#but a lot of people seem to give that role to Ross!

[withasideofshakespeare]

I’m curious about something…

[redroomreflections]

What's Good For The Heart

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

A Family of Her Own Series

7/9

Masterlist | General Masterlist

w/c: 6k

Summary: After the fall of the Avengers, Natasha Romanoff returns home to her secret family—a life she's carefully hidden away for years. Struggling to balance her role as a mother and wife while avoiding the dangers of her past, Natasha is forced to make difficult decisions that impact her loved ones.

This Chapter: R returns to New York and gets a visit from Ross.

Flying always made you feel a bit restless. As you sat back in the plush leather seat, rubbing your temple, you sighed, thinking about the coming days. The hum of the engines, the slight turbulence—everything seemed more pronounced now that you were alone. Without Natasha or the kids to keep your mind distracted, the anxiety simmered just beneath the surface, creeping into every quiet moment.

Your eyes drifted over to Ricky Mason, who sat across from you, tapping away on his tablet. He wasn’t as talkative by any means, which you were grateful for, but even in his silence, you could pick up on something. A glance here, a subtle shift there. It wasn’t bold or overt, but you could read people well enough to know Ricky's admiration for Natasha went beyond simple friendship. He'd been utterly dumbfounded to know you existed and that you and Natasha were married.

“So,” He said finally, breaking the quiet, “I’ve gotta say, getting this whole thing set up… fake flight logs, the new identities—it’s pretty impressive, even for me.”

You hummed in response, half-listening as you gazed out the window, watching the clouds drift by. "You've outdone yourself," you replied absently, not really in the mood for small talk.

He chuckled, shifting in his seat as if he wanted to say more but wasn’t sure how. "You know... Romanoff’s a hell of a woman," he added, his tone casual but not quite neutral.

That caught your attention. You glanced over at him, studying his face, the way he avoided looking directly at you now. "Yeah, she is," you replied evenly, not giving much away.

Ricky cleared his throat, pretending to focus on his tablet again, but you could sense the undercurrent in his words. He wasn’t being bold, not openly flirting, but there was something in the way he brought her up. A hint of admiration that went beyond simple respect for her skills.

"I mean, not to get personal or anything," he continued, his voice carefully measured now, "but it’s impressive. Everything she’s done. Everything you’ve both managed to pull off." He gave a small, nervous laugh, his bravado dimmed just enough to make you notice. "Takes a special kind of person to handle all of that."

You leaned back in your seat, keeping your gaze on him. "It does," you said, your tone soft but pointed. "And she’s a lot more than what people think."

Ricky nodded, perhaps sensing that he’d treaded into sensitive territory. "No doubt," he replied quickly, his eyes darting away again. He seemed to catch himself before going any further, shifting the conversation back to logistics. "So, we’ll be touching down in Jersey soon. I’ll make sure the rental car is ready when you land."

"Good," You said, letting the tension ease out of your shoulders. You didn’t need to make a scene, but you wanted to be sure he understood the unspoken boundary. Ricky wasn’t dumb, and he probably felt the shift in the air.

The rest of the flight passed in relative silence, with only the hum of the engines and the occasional click of Ricky’s tablet filling the cabin. You tried to focus on the plan ahead—getting to your old apartment in Jersey, preparing for the next steps—but your thoughts kept drifting back to Natasha and the kids. You pictured them on their way to the Lake District, hidden away in the quiet beauty of the English countryside.

Natasha would be in disguise, of course, her dark wig and brown contacts making her almost unrecognizable. Stella would be chattering non-stop about sharks, and Nicky, ever serious, would be watching everything with wide, curious eyes. It comforted you to know they’d be safe, at least for a while. But the weight of Ross’s ultimatum hung over you, pressing against the fragile peace you had tried to build for your family.

Soon, you’d be back in New Jersey, driving to Brooklyn, New York, to the old apartment you still kept as a backup. It felt strange, being separated from Natasha and the kids, but you knew it was necessary. You’d regroup soon, and until then, you had to trust that Natasha could keep them hidden.

"Landing soon," Ricky said, breaking the quiet again as he checked his watch. "You ready?"

You nodded, forcing a small smile. "As ready as I’ll ever be."

*********

The familiar scent of dust and stale air hit you as you stepped into the lobby of your old apartment building. The place felt both foreign and strangely comforting. You took a moment to absorb your surroundings, noting the brand-new carpet, the fluorescent overhead lights, and the chipped paint on the walls. You could feel the weight of time pressing down as you walked towards the elevator, your suitcase dragging behind you. Your mind was racing with thoughts of Natasha and the kids, imagining them nestled safely in the Lake District while you braced for whatever Ross had planned. You had spotted the strategically placed black SUVs parked outside, and a couple of suited men standing in the lobby, their eyes scanning the room like hawks. You turned with a look over your shoulders to see Ross sitting, sifting through a magazine, as if he'd been here before.

You stepped over to him with a frown. “Ah, you’re home,” he said nonchalantly, his eyes flicking up to meet yours.

“I don’t need a welcome committee,” You shot back, crossing your arms over your shoulders. “Nice job tailing me from the airport. Stalking is a new low for you.”

Ross set the magazine down, a smirk playing on his lips. “You know, I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t hiding Natasha. You’ve got a lot of connections. It’s no wonder you managed to evade us for so long.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, feeling annoyance flare within you. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I've been right here this whole time."

“Is that so?” Ross leaned back in his chair, feigning casual interest. "So, what have you been up to then? Any good stories?"

"No, and even if there were, I wouldn't tell you."

"Well, I suppose we can catch up later," Ross said, his tone growing more serious. "Does your wife have anything to do with the underwater prison being broken into? I'm missing a few fugitives."

"Underwater prison?" You repeated, keeping your voice steady. "What are you talking about? Is that ethical?"

"Oh, please," Ross replied, rolling his eyes. "We both know who you're protecting. Don't play dumb. Coming from seeing her?"

“I’m flying home from seeing a family friend who’s sick,” You replied, trying to sound convincing while suppressing the urge to roll your eyes. You knew he’d probably try to verify your story, but you were counting on his arrogance. “If you want to waste your time interrogating me, fine. But I don’t have any information for you.”

“Really? You expect me to believe you don’t know where she is? The way you’ve been so careful, it’s obvious you’re hiding something.” Ross’s tone shifted slightly, the menace lurking beneath his words bubbling to the surface.

"Hmm," You tilted your head. "You're grasping at straws."

Ross let out a dry laugh, irritation flashing across his face. “You know, it’s funny. I would’ve expected you to be smarter. You can’t keep hiding her forever. If you don’t cooperate, you’ll go down with her.”

“So, you gave me a week to what? Come and threaten me in person?” You crossed your arms defiantly, refusing to let his intimidation tactics rattle you.

“No, not really. I came to give you a warning,” Ross replied, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. “You can either turn over the location of your wife or face the consequences. Do you think she would be happy if you did time for her?”

“Is that your big threat? Jail time?” You laughed lightly, shaking your head. “Because if that’s all you’ve got, Ross, then you really are losing your touch. I know exactly what she would want me to do, and it wouldn’t involve betraying her.”

Ross’s expression darkened, his frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. “You’re playing a dangerous game, y/n.”

“And you’re still failing to realize just how far I’m willing to go to protect myself. You think you can intimidate me? You think you can scare me? You’re mistaken,” You shot back, your voice steady and confident.

He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing, a vein twitching at his temple. “You don’t know what you’re up against. You’re just a pawn in a game far bigger than you can comprehend.”

“Maybe,” you said, leaning closer, matching his intensity. “But I’m not the one who’s seething with frustration because I can’t find my target. How does that feel, Ross? To be outmaneuvered by someone you underestimated?” You could see the anger boiling in his expression, the way his hands clenched into fists.

Ross glared at you, seething, but you pressed on. “Every second you waste on me is a second closer to you losing your grip. I may not know where Natasha is, but I know how to keep you off balance. You're here because you’re afraid of what might happen if you push too hard. I’ve got everything to lose, and you’re just a cog in the machine.”

“You’ll regret this,” he spat, his voice low and threatening.

“No, Ross, I think you will,” you said, your gaze unwavering. “You’ve already lost, and the more you pursue this, the worse it’s going to get for you. You’re not just after Natasha; you’re threatening her family. That’s a game you’ll never win.”

You turned away from him, leaving him with nothing but his seething anger and the echo of your words hanging in the air. You had taken the upper hand, and for now, that was enough to give you a bit of hope in this twisted game. You finally took a deep breath as you stepped into the apartment you hadn't been in years.

Your footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor as you moved further into the apartment. The familiar scent of dust and stale air drifted around you, mixing with the lingering scent of old books and lavender. You'd asked the housekeeper, courtesy of your own connections, to light candles and make it smell as lived-in as possible. As you moved further into the room, the sunlight streaming through the windows cast long shadows on the floor, and the memories came flooding back.

The apartment was smaller than the one you'd shared with Natasha, but the space was still comfortable and well-appointed. You could remember the first time you'd brought Natasha here, the way her eyes had widened as she took in the view of the city from the living room windows. She'd looked at you with a soft smile, the warmth in her gaze taking your breath away. It had been a simpler time then, before the chaos of the Avengers, the Accords, and all the pain and suffering that followed.

You moved further into the apartment, glancing around at the sparsely furnished rooms. A small kitchen with a worn countertop, a living room with a single sofa, and a bedroom with a queen-sized bed. The furniture was basic, and the only real decoration was a vase of flowers on the kitchen table. It was a far cry from the luxury of your home in Missouri or even Versailles but it would do for now. You just needed to spend a week here and things would blow over.

You dropped your bag on the floor and moved to the bedroom, flopping down on the mattress. The bed was firm and the sheets were clean, which was all that mattered. You closed your eyes, letting out a long sigh. The past few days had been a whirlwind, and it was finally catching up to you. The weight of the situation was sinking in, and you could feel the tension mounting.

You lay there for a moment, taking stock of everything. Thoughts of Ross crept back into your mind, that encounter still fresh. You could still see the way he had leaned forward, his anger barely contained. You’d managed to hold your ground, but the threats loomed heavy over you like a storm cloud. The thought of him lurking around, watching your every move, made your skin crawl. You didn’t want to think about what might happen if he managed to uncover Natasha's location.

You rolled onto your back, staring up at the ceiling, forcing yourself to breathe deeply. You reminded yourself that Natasha was safe for now, tucked away in the Lake District with the kids. As long as you could keep Ross off their trail, they’d remain untouched. That was your priority, and it had to be enough to keep you focused.

You pushed yourself off the bed and walked back into the living room, taking a moment to assess your surroundings. You needed to make this place feel like home, at least for the time being. You moved to the kitchen, rifling through the cupboards to see what you could find. It was mostly empty, but a few essentials remained—some instant coffee, a box of cereal, and a half-empty jar of peanut butter.

With a shrug, you grabbed the coffee, thankful for even that small comfort. As you prepared the drink, the familiar aroma began to fill the air. You went through every nook and cranny of the apartment to ensure it wasn't bugged. The last thing you needed was Ross listening in on your conversations. When that was done, you settled down on the couch, cradling the warm mug in your hands. You let your mind wander, trying to process everything that had happened. The Accords had turned heroes into targets, painting them with a broad picture of distrust. What did this mean for Natasha? Would she be forced into hiding for good? You could picture her, always the fighter, her fiery spirit undiminished, but the constant pressure of being hunted was a different kind of battle.

The thought of her being pursued simply existing as herself—an agent, a devoted mother, and your wife—made your heartache. She had always been so committed to her beliefs and her teammates, but now that loyalty had come with a price. The idea of being forced to choose between her family and her duty as an Avenger gnawed at you.

Would she even want to return to that life? The thrill of being an Avenger seemed to dim when it came to family safety. You could imagine Natasha standing at that crossroads, the weight of her choices pressing down on her.

As you sipped your coffee, you wondered about the future. The world seemed to be changing around you, shifting like unstable ground. You hoped you would find a way to navigate this storm, but the unpredictability of it all was unsettling. You thought about the time you spent together, the laughter and love that filled your shared moments. Would you still be able to create that kind of life with all this looming over you?

Your phone buzzed, snapping you out of your thoughts. You glanced down to see a message from Natasha, and a wave of relief washed over you. You opened it eagerly, wanting to hear what she had to say.

Hey love, just checking in. We’re settling in nicely. Stella is already asking about the sheep! How's everything?

You smiled at the message, imagining Natasha sitting in the peaceful surroundings of the Lake District. Everything's fine, just got settled in. Ross showed up at the apartment, but I managed to handle him. Keeping an eye on things, don’t worry.

A few minutes later, a new message popped up. That bastard, I can't believe he tracked you down.

I'm surprised he hasn't shown up at the lake house yet, you joked, trying to keep the tone light.

You're right, he must be losing his touch. Or I'm a really great spy.

You chuckled, the brief moment of levity feeling welcome. So, how are the kids doing?

They're excited. Stella says it feels like home. Btw the number of tantrums she's had in the span of two days has been baffling.

Ah, I miss them and you already, you typed, the longing for your family bubbling to the surface.

I miss you too, Natasha replied, and you could hear the sincerity in her voice.

You bit your lip, knowing you probably shouldn't but pressing the call button anyway. She answered on the first ring. "Hey, y/n," Natasha's voice was warm and soft, like a gentle caress.

"Hi," you replied, a smile tugging at your lips. "I needed to hear your voice."

"I'm glad you called," Natasha replied, a hint of playfulness in her tone. "I was just thinking about you."

"Oh?" You teased, "What were you thinking?"

"Hmm," she hummed, and you could practically hear the smirk on her lips. "Just about how much I missed you, and how I wish we were curled up together."

You sighed softly, leaning back on the couch, "Me too."

There was a brief pause, the tension crackling in the air between you.

"How are you feeling?" Natasha asked. "You just got off a long flight."

"I'm fine," You breathed. "My breasts feel incredibly full. I should pump soon. I hope what I left is enough for Nicky."

"I'll make sure it's enough," Natasha reassured. "He's doing well too. Just a little teething."

"That's good," You nodded even though she couldn't see you. "So, you get to see Stella's tantrums live and up close."

"They're impressive," Natasha chuckled. "She's a bit like me in that regard."

"Oh?" Your eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't think I'd see the day when you admitted to being a brat."

"Hey," She said, her tone indignant. "I can admit when I'm being a brat."

You laughed, shaking your head. "Okay, fine. I can't wait to see it myself."

"Don't worry," Natasha assured a note of mischief in her voice. "We'll put on a good show for you. Seriously though what do you do when she's misbehaving?"

"I spank her," You replied.

There's a pause on the phone where you can tell Natasha is trying to process whether or not you're being serious.

"Oh my God," You couldn't help but laugh. "Natasha, I'm joking."

"Oh," She breathed, the relief evident in her voice. "I didn't know. I thought maybe you changed your mind on corporal punishment."

"Nope, she's not quite there yet," You chuckled. "But she does a good job of getting you there. I miss her."

"She misses you too," Natasha sighed, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice. "This is my first time truly being alone with them since they were babies. I'm learning so much."

"Well, we have all the time in the world to learn more," You smiled. "I'm proud of you, Nat. I know it's hard, but you're doing great."

"Thanks," She replied, a warmth in her voice. "I'll make sure the kids are taken care of. Until this blows over and we figure out something."

"I know," You said softly. "We're in this together."

"I should go," Natasha sighed. "The kids are asleep, but I'll call again later, okay?"

"Okay," You agreed. "Be safe, Nat."

"I will," She promised.

You ended the call, and you were left alone in the silence of the apartment. You took a deep breath, your mind wandering to all of the things you could do this week. It's been a year since you've been back in New York. The last time was a booty call for Natasha when she'd been craving your presence. You'd left the kids with Clint and Laura who only lived four hours away at the time.

It felt weird to be back now. You wondered what you'd even do, but the idea of being here, close to the people you cared about, was comforting.

You pushed yourself off the couch and started unpacking, putting your clothes away, and setting up the spare room.

*****

Lunch with Maria Hill was refreshing. She sat in front of you, her hair pulled back in a sleek bun, her blue eyes looking at you with concern. When she sat down in front of you, it was like she noticed every single subtle detail about you that changed. Then she asked you questions as if she was gauging your state of mind. You told her a lot, more than you probably should have. But Maria was trustworthy and had always been a good listener.

“You’ve gotten good at picking these low-profile spots, almost like you’re still in the game,” She teased.

"Well, some habits die hard, I guess," You shrugged, a small smile tugging at your lips. "And it's easier when you're not the target. Although, it doesn't stop me from feeling like a fugitive."

"That's the life of a wanted woman," Maria replied, her tone half-serious.

"Yeah," You sighed, resting your elbows on the table and leaning forward. “Even if I’m not the one being hunted.”

“I’ve heard the underwater raft went belly up a couple weeks ago,” Maria sipped from her mugs. Her eyes flashed around the room subtly.

“You knew about that?” You asked. “Am I the only one that thinks that’s a cruel prison?”

"Yeah, I don't disagree. I think a lot of things have happened that I can't control," Maria admitted. "The only thing I can control is being there for you. We may not have been in contact for years but we're still family.”

"I know, and I appreciate that. But if I'm being honest, this isn't exactly the welcome I was expecting."

"Well, things have gotten complicated," Maria said with a sigh. “Look, I don’t care what Ross or the general public thinks. I think those Accords are bullshit. But… I don’t like being kept in the dark either.”

“You mean Nick Fury doesn’t keep tabs on us after all?” You joked.

Maria chuckled, shaking her head. "He can try, but I'm the best at keeping secrets."

"Well, we can keep each other updated then," You offered. "I want to make sure my family is safe."

"Of course," Maria nodded. "So, Ross showed up, huh? Is he giving you a hard time?"

"He's trying," You huffed. "But I'm not about to roll over and play dead. This isn't the first time we've gone head-to-head. I think he's starting to realize just how far I'll go."

"Damn, you're tough," Maria chuckled.

"Well, I learned from the best," You smirked.

"You certainly did," She smiled.

"So, what are you doing these days?" You asked.

"I'm still with the U.S. Air Force for the time being. My role has shifted a little bit, but I'm still working to keep the world safe," Maria said. “Working with Stark whenever I have free time.”

"Oh, yeah? Any plans for a vacation?"

"Not really, but if you're offering, I'm sure we can figure something out," She winked. “There’s something different about you. A glow.” She mused.

You blushed slightly, shaking your head. "I think it's just the sunlight."

"Nah, it's not that," Maria grinned. "It's nice, whatever it is. Don’t tell me you’re pregnant?”

"That would be perfect timing. Wouldn’t it ?” You chuckled. “I’m not pregnant and don’t plan to be.”

"That's a shame, I think you'd make a good mother," Maria said. "But I respect your decision."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. So, how's Fury?" You asked, curious to know if she was still in touch with him.

"He's good, still the same old Nick," Maria said. "He's a busy guy, but we keep in touch. I think he's worried about you, actually."

"Me? Why would he be worried?"

"Because you're important to him," Maria shrugged. "He may not show it, but he cares."

"I'm not that important, and neither is Natasha," You said, a hint of sadness creeping into your voice. "If anything, she should be the one he's worried about."

"Look, y/n, I know he doesn't have the best track record with being upfront about everything, but he does care. And he'll always look out for those he considers family," Maria said.

"Family," You murmured. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"And even if he didn't show it, he'd always look out for you and Nat," She assured. "Just give him a chance."

"I will," You nodded.

You finished the rest of your lunch and made plans to meet again. You were glad to have Maria in your corner, especially during this chaotic time.

After parting ways, you found yourself wandering the streets, taking in the familiar sights and sounds. New York City was alive, the hustle and bustle a stark contrast to the quiet countryside of your home.

As you walked, the familiar faces and landmarks began to fade into the background. Instead, thoughts of the past began to creep in, memories you'd buried long ago resurfacing.

You thought about the times you'd spent here with Natasha. The early years of your marriage, when everything seemed new and exciting. You could remember the way her eyes would light up as she recounted her latest adventure or the way her laugh would fill the air with warmth. You missed that, the easy way you'd connected with each other, the way your bond had been so effortless.

You could see her, standing on the edge of a rooftop, the wind whipping her hair, her gaze locked on yours. That was the moment you'd fallen in love with her. She'd been so confident, so sure of herself, and yet there had been a vulnerability to her. She'd looked at you like no one else had before, her expression full of longing and hope. It was the beginning of something, a spark that would turn into a flame, a desire that would grow stronger with every passing day.

You could still feel the way your heart had raced as you'd stepped closer, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She'd been so beautiful, so magnetic, that you'd been helpless to resist her pull. She'd kissed you then, her lips soft and sweet, and it was like everything had fallen into place. You'd known, in that moment, that this was the beginning of something special.

Now, as you wandered the streets, your memories faded and the present returned. The noise and chaos of the city was overwhelming, but you pushed through it.

******

On the other side of the world, Natasha is just finishing up clearing the dinner dishes. The kitchen is small but cozy, sunlight streaming in through the windows. Nicky is glued to her hip, babbling about something in toddler-speak, while Stella is dangling from the couch, engrossed in Peppa Pig on the television.

It's been a quiet day, and she’s was ready to turn in from the night but the calm atmosphere is interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Natasha looked over, frowning as she made her way towards the door. She doesn’t speak. Doesn’t say a word. She simply eyed the person through the peephole. When she spots familiar brown hair, she unlocks it.

“You’re awake,” Wanda greets.

Natasha smiles.

Wanda stood there with a backpack, looking a bit nervous.

"Hi," Natasha stepped aside. "Come in."

"Sorry, I didn't call," Wanda said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," She shrugged. “I just finished up dinner.”

"Oh, I'm fine," Wanda shook her head. "I ate at the station."

"Well, there's leftovers," Natasha said. "So, if you get hungry.

“Thank you,” Wanda nodded.

Natasha turned towards the living room, raising her voice.

"Stella, Wanda is here," She said, gesturing to the girl behind her.

Stella glanced up from the TV, her eyes widening as she spotted the new arrival. Her grin stretched wide as she bounced over to Wanda, her little curls bouncing with each step. She barely paused before raising her arms in silent invitation. Without missing a beat, Wanda scooped her up, holding her close as she’d done a thousand times before.

“Hi, Wanda,” Stella said, her eyes shining.

“Hi,” Wanda replied softly, a smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes lit up with genuine warmth as she held the little girl in her arms.

For a moment, they just looked at each other, the air between them surprisingly comfortable. Then, in that serious way only a three-year-old could manage, Stella tilted her head and asked, “Wanda, are you okay now?”

Natasha's breath caught. Stella’s ability to sense things had always surprised her, and this was no exception. She exchanged a glance with Wanda, who looked both startled and touched by the child’s question.

“Yes, I am,” Wanda said gently, her voice just above a whisper. “Thanks for asking.”

Stella’s serious expression melted into a bright smile, and she gave Wanda a small pat on the shoulder. “I’m glad,” she said, her voice full of sincerity. As if Wanda's well-being was the only thing in the world that mattered to her.

Wanda’s gaze shifted to Natasha, the question in her eyes clear without her needing to speak it. How does she know?

Natasha shrugged a faint smile on her lips. “She picks up on things,” she guessed quietly. Stella had always been sensitive, attuned to emotions in a way Natasha couldn’t quite explain. It made her both proud and protective.

“Mama,” Stella piped up, breaking the silent exchange between the two women, “can I play?”

Natasha smiled at her daughter, grateful for how children could easily shift between the serious and the simple. “Yes, you can.”

Without hesitation, Stella wiggled out of Wanda’s arms and ran over to the pile of toys scattered across the living room floor, already chattering to Wanda about which ones she’d play with first.

Natasha watched her for a moment before turning back to Wanda, whose gaze was still fixed on the little girl. There was something soft in Wanda’s expression, a kind of wonder Natasha hadn’t seen in her for a long time. It tugged at something deep in her chest, a feeling that was part relief and part nostalgia.

The sound of Wanda's voice snapped Natasha back to the present.

"Sorry for not calling, I just wanted to check on you," Wanda apologized.

"It's fine," Natasha assured. "I want to make sure you're safe too."

"Thanks," She nodded. "Where's y/n?"

"In New York," She gestured for Wanda to follow her into the kitchen away from prying eyes. She placed Nicky into his high chair, silently cheering when he didn't protest. "Hoping to show her face and throw Ross off a little bit."

"I can't believe he tracked her down," Wanda huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, well, he's relentless. And stupid," Natasha muttered.

"True," Wanda agreed. "Is this all because of me? Right, what I did? He really wants me."

"It's not just because of what you did, Wanda. It's what we did," Natasha corrected. "It's a combination of things, really. He's just trying to regain some power. But don't worry, y/n can handle him."

"I'm not worried about y/n, I'm worried about her," Wanda gestured towards the living room where Stella is still playing. "What if he finds out about them?"

"He won't," Natasha promised. "And even if he does, we'll figure it out. We will have a plan. We always do."

Wanda's expression relaxed a bit, her posture visibly loosening. "You and y/n make me feel like a person."

"Well, you're always welcome here," Natasha said softly. "Or wherever we are in the world."

Wanda gave her a warm smile before changing the subject. "So, how are things going?"

"We're doing alright," Natasha sighed, her gaze falling to the floor. "I know the moving around gets to her a little. It's complicated."

"Of course, I understand. You just need to lay low until this all blows over," Wanda nodded.

"Exactly," Natasha agreed. "I've gotten used to it. I mean, I've been running my entire life, but this is different."

"It is," Wanda agreed. "But you're not alone. We're here for you."

"Thank you," Natasha breathed. "It means a lot. How long are you here for?"

"Just the night," Wanda licked her lips. "I plan to meet back up with Vision."

"Vision?" Natasha smirked, arching an eyebrow.

Wanda blushed. "He's my partner. Is that weird? Since he's kind of older?"

"Well, he's a robot for one. Two, is it romantic or is it..."

"I'm not sure," Wanda shrugged. "There's definitely a connection there. We're friends, but we're more than that too. I'm not sure where it will lead, but I'm curious."

"That's a good place to start," Natasha hummed.

"He's different," Wanda sighed. "He doesn't know how to be a person, but he's trying. It's nice."

"You're a good teacher," Natasha smiled. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will," Wanda promised.

Natasha nodded, her gaze drifting towards the living room, where Stella was carrying a bunch of her toys to bring to Wanda.

"Wanda, look at what I found," She said proudly, holding out the toy for inspection.

"That's a nice frog," Wanda complimented, a grin stretching across her lips.

"It's a turtle," Stella corrected a hint of mischief in her tone. "His paint has just come off a little bit."

"My mistake," Wanda laughed.

"Come on," Stella tugged on Wanda's hand, leading her to the couch. "We're playing dress up."

Natasha sat back in her chair, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She couldn't wait for you to come home.

The next morning, Wanda is on her way, leaving Natasha with a hug that would last for a while.

"Call if you need anything," She said. "I'll try and keep my ears open."

"Thank you," Natasha sighed.

Wanda smiled, her gaze lingering on the kids before she turned and walked away.

"Wanda," Natasha called out. "Be careful. Stay close. "

"I will," Wanda promised.

Natasha closed the door, watching as the redhead left the home. She needed you to be home.

***********

The house was silent when you pushed open the front door, your movements careful and quiet. You stepped inside, half-expecting to hear the usual sounds of chaos that accompanied a house with two small children—Stella’s giggles or Nicky’s babbling. But tonight, there was nothing but the soft hum of the wind outside.

You tiptoed through the living room, your eyes scanning for any sign of life, but it seemed like the house was asleep. Your heart warmed at the thought—they must have had a busy day. As you made your way toward the bedroom, you paused at the door, gently pushing it open.

There, sprawled across the bed, was Natasha. Nicky lay curled against her side in nothing but a diaper, his tiny fists clutching onto her shirt as if she were his anchor. Stella was draped across Natasha’s chest, wearing a too-small sleep dress that barely reached her knees, and only one sock clung to her foot. Her curls were a wild mess around her face, and every now and then, she would let out a soft, contented sigh in her sleep.

You smiled at the sight, taking a moment to appreciate how peaceful they all looked. You leaned against the doorway, taking in the scene. It was so different from when they were babies when their days were spent crying and needing to be fed or changed. Now, they were growing into their own personalities, their needs shifting to accommodate those personalities.

Your heart swelled with love as you watched them sleep, knowing that no matter how much the world changed, your family would remain constant.

You quietly made your way into the room, careful not to disturb the sleeping pair. As you leaned over to kiss Nicky's forehead, the floorboard creaked under your feet, causing him to stir slightly.

"Mama," He whined.

"Shh," You whispered, scooping him into your arms. Natasha woke at the sudden change of weight.

"Oh, you're back," She murmured.

"Hey, sleepyhead," You grinned. "Did you have a busy day?"

"Yeah," She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Wrangling toddlers is way harder than fighting evil."

"You're telling me," You bounced Nicky in your arms. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Natasha admitted, her voice low.

"Why don't you go back to sleep," You suggested. "I'll be here."

"Okay," Natasha closed her eyes again, the stress of the day catching up to her. "Y/n?"

"Yes?"

"Welcome home."

You smiled.

"It's good to be back."

---> next part

[slayerchick303]

*SECRET INVASION FINALE SPOILERS*

I just finished Home, and I have some thoughts:

Rhodey was in a hospital gown when he got out of the pod! I swear to all that is holy, if they have him been replaced by a skrull after his injury in Civil War, I will march on Disney headquarters! That would cheapen Tony's death, funeral, and Rhodey's amazing conversation with Sam in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I said I'd freak out if they made the swap previous to FATWS, and I meant it!

Gravik's human face was a man he killed, so I'm assuming the same is true for G'iah. If she is indeed going to be Abigail Brand as leaks have suggested (meaning Abigail Brand is dead), I'm going to be mad! Like legitimately disappointed. Brand is one of my favorite parts of the Astonishing X-Men comics run. I ship her and Beast so hard.

When was Everett Ross swapped? It has to have been after Black Panther because he would've reverted to his skrull form after being shot and/or Shuri would've noticed while healing him. Has a skrull infiltrated Wakandan leadership?! How many? For how long? Because that's BAD. Imagine the havoc skrulls could wreak with Wakanda's resources.

The CGI in this was pretty good. Especially compared to other recent Disney+ titles. That being said, I hate a lot of how they used it. Giving G'iah a huge Drax arm?! Bad choices in multiple ways: A.) the big Drax arm looked so weird as did other things. B.) do they think Marvel fans are too stupid to get what they were doing if they didn't make her arm huge? They should've kept Emilia's arm the same size, only given her Drax's tattoos and skin color at most. We would've understood. C.) the clothing changed too! How does that make sense?

Is Gravik really dead, though? Is Raava? We don't know if Raava has super skrull powers, but Gravik had like EVERYTHING. That seems like it should make him pretty invincible.

How did people not clock how off Rhodey was? There was like an enormous change in his personality. Raava was a jerk!

So, Fury and Sonya only tranqed those secret service members at the hospital. That wouldn't automatically make them revert, right, or every skrull would be outed when they fell asleep. If all those guards were humans, they were legitimately the worst security detail ever. That one guy literally listened to SkrullRhodey pretty much out herself and did nothing. He didn't even warn the president Rhodey was acting uncharacteristically. Every member of White House personale will have to be tested somehow. Maybe check for purple blood?

I really thought Ritson would die at the end. I guess he's just awful (which is unsurprising). I'm glad he won't be president much longer, as Harrison Ford is taking over the role of President Thaddeus Ross in Captain America: Brave New World. That being said, part of me worries that President Ross might be even worse than Ritson.

I kind of loved Varra and Fury's ending. It redeemed the awful, "I guess we'll never know moment."

****EDIT:**** I didn't think about this at the time, but I saw someone else bring it up. G'iah has Captain Marvel powers now! Doesn't that mean she should be caught up in the entanglement mess Captain Marvel, Photon, and Miss Marvel are dealing with in The Marvels?! That's an ENORMOUS plot hole. Not to mention, G'iah is ridiculously overpowered now. People complain about how powerful Superman is, and G'iah is so much worse.

I enjoyed Secret Invasion, even if it wasn't the best Disney+ show. The comics are still WAY better. Regardless, I'm looking forward to The Marvels even more now.

[9leaguesofmirrors]

My Favourite Reece Shearsmith Characters

So it's Reece Shearsmith's birthday today, so I decided to celebrate this by sharing some of my favourite characters played by this fantastically talented actor

These are in no particular order

Gregory Brewster - Him Indoors

Him Indoors is a short film about a serial killer with agoraphobia. Not only is the premise very interesting, Reece delivers a chilling yet very entertaining performance as the main character. It's on YouTube if you want to watch it, which I highly reccomend you do!

Tommy - Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room

This HAD to be on the list! Reece's performance as Tommy is heartbreaking, we watch a man seems to put-together and serious slowly fall apart and lose control of his calm façade - impeccable work

Sean Stone - Chasing Shadows

Admittedly, I don't know where the watch the full show, but I have seen clips and I knew I had to put it on this list because of Reece's portrayal of an autistic person. You can tell he put a lot of thought and research into it in order to give a realistic performance, which is a testament to his dedication and how much he truly cares about the roles he plays and who he's representing

Tyler - Riddle Of The Sphinx SPOILERS BELOW

If there's one thing Reece is good at, it's how to play a chilling villain. Everything about Tyler is unnerving and he manages to be terrifying without being loud or angry all the time. It's measured and the emotion builds and builds - fantastic work!

Joseph Lisgoe - The League Of Gentlemen

I've mentioned before that the debt collectors were underused, and I simply had to talk about how extraordinary Reece's performance as Lisgoe was. He completely dives into the roles he plays and this one was no exception, not even a light smashing on his closest friend stops him from carrying on a scene (just check out the outtakes!), he simply embodies the part and delivers a performance that terrifies the cast, crew and the audience

Laurence - Merrily Merrily SPOILERS BELOW

Merrily Merrily is an Inside No. 9 episode that I can never rewatched because of how empty it made me feel - and I mean that in the best way possible! Laurence is wracked with pain over the loss of his late partner, and Reece delivers such a subtle yet haunting performance that I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about it

Ross Gaines - The League of Gentlemen

Ross is such a fun character because of how manipulative, calculating and cold he is. Not only does it set him apart from the other inhabitants of Royston Vasey, it makes his scenes with Pauline all the more tense and entertaining - and Reece really does deliver in the role. I'm glad they decided to go with this casting choice

Aiden - Thinking Out Loud

Like with Laurence, Reece delivers a hauntingly stellar performance. What makes this one really special is that it's a monologue. There's nobody for him to bounce off of or react to, he has to reach those emotions himself. And, as always, he nails it

Ollie Plimsolls - The League Of Gentlemen

I've said before that I think Ollie is one of the most cleverly written League characters and I stand by that. As a representation of the Saviour Complex and self-righteousness of people in theatre, Ollie is a character that should be easy to hate... but because of Reece's expert comedic timing and delivery, he ends up being so funny that you can't help but laugh every time he's onscreen

SPECIAL MENTION: Gilbert - Betty Blue Eyes

Reece Shearsmith said in an interview that he wasn't a great singer. Reece Shearsmith is a liar. Don't believe me? Listen to The Kind Of Man I Am from Betty Blue Eyes and thank me later

Also, if you can find it, there's a short bootleg of him in The Producers which is good too!

Of course, this are just a few of his performances and he's never delivered a bad one - whether he's playing a comedic character like Archie in The Bill or a more serious one like in Borley Rectory. And we haven't even touched on his writing skills, I can't wait to see what he does next!

[spidermanifested]

💔💛🖤 for FMA because you're always correct somehow

💔: If you had to remove one major character from the series, who would you choose?

i cant just say roy mustang a fourth time im challenging myself to come up with a creative answer

honestly? and if you can believe it mostly unrelated to the third question down there. i think if you took out hughes, and had to reframe the military protagonists' motivations to make them less reliant on "we need to avenge this one guy we liked", youd have room to explore more of the actual bad things about the amestrian government. that might lead people to want to rebel. like at least the nina chapter provided insight into why the state alchemist program is inherently corrupt, all we learn from hughes dying is "Breaking News! One Weird Geometry Fact The Homunculi Dont Want You To Know About"

youd have to restructure the maria ross parts too but i figure you could work something out without too much trouble. blame her for lab 5 going down or something idk

����: What is a popular ship you just can't get behind, and why?

takes a deep breath. This may come as a betrayal to almost all of my devils nest mutuals. it may break my streak of always being correct in the eyes of the masses. but i dont........really see what everyone else sees......... in greed/dolcetto.........

"wow big shocker from captain grido" i hear everyone saying but llet me explain myself. i can rationalize why somebody might like it. and its not even the ship itself i have beef with really. its more, the widespread fandom elevation of dolcetto as Greeds Loyalest Guy, with mainly vibes-based justifications (hes a dooooooog!!!!) instead of textual evidence, that tends to accompany it? which to be fair exists outside of a shipping context as well. like on tv tropes for example

[CITATION NEEDED]

so. My bido loving soul naturally despairs. also the fact that it seems to have achieved almost default status in the fandom spheres im most interested in, so when you go looking for nest related stuff it crops up before long and you know how it goes with overexposure

my final reason is that i do love dolcetto as a character. That guy rules. which means it does me psychic damage to see his personality replaced with that of a shy blushing puppyboy, as he so often is in the ancient fanart i find combing the google search results,

🖤: Which character is not as morally good as everyone else seems to think?

As Per My Last Email: hughes lol

like i know in series hes meant to be a heroic figure but thats kind of my problem. hes just your average nuclear family loving gun toting red blooded american i mean amestrian, who joined the army to defend his definitely-under-attack right to have said nuclear family, and then started dating a girl while he was on the front lines and then used her as an internal justification to keep committing genocide, and then when he has a kid he threatens her (3 YEAR OLD) friends with a gun, and one of his Bonding Moments with winry is giving her a lecture on gender roles because dont you know men never talk about their feelings, and do you see why i thinkmaybe tje fact that he buys his daughter a lot of toys and waves around pictures of his family doesnt inherently make him the best dad on earth. like its really easy to be a good dad when your kid is a toddler and your wife does all the hard work taking care of her and all you have to do is bring home the paycheck. wild beasts are xoming to attack me once hit post on this one i think

[agentgrange]

I tried to ask this in the Delta Green Reddit but it was extremely unhelpful! What do you think is the difference gameplay wise between Delta Green 2017 and Fall of Delta Green. Besides being different systems do you think there is a different style of play? What is stopping someone using Gumshoe for a modern day game and 2017 for a game set in 1969? Thanks!

I love this question, I'd actually love to do a full breakdown of these two editions someday the same way AlfaBusa broke down the different editions of World of Darkness. I actually wrote *so much* the first time I got this question my phone died while I was editing it down and I lost all of it. So here's my second attempt. Bare with me:

I prefer GUMSHOE, regardless of time period. A lot of my players though like the classic D100 system. I think that mostly comes down to chance and progression. Classic Delta Green actually rewards you for fucking around and testing fate by granting you one or two percentage points every time you fail a role. I can understand why it feels like it encourages you to take more risks and play outside your characters comfort zone, and unlike GUMSHOEs point spends there's no reason not to try something you're bad at every time. You aren't going to run out of spends, and baring an alien parasite feasting on your brain your skills can only go up. Sure, you might fumble so bad that you blew yourself up with a claymore but... at least it'll be funny, right?

To most people GUMSHOE / Fall of Delta Green is the much more grounded hardboiled version of the two. You aren't a bunch of cowboy murderhobos, you're professional murderers. Your character knows their strengths and weakness, and they're one of the best in the world at what they do. Skills aren't so much how probable a character is to succeed at a task but "what skill does your character use to succeed." They have a tool belt of experience to fall back on, and they really are that good. But while most investigations will never leave your character at zero spends left, I can understand why people don't like the idea that your character can theoretically just run out ideas and use up that tool belt or point progression being something given out by the Handler in between sessions rather than something that can be earned in the moment to moment gameplay. Broadly though, on the surface Fall of Delta Green agents seem much more buttoned up (and, dare I say, flat) than their roudy D100 siblings who act like they just fell ass-over-teakettle into a Mi Go hive. And for some people thats not as fun.

EXCEPT THEY ARE TOTALLY WRONG BECAUSE GUMSHOE CAN BECOME 🤡 CLOWNSHOES 🤡 WITH THIS ONE WEIRD TRICK.

The best addition to Fall of Delta Green is actually Nights Black Agents. Here's four things from Nights Black Agents you can add to FoDG to COMPLETELY change how you play the game, give it a tier one operator high speed low drag coat of paint for any era, and WELL OUTWEIGH the perceived benefits of d100 DG:

Preparedness and Bureaucracy Rework-- Preparedness alone in Fall of Delta Green is a game changer by answering the dilemma of "man every time I need a new gun I need to roleplay going to the Gun-Carry, Gun-Ross army-navy surplus store and counting out our petty cash fund to determine exactly how many bullets I have. What if I just had an Uzi under my jacket with enough ammo to wipe out this entire bowling alley?"... or you know boring shit like "man I wish I had a crowbar RIGHT NOW, hey DM do I have one?" NBA has optional rules to take the same rules that govern Preparedness and apply them to Bureaucracy. Instead of a numerical value of "how good am I at arguing with my parent agency about the collateral I need to requisition the communal AC130" you can instead skip the arguing and treat it like an elevated preparedness role. Your character works within the system offscreen to retroactively get access to privileges only afforded to members of your organization. Simply think "boy I wish we had gunship cover right now" and with an appropriate Bureaucracy roll your character already filed the mission paperwork three weeks ago. Your patron organization is only going to stick their neck out for you so many times though, so unlike other stats Bureaucracy doesn't replenish at the end of a mission. Your character will have to invest progression points into Bureaucracy if they want to keep dipping into it, and can expect to get shit-canned if it hits zero.

Network-- What if you need something done off the books? What if you really wish you had a guy who knows a guy who's willing to move an ungodly amount of Crank no questions asked, and you need them right now without having to consult your character's tragic backstory? Wonder no more, by letting Agents put points into Network they can create Brampton the Hells Angel Biker on the spot for all their black budget needs. Like Beurocracy, Network doesn't replenish on its own but players are allowed to keep the contacts they spend points on between missions to create a web of off-the-books contacts, informants, and assets.

Cover-- Did one of your Agents get caught in a C O M P R O M I S I N G position? No they didn't! With Cover, that State Trooper didn't stop Agent Yancy Grange. They stopped Rusty Sheckleford, beloved member of the Galveston Texas community with the IDs and paper trail to prove it! There's no limit to the amount of aliases you have, but like Bureaucracy and Network Cover doesn't replenish on its own. Once you hit zero your covers blown-- someone somewhere put the pieces together and any future attempts at using your alias will get you recognized.

Roleplay based skill feats like TECHNOTHRILLER MONOLOGUE-- NBA is filled with a ton of these and I encourage handlers to pick and chose which ones to offer to their players to dial in the exact level of pulp they want in their campaign setting, and Technothriller Monologue is my favorite. With a sufficiently high Firearms skill Agents can get the equivalent of an Action Surge by describing in Tom Clancy-esque detail exactly how they squeezed the trigger before canoe-ing a cultist so badly they blow out their brains through the back of their neck.

[closetednobody]

C'mon, I cannot be the only that after all the shit they put Maya through with the demotion and the way Beckett was harassing Maya at work that thought that bottle of whiskey was well-deserved revenge?

She didn't force Beckett to drink. That was on him. I would've given Sullivan something too! Like, hire a PI, get photos of him and Ross and put all around the internet, the Stations, etc. If you're going down, bring them with you.

Like, why did everybody forgive Sullivan?

Honestly, there a lots of fingers to be pointed about Maya's breakdown.

Hello OP!

Sorry that I replied to this a little late, but no, you're not alone.

Although I wouldn't encourage Maya's actions, I understand why she felt compelled to do so, especially with how she was raised by Lane Bishop.

I also partially disagree with Ben's "you did that because you were in a bad place," and for Maya to "apologize when you feel comfortable" because it wasn't entirely Maya's fault. They saw how Maya was being bullied by Beckett - what did they do for their former captain who was demoted for saving a kid's life? NOTHING.

Of course, one would argue that Maya could learn from Andy's more diplomatic approach or Sullivan's more political (read: cunning) approach. Or maybe , she could've been patient for slightly longer, and things would've unraveled itself. But Maya has been patient - from being ignored by McCallister, bullied by Beckett, and unfairly lectured by Ross. In one of my posts, I've explained what could be Maya's thought process behind the blackmail (and probably why she wouldn't send PI on Sullivan and Ross) and that was the start of her... downward spiral.

So... should Maya give that bottle as revenge? No. If she is as heroic and noble as Andy Herrera, she shouldn't.

But Maya is an anti-hero. The twisted protagonist with a dark side. One who has been treated unfairly and has been "nice" for too long, and without Carina in her corner, she was... wounded. Feral. Desperate.

So, as far as Maya was concerned, Beckett was not an alcoholic when she gifted the bottle to him, as per Ross' wise and fair evaluation. So, a little whiskey to celebrate should be fine. (Maya's smirk when she left the room was sinfully satisfying.)

Should Maya apologize? Objectively, she doesn't have to. Conscientiously? She can. But it's not her fault. I hope we can delve a little more on her self-blame tendency, which is common amongst people who are recovering from traumas.

Sullivan's case? Honestly? Imo, it is just how the system/society treats men and women differently.

If a man fights for his rights for power, he is passionate and driven.

If a woman does the same thing, she is reckless and selfish.

Why? Because by social norm, women would generally become the "healer" while men are demanded to be the "hunter" - fascinatingly, it's something that is almost coded in our brains. But society and gender roles have changed so much that our brain, weirdly, couldn't adapt to it, hence creating biases that we subconsciously practice.

As "healers" (e.g., homemaker, mothers, etc), women are expected to be role models who are patient, forgiving, respectable, loving, optimistic, and the list goes on. Believe it or not, these are some of the traits associated with maternal qualities. Phew.

As "hunters" (e.g., earners, husbands, etc), men are expected to be goal-driven and focused because their main role is, basically, to go out, find supplies, and get their ass home, safely. They are expected to protect their home and dependents - by all means, at all cost.

But centuries have passed, and society has evolved. Even gender roles have shifted now, and the old norm doesn't seem applicable anymore. BUT! Our mind doesn't know that. (Recommending "The Idiot Brain" by Dean Burnett if you are interested in this weird conundrum.)

It's frustrating. But... *shrugs*

I never liked Sullivan after what he did to Maya, and I don't think I ever will.

I think I am rambling... so I'll stop here. 😆😂

[sjsmith56]

Taking Back the Cities - Chapter 13, Finding Jade

Summary: Bucky shows up at the old Avengers compound in New York State. After admitting he got into some trouble he becomes involved in mission planning. A couple of months later they’ve made some progress but need a better way to combat the Others. Bucky throws an idea out that he’s been working on and it captures a lot of interest.

Length: 4.8K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Peter Parker, Thaddeus Ross.

Warnings: some coarse language, Bucky angst.

Author’s notes: I’m not a military genius but did give some thought to how they could fight the Others without resorting to something high tech that would make them vulnerable. What I came up seemed to make sense.

<<Chapter 12

🏍️🐴

Three weeks after Bucky left the Bunker he pulled in to the Avengers compound in upstate New York on his motorcycle. It looked like all sorts of activity was happening meaning the other people were already there. Steve was waiting for him at the main door. Bucky parked the bike, removed his gloves and helmet and looked at him.

"About time you got here," said Steve. "Three weeks since you took off."

"I ran into some trouble," replied Bucky. "Spent a few nights in jail. Had to work a few more days to earn some gas in trade. Told them how we came up with a solution to the Others. That helped grease the wheel a bit."

"She broke down crying, Buck," said Steve. "She didn't want you to leave for good, just to leave her alone a bit until you could both talk rationally. You hurt her, really bad."

"Yeah," replied Bucky, looking away. "I figured that out when I was in jail. Really fucked it up, didn't I? She's better off without me."

"No, she's not," said Steve, "and you're not better off without her. Why were you arrested? It's not like you can get drunk."

"I trashed a building," said Bucky. "Had a tantrum over how stupid I had been and destroyed what I thought was an abandoned building. It wasn't but it should have been condemned. The owner was just putting off the inevitable. I had to dig through the rubble to find his possessions to reduce my sentence. They gave me gas at least."

Steve shook his head, then put his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you your room," he said. "We've got limited internet and telephone access already and we're planning the first attack on a small town. We'll need you on this. Have a shower first because you reek. I brought the rest of your stuff."

As the two friends entered the building Bucky's presence was noted with shouts and waves from the other Avengers. He nodded his head at the acknowledgements then once he got to his room stripped down and got into the shower, standing under the hot water for a good twenty minutes before he shampooed his hair and cleaned himself. After drying he looked in his drawers and took out clean clothes, smelling them deeply. The smell reminded him of Jade and for a moment he thought he would cry but he took another deep breath and pulled on the T-shirt, underwear, socks and jeans. He looked for his jean jacket in the closet but it wasn't there and a small smile crept over his face. She kept his jacket. If he wanted it back he would have to go get it.

Nobody said it was easy

Oh it's such a shame for us to part

Nobody said it was easy

No one ever said it would be so hard

    The Scientist by Coldplay

As Bucky walked out of his room he bumped into Sam, who gave him a pound hug. "Bucky, good to see you man," said Sam. "You okay?"

"Getting there," he said. "Steve told me we're planning an attack. Any idea what my role is?"

"You and Steve are both in the thick of it," said Sam, smiling. "Meeting is in ten minutes if you want to grab a bite to eat first."

Bucky nodded and found his way to the cafeteria, picking up a few sandwiches, some fruit and a bottle of juice. He took it to the conference room where others had done the same thing and sat down next to Peter, who nodded and said hi.

"How's your Aunt May?" asked Bucky. "Have you seen her yet?"

"Yeah, she's here now," said Peter. "Happy kept her safe. They got married, in fact. Not sure yet how I feel about that."

Bucky smirked then took a bite out of his sandwich. "Well, at least he didn't abandon her after his first big argument with her," he said sarcastically.

"Jade blamed herself," said Peter, in a low voice. "Ben told me that she was mad at herself for not accepting your apology. She cried for days. We're going to be setting up a direct link with them at their new place. You know that they're moving, don't you?"

"No, I don't," replied Bucky looking at him.

"Ma found a big gold nugget," said Peter. "They think it came from that quartz vein you and Jade found as that's where the Queen blew up. It was enough for them to buy their own place just outside Santa Fe. They're moving in a week and taking the horses with them. I'm going to tutor Ben once we set up the link. You could talk to her."

"I don't think that will be a good idea," said Bucky chewing. "But keep me informed about them, okay?"

Peter nodded and the two men kept eating without speaking. Steve came in and Bucky pulled a chair out for him which he declined.

"I'm leading the meetings now, Bucky," said Steve. "I'm running the show, Fury's job. I'll still go out on missions. In fact, you and I will be doing an exploratory mission very soon."

Thaddeus Ross walked in and met with Steve at the front of the room.

"He's still alive?" asked Bucky. "I'm surprised he didn't take over."

"He was asked by the President," said Peter, "but he refused. Said we should be an independent organization governed from within. One of the lessons learned from the failure of the Sokovia Accords. He's changed a lot since you last saw him. His daughter died, the one who was in love with Bruce once."

The conference room was full, not just of Avengers but assorted military and scientific personnel. Ross patted Steve on the arm and sat in the empty chair next to Bucky, glancing at him.

"Glad to see you made it Barnes," he said. "We're going to need your skill set on this fight."

"I'm here to serve General," Bucky replied.

"I'm not military anymore, or Secretary of State," replied Ross. "Just a concerned citizen with some organizational skills."

Bucky glanced at Peter who raised his eyebrows before they both looked up at Steve as he began talking.

"I want to thank those of you who took care of the Others surrounding this facility so we could have a command post for the fight against them," said Steve. "If you don't already know me, I'm Steve Rogers. My friend Bucky Barnes came back through time to get me, figuring I was needed in the fight. I'm here for good now. Myself and eight other Avengers have been holed up in the Bunker facility in New Mexico. A woman by the name of Jade Chambers put her life in jeopardy to reach us after discovering she had a telepathic link with a queen in our area. From her information we learned the queen wanted to form a symbiotic relationship with humans that benefitted her more than us. We were able to devise a strategy of luring the queen to the surface which weakened her connection to her nests and ... well, let's watch the video of our first attempt at it and you can see what I mean. Can you run that footage?"

With Friday up and running there was full 3D video coverage courtesy of Red Wing showing the queen breaking through the ground, changing colour as her connection with the nests weakened. Then it showed Sam dropping the IEDs on the outermost nests to destroy them and further weaken the queen. The end result of the queen exploding and all the nests exploding on their own or just stopping drew gasps, and quite a few claps. The footage stopped and Rogers resumed talking.

"The military have used this tactic to clear their bases," he said. "It's worked very well in both dry and wet conditions in open spaces but now we have to devise a new plan to go after the Others still in the cities. We need IEDs that are strong enough to disrupt or destroy the nests but not too strong that they destroy the infrastructure they're hiding in. We still think we can lure the queens out but the city queens are more compact, not as diffuse and don't need as many nests to support it as the open country ones did. Cap?"

Sam Wilson came up and asked Friday for a display of the IEDs used in New Mexico, followed by adaptations used by the military in clearing their bases.

"As you can see the first IEDs that we used were quite small as they were distributed by one person, me," he said, "using my flight suit. They had to be small enough that I could carry an adequate supply but powerful enough to destroy the nests. The interesting thing we discovered is that I didn't have to deploy to all the nests. Just enough to weaken the queen so that she imploded...that's right imploded first, then exploded on the rebound. Once she died the rest of the nests stopped functioning. The military used drones to drop IEDs that could be bigger and stronger, and that was effective for them as well. The problem in the cities is that we want to maintain the infrastructure and buildings as much as possible. People need a place to live once we clear a city out and we want to be able to just flush out the remains of the Others and go back to using sewer and water as we did before. Power infrastructure will still have to be rebuilt for the most part."

"What have you got in mind, Cap?" asked Bucky loudly.

Sam smiled at Bucky. "I'm glad you asked that," he said. "Our friends in the military have devised a kind of flash bang IED that we can try by dropping them down an open manhole cover. We don't need to kill the Others nests so much as disable them so the queen gets weak enough to implode. Once she does that the nests stop functioning. We can clear them out, bury them, cremate them more likely and then we turn on the water again. What we need are people strong enough to lift the manhole cover quickly, drop the IED down and go off to the next cover before the drones figure out what you're doing and come after you. We'll set off the IEDs to go off at the same time as we are luring the queen out of the sewers with the recording of Jade's brain activity. Right now there are three people strong enough to do that, Rogers, Parker, and you."

"Can I suggest I use my webs to pull the manhole covers off and then Steve and Bucky can just run right by dropping the IEDs down into the open holes?" said Peter. "I think it would be more efficient. With some practice I can probably lift a cover every few seconds. We could test it in one of the small towns nearby."

Steve and Sam looked at each other smiling. "That's a very good idea, Peter," said Sam. "Anyone have any idea how much a manhole cover weighs?"

"Standard weight of a cast iron or concrete cover is about 250 lbs," said a man in the back. "If they're made of composite materials like glass reinforced plastic they'll be lighter, about 150 lbs."

"I can handle those weights easily," said Peter. "Just need to lift it completely off so that it leaves a completely open hole."

Sam sat down and Steve took control of the meeting again. "I think we should give Peter's idea a test run," he said. "Tomorrow morning okay with everyone? Peter, is that enough time to test your technique on a few manhole covers?"

Peter nodded and Steve called the meeting over. Peter ran to get his web shooters on then went outside with a small delegation of scientists, Steve and Bucky, to see how effective his web would be in lifting off the manhole covers. After a few tries he got the technique down to a point where he was satisfied. Then he looked at Steve.

"It would be better if I was doing this from the buildings," he said. "Any chance you'll let me go to one of the small towns and try it on the outskirts? I just need to figure out a rhythm and sequence for this. Don't want to be dropping a manhole cover on your heads as you're running by."

"I'll take you on my bike," said Bucky. "I've outrun a few Others on the way here. It will help me get a sense of the timing as well."

"Well then, I'm coming on my bike," said Steve, smiling. "Meet out here in ten minutes."

Ten minutes later Peter and Bucky were waiting beside his motorcycle. They heard the tell tale sound of a Harley Davidson coming from the garage building. Bucky had a broad smile on his face when Steve pulled up.

"You went back and got it, didn't you?" he asked. "I knew you liked that one."

"Yeah, they were going to hang on to it until I took it so I put them out of their misery," said Steve. "Let's go."

Ten minutes later they were in the nearest small town. Peter pulled his clothes off revealing his Spider-Man gear underneath.

"It feels more natural to wear it when I'm slinging webs," he explained. "Give me five seconds head start then come through."

He leaped up to the first building then aimed at the first man-hole cover pulling it up. As he started progressing they counted to five and then followed him, keeping an eye on the speedometer and an eye on their environment.

"You have company," said Sam's voice and they looked up to see Red Wing hovering just behind them, covering their six. "There's a few drones peeking their heads out to see what's going on. The first ones are pulling the covers back on."

Peter yelled that he could go faster so they sped up and they soon got an idea of the speed they could go if they had a clear road. However, whenever they got to a road where there was an accident or abandoned cars they had to slow and soon the covers ahead of them were being replaced before they could get to them. Steve called an end to the exercise and sent Red Wing to tell Peter to withdraw which he did easily. Both Steve and Bucky got out okay but had to dodge cars blocking their path several times. They met well outside the town, where Peter had left his clothing. Sam landed next to them.

"Good idea in theory but there's a few kinks," he said.

"I was hoping to use the bikes," said Bucky, "but they're more of a hindrance than a help. We're going to have to run it. Not only that we need an exit strategy. I think we should start inside and work our way out. Otherwise we'll get trapped."

"We can jump from the quinjet," said Steve. "I'm good from a few hundred feet."

Bucky and Sam smiled. "Two hundred feet max for me," said Bucky. "Need time to recover after as well."

"Well that was after you fell through the trees," said Sam, grinning. "And the plane was moving. If it's a hover you could probably handle it."

"You can go faster than what you started at, right Peter?" asked Bucky. "We just need to time it so that we're dropping the IED into the hole right after you uncover it. Then it doesn't matter if they put the cover back on after. I say tomorrow we keep trying until we get the timing right. Any chance we can broadcast the recording of Jade's brain activity while we're doing it? That distracts and weakens the queen and the drones. If we're lucky we can clear this town."

They rode back to Avengers HQ talking over the different strategies they could try. After dinner Bucky grabbed a couple of bottles of beer and sat outside looking at the sunset. Steve joined him, as did the others who had been in New Mexico.

"I miss the sunsets," said Bucky. "This is nice but it was spectacular out there."

"Bruce is staying out there to do his research," said Steve. "Said he likes the quiet. I think we'll run a skeleton staff at the Bunker once we get fully operational again. Have a helicopter on site until we get another quinjet built. Could pick up Hope and Scott easily. You're rated on both, right?"

"Yup," said Bucky. "But Cap is only an hour away from just about anywhere in the country. It's too bad Wakanda is still down. We could use some of their technical expertise."

"I've proposed a couple of satellite facilities like the Bunker elsewhere," he said. "Alaska, Canada, Mexico, southeast U.S. We did good work there. Especially once Jade brought us that intel. Dr. Strange thinks we should be recruiting more telepaths. What do you think?"

"I think you should stop pushing the conversation back to New Mexico and Jade," said Bucky. "I'm focussed on taking care of the Others in New York then I'll start thinking about whether I should go back to her. If she'll even have me."

"Fair enough," said Steve, draining his beer and standing up. "Just one more observation. She made you happy. That's hard to find."

Bucky didn't react and Steve went back inside. Once he drank his second beer Bucky took his empties in and dropped them in the recycle bin then went to his quarters. Friday had limited entertainment options and Bucky chose an old war movie with John Wayne and Donna Reed, called They Were Expendable. It came out after he fell in 1945. He found it entertaining but no matter what he kept thinking of Jade. The movie ended and he realized he hadn't paid attention for at least an hour. Sighing he asked Friday for some calming ocean sounds. Eventually he fell asleep.

The next day they tried Peter pulling the manhole covers off from the inside of the town going out, while Steve and Bucky jumped out of a hovering quinjet that took off as soon as they jumped. Torres, who had holed up with a military unit during the occupation, showed up with his Falcon flight suit. His Red Wing unit broadcasted Jade's brain activity while Sam and his Red Wing unit videoed the trial. As soon as Steve and Bucky landed they took off dropping the IEDs in the open manholes. They kept up to Peter as he pulled up two manhole covers at a time and ran all the way out of town. Sam set off the IEDs and they heard the bangs. They saw several manhole covers lift or get blown off several feet. Then Sam sent a video drone into the sewers using a street drain opening. A mobile army unit with computer screens linked to the drone showed inactive Other drones and several imploded queens. Steve ordered another run and they loaded up with more flash bangs, then the quinjet picked them up and dropped them at another part of town. This time they took fire from some of the Other drones who came out of the manhole cover. Sam sent several of his drones after them and found they were weakened enough to be destroyed by his drones' firepower. As soon as Bucky and Steve left town Sam activated the flash bangs and again they had a successful result. An hour later they had cleared the town of Other nests and queens. They sent several video drones throughout the entire sewer and water system of the town and saw no living queens or drones. Steve and Bucky walked into town with Sam covering them and lifted up a manhole cover. Both men went into the sewers and came up several blocks away at an open manhole cover.

"Confirmed destruction of queens and nests," said Steve as he pressed his comms. "We have a successful test. Can we get some army engineers in to see the extent of the damage to the infrastructure? We also need a crew to clear the drone carcasses out. It reeks down here so they'll have to wear hazmat suits."

That afternoon at the debriefing they looked at all the footage. There were more military types at the debriefing and they proposed giving the tech people full reign to design all sorts of delivery systems reasoning that it was too much to ask of Peter, Steve and Bucky to do it all. The discovery that flash bang devices would achieve the disruption of the communication between the queens and the drones in the nests was crucial as it gave them more options in planning their attacks.

For the next month Peter, Steve, Bucky and Sam performed all sorts of combinations. Most worked, some didn't but each excursion gathered valuable information and the military began experimenting themselves with the small towns surrounding their bases that still had nests. People were able to begin returning to their homes and that went a long way to improving the morale of ordinary citizens. As more small towns were liberated the media began setting up in them and news organizations began reporting to the public the progress being made. After that month of non-stop excursions trying to fine tune an attack strategy Steve pulled all the Avengers back to their compound for a respite, knowing that they needed a break. A request was made by a television crew to film them at the base. Broadcast live on the existing television stations that signed on, and streamed live over the internet they were seen by a quarter of the population. Peter recorded it and sent a link to Ben. Bucky was not happy about either the filming or the broadcast and considered it an invasion of his privacy. He still ended up with a lot of fans on the returning social media channels, many of them female.

A week after the broadcast and live stream the Avengers were back on the road, clearing small towns, testing new delivery methods, and generally working 12-15 hour days, 7 days a week. They went two weeks on duty and would have one week off. Most of the crew chose to spend their week off at Avengers HQ, doing laundry, sleeping, and catching up on life in general. Bucky would jump on his motorcycle and disappear for four or five days, always returning in time to quickly do some laundry and get caught up on their next assignment. For two months he kept it up and told no one where he went or what he was doing until the decision was made to launch an all out assault on New York City. At the briefing when they were debating how to use mechanical means to drop the flash bangs Bucky put his hand up.

"I have a suggestion," he said. "No doubt some of you have noticed on our weeks off I disappear for several days at a time. I haven't been lazy during those days. In fact I've been researching a way to get more people involved in delivering the flash bangs. Not by running but by horse back riding. I reached out to mounted police units, ceremonial cavalry units, any group that had horses that could be trained to run in obstacle filled areas. While I'm on duty for two weeks most of them have been practicing dropping tennis balls into small pots as they race by on their horse. Then I meet up with them on my week off and we clear a town by aiming into the street drains. So far we've cleared about two dozen small towns with no loss of rider or horse and without the recording of Jade's brain activity. They're ready to mobilize on a bigger target if you want to try them out."

Steve stood up at the front with a funny smile on his face as he looked at Bucky. "Two dozen small towns, cleared of Others using a mounted detachment?" he asked. "How many riders?"

"I currently have two detachments," said Bucky, "of about ten riders each. The horses need a breather after each run so we alternate between the two detachments. There are another ten currently training and they're always on the lookout for more riders. One horse can run a maximum of 20 linear miles in a day, in about 2 mile maximum stretches before they need to rest. That's in optimal conditions. We usually average about 10-15 miles easily per horse but it depends on the routes we take. We just have to plan their routes, a loop works best, so they're resting in a cleared area. You do the math."

"If I convert the linear miles using the minimum that Bucky gave us we could average 100 square miles a day with one detachment," said Peter, who had been working it out with a pen and paper. "New York is about 300 square miles of land mass. That's 3 days to clear it theoretically. Faster if we get more mounted detachments."

There were lots of surprised faces, along with coughs as everyone just looked at Bucky.

"Bucky Barnes," said Thaddeus Ross loudly then clapping him on the back, "you are a man of surprises. I call that thinking outside the box and that's exactly what we're going to need when we tackle New York City."

"Are your riders armed?" asked Sam. "Do you have anyone covering their six?"

"They're mostly armed with sidearms," said Bucky. "On occasion I've had to act as a sniper from a central location and take out drones as I see them come up. If we have sharp shooters in the buildings they can cover the riders. One more thing, if there isn't a street drain we have to resort to pulling the manhole cover up but so far we haven't had to do that in the small towns because the street drains have given us access to enough drones to cause the queen to implode and the other drones stop functioning."

"Do we have anyone here at this meeting representing the City of New York?" asked Steve, as several men stood up. "Can you find out if your mounted police detachments are still intact somewhere? They need to be in on this training. Plus, if you can get someone from your department of water, sewer, which ever department is responsible for those street drains we need a map of which streets have that type of access. We need sharpshooters as well. I want to implement this in two weeks people."

Steve ended the meeting and a small crowd of people went up to Bucky asking him more questions. After about twenty minutes he had answered the last person's question and he stood up to Steve, Peter, and Sam standing there watching him.

"What?" he asked. "You know I can't sit around and do nothing when there's things to be done."

"What made you think of horses?" asked Steve.

"Well, when we originally got the three out at the Bunker to use to approach the Others and lure the one to study," said Bucky, "Clint speculated that the drones wouldn't be bothered by the horses. He was right. Even horses with horse shoes didn't interest them. It's like they know they aren't sentient and aren't a threat. When some of the drones clued in I took them out with a rifle. The people in the two detachments have been itching to hit a bigger city. I'll let them know we're going to New York. They'll need transport, a couple of cargo helicopters or airplanes should do it."

All three men shook their heads smiling at how Bucky had come up with a low-tech solution to their delivery methods. Each one shook his hand and patted his shoulder. Bucky went to do his laundry and walked around while he waited for the washing machines and dryers to clean his clothes. He walked past Peter's room and noticed the door was open. Peter was on his computer talking to Ben, Ma and Jade. Staying in the doorway he watched as the four of them visited and Peter filled them in on what had been happening. Peter's spider senses must have alerted him because he looked at Bucky and almost beckoned him to come over. Bucky shook his head and turned away. He wasn't ready, not yet, to talk to Jade.

Chapter 14>>

Series Masterlist

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

I saw Jeff’s fans talking about this blog and the tarot blog and expressing their annoyance about some people saying that Jeff gives them bad vibes. They also said that we think Evan is a good boy who can do know wrong and is just a trusting baby who surrounds him self with toxic people and we just don’t like Jeff to push this “narrative.” Um okay. I understand why they are upset, it’s annoying to see people say that someone you like has bad vibes, but I think they’re missing the reason why people say that. It’s because Jeff remained friends with Emma (I don’t know if at this current moment they still are) who was incredibly abusive to Evan. Evan, from what I understand, became friends with Jeff first and Jeff met Emma through Evan. Jeff and Evan were/are very very close friends according to Evan. Many people find it strange to remain friends with the abuser of someone you’re close to after they break up, I don’t think it’s crazy to feel that way. Now, obviously Evan doesn’t seem to mind because he still hung out with Jeff and was just with him the other day. I, and I’m sure others, fully understand that Evan is a grown adult who can make decisions about who he has in his life and we don’t get to, nor should we as we don’t personally know him, get a say in that. But this is a discussion/gossip blog where people are allowed to express their personal opinions about a situation. No one really knows if Evan and Jeff actually ever had a falling out, it was just speculated about because nobody saw pictures of them together for about 2-3 years? If they did who knows why, maybe they got in an argument, maybe Evan was in the wrong, I don’t know that’s their business and they’re seemingly on good terms now.

Now about the whole we see Evan as a helpless good boy thing lol…. I mean I don’t, I don’t think you do, admin, and I don’t think a lot of people on this blog do. I actually liked Jeff before I found out that he was still hanging out with Emma which made me look at him a little sideways. We don’t take issue with the people in Evan’s life other than the ones who have done some shady stuff. Also, they mentioned how “we think Ryan manipulated Evan into taking the role of Dahmer” and I just need to say we know Evan is a big boy who can make decisions on his own. I guess they’re unaware that Ryan is well documented to be a gaslighter, manipulative, and intimidating person which we talk about in relation to the dynamic of Evan and Ryan. I mean look at the interview Angelica Ross just did. Whewww, okay sorry for this super long message but I needed to express my opinion and get this all off my chest.

anon, thank you for sharing that - honestly, you said it all. we have a valid reason to not like jeff, sarah, ryan and the likes of them who are tight with the woman who abused evan. who they know abused evan. the vast majority of us don't think evan is some helpless baby who can't fend for himself - he may have low self-esteem and tolerate poor treatment but he is a grown man. we are allowed to not like certain people he's friends with when the reason is, well.. reasonable.

i'm gonna keep it 100% with you guys. i thought dissing jeff ward was a victimless crime. i did not know that man had fans. my bad.

[unitedstatesofworld]

 Behind the Scenes with Adin Ross’ Sister: The Internet's Hidden Star

Adin Ross has taken the streaming world by storm, but there’s another star in his orbit: his sister. While she may not be as visible as Adin, she’s still a key figure behind the scenes. Often mentioned in his streams, Adin Ross' sister has gained attention by association, thanks to the rise of influencer culture, where family members naturally become part of the narrative. Though she doesn’t seek the spotlight as actively as Adin, her presence is felt, and she’s become a point of intrigue for many fans. Her low-key approach contrasts with Adin's public persona, but that only adds to her mystique, making people curious about the dynamic between the two.

 Who is she? What’s her role in Adin’s life, and how does she feel about all the attention? Let’s dive into the lesser-known world of the woman who lives in the shadow of one of the internet's most recognizable faces.

The Mystery of Adin Ross’ Sister

If you're a fan of Adin Ross, chances are you've heard snippets about his sister. But unlike Adin, who broadcasts his life to millions of followers, his sister keeps a relatively low profile. So, what's the deal with her? Why does she choose to stay out of the spotlight?

In today’s influencer-driven world, it’s pretty rare to find family members who don’t want a slice of the fame pie. But Adin Ross’ sister is an enigma. She rarely makes appearances on his streams, and when she does, it's usually in passing. Does she prefer it that way, or is she just not interested in the chaos of internet fame?

Growing Up with Adin Ross: A Glimpse into Their Relationship

Having a famous sibling can’t be easy, and it raises a lot of questions. How do you handle your brother being a major internet celebrity? For Adin Ross’ sister, it seems like it’s just part of life. Their relationship has that typical sibling dynamic — playful teasing, shared memories, and sometimes, the occasional argument. But despite the fame and fortune, they appear to have remained pretty grounded.

Adin has mentioned in a few streams that his sister was one of the people who kept him motivated in his career. Growing up in a regular family, it must’ve been wild to suddenly have a brother who became a huge internet personality practically overnight.

Did they ever compete for attention as kids?

How has their dynamic changed since Adin became a household name?

The answers to those questions are hard to come by since Adin Ross’ sister doesn't exactly give interviews, but from what we’ve seen, she’s supportive — even if she doesn’t want the same life in the spotlight.

The Balancing Act of Fame

One thing is clear: having a famous sibling like Adin Ross must come with its share of challenges. The internet can be ruthless, and sometimes it’s not just the celebrity who faces the backlash. Family members are often dragged into the chaos, whether they like it or not.

For Adin Ross’ sister, this means managing a level of public scrutiny she never asked for. Comments about her pop up on social media from time to time, and she’s even been the subject of internet memes. So, how does she deal with it all?

Does she find it frustrating or amusing?

Does she laugh it off or wish she could escape it?

We may never know the answers to these questions, but one thing’s for sure: it takes a thick skin to be related to a public figure in today’s digital world.

Keeping Her Identity Private

It’s no secret that Adin Ross is an open book — his streams showcase everything from his personal thoughts to his interactions with fans and friends. But when it comes to his sister, things are a bit different. She has chosen to maintain a certain level of privacy. While Adin might spill a lot of details about his life, his sister has successfully remained in the background.

In an age where everyone’s chasing fame and followers, her decision is refreshing. She seems to value her privacy, even if it means staying in the shadow of her famous brother. And honestly, who can blame her?

The Rare Appearances of Adin Ross’ Sister

That said, there are times when Adin’s sister does make an appearance. Whether it's a brief cameo during a stream or a mention in a tweet, fans have gotten glimpses of her now and then. But even in those moments, she’s careful not to reveal too much. Maybe it’s a conscious choice to avoid the harsh spotlight or maybe she just likes keeping things low-key.

It’s always interesting when she does show up, though. Fans go wild, immediately filling the comments with curiosity and questions about her life.

"Who is she dating?"

"What does she think of Adin’s career?"

"Is she planning to become a streamer herself?"

Her rare appearances have turned her into a bit of a mystery, and as we know, the internet loves a good mystery.

Speculations and Rumors: Is She the Next Big Thing?

With her growing popularity, some fans wonder if Adin Ross’ sister will eventually carve out her own space in the online world. It’s not uncommon for family members of influencers to ride the wave of their relative’s success. After all, we’ve seen it happen before.

Jake and Logan Paul’s family members have capitalized on their fame.

Charli D’Amelio’s family followed her into TikTok stardom.

Even Dixie D’Amelio became a star in her own right, thanks to her sister.

So, could Adin Ross’ sister be the next breakout star? While she seems content with staying out of the limelight for now, it’s not impossible that she might eventually decide to step into her brother’s shoes and create her own brand. If that day ever comes, she’s already got a built-in fanbase ready to support her.

The Internet’s Fascination with Siblings of Influencers

Why are we so obsessed with the siblings of influencers like Adin Ross? Maybe it’s because we want to see if they’re just as entertaining or charismatic. Or perhaps it’s because they offer a glimpse into the lives of these online stars from a different perspective.

The internet tends to elevate even the most mundane details of influencer families. Whether it’s through funny moments, scandals, or simply being related to someone famous, siblings often become internet personalities without even trying.

Adin Ross’ sister is a prime example of this. She’s barely in the public eye, yet people are fascinated by her. Why? Because in a world where everyone’s putting their lives on display, someone who chooses to remain in the shadows is intriguing.

Conclusion

Adin Ross’ sister may not be a household name, but her connection to her brother has made her someone to watch. As the sister of one of the internet’s biggest streaming stars, she’s managed to navigate a life adjacent to fame while keeping her personal world private. Who knows what the future holds for her? Whether she continues to stay out of the spotlight or eventually decides to embrace it, one thing’s for sure: the internet will be watching.

In the end, it’s not easy being the sibling of someone famous, but Adin Ross’ sister seems to be handling it with grace, humor, and a sense of mystery. And honestly, that’s pretty cool.

[gleefullypolin]

There's no way I wouldn't become the worst version of myself if I had to live through this one weekly, hah. I definitely cleared my day because I know if I don't something will happen and god only knows when I'd be able to watch after that.

Yeah, I remember them breaking up Stranger Things which I thought was a good idea as well. That one was a lot easier for me to deal with as a much more casual viewer. And to be fair, it's a decent way to get two months of $$$ from people who only sign up for that month for a show then either have to let it go another month or the people who forget about their trial period they made and they still get the money anyways.

I agree about the ups and downs, it takes them a good minute to be on the same page even while engaged. I think a lot of people took the Ross and Rachel comparison to the extreme of it all when honestly the thing about Ross and Rachel was always their timing which is what I felt they were implying. I think the miscommunication of it all is going to be a hurdle for them, Penelope especially keeps her feelings to herself and god knows Colin is absolutely obsessed with the taste of his own feet at this point by the way he keeps sticking them in his mouth.

For sure, I think he needs to know about LW. Will they hang it over their heads? I don't know. I see ways they can but I'd preferably like him to figure it out so they can hash it out once and for all and the rest of that conflict comes from their own miscommunication/the blackmail/Queen stuff going on. Friends to lovers gives me big time working on it together vibes so I'd like to see that. I don't often love the friends to lovers trope tbh so I'm hoping they really pull through for me the one time I'm really into it, ha.

The way people want him punished is a little much for me. This man is going to be living his karma, he is well and truly going to be suffering from a situation he's going to have a hand it making. His anger was what knocked him right off of his pedestal for her in the book and her keeping the secret from him knocked her sideways in the idea he had of her in the book so I feel like they're taking the spirit of it and using it in the show which is good. It's not as if Penelope has told him she's in love with him. And truly, she loves a version of him he was bound to never live up to so until they're equals in it, I don't think it's going to be whatever the other one is thinking it's going to be.

Oh Eloise. I have started her book recently and my god the woman is impulsive. A tad self centered but I do love the book version of her more than the show version at this point. I really hope Eloise comes around to Penelope's apologies and gives one of her own this season. I think we'll see it but you never know. I think eps 7 & 8 are going to be so much all at once. Between the Queen and the rest of it, it's going to be A Lot.

Yeah, I'm not sure what role LW plays with Benedict but I remember hearing it was pretty important. I know she's not really been a factor in Eloise's book, mostly since it takes place outside of London and Penelope and Colin's book is before hers. It gives too much to the show to really take it away though, I think. Reading the book makes me realize how unnecessary the Marina/Colin plot was since it was added just to the show and now I sort of want to know what they were thinking. It feels like a years early conflict for Polin and no other real reason. No idea why they made her so unlikable in the show at all, seems absurd knowing about the book version of Marina now.

I KNOW I am going to cry. Oh well, I've given into it and accepted it's going to happen. I sat through the 3rd season finale of OUAT crying like a baby over Captain Swan so there's no way this isn't going to do me in.😄

Yeah I can take something more casual weekly. I’m a nerd so I enjoy a variety of shows that I can watch weekly (Game of thrones, Doctor Who, I’m a Trekkie, and yes I handled Strangers Things going in 2 parts just fine) but for some reason this season has got me up in my feels and I just want it now. I read a fan fiction today that had me sooo in my feels I was tearing up and then I was like omg Stacy, get it together you are not going to survive this season!

You made such a valid point about the $$$$ because I have totally signed up for a trial just to watch a show and then cancelled after I binged it! So making it go weekly would totally end that practice!

Yup I think we better buckle up for a wild ride. These two have been utter shit at communication and we can’t expect them to figure out how to do it just because they were suddenly inappropriate together in a carriage lol. I snorted so loudly at the comment about his feet because damn this is so true!! Friends to lovers definitely means we get to see some conflicted feelings from Colin when he realizes his biggest enemy is his biggest alliance. I love so much about that honestly. And it will take working together for them to figure that out together on how they work that out. Because its going to be a serious issue and his love for his best friend and his confusing feelings that have now grown for Pen and his need to now protect her is going to be sooooo huge for him.

I’ll be honest after the end of last season I was on the “beat the crap out of Colin” team…but then I sat with that and all the trailer and stuff for the season came out and I was like how can you want him to suffer more than this? And I’ve been reading Romancing Mister Bridgerton chapters, and that Colin has a heart of gold and so much love for that woman so if we get even an ounce of that, I’m good. But then I think I’m as bad as Pen and have him on a pedestal LOL!! But she definitely up through last season did love a version of him that he could NEVER live up to! And this will be the first real opportunity where she can get to really see the real Colin and be honest with who she is and who he is and actually love him for who he is but lets be honest, Pen needs to learn to love Penelope too.

I’m curious if they will allow Pen/Eloise to reconcile this season or if she will disappear by end of season to start her own story before they resolve their piece. UGH I don’t want to think they leave that part unresolved tho.

I hated hated hated the Marina/Colin plot. Hated it. And I hated the way they wrote the character of Marina. She came in hot and uncaring. I’m curious how they will deal with her and if she will meet the book’s end. But her storyline in the show was annoying to me. Maybe I should read the book and see if I feel differently about her in the story!

I will cry too, I will cry at any well written romance! Oh my OUAT can still make me cry. I can cry over a well written Captain Swan fanfiction. Hell I have cried written Captain Swan fan fiction, I’m an emotional person for sure so I think I’m screwed this season!

[stelly38]

Out of all the reviews I’ve read, I think this is the one I most agree with.

From tellyvisions.org, by Lacy Baugher

It's not exactly a secret that The CW isn't a network traditionally known for its serious historical dramas. And although its Mary, Queen of Scots-focused series Reign ran for three seasons, its intense love of headbands and colorful prom gown-style court dresses could hardly be called historically accurate. This isn't necessarily a bad thing—and to be fair, I watched every episode of Reign and unironically loved it—but the show is not exactly a prestige period piece. But it does mean something like Leonardo is a strange fit for the network, a relatively straightforward historical drama starring former Poldark leading man Aidan Turner.

Granted, much like Reign, Leonardo plays a bit (okay, a lot) fast and loose with the historical record, making up several notable characters and a murder mystery in the name of entertaining television. However, at its heart, that's what Leonardo is. Look: If you're tuning in, hoping for an earnest high-end drama or character study here, you will be disappointed. The framework of the series requires a particular (read: large) suspension of disbelief to work, as it seems to think its audience is more interested in the twists of the mystery it has just created from whole cloth than any profound truths about the life of man. But, the story is undoubtedly propulsive, with a plot full of poisonings, political machinations, and betrayals. Even if you may not be able to articulate precisely why you're suddenly so invested in this made-up tale, you'll still push play on the next episode.

The show introduces us to Leonardo in two different timelines: One, in which he is a fresh-faced apprentice at the very beginning of his journey to greatness, and another, set sixteen years later, where he is a brooding, grubbily bearded prisoner accused of murdering his muse and BFF Caterina de Cremona (Matilda De Angelis) and is being questioned by an officer of the Podesta known as Stefano Giraldi (Freddie Highmore). The timelines shift back and forth as multiple figures from Leonardo's life appear to be questioned by the police and occasionally make dour or downright weird pronouncements about how the genius valued art above all other things and is unstable enough to kill someone.

Leonardo was Turner's first TV role after he wrapped his five-year run on Poldark, and it's easy to see why he might be drawn to playing a character like this, who is in so many ways the antithesis of Ross's staid, surly demeanor. Turner's Leonardo is equally intense and layered but much more emotionally open, full of awe at the wonder of the world around him, fascination at the people who inhabit it, and utterly determined to achieve greatness. He successfully sells the sequences of manic inspiration and productivity that seem to drive the character, all shot through with the hunger of an outsider who is still desperately searching for the approval his father has long denied him.

In short: Leonardo is an entire mess, but it's part of the reason it's so easy to like this portrayal. From chaos often springs genius, right? Since the real-life Da Vinci famously had no female friends and never married, it's interesting that Leonardo chose to give their version of the artist a weirdly codependent and challenging relationship with a woman. (And a made-up one at that!) It's not to say that Leonardo and Caterina aren't compelling to watch. However, their more-than-friends yet less-than-lovers dynamic means that the truth of their bond remains challenging to pin down throughout and their real motivations hard to identify.

Leonardo is depicted as dangerously ambitious, but Caterina's determination not to return to the life of a serving girl ultimately leads her to make questionable and even reckless choices. Choices that might have landed with more impact and clarity had we been shown any real hint at her backstory (beyond a few dropped references to life on the streets and the story of the terrifying near-death experience that left the scar on her back.)

It's also unfortunate that one of the series' only notable women is a Dead Girl Walking from the opening moments of its first episode. We know from the start that Caterina's death is inevitable; in fact, it is the precipitating event for much of the show's action. That's a shame in and of itself because Caterina is quite charming. Her relationship with Leonardo provides a much-needed humanizing effect on the man who spends most of his screen time rambling about esoteric ideas of truth and beauty. But also because the only other central female character who appears in the four episodes available to screen for critics is Ginevra de' Benci.

Her (honestly gorgeous) portrait remains the only da Vinci painting in the Americas today. (Beatrice D'Este pops up at several points, but she seems to exist in this show only because she also has to die. Her death is famously why Ludovico Sforza became so focused on embellishing the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, where Da Vinci's The Last Supper will one day reside.) On the plus side, the series' supporting cast is top-notch. James D'Arcy is having the time of his life as Ludovico, the influential Duke of Milan, whose obsession with maintaining control over the city-state and cementing his own legacy leads him to commit terrible acts, even as he commissions stunning art from Leonardo. Highmore may have the most thankless task of the ensemble, forced to conduct a murder investigation that everyone knows from the series' first moments will fail (thanks, history!) However, his presence remains magnetic.

Leonardo is not precisely what one might call the definitive dramatic take on the life of an extraordinary person. Hopefully, HBO swoops in and takes care of that someday. But, to its credit, it's a fun, fast-paced ride that might inspire you to dig further into who this great man was. (And at this point, I need to find out who killed Caterina, so I'm in.)

[caribbean-ace]

Hello folks! I did watch the episode of Station 19 6x03 that thursday but the streaming gave me hell so i thought i could rewatch it (because i was watching it in the middle of a lecture, talk about dedication am i right?) and expand a little bit on what’s happening and what we could possibly have for 6x04. You know the drill, spoilers ahead:

I have to admit that Maya working out is so hot even tho she’s on her path of self destruction and Jack is right there joining her with other unhealthy methods + Andy giving him some tough love i think + “are you always this rude? -only when i’m this angry!” That made me laugh not gonna lie😂 + the overall theme is that both Jack and Maya are not willing to accept help, not yet and forcing them to do so it’s not gonna end well + unless the show is paralleling both Maya and Jack then ignoring her pain just because it doesn’t look like Jack’s is pretty stupid i’d say

Carina and Ben duo, gotta love them! + oh yikes this going to keep going + popping pills like candy, not sure that’s a good idea, but then again Maya is in her own headspace, not even her wife can make her change her mind right now + lmao Ben that’s not a nice morning + “neurotic, self righteous half korean gay man” gotta love Travis😂 + Travic teaming up! + i’d find Beckett’s humor amussing if he wasn’t an asshole + i mean he’s kinda right, how can you depend on someone who’s just gone + lmao Maya and the doggy door + now she can come to them? Really? Ugh i hate they’re still going down the “i’m the villain” path + oh Robert i truly hope your lying catches up to you + i can’t even understand how he’s just okay with himself + lmao they don’t look impressed at all😂

Maya being confused is my favorite genre + kitty cracks me + i was very focused on Maya’s facial expressions, i think they all instantly picked up on the fact something is wrong and she’s obviously dodging it + Ben and Maya are like ugh this is going to be long + lmao chaotic Travic is my entire soul + I just want to hold Carina forever + i don’t even understand how that happened + “your husband” well, Carina Deluca can be considered daddy so i get it + where’s mama Bishop btw? + oh so we’re learning about Dixon now + Vic is me, i would actually work to avoid boredom + at least Vic is trying to talk Carina through the motions + Gibson’s hair has seen better days for sure + lmao Kitty + Maya was close to punch the living hell out of him + this is escalating way too quickly + oh my baby Maya :( + they do need therapy + Maya and Ben regretting so hard that call

Andy “i told you so” + oh yikes + Carina and Vic bonding forever + oh Carina my love :( + this was way too cute + i need more of this friendship + oh Maya babe :( + welp there’s that + oh no Carina’s smile broke me in half :( + lmao Ben was like uh we shouldn’t talk about it and Maya went like: lol i do not care one bit + lmao Travis😂😂😂 + damn Eva + so this is the moment Andy gets the approval + god and Maya is just going down this dark path and Carina can’t do a single thing, her so called friends are not paying attention

So things are moving forward, Andy seems to be more than ready to fill captain’s role which was a long time coming i guess, that means Maya won’t be captain again (i’m still bitter about the trial). I’m honestly glad that Jack is getting the help he needs from 19 but what bothers me is that everyone is just ignoring Maya, again unless they are making some sort of parallel about mental health issues and how they affect people differently then i don’t see how ignoring someone who’s clearly struggling but coping in a different way is acceptable.

I’m also wondering what’s gonna happen with Dixon, any sort of scandal that would take him out of the race maybe? Travis winning? Lots of questions i have. Also i’m wondering how things are going to progress between Ross, Beckett and Sullivan, is Andy gonna expose them or what, hopefully i get my questions answered.

If you read all of this you’re incredible🫶🏼 thanks for reading my rambling about the wee woo show that has my soul, catch ya in the next one✌🏽

[mechanomorphic]

first draft of a boom redesign for shadow and a design for rossum.

the reason i did this was mostly bcs like,,, i was watching the boom show and it made me realize they introduced all this new lore and really shaked things up and then they just. plopped shadow in as he was, like the only real change was making him MORE of a prideful jerk (almost like a certain prince a lot of people compare him to..) and then just?? never explain anything???? so im connecting him more into the universe by tying him into some of the unique elements the boomverse had to offer. no sports tape tho, sorry.

also i did boom!rossum bcs the idea of these two being a sort of yzma and kronk/pinky and the brain style duo cracked me up. i take my baby and i make them BIG.

in this au they woke up together and thus just are just regular siblings no angst edition. the pair of them are from the time of the anicents and were woken up recently (either by eggman or sonic or both). shadow is the “ultimate fusion of technology and organic life” (*sonic voice* yeah im just gonna shorten that to “ultimate lifeform”) and rossum was a failed prototype of said plan. shadow seems to have some grand overaching goal and rossum is just along for the ride.

im just gonna ramble a lil more under the cut.

shadow

shadows kinda got his own thing going on and is much less vegeta and more just like, mysterious kinda brooding anti hero. got a strong sense of justice, which can sometimes manifest uh, violently, if he feels the situation calls for it. initally he’d prefer not to fight sonic and co but if he gets in his way he’ll crush him, but after fighting sonic both of them realise it was kind fun. their rivalry is a lot more friendly tho either will take any oportunity to fight the other. also im keeping the fact he’d blow up the universe if he felt embarrassed mostly bcs i think its really goddamn funny, ross can usually talk him out of that tho.

design wise i gave him a lot more chest fluff to obsuce that mysterious collar(tm) around his neck. gave him some funny shapes on his forehead and chest to make him look different from regular vers shadow (mostly inspired by these other boom redesigns). the belt i gave him is based on the mind control device from shattered crystal and is supposed to be one that he repurposed. his inhibitor rings have these lil crystals that like bounce back his power (i just wanted them to be a lil more detailed to draw a lil more attention to them). also his rocket boots are heels bcs i think it would be funny if he was short and also the fact they work like actual rocket boots (like. he can fly w them) reminded me of starscream. also in the sketch i gave him a cape bcs i was originally going to give him one to go w his whole brooding loner thing but i thought it might be a little,, boring? and cover up too much of his design?

rossum

rossum isnt as active as a character as shadow is, theyre generally more reacting to situations as opposed to causing them. theyre still a lil dumb but its more,, being naive about Literally Everything (whereas shadow was let out during the past it seems rossums freedom/time to develop was a lot more limited). theyve still got a gentleness to em but unlike their regularverse theyre very much not a pacifist - though they dont enjoy fighting, but are good at it and thus often have to be encouraged into fighting by shadow. often times if theyre fighting the good guys rossum takes on the rest of team sonic whilst sonic and shadow have their Rival Brawl Fight. despite that i think rossum actually likes team sonic and considers them their friends. i think them and knuckles would be good pals bcs theyre both big and dumb and sweethearts.

onto the design: theyre supposed to be a sorta inbetween of knuckles and the regular sonic character body type, so theyre big but not as big as him. third eye was replaced with shape (since theyre not aliens anymore). rossum also has a collar tho unlike shadow theirs is cracked. they also have the same inhibitor rings, tho the crystal has either been torn or broken off at some point. it might be hard to tell but their gloves and boots are now armor to play into their role as kinda shadows body guard, also the boots loose their rocket spots bcs i couldn’t see them using it like shadow would during combat.

[bloodstained-ballgowns]

Things I... didn’t like as much, about Black Widow (2021):

Disclaimer: I loved this movie. I would give it 4/5 stars overall. This is a lot of nit-picking. Most of the choices I’m talking about here I still really enjoyed, but this is how I would change them to improve it *for me*. If you disagree, that’s fine! Obviously, spoilers.

I said in my ‘Things I Loved About Black Widow’ post that I consider the first 53 minutes to be perfect, and the rest to be not-so-perfect. This is where I complain about the not-so-perfect stuff. They didn’t drop the ball on the third act, they just...fumbled it a bit. It stayed dark, but to me, it lost a bit of its grit. Cate Shortland’s influence really shone through in the first act, but it got lost around the second and third acts for me because of how Marvel-y it got.

Firstly, I’m considering the hand-to-hand combat here to be second only to CATWS. So why did that element basically dissolve towards the end of the film? She barely fought anyone in the prison breakout. Yes, Natasha fought the Widows, but that was all slowmo-y and widows-bites-y and did not have the same level of choreography. I wish they’d carried it through. 

Talking of action, there was not enough of it between Natasha and Taskmaster (who is getting a whole other post, because that is a bag of mixed feelings I don’t want to delve into here), particularly in the third act. Action isn’t something I’m particularly interested in but I was excited for this dynamic. Antonia wasn’t the villain, but like, the bridge fight did not effectively demonstrate her whole mirroring deal. Yelena and Nat’s fight had more mirroring than her and Tasky’s. Antonia’s skill set really shines in hand-to-hand onscreen, but as I said, I felt that kind of dissolved in the third act. They completely cheated us out of an impressive showdown when Natasha let Antonia out of the cell and moved backwards and I totally thought they were going to duel...which would lead into the sky fight...and then...the room cracks and they’re blown apart?? Hmmm.

Why was the Red Room in the sky??? I get that they were moving around a lot and this movie needed to have some kind of Marvel explosive finale and it looked cool and everything but I prefer the comics’ more grounded version. I just think it would have been more effective for Natasha and Yelena to walk through the old halls of the building they grew up/were trained in, find the new facility underground or something and then blow the whole place to smithereens. It would have actually cemented the whole ‘going back to where it all started’ thing.

Now I know the reason for Dreykov’s off-screen demise was to show how a man as purely evil as him didn’t deserve a major, glorified death. He deserved the death of an afterthought. But I would have liked to see Nat plunge a knife into his heart. Or to see him try to go after Yelena somehow and Nat just shoot him in the back of the head. It didn’t feel like they gave us any closure on that front, particularly as they made a whole deal about Nat not seeing the body in Budapest...and then we didn’t see the body here either. I almost feel like his death was made so insignificant that it was forgettable.

The whole flashing back and showing that actually they did have everything figured out did not work for me, it felt like lazy writing. It gave me “BET YOU DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING, BET YOU UNDERESTIMATED HER, LOOK HOW CLEVER NATASHA IS! DIDN’T YOU UNDERESTIMATE HER? SHE HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT YOU FOOLS HARHARHAR” vibes and I was just like...I know. Literally, I know how clever and calculated she is. I knew she wouldn’t have been outplayed like that at Melina’s. Maybe other people didn’t, but come on guys, think up with something a little less ‘gotcha’.

What the hell happened with Nat and Ross before they cut to ‘two weeks later’? *confusion intensifies*

Again, this is getting long. See the read-more.

This movie had a lot of bases to cover and a lot of information to convey and I think the script managed that pretty well overall, but it did lapse into a bit of ‘show-don’t-tell’ syndrome at times. Show me Nat’s mother being ‘relentless’ in her search, don’t just tell me about it. I did not want Renner’s Clint Barton in this movie, but they could have made the Budapest flashback a smidge longer, for my liking.

Disney would never do this, but I would have loved an R-rated Black Widow movie. Yelena is absolutely a character that would yell ‘Fuck!’ really loudly (think Florence Pugh in that cactus video). My suggestions above for Dreykov’s death were me being reserved: Nat stabbing him repeatedly would have been so cathartic (for me, idk about her).

Y’all know I’m a slut for Nat’s everything in this movie, particularly the hair, but goddammit the hair. Riddle me this, if Nat had in a perfectly good braid when she got into the helicopter, why did she emerge with flowing locks and one tiny useless plait on the left side of her head?? And then she redid that into the ponytail with all the little braids while preparing for battle at Melina’s (never mind the fact that Nat’s hair would not have been long enough for them to reach much past her shoulders as well as being tied up) and fit it all under a Melina-wig! HELLO, LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE SPEAKING.

I’m pretty sure the whole Nat-not-understanding-science-speak thing was only there for the “In English”-*replies in Russian* gag but it still seemed a little ooc since she’s never had a problem with it before. Idk if I would class this is as Nat ‘playing dumb’ to get more information like she does later with Dreykov since Yelena is readily giving her that info, and Yelena is also good enough to realise when she’s being manipulated like that.

Ummmm whole separate post for reasoning and such but the magic dust antidote? Not a vibe. No thank you. Lazy. Unrealistic. 

So...Alexei and Melina. It’s not that I don’t like them as characters - I really enjoyed them, I think they’re great characters. Fascinating to analyse. Did I love the Ohio mission sequence? Yes. Did I really appreciate the family dynamic and all the fanfic possibilities it gave us? Yes. But do I wish they weren’t in this movie at all? Yeah, kinda. The family dynamic was funny, and it was heartwarming, and it was heartbreaking, because it was executed so well, but the fact is that it was added by Kevin Feige to make this movie more palatable for the wider audience. Alexei’s dad jokes breaking the tension were probably an imperative for most audiences to enjoy the film. (Yelena’s dry sarcasm could have filled that role easily for me). But I didn’t want the tension broken. I didn’t want people to relax. I wanted them to come out and have to decompress because it was so intense. It’s easier to market a film about ‘family and going back to the past’ than ‘female subjugation and exploitation’. I don’t appreciate it, but I get it. Making this into a quasi-ensemble piece in the second and third acts just irritated me though. I wanted all the screentime possible to be on Natasha and Yelena. They could totally have pulled it off without their parents.

This really is nitpicky, but would a Liho mention have been too much to ask for? It would have been so easy, when Yelena asked “did you ever wish for kids?”, Nat could have replied with “i have a cat”, which is a good deflection but also informative, or her lockscreen could have lit up to show a tiny black kitten. Idk, this movie used a couple of good comics references and I guess I was hoping for one more.

*whispers and runs away* Bucky should have been here. Goddammit.

In conclusion, a lot of my critiques could be fixed if we didn’t live in a time where this film still had to be palatable for wider audiences who do not care about characters nearly as much as they care about action or humour or plot or spectacle. A lot of the strong choices paid off (they’ve riled up dudebros enough to prove that). The Marvel-y ending and Alexei’s humour did not. The rest is just logistical errors and missed opportunities.

This is a lot of complaining but I promise, these annoyances are much more minor than I’m making them out to be. The movie is magnificent even with them.

[fernmoss]

Summer, Ruby, and The Hound

I made a previous post about The Hound and how there might be a connection to the fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood. After reading the notes on that post, as well as other posts and speculations, I wanted to make a more in-depth theory. 

Also, there is an enormous chance none of this is right at all, but it's still fun to make theories! 

I am also basing this theory on the Grimm brothers' version of the tale. In the story, Little Red Riding Hood goes to visit her sick grandma, but she is stopped by a wolf who convinces her to go off the path to pick flowers. The wolf beats her to the house, eats her grandma, and jumps into the bed disguised as her grandma. When Little Red Riding Hood arrives, the wolf tricks her and eats her as well. However, a huntsman who passes by saves them.

----- 

The most speculated part of The Hound theories going around is the belief that Summer could be The Hound.

A lot of people pointed this out already, but I'll mention it as well.

In the trailer, we see a shocked expression on Yang's face. FNDM speculated that it could be Ruby getting hurt or Oscar getting kidnapped, but what if it was about Summer? We know that Jaune, Ren, and Yang are going to chase after The Hound, so during that chase, the Grimm could say or do something familiar to Yang. Summer was her mom too. She would be able to recognize if something was similar to Summer.

Of course, this is all dependent on if The Hound can honestly be Summer.

----- 

What we know undoubtedly is that Summer went off on a mission and never came back. We know that she confronted Salem, based on what she told Ruby last volume. And we also know that she was presumed dead because of her grave in Patch.

We can also speculate based on characters and given information. Despite everything, I do believe Raven loved and cared about Summer. Therefore, she had a portal for Summer, but then one day realized it was gone. In volume 3, Qrow mentions that Raven keeps in touch from time to time, so Raven must have told Qrow that Summer's portal was gone, which would be confirmation for Tai and Qrow that she wasn't coming back.

In Red Like Rosses II, the lyrics indicate Ruby believes Summer died, "...was stripped away from me the minute that you died." Summer also sings back to Ruby, acknowledging that she's gone and left Ruby despite never wanting to cause her that pain. She also tells Ruby not to "waste your life in vain." Adding to the evidence that she died trying to confront Salem without any success.

The appearance of the new Grimm is also intriguing. The missing eyes might imply a connection to the silver eyes. We know that Salem used to have the silver-eyed people hunted and killed, like Maria, but she did not want Ruby dead. Salem could have figured out a use for the silver-eyed people, perhaps merging them with Grimm to make an even more sinister and intelligent monsters. There are also the wings The Hound sprouted, which looked similar to the wings Salem has in the opening. They also are different from the wings given to the Beringels, looking more like insect wings than bird wings.

More specifically, I thought they looked like butterfly wings. My yard is a hotspot for capillaries and butterflies, so the pattern on the wings looked familiar. And the way they came out of The Hound reminded me of when they hatch from the chrysalis. The last time we saw a butterfly was during the talk between Maria and Ruby about the silver eyes.

Another interesting detail is the behavior of the other Grimm. We know that they react based on instinct, and in that scene, they were afraid, running away from The Hound. The older and more intelligent Grimm typically lead the younger Grimm, but in this case, they flee before The Hound arrives. What is causing them to fear The Hound? Well, I'm assuming that maybe The Hound isn't purely Grimm, and the others know this and are afraid of it.

-----

Now connecting this all to the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, we have four main characters in the story, Little Red Riding Hood, her grandma, the Big Bad Wolf, and the Huntsman.

After Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma have been eaten, the wolf takes a nap. The Huntsman then passes by and sees the wolf asleep. He tries to shoot the wolf but notices that he has eaten Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma. He cuts them out instead. Once she is free, Little Red Riding Hood remarks on how dark it was inside the wolf and how much it scared her. When her grandma is free, Little Red Riding Hood fills the wolf's stomach up with stones and seals it close. Once he wakes up and tries to walk, the stones kill him.

Now Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood, but she can also fill the role of Huntsman. Therefore, when she is inside The Hound, she can cut her way out with Cresent Rose, a weapon known for cutting Grimm apart. Also, when Little Red Riding Hood mentions the darkness and how scared she was, this might be alluding to the opening.

We see Ruby falling into the darkness, being pulled by Grimm hands. Maybe this is inside The Hound. 

When using her silver eyes against the Grimm, Ruby can turn them into stone.

In the fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood uses stones to kill the wolf. So Ruby might use her silver eyes against The Hound.

Another important part of the tale is the relationship between Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma. In the story, Little Red Riding Hood is adored by everyone, especially her grandma, who always wanted to give her everything. Now, this leads to speculation on who the grandma could be if the wolf is Summer, and Ruby is both the Huntsman and Little Red Riding Hood. Pretty much every character comes to care about Ruby, as she is a kind and compassionate person. Still, the ones who love Ruby the most are her teammates, Weiss and Blake, and her family, Yang, Tai, Summer, and Qrow. 

We know that Qrow has to play some role in all of this. A lot of people noticed that Qrow's voice actor (Jason Liebrecht) is the one voicing The Hound. As pointed out by Luimnigh, it would have been easy for the Grimm's voice actor (William Orendorff, who is also Hazel) to play The Hound as well. Surely letting out a guttural "no" would have been no problem for him. But the choice to make it Qrow's voice actor is exactly that, a choice, a deliberate one. 

There are other signs of Qrow being the grandma. In the fairytale, the grandma is ill, Qrow is recovering from his alcoholism and is currently not in the best place mentally. Ruby and Qrow also share a special relationship. He is not only her uncle but also her teacher and mentor, the one who taught her to use a scythe and be a huntress. Qrow's Amity Arena summary mentions his love for Ruby and Yang is the only thing keeping him going, and it was the hope to protect them from further pain that made Qrow join them despite his misfortune. The wolf tricks Litte Red Riding Hood by disguising himself as her grandma. The Hound could do the same, by being smart enough to trick Ruby into a trap by mimicking Qrow's voice.

When asked about Volume 8, Lindsay (Ruby's voice actor) said that this volume has her favorite Ruby moment, which is a monologue. When summarizing the season, she said, "everything hurts," and "what?" 

The "what" summary seems like a feeling of disbelief to me. Lindsay mentions how much Ruby is affected by her mother's death, and she uses Red Like Roses II to get into character for more emotional moments. This volume has to offer some information about Summer. For Ruby, learning about her mother's fate will cause immense pain, but learning that her mom has been turned into a Grimm? Well, that would be unimaginable and could only be described by a broken "what?"