#Tony's relationship to his parents is complicated

[trekkele]

i think the worst thing about the ‘well batman hits his kids!’ people is that you know its a mischaracterization. you know it was ooc the first time and every time since then. but because dc has no fucking backbone, its in print.

[gunsandspaceships]

Tony’s Childhood. Part 1: Identifying facts

In the MCU, Tony sometimes acts like a kid. There is a reason behind every behavior, so I wondered what it was like for him when he was a real kid.

So, the questions of the day: what do we know about Tony's childhood? Did he have one? And, most importantly, how did it affect him?

Let’s first list what we know from the movies:

At age 4 Tony built his first circuit board (IM1)

At age 6 built his first engine (IM1)

Was sent to a boarding school by Howard (IM2)

Cracked the Pentagon’s firewall in high school on a dare (AoU)

Had a nanny until the age of 14 (IM3)

Went to college at 14 (IM1)

Built Dum-E and U when he was there (IM1)

At 17 graduated summa cum laude from MIT (IM1)

Continued his education until his parents’ death (CW)

Tony’s genius gave him two things: the brain and the pain. And by the pain, I mean that instead of interacting and bonding with his parents, enjoying life, playing, having fun, making friends, taking care of pets, and all the other things children do to gradually prepare for adulthood and grow up "healthy", he got this list of achievements. That doesn’t make a person normal.

Parents

We know his relationship with Howard was complicated. Howard loved him in his own way. He had too many things to do to be a good father: SI, S.H.I.E.L.D., scientific projects, trying to build a better future with clean energy, etc. All good, except when you want your child to love you back. Especially if in the tiny amount of time you spend with him, you don’t show him any signs of affection.

What do we know about Maria? Her name, what she looked like, that she played the piano, and died at Winter Soldier’s hand on Dec 16, 1991. That’s it. She didn’t spend much time with Tony either. Remember, he even had a nanny, instead of a mother. Tony's words about her showed that he loved her, but he didn't talk much about her. Because she wasn’t present in his life enough. Why? Because…

School

Howard sent Tony to a boarding school.

Here’s in the S.H.I.E.L.D.s file we have this information about the school:

“Phillips Academy, Andover, MA 1977-1984”

This means he was there from age 7 to 14. Howard sent him to a boarding school when he was SEVEN.

Phillips Academy Andover serves grades 9-12 only (it is a college preparatory school). Thus, either this is a mistake by the creators of the film/file, or Tony, due to his genius, became an exception. Since the early age he was already at school was also mentioned in IM2 tie-in comics, and in Earth-616 that was also 7, we can mark 1977-1984 as valid.

Think about it again: Tony was sent to boarding school in another state when he was 7 years old. He spent another 7 years there, alone, among high school-aged teenagers. No parents around, no peers.

For example, even Hogwarts accepts 11-year-old children, and they live with their peers. Now imagine Harry Potter, at the age of 7, is thrown into a dorm with 7th-year students and locked there. Doesn’t make a person normal either, does it?

Nannies and Jarvis

Since Tony was at the boarding school, there are two options for how he could have a nanny (mentioned in IM3) and spend time with Edwin Jarvis:

1) He was at the boarding school with a nanny. There is almost no possibility that the nanny was Edwin Jarvis because Jarvis was Howard’s butler and had other responsibilities.

2) He had a nanny at home in the summer and during short school breaks. In this case, his parents couldn’t even give him this little of their precious time.

In any case, he could only see Jarvis at home, a few months a year at most.

Note: There is a date error in IM3, stating Tony was 14 in 1983. This is clearly an error and we can omit this detail.

Bullying

Remember this dialog between Tony and Harley in IM3?

0:45:15 – Harley asks him how he knew he was being bullied at school. Tony doesn't answer. He gives him a non-lethal flash thing to "discourage bullying."

We see that Tony knew exactly what was going on with Harley at school. Because that’s exactly what happened to him there. Harley reminded him of himself. Brilliant kid with no friends and practically no parents. He was bullied by 9th-12th graders.

If he had a nanny with him at the school, that probably made things even worse. He would be bullied because he has a nanny, and despite he has one to look after him.

In Part 2 we will discuss how all this affected him. Stay tuned.

[locke-esque-monster]

I got real nervous they were doing Lila x Five really early in the season. It wasn't even explicitly stated, it was just a feeling from how they were setting up and framing things. Lila disagreeing with Diego and going to talk to Five. Lila keeping secrets from Diego that Five knew about. The tension of Five covering for Lila to Diego. Lila's dissatisfaction with her relationship with Diego and asking for a break. Without actively being romantically into Five, it kept setting up the narrative for Lila to leave Diego and Five was all tied in with what she was going to as an alternative to Diego. Add that to the promo pics with them together - even having watched it later and avoided spoilers I had a real bad feeling where this was going long before 4x5. (Or at least avoided until I already had my theory - my phone helpfully suggested an article days before I got to 4x5. I was not pleased to say the least.)

But there's a lot of reasons I take issue with this pairing and how it was done, so Christ, I guess let's get started:

Five explicitly stated in season 3 that Lila is not his type.

Five murdered Lila's parents. Sure, on the Handler's orders. But you think it's easy to have a romantic relationship when you know those hands killed your parents (aka my biggest critique of Tony/Bucky shippers in the MCU).

Five is indirectly responsible for the Handler's death. He saved everyone but her when he time traveled back. Sure, Lila was upset with her, but this woman raised her. She's got to have some complicated feelings about that and Five is all wrapped up in them now.

Five also had a weird relationship with the Handler, where she was a little flirty with him, which was all kinds of uncomfortable. Lila briefly mimicked this in season 3, which was even more uncomfortable. It's unclear if this was deliberately copying her "mother" or not. But adding Five and the Handler's complicated relationship on top of the other issues means there's a whole carousel of baggage to unpack here.

Five has always seemed kind of annoyed or tolerant of Lila, which extended into early this season. It's maybe a hair kinder at the start of season 4, but definitely not where it should be if there's potential here. It'd be one thing if they were friends after 6 years, but their relationship hasn't substantially changed at the start of this season to suggest otherwise.

If you have to do an all musical montage to show 2 characters falling in love, I'm sorry, you're not doing this right. That's telling, not showing. These characters have had tons of interactions to build off of. If you can't do that, then you're effectively saying that you have no foundation for this relationship.

Also, if it takes 6 1/2 years of being each others sole companions under adverse conditions for you to get together - maybe you shouldn't be together. It's one thing if it's treated like "Finally" or "Oh I didn't think you also felt this way". It's another if it's like it's a new idea entirely - that suggests loneliness and a desire for companionship and they're you're only option.

Five's history includes him having a pseudo-romantic relationship with a mannequin when he's left alone in the apocalypse at 13. The next time he's separated from his family for years he's with Lila. I'll allow that it makes sense he developed feelings for her specifically because of his history. That said, that makes this a wholly unhealthy relationship when he has a history like that. Lila is filling a gap Five's psyche has clung to before in similar harrowing times.

Frankly, the fact Lila was first looking for excitement out of her home life and is now upset she can't get back to her family isn't a good headspace either. (I'm also deeply frustrated that Lila feels trapped at home. Lila is so capable and she has a buttload of family members who apparently can take their children on a whim during all this chaos. You're telling me she couldn't have found a better outlet to work on their marriage or get some freedom before it got to this point of lying to Diego?)

Five is volatile and Lila is unpredictable. They're nothing but a menace to practically every other character they meet, including each other. But once they're a couple, they're perfectly pleasant the whole time. I don't buy it. The only fight they have is when Five lied to her. I'm not saying they can't be sweet. But this is all sweetness. For me to buy this couple they need to lovingly bicker. Instead, they've both had personality transplants.

So they decide to go back to the greenhouse after 6 years 5 months and 2 days. Five admits to having the book 5 or 6 months on their 7th anniversary of being lost. Let's be generous and assume they kissed within a couple days of getting to the greenhouse, because they look reasonably settled. That means that best case, Five decided that after being in a relationship for less than 2 months, he was going to throw his whole family away and run away with Lila. That is a hell of a lot of commitment for a short relationship.

And keep in mind, it's not like their family is safe. Last they heard, they hadn't solved the Cleanse. So they're either actively in danger or dead. Five - The man who spent 45 years trying to save his family. Who survived decades in the apocalypse alone (minus Delores the mannequin) and murdered his way through time for the chance to get back and save them - is going to let his family die for a 2 month relationship. I call bullshit.

Also, I will give Five credit that he tried to stay on task during the fight with the Cleanse. He only seemed to fight in retaliation for Diego - he actively looked towards the fight at least once before Diego pulled his attention. But you're telling me he's ready to keep fighting Diego and is threatening to kill him over Lila? That his powers only work correctly after 7 years of having them back because Lila begged him? I once again call bullshit.

And Five was going off to mope alone and never come back and potentially let his family die from an active threat, all because Lila didn't pick him? That is not the Five I know.

I also feel like we maybe did all this arc to get Lila to the point where Five has to convince her to stay because no one else could even if she hates him for it, but still get her family on the train to get the planned ending. And that feels very clunky and I hate it.

Outside of plot lines - it is a bit disturbing to me that we're pairing up an actor whose barely an adult with a woman 15 years his senior - practically old enough to be his mother. This is a aside from the fact he's a what, 71 year old man internally at this point and Lila (if we assume even living at the commission she's a similar age to Diego) is in her early 40s by the time she kisses a physically mid-20s Five. There's so much about that I am not okay with I don't even know where to start.

I also hear the writers wanted a romance for Five. First, okay, then have a longer season. Develop a character for Five earlier on in the season or the show you can pair him with. God knows with that history and age issues it'll be tricky. But also frankly - why? Why does Five need a romantic love interest? He's been fueled by the love of his family and that's done so many impressive things out of love for them. Not everyone needs a romantic love of their life to find happiness and it feels very heteronormative (is that the word I want?) that we need to have that for Five. Give Five an apocalypse-free world and his family alive and then we can see what happiness he can find.

[lina-lovebug]

USM characters dating an Avengers daughter

- you knew his about his not-so-subtle crush on your dad when you first met, and decided not to tell him

- you adore him but whose to say he won't just use you as an excuse to hang out with your philanthropist billionaire playboy dad?

- but you'd been dating awhile, and had met Aunt May (who adored you), so why were you avoiding the subject of your dad?

- that was until you were fixing your suit and Peter walked in, gave you a kiss and offered to help. You forgot the little engraving your dad left you on your suit, "be careful and kick ass, love dad"

- "aw, that's sweet," he smiled, "when can I meet him?"

- "you. . .already have," you said, trying to gage his reaction, "he made me my first suit. . .and yours"

- it took him a few seconds but then it all clicked. His super amazing genius girlfriend whose dad bought her a Porsche at fifteen was Tony Stark

- his idol

- "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, but you idolize him and I was scared and-"

- he understood - completely shocked but understood

- he does ask if that means he can drive the Porsche now tho

- you and your mom? Best friends

- danny and your mom? Not so much

- being the daughter of Black Widow herself came with a lot of trust, and many secrets so you never intended on dating because of it

- but then this handsome motherfucker gentleman comes along and you're on cloud nine

- you told him you have a complicated past and he respected that, waiting until you were ready

- but he's Iron Fist, King of K'un L'un and an Agent of SHIELD so he took notice when you'd disappear from team sessions

- he admits he got curious and followed one day, and there you were: training with Black Widow herself, and doing it flawlessly

- and at the end of it, his suspicions were confirmed once you hugged and said, "thanks, mom"

- "So are you gonna introduce us or does he always do that?" She made DIRECT eye contact with him and it honestly sent a shiver down his spine

- he introduced himself, remaining calm and collected, which impressed her but she also knows that people can hide how they rlly feel

- she GRILLED HIM

- "where'd you grow up?" "K'un L'un" "who are your parents?" "Heather and Wendell Rand" "if you're a billionaire, why do you wear five dollar flip flops?"

- you knew she approved of him, but she liked to keep him on his toes

- "beloved, I love you, but your mother scares me"

- oh how does one BEGIN to explain to their bullet proof boyfriend that their dad is Thor?

- he knew you had to be other worldly, and not just because he thinks you're a Goddess you accidentally struck him with lightning one time

- you wanted to keep it a secret for a bit before the Almighty Thor comes in and demands to know Luke's intentions

- "babe, why is Thor asking me when I'm proposing?"

- being a God came with perks, so Thor knew not long after you guys started dating that something was amiss with his daughter

- (you stopped remembering to being him poptarts and he got upset)

- "how do I know if he is worthy of your hand?"

- "He makes me laugh :) and he's bulletproof so. . ."

- they get along great

- his first trip to Asgard was a bit intimidating but seeing as you're half human, your mom reminded him that love between you guys was possible

- "I recommend a traditional Asgardian ceremony-"

- "dad we're sixteen"

- o h b o i

- talk about overprotective father

- you're a minute late, who were you with? What were you doing? I want their names, addresses, social security-

- if you guessed Winter Soldier a.k.a Bucky then you guessed right

- he knew something was up the moment you two lingered for a bit after training, and watching from the top deck this man SPOTTED your hands brush and asked Fury for Novas' personal file

- but knowing your dad, you were actually able to keep your relationship a secret for two months before he put the pieces together himself

- you both were out on a picnic date, Sam having made a cute cake, and a very threatening man with a metal arm came up sat down, smiled at him, held his hand out and said, "Samuel Alexander, sixteen, last Nova, grew up in Carefree, and 5'8, correct?"

- you were LIVID

- meanwhile Sam was like "omg he knows my name :0!!"

- you had told Sam long before dating that your dad was extremely overprotective, but Sam being Sam was just excited that his badass girlfriend has a badass dad!!

- and Buckys like "wtf this kid isn't even remotely terrified"

- Sam asks question after question, and it even turns into a third wheel - as in they're bonding and you're just there

- Bucky likes him but still tries to be somewhat intimidating, being the infamous Winter Soldier and all

- "Babe. . .baabe. . .when's your dad gonna be back? I wanna ask him if he likes my new helmet look"

- so like where do I even start

- you and Ava had been dating for a couple of months before she started to realize that she hadn't met your family

- you told her that they were just really intense and you didn't wanna scare her

- but who could scare White Tiger? So she insisted and you said "your funeral"

- also how does one explain to their partner that they technically shouldn't exist because your dad is a robot and your mom is a witch?

- your brothers LOVE her

- Billy and Tommy immediately recognized Ava, seeing as they'd work with the team from time to time and said "ooh our sisters dating the smart one"

- and Ava like, "babe I think I kicked one of their asses in training"

- Wanda adores Ava, she thinks she's good for you and might as well have someone mentally stable in your life

- Meanwhile in Avas' mind, "omg omg her mom is Scarlet Witch, her dad is Vision - wait is that why she's so smart? Is my girlfriend a robot?"

- no you're not a robot

- Vision likes her, and he knew about you two before you two even started dating. Why? You rambled about White Tiger during dinner once and Vision CLOCKED that look in your eyes

- needless to say, Sunday dinners with your family are now mandatory with Ava

[havendance]

To build on my previous post, I think of the new52 comics I’ve read, Nightwing is the one that I think is best in terms of what the new52 was trying to do and how it was executed. That being said, it is still hindered by the new52-ness of it all. Working off of the premise of ‘we are rebooting these key characters to reintroduce them to a new universe with a compressed timeline’, Nightwing takes full advantage of the reboot to tell stories that are very much NIGHTWING stories but that couldn’t have been told in the post-crisis universe, revisiting classic Dick plot threads like Haley’s Circus and Tony Zucco in new ways.

I like how the initial plot line explores Dick’s childhood at Haley’s circus. The compressed timeline means that he’s spent more time there, and that means that the story has the opportunity to explore his friendships and relationships with the other performers in a more complicated way than warm nostalgia. Instead, he has a rival and a childhood love, and the guy that died after he left. It gets to take advantage of the reboot to spend more time in that part of the story.

(Of course then it proceeds to burn down Haley's Circus not once but TWICE, and also tie them into the court of owls. We're still trapped in the early new52 era edginess and endless crossover events.)

Volume 4: Second City also does this well imo. Tony Zucco is a pretty resolved plot thread in post crisis canon (I believe Dick wrestled with it in Batman Year 3? but also I didn't read year three so don't take my word for it), but once again the reboot and Dick being younger gives the opportunity to dig back in and re-imagine it. Post-crisis Dick doesn't need to wrestle with his parent's murderer, but it's juicy plot thread for new52 Dick, and I like how it has Zucco trying to start anew after what he did and Dick wrestling with that means in terms of the justice he's searching for.

I still think that Nightwing would be stronger if they hadn't erased so much of his history and relationship and the fact that he wasn't just Robin for a couple years, he BUILT the mantle, but the bones are solid and I think, regardless of whether or not the premise of the new52 was a good idea, Nightwing is doing it's best to execute it in a strong way.

[echantedtoon]

Ok. So I figured I'd do a part 2 of this now. These are just my opinions on who'd be the best parents out of all the Lower Moons but I'm gonna switch up the order from Worst dads/Moms to Best dads/moms. No real order other than that though. If you disagree with any of these then that's perfectly fine.

However I will absolutely NOT include Rui for VERY OBVIOUS reasons.

KAMANUE/MUKAGO/WAKURABA/ROKURO:

-Honestly not much is known about these four other than they were killed during Enmu 's introduction. However I don't think any would be good parents considering how cowardly and selfish they came off during the limited time they were around.

0/10 Only because of limited info and selfishness shown

UBUME:

-(A lower moon from one of the OVA Kny mangas for those who don't know who she is.) Dunno much about her but like Nakime gives the childfree impression.

0/10 again mostly due to limited info

SUSAMARU:

-Has no idea how to parent or what to do with a baby.

-Is more of the 'Fun Aunt' than the actual mom. She gets bored easily and just hands them over to you before skedaddling.

-Similar to Douma, you have to do all of the parenting because Susamaru will just let her children run wild letting them do whatever they want. However unlike Douma, she won't actively take care of them other than making sure they don't die.

2/10 Better than the first ones but has no real interest being a parent

YAHABA:

-Mans a neat freak. So once he hears about having a child expect him to keep away five feet when you get morning sickness.

-He will begrudgingly bring you foods you're craving, things you need, etc but don't expect him to go anywhere near you when you're sick or when baby's born. The germophobe.

-Will legit not go ANYWHERE near the baby until they're about ten due to kids being messy monsters. Only time he touches them is when he insists on bath time. Bath time is pretty much mandatory for him and insists that the baby gets two baths a day and one during the middle of the night....You have to put your foot down on this.

-Wont let anyone harm them but still doesn't touch them until they are old enough to not be caked on in dirt. Strict dad even when they're a teenager. Very strict rules especially when it comes to hygiene an training.

4/10 Not the worst definitely but is too strict

HAIROU:

-(Another Lower Moon from the OVA Kny mangas. Actually know about him since I have the book he's in.) Complicated relationship. REALLY BIG complicated relationship.

-Doesn't hate the kid but doesn't legit know what to do with a baby. You gotta reassure this man. Will keep his distance. Will help you by getting things you need and doing things you ask and making sure you're ok but will still keep his distance even when the kiddos born.

-Will keep his distance and help you with a few things at first but slowly starts to get closer. Holding them always ends with him staring down with mixed feelings. Legit not sure what to do or feel.

-When his kid gets older he'll start teaching them how to use guns and be proud of them for wanting to learn with him. It becomes a comfortable bonding time with them even if it gives you a heart attack every time you see him trying to have them aim a rifle that's WAY to big for them.

-Takes them on hunting trips a lot and shows them how to successfully hunt deer and other animals.

-Teaches them all about different kinds of guns and starts giving them some of his to start their own collection...You safely put them away until they're actually old enough to use them.

-Sometimes you'll walk in to Hairou cleaning his guns while his kiddo is asleep on his shoulders wearing his hat. He acts like it's not even happening.

-Gets his kid a wolf pup as a pet giving you another heart attack.

6/10 He has no idea what to do most of the time but he's trying his best to be there.

ENMU:

-Actually surprisingly doesn't react other than a casual response when you first tell him- "Enmu, I'm pregnant." "That's nice, Honey. Do you want udon for dinner tonight?"

-It legit catches you so off guard that you have to confirm he heard you right and that he wasn't just assuming it was a joke. He knows. He's known a full week even before you found out. How? No one knows how. It's a mystery to this day.

-Is surprising very attentive and happy about the entire thing but is just so casual about it it's surprising. He also is deadass prepared for everything but you're so weirded out by just how calm and casual he is about EVERYTHING. It's always "Do you want water? I think the baby wants water." Or "Do you think the nursery would be better in black and white or greys? Those are neutral colors since we don't know what we're getting." Or "I got you your favorite food! Don't wanna neglect my beautiful wife now.~" You quickly get used to it.

-This initial personality doesn't change a bit. The other Kizuki are horrified Enmu reproduced with Akaza even apologizing to you.

-However with a lot of the moons you'll have to do all the responsible parenting. Enmu sees his spawn as something that can do no wrong and unless it's talking back to you or Muzan, will not punish them. In fact he'll probably encourage his spawns to cause trouble, wreck havoc, hurt their foes, etc. Over spoiling them but puts his foot down if that attitude is directed at Mommy or to Muzan. Those are big nos.

-Outside of that he surprisingly is very invested in their raising. Rocking them to sleep, bed time stories, research for educational toys- It surprises even Muzan how invested he's become in not only his wife but future spawns.

7/10 Well prepared and very invested but the heavy duty parenting will have to be on your shoulders.

KYOGAI:

-Faints when you first tell him he's about to be a father. Lands on his drums and accidentally teleports you both into different rooms on impact.

-Despite the comical first impression, he's very interested in this. Scared out of his mind at first though. Has to ask you over and over for a month if you're SURE You're expecting and it's not a mistake or badly planned prank...He stopped asking after you death glared at him after throwing up due to morning sickness for the hundredth time in a row.

-This man is scared but in a sweet way. Always asking if you need anything, if you're hurting, if he should go steal more pillows from the nearby town. If demons could have heart attacks he would. He tries to keep you isolated in one room of the mansion only he could get to after he got the fear of slayers and other demons possibly coming after you. You had to put your foot down about the ridiculousness of that idea. He's just very worried about you and wants to keep you both safe.

-Def tries harder to get back into the twelve Kizuki when the baby comes into the picture. Gotta be strong enough to protect you both.

-Mellows out somewhat as the months go by. Still anxious about things and sets up a nursery in the back of the mansion in case intruders enter.

-He likes to sit down and read his stories to the baby and possibly tap his drums. You know the baby probably can't hear him before their born but he's so cute when he does it that you don't tell him.

-Faints again when baby's born. Luckily this time he doesn't randomly teleport you both.

-Will be absolutely smitten with his little one. Carries them around the mansion in one hand when you need a break. If baby cries he just easily teleports to their room and tends to them. Still worried about them so expect him to randomly teleport in and out of the nursery at least ten times a day and night to check on them. Sometimes just randomly takes them with him everywhere even if they're fine or sleeping.

-He's also a very good husband to you. Pulls your hair back when you get sick. Gets you food. Likes teleporting you around if you're too tired to walk. After baby's born he will dote on you as you recover. If you ever need a break he's perfectly fine with taking care of his child as you relax.

-He doesn't want his baby to go through what he did so as they grow expect him to encourage his child to do whatever they want (within reason) and be whatever they want to be when they grow up.

-He's very supportive. Baby wants to be a tailor? He randomly steals fabric and sewing needles. His child shows a hobby in fishing? They're given an old fishing pole he found in the mansion. He overheard them talking about a necklace they're interested in? He steals it the very next night and gives it to them.

-Very good parenting. Tells them they can talk to him about anything and everything. Gives them space and privacy when they need/want it. Puts his foot down if they've done something bad. Gives advice. Tells them that it's ok to fail at something and they'll get it with practice.

-Was well educated as a human, so expect your child to be taught to read, write, etc at an early age. Your child will be smarter than most children their age thanks to Sensai Kyogai.

-He doesn't tell them about him being a demon and what they do until they're a teenager and can better understand. He wants them to have a normal childhood. So for a long time your child just thinks his dad has a skin condition or something making him look weird.

9/10 Not perfect but he's a very good father.

[jaspermorgan]

Jasper William Morgan (born 12 June 1970) is a British-American hotelier, businessman, and former actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Liam in the 1997 film Dark Skies, of Sebastian Harewood in the 1995 television miniseries The Outcast, and of Daniel Austin in the critically acclaimed 2009 detective noir film A Conflict of Shadows, for which he earned an Academy Award. He also received a Tony for his role in The Lights of Love (2003).

▲ Early Life and Family

Morgan was born in Mayfair, London to parents Alexander Morgan, the UK's financial secretary to the treasury, and Jillian Morgan (née Spencer), who was the Dean of the University of Central London. He is an only child.

Morgan's paternal grandfather, Sir Ambrose Collins Morgan, was a decorated Royal Navy Admiral, and his great-grandfather, Professor Nathaniel Morgan, was an acclaimed neurosurgeon and neurosurgery researcher who taught at Oxford University. His maternal grandfather, Phillip Spencer, was an investment banker and his wife, Augusta Spencer (née Clairmont), was an oil painter and sculptor.

He spent the majority of his childhood in the care of his maternal grandparents and it was his grandfather, who Morgan cites as being a major influence in pursuing acting as a career as they often watched classics together. His favourite films growing up were The General (1926), Casablanca (1942), and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). His parents wanted him to follow their footsteps into government or education or even to become a doctor, but Morgan was always adamant about wanting to be an actor. Eventually he was allowed to enrol in a local drama club where he built up his confidence and started to gain some experience in amateur dramatics.

His education was spent in private London schools, which Morgan doesn't credit as having any significant impact on him at all. He has said that there was always more of a focus on mathematics, science, and competitive sports rather than any of the arts and often felt very much an outsider from the rest of his classmates. However, he managed to encourage his secondary school headmaster to put on a rendition of Macbeth for pupils and parents, which was met with praise.

At the age of 18, Morgan attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His parents helped to pay for the majority of his tuition, but only agreed to do so if Morgan got himself a part-time job to pay for the rest. He ended up at the at the Mornington Hotel near Regent's Park where he first worked the reception nightshift before transferring to waiting tables and later becoming the restaurant manager. He gave up the job once he signed on to The Outcast.

▲ Career

After appearing as an extra in several British television shows throughout 1993, Morgan portrayed Sam Woodbury in the short-lived London West End play One More Night, and then as the younger version of Eric Radcliffe Reid’s character Wilson in the short film Whirlwind, Morgan landed his breakthrough role in the 1995 miniseries The Outcast, playing the lead character Sebastian Harewood: a young upper class gentleman who is disowned by his wealthy father and is forced to make his own way in the world. The show’s director Kathryn Liu states that she ‘took a risk when casting Morgan, not knowing if an inexperienced actor would be able to handle a complicated filming schedule’, but later admitted that "he was perfect for the role and absolutely smashed it’ and ‘his inexperience as an actor even benefited him greatly in that his naivety transferred well into Sebastian’s own". Morgan and Liu later went on to work together on the 2013 action film Highwire.

Morgan was then quickly cast in the 1997 psychological thriller Dark Skies, which was filmed in his hometown of London. His role as the protagonist Liam, a recluse with a vendetta against the world who is also trying to maintain an equilibrium within the relationship he has with his overbearing girlfriend, gained him international recognition. Variety praised Morgan’s performance, writing: “it’s hard to tell that he has very little professional acting experience when watching him portray Liam. Morgan perfectly encapsulates his character’s life of hatred and from his very first moment on screen you’re simultaneously sympathetic and agitated, wanting him to improve his situation and yet also completely understanding why he is the way he is”. He was nominated for a BAFTA for this role and was the catalyst to his career.

When the filming of Dark Skies concluded, Morgan went to work in New York City after landing an off-Broadway role in Impolite Society (1998), which ran between 15 January and 12 March. Whilst his role was small, he was popular with audiences and it gave him the confidence to continue pursuing his career on the stage. Morgan told the American Theatre Magazine: "Theatre was always the most formidable area of acting for me. Doing a play at school was immensely different to doing one on a stage in front of almost 500 people in New York City. Whilst my first show in London played to more people than Impolite Society did, it felt far more daunting this time, strangely enough, and to be performing in front of an American audience was certainly surreal and incredibly special. I'd dreamed of that as a young boy and to have that dream come true is a huge ego boost". It was following this success that Morgan permanently moved to Manhattan.

Between 1999 and 2004, Morgan played Dr Reginald 'Reggie' Keller, a paediatrician and the younger brother of Dr Carolyn Keller (Erin Hardy) in the long-running medical drama series Heartlines, filming the majority of his later episodes in blocks so he could star in other projects (namely the 2002 film Unity and the 2003 theatre production The Lights of Love). During an interview for The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, Morgan said: "this period of my career was easily the most challenging I had done up to that point. Simultaneously acting in 27 episodes of a TV show and a film whilst also preparing to take on a Broadway role wasn't the smartest decision I had ever made, but it was one that allowed me to push myself to my limits and see what I could do under such immense pressure. My hard work certainly paid off; the honour of receiving a Tony award at the end of it all came as a wonderful surprise. However, I wouldn't recommend that kind of schedule for any actor, no matter their age or prowess."

In 2006, Morgan took on his only voice role in animated adventure Nightwalker, alongside Ricky Santos and Florence Martin-May, in which he played a crow named Merrick. He stated that he “wished to have taken on more voice acting in [his] career, but it was, unfortunately, never meant to be”. Directors Julia McGregor and Imaan Bashar had bronze statues made of the animal characters to give to their respective voice actors once filming commenced and Morgan is known to keep his in the office of his hotel.

Morgan spent most of 2007 on hiatus. He spent time out from acting in London as well as in Scotland, Tuscany, Munich, and Hawaii. During his time in London, he returned to his alma mater to give talks and acting classes to drama students; he was almost persuaded into becoming an acting coach, but turned it down to the fact he didn't believe he "had enough viable experience" at the time. It was in August 2007 that Morgan began to partake in philanthropic work, which he said he wished he could have began sooner, and was introduced to the Brave Youth Theatre Charity by friend and fellow actor Cecilia Crane, of which he is still a patron.

In 2008, he took a small role in the miniseries Small Mercies, appearing in three of the five episodes, in which he played Louis Graves, the father of the main character Serena Graves (Lily Richardson-Gill). Filming took place in Seattle, Washington, between April and September, with the show airing on New Years Day 2009. A second series had been proposed, but was ultimately scrapped.

His next appearance was in A Conflict of Shadows (2009), noted internationally for being his greatest performance. Morgan portrayed Daniel Austin- a corrupt police detective working for the NYPD in 1917- who slowly loses his sanity over the course of the film. On his role, Morgan commented: "Playing Daniel was like playing several different people. Each scene he was in was slightly different in terms of his speech and body language and to maintain those distinctions consistently was tough, but he was an incredibly entertaining character to play. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to play him again if a sequel ever came into fruition." Audiences and critics raved about the film as a whole and of Morgan's performance, Edward Quartermain wrote: "he can express so much by one simple glance and it can be such a powerful gesture, especially to reflect the torment and gradual change in Daniel's internal world as he actively shuts out reality. The range that Morgan presents, from subtle finger switches to full-blown fiery rage, proves he is a formidable actor and one that will continue to both impress and surprise audiences around the world". The film eventually earned more than $1 billion worldwide and went on to win five Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Costume Design) as well as numerous other awards (see here) and several other nominations (see here).

Morgan appeared in his fourth and final stage production, Heart of Steel, in 2011, in which he played Charlie Steel: a down-on-his-luck English man in New York City whose cold heart slowly starts to melt when he inadvertently befriends a lost, yet perpetually optimistic 12 year old boy named Ben (Samuel DeWitt). He was highly praised, with critic Laura Pryce saying: “his performance is captivating and deeply moving, a real intriguing insight into how a troubled man's life is a constant battle and can be suddenly transformed into a different kind of battle with something now worth fighting for. His chemistry with DeWitt is also exceptionally joyful to watch- a real bond was formed between both characters and actors”.

In 2012, Morgan starred as the lead in the critically acclaimed miniseries Snowfall. He played Archer Ellison- the mayor of a small Alaskan town that, blanketed by the perpetual darkness of winter, is being haunted by a supernatural force that brought despair and destruction to the residents. Talking to Variety, he said: "Snowfall was one of my more interesting and fun projects, even with the harsh filming conditions when on location. From the moment I read the script I knew I had to be a part of the show. The only disappointing thing for me was that it was only six episodes!" Morgan was also a producer for the show, the opportunity coming from the fact that original producers couldn't afford the full desired funding and Morgan offered to pay the remainder out of his own pocket. "They had a crystal clear vision for what they wanted out of the story," Morgan added, "and without the extra funding the show would have had to have been filmed on a soundstage in hot Los Angeles instead of in Alaska itself. The aesthetic of the setting is paramount to Snowfall; it wouldn't have had anywhere near the kind of chilling impact on audiences if they could clearly see the snow and backdrops were fake and digitally added in. Nobody can fully immerse themselves in a story when the details aren't all there. I was passionate about the story and knew that audiences would be just as enthusiastic as the creators were, so being able to help in adding to the budget was the least I could do. It was a high honour to be starring in the show, let alone being able to produce it".

In 2013, Morgan starred in Highwire, alongside Nina Fischer, who he previously worked with in Unity. The film was almost never made, however. Writers Dashiell McCormack and Kyle Draper wanted Kathryn Liu to direct after the first director, Jeri Schulz, dropped out last minute for personal reasons, but she initially turned down the opportunity. Despite the producers pushing to begin filming, McCormack and Draper refused to go ahead without Liu. It was Morgan, who was in the final stages of negotiations to star in the film and is a close friend of Liu's, that persuaded her to direct. After almost 8 months of filming, Highwire was released on became a success, both commercially and with audiences, earning more than $130 million worldwide, making it the biggest success of Liu's career. After the success of the opening weekend, Fischer claimed that Morgan had the rejection letter that Liu sent to McCormack and Draper framed and gifted it back to her. Liu herself later confirmed this and stated that along with the letter Morgan included a handwritten note that read: 'Dear Kat, I'm glad you took a chance on yourself and the film, like you did with me in 1995. Be brave and never doubt yourself. Love, J'.

Morgan’s final film role was in the 2015 fantasy epic Tyrant, in which he played the eponymous tyrannical ruler Lord Reynard. Filming began in early 2014 and was split between Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. He has cited that the film was his ‘most taxing’ and that ‘the villains are always the most entertaining to portray and wished I had the chance to take on that role more’. Tyrant's director Simon Leyland has often been cited to be difficult to work with due to his perfectionist directing style and long shooting periods and in an interview Morgan told The Hollywood Reporter that: "Even though Simon was determined to make a perfect fantasy film- and, in my opinion, he came rather close- the filming schedule and conditions were harsh and his criticisms only made things worse. I had a few squabbles with him on set, nothing more than minor creative differences that were eventually resolved, but sometimes had to play mediator between him and some of the crew members and actors. I was surprised I wasn't fired and replaced". He then went on to add: "Despite everything, the concept of the film was fun to play along with and being an unhinged ruler of a kingdom, shouting orders and laughing maniacally, was quite cathartic. It's an experience I'll never forget and I'm glad my acting career could end on a high". Morgan's performance also earned him a Critics’ Choice Award.

▲ Personal Life

Morgan is a trained pianist and has been playing for 45 years. It was his mother's idea to enlist him for lessons and did so from the age of 7. Morgan’s skills can be seen in the films Unity, A Conflict of Shadows, and Highwire. He has also played the piano at many charity galas, mainly focusing on charities that helped children and young adults with their literacy and that encouraged them to join in with the youth theatre. He was known for playing classical pieces as well as popular songs from film and television. Despite no longer attending these events, having stopped in 2016, just after he retired, Morgan still donates to the same charities.

Morgan is also talented in close-up magic, a skill that was introduced to him by RADA classmate Marcus Creaghan, and he would later perform these tricks for interviewers at award shows and at charity galas he attended. Morgan is also a self-professed impressionist, having learned by repeatedly watching specific film scenes and mimicking tone and inflections from a young age. He is known to do uncanny impressions of actors such as Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, James Stewart, Liam Neeson, and Christopher Walken, amongst many others, having shown them off on the first season of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Graham Norton Show.

From January to July 1997, Morgan was in a relationship with actress Natalia Sinclair. Their relationship was initially private for the first two months as they began to film Dark Skies together, but soon became public after they were seen together outside of filming in Hyde Park. Although Morgan has always refused to talk about the subject, several reports were made that their time together was ‘heated, passionate at first’ but then ‘rapidly developed into something toxic’. He has also refused to comment on Sinclair's untimely death, too, only stating in an Instagram post in April 2024: “…I still respect her greatly, as a person and as an actor, and that she deserved better, both from her short life and from myself”.

After selling his home in London, he moved to an apartment in Manhattan, New York City, which he bought from an undisclosed NBL player in 1998 and stayed there until his retirement. It is a well known fact that Morgan loves parties and over the years, his apartment has been the setting of many personal social events and charity events, even hosting an array of celebrities, including Lillian Grace Bower, David Solis, and Ethel Ajibola.

In 2004, Morgan officially became an American citizen whilst also retaining his British nationality. He has stated that ‘even though I have lived in the United States longer than I have lived in London, I will always consider myself British first and foremost’.

He has never married, but dated English actress Hattie Radford-Lowell between 2001 and 2004, American actress and singer Twyla Blake between 2006 and 2010, and briefly dated American author Summer Aston during 2013. He also dated English actress Arabella Woods whilst they were both studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He remains friends with Blake and is also close friends with A Conflict of Shadows director Colton Hensley, whose youngest son Morgan is godfather to.

Just weeks after the release of Morgan's final film, Tyrant, he hosted the 87th Academy Awards where he announced his retirement from acting. The announcement was met with a mixture of high praise of a prosperous career and disappointment from both fans and critics, many noting that they had been looking forward to seeing more of Morgan in theatre productions and speculating that he would even progress onto directing. In July 2015, he moved to Aurora Bay, California, where Of Fire and Stars was partly filmed and where he bought the Seascape Hotel from a local resident. He spent almost 2 years renovating and restoring it, with the funds coming from his own pocket, before reopening it as a luxury hotel that draws in guests from all over the world. Morgan still performs acting and music often on the stage of the hotel’s lounge & bar and takes a very active role in the day-to-day running of the Seascape.

▲ Filmography

► Film

• Whirlwind (1994) as young Wilson (short film)

• Dark Skies (1997) as Liam

• Of Fire and Stars (1998) as Ashford Roy

• Unity (2002) as Dr Quentin Horrocks

• Nightwalker (2006) as Merrick (voice role)

• A Conflict of Shadows (2009) as Daniel Austin

• Highwire (2013) as Ethan Maythorn

• Tyrant (2015) as Lord Reynard

► Television

• The Outcast (1995) as Sebastian Harewood (8 episodes)

• Heartlines (1999-2004) as Dr Reginald 'Reggie' Keller (27 episodes)

• Small Mercies (2008) as Louis Graves (3 episodes)

• The Graham Norton Show (2009) as Himself/Guest

• 82nd Academy Awards (2010) as Himself/Host

• Snowfall (2012) as Archer Ellison (6 episodes) ; also producer

• The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Himself/Guest

• 87th Academy Awards (2015) as Himself/Host

► Theatre

• One More Night (1994) as Sam Woodbury (Ambassadors Theatre)

• Impolite Society (1998) as Nik (Astor Place Theatre)

• The Lights of Love (2003) as Elliott Bird (Broadway Theatre)

• Heart of Steel (2011) as Charlie Steel (Gershwin Theatre)

▲ List of Awards and Nominations received by Jasper Morgan

• British Academy Television Award for Best Actor: Sebastian Harewood in The Outcast (1995) – won

• British Academy Television Award for Best Actor: Liam in Dark Skies (1997) – nominated

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor: Dr Quentin Horrocks in Unity (2002) – nominated

• Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play: Elliott Bird in The Lights of Love (2003) – won

• Academy Award for Best Actor: Daniel Austin in A Conflict of Shadows (2009) – won

• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Daniel Austin in A Conflict of Shadows (2009) – won

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor: Archer Ellison in Snowfall (2012) – nominated

• Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play: Charlie Steel in Heart of Steel (2011) – nominated

• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Ethan Maythorn in Highwire (2013) – nominated

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor: Lord Reynard in Tyrant (2015) – won

[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58246678 by cousinskooks “Sam, report,” Tony demanded, his voice tight with worry. A pause, a beat too long, made Tony feel like shrapnel was trying to enter his heart again. “Well, he’s… fine, Tony. But, uh, depends on what you think ‘fine’ is. You might wanna come see this, Tony.” Tony was practically there by that point, the ground beneath him blurring. “He’s so much smaller. Tony, he’s a child.” A child?   OR . . . An unfortunate complication during a mission Peter's not even supposed to be on changes everything for Peter, Pepper, and Tony. The adults end up with a crash course in caring for a child. Words: 17153, Chapters: 7/7, Language: English Series: Part 8 of The Making of Irondad and Spiderson Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Clint Barton, Friday (Marvel), Aunt May Parker (Marvel) Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts Additional Tags: Child Peter Parker, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Precious Peter Parker, Peter Parker Calls Tony Stark "Dad", Peter Parker Calls Pepper Potts "Mom", Peter Parker Meets the Avengers read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/58246678

[fantasyandromancelover]

Angel x Vaggie reminds me of Tony x Angela.

So for those of you who didn’t have parents that constantly had shows from the 80’s and 90’s playing twenty-four seven, Who’s the Boss is a sitcom about a serious, independent business woman and single mom who hires a laid-back, Italian single father to be her house keeper. And of course their relationship is complicated, unreseolved sexual tension, opposites attract, unable to admit they’re in love with each other.

So naturally they reminded me of the Angel and Vaggie ship. It’s a laid-back, Italian male in touch with his feminine side and an independent, serious, strong female.

[serial-serializednovelreader]

okay for the character ask game I couldn’t decide on characters or numbers, so I just threw some random characters and numbers together, and you can decide which apply the most to what character. Whatever you like!

SQ, Jeffers, Garrison, Nicholas, Kate, and Rhonda

1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20

What do you like or dislike about this character?

SQ - in the show, I like his introspection and that they fleshed him out to not just be Curtain's adopted son who loves art and is under his control (in both a good and bad way). My only issue is that he's not in season 2, we were robbed!! As for the books, I like that what starts out as comic relief ends up being a horrifying realization that this poor teenager is brainswept so much that he can't remember what he's saying. What I dislike is that we never get to see him grow beyond that. Yes, we see him choose kindness (which is great btw) over Curtain, but I wish we had actually gotten to see him in Riddle of Ages besides a quick mention.

Jeffers - I love that he gets to be goofy. Sure the Ten Men in the books were scary, but they let him just be whacky! And why not? I love characters that get to goof around and be silly, especially if they're not supposed to. Plus, you can tell the actor playing him is having a blast and that's how you know a character is well-done. I just wish he had been in season 1, but I'm glad you put him in S.O.S. so I can enjoy him there, Bods!

Garrison - I like that this character exists, first of all. I know book Curtain is the type to want to keep the science secrets to himself, but show Curtain needs a science person to delegate Whisperer stuff to. After all, when would he have time to do this?

(did I want an excuse to put this GIF in again? Yes, yes I did. It was too funny to resist.)

But seriously, I also love that while she does bend to Curtain, she does try to stand up to him in her own way. There's a complicated dynamic there (made more complicated by reading @nobodysdaydreams S.O.S. AU fanfic, which you should read if you haven't yet because OH BOY does it change things about Garrison for you) and it's so interesting to analyze. Also, she's just a little bit quirky and I love her for that.

Nicholas - in the show, I love that they gave him issues!!!! They made him anxious and the way Tony Hale makes his posture more stooped is *chef's kiss* lovely. His "excuse me - *cut to loud screaming montage*" is TOO RELATABLE. I think they were so right for that. Also, making him more directly responsible for Curtain's downfall was a great choice (though I don't actually blame him because he was a literal child it wasn't his fault; if anything, I blame the adoptive parents for separating twins and just not coming back for the other that's so messed up??? Who does that?????). The only thing I dislike was that they basically cut down his narcoleptic attacks to nearly nothing by the second season, almost like they didn't exist. Like, y'all, come on, don't do that!

As for the books, I love his wisdom, compassion and how he always makes time for the children. He always seems to know what they're thinking and is able to encourage them in their darkest hour. Although, I have a love/hate relationship with how they cured his narcolepsy in TPD because on one hand, I hate the "curing disability narrative", but on the other he actively hated it and wanted it gone (plus he had to suppress his emotions so much because of it) that I can't really blame him for wanting it gone...hard to know how to feel on that one!

Kate - KATE MY BELOVED!!! Again, I love everything about her. For show Kate, I love how fast-paced she is. It always makes me laugh when she says something like, "Tower. Scale it. Now!!!" It's so funny to me. Emmy did an amazing job bringing that aspect to life. Show Kate is also rougher around the edges -- I don't hate it because it's more realistic...it's just sad. :(

As for book Kate, I like that she brute forces her way to solutions. Oh she doesn't understand this maze? Guess she's running through the vents. I always admired her agility (and wished I could be that cool!!). I also like that she had to grapple with the dark urge of violence because it makes sense, she's the muscle of the team, why shouldn't she end the bad guys once and for all? A dark theme, sure, but I'm glad TLS didn't hold back on it.

Rhonda - Show Rhonda is so cool because she's so good at mediating within the group and I love that she also tries to fight in her own way against Curtain outside of their work with the society. We love to see some small acts of activism!!! No notes, amazing character.

For book Rhonda, I love how caring she is. She just always finds a way to show the group in big and small ways that she cares about them. I feel like if anyone is neurotypical in that group, it's her, and for once I mean that in a good way (let's be real, someone probably needs to be to remember things and help with social cues) /j. I wish we got to see more of her!

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Nicholas - in the books, that he learned ASL for Violet in his prequel book! I took 3 ASL classes and while it shouldn't be a big deal for a hearing person to learn sign language for a Deaf person, many times they won't. I love that he automatically accommodated her needs, rather than trying to make her accommodate him. As for the show, the screaming scene comes to mind, but I like that he reads aloud to his friends, I think it's sweet :)

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Garrison - Giants by Imagine Dragons

Soooo again I had to manually pick this song since I don't really think of MBS characters + music together (which is weird of my brain to do, but whatever!). The reason I picked this song is because it's about addiction and someone reflecting on what they've become because of it. I think it especially applies to your S.O.S headcanon of Garrison and how she is in season 2. Wish I had a happier answer. :(

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Jeffers - that y'all gaslit me into thinking his name was Jeepers (s/o to @mvshortcut for reassuring me I was right) and that we have Secure the Perimeter Saturday. I think it's beautiful. 😍 ❤️

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Rhonda - I haven't seen anything I truly despise, but it definitely irks me when she gets forgotten (or whitewashed, I was worried the show was going to do that). She's such an interesting character and deserves to be included as much as possible!!!!!! Again, it's nothing I've actually seen, but if I had to pick.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Rhonda - yes, I think so! She'd get the worst end of the bargain dealing with my eccentricities, but I honestly think we could make it work. I'd do my best to try to make things easier for her living with me lol.

13. What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

Kate - 🪣 ...sorry, I had to!

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Kate x Reynie - Sorry not sorry, I've always been a Kaynie girlie!!!! I enjoy that TMBS didn't dive into romance at all because it's good to get a break from that. Unfortunately, I'm a hopeless romantic and, at least in the books, I saw potential for something to grow when they got older (like when Reynie gets electrocuted by Curtain in TPD and Kate holds his hand while crying...that scene BROKE ME 😭 😭 😭 ).

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

Garrison x Curtain - idk if anyone actually ships this (I haven't seen it, I'm just adding it to the mix for consideration), but the thought of this makes me want to barf. Just....nah.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Nicholas - I've always admired his relationship with Milligan. If you're able to gain the loyalty and friendship of someone who's lost all of their memories, you're doing something right. :) I know Nicholas is always going to feel responsible for Curtain's misdeeds, and by extension, Milligan's memory loss (in both the books and show since Curtain is his brother and Nicholas is too much of an empath to not feel some kind of guilt), but I truly admire how he treats Milligan as someone to be taken seriously and who he wants to help.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Jeffers - I don't know if this crossover is allowed, but can you imagine if Moocho Brazos and Jeffers became friends outside of Curtain's influence? I don't know, I just feel like they would be besties and potentially great together in a fight. Moocho would totally break out some cool helicopter fighting moves and Jeffers would do...something?

I hope you enjoy these answers. This was super fun, Bods!!

[larcenywrites]

hcs for tony wanting to ask you to marry him ❤️❤️ fem!reader

aaah yes 🥹 This one also became a little more than something so simple 💛

To Have You Forever

Warnings: nothing really except she/her pronouns and like one mild sexual reference

He never really found value in marriage. It was just something religious people did, or for people that seem to think a pretty piece of metal and a kiss somehow made a relationship more important. He gets you tons of pretty metals! Hell, he has one in his chest and flies around in it! He kisses you every day- he’s done it in 16 different countries! If that was all it took, then no wonder you were so smitten with him. Besides, he was far to busy for lawyers, and paperwork, and planning, and surely you didn't want to deal with all of that either, right? You seemed just as happy and relaxed that all of that wasn't taking up your time.

Every Christmas he raises an eyebrow at all those silly ads, one after another. You look at him just like that, and he's never proposed! And every Valentine's Day he has to politely decline his usual jeweler when he tries to direct him to that certain case. And sometimes when he sees that old wedding picture of his parents sitting on the bookcase in the living room, he can practically hear his mom pushing him. And the longer he looks, the more he wishes she were around to do just that. To maybe even help him understand.

Is it a reassurance? Sure, he used to think you'd eventually leave him- and he wouldn't even blame you if you did. But he knows better now. He knows as a fact you're with him until the end, and he doesn't need a paper with a ring when your voice wakes him up in the morning and your hand flies to his arm when you get startled.

Symbolic? Well, sure. Isn't that the whole point? Just a more tangible form of love, or whatever. But he doesn't need that either. Not when you hide silly little love letters in the form of sticky notes in his suitcase, and let him put on which necklace he thinks you should wear tonight because he's bought you far too many for you to decide, and that's all you'll be wearing for him later...

Surely not just for the legal benefits, right? What more could make your life any easier? Honestly, it might make things more complicated! Besides, you aren't here to make sure you can get all or half of everything he owns because you kind of already have that. Next!

He sighs. What else is there? Fun? To play dress up? That's like every other weekend. Couldn't be commitment. You already have that! How could there be more? You know he’s with you 100%, and god, if there is one, knows that you definitely prove it every day. But that's what finally sticks out to him. No, not the meaning of the word commitment, but your commitment. You’ve stuck around through a lot, huh? He wasn’t always the best during all of it, and yet here you were. Always there to hold him steady after a nightmare, always there to patch him up when he got home. You were still there even when he basically ignored you for days on end and still there even when he was being difficult for no reason. Even when the fridge was full of leftovers and even when he promised to be home days ago.

And for what? To be left alone when you needed him most? To be snapped at when he was in the middle of programming something that he's already fucked up three times and you've accidentally just made it four? To have something to new to worry about just about every week, or for him to start an argument over it even though he knows you're coming from a good place?

For him to be answering all these questions for you?

He's never asked you if you know he loves you, or if you feel like he could show it better than with expensive things and those occasional three words. He's never asked you if those Christmas ads seem just as cheesy to you. He's never asked you if ever wanted marriage. He's never asked you if you wanted kids. So not only have you stuck around through all of his bullshit, but he's never even asked you the important stuff that usually comes with a relationship. And you're still here, with I love you's and soft smiles, with warm baths and kisses. So devoted to a lost cause like him.

What does he even call you? Everyone just sort of knows who you are.

The more he's thinking down this path, the worse he feels. You do everything right to make him feel like he's at home forever, and he-

Suddenly, when he looks over at you sleeping next to him, like you always do, something finally clicks. Something he can’t quite explain but somehow it makes sense. Forever. A dreaded word in many contexts, but he's been living with it for... what feels like forever now. And the thought excites him. Because while you change out those necklaces every time, sometimes don’t even wear one at all, that ring would always be a part of your outfit. He’ll get to call you his forever every time he introduces you as his wife, and he’ll get to be your forever, too. He’ll get to read from a creased little list all the forevers he’s always been to shy to say out loud, but somehow he feels giddy about it knowing that you’ll be just as shy to tell him what he already knows. No matter what happens he won’t -he can’t- leave you behind, and you won’t leave him. And if… he does have to leave you behind, no one can take anything away from you.

He doesn’t know if he deserves it, but you seem to think he does. Why else would you have loved him for this long? You definitely deserve it. To know your love wasn’t wasted, and to know it will always be cherished. To be promised that. He can promise you all of this. Everything!

His too logical brain fights back as always. You already know it’s forever! You’ll still wake up by his side in five years just as you did yesterday. Nothing really changes but your last name. For once, though, his heart wins. He wants to see you walk towards him in one of those long white dresses, to giggle with him in some honeymoon suite on the other side of the world. To have a new reason to keep leaving him notes, and have something more meaningful to anxiously thumb at when he hasn’t called you back.

It’s funny. He never really thought about it, but suddenly (Y/N) Stark has a nice ring to it. He was the only Stark for so long so… well, maybe you wouldn’t mind helping him make more.

Now that his emotions are all over the place, he can’t go back to sleep. He’s planning it all out now! Right when that clock hits 10am he’s on the hunt at his usual haunt, his usual jeweler excited to show off the most popular engagement rings-

Most popular? That just means everyone has one. Your love is far too unique for that. But he can see why the least popular is what it is. Custom? That sounds romantic! Actually it seems harder with all these cuts, and stones, and bands… he’s no jeweler! How should he know? This is going to be harder than he thought.

He’s looking everywhere. Online, LA, New York, Paris. Nothing feels right, but you’d probably take anything, honestly, but he doesn’t want just anything for you, he wants perfect! If you comment on the way something looks while you’re out, he’s taking careful note of what sort of designs you like, but it seems all over the place, or there’s not anything that matches quite right. Maybe he could just take you to go look but that defeats the purpose in a way.

It’s not until he’s in a half destroyed little local shop in Austria- not even sure what town he’s in or if it’s even Austria. It’s not flashy, or big, or particularly stunning in terms of diamond engagement rings, but something about it keeps drawing his eyes back to it. Something about that diamond’s teardrop shape, how that braided band nestled around it so delicately. Or maybe his brain just subconsciously bound to it when it landed in front of his face after getting thrown into the now shattered display case. Shinily sitting at the tip of his nose and surprisingly unbroken. He couldn’t have come up with a better metaphor if he tried!

Either way, he’s taking it home with him, only a little bloody but you won’t have to know that after a quick wash in the hotel room. He’s done it! He found the one! He can’t wait to show you, to tell you! It’s a random Thursday at 3pm and he probably looks like shit, but he’s busting through the door like it’s Christmas Day. You deserve better than his spontaneity, a pretty plan on your anniversary or a gift with a nice bow. But you’re his pretty plan, his future, a gift he’s about to put a bow on.

“Tony?!” You yelp when he picks you up in the middle of the kitchen, tightly wrapped around him when spins you around. He seats you on the marble countertop, uncontrollably smiling. You smile with him, confused but always happy to be along for his antics.

“Be my forever, (Y/N),” he proclaims, taking your hand.

“What?” You ask him with a small laugh, still confused but accepting the kiss he suddenly plants on your lips anyway.

“I know I’m bad at keeping promises,” he starts, pulling away. Your daze is finally broken when you feel something slipping around your finger. You can’t decide where to look, your grip on his shirt quivering. He can get used to the feeling of the cold metal touching his neck when your hand wraps around him. You’re already nodding into his chest before he even got the chance to finish.

“But would you let me keep this one?”

[tjsgreenteamints]

so fun fact for my public speaking class this year I had to give a speech on something I'm passionate about and why it's important to my entire class so I did mine on falsettos (slideshow attached)

"When most people think of a musical, they think of big jazz hands and kicklines and cheesy plots. What they are unaware of is how a musical can be much more than that. While big dance numbers are entertaining, music can be used to convey deep emotions and stories that just can’t be translated through regular words. Because of this, Falsettos is one of the most important musicals of our decade. It touched on topics most people in its time wouldn’t even talk about, let alone make a musical on. William Finn and James Lapine, its writers, were able to remind us that families can be much more complicated and deep than a husband, wife, and 2.5 kids. A lot of people don’t live inside that norm, yet it’s the primary one that is represented. Then you get a show like this, which explores conceited parents, difficult love stories, coming to terms with things that are hard, and coming of age. All of these are relatable topics. In this speech, we’ll get into the history, the characters, and the representation in Falsettos. “Love can tell a million stories.” This is the main idea of the show. Because there really are countless different ways a family can be. The show has some trigger warnings: AIDS, death, abuse, somewhat sexual scenes, and cursing. Also, spoilers ahead!

First, we’ll get into the history. The creation of Falsettos is rather unique compared to other musicals. It was originally a trilogy of three one-act, off-broadway musicals, all created by William Finn. All the shows take place in New York City, in the late 70s to early 80s. They center around Marvin, and him exploring his sexual identity. This is mostly what In Trousers (1978) focuses on, and how the women in his life helped him accept that. It was critically acclaimed as a flop, largely based on the topic it portrayed in its era. In the second installment, March of the Falsettos (1981), Marvin’s partner Whizzer gets more involved, and this act focuses on how their relationship affects Marvin’s ex-wife Trina and child Jason. Finally, in Falsettoland (1990), the dynamics of the family are shown much more, especially with Trina and Marvin planning Jason’s bar mitzvah. In 1992, the last two one-acts were combined into one full length show, simply titled Falsettos. (This was nominated for seven Tony awards that year!) The show had a broadway revival in 2016, which spread its popularity (and also what I’ll be referencing here). Also, the history behind the name of the musical is fascinating as well; According to a 2019 interview with SFist, Finn says he was “inspired by the idea of the falsetto — a man singing in his head voice outside his range — as a metaphor for people who exist ‘outside the normal range.’”

Next, the characters. Almost every character is a primary one, but the main character is arguably Marvin. He’s a possessive and insensitive man. He left his wife and child after realizing he wants to be with a man named Whizzer. He’s not exactly a good father and wasn’t a loving husband, but over the course of the play, his character development is prevalent and interesting to watch. Second, Whizzer is Marvin’s live-in boyfriend. According to Marvin, Whizzer is “delightful, stylish, and romantic,” but also “spiteful, sorta-kinda mean, and evil.” Marvin and Whizzer’s relationship is pretty toxic, but improves. Alternatively, there’s also Trina, Marvin’s ex-wife. She’s often described as insecure. A lot of her conflict is her coming to terms with Marvin and Whizzer’s relationship. Trina and Marvin’s son, Jason, is 10 years old, and thinks he is “too smart for his own good, and too good for his sorry little life.” Friendless, he plays chess all day, and has anger management problems. Finally, there is Mendel, the family psychiatrist. He was Marvin’s long-term therapist, but after Marvin insists Trina sees him too, Mendel immediately falls in love with her. Mendel honestly is kind of manipulative, but also a fun character to watch onstage. There’s also Charlotte and Cordelia, the “lesbians from next door.” They’re close family friends, and godparents to Jason. A large part of it is showing how real people behave, including the good and the ugly.

Now into how they’re all important as representation. The main theme is the various family dynamics and relationships- most of us can see aspects of our own families within the characters and plot. For example, in my own family my parents divorced then found new partners or remarried later and I have good friendships with them. First, there are three different types of gendered relationships as shown: a straight relationship, a gay relationship, and a lesbian relationship. Oftentimes in the media, the only kinds of relationships that are shown are straight ones. And for them to all be parents in some sort of way to Jason is even more important- it’s showing queer parents can be good ones too, which is a misconception many people hold (this is, that lgbtq+ parents are inadequate). Second, Falsettos touches on the AIDS crisis, which Whizzer contracts and later dies from. During the ‘80s it was a very big problem but now next to no one talks about it. How it’s portrayed in the show represents how it affected real families and people. Third, Jewish households. This year we all were able to read Night, which showed what Jewish people went through during the holocaust, but not what regular cultural home life is like. One of the main plot points is about Jason’s bar mitzvah, and how he’s not sure if he wants one or not. Jewish expectations and customs are brought up throughout the whole show.

To conclude, Falsettos is a fantastic installment to musical theater. It has original history, complex characters, and overall is an amazing testament to different types of American families. Not only that, its music and book are award winning, according to Broadwayworld.com. And this speech is really only the tip of the iceberg–there’s much, much more to it. Falsettos is definitely the musical you’ve been looking for!"

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 34: An Unpleasant Harvestfest Surprise

Not long after Cullen, Denton and Tess headed out to their various Harvestfest destinations, Luigi and Hunter’s family arrived on the scene.

It was quite the full house. Besides both sets of parents and Luigi’s newly adopted brother they had been told to expect great aunt Kiana and her wife to join them for dinner. To Luigi’s shock his distant in-law had quite the familiar face!

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

When he saw Noemi walk through the door Luigi’s mind raced. Was this some elaborate prank? Had she known he was related to her elderly spouse?

He forced himself to stand where he was and remain calm as everyone shuffled in. Noemi smiled, holding out her hand for Luigi to shake. He did his best to greet his secret paramour nonchalantly, finally escaping the awkward situation with the excuse of pouring everyone a drink, while Hunter dodged his folk’s questions about the semester by hightailing it into the kitchen to help Uncle Peachy prepare the Grand Harvestfest feast.

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Once Kiana was settled with Valentina, Toni, and a glass of wine Noemi asked Luigi to “show her around the place”. Grateful for the excuse to get away and talk about what was going on in private Luigi agreed eagerly, leading her up the stairs on the pretense of taking her to “The Magic Room”.

As soon as they were safely out of sight Noemi burst out with an apology. Kiana rarely talked about her oldest sister Gabby’s relatives. She’d never suspected he might belong to that branch of her family until they’d arrived in front of his all to familiar townhouse.

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

Luigi believed her, but he still felt intensely disturbed by the revelation. He had no idea where to go from here, where was the hallmark card for this!?

It didn’t take long for the pair to conclude that as much as they cared for one another things were entirely too complicated now. Luigi didn’t want to be the sim that stole his great aunts’ wife, and the socially awkward Noemi couldn’t imagine ever being completely comfortable with them after it all came out. With heavy hearts the pair agreed to end their romantic relationship, seeing each other only as friends and, apparently, at family events.

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View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[mod2amaryllis]

just gonna sliiide into your inbox to be like. got any complicated relationship with motherhood recs?? cause I'm👀

👁️👁️ b i s c i a.

the first rec is always for all time The Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin

talk about books that changed my brain chemistry and boosted my writing, especially the fifth season, which pulls a narrative trick with its 3 main character perspectives that still has me reeling and makes me resent the fact that not every protagonist is an exhausted middle aged mother who's haunted by choices and horrors of her own making!!

The Devourers by Indra Das

a take on werewolves that's at times genuinely sickening to read, esp for my body-horror-scawy ass. lot of upsetting themes fyi, like. all the themes. are upsetting. but i was left feeling like I'd just gotten the world's most dire hug. also trans allegory out the wazoo.

i feel like this one is really obligatory like yeah no shit Beloved by Toni Morrison but still: Beloved by Toni Morrison

I've never felt smart enough for this book but i think about it constantly, not just because the contents are so traumatic but the way it's written..... even now i feel like such a dunce trying to say anything about it but it's like. it broke rules in my brain about how books are supposed to be structured and understood. there's a chapter that ends in a stream of thought that's borderline incomprehensible and it's in my head forever.

ok little different now and largely positive mushy gushy mom stuff, but a lot of Brandi Carlile's songs, especially The Mother:

and her whole In These Silent Days album. particularly it's celebrating lesbian motherhood. Mama Werewolf is awesome and introduces that complication that makes me ravenous, but my favorite is her love song to her wife, You And Me On The Rock

there's a song exploder podcast episode about it. she talks about how it's an homage to her good friend Joni Mitchell, how it's about this very feminine love she shares with her wife and daughter (and now also her son) and how she spent some of her youth grappling with that femininity.

speaking of song exploder!!!!!! the episode for Song For Our Daughter by Laura Marling

Laura Marling and her partner don't have children. this song is a hypothetical about the trauma of being a girl and having your boundaries crossed when you're young. but what absolutely destroys me is that there's a string section, which was written by a violinist to whom she gave creative liberty, and in his strings he says, "i wrote this to be the character of The Daughter, so she's here in the song soaring over everything" and it just. hearing the context and then listening to the song........i show this episode to anyone who's stuck in a car with me 25 minutes.

on the subject of music, of course there's Florence + The Machine's 2022 album Dance Fever, particularly King

like hell yeah let's get primal with it

and ok this is gonna clock my grew up as a theatre kid ass but still, to this day, Next To Normal.

listening to this show as a teenager who was just starting to hate my (wonderful awesome love her) mom was like......hoooooo. it blew open the my-parents-are-human empathy. idc about like whether or not this musical lives up to the insane hype it got in the late 2000s it just meant a lot to me personally.

also there's movies i guess! but if you're not already on the Everything Everywhere All At Once train idk what we're doing

then my oldest mom-centric media of all, so old that I'm not even sure how well it holds up to my current person sensibilities, Fruits Basket

the way her death is the inciting incident for everything that happens after, and how she's a ghost that haunts the rest of the story, at times a protective spirit and at other times a traumatic poltergeist, is like. i thought i was a 13yo reading a magical high school romance what's happening to me.

then of course the current rec, Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Lockwood is a poet and this is her memoir about growing up with a Catholic priest for a dad, something that in itself seems contradictory. it's phenomenal. i can't believe someone exists who's this good at writing. her relationship with her mother is hilariously, tenderly depicted and it's questioning and resentful and loving and there's a chapter about them called the cum queens of the hyatt palace and it's the funniest thing I've ever read

oops too many words

motherhood in media borders on fixation for me lol i don't always seek it out but when it's there I'm like AAAAAAAAH, AAAAAAAH AAAAAAAAAAAAH AAAAAH IS ANYONE ELSE SEEING THIS GRAAAAAHHHH!!!!

........oh and undertale. how could i forget Undertale.

[simyanzce]

fathaaaa’s day 🫃🏾🏌🏾

It’s Father’s Day in my game so you know what that means— it’s time to meet the men of the Sheridann Save!

Ronnie Sheridann (60) 👨🏽‍⚕️

Husband to Toni— Father to Camille, Angel, and Naomi.

The true definition of a girl dad! Ronnie is the patriarch of the family with high hopes and aspirations for all of his descendants, especially his beautiful daughters. He’s a general surgeon at Willow Creek Hospital, where he’s been working for nearly 25 years! Ronnie’s old school approach to parenting and strict nature can sometimes lead to friction within the family, but he always means well. A proper gentleman, Ronnie spends his free time romancing his wife of over 40 years, restoring vintage cars, and being the best granddaddy a kid could ask for. 💙

Trevor Richmond (34) ⛹🏽

Husband to Angel- Father to Indigo, Ivy, and Isaiah.

Trevor is a gentle giant that hails from Simaica, a little Caribbean island off the coast of Sulani! Cool and reserved, Trevor is a man of very few words and typically lets his passions and creativity speak for him. In the daytime you can find him tattooing away at his own shop, Eclipse Ink! At night you can find him on total dad duty— cooking dinner for the family, helping with homework, and if there’s enough time left before bedtime, playing dollhouse with his favorite munchkins. 🤎

Corey Bron (36) 🧗🏽

Husband to Camille— Father to Cobe, Camrynn, and Carter.

Corey is an active father in more ways than one! As an adrenaline junkie and self proclaimed outdoor aficionado, Corey spends all the time he can teaching his kids the importance of having fun and being resourceful. Whether it’s catching fresh fish for the family barbecue, camping in granite falls, or skiing in the mountains, if it’s a challenge, he’s there. A true man of his passions, he supports his family as a professional soccer player and loves to practice game moves with his mini me’s on the weekends. 🩶

Jayceon Stevens (29) 🎼

Ex-boyfriend of Naomi— Father to Daquan, Amaya, and Rza.

If you looked up the definition of complicated relationships in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Jayceon staring back at you. The mothers of his children can attest to his character— funny, smart, and wildly immature. A father from a very young age, Jayceon still hasn’t quite grasped what it means to be responsible. As his music career as a producer and songwriter is steadily inching its way to viability, his ideas of grandeur sometimes come at the cost of spending time with his three adorable kids (or being the co-parent that he wants to be). With much encouragement from the men in his life, Jayceon has been making an effort to spend more quality time with his children, and vows that he will continue to step up to the plate. 🖤

[nya-in-the-multiverse]

people that i’m most excited to meet in each dr:

(take this as a motivational exercise & feel free to do your own version)

starting off strong-

the originals - Kol Mikaelson (twin brother)

i’m not even kidding when i tell you this man got me trough the worst times of my life- in theory i had the originals dr years before discovering shifting as a concept. the connection I feel with him is just different level and I can’t wait to finally see him in person, giving him the biggest hug. even in my dr we are the closest so I just can not wait to spend time with him <3 (we’ll annoy the shit out of everyone around)

mcu - Tony Stark (uncle, father figure)

i’m a basic bitch, ofc i have seen Tony as my father figure from the moment I got into marvel- all jokes aside, his d*ath in EG completely crushed me and I cried so damn much multiple times bc of it. i can not wait to see him alive and thrivin. i know he will probably annoy the hell out of me eventually but i’ll do the same, that’s how we bond <3

Bucky Barnes (close friend, it’s complicated- )

adding two people for mcu because this is my exercise, i can do whatever

another person in who I found indescribable comfort. i can’t even imagine our first interaction, i’ll probably be intimidated af. (just imagining him towering over me makes me giggle and kick my feet in the air) we’re friends in my dr so far because i don’t wanna do relationships right off the bat. but i’m just so excited for our night rides around city on his motorcycle.

stranger things - El Hopper (younger sister)

my sweet precious girl. I can not wait to spend time with her. I always wanted a sister but before her i don’t think i ever scripted one. I’m meeting her right after I wake up, since we live in cabin together and I’m so excited. might sneak her into mall cinema sometimes, she deserves some fun.

grishaverse - Genya Safin

my love, my light, the reason my heart keeps beating- i love her so much. I haven’t really been focused on this dr for a while but I still am undeniably head over heels for this woman. we’re not “together” yet, but we have so much tension it must be quite obvious even to Ivan. i will never let her get hurt by anyone (Aleksander I’m looking at you- ) my girl will be safe and sound, I promise.

[i got a channeled letter from her once, which i think is the reason why i’m so damn in love with her it’s embarrassing]

fame - RDJ

i could go on and on about my fame dr. i’m so excited to see the people who are behind my favorite characters, also i can’t wait to be a part of those projects. but if i have to choose one person, it’s gonna be Robert ‘cause he’s such a big inspiration for me in general <3 i started out pretty young with big projects and my parents weren’t around just moved away they are not dead so he became sort of my mentor (i could give a backstory for my fame dr is anyone is interested lol).