#honestly I could write a whole essay on the importance of that robot stream to me alone ajgskshsk

[connorsnothereeither]

I AM ALSO SHAKING THIS POST and all the responses about it. Like Puffin said, I cry about the way people have responded to Virgil and I get very excited and emotional anytime I see thoughts about them /pos

I love how people represent the relationship between Elwood and Virgil in the fandom, whether people are shipping it romantically or just presenting them platonically. In either case, everything I’ve seen has been so wonderfully respectful to their identities across the board, from neurodivergencies, to gender, to their place on the aroace spectrum. I love that they can be platonic or romantic and their dynamic is still allowed to be explored in a way that isn’t infantilising or erasing in any way. While Puffin has really said a ton better than I can on the Elwood side of things, I’m in a similar spot where Virgil is very mirrored to a lot of my own experiences and it makes me really happy people resonate with certain angles!!

I am so incredibly appreciative of the respect people have had for the Virwood dynamic as aro/acespec in fan works and how that’s been treated and developed /pos. Everything I’ve seen has been such an amazing exploration of that, and the way that relationships are navigated. I’ve spoken before about how Virgil is very much a reflection of my own evolving relationship with gender and identity, but likewise my own journey on the ace spectrum, specifically finding where I land in the zones of greyace and demisexual (which as Puffin said is very hard to in media) is very much inherent to Virgil and his relationships and seeing it received so positively is really heartwarming.

And if possible even more so on the point about Virgil’s paranoia!!! Virgil is on so many levels a reflection of my own grapples with anxiety and paranoia and even tendencies towards isolation. I’ve mentioned how I model his patterns of thinking very much on my own, and especially in those areas he’s very much a reflection of my experiences. I think paranoia in media is often played up for a sort of comedic and exaggerated effect, when oftentimes it does stem from real concerns in life, and can be very grounded and serious, which oftentimes leads to its dismissal despite how damaging it can be. And certainly there is areas where we’ve played up Virgil’s paranoia a little bit for that comedic effect (like with the “Rune is a Robot” bit). But at the same time, something I try to represent in canon — and that I really appreciate being shown in fanon as well — is that Virgil’s paranoia isn’t treated as “crazy” or “unstable” like a lot of media harmfully presents it. To me, I very much try to make sure that the joke is not the paranoia itself, but that the insane-sounding things are possible. Virgil and his spirals aren’t the butt of the joke: the situation is. Like yes, the robot conclusion seems wild, but the joke is much more that it’s so impossible sounding but is still a logical and reasonable conclusion based on the evidence, even if not a correct one. It’s a conclusion that makes sense, even if it’s so over the top it’s funny. The joke wouldn’t be as fun if it was just a statement he made, it’s humorous because he has so much meticulous evidence to back it up, and the evidence is completely real. The working is 100% right. The answer is just completely wrong, and that wrong leap is the funny part, rather than the spiral that led there.

Virgil’s fears and distrust and paranoia is very realistic, even if the world in which they exists is not. The idea that a murderous secret cult is going to kill him and sacrifice him to an ancient obelisk for his magic, seems exaggerated to us as an audience, but within the canon, those are very real fears for Virgil to have. That is something that did almost happen to him. They’re very solid grounds for paranoia, and that is understood by other characters within the canon. His spirals are a little over the top, yes, but that’s because they’re spirals, and they’re not coming from a healthy or rational state of mind. They’re inherently detrimental to him, as we saw with the cave. But he works back from those low points and is healthier because of it.

And especially important to me is that while it can be something that causes him to isolate himself, it’s not something he is isolated because of. Virgil isn’t shunned because of his anxieties and paranoia and speculations. If anything it’s the opposite: the community around him in Brightstep is incredibly loving and supportive in helping Virgil move past that paranoia, and letting them grow from it, and providing that stable support for them when they’re spiraling. And I am incredibly appreciative to both the rest of the cast for helping present those aspects that way, and to the fandom for treating with that level of compassion and respect in fanon. His paranoia and his more intellectual and neurodivergent tendencies don’t stop him from having friends and relationships like a lot of media presents. They’re just part of him. And that’s okay. It can be something that is silly and over the top at times and can be played for laughs a little bit, but it’s also just a real thing he struggles with, and that I myself and a lot of other people do, and I love that it’s something that I can have be part of Virgil, and that people resonate with it 🫶

So yeah… that’s my long and sappy response, y’all get one from both Puffin and me lmao. Virgil is just very personal and it makes me happier than I can express when I see deep dives into elements of his characterisation that I think about a lot when writing/playing him /gen

Okay! I'm not like a hard-core Virwood shipper or anything BUT it is sort of big for me that it is a popular ship in the Fandom, and how it's a popular ship. My qualifications for this post are being Demiromantic, Trans, paranoid, and having a processing disorder that makes me express myself like Elwood. Moving on-

Number 1) Elwood has a monotone voice <3 he is also very smart, and says the wrong thing often, but he is never portrayed as an asshole in cannon or in Fannon spaces.

(Also as a sub point facial expressions and voice changes are communication, it is something Virgil does alot of, especially with Elwood. Because he has trouble picking up on ques.)

Number 2) Virgil is also very smart and increasingly paranoid. He has reasons for his paranoia with what he has discovered and is very good in high pressure situations (unless thrown a curveball). He sometimes spirals and let's his paranoia take him too far down speculation. (Exhibit A- Rune is not a robot.) He is never portrayed in cannon or Fannon spaces as a hermit with no friends.

Number 3) They are both on the aromantic and asexual spectrum. The way fans explore that potential relationship is respectful. It isn't infantilizing. It isn't writing them to have "normal" intimacy either emotionally or sexually.

Number 4) They are friends! They are just straight up buddies. The possibility of romance is there but their relationship won't end if it doesn't happen. There is no angst in the flavor of their pining.

Number 5) They're good for each other. Virgil gets Elwood out of the house/library. Elwood encourages safe lab practices.

That's all! I just like them. I like how any intimacy written between them has been "Oh let me clean your glasses." "Thank you, can you work next to me while I study?" "Of course." And info-dumping back and forth. And not bold declarations of love and passion. They just like each other and they're demi romantic and they're friends.

[parkersharthook]

We Felt Like Giants

Peter Stark-Rogers & Stark-Rogers!reader (twins)

warnings: struggles with identity, college apps are stressful

2.5k+ words

series masterlist

requested: what about if school is getting to be a lot? Or what do the parents/avengers do about?

You didn’t know how long you had been staring at your computer screen, but it got to the point where your eyesight was blyrry and no matter how much you willed the essay to write itself… it simply did not.

Your head was resting on your fist, your knuckles digging deep into your cheek. You graoned slightly, picked your head up, rubbed at your cheek slightly, then leaned back in the chair slumping heavily.

You were about to rest your fingers back on the keyboard, hoping to write something but a knock interrupted you.

Your dad poked his head in with a grin, “dinner.” He glanced at your posture and open computer, “unless you’re working on school. I can bring you something.”

You shook your head and stood up, cracking your back. “No, I need a break. What are we having?”

Steve shrugged as he fell into step with you, “it was Clint’s turn to pick so probably pizza but I’m not sure.”

You nodded and stretched your arms slighty as you entered the elevator, “oh yeah I could really go for some pizza.”

Steve glanced at you, “have you eaten anything today? I haven’t seen you leave your room all day.”

“Not since breakfast this morning.”

“y/n it’s important for you to-“

“yeah Pops I know, I’ve just been working. It slipped my mind and it’s not exactly like I’ve been exerting myself.” You stepped out of the elevator, “I’m fine.”

Steve sent you an unimpressed and unconvinced glare but you just continued into the common room to find mountains of pizza boxes, much to your chagrin. You immediately grabbed three slices of pizza and then moved to grab a plate, quickly putting the hot food on it. Peter came stumbling in through a window a minute later, not slowly down til he reached the boxes.

Wanda immediately crinkled her nose, “Christ Peter, you smell awful.”

He took a large bite of his pizza with a shrug, “fell into the sewer during patrol.”

Clint chuckled, “how do you fall into the sewer?”

Peter squinted his eyes at the older man, “thinking that I’ve watched you do it, you know exactly how.”

Tony made a shooing motion with his hands, urging Peter to leave. “go shower, I’ll save you a box.”

Peter finished off that slice before making a face and turning to leave. It finally seemed like everyone was settled around the table and quietly eating their pizza.

It was a nice distraction for you, of course until your historically noisy family ruined it.

“So how’s the college essay writing going?” Fuck you Nat.

You shrugged, “good if good means my page is completely blank.”

“college essay? School just started?” Bucky asked around a mouthful of pizza.

You shrugged, “yeah but most applications are due November first and I’ll really be screwed if I wait until then to do it. Plus, the sooner I send these in the sooner I’m done with applying to college and then I can really enjoy senior year.”

“why don’t you just write about growing up with the avengers? Seems pretty interesting.”

Yeah and wasn’t that the big idea. It was the suggestion everyone kept seeming to make. Your college counselor at school, your parents, MJ, and just about anyone that had an opinion on your essay.

You shrugged, “It crossed my mind but that just seems like a cope out. The essay is supposed to be about me, and it’s super open so I don’t know why I’m struggling.”

Wanda furrowed her brow, “but growing up around the avengers is about you. You talk about all the stuff that no one has seen before. Or are you trying to hide who you are?”

“No it’s not that,” You said as you shook your head, “I can’t avoid that because the common app requires dads’ information and schooling and stuff. Can’t get around being a Stark-Rogers this time.”

“should I be taking offense to that?” Steve asked as he sipped at his beer.

You laughed and shook your head, “no. Plus only the admissions officers read it and it really could be a hit or miss if they like the avengers so in theory writing about you guys could hurt me.”

Natasha shrugged, “I don’t know I still think it’s a good essay topic. But you seem really against it, why?”

You cast your eyes down and fiddled with a piece of crust. “I feel like… --sigh—I just think that maybe the most interesting thing about me shouldn’t be you. Like I know family is a huge part of your identity but all my friends are still writing about themselves, ya know? And I don’t get why I would be the exception. I mean there has to be something about me that doesn’t involve you guys? Right? Like I’m my own person?”

You hadn’t realize that small tears had begun to stream down your cheeks. You shook your head as you mumbled, “sorry.” You let out a wet chuckle, “this whole college app thing is pretty stressful.”

Steve stood up and came around to give you one of his signature comforting dad hugs. It definitely made you feel better.

“what did I miss?” Peter asked with confusion as he walked into the room, the now awake Morgan in his arms. “also Morgan woke up from her nap so I brought her down.”

Tony accepted the still sleepy five year old into his arms, “pizza?” Morgan just slumped against his chest and shook his head. He turned to his son, “what are you writing your college essay about Pete?”

“well since I’m applying to engineering programs I thought it’d be good if I talked about how building robots out of scraps helped me cope while in foster care.”

Clint shifted uncomfortably, “you remember your time in foster care?”

Now this was a conversation you did not want to be apart of. But you certainly couldn’t just leave the room without at least three people following you with worried glares.

“well I know we were young and we were only in it for a year and it was mostly the orphanage but yeah… I remember it.” A heavy silence filled the table. “I mean I am definitely embellishing it a little for dramatic flare but it’s mostly true.” That startled a laugh out of you that then prompted the others to laugh as well.

After that, the college essay talk slowed down and the normal arguing/conversations settled in. Bucky asked Steve how his day at SHIELD went while Tony and Natasha tried to get Morgan to eat something. Peter had both Clint and Wanda engrossed in a pretty intense debate about who was the most powerful character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The only person that sat quietly, other than yourself of course, was Sam and he just kept sending you worried glances that didn’t help you settle at all.

It wasn’t until after dinner was done, the dishes clean, and the boxes thrown away did you finally escape back to your room. Your family had proven to be a good distraction but your mind was still stuck on your essay and suddenly being around everyone just made you want to vomit. So you escaped.

You were laying on your bed, lazily scrolling through your phone when Clint, Sam, and Natasha came in.  

You picked up your head slightly, “what’s up.”

“We came to help you with your essay.” Clint said with a smile as he collapsed into your desk chair.

You sat up fully with a confused brow, “you guys? Why?”

Sam shrugged, “because we’re the only ones without super powers who aren’t emotionally stunted.”

Your eyes flitted over Clint. He scoffed, “rude.”

“I just meant-“

“it’s fine I get it. But it’s either me or Rhodey and he’s really much better at practical action than words. Or you dad but we figured he was too emotionally invested.”

You sighed, “I appreciate it guys… but I don’t really think you get it.”

Nat stepped into your room next, eyes glancing over the photos you had hung up above your bed before settling her gaze to yours. “you’re stuggling with knowing who you are outside your family. It’s normal and while you definitely don’t have to figure it out you feel like you need to because you have to write an essay about it.”

You slumped onto your back, “fine I guess you do get it. But how can you guys help me? You all know who you are, I doubt you’ve struggled like this.”

It was Sam’s turn to scoff and then offer sage advise, “are you kidding? I was one of six siblings. I had no idea who the hell I was outside of my sisters growing up, and then I joined the Air Force to help and it did but then I lost Riley and left and the whole thing started over again. Then I was with your pops and then I wasn’t and then I was. And during that whole thing I wasn’t sure if I was a soldier in my heart or just because the captain America was aksing me to do it. It comes in waves and it’s hard to ever know who you are… but y/n it’s normal. It’s healthy.”

“yeah but know you’ve got it all figured out.”

“took me a while. Also I’m a fully grown adult, I’m supposed to have it together. Your’e a kid, it’s okay to be still figuring it out.”

“hey… I’m 18.”

“since last week. Give yourself time to be a kid and figure it out.”

“well tahnk you for the life advice but that doesn’t help me write my essay.” You snarked back causing Sam to sigh.

Nat rolled her eyes and landed next to you on the bed, “relax we’re going to help you brainstorm ideas.”

You looked around the three of them, “thanks.”

Clint smiled and then put your laptop on his legs and spun to face you, “anytime. Okay so we know family is off the table….”

-

It was your midterm week when Peter got his decision back from MIT.

The family decided it was best to curb opening it until he had finished his exams and for Christmas break to start. Those were some painstakingly long days for Peter, which in result meant you too because he would come to you when stressed or frustrated.

You honestly didn’t even care about your exams by the time the week was over. Pass or fail you just wanted to fucking open that letter to calm Peter down.

He got in. Tony cried.

Bucky had inquired when you would find out from your schools causing you to explaint hat Peter had ED’d which meant he had priority and found out sooner than you did. It wouldn’t be until April until you found out.

And fuck did that cuase you to spiral.

April. 4 more months. Fuck.

-

It was the day of Prom when your letter came. You had thrown in on your desk with nonchalance and left to get ready with MJ, Gwen, and Betty. You had commandeered your parents’ large en-suite bathroom for the four of you to get all dolled up.

It wasn’t until later when peter was looking for you when he came across the letter.

He walked into the en-suite soon after, the letter in his fingers. “hey y/n your letter came- oh wow you guys look great.”

You and gwen snickered because Peter may have said ‘you guys’ but he was staring directly at MJ. In his defense, she did look ethereal in her silver sparkly gown

Gwen smirked to herself, “thanks Peter, you don’t look too bad yourself. What’s that?”

“what’s what?” He continued to stare dumbly at Mj, who was now blushing fiercely. Finally he snapped out of it and gestured to the letter. “oh it’s y/n’s letter from Columbia.”

Immediatley all eyes snapped to you, causing you to roll your eyes and step forward to grab it. “well thanks for that Peter. I’m waiting til after Prom weekend to open it.”

“what why?” Betty asked sincerely.

“Because I’m not about to have my night ruined by a dumb college decision. Whether or not I got in, I’ve already been accepted to great schools. So…” you plucked the letter from Peter’s fingers, “I’m going to open this sometime later and enjoy my night tonight with my friends.”

Peter rolled his eyes at your dramatics, “well then you girls need to hurry up. Ned, Flash, Harry and I are getting tired of waiting.”

And boy wasn’t that a group. Ned, the longtime friend of Peter and boyfriend to Betty. Flash, the ex-bully of Peter’s and newly reformed person who is now and integral part of the group. And Harry, the heir to oscorp and the crush of both the stark-rogers.

Your family looked at your group and thought ‘messy’.

You looked at your group and thought ‘damn my friend group is messy, but fuck do I love them all so much.’

So you swallowed your pride (and crush) and let Peter ask harry to Prom, who obviously said yes. So now here you went, simeltaniously watching your brother take your crush to prom and stare at his other crush while she sparkled in under the strobe lights.

Fuck, maybe your family was right. Maybe this was messy.

Prom night turned out to be one of the best nights of your life. You and all your friends had plenty of fun before going to Eugene’s beach house for the weekend.

That’s where the real party began.

-

You didn’t even think about your decisions letter until late Monday night. You and Peter had gotten home well into the afternoon, both of you nursing hangovers and struggling to hide it from your parents.

Your dads entered your room where you were slumped on your bed.

Fuck, you were definitely about to get lectured for underage drinking and shit like that.

To your surprise however, your pops just handed you a letter. The letter you had forgotten about. “You left it in our bathroom before you went to Prom. We assume to wanted to wait til after to open it.”

You swallowed and took the letter into shaky hands. You opened it agonizingly slow and then pulled out the letter. Tears formed in your eyes.

Both your dads quickly moved to pull you into a large hug to console you but it was your hesitatnt voice that stopped them, “I got in.”

“you got in!” tony shouted happily, “that’s amazing!”

“I’m so proud of you!” Steve cheered as he moved you off the bed and into his arms. Tony came around to join the hug, jumping up and down while cheering.

Sure, your head was pounding from the noise and movement but laughter still fell from your lips as you celebrated with your fathers.

You were going to Columbia, you were going to find your place in this world.