#carter is still normal if not just a little bit darker

[somnas-writes]

Wanna write a PJO-TKC-MCGA protagonist cross over fic

Except I do What Ever I Want

[fazedlight]

Plummet (Cat's perspective on Falling)

Cat had started so optimistic. Kiera, finally dressing as an adult? It was a promising development for her executive-assistant-slash-vigilante, one that suggested the kryptonian could possibly grow a backbone in the near future. Goodness knows Kiera desperately needed to come out of her shell. 

Cat had ignored the… well, cattiness emanating from the blonde. A bit of cynicism would’ve been icing on the proverbial cake, had it not heralded something darker.

But when Siobhan marched proudly into Cat’s office, showing her the security footage of Supergirl letting a dangerous criminal go, Cat knew something more was going on. And this morning she used my personal elevator. Perhaps she’s truly lost her mind, Cat thought. “It could be another Bizarro,” Cat said to a disapproving Siobhan, “Put this under your hat until we figure out what’s going on.”

---

Kiera seemed to only get more haughty over time. “You’ve branded me in the media as a girl scout,” the kryptonian said bitterly. “Everyone knows real people have a dark side.”

Where is this coming from?, Cat thought. Psychotic break, brainwashing? Carter loved that old TV show with the star treks, and once spent an entire month talking about mirror universes. Was this an evil Kiera with an invisible goatee? “I fear that you're having some sort of mental breakdown,” Cat said, “Don't worry, it happens to the best of us-”

But Kiera snapped back. “You are the most arrogant, self-serving, mean-spirited person I know.” Tell me how you really feel, Cat thought to herself, but she had to admit that those words struck a little close.

But that hurt was very rapidly replaced by a more primal fear as the kryptonian approached her. “You want to see what powerful really looks like?” Kiera said, “Watch.”

---

They say your life flashes before your eyes. That’s not what Cat saw. Nor did she have a single coherent thought, other than Carter’s face and endless screaming.

Luckily for her, her assailant didn’t kill her. Cat collapsed inelegantly to the ground, turning back up in a panic as the scornful kryptonian stared down at her. “True power, Cat,” Kara scoffed, “Is in deciding who will live, and who will die.”

Somewhere in the back of Cat’s mind - a stray thought as she tried to calm her pounding heart - she understood. She has all this power, but she couldn’t save her planet. Kiera was just as frustrated at her own powerlessness; her history would be enough to cause anyone to have a psychotic break.

Unfortunately, it didn’t change what Cat had to do next.

---

“People are in danger,” she said to James and Winn, as she shared her plan for a televised broadcast on the kryptonian’s erratic and terrifying behavior, “The public needs to be warned.”

“Miss Grant,” James started, “Look, I am sure that Supergirl is going to be fine soon-”

“Can you guarantee me that the public is safe?”

James and Winn shifted guiltily. I know this isn’t her, Cat wanted to say, I know this isn’t who she is. But Cat couldn’t carry a death on her shoulders of someone who trusted Supergirl because of her words. And Cat suspected that Kara - if the girl ever recovered - couldn’t bear that guilt either.

But she hated every moment.

---

Is there any recovery from this?

Kiera had been a wreck at work that day, scurrying around the office with slumped shoulders and stressed eyes, avoiding Cat entirely. Cat supposed she was breathing easier now that Kiera was back to normal, but it still evoked the same question - What happens with Supergirl next?

As Cat walked into her office that evening - intent to pour herself a stiff drink - she was surprised to find a metal tube set on her desk, with a folded piece of paper propped up against it. “I’m sorry,” the letter read, in familiar loopy, feminine writing. “I wasn’t myself.”

Cat opened the tube, noting a strange green glow inside. Kryptonite, she realized, sighing internally at the thought of Kara entrusting her with this sort of protection. “I don’t want you to feel unsafe. If you want me to stop interacting with you, I will,” the letter read. Cat closed the tube, mulling again over her assistant’s state of mind. Sighing, she placed the tube in a drawer, pouring herself a drink as she had planned, before making her way to her balcony.

She shouldn’t have been surprised to see the super when she stepped out, but somehow she was. Kiera sat far from the door, quiet as she looked out onto the city lights. Cat knew the super must’ve heard her, but she didn’t face her - perhaps waiting for the sendoff she thought she deserved.

Cat stepped forward quietly, reaching the railing of the balcony. And that’s what gave Kiera the courage to speak. “I love this city,” she said solemnly.

Cat stood silently, listening to the kryptonian’s words - weighing the tender passion with the agonizing remorse. “What I did to you, Miss Grant-”

“Oh please,” Cat said, shrugging off. “I’ve base jumped Kilimanjaro, do you really think you scared me?”

Well, that was a lie, and they both knew it. “Okay, yes, you did scare me.”

“I scared the whole city,” Kara lamented.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Cat said. “But if anyone can win this city back, it’s you.”

Kara nodded gratefully, biting back unshed tears. “Can I just… stay here for a while?”

“Of course,” Cat said softly. 

In the soft breeze and the quiet night, the two looked back over the city, and wondered what was to come.

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

I found it a really weird writing choice that Kara never apologized to Cat - or didn't seem to understand the fear she must've instilled in her, after throwing her off a building - so I tried to fix it here. (I have thoughts on Kara's relationship with kryptonite, but I will spare this post of that ramble.)

[armpirate]

Soundleasure | Choi San || CH. 34

Pairings: Soft!San x fem!reader || Strangers to lovers, fake dating

Genre: smut, angst, fluff, online sex, ghosting

Warnings: inexperienced!San, fem!reader, masturbation, online sex, camboy, first times.

Summary: You can do whatever you please and be whoever you want on the Internet. And San knew that a little bit too well.

After finally following all the signs the universe was throwing at him, he started living a double life that no one was aware of. Everyone in his daily life knew him as Choi San, the reserved and quiet boy who wouldn't raise his voice, and would barely communicate with anyone outside of his comfort group. But only a few knew him as Soundleasure, the man with a sexy voice and a filthy mind that had their toes curling just with his narrations.

He never thought of the possibility of those two lives ever meeting, he had always tried for them to follow a parallel route and had always played safe to keep his friends from ever suspecting that side even existed. But his plans will start to crumble when he gets a little too close with one of his subscribers and she invades his real-self and altergo's universes without being able to stop it.

Y/n will not only help him to keep his secret from his circle, but will also show him there's more of Soundleasure in him than he'd like to admit. 

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

Aprox. time of reading: 14 minutes

The room felt colder than usual, even though the police officers had been kind enough to offer coffee. Y/n sat beside San at the small dining table, her fingers curled tightly around the mug, though she hadn't taken a sip. The adrenaline from earlier still pulsed in her veins, her mind replaying the terrifying moment when she realized someone had been inside her apartment.

San sat close beside her, his presence a comforting barrier against the chill of the night's events. Two officers, a man and a woman, sat across from them, their notepads ready, their expressions serious but calm. They'd already swept the apartment for any immediate signs of danger, but the tension still lingered in the air.

—Can you start from the beginning, Mrs. Y/s? —the man, Officer Carter, gently asked her— Just walk us through what happened tonight.

—We came back from a short trip —she mentioned, pointing at San at her left—. Everything felt normal: the doors were closed, there weren't any signs of anyone being here... But then I received a text, which led me to the note behind my TV.

—I checked the place in case there was something open, but everything was normal —San shrugged.

—And the door wasn't forced? —Officer Daniels asked, writing down notes.

—No —Y/n repeated—. And I'm sure I closed it when we arrived.

—It could be that the person has a copy of your keys.

—Not a lot of people do —Y/n frowned—. Not even my father does. And my ex returned his keys when we broke up.

The two officers exchanged a look, almost as if she had given out who could be behind those texts and messages.

—Did you see anyone suspicious in or around the building? —Y/n shook her head at the question— Did you end on good terms with your ex?

—Not really, but on my side, not on his. He was pretty much pleased with letting go.

—Did he ever ask to come back...? —Officer Daniels' lips pursed while she left the question hanging in the air.

—No, not at all. Tom pretty much disappeared after we broke up, and I only heard things from his father, who's an important partner in our company —she further explained.

—Let's get back to the notes —Officer Carter insisted.

—I started receiving flowers with creepy notes four or five months ago, although I never really paid much attention to them. I thought they were a prank from someone in the company, so I just asked receptionists to stop sending them in —she kept explaining—. They kept finding their way to my office either way, until they just stopped coming and the person switched their notes to text messages. Each text kept getting darker...

—Darker how? —Officer Carter raised an eyebrow.

—At first they were the typical crush notes, then they were creepy poems, and then they started implying they were watching me. No one knew we broke up —she pointed at herself and San—, except for us and my father. Well, and some close friends, but neither of them knew we were back together, and this person did.

The officers exchanged a glance, their pens moving in tandem as they noted down the information. San's hand rested on Y/n's knee under the table, a small gesture of support that she was grateful for.

—Have you kept those notes?

—No. I threw them away. But I have the texts —she remembered, offering her phone to them.

While Officer Carter gave a look through her phone, Officer Daniels turned to San with a serious look.

—How long have you been dating?

—Four months already. Well, not yet. It's a complicated story —he stopped himself—. We weren't really dating the first two months, but we just pretended. So I guess it's actually two months of real dating.

—Why did you pretend to date? —the cop turned to Y/n.

—We met online, so when his friends found out about me, he told them we were dating. At some point it was just playing along, because the lie kept reaching people it shouldn't. And we eventually caught real feelings, which took us here.

—Hmm —he nodded—. You were already inside when the note was posted —San's eyes widened at the accusation, briefly looking at his girlfriend.

—It wasn't me —he tried to defend himself.

—The person seems to be close to her —she hummed—. And you were already here when the note was positioned, which means you didn't need to open the door and wouldn't make a sound while opening it and closing it.

—Officer... —Y/n tried to stop her.

—Were you together when she received the text?

—No, but... —San was again interrupted.

—I wouldn't bet any money on anyone, but I'd bet my life if it meant trusting him —Y/n interrupted—. I didn't even know San when I started receiving the notes. I don't know who it could be, but it's definitely not him.

—So you don't have any idea who it could be? —she changed the question.

—No —she shook her head, hand still on San's forearm.

—Tom showed up out of nowhere, her ex —he explained—. This week he started working in the company for a project. And it adds up to the text where it says they're closer to her than she thinks.

—Okay —Officer Daniels wrote down, still giving a suspicious look to the man sitting across from her—. Anyone else?

—N... no —Y/n tried to think—. Although, is there a remote chance this isn't a love admirer, but someone who wants to take revenge on me?

—Sometimes, stalkers take the victims over the edge, it thrills them to see someone panic over something they do. It'd be more than them just loving the control they have over your fear. So it could be.

Y/n's mind raced as she thought through the people in her life. The secret admirer's letters had always been anonymous, vague enough to make it hard to pinpoint anyone. But after that night, she couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't random. Someone knew her, intimately.

—A few years ago I fired some people. Most of them had the normal reaction to it, but there was someone who went over the line there. I remember they threw at me fish guts, but I could never confirm if it was him —her head tilted to the side momentarily—. I never heard from him again though.

—Name?

—Jesse Murray.

—Is this the only phone number this person has used? —Office Carter called her attention.

—Yeah —she frowned.

—They aren't answering, which isn't weird —he clicked his tongue—. We'll try to find out whose phone number it is and come back to you with the information.

—We'll definitely follow up on these leads —Officer Carter followed—. In the meantime, it's important you both stay alert. Keep your windows locked, and we'll arrange for a patrol car to pass by your apartment regularly for the next few nights.

—It'll be just to see if there's anyone suspicious around —Officer Daniels tried to calm her down—. I think it'd be better if you had somewhere else to stay for a few days, at least.

—She'll stay in my apartment.

—San...

—The boys won't care, even less after this —he explained.

—And if you receive any more letters, or see anything out of the ordinary, contact us immediately —Officer Daniels explained—. Even the paper could give us a hint of where they buy those flowers, and it could get us closer to them.

Y/n nodded, feeling dumb for throwing something that important away, while she sweeped the big problem under the carpet.

The officers stood, giving both Y/n and San a reassuring nod before heading toward the door. As the sound of their footsteps faded, Y/n finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

San turned to her, his hand still resting on her knee, his face a mixture of concern and determination.

—I'll pack some more of your clothes —he let her know.

Despite her having some things there, they weren't planned for long stays. Y/n nodded, leaning into him as the reality of what had happened began to sink in. The break-in, the letters, the looming presence of someone watching her -it all felt too much.

—I just hope they find whoever did this before it gets worse —she whispered quietly.

San squeezed her hand, his jaw set with resolve, before he stood up to talk to her room. Suddenly, the house felt like the most dangerous place she had set foot in, with every small sound triggering her, her body ready to start running in any direction while holding onto the chair to push it away to gain impulse at any moment.

She just didn't want to be alone.

Her body reacted for her, making the same route San made, finding him coming and going from her closet to the bed, neatly leaving some of her clothes there.

—Do you need any help? —she asked, nervously pressing her lips together while standing in the middle of her room.

—No, sit there and rest. You already had enough tonight.

The softness in his voice almost had her breaking in front of him, allowing herself to be weak and fragile in his presence, knowing he'd have her back no matter what.

Y/n followed San into the cozy, which, after the scare at her place and the long talk with the police, felt like the safest place in the world. She was hoping for a quieter evening to really digest what had happened, but she should've known better when she knew Mingi and Wooyoung were the ones she'd be living with.

As they stepped inside, the familiar scent of something cooking hit her nose, along with the unmistakable sound of bickering echoing from the kitchen.

—For the last time, Mingi, you do not put ketchup on gourmet pasta! That's a crime against humanity! —she heard Wooyoung shouting from the kitchen, frustrated.

—Says the guy who thinks adding three cloves of garlic to everything makes it fancy. Maybe some people like it with ketchup, ever thought about that?

—You being a Korean and saying that about garlic is indeed a crime —Wooyoung answered back.

San sighed, running a hand through his hair as Y/n stifled a laugh. She wasn't new to those antics. Wooyoung was the self-proclaimed chef of the group, obsessed with perfecting every dish he made, while Mingi's approach to food was... questionable, at best. Their constant bickering was like background noise to life at the apartment. And maybe that was even better than the peace she thought she needed.

—Woo, we have a visit. Have some manners —Mingi called him out when he was aware of their steps behind the couch.

They hadn't even made it to the living room before Wooyoung appeared in the doorway, wiping his hands on a towel and giving Y/n a warm grin.

—Thank God you're here, Y/n! Please, tell Mingi that putting ketchup on pasta is culinary blasphemy —Wooyoung said, dramatically.

—Sorry, Mingi, but I'm with Wooyoung on this one. Ketchup on pasta is an aberration —she grinned.

—Et tu, Y/n? —Mingi threw his hands up— I thought we vibed together. San, back me up.

—I'm staying out of this one —he chuckled—. I'm not anyone's plan B.

Wooyoung smirked triumphantly, turning back toward the kitchen. Y/n could hear the clattering of pots and pans as he resumed his role as the only one who had minimal knowledge in cooking in that apartment.

—Dinner will be ready in ten minutes —he called over his shoulder—. I'm making carbonara. And yes, Mingi, I'm making it the right way. Thank you very much.

—Great, can't wait for garlic-flavored everything again —Mingi grumbled—. Hope you guys brought breath mints.

Y/n laughed softly as she followed San to his room, before he told her to go rest on the couch while he worked on that. She sat down beside Mingi. Despite the chaos, it felt good to be there, surrounded by the banter and warmth of their friends. She noticed Mingi watching her from the corner of his eye, a knowing grin spreading across his face.

—So, now that's official, when's the big reconciliation dinner? Or you'll go straight to the wedding invite? —Mingi teased.

—Mingi, please. Not tonight —San groaned, peeking his head through the door frame.

—I'm just saying. There's a romantic vibe in the air tonight. You're back here after a week, you seemed quite close... Are you guys working things out or what?

—You, stop annoying her —Wooyoung called him out.

As he spoke, Y/n could notice he was carrying two steaming plates of carbonara, which he proudly set down on the table. As they all got up and answered to his food's claim, the brunette went back to the kitchen to pick up the other two plates of pasta.

—See this? —he proudly asked, before sitting— This is a love plate. This could solve all relationship problems.

—And what about your problems? —Mingi teased.

But he didn't answer back with words, the deathly look he threw at him was enough to have him shutting up and sitting in his place.

Y/n couldn't help but laugh at San's pained expression. As much as he tried to hide it, she knew he secretly loved his friends' antics and pretending to be the only normal person in that house. And despite their bickering, Wooyoung and Mingi always had a way of lightening the mood.

—You better step it up, San —he pointed at him with his fork—. If you don't put a ring on it, Mingi might beat you to it with one of his setups.

—I have a great track record —Mingi tried to defend himself.

—Really? How many couples have you actually set up? —Y/n interrogued, eyebrow raising— And Sims don't count.

—Funny —Mingi answered—. Okay... So, maybe none, but I've got good intentions.

—That's because you usually end up setting yourself up —San smirked.

Wooyoung nearly choked on his carbonara, laughing, as Mingi rolled his eyes dramatically. Y/n settled into the laughter, letting the tension from earlier slip away. For a moment, the worry about the intruder, the police, the secret admirer -it all faded into the background.

As dinner wrapped up, the playful jabs and laughter continued, filling the apartment with a warmth Y/n hadn't realized she needed. It wasn't perfect -there were still questions hanging over her, and the unease of the night lingered at the back of her mind. But there, with San and their friends, it was easier to forget the weight of everything. At least for a little while.

—By the way, Y/n, can this not be a temporary thing? If you plan on moving here, we'll kick Mingi out.

—And who will I live with?

—I bet you'll find yourself a place with Yunho and Iseul —San assured him.

—Well, actually...

Y/n went to her room for a moment to brush her teeth, leaving the three friends alone in the living room while trying to think of what to watch on TV.

—Thanks for not bringing it up —he thanked them.

—Why are you thanking us for that? —Wooyoung attacked— It's common sense. The last thing she needs is to be reminded of what happened.

—But, is she okay? —Mingi asked.

—Yeah —San nodded—. She's just scared now, and frustrated. But the police will get whoever is behind it.

As the evening wound down, Wooyoung and Mingi retreated to their rooms -after more dramatic bickering about who was washing the dishes -and San pulled Y/n close on the bed, his arm around her as they sat in comfortable silence.

—You told them not to bring it up, didn't you? —Y/n asked, caressing his forearm while she stared at the way his ring shined under the moonlight.

—No.

The lie was evident on every feature on his face when she turned around to look at him. He was an awful liar, and she was extremely good at noticing those small details.

—Mingi kept looking at me with worried eyes, before he burped the biggest nonsense —she accused—. The only one who knows how to lie is Wooyoung, and even him was acting a bit weird.

—I just didn't want them to remind you of what happened.

Far from being upset, her arms wrapped around his waist, dragging her body closer to him before leaving a peck on his chin.

—Thank you.

They both laid there in silence, looking into each other's eyes, while San's hands played with her hair, brushing the few locks away from her face just so he'd be able to look at her with nothing hiding her from him.

—You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, right?

For Y/n, it was a matter of time before San brought up the accusations that were placed over the table by the officers, with that light frown that always gave out his worry.

—Don't let it hunt you —Y/n whispered, moving her hands up and down his side—. The officer stepped a bit over the line, but she didn't say anything that made me point a finger at you.

San calmed down under her gaze, feeling her palms sliding slightly under his black t-shirt to touch his warm skin directly, brushing her fingertips so softly he thought she was able to brush all the pain and worries away.

—Is this the moment of the story where I trust you and then I casually find the phone you've been sending those texts with?

San simply rolled his eyes at her joke, rolling over his body so his back would face her. Y/n giggled, snuggling closer to him while trying to remind him that it was only a joke and she was only teasing him. In response, her boyfriend carried her body with no effort, moving her over him until she was placed back next to him, face against his chest, with him cuddling as close as he was able to.

—I'm glad you're here —he whispered.

—Me, too.

In the safety of their shared space, surrounded by the warmth of their friends, Y/n allowed herself to relax. And she was sure that was the only place she'd actually be able to succeed at silencing the noise in her head. 

Taglist: @brown88

[maxwell-grant]

Jumping off from my previous question/suggestion, might I please ask if there are any superheroes you think would make fine Pulp Villains and any Supervillains you think would make convincing Pulp Heroes?

I'm gonna go ahead and remark that I'd personally suggest to anyone who's trying to create pulp characters inspired by superheroes (which would be probably about 90% of you who may want to do that sort of thing) to flip the script around a little. As in, don't try to create pulp analogues to the Justice League/Avengers upfront, but play around with some of the lesser-known icons and filter those through your idea of what “pulp” means (which is gonna be quite different than my own or anyone else’s). 

I’m not gonna really mention characters I’ve already talked about before like Vandal Savage or Namor, instead I’ll pick new ones and see what can be highlighted about them.

Regarding “Superheroes who could make fine/convincing Pulp Villains”, even though he’s a character I've read basically nothing on, Martian Manhunter definitely leaped out to me as an obvious option. He’s a Sci-Fi Superman who takes the first half of the name to an extreme that borders on comical, except he’s not a square-jawed white man, he’s a 1.000 year old green alien from Mars with shapeshifting powers who can look as monstrous as the artist desires. He’s the product of an advanced civilization and genetic modification, and on top of the Flying Brick powerset and shapeshifting, he also has incredibly powerful and extensive telepathic abilities, he can become invisible, phaze through matter, use telekinesis and other weird abilities. A lot of pulp stories closer to sci-fi were based around the idea of taking one of these abilities and extrapolating horrific consequences for them, and J’onn has those by the dozens. He also has an extremely mundane weakness that would allow him to be beaten by Macready with a blowtorch if that’s where the story ended.

He was also a law enforcement officer from Mars who became a police detective and it’s even right there in his name, and again, I have never read anything he’s in (I should probably pick the Orlando mini), I know he’s for all intents and purposes a generally nice man who tends to job a lot in crossovers and cartoons, but the idea of taking all those great vast and horrifying alien powers, combining all of them into a single character who also happens to be the last survivor of a doomed planet (and one who actually lived through it’s collapse), and then making that character a former cop trying to resume his work on Earth? 

That is a Pulp Supervillain begging to happen, and a particularly horrifying one at that. And hey, speaking of The Thing-

Now, Plastic Man’s potential for horror has already been explored quite a bit in some of the darker DC continuities like Injustice and DCeased, and it’s quite funny seeing a lot of these turn Plastic Man into The Thing because there were quite a handful of Wold Newton pages that ran with the idea that Macready from the original story was Doc Savage, and that the secret chemicals that Eel O’Brian was hit by that gave him his powers were actually samples of The Thing contained in one of Savage’s labs. Regardless, the idea of a former street crook suddenly gaining bizarre shapeshifting abilities that allow him to reign terror on his gangster associates could make for a great premise as a pulp crime story that veers into horror as the gangsters gradually figure out what is Eel O’Brian’s deal, and then the story can take a more tragic turn.

The thing about Jack Cole’s Plastic Man that modern takes on the character neglect is that, while Plas was a lively roguish anti-hero (arguably the first of it’s kind in comics), he’s still for intents and purposes “the straight man” (HA, right, Plastic Man being “straight”). He’s the relatively sane hero who plays off Woozy’s wackier misadventures and the imaginative madness that Jack Cole paints his adventures with, and it makes for an interesting contrast considering Plastic Man is already a weird character, having to ramp up the strangeness of the world around him so that he still remains the sane man. There are ways to twist this into something quite horrifying, even tragic for Plastic Man as he either struggles to maintain coherency, or embraces the shifting chaos the world’s spiraling into for better or worse (and definitely for the worse towards those on the receiving end of his vengeance, or even his humor).

Now, onto the flipside, regarding Supervillains that could become Pulp Heroes -

Normally I’d not mention the Batman villains here, because I already have a lot to talk about in regards to them as is, they comprise some of my favorite comic characters, but I pretty much have to make an exception for Two-Face in this topic, as not only a pretty obvious option but one with even case studies to prove it, as not only do we have The Black Bat, a 1930s costumed pulp hero with an identical origin story and several other conceptual overlaps with Batman, as well as The Whisperer, a young hotshot police commissioner who dresses up as a disfigured vigilante to kill criminals without consequence (and who’s somehow less of a maniacal asshole in his secret identity than in his regular one), but it turns out that there actually was a 1910s pulp hero called The Two-Faced Man:

Crewe was created by “Varick Vanardy,” the pseudonym of Frederic van Rensselaer Dey (Nick Carter, Doctor Quartz), and appeared in three short stories and two novels and short story collections from 1914 to 1919, beginning with “That Man Crew” (The Cavalier, Jan. 24, 1914). 

Crewe is “The Two-Faced Man.” 

He is in his forties and has gray hair and a “sharply cut and handsome profile—until one caught a view of the other side of his face and saw the almost hideous blemish that nearly covered it, and which graduated in corrugated irregularity from a delicate pink to repulsive purple.” 

Crewe is two-faced in another way. Crewe is a saloon owner in below Washington Square. But he has another identity: Birge Moreau, portraitist and socialite hanger-on. Crewe uses both his identities to solve crimes as an amateur detective.

The only person to know about both of Crewe’s identities is a police inspector who is also Crewe’s friend and who Crewe helps in pressing cases - The Encyclopedia of Pulp Heores by Jess Nevins

And speaking of obvious picks for Supervillains turned Pulp Heroes,

Assuming I even need to make a case for Kraven the Hunter other than just presenting this cropped panel from Squirrel Girl and in particular the art painted on the Kra-Van, or even just telling you to read Squirrel Girl and it’s take on “The Unhuntable Sergei” (I had no idea most of the people saying “Kraven’s arc in Squirrel Girl is as good if not better than Kraven’s Last Hunt” weren’t actually joking in the slightest and I speak as someone who has Kraven among their absolute favorite Marvel characters, it had no right being that good), I’m going to quote the brilliant Rogue’s Review from The Mindless Ones that lays down in painstaking detail why Kraven could make a killer protagonist in that horrifically over-the-top pulp fashion

One thing that strikes me writing this, is how well Kraven could hold his own comic. There’s always room for a book spotlighting a ruthless, hardcore, gentleman bastard, and Kraven’s raison d’etre makes him supremely versatile, so well suited to any genre, any environment. It’s odd that more writers haven’t jumped on the fact that in a universe where off-world travel is possible – indeed, common – a hunter like Kraven would have a field day. 

I can just imagine the opening scene – herds of weird cthuloid bat creatures grazing in the gloomy green nitrogen fields, bathed in lethal, bone splintering fog, when, suddenly, LIGHT! from above and an unholy bellowing: “CTHGRGN fthgrgnARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHGN!”

They look up in fear and then they start to run – ploughing into and over each other, tentacles flailing, as from the space-ship’s docking bay Kraven silently plummets, barely dressed for the cold, a glowing knife smothered in elder signs jammed between his teeth. 

You should have seen him one night previous, sipping alien tokay around the Captain’s table with the other guests, discussing the morning’s hunt; and the way he insulted the Skrull dignitary by forgetting himself and accidentally sporting his favourite piece of formal wear: his boiling unstable dinner-jacket of many colours, fashioned from the hide of one of the Ambassador’s super kinsmen.

Whoops!

Midway through Kraven explaining how the best way to irreparably damage a symbiote is to wait until its bonded with you and then seriously maim yourself, the Skrull decided it might be a good idea to simmer down, while his beautiful Inhuman lover hung on every word.

The deeper I get into this the more convinced I am that the MU’s hunter-killer extraordinaire wouldn’t limit himself to bloody planet Earth. And neither would he limit himself to this dimension, or universe or timeline. The guy’d be just as at home leaping, sword raised, onto the back of a T-Rex in the Savage Land, as he would be ploughing through werewolves in the graveyards of Arkham or tracking a howling Demon across Mephistopheles’ realm. 

He’d work perfectly in all these environments because he has a damn good reason to be casting a bloody swathe through them: wherever there’s big game, you’ll find Kraven.

The next choice I guess is an oddball, but not that much of an oddball if you know already what is my main frame of reference towards Marvel

I don’t think people appreciate enough that the main reason Shuma-Gorath has anything resembling a fanbase has nothing whatsoever to do with the comics he was in, but entirely because, when Capcom designers had a list of Marvel characters to pick from to work on Marvel Super Heroes, they took a look at the diet Cthulhu and went “gimme THAT one”, and then went all-in in giving the alien squid monster a funky personality along with a great stage and music and animations and all that great fighting game character stuff, and now he’s maybe the most popular Dr Strange villain along with Dormammu and Mordo, despite having ZERO film appearences or major showings in comic sagas.

Capcom's designers redefined Shuma-Gorath from a nebulous cosmic evil into a comically smug cartoon bastard who can rant about devouring all dimensions and souls horrifically while also cracking poses and zingers like “How do you expect to win a fight with only two arms?” and having dinners with Dhalsim or hosting Japanese game shows in his endings, and it kills me that none of this ever made it’s way into any depictions of the character outside of MvC. 

So that’s kinda what I’d go with. I’d take Capcom’s Shuma-Gorath, depower him a bit obviously from his canonical power, and run with the premise of his MvC3 ending where he decides that, well, if he's the unlikely savior of this pathetic planet and these wretched human dogs like him so much, and he’s clearly having a much better time here among them than he ever had drifting among the stars cealessly consuming life, then maybe he can take a break from all that eldritch business and keep up hosting the Super Monster Awesome Hour and maybe fight whatever PITIFUL villains think can take HIS planet. I mean, he’ll probably still end up destroying the planet by the end, but why not give this hero business a try?

Just until he gets his full powers back of course. 

I mean you can’t deny he DOES look pretty good in that bowtie, surely The Great Shuma-Gorath wouldn’t be so unmerciful as to deny these vile wastes of flesh something good to look at in their brief and miserable lives.

[marygaby25]

Warning: a lot of text 

Okay. I know it took me a long time to post about this, but I wanted to organize my thoughts well. I don't like to be writing with my head hot, angry, disappointed, frustrated and sad. Waiting to not have those feelings I was never going to write this. With that cleared up let's talk about "What If?"

To say I wasn't expecting Sharon to be treated badly again would be lying. I was surprised that she showed up and relatively everything was fine (until she was killed obviously). I'm not going to lie it gave me hope, but what surprised me were the writer's words saying that he killed Sharon because he likes Steggy and that he wanted to give her a more grotesque death that Sharon had "Because Steve is Peggy's."

I will admit that I moved a little further away from the UCM series and its projects after "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" Sharon was damaged and harmed again by making her a villain, the writer threw away the work that Emily had done saying that Sharon's moral code was too strong. Not to mention, Sharon has never and never been a villain at will (when she "killed" Steve in Civil War Sharon was under Faust's control) and the power broker is another character in the comics.

Again I walked away a bit more after watching the BlackWidow movie because we never saw that funeral that Nastasha deserved, just a grave with flowers left by people. We never got to see a funeral like Tony's or Yondu's, not even in her movie did they take the time to give her that moment.

I confess I was just reading the synopsis and watching summaries of the series. I watched the Zombie episode because a friend told me "you will be pleasantly surprised and heartbroken at the same time''. So I made the decision to give "What if?" a chance.

Everything was going well, more than well because I was watching Sharon (I almost died of happiness), I see Happy's death and Sharon apologizing and I got sad, but it was going more or less well.... Until I see how Okoye kills Sam, she apologizes to Bucky for killing him and the only thing she replies is something like she's not sad about it...

WTF!!!!  The chapter is set between civil war and infinity war, Sam at that point had already risked his freedom and his life for Bucky. Bucky makes that comment so out of place, cold and ungrateful after Sam helped save him.

I keep watching because I thought it couldn't get any worse HA, HA, HA I'm such a fool for thinking that.

After a while I notice Sharon in the last car of the train, and what goes through my mind is, "Why is she alone in the last car if she only has Tony's glove and not the gun?". She heard the blow and immediately already knew the worst was yet to come, it was all downhill from there.

It is Steve who kills her. At the time I think it's kind of poetic because in the line of movies he took it upon himself to kill the idealistic and innocent Sharon Carter; by abandoning her the two years of fugitives and not looking for her. I guess watching deep movies like "The Shape of Water" and expecting that from Marvel was asking a lot.

Bucky kills Steve and apologizes, but Sam doesn't give him an ounce of grief for his death and Hope blows Sharon up from the inside. It was atrocious, but it's a zombie chapter my naive mind imagined there would be crueler and darker things. There was something just as dark if not darker which was Vision feeding off innocents to Wanda.

Let's continue watching the chapter and let's count how some characters died.

Well, Hope dies sacrificing herself I think it was a dignified death, it follows the death of Okoye who sacrifices herself for her king, I thought it was a normal thing because doremilages are supposed to fight for their kingdom and their king with their life. I hated that he said it was his fault for separating them, because no character objected when he gave the order, only Peter and in a joking tone. Follow up with the death of Kurt, Vision and Bucky. Simply Bucky's death this time for that action towards Sam, it didn't hurt. 

The chapter ends with them with a possible cure and heading to wakanda where zombie thanos was waiting for them.

The bitterness that the chapter left me with was immense. The cruelest death and followed by joke was Sharon's, to the point that they minimized it and placed it to finish diverting Sharon's attention by exploiting everywhere the infected Hope scene. Sam's was the most blatant because it's not subliminal, it's direct with the words of "Bucky" saying he didn't care. I put Bucky in quotes because we all know it was the screenwriter, the Bucky we know in the MCU and comics wouldn't say that.

I thought I was paranoid suspecting Sharon's death was the cruelest and least taken seriously apropos...until I hear about the interview and realize how unprofessional the screenwriter is. What hypocrisy to say he loves Sharon on twitter after what he stated in the interview. I expected Matthew Chauncey to keep his word, not like a coward that when he gets caught he backs down seeing that he screwed up and we don't support him. 

What happened in the series and in that interview is an example that the bad treatment of Sharon exists. It is not something invented by the fans, it is something on the part of the directors, writers and actors. I still don't forget Hayley Atwell's comment who said that peggy seeing that kiss in Civil War that Steve gave Sharon Peggy would revive, she would shoot Steve and Sharon would get beaten up.

I think Hayley,the writers and directors forgot that Peggy was happy with Daniel Sousa as far as we knew, even though in Agents of SHIELD they put Daniel with Quake.... It doesn't make sense, but as always they didn't want to let the series die and they tried hard to keep up with the ucm no matter that it would damage the plot of the series, which was what they should focus on (I don't know if the series is canon anymore because they even uploaded it to Disney plus).

the scriptwriters had never seen the series of agent Carter nor any of Peggy's comics (she doesn't have comics, but she has appearances) because she loves her niece, the little that comes out makes it clear. I'm not going to ask you to read all the comics either, just the most recent one where Agatha tells Steve a little more about the daughters of liberty and that possibly for Peggy Steve was just her first mission, maybe he's a good friend, for her and no more from there. Fun fact, at the end I didn't see Peggy angry trying to shoot them while they were sitting in the garden with Sharon and Steve for being together.  Even when Steve found out she was alive he had no indication of leaving Sharon or getting romantically excited, rather he was walking around angry at Peggy , Sam and Bucky for not telling him about the risk to Sharon's life (Especially Peggy because it was more personal with her more than Sharon for killing the villain's husband. basically Sharon was kind of a target to somehow hurt Peggy). I imagine if they read it that comic or any other they would be frothing at the mouth.

I don't want to be pessimistic, but I saw "What if ?" and I doubt they will place Sharon as a Skrull, Mystique, mind control or give her a redemption. It's going to happen what happens with UCM villains, they'll kill her off. In fact, something tells me that they will try to make her crueler than the Red Skull to justify a horrible death. In case she's mystique or a Skull they'll probably say she's dead and won't even take the time to show it on screen.

Not only "What if?" made me lose hope "The Falcon and winter Soldier" too, remember I had posted that it looked like Sharon would be the Power Broker, but I doubted they would because she was another character in the comics. Well, hearing that statement in the interview anything is possible. By the way, I thank him for screwing Steve, since in the five years of the devastation he never helped Sam's family. I exclude Natasha from this as she was taking care of the avengers; Thor was depressed and didn't even know Sam; Tony had to take care of his family; Rhodey didn't know Sam well enough to know he had a family and Clint was in mourning.

Sorry for the language and clarify that I'm not throwing hate at Hayley, nor the directors and writers just showing that they didn't behave well neither with Sharon, nor with Emily

by the way, remember that meme I posted a while back about no character should be hated because of their shipp, I still hold that thought now more than ever. I think it fits perfectly with the screenwriter's behavior. 

to those who made it this far thank you for reading my ramblings 

[incorrect-riordanverse]

Please do something birthday themed please, and happy Birthday!!

Thank you and for your request I think I’m going to do how I think each protagonist would celebrate their birthdays !!

Magnus Chase– hotel valhalla hosts a little celebratory party with the help of Magnus’s mates (Thomas Jefferson jr, Samirah, halfborn, Mallory, Alex etc.). I don’t even know how, I don’t even think it’s impossible, but somehow Jack finds a way to get drunk, and serenade Magnus with a soap opera version of Happy Birthday. Maybe Funky Town will play and he’ll get emotional because it’s “their song magnussss 🥺” Blitz and Hearthstone also definitely get drunk too, and a literally bawling at how much he’s grown (which is nothing, since he’s dead) like it’s their jobs. After, Magnus, Alex and Samirah will head out to Amir’s falafel place where Amir would legitimately spoil him. Alex teases him relentlessly for nearly shedding a tear at the feast Amir whipped up for him, but he doesn’t quite care. Later on in the day, he’ll probably receive a birthday card from Annabeth. It’s witty and heartfelt, and reminds him about how he still has family he can rely on.

Sadie Kane— She would definitely spend hours on a call with her grandparents, because if it’s anyone that makes her feel like the most special girl in the world, it’s them. Carter would try bake a birthday cake for her, and then Sadie would want to help, and then Carter would refuse and insist he make it since she’s the birthday girl, and she’ll get bossy and the two will fight and their magic would act up and the cake just explodes. Just like the good ol’ days (they get a good laugh out of it at least). She would throw a big party at the Brooklyn House, and her students would go crazy with the decor (especially Felix and Bast). And then she would settle down for the night with FaceTiming Liz and Emma for a few hours so they could just gossip about life.

Carter Kane— I feel like Carter would be more quiet about his birthday. He doesn’t want anything big. Sadie is in charge of arrangements, and though she wants to throw a massive party for him, she knows that’s not what he wants. So she only invites his closest friends (Zia, Walt, Bes etc.) from the House of Life. The residents from the Brooklyn House also surround him with love and support, and Carter gets really embarrassed and flustered. He never really took birthdays so seriously since he and his dad were always travelling and never really settled down to throw a massive party. Normally his dad would just treat him for ice cream or something. So that’s what he and his mates do, they all go out for ice cream and just talk and laugh about life. When it the day gets darker, Carter finds escape with flying on Freak and just admiring the view of the city in content.

Percy Jackson– the first thing that happens when he wakes up is his mother embracing him and smothering him with kisses. He’s a bit embarrassed and groggy, but even as he tells her to get off him he’s grinning like the momma’s boy he is. Of course, Sally and Paul treat him to a breakfast of blue pancakes, and as he’s stuffing himself, Annabeth and Tyson barge in (Tyson tackles him in a bear hug of his own). Percy spends most of the day just talking and chatting with his family, really appreciating feeling like a normal boy for once (he can’t even remember the last time he celebrated his birthday so normally). Then, of course, the demigod friends come. Leo invented the smallest, most indistinguishable woopy cushion known to man, just in case he wants to embarrass people that piss him off (“you never know how brutal college might be”). Thalia gives him a loveably rude birthday card with as much signatures from the Hunters of Artemis as she can (Reyna even wrote a small message for him!). Piper dyes his hair with a streak of green, which doesn’t turn out half as bad as they expected it to. Grover sobs when Percy blows out the birthday candles, and so does Tyson, so the two embrace and just cry. Sally provides the demigods with blue food and cheeseburgers whenever she sees them look hungry in any way. After all is said and done, Percy and Annabeth take a walk at the beach Poseidon and Sally met, and reflect on how far they’ve come together, and how much more their story has left to go on.

Lester Papadopolous— Apollo has been a god for so long, he doesn’t even know when his birthday is anymore. He doesn’t quite mind, except Meg does. She yaps his ear off about how he should celebrate, how important they are. Apollo is quite sure he celebrates himself enough everyday as it is, but Meg won’t hear it. She uses Lester’s fake mortal birthdate to celebrate Apollo. She forces him on hikes, surfing, exploring dense caves as if normal mortals did that. She tries to make cupcakes for him but they taste like literal dirt, which is not surprising since Apollo can basically see Peaches snickering behind her like he sabotaged the whole ordeal. Apollo receives birthday cards from Lavinia, Reyna, a bunch of his children and a card combined with the three girls at the Waystation, all of which are amused in tone. And Apollo knows for a fact that Meg had pestered them into sending cards. At the end of the day, though, when Apollo is worn thin my Meg’s vigilant insistence, he’s starting to think the day was more about her than him. But when she looks at him, open and hopeful, and asks if he had fun, he can’t deny her. He isn’t lying either. He hadn’t felt more full and content in centuries.

[angelqueen04]

Hamliza Month, Day 15

@megpeggs @historysalt

Affection Summary: Out of the mouth of babes... Note: This entry is part of the arc that includes Reunion, Tryst, and Wedding, and is set in between Reunion and Tryst. Forgive me, I just couldn’t resist a bit more of Cornelia Schuyler being adorable.

Under normal circumstances, Cornelia usually did not put up much of a fuss about her bed time. Of course, normal circumstances included being under the stern eyes of their parents, and Cornelia, even as young as she was, was loathe to bring their wrath down upon her head. In this case, however, they were far from what was normal. Their parents, and Peggy too, had been gone for some weeks, overseeing the last of the reconstruction of their home at Saratoga, leaving Cornelia in Eliza’s care and that of her nurse. That alone had inspired Cornelia to push further at boundaries than she was normally wont to.

So, truly, the household was already in something of an upset. Add Alexander Hamilton into an already boiling pot, Eliza reflected with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, and you have a recipe for pure chaos. Her fiancé had well and thoroughly enchanted her four-year-old sister. The three of them had spent much of the afternoon together, and Alexander had showered Cornelia with stories of his childhood in the West Indies – though Eliza was fairly certain he left several less savory details out – and had even taught her a few simple games he had learned as a boy.

All of this served up the perfect situation where Eliza would have a fight on her hands in getting Cornelia up to bed.

Or so she thought.

About an hour after their evening meal, Eliza stood up from her seat in the parlor and announced that it was Cornelia’s bedtime, she could see the protest forming on her sister’s face. She braced herself, preparing to hear pleadings, demands, and outright fits, only to have Alexander speak up.

“I dare say it is my bedtime as well,” he said, a yawn forming on his lips.

Cornelia whirled back to him, her eyes wide. “You have a bedtime?!” she demanded, and then narrowed her eyes. “You’re a grown-up!”

Alexander smiled and shook his head. “Ah, but I am also a soldier, Miss Cornelia,” he reminded her, leaning forward to tap her nose. “When General Washington gives an order, he expects his soldiers to obey it.”

Cornelia continued to eye him suspiciously, but Eliza could have kissed him. He had successfully averted a tantrum. She swept forward and held out her hand to Cornelia, which she obligingly took. As the little girl stood up, Alexander followed suit and gave them both a deep, gallant bow. Her lips twitching into a smile, Eliza curtsied in return, and struggled to keep herself from chuckling when Cornelia copied the gesture, albeit much more clumsily.

Alexander accompanied them out of the parlor and then parted ways with them in the front hall, though not before catching Eliza’s free hand in his own and kissing it, winking at her as he did so. He then made his way to the bed chamber just off the front hall that was left for the use of guests, or for her parents, when they had guests whose exalted status merited them the finest room in the house – their own bedchamber. Eliza, meanwhile, led Cornelia down the length of the front hall and then up the stairs to the second floor.

Cornelia had only recently come to share the chamber that had been designated for the use of all of the daughters of the house, having before slept on a small bed in their parents’ chamber. It had only been these past few months that Cornelia – and her tiny bed – had joined Eliza and Peggy in the room the two of them had once shared with Angelica. It had been something of an adjustment, Eliza reflected, and one she realized that would be repeated soon enough, when Eliza left home as a married woman to live with her husband.

Upon entering the room, Eliza found that everything was laid out and waiting for Cornelia’s use, from nightgown to hairbrush to sleeping cap. It was thankfully not a difficult task to clean Cornelia’s face and dress her for bed. Once that was finished, Eliza ran the brush through Cornelia’s curls, marveling at how they were such a lighter color than her own. Like Eliza, Angelica and Peggy all had the darker hair of the Van Rensselaers, as did their three brothers. Cornelia alone had inherited the lighter tones of the Schuylers, something that never failed to make their father smile fondly.

“Betsey,” Cornelia suddenly spoke up, interrupting Eliza’s thoughts.

“Yes?” she responded, setting the brush down and moving to plait Cornelia’s hair.

“Are you really going to marry Colonel Hamilton?” the child asked her.

Eliza nodded, weaving the strands together with practiced ease. Even with Cornelia’s thick curls, she had more than enough skill to work the braid into existence. “Yes, I am.”

“Like Angelica’s married to Mr. Carter?”

That question gave her pause. Eliza knew very well that there was, in the minds of their parents and wider relations, a marked difference between Angelica’s marriage and Eliza’s own approaching nuptials. Her parents had approved of her suitor for one, and had given their blessing for the marriage for another. Eliza would not be sneaking off into the night to throw herself on the mercy of her grandfather and present the old man with no other option but to summon a pastor, but would instead be married from the home she had grown up in, with her family gathered around to witness it.

Still, that was all a bit much to lay before a five-year-old. So instead, she said, “If you mean that we will be say our vows before the good Lord and that we will live together as man and wife, then yes.”

“Oh.” Cornelia said, and Eliza could hear the pensive note in the child’s voice. “Does that mean you’ll go away?” The words ‘like Angelica’ hung in the air, but this time Cornelia did not say them. Despite her youth, even Cornelia knew to tread lightly where their oldest sister was concerned.

“That’s what girls do when they marry, Cornelia,” Eliza told her gently as she tied the braid off. She then reached for the child’s sleeping cap, and added, “But I imagine that we will visit here often.”

Cornelia nodded and followed Eliza over to her bed. Once she’d crawled under the covers, she declared, “I like Colonel Hamilton.”

Eliza smiled as she sat down on the edge of the tiny bed. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“So can I marry him too?” her little sister asked, the words coming out of her in a rush. “Then I could live with you and him and then you and I won’t be lonely!”

The idea was one only a child could come up with, and it took all of Eliza’s self-control not to bust into boisterous laughter. Cornelia was perfectly serious in her question, earnest in that way that only children could be.

Struggling to keep her voice from shaking with mirth, Eliza shook her head and said, “I’m afraid not, dear heart. Colonel Hamilton is just for me. But,” she added, leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner, “one day, you will find someone you like even more than you like the Colonel, and he will be all yours. And Colonel Hamilton and I will visit you then as well.”

Cornelia cocked her head, considering her words. She didn’t look entirely appeased, but then she nodded. “That’d be all right then,” she said grudgingly. She then added, “So long as he doesn’t pull my hair like Renssy does!”

Eliza snorted. Their mischievous brother did like to tease Cornelia. “If he is at all worthy of you, sweetheart, he will not only not pull your hair, he will fight any man who dares do so! Now,” she said, standing up, “time to sleep. Tomorrow is another day.”

There was no argument forthcoming and Cornelia settled down against her pillow. Just as Eliza went to blow out the candle, however, the girl murmured, “Hope the Colonel isn’t cold. Papa says that room’s always cold.”

Eliza paused a moment, considering the words, but then continued. The bedchamber fell dark, save for the glow emanating from the fireplace. Quietly, she slipped out of the room, thoughts swirling in her mind about Alexander.

Cornelia was correct. Papa thought that guest chamber far too drafty. Surely, it was only right that Eliza see to it that he had plenty of blankets to keep him warm? But, oh, to be in the same room with him, alone, and in a bedchamber at that...

Eliza could feel herself beginning to blush as an idea began to take shape.

[thesuitkovian]

The Avengers (and Co) and What Their Color/Texture Combo Is

Disclaimer: This is not some sort of synesthesia thing. I do not have synesthesia nor will I pretend to have it. This is just my overactive imagination at play

~~

Bruce Banner

Bruce himself is a light tan/beige/coffee color, a little bit rough like worn sandpaper

Hulk is lime green with darker green undertones, smooth and almost too taut like a sheet pulled too tight over a bed

Bucky Barnes

The Winter Soldier is chrome, the texture of metal too

TFATWS Bucky is a dark forest green and a soft cotton shirt material, one of those shirts you’ve had around forever

Bucky in between the Winter Soldier and TFATWS Bucky is a mix of burgundy and maroon, and a bumpy texture like braille almost

Carol Danvers

Sunset orange. Almost a sherbet orange. Smooth creamy texture, like coffee creamer.

Clint Barton

Leafy green. Like a dry spinach green. Spinach leaf texture as well.

Gamora

Dark grey with cool undertones. Expensive leathery texture

Helmut Zemo

Red. Like a Dahlia red, or crimson. Soft fur texture.

John Walker

Navy blue. Simple wool texture.

Lemar Hoskins

A soft yellow, like the sunrise or the inside of a banana. But a wood texture, like freshly sanded wood.

Loki

A dark, bitter green of the deepest parts of the forest. Hard metallic texture.

Natasha Romanoff

The colors of fire. Fierce reds, oranges and yellows. Silk material, specifically a silky bathrobe material.

Nebula

Soft, lavender purple. Leather texture too, but one worn from being touched so much so like a leather knife handle maybe?

Nick Fury

Black, rough leather texture with off-white stitching.

Peggy Carter

Cream colored silk, with a layer of transparent rayon fabric over it.

Peter Parker

Blush red, plaid texture

Peter Quill

Paint brush texture, a blue-purple color. Like a dark indigo.

Pietro Maximoff

Pale seafoam green, bubbles texture (like soap bubbles)

Sam Wilson

Dark blue. Like a deep, far out in the middle of the ocean dark blue. A hardened clay texture, a little chalky.

Scott Lang

Bright, vibrant yellow. Like a sun yellow. And a flat, smooth texture. Like dried hot glue.

Sharon Carter

A dark but see-through transparent red/purple color. Like hibiscus tea. Adda dash of milk, and that would be the texture too.

Shuri

Gold. Just straight up gold, polished so nicely you can see your own reflection in it. Smooth texture, like plastic.

Stephen Strange

Purple. Like a deep purple with dark green accents. Cheap silk material, so still smooth but a little rougher than the good silk.

Steve Rogers

A light blue. Like a sky blue or a baby blue. And the same texture as really short fur. Like if you were to pet a cow or a horse, or a short haired cat.

T'Challa

The texture of gold leaf but royal purple.

Thor

Cold metal texture. A normal grey color, but with light blue undertones. So maybe more like a light slate color.

Tony Stark

Not to be obvious but suit material. And a dark maroon color.

Valkyrie

Blue. Just straight up blue. And a scratchy material. Like a burlap sack material.

Vision

Again, not to be obvious. But a light yellow with a crystal texture.

Wade Wilson

Light red and soap bubble texture. Like Pietro!

Wanda Maximoff

Dark storm grey. Soft fluffy texture like cotton candy but not sticky. So maybe pillow stuffing?

[aion-rsa]

Upcoming Marvel Movies Release Dates: MCU Phase 4 Schedule, Cast, and Story Details

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

A bold new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2021 on Disney+ with the wildly successful WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but Marvel Studios certainly hasn’t been resting on its laurels in terms of upcoming cinematic blockbusters. Not only does it have Black Widow (finally) ready for theatrical release, but we’ve also got Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness all in various stages of production, there are also TV series on the way for the likes of Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and more!

Well, if you’ve been a little confused by Marvel’s shifting dates and streaming priorities, never fear! We’ve got a comprehensive release calendar for you here detailing all the forthcoming MCU projects, so you’ll always be able to find the latest updates when you need them.

Let’s take a look at everything Marvel has in store over the next few years…

Loki

Release Date: June 9, 2021

Tom Hiddleston will reprise his most famous role, as Loki finds himself on a heist through time and space “as he steps out of his brother’s shadow” after the events of Avengers: Endgame! Oh, and based on this trailer, there’s all kinds of time-travelling weirdness awaiting, including the return of Heimdall, some other Asgardian hijinks, DB Cooper (yes!), Owen Wilson playing an obscure character based on a beloved Marvel Comics writer, and…Loki possibly running for President!

Tom Hiddleston stars, of course, and the cast also includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, and Richard E. Grant. Michael Waldron is head writer and Kate Herron is directing.

Black Widow 

Release Date: In theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access Friday, July 9, 2021

The Black Widow movie was heading for a May 1, 2020 release before the pandemic, but Disney and Marvel decided to delay it until the industry’s infrastructure was back to some semblance of normal. They seemed absolutely committed to keeping Natasha on a theatrical release rather than sending her to Disney+, but eventually semi-caved in March as it was confirmed that Black Widow would hit both streaming and theaters simultaneously in July.

Here’s the official synopsis:

“Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.”

Cate Shortland directed the film, and Scarlett Johansson stars, with Florence Pugh and David Harbour alongside her. One of the movie’s villains is Taskmaster, and we wrote a little bit more about him right here.

Natasha Romanoff will get a prequel movie of sorts here, as we catch up with Widow right around the events of Captain America: Civil War. Will the plot affect her character’s ultimate fate in Endgame? Do not count on it.

What If…?

Release Date: Summer 2021

The beloved comic book series that tells tales of how things might have turned out differently in the Marvel Universe is becoming an animated series on Disney+!

Here’s the official synopsis:

“What If…? flips the script on the MCU, reimagining famous events from the films in unexpected ways…Marvel Studios’ first animated series focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their roles.”

We know that at least a couple of these roles include Chadwick Boseman’s final performance as T’Challa as well as the return of Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter!

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Release Date: September 3, 2021

Simu Liu has been cast as the titular Shang-Chi and Tony Leung as The Mandarin (hey, that name sounds familiar! But this time, we’re getting the real Mandarin on screen). Destin Daniel Cretton is directing from a script by Dave Callaham. Given its “Ten Rings” title, Shang-Chi should be steeped in Marvel lore, going all the way back to the first Iron Man film!

Hopefully this will be Marvel’s most action-packed movie yet. The trailer sure makes us think so.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Release Date: September 17, 2021

Andy Serkis (Mowgli) steps behind the camera for Venom 2, which now boasts the catchy title of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The first film, buoyed by a terrific showing at the Chinese box office, made an absolute ton of money, despite being released to mostly scathing reviews.

Venom: Let There be Carnage will follow up Sony’s 2018 Spider-Man-less spinoff film, but will likely be more connected to the MCU this time around, thanks to a renewed deal between the company and its Marvel Studios partners. Tom Hardy will return as Eddie Brock, of course, and as you can probably guess from that title, he’ll be facing off against Woody Harrelson’s villain, Cletus Kasady aka Carnage!

We wrote about all the cool Marvel stuff happening in the above trailer right here.

The Eternals 

Release Date: Nov. 5, 2021

Acclaimed Nomadland helmer (and Oscar winner!) Chloe Zhao is directing Marvel’s Eternals from a script by Matthew and Ryan Firpo. Marvel described the film as an “epic story, spanning thousands of years” that features “a group of immortal heroes forced out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s oldest enemy, The Deviants.”

The cast features Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Gemma Chan as Sersi, and Kit Harrington as Dane Whitman, the Black Knight. We meet all these characters in the trailer, which we wrote more about here.

This one was another victim of the release date shuffle, but we’ll finally get to see Jack Kirby‘s wildest creations soon enough!

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Release Date: Dec. 17, 2021

The next Spider-Man movie looks like a big one! Spider-Man: No Way Home will once again take place in the MCU since Marvel and Sony solved their differences, good sense prevailed, and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker will remain a vital part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This one, well…this might be a live action Spider-Verse movie from the sound of it. Jamie Foxx will reprise his role as Electro from the maligned Amazing Spider-Man films and Alfred Molina will return from the Raimi era as Doctor Octopus.

Wait. Are they trying to make this a multiversal Sinister Six movie? Because…we could be down for that.

Hawkeye

Release Date: Late 2021

Jeremy Renner returns as Clint Barton to train his replacement as Hawkeye, Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop! Apparently based on the brilliant run of comics by Matt Fraction and David Aja, Hawkeye will also prominently feature Lucky the Pizza Dog, one of the great canines in Marvel Comics history.

The cast also includes Vera Farmiga as Eleanor Bishop, Fra Fee as Kazimerz Kazimierczak, Tony Dalton as Jack “Swordsman” Duquesne, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Alaqua Cox as Maya “Echo” Lopez, and Zahn McClarnon as Willie Lincoln. We wrote more about all these new characters here.

Ms. Marvel

Release Date: Late 2021

Ms. Marvel is finally coming to live action! Here’s the official synopsis for the series…

“Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan—a 16-year-old Pakistani-American growing up in Jersey City. “A great student, an avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she has a special affinity for superheroes, particularly Captain Marvel. But Kamala struggles to fit in at home and at school—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life is easier with super powers, right?”

The cast includes Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Naki, Azher Usman, Travina Springer, and Nimra Bucha. Episodes are directed by Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

This is going to be a big one, folks, because Kamala is going to be a significant player in Captain Marvel 2. How significant? The title of the movie is now The Marvels!

Morbius

Release Date: January 21, 2022

Spider-Man spinoff Morbius is Sony’s next big Marvel wild card, and it’ll officially be the first spinoff to properly connect to the MCU (even if Marvel Studios still isn’t officially acknowledging it in their own promotional materials the way they are with Spider-Man: No Way Home). Here’s the official synopsis for the film…

“Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed and transforms this healer into a hunter.”

Safe House‘s Daniel Espinosa directs from a script by Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. Jared Leto stars as the vampiric title character, and the cast also includes Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.

Read more about the character of Michael Morbius here.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Release Date: March 25, 2022

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks like it will open up the storytelling possibilities in the MCU like never before. And that’s just based on the name alone. Scott Derrickson was scheduled to direct, but bowed out because of “creative differences” with Marvel. But the good news is that Marvel found a suitable replacement in none other than Sam Raimi, who of course has plenty of superhero experience thanks to his Spider-Man trilogy in the early 2000s!

This one has loads of connections to the wider MCU. Elizabeth Olsen will be here as Wanda Maximoff post-WandaVision, and the film will also connect to Spider-Man: No Way Home and its own multiversal ambitions. There are also a few rumors doing the rounds that Jericho Drumm aka Brother Voodoo could be introduced in this sequel. We’ll keep an eye on that and update this if there’s any substance to them.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Release Date: May 6, 2022

Taika Waititi, who gave us the delightful Thor: Ragnarok, will return to write and direct. Chris Hemsworth will be back. Natalie Portman is your new Thor (yes, you read that right, Jane Foster will wield the hammer…just as she did in the comics!). Christian Bale has also joined the cast as the terrifying Gorr the God Butcher. Not only that, this movie will finally put Olympians in the MCU with Russell Crowe as Zeus. Can Hercules be far behind?

Oh, and did we mention that the Guardians of the Galaxy will be along for the ride, too?

Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever 

Release Date: July 8, 2022

Black Panther 2 is now called Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Marvel has made it official that after the tragic, untimely death of Chadwick Boseman they have no intention of recasting the role of T’Challa, which is absolutely the right move.

Ryan Coogler will return as director, but there are no other details currently available. Interestingly, Coogler is also bringing a Wakanda TV series to Disney+ at some point in the future, too, and something tells us this Wakanda-centric title for the sequel is a sign of things to come.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Sequel

Release Date: October 7, 2022

Is it technically an MCU movie? Nope. But with all the legal weirdness going on between Marvel and Sony, and this franchise’s very multiversal concept, who’s really to say that it ISN’T an MCU movie either, right? In any case, the sequel to the best Spider-Man movie of all time is coming in 2022 with Avatar: The Last Airbender mastermind Joaquim Dos Santos directing and David Callaham writing.

There’s also an “untitled Marvel movie” still technically scheduled for this date but…that is almost certainly not gonna happen now. Expect whatever that project was to move to one of these below dates or to some other currently unspecified date on the calendar.

Captain Marvel 2: The Marvels

Release Date: November 11, 2022

WandaVision writer Megan McDonnell has been tapped to write the screenplay for Captain Marvel 2, which now boasts the title of The Marvels. You know what else is really cool? Candyman‘s Nia DaCosta will direct!

We have no idea where we’ll find Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in the sequel to her hugely successful first standalone MCU entry. Will she be fighting to loosen her former Kree pals’ iron grip on a pre-Avengers galaxy? Or will the follow up film see her fighting for justice in the present?

In any case, we know that she’ll be facing off with Zawe Ashton as a currently-unnamed antagonist, and WandaVision‘s Monica Lambeau (Teyonah Parris) will also return in her superpowered state after the events of that game-changing show. Considering that Monica was once known as “Captain Marvel” in the comics, that title of The Marvels becomes more appropriate. And even MORE appropriate when you realize that Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel, will also be making her big screen debut.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Release date: Feb. 17, 2023

Peyton Reed will return to direct the third installment of the Ant-Man saga, making him the first director in MCU history to complete a trilogy…perhaps the most unlikely trilogy in Marvel’s entire arsenal. Paul Rudd will return as Scott Lang, and you can certainly expect Evangeline Lilly to return as The Wasp and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

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The villain of the film? That will be Kang the Conqueror, who will be played by Lovecraft Country‘s Jonathan Majors. The inclusion of Kang opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities for the MCU, and may even tease the arrival of the Fantastic Four down the line! We wrote more about those possibilities right here.

We’re also going to need fast confirmation on Michael Pena’s return as Luis, though. Luis is key…

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 

Release date: May 5, 2023

After a tumultuous period which saw James Gunn fired and then rehired as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director, he will finally return to complete his spacefaring trilogy for the studio. However, Gunn can’t even begin filming Guardians 3 until he finishes production on The Suicide Squad for DC, as well as an HBO Max Peacemaker prequel. Once those projects are finished, he’s free to return to the MCU.

Avengers: Endgame left the team in an interesting place. We broke down some of the story possibilities right here.

And then there are still some dates that Marvel has announced that they have yet to match projects to. Those dates are…

July 28, 2023

Oct 7, 2023

Nov. 10, 2023

Some of those dates could very well be good fits for the following films…

Fantastic Four

The MCU Fantastic Four movie is finally happening! Marvel seems to be hinting that Fantastic Four will be their next priority after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. So is it possible that we’ll see it on July 28, 2023? That sure would be a great piece of summer blockbuster real estate to launch what might be the most important piece of the MCU going forward!

Marvel’s first family will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a film directed by Jon Watts, who did such a wonderful job with the first two MCU Spider-Man movies. That’s all the information that’s out there at the moment, but as soon as we have more, we’ll update this. It also appears that WandaVision started to set up the Fantastic Four, so stay tuned. We have our own theories on why Marvel went with the Fantastic Four before the X-Men, but that’s another story.

Blade

In 2019, Marvel announced that they will be rebooting the Blade franchise with Mahershala Ali playing the titular daywalker. Ali’s True Detective co-star – and former Blade villain – Stephen Dorff is excited to see what he can do with the character, and so are we.

Could Marvel decide to drop this in that Oct. 7, 2023 release date? Considering that’s the Halloween season and Blade is, y’know, a vampire hunter, they’d have to be foolish not to, right?

Captain America 4

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman is co-writing a currently-untitled Captain America 4 with another FWS alum, Dalan Musson. Those are pretty much all the details that are currently available on this one at this time, but at least we know that Anthony Mackie will return as Sam Wilson in that incredibly badass Captain America costume they gave him for that show. We wrote some more about the potential story possibilities for this one right here.

There’s no date or director for this one yet, so even 2023 seems like it might be a longshot.

Deadpool 3

Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin will be the writing team tasked with bringing the Merc with a Mouth to the MCU. What a Deadpool 3 could look like in the interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe is, of course, anybody’s guess, but if anyone can crack wise about the follies of this kind of corporate synergy, it’s Ryan Reynolds.

And then there’s the lingering TV stuff, at least two of which will arrive in 2022, with the balance likely to arrive in 2023…

She-Hulk

Tatiana Maslany will play Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who ends up with her cousin Bruce’s gamma-irradiated blood. Hilarity certainly ensues. Kevin Feige has promised that since this will be a courtroom show, you never know who else from the MCU could show up.

It’s possible we’ll get She-Hulk on Disney+ in 2022, but nothing is confirmed at this stage.

Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac will play Marc Spector, a disturbed fortune hunter who also happens to be the avenging avatar of an Egyptian moon god. Oscar Isaac is already training hard for the role, and the series is now officially in production, so we wouldn’t be surprised if we see this one on Disney+ in 2022.

Ironheart

The first of two series that will explore the legacy of Iron Man and Tony Stark in the MCU, Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a teenager at M.I.T. who creates her own suit of armor to right the wrongs of the world.

Armor Wars

Don Cheadle will reprise his role as Rhodey and will have the solo spotlight in the War Machine armor in a series that deals with a nightmare scenario for the MCU: what if Tony Stark’s Iron Man technology fell into the wrong hands and was getting duplicated by villains? Based on a classic comics run, Armor Wars promises big action and lots of obscure bad guys. We can’t wait.

Secret Invasion

Samuel L. Jackson will return as Nick Fury alongside Ben Mendelsohn as Talos for a series about the shape-shifting Skrull infiltration of Earth. Kingsley Ben-Adir is apparently playing the villain of the series. Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, and Killian Scott also star.

On directing duties are Thomas Bezucha (Let Him Go) and Ali Selim (The Looming Tower) while Mr. Robot vet Kyle Bradstreet is the head writer.

Secret Invasion could be the biggest thing to happen to the MCU since Endgame.

Wakanda

Very few details are available on this one at the moment, but Ryan Coogler will develop at least one Wakanda-set TV series for Disney+. Could this have anything to do with that Wakanda Forever title for Black Panther 2? We wrote more about some of the implications of this here.

We’ll keep updating this with new information as it becomes available!

The post Upcoming Marvel Movies Release Dates: MCU Phase 4 Schedule, Cast, and Story Details appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[365days365movies]

January 15, 2021: Casino Royale (2006) (Part 1)

So...we meet again, Bond. What’ve you been doing for the past few years?

...What. Not who, James, WHAT. Jeez.

Whatever. BrosBond had 3 movies after GoldenEye, and they were...not great, from what I’ve heard. Remember, I wasn’t as big of a fan of GoldenEye as many critics and fans were; so, I can’t imagine what I’d think of the latter three. Maybe one day, but not today!

Today, I’m focusing my sights on the revitalization of the brand. See, in 2002, Die Another Day came out, and that movie was apparently crazy. TOO crazy. So crazy, in fact, that audiences and critics accused it of losing the plot, and the production studio in charge (Eon Productions) had a yearning to change direction. And their inspiration came from...a surprising place.

See, Joel Schumacher’s campy, over-the-top Batman films were basically wiped out by Christopher Nolan’s 2005 reinvention of the character in Batman Begins. Which is, in my opinion, a highly underrated classic, Seriously. And in 2005, this film was absolutely a smash-hit. Batman was cool again, which a lot of people never thought would happen in film. Eon saw this, and thought...how can we apply that to Bond?

Out with Brosnan...in with Craig.

The first of the new, darker, reinvented Bond films is planned for release in 2006, starring Daniel Craig as the suave, sophisticated spy. And the director of the film was selected to be...Martin Campbell? From GoldenEye? The guy who kinda sorta started the modern over-the-top Bond? Really? I mean, OK. The writers this time are different...except for one. I didn’t talk about the writers last time because I don’t like putting people on blast if I don’t gotta. This time...maybe. We’ll see.

If this Casino Royale is basically Bond Begins, I’m definitely interested. Maybe this’ll revitalize that Bond-love from the Connery days. Let’s find out! We’re also gonna look at the Bond checklist again!

Gadgets: better have more cool gadgets than GoldenEye, I swear...

Bond Girl: GoldenEye’s Natalya wasn’t bad, to be honest; let’s see who his Inevitable Love Interest is this time.

Villain: Alec Trevelyan had so much potential. I need my dastardly villain, let’s do this. Oh, and let’s throw the henchman in here, too. Xenia Onatopp was...a lot...but she was a memorable henchman, at least.

Music: Of course. GoldenEye’s theme was good, and we’ll see how 2006 does.

OK, movie time. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

We start at an office building in Prague, where a man makes his way up to his office. Waiting there for him is, of course, James Bond (Daniel Craig). The man is Dryden, section chief at the British Embassy in Prague, whom M has accused of selling secrets, a big no-no. But Bond...isn’t a double-0 agent. Huh. You got me interested.

Apparently, agents get the two zeroes once they’ve killed two people on file. James hadn’t killed anyone...until recently. Which is when we get this.

OH SHIT

This is an absolutely BRUTAL fight. It’s not choreographed flashily, it’s not pretty...it’s rough. It’s intense. And it’s...oh my God, wow. Made me feel it. And what’s astonishing is that it’s SO short.

On learning this, Dryden tells him not to worry, the second one is...

...YOU GOT ME. I’M IN FOR THE FUCKIN’ RIDE

HOW??? How is it that in 3 minutes of screentime, I’m already more satisfied by Craig’s Bond than I was for the ENTIRETY of GoldenEye? That is masterfully done, right off the bat. WOW. We even get a smooth-as-silk segue into the classic bullet turret sequence, and that takes us right into the song and opening credits. And...wow.

Here’s the thing about Bond openings, as I mentioned last time: they were all directed by one guy up until GoldenEye, and were basically all silhouetted women with themes and scenes from the movie projected around them. The Brosnan movies followed suit, always having silhouetted women in one way or another. Die Another Day used CGI women and...a really bad Madonna song. It was...it is NOT GOOD, guys. Look it up, it’s the most 2002 thing I’ve ever heard.

But here’s the fin bit about Casino Royale. This is the first Bond movie opening with no women in it. Yeah. It’s the first one. And the song is Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name, and it’s good! Not sure it’s going in my soundtrack, though.

Finally, the opening credits sequence itself: it’s once again Daniel Kleinman doing it, and it’s actually inspired by the first James Bond book Casino Royale, which had already had a TV special and unofficial Bond movie made from it! The cover had a playing card motif, and the opening carries over that motif creatively. I really dig it, if I’m honest! Definitely a welcome break from the 44 years of Bond films preceding it.

Uganda! And we meet the villain of this film: Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen). And GODDAMN if that isn’t a Bond villain! He’s a banker, making a deal with a rebel leader, Steven Obanno (Isaach de Bankole), via their liason Mr. White (Jesper Christiensen). Setting up an attack by supplying Obanno with money, he sells his stocks of a company called Skyfleet, knowing that they’re about to fail.

Meanwhile, a ferret’s fighting an Asian species of cobra. In Madagascar. My zoology senses are EXPLODING, OH my God. So much wrong there. Anyway, there’s a bombmaker in the crowd watching the fight. He’s being tailed by Bond and another agent, Carter, who tips off the guy by being a bad spy. Bond chases him to a construction yard. What now, James?

Awesome. Why is this awesome when I said that the tank was dumb? Because at least it makes sense for a bulldozer to go haywire in a construction yard, just sayin’. Plus, this dude clearly isn’t the best, as he fires on construction workers and cops.

Eventually, this chase sequence brings us to the top of a crane, where this exchange happens.

I, uh...I love this movie already. That’s goddamn great.

The chase scene as a whole is also fantastic, as it continues off the bridge and into an abandoned building, then escalates into the streets, brings in law enforcement, and eventually ends with Bond at an embassy, facing down both the military and the bomb maker. He kills the guy, shoots some gas tanks, grabs the bomb, and then gets the hell out of there.

...Y’know what, that was fucking amazing, but he also almost certainly caused an international incident there. And I should be annoyed about that, but guess what! It makes sense! This is an inexperienced Bond, one who’s JUST been promoted to 00 status as 007, as the prologue explained. So, y’know what? I’m into it!

Cut to a yacht, like you do in a Martin Campbell Bond film. There, we have our villain, Le Chiffre, playing a card game. Also, he weeps blood. Yeah. HE WEEPS BLOOD.

OK, if that isn’t some Bond villain shit, I don’t know WHAT is. He’s also asthmatic, because I love it. I love it so much. He’s a mathematically-brilliant asthmatic that weeps blood. More, please. 

He’s also a person aware of what Bond did at the embassy, as it’s already become an international incident! Thank you for showing consequences, movie! Damn! I love it! This has two additional consequences. One, Le Chiffre notes that the code “Ellipsis” used by the bomber may be soon to expire, indicating a connection between the two. And the second consequence? M’s pissed.

M! DAME JUDI DENCH! One of my favorite things about GoldenEye was bringing in Judi Dench as M, and she made it through the reboot! And she’s still as entertaining as she was before, calling Bond out for his stupidity, and explaining that she misses the Cold War.

In her apartment, M does her normal exposition schtick, and her interactions with Bond are fantastic here. She’s understandably angry at him, and gives him what for, but she’s also clearly impressed that he FIGURED OUT WHERE SHE LIVES, as well as her REAL NAME. Shows her opinion of Bond and aspects of Bond’s character in a single, masterful stroke. 

Well. Goddamn. Done.

The Bahamas! Bond’s here to find Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian), a Greek businessman who’s believed to have a connection with Le Chiffre himself. And, as James Bond is wont to do, he finds him at a party, playing cards. And here’s where the reinvention of Bond comes full circle.

See, Bond’s doing all the typical Bond things, yeah. But there are some differences present here, as well as some neat nuances. Bond isn’t wearing the suit, first of all. He actually hasn’t worn a suit the whole movie, which makes perfect sense for a spy. Suits aren’t exactly the least conspicuous thing in the world; bound to get you noticed if you don’t want to be.

And then, there’s the girl. This is Solange Dimitrios (Catherina Murino), the wife of Alex who was treated BADLY by him at the party. That gives her a reason to take Bond’s offer for a ride to his place, outside of just his raw animalistic charm that he seems to have in some of these movies. Look at that, already more chemistry than he had with Natalya in GoldenEye.

And yes, this results in her cheating on Alex. Is her cheating justified from a moral standpoint? No, of course it isn’t. And of course, this leads to the typical Bond-handsome-sex-GOOD sequence, but again, some nuance here! First of all, he doesn’t win her over with corny clever lines, like what we saw in GoldenEye multiple ties. Second, this is actually all an attempt to get some infomation from her about her husband. Bond might be enjoying it, but his womanizing here actually has a purpose. And that’s rare!

That’s further punctuated by the fact that he STRAIGHT UP LEAVES BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENS. Yeah, she tells him that Alex just made his way to Miami, and he leaves! Dick move, yeah, but it makes sense! James isn’t here for pleasure, he’s here for work!

He follows Alex to a Bodies at Work exhibit (you know, the preserved and skinned cadavers put into poses that used to tour around the USA? I saw it in Times Square at the end of its popularity. A little ghoulish, maybe, but I think it’s pretty cool), where the two of them get in a very tense close-up knife fight in public.

Alex is dead, but not before passing off a package to someone else at the exhibition. Bond tails the guy to Miami International Airport, where the largest airplane in the world is set to be unveiled. Using the code sent to the bombers, Bond gets into the back, and goes to intercept the disguised bomber who’s set to blow up the SkyChonk (I mean it, that giant airplane is THICCC).

Time for another cool chase sequence! Some luggage is destroyed, along with a bus, the cops join in on the chase, an airplane is prevented from landing (making someone on that plane probably very upset), and Bond somehow manages to prevent the plane from blowing up. And it’s by the SKIN of his teeth, lemme tell you. Also, he blows up a dude with his own flashlight bomb.

Nice. Somehow, Bond isn’t arrested, and makes his way back to the Bahamas. And it looks like Solange isn’t the Bond girl after all. Because she was thought to be the information leak (which she was, to an extent), she was tortured to death. Whoof.

M’s in the Bahamas now, and the exposition continues. She’s done with Bond’s bullshit, and she plants a tracker under his skin. She explains that with the big boi plane destroyed, somebody stood a lot to gain financially from the stock crash to come. Except that the plane wasn’t destroyed, and that person lost $100 million by “betting the wrong way.”

That person, of course, was Le Chiffre, a manthematical genius and chess prodigy, who plays poker for fun, and plays the stock market with his clients’ money. Bond’s the best poker player in MI6 (a good addition that we already saw foreshadowed earlier! See what I mean?), and she’s sending him to a high stakes poker game that Le Chiffre’s looking to regain his money from. 

Bond FINALLY dons his suit, and gets on a train in Montenegro, where he meets...

Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). THERE’S our Bond girl! Although, there’s a reference to Miss Moneypenny in their introduction, which is interesting. But Vesper is an agent for the British Treasury, supplying the money for the buy-in for the tournament. And their conversation on the train...wow. Now THIS is chemistry, seriously.

Vesper’s a great character, and she gives Bond NO quarter. She reads his character, and calls him out very accurately. They also explain why both Bond and Vesper are good at poker: it’s all about reading people. I’m genuinely impressed by how this movie is put together, and how well-thought out Bond is as a character. And this is the dimension I love to see in a Bond girl as well!

GODDAMN, I am in love with this movie. More coming in Part 2!

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Why are you naked on my bed?

My friend dared me to do this prompt so I did. Enjoy. 

"Why are you naked on my bed?"

Kendra had been having such a nice, entertaining afternoon. The Legends were relaxing for once and had been discussing famous people they wanted to meet until Jax said he wanted to meet Abraham Lincoln.

Now Carter had a rocky relationship with Lincoln. After they had been reincarnated in the 1800s during the Civil War they helped the Union as spies and Carter had made the courageous battle against Custer that helped win the war. Something he never got recognized but Lincoln got all the credit. This pissed him off to no end, and Kendra found it hilarious.

"He gets all the credit for what I did. I did the work but noooo he's the greatest president ever, he solved slavery, he was such a great debater, I have very thing he has. I'm better!" And she egged him on. 

"But he has a top hat." "I can pull off a top hat. I can pull off anything. I wore lederhosen and Marilyn Munro still kissed me."

It had escalated from there and Ray wanted proof that Carter wasn't just making the whole thing up so Kendra went to their room to find a picture. When she entered, she almost fainted.

MICK! There was Mick sprawled across her bed, his eyes lit up.

Naked.

MICK RORY WAS NAKED IN HER ROOM. "I love you Kendra.” 

Kendra almost choked on the air she was breathing. He loved her???

This madman who who thought the most pretty thing in the world was fire and vengeance liked her?

No LOVED her? When did this happen? Sure they had a nice moment when he encouraged her to kill Savage but she hardly counted that as love. She didn't even like him with all his crazy, fire happy ways. And he loved her. And he naked. OMIGOD did he want to... NO! NO NO NO!

"Mick, I I I'm in nuh no no no I'm in a relationship with Carter and no and why and since when no no I I please put pants on-" Kendra stuttered, flustered with the recent revelation and trying not to look.  Mick got up, ignoring her pants request and started pacing around the room, "I've always admired you Birdie. You're vicious hawk side, your weapons, your ability to make an alcoholic drink anytime someone wants it, and you're beautiful. I will gladly give up fire if you would be with me. I don't need fire to be happy, I'm a well rounded, smart man who does not need it. But when I woke up this morning I realized I must tell you and what better way to express my love than bearing everything to you."

Kendra felt the room getting a little darker. Give up fire for her.... He couldn't be serious. Why wasn't he putting on pants? 

Suddenly there was a bounding up to the room, "Kendra do you have the picture?" Carter called. 

"Maybe she can't find it because it never happened." Leonard called after him then a cell phone rang.

"What Lisa? Calm down, excuse, wait he did what?"

Carter entered the room and let out a strangled choking sound "MICK!"

Leonard charged after him "MICK! WHY IN HELL ARE YOU SENDING-" Leonard froze "-NAKED.."

Sara, Ray, Jax and Stein hurried up behind Leonard squeezing all of them into the small room and froze, eyes widened, mouths hanging.

"Sis I'll call you back" Leonard muttered.

"No, No, Lenny I need you! My delete button is broken and I can't get rid of it. There's a naked picture of him in my email. Make him stop being naked in my email. Len, Don't you dare hang up on.." Lisa screeched from the phone.

Click 

"Oh so you love her too?” Kendra snarked.  "No, I just sent her an email on how I care about her and I'm sorry for trying to kill her and I would like to go on a stealing spree sometime if she visits." Mick explained.  "With a naked selfie?" Leonard asked.

"Bearing my soul.”  he stated matter of factly. 

"Bearing souls and naked selfies. Interesting symbolism." Sara commented, seeming a bit too amused for Kendra’s taste.  "Carter do something." Kendra hissed in his ear.  "What do you want me to do?" Carter whispered, staring worriedly at the love sick pyromaniac "Why is he naked in our room?"

"He apparently loves me" Kendra replied.  "WHAT!!" "I do." Mick added.  The rest of the group stared back and forth between the three.

"See? Help me. Fight for my honor. Something!" Kendra honestly didn't know what to do. She would beat him up but it felt wrong and she already knew what happened when you dump a crazy guy. She knew he was crazy and she had a feeling the whole giving up fire for her might not apply if she rejected him.

"I don't think I can. Beating him up while he's naked, is is is just wrong." Carter said.  "Him being naked in the first place is wrong!" Kendra cried.

"No, it's okay. I thought you might react this way. I just tried you first in case you were interested. Now Sara on the other hand..." Mick walked up to Sara's side, as Sara looked horrified. 

"Not your type! I thought we discussed this with fourteen year old you?" Sara protested. 

"Legends what are you doing I have been calling you to go to the base for 5 minutes?" Rip strode up, pushing between the shoulders and stopped when he can't sight of Mick on one knee, grasping Sara's hand.

"What. Is. This?”  "No one really knows" Jax answered for the group.  "I want you Sara. If you would have me. I won't even look at fire if that makes you happy. I'm a well rounded, smart man who doesn't need it." Mick said with a surprisingly loving tone. 

"Oh" Rip sighed, pinching his nose with exasperation.   "Oh what?" Kendra asked, still confused and oddly a little insulted that Mick had already moved on. What kind of fickle guy is that?

"Mick, Sara please meet me in my office. Mick, please put on some pants. It's enough soul bearing."

Sara quickly walked out and Mick ran to catch up with her. "Any chance he to,d you that he would give up fire?" Rip asked Kendra,

"Yes."

"Oh oh this makes sense. I'll explain, I put a hypnosis tape hidden in his room to play while he sleeps to help at least lessen his love of fire. Pyromaniacs Anonymous has a few that have been very helpful for it's clients. I also added my own so that he would work better with the Team and insult others less. I had said to tell the girls how much you respect them and admire your skills instead of believing he was better. I didn't think he would take it so far as to love you. Nor “bear his soul" in "that" way." Rip explained.  "That’s- that's actually a relief." Leonard exhaled.  "I suppose it did not work as I would have hoped. I'll remove them.. But it might last awhile before he becomes his normal self. You might want to get use to the sight for a few days." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning "MICK WHY ARE YOU NAKED ON MY BED! WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS!" Sara screamed. 

[jbbuckybarnes]

Distant Connection - 2/11

Pairing: Bucky x Harmonia (OC) Warnings: a bit of angst, a lot of domestic fluff Summary: After an unknown group of goons took her mom’s life and tried to get her for the dark magic powers she possesses, this untaught witch is saved by the Avengers and brought to the compound where her new life unfolds.

MASTERLIST || Distant Connection Masterlist

Harmony was about to see the student area of the Stark Tower for the first time. Tony provided all the kids with wifi, laptops, food, medical help and tutoring there. She overheard it in a few conversations and she really wanted to draw in an environment like this again and also learn more about her witchcraft.

As she walked in she could see a lot of concentrated students sitting on laptops and others sitting together talking. She walked into the little laptop area with all the desks to see Steve sitting there drawing concentrated. There weren’t a lot of students in there and most of them had headphones on so she sat down beside him with a “Looks beautiful.” His head went up and he gave her a soft smile back “Thanks. Still trying to get into all the new markers from this time.” He had drawn a pink Starbucks drink with alcohol markers, the page he was currently working on was a view of a NYC street and he was painting with gouache. “Can I join your little art session?” she asked pulling out a watercolor sketchbook and watercolor from her backpack. “Of course. What’s your art project today?” he asked after finishing another window. “You…...that sounded like I was flirting. I was not. Just need to get better at watercoloring humans.” she chuckled. They both looked down and worked on their little projects for a while. “I heard you called me big energy ball?” he said and couldn’t take himself serious. “Yup, the outside finally fits the mindset.” she giggled with him. “You changed something in James’ mind?” he asked a bit softer about the thing he overheard. “I tried to bring more positive memories in the main focus again. You were doing a lot of dumb shit in the 30s and 40s” she smiled at him because he had stopped to listen to her. “I was...I can’t even lie about the fact that I wasn’t much different back then. A little less mature, but now I’m just that with the actual body fitting to the mind of a tiny human taking on the world alone.” he laughed about himself. “I saw some of the memories. They were hilarious.” she was thankful that it was way easier to talk to him than she expected.

“Can you...do that with me too?” he asked curious. “Yes, but that means I see everything you saved into your long term memory.” she said a little more awkward. “Oh please don’t tell me you saw all of the assassin stuff...please…” he was concerned for her and looking at her frowning. “I did...that was my first try. It was a spontaneous thing.” she went back into shy mode but he pulled her onto his lap to give her a big hug. “Don’t do it with Nat, Sam or Tony. They are good people but that would hurt you more than you could probably take.” he mumbled against her forehead. “Do you still want me to do it?” she looked up at him. “Only if you’re comfortable with it...why does this sound like we’re talking about something different.” he realized all of a sudden and both started laughing. “Something’s still off about the painting.” he said pointing towards it trying to change the subject. “I think you just need to feel out the colors better. Darker gouache tends to dry lighter and lighter gouache tends to dry darker. Should’ve done a color test. But I think you need to correct the glass reflection on the ground floor here a little bit.” she gave him advice still sitting on his lap. “Would you stand up, or?” he gestured at her initial seat. She reseated. “Hmpf, was so comfortable for once,” she said with a fake pout and got a chuckle back.

After correcting his painting in silence he put down his brush and looked over at Harmony doing her second painting which made the first one fully visible to him. “Simple but I can definitely see it’s me.” he said smiling at it. “Just the first layer. Needs another one or two.” she smiled while painting her flower. “You wanna draw something into my notebook?” he asked a little bit more shy. “Like a notebook switch? Sure.” she said finishing her last petal before turning to him and interchanging the notebooks. He grabbed some normal pencils and an eraser before leaning over the next page while she grabbed some of his alcohol markers to start drawing one of the memories she saw in James’ mind of young and small Steve. There was a comfortable silence between them and the only thing audible were the laptops of some of the students around them and the kids laughing outside of the computer room. He made sure she couldn’t see what he drew with his pencils and was way too concentrated to look over at her beautiful 40s painting.

After about 30 minutes both of them finished their drawings almost in sync and looked up at each other. They put both of them between each other and held their breath for a second. “You drew me? Wow. That’s...so detailed.” she said in awe before reading the little note below “for the small energy ball, from the big energy ball ❤” “This is the cutest thing ever.” she said while giving him a hug and he was so concentrated on her liking it that he looked at her drawing just now over her shoulder while breaking the hug again. “You drew me from Bucky’s eyes?” he was in awe, this was a gift so rare that he couldn't grasp it. Seeing through someone else’s eyes was almost impossible but she put it into a drawing. “When I went through his mind this is one of the memories I made clearer for him again. I think it’s very you.” she said soft and with her guard up. “Wow. I remember that day. We got in big trouble for spending all our money on unhealthy stuff but the whole day was so much fun.” he smiled down at his notebook with the most genuine smile in weeks. “You have such an unique bond. I wanted to put that into a drawing.” she said fidgeting with her fingers. “You two also have a very different connection. I’ve never seen him protect someone like that.” he tried to look into her eyes but they stayed on her hands. “I feel like he’s the only person that can relate to how I feel and also keep me save, you know?” she said very vulnerable. He grabbed her hands and made her look up at him, “I might not be able to relate but I would definitely keep you save too.” A weak smile formed on her lips and a slight nod gave him an answer.

“Can I see the rest of your sketchbook?” she ask shyly again and he grabbed it and put it on her lap with a smile. She grabbed it and slowly went from page to page. There were a lot of 40s related paintings but also a lot of new ones. He drew James and Natasha a lot, sometimes the whole team, there was a little sketch with all of them sitting at the kitchen table laughing, a drawing of her and James when they sat in the corner of the common room, food with recipe notes, a page filled with uniform designs, a sketch of Peggy Carter, a watercolor painting of Grand Central Station, two hands holding each other, a bruised Thor and a closeup of his hammer, a street in Brooklyn back in the day. He didn’t seem to use the notebook chronological and just opened a page and started creating. Meanwhile he looked at her notebook. The outside was filled with stickers of potions, black cats and flowers. She was into witchcraft before she knew she was gifted.

There were a lot of watercolor and marker drawings, her mom, the campus of Syracuse University, a stranger in a coffee shop, part of what looked like her room, two people kissing, fashion sketches, crystals and moons, braided hair, two people hugging, a collage of the different parts of her outfit, sneakers, a sketch of the library in the compound, a sketch of James, an unfinished sketch of what happened to her mother, a sketch of sleeping James, a detailed painting of hands doing blue magic, a painting of James with black eyes and a smile, a sketch of the common area, the flower she just painted, the first layer of the painting she made of him and the sketch he made of her. She was very organized in the way she drew. 

She looked at his concentrated face and noticed he finished going through the sketches but showed him the last page of the notebook. There was a big sticker of his shield on the little pocket in the back of the book that held little nicnacs. He looked at her with a smile and a little bit of pride “Was that always there?” he asked. “Yeah.” she said smiling back at him, taking her sketchbook back. The moment was interrupted with a 10th grader coming into the room looking straight at them. “Could you help us with world war stuff? We’ve been sitting here trying to get it into our heads and…” Steve smiled and nodded.

He left his stuff with Harmony which started doodling little things onto another page. A little shield, a bit of magical stuff, hearts, stars, moons, dots and a little note. *Always prefered you over Stark. Thought you wanted to know. Guess I have a soft spot for old grandpa Avengers. -small energy ball* After looking around at the concentrated students she picked up her brush again and started doing the second layer of her painting of him.

“Harmony?” she heard from a computer voice above. “Yeah?” she said a bit weirded out. She still wasn’t used to FRIDAY at all. “Captain Rogers has been called to the compound for a mission and asks if you could bring his belongings with you back to the compound.” the voice asked. “Sure. Tell him to stay safe.” she said with a little smile. “I will make sure to do so, Harmony.” the voice stopped. Once of the students had took his headphones out to listen to the interaction and got a shy smile from Harmony. “You are allowed to take his things with you?” she asked in awe. “I’m just bringing them back where they belong, I guess.” Harmony answered softly. “Can I ask you something?” the girl, probably around 16, asked. “Uuuh, sure.” she smiled. “Is he really as serious as everyone thinks. He seemed to be very childish and funny with you.” she asked with a nervous voice and a shy smile. “Nooo, he is a total dork but he knows when to be serious. If you ever have a problem with anything just ask him. He’s super nice and wants everyone to feel comfortable.” a smile came across the lips of both females. Harmony continued to put his sketchbook and art supplies into her bag, stood up and grabbed a bottle of water and a pack of chips from the food shelves behind her before turning around. “See you around?” she asked the girl and got a smile and a nod back before she walked out of the room and made her way back to the compound.

[peggysousfan]

Agent Carter An Au Series

So I’ve finished chapter 11.... and chapter 12 will be the crossover chapter! I’m so excited!. It will take some time to write it because I have to watch my dvds of the show and try to incorporate this story into it. I hope y’all enjoy this chapter!:) I look forward to writing more!!

Daniels POV:

Its been four months since Stephanie was born, and I gotta say, she is the sweetest kid ever. Shes adorable, without a doubt, smart, strong, and insanely happy. Even though shes only 4 months old, she punches like a kid I've never seen, which is something, and she actually tries to read when Peggy reads to her. Her eyes follow along to Peggy's voice and its like they're glued to the pages.  I think shes the cutest kid I've ever seen, not that I'd ever say that in front of my niece and nephews. Her hair has gotten darker, and curlier, but her eyes are a piercing blue. I think they might stay like that. I'm guessing her dad had blue eyes, because Peggy's are a blend of dark and light brown.

Today is Saturday, and Peggy and I have developed a routine of me cooking every Saturday and her on Sundays or Mondays, depending on my work schedule. Stephanie is currently sitting on the table, next to my plate, batting at my napkin. I take it and raise it up in the air to wiggle it; she bats at it some more like a cat. I look up and notice Peggy laughing.

"Whats so funny?" I ask.

"Nothing. You're just so good with her. She loves spending time with you." I couldn't fight the grin off of my face even if I tried.

"Yeah well, I've had practice. I've been around babies before, not everyone else had had the luxury or experience.That and I love to spend time with her too, don't I little miss?" She reaches for the napkin and takes it, then starts sucking on it. I distract her with the shining spoon and take it from her mouth, and then she turns up her tiny nose and grunts. God I love this kid. She continues to reach for the napkin as Peggy speaks.

"I guess thats true." She folds her hands in front of her and stares at Steph. "I know her father wouldn't have know the first thing to do. I once seen him hold a baby as if it were a grenade about to go off!" We laugh and the baby catches on, giggling with us. Peggy hardly ever talks about Stephanie's dad.

"They sometimes do blow up like bombs... All over your clothes."

"Oh good heavens don't remind me! She did that this morning and I had to change at least twice." Stephanie catches the napkin again and raises it in the air as a sign of victory. Victory over ruing her mothers clothes more like. She giggles and squirms around, and then Peggy takes her.

"Do you think her eyes are gonna stay like that? That glowing blue color."Peggy looks up at me, and her body tenses up.

"I'm not sure... If they do though, perhaps it will be the only thing she inherits from her father..." The last bit of her sentences was muttered, and I almost didn't hear it.

"Why do you say that?" Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. She tense up more and shakes her head.

"Say what?"

"That you hope her eye color is the only thing she gets from her dad..?" She closes her eyes and sighs. I don't think she meant to say it out loud. Stephanie drops the napkin and starts to grab Peggy's hair.

"I-Its uhm.. nothing."

"Peggy.." She avoids eye contact and tries to get Steph to stop pulling on her hair. "Peg? Whats wrong?"

"Nothing." She says too quickly. Over the past four months Peggy and I have gotten a lot closer. I've told her about my mom and how she died, my brother being tortured and how I was there, .. I even told her about my leg; well most of it. She told me more about her brother and how they argued right before he died, how she was engaged to this British officer guy and left him, and ... even talked about the death of Steph's father. She didn't go into a lot of details, but she did admit they weren't married and thats why she hated the name 'Mrs. Carter'. The boundaries that we have around each other are slim, and I hardly question myself around her anymore. So now its time to get personal, and hopefully I'm not breaking one of the few boundaries we have.

"Peg, do you remember, four months ago, the time when Steph wasn't nursing? And I told you how... I wasn't able to have my own anytime soon because of this" I pull out my crutch.

"Of course I do. I also remember telling you to never say the word that we agreed you'd never say."

"Right. But do you also remember, how you gave me a little pep talk about not letting things get to me? To open up to you and know that you'd be there even when the world wasn't?"

"Daniel... of course I remember. How could I forget?" She seems less tense and more relaxed now that the subject has been taken off of her.

"Okay, just keep that memory in mind."

"Why..?"

"Because I'm going to give you the same advice." Shes taken back by my statement and sets Stephanie on her lap.

"Why is that necessary?"

"Because... I want you to know that you can trust me and talk to me. You don't have to hold things back, Peggy. I won't judge you, you know that. I'm here to listen and help. Thats what friends do." She looks away from me as if thinking, and maybe a little upset. I knew I shouldn't have pushed. For several minutes we sit in almost complete silence. The only noise is Steph cooing and giggling.She starts to play with Peggy's necklace when Peggy starts to speak.

"Its ... complicated. I-... I've never really talked about it to anyone; about Stephanie's father." I nod my head and go along with whatever she has to say. I've already pushed her enough. "Its a very.. delicate... situation, and not one I'm proud of."

"What do you mean?"

"I loved her father, Daniel. Very much. He was a good man. He was... loyal, strong, brave, and...selfless. No matter what the consequences of his actions, he did everything in his power to save the innocent and capture the guilty. He never wanted to kill... He only wanted peace and to stop those that thought they were above the world; like bullies, he said." Her leg is starting to shake and I can see Steph bouncing up and down, giggling. "I loved him for it...but I wasn't in love with him." I knew Peggy cared about the guy, cause of course, they have a kid together. And every time I hear her talk about him, I close up; I feel like I'm being restricted, and my heart hurts. I shouldn't be jealous of a dead guy, but I was. I think  Stephanie is sensing Peggy's emotions, because now shes starting to fuss. I reach over and Peggy gives her to me. Normally if Peggy can't calm her down, I can. "He took advantage of me, Daniel. And I will never be able to  forgive him for it. But hes done so much good for this world, I could't help but name her after him."

"Took advantage of you?" I couldn't help myself, it just slipped out.

"I knew that Steve was interested in pursuing a.. less professional relationship with me. But I never batted an eye at him. Anytime he would try and flirt, I would simply laugh it off or walk away." She stops as the memories play in her mind, and she starts crying. Way to go Daniel...          "We were all playing cards in a pub, and in the end it was just the two of us. He kept ordering drinks and I got drunk... and I can't remember anything from the rest of that night. It wasn't until weeks later I discovered I was pregnant with Stephanie." We sit in silence for several seconds; I don't know what to say.

"I'm so sorry,Peggy." She tries to hide her face as she cries.

"He knew... he knew I didn't think of him that way, and yet he still...ugh, mmh" Shes on the verge of sobbing. I get up from my seat, Steph in one arm, come up behind Peggy, and embrace her. She grabs a hold of me and lets it all out. When she settles down she still holds onto  my arm. As I look down at her I can hear her sniffle. "I'm sorry..."

"You don't have anything to apologize for anything, Peg. Its not your fault." She sniffles some more and nods her head, her curls have loosened up from being upset. She leans back as much as she can into me, and then turns to me. Our eyes meet and I smile at her. Shes been  through a lot, and  I hope she knows I'm here. She takes my hand and kisses my palm. I'm still stunned by this, even though I shouldn't be. Over the last four months she has kissed my cheek several times, and my hand once when I injured it, not that thats relevant.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'll always be here Peggy, whenever you need me. I know you'll do the same."

"Right, sorry."

"Peg... You don't need to apologize either."

"Sorry." She closes her eyes and we both laugh, enjoying the moment we have now.

"Here, do you want her back?" She wipes her cheeks and shakes her head.

"No thats alright, you can hold her."

"You sure? I know you won't be able to see her for all day, for 5 days, all next week. Are you sure you don't want her back?" She looks at me lightly and starts to laugh.

"I'm sure, Daniel. I've had four months with her, all to myself. I'm alright with not holding her for several minutes. I'll live, I promise." Peggy starts working again next week and I know shes a little worried. When we had dinner last week, she told me she found a job at as a telephone operator, and that she wouldn't be working crazy hours so soon. I didn't know telephone operators had to work crazy hours, but I take her word for it, at least on that matter. The matter of not seeing Stephanie for at least 6 hours, is one I know she dreads. Shes right in saying shes had her to herself, everyday, for four months. But that same reason is why she could go insane; she'll miss her daughter. Steph isn't even my kid, but I hate going hours without seeing her, and when I come home? Seeing her is the best part of my day. I can only imagine what Peggy is going to go through when she has to leave her. Once Peggy starts working, I know our dinners will deplete in numbers, if they happen at all. All we can do, right now though, is enjoy our time together, and I'll be damned if I don't.

[sholiofic]

If you are still after prompts I offer you andAgent Carter one of Jack telling Daniel about Okinawa, maybe in the 'the'the remains the same' universe as some kind of we no longer keep secrets policy. Or of course a really drunk jack just confessing idk. Thanks, hope this sparks inspiration!!

So this takes place a little while after The Song Remains the Same.

Daniel was at the kitchen table, looking over paperwork and having a cup of coffee and minding his own business, when Jack marched in and declared, “I can’t take this anymore. We need to talk. You want a drink?”

“Uh …” Daniel said, but Jack had already gotten down two glasses and a bottle of bourbon. Daniel eyed him cautiously. It was just the two of them, for now; Jack and Peggy had both been in D.C. until a couple of days ago, but Peggy had been delayed and was still there. Neither of them particularly liked having her where they couldn’t keep an eye on her, but it had been two months and the immediate urge to lock her in the house and never let her go anywhere every again had passed. And it had never affected Jack quite as badly as Daniel anyway, at least Daniel didn’t think so, because Jack was still heading back to New York every so often.

… so it probably wasn’t some kind of delayed separation anxiety. Probably. It was, admittedly, a little difficult at the best of times to tell what was going on in Jack’s head, or what was going to set him off.

The best thing to do, Daniel had found, was just to roll with it, and by this point he was getting pretty good at rolling with Jack’s moods, so he just took the glass of bourbon that Jack shoved into his hands even though it was 2 p.m. on a Saturday.

Jack sat down across from him. He wasn’t wearing a tie, just a shirt loosely open a button or two; it still made Daniel happy, in a slightly embarrassed kind of way, that he and Peggy got to see Jack like this, the way nobody else got to see him. Casual, with a day’s worth of stubble and his hair falling forward rather than slicked back.

Right now, he was clearly keyed up about something, but he didn’t look upset, exactly. Just nervous.

“You know, if it’s something … uh … touchy, Peggy’s better at this than I am,” Daniel offered.

“I know,” Jack said, and then grimaced. “Okay, that didn’t come out right. Way to get off on the right foot, Thompson.”

But that broke the ice a little bit. Daniel grinned, and then Jack reluctantly grinned back.

“Wanna take this out on the porch?” Daniel asked, and after a minute, Jack nodded.

It was a nice day, not too hot. They sat on the back porch sipping whiskey and looking out onto a yard that was a little less overgrown than it used to be. Jack had started hitting it with the mower every once in a while, and Daniel had made an effort to trim up some of the bushes around the edges. Even Peggy, who Daniel was pretty sure didn’t have a single gardening bone in her entire lovely body, had been seen to pull a weed every now and again.

The yard was never going to be a picture-perfect suburban delight, but at least the place looked more lived-in.

It looked like more of a home.

“So,” Jack said, and Daniel glanced at him. “About the reason why I brought you out here.” He started to take another sip from his whiskey, realized he’d already emptied, and reached down beside him for the bottle to refill it.

At this rate, Jack was going to be blind drunk in twenty minutes. They were sitting side by side in wicker chairs on the porch, and there was a high fence around the backyard and no one to see, so Daniel reached over and took Jack’s hand. He wasn’t expecting Jack to turn his hand around and squeeze like his life depended on it. Okay, something was really bothering him.

“You okay?” Daniel asked, and Jack wordlessly nodded, and laughed a little, one of his darker laughs.

“So I didn’t get any handholding when I told this story before,” he said. “I mean … not as such. Not literally. This was after I almost got her killed, though, so I guess handholding would’ve been a little premature at that point.”

“Peggy?” Daniel guessed, and Jack gave a tight nod. Daniel’s chest tightened a little. “Was this something that happened in D.C.?”

“No,” Jack said, and Daniel relaxed. “Awhile back, now. You know, during the … all of the … that, you asked what happened in Belarus. To change things with me and Peggy. I think I’m ready to tell you that story. And …” He dragged in a breath. “It might change things. With us.”

Daniel didn’t answer right away, bit his lip, and then he said, “Peggy knows everything you’re about to tell me, right?”

“Yes,” Jack said simply.

Whatever Jack intended to tell him, it was what had tilted Peggy and Jack from bitter antagonism to some kind of tentative friendship. Why in the hell did Jack think Daniel would be upset about it? Hell, even if Jack and Peggy had gotten a little heavy with each other over there, which Daniel was starting to think was a definitely possibility, it wasn’t like it’d be a problem for them now.

But Jack clearly thought it would. Jack, on the other hand, was an absolutely terrible judge of himself; he’d already proven that on a number of occasions.

“I’m listening,” Daniel said. He curled his fingers into Jack’s, and waited.

And Jack began to speak. Slowly and tentatively, then with a little more self-assurance.

Daniel listened quietly for the whole thing, and slowly he felt the “Ah-ha” feeling as a whole lot of hints and suggestions and suspicions began to fall into place.

By the time Jack finished, their hands had at some point come apart, probably when Jack had leaned down to top off his whiskey again. “And then we went back to New York,” Jack said, with a shrug, not looking at Daniel – he hadn’t been looking at Daniel for most of the conversation. “And I … well, yeah, I …”

“Never lorded it over me about being a war hero again, I notice,” Daniel said.

Jack gave him a wary look and didn’t say anything.

Daniel didn’t speak again right away. He had to let it sink in for a minute. He could just see how completely incensed and betrayed he would’ve been – at one point in his life, years ago, after spending so much time watching Jack soak up accolades and take full advantage of his golden-boy, war-hero status.

Another notch on that belt …

It wasn’t what Jack had done, exactly. It was what he’d done with it.

But now all Daniel could think about was his own history of difficult choices and times he’d had to make a tough judgment call. God, he knew how those decisions could haunt you at night. The war had been ugly and messy, and they’d been a bunch of kids, thrown in the deep end and expected them to make the right decision every time. Yeah, they’d all done things back then that none of them wanted to carry back to the civilian world. They’d all made choices about that.

“So speaking as one Chief to another,” Daniel said, and Jack jerked as if startled out of his own thoughts. “Someone comes to you at the New York SSR with a story like that. What are you gonna tell him?”

“What do you mean, what am I gonna tell him? You fucked up, kid,” Jack said, in tones that Daniel suspected Jack had no idea were a perfect ghost of Dooley’s.

“He ‘fucked up’ at what part of it, though? Being a dumb kid in a war he didn’t choose, or –”

“All of it, okay?” Jack said, his voice cracking, and it hit Daniel right then and there that Jack wasn’t in a good mental place to have a logical discussion dealing with the good and the bad of the issue right then.

So he just twisted around in the chair and caught hold of Jack and pulled him in for a hug.

He hadn’t realized that Jack didn’t have a good grip on the whiskey glass. There was a crunch on the porch boards, and Jack made a small sound that got stuck somewhere between a laugh and a sob, but mostly he just hung onto Daniel in the same way he’d gripped his hand before, and Daniel hugged him hard and pressed a kiss against the side of his neck, precariously leaning out from their porch chairs as they were.

“This is really uncomfortable,” Daniel said eventually. Jack at least had two good legs to catch himself if his chair fell over.

Jack laughed quietly against his neck and curled a hand around the back of Daniel’s neck and then pulled away, and looked away, and put a hand over his eyes for a minute.

“I think maybe telling that story on three neat whiskeys wasn’t your best-ever idea,” Daniel said.

“I think,” Jack said, and he dropped his hand and stared at the fence. “… that you’ve got a point.”

“I think we’ve got the whole day off, and nobody cares if we spend the entire day in bed, so how ‘bout we just go do that? I mean sleeping,” he added, when Jack turned to give him a look that was slightly red-eyed but also very amused in a Jack kind of way. “I mean, we both work too hard, we both know that, and if we want to just sleep all afternoon, why the hell not? Or … whatever you have in mind.”

“Have I mentioned lately,” Jack said casually, helping him up, “that I really love you sometimes, Sousa.”

He never had. He’d never said it at all, except in ways that didn’t need words. Daniel caught his breath, and then he just said, “Yeah, you do, I know.”

Jack put an arm around him and buried his face in Daniel’s hair for a minute, and then Daniel untangled himself enough to reach for his crush.

“Just look what Peggy misses when she goes out of town for a couple of days,” Daniel said.

“Yeah, you get to tell her she can’t leave anymore.” He sounded almost normal, but not in his usual Jack-covering-things-up kind of way, but more just … okay. And that, more than anything, was what made Daniel laugh out loud.

“You get to clean up the glass on the porch, but not right now. Come on in,“ he said, and hooked a arm around Jack’s waist, and took him into the house.

[the-canary]

Save The Day - B.B (1/10)

Summary: Chasing phantom thieves, saving pretty gals from falling, getting a cool drink with his best pal – it’s just a normal day for Detective James Barnes. However, what if all that falling he seems to be doing is connected to the thief he’s chasing and the gal he’s got his eye on?

A/N: This is for @barnesrogersvstheworld ‘s 3k writing challenge. I have been sitting on this idea for some time now, it might seem a little silly but I hope you enjoy it!

Feedback is always appreciated. 

London, England - 1950.

“Did she ‘fa ‘ta do that?” a voice comes in sturdy but with a little static as two pairs of eyes watch the lone figure run through the rooftops, there isn’t much of a commotion this time around since the item that they were “claiming back” was in the hands of a private donor and the rich tended to be the kind that kept things under wraps -- less police, but more dangerous security.

“You know she likes showing off from time to time,” the second figure responds back, she catches her partner running a bit slower than usual before the masked figure slides off a railing. The blond sighs, knowing that there is going to be blood staining their floor tonight.

A second figure drops from her vantage point, as the blond starts her own decent as well, as she hears a police siren not too far from the estate the redhead --now coming her way after quickly changing clothes--

They make their way closely together down the dimming lit and rebuilt London streets to a little cafe that is open at all hours. The third figure, that had been watching over the entire operation via her own little machines, frowns for just a second as the two come up to kiss on her hello on the cheek -- just three working gals getting something sweet to eat after a long day at work.

“Took ya long enough, Noir,” she remarks in annoyance. Her heart still thumping from thinking that the redhead was a younger so a second, but all Noir does is pat the side of her hip and gives the two of them a smile before sitting down.

The blond shakes her head before taking her seat to her, as Noir keeps smiling and orders a drink from the semi-asleep man behind the counter.

They celebrate quietly, for now, waiting for the newspapers to come in rolling once again: THE SECOND JEWEL STOLEN BY THE BLACK WIDOW.

After tomorrow, they would on their way to a new city with a single task in mind.

New York City - 1950.

“So, you’re really thinking about askin’ her, huh punk?” the dark-haired man questions before taking a sip of his drink. The blond contemplated before a smile blooms on his face, as he stares at the little box in front of him --- a ring that belonged to his mother from before the first war had even started that had been safely kept for him by one Winnifred Barnes.

“I think I’ll combust if I want any longer, Buck,” Steve responses with a lovestruck smile that cause Bucky to stop for a moment because why he understood how much a Steve Rogers loved Peggy Carter -- it was crazy to see how far that once 5’2 back alley fighter was willing to go now.

Both him and Stevie had come back from the war, though not exactly as they had left it. James Buchanan  Barnes was a decorated war veteran with numerous awards and medals for his valor before and after his time with the Howling Commandos, though that didn’t make up for the arm (a la Stark) and time he had lost when he had been found by Allied troops after he has fallen off the train.

--He hadn’t gotten on a train since could barely handle the sound.    

Steve -- well, Captain America to most people nowadays-- had been mourned for over a year and a half before Stark finally found the plane hidden deep within the Atlantic. It took another ten months before anybody heard anything from him again as he had been rehabilitating in secret -- Steve woke up in cold sweats and nightmares after being found, like a younger version of himself all over again and while they were controllable now, he still had them. So, he threw himself into the mantle of Captain America once more, rebuilt the Howling Commandos with whoever was still around and young blood who wanted to get into finishing the fight-- Steve ran around with Pegs, Dum-Dum, Gabe, and Morita as his central group now.

So many things had changed and Bucky still struggled with it all, as he saw Steve whenever he was off a mission and near the area, but their youth had been taken and lost -- Bucky was at an impasse as Steve kept moving forward but unlike Bucky -- Steve had never felt that he had had a future until he came back from out of the ice and now he was certain of what he wanted in it.

“Well,” Bucky begins, “Ya gotta make it a New York wedding, if not my ma will kill before you get to the aisle.”

“Wouldn’t dare,” Steve laugh before taking a sip of his own drink, though neither of them can really get drunk now -- a fact that Bucky doesn’t like bringing up for himself because it’ll just lead to his own set of nightmares to come in and haunt him.

They settle into a steady talk of memories and updates of their old team, as Bucky tries to laugh off that he doesn’t miss all of it -- that he would gladly trade in his badge for another raid with Steve and the former Howling Commandos, was ready the moment Steve called for him. However, Steve thought that the domesticity and familiarity of New York were best for Bucky, especially after what had almost happened.

They makeup talk and pretend to ignore the real issues at hand --Bucky looking like he hasn’t slept and Steve always needing to be somewhere warm-- as they both look forward to Peggy Carter saying yes.

I’m sure you’ll find the right one. All of Brooklyn, hell New York is waiting for that ‘ol Bucky Barnes.

But, the old Bucky Barnes was dead. There probably wasn’t going to be a fairytale ending for him at the end, he can’t help but think bitterly over as he walks back down to his Brooklyn apartment.

If he really thought about, Bucky wasn’t really sure when it was the last time he had touched a woman, though he was sure it had to b before the war. The thoughts of finding the perfect gal and starting a little family of his own went down after every year -- and now Steve was getting married before him, he wasn’t so sure how to feel about that besides the happiness that came with Steve living past their youth.

It’s when he’s in his darker thoughts that he feels a slight bump near his shoulder and a grasp on his right wrist that he freeze, ready to bring back that old familiar training before he notices that the person who grabbed him is a dame -- a very pretty dame.

“Excuse me, sir,” she sniffs a bit as she motions to her foot barely above the ground, “Could you help me?”

Bucky blinks for a moment before nodding, as the dame tells him that she had fallen and had been walking alone in her new neighborhood. Blue eyes widen as he places a charming but empathetic smile on.     

“Good thing ya found me, ma’am,” he answers back as he places her arm over his neck before picking her up with the left one, “Detective James Barnes, at ya service.”

She gives him a timid smile before giving him directions, as Bucky can’t help but think that maybe Steve had been right -- just this once.

[queeniewriteshockey]

U should write angst where carter is away at a game and finds out his gf/BFF got into an accident!! That hospital piece was rlly good u write good angst

Aww Nonnie

I love this sweet floppy haired guy so much. 

Word Count: 1318

Being away for a road game was never easy. Often times it was fun, of course, but it came with its trials and hardships. He loved the travel. Loved spending time with his team and being able to play the sport that he’d dedicated his life to. He’d sacrificed so much for the sport when he was growing up, but where he was and what he was doing made it worth it. On days that he felt the walls closing in on him and the lonesome feeling take hold, he reminded himself of that. It could be hard to walk the line, to not doubt the choices he’d made in his life that led him to the moment he was at.

The second he was on the ice, though, that all faded away. The cold of the ice, the chill in the air that stung the cheeks and reminded him he was alive was enough to make all the voices and worries slip away. The second the gloves were on and the helmet down, his mind shifted from doubt and concern to confidence. He knew he was good at what he did and he kept his mind clear so that he could do it. He didn’t want to be the reason his team lost. It always fell on the goalies’ shoulders, however, justified it was and sometimes that really took its toll.

His mood was pretty alright coming off his win against the Cannucks, but he was still anxious to get back to the hotel and give you a call. The guys had wanted him to join them for some drinks and dinner after, but he really just wanted to give you a call and hear your voice before he joined them. He’d told them he’d catch up with them as they’d departed the lobby, guys going in all directions.

The missed calls and texts on his phone were nothing new, Carter was terrible at replying to a text, preferring instead to talk to someone. Those would go unanswered for days. It was the missed calls he focused on first. Though he’d had a few from friends in the area and his mom to congratulate him on his win, it was the unknown Philadelphia number that bothered him.

The voice mail hadn’t really shed any light on the subject other than the fact that it was a doctor calling and a request to give him a callback. Naturally, his mind drifted to the darker realms, making up wild scenarios with worryingly vivid details. His imagination could get the better of him when he let it, but he didn’t often let it. He preferred the act of being level headed. He was a Leo, though. They looked put together on the outside, on the inside they were a mess. Sometimes he identified with his sign more than he wanted to admit.

The doctor hadn’t answered the call, which didn’t soothe his worry, if anything it heightened it. There was only one person in all of Philidelphia that he cared about, the rest were all wandering around Vancouver, probably drinking too much. Your phone was the next one he called, wanting to make sure that it had nothing to do with you. Maybe it was just a wrong number? Or some test he’d forgotten he’d taken that had to do with… something. He didn’t know, he just needed to hear your voice.

The second that was achieved was like coming up for air. He hadn’t even realized he was drowning. His body had gone numb while he paced the hotel room, wearing a hole in the carpet. Your voice stopped him in his tracks, his mind slowing from is racing.

“Babe?” He said, his voice a little more gravely than normal. “Are you okay?” He had to be sure the phone call wasn’t about you. He needed to know you were okay.

“Mostly,” you told him. You weren’t lying, but you hadn’t been okay earlier, while he’d been playing savior to the Flyers. “I’m alright, now.”

“I got a call, but they only left a message. What happened?” His heart felt like it was constricting in his chest. The neck of his shirt was too tight and he tugged out at the collar, trying to alleviate the choking feeling.

You leaned back in the hospital bed, a groan escaping your lips as you did so. “I got into an accident. I’m okay,” you prefaced again, making sure he understood that. “Some asshole cut me off on the freeway and I hit the guard trying to stop myself from ending up in his back end.”

Carter’s eyes closed and he took a deep breath in through his nose, trying to center himself. These were the times he had to remind himself of his commitment to his craft. There was nothing he wanted more than to be back in Philly with you, making sure you were actually okay and not just telling him you were so that he wouldn’t worry while he was away.

He knew it was something you would do and he worried it was something you were doing. “You’re sure?” He asked. “You’d tell me if you weren’t, right.”

You sigh softly, but he hears it. He knows you better than you thought he did.

“Y/N?” He asked again, his tone a little more firm. A little more stressed.

“I’m still in the hospital, but yes, I’m okay. They want to keep overnight for observation and I need a cast. I might have broken might arm.”

“You…” He trails off, his fist clenching in frustration.

“Carter, I’m fine. I promise. My mom’s coming to take me home tomorrow and stay with me until you get home. You’ll be home in a few days. Everything will be okay.”

He wanted to believe you, but it was hard. He was so far away, kilometers and miles, it didn’t matter, it was still a lot. He felt like a world was standing in his path.

“Babe, I promise. Please don’t worry. I’m okay.”

He nodded, but you couldn’t see it. “I know, I’m just… I’m sorry I can’t be there.”

“It’s okay, I understand. Your job is important. I’ll be here when you get back.” You were never going to go anywhere. You loved him too much to even bear the thought. You let out a yawn, reminding both of you that you were three hours ahead and it was late.

“I should let you sleep,” he said softly. “It’s late and you need rest.”

You couldn’t disagree with him, the meds they had given you for the pain were making you tired and loopy. it was a wonder you had even been able to have a coherent conversation with him. “Call me tomorrow when you get up?” You offered, your yawn taking over a few of your words as you spoke.

“The moment I open my eyes,” he promised. “You can count on it.”

And you did.

“I love you,” you told him, your voice low as you laid your head back on the little pillow in the bed.

“Love you, too. Night babe.”

The line disconnected and Carter sank onto the bed, body, and mind still numb from shock and worry. You’d said you were okay, but it didn’t stop him from worrying. It was going to eat at him all night. Naw at his mind and disturb his sleep. This was not a price he had expected to pay, but he knew there was a chance. He just had to be thankful nothing really bad had happened to you.

He never made it to the bar where the rest of the team was waiting. He’d decided to stay in, take a shower, enjoy the mini bar a bit and go to sleep before the rest of them came back. He’d explain later. They’d understand… Some of them would, anyway.