#CA:CW i'm looking at YOU

[cowboyhorsegirl]

thinking abt how good the mcu could've been if it was good

[voylitscope]

Hey, does everyone remember when, in CA:TWS, after being shot three times, and while bleeding out, and while on a hellicarrier that was rapidly crashing into the Potomac, Steve climbed down that hellicarrier, so that he could lift a massive piece of the hellicarrier off of a trapped Bucky? (Bucky, who at that point did not recognise/remember Steve and was, you know, the one who shot Steve?) And remember how it looked like it was a real struggle for him to lift it, even though he's Steve, because, I assume, it was incredibly heavy, and also because he'd been shot three times, and also because the hellicarrier was actively crashing and exploding? And, obviously, what comes immediately after Steve pulling this piece of hellicarrier off Bucky is him saying things like "you know me," and "you've known me your whole life," and "I'm not gonna fight you," and worst of all, "then finish it, 'cause I'm with you 'till the end of the line." And dropping his shield into the Potomac. And all of that is heartbreaking and amazing and astoundingly romantic, no matter how many times you see it.

But. I was rewatching CA:TWS, and it struck me that the lifting Hellicarrier piece specifically, is such a moment. It's such a Steve sort of thing. It's one of the several things, strength/ability-wise, that Steve will do — for Bucky — throughout his films that he had to have NO IDEA if he could actually do before he attempted(like stopping that helicopter in CA:CW). But of course he does it, because Bucky is trapped under there, and Bucky looks terrified, and the hellicarrier is crashing, and Steve's gotta get Bucky outta there, and Steve has to help him, and Steve has to go him, and Steve has to — because it's Bucky. And — Steve is filled with so much determination and love and devotion. The love he has fueling that moment is so immense and intense.

And it is really, really getting to me on this thousandth rewatch of CA:TWS.

This really is the most romantic movie of all time.

[gremlin-girly]

Flufftober Day 4

From: @flufftober

Prompt: Market Day

Title: The Love of Plums

Pairing: Bucky x gn!Reader

Warnings/tags: FLUFF, CW!Bucky but mostly tooth rotting fluff (with a hint of sad! This is CW Bucky after all), no beta

Summary: You go shopping at the market for plums for a baked treat and share a cute moment with a stranger over plums.

Word count: 1.2k

A/N: This is more of a wholesome moment between Bucky and reader, rather than a big ol' romantic one. The man just wanted his plums in CA:CW and I couldn't resist with this prompt😌 Although if anyone noticed that Bucky holds the plum with his left hand... I'm sorry- Love, Grem x

I hope you enjoy! Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated 💜 Dividers by: @/saradika-graphics

Prev | Next | Masterlist

Spiced plum jam. Apple and plum loaf. Caramelised plum tart.

You stood before the box of plums in awe, ideas swirling in your head as you stared at the big, purple orbs in front of you.

Poached plums and figs with brie, spread on crunchy, toasted bread....

Your mouth started to water. You couldn’t come to the market and not get some plums. Especially when they looked this delicious and ripe. They were just the right amount of squidge which meant they were juicy too.

“I’ll take ten.” You tell the shopkeep, who smiles down at you as he fixes a brown paper bag with ten huge plums, uttering the price.

“Don’t eat them all at once,” He chuckles, handing the bag  to you and taking the money from your outstretched palm. The exchange is swift, friendly, and a mutual understanding of pride and admiration between farmer and cook.

You flash a grin to the shopkeep as you head back through to the main thrum of the market.

“I’ll try my best!”

You’re clutching your brown paper bag tightly to your chest like your life depends on it. The market was busier than usual today and you’d be dammed if you wasted another moment not eating a juicy plum.

The crowd parts briefly and you spot a bench just off the path beneath some trees. You make a bee-line for it, weaving quickly and smoothly through the throng of people. The trees rustle above you, cascading leaves in hues of bronze, gold and yellow onto the path. It was a crisp autumn day. There was a breeze but it wasn't too cold, not yet anyway, but a clear signal of the change in season.

You dig a hand into your plum bag, pulling out one of your many treasures, looking out over the market. Your bag remains perched on your lap as you watch buyers yell out deals, prepare food or bags of goods and haggle with customers. All sorts of different smells mingled together; from newly fried donuts and coffees and fresh vegetables and fruits all the way to savoury pastries and the fish stall. It was a myriad for the senses and always the highlight of your week when you could come.

You go to take a bite out of your plum when something shifts in your right peripheral. Your eyes flicker beside you and you're startled to find a man next to you. He's sat on the other side of the bench with a backpack strapped to him and there's a baseball cap casting a shadow over his handsome features. He's not looking at you but over at the market, wearing a forlorn expression that makes your chest ache gently.

You don't know him. You don't know what his story is. But from that expression alone, you know he needs something good to happen today.

You glance down at the plum in your hand thoughtfully and then back to him. You shuffle a little closer, awkwardly steadying the paper bag on your lap, when he looks over to you wide eyed and nervous.

You hold out the plum in your hand to him with a soft, friendly smile.

“Plum?”

He looks over at you like the human equivalent of a question mark.

“You... want one? Sorry, maybe I should have clarified instead of announcing it’s a plum.”

He still looks at you strangely, as if he's surprised by the friendly gesture, but there's a ghost of a smile as he looks between you and the purple sphere in your hand. He tentatively holds out a gloved palm and you place the plum into his hand. He squishes it gently, glancing at it with concentration like he’s trying to feel for something.

“They’re perfect aren’t they?” You say watching him, trying to hype up the plum to him. "They're ripe so they'll be extra sweet."

The stranger says nothing but still looks appreciatively at the plum in his hand, rolling it between his thumb and palm.

You point to the direction of the stall, babbling a little to try to fight the awkwardness of the one-sided conversation you were having. “The stall is just over there. I’d go before they sell out.”

He follows your finger, gaze cautious and alert, but he nods.

"Thanks," he mumbles in a gruff voice, which makes you stifle a sigh of relief. You offer him another smile as you retrieve a new plum for yourself, toasting it to him before taking a large, long-awaited bite. Plum juice trickles down your chin and your free hand rushes to cup it before it stains your clothes. You mutter a curse around the plum flesh, blushing a little when you hear a quiet chuckle from the man beside you.

"What did I say?" You try for a charming smile but your mouth is still covered with plum juice and flesh. "Ripe."

The stranger's smile widens and he shakes his head quietly. You can't help the warmth that spreads in your chest at the sight. He looks even more handsome when he smiles; the furrowed brows of anxiety replaced with crinkles around his eyes. You give him a delicate nudge with your elbow.

"Your turn."

He considers it a moment, regarding the plum, before taking a shy bite of his own. Plum juice still manages to dribble down his chin, causing you to stifle a giggle. The stranger's eyes widen with delight, wiping his face with a free gloved hand and he's still smiling.

"They are ripe," he chuckles and takes another bite.

"I did warn you." You mimick his action and take another bite, smaller than your last thankfully. A comfortable silence settles between you as you eat the plums, a soft breeze blowing leaves gently over both of your feet.

"Thank you." The stranger says quietly, after he's finished eating. "That was...nice of you."

You flash another smile. "No problem."

He smiles back and silently rises to his feet, towering above you. Your gaze travels up his form, lingering a little too long when you realise your still mid-way through a bite of plum.

"I... Hope you have a good day." You say gently.

He nods again, cheeks dusting pink. "You too. I... think I might take a look at those plums actually."

"Tell the shop keep the weirdo that bought ten plums sent you. He might give you a discount." You chuckle, earning you another soft, eye-crinkling smile.

"I will. Thanks."

"Stop thanking me. You've said it three times." You huff, mock-annoyed, and then grin. "See ya 'round."

"See you." He nods again and you watch him melt away into the crowd in the direction of the fruit stall with the delicious plums.

You sigh softly into the air, enjoying the final moments of peace with your plum. You wonder if you helped to make the stranger's day better, and if you'll bump into him at the market again. As you leave the market with your (now eight) plums in tow, you think about the stranger and wonder if he will remember you but you shake your head of the thought. It was a fleeting moment of kindness between strangers. You'd probably never see him again. You'd probably not remember him, let alone him remember you.

However, you would be wrong. James Buchanan Barnes always remembered one of the first acts of kindness he experienced after escaping HYDRA. One of the first times he smiled in a very long time.

He never forgot the stranger and their plums.

[whatonearthisgoingon]

Okay, so someone has probably already made this point, but I want to take a look at the two teams in CA:CW.

First we have Team Cap, the group against the Accords. According to the Accords, those deemed too powerful can be arrested without a trial. Steve (+1), Bucky (+1), and Wanda (+1) are three people who can not change what they are. Their abilities are apart of them. Two of them are super soldiers, and Wanda's powers are due to experiments done on her. They can't just turn off or take off their powers. Ontop of this, the government is actively against Bucky, with a shoot to kill order for him. Without the Accords going on, there would still be issues between Steve, Bucky, and the government; the Accords were just the push over the edge. Going back to being dangerous under the Accords' standards, the government could even push Clint (+0.5) into this superhuman category due to his numerous skills, such as his enhanced eyesight, and incredible skills with archery. It would be really difficult to prove, but the government could do it, especially if they just need to say: "Hey, you're too strong: no trial, in jail." That leaves Sam (+0) and Scott (+0), who can both take off their powers simply by removing the suit, becoming essentially normal dudes. Scott is familiar with what it's like to be a criminal, leading him to side with Steve. Sam is one of Steve's best friends at this point, so he would clearly pick his side no matter what. Group danger from the Accords total: 3.5 points.

Now I want to look at Team Ironman.

T'challa (+0), Tony (+0), and Rhodey (+0) can all get rid of their "powers" by taking off the suit and calling it a day. On top of that, T'challa is a king of a nation. I'm not even sure if he can be affected by the Accords, due to some international/royal immunity or whatever; he's essentially just here to get revenge on Bucky. Peter (+1), is a child, doing what his role model told him to do. I dont think he even has full knowledge of the details of the Accords. He's actually one of the only people on this team that can be seriously hurt by the Accords, further proving his ignorance. "'Look kid. There's a lot going on here that you don't understand.' 'Mr. Stark said you'd say that.' 'Stark tell you anything else?' 'That you're wrong. You think you're right. That makes you dangerous.'" (Convo between Peter and Steve). His information is coming from Stark and Stark alone. Stark wants the Accords, because he thinks the Avengers need to be in check. He has issues with anxiety and depression, plus has a different mentality than Steve. Tony, after a battle, first looks and sees all the people the Avengers didn't save, or accidently hurt, in the fight. Meanwhile Steve first sees all the people they did save by fighting. Tony wants the team to be put in check, because of his mentality. Steve is worried that with the Accords, he will be sent to fight battles that don't need to be fought, instigating and creating chaos rather eliminating it (with the Accords, the government controls where the team goes and where the team doesn't go). However, Tony is one of the ones, who just takes off the suit, and he's safe from the Accords. This makes the accords even more appealing to him, "We can be in check like we need to be!" He's not paying attention to the in jail with no trial part because he can't be arrested for being "too dangerous" by simply existing. Even if he was in danger of the Accords for being "too powerful," the government is greedy. There is a chance that Stark could buy himself out of jail from the Accords. Do I think he would? No. Do I think he can? Yes. That leaves Natasha (+0.5) and Vision (+0.5). Natasha is all fighting skill, not superhuman abilities, a similar scenario to Clint. She's safe if the government doesn't push too hard on her, which, due to the side she took, most likely wouldn't happen. Vision is complicated; he's not human, he's a robot with feelings due to the Stone. Would the government arrest him, I don't know, but I think Vision would respect he is dangerous and simply sit in a cell and deal with it. If he was bored or didn't agree with the sentencing, I think he'd simply phase through the wall like he did at the beginning of CW and simply leave and fly away. Group danger from the Accords total: 2

In the end, Team Cap (3.5 danger points) is much more effected by the Accords than Team Ironman (2 danger points) is. While the Accords effect everyone in terms of where they can and can not fight, at least Team Ironman is in much less danger of being arrested for existing. I think that these things should all be looked at when we do the whole, Team Cap vs. Team Ironman, who is right.

[minothtime]

idk why bucky barnes is trending today but i will stand firm on my stance that even after being free from hydra, he only could make very few choices for himself (running away from the US, revealing he did remember Steve, being frozen in wakanda). He was still being influenced and even pushed around as a consequence of the choices those around him made, with him having barely any say in the matter

this, of course, in full and complete opposition to Steve, whose entire storyline is based around the innumerable choices he makes, caring but ultimately willing to let those around him suffer the consequences he might see as fully avoidable ("just don't help!"). when confronted with his ability to choose being taken away, he rebels and thrashes and refuses to stand down (CA:TWS, CA:CW, etc.) until Thanos happens and suddenly he cannot do anything about it.

all of this, of course, becomes quite interesting if we take a look at the bigger picture: the relationship between the two (be it romantic, platonic, or however you interpret it) is usually depicted as Steve choosing to do something against everyone's wishes (usually related to Bucky's safety) and Bucky making a choice that doesn't really feel like a choice (usually related to Steve's safety)

this does fit them: rash, impulsive yet unendingly loyal Steve doing what he thinks is best for Bucky, the only one who has followed him to certain death... or something like that, I don't know, maybe I'm projecting

[lokigodofaces]

Someday I want to write a fic where season 3 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't take place at literally the same time as Captain America: Civil War (I'd probably have AoS take place after so that Daisy isn't off on the run?) so that AoS isn't busy dealing with Hive during ca:cw and are able to deal with other things.

Because in s3 Hydra is still around and still infiltrating the US government! And the last time they fight Hydra in the modern time is in s5! Plus s4 shows many former members of Hydra turning around and joining another corrupt organization, the Watch Dogs, and they've got a senator on their side! So clearly the government should not be trusted at all because Hydra is still screwing with them! Which is why I think the Sokovia Accords are ridiculous, but that's a topic for another day.

But Steve told Sam and Sharon how he thought it was suspicious that it was conveniently Bucky that "bombed" the UN. Oh no, he's missing, no one cares to search outside of Steve, but if he murders people he'll be found in no time. Oh, and Hydra hasn't been completely eradicated from the world governments yet. Steve obviously had no idea who Zemo was or what his motivations were at this moment, so the obvious answer to him is that the CIA had been infiltrated by Hydra and this all was a ploy to get to Bucky again. And they did it at the perfect time when the Avengers were split by the Sokovia Accords (which very well might have been by orchestrated by Hydra too!) and the public was leaning more and more anti-enhanced individuals. Of course you can incarcerate without a trial or any real investigation, enhanced people are nothing more than weapons and you wouldn't put a gun on trial so why a super soldier? Obviously it didn't end up being Hydra at fault but it makes sense why Steve could think that, especially since the next time he sees Bucky he is in Winter Soldier mode!

Now imagine S.H.I.E.L.D. seeing this crap. They darn well know that Hydra is still out there and still within several governments. And they very well could make the same assumption Steve made. Also they potentially know for a fact that Bucky didn't bomb the UN. You know how S.H.I.E.L.D. kept an eye on Bruce pre-Avengers but kept their distance while keeping everyone else off his back? Maybe they did the same thing with Bucky so they know dude never left Bucharest. But it's in their interest to make sure Hydra doesn't get their hands on Bucky again.

So now I'm just imagining S.H.I.E.L.D. just showing up and breaking Bucky, Steve, and Sam out. I haven't worked out exactly how I'd want it to go but I'm imagining that similar to how the US government created the Alien Threat Containment Unit that kind of replaced S.H.I.E.L.D. in handling alien threats, they probably had something similar that was meant to weed out Hydra. So they come posing as members of this anti-Hydra unit and basically straight up tell Ross their concerns of how darn easy it would be for Hydra to exploit Bucky again and say that they have to do an investigation (because the CIA is doing every atrocious thing possible to screw over Bucky, certainly is starting to look like that Ross could be affiliated with Hydra) and that they will protect Bucky both from Hydra and blatant human rights violations.

Obviously Coulson can't show up because of Steve, Tony, and Natasha being there, but he's nearby with the quinjet ready to help if needed. But I'm imagining many of them being there. May is the one they say has to stay with Bucky (because she's the Cavalry. Natasha, Steve, and Sharon know who she is. Everyone trusts her ability to fight off Hydra/fight Bucky). Koenig would be there as like an administrative person (okay but what if both Sam and Billy are there but they both go by the same name and are never in the same room together? So then they can be in two places at once, finding ways to get out? I like it). Daisy could be there as the person who investigates the computer system (and also ends up hacking to get them out of there). Clearly Hunter can pull off being a lawyer so he can do that again (is it again if this before s5? lol). On that same note, Bobbi's already pulled off being an investigator of spies in Hydra before so I think she could investigate Ross specifically which would distract the leader and keep the facility more open to escape. That actually would be one heck of a resume for her to say that she pulled an Uno reverse card on Hydra and infiltrated them. I haven't figured out what FitzSimmons and Mack could do, but I'm sure there's something they could do that is scientific/mechanic. Or they could also be investigating. Actually, one of them has got to be near Sam and Steve so that they can get them out of there too.

Anyway, their plan works and they manage to get Bucky, Steve, and Sam out of there while dropping evidence that Zemo had infiltrated the CIA. Not just there. But Daisy drops it online. So everyone knows that Bucky was framed and the CIA didn't even bother to investigate whether he actually did the bombing or not. But they all get out of there, Steve learns about Coulson, Zemo gets arrested. This whole thing severely damages the Sokovia Accords' reputation and people start pushing back against it. And Bucky, Steve, and Sam keeping hanging out with S.H.I.E.L.D., and eventually tons of the other Avengers join them since the government starts doubling down (to which S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps responding in similar fashion).

Idk, I think it could be a fun fic to write.

[gunsandspaceships]

Review of some anti-Tony comments from Ao3. Part 6

Let’s talk more about things from Part 1 today:

 “Tony was actively attacking someone from behind, who was just trying to leave.”

Eh? So how did that happen that he only attacked from behind ONCE? Semi-behind, to be exact - see my post with Part 1. Why Bucky tried to leave if he was innocent? Just like he did before with T’Challa. “Why did you run?”.

I’ll add the extension of that statement here so we could figure the whole thing out: “Steve was actively defending said person in any way, even if that meant attacking Tony from behind.

And before you get on me about how I'm being hypocritical - it's been done - it isn't the action that's being criticized, it's the WHY behind the action. Tony repeatedly attacked someone from behind who was only trying to flee the scene vs Steve repeatedly attacked someone from behind to protect his best friend from being killed. That's the difference between the two. You can't hold them to the same standard when their reasons for doing the same action are complete opposites. It isn't the action; it's the reasons BEHIND the action.”

Let’s think about the most appropriate thing Bucky could do in the scene instead. Well, first he could say “I’m sorry”. That would be a good start. Doesn’t matter if he was brainwashed or not – his hands were used. “Sorry” is always good in such situations. He didn’t do that.

Instead he raised his gun at Tony and was ready to fire at his face (CA:CW 2:03:15). Yes, Tony hit Cap there. But it was for a reason. And you simply don’t point a gun at a guy who just watched his parents die by your hands, if you are innocent and truly regret this. It was so wrong to attack him that it just showed Bucky’s position “there’s nothing to explain and nothing to apologies for”, if the best thing Bucky could do is to raise his gun and run. Low and cowardly.

But we should actually take a closer look at that scene (starting from 2:02:17), because it’s even more complicated if we watch the scene frame by frame.

2:01:33 – Tony is watching the video of his parents’ death. Steve looks at him with a very interesting expression. At him, not at the video. He already knows what’s going on there. He is looking at Tony for his reaction.

2:01:38 – focus on Bucky who looks a bit regretful, looking at the floor first, but then raising his eyes to Tony.

2:01:53 – Tony hears his father saying “Sergeant Barnes” and his mother calling “Howard!”. Tony glances at Bucky.

2:02:05 – Winter Soldier hits Howard in the head and kills him. Tony’s expression tells us he is enraged.

2:02:25 – Winter Soldier kills Maria, strangling her with his biological hand.

2:02:33 – video ends with Winter Soldier shooting at the camera. Tony is in shock. Steve is looking at him, saying nothing. He had enough time to say something.

2:02:40 – Tony turns to Bucky and makes a step towards him. Not putting his helmet on. He is not attacking yet. Most probably he just wanted to grab him by his jacket and ask some questions or something like that. What Bucky does? He raised his gun at him. We can see tears in his eyes. Why did he do that then?

2:02:42 – Steve says “No, Tony. Tony”. He says that to calm him down, and that would be a good start. But then he does some “stupid-ass decisions”, how Fury would put that.

2:02:45 – Tony turns to him. He is devastated. He just realized something. “Did you know?”. Steve’s eyes are shifting rapidly, and after a long pause (when he was thinking of what to say, I guess), he says “I didn’t know it was him”. By his behavior here we can infer that he is lying. Tony sees it “Don’t bullshit, me Rogers. Did you know?”. Steve looks Tony in the eyes and swallows hard. “Yes”.

Let’s make a digression to show Steve really knew that Bucky killed Tony’s parents.

CA:WS 1:04:50 – Zola is explaining how Hydra eliminated unwanted individuals. Chronicle footage shows Bucky with a sniper rifle and then next frame with news article about Starks’ death. Zola says “Accidents will happen”. Next few frames show Howard in the car in the same position Bucky left him in the CA:CW 2:02:10 scene.  Then Fury’s file is shown, “deceased” – another victim of the Winter Soldier. No need to be a genius to put two and two together. Especially when you don’t know that there were other Winter Soldiers yet. There were no other options – Steve and Nat knew that Howard was killed by Bucky from that exact moment. But let’s add more evidence, shall we?

CA:WS 2:05:28 – Natasha gives Bucky’s case files to Steve. Logic tells us that they should contain his targets. Including Howard and Maria.

CA:CW 2:15:52 – Steve’s letter says “I know I hurt you, Tony. I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents I was sparing you, but I can see now that I was really sparing myself. And I’m sorry…”

Conclusion is pretty clear, isn’t it?

Let’s get back to the pre-fight situation:

So Steve admitted that he knew who killed Tony’s parents (and his own old friend btw).

2:03:05 – Steve’s “Yes” hits Tony. Rogers is just looking at him there. No sorrow or regret in his eyes. Tony loses it.

He is the victim in this scene. He came to help and was betrayed again.

2:03:12 – he hits Rogers with back of his hand. Cap is thrown a couple of steps back.

2:03:15 - Tony puts his helmet on. Now he is going to attack.

Put yourself on his place and answer the question “wouldn’t you act the same way?”. If your answer is “nope, I wouldn’t” - try to pass a CAPTCHA, because you are most probably a robot.

Same moment – Bucky points his gun at Tony. He almost opens fire, but Tony shoots the gun with a repulsor, knocking the weapon out of Bucky's hands. Back to the beginning of this essay – why would you shoot at a victim? Tony, most probably, would just hit him couple of times using his hands, if he had not faced counter aggression.

 Bucky is not running here. He wasn’t trying to run until Steve told him to at 2:04:02. He is attacking Tony. Look at his face (2:03:17). This is not the face of regret or sorrow.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 30 – FIX-IT

Dear Tony, by sirona

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 5,925 Tags: Epistolary, Post-Ca:CW, Meddling Friends

Summary: Once the dust after what no one is referring to as "The Break-up" has settled, Steve starts writing and doesn't seem to know how to stop.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, I love everything about this. The emotions are so raw and real, I feel like a voyeur just looking at their letters. I adore how both sides are treated with sympathy and love, and how they end up finding each other again. This fic is wonderful, and if you haven't read it yet, you absolutely should!

The God of Solid Life Advice by kehinki

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,583 Tags: Alternate Timelines, Fluff, Happy Ending

Summary: It's 2012. Steve is just informed by Loki that Bucky's alive. Loki also tells him some other things.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, the ending of this is so funny, I'm dying. Also, by my own decree, this is what canonically happens in the branching timeline after Endgame, I've decided. I love this fic so much, and I really hope you check it out, because I want you to experience it for yourself!

The Good or Bad Thing by petreparkour

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 10,448 Tags: Time Travel, Exes to Lovers, Secrets

Summary: “It’s the metal suit,” Thor informed Steve, his normally-booming voice tinny over the SHIELD comms. “What did Stark call it—Iron Man?” “But he’s down here,” Steve protested as the Hulk roared in Stark’s face, startling him into waking with a shout. “How could—” “It’s damaged,” Thor reported. “But it looks different. More advanced. And he—ah. He’s carrying you, Captain.” “Please tell me nobody kissed me,” Stark breathed out, and then Stark’s voice suddenly came over the comms, but the man lying next to him hadn’t moved. “Guys, come on, you’re killing me here. What is it, 2012? God, I hate time travel. First, I'm fighting Thanos. Now, I have to deal with my past self and Thor's bad haircut? Oh my God, Cap, yes I hacked their comms, they’re my comms.” Steve nearly opened his mouth to protest that he hadn’t said anything when he realized that this replica of Tony Stark wasn’t speaking to him.

Reasons why I love it: The branching timelines are so interesting here. I love all the interactions between past and present Steve and Tony, and the way that Endgame-Stony manage to kiss and make up is beautiful. This fic is fantastic, and I hope you give it a shot!

Five Seconds by nanasekei

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: NR Words: 3,143 Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Post-Endgame, Getting Together

Summary: From the moment Steve suits up, he knows what he’ll do.

Reasons why I love it: Aaaah, kill me with the bittersweet longing, I'll lay down on the knife every time! This fic is just beautiful, it gives me all of the feels, and the ending is enough to make me cry. I'm so happy they got the outcome they deserve. I once again advocate for this to be canon now, and I won't hear any protests! I love this fic, and I bet you will too, so please go and read it.

The Future is Yet in Your Power by FestiveFerret

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 14,926 Tags: Steve Angst, Time Travel, Pining

Summary: "Now." Wong leaned back in his chair. "What would you do to save this world from Thanos' attack? What would you sacrifice?" "Anything," Steve said. "Anything at all." Wong considered him for a moment, expression unreadable. "There's one thing, maybe."

Reasons why I love it: This fic is the definition of 'things that make me hopeful'. I really love the rules of time travel that Ferret uses here, it's such a cool concept. And the ending is just perfect, I imagine that after this, they face Thanos together and defeat him without anyone else getting hurt. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Definitely check this one out, it's amazing!

[winter-angst]

I'm sorry for this silly question, you might have done this before, but are there Taylor Swift songs you associate with the Hydra husbands? 👀👀

Lover for sure. The song and the album. I can see that song being played as their first dance at their wedding, a vow of forever.

And I can see Brock relating a LOT to this is me trying. Sorting through all his past trauma

Brock could embody Don’t Blame Me when it came to opening up with their higher ups about their relationship

(Look What You Made Me Do for Brock’s cameo in CA:CW lol)

And, in my head, Brock and Jack both live so Jack could relate to Soon You’ll Get Better as he caring for Brock after the building collapsed on him, leaving him permeant disfigured.

Bejeweled for Brock when he’s feeling moody 😂

Those are just a few, I could go on FOREVER.

Thanks for the ask!

[httpwintersoldier]

A little thought/theory on Steve Rogers' "patriotism"

Note: mind you I don't mean to many any "official" conclusions per se, this just got me thinking.

So because Steve Rogers wears the stars and stripes and is named Captain America and all, obviously people always attributed this sort of patriotism to the character itself. Even in the first movie when Steve tours the country as Captain America he is used as the poster child for patriotism and love for the great US of A.

But all the memes and a certain tweet about how "Steve's patriotic ass would see Oppenheimer instead of Barbie" got me thinking, is Steve Rogers really that patriotic? Is he even patriotic at all at any point?

Hear me out:

"Steve joined the army and fought for his country, of course he's partiotic!"

While the part that he joined the army is true, I'm not sure it's true that he was fighting for his country, much less that he'd join the army out of love for his country.

When asked by Erskine why Steve wanted to join the army so much, he says it's because "He hates bullies", no matter who they are. Steve also expresses that he didn't think it was fair or just that there were people out there giving their life and he wasn't.

So Steve's motivations don't come out of love for the nation and what it stands for, but it comes from a place of hate in one hand (hate for the other side involved) and compassion and solidarity (for the men fighting and dying to defeat the greater evil) in the other hand.

So although he was indeed fighting for his country, one could argue that such a thing is an indirect cause of Steve's motivation, putting his patriotism in question given that his motivation didn't stem from the love for his country but for his hate for bullies and from his inability to stand by and watch others die at the end of these "bullies" as he did nothing.

His motivation has always been the same: protect the weak from the powerful.

2. The constant disobedience

A good soldier and a good patriot trusts his country and the people in charge of it. If you have someone constantly questioning the government and are constantly doubting the people who run the country you're not really putting a lot of faith in the country itself (given that the president along with many other government officials is chosen by the people aka the country and that many government officials are chosen by the president elected byb the people).

Someone that distrusts the government and its officials usually doesn't favour the country that much, since what makes the country work are the people in charge.

The thing we see Steve do the most is (arguably) shit on orders he's given to do whatever he feels is right, constantly proving his officials and the people in charge to be goofy, arrogant and incompetent assholes.

We first see this in the flag scene in CA:FA, when they all try to get to the top of a pole to catch the flag and after failing, the superior tells them to fall back in line, and Steve ignores his constant calls to do his schtick and get the flag.

In the same movie he is ordered to just promote the Captain America figure around the country on this goofy tour to which he responds to with a nice "fuck you but have a nice day" by abandoning the tour and rescuing thousands of men (that had been left for dead) on his own despite being told by superiors to just stick to being an actor on the shows.

He then proceeds to refuse to sign the accords in CA:CW further proving his distrust for the government and its officials as well as finding them incompetent and unable to look at a situation and properly evaluate it to say if the Avengers are needed or not (basically saying that America thinks too highly of themselves, will try to solve the issue and then when shit hits the fan it is too late to call the Avengers and they realize that it is actually too much for them to handle).

Steve also becomes a fugitive of the State after (rightfully) defending Bucky and attempting to help him escape after he was wrongly accused of killing T'chaka. Blatanlty going against State officials and their orders, as well as releasing the Avengers that had been caught after becoming fugitives as well.

You can't be much of a patriot if you constantly embarrass your superior officials by disobeying their orders and proving that it was a right choice, or by becoming an enemy of the State and being hunted by the government.

So really I think people just paint him as a patriot because of his branding, because, in my humblest of opinions, his actions do not translate any patriotism at all. If anything they show distrust for officials of the state and its branches.

[scoonsalicious]

Unwanted, Chapter 1: Unarmed, Pt. 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Summary: (For this part only) Following the events of CA:CW, Tony Stark has offered Steve Rogers an olive branch of sorts to bring The Avengers back together. You, CTO of Stark Industries and head of Innovation & Technology for the Avengers' Initiative, have your doubts, as you're not quite ready to forgive Captain America for ripping your family apart just yet. Steve had one condition, however, when agreeing to return to the team, one that's going to turn your life upside down and inside out: If he's coming back to join The Avengers, he's bringing his best friend, Bucky Barnes, with him.

Warnings: (For this part only) Language (obviously), minor mention of alcohol, I'm obviously on Team Tony during the CW; don't come for me, awful jokes, minor use of (Y/N). As always, if I missed any, please let me know.

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: Here's a little preview of Unwanted. In it's current form, it's standing at about 50k words, with about 25k still in editing, and I'm maybe about half done with writing the entire thing? I'm not going to lie, it starts out cute and fluffy, but it's gonna get real angsty and painful. Dear Reader has unresolved emotional trauma and Bucky doesn't understand the importance of boundaries in 21st century relationships. This piece has been my baby for several months now; I really hope ya'll enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917

Taglist: (Please let me know if you'd like to be added!) @blackhawkfanatic

"You're sure you're cool with this, Boss?" you asked Tony Stark, for what was probably the ten thousandth time in the last hour. The two of you were sitting by yourselves off in a corner of the common area of the Avengers Tower while the rest of your team congregated around the bar, eagerly anticipating the official return of Captain America to the Avengers. That, by itself, would be enough to warrant a gathering of Earth's mightiest heroes, but what had everyone in attendance talking was the fact that Steve Rogers wouldn't be returning alone.

Your billionaire employer sighed and swirled his glass of Laphroaig, the amber liquid sloshing along the sides of the tumbler. "I don't love it, Pocket, but it was Cap's only condition for coming back into the fold, and since Barton, Wilson, and Maximoff all went off the reservation with him, it seemed a small price to pay to get everyone back under one roof." He took a swig of his whiskey and smacked his lips.

You couldn't help but smile at his use of your nickname. Thor had inadvertently given it to you when you first met the God of Thunder years ago, remarking for everyone to hear that you were so small and tiny, he could tuck you into his pocket and abscond away with you to Asgard. Somehow, it stuck. You'd hated it at first; it had felt dismissive and condescending, which of course meant that it soon became the only thing the members of your team called you, but the more they used in their daily lives, the more you actually came to love it. It was a brand new, unique identity that came to embody the person you’d become, and the past you’d worked so hard to put behind you. You were more likely to answer to 'Pocket,' now, than you were your legal name, and you were grateful for it.

"Besides," Tony continued with a shrug, "if letting the Barnes thing go means we get the band back together, I'm willing to be the bigger person about it."

You stared at him, impressed. "Well look at you. When did you get so emotionally evolved?"

"Since Pepper told me I needed to start seeing a therapist or she’d leave me once and for all," he admitted to you with a cheeky wink; you both knew that, though Tony drove his partner, Pepper Potts, absolutely insane sometimes, she loved him far too much to ever walk away from him for good. That didn’t stop the threats, though. Lord knows he tried her patience. In your opinion, the woman was a saint.

Your eyes widened at the revelation and you let out a low whistle of appreciation. "You're going to therapy? Wow. Tony, That's amazing. I'm proud of you."

"Oh please," Tony scoffed, "I have much more important things to do than sit on a couch and spill my feelings. Besides, my secrets are too valuable to divulge to an actual human being. I just trained FRIDAY on therapeutic conversational datasets so she can handle all that psychological mumbo jumbo and then I paired that with BARF's augmented reality-- it's seriously the platinum standard in mental healthcare. No awkward silences or judgmental stares, just pure efficiency. You should try it; it’d do you wonders. And the best part? No copays."

You chuckled as you took a sip of your pineapple and Malibu. "Yeah, okay. That completely tracks for you," you told him with a smile. "So, what did Dr. FRIDAY tell you that got you to change your mind about the Barnes situation?"

Furrows appeared between Tony's eyebrows as he took another sip of whiskey to buy time for collecting his thoughts. There was still so much pain in him where Bucky Barnes was concerned. You'd worked for him in some capacity for nearly fifteen years and you'd never seen him as defeated as he'd been when he got off that Quinjet from Siberia. He'd been bloodied, battered and utterly broken, body and soul. Seeing him like that had shattered you, and you never wanted to live through something like that again.

Tony ran you through his experience with his therapeutic innovation, and you had to admit, it was impressive. The system had helped him realize that Bucky Barnes wasn't responsible for the heinous crimes Hydra had brainwashed him into completing, and so his anger over the death of his parents, while justified, had been misdirected.

"Once I processed that, it was a quick jump to realizing we can't be the best version of the Avengers if we only have half the team at home, and it's innocent people who would pay the price for it. So, when I reached out to Cap and he agreed to come back if I agreed to let him bring Barnes with him, well..." Tony trailed off, gesturing vaguely with his hand toward the where the rest of the team was waiting.

"So, you and Rogers are just, what? Good then? All water under the bridge?" you asked him, mild irritation clouding your voice.

"Oh, absolutely not." Tony took another sip of whiskey. "I can work with him again, and I'm glad to, but we're not going to be braiding each other's hair anytime soon."

"Good," you said, raising your glass in a mock toast to Tony. "I'm not quite ready to forgive him on your behalf just yet." Tony had essentially saved your life when you first met him, and he’d continued to support and guide your career to heights you could have never imagined. You'd started as a systems analyst and mechanical engineer at Stark Industries fresh out of college, and under Tony’s mentorship, it wasn’t long before you found yourself rising to the position of the company’s Chief Technical Officer, second in command only to Pepper, now that Tony had passed on the reins to her. All this happened long before he'd ever brought you in to work with him on the Avengers Initiative, and now you spent the majority of your time heading up their Technology and Innovation Department, as well.

Any kind of healthy respect you might have had for your boss had died out a long, long time ago, because Tony Stark  was Tony Stark, but now he was just Tony-- more like an annoying older brother you loved dearly,  whose name just happened to be on your paychecks. You owed him everything and that had earned him your unwavering loyalty. You'd follow him to hell and back again if he asked it of you, though he knew he’d never have to; you’d be paving the path there right alongside him.

The sound of laughter made its way across to you from the other side of the room and you felt warmth at the sound-- everyone, together again and happy. Just a few short months ago, you never would have been able to imagine the scene before you, not after the fight in Berlin and its brutal aftermath. You had thought for sure that this little family you'd found yourself in the middle of had been destroyed beyond repair.

So, you might have had your own reasons to be pissed at Steve Rogers.

"What's Barnes like?" you asked Tony. Having only ever glimpsed him from a distance, or from behind a computer monitor, you'd utilized all the resources at your disposal to dig up as much information on the Winter Soldier as possible, but even your skills hadn't been able to get you what simply didn't exist. "You know I don't like unknown quantities."

Tony seemed to think for a moment. "You mean, aside from being a brainwashed, murderous assassin?"

"Tony," you chastised. You knew that Barnes had spent a good deal of time in Wakanda before coming home to New York, working on having the words that triggered his homicidal alter-ego neutralized. Rogers may not always acted rationally when it came to making decisions about his oldest friend, but you were sure he wouldn’t be bringing Barnes back to the Tower if he posed a serious danger to the rest of you. Right?

"Fine," Tony said, with a typical exaggerated sigh. "Aside from being a former brainwashed, murderous assassin; better?" You rolled your eyes but nodded. "Don't really know, didn't care enough to ask. I'll be happy as long as he doesn't start murdering us all in our sleep. Cap vouches for him, so that counts for something. Maybe not as much as it did once upon a time, but something. But T’Challa seems to think he’s harmless enough now, so that’s good enough for me."

You nodded, taking another sip of your pineapple and Malibu, then leaned back, pensive. "Oh, God," you said after a moment of thought, sitting up in alarm. "You don't think it’s going to be like having an entire extra Rogers around, do you? All '40s morality and emotional repression? Because I am so over having him police my language." It wasn't that you had anything against Captain America as an Avenger, but there was only so much of the Boy Scout act you could take before you started getting nauseous. And okay, fine, you weren't too proud to admit it-- there was a not-so-small part of you that still hadn't forgiven him for what you saw as his blatant betrayal of Tony when he refused to sign the Accords. You'd promised to play nice, though, for the sake of your family, but your personal relationship with The Star-Spangled Man had taken heavy damage since Berlin.

Tony chuckled. "As if you'd ever let Cap's presence keep you from a good profanity. I should put out a swear jar. We could fund that crisis algorithm project of yours off your mouth alone."

"Fuck you, Tony," you uttered with a chuckle, fully aware that he had your number. You never met a four-letter word you didn’t fall immediately in love with.

"And look at that," Tony said with a smirk, "I just made another dollar. Hey FRIDAY, open up a new savings account and deposit a dollar into every time Pocket has a potty mouth."

"On it, Boss," the AI replied cheerfully.

You swore at Tony a few more times for good measure. "I fully intend to financially bleed you dry now, asshole."

"Oh no, I'm shaking in my custom Tom Ford's," Tony mockingly bemoaned, putting his feet, enclosed in the aforementioned ridiculously expensive loafers, up on the coffee table.

Raised voices from the other side of the room caught your attention. You stood up and craned your neck, trying to see what had caused the commotion. "I think they're here, Boss," you said.

"Alright," Tony said, standing up and putting an arm around your shoulder, "big smiles, kiddo. Remember, we're supposed to be happy about this." You suppressed a chuckle as you watched Rogers present Bucky Barnes to the rest of the team. Everyone was welcoming; you wouldn’t have expected any less, but as you watched their body language, the only word that came to mind was guarded. And you completely understood; The Winter Soldier’s reputation had preceded him, after all. There were hugs for Rogers, of course, but no one made any attempt to reach out to his friend.

Despite your overall annoyance with Rogers, you couldn't help but feel some degree of happiness for the giant oaf. When you'd been assigned on a mission with him (which happened fairly frequently, as he was so pathetically abysmal with anything having to do with technology) and ended up having to hole up in a safehouse for an extra couple of days while waiting for extraction, he'd started opening up to you about James Buchanan Barnes, and the reminiscing had made him so happy, you encouraged Steve to tell you everything about this Bucky. After that, the trouble was getting Rogers to stop telling his Bucky stories. If he wasn't sharing tales about growing up with his best friend during the Great Depression and all the absolute mischief they got into, he was sharing war stories of their time together with the Howling Commandos. He'd even shared his grief with you– how painful it had been to watch Barnes fall from that train and the guilt he carried for not being able to save him. He’d confessed to you once that, when he went into the ice, fully prepared to die, there was a part of him that was relieved to be reunited with Barnes in the next life, and waking up some 70 years later to a world where he was still alive but Bucky was still gone had broken his heart all over again. And yet, here they were– together in the next life, after all. If you were a different kind of person, you’d say it was a goddamn miracle. 

Because of the way Rogers described his best friend in those old stories, you were expecting Bucky Barnes to come swaggering along next to him, with a cocksure tilt to his head and a panty-dropping smirk playing along his lips, but the man who accompanied Steve was the furthest thing from that.

He shuffled behind Rogers slowly, looking at the floor and avoiding making eye contact with anyone else from the team. His hair hung long and limp, curtaining off his face as though it were a protective barrier. Though, if it was keeping him away from everyone else, or everyone else away from him, you couldn't be sure. He was much thinner than you'd anticipated, especially for a super soldier– though still extremely muscular, giving you the impression that it had been a long time since he'd let himself indulge in anything more than the bare minimum amount of calories he needed for survival. Tilting your head, you tried to steal a glance at his infamous metal arm, the thing of legends that had turned him from a run-of-the-mill assassin into the stuff of waking nightmares.

But the sleeve of his jacket hung limp, only empty space where the appendage should have been.

Curious. He'd come to Tony Stark's home unarmed. Your hand flew to your mouth to try and stop the uncontrollable snicker that broke loose at your own stupid joke. Tony elbowed you gently in the ribs to shut you up, and you hoped you were too far away and the others too distracted by Steve's introductions to notice you, but that thought flew right out the window when Bucky Barnes' head snapped up at the sound, his eyes locking onto yours from across the room.

"Holy shit," you breathed, knowing another dollar would go into Tony's digital swear jar, but damn if the man didn't have the most striking blue eyes you had ever seen. There were dark circles under them, and he looked incredibly tired, yeah, but they were beautiful. You didn't mean to stare, but you found you couldn't look away, either, and so the two of you were locked into some sort of impromptu staring contest. The longer you looked at him, the more you could sense an overwhelming sadness coming from him, as well as a level of wariness at being in a room full of strangers. It was almost overwhelming.

But then, just as suddenly as it began, the spell was broken. Blinking once, Bucky looked away and you felt the tension vanish from between you.

"What was that about?" Tony asked you in a low singsong voice.

"I have no idea," you answered, honestly. There had been so much pain and loneliness in his eyes. You'd seen eyes like that before, when you were younger and looked at your own reflection in the mirror following a scalding shower with your skin scrubbed raw and bloody. You suppressed a shiver.

Finally, Steve managed to disengage himself and Bucky from the other Avengers and began making his way toward you and Tony. Up close, you were struck by how tall Bucky was. He had to be at least a foot taller than you, if not more. And God, he was handsome. Granted, in a kind of heroin-chic sort of way, but still. A couple of good nights' sleep, a few good meals, some light personal grooming, and... well, there was a very good chance you were going to be in trouble once he got his shit together, that was for sure.

"And Buck," Steve was saying, drawing you out of your ogling, "This is our resident computer genius, Pocket (Y/L/N). You ever need help with anything technology-related, she's your girl."

"A bit of an over-simplified version, Rogers," you said, sticking your hand out to shake Bucky’s, "but yeah, that about covers it."

Bucky looked at you, then down at your hand, making no move to take it.

"What the hell kind of name is Pocket?" he asked, voice rough as though he hadn’t been using it a lot. Pulling your hand back, you shot him an annoyed glare.

"I don't know," you oozed back sarcastically. "What the hell kind of name is Bucky?"

"It's his nickname, Pocket," Steve supplied helpfully, though not without a trace of confusion. You gave him an annoyed, pointed look.

"No shit, Rogers." You turned back to Bucky and spoke slowly, as if to a child. "So, what do you think Pocket is, then?"

"Oh," said Bucky, catching on. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. "Gotcha; m'sorry about that. My manners are rusty from a severe lack of use."

You didn't mean it, but your mouth curved up into a hint of a smile, too. And then, almost as if you couldn't stop yourself from doing it, you found yourself saying "I see you've arrived unarmed."

There was a long, heavy beat of silence as Steve and Tony stared at you, mouths slightly agape, and you wondered if you'd made a critical error. You were just about to punch yourself in the face and claim you had a concussion and therefore couldn't be held responsible for what you said when Bucky burst into laughter.

It was the most beautiful sound you'd ever heard, and it was contagious. Through your own laughter, you risked a glance up at Steve. He was looking back and forth between you and Bucky, an indiscernible look in his eyes, and you couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since he'd heard his best friend laugh. Hell, you wondered how long it had been since Bucky Barnes had laughed at all.

"Pocket," Tony groaned, palming his face, "that was truly terrible, even for you."

"I'm sorry," you said, trying to catch your breath through your burst of giggles. "It just slipped out-- I couldn’t help it. You know once these things come into my head, they just bounce around in there until they fall out. I didn't mean it."

Steve smiled at you. "So that's what you were snickering at," he said, amused. Damn that enhanced super soldier hearing. Rogers didn't need to be so nosy with it.

You shrugged. "What can I say? Bad jokes are my superpower. Don't be jealous that all you got was super strength and a six pack, Rogers."

Bucky laughed again, then nudged Steve playfully with his elbow. "I like this one, Stevie," he said. "She's funny."

You weren't sure why, exactly, but something in Bucky's words turned your insides into a warm puddle of goo.

Oh, you were going to be in trouble, indeed.

Next Part ->

[ghostsandmirrors]

actually, I want to write that essay about the last edit bcus it's eating my brain rn.

(this is probably only interesting to ash-muses)

Important Context when I do pair aesthetics like that, there's two things that I like to do (if I can); - shared meanings or aesthetics, - mirrored positioning,

this means that it is important to remember that the images are not linked to the one matching their position, but the exact opposite. I will be numbering them 1-12 (not including shared; they'll get a section) for ease of understanding.

Shared Meanings or Aesthetics This is also something I do in solo aesthetics, too. In the case of the first of the two (not using names to avoid search), we have; important locations (Asgard vs. where he was taken to heal), something significant with opposing meanings, shared background for text, and then face.

With duo aesthetics, there's links within the solo and the pair as a whole.

1 and 12; places that caused their isolation and loneliness in different ways. One was a place that was supposed to be home, was supposed to be safe, and turned out to be a lie where he was already an outcast of sorts. The other is a place that was never supposed to be safe, that intentionally isolated him and caused him pain. Both are the sources of their problems.

2 and 11; home or a place they belong in. 11 is literally from CA:CW and is of the safehouse he lives in. They're intended to be homely, warm, welcoming images to push the idea of finding a place with each other where they have someone. That someone may not know everything, but they're there and they're willing to be there.

3, 4, 9, and 10; face. These were meant to be mirrored (blue with blue and then lens flare with lens flare due to the aesthetics) but it looked terrible, so it ended up being imprisoned (3 and 10) and controlled (4 and 9). They're a reflection of each others' histories in a weird way.

5 and 8; representations of loneliness. One reads a lot while in a less than favourable situation (T:TDW imprisonment). The other has trouble sleeping and often deals with these issues alone. Also there's something about an empty, messy bed that reads aggressively Barnes to me. Idk what it is. If you look at his Unsplash collection, there's six images of beds.

6 and 7; external home. 6 is the village mentioned in the tags, and 7 is just where he feels most comfortable. Both are intended as 'places of acceptance in some way'; opposites to 1 and 12.

Shared Images and Text Placement I said they were there to make people cry and I meant it.

The screenshots are images that don't feature these two characters after they fall. The one that doesn't have a connection to that character (mountains for one, space for the other) has the lyrics closer together, to draw attention away from the centre in some way; either by covering the centre of the image (space) or by being in the corner (mountains).

The one that does, that's the location of their fall, has the words more spread out and avoiding the area (roughly) that they disappeared into. The intent is to draw attention to what is being avoided; the cluster and the... I want to say 'river' but I'm truly not sure what it is at that distance. The intention is to link these shared images both in that their pasts involve a fall into being controlled and also to link them to the correct one; the alps don't mean a lot to the one from space and space isn't personally connected to the one who fell off the alps.

They're shared to have images that visually and literally link them. All of the others, even while sharing meanings or aesthetics, are different. These are the only ones that're the same images.

In other pair aesthetics (especially ones for my own characters like this one), there'll be a matching theme instead of them literally matching (unless the background is a solid colour). In that one, the words are on paper that match the character, for example.

Another aesthetic to have 'same image, different area' like the one being talked about is this one from years ago. The background is the same but flipped to show different sections of the image. It's honestly such an easy way to link aesthetics, even in the event that the other images aren't that similar. It makes them a set without it being hyper obvious and I love it. It's so simple. I'd highly recommend for anyone who decides to do an edit like that.

---

And that's my shorter than expected ramble about that edit. It can be applied to any of my aesthetic edits in that style, too. Some are more obvious than others, but there's always some kind of mirror/link. Sometimes it's literally just that they were too close in colour originally so they had to be split or else it'd look weird, but it's still a thing.

[sootyships]

Hi friend! I'm quite interested to know the lore behind your Ultron and s/i AU so I wanted to ask if you could tell me a little about it. 😁

Hey, thanks for the ask!

So, the suit AI AU basically gets its beginning from Mikitta unknowingly sowing a seed of doubt in Tony's mind, about the safety of this Ultron project. He ofc knows it's risky from the get-go, but maybe he should have a bit more care, here. So he implements more security measures, one of which is that Ultron, when he comes online, doesn't have the kinda freedom of access he has in the movie.

So, yes, he's still off-balance when he comes online. He's still looking for a body that isn't there. But he doesn't go through that Avengers and world history dive he does in the movie. (For the record, I don't claim everything stated in the linked video is accurate, but it at least gives a closer analysis of what Ultron finds during his internet dive.)

Either way, this results in him accepting his core programming and Jarvis' words more at face value, at least for now. Jarvis successfully contacts Tony, who leaves the party to check up on Ultron.

Now, after some introductions, Tony offers Ultron the possibility to learn the ropes via protecting one person, the other resident newbie—who is, it's worth noting, also plenty capable of protecting themself should anything go awry, a detail Tony doesn't particularly emphasise. Ultron is in this moment quite aware of the limits of his reach, so he quickly agrees. He is... confused. But he will learn.

So, he will be the suit AI for the suit of armour Tony gives to Mikitta.

The thing is, with these changes, the whole CA:CW movie is moot. Wanda never becomes an Avenger. There are no Sokovia Accords, Zemo never loses his family, Bucky is never blamed for a bombing, which never happened, Tony and Cap never find themselves at odds, T'Challa doesn't lose his father... I'm not quite sure where to go with the AU, in terms of a more overarching plot!

I might make Wanda a villain, I suppose, considering that is where canon had her end up. Perhaps Pietro joins the Avengers in her stead :') We'll see!

[mintedwitcher]

Stucky and Sterek have been my otps for SO long omg I haven't seen other Stucky shippers on here in years (basically since CA:CW came out lol) so this is just !!!! Okay I'm definitely going to look through all of that once I've gotten some sleep lol (thank you for linking everything for me you're amazing ily)

(ETA: I figured I would go and dig up my sterek fics for you in return but turns out I've only got one posted lmao I thought there were more but I think they're all trapped in my WIP folder. I have a few stucky fics though if you're interested.)

You read stucky AND sterek okay okay I'm violently leashing the Urge to yap about my two oldest and most beloved ships but just know I'm very !! :D :D :D !! about this

I always forget my new followers / mutuals know nothing about my lore but Stucky and Sterek are my top ships of ALL time. I used to run a full time stucky blog back before I deleted, like, the hyperfixation was REAL. I even wrote a Buddie x Stucky fusion, like, two years ago + I write Sterek fic too

(I'm only linking this stuff cos I know you're sick and thought you might want something to click through; there's no pressure or expectation for you to engage with any of it!)

[twwcs]

Curls™

[doux-amer]

Zemo going from "average Sokovian man who lost his family, home, and everything he possibly had” to “surprise, I’m rich, bitch” is so amusing to me. Now he’s a horrible little rich boy who looks down his nose at the Americans and their poor taste but also will dress them up (and admonish them when they protest by saying Americans aren’t forward-thinking in fashion (he’s right)), drive them in nice cars, and fly them in a private jet while agreeing with his pilot/butler(?) that the Americans should choke on expired food they have on their plane for laughs. 

Zemo goes from a prison uniform to a slutty turtleneck at the first opportunity and then a dramatic full-length coat with a fur-lined collar and limited edition purple sock head and I mean...the range.

Anyway, I fully want to kick him where it hurts, but look at him.