#i don’t even know what’s going on in the mcu rn

[whirlybirbs]

i finally caved. i am on episode 2 of loki.

[mgnifique-tion]

— human reaction.

summary || ``you’re starting to wonder if attending work after your day-off was a mistake.``

pairing: 2012!loki x gn!scientist!reader song recommendations: tesseract - cix (p.s. check out seunghun on build-up rn!) lowercase is intended… part: 1/?

— themes and warning/s: open-ended, enemies to potential lovers (for sure, they will be lovers soon), NOT a stand-alone one shot ;) wink wink, bossy loki, y/n being somewhat a dumb human being (heroism)

— a/n: hi! back with another loki au this march and guys, this is not a phase– IT’S NOT A PHASE, MOM! (corny? i graduated with that course in the university of the cornyology – i’m not even done with g12 lmfao wtf am i saying) anywho, i miss him. i literally rewatched the avengers for him and i'm not even active w the mcu anymore. i actually have a lot of other pending drafts from my main acc (@mgnifiqueyoo - follow me there :3) and so many unfinished IMPORTANT work from real life but like i thought of a line and now, i just HAVE to write it or it's outta my head so here u go. lmao. enjoy!

[ total words: 1.9k ]

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“... oh my god.”

that was all you could mutter under your breath the moment you saw the rest of your co-workers controlled by that thing the alien held in his palm. you didn’t show up to work yesterday since you were just taking the final steps in finishing that project of yours.

what was the project? the hypercryogenic station.

and now, after a long day of ignoring your texts and calls, you ended up going to work, which happened to be a terrible idea. better yet, a horrible mistake. “... excuse me?” you took small steps, nearing the towering male as he just stood still, not facing you. all of your friends were doing his commands without any questions and you knew that clint barton would never do any of this!

but he did anyway. and you had to know why.

“what did you do with them?” you asked, demanding for answers as you heard him let out an almost inaudible chuckle only to be followed by a deep, low snicker. the alien slowly turned around and looked you straight in the eye, sweat pouring down his face with a sharp glare while his teeth ground against each other.

he was just terrifying, how else could you leave the facility without getting killed?

“oh, is that supposed to matter?” the alien mocked, later glancing at the staff he held before looking back at you, his smirk disappearing little by little. “... you must be horrified, aren’t you?”

of course you were, who wouldn’t be horrified when they see something like this? 

but before he could even get closer to you, he suddenly stumbled. that wasn’t something you expected since you assumed that he was a powerful being out of this world after seeing that wardrobe choice but he showed… weakness? it’s hard not to take note of it for future purposes.

you then cleared your throat and asked, “are you okay?”

but he said nothing in return, tense and trembling with every step. he had a maniacal look on his face as if he couldn’t control his actions; he seemed like he was enduring something that was hurting him inside.

and that got you thinking what else was happening with the man in front of you. “so, that’s a no?” 

“you’re the expert,” he said, “you’re the one blessed with knowledge over what it is that’s happening to me now.”

you frowned. you definitely had no idea what was going on with him and you were planning on leaving him to himself when he surprisingly grabbed your wrist. “heal me,” he pleaded, breathing in and out rapidly as you felt the burning heat that surrounded his palm, which led to that moment of realization.

“i… i don’t know how–,” you were then cut-off by him tilting his head to the project: the hypercryogenic station. if you ever had a scanner around you, his heat signature would be all over the place because of how high his temperature was. “but the station hasn’t even been tested yet and it could be dangerous for you and for all of us!”

the alien shook his head frantically, not letting any excuses get into his way. “if you don’t help me right now…” his breath hitched as the tip of the scepter was pointed at your chest, right at your heart. “you won’t be living for long.”

and that made you take so many steps, assisting him in the station as you closed the door. “you can’t be in there for more than a minute, it’s highly dangerous and i’m telling you, we haven’t done any tests yet–”

“just begin with the process.” his voice had gotten lower, hoarser with every moment that passed as you felt your heart race quicker. you knew that if you made a mistake, somebody like barton would kill you; there was no way out.

so the gears started running and you watched how the glass windows of the station had fogged up. your life’s work was being used by an unknown entity who took over the minds of your co-workers. your friends.

you couldn’t help but cry silently, biting your nails while you stood a meter away from the finished project. how could a five-year plan get wasted? to this unreadable, tyrannic humanoid? you can’t even breathe well.

and once the process was done, the station’s doors slid apart, creating a path for the man inside. when he stepped out of it, he didn’t even seem affected by it. all normal and human-like as if he had only bathed himself in some snow and not in an actual blizzard.

but colder than his skin was his gaze toward you, the scepter staring back at you as well, watching the way you took a few steps away from him.

“who are you?” you asked, your eyes glued to the scepter rather than his face, which caused him to get agitated.

in return, the tip of the scepter’s blade touched your chin, tilting your head up so that you could look at him. “i am loki of asgard,” he introduced with a deranged grin as you heard the way his breath hitched, overwhelmed and proud with how he spoke to you. 

that was enough to make you take another step back but his hand grabbed your arm like a lock, fastened so tightly that it made everything worse for you. “what did you do with them?” you tilted your head to the blue-eyed agents now circling the entire room, which made loki laugh.

he truly was out of his mind. 

“i simply used them for a greater purpose,” he said back, letting out another chuckle as the scepter gleamed in response. it was in his complete control… they were all under his control.

how in the world can you run from this?

“let them go.” “oh, we’re getting heroic now, aren’t we?”

he mocked you shamelessly as if it wasn’t your invention that saved him from his visible misery – whatever it was that hurt him earlier.

“... well, i did save you.” you just had to let a bit of sass come out because it was true. however, loki didn’t seem to be fond of that and had read that as entitlement rather than a reminder of who did save him.

nonetheless, he lowered his weapon and laughed once more. “your little saving was merely necessary, mortal. i could’ve used that machine myself.” of course, he disregarded that tiny, little favour you did for him and decided that it’d be best to not even give out a little thank you.

but then, again, what do you expect from an aspiring alien tyrant?

“but you couldn’t because i programmed it for my access only,” you continued the conversation, stating the truth right in front of him. that was your life’s work… you still couldn't believe that it was firstly used by some tall man with a scepter and emerald drapes. “besides, that thing you used wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.”

there was long silence once again… perhaps, even longer than moments of silence you had earlier when your eyes scanned over the rest of the place.

almost the entirety of the facility was led by loki. horrifyingly brainwashed by that scepter.

“fair enough,” he admitted, “but you wouldn’t be breathing if i hadn’t given you the chance.”

“... do you want me to thank you? for this?” “giving thanks means nothing. i need something much more than that.”

you crossed your arms, gulping as you still tried to make yourself seem as if you had the upper hand. an imaginary upper hand, perhaps? although you had put on that mask, loki knew you were afraid of what he could do to you. 

if this is only a preview of the damage he’s capable of causing, just how could you survive while being opposed to him?

“i could…” he trailed off, smirking to himself as he circled the station, his palm touching its painted and carved surface while the scepter glowed in his other hand. “hm… i could do the same to you. put your talent to use like the others.”

and you readied yourself, closing your eyes as your once crossed arms dropped to your sides, hopeless and left without a sign of help. “but you have not attacked me once,” he said with a tone of interest, diverting his attention from the opportunity of just controlling you like a mindless servant and rather feeling positive about a different, riskier path. “and you’ve saved me. willingly. no control needed.”

he walked towards you, breathing heavily and letting out a low chuckle. “do you know what gift you have, dr. l/n?” he questioned, expecting you to know the answer as he tilted your head upwards again with the end of the scepter. one wrong push and you could bleed to death; he was being careful with you still.

after all, you were a great addition to his plans.

“humanity, l/n.” he proudly stated, now lowering his weapon as your heart raced. never did you fear death until now, especially when your life would fade to grey without the knowledge of what’ll happen next. to the world and the people around you. “you’ve got so much humanity in you that your best choice was to save a dying god. it’s foolish, l/n. how could you be so brilliant but foolish?–”

“are you done?” you had enough of it, still staring at one corner as you saw how your friend’s eyes still gleamed in blue, manipulated by the god standing right in front of you while the remaining lights of the facility shone over his prepped quiver, ready to attack whenever, however.

and of course, the god of mischief was indeed offended by that. “... you’re so brave, it’s idiotic.” he laughed, shaking his head as if you both had been joking with one another and you felt the heat rush up your head; you didn’t want this. you just wanted your friends to be set free – your world to be set free from this being. 

“what do you desire in return?” “for you to stop whatever you’re planning here, my lord.”

even though loki knew you were being sarcastic, he just admired the way it rolled off your tongue. “you do know that does not equate to what you’ve done for me and you might want to do something more for me if you’d want that to happen,” he said, denying your request with a snicker. “but of course, i still appreciated your service earlier so how about i offer you something else?”

he’s cheating, you thought.

“in exchange of your little saving, it’ll be guaranteed that not one of us would lay a finger on you…” he paused, hiding the scepter behind his back as you tilted your head to the side. were you even hearing this correctly? that was too low. “and you would be shielded from any harm as well.”

but can you do anything about it? no. “is that good enough for you, my little savior?”

you had to think about it for longer than a second. why only a second, you may ask? well, does it look like you still have enough time to decide perfectly? the world is at stake; you had to give an answer now or worse destruction could happen.

“fine,” you uttered, firmly extending your hand towards him as he only stared back at your empty, shaking palm. “i’ll do whatever it takes to free this world from you.”

“that’s laughable.” “we’ll see, your majesty.”

[destinyc1020]

Confession for Sunday:

Not to be negative, but I can't stand some solo Tom fans on this website and on Twitter being so negative. Twitter, I've not gonna comment on because it's so deranged, so I've left it, but solo Tom blogs on here are so damn negative. I can understand their frustration being a fan of someone whose career it seems to always be tested by the critics and online public perception, but acting like his is in a bigger disadvantage than most actors, especially dei when his biggest roles are in Marvel, Uncharted and Cherry is crazy I'm sorry. My irritation is becaue I can tell one blog is run by a black woman its giving CC vibes no shade, and it's embarassing and sad to get angry or annoyed if he posts his Z on his ig account as opposed to his work. His play is in a few days, trust me he's more than fine!!!!

Like, he's been doing this for years,sorry. He was posting her even when they were just "mates," lol. Or get angry when fans of both post about him getting jacked and calling it "icky." When has it been icky to thirst over beefy Tom??? Do you understand this behaviour isn't exclusively to Tom. All yt celebs men get thirst after on even if they are very slim or super thick I'm sorry. Gatekeeping a public figure is crazy I'm sorry.

Like I understand being a Tom stan ain't for the weaK. Like, we've been through it, lol. The future castings he passed on, the wish for more career opportunities, stans of yt male celebs picking on him, especially ones who have been Z's costars, reading puff pieces against him in service of other actors have been rough, but I recently read that Tom doesn't care about articles about him much on Doms patreon, so I stopped caring tbh. English celebs generally go by the never complain, never explain motto when it comes to the media. Harry Styles uses it, too. I only care about what he tells us, not the other way round.

Like you guys want him to be something that he's not, and it's so tiring going round in circles. It's a silly comparison, but Tom Cruise is a questionable person who I feel is private despite knowing a lot him. Most ppl who work 9 to 5 don't care to read blogs or information about him. They see him in a good movie, they watch and have fun and go home. That's it. Tom isn't Cruise, thank god, but he mentions Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy as actors whose careers he wants to have, which is to do the work and retreat to his personal life. A lot of young actors want to do that now cause as a society, we know too much of each other.

Him not posting R+J was a bummer, but strategically, it's very smart because in this digital age, ppl want everything immediately.

Mystery builds hype. 101 marketing.

Anyways, that's my two cents.

Whew, okay…. Obviously something is going on in the fandom rn which I am not privy to, because I’m currently at work lol, because you’re like the second Anon that I’ve had in my inbox complaining about this today.

Is this all because Tom posted Z on his Instagram?? Geez people (antis) smh lol…. Get a grip! 🙄 Deal with it! Tom has a right to post his gf to his Instagram if that’s what he wants to do.

First of all, Twitter can be such a cesspool. ☹ I highly recommend not even paying much attention to what’s being said on Twitter, or, at the very least, not taking it SERIOUSLY.

Second…. I will have to agree with you somewhat on the topic of how some fans in Tom’s fandom behave. I almost feel like fans in Tom’s fandom don’t just allow him to just be? It really is sad imo. I actually have a bit of a theory as to why this is the case. This is just my personal theory, so of course, take this with a huge grain of salt… But I kind of feel like the reason why Tom is held at such a high standard (in his OWN fandom) is because most of his fans only became his fans due to Spiderman/Marvel/MCU hype. My guess is that not a lot of current Tom stans today knew or paid much attention to him PRIOR to Spiderman. So, a lot of Hollanders (Tom stans) probably were used to Tom “winning” right from the beginning right out of the gate.

Whereas, some of the stans of other popular wm fandoms (i.e. JE, Timothee Chalamet, Zac Efron, Dylan O’Brien, Ryan Gosling, Austin Butler, Bill Skarsgard, even Mike Faist, etc.) were probably fans of these guys back when they were not as well known, or when their careers weren’t as “hot” as they are currently. So, their fans are used to them being in a “struggle” position and have been patient, understanding, and open to a wider variety of “wins” and even “fails” for their male faves. They love them regardless….no matter what is going on.

But with Tom, because he gained most of his fans probably more so due to Spiderman/Marvel/MCU, I feel like his fans are/were used to him being the hot new “It Guy” right off the bat, and his stardom went CRAZY overnight, so they haven’t been there in the trenches when Tom was just an “unknown” actor. They didn’t love him before he was super hot and everywhere like he is today. So I think they don’t allow him the grace and understanding that a lot of other fandoms usually give their own faves.

Don’t get me wrong, some other fandoms do clown their faves too ROTFL! 🤣(Make no mistake about that lol) But I think Tom is held to such a higher standard because he started off as the “It Guy” , and so now, when his fans see other actors getting some addicted, or maybe “taking his spot” (maybe in their minds?) they get upset/angry/jealous/negative etc.

Idk, that’s my theory?🤷🏾‍♀️

For me, I’m the type of fan that’s just like how you described most people are with actors such as say Tom Cruise. While I always wish the best for my actor faves, at the end of the day, I know it’s not MY life, and I just want them to be happy. I go see a Tom Cruise movie, and I’m good! 😃 I’m not worrying about his career in the meantime, or worried if he hasn’t made a film in 3 years or whatever lol. I just take things as they come!

I think part of the reason why Tom’s fandom is so hard on him is because they have these crazy expectations on him because they see it as some type of “competition”, instead of just letting Tom BE.

I think that if you’re a TRUE fan of someone, you love them when they’re “down” and when they’re up. Don’t be a “fair-weather” fan in other words. It’s okay for an actor to have a “Down” period. This industry is very transient and challenging. It’s okay for an actor to “take a break”. It’s okay for an actor to have some hits and even some misses in their career! That’s NORMAL! Fans are way too hard on Tom imo.

I already gave my theory as to why that might be the case, but if you all have any other ideas/theories, by all means, let me know!

Re: Your Last Part about R&J…

Tom has posted about R&J a couple of times, no?? I’m sure he will post even MORE as the play gets underway. I even expect him to MAYBE do a video collage at some point showing the process. That would be super cool. 😊

[intoxicatingintimacyy]

A lil search :)

Hi all!  Looking for some fandom plots atm cause I’m missing my angsty babies hehe.  I’m 25 and go by Tulsa and have been writing since I was probably 11 or 12??  Soooo for a hot minute lol.  I’d definitely consider myself literate-adv. Lit as I’m able to pump out 3+ paras depending on the scene/reply.  However, I will say, my favorite types of roleplays are around 2-3 shorter paras and rapid fire *chef’s kiss*.  Non-rapid fire isn’t a deal breaker though, I know not everyone has time or attention haha.  

RULES:

I’m just going to quickly jot down some loose ‘rules’ for lack of a better word, but I promise I’m really not too crazy strict lol. 

The one rule I am STRICT on is that all of my partners need to be 18+.  I prefer 20+, but I’m not gonna knock you if you’re 18 or 19, I know it’s hard to find partners.  

I talked a little bit about literacy already, but just to specify I write in third person past tense and will always reply with at least a paragraph and I’d like the same in return.  One-liners just make it hard to immerse yourself. I won’t roleplay with anyone who writes in the first person though, it lowkey makes me uncomfy…

I’m a sucker for some good smut scenes, especially when they include angst or come from something angsty or toxic (pls), so I’d prefer partners who are comfortable writing nsfw content.  Of course we’ll discuss specific personal triggers together too, as for kinks though my characters have different ones based on THEM, not me.  This has confused people in the past so just let me know if I need to explain any further : ) 

As far as doubling goes, I’ve heard it described in different ways by different people.  The first way is just playing side characters to help world build and give the plot more substance/drama, that I absolutely do and would want my partner to do as well.  Obviously our ship will be the main focus, but other characters bring the world to life!  The second form of doubling I’ve come across is almost in a transactional sort of way?  Kind of a ‘I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine’ type of thing.  I don’t do that.  There are a few canons I can and enjoy playing in these fandoms that we can discuss me playing for you if you have a pairing you want to do, but I just don’t like when people EXPECT me to double for ‘fairness’ sakes, it’s a big pet peeve of mine….

I think those are all of the rules I have?  Well, at least that I’m remembering right now lol.  Onto what I’m looking for I suppose: I’m looking for partners who are open to playing M characters in MxF plots.  I have ~some~ original ideas, but I tend to like fandom plots best.  

One of the original ideas I’m hung up on rn is a MxF plot based on Hades and Persephone.  Whether it be the actual story or we change it up completely and just keep the generic ‘man lures woman into his world’ idea, there’s endless possibilities! 

These are some of the pairings I’m currently craving, the role with the asterisks (*) around them would be who you’d play. The next role would be who I’d play, with their standing as a chara in parenthesis and then the fandom after the dash!

ROLES: 

*Derek Hale* x Paige Krasikeva (Canon-Divergent) - Teen Wolf

*Kol Mikaelson* x Averie Forbes (OC) - Vampire Diaries

*Loki Laufeyson* x Eira Jarrledottir (OC) - MCU/Thor Movies

*Billy Hargrove* x Kat Wheeler (OC) - Stranger Things

*Finnick Odair* x Annie Cresta (Canon) - The Hunger Games

*Spencer Reid* x Olivia Chandler (OC) - Criminal Minds

*Stiles Stilinski* x Lydia Martin (Canon) - Teen Wolf

*Draco Malfoy* x Artemis Cresswell (OC) - Harry Potter

Those are what I have right now, at least for this ad.  Please keep in mind, all of my original characters have bios/backstories that are at least a page long if not longer.  I know some folks have their opinions on ocs, but even just taking a look and deciding no is cool with me : ) 

This ad is turning out really lengthy, but just one more lil section before I wrap it all up lol: the following is what I’d be looking for out of a potential partner.

Can reply at least once a day, but would prefer multiple times.  (obviously this doesn’t apply if something comes up, just let me know, I’m not strict or scary, promise!)

Loves to gush about the characters/pairings/fandom we’re writing.  I love getting invested and coming up with potential future plot points or doing aus or hcs about where they could end up.  It’s all so fun!

In that same vein though, I do want to set a boundary: I don’t do anything that requires me to share my voice or get off of discord.  I have super bad anxiety so any kind of call or sharing of personal info stresses me out a lot.  I’ve tried it once and it all ended in a mess and I’d rather not get into it again, so please be able to respect that. 

If you write primarily on Discord in servers, that’s perfect!  And bonus points if you use tupperbox! 

OKAY!  I think I’m finally done rambling lmao, sorry about how long it turned.  If you’re at all interested please interact or simply add me on discord - toxicdeliquency 

Also, please introduce yourself and what fandom and/or pairing caught your eye instead of just a simple ‘hi’ message, it makes things much easier and less awkward haha.  Hope to hear from y’all! 

[hay-389]

I haven’t actually watched Marvel since Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the recent news I’m hearing has me so PISSED.

(Spoilers for Secret Invasion)

So most of the Marvel journey I’ve been a Captain America fan, didn’t really like Iron Man. The Avengers was the second ever Marvel movie I saw in theaters and I believe I had just turned 10.

All throughout the films I enjoyed watching CA, rooted for him durning Civil War. I think it was Spider-Man: Homecoming I started to find Tony interesting because of Peter, but it was Endgame that really surprised me. For some reason seeing him as a father changed my perspective of him, and literally the last 20 minutes of the film I was sobbing in the middle of the theater for a character who wasn’t even my favorite.

It was wild.

This past summer though, after reading tons of Spider-Man fanfic with Tony, decided to go and watch the Iron Man movies again (which I’ve only seen them once before) and after reading a certain part of someone’s story talking about stuff that happened in Captain America: WS/CW, I came to a sudden realization that yeah, I actually don’t like Steve Rogers anymore but Tony Stark. (There’s a little more to it but that’s the basics.)

So I recently had to come to terms with discovering Iron Man is one of my top favorite characters now and being sad all over again because I know how things end (like that Endgame wound ripped right back open)…but now you’re trying to tell me his best friend, Rhodey, a part of his found family…wasn’t actually himself…

But a Skrull.

Like, you’ve got to be kidding.

What makes this whole thing worse is that I’m hearing he could have been one since Civil War. The thought that Rhodey wasn’t there for ANY of the major important milestones for Tony, that none of the moments in-between were sincerely him, or that he doesn’t even know his friend is dead is just so…I can’t even put it into words.

It’s just so wrong.

I really hope the actual timeline will have been after Endgame because idk if I can handle the other option. I kind of just want to refuse to accept that’s even an event that takes place in the MCU.

To me this was not planned, but something thought about recently to throw in as a shock factor. Idk who thought that was a good idea but…it wasn’t.

Sorry for this long rant, but like I said before, you know that feeling you get when you discover a new show and want to binge watch it and just consume all types of media for it? Yeah, that’s me rn with Spider-Man/Iron Man. So I’m really in my feels at the moment.

[emmedoesntdomath]

having Sad Girl Time(tm) thoughts about steve and bucky rn.

for both of them they’re in the same place they grew up and know and love but now it’s so wildly diffrent. like going to an old childhood house someone else moved into. it’s the same house but it’s not quite right. everyone they knew is dead or almost gone while they’re young and healthy. almost everything from their home has been replaced or changed drastically. the only consistent they have is eachother and even that becomes wary with bucky’s altered mind. i’m by no means a cap stan and he’s not one of my favorite characters really but no wonder he was so stubborn in civil war and willing to sacrifice it all for bucky. quite literally that’s all he had. okay fine done angsting now any thoughts aswell?

HIIIIII. I’M SORRY ABOUT THE SAD GIRL TIME. ALSO ABOUT NOT ANSWERING DURING SAD GIRL TIME. I HAVE THOUGHTS FOR YOU IN RETURN <3

you’re right, they are in a weird position. well. bucky is. steve kind of ditched. 

but I kind of want to talk about that more, so I’m going to. one of the things that always annoyed me slightly about mcu steve was how he just…did not attempt to keep living. and that statement sounds harsh, but you have to consider that he was in the 21st century for- what, four years? it’s completely understandable to be lost. you are in your home, but it’s not your home, it’s someone else’s. however. four years is plenty of time to make a new home. 

again, you might be thinking I’m being too harsh. but in that time span, all steve ever did was look forward to the next mission. he was aimless, and had nothing to live for. I wouldn’t even really consider bucky something to live for, because it definitely was, but it was also in a big part just a distraction that he let go of pretty quickly once he realized it didn’t make him happy. this is consistent with comics cap. it’s just very interesting to me that in four years, he never stepped out of the nice little bubble/containment center SHIELD put him in. no personalized apartment, no therapy, one friend made without their help. 

AND THEN. WE TURN TO MR. JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES. 

whomst, by the way, was brain washed for seventy years. 

in his first six months of actually being able to make decisions for himself (I don’t count civil war, or the two years afterwards. sir never asked for that.), he got himself in an apartment in a country he felt safe in, and bought fruit. then, when he gets back to the states, he goes to therapy (which, admittedly, wasn’t really his choice), follows the instructions he’s given, and attempts to form a new life. after a couple months, he’s even making friends. MAJOR steps compared to steve. 

so, yes, you are completely right about their situation. I simply think that looking at it, and considering what they did with it really shows what kind of people they are, and who they’re trying to be. love the characterization, thank you sm for the ask. if you have more, PLEASE share them. 

[avengerphobic]

Honestly. I don’t think they’re gonna resurrect Kamala specifically as a mutant. If that were the case I think she would have died in an x book instead of spider man (or even her own book since it’d be a substantial Lore Change).

Additionally there’s literally no reason to make her a mutant. MCU synergy or whatever but it literally does not matter I don’t think the mcu spider movies ever made more than a passing mention of Peter getting powers from a spider. The maximoffs de-mutantion also isn’t as clear cut an issue as mcu synergy because they could’ve gone out of their way to make them white n*zis too but thankfully didn’t (and like. They still bear no resemblance to the movie versions in the comics). It’s not like they’re going to make comics Namor indigenous anytime soon. A throwaway mention in a tv show that wasn’t super well recieved among comic fans and an upcoming movie that’s probably not going to do great (so many mcu fans hate captain marvel?) isn’t a good reason to rewrite an established and beloved character

She doesn’t have a lot of mutant friends shoving her into x books isn’t going to work marvel has too many Significant Mutants in comics to ever do justice by even half of them it’s an all around bad idea. It could only make what happened to her worse

I feel like you are underestimating mcu synergy. they're making Monica photon again because of mcu synergy, they gave shang-chi the 10 rings because of the mcu, theyve been shoving Carol in every book because of the mcu. like theres a lot of small changes they're making because of the mcu. I mean I dont know if they're turning her into a mutant but that's a rumor that's going around rn because they randomly decided to fridge her

[viola-ophelia]

maybe we’re on slightly different sides of tumblr, but i have never seen this? the “history fandoms” i’m aware of on here have been around for years (amrev, frev, tudors, etc) and imo they don’t have much in common with “regular” fandoms like the mcu other than the fact that they’re based around people… enjoying a thing (and i’m all in favor of letting people enjoy things without judgement). in the historical fandoms i’m aware of, most people generally make an effort to think about and respect the complicated nuances of history and historical figures in a way that they don’t need to bother with in most other fandoms (and this is actually part of the fun of a historical fandom imo - the fact that they really make you think). the only “Weird” historical fandoms that i’m aware of, actually, are the ones that are based around some type of media (like a musical, for example, or a tv show). but i digress, because “Weird” is a very subjective term (though im essentially using it here to mean a general lack of respect for the nuances present in history/historical figures) and it’s not super productive to argue about what exactly it entails.

don’t get me wrong, history is my career too. my literal job rn is working at a historical house museum! but if people decided to start a fandom that corresponds to my museum’s era, or even the family who lived there, i’d be all for it. like, why not? i’d be GLAD if people wanted to enjoy the thing i’m doing as a career, on their own time! and i know with certainty that the other museum staff would agree. we WANT to share our interest in this era, and these people, with the world - that’s why we work here. we’re not here to gatekeep our area of study from anyone, even if they’d prefer to understand it by making memes and writing fic about it rather than doing Official Research like we do. we’d be the first to join this hypothetical fandom lmfao!

and let’s say (because i think this is what you’re getting at, op, even though you don’t outright say it) that the emergence of this hypothetical fandom eventually leads to a handful of people writing Weird Smut Fic. well, that wouldn’t be my cup of tea, but its not productive for me to clutch my pearls over how someone else engages with something they find interesting. anyone who’s been on tumblr for more than like 5 seconds should probably realize that people are inevitably going to write Weird Smut Fic about almost anything, and that there’s not really any realistic ways you can stop them. you can complain and moralize about it and make yourself and others unhappy, but it still won’t stop them. the truth is, people will engage with ANY fandom in ways that you personally don’t like, but the way to best deal with that is choosing not to consume those people’s content, not policing what content people can and can’t enjoy in a (somewhat) fannish way online.

It's so insane how every few weeks another person on here tries to turn real life history, something that people make careers out of studying, into a regular tumblr style fandom the same way there's a fandom for, like, marvel. just go watch a tv show jesus christ

[pagesfromthevoid]

Um, I want you to know that False God is one of my comfort stories/universes rn. You write Matty like a pro! I love all the little details like Reader's backstory and that you included characters from the MCU that aren't seen or mentioned all the time like Jimmy Woo. And when there's humor, it's hilarious AF. I mean how is is so good, like--

False God | m.m. | 7

Matt Murdock x Avenger!reader

Word Count: 2.4K

Warnings: Language. Violence. Death. Matt’s an ass, but so is the reader. Angsty idiots

Author’s Note: This was such a sweet message thank you 😩 Enjoy these two not handling their shit and getting in trouble for it.

Series Masterlist | Talk to me!

“Foggy and Karen wanted to have dinner here this week. To meet you properly,” Matt said idly as she stitched up a rather nasty cut on his back. It was chitchat, something to distract from the stinging of the needle and rubbing alcohol.

“That sounds like a nice idea. Especially since the last time I met Karen, you yelled at me.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I had every right to yell at you.”

“Hm,” she hummed, snipping the thread of the stitches and double checking her work. “We’ll agree to disagree.”

Matt let out a huff of air, rolling his shoulders back to adjust to being straightened up. She stood from the couch, gathering the bloody tools and towels to clean. Her hands were rough this time, having still been healing from the road rash over the last couple weeks. She hadn’t projected herself into his thoughts since the night she moved in.

They hadn’t talked about what happened that night she moved in. They hadn’t really even talked about her case with Crown. Matt didn’t want to worry her; she hadn’t asked yet. She tried not to ask usually, knowing he would tell her eventually. But he wasn’t telling her a lot about this case.

It was hard for her to conceptualize that the man who had tortured her for so long was hiding in Hell’s Kitchen. Hard for her to accept the truth of the matter: that she was in danger. But her anxiety wasn’t even latched onto Crown and his need for her; it was stuck to Matt. It was stuck to him, and stuck on that demand to see her come undone that night. It should have been hot; and it was at first. But she kept going back to what her therapist said.

“I would hate to see you hurt if he’s just using you for your abilities. After all, you helped a blind man see. That’s a big deal.”

It was becoming a pretty big deal for some reason.

Matt, on the other hand, felt that he shouldn’t have to tell her until it was closer to being over. He just didn’t want to scare her, even though he knew she wouldn’t be. But this wasn’t what he could focus on, either. He had been dwelling on her hiding her arms from him the night he saw her entirely. It had poisoned the image he had in his mind, and it was something he was starting to be worried about even though she didn’t often manipulate his thoughts. He tried to justify that she always told him when she did; but what if she wasn’t always making him see? What if she was already in there? He blamed Foggy for planting the worry in his head, honestly.

“You’re not worried she’s showing you like fake things?”

He wasn’t until that day. Even Father Lantom couldn’t shake the paranoia.

With her hands washed of his blood, she grabbed a clean shirt from the laundry, tossing it to him. Matt caught it and felt it over for a moment, considering everything.

“You gonna tell me what happened?” She finally asked, walking back into the living room and sitting on the arm of the couch.

He shook his head, pulling the shirt on. “It was nothing. Just something with Fisk.”

She watched him for a moment, frowning. “You can tell me, you know. I’m a big girl. Are Fisk and Crown working together?”

“I don’t think so. Not right now anyway.”

She huffed in frustration. “You’re keeping things from me, Murdock,” she pointed out as she stood.

Her hands raked through her hair as she tugged it at the roots. Matt’s gaze followed her movements but he didn’t move.

“I’m keeping you safe,” he argued.

“No. You’re lying to me.”

“Like how you lied about your arms?”

Her hands dropped to her sides as she stared at him. “What?”

“You didn’t show me how badly you were injured,” he explained, motioning to her arms and hands as he finally stood. They were a bit worse for wear, bruised and scabbed over. “The night you moved in. You showed me what you looked like. But you didn’t show me the bandages.”

“I didn’t show you…” She glanced at her hands for a moment, frowning deeply. “You’re mad that I forgot to project my bloodied bandages while I was fucking you?”

Hearing it out loud made Matt realize how absolutely psychotic it was. He was about to speak, to apologize but she cut him off, pointing her finger at him.

“At least I showed you what you wanted after you demanded it of me.”

It was Matt’s turn to be confused, frowning deeply. “Demanded what?”

“To see me!” She motioned to herself, though she knew he couldn’t see her. “I don’t want to be your tool to see, Matt, I want to be your girlfriend.”

“What the hell are you even talking about?” He demanded, anger catching up to hers now. “I’m not with you because you can make me see.”

“I can’t imagine why else you’d be with me.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Both of them were suddenly too angry to realize how irrational they were both being. This was a stupid argument; planted by seeds of distrust and anxiety. Deep rooted in their own severe traumas. Deep down, they both knew this was stupid. They knew that this wasn’t something to fight about. But when Matt grabbed his mask and stormed out of the apartment, it didn’t matter if it was irrational.

Actions spoke louder than words.

Perhaps that’s why her next move was just as bad.

*****

She was going to get arrested because of Matt Murdock.

That’s all she really knew as she walked with her head down and the hood of Matt’s jacket up, through the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. There wasn’t really a direction she was headed; she just knew she was going to find him and probably try to fight him. Or maybe she’d just start crying. She hadn’t decided yet.

What she had decided was that the worst thing about dating a vigilante was that he was hard to follow. Any crazy girlfriend could stalk their boyfriend’s phone and track their location. But Matt didn’t use his actual phone, and had more burner phones than anyone should legally be allowed to carry. So tracking his annoyingly fine ass down was proving more difficult than she initially planned.

The stupid bastard was quick, too.

She hadn’t even given him a head start before she lost him in the streets. And now there she was, half past two in the morning, risking her house arrest, to find her jackass of a boyfriend. The city was fine during the day, but it was what lurked in the shadows that needed to be watched.

Every few blocks, she switched her powers on, listening to the thoughts around her. While she had never actually read Matt’s thoughts —she felt it was invasive; and before tonight, she thought he told her most things —she figured his would loud enough if she focused. If he could pick out her heartbeat, she should be able to pick out his thoughts. Right?

Luck was on her side when she picked up on a fight a few blocks closer to the docks. Matt’s thoughts, in fact, were not loud. But they were precise; pin pointing spots where to hit without killing them. Behind the thoughts of attacks, though, she heard him cursing himself. Telling himself to stop. That he couldn’t cross that line, no matter how angry he was.

The thought that invaded her head next, though, forced her to take off running to the docks. Whoever his opponent was, they had a trick up their sleeve that they were waiting to use. They were calculating the last possible second they could whip out a knife, knowing that even the smallest slice could incapacitate Matt with the poison that coated the blade. She couldn’t see the attacker, since Matt couldn’t either, but it didn’t matter.

As their thoughts got louder, she focused hard to pinpoint exactly where they were. The docks were full of empty containers and warehouses; the likelihood of her finding him before it was too late was diminishing. She skid to a stop when she got too close to the water, and looked around as she considered where to go. If she switched off the mind reading, she could alter the thoughts of everyone in the vicinity and confuse the attacker. But then she risked not knowing where Matt was. And it wouldn’t last long.

It was her only chance though. The attacker was getting closer to taking the blade out and she couldn’t let Matt get hurt because they had a stupid fight. Taking a deep breath, she focused for another moment, zeroing in on where they were. Matt couldn’t show her what he saw but the attacker could. A broken window, a sign —a sign; Bleakman’s Hauling.

The thoughts ceased then, and she took a deep breath. The thoughts of everyone in the area changed; just slightly. It was the same as before. Anyone being affected wouldn’t see anything different than what they were prior. But Matt’s attacker could no longer see him. They were just as blind as he was. She only had a few minutes before it would change back. With those moments, she snatched a metal pipe from the ground and took off towards the warehouse.

Hopefully this worked.

*****

He had felt his thoughts shift. Nobu’s guy was confused, violently slashing the air with a knife but they weren’t anywhere near him. Matt couldn’t see, but he could hear the knife getting closer as he took a moment, catching his breath. He was certain he had reopened the stitches she had given him, and his ribs were definitely cracked.

That shift returned, throwing Matt’s equilibrium off again. Nobu’s goon regained his composure, suddenly realizing where Matt was. He spun the knife in his hand, as another heartbeat entered the room. Matt focused on that, looking over his attacker’s shoulder as she raised the pipe and swung it into his head. The goon dropped to the ground, skull bashed in and bleeding.

Matt held his side, trying to not flinch from the pain he was in, as she dropped the pipe on the ground. She approached the body, kicking it with her boot rather unceremoniously.

“He’s dead,” she determined, though she didn’t seem overly concerned. “I didn’t think I hit him that hard.”

“He was a hard hit away from blunt force trauma,” he responded, voice hoarse. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“You should have answered your phone,” she pointed out, looking up at him now. “You look like shit.”

“You need to go home.”

“We need to go home,” she corrected, giving him a dirty look. Her attention returned to the attacker, nudging his face with her shoe. “Who is this guy?”

Matt groaned, dropping to his knees, caving to the pain. She looked back at him, unsympathetic to his pain. Unzipping the hoodie, she tossed it at him, ordering him to take off the mask and put the jacket on. Then she bent down and snagged the knife that had fallen from guy’s hand.

“Neat. I’ll add this to the ‘shit I’ve stolen from criminals’ collection.”

He couldn’t help but weakly laugh as he followed her orders. “You have one of those?”

“Do you not?” She asked, looking over the guy’s body once more as she rooted through his pockets to find an ID. “I think there’s a lot about me you don’t actually know.”

“I don’t, no,” he shook his head, zipping up the hoodie. “And apparently.”

“We need to go home.”

He nodded in agreement, the air between them turning tense. “You saved me.”

She nodded, finally looking up as Matt attempted to stand. “Of course I saved you,” she said, standing up herself to approach him. “Whatever tonight was…we’ll deal with it. It doesn’t mean that I don’t love you though. I’ll always save you.” She took his mask from his hand, stuffing it in her back pocket.

“You broke house arrest for me,” he continued, taking hold of her arm as she attempted to leave. She stopped, looking over her shoulder at him.

“Yep; hence why I’m trying to get us home.” She motioned to the door dramatically with her free hand.

Matt’s gaze was fiery, but he kept his hold on her arm. “I’m with you because you keep me guessing.”

“Excuse me?”

“You said earlier,” he explained, tugging her closer to him as he spoke. Every move was agony, but he needed to say this. “That you couldn’t imagine why else I’d be with you other than you can help me see. That’s not why I’m with you.” Matt reached up to cup her cheek, holding her there as he spoke. “I’m with you because you never do what I think you will. Look what you did tonight; I didn’t think you’d track me down.” There was a dry laugh as he brought himself back. “I’m with you because everything you do, you do because you know it’s right. I’m with you,” he whispered now, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers. “I’m with you because you remind me that there is good in this world. And I would die before I let that good be lost…I would die for you, if it meant the world got to see what you had to offer.”

He could taste the salt from her tears as she tried to hold them back. Matt wiped the stray one that escaped, closing his eyes as he held her in place for just a moment longer. Matt took a shaky breath, chest aching from the figurative heart ache and literal broken ribs.

“Please don’t die for me,” she whispered back, eyes shut as she touched his hand on her cheek.

“I can’t promise you that.”

“What can you promise me?” She asked, pulling away to look up at him.

“That I love you,” he offered, “And to talk about everything when we get home.”

She nodded some, wiping her eyes. “I’ll take it.”

———

Series Masterlist

———

Taglist (CLOSED): @thebisexual-disaster @chims-kookies @ferxaniti @heybabyshae @notalxx @gothicxbarbie @dark-night-sky-99 @blacxk-moony @celestialissues @pinkybee926 @bex-tk1 @jasontoddthezombie @killthebutt4fly @softieekayy @user897sblog @cbloodmarch @ammiddlechild @venusriver @unabashedlyswimmingtimemachine @yikes-buddy @buckyspetal @baconlover001 @flimsysquid @reh-llik @messagesinthesky @dreamypanda @happyfern2 @svft-cas @andiforgetaboutyoulongenoughh @deafeningnightcollection-things

[ladyvesuvia]

That Old Feeling

PAIRING: Bucky Barnes x 40s!Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: Even decades later, where his eyes go, your face follows. (That Old Feeling by Doris Day)

WORDS: 5.3k

REMINDER(S): cursing. death. angst. fluff. piggyback rides. mentions of reader’s hair and pigtails. reader is born 1919. usage of she/her pronouns. sometimes switches to third person. intentional grammatical errors in letters. graves.

FIC PLAYLIST (yes this has a playlist cos each part has a song because i am very extra deal with it)

A/N: this is my first time writing for the mcu szmdS i’m only at the second ep of tfatws rn sorry if this doesn’t line up with it well ALSO SPECIAL THANKS AND LOVE TO @pogueslandia FOR GIVING ME IDEAS FOR THE ENDING mwa

I. PRELUDE:  Dinosaurs in Love - Brooklyn 1928

It’s almost time for the sun to set yet the streets remained abuzz with people, but the two young children both of which were a decade old paid no mind at all, preoccupied with their typical routine: eating chocolate, knowing they’d regret it later on when their throats will begin to hurt.

Well, maybe it might be too early to call it a routine given that both had just met each other two days earlier but you’d gotten used to it already that the thought of doing it for more days to follow wasn’t so bad.

You rip open your third Butterfinger of the hour, continuing your conversation with your new friend. “I want to be famous someday, James. What about you?”

“Bucky’s alright.”

You stopped chewing on your Butterfinger. “What’s a bucky?”

“Oh, it’s my name,” he says with a smile, taking another Butterfinger from your tiny bag. You resist the urge to berate him, scared to lose a friend so quickly. “You can call me ‘Bucky.’”

“It is a cute one, I guess. But what does that have to do with anything?” 

“What does what you said have to do with anything?” 

You took a while to process it all. “What?”

“What?” he said, mocking you as he continued on eating. 

Scoffing, you took note of his banter. “You know, my Aunt Betty said that when a boy pulls a girl’s pigtails it means that he likes her.” 

“Your Aunt Betty is stupid,” Bucky snorted. 

It was hard not to laugh, so you just took the opportunity to close your bag, hiding it behind your back. “She bought me these Butterfingers. You should stop eating ‘em, then. On top of that, you should quit pulling my pigtails.”

“I’m not pulling your pigtails,” he said, shrugging. Bucky took one bite of the last of his chocolate.

You turned away. “Maybe you should.”

“But I don’t like you.”

“Good,” you said, arms crossed. “Because I don’t like you, either.”

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

II. Time Moves Slow - 2023

Even outdoors with no four walls suffocating him, James Buchanan Barnes could not help but feel his throat constricting and the world itself collapsing upon him at the sight of that face.

He hated the world for depriving him of the days he could’ve spent being woken up with a kiss on his forehead.

The world was and still remains to be cruel up to this day.

He could see you.

One billboard picture equated to lifetimes of you remaining somewhere and everywhere in his mind. It didn’t help that the best he could do to dismiss it all was to walk ahead as straight as he could.

The world knew your face so well, having recognized you as a revolutionary actress of your time — [Y/N] [Y/L/N], a timeless icon. 

You had achieved your dream, compared to James who hadn’t. Both dreams could not co-exist in the same time and place, not when his dream is to accompany you along the way.

“Watch it!” hissed a man he’d just bumped into. Bucky muttered a hushed apology.

He halts, trying to catch his breath. 

It does him no good to find that he had stopped in front of a jewelry store, the glass window the only thing separating him from the luxurious rings that rested upon its own cushion.

He had bought a ring twice: Once when he played pretend with you when you were younger and once when he thought to bring the fake stories you’d acted out together into reality only to have that very moment snatched before it could even happen.

“Where are you now, [Y/N]?” he says to himself, and yet he could not bring himself to look you up on the net properly. 

It had been too much lately: the next channel of the television, the advertisement on a cheap game he’d just installed which he uninstalled right after. . .

He hated that it was as if the world was trying to convince him you were some sort of punishment to him for dying.

As if he were to blame for something of which he had no control over.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

III. First Day of My Life - 1928

June 12, 1928

Dear Bucky,

Hello this is my first time writing a letter i like you i kind of like you. do you want cookies i am making cookies. write back and slip it under my door :) 

P.S. specify if yes or no 

Yours truelly,

[Y/N]

——

Rereading it over and over, you groaned. It’s way more pathetic than you had imagined it to be.

Common sense would tell you to throw it away but . . . 

Deciding against yourself, you stashed it into an envelope and hid it in between your notebook. 

You grabbed another piece of paper from your pack and began writing again, this time leaving out the liking him part.

——

June 12, 1928

Bucky,

Hi. do you want cookies pls write back with yes or no then slip it under my door so i can prepare much thanks.

Sincerely,

[Y/N]

——

A knock on your door.

You rushed to open it while carrying a bowl of undone dough.

Bucky walked in, carrying his own empty plate. “You got cookies?”

“I told you to slip a note!” 

“Why?” whined Bucky. “What’s the point?”

You put the bowl down to set his plate on the counter. “It’s practice for when we’re actually apart.”

He couldn’t imagine such a time. “Like when?”

“Like when we’re grownups! We’re not always going to be living next door, you know.”

“Why not?”

“Because I am going to be a famous actress and it will be hard for you to reach me. This is your fan-mail practice.” You grabbed the bowl again, jogging to the tray with parchment paper you had prepared moments ago. “Now stop asking questions and help me out over here.”

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

IV. It’s Up To You - 1942

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!” 

Shit, that’s my cue, you thought to yourself. With a gulp, you flourished your hands, posing as rehearsed with one hand on your hand and one hand gesturing to Howard Stark. With a hesitant and not so subtle glance, you skimmed the tons of crowds before you, searching for that one familiar face.

You told yourself to focus, realizing that Stark and your leader had kissed already, giving you the cue to follow and walk until you reached your spot at the back.

Soon you’d be taking one of the wheels off.

Alright, that’s not so hard, you note.

Just before your next task, you caught sight of Bucky in his uniform. He made it. He’s there. 

He tips his hat off to you with a cheeky grin. You subtly roll your eyes but immediately smile afterwards.

This, you thought, is what friends do.

It was just a crush, you had told yourself when you finally considered yourself all grown up, insisting that those feelings were long gone and only effects of having only him over most of the time growing up.

Sure, there were several pathetic confessions on your part while growing up with Bucky and several letters you decided not to send whenever you were apart but. . .

It’s all silly. Just stupid. Childish, that’s the word.

But there’s no denying that his mere ability to be present in little moments of your life brings this indescribable joy within yourself, like something you yearn for in—

“[Y/N]!” one of the girls hissed through a gritted smile, reminding you to grab the wheel.

You mouthed an apology before complying, putting on a picture-perfect smile before the audience. You kept your eyes trained on a spot just above his visor, but there were a couple of times when you’d slip up and just stare at him and he’d be looking back.

Took you a while to notice that he wasn’t alone.

Oh.

He brought a date.

That’s fine.

In a spot backstage, you caught your coach gesturing for you to straighten your posture. You do. Or at least, you try to.

The red car started to levitate and exclamations of awe from the amused audience helped you keep your feet on the ground. Your gaze kept going back to the girl right beside him, leaning a bit too close to his chest as he watched the car.

One more second of thinking about all the sweet things he told her on their way to the Stark Expo and you’d be higher up in the air than the demo car itself.

You were far too frozen that it caught you off guard when one of the front wheels sparked in error, causing the car to crash back down. You jumped and as you did so, you saw the girl he was with laugh and move a bit back closer to him.

“I did say a few years, didn’t I?” Howard Stark pointed out with a grin. Applauses and laughter scattered among the crowd, and you could tell they were still awed by what they’d just watched — a flying car!

For the rest of the presentation, the smile you have been practicing until this very moment takes its toll on your face muscles.

You tried not to look his way the entire time.

——

You’re left alone in the dressing room later on, finally getting to take off the tall black heels and black blazer. 

The tables are cluttered with opened makeup and all of the lights of nearby makeup tables are turned off aside from yours. 

You watched your reflection hesitantly, picturing what it would’ve been like to be in her place.

Nope.

No way in hell you’re doing that. 

To distract yourself for a while, you began to braid a tiny section of your hair at the side.

After realizing you’d been wasting time, you turned off the lights on your makeup table before carrying your black heels with you as you walked in the sandals you’d outgrown a while back. 

On your way out, you take a seat on one of the stairs just beside the now empty stage, pulling out a Band-Aid from your bag to put one at the back of each heel. 

“How’s the aspiring glitterati holding up?” said an approaching familiar voice. You looked up from your seat to find Bucky.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Sergeant Barnes. I’m fine, thank you.”

“You need help with that?”

“No, no, I got it,” you said with a dismissive hand. You finally finished putting the last Band-Aid and Bucky sat down right next to you. 

“Familiar?” he asks, referring to the uncanny resemblance of the present to the past; how the two of you had sat in front of your apartment stairs, waiting for the day to turn into night. It’s a lovely parallel, truly. 

And the urge to excessively comment on how much you missed those times was hard to resist, yet you did.

He rested his elbows on his knees, looking at nothing in particular just like he always did when you were kids.

“D’you want to switch hats, Sarge?” you say with your arm stretched out, the top hat you’d worn moments ago at the other end. “It must be the booze I had a year ago talking, but I think you’d look quite dashing in a top hat.”

He took your hat from your hands right before taking off his own visor. He dusts it on his uniform. “How can you be certain a rabbit won’t come out of it?”

“The same reason why I’m certain a war won’t come out of yours,” you reasoned, snatching his hat from his hand. “You know, common sense. Most of us have it.”

Bucky laughs, and that smile’s enough to forget you had limbs in the first place. 

The moment lingers, and it’s easy to pretend you hadn’t just almost messed up the whole Stark Expo upon seeing him with some other girl. 

“So, where’s . . . you know,” you said, immediately regretting it as soon as you said it. “Your date, I mean. Where is she? She was pretty.”

Bucky laughed, slapping you in the back repeatedly in the process just like he does with Steve. Just like he does with his buddies.

“Is it just me or is Miss Hollywood jealous?”

“How very arrogant of you!” you said with mock amusement, shaking him off your back with a laugh. “I’m just saying that she deserves better than a guy whose name is ‘Bucky.’ I mean, come on, that has to be the stupidest name ever to be invented.”

Bucky rubbed his chin, feigning to be in thought. “If I recall correctly, you once said it was cute.”

“You recall incorrectly,” you spat back, giggling.

“I beg to differ.”

“Well, things change.”

A pause. 

Bucky shifts in his seat. You remain frozen, and it’s a mystery whether it’s because of your aching feet or his very presence.

It’s now as if the world refuses to move.

You clear your throat. “Don’t you have anywhere you have to be?”

“Oh, right,” he starts. He clears his throat. “There’s that dancing thing.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He opens his mouth to speak but closes it again. There’s hesitation in there.

Definitely must be the exhaustion of consistent rehearsals and the lack of sleep but you could’ve sworn his gaze lingered on your face.

No, you weren’t imagining it. He really is looking at you back.

This close. So near. 

Right before you almost did the worst thing you could’ve ever done (look down at his lips), he pulled the minimal braid you’d given for yourself down hard.

“Ow! What was that for?” 

“That’s me asking you to come with me to go dancing.”

“What? Why?”

He looked anywhere but you. “Your Aunt Betty.”

Snorting, you kept your eyes on him. “Right, what does my Aunt Betty have to do with any of this?” 

He went rigid. “You know what? Forget about it. How about I walk you home instead?”

You looked at him with narrowed eyes, suspicious. “What do you want?”

“What do you mean, ‘What do I want’?”

You set the black heels you’d been holding on the stairs to cross your arms. “Why are you being nice all of a sudden? Do I have to loan you or—”

He stood up in disagreement. Bucky shook his head. “What? No! Of course not! I just . . . you know.”

To your surprise, he turned around and squatted, patting his back, gesturing for you to get on. 

“What, you don’t want a ride?” he grins. “I’m actually pretty comfy, I think.”

You laughed, remembering the time he’d carried you that way several times when you were both younger: he had said him being older meant he was practically the hero, which you said made no sense at all. 

You didn’t mind though, because the dreams that followed for the next few weeks after that were immaculate.

“James, we’re not kids anymore.”

“I can see that. Get on, doll.” He patted his back again.

This time, you obliged, albeit hesitantly. He hauled you up, and as soon as he stood up, he let the back of your knees rest on his hands. You tried hard not to flinch.

“Wouldn’t your girl, uh, get jealous, though? Or something like that?”

“You mean you?”

“What?” you blurt out in response.

He started walking now and for once, you’re just a bit glad he couldn’t see you. 

“Okay, put me down.”

“No way.”

“I’m gonna make you.” Grinning, you started flailing your arms about, making as much movement as you can until he was forced to set you down. 

Bucky raised a brow, looking at you with feigned annoyance just like he always does. “Now what?”

“What’s with you lately? Are you drunk or something?”

He shakes his head, laughing. “Nothing! However, ‘or something’ would be a reasonable category.”

“Be honest,” you say, pointing a finger at him.

“Always am.”

“Do you,” you started, trying hard not to laugh, “James Buchanan Barnes, have a thing for my Aunt Betty?”

“What?” snorted Bucky. He adjusted your top hat on his head. You almost forgot that you were wearing his hat.

“You know, when you mentioned her out of the blue, I was worried you were going to ask me if you could take her dancing. I must admit, you two would make quite a grotesque and questionable pair.”

“That was not out of the blue,” he says with a grin.

“Oh, really? How come? Explain yourself.”

“I only wanted to say that your Aunt Betty might not be as stupid as I thought she was,” he admitted. Bucky rubbed his hands together. He didn’t dare look at you, but you couldn’t blame him for refusing to do so. In fact, you were doing just the same thing. He finally talked again. “Just — alright, just get on my back.”

You hesitantly obliged, not saying a word aside from the awkward ‘Okay’ you’d just managed to say out loud.

“Hey, [Y/N]?”

“Hm?”

“I like your Aunt Betty’s niece,” said Bucky. You were glad he couldn’t see you. “Specifically the one who wants to become famous. I’d like to ask her to dance with me, too.”

“She’d like that.”

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

V. The Brooklyn Bridge - November 1944

The two of you are leaning on the railings of the street, the view of the Brooklyn Bridge standing tall not so far away. He handed you the paper bag he had been holding since he picked you up, telling you to get some of the Butterfingers he bought.

You turned away from him a bit, spotting the trash bin from afar. You put your attention back on the paper bag, putting your hand in but . . . you felt something else. 

When you pulled it out, you were more than just surprised to find a velvet box. 

Turning around, the sight of Bucky down on one knee greeted you. 

“Yeah, I should’ve thought this through,” he laughed. “I mean, I did think it through, it’s been what’s on my mind for a long time and — right, sorry, I’m talking too much — I’m aware I’m not holding the ring, that’s on me.”

Stunned, you opened the box to find the ring you had told him you wanted from years back. 

You opened your mouth to speak, about to thank him. “Bucky, I—”

“Do?”

“You idiot, of course!”

And so you pulled his hand, forcing him to stand up for you to pull him into the warmest hug he’d never forget. It’s the only thing that matters now. No honking of cars or ships would have the right to interrupt, no pigeon, nothing.

“I didn’t even get to ask the question,” he pouted after pulling away.

“Do you want to?”

“Will your answer still be the same?”

You chuckle. “Find out.”

“That’s scary.”

“Then yes, I assure you it’s the same.”

“Then will you marry me?”

“You idiot, of course.” You press a kiss on his cheek, the weight of all your fears melting away into the noise of the cars passing by in the distance. 

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

VI. Soldier Boy - December 1944

Under the dark night sky, Bucky had prepared a blanket on top of the grass for the two of you to lie down on. He’s holding your hand, playing with your fingers and you’re looking up at the stars, waiting for one to shoot past.

“I’ll marry you when I get back,” he says, kissing your hand. “Then I’ll make you cookies afterward.”

“Can you?” you tease.

“[Y/N], I’m willing to do anything for you. If baking cookies is what it takes to make you happy, then baking cookies it is.”

“Maybe this time, they won’t get burnt.”

“It won’t. Because we’ll have James junior guarding it.”

You snort. “Oh, there’s a James junior now?”

“Of course there is! Who’d be guarding the cookies, then?”

“Well, what if it’s a girl?”

Bucky scoffed. “Pfft, who cares? We’ll do both!”

“Wow, you are so in love with me,” you joke, squeezing his hand. 

“Glad you noticed, doll.”

“I’ll miss you, you know.”

“I know,” he nods. 

Bucky sat up a bit, enough for him to turn your way and rest his head on the palm of his hand.

“It’ll be quick, I promise. I’ll be back before you know it. You’ll get to wear your pretty dream dress and we’ll even have your Aunt Betty in the front row and give her a specialized thank you card. She’d be so confused.”

“I like that,” you reply with a grin. “Yeah, maybe even have her as my maid-of-honor.”

He kisses your hand. “You better not stop loving me while I’m away, alright?”

“Bold of you to assume that’s even possible.”

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

VII. INTERLUDE: Last Night on Earth - January 1945

It’s true that your life flashing before your eyes in death is a predictable cliche, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s true.

Take this man falling to his death, for example. 

See, when you fall, there’s no time to think for yourself, so your head does it for you. Your fragile, little mind filled with stories one always assumes they’d tell in years to come. 

He doesn’t see the wintry landscape unfurling before his eyes, no.

What he does see, however, is a burnt cookie on his plate and he could hear a mumbled apology somewhere. 

He sees a striped vest. Black heels on a tiny staircase.

His hat on someone else’s head; that someone else’s hat on his.

The Brooklyn Bridge.

The wars he’d fought so hard to survive in to come back home and see that someone instead of writing letters that constantly fail to represent himself.

He’s still falling.

The best he could do is to wish she knew. 

Knew that his love is more than just the ring he’d bought her, more than the Butterfingers they’d once shared; more than the hat they’d exchanged; more than the burnt cookies he accepted nonetheless; more than the fake telephone they made together with tin cans they got from canned goods they’d collected and thread from her mother’s sewing kit; more than everything.

The last thing he saw was not the snow on the rocky ridges of the mountain. Instead, he saw that face. Yours.

And it all went dark.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

VIII. Lonesome Town - 1945

It has been a total of twenty-three days since Steve broke the news to you. Twenty-three days of madness. 

You had opened your box of unsent letters, mixes of both rejected drafts and complete ones.

You had lost him once already. 

If I had sent all of these, would we have had more time to spare?

——

November 13, 1937

Dear Bucky,

This is just a brief note to apologize for my lack of responsiveness for the past month. I hardly know what to say! It sure does cost a sweat to bump guns, doesn’t it? 

See, it has been quite a busy few days. Now, don’t blow your wig just yet but I have tried auditioning for a play. I would be lying if I said it was even remotely close to bearable; ten more busted auditions and I am more than certain you’d call me a crumb.

In response to you writing, ‘Don’t be a stranger,’ worry not because I’ll try very hard not to. 

You must be missing my voice enough to write to me twice in a week. Might I suggest the telephone? Kidding, Buck.

I hope this letter finds you before the month ends. Hoping to run into you sometime.

Your friend,

[Y/N]

——

You hadn’t responded at all to those two letters he’d sent back then. 

And drifted apart you did.

Around the first time in a long time you met, you had blamed it on your hectic schedule.

The next time you met again, you had blamed it on the post.

But now you only have yourself to blame. At least, that’s what’s been running in your head for some time now. Your friends tell you otherwise but it’s just . . . difficult to not hold it against yourself, not when you had made up excuses for your cowardice.

It’s the multitudes of good possibilities that could’ve turned out that makes the loss even greater. 

The ring on your finger is now but a mere false promise to paradise. There will be no furniture to arrange. At least, nobody to arrange it with. There will be no walls to paint. There will be no such thing as growing old together. 

But you wouldn’t deprive yourself of hope. Your friends would call it denial but the tiniest possibility of him still being out there . . . you did not mind.

There is a fine line between hope and denial, you just happened to be in between.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

IX. Museum of Flight - 2023

The sheer curiosity finally allowed him to want to find out about what has become of you. It’s been, what, seventy-eight years since he last saw you?

Must be the shows he’d been playing in the background but a part of him he considers the pathetic part is still hoping.

Maybe, just maybe, you were more than just a grave or scattered ashes.

Bucky had found a museum dedicated to you in the process of his hesitant research, a discovery he found nerve-wracking. 

The [Y/N] [Y/L/N] Museum. 

He knew you’d have laughed at the irony of it, maybe even teased him how your nine year old self would have lost her shit.

Which brings us to this moment, with Bucky standing before another exhibit. Just like he did with Steve’s.

How many more exhibits of people who are gone  does he have to attend?

He barely notices there’s other people in the room. Once again, he mumbles an apology before proceeding to one particular figure in the room.

There you stood, holding a withering bridal bouquet. 

You’re wearing a wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. The dress is soiled with mud at the bottom but he found you as beautiful as the day he lost you.

“[Y/N]?” he manages to say out loud, waiting for you to speak. 

You didn’t blink, much less look back at him.

He’s convinced he’s dreaming until he looks down to find a plaque indicating a quote.

“With the misery of grief, I am glad I had the luxury of being a bride after being deprived of being one,” the plaque reads, and under it, in much smaller text, was your name and 1950 right beside it.

Another plaque right beside it states something else — Bride in Ruins.

He returns his gaze back to you.

A wax figure. All of you reduced to that of sculpted wax. 

It’s hard not to hate those who’ve created this imposter, but he couldn’t help but be grateful to see you. 

His throat constricts, his eyes redden.

Apparently, the role you played became your biggest break, and this outfit and pose in particular had been a classic since then.

Posters of movies you’ve starred in lined the walls along with . . . what?

Bucky stepped out of his daze to approach the numbers of yellowed papers attached to the wall inside the glasses.

He stood before it, starting with the one right in front of him.

——

March 10, 1940

Dear Bucky,

One half of the folks would regard this letter cowardly and the other romantic, but I’ll let you decide. 

Firstly, Happy Birthday, Buck. It’s unfortunate that we are apart. I haven’t got a clue on what I want to say and I’m trying to save my new fountain pen’s ink so here goes. 

Night by night, I am conflicted by the fear I could never seem to shake that whatever might come after I reveal myself to you you would leave and frankly, I have no intentions of losing a friend.

The thing is, James, adoration and other words would never be able to express how I feel. how much I lo

——

The rest is illegible what with the several crossed out sentences.

Beside it, several papers are attached, and his eyes skimmed over each and every one.

There’s no book or tutorial written for how one should react on the instance that you find unsent letters of your fiancée from the past when she thought you were long gone.

——

June 15, 1928

Buck,

Come over bring tuna the one in can 

Sinserely,

[Y/N]

——

He could remember that day. You hadn’t sent any letter at all. You did, however, come over with a brand new looking sewing kit and one empty can of tuna. You had pulled one of the chairs in his dining room to the kitchen counter to help yourself reach another can of tuna from the upper cabinets.

The large screen at the other part of his room drew his attention, and so Bucky made his way towards it.

A plaque under it read, “Interview 1951.”

Your face once more. “. . .Oh, I’ve had my fair share of romance six years prior and the years before that.”

“Is it true that you were engaged?” asked the host.

You stiffened in the screen, yet kept your smile on nonetheless. “Why, I see no reason to deny an epic romance I once had — Yes, I was. On the Brooklyn Bridge, might I add.”

Bucky turned away. 

Clothes you wore once surrounded him along with pictures of you from movies you starred in. 

You made it.

And he knew it would only be fair if he did, too.

No matter the circumstances.

Bucky spent a good half hour roaming around, studying the posters. He would have attended each and every single play in the start and watched every movie of yours on the first day of it at the theatres. Though it pains him a great deal to miss out on every milestone you’ve achieved, he’s proud.

If it makes it any better, he’d have bragged about you to his friends and colleagues. 

My wife is a star.

All those pretend stories you’ve acted out together was and still remains up to this day worth it, to say the very least.

1919-2000, the writings read.

He had kept a picture of you in his chest pocket and one stuck right on the walls near his bunk bed and in his barrack’s closets and here he now stands in an exhibit dedicated to remembering you.

Bucky pays one last glance at the wax figure that represented you before leaving with a fair closure before leaving the exhibit.

A beautiful bride, indeed.

Maybe one day, he’d be able to bring himself to watch all those movies you’ve made but right now. . .

He could only wish for everything to stop haunting him first, you included.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

X. POSTLUDE: Old Times - 2023

He went a long way to see you, just like he’s always done countless times before.

Here he stands now, with no wax figure or a face. Instead, a tall stone cross marked where you lay. Aside from the rough foundation, flowers surrounded the remaining grass.

Untucking his hands from his pockets, he pulls out a paper bag. 

This time, it wasn’t a ring. 

Bucky pulled out one piece of cookie he’d made and pulled another one for himself. He sets the other one just tucked in the abundance of the flowers and takes a bite from the piece he saved for himself.

Weirdly enough, he found that an engraved marking of your name gave him a lot more solace than a wax figure. 

He crouches down to re-adjust how he’d placed the cookie. “An unburnt cookie as promised for you, doll.”

As soon as he got on a bus, Bucky finally crossed out your name on his list, the weight in his chest being crossed out along with it.

A/N: yes i put a how to train your dragon reference and what about it???

click here to be added to my MCU taglist.

MARVEL TAGLIST:

[storiesforallfandoms]

how they react when you walk in covered in blood and carrying a gun ~ mcu

request?: no

warnings: swearing, mentions of guns and violence

masterlist (one, two)

*only using the og six plus bucky, wanda and loki because there’s way too many marvel characters rn; also based off of a tiktok by anniedvorak!*

BRUCE BANNER/HULK:

The last person you expected to see when you entered Thor’s room on Sakaar with the intentions of saving him was your boyfriend, Bruce. He had been lost for so long, you had let your heart let go of him. But there he was, stood with a cloth wrapped around his waist after having turned back from the Hulk.

You were tempted to walk back out. This wasn’t exactly how you wanted Bruce to see you - an alien gun in hand and blood splattered over your face and clothes. But it was too late, he was already looking at you with wide eyes.

“(Y/N),” he said, turning to approach you but stopping halfway. You weren’t sure if he had stopped because of the blood or because he was still technically naked. “What are you...what did you...?”

“I’m trying to save Thor,” you responded. “Listen, we don’t have much time. I can explain everything once all of us are off of this planet. Put some pants on, we’re getting out of here.”

~~~~~~

BUCKY BARNES/THE WINTER SOLDIER:

You walked in after a surprise run in with the Flag Smashers. Bucky already looked about ready to kill someone, but when you walked through the door of Zemo’s apartment, blood covering your face and your gun clutched tightly in your hand, his face turned red with anger.

“What the hell happened to you?” Sam asked.

“Flag Smashers,” you breathed in response.

“I’m gonna fucking kill them,” Bucky hissed, abandoning his drink on the counter and making his way to the door.

You put a hand up to stop him. “I think that ship has sailed. This isn’t all my blood.”

Bucky cupped your face in his hands, his face softening as he looked at you. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” you insisted. “I just need a shower, and maybe a visit to a hospital or something. They hit me pretty hard, I think I have some bruised ribs or something.”

He kissed your forehead and took your gun from your still shaking hands. Once it was safely put aside, he brought you into the bathroom to help you bathe and to start dressing your wounds.

~~~~~~

CLINT BARTON/HAWEYE:

You were extremely lucky that Clint worked with someone like Natasha regularly, or else he would’ve been much more concerned when you arrived home from work covered in blood and still carrying you gun. He barley looked up from the TV as you walked through the door, immediately racing for your bedroom so you could shower and change.

“Hard day at work?” he called as you passed by.

“That last target they sent me after put up a hell of a fight,” you responded. “By the time I finally got him, I realized how late it was and rushed home immediately. I’m glad S.H.I.E.L.D issues those SUVs with the tinted windows or else I definitely would’ve been pulled over for suspicious activity.”

Clint chuckled and rose from his seat. He walked into your shared bedroom as you were pulling off you bloodstained clothes and throwing them into a pile to be tossed out eventually. His eyes raked over your body as you looked up at him.

“Red looks good on you,” he said, a teasing smirk pulling at his lips.

“That’s gross,” you teased. “You’re gross. Just for that, you can’t shower with me.”

He groaned as you walked into the bathroom and locked the door before he could follow you in. 

~~~~~~

LOKI:

The sly smirk on Loki’s face was enough to almost rid you of the annoyance you felt after what you just had to do. Almost.

You walked up to the panel that controlled his glass cage. You could’ve easily figured out how to deal with it, but instead you shot the control panel. Sparks flew from it before Loki’s prison sprung open.

“Seems like a bit of overkill,” he commented.

“Shut it,” you hissed. “You told me it was going to be easy to break you out. You failed to mention the entire team of guards that were watching this room, and, oh yeah, the team of super humans that were assembled to face you?!”

Loki walked free of his cage, taking a dramatic deep breath before smiling to himself. “Well, doesn’t seem like you had an issue with them, as I knew you wouldn’t.”

He approached you, arms out as if he were going to hug you and try to kiss you. You poked his stomach with the barrel of your gun, glaring up at him.

“Come one step closer and we see how much damage a mortal weapon can do to a God.”

Loki put his hands on your shoulders, keeping you a fair distance away to heed your warning. “I’m sorry for not giving you a proper warning. Thank you for freeing me, I do appreciate it.”

You allowed yourself to relax against his touch and smiled a little. “You’re welcome.”

“Now, let’s get out of here, shall we?”

“You’re doing all the work this time.”

~~~~~~

NATASHA ROMANOFF/BLACK WIDOW:

It probably wasn’t a good idea, but you didn’t know where else to go. Natasha had always warned you about the Red Room, and you were so stupid to not listen to her.

Now you were stood on her doorstep, covered in blood that wasn’t yours, your gun dangling from your hand as you wished to drop it but also too scared to let it go. It was what Natasha looked at first when she opened the door - the gun, then to your blood covered face.

“Put the gun down,” she said, her voice calmer than you expected.

You gratefully allowed her to take it from your hand as you felt tears starting to well in your eyes. She pulled you in for a hug, where you started to sob on her shoulder. She took a quick look around to make sure you weren’t followed before bringing you into her house.

“Go get cleaned up,” she told you. “We’ll figure out your next step together.”

~~~~~~

STEVE ROGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA:

You showed up to Sam’s shortly after Steve had brought Natasha. You could barley keep yourself up, the fight had taken everything out of you. You were sure Sam was going to turn you away - you were a stranger showing up on his doorstep covered in blood with a gun in your hand. You were pleasantly shocked when he stepped aside and told you where to find Steve.

Poor Steve. He was already trying to help Natasha, who had been in the same situation as you just with a lot less blood. She was resting when you walked in, dazed and just wanting to also rest.

He was up in seconds, reaching out to wrap you in his arms despite the blood covering you.

“The Winter Soldier is one mean fucker,” you breathed, resting your head against Steve’s chest. “I think he finally got wore out and ran off. Unfortunately, I was wore out about an hour before he was, but I kept going.”

“You should’ve given up long ago, honey,” he said.

“I’m not a pussy,” you said with a slight laugh. “Although I am starting to succumb to the pain.”

He picked you up into his arms and carried you to the bathroom where he helped you to rinse the blood off of your body so you could finally rest.

~~~~~~

THOR:

It was a side of you that Thor had never seen before. He had lost you during the battle in Sokovia and was expecting the worst when he couldn’t get you over the coms. When you showed back up to jet, blood covering your tired looking face, he was overjoyed to see you were alright, but also a little shocked by your appearance.

“Those fuckers really thought they had me,” you said, a half laugh bubbling on your lips. “They were a little shocked when I got the upper hand on them. Even more shocked when I shot them dead.”

“I was worried for you, (Y/N),” Thor said, cupping your face in his hands as he approached you. “I truly thought they had taken you from me.”

You smirked up at him. “You really have no faith in me at all them, do you? Or you just underestimate me. I’m a little offended on both accounts, though.”

Thor smiled back at you. “Of course, I would never doubt you. Just a bit of fear is all.”

“When you two are done being gross,” came Tony’s voice from inside the jet, “we’d like to get back to the tower. I think (Y/N) needs a shower and a fresh change of clothes more than anything.”

~~~~~~

TONY STARK/IRON MAN:

“Miss (Y/L/N) incoming Mr. Stark.”

“Tell her to come back at another time, J.A.R.V.I.S, I’m busy right now.”

“I don’t think it can wait, sir.”

Tony looked up to see you walking through the door to his lab, your body trembling as you clutched the gun tightly in your hand. There was a splatter of blood over your shirt and some on your face. You looked up at him, looking like a helpless child.

He quickly walked over to you, his hand automatically reaching for the gun. You gladly let him take it, feeling like a weight had been lifted the moment the weapon was out of your hands.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I-I was attacked at-at home,” you stuttered. “I don’t know how they got in, I don’t know who they were. I walked into my house and was blindsided by these two men trying to attack me. I got the gun out of the hands of one of them and I...I...”

Your hands moved to mimic the action of shooting your attackers, but you couldn’t actually bring yourself to say you had done it. You didn’t want to admit to having shot anyone, even if it was in self defense.

Tony placed the gun aside and took you into his arms. You stopped fighting against the lump that had formed in your throat and began to sob into his chest. He ran a hand through your hair, calming you down.

“It’s okay,” he said, soothingly. “It’s alright. I got you now. I won’t let anyone else try to hurt you.”

~~~~~~

WANDA MAXIMOFF/SCARLETT WITCH:

You didn’t think of Tommy and Billy. You didn’t think about the perfect neighborhood Wanda had created. You didn’t even think about Vision, or the version of Vision she had created. Your only thoughts were getting to Wanda before Hayward and his people could.

She was horrified when she opened the door. Of course she was; you were stood at her doorstep, a ghost from the life she wanted to forget, holding a gun with blood splattered on your face.

“You have to get out of here,” you said before she could speak. “You have to break down that boarder and you need to get out of here now.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice still in its sitcom mode. “Please leave before I call the police.”

You grabbed hold of her shoulders before she could walk away, startling her.

“Wanda, you have to listen to me. You know what’s happening here because you are controlling it all. I know that, everyone outside the Hex knows that. Including the S.W.O.R.D director Hayward, who is trying to break through your barrier right now to kill you. I know you don’t want to lose this perfect life you’ve made, but your are in real danger. You need to get out of here.”

It seemed like she was understanding. A hurt look passed over her face as she turned to look into the house where her perfect family was likely residing. She took a deep breath and turned back to you.

“Let’s go.”

[twinchromatid]

my brain is making waves rn

the reason why peter being alone and completely forgotten is so heartbreaking to me is bc he’s always been better in a team. mcu!peter is very dependent on others. i mean, take tony, aunt may, and ned for example. we’ve always known tom’s peter as someone who has his mentor, his aunt, and his guy in the chair to help him.

they even mention that the other peter parkers have never really worked with others as spider-man. they’ve always been independent, and don’t know how to work as a team. thats what sets them apart from tom hollands spiderman.

tom!peter being completely on his own is a drastic change for his character, and seeing how he learns to adapt to his new life is going to be really interesting.

[destinyc1020]

I think some anons are taking it that Tom doesn’t want Andrew and Tobey in his movies cause they would overshadow him or whatever. I think the real issue is that narratively it makes no sense. Tom has said the story needs to make sense for him to do the next one. A grounded story is what makes sense moving forward (based on where we left off- Andrew and Tobey went back to where they came from, like how will they explain them going back 😩) but clearly Sony want to just make money (like nwh was a phenomenon whose success will not be replicated no matter what they try) and don’t really care about the plot. Hence the crossroads between marvel and Sony rn. It’s obvious the mcu wants an overhaul cause things have not been going well. But Sony just throws money at any thing with the hopes of making even more money (see Morbius). Like it doesn’t even have to make sense for Sony, they just be doing anything.

I personally definitely want a more grounded story with SM 4 as well, and this is where I ASSUMED the Sony/Marvel Spiderman film was headed after seeing the ending of NWH. I also feel like they were sort of gearing us up for a possible Spiderman/Venom movie in the future. 🤷🏾‍♀️

I was very happy with this. 😊

I think we really need to be careful with all of these SM rumors that are coming out. Are the sources actually legit??? 🥴 I know I personally don't believe anything fully that comes out of RPK or World of Reel or whatever. 🙄

Unless it's coming from Variety, Deadline, or another reputable source (and not just TWITTER 🙄), I think fans need to be very cautious. Fans are getting all worked up over a RUMOR about Sony and Marvel regarding Tom's Spiderman, and it might not even be true? 🤷🏾‍♀️

Just saying.....

Anyway,, it does kind of bother me that it's been almost 3 years since the last movie came out, and they haven't really said anything concrete regarding SM4. Idk if that's coz Tom wanted a break, or wanted to negotiate more money or more creative involvement, or isn't pleased with where the story is heading, or WHAT....

But it does make me worry a little bit.... I'll be honest.

But maybe it is best to NOT jump in too soon on smthg. The first 3 films were a trilogy. So that's why we always heard quickly about the next film. But now, maybe they are looking to gear up for the next phase of Spiderman.

I guess we just have to be patient and see what happens? 🤷🏾‍♀️

I mean, honestly? If Tom doesn't like where the storyline is going, then, as sad as it would be, I'd actually rather him leave the tights and spandex, and fully retire his Spiderman character. 👋🏾

Even he mentioned himself that he wasn't really wanting to be playing Spiderman in his 30s. 👀

I would like for him to at least do SM4 (only because NWH ended with such a huge cliffhanger! 😭), but if he doesn't feel like it's right, then, oh well! I'd rather him just leave than compromise what his heart is telling him.

Jmho. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[noona96n]

Hey off topic maybe a bit weird questions but do you have favourite beyond evil fics?

Or fics in general for any fandom tbh I'm interested in your tastes but beyond evil is where I'm at rn and you like that show, so..

my absolute fav Beyond Evil fics that i implore u to read it 🥺👉👈

here is the deepest secret (everyone knows) WIP, NOT RATED

like pressing buttons E

consign me not to darkness G

a cherry-petal eye G

in my breath again T

prison visit M

devotion as a blood sport T

on the hook of your splendor E

other Beyond Evil fics that i also love

reeled in E

i don’t know much about gentleness, but i will protect you from now on. T

in the fields that day M (TAGS)

cat whisperer T

and i watch you breath as i stood bleeding T

i'll wait by the stairs for you, wrapped up in smoke T

my own soul's warning T

i carry my love for you like my teeth T

tempest. T

the social network

wend and repeat (until true) E

in the details M

read 73 between 76 the 85 lines T

doing it right E

MCU

blóð ok Íss: a Fairy Tale E (PAIRING)

eidolon M (PAIRING)

the act of creation will be your salvation M

she is not a terra-cotta warrior T

the supersoldier's amnesiac groom E

tin soldier T

every shade of you T

nirvana in fire

provenance M

catharsis G

no grave can hold my body down NOT RATED

a rose by any other name would smell as sweet M

you've got mail T

the origin of pearl T

your hair is time E

a suitable man T

bleach

seed E (TAGS)

always leaving NOT RATED

star wars

an inevitability E (TAGS)

mission reports G

perceptions G

currents E (PAIRING)

waking up besides you im a loaded gun E (TAGS)

eleven stars G

handpicked G

minute E (PAIRING+TAGS)

dreamfield E

even as E (PAIRING+TAGS)

to have and to hold E (TAGS)

naruto

anchor up to me love M

blessed T

change fills my time M

rest with me until a brighter day M

everyday is exactly the same T

fate & circumstances T

fill your mouth with berries E

shadows in the sand E

touch-starved T (PAIRING)

sunburned T (PAIRING)

got7

dear desperado, i dont wanna be alone T

coming home G

spades two E

we best love

ten, twenty, infinity (hold me) T

querencia E

bungou stray dogs

of days past T

o children (give my gun away when it's loaded) M

the mourning after M

brute E

the king eternal monarch

the stars are filming us for no one E

the oppa trap E

figure skating (RPF)

tête-à-tête G

ur shadow on the back of my hand G

sherlock

the imaginary friend G

misdialed T

reigen seliger geister NOT RATED (TAGS)

jujutsu kaisen

u hear the day beckoning T

countdown to success T

the care & feeding of T

instructions for self destruction T

the old guard

shoreline T

hannibal

phillia E (TAGS)

wolf & i E (TAGS)

the fault in my code E (TAGS)

my roommate is a detective

domesticity is intimacy earned G

star trek

into dust E

gravity falls

imprinting M (PAIRING)

mad maxy fury road

the allmother of the citadel T

howl's moving castle (ghibli movie)

hearts & their consumption T

the lord of the rings

the long road T

the gap between us NOT RATED

and miles to go before i sleep T

chernobyl (hbo)

they that do not deserve the light E

stray kids

kim & bang T

harry potter

and we mend our broken wings T

and in their triumph die, like fire & powder T

2 moons

doubt ur intentions T

eagle of the ninth

what is begotten T

haikyuu

on stranger tides T

brunch friends M

shining stars T

i have like 600 fics bookmarked as 'favorite', so, uh, sorry if there are too many, i just couldn't decide which one to rec esp when there's no specific fandom 😭✋

also, im fully aware that some fics are v disturbing but they're written so beautifully despite the subject matter but also my tolerance is fckn high as fck i read dead dove do not eat fics w/o batting an eyelash lmao

also also i was forced to wrap up here bcs i reached 100 links limit rip sorry about that... hope u enjoy this long and draw out list tho 😅 and if u want more, im happy to continue the list lol

[ashdumpsterpile]

Please tell us how sambucky succeeded while stucky crashed and burned

Good evening anon! I hope you're having a wonderful day. <3 Thank you for dropping into my inbox! I love it when people ask me MCU-related questions, and this happens to be a specific one that I've been sitting on for a while.

(Warning: this post is slightly anti-Stucky. Please scroll past if you are a shipper as this post isn't for you.)

Why SamBucky Succeeded While Stucky Crashed and Burned: A Controversial Study in Fandom Drama

The main problem lies within Stucky.

The majority of the problems with Stucky surround the fanbase rather than the ship itself. The ship itself is generally unproblematic--if not tasteless as whitebread--and exactly the kind of ship I’d expect basic fans to be obsessed over. The MCU isn’t the first big fandom I’ve dipped my toes in and it certainly won’t be the last. Stucky fans are what ruined it for me, though. What’s wrong with Stucky shippers you say? I’m so glad you asked.

I use the phrase “bland gay ship for straight girls” or “shipping two white men” every once in a while, but trust me I don’t throw around the phrases lightly. As someone who was told I was a cringy straight girl shipping two men together when I was like 13, it really rubs me wrong when people generalize all shippers that way. (Especially considering I actually was queer but didn't know it at the time.)

For most queer teens, they find safety and validity in shipping two people that they identify as also queer or as having similar characteristics to themselves. Sometimes two white male actors do have that chemistry and sometime’s the writing is that good.

There is nothing wrong with shipping two white men and people have got to stop calling everyone who ships those kinds of relationships as “ships for 13-year-old straight girls.” Like seriously STOP.

But.

Can queer people please please stop shitting all over m/f ships. I know I know, y’all are upset about the heteronormativity of it all and you hate the “straighties,” but two things: a) when you bash healthy, canonical m/f ships you are shitting all over straight trans people and bisexual/pansexual/polysexual people and b) there is NOTHING INHERENTLY WRONG with m/f ships even--oh god I’m going to say it--even if both characters are 100% cishet.

Is it misogyny? I don’t actually know. Is it a problem I should be addressing in a 1k essay on why Sambucky is thriving while Stucky crashed and burned? Eh, probably not, but it’s worth mentioning. Mainly because as long as we’re going to talk about Stucky, we need to address the fact that A) Stucky fans are hugely problematic (hence the weird hate for Peggy Carter--and I’m not even touching on the Sharon Carter hate rn) and B) they feel like they are owed something by canon.

Let’s be perfectly clear on that last statement, Stucky Fans act like they are owed something.

Controversial take on Tumblr: fans aren’t owed anything by creators.

I’m sure it’s one thing if a creator specifically promises something to their fans, but after sitting through the actual superhell that the SPN fandom became for 12+ years, it has come to my attention that fans are incredibly entitled over what they are “owed”. I understand the disappointment and I understand being devastated by how canon actually turned out, but the amount of hate Peggy Carter received overnight after Endgame (2019) was astounding. Never mind the fact that her arc was actually botched worse than Steve’s, somehow it was her fault that Steve decided to ditch his “one true love” for *checks notes*...his toxic almost date.

Honestly, iwasonceafangirl on reddit wrote a much better post on the issue of Steggy vs. Stucky drama that went down that I highly recommend reading. It sums up my feelings on the matter pretty well.

So to summarize, Stucky fans threw a huge rage fit over the Russo brothers canonically tying Steve’s arc up with a Steggy bow, and are still trying to recover. They throw hate at everyone from Peggy fans for having the canon ship to RDJ himself because they took the “pick a side” schtick from CA:CW too seriously and think it’s a personality trait to be Team Cap.

And, above all else, the MCU is homophobic for not making their ship canon.

The MCU itself is not necessarily homophobic--I would argue that Disney and executives who greenlight decisions in the MCU are homophobic--but for some reason, if you don’t ship Stucky you’re branded as a homophobe? Make it make sense.

I also hear a lot of shit from fans about how Stucky was queerbaited and honestly I don’t see it. I’ve been in fandoms where the queerbaiting was off the fucking charts and in other fandoms where the queerbaiting was just subtle enough to slide under the rug, and Stucky doesn’t lie in either of those camps.

Honestly, it comes across as a friendship between two people who consider each other brothers. You can argue to the end of the day that lines like “until the end of the line” are romantic--and in the right context they are--but the lack of chemistry between the actors and the lack of marketing that would imply the two of them as a ship for views...if there was any queerbaiting it was minimal. Non-existent, if you will.

For the most part, Stucky is just another bland, MCU ship that somehow became the most popular MCU ship besides Stony and Pepperony (according to ship stats on ao3 in 2020).

I would hazard a guess that one of the reasons it’s the most popular is that it’s been around the longest. Well, longest gay ship at least.

If we’re looking at the MCU movie lineup, The First Avenger was the 5th release in Phase One. The first film, Iron Man (2008), featured Pepperony--(a truely underrated ship that doesn’t get enough attention bc y’all can wrap your minds around healthy m/f relationships)--which wasn’t going to get a lot of traction until later movies.

It also set up Iron Husbands, but that ship also doesn’t gain a lot of traction until Iron Man 2 (2010), when they switch out Terrance Howards for Don Cheadle and we get that sweet “married for forty years” chemistry between Tony and Rhodey.

Still, Iron Husbands is a rarepair, probably because it’s an interracial ship. If we’re talking Tony ships, Pepperony is the first in the lineup, which is why I would guess it’s the third most popular ship.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) was second in that lineup and hardly worth mentioning (despite my undying love for Norton, but that’s off topic). We can scrap that film of characters and ships.

After that you get Thor (2011) which featured Fosterson (and Th/orki if you’re nasty) which also wasn’t going to get a lot of traction, not because it wasn’t canon yet, but because it’s a m/f ship.

Then, finally, you get Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) a film that features two white men that we can finally ship without there being technical incest!

So the first MCU film comes out to feature two men that the fandom was okay with shipping.

(Again, nothing wrong with shipping two white men, but it does become a problem when you ignore/bash POC/interracial ships to the determinant of your own white ship.)

Th/orki’s a bust (because again INCEST), Iron Husband’s doesn’t have the chemistry/isn’t white enough for audiences, m/f’s are pushed to the side by shippers, and any other male characters haven’t interacted in canon as of yet.

But what’s the appeal? Why is Stucky the ship of the MCU when we have other noncanonical gems like IronStrange and WinterIron. (Not being sarcastic, those two ships genuinely slap.)

The answer to that is the crux of my thesis.

Why Did SamBucky Succeed While Stucky Crashed and Burned

Well, the answer to that lies in chemistry. I mentioned above that Evans and Stan lacked the kind of chemistry I usually observe in most ships that are queerbaited or otherwise. That isn’t to say that they’re bad actors or their characters don’t come across as friends. They do, however, lack intimacy and passion.

I’m not joking.

Let me ask you this: what do these ships have in common?

If your answer was "Tony Stark" yes you're right, but no that's not the point. The point is, in all of these very VERY different ships with incredibly different dynamics. The SAME PERSON is in all of these gifs. And yet each dynamic is vastly different and still incredibly interesting. I've said before that Tony Stark is the most shippable character in the MCU, but honestly it comes down to how amazing of an actor RDJ is and how elegantly he's able to convey intimacy, longing, and hate with a single glance.

Stucky...the closest I can come to seeing the chemistry in Stucky is here:

And that's mostly props to Sebastian Stan for having puppy eyes. Besides a few instances where Evans and Stan manage to convey the kind of intimacy stans say they have in the movies, most of the time Stucky gives us the same, boring dynamic that's tired of itself.

Literally the plot to EVERY SINGLE movie that features Steve and Bucky they have the SAME DYNAMIC and the SAME DILEMMA. Bucky’s in trouble and Steve has to save him.

It is beyond me why Stucky is the most shipped ship in the MCU--literally, the only reason I can fathom it is with my explanation of Stucky being the first white m/m ship in the fandom--when there is literally no chemistry or drama.

What even is their dynamic beyond “yeah we were childhood friends but we never actually talk or act like it” and “Steve has to save Bucky again”? You reach Endgame and the “Steve has to save Bucky again” agenda is on it’s fifth (?) run and then boom! Steve suddenly abandons Bucky in present-day to marry his old flame Peggy Carter and like…

Yeah I can see why Stucky fans are mad bc not only does that not make sense--considering the way previous films with them have gone--but also it proves my point. They have no romantic chemistry.

Stucky crashed and burned because Steve had more chemistry with a married woman he shared one movie with from the 1940s than the guy he promised “to the end of the line” with. There was absolutely nowhere the writers could go with them. What were they going to do? Make another movie where Steve has to save Bucky again?

“bUt tHEy cOUlD haVE mADe tHEm cANOn!?!?11!”

No, they really couldn’t. Besides the fact that Disney is never going to have a queer main character due to being unable to market their films in China and the fact that their executives are homophobic, Stucky was never set up to be canon at any point.

Yes, there are ships that weren’t supposed to be canon that lead to becoming canon because the actors had mad chemistry or that’s where the story led them, but the story didn’t lead to Stucky becoming canon and honestly? They don't have the chemistry.

So why does SamBucky work?

Tell me their chemistry doesn’t just radiate from the screen. Say it to my face.

Sam and Bucky work because their characters actually have somewhere to go and they feel like actual partners rather than two people canon says are partners. We actually get to see their relationship progress and grow strong. Stucky is a huge fan of tell but don’t show. SamBucky is the exact opposite.

I haven’t even seen TFATWS straight through yet--(honestly I wasn’t going to touch the MCU ever again and I’m not really up to watch military propaganda: mcu edition, but Loki (2021) is slowly dragging me back in)--and I can already tell that the writing, the characters, and the atmosphere is 1000% more interesting than any Captain America movie ever was.

I don’t even have to go into a huge, in-depth analysis on why SamBucky works because compared to Stucky? Any Bucky ship is better. SamBucky just happens to be the closest m/m to canon and we just got new content for it.

(Also Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie have mad chemistry, but y'all can see that from the gifs and if you've watched the show.)

SamBucky works because they have the chemistry and storyline to support their relationship, romantic or platonic. Stucky crashed and burned because it was a stale dynamic that had nothing left to offer.

[serpentargo]

for those of y'all who say that sambucky scenes don't look gay, or even if they do, it's all by an accident, or that's all anthony and sebastian i just want to tell you something:

marvel isn't dumb. any hint of gayness, especially the visual one - it's always a big no-no. they're making everything 'no homo' (with some rare exceptions), and we all know it.

stackie are stackie, but they're qualified, educated and experienced professionals, they know what amount of their chemistry to leave on and off screen.

now, directors, writers and producers were choosing the scenes to put into the final version of the series. there were many shots done, just compare the trailers. so why did they choose the ones they chose? (keep the first point i wrote in mind). i'm sure there were different kinds of shots done, some gayer, some not. but we got what we got, and if you actually replace sam or bucky with a woman - it's a love story, romcom, without a question.

i don't know where i'm going with all of this, but it's just sometimes i have this internal debate on whether sambucky will actually become canon or not, and my hopeful self has these arguments, so i decided to write them here. i know i may sound too hopeful, but... who knows? (i will be super disappointed if sam and bucky will stay as friends at the end because my brain just accepted the fact that they have to be canon, but i won't be surprised)

other arguments include (there's a lot):

all the things kari and malcolm (and actors) said about sambucky's relationship

the scenes? i know for sambuckies it's normal to think about the gay content we got, because we think about it everyday. but if we were to actually sum it all up we have so many, that i'm afraid i may forget something:

first we got the staring,

then rolling in the field,

therapy scene (+ their legs intertwined)

2 days of flying (read more detailed analysis by @redwingsupportgroup here) on a private jet (what were they doing all that time??),

then all of the sudden the staring problem dissapears (you can read about it more in this post by @yikesdontlook),

fixing the boat together while having all this intimacy, holding hands for ten (10) seconds straight while looking at each others' lips,

touch (see: amazing gifs by @thatwinterfalconshow pt.1, pt.2, pt.3),

the way bucky looks at sam while he is out there saving the truckload full of people,

having all four love languages included (these beautiful gifs by @pietro-maximoff),

the way they talk about each other to others

i also made this post before the 5th and 6th episode came out, you might want to check it out because we don't talk about 1-4 episodes enough

literally fanfic tropes being out there (more about it here)

no other couple in the entire mcu had all of the intimacy sam and bucky had (not even wanda and vision (to some extent), considering they got like 10 episodes, and sambucky had only 6)

this post (i'm sure we all saw an read it, it's really convincing right?) by wonderful @wenellyb, who's analyzing skills amaze me each time

the last clip without the music, where it isn't quite clear what exactly bucky says, but the point is that he wants to move in with sam

however there's a major counterargument: disney™

though i really think that considering captain america 4/tfatws 2nd season is coming out in at least 2 or 3 years, maybe things will change? maybe people in 2023/2024 will be more accepting? (here)

p.s: i'm sorry if there are grammatical mistakes, english isn't my first language, plus i am really tired rn... so yeah. i also got a bit distracted and ended up writing a whole ass essay hehehe

p.p.s: i hope it's okay i tagged you and your posts, and if it's not, please dm me and i'll remove it!