#and honestly i feel like this has a crossover with the moral panic around liking problematic characters but i dont have the brain capacity

[blvvdk3ep]

I don't know if this is just a Twitter phenomenon, but I am sick of some IWTV fans acting like those who identify Lestat as being abusive are being dramatic or misreading the show. Lestat's villainy intersects racial and supernatural lines; every power he has over Louis, physically or societally, he subtly uses to lure him in and to control him. He's a fantastic character precisely because he's charismatic, beautifully polished, thoughtful, and passionate, but also cruel, hiding a profound ugliness, so deranged about love it turns around into something monstrous, capable of unthinkable violence towards those he loves. And the first set of traits (are used by him to) disguise the second set. He's obviously purposefully written like that and dismissing that is doing the writers a disservice. They wrote an amazing fucking character, and he's selfish, manipulative, and yes, abusive to Louis and Claudia, and he's so cleverly written that even at his most cruel when he gets what he deserves, you can't help but feel just a little bit sorry for him. Ignoring that brilliance just to unironically uwu softboy he never did anything wrong babygirlify him is soooo lame sorry

[marshiestars]

Tag 9 People You Want To Get To Know Better

thank you @scrawnytreedemon for tagging!! let’s begin, shall we? :3c

Three Ships: ughhhhh this is real hard because I JUST invented the most horrible, wonderful “why does it work” crackship a few weeks ago, but if I want to include it, I have to ignore one of my three big zelda ships :C

1. Ghiralink. because of course. I feel like it’s illegal to leave this one out or put it any lower. it’s the good food. it’s well-established. I can afford to be picky with my content. it’s great :D

2. Astlink! sorry Kohlink, but Astlink is less likely to scare half my audience away 😔.

tbh I’m still VERY surprised that Astor and Link aren’t paired together nearly as often as Zelast (Astor / Zelda). don’t get me wrong, both are rare pairs, but somehow Astlink is even *rarer* shksjhdjhsshs, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why. either way, it's 'moody goth bitch rejected by society (or maybe he rejected society first, it's a chicken or egg situation tbh) with the perfect golden person that everyone admires who secretly has their own issues'!! and it's about how they're on the complete opposite sides of this huge conflict and yet they find unexpected parallels in each other! and having everything fall apart but deciding to be a better person, even when the rest of the world says it's too late, because that one person believes in you and is willing to give you a chance! darkness and light! it's GOOD FOOD

(...man, I really gotta finish chapter 3 of swordsman and the seer.)

3. ...fuck it. scrawny, I hereby challenge you for the title of Weirdest Fucking Crossover Ship. Ghirahim x Godrick? Sephiroth x the Hollow Knight? I'm intrigued, but not crumbling to ash at the thought.

and so I give you this in place of gushing about Kohlink, which is unbelievably rare, but damn it, at least they're from the same source material! besides, I wasn't the first person to pair them by a long shot, no, no, no.

but there’s a special, lonely sort of pride in knowing you’re probably the first of 8 billion people in the world to ever even think of a pairing. ready? here it is:

R*x D*ng*rv*st x S*np*i from FNF.

(censored their names like that because if this shows up in the tags I’m gonna jump out a window)

yeah, man. I don't even know either.

I mean, I do know, somewhere, and my original train of thought is buried in the memory slush of a few months ago, gone forever. so now we're here. fuck. kill me. why am I writing shit for these two. girl what the hell is this

everyone who reads this post, I want a brick emoji in my inbox to simulate getting one through my window

First Ever Ship: ANYWAY, fuck, I don’t even remember at this point, I've been in greater fandom for so long. wait... oh, son of a bitch, nevermind, I do.

*sigh*

it was Billdip.

DO NOT COME AFTER ME, I DON’T SHIP IT ANYMORE. haven’t for years. I was 12. but I loved Bill Cipher (still do, he's my funny meow meow blorbo <3) and was very upset when the finale happened even though I knew that was how it had to be. but every time Billdip art came across my screen, I saw cool art where he: # 1. was still around and # 2. was more often than not a pretty human / humanoid (this was at the height of his sexymanification). hell, I didn't even give a shit about Dipper honestly, I just wanted more Bill content. and again, being literally 12, I didn’t really stop to think abt any moral implications. but yeah.

(also nowadays I hc Bill as ace sooo)

Last Song: 'She Had The World' by Panic! very nice to sing to, it's right in my range <3

Last Movie: does ‘My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas’ count? it’s a childhood film and practically tradition for me to watch it every year for christmas lol. although this year I’ve been replaying it for... research purposes. yeah. totally not for a lethally cursed fanfic, no sir.

if that doesn’t count, then ‘The Lego Movie’!

Currently Reading: nothing atm!! even as my 'to read' pile gets taller by the day, hhhh

Currently Watching: Minty Christmas, again, but definitely not so I can copy the dialogue verbatim to use as the base for a coked-up christmas crack fic

Currently Consuming: soup <3

Currently Craving: instant ramen, good god, especially if it’s spicy. they have cups for sale in vending machines around campus but they’re all beef and chicken flavour :C

I won't tag anyone else in this because nine people is a lot; far too many to bother with this wall of personal nonsense shdhdj but thanks anyway for tagging me scrawny, my beloved mutual!!! <3

[thewalkingdead-obsessed]

MSF Thoughts

Sorry for the lack of original posts, with this semester being as busy as it has been and some tension (what else is new) in twd fandom, I’ve kept pretty quiet on this tumblr acct. Since everyone and their mother have been posting their thoughts about the MSF, I thought I would too since I’ve been panicking about it for days now (everyone in GE can probably agree to that lol). This won’t really be based on a lot of ~facts~ more so just my thoughts and hopes more than anything. So without further rambling:

There has been SO much hype regarding this next episode. Between what was said after the last episode ended, Chris confirming on TTD that it’s going to be big according to the producers, and various tweets and social media posts, the fandom is in a damn frenzy thinking about what might happen. I feel like we all have this idea that a “big moment” means death, and hey, we’ve been given good reason with death happening a lot in the finales and mid season finales. But the whole show is death. Many people I have spoken to have said this, but at this point someone living would be more shocking than someone being alive. ANYTHING would be more shocking than another DAMN BIG CHARACTER DEATH. I’m not saying no one is going to die, we certainly know with a war going on and a ZA, death is always going to lurk, but as viewers we are so accustomed to it that it can get really repetitive to make every single huge moment on a show be someone we know and love dying. We’ve learned that no character is safe (especially after Glenn & Abraham) so it’s like.... if y’all are trying to kill someone and say it’s a shock, you’re a joke. I don’t even think Rick’s death would constitute as fulfilling the hype because even Kirkman said Rick isn’t safe. 

With all that being said, I truly believe this season, and especially the MSF, are huge breaking points for the show. There are so many mixed feelings on this season (I have enjoyed much of it but of course I have some complaints) and with the ratings not being where they once were, they need to deliver on the promises for the season and DEFINITELY on this next episode. 

I can’t talk about the MSF without talking about that tsdf. First, I wanted to start with the Carl rumors. Those have been around for weeks now and I try my best to go off of what’s happening in the show rather than speculation on spoiler sites (I don’t really go on them that much, but I do enjoy a spoiler here and there if I’m being honest). I didn’t really know how to feel about it and at this point, I still would not say I am convinced that he is definitely going to die in the MSF. Now the fact that they are not releasing any information is pretty alarming? Were they wrong? Are they doing it out of respect? Were they contacted by someone? Do they not know what’s going to happen? You bet your ass I’ll tune in to their page after the episode airs to see what their reasoning is... 

Through various interviews I have read, the over all theme of the MSF seems shocking/emotional but with a twist of beauty (Katelyn Nacon’s interview comes to mind). There is so much damn hype that if they do not deliver in the episode, I’m genuinely scared about the ratings/future of the show..

So let’s talk about death. Assuming there will be some death in this episode, here are the possible candidates I see (~not saying death is necessarily the big moment though):

-Father Gabriel: Obviously he’s pretty darn sick right now. Not sure if they’re playing off the whole walker blood making people sick thing or if it is something different (UPROXX posted an interesting reddit theory on how it may have to do with the chemical plant or those toxic walkers we saw which I think it’s pretty interesting). After his talk with Eugene, it seems like he may be on his way out so hopefully he did some good to Eugene and things turn around for his annoying mullet having ass lmao. I am pretty certain his death won’t be the “big moment” though. 

-Tara: idk man, she’s been through a lot and she’s all this hell bent mission to get revenge (like Daryl tbh) and maybe she won’t outlast the war, who knows.

-Morgan: From the crossover to Lennie on TTD, things don’t look too promising for him. This probably comes as little to no surprise to anyone. Stick around for a theory regarding Morgan at then end.

-Carl: Although I said I am unsure on this one, it seems like with this next episode he’s in danger and they very well could make this his end. I am not ruling it out, and many people actually think this is fact. I don’t think him going to college is a good enough reason to say he’s goner though. And again... if this is the big 

-Judith: I’ve seen this rumored around to. Honestly, if they make the death of a toddler the big moment, I’ll not only be sickened, but disappointed in the lack of creativity. 

No one is safe, but these are my thoughts on possible deaths.

In a perfect world, this is what I theorize, the big moment is (TD related, so if you’re not interested in reading it, simply don’t) related to Morgan and Beth. I theorized something similar a few months ago before the season started. Going off of the theories that Morgan aided in saving Beth, this is what I think could happen. I think Morgan, who is still struggling with his morals, journey, and identity, will be either injured (maybe on the brink of death) or put in a really uncomfortable dilemma that directly questions all those things. In some way, Beth will return, and it will be discovered that he helped her along his way to finding Rick again. In this moment he will realize that by saving her (before knowing who she truly was), and not disregarding a human life, he was able to provide healing to the people he has grown to love. He will die from his injuries, or make the morally right choice in the dilemma (maybe having to do with that rat face asshole who killed Benjamin) and get killed. I am not sure whether they will go into it in the MSF regarding Beth coming back and how she lived, or if that will be the cliffhanger and in the MSP we will start there. This makes sense in what Nacon said because the big moment seems like a give and take, some gut wrenching and something beautiful. This would be big enough, in my opinion, to live up to the hype. 

Regardless of what happen, it needs to be big. Perhaps even the biggest thing the show has ever done. Please send me messages/asks with your thoughts, and questions. Let’s all panic for Sunday, together!! Much love!

[winterironbang]

Artist Claims

Below you will find the names and summaries of the entered fics, please take care to read through them and beware of any warnings when thinking about which story it is you wish to claim. Make sure to have two in mind when choosing as your first choice may already be taken. 

A link will be posted at: 

At this time you will be able to begin claiming stories. Please only claim the number of stories you intend to do art for (i.e. if you have two stories you like and both are free, pick your favourite don’t pick your second choice as well unless you are going to do two bangs). If all stories are claimed and more artists wish to participate we can hold a second round of claims but this can only happen once all stores have been claimed once. 

Story summaries are below the read more (there are quite a few):

Title: Digimon: Avengers Assemble Bang: Mini Summary: Tony Stark is the son of EDEN creator, Howard Stark. Bucky is a homeless teen who doesn’t remember anything besides his name. After being attacked together in EDEN, they develop powers of a digital nature. Rescued by the Black Widow, they find they aren’t the only ones who’ve developed digital powers. Can they and some new friends- both of the human variety and non-human variety- save more than one world? Current word count:5005 Warnings: Referenced Past Child Abuse and Neglect, Strong Language, Angst A/N: This is a crossover with Digimon: Cyber Sleuth. As I am not sure everyone is aware of the game, I am including a link to a playlist of the game walkthrough so you can hopefully understand more about this story. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ec1vuqoUzb4RARPY7Do_R-k9AMRuBjc

 Title: Still alive Bang: Mini Summary: The Winter Soldier escaped from Hydra, and on the run, he needs a Mechanic to maintain the very efficient weapon attached its body. It decides the best person for the work is the world's best weapon expert: Tony Stark. Abducting him goes unexpectedly well. Then, complications come. Current word count: 9467 Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Minor character death (just the bad guys I promise), Kidnapping, Description of physical and mental torture (probably)

Title: Nothing In The Sky Above Me (Nothing Strung Below Us, Baby, If We Fall) Bang: Big Summary: Bucky wakes up wet, bloody, and in pain. He doesn’t know where he is, or why he’s there. All he knows is that there’s a picture of a stranger in Steve’s sketchbook and a cryptic message to save the man. Bucky doesn’t know what’s happening, but he knows that he’ll do whatever it takes to find that beautiful goateed man and kiss his stupid face. Current Word Count: roughly 22k Warnings: established relationship Tony/Bucky/Steve, amnesia/recurring memory loss, polyamory, kidnapping, implied torture, panic attacks, canon typical violence.

Title: Broken Bottles and Other Life Metaphors Bang: Mini Summary: Breakups suck, finding your ex at a party kissing someone else is not the best way to help with the aftermath but then again life had never really gone as Tony planned.  Current word count: 5138 Warnings: None yet apply… Angst.

Title: Hopelessly Devoted to You Bang: Big Summary: 80s high school a/u - When Tony and Bucky are paired together for a project in auto shop, sparks fly. The following weekend, Bucky gets invited to a rich kids’ party with ill-intent. Fortunately, it’s Tony to the rescue. He nurses Bucky through a XXX recovery. Frienemies to Lovers, fluff, first times, hurt/comfort, smut Current word count: 17700 Warnings: drugging, attempted date rape, references to physical abuse

Title: Homecoming: How It Could Have Ended Bang: Big Summary: Peter’s journey as an Avenger cuts off abruptly at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. But what if the tape had kept rolling at the new Avengers complex?  The press conference continues with Tony introducing a new Captain America. Pepper’s big news for Tony causes a complete mental breakdown. Catching Tony at a new low forces intimacy between Bucky and Tony. Is it unwanted?  Peter gets ‘rescued’ from Happy by Wade Wilson. Sam and Bucky wreak havoc around the complex, and Rhodey is having none of the BS going on.  Current word count: 22936 Warnings: Spider-Man: Homecoming spoilers, drug use, racism, the total assassination of Pepper Potts’ character, and way too many Cap PSA jokes

Title: Karaoke Soul Bang: Mini Summary: Daemon AU (MCU with flavours of 616) How can anyone have a secret identity in a world where everyone keeps their soul outside their body? Well, you’ll have to be Tony Stark. His daemon Kestrel is… a special case. (There are academic papers written about her.) (And exposes in less reputable papers.) Still, the closer Iron Man gets to his team, the harder it becomes to be two different people. Especially when the Avengers are joined by Steve’s old buddy, a 90-year-old assassin who was controlled for decades by freezing his daemon. Bucky hardly ever lets go of Shiann these days, and who can blame him? The only creature allowed to come close to her seems to be Kestrel, and that is… huh. Interesting. And totally not about to end in heartbreak for everybody. Current word count: 5k Warnings: None

Title: The Sea on a Moonless Night Bang: Big Summary: The War is over, and adventuring is good; Tony Stark has plenty of fans, and a brand new rival, and enough artifacts to find to last him a lifetime. His friends have found themselves even bigger and better callings of their own—so what does it matter if he's a little lonely? He's fine. He's doing what he loves. Still hoping to find a cure for his broken heart, ready to head into the trials and tunnels of a new adventure, Tony sets his sights on volcanic Iceland. He doesn't expect it to be easy, but he isn't counting on the mysterious man with a knack for stealing his leads. Current word count: 15,098 Warnings: Violence, non-serious injury, brainwashing, situational/environmental peril, extreme artistic license with Norse mythology A/N: This is Iron Man Noir with added Bucky, and contains major spoilers for elements of canon.

Title: Endure and Survive Bang: Mini Summary: [[The Last of Us AU.]] It’s been eight years since the cordyceps outbreak. Eight years, and Bucky has come to terms with things. With people dying. He’s not afraid of death. Doesn’t love anyone enough to be upset if they died. Not even Natasha. She’d argue with him, if he ever said that out loud, so he keeps his mouth shut. They don’t talk much, anyway. Jobs don’t really require talking - just fists and guns. Eight years since the outbreak, and Bucky thinks he’s seen everything. He’s been double crossed before, that’s nothing new - and Rumlow is an asshole who’s had it coming for a long time. He’s done a few drops for the Fireflies before, too, probably out of some misplaced sentimentality for Steve; and he’s honestly not surprised when Rhodes wants a favor, even though the guns are rightfully theirs. But no one’s ever asked him to smuggle a kid. Yeah, yeah, okay. Tony Stark isn’t a kid. He’s twenty-five. But he’s still obnoxious, and irritating, and apparently needs protection. Because apparently, Tony Stark is the only hope for the entire human race. Current word count: 9,093 Warnings: Mature content (NSFW); discussions of suicide; past suicide; PTSD; graphic depictions of violence; The Last of Us Spoilers

Title: Kill Me Gently (But Don’t You Dare Get Up And Leave) Bang: Mini Summary: Tony doesn’t know how to stay dead. The Asset doesn’t know how not to kill. They meet somewhere in the middle. // Starborns are not touched by death the way most living beings are. It comes at the price of a fascination with death—and those who cause it. Or: The many times the Winter Soldier killed Tony Stark. And the one time he didn’t. Who said murder is a bad basis for a relationship? Current word count: 5152 Warning: Repeated temporary main character death. Murder. Mental Health Issues thanks to HYDRA’s brainwashing. Codependence. Questionable Morals.

Title: Somewhere Now  Bang: Mini Summary: Roommate AU - Nobody has the patience for Bucky’s pining over his roommate, Tony anymore. With some much needed encouragement from his friends, Bucky finally gets the confidence to ask Tony out. Whether Tony feels the same is an entirely different matter… Current word count: 5k Warnings: Other than some swear words, nothing.

Title: A Chance Encounter Bang: Mini Summary: Young merTony! meets AngelBucky! when he is near death after a fatal incident. At first, Tony hates the beautiful snark bastard for reasons unknown to him. But then, after spending time with Bucky, he finds himself falling hard for an angel whom doesn't seem the slightest interested in him other than to care for him, and tease him like there is no tomorrow. Is this how his first love going to be? Falling for a beautiful, unavailable angel? Current word count: 5,068 Warnings: Language, Mild Torture (not really, but I don’t know how to explain that scene).

Title:  So beyond in love Bang: Mini Summary:   Natasha Stark, already Iron Man, an Avenger, and so beyond in love with Bucky, starts to question her own gender identity way too late (as she thinks) in her life. Not that this stops her slowly transitioning from Natasha into Anthony, no matter how terrified he is about what the team, and especially Bucky, thinks of him now. Current word count: 7097 Warnings: none

Title: Prepare For Trouble, Make it Double Bang: Mini Bang Summary: 5 Times The Meet Cute + Plus the One Time they actually get their heads outta their asses and get together. Or the one where Bucky is the single father of adorable Twins, and Tony is the hot guy they meet at the grocery store  who is “terrible” with children. Current word count: 5021 Warnings: Past Child Abuse mention, just in case I mean it would just be the canonical Tony Stark variety, but that still needs proper Warning. Maybe minor kidnapping (so some Violence in that regard but it would be adult on adult violence cause Tony gets kidnapped too). Possible allusion to abortion consideration by the Mother.

Title: Whatever We Deny or Embrace Bang: Mini Summary: Modern pre-Avengers alternate universe.  Bucky and Tony have been together since high school, and they’ve been fighting crime together in their dual “rocket man” suits for years. Now that gay marriage is legal in the U.S., Tony wants to have a second wedding. But how does Steve feel losing his best friend to Tony for good? This covers the wedding ceremony and reception in part, as well as the beginning of the wedding night. A little fluff, a little smut, a little drama, but a happy ending. Current word count: 9500 Warnings: drunk Steve warning, brief mild violence

Title: 8 Simple Rules (For Dating Tony Stark) Bang: Mini Summary: Bucky blinked as he stared at the list in front of him. "8 Simple Rules (For Dating Tony Stark)" was underlined in bold, black sharpie. Bucky gaped as Rhodey stared back at him, completely serious. All Rhodey ever wanted was for his best friend to be happy. And, if that meant outlining everything for Bucky in black ink to make sure these two love-sick idiots stayed together, then Rhodey would do it. (a.k.a. Rhodey's 8 simple rules for dating Tony Stark) Current word count: 5020 Warnings: None for now, will likely be rated T. Won’t be explicit, and won’t have any graphic sex/violence/gore scenes. 

Title:  Atomos Bang:  Big Summary:  In 1938, Stevie is 13 years old, a fledgling artist, and possessed of a keen sense of righteousness. His family lives a life of wealth and privilege, but he knows that even powerful people can be bullied. A long-anticipated family visit doesn’t go anything like he’d hoped, and his own rash actions threaten to destroy those he loves. Bucky Barnes, the educated son of the family’s housekeeper, and Stevie’s older brother, Tony, are trying to weather a secret, forbidden relationship.  Despite the strain of Tony’s scheming father and quick tempers flaring in the sweltering heat, they find solace and deeper commitment to one another just before everything shatters. Years later, Steve seeks forgiveness for his role in the events that destroyed their lives, but the world is at war, and the fate of a single soldier is a terribly uncertain thing. Current word count: 16k Warnings:  Major Character Death, period-typical homophobia; Rated E (Explicit) A/N:  This is an Atonement AU (based on the 2007 film), however the fic DOES NOT include any rape.  It does include getting dirty in the garage, sweaty summer sexytimes, Bucky in a WWII uniform, pilot!Tony, skinny!Steve, and BUCKETS of angst.

Title: To Be or Not to Be Bang: Mini Summary: Fifteen-year-old Tony Stark is a senior in high school, which is bad enough in itself. After all, what normal teenager does four years of school in four semesters? Tony, that’s who. But what makes it all so much worse is this pesky little crush he has on James “Bucky” Barnes, popular quarterback for the football team. Unfortunately, the crush doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Fortunately, it may or may not be as unrequited as Tony initially thinks.  Word Count: 14,252 Warnings: Underage drinking, Mature rating

Title:  Entangled   Bang: Big Summary:  Date night was going well until a crazy woman spun some magic at them.  Now Tony’s wondering why Bucky is in cryostasis missing his arm, and Bucky’s wondering why Tony hates him and is trying to kick him out of the Tower.  (Civil War fix-it with a little help from a happier universe.) Current word count: 15,560 Warnings: -

Title: Bad Decisions Bang: Mini Summary: Tony would like to thank his parents for his bad communications skills, and he’d like to thank his friends for being supportive in him whoring himself out, but most importantly, he’d like to thank his boss, James Buchanan Barnes, for leaving him after they fucked. Too bad he’s going to see him again. Considering that, uh, they work together. Also, if your love life can be summarized in Ariana Grande songs, there’s definitely something wrong. Consider revaluation. Current word count: 17,791 words. Warnings: Sex, and emotionally constipated characters.

Title: A Sliver of Remembrance Bang: Big Summary: December 16th is not just the day that Howard and Maria Stark die. It also marks the day that Tony Stark goes from being a person to being a tool for HYDRA to break. It marks the day that a long and hard fight for self and freedom begins. Current word count: 18,007 Warnings: mentions of torture, degrading language

Title: Changing Fate (Title Subject To Change!) Bang: Big Summary: Tony dies in Siberia under the hands of Captain America, but fate doesn't leave it there. He opens his eyes several years earlier amidst the threat of Loki's invasion and the first assembling of the 'Avengers'. Tony may not understand why he got this second chance, but he's going to do better with it - and he's decided that he's going to share it. With a Winter Soldier who could really use a different hand than he was dealt. Never let it be said that fate doesn't have a sense of humor. Current Word Count: 27,695 Warnings: None A/N: Pre-Slash, Winteriron, slight one-sided Frostiron at times (Because apparently Loki does what he wants *shrugs*), Rating: T, Part One of a series - but totally complete on it's own. This is the pre-beta'd copy, there will be slight changes with the beta recommendations - nothing too major though.

Title: (You're) The One that I Want Bang: Big   Summary: Billionaire genius Tony Stark meets and falls in love with tough guy and heart-throb Bucky Barnes during a summer’s fling at a beachside resort. Thought to have been parted forever, they discover they’re both attending Avenger’s Academy, a prep-school for superpowered people. With a different social circle, different goals and different dreams, will Tony and Bucky decide that the other is “the one that they want.” An Avenger’s Academy/Grease mash up fic. Current word count: ~20,000 Warnings:  underage drinking, premarital sex, unsafe sex, roofies, pregnancy scares, street racing, dropping out of school, etc

Title: Brideprice Bang: Big Summary: An event known only as the Sundering destroyed civilization as we knew it. Now, several hundred years later, humans have banded together in tribes that war over resources and scramble for ways to deal with the occasionally-deadly mutations that the Sundering left in its wake. The Hydra tribe has been steadily growing as it defeats and subjugates smaller tribes in its path. The Avengers thought they would be next, but instead, Hydra approached them with an offer of alliance, including a bride to symbolize the union of the two tribes. Current word count: ~30,000 Warnings: None

Title: Hidden Wolves Bang: Big Bang Summary:Tony has been taken. The Avengers are looking for him, breaking every wall standing between them and their missing friend. During another one of their raid on another base, Steve and Bucky stumbled upon a wolf. The size of a horse. And if their first reaction was to kill it, they quickly realized it was conscious and capable of thinking and decided to take it with them and decide later what to do with it. The thing is… the wolf is Tony. There is a long way to recovery and longer even when it comes to answering painful questions because it appears that his abduction has nothing to do with his ability to shift into a wolf big enough to look Bucky in the eyes without having to lift its head. And if answers are given, Bucky will also get something much better than he expected. Current word count: Over 33k Warnings: Explicit. Gore. Mention of torture. Mention of abuse.

Title: Agrippina Bang: Big Summary: The Avengers take down a HYDRA base, and what happens in the process will have some lasting consequences for Tony. HYDRA are up to their usual insane mad science tricks, and the Avengers can't let that go unanswered, after all. In the process, the team brings home one mostly recovered Winter Soldier and something far more hazardous. Current word count: 19300 Warnings: canon-typical violence, angst, implied torture, high octane crack treated deadly seriously prepare yourself for wtf, but the thing is IT'S NOT TOO INSANE TO BE CANON, also there is tentacle porn

Title: Reverting to Type Bang: Big Summary: Steve and Tony have been slowly figuring out their relationship and actually making progress, so of course that's when Bucky goddamn Barnes all but falls back into Steve's lap. Misunderstandings and assumptions ensue when Steve starts spending all his time with his old friend and almost none with his new boyfriend. Then, as if that wasn't enough, HYDRA decides to butt back into their lives in a big way. In the span of three days, Steve gets dumped and Tony gets taken. When they get him back, it's like seeing the Winter Soldier all over again. The blankness in his eyes and expression is just painful. And, somehow, it's up to Steve and Bucky to fix this clusterfuck. What they didn't count on was Bucky falling for Tony. Or it being mutual. Current word count: 30500 (complete, and beta-read, and edited) Warnings: canon-typical violence, angst, implied torture, deaged characters, lots of relationship drama, misunderstandings, breakups and makeups, lack of communication, lots of angst, memory issues, identity issues, rescue missions

A huge thank you to all the amazing authors and wonderful artists who are participating in the bang and to all our supporters. 

[yugihell]

Rowan Reads YGO Volume 2

<– First  <-- Previous 

In which I (fairly pointlessly I know) liveblog my reading of Volume Two of the manga and talk about the things I found interesting, be they plot or character. Hey, there are free pictures, so it’s all cool.

In this volume we meet a Blue-Eyes-less Kaiba, electrocute a bunch of people and meet Shadi - the human incarnation of ‘A Bad Time’.

Next --> 

Volume 2

Duel 8

Joey is the type of guy to drop 400 bucks on a pair of trainers #confirmed

Tristan thinks this is dumb, but Joey still knows that he’ll come with him to get ‘em back after they’re stolen. Synced.

However pacifist you want to make Yugi later, right now Yugi is not at all bothered by the idea of Joey and Tristan beating people up.

In fact is possibly turned on by it.

Note: Atem does not appear when Yugi originally gets beaten up by those people, but does when Yugi is angry about the injustice of the man selling the shoes being in charge of the thieving operation.

Pictured Below: Atem entering a shop in the least heterosexual way imaginable.

(Yes Atem, that is how shops work.)

Atem doesn’t even need to penalty game the guy, just lets the scorpion go to town. …Atem, no you can’t keep the scorpion, no matter how unloved you think it is.

Yugi ‘woke up’ holding the shoes with the owner being taken to hospital. Not aware, but getting suspicious perhaps?

Duel 9 p.1

“The game is set up so both players are wizards. They use their cards to cast spells or summon monsters to fight.” Somehow that actually explains the Ancient Egyptian stuff more to me than the show did.

“I’ve heard of a fan in America who sold his house just to buy one.” Haven’t we all.

Yugi recognises Kaiba, who has apparently been in his class this whole time. And yet somehow doesn’t count as a celebrity or a student with a job. Ok.

Look, Joey’s so full of hope for a new friend.

“Come back after you collected at least 10,000 cards.” What the fuck are you Kaiba, a side-quest?

“I-I’ve never even seen this… I never thought I’d actually hold one.”

Wait, so Kaiba doesn’t have 3 Blue Eyes at this point?

Ok, so Arthur still gave Gramps the card in this universe, and so he treasures it. …Arthur from America… Who we see living in a trailer with his daughter in the anime - WAS HE THE ONE WHO SOLD HIS HOUSE?

Yugi is weak to Kaiba’s smile, but I think we all understand that, and shouldn’t think any less of him for falling for Kaiba’s card-swapping trick. Which in fairness, because he’s a pumpkin, he noticed immediately but didn’t want to mention in front of everyone, so as not to embarrass him. I love this boy.

It was all fun and games until you failed to understand the importance these people place on emotional bonds (slash that other-Yugi being very literal and seeing the card as Grandpa’s heart). Now Atem is gonna have to kick your ass.

Again, note that this is the catalyst for the transformation, not Yugi being hit in the face by Kaiba’s briefcase.

Duel 10 p.2

Kaiba is either an adrenaline junkie, or one of those people who just like to skirt death for the hell of it. That can’t be good.

“Off with her head!” Very Alice In Wonderland of you Kaiba.

Ok, so if you’re feeling bad about skipping turns in duels, remember the manga was doing it first.

“This game’s rules went out the window when the monsters started coming to life.” Look I’m not saying I agree, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get his reasoning here.

Kaiba telling ‘Yugi’ he should enter the next tournament. Already getting those tingling feelings we’ll call desire ‘to duel’.

Ok so the Blue Eyes is loyal to Grandpa and would rather destroy itself rather than attack ‘Yugi’. Which is, as Kaiba is rightly thinking, bullshit.

Then Atem uses Monster Reborn to bring back the Blue Eyes to his side. Oh that DSoD parallel bookend meta.

WAIT

STOP

Atem was the first person to trap someone’s soul in a card???

Oh boy.

Duel 11 p.1

There’s an empty desk - yeah Yup, cus Atem shoved Kaiba into a trading card- oh we’re talking about Joey. Alright then.

And we find out that Joey never skips class, interesting. And that he always gets an A+ in P.E. even if he flunks everything else.

Téa grudgingly admitting it’s lonely without him - aw, she does care.

Tristan’s known Joey since Middle School apparently.

Dad’s clearly been relying on those drink calories for the two days Joey’s been gone.

Rintama’s the ‘rough school’ I take it.

Seems like every part of this volume is trying to make it clear that it’s kind of Yugi’s ‘decision’ to switch, rather than Atem being protective and jumping in. Yugi gets punched in the face (and threatened with someone cutting off his hair - which if you’ve ever had ‘weird’ hair, is not a threat you take lightly) and no appearance from Atem at all.

Téa’s good feeling about Joey has gone.

And we learn that Joey nearly landed in Juvie because of his fights in gangs when he was rolling with Hirutani. Now I don’t know the Japanese or American education systems, but Middle School can’t be that old right? Who gave these babies knives.

Yugi decides they should go and get hime back, Tristan agrees, and Téa finally gets to tag along on one of the excursions too. Admittedly Honda’s doing most of the punching, and they’re just watching him lay into the guy, but it’s moral support.

“Whatcha thinking’ about Jonouchi? You rather be playing house with star-head.” Closeted bi Joey feels intensifying.

“No way I’m letting that pass…” Because he implied you were gay?

“No way I’m letting you get away with hitting my friend!” Oh good, that’s much better.

Duel 12 p.2

So they’re taking Joey “To the Torture Chamber”. Is that a thing gangs have?

Tristan insists on going into the gang’s place alone because Rintama means these guys are next level apparently. No ‘Téa = girl so obviously you can’t come’ line, which is nice.

“Yugi! Even though you’re my friend… I don’t want you falling to my level! ‘Kay?!” Cute.

Tristan bashes into that place like a superhero. “Honda The Man is here!! Give Jonouchi ba-“ You know this guy has white knight fantasies.

…Ok. That got weird fast. Headcanon that they totally know Joey isn’t straight.

The guy knocks out a dude with a taser while his hands are literally tied behind his back, can we get a ‘hell yeah’ for Joey right here.

Yugi uses the Millennium Baedar to find Joey, and the glimpses he sees of them electrocuting Joey are apparently enough that the ‘nope’ switch is flicked.

Maybe I’m just seeing what I want to see, but that looks like a very ‘Yugi’ Atem. “I’m gonna electrocute these guys.” “Go for it.”

I need some fanart of that scene - Yugi/Atem just standing there with that ‘You’re dead, and you’re dead, and you’re dead’ look in his eyes, with the rain running off him.

Atem gets punched in the face, and has a sort of ‘Ready Steady Cook’ moment, where he works out how to use the items he fell into to make a death game.

Note of interest: Atem can still stay up-front if he’s a short distance away from the puzzle. We see him hang around in ghost form when Yugi’s not wearing the puzzle (when he’s hung it on his bed post or whatever), but this is the first time I’m aware of him fronting without it on.

I can only assume Atem is using Yugi’s knowledge here (or has been around while Yugi’s been watching some violent films - also possible), because electricity+water+standing on a rubber tire is not an equation I’d expect an ancient pharaoh to come up with.

Either Atem or Yugi’s got Joey down by the time the others arrive. Also we don’t see the bodies of the people in question. Maybe Atem’s got savvy to not leaving dead people lying around so obviously - Yugi watched a crime drama perhaps.

Joey moans Yugi’s name and grabs onto him in a way that could mean he’s happy to see his actual white/grey knight (sorry Tristan), or that he saw what ‘Yugi’ just did and is trying to ask what in the fucking fuckedy fuck.

Duel 13 p.1

The Ancient Egypt exhibit is coming to town, so maybe we’ll get to learn a thing or two.

First thing we learn is that Joey is MiddleClass-White-American level afraid of curses. Téa is a horrible friend who brings up the fact that everyone who found the Puzzle all died mysterious deaths, making Joey panic that Yugi’s cursed, while Téa howls with laughter in the background: “Of course I’m not cursed! (Don’t scare him, Anzu…)” - you’re all adorable.

“But still… Ever since I completed this Puzzle, there’s been times when I lose my memory… I’d better not tell everyone… They’d think it was creepy…”

Um, Ginny Weasley wants to have some words with you. (You know that could make for a good crossover fic. And these items kind of are like Horcruxes… Sorry, I digress.)

Joey telling Yugi not to wear his uniform at weekends. Come on Yugi, you could get in on a child ticket, there’s a good reason to have people assume you’re about ten years old today.

Yugi doesn’t want to let Kanekura display the Puzzle, but agrees for one day. Picturing Atem in there like a kicked puppy.

Shadi arrives in the most ominous plane landing shot of all time. This is why we couldn’t set Yu-Gi-Oh in America, there’d have been too much time spent on ‘random security checks’ for a guy dressed like that. (Pages 323-451 Shadi gets his Millennium Items held by customs and has to fill out 16 forms before he can get them back).

Yugi thought “Archeologists were treasure hunters with dreams of making it big” and has his dreams shot down by a guy who tells him that’s just in the movies, and it’s one of the worst paid professions. This is why you got to get into becoming a Pro Duelist and indie board game maker. That’s where the money’s at.

I half think that the reason Yugi’s ok with all this weird stuff is because he has been way too warped by TV to know what’s normal and what’s not.

We get to see a Mummy (that some people think is Atem’s - honestly I say it’s someone else’s, just because of how it looks (taller and more angular) and that it’s implied he has a name - unlike ‘the nameless pharaoh’. Similar enough to Set though, if you want that agony.

Shadi pats Yugi on the head and calls him “a nice little boy…” and Yugi inwardly seethes. That uniform trick doesn’t work when they’re not from around here, sorry.

Yugi sat outside the museum on his own, counting the minutes until he gets his puzzle back. Oh my heart.

Shadi murders the guy who wanted to buy the Puzzle between one panel and the next. Ok.

“My bloodline has guarded the tombs for 3,000 years.” …Is he related to the Ishtars? Is that a stupid question?

Shadi is smart enough to know to follow the money to find the real ‘tomb defiler’, good for you bro. Break the system and all that.

The shadow game he plays involves a Scale-based game of truth or dare, with the dare being ‘dare to lie and you will die’. What happens if you tell the truth - answer correctly. Does the scale still go down because the actions ar bad, or is it simply because you lied?

Yugi waiting for the Puzzle. Still cute.

Kanekura gets eaten by Ammit - figuratively, uh well, mentally, but it’s still a horrible image.

Shadi wants to use the Key to see if Yugi has “the same power as my blood line” which… doesn’t match up to Atem. Magic then? Answers on a postcard please.

This turns out to be a mistake, as it sounds like Atem has been wanting a ‘visitor’ for quite some time.

…This is gonna be some Saw shit isn’t it?

Duel 14 p.2

For the first time it’s implied to us that Atem is not just a separate being, but also a pharaoh - Shadi’s remarks on his room’s decoration. But Shadi doesn’t seem to know who he is.

Note: Atem is reflecting Yugi’s current appearance, in that he’s not wearing the Puzzle.

Shadi’s now changed his tune and admits to Atem that he doesn’t know what power is bestowed on the person who completes it, because no-one ever has. “And if that power is needed… I will draw it into my bloodline…” ???

“You know the routine… This is a game! A shadow game!!” Atem self-aware enough to lampshade it at least.

Shadi says he can “Redecorate” and control that person at will, and even destroy their personality, which appears to perturb Atem, as it should. But Shadi accepts and starts to traverse the trapped maze, while Atem leans on a wall, trying to be all cool. Then he teleports away to the proper room, because this isn’t a dimension with physics.

“This boy’s soul is tightly closed against strangers.”

We need to do something with that line, that is a good line.

Atem pretends to (?) consider pushing Shadi into the final trap, but helps him up instead.

“I don’t like your hobby of peeking into people’s souls.” There’s so much double-thinking going on here I can’t process Atem just said that.

Yugi says Shadi closed his eyes and stopped moving, implying he was conscious for Shadi’s adventuring. So the fronting soul keeps up front, and Shadi’s actions are not instantaneous in ‘the real world’.

Shadi says he owes ‘the other you’ but Yugi laughs at him, saying he’s the only ‘me’ there is. Shadi tells him he must discover his ‘other self’ to awaken the true power of the Millennium Puzzle.

Shadi reveals his name is ’Shadi’ and says it is the first time he’s ever told it to anyone - HOW HAS DSOD MADE SHADI EVEN MORE CONFUSING THAN HE WAS BEFORE????

Duel 15

We’re going to have a ‘sorry a dude you know died and you might be cursed’ trip to Professor Yoshimori, and Yugi is having his first ‘guided by heart’ moment in that he wants to come along with his grandpa, but suggests Téa and Joey don’t come along when they happen upon them on their way to him. (This also means Joey and Téa spend social time together - nice.)

Shadi’s having a rootle around Yoshimori’s soul room.

“His heart is cluttered with his obsession with the past.” -sips tea and looks at Atem, but says nothing-

Once he realises Yugi is coming, he then redecorates the soul room to turn Yoshimori into his puppet, to draw out Yugi’s power in the second stage of his game with “Yugi within Yugi”.

Joey: “I hate schools at night! They’re so creepy!”

Téa: “You don’t have a shred of courage, do you Jonouchi?”

She goes for his life every time, I swear.

Shadi has his puppet strangle Jonouchi and-

Cut.

Hey, literally nothing happened that chapter besides set-up. Aw man.

Next -->

[pluckyredhead]

Daredevil 101: Typhoid Mary, Part 2

CONTENT WARNING: Same as last time - dubcon, attempted sexual assault, sexual violence, infidelity, child abuse, ableist depictions of mental illness.

When we last left the Nocenti/Romita run of Daredevil, Matt had begun cheating on Karen with the sweet, innocent Mary Walker, little guessing her other identity as the unhinged killer Typhoid. He was also about to face off against Foggy in the courtroom, via a proxy at least, with Foggy representing the slimy corporation Kelco, whose illegal toxic waste dumping had blinded a little boy named Tyrone, and Matt coaching Tyrone’s inexperienced lawyer.

Foggy, canonically one of the best and most expensive lawyers in the MU, somewhat pityingly expects to run rings around his opposition - until Matt walks in (just as an audience member), and he completely falls apart:

Get a haircut, Matt.

While the jury deliberates, Matt goes to the apartment Foggy now shares with Glori to rub it in:

“What happened to your morality, Foggy? P.S. I have literally attempted murder multiple times."

Foggy doesn’t say a word in this whole sequence, which just...baby. My sweet baby. MATT’S GOOD OPINION MEANS SO MUCH TO HIM.

Anyway Matt concludes his speechifying by offering Foggy a job at the clinic and is about to leave when Glori hauls him into the other room and reads him the riot act, pointing out that Matt is acting like this at least in part because he’s pissed that Foggy and Glori started dating after Glori dumped Matt. Matt ignores this and high-and-mighties his way out of the apartment, and...that’s, um, kind of the last we see of Glori for a really long time??? Which is so weird??? I love you, Glori, I’m sorry that you, like most of Matt’s love interests, eventually come to a Tragic End (TM).

The jury deliberation goes on for long enough to Daredevil to fight Typhoid again, but just as she’s about to kill him:

Mary loves Matt so much (apparently...this is not a relationship that has much emotional weight, since we basically only ever see them sucking face while neglecting a blind child and never, like, having things in common) that she’s managed to exert some sort of control over Typhoid for the first time. Matt, meanwhile, is still completely oblivious.

Matt dries off, and the jury reconvenes:

SOMEONE GET TYRONE AWAY FROM MATT, JESUS.

Meanwhile, Foggy finally does what he’s known he has to do for issues and issues now, and quits.

(That second panel in the second row is a reference to Fisk having attempted to pay off a juror, which Matt managed to put a stop to.)

Anyway, Tyrone’s family wins their lawsuit! Hooray! Fisk is furious, and also increasingly jealous of Typhoid’s toying with Matt:

I’m pretty sure this is supposed to make us thing Typhoid is even more evil and disgusting, which, you can move right along with your slut-shaming and your fatphobia, Daredevil comics.

This raises the question of whether Fisk is committing infidelity here, since he is technically still married, though Vanessa is currently institutionalized in Europe due to the trauma she sustained at the hands of the, um, sewer people. Or, what I find more interesting - whether Fisk thinks he’s committing infidelity, because the overall morality of having what is technically an affair when one’s partner is ill and indefinitely incapable of consent is certainly not something I feel equipped to make a call on. But Fisk is very invested in the sanctity of marriage - note his meddling in the Nelson marriage - and I don’t think he's shown with anyone besides Vanessa or Typhoid. It’s also worth noting that Matt, who is in a similar situation many years later, does consider himself to have cheated.

And speaking of cheating!

Any guy who ever said to me “Oh, darling...you’re like a child” would immediately find himself dumped so hard, even if he did look like Matt Murdock/Charlie Cox/kind of a redheaded Robert Redford in terrible sunglasses. But this is what I’m talking about when I say that Mary is all supplicant and innocent and sweet, and also what I’m talking about when I say this is a full-on affair where Matt is considering leaving Karen, and not just the occasional dubcon-y stolen kiss.

Also, for those of you who were not yet born in the 80s, that dress is real.

Typhoid has realized that Mary won’t allow her to kill Daredevil - oh, and Fisk explicitly told her not to, because he wants Matt broken, not dead - but she decides to get someone else to do her dirty work anyway, and uses Fisk’s IBM Henchman Database to hire all of Matt’s rogues from this particular era (none particularly interesting...Bullet, Bushwacker, I’m already asleep) to beat the shit out of him instead:

That last line is such a cliche I can’t even make a joke about it. I’m so tired.

Brief interlude for Matt and Karen to rescue some missing kids with the help of the Fatboys, and then for Matt to be adorable:

I love the consistent canon that Matt is great with kids, and this scene is so heartbreaking and sweet (even if Butch hasn’t shown up since like 1990 and Matt hasn’t thought about him once, but what can you do?).

ANYWAY. Back to Typhoid destroying Matt’s life!

There are a lot of covers during this run with Matt in a tattered costume and a subject position, but this one might be the most explicit - especially with the hints of pink on the torn underside of the costume and the massive phallic object between Mary’s legs. (And the liquid trickling down Matt’s face towards his open mouth, can’t forget that!) Over and over again we see Matt weak and in peril, defeated and violated, both by Mary and later by the gender-bending Mephisto.

What strikes me is that Matt’s not just victimized here - he’s sexualized. He’s objectified. Matt’s always been a fairly lithe, graceful hero as opposed to your Supermans, your Caps, your Punishers, and in these covers - which, remember, are a marketing tool, meant to entice customers to buy - he’s portrayed as beautiful and eroticized in an entirely submissive, feminine way. And this was during the chest-thumping, uber macho, xenophobic 80s!

But it’s part of the handwringing, too. The fact that he’s an eroticized victim is part of what makes Typhoid so threatening. If part of Matt didn’t “want it,” she wouldn’t be scary. (PLEASE NOTE I am not saying that sexual assault survivors want their assault in any way! I’m talking about the unhealthy construction of this narrative and the underlying anxiety of it, especially to the straight male reader.)

And while we’re talking about the underlying anxiety of changing gender roles and also power dynamics and also kink...

Yeah, I don’t even know what to do with that last panel.

This is after Typhoid has sicced Matt’s rogues on him and they’ve all beaten him to hell and back. He starts hallucinating that his father’s ghost is yelling at him in an alley, and is then rolled by some random petty criminals and beaten further. So yeah, he’s calling some random mook “daddy” there.

I honestly don’t know if it’s intended to be kinky, but...I kind of think it is? Again, so much of this run is about the dangerous subversion of gender roles. Early on Matt gets hit on by a dude in a seedy bar (“Well, well, well...red spandex, tight as a drum. You pitching or catching, Redman?”); in the next post, he’ll kiss someone who normally presents as male and it will UPEND THE MORAL FABRIC OF THE UNIVERSE, I’M NOT KIDDING.

So yeah...when I look at Matt here - chest bared, head bowed, legs spread, calling the person beating him “Daddy” - I can’t help thinking that this is yet another lesson on the dangerous enticement that is male submission.

Matt eventually tangles with Typhoid while still in this sorry state, and she manages to push Mary down far enough to strike the killing blow and throw him off a bridge (though she does shed a solitary tear over it):

Matt doesn’t die. (Surprise! They do still publish Daredevil comics, after all. In fact, Matt’s never totally died and come back, though he has faked his death at least four times that I can think of off the top of my head.) He just lies there under the bridge until he’s attacked by an evil vacuum cleaner.

...Yeah, so this had something to do with the big company-wide “Inferno” crossover, which I didn’t read, but all the electronics in the city come to life and attack people? And there’s a vacuum cleaner under this bridge?

Anyway Matt fights it of, and then who should show up to take him to the hospital?

Why, it’s Typhoid Mary of the incredibly obvious name! Judging by her hair not being in weird inexplicable dreads and her speech bubbles being white and not pink - and the fact that Matt recognizes her as Mary - I guess she’s attained some sort of compromise between her two personalities for the moment?

Meanwhile, Karen has been keeping the Fatboys safe with the help of a guest-starring Natasha and worrying herself sick over Matt’s disappearance. She’s confused when Mary shows up at the hospital to see Matt as well, and especially when Mary (who appears to be fully Mary now, no Typhoid) calmly tells Karen that she knows all about Karen but it’s Mary that he really loves:

Karen leaves the hospital in tears and doesn’t return to their apartment.

The city burns. Matt eventually hauls himself out of bed and fights demons until the crossover is (almost) over.

The legal clinic is closed on the basis of Matt operating without a license. The Fatboys hate Matt now for cheating on Karen. Mary was an illusion.

Matt’s reaching rock bottom, and he’ll hit it in the next adventure: Gay Panic Road Trip to Albany! There are genetically engineered pigs and straw feminists, it’s pretty exciting.