#mcu/succession crossover

[usuallydeepcoffee]

Mr. Rogers and Succession? 👀👀

I mean, you have to admit that the juxtaposition of Steve, the humble son of an immigrant, a guy who owned one pair of (too-big) nice shoes, and the Roys, whose entire shoe rack is probably worth more than the GDP of a small country, would be hilarious.

There are two, scenarios I humbly offer:

Steve in the Roys' world:

(non-powered AU), where Steve is the young, hot partner of a very rich New York billionaire genius (Howard or Tony, take your pick). He's into arts and mostly involved in charity work, so the Roys figure he's just another Willa, but then he turns out to be a pretty good strategist.

Lol, I imagine the Roys would be embarrassing themselves trying to court the Starks, like they did with the Pierces.

(also I just love imagining Steve and Willa gagging anyone who comes near them with some quip about them being gold diggers. Two queens discussing how to maximize their joint slay and all)

2. The Roys in the mcu:

I mean. Imagine the narrative ATN would pull out their asses once it is confirmed that Captain America is actually WWII Steve Rogers. About Steve being a true patriot, standing for the Good Conservative American Values™. The way they'd be trying to get an exclusive interview post-Chitauri attack.

Again they'd probably try to court him because even though he doesn't have money (not like they do), he still has status and influence just by being an American symbol.

(that and they'd probably need his permission to make content about Captain America. Maybe even a ride named after him in their parks)

Lol. Logan would try to imply that they have soooo much in common, both immigrants, both hard workers. Steve has a good sixth sense tho, so he probably takes one look at him and turns his heel.

The cringe from Kendall would make me want to curl up and die. "Yeah man, I could uh, hook you up with some uh, modern pieces. Rothko, Mondrian. I have a couple in my pad in Brooklyn, I could uh, give you one. For free of course. Consider it uh, a thank you for your service"

Roman, oh boy. Can't even think about all the harassment innuendos he would throw Steve's way. Comments about him having all of David's Michelangelo's proportions (and consequently wondering about his dick).

Shiv is probably the one who almost fools Steve into believing she's the most normal but then says something in a terribly classist way and down the DNI list she goes as well.

Con becomes a WWII history buff for the occasion and talks about idk, Goebbels' pubes or something equally disgusting he won at an auction online.

Steve calls Nat and begs her to come and get him with the excuse of an Avenger-related emergency.

And when that inevitably fails, the Roys start a smear campaign against Steve: Captain America getting chummy with ex-Russian spy Natasha Romanoff. Workplace affair or treason?

They probably pop off a couple of bottles when Steve becomes a fugitive.

And then once Sam shows up with the shield and the suit. Oh my god. That might be what actually kills Logan Roy in that verse.

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #87: Percy Jackson, but make it MCU

Look, I didn't want to come up with yet another crazy PJO crossover, but here I am. Because instead of just coming up with the lightest, fluffiest, gayest PJO romance possible - which is what I wanted - I had to turn it into an MCU identity reveal fic too.

Or: What if post-ToA Percy Jackson was Peter Parker's caseworker following Aunt May's untimely death?

Just imagine it:

Tony Stark first meets Percy Jackson in the ICU of Metropolitan General the day after Peter and his aunt are caught in a terrible subway accident. May dies on scene. Even with his advanced healing, Peter is badly injured and taken to the nearest hospital - where it quickly becomes apparent he's Enhanced. It takes about 24 hours for the news to make its way to Tony, who immediately storms the hospital with the intention of taking Peter back to his Tower to heal-

-only to be told Peter's not going anywhere by the social worker assigned to the case.

This is remarkable for many reasons, not the least because the social worker is an unassuming, overworked 27-year-old wearing Finding Nemo socks and a faded Save the Oceans t-shirt. That the case worker - Percy Jackson - stands his ground in the face of Iron Man's wrath is even more remarkable, but Tony is forced to admit the kid has a point: he can't just let someone without any obvious connection to a minor walk off with said minor, particularly when that minor is Enhanced.

It takes Tony a couple days to get his ducks in a row, proving that he is not only able and willing to take in Peter, but is the one his aunt wanted to take care of him in the event something happened to her. During that time he has JARVIS research everything he can on Percy (lives in a Central Park penthouse owned by his long-time boyfriend, a successful music producer; volunteers for a NPO started by his best friend dedicated to restoring the wild; brief stint as the youngest ever on the FBI's most wanted, etc), but finds nothing to suggest he's anything other than a social worker trying to do what's best for his charges.

Percy becomes a semi-regular fixture at the Tower. At first it's just business, checking in on how Peter is doing and facilitating the foster care/adoption paperwork. Later it becomes something akin to friendship, with Percy being utterly unimpressed by Tony's fame but remarkably charmed by his inventions and philanthropic efforts. (He also comes to have strong feelings about the Rogues and their actions during the Civil War once he learns of them, helping Tony to see their betrayal for what it is. This alone makes him one of Rhodey and Pepper's favorite people.)

This goes on for quite some time - though I see this as happening post-CACW, we don't jump straight into the Infinity War, with there being several years wherein the Accords are ratified, the Rogues found and tried for their actions in the Civil War, and for the most part allowed to return to the Avengers on a probationary basis - until Thor finally arrives with news of Thanos' impending arrival.

Only Percy happens to be visiting when Thor arrives and the Avengers naturally have questions after Thor addresses him as Prince Perseus.

The truth of Percy's identity comes out in fits and starts (demigod son of Poseidon, saved the world a couple times, ascended to become God of Heroes, Natural Disasters, and Poison as well as Patron God of New York City; has been dating Apollo since he was fourteen; yes, is actually a social worker, albeit one who takes cases across the country to protect demigods and Enhanced), which is not helped by Thor (who can't help but comment on what he knows of Percy's heroics) or Apollo (who shows up after Percy texts an SOS but can't help but talk up his boyfriend either.)

The Infinity War still happens, albeit rather differently than in canon - perhaps Thanos turns out to be a disgruntled child or sibling of Gaia out for revenge, justifying Greek/Roman interference? But the details don't really matter as much as the identity reveal.

And... that's really all I have with regards to plot. But there should be a lot of character moments leading up to the reveal that hint at who Percy really is but which don't form a coherent narrative until the truth is revealed.

Bonuses include:

The softest, fluffiest romance possible for Apollo and Percy, with the pair more or less falling head over heels at first sight at the start of TTC, having their first kiss at the party at the end of the book, and dating throughout the rest of the Titan War. Apollo goes absolutely batshit insane when Percy goes missing at the start of HOO and breaks out of Olympus to crash the Senate meeting at the end of SoN and check on his boyfriend, and eventually gets made mortal for helping too much during the Giant War. The broad strokes of ToA occur with Percy fighting at his now-mortal boyfriend's side, and Percy ascends to godhood when Apollo regains his. There's some tension (Zeus is not happy about his firstborn son's choice of lover, fearing overthrow; Poseidon fears Apollo will end up breaking Percy's heart, but softens after Percy ascends and his chance of becoming a flower diminishes; many CHB campers think Percy's mad for dating a god, etc) but for the most part it should be as fluffy as circumstances allow.

Percy having been really obvious about his background, but in ways that seem reasonable ("How did you meet your boyfriend?" "I was at a really bad party when a friend ended up calling her brother to pick us up early. I fell in love with his car and then with him.") or like jokes ("Those sea turtles really seem to like you." "I like them too." "I guess they're kind of cute." "Excellent conversationalists too.") until the full truth comes out; and

Thor attempting to make up for blowing Percy's cover in dramatic (and hilarious) ways. This should include the gift of at least one native Asgardian water plant ("Dude, have you never heard of invasive species?") and end in a bakery's worth of Asgardian baked goods.

And that's all I have, though given the way this has been living rent-free in my head all week there may be more. As always feel free to adopt this bun, just link back if you do anything with it.

More PJO Ideas | More Terrible Fic Ideas

[inkedroplets]

ficwip 'alive'

I feel so bad that this is the first one I've done after reading all the wonderful snippets from @sideguitars

A Rich Girl with Issues

The burring and steady beep of machines was all Lena needed to hear to know she was in a hospital room. The sound was so unmistakable, so recognizable that it bordered on affectation. She was alive. The comfort that realization brought was shockingly fleeting. Southisde, she thought as her memories began to return. Did she succeed? Maybe the better question was whether or not she had been allowed to succeed? She had been stuck playing a rigged game, after all. If it had all been for nothing… Not nothing, a voice reminded her. If nothing else, she had saved Kara. She tried to smile and managed a feeble tightening in her dry lips. She was marginally more successful in opening her eyes. They fluttered open ever so slightly out of sync with one another and found their synchronicity after a few weak blinks. Each time, the room came into sharper focus. Not that there was much to see once the room no longer looked as if she were peering at it through a window smeared with vaseline. The walls were painted a shade of blue that was likely chosen because it was purported to be soothing for anyone unlucky enough to have to stay here. A curtain was drawn over a large window letting in an oblong slat of moonlight that splashed over a small table in the corner crammed full with flowers, cards and mylar balloons which were beginning to lose some of their joie de vivre, sagging listlessly above the table. It made Lena wonder how long she had been asleep.

MCU Crossover

“You clearly know your way around a lab.” It was the third time that Tony had made a stab at conversation in the past hour and with each attempt it was harder for Lena to find a way to rebuff him without possibly ruffling his feathers.  "No more than most," Lena said, hoping he would take her clipped response as modesty rather than the brush off that it was.  "I knew Coulson wasn't sending his best," he joked. “Of course, I didn��t even know he was alive until very recently…” "That would be Jemma," Lena replied, squinting a little as she double-checked her calculations, her eyes starting to itch from the strain. "Afraid you're stuck with me."  "You don't like me very much, do you?" He asked after a brief silence where the only sounds in the lab were that of keys being pressed and the hum of the arc reactor that Lena was tinkering with.  Lena let out a sigh that she didn't try very hard to hide. "When people ask that question they usually already know the answer,” she said, not bothering to look up from her work. “I don’t even know you.”

A Hero

There was a parade of people (some familiar, some not) that spoke on Lena's behalf. One of them read a poem, while others reminisced about all the times that Lena had helped save the world. Stories of her bravery and her determination that Kara supposed were meant to celebrate her life, to honor her. But no stories of Lena off duty. Not one of how competitive she could get playing board games, or how bright her smile could truly be, nothing like the canned smiles she sometimes gave  in interviews but one that could light up a room, could warm one's heart with its brilliance. Not one word about how funny she was or how wonderful it was to simply be near her. 

They don't know her at all…

The anger she felt at that realization was frightening in its enormity. The only thing keeping it from consuming her was the grief that had already eaten away at her like a cancer, already feeling like it had devoured everything good inside her. 

It was Kal striding to the front of the room, head bowed and shoulders sagging that stoked the flames of her anger, listening to him speak about Lena, speaking in such vague terms one might think he was trying to pay his respects to a stranger. And that's what she was to him. It was what she was to everyone here. None of them had truly known her when she was alive. Everyone except her. Because of her. She was the reason that Lena had not just re-erected the walls around her heart that Kara had torn down but to make them stronger still. To keep them closed so tightly that no one had ever been allowed in… 

You don't know her, Kara thought, fighting the urge to seize Kal by the shoulders and to shake him. To seize him by the shoulders and scream it in his face. To turn to all the people gathered and yell at them. Anything to rid herself of even an ounce of the pain in her chest that felt so much like a mortal wound. 

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi Steph!!

You know some fics in wich Sherlock is an alien?

The idea popped up in my head yesterday but i don't know exactly how to search it on AO3.

Thank you!

Hi Nonny!

I do! These are the only "alienlock" fics I know of, though one is John-alien:

The Kepler Problem by kinklock (E, 24,270 w., 1 Ch. || Sci-Fi AU || Alien Sherlock, Space Repairman John, Alien Biology, Horny John) – Working in uncharted space exploration was not as exciting as John had hoped, especially when it turned out to be mostly bot maintenance on uninhabited planets. However, the mystery of the repeated, unexplained malfunctions on planet BAK 2212 might turn out to be exactly the kind of adventure he'd been craving.

The Semantics of Crop Circle Formation: a case study by Sherlock Holmes [unpublished] by canolacrush (M, 41,710 w., 9 Ch. || Post-S2, Sherlock POV First Person, Aliens, Wordplay, Case Fic) – “Look at these photographs,” I said, gesturing to the wall of crop circles. “What do you observe?” “Crop circles,” John replied. “Obvious. What else?” “Are…are those intestines surrounding them?” “Yes. The majority are bovine and ovine in origin. The farmers who have acquired these crop circles in their fields have also had a tenth of their livestock murdered and arranged thus.” “Why?” John said, presumably in a rhetorical fashion. I detest rhetorical questions. “That is what I must find out, John.”

Names for the Galaxy by evadne (E, 191,101 w., 38 Ch. || Future Sci-Fi AU || First Time, Violence, Teacher/Student Dynamics, Ableism, Angst, Bigotry, Disturbing Content, Amnesia) – Sherlock Holmes is a recent arrival to 22nd century earth, and determined to find out who he is and where he comes from. John Watson has the unenviable task of teaching him how to be a normal human being.  Part 1 of the Names for the Galaxy series 

====

And these fics are "alien adjacent" in a sense:

Captain John Watson, Genetics, and Other Crazy Things by cyerus (M, 5,581 w., 1 Ch. || Torchwood Crossover ||  Humour / Crack, Jealous Sherlock, Sexual Magnet John, Captain John, UST / RST, Three Continents Watson) – The explanation for John "Three Continents" Watson? Jack Harkness is his father. Sherlock doesn't know whether he's going to die from jealousy or sexual frustration first.

The Short Tragic Death of John Watson by Calais_Reno (M, 49,681 w., 9 Ch. || Actor / TV Show AU || John “Dies”, Victor Trevor, Past Drug Abuse, POV Sherlock, Suicidal John, Implied / Referenced Abuse, Acting, Pining Sherlock, Happy Ending) – Thirteen years ago, Sherlock starred in a television series about an alien boy stranded on Earth. Now Molly has written a reunion episode and he's expected to join his old costars and recreate the role of Alex Tribble, now an adult returning to rescue his old friends from an alien threat. Having had some success since playing a teenage alien, Sherlock is reluctant to reprise the role. And there's another problem no one wants to discuss: John Watson, who played his best friend, is dead.

If He Be Worthy by AndyHood (T, 58,110 w, 18 Ch. || Avengers / MCU Crossover || Friendship, Adventure) – In the aftermath of the alien invasion of London, Coulson's team is set out to retrieve a man, a man that had picked up Thor's hammer. John Watson hadn't meant to get mixed up in the alien invasion only intending to repay a favor. He had only been surveying the damage done by the aliens when he had tripped on a hammer, he didn't know the significance of being able to pick it up.

Perdition's Flames by i_ship_an_armada (E, 63,435 w., 21 Ch. || Treklock AU, Est. Rel, Genetic Engineering, Angst & Fluff, BAMF!John) – Sherlock would do anything to save him. Risk anything. Give anything. His money, his life. His soul. What he does, though, is change both of their destinies forever. Genetic re-engineering is the only option left. It turns out researchers underestimated the life expectancy and potential abilities of genetically re-engineered subjects. The British government and what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets, however, had not. Part 1 of PF Universe

Out There by DiscordantWords (T, 131,695 w., 10 Ch. || X-Files Fusion || Past Soldier John, Panic Attacks, POV Alternating Present Tense, Anxious John, Canon Adjacent, Deductions, Obsessive Sherlock,, Travelling, Sherlock’s Family, Jealous Sherlock, Mind Palace John, Awkward Flirting, Kidnapped/Abducted John, Semi-Reverse Reichenbach, Worried/Anxious Sherlock, Hospital, Slow Burn, UST, Case Fic, Government Conspiracy, Aliens, UFOs, Mutants, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, Coma John, Forehead Touching, Hand Holding, Drinking/Bars, Past Jolto) – FBI Special Agent John Watson, medical doctor and army veteran, is assigned to assist eccentric genius Sherlock Holmes with paranormal investigations on the X-Files project.

====

And finally, I think you'll also enjoy these lists:

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Doctor Who Crossover Fics (MFLs)

If anyone has something that they would love to suggest, please do!

[moghedien]

everyone wants to have a multimedia extended interconnected universe. everyone from giant media conglomerates to indie authors are trying to speedrun their way into the next mcu or cosmere because no one understands that the reason why those giant universes with endless crossovers exist and why people care about them is because they were given time. crossovers in the beginning were left to cameos that meant nothing to the overall story and were easily missed and the focus on telling the individual story you are telling in the moment is why people cared enough about marvel movies to get to the point of endgame (and like also why people are very rapidly losing interest in marvel movies when it became all crossovers all the time and lost any kind of focus)

this is not a judgement on the quality of successful extended universes or saying they're like peak media, it just needs to be acknowledged that they were successful and the reason why is because in the beginning, they were just telling individual standalone stories and not teasing out a massive universe that no one would have cared about anyway because you need to care about the people in a world before you can care about a world. and its not just a problem with large media companies repeatedly trying to accomplish this with one movie made only for the purpose of worldbuilding needlessly. small and indie creators keep trying and failing to accomplish this too because they're making the exact same mistake

if you want to create an elaborate sprawling universe with multiple series and characters crossing over, great. worry about telling the story in front of you first. if that story wouldn't be interesting without it being a part of an extended universe, then why do you think it would make people care about your extended universe

[siriouslytired]

Feedback fest 2024 🌻

Well RIP to my bookmarks because I just noticed that so many of my favourite fics have been deleted or made anonymous/put in a collection. Thought it would be fun to do this anyway.

Also apparently I managed to post this when it wasn't done (can you tell technology doesn't like me?) And for some reason I couldn't edit the original post (and what's up with that??). So uh, if anyone had liked the first post I deleted it because I got annoyed.

All fics on the list can be found on AO3

A Year In Toussaint by astolat

The Witcher; Rated E; Geralt of Rivia/Emhyr var Emreis

"[...] - and found himself spilling the whole sob story of his success to Emhyr, who actually broke and laughed out loud when Geralt got to the racehorses."

One of my comfort fics, will read it for a multitude of reasons but mostly just because it's so well-written and engaging (which is just all of astolat's fics really)

Hunger and Appetite by thegoodbutter

Shadow & Bone; Rated E; Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov; Modern AU

I couldn't actually tell you how many times I've read this, it's just SO GOOD. And the food descriptions are just fantastic, makes me want to cook up a storm/start baking something even though I hate doing the dishes afterwards.

The Stars Don’t Shine, They Burn by Sarcasmismydefaultmode

Shadow & Bone/The Witcher; Rated E; Alina Starkov/Emhyr var Emreis; Second Best AU

Read it. Do it. It's so fucking good. I usually don't read crossovers anymore but I couldn’t resist this one and it was so worth it. It blends the two worlds so well while making sure that the edges are obvious enough that you can still tell which parts came from what canon.

Amazing Grace (series) by Druid Moon

Marvel Cinematic Universe; Darcy Lewis/Clint Barton; Many references to different forms of crafts

A relic from when I mostly read MCU fics that I return to again and again and again. Super cosy, slightly sad, incredibly well-written, one of those fics that just draws you in once you start reading it.

coronas of wolf-teeth and rivers by Dialux

A Song of Ice and Fire; Not Rated; Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark; AU; Robert dies at the Trident, Ned dies at the Tower of Joy, Catelyn becomes Queen of Westeros

I remember reading the summary and basically attacking my phone screen to open the fic. It ties itself together so neatly from the premise and the way Catelyn is written is just fantastic.

Diplomatic Relations by KrazzeeAJ1701

Star Trek; Rated M; James T Kirk/Sybok; AU, Female James T. Kirk

Listen, I had a phase where I mostly read gender swap and I found some real gems - this being one of them. I don't re-read it as often as I should but every time I do I remember how much I like it and how fantastic the writing is. The set-up just makes sense and the progression of the story makes you want to keep reading forever.

the ghosts won't matter because we'll hide in sin by soapboxblues

A Song of Ice and Fire; Jaime Lannister/Lyanna Stark; AU

A cute little AU where Lyanna survives the Tower of Joy and is subsequently turned into a political pawn etc etc. Incredibly well-written and the pieces just fit together so well.

The Debt of Time by ShayaLonnie

Harry Potter; Rated E; Sirius Black/Hermione Granger; AU, Time Travel, Soul Bond

I must have read this at least 15 times by now. It just works so well, you know?

For One Last Day by fideliant

The Hobbit; General Audience; Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield; AU

"The things we don't do for love." It's so bittersweet and lovely and all those wonderful things that make me want to smile and cry at the same time. Sort of chances-not-taken and now we're old wrapped up in this little moment that fits so well into the canon of LOTR.

Eurybia by Annerb

Pirates of the Caribbean; Rated T; Elizabeth Swan/Will Turner; Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth Swan; AU

"A love story. Elizabeth Swan and the sea." Read it. Just do it. It's so so so good. And it's barely 1200 words so you can read it and then spend an hour contemplating what you just read and still have time to do other things.

[tremorsmackenzie]

the recent news about marvel revamping how it does tv shows is just...

why did they ever delete marvel tv? like, the process so far imo can be summed up as marvel having a succesful tv side, then deleting it to make shows "their own way", only to realize that doesnt work and just resetting everything back to how it was 4 years ago while pretending its some kind of innovation.

like how did they manage to ignore every lesson they had already internalized, fuck up bad, and then just go back to how it already was?

the stuff theyre saying about how they want shows to have value beyond being connected to the mcu, leading up to crossover events, and adding to the movies, and appeal to viewers with multi season relationships with characters where they get to know them etc. is literally what made agents of shield successful.

im rambling but its just so incredibly redundant i cant.

like dont get me wrong this is a good thing, but it just makes losing all those shows hurt even more because what was the point

[anika-ann]

Love on the Brain - part 9

Ch9: With Friends like These

Type: MCU x Criminal Minds crossover series

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader    Word Count: 6400

Summary: After the successful rescue mission, you must deal with the aftermath – and with some unresolved matters. But you’re not alone and that’s the best and most important part.

Series masterlist

Warnings: series includes criminal behaviour such as stalking or kidnapping; graphic violence, gun violence; (mentions of) death; allusions to dub-con; possible PTSD and flashbacks; sexual innuendos and foul language. Loads of fluff and teasing.

I’m covering my bases here to make sure - probably sounds worse than it is. If you’re interested in specific warnings for individual chapters, let me know.

A/N: divider by @firefly-graphics

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart." — Eleanor Roosevelt

You startled awake with a gasp, hand flying up instinctively to your forehead; to your perfectly unharmed skull.

No blood. No holes.

Just a terrible dream; the image of a gun faded as you stared at the creamy walls of the hospital room with eyes wide open, a soft voice reaching your ears.

“Hey, you’re okay. You’re safe.”

Your head snapped to side so quick you felt dizzy, steadied by a gentle touch on your arm. Achingly familiar pair of blue eyes watched you with concern and reassurance.

Steven Grant Rogers. Perfectly unharmed as well. Just sitting by your bedside like a dutiful guard, hand grounding you with its touch instead of holding a weapon to your head and aiming straight between your eyes.

Fuck, human mind was the scariest, craziest and most confusing place on Earth.

Sighing in relief, you ran your hands down your face, wincing at the pull at your arm, the splint on your left hand rough against your skin.

Of course Steve didn’t shoot you. Of course you were fine, even when in the med bay. But Christ, the dream felt painfully real when his cold eyes stared into yours, the grip on his weapon never wavering despite your pleas.

Steve didn’t rush you, allowing you to just breathe in and out, eyes closed, palms still sticking to your jaw. His thumb stroked your shoulder in soothing periodic motions, grounding you in reality, but otherwise he simply let you process. He didn’t say a word about the few hot tears rolling down your cheeks.

It was the lack of action that had you lower your hands at last, glancing at him again, a shy smile lifting the corners of your lips as he released you.

“Hi,” you pipped up.

He mirrored your smile, a tender barely-there thing, lips pressed together tight as you clumsily wiped at your damp cheeks.

Well, this is embarrassing.

“Hi yourself,” he echoed, head cocked to side slightly. “How are you feeling? …besides awful,” he added as if he realized the cliché of his question and the obvious answer.

It was endearing and entirely Steve and you couldn’t but snort at his attempt of a joke, your smile growing for a split second before it disappeared altogether.

“Stupid. Embarrassed.”

For not seeing the stalker for what she was from the start. For your very unsmooth awakening. For the faint memories of how you completely broke down after the team incapacitated Bonnie, babbling one thing over the other and- oh Christ, Bonnie. A shiver shook your body as the image of blood flashed in front of your eyes, the cold metal caressing your neck… at the way it swiftly moved away to find a new – the original – target.

“Glad it was just my arm. And that it was not--” you. You gulped, gaze falling to the floor as you took a deep breath before facing Steve again. The pity on his face hurt, but you knew he meant well. You cleared your throat. “Sorry. Can I, uhm, can I get some water? And a tissue?”

And a hug, maybe?

“Of course.”

Ever so helpful, he handed you tissues while he undid a bottle of water, unnervingly observant of your every move. It was almost as if he waiting for a you to break down entirely, the same way you had after getting shot and you supposed you couldn’t blame him. You just fucking hated that he had seen you like that, having those moments carved into his brain forever due to his eidetic memory.  Embarrassment consumed your whole being, burning hot in your gut. How pathetic you must have look back there?  

There was no mistaking his concern and attempts at supportive smile, but there was something in his expression you couldn’t decipher; you couldn’t bear not recognizing it. And you most definitely could not bear wondering whether that something had anything to do with the very intense conversation you had when he had been pressing against your gunshot wound.

You tried to sound as casual as possible when you gave the half-empty bottle back and spoke again; probably failing miserably, but avoiding the elephant in the room like a champ.

“Thanks. How’s everyone?”

The unreadable emotion in his eyes only deepened, much to your dismay; but then his features softened, causing your heart to flutter.

GG was now sitting at your bedside, familiar and safe. Your best friend. And more.

“They’re fine, Sparkles,” he assured you, reaching over to envelop your hand in his own, warm ones. “Little worried. Pretty angry neither of us figured it out until it was too late.”

Little worried.

Fear. The unfamiliar emotion on his face was fear he had tried to cover. Must have been, because it was in his voice now, laced with anger indeed. You turned your hand so you could squeeze his; this time to reassure him.

“But it wasn’t. Late, I mean. Not too late.”

“The fact that you are here begs to differ,” Steve opposed, one eyebrow rising in a mock challenge, voice heavy and serious.

You shook your head, your smile turning sardonic, ugly feeling settling in your stomach.

Kyle Meyers would beg to differ. The eyes, the accusing brown eyes, had screamed at you that he had wanted to live. A hospital, let alone Avengers’ fancy med bay, would have been a blessing for him.

But not everyone was blessed; not everyone had the privilege of having a guardian angel as capable as yours was.

“No, GG. Being here proves my point. I-- in cases like this? I could say I was extremely lucky,” you explained slowly, having Steve scoff and drop your hand as he looked away.

“Really doesn’t feel like it.”

“Doesn’t change the fact it’s true,” you whispered, suddenly feeling cold.

Probably because the comforter was a little thin.

In fact, the comforter thrown over you was the most interesting thing ever. The pattern was fascinating, truly, overlapping abstract shapes in faint blue, creating a surprisingly unobtrusive ‘A’ every now and then as they aligned; you had never noticed it before. The designer must have had a field day creating bedsheets for the Avengers. And when you brushed it with your fingertips, the pattern was rising slightly above the white cloth-

“Hey…” Steve murmured, so damn softly you couldn’t but look up at him. The sheer determination on his face was a funny contrast to his voice. “You’re safe. I promise. Stiles didn’t make it, but if she had, neither of us would let her see the light of the day ever again.”

You nodded on autopilot, your mind miles away, outside your control, as it moved from nowhere to your time in captivity and to the rescue.

You tried and failed not to think about the image of the pools of blood which seemed uncomfortably sharp in your mind: one at Bonnie’s leg, non-fatal, no doubt from someone from the BAU; the fatal one by her head from either Natasha or Clint. You held no judgement; each of your old and new team had their idea of ensuring you were safe and you’d stay eternally grateful to all of them.

But with blood came the fear; intense, all-consuming fear you felt when the gun dug deep into your neck, when it twitched away from it, ready to find a different target. The target.

You gulped, the smile on your lips tasting foreign as you fought to stay in the moment. Steve’s blatant ignorance of just how problematic their rescue was and the potential price he could pay just for being there helped you. Because between fear and gratitude, there was one more feeling clawing to the surface.

“I know you wouldn’t. Thank you. Thank you for coming for me…” you said sincerely, earning a nod and soft ‘of course’ and god, you could punch or kiss that stupid of course from his mouth. “Even if you were being stupidly reckless, again.”

Steve’s eyebrows jumped, shoulders squaring.

“Hotch said it was the best angle to-“

“Oh, I know,” you interrupted him impatiently, irritation spiking. “He wanted her thrown off balance, I would have decided to do the same, I think. It was an insane risk to take on its own, but fine. Whatever. But then you what, just decided to get rid of the only defence you had out of spite or-?”

“Hey now, you know that’s not true.”

“Oh, do I? Because from where I was standing it sure looked exactly like what was happening!” you shot back, having Steve grind his teeth.

“Where you were standing,” he parroted wryly, leaning forward, red rising to his cheeks, “was in a negative distance from a gun, aimed straight at one of the largest arteries in your body and at your spine. If I could have done anything to—if I pretended to believe you, I was hoping she’d-”

You sucked in a breath sharply, incredulous, blood pressure skyrocketing.

He couldn’t be serious. He couldn’t be that much of a reckless idiot, no, not this much, that was just impossible-

He was kidding you. He must have been.

“Oh dammit, Steve! Did you seriously let your guard down and left yourself completely exposed to modified bullets meant to kill you, because you were hoping?! One second, one fucking second and she would have shot you-!“

“It wasn’t me who was in the real danger there GODDAMNIT!” he exploded, fist hitting your mattress so hard the bedframe cried silently in protest.

It hit you like a sledgehammer.

Your breath hitched, but not in fear. You were startled by the outburst, shocked, sure, but not scared. The instant guilt painting Steve’s face, among the different emotions playing on his features, told you how sorry he was to lose his nerve and scare you.  

Yet he whispered a quiet apology too as you bit on your lip, his hands retreating back to his lap.

You watched him silently as he forced his clenched fists to relax; a movement deliberate and small, but it drew your eyes to the back of his hands for the first time since you had woken up and it had your mouth go dry.

His knuckles were bruised. Faint but angry red marks with the lightest touch of blue. He was freshly showered and sitting by your bedside when you woke up; for the bruising to linger so long despite the serum, he had had to beat a punching bag within an inch of his life earlier – probably tearing it in the process, again.

He must have been furious; and yet he sat there, ready to comfort you. A little outburst after you provoked him with your own was nothing to apologize for. The only thing to apologize for was him being reckless, albeit with the blessing from your former boss.

What made it worse, however, was that he had been reckless for you. His anger, his fear, the pain in his bones, his life on the line, all that was on you.

Steve was a big boy, able to do make his own choices, but it was the choices and faulty assumptions you had made that had led him to jump into danger head first again. Without a helmet, naturally, because why bother with protective gear, right? Dammit, GG.

“That’s… not entirely true,” you stated slowly, causing his head to snap to your face, ready to argue. “But I hear you. And I’m sorry. I know I should have seen it earlier, and I know you’re mad at me-“

“What? No. Sparkles, I’m not mad at you-“ he protested, but you ignored him, determined to say your piece, hating the tears stinging in your eyes again.

“And I’m mad at myself too. I was too stupid to see it for what it was, I know, but--- can I please get a hug anyway?”

His face twisted in exasperation, mouth open to say something, to oppose you, maybe to agree, maybe to finish what you had rudely interrupted, but then his shoulders sagged and he smiled a fraction; the hint of the perfect lopsided smile you loved.

“Always.”

You grinned through the welled-up tears, all troubles floating away as he leaned forward and you found yourself in his gentle arms, enclosing you in a vacuum of safety. He was uncharacteristically careful, mindful of your injuries, but his embrace was tighter than ever; you reciprocated the hug as much as you could, holding onto him like onto the lifeline he was.

Vainly trying to fully grasp the comfort he was offering from where he was still seated on the chair, you fidgeted; he released the firm grip on you until you tucked your face to the crook of his neck, allowing yourself a generous inhale. When you finally settled, he nuzzled your hair, achingly tender.

“God, Sparkles… what am I supposed to with you?” he sighed, one of his hands moving to cradle the back to your head to him, fingers gentle as they weaved their way into your hair. “You scared the hell out of me.”

That makes two of us.

“I’m sorry… and thank you.”

“For what? For being scared?” he huffed, bringing a smile to your face as the words echoed your own; and you responded just as he had.

“For being worried.”

He released a wavering breath.

The exchange, so remarkably similar to one you had before, brought you right back to the elevator, where he embraced you just as protectively, just as comfortingly and just as affectionately. Where his proximity had become too much, breaking the resolve not to give into your feelings.

Your memories of what happened after Bonnie drugged you should be hazy, but you did remember what you had said to Steve; very clearly in fact. There was no point in denying it; and you didn’t have the strength nor conviction to do so anymore either. Breathing in Steve’s cologne mingled with faint trace of sweat and something distinctively him, you nuzzled further into his neck, counted to three to gather courage and then briefly pressed your lips to his throat; tentative, but leaving no doubt you did so on purpose.

Steve’s arms tightened around you, the periodic motions of his chest ceasing for a moment, his heartbeat racing against your cheek. Then, his lips brushed against your scalp, his thumb petting the sensitive skin behind you ear.

Your heart hammered against your ribcage wild, sparkles of hope and giddiness lighting up in your brain.

This was definitely no friendly gesture; and what more, it was a seal of approval. The same approval, the same affection you had seen in his eyes, in his face, heard in his words, but had failed to decipher before; and had believed in at last, only to have your actions thwarted by an outside force… mostly by Jarvis.

But nothing was stopping you now – and you couldn’t wait another second. Not after you almost died. Not after he almost died. Not after two years of circling in his orbit, his gravity pulling you in with more and more force with each passing day.

“GG?” you muttered into the skin of his neck, having him draw back a bit, just enough to look at you, palm still cradling your jaw.

“Yeah?”

Your eyes roamed his face, the cheeks dusted with the faintest hints of pink. Alluring lips you wanted to taste for so long calling out for you, having you lick your own on instinct. The tiny motion didn’t escape his attention, his gaze flickering down before meeting yours again, pupils widening.

You weren’t sure who moved first, who leaned in; but at last, his lips were on yours, soft and careful as if you’d disappear if he pushed further just minutely.

Your head spun as his two-day stubble prickled against your sensitive skin, just as you had imagined it would; but he got your back and wouldn’t let you fall. Both of his hands now held your face firmly, yet with unmistakable tenderness.

He held you as if you were something precious, something he would never drop, but feared could slip from his fingers any minute. As if you would ever.  

Your hands came to life, reaching for his bicep and shoulder, as much as the splint on your hand allowed; it must have spurred him on, because his lips parted slightly, moulding into yours with intent, drawing a small whimper of bliss. You yielded to his gentle strength, revelling in his affection, fighting to stay without oxygen just a second longer now that you got to kiss him at last.

Now that you felt like you were home.

Whether it was the serum or some sixth sense of his, he released your lips just as you needed to breath in, but he didn’t go far; his lips were a whisper from yours, exchanging a few more pecks, your smile growing with each encounter, your heart singing when his thumbs stroked your cheeks, tucked unruly strands of hair behind your ear, nose caressing yours.

Steve practically smothered you with tender affection, overwhelming your body with love and delight. When you couldn’t take it anymore, you kissed his cheek and then rested your forehead against his, both of you smiling wide and basking in the glow of each other’s presence.

“God, GG, we should have done that ages ago,” you chuckled at last, not daring to raise your voice above a whisper as not to break the magic of the moment. Steve echoed your laugh faintly.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, caressing the length of your hair, his other hand never releasing your face. “Let’s do it again?”

Your thoughts exactly; you never heard a better idea in your life.

Damn, you truly loved this man.

“Great minds…”

His lips were back, but the caution was left behind. If the first kiss wordlessly marked you as precious to him, this kiss simply marked you as his and you sank into the sentiment with gusto, breath caught in your throat as your lips parted to accommodate him, your hands pulling at his shoulders despite the echo of pain in your arm.

A small grunt of protest to your mouth, contrasting sharply with the way his body leaned to yours, a shift of weight as one strong hand sneaked under the covers, under your knees, effortlessly lifting you just enough to make space for him on the edge of the bed.

He replied to the startled sound that left your lips with a smile with a cocky edge and a delicate sweep on your tongue that made your knees weak, your heart trembling; your body instinctively pressed to the firmness of his own, now so conveniently close.

It was everything. It was everything you could ever want, a breath of his name falling from your lips when he retreated for the briefest second only for his fingers to dug into your calf, palm burning against the thin fabric covering your flesh, sending tingly heat to your abdomen. A small whimper escaped you when his thumb pressed deeper, his smile, that damn smile, GG, you little loveable shit, making you forget your first kiss happened only about a minute ago.

He kissed you as if it was his only job to turn your brain into mush, to turn your body into something completely pliant to his touch and he was excellent at it.

“Well, you guys don’t play around,” Natasha’s voice commented dryly, causing you to nearly jump out of your skin as you actually winced at the sudden intrusion, your eyes snapping open.

“Hello sailor,” Emily whistled as you licked your lips, gaze flickering to Steve who was still very much holding you ridiculously close and pressing his lips together as if he was holding back a laugh.

He didn’t look guilty one bit, which was fair; you could just keep kissing him for the rest of your life and you’d be perfectly content. But you would have been happier without the audience.

When you tried to scoot away from him, bewildered your face wasn’t on fire with how hot it suddenly felt, he only allowed you to stretch your legs, very reluctantly releasing his grip. He remained in your bed, however, taking your hand and interlacing your fingers together, not bothering to turn to the arrivals.

“I mean… we can come back later-“ Spencer said, almost shy despite the corners of his lips twitching. “We don’t want to interrupt your… your---uhm…”

Oh god, Spencer Reid, certified genius, was at loss of words because of you. This was bad.

“Smooching?” Emily suggested.

“Cannodling?” Natasha added helpfully, only to have Spence grin victoriously as he finally found the words after the longest time you had ever seen him speechless.

“…courtship display.”

“Oh my god, shush you all-“ you muttered as Steve silently snickered.

The sound was like a revelation; the spark of mischief and contentment was a confirmation.

Steve didn’t seem to mind one bit that you were walked on despite the faint colour in his cheeks whispering of a small portion of bashfulness and a wish to be left alone with you too.

Chances were that he was just as consumed by the kiss as you were, certainly, but he was a supersoldier as he loved to remind you whenever you worried about him. Which meant there was also a thick chance that he was at least distantly aware someone was coming.

What a luck it was that the group not only included Natasha, but also Emily and Hotch and, lord help you, Spence. You’d bet that if Steve hadn’t known for sure, he at least hoped your former best friend and crush would be there.

You were in love with a gentle gigantic little shit. And you adored him anyway.

You squinted at him, earning a charming smile – with the faintest apologetic edge. Oh yes, he had known.

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better,” Hotch commented matter-of-factly, not quite able to control the amused twitch of his lips.

Taking a deep breath as Steve had the decency to move back to his chair at least now when your former boss spoke – though he never let go of your hand – you nodded, eyes skimming all over the newcomers.

“Immensely. Thank you all for coming for me… and, you know, saving my life and all that jazz.”

It was easy to feel light despite the grave situation you had been in, now that you were in a circle of friends… and with Steve by your side. Here, now, the experience could barely touch you. And yet, something must have flickered in your expression, because Steve’s thumb swiped over the back of your hand, gentle and protective.

“You did good out there. You read her for long enough to hold on until we arrived and caught up instantly. You weren’t exactly a damsel in distress. You helped a lot,” Emily noted kindly, earning a smile that was somehow glued to your face ever since Steve kissed you.

“Uhm, I’m just glad it worked – that you guys worked it out.”

“It was a team effort,” Spencer shrugged, grinning from ear to ear, even as his eyes spoke of genuine relief.

“Oh, speaking of which…” Emily hummed nonchalantly, one corner of her lips lifting into a smirk. “There’s someone else who’d like to see that you’re okay.”

You frowned. The BAU team was in the room, Steve as well, even with Natasha; you assumed Clint might have already been gone back to his family even as you hadn’t had a chance to thank him yet, which left…

You grinned slyly, even if your heart felt strangely warm.

“Really? Are you trying to tell me Tony Stark was actually worried about me and came to the Avengers med bay...? Wow, I’m so honoured--- oh my god!”

You squealed, shooting up to sit the straightest possible, your mouth falling open in astonishment when the mysterious person walked in.

And then another one.

And another and then one more and yes, there were tears stinging in your eyes, which had Steve squeeze your hand and you loved, loved your GG, but holy shit you barely even cared at the moment.

“What the hell are you doing in a hospital bed, kid? I thought you were the agent, not the target!” the large man chuckled good-naturedly.

All you could do was to gape – still. “Morgan! I-- what-“

“I can’t believe neither of us visited when it’s only a three-hour train ride or a one-hour flight. Shame on us!” Garcia exclaimed, her bright blue dress with pink flowers only she could pull off lighting up the room, as did her wide smile.

“Aww, we didn’t mean to make you cry,” JJ cooed, grimacing so apologetically that you could tell she was not sorry at all, drawing a chuckle from you.

“Well did you expect, JJ?! When the whole band comes to see me even after I-” practically disappeared on you, you wanted to say as you failed to blink away your tears, but the last member of your former team didn’t give you the chance.

“-got shot? Twice the reason to fly in, kiddo, don’t you think?”

You sighed, not at all inclined to argue when you had them all here – a happy occasion.

“David Rossi. Wow. I… I cannot believe this, it’s so good to see you all.”

“Why don’t we give you guys some privacy? We could use a coffee, or a lunch, right, Steve?” Natasha asked pointedly, breaking your haze for a moment.

Steve shot the redhead a murderous glance – whether it was at the suggestion of him leaving or ratting him out, it was hard to say. You narrowed your eyes at him, too delighted at your visitors to be truly mad. And he must have sensed it, because he met your gaze, not expecting a hell fire… only a smoulder.

It was also very difficult to be mad at him when he had kissed you like that and his lips were still a little redder than usual, gloriously tempting.

“Did you sit here starving the whole time I was out?”

Steve shot Natasha a glare as if to say ‘See what you did?’ and sighed. “I was not and I was not starving-“

At that, you snorted.

“You’re saying that as if I didn’t know how much you normally eat, GG.”

He opened his mouth to protest; but a faint growl of his stomach rendered his upcoming argument useless. The others were polite enough not to mention it, but you could see a few of them holding back a smile.

And every single one of them watched your interaction with absolute glee and unabashed curiosity, which Steve promptly ignored, leaning closer to whisper only for your ears.

“You gonna be okay here?”

“As okay as I can get,” you assured him just as lowly, your smile growing. “And I promise to stay at my station as told, unlike someone.”

He glared at you for the briefest moment, unreadable; almost long enough for you to regret the jab, but then he shook his head, a smile passing his lips.

“Point taken… but remind me who walked out of the Tower alone and is now in a hospital bed?”

It was your turn to pause; you had to admit you deserved that, but you didn’t let your failure consume you as it had when you had been taken. You weren’t alone now. In fact, you had an army of friends to help you chase away gloomy thoughts.

“Point taken. Go grab a bite, GG.”

“As you wish,” he muttered, pressing a sweet kiss to the corner of your mouth as a goodbye; a goodbye that almost made you want to tell him to stay.

But then your face began to burn once again as low ‘uuuh’ sounded from three of your former colleagues; Morgan, Garcia and Emily. The rest just smirked. You would swear you heard Natasha mutter ‘territorial ass’.

Why were you friends with these people again?

Steve squeezed your hand for one last time before he rose to his feet.

“It was nice meeting you. Heard a lot of great things,” he said politely as he nodded to each of the newcomers, addressing them by their name, earning a tiny squeal from Garcia when he did so.

“Likewise, Captain.”

A genuine smile curled Steve lips. “Thank you for your help, Miss Garcia. See you around, all.”

“Okay, okay, let’s just…” Natasha said as she pulled at Steve’s arm, chuckling as he exchanged a last glance with you, no doubt catching your silent thank you for making Penelope’s day. “Nice meeting y’all!”

The moment they were out of sight, you were crowded – and most of the crowd was your favourite technical analyst, who slapped your unharmed arm.

“How could you not let us know you’re dating Captain America?! If anything, I’d expect a call to brag about that!” she complained exasperatedly, her eyes shining brighter than the pink bow in her head.

“Technically, they only finally confessed their feelings about…” Reid interjected, looking at his watch pointedly, “…314 minutes ago.”

“It was very romantic and dramatic,” Emily pipped up, having Penelope’s jaw drop and JJ smirk, her arms crossing on her chest.

“And we hope to hear all about it, don’t we, Garcia?”

“Oh you betcha! All the details!”

You smiled at their antics, feeling giddy and flustered at once at the prospect of catching up with the best ladies in the world. And guys, of course, but you doubted they were as interested.

On a second thought however, Morgan was definitely one to learn as much as possible in order to gather ammo to tease you and Rossi, well, he might be a wise grown-up, but he wouldn’t turn down gossip.

And neither would you.  

“Only if you feed me the juiciest gossip from the bureau,” you negotiated, earning excited nods from Garcia. “Oh and please tell me you gave a lesson to another guy who impersonated an FBI agent to get laid?”

“You got yourself a deal, sweetie.”

“A sweet one,” Morgan commented, his grin slipping momentarily, replaced by a brotherly concerned gaze. “But seriously. What the hell happened? How did you end up being kidnapped and shot when you were the one calling about the case?”

You realized they must have just flied in, if no one brought them up to speed. With a sigh, you braced yourself to explain despite your error and the unpleasant memories being the last things you wanted to talk about.

But lord bless Emily Prentiss, it took her one glance at you to understand how you felt; she took it upon herself, swiftly and lowly explaining what had happened. Spence, ever so helpful, handed you the bottle of water from the nightstand along with a cup of jello, noticing you started to fidget with unease; a ghost of cuffs swirled around your wrist as seaweed, ready to pull you under water.

You absently thanked Spence as he helped you, a careful brush of fingers here and there far from accidental, meant to ground you in the moment.

“You’re welcome, Bean,” he whispered gently, causing you to crack a smile again. “Ah, there she is.”

You smiled a little wider, shaking your head, catching the last words of Emily’s report.

“I guess I was too close to the case to see it objectively,” you added with a sigh, causing everyone’s gaze return to you.

“I’d say,” Rossi agreed and you would have felt ashamed, especially in front of him, author extraordinaire, a legend among field agents, hadn’t it been for the compassionate smile and the warmth in his chocolate-coloured eyes. “But we’ve all been there.”

We all made mistakes, he was saying, as if reminding you that he wasn’t an exception to the rule either. And this time, the mistake didn’t have fatal consequences. You smiled at him shakily, earning a wink.

“Well, I’m glad it was just your thumb and your arm,” Morgan commented, a slight furrow to his brow – a sign of worry – his arms remaining crossed on his chest.  

“We all are,” JJ added. “We leave you alone for five minutes…”

“Yeah, don’t scare us like that again!” Garcia cried out, pouting – and then waving it off. “But now, let’s leave the gloom behind. Tell me about this huge dramatic love confession--- no, wait, start when the cupid’s arrow hit you for the first time.”

You chuckled, wondering what was there to even say, but Morgan beat you to it, snickering – and leaving the gloom behind indeed.

“Sounds like a euphemism to me, babygirl.”

Somehow, you were both insanely grateful and utterly horrified at the change of topic, despite warmth blooming in your chest at the thought of Steve – and the declaration you had exchanged a few minutes ago, involving mouths but not really words.

“Oooooh, they’re good at those!” Emily exclaimed, her face bright and full of mischief. “I mean…. was it when he shared his fries with you?”

Oh god-

“Get outta here,” Morgan burst out laughing, shooting Reid a pointed look. “You hear that, pretty boy?”

“Will you ever let me live that down?!” Reid cried out, voice an octave higher, gaping as Morgan once again brought up the one instance where Reid practically slapped your hand when you wanted to steal a fry from his plate. “Just so you know, when someone wants some fries, they can just order them.”

“Uh-huh-“

“But this phenomenon of stealing fries is not unusual and is more common in women, who don’t order the fries because they want to appear more attractive to a man by not eating excessively. And at the same time, they appeal to their masculine need to provide food for their partners and family-“

“See and you said it was just the papers who made a big deal out of it,” Emily interjected gently, a smirk to her lips as she watched you. “It actually was a great romantic gesture stemming from ancient male instincts…”

“Emily…” you warned her silently, only to be interrupted by Morgan.

“Oh, I think I’ve seen enough male instincts when Captain Loverboy kissed her to mark his territory before he left.”

“Not wrong there…” JJ sing-sang, having you groan and hide your face in your palms – a feat given your splinter – feeling your cheeks being set aflame with every word added to this ridiculous conversation.

You were sure poor Steve – who was definitely to be blamed for this, you hated him, you loved him – probably had his ears on fire with everyone talking about him.

“Please, you should have seen his face when Reid hugged her--- no, when he called her Bean. First time I actually saw someone physically turn green, I’m telling you.”

“Oh my god, you guys, just stop, please…” you whimpered miserably, only earning several chuckles and a tug at your sleeve.

“Aww, look at her, she’s all flustered-”

“Shut up, Morgan, I regret every time I didn’t take the chance to comment on your walk of shame-“ you muttered, annoyed… a little.

Despite all their teasing, it was difficult not to feel completely elated, because the reason this was happening was that fact you and Steve had-

“Rogers and Jones, sitting in the tree…”

“Oh, oh, Garcia, wait, he calls her Sparkles and she calls him GG-- whatever that means,” Emily stopped her, causing you to drop your hands and shoot her a betrayed glare. “So it’s more like: Sparkles and GG, sitting in a tree, K-I-”

“I’m happy to see you, guys, but I hate you all,” you announced flatly, instantly breaking character when most of them just burst out laughing.

“Oh hold on! Who’s gonna give him the if you break her heart I’ll break your nose talk?” JJ exclaimed suddenly, sounding deadly serious.

“No one!” you cried out instantly. “No one is going to break anything!”

But it was too late; the team of FBI agents, who acted like overgrown children, already started plotting.

Oh boy.

“You know I don’t exactly have the best record in hand-to-hand, but I know of at least fifteen different ways to dispose of a body without trace if-”

“Spence!” you shrieked, not expecting that from him in the slightest.

“I have no qualms about breaking his anything,” Derek announced, ignorant to your exasperation.

“Neither do I,” Emily shrugged.

“And rest assured he would never do as much as read his emails if I got my hands on him, Stark security system or not,” Garcia spoke, uncharacteristically scary. “I’d ruin him.”

“Guys, guys! Come on,” Emily shushed them, hands outstretched to get their attention. “I have no doubt we’d all shoot him dead, but who’s gonna do the honours or telling him that?”

“Hey! No one is shooting anyone! We literally just saved him-“

“Rock, paper, scissors?” Hotch suggested innocently, causing you to gape, a breathless accusation falling from your lips.

“Et tu, Brute?”

His words unleashed a stream of oooohs and hands that suddenly competed for the chance to threaten your… boyfriend, maybe? Just Steve for now? Your GG, always? Which was nice and all and you were so lucky to have them in your corner, but you had just averted one crisis and you’d rather keep Steve safe and sound. You doubted he planned to break your heart anyway – he could never.

“No one is listening to me…” you muttered, a chuckle sounding on your right.

You glanced at Rossi who didn’t participate in the mess unfolding by your bed, only watching with a proud smile.

“You know they won’t when it comes to protecting one of ours, kiddo. You’d do the same, because that’s what family does,” he said gently, looking around as some of your friends did bicker like siblings, before glancing back at you. “That’s what family’s for.”

With a sudden lump in your throat, you followed his gaze back, trailing around the crowded room: several special agents with one of the best trainings available, acting like children, paired up to play rock, paper, scissors. Sans Hotch, who might have suggested it, but would not actually go to Steve to give him a shovel talk; he appeared like a father to the crazy pack.

Looking around, you felt like family was exactly what you were. No matter the distance of two years and three-hour train ride, the BAU still was and hopefully would always remain your family.

→ Next part (epilogue)

Series masterlist // Steve Rogers masterlist // Misc masterlist

Reminder: in the masterlist to this series, there’s a list with pics and characterisation of the complete BAU team (since I swarmed you with several ‘new’ characters in this chapter)

Yeah, I totally lied, the short excerpt I shared about three weeks ago was not from a floofy one-shot, but I could NOT exactly tell it was these two idiots FINALLY kissing, could I? Sorry 🤭

Wanted this to be a chapter slash epilogue, buuut it was getting too long again and I feel like this fic deserves a sweet and short goodbye instead🥰 Epilogue to come.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, folks, thank you for your support 💗

[lokiondisneyplus]

After the climactic release of the historically successful Avengers: Endgame – the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the penultimate release in their “Infinity Saga”, the culmination of 11 years of brand-building, the second-highest-grossing film of all time – Marvel decided what the world really needed was more Marvel.

Armed with classic Hollywood hubris – the misguided conviction that the public would never tire of what they were selling – Marvel Studios rolled television production into their main business model, with “Phase Four” delivering more television shows than movies. The effect was a flooding of the market and a dilution of the brand, not to mention the release of the worst MCU movie, Eternals.

Forcing narrative crossovers between television shows and movies had the adverse effect of turning the former into homework and the latter into ads for the former. This practice was an act of artistic self-sabotage, ruining what could’ve been Marvel’s most sublime film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, by burdening it with a host of tonally-off, studio-obligated B-stories crowbarred in to promote upcoming television titles.

After a run of disappointing films that weighed down once-fun franchises with po-faced gravity – Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – and a slew of ordinary television shows – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Moon Knight, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion – we’ve officially reached a state of Marvel fatigue, with questions looming around the state of the superhero industrial complex.

It’s in this cultural moment that Loki, the acclaimed solo show for the titular character, arrives for a second season. It doesn’t just have to live up to an inspired first season but also has to push back on all the bad vibes, a difficult task given the heavy presence of Jonathan Majors, the breakout star who was arrested in March on domestic violence charges.The great charm of this season is that it cultivates the feeling that it could head anywhere and be anything. Loki doesn’t just explore free will as a theme, it actually feels as if it artistically possesses it.

The good news is that, whether or not it can be spun as state-of-Marvel narrative correction, season two is a worthy successor. Blessed by the fact its titular character, Tom Hiddleston’s charismatic God of Mischief, remains a slippery figure, Loki is allowed to move forward with no clear lines drawn between good and bad, protagonist and antagonist, hero and villain. Characters hold convictions until they don’t, make choices that will have ramifications, agitate for themselves, then for the greater good, and try to navigate a world whose rules shift beneath their feet.

It’s largely set, once again, in the Time Variance Authority, a comic bureaucratic labyrinth charged with policing multiversal time lines. Offering obvious symbolism at a time when Marvel is struggling to retain coherence in the midst of its “Multiverse Saga”, the TVA prizes the one true “Sacred Timeline”, pruning infinite possibilities back for the sake of cosmic narrative purity.

The TVA is an inspired retrofuturist space steeped in Eastern Bloc mid-century design and early Terry Gilliam films, satirising the pernickety dictums of workplaces and government offices – “limit your lunch break to 17 minutes!” proclaims one poster. From its dated tech – ’70s-style computer monitors, reel-to-reel tape machines, chrome hi-fis – to its curved surfaces, coloured floor tiles and lurid-emerald key lime pie, it’s a rare work of inspired production design by a studio otherwise synonymous with green-screening its way to rush-job eyesores built by an army of non-unionised offshore digital effects artists.

Everything in the TVA looks shabby and neglected, evoking its place as an office lost to time. The plot machinations of season one found an Avengers-adjacent Loki commandeered by the authority – Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), upper-management Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and others – to pursue a variant of himself, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), through time and space.

It ended with an explosion of multiversal time lines and revelations about the true history of the TVA: its top-down system of authority a matrix of illusion, its mind-wiped employees existing in a state of suspended limbo, its time line-culling operation seeming a lot like a morally questionable act of mass slaughter.

In the fallout from that climax, season two finds characters questioning whether the TVA is an entity worth preserving or destroying, not to mention the meaning of their own existence and the ramifications of choice. It’s a study of free will and moral responsibility, housed in 45-minute episodes of action-oriented television. Its chief writer, Eric Martin, both lionises liberty and weighs up its gravity, while happily dealing in the all-American fear of governmental oversight.

The collapse of the TVA’s artificial reality – “everything you’ve been doing is wrong and all your gods are dead”, Mobius deadpans in classic Wilson fashion – leads characters to their own convictions. Mobius seeks peaceful resolution. Renslayer seeks to preserve her power and the authority’s agency (“all that matters is order versus chaos”). The once-bellicose B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) has a moral reawakening. The dogged Dox (Kate Dickie) is more committed than ever to the cause. The weaselly X-5 (Rafael Casal) wants to explore his new-found independence and maybe become a movie star. The oddball tech guy with the on-the-nose name, Ouroboros (Ke Huy Quan), is there to both provide comic relief and to save the day from a temporal calamity that may destroy all worlds, or something to that effect.

Loki’s playful riffing on time means every benign use of the word pops – “it’ll take some time”, “remember that time”, “take your time”, “time to go” – and its first four episodes dance along the Earth’s time line at various points of history – 1868, 1893, 1977, 1982 – with plentiful hijinks, dabbling in genre tropes, meta use of Loki’s skills of illusion and misdirection, and creepy fast-food-franchise sponsored content.

Looming over all is the presence of the big bad of Marvel’s Phase Five, Kang the Conqueror, played still, to this point, by Majors. He’s seen here in two variants: a squirrelly 19th-century nutty professor named Victor Timely and the all-powerful end-of-time figure met at the end of last season, He Who Remains. These twin characters are connected but separate enough that they symbolise the series’ focus on free will. One may be fated to become the other, but does that mean that he – and the future – can’t change?

The great charm of this season is that it cultivates the feeling that it could head anywhere and be anything. Loki doesn’t just explore free will as a theme, it actually feels as if it artistically possesses it. While it may not be enough to combat the waning influence of comic-book screen output, this season does feel like a disarming counterpoint to recent Marvel Studios product. Rather than feeling conscripted or forced, a puzzle piece that exists solely to build a bridge between branded content, Loki remains its own thing: a nimble exploration of big themes in a colourful, comic, oddball package.

This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on October 21, 2023 as "Changing times".

[destinyc1020]

can I be honest can they just make a regular ass spiderman film without team ups without daredevil, just center peter parker and spiderman and flesh out the characters around him like MJ, or harry osbourne or whatever. Like we dont need these crossovers, spiderman is interesting by himself, I feel like both sony and marvel are wrong here. No one wants spiderman in the sony universe, and I dont like marvel doing these dumb team ups like make something more smaller scale and immediate. Like at least tobey and andrew gave his movies where its focus was on spiderman and him being a friendly neighbourhood spiderman. Homecoming kinda did it, but then iron man was still a looming shadow throughout the film and the cost was we didnt get enough time to flesh out mj and aunt may.

Girl YES!! That's what most of us fans are saying!!

But it seems like both Sony AND Marvel are worried that the film won't make enough money if it's not featuring a Tobey/Andrew team-up 🙄 (Sony), or featuring a bunch of other Marvel characters in the MCU (Marvel) 🙄.

I'm like, do they even have faith in Tom? Like, serious question. Coz like you said, his film would do awesome numbers even if it were just a fully street-level, GROUNDED spidey film all on its own imo. 🤷🏾‍♀️

But I guess, given NWH's success, they're wanting to do everything bigger and better, when honestly, they really DON'T need to do that! 😡

The kid just lost basically everyone that was considered his family (Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Tony Stark, his parents, MJ mentally) etc. Like, this NEXT version of Spiderman actually needs to be more grounded and showing us Peter struggling a little bit (financially AND emotionally) , and picking up the pieces after all of this grief. 😔

We as the audience NEED to see this. And we don't need Tobey, Andrew, or any other "Avengers" crowding up his life. They're not even supposed to know who he is!!! Remember??

So yea, they need to just scrap all of the "big plans" and just give us a Spiderman that not everyone and their grandmother knows the identity of (the stupidest decision EVER in Tom's franchise if you ask me) . 🙄

I swear, if I think too much longer on this, I'll get a headache. 😓

[georgiapeach30513]

I think if Chris had starred as Six in TGM you’d be getting a franchise as we speak. In fact, he could have played both Lloyd and Six in the same film and done a Two Face type of thing but with himself. That would have been a sight to see. And they could have switched out the money they used to jet set and bomb all of Prague to CGI both of his performances in.

Ryan was pretty alright as Six but he does much better in films like Lars and the real girl, drive, and the nice guys. More indie more heart. Him as a big blockbuster action star may work (the fall guy looks like a good one) but not with the Russos. He’s not a superhero, sorry.

I would like people to get off their high horses and realize that a trio like the Russos and Evans is actually pretty rare. They have been together for the better part of a decade now and the results have been: Cap 2,3, Infinity War, endgame, TGM.

98% of those films are critics and audiences raved and hitting billion dollar box office. One is/was highest grossest film of all time, a cultural phenomenon, and one of the most memorable times in modern cinematic history. It was a moment.

TWS remains one of, if not the best marvel and comic films ever made. It’s truly unmatched that film.

Civil war is still creating pop culture discourse to this day. The movie is almost a decade old.

TGM had too many issues but one character stood out for the majority of critics and audiences alike.

Who’s the common denominator in all this?

Ehh, I don't know about that. Have you ever heard the saying that the villains have more fun? Even in Disney movies, who has the better lines, better looks, makeup wise whose makeup looks the best? Villains have the most fun, and Chris had so much fun with this role.

Six was always meant to be a bit more of a withdrawn character. He wasn't supposed to be charismatic. Lloyd was. You love to hate him. That's why Chris made that role memorable.

But I do agree with the Russos comment. And I will continue to stick behind how I feel about them. But I am also open minded because I think it's only a matter of time before Chris works with them again. It's not if but when. And the MCU movies are different because that is an ensemble cast. Chris alone did not make that box office success. That was 10 years of a setup to the largest crossover in cinematic history. Even Marvel is struggling to duplicate that same magic.

I won't take away from Chris' performance, but that is also why he does well in ensemble casts. With Cap he is still the star, but he has a great cast to feed off of.

I just want the Russos to use Chris in a non action movie. I think that would be interesting. But we also have no idea if that dinner was business based, but I do believe it was.

[zmediaoutlet]

twenty questions for fic writers

tagged to do the do by @prince-of-elsinore, ty ty for thinking of me

How many works do you have on ao3?

211 (and elsewhere, maybe a dozen we don't talk about, bc they suck, on livejournal; maybe a couple dozen short pieces here on tumblr that have never migrated to ao3)

What's your total ao3 word count?

1,515,103

What fandoms do you write for?

Almost all Supernatural, but also some video game fandoms (FF, DA, maybe BG3 soon), MCU, etc. usual suspects.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. oh so good, oh so fine -- 993 kudos 2. there will be better days -- 846 kudos 3. see things so much clearer -- 621 kudos 4. into the flood again -- 602 kudos 5. side two, track one -- 558 kudos maybe someday we'll break 1000, lol

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely I do, and would find it rude not to. I know other people have all kinds of reasons they don't respond but I don't have any of those reasons, especially since I'm pathetically grateful every time someone bothers to say they liked something, lol. If anyone's even a tiny bit encouraged to become a repeat reader by the writer responding, I want to encourage that as much as possible. Plus, every once in a while, you can get a dece conversation going in the comments! Find a like-minded fan! That's worth any effort to compose a few sentences of thanks. The only comments I don't respond to are emoji strings or cut-and-paste 'another kudos here' comments, because they're not actually comments. (I appreciate the thought, but... I don't want them.)

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have had some beta friends who would argue about this one, lol. I guess the saddest is probably the hollow summer, since the whole plot is kind of hurt/no comfort. I don't believe in a successful boy king, let's say that.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

again, probably depends on how you define 'happy'. glory days is probably the most cheerful; for me, the happy comes better with more experience behind it, so the thirty-third yard would maybe be my personal choice.

Do you get hate on fics?

nope; worst I ever got was some twerp who actually responded to someone else's comment, bitching that I didn't put the right peepee in the right poopyhole. But only one of those, ever, and safely ignored. idk, I don't attract that much.

Do you write smut?

...yes.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

only one, and it only sort of counts -- i heard love was blind, which is Cordell Walker/Dean Winchester, but of course the point is that Dean's getting the body of his brother by other means. I like crossovers but I usually want there to be a point beyond 'let's mash these two faves together and see what happens'; I'm more inclined toward doing a whole-universe fusion, e.g. fully placing characters with what you can salvage of their key backstory elements into a universe not their own... which I guess would also count as a crossover, wouldn't it. so I also did that with putting the Winchesters into the Dragon Age 2 plot, in whatever we were before. definitely 'crazier' than the first one here, lol.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think that's the kind of thing that happens on WattPad. Who cares.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, a few.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I tried; it didn't work. Both people need to be contributing to the writing for it to really count as 'co-written'; nevertheless it's stuck with both author names on ao3 because I don't think there's a way to change that.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

I think from context this should be clear. Although will also forever hold many small candles for the little guys.

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

the aforementioned "co-written" fic, which was meant to be a huge series. The first fic is finished because I brute-forced my way through it, but there was a full five-season arc we were going to try to get through. Alas. The first one is decent, though, and works as a complete fic on its own: In a Cursed Hour.

What are your writing strengths?

voice, pacing, naturalism; characterization, though that can be argued in a fan-space

What are your writing weaknesses?

plot -- I find it intensely boring. Avoidance of plot then tends to flatten stories into similar non-arcs; I don't mind that, but it's a skill to exercise.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'll only do Spanish, and that's only because I studied it for eight years. Even then it's usually the wrong choice, unless it's a fully blended multilingual story (which most are not, and in the wrong hands it comes off as absurd); better to convey through the POV character either understanding it or not, and dealing with it in narrative instead of straight dialogue. Although a word or two here or there is nbd, clearly.

First fandom you wrote for?

Final Fantasy VIII

Favorite fic you've written?

well, questions, you got me, because I don't believe in favorites. at this moment in terms of writing skill I think the best might be asceticism, but in terms of one that sits in my head and fully just is canon, lol, it might be there will be better days, mentioned above. the only heaven fic I need. I guess that says something.

kind of interesting to look at the stats, if also stressful. let's get some other writers to be interested/stressed -- uhh @redmyeyes, @phynali, @hellhoundsprey, @stillwaterseas, @whiskeycherrypie

some shots in the dark :)

[scrawnydutchman]

"Hooked on a Feeling”: A Retrospective on James’ Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FOLLOWING FILMS:

-Guardians of the Galaxy 1-3

-Avengers, Infinity War

-Avengers: Endgame

Thor: Love and Thunder

-The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

The Guardians of the Galaxy films . . . . .  I struggle to find the words as to how much they mean to me, which is saying a lot because I’m probably the wordiest motherfucker I know. In a franchise like the MCU that has become so oversaturated and so bland with every release that it has made the term “Superhero fatigue” prominent, the Guardians manage to stand out with their immense heart and exceptional film making. Guardians 3 is no exception. While it is a *slight* departure from the norm established by the prior films as it’s much darker and more mature, it still manages to be so incredibly fun and uplifting. In my opinion, given what James Gunn had to work with after Infinity War and Endgame (we will get to those in a minute) it truly was the perfect conclusion for all of these characters.

In celebration and tribute to these films that I love so much, I thought rather than doing a long film review of 3 like I usually do, I’d take a look back at the Guardians film franchise as a whole and see what it has meant for the evolution of these characters as well as the general impact on the Marvel cinematic universe. In this retrospective we will be covering Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and finally, closing it off with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

When this film was coming out, it seemingly had everything going against it. It had to establish 5 of the most obscure characters in Marvel’s catalogue all in one film. It had to sell the guy from Parks and Recreation as the leading superhero. It had to compete with the first Avengers, which many called the best superhero movie of all time when it premiered. It had to take a gamble on whether or not the audience could buy the idea of a talking Raccoon being in a superhero movie. If this franchise was to survive, it had to be GOOD.

And boy was it.

It was so good that became a box office hit. Suddenly, these obscure marvel characters of which only the most dedicated of fans would be aware of skyrocketed into household name territory. Baby Groot merch started flying off the shelves. Everyone was talking about how funny and heartfelt the film was, because it is! All the characters were so lovable and hilarious. It was colorful, dramatic, fun, inventive. Chris Pratt was SO charismatic as the leading man. The soundtrack was iconic: a meticulously and appropriately picked set of 70s classics. It just goes to show that when your product is quality enough, anything is possible.

The success of the Avengers may have paved the way for all the crossover potential of the MCU, but the Guardians had set the tone not just for themselves but have captured a charm that the rest of the MCU has been attempting to capture ever since . . . for better or worse. Yeah, unfortunately the lesson the MCU and many other films’ took from the Guardians success is that the audience will eat it up as long as it has a soundtrack of all hits and a buttload of quips, but there’s more to it than that. The soundtrack can’t just be a collection of randomly selected pop hits: it has to be tonally appropriate for the scene and thematic to the plot. And the character’s can’t always just be quipping for the hell of it: it has to be driven by character. So yeah, this film inadvertently set a bit of an unfortunate precedent going forward, but that doesn’t change the fact that it kicks ass. Quality will ALWAYS have its bargain bin imitators.

The film’s biggest strength is how it sells such a big cast of new characters through their chemistry with each other. Backstory, character arc and personality traits aren’t enough in a vacuum: they are at their best when put in contrast with opposing characters. Even though these guys don’t spend *that* much time with each other initially, you get a very quick sense that they were arguably meant to band together. It makes the climax of this film where they join together to share the energy of the power stone all the more satisfying.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017)

So while I do certainly love the first film, I would probably say it was also the most flawed. It had a decent theme about the value of friendship and the importance of coming together, especially when you have no one, it was definitely lacking in some places. The biggest example I can think of is its villain. Ronin is lame, there’s no getting around it. He didn’t tie in to the arc of the main characters by any stretch. He wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things. He doesn’t have any particularly memorable lines (other than giving the group their team name). He was merely an obstacle for the heroes to dispose of. On top of that, while Nebula and Yondu were both present in the film, they weren’t given a whole lot of characterization just yet. They were either more mere obstacles or plot devices to further things along, with any further depth merely hinted at.

Vol 2 manages to radically improve where the first one fell short. Ego is the main villain this time around and HE. IS. AWESOME. Cunningly manipulative. Disgustingly charming. Even more disgustingly evil. The dude was a breath of fresh air at a time when many marvel villains were just so forgettable. In my opinion, Ego is still the best villain in the trilogy (we will get to the High Evolutionary later). His intimate ties with Peter’s arc about moving forward and finding new family (not to mention the definition of family) was simply fabulous. Plus Rocket’s side story where he bonds with Yondu was particularly entertaining too. Also, Nebula and Gamora’s relationship was a great source of entertainment. This is the other way Vol 2 improves upon its predecessor: Yondu and Nebula are becoming fully realized. Yondu provides a noble sacrifice that redeems him of his abusive ways while also confirming that he always loved Peter, whereas Nebula gets to shine as, in my opinion, the best female character in the MCU. She’s tragic, she’s ruthless, she’s badass . .  but she’s also very, very funny. Other MCU writers could take notes from this because she has adjectives to her personality besides synonyms for “strong” or “capable”. Not to mention we get Mantis in this movie. She was fantastic chemistry with Drax from here on out and only brings more to the group’s already stellar dynamic. This movie is great and is an improvement on the first one in every way.

The film also establishes Adam Warlock in its after credits scene. Given the timeline of the MCU and my knowledge of who Adam Warlock is in the comics, I was expecting him to be prepared in time for an appearance in Infinity War and Endgame considering he’s basically a primary adversary for Thanos. But, among many things, Infinity War and Endgame did not really capitalize on what the Guardians established as well as it should have. Which brings us to . . .

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019)

Sigh . . . . . so this is around where the quality of the Guardians’ involvement in the MCU goes down. Don’t get me wrong, I like Infinity War and Endgame. I became a 10 year old boy in my seat when Cap lifted Mjolnir too.

But MAN did these movies rob the Guardians.

This is the movie where Thanos makes his move as the big baddie of the infinity saga. The Guardians, indisputably, have more history with Thanos than any other characters in the MCU. Thanos was introduced officially (not as an after credits scene or easter egg) in Guardians 1. Drax’s whole arc for a while was about wanting revenge on Thanos for the death of his family. TWO OF THE GUARDIANS ARE THANOS’ DAUGHTERS. And yet . . . . not only is almost the entirety of the team blipped away for 5 years with the only survivors being Rocket and Nebula, but when they all come back NONE of them get their own chance for licks against Thanos. Drax never gets his long awaited revenge. Neither Gamora nor Nebula have a chance to tag team Thanos the way Cap and Bucky tag teamed Iron Man. Quill never gets a chance to make up for his error that got half the universe killed. SCARLET WITCH GETS HER OWN CHANCE AT REVENGE AGAINST THANOS BUT NOT THE GUARDIANS??? ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!

Also, in my opinion, they reduce Peter Quill to a complete dullard punching bag in these movies. I know Peter is supposed to be a manchild and is somewhat dumb, but it’s like the Russo brothers have a hate boner for him or something.

The line “I’m not from earth, I’m from Missouri” makes literally no goddamn sense. Peter was 8 when he was abducted by the Ravagers. He would have to be Patrick star levels of dumb to not know that Missouri is on earth. Not to mention all the other Guardians treat him with absolutely no respect. They have SO much more respect for him than that. And then in Endgame all he gets is being a punching bag as quick jokes and then immediately going back to being belittled by Thor.

Speaking of Thor, they tease at the end of Endgame that Thor becomes a temporary Guardian . . . and then he leaves the group basically immediately in Thor: Love and Thunder (which is its own trashfire that’s for sure). That movie has weird characterization of Quill too as it essentially shows him at the end of the journey that Thor is supposed to take . . . but then in the Guardians films Gunn still has him struggling with missing Gamora. Yeah, I can’t help but feel like the rest of the MCU really messed with Gunn’s plans for these characters. He now has to make lemonade out of the fact that most of them have been gone for five years, Gamora and Quill’s relationship has hit the reset button, Thanos is now dead which means Drax effectively has no direction and Adam Warlock wasn’t brought out when he should have been. To bring it back, Gunn would have to make some serious lemonade.

Luckily he succeeded.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)

So this was a funny and sweet little movie to tide us over while we wait for Guardians 3. Not entirely necessary, but damn if it isn’t fun. Drax and Mantis are saddened that Quill is still struggling with how much he misses Gamora. On top of that, they learn that they’ve entered the time where Terrans celebrate this little holiday known as “Christmas”. So they have the idea of cheering Quill up by throwing him a big Christmas party and getting him the greatest gift of all . . .abducting and brainwashing his hero, Kevin Bacon. That premise alone is worth checking it out at least once because the Hijinks that ensues is pretty damn funny. But the movie also surprisingly establishes from rather important elements. For one, it introduced Cosmo the telekinetic spacedog as a major character rather than a quick cameo, who will be important for Guardians 3. For another, it reveals that Mantis is Quill’s half sibling as she too was a child of Ego. Sadly this doesn’t shake up the dynamic of the group THAT much, but it IS mentioned in Guardians 3 in a way that furthers the plot along nicely.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (2023)

So here we are at the conclusion for this team of Guardians. After almost a decade of entertaining us with their antics, Star-Lord, Gamora, Nebula, Drax, Groot, Mantis and Rocket are going on one last ride before their stories come to an end. I was simultaneously so excited and so scared coming into this movie. It’s basically the only thing in the MCU I give a shit about at this point and I got so attached to these characters that I simply couldn’t take the idea of any of them dying. Gunn knew how attached we all are and played a mean trick on us. All the marketing made it seem like they were going to straight up die at the end. My heart couldn’t take that. 

Fortunately nobody *actually* dies. Most of the team just does into retirement, which is also sad but much preferable. Peter goes back to earth to get back in touch with his grandfather. Mantis sets out on her own to discover what she’s all about. Drax and Nebula become an adopted dad and mom to a whole race of kids (which is hilarious, I want to see that dynamic in action). This version of Gamora finds a new home as a Ravager. And Rocket, who is the star this time around, becomes the captain of a new generation of Guardians alongside Groot as a returning member.

This film is quite a radical departure from how Guardians usually does things. While the first two had a soundtrack comprised entirely of 70s hits in reference to Quill’s relationship with his mom, this film starts integrating 90s hits, and I like to think of this as Quill’s evolution as he starts moving forward rather than living in the past. This film is also MUCH darker and sadder. AND more violent. Like . . . holy shit the drama is cranked up to 11 and the film comes out literally swinging in the first 10 minutes. But don’t worry: it still manages to have a lot of classic Guardians fun, especially with it having the best action of any Guardians film BY FAR.

By far the biggest change is that Rocket and Quill switch roles, in more literal ways than one. In the first two films, Quill was the center focus whereas Rocket was something of a deuteragonist (secondary protagonist). But here, Rocket takes center stage and Quill’s storyline serves to further the themes of Rocket’s in a different way. Considering the mess that Gunn was left with after Infinity War, Endgame and Love and Thunder, I gotta say: He made some sweet ass lemonade. Peter and Gamora’s reset relationship resolved in a way that was thematically appropriate for the film (I.E. accepting things as they are instead of trying to bend it to fit your way). Drax was given direction back as a father rather than a destroyer, which is what motivated his revenge arc to begin with, resolving the fact that after Thanos died he didn’t have much to do. Mantis was given a lot of time to shine. Even Adam Warlock had a role in this film that wasn’t completely pointless. He got the ball rolling with his attack on Rocket, he tied in to the theme of self acceptance and discovery over being told what you ought to be, and he saved Peter at the end, solidifying his place as a next gen Guardian. He was definitely childlike, but he was literally born yesterday so that tracks, and again, only further serves the theme of self discovery and actualization.

Also, one of my more minor complaints of past Guardians films is that action has been rather lackluster. The first Guardians film suffers from sporadic editing and uninspired cinematography while the second film pushed comedic value over cathartic action (except for the Yondu arrow scene, that was sick). Guardians 3 goes SOOOO HARD with its action and it’s fucking amazing. All the Guardians got significant upgrades in their abilities on screen. Drax very much earns his reputation as “the Destroyer” in this one, which is a relief because ever since Vol 2 he’s sort of been reduced to just a walking punchline. Mantis proved how scary she can be with her empath powers. Nebula showed off how unstoppable of a force she can become. The hallway scene is the best action scene in the whole MCU, no contest. The Guardians dogpiling on the High Evolutionary was so fucking satisfying.

Also, High Evolutionary was a great villain. A bit hammy for my taste in select places and ultimately I think Ego is a stronger villain overall, but it was cool to see a villain that is 1000% scumbag and it makes him getting his comeuppance all the more satisfying.

This film will leave you crying like a baby over the drama of a little Raccoon. It’s fantastic.

Conclusion

So yeah. The MCU all in all has been quite the spectrum of quality, with some films being much, much, MUCH better than others, especially in recent years. But the Guardians have been consistently amazing quality from beginning to end . . . as long as Gunn is in charge, that is. This team of Guardians is where Gunn says goodbye to the MCU and the new team (plus Star-Lord’s new adventures) will likely be handled by a different director going forward. I’ll keep an open mind about how well that goes, but regardless, all I can say is thank you James Gunn for these incredible films that introduced us to such lovable characters. 

[feydrautha]

PMs ARE like asks to me, so i will be gracious and count it as one @chuckroughly (💕💕💕💕💕)

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Already answered BUT the time to be a hater in front of your own choir never stops! This time?

Joplittle. I became persona non grata over disliking this ship amongst the Terror fandom on Twitter, and now it's my goal to become so as well on Tumblr.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

Tumblr turned me off the Star Wars fandom as a whole besides my mutuals on Twitter big time, because Oh My God, that particular fandom on here is downright insufferable and infested with antis. it's surprisingly cool on Twitter if you know your niche but here? Hellfire and brimstone. Hate to interact </3

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

After thinking really hard on what fandom I should choose to talk about, I picked Succession bc we're both familiar with that one, so:

more Roycest. no brainer.

more Jess Jordan love!!! She's my favourite supporting character who's an actual supporting character, and yes, I know she's pretty well-liked but [makes jazz hands] why not more!

more crossovers with other fandoms! i'm admittedly not at all a fan of crossovers, but the Roys and Company just lend themselves so well to it!

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

Does Marvel count? Because I used to be such a Marvelhead in my early 20s - read the comics, watched the movies, was hyped as FUCK for everything, but it became all so terribly boring after a while, the fandom was unbearable, everything was taken over by the MCU, and so on and on. I still watch stuff (love X-Men 97!) and am interested in some characters and stuff, but I don't think I'll ever get back to it.

[winterironevents]

Fanart by our amazing mod @massivespacewren!

Take a look to see what our amazing creators were up to this past week of the WinterIron Bingo!

Pre-made card sign ups are now open. We’d love for you to join us!

May 27 - June 3, 2023

Never A Wish (Better Than This) by Saraceaser

@saraceaser

Rating: G

Tags: MCU/616 Crossover-ish, Cap!Bucky, Hurt/Comfort with a Happy Ending

Summary:

It wasn't that he didn't appreciate what they were all doing, what Carol insisted on, but…

He took in a slow, deep breath, staring out over the city.

But as far as parties went, let alone extravagant birthday parties for himself, they just left him feeling... numb.

Tired.

A reminder of what he lost at his own hands.

The Theory of Love, Electric Chs. 11 & 12 by halfpennybuddha

Rating: M

Tags: No archive warnings apply, Princess Diaries AU, Royal AU, High School AU, Gay Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Tony Stark, implied/referenced drug use, implied/referenced self-harm, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bullying, non-consentual kiss, no sex, but minor over clothes frottage and kissing, Tony & Bucky are both 18, dancer Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers is a Good Bro, endless shopping, implied/referenced alcohol abuse, underage drinking (not main characters), mentions of cancer, mentions of serious illness (past), supportive family, family feels, Jewish Bucky Barnes, unplanned pregnancy, light angst

Summary: “Even after his tragic death, it should not have changed much regarding succession. I…well, I was still in good health, though in mourning. But now…your grandfather’s death last year, and my testicular cancer, you see. The treatment…well, I am sterile, Iacob.”

Bucky dropped his sandwich.

AKA The Winteriron Princess Diaries AU that nobody asked for.

Home Again (Chapter 27) by scottxlogan

@scottxlogan

Rating: M

Tags: Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Supernatural Elements, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, References to Depression, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Angst and Romance, Blood Loss, Adult Content, Explicit Language, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Blood and Injury, Dreams and Nightmares, Slow Burn, Sexual Content

Summary: Bucky's race to save Tony's future results in a final, dark showdown against The Architect. With the future on the line, only one will be left standing at the end of this war to save the world and bring Tony home again.

[suffcring]

I just wanna tell the newer followers from the MCU fandom that I have been writing Darcy since 2012 -- originally on zapzaptasers, then zzapzzap, then zzapzzaptasers

she is literally almost not even the canon character anymore. I had a 616 AU for her years before she finally was introduced in Scarlet Witch.

I actively read comics from 2008-2015, and haven't really picked up much since, besides Wanda's current run. I gave away almost all of my single issues (five long boxes) to my friend's 17 year old son, with the exception of the full run of Hellblazer, Lobo and Lobo's Back, and Kaine's Scarlet Spider run. I wrote Kaine twice before, once with some success in 2013 where I got a shit ton of anon hate for not remembering every minute detail of a character who appeared off and on for twenty years, so now he's my own headcanon based version tied into a friend's AU MCU Peter (where Peter is suitably older ala 616 and not a child). What's the difference between my Kaine and canon 616 Kaine? Almost nothing. I just wanted to avoid criticism for not getting everything perfectly right.

I stopped watching every MCU thing that came out about two years ago when I was pissed about how Doc Strange 2 went about undoing Wandavision and I realized the tv shows are never going to matter to the larger storyline, which is a mess to begin with-- honestly, I've been frustrated with a lot of MCU for a long while, but that was really my last straw. Since then, I've only seen season 1 of Loki (and hated it), Antman3 (meh), Thor 4 (a masterpiece imo), both seasons of What If (also masterpieces), Black Panther 2 (I weeped) and most of Ms Marvel (but not The Marvels)

All this to say, I've been writing Darcy in weird crossovers or with my friends ocs almost exclusively for years and I've written Kaine almost not at all (Tagg wasn't joking when they said he appears less than Plushia). Marvel itself leaves something of a bad taste in my mouth these days, and I am continually frustrated by being followed by Marvel canons just to be ignored in favor of my buddy's Pietro.

I am largely a Ghost rp blog. That is just a fact.

BUT -- if you're interested in writing with Darcy or Kaine, even knowing all of this, you're welcome here! I am a plot-forward rp partner, come chat with me :)

Darcy is very headcanon based with an invisible mutation, and I'd love to chat about what we can do.