#i am a Lee stan until I die

[theoryandahalf]

MadPat this, LoreFi that. Umbrella boy can't cut a cookie, boohoo. Whatever.

I haven't seen anyone talk about the sneak peak we saw of the new Theorist Office in the last Film Theory episode and THAT is criminal.

(For those of you who missed it, they've moved out of Matt and Steph's home and into their own offices in NC)

We got a brief five second glimpse at a "TOP SECRET do not steal" door and I'm dying to know...is that the new GTLive studio?!

I think this says "Ash+Kai" so its either the GTLive Studio or they're doing some sort of merch shoot or social media push. Either way, I want a 360 tour immediately.

Also the Inside Out 2 episode was one of my favorite Lee episodes. He sounded genuinely so happy and energic in this episode. I don't know if it was the film he was discussing or the energy they all have for the new studio, but my man sounded GREAT.

[nekomamiiz]

im not in the kpop fandom whatsoever… but i am a dancer and the best thing to happen to me while stumbling down a lil rabbit hole is my sweet baby bada lee

[roobylavender]

i love how you hold in-depth and insightful discussions with your anons even if they might disagree with you, i feel like you're such an easy person to talk to 🥹 which is to say i wanted to ask you about something - if you don't mind - i'm always really surprised when you discuss bruce vs. ollie's parenting styles because i feel like the differences you mention weren't necessarily so clear-cut?

for instance i think the 70s were really when the "oh no how can we send our own kids out there to fight criminals and die" conundrum was first raised in superhero comics because of dennis o'neil, stan lee, etc starting to equate the concept of child sidekicks to child soldiers & abusive parenting (hence bucky's ~death~ around this time too), and as a result of that + o'neil wanting to take batman back to its darker solo-ish roots, bruce was written to carry even more immense guilt over sending dick out as robin. and certainly he's had moments like this before, where he worried that he had done dick more harm than good (and for ex., subsequently erasing his memories as robin and sending him back to an orphanage like in world finest's #153..) but for the most part he's very insistent on dick being robin and he understands and encourages the fact that dick wants to balance his civilian life with being robin very much (reason #489893 why i think marv wolfman having dick drop out of college was OOC but that's another subject). tbh that's why i'm so defensive of the original context of batman comics, the fact that children were working in sweatshops or factories or as garment workers etc back then definitely allowed people accept the idea of bruce gifting a bat-copter to dick for his birthday in batman #10 (which is implied to be his 8th birthday 😭) or dick performing shoulder surgery on bruce at age 7-8 or whatever in batman #2 - so in the same vein, i don't think the thought of "oh no dick's life is in real danger as robin" should ever seriously enter his mind (as opposed to in-the-moment anxiety, which i'm sure happens a gazillion times a week) until dick's college years imo?

and i know you've mentioned before that you don't take the golden age personalities/morals ascribed to bruce & dick too seriously because they vary greatly depending on whether the tone is comedic vs. serious - but i actually think they're pretty consistent! for instance for the first ~30 issues of detective comics, bruce is a lot more OK with the idea of killing criminals, but it's clear that after a child, dick grayson, comes into the picture he takes a much harder stance against killing (hence why his original vow with robin by candlelight says "WE two will…never swerve from the path of righteousness" - implying batman will now hold himself to a new high standard that he's also setting for robin). as you said, when batman and robin do mention just "finishing off" a guy or whatever it's definitely played off for comedy and i think the audience is meant to recognize that :]

and re: ollie, the 00s series has him grappling with the "child soldier" worry a hundred times for mia, connor, and roy, so i think this sort of realization should happen slowly and organically for him too (and not just bruce) and it kinda already started back in the 70s anyway with roy's drug overdose... idk i like to imagine that bruce and ollie are a lot more alike despite the surface-level differences in temperament or personality and that's really what causes the (one-sided, from ollie LOL) tension!!

anyway i'm so sorry for dumping this entire novel in your inbox, it comes across like i'm just trying to lecture you but i promise i'm very interested in what you think 😭 and thank you for reading and always providing such interesting replies/commentary in general! have a lovely day ♡

please never apologize for this omg i am always elated to talk about the vast expanse of canon and hear other perspectives on it! and i wholeheartedly agree with you actually, the impact of the 60s really cannot be understated in how it altered dc’s approach to certain topics going forward (and i would love to find scholarly articles about this if there are any). like it’s really interesting how cape comics reacted to wwii and the social welfare era in very distinct ways, because on one hand as you said it originally wasn’t too hard for a reader to wrap their head around the idea of kid sidekicks because there probably were a lot of kids at the time who were also working due to the wartime labor shortage. but the 60s was a huge moment for civil rights and social welfare of all kinds and this was particularly with respect to children. i’m actually in a class right now called children’s rights so we discussed some of that history and the shift at the time that caused legislators to begin to take abuse as a concept seriously. i guess the tricky part about comics and our engagement with these characters is trying to balance the evolving world against what we would like to be a consistent depiction of the characters even though that isn’t necessarily possible, because the politics and concerns of various writers obv filter through (like wolfman and his reagan era propaganda lol). i def want to get further in my ollie reading someday because i’ve heard so many good things about the sort of gravitas of his role as a parent increasing as time goes on. and it would be interesting if more than one character ever converged on that concept of sidekick-ery as child abuse. i think the problem really is that some writers adapted that mindset while others didn’t so you ended up with a lot of tonally dissonant books and characters even though addressing this issue collectively across the expanse of the canon could have been very interesting

[jaeyunluvr]

one hand on his shoulder, you pressed your lips onto his in desire as sunghoon rested his elbows on the table holding both of your weight, letting you have your way even though he got interrupted.

YES I WILL PRESS MY LIPS INTO HIS SOFT ASS SKIN I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

letting go off the kiss, he pulled you closer by your waist, letting his hands drop to your thighs as he lifted you up, spinning you around and landed you on the table. his teasing fingers run up your thighs, into your skirt.

BITCH WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOY PARK SUNGHOON I AM A MARRIED WOMAN NOW PLEASE COME AND FUCK ME

he looked into your eyes and says "wanted my attention so bad huh?" and you don't answer. it's like you're paralyzed under his hungry gaze.

Lee Kayz you are grounded until I say so I HATE YOU FOR MAKING ME DIE WITH THIS (jk I love you so much you sexy human being)

Also do not read my unhinged reblog please

MONAAAAAAAAA KSKSKSKSK I LOVE YOUUUU😭😭😭 LEE KAYZ😭💔💔😭 married women writing shamelessly about other men, we stan (heejake stan too)

I have read your unhinged reblog and it's the usual for us please dw 😃😃😃 literally us in our dms every damn day

[babylon-crashing]

for another day full of poetry/ i’ll suggest

may the tide

that is entering even now

the lip of our understanding

carry you out

beyond the face of fear

may you kiss

the wind then turn from it

certain that it will

love your back may you

open your eyes to water

water waving forever

and may you in your innocence

sail through this to that

~ lucillie clifton, “blessing of the boats”

“If you can't be free, be a mystery.” ~ Rita Dove.

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” ~ Audre Lorde.

“Sister! your foot's smaller / but it's still on my neck.” ~ Pat Parker.

“Justice don't mean nothin' to a/ hateful heart!” ~ June Jordan.

“B.D. women, sure you can't understand/ But they got a head like a sweet angel/ And they walk just like a natural man.” ~ Lucille Bogan

“We/ Jazz June/ We/ die soon.” ~ Gwendolyn Brooks.

“I will say:/ Most men are afraid of me, you know?/ Or, I will say:/ In my culture we do not take our men's names as our own/ You have nothing for me/ I have my own name/ I know/ now how this body works/ How it will never let a name go until it has taken it into the mouth and fed it to the breath/ I still know by heart." ~ Safia Elhillo.

“We're flawless, ladies. Tell 'em/ say, ‘I look so good tonight’/ God damn, God damn, God damn.” ~ Beyonce.

“Sappho was a right-on woman.” ~ bumper sticker.

“The woman who takes a woman lover lives dangerously in patriarchy.” ~ Cheryl Clarke.

“The pastor makes twenty-four/ references to hell / in the sermon at church and forgets/ to talk / about love." ~ Yrsa Daley-Ward.

“How to dance in blood and remain sane?” ~ Sonia Sanchez.

"you can't make homes out of human beings/ someone should have already told you that / and if he wants to leave/ then let him leave / you are terrifying/ and strange and beautiful/ something not everyone knows how to love." ~ Warsan Shire.

“Thick thighs save lives.” ~ Lizzo.

“Mandy Lee Jones does her vampin’ at night,/ And she never gets home till it's comin' daylight./ Old Uncle Bill came 'bout half-past ten,/ Put the key in the hole, but he couldn't get in.” ~ Clara Smith.

“You judge a woman/ by what she can do for you alone/ but there’s no need/ for slaves to have slaves.” ~ Essex Hemphill.

"I want to say 'Be!' to her but am an ordinary soul./ I watch for the fold under her eye to twitch. / I have many dreams, I say to her./ In my dreams I am better than myself." ~ Ladan Osman.

SIBLINGS Hurricanes, 2005

Arlene learned to dance backwards in heels that were too high. Bret prayed for a shaggy mustache made of mud and hair. Cindy just couldn't keep her windy legs together. Dennis never learned to swim. Emily whispered her gusts into a thousand skins. Franklin, farsighted and anxious, bumbled villages. Gert spat her matronly name against a city's flat face. Harvey hurled a wailing child high. Irene, the baby girl, threw pounding tantrums. José liked the whip sound of slapping. Lee just craved the whip. Maria's thunder skirts flew high when she danced. Nate was mannered and practical. He stormed precisely. Ophelia nibbled weirdly on the tips of depressions. Philippe slept too late, flailing on a wronged ocean. Rita was a vicious flirt. She woke Philippe with rumors. Stan was born business, a gobbler of steel. Tammy crooned country, getting the words all wrong. Vince died before anyone could remember his name. Wilma opened her maw wide, flashing rot.

None of them talked about Katrina. She was their odd sister, the blood dazzler.

~ Patricia Smith

[chaithetics]

i saw sharp stick and it was… awakening 😳😳😳 the plot was kinda not good (it felt like it was trying to be absurdist but not fully committed if you know what i mean, but the performances……..)

and honestly i totally get what you feel, i’m still not over succession that’s kinda why i veered toward a rewatch then exploring something new (it felt safer 😂😂😂)

and the BEAR …. honestly jamie lee curtis was phenomenal, it really triggered my flight of fight instinct, it was eerily accurate and painfully familiar. and yeah Clare is just … a character… that’s the best non mean thing i can say 😅😅😅😅😅.

THE FAMILY CHRISTMAS episode left me unwell , it was so heart wrenching knowing what lied ahead for all the characters (especially Mikey). the fact that it was five years too really just drives home just how much and how long of suffering there was.

I too am a sucker for pain that’s why i’m on the hunt in the Mikey fanfic tags because i need moar!

I AM A NATALIE STAN UNTIL THE DAY I DIE season 2 just made me love Pete more, Natalie really is doing her best to break the cycle.

i’ve heard so many good things about Sharp Objects (i think that’s the one with amy adams, who i love, i think she’s criminally underrated, one of the most versatile actresses ever)

i’m wrapping up Punisher season 1 and wow, i forgot how much of hardcore Kastle stan (frank x karen) i was, their chemistry is actually so crazy and they’ve never even kissed, it’s like ‘in a another life’ type of thing. it was so apparent in season 2 of daredevil but i forgot how much it’s expanded upon in season 1 of punisher and honestly how could i forget. (i’m digging in my ao3 bookmarks for the proof lolllll) i also really love the romance between Elektra and Matt (matt really did Karen dirty it’s okay tho she has frank) it’s also very starcrossed… i also think i’m so romance focused because succession and the bear really gave crumbs and said bon appetite 🤪🤪🤪🤪

anyways i do really love the action sequences, and dialogue it’s very comforting and familiar which is what i need lol

now i’m off too browse Kastle tiktok edits hahahaha

I know what you mean! I think the performances of like the two leads were good but the plot wasn't great. It wasn't the worst film I'd ever seen but it certainly wasn't the best. I also just couldn't get over how kind of unbelievable it felt that the MC (I don't remember her name) was such an innocent Mary Sue I guess? And she had come from a very sex positive and open household but didn't even know what a blow job was etc. I felt like Lena Dunham thought she was saying a lot more than what she really was? Also those last shots with the single pair of hands, it reminded me a little of that scene with Theo from Hill House on Netflix with the hands but that was done so much better and had more meaning. Felt like she just wanted to make an artsy sex comedy but couldn't really commit to it. I don't know what to think about the film honestly.

That makes sense! Rewatches are safe haha!

"Clare is just...a character..." DEAD. But you're not wrong that's it sadly. Yes it was truly painful! You're right, suffering is such a long journey and can be such a buildup it's not an overnight thing. SAME I WILL DEFEND NATALIE FOR LIFE! Yes, Pete is so sweet! I recognised the actor from a show called Love and he seems to do a good job of playing sweet goofy men that are simps. We love a simp here, as a woman I am a simp for women. We should all be simps for women! Yes, Natalie is really doing the best to break the cycle! She's doing that for her family she's starting but also with Carmy as well, she's so supportive with him and we see throughout that she really cared about Mikey and tried her best.

Yes, Sharp Objects is with Amy Adams! Same! I love her so much, she is so underrated and precious! I will admit I've made NO progress on Sharp Objects since my reply mentioning it lol...

I LOVE KAREN SO MUCH! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE GETS SO MUCH HATE FROM THE FANDOM! AND I THINK DEBORAH ANN WOLL DID AN AMAZING JOB PORTRAYING HER! Sorry I just needed to say that! I'm glad that at least most of the fanfic I've read on here writers are kinder to her. They do have great chemistry! I do think she's a great actress and everything I've seen her in she's so talented at having convincing chemistry even if it's subtle. Elektra and Matt makes me sad and anxious. Star-crossed lovers are tragic. Yeah, Succession and The Bear aren't super big in the romance department haha. Makes sense! Comfort is what we need after S4 of Succession and S2 of The Bear. Good luck finding for the Kastle edits!!!!

Thanks for sensing this in Bear Nonnie! Appreciate you! 💗🐻

[thedarkplume]

What's up, my friends???

I promised you all in June that I would be back in August for another massive post. Here I am!

Today is August 13th, better known as the 39th birthday to the man who through his body of work has inspired happiness, sadness, fury, laughter, tears, a little bit of fear, and of course, lust beyond our wildest dreams.

He's been a sergeant turned assassin turned Avenger. He's been a witch and a mad hatter, a doctor and astronaut. He's been an undercover detective and a corrupted sheriff who's pretty nifty with a Pepsi cup. He's been an especially bendy gold medalist and will pretend to be your cousin just to steal your money. He's been a race car driver, a pentagon suit, and a husband who will take out his wife's competition at the knees all the while rocking an awesome pornstache. He's gotten naked and shown us his cheeks, he's even graced the screen with glasses and pouty lips making us forget for a moment that he was spree killer. And very soon, we will get to see him as a world famous rockstar with a to die for sextape. I'm speaking of course of the talented, incomparable Sebastian Stan!!!

You all know how much I try to support every author on this site I come across by either following, liking, or reblogging. These past two years, I have had the privilege of coming across some very memorable stories featuring various forms of Sebastian Stan's many characters. I spent the last two weeks compiling a list of 30 of my absolute favorite stories.

Before we begin, be advised some of these stories are dubious consent, non-con, daddy kink, mommy kink, spitting, squirting, oral m/f receiving, creampie, anal, double penetration, explicit language, and all other manner of kinks I did not realize I enjoyed until joining this fandom.

So let's jump right in!

@shurisneakers ~ Harmless ~ Bucky Barnes

I'm about maybe ten chapters in. It's hard to tell because the story flows so seamlessly. You've got a "villian" that S.H.I.E.L.D. constantly monitors, and lo and behold Bucky is assigned to the mission. This one's such a hidden gem!

@luxeavenger ~ Backstage Pass ~ Rockstar!Bucky Barnes

This is probably the sixth or seventh Rockstar!Bucky story I've read and it's only renewed my love for Sebastian Stan and his Tommy Lee look. I've never, ever fantasized about what it might be like to fall in love with a rockstar, let alone two, but Backstage Pass has me longing for the days when music was still worth wanting to follow the band.

@navegandoaciegas ~ No sweeter innocence than our gentle sin ~ Innocent!Priest Bucky Barnes

Whew! This one is a trip. Usually, in these types of stories, the priest is the predator. In this one, Bucky is the prey. It's everything you didn't realize you wanted in a story.

@jobean12-blog ~ Drawn to Love ~ Bucky Barnes

I love visiting this blog. The writing here reminds me of @donutloverxo in that you get a sense of a sweet, gentle reader almost every time with their partners always being loving and protective. This particular story was written in response to Marvel's What If...? I enjoyed this story so much that I'm not concerned whether I watch the actual show or not. It's that good.

@gotnofucks ~ Their Surrogate ~ Dark!Bucky & Dark!Steve

This one was rough. So well written! In the beginning, despite heeding the warnings, you think Bucky and Steve are these wonderful men just looking to make their family complete by having a child. It's actually so much worse than that! Dibs is amazing and I'm never disappointed or left wanting with her stories. You read Their Surrogate and you'll see why!

@avintagekiss24 ~ Contour ~ Shadow Monster!Bucky

Brittany is one of the most talented, creative writers I have ever had the honor to read from. I never imagined sex with a shadow monster, even if the shadow monster is Bucky. Yet, she makes it happen, and afterwards, once you've calmed down, I guarantee you will actively search the shadows of your bedroom walls wishing it was Bucky looking back at you.

@river-soul ~ A Tender Heart ~ Alpha!Bucky Barnes

A/B/O stories can go either way. A Tender Heart, however, gives you a burgeoning love story between a shy Omega and an Alpha who's very conscious of the people's perception of his former life.

@afriendlyblackhottie ~ Nosey ~ Bucky Barnes

This story is a lot of fun. Essentially, Bucky has a gorgeous girlfriend that he's keeping a secret from the team because those guys are, as the title says nosey as hell.

@mypoisonedvine ~ Liberation ~ 70s!Bucky Barnes

Bucky is a bastard in this, I have to say it. But I love the 1970s setting and the attitudes of the era. In this one, the story is completely from Bucky's POV, and as his agitation rises, you know he's going to do something bad to the "mouthy feminist".

@jaybrogers ~ The Ballad of Ghost Bucky ~ Ghost!Bucky

This one is written in the style of a folktale. It reminds me of those unsettling songs and poems in between the stories written in Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

@foxgloveprincess ~You Just Have To Wait ~ Naga!Bucky & Minotaur!Steve

This one is a follow-up to her monster story, It's A Game of Give and Take. The reader is now in a fully developed relationship with Bucky and Steve. There are a lot of comical mishaps and bad timings before we get to see what it's like to make love with a Naga and Minotaur. Fun fact: I'm not at all fond of snakes, but Bucky as a Naga with a bonus appendage weakens my resolve!

@nellblazer ~ Check Out Anytime You Like ~ Ghost!Bucky Barnes

Bucky is not the central character in this fic, but his tragic backstory and the fragility of his emotions resonated with me in such a way that he's the first person I think of whenever this story comes to mind.

@marvelmaree ~ Reverse ~ Bucky Barnes

I'm all about Bucky getting the love story he deserves after so much suffering. This story not only delivers on that front, but we get to go to Wakanda!!!

@jimblejamblewriting ~ Not Quite a Soldat ~ Bucky Barnes

This is one of the best Bucky centric fics I've ever read. It's set in the beginning of Captain America The Winter Soldier and tells the difference in Bucky's story if only he had one more person in his corner.

@angrythingstarlight ~ Bucky's Goats ~ Bucky Barnes

Star has a plethora of Bucky stories. I chose this classic because it's set in Wakanda and we get to see Bucky's goats. Something that seems to be a distant memory now.

@navybrat817 ~ A Familiar Face ~ Bucky Barnes & The Winter Soldier

You're married to James Buchanan Barnes, what could be better than that? Getting a visit from the Winter Soldier.

@syntheticavenger ~ Right + Click + Save ~ Bucky Barnes

This is one of the more lighthearted fics on Synths page. Bucky is completely tech inept here and it's such a sweet story.

@msruchita ~ The Institute ~ Sebastian Stan / Destroyer!Chris / Dr. Chris Beck / Carter Baizen / Bucky Barnes / Chase Collins / Lance Tucker / Charles Blackwood / Hal Carter

The Institute is written like an amalgamation of all of our fantasies. You end up accepted into a school you don't remember applying for and eight of Sebastian's characters are there serving as your professors and administrators, as well as Sebastian himself.

@dreamlessinparis ~ Informal Affairs ~ Mob!Bucky Barnes

Mob!Bucky is one the best Bucky character arcs. Coupling this with a tale of redemption and love preserving, Informal Affairs is a refreshing change from the usual mob boss stories.

@littlelioncub43 ~ Forts and Sweet Boys ~ College!Justin Capshaw

Lately, there has been a surge of Justin Capshaw stories and drabbles. Sebastian appeared on a episode of Law & Order titled 'Shelter' in 2003, as Justin Capshaw who was a 15-year-old sniper with a heartbreaking backstory. This single episode attests to the versatility of Sebastian's acting range. Forts and Sweet Boys is a delicious and heartfelt glimpse into the world of Mommy Kinks.

@constantwriter85 ~ Seasons of Love ~ Bucky Barnes

This story deals with Bucky suffering from PTSD. He acquires the cutest service dog and like something out of 101 Dalmatians, ends up meeting the love of his life by means of mistaken doggy identity. This is a must read.

@lotusss-flowerbomb ~ Nice To Meet You ~ Bucky Barnes

One of her newer stories, Nice To Meet You takes place during The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. Rather it being only Sam and Sarah, they have another sister who is not afraid to call Bucky out on starting shit with Sam for handing over The Shield. With so many people having an adverse reaction to Bucky being romantically linked to Sarah Wilson because she's a black woman, this story is not only a middle finger to the face of racists, but it's a wonderful what if to the actual What If.

@sagechanoafterdark ~ All Good Things ~ Bucky Barnes

I love ghost stories and tales of the paranormal, but I'm not sure if I could be as calm as the reader in this story when she realize Bucky's ghost is in her apartment. But I finished this series in under two hours because of how good it is. And like in any instance when the paranormal is involved, nothing is ever as it appears to be.

@sweetlyscared ~ You Found Me ~ Bucky Barnes

Soulmate fics are always either really sweet or really tragic. You Found Me combines both. If you didn't already hate Hydra before (of course you do, what's wrong with you?) you definitely will when you read You Found Me.

@slothspaghettiwrites ~ Give me a hand to hold and skin to taste ~ Demon!Lee Bodecker

Who of us has not felt the bitter sting of loneliness? The solution? Summon a crossroads demon! This story is one my go to rereads.

@giorno-plays-piano ~ Orc!Bucky Imagine ~ Orc!Bucky

I usually don't list headcannons because I end up finding something a bit longer to reference, but this one was more of a story formatted like a headcannon. The story itself was a take on the vicious battles waged between humans and orcs. Bucky takes captive the daughter of the humans who slew his parents and cut off his arm. This story would make a killer novella.

@sinner-as-saint ~ Cherry ~ Mob!Sebastian

Some of the greatest Bucky Barnes stories I have read in the past come from @sinner-as-saint particularly the Mafia stories. Cherry is a Mob series that almost immediately gained its popularity through Seb's ruthlessness in his business and softness with his girl. This was my first foray in the Mob world and I've been hooked ever since.

@boxofbonesfic ~ Daylight Robbery ~ Thief!Bucky

Just seeing Thief!Bucky is enough to make you want to read this story. Seeing Bucky actually break into someone's apartment and then get taken down by a cast iron skillet! 😂 For a former assassin he really lacks in paying attention to apartment numbers. If you missed Daylight Robbery, I strongly encourage you to read it. You won't regret it!

@moonbeambucky ~ Friday Night Fights ~ Wrestler!Bucky Barnes

I can't think of a better concept than combining one of the world's greatest loves (wrestling) with the greatest characters ever created (the avengers). This is such a fresh and innovative concept. I reread Friday Night Fights as often as I can. It brings back memories of being a kid and waiting for Smackdown every Thursday night.

@buckycuddlebuddy ~ Peaches series ~ Dadsbestfriend!Bucky Barnes

Usually, Dad's Best Friend stories are about as iffy for me as Stepdad stories, but this one is just too good to pass up. The smut, the emotions, even the concern over her parents finding out, all come together to make this a uniquely enthralling story.

So, thank you all for stopping by to help celebrate the man who has continued to entertain us for nearly twenty years and still going strong.

Happy Birthday, Sebastian!!! We love you!!

As always, let's close by enjoying some lovely edits by the talented @nix-akimbo

[1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt]

That Time Our Family of Trek Went to Chicago Comic Con

My family and I went to a Captain's Panel with Bill Shatner, Avery Brooks, and Scott Bakula for the Chicago Comic Con back in 2012.

TOS and DS9 are my all-time faves and I adore Bakula, so I was over the moon. All three were wonderful in their own right and bounced off of each other during the panel.

Here is the link to the panel we attended (mine was the last question that closed the panel, and my own voice embarrasses me.🤣 If nobody filmed this, I still might not believe that I've spoken to the captain's. But the Meet and Greet we got after this panel was *chef's kiss*).

My siblings and I snuck up after the panel ended when the room cleared and quickly snapped a shot sitting at the captain's table (above). Mind you, these are three women in their 30's absolutely giggling like maniacs and rushing out of there before we got caught like we were in A Hard Day's Night.

I was practically vibrating through the walls with excitement bc I am a small town girl and here I was at my first Comic Con in Chicago with my siblings; my family saved up for that one! It was like Sci-Fi Christmas.

My family and I had a meet and greet with Shatner (my OG captain) and he signed my art. He took my painting, looked it over and said "Wow . . . did I really ever look this good?" To which I said: "Sir to be frank, it doesn't do you justice." We all started cackling at that and my sisters still don't let it down.

"YOU HAD TO FLIRT WIH CAPTAIN KIRK YOU MANIAC."

"You boldly went there."

He even offered to sign a photo because: "Are you sure? I don't want to ruin your lovely painting!" I was FLOATING. ヾ(*’Ｏ’*)/

I still can't believe this is in my home. Bill Shatner signed my Kirk art. I'M DEAD JIM. Be cool be cool -

- When Shatner found out we were Canadian, he absolutely lit up. He started chatting with us about where we hail from.

- Turns out he's been to my tiny little hometown to which I said: "I'm very sorry to hear that, sir." He genuinely bark laughed so loud at that because I think it took him off guard.

- I was painted head-to-toe in cosplay as an Orion (below) that day when we met, so my family and I were shocked the next day when myself and my siblings turned up out of costume to get a photo with Shatner and he recognized us. He had a huge smile and said: "Hey, it's my Canadian girls!"

Other notable moments from the Con:

- On photo day a steady rotation of Spidermen asked to get photos with me. My family and I were so confused. Turns out they thought I was cosplaying as Mary Jane Watson. LOL . . . I wasn't. But my head was positively gigantic that anyone mistook me for Mary Jane Watson. Another childhood dream fulfilled, because Mary Jane was my ultimate crush in the Spidey comics. I will feed on that ego boost until I die.

- Saw poor Kevin Sorbo getting an unwanted shoulder rub from a way too enthusiastic fan. They snapped a photo, and the look on his face was equal parts strained fake smile and "I need an adult". Not a fan of Sorbo personally but still, y'know . . . stranger danger. Poor guy.

- Lou Ferrigno was playing a Pac Man arcade booth in his down time and that is one of the very few photos I took that day when I remembered to bc I was wandering around smiling like an idiot.

- Met someone who was HEAD TO TOE dressed in hyper realistic, swinging tail, eggplant headed black gleaming alien cosplay. I asked to get a pic and told them I was losing my mind over how amazing the costume was. This tiny, high pitched feminine voice from inside this monster said: "Oh, thank you so much!" It was so sweet and endearing juxtaposed against the monster and so unexpected that the photo ended up being us falling around the walls laughing together.

- SEEING STAN LEE. MY GOD. I almost hit the floor. So much of my childhood was spent reading his ideas. My legs shook and I was just seeing him from afar. My sister's husband met him and said: "It's so good to see you, sir!" To which Stan quipped: "It's so good to be seen!" I still laugh about that randomly.

Sorry I'm rambling so much, but clearly that day meant a great deal to me. My family used to scrimp every cent we had growing up and never went on trips together due to budget constraints, so saving for this was a huge deal for us. I made a point of really slowing down, taking my time, and enjoying the moment while I was there. Barely took a single photo because I just wanted to experience it all.

I know people talk a lot of trash about the Shat, and he really is a wild card. He definitely is a unique human being with a very rocky relationship with fans and Trek at times. You really never know what the man will say next, and half the time I'm scared to find out. LOL But that was such a lovely and genuine interaction my family and I had with him, I felt it was worth throwing that positive experience out there into the world. :)

My mother is an OG fan from the 60's, and we used to always watch TOS with her growing up after school. I have such fond memories of it, and it genuinely meant a lot to us get to meet our captain.🖖💚

[xyloophones]

Hey Cher, seen you posting abt dimension 20 a bit, and yeah I could Google it but it looks very cool and I'd rather hear it from you if it's that cool 💜

helloooo my beloved pal <333 yes yes lemme talk about dimension 20 !!

dimension 20 is an actual play dnd show (theres also an audio only version if you prefer podcasts !) !! there are several campaigns, some with wildly different settings & different players, most of them DM'd by brennan lee mulligan who is an INCREDIBLE storyteller. d20 has a diverse cast & really memorable characters and i've kind of passively watched for a while but i recently finished watching one of their campaigns and Fell In Love

i'm just gonna list the campaigns ive seen so far in order of my favorites:

fantasy high. 6 teens go to a high school that like. specializes in adventuring parties, found family and shenanigans ensue. everyone is gay and neurodivergent. i'm very attached to the characters and their dynamics with each other AND the npcs <33 season one is on youtube for free, however season 2 is my favorite bc it contains probably my fav dnd npc to ever exist (i am an ayda aguefort stan until i DIE). i'm making my way through The Seven right now, which is a spin-off of another adventuring party that are friends with the original 6 in seasons 1 & 2.

a starstruck odyssey. fun campy space romp feat. more found family. this one is has the same players and dm as fantasy high! it has a sci-fi spacey setting and the party is the crew of a spaceship that looks like a giant hotdog. the fights in this one are absolutely wild.

the unsleeping city. an urban magic setting in new york city! another one with the main player cast and dm and once again the party dynamics and character relationships are just !!! so good !!! you will cry over a rat man !!!!! i think these two seasons definitely made me the most emotional. i aspire to get to this level of world building in my own writing.

a court of fey & flowers. ok this one is still ongoing but !!!!!! the only reason it's not number one on this list is because it's not done yet but hsajkf holy shit it's so good?? it's dm'd by aabria iyengar and it's basically using dnd in a regency fey setting to play around with high society gossip and court expectations and AAAAA i have never been so invested in wanting someone to roll well when sending shady letters to other members in the court. it's so good.

there are a ton more campaigns + one shots but i'm still making my way through them! unfortunately, most of it is only available with a dropout subscription so i'd recommend watching the first season of fantasy high on youtube to see if you like it before diving in!

if anyone else has any questions about dimension 20 feel free to send me an ask!! i could probably talk for hours about my favorite characters and details but i'll leave it here <33

real quick edit: if anyone needs trigger/content warnings for things please send me an ask !! every episode has content warnings in the description, but some campaigns in general have darker themes so let me know if you need warnings !)

[springday-aus]

Hockey Player!AU with Mark

moodboard link

Group: NCT

Member: Mark Lee 

Genre: fluff, romance 

Additionally: college!au

Type: Bulletpoint AU

Word Count: approx. 2.3k 

→ Inspired by NCT U’s 90s Love! 

I’m gonna be completely honest: I don’t know shit about hockey so apologizes in advance

Mark is a left-winger for the team

he plays for his university’s team and they’re actually pretty good

within the three-ish years that he’s been on the team, they’ve won a couple of championships

it’s not really hard considering that Mark takes everything too seriously

(at least that’s what Donghyuk says during practice all the time)

Johnny somewhere: “okay Mark”

Yuta: “let’s not overreact Mark”

Taeyong: “leave my son alone”

Mark: “I’m a grown adult…”

Taeyong: “shhh”

since he used to play for his team back in hometown, he naturally joined the university’s team

he was a natural and everyone easily took a liking to him

especially since now they have someone to make fun of constantly

by they, I literally mean just Donghyuk

I’m just kidding—it’s all in good fun because it just shows how close they are

Mark is just that one college kid that’s still cute even when he’s not a freshman anymore

the other team members still treat him like the youngest even though YangYang and Sungchan are like

👁👄👁 hello ?

speaking of which, their teamwork is incredible and it shows through their games

and, on the rare occasions that they don’t win, they still have dinner together afterwards

well, it’s less of dinner and more of drinks and strategizing what went wrong—which are kind of depressing but it’s fine

at least that’s what Sicheng says as captain, but it sounds like denial

anyways, even though Ten is the co-captain, they all work to make their play plan together

they all contribute ideas, especially since they’ve been in the positions they’ve been in for, like, ever

anyways

again, Mark is like really good

so you know he got that bombass scholarship

and that’s what really pushes him to do well bc let’s be real, college is e x p e n s i v e

he also likes ice skating in general because the cold reminds him of home

so he’s one of those hockey players that also likes figures skaters and it’s funny because he gets so many weird looks from the others

(altho, Jeno goes with him sometimes bc he’s nice)

back to what I was saying tho: Mark is really good

despite his personality, he’s a bit more aggressive on the ice—considering he’s a forward

Donghyuk, the right-winger: he makes sense

there’s the passive aggressive-ness

Mark? who knew he had some strength to him when it’s actually applied

seriously, have you seen his thighs?

speaking of which, the team serves a lot of looks

which means a lot of speculators that show up to the games

which means lots of fans

people typically come for the looks, but then stay for the games bc the team is very underrated

they actually win games and everything but like

advertising for the team? nonexistent

@stupid college funding distributions that focus on mediocre sports like football

so, where do you fall into the mix? you’re an og stan

you’ve been in the stands since you entered university

it didn’t even have anything to do with the members (altho, it is nice to have some eye-candy)

you just……… like hockey

even if you don’t understand much about it

it’s just… interesting to watch

so, whenever the season rolls around, you go to the games

but to say over the years that you didn’t develop a particular attachment to our boy Mark…… is an absolute lie

so, do you have a crush on Mark?

yes

but also like

who doesn’t have a crush on Mark

this man is literally so talented and nice and adorable and he just makes you want to take care of him all the time and ugh

one of your friends went to a game with you and literally was just like “oh he’s cute”

You: “we know”

he’s def one of those guys who everyone has or has had a crush on at some point

and you are no different

the thing is that you are fine with not ever confessing because you’re happy with just being on the sidelines because you’ve. literally. just been on the sidelines…

the idea of confessing feels ridiculous bc realistically, what would you mean to some guy that literally e v e r y person has a crush on?

the thing is though is that Mark knows you

at least, he knows of your presence

if he didn’t, it would be embarrassing considering that you come to every game - he’s got loyalty unless some people

Ten: “who?”

Mark: “dude”

Donghyuk: “is this another one of your imaginary friends?”

Mark: “I TOLD YOU THAT IN CONFIDENCE”

jkjk , they all kind of know you, considering you’re one of the more consistent faces since they’ve been playing in these games (primarily the home ones bc free tickets for students but still)

you also don’t paint your face or anything—you just show up in your university sweatshirt with a couple of those foam light up sticks or something

again, not that wild like signs with his face or anything

you’re just…. a spectator

but yeah, Mark knows of you as a loyal fan ?

who also is kind of cute when you’re cheering for them

I want to emphasize that you have gone to, like, nearly every game, but the main ones you’ve *always* have gone to are the home games bc they’re more convenient

or the final games bc hello

they’re the finals, why the fuck would you miss the finals

I emphasize this because, when you’ve suddenly gone down with the flu, you literally cannot make it to the finals championship game

you thought: no one was gonna notice your absence anyways

haha, you thought

anyways

your friends figured you were sick from the beginning and were like, my friend, it’s flu season, stay away from me and pls stay at home

(wash your hands kids, it’s still covid season)

so you didn’t go and stayed in and binged watched iCarly or something

meanwhile, during the game, Mark was like

where... where are you???

so homeboy is highkey distracted and lowkey worried bc did you die???

(you were dying bc of your clogged nostrils, but otherwise, no)

they somehow managed to win by a couple of points so it was kind of fine

but the teasing was increased by all of Mark’s friends

i.e. Johnny, Donghyuk, Jaehyun, and everyone else

come on, it’s so easy to make fun of him

but like he doesn’t care about any of it bc he was worried about you

which got him thinking

why is he worried about someone whose name he doesn’t even know? is there something more? why is there something more? he literally doesn’t know you? except that you come to the games and you’re really cute cheering him on? what is this?

you know, ✨just Mark things✨

this bothered him for quite a bit more than he liked to admit

and it’s about a couple of days later

things are normal and you don’t feel like everything is dripping out of your nose

until you’re walking through campus from your class

and there’s some footsteps running from behind you that makes you coil up into a semi-standing ball bc you thought a bunch of frat boys were just excited or some shit

but then the footsteps stop at you and you’re standing there, wide-eyed

in front of an out of breath Mark

he was walking out of his class with Jaemin and he spotted you from across the quad

and immediately ran to you

Jaemin: I was talking but okay

this isn’t about you Jaemin

anyways

Mark is in front of you, panting and you’re just like sir?

You: “how are you out of breath? aren’t you an athlete?”

Mark: “oh my God, you’re just like Donghyuk”

you give him a bit of time (and some water bc he seemed like he needed it)

and once he’s caught his breath, he stands up and blurts it out

Mark: “what happened to you during the championship?”

You: “....................... what?”

seeing you blink at him confused, he can feel his ears reddening when he’s realized the situation he’s put himself into

Mark: “um, I just”

Mark: “I noticed that you weren’t at the game”

You: still confused bc how does he know about you

You: “huh?”

Mark: oh my God this is the wrong person, want to die

Mark: “you know what, I have the wrong person, I’m just gonna bounce I am so sorry—”

he starts backing up, but you aren’t letting him escape

You: “whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa, hold up hold up”

You: “I didn’t even know that you knew that I knew you”

You: “wait, did you run here just to ask me that?”

Mark is full on flushed at this point bc of all the questions and realizations and it’s all crashing down on him all too soon

and now you have this mischievous look in your eyes that remind him of Ten when he’s clowning Doyoung and he feels like he’s made a mistake

a good mistake but still a mistake

You: “is it?”

Mark: “well, you like, show up to all of our games and you didn’t go to the finals so I didn’t know if anything happened”

You: “oh, I got sick and I figured I shouldn’t be going into giant crowds while having my insides die internally”

You: “but, I did hear from my friends, congrats btw”

Mark: “thanks”

Mark: “are you feeling better tho?”

You: “yeah, but like, my throat is still kind of shitty”

Mark: “oh, if you want, I have a couple of friends who might be able to cook something up for your throat”

Mark: “I’d offer to make something, but Kun doesn’t let me in the kitchen anymore after finding out about the egg incident”

You: “the egg incident?”

Mark: “I can’t cook, like. at all.”

You: “I think I’m good, I was just gonna go get some tea to make it less scratchy or something”

Mark: “I can walk you?”

You: “sure”

so you two go to a cafe or something for you to get some warm tea and you two end up talking and you get to know each other a bit

and then you end up trading numbers and you make some time together

since Mark doesn’t have to go to practice until the next season, his time has opened up considerably

sometimes you study together

other times, you go check out some other places nearby campus

(eventually, you did get to try Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Kun’s food, to which there was no turning back at that point bc they make the best kind of food—free)

you’re basically dating at this point and his friends know you as his significant other so

Chenle: “is (Y/N) gonna be here?”

Mark: “no? it’s our movie night”

Donghyuk: “aren’t you dating tho?”

Mark: “what”

he told you he took it casually and cool, but considering how red his ears were getting when he told you………………. cute

Mark: “c-can you believe they thought we were dating?”

You: “is that not what we’re doing?”

Mark: “what?”

you both established your relationship after that and Mark got a lot more shy and it’s super adorable bc it makes you wanna take care of him and ugh

he’s precious okay

also cut to him trying to ask the other guys for advice, but then he gets embarrassed as Johnny and Ten tries to educate him about love

or how Lucas gives him cheesy lines to use on you

these boys are having a field day and Xiaojun and Doyoung have never felt more at peace

anyways

def the nervous type that he can’t even hold your hand and keeps asking if it’s okay

so you’re the top of this relationship bc he’s a shy lil boy

after a bit tho, he gets more comfortable and it’s great

he’ll get teased often right? when it happens in front of you, he just runs to you with a whine of your name and buries his face into your neck

and you end up yelling at someone

it’s cute tho

bc they def see you both as an adorable couple

when the hockey season starts rolling around again, you def spend more time at the practices—whether you’re there to watch, do your homework, or just help motivate him to play better

you started dressing up more too, especially since he gave you his jersey so you started wearing them to the games (and also face paint bc Jungwoo had some extra for an unknown reason)

and you make Mark Lee signs and it’s super cute

Sicheng also invites you to the afterparty dinners bc why not

also, remember that thing I said about watching figure skaters?

you two watch the Olympics for that and it’s like tradition now for you two to settle in front of the tv with snacks and watch them skate

so, since he’s an athlete, he has to be careful with his body bc then like scholarship will go poof

that means some of your dates might be physically limited

like he’ll go mini-golfing with you, but he can’t go to like self-defense classes with you

he’ll go to support you but if his foot gets busted, his coach and the rest of the team will be on his ass and he feels a bit bad about it but like you understand

considering that you absolutely refuse to get on the ice bc hockey is hard people

speaking of hockey, you told Mark he’s hot when he plays and he was FLUSHED

bc like the look in his eyes and the way he carries himself…. reminds you of when you’re doing some more………...steamy activities

anyways, stan Mark Lee

he’s a sweetheart who works so hard and you’re there to provide him with lots of love

[roseverdict]

quick i'm off work post gf x wh13 snippet that wouldn't leave me be

i was rereading lost legends and saw that fortune teller machine at the penny arcade and my brain immediately drew a connection to that one "predicts your death (but is really just psyching you out)" fortune teller machine from wh13

disclaimer: i haven't watched an ep of wh in months and i don't really write poetry often skdnskdjskdjskx

〜

"I've always wondered what this guy would say." Lee mused, leaning on the front of the cabinet and staring at the mechanical fortune teller.

"Well, lucky for us, we get to find out!" Ford declared, brandishing the nickels they'd found on the beach.

Lee grinned. "You wanna go first?"

"Eh, why not?"

Ford approached the machine and slid the nickel into the slot.

The animatronic creaked to life. "What answers do you seek?"

Lee watched as Ford thought for a moment, then nodded to himself. "Will we ever find a place for freaks like me?"

Okay. Ford went right for the big one, didn't he?

The animatronic inside the cabinet gestured down at the slot where a ticket would come out, and right on cue, a slip of paper dropped to the ground.

Ford picked it up and read it, then beamed, turning it around to show his brother. "Lee, look!"

Lee squinted at the letters on the ticket until they got a little less fuzzy and read it aloud. "To find the place for those called freaks, head West for the answers you seek? That's both creepy-specific and super-vague!"

"C'mon, now you try!" Ford exclaimed.

Lee rolled his eyes and swiped the remaining nickel. "Alright, but only because I've got a doozy."

In went the coin.

On came the machine.

Lee breathed in.

"When am I gonna die?"

For a moment, nothing happened.

Lee began to turn around, ready to make a sarcastic quip at the machine's expense-

-when the animatronic burst into blue flames.

Lee's snarky remark turned into a squeak as he backpedalled away from the smoking machine. "I didn't do it!"

Five tickets shot out of the ticket slot, slamming into Lee's chest with as much force as such tiny pieces of paper could, and he scrambled to grab onto them out of reflex.

The machine raised an accusing finger at the boys before creaking to a stop, and as the lights dimmed, the blue fire became a much more mundane orange.

(Neither of them noticed how the pointing finger was mostly directed at Ford.)

Lee and Ford shared a terrified glance.

"We should go!" Lee said.

"Agreed!"

They booked it away from the arcade and past a pair of fancily-dressed strangers, running down the boardwalk and making a beeline for the Stan O' War. They ran and ran and ran until they finally hurled themselves into the old boat, heaving for air.

Only once they had caught their breath did Lee look at the tickets he'd gotten, and the blood drained from his face as he read.

Emotionally, when the future goes up in smoke.

Legally, when convenience outweighs any hope.

Mentally, when the world's on the cusp of its end.

But you'll live, 'til there's nothing left for you but fam'ly and friends.

You'll rise like the Phoenix, again and again, fire on your wings and wreathed all in flame, but each time you rise will take more from the ashes, 'till naught is reborn save for stories in passing.

Ford peeked over Lee's shoulder and gasped. "Ma's prophecies are never that ominous!"

Lee couldn't help a snort at that. "Ma's prophecies are always on the phone. She can't get super-spooky if she can't see the dude's face."

Ford seemed to brighten at Lee's half-laugh. "The machine was probably just busted if it went up in flames like that. And rhyming 'ashes' with 'passing'? I betcha that thing's just full of it."

"Yeah, you're right." Lee conceded.

Someone knocked on the hull, and a kindly-seeming lady peered into the wreck. "Excuse me, but were you two the boys who passed us at the penny arcade?"

Lee hurriedly stuffed his tickets into his pockets and curled up defensively. "What of it?"

"Stanley!" Ford hissed.

"Oh, no, no, it's quite alright." The lady insisted, holding her hands up in a show of peace. "My associates and I were simply investigating rumors of something amiss in the arcade when you ran by, and I figured it'd be prudent to see if you knew anything."

Lee and Ford shared a glance.

If the lady had found them in the Stan O' War, then she could probably find them if they went home, and if she did that, and if Pa found out they'd been near the penny arcade when one of the machines broke…

"What d'you wanna know?" Lee muttered.

"Well, the fortune teller machine seemed somewhat out of sorts when we saw it." The lady explained. "Was it acting strangely while you boys were there?"

Neither of them answered for a moment, but then Ford scooted past Lee, snatching Lee's tickets from his pocket ("Wh-Sixer!") and holding them up for the lady to see. "Lee and me were asking it questions, and when Lee asked when he was gonna die, it lit on fire and spat out these."

The lady read the tickets in a blink, and for a moment, Lee almost could've sworn she'd been overwhelmed with the same horror he'd felt.

Then the moment passed, and as serene as ever, the lady nodded to herself. "Yes, that does seem to me like proof that it was already broken before you got there. Neither of you got burnt, did you?"

Lee shook his head mutely, as did Ford.

"That's good." The lady nodded again. "Would it be alright if my associates and I studied these further? Perhaps we could figure out what made the fortune teller light on fire."

Ford glanced back at Lee, but Lee simply nodded. "Yeah. We don't want the penny arcade to burn down. That's one of the best places on the boardwalk!"

The lady smiled and carefully took the tickets from Ford with gloved hands, only to pause as his extra fingers came into view.

Ford blushed and shoved his hands behind his back, and Lee grit his teeth. If she said so much as a word-!

"My, what fascinating hands you have." The lady said with a soft smile. "It's a shame the world is so cruel as to make you hide them."

Ford looked completely dumbstruck, so Lee took it upon himself to nick Ford's ticket and hand it to the lady. "Before I asked my question, Sixer asked where folks like him would fit in, and the machine gave him this."

"Freaks." Ford mumbled. "Freaks like me."

"Do I gotta get in your head and beat somebody up?" Lee asked, turning to him. "'Cuz I will. Nobody's allowed to talk 'boutcha like that, not even you."

"Yeah, well, uh, nobody's allowed to tell you you're gonna die a buncha times!" Ford countered.

"Oh yeah?" Lee smirked.

That was the only warning he gave before launching an all-out tickle war.

By the time either of them realized the lady had left, she was already long-gone.

〜

"Ah, Mrs. Frederic. Will you ever stop doing that?"

Mrs. Frederic smirked. "You ought to know me better than that by now."

"Well, how did that lead of yours pan out?"

She felt the six little tickets in her pocket and glanced over at the beach, where two little boys were wrestling playfully in the sand, completely unaware of the turmoil their futures held.

"I'd say it panned out marvelously."

〜

Emotionally, when the future goes up in smoke.

"Oh, no, no, what'd I do?"

"STANFORD, COME BACK! I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"

Legally, when convenience outweighs any hope.

"Sorry, Stanford…but folks ain't gonna buy the truth, and given the choice…well, they wouldn't choose me. 'Stanley' has to go. Permanently."

Mentally, when the world's on the cusp of its end.

"Do a pretty good impression of my brother, don't I?"

But you'll live, 'til there's nothing left for you but fam'ly and friends.

"I said, get Waddles offa me!"

You'll rise like the Phoenix, again and again, fire on your wings and wreathed all in flame, but each time you rise will take more from the ashes, 'till naught is reborn save for stories in passing.

"Are you…asking me to sail around the world with you on the adventure of a lifetime?"

[winterscaptain]

definitely not self projecting here but- hotch and reader who has depression and is having a really bad mental health day and calls off work sick and he comes round to look after them and only realised it’s their depression and not like, a cold, once he gets there,, we stan a protective, comforting hotch 😌

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader

oh this is so valid those mental health days are necessary!! we love a loving and understanding man in this house

words: 428 warnings: depression symptoms, some much-needed TLC

masterlist | requests open!

+++

It was just not going to happen today. You knew it the second you woke up - the fogginess in your head, inability to keep track of what you were doing - it would be irresponsible to subject your coworkers to this. 

You texted Hotch. Was sick all night, still feeling horrible. Won’t make it in today. I’ll keep you posted. 

He replied a few minutes later. No problem. Cases are light and I’ll pass your consults to Derek until tomorrow. Need anything?

No, thank you. I’ll be just fine. 

The rest of the day passed in a blur. You microwaved...something for lunch, probably. Most of the day was spent on the couch. When you looked up again, it was dark, and you were startled by a knock on the door. 

You answered it without thinking, and Hotch stood on the other side, still in his suit. One side of his mouth lifted when he saw you, and you could only stare at him. 

How am I going to explain my way out of this one? 

There wasn’t a tissue or bottle of cough syrup, or anything that could suggest a day of illness in the whole of your apartment. 

“Feeling any better?” 

You nodded, and let him in, closing the door behind you. He looked around for a moment, his brow furrowing 

There was none of the frustration you expected, none of the annoyance or disappointment. He just looked at you, a curious kind of look in his eyes. “Are you alright, Y/N?”

Tears sprung into your eyes, uninvited. “I had a really bad day.” 

Aaron sighed and crossed to you, giving you a surprisingly warm hug. “I’m glad you took the time to rest and recover.” He pulled away, skimming his hands up and down your shoulders. “Have you eaten enough today?”

“I don’t know,” you said. “I don’t really have -” 

He shook his head. “Give me an hour, alright?”

Your mouth quirked up into a smile. “Alright.” 

You took the hour to brush your teeth and get into comfortable clothes that were a little more acceptable for company. An hour later (on the dot), he was back with dinner from your favorite spot in Georgetown, with Jack in tow. 

Jack picked the movie and gleefully turned all the lights off as you dug into dinner. In the dark, Aaron reached for your hand. You took it and looked over at him, finding a small smile on his face. 

+++

tagging: @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @agenthotchner @wandaswitxh @hurricanejjareau @fics-ilike @ange-must-die @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts @dr-reid-ismyspiritanimal @shrimpyblog @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @saintd0lce @good-heavens-chris-evans @davidrossi-ismydad @angelsbabey @gublergirls @writefasttalkevenfaster @venusbarnes @vintagecaptainspidey @micaiahmoonheart @ogmilkis @thatreallyis-americas-ass @marvels-agents100 @newtslatte @risenfox @mrs-dr-reid @captain-christopher-pike @joemazzello-imagines @pinkdiamond1016 @sebbybaby0 @lilsiswinchester @pan-pride-12 @hotchlinebling @lee-rin-ah @sunshine-em @word-scribbless @jdougl-love @sageellsworth05 @emmice9 @nohalohoseok @giveusbackourbucky @writerxinthedark @mrshotchnerrossimulder21 @bauslut @yourlovelynewsbian @sparklingkeylimepie @aili28 @kingandrear @reader4027 @spnobsessedmemes @rogers-mouth @dreila03 @forgottenword @aaronhotchnerr @ssa-morgan @hotchnersgoddess @buckybau @phoenixfyre374 @sana-li @tegggeeee @abschaffer2 @ssacandi-ass-prentiss @thatinspiredgirl @songbird400 @dontkissthewriter @ellyhotchner @a-dorky-book-keeper @lotties-journey-abroad @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @laneygthememequeen @ahopelessromantic

if you’ve been in my notes often, i added you :) lmk if you want to be taken off - you wont hurt my feelings xo

[starrysunghoon]

If I-LAND (ot9) did a Vlive completely in English :

Okay so lowkey the most CHAOTIC Vlive ever streamed on Vlive lmao

They got to do it as a mission, whoever speaks Korean in the Vlive gets hit on the head with “that" hammer (y'all know what I mean)

Sunoo didn't even realize they were live until Sunghoon told him

Everyone then tries their best to fit in the frame not that chaotically but

IT wAs cHaOtIC

“jAy hYunG uhhhh sTaRteU plEaSeu" - Jungwon babie trying his best

“Huh? Me?" *in Korean* Jayfused

Sunghoon hits Jay with the hammer

Jay shouted “Ahh mowy- I meant why me?!?"

*Gets hit again by hoonie* poor Jay

*SUNOO SHOOKETH*

Everyone be laughing their ass off

“Okayyyyyyy, should I start the individual introduction hyung?" Daniel offers

*Everyone starts to copy him*

But Jungwon hits Daniel with the hammer “yOu sAiD hYuNg"

K hits Jungwon with the hammer. “You said Hyung too hehe"

“But wait- like you said that too!" Jake said, laughing

*JUNGWON EVIL MODE ACTIVATED*

K get hit

This dumbassery continues lmao

“Let's introduce ourselves individually, Daniel can st-" Jay gets cut off by everyone Fanboying over his English

“yOu'Re eNgLisH iS sO gOoD" Sunoo be fanboying the most hehe

“Who am I? It's me Daniel. Hi guys I'm Daniel"

*INSERT MORE FANBOYING SOUNDS*

“HeLlo mY nAmE iS KIM sUnoO"

*CHEERING SOUND INTENSIFIES*

“Uhhh hello, my name is Lee Heesung-

“Your English is good Heesung" Jake compliments

Sunghoon awkwardly laughs and gives that “You're not sleeping with me tonight" look to Jake lol

“I'm Niki" *in tiny*

“Jungwon you're next"

“hEllo mY nAmE iS-

“Hi everyone, name is Sunghoon"

*Jungwon OFFENDED*

*points the hammer at Sunghoon*

“YaNg jUngWoN"

“Hello, I'm K. The oldest"

*Jay fell in love at that moment lmao*

“I'm Jake, your Aussie boy"

*FanBoyInG inTenSifIes*

Meanwhile Jake cringing hard in his introduction

“Hi guys, my name is Jay. Thank you so much for all the support and love that you all gave given us"

“OuR tOdAy'S taSkeu"

“Oh yes, so today we'll be basically just talking in English, like just replying to your guy's questions" Jake explained

*AhHhhhHhhHhH intensifies*

“Hahaha, someone asked Heesung will you marry me" Daniel be laughing like there's no tomorrow, same goes for everyone except Heesung

“MOVING ON" Jay shouts, the boys still teasing Heesung

“Cat or dog? Someone asked" K said, showing Jay the tablet.

“Too hard" Daniel pouted

*Niki be ready to attack any cat that comes lmao Iove him sm*

“Who is secretly the cutest?"

“JAYYYYYYYY" Jungwon being loud

“No, I'm not cute" Jay complains

“hE iS vEwY biG liAr" Sunoo smiles

“To be honest, I think Sunghoon" Jake said making Sunghoon maLfuNctioN

“Which trainee would you switch lives with for a day?"

“K, because he's ta- Jake gets cut off

“Are you admitting your SMOL?" Jay laughed, followed by Daniel while the other's minds were still trying to translate it

Jay earned a hit from the hammer for that hehe

“I want to be Sunoo, do aegyo without cringing" K admitted.

*Proud Sunoo mode activated*

“Jay, he's so cool and like his confidence is just WOW" Daniel said, Jay be smiling in the back

Jayniel uwu

“Sunghoon, I want to be-"

“He means he wants to be handsome, NEXT"

“Sunoo you're my sunshine, I love you"

“I LobE yOu tOo" Sunoo throws finger hearts then, smiling

“Sunghoon be my boyfriend for 5 seconds"

*LAUGHTER INTENSIFIES*

Sunghoon be like “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 okay bye"

“Jungwon why are you so handsome?"

“I dOn'T KNoW soWwy"

*More LAUGHTER*

“Niki aishite imasu" (it means I love you in Japanese for y'all who don't know)

*Flustered Niki activated*

They keep answering questions for like 4 hours straight lmao

“It's been four hours since we started this Vlive" Jake said making everyone go

⊙︿⊙

“Time passed quickly, well I'll see you once I debut so bye. I love you bluejays" then he just walks out of the frame Luke nothing happened (we STAN)

“JaKeu pLeasE eNdeU"

“Okay guys, we'll see you once we debut. We hope that you'll support us forev-" *Niki yawns*

Jake be like “CAN YOU NOT!?!?

“As I was saying, we hope that you'll support us and love us forever until we die. It's time to end this live now, byeee"

Then everyone runs out of the frame chaotically leaving Heesung alone.

Heesung then realized he has the only half braincell among the others (TRUE)

[plasticflowering]

ONEUS Fancall Writeup

In summary: aldjalskdjdkfjkdj I should have thought of more to say, but it was enough just to meet them and they were so kind and amazing, 10/10 group, will stan forever as long as they behave themselves, which I trust they will.

(sorry for potato quality on the gifs. That’s the unfortunate reality of Wi-Fi video calls. I tried my best to at least color them a bit)

FIRST OF ALL, MMT get your queue in order. I got the message that said “your call’s coming up very soon, be on standby” and literally ONE SECOND LATER Skype was ringing, ahhhhhhhhh

The thing with fancalls is that it’s always disorienting to see the member order. Like you can’t prepare for that. You never know which person is next until the phone is passed. 

Also, I got too caught up in past fansigns with asking questions so I just focused on what I wanted to tell each member here, and... well, that was a mistake. I should have indeed prepared some questions. I just feel like everything’s been asked at this point, you know?? More on that later. Anyway I felt like the time limits per member in this call stretched on for AGES, and I was not prepared to fill the space well aaaskdjhaskjdhsa I’m sorry everyone.

🐥LEEDO

First up was Leedo, and tbqh the boy looked checked out, but he was still so wonderful. They’re probably so tired and working so hard, so I felt a little bad. And, honestly, Leedo was the one I had the least to say to because idk I love him but I have kind of a silent respect for him. I’d let Leedo do his own thing and just nod at him in acknowledgement if we ever met irl

I told him that he’d looked really happy lately, and that I hoped he was taking care of himself and doing well. I also told him I hoped he was eating his vegetables (shoutout to @highponyleedo​ - admittedly I panicked 😂).

🐥: I’ll think about that.

I told him that he’s inspiring and that I think about him when I work out (which is true! Gotta get buff like Leedo!) It was a nice little convo, and I was still VERY nervous at this point having been thrust DIRECTLY into the call. In every fansign I’ve been in (four at this point), the first member is always unfortunately sort of a throwaway for my mind because I’m still scrambling 😖

He was beautiful and gracious nonetheless.

🐱RAVN

He has never done anything wrong, ever in his life. 

OKAY SO 

YOUNGJO TRIED TO DO OUR WHOLE CONVO IN ENGLISH??? 

I WAS SO IMPRESSED

HE’S SO WONDERFUL 

🐱: Your hair is green? 

✌🏻: Yes!

🐱: Like my hair for Easily song 

lksdjsalkjdaksdj ❤️

I also gave him a cheesy personal message of encouragement, and in the process I mentioned that I’m so much older than him (I AM) but I find him to be kind of a role model (I DO), and that I hope he gets to be his true self and make art that makes him happy. 

🐱, aka this bitch: Age is not important. 

✌🏻, knowing he has a noona problem: For some things, yes, you’re right!

I also showed him a fanart I drew of him, and immediately he was like “Oh, Procreate?” Yeah, boooiiii. Also he said my art was good but I’m sure he wouldn’t have said anything negative to a fan so... I just wanted him to see it lmao. 

Youngjo spent almost the entire call like this, so there aren’t many great gif opportunities, but I’m glad he got to practice his English with me! How special!

As the phone was passed to the next member, Youngjo calls out: “You are very young!” 

I love he. I’d fight him in a Denny’s parking lot, but I love he. For what purpose, that smile??

🐶XION

My son.

***Hey. Self. Note for the future: next time prepare a little more to say to your Ult.***

Okay, like, Xion looked RADIANT what the hell. See proof below

I gave him a very cheesy personal message about how I’ve watched him grow and improve and it makes me so happy, he makes me so happy with his music and his kindness. Also I mentioned that his makeup skills are always on point and look so, so good. 

🐶, like immediately, proudly: Oh, thank you!!

I’ve lived a long and good life. But now I have expired. I have deceased. My ult smiled at me like this, and I have ascended to the next plane of existence. 

However I’m coming back from the dead to finish this writeup and also to keep shitposting. 

Anyway I would and did die for him. 

BONUS: his reaction when I was like “I swear I thought I had more written out, I was like ‘oh I have so much to say to Xion’ and now here I am just staring at you.”

🐯HWANWOONG

Best! 👏🏻Boy! 👏🏻

(they’re all best boy, but Hwanwoong was just so on. He’s really just so welcoming and kind, ahhhhh)

I told him I’ve really been enjoying the 1theK choreography videos, then I mentioned the Cardi B choreo specifically and did a chef’s kiss motion, and this was his reaction (along with “thank you for watching that!”: 

Then I asked him if there was a song he really wanted make some choreography for, but he hadn’t had the chance yet. 

He thought, and then he swerved me by saying it was a SECRET and I’d have to stay tuned. 👀👀👀👀 You know I will, ya tricky lil’ bean.

Also hey who gave him the right??? To be so cute?? Like, stop. (don’t stop.) 

🐰KEONHEE

 So there’s this thing I’ve noticed with fansigns, where there’s always one member who just knocks the fansign experience out of the park so thoroughly that they steal a piece of my heart I never expected to give. For this fansign, that was Keonhee. 

At this point I was also realizing I didn’t have much prepared to say, and I was just kind of riffing. But I did want to tell him that we had two things in common: we both studied ballet, and we both sang opera. I thanked him for the recent VLive where that was A Whole Thing, and then: 

🐰, in English no less: Can you show me?

I don’t know what I expected. But I did show him. I sang a couple of operatic scales for him because I was like “what the hell, why not? Lee Keonhee’s gonna hear me sing opera. This is what my training was for.”

So that happened even though I was definitely nervous and forgot to open my throat up as much as I should have. It’s been a while, okay?

He also pointed out the LED moon lamp I keep on my side desk, which I’d forgotten to turn on before the call. So luckily Lee Keonhee was there to remind, at 5/6 of the way through my call!

🐿SEOHO

Firstly, I was taken in by the cool retro style jacket, so I mentioned that. 

What’s with this little dance he did when I was gearing up to tell him what I wanted to say? Anyway he’s cute. 

Then, I told him that Dizzy is one of my favorite ONEUS songs, and that he should definitely try to do more songwriting in the future if he wants. 

He agreed. 😂

Then, he sang a little bit of Dizzy for me, but the sound was really not doing me any favors at this point in the call so it came through a little choppy ahhh. 

So there you have it! All in all an amazing experience, would definitely do it again but would definitely prepare more to say/do/ask! I just don’t want to go in like an interviewer, but I also don’t know what else to do when there’s The Language Barrier, even with an interpreter. I’m definitely not in this for the boyfriend wish fulfillment or aegyo (Xion can’t help it), but since there is SO MUCH I could conceivably ask about, I’ve got fodder for future fansigns. 

I hope you enjoyed!!!

[booksinsteadofdrugs]

my thoughts on captain america: civil war (2016)

wow i haven't watched this movie in a while everyone looks so different

okay yeah, start the movie with bucky being tortured why not, it's not like i feel bad enough for him already

seb... babe i love you but who made you say отвечач instead of отвечать (okay okay, i'm just joking i know it's a small pronouncation mistake)

steve&nat teaching wanda how to watch her back during a mission is so cute (also wow, my queen has come a long way since this movie)

"he's cute go on pet him" SAM STOP PQJDOWBDIW

i feel like rumlow could've been used more in these movies why did they just kill him off like that

"who's the homeless person on the couch" i love howard

"if that's true you'll be a great man someday" and he did become a great man howard, he did, indeed

tony feels guilty about sokovia, wanda feels guilty about lagos and bucky feels guilty about his past. give them a break marvel

zemo switching into his own accent as soon as he got the hydra agent tied up lmao

"compromise where you can, and where you can't, don't. even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. even when the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree and say no. you move." sharon believed that with her whole heart and look what they did to her now I'M MAD

"staying together is more important than how we stay together" and she gave her life for them at the end no matter how much she didn't want to go

THE KING HAS ARRIVED (we miss you chadwick)

''we have orders to shoot on sight" meanwhile bucky: oooh lemme get some plums

ok so caramel chocolate bars are bucky's favourite, that's good to know

awww bucky couldn't even control his strength in this movie (throwing people off the stairs, hitting them with bricks, punching the shit out of them) and now he is barely even using his metal arm bc he's scared of killing people AWW MY BABY

i swear to god if sam wasn't there to save these two's asses all the time *eye roll*

oOOHHH THE CHASING SCENE WAS SO GOOD

when bucky grabbed that motorcycle we all felt something right?

i remembered how much it broke my heart when rhodey said "congratulations sam, you're a criminal"

vision cooking for wanda is still the cutest thing in this movie

"so you like cats" SAM

the fact that they were so scared of bucky that they had to put him in an extremely protected capsule thing... THE POWER HE HOLDS

"pregnant?" "uh, definitely not" and a few years later we see morgan wearing her mother's helmet WHY AM I MAKING MYSELF CRY

i love how steve was actually about to sign the accords until tony mentioned wanda

i forgot how much i wanted to punch zemo in this movie, he was literally so desperate to find bucky that he had to turn 7 billion people against him

"let's talk about your home, not romania, certainly not brooklyn no" well, we have some news for you zemo

the look on bucky's face when he sees the notebook and how he immediately starts screaming after hearing "рассвет" hurts my soul

BUCKYNAT BUCKYNAT BUCKYNAT

sebastian looked so ripped in this movie holy moly

wtf he really is like a death machine he could've easily killed steve in that helicopter scene

OH I FORGOT THIS WAS TOM'S FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE MCU WTF

"it's so hard for me to believe she is someone's aunt", "we come in all shapes and sizes you know" AUNT MAY I ADORE YOU

"i retire for like what 5 minutes and it all goes to shit" well he's not wrong

"move or you will be moved" ayo always steals the show with one line (tfaws spoilers guess?)

the scene that started it all guys "can you move your seat up" "no"

"thinks for thanking of me" SCOTT LANG IS A TREASURE ALRIGHT

"suit up" YEAH AND DON'T THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES SHARON WILL PAY FOR BRINGING YOUR TOYS

when the craziest thing happened in the mcu was spidey joining the avengers ah good old times

the airport fight was sooo good omg

i love t'challa is just like ''just lemme kill barnes i don't care about your white nonsense"

"i didn't kill your father" "then why did you run?" UHMMM I DON'T KNOW SIR MAYBE BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO CHOKE HIM BEFORE HE HAS A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF??

scott's "hohoho" will never not be funny for me

this movie got me so hyped up for a possible buckynat storyline dude i'm still mad, they had such potential

peter getting scared of tony approaching him shows how hard their job actually is i feel so bad for them

vision accidentally shooting rhodey OH MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS

and wtf did sam do tony for fucks sake

zemo calling the hotel from moscow so they can find the body in the bathtub lsndjsbdjs he's such a diva

avengers getting treated like criminals is still pissing me the fuck off

"you better go get a bad cop cause you're gonna have to go mark furhman on my ass to get information out of me" OKAY MY FAV SAM WILSON LINE

zemo killing all the winter soldiers instead of waking them up is a great way to show his ideology actually

"there's a bit of green in the blue of your eyes" well that sounds poetic

i don't know which is worse: seeing tony watching his mom killed, or the amount of guilt bucky must've felt in that moment, or the way tony managed to keep his cool until he realized steve acted like he didn't know the entire time AGH IT HURTS

"i remember all of them" and that look on his face SEBASTIAN STOP

the fight between steve&tony&bucky was actually one of the best scenes in the mcu in my opinion, especially when bucky's arm gets destroyed (seriously tho, watching the way he pushes tony into the wall, trying to rip off the arc reactor with his metal arm and the fury in his eyes agh i love this scene)

aww zemo deleting the voice message of his wife before attempting to kill himself broke my heart

i remember crying in the cinema watching steve and tony beat the shit out of each other... my friend who's never seen any of the mcu movies before was looking at me like i was an alien

bucky still trying to protect steve by gripping tony's foot i- HE LOVES STEVE SO MUCH

oh when tony lifted his hand to protect his face with that terried look, he thought steve was gonna finish him

i!!! wanna!!! die!!!

"are you tony stank?" stan lee we miss you, you beautiful man♡

"i've been on my own since i was 18" having multiple illnesses, and probably mental ones as well, steve only had bucky on his side. he was the only one who always got his back, making sure he was okay, always protecting him. so he knew he had to do the same. bucky was the best friend he ever had.

soo, this gave me enough trauma for today. i think i'm gonna go cry until the next episode of tfaws.

[daleisgreat]

The Avengers: Endgame

Over the last couple months I finally upgraded to somewhat modern TV and gaming rigs in the form of a 55” Samsung 4KTV and Xbox Series X. I own three 4K UHD discs, but one I already covered a couple years back with my entry of the BluRay version that came bundled with the 4K disc of Die Hard. The other is a two pack of the first two John Wick films, and rest assured those will get their day in the sun here eventually. From my research, the Xbox Series X is not a top shelf 4K BluRay player, at least not at the system’s launch before presumable system software updates, but also sounds like a fairly better quality version of the drive that came in the Xbox One X|S, and also supports upscaling of regular BluRays to 4K. Coincidentally, on top of my movie backlog pile was a movie I absolutely wanted to take advantage of that 4K upscaling and thus here we are with today’s write-up for 2019’s The Avengers: Endgame (trailer). WARNING: Unlike nearly most of my other movie recaps I will be diving into serious spoiler territory ahead. The amount of hype leading up to Endgame was insurmountable. Anthony and Joseph Russo did an astounding job directing the first part in 2018’s Infinity War (read my entry for it here). Both that and Endgame top the three hour mark to squeeze in as many characters, references, periphery side plots and so much more from the previous 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe films that lead up to this finale. By accomplishing just that, both movies are the breeziest three hour viewings I have experienced because the Russo brothers do a commendable job at keeping the scenes flowing and doing their best to give everyone their proper time to shine. The ending of Infinity War saw Thanos (Josh Brolin) deliver the snap heard around the world that vanished half of all life in the entire universe. It was a soul-crushing downer of a cliffhanger to end on, but the post-credits tag hinting at the cry of help for Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) left crowds with a glimmer of hope. This being based around comic books there is the unwritten rule where no one truly stays dead either, so part of the experience going into Endgame was to see how the remaining Avengers plan to bring everybody back. Endgame kicks off with the fresh effects of ‘the snap’ when it starts with Hawkeye’s family all getting dusted from him in the middle of a picnic.

The film transitions to the remaining un-dusted Avengers squad of Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Iron Man (Robert Downer Jr.) floating aimlessly in space until the convenient deus ex machina that is Captain Marvel miraculously tracks them down and hauls them back to Earth. A few weeks Avengers HQ tracks down Thanos on an isolated planet and with Captain Marvel’s power, they anticlimactically kill him off in a brief scene. This was one of the parts of the film that did not sit well with me after building up Thanos as this unrivaled threat in all the previous films, and to have the Avengers cold-bloodedly put him down in quick order seems so……unlike them, but he did off half the universe so I understand how the Russo’s felt justified for filming it that way, but I cannot help that it did not come across right, and could have been handled better. Of course, a more proper Thanos battle would be coming later in the final act thanks to my pet peeve plot device that is…. …TIME TRAVEL!!!! This and alternate dimension traveling I despise and have turned me off to many shows over the years like Lost and CW’s DC shows. The worst of it is indeed present here because meaningful character deaths that happened in Infinity War to Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Gamura (Karen Gillan) become undone and their sacrifices proved for naught. All that griping aside however, I will give the Russo brothers credit because even with those qualms I feel they pull off time travel and have it appear as more than a convenient storytelling method. Again, major props because that is a hell of a hurdle to overcome. The filmmakers go out of their way in a couple scenes to directly call out Back to the Future’s style of time travel bullshit, and have a couple characters ever-so-carefully explain in detail and for the laymen how “real” time travel works.

This is all thanks to a rambunctious rat who inadvertently zaps Ant Man (Paul Rudd) out of the Quantum Realm…after being trapped there five years due to his team being on the end of a dusting before bringing him back. Ant Man deduces upon his return that he is able to undo the dusting through his van-quantum-realm-contraption, and convinces the Avengers to conjure up a plan they cleverly dub the “Time Heist” to travel back to capture all the Infinity Gems Stones before Thanos does. I loved how these scenes played out, and there is a plethora of fan service throughout it as the three squads of Avengers jump to different periods like the final battle of the original Avengers film, and a 1970 military base where Howard Stark (John Slattery) unknowingly meets his son. Plans do not proceed swimmingly to say the least, and past timeline Thanos becomes clued in to their plan and thwarts the Avengers attempt at trying to undo the past in a CG showpiece for the ages with his assault on Avengers HQ. The CG fireworks continue to dazzle for the bulk of the final hour of the film with a climatic showdown between Thanos and his forces against The Avengers and the returning of the dusted Marvel characters. I have seen too many comic book films fail at translating over-the-top comic book action on the silver screen, but the Russo brothers always manage to pull it off. I fondly remember the theater crowd going gaga when Captain America (Chris Evans) summons Mjolnir and wallops Thanos with it. The women of Marvel have another moment to shine together where they collectively team up to kick ass. Moments of levity are brilliantly peppered in throughout the chaos for a much-needed chuckle from the nonstop adrenaline-boosting action. That final battle masterfully builds up to the dramatic sacrifice of Iron Man in the standout emotional scene of the film.

The resulting aftermath was heartwarmingly done here with a pre-recorded farewell from Iron Man, and a collage of nearly all the major and minor MCU characters at Iron Man’s funeral. I believe this is the first MCU film without a post-credits tag, and that is 100% fine by me, because the beginning of the credits is a lovingly crafted tribute to the original Avengers cast done in the fashion of the Original Series cast of Star Trek VI that resonated with me feeling the end of a pivotal era of the MCU that I have been largely enjoying since the original 2008 Iron Man. I usually do not dive into this much detail and spoilers when recapping the movies here, but due to this being the final chapter of this era of the MCU films I could not help myself, and believe me there is so much more I wanted to dive in here on because like I said, the Russo brothers crammed in an incredible amount of narrative into three hours. There is so much ground in here it is impossible for me to recap it all, and that it will in all likelihood be the fastest three hour movie you will ever endure. I did not get a chance to even touch on over-the-hill Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the hybrid Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo (spoiler: they both killed it!)). Endgame unsurprisingly did major bank at the box office, so I feel safe knowing most of you reading this already watched it by now which is another reason I went all out on the spoilers.

I re-watched the film for this entry a second time with commentary from the Russo brothers, and writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and that greatly helped explain some little tidbits that were easy to miss and/or not fully comprehend in the midst of the three hours. I know this is a little detail, but I want to give props to Marvel for being one of the few companies out there for shelling out resources to caption the commentary track! I exponentially appreciate it more than you know! The commentary helped with understanding why they did not do a lot for Black Widow’s (Scarlett Johansson) aftermath of her death because she has her prequel film set to release. Other notable takeaways from the commentary was how Stark’s “I am Iron Man” line was a last minute addition to the film, giving credit to Star Trek VI as inspiration for their credits sequence, being hopeful for Marvel capitalizing on Falcon donning Cap’s shield and lots of understandable love for the visual effects team for their hard work. Aside from the commentary track, the BluRay has a second disc with just under an hour of bonus material. There is the requisite short, but top-of-the-line gag reel that is standard in most Marvel Studios home videos. There are five minutes of deleted scenes worth a look, with some of them lightheartedly covering up plot holes. Remembering Stan Lee is a touching tribute to Stan, filled with archived interviews from him on his experiences in the cameos, and showing plenty of delightful off-camera interactions with the cast and crew. There are well done character profile pieces for Thor, Black Widow, Captain America and Iron Man, with each one having countless cast and crew state proper kudos to what the actors have done for those characters over the years. If you only have time for one then I recommend Man Out of Time: Creating Captain America, because it goes into a little more detail than the others and Chris Evans has some intriguing introspection from his years with the character. Finally, there are short, but worthwhile pieces on the Russo brothers and the women of the MCU that should not be skipped out on either.

As I mentioned above, the hype building up to Endgame was insurmountable, but Joseph and Anthony Russo overcame the odds and delivered a gratifying conclusion to this era of the MCU. Watching the BluRay upscaled in 4K on a TV about a third bigger than my previous set made it a grander experience too for those showpiece moments. Sure I had quibbles and nitpicks I mentioned above, but by and large those are easily overcome by how much the Russo brothers got it right with this film. I am kicking myself for waiting a year and a half to re-watch it, but picked up on a lot of little things that went right over mine and Drax’s heads the first time out. If you have yet to give The Avengers: Endgame another viewing, then do not hesitate because you will not regret once again taking in this landmark epic that delivered against all odds! Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve The Clapper Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed I & II Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Grunt: The Wrestling Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hell Comes to Frogtown Hercules: Reborn Hitman I Like to Hurt People Indiana Jones 1-4 Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Last Action Hero Major League Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Nintendo Quest Not for Resale Payback (Director’s Cut) Pulp Fiction The Punisher (1989) The Ref The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VIII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Pilgrim vs the World The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild The Wizard Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past