#THORS exists as proof

[expectiations]

[sylhea-raemi]

Airi playing an important role in the story but also the fact that she's the only proof of oda kazuha and saito tooru's existance on earth is wow

[simp-legend]

Drunk Confessions

Requested: No

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x Reader

Summary: One of Tony's parties leads you to become very close with a certain silver tongue God

Fic type: Romantic (ig) with a hint of spice at the end

Warnings: None

Words: 758 words

A/N: This is a really terrible oneshot that I've had in my drafts for ages, so apologies. Also I apologise for not being active that much I've been quite busy whilst struggling with mental health.

Proof-Read: No

"But I don't wanna gooo," I told Nat. "Why can't he throw a party some other day when I'm not busy. I need to finish moving in!" I said.

"Well, Tony is kinda throwing this party for you because you are the new avenger," Nat chuckled. 

"Then he should have thrown it two months ago when it was finally official, should I wear this dress, or the blue one?" I asked, holding up two dresses.

"The blue one, anyway, on the bright side, you-know-who will be there," she wriggled her eyebrows.

"Who, Voldemort?" I scoffed, turning away to hide my blush.

"No, Loki," she nudged my elbow. I rolled my eyes but had a smile on my face.

~Time skip~

I walked in excitedly but (tried and failed) to keep a straight face. I made my way to the avengers who were sitting around a table laughing and drinking.

"Y/n! Hello!" Thor yelled when he saw me.

"Hey Thor," I waved. I look at the spot next to him to see Loki eyeing me with a face that shows no emotion. Then, to break the awkwardness, Tony walked in with a box of alcohol.

"So I did a quick run to the bar and brought these so now we can officially PARTAAAAAY!" Tony pumped his fist up. After that, more people started to roll in. I got bored after a while so I went upstairs. I opened the doors to the living room to find Wanda watching TV.

"Hey Wanda," I said slumped next to her on the couch.

"Hello Y/n," she said, not looking away from the TV. She was watching some old black and white show. We sat in silence for a while, watching the show. After an hour I decided to head back downstairs and check on everyone.

While I was heading down the stairs when I bummed into Nat.

"Oh, hey Nat. What's going on?" I noticed she had an annoyed face.

"Stark convinced the boys to drink more and now it's chaos down there. The boys got crazy drunk. Even Bruce and Loki are drinking alot," she sighed.

"Oof. Well imma check it out!" I chuckled.

It was absolute chaos. Clint was singing while swinging from the chandler, Thor was wearing a poptart box as a hat while swinging his hammer at non-existent villains, Tony and Rodney were arguing weather the moon was made out of cheese, Steve and Bucky were having a throwing contest with his shield, which so far had resulted to several broken windows.

"Um, is everything ok?" I asked flustered.

"oH, helloY/n!" Loki slurred, waving franticly at me from his spot on the floor.

"Uh, hi?" I said, worried because when I walked in Loki was wondering aloud how long it would take to chop off all of Thor's hair blindfolded.

"Hey, did anyone tell you that ya look very pretty?"

"Um," I was shocked. "Thanks?"

Loki tried to stand up, but stumbled from all the achohal.

"Oof!" I said, as the god crashed into me, resulting us to fall down.

The next thing I knew, Loki was on top of me, and we were laying on the ground, our faces only centimeters apart.

I coughed nervously, and tried to get up but unLuCkY mE, a stool fell on top of us, so we couldn't get up because our legs were stuck. I was a stuttering mess.

"S-s-sor-ry..." I said, my face feeling like it was on fire.

"No worries, Darling," Loki said coolly. Wait... he didn't seem so drunk anymore...sus.

I felt my heart race faster and faster as I couldn't look away from Loki's face. His eyes were focused on mine, then darted to my lips for a hot second. Then he smashed his lips onto mine!

I laced my arms around his neck as he snaked his hands down to my waist, his tongue roamed my mouth as I lightly tugged on his smooth black hair. I wanted it to last for ever. Sadly, luck was not at my side.

After a couple of seconds, minutes, hours, I honestly do not either, nor or care, we broke apart.

Because Clint yelled, "Get a room!" after the chandelier gave way and crashed to the ground.

Blushing furiously, we managed to out of the stupid stool, and off the floor. 

"Would you like escape these idiotic Midgaurdians and continue somewhere else lady Y/N?" Loki smirked, turning to me.

"Of course" I grinned mischievously.

Please reblog to boost my page!

Constructive criticism is welcomed!

[lokiinmediasideblog]

Because I've been seen posts that only Loki was to blame for Jotunheim, and claiming inconsistent Odin characterization in TR (I will only use Thor (2011) for that matter).

But my take on whether or not Odin allowed and promoted negative views of the Jotuns/Jotunheim is that he did (even if you exclude TR).

The way Thor (2011) is structured, there were some very EASY changes that would have cemented Loki as being the ONLY one in the wrong and absolved Odin, but interestingly, this is not what happened.

Instead of giving some answer out of a self-help book that doesn't address child Thor's proclamation that one day he'll eradicate all Jotuns in front of his secretly Jotun son, he should have said that the Jotuns have a right to exist/aren't inherently bad and such to the impressionable child heirs.

Yes, Odin didn't want to start a war but not because he didn't hold negative views of Jotunheim. I see this cited as "proof" Odin was a wonderful anti-imperialist King before TR. Wars have costs like Einherjar lives, supplies, and such. There are practical reasons why he wouldn't want a war rather than assuming he didn't hold or promote negative views of the Jotun, and him not starting a war was a practical and strategic decision. He had already taken what he came for (the Casket and got a free baby). Why go to war at that point?

So you don't think Loki is reliable with "Because I am the monster parents tell their children about at night?" But somehow the deflective answer Odin gives to child Thor is evidence he didn't hold and promote negative views of the Jotun in millennia? I'm sorry, but Loki's words are stronger evidence in this case because they're not deflection. And I find it annoying to dismiss them as hyperbole and lies. Yes, Loki lies, but he's not the only one that lies and it's ridiculous to be saying this when it's been proven Loki has also been lied to by both parents.

Loki's reasoning in killing his biological father and his own species are based on the assumption that Odin was only against war with Jotunheim because it would cost Asgardian lives. So he finds a way to destroy an entire realm indirectly without the use of warriors. When Odin wakes from the Odin-sleep, Loki PROUDLY proclaims that he caused all the devastation in Jotunheim for him. An easy way they could have made only Loki in the wrong is to have him do this in secret because he didn't believe Odin would approve. HOWEVER, Loki proclaims this proudly to Odin. He clearly thought this would get him into Odin's good graces and prove that he's a "trustworthy" Jotun. Loki's behavior here doesn't make sense if Odin didn't hold and promote negative views of Jotunheim. IF Odin was a good anti-imperialist King, it would be under Loki's best interests to deny the attempted genocide rather than proudly proclaim he did it all for Odin. Loki is a millennia-old manipulator; it's ridiculous to think he'd lack the common sense to act on behalf of his best interests.

Odin could have told Loki he was a Jotun even if he didn't wish to use him for diplomacy. Why do people act like Loki being told means Odin didn't abandon his plan to use Loki for "diplomacy"? They're not mutually exclusive! And yes, I do think Odin loved Loki in some fucked up dysfunctional way and wanted to keep him.

[percheduphere]

something I've been wondering about is how others will react to Loki's new power/position. I constantly joke about it, but it could be a serious question. So, how do you think people like the Avengers would react to this? I used to think they would just continue to be untrustworthy towards him but like...How would they feel realizing one of their former enemies could (maybe?) erase them from existence but chooses not to. Scared? Or just confused?

Ooo... I LOVE this question! Thank you for asking it! Let's go through some characters one by one, starting with my favorite:

MOBIUS - I imagine he would be very proud and impressed with Loki, but a part of him would also feel insecure about his place in Loki's life. His primary motivations were to provide Loki with a second chance, an environment in which he could thrive, and friendship and support. In terms of plot, Mobius has served his purpose. He might feel Loki no longer needs him but would hide this feeling with self-deprecating humor about being a "washed up analyst". I think he would be in awe of Loki's power, genuinely delighted by it, but also feel personally obsolete by comparison. Once he sees that Loki is lonely, however, I think Mobius would be happy to serve a new purpose in keeping Loki company at the end of time. That is, if Loki confirms he wants him there.

SYLVIE - She will absolutely make a snarky comment about Loki's new clothes. It will be the first thing she says to him with a perfectly expressionless face: "Nice pyjamas", "Cool slippers", "Do your giant horns get tangled up in all those branches?" In front of others, she would treat him no differently than she's always had because omnipotent, omniscient power doesn't impress her. Unless she's enchanting, Sylvie isn't the touchy-feely type either. I think she would make an effort to thank Loki in private, though. Between the two of them, Loki is the one more likely to initiate a hug, and she would hug back awkwardly.

THOR - Poor Thor. He's been jerked around by multiple fake deaths. The first one was unintentional on Loki's part; he didn't intend to survive falling from the bifrost. The second one was intentional, and left Thor feeling betrayed yet again. The third was final. On first sight, he will likely accuse Loki of being a pretender. To avoid this, Mobius is the best person to provide an explanation before formal introductions. Failing that, I anticipate yelling, ugly crying, then hugging, followed by ALSO making fun of Loki's new clothes. I think Thor will be very proud of his brother, stunned (but pleased) that Loki can lift Mjolnir. That on its own should be enough proof for the other Avengers.

HAWKEYE - Hell no. Not having it. Will call bullshit on Yggdrasil even though it's true. Of the remaining Avengers, he has the most to be angry about when it comes to Loki. He'd be terrified of Loki's new powers (cursing about it every step of the way) and would accordingly arm himself to the teeth. Doesn't matter how much Loki proves himself trustworthy and apologizes. Being mind controlled by him was a traumatic experience. Even when working as allies, he'll park himself as far away as possible from Loki and make snide remarks about "free will".

BUCKY - Has had no real interactions with Loki, but would likely have heard stories from Steve and Sam. Having had a dark history himself, I think he'll be more open to welcoming Loki and giving him a chance. He may even present himself as an example (although others will say "brainwashing" is different). Chryo-freezing and everything he's been through with Hyrda and Thanos has likely blunted his ability to feel surprise in the face of raw power. Overtime, I think he'll come to like Loki, especially if Loki offers him the opportunity to talk to Steve again.

SAM - Was not involved in 2012, but Sam has a great sense of humor. I think he'll be shocked and cautious, but willing to give Loki a chance with the right precautions in place. I don't think he'd be mean about it, just practical. I think he'll find the Yggdrasil quite beautiful and poetic, and articulate it as such, then note that with kind of power, Loki could have easily destroyed them all by now but didn't.

FURY - Pissed as hell about these turn of events. He'll complain that all this goddamn fucking nonsense is bad for his heart. He'll side with Clint and enforce maximum security, which is useless against Loki's powers, but Loki would play along until people stop freaking out.

BRUCE - 2012 Bruce would Hulk-out. Post-Endgame Bruce knows Loki fought on their side and did what he could to protect Thor and buy both of them time before dying. Bruce's personal experience fighting his own demons will provide him with additional empathy. As for Loki's powers, he would be absolutely giddy for the opportunity to study it. Once he makes friends with Loki via Thor, Loki will be his favorite test subject and Loki will humor him for Thor's sake and his own curiosity.

DR. STRANGE - While he won't blink at time powers, he would highly doubt a universe with a good Loki exists. He's the most able to test Loki's abilities and can verify if Loki is indeed using his powers for good. Doesn't mean he'll ever trust him, though.

[bellaramseysgf]

Home (T.O)

Warning(s); ddlg relationship,Nicknames,the avengers being the sweetest,lowkey angry!thor,daddy kink,lots tooth rotting fluff.

Pairing(s); Daddy!Thor Odinson x Little!Reader

Summary; after not seeing thor for awhile you’re in a hurry and it results in somebody getting in trouble.

A/n; this is so close to my heart but I hope everyone enjoys it. Not proof read

“Really,sweetie you can’t see him yet!” Loki tried to explain while you ran down the hall towards the throne room. Choosing to ignore Loki and only focusing on the sound of Thor’s voice getting closer.

Thor had to go help his earth friends leaving you under the watchful eye of Loki and sif, Loki made the mistake of letting you overhear Sif say he was back. In response you took off towards where you knew he would be your socked feet running as fast as they could.

There was a reason you couldn’t see him,his earth friends came to visit but they had no clue you existed and thor just needed time to explain. The didn’t even believe he’d moved on from Jane but he had,long ago.

The pair of you met in a item shop in his village he saw you and just immediately felt something, his mom said it was true love.

“Darling!” Sif called after you as well to no avail. “Daddy daddy daddy” you repeated as you ran closer to the doors.

“So you just need to understand that I’ve hidden this for a-” Thor was in the middle of explaining when you burst inside “daddy! Daddy!!” You squealing running towards him. “Loki!” He yelled as Loki slid to a stop at the door.

You were already at Thor reaching up at him “daddy you hold?” You asked referring to you. “Of course, hi my little one” he said lifting you up you squealed hugging his neck. “Missed daddy” you said and his hand ran through your hair “I missed you too honey”

“Daddy?” Tony asked “honey?” Steve asked you only then realized the group of people stood infront of you both. Meanwhile all thor was doing was staring daggers at his brother and Sif. “She’s a fast little thing what was I meant to do!” Loki argued. “Use your powers?” Thor offered and Loki went to argue but got quiet. “Oh…yeah, forgot about those in the moment” Thor shook his head.

“Hello! Who is this?” Nat asked pulling the two men from their bickering “uhm” Thor looked between his friends and you. “Daddy? Wan down!” Thor complied and sat you down.

Thor immediately turn to his brother “are you crazy? What if they react badly!” Loki shrugged “I’m gonna actually kill you” Loki scoffed “I’d like to see you try” Thor picked Loki up by his collar “oh. Look at that” Loki said his feet dangling.

Thors attention was drawn away when he heard you squealing, he turned to see nat and Tony tickling you “ahhh! Dada! Help!!” You said between giggles. Thor sat Loki down and walked over “what is going on?”

“So, you have a girlfriend” Bucky said with a shrug “she’s cute, I’m gonna steal her” Tony said and you squealed “nooo!” You rand to hide behind thor “I’m only for daddy!” Thor smiled. He sat his hand on your head “yes you are” he agreed “so you guys aren’t weirded out?” He asked. “No, I’ve dated littles before” Tony said “so have I” nat said “and we are willing to learn” cap said pointing to him and Bucky.

Thor nodded “okay, thank you” he said and lifted you up “now, tell me all about your week baby”

[zippidi-dooda]

Loki x His Variant's Reader

- Love in the wrong timeline -

Pt 2

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

It took a while for Loki to wrap his head around things. With how many versions of himself he'd met recently, it shouldn't have surprised him.

But to know one of him had ended up settling was almost impossible for him to imagine.

The young girl, Anneli, had shown more than enough proof that it had happened in this world.

She had practically skipped him the whole way home, sharing the stories she'd heard her mother had with this world's him, pointing out photos of himself besides a woman he had never met before.

It seemed so picturesque, so unrealistic, so out of reach for him.

And yet in this other universe, it existed.

Loki couldn't tell apart the emotions it made him feel.

His finger gingerly brushed over the protective skin of the album he held, unable to make odds or ends of what the Loki in the photos was like.

Everything was the same, but different.

It was strange.

The girl walked over to him, wringing her hands nervously. "Hey, dad?"

That title was strange.

"Hm?"

"I know you're probably tired and all that but um ...?"

He faced her.

"C-can we go out to eat tonight? Mom left me some money for until she gets back so don't worry about that! It's just um ... the other girls always talk about going out with their fathers and ...," she mumbled something under her breath before switching her tone. "Are you hungry? Yeah? I think it'll be a good idea then!"

Loki stared at her uncomfortably.

How the norns did this world's Loki become ... like this?

He watched as her mustered courage began to ebb even more as the silence pressed on. "Or we don't have to ... you probably have a lot on your mind so uh ... I'm sorry ...."

Oh, he didn't like this.

He stood before the small girl could walk away. "I suppose I haven't eaten much as of late."

He took quick strides to the door before the girl could reply.

And it was just as awkward between the two as they made their way to some café. So Loki busied himself by checking the surroundings.

Asgard here was the about the same as his, with bright skies above a city blinding with gaudily decorated architecture. Perhaps that meant those people would be here too. Be best for him to keep out of sight, he wouldn't be able to get out of here any quicker if he was in the dungeons.

As they walked past a column, Loki took the opportunity to magic himself a disguise.

Anneli's eyes blew wide.

"Woah! How did you do that? Do it again, do it again!"

Loki looked at her. "What are you excited for, it's simple magic."

"You do magic? That's so cool! Mom told me about it, but I never actually got to see it in person! This is awesome!"

"You can't do that?"

The girl shook her head and began to go on and on about something or other. At this point, they had both stopped in the middle of the path.

Different world or not, Loki couldn't determine why he wouldn't teach his spawn basic tricks like this.

"What? Why? Didn't your fath- I mean, didn't I teach you how to do that?"

The bright eyed look of awe began to fade as he asked her that and she explained carefully. "Well ... you went missing really soon after I was born ... Mom can't do magic and Uncle Thor never bothered with it, so-"

His ears perked up. "Uncle Thor? You talk to him?"

"Mhmm. He helps take care of me whenever mom goes out to look for you. She leaves every year to search. She's out there looking for you right now. Boy, I can't wait to see her face when she gets home! But let's worry about that later, teach me how to do that!"

"Yes, yes in due time, ah ... let's go eat first, yes?"

"Okay!"

The girl's questions and ideas went in one ear and out the other as he thought about the girl's uncle.

He wasn't sure what their relationship was like here. If he had done something that'd warnered his righteous retribution.

He really couldn't stand to stick around if that was the case.

Loki began to ask the girl questions as they arrived, getting their meals shortly after.

"And where is my brother at the moment if you don't mind my asking?"

"Hm? Oh, he's down at the arena getting things set up for tonight. Don't worry, I have to meet up with him soon, so you'll get to see him today. I bet he'll be real happy to see you."

"No, no, it's quite alright, I don't ... wait. Why do you have to see him soon?"

The girl set down her food and pointed at herself proudly, "because tonight I'm going to be battling for my right to become Einherjar."

Loki's mind reeled. "You what? That bumbling oaf. Why in the nine realms would he be allowing you to do that?"

"He and mom both encouraged it, never know when it might come in handy. And Uncle Thor's been training me personally so I'm more than confident I'll succeed!"

"That idiot," he hissed. "Why are you doing this? You know, you don't have to blindly follow other's every whim. Know the difference between prudence and recklessness."

Slowly, the girl slunk back into her chair.

"Well ... Lady Sif was recognized as one of Odin's warriors and ... I dunno ... I thought it'd be pretty cool ...."

Loki swirled his glass, looking out at the towering buildings. "So Odin's still around, huh?"

"... no ...."

Loki froze, looking over at her. "What?"

"... Odin went missing some time after you did. Everyone was kinda shaken up by it. Uncle Thor had to rise up as king and so far everything's gone pretty well. Uncle looks happy and cheerful all the time, but when we're training, he slips and I can tell he's been so worried about the two of you."

Loki didn't know what to think.

It was like the world had just stopped.

The girl seemed to notice and quickly put on a smile, reaching over to place her small palms on top of his.

"Don't worry, I'm sure since you came back, Odin will too. And everything will be alright again."

Loki wanted to move on from the whole topic entirely, but her words strung back that clip hidden in the far reaches of his mind, the one he'd wished he didn't have to see.

He forced out a pensive, "and what of Frigga?"

"... it was a long time ago, but she died a warrior's death. They tell grand stories about her now."

Loki breathed out shakily, eyes growing damp.

Maybe all this loss and sorrow was simply the cruel fate of all Lokis.

He hardly noticed the girl moving to his side until he felt her frail arms wrap around his shoulders.

He stiffened, eyeing her as she silently hugged him.

"It'll be okay, dad."

He sniffed before nudging her back to her seat, "eat up, you have that battle to get through later."

She nodding, leaving his side and politely changed the topic to help divert his thoughts.

And he watched her with a furrowed brow.

He needed to get off this timeline before he ended up ruining this girl's life as he'd ruined his own.

[insomniacirl]

Just finished Loki season 2 for the first time- absolutely speechless at the ending. Even so, as someone who has adored Loki since I was a kid and he was just Thor's brother and the Avengers' first enemy, allow me to go on a rant about him and this ending for the next 10 minutes, pretty please.

I was uncertain of Loki season one and was therefore hesitant to begin season two, which is why I waited so long to watch it.

Don't get me wrong, season one had some good plot-points and the aesthetic was perfect- visually this entire show has been insane, absolutely top-tier. However, something in it was lacking for me- something which I think season two did well to pick up and run with. Without looking too hard into the bad points, it moved forwards with the good.

But anyway, on the subject of season two- each episode was interesting, something new and a side of a character we hadn't seen imo.

Episode one's introduction to new characters, Chekhov's gun issues (time-slipping) and a contrast between beginning and finale in the past past vs the now future past was incredibly clever.

Episode 6 had to be the best episode- I loved episode 5, but of course the ending takes precedent.

From the stupidly clever time-slipping, showing what the TVA is all about really, to Loki's one true, just breathtaking ending- it gave us everything that made the show true.

The ending sequence- the music, the empty field, the final goodbyes and parting of ways.

Owen Wilson's final quote was cinema at it's finest.

Watching that moment on screen singlehandedly convinced me that Mobius was a truly legendary character, from start to finish, that moment captured his storyline and hit me with all the devastating impact of his plotline, who he was and what he was there to do.

Loki gave up everything. He gave it all.

Season two threw hits against his character that showed change in a brand new light, continuously, he's called a loser. He is the inevitable loss of good. They forget that he's a god. They make a joke out of his direst cruelty. He makes friends. He learns what true desire is- and he lives and dies a million times over to save that good he's found.

And in the end, he can't even take hold of what he's earned- not even for a second. He spends forever, learning and aging and focusing on his friends- so that he can go back and save them the only way he physically can. It should be impossible- and yet.

He keeps them safe, keeps them all safe- loses himself in every endless story in existence, holding them close to his chest, supporting a limitless life with his magic- allowing himself to become the heart of an endless supernova, in the centre of an old oak tree, made up of space and time and matter that wouldn't exist if he wasn't there. And that is the only proof of his existence.

So, carefully- picking each strand of time like another split-end- he watches what he saved. Who he saved.

And that is his only reward.

[scarletnwidow]

Destroyed

Part 5

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Fem!reader, Natasha Romanoff x Fem!reader

Warnings: cussing, cringe moments, possible too much information lol

A/N: HOOOLY SHIIII- I can't believe it took me two years to update this HAHAHAHHA anybody still with me? jk I have no idea how this will end now, I just keep on writing whatever comes to mind haha so bear with me a little more? :")

Summary: You always thought that the best way to get revenge is to let them see you’re happy. You also thought that the best way to move on is to convince yourself that you’re okay until you no longer need any more convincing. You’re about to find out how effective it was.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

You’ve never felt the need to be angry at something for the pain of your family’s death, because you only had yourself. 

What happens now that you finally have someone else to blame? 

*****

“...an ancient hero in the flesh.” 

The moment Wanda said those words aloud, the more it sounds surreal. There was a stunned silence after, broken only by an incredulous laugh by a god himself. 

“I-I’m sorry, I’m not the only one who thinks this is absurd, right?” Thor couldn’t keep himself from snorting, everything sounds stupid and impossible.

When everyone just stared at him, his smile faded and his jaw clenched, “That is impossible! Mortals carrying the blood of the gods are a myth.” 

“We thought the same thing about you, Thor: God of Thunder, War, and Fertility. But look where we are,” Tony said sarcastically, “who’s to say the idiotic, egotistical greek gods don’t exist like you? Or every other textbook mythology there is, on that matter,” he continued. 

“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be calling them idiotic in case...you know,” Bruce mumbled. 

“Well, you have a fellow Avenger as proof. And now I think I’ve finally removed impossible from my vocabulary,” Fury responded. 

Wanda wasted no time in stepping up in front of him, “How do you know all this anyway? Y/N’s powers are quite similar to mine, how do you know this is that?” She questioned, pointing at the folder resting on Natasha’s hands. 

“And why didn’t we know about all these experiments in the first place? Where did you get these files? This weren’t on the place we raided,” the redhead finally allowed herself to speak. Her brain is currently trying to make sense with too much information all at once, she didn’t even know where to start. 

“You of all people should know that in a mission, there will always be another mission to finish, Romanoff,” Fury spatted. Of course, Natasha is well aware. She was always the one given a different mission by Fury during missions. 

“We know from the start about their goal, but since obviously, it all sounds beyond-the-universe-ridiculous, we thought it was just another plot of Hydra. But then SHIELD caught wind of another location thousands of miles from our initial lead. The tip says it’s where they perfected their process, and they were currently proceeding with the first subject just as you guys were headed to the other place,” he continued. 

“One thing we know for sure, Y/N’s in a vulnerable state right now. Emotions are very tricky, especially hers. It also doesn’t help that it’s what triggered her abilities,” Maria chimed in. 

The redhead looked back at the folder in her hands; she really couldn’t wrap her mind around all this. Just an hour ago you were in her arms, nothing about you or your features seem any different, so how? 

She internally slapped herself for letting you go. This was a lot to process for them, and they were just your friends, your family; what more if you would find this out about yourself? 

The redhead absentmindedly turned to the next page, the wheels of her brain still whirring on her head. Her eyes accidentally landed on the photos in front of her, and she wished she should’ve just closed it. 

Her eyes widened and she felt a lump form in her throat, her gaze darting to the short description above the photos. 

Eris Labs Main Facility: Subject Threats Successfully Eliminated, All Research Data Collected

In front her were photos of a freshly destroyed two-story building, or at least what was left of it. 

“W-We did this?” she looked up at Fury, her voice hoarse. Fury frowned at her before glancing down at what she was pertaining to, he sighed and gave her a single nod. 

Natasha didn’t know whether or not she should be relieved she weren’t able to convince you more to come back with her. But, she knew she shouldn’t have left you alone. 

****

You didn’t know how much longer you stayed seated at the ground. You just spent the rest of the afternoon staring at the oblivion after Natasha reluctantly left you behind. When you finally came to your senses, you knew the sun will set in about an hour or so. 

You’ve spent too much time debating whether or not you should explore the wreckage that you just totally zoned-out in your spot. You took a deep breath before walking up to the site. 

You didn’t deny to yourself that you’re nervous; you haven’t been here for six years. You never even bothered to sit and remember what exactly happened. You didn’t think there was a point, exploring the place where you almost got killed wouldn’t bring your family back. Besides, you knew the Avengers took care of everything, so there wouldn’t be anything left for you to delve in. 

You still think there was no point in finding out what this place was, after all, it was completely trashed so you were sure you wouldn’t find anything. 

The universe decided to prove you wrong once again. 

You found yourself walking towards the space where you found your sister bleeding to her death. The memory of how you caught her eyes while you were still under some rubbles flowed through your mind as you stared at the empty space. There were still some traces of dried blood even after all these years, and you felt like your ribs are squeezing your heart. 

A strangled sob came out from your lips as you forced yourself to look away. You thought you’ve already moved on; it’s been six years! Turns out, you didn’t spend those years moving on; you spent all those years convincing yourself that you’ve moved on. 

After all, you remember that day was busy with people fumbling around, and finding out you’re the sole survivor hits a lot than you could admit. 

You tried to calm yourself, remembering the breathing exercise you invented the first few months of being the last person carrying your family’s name. When the tight in your chest subsides, you look around once more before walking deeper around the fallen debris. 

You immediately looked away when you caught sight of a familiar boulder at the corner of the room. You managed to steady your breath, but your tears kept flowing freely even when you wipe your cheeks. When you found your courage to approach, you only noticed that the boulder had been moved. 

You frowned, that’s when you only realize that you didn’t know where the bodies of your family were, of everyone’s actually. How did you not worry about your family’s bodies all those years ago? How did you not think of giving them a proper burial? Where were they now? The realization only made you feel worse.

You snapped out of your self-disgust party when you noticed something that’s out-of-place. Something that definitely wasn’t supposed be there. 

*****

“She can’t know about all this,” Natasha said as she abruptly closed the folder with trembling hands and gripped it tight, as if the entire thing would destroy the world if opened once again. 

Everyone in the room stared at her. She looked at each of them incredulously as if she’s the only one who sees the severity of the situation. 

“I-I know this place. This…this is where she came from. This is where I just came from! Where her parents died; where she watched her sister bled to death. If she found out SHIELD was the one who destroyed the place—the reason they were gone,” her voice cracked as she took another shaky breath. 

The team shifted in their seats. The air heavy with uncertainty and uneasiness about the whole ordeal. The fact about your existence is already confusing enough, the thing about SHIELD having a part with you becoming an orphan adds to the mix of emotions. 

They know now that emotions are a vital factor in your powers, and it’s starting to dawn on the team that you aren’t probably ready to know the truth yet. 

It hurts Natasha to think that she has to keep something from you. You’ve suffered enough from not knowing the truth, thanks to your relationship with Wanda.

After a few more minutes of tense silence, Tony let out a humorless laugh. He gestured to the folder clutched in Natasha’s hand like he can’t believe something like that exists.

“H-How…how is even all this possible? What the hell is Eris working on? What the hell is Y/N?” 

If looks could kill, Tony earned two equally lethal glares from a redhead and a brunette. Natasha was about to retort when Wanda was suddenly at Tony’s side clutching his shoulder. 

“Do not talk about her like that,” Wanda said, with her other hand raised up in the air threateningly. 

This startled everyone, Steve rushed to Wanda’s side and gently held her back. Tony sighed and lifted his arms in defeat. “I’m sorry, but I know all of us wants to know how we happen to have a friend who descended from Greek gods,” he said as he looked at Fury and Maria, his gaze expectant. 

“So are the Avengers currently looking at our very own Wonder Woman?” Tony added which made everyone give out an amused snort, lessening the tension in the air and made everybody turned to look at the two in front as well. 

Maria rolled her eyes but she allowed herself an amused smirk. “No, Tony, she is not like Diana Prince,” she proceeded as she looked at Natasha and gestured to the folder. “May I?” Maria opened the folder and took a few moments shifting through the pages before letting out a satisfied hum as she finds what she’s looking for. 

She glanced at Fury to her side, silently asking for permission. He gave her a nod before taking a seat for himself. 

She took a deep breath before speaking. “Y/N isn’t descended from the gods. She has the blood of Helen herself,” Maria paused. Seeing that the team just stared at her dumbfounded, she continued, “Of course, she’s not an actual descendant but that’s exactly what Eris was working on. Extracting biological components from ancient ruins and battlegrounds hoping to bioengineer Helen’s blood and create a haptandra— the hand of war. It’s—“

“I’m sorry, wait, hold up,” Bruce said, raising his arm while looking around at his teammates then back to Maria. “When you say Helen, you don’t mean Helen of Troy, is it?” This made him earn a small smile from Maria. 

“Yes, I meant Helen of Troy.” The team made another round of uneasy shifting in their seats and some grumbling of how this all sounds stupid. 

“I suggest you let her finish first before you all decide how crazy this is. Because it gets even crazier.” Fury stated a little louder to get everyone’s attention. It did, and they all turn back to Maria. 

“You all know Helen’s story, right? How a 10-year war raged on because of her? Apparently, that’s due to her bloodline. Something about being sired by Nemesis so wherever she goes, there will be strife of some kind,” A hand was raised in the air before Maria can continue, “But the Trojan War was caused by Helen’s beauty is it not?” the interruption earned a couple of bewildered looks aimed at the owner, due to him being a machine. 

Vision noticed this and if toasters could blush, he definitely does. “Human mythology fascinates me,” he mumbles as he puts his hand down.  

“Some books and interpretations of the story whatnots believed it was because of her beauty,” Maria said, offering him a smile. “Eris, however, discovered ancient texts that state it was never her beauty that caused the war. It was solely her very own blood that caused it; that wherever she goes, war is destined to come. And that… power… continued on to her descendants. The texts that Eris found said it was not confirmed that the power coursed through every woman descended from her, but every major war since her time was linked to her descendants.” 

“Okay, so Helen of Troy, pretty much every mythology book wrong, cursed bloodline, powers due to that cursed blood, and said blood was currently running through Y/N’s veins right now. Yeah, got it.” Tony sarcastically said which made the entire team shift in frustration. 

Too much information going on and it all just sounds fucking crazy. 

Maria just sighed and crossed her arms. “I know, all of this sounds like bullshit. That’s why we never took it seriously when we found these files. We didn’t even know someone survived,” 

“Please tell me this is all the crazy we’ll get today,” Clint said, staring at the opened folder on the table. 

“I’m afraid not,” Fury stood, moving to stand beside Maria. He paused to look at each Avenger in front of him, “Y/N’s abilities are complex and bioengineered, making them both  powerful and can be quite unstable,” he gestured to the folder, “this thing only explains the basics of her powers. And they’re already disturbing as it is. Now, when we’re done, and we face her again, I suggest you to be ready about shitting in your own pants.” 

*****

Three days later.

You never thought you could be any more nervous than you are right now. You've always been a big believer in not going headstrong into something that you have no idea what's in store for you. That was the main reason why you always do your homework before completing a job back when you were still an assassin.

Yet, here you are. Just about to turn off the engine of your boat in the middle of fucking nowhere. You have no idea if you're in the right place, but this is also the most sure you've been at anything.

You almost reached on your pocket for Natasha's widow bites, wanting to reach out to her for help because you have no idea what you're doing. Natasha's been trying to contact you nonstop in the last two days, so is the rest of the team. You even frowned on your phone for a good 5 minutes when you got Wanda's text, wanting you to come back to the compound.

You sighed and took a deep breath. When you turned off the engine, you did your best to scour the ocean around you for anything. Squinting your eyes for anything that might point you to the right place. You just knew you needed to be there, and that you must do this on your own.

*****

Natasha is still trying any means possible to track you down. She and the team had gone to where she left you hoping to find you still there. Probably to also make sense of what happened to you. Of course when they got there, you were long gone. No traces of where you could possibly be. The redhead almost cursed you for figuring out that her widow bites have trackers on them. But of course, from one master assassin to another, she wasn't surprised at all.

Wanda is going out of her mind with worry. Even Vision can't help ease the worry and panic she feels when thinking about where you could be. She can't help but feel guilty because this is technically her fault. She hurt you, yes, but she only did what will make her happy. Who knows that in doing so, she'll be triggering ancient powers inside you? Wanda cannot explain what she was feeling. She still care about you but feels like she has no right because of what she did to you.

Now, Wanda is at your room with Natasha watching her closely. The brunette is trying to use the traces of magic she felt at the Eris Facility to try and find you. When she proposed that idea, of course Natasha was the first one volunteer- no, demanded to go with her. The redhead was still pissed, she hated the idea that Wanda is the closest person they have to finding you. If it were up to her, she wants Wanda as far away from you as possible. But, finding you was more important, so she's willing to put up with her for now. Natasha makes an internal promise that she'll fight the shit out of Wanda after this whole fiasco.

No way she's gonna let you get hurt over Wanda again.

The brunette is starting to feel her head hurt. She wants to find you so bad but she feels a little reluctance when she tries to reach out to the feeling of your powers. She didn't know why, but she still feels the same fear she felt when your powers hit them for the first time during the meeting. Wanda's eyes are now furrowed shut as she tries to reach that power again.

Wanda thinks she must've been grunting with effort because she can hear the faint sounds of Natasha's voice asking what is happening. The brunette sees an elaborate purple mist on her mind, This is it. Y/N is close. She wills her power to reach that power, the same way your power reached out to hers when she first felt it. Unfortunately for her, she feels a reluctance, and it was coming from you. Your power seems to be preventing her from reaching you and finding where you are.

Wanda feels the purple mist is seeming to push her away, it takes great effort from her to try and push through. In her mind, Wanda feels the purple mist started to surround her, and it's closing in. She feels her power flicker, letting her know you were trying to suffocate her. Wanda focused on her desire to find you and make things right as she screams and willed her power to go forward. Until she felt a release in pressure and everything goes black.

*****

Natasha can hear the footsteps of the team rushing to your room. Steve was the first to enter but stopped short at the sight of unconscious Wanda in her arms.

"What happened?!" Steve exclaimed as he tentatively approached. The rest of the team poured in the room with worry on their faces. All of them catching a glimpse of Wanda's power in the room before it completely dissipated.

"S-She just started grunting and screamed. Then there was a burst of her power before she passed out." Natasha said, still clutching Wanda.

"So, did you think she found Y/N?" Fury said as he enters the room.

It was when Wanda moaned and started to stir. Natasha carefully helped her sit up with Steve rubbing her back. "Hey, are you okay? What was that? What happened?" Natasha asked. The brunetter slowly opened her eyes and gave her a weak smile.

"I found her."

*****

It's been nearly four hours of staring into the ocean. You were getting pissed and frustrated with yourself for going here without a plan. You just straight up believed what you found and went to it without question. You sighed, you were desperate for answers and you really couldn't blame yourself for that.

You got up and finally decided to just go back to civilization when you felt a tug in your stomach. You looked down at your hands and see the same purple energy dancing on your fingertips. Only it was stronger and you can feel it more clearly. It was getting more and more intense as you stare at it, you can even hear buzzing around you. Then suddenly, the pressure just dropped and it stopped, but not before bursting a huge amount of purple energy around you.

You closed your eyes. When you opened them again, you felt your jaw dropped to the goddamn floor. A barrier of mist seemed to unfold before your eyes, slowly revealing a gorgeous island like you've never seen before. It has the whitest sand you've ever seen, different species of huge trees that some of them you don't even recognize, plants and flowers in full bloom, and you can even make out the intricate houses in the distance just above the huge island.

This is the most beautiful place you've ever seen, it almost feels magical. But again, maybe it is because 30 seconds ago you were still surrounded by endless ocean. Now, an island is in front of you. You blink a few times, trying to comprehend if what you're seeing is real. When it did not disappear again, your attention was finally caught by a single person standing on the beach. A woman. She is looking at you with a smile you can't place as either a friendly one or a wicked one.

She's wearing a weird but very cool armor that you only see in movies and textbooks. A beautiful bow on her back, and a sword at her side. You stared at her in amazement, there's something about her that's quite familiar to you but you can't figure out what. Your thoughts are interrupted whe she spoke, "I see you finally found my letter. Welcome, Y/N. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

A small envelope sits at the center of where your parents’ bodies should be. You know because of the dried blood scattered on the floor, and it’s directly aligned at the center of the huge boulder. 

Your heart is beating fast as you picked up the small envelope. Its dirty and slight yellowish state lets you know it’s been there for a long time. You stared a little too long at the envelope in your hands, having absolutely no idea what’s inside. You guessed that a card with a message is inside because something tells you you’re supposed to find it a long time ago. 

With shaky hands, you pull out the card inside that proved you right. You noted the worn-out ink of an elegant handwriting. 

43.4130° N, 34.2993° E — find me when you’re ready, Warbringer. 

A/N: For those of you who knows my reference for "Warbringer", kindly let me know in the comments cuz I've been looking for my people to fangirl about it hahahhahahaah

[sjsmith56]

The Fae Elements, Part 6 - Of Love and Loss

Summary: While still in mourning Buck and Sage get married, then undertake the Solstice ritual to install her fae powers. Just before the final part of the ritual, disaster strikes.

Length: 8.2 K

Characters: Buck, Sage, Hope, Thor, Sam, Steve, Maria.

Warnings: Grief, guilt, mild sexual content, violence causing extreme injury, violence causing death.

Author notes: AI images were created by the author using Microsoft Copilot app in Designer mode. This is a long one, but it covers a lot of territory. I hope you liked this version of a fae world that co-exists alongside the modern one. Bucky with wings is 🔥. The pagan wedding vows have been taken from the website my wedding vows.com. They were slightly amended to use the term Creator instead of God, since pagans didn't worship one god.

<<Part 5

🌳 ⛰️ 🌊 🌕

Buck left the bed during the night, awakening me as he pulled himself out of my arms. I held onto his hand for several long moments, while he hesitated at the side of the bed.

"Don't go," I whispered. "Let me help you."

"I won't be long," he answered. "There's something I must do, and I can't rest anymore until I do it."

He left out of a door that seemed to lead to a terrace. By the time I got to the window he disappeared. I wanted to tell someone then I heard Hope's voice in my mind.

"It's alright, my brothers are with him," she said. "They go to comfort Richard's family. Meet me in the library if you don't want to be alone. The way will be shown to you."

I was still dressed from the previous night, but the clothes felt rumpled and uncomfortable, so I changed into a robe-like dress, then combed my hair and left the room. The way to the library was lit with a blue glow and I opened the door to where Hope sat in front of the fireplace. She smiled at me as I approached, reaching over and squeezing my hand as I sat next to her.

"I'm glad you were with him," she said kindly. "Mortals who write about the fae world think we don't care about our children like they do, but we feel just as deeply for them, worrying about their welfare, and hope we're raising them to be strong individuals, whether fae or mortal. Richard was a wonderful man, married with four children and eight grandchildren, one of them pregnant with his first great grandchild. He was a teacher, but in his retirement, he volunteered for a home building charity, sharing his love of carpentry that my father shared with him. His death will impact many people."

"I'm sorry. It seems like you all loved him very much."

I felt a wetness on my cheek and wiped it away.

"It's not your fault," said Hope. "You're not to blame for his death. They would have found a way no matter what. That they chose Richard was meant to weaken my father. He's been a strong king who has been incorruptible though they have tried." She smiled sadly at me. "The battle between the light and dark is elemental in itself. The universe was cloaked in darkness until the light exploded into existence billions of years ago. It is an eternal struggle to maintain the balance."

It didn't make me feel any less guilty for being enough of a distraction that Buck's attention was diverted away from his mortal son. Hope talked with me for some time, until I must have fallen asleep in the library, for I found myself waking up in the bed again, with Buck spooned behind me. The curtains were drawn so that we were in darkness, but it was obvious by the sunlight bleeding through the cracks in the curtains that it was the middle of the day. Carefully, I turned so that I faced him. His face looked so peaceful in the dimness of the room, but a small crease was still evident between his eyebrows, proof of the burden he carried, even in his sleep. A sudden urge to kiss that crease in the hopes of smoothing it away overcame me and I pressed my lips onto it. When I pulled away a smile was on his lips.

"A valiant attempt," he murmured. "Daere tried many times to remove that in the same manner. She called it my worry mark."

"I'm sorry I woke you. I feel so helpless. Thought a kiss would help."

"It does, more than you know." His eyes opened, tired but still bright, searching my face for a moment. "It doesn't seem fair that our marriage will be preceded by the murder of my son, but the Dark Overlord planned it that way. He uses terror and grief as a weapon, not realizing that for some people it is a crucible that makes them stronger."

"His family?"

"Will be taken care of," said Buck. "They will want for nothing, except the presence of their husband, father and grandfather." He stroked my hair. "I felt him die, while you were gathering food. Then you called for help, and I knew they had done it to gain access to the sanctuary. Even for a dark fae, it was a heinous act, for mortal family members are supposed to be safe from harm, by an agreement made in the days of the first fae king. The Dark Overlord has made it clear he has no regard for any of the laws that govern our kind. It means war between us. Only my remaining sons and I will attend Richard's funeral in two days time, as Hope has committed to staying for your protection. Many light fae are being recalled here to protect you."

"I'm not worth it," I answered, not feeling like I was compared to those he had sworn to protect when he became fae king.

"Of course, you are. You are a part of the sacred tree. Fae from other domains, the cold places, the ocean, the mountains, even from the hot lands, are sending help, for you are a descendant of the oldest fae family, the one that civilized us and made us more than tiny beings of mischief."

He kissed me then and we laid in the dark for a little longer until several thoughts were sent to us, to get up and face the day. After showering together, we dressed and made our way to the dining area, where the big table had been replaced by several small tables, as the big one could only ever seat 13 guests, no less and no more. Buck's other sons, Arthur and John, were there. Almost perfect duplicates of their father, they were both kind to me and I sensed no blame for the death of their younger brother.

The time until the funeral passed quickly, with Buck kissing me goodbye in the morning, promising to return by nightfall. My day was spent learning more of the wedding ceremony and Solstice rituals, as well as committing my vows to memory. There were some sacred words to be said for the "vows" but apparently Buck had asked they be spoken in English for my sake, and the sacred tree had given its blessing. When he returned, I was already in bed, but he slipped under the covers with me, nuzzling into my neck then weeping into my shoulder once more as he mourned his son's death.

The following night I was relocated to another room, where I was treated to a beauty regimen that was definitely magic. After it was done, my hair was shiny, my skin dewy, and there were no signs of any pimples or other blemishes of any kind. My gown, designed to match Bucky's suit was white with gold trim, and fit perfectly, as I tried it on one last time. We were kept apart that night since we had to leave very early from our eastern time zone on the morning of the solstice. We had to be at the sacred tree, which apparently was somewhere in Ireland, four hours ahead in their time zone. It was where the first fae king was crowned, and we had to be there before sunrise, 4:56 am, local time. It was going to literally be a long day for us, on the longest day of the year. At least we would take a portal there, with Loki, Hope, and Sam accompanying me. Steve, Thor and Buck left before us. The rest of the council were already there.

When we arrived at the grove where the sacred tree was located, I was amazed to see all sorts of flowers growing everywhere. Foxglove, daisies, cosmos, and primroses were just a few that I recognized. Their scent was everywhere, but not so much that it felt overwhelming. There was a misty quality to the place, as if a fog wasn't quite dissipated completely. Everything seemed so tranquil and beautiful. A single path led to the altar from where I waited, out of sight. I would walk it alone, just as Buck would wait alone for me, with Thor, as the oldest fae there, acting as the officiant. Our music was the natural sounds of the forest, the birds, the breeze, and the rustle of leaves. My bouquet was made of wildflowers. With a kind smile my three travelling companions left me to take their place. Then a voice in my head, Thor's voice, told me to begin to approach the altar. As I came around the corner from where I had been hidden, I almost gasped at the scene.

The sacred tree, large, gnarled and ancient, with pink tinged flowers appearing on the branches, dominated the space. In front of it, a carved altar made of wood displayed images of both real and mythical creatures of the forest, including one called The Green Man, apparently a masculine symbol of the forest. Buck waited in front of the altar, wearing an incredible suit that was mostly ivory white. Embroidered with an intricate pattern of gold thread it was styled similar to a fine suit from the 1700s. He wore a collarless white shirt underneath that seemed to be made of silk, which made sense as it was a natural fibre. Its sleeves poked out from the cuffs of the suit. On his head, Buck wore a crown of holly, apparently for its relationship to eternity, and the change of the seasons. When I reached where Buck stood, he offered me his hand and helped me up the single step to stand in front of Thor.

"Greetings, friends," he stated. "We are here to witness the sacred joining of our fae king, Buck, born James Barnes, to the mortal woman, Sage, born Sage Hawthorne. Before the vows are stated are there any objections to the union of these two individuals?"

There was no objection and Thor instructed Buck to state the vows. He did so without hesitation. Then it was my turn.

"I, Sage, in the name of the spirit of the Creator that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, James, to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one. To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself."

Thor asked for the rings, raising his hands to the sky. When he lowered them, the rings were there, both of them plain bands made of silver. He offered the smaller one to Buck, who placed it on my ring finger. Then he offered the larger one to me, to place on my husband's ring finger. Clasping our hands together he spoke in a language I had never heard before. He looked calmly at both of us before speaking.

"May the canopy of the forest shelter you; may you be protected by the hawthorn, the oak and the ash tree, and their shade grant you peace. Your bloodlines are now joined, now and forever. Even if you choose to part there will always be a bond between you, until you find each other again at the end of time. You may seal your bond with a kiss."

Just as Buck's lips touched mine a strong beam of the sun lit us up, making the gold thread in our clothes gleam. I felt a warmth fill me from all around, which apparently was the first moment of transformation as the sacred tree of my ancestor transferred some of its fae power into me. After receiving the well wishes of those who attended we were transported to another site, the base of a mountain. At the top of it was where the first consummation of our marriage would take place, with Buck flying both of us up there. Just before we took off a host of flower petals drifted down upon us, landing in our hair. With a smile I was lifted into Buck's arms, and we flew to where a small group of tall trees at the top of the mountain became visible. Built into the rock face beneath them was a wooden structure, open to the elements, containing a large bed. We landed on a terrace in front of the bed. The sun, although high, wasn't at its highest yet. I stood looking out over the great vista below us.

"This is incredible," I said. "Why aren't we on the tallest mountains?"

"It's not necessary," he replied. "It just has to be open to the sky when the sun is at its highest. We are somewhere in the Balkans by the look of things, and we have time to eat and drink. If you wish."

My ears had been warm since the sun first touched us in Ireland and I ran my fingertips over them. A pointed shape surprised me, making Buck smile.

"Your ears have changed. I must say, they suit you."

Inside the covered part of the structure was a small mirror and I took a look, seeing the change for myself. Accepting a glass of wine from Buck, we toasted our marriage then started to kiss, letting the inevitable joining of our bodies progress from there. By the time the sun was high overhead we were well into the first requirement of the Solstice ritual. It was freeing to make love out in the open like that, with only the sky and the sun as our witness. I felt a lightness in my body, as if I could do almost anything. There was some opportunity after our several couplings to relax as we touched and caressed, then I heard an apologetic voice in my head interrupting us that it was time to go. Obviously, Buck had heard the same voice since he rose from the covers and offered me his hand. Reluctantly, we dressed. While I was putting my dress on Buck alerted me to the presence of small butterfly type wings protruding from my back.

"These will be your true wings although they haven't finished forming yet," stated Buck, gently touching them with his fingertips. "You'll soon learn how to transform them into bird wings strong enough to lift yourself."

Covering me with his own great wings, he held me close as he formed a portal around us. We appeared on a beach, where the air was warm and humid, surrounded by palm trees. Greeted by the council, with cheek kisses and hugs, they seemed pleased at the physical changes to my body, proof of the ritual working. Then Buck offered me his hand and we walked along a wooden dock to where a boat waited. Steve and Sam were at the controls, both of them looking relaxed in the golden light of the sun which was now low in the sky.

"We'll get you within a comfortable flying distance, then return to the beach," said Steve. "At sunrise, we will be waiting for you at the rendezvous point on the boat."

We ate and drank on the ride until they slowed then stopped. We departed from them as Buck took me in his arms for a flight over the ocean. The moon was just peaking over the horizon, providing just enough light to illuminate the calm waters below us. It seemed that Buck knew exactly where to go as a small rocky island became visible in the distance. On it was a platform, with steps leading up to it from the water. A bed and several lit candle lanterns were the only furnishings there.

"You just happen to have this tiny island in the middle of the ocean waiting for us," I commented, a little sarcastically. Buck just grinned.

"The rocky part is real, the last remaining part of a long dead volcano that rose from the ocean in the South Pacific. The bed and lighting are magical. It was part of Steve's job to find this spot, using his contacts with the merpeople to locate it. It had to be isolated, as we draw magic from the ocean with the consummation. A spell will protect us in case a storm comes but as you can see it is a very calm and clear night. The merpeople will patrol below the surface and advise the council if there are any potential intruders. It's important that we're not interrupted." He looked at me with obvious desire. "For more than one reason."

Gracefully, he landed and released me from his arms. I almost wanted to laugh at how otherworldly and weird it all seemed. This tiny island in the middle of the ocean was set up just for us to have sex. As I looked out over the waters, I could hear mournful sounds coming from it. Buck came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me as he rested his chin on mine.

"Is that whale song?" I asked.

"Uh huh." He listened for a moment. "They're giving us their blessing. Come to bed, my beloved."

In the light of the lanterns that were near the bed, he undid the fastenings of my dress, kissing my neck and shoulders as it fell from my body and draped itself over a chair that appeared, my magic asserting itself, according to Buck. His own individual pieces of clothing seemed to unfasten themselves, although I helped remove them. Like my dress they moved of their own accord, finding a place to be. The lights of the lanterns slowly grew dim so that our bodies were lit only by the full moon, low on the horizon, with just a sliver of sky separating it from that viewpoint. Whether it was an optical illusion or was just my imagination, it seemed to be the largest I had ever seen the moon appear. Despite being in the middle of the ocean I felt as warmed by the moon's glow as I ever did by the sun's rays. As we kissed it felt like something extraordinary surrounded us.

"It's beginning," said Buck, stepping back a little as he held my hands.

There was a silvery glow to my skin that seemed to flow from the reflection of the moon in the ocean straight towards me, enveloping me in something enchanted. All of my senses seemed to come alive as we explored each other's bodies like it was the very first time. Every kiss to my skin sent tendrils of pleasure radiating from the contact point. Every caress of my breasts increased my need for Buck to join with me in any way possible. Every roll of his hips as he thrust into me sent me into such a state of joy that I wanted to cry out to the heavens. I imagined this must be like the best psychedelic trip of all time, except I was fully in charge of my faculties, fully aware of where I was and who I was with. Our minds and bodies were joined in such a way that I realized this was the love I had longed for my whole life. This fae man, entwined with me, was my life, as I was his; our connection was physical, emotional, and spiritual all at the same time. After the attainment of our shared climax we laid in each other's arms, spent but not exhausted.

"Is this how it feels to be connected to life?" I asked, as I became aware of all the sea life around us, even the sea anemones and corals that clung to life on the sides of the rocky promontory that extended down to the bottom of the ocean where we were. I could hear and understand the song of the whales that were bolstered by the calls of the merpeople under the gentle swells. "Do you hear and feel this all of the time?"

"Yes," he replied. "It was overwhelming at first but when Daere chose to undergo the process it was so much better to share it with my mate. Just as it's better with you, Sage. You were always meant for this; to be at my side, to be part of the life of this earth."

Gently, Buck wiped tears from my cheek, as I wept with awareness of all that was good and all that threatened the natural world. It was such a responsibility that he had been solely burdened with since Daere died. How he managed to function without a mate to share this commitment with for so long was beyond my comprehension. All I knew for certain was that I was part of it now, freely choosing to do this with my king, my mate, and my love.

Slowly, the moon began its journey back below the horizon, and we were left in darkness until a glow appeared on the surface of the ocean. All sorts of blue, green and white lights appeared at the top of the waters then slowly drifted back down to where they originated. I sat on the bed, entranced by the spectacle, having never seen anything like it before.

"Bioluminescent creatures," said Buck. "They live deep where there is no light but create their own. They come to pay their respects." He stroked my back; his warmth feeling so good on my skin. "We can catch some sleep now until just before sunrise."

His suggestion for sleep was a good one as we had been going for over 24 hours, in several different time zones. Within moments I was gone, calmed into sleep by what I realized was a lullaby being sung by the merpeople. Its haunting beauty was both hypnotic and soothing, sending me into a wonderful dream filled with light and love.

"Sage." The voice was barely audible, like the gentle buzz of a bee in the garden. It was a voice I knew but I strained to hear it. "Sage, listen. There is a way that you can save him. If you give it all up and give him up for how ever long it takes for him to heal, he can live. My beautiful girl. I miss you so much."

I opened my eyes, turning to look at Buck in the pre-dawn light, his eyes closed and his face at peace after all the turmoil of the past few days. That vision I had of him, pale while the light of life left his eyes, was there again at the edge of my consciousness but so were the words that woke me. What did it all mean?

It didn't take long to find the boat waiting for us after we lifted off from the island. Sam and Steve were on it again and offered us food and drink to restore our energies after the long day and night we experienced. It seemed like simple fare, cheeses, fruit, honey and bread but it tasted wonderful, almost as if I could sense all the love and care that went into its preparation. Soon, the boat was pulling up to the dock and we were greeted with warm words and wishes. We had one more stop to make, a return to the sacred tree in Ireland to present ourselves as bonded mates. That encircling of the globe would complete the ritual. As the rest of the council activated their own portals to return there, Sam and Steve secured the boat as Thor waited. Then we returned to Ireland together, landing in a beam of lightning.

It was strange. Although the council had left before us, they were nowhere to be seen in the glade where the sacred tree was. The three fae princes produced their swords as did Buck. Being new to all of this, I wasn't sure what to do but they placed themselves around me and we began to advance towards the tree. We found Hope first, as Buck cried out and kneeled beside her, sprawled amongst some tall sunflowers, although no injury was visually evident.

"She's alive," he said, laying his hands on his daughter. "Hope, wake up."

A moan answered him and then her eyes fluttered open. "Trap," she whispered, then she lapsed back into unconsciousness.

"You should go," said Thor. "There is a feeling of darkness here." He seemed to be searching for his brother telepathically but there was no answer. "Buck, take your bride."

"No, we must finish the ritual to complete the process," he insisted. "She won't be safe otherwise."

Taking my hand in his free hand we approached the sacred tree. With Thor, Steve and Sam covering our backs we kneeled in front of it and Buck recited something in what I assumed was Latin. Just before he finished it, a shadow in the shape of a man materialized out of the air, thrusting a black sword into Buck's chest. It happened so fast that he had no chance to react, other than to push me back, away from danger. The shadow man lifted him up overhead, still impaled on the sword and threw him away from the tree. Instinctively, I thought of my hands as weapons, generating a blue energy from them that caught the shadow man in the chest. He began to thrash, then the shadows fell away to reveal the lawyer of HYDRA Mining, Alexander Pierce.

"NO!"

His face was locked in a grimace as he reached for me, but I sent another pulse towards him, then found my efforts supported as Thor raised his hammer then struck Pierce in the head, separating it from his neck. A cloud of dark energy erupted from the headless body then twisted painfully as my pulse of blue, and Thor's lightning burned through it, until it was gone. I was suddenly exhausted then remembered Buck and scrambled to where he was. Sam and Steve were trying to stem his blood loss but as I hovered over him, I realized this was my vision that had been prickling at the edge of my consciousness. His skin was already pale and the blue light in his eyes was fading. I placed my hands on his cheeks and for a moment they pulsed blue then faded as I had used all of my power destroying Pierce.

"No," I cried. "Don't die. Don't leave me."

"Beloved," gasped Buck. "Amica mea. It's okay. If he's dead, then you are safe. My beloved Sage."

My tears fell on his face as I begged him to stay with me. I looked at the others who stood around, helpless in their grief. Then I remembered the words that were whispered to me.

"I don't want this power, not if I don't have you. Take it, take it all." I raised my eyes to the sky. "Please, save him. I'll give him up, give up all of my magic if you just let him live."

"Sage, if you do this, he can no longer be king." Thor was kneeling beside me. "He can only live as a mortal now as all of his own magic will be needed to heal his wound. Even then there is no guarantee as he was pierced with a dark fae blade."

"I don't care," I cried. "Please, don't let him die. Don't let all that he was be lost."

"No, beloved." Buck's voice was barely a whisper. "Don't do this. You were meant to be queen."

"Not without you." I was certain of this. "Please."

My tears were unstoppable as I laid my head on his shoulder. I could hear the voices of the others then everything went black. When my eyes opened, I was in a dark room. Sitting up, I saw that it was the same room I first stayed in when Buck brought me to the stronghold. It was dark and the almost full moon shone through the window, although it was low in the sky. Before I could leave, someone knocked on the door, then entered and stepped into the moonlight.

"Hope," I said. "Your father ...."

"He will live," she answered. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Your magic is depleted and can never be restored. Neither will you ever have a child with magic."

"I want to see him."

"It's not possible," she answered. "The sacred tree used both your magic and his to treat the injury but there was a price to be paid. He is mortal now, and he has lost his memory. I had enough time to give him something to ground him when he wakes up, but he won't remember who he is or what he was. He is out of our hands now. The sacred tree instructed that he be taken to a mortal place and left there to begin his new life. I don't know where he is. He is unseen to me."

"But what about us?" I asked.

"You offered to give him up and the sacred tree is fae. Your offer was accepted as a fair trade for saving him. If your love is true, you may find each other again, but there are no guarantees. I'm sorry."

Her words hit me like a wave of ice water. He would live but he was lost to me, possibly forever. As I began to cry, Hope held me, stroking my hair and back, then sat with me for the rest of the night as we talked of many things. When the first signs of dawn became visible, she left me to get dressed then escorted me to a terrace where the council waited. All of them who had gone to the sacred tree ahead of us looked ill, as if they were recovering from a terrible illness. Pierce had apparently poisoned them as they appeared there, wanting to isolate Buck and me to attack us without warning. No one suspected that he was the Dark Overlord, since his camouflage as a mortal lawyer had been so successfully portrayed. He apparently didn't believe my strength would be of consequence in standing up to his, expecting to overwhelm me completely and take my powers for his. My counterattack weakened him enough for Thor to slay him. At least his influence would be gone, until the next dark fae became powerful enough to become the Dark Overlord.

After saying goodbye to the council, Steve offered to return me to my apartment, encircling me with his wings and activating a portal. We appeared on the street in front of my building, just before the dawn and he looked around to make sure our arrival wasn't witnessed.

"Will I see you back in the courtroom?" I asked.

"No, Sam and I will be leaving Washington and returning to the stronghold," he replied, kindly. "The sacred tree is set to choose the next candidates for fae ruler and it's always a possibility we may be chosen. Gaia Life will still exist, but I suspect it will return to a grassroots level, educating people to respect the environment. We are recommending that we undertake a greater effort to find and support the descendants of Lilith and the Hawthorn, encouraging them to accept and develop their powers. Your powers were truly what made the difference in defeating the Dark Overlord." Suddenly, he brushed a tear away from my cheek. "He loved you very much. Believe that it will bring you back together, someday."

With a grim smile, I nodded, then stepped back and watched as his wings extended and he lifted up into the air, watching him until I couldn't see him anymore. On the elevator up to my floor, I thought of all that happened to me over the last few months. My whole life had been uprooted, starting with the death of my father, and ending with the loss of my husband. As I checked my work emails, I realized I had changed too much to return to that job. I didn't know what I was going to do but it wasn't going to be in the cynical atmosphere of the nation's capital.

One Year Later

The sunburnt face and grizzled chin of the farmer I was representing in front of the county board, seemed satisfied when the board agreed that the fracking company, which had set up next to the property line of his farm, had damaged the aquifer enough to affect the quality of his well water. They were ordered to cease and desist all operations, to pay him damages for what they had done, and to pay for the installation of a water tank, as well as the supply of fresh water until such time as his well recovered, based on an independent assessment. It was as good a victory as any I had achieved when I was a high paid lawyer in Washington. For this representation, the best I could expect to be paid was about $5000 but I was also given a permanent invitation to dinner with the farmer and his family, plus a side of beef whenever I needed it. As he, his wife, and kids thanked me while I placed my files in my briefcase I happened to look up and see a familiar face. The woman who wore it sat in one of the stacking chairs that were available for the public to witness the proceedings.

Maria smiled at me as I approached. "I wasn't expecting to see you, not here out in the country."

"Officially, I'm not here," she said. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

I nodded, then we headed out of the county building to where my truck was, and I deposited my case in the front seat. There was a coffee shop across the way, and we walked across the quiet small-town street, waiting on a truck to pass in front of us before completing the journey. A wave to the waitress from me brought two cups and a pot of coffee.

"Lunch?" asked the waitress, Norma.

I looked at Maria and she shook her head. "No, not today, thanks."

"Should you even be here?" I asked. "I mean, Gaia Life pulled out of Washington pretty quickly, after ...." I left the final part unsaid as it was still painful for me.

"Officially, no, but Hope asked me to come," she replied, then she took a brochure out of her purse. It was for a county-run campground in the next state over, extolling the virtues of a pristine environment, without electricity, wifi, or any of the interruptions of modern society. "She thinks it might be a good idea for you to go camping next weekend. A reservation has already been made and paid for."

I looked at Maria with surprise, but she didn't enlighten me, taking that moment to sip her coffee. So, I asked.

"Why?"

"Just go," she said. "Our new rulers want you to be happy and feel that you may find the visit memorable."

"Rulers? A king and a queen?"

She shrugged, making me understand that I wasn't really permitted to know anymore. Then she smiled kindly again.

"We have looked out for you, you know. You seem happier here than you were in Washington."

"It's quieter and the work is the same, but the rewards are more obvious and satisfying, I guess. I'm still considering my options. How is everyone?"

"Still adjusting but we're alright." She looked at my neck and my left hand. "You still wear them."

"I'm still his wife and I still feel him. I'll never forget him."

"I'm glad." She looked at her watch. "Well, my ride should be here soon. It was good to see you, Sage. Thank you for the coffee."

"You're welcome," I said, internally wondering about the real purpose for the brief visit.

We walked out to the street and a vehicle pulled up in front, with a bald, dark-skinned man driving. He nodded at me, then Maria hugged me, and got inside, receiving a kiss from the man. With a wave, they were gone, as they turned the first corner. With the brochure in my hand, I got in my truck and headed home to the small house I lived in on the edge of town. Opening my laptop, I looked at the website for the campground, seeing only pictures of a small lake, with rustic campsites. Inside the brochure was a folded piece of paper with my reservation and the date, the next full moon. Since I was usually alone anyways, it seemed a good idea.

That weekend I loaded up my pride and joy, a small camper vehicle, big enough for two, or in this case me and my girlfriend's dog, Arlo, who I often brought along to keep me company when I went camping. We headed out in the rain, just after breakfast for the 6-hour drive to the campground. When I did arrive there, the rain was gone, the sun was out and the small campground, with no services, was empty. I found the one reserved for me, that looked out over the small lake but still had the shelter of the trees for shade. It was perfect. After setting up the portable solar panels for power I set up my small picnic table with a camp stove and pulled out my chair, a book, and began to enjoy the solitude, while Arlo rested in the sun before moving to the shade of the camper. The scent of the trees hung heavy in the air, lulling both me and Arlo to sleep. When we awoke the sun was low and I brought out the lantern. Open campfires were prohibited so the light of the lantern would have to suffice. As I came out of the van I saw a figure, standing with his back to me, a short distance away, looking out over the small lake.

He seemed familiar to me, in his heavy flannel shirt, jeans, and hiking boots. When he turned his head to the side, my heart jumped, for his profile was just as beautiful as I remembered. At that moment he became aware I was watching and turned around to face me. Arlo looked at him with ears perked up but didn't seem alarmed at the sudden presence of the man.

"You picked a nice spot," he said. "You respect the space, by keeping your vehicle on the gravel and not starting a campfire. Others who have had this spot to themselves have often ignored the no open campfire sign."

"It is fire season," I replied, keeping my voice steady, as it was obvious he didn't recognize me. "I don't need it. Once the moon comes up and reflects off the water it will be so beautiful and peaceful out here. It's what I wanted more than anything."

He nodded then approached where I sat. He kneeled down and gestured to Arlo, who approached him readily, wagging his tail. Scratching Arlo behind the ears, then his neck made the dog fall onto his side offering his belly. The man chuckled.

"How long have you had him?" he asked.

"He belongs to a friend," I answered. "He's my camping buddy. Living in town can be stressful for a dog so this is his vacation time as well."

Nodding his head sympathetically he looked up at me. "I'm James," he said.

"Sage," I replied. "Are you a camper here?"

"No, I live nearby but I check up on the place for the county and remind people not to have open campfires." He smiled at Arlo, who was pawing him for more belly rubs. "Have we ever met?"

"I was thinking the same thing," I answered. "Except I've never been here before."

"Maybe it's from before I was injured. I almost died and lost most of my memories. Sometimes, I get a flash of them, but it doesn't last." He stood up. "I should get going."

I didn't want him to go. "James, would you like to join me for some hot chocolate? I have another chair in the camper. I wouldn't mind the company."

His smile was soft, as he looked out over the water for a moment then back at me. "I wouldn't mind that at all."

I brought the chair out for him then filled the kettle with water and set it on the burner inside the camper, opening a couple of packets of hot chocolate into a couple of mugs. Inside my camper I also had a bag of mini marshmallows, and I brought them, along with some cookies, placing them on the small picnic table. Before the water boiled, I shut the stove down and poured some water in the mugs, stirring the powder to remove the lumps. Then I poured the rest of the water in, stirring to mix it together smoothly. James watched me as I stepped out of the camper, then took the mug from my hand.

"Thank you," he said, then sipped it and sat back in the chair. He leaned towards the table and took some mini marshmallows, adding them to his drink. "That's better."

He took a couple of cookies and dunked one in the hot chocolate. Quietly, we sipped our drink, watching as the full moon came up over the water. It looked exactly like it did the night of the Solstice ritual on the tiny island in the middle of the ocean. I suddenly sobbed and he looked at me, concerned.

"Are you alright?"

"Just remembering my wedding night," I replied, quickly wiping the tears from my cheeks. "It was on a full moon like this. I lost my husband the next morning. He was murdered in front of me."

"I'm sorry. That must have been devastating." He looked over at the moon. "It seems familiar to me as well but it's a memory that just ...."

He shook his head, frustrated.

"I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again." My voice was a whisper.

"What did you say?" he asked, putting the mug down. I repeated it. "I know those words. What was your husband's name?"

"Buck was what everyone called him, but he was born James Barnes," I said, looking directly at him.

"Sage ... is your last name Hawthorne?"

"It was, but I kept my husband's name. It's me, Buck. Don't you remember me?"

"How was your husband killed?"

"A sword through the heart. He actually survived, but he lost all of his memories of me, and I wasn't permitted to stay with him, because he didn't know me, at all."

"Was your wedding night on an island in the ocean?" I nodded. He touched his chest and pulled up his shirt, showing a great scar in the middle of his chest. "They said I was impaled by a weapon, that I almost bled out and I was lucky to survive. It wasn't luck, was it?"

"No, it was magic, but it came at a cost. You lost all of your magic and I gave up all of mine to save you, plus I had to leave you. They said if our love was true, we would find each other again. Now, here you are, in front of me. Have you found me, Buck? Please say you've found me again."

"Amica mea," he murmured, then he looked at me again, his eyes dark, as his memories returned. "Beloved?"

"Yes!"

The tears were streaming down my face, and I wanted to go to him, but my feet wouldn't move. He stood up and came to me, turning me so that my face was fully lit by the lantern. Gently, he touched my cheek with the back of his fingers.

"You cried over me," he said. "Hot tears were falling onto my cheeks, as I called you my beloved, over and over again. You said you would give it all up to save me, that you never wanted it, not if I wasn't with you. There were others there, but I couldn't hear them. I only remember your face and your pendant, then it went black. When I woke up, I was in a hospital. The police said I was found in a park with a stabbing chest wound that just missed my heart by a fraction of an inch. They never found who did it or who phoned for an ambulance. I only knew my name because of my identification. It said I lived near here, alone, running my own furniture making business. I knew how to make the furniture, but I didn't remember actually doing it. Who was I?"

I smiled. "You were special, and I will tell you everything but right now I just want to do one thing, if you'll let me."

He smiled back then he placed one hand in my hair and one around my waist. Gently, he kissed me, and I felt the familiar feeling of all of his kisses. Our kiss deepened and he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me. I could detect a touch of his scent, the rich scent of the forest after a rainfall. Another scent, that of cut wood was more prominent, probably from the work he did making furniture. It was the feel of his arms around me that confirmed I had him back. Suddenly, I was aware of the sound of wings lifting a body into flight, not just one set but several and I looked around to see them, the fae, who had found my love and brought us back together again, but they were already gone.

Then I saw it on his ring finger, the silver wedding band. He noticed where I was looking and took my left hand in his, rubbing my wedding band with his thumb.

"I didn't know if I was married or widowed, but I kept it on, hoping it would help me remember," he said. Then he gazed at me again. "How did you find me?"

"The fae elements," I replied. "Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, and the fifth one, Love. I think they looked for you and made it possible for us to find each other again."

"My beloved Sage. It's coming back to me. You really did give it all up for me?"

I nodded. "We're both mortals now, joined until we move on to the next life."

"Then I'm happy," he said. "You're all that I want."

We kissed again, in the light of the full moon that covered the water of that small lake in its reflected glow. Then we made love in the small bed of the camper, wrapping our arms and legs around each other as we rekindled the passion of our earlier life. Finally, we slept in each other's arms, while Arlo curled up on the floor. It was quiet and intimate, and over too soon until I moved in with Buck, at the cabin he lived in outside a small town in rural Pennsylvania. That weekend set the stage for years to come as we took our increasingly growing family camping in larger vehicles but always beside a remote lake during the full moon to experience its magic. Occasionally, we received visits from certain individuals who never aged but always seemed happy for us and gleefully played with our children and grandchildren. They grew up believing in the magic of mythical creatures and sacred places and knowing of the necessity for love and friendship in a world that always seemed at odds.

As for us, personally ... as we grew older, seeming to race towards the inevitable end of our time together, we knew it had all been worth it. Buck found peace and contentment with me, his last mate, and I found happiness with the love of my life. When our time came, we faced it together, and jumped into the unknown, secure in our belief that our love would always bind us together, forever. Although it was thought by the fae council that I represented the element of truth, Buck and I believed that I was also love, truly the most intangible element, as it kept the bond between us alive while we were apart.

Part 7>>

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[mattelektras]

who would you consider to be the best comic writers currently or overall (like top 5-10) and who are your fave writers?

off the top of my head.......................

personal favs: peter milligan because his elektra is just home to me. its cosy. its stupid. its completely meaningless. its perfect. but there's also his xtsatix. his submariner. fear itself!!!

greg rucka. his wonder woman is just fuckin good i got nothing else to say. for him to be the first writer i think of when i think of a character like actual wonder woman is the biggest accolade i can think of

ann nocenti. proof that women writing matt murdock just get it in a way frank miller never will

mark waid. his individual issues can be mid from time to time i think when you read his books as a whole, they come together really well??? his justice league, his flash, his daredevil, his fantastic four, his superman etc etc he writes a really good whole story imo

marv wolfman. teen titans is like a soap opera to me. i love the revolving cast n i love that they all get their time and attention which u really do not see in modern team books

as for current writers:

i think jason aaron and al ewing are solid for long runs. aaron's thor became definitive pretty quickly which is rare.

saladin ahmed gave miles his own clone saga without it just being His Own Clone Saga a la peter's which i wasnt expecting to be as good as it was

ta-nehisi coates' black panther came after a successful movie where a lot of people were wanting to get into the comics. he made it super easy to grasp AND he kept pre existing elements of the universe. u could tell it was done with such a love for the world he was wrtiting

peter j tomasi making superman a dad was such a natural progression that even i, a known kids in comics hater, enjoyed it. aaaand i like his previous ensemble cast green lantern stuff a lot

[fandomshatepeopleofcolor]

ok so I’m gonna overexplain my thoughts on the goncharov meme now @moonlitlex​  I’m sorry for not replying on the original post but this is gonna get long. here’s the original post you replied on

https://www.tumblr.com/fandomshatepeopleofcolor/719488461894221824/honestly-im-glad-people-are-finally-shutting-up?source=share

I’m gonna try to keep this neat and tidy but this might take me a while I’m largely including lots of links because I don’t have the spoons to transcribe this sorry followers.

ok so lets begin with the crux of my complaint, that being Goncharov over took black panther: wf in popularity on tumblr for White reasons. I say this for 2 reasons.

1)  goncharov existed as a meme since 2020 but didn’t overtake tumblr until November 2022.

proof:

so you may notice from the wiki article that Goncharov is attributed to Scorsese

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goncharov_(meme)

why  does Scorsese mean anything? and what does that have to do with black panther 2?  well back in 2019 scorsese said that “marvel movies are not cinema“  source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/04/martin-scorsese-says-marvel-movies-are-not-cinema

what was going on in 2019 for the mcu?  avengers 3 and 4 had just come out and it was the biggest thing that had ever happened in the movies. also... black panther the first movie had made history in being the first mcu movie to be nominated in a category other than technical at the oscars and other award shows https://envelope.latimes.com/awards/titles/black-panther/  too.  

so martin scorsese isn’t just against some of the mcu or superhero movies in general (you will remember that heath ledger won the oscar for the dark knight). no he’s against Marvel specifically. and just at the moment that Marvel films were becoming more diverse than ever before. ok I’m not gonna keep harping on how groundbreaking that black panther which features an afrofuturist country in the biggest franchise in the world with a nearly all black cast won so much acclaim.  

this brings to the second issue I have with goncharov

2) goncharov was largely billed as having great slash ships (homoeroticism if you will). but like the rest of Scorsese’s actual works the cast was all white.  there was no interracial ships to be fawned over there was indeed no poc actors cast in this fake film.  but see this is the key thing in november 2022, in the 3 years that had passed between scorsese first comments on the lack of artistry in marvel films several things had happened to the mcu

which brings me to point number 3: the diversity of mcu films had basically expanded on every single phase 4 film.  the whitest film of the phase 4 was black widow but that was directed by a white woman and featured a cast filled with white women. the next whitest movie was spiderman no way home and that still had a diverse supporting cast in ned and MJ.  the third whitest film was doctor strange 2 which was still directed by a Jewish man Sam Raimi. the next whitest film was thor 4 with a Jewish/Maori man Taika directing it and Tessa as King of Asgard, Valkyrie

that leaves Shang-Chi, Eternals, Black panther 2.

All films that centered people of color all films directed by people of color and at least eternals and bp2 both had queer rep. thor 4 had canon trans rep.

like this era of marvel were referred to as “the flop era“ or “the MSheU“ precisely because it was so different from the original 2 phases.  there was intense hate for the diversity and scope of the mcu phase 4 that couldnt be explained by any other fact than the diversity inherent in mcu phase 4.

anyways bp:wf had at its center Black Women, and brown indigenous man as the villain.  but you couldn’t load tumblr without running into like 2 goncharov posts within the first page of your dash. nothing about the artistry of bp:wf tho.

anyways I’m tired and more than a little cranky.

mod ali

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

have you ever had any of your fanfics copied without permission, what do you do in this case, lots of authors struggle with this, is there any solution

Yes, though not as flagrantly as some people's have been and it's never been personally targeted.

My stuff's been picked up by fanfiction scrapers (generally sites dedicated to backing up fanfiction archives, still traumatized by the great collapse of LiveJournal).

So, I suppose let's break this down with what you can do.

The General Scraping Sites

Depends which one, obviously, but usually the people running these are really just traumatized by the LiveJournal collapse. They're not looking for your fic specifically, probably never even read it, and are usually willing to take things down if you contact them and note that it was taken without your permission.

Look for a contact information and tell them that you didn't give permission for the story to be uploaded there and give the stories specifically.

Sometimes this isn't the case, in that whoever's running it doesn't give a fuck what you think, and in that case read on a bit for things you can do to mitigate the problem.

Some Jackass Copied Your Fic to Wattpad/Ao3/Wherever

Here the rules are generally the same.

Contact the admins/help and note that the story was uploaded without your permission to this alternate site. They'll generally take it down (especially in that you have the proof that your original version is clearly older).

Obviously depends on the platform (Ao3's very responsive, I don't know much about Wattpad so can't say, Fanfiction is uh dying. I would expect 0 response from Fanfiction.net)

Someone Plagiarized Your Work

They changed the title, maybe even the OTP, but it is word for word your story. Here, I think you're out of luck unless you're on Ao3. Ao3 allows the reporting of plagiarism and will put someone on the case.

You're going to have to deal with a lot of bullshit drama from the person that stole your work and is claiming it's totally different because your fic is about Steve Rogers and theirs is about Tony Stark, but you'll probably see some movement.

If not some fandom bitterness depending how big each respective fic was.

Some Other Things You Can Do

Most scrapers target fanfiction.net as there's no means of blocking the fic behind a login screen. If you get off ffnet and put your fics behind the "login users only" you'll cut down on 90% of bots scraping your fic (they still can, of course, but it's generally not worth the scripter's effort and the more altruistic ones will take it as a sign that you don't want it copied to another site).

This is the easiest solution to most of these things.

The other is, if you find out about it, and you don't get any traction through the above methods, make a fuss. Leave a comment noting that hey, this is actually X fic that I wrote months before this existed. The wrath of Thor will come down upon you, depending how rabid their fanbase you will be slandered left and right, but it will make a ridiculous commotion, an internal fandom war, and will draw attention to the plagiarist in a way they probably do not want (being called out as a plagiarist who actually didn't come up with any of their material).

In the event that that doesn't work...

The atomic bomb/pyrrhic victory is you hold your fics hostage. No updates until the plagiarized fic is taken down. Now, they're in a very tough situation where they have to come up with new material themselves (and they know it's going to not be any good). Their own readers will probably call them out on the lapse in quality, it will make things very very uncomfortable, and may be enough to prompt them to take it down.

However, they may just stop updating as you stop updating and then there's no updates for anybody.

Though it takes a truly trollish person to have gotten to this point already and most people are not that skeezy.

[five-rivers]

Life's Great Lie 13

AO3

Lake Eerie wasn’t a random choice.  In addition to being close enough for the GAV to make the trip, if things did go as badly as Sam thought they would, the lake provided a way to escape ground-bound pursuit, and even a temporary respite from enemies in the air. 

It wasn’t widely advertised –because Jazz’s parents didn’t have much opportunity to use it, rather than any desire to keep it secret – but the Ops Center’s carriage could be safely submerged underwater, and even had rudimentary maneuvering capability. 

If that failed… well, Lake Eerie was a thin spot.  Walker’s second incursion was proof of that.  Not to mention the vicious lake monster.  Jazz hoped that SHIELD’s lack of experience with ghosts would make finding them in the woods if they had to flee that way. 

Or, if they got really desperate, they could use the porta-portal or the bazooka.  Try their luck in the Ghost Zone. 

Jazz hoped it wouldn’t come to that. 

The (Fentonworks New and Improved!) radar pinged at about the same time the wireless connection to the GAV came online. 

“So…” said Sam, “I’ll go out, you keep an eye on things in here.”

Jazz nodded, leaning forward to peer out the window in the direction the jet was supposed to come.  So far, she couldn’t see it. 

Considering the way the ‘helicarrier’ had been cloaked, that didn’t mean anything.  She looked back down at the radar.   

“The SHIELD guys should be here first if this is accurate,” she said. 

“Great.  Be ready to take arrow boy hostage.”

“I’ve told you my name,” complained arrow boy.  “I’ve even told you my code name.  You don’t have to call me that.”

Sam snorted and looked over her shoulder on her way out.  “Whatever you say, arrow boy.”

.

“Hey,” said Tucker, without preamble, “remind me what Danny had us take again.”

Sam glanced behind him at the small crowd.  Tony Stark was a lot shorter in person than he looked on TV.  Dr. Banner – a surprisingly common face in Casper High science lessons – was frowning down at a large, screened box in his hands.  Captain America was… Well, it was kind of weird to see the guy who rescued your great-grandparents from death or worse.  She might not exist without him.  Thor was practically indescribable.  What did you even say about a guy like that?  The only woman, who must be Romanov, Black Widow, stayed by their plane, leaning against one of the door supports in a way that looked casual but was anything but.  Valerie stood slightly apart, her suit retracted for the moment, glaring at everyone.

“I think it’s fine,” said Tucker.  “All things considered.”

“All things considered,” repeated Sam. 

“A bunch of the spare portal parts.  The porta-portal.  Shields, for both humans and ghosts.  The ecto-converter.  Some other random parts I can’t remember.  Not anything we usually work with.  Jazz knew what it was.”

Tucker nodded.  “Okay, yeah.  I think I know what he wanted us to do with all of this.”

“So do I,” said Sam.

“I got kidnapped,” pointed out Tucker. 

“We didn’t kidnap you,” said Romanov. 

“You kind of did.”

“Jazz got shot,” countered Sam.

“Speaking of which, where is Barton?”

Sam pointed.  “Inside.”

“Not like him to not come out.”

“That’s because he’s still tied up,” said Sam.  “We wanted to make sure you weren’t going to come guns blazing.  Or with your giant spaceship thing.”

“Well,” said Stark, loudly, “we thought that would be kind of a bad idea with all the spies—Sorry, the spies that were spying on the spies.”

Captain America pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Do you ever stop?”

“Hey, you should be thanking me.  I just—”

“You have no idea what HYDRA is capable of.”

“Um,” said Tucker.  “Can we go in?”

“Yeah, no,” said Sam.  “We’re waiting for someone else.”

“Oh, no,” said Tucker.  “Come on, did you guys really--?”

“Yeah,” said Sam.  “We needed backup.”

“And what am I?”

“Down a staff, it looks like.”

Tucker shot a glare at Romanov.

“You’re not getting it back until I see Barton.  Speaking of equipment, boys, I don’t see anywhere to park our bus on that thing, so you’d better help unload.”

“Can you—Actually, I’m getting a lot of weird readings on this thing—”

“I’m telling you, man, it’s the ectoplasm.”

Banner frowned slightly at Tucker and looked back at his machine even as he wandered back to the jet.  “Gamma radiation makes much more sense.”

“Does it, though?” asked Tucker.  “I mean, like.  Your whole everything…  Radiation shouldn’t really do that.”

“He’s got a point there,” said Tony Stark as he hauled a set of boxes out on a hand trolley.  “The whole… Hulking out thing.  Doesn’t seem to follow conservation of matter—Have you looked into that?”

“In between running from jingoistic lunatics, sure.”

The sound of an engine made everyone turn.  The GAV rounded the corner a few minutes later, turning so sharply that it almost tipped over.  Seconds later, it narrowly missed hitting the jet and pancaking Stark and Banner and disgorged Jack and Maddie, waving guns.

.

The thing was, Sam, Tucker, and even Valerie, to some extent, were used to the Fentons’ antics.  Stark and Banner were not.  Banner, as they had just been discussing, had superpowers activated by adrenaline and an elevated heartrate.  Anger was the main trigger, but fear… Fear worked too. 

It looked like Sam would get to say ‘I told you so’ a lot earlier than she’d thought. 

.

“How often do human… teenagers… have to sleep?”

“Hm?” asked Selvig, dropping the small component he’d been handling with tweezers.  He swore and dove after it. 

“I suppose I should ask how frequently adult humans need to sleep, instead,” said Loki with a sneer and a roll of his eyes. 

“Well,” said Selvig with a chuckle, “usually we try to sleep once a day.  Eight hours is the recommended amount.  But, heh, you know, academics, we don’t really follow the rules, you know?  You know.  Right?  I mean, you’re up there in space and all… Do they have academics in space?”

“Arguably,” said Danny, “all astronauts are academics of some sort or another.  Scientists, right?  Although, the earlier ones were military, so I suppose they weren’t.  But I guess the question is more about whether or not Loki’s people have academics.  Do you have academics?”

Loki turned slightly to look at the boy incredulously.  Danny blinked back up at him.

“Don’t—” Loki cut himself off before he could say something that could be construed as an order and looked back at Selvig who was trying to lower a piece of equipment into a padded carrying case but kept missing the hole in the shaped ‘styrofoam.’  “How often do teenagers need to sleep?”

“About the same?” said Selvig vaguely.  “I think they’re supposed to get more to stay healthy, but I’ve never had children.  Unless you count my students!  Ha!”  He finally got the part into the Styrofoam hole and smiled triumphantly at Loki.  “Fits like a glove!”

Danny leaned forward to peer at the box.  Loki pushed him back. 

Loki could care less about any of his thralls staying healthy, but he needed them to at least last long enough to get his army.  To get the chitauri.  His staff could not keep them awake indefinitely.  Eventually, their endurance would wane and fail.  Or so he had been told. 

The staff, like the army, was a loaner. 

It matched with the rules of magic he was familiar with, however.  No spell was perfect or unbreakable, no matter how powerful the focus, and the realm of dreams was… strange. 

That was the only reason for his concern.  No other. 

“You could always let us sleep, if you’re so worried,” said Danny. “How often do your people need to sleep?  Asgardians, right?  Or are you an Asgardian if you’re adopted?  I mean, you and Thor look alike, but then you guys look like humans, too, and that’s not what I would have expected from aliens, overall.”

Loki rolled his eyes.  Danny was evidently one of those aggravating people who became more talkative with fatigue.  “My father sleeps once a year.”  Well.  The Odinsleep happened once a year.  And Loki was technically a Jotun, not an Asgardian.  But that hardly mattered.  Loki did not need to sleep.  He was not tired.  He had no desire to close his eyes and see—

“Is that your actual dad, or, like, your biological dad?”

Gods did not groan.

.

Jazz seriously hoped they didn’t need anything on that jet, because it didn’t look remotely salvageable after that. 

“Hey!” called Barton.  “What’s going on out there?”

Jazz was having enough trouble trying to trigger the right controls with only one hand.  She didn’t answer.  Could she--?  No, the Ops Center portal generator didn’t work that way.  She couldn’t punch the coordinates for that.  What she could do, however…

She hit the activation button, and the shield sprang into being with the Hulk on one side and everyone else on the inside, Captain America’s shield ding­-ing off the shield in a way that resonated loudly enough to hurt Jazz’s ears.  The Hulk ran into the shield at full speed and rebounded, stumbling back into the lake.  He roared, clearly furious.  Ripples spread across the water. 

… And the Lake Eerie Monster rose from the depths. 

The Hulk whirled and leapt at the new combatant.  The fight sent water splashing, huge waves breaking over the shore.  Jazz hissed, adjusting the shield to keep the water out.  How much air did they have?  Jazz couldn’t remember how much air a person needed.  It was probably enough for at least a little while. 

The fight was impressive.  Jazz could say that even after watching Danny fight so often.  It was also incredibly brutal.  There was no finesse, no form, and there didn’t need to be.  The sheer physical power of the combatants made it redundant. 

She couldn’t help but think that Danny could beat both of them. 

The lake flared with light, visible even through the green-tinted ectoplasmic shield.  When the light cleared, both the ghost and the surprisingly ghost-like man were gone.

“Hey!  Whoa, whoa, whoa!  What was that?  Where’d Banner go?” shouted Iron Man, audible through the external PA system, which meant that he really had to be shouting, because that thing sucked.

Jazz hissed through her teeth.  She hadn’t caused this situation, but she’d certainly been involved in sending one of the preeminent scientific minds of the century to the Ghost Zone.  Not as bad as killing him, sure, but there it was. 

This was a bad day.  This was a bad, bad day. 

[greentyn]

havent seen the new transformers movie yet but can u pls explain who the gay robots are

SORRY IM SO BAD AT INBOXES

This is spoilers for Transformers One btw go watch that movie it fucks

So the yellow one is Bumblebee. Aka B. Because bumblebees don’t exist on cybertron <- alien robot planet where the transformers are from. all you really need to know about him for this continuity is he’s the Kid one. The silly even. Doesn’t shut the fuck up. May or may not get his voice box ripped out after the Michael Bay movies popularized semi-mute B (he talks via the radio instead). Has a banger solo live action movie.

The pink one is Elita-1 though in the movie she’s just Elita. She’s the badass of the group. Doesn’t do a super whole lot in the movies but in comics and other continuities she’s often shown as like Optimus’s counterpart and they usually have some sort of unresolved sexual tension with tones of “we fucked for awhile but it didn’t work and both of us are still awkward about it”. Anyways she is typically some sort of military top brass which you see happen at the end of the film. Other timelines have had a LOT of right-hand-man for autobots including Jazz and Ironhide so yeah. I digress

THE MAIN TWO!!! THE PLOT!!!!

ORION PAX. Baby boy. Red and blue. Because he’s basically robot Superman. Starts out at the bottom of Society but has a deep drive to do good and help people. His “best friend” (this is tumblr you know what that means) is D-16. D-16 is silver. He is very like. We just need to keep our heads down, don’t stir the pot, we need Order in society lets know our Place. While Orion is super like cmonnnn man don’t you wanna DO something. And ends up dragging D to various places for shenanigans.

This leads to a domino effect where they find out the government has been lying to everyone’s faces for literal decades. And they have the the proof of this so basically what happens is

O: awesome we have the Pentagon Papers let’s leak it to the world and we can get this leader out of power!

D: I am going to Kill Robot Nixon.

And then they go to the City and are like Awesome The World Knows!! And the Workers start a Revolution (surprise this is communism) and D goes I’m killing the president now. So Orion says hey man uh. it’s okay. everyone knows you don’t gotta. And D goes FUCK OFFFF and tries to kill Robot Nixon anyways and Orion jumps in front of the blast and saves Robot Nixon’s life and D goes hey FUCK you for that and kicks Orion’s corpse down a ditch. And then kills Robot Nixon.

So then Orion’s corpse falls to he center of the planet where he meets Literal God and gets resurrected via the Matrix of Leadership which is basically like. Only ye who are worthy shall possess the power type deal. Very Thor. So God says ARISE… OPTIMUS PRIME and then Optimus Prime arises and kicks the shit out of D-16 who is now calling himself Megatron. And then Prime is like Aight I’m Robot President now get the fuck outta my city. And megatron does! Happy divorce!!!!

And also Soundwave is there and he’s best boy forever <333333

[movietonight]

okay re: american ghosts, there's so much to talk about with that show but here are some of the highlights:

hetty's (american fanny) husband (elias) is straight. he still pushed her out of a window because she found out about his affair. there's a running joke that hetty hates irish people because haha gilded age robber baronness but then it turns out she hates irish people because elias had an affair with her maid, who is irish. elias is also a ghost but he died in a ghost proof safe so no one knew he was a ghost for hundreds of years. he goes to hell at the end of his episode

heaven also exists btw thats where the irish maid went. we know this because they summon her once

almost all of the ghosts have powers. elias' power is making anyone who walks through him horny

thor (viking ghost) has a ghost son (as in his son died and became a ghost) who lives in the neighboring house

isaac (american captain) is an american revolution era military captain and he has a ghost boyfriend who is a british military captain from the same era

sam (american alison) meets the ghost of her mom in a restaurant. the mom moves on at the end of her episode

trevor (american julian) has a dating app romance with jay's (american mike) sister. she finds out that she's been talking to a ghost but she doesn't actually mind and he possesses a guy she's been "friendzoning" to have sex with her. but they don't actually have sex i think and the guy almost dies also

hetty has a gay son who killed alberta (1920s ghost) and she hid that fact from alberta because she wanted to protect her gay son. because alberta's bf was cheating on her with hetty's gay son

you might think that these could be interesting or even funny but unfortunately ghosts cbs is clinically unfunny and presents all of this in the most milquetoast mediocre sitcom form possible. rip

Oh god that's just so much to process. Thank you. Now I don't need to watch it!