#not gonna lie i'm running out of ideas that fit in such a small space

[monarch-boo]

Since I'm doing a DRDR countdown at the same time as the Fest, I felt like it might be nice to do one of my favorite Dead Rising characters in a GrandFest type outfit.

I like to think Paul would be on Team Present, but Future would be a good bet too. Anything but Past, for multiple reasons obvious to anyone who knows his character.

I would have given him an Autobomb instead of a Splat Bomb actually, but I thought it might be too hard to draw so tiny.

[gendercynicalgrantaire]

A little bit ago I saw you make a comment about how radfems fail to realize there are trans normies. I've been thinking about it and I wanted to ask, other than yourself, do you know very many trans people irl who are normies who don't have any explicitly homophobic or misogynist ideas about gender and sexuality? I know they exist. But I've been disappointed by more than 1 transman who I thought cared about me and respected me as a lesbian when we really got into discussions about sexual orientation. Like I try not to become jaded but its really hard when I have trans friends I trusted for a long time and then they tell me same sex attraction is harmful or that gender roles are innate (ie: "I know I'm not a woman bc I don't vibe with xyz stereotype that I believe is true for every other woman I meet unless she identifies otherwise". I don't think every trans person is a actively toxic or anything but I feel like homophobia and misogyny is so rampant and explicit from the trans community in current year it's really hard not to be jaded as a defense mechanism.

Hi! So I found the post you were talking about. The intention I was trying to communicate wasn’t so much that normie trans people are unproblematic in their views of gender, but more so that there are trans people out in the world just trying to live their lives who aren’t narcissistic manipulators like a lot of internet TRAs might come off as.

When I call trans people “trans normies,” I’m defining that as trans people who are mostly not online and mostly not involved in trans discourse. And trans normies, like other kinds of normie, sadly tend to have some unexamined assumptions about how things work based on the dominant culture they were raised in.

Most of the trans people I know irl fall into one of two categories: the ones I meet at PFLAG meetings or trans-centric spaces, and the very rare ones encountered out in the wild. I’m going to hazard a guess that most trans normies are the latter-- they tend not to run in circles with many other trans people, and they also tend to be more interested in passing to blend in, both of which make them more difficult to find. They, like me, tend not to really run in the “trans community.” And admittedly, it’s even rarer that I meet a visibly trans person in the wild that I grow close enough to that I learn all about their gender philosophy, because I too have internalized assumptions about other trans people’s feelings that make me jaded against them (I’m trying not to fall into the idea that I’m “not like other troons” lol), and I’m trying to work through it to find and see if there are ones who have gender philosophies I can vibe with.

Most trans people whose gender philosophies I have heard, then, are the ones I meet in PFLAG and trans-centric groups. So probably a little less normie, but there are still normies mixed in there. And I’m not gonna lie, some of the ideas I hear make me cringe a little or feel like they would quickly fall apart if poked at. I don’t know if there’s a single trans philosophy out there that’s going to satisfy the gender critical community. But what I can say for trans people is that the vast majority of them that I have met irl believe in the following (paraphrased):

- If someone’s sexuality/dating pool excludes me, that’s their business. It can be a little disheartening knowing how small my dating pool is, but trying to convince people who don’t want to date trans people to date trans people is not a solution. I want a partner who loves me for me, not one who pretends to love me for woke points.

- XYZ stereotype does not mean that someone is a man/woman/nonbinary. (Insert just about anything in the XYZ. The trans and nonbinary people I meet in real life are also some of the most pro-gnc-cis-people people I know.)

- I am consciously aware of how I make cis people uncomfortable, and I make a conscious effort to mitigate that discomfort to the best of my ability while still living authentically and keeping myself safe.

- Cis women can have their own spaces. It doesn’t concern me.

- Obviously there are issues that only impact natal females and ones that only impact natal males.

- I understand that I have the biology of a certain sex. I might be uncomfortable with having a body of that kind, maybe even to the point where I don’t like to use the anatomical terms to describe my body in contexts where I can avoid it, but I’m obviously different from a [cis man/cis woman]. If I didn’t understand that, I wouldn’t be calling myself transgender.

I make these points because of their relationship with gc discourse. It’s inconvenient for gendercrits and radfems to acknowledge that there are trans people who feel this way. It’s even more inconvenient to know that the number of trans people who feel this way is not insignificant and thereby easy to dismiss.

In particular, I want to focus on the second point: stereotypes do not a gender make. Because honestly, most of the trans women at the PFLAG meetings aren’t talking about how they played with dolls as kids or how they just love being expected to wear make-up (often in an effort to pass, because unfortunately our gendered society does turn make-up into a tool for reading as female), and the trans men there run the gamut from hyper-masc to fairly feminine. There are a variety of trans philosophies I’ve listened to that stray away from the idea that simple gender stereotypes make a gender.

More often the story is one of alienation -- alienation from one’s body, from one’s appearance, and/or especially from society. And this alienation usually disappears (or at least fades into background noise) once transition has been undertaken. The trans person in question might not always have a satisfactory explanation for why that is -- and again, I don’t think any explanation fits the radfem/gc ideal -- but it is distinct from the rhetoric “wigs and dresses don’t make you a woman,” “lack of those things doesn’t make you a man,” which trans people are generally well aware of. This is what I hear most often from other trans people regardless of sexuality, mental health history, class, or any other dividing lines that gendercrits like to use to explain trans people away as simple, easily dismissible categories (think Blanchardianism).

Hmm...I hope that answers your question? I know I probably went off the rails there. Again, I can’t claim that trans normies can’t be problematic, or even that most of them aren’t problematic. Most normies in general are problematic because they tend to live less examined lives. But I also know there are trans people out there willing to listen to and calmly discuss the other side of things, especially if their viewpoint is just parroting what they’ve generally heard from the mainstream side of trans discourse.

In that regard, you’ll have the most luck with passing trans people and trans people who’ve been settled into their identity for a while. Non-passing and newly-out trans people tend to be defensive and self-conscious in a way that more seasoned and socially integrated trans people just aren’t. That’s another post in and of itself though. If a trans friend of yours says something along the lines of “I know I'm not a woman bc I don't vibe with xyz stereotype that I believe is true for every other woman I meet unless she identifies otherwise” (if they use that wording -- not sure if that second part is what they actually say or just the implication you’re picking up on, but chances are they don’t think every woman vibes with it and just need that pointed out) but they also seem like a chill person and you feel safe doing so, don’t be afraid to calmly and casually bring up a point of disagreement. It might not be something they fiercely cling to or have even really thought through all that much.

[wolferals]

WAKE UP CALL**

again a collaboration with my wonderful friend @bbaronpiper ❤️❤️

Both of us wrote half of the story, i hope you like it. And definitely check out her writings!🌸

arón piper imagine

*

*

steffi/@bbaronpiper:

7:30 am. Your eyes shot open at the sound of your alarm you turned it off quickly but you still heard a low groan coming from the other side of the bed. You felt Arón stir a little but refused to open his eyes. You turn to face him and run a finger on his cheek. Savoring the few moments you have with your boyfriend. You slept last night without him. He was out partying with his friends. Again. You didn't have a problem with it at first because you swore you'll never be that type of girlfriend who controls and forbid their man on the things they want to do. Until recently, it became a habit of his.

"Morning, Baby" His voice was low and husky. ​

You smiled at him in return, scooting closer. "Slept well?"

"Si" He said while rubbing his eyes. "Partying after spending whole day on set isn't easy"

You bit the insides of your cheek to stop you from spitting the words. Arón must have noticed this since he then turned to lie on his back and exhales. Leaving your hand that was on his cheek to fall on his shoulder. "Do you have something to say Y/N?"

You leaned on your elbow trying to get him to look at you. Your hands travelled down to his chest "Don't you think you've been partying a lot lately?"

"Mmm dont think so.." he shrugged still not looking at you.

"You're barely home" you almost whispered not sure if you want to push this discussion.

"What do you mean Y/N? I'm always home" he then looked at you.

You were about to open your mouth to spill everything you've been feeling lately but then decided not to. He probably too tired for drama anyways.

"Come here" he motioned to you as he opened his arms. You complied and laid on his chest. "Te quiero." He lifted your chin up and look at you deeply. "Don't ever think otherwise. Even just for one second" stupid you, let your heart flutter at his words smiling up at him sweetly.

*

You splash cold water on your face to snap you out of your thoughts. You stare at yourself in the mirror and saw your red and puffy eyes. You kept staring blinking rapidly trying to stop the tears from forming. You stood there for what felt like years before wiping your face with a clean towel. You held your breath one last time, tightly shut your eyes only to open them again, exhale and went out of the bathroom and into your shared bedroom.

2:40 am and he's still not home. Why are you not surprised?

It was so obvious. Looking back now, you felt like a complete idiot blindsided by love. You should've seen it coming when he gave you that smile that didn't reach his eyes anymore, the way your lips touched and moved in sync but the desire to have you was gone.

"Bet you couldn't last a day without fucking me" you laughed as you teased him. You two just finished fucking and were now watching a movie when his hands travelled up to your thighs again.

"Is that a challenge?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Nahh, just stating facts" you then got this brilliant idea to get back at him for all those times he made you beg and tease you. You straddled him, bury your face onto his neck softly gliding your lips against his skin while your finger trace against his bare chest. You wore nothing but an oversized shirt of his. Nothing underneath so you're pretty sure he felt how wet you are right now. Normally, this would work. Arón never declined sex.

"Bebe" you whispered to his ear seductively and nibbled on it after.

"Shhh!!! Here comes the best part!" his eyebrows furrowed as he pointed on the screen.

Oh this was gonna be hard. "So, you're saying, you wouldn't touch me even if I am naked?" he shrugged, his lips formed an inverted smile with his eyes still glued to the TV. You then took your shirt off. And you swore you heard a soft "damn" coming from him. You just wanted to mess with him, tease him but the feeling of his skin touching yours turned you on as you start grinding him through his boxers moaning close to his ear.

Nada. No emotions.

You sighed in frustration so you decided to take it to another level. You then turned your back at him leaning on his chest, you open your legs wide and draped your legs on his. You smirked as you can already feel his growing bulge against your ass.

"I hate to fuck myself but since my boyfriend's ignoring me.... Oh well" you announced as your hand gripped his leg and your other hand start to play with your clit. Rubbing small circles and moaning softly at first. You can feel him shifting underneath you. you were surprised when he grabbed your waist and push you off of him and sat you on the side.

"Yo.. you're b-blocking the view,Y/N" he said uneasy. His hands gripped his thigh and bit his lower lip way too hard for you not to know he's about to give in.

You scoffed at him "Oh it's on!" you then place your left leg again on his right one and start to rub your clit faster than before making you moan so loud saying things like "Ohhh baby..." "Si, Arooonnn, si!" you're so wet it made it easier to switch from rubbing your clit into inserting two fingers inside you. your other hand then reached for his growing bulge. He refused to touch you but you definitely wouldn't refuse to touch him. You started palming him as you pleasure yourself earning a low growl from him. "Let me ride you baby"

You then suddenly felt his hand over yours, the one you had on your pussy and jerk it. "You drive me crazy"

sara/me:

He managed to push you away a little so he could finally flip you both over so he was now on top.

Smirking down at you he pulled down his pants, making his hard dick slap against his lower stomach.

„Open up."

You bit your lip and jerked your head back to give him easier access to hover over your face. Slowly he slid his dick in your welcoming mouth, making both of you moan out softly.

„Mhm just like that." he groaned and held onto the wall for support as you were sucking his tip seductively.

„Take it." he suddenly spoke and pushed his length into your mouth. It was always a little hard for you to fit all of him in your little mouth but he still made sure you were okay.

There was still a little space left so you nodded at him to tell him he could push his entire dick in your mouth.

„Dont want you to gag, u know that." he just mumbled but did as you told him and he slid his cock deeper.

„Ah fuck." he groaned and threw his head back in pleasure.

You could feel tears building up, he seemed to notice too because he pulled out completely. You swallowed and took a deep breath. „You good?" he spoke but you just replied by bringing his tip back to your lips.

„Mh good girl." he moaned out as you kitten licked his tip.

„On your stomach babygirl." he groaned after you had sucked on his tip for a bit.

He got off of you and stood up to get a condom from the drawer.

Meanwhile you lied down on your naked stomach and waited for him.

„Open your legs for papi." he growled as you felt a harsh smack on your left ass cheek. That made you moan out in pain but it also felt good. It wasnt hardcore pain, but you did know it would leave a spot.

You opened your legs and lifted your hips up a little.

„Yes good." you heard his deep voice behind you.

Arón grabbed a pillow and placed it under your hips for support. „Ready for my cock honey?" he asked.

„Yes papi." you moaned as a response before he slowly slid his hard cock into your trembling pussy. „Ah fuck you're always so tight." he whispered and grabbed your hips roughly.

Without hesitation he started slamming into you as if there was no tomorrow. With harsh thrusts he kept hitting your g-spot, making your eyes roll back and your mouth fall open.

Arón was moaning loudly as you could already feel him getting closer.

He changed his angle a little by aiming higher, laying down on your butt.

„Babe." he growled and suddenly grabbed you by your hair.

He he never done that before.

And he knew you didnt like it since your head was sensitive.

But that moment you were so turned on, you didnt even think of stopping his actions.

Arón fucked you roughly and fast while you were moaning out his name or cursed. You could hear him panting against your back.

„Im coming baby." he groaned and slammed into you with no mercy. You couldnt keep it any longer either.

Two last thrusts and he had you coming for him. Your body started shaking as your orgasm went through your body like lightening.

„Yes baby come on." he smacked your butt once again until he came as well. „Fuck yes." he almost screamed and jerked your head up on your hair.

It hurt but you were too concentrated on your own orgasm you didnt realize.

Your back was up against his chest while his cock was twitching in you, spilling his cum into the condom.

„Ah fuck." he breathed out as he calmed down from his intense orgasm.

You were pretty exhausted too and just expected him to cuddle you and finish the movie but he suddenly whispered:"On your back."

You were confused but followed his commands and lied down.

„Put your arms behind your back. No touching until I come back."

By nodding you agreed and he left the room without saying any more.

You waited patiently for him to come back and it was really hard not to touch yourself. You just came, yes, but your clit hadnt gotten any of his attention yet. And usually he ate you out before sex or at least rubbed your clit while he was fucking you.

It took him about 5 minutes to finally return to the bedroom, he was now wearing jeans, but his upper body was still exposed.

„Did you touch yourself baby?"

You shook your head truthfully and spoke:"No I didnt."

-„Promise?" he asked and stood in front of the bed looking at you.

„I promise daddy."

He nodded and finally climbed inbetween your legs.

„Good girl."

He spread your legs carefully before finally attaching his lips to your thighs, placing soft kisses everywhere.

This boy could really fuck you rough and tell you you're his baby a second later.

Your hands were still behind your back, just as he had told you to, while his tongue was tracing circles on your thighs and lower stomach.

„Arón." you moaned out, seeking pleasure.

He loved being called daddy or papi, but hearing you say his name was his biggest turn on. He loved your voice, and when it said his given name he got reminded how much he loves you really.

„You sure you deserve this for being such a bitch to me before?" he played.

„Arón please." you exclaimed and looked down at him.

He was just laying there, looking up at you, no part of his body touching yours anymore.

„You know what. Nah. Maybe tomorrow."

[elisaphoenix13]

(AT) To Bring Them Home

A more in depth version of Remembering The Departed (but with Harley and Cassie added so other fics fit).

"Hey Mama Bear. If you find this recording, don't post it on social media. It's gonna be a real tear jerker." Tony sighs heavily and leans back against the wall of the ship. " It's not like you're ever going to see these anyway. I watched you fade to nothing in front of me after all. You and Peter. I guess I'm recording these for my own sanity. It helps to pretend you're getting these messages. Totally lame right?"

The engineer clears his parched throat. He was desperate for anything to moisten his mouth at this point.

"Today's day twenty-one? No. Twenty-two. You know if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into the literal void of space, I'd say I'm feeling a little better today. The infection has run its course thanks to the blue meanie back there." He weakly motions to Nebula somewhere in the vicinity behind him. "Oh you'd love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic."

Stephen probably would like the cyborg. He may have been cautious of her at first, but if she treated the kids well, the sorcerer would have immediately warmed up  to Nebula. The poor woman just needed a friend.

"So the fuel cells were cracked during battle and we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge by ourselves and bought 48 hours of flight time. But it's now dead in the water a thousand light years from the nearest 7-11. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning, and that'll be it." Tony rubs his eyes. "It looks like...well you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean actually if you grovel for a couple weeks and then move on with enormous guilt..." He trails off as he fights off the impending lure of sleep.

"I should probably lie down for a minute. Rest my eyes. If by some miracle I make it back home, the first thing I'm going to do is look for Harley and Diana. God I hope they're still at home. If I go home and they're gone too...I don't know what I'm going to do." He would very likely off himself but he didn't need to say that. Tony was sure that if somehow, Stephen was able to see these messages, he would know. "Please know, when I drift off, it'll be like every night lately. I'm fine...totally fine. I dream about you. God it's always you." Tony says with a broken whisper.

He was hungry, dehydrated, and lost in space with a robotic woman and for once he looked forward to sleep. Dreams of Stephen and their family was his only salvation in this terrible situation he found himself in. He was already hallucinating blue butterflies, and he tried to touch one the first time he saw it, but it had disappeared as soon as his fingers went through the illusion. Tony just ignored them after that. He never asked Nebula if she saw them, because he knew the answer would be a 'no', and she would watch him like a hawk.

With a sigh, he shuts off the recording mechanism in his helmet and pulls on a jacket before laying down. This would quite possibly be the last time his eyes would be open, but at least when he went, it would be to pleasant dreams. Dreams, and the part of him that believed that the blue butterfly settling on the arm he was laying on, was Stephen watching over him.

________________________

Carol had miraculously come across them and took them back to Earth, and once an IV was shoved into him, the remaining Avengers held a meeting. Tony really just wanted to keep to his promise and looks for his other two kids, but he also needed to know who else they had lost. Picture after picture popped up on the multiple screens in the meeting room at the compound, and Tony had to hold himself together when Stephen and Peter's picture came up. He almost lost it when Harley's appeared as well, but then the pictures stopped and the screens vanished.

He never saw Diana and that made him jump to his feet and almost fall over from how weak he was. Pepper had to step forward and steady him as he points a shaky finger as the previous location of the screens.

"D-Diana?" He mentally curses when he stumbles over the single word. "Where...is she...is she alive?"

Steve steps over to his other side to help keep him steady, and offers him a small smile. "She's alive. Out of all of the kids, she and Cassie are still here."

Tony nearly sobs with relief. "Clint and Scott?"

Natasha frowns. "Neither of them are responding to any of our calls. We have to assume they were victims too."

"I want to see my daughter." The engineer whispers, and Pepper gently rubs his back.

"You will, but you need rest."

"I'll rest when I..." Tony blinks away the black spots forming in his vision and the room begins to spin. "When I--"

Then he collapsed. The little bit of effort he had put into talking and standing was too much for his body, and it forced him to rest. He slept for two days without waking, but he woke up on third day and Rhodey all but forced him to eat. In any or he scenario he would have fought, but Diana was alive and all he cared about was seeing her. Tony caved when his best friend promised he could see her as soon as he ate, and he did. He ate as much as he could stomach and Rhodey kept to his promise by having Natasha bring Diana to him. Big blue eyes brightened when his six-month-old daughter saw him and she squealed happily as she reached out for him.

"Dada!"

That one simple word was what broke Tony when he finally got to hold his baby girl. She was all he had left if his family. His husband was gone, his two sons were gone, and half of his friends were gone too. He was broken and tired and wanted to get away from it all. All of the memories.

So as soon as he was able again, Tony took Diana and Cassie with him to a lake house he bought. Cassie's mother and stepfather were out of reach since they had been traveling over seas when the snap happened, so they didn't know if they were even alive. Scott was MIA as well, but Tony promised to take care of her. She was surprisingly happy that the engineer told her to get her things and she did without a fuss.

Tony watched Diana and Cassie grow up over the next five years. As Cassie got older, she helped with Diana and eventually took a liking to cooking and baking that she was starting to throw Tony out of his own kitchen. Like now.

"You're kicking me out of my own kitchen?! You have a lot of nerve Miss Sass." Tony moves away from the island counter and accidently knocks a glass cup off of it and watches it fall and shatter on the ground. "Shit."

Cassie giggles. "That is exactly why. How did you manage to feed us before I took over?"

Tony picks up the broken glass with a towel and dumps it all in the trash bin. "I'll have you know I made dinner plenty of times. I make a mean sauce. Even Peter drank--"

He immediately clams up at the mention of his youngest son. Tony locked those memories away tears ago, but every once in a while, one would slip through. What were once pleasant dreams when he was dying in space, now haunted him in the safety of his home. In his dreams and just looking at Diana. She reminded him of Stephen every day and it was hard to ignore. She even inherited the man's cheeky mouth.

Cassie learned how to read him over the five years they lived at the lake house, and she could tell that talk to him about his family wasn't a good idea right now. "Can you see if there are any raspberries left? They would be good in the salad."

Tony scoffs. "If there are any left."

"With the way your alpaca eats them I wouldn't be surprised if they were gone!"

"My alpaca? You and Dia were the ones that wanted a pet!"

"Yeah! Like a cat! But you had to be extra and come home with a freaking alpaca!" Cassie snarks as she points a knife in his direction and Tony holds his hands up.

"He has a name." The engineer says with a smirk.

"Gerald is a terrible name." Cassie throws a walnut at his head, and narrows her eyes when Tony catches it in his mouth. "Check for berries."

"I've adopted a slave-driver."

Cassie sniggers as he walks out the back door and he pats Gerald's head as he passes by the mammal and into the garden. It was Cassie's idea and he had to admit it was nice having fresh vegetables and berries a few feet away, even if he had to beat their pet alpaca to them. The girls wanted a cat, but it only would have reminded him of Tibbs, and even the poor cat had been a victim of the snap. He just wasn't ready for another one. Tibbs was a pretty awesome cat and Tony kind of missed him sometimes.

"Alright Gerald, I hope you left us some raspberries or we'll both be in the dog house." Two more steps and he found a plant full of the berries. "Small miracles." He glances over at the blanket fort a few feet away and smiles. "Princess Diana! Come help me pick berries!"

"I'm coloring Daddy!" Diana shouts from inside her fort and Tony chuckles quietly. She definitely had Stephen's snark, and she even said it in an exasperated tone.

"I guess you don't get Cassie's chocolate chip cookies for dessert!"

A loud groan follows and Tony grins as Diana comes out of her fort and joins her father. "It was important."

"Oh yeah? Well you'll have to finish after dinner."

Diana doesn't argue any further and the two of them pick enough berries to fill a small container that Tony gives the responsibility of holding to his daughter. A couple of raspberries disappear into her mouth and Tony gives her a fond look as he wipes away some of the juice at the corner of her mouth before it stains. Sass aside, he was lucky that Diana was so well behaved. She even stopped asking about her mother and brothers because she didn't like the forlorn look Tony always wore when they were brought up, but he was also pretty sure that Cassie was telling her instead. Tony always kicked himself over that. Diana should be able to ask him without worrying about him getting upset over it, but instead her pseudo-sister was telling her the stories. Sometimes Pepper, Happy, and the other Avengers whenever they had time to stop by.

"Don't fill up Little Miss. You think we have enough?"

Diana nods. "Uh-huh."

"Alright. Let's get these back in to the Alpha Female if we want to have dinner. I can smell it from here." He kisses her on the cheek before standing back up and lifting Diana into his arms, and he stops next to Gerald when the exit the garden. "Give one to our loyal guard alpaca."

The five year old grabs a raspberry from the container in her hands and gives it to Gerald who eats it out of her hand happily and thanks her with a nuzzle. With that done, Tony walks back toward the house until he hears the unmistakable sound of tires crunching over gravel. He and Diana look at each other before Tony makes his way around the house to the driveway, and his eyes widen when Scott all but falls out of the car in his haste to get out. Steve and Natasha followed after him as the ex-criminal approaches the billionaire and Diana pushes Tony's mouth closed.

"Scott?" Tony wonders with surprise.

"Cassie? Is she here? They said she was here." The man rambles, but before Tony could even reply, the front door opened and Cassie stepped out.

"Daddy?"

Scott's head whips around and the fifteen year old girl immediately runs over to him and hugs him tightly. Everyone else watches the small reunion as Scott hold his daughter close, and he eventually moves away to study his grown daughter.

"You're so big!" Scott looks Cassie over for a few more seconds and then sniffs the air. "Is that food? Oh my god, I'm starving."

Both Cassie and Tony laugh. "You have good timing Thumbelina. You guys can stay for dinner and tell us where the hell you've been."

"Good, because according to Nat and the Cap, I literally haven't eaten for five years."

Tony looks over at the other two adults. "Dinner?"

Natasha smiles. "Only if I get the baby."

"You heard her Little Miss. Go to Auntie Nat." The engineer says as he takes the container of berries and Diana happily goes to Natasha before they head inside.

Scott was quiet for the majority of dinner because he was too busy eating, but when he eventually slowed down so he could at least breath and taste his food, he told them where he had been. The Quantum Realm. What felt like an hour to him had been five years, so when he finally escaped, he was confused when he saw all the missing posters and the monuments with the names of the Snap victims. He explained that he went straight to the tower but when he found he empty, he went to the compound where he found Steve and Natasha. He told them the same thing he was telling Tony and they jumped right back into the car and came straight to the lake house when he asked about Cassie.

Steve clears his throat and Tony watches Natasha suspiciously when she mumbles in Russian and herds Diana away from the table after dinner. An adult conversation was coming up and he wasn't sure whether or not he was glad that the assassin took the initiative to distract his daughter. As soon as the two were out of ear shot, Scott opened his mouth again.

"Tony...we think we can reverse what happened. Bring everyone back."

His breath catches in his throat. "What?"

"Like I told you, it only felt like an hour in the Quantum Realm for me when realistically it's been five years. Time works differently there. Maybe if we can manipulate it--"

"You're talking about a time machine." Tony interrupts.

Steve grimaces. "For lack of a better word, yes."

"I can't take that chance." Scott opens his mouth again but Tony cuts him off and points toward the direction Natasha and Diana disappeared to. "She is all I have left. I can't risk that for a chance. Diana is the only reason I'm even still here!" He admits and the other two men wince and Cassie frowns. "I lost my wife, and my two sons. I can't lose her too."

The three stare at each other in silence until Diana and Natasha return, and Tony's heart clenches when he finds a familiar leather book in his daughter's hands.

Peter's photo album.

"Where..." The mechanic starts and Scott sighs.

"I told you I went to the tower. I grabbed that just in case." He says quietly as Diana sets the album on the table in front of Tony.

"Tony...at least look through it." Steve says quietly. "Even if you still don't want to help, you and Diana both deserve those memories."

Cassie places her hand on the album and pushes it closer to Tony. "I think it's a good idea."

Tony sighs. "Even Miss Sass is ganging up on me."

He reluctantly agrees though and they all eat their dessert of cookies before everyone sans Tony retires to bed. He offered for them to stay since it was a long drive back, and they accepted gratefully. Cassie was nice enough to take Diana to bed since she knew the little girl's schedule and Tony had gone into the makeshift lab to look through the photo album. Not until he had FRIDAY working on potential ways to be able to use the Quantum Realm as a time machine though. He highly doubted they would find anything, but he could at least say he tried. Looking through the album was hard but it was necessary if he was going to have to tell Diana the stories behind each picture. His daughter deserved that much if FRIDAY couldn't--

"Test run successful Boss."

Tony's head snaps up to the hologram and he drops the album so he can cover his mouth in disbelief. He did it. He found a way to time travel. Something he never thought possible if he were honest. A Time Stone was one thing, but a machine? Even he had been skeptical.

"Shit."

That one single word about summed everything up.

He could bring his family back.

[seraphinitegames]

I'm just gonna hop on the scenario band wagon here because I've fallen in love these little scenes we get to see. Say the MC and RO, who are at the crushing stage, are snooping through someone's office for a file or something, and they have to hide because RO heard someone walking towards the office. But the only place to hide is a tiny closet that barely fits two people. What would the reactions be? I can imagine Adam would get flustered but he wouldn't be able to storm off this time. ~ Cheers!

Oh, I love this kind of thing in romances! :D It’s under the cut.

Adam

“Shit! They’re coming,” Adam growls, listening out for the footsteps of the oncoming guards in the hallway. All I can hear is the drone of the nearby office fan. His hyper-senses still leave me in awe at times. “We need to hide.”

His command shocks me back from thought. “Right.” My gaze darts about the small, cramped, dark office space and lands on a nearby closet.

I look at Adam and he tenses.

“No.”

“It’s the only space. Let’s go!” I hiss, weaving through the desks of the office and grabbing his wrist to tug him along behind me.

Flinging open the closet doors, I shove Adam inside. He stumbles in, a disapproving frown deep on his brow.

“Oh stop moaning,” I mutter, jamming myself inside the tiny space beside him and pulling the door quietly shut.

“I never said-“

“Your face says everything.”

He frowns deeper.

It’s only a few seconds before we both go as stiff as statues, the door to the office creaking open. This time I definitely hear the footsteps.

My heart thuds in the darkness with every step the guards take, my hands balling into fists as they draw closer and closer to the closet.

A warm breath washes over my face and suddenly all thought of the guards is gone. Even in the gloom, I can see Adam staring down at me, the intensity of his gaze burning through the shadow like fire. It scorches my skin until the tiny closet feels like an oven and my breath is stifled in the heat that boils between us.

This isn’t the first time we’ve found ourselves in this heated moment, but it’s the first time Adam hasn’t been able to storm away and pretend it’s not happening.

Without thought- having it stolen away by his continued attention- I rest my hand on his arm, his solid bicep tensing beneath my touch. I snap my hand away at the reaction, only to find Adam reaching forward to catch my fingers in his.

“What are you doing?” I whisper, barely able to stammer out the words.

“I don’t know…” he replies, voice as hoarse as mine.

The tiny closet seem to constrict against the flood of unspoken words which drown the air around us.

My breath catches when he draws me closer, his hand dropping from my hand to my waist.

His breath runs over me again, this time closer- close enough I can almost taste him on my tongue.

My hand presses against his chest as my mind spins to catch up with what’s happening.

CREAK!

“Well, well…” Farah says, leaning against the open door. “I’m guessing you two are ready to come out of the closet now?”

The dim light is enough to cut through the moment like the sun through a haze, and Adam retreats from me, storming past Farah and shoving her aside. The young agent only chuckles with delight.

I can barely move, drained from the emotion that Adam’s intention has ripped from me.

—

Nate

“Well, this is certainly…” Nate can barely glance about the confined closet space, already hunched down due to his height. “Cosy.”

I stifle a laugh, clasping a hand over my mouth and hoping it doesn’t attract the attention of the guards skulking about outside like attack dogs.

Nate smiles down at me, the brightness of the expression like a light piercing through the gloom of the darkened space.

“Stop making me laugh,” I whisper, biting my lip and wondering if the shiver coursing through me is from the cold of the shadow or Nate’s body being nearly pressed against mine in the tiny closet.

“But I like hearing you laugh,” he replies, voice quiet and deep and definitely not helping to calm my shiver.

I stare up at him with a cocked brow. “And right now is the best time for that?”

There’s a creak of a floorboard outside of the closet and we both fall deathly silent, gazes glued to the door.

In the silence, Nate’s words reverberate inside of my mind and, when the guards move, on I whisper, “You like hearing me laugh?”

He smiles again. “I like many things about you, Detective.”

“Like my ability to almost get us caught?” I ask, trying to dispel some of the sudden heavy air that’s crackling between us.

“If being cramped in a closet with you is the result, then you can nearly get us caught anytime.”

I flash my wide-eyed gaze to him, stumbling to reply. “You’re joking around again now?” It’s a pathetic attempt to cover up the hope of what he said having more meaning to it than it probably does.

“I’m not joking anymore.” The smile has fallen from his face and been replaced with an expression of such intensity it threatens to make me melt into a puddle right there. With his deep brown eyes blazing with a fire I haven’t seen before, he reaches through the dark towards me. “This isn’t a joke to me.”

“What isn’t?” I croak, my heart fluttering in my chest as his fingers draw a line down my arm.

“Whatever this is between u-“

“Found them!” Mason yells as the closet door is suddenly yanked open.

The electrified air surrounding us seems to pour out through the open door and I stumble back, blinking rapidly as though coming back from another world.

“The guards are dealt with,” Mason says, moving away and shoving a cigarette between his lips.

Nate steps out of the closet, taking a deep breath and then turning to me with a smile. “Shall we return to the others?”

My whole body screams to yank him back into that cupboard, desperate to hear what he was about to say. Every nerve fires inside of me hoping to draw him back.

Instead, I smile, nod, and calm the racing of my heart. “Sure.”

His smile dips only momentarily before brightening and leading us away from the office.

—

Farah

“Come on, we can hide in here,” Farah says, leaping over the office desk, a whirlwind of papers following her motion.

I stare after her with a confused frown. “We have time to get out of here-”

“But where’s the fun in that?” she says with a grin and I roll my eyes in defeat, following her to the closet on the far side.

We cram ourselves inside, Farah snapping the door shut and plunging us into darkness.

“Lucky I can still see…” she whispers, her words tickling against my ear.

I purse my lips. “No need to show off.”

“Disappointed you can’t ogle me in the dark?” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“Please,” I whisper with a scoff, “I don’t ogle you in the light.” It’s a blatant lie, but one that had to be said to at least attempt to batter down her ego.

My breath catches in my tight throat when her cheek brushes against mine to lean close.

“Really?” she asks and I know her lips must be so close to my ear, a thought which makes me bite my lip. “’Cause I keep a close eye on you.”

“And why would that be?” I ask in as playful a tone as she’s using, half-forgetting about the guards who will soon descend upon the office outside the safety of the closet.

“Because it’s impossible to focus on anything else when you’re around,” she replies. The warmth of her breath makes my body relax and I lean against the wall to keep my knees from giving out.

I swallow down the storm of emotions her statement draws from me, all of them battering inside my head. “You can’t stop flirting even now?”

“What can I say?” She steps forward, arm brushing against mine and almost making my concentration snap completely. “You force it out of me.” With a gentle touch, she brushes the hair back from my neck, her fingers lingering on my shoulder. “I can stop flirting if you want.”

I’ve never wanted anything less in my life, ever fibre of my being screaming out for more of her touch.

“I-“

The door to the office creaks open loudly and we shuffle closer in silence. I know it’s fear that should be coursing through my system at that moment, but what I’m actually feeling is far from it…

“You in there, Detective?” Nate calls through the door.

Farah instantly relaxes and releases a breath. “I’m here too, you know.”

Nate laughs and pulls open the door. “The guards are gone.”

“Shame,” Farah says with a disappointed breath. “The Detective and I were getting pretty comfortable.”

I manage a strained chuckle.

“Next time, I’ll set it up so as we don’t get interruptions.” She grins wide and winks, walking away with Nate with apparently no idea of the mess of confusion and emotion she’s left me in.

—

Morgan

Of all the people to be stuffed in a closet with, Morgan has got to be the worst possible choice.

“Stop it,” I hiss.

“Stop what?” she asks with about as much innocence as a convicted felon.

“Smirking at me.” I do my best to ignore the expression but it’s far more enticing than even I expected.

She shifts from foot to foot, the movement meaning she presses slightly against me. The touch sends a jolt of excitement striking up my spine and tightens my stomach.

I try hard to ignore it.

“You sayin’ you don’t want to take this opportunity for a bit of fun?” she asks, voice husky and as deep as the shadow we’re standing in.

“Take this opportunity for fun?” I stare up at her, just about able to make out her annoyingly attractive face through the gloom. “We’re stuck in a closet about to possibly be found by five guards who want to tear us apart!”

“We might as well find something to pass the time until they do.”

I roll my eyes. “How about keeping quiet and undiscovered?”

“Quiet?” she scoffs. “Your heart is gonna give us away long before I do.”

My stomach tightens further. “What?”

“Your heart sounds like a truck is slamming against your ribs,” she explains casually. “You think they aren’t gonna hear that? You that scared of them?”

I drop my gaze to the floor. At least she thinks it’s fear making my heart race and not the truth of what it really is…

“It’s not that loud.”

Morgan clicks her tongue and I let out a shriek of protest as she grabs my hand and presses it against the top of my chest. Her hand lies firmly on top of mine.

“Feel that?” she asks, proposition replaced with annoyance. “There isn’t a supernatural alive who wouldn’t hear that.”

My pulse beats a frantic dance against my fingertips, worse now that her hand remains on mine. I risk meeting her gaze, only to see realisation make her expression smooth into a smirk once more.

“Oh…” she says. “Not fear then.”

A crash of footsteps sounds from outside of the closet door and in the office beyond.

Morgan yanks me behind her- a difficult task in the stuffy closet- and stretches her arms out either side to keep me hidden.

But when the door yanks open a familiar laugh rings out.

“Why am I not surprised to find you two in here?” Farah asks.

Morgan groans, shoulders hunching in relief, and then steps out of the closet so as I can follow behind.

“You know, we could have been busy in there,” Morgan replies, struggling to yank a cigarette out of her pocket.

Farah grins. “I thought you were, judging by the colour of our Detective’s face.”

My blush deepens to a burning crimson and I storm past them. “Let’s get back to work.”

Morgan chuckles behind me. “Maybe we’ll get a chance next time, eh, Detective?”

I resist covering my face with my hands and instead hope the ground will swallow me whole.

—

Hope you enjoyed them! I got a bit carried away :D Thanks for the ask!

[star-anise]

I'm in my last year of undergrad and I feel like everything has gone to shit. The past year and a half have been awful, i have depression, anxiety and im almost positive i have ADHD too. I feel like such a piece of shit because I keep asking for the extensions on projects and exams, and I'm afraid I'm gonna be this way forever. Sorry this is a lot but do you have any advice on how to take the first step in digging myself out of this hole ive created?

Okay, so it seems like you came in via this post. That’s pretty much my philosophy here. I don’t know if you’re gonna “be this way forever” or not--I know I will probably be the way I am (depressed, anxious, with ADHD) forever, but that isn’t necessarily the same as being a trash disaster on academic probation forever.

I’ll be honest, I kind of feel like after a year and a half, you’re kind of an expert on what you can do with two hands and a shovel. You’ve been digging yourself out as fast as you can, and it’s been a real struggle. I think it’s time for you to get actual help, as in, other people. Reaching out to me was a good first step. I can help you decide where to go from here.   

Keep it simple and take it slow. If you don’t know where to find any of this stuff, feel free to private message me your school’s website; I have a minor knack for reading organizational structures.

For the next week, pick ONE OR TWO of the following options. Even if they’re all good ideas, keep your goals manageable. And then, of those one or two, pick one or two SMALL ACTIONS you can do to pursue them, like looking up a number in your student handbook or making an appointment. If you do more, that’s great, but the siren song of our people is, “I’m gonna accomplish so much!” 

Without further ado: Some Options For Help

Your school’s Disability Services/Accessibility Office/Office of Inclusion/whatever they call it

You’re looking for the office that helps Deaf/Blind/mobility-impaired students succeed in school. Mental health falls under the same category. It’s their job to make sure your school is providing you with as much chance at an education as it would provide to someone who’s totally neurotypical. Tell them what you told me.

Stuff they can do:

Tell you what your school’s requirement is for documenting a disability

Give you information on local assessment and treatment options--what psych professionals locally are good? Is there a fund somewhere that will cover your testing? Does the student health centre have a psychiatrist?

Provide you with a letter that tells your instructors that giving extensions, having flexible schedules, or dropping penalties for non-attendance is a legal requirement to accommodate you. This is not necessarily a free pass--a professor may decide that some things are mandatory or non-negotiable--but it is an easy way to bring these problems up early, before they become an issue.

Help find your or fund you a tutor (more on this later)

Help you find other resources and services on your campus

Your school’s Counselling Centre/Wellness Services/Social Work Office/wherever they hide the shrinks

This is the place where they offer free counselling. If there’s walk-in, go to walk-in; if they can book an appointment in a week, go in a week; if there’s a three-month waitlist, get your name on the waitlist.

Funny story--I had graduated undergrad before I realized that students got free counselling on-campus. I’d been in therapy since I was 16, but five years of undergrad? Yeah, no clue. I was looking for therapists on Psychology Today and shelling out hundreds of dollars out of pocket, and there were hot and cold running therapists under my very nose.

In fact, there might be more than just therapists. The school I worked at had regular counsellors, and also a Learning Specialist, whose job included teaching people with executive function disorders like depression and ADHD how to study effectively!  It’s worth asking about.

When you see one of these people, it’s very tempting to think they are An Adult Who Is The Boss Of You. They will look at you, understand you with their expert knowledge, tell you what your deal is, and give you instructions on what to do now!  

In reality, therapists are not Sherlock Holmes, or profilers on TV. We can’t just look at you and go, “I see by the way you button your coat that you’re a middle child and ambiguity makes you uncomfortable.”  We rely a lot on “client report”--on what you say is true. Psychological assessment is a process involving interaction, not a detached observation of stable qualities. If a therapist says something about you that seems inaccurate, it is beneficial and good to say, “No, actually, I think you’re mistaken. To me, it looks more like...”

You’re recruiting an experienced co-traveller to go on a trip with you. They know a lot about rocks and trails and climbing harness, but they don’t know the territory you’ll be travelling together. So first and foremost, you want to find someone you want to go on a trip with: a therapist who is a good fit for you.

If you don’t like your assigned therapist, ask for a new one. We have an ethical responsibility to provide referrals when we can’t provide someone with the treatment they need, and since a good client-therapist relationship predicts therapy outcome like 70% of the time, simply not liking or trusting your therapist is a good enough reason to try somebody new. If you want you can just email them after the session and say, “I don’t think you and I quite clicked. With what you know now of my personality and issues, is there someone else in your office you can refer me to?”

Medication. Different medication.

Not gonna lie, going on antidepressants was like... getting the inside of my brain whitewashed. There was so much space. So much room. I could think and feel without being constantly smothered in negativity! And going on ADHD meds on top of that was like.. the thoughts that had always been slippery, unable to grasp or manipulate, suddenly became solid in my hands. I could grip them, slow them down, tell them to go somewhere else.

Both times, it took five to ten adjustments to get to the right cocktail and dosage. For example, I was on an antidepressant that stopped me from crying and freaking out all the time but killed my creative drive, so we added a drug that gave me more energy so I could write again. Then money got tight, we tried me on a generic, found that didn’t work, and found a way to pay for the first version. Each time, it meant seeing the doctor, trying a dose for two weeks or a month, and then going back to report progress and try adjusting it again.

Again: It’s a process, an interaction. It’s something you get a say in. And if you’re currently on meds--well, let me just say: If you sent me an ask like that, your meds aren’t doing their job. They’re not the right ones for you. So it’s time for an adjustment.

If you can get to or afford a psychiatrist, great! A general practitioner who’s known you for a while will often do. And if you need to, well, I’ve gotten my meds adjusted by a different doctor every time at a walk-in family practice clinic. You do what you can. Information on who and what is available is often why Disability Services is a great resource--who knows, maybe there’s a psychiatrist on campus you can see for free who sees the depression/anxiety/ADHD trifecta all the time!

(General life tip: When they give you an assessment for depression, anxiety, or ADHD, don’t downplay your symptoms. Answer the way you would on a bad day or when you’re struggling. Of course you know how to cope with these challenges, but the unfair part is that you have to cope with them at all)

A tutor or academic coach

This never occurred to me for a long long time, because I was always a “smart kid”, and I always thought tutors were for people who didn’t intellectually grasp the material. Meanwhile: Surprise! I have a developmental disability that significantly impacts my learning! My grad school put me on academic probation and effectively foisted a person of this job description on me, and it was the BEST THING EVER.

If you’ve ever felt like you would work so much better if only you had someone sitting there all the time making you work? Or a sympathetic friend who could help you break it down and be less overwhelming? If the only time you get your work done is when someone else asks you about it? This is the person for you.

Most schools provide these services to students for free, or subsidize disabled students’ tutoring. If all else fails, you can find a tutor on your own and say, “I get this stuff intellectually, but I really need someone who makes me spend time with it, because left to myself I’d get anxious and ignore it all until the night before the deadline.”

If you have good friends who can do this for you, that’s great too--but the biggest objection to the post that brought you here is, “I’m depressed and socially anxious--I don’t HAVE anybody to help!”  So this post is aimed at linking you up to people whose explicit job it is to help you--people you, your insurance, or your tuition dollars directly pay for.