#and now i'm 100% a tony girl

[statisticalcats2]

Complexity of my one and only regret about getting (back and more fully) into the MCU so late being missing out on Far From Home in real time and the fact that blips of Far From Home creeping into my radar was half of what made me come back.

Would I have gotten back into the MCU without what I'm poetically deciding was my autism picking up on the psychic siren call of Far From Home? Who can say?

[two-white-butterflies]

do i wanna know? | m33

Description: Max Verstappen begins dating Tony Stark's daughter.

Pairing: max verstappen/nepo-baby!reader

y/n_stark: happy father's day, so much to be thankful for ✨ tagged: tony

192 comments 182,390 likes

tonystarkisasigma: #1 alpha male

maxverstappen1: Happy Father's Day - f1forzaferrari: ariana what r u doing here 💀

schecoperez: ¡Feliz Día del Padre! - ilikesmootheis19: BYEE WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE

danielricciardo: pls tell ur dad to give me a seat 😇 - y/n_stark: will do!

yukitsunoda0511: happy birthday

alonsohamiltonworld: friendly reminder that tony stark owns redbull and alpha tauri, that's why the drivers are kissing his @ss

Y/N STARK ALLEGEDLY DATING AN F1 DRIVER. by deuxmoi (podcast)

Deuxmoi: So allegedly a famous billionaire superhero nepo-baby is dating an F1 racer. My bets are on Y/N Stark, because her dad is the only superhero with kids. As for the F1 racer, we're not sure - some people in my dms say that it's Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc or Max Verstappen.

y/n_stark: first time in the redbull garage, totally in awe ✨

928 comments 128,349 likes

maxverstappen1: 💙🧡 #OrangeArmy

landonorris: aww missing you here - ynfans: YA'LL BE SAYING IT'S CHARLES, DANIEL AND MAX BUT IT'S OBVIOUSLY LANDO BYEE

tony: ❤️🔥

ynfans: a thread on how y/n stark is dating lando norris

Y/N was in England the same time Lando was in England. (picture proof: she's the one who took the photo)

2. Lando commented "aww missing you here" to her post 3. They would make a cute couple. I rest my case.

9 comments 100 likes

carlandoisbae: bitch bffr

grimes49r: "(shes the one who took the photo)" girl just kys 😭 they're obviously not dating

y/nfans: ok, if she's not dating lando then she's dating charles ya'll stfu because idgaf

avengersassembleconspirancy: I'm praying for the driver that manages to date iron-man's daughter.

10 comments 1,293 likes 12 retweets

peterparker1001: praying for max verstappen 😁 - ynismymommy: I CHECKED HIS PROFILE? HE INTERNS FOR TONY STARK, AND THEY'RE LIKE CLOSE CLOSE 😭 - ilovecaptainamerica: someone is getting fired 💀🤣

y/n_stark: since the cat is out of the basket 🤷🏻‍♀️💕 tagged: maxverstappen1

2911 comments 292,201 likes

maxverstappen1: 🧡💙

peterparker1001: really sorry mr verstappen 😕

starkfashion: how did ur dad react? - y/n_stark: we'll know in a few minutes 💗💕

tony: I feel sorry, - peonysandsuid: me too, she deserves better -- tony: for Max

maxverstappen1: Cheers to more laughter ✨ my lucky charm ❤️ tagged: y/n_stark, tony, redbullracing

819 comments 912,384 likes

carlandolover: bro tagged his entire family 🥶

verstappenleclercbonus: bro isn't scared of tony stark 🥶

y/n_stark: handsome and spectacular 💕

danielricciardo: aww cheers mate 🥂

lokiandthorareinnocent: bro said, i'm the boss now 🥶

AITA FOR ACCIDENTALLY EXPOSING MY BEST FRIEND'S RELATIONSHIP?

I, student, M have a friend - 23, F, and she's been in a relationship with a very famous guy for over a year now. She's very private and lowkey with all the things that she does. Now, instead of using my alternate account in commenting something - I used my real account and their relationship got exposed. She tells me that it's perfectly fine and that she doesn't blame me but I feel really bad. AITA?

3 upvotes

aragornofmirkwood: nta divorce the alternate account

benelopecruz: if she says that she doesn't blaim you, nta

maxverstappenisnomber1 max verstappen after pulling tony stark's daughter

starkfamily99 tony stark after a broke man *worth $60 million* dates his daughter

starkfamilyisworld how i imagine tony talking to max: "100 Million, stay away from my daughter"

y/n_stark: SMASH. WAIT WHAT WAS THE GAME?

193 comments 293,129 likes

y.nbutterflyworld: this is how i know tony stark is a good dad 😭 his daughter's type is SO far away from what he looks like. Sis has no daddy issues fr 😭

next part

[tonyspank]

TRUTH HURTS

Summary: Your girlfriend finds out your secret.

A/N: I was listening to Lizzo when I wrote this lol. And I didn't revise this at all, so if there are mistakes, sorry!

Warnings: Reader and Jenna being too cute at the end. But actually, I can't think of anything.

"I just took a DNA test turns out I'm 100% that bitch! Even when I'm crying crazy." You sing on top of a rooftop, your Spider Suit hugging your body. Karen (an artificial intelligence user interface created by and installed in your Spider Suit by Tony Stark) had turned on your swinging playlist that you had created last month. You pause your singing to take a bite of your sandwich you'd gotten from the deli a few blocks down, savoring its sweet and salty flavors.

Being New York's Spider-Man/Woman was absolutely exhausting. Yet, the thrill of it all was worth it. You smiled, content with the knowledge that you were making a difference in the city. You had to balance your heroic tasks with your everyday life, but it was worth it. You felt proud to be able to help people in need and make a difference in the world. You had found your true purpose. Sometimes you'd fear for the people you loved. You didn't want them to get involved in the crime you fought everyday. You kept doing your best to protect them while taking on the criminals. You knew that you were making a change and that's what kept you going.

Jenna, your girlfriend and also an upcoming actor didn't know exactly who you were. She thought you had a normal job, and thought you were just an ordinary person. She had no idea that you were Spider-Man/Woman, risking your own life to save others. You were afraid to tell her the truth, but at the same time you wanted her to know the truth. You decided maybe one day you could tell her hope she would understand.

You freeze your dancing and chewing, seeing a group of thugs walking into an alleyway. You knew you had to act fast, so you shoved the remaining half of your sandwich into your mouth, pulling down your mask. "Karen! Pause my playlist please." You asked the AI assistant installed in your mask. You started running, jumping off the roof and shooting a web out towards the alleyway, determined to protect your neighborhood.

You followed them, keeping a safe distance, and watched as they opened a door in the back of the alleyway. The door revealed a secret hideout with a large stash of weapons. You web yourself to a corner of the hideout, waiting for an opportune moment to act. Suddenly, the door opened and several armed men entered the hideout. You knew you had to act fast and without hesitation. You quickly webbed one of the thugs to the nearest wall. 

"It's Spider-Man/Woman!"

The other thugs were taken by surprise raising their weapons at you. "Now that's no way to treat company!" You say with a smirk under your mask. "I was on my lunch break before this!" You fired a web at the thugs and they were suspended in mid-air, helpless. You quickly zip around the room, disarming each thug and taking their weapons.

You turn to the last one, still suspended in the air, and say "Let that be a lesson to you. Don't mess with me on my lunch break." Before you fire another web, your phone vibrates. You drop to the ground, pulling it out of your tight pocket and read the contact name, which reads "Jenna" Face-Timing you.

Really? Now? When you're fighting criminals? The thug attempts to attack you with a crowbar, but you dodge it easily holding up a finger. "Dude, please? I gotta text my girlfriend."

The thug stops, stunned, and laughs. He throws the crowbar to the side, shaking his head. "Man, you got some serious priorities. Alright, go ahead and text your girl, I'll wait."

 The thug stepped back and crossed his arms. He watched with amusement as you texted away, trying to explain to Jenna you were too busy to Face-Time. After a few moments you put away your phone, turning back to the thug. "Alright, I'm ready." The thug grinned, showing off his broken teeth. He took a step forward and raised his fist. "Let's get this started then," he said.

You took a deep breath and squared your shoulders, preparing for the fight. The thug lunged forward, but you were ready, dodging his attack and counterattacking with a flurry of punches and kicks. In a few short seconds, the thug lay on the ground, defeated.

"Karen could you call this in and call Jenna back for me?" You nicely ask the AI, Karen responded, "Yes, of course. I am calling Jenna now." Karen connected Jenna to a call and the police were dispatched.

You web away from the scene, as Jenna answers and you hear her lovely voice. "Hey, where are you?" You answer, "I'm at home. I just got back from Feast. " Jenna is suspicious but you assure her that you were just busy helping your Aunt. 

She reluctantly believes you, "Oh, okay. Well, I have good news!" You swing low in the streets, dodging cars to entertain yourself. She continues, "I got the role!" You nearly get hit by a car, but move just in time. You yell with joy, "That's great! Congratulations!" Jenna laughs and tells you how excited she is about the new role. You talk to Jenna for a few more minutes, sharing your excitement about her news. "How about I take a shower and come to your place?"

 "Orrrr," She trails off, "I come to your place and we use your vinyl player and celebrate over dinner?" You hesitantly agree. Were you going to make it back home in time to shower, prepare dinner, change, and beat her there? You start swinging off your webs faster, hoping not to run into anything with the speed you're going. You see your apartment building in the distance and you're relieved. You quickly swing inside from your open window. You turn around to close your window, but your heart drops when you hear a gasp behind you.

You spin around to find your girlfriend standing in the doorway, her mouth agape. How did she get here so fast?! You stand there frozen, unsure what to say. She stares at you, her eyes wide and searching for answers. Your heart beats faster as you try to come up with an explanation. You take a deep breath and take off your mask throwing it somewhere in your room as you open your mouth about to speak.

You finally blurt out, "It's not what it looks like!" She looks at you skeptically and you can tell she doesn't believe you. You take a step back, trying to figure out how to convince her otherwise. You open your mouth to explain, but no words come out. You sigh, "Okay, maybe it is what it looks like."

She stares at you, and you take a step closer to her. You reach out to take her hands in yours. She flinches and pulls away, but you continue to hold out your hands, looking into her eyes. She takes them, and you squeeze her hands, letting her know that you understand. "I wanted to tell you."

"Why haven't you?" "I was scared," You say. "I thought you wouldn't believe me, or worse, that you would think I was crazy. And I don't want you to get hurt because of me." She nods, letting go of your hand to run a hand down your cheek. It was a claw scratch from months ago, a battle you had with The Black Cat.

"What happened here? I’m now starting to realize it wasn’t Ms. Browns cat." You take a deep breath and tell her about the fight, and the superhuman strength of the cat, and how you managed to get away. You tell her about the strange feelings you have been having lately, and how you think something strange is going on. She listens quietly, her face a mix of concern and understanding.

"Are we okay?" You ask, your voice barely above whisper. She smiles softly and takes your hand again. "We're okay. I believe you, and I'm not going anywhere," she says, her voice gentle but strong. "We'll figure this out together." She gives your hand a reassuring squeeze. You take a deep breath, the tight knot in your chest loosening a bit. You can do this, with her by your side.

You nod, your eyes meeting hers. She smiles again and brings your hands to her lips, kissing them softly. You feel a warmth rush through your body as you realize that, together, you can take on anything. You pull her into a hug, your hearts beating in time.

You whisper in her ear that you love her and she whispers it back, her breath tickling your neck. Holding each other, you guys are okay. You stay like that for a few minutes, before finally pulling away. You both laugh and she takes your hand in hers, the warmth of her skin instantly grounding you. You walk together towards the future, ready to take on the world.

"So, Black Cat. What's she like?" She grinned, her eyes twinkling with mirth. You playfully roll your eyes at the question, "A real wildcat and a tease." You smiled, "You kind of remind me of her." Jenna looks at you, a brow raised. "I remind you of one of your villains?" You chuckle, "In some ways. But that's why I like her. She keeps me on my toes." Jenna grins and shakes her head, "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult."

You laugh, glad your girlfriend took everything so well. You didn't know what you would do if you lost her over your secret identity. Jenna puts her arm around you and says, "I'm just glad you're here with me. I love you no matter what." You smile and kiss her forehead, relieved that you could share your secret with her and that she accepted it. 

After you change, shower, and prepare dinner Jenna and you spend the rest of the night talking about your powers and how you got them. You feel a connection to her that you didn't before, because you can now be open and honest with her. You are grateful for her understanding and love.

Jenna steps out of the apartment as her phone rings, and you lay down on the sofa, relieved as you watch TV. You feel like you can finally take a deep breath and enjoy the night's calm.

Outside of your apartment door, Jenna answers her phone. A known voice is on the other end. "Kingpin," Jenna murmurs into her phone, sighing. "Hey Felicia," Jenna grits her teeth together in anger. "That's not my name anymore. I left it behind along with that life." Jenna pauses for a moment, her heart racing as she remembers her old life. She takes a deep breath and continues. "I'm not going back." Kingpin laughs, a mocking sound that grates on Jenna's nerves. "You know I can find you wherever you wander."

"Listen," she says firmly, her voice full of determination. "I'm done with the old me. I'm creating a new life, and I'm not going to let anyone drag me back." She takes a deep breath and straightens her posture, her eyes blazing with determination. "I'm done with crime."

"But is it done with you?" I've seen you on the TV. Trying to convince everyone and yourself that you're a good person." Kingpin replies, on the other side of the phone. "I know what you're trying to do, I can tell. But you can't run away from who you are." Jenna remains silent, not knowing what to say.

He continues, "Or do I have to touch that spider of yours to remind you?" Jenna takes a deep breath, feeling like a million thoughts are running through her head. "You won't get the chance," she says angry. "If you or your goons show your face in New York, you're done with."

He laughs. "I admire your courage, Jenna," he says. "But don't forget who you're dealing with. I'm not some kind of joke." The line clicks, and the call is disconnected. Jenna takes another deep breath, trying to calm down. She knows she's made a powerful enemy, and she's not sure what to do next. She has to be careful, she knows. She can't let her guard down. But she also knows that she has to stay strong and fight for what she believes is right.

Suddenly, the door opens and Jenna comes back, a small smile on her face. "You okay?" You ask, concerned. Jenna nods and smiles, not wanting to worry you. She takes your hand and leads you away, ready to take on whatever comes next.

Jenna jumps at a noise emanating from your bedroom. With your super-hearing you can hear it clearly. "Oh, when you walk by every night. Talking sweet and looking fine, I get kinda hectic inside."

"Sorry," you mumble, embarrassed. "That's Karen playing my swinging playlist." Jenna's face relaxes in relief, and she smiles. You take her hand and lead her to the bedroom. You ask Karen to turn up the music, and you both start dancing to the music coming from your mask. You both laugh as you twirl around the room, forgetting the world outside. As the song ends, you pull Jenna close and kiss her. You both agree that there's no better way to spend your Saturday night.

[margareth-lv]

🏳️‍🌈 Every girl needs a gay best friend 🏳️‍🌈

Last week, I wrote a post here about the morbid shyness of a certain music manager.

My text was based on an interview Caitríona gave in mid-February 2018, shortly after her so-called 'engagement' and after she'd just won the Irish IFTA for her work on Outlander.

In the interview, Caitríona talked about how she met her fake fiancé. In the February 2018 version, Caitríona met her PA through one of her best friends.

So I decided to look into the subject of this "best friend" who brought the unfortunate music manager to Caitriona.

What I'm going to write today is, I think, 100% obvious to veterans of the fandom. But for those just starting out, I hope it'll be news. And I, well, I'm somewhere in the middle, between newbie status and more than three years of wading through the facts and the myths.

For me, the fun part has been reconstructing the chronology of events. The dates are interesting.

*** *** ***

The beginning of my story is quite surprising. Because we reach Caitríona's 'best friend' by clicking on a link in an article published in 'People Magazine' on 15 August 2019.

The article is entitled: 'Everything to Know About Caitriona Balfe's Super Private Relationship with Husband Tony McGill' and it tells us that: 'the couple tied the knot in England last weekend'.

😱

What excellent investigative journalists People Magazine have (bravo, bravo!), that in a twelve sentence article they could link to a post from Donal Brophy's Instagram.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

And look at this description:

"It’s unclear exactly when Balfe and McGill started dating, but the earliest evidence of their romance dates back to 2015, when a friend posted a video of her sitting on his lap at a bar in Ireland on Instagram. (McGill was not tagged and does not appear to have any social media accounts of his own.)"

🤯

Isn't that brilliant work from Starz/TPTB/whatever's PR Dept?

*** **** *** From the above it seems fair to conclude that the 'best friend' who brought Caitriona bad luck in the form of an unfulfilling music manager was Donal Brophy, because who else could it be?

*** *** ***

And now, let's take a quick look at the Instagram post (dated 1 January 2015) linked to the 'People Magazine' article. We all know it, of course! Here is the irrefutable proof of the passion between our two lovebirds: the rhythmic (and how sexy!) patting on the hip.

🥱

Well, hip-slapping is boring (and not at all sexy).

Far less boring, however, is the look on the music manager's face, the look that seeks Donal's approval (tell me I'm patting her well, do tell!). Could it be that, like the People Magazine link, this video was made to show? I wouldn't rule it out.

*** *** *** Now let's talk about dates: the sexy (not 🤢) slap on the hip was posted by Donal with a date of 1 January 2015, but two days earlier, on 30 December 2014, Donal shared another photo on Instagram featuring both the hapless music manager and Caitríona. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Perhaps the decidedly less seductive and sensual appearance of the 'fiancée' in the December photo was the deciding factor in "People Magazine" not publishing a link to it?

Who could know?

*** *** ***

It certainly wasn't love at first sight. The new boyfriend seems rather tired of Caitriona's presence. 😉

I know this is a mischievous conclusion. I am so, so sorry, my friends.

❓

But one thing is for sure: Donal is an old friend of Caitríona.

I haven't done too much in-depth research, but the oldest photo I've been able to find of both Caitríona and Donal is… a photo in a Flickr album belonging to Caitríona's ex-boyfriend, Dave Milone. The photo is dated… 2002.

😨

You get the idea - Caitríona's ex (and real) boyfriend, Dave, Donal, and after many, many years a new 'fiancé'. It feels like my brain is exploding. 🤯🤯🤯

*** *** ***

But back to Donal: I have a feeling that Donal may have been Caitríona's +1 at times when she did not have an official boyfriend.

*** *** *** And let's not forget: Caitríona has a sweet and tender relationship with Donal.

June 2013, Miss you babe!

December 2013, Caitríona on IG:

December 2013, Donal on IG:

April 2014: They even went hiking together in the Scottish Highlands.

I wonder, by the way, who was their mountain guide? Was it an unfortunate music manager? I think not.

I would rather point to someone else, someone who loves (and knows!) the (S)cottish (H)ighlands. But I won't name him.

⛰️🧗🏻‍♂️

*** *** ***

For those who are unfamiliar with the name Donal Brophy, here are a few words about his professional profile:

You know, it works for me: "While in New York, Donal was also known for epic parties. Everything he organized automatically became a “must-attend” event for New York’s most with-it residents."

You know, that kind of vibe (2007):

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

*** *** ***

Had he been Caitríona's false fiancé, it would have been easy for us to believe in the beautiful, loving bond that existed between them. But he was only the messenger of bad news. What wouldn't you do for your best friend?

❓

PS. Unless something has changed, Donal was married to Emrhys Cooper, a British actor, singer, dancer, and filmmaker. Together they run Idyllwild Pictures, an entertainment company.

Taken in July 2023:

[January 23, 2024]

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Second Chance - Chapter 15

Masterlist

Warning: fluff with a mix of angst, mention of treatment, mention of death

Word Count: 3.4k

Note: a lot of this story is based on my own personal experience with the disease. As I've learned chemotherapy effects everyone very differently. The type of chemo the reader is on is based on her type of cancer but the treatment plan may not be 100% accurate. I'm no doctor but I am doing as much research as I can

Tony liked to wear masks, whether it be his Iron Man or the cocky Playboy or once upon a time behind a drink. He hated showing those around him how he was truly feeling. Partly, he blamed his upbringing. With his parents never around, he learned to box away his feelings and hide them. Things were different. He had Pepper, Morgan, and a team that felt like more of a family than Howard and Maria. Now there was you, a new addition to the mix but not an unwelcome one.

For once, he felt a little out of his element. With Morgan, he was there for the girl’s first steps, and although he missed her first words, Pepper sent him a video of it. Natasha made fun of him for crying, but he saw the tears that formed in the team’s eyes when his phone got passed around. But with you. He missed all of it. So when you declared that you weren’t going to use Morgan’s bone marrow to save your life, he couldn’t pull the ‘dad’ card. He was only your father for 2 weeks. There was no ground for him to stand on.

He sat in the meeting room while the rest of the team pilled in. They needed to know the change in your treatment plan. He caught Yelena’s eyes, and the blonde gave him a small smile. It was hard for him to wrap his head around the fact you were seeing Yelena. With everything going on, he needed a vacation. “So,” he said once Bucky sat down next to Natasha. “Her treatment is changing.”

He wasn’t sure if he told them the correct information. The intensity of the treatment dawned on everyone. It was still a 3-week cycle. Now, you would have a double dosage twice weekly for two weeks, then a week off. When Steve asked about a possible match, Tony gave a vague answer about still looking for one, but your doctor wanted to move forward before it was too late. It was your choice on how to tell the team the truth.

Thankfully, Yelena was there to fill in the blanks to the questions he wasn’t sure how to answer. No one seemed to bat an eye when she knew so much about your treatment plan.

Finally, the team began to leave. A heaviness filled the air, suffocating. Your ability to touch the lives of these people so quickly should be studied. A slight slap to his leg startled him out of his thoughts. “Belova, what do you want?” The blonde crossed her arms.

“I want you to say what is on your mind now that your daughter is not here,” she said. “I can take your shovel talk, Stark. I have faced bigger threats than you.” The man let out a dry laugh. It was funny, and she wasn’t wrong either. He knew only a fraction of the horrors Yelena and Natasha were subjected to. There was a lot he wanted to say - a conversation between the person dating his daughter that he thought he had more time to prepare for. Hell, Morgan was only 4.

But was it right for him to have a say in who you spent your time with? And this wasn’t someone random. This was Yelena, someone he knew long before you. He saw her grow into the person she is now.

“Why her?” he finally asked. “You could have anyone in the world, but you chose her after knowing her for less than a month.” Being an Avenger came with status and power. He knew it better than anyone. Tony watched Yelena’s face soften, and she let out a sigh. She sat in front of him.

“Before Natalia and I were taken to the Red Room, our mother told us to not let them take out hearts,” she played with a ring on her finger that had a turtle charm. It must be new since Tony had never seen it before. “I was not sure what she meant then, but now I do. Melina did not want our hearts to be darkened by the horrors we faced. It was the one thing we could control,” she sighed again. “Sometimes I question if my heart is still good but your daughter,” Yelena looked at Tony. “Her heart is still good even though the world tried to change it.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦    

The sound of the elevator stopping pulled you out of sleep. You weren’t fully asleep; you were drifting between the two stages. Your eyes fluttered open, and you saw Tony. Morgan was still pressed to your side in a much deeper sleep than you. “Sorry, kid, I didn’t realize you were here.” You shook your head.

“It’s fine,” you whispered. “This one was getting tired.” Pushing the blame onto Morgan was easier than admitting you were tired. If you were tired, then that meant you weren’t feeling good, and you refused to worry them. The man frowned and sat next to you. It was easy to lean against him.

“It’s okay to be tired,” he said, fixing the beanie on your head. You were wearing it less around the team, but it felt comforting to wear it. It’s okay to rest.”

“I don’t want to be tired,” you answered.

“Why?” Such a simple question caused turmoil to race through your body. If you were tired, your body was being affected by the chemo.

“Are you okay with me and Yelena?” You changed the direction of the conversation. Tony sighed, crossed his left leg over his right, and looked at the TV. The end credits of Frozen 2 were playing, but the movie was muted. You weren’t sure when you fell asleep during the film.

“I don’t think I have a say in who you sleep with,” you managed to sit up more and move Morgan so she was leaning on the armrest of the couch.

“Why would you think that?” You frowned. “Your opinion matters to me.” Tony looked at you.

“It does?” He questioned. You nodded, and you saw him smile as he looked forward again. “Then she isn’t stupid enough to hurt you. I’d kick her ass,” you chuckled and kept to yourself that Yelena believed she would win that fight. Still, his words nagged at you.

“Why did you not think your opinion wasn’t important to me?” You nudged your shoulder against him when he was quiet for too long.

“I haven’t been in your life long enough to dictate what you do with it,” he said. “If you wanted to spend your free time with Yelena, who am I to stop you.”

“Tony,” you spoke slowly.

“It’s fine,” he managed a forced smile. It reminded you of the smile from the garage. “I have some work to do,” he stood up and kissed your forehead. “I’ll see you later, okay?” You felt like you received whiplash with the change and tone in conversation.

“Tony, wait,” you said quickly, following him to the dining room table. You suddenly felt lightheaded. “Woah,” you said and grabbed onto the table.

“Hey, hey,” Tony grabbed you by the shoulders and carefully helped you sit down. “Deep breaths for me, okay? Deep breaths.” Your head fell onto his shoulder, and he rubbed his hand up and down your back. You took a few deep breaths, and your head stopped spinning. You slumped back into the chair and saw Tony kneeling before you with a smile. “Better?” You nodded.

“You may not have been there while I grew up because Jessica didn’t give you the choice,” Tony’s smile flattered. “But you are here now when I need you. Your opinion matters, you matter. So thank you.”

“No need to thank me, butterfly. You’re my daughter,” you nodded and heard Morgan call your name from the couch. “I’ll get her.” He stood up and walked over to the couch. You were too far to hear what Tony was saying, so you focused on your breathing. The world wasn’t spinning as much, but your body felt sluggish.

You heard Morgan’s feet pattering as she ran towards you. You sat up straighter when she appeared in front of you. “Daddy said you need a special Morgan hug.” You smiled.

“Yeah, I need a big hug,” she climbed onto your lap and wrapped her arms around your neck. You held her against you and looked at Tony over her shoulder.

“All better?” She asked.

“Yeah,” you closed your eyes and fought the tears threatening to take over. “All better.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦    

You loved traditions. There were so many between you and your mom. When the summer solstice came around, you would be camping to celebrate the summer kick-off. It was the best place to be, under the stars and a belly full of smores. For Christmas, you would ice skate on Christmas Eve and spend the morning at a local food shelter. Birthdays were kept small with a slice of cheesecake and one present. Those traditions died when she did. It hurts too much to continue them on your own.

Now, you were living with a new group, and they had their own set of traditions, which included the Young Avengers, as they were called, having dinner together. Since they were all horrible cooks, they decided on Chinese. Thankfully, they had soup options that wouldn’t upset your stomach. On any other day, you would offer to cook. Even when you tried to offer, it took a stern look from Yelena to keep your mouth shut. Besides, it would be unwise to stand in the kitchen when your entire body was laced with exhaustion.

It was frustrating. When your body craved sleep, but your mind and soul wanted this social interaction. Being trapped in your room while your friends were hanging out sounded dreadful. You never had FOMO. Sometimes, you need a night to recharge. Now, it was different. With this disease running rampant through your body, it was a clicking time bomb. Any moment could be your lost. So you fought through the exhaustion, ignored Yelena’s worried glances, and tried to stay in the present moment.

At first, it was easy; you laughed with your friends, told them stories about your life before them, and cuddled up against Yelena. She seemed to not care about the teasing remarks from Kate, America, or the winks MJ would send your way. All that mattered to her was that you were in her arms, but that was your downfall. Yelena was your portable heater. The heat that radiated off her soothed the ache in your body. It was bringing you closer to sleep than you would like.

You groaned and tried to shift away from Yelena. The blonde held you tighter to prevent your escape. “What’s wrong, detka?” She asked. “Am I too hot for you?” You rolled your eyes at her teasing remarks.

“No, I think you are not attractive at all,” you deadpanned and received a slight pinch to your side. “You are going to make me fall asleep.” Yelena frowned.

“Am I that boring?” You slapped her shoulder. She pretending to be hurt gave you time to move to the corner of the couch. The others were in the kitchen, cleaning up the leftover food and gathering snacks for the movie. Yelena quickly sat next to you again, offering space between you and her.

“If you are tired, get some sleep. We can do this another night.” Some of your friends in DC said you were brutally honest even when they wanted you to lie. You saw no point in lying to people that you cared about. It caused a few petty fights that lasted a few hours. You were like your mother in that aspect. She believed the truth; no matter how much it hurt, it was the best route.

You pushed some of Yelena’s hair behind her ear and kept your hand on her cheek. “I don’t know how many more nights I will have like this,” you whispered. “I want to join as many as I can.” Her green eyes softened, and she took your hand to kiss your palm.

Before she could respond, the others came back. Yelena placed her arm on the back of the couch and kissed the side of your head while you took the bowl of popcorn from MJ. You kept quiet while they discussed the movie to watch. Some random crime drama was put on and you relaxed into the couch.

While the opening credits were playing, you caught Yelena watching you. You took your eyes off the screen and looked at her. Quickly, she cupped your cheek and kissed you. She deepened the kiss and pulled away when Kate turned around to ask Yelena about the movie. She answered it perfectly as if her tongue wasn’t down your throat. “You are missing the movie,” she said.

“I am not sure how long I have, so I will never stop kissing you,” you smiled and kissed her cheek. You grabbed her arm, placed it over your shoulder, and leaned into her.

You weren’t the only one going through this, so depriving yourself of Yelena’s touch was depriving her, too. You weren’t alone. You had Yelena, Tony, Pepper, and all the Avengers. It was comforting yet terrifying.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦    

Yelena woke you up when the movie ended and returned to her room. Immediately, you fall back to sleep in the comfort of her bed and her arms around you. Suddenly, you woke up. Yelena separated herself from you. The cold air sent a shiver down your spine, but you couldn’t bring yourself up to cuddle beside her. It would wake her up, and she looked so peaceful while she slept. Her braid was coming undone from the constant tossing and turning. The blanket was at her waist, and her arms were under the pillow. Smiling, you carefully got out of bed. “Dekta,” you froze. You were sleeping next to a Black Widow, sneaking out of bed would be impossible.

“Just getting water,” you told her. “Go back to sleep.” Sleepy green eyes looked up at you.

“Promise you’ll come back,” you almost frowned. Instead, you walked over to her side of the bed and showed her your right pinky.

“Promise,” she looked at you confused. Her brain was still clouded with sleep. Slowly, she raised her hand and linked her pinky with yours. “Can’t break a pinky promise,” you smiled. “Especially if you kiss it.” You kissed your hand. Yelena dropped her hand and rolled her eyes.

“You are such a dork,” she mumbled and closed her eyes. You waited until she fell asleep and stood up. Deciding on getting water from the common floor, it was a good chance to stretch your legs. Surprisingly, you weren’t the only one there. Natasha sat at the dining room table with her laptop and a few files. The coffee mug she had was half full. You wondered how many times she refilled it. You filled two glasses of water in the kitchen and put in an electrolyte mixture. Once it was dissolved, you walked over to the redhead and placed it next to the coffee.

“It’s water with electrolyte mix,” you told her when she looked at it curiously. “You can’t survive on just coffee.” The woman scuffed but took a sip of the water. “What are you working on?” You sat on the opposite side of the table so you didn’t accidentally see what she was working on.

“Mission reports,” she answered and drank half of the water. You hid your smile behind your glass. “Just trying to get ahead.”

“I’m surprised Bucky let you out of bed,” Natasha laughed.

“I could say the same to you,” she said, glancing at you from above the report she was reading. “Does Yelena know you are wandering the tower at night?”

You wouldn’t call it wandering, but you knew what she meant. “Yes,” you said and traced the rim of the cup. “She knows I’m getting water, which isn’t a lie.” You finished your glass. While you sat silently as Natasha worked, your mind returned to the day Yelena planned for you. It seemed impossible to find something wrong. She let you ramble about animals, refused to make you feel bad when you walked about your mom, and made you feel safe. You only wanted to plan something that made her feel seen, too. Natasha seemed like the perfect person to ask. “I would say,” you spoke slowly. “You know Yelena pretty well.” The older Black Widow blinked at you and closed her laptop.

“I would hope so. She is my sister,” you rolled your eyes with a huff and leaned back in the chair. “What is on your mind?”

“I want to take her on a date before I start feeling unwell, but I’m not sure what to do,” you explained. So I want to ask the person who knows her the best.” You watched Natasha organize her workspace, carefully closing the files and making sure that the papers were inside and protected, then piled them on top of her laptop.

“Listen, I get that you are Stark’s kid, but that doesn’t protect you from me. Understand?” You nodded and kept your mouth shut. You knew she had more to say. “Yelena leaves her heart on her sleeve. It took a long time for her to trust people with it, and that trust was almost broken.” You figured she was talking to Yelena’s ex, the one who told her that her love language was something to be ashamed of. You wanted to ask more, but Natasha continued, “I see how you look at her. Your heart is good. She likes animals and dogs mostly. She has an American Akita with our parents back in Russia.”

“Thank you,” she nodded, stood up with her laptop under her arm, and grabbed her glass. You heard her cleaning the glasses. “Nat,” you followed her to the kitchen, and she took the glass from you to clean. “I like her a lot, and I will do everything in my power not to break her heart.”

Natasha narrowed her eyes at you and scanned you up and down. “Even though you refuse treatment, that could keep you here with her.” The air was sucked out of your lungs. It felt like she injected ice into your veins. Frozen to your spot, all you could do was stare at her.

“It’s so much more complicated than that,” you whispered. She gave you a soft smile.

“I get it,” she said, placing her hand on yours. Carefully, Natasha intertwined her fingers with yours. “I probably get it more than anyone.” You frowned, unsure of what she meant. “Just be with her for as long as you can. That’s all I ask.”

With Natasha’s words echoing, you walked back to Yelena’s room. The blonde woke up as soon as you got close to the bed. “Sorry,” you said as you climbed in next to her. Without saying anything, she pulled you close to her chest. Your head fell against her shoulder, and her heartbeat mixed with yours. It felt impossible to separate the two.

“Are you okay?” She mumbled. You nodded and burrowed your head into her shoulder.

“Can I put my hand under your shirt?” Her voice was soft when she said, ‘Yes’. You put your hand underneath her shirt and felt her breath hitch when she placed your hand over her heart. A shiver went down her body, you knew your hand was cold compared to her natural body temperature. “I used to do this with my mom,” you told her. When you were younger, you would place your hand above her shirt. “Her heartbeat always calmed me down.” Yelena used her free hand to pull your head out of her shoulders. You were looking up at her.

“Is there a reason you need to calm down?” She asked. You shook your head.

“No,” you whispered. “It’s just a nice reminder that you are here.” Yelena smiled. It was supposed to comfort you, but it broke your heart.

“I am here. I am not going anywhere.” She kissed you softly. Your body slumped against hers as you lost yourself in the feeling of her lips on yours. Still, Natasha’s words ran through your mind. You were the one who may leave.

_

Taglist: @likemick, @averagetmblrusser, @wandaromamoff69, @simpforyelenabelova, @cd-4848,

[delulu-with-wandanat]

Natasha is definitely boob girl, she's obsessed, entranced by wanda's boobs, it's her favorite refuge; has a headache? Sick? Stressed? Sad? Worried? there's always wanda's chest to seek refuge at. Sometimes wanda uses her obsession for her advantage, they're disagreeing on something or nat refuses her something, she flashes an ounce of her chest and that's it, nat is putty in her hands, or when she simply is teasing her especially when they're at work or with friends, she does it and suddenly nat is stunted, she turns into an incoherent mess which amuses their friends

Anon, I 100% AGREE WITH YOU. I mean we can't really blame her can't we? Cus it's Wanda Maxitiddy for a reason-

But also i can def see her getting distracted on missions, especially with Wanda's suit in CW. She'd be riding her bike with Wanda as the passenger, the mf would glance at the side mirror like... all the time. Wanda then notices the side mirror wasn't actually pointed at the road, rather to her chest.

Or when she's fighting some goons, she's winning obviously. But then Wanda's in the corner of her eyes and the corset is hugging her curves just right and you could see her cleavage. In that split second she got punched square on the nose. She gets distracted a lot to the point where Tony wanted to re-design Wanda's suit but Natasha threatened him not too.

Yes, threatened. kjahwbdkjahwdbkajwhd

And just to add, that part where she flashes an ounce of her chest reminds of that scene in Brooklyn 99 with Jake and Amy. Imagine;

Wanda, in the mood: Please?

Natasha, too tired from mission: Detka, we have all the time in the world. Just let me rest first ok?

Wanda: But I'm really in the mood right now... Please?

Natasha: Wanda, I'm not just some light switch that you can turn on and-

Wanda: *Unbuttons one button revealing a LITTLE bit of her chest*

Natasha: Switch on, let's go-

[mrs-monaghan]

taking it all the way back for banter, do you think jimin fancied Tony? 👀

I do 😅. Funny how jk was lingering around them when jimin was giving Tony yoghurt. Just staring at them like a life size camera. Adding a word here and there cause we all knew he wasn’t part of the conversation 😂

then proceeding to call jimin beautiful while he’s dressed like a girl arms linked with Tony saying I love you and shit.

Jungkook was really going through it back then. If he wasn’t running away from his crush he was hovering around him she’d be with other boys, calling him beautiful and shit.

He he heee. Absolutely. That's why Tony made this list. I 100% believe Tony was one of the reasons why JK finally got off his ass and started showing Jimin affection infront of the camera. Nothing like jealousy to push a man into action. Aaaaand now I'm thinking about this moment.

I talk about it here

I'm with you anon, 100%

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

This one is so long I'm putting most of it under a readmore to save your dash

Anonymous asked:

AITA for stabbing a kid?

(this is less Am I The Asshole and more Was I The Asshole, bc it's really just a story from high school that I - as an adult in my mid-20s - was remembering recently and thought could be fun to toss to The People in as objective of a form as I can. anyways, all names are 100% made up to replace actual names, and everybody involved ends the story safe and alive)

I (16ish F then, 20s NB now) was trying to prep for an upcoming speech and debate tournament (yes, I was insufferable as a teen) with a group of other students in our debate coach's classroom. specifically, I was working with a younger student, Tammy (14ish F then), on understanding this specific type of debate (LD for my fellow insufferable teens out there) and brainstorming with her on some of the main components of her own case. as we were trying to work, another student, Tony (15ish M then), kept butting in to pester Tammy, making it impossible for Tammy or me to focus. in hindsight, I'm like 74% sure Tony had a bit of a crush on Tammy in that moment and expressed that feeling by being an annoying little shit towards her (as teens often do). that was at least how I would characterize the general vibe of Tony's actions and how he seemed to really need Tammy to be paying total attention to him. from my perspective and based on my basically decade-long memory at this point, Tammy (maybe?) asked him to leave her alone. she at least seemed frustrated and annoyed with him, or just generally flustered in a way I read uncomfortable. (take all this with a grain of salt here bc, regardless of how Tammy really felt, I was for sure super annoyed and that fact would almost certainly impact my interpretation and memory of the situation.)

idk if any teen girls out there (former, current, or future) have tried to teach or learn while a teen boy is flirt-bugging you or the person you're with, but it got old real fast for me. so, almost immediately, I asked Tony to knock it off so me and Tammy could work. he refused and kept bugging her. I continued to tell him to quit and he continued to ignore me, and this went on for a while. so, as one does, I figured it was time to threaten him with physical violence. I told him that if he didn't back off and let Tammy work, that I would stab him.

now, to give a bit of context for what the fuck I was thinking in that moment, I had learned a particular lesson earlier in my time as a supposed teenage girl dealing with supposed teenage boys in the 2000s-2010s: don't make threats you aren't willing to follow through on. so when I threatened to stab him, I 100% meant it. to provide a tad more context, I did also have a bit of a casually violent streak in high school for this reason (but maybe those stories are for a different AITA submission at another time, but they were all in a similar vein as this one in terms of cause and severity). also, does it help or hurt to add this was in a rural public high school in Texas? either way. to be fair to Tony, that's still undoubtedly a deeply unhinged and disproportionate thing to actually do, but would be a semi-common hyperbolic empty threat to make as a teen to another teen.

as you can assume based on the title here, Tony did not quit despite these threats. so, true to my word, after us arguing back and forth for a bit more, I stabbed him in the arm with the pen I was holding. he was obviously upset (to be clear, it did hurt him but did not injure him to the best of my knowledge beyond leaving a light mark for a bit of time that afternoon*) and he complained about having been stabbed. I said I warned him repeatedly that I would stab him before I actually did, to which he replied that that was an insane thing to actually do (fair enough, ya know?). the teacher was in the room, but if she saw any of this she ignored it. tbh, I don't see how she could have not noticed a kid loudly complaining about having been stabbed by another kid. so, I assume she chose to ignore it, possibly bc I was a bit of a teacher's pet (ie. president of the speech and debate team she was the coach of (I told you I was insufferable)). actually, now that I think about it, that was not the only time I stabbed another kid in her classroom in almost identical circumstances... maybe we are both TA....

anyways, in conclusion:

reasons I think I'm NTA: he was being an annoying dick to the friend I was mentoring at the time, and I did warn him that I'd stab him if he didn't quit being an annoying dick several times before actually following through (and it was only with pen and did no serious harm, but I think it does still count as assault regardless (?) and also I love the classic AITA storytelling technique of Being Dramatic, so feel free to ignore this point and *any other times I brought up that he was ultimately okay when considering how you wanna vote).

reasons I think I'm TA: I mean... I fuckin' stabbed a kid just bc he was being annoying and I fully got away with it bc the teacher liked me, plus I was a repeat offender of doing lowkey violence like this in response to other kids being Kinda Annoying and Shitty™. pestering other people on purpose bc you possibly have a crush on them is a very normal thing for a teen to do. stabbing another teen with a writing utensil just bc they did so though?... perhaps not.

(also, as an endnote: just to be clear, I do not stab teens at all in any context whatsoever since growing up. out of AITA-writing-character here, I think I was a kid who was just sick of guys around me crossing boundaries and dealt with that in a myriad of very unhealthy ways that were also informed by my general redneck upbringing that - understandably or not - sometimes saw some violence as a valid way to assert personal boundaries if it seemed they weren't being respected. that doesn't make it okay and is not at all a defense against being TA in this story, just trying to assure folks that regardless of whether you think I was TA I am now also a somewhat well adjusted adult who at least channels their overwhelming fury into organizing/activism stuff and mutual aid rather than stabbing annoying teenagers. while this isn't some stressful conflict that I feel torn up about or anything even close to that, I am interested to see what folks think, so thanks for reading if the mod(s) found all this worthy of posting for y'all!)

What are these acronyms?

[winters8child]

It´s been a long, long time

Chapter 100

I wiggled my toes, eyeing the glittery teal nail polish Natasha had picked for me. It was the complete opposite of what I’d usually choose. “Do you like it?” she asked, popping a strawberry into her mouth. I had invited her over to our new home for a "girls' night," as she liked to call it. We were lounging on the plush couch, the fire crackling in the fireplace, with soft jazz playing in the background.

I had gone all out for the evening, preparing a cheese board, and various fruits, and even baking a cheesecake. Steve had left for his group therapy session for those who had lost someone during the blip. He’d asked me to join him, but I wasn’t ready to share my trauma with strangers. My personal therapy sessions were enough for me.

“I like it, but it’s not really 'me',” I said, sipping my red wine.

Natasha smirked mischievously. “Why not try something new for once? I mean, you already tried mirror sex,” she teased.

I blushed instantly and almost regretted confiding in her. “Nat!” I giggled, hiding my face behind my hands.

“No need to be ashamed,” Natasha said with a shrug, casually tossing a grape into her mouth. “I told you about the disaster of a night I had with Bruce.”

I smirked. “That’s not the same, Nat. You guys were just making out, and he almost turned into the Hulk,” I teased, the memory making me grin.

She rolled her eyes. “Still counts. That was way more stressful than a mirror.”

“Speaking of stress, Tony just had a baby. I think they called her Morgan,” Natasha continued casually as if dropping a bombshell.

“No way!” I exclaimed, nearly choking on my sip of wine. Tony, a father? It was the last thing I ever expected. “I always thought Pepper would eventually leave him for someone more down to earth,” I added with a laugh. “Guess I was wrong.”

"How’s the wedding planning going, by the way?” she asked, smoothly changing the subject.

I shrugged. “There’s no wedding planning. We just want a quiet ceremony in a church, nothing big.” I paused, smiling softly. “You’re invited, of course... that’s about it.”

Her eyebrow raised. “That simple, huh? No big white dress or ridiculous catering?”

I laughed. “No. Just me, Steve, and a few close friends. It’s all we need.”

I had already picked out a simple white dress, and the date was set. In two months, I would be married—quite soon, but Steve and I both agreed there was no point in waiting. Everything felt right.

The front door creaked open, and Steve stepped inside, smiling when he saw us lounging on the couch. He had shaved his beard now that we weren’t on the run anymore, and although I liked his clean-shaven look, I sometimes missed the rugged version of him.

“Ladies,” he greeted us with a playful grin, bending over the back of the couch to plant a soft kiss on my lips.

“How was group therapy?” Nat asked, swirling her wine as she raised an eyebrow at him.

Steve straightened up, rolling his shoulders. “It was good. We had two new people today,” he said before glancing at Natasha. “You should try it sometime.”

Nat chuckled, raising her glass. “I’d rather work on my trauma like a normal person... at the shooting range,” she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Steve shook his head, laughing. “Whatever works, right?”

"I should go," Nat said, her voice sounding tired as she gathered her things. "I'm still trying to reach Clint... maybe he’ll listen today."

"Do you know where he is?" Steve asked, fidgeting with the keys in his hand.

"Somewhere in Asia... Japan, I think," she shrugged, slipping into her shoes.

"Next time, you're staying the night!" I insisted, pulling her into a tight hug. She smiled softly, her hand stroking my back in a comforting gesture.

"I will, I promise," she said, before giving Steve a quick hug.

With her jacket on, Nat waved goodbye and stepped out the front door, disappearing into the night.

Steve dropped onto the couch, grabbing a piece of cheese from the board as he stretched out his legs. I sat beside him, putting my legs across his lap. His gaze immediately fell on my glittery teal toes.

"That's new," he said with a grin, lightly brushing his fingers over my feet. "I like it."

I smiled, watching him as he dug into the slice of cheesecake I hadn’t finished. "You're lucky I left you some," I teased.

"Perks of being the husband-to-be," he replied with a wink, savoring the bite.

"Tomorrow, I'm making cinnamon rolls," I announced proudly, glancing over at my kitchen. I loved spending time in there, the warmth and aroma of baked goods filling every corner of the house. This life felt surreal—so normal, almost like a dream. Just cooking, baking, spending quiet nights with my future husband, and girls' nights with my best friend.

It was the kind of life my mother always wanted for me, one I could never imagine having. But now, somehow, I did.

Steve looked at me, his smile calm and reassuring, before he quietly asked, "Are you happy?"

I sank deeper into the soft cushions of the couch, pulling a cozy blanket up over myself, and let out a peaceful sigh.

"I think I am," I replied, trying not to focus on the lingering reasons that might say otherwise. For now, at this moment, everything felt right.

"Are you?" I asked, curiosity lacing my voice. He set down his plate and smiled warmly.

"This is what that little boy from Brooklyn always wanted," he replied, a thoughtful smile crossing his face.

Looking back, I marveled at how far we had come, despite the pain that had marked our journey. Loss and grief had been constant companions, shadowing our steps.

As he shifted closer, he hovered over me, his arms caging me in, nuzzling his face into my neck. The warmth radiating from his body ignited a yearning within me. I gazed up into his blue eyes, filled with adoration, as he pressed gentle kisses to my lips, each one lingering a little longer than the one before.

"You know, us being old-fashioned and all, I've changed my mind about sex before marriage. I think it would mean more if we abstained," I said between kisses, a giggle escaping my lips.

He pulled back, feigning shock. "Are you serious?"

I cleared my throat dramatically. "I can clearly feel that you’re already getting too excited, so it’s better if we don’t even touch anymore," I shrugged, though my tone remained playful.

"I know you’re not serious because you could never resist me," he said with a smirk.

"I’m perfectly capable of functioning without sex. I could take it or leave it, to be honest," I shot back sarcastically.

He slowly began kissing my neck and collarbone, stealing glances at my face after each peck and nibble.

"That doesn’t affect me whatsoever," I replied, squirming beneath him as his hands slipped under my shirt.

My eyes fluttered shut, and a soft whimper escaped my lips when he sucked on my neck and gently stroked my breast.

He pulled back abruptly, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "Hah, I knew it!"

I pouted, "Fine, I was kidding... now do that again."

He grinned, clearly pleased, before burying his face into my neck once more. His lips traced a path along my skin, sending shivers down my spine as he took his time, savoring every moment.

I was getting used to this, and I didn’t realize how dangerous that could prove to be. Each tender kiss and lingering touch built a warm familiarity that wrapped around my heart, creating an illusion of safety in a world that was anything but secure.

Next Chapter

[familyagrestefanblog]

Clarification I definitely should have done ever since season 4 and the Ladynoir conflict started escalating, but hey, let's just get it out:

There are reasons why I'm harping down so badly on Miraculous' Girlboss feminism and defend Adrien as much as I do.

To get the feminist (in-universe) explaination out of the way first:

I would be lying if I said that I like the direction the show has taken Marinette's character and the story in general. But regarding her specifically I simply have to say that most of my problems with her are how she is written as Ladybug, Guardian, and especially leader & partner. Not in her civilian self. Hence why you won't find that alot on my blog, only when it contributes to the overarching double standards problem from s4 I take issue with.

I simply cant deny it, Ladybug is a kind of leader I just came to not be able to respect alot anymore in how she operates most things bc she doesn't really ever look passed how things look & stand for herself, and what SHE needs & wants. Marinette is a very low empathy person in the sense that she struggles putting herself in other people's positions, or remembers considering that at all.

But that's not the reason why I can't respect her as leader. I have ADD, that would be really hypocritical of me.

What leaves me unable to respect her as leader though (& honestly kinda even wanting Alya to take her position) is the fact that the show doesn't see much wrong with Maribug doing that.

They don't properly depict this as flawed leadership she actually NEEDS to grow out of by making up for her shortcomings by, for example, making other people her official co-leaders. Instead the show since s4 (& kinda s3) will proceed to put it's feminist foot down if Maribug isn't actually in the end 100% correct and "totally girlboss justified" in any given case - with CN & authorities specifically - no matter the context. Ergo she's barely ever truly improving her weakpoints in partnership skills for example & continues doing the same mistakes over n over.

like she genuinely would benefit from having Chat Noir as her co-leader too, not just Rena Rouge. But no. The neurodivergend low-empathy girl can't have a high-empathy boy co-leader bc apparently thats misogynistic now, huh ?

Again, I have ADD and I'm also a woman. In fact, I actually have alot in common with Maribug (hence why it hurt so much once s4 took her away from me), so forgive me when I still say: I am NOT going to lower my standards of my believe that neither of those aspects get to be an excuse on everyone else's expense regarding LEADERSHIP (which I do also am in the position of in my life).

And I repeat: LEADERSHIP. Not Marinette herself as a person necessarily & esp not her civilian life.

People always say that her critics wouldn't be so hard on her if she were a man, but I strongly disagree. In my experience, if Marinette were a boy people would actually draw a line nowadays and call out that Mariano is too stuck in his own head to be a good leader (& partner). And maybe even demand that he shouldn't be in that position anymore either at all or until he's in a better head space.

Bc with male characters people are actually drawing lines now in important factors when it comes to power & the accountability coming with it, bc in the end being in change means it ain't about you

Hence why e. g. Steve Rogers (Captain America) was then a fucking fugitive from the law when shit got real in the MCU. They had to do that bc of his leadership morality not being able to exist well within a corrupted & complex law system under fire and attack. My man's an amazing battle leader, but the MCU did VERY well leaving taking care of all kinds of social & political matters to Tony Stark. This kind of nuance ain't Steve's strength. Marinette & Steve are actually a EXTREMELY similar type of leader and it's interesting that I don't exactly vibe with him too much either in that regard, but like him as person the way I did Marinette. So for me it's definitely an issue with their type of leadership.

But the mainstream female leader characters are often still "too female" to get held to the same regular standards bc telling a female leader character in a complicated and not entirely beneficial situation & position 'yeah, it's sucks but you're not the center of the universe'' is now more often than not still "too mean/ sexist"

again, Steve was made an outlaw for a reason and you can bet if he had been a Stephanie people would have made all her struggles about sexism & called the 'outlaw leader' route after Civil War misogyny, merely bc "society doesnt respect women". This is whats happening with Maribug & it clashes with her leadership style.

Hence why there AREN'T ALOT of mainstream female leader characters. And if we get some, most of them are narratively defined by how powerful & in control they are for THEIR OWN BENEFIT and it being depicted as 100% right & just in general (like with Marinette) which goes against what a normal leader should be, so alot of people don't like them (ignoring the actual sexist people for a sec)

The first Wonder Woman movie for example was so well-received for a reason. They did it RIGHT (& may I please also recommend Wakanda Forever? Fuck, that movie was GOOD)

--

But yes, it's notably how Maribug treats Chat, who is supposed to be her partner and friend, that I take alot of issues with.

And yes, I would say the same if LB were male and CN female. Ladynoir is so rooted in toxic femininity that this "partnership" (or just the entire LS) the way it is could NOT exist today in gender bend. S4 and the s5 finale in particular are unthinkable in gender bend and they sold it as "justified female empowerment" & "unparalleled loving treatment" from Ladybug's side Chat Noir needed to learn to be GRATEFUL for.

All while, and I will never stop stressing this: the show has never stopped writing Marinette to treat Chat Noir as if he basically just spawns into existence once he puts on the mask. He's HALF a human being. Even once she falls in love with him in s5.

This is the fundamental and deep seeded problem of where my issues come from here. It never stands in question if Adrien views Marinette and Ladybug as full human beings, but the other way around that very much is the case. In whatever way it's depicted. Yes this is a line I draw, especially because of the whole Sentihuman thing.

I personally am alot more like Adrien regarding Friendship and partnership (or what his character initially started out). They are heavy & meaningful topics for me. So seeing Marinette being utilized to girlboss all that into the ground with Chat Noir, esp in s4, while she apparently barely ever even noticed anything wrong with how she treats him in the first place as she literally replaced him with Alya/ Rena in everything but name

cause buring him under a wall of secrets & lies meant she can still 100% benefit from his eternal devotion by letting him believe she's too alone to be a partner anymore AT ALL. (Kuro Neko onwards and then NEVER stopped letting him think she's just as alone as he is. NEVER. She's still doing it in s5 while leaving him 100% isolated which was then his demise in the s5 finale.)

and gives Alya the deluxe partnership entirely on his expense, while barely ever sparing him even the most basic thought in anything; & by "Risk" then literally having them switch status. Rena is her actual partner she fully treats that way and he's merely her favorite temp hero with no rights, which Rena was previously.

And the only reason why Chat was treated with something resembling to fairness or dignity again in season 5 (& finally wasn't a rag doll for her every little mood anymore...) was because Maribug plainly had no other choice and had her team & position of power taken away by force while Alya renounced for her own safety. And yet she's still treating him as half a human being even by the end of S5. AFTER her character development. He's Chat Noir and that's where his existence ends in her leadership & friendship. CN and Alya in s5 are literally 2 halves of ONE PARTNER.

All that was painful to watch to say the least. Bc it's imo honestly a disgrace to friendship and partnership. I can't put into words how ashamed I would be of myself if I treated someone the way Marinette treats Chat Noir (again, HALF A HUMAN BEING).

Much less a friend I claim to love dearly and don't want to loose (another thing the MCU did better regarding Steve's fall-out with Tony over Bucky... I should really make that comparison post why Steve works for me & Marinette doesnt)

Just the mere fact that Marinette in "Elation" even told Chat "It doesn't matter who's underneath your mask" is honestly outrageous.

Because thats simply what it is for me. If s4 & 5 Marinette were portrayed from a similar morality angle to Emonette in the Paris special I would have much less issues with her. Cause thats ironically an angle female characters barely get & is mostly used to redeem the broken bad boys with a hidden heart of gold™.

Double irony: s1-s3 actually DID put civilian Marinette often into that angle, hence why I really liked her, but then s4 suddenly said "well, her methods & actions really dont matter. She's wrong, but actually not really; ergo she should get rewarded in the end. Always. But with a few exceptions. Here n there she loses to claim otherwise. But actually the world just needs to learn how right & amazing she is."

She makes countless mistakes but often either doesn't really learn from them anymore or they just don't "count" bc that's 'what makes her quirky & loveable', so having any issues with her now means you hate women. And she's a very flawed leader but actually never did anything wrong. Ever. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

I will be VERY blunt now: The moment you put a female character into the leader role the FEMALE aspect is supposed to be of secondary importance. And a leader, by the nature of the position, ALWAYS has to be questioned morally wise in my opinion bc of the fatal blindspots that will automatically occur in every leadership.

And it happened here too: Chat Noir's treatment. But they demanded that her being the (female) leader means she's OWED to treat him badly & gets to keep him as blindspot on HIS expense bc she doesn't like thinking about him existing as civilian person.

A leader is ALWAYS somebody who is NOT going to sit well with everybody regarding their approach. That's a normal instinct, and in fact it would be highly dangerous if that wouldnt happen at all. So if I, or other people, don't respect her as one that simply means she has an opposition the way every leader has & is being held to normal standards a leader should be held to, regardless of gender.

Sorry if you think thats sexist, but in my opinion that's a YOU problem. I personally respect female leaders too much to not acknowledge them as anything else but the potential threats they are. The same way I do with male leaders.

You're leader first, woman second. If you can't handle that get out of the leadership position (yes, oc that also applies the other way around). Feminism was about making sure that women cant be excluded from e. g. position of power just bc we're female. The goal wasn't to have yet another group of people stomp their foots, now claiming that they are OWED power once they wanna have it to feel powerful. But that's what Marinette was used to teach an entire generation of children, especially girls.

The last thing you will EVER get me to do is accept that I should be holding women - specifically for equality, female empowerment and leadership - to LOWER (moral) standards as I would the men in her position.

Buddy, I am NOT gonna fucking do that. Just the thought is pissing me tf off, and has ever since s4, cause it directly plays into the misogynistic thinking of:

"Women can't be given power, status or even too much focus as human beings because they're too irrational and immature to be able to then lay proper priorities & take rightful accountability for their shit like a man in power could; and not just scream and cry while playing the oppressed victim card the moment things don't work out & they aren't being given the special female treatment to let them mostly off the hook consequences wise.

Leading to everyone around them, especially the MEN, having to step up, do the work & basically babysit the women like children - while still having to give her the credit as person in charge - turning the women more or less into toddlers wearing a queen's crown"

Which, by all means, Adrichat in every dynamic of the love square by season 5, Gabriel at the end of "Recreation" and even Luka & Félix (& "thankfully" Alya too since s4) had to do for Maribug in alot of ways.

Pick up all of her slack in several major areas & catering to her while simultaneously having to still give most of the credit to HER or else they would be "mean to the female lead" (it's also telling that Alya is treated the best here, & goodness dont get me started on Su-Han...).

And with that out of the way, a few more meta reasons:

1) I'm NOT watching a damn documentary. Marinette is NOT a 14 year old, she doesnt exist & isnt based on a real person or story. She's a fictional main character and narrative tool, so forgive me for approaching this differently than a real life case.

and 2) in everything I watch I automatically look out for the narrative's blind spots and victims of the writings' favorites. I take it this seriously because this is career related for me.

Hence why I have barely ever liked a main character and ironically Marinette/ Ladybug was once one of the few exceptions (alongside Korra from Legend of Korra and Blitz from Helluva Boss)

Look, when I for example watch Helluva Boss or a Yugioh show I will automatically pay extra attention to how the female characters are being treated bc they are obviously treated worse by the writing and much more neglected and scapegoated than the male characters.

Meanwhile when I watch Miraculous and She-Ra, I do the opposite and pay attention to how the male characters are treated bc now they have the gender-biase against them.

And when I for example watch Avatar the last Airbender or Legend of Korra [and She-Ra, that show is great], then I actually get to be mostly fucking happy for once in my life jfc

I'm not going to elaborate too much more on this because I already named by my main point in the beginning: Chat Noir's - not even Adrien's, I mean CHAT NOIR - sometimes honestly awful treatment being the biggest moral and narrative blind spot of the entire show, and honestly where most of Maribug's problems then are also rooted in. Hence why I started focusing so much on Chat Noir since season 4. I look at the overall narrative and circumstances and look for the blind spots that needs to be solved to get to the core of the problem of this whole mess, to get effective results.

And that was and even by the end remained the fact that Adrichat is treated so badly, scapegoated in every possible way in the name of "feminism" and kicked out of the story where HE is at the core of most everything going on, just so the show can force Maribug into everything, make things about her that have no business being about her

Just so she can then be made to constandly turn around and scream, cry and stress about problems - and go about them in the least effective way - that wouldnt be there in the first place if she wasnt the main character of a story that isnt hers.

Mate, I dont know what to tell you here, but the fact that we are following Marinette Dupain-Cheng ,who has nothing to do with anything besides being the cool action girl, is and will always remain of the of core problems of this show. I WISHED that wasnt the case. But for the love of everything, Kagami would have made so much more sense as the female lead, but no.

Anyway, I will leave it at that now cause I already elaborate much further than I initially wanted to, I just wanted to finally have all this stated.

This Blog is not a full representation of how I lay priorities in (feminist) media in general, my view adjusts to the piece of media I'm watching.

And unfortunately, ever since season 4 Miraculous turned into a full blown extreme case and has only gotten better somewhat recently. So I will continue doing what I always do: focus on the fucking VICTIM whose bad treatment pulls down the whole show's quality, and here that's plain obviously Adrien Agreste/ Chat Noir.

And with all due respect: Die mad about it.

[right-stopthat-its-silly]

Rank every Graham Chapman character in Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life" out of 10 based on their smashability and give reasons why please?

Hey alright, here we go! (I'll try to get the right movie this time lol)

Chairman - oh my gawd yes yes yes 10000/100 I LOVE this look. what a GIRL. BOSS.

_____________________________________________

Fish No. 1 - 10/10 this is literally a fish (would not smash wtf, it's fish)

_____________________________________________

Doctor - 1000000/10 my unhinged headcanon is the universe nerfed Graham to be in Python and not a doctor because the world wasn't ready for this lol

_____________________________________________

Harry Blackitt - 8/10 I can't give full marks, I'm not sure why, I just can't. He is definitely one of the Python characters of all time!

_____________________________________________

Wymer - 1000/10 wahha yes schoolboy Graham (bonus Jonsey!) they are cute 🥺

_____________________________________________

Hordern - pretty great, he's giving George MacKay in 1917 imo 100/10

_____________________________________________

General - 100000/10 not The Colonel, but he'll do

_____________________________________________

Cole - He has a book he would quite like to read, 100/10, we stan literate Graham!1!11!! (sorry for the single-pixel photos)

_____________________________________________

Dr. Livingstone - MUTTON CHOP GRAHAM I REPEAT MUTTON CHOP GRAHAM WHAT IS THIS WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH I CAN'T DECIDE IF I ADORE OR DESPISE IT OR BOTH!?! !!?!?!?!/10

This is actually very adorable, 10000/10 (also bonus babygirl in pic 2)

_____________________________________________

Bruh - no words (10000000/10)

why this man is an icon.

_____________________________________________

Eric - ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.../10

maybe he's a heathen, maybe he's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline

sorry i am down bad what can i say (please slice me up eric!)

this is the best he has ever looked on camera and I stan by it

also bonus terry g. in pic 2

_____________________________________________

Guest No. 1 - 100000/10 the 2nd pic is literally mfw Mr. Creosote (i like this suit very snazzy)

_____________________________________________

Arthur Jarrett - crazed man about to die, 8/10 I guess?

_____________________________________________

Geoffrey - haha funny family man tries to shoot death and fails miserably (A for effort) 10000/10

_____________________________________________

Tony Bennett-esque Singer - its xmas in heaven, what can I say, 10000/10

_____________________________________________

Also, here is rugby dude who is definitely Grey but is not listed as an official character on the film's wiki page! (10000000/10)

_____________________________________________

Sorry it’s a wash every time I rank Graham but this is the home of the #1 ✨🪖The Colonel🪖✨ stan so you get what you ask for I guess (thanks for the asks btw)

okay i'm wrapping it up now, thanks to those who stuck around for the entire post!

[kaiparkersgf]

I wanna write short (one shots/imagines) stories to practice my english and my storytelling skills, so requests for one shots are open.

MASTERLIST

The vampire diaries

Characters:

- Caroline Forbes

- Damon Salvatore

- Elena Gilbert

- Elijah Mikaelson

- Kai Parker

- Klaus Mikaelson

- Kol Mikaelson

- Rebekah Mikaelson

- Stefan Salvatore

- Tyler lockwood

The 100

- Bellamy Blake

- Clarke Griffin

- John Murphy

- Lexa

- Lincoln

- Octavia Blake

- Raven Reyes

The Hunger games

- Katniss Everdeen

- Peeta Mellark

- Finnick Oddair

MCU

- Steve Rogers

- Tony Stark

- Peter Parker

- Thor

- Natasha Romanoff

- Stephen Strange

For now, that's all i'm gonna take but the list can always expand! pls send requests and help a girl out lol💕

[theonewithval]

The day when tiva shippers won: an unneeded and unrequested reaction chronicle by theonewithval

February 28, 2024.

I'm about to have dinner, when I start seeing THINGS on my tl on twitter. Apparently the big bomb is about to drop. I've been on the edge of my seat for more than a week now, IS IT ACTUALLY HAPPENING TODAY?

TICK.

I can't. My heart is pounding. My mom keeps talking about a million other things and I just can't focus, I can't even understand what she's saying. I feel like I'm gonna pass out. Everybody on twitter is having the same reaction, I'm not the only one whose anxiety is over the roof. It's something that is going to change my life, of that I'm certain. I need to get whatever they're planning to tell us NOW.

My mom calls me: dinner is ready. What if something happens while I'm eating and I miss it? I'm feeling so nervous, my legs are shaking and I feel weak, and I don't know whether it's because I'm hungry and need to eat, or because of the thought of the big news I might get today.

I finish eating, I pick up my phone, immediately checking twitter, again.

TICK.

WAIT WHAT IS THIS TICK TICK BOOM THING? I'M LOSING MY MIND. I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANY LONGER. I FEEL LIKE TONY DINOZZO WHEN HE GETS OUT THE CAR IN JUDGEMENT DAY AND YELLS. YES I'M ABOUT TO YELL.

My mind starts racing: what if something happens when I'm sleeping and I'm not here to see it? I WOULD MISS THE CHAOS. NOPE. NOT A CHANCE. I CAN'T SLEEP LIKE THIS. I hop into bed, switch my tv on. I need to get my mind off this or I think I'm gonna pass out. Seriously. Italia's got talent is on tv, I'm gonna watch that.

*checks her phone and twitter every two minutes*

What if they drop the bomb at 9est? My god, I can't live like this. THIS HAS TO HAPPEN NOW. I CAN'T SLEEP WITH THAT THOUGHT IN MY MIND. IT WOULD BE 3AM HERE, AND NOW IT'S 10PM.

I text @sweetsouldhavernas: I need support. At this point, it can either be any minute now or in a couple of hours. We kinda start losing hope, maybe we're going to have to wait more, BUT WE CAN'T ANYMORE.

*prays and cries in italian*

I switch my tv off, at this point I'm not even paying attention to it. People on twitter have completely gone crazy, posting old tiva pics, hoping for a miracle. I furiously refresh my tl every two seconds. Yes, literally. And then...

BOOM.

THE BOMB DROPS. THE MIRACLE HAPPENS. A tvline article on my tl, with a pic of Tony and Ziva stuck in the elevator, at the end of season 9. I THOUGHT THE EARTH MOVED. YES, EVERYTHING IS MOVING, SPINNING AROUND ME. MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST I CAN'T CONTROL IT. MY HANDS AND MY LEGS ARE SHAKING. THANK GOD I'M IN BED OR I WOULD FALL ON THE GROUND. TONY AND ZIVA. TOGETHER. IN A SPIN OFF. THE BIGGEST THING I EXPECTED WAS A CAMEO, BOTH OF THEM IN THE ORIGINAL SERIES. LIKE ARE WE SERIOUSLY GETTING THEM, FOR TEN EPISODES, BEING A COUPLE, BEING A FAMILY, RAISING THEIR DAUGHTER, LOVING EACH OTHER? INSANE, JUST INSANE.

*starts typing nonsense*

*completely loses control of her hands, uncontrollably shaking, not being able to type properly*

*rants in italian*

I feel like we won the world cup. We did it, my friends, we did it tiva nation. And it feels so freaking amazing. I keep watching us slowly finding out what the future holds for us, and we have never won like this. It's so incredible, I can't believe it. Time passes and I don't even realize it's 1am here, I won't be able to sleep, I've got a headache but I don't care, it's been so worth it.

Jokes aside, it's been a lot to process and I think I haven't 100% realized what happened, still feels like a fever dream, but what I can say is that this has literally been one of the most important moments in a fandom, one of the happiest. I've been in this fandom since 2012, twelve years and still counting. I want to hug 17 years old me and tell her it's gonna be okay, that we're gonna have them back, that she's still gonna scream and lose her mind because of them. This girl was 17 when she first saw them in under covers, her first episode ever and fell in love with them. This girl back in 2013 thought they were never going to see each other again, that she lost her most important ship ever. This girl, when family first aired, spent the whole morning after the episode aired, crying in bed for one of her favorite fictional characters ever, because not only she lost her, Ziva, but she lost her ship again, one more time, this time in such a terrible way. They had a child, yes, but they didn't have the chance to be together and I was furious. It was a sensitive subject, every time the reruns aired on my tv every year and I missed so much it hurt. But then, in 2019, we found out there was still hope after all. Ziva was still alive. She reunited with Tony in 2020, with their little girl, finally free to love and to be loved. And now we're here? About to witness them being a couple, a family, raising their daughter, bantering like an old married couple, flirting, working together, getting what everybody of us has always wished for, but thought it was too big of a thing?

If this is a dream, then don't wake me up. It's gonna be amazing, I know that, for sure.

[of-twilight-and-moonshadow]

Help Me to Feel Again - Yuta x Emery

I've been in my Yoots feels lately, and then with what I saw happened at All In yesterday, this happened.

Can't promise that I'm 100% back with Dark Angel- as with work and college, I'm pretty busy all the time, BUT something once in a while might pop up :)

Didn't start out like I imagined either, but I guess my mind thought there needed to be more to the story? I don't question it anymore.

Part of the Dark Angel of the Bullet Club series

Word Count: 2484

TW: dizziness, passing out, suggestive themes (but nothing descriptive)

Tag List: @katries @rainries @summertimefun1982

(border by)

August.

How it was already eight months into the year, Emery couldn’t understand. Another month, she felt as if her world had been turned upside down. Everything she knew, everything she had, it was slipping through her fingers- and she didn’t know where to turn or even to pick up the pieces.

Kenny was still gone, with no return in sight.

Hangman had lost his mind, no longer her lovable cowboy.

Wheeler kept his cold distance from her, being aligned with the BCC.

The Bucks…. She didn’t even want to think about how that had all gone wrong.

OC and Chuckie had moderately distanced themselves from her since the Trent betrayal- though they were slowly coming around. Slowly.

Eddie was out with an injury, with no return in sight.

Wardlow had aligned himself with a new devil, Adam, and had since ignored her completely.

Kris had turned as well, no longer the friend Emery once had.

Jungleboy was long gone, replaced by this new version of himself that he aligned with the Bucks.

Darby… was there for her, but he kept a slight distance- not wanting her to get hurt because of his antics against the Bucks.

Kyle. That seemed to be the one person she had left right now that kept her sane. Her longtime best friend. Her brother. Her rock.

 She wanted to be able to wrestle, to take her mind off of everything, but unfortunately, the doctors wouldn’t clear Emery. A wave of dizziness had caused a misstep in training last week, leading her to awkwardly fall from the top rope. Although she had shaken it off and walked away, the dizziness seemed to stick around. No concussion came up in the scans, and there was no apparent reason for the swimming vision. The doctors and Tony Khan wanted to be sure, though- be sure that she wouldn’t accidentally hurt herself or her opponent, so no matches until the dizziness was gone for two straight weeks.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened, though, and a part of her wondered if it was the beginning of the signs telling her to end her career. Back in the early stages of AEW, Emery had constant dizzy spells that on-and-off lasted for almost two months. That, however, had been the effect of a botched move, where she had awkwardly landed on the back of her neck. Doctors were surprised that she didn’t have a fractured spine and wouldn’t need any surgery.

Now? All these years later, with all the shit she’d done in the ring since then? With everything else going on around her? Maybe it was fate telling her it was time to hang up the boots. She needed someone to talk to…. But who? Emery didn’t want to worry any of her friends…. The ones she had left anyway. The one she wanted to speak to…. It wasn’t much of an option because of the company he kept. Not that it mattered; Yuta had made it obvious last year that he didn’t want anything to do with her.

Sighing, Emery got out of her chair and began walking down the hall but immediately had to stop and lean against the wall as her vision swam. A small bout of nausea crept into her gut, and she had to close her eyes, willing it to all go away.

“Hey—you okay girl?” Willow asked, walking up to her, concern lacing her voice.

“I’m—I’m good, yeah,” Emery swallowed, focusing on breathing evenly until it all passed.

“You sure? I can go get OC or Kyle—”

“No—no, it’s…. I’m fine, really,” Emery argued, her voice soft, “Just…. Stood up too fast.”

Okay, that was a lie—but the last thing Emery wanted to do was worry either of them, especially right before their match.

“Alright, well—if you need anything, just let me know, okay?” Willow told her, a small, warm smile on her face. As the feeling ebbed away, Emery opened her eyes to look at the upbeat and friendly person who had recently become a good friend, bonding over the betrayal of Trent and Kris.

“I will…. Thanks.”

With a slight nod, Willow walked off in the opposite direction. Emery closed her eyes again, taking a moment to compose herself before continuing down the hall. Maybe some fresh air would help?

Before she knew it, August had passed and it was now September. Yet another month with no change to her life. Orange and Chuck slowly became themselves again, being around Emery more often, and Orange allowed himself to smile a bit more often.

Darby had gone radio silent since his loss to Jack at All In last month—just when she needed his calming touch. It was weird—how someone so chaotic like Darby could be the calming presence in another person's life, but that’s how it was for her. That was precisely what she needed, more and more lately, as the dizziness only worsened with each passing week. Emery tried not to think about it, tried not to let those close to her see how much she was struggling, but it was getting more difficult to hide.

The night of All Out – it all changed, as hiding it became impossible. She, Willow, and Mark Briscoe were walking down the hallway of the Chicago arena, waiting for Orange to arrive. Emery was trying to be happy and supportive of her friends, as they all had important matches that night – but the nausea in her stomach was intensifying with each step. The two competitors walked in front of her as Emery followed along, keeping her eyes downcast, focusing on breathing through the discomfort. Their conversation became muddled as a sudden intense wave of dizziness hit her, causing Emery to nearly crash into the wall beside her. Suddenly, Willow’s concerned face was right there, asking her something- but Emery couldn’t hear any of the words. Mark was over Willow’s shoulder, his fatherly instincts kicking in, knowing something was wrong with the younger talent. He asked Willow questions, trying to figure out what was going on, but before Willow could provide any answers, she lurched forward to catch Emery before she hit the floor completely, the strength completely leaving her body.

“Wha’ should I do?!”

“See if you can find Orange—or Chuck—someone!”

“On it—yous keep her safe!”

Mark ran down the hall, rushing past all in his way, yelling in his Briscoe way for people to move.

“He’s a strange one,” Claudio remarked, shaking his head as he readjusted his Trios championship on his shoulder.

“You’re telling me,” Bryan chuckled, “Come on, let’s get to the locker room- get ready for our matches.”

The two older BCC members, followed by Yuta, began walking down the hall, crossing at the intersection where Briscoe had run past them. They heard the frantic voice of Willow Nightengale down the hall to their left, and each briefly glanced towards her before turning their attention back to in front of them. However, as soon as Yuta did, his head snapped back to the left, squinting his eyes to see who was on the ground beside Willow.

“Wheeler?” Claudio questioned, looking back at the younger man. As Bryan turned to look, Yuta’s eyes went wide in concern as he took off in a full sprint down the hall—every animosity and confrontation from the past two years gone from his mind.

“Ree!” Yuta exclaimed, skidding to a stop beside her unconscious form on the ground. Willow looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes, but he paid her no mind as he knelt beside them.

“What happened?” Yuta demanded, his hand reaching out to gently brush Emery’s cheek, pushing some hair behind her ear. A pained groan reverberated through her body, her already closed eyes squeezing themselves further together.

“I-I don’t know! She seemed fine, but—”

“She’s obviously not!” Yuta snapped, but when another pained groan reached his ears, he swallowed the lump in his throat, “I--- I’m sorry. There…. There has to be something---”

“I don’t know if it’s what’s going on… but she’s complained about being dizzy lately?” Willow offered.

“Dizzy?” Yuta repeated as Claudio and Bryan walked up to stand near them. As Willow nodded, Yuta traveled down memory lane to 2020, shortly after he joined AEW. When he had been with the Best Friends. When Emery and he were close…. When he had wanted to ask her out…. She had some dizzy spells back then, too—due to a head injury of sorts.

“Wheeler—we should go,” Claudio tried, attempting to pry the younger man away verbally. He and Bryan knew how Yuta felt about Emery and how he had tried everything to get her off his mind.

“I--- Where’s Cassidy? Chuck?!”

“Mark went off to find them—We were the first three to the arena…” Willow explained.

“Wheeler.”

He looked up to his BCC companions, a grimace on his face when he nodded. Chuck and Orange would be there soon. It’d be okay. She’d be okay. Right?

As Yuta went to stand up, he felt a tug on his jacket and looked down, his eyes widening at the sight below him. Emery had reached out, her subconscious just barely aware of his presence. Her hand was gripping the bottom of his jacket. It took everything in him not to see it as a sign to stay.

He needed to leave. But how could he leave her there when she needed him? When she wanted him to stay?

“Wheeler.”

“I--- One second….” Yuta asked of the older two as he reached up and unzipped his hoodie. It wasn’t a BCC one but a personal hoodie that he had carried for several years. Shrugging it off his body, Yuta gently placed it over Emery’s upper body, covering her head to shield her from the light around her.

“If…. If it’s the dizziness… the light will only make it worse…” Yuta explained, glancing at Willow briefly before standing up. As he did, one of the medic staff hurried over, having passed Mark Briscoe in the hall.

“Let’s give them some space…” Bryan whispered, knowing from personal experience how bad head injuries of any kind could affect a person. Yuta gave a slight nod, looking down at Emery’s form once more before following along behind Claudio and Bryan. Hopefully, the rest of the night went better for Emery and himself. As they turned the corner, Yuta heard Mark’s voice in the distance, but more importantly, when he looked up, he saw Briscoe flanked by Chuck Taylor.

“Good…. She won't be alone…”

*timeskip*

It was nearing midnight when Emery found herself walking down a hotel hallway towards one of the rooms. Not a room she ever thought she’d be going to again- but it was something she needed to do.

Especially after the ending of All Out.

Something in her told Emery that maybe…. Just maybe…. He needed her just as much as she needed him. Stopping outside the right room, she hoped he was alone. It’d make it easier on her if she didn’t have to deal with anyone else in BCC.

Dealing with BCC was never easy for her.

They had taken her Yuta from her.

Changed him into something…. Different.

Taking a deep breath, her grip tightening on the fabric in her arms, Emery reached up and knocked on the wooden door. It seemed like forever until the tell-tale sound of a lock being turned sounded and the door slowly opened, revealing a shirtless Yuta. They stood there momentarily, neither saying a word, before Emery extended her arms towards him. The black hoodie dangled from her grip, swaying in the space between them.

“I… I wanted to return this. I know it means a lot to you.”

“Willow tell you it was mine? She didn’t have to—”

“I knew it was yours,” Emery shook her head, finally looking into his eyes for longer than a few seconds, “It’s uh—got the green stitching on the inside of the pockets…. From where your gramma patched up a hole….”

Yuta paused, his face warming up slightly at the fact that she remembered such a fact. Slowly, he reached out and gently accepted the jacket from her, “Oh… uh… Right. Thanks….”

“Yeah…”

Silence stretched between them once more before Emery spoke up, “I wanted to uh… check on you… after what happened tonight…. With Bryan. I know you looked up to him—and what happened couldn’t have been easy….”

Yuta felt his throat constrict as he recalled the moment. The BCC—Mox and Claudio, mostly—turning on Bryan like they did. Holding him back from aiding Bryan. It made him sick to his stomach. It made him want to punch someone. Yuta’s grip on the jacket tightened momentarily, not going unnoticed by Emery. His stare burned a hole in a spot on the floor behind her.

“Sorry… You probably don’t want to talk about it…. I get it…. I—I understand betrayals…. More than you know…. It seems like that’s all I’ve experienced lately, heh….” Emery gave a weak chuckle, it dying on her tongue, before she cleared her throat, “It’s… late. I’ll let you get back to bed…. Good night… Yuta….”

Slowly, she turned to walk away, but before she even stepped, a hand was clasped around her wrist. It was tight at first but loosened quickly. Emery glanced up at Yuta, who was staring at her now, his brown eyes swimming with several different emotions simultaneously.

Did he dare say what he has wanted to for years? Did he finally make the move that he should’ve years ago?

Emery herself was conflicted. Everything that had happened between her and the BCC—whether that was with the Best Friends or the Elite. Could she overlook everything—could she let herself possibly give in, for this night, allow herself to finally feel something for once- something she hadn’t done in so long?

“Stay….?” Yuta asked of her, finally making up his mind.

“I…. I don’t know…. If I should….”

Yuta tossed the jacket in his free hand, somewhere in the room, off behind him. Then, taking a considerable risk, he reached forward and pulled Emery closer to him. Chest to chest. He stared down into her wide eyes, feeling her breathing hitch in her throat at the sudden force.

“Stay?” He asked of her once more, sounding more certain of himself.

Slowly, Emery shook her head once, breathing out an ‘Okay…’, causing Yuta to give a small smile. Effortlessly, he dropped his arms to her thighs and picked her up, Emery’s arms wrapping around his head as she leaned in towards him more. Turning around, Yuta closed the door with his foot and walked them into the room's darkness.

Yesterday hadn’t gone great, but perhaps they could start the new day better?

[katyaromanoffpetrova]

https://www.tumblr.com/katyaromanoffpetrova/748183319755276288/tony-so-youre-saying-you-have-never-liked?source=share

Kat: "Nah I've had lots of bitches."

^^^I genuinely almost put Kat saying that instead, lol. Glad to know I know her well enough 😂

Nat: *whips her head around*

Kat: "What, a girl is on the run for two years, whatcha expect?"

Nat: *murder eyes* "FRIDAY?"

FRIDAY: "Yes Ms. Romanoff"

Nat: "Set up my hacking system. I'm about to hunt some bitches for sport."

Kat: *desperately explains* "Whoa, whoa. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. There was no one else. Only you. Always ever you.

*many hours later*

Kat: *sleeping on the couch* "Thanks a lot Tony"

Pls 💀 I love how we all know Kat by now.

Tbh, Nat would be petty enough to hunt those women down 😂 The thought of somebody else touching her wife, and the thought of her wife touching some other woman's 🐱 would drive her to murder.

Also yes, the couch. 100%.

[marmakar]

Heyyy your #1 fan here

What are your top 3 GTA ships? (Can be extended to top 5 or top 100 if it's too difficult to choose lol)

Keep up your cool work! I love your blog, I follow you on every social media <33

Heyyy, thank you so much for the support! Your words mean a lot to me, and I really appreciate you following. It's keep me motivated and inspired <3 ( •̀ ω •́ )✧ 💞

Speaking of shipping... I've always found it a bit challenging. I mean, I can ship what's usually popular with others. But with Donalni, I made an exception. Oh! I can share a little thing I created not too long ago.

So far I am only considering the 3D universe; with HD I still have to know and consider the entire plot in as much detail as possible…

Donalni (Donald Love/Toni Cipriani), of course, open my top. Their chemistry and dynamics just won over my heart, and the way they interact with each other makes their ship work. They look pretty good together and actually complement each other well, even without considering the fact that they can argue. The fact that there wasn't fan art and content about them for such a long time in the GTA fandom got me into drawing in this fandom (I was just "read only"), and it just got me attached to them, that's all;

Asuria (Asuka Kasen/Maria Latore). Let's say I love girls, and they just canon. Yes, they had a sexual relationship (if you read the dialogues in the game and delve into their essence, yeah), that's a fact. For me, they're simply the only one (canon) WLW (Women Loving Women) in the 3D universe. True, there's hardly any chemistry between them in the game, which makes it harder for me to connect with them, but I still love them (well, it was Rockstar Games' first attempt in 3D, and they were gradually learning the ropes).

Beyond that, honestly, I don't know, haha. When I was much younger and played GTA San Andreas, nothing really came to mind (God, now I see Carl/Woozie!). During my Vice City obsession, I shipped Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance because Rockstar themselves dropped hints and jokes between them (but later on, I saw arts of Tommy/Ken, and after that, I honestly didn't know who to ship with whom, haha). In 2014, I even had a thought about Tommy Vercetti/Claude, and in 2015 is Heston/Huang (I know It's HD, and they're broOTP, huh), but all of these were playful thoughts because I wasn't really good at drawing. There was even a moment when I shipped Michael/Trevor just because it was popular, and that's it.

Everything changed with replaying/reviewing everything in adulthood because I simply grew up and began to understand things better, including the English language (Russian translations often stripped away a lot of meaning…). And then, Donalni blew my mind, just like Asuria did. I have a strange story, but it is what it is. Nevertheless, I'm never against other ships! Shipping is fun!