#also I adore his dynamic with karlie

[teddybearty]

Demon + Baby ✨

[writer-monster]

11 reasons why cap 4 should reintroduce Bucky Barnes as the love interest, an essay

to start this off, i am not writing this essay from a shipping place nor do i believe that this would have any influence at all over the upcoming movie. i expect nothing. this is simply something that i would personally like to see. (of course no hate to anybody who thinks differently)

here are 11 reasons why i think making Bucky into Sam Wilson's love interest in Cap 4 would be a good move for Disney.

-

1. on the Chinese film market - and why it's an irrelevant argument against the inclusion of homosexual themes in Cap 4

the Chinese film market is something that has been blamed for a lack of diversity in Hollywood films a lot lately. many people claim that this market with a lot of buying power has been responsible for the lack of gay and black representation in particular within Hollywood films.

and we have certainly seen Hollywood treating it as such, going so far as to cut gay scenes from movies for their Chinese releases, and vastly minimising John Boyega's (a black actor's) presence in the Chinese poster of Star Wars The Force Awakens.

[image ID: on the left is an image of the American poster for Star Wars The Force Awakens, featuring John Boyega prominently on the right-hand side. And on the right is the Chinese poster for the same movie, in which John Boyega is barely visible.]

so we know at the very least that Disney believes this through their own actions and efforts to self-censor for the different markets.

but Captain America 4 is a black-led movie, don't you forget. and Disney can't minimise Sam Wilson/Anthony Mackie in the movie or the poster because it's his movie and his poster. and no amount of creativity in the editing room can change that (thank God!).

so if by their own argument the film is already going to be either banned, panned or slammed in China... then what do they have to fear from making it a gay movie too?

-

2. oh, the queerbaiting

queerbaiting is an unusual cultural idea. and sometimes i find myself thinking that the term is far too easily used, but then all of a sudden i will stumble upon a movie or show that is so quintessentially cruel and overt in it's... well... queerbaiting that i will start to wonder what the hell kind of a bizarre relationship all these straight people seem to have with their friends. take Troy and Abed from Community or John and Sherlock from Sherlock as the perfect examples of this. (in which my reaction to the show's creators saying the show wasn't gay was to ask so then why did you make it so gay?!)

i felt that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in tfatws were getting quite close to this level of queerbaiting.

there was the field scene, the couple's counselling scene, the boat scene, the couple's counselling scene, Bucky going with Sam to face Karli when she told Sam to come alone, the couple's counselling scene, ALL the staring scenes, Sam checking out Bucky's ass here as they said goodbye, the "i would move in with him but" hidden scene, "Uncle Bucky" showing up at the cookout scene, the romantic walking off together into the sunset together ending scene, and the couple's counselling scene. did i forget anything? but i mean seriously, the couple's counselling scene!!! that thing they did with their legs and their crotches while staring deep into each other's eyes, would any straight guy willingly do that? do straight guys crotch-snuggle now?

[image ID: an image of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes during the therapy scene with the quote, "Isn't anybody going to drag me into impromptu couple's therapy and slot my legs firmly between theirs before staring deeply into my eyes?"]

(yeah i stole this image from a buzzfeed article on the fan reactions to the couple's therapy scene. but given that they stole 80% of the content of that article from fandom tumblr, i think it's pretty even-steven.)

there's also the fact that people started talking about bisexual Bucky Barnes a lot after the tiger pictures line, and the lead writer Malcom Spellman responded to the talk of Bucky's bisexuality with "just keep watching". well we watched, Malcolm. but it's beginning to feel like you were just jerking us around.

-

3. the writing

seriously though, what else is Bucky Barnes doing right now in the MCU? his only remaining connection to anything going on right now is through Sam. there is literally nothing else established that's left for him to do that doesn't involve Sam. he moved to Louisiana to be closer to Sam (canonically), he hangs out with Sam's family (canonically), and Steve is presumably gone and is definitely not coming back for more adventures.

he has no villains or loose ends left. he has no other superheroes that he appears to be in contact with. he has no girlfriend or potential love interest, or even other friends or family. he is living in a tent that he has secretly set up in Sam's backyard and is mysteriously appearing from the bushes when it's time for dinner like a stray cat.

in my opinion there is no other meaningful and pre-established progression for Bucky's character that wouldn't just feel cheap.

plus, i don't think the general audience would be all that surprised if they kissed. i think a LOT of people picked up on all that tension. i think a lot of straight people picked up on all that tension too.

-

4. the chemistry between the actors & the chemistry between the characters

the original pitch for tfatws was essentially just this, it was the chemistry between Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie and their respective MCU characters of Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.

now obviously Anthony and Sebastian are simply friends, and i wouldn't mean to imply anything more. but they are also not their characters.

Sam and Bucky's scenes together before tfatws were both limited and short, and yet audiences still fell in love with the dynamic between the two characters.

in interviews, these two actors are constantly slipping into character and flirting with each other and frankly it's adorable. plus it's really entertaining. i'd love to see that dynamic, unfiltered, in a movie.

because believe it or not the flirting is actually even more open in their interviews than it was in tfatws. and i'm leaving some links as proof.

this here is known as the "married" compilation

and here's a "lucky dip" selection of interviews - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

and here's Anthony trying to get Seb to take his jacket off.

i'm just saying, why not let their chemistry shine? these two are so talented and so entertaining, especially when you put them in a room together. and can you imagine how absolutely hilarious and brilliant it would be to watch them navigate being a couple?

(and for those who bring up the "friends would be uncomfortable pretending to be dating" argument, i'm not here asking for a sex scene or anything. i don't think anyone would expect them to show any more intimacy (physical or emotional) while playing a couple than what they've already shown together in say... tfatws or in their own interviews. not that i actually expect anything regardless.)

-

5. if they were a man and a woman they would've gotten together in tfatws

i have no more to add here. just that... yeah, they would've.

-

6. and i'm not talking about the comics here, i'm talking about the MCU.

i understand fully that none of what i'm saying here falls in line with these characters from the comics. but the mcu itself doesn't fall much in line with the comics either, and these two characters especially are very different from their comics counterparts.

i'm not asking for these two to get together in the comics. tbh i don't think that it would work.

but the mcu Sam and Bucky are different and closer than their comics counterparts. they've got different histories, different backstories, and a very different dynamic. please rest assured that i am only talking about them in the mcu.

-

7. Bucky Barnes is believably bisexual. and Sam Wilson has never been proven to be straight in the mcu, nor has he had a love interest.

(now please continue to keep in mind that these points only stand for the mcu versions of Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson, and not at all for their comics counterparts.)

Sam Wilson has never had a love interest, which is crazy because have you seen that man! he has had two blink and you'll miss it moments of verbal expression of attraction to women, both in TWS. and that's the extent of it, through his entire history in the mcu.

Bucky Barnes has had a number of surface-level female love interests, but none of them even came close to the level of connection and chemistry that Bucky shares with Sam.

and i'm sorry SarahBucky fans, but i just don't think there's very much to their relationship either. i love Sarah, i really do. but it's Sam who shares all the meaningful moments and history and chemistry with Bucky. and i don't see what making her into a love interest would do for Sarah's character either, what would that add to her story?

[Picture ID: Bucky at the cookout with Sam, Sarah, Cass and AJ. Bucky and Sam are looking at each other and smiling.]

and also there is the whole tiger pictures thing... again. which does strongly suggest that Bucky is bisexual whether this was intentional on behalf of the writers or not.

-

8. it's representation... AND it feels natural

marvel hasn't had a lot of queer representation that's been noticeably present in the MCU at the time of writing this.

there have been a lot of failures so far, from the bisexual erasure of Valkyrie in Thor Ragnarok to the wlw erasure in Black Panther.

there was queerbaiting almost identical to the bisexual Bucky baiting for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. when asked if he had considered featuring a gay hero in gotg2, director James Gunn stated that "We might have already done that. I say, watch the movie." after the movie's release audiences were understandably confused about the lack of queer representation. To which the director followed up his comments with, "But we don't really know who's gay and who's not. It could be any of them."

there is also Loki, considered by most fans after the airing of his six episode series on Disney+ to be both a poor attempt at both genderfluid representation and bisexual representation. with both attempts being summed up fairly well by the term "blink-and-you'll-miss-it". (also it's just terribly written and Loki doesn't wear any interesting clothes! fanficcers are a Goddamn blessing in this hard time!)

and let us not forget that Andrew Garfield was apparently FIRED for pushing for a bisexual spiderman. a bisexual spiderman within an interracial mlm relationship no less.

so for all these failures, marvel, why not allow us queer fans this? two brilliant and heroic men in a loving interracial relationship. two heroes that we can look up to.

now, one of the biggest detractions from the argument for representation is the idea of "forced diversity". and some poorly written characters certainly do end up feeling forced into the narrative. take Iceman in the comics for example, with Jean Grey just straight up suddenly telling him he's gay. like, marvel, sweetie, that's not how this works! and i don't know a lot of queer people who thought much of that "representation".

but the crux of the "forced diversity" argument is almost always that it feels unnatural within the story, right? and i don't think that anyone could say that about MCU Sam and Bucky ending up together, given these characters' existing chemistry and their history. they've both played characters in gay relationships before so we know that it's not outside of either actor's wheelhouse. and y'all know that Anthony and Seb can act, people. if it's in the script i believe that they'll make it seem like the most natural thing on earth.

-

9. it'd be a nice change

there's been an ongoing meme lately about "Disney's first gay character", the joke being that they continually announce gay characters without really ever including gay characters in their films.

this is to the point where Disney has formed a reputation amongst queer audiences of being homophobic.

if Sam and Bucky were to become a couple, then Disney could have its first actual gay character within a gay relationship. AND have him be in the lead of his own movie, no less.

it's also worth keeping in mind that there's likely an overlap between the people who were outraged by a Sam Wilson Captain America, and the people who'd be outraged by a gay Captain America. and if they were already not seeing the film, then i don't think much is gonna change that.

queer audiences would definitely love it, and the media attention would be guaranteed to be huge. i mean, simply look at the amount of media attention mere rumours of a character's queerness gets you and multiply that by a canon confirmation of said rumours.

but i'm pretty sure that Disney already knows this.

-

10. and yet, in truth, it's not about the representation

in truth i've never felt that i had any trouble relating to characters of any sexual orientation, race, gender, sex, body type, etc. (although that is not to throw any shade at all on people who do wish to see themselves represented) but for me, i think it's more about the story than the packaging.

and yet, a love story is still just a story. straight or queer, monoethnic or interracial. when two characters have chemistry and history and have sacrificed for each other time and time again, and they also can't keep their hands or their eyes off each other, then i'm pretty sure that that's a love story.

straight or queer, monoethnic or interracial, it shouldn't be about these simple labels. it should be about how well written the relationship is. it should be about chemistry, and history, and sacrifice.

because i'm fucking sick of all the hollow, forced romances in media no matter the genders of the participants. i'm sick of lazily written, shallow relationships where any two people sharing the same space for any extended period of time will simply fall in love. it's boring, it's repetitive, and as a writer myself it drives me up the wall!

romance stories suck! and everyone knows that romance stories suck. between twilight, and most of the entire YA genre, and love triangles (so boring), and romance used as poorly-written throwaway subplots in Hollywood movies, the world is in agreement that the romance in western media is simply dreadful. and yet we still want love stories. it's an entire genre that sits at the heart of the human experience (<3), and yet one which so few of today's best known writers seem truly able to capture.

i don't think that i'm the only one who feels this way, either. i suspect it's actually a large part of why fandom is so romance-centred in the first place, that we're all just starving for a good love story.

(btw i think fandom has a reputation for being something that as a whole that it is not. it has this reputation for straight up demanding things and harassing people until they get their way. while unfortunately there are a few people who do this, they're fucking annoying and i swear that they're far from the majority.

in my experience fandom is mostly about writing a five thousand word story at three am while drunk off your ass because it might make someone whom you've never met smile, editing it in the cold light of day, and then posting it. expecting nothing. sometimes getting nothing. and sometimes getting someone send you kudos or a comment so heartbreakingly wonderful that it makes you smile in return.)

-

11. so once again, it is all about the writing.

i want to see Sam and Bucky get together in the mcu, not because they would be a gay couple but because i genuinely believe that their story has potential to be an amazing love story.

and i know the mcu isn't about the romance. it's why in my personal opinion we haven't gotten a lot of good canon romances besides Peter Quill and Gamora. and i don't think that the mcu should be all about the romance either. i fucking love the action and the fighting scenes. i love the comedy. Captain America: The Winter Soldier had no romance and it was a fucking treasure, it was an amazing spy-action-thriller and it made my little gay heart dance. Thor Ragnarok had no romance, and it was an utterly brilliant comedic spectacle action film. not every movie needs romance.

but mcu Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes were doing couple's therapy and fixing a boat and walking off into the sunset together in tfatws. they were inseparable on the battlefield. they've got a dynamic. it's beautiful, it's romantic, and it's gold.

a budding relationship between them in the next movie would be a good way to explore both characters more without the narrative feeling too stilted and separate. at the end of tfatws, both Sam and Bucky fans found that their respective fave felt somewhat underutilised and that their characters were underexplored.

now, that problem would be even more difficult to remedy in a movie, because the plotline of a movie needs to be really tight to work (giggity). and we know that the central conflict of the movie is gonna be action-based (which is good), but we still need each character's personal journey and growth to tie into the main conflict. (which is another issue that some fans found with tfatws, that these characters didn't really feel connected to the action-based plot on a more personal level.)

if Sam and Bucky are already in a relationship, however, this whole dynamic changes. first, their relationship has already been set up for nicely since TWS and through tfatws and they would officially be the best-fleshed-out couple in the mcu. but most importantly, a relationship gives them a perfect vehicle to explore both of their pasts comparatively and connect them personally to the action-based plot.

do you want to establish that Sam is a little too trusting and naïve? then establish this through his relationship with Bucky, and through showing his placing his trust in Bucky. (rather than through having him sympathise with a villain who threatened to murder his sister and his nephews).

perhaps you want to show Bucky recovering from his trauma? show us how comfortable he is with Sam. they get along, they're enjoying each other's presence, we see more of Sam's life and of his family, and then let Bucky tell Sam something that's raw and dark and honest about his life as The Winter Soldier. something about a memory, one that he only just recalled. he's opening up. and maybe what he tells Sam is even something that sets up the future action-based conflict, to ground that in something real.

you want to explore that Sam has trauma too? do this through Bucky. he tells Bucky a story about his time in the military. in the form of a flashback, he shares his own story of loss to evoke before the audience the shared theme of feeling at fault even when you're simply a helpless bystander to an act of pure destruction.

then, action sequence! and it's directly connected to Bucky's time as the Winter Soldier. explore the grief of someone whose life the Winter Soldier tore apart manifesting into a villain perpetuating the cycle of pain. establish your villain.

Later, Sam is dragged into battle against this villain for protecting Bucky. But Bucky doesn't want Sam to protect him. He feels guilt for what he can't control and he doesn't want Sam getting hurt because of him. Bucky reminds Sam that he has a family, one who needs him and who loves him. He tells him to go home.

Sam reminds Bucky that he's a part of that family. And that sure Sam's a hero and his job is to protect anyone and everyone, but that he's doing it because he wants to. It's not simply to prove that he can, or to prove that he's not a bystander (this connects to Sam's trauma here), but that he's doing it to help people.

and this gets Bucky thinking about who he is and what he's doing here. is he a hero who stands by Sam's side? or is he an ordinary man who stands aside? or perhaps, does he stand alone? what does he stand for? Maybe Sam knows. But does Bucky?

Sam and Bucky fight off the villain again, and for the first time Bucky meets this adversary face to face. And Bucky recognises this villain, and has a flashback to the genuine pain that he inflicted upon them in the form of the Winter Soldier. Bucky freezes mid-fight, he almost dies, and Sam has to save him.

Sam chews Bucky out for almost getting killed because he was afraid for him. but Bucky takes this the wrong way and goes off to fight the villain alone, or perhaps to die alone, he's not quite sure.

He puts up a half-hearted fight. He apologises for what the Winter Soldier has done, and he waits for the killing blow, when Sam swoops down and he saves him. He asks Sam why he saved him and Sam calls him a moron. And then, Sam asks him what sacrificing himself would solve. He tells him that you can't choose your past but you can choose your future (connecting to his own experience of loss and guilt and grief). And that no matter what Bucky Barnes still has a future, whether that's as the Winter Soldier or the White Wolf or just some dork with a day job. And that he has a future as a part of Sam's family too.

Sam fights the villain, and it's toe to toe. He delivers a few good blows, but receives a fair few himself. And then the villain tears off his wings, first one and then the other, in a manner reminiscent of what the Winter Soldier did to him in TWS. Through Bucky's eyes there's a flashback to highlight the parallels. Sam gets back on his feet and he fights his best fight, but is now losing.

And then the heavily injured Bucky steps up and fights by Sam's side, and only together do they take down the villain.

"So... I inspired you, huh?" Sam teases with a smile, utterly exhausted. "With my heroism and-"

"You inspired me." Bucky said, equally exhausted. "Let's leave it at that."

Together, Sam and Bucky go back to the safety and warmth of their family. Sam fixes his wings. Sam goes back to being Captain America. And Bucky... he's around, but it's unclear what he's doing.

That is, until the very end. When Sam is in a fight, and suddenly Bucky shows up and helps him out.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asks.

"I've made up my mind." Bucky says. "I'm the Winter Soldier. But now I'll save lives, Sam. Now, like you, I'll be a hero."

Sam smirks. "So does this make you my sidekick, then?"

Bucky smiles. "C'mon, at least make me a partner." He says.

"How about co-workers." Sam says (in flashback, he remembers back to the death of his last on-the-job partner).

"How about friends." Bucky says, with a wry look.

"Bucky... I don't want to see you put your dumbass self in danger." Sam says.

"Oh, and it's ok for you to go running off into danger on your own all the time?" Bucky asks.

"Yes." Sam says stubbornly. "Absolutely it is."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not a dumbass?!"

"Sam, if you think I'm not gonna be watching your back for the rest of time... then you're the biggest dumbass I know. And I don't care if you need me or not, I will be there for you."

"Because Sam, you're more than Captain America. You're more than a good soldier. You're a good man. And I think sometimes, the world forgets what the difference is."

-

...or something like that.

(i only spent like 15 minutes on that. you know if i were actually writing this movie i would come up with something much better. and if anyone from marvel is seeing this, yes i can come work for you. i will make the time, let's do this thing right!)

-

finale

at the end of the day, whether or not the mcu chooses to make Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes a couple, it's their decision. and they don't owe me anything.

i'm just some random person on the internet. who thinks that Captain America 4 should #givecaptainamericaaboyfriend

[amigosmercedes]

Champagne Problems, is about Tom Hiddleston proposal, and It's not just about Dianna proposal ? And none Karlie.

I know this probably unpopular opinions.

Since Dianna Agron is allegedly proposed to Taylor Swift in the verge, their ending relationship back in 2012/2013.

However, if we try to be more open to the idea it could be Karlie or Tom Hiddleston, since both of them have sister/s. Both of the have some kinds of "group of friend" with Taylor Swift. Karlie, of course with her Victoria Secret's Angel's friends. While Tom Hiddleston, he and Taylor have some friends in commons.

Why I think Tom Hiddleston could be proposed, because he is by far the most stable man. I mean, emotionally, Tom is the most emotionally stable. You can compare to Calvin Harris, bisexual Harry Style, John Mayer, Jake Gyllenhaal, even the gay/bisexual Joe Alwyn.

Tom practically wearing I love TS t-shirt. He was adored Taylor. I bet Tom will be willing to everything for Taylor. Unfortunately, Taylor heart is not fully for Tom.

You can compare the body language of Tom vs Joe Alwyn when they are together with Taylor Swift. Tom looks happy strolling paparazi with Taylor. Then, compared to the annoying and talentless Joe Alwyn, he seems to get diarrhea when spotted together with Taylor. With Joe Alwyn, Taylor is the one to act like big spoon. But with Tom, he is the one to act like the big spoon.

Joe Alwyn the "longest term boyfriend" is the obnoxious person that publicly never supported Taylor Swift. Tom care to spoke highly for Taylor. Then compare to Joe, he dont even try to give any honour for Taylor. Joe maybe the longest relationship contract boyfriend, but he is the worst. Worse than Joe Jonas to be frank who broke up over the phone. Joe might be on par as worst as Calvin Harris that routinely shagging other women while under relationship contracts

Check this gossip news then review the lyrics;

Those gossip news stated that Tom want more "serious" something with their relationship. This could mean he proposed. Once the proposal rejected by yours significant others, then there is no turning back. Tom could be so swoon with Taylor, and he wanted to be some kind of official. Tom has a good relationship with his sister and mother. So Taylor's lyrics on Champagne Problems capture these dynamics. And ironically, Tom's mother name is Diana. Imagine your ex name is Dianna, then you dated someone that his mother name also Diana. Some people with take it as Dianna is the one, no matter what happened Dianna will always be lingering.

Why I am rethinking Champagne Problems is not solely about Dianna Agron proposal. Because I believe Taylor accept Dianna proposal. Back then even Taylor mad to Dianna, she is still in love with Dianna. There is Stay Stay Stay songs, then we got How You Get A Girl as well. Swiftgron was ended because of Taylor PR management and I believe mainly her parents do not agree with it, in particularly Taylor father.

On US Weekly article, it stated this;

July 14, 2016

A source told Us that Hiddleston was planning to propose to his girlfriend of two months. “She would definitely say yes,” the insider said at the time, adding that dating the Kong: Skull Island actor had “been a dream come true” for Swift.

In Champagne Problems, it gives us notions that Taylor said NO instantaneously over the proposal. Unlike what happened with Swiftgron proposal. Why not Karlie, Karlie was already with Josh Kushner She literally took classes at NYU just to impress Kushner clan. Also, when in 2019 Taylor allegedly about to come out in Pride Month, it was intended with Karlie. But Karlie refused it, because Karlie has been enjoyed having Kushner clan family blessing. Why would Karlie want to take the hard route of life to come out with Taylor if she already offered a nice, stable life with Kushner clan. Taylor is the richest singers, however, she still controlled by bunch of moguls behind her. Compare to Kushner, Kushner pratically the one that control things. So Karlie is just being Karlie, she's thinking about her easier future for her and also Kloss family.

Review the lyrics here;

champagne problems

Lyrics

You booked the night train for a reason So you could sit there in this hurt Bustling crowds or silent sleepers You're not sure which is worse

Because I dropped your hand while dancing Left you out there standing Crestfallen on the landing Champagne problems

Your mom's ring in your pocket -> Taylor had met Tom mother My picture in your wallet -> this typical guy move Your heart was glass, I dropped it Champagne problems

You told your family for a reason You couldn't keep it in Your sister splashed out on the bottle → Tom has sister Now no one's celebrating -> see US Weekly article

Dom Pérignon, you brought it No crowd of friends applauded Your hometown skeptics called it -> Tom family in a town in UK Champagne problems

You had a speech, you're speechless Love slipped beyond your reaches And I couldn't give a reason Champagne problems

Your Midas touch on the Chevy door November flush and your flannel cure "This dorm was once a madhouse" -> Taylor's Rhode Island house I made a joke, "Well, it's made for me"

How evergreen, our group of friends -> Taylor & Tom mutual friend Don't think we'll say that word again And soon they'll have the nerve to deck the halls That we once walked through

One for the money, two for the show -> practically Tom Taylor relationship I never was ready, so I watch you go -> they broke up after the proposal rejections Sometimes you just don't know the answer 'Til someone's on their knees and asks you

"She would've made such a lovely bride -> Tom family and friend like Taylor What a shame she's fucked in her head, " they said But you'll find the real thing instead -> Tom eventually engaged with another person around 2020/2021 She'll patch up your tapestry that I shred

And hold your hand while dancing -> Taylor & Tom dancing in Met Gala Never leave you standing Crestfallen on the landing With champagne problems

Your mom's ring in your pocket Her picture in your wallet You won't remember all my Champagne problems

You won't remember all my Champagne problems

This is just theory based on Taylor Swift public personal life, her songs, her video's clip of her songs. Taylor Swift is music industry, one of the biggest singers in today's generation. So, until Taylor release "tell all" books, rumors, fans theory will never be subsided.

[iamdeltas]

Question for Falcon (I wanted to watch after the show had aired, always been a bit bitter about Bucky and early tumblr calling him female coded), how bad is the imperialism? do they try and talk about racism without much Sam interior scenes or is it not as bad as I've heard? sorry if this is labour, I just respect your opinion

Honestly, I think a lot of the imperialism and Blatant Military Propaganda, while super grossly overt in the first episode, kinda subsides afterward? It’s still fairly bothsides-ish/centrist, which... I can’t say I was surprised by tbh, I mean, it’s still a show made by a large media conglomerate to broadly appeal to a mass consumer base. It was never gonna say anything Overly Radical. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by how much they at least tried to explore racism, and systemic racism at that. And I really liked what they did with Isaiah Bradley, who in the MCU is a Korean War era super soldier who was given the serum without his knowledge (he and the other people in his squad, all Black, were told it was a tetanus shot), drawing parallels to the Tuskegee syphilis study, and was thrown in jail for 30 years to be experimented on to study the serum further when he tried to free his fellow soldiers from a POW camp. His talks with Sam were some very good moments. BUT yes, Sam did feel a lot like a passenger in his own story for the first few episodes, and I think the show didn’t do as good of a job as it should have with exploring Sam’s POV and his interiority. But I did love how it showed his journey to accepting the Captain America mantle and that part felt very earned. Overall, with the show as a whole, I’m inclined to agree with a podcast I recently listened to: Very good with the character beats--I adored Sam and Bucky’s dynamic and relationship growth, and overall their characters were served fairly well--but the plot was... lacking and confusing. Internal motivations were solid, external motivations were confused. And the villains just weren’t very good, honestly. Karli Morgenthau’s motivations were confused--it really felt like they were trying to make a Killmonger 2.0 but they just really failed because it was much easier to see where Killmonger was coming from, and while people do generally lump him in with the category of “villains who make a good point but, oh, whoops, they just burned down an orphanage to make sure the audience doesn’t root too much for them”, it actually made sense to me from a character POV why he did what he did so I actually wouldn’t put him in that category (I adore Black Panther, can you tell?), but Karli is VERY MUCH in that category. Her movement from Robin Hood figure to blowing up hostages and buildings for... reasons?... just wasn’t well done or very believable. John Walker on the other hand would have made for a very compelling villain if they didn’t completely blow it in the last episode. (I would say what they did that ruined it but I feel like I should at least try to kind of avoid spoilers lol.) Zemo was fun but I also genuinely do not understand why he was involved in the first place, and I think he could have been (and should have been) removed and the plot would not be affected in any way (plus maybe we could have actually gotten more characterization and screentime for Sharon Carter! She could certainly have used it!). There’s also another villain I was massively disappointed by but a) spoilers and b) also I have kinda complained about them a lot on my Tumblr anyway, though I did tag those posts as spoilers. I think. Anyway. Basically, Agatha blows all the TFATWS villains out of the water. I mean, I am a smidge biased but. I’m also right. I think also it just tried to tackle way too many things. WandaVision worked well because it focused on one theme, and one theme only: grief. TFATWS was trying to deal with a lot of different things thematically and it pretty much failed at all of them. I think it’s a decent enough show but if you’re gonna watch it, don’t expect something of WandaVision level quality, basically. It’s entertaining enough but it’s definitely not as good as it wanted to be.

[ariianaz]

ooc: so, i’m just a little emotional over here getting ready to post this whole mess of all my love for the people that make this group everything it’s become to me over the last year. next week (thanksgiving week) actually marks my year in fame, and i couldn’t be more amazed when i think about the friends i’ve made / how much i’ve grown as a writer. below the cut are just a few people (in no particular order) that’ve become so, so much to me. even if you’re not mentioned specifically ---- ilysm and would love to get to know you ! 

@tessthcmpson --- autumn, literally every time we text, i’m reminded of how much i love you / constantly reminded of how much you love me. you were one of the first people i reached out to in fame, and i’m so happy i did. we’ve grown so close over the past year (even if i don’t text you as consistently i should because i’m a #mess), and your friendship ic/ooc means so much to me. rip karlie & donald --- gone but never forgotten --- and thank you for writing our idiots with me. i’ll cherish them, and you, forever. you are one of the sweetest, silliest souls, and i love that i finally found somebody who loves gambino as much as i do. right by your side, ‘til 3005. 💕

@jlxngz ---- forever the jesse to my marcus. 💕 will literally never be able to thank you enough for introducing me to the shitshow that is man utd & sweet marcus & all of his radiant light / energy. feel like anything i would write here is something i’ve already told you like ... 3 times per week since we talk all the time (thanks for letting me bug you on the daily, you’re a real one), but i’ll do it anyway. again, super happy i messaged you back in my karlie days. you put up with my novels and how obnoxious it can be to write w/ somebody in a hella different timezone; but, it truly means the world. you consistently challenge me to be a better writer / describe things differently in all of our long ass novels that i wouldn’t trade for anything. we’re going to meet up one of these days; i swear by it. ilysm, lottie.

@brendonisms​ ----- feel like the same goes for you, fiona, that you similarly put up w/ all my nonsense & the chaos that inevitably comes with any / all of my characters. i love that we’ve written enough that threads with you are something cozy & familiar; truly one of the best feelings in the /world/ to see how far we’ve come in that respect. another person i suck at maintaining consistent contact with, but ily from afar all the same. feel like sometimes brendon/ari are just as close as we are. warms my heart in the best way. a world where i don’t get to write with talent like you is a world i don’t wanna ever have to be in. 💕

@sxmitchell​ --- one of many queens of my heart, ilysm. you’re so consistently there to listen to me complain / write whatever thread with me that i feel compelled to throw at you, and i love you so much for it. whether we’re ranting about our days or our characters and their questionable life choices on discord, i know i can always count on you. writing a pair of badass queens has never felt more right than it does writing shay & ari. as soon as we exchanged discords, i knew we’d be close friends. i’m glad that’s still true. 💕

@swedeskarsgard​ ---- where to even start? i’ve no clue. we clicked (ic/ooc) from the very first IMs about plotting, and it’s definitely just stuck; i couldn’t be happier that it has. :’) we had no idea what we were in for (literally, very little of what’s happening now was anticipated) but it’s been the best rollercoaster ride & i’m glad you’ve buckled in for it. from our cute ‘have a good day!’ messages to the ‘lasdkgjlsdkgj’ and ‘running away’ from our replies as fast as humanly possible, you’ve brought so much light to my life through bill as a character and just by being you. thank you for plotting with me that one day; nothing’s been the same since the marvel party, and i wouldn’t change it.  💕

@bcnsplatt​ ----- didn’t think it was possible for anyone to make me love ben platt more than i already do, but here we are! you’ve brought ben to life in the group in a way that warms my heart in ways i didn’t know it could be. one of my fondest memories will be screeching over performance of ben’s during DEH that you blessed me with. my IMs are always a lil brighter with you in them, and i love writing against you / your ben so much. truly a blessing i didn’t know i needed. ily!!  💕

@dvlcbrien​ ---- marie! anytime we talk, you brighten my day. even though we don’t talk very much, every time we do --- that energy lasts for days. you brought to life the most emotional plot that i’ve ever had through dylan/ari, and it still makes me so emotional when i think about it, like how dare you? 💕 kidding, but i love your dedication to not only our lil children and their dynamic but also the group in general. you don’t go unnoticed, ever. ily.

@famelarson​ ---- another instantaneous connection that i’m so, so grateful for. ariana and brie literally got matching tattoos, like what? 💕 that’s never happened to me in rp before; none of my characters has ever been so connected with another to make that wild of a spontaneous connection & i adore it. i adore you. ilysm. brie & ari forever.

@jcmesrodrigucz​ ---- pedro! the person who literally is the first to roast me, but with love. i could rant for a long ass time about how long we’ve been friends, or how much we laugh whenever we message back & forth, but i don’t know if anyone has all the time for that. you were the first consistent ship i ever had (rip taylor & george, love that we still talk / laugh about them), and i will literally remember them / you when i’m 80 and can’t rp anymore. thank you for listening to my rants about my mental health & its ups/downs, or complaining about how hard one of my days teaching my kiddos is, etc. i hope you know how much i love / appreciate you. we’ve been through hell & back about 20 times, but i’d do it again if it meant we’d still be friends. ilysm, thanks for putting up w/ me & all my long ass threads / messages / everything else, even though i’m an idiot. pls have my birds fly into your room; it’s my favorite meme of all time.

@davidcorenswct​ --- i have definitely told you everything i would say here, so yours will probably be the shortest (but not for lack of love). it’s been like... eight plus years now, if i’m doing math correctly (but i’m an english major, so what do i know about numbers?), and your writing still gets me. writing with you is probably one of the most familiar things, and no matter what/who we’re writing, it’s literally always the best time. counting down the days ‘til we finally decide a random state to meet in and hug for the first time, since it’s long overdue. i love you so much, but you know that. i’d be concerned if you didn’t.

[merrylittlehogwartsrp]

Happy Holidays, Karli! We are thrilled to “invite” Lavender Brown (fc Alisha Boe) back to Hogsmeade for a little forced Winter Cheer. We adored how past, directly post war, and current all worked so well in your app--from family dynamics to current werewolf (or not) infection.

Please pack your bags and send in your tumblr. Additional information can be found here!

OOC DETAILS:

NICKNAME: Karli

AGE: 27

PRONOUNS: She/Her

ACTIVITY  ESTIMATE: Around 6-7 probably. I generally am on every single day through mobile, but I can’t post every day. T/W are usually a no for me as far as posting goes, but I’m on in the weekends fairly regularly. 

CHARACTER DETAILS:

FULL NAME & NICKNAMES: Lavender Claudia Brown

BIRTHDATE: November 3rd (”That’s a Scorpio, a water sign. Professor Trelawney always said that we are called that because we can be as mysterious as the ocean itself. Don’t you find me mysterious?”)

BLOOD-STATUS: Half-blood

GENDER IDENTITY: Cis-Female

GENDER PRESENTATION/PRONOUNS: Female, She/Her

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual. Lavender likely doesn’t think much about her sexuality and perhaps doesn’t even know this word (it is the early 2000s, after all, and sexuality wasn’t as understood), but she does understand that she likes pretty things and people. If someone catches her attention, she’s on it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy, girl, or something else entirely. Well, perhaps not everything else… she’d like to them to be human. Like, Professor Lupin was good-looking and all, but…

CHARACTER SITUATION:

OCCUPATION: what do they do for a living? 

Lavender owns a very small shop in Diagon Alley, just on the border between Diagon and Knockturn. Not actually Knockturn, but no one wanted the little place with the boarded up windows so close to all the dark happenings (you think there would be less without a war, but apparently not!) so rent is cheap and it adds to the appeal. Her shop is supposed to be mysterious, you see!

It’s called Azure Moon (as in “Welcome to Azure Moon, are you ready to awaken your aura?”) and it’s a mystical shop. She sells various items for the art of Divination, such as tarot cards, tea leaves, and crystal balls. There is also a line of homemade hand creams, scents, and other products that are geared towards enriching the experience. In the back, Lavender will provide a tarot or palm reading for an additional fee. No, she will not blow you for a bit extra coin, thank you very much!

Her scars ended up choosing the name for her. Many people actually assume she’s a werewolf since her attack. There are so many rumors around the species that people often believe they can “catch” lycanthropy from a simple touch. What wix don’t realize is that actual werewolves wouldn’t have scratch marks like Lavender’s cursed wounds. She lets the rumors go, though - it adds to the appeal of the shop. She often gets business simply because teenagers dare one another to enter or adults just have to see and no one leaves without a purchase after her wolf eyes catch them staring. 

HOUSING:

Lavender lives in the flat above her shop by herself. It’s even tinier than Azure Moon - with a little bathroom with the sliding wood door, while everything else fit into the one room. Her bed is off to the side with bulbs of light hanging around it from the ceiling. Scented candles or incense burn at the table in the corner. She has a purple couch with a teal rug, wood floors. Shawls and blankets in varying places. Not quite Trelawney because Lavender is much more fashionable, but there’s an aura about the place anyway. In her bathroom, she has an entire closest dedicated to hair products, scrunchies, nail polish, and make up. Her vanity is her sanctuary… even if it barely fits next to the toilet! 

SOCIAL STANDING: 

She’s nothing. Well, not nothing to herself or her friends or whatever - but to the Wizarding World… nothing. She had joined the D.A., yes. She fought the Carrows, yes. She nearly gave her life to the Battle of Hogwarts, yes. But she’s no war hero. She hadn’t even taken down a Death Eater before her fall! The world does not remember her name, even though it was in the papers once as one of the injured. Ginny and Neville and Luna - they led the rebellion. Harry and Ron and Hermione - they took down Voldemort. Lavender is nothing.

But she’ll be damned if she’s not remembered for something before she goes!

CHARACTER CONFIGURATION:

TALENTS/WEAKNESSES 

(+) Divination

(+) Fashion

(+) Finding a weakness and making someone see it

(-) Transfiguration

(-)  Inspiring others

(-) Not very athletic

STRENGTHS/FLAWS

(+) Intuitive

(+) Passionate

(+) Confidence

(-) Possessive

(-) Manipulative

(-) Reactive

CHARACTER HISTORY: (It says “short” paragraph but I got a bit carried away on some of them!)

FAMILY BACKGROUND

When Felicity Brown got pregnant right out of Hogwarts, her family was appalled. They were purebloods, after all! Maybe not Sacred 28 or anything of that caliber, but still… purebloods had standards! And with a stranger, no less! Felicity claimed the man had also been a pureblood wizard, but she didn’t even know his last name, so what was the truth, really? Her family kept it up, though. It was easier to explain to the neighbors and friends that a mistake with the potion had happened (each retelling had it less and less on Felicity’s shoulders) while keeping up appearances of little Lavender’s bloodline.

For the first two years of her life, she’d lived with her mom and grandparents in a nice home in a magical community. Such a beautiful baby, Felicity put her daughter in bows and dresses and teeny tiny golden robes. So precious! people gushed and Felicity smiled because that’s what was expected. She began to notice, however, that the way her parents treated her daughter was different than the other grandchildren. Well, she was married out of wedlock, after all! And it had been obvious that even the claim of a pure bloodline wasn’t enough to keep her parents happy.

She left without a word, dragging her crying toddler into the stormy wind, apparating to a new home in the countryside. And wasn’t it such a coincidence the muggle owners suddenly wanted to move out and leave the deeds to a young, single mother? Felicity had assumed muggle life would be easy. After all, she had magic on her side! Finding a job had been simple once she learned the trick of enchanting a parchment to say exactly what an employer wanted to see. But acting the part. That had been a bit tougher. Still, if she became fairly good at those memory charms, no one from the ministry had come knocking!

As Lavender grew up, she learned of the Wizarding World, but only the basics. Hogwarts, wands, robes, magic. Nothing about the details. She loved her mother but, once, she wished she could visit her grandparents again. Felicity, however, liked to keep her daughter close. They’d grown up together, after all. A child having a child.

She poured over magazines - both magical and muggle alike - and didn’t even realize that it wasn’t normal for a parent to prefer to spend most days inside the house. That it wasn’t normal for boxes to be stacked in the house, filled with trinkets and trash and those cut outs from 1984. (”Oh, honey, we can’t throw them out! We may need them some day!” her mom had said more than once).

All Lavender knew was that she was ready to get out of the clutter. She was ready for Hogwarts, where she could style her hair for people to actually see it. 

LIFE DURING THE WAR

The castle was beautiful and, oh, look at the floating candles! There are elves here! And ghosts! Hogwarts had been spectacular. Even with deaths and tournaments and ever-changing teachers and heartbreak and Harry Bloody Potter messing things up for everyone! Even with the war looming, Hogwarts was spectacular. And maybe that’s why the death of Albus Dumbledore had been so shocking. She’d thought they were untouchable.

But Voldemort had taken over, The Chosen Jerk had fled with her dolt of an ex-boyfriend, and Lavender had realized that beautiful things could be dangerous. Hogwarts turned dark. The Carrows and Severus Snape took over, tormenting the students, and leading the students’ lives down a place that only ended in bloodshed. Lavender realized, for the very first time it seemed, how much a blood status mattered. She’d always been half-blood… safe. But she knew so little about the Wizarding World and, whenever quizzed, she’d failed. The curse of a parent who did not want anything to do with the wixen any longer.

She continued with the D.A. - but only after asked. She snuck out of the common room - but only with a group. She wasn’t the leader here! And, even if she tried to be, no one would ever follow her. People have been underestimating Lavender her entire life, why would they stop just because a war was going on? She tried to resist as much as she could whenever the Carrows told her to torture someone, but sometimes she felt like she just had to. After all, if she didn’t do it – didn’t Crabbe and Goyle just get called in? And they were so much worse than her! It wasn’t an everyday thing, but she did do it and knew that sometimes that meant people judged her. But whatever – she was still fighting the damn war, wasn’t she?

She stayed for the Battle of Hogwarts. Of course she stayed! But it wasn’t even halfway through when Greyback attacked. The world had exploded and she’d been thrown over the edge and he’d bitten into her body. Her skin had been eaten. She couldn’t remember much after that. Not the stirring or the hexes or people finding her body. She was alive – but was she?

LAST THREE YEARS

The first four months after the war had been spent in St. Mungo’s. Not just for the cursed wounds – though there was a gnarly scar on her neck from the place Greyback’s teeth had sunk into her, as well as others on her face, a few on her stomach – but also just… the rest of it. She’d been left to die for hours in that unsteady Hogwarts corridor. She’d been hit with stray curses, pieces of debris had partly covered her body. There were bones to fix and regrow, wounds to heal, hexes to trace, antidotes to drink. She didn’t have to learn to walk or write or anything again, but her memory stayed hazy and there were things she forgot. Had she taken her meds yet? Did the healers visit yet? That is mostly better now, but Lavender still struggles with short-term stuff every now and again.

The shop came later – much later. After being released from the hospital, she went back to her mum’s house. Felicity, who had given up the Wizarding World for good (other than using her wand for simple things), had tried to use Lavender’s injuries as proof that it was dangerous. She tried keeping her daughter away from everything magical and, for the first year, it almost worked. Lavender was still recovering, she couldn’t live on her own. At first, she didn’t realize her mother was isolating her but, when letters from Parvati were never given or her friend never received Lavender’s, she realized.

She left just before the one year anniversary, leased the shop, and didn’t look back. She still writes to her mother sometimes – she does love her, after all – but she also needs space and doesn’t visit often. This is her life and she gets to choose how to live it! Which is maybe why she’s been getting so annoyed with Parvati lately. All she ever did was talk about Lavender’s scars – her symptoms. Lavender was more than constant shaving and cursed wounds and growling in anger and if her friend was devoting her entire life to fixing her, did she really love Lavender for who she was? Sure, maybe Lavender gets a little squeamish around actual werewolves – but she’s not one, so why does it matter? All she knows is that if Parvati doesn’t just give it up soon, Lavender may explode.

HOLIDAY DETAILS:

Her mother is not religious - it’s something she says with pride, smirking at whatever expression the other person gives - and so Lavender was not raised with any sort of real religious tradition. However, they do celebrate Christmas because Felicity believes it’s a time to give gifts, get drunk, and stuff their faces. 

Being just the two of them, they spent Lavender’s breaks from school with hot cocoa (lots of marshmallows!), crappy romantic Christmas films on television, cuddled up in blankets on the couch. Lavender loves her mum - even now! But it’s also hard losing some of that easy connection. Her decision to fight in the war hadn’t just screwed her up - it messed with a lot of her relationships, too.

Something else Lavender did with her mum growing up was look at all the lights. They would go out every year - Lavender holding the side of the car for dear life, as Felicity had never actually been trained in driving and had charmed her papers to get her license - and argued over who had the best house. It was fun and something Lavender missed last year when she decided not to spend the holiday with her mother.

She hasn’t told her mum she won’t be heading home this year either and, given there is no Daily Prophet for Felicity Brown, Lavender will eventually have to find her Gryffindor courage. She’s not exactly angry for the celebration. It’ll be weird going back to school, but she’s happy to see her old friends, show off her new robes or muggle dresses, and hear all the gossip. She’s also planning on setting up a table to sell a bit from her shop. So, if it’ll get her a bit of extra coins, then why not? It’s life after war… might as well get a bit drunk and have some fun!

OOC SUPPLEMENT:

SHIPS: Nope! This would be my first time playing Lavender, if accepted, and I have literally no preference. My biggest thing is… I definitely need chemistry and build up! I’m the slow-burn queen and can’t just jump into something without any build. 

CHANGES: Nope, I think we’re good!

FACECLAIM: Alisha Boe or Vajèn van den Bosch