#i think i talked this once on my maria blog

[chvoswxtch]

Hi it’s @feelmyskinonyourskin (can’t ask off anon cause I’m a side blog) I’d love to order a macchiato over ice from Frank please!!!! Congrats on 4K!

hi darling! thank you so much!

I appreciate you giving me the freedom to discuss all my slutty thots about frankie. I think one thing that doesn't get talked about enough is that frank secretly likes it rough so let's discuss

as a reminder over ice means it's spicy! (minors dni)

headcannon below the cut

frank castle secretly likes it rough

i've said it once & i'll say it again, i'll die on this fucking hill: frank castle is a hopeless romantic. he's an old fashioned, brings you flowers on the first date, arrives fifteen minutes early, opens every door for you, doesn't hesitate to pay the tab, doesn't expect you to invite him inside, perfect gentleman

he's a giver. he makes sure his partner is well taken care of before he even thinks about himself. in all the flashback scenes with maria, she's on top, & frank is letting her set the pace & do whatever she wants

in his scene with beth, we see a snippet of something similar to that but, we also see a hint of frank exercising a bit of control. the way he grabs her face where he's essentially grabbing her neck & face bc his hand is so damn big, how he's gripping the sheets, pinning her to the mattress completely- he's clearly holding back bc he probably doesn't wanna go too far & scare her, but there is another side of him that is dying to come out

it's something you catch onto, & something you wanna explore. not that you don't love slow & sweet romantic sex with frank, or flirty playful sex when a few drinks have loosened him up, but you want something more

but frank being frank is never going to ask you to let him be rough. it would make him feel selfish to use your body for his own benefit. he's also terrified of going too far & hurting you. he's so violent & dangerous in so many other aspects of his life, & he never wants you to see that side of him

but you know that frank would rather die than hurt you, so you make it your mission to convince him that he doesn't have to hold back anymore

one night while you're laying in bed, both of you half undressed, frank lying between your hips as you two share a heated & sensual kiss, his hand glides downward from your cheek to your neck, giving it the faintest of a squeeze before letting go. reaching out to grab his wrist, you pull back & stare up at him

"stop holding back."

frank looks down at you in pure puzzlement. he doesn't understand what you're talking about. he cocks his head to the side & searches your eyes for an answer

"stop doin' what?"

maintaining eye contact with him, you bring his hand back to your throat, placing your hand on top of his and squeezing it to show him that it's okay

"I know there's a part of you that wants more, and so do I. you can let go, frank."

when he catches on to what you're saying, his confusion melts into a serious look of apprehension, & he starts to shake his head

"sweetheart-"

you expected him to protest, so you already have your argument ready. you're not backing down from this

"frank, you're not gonna hurt me. you don't have to treat me like i'm made of glass. you can be rough with me. I can take it."

frank doesn't budge. he's still got that apprehensive look in his eyes, but you also see a flicker of need. you squeeze his hand one more time over yours to show him that this is what you want too

"I know what my limits are, frank. if it's too much i'll tell you, and I trust you enough to know you'll stop."

frank is silent for a moment, & you're worried that he's going to keep being stubborn. but then you notice how his eyes darken, & the low timber of his voice makes you shiver

"you promise you'll tell me the second I do somethin' you don't like?"

your eyes light up with excitement that frank is actually considering it. nodding your head eagerly, you stare up at him, feeling heat spread throughout your lower half

"I promise."

those two words of consent make something inside of him snap. this time when he captures your lips, his kisses are more aggressive & demanding, & they travel down the column of your throat. he bites down on your neck, not hard enough to hurt you, but just enough to leave a possessive mark behind that makes you squirm. he soothes the sting with his tongue & continues his assault on your neck, savoring the noises it pulls from you

his large hands are everywhere. squeezing your breasts, gripping at your hips, kneading your thighs, leaving faint bruises behind in his wake, all evidence of him completely giving in to his own desire

normally frank eases into you & gives you a moment to adjust, but not tonight. as soon as his thick cock is buried to the hilt inside of you, he's snapping his hips relentlessly, pounding you into the mattress

one of his hands holds both of your wrists, keeping them pinned above your head, and his other grabs your neck. his thumb is on the left side of your jaw and his index finger is on the right side, holding your face in place, while the rest of his fingers are wrapped right around your pulse point applying a little bit of pressure. frank always wants to be able to see your face when he's fucking you, but especially right now. he wants to make sure you're enjoying this as much as he is, watching you closely for any sign of discomfort

but all he sees is your mouth hanging open & your eyes nearly rolling into the back of your head. incoherent moans are leaving your lips, & your cunt is squeezing his cock in a tight grip. it makes the last of his resolve vanish & he's leaning in to grunt in your ear, speaking in a low & rough voice

"this what you wanted, baby? wanted it rough like this, yeah?"

frank is repeatedly hitting that spot inside of you that only he's ever been able to reach, the one that makes supernovas explode behind your eyelids & renders you speechless. he chuckles darkly at your inability to speak

"look at you, takin' my cock so well. bein' such a good girl for me, yeah? lettin' me have you like this?"

the room is filled with the echoes of skin slapping against skin, frank's feral grunts, & your incoherent moans that keep rising higher in volume & pitch. frank has you completely at his mercy, pinned to the mattress beneath his large body, hands held captive above your head. you can't move, not like you even wanted to, & you can't hardly speak to tell him how close you are, but he knows. he always knows

"gonna come already, sweetheart? you like it that much? shh shh shh...I know baby, I know you do. I can feel it, yeah? such a good fuckin' girl. go on baby, come for me. you've earned it."

frank fucks you through your orgasm, but he doesn't stop. he's still relentlessly thrusting, & even though it's overstimulating, it feels too good to want to stop. he groans in your ear when he feels your walls tighten around his cock & flood him with your release, but he hasn't come yet. gripping onto your hips even tighter, his thrusts somehow get even rougher, & in a matter of minutes you're barreling towards another orgasm

"want ya to give me one more, sweetheart. you can do that for me, yeah? c'mon, be a good girl and come for me again. that's it...that's a good girl...that's fuckin' it baby."

only when he feels you come for the second time does frank finally give in to his own release. his hips stutter as he digs his fingers into the soft flesh of your thigh, grunting loudly while he's emptying himself inside of you

while you're trying to catch your breath, frank gently caresses your cheek with his thumb, a stark contrast to how he was grabbing your throat just minutes ago

"you alright, baby? wasn't too much, was it?"

all you can do is let out a breathless laugh, staring up at him in a haze of bliss and incredulity

"are you kidding me? I can't believe you've been holding back on me this whole time."

frank just looks down at you with a huge grin on his face, leaning in to kiss you softly

"I won't anymore, if it makes ya happy."

once again, i need to be put down like a rabid dog

[mesetacadre]

Blog soundtrack: Santa Bárbara

you're legally obligated to play this when you browse my blog. also this will change every once in a while or maybe disappear for a bit.

This song is about a mining accident, the Maruxina that's referred to in every verse is the narrator's wife, who is a miner that survived the accident. There are many versions, some say 16 dead instead of 4 (the real accident this is based on caused 17 deaths). Others mention a funeral, that's happening the following day from the narrator's perspective. Other versions also talk of a broken soul, instead of a broken head, and how that accident won't be the last time they mourn. Another version also curses the foremen, stakeholders and scabs. It's quite a somber song, and a very popular one in Asturia's worker culture. Here's a video of somebody singing it from a balcony, I think he expresses the pain of the loss very well

Lyrics and translation under cut:

En el pozu María Luisa, tranlaralará, tranlará. En el pozu María Luisa tranlaralará, tranlará. murieron cuatro mineros. Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo. murieron cuatro mineros. Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo. Santa Bárbara bendita tranlaralará, tranlará. Santa Bárbara bendita tranlaralará, tranlará. Patrona de los mineros Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo Patrona de los mineros Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo Traigo la camisa roja tranlaralará, tranlará. Traigo la camisa roja tranlaralará, tranlará. de sangre de un compañero. Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo. de sangre de un compañero. Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo. Traigo la cabeza rota, tranlaralará, tranlará. Traifo la cabeza rota, tranlaralará, tranlará. que me la rompió un costero. Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo. que me la rompió un barreno. Mira, mira Maruxina mira, mira como vengo yo.

Translation (OC)

In Maria Lusia's mine, tranlaralará, tranlará. In Maria Lusia's mine, tranlaralará, tranlará. Four miners died Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come Four miners died Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come Blessed Saint Barbara tranlaralará, tranlará. Blessed Saint Barbara tranlaralará, tranlará. Miner's patron saint Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come Miner's patron saint Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come I bring a red shirt tranlaralará, tranlará. I bring a red shirt tranlaralará, tranlará. From a friend's blood Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come From a friend's blood Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come I bring a broken head tranlaralará, tranlará. I bring a broken head tranlaralará, tranlará. A piece of rubble broke it Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come A piece of rubble broke it Look Maruxina, look, look at how I've come

[dre6ming]

how would austin propose to reader?

Be mine forever?

He’s been dreaming of this moment for so long and every time he saw himself doing something so over the top and special for Y/n, but then he’d take a step back and remember who he was actually dating

Austin’s had the ring for a while now and he carries it with him, just in case one moment feels just perfect

He tries not to think too hard about the time he almost lost the ring, when he forgot his jacket at a restaurant, right after he really felt like that was it, but then the food came and you started to gossip and talk and he forgot

Secretly you’ve known about the ring for just as long as he’s had it, you found it doing laundry, he had forgotten it in he pocket of his jeans and you felt the box right before you threw them in the wash.

At one point you get impatient, Austin gets impatient, his family (who gave him his moms ring) gets impatient, but he just can’t make up his mind

Until…..

One day you step into the apartment, expecting to see Austin greet you excitedly, but instead being met with silence.

Walking further you see a trail of petals leading from the main entrance to your bedroom and your heart rate picks up as you follow it.

The door is slightly cracked and you push it further, revealing the room to you.

The smell is what hits you first, fresh flowers, so many fresh flowers, flowers of all colors, pink, red, white, you name it.

You look around and you see pictures of you and Austin hanging from the ceiling, tears start to gather in your eyes as you remember all the beautiful moments

You hear footsteps and then turn around to see Austin, dressed in white and blue striped pajamas pants, chest naked and hair disheveled, he looks Devine

“Nine hundred ninety nine flowers, nine hundred ninety nine pictures, I thought we could make it a thousand?” He says giving you a pink peony to hold.

The ring is tied around it with pink ribbon and your hands shake.

“Be my wife, be my forever? I’ve been thinking of the best way to ask, but I should have just done the thing I knew you’d love the most, just us two, you and me.” His voice sounds like hot honey and you almost melt to the ground

“Yes!” You say breathless and he hugs you, lifting you off the ground and spinning you around. Placing both your feet back on the ground Austin’s shaky hands take the ring off of the flower and his delicate fingers hold your left hand up, sliding the ring on.

“A perfect fit!” You whisper absently and he chuckles. “I put it on your finger once when you were sleeping, got it resized after” you laugh at his efforts and thank whatever higher force brought such a man in your life. “I love you!” You say, kissing his nose while he’s preoccupied to look at the ring on your hand, still not believing he actually did it, he finally asked you.

“Now for the one thousand picture.” Austin says, shaking his head like waking up from a dream. You furrow your brows confused as he drags you over to the bed, telling you to sit on it. “I got the camera set up, filmed everything too!” He admits, showing you the small remote used to operate the device.

He sits on the bed with you and smiles, then he hits the button on the remote and you hear the timer of the camera going. Austin takes your left hand in both of his hands and he places a kiss on you knuckles. “ I love you forever!”

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[yelenasdiary]

The Archer

Pairing: Kate Bishop X Fem Reader.

Summary: Kate asks you to be her first.

Smut | Fluff | Top!Reader | Bottom!Kate | Fingering | Loss of Virginity | Praise Kink | Breast Play | 1.3K | 18+! Minors DNI! 

AC: Reposting this, it was originally posted on my smut only blog that no longer exists.

"Are you okay?" You asked the brunette has she pulled away from your kiss. "Y-yeah, sorry" she smiled softly as her eyes dropped, gently you cupped her face and made her look at you, "What is it?" You asked as you looked into her eyes. Kate sighed slightly as she twirled her fingers together in her lap. "Why do you like me? I mean…. you could have any other girl in college" her eyes drop once again and your brows frown with concern. 

"Katie" you kissed her forehead, "I don't want any other girl. I like you because you're fun, you're caring and so sweet. You do whatever you want, and you don't care for what others think and I can't skip over the fact you are so beautiful" 

Kate looked up at you once again with worried eyes, her fingers still twirling with each other as she took in the meaning of your words, "You really mean that?" She asked. "Of course! Baby, what's going on? Why the sudden need to pull away?" Your thumb gently strokes her cheek. There was a moment of silence as you waited for Kate to speak, you could see her mind running a million miles per minute, but you knew better than to push her or rush anything. 

"It's just…the others talk so much about their private life and…sometimes it gets me thinking about ours" she starts. "We…we don't do anything but make out and cuddle because of me, and I sometimes think that I bore you" the girl adds with a sigh in her tone. 

"Katie, baby, no! I don't care about that stuff, I told you when we first started dating that we'll only do whatever you feel comfortable with. I love our cuddles and make out sessions, I do. You do not bore me, you never could" you assure her as you pull her into your arms. "Don't worry so much about what others are doing, just focus on what we have" you add. Kate made herself comfortable and wrapped her arms tightly around you as she nuzzled herself into your neck leaving the two of you in silence once again. You rubbed her back and enjoyed the tender moment before she stirred a little and looked up at you.

"I think I'm ready" she said in an almost whispered, "I mean, I am ready" she began to sit up, "I want you to be my first, I trust you and I…I love you" she looked at you once again. You smiled softly, "okay" you said softly before pulling her back into your arms, "I love you too Kate" you whispered as you held her. 

After a few moments you felt Kate start to kiss your neck up to your left ear, "I'm ready now baby" she whispered before she pulled back to look at you once again. She looked at you with hunger, the same hunger she'd seen Wanda look at Vision with, the same hunger when Nat looked at Maria. Slowly you moved towards her and kissed her softly as you lent her back down on her bed before kissing her check and down to her neck. 

"Are you sure? We can stop at any moment, okay? Just say stop and we'll stop" you said between kisses on her neck as your hand moved up to behind her bra and unclasped it. "Please just shut up" Kate giggled softly as you helped her pull her shirt over her head and throw it to the floor. She took her bra off and threw it to the side as you admired her naked chest, "Is…is everything okay?" She asked in a worried tone as you smiled softly. 

"You're perfect" you whispered as you kissed between her breasts, one hand slowly moving up her body to gently toy with her nipple. "Oh" she moaned slightly, "you like that huh?" You looked up at her with a smirk as she nodded. Your lips wrapped around her free nipple as your hand pinched her other, her back arched slightly as she moaned quietly not to alarm anybody outside her dorm. After a few moments you switched and gave her other nipple the same attention before kissing down her body to her waistline.

"Can I take these off?" You looked up at her, Kate nodded in reply as she watched you unbutton her jeans and pull them off her to expose the purple panties she wore underneath, "Purple really is your colour" you kissed her lips softly. Your fingers gently ran over her clothed core, "mm, baby, you're soaked!" You smiled against her lips as she moaned at the feeling of your touch, "t-take them off…please" she whimpered. You didn't have to ask twice before you had her panties on the floor beside her bed. 

"It's going to hurt just for a moment" you explained, "but I promise, I'm going to make you feel so good" you added as Kate began to slowly spread her legs for you. The sight of her was enough to make you lose your mind the way she was ready and there for the taking. "I trust you" Kate reminded you with a soft smile, "you're such a good girl" you replied before crashing your lips onto hers again. 

She moaned as your fingers moved through her soaked folds, her clit was swollen and begging to be touched but you'd safe that for later you told yourself. Your lips moved back to her neck so as you used her slick to lube your fingers, "Are you ready?" You looked up at her. "P-please" she whimpered. Slowly you moved two fingers into her entrance, her breath hitched, and her eyes shut. "It's okay baby, you're doing so well for me" you kissed her neck and back up to her lips as your fingers moved in deeper, "tell me when you're ready for me to move them" you whispered as her body started to adjust. 

Kate opened her eyes and looked deeply into yours as she nodded, "You're doing so well Katie girl, my pretty girl" you smiled softly before kissing her once again. Your fingers moving in and out of her slowly giving her extra time to adjust to the new feeling. She was tight as you felt her walls clench around your fingers. She whimpered and moaned when you started to pick up the pace. "M-more…P-please" her right hand on your shoulder pulling you into her as she bucked her hips. 

"You're so beautiful" you spoke as you fingered her faster, adding tight circles around her clit when her moans got louder. 

"B-baby! I'm….I'm gonna –" 

You could tell by the way she was clenching harder around your fingers that she was close, "it's okay darling, you can let go. Be a good girl, cum for me" you whispered into her ear as she arched her back with a moan. Her nails dug into your back as you continued fucking her with your fingers, curling them, getting her close and closer to her release. 

"Y/n!" She moaned a few times before finally; a louder moan of your name and she came on your fingers. 

"You're okay baby, I've got you" your fingers moved slower to help ride out her high she gripped onto you tightly, "you did so well baby, so good" you added. 

After a few moments, she started to come down from her orgasm and you slowly removed your fingers, bringing them up to your lips and licking them clean. "You taste so sweet" you smile softly before you lay beside her and pull her into your arms as she faced you. Kate smiled softly, her tired eyes looking into yours once again, "That was….wow" she chuckled as you kissed her forehead, "Do you feel over?" you asked her just assure yourself that you didn't hurt her, "I feel amazing, tired, but amazing" she smiled before kissing you softly, "thank you" she whispered before nuzzling into your neck once more. 

"Oh Katie, you're so sweet, I can't wait to introduce you to new things" You wrapped your arms around her and rubbed her back until she felt asleep in your arms, her naked skin against your body made you never want to forget this moment.

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[vincentbriggs]

Good sir, I am hoping to pick your brain. I’m making an 18-century (“pirate”) shirt as a gift to my friend. He wants tie closures on the neck and cuffs instead of buttons. Might you have any insight or resources for this? I’ve seen the ties in at least one of the extant shirts I’ve viewed online. I’m still pretty new to the sewing gig and I’d like to minimize inventing metaphorical wheel as much as possible. Thanks in advance!

It's very unusual, but do know of one example! (Not that extant one though)

But first - Link to my most thorough shirt construction blog post. (It's a few years old and I've improved a few little things in my technique since then, and I mean to finish writing a new and better one before the year is over.)

Ok, ties on shirts! I'm assuming this is the extant one you're talking about? Tbh I'd discount this one entirely if you're looking for information on 18th century men's shirts because I don't think it is one.

Besides the attached ties, the sleeves are extremely weird. They're cut off and have no wristbands!! This would make it quite impossible to wear under a coat, the wristbands are an absolutely essential part of an 18th century shirt. I also don't see any reason to believe this is actually 18th century when it could just as easily be 19th century, and considering how short the slit is I think that more likely.

(Lots of auction sellers like to say "late 18th century" about things that are like... yeahh maaaaybe that's plausibly from a very fashion forward guy in the late 1790's but it's much more likely early 19th century. And with court dress they sometimes just straight up date it several decades too early. Look at lots of examples and always question everything, because museums don't always date things correctly either.)

I think I remember seeing someone mention once that it was a 19th century workman's garment of some sort, but I can't remember where, and all we've got to go on are a few pictures and a brief caption from a seller who doesn't know what they're talking about. It does look like it could have been worn over another layer though, and the fabric is very coarse. It could also have been altered at a later date for theatrical costume, which is something the Victorians did to A LOT of 18th century garments.

So just ignore that shirt!

The vast majority of 18th century mens shirts close with 2 or 3 buttons on the collar, but there is a style that uses ribbons. It appears to have been fairly common in the late 17th and early 18th century, and then slowly dwindles as the century goes on. I have a section for it on my shirts pinterest board with 64 examples. Ooh, wait, 65, just found a new one.

The collar is made with little to no overlap and one buttonhole on each end, and a ribbon is threaded through them.

Portrait of Carl Gustaf Tessin, 1728.

Sir Charles Howard, 1738.

I actually made one of these last year!

The collar doesn't sit as well with the ribbon as it does with 2 buttons, but once you put a stock over it it's fine.

Nearly every single depiction of an 18th century shirt I've ever seen (and I've spent a LOT of time looking) uses sleeve links on the wristbands. (Which I have a tutorial for! They're really easy to make!) I do sleeve links on most of my everyday shirts because I like them better than sewn on buttons. When the wristband is this narrow, sewn on buttons don't sit very nicely.

But! If your friend wants ties on the wrist in a historical way, I do know of one single example, and it's this guy!

Giovanni Maria delle Piane, Portrait of a nobleman. No date given, but if I had to guess I'd say 1680's or 90's. Very late 17th century looking fellow.

We can't see his collar closure, but I think it's very possible that he has a matching red ribbon holding that closed.

Personally I wouldn't want to try these, because they look like an absolute nightmare to tie by yourself one handed. But the good news is that you could make just regular wristband that take sleeve links and they'd work for this too, since both just have a buttonhole at each end! I aim for a finished wristband length that's 10-14mm longer than my wrist measurement, with the buttonhole being about 4 or 5mm in from the edge, which gives me enough ease to wear them comfortably with sleeve links, so if you do that then he'll be able to wear them both ways.

[luna-rainbow]

About your reply to the anon about Maria Stark:

I thought it was made clear Hydra covered up the Starks' deaths? Wouldn't it have been undercover Hydra agents who carried out the "invesigation"? Hydra clearly took possession of the tapes, which we see in Civil War, and therefore I assume also performed the autopsies, etc. People like Peggy would have had no idea the organisation was compromised at this stage and would have no reason to have questioned what the people they employed and trusted were telling them.

The thing that doesn't make sense to me is Howard telling Tony he was going to the Pentagon when Shield was based at the Triskelion, which we know from the Antman movies was in use at this time. Especially considering Howard had the serum - surely that was something that should have been in Shield's hands? I wonder if anyone at Shield knew Howard had successfully recreated the serum. We know Tony doesn't know about the existence of Shield or his dad's involvement until Fury tells him, so I wonder if either A) Howard lied about where he was going or B) suspected/knew Shield was compromised and Hydra found out which was why Hydra intercepted him on his way to the Pentagon/Department of Defence.

The thing I really don't understand is why the Soviet sector of Hydra got involved in it at all - why did the tapes end up in Siberia instead of being kept by Shield/Hydra in the US? Why did they use the serum and not the American sector of Hydra? Why did the Soviets have the red book with the code words and not pass it on to the Americans with the Winter Soldier after the Cold War?

This is going on a bit of a tangent now but I've also found it deeply interesting that Vasily Karpov hid himself and the book in Ohio after the Cold War, which is exactly where the North Institute was based (where Alexei Shoshtakov stole Shields/Hydra's work on chemical subjugation with Natasha, Yelena and Melina undercover in 1995). No way is that a coincidence because Melina explicitly mentions the research on the Winter Soldier being used for the project. I wonder if Karpov had any involvement in that Hydra/Shield project, and to what extent. Maybe he wanted a way to control the other Winter Soldiers? Yet I would've thought if he was working with Shield's Hydra after the cold war, he would've handed the code words over and the other supersoldiers in cyrofreeze.

I've spent way too much time thinking about this.

You know how I feel about Peggy and her “ignorance” about Hydra constructing a multimillion dollar tribute to Zola right under her office. Once again, there are only two options: she is either incompetent or she is complicit. I mean — how did Soviet Hydra know Howard was about to transport the super soldier serum with enough advanced notice to wake and prep and send the Winter Soldier all the way from Siberia? This is Howard we’re talking about, one of the highest ranked members in one of the most secretive government organisations in the MCU, delivering a load so secretive he didn’t even engage his own chauffeur. You think he would go around telling everyone about this plan? Or would he…most likely have only told the other person who is at a similar rank as him, aka Madam Margaret Carter?

As for the post-mortems, did Tony not even view her body? This is Tony Stark — I know I have a lot of snark about him on my blog but he is supposed to be one of the more intelligent and STEM-educated persons in the Avengers, who has always had major trust issues and frequently looks down on other people’s competency and insists on doing everything himself. You’re saying he would not think it’s weird that there’s a CCTV right next to the damn car and it would…conveniently be missing footage from around the incident? That a sober Howard would just drive into a tree in a night with good visibility and no other traffic around (assuming Bucky obscured the motorbike’s tyre tracks)? If Bucky didn’t obscure his own tyre tracks, Tony didn’t want to hunt down whose bike that was? What I’m saying is, as I’ve always said, is that the Starks’ deaths were a massive deus ex machina to get the fight between Tony and Steve to turn personal. It wasn’t fair to Tony’s characterisation, because it made it seem like he just rolled over and accepted a very strange circumstance as a straight forward car accident when he’s exactly the type of person who would kick up a stink and question everything. (AU where Tony discovers Shieldra 25 years early?)

The location of Karpov is interesting. If I recall correctly though, the Red Room was only sent to spy on them not to work with them? As for Karpov, it isn’t unusual for branches of agencies to hide important information from each other even in the law enforcement side, so even if Soviet and American branches of Hydra had a collegial relationship I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to keep his 5 frozen Winter Soldiers hidden. And you’re right, maybe he went to Ohio to see if there are better ways to subjugate the soldiers with the intention of bringing it back to Siberia to use it on the decommissioned Winter Soldiers. 

[evermore-fashion]

Met Gala 2023: My Top 10 Women’s Looks

Here we go, this is my 10 women’s looks from the Met Gala 2023. Just to remind everyone that my opinions are mine alone, so feel free to agree or disagree with me as much as you like. However I will not tolerate any hate personally aimed at me if you disagree with me to the point where you want to start an argument. So let’s keep it respectful, clean (language wise) and more importantly let’s have some fun with this. Like I said, if you’re looking for an argument, then you’re following the wrong fashion blog. 

1. Kim Kardashian wearing Schiaparelli. This was the first look I saw this morning when I switched my phone on and I was blown away by it. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Kim after her look from last year that got a lot of people talking. So I was pleasantly surprised to see her in an original design that shows off her body in all the right places and I love the draped pearls across her breasts (which are actually covered by a nude bra). Overall it was another Met Gala and another show stopping moment from Kim Kardashian.

2. Doja Cat wearing Oscar De La Renta In comparison to Jared Leto, Doja Cat understood the theme and took it to a whole other level that was both unexpected but not at the same time. I loved the use of prosthetics that complimented her simple yet stunning crystallised gown. Plus who doesn’t love a gown with a hood that has cat ears coming out the top that makes you look like a fashionista rather than someone attending a Halloween party?

3. Gigi Hadid wearing Givenchy I’m a sucker for a black gown that comes not just with a corset but a lot of tulle draped perfectly in all the right places as well. Gigi just looked stunning in this and considering a lot of attendee’s were also wearing either black or white, her Givenchy gown stood out when I was scrolling endlessly through all the looks earlier today. Simple, yet perfect sums up her look that I couldn't not add to my top 10 favourites. 4. Cardi B wearing Chenpeng Studio  I just loved the edgy yet alternative bridal look that also incorporated a masculine energy through the shirt and tie design blended with a corset that still made the overall gown look and feel feminine as well as beautiful. I’m not a fan of Cardi B as a rapper but like Kim Kardashian her Met Gala looks have never disappointed and I think this look was one of her best yet. 

5. Devon Aoki wearing Jeremy Scott Even though it’s yet another black & white gown, I just love the cartoon styled wings on the bust line of the corset. To me it made this gown stand out in the sea on monochrome that plagued the Met Gala 2023. Without that unique design, this gown would’ve gone unnoticed and it would’ve easily become another gown that was worn to the wrong event.

6. Florence Pugh in Valentino Florence has been killing it with her red carpet looks in the last 18 months or so, so it was no surprise that she would turn heads at the Met Gala. Whilst I'm not a fan of Valentino since Pierpaolo Piccioli took over as creative designer when Maria Grazi Chiuri left for Dior back in 2016, I can’t help but love this look. A simple white gown paired with a huge feather crown just looked stunning on Florence and it’s another reason why we love seeing show stopping numbers like this one.

7. Glenn Close wearing Erdem Moralıoğlu Similar to Florence Pugh’s look, Glenn Close just looked phenomenal in her Erdem Moralıoğlu design. Once again it was simple yet stunning and I loved the colour on her. It suited her to a tee and what better way to pair a simple gown that with a huge pale blue cape and the sparkliest jewellery of the night. It just goes to show that anyone of any age and can look amazing when dressed perfectly for the Met Gala.

8. Liu Wen wearing Tory Burch I just love how simple the gown is yet at the bottom it’s filled with white flowers that make the Tory Burch gown stand out amongst hundreds of Met Gala looks. The whole look screams red carpet but it’s also the ideal gown for a bride who doesn’t want to wear white to her wedding. Liu Wen just looked stunning in it and it’s why her look has made it into my top 10. 

9. Salma Hayek wearing Gucci I just love that it wasn’t black or white and the sharpness of the red looked phenomenal on Salma both in the PVC corset and the long tiered skirt. Plus the subtle draping of the pearls as straps just topped the look off altogether. Once again I loved everything about it and I can’t fault it at all. It was perfect.  10. Tems wearing Robert Wun This gown was a standout for all the right reasons. Tems looked absolutely gorgeous from head to toe and I love how all the feathers are perfectly placed on both the gown, the gloves and the headpiece from stepping over that line from haute couture into a costume. The shape of the gown also compliments her body to her a tee and I couldn’t think of anything better that Tem’s could’ve worn to the Met Gala.  So this concludes my top 10 looks from the Met Gala 2023. I have to say picking this list was hard because there were so many another amazing designs worn last night, however these 10 stand out to me the most. Feel free to leave your opinion in the comments about which was your standout garment from last night, perhaps it’s on my list and perhaps it’s not. 

I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about this year’s fashion.

[sonicjustbecause]

Shadow's past (without Black Doom) - yeah talking about the original Shadow again.

BD is an afterthough (Shadow was not supposed to be an alien) and it is what had slowly made Shadow too over the top and outlandish.

in SA2 Shadow's past (originally it was supposed to be Sonic's past too but only few things of the original idea remained there) is more pleasantly eerie. We don't really get to know who is Maria, nor her role aside being Shadow's friend and Shadow's creation is more mysterious (and way more balanced and way less convoluted)

We have little information about who Maria was - aside being brave - But it was clear by their little speech that Shadow was completely open to her, letting his thoughs run freely without reservation, completely trusting her.

Shadow was melancholic as usual, I wonder where the idea he used to be all blubby and cheerful comes from. Although OG Shadow had few cheerful moments, melancholy is one of his most prominent personality traits.

No hate on you, starfish...

It was not clear what was Shadow's purpose (Shadow himself was unsure). It was said he was created in order to discover the secret of immortality. He was also weaponized later, but he wasn't born as a weapon. And following SA2 story, it turns out clear.

Shadow weapon qualities in SA2

His mind: his best cards actually

Love this excited Shadow. So rare.

They mentioned the QI (numbers) of only three characters in Sonic: Eggman, Tails and Shadow, all gifted.

Shadow enjoyed reflecting on life when alone, and he liked to use his brain when in action. In fact, in SA2 he doesn't fail at all, his plan is so flawless, it is a complete success. It was terminated simply because it was leading to a disaster (Shadow was aware of this, he just changed his mind), but you can't deny that, unlike Eggman who does a lot of mistakes due to his ego and temper, Shadow know how to get stuffs done.

To underline his intelligence, during the game Shadow caused minimal destruction, virtually any on his own (the bomb was an Eggman idea - not surprise). In the note leading to Shadow's creation, he was supposed to be 'like a ninja' and is known ninja love to keep a low profile. So less noise, the better.

In previous topic (still in my blog) I mentioned Shadow's successfully manipulating a psychopath like Eggman (psychopaths are great manipulators if they are intelligent enough). Most notably, Shadow is not a psychopath, was not trained and is a kid.

In addition, just like Sonic always like to move around and hate to stay still, Shadow liked to keep his brain occupied in some way. Even simply studying 'Blue' (not 'Faker') and questioning him, he enjoyed that.

Hil cool-headedness is linked to his intelligence, I think.

Actually, I believe intelligence was his best quality.

Modern Shadow lacks of the brain and patience to set a perfect plan on his own before taking action. He is more a brawler and I don't perceive him to be particularly intelligent. Such little satisfaction :(

We think to wars as mayhem and bombs and rifle, bazooka, etc...

In history there have been small armies who won far bigger armies in no time, and this happened more than once. How did they do? Well, mostly with a well crafted plan and you need brain for this. Gengis Khan and the Mongolians were a good example of this.

I follow a site about knowledge on various topics and among those who write there, there are also soldiers. Sometimes they explain what war is like, and is anything like Call of Duty.

Speed

I always figured that Shadow's speed is helped by his shoes, since SA2. Shadow moves less (this also underlines his calmer personaity I think), sparing his energies, most likely because he has less energies than Sonic.

However his speed is more than enough for stealth and he was stealthy.

In a war enviroment this would be super useful, he can avoid the dangers, the bullets and would be hard to be seen and detected.

Athletic qualities

Same as Sonic. And counter balanced. Shadow might be not as fast as Sonic without his shoes, but he can swim, no problem, unlike Sonic that just sink like a rock. That would allow to go where is needed with no limits (is unfortunate games never use character swimming abilities, unless they're not Knuckles, Rouge or Tails). He is also strong.

Urge to save people, regardless (gone in recent characterizations).

Although recently it was stated he only look at the big picture (preserve the planet), Shadow originally cared for people. And from SA2 it seems that characteristic is drilled in him. Because when Rouge is in danger, he doesn't want to save her at first. But this simple choices became visibly painful for him, he struggled and quikly got to her rescue.

In Sonic Heroes he was amnesiac and saved Rouge from Omega without thinking. Rouge was a stranger to him and he rushed almost like he could not do anything different. Everytime he rush to save someone, is amost like an invisible force leads him. Possibly he acts this way because he could not save Maria. In Sonic 06 is him who attempst to assist Elise's father. Not the nice, extroverted Silver. The wary, introverted Shadow rush to cheek.

In war you should be able to save your allies when they're hurt but not dying. You can also be part of the medical staff if not a soldier.

Unique talents

Chaos Control, Chaos Spear and Chaos Blast. No need of some Sauron eyed starfish for those abilities. Chaos energy is what keeps Shadow alive and also what make him immortal (a curse for him actually).

Shadow himself stated that he can bend time and space and uses the chaos control to teleport, but he can also teleport other things instead of himself, including large objects. He can also stop time. in Sonic 06 he travels through time, but he needs help to open portals.

I remember when I played SA2 first, i found scary that somebody could throw a spear from afar or paralyze you. Eggman could not. Eggman badnicks threw falfunctioning missile. But Shadow had an immense power and was perfectly in control, and he was calmer than Sonic, not somebody who could lose his head easily.

The rings he wears symbolize his lack of freedom, they also function as restraing Shadow's real power. If he removes them he becomes powerful, virtually invincible. And things would turn very ugly.

All that is self explanatory.

Drawbacks

This art belong to the.shadamy.artisto10. Video to Crazy Greg

A good, balanced characters (who doesn't have a loomy floating starfish over his head) has strenght but also weakness. OG Shadow's weakness are as large as his strenghts.

Physically not so tough

SA2, after we saw a good display of Shadow's strenght, after he won, Amy convinced him to join the good side. Shadow defeated the biolizard without difficulty. But then he joined Sonic to defeat the Biolizard again, who fused with the ARK.

Shadow and Sonic togheter defeated the beast, but well, we all know what happened to Shadow. Because of all the music (aswell as the iconic quietness of Shadow's voice), Shadow's death was so sudden and shocking. But if you remove the music, you hear he is breathless, while Sonic is still healthy. I think is the set back of the very same power that keeps him alive. With so much chaos energy, his limiters (or inibitor rings) become useless.

Inibitor rings or limiters

Shadow's power is so dangerous for him too that he uses it so rarely and is not virtual.

While in Sonic X and in Archie comics, we see what happens if Shadow doesn't wear them, the only time in the game he removes then is Sonic 06. And after he finish, he quickly wears them again so you clearly see he needs them, desperately.

Eggman describled this power like a 'furnace', so I imagine shadow gets a really bad fever if he doesn't wear his ring, after a first explosion of power.

Recurring - emotionally vulnerable

Shadow is always considered overly confident.

That is what he shows to his foes, but his view on himself is quite harsh, even self loathing, with lots of suicidal thoughs. That's his melancholy taking place and nothing can be done against it, only hoping for better moments (Sonic 06 shows a more confident Shadow). It is shown in Sonic Battle, Archie Comics, Shadow the Hedgehog and recent materials.

While, at least in the original characterization, he wasn't nearly as grumpy as Sonic, it was easy to hurt him deeply.

Shadow shows a lot of coping mechanism at the slighlest perception of danger, his favourite is turning his back towars his peers, often slouching, trying to hide as much as he can. Avoiding eye contact is another of his favourite and the most obvious. Shutting off completely (less frequent. In Sonic Battle he goes mute for a long time, Rouge talks for him). Glaring and throwing death treats that fall flat.

Ultimately, the fact he was not born as a weapon is clear in games like Sonic Battle, where he clearly despise wars, building of weapons and so on. If he was meant to be a weapon, he should have been more reckless, joyful and would have enjoyed war or being destructive. Sort of IDW Shadow but with a perpetual grin.

All good stuffs without Black Doom!

Those are the original notes for Shadow and i think they describle the original Shadow very well. The 'Vegeta' thing appears to be more a reference than 'make him identical to Vegeta'. But is clear where his personaity comes from. I shared the French ones too. French is the closest language to Italian, the grammar rules are the same. Spanish is a cauldron of false friends and is not so familiar.

My brother said he is like Vegeta, but softer.

[nerdieforpedro]

A Cowboy in the Bar

Chapter One of Honey and Sugarplum

Jack Daniels x Maeve (black OFC)

My entire masterlist and blog are for readers 18+ MDNI. I do not consent to my work being used in AI, recommended on TikTok, borrowed or plagiarized.

Summary: Maeve meets two men: one is a gentleman and one is not.

Word Count: about 1.7k (give or take)

Warnings: well-meaning friends and family, a possible mid-life crisis? or introspection? It's got a name I don't know, bad jokes,

Notes: I think I'm up to three chapters on AO3 so I promised myself that I would go ahead and start posting this one. It will be on the short side so maybe five to six chapters total? Or maybe not. We'll see, but these two are hilarious (I'm biased though.)

My Main Masterlist/ Jack Daniels Masterlist/ AO3 Link

Life is comfortable and Maeve was content. She went to work four days a week, ten-hour days and relaxed in the evenings with books, TV or video games. On the weekends she would get groceries and gas when she needed, maybe a brunch with friends when they were able to coordinate their schedules once a month. One of her friends Maria had a four-year-old son and a two-year-old girl that she would babysit from time to time when she went out with her husband James. He seems to be a nice guy, easy on the eyes, but there always seemed something shifty about him. Maeve only spoke to him when she went to the house to watch the kids, Maria loved him to bits so all is well she guesses.

“You’ll find your love one day Mae.”

“Why don’t you try going out with us sometime?”

“Are you on the dating apps?”

“You have to make yourself available.”

“There’s no perfect men. You just gotta work with what’s out there.”

“You’re not getting any younger.”

“One day you’ll meet the right man for you.”

“He’ll love you no matter what, you’ll need to support each other.”

Things all Maeve had heard over the years but have never cared about. She had dated sure, but between toxic relationships and just being bored with sex. Apparently, she’s doing it wrong and clearly she was, so in her late 20’s she stopped dating and having sex. It was nice, she didn’t worry about meeting men or her better half. Sometimes she wore sweats, other times, jeans, if she was really feeling fancy, one her favorite sundresses. Maeve was in her mid-30’s now and was content. The only children she saw were her friends’ kids. People also mentioned that too, that her uterus was going to be geriatric soon and she needed to go ahead and start on it if she wanted kids. She used to just either ignore the comment or say she didn’t want them, which was true, but people usually pressed on. They shut up when Maeve asked them, who she was going to have them with and who’s going to help with childcare for when she has to go back to work because she then won’t be able to watch their children and hers. She’d be preoccupied. Annoying people became quiet then.

A Saturday brunch that leads to mani-pedis and dinner with drinks, soft blues played in the background, Maeve nursed her lemon drop, sipping it slowly as she watched two of her friends dance in the middle of the bar. She was chatting with her friend as they drank their great tea lemon drops, two men came up to them. Her friend went to dance with the taller bald gentleman while the second man tried to chat Maeve up, he complimented her, asked her about her drink and asked her to dance, and if she didn’t want to, he had a hotel room down the street. She sighed, she declined, telling him that she was out with her friends and not in the mood. He, instead of accepting no, started in on how she should be glad that he was even talking to her given that she barely fit on the barstool and that she was probably too old to have kids and wouldn’t know how to please a man anyway. Maeve chuckled, she agreed with him and since she couldn’t do any of what he was talking about, he would have a better night if he left her alone. The man scoffed and walked toward the bathroom.

“Maybe he’s going to take an angry shit.” The woman made herself laugh, having dealt with his kind for years, she heard another laugh two stools down. A man with a large tan cowboy hat on, gold sunglasses; he had a full mustache that dances on his upper lip. His denim shirt and pants masked his broad shoulders and chest, the sleeves were rolled up exposing his forearms and a watch on his left wrist. It appeared like he had some sturdy thighs under those jeans. His entire face seemed to smile, he removed his sunglasses and put them in his shirt pocket, his brown eyes danced with the low smokey lights.

“With his attitude, he needs to take an angry shit.” The bartender poured Maeve another lemon drop, she told him to pour the guy at the end another glass of whatever he was drinking. She tipped her glass toward the man in the hat and smiled. She might be a little drunk, he seemed interesting. That was good. Most men seemed boring, like floating talking heads, sometimes they smelled like old spice. “Name’s Jack, what’s yours sugarplum?” The man’s accent dripped like golden honey on a fresh biscuit that just came out the oven, sticky and warm. It made her lick lips, tasting the lemon on them and her frowning slightly. Wrong flavor, I need more honey.

“My name’s Maeve. You local or from out of town?” She asked, there was no point in getting too into this man and he lives four states away or in a different country. The man grinned and got up from his seat, he walked over to the stool next to Penelope, settling on the stool next to her.

“If I say I am, will you have reason to talk to me sugarplum?” Jack chuckled and brushed the back of his hand to hers, trying to gauge if she was alright with touch. Her hand did not move, she gazed up at him and smiled, wiping the water off her hand before making a circle on the back of his hand with her finger.

“I’d rather spend my time talking to someone I’ll see again rather than someone who will go and I’ll never hear from them again honey.” She replied, but her eyes widened when she realized she called him a pet name. It’s not…too weird, right? She did not have a sexy accent like him so it might be. Jack’s eyebrows raised as his grinned, lightly bumping his shoulder to hers.

“Well now that we’ve given each other pet names, maybe we should see to some contact info so we can keep in touch Miss Maeve, you’re not taken, are you?” Jack asked, he took out his phone but didn’t unlock it. Maeve watched and sipped her drink with her other hand. Her legs didn’t quite reach the rung on the barstool for her feet, so she just crossed her ankles, that voice of his saying her name. It could have very well been a decade since she felt this horny for a man, a small spot was forming in her panties.

“Don’t worry I am not. It seems to bother people that I’m not. I used to feel some type of way about it, but now I’m not bothered. I start asking the people who ask me questions and they get really uncomfortable. You spoken for cowboy? I’m not gonna have a woman named Miss Kitty coming after me, am I?” Half serious, she leaned closer to him, so their shoulders touched again, the cowboy chuckled, starting to tap his foot on the floor, he was getting a bit riled up.

“No, no. Only lady in my life is Lady Luck and I think she’s looking out for me tonight.” Jack’s hand left the bar and ran up Maeve’s arm, landing on her shoulder as he stood and leaned into her ear. “You wanna save a horse and ride a cowboy darlin’? It don’t have to be tonight. I can work you into it slowly.” Jack kissed her cheek and leaned back. Holding her hand out, Jack unlocked his phone and handed it to Maeve and she entered her number. She chuckled and gave him his phone back.

”I might be temped to try you for a ride Jack. Let’s at least have more than one drink. How’s a meal sound? Which one is your favorite?” His new sugarplum replied, her hand found itself on his chest. He felt solid. Good, he might be able to get through a ride or two. The cowboy’s pearly whites were on full display while he used one hand to send a text to her number. She’d saved herself under the nickname ‘sugarplum .’ 

“I enjoy many a meal. A real man ain’t picky darlin’. However, I know a good brunch place that has good food and good drinks. Think we might make an afternoon of it?”

”Asking for so much of my time already? You think you’ll keep me interested that long?”

”Sugarplum, I think the real question ya should be askin’ yourself,” Jack had the nerve to move his hand from her shoulder to her hip, squeezing it and whistling when he felt how supple her flesh was as he jiggle it, “Are you going to let me dine on a particular meal I’m looking for?” A second kiss was placed on her cheek and he was pulling back his hand, but Maeve placed it back.

”I might. You’ll need to work me into it like you said Jack. Mind if we talk more first?”

”Sure sweetheart.”

The entire scene played out before Maeve’s friends and they were certain everyone was having the same seizure. This is the same woman that insults every man who tried to talk to her. They wondered if it might be the cowboy hat or the denim. They could not figure it out and the questions began once Jack walked Maeve to her car. Her only answer was: “I think I became a different woman for a few hours while talking to that man. We just chatted at the bar the entire time. He just made me feel safe and not defensive. That’s what I know.” A couple friends nodded and a few others were still very confused.

Neither Maeve nor Jack were worried about it, he was going to pick her up in two days for brunch. Turns out, brunch became dinner and breakfast the next day. They didn’t get up to what people thought they might have. Jack was a gentleman and Maeve’s guard was still up. It was slowly coming down though.

Jack did have a surprise for her though after a month, a weekend trip to his ranch.

Peeps up for a weekend trip: @megamindsecretlair @soft-persephone @readingiskeepingmegoing @jessthebaker @yorksgirl

@morallyinept @lady-bess @avastrasposts @baronessvonglitter @professionalpromqueen

@magpiepills @westside-rot @djarinmuse @tinytinymenace @maggiemayhemnj

@sunshinehaze1 @movievillainess721 @inept-the-magnificent @rav3n-pascal22 @tuquoquebrute

[memesmadefullmetal]

7 and 20 for the ask meme!

7. how does the story compare to your initial impressions of it? has it surprised you yet? how?

So, I started with watching Brotherhood. And, at first, I was like “is this really one of the best animes of all time?” because the first couple episodes do feel a bit rushed (i.e., relying on fans to have read the manga or have seen the original anime). HOWEVER, once episode 4 hits with Tucker and Nina, my jaw was ON THE FLOOR. I was so horrified and enthralled at the same time.

For me, there also has to be a “duo” of some sort that has to give me absolute BRAINROT so as Roy and Riza grew into the story more, that was when the hyperfixation really began. Particularly after the whole Maria Ross fake-out and reveal.

Now, I think Fullmetal Alchemist is the story of all time™️ and Brotherhood is the anime of all time™️. The narrative coherency and tightness, the depth and breadth of characters and the ability to stick a damn good ending are all attributes I haven’t seen done as well in ANY OTHER media I’ve consumed (and I’ve consumed a LOT). FMA has occupied a permanent space in my brain for 6 years now and is obviously the reason why this blog exists. FMA, my beloved 🫶🏻

- Mod Mustang 🔥

20. what's the WORST thing about this story, in your opinion? (feel free to be positive, e.g. "it's not longer", if you want!)

If we’re going Mangahood, it’s gotta be Al’s existential crisis arc 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏻‍♂️ It’s probably the only point where the narrative drags and it doesn’t actually serve all that much of an overall purpose!

If we’re talking about 03, it’s got to be probably the extreme non-manga canon bits basically where the whole plot goes off the rails right near the end (i.e., Robot Archer 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏻‍♂️)

- Mod Mustang & Mod Hawkeye 🔥🦅

[passionartx]

Hi!! Firstly, I LOVE your Tangled AU, so glad to see Tails getting more focus in AU’s. I wondering: Do you have any general Tails related headcannons?

Hiya! 💛✨ Thank you so, so much! And ooo this is such a fun question. Tbh, I have too many, I could write an essay! This account isn’t as popular as my au blog since I’m pretty inactive on it so probably only like 3 people will see this… but I hope those hypothetical 3 people enjoy my inevitable waffle and chaos! <3

Will also use this opportunity to hype up some friends and people who’s work I admire!!!

A few of my favourite Tails Headcannons! :

- I love the idea that him and Sonic were 4 and 11 when they first met.

- Sonic will always be Tails’ big brother first and foremost… however, as Aosth Tails put it: “You’re my mom, you’re my dad and you’re my picket fence!”. Sonic having accidentally become the closest thing Tails has to a parental figure has a hold on my heart and I love how writers like @chaoxfix and my homie @myyla-x portray this in their fics!

- After having first met (and honestly even a few years in) if Sonic ever had to leave Tails alone for a while for whatever reason, maybe to protect him from a particular battle, Tails would deal with hardcore abandonment issues. Poor lil guy would fear Sonic wouldn’t come back, that he didn’t want him around anymore (which is made 10 times worse if you headcannon he was abandoned by his parents). Lil guy wouldn’t know what to do with himself <\3

- Tails reminds Shadow of Maria. Probably my favourite Tails headcannon! Though I guess it’s more of a Shadow headcannon… am I using this as an excuse to talk about it? More likely then you’d think. But ahh, those blue eyes, yellowish fur, sweet gentle childlike wonder, love of life and learning + Ian flynn has confirmed given her upbringing Maria was prob a bit of a science kid. Ah <3 Plus that brings the idea of Sonic and Tails’ dynamic reminding him of his with Maria’s and that makes me want to cry. I actually have a WIP fic about this headcannon but it’s been a wip for like a year… hopefully one day I’ll finish it cause I’m literally obsessed with the idea and want to see it through.

^ Also extra nostalgic about this headcannon cause my friendship with @sh-0-w-1-sh literally started cause they were looking for art ideas and I was like TAILS REMINDING SHADOW OF MARIA!!! And here we are almost a year later!

- For better or for worse he’s picked up a lot of his big bros traits. I’m talking puns, poses, that lil nose rub and foot tapping, occasional cockiness, being self sacrificial, the list goes on. Once he realises this or anyone else especially Sonic points it out, he’d probably be super embarrassed and deny it <3

Speaking of picking up habits…

- While he would definitely be scared by certain situations like this ( << the Starline issue 35 and 36 situation being a good example with other people being at risk and him not really understanding the situation or his role in it ) I think Tails would be pretty desensitised to being kidnapped or hostage situations at this point. He’d probably just find it an inconvenience more then anything or be entertained by the hypothetical villains incompetence. Me and @myyla-x had a conversation about this idea once and… it’s been like 6 months and we’re still talking about it. One day that’ll make sense. We got a lil carried away. Just a lil. Anyway someone get this kid therapy. <3

- An already pretty popular one but I felt the need to mention it cause I relate, but he gets so sucked into projects and his inventions that hours and hours can go by and he just zones out and forgot to eat… well, anything but mints at least.

- Tails is a theatre kid. :D Is this self projection? … maybe. If nobody else gets me @guiltypandas gets me <3 :,)

- I think Tails would be in denial if Sonic died. As smart and logical as that little guy is, given how Sonic has beat the unbeatable, has come back before and seems invisible… yeah. <\3 I think he’d always hold onto the hope that it would only be a matter of time until Sonic comes back… even if this time that wouldn’t be the case… my friend @whitecatindisguise actually wrote an amazing fic about this when we talked about the idea called He’s (Not) Coming Back (which if you haven’t already you should totally check out cause it’s amazing! And a heart breaking! The best kinda fic :,) )

- I think Tails has a heart of gold…but I also think depending on certain circumstances if he hadn’t have met Sonic he could have gone down a much darker path (which I guess ended up being somewhat proven with Nine in Sonic Prime!). Me and @casperangel have screamed about this too many times then I can count and it haunts me.

- Tails is a sweetie, a cutey patooty, like an adorable little house cat… but similarly (and yet again as proven thanks to Prime!) Tails definitely has a feral side. Especially if he hasn’t gotten enough sleep or gets his mints confiscated. @dunkinbublin and @studioboner ‘s accounts are absolute goldmines when it comes to Tails multitasking being an adorable lil guy and a feral lil menace!

- Tails and Tangle have sibling energy! I mean, Tails is basically everyone’s adopted little brother, Knuckles and Amy especially, but I think him and Tangles dynamic isn’t talked about enough and I’m super glad we’ve had some sweet moments with them in the comics! @pocketscribbs is feeding the Tails and Tangle nation fr <3

This was super fun! Thank you so much again for asking and I hope you have an amazing day! And if someone actually read all of this… you’re a trooper :,) <3

[togrowoldinv]

Forever

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

A few months after your breakup, you see Natasha again.

Note: This is just sad angst. Yay lol. Please remember to follow my library blog @togrowoldinvlibrary for fic notifications

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

You knew you would see her there. Everyone was going to be there, including the woman you hadn’t seen in months.

You almost didn’t show up, but it was for Wanda. She is one of your best friends. You couldn’t miss this.

The first person your eyes fall on when you enter the chapel is the exact person you wanted to avoid. Natasha Romanoff.

She looked in your direction, almost as if on instinct, but you averted your gaze to a friend.

“Hi Maria,” you greet the woman. She’s not one for hugging, but she hasn’t seen you in so long that she opens her arms for one.

“It’s good to see you, y/n. I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” Maria says. You squeeze her tightly, having missed her greatly.

Once the hug is over, you feel yourself under Natasha’s watchful eyes again.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure if I was going to come,” you admit. “But I should be here for Wanda.”

The older woman smiles at your sentiment. She knows how close you got with the girl while you were a part of the team.

“It’ll mean the world to her that you’re here,” she says, leaving you with those words.

You stand there a little awkwardly before making your way to a pew to sit in. Purposefully, you don’t sit near anyone, but it’s not long before you’re approached by another old friend.

“Is that y/n?” A friendly voice draws your attention away from your phone. You look up to see a smiling man.

“Sam. Great to see you,” you say. And you mean it. You stand to hug him and he holds you tight.

“Man, it’s been so different without you,” he says. “Any chance you’ll come back?”

He knows the answer but he figures he might as well ask.

"I don’t think so. But I did miss you,” you tell him.

He grins at that. “Don’t be a stranger,” he tells you before he’s pulled away by others.

You get through the ceremony with only a few small interactions with your past teammates and friends. Wanda looks beautiful and she smiles when she sees you sitting in the rows.

So you can talk to Wanda, you decide to go to the reception. But you once again find yourself under the gaze of Natasha. This time she corners you at the bar. You don’t turn to her.

“Hey,” she offers a simple greeting. She tried another route when you don’t respond. “How have you been, y/n?”

And that’s when you turn and look at her. You hate the way that you are so breathless at her appearance. She looks as beautiful as ever. Her smile shines through the dimmed lights due to the dance floor a few feet away.

“I’m doing well,” you offer her. It’s a lie. “How are you?”

Natasha’s smile fades and she looks around like she’s a child making sure no one will hear a secret she’s about to tell.

“I’m okay today,” she says. You catch the specific wording. It’s silent for a moment as the two of you stand there together.

“Y/n-“

“We don’t-“

The two of you finally speak again at the same time. The rhythm between the two of you is still off.

“You go ahead,” you tell her.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” she says.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Natasha.”

She sighs and takes a sip of her drink. You notice the way her hand just barely shakes. She’s nervous.

“I really tried to give you forever,” she says. “I wanted so badly to have that with you.”

Maybe it’s just the emotions of the wedding that makes her say those words. Or maybe she really and truly did want that. Either way, it breaks your heart to hear it.

“Natasha, I want to wish you the best. I really do. But I can’t even afford to even think about you or I will drown in how much I wish that you still loved me,” your words shoot to kill. She’s taken aback, but she understands.

She looks down at the floor, knowing that it’s her fault. She’s the one who ended things with you. She’s the one who broke the promise she once made to love you forever.

“It wasn’t a lie,” she says as if she can read your mind. “I meant what I said all of those times.”

“I know you did,” you say. “I’m thankful that we had the chance to be together. We were just meant to end.”

Your words ring true. There’s nothing else to say. You give Natasha your best smile one last time before you disappear into the crowd.

Nobody said it would last forever and now you believe that it’s true. You were two hearts meant to break.

[koishua]

closest moots on blr?

@mosviqu my tumblr sister friend mother everything at once tbh we've stayed strong for years atp </3 not even far in age but it still feels like i was raised by her blog at some point and then by HER bar ily we even had two kids together (thinking about reviving blank journal? also k-mystics my little yellow abomination)

@kyuzuberri my little sister i want to adopt so badly i would move mountains for her my dear tumblrinas pls always be nice to her y'all i genuinely want to be with her irl but we're continents apartttt ;-; kyuzu ily bby (my rock actually)

@atrirose i always feel like bullying her is that my love language?? ily my precious i will bite your ankles we've been mooties for a WHILE now but got a lot closer this year i feel like 🤭🤭 i mean this in the nicest way possible but you have a very punchable cutie patootie image in my mind i LOVE talking with you always

@lebrookestore my fellow soldier we've gone through so much on this site im her biggest fan fr i don't even remember when we became friends but it was at the very beginning of the pandemic i feel like?? idk idk imy ily i always think of you. big slay big purr for brooke omg im getting emotional thinking bout the good ol' times :')

@i-luvsang my soulmate ;-; this is the emoji i always use whenever it's about ria bc that's actually me irl whenever i see her im so happy so so happy she's been my friend for so long ughhh if im a sunflower then she's my sun she's the light and guide of my life there's no one like maria for me i hope everybody knows this

@wonfilms not me having the best y/n moments with my favs who turn into my friends ahhhhhh she was the coolest ever ever ever and then she became MY coolest ever ever ever?? mine ppl back off we've been moots for a good while too now that i think about it hehe

bonus @bywons in a very funny way i have to cackle every time but it's a secret she's my little secret ily sru precious always

[iheartchv]

Imagine...

You've known the turtles and their friends for a while. You have feelings for a certain turtle, and he's aware of that. He has feelings for you, too. You both are adults, you know what you want, and know the hardships that are to come. Shredder has risen in power, his army many, causing an apocalyptic war between mutants and humans. Since then, you and your turtle crush hasn't had any time to be together. Duty came first. Sure, you talked briefly over police speakers Donnie had rigged, but that wasn't the same as actually talking face to face. One thing he also told you, because Splinter had told his sons....

⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩

"Ninjas are forbidden to love..."

"I know. You've said this before..."

He saw the sadness, the loneliness, in your eyes. He never wanted to make you feel that way. He sighed deeply and made you look at him.

"That doesn't stop my heart from thinking about you though."

He told you that he was going to join a resistance group that has stayed hidden from Shredder and his goons. He was going to war. You had tried arguing with him, telling him it was dangerous.

"What if you never come back? What if something happens and we never see each other again?"

He was silent for a short moment, and finally said,"Even if our paths never meet, or you get over me and move on, just know that... no one will ever treat you, love you, for the beautiful goddess you are. Any man would be lucky to have you to treasure and hold."

Your heart pounded so much it hurt to breath. The thought of losing him was too much to bear. You cared for him too much.

You started again,"I'll never meet someone like you again. You're my man," you confessed.

His heart hurt, as well. He wanted to be happy, more happy than what he was feeling right now. He wanted to tell you that he was going to come back and always be by your side, but he learned to not keep promises that he wasn't for certain to keep. However, hearing you say that you loved him warmed his soul that dreaded the war ahead.

He couldn't help it. His heart, his entire being was consumed by you. "Y/N..." he barely whispered. He kissed you so sweetly, so slowly, wanting to memorize the taste of your lips. His arms wrapped around you, wanting you so close. He needed your warmth, your love right now. He needed you.

"I want to spend every minute we have together. And right now... I want to make love to you." He paused for a second. "Do you want that?"

His eyes... oh, you couldn't resist the tenderness in his eyes. There was life again where there was once something dull, dead. Since Splinter's passing, he hadn't been himself. But the eyes staring back at you was the ones you missed. Your heart swelled with love for this turtle man. Yes, you wanted him, in the most intimate of ways.

"Yes, I want that. Make love to me. Please..."

He kissed you more passionately this time while laying you back onto your bed, with a mission in mind. And that was to love, touch and kiss every inch of you.

⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩⛩

So this turned out to be a bit longer than I wanted, but... I'm just exercising my brain and looking through my drafts to finish before moving on to my inbox ( it wont take long ) Hope you liked it c:

Tag list:

@turtle-babe83 @tmntspidergirl @leosgirl82 @angelcatlowyn @annaliaandtheturtles @pheradream15 @exovapor @cowabunga-doll @bluesakurablossom @crazedauthor @darksaphire2002 @foreignbrunette @greenprincess @half-shell-bo @lady-maria-the-wolf225 @moonlightflower21 @narwals14 @nikitaboeve @nittleboo @raphaelsrightarm @southernblossoms @thelostandforgottenangel @white-masked-beauty @roxosupreme @kawaiibunga @captain-kinda-trash @angelicdavinci @thelaundrybitch @yumefuusen @sivy-chan-blog @artsolarsash @turtlebeaa @crazedtmnt @raisin-shell @sacredwarrior88 @leosgirl82 @egg-on-the-run @ashleighclark98 @dilucsflame33 @tkappi @post-apocalyptic-daydream

If you'd like to be tagged, let me know c;

[theficdealer]

In 2018, on Earth-199999, Thanos gathered all the Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers. Half of the Universe was promptly dusted, and a third was further killed as a direct consequence of the dusting. Weeks later, Thanos used the Infinity Stones once more and destroyed them - thus destroying the Universe itself.

Stephen Strange saw this, but there was no way to save them or the Universe, no time.

And then the Infinity Stones themselves gave him time. Gave him a second chance to save another Universe, their sister Earth: Earth-200207.

A quest that takes place across space and time, within souls and minds, with power and reality. A bet that could save trillions of people or could condemn them to a future worse than he one of Earth-199999. A game of chess against the butterfly effect, with one single starting player:

Earth's Best Defender.

—Series description of spread your wings, Guardians of Infinity: a second chance, by graveltotempo on ao3

Exact text i sent to my friend with the link: “Ironstrange time/dimension travel fix-it, 411k, genderbent tony for actual plot reasons (kind of) and very badass 10/10, like, carries Thanos’ severed head impaled on a sword into a un meeting after the final battle, also, many lesbians”

(TW for suicide! Multiple characters talk/think about it, one actually goes through with it! Keep yourself safe please!!)

If you haven’t caught onto the theme I’ve accidentally given this blog, idk what to tell you. Time travel fix-it’s just my jam (and I’m ignoring all the psychological implica that may have).

I’ve given up on descriptions beyond things I loved, so…

Things I loved about this fic:

Well-written fem!Tony Motherfucking Stark

Bruce<3

Simpiest simp to ever simp Stephen Strange

Maria Stark

Best trio Hope, Sharon, and Toni

Wholesome Tony and Loki sibling relationship

The authors notes were fucking hysterical

Rhodey<3

Thor: if your sister than my sister?🥹/Loki: No!!😡Mine!! *stabs*/Thor: okay😔

Babie Peter<3<3<3

Frigga: *finds out Hela’s been alive the whole time* Odin Borson your days are fucking numbered

Peter taking one look at Grumpy Bastard (TM) Hank Pym and deciding he’s grandpa shaped

Jane<3<3<3

All the time travelers are unhinged it just be like that sometimes

Sharon Carter<3

The abundance of badass female characters

The abundance of lesbians

Must be reiterated: absolute BAMF Toni Stark

Maria Rambeau (idk how to spell that) taking one look at Fury and deciding that she can do shield but better)

Stephen’s gamble payoff

Imperfect but happy ending

i should perhaps stop doing this when sleep deprived

[dalt0nyc0]

Sr. Ávila Season One Analysis

Word Count: 5,971

Warnings: There is a brief mention of necro and n0nc0n and a reference to suic1de, which is part of the plot. This section has a content warning, so you can skip past it!

Ávila season one starts with Roberto  Ávila being already in the hitmen field. I will begin from Roberto’s childhood, at least what is known from Season One, and go from there. As a disclaimer, I am also going by what the English subtitles provided by HBO themselves have translated the show as. I know the Spanish dialogue may be slightly different for localization purposes; however, I am going by the English subtitles as I don't speak Spanish. I will post almost all the clips I mention or reference to my Tumblr blog, @Nachocheesevarga, for those interested. With all that out of the way, let's get started. Not much is shared about Roberto’s childhood in the entire series, regardless of season one. Yet here are things known about Roberto.

 Roberto’s family is clouded in mystery, and there isn’t enough information given, but what is known is that he has a father and a mother. His mother will be brought up in my discussion on season three, as no information is known of her in season one. Roberto’s father seems to have respiratory issues, which an oxygen tank can see. He is seen smoking a cigarette, so it is to be assumed he most likely had gotten it from a long-time nicotine addiction. His father is also in a wheelchair however, this wasn’t always the case. In episode eleven, titled Freud and Ghosts, we get to see the first glimpse of Roberto’s father. His father is supposedly the one who got Roberto to kill first. This is because a man named Robledo shot his father, which is presumably why he is using a wheelchair and not able-bodied. Roberto claims his first kill was because of his father. His killer had his father's voice and drove him to murder Robledo with a baseball bat. The show later on contradicts this statement but I will get to that when I write my analysis on season three. Roberto claims he killed Robledo because “...he showed me in the worst possible way that my dad wasn’t immortal” (Freud and Ghosts 20:00-23:59). Roberto’s father had already paid for the hit so Roberto had gone to return the money which is how he met Moreira which there offered him a job. Once again the show later on has a different contrasting point on if this is all true, but I will mention that once we cross that bridge. Given that Roberto has been in the hitmen business for 15 years, it is assumed that 15 years ago, he killed Robledo, marking that as when Moreira hired him. Before I move on past Roberto’s biological family, I have to talk about Roberto’s sister. I don’t think this was anything more than a one-liner; however, as I am doing this analysis, it is crucial to mention it. In episode nine, titled The Child and the Spiderweb, there is a brief mention of a sister aspiring from a joke. Roberto and the man who works at the scrap yard speak and have playful banter. After this, he mentions that Roberto needs to tell his sister that he is coming over later. This sister is never once brought up again in the entire four seasons. I am chalking this up to be a one-liner, and since it was so early in the show, they didn’t think much about it. However, as it was mentioned, I had to at least talk about it. Next, I will discuss Roberto’s child Emiliano and his wife Maria. 

Roberto and Maria’s meeting is talked about in season two so I will stick to season one only for now. Maria is forty years old confirmed in episode one titled Surprise Party. The episode confirms Maria is forty years old, starting season one. Roberto is confirmed to also be in his forties. While his age isn’t specified, it can be assumed that he is either exactly forty or in his very early forties. I think it’s more plausible that he is also forty, just a couple of months older than Maria. The Priest is who mentions this, stating that Roberto is already forty and should take the job as the Don (A Lousy Job 4:30). Emiliano is confirmed to be seventeen as well in episode six, Reliquaries and Vampires. This means that the youngest, Roberto and Maria had Emiliano when Maria was 23, and Roberto was at least 23, if not a few years older. Maria and Roberto’s marriage date is unknown. However, the day they got married was on August 11th, confirmed in episode thirteen, titled A Child's Gaze. Now, we will look at Roberto’s earlier life. 

Roberto joined the hitman agency when he was at least twenty-five. This would make Emiliano two years old when Roberto started working for Moreira. However, Roberto worked as a police officer before his job as a hitman. In Mexico, the age to become a police officer is 18-35. This can mean that Roberto may have joined the police academy as soon as he graduated and left the police around when Emiliano was born or before Emiliano was two. Roberto worked on the police force with a man named Bermudez. Bermudez, in an altercation shown in a flashback, shot Roberto in the hand, leaving Roberto with a scar on one of his hands (A Lousy Job). Roberto, in this same episode, also seems to struggle with PTSD due to these experiences in the police force. He has a flashback while sleeping and can be seen thrashing in his sleep. He wakes up, and his hands end up on Maria’s neck. Maria isn’t freaking out, only worried about Maria, which has the undertone that this is something that has happened a few times, at least to the extent that Maria is not freaked out by what happens. She instantly calms down Maria holds him gently and tells him that it’s alright (A Lousy Job 33:00). This episode also showcases Roberto showing symptoms of a panic attack as well and when he is tasked with killing Bermudez he is visibly shaky and sweating. Roberto, as mentioned, joined the Hitmen agency around the time he was 25. He tells Ybarra that he is broke and doesn’t have a job at the moment and that is why he is joining the agency. Roberto seemed to initially join the agency because he needed money with a very young child to support and a wife (By the Book). 

Ybarra, in this same episode, is also revealed to be Emilaino’s Godfather and is also the closest person Roberto had. Episode two, By the Book, has some of the most insightful information about Ybarra. Ybarra has been in the business for over twenty years, meaning he has been in the company five years longer than Roberto has. He was also Roberto’s mentor when he learned the ropes. Ybarra is revealed to have an eye problem, causing him to kill the wrong person. Ybarra claimed to have been all over the city and not a single doctor saw anything wrong with his eye (Surprise Party). This is later on in the series, so for those who are aware of what happens, I firmly believe the apostles had planned this and done something to Ybarra’s vision, which led to the mistake that pushed Roberto to kill Ybarra. Killing Ybarra is the first part in which we see Roberto’s mental health slip. When he is told to kill Ybarra, he fights it. Yet when he goes to the Priest, the Priest eggs Roberto into killing him. He also encourages Roberto to take the role of the Don. This pressure makes Roberto murder Ybarra for the rule he broke. Yet in episode one, Surprise Party, Ivan defends Ybarra’s mistake and tries to reason with Moreira on sparing Ybarra. This causes Moreira to snap at Ivan and remind him why they have rules. This is one of the more exciting points because it gets into the next section, the funeral parlor members. 

Ivan was Moreira’s right-hand man. He was working there before both Ybarra and Roberto. Ivan’s relationship with Moreira is fascinating as Moreira was only in the first few episodes. However, it is clear that his death had a massive impact on Ivan. When Ivan finds Moreira’s suicide, he kisses him on the mouth. He is also seen in that episode snorting Moreira’s ashes. Whatever the relationship the two had, it was intense. Ivan becomes much more colder after this. He shows Roberto certain things but is also very reclusive about everything. He cares for the business and clarifies that Roberto is not above that. Roberto may be the Don but he is in no way above the organization. Ivan helps keep things running smoothly. He kills Roberto’s mistress, Maggie, who he is cheating on with Maria. He tortures Emilaino to find out how it will affect the organization. He threatens to put a stop to Maria in case she digs too far and Roberto quickly puts an end to the idea. Ivan is one of the most dangerous characters in the show because he stops at nothing to put the crime organization first. Ana is the mortuary cosmetologist for the funeral home business. She is close with Ivan to some extent. She is reticent in season one. She rarely speaks unless spoken to; when she does, it’s only a few words. Ana is focused on her work and loves to make people remember who they were when they were alive. 

Next, I will be talking about Maggie. Maggie is who Roberto sees while he has his double life. Roberto uses sex as a coping mechanism. When things are stressful at work, and he's had a bad day, he can roughly fuck her. She is more of a vessel for Roberto, who can use her for sex when he is too overwhelmed. It’s not entirely clear when the affair started, but for a good part of Roberto’s life, he is faithful. When mentioned about whoring by Ybarra, Roberto quickly dismisses it by saying he has a wife. Roberto at some point, got into a relationship with Maggie. The affair had been going on for at least six months, as six months ago, Roberto gave Maggie the bracelet (Neither Borge’s nor God). This episode means it’s assumed that the moment he gave her the bracelet, the two officially started seeing each other and went from courting to starting their commitment to being friends with benefits. In episode one, it is also confirmed that Maggie is only thirty years old, a decade younger than Roberto and Maria. Roberto uses sex as a coping mechanism, and when Maggie mentions Maria and says she will tell her about their affair, Roberto is hostile. He threatens to hurt Maggie if she dares to touch and interfere with his family life. When Ivan kills Maggie, Roberto is distraught. He seems to show real emotions as benign distraught and calling her dozens of times. In episode six, Reliquaries and Vampires, Maria wants to engage in sex and asks Roberto as she thinks it might help her feel better, yet Roberto is too focused on Maggie’s whereabouts. He says he's too tired from work and leaves Maria alone. Later on in episode seven, titled To Kill an Immortal, Roberto and Maria engage in sex. It’s rough, and it is something he would have done with Maggie. While the sex scene plays out, Roberto imagines it as Maggie instead of Maria. He is rough with Maria, and afterward, Maria mentions they haven’t done anything that rough in ages. Maria and Roberto seemed to have an okay bedroom life. There were two scenes showcasing their bedroom life. It appears that Roberto uses sex as a coping mechanism and uses Maggie as an outlet for his rage. Roberto, later on in the show, continues these unhealthy trends of using sex as a coping mechanism, and it seems to be one of his most exciting vices. While on the topic of vices, Roberto is seen participating in a dog fight and betting on a dog, and while it is only seen in one episode, the act of violently participating and watching a dog getting torn to shreds when Maggie wasn’t available for him to have sex with is a point to mention.

Now, I wanna dwell on Sanchez. Sanchez is one of the most exciting characters in the show because of his fall from grace. In season one he starts as being very competent. He knows what to do and how to poke the hornet's nest. He can piss off Roberto just by simply being there, and he can pin out Emiliano as being a suspect very quickly. He applies pressure to Emiliano and causes Emiliano to mess up his story by mentioning how the girl is probably already dead. He also is the one who leaks Roberto’s affair with Maggie to Maria. He caused a ripple effect, and out of all the people to have caused Roberto to falter, Sanchez is one of the top characters in this category. Sanchez in A Child's Gaze, Sanchez has been bought out and becomes one of Roberto’s lap dogs after Roberto murders his partner on the police force. He is using a man on the inside of the Mexican police force and using it to his advantage. Since Emiliano is mentioned in Sanchez’s section, I wanna focus on Emiliano. 

Emiliano is one of the more tragic characters as he longs for his father's approval and doesn’t have the proper guidance. Emilinao is seventeen years old. He seems to be a loner in the earlier episodes before he meets Ismael. He is seen getting made fun of and bullied. He sits alone at lunch. Emilino kicked the dog in episode two, By the Book. This was the first episode in which Emiliano clearly needed support. He needed a crutch of support for his anger issues that stemmed from Roberto. He needed a healthy outlet, but Maria’s own anxiety and fear hindered her from being that crutch Emiliano needed. Roberto is too concerned with Ybarra and the offer of becoming the next Don, which leaves him useless in his son's pleas for help. Emiliano was struggling, and he didn’t get that support. After Emiliano cuts a student's ankle with a box cutter, he is kicked out and forced to go to a rougher “delinquent” high school. This is where he meets Ismael. Yet Emiliano does get a talk from Roberto, which looks pretty heartfelt. He explained to Emiliano that holding in your anger can be dangerous. He also assures his son things will be okay. Roberto, for a split second, was human. Emiliano needed that. Yet Emiliano begins to fall into a darker path. Ismael helps him kill “the Beast” so he can date Juliana. Juliana is only playing with Emiliano, and after some pushback from Ismael, Emiliano murders her with a wooden stake. Content warning for the next section, I will be talking about the fictional rape that happens in this show. There will also be a brief mention of attempted suicide. Be warned and move to the next paragraph to avoid this. Stay safe. Emiliano reveals to Ismael that he raped Juliana after he killed her. This is one of the darkest aspects of the first season. This rape is something so dark that doesn’t have much else attached to it other than Emiliano does show to have remorse. He is seen breaking down when he tells Ismael and sobs into his jacket. I think while what Emiliano did was sickening and terrible, he needed serious help. Maria will be mentioned next, but the way she was of no help to Emiliano, and Roberto is so far away in his hitmen's work they leave Emiliano to drown. While his actions may be irredeemable, it is essential to look at how they stem. Emiliano needed to see an actual therapist and get real help when he was showing violent tendencies, but his mental health was neglected. Later on in the show, Emiliano attempts to kill himself. This isn’t a ploy for attention. Emiliano is in severe mental distress. He was abused and tortured by Ivan while being blindfolded. Maria calls Emiliano a monster like Roberto. He is deemed and cast out by his mother. Roberto isn’t much help either, as he and Maria fight, and it causes even more trauma to Emiliano. Emiliano ends up slitting his wrists, attempting to kill himself. Maria found him staring up at the ceiling, waiting to die. This is one of the heartbreaking moments. Maria accuses Roberto of being the reason and trying to get Emiliano to kill himself. Although Emiliano says, he’s alive because of his father. I take this as Roberto saving Emiliano from prison, which is why he says this. Roberto asks Doctor Montes to look after Emiliano. Doctor Montes explains to Roberto that Emiliano did try to end his life, and he wanted to die. He needed reassurance from his father. Montes mentions that Roberto needs to tuck him into bed, leave a light on, and ensure he knows he is safe. Roberto quickly failed Emiliano out of everyone else in his life. He needed that comfort and to feel protected and he didn’t have that. Emiliano dies not from Ismael but from Ivan. Ivan presses down, snaps Emilianos neck and lies to Roberto. This is the foundation of distrust Ivan and Roberto stand on. Emiliano died tragically and was dragged into this crime of life due to not having a support pillar around him.

Maria is the next person that Roberto fails. I think she has one of the most tragic stories. Maria develops anxiety in episode one. She is overwhelmed, and on the day she turns forty, Roberto has planned a surprise party for her, inviting over their friends. Maria is overcome with fear after having a rough day passes out. When she wakes up, Roberto is next to her, comforting her. His love for Maria seems strong, and he calls her loving names, like a princess, as he prepares her an excellent breakfast. Maria, however becomes more and more unwell in the episodes. In episode two, Roberto asks Maria to walk with him after he sees how stressed she is over Emiliano. The gesture is sweet and caring, but Maria declines his offer. This is the same episode where the two are not cuddling in bed. Roberto lays alone on his side of the bed and curls up alone. It is the beginning of the ending for the two. Roberto does try to reach out to Maria but she persists that she is okay. The most exciting thing is how Roberto shows concern yet never acts on it. He is worried about her. He mentions it to the Priest and Ivan, but he refuses to give any push. Roberto will be gentle with her and ask if she has gone out today, and Maria will say no and say she plans to go out tomorrow. Roberto is concerned but also doesn’t act on that. He is too busy with being the Don, and Maria falls deeper into her depressive episode and is consumed by anxiety about the outside world. What they do in the show is interesting because they use television as Maria’s fixation. 

The television isn’t just a source of entertainment but a way for her to still be connected to the world. Maria uses media and the TV as a way for her to get lost away from the real world. Outside of the TV, she has a neglectful husband and a son who is unstable and getting into fights. Inside the TV, she can use it as an escape mechanism and can watch shows that make her laugh or cooking shows. This spirals from her having a panic attack and fainting at her surprise party to not going out for weeks. The television became her connection to other people. Multiple times during multiple episodes, Maria is seen breaking down and crying on the floor, isolated and without her family. They have no food in the pantry or fridge because Maria hasn’t been able to go grocery shopping. When Roberto gives up on trying to get Maria's help, he passively ignores her, with the two facing away from each other.  Finally, their television service is shut off due to an issue with the autopayment not working. Maria is without the one thing helping her dissociate from reality. She panics and begins to search through the whole house and finds Roberto’s wad of cash shoved in one of his jackets. Maria ends up leaving the house to pay for the bill in person, but while there, due to the overestimation and anxiety, she breaks down and throws a trash can, attacking the clerk at the desk. That night Maria is quiet as Roberto goes to comfort her after Emilaino leaves to his room. Maria and Roberto begin to argue once she reveals she found the money. Roberto mentions that he had won it gambling on Emiliano’s birthday when he lied and said he was working. This is untrue, something Maria sees as Roberto never gambled and hasn’t in a long time. This is true as Roberto appears to gamble only in one episode throughout the show, and he does so at a dogfight. 

Roberto encourages Maria to see Doctor Montes and Maria ends up agreeing. In episode eight, titled God's Whims, it is revealed Maria had seen a therapist in the past due to having postpartum depression when she had Emiliano. When Doctor Montes finally sees Maria, he is working under Roberto, focusing on making Roberto look good. He gaslights Maria into believing Roberto and trusting him again. I think how Maria is revealed to be manipulated over and over again in this show is something so profoundly tragic. When Detective Sanchez arrives to tell Maria about Emiliano’s potential involvement in the murder of  Juliana. Sanchez then decides to poke the hornet's nest and reveals the bracelet Roberto gave to Maria was originally for Maggie. This throws Maria into a spiral as she slaps Roberto across the face and locks herself in their bedroom. Roberto tries to reason with her but Maria has no trust in Roberto anymore. He never told Maria about Ybarra’s death, which further puts a wedge in the couple. Roberto is sleeping on the couch, and Maria is deeply hurt.

Maria and Roberto repair their relationship somewhat when Emiliano nearly ends his life. The two reconcile at their house once Emiliano returns home from the hospital. While this should be something sweet, it is cut short when Roberto realizes Ismael is still alive. He requests that Maria go to her sister's house while they sort this out. Maria is hesitant and after a bit of pushback, she reluctantly agrees to go. As Emiliano and Roberto leave, Maria is left alone. As she gets in the car, it is revealed Ismael has been waiting for her. Maria instantly panics and reaches to take her prescribed medicine for her anxiety and panic attacks but isn’t able to. After following Ismael’s instructions, he stabs her with a tranquilizer, paralyzing her body temporarily. She is a limp doll, and Ismael decides to torture her. He first takes her to a food court, where he reveals everything. He tells Maria who Roberto is and how the funeral home is a front for the hitman business. Maria is horrified and can be seen with tears in her eyes as she is faced with the realization that the man she has been married to for over fifteen years has lied to her. Next, Ismael takes Maria to a soccer game. This game is filled with people cheering and hollering, which causes Maria distress. Her anxiety is at an all-time high with the realization that her husband has been hiding his true identity, and with her being in front of a crowd of hundreds, it is her own personal hell. When Ismael leaves to go to the bathroom she makes a break for it. She slowly begins to stumble as best as she can away from Ismael. Onlookers question her stumbling but when she sees Ismael in the corner of her eye, she begins to panic, running into the streets. There, a car accidentally hits her, leaving Maria with amnesia and unable to remember anything. When Roberto gets the call, he gets to the hospital as fast as he can, and when he sees her, Roberto decides to be genuine. He admits to his entire life. It is one of the few times Roberto seems genuine about anything. Yet there it is revealed Maria doesn’t remember who Roberto is. Roberto is distraught and hurt as he curls up with Maria holding her throughout the night. 

When Maria can go home Roberto has Doctor Montes help look after her so she can regain back her memory. Maria instantly recognizes Emiliano's photo but cannot piece together who Roberto is. She becomes volatile and smashes a picture frame over Doctor Montes’ head, claiming that she will always be able to recognize her son. The next most significant moment is when Maria discovers Emiliano’s corpse posed as if he hung himself in their garage. Maria is panicked and frantic screaming at Montes and Roberto. Roberto tries to reassure her that Emiliano is sick and he killed himself, but Maria quickly grabs the gun next to her. While it is off-screen, it is revealed Maria shot Roberto and shot Montes in his left arm; thankfully, Montes is right-handed, unlike Roberto. Roberto tells the priest Maria has gone crazy and explains how he murdered Ismael. For this season, that is where Maria is left. She was deemed crazy and unstable, and living in a designated home, the trauma she went through and hurt wiped away as she seems to have a clean slate now. Now, with all these characters and episode-by-episode synopsizes out of the way, I want to talk about Roberto.

Roberto is one of the last characters I have decided to discuss because I have so much to say about him. As mentioned before, at the very beginning, Roberto joined the police academy, most likely right out of high school. Roberto was groomed into becoming a hitman and into becoming a don. I will talk about this more in-depth in seasons three and four, but it is something so important to me. His own father insinuates that Roberto is to kill Robledo. While Roberto does offer first, it doesn’t make sense why Roberto would offer this, assuming this is around the time he just left the police force. I think he does it because he looks up to his father. Roberto’s father isn’t talked about nearly enough, but Roberto claims that was the first time he was ever killed. He murdered someone because of his father, and when Roberto murders Robledo, it is so violent. He somehow got him into the trunk of his car and relentlessly bashes Robledo with a bat. When the camera next shows Roberto, he is soaked in blood, and his hands are shaking as he lights up a cigarette and dissociates. This is highly similar to Emiliano killing Juliana, covered in blood and shaking, dissociating. Roberto wasn’t always this way, and what made him this way was something shrouded in mystery and only seen in small slivers.

Roberto killing Ybarra was the first foundational stone of Roberto losing everything and would be the kickstarting point for him in his long fall from grace and descent into madness. Ybarra was more than a teacher to Roberto this is the man who was Emiliano’s Godfather and close family friend. Maria was allowed to meet and personally know Ybarra. He attended her fortieth surprise birthday party. Ybarra was close to Roberto, and whether or not that was a problem for the organization or not, they wanted to test Roberto to see if he was capable of killing someone he cared about. Roberto doesn’t deal with any trauma or grief he has. This is a recurring thing in the show where if Roberto is stressed or needs an outlet, he turns to sex.

HBO, while not ever being one to shy away from sexual content, makes it abundantly clear that Roberto uses sex as a coping mechanism. When he has to kill Ybarra, and when he does, he instantly turns to Maggie to fuck and have rough sex with. His facial expression isn’t one of love or compassion but one of anger. He uses Maggie. Roberto, in my opinion, never loved Maggie, but he loved what she stood for. Maggie was Roberto’s personal sex doll and was everything his fake life represented. Maggie is the door that stands between who Roberto is and who he pretends to be. He uses Maggie when he needs to release tension from what is happening. She is young, flirty, and cunning, a dangerous combination that Roberto soon realizes. Maggie does have feelings for Roberto. She wants Roberto to skip Maria’s party so the two can have a night together. She disregards Maria as the woman being cheated on and views her as an opponent. If she can’t have Roberto, then neither should Maria. When Maggie goes ‘missing,’ Roberto is increasingly distraught and irritable, and I think it’s because he realizes that what he had for the last six months is gone. The outlet he had for sex and the outlet that was his escape and a personification of his double life is gone. Roberto imagines while he is having sex with Maria that it is Maggie in her place. This sex is rough, and when Maria tries to take off the bracelet that was once Maggie's, he tells Maria to keep it on. He wants Maria to be just for a night, that same personification that Maggie was. A way for him to relieve his stress. Roberto and Maria’s sex life is something dying. When Maria implies that a night of love with Roberto might make her feel better, he instantly brushes it off because he is concerned about Maggie. He jeopardizes their sex life for Maggie. Roberto does love Maria but he is also a hypocrite.

Roberto and Maria have an interesting dynamic because Roberto will say some of the most breathtaking, heartwarming comments about her, and yet he still cheats. I am very biased as Maria is one of my favorite characters in the show so the way I feel so strongly about how poorly she is treated. Roberto refuses to do good pushback with Maria. He is so clearly concerned about her when she faints and, in the next scene, brings her a beautiful tray of fruits from the party and he calls her princess. He does love her. Yet when Maria refuses to see a doctor, Roberto doesn’t have much else to say and leaves Maria to deal with it on her own. Roberto gets so hyperfocused and swept up in the new position as a don, one he isn’t even sure he wants to take, that he shuts out Emiliano and Maria. 

Roberto says, “And if something were to happen to her, anything, I would burn the world to the ground” (That Day). When Ivan pushes the idea of needing to take care of Maria if she becomes a problem Roberto instantly shuts it down, and he does multiple other times. Roberto loves Maria, but he is so focused on the double life he is living that he hurts and lies to Maria. He has lied to Maria for fifteen years and started cheating at least six months ago. Roberto is also distraught that killing can be an inherited trait. He talks about this multiple times with the Priest, and the Priest instantly shuts down the idea. Roberto treats the Priest's words very highly. He acts as a venting system for Roberto and it is something deeply personal to Roberto to have this outlet. Maria even mentioned that Roberto started sounding like the pope with optimism when she finally left the house. The Priest is someone intertwined with Roberto, and I wanna say more, but that gets into other seasons’ territories. However, when Roberto shares the most intimate details of his life, it is always with the Priest. 

Roberto also has an interesting dynamic with Emiliano. Emiliano’s death leaves Roberto forever changed, and when he sees his son is dead, he is clearly pained. He doesn’t blame Ivan or Ana for what has happened. He is quiet, and I think it is another structure to Roberto that is being torn down. His son was taken away from him by who he thought was Ismael. Roberto trusts Ivan and has no clue about the horrors and lengths that Ivan will go through to keep the business running.

Roberto’s trauma isn’t something dwelled on much in the show, but it is a leading cause of his downfall and his spiral into insanity. He struggles with PTSD flashbacks from being shot in his right hand by his police partner. In a few months, Roberto loses his best friend, son, and the life he once knew. His wife no longer recognizes who he is and is deemed crazy after she shoots Roberto and Montes. He is alienated, and now all he has is the organization, as revealed, Ismael placed multiple hits on Roberto. I think this is clearly where we, as the audience, see that Roberto’s mental health is slipping. He isn’t sleeping much, and the role of the Don is taking a toll on him. Now, he has to face this new chapter of his life without his wife or his son.

Now, the last thing I want to do is quickly go through facts about characters that are known in the show:

Maria is 40

Roberto is at least 40, revealed by the Priest

Maria likes to garden and has roses she takes care of. There are also plants all over the Ávila household.

Roberto likes to do puzzles and has a shed in the backyard where he does them.

In the Ávila household, on their fridge, there is a Pumbaa magnet from the movie The Lion King, confirming that the movie exists in the world and Emiliano liked it as a kid or someone in the family did enough for there to be a magnet of him on the fridge.

Emiliano plays the guitar and claims Roberto isn’t supportive of him.

Emiliano is 17.

Ismael is 18.

Roberto has a scar on his right hand from getting shot by his old police partner.

Roberto was a former police officer

Roberto likes ice cream

Ivan likes ice cream, and his favorite flavor is Rum Raisin 

Maria had postpartum depression after she gave birth to Emiliano

Ybarra is Emiliano’s Godfather 

Brad Pitt canonically exists in the universe 

The show starts in Spring 

Ismael and Maria both have birthdays in the spring 

Roberto and Maria were married on August 11th.

Ana’s phone is orange, Ivan’s red, and Roberto’s silver.

Maria has a sister

Maria’s sister is named Alice.

Emiliano doesn’t remember what Alice looks like.

Roberto makes Maria special sandwiches after sex.

The main ingredient of the sandwiches is butter.

Ismael was 4 when Roberto killed his father/

Roberto doesn’t like “shrinks” and is very hostile to the concept of seeing a therapist.

Roberto smokes weed and cigarettes

Emiliano smokes weed and cigarettes 

 Roberto's father was shot in the leg and is no longer able-bodied.

Roberto and Maggie started their affair at least 6 months ago.

Ivan has insomnia

Roberto never talks to strangers

Roberto doesn't have any social media

Facebook is a canon social media in the universe

Roberto suffers from PTSD from being in the police force.

Maggie is 30