#Stan Lee really dropped the ball with this one

[arumidden]

So many questions. Unfortunately, none of them can be answered, because even the editor couldn’t find the issue where they wrote this ridiculous idea.

How is quicksilver even flying? Did someone give him this power? Is it a temporary new mutation? Is he just flapping his arms at super speed?

I guess I’ll never know, cause not even Stan Lee himself could tell you where the latest writer came up with this bullshit.

(X-Men (1963) #44)

[thealmightyemprex]

Sci Fi Month Review 7 : Roger Cormans Fantastic Four

For this review…..We're looking at something special,the unreleased Fantastic Four movie

In this 1994 film Scientist Reed Richards(Alex Hyde-White ) and his companions Sue Storm (Rebecca Staab ),Johnny Storm (Jay Underwood ). and Ben Grimm(Michael Bailey Smith) take a space flight to study a comet,but things go wrong and the four find themselves changed with extraordinary powers and in the clutches of the mysterious figure named Doctor Doom (Joseph Culp )

So Marvel is huge now in mainstream American pop culture ……But that wasnt always the case.I'll just be honest people ,I am hesitant looking at pre Blade/X Men/Spider-Man live action Marvel adaptations cause they can be …Rough .I mean theres some gems ,I will always love The Incredible Hulk TV show starring Bill Bixby and even have a soft spot for the subsequent TV movies based on that show …..But then you have the 1990 Captain America movie ,Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD starring David Hasselhoff and of course,Howard the Duck .One that has always fascinated me is this film because in fandom circles for many years it was infamous for being the Marvel movie so bad ,they never released it (Which isnt the case truth is more complicated and capitalistic ,basically the film was a way to maintain rights ),a film you could only find as bootlegs at conventions,seen as a geeky oddity along the same lines as the Star Wars Holiday Special .Now you can find it on youtube (Which is how I watched it ) ,and having watched it……I think this film is kind of underrated and I am sad it did not get a proper release

So I gotta explain myself :As a kid some of my earliest comic memorie were reading the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby run of Fantastic Four ,and my dad had the complete series of the 90's Fantastic Four cartoon ….So the Fantastic Four have a special place for me .From the pathos of the Things plight ( a man trapped in the body of a monster ),to the sci fi adventure,to the romance of Reed and Susan ,to the grand villainy of Doctor Doom(Heck a slew of great villains),to the feeling of family ,the Fantastic Four appealed to me .....And I am kind of grumpy that Fantastic Four lacks a great adaptation that captures the spirit .Now there is no shortage of Fantastic Four adaptations out there.....But most of them,at least for me,are kind of mid ,specifically the film adaptations have left a lot to be desired .The Tim Story duology has the humor and the four leads relatively right ,but drops the ball in that they dont DO much and completely misrepresent the villains ,and 2015's Fant4stic might be the worst comic book movie I have ever seen .However this film ,while not the definitive film version I crave and not really a great movie .....IS the BEST movie version of the Fantastic Four and a fairly decent super hero film I feel

Now there is a lot I could make fun of ,its very flawed,like keep in mind ....This was produced by Roger Corman ,they didnt have much of a budget ,so the visual effects are a bit cheesy and bad(The CG Human Torch looks like he is straight out of Reboot ) but I dunno I find them charming .The only lack of budget thing that bothered me is the dialogue of Doctor Doom.....In that they didnt either have the money to loop him or think to loop him(HAve him record his lines later ) which is a problem cause Doom is clanking about and is wearing a mask that muffles his speech......So I dont know what the main villain is SAYING sometimes (Credit to Joseph Culp who does project very well so I know 75% of his dialogue but that 25 % is annoying ).My main flaws are the romance elements ,from the creepy Reed falling for Susan who he knew as a child to Ben and ALicia being in love despite meeting ONCE(And even that scene is a bit creepy ).We also have a subplot that frustrates me as the film has two villains ,Doctor Doom of course.....But then you have the Jeweler.Now the Jeweler was supposed to be the Mole Man ,a guy who due to his physical appearence has cast aside society to live underground and was actually the fours first villain.....Till Marvel said "NO you have the rights to this select group of character,not the Mole Man " ,so he was reworked into the Jeweler ....And I think they should have cut him out.Now I like the idea of his subplot ,him falling for Alicia and trying to make her his queen ,inviting Ben who has now become the monstrus thing to joing his group and Ian Trigger actually gives a great performance ,being creepy but also having a sense of sadness (He reminds me of what Tim Burton tried to do with the Penguin in Batman Returns ) ,and while the name is changed,its a good adaptation of the Mole Man .........Pity he adds nothing to the film other then causing the accident that makes the four the four and kidnapping Alicia,things that Doctor Doom couldve easilly done .I mean it folks in the grand scheme of things,the Jewler is pointless,he never fights the Fantastic Four and he just kind of runs off before the third act .I like the performance and the plot idea,but it shouldve been reworked or cut

Thaaaatttt said.....I still like the movie.....BEcause of the Fantastic Four movies.....Its the bonly one to get that Fantastic Four feel to me:A fun lighthearted sci fi adventure and thats what I want from Fantastic Four .The Four feel in character,its accurrate to the source material andits the only one to get Doctor Doom right at ALL(Actually keeping that he is the King of Latveria and hinting at doombots ).Yes the film is low budget but it makes that budget work ,heck the comic accurate sewn spandex costumes for the Four are charming to me because in universe the costumes are made by Susan and they legit look like something she could make herself (An issue I have with a lot of superhero movie costumes ment to be handmade ).Doctor Doom looks like he stepped right out of the comics with the green cloak and tunic combo and metal mask /armor ,I love this look for Doom .The Thing looks pretty good too with an animatronic face that brings to mind the old Jack Kirby design and stunt man Carl Ciafalio gives a good physical performance (THoughI do find it amusing that the Thing is SMALLER then his human persona Ben Grimm,played by Michael Bailey Smith ) .No one in the main cast is bad ,alll these actors are giving it their alll .I have already discussed my soft spot for Ian Trigger as the Jewler, Rebecca Staab is a good Susan ,and Jay Underwood is a suitable Johnny .Michael Bailey Smith is a good Ben Grimm and he also does a decent job voicing the Thing and bringing the appropriate pathos (Though I do wish he had the Things signature Brooklyn accent ).Alex Hyde White might be my favorite Reed Ritchards really selling both the scientist and the leader aspect .Biggest props have to go Joseph Culp,who delivers a great performance despite being in a vfery uncomfortable costume with a mask that muffles his speech,and is able to project well ,make grand gestures (Inspired by real tyrants like Mussolini ) but also make him a fun eloquent villain who still has a sense of humor with a good hero villain dynamic with Reed .Also he is CONSTANTLY evil laughing ,and I dig it

I like this movie ,there is clearly a lot of heart in this movie .....Which makes me sad that the film was mistreated by those at the top.Its not a lost masterpiece ,but it is an highly entertaining B movie that pays tribute to its source material

@ariel-seagull-wings @filmcityworld1 @the-blue-fairie @amalthea9 @goodanswerfoxmonster @themousefromfantasyland @angelixgutz @princesssarisa @theancientvaleofsoulmaking

[kudosmyhero]

Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #2: The Goblin Lives!

Read Date: June 09, 2023 Cover Date: November 1968 ● Writer: Stan Lee ● Penciler: John Romita ● Inker: Jim Mooney ● Colorist: {uncredited} ● Letterer: Sam Rosen ● Editor: Stan Lee ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● he remembers

● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: After Norman Osborn invites his son and Peter to Capt. Stacy's slideshow of supervillains, Norman Osborn collapses when they get to the Green Goblin. After being rushed to the hospital, Peter walks to Aunt May's home thinking about the last battle Spider-Man and the Green Goblin had, and the fact that the Goblin knows Peter's secret identity.

Back at the hospital, Norman remembers that he's the Goblin and escapes from the hospital. He than goes into one of the city's slums, to an apartment complex where he kept some of his Green Goblin equipment. Meanwhile, Peter can't concentrate at Empire State because of his fear over the Green Goblin. Going to Norman's house, he finds Harry telling him that Norman left the hospital, freaking Peter out.

That night, Peter dreams that the Goblin captured Peter in his Spider-Man guise, sans mask, and showed him to Aunt May. Waking up, Peter decides that he needs to get the Goblin before it's the other way around. Becoming Spider-Man, he swings unknowingly past the Goblin on his glider.

Later, Harry greets his father at Norman's home, claiming that his brief insanity is over. The next day, Harry calls Peter, telling him that his dad is back, and to celebrate his wellness, he's inviting Peter, MJ, and Gwen to a party he's throwing. Peter sees right through it as a trap, but picks up Gwen and goes anyway, despite the danger.

When the two arrive, Harry, MJ, and Norman are already there. After a little while, they start dinner. Norman starts to lose his grip and would have attacked Peter in front of everyone if dinner had lasted longer. When the guests start dancing, Peter excuses himself to "call Aunt May". He's really making a distraction, by making a ball out of web fluid and throwing it into the fire, so that he and Norman can get away.

Changing in to Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, they both meet at Aunt May's house and begin to fight. During the fight, the Goblin throws a psychedelic pumpkin bomb towards Spidey, and he begins to hallucinate about the Goblin, his friends, and other enemies. Before it permanently affects him, Spider-Man's will power shrugs off the effects and comes up with a plan.

Using the bomb, the damage he gave him, and the Goblin's own insanity, Spider-Man hypnotizes Norman so that he won't want anything to do with the Green Goblin or Spider-Man, making him forget about Spidey's identity as well. As soon as the Goblin is unconscious, Peter drops Norman off at the hospital.

Harry, MJ, and Gwen meet with Peter there, and Harry meets with his father again while Peter walks out with the women, still worrying about the Goblin returning.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Spectacular_Spider-Man_Magazine_Vol_1_2)

Fan Art: CHASING THE GREEN GOBLIN by nachomolina

Accompanying Podcast: ● Let's Read Spider-Man - episode 45

[moonbeambucky]

Hey Neighbor (Part 22)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader, Peter Quill x Reader Word Count: 3377 Warnings: fluff, angst

Summary: You had a plan and then life came along with one of its own. With your future almost derailed you worked hard to get yourself back on track and finally everything seemed to be going right… that is, until your new neighbor moved in.

A/N: I’m not going to lie, you’re going to be mad for a while. Feedback is always appreciated!

HEY NEIGHBOR PART 21 | HEY NEIGHBOR MASTERLIST

If you told yourself that after what happened Bucky you would be smiling and laughing more than ever before you would have called yourself crazy. At one point it felt like you would never be happy again and then you met Peter.

Peter was the sun that shined brightly pushing the clouds away. You went on a few more dates, texted everyday and found that there was no longer room in your mind for sadness. Bucky was the past and though you didn’t want to be friends at the moment you didn’t hate him as much as you had before.

“Ooh flowers! Someone must really like you,” Mr. Lee said, smiling from the security booth.

You smiled walking over to him, setting down the large vase with the gorgeously arranged bouquet Peter had delivered to your office.

“I think he really does,” you beamed, thinking about how sweet Peter has been.

Sure it’s still very new but you really like him and can’t wait to spend the weekend together. He had both days off and it was so tempting to call out of your internship. If you hadn’t taken off last weekend for the stupid wedding you would have, but you know that you can’t.

Steve finally hangs up the call he was on, and you didn’t miss his tight lipped grimace and the way he eyed the flowers as if they had wronged him personally.

“If you’re happy with Peter I’m happy for you but you really need to let Bucky explain.”

Your eyes flared with a flash of rage wondering if Steve betrayed your trust and spoke to Bucky and on top of that you were really tired of people telling you what they think you need to do. You bite your tongue, not wanting to berate Steve in front of Mr. Lee with the variety of colorful words that were swirling in your mind.

Instead you replied calmly with only the teeniest hint of sass in your voice, “Steve, there’s nothing to explain and I don’t care.” You wished Stan a good weekend, grabbed the flowers and walked out.

Steve knows you’re lying, that despite what you said you’re still hurt, he just wished you weren't so stubborn about admitting it.

Laughter filled the air in Peter’s apartment as the two of you danced in his living room, the lively music from his “Awesome Mix Vol. 1” playlist bouncing off the walls. Groot lays across the couch watching as Peter’s other pet, Rocket, a ferret with raccoon coloring thanks to the dark mask around his eyes, tries to unhook the latch of his cage.

Life has been so much happier with Peter in it. You love snuggling up next to him, petting Groot who insisted his head stay in your lap as you watched a movie together. Peter’s lips press a gentle kiss on your forehead, stirring you from the sleep you had nearly given in to. A tender smile spreads across your face as you look up to him, reaching forward to kiss him. A surge of desire ignited your senses, leaving you and Peter to some heavy petting that did not involve Groot.

The following Friday night you and Peter were eating at his place, trying your best to ignore poor Groot who whimpered beside the table. Steam was rising from the fresh pizza that sat on the table and as appetizing as it looked your stomach couldn’t help but twist with a little guilt. But pizza wasn’t something exclusive to Bucky, that’s silly. You could have pizza– it’s food, it’s fine. You shook off the thoughts.

Groot’s eyes followed the slice in hand to your mouths, gruffly barking in frustration because he wanted some.

“Down,” Peter commanded after Groot pawed at him.

You gave the dog a sympathetic smile, feeling bad as you continued to eat. Your eyes shifted towards your screen that lit up with a message from Wanda, wondering if you were going to make it tonight. You hadn’t hung out with everyone in a long time, spending whatever days Peter had off together. And then there was the fact of really not wanting to run into a certain someone, but Wanda assured you Bucky was not there.

It would be nice to introduce Peter to everyone, maybe Steve could change his attitude if he met the man that made your cheeks ache from smiling so much.

“My friends are all hanging out at a bar right now and invited me so, I don’t know if it’s too early for this but if you maybe wanted to come with me?” You cringed at yourself, realizing how you unconfidently rambled on.

“Sure kitten, I’d love to meet your friends.”

“Really?” You bit your bottom lip, smiling widely as Peter’s hand reached over to caress your cheek.

“I’d do anything for you.” The light sparkled in his eyes as he stared at yours, dropping his gaze to your lips and gradually back up again.

You would have texted Wanda back if your fingers hadn’t carded through Peter’s hair, your lips on his as he lifted you up, your thighs wrapping around him as he carried you to the bedroom. An unwatched table left Groot alone, happy to steal a slice for himself.

The night air was cool on your hot skin, still a little sweaty after your romp with Peter. You wondered if the smell of sex lingered on you, walking towards the bar together and stopping every few paces because Peter couldn’t keep his hands off you. With his arms around your waist he pulled you close to him, the metal gate of a closed store clanging as he leaned against it to capture your lips.

You were all smiles by the time you walked into the bar, hand in hand with Peter. Your eyes lit up when you spotted Steve and Clint, with Peggy and Natasha being revealed the closer you got to the table. You saw the back of Wanda’s head and were about to call out for her but your voice died in your throat as you spotted two familiar faces.

Bucky, and with him was that woman, Claire.

Your lips press tightly as you stare at her. Looks like Bucky kept his date after all, adding another fuck buddy to his mix since you left.

“Hey Y/N! Glad you could make it!” Sam waved you over.

Wanda whipped her head around, her brows raising with concern. With the squeeze of Peter’s hand against yours you put on a smile. Sam was the first to get up and introduce himself but you took over, introducing Peter to everyone including Bucky and the woman whose name you pretended you forgot.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Wanda said, smiling tensely.

She grabbed your arm before you had a chance to stop her, pulling you into the women’s room.

Her hands balled into tight fists that she shook in frustration. “I wish you told me you were coming. I thought you didn’t answer because you weren’t and Bucky only showed up like twenty minutes ago but if I knew I would have– ”

“Wanda, I don’t care.” She studied your smile, looking for cracks in the facade she knew you had to be wearing.

“Uh huh, okay.” She rolled her eyes not believing you. “It’s barely been three weeks and you’re telling me that you don’t care? That’s bullshit Y/N and you know it.”

“Wanda, I mean it!” you snapped. “Bucky and I had sex– that’s it!” The cutting motion of your hand emphasized your words. “I’m with Peter now and I’m happy so you need to drop it, okay?”

You pulled the handle of the door roughly, wanting to quickly get back to Peter. A smile graced his face with everyone’s eyes on him. You slid in next to him, catching the tail end of a question Clint had asked.

“Hmmm craziest story. Well there was a time we got called to an apartment in Queens because this kid had a Q-tip stuck in his ear.”

Everyone wore a look of confusion that only grew the more Peter spoke.

“It was this high school kid with his buddy and one of ‘em thought a spider crawled in his ear. So apparently they were trying to shake it out but it wasn’t working so the other thought they could dig it out with a Q-tip but he pushed a little too far and panicked, thinking it was stuck in his brain.”

“And what happened?” Peggy asked.

“The EMT’s were able to remove the Q-tip but the whole time the kid was freaking out, saying he could feel the spider biting him in his ear but they didn’t see anything.”

Claire spoke up, not that you wanted her to. “That’s why I always advise patients not to stick anything in their ears.” Whatever miss know-it-all, I’m sure Sam would say the same thing too.

“But the weirdest thing is that a week later I saw this same kid walking by the station so I ran out to see how he was doing. He turned down an alley and then he was gone, disappeared outta nowhere. So I look up…” Peter paused, making eye contact with everyone before finishing, “... and he’s climbing up the walls– like a spider!”

Everyone burst into a fit of laughter and Peter admitted the first half of the story was true. He wrapped his arm around you, proud to have seemingly won over your friends’ approval. Most of them at least. You tried not to make eye contact with Bucky but it was hard. You felt his gaze burn deeper with every sign of affection Peter showed, and anytime you happened to give in and catch his eyes you felt your upper lip tremble.

But this was fine. The chapter in your life with Bucky is over. It wasn’t even a chapter really, it was a short story, a few lines of prose and it’s over. This is fine.

This is fine...

It took a while to fall asleep that night. Even though your body was desperate to rest after another an amazing round of sex with Peter your mind could not shut off. You were thinking of Bucky and the emotion that poured through his eyes, the tense line solidified in his lips. Was he upset with you? He couldn’t be. You haven’t done anything wrong. You weren’t the one that fed him lies and played with his heart like a game, tossing it aside for a shinier toy. No. If Bucky is upset that’s all on him, because he let you go and not the other way around.

In the early morning you and Peter walked with Groot until you went separate ways, the two of them heading to the station to begin Peter’s shift and you headed home. You didn’t bother sneaking in like you had before. If Bucky heard you then whatever, you don’t care, but you don’t want to speak to him.

Last night had been very awkward, having not said a word to each other. You’re not sure if anyone who wasn’t aware of the situation realized there was tension, though Natasha had given you a curious look when you said goodbye. If she didn’t know she probably suspected and you’re fairly certain you’ll be under interrogation soon.

You couldn’t help but wonder if Bucky was under the same scrutiny. His mom was still tagging you on Facebook posts, a mix of funny animal videos and “mom approved” memes. Does she know what happened? Probably, considering the Fourth of July is coming up and she hasn’t extended a barbecue invitation. Does she know about Claire? So far you hadn’t seen Claire Temple on her friends list.

Yes, you stalked her through Bucky’s Instagram. It’s not a big deal, you just wanted a little more information about who she was.

                                              Claire Temple            Compassionate Helper 👩🏽‍⚕️ Avid Runner 🏃🏽‍♀️ Coffee Addict ☕

Scrolling through her photos you learned she is a nurse and (after having a minor heart attack) you learned she used to work at Metro-General. She doesn’t post much, a few pictures of the sun setting between the skyscrapers or graffiti on the side of the building; typical aesthetic pictures. But sprinkled in between those were pictures of her with people; colleagues from her new job at Sacred Saints, smiling as her arms barely wrapped around a brick of a man; her brightly colored sleeves popping against the umber of his skin. She grinned from ear to ear with him, ex-boyfriend perhaps?

Stop stalking her Y/N, stop it now!

You exit her profile, vowing not to look again though you’re not sure how much you trust yourself to keep that promise. But then again Claire was just one of many people that Bucky was sleeping with, so unless she was insanely clingy you didn’t think she’d be flaunting a picture of a guy she knew she didn’t have a chance with.

Besides none of this mattered anyway. Even if Winnie invited you to a barbecue you wouldn’t have been able to go because the Fourth of July happens to be Steve’s birthday and everyone was getting together to celebrate.

Luckily Peter had off the whole weekend and you were so happy he was coming with you. He looked very handsome in his FDNY shirt with casual shorts that showed off his thick calves while you stuck with a mostly red, white and blue theme, breaking out your red converse again with jean shorts and a blue tank top with stars on it.

In the late afternoon you boarded a crowded train to Brooklyn where Peggy’s friend Carol was happy to host a party to celebrate America and America’s ass. Apparently that was her nickname for Steve, teasing him with it because she knows how red he turns when he hears it.

Steve and Carol became close because of Peggy and though she seemed a little reserved at times you could tell they had broken the ice with each other. You met Carol before, seeing her at Steve’s apartment, and with her girlfriend Val when everyone went out for Peggy’s birthday a few months back. Carol lived in a building right off the water in Brooklyn Heights and had the perfect view for fireworks.

Hand in hand you and Peter walked down a lively street with kids riding their bicycles past you, and rhythmic music flowing from open windows. You were buzzed into the building, climbing up a hefty flight of stairs before reaching Carol’s apartment.

Val opened the door, her face lighting up as she threw her arms around you. There was barely a moment to admire the white stars painted around the eyes of her light brown skin as she introduced herself to Peter, catching him off guard in a welcoming hug before inviting you both in.

“Can I get you guys something to drink?” she asked, gesturing to the assortment that filled the kitchen counter, various bottles of soda and seltzer, beers, bottles of liquor. “Firecracker jello shot?” she offered, holding out a tray of them.

“I think I’ll say hi to everyone first, thanks,” you replied, making your way into the living room.

Steve was staring at the view from the window, setting the beer down from his hand when he heard you call his name.

“Happy Birthday!” you greeted, hugging him tightly. “What’s this?” You smirked, pointing to his jaw as he and Peter were saying hello. “Too lazy to shave on your birthday?”

Steve ran his fingers along the beginnings of a scratchy beard. “I think I’m growing it out.”

“I wonder what Peggy thinks… Peggy!” you turned to shout for her, seeing her on the other side of the room with Carol.

You said hello to them, meeting a few of Carol’s friends along the way. Soon more of your friends showed up and you were having a great time until Bucky and Claire walked through the door. You were the closest one to the entrance, wishing you had Peter by your side to distract you but he had been caught up in a conversation with Carol about her time as an Air Force pilot.

“Uh hey Y/N,” Bucky spoke, your name a foreign word on his tongue, “Happy Fourth.”

It was probably because of the fact that you were on the spot, with all eyes on you as Sam shouted for Bucky, that he leaned in to give you a half hug. Your palms didn’t quite make it up to return the favor. His touch reminded you of the ways he had you crying out his name, but now you shivered because it all felt wrong. Claire actually hugged you though she was a little hesitant, unsure if meeting you once constituted a greeting like this.

You made your way back to the living room, uneasy and in need of a distraction, not finding that in Peter who was still deep in conversation. Clint’s gaze caught you from the opposite side of the room, and he signed asking if you were bored. You shook your head, forcing a smile and signed back, “Not with you here.”

Clint strode over, grabbing a handful of chips first before he stopped beside you. You hadn’t seen him that much so it was nice to catch up a little. He was so happy the school year was over, hoping now he and Natasha might have some time to actually plan their wedding.

“Speaking of couples, it’s weird to see that, right?” He nudged his chin towards Bucky and Claire.

“What’s weird?” You’ve seen Bucky’s fuck buddies before, that girl Dot tried to weasel her way into hanging out with everyone on St. Patrick’s Day but at least Bucky had the common sense to spare you all.

“Bucky. That he actually settled down. Who would’ve thought?”

Clint chomped on chips as your mind spiraled into panic. You tried to control the tremble of your voice as you asked for more details, finding out Bucky actually decided to date Claire. Bucky Barnes. The man that’s fucked more people than the American healthcare system was actually, seriously, honestly in a committed relationship.

Your heart pounded in your chest, overwhelmed by this knowledge that has you on the edge of screaming at the top of your lungs and bursting into tears. Your feet took you straight to Val, not having to do much convincing to get her to do a jello shot (or three) with you. It seemed she had sampled a lot already herself and you wanted to feel just as loose.

She wooed loudly, grabbing some patriotic tinsel that decorated the table and placing a bunch first behind your ear and then hers. She stumbled a little bit but you caught her, both of you laughing as you helped her stand somewhat upright, fixing the metal necklace engraved with some sort of Norse symbol from around her neck.

With a bit of booze in you things didn’t seem so bad, except for walking down the stairs, that wasn’t the best idea, but by the end of the night that’s what everyone did. Carol’s apartment was on a dead end street that led right into the entrance of a pedestrian walkway that stretched out above the highway. It had perfect views of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge and the beautiful booming fireworks display.

Peter stood behind you the whole time, his arms around your waist, face nestled in your neck pressing a kiss that made you squirm in delight. But your mind was cruel, reminding you of Bucky’s lips where Peter’s had been; of the chill on Bucky’s nose as he sought the warmth of your skin; of Bucky’s hands around you, holding you close like a puzzle piece fitting perfectly together.

The fireworks were reflected in the tears of your eyes, that you thankfully brushed away before anyone noticed. That was the last night you hung out with your friends as a group.

You couldn’t do it anymore, seeing Bucky and Claire hurt. Maybe it was the lies, all the bullshit you ate up like a starved child. And then it hit you.

Bucky wanted a relationship, but not with you.

PART 23

[staysuki]

LMAO you were actually serious when you said that you ll drop the remaining chapters today 😭 anyways, props to hyunjins apology 🙇 omaygad hyunjin endgame yuhs 🙌 charot, seungmin is somewhere out there waiting for y/n :( and omg our girl really doesnt want anything to do with hyunjin anymore :< this ship will sink lmao well, dcurb mo naman hyunjin. (ch 29 was released 🤯) y/n has a great point though. rejected, oof. huge respect to y/n for staying strong ugh 😎 the words that she told hyunjin were so cool idfk y. i need help. AGAIN PROPS TO HYUNJIN FOR BEING BRAVE AND APOLOGIZING. just damn. jeongins #NotMyFriend is such a big mood, i love him. omg chan for mvp. oohhh minho and hyunjin have history 😮👄🍵 OMAYGADDD WET LNG SHUTA OMG WAAAAAAAAAAAATTT MINHO LMAOOO SENGMIN BACK OFF 😠 ITS MINHOS TIME TO SHINE wat tHEN WHY TF DID HE PRETEND NOT TO RECOGNIZE HER? LMAO I KENAT WITH THIS REVELATION. nO pls hahahahaha omg minho endgame bud pls omgg di ako maka get over >:( di ako makaurong papuntang ch 29 >:( i keep repeating minhos last message >:( BEST SERIES EVER UGH. im rereading the whole ass series later

ch 29 >>> hahahahhahha seungmin lumayo ka. omg kim seungmin smiled at her lol hope alls. seungmin is sad 😠 now im sad 😠 how did it end up with this? why am i so attached to EHALOJ kim seungmin 😠 ASHHHH 😠😠😠😠😠😠 “I’m a bit sad though, I thought I’d be able to have you for myself.” 😠😠😠😠😠 IDK WHO TO CHOOSE ANYMORE, SAKSAKIN NIYO NA LANG AKO PLS. HAHAHAHA DI TALAGA PAPATALO SI LEE MINHO AHHAHAHHAHA bruhhh idk why but it would seem funnier if this ended with neither any of the 4 getting to have a chance to end with our queen xd. YESS FELIX, the way to a girl s heart is by being patient. lee felix endgame 😗 “So not to make this awkward or anything—” -> JEONGIN IS SUCH A BIATCH AHHAHHSDHHSHSHSHDSHDHSAHSD dasurb mo yun jeongin :<

omgg you re really really really really great at writing, i kenat. im enjoying every second of reading :> seungmin is winning the race, skl. like srsy, among those 4, he s been the only one whom y/n even considered thinking abt dating. HALA ETO NA DRAMA. while the 3 out of the 4 are having a boys bonding time, hwang hyunjin is carefully and slowly making his way back to y/n s heart. ahha hwang hyunin endgame. “Ok.” 🥶 hwang hyunjin is sad 😠 now im sad 😠 uGH hyunjin out here doing his best to fix everything, we stan such a man. im crying 4 him 😠 hurt si hyunjin pero mas hurt ako kasi isang tao lang si y/n edi isa lang makakatuluyan niya hahhhashahshhdhshadh oMAYGAD WALA PALA YUNG 3 LMAO KAY HWANG HYUNJIN LANG TALAGA PAPATOL 😩 HAHAH CHAN WATDAFUQ 😭 the ball felt the tension, it knows that it was a bad time but destroyed their moment nevertheless. IT SAVED Y/N. i mean she still isnt sure of her feelings yet so if the kiss really did happen then im sure she might ve regretted it big time.

“You’re like a double-edged sword. You make people feel special but at the end of the day, they will get hurt. Right?” aaaa chan is so raytt. OMAYGAD CHAN IS SCARIER LMAO like how he uses is words. OMG NEWAYS IN OTHER WORDS "wag mo sila landiin kasi kaibigan ko sila" CHAROT. you re really good at making plots aaaaaaaaaa all of these are so realistic, no cap. i love how y/n seemed to be the heroine with little to no flaws at first glance, then waahhh all of it comes crashing down at the end. also their (y/n and chan) talk. i love how y/n saved them from the problem they all had been having troubles with but at the end of the day, another character comes in and made her realize of an issue she was unintentionally causing that was undermined, in some way, bc of everything thats happening. hala pucha d q ma explain, good luck na lang, this was nice, it focused more on y/n lols CHAN MVP

WAIT I FEEL LIKE VP ISNT SOME KIND OF BTCH LOL PROMISE, I FEEL LIKE SHE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE ROWDY ASS OFFICERS AHHAHHAHHAHHAHHA rip hyunjin, hes the only one not there :<

omggg congrats on finishing s1 ! huhu cant wait for the next seaoson. im v v v v v v excited to see all of them coming back.

- bs

I TOLD YOU I’M REALLY BAD AT KEEPING MYSELF ON A SCHEDULE ���💀💀. like, it’s there in my drafts, why not just drop it, i wanna see what people think already 😴

PALIPAT LIPAT NANAMAN YUNG CHEER FROM HYUNJIN -> SEUNGMIN -> MINHO -> FELIX PLS 😭😭😭. and yes, i’m so happy to finally move on to new arcs, namely Minho’s 😏. i dropped so many revelations and clues for season 2 arcs hehe.

chapter 29 was too much even for me, i was so @&”;@:&;!! while writing it 😭. Secretary Kim is superior thats why :,)))). Minho not even hiding it anymore. Jeongin is such a bitch 😭💔

hwang hyunjin sneaky boy 100%. and it’s because hyunjin is the first one to have romantic history with y/n omo 🤧 bilis magpadala ni ate gurl.

AND YES I LOVE EHALOJ CHAN SO MUCH, he didn’t appear much this season but i have so much planned for him. like, next season there’ll be more focus on the student council so we get to see more of them. i started this series because i wanted to write #StudentCouncilPresidentBangChan and now season 2 will probs feature him a lot 😈. and oml, when i tell you that this is just a taste of his “scary” side jehwjshwjss. i’m so excited to write Scary Prez Chan.

Hmmm the vice president theory huh, let’s see 😏

and thank you!! i’ll probably drop a teaser sometime this week ehehehe 🤧

[grocerystoredean]

Ur buddy dba here!! Ok so my dad and sister rlly love baseball, like theres a local minor league team theyre fans of. I myself did think a home run was where the guy got back to the starting plate (actually its where they hit the ball and it goes over the wall, BUT it has to stay in the lines?? Idk i think this makes it kinda unfair to the left handed players, which there are a lot) so im not really well versed in anything sporty*. But they were going and for once i come along mostly because there was a discount on hotdogs and i fucking love tubed meat. And i noticed a lot of interesting things whilst i was there.

So there were these two guys sitting in front of us and they were pretty quiet in the first inning (each inning has TWO rounds, like each team gets to hit the ball which actually makes a lot more sense cuz its even and whatnot) but then the blue shirt guy gets a couplea drinks in him and he starts yelling at the players? Which i suppose is customary, a lotta ppl were doing it but i still found it quite rude, especially cuz the stuff they were saying was… weird. Like the bad team had the same thrower out for like 5 innings and THE ENTIRE TIME blue shirt guy yells about how tight his pants are. Which, yeah, dude was like. Baseball pants are kinda like leggings and all of these guys are. I dont wanna be vulgar but they all look really nice!! You know what i mean. Baseball pants? They’re nice! Anyway it was kinda like blue shirt guy was catcalling the thrower and im like 90% he was being homophobic somehow but he was also literally staring at another dudes ass the entire time. I think he wouldve punched me if id brought that up tho.

Ofc the mold (hit cw tv show) slowly consuming my mind wasnt exempt from this lovely family bonding experience so i was like. Damn. What if castiel supernatural were here (actually furst i thought about sam winchester a lot because he seems baseball) and then i casually tried to come up with the best stupid meet-cutes that could happen at a baseball game. I despise that the term meet-cute is something in my regular vocabulary but also it gets the point across so whatever. Lets play tumblr game: imagine ur otp. Oh no! I hit you in the face with a baseball and now you are sueing me i hope we dont fall in love :( (;)). / Its .25$ hotdog night but i forgot my quarters :( oh? You have a quarter? Well what do u want in exchange? My hand in marriage?! Ok. (Yes this one has more pornographic implications but SHHHHH. Its too easy dont take the bait) / im the mascot and ur scared of the foam creatures from hell so u drop kick me and apparently im kinda into that. / ooh im a sports announcer except i spend the entire time complimenting u instead of talking about the game. I lost my job can i stay with u plz.

I’ll stop. But fr buying someone .25$ tubed meat actually holds so much love. Mmmm hot dog. If it werent rude to take pictures of random people i think i would have a camera full of old guys who look like stan lee. There are a lot of them. I think old guys kinda go in like a venn diagram of stan lee to like. Another old man. Idk u know what i mean. That doesnt have much to do with the rest of this other than i saw an old man who looked like stan lee. Hm. This is all much less funny than it was in my head, and i feel that my revelations about baseball are most likely common knowledge thats just new and shocking to me (like when the first time i went to camp and was dissapointed to find out we WERENT sworn enemies with the camp across the lake, and therefore no team bonding or canoe racing for the future of the camp or like dance offs would be happening which i knew were unlikely but i at least assumed there would be pranks or something. Then again mine was a camp for disabled kids so i feel like any prank that was played on us could very easily become a hate crime.)

Haha this one isnt as fun as i hope i usually am nor doesit contain any dead animals but i rlly wanted to check in on u and say hi and all that and i thought the overtly sexist middle aged man who yelled at a guy for having a tight ass for like 3 hours would be a good way to do it. How’ve you been? Also. Baseball. Opinions? I think its fun and I enjoy watching it i guess but i think they should hit the ball more often cuz its way more interesting than all the throwing back and forth.

*actually i know about fencing because its the raddest sport. Swords!! Fuck yeah!!!!!!!

dba i genuinely do not know where to start in responding to this. you amaze me. you met dean winchester in the flesh. sexist objectifying men looking ass. that man was posessed by the spirit of dean (rip jackles true vessel).

also you know astonishingly little about baseball. maybe my dad loves baseball a too much amount but he knows almost all the players names on basically any team (because being insane about things is genetic. i do blame him for this blog). i think its semi boring but its not the worst sport (football is the worst) and i do watch on occasion.

now for a bit of baseball knowledge. the game actually favors lefty hitters, they're in demand, because more people are right handed and therefore more pitchers are right handed, and it's easier to hit an off handed pitch (left with right or right with left) than a same handed pitch. so if the other team doesnt have a left handed pitcher to switch in (which is very possible), the hitter could have a better chance of getting a solid hit. the foul lines on either side are pretty even, so it really doesn't harm lefties or righties. so yeah. lefties for the win!

[frumfrumfroo]

What are your favorite movies and TV shows outside of SW? I’m looking for new things to watch since SW was so disappointing

My tastes are pretty eclectic, so I will stick to just things that are either similar to sw or are in the reylo-esque romance wheelhouse and have happy endings:

Chuck. It is a goofy, light-hearted action-adventure show with extremely endearing characters and a very prominent central romance (seriously, heavy romance and there is a lot of payoff for it, you will be FED- it's kind of slow burn but also shockingly NOT slow burn, they are deep into it pretty much immediately). The main couple is the classic Stoic Badass gradually softened by an innocent they have to protect who is a liability in battle but full of the Power of Heart. Chuck is The Heart btw. He is of that vanishingly rare male Beauty (of B&tB) type. He's incredibly generous and open, Sarah is prickly and closed-off. It is Quality. Very much a gender-swap of your typical cliche anime couple lol. I would recommend stopping at the mid-season finale in season 4, because it's downhill from there. The beginning of season 3 is very rough, but it's definitely worth it to stay for the back half, imo. There are several great endings to choose from before things go to shit, so we don't need to talk about the finale. Probably the most tonally similar to SW thing possible without being high/space fantasy. More humour, more silly, but definitely has a spiritual kinship. Has the best THE BEST 'secret revealed' scenes I have ever seen in anything. If you're into that and were hoping for that in ep IX, you need to watch Chuck.

The Shop Around the Corner. 1940 romance/drama film. You've Got Mail is a remake of it. Jimmy Stewart being profoundly adorable, Frank Morgan (aka the Wizard of Oz), various amusing side characters, and an absolutely deathless double blind 'secretly in love with the workplace nemesis' plot that can and probably has been a great reylo AU.

Mirromask. Fantasy/coming-of-age film. Touted as a 'spiritual successor' to Labyrinth by the filmmakers (one of whom is Neil Gaiman) and let me tell you, that is extremely apt. Beautiful, magical, laden with symbolism and Mask Discourse, and has a great ship. I quote it regularly.

Speaking of which, I'm sure you've seen Labyrinth? If you haven't seen Labyrinth, drop everything and watch Labyrinth.

Legend (the Ridley Scott director's cut, not the theatrical cut). Sumptuous fairy tale, runs on proper fairy tale logic, stunning to look at and overall captivating. Tim Curry. Tim Curry as a lonely tragic lord of darkness who tries to seduce the heroine and has drippingly overwrought monologues.

Howl's Moving Castle. Fairy tale adventure/romance film. Beautifully animated, has the ending you want.

The Silence of the Lambs. Thriller/drama film. Actual masterpiece. Use it as a gateway drug to read the books and rejoice that Clannibal is canon and it is spectacular. Just SotL and Hannibal, you don't need to read the other two. Stan Clarice Starling and revel in that ending. Most triumphant 'villain'/heroine ship of all time (he is not technically a villain but for shorthand's sake).

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Terry Gilliam 1988 fantasy/adventure film. THE TRIUMPH OF IDEALISM OVER CYNICS I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW HEALING IT WAS TO WATCH AFTER THE TROS BULLSHIT HIT. Jonathan Pryce's spiritual villain is basically Chris Terrio and it is cathartic to see imagination and sentiment conquer him.

Sabrina. 1995 romance film. Modern fairy tale with Harrison Ford. Rejecting what you thought you wanted all your life for the thing you actually need, growing up but still believing in magic, beautiful character development across all the leads. Could be (and is irrc) a fantastic reylo AU.

The Scarlet Pimpernel. 1934 adventure film. High romance, secret identities, play-acting, people who aren't at all what they appear to be, falling in love with your own spouse, Big Heroism, guile and wit and audacity. It makes me do little kicks like a happy baby. This is one of the 3-5 films constantly tied for my favourite film of all time. There is a good quality rip free on youtube. Watch it and fall in love with Leslie Howard (this is possibly my favourite acting performance of all time).

Oh, related note. Pygmalion 1938 or My Fair Lady. (The musical is based on this film and borrows from it heavily, including its much more romantic ending compared to the original play.)

The Mummy. 1999 action/adventure/romance film. Very tonally similar to sw. A fucking great time, A+ characters.

EVER AFTER. 1998 romance film. The flawless and perfect and best ever Cinderella adaptation. This is the most satisfying film in history, maybe, the ending is so good it is amazing it exists. Also, it has Richard O'Brien being slimy. Huge selling point. Grapples with identity and stewardship, is brilliant.

Fruits Basket. drama/romance anime. I haven't watched the new version yet, but it's following the manga so I know the story. The original anime didn't do the whole plot (because they caught up with the source material) but it's wonderful and I still recommend it. The central ship is (spoiler.........) a B&tB type where we eventually discover the main love interest both feels like a figurative monster and turns into a literal monster. He has an incredible speech about his relationship with people's fear, it makes me weep. I called the endgame from the first episode and always thought it was obvious, but there is a red herring love triangle dynamic. It's really not annoying, though, because it is a red herring. (I hate love triangles)

I am Dragon. Russian monster romance film. Beautiful, simple fable with a really great heroine.

Jane Eyre. 1943 Gothic Romance film. It's Jane Eyre, byronic hero x sensible heroine love story with much atmosphere and Gothic drama. I stan this version because I am an Orson Welles fangirl and I'm also not convinced it can be improved upon. Elizabeth Taylor's film debut btw.

Hellboy. 2004 action/adventure/romance film. Defying destiny, reconciling identity, monster romance. The complete package and a great time. Tonally similar to SW and probably thematically closest to it out of this whole list. Don't watch the sequel.

Beauty and the Beast 1987 tv series. Exactly what it says on the tin. Deals with the classic B&tB themes, but in a different way. He's not cursed and will never transform into an ordinary man. The first season is very episodic and 'case of the week', but the second season gets more into character drama. It's dated, but if you give it a chance you can get past some of the cheese factor and it's really a unique experience. Its concerns are SO atypical that it feels like something fandom would make rather than a mainstream network show. It was so massively, insanely popular with women at the time that a record of Vincent (the beast) reading poetry topped the album charts. Also Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton. Stop at season two. Point of interest: George RR Martin wrote for this show.

Stargate (the movie not the series) sci-fi fantasy about a nerdy guy who accidentally a hero.

Possession. 2009... mystery/supernatural/romance. Okay. This is a whole thing. Lee Pace and Sarah Michelle Gellar. It's based on a Korean film I've never been able to find for some reason, but being Hollywood they ruined the romanticism and nuance of the original in the theatrical cut to make a shitty punative ending. However. If you buy it on dvd and go to the alternate ending (which follows the original story) with around 20 minutes left (scene after Lee Pace's character wakes from a bad dream-go to deleted scenes and select the alternate ending), you will get a very, very interesting character study/thriller/redemption about sincerity within deception, compassion, and a major question about second chances with a positive answer. It's kind of dark and kind of astonishingly idealistic at the same time. The heroine makes a very powerful choice, twice over. It's fascinating. If you're into the conflicted and uncertain period in reylo, the part where he is most ambiguous, and you wanted more of that and much darker shades to it, you might be really into this. Also, it should be noted, there is a MASSIVE height difference and they show it off. The film is flawed (and the seams show on the Hollywood rewrite) but idk, it's fascinating. Shocking to me that they even got to shoot the original ending. It is pretty balls to the wall with its themes on forgiveness.

I would recommend getting into kdramas because there is a wealth of female-gaze tropey amazing content, but always check the ending before getting invested. My all-time fave is the 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, but it's not sw related at all lmao. It has a happy ending with all the elements you'd want, but it's not satisfying in execution, so that's it's major flaw and I find that pretty common with kdramas. One that is maybe more relevant is My Love from Another Star, which has a hero who is a little bit like Ben in personality. The heroine isn't my favourite, though. It does have a decent ending.

Oh yeah- brain fart. Kurosawa films and classic westerns were both very influential on SW. Or you can combine both and watch The Magnificent Seven.

[chickensarentcheap]

Best Part of Me - Chapter 4

Warnings: none

Tagging: @c-a-v-a-l-r-y​, @alievans007​, @thunderintheshadows​, @innerpaperexpertcloud​

While it is a more peaceful existence, it is often a lonelier one. The safety and security of seclusion at times feeling like isolation. Their property…their home itself…is beautiful beyond anything she could have imagined; surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature, the dense and lush woodlands and the pristine beach and majesty of the ocean. Aside from the noise and activity of their own residence, they are very much shut off from the rest of the world; two hundred yards from their closest neighbour, tucked at the very end of a three kilometer stretch of recently paved road. Weeks can pass by before she even sees another human being, let alone speaks to them.  There’d been scares and complications during the last three months of her final pregnancy and she’d had to relegate herself to living the life of a ‘shut in’ for the sake of both her health and that of her unborn daughter; never leaving the property aside from specialist appointments. Addie had been an incredibly determined little girl; wanting to make her debut long before it was safe for her to do so. It had been nothing short of a miracle when the doctors had managed to tide things over until week thirty-four, and everyone that had been providing care had thought she’d been in the NICU for the long haul. Only for her to prove them all wrong; being released after only a week and a half.

 A fighter. All five pounds, ten ounces of her.

 Normally Esme would spend the first part of her morning -after the older kids had been shipped off to school-  on the beach; Addie in the carrier strapped to her body, Declan toddling along beside them, allowing him to stop every so often to splash and stomp in the water or play in the sand. Today they walk the road instead, Mac’s leash secured around her waist, one hand pushing the baby in her stroller, the other tightly gripping Declan by the wrist. He is quick and has no fear and won’t think twice about bolting into the woods or onto someone else’s property.

 The pavement is hot but comfortable against their bare feet. It was one of the things that she had found so unusual at about Australia at first; no one ever seemed to wear shoes unless going into businesses, and even then, occasionally footwear would be noticeably absent. It is one of the charming ‘quirks’, going hand in hand with their laid-back natures and accents and hilarious slang words. An entirely different way of life; a refreshing and welcoming change of pace. Everyone seeming much more relaxed and calmer.  Friendly. Always willing to help one another out, whether friends or strangers. And while Colorado had been lovely in its own right, it often felt too ‘fast.’ That life was constantly hectic, barely given you a chance to catch your breath, never mind admire your surroundings. Everything about Australia is incredible to her; the scenery, the people, the way you just take time to enjoy everyone and everything around you.

 But it is still lonely at times. Outside of her own family, she doesn’t really have a life; no relatives that can visit, no friends to talk to or hang out with. It has been that way for years; long before she’d ever met Tyler. Once her first marriage had disintegrated, she’d begun the long and arduous journey of ‘rediscovery;’ more than content with the job she had, jumping from place to place, and living out of suitcases, never forming bonds, or putting down roots. She’s older now though; almost thirty-six. And lately she’s found herself craving more.  She had thought that she was perfect content with just being a wife and a mother, but her heart has begun to yearn for something extra.  Mom friends that she can talk to whether it be face to face or through a text, other women she could have lunch dates and engage in ‘girl talk’ with. Needing to be more than that someone’s spouse. Someone’s mother. Needing…wanting… to exist outside of the comforts of those two realms.

 And she feels guilty for that. As if she’s taking every thing she already has for granted. That she is makes her selfish for wanting more and she should just be happy with the way her life already is. She has a lot more than a lot of women in the world:  a supportive, loving, and helpful husband, five beautiful and amazing kids. Shouldn’t that be enough?

 ****

 It is a beautiful morning. Brilliant sunshine, the sky a vivid shade of blue and cluttered with enormous, pure white clouds. The temperature is always cooler where they are; a few to several degrees lower thanks to the abundance of trees and the winds that roll in off the ocean. And she is comfortable in a pair of tattered and weather jean shorts and a hoodie over her t-shirt, one of her husband’s ball caps pulled low over her eyes. It’s become a habit that she wishes she could break herself of; a hat used more for disguise than a cute accessory or protection from the sun. That paranoia still lingers; that there could always be someone out there watching, hell bent on revenge and looking for the perfect opportunity to enforce it.

 The walk is slow going; Declan routinely stopping to investigate things, whether it be rocks and sticks he finds particularly interesting, or wildlife that lingers at the tree line that he wants to watch. He is infinitely curious about the world around him, noticing everything and anything, big or small. He hasn’t met and animal or person he hasn’t liked, and vice vera. Out of the five, he’s the ‘charming’ one; able to melt hearts with those striking blue eyes and mischievous smile. Extremely affectionate and loving to everyone he meets, even old ladies in the grocery store who always seem to be enamoured by the thick red hair and the outrageously long eyelashes. While Esme may be biased -as all mothers are- he is just damn cute. A sweet little personality to go along with an even sweeter face. And she can’t resist pausing to take pictures of him with her phone; so adorable in his backwards baseball hat, loose tendrils of hair sticking out at the ears.

 She sends one of the photos -of Declan holding a baby garter snake and flashing that trademark smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes (his father’s smile)- to her husband’s cell, along with a text that reads: see what cute babies you make?

 The house closest to them has been up for sale for three months; a one-story white stucco place with elaborate Japanese inspired front gardens and an interlocking brick driveway. The property itself is much smaller that what they own, but no less stunning. She notices that not only has the ‘for sale’ sign been taken down, but there’s a bright blue Suzuki hatch back in the driveway; tailgate up, surrounded by boxes being unloaded by the home’s new owner. A tall, statuesque blond with vibrant pink, purple, and aquamarine highlights in her shoulder length tresses. And she watches -albeit briefly- as the woman continues to remove items from the back of the car. The couple that had lived there before had been in their eighties and absolutely hated kids and would complain about Millie and the twins ‘running wild and unsupervised’ in the road despite the fact that their father would have been  less than ten feet away. Never directing the complaints to Tyler himself, but waiting until they’d see him leave and then knock on the door to confront her. So it’s nice to see someone younger. That hopefully won’t be such a miserable asshole.

 The front door of the house has been left open and a pug comes waddling out; immediately noticing them at the end of the driveway, which starts off a round of barking from both the smaller dog and Mac and absolute excitement from Declan who begins repeatedly shrieking ‘oggie!’ and tries to yank his wrist out of her grasp. He’s incredibly strong for a little guy; heavy, solid, and powerful. And Mac -still barking yet thankfully not bolting- parks himself right in front of the toddler to block his path.

 The woman in the driveway smiles and waves to them in greeting, and that’s when Esme makes the ultimate mistake; letting go of her son’s hand to wave back. He seizes the opportunity; taking off up the driveway the second he feels his mother’s grasp release.

 “Oh my god Declan! Get back here!” she bellows, and unleashes Mac from around her waist, allowing the dog to chase after him. At the most he’ll grab the toddler by the back of the shirt or knock him to the ground. He’s done it before with each one of the kids; showing an incredible instinct -and with no training- to protect the little humans. “Declan William!” she hollers as she hurries after him and the dog. The latter now making friends with the initially startled pug; the new homeowner scooping Declan up and settling him on her hip.

 “Well hey there cutie,” the blond gushes, gently taking hold of his hands as he tries to tear the unique and colourful glasses off her face. “Who are you?”

 “This is Declan,” Esme responds. “And he’s not usually this much of a shit head, I swear.”

 “You’re just a curious little man, aren’t you! You just wanted to come and meet Stan-Lee. Here, let me introduce you…” their new neighbour drops down to one knee and places Declan on her thigh, taking his hand in hers and then running it over the pug’s fur. The toddler giggling with the dog licks at his hand. “See that? He likes you already! He loves to meet new friends. Especially little ones.”

 “I am so sorry,” Esme can feel the blush in her cheeks. “I’m usually not that stupid. Letting him get away like that. Especially on the road. Although no one but us ever comes down this far. We used to get people that would speed down here and park on our property to get into the woods. But we own all that, so my husband went out and scared the crap out of them with a hunting rifle and they never came back. You must think I’m a shitty parent.”

 The blond waves off the mere suggestion. “Not at all. They get away sometimes. No matter how hard we try to stop them. Not to mention he’s crazy strong! Two? Two and a half?”

 “Seventeen months. I know. He’s absurdly tall. But so is his dad. I am sorry he ran over like that. Bothering you and your dog and…”

 “It’s no bother. Honest. I’m Salena,” she offers a hand, and Esme accepts it warmly.

 “I’m Esme. And that’s Mac,” she nods at the German Shepherd as he playfights with the pug. “It’s actually Macaroni. Don’t ask. My son named him. And this is Adeline,” she gestures to the stroller. “Be we call her Addie.”

 “Is this your little sister?” Salena speaks to Declan as she places him on the ground and takes him by the hand, leading him to the stroller. “How about you show me your little sister. I bet she’s a cutie, just like you. May I?” she asks Esme, taking hold of the corner of the blanket that covers the buggy.

 “Of course.”

 She peels the blanket back, then places a hand over her chest. “Oh my gracious! Look at you, pretty girl! Aren’t you just a darling! You’re just new.”

 “Very new,” Esme confirms. “Only two weeks.”

 “And you already look like that?”  Salena looks over the top rim of her glasses as she eyes Esme from head to toe.

 “Please! The clothes hide everything, trust me. I’m huge. And I feel gross.”

 “You’re crazy! You look amazing. Are these your only two?”

 “No. There’s three more,” she says, and the neighbour’s eyes widen. “Five-year-old twin boys and a soon to be six-year-old daughter. I know,’ she laughs. “I’m crazy.”

 “I just can’t believe that body’s had five kids. Five’s the limit?”

 “Four was the original limit but by husband wanted one more. I don’t know who is more insane. Me or him.”

 “Well if these two are as beautiful as they are, I can only imagine what the other three look like. The red hair comes from your husband?”

 “His mother. Declan’s the only one with it. The other three are blond. Or light brown. Whatever you want to call it. And the last one is all me. Which I feel I deserved after having four that look and act exactly like their father. All that work and getting fat and I don’t get one that looks like me? That is some bullshit.”

 “Would you like to come in?” Salena inquires, nodding towards the house. “I have a breakfast casserole in the oven, and it is way too much for just one person, even with leftovers.”

 “We shouldn’t. We were just on a walk before lunch and we don’t want to impose or…”

 “You won’t be imposing at all. We can sit out back and chat some more. You’re the first person I’ve met since moving to Cookstown. I was staying a hotel right in town while waiting for the house to close. It would be nice to have a friend that’s close by.”

 It’s tempting, and as much as she loves the idea of having a friend…especially a neighbour…she knows Tyler will be hesitant. He’s severely overprotective. Beginning after Dhaka and becoming increasingly worse over the years, hitting its peak after the McMann incident. In his mind, everyone is a possible threat. Including the neighbour with the funky glasses and the colorful hair.

 “Just stay for a little while,” the other woman urges. “Just for something to eat and a little chat. I don’t bite. I promise.”

 “It’s not that and it’s not you, believe me,” Esme attempts to explain. “This is going to sound really weird, but things went really bad before we moved here and I’m a little…apprehensive…when it comes to new people. It’s not personal. I swear. It’s all my own issues.”

 “I promise I am not a serial killer. Just come in and have some lunch and let me spend some more with this cutie pie,” she tickles Declan’s stomach until he’s giggling hysterically and beaming up at her with the utmost adoration. “Just an hour,” she says. “If I bore you or I annoy before then, you can leave. I won’t hold you hostage.”

 “Okay,” Esme finally agrees, as Salena scoops Declan up once more and leads the way towards the house.

 ****

He receives the text message just as he pulls his truck up in front of his father’s new place; a small, cottage style bungalow in a newly established retirement and nursing care community in Port Douglas. It had been bittersweet when he’d eventually found out that the old man had sold the family home. The years there hadn’t all been horrible; there’d been a handful of good memories made between those four walls. That house was the last physical tie that Tyler had had to his mother, and the new owners had bulldozed it with plans on custom build for the lot. The demolition had finally erased all the dark secrets that the place had once held. All the cruel words, all the tears, all the holes in the walls, all the beatings.

 Killing the engine, his pulls his cell from the side pocket of his cargos and checks the message. A slow smile spreading across his face when he sees the picture of his youngest son, and the words that his wife had sent afterwards. If there is one thing they excel at, it’s making beautiful children. And the activities that help with the actual creation of them. He texts her back, telling her that they’ve just reached his dad’s place and have two stops afterwards close to home. That he loves her and the kids and will see them soon.

 He begins to ask where she is but decides against it. It will only irritate her if she feels as if he’s keeping tabs on her and attempting to control her. She claims he’s overprotective to the point of suffocation, something that the therapist had said they’d touch on in the next session. Why he is the way he is and what he can do to either control it or stop it altogether. Tyler doesn’t necessarily want to be that way; he doesn’t want her to feel as if he’s locking her away in the house and controlling every move she makes. But he’s already come so close to losing her. Twice. And he doesn’t want to take the chance of there being a third time.

 So he doesn’t ask. Even though it gnaws at his stomach that she’s out there. Off the property. With two of his kids in tow. Instead he pockets his cell, pulls the keys from the ignition, and then finishes the coffee that sits in one of the cup holders between the front seats.

 “How are we going to explain me?” Ovi inquires. “Am I just going to be some guy that you hired or…?”

 “He already knows all about you.”

 “How much does he know? Or what does he know?”

 “Your folks were friends of mine and Esme’s, they died, left us you in their will. Nice and simple. It doesn’t need to be complicated.”

 The lying never stops. Not when it comes to the old life. To the old Tyler. But at this stage in the game -with his father not functioning properly in the first place- he doesn’t see the need to burden the old man with the truth. Chances are he’d be extremely pissed and/or disgusted and wouldn’t even remember what he’d been told the next day.

 “And you think he believes it?” Ovi asks.

 “Mate, I don’t even know if he knows who I am anymore. Chances are he doesn’t even remember I have a wife and kids. Or that I even told him about you already. But if he asks, that’s what we tell him. Got it?”

 Ovi nods.

 Tyler opens the compartment between their seats and fishes out the extra bottle of anti anxiety meds. It’s always smart to have them on hand; never knowing what situations or environments will bring on an attack. But he can already feel the heaviness in his chest and the dryness in his mouth, and he takes three of the pills and places them under his tongue, waiting for them to full dissolve before putting the bottle in his pocket.

 It’s a hell of a way to live. Having to dope yourself up just to be able to get out of the goddamn car.

 And he’s plain fucking sick of it.

 ****

 The personal support worker greets them at the front door; a short and stocky Aboriginal woman clad in brightly patterned scrubs and bearing a name tag that identifies her as Maggie. She as kind, almost sad eyes, and a soft, pleasant smile and her grip is deceptively strong when she shakes their hands.

 “You must be Trevor,” she addresses him.

 “Tyler,” he gently corrects, and removing his sunglasses, hangs them on the neck of his t-shirt.

 She offers an apologetic smile. “He told me he was expecting someone named Trevor.”

 “Trevor was his brother. My uncle. He died twenty years ago. But I’m Tyler. His son.”

 “This happens, you know,” she sighs. “Moment when they can’t remember the people in the present, but they remember the ones from the past. It isn’t personal. It’s just the disease. It’s a cruel thing; what it does to people.”

 He nods in agreement, trying to at least appear sympathetic. But he feels nothing. No empathy. No pity. No sorrow that his father is slipping away. No regrets that they’ve let the years go by without even attempting a reconciliation.

 “You just moved back, I hear,” Maggie comments, as she leads them from the front foyer and towards the back of the house. “Were you gone long?”

 “Five and a half years.”

 “That’s a long time to be away from home. What made you come back?”

 “I came into some money and I was able to retire early,” Tyler explains. It’s not a total lie; that part did happen. It just wasn’t as easy as he’s making it sound. “My wife and I decided this was the best place to raise our kids.”

 “Well I can’t argue with that. Is this them?”  Maggie pauses in the hall between the living room and kitchen, nodding at the frame photographs on the wall. “Your kids?”

 It’s their school pictures from last year when they’d still been in Telluride. Before they’d ever heard of Michael McMann. And one of Declan when he’d just been a baby; not even crawling or walking yet.

 Tyler nods. “They’re a year older now. And we added another. A little girl. Two weeks old.”

 Maggie arches an eyebrow. “You’re telling me you have five kids?”

 “Yup.”

 “Five kids,” she breathes and shakes her head. “Boy, you’re either both brave as hell or you’re both just plain crazy.”

 “Maybe both?” Ovi suggests, and then laughs when Tyler directs a playful elbow into his stomach.

 “I actually have six kids,” Tyler says. “If we count him,” he jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “When he’s not being a smart ass.”

 Maggie looks Ovi up and down. “You’re one of his…” she nods at Tyler. “…kids?”

 The young man nods.

 “And just how does that work? When you look like you do…” she looks at Tyler, then at Ovi. “…and you look like you do.”

 “They took me in,” Ovi explains. “Six years ago. After my parents died. It was in my mother’s will. That I was supposed to go to Tyler. So…. here I am.”

 “Here he is,” Tyler confirms, and tousles Ovi’s hair. “Congratulations. It’s a boy. All six foot one and two hundred pounds of him.”

 “He’s not my father, but he is my dad,” Ovi says. “And that’s good enough for me.”

 Maggie gives a slow nod of agreement, and then once again leads the way down the hall. “Your father insisted we put those pictures up as soon as he moved in. He’s extremely proud of his grandkids.”

 Tyler doubts it. On both counts.

 “He’s having one of his ‘okay’ days,” she says. “Woke up knowing what day is, what month, what year.”

 “But thinks his dead brother is going to show up,” Tyler tosses out. And again, nothing. Not even the slightest hint of sadness. The man doesn’t deserve any. Not after the life he’s lived. Not with all the things he’s said and all the things he’s done.

 “He may have just screwed the name up,” she suggests. “I mean, you’re his son. He obviously knows your name.”

 “I haven’t been his son in a long time,” Tyler says. It doesn’t hurt to admit. It just is what it is. In the same way that Ovi may still bear the Mahajan name, but his father had stopped being a part of his life a long time ago because of his own selfish and evil choices. Just as Tyler’s old man had destroyed their relationship with the use of a belt or a fist or whatever else his father could get his hands on.

 “You’ll always be his son,” Maggie’s tone has a scolding tone to it. “He helped give you life.”

 “That’s about all he did. He knocked my mum up. That’s it. I know you mean well, but you shouldn’t be lecturing about how things are between him and I. I lived with him. You didn’t. So how about we just cut the chit chat and you mind your own business.”

 She holds her hands up un surrender, then nods towards the sliding glass door that leads out onto a small patio. “He’s out there. Likes to sit in the sun and listen to the birds. He’s a very sweet man. Very gentle. Very good to us.”

 Tyler gives a derisive snort. It will be a cold day in hell before he acknowledges any of those traits. Because before the old man’s brain started going on him, he was a tyrant. Controlling and manipulative. Drinking far too much. Treating his mother like a slave and then degrading her and beating her if she dared stand up for herself. And when she’d died, all that cruelty and abuse had been turned onto his only child. He could forgive what his father had done to him, but there’s no goddamn way he’d ever forgive him for what he’d done to his mum.

 ****

 His father sits in an old porch swing; frail and sickly looking, a far cry from the man he’d been the last time Tyler had seen him six years ago. When he’d still carried himself with a hint of cockiness and superiority; shoulders still broad, eyes still icy and intimidating. He’s a shell of his former self, and Tyler almost hates himself for viewing this as a form of karma. That after years of treating people horribly, the old man has been reduced to needing help from complete strangers to perform even the smallest of tasks.

 “William, “ Maggie speaks from the doorway. “You have company. Your son and your...” she looks at Ovi for clarification as to just who he is.

 “Grandson,” Tyler finishes for her.

 “Your son and your grandson are here,” she continues. “They’ve come to visit.”

 Tyler gives her a small, appreciative smile and then waits until she steps back into the house and shuts the door before turning to Ovi. “Why don’t you go and find that list he supposedly made of the things we need to fix. Probably on the fridge or the kitchen table or...”

 “TV,” his father speaks up. “It’s by the TV.”

 Tyler smirks. “Go check there. See what you can do on your own. I’ll be in in a few.”

 Ovi nods, then gives a nervous smile and a small wave when he notices Tyler’s father watching him, a puzzled look on his face.

 “Go on,” Tyler encourages. “I need a few minutes here.”

 “Okay,” Ovi agrees, and slips back into the house.

 “Hey dad,” Tyler greets, as he grabs one of the patio chairs and places it facing the swing, sighing heavily as he sinks down into it. “You know who I am right?”

 His father nods, then leans forward and takes a hold of Tyler’s chin, turning his face to one side, then the other. “They let you keep that fur in the army?”

 “I’m not in the army anymore. I haven’t been in it for a long time.”

 “The war is over? They sent you home? From Afghanistan?”

 “I was in Afghanistan sixteen years ago. The war’s been over for a while. That one at least.”

 “So you’re home now?”

 Tyler nods.

 “I don’t know if I have enough room here for you. There’s not a lot of space. I had to get rid of the old place and downsize and...”

 “Dad, I have my own place to live. In Cookstown. With my wife and my kids.”

 He looks puzzled. “You have more than one now? When did that happen? Wasn’t Sarah just getting ready to have Austin?”

 Tyler sighs and runs a hand through his hair, then over his face. “Sarah and I haven’t been together in a long time. Since Austin died. That’s almost sixteen years ago now.”

 His father cocks his head to the side, confusion in his eyes and lining his face. “It is?”

 “I got married again. You were at the wedding. In Sydney. Same little place you and mum got married at. Near the opera house.”

 “Tiny little dark haired thing?”

 “Esme. You made a joke about her having a weird name.”

 “Esme...Esme...” his eyes squint as he tries to remember. “...cute wee thing. I like her. She’s a sweetheart. You’re still married to her?”

 “Six years and counting. She’s still putting up with me somehow. Do you remember meeting your granddaughter? Amelia? I brought her to the old house.”

 His father nods.

 “She’s going to be six in a couple months. I’ve also got twin boys that just turned five. Tyler and Tanner and another boy that’s seventeen months, Declan. And we just had another baby two weeks ago. A little girl. Adeline.”

 The old man smiles. “Your mother’s name.”

 “We call her Addie for short.”

 “That’s nice. Real nice. That you named her after your mother. She loved you so much, you know. Your mother. You were her pride and joy. The light of her life. I’d never seen her so as happy as she was the day you were born. She was a good mom to you. A real good mom.”

 “Yeah....” Tyler clears his throat noisily, trying to rid himself of the lump of emotion that sits squarely in his windpipe. “...she was.”

 “She’s a good mom? Your wife?”

 “She’s an incredible mom. I couldn’t have asked for a better mother for my kids. Or for a better woman to give me children.”

 “Six years?” his father asks. That you’ve been together?”

 “Six years and a couple of months,” Tyler confirms. “I haven’t screwed this one up. Not yet, anyway.”

 “Must be a good woman. A strong woman. To put up with the likes of you. You’ve always been a handful.”  It isn’t said with malice; there’s a soft smile curving the old man’s lips.

 “She keeps hanging in there. Keeps giving me another chance every time I screw up. Which has been a lot, unfortunately. But she never gives up on us. On me.”

 “Don’t let her get away. You’ll regret it if you do. And treat her right. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. You’re better than that. You always have been. You’re better than me. Thank Christ.”

 “Well I guess that’s one thing I do have to thank you for,” Tyler muses. “Showing me how not to be.”

 “And you’re back home? In Australia?”

 “We were in Colorado. We just move back six months ago. We should get you out to the house. You’d love it. It’s right on the beach. Awesome spot. And you’d get to see Amelia again. And meet your other grandkids.”

 His father smiles. “I’d like that.”

 “Maybe for Amelia’s birthday,” Tyler suggests, and then stares down at his hands; palms up, studying all the callouses and scars that years on the job have left behind.

 There’s so much he wants to say. Things that he needs to get off his chest in regard to the nightmare that he’d lived through growing up. He wants to punish his father; make him feel even the slightest bit of regret and remorse for all the things he’s said and done.

 But he doesn’t. Because whatever he says will never come close to the torment that’s always taking place in father’s broken mind.

[orangeoctopi7]

A Little Scare

@forduary week 2 is trust/paranoia, so here’s a little feral!Ford fic.

***

“Grunkle Stan, you promised you’d take us to the grocery store!” Mabel complained.

“Yeah, well that was before I broke my toe tripping over your hot glue gun.”

Stan was sitting in his recliner, both feet up, while Ford applied some sort of special cream to the swollen, blackened toe in question. The kids stood between him and the TV, determined not to let their Grunkle just relax and watch TV until they got what they wanted.

“But I still have another dozen cookies to make for tonight’s human-gnome relations seminar, and we’re all out of eggs and milk!”

“And I’m out of ball-point pens!” Dipper added.

“Look, kids, Ford says I gotta stay off my foot for the next 24 hours if his incredible cure-all is gonna work. Otherwise I’m gonna be in a boot for the rest of the month, and nobody wants that. Why can’t you just ask Soos to take you once tours are done for the day?”

“Because he doesn’t finish until six, and the seminar starts at 6:30!”

“You know, Stan, I could take them.” Ford offered.

Stan gave his brother a skeptical glance. “You sure about that, Poindexter? Remember what happened last time?”

Ford rolled his eyes. “That was last fall! I’ve made a lot of progress keeping my cool in social situations.”

“Yeah, in open-air markets, not a cramped little grocery store.”

“You know what? I’m going to take them, just to prove to you that I can!” Ford huffed.

“Alright, fine. ‘Snot like I can stop you. But take Soos’s truck. There’s no way I’m lettin’ you drive my car.”

“Fine.”

“Yay!” The kids cheered, following Ford into the hall.

Stan caught hold of Dipper’s vest as the boy passed. 

“Hey, kid, do me a favor? Just stick close to Ford while you’re at the store, alright?”

Dipper nodded. “Sure thing, Grunkle Stan.”

***

“I don’t see why Stanley is so insistent that I can’t drive his car.” Ford complained as he pulled into the parking lot. “I got us here without incident.”

“Well, you did end up on the curb a handful of times.” Mabel pointed out.

“And narrowly avoided a collision with a car parked on the side of the road.”

“Avoided being the operative word.” Ford insisted. “And don’t try and tell me Stan’s any better.”

“True.” the kids agreed.

The grocery store wasn’t terribly busy, but Gravity Falls wasn’t a big town, so that was to be expected. As soon as they entered, Mabel led them into the dairy section to get her eggs and milk. They were both located in the back corner of the store. Stanford found himself tensing as he walked down a cold aisle filled with different kinds of cheese, butter, cream, milk, and eggs. He couldn’t see the other people in there with them, couldn’t see what they were doing, couldn’t see the exit--

It’s fine. He told himself. It’s just a grocery store. People are just here to get food.

“Welp, I gotta go get some girl stuff.” Mabel declared once she’d loaded her carton of eggs into the grocery cart. “See you guys at the checkout!” She sauntered off to the other end of the store, quickly lost from Ford’s sight among all the displays of soda cans and snack cakes.

“She’ll be ok.” Dipper assured his uncle, slipping his tiny hand into the scientist’s larger one. Ford immediately blushed. Was his discomfort that obvious?

Dipper led Ford to the office supplies, where they grabbed a packet of nice blue ink pens. It really wasn’t that bad, he kept telling himself. Sure, he was tense, he was on high-alert, even higher because Mabel had wandered off on her own, but he could handle it. It would be fine.

It would have been fine, if not for the spill.

They were passing through the frozen aisle when someone behind them pulled out a big bag of frozen peas. Unfortunately, the bag had frozen together with its neighbor, and when one was pulled out, it tried to take the second bag with it, leading to a rip. Two bags full of frozen peas spilled onto the floor, making a cacophony of pinging, tinkling sounds. Tiny ice crystals flew up in the air as the peas shattered. Ford’s hairs stood on end as the cold flecks showered them. As the rapid-fire shattering assaulted his ears. 

Suddenly, Ford wasn’t in the grocery store. He was in the ice fields of Raretania 2, with a pack of cryokinetic creatures on his tail. Icicles grew on them like spines, and when they wanted to take down a meal, they could shoot the ice shards like a porcupine on steroids.

The old researcher scooped up his nephew and began frantically searching for a place to hide. Outrunning these things wasn't an option, when they could shoot their icicles with such speed and accuracy. These aisles were barren of any real cover. All they did was hide whatever was on the other side. However, Ford did notice a few feet of space between the top of the freezers and the ceiling. That could work. 

He more-or-less threw Dipper up onto the freezers before scaling them himself. A quick survey of the area showed they had lost their pursuers for now. But someone was still in immediate danger.

"Where's your sister!?" Ford hissed quietly to Dipper, who was still sputtering after being thrown up here like a pile of dirty laundry.

"Wh-- probably the cosmetics aisle, I dunno! What's--"

"We need to get to her before they do."

"They who?"

"I don't know if they have an actual name on the planet they're from. I always just called them Iciquills. Suffice to say, they're extremely dangerous, so we need to find Mabel and warn her. Now come on, we can probably jump to the next shelf from here."

Rather than be concerned, Dipper just latched onto his uncle's leg, stopping him from leaping. "Great Uncle Ford, no! You'll just hurt yourself! Or at the very least make a huge mess!"

"That hardly matters in this situation! We need to find Mabel without drawing their attention."

"Mabel's not in danger! We're not in danger! Stop and think! Why would Iciquills be here, at the grocery store? How would Iciquills be at the grocery store?"

Every cell in Ford's body was screaming at him to act before it was too late. But he knew if there was any real danger, Dipper wouldn't just brush it off like this. And when he stopped to think about it, no, it didn't make any logical sense.

"But… but I heard it! The sound of their quills just missing a target! I felt the breaking ice on the backs of my legs!" 

"Oh. I guess that was pretty scary, when you put it like that." Dipper grimaced. "But I promise, it was just an accident! Someone dropped their peas. Look!" The boy pointed to the back of his uncle's pant legs. Tiny flecks of thawing peas stuck there.

Ford's heart sank, and his face burned red with embarrassment. He'd come here to prove Stanley wrong, and instead did just the opposite. Now he wanted to hide up here for completely different reasons.

"The longer we stay up here, the more embarrassing it's gonna get." Dipper suggested.

Ford nodded mutely, and swung his legs over the top of the freezer, dropping the last few feet with a light "oof" before helping Dipper down. Luckily, the only person who'd seen the whole debacle was the guy who'd dropped the peas in the first place: Wendy's tall friend, Lee. He seemed to know better than to make a scene, and just waved meekly.

"Dude, I'm so sorry."

"No, no, I'm sorry." Ford reflected.

"Come on, let's see if Mabel's done." Dipper suggested.

They found her in the cosmetics aisle, like Dipper had expected, comparing two brands of lip-balm. She noticed their soured moods almost immediately. 

"Is something wrong? What happened?"

"I'll tell you in the car." Dipper assured her. "Let's just buy our stuff and go."

After rushing through the checkout line, they piled back into Soos's truck and headed home. Dipper filled Mabel in on Ford's scare. To the old man's credit, he did his best to laugh it off now that it had passed.

"I'd appreciate it if you two didn't mention that to Stan."

Mabel and Dipper shared a wicked glance. "Well, it's gonna take a lot of chocolate to make us forget that." The colorful girl said.

[comicteaparty]

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Micheal Morbius: Freelance Vampire http://freelancevampire.thecomicseries.com/ Genre: Drama, comedy Trigger: mentions of death and violence, talk of abusive relationships, mention of rape. It's all in dialog. Micheal Morbius, from Marvel comics, struggles to adjust to a as normal a life as a vampire can have. He helps a friend get back on her feet, he goes through therapy, and he's visited by Spider-heroes, this time a new one. Meanwhile, a true monster lurks int he shadows. The art isn't good, but the story and dialog are worth it. It's my comic. I hope after I get a few more pages going people will enjoy the story. It's a story I've been wanting to write for ages and I figured I'm not going to write for Marvel anytime soon (yes, I checked copyright law, Marvel allows this). Dedicated to Stan Lee.

Pakky

The Boy Who Fell http://boywhofell.com/ Genre: Drama, Adventure, Action, Comedy TW: Violence, blood, fighting, ptsd, suicide, death Synopsis (from the website): The Boy Who Fell revolves around an innocent, softhearted and almost-spineless boy named Ren who suddenly finds himself in Hell after accidentally falling off a school rooftop. He is then forced to partake in a tournament full of powerful and vicious beings in order to attain his only way of going home: an all-powerful wish from the ruler of Hell himself. As the story progresses, lines between allies and enemies are blurred, dark pasts are revealed, political issues come to light and all the while, Ren slowly realizes that in order to survive this journey, he might have to give up the very things that make him human I love this webcomic and have been following this artist for over 10 years now and recommend their work to anyone who will listen haha! Super long running webcomic with a well developed storyline and world.

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

Broken http://broken.spiderforest.com/ Genre: Horror Trigger Warnings: Military, death, monsters Reasons: Broken offers a very interesting twist on the concepts of fairies, presenting you with a fairy general on the battlefield fighting against corrupted abominations. The concepts and worldbuilding here are very interesting and the battle/action scenes are great. Often makes use of animation and some HTML/CSS for extra effect. Of Magic and Muses https://xiicomic.com/magic-and-muses/ Genre: Magical Girls, mystery Trigger Warnings: There's a big monster at some point? Reasons: It's a magical girl story! Except nobody knows what's happening, the powers the girls get are maybe not of a friendly nature and they wear armor? The escalation of events is suberb. It has a large (and growing) cast, but each character has their own unique personality, making them super easy to follow and love. Ghost Junk Sickness https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/ Genre: action, sci-fi Trigger Warnings: violence, limb loss, death Reasons: There's a lot to be said about this comic! I really like the characters, who are deeply flawed and charming and make a lot of mistakes (the main duo having an especially interesting, yet sorta problematic dynamic). The worldbuilding is interesting and quirky to match. The mysterious bounty The Ghost is a looming presence, and apparently we'll be learning more about them soon. Super exciting and fun action scenes too!

Desnik

https://monsterhead.net/ Genre: LGBT+ American rural occult fantasy Trigger Warnings: Animal death, mild body horror Reasons: The author/artist is an OC-loving member of the LGBT+ community, and her work deals with self-love in the face of weird circumstances. Love the colors, Carter is an appealing and relatable main character, and the worldbuilding is something I've never seen before.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

http://www.phantomarine.com/ Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural Trigger Warnings: Death, Mild Body Horror, Mild Violence, Mild Language Reasons: ...This is my comic! (edited)

Phantomarine is a spooky-but-sweet fantasy webcomic about a ghostly princess and her perilous journey across a haunted sea, hoping to save her soul from a devious, shapeshifting death god known as the Red Tide King. Expect all manner of maritime mysteries – monstrous sea creatures, sacred lighthouses, strange afflictions, accursed marauders, feuding gods, grand sea battles, and a heaping helping of humor in-between.

eliushi [Keyspace]

https://tapas.io/series/KEYSPACE-A-Winged-Tale/ https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/keyspace-a-winged-tale/list?title_no=322364 Genre: YA Science Fantasy, LGBT+ Trigger warnings: Mild body horror/violence/monsters, death Reasons: My comic Blurb: Florence thought her idyllic life living with the winged beings would last forever. However, when her mother disappears from a mysterious expedition, she fears for the worst. Through exploring hidden laboratory tunnels beneath the forest, facing Machines from a century-long war against humans, and seeking guidance from the Lost people from a civilization gone by, Flo and her winged friends must piece together the past in order to save all those they love.

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

O Sarilho https://www.sarilho.net/en Genre: Post-Apocaliptic/Sci-fi Trigger Warnings: War, military, death Reasons: I make it Short description: A small team goes on a mission to enemy territory to find the remains of an ancient satellite and they end up finding a lot more. There are computers and dams and electricity-worshipping future romans (edited)

GGY

Tile: Over 8 Miles https://tapas.io/episode/859067 Genre: Drama, Comedy, Slice of Life Reasons I make it: Cause its fun and I enjoy sharing the existence of my characters and their life outside my brain

Emma (Friends or Lovers?)

Dreamwalker Felix by KT and TK https://tapas.io/series/Dreamwalker-Felix and https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/dreamwalker-felix/list?title_no=182487 Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural Trigger Warnings: There's some body horror in there Reasons: The art is just beautiful, and it has tons of funny moments Friends or Lovers? by yours truly https://tapas.io/series/friendsorlovers and https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/friends-or-lovers/list?title_no=49520 Genre: Romance/school slice of life Trigger Warnings: Mentions and depictions of bullying Reasons: It's my comic, so I'll just quote a reader: "Your comic is more accurate to real teens in love in high school than most. It's really good stuff"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Earth in a Pocket http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/ Genre: Retro Sci-fi, Iyashikei Trigger Warnings: none Reasons: This comic posted its final page very recently! It's a relatively short read; very gentle and hopeful without being cavity-causingly sweet. The creator has put together such a heartwarming story that I've been adoring for a while. One of my faves, now complete!

renieplayerone

O Human Star https://ohumanstar.com/ Genre: Scifi, Robots, Drama TW: Dysphoria, Depression Reasons: The characters are so well written and emotional, plus I love the simplistic color palette. They get across the journey of self-discovery in such an interesting way.(edited)

carcarchu

Arcane Flames https://tapas.io/series/Arcane-Flames Genre: Fantasy Trigger Warnings: death? Reasons: I've been following kutty sark for many years now and I've really been looking forward to this comic which I'm pleased to say even exceeded my expectations. Fantastic art and the tone of the story is just lovely, i adore al'vis

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

https://sfeertheory.com/ The art is incredible. Every character, even the background ones, is full of personality. I love a good underdog story, and Luca's speech in chapter three made me scream into my hands and tear up. I can't recommend it highly enough

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

http://secondcrimeanwar.thecomicseries.com/

The Second Crimean War is a powerful and fun story in an alternate 1990s decade in Ukraine. The art is black and white and improves in leaps and bounces as you move on in the story! The story itself draws you in from page one. There's suspense, there's (black) humor, there's atmosphere and adventure. Highly recommended if you like war/action/suspense.

varethane

Have you ever read Nasty Red Dogs? https://nastyreddogs.com/

oh golly, haha

yeah, it's a fun and twisted and surreal little tale, the early parts especially are like walking through a really bizarre dream that if you describe it, it ought to be called a nightmare, but at the moment you're in it, it doesn't FEEL like one lol

the creator also does a comic called Feast For A King, which I think is more well-known but I haven't read yet (will at some point tho): https://feastforaking.com/comic/

kelly-zine

Title: Zyra Slash Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Slice-Of-Life TW: None (for right now at least, it just started!) Reasons: I love Alex and their characters so much! ZS is a project I’ve been following and chatting with them about for a long time and it’s amazing to see it come to fruition. I think you’ll like it too. (Note that it’s on hiatus at the moment!) https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/zyra-slash/list?title_no=373763

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Title: Ark https://www.arkcomic.com/ Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Anthro TW: violence (nothing heavy yet, but my Spider Senses are tingling) Reasons: A 1920s-inspired, extremely believable fantasy setting. Hints of racial tension and a possible war brewing on the horizon. It's pretty early in the story, so hop in and claim the front row seats for this gorgeously illustrated comic! (edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Tamberlane https://www.tamberlanecomic.com/ Genre: slice of life, heartwarming, Anthro It has a cast of colourful characters. Charming story of a clumsy bat named Belfry who adopts a little human. Various animal neighbors to love

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I found one of the Chinese webcomics I use to follow, is now on Webtoons. They rename the title to: The Emperor's New Body because it's about body swapping and has interesting depth while some silly hijinks https://tapas.io/series/the-emperors-new-body(edited)

trinketfox

May as well rec my first ever favorite webcomic! Warrior U! https://warrior-u-thecomic.tumblr.com/ It's so expressive and funny that I've always wished it would become a show on cartoon network or something. Only the first few pages are still up on this tumblr since the official site is down, but all chapters are on the artist's gumroad!

It's an episodic comedy fantasy that goes from page-long gags to full episodes. Reccomended for it's humor and a really fun art style.

SteffieMusings

Nebula Beings https://tapas.io/series/Nebula-Beings Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror/Thriller Trigger Warnings: Violence, scary imagery (especially in chapter 7), talks/implied past abuse Reasons: It's a fun series and the two main characters learn to overcome challenges during their travels.(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

http://humoncomics.com/elftaken-1

Very short comic about the fae!

shadowhood {SunnyxRain}

For anyone who wants really strong character development/plot/art in general, I’m recommending Heir’s Game https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/heirs-game/list?title_no=1445 For slapstick humor and characters with strong platonic bonds I give you Waffles and Pancakes https://www.webtoons.com/en/slice-of-life/waffles-and-pancakes/list?title_no=1310 And because why not, and if you like Victorian romance with a cute bickering couple, I give you Miss Abbott and the Doctor https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/miss-abbott-and-the-doctor/list?title_no=707

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Encephalon Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror Trigger Warnings: Blood, Gore, Strong Language A rescue crew sent to an abandoned space station comes face-to-face with a bio-computer experiment gone horribly wrong. A sci-fi webcomic with body-horror elements. Very creepy stuff! It's just getting started, but after seeing the rest of the story in thumbnail form (my IRL friend is the making it), it's going to AWESOME places. Please check it out! https://encephalon-comic.com/

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

This is: Mirror Mirror for 'Brain' short story contest entry. The 1st ep caught my eye and I'm invested in it https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/mirror-mirror-b/list?title_no=427186(edited)

carcarchu

https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/freak Genre: fantasy Trigger Warnings: violence? Reasons: sakon's art is brilliant and incredibly consistent. season 1 is now available to read for free!

sagaholmgaard

Genre: Supernatural, urban fantasy, slice of life Trigger Warnings: Maybe abusive parents? idk i feel like it will be explored in the future Reasons: I love the art style and the latest chapter have some CHAOTIC ENERGY and im living for it!! https://tapas.io/series/bygonesbe

GGY

Just got back from hiatus! If y’all are interested in some slice of life + comedy drama I’d like to share my webcomic Over 8 Miles: https://tapas.io/series/O8M/ep39

carcarchu

Veni Vidi Vici https://vevivi.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-1.html Genre: slice of life, comedy Reasons: reading this comic feels so comfy and it reminds me of being in roman studies class again. you can really see the love and care that Ruby has put into this comic and her passion for ancient rome is really on full display in this work

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

This is the comic books for Cafe Suada I used to read way back. It's a fun slice of life about a teahouse shop keeper rivals with a coffee shop manager https://tapas.io/series/Cafe-Suada The artist used some traditonal tea staining for the textures. The story inspired me to draw my own slice of life series(edited)

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

The Strange Tale of Oscar Zahn https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/the-strange-tales-of-oscar-zahn/list?title_no=685&page=1 Genre: Paranatural Investigation with just a dash of Cosmic Horror Kinda spooky, some light/fantasy violence From the website: Follow the journey of the world's greatest paranormal investigator - Oscar Zahn. Friend to lost souls, enemy of evil, he may lack a body but that doesn't mean he's missing a heart! The art is INCREDIBLE, the tone is really fun with some neat Hellboy vibes, it's complete and it's a good binge read. I really enjoyed it!

carcarchu

Short story about a cat, make sure you've got tissues ready https://akimiya.tumblr.com/post/129049384624

boogeymadam

just caught up with wychwood and it's such a huge treat!! there's some amazingly fun worldbuilding, a lot of intrigue about how the protagonists came to have the powers they do, and the motives behind the things that made the world the way it is * _ * it's also got soooo many pretty derelict environments, cool creature design and fun training montages! http://wychwood.sevensmith.net/comic/1

Yung Skrimp (Carefree)

I started reading Cloven Hearth, it’s interesting and has a really cool art style

https://twitter.com/ruinationcomics/status/1254126660007399425?s=21(edited)

carcarchu

Hana and Mr. Arrogant https://www.ciayo.com/en/comic/hana-mr-arrogant Genre: romance Reasons: Easy breezy read, with nice art and a super likeable heroine! Nothing we've never seen before, but delivered with genuine heart that makes it stand out

LabsZach

This one esp, with the greenery shifting into dirt, roots, and mushrooms, and how it compliments the figures on it is just aces. https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/cloven-hearth/touch-of-the-divine/viewer?title_no=396780&episode_no=14

boogeymadam

recently binged malverav's comic Love and War and it is sooo satisfying, about 2 competitors in a medieval tournament involving jousting, archery and more! The banter between Svanhildur and Marinelle had me grinning a lot. Also, it's a wlw rivals-to-lovers romance aka a GREAT kinda love story!! (my favorite kind ) it's on tapas https://tapas.io/series/Love-and-War/info

carcarchu

cronaj's sports comment got me thinking about this and how damn good it is https://tapas.io/episode/968762 Genre: Sports, drama Reasons: it's insanely creative and the art is so intense, i found it extremely memorable and powerful to read(edited)

carcarchu

Came across this stunning webtoon today. It was originally published on taiwanese webtoon and the author has decided to tl into english to share with a wider audience https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/intertidal/list?title_no=371176 Really gorgeous traditionally drawn comic and a lovely poetic writing style

carcarchu

the winner of this year's eisners awards for best webcomic. definitely worth checking out! https://friedricecomic.com/

[azeher]

I’ll probably drop the subject after this and just dedicate to flood the spidey art corner, but I really want to talk about the different reasons why the whole sony-marvel mess makes me so upset:

1. I’ve seen posts being like this doesn’t affect Miles Morales at all. Some ppl have even innocently said, “Great! Now Miles gets to be MCU Spiderman.” But this is not how any of this works. MCU doesn’t get any Spiderman, which obviously includes Miles. And Miles was already in the MCU, somewhere, ever since Homecoming. We knew that. Indeed, the Blip was the perfect way to set him up since aging five years meant now he probably was around Peter’s age. We were close to having Miles in the MCU. Of having him team up with Peter and the Avengers. Of eventually having his own solo movie.

Some probably think this doesn’t matter. We’ll never lose Spiderverse!Miles after all. Yes. And I’m at least grateful for that. But this was the possibility of having a live-action Miles. Just like Tom dreamed all his life to play Spiderman and wore the costume everywhere when he was little, don’t you think there are many little poc and biracial boys out there who dream of playing him too? Boys who turned to Miles and made him into their role model? Children who’ve worked just as hard as Tom to become a fitting actor just so they can be Miles in the MCU and be an Avenger? But that’s not happening now.

Also having Miles in the MCU meant having Ganke Lee, which meant more job opportunities for Asian actors.

2. It’s unclear but this might mean many actors losing their jobs. As far as I know, MCU owns the supporting cast of the Spidey movies as they were presented. This means Sony doesn’t get to use them. So Zendaya and Jacob Batalon could possibly be fired, if they already weren’t. Same for Marisa Tomei, Angourie Rice and Tony Revolori among others. This is a big deal because they’re the victims of a war between big corporations that’s not their fault at all.

Jon Watts might lose his job too. Some posts said he was still confirmed as the Director but that’s not true.

3. Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are some of the most hard-working and nicest people I’ve ever seen in my life. I personally can’t accept any other MJ that is not Zendaya. She was aware of the whole #notmymj shit going on and it deeply hurt her. The one thing that made her feel good was Stan Lee himself defending her casting. Jacob Batalon’s breaking role was Ned Leeds and if you’ve ever watched an interview with him for more than five seconds then you know how dedicated he is to this role. He loves Ned, is always excited about anything that has anything to do with him. He takes extra acting classes between movies bc he wants to make sure he does better and better every time. Everyone makes a point of how skilled he already is.

These three young actors are not only incredibly talented for their age in many fields, but they’re honestly the most humble, down to earth and just simply good-hearted celebrities I’ve encountered who love what they do, love bringing people joy, have tons of fun and have sincerely created a family with one another behind the scenes.

4. Sony seriously thinks Tom can carry a Spiderman movie all on his own and it will do just as great. It’s true that Tom is a really good actor and that he ghost-wrote the most iconic and memorable scenes involving Spidey for both his solo movies and the team-up ones like Infinity War and Endgame, but putting the success of a franchise on the leading actor’s shoulders is unfair and just not ok. One person doesn’t make a whole team, and a good movie is made of teamwork. Besides, Sony already tried to put the weight of the success of the Amazing Spiderman reboot on Andrew and Emma Stone’s shoulders and we all know what happened.

5. The Brothers Trust. A lot of people might not know this but Tom’s parents set up a charity that helps boost and raise funding for smaller charities that just don’t get enough attention, such as the Lunchbowl Network and Debra. One feeds children and Nairobi and the other helps families affected by EB. They support a ton of other smaller charities.

Tom has been raising money for The Brothers Trust by doing raffles which offer the opportunity to go to the Spiderman movies premieres with him and his family, as well as other similar events. It’s not like he can’t continue to do this, but he also used the Infinity War press tour to promote this charity and raffled a private screening of the movie with him. He did similar stuff with Endgame. This guaranteed a lot of money raised.

Do you think this is a clever way of using fame, influence, and access to the biggest, most expensive and most successful movie franchise to help people in need? That’s because it is, and I think his family should be more recognized for this bc this is an amazing thing that they do.

Not being in the MCU will affect this greatly.

6. I don’t want the third movie to quickly tell me Michelle moved out so they can give us some random redhead Mary Jane Watson whose relationship with Peter we’re supposed to root for. I don’t want to learn that Ned Leeds died sometime offscreen and instead, we get Harry Osborn who we’re supposed to believe has been Peter’s bff all this time but they never hung out until now. I don’t want to suddenly have Aunt May be much older bc all the stress aged her up. I don’t want Flash to be a violent dudebro.

And really, if we can’t have Zendaya’s MJ then I don’t want any love interest for Peter at all unless it’s another boy and they confirm him to be bi. If Sony doesn’t have the balls or legal rights to do that, then leave Peter stay single.

It’s easy to be like, “Hahaha, true Spiderman fans wanted this to happen. MCU stans are the only ones complaining.” But maybe remember that this affects real people’s lives for the worst. Yeah, Disney sucks and it sucks that they have so much power, but they should still keep Spidey.

[fangirlinsweden]

Never Mess with Voodoo Part 2

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader

Warnings: Voodoo, magical things, money problems, angst                        

Word Count:                                                                    

Square Filled: Fairytale AU for @star-spangled-bingo        

Summary:  Prince Steven visits New Orleans and gets tangled with a Voodoo Curse and running for his life. Y/N gets messed up in his curse and together they try to find a way to break the course and free their new friends they made during the journey.

A/N: New series for the @star-spangled-bingo. I think it will be about 5 parts. It is based on the Disney movie The Princess and the frog. But it is my twist of things.

Also today it’s been a year since Stan Lee past away and I wrote this series him in mind. So I have written him into the story, as a cameo.

I would like to thank @allaboutthebooz​ for her support and motivation. And I would also like to thank @kaunis-sielu​ and @banditthewriter​ for there insight in how they write and deal with things. If you have not read any of there work, you really should check it out!!

You had spent the last couple of days baking a thousand Beignets and now you feel exhausted, but you had promised Virginia to be at her masquerade and you kept your promises. Virginia had been so giddy when you met her the other day and so sure that Prince Steven would fall madly in love with her. You were not so sure. Not that Virginia was not lovely, but did love at first sight really happen? Maybe Prince Steven would become Virginia's husband in the future or her friend might make an ass out of herself as she goes after her dreams at becoming a real princess. You hoped for the first and if you could you would try and make sure that the last one did not happen. Your costume was one of a simple farm girl because it was a costume you found in your closet. No need to spend money on a new costume. The money needed to go to your dream and nothing else. You knew Virginia would not be happy with your costume, but that she would get over it.   

You packed everything together and walked out to the car that Virginia's father, Robert, had sent to pick you up. Robert was a sweetheart and you knew that he was worried about you living in your neighbourhood, but you had refused to accept his help at living somewhere else. You needed to take care of yourself. It was a thing about pride for you. He had even offered you move in with him and Virginia at the mansion, but it was too far to your jobs from there. You greeted the driver and he helped you put everything in the car and then you were off to the party. 

  When you arrived at the mansion the preparations for the party was in full swing. Virginia was walking around all the servers in a beautiful pale pink ball gown and she had a tiara on her head that glistered in the light. It didn't surprise you that she was dressed as a princess.  “Oh, Y/N,” Virginia said as she hurried over to you. “I am so glad that you are here.” She gave you a big hug.  “Where else would I be,” You hugged her back.  “I am just so nervous,” she admits and drags you towards the snack table where servers are plating your Beignets.  “You have nothing to be nervous about,” You say and squeeze her hand. “You look beautiful, the part looks fantastic and you are going to meet a prince. What more can you ask for?” Virginia looks away and it sounded like she sobbed.  “What is wrong?” you ask and she turns around. You can see the tears in her eyes.  “I need to tell you something…” Virginia starts saying when her father comes over and interrupts. Virginia looks away from her father and blinks away her tears.  “Y/N, you came,” He laughs and pulls you into a hug.  “Hey, there Robert,” you laugh. “Or should I call you King Robert?” He laughs and realises you from his arms. “I am not the King until tomorrow,” Robert winks at you. “Then I will just wait until tomorrow,” You smile at him. Virginia is quiet, just standing there which was not like her.  “Still nervous, my dear?” Robert asks his daughter. She smiles at her father and shakes her head.  “Not now that Y/N is here,” she answers and lay her arm around your shoulders. “Although I wish she would have a more eye-catching costume on.”  “You know the reason behind my clothes,” you look down at your feet, feeling your face heat up. You hated this.  “I know,” Virginia pulls you a bit closer. “I just wish you would let me spoil you sometimes.” You make a waving gesture with your hand and they drop it. They know you well enough to know what you have said if you had continued talking. You wanted to be independent and not live on your friends. Yes, you could probably ask Robert for a loan for the restaurant, but it just felt wrong not to earn your own money. Robert and his family had worked hard for generations to have the riches they had now. You wanted to do that as well, without shortcuts.  The band that was going to play at the party arrived and Virginia says she needs to deal with them, but that she would be back soon. “I think it is time that you change before Virginia comes back and scolds at you,” you smirk at Robert. He laughs a big belly laugh.  “You are so right, my dear Y/N,” Robert looks around. “Save me a dance later on.” You promise and he walks up the stairs. You twirl around looking at all the pretty lights and feel better than you had in a while. Being with your friends always helped get your spirit up. 

The party was in full swing around you. People were dressed as pirates, mermaids, ghosts and famous people. Robert was dressed as Julius Caesar. You were looking for Virginia because you had not seen her for a while. During the party, men had asked her to dance the whole night, but she had still not accepted a single one, that wasn't her father. She was no were to be seen as you walked around the party. Just as you were about to go ask Robert if he had seen his daughter you saw her standing away from people in the shadows. You hurried over. “Virginia, I been looking for you,” You say as you come closer to her. Her eyes were watery and there were watermarks down her cheeks. In her hand she had a paper tissue that has been torn and twisted. It was clenched in her hand. “Are you all right?” you whisper out. You knew Virginia would not want anyone to see her like this.  “No. I am not. I can’t believe this. I am stood up by a man I never even met. I am stood up again,” Virginia brings the hand with the tissue up to her chest, not looking at you. “Maybe he will be here soon,” you try and make her feel better.  Trying to figure out who could have stood her up in the past. It was not something you had heard about before. Virginia shifts her eyes up to the sky. “Please, please,” she whispers out as a tear falls down her cheek. You quietly dry it with your thumb. It did not feel like she was wishing for Prince Steven.   “Virginia, I am sorry,” you say and take her hand. “I don’t think that will work.” “It always worked before,” Virginia said. “Or almost always.” She looks away from your eyes. The heartbroken look on her face over the wish that had not come true, that you wondered what it could have been? There goes a whisper through the party and someone announces that Prince Steven of Maldonia has arrived at the party. Virginia’s whip around with wide-open eyes. You can see her father walks over to the prince. She dries away her tears with her hand and looks at you. “How do I look?” she asks you and you give her a smile. “Beautiful as always,” you answer honestly.  She gives you a big smile, but it does not really reach her eyes. She walks through the crowd and to her father and Prince Steven. You stand in the sidelines and look on as she bows to him and he kisses her hand. You had to admit he was gorgeous. You were not surprised when he walks out on the dancefloor with Virginia. They looked beautiful together. There is a small tug in your chest. You wanted to find someone to share your life with, but you wanted to be a successful first. Because who would want you as you were? A waiter with hardly any money that worked all the time. You did not have time for dating and falling in love not now.  

Virginia was still dancing around with Prince Steven an hour later. They looked beautiful together and you would believe that Virginia would have a big smile on her face, and she had a smile on, but it seemed fake. To think of it, Virginia had not been herself the whole night and if she thought back to her friend had been acting kind of different for a long time now. It was as she was putting on a happy front for everyone to see. Her smile did not reach her eyes and her laugh was just a tone of.  You turn around to walk over to the snack table. A group of men are talking loudly to the right of you and one of the men are eyeing you. It makes a cold shiver go through your body. It was as if he thought you were a part of the snacks served at the party. You take one of your Beignets and take a bit. It melted on your tongue, which made you really happy. It was a recipe from your father and it was going to be on the menu on your restaurant. You decide to take a glass of punch so you make your way over to the bar, but the men that been talking loudly start walking towards you, so you step to your side, but still one of the men walk right into you and you can feel a cold wet sensation over your upper body. It felt sticky as well.  “Look where you are going,” you mutter at the partygoer that just dumped a whole glass of punch over you.  “Sorry, I did not see you,” the man smirks and looks down at you. “Go along and give me a new glass of punch.” You ball your hands into fists. “I am not here as a server, I am a guest.” you grit your teeth, “Could have fooled me with that outfit,” the man snicker at you. You take a step forward. You hated when people looked down on you. Virginia hurried up to you and the man.  “Y/N, come along with me now,” Virginia says and drags you away from the man. You don't see but she makes a gesture to two of your friends to escort the man from the party.  “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes. I have the perfect dress for you in my room,” Virginia guides you into the mansion and up the stairs. You don’t fight her.  “I am so sorry for that moron down there,” Virginia says as you walk into Virginia's bedroom.  “It’s okay Virginia,” you look down at the floor. “Maybe I should just go home.” “Absolutely not,” Virginia says determinedly. “I need my best friend here with me tonight.” You nod and smile at her. “I saw you dance with Prince Steven,” you say and she looks down at the floor. “He is really something else,” Virginia mutters.  “Not what you had thought?” you tilt your head to the side. “I.. I just..,” Virginia starts and walks over to one of her wardrobes.  “You know you can tell me anything,” You say and walk over to her. “Please tell me what it was you wanted to tell me earlier.” Virginia shakes her head.  “Not tonight,” she says and starts going through her closet. “I just can’t tonight. Can we talk about it after Mardi Gras?” “Of course,” You say and she hands you a beautiful light blue shimmering dress. “Just know I am here for you.” She nods hands you a tiara and begs you to get changed and come down to the party. You agree and she leaves you alone.

30 minutes later you stood dressed in the shimmering light blue dressed and a tiara that hat looked like it was made out of diamonds and silver. If you knew your friend it probably was. You were ready to join the party again, but something was holding you back. You look at your reflection in the mirror. Had you ever been dressed in something so beautiful before? You sigh and walked over to the balcony doors and opened them and stepped out in the moonlight. Maybe Virginia was right? Maybe all she needed to do was wish upon the brightest star in the sky and all her dreams would come true. It couldn't hurt to try, could it?  You found the brightest star and closed your eyes and wished for your restaurant. After a while, you opened your eyes and nothing was different. How long until you knew if it worked? “Excuse me,” you heard a tiny voice. You looked around but saw nobody. “Down here,” the voice said and you looked down at the floor. You let out a yelp. On the floor sat a green frog. Was it the frog that had talked? Can frogs talk or am I going insane? I really must be tired, hallucinating. But then it happens again. The frog opens his mouth and says:  “I am Prince Steven of Maldonia, but you can call me Steve,” the frog bows to you. You let out a scream and run into Virginia’s room. The frog hops after you so you take up the closest thing to you, which is Virginia’s favourite book when they grew up. A book full of fairy tales. “Wait, don’t hit me,” the frog screams out. You stop with the book above your head.  “Give me one good reason why I should not.” The book is still over your head and you are ready to toss it at the frog. “I will not hurt you,” Steve said with his hands raised up in the air.  “I don’t believe you,” you narrow your eyes on the frog. “And how can you be Prince Steven? Virginia is dancing with him right now.” “I don’t know who that is, I am the real Prince Steven,” Steve says still with his hands in the air. “Please, I just want to be a human again. I am not going to hurt you, I promise.”  “Well, that is not something I can help you with,” you slowly lower the book and place it on a table. Because what could a frog do to you? Steve jumps up on the table. He looks down at the book. “Maybe you can,” he says and stamps on the book. “What do you mean?” you raise an eyebrow to him. “Kiss me and I will be human again,” Steve winks at you. “No, never!” You take a step back, scrunching up your face. “Oh, come on, Princess” Steve begs. “Just one little kiss, it won’t kill you.” “I won’t kiss a frog,” you cross your arms over your chest. “If you kiss me I will marry you,” the frog Steve told you looking up at you. “I don’t need a prince or a knight in shining armour.” You say and raises your chin in the air.  “Then what do you need?” Steve asks and takes a slow hop closer to you. A sigh is heard in the room. Should you really tell a frog your problems?  “What I need is money to open my own restaurant.” You look down at the floor, feeling defeated. “If you kiss me, I can get you all the money you want,” the frog answered, with what looked like a grin. “I am rich.” He looked almost proud if a frog could look proud. “So all I need to do is to kiss you,” you muttered. “Kiss a frog and get all the money I need.” The frog nodded. “This sounds almost too good to be true, but what do I get to lose?” You crutch down and pick up the frog. The frog is slimy and kind of gross. Are you really going to kiss a frog? Yes, you are. There was always soap and water to wash your mouth after. After placing Steve on the dresser you close your eyes and inches your mouth closer to the frog. Just as your lips are going to touch you open your eyes and see the frog up and close, so you jump back.  “Juck, juck, juck,” you get out and when you look at Steve, he looks almost hurt. Can a frog look hurt? You don’t say a word, just steady yourself for the kiss. You close your eyes and promise yourself that you will keep them closed this time. You go down for the kiss and when your lips meet there is a light and then everything becomes black. 

~ *~*~*~ *~*~*~ *~*~*~ *~ *~*~*~ *~*~*~

Taglist:

@kaithezaftig

@lumar014

[kudosmyhero]

The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #73: The Web Closes!

Read Date: June 02, 2023 Cover Date: June 1969 ● Writer: Stan Lee ● Penciler: John Romita Jr. ◦ John Buscema ● Inker: Jim Mooney ● Colorist: {uncredited} ● Letterer: Sam Rosen ● Editor: Stan Lee ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● Spidey’s villain this issue is… Johnny Cash?

● John Romita, Jr. and John Buscema are nailing the art so far in this issue! I’ve been staring at that one with the plane for a while now. the perspective is fabulous, Spidey looks amazingly fluid—especially when compared to the rigid structures of the buildings around him. slow clap ● oof the colorist really dropped the ball on the Robertsons. they look blue-gray again ● 👏👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: Spider-Man has come to the Stacy home to ask George Stacy if he can provide any clues about where the Shocker may have taken the tablet stolen from his home. After overhearing Gwen talking about Peter to her father, Spider-Man makes his presence known to Stacy, after some consideration George gives Spider-Man the only lead he can think of: The address of the Shocker's ex-girlfriend.

Spider-Man arrives at the girls house to find that it's being torn apart by Man-Mountain Marko, an enforcer for the crime boss Silvermane. As the two duke it out, another one of Silvermane's goons, Cesare Cicero bails out one of Kingpin's men to decipher the tablet. Back at the Shocker's ex-girlfriends place, Man-Mountain Marko is put on the ropes by Spider-Man. While at the Bugle, Jameson returns to work to tell Joe Robertson about the positive press his newspaper has been giving Spider-Man. Robertson tells Jameson that Jameson is entitled to write all the editorials he wants, but as long as he's city editor for the paper, he will report the facts as they are.

The fight between Marko and Spider-Man ends when Marko throws the Shocker's ex out the window, forcing Spider-Man to save her life while Marko makes off with the tablet. As Silvermane has the Kingpin's man translate the tablet, Spider-Man returns home and changes to Peter Parker where he remembers he was going to call Curt Connors at home. He learns from his wife that Connors was taken from their home a few days prior by a bunch of unknown men. Little does Peter know that Connors has been brought in by Silvermane to assist with the tablet in some way. Connors warns Silvermane that he should not be kept prisoner because it's dangerous, but refuses to elaborate.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_73)

Fan Art: Spider-man by nefar007

Accompanying Podcast: ● Swinging Through Spider-Man - episode 73

● Let's Read Spider-Man - episode 46

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Here and in other places I at times try to look at things from an objective point of view.

 Obviously I talk about Spider-Man and comics and adaptations, so usually when I look I try to look at that stuff from an objective POV I mean I’m looking at it from a craftsmanship point of view. Now that itself can get complicated.

 But to give you an example If i was looking at a 1960s comic vs a modern comic I know the objective standards for that medium, in that country in that genre at the respective points in time are not going to be the same. So characters employing science that takes no account of how radiation gives you cancer in the 1960s is fine because no one in the 1960s knew that. Characters also acting unrealistically back in those stories is also fine and dandy. Objectively it was generally bad writing, but you do have to grade things on the curve, because the truth is in the 1960s the objective standards for realism in superhero comics wasn’t what it became elevated to later on. If a more modern comic tried that though, then that would indeed be objectively bad writing worthy of criticism. But let’s remember a massive reason standards in comics improved over time was precisely because people were critical of them. Stan Lee was critical of how idealized superheroes were, how unrealistic they were and in his work sought to do something different thus raising the bar on the over all quality of the genre. You can go much wider than just the degree of realism in stories but you get the picture.

 Of course  I’m not perfect. I’ve never claimed I was, never claimed I was faultless. Indeed that is why my blog clearly states in my top blurb:

 “ LOVE comments and questions so leave some as you pass by as well as call me on any facts I have gotten wrong.”

 Calling me on facts I’ve gotten wrong is part and parcel of how I value trying to be objective about things. However it doesn’t mean i’m just going to automatically accept anyone’s word that I’ve gotten a fact wrong or are mistaken. I disbelieve in obeying people’s words like that and not using scrutiny, I try to apply that to life in general.

 Again though, i’m not perfect, I can make mistakes and drop the ball. Thus when trying to be objective I can fail either because I’ve inadvertently assessed something from a subjective point of view or because I have a lack of information or because when presented with the factual information I’ve taken a look at it and misread it or misinterpreted it.

 On other occasions I simply might’ve inadvertently not used disclaimer words to make clear I’m talking about something merely from an emotional or off the cuff point of view. I may have written ‘This issue was this’ when I should have written ‘I feel this issue was this’. This is in fact why when I make posts about the latest issues I refer to them as my ‘Thoughts’ as opposed to referring to them as a review. A review implies I’m looking at it from a purely critical point of view, that I’m trying to be objective. In posts like ‘ASM #1 thoughts’ or whatever though I’m not, I’m giving you just my initial thoughts and feelings having recently read the story, gushing and ranting about whatever is in it. it may well be some of those things are also valid objective criticisms but that’s a whole other debate. But you know...sometimes I might convey my thoughts and feelings whilst forgetting to make clear they are in fact...just my thoughts and feelings. I can make a mistake as I’ve explained.

 WE ALL ARE CAPABLE OF THIS!

 I’ve also found people don’t really seem to get what being objective means. It’s not a state of being. It’s something you  try to practice at.

 It doesn’t mean ‘I am speaking with the absolute final definitive word on this subject.’

 It means ‘I’m presenting an assessment of the subject based upon a factual analysis of it’

 That doesn’t mean it cannot be incorrect because an individual may not be in possession of all the facts necessary to analyse the topic fully. This is why discussion, debate, scrutiny, etc are vitally important. By sharing information and testing said information we can improve one another’s understanding of something.

 Case in point a story could demand a certain level of knowledge of the cultural and historical context it was produced in to understand it fully. Doing so could greatly alter your perceptions of the story because you now get that the underlying context.

 I’ll give you a personal example that touches on Spider-Man. My introduction to Spidey was from the 1994 Spider-Man cartoon, and one of it’s more infamous episodes starred the Rocket Racer, who was from a working clad African American neighbourhood. As a kid I found this episode boring and emotionally unengaging. I hated how dumb the cops seemed to be in presuming the Rocket Racer a criminal, and of how Rocket Racer in turn was stupid for deciding to become a criminal due to that presumption and how dumb he and his mother seemed to be innot just telling the police that criminals were harassing their business.

 When I got older though and learned more...I got it. It was about well...racism.

 That’s a very emotive example I know but it proves my point. Information sharing can impact your understanding and thereby appreciation of media.

 With more facts under your belt you are better equipped to make an objective assessment of something.

 That doesn’t mean absolutely every aspect of everything can be objectively evaluated. But it’s also not the case that anything, or even clearly the majority of anything, involved in creative works is automatically falls under the banner of subjectivity. It’s complicated and needs to be deconstructed and looked at with nuance. For example a story’s structure can be objectively bad. A character’s characterization can be objectively bad. Pacing can be objectively bad.

 Saying ‘I found/felt those things to not be bad’ isn’t defending those things because it’s speaking purely from a subjective point of view.

 You can like/dislike whatever you want. That’s fine. But that doesn’t mean something is good or bad. You can enjoy something bad or dislike something good. You can have your cake and eat it. I unironically adore Revenge of the Sith but objectively the Empire Strikes Back is a superior film. However too often I find people use the defence of ‘their opinions’ as a shield against all scrutiny.

 I once encountered a particularly belligerent individual who repeatedly claimed that in their opinion Peter David wasn’t a good fit for Spider-Man anymore because he’d want to touch on topics at odds with Spider-Man like time travel and demons. His evidence for this was PAD’s use of demons and time travel in the Hulk and X-Men. When I challenged his views as illogical because of the long history of time travel and magic within those 2 franchises inviting the use of them, he became aggressive and defensive, insisting that it was essentially subjective...when it clearly wasn’t. He was condemning the chance for a writer to get work on grounds that never held up to scrutiny.

 This isn’t about comics but a lot of what I’ve been trying to convey is summed up in this video I’d recommend people watch.

[clusterthoughts]

My take on Avengers: Endgame **SPOILERS AHEAD**

To get the ball rolling, I’m gonna start with the bits I didn’t like just because overall I fucking loved Endgame and I’d like to end on a positive note. But just because I loved it does not mean I am not well accustomed to Marvel giving me holes to pick at. STEVE’S ENDING When I first watched it; it rubbed me up the wrong way. Now I’m actually mad about it. Don’t get me wrong - I knew they had to find a way to write out Steve Rogers but literally anything else wouldn’t have shit on years of character development. Fans: clearly Steve and Bucky would be the only natural romantic partners for each other Marvel: romantic love is not the be-all-and-end-all. Friendship is just as important Fans: okay well can you give Steve and Bucky solid screen time as friends? Marvel: sTEVE NEEDS TO BE WITH PEGGY THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE AND TO ABANDON ALL HIS FRIENDS FOR IT Fans: ...k I recognise that Steve’s trauma was that he felt like his life had happened without him and he had left behind the love of his life and honestly: fair. I’m Stucky trash all day long but I know the fucking company I’m dealing with here. I’d have accepted The Power Of Friendship with open arms. But a major part of both Steve and Peggy’s on-screen storyline was accepting that they needed to make the most of the life they had now and move on. Significant portions of their screen time was dedicated to that healing process. Steve created a life for himself in the future. He had a found-family (despite Marvel continuously found-family baiting us but I’m being considerate to their established shitehawkery here) he had friends and a purpose. But the main thing of note here is that Steve and Bucky’s friendship was constantly painted as the single most important thing to them. It was enough to pull Bucky out of seven decades of mind control. It was enough to make Steve drop everything (including Tony) to go and find him. They are with each other ‘till the end of the line. Steve Rogers is a man out of time but so is Bucky Barnes. Except Bucky spent the whole time being tortured and used as a murder machine. I refuse to believe that Steve would just leave him alone in the future. And he is alone because there has been zero suggestion that Bucky has a relationship with anyone except maybe Shuri and the Sam and Bucky being friends thing is just here now and we must like it or else (I love it but give me context damnit) And I know that Bucky knew what Steve was going to do because he told Steve he would miss him even though as far as they were concerned he was only going to be gone for five seconds but they, at the very very least, could have shown them having that conversation. The other parts of this that completely fly in the face of Steve’s character development: everyone lost someone. Everyone. Why does Steve get a do-over? Tony doesn’t get a future and Nat doesn’t get a future. Why does Steve get a new one? In what world would Steve comfortably accept either of those things? Peggy moved on and got married and by Steve re-writing how the timeline occurred he denied a women he respects and admires her autonomy. Finally, Marvel really expects me to believe that Steve ‘If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it’ Rogers goes back to the 40’s and knows Bucky is alive and being actively tortured, knows HYDRA is in SHEILD, knows the Starks are going to be assassinated, knows Nat is in the Red Room and just... does nothing. The Russo Brothers wanted a Steve and Peggy ending from the start, and even when it became obvious that it wasn’t what the fans wanted, they refused to let go. Steve’s ending would have been very sweet if he was any other type of person but he wasn’t. It makes no sense at all to his character development and everyone involved deserved better. Speaking of deserved better... NATASHA’S ENDING This wouldn’t have left such a bitter taste in my mouth had Nat ever, even once, been treated with respect in this franchise. In terms of storyline I’ll admit it made sense. Someone had to die for the soul stone. It had to involve two people who loved each other. And I most certainly didn’t see it coming and the audible sobbing from the audience would back that up. It would have been heartbreaking had Nat been a well loved, well respected character. But she wasn’t. Nat was used as an eye-candy prop for Tony. She was the first person who really tried to be there for a struggling Steve. She was shoehorned into the role of Bruce’s love interest. She gave Clint his atonement. The five years where she worked through her grief were done offscreen despite them being recorded. Her skill set was not shown in this movie in lieu of giving her emotional depth. Yet she was left alone for years to believe that she was some type of monster who didn’t deserve nice things. That she had to dedicate her life, and then give her life, to redemption she no longer needed by any merit applied to the men of the franchise. If you consider the movie as a stand-alone it was a necessary evil but realistically Marvel never did right  by her right until the very end. As much as I hate Marvel’s dedication to romantic love being the only motivator; traumatised women needing to sacrifice themselves to be worth anything at all is worse. Natasha’s story never belonged to her and that’s what makes her ending bitter as opposed to just sad. NOW ONTO THE THINGS I LOVED Tony and Nebula’s interactions were so sweet. It really just solidifies how much of a good guy Tony is and it’s nice to see someone treat Nebula like a decent person who just needs some love for once. I have seen a lot of people complain about Thor’s storyline but I actually agreed with the decision made. I am not necessarily thrilled with the execution - the ball was dropped because the Russo’s aren’t Taika Waitti so the humour was clearly a copycat attempt and the fat jokes were overdone. Also handing New Asgard over to Valkyrie I liked but it was really throwaway. The reasons I’m not including it in my Things I Didn’t Like List is: Firstly, Hemsworth specifically looked for Thor to become comedic relief because he didn’t agree with how stiff Thor had been presented in the beginning. Thor’s mother died. His father died. His brother died. His best friend died. His home was destroyed. Half his people died. AND THEN the snap happened. Thor felt personally responsible for everything. During the fight in infinity war, for everybody else is was prevention, but for Thor is was already revenge. Only for them to lose which, as far as Thor is concerned and for all that he’ll believe, is because he should have gone for the head. And people just??? Expected him??? To be fine??? Accurate depressive episode is accurate. And I’m so glad he got to speak to Frigga. Firstly because I love her and secondly because she was dead right. You’ll always fail at being the person you are supposed to be. Thor has to make peace with the person he wants to be. (On a side note: Frigga and my therapist would be friends) Also when he killed Thanos the first time I heard someone in the cinema say “they do know this is a 3 hour movie right?” And I was inclined to agree. Gotta give this movie props for never having me feel like I could guess what was gonna happen next despite me being able to guess what was gonna happen next. Brilliant writing. I love Scott Lang. I don’t have much to say about that. He is a great dad, super funny, blends well with the others, when he got super big I whooped. His reunion with Hope was actually perfectly sweet without taking away from the mission. This is a We Love Scott Lang Zone only. The scene where the push time through him was hilarious. I did not see the Banner/Hulk thing coming and equally did not realise how much I needed it. Super funny and good for him for embracing both. Tony! Stark! As! A! Dad! Jesus wept it was so much more wholesome than I ever could have hoped for. I can’t even pick out one part it was all perfection. I love you 3000, Tony Stark. Hawkeye. My baby boy. I love him to death and I am purposely ignoring his time as a big ol murderer. It was very very extra wrong but leave me alone. I was glad he was given more screen time in this movie. I recognise that Rocket isn’t strictly speaking a “real” “person” but I enjoyed him so immensely in this movie. Him and Nebula holding hands just knocks me every time. KORG!!! I would give this movie 10/10 exclusively because Korg was in it. I truly loved the scene where Tony figures out time travel and I’m also very glad that instead of Pepper putting the foot down because he had a family now and he promised so many times he’d give it all up she knows that he’ll never rest and he needs to do this whatever the cost (sob) Rhodey’s A1 time travel humour ~chefs kiss~ I! FUCKING! LOVED! EVERYTHING! ABOUT! THEM! GOING! BACK! TO! NEW! YORK! AAAHHH! Hulk and the stairs!!! I genuinely yelped when Steve said “hail hydra” that was genius spec!!! “You’ve got to be shitting me” STEVEN GRANT ROGERS!!! “I can do this all day” “yeah, yeah, I know” was fucking hilarious!!! “Bucky... is... alive” further yelping on my part!!! “That is America’s ass” and all Steve/Tony/Scott interactions about America’s ass were just great!!! Thor using the hammer to restart Tony’s heart!!! Loki where u gone!!! “Do you trust me?” “I do”!!! 1970’s WOO TIME-TRAVEL ROAD TRIP Hey, Stan Lee I just love Tony/Steve scenes (Civil War? Never heard of him?) they bring me true, unadulterated joy Everything about Howard and Tony’s interaction was so wholesome I think I need to take a shower in dirt to counteract it Peggy Carter you are an agent and you mean to tell me that 220lbs of Prime American Beef can just stand in front of you and you don’t even see it out the corner of your eye? LOOK UP, DAMNIT (If you have your reunion now the dickhead might not go ba- sorry, sorry. Where was I?) JARVIS!!! Can someone please for fucks sake give  Nebula a break? Mediocre Natasha mourning is mediocre (sorry x2) YES BRUCE YOU BEAUTIFUL SONOVABITCH aaaaaand Yikes! (Poor Rocket did not sign up for this shit at all) (Gamora is too good for these fuckos) When I asked for someone to give Nebula a break I didn’t meAN FOR FUCKING NEBULA TO DO IT Everything about the Steve/Tony/Thor v Thanos fight scene was so ~deep inhale~ aesthetic but... *WHEN STEVE USED MJØLNIR I WAS READY TO GODDAMN RIOT. HOLY FUCK. WHAT A SCENE. WHAT A MAN. IVE HAD SEX THAT DIDNT GIVE ME AS MUCH SATISFACTION. I WOULD HAVE THAT MOMENT TATTOOED INSIDE MY EYELIDS IF I COULD. EVERY TIME I REMEMBER IT MY BRAIN MAKES THIS NOISE: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~ahem~

FUCK OFF AWAY FROM THE SHEILD THANOS The scene where Thano’s army is charging in from the dark clouds and you can see Steve standing in front of the sun is so beautiful I’d marry it. I don’t have the right vocabulary for how beautiful that was but fuck me Sam: on your left Me: ~pterodactyl screech~ Honest to fuck it was a moment of sheer magic seeing everyone come back (I made grabby hands during everyone’s return) Next, I’ll quote a girl I met in the toilets after the movie - “If I marry the man of my dreams, have beautiful children, and die in my sleep at the age of 99 I still won’t be as happy as when Steve said ‘Avengers Assemble’” Girl, same. Fucking same. It was erotic and I’m genuinely fearful Marvel will never produce as magnificent a line again. TONY AND PETER I shed a tear at how sweet that was. I need back into the dirt shower. Their hug!!! Peter’s babbling!!! Tony’s whole face!!! CAPTAIN MARVEL. I’ve got to give this credit. I love Captain Marvel. I think Brie Larson is a god amongst men but I really didn’t want the movie to be about her and how she saves the day. That would really take away from all the years of hard work done by the original six and it really wasn’t her fight the way it was to everyone else. The amount she was involved and the way she was involved was truly perfect in my opinion. It was the edge they needed but no one was overlooked in the process. I was really very happy about this. The girl power scene was probably pandering but I don’t give a fuck I was well and truly pandered The team work for that fight scene was magnificent, the pacing was magnificent, the visuals were magnificent. BE-YOU-TEA-FULL When Thanos got the stones like honestly Russo Bothers you had me there. I fully panicked Doctor Strange’s lil finger. Remarkable. I’m gonna take this moment to say: the call backs they did to old scenes and old lines in the franchise were really tasteful and well done. This always felt like the accumulation of years of work and I’ve got to applaud it. TONY MOTHERFUCKING STARK, FRIENDS!!! You funky little maniac. I AM IRON MAN!!!!!! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! But oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck I knew this was going to happen but that did not make it hurt any less. There was open crying at this point in the cinema. It was the perfect death for him, to be honest. If it had to happen I’m so glad it was like this. Full circle. Honourable. Surrounded by those who loved him. Part of the journey is the end and I LOVE YOU 3000 I am going to miss Tony beyond belief. His funeral was stunning. I am so glad literally everyone was there (HEY HARLEY). Great symbolism for it being a funeral for the Avengers as we know it, too. Also Happy’s interaction with Morgan was so soft I have melted. I am no longer here. And finally, Sam Wilson Is Captain America AS! IT! SHOULD! BE! I would like to thank the academy, Jesus, and whoever took over Steve Rogers considering the Steve we know would never have gone ba- SORRY X3

[sad-af1121]

Don’t Say What You Don’t Expect (Drabble)

Requested by Mara aka @rebelfleur22 as a Birthday Gift! 🎊🎂 THIS ISN’T A READER INSERT (but you can still read and enjoy! ) Sebastian and Mara get into a fight and it leads to Sebastian saying he doesn't want to be with her. Word Count: 865 Warnings: Slight Angst, FLUFF, Smut (mentioned) Feedback is welcomed 💜

“I can’t believe you just said that... Are you serious?” Mara gapes at Seb as her chest heaves from shouting a few seconds before it got quiet.

Sebastian stares back at her, taking a few steps behind him as he leans against the wall and looks to the ground, whispering “Fuck.” underneath his breath.

Tears prick Mara’s eyes but refuse to let them drop, holding back the intensity. One stupid argument over money led to Sebastian to say something she couldn’t imagine in a million of years.

Ten solid years together and not once in a heated argument did Sebastian say maybe you guys shouldn’t be together. Was this a joke? A cruel vendetta all because you didn’t want to pay bills that weren’t your own? Really?

Mara wraps her arms around her waist as she takes a seat by the barstool of the kitchen. The silence wins over, blanketing its presence across the scene as they both stare into the void. Mara wants to say something, but what could she? Sebastian hasn’t taken his words back.

After a few minutes go by, Mara abruptly stands up and heads to their room, slamming the door shut. Sebastian winced to the action before withdrawing a long sigh, rubbing his face as he thinks over what he’s done. He didn’t want to lose Mara, he loved her more than the moon loved the night.  

Stupid things were said when they shouldn’t have and Sebastian should have known better.

Hours past as silence continues to consume the void. Mara has fallen asleep with her tear-stained cheeks, curled up into a ball as she cuddled with the blanket, seeking some sort of comfort. Sebastian is wide awake, hearing the clock tick away as he waits for you to come out. But he’s certain he’s going to spend the night on the couch.

***

Mara awakes in the middle of the night, the dryness in her throat making it impossible to swallow. She stands, placing her ear on the door to see if Sebastian’s awake or not. Not hearing the tv or anything, she unlocks the door and tiptoes out into the living space to find Seb with his arm draped over his eyes, snoring quietly. The ache in her heart doesn’t dismiss but quickly pushes down her feelings to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

When she shuts the fridge door, she’s startled when Sebastian's sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Mara tries to make it to the bedroom before Sebastian starts talking.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have ever said that to you.” He swallows, hesitantly looking at Mara.

Mara squeezes the bottle hard, retraining her tears from falling before she withdraws a deep sigh. She makes her way through the living room and sits on the loveseat, pulling her legs close to her chest. “It really hurt Seb… like a knife through my heart when you said that. I-I thought we weren’t ever going to be those couples who say mean shit to each other and then put on a smile in front of people they know so that they didn’t know what was actually going on. And then it continues and continues until they hate the sensation of being in the same room. Do you want to be like that?”

Sebastian only listened, swallowing the big lump in his throat as his heart shrunk.

“I love you so much okay? And if you wanna break it up, then let's do it. I don’t wa-”

“Are you insane? Of course, I still want to be with you! I’m an asshole for saying that. I shouldn’t have!” Seb breaths, dropping to the ground by Mara, pleading with his eyes. “You’re my girl. My love, my other half. I can’t imagine not being with you. I can’t promise I will be perfect but I can try and never hurt you like this. If I ever do, let the ghost of Stan Lee haunt me forever. Who knows he might make a cameo every time I’m showering or running in the park and falling on my ass.”

Mara lets out a light chuckle, shaking her head at Seb’s remark. When her eyes meet Sebastian’s, she can see he truly meant it. There wasn’t a bone in her body that told her he was lying. She leans down and places a gentle kiss on his forehead before wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I love you.” She whispers.

“I love you too baby.” Seb sighs, lifting her up and returning the embrace. “We should get to bed.”

Mara nods her head slightly, not saying a word as the comfort in her heart returns. Sebastian walks back to the room then sets Mara on the bed, joining her under the covers. Turning around, Mara grabs Sebastian and kisses him hard, their lips dancing under the moonlight. When Seb pulls away, his cheeks are stained cherry red as he lets out a deep chuckle, “What was that for?”

“Just because.” Mara bites her lip, batting her eyelashes. “I still need you… ”

Eyes widening, Sebastian gets the message before eagerly turning the lamp off and going back to finish what Mara started.