge the tears that had long since formed in your eyes, “Don’t be talking like that, Steve,” You scolded, “I already have one of my boys being shipped off, I don’t need another.”

Bucky cracked a smile, walking over and throwing an arm around Steve’s shoulder as you all exited the diner, “She’s right you know,” The playful glint was back in his eyes, “Someone’s gotta watch out for her.”

He threw you a wink over his shoulder that let you know that you were really the one needing to look after the blond. You let out a laugh despite yourself.

Steve laughed too, pushing against his side slightly, “Jerk,” He teased.

“Punk,” Bucky shot back.

“Idiots,” You shook your head affectionately.

All three of you came to a stop as soon as you got onto the sidewalk, Bucky slowly removed his arm from the other man, and stood in silence for a moment.

“Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” He joked playfully.

“How can we?” You shot back with a small grin.

“You’re taking all the stupid with you.” Steve finished, a look you couldn’t quite place shining in his eyes.

“I’ll see you all soon, alright?” Bucky said softly after a moment.

You and Steve didn’t have the energy to even say anything as he gave you one last smile and turned on his heel and rounded a corner, disappearing from view just in time for a single tear to run down all of your cheeks.

I’m still fixing all the cracks

“I’m telling you, Steve,” You said, eyes flitting back and forth as you nervously played with your sleeve, “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He looked over at you with a sympathetic smile, reaching over and rubbing your arm soothingly as you walked down the hallway that was flanked with guards, “It’ll be fine, Y/n, I promise.”

The only way he had agreed to come today was if you were allowed to be there, if not to give himself as well as you peace of mind.

With one last hesitant glance at your best friend, you allowed Peggy to lead you up the stairs and into the observation room with the rest of the group who would oversee what would be happening.

Even as everyone settled back into their seats, you sat, stiff as a board on the edge of yours, tapping your foot in front of you in anticipation, ignoring the glares a few people sent your way at the noise.

You paid them no mind though, as you anxiously watched with unblinking eyes as Steve was being prepped to step into the daunting looking machine.

There was a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach that wouldn’t go away as he stepped into it, everything was about to change. Sure, you knew that the moment he told you that he had signed up for this little science project, but things were going to change in a vaster sense. And you couldn’t yet tell if it was a good thing or not.

It took every bit of willpower that you had not to scream down at the scientists and tell them to call everything off just because you had a funny feeling about this.

So, you were forced to sit back and helplessly watch as your best friend- the one that wasn’t at war but so desperately wanted to be- became a weapon of that very war that you never wanted him joining.

You didn’t know at what point you had zoned out, drowning in your own anxieties, but next thing you knew, everyone sprang from their seats with cheers as they looked down through the observation glass.

Instantly, you snapped to attention and couldn’t help the small breath of relief that flowed past your lips as you caught sight of Steve’s face, his mouth slowly opening and closing in deep breaths. But then you caught sight of the height difference, and then the muscles all over his body. He was still Steve, but not the Steve that you had known.

Peggy caught your eye and beamed at the success from down below before catching onto your eager state and inclining her head towards the door to tell you that you could go see him.

Not a second was wasted as you scurried down the stairs, not once slowing until you stood in front of a panting Steve who was just pulling a shirt over his head that a worker had handed to him.

“How are you feeling?” You asked cautiously, eyeing him up and down warily, not sure how you were ever going to get used to his new build.

“Good.” He huffed out before finally looking you in the eyes as a wide smile slowly spread on his face, “I feel really good.”

Lost a couple peices when

You finally pulled away after crashing yourself into Bucky's chest before quickly pulling Steve into a brief hug as well, all of you ignoring the cheers of the soldiers sounding from all around you.

“I’m so glad you’re both alright,” You told them honestly.

Originally, Steve had protested you coming to the camp with him while he went on a rescue mission to save Bucky and his pantaloon, but one glare from you shut him right up.

Bucky reached out and ruffled your hair playfully, “Were you worried about us?” He asked teasingly.

You glared up at him, punching him in the arm, not caring for his jokes about this situation, “You know I was.” You hissed back with narrow eyes.

He winced slightly at the impact but soon found himself laughing, “I’m glad to know that you can pack a punch, puts my mind at ease a bit.” He continued with his teasing.

Steve shook his head softly with a smile at the two of you, but it dropped when he remembered what he and Bucky had decided before coming to visit you.

The two men quickly exchanged a glance that didn’t go unnoticed by you.

“What?” Your eyes narrowed once more, “What is it?”

Bucky sighed, “Listen, doll-“

“We have another mission to go on.” The blond man said.

You blinked at the two of them once, as if expecting them to burst out laughing and tell you that they were just pulling your leg. But they didn’t.

“What are you talking about?” You demanded, “You both just got back.”

“We know, but we need to go.” Steve insisted, but you just shook your head stubbornly.

“No, make someone else go.” You knew you were being selfish, but you didn’t care, not as your eyes began to fill with tears, “I thought I lost you both, I won’t go through that again.”

“We will come back,” Steve was using that determined, heroic voice of his, one he had even before he got the serum injected into him, “I promise you, we will.”

After a moment of silence, which they used to silently beg you with their eyes to understand, you sniffled slightly, “I’ll kill you both if you die on that mission.”

Bucky cracked a smile, chuckling slightly as he took you into his arms for another bone-crushing hug, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

I carried it, carried it, carried it home

With tear stained cheeks, you trudged through the snow, bringing your coat tighter around yourself as your teeth chattered, waiting for the inevitable feeling of your own tears freezing. But you couldn’t find it in yourself to care.

Steve and Bucky broke their promises, they weren’t coming back.

Bucky had fallen off a train during the first half of the mission and Steve had been stupid enough to drive a floating vehicle into some ice to save lives, no doubt killing him instantly.

When you had been told by some troopers, you had screamed and begged for someone to go with you to check because no one had physically seen Bucky die, so there was still hope. All you were met with were pitying gazes of people who knew this was just your way of avoiding the inevitable knowledge of what had happened.

So, you had made the long journey alone, telling yourself over and over again that Bucky had to be okay, because without him and Steve, you had nothing. But for obvious reasons, you couldn’t begin to look for the blond.

You had long since lost feeling in all of your limbs, and you suddenly came to the horrible realization that even if you found Bucky, you didn’t know if you would have been able to help him get back to camp because you wouldn’t even be able to get yourself back.

“Well, what do we have here?” An accent that you couldn’t quite place shouted over the strong wind, causing your head to whip to the side, but something harshly hit you in the side of the face before your eyes could narrow in on the figure.

The last thing you remembered was two feet coming to a stop in front of you with a limp body laying in the snow a few feet away. Darkness swept you into its cold embrace before you could think of what you saw, though.

I’m afraid of all I am, my mind feels like a foreign land

“-and we found her in an abandoned Hydra building. She was in a cryostasis chamber that had by some miracle been left on. From the looks of things though, no one had been in that building since your time, Cap.”

You slowly came to your senses, the first thing you noticed being a distant voice speaking. Your mind felt foggy and your limbs felt like lead. You couldn’t even open your eyes.

“Have you been able to identify her yet, Fury?” A new voice joined the conversation.

You knew that voice. You knew that voice. You knew that voice. You knew-

“Not yet, but I figured since this was a similar situation to yours that you could take a look. If she ever wakes up then she might recognize you, Cap. Her being from your time and all.”

It took every little bit of strength you had to finally pry your eyes open halfway- the most you could muster the power to do- and you were able to faintly take in the fact that you were in a small bed in an all white room with wires attached to you all over your body. You could just make out two figures standing just out a door with their backs to you. The people that were talking, you realized.

Against your better judgment, your eyes began to slip closed once more, no longer being able to keep them from snapping shut.

The sound of feet shuffling forward reached your ears, before one pair came to a sudden halt and there was a sharp intake of breath.

“What? What is it? Do you know her?” The first voice demanded.

“Y/n,” The second breathed out.

You knew that voice. You knew that voice. You knew that voice. You knew-

Steve.

Somehow, that realization alone had been enough to make your eyes fly open, and though you weren’t able to move anymore of your body, you were now fully awake.

“Hey, hey,” He called gently, rushing over to your side as fast as his legs would take him and he crouched down beside you, “Easy, n/n, easy.”

His devastatingly blue eyes frantically searched over your terror-stricken face as his arms came out and gently rested against the side of the bed that you were laying on.

There had been a faint, steady beeping noise in the background of the conversation before, but now it sped up to an irritatingly loud and fast paced screeching sound.

Then, you realized that not only could you not move your arms from exhaustion, but also because they were strapped with some sort of thick material to the railings that were on the side of the bed.

Any sort of small comfort that had come with you seeing your best friend quickly diminished and you began to flail from side to side, desperately trying to free yourself from the restraints.

“Someone might have to sedate her,” The voice warned from behind Steve.

“No!” He snapped in a way that was so unlike him, that you flinched backwards at his sudden and harsh tone.

Evidently, the sedation wouldn’t even be needed because your brain went into overdrive and your eyes rolled to the back of your head, forcing you to pass out before Steve could try to calm you down once more.

Silence ringing inside my head

“Steve,” You croaked, eyes peeled open slightly and catching a glimpse of the blond man.

His head immediately snapped up from the seat he was hunched over in beside the bed that you were still laying upon, “Y/n,” He breathed out in relief, springing forward and crouching down beside you, gently taking your hand in his.

There was no sign of the man from before and no longer were your arms painfully restrained against the sides of the bed. That alone made you less anxious and panic-filled than before.

“Am I dead?” Your voice couldn’t raise above a scratchy whisper.

Your best friend's eyebrows furrowed, “Why would you think that?”

It took a lot of effort, but slowly, you lifted your shaky hand to cup his cheek and gently rubbed your finger back and forth along his skin, “Because you’re dead.”

Sadly, he removed your hand and took it into his own, squeezing gently, “There’s a lot I need to catch you up on.”

So you sat there silently, grasping onto every word of his story that, coming from anyone else, would have made you laugh incredulously. But this was Steve, and he wasn’t lying, because you now knew he couldn’t lie to you. He had promised during the war that he would come back to you. And he kept that promise.

He told you about waking up from the ice after being thrown years into the future, about the fear and loneliness he felt with it. He told you about the Avengers, how they saved the world. He told you about trying to catch up with the modern times.

You sat there and listened, not once interpreting until he finally took a deep breath and leaned back, done with his story.

It took a few minutes for you to take the entire conversation and everything that came with it in, but when you did, you realized that one crucial thing was missing.

“What about Bucky?”

Your words made the man freeze, “Bucky,” His words were barely above a whisper. It was as if he hadn’t spoken that name in a long time, “Did you not receive the news when you were at camp?”

It took you a minute to remember what he was talking about. But when you did, it all came crashing down on you once again, “I went to go and find him…” You trailed off, eyes glazing over with the memory.

“By yourself?” He asked suddenly, face growing pale when you nodded your head.

“It was cold,” Your voice was distant, you seemed more like a recording than a person, “So, so cold. I knew I should turn back, but I couldn’t. Even if there was the tiniest chance that he was still alive, I had to take it. I had to see for myself. I think I was about to pass out, I didn’t even have any gloves or hat so I surely would’ve died of frostbite. But there was a man…”

“What did he look like?” Steve asked gently, shaking his head back and forth as if to rid himself from the horror the story brought upon him.

“I don’t know.” You whispered, “I was hit with something before I could see.”

“Hydra.” He was certain.

Your eyebrows furrowed, “Hydra? Isn’t that-“

He cut you off with a solemn nod, giving you everything you needed to know.

“What did they want with me?” You asked, terror setting in your gut for the first time since waking up again.

“I don’t know,” He squeezed your hand, “But I promise you, I’ll find out.”

“They didn’t do anything to me, did they?” You remember that even in the 40’s how messed up that organization was.

“As far as we can tell,” Steve glanced over at a futuristic looking machine beside you, “No,”

You sagged against the bed in relief, “That’s good.”

“It is,” He agreed, nodding, “But we should still run a couple more tests. Just to be safe.”

“Hey, Steve?” You asked quietly after a moment.

“Yeah?”

“We lost a lot of time, didn’t we?”

He smiled sadly, “Yeah, we did.”

Please carry me, carry me, carry me home

“You’re telling me that one of the biggest films of all time is about a war that takes place in outer space?” You asked, nestling back into the couch cushions.

Steve chuckled from beside you, “To put it bluntly, yeah.”

The two of you were in what was known as Avengers Compound, where your best friend evidently lived with the other heroes who saved the world.

You had met a couple of them and couldn't complain, they were kind and welcoming enough. It was just hard to adjust to this completely new life, and they seemed to understand that, giving you and Steve space.

It was inevitable that your mouth dropped open as soon as the movie started playing, not believing your own eyes.

“It all looks so real,” You muttered out in awe.

He laughed, “Believe it or not, this isn’t even considered to look good anymore. It’s an ‘old’ movie.”

Your eyebrows flew up in shock, “But the screen is so clear!”

His hands went up in mock surrender, “Take it up with this generation.”

You hummed in return, turning your attention back to the screen, not being able to stop the small frown that made its way onto your face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked gently.

“I miss the movies from the thirties.” You mumbled, cheeks tinting a slight red in embarrassment.

Steve’s face softened and he got up without another word, disappearing around the corner for a minute before coming back with a large stack of something in his arms.

“I missed home a lot when I first got here, too.” He admitted, setting down the items in front of you on the table, “So I found these.”

Your eyes widened when you realized that the little boxes had the names of all your old favorite movies written on them. The movies that you used to make him and Bucky watch non stop with you.

Quickly, he placed one of them inside another box that you had no idea what it did and when he pressed a button, the opening credits for the Wizard of Oz began rolling.

You weren’t able to stop the tears that began to well up in your eyes slightly, “It’s-“ You choked out.

“Your favorite movie of all time,” He finished softly, “I remember.” He was referring to what felt like the hundreds of times you would drag him and Bucky to the cinema when it first came out to watch and rewatch it over and over again. He was pretty sure he saw it so much that he once heard Bucky muttering the entire script in his sleep.

“Thank you,” You whispered as a single tear slipped down your face. Because for some reason, that little reminder of home was all the comfort you needed in that moment.

I've spent all of the love I saved

You flipped the television on with your remote and settled back in your bed, flicking to the news.

With the help of Steve and the rest of his team, you had been able to adjust to your new life pretty quickly and all the technological advances that came with it.

They were all very kind to you once you finally came around and warmed up to them, being able to become closer to each of them in different ways.

Footage of an explosion brought your attention back to the screen and you immediately sprang from the bed when a photo appeared on screen of the suspect of the attack, heart dropping like a lead weight to the bottom of your stomach.

No. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t him.

He was dead. He was dead. He was dead. He was dead. He was-

But he couldn’t be, because there he was. Right in front of your very eyes was a picture of James Barnes. True, he looked way different than when you had last seen him that day at the army camp, but you would recognize him anywhere. Even through the stubble of a beard and the longer hair.

“Hey, n/n,” Steve greeted, knocking lightly on your already open door, “I was wondering-“ He cut himself off when he saw what was on your screen.

“Bucky,” You whispered, before whipping around and turning urgently to Steve, “That’s Bucky! He’s alive, oh god-“

“N/n, n/n,” Steve spoke softly, “Calm down, calm down.”

You stopped yourself short, “Why aren’t you surprised?”

The man grimaced in front of you, “I’ve suspected for a little while.” He admitted guiltily.

You took a recoiling step back as if having been struck in the stomach and your mouth went dry, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Nothing but betrayal filled your features.

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case it wasn’t true.” His face was contorted into one of sadness.

“In case it wasn’t-“ You let out an incredulous laugh, turning on your heel and beginning to pace up and down your room with your hands running through your hair.

“N/n…” He let out a small sigh, running a hand down his face, “You have to know where I’m coming from. What if it wasn’t him when I had my suspicions? And then you ended up broken hearted all over again when it wasn’t him.”

That made you pause, “Fine, I get that.” You turned to him with sad eyes, “But you also have to know where I’m coming from, Steve. He isn’t just your best friend, he’s mine as well. I deserved to know as soon as you even had a small thought about it.

“Okay,” He agreed, coming to stand in front of you and gently taking your shoulders, “Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

You nodded, wrapping your arms around him when he pulled you to his chest and rested his chin on the top of your head.

“How is he even still alive?” You mumbled into his shirt.

“I don’t know,” He answered honestly, leaning over and placing a small kiss on your hair, “But we’re going to figure it out. Together. I promise.”

You could barely find it in yourself to smile, worry for Bucky licking in the back of your mind with close to no space for anything else.

We were always a losing game

You didn’t like this. The sight of it alone made your stomach start to do uncomfortable cartwheels over and over again. It was only a matter of time before you threw up.

Somehow, Steve and his friend Sam had been able to track Bucky down, and after his promise to you, he brought you along to where he and Sam had brought him.

He was unconscious, sitting up with his head bent over and some sort of metal arm trapped under a heavy machine so that he couldn’t move. The only sign that he was still alive was the steady rise and fall of his chest. His hair fell in front of his face and was moved slightly with every breath he took.

“What happened?” You asked quietly, and Sam just shook his head softly, gently telling you that it wasn’t best to ask.

It took a painfully slow time, but when he finally came to, you couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath you took and the way your heart stopped for a moment.

Not just once- but twice- you had to come to terms with the fact that Bucky was gone forever, dead. But now, he was sitting right in front of you, very much alive. And you apparently didn’t know how to take it.

Slowly, he began stirring, and you felt all your muscles tense as you watched with wide eyes as his breathing hitched. From the side, Steve turned his head to look at you and gently placed a hand on your back to steady you as you began to sway a little bit on your feet, “Are you alright?” He murmured with eyebrows furrowed in worry.

All you could manage was a slight nod, and Steve was interrupted before he could push you further, “Cap,” Sam called from where he stood a couple feet in front of Bucky with crossed arms, nodding his head towards the man.

He looked different- so, so different than the last time you had seen him, which was briefly on the news after his fight with Steve. His hair was long and he had a small stubble on his chin. His face was worn down, as if he had been through too much for his body to handle. That realization alone made your heart squeeze painfully in your chest.

Bucky's eyes slowly fluttered open and squinted against the harsh and sudden lighting. They quickly adjusted and snapped over to where the three of you stood, “Steve.” He breathed out.

You were hidden slightly by the blond man’s body. He had moved in front of you in case you weren’t yet ready to reveal yourself to the man you had once known as well as you knew yourself. You gratefully took that opportunity to take a deep breath and compose yourself.

“Which Bucky am I talking to?” You knew the coldness in his tone was just fear and reluctance to let the man back in.

He swallowed thickly, eyes flitting down to the ground for a moment before looking back up, “Your moms name was Sarah…” He chuckled slightly, a sound you hadn’t heard from him in many, many years- since right before he was deployed, “You used to wear newspapers in your shoes and Y/n would make fun of you for it.”

Your breath hitched at the sound of your name, Sam tensing up even more at the sound of it as well. As far as you and Steve knew, Bucky didn’t know that you were still alive. As far as you knew, he thought you had died long ago.

That realization automatically made guilt swim in your stomach. You had once thought he was dead as well, and that knowledge nearly killed you. You couldn’t let him go through that too.

Letting loose a shaky breath, you slowly stepped out from behind Steve as he and Sam argued about whether they could trust the man or not and Bucky begged to be told what had happened- what he had done.

You had expected it to take him at least a minute to notice your sudden presence, but you should have known that his now-assassin senses would make his attention snap over to you in an instant.

The other two silenced when they realized that he was staring at you and glanced at one another uneasily.

“Y/n?” The words left his lips like a whisper that was quickly fleeting, like he was afraid that saying your name out loud would make you disappear into the shadows, never to be seen again.

You swallowed, trying to speak, but you couldn’t even open your mouth, it was clamped shut by some invisible force.

“Is she here?” He quickly glanced back to Steve before turning back to you, “Are you really here?”

So he had thought that you were dead. That you had been forced to live out the last years of your life without your best friends.

“She’s here, Buck.” Steve confirmed quietly, eyeing you worriedly.

You could only imagine how you looked. Probably like Bucky did, like you were seeing a ghost.

Suddenly, he shook his head back and forth and jerked his body backwards, “No,” He let out an icy, humorless laugh, “No, she died back in the 70s, I know, I went to check on her.”

Thankfully, Sam took that as his cue to dip out of the room to give the three of you privacy, mumbling something about going to check the perimeter.

Steve gave you a moment to speak for yourself, but when you couldn’t, he continued, “Buck, she was put into a cryostasis chamber by Hydra.”

“No, no,” He continued to shake his head stubbornly, “She-she lived a long and happy life, far away from all of that shit.”

Hesitantly, you willed your body to take a small step forward, “Bucky…” You trailed off and continued to inch closer to the man, who was looking at you like you were just a figment of his imagination, “I-I’m here, you’re here, Steve’s here- we’re all together again.”

Small town boy in a big arcade

After removing Bucky's arm from the machine once deeming it safe enough to do so, Steve slipped out to talk to Sam about what the plan was, giving your shoulder a reassuring squeeze on the way out.

He and Steve had already been reunited, so he was giving you a minute to have that to yourself as well.

There was a heavy, almost painful silence that fell over the two of you. A silence that, once upon a time, would have been filled with laughter and amusement and void of the uncertainty that hung over you both.

You stood opposite to each other, only a few feet of space in between your bodies.

Swallowing thickly, you finally spoke up, your voice breaking through the tense air, “The first time I thought you were dead wasn’t even when you fell off the train, you know that?” You let out a chuckle, even though it wasn’t at all funny, “From the moment you were shipped out to the army, I suppose I subconsciously thought you were gone. Looking back, I guess it was probably just a coping mechanism so that it wouldn’t hurt as much if you actually didn’t return.” Another painful laugh, “That didn’t work so well, though, did it?”

“Y/n… I-I-“ He tried to speak, but something seemed to finally click into place in that moment within you.

Next thing you knew, you had launched yourself across the room and latched onto him, hooking your arms around his neck and burying your face in his shoulder.

Bucky stumbled back for a moment, arms frozen at his sides, unsure what to do. But as tears began to roll down your cheeks and no doubt stain his shirt, he seemed to come to his senses as well and wrapped his arms tightly around you in return, taking special care with his metal one.

“I missed you, doll,” He sniffed slightly.

You smiled tearfully, tightening your grip around him, “I missed you too, Buck.”

Finally, you had both of your best friends back right by your side, where they belonged.

I got addicted to a losing game

Your eyes shot between Steve and Bucky with a look of suspicion adorning your features, “This seems a little too familiar for my liking.” You commented.

And though the men chuckled a little at your words, all three of you knew the truth behind them.

Because the last time they had stood before you, claiming the need to go on a dangerous mission, neither one of them had returned. And you had no idea if you would be blessed with another chance with them again if that were to happen.

“This time is different, doll,” Bucky quickly glanced at Steve as he spoke.

“We actually need to do this one,” The blond picked up, “This isn’t an optional thing that we just want to do anymore.”

You sighed irritably, crossing your arms over your chest and shifting on your feet, “I know that, but it doesn’t mean I like it.”

“We wouldn’t expect you to,” Bucky had a small grin, a look that you knew he meant to be comforting.

“After this though, we’re done. We’ll be good.” The absolute confidence behind Steve’s voice made you falter, and you softened with a small sigh.

“Alright,” You glared threateningly between the both of them, “But nothing better happen to either of you during this, or I swear to god you will be in for a world of pain.”

“We wouldn’t expect anything less, doll.” They both hugged you tightly.

Oh

Tony had been very reluctant to leave you there and you knew it. It wasn’t as if you had been directly involved in anything that went down in Germany, and the man was actually quite fond of you, but at the end of the day, he knew that you would choose Steve and Bucky over anything. And that was seen as a threat to the government.

So you sat in the cell you had been shoved into, one across from Sam, sitting on the floor with your back against the wall and drumming your fingers along the ledge of your door.

A sudden ruckus from beyond the room that your cells were in made everyone in the room's heads snap up and towards the source of the noise.

Quickly, you scampered to your feet, because you knew right away what it was.

Sure enough, the door opened and in walked Steve, everyone’s night and shining armor.

He rushed around the room, unlocking everyone's cells and setting them free before finally getting to yours.

Similar breaths of relief left your lips in sync and you pulled each other in for a hurried hug before pulling away, “Are you alright?” He asked, eyes scanning over your features for any sign of injury.

You smiled reassuringly, “I’m fine, Steve.” You glanced behind his shoulder to where everyone was milling around, “Now let's get the hell out of here.”

Oh

“Are you sure about this?” Steve asked as you both strode over to where Bucky sat on a medical table.

“You don’t have to do this, Buck. You know that, right?” You chewed on your bottom lip as you spoke.

He looked up at both of you, “I can't trust my own mind.” His lips pulled into a sad smile, “So until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head, I think going back under the ice is the best thing.” Then he added, “For everybody.”

Though you didn’t agree, nor want him to do it, you still nodded along with Steve, both of you understanding where he was coming from and why he wanted to do this.

You both watched as the Wakandans prepared Bucky for cryostasis and Steve squeezed your hand reassuringly.

As much as you knew that this was what Bucky wanted and thought was best, you still couldn’t bring yourself to look as they put him in the chamber and turned the machine on. Instead, you moved to stare out the window.

“He’s going to be alright, you know,” Steve spoke softly as he came to stand next to you.

“I know,” You sighed, crossing your arms over yourself, “It’s just, after everything, I can’t help but worry.”

“Me too,” He agreed, nodding his head, “But this time, everything is under his terms.” He turned to look at you, “He’ll get the help he needs here.”

You smiled gently at the man, “I hope so.”

All I know

“Steve,” You sobbed as you collapsed into the man’s chest, “What’s happening?” The words were desperate, rushed, and slurred.

“We lost,” The man breathed out, as if he was unable to comprehend his own words.

This wasn’t supposed to happen, there were so many of them against Thanos, some of the strongest in the galaxy. Everyone was supposed to have made it through this battle- Bucky was supposed to have made it. But he along with half of the universe had been ripped out of existence by the mere snap of a finger.

You had watched in complete horror from the Wakandan castle as soldiers and avengers all around you turned into dust and disappeared into the wind.

Of course, you in your panicked mind had immediately forced you to seek your two best friends out, only for one of them to still be standing.

“Bucky, Bucky,” You continued sobbing even harder.

How many times had you gone through this? How many times had you already lost one of your best friends? How many more times were you going to be forced to go through this?

The uncomfortably familiar feeling of your heart being ripped out and torn to shreds before your very eyes settled over you as you desperately clung onto Steve as if he was your only lifeline. Which, at the moment, he was.

“We lost,” He whispered again, holding you closer as tears of his own began to trek like waterfalls down his cheeks, “We lost.”

All I know

Five years. Five whole years before the remaining avengers were finally able to pull together and figure out a way to bring everyone that had been lost back.

It wasn’t easy, but after five of the hardest years of your life, you would have gone to any lengths to ensure that the universe could be whole once more.

A thousand different emotions hit you like a bullet train as you stared with an unbelieving gaze at Bucky, who stood beside Steve.

Both of them, side by side. One having returned from the dead- again.

With the first sob of happiness you had let out in years, you sprinted to close the rest of the distance between you and the man and barreled your body into his, feeling him catch you and hold you close with ease.

Steve smiled tearfully, placing a hand on each of your shoulders before pulling you both in for a group hug.

No time might have passed for Bucky, but for you and Steve, you couldn’t spend another moment away from the man. Not with the knowledge that he had finally returned.

Loving you is a losing game

Steve came to a stop in front of you and Bucky, giving you each a long look full of love for his best friends, “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” He joked softly, shifting the case of infinity stones in his hand.

“How can we?” You asked on a second nature you had developed back in the earliest days of your friendship with the boys.

“You’re taking all the stupid with you.” Bucky finished, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pocket as he spoke with a small, fond smile.

Steve smiled and both men immediately stepped forward and hugged each other tightly, and you watched from the sidelines as they did so.

When they pulled away, the blond man turned his attention to you, sadness beginning to cloud his features, “Will you be-“

“I’ll be fine, Steve.” You cut him off with a reassuring smile.

You knew that despite everything you had gone through together since waking up in a completely different time period, he still saw you as the terrified person who had no idea what was going on in the world around her. He still saw his best friend that he felt the need to protect.

But even though you were still and always would be his best friend, you weren’t the same girl that needed protecting anymore. You had time and you finally adjusted to the world around you, growing more and more confident in it- and yourself- by the day.

And it’s not like you would be alone, you would still have Bucky with you.

Just as the man seemed to hesitate once more, you wrapped your arms around him and pulled him in for a tight hug, Steve automatically reciprocating the gesture.

When you both slowly pulled away, you leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, hands releasing his arms and allowing him to step away for what you knew to be the last time.

“I’m gonna miss you, buddy.” There was an undetectable emotion in Buckys voice as he spoke.

“It’s gonna be okay, Buck.” The blue-eyed man reassured him kindly.

“Punk,” The word slipped past Bucky's lips, almost as if he hadn’t meant them to.

“Jerk,” A smile pulled at the corners of Steve’s own lips.

You shook your head back and forth softly, “Idiots.”

Both you and Bucky shifted to stand side by side as Steve walked up onto the platform and got ready to depart to bring all of the infinity stones back to their rightful times.

As Sam and Bruce went over the directions with them, the blond made eye contact with you and Bucky one last time, and you gave him a nod that said a thousand things.

It’s alright. We’ll be fine. You’ve done so much. Go, you deserve your own happiness.

With a small countdown from the Hulk, Steve Rogers disappeared from where he had been standing on the platform, and Bucky moved to wrap his non-metal arm around your shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.

After five seconds had passed and there was still no sign of Captain America, Sam and Bruce began panicking, but yours and your best friend's eyes knowingly traveled across the field and towards a bench that overlooked a beautiful waterfront.

When the other two avengers realized what was happening, Sam began floating over to where Steve Rogers- now considerably older- sat with his back towards the group. He paused though, glancing at you and Bucky for confirmation, to which you both nodded.

Hanging back to give the two of them some space, you rested your head on Bucky’s shoulder, watching as they interacted, knowing you would never have the chance to do that again with Steve.

“Hey,” Bucky nudged you softly, “We’ll be okay.”

You smiled softly up at him, “I know we will.”

We Are Groot 🤎- @lovanitu @jvdethirlwall @ineedmorefanfics2 @sambucky8 @spidyyparker @irethepotato @femalemarvelself @mukbee @its-hell @ip747 @i-writes-things @popfishjr @mitsuki-murakami @mythixmagic @ladyagagaslefttoe @etanordoesbullsh1t @wolfmoonmusic @nutellani @hyunzrii @kiyomi-uchiha777

[laf-outloud]

I hope it's okay to vent to you about this.

I am in disbelief. I didn't like it when Jensen said to "hate watch" the show or added in the would-be gaslighting line of "were you ever a real SPN fan in the first place?" I didn't care for how overgrown frat boy and egotistical ass he came across as in the MR podcast last year, especially about Jessica Alba. It just reeked of misogyny and typical toxic male performativity. But this "Suck it" takes the cake for me. Talk about an eye opener. How extremely unprofessional and petty.

Obviously, there's no video to watch to give context this time around but I'm thinking he knows that (based on the rules enforced there) and he has his wife with him and a room full of asskissers so he felt incredibly comfortable and said "fuck it" and said what he wanted to say when asked.

I was never an anti per se, of him or the show, but I did have criticisms of both (like so many others) and they were all legitimate. Despite that, I still gave the show a chance and it was appallingly bad. Even his Dean voiceovers were terrible (not once did it sound like Dean). And the thing with AU story telling is, you can't leave the full exposition until the end of a season (or movie) without some build-up. Even if they were completely full of shit and they came up with that in the 11th hour near the finale, they easily could have gone the route of "that's why there's so many things off about this universe like Carlos' hair trick and not sounding like Dean in the voiceovers and the Akrida" and it still would have been a better explanation than "suck it" and "everyone else has an AU multiverse, why not us?" (I guess people weren't wrong when they said he's desperate to be in the Marvel franchise or at least have a career comparable to RDJ). It makes no sense to leave that full exposition until the end (and they know it) because it negates any true interest and investment that an audience would have had in the ensemble cast that had been set up in the pilot, and in their universe and story line. By doing that in the end, it essentially did make it "The Dean Show". I don't have an issue with Dean being the person to pull the strings, but make it make sense; this is basic story crafting 101 for crying out loud.

The amount of vanity and smugness and overall ego that he is displaying right now is very off putting. The signs have all been there for the last couple of years, especially in this last year, but I still kept thinking "well, I don't necessarily have to be in love with him or up his ass to enjoy the work he puts out, he still played Dean for 15 years and I love Dean" but now, this really just puts me off of him for good. I have no desire to root for him or have any more interest to see what he's up to or even to see what asinine thing he says at the next con.

As much as I like Jared, when prequelgate happened, I stayed out of the ensuing drama. I could empathize with Jared, having been in a sort of similar situation myself (meaning I had taken to social media in the past, reacting to something that hurt me and making it public, and things snowballed from there) and I thought "the guy's human, why can't people understand that, he reacted to something that hurt him and caught him off guard, why hate on him, especially since he and Jensen talked it out so why continue the drama bullshit". I didn't agree with those defending Jensen by saying he didn't know about the announcement until it happened a few minutes prior, but I still loved J2 basically. But wow, Jensen has really gone further downhill in this past year alone, and I think it's abundantly clear that the reason he looks so miserable lately and appears to be drinking so much (I mean how many photos have we seen of this man in a social setting where he has a drink or can or bottle in his hand?) is maybe what others have said, he really cannot handle the reality check of realizing that not everyone kisses his ass. That not everyone accepted his show with open arms. That his name and persona weren't enough to ensure immediate success. That he wasn't thought of as the best producer ever. And if Danneel really does look at anti blogs, which there seems to be good evidence for especially since she mentioned Tumblr at NYCC all on her own, then I wonder how much she either showed him or made him aware of, especially since they now were both "producing" their own show and were most likely being told what the reactions were to TW (which is even more evidenced by Drake's explanation of the writers constantly changing the episode arcs in response to the feedback from fans and criticisms alike).

And the thing is, Jensen can sit there and tell himself that it was prequelgate or people bitching about canon issues, but the ratings speak for themselves. And even more so, the fact that additional producers were brought in, stunt casting had to be relied on, negative press (dislikes, comments, poll results) had to be requested to be removed, reshoots had to be done, the lack of promotion by said "original producers" (who expected their names to be enough to sell it but didn't bank on reinforcing that with engagement?), the finale not being turned into the network until 2 days before airing (and admitting that publicly) - all of this speaks to just how poorly this show was produced and a real leader (in any industry) automatically knows that it all starts with the top. That's what separates a leader from a boss (as you aptly pointed out in an earlier post of yours when highlighting the difference between Jared and Jensen in the EP roles). To echo your earlier sentiments, a boss is a guy who sits on his ass while the employees they hired do all of the back breaking work. They're only there to reinforce their title, "be the face" of the company, and collect all of the profits. Leaders dig in and get their hands dirty alongside their employees. They provide support where it's needed (like say the restaurant industry for example) and they do whatever it takes to turn out a successful product or service. Leaders even have a different type of mindset compared to bosses. Leaders want to flood the harbor to lift all of the boats at the same time so everyone will be successful which helps the end result; bosses only want their boat rising while all of the others stay below. And it's pretty sad to say that Jensen has now proven himself to be the latter. Telling your young cast not to "fuck it up" and explaining to one of your leads how to stand to appear taller on camera (the same young actress you seem to have a preoccupation with that gives off seriously creepy vibes - filming her while she's singing at SNS on your phone that people actually saw you do? no matter your intentions, that's yuck) in comparison to your other lead isn't being a leader. Admittedly sitting in your car, waiting for fires to put out (which obviously there were a ton and either they knew and didn't care or no one told them but it proves they didn't care enough to have their finger on the pulse because it wouldn't provide them with an immediate cashflow) does not a leader make. They'd already be there with fire extinguisher in hand, at the ready, making sure a fire wouldn't even have a chance to start.

Jensen and Danneel came up with this idea, and I would say Jensen is more responsible here because he got the idea approved, he attached his name to it, he was the one in the show for 15 years, he's obviously the one who expected the most to come from this. (and I still have yet to know what Danneel did other than make a playlist, support Jensen's ego 100%, go along for the EP credit ride, and give some input on the costuming). So that means it all starts with him. He may not like it but that's what a real leader would realize. If your project fails, it's not on your cast/employees or your union workers/crew or even your manager/showrunner; it's on you. You set the tone (as he and Jared both have stated time and time again, EP's, directors, and lead actors set the tones on sets). It's your production company (no matter how you got it). It's on you, pal.

This is very disappointing and a little disheartening if I"m honest. It looks as if those who said he was a selfish, greedy, lying, egotistical son of a bitch were right all along. And some people can blame his wife or her influence, but this appears to be all him, which makes me wonder just exactly what she deals with on a daily basis and what we don't see or hear. Not giving her a pass on her own behaviors but it does make me wonder, especially if he's this narcissistic. Either way, it's just sad.

Thanks for letting me get that out. I was so incredibly disappointed and frustrated with some of his reported comments. Ugh. Hope the rest of your night goes well!

Of course you can vent to me! I hope it helped you to write it all down and share.

I really can't add much else to what you've written. I think you've outlined just about every thought I've had about this whole debacle since it started. I was like you, initially. I didn't want to get involved in the prequel mess and kind of just watched from the sidelines (though I did side with Jared). After it became obvious that there was absolutely no remorse on Jensen's part, I joined in the conversations.

There were occasions when it seemed like maybe Jensen had hit rock-bottom and was ready to return to being the person we thought we knew from SPN, but a week or two later and he'd say or do something arrogant again and it really hasn't stopped. I don't know what rock-bottom looks like for him, I hope he doesn't have to reach that in order to turn things around, and for all we know, he never will. I'm just grateful TW is over and pray that Jensen's obsession with continuing SPN/Dean is over.

On a personal note, it's interesting that you should point out the leader/boss ask (credit to one of my anons for the Boss/Leader differences). My retired director texted me today looking for travel advice and your post reminded me of what a great director she was. She always got involved in the nitty-gritty of what we were doing, she respected us and our ideas, frequently asked our advice (even though we knew the final decision was hers), and she knew how to manage getting the job done while still having fun. Her leadership style reminds me a lot of how people describe Jared's. (She and her husband even showed up on a Saturday to help me move to my new house!) If you ever find yourself working with a fantastic leader, stick with them. They don't come around that often.

Thank you for sending in your thoughts! I truly enjoyed reading them and found myself nodding along quite frequently. I hope you have an enjoyable day/evening as well!