#so switched over to thinking about galaxies and nebulas

[navii-blaze]

I could go more into how becoming a spectral being represents Sally letting go of her inhibitions and self restraint but that is a topic for a different day

It is a different day (i am all ears)

I think @tinyplanetss put it into better words than I could (thank you for the kind words btw!!)

I definitely took Blaze into account when thinking about Sally, mainly because I didn't want to ripoff Blaze's character and keep Sally separate. But there is definitely an overlap between the two, Sally's just needing to get to a point where she can grow more comfortably into her roles as a leader/guardian/comrade/monarch/magic bloodline hier(?) all at the same time. Blaze differs in which she's become very confident in her ability to carry out her duties and responsibilies, but needed some help to find the value in friendship and getting out of her anti-social shell.

So, similar character development, but reversed order in what they accomplish.

For Sally specifically, I view her sense of "inhibitions" as stated in my last post as being more self-inflicted rather than an outside force inflicted barriers upon her. We already know that Sally struggles maintaining her own agency, which has lead to her confining herself into a certain role within the FF. She obviously excells at her job, but she also misses the excitement and freedom that came with being just another freedom fighter out in the field.

I do like that she doesn't display any chaos energy related or significant abilities, as it helps ground her as a relatable protagonist who's capable of standing out despite her lack of powers. That being said, a little treat here and then where she's able to step outside of her role and be at the same power level of other protagonists is always nice, which is why I'm not against the idea of her having a super form.

In the scenario that she would have a super form, things would have to be pretty dire where Sonic or other characters proficient with chaos energies wouldn't be present, and Sally would be desperate to protect her people. Or maybe it happens on accident. Either way, I'd like to think that bc of her lack of experience with the emeralds her form would be a bit unstable, and so she may not last as long or have trouble controlling her powers.

The more spectral aspect of her design comes from her letting go of the confined roles in life that she plays, and represents her having a sense of freedom that she no longer/never had access to. She's "untethered" as the comment says, she can choose what to do with her newfound power without restriction or oversight.

And I agree, the galaxy/sun symbolism was a key factor in making her design, they go well together :)

[thedemonknownasbilly]

So sorry for sending another thing in but I have this idea For Crowley x reader hcs

Have you seen those nebula/space themed light projectors before? (If not I can send pics in)

But I was thinking- maybe reader knows that Crowley isn't able to enjoy the stars anymore (bc of his snake-eyes)- so as a surprise, they set up the bedroom to be super comfortable and bring Crowley in, telling him to close his eyes. They turn off the lights, turn on the projector, and show Crowley.

It's not the same, but hopefully it would be something.

I apologize if this doesn't make any sense. I'm typing this pretty fast.

Also, I just finished Eden and Human and. Billy. Billy you hurt me in the best ways.

-🐝

Never Shine as Bright as Your Eyes - Crowley x GN!Reader

Darlin’ you had me at galaxy projectors. I have one. I’m impossible to drag out of the planetarium. I cried when I realized Dallas didn’t have one.

I will happily write (ex)Star Maker!Crowley any day of the week.

Aziraphale was the one who told you more about Crowley and his past, how they met those millennia ago, how Crowley literally hung the stars.

It certainly made sense, you had spent countless nights at his flat, noticing how his office contained numerous books on space and how there were a few small posters, specifically of Alpha Centauri and the Pillars of Creation. You understood why your beloved demon didn’t want to talk about it, after all he was cast aside from his work, told to never touch or make a star again. It must be painful. You were left to wonder what he thought of the humans mistaking his art as destroyed, only for a few years later for them to announce their error. Did he know the Pillars still stood or was he devastated and mourning?

A question you opted to never ask, not wanting to risk bringing up painful memories, but for now, you giggled endlessly as you opened the small box on the bed, pulling out exactly what you hoped would help Crowley.

Crowley was nothing short of a wonderful partner, showering you in gifts, insisting he pay for everything, making sure you never went a day without at least five “I love you”s, and at last you could return the favor for him, at last you could give him as much happiness as he gave you, and you couldn’t help yourself when you heard the hum of the Bentley pulling into the drive, rushing out to the car and into his arms as he stood.

“This is a lovely welcome home,” he smiled, kissing you sweetly, his arm draping around your waist, he hadn’t even had time to close the car door yet.

“I have a surprise for you,” you blurted out, smile ever growing as he raised an eyebrow, his own grin never falling.

“Oh, really, Pet?” He chucked at your enthusiastic nod, “must be something really special if you’re so excited, tell me what have you done?”

“Close your eyes, please my darling?” He carefully stepped you both out of the way so he could close the car door before nodded and closing his eyes, holding your hands so you could guide him. “No peeking.” You laughed, hardly hearing his resort as you guided him into and through the flat, the plants abruptly standing tall and green as you two passed them. Carefully having him sit down on the bed, you kissed his forehead before having him let go so you could close the door and switch the projector on, the blinds already drawn in.

You couldn’t help to let out a little gasp at the bright galaxy that now filled your room. “Okay, open.” Your heart was pounding, a little scared he’d be upset, but his gasp and wide eyes said everything opposite. You watched as he carefully stood up, spinning slowly in the room as he took it all into view.

“I haven’t… oh, it’s all right, all perfect.” He murmured, walking over to a particular cluster of stars, “these were made that day I met Aziraphale, he helped me. Held the scroll for me.”

“And these were the first ones, ever. Let there be light. That was these.”

“And these…” you sat on the bed, watching as your demon smiled ever so big, rambling on happily about his different creations.

“Thank you,” he said, looking at you with tears of joy in his eyes, “you have no idea how much this all means to me… thank you.” And with that he pulled you up and pressed his lips to yours, only five thousand or so light years away, a new nebula was born.

Once the star maker, always the star maker.

[gethoce]

A Knightmare in the Underworld: Familiar

[Prev] - [Next]

"Sure thing. Let's go."

Nonchalantly the train's operator steps back to let Meta Knight and Axe Knight enter, the former of which at first confused about being allowed to enter the Underworld so easily.

"Did you know one another already?"

The blue knight questions as he enters the vehicle, to which the other waves his arms around dramatically.

"Of course we did! I wouldn't have been able to just leave the place without meeting him at least once."

Blood Knight waits for both his guests to take their seats, then closes the train's doors and begins to flip several switches to create another portal.

"The deal was that Axe Knight would be able to leave if he took one of the chests with him that contained Dark Nebula. It takes some convincing for Necrodeus to allow the Undead to just leave his territory on their own."

Visibly cringing Axe Knight looks over to Meta Knight in an awkward manner, in return the latter appears to just stare back blankly.

"Ouh, about that chest… A friend of ours opened it. He thought his cake was in there. Buuuut he did destroy that star-shaped nuisance so it's all good in the end, right?"

Meanwhile the train begins to move towards the portal. Blood Knight turns around to his guests waving a hand dismissively. His expressions are entirely hidden by his mask, so he has to put some extra effort into expressing himself with his voice, posture and hands.

"Can't kill a Soul Matterborn that easily. Especially a hybrid. The thing showed up in here not too long ago. If Necrodeus still had that sceptre he'd be able to split it into a dozen weaker pieces again, but he lost it fighting some… Kirby was the name, I think."

Meta Knight runs his hands across his face in dismay. Not only did Kirby free Dark Nebula, but also prevented it from being locked away again without even realising? He begins to wonder whether he should have kept a better eye on the child all along.

"If you need help clearing up that mess, we'll help if we have enough time. This is partially our fault after all and we shouldn't just keep loose ends floating around."

Delighted Axe Knight turns back to Blood Knight. At the same time the train enters the portal to the Underworld, a cold chill filling the room. The operator takes a quick look at his dashboard before shifting his attention back to the other knights.

"We'd appreciate it. Should be a good excuse as to why I let you in, too."

Meta Knight takes a look outside the window curious as to how the Underworld really looks like. Grey tundra fields that are plagued by a constant barrage of lightning strikes, which, over time, switch to silver grasslands full of butterflies.

"Do you need an excuse?"

Shrugging Blood Knight checks his dashboard and flips another couple of switches as he speaks in a carefree manner.

"Sorta. Can't just let anyone rain in and out. Anyway, I'll stop at the Soul Fields to ask Morpho Knight's lackeys where they are fluttering about right now. Just keep it cool."

Minutes later the train halts at a nearby station located next to an outpost. A light blue Soul Matterborn flutters towards the train's front door, with a deadpan expression. Blood Knight opens the door by flicking another switch to speak to them.

"Hey, Papi! Old buddy! Any idea where Morpho is fluttering about right now?"

Annoyed the Matterborn named Papi steps into the train to see who Blood Knight has brought into the Underworld.

"A living person. Really, Pitchion?"

Axe Knight waves his hands and jumps off his seat ready to defuse the situation, while Meta Knight 'keeps it cool' by watching in silence.

"Papi! Hey! Long time no see! Look, I heard about the Dark Nebula thing and you see, I had to do SOMETHING. So I brought the Greatest Warrior in the Galaxy to take care of your little problem!"

"And who would that be?"

Unconvinced Papi shifts his glare to face Meta Knight. He looks him up and down, disgruntled. Meta Knight keeps eye contact with Axe Knight for just a moment in disapprovement of the description and sighs.

"Meta Knight…"

"Heh."

Tilting his head in an angle and shifting his weight Papi continues to examine him before finally backing off.

"You seem familiar enough, but I'll have to keep an eye on you just in case. I shall accompany you on your way to my superior."

Then he leans outside the door and shouts in an unexpectedly husky voice towards the nearby tower.

"VANESSAAA!!! VANESSAAAA!!! I'M LEAVING! YOU KEEP WATCH OVER MY POSITION!!! VANESSA!!!"

A faint voice is heard coming from the distance shortly after.

"Okay!"

Afterwards Papi walks past Axe Knight and takes a seat beside him, who snickers along with Blood Knight.

"I love you, Papi."

"We both love you so so much, Papi."

[majoringinsarcasm]

Ineffable Rewatch: S2E1: The Arrival (aka so much happened in universe in like the span of 12 hours max)

Angel! Crowley is the cutest thing in the world. Worked closely with Upstairs about the design of her nebula and also seemingly had no idea that it was going to be “\shut down” in about 6.000 years.

Aziraphale introduces themselves but gets none in return. They know about the end of the world Timestamps as well as about where Earth is going to be and the current designs for the humans.

I’m not up to date on my Bible lore but I know different angels as well as demons get put in charge of different things. Seems Crowley was a creator, specializing in the stars and the galaxy, and I’ve seen a poster or something going around on Twitter that describes Azira as a cherub, which Neil in a post said it meant a new angel and not the high ranking kind of cherub. In short Azira is a baby angel with the biggest instant crush ever and Angel! Crowley works high enough to make the stars, but didn’t pay attention when they were talking about humans and Earth. Probably due to lack of interest rather than not having clearance to hear about them.

In season 1, God in the voiceover said Crowley was the only demon who had imagination. Her reason for falling, asking questions and pointing out how things didn’t make sense and wanting explanations for things others just went along with, seemed to carry over into demonhood. Because you need to be able to rebel against what you’re told and what you see in order to imagine something different in the first place.

Angel! Crowley also sees the stars as having a purpose outside of human involvement. “It’s not just put here to twinkle!”

Also jumping ahead an episode or two but. “If I was the one running it all I’d like it if people asked questions. Fresh point of view.” And with Azira saying “I remember the angel you were” maybe that carried over to the end. Accepting the job in Heaven and taking Crowley so they can make the changes Crowley talked about long ago.

Shax checking in with Crowley is not allowed. Hell doesn’t keep a close eye on its people but it’s still not an accepted thing she’s doing. They also replaced Crowley but Heaven didn’t replace Aziraphale. Hmmmm

Heaven has not talked to Azira since the end of the world didn’t happen. He does not report to them, but it’s implied he hasn’t done any big miracles since Heaven can still sense them or monitor them.

Nina remembers her regulars, which having worked in food service, same

Heaven operates under strict rules but they could also be self regulated. Uriel and Michael can’t replace or take over for Gabriel right now. Everyone on that side seems to be in a chokehold half of their own making.

Bentley has a car phone which I don’t know if I noticed in the first season but I think it was the same back then. Wonder if that’s a different number than the cellphone or if Az is just telling his shop phone to call the car itself.

They know each other so well it hurts. Crowley can tell what’s up based on the tone of his voice. Also I think Az wanted something to calm Crowley down bc he knew the news would upset him.

“Is this something I can help you with?” And Az’s little shrug followed by Crowley downing the espresso and leading them out of the coffee shop. “Doing good again, angel?” was just cute to me

Maggie my sweet she just like me for real I did not do much as a teenager.

Crowley never needing his glasses in the bookshop because he doesn’t need to hide his eyes and also feels comfortable there. Wah

“Do we know a Jim?” The combined lives of the two of them are there from the start!!! It’s we need to get him out, get him far away from us. And when Crowley switches to “the life I carved out for myself” Azira hits him with the “I thought we carved it out for Ourselves” because for the last few years it really has been We Ours Us. They were already Us you see.

Crowley and her foot stomping tantrum bc she doesn’t have an outlet for her anger. once again she’s me. Also letting off lightning, demon power or Crowley power? Could she do that in Heaven too? She makes rain later on is that just a regular miracle thing or special weather affinity?

“I feel like your exactly and my exactly are different” foreshadowing for the end with “Nothing lasts forever” being taken two very different ways. Just the way they understand each other So Well All The Time but when it’s very important they make assumptions or miss the mark on what the other means

Azira refusing to look at Crowley when she’s in pouty wife mode / devastated by emotions and can’t process mode

“Just breathe that’s what humans do” this season really plays with how humans work and how the occult beings act like them. Anger, love, office bullshit

“There is no question of replacing the supreme archangel” AND FUCKING YET

Muriel sweet baby bean hello dear. 37th order scrivener. Wonder if the higher ranking ones deal with more sensitive documents?

OK SO might make a longer post about this later but they are NOT YET FREE OF HELL OR HEAVEN. For the simple fact that Beezelbub can just appear in the Bentley and the angels can just come to the bookshop. They are called traitors and so far have been ignored but as of episode one they can still be called upon and interrupted. Being on their own side means nothing in practice because the people they are wanting to escape from can still keep tabs on them.

THERE IS SO MUCH ANGEL CROWLEY LORE AND JUST CASUAL TALK also scaring the cherubs (new angels) with made up punishments. Azira was hinted at being a cherub. No wonder they’re so broken for so long. Who knows how many fake things they were told in the beginning especially after angels started falling.

So anyway Book of Life drama in season three I’m watching for you

PROTECTIVE CROWLEY THIS ENTIRE SEASON YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS

Maggie doesn’t drink. This is not significant I just enjoy her so much she is just chilling with her crush who she just learned is taken she’s lonely she’s sweet and awkward I love her

When good old fashioned lover boy started playing I Lost My Mind

They are sooooooo petty wives during the apology dance but. Az apologizing so much in the past I need to see them do the dance in period clothing please please please

1650, 1793, 1941 that popular year

THEY ARE SO POWERFUL TOGETHER??? Like maybe it’s bc they had Gabriel as a channeling rod and I say that because the laser indicator thing was purple and Gabe’s eyes are purple but I saw some people say it could be their combined power colors (Az as blue and Crowley as red)

Az Looking away as Crowley speaks only to snap back to attention when they say We Do It Together like

Heaven. Hates. Aziraphale. At least Michael and Uriel do uggggh get her outta there.

But also the petty energy with Michael and Uriel is So Funny to me.

Also I know we’re seeing the office of Heaven. But is there an outside the angels can go to or is Heaven just an office and the view is just for decoration I must know!

Michael also calls Az a former angel but I know this is meant symbolically bc Az was not made human it’s just interesting to see how ppl refer to them now

This episode sets up A Lot and smoothly leads into the next one. The shared life stuff and all the We stuff made me even more crazy now that I can process it. Angel Crowley lore knocked me on my ass and all the hints through the rest of the season has me eating my fingers. James, long for Jim, short for Gabriel. Loved that like it’s very fun to say.

[elena1701a]

1991 Part 1: The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold

Book 9 in my project to read all the female winners of the Hugo and Nebula Best Novel Awards from 1977 onwards. As Lois McMaster Bujold is one of my favourite authors, I was looking forward to re-reading this one, and it was as entertaining as I remember.

The Vor Game won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1991. The other nominees were:

Earth by David Brin

The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

The Quiet Pools by Michael P. Kube-McDowell

Queen of Angels by Greg Bear

Michael P. Kube-McDowell is an author that I hadn’t heard of before, and while I have heard of the other three nominated authors, I haven’t read the nominated books. In fact, I don’t think I have read any of their books. As I work my way through the years, I am realising how little of the SFF ‘canon’ I have actually read. Though defining the SFF ‘canon’ is another task in itself! 

The Vor Game was not nominated for the 1991 Nebula Award for Best Novel, which was won by Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin. However, the first part of The Vor Game was originally published as a novella called ‘Weatherman’, which was nominated for the 1991 Nebula Award for Best Novella.

The Vor Game is a follow-up to The Warrior’s Apprentice, where Miles, having been rejected from the Barrayan Imperial Military Academy due to his physical disabilities, ended up becoming the Admiral of the Dendarii Mercenaries, mainly through fast-talking and luck. At the end of the book, he was admitted into the Academy and The Vor Game opens when he has graduated and is waiting to be given his first posting. This scene, with a sergeant handing out assignments, reminded me of the opening scene of Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton.

Miles is hoping for ship duty, like all the new graduates, but ends up assigned as the Meteorology Office at an arctic training base for infantry, which seems to be one of the worst available assignments, especially for someone with the physical disabilities that Miles has. But it’s a test - if he can manage six months there and show that he can work with the ordinary enlisted men (who are more likely to see him as a ‘mutie’ due to his disabilities), and avoid his usual “insubordination issues” where he believes he is better than his commanders, he’ll be put forward for a posting on the newest Imperial Cruiser, due for launch in six months. 

Spoiler: Miles does not pass this test. While he does the right thing (intervenes when the training base commander gives out an illegal order), he is detained by Imperial Security and left in limbo - not charged with mutiny, but no longer able to serve in the military. Until an unstable political situation on one of the wormhole routes from Barrayar to the wider galaxy means he is sent off to gather information and to try to remove the Dendarii Mercenaries from the situation, due to their connection with Barrayar. At this point, the book switches into a political/ spy thriller set in space stations and onboard space ships, with double-crossing, political intrigue, and the Emperor of Barrayar having gone missing and ended up in the same place. It’s very entertaining, and the actual space battles are only a small part of the story, which focuses on people and politics. 

It’s quite hard for me to write objectively about The Vor Game as I am a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold and the Vorkosigan series, so my first thoughts are simply about how much fun it was to read, and how my feelings about the book have changed since I first read it, which  was over ten years ago. The first Vorkosigan book that I read was Komarr, one of the later books in the series, and I ended up reading the whole series out of order (both publication order and chronological order). As a result, I have always felt that the calmer, older, Imperial Auditor Miles was more real than Madcap Miles of the Dendarii Mercenaries (“Daring Rescues Our Speciality!”), so it was interesting to re-read this having read the whole series.

I don’t think I picked this up the first time I read the book, but this time I noticed that under the high-energy plot is the theme of finding your place. By the end of the book, Gregor has accepted his role as the Emperor of Barrayar, and has won more freedom in his role. Miles is assigned a role in Imperial Security as a liaison to the Dendarii Mercenaries, which suits him better than regular military service (and sets up the next few books in the series). 

(As an aside, I was convinced that this was the book where Aral Vorkosigan looks Miles straight in the eye and tells that Prince Serg’s death was the greatest piece of luck that befell Barrayar, when we the reader know this is not the full story, but I can’t find it in here, so it must be in another one of the series.)

The only issue is that the book can feel disjointed as you read it, as the first part (the Weatherman novella) is set on a military base in the Barrayaran Arctic Circle, while the rest of the book is in the more typical space opera setting of the Hegan Hub, a wormhole nexus. Although the two sections of the book are linked, the jump from one location to another seems off until the connections between the two sections are revealed. However, the plot carries you through. 

The next book in my list of Hugo/ Nebula winners would be Tehanu by Ursula . K LeGuin, which won the 1991 Nebula Award for Best Novel. However, as I’ve only read the first book in the Earthsea series (several years ago), and this is book four, I’m planning to read the first three books before starting Tehanu itself.

[themculibrary]

Fics W/ 3k Words Masterlist 2

part one

Cold (ao3) - vulcanscully steve/tony G

Summary: Steve Rogers never liked the winter.

Dog Days Are Over (ao3) - agoldengalaxy G

Summary: {Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Spoiler alert!}

“It’s weird, dontcha think?” Rocket asked softly. “Can’t remember the last time it felt so good around here.”

“Yes.” Nebula paused, then looked down at her lap. “I hope…you are feeling it, too.”

fill out the form first (ao3) - flowermasters peggy/steve G

Summary: Peggy and Steve meet in the most mundane of ways. That is, of course, before the bank heist.

First Kisses and Last Names (ao3) - shipskicksandgiggles harley/peter, mentioned rhodey/tony T

Summary: Harley's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Well, not nowhere. There was always the house where kids say a vampire lives.

Glad I Didn’t Take The Stairs (ao3) - valiantlybold bucky/tony G

Summary: “Of all the people I could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with and it just had to be you. Of literally hundreds of people who work in this building, I had to get stuck with you.”

Hold Me in Your Heart (ao3) - STARSdidathing loki/tony T

Summary: No one knew about Loki and Tony. No one knew what had developed between them behind closed doors and off the battlefield. No one knew that capturing Loki, that sentencing him, was going to be as much a death for the man behind Iron Man, as the mage behind the bars.

Holiday Meetings (ao3) - Drappersky steve/bucky, bruce/natasha, clint/laura G

Summary: Steve and Bucky go to a “magical” Christmas tree farm up state. Steve gets lost in the snow, Bucky freaks out and they find everyone but who they’re looking for. Happy Holiday’s :)

Keep It A Secret (ao3) - SmileAndASong steve/tony G

Summary: Tony decides to surprise Steve by having Peter dress up as Captain America for Halloween. Steve decides to surprise Tony by having Peter dress up as Iron Man for Halloween. Peter now has two secrets to keep, two costumes to wear, and two loving fathers that he doesn’t want to disappoint.

Long Way Up (ao3) - calicotales bucky/clint T

Summary: “Then Clint sees Bucky reach over with his left hand a little and the door starts to close. Oh. Hell. No.”

Missing Clothes and Stolen Kisses (ao3) - purplemystic sam/scott G

Summary: After everything they went through, Scott Lang and Sam Wilson began to grow closer. Their friendship turned into best friendship, no matter how hard Sam tries to deny it and claims Scott is annoying.

Months have passed, and Sam has begun to notice his clothes are beginning to disappear and whenever he and Scott hang out and get drinks, they always end up sharing kisses.

(Not) Your typical Tuesday night (ao3) - hopelessly_me bucky/clint E

Summary: Despite being out on a mission, Bucky needed a night like this with Clint.

Pint-Sized Parker (ao3) - flyingonfeatherlesswings tony/stephen G

Summary: Tony is called away from a meeting to deal with a now toddler-aged Peter Parker, who went snooping around in Stephen Strange’s spells.

Rebuilding (ao3) - vassalady maria/pepper/natasha G

Summary: Maria, Pepper, and Natasha eventually find their way to one another.

spaceball ricochet (ao3) - philthestone gamora/peter T

Summary: “Now c’mon, Quill, don’t look so put out,” says Yondu, as the moron crewman known as Taserface ties his hands together behind his back. “Everyone all shaped up to keep their promises, I reckon. You’re sacrificin’ yerself for your lady love here, like you promised. Jackass is takin’ over the world, like he promised. An’ missy over here is stayin’ loyal to her daddy, like she promised. So we’re all men of our word, overall, ‘cept Gamora, who’s, y’know, a woman.”

“Shut up, Yondu,” says Peter, glowering at him.

“Yes, shut up, Yondu”, says Ego, sounding bored. Naturally, Peter switches the glower over to him instead.

The Broken Shower (ao3) - Marathon_Zack_140_6 leo/jemma/daisy E

Summary: Daisy’s shower is broken, but Simmons lets her borrow theirs. As one might expect, it gets out of hand.

The Less You Know (ao3) - Nokomis G

Summary: Peter comes to regret telling the Avengers about the Captain America PSAs.

To Believe in Tomorrow (ao3) seapigeon steve/bucky T

Summary: Bucky’s mornings at the community garden get a little more interesting when the new guy shows up.

Tomorrow Comes Soon Enough (ao3) - buckybarnesdeservestobehappy (hutchabelle) steve/bucky E

Summary: Steve and Bucky put the hot in hot tub.

Twenty Questions > I Spy Every Day of the Week (ao3) - florahart clint/phil T

Summary: Everything exploded early, and Phil and Clint are stuck in an elevator under a bunch of rubble. Clint wants to play I Spy in the dark – wait, that sounds dirty. Clint suggests games one might play on a long road trip, or, you know, in a confined and unlit space, to while away the time while they wait in the dark.

with the lights out, it's less dangerous (ao3) - victoria_p (musesfool) steve/bucky M

Summary: Bucky says it's what friends do, they help each other out, and it's their little secret, right?

You’re The One That I Want (ao3) - Wilsonsbabe steve/sam M

Summary: Steve wants Sam to join the Avengers and move upstate to their brand-new swanky facility, curtesy of one Tony Stark – billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and occasional superhero.

He had asked Sam again last night, while the two of them ate takeout and made their way through the list of must-see movies that Sam had compiled for him. Sam had given him the same answer he’s been giving him for the last three months – he needs to think about it.

OR How Steve finally convinces Sam to join the Avengers.

[mlgotg]

Do you think Nebula and Rocket used to fix each other up after fights during the time skip? Since there was only the two of them and both were extremely depressed I imagine they both tended to be pretty reckless.

I've been turning this ask over in my mind the last few days trying to think of some examples of them taking care of each other. Again, I was hoping I'd have some doodles prepared... but idk when that's gonna happennnn sorry friend </3

Their friendship is so special to me. I love that they started out not really liking or caring about each other that much initially and end up becoming besties. One of my favourite parts of playing the game was hearing Rocket call her a psycho because I'm like ohhh buddyyyy… In another life that psycho is in your Top 3 Closest Friends and also you're a bit of a psycho too on occasion so shut up. Anyway,

I tried not to get carried away with this but… ya

After Nebula and Tony are rescued, Rocket takes her to the med bay to get checked out. (He loathes going there usually.) Nebula is surprised that he's bothering and that he isn't mad at her. Rocket is not feeling much of anything Right Now but I think he's just glad that SOMEONE he knows is okay.

After Thor kills Thanos and they take everybody back to Earth, Rocket finally has the meltdown of the century. This is like. Nebula's second time ever attempting to comfort someone so it is VERY awkward and she's also pretty much ready to meltdown herself soooo. Yikes. Divas down!!!

After that, they're pretty much inseparable. When they aren't on Earth doing humanitarian aid they're aiding people elsewhere in the galaxy. When they aren't working, they still spend most of their time together. I think that out of the two of them, Nebula is the closest to the other Avengers. Particularly Nat and Tony. As terrible of a time as she's having emotionally, I think this is also one of the highest points in her life because she has friends for the first time. She has a job and gets to make her own choices, she gets to help people?? Unheard of. She's grateful to get a second chance. BTW Rocket is also "friends" with the Avengers, but I think he's too scared to admit they're more than coworkers to him. You can't lose more friends if you don't have any!! (Goofy floating in pool.gif) On the flip side, Nat and Tony consider him their friend. And Rocket is very popular among the remaining lab interns that work with Tony. His reluctance to make any more friends is soooo one-sided.

I don't want to get too specific abt this one bc I'm still brainstorming it. But at some point, Rocket gets injured in an accident. It's not life-threatening, but he's not allowed to work for a while and that frustrates him deeply. This is the catalyst for a downward spiral that is Not Fun for anybody involved. Nebula has to drag him kicking and screaming back into being a functional person again. 💀

Nebula gets a few upgrades over the years and Rocket does them all for her!! Neither of them are trusting of others, especially not when it comes to medical treatment/procedures. I think they handle 90% of those things by themselves and for each other. Rocket has some strong opinions on the "upgrades" Nebula endured in her childhood, a lot of them turned out to be actively holding her back and causing pain/discomfort. I think she had a lot of sensory issues before they worked on optimizing her settings and cybernetics properly. Not sure if Nebula had many chances to return the favour because I think Rocket is generally against being poked and prodded in any way. (Even if it's just her) And also on account of the kill switch established in V3? Honestly, I don't even know if the kill switch is gonna be a thing at all in my story?? Who knows, not me. These things come to be in dreams and visions.

Honourable mention: They've talked about Gamora a LOT. They both know things about her that the other might not necessarily. I imagine that they shared a lot of stories about her. And the other Guardians, but I think Gamora would come up the most because she's the only one they both had a close relationship with.

Thank you sm for the ask <3 I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. I think about these guys every day of my life….. If there's anything I mentioned that you want me to elaborate on lmk, I'll think about it some more and get back to you!

[sparrowmoss]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers (i got this, your turn now)

gettig an ask on tumblr in 2024 is crazyyyy but hiiii okay ill do it okay yes uhhh

almost everyrhing space related has always been a great source of intrigue for me. thats why i love movies and tv that deal with space stuff aas well as real life astronomy stuff. im not that smart so really technical stuff about how it works goes over my head but ill never get tired of the awe i feel when i look at a super hd photo of the landscape of mars or clouds in a nebula or the way galaxies can spin stars into different shapes or just... knowing this shit has all been spinning for more years than we can even actually comprehend and is doing things beyond our imagination. crazy. absolutely crazy bro

colors in art. it can be anything. weird bright abstract art, glaze mixing on ceramics, multicolored yarn, idc. i love it all. i spend so much time thinking about colors

my cats!!!!!! sometimes overwhelmed by how much attention they need now being switched to indoors only but apollo is so cute and polite and sweet and stupid as a rock i love him. zuko is so smart and mischievous and its a pain but its so interesting to see what is interesting to him. he watched my brother take apart a VCR for almost 2 hours last week and was absolutely fascinated by it. wild stuff. i never get tired of these little guys

growing flowers. i mostly focus on pansies these past few years and maybe this is a strange thing to list but i guess it ties with the colors thing, i love having my little rainbow garden and collecting the seeds and planting them the next year and seeing what new color patterns come up from whatever crossed from the past year

panera bread restaurant squash soup

[myfantasealife]

Window Pains [NSFW] KibaxFem!Reader Part 4

🌺After finishing your second semester in college, you decide to go home for the summer only to find the annoying neighbor you haven't seen in years! What will it be like reconnecting with the man who so desperately wanted you?🌺

a/n: the finale is here! Make sure you check out the other parts of this story before reading this one!

warning: intercourse, angst, smut, throat fucking, dp, penetration, loving kiba, mdni

I was truly hooked. His scent, his smile, is damn arm muscles. He was perfect.

We walked back with our bikes to our homes just in time for dinner. Kiba's arms looped around my neck, hugging my head closer to his chest. His heart beating slowly, like a soothing lullaby as I melted further in his arms. Our mouths only echoed the sound of our breaths, leaving nothing but the yearning silence between us to grow thicker.

The rest of my night was a blur, leaving room for only the lustful thoughts I had about Kiba. A smirk permanently embedded itself onto my face, never leaving my mouth as I sat at the dining room table. Thinking about his lips, the veins popping out of throbbing cock, the way he smiles when I talk about the things I love.

I wonder if he feels the same way. If he feels that same burning passion to worship my body. If he feels the oxygen deplete from his lungs when he cant be near me. I wanted to know. I needed to know.

I couldn't concentrate on anything without thinking about what it would be like to be under him, on top of him, bending over in front of him. The walls inside my womb began twitching in agony, as if Kiba's length would be the only thing that could ease its pain.

My hand flicks the light switch, lighting my room in a dim yellow hue. My eyes went directly towards the window facing kibas room, hoping to catch sight of him before he falls asleep.

I felt a sigh of relief cycle out of my lungs when I noticed him curled up with Akamaru reading a book. I reach over to my mushroom lamp by the window, turning on the galaxy light, painting my room with nebulas and stars. The light quickly caught his attention, peeling his eyes away from the page in front of him.

It was like a breath of fresh air when my eyes dived into the depths of his kind eyes. Our gaze was fixated on each other, refusing to budge no matter how hard we tried.

A smile graced his face when he saw mine, sitting himself up on the edge of his bed. His broad shoulders hovered over his quads as his elbows perched themselves on the tops of his knees. His eyes wandered down, analyzing every womanly curve that developed on my body.

My screaming thoughts started to desperately look for a way to please his lustful eyes. I thought about the show I put on for him last night, when I played with myself in front of my window, letting him watch the way I pleased myself when I thought about him.

He knows I want to show him again, and he knows that I would dare to try. Growing the sinister grin on his face wider and wider. He was hungry, licking his lips ready to devour me like I was his final meal.

I could feel the desperate pulses between my thighs ache as I approach my window closer. My hands slowly started undressing myself till I a was left with nothing but my matching bra and panties.

Kiba rose from his bed, tucking his thumbs into the waistband of his sweats before dropping them down his ankles. The outline of his giant cock twitched behind the thin fabric of his boxers. His sculpted abs tensed up, waiting for me to make the next move.

I lean forward against the window seal, allowing the strap of my bra to fall off my shoulder. My breasts hung effortlessly, almost budging out of the cups of my bra. The sight was enough for Kiba's animal eyes to become feral, licking his lips as if he could practically taste them. His smug became ruthless, groaning as he watched me caress my soft skin in front of my window

The fingertips from one of his hands pressed firmly against the glass while other reached for his length, cupping it into his hands. His breathing rapidly increased, letting the fog build up in front of his face.

At this moment I could have done many things, but none of it would be enough to satisfy what I needed. The arches of his eyebrows raised when he saw my hands switch from the waistband of my thong to the edge of my window, cracking it open enough for him to slip through.

Every thought possible ran through his head as he stood there, too stunned to move. His eyes stayed on me as I turned off my lights flashing him a desirable smile before laying down in my bed.

He knew what kind of reward waited for him on the other side of my window, but he was still too nervous to move. The beating in his chest pounded against his ribs glaring into the void of my window, where his wildest dreams can come true. He inhaled deeply before letting every inch of his lungs exhale the oxygen he was holding in his chest.

________________________

Cool air circulated my room breezing down my back as I close my eyes. It wasn't long until I heard the squeak of my window cracking open further. One by one, I heard the sound of my creaking wooden floors kiss the tip of my ears before I felt the weight of my bed sink.

The warmth of his chest pressed firmly against my back reaching his arm over me. His fingers curls around my waist, gripping me tightly before pulling me into his growing erection. His hips thrust forwards, feeling his throbbing length slide further onto my lower back. The heat of his breath coaxed around the nape of my neck, sending a frenzy between my legs.

"You drive me crazy." Kiba's low voice whispered into my ear, filling me up with lustful wishes. The growing tension between our touch ignited a fire in my heart, sending a smile to my face. His hand gently caressed along the side of my body, inhaling the sweet floral scent on my skin before making its way to up to my breast.

Grasping tightly until the fat of my boobs start bursting through the gaps of his fingers. He kept pulling me in closer and closer to his chest as if any moment I would disappear from his arms. A soft moan escaped my lips when i felt the tips of his fingers slip under my bra, pinching the bud of my sensitive nipple. He twisted it in his fingers making me gasp for air before soothing the burning pain by rubbing it in circles. My sweet nectar drips from my cunt as his soft lips plant small kisses all along the back of my shoulder.

"You drive me crazy." I mocked , pressing my ass further against his cock.

The weight of his hand pulled me back until I was able to face him, letting his face hover over me like it did before, only this time we were a lot closer. The breath escaping his chest grazed over my face before pulling me in to meet his lips. I traced over his chest with the pads of my fingers down to his abs, until I was able to wrap my hand around the shaft of his needy cock.

It was huge.

Our tongues began to dance in each others mouths, letting the sound of our smacking lips echo through the silence as our hands explore more of our bodies. The feeling of his muscles tensing as my dainty hand coddled with his balls was like lightning to him, electrifying the need for him to be inside my soaking cunt. The ungodly strength in his giant hand pulled apart my legs, letting his fingers run through the middle of my damp panties.

"You're so wet." He moans, rubbing his fingertips in circles around my clit before shifting my panties to the side. "That's so hot" his raspy words mumbled against my lips as the squelching from my dripping core played in the background.

His kisses traveled from my lips to my chest, sucking lightly against my skin. I could feel the heat stir up inside me as his finger plunged deep into my hole, massaging my walls gently. Moans quietly escaped my lips, curling my toes at the sound of his heavy breath against my skin.

"Kiba" The sound of his name dripping from my mouth pleased him, growing his erection even more than I ever thought was possible. Our passionate breaths harmonizing with one another as the feeling of his silken fingers pull themselves out of my cunt only to slip them back inside. His fingers curled, hitting my most sensitive areas until my eyes were rolling to the back of my head.

Kiba treated me like I was made of glass, not going to rough and enjoying every soft expressions of pleasure I whispered into his ear. He worshipped me. Watching me passionately as I bend to his will, cherishing every second that passes.

I wanted to cherish it too. I wanted to show him that I needed him. That I could do more than any woman on this planet can do. What every it takes. I wanted to prove that I was worth the wait.

The tip of his cock breached through the top of his sweat pants, seeping with pre-cum. I peel him off of my chest, laying him on his back before I straddle over him. His eyes widened when his length rested perfectly between my folds, feeling his pressure on my swollen clit. My hips moved back in forth, letting my silken folds grip around his shaft sending his eyes to the back of his head.

The intensity in his eyes grew heavier as he admired the way his childhood crush rocked back and forth on his man-hood. It was rewarding for him to watch me become so desperate for his buldge, leaving him breathless. The creases on the tops of my thighs deepened when his hands clasped onto the side of my hips, gripping me so tight until turned my skin white.

The motion of his arms began assisting me while my puffy lips wrap around his member. My hands rested on his thighs while I arched my back, showing off more of my pretty little cunt. Tilting back the weight of my head as waves of arousal built up around my walls.

The look in his eyes was exactly what I wanted. He desired me, every inch he wanted to indulge. His tongue peaking out of his lips before clenching his jaw like he was starving for more.

I decided to unclasp my bra, exposing my bare chest to him. His enchanting smile grew bigger as his eyes stayed glued to my breast as they bounced around in front of him.

"I want you." I whispered.

The grip in his hands grew stronger before he thrusted his hips to flip me over to my back. The glare of his animal like eyes narrowing as if he was ready to hunt down his prey. His lips made his way to my perky nipple, biting onto it gently before sucking it into his mouth.

The desire in my belly grew, making me wetter than I ever thought possible. Squirming underneath his bulging cock, practically begging him to fill me up.

"Come back with me." He whispered, pausing so all thats left was our heavy breathing.

I peer into his dark eyes, seeing the honesty behind his words. His face pulled up to meet mine, staring deep into my soul.

It felt as if the whole world stopped.

"Come with me, back to the hidden leaf." He said, wrapping small strands of my hair around his finger to move it from my face. He leaned into me, placing a sweet kiss on the corner of my mouth before peering back into my eyes.

"Kiba I-"

"C'mon y/n. Spend the rest of your summer with me, or transfer to a school in the leaf. " He looked at me with yearning eyes. The kind of eyes I have seen before when he used to ask me to be his girlfriend when we were kids.

"I am making good money now, and I can take care of you. I want to take care of you." The innocence in his voice oozed from his lips, staring passionately into my heart.

I could feel him holding his breath as he waited for any type of response. Being with him in the leaf meant spending every day with him, it sounded so perfect to me. Opening my eyes to see his charming smile every morning and being in his arms every night, it was a dream.

Almost too good to be true.

"Nevermind, you don't have to answer that." His voice saddened as wandering thoughts took over his mind. The delay in my response exposed a fear that he always had, something that I promised myself I would never let him feel again. "I dont think I could handle another rejection."

My hand grabbed his chin before turning it towards me again. My eyes observed the twinkle in his eye as tears started to gather in the corner. His nerves were bursting at the seams, ready to break at any moment.

"Yes"

A gasp escaped his lips before his eyes shot up to mine, glittering with joy. His tensing muscles relaxing, spreading a smile over his face.

"Yes?" He cheesed, darting his focus from my eyes to my lips. The fire within me felt like it was ready to rage out of my cells.

"Yes!"

I could feel his smile against my skin when he brought my closer to him. The beating in his heart accelerating by the second. When I pulled his chin up to face me, I could see tears slowly collect at the bottom of his eyes as he was trying to contain himself from screaming through the roof tops.

"On one condition."

"Anything, please!" He said excitingly, letting a tear fall to his cheek. My thumb gently wiped it away before bringing him in for another kiss. His forehead rested on mine, his heart still pounding out of his chest. "I'll do anything for you."

His words sent tingles down my spine before I looked into his eyes again. My lungs inhale deeply, trying to collect my thoughts on what to say.

"I want to be your girlfriend Kiba"

The silence in the room was loud. Too loud for anything else to distract me from my nerves. I think my heart was racing at a million miles per hour after those words left my lips. The anticipation of his response was painful. I felt like I couldn't breath in those seconds that he stayed quiet.

Did I make a mistake?

"My girlfriend? You really want to be mine?" The tears in his eyes began to fall on his growing smile. "You just made me the happiest man on earth!"

His lips met mine again, only this time more passionate than the last. My tongue found refuge in his mouth while my arms rested around his neck.

We held each other close, letting the sound of our beating hearts overwhelm our senses. My legs wrapped themselves around him, letting the skin of his cock rest beautifully between my slit. He lifted his head to face me again, watching my eyes as the glimmer under the moon light.

"You don't know how long I have been waiting for this." He whispered in my ear, shifting my panties to the side. His shaft began rubbing up and down my slit, making his way to my heat. The feeling of his tip entering my womb sent shockwaves to the tips of my toes.

The pain was otherworldly. The thickness of his cock was more than I could have ever imagined. The veins in his shaft scraping the sides of my vaginal walls as my back arched, feeling him plunge himself deeper into my dripping cunt. His head slammed into my cervix causing me to gasp for air.

" 'so big!" I moan, digging into his back with my nails. I could hear him groan in my ear, feeling my squelching pussy lubricated his shaft as he buried it deeper into me. He started thrusting into me like he wanted to fuck me into oblivion. Throwing my legs over his shoulder thrusting deeper and deeper until his balls started slapping against my ass.

Everything I have ever imagined was nothing compared to this. His cock massaged my soaking walls so perfectly. Like he was perfectly made for me. I could feel my walls grip around his length, like it never wanted him to leave.

It was perfection.

The waves of arousal built up in my pussy, pushing me closer to the edge. My eyes roll to the back of my head, clawing onto my sheets trying to prevent myself from making a mess on his cock. He was mesmerized, watching every second, making sure to not miss a single moment.

"K-Kiba!" His name dripping from my mouth as cum gathered at the base of his dick. Hearing his name made him feral, pulling out of me before bringing me up by the nape of my neck. He lined himself up with my lips, inching his cock into my mouth.

I obeyed him immediately, wrapping my lips around the tip of his shaft hands while I dripped onto my sheets. His head tilted back while his hand grasped the back of my head.

"Suck me good baby" he moaned, thrusting himself to the back of my throat.

Tears fell from my cheeks as I try to take it all, chocking on the girth of his length. Kiba was always a sweet man, but watching him dominate me made me even more desperate to feel him inside me again. He was sexy in every way.

His balls begin to twitch as he was nearing completion. He started fucking my throat uncontrollably, letting my tears fall from my cheeks onto my breast.

The warmth of his seed coated the back of my throat. I could feel the goosebumps in his legs appear on his soft skin while I swallowed, letting the warmth travel down my throat.

His hand released from my hair and made its way to my chin, lifting it up to see my submissive eyes. He wiped away the tears from my face before leaning down to meet my eyes.

"You did so good baby" he smiled, grabbing a towel by my bed to clean up the mess I had between my legs. Sweat dripped from his chest as his body tried to cool down.

Silence filled the room before Kiba wrapped me back into his arms as he laid back down on my bed.

"Your perfect, y/n. You've always been." His lips planted a kiss on mine while his fingers combed through the locks of my hair. His eyes came back onto me again, staring at me like he used to when we were kids. I felt his chest lift as he took a deep breath before parting his lips.

"I-I love you."

[theoriginalladya]

Dinosaur Brain

I have the most amazing friends, I swear!

The following ficlet evolved out of conversations about Rhys Shepard and Grunt and dinosaurs ... and then it had to have some commissioned ART, too!  Fabulous art by @thepixelagora​ who somehow managed to take my incoherent ramblings about this and turn it into the absolutely most perfect picture of events!!!!  Thank you so much for lending me your talents!!  

There is more to this story, but it wasn’t quite working how I wanted, so the rest will come later.  In the meantime, have the madness that started it all!!!

The story can also be found on AO3 here.

~~~

Rhys drops into an empty seat and starts eating immediately, his focus less on the food and more on the datapad in his hand. Across from him, a chair squeaks and shadows flicker in his peripheral vision.  Still, he pays little heed to the disruption until…

“You going all dinosaur brain?”

He would prefer to flat out ignore the question, but there are times that’s worse than responding to it.  Rhys doesn’t bother to look up from the pad.  “Not this again.”

Kaidan’s chuckle of amusement drifts across the table. “What?”

“You know what.”

Kaidan leans over and stabs a piece of Rhys’ meal, retreating quickly.  He chews with a thoughtful look in his eye, then swallows.  “Tell me honestly, when have you never been thinking about them?”

“What’s a dinosaur?”

The table wobbles as Grunt slams his tray down and sits next to Rhys.  This time, it’s Kaidan who is taken aback and Rhys whose interest perks up.  “You want to know what dinosaurs are?”

“Here we go,” Kaidan mutters, rolling his eyes and reaching for his coffee.

Rhys ignores him and turns to face Grunt. “O’Keer never imprinted them on you?”

Grunt shakes his massive head back and forth. “What are they?”

Rhys peeks over at Kaidan, his blue eyes sparkling with delight.  “Translated from the Latin, the word means ‘terrible lizard,’” he explains.  “They are creatures that lived millions of years ago on Earth.”  He grabs his datapad, pointedly ignoring the sputter of choked laughter from Kaidan, and scrolls to the end of the device before passing it over to Grunt.  “This is a Triceratops.  About eight meters long and three meters tall.  They are known for having three horns on their head; one long one above each eye and a smaller one over its nose, as well as a large frill made out of bone.”

Grunt examines the picture on the datapad then glances back over at Rhys.  “Looks like a mighty warrior,” he concludes with a sage nod.

Rhys grins.  “Actually, they weren’t the fighters.  Not unless they were attacked, of course.” He takes back the datapad and sets it aside.  “The real fighters were the Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurus Rex.”

“You know,” Kaidan muses as he sits back in his seat, “I’m going to tell Wrex you’re calling him a tyrant again.”

“Oh, shut up!” Rhys hisses over at him.  He spends the next several minutes explaining about the two different dinosaurs to Grunt before he reaches into his pocket and nabs the Deinonychus claw he always carries with him.  “This is from a much smaller dinosaur, similar to the Velociraptor, called Deinonychus.  I found this on our family’s ranch when I was a kid.”  

Grunt takes the claw and squints at it, holding it up to the light and tilting his head.  “Doesn’t look very dangerous.”

Rhys chuckles.  Pushing his chair back, he stands and lifts a hand to about chest level, just above his elbow.  “They were only this tall when adults,” he explains.  “A smaller version of the Velociraptor, if you will, but older.  They were also very bird-like.”

“You know, Shepard,” Garrus comments from down the table, “if you keep making references like that, I’m going to start taking it personally.”

Kaidan almost spits out his coffee.  Rhys just grins as he retakes his seat.  

Grunt, however, stares at the datapad.  “So, what did you do with them?”

Kaidan starts to laugh uncontrollably.  Rhys kicks his leg beneath the table.  “We didn’t do anything to them.  They died out over time, long before humans were around.  We’ve spent centuries searching for their bones, fossilized in the earth.”  

The krogan sets the datapad down.  “Too bad.  I would have liked to go up against one of them.”

 ~

 A week later, while on duty in the CIC with his attention focused on planets, minerals, and potential prothean ruins, Grunt comes thundering his way through. “Shepard!”

Caught in the middle of running a scan, Rhys cannot give the krogan his full attention, and calls back over his shoulder, “Yes?”

Grunt makes some sort of disgruntled sound. “Shepard, what’s a ‘shark?’”

With his fingers flying over the haptic keyboard, Rhys’ reply comes automatically.  “Water dinosaur.”  A heartbeat passes, and he thinks about what he said before turning around to find the krogan standing there, a piece of paper in his hand.  It is an image of a Great White shark.

Kaidan is just exiting the cockpit and happens by during the conversation.  Giving Rhys a bemused look, he replies, “Really?”

Rhys shrugs back at him, but Grunt grins, a spark of delight in his eyes, and turns back toward the lift, chuckling in his usual, deep, rumbly manner.  It’s quite adorable, even if it does leave both men scratching their heads.

 ~

 Late in the Collector mission

Stops at the Citadel are opportunities Rhys never ignores.  This time around, however, he isn’t tracking down prothean specialists at the university or the archives, but shopping.  He returns to the Normandy a few hours before required, not surprised to find the CIC nearly empty as he walks through, bags in hand.  What does surprise him, however, is when the lift doors open and Kaidan steps out.  The other man sizes up the current situation and his hand shoots back out to hold the doors open for Rhys.  “What are those?” he asks, nodding at the bags Rhys carries.

Hopping inside, Rhys shrugs.  “Books.”  

Kaidan chuckles.  “Obviously.”  He reaches into a bag and tugs one free.

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Rhys clarifies.  “On dinosaurs.”

The switch from amusement to… well, whatever the look in his eyes is now – half bemusement, half irritation? – is instantaneous.  Kaidan drops the book back into the bag without looking at it and slams his hand on the buttons.  “You need a fucking lab, I swear.”

Rhys chuckles.  “I tried, but Mordin won’t share.”  He’s the first one through the doors when the lift stops outside of Kaidan’s cabin.  The new arrangement works out better than expected, at least until this topic comes up in discussion.  “Besides, these aren’t for me.”

“No?”  Kaidan swipes his hand over the door’s interface.  “Who?”

“Grunt.”

Almost as if he’s listening in to their conversation, a soft, “Hehehehehe,” whispers through the walls of the ship as they enter the room.  

 ~

 2186, Citadel, during the Reaper War

While Kaidan heads off to do Spectre things, Rhys makes his way to Huerta Memorial Hospital.  After the incident on Mars and his time spent there, the desire to visit isn’t exactly thrumming inside of him, but Grunt is now a patient there, and it’s more important to check on how the krogan is doing.  Wrex’s assurances that Grunt is fine aside, Rhys decides to check in on him anyway, just to be sure.  Kaidan promises to meet up with him as soon as his responsibilities are taken care of, hopefully in time to visit the krogan as well.  

Entering the critical care ward, Rhys notices not much has changed in the weeks since his departure.  In many ways, it reminds him of the rest of the Presidium at the moment; hiding the true nature of what is happening in the Galaxy outside of the Serpent Nebula behind common, everyday things like Blasto movies, home redecoration conventions, and the latest varren races.  Nothing like sticking their collective heads in the sand.

Rhys enters to find Grunt sitting up in bed.  There are makings of a few scars – two across his face, another on his upper left arm, and one more across the broad expanse of his chest – but he appears greatly improved since receiving his injuries on Utukku.  As Rhys enters, Grunt slowly turns his bandaged head in his direction.  His voice is on the weak side, but there is an urgency to it that confuses Rhys at first.  “Shepard.”

Rhys takes that as permission to enter, removing his cowboy hat in the process.  “Hey, Grunt. How’re you doing?”

Grunt ignores the question.  “Shepard, what’s a kakliosaur?”

Startled, it takes Rhys a minute to digest the full question.  In the space between, he pulls over a chair and takes a seat.  “It’s… a krogan dinosaur, I guess,” he replies after a time. “Remember the Triceratops? Akin to that, I guess you could say.”

An added spark of life brightens the krogan’s blue eyes.  “Krogan had dinosaurs?”

Rhys chuckles but nods.  “I would point out that krogan are dinosaurs, but yeah. They had creatures very similar to Earth’s dinosaurs.”

Lying back, Grunt’s eyes close, but he manages a small laugh as he drifts back off to sleep.  “Hehehehehe.”  Rhys takes his leave a few minutes later.

After catching up with one another, Rhys and Kaidan reboard the Normandy.  Halfway through the CIC, Rhys announces, “We have a mission.”

They’re just passing Traynor’s station and she hands Kaidan several datapads.  Absently, he replies, “I know.”

Rhys sighs.  “A new one, I mean.”

That, apparently, is enough to catch the man’s attention, and he glances up.  “What?”

Using his chin to point to the galaxy map, Rhys continues, “We need to go to the Phoenix System.  It’s… important.”

Kaidan frowns.  “What the hell are you talking about?”

A grin slips across Rhys’ face.  He can’t help it.  “We are going dinosaur hunting.  Krogan dinosaur hunting, to be specific.”

The blank look in Kaidan’s eyes as he blinks owlishly at him makes it clear he has no idea what Rhys is talking about.  Either that or he thinks Rhys has lost his mind. Maybe both.  “Check your messages.”

There is a hint of apprehension in his steps as Kaidan walks over to his terminal and retrieves them.  “Shit!”

Rhys tips his hat just a bit and turns toward the elevator.  “See? Told you.  Anyway, let me know when we get there.  I know the director of the museum.”

He’s just stepped onto the lift and pressed the button for the cabin when Kaidan calls over, “Have I mentioned you’re a menace?”

Rhys’ grin widens and he winks at him.  “Not this week…”

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: Marvel What If’s Women Problem

Welcome back to the feminist rant!

I really didn’t intend to spend three weeks in a row writing about the Marvel animated series What If…? But I wanted to see this through.

Last week we talked about this show’s abundant use of the “fridged woman” trope. However, a show doesn’t need to kill its female characters in order to fail them.

Remember that time I made up a feminist movie test? I call it the “Want Test.” You can read the full explanation here, but here’s the summary:

This test requires that a film (or, in this case, an episode of a TV show) has at least one named female character. After watching the show, ask, “Does what the named female character want matter to the plot?” Then, score the movie based on the answer to this question.

If the answer is “Yes, what the named female character wants matters to the plot,” then give the movie a checkmark!”

If the answer is “Yes, AND this is true of multiple named female characters,” then the movie gets a check-plus. If these characters help each other get what they want, the movie gets a check-double-plus!

If the answer is “Yes, BUT her wants are an obstacle to a male character’s goal,” then the movie gets a check-minus. The woman may matter to the plot, but her importance is centered on her relationship to a male character and how much he matters to the plot. Often movies with a check-minus involve a male protagonist actively trying to stop a female character from getting what she wants; while she has an impact on the world around her, the movie isn’t rooting for the woman.

If the answer is “No, what she wants doesn’t matter,” then the movie fails the test. Give it a minus.

Okay, now let’s talk about Marvel What If. Once again, there are spoilers for the first seven episodes of this show below the cut, and some discussion of the plot points in the movies these episodes are based on.

When I compare the first seven episodes of What If to the Want Test, they each barely scrape their way to a check-minus (though after my rant last week, I’m tempted to edit my test so that a show that fridges a female character automatically fails). In summary, it does not matter what most of the named female characters want. Each episode has a single woman whose wants do affect the plot, but what she wants is always some kind of obstacle to a male character’s goal. Even when the women of What If survive the episode, the male characters’ feelings are the primary engine of the show.

As I neared the end of Episode Six, “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” I said to myself, “Well, at least Pepper and Shuri aren’t dead.” But then, in the last minute of the episode, Shuri and Pepper meet and state their intent to take down Killmonger. And I said to myself, “Okay, so why didn’t we get THAT episode?”

Sure, it’s cool to see two smart girls teaming up, but they don’t get to do anything! This episode repeatedly puts Pepper and Shuri down. Every time they express suspicion of Killmonger, someone contradicts them. What they want does not matter. They are obstacles to the men, and they are easily pushed aside, and so all they can do is stand in the background and watch while the boys run around and play war games.

If your named female characters only matter in the last scene of the show, then they don’t really matter. This episode wasn’t about the women at all. It was about the men killing each other and making each other sad.

*

I really don’t want to say much about the seventh episode, “What If… Thor Were an Only Child?”

What I will say is, “Why, why, WHY is Dr. Jane Foster more concerned about hurting the hot guy’s feelings than she is about how the hot guy is about to cause the end of the world?”

And I will also say, “Why does Captain Marvel need to be nice to Thor at the end of the episode after he spent the entire episode being a jackass to her?”

And I will end this section of the blog post by saying, “Frigga deserves so much better than any man in her family has ever given her.”

*

The second episode of this show, “What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?” might be my favorite episode. Mainly because it’s the only one I genuinely liked while I was watching it. It was fun, and I was happy to hear Chadwick Boseman’s voice one more time. Overall, it’s a lovely tribute to both the actor and his character.

But, for me, liking this episode required ignoring a big problem: Nebula and Thanos’s relationship.

We don’t know exactly when in this timeline T’Challa met Thanos and convinced him to give up on the “murder half the universe” plan. But we do know that even before Thanos collected the Infinity Stones, he was roaming the universe slaughtering millions. We know he committed genocide against Gamora’s people the day he “adopted” her, and it’s safe to assume he did the same to Nebula’s. We know that he raised Gamora and Nebula to fight each other, and every time Nebula lost a fight, he replaced a part of her body with cybernetics, constantly torturing her.

What If never tells us that that Thanos did not abuse his daughters. It never tells us that he did not slaughter millions, including his daughters’ birth families. But it does tell us that Thanos is Nebula’s father. And he wouldn’t be her father if he hadn’t been roaming the universe killing people.

In this episode, we see an adult Nebula who seems to think her dad is annoying, but any feelings she might have about how genuinely terrible he is – feelings she was freely willing to admit in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies – go completely unmentioned.

Thanos and Nebula’s relationship is played for laughs, like they just need to get over their past and hug it out. That bothers me a lot. It’s like the show is saying that Nebula’s pain doesn’t matter. What matters is that Thanos is sad she doesn’t want to hang out with him.

I should also point out that in Avengers: Infinity War, Gamora gets fridged. Her feelings are unimportant to the plot; her stated desire to die before she can be used as a part of Thanos’s plot is mocked and discarded. When she is murdered, the moment of her death is all about how it would hurt Thanos to kill her. Gamora’s death also serves as motivation for Peter Quill to sabotage the other heroes’ efforts to stop Thanos.

Gamora is nowhere to be seen in this episode of What If. The women that Thanos abused really don’t matter here at all.

*

I’ve been putting off talking about this show’s pilot episode, “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” This episode was… You know, it was fun, in a very similar way to how the Star Lord T’Challa episode was fun. I can’t lie and say I didn’t like seeing super buff Peggy Carter beat the crap out of Nazis. That was a lot of fun.

But the thing I couldn’t stop thinking while watching was, “This isn’t Peggy’s story. It’s Steve’s!”

Peggy Carter may have gotten the super serum in this reality, but Steve Rogers is still the main driving force of the plot. Peggy goes to Germany to save Steve’s best friend. She works with Steve’s allies, the Howling Commandoes, instead of finding her own. Steve’s issues and emotions are central to everything Peggy does; she may say in dialogue that she wants to end the war, but what we see is that Steve is her motivation. In fact, he’s everyone’s motivation – in the scene where Peggy, Bucky, Howard, and the Howling Commandoes decide to go take down Red Skull, they all go around the table and say that they’re doing it “for Steve.” Not because ending the war is the right thing to do, not because they care about the millions of people murdered and tortured by the Nazis – but because they care about Steve.

When I first heard about this show, I thought that Steve was going to die, and that would be why Captain Carter would exist. The interesting/ironic thing here is that the episode pokes at the idea of fridging Steve, but it doesn’t quite have the guts to go through with it. Everyone thinks that Steve died on the train, but then they find him in Red Skull’s castle, and he’s totally fine! Killing off Captain America would have been an interesting, powerful new direction to take the story. But this episode doesn’t seem interested in taking new directions. It seems more interested in showing how things would stay the same even if Steve didn’t get the serum, even if Peggy switched careers from secret agent to superhero, even if Bucky never became the Winter Soldier, even if Red Skull decided to open a portal to tentacle hell. Things just stay the same.

And I don’t get the point of presenting us with a show where there are “endless possibilities” if things are just going to stay the same. If Peggy Carter will still be a side character in Steve Roger’s story. If Hank Pym’s grief still matters more than Janet and Hope Van Dyne’s lives. If Thanos will still never be held accountable for abusing Gamora and Nebula. If Doctor Strange is still an arrogant jackass. If the only realities we see are ones where men get to act and feel, and women get to be plot devices.

The truth is that the Watcher just isn’t interested in showing us realities where women live and thrive in their own right. For all its emphasis on how different decisions can cause dramatic changes to reality, the creators of What If have no real investment in making different decisions in how they portray female characters. It’s just more of the same.

I’m done thinking about this show. Let’s talk about something else next week, okay?

Be good to yourself, be kind to each other, and you’ll hear from me again soon!

[clonewarslover55]

Walon Vau’s story

I decided to write out Walon Vau’s story, especially his home life and childhood. Why is Walon Vau the way he is? Read this and find out why. 

Notes: I used my own headcanons mixed with the small details Karen Traviss gave us in the Republic Commando books. Please don’t steal this because you think it’s all hers! 

Warnings: Bad childhood, abuse, child abuse, wounds, whipping, exile, royal drama, evil in the form of a man, thoughts of suicide, angst, 

Let’s start this off with a little bit of planet information and backstory! 

 The planet Irmenu is a small ocean world, the only land masses being large rocky islands. Most seem like mountains, with dangerous cliffs leading into the cold unforgiving sea. The ocean is riddled with beasts and monsters, but the only way of life is to sail. There are some valleys for livestock or farming, but not many. The valleys usually flood anyways, the storms always ruthless. So the Irmenu people fish and sail, searching for months on end just to survive and feed their family. 

Sailing is easy enough. The winds are strong and the seas rough. It’s cold year around, but the people have learned to adapt and survive. Wearing the fur of the air breathing sea beasts, making larger boats, etc. 

The kingdoms are clusters of islands, not one large land mass. Many islands are in large clusters, huge oceans between each cluster. The islands are all under the rule of the religious leaders, but sometimes there is still conflict. Conflict never lasts long on Irmenu though. 

This oceanic planet is in the Outer Rim, in the Belsmuth sector. Their planet is in the middle of the Crombach Nebula, which is extremely hazardous. This gives Irmenu a very good excuse to be so isolated. The leaders of the world use this to their advantage.  

This planet is a Feudal world, which means it’s controlled by a strict religion that also runs the powerful military. This means his world is very close minded and far behind on certain technologies and such. They still have spaceships and holopads, yes, but they’re out of date and ancient. 

The Imperius Priesthood runs the planet under very strict rules. They control what leaves and goes, along with who. They control the nobles and their money, using the Count’s as their marionettes. If you didn’t follow their rules/beliefs, you were either publicly executed, exiled, or sent to a nunnery. All depends on the situation. 

They’re everywhere, spying on their people and arresting whoever they please. Being so strict and ruling by fear affected the Irmenu people terribly. Most were religious fanatics, which means religion dictates every single part of their lives. They read the Irmenu Bible over and over instead of other books, and they follow the rules like good puppets. 

This planet is clearly terrible on it’s own, which only made Walon Vau’s childhood even worse. 

Walon Vau was born around 79 BBY on the planet Irmenu. He was the first and only son of the Count of Gesl, who was also an admiral in the very large Irmenu navy. Walon was raised like any royal, so he didn’t have much of a childhood.

Every second of every day was planned out by his father. He was highly educated, classes every day of the week and all day long. He rarely saw his parents, and when he did it was never under good circumstances. 

Walon learned proper etiquette, dancing, poetry, politics, and many other things he’d need to know for his future as a ruler. He was taught by a number of tutors, each brutal and cruel. He either learned, or was beaten. 

Once he reached the age of ten he began to work harder, practicing and studying for the navy. He didn’t want to follow in his fathers footsteps, but Walon had no choice. Plus he loved sailing, the ocean was calming and vast. The navy was his only hope for a better life. 

Pa Vau, Walon’s father was a harsh man. He was described as domineering, cold hearted, and unpleasable. He beat Walon when he didn’t do perfect on his lessons or training. He wanted Walon to be like him, so he tried to beat all emotion and feeling from his son. He almost succeeded. 

 A good ruler in Irmenu has no heart or soul in Pa’s eyes. 

He would never hit Walon on the face or anywhere visible, he had to have a good face as a royal. As Walon got older the beatings became more often and more brutal, because he wasn’t doing good enough in Pa’s eyes. 

When Walon was fourteen and tried out for the navy his own father rejected him, saying he was not good enough. Walon continued to train, the beatings even worse. The training didn’t help, Walon never made it into the navy. Pa was so unpleasable his only child was never good enough for him. This caused Walon to quickly lose hope, the thought of suicide seeming more appealing by the day. 

Walon only ever got to see his mother at nights, when she would come clean up his bloody lashing marks and other wounds. She was a soft gentle woman, but timid. Pa beat her as well, making sure she didn’t see her son for too long. She was never allowed to see Walon alone, because Pa didn’t want Vau to go soft by a mothers love. 

She was a religious fanatic just like his father, so she would lecture him as well. He had to be better, he had to. He was royalty, he was better than how he acted. Her words were often more cruel than intended. 

When she finished cleaning his wounds she’d read him a chapter of the Irmenu Bible, a book Walon was forced to know every last word to. He never listened though, he would always zone out and dream of a better life…….Or even of ending his life.  

His parents were never in love, their marriage arranged. His father married his mother because of her wealth and bloodline. His mother had rare golden eyes, a symbol of high status to his people. He got her eyes, but his father said that the color of his eyes meant nothing compared to how much of a failure he is. 

When Walon turned sixteen he was at a ball for some religious holiday, where we meant a beautiful princess of a neighboring province. After a few dances they quickly hit it off, and grew close rather fast. She basically saved his life, keeping him from ending it once and for all. She also changed his future for the better. 

He would sneak out as often as he could to meet her under the stars, but more often than not they wrote love letters on flimsy back and forth. Each letter, written with the finest penmanship and finest poetic words was kept by the princess. Walon kept hers as well, in a box under his bed.  

When Walon was eighteen, he asked his father if he could marry the princess. His father and her father both rejected the marriage, along with the Priesthood. Not because of politics or religion, but because Walon was not good enough or worthy to marry such a beautiful woman. 

His father was enraged that he had dared to ask such a question, so he was beaten worse than ever and nearly died. All because his father was embarrassed. When Walon healed a little he learned his love had been shipped away across the planet, to a nunnery. She would learn her lesson for sneaking out and falling in love with someone who was not of an arranged marriage. 

He knew he’d never see her again. 

Walon was exiled temporarily aftwards, being sent to some neighboring shit hole of a planet. He was eighteen and alone, with no idea of the outside world. His mother sobbed for days, her only child and her last hope gone. She prayed every night that he would be allowed back soon. 

Luckily for Walon Vau, he used to sneak out to the large library every night to read books. They had no fiction books, so he just learned about other societies and their ways. Most books pointed out how “bad” they were, but Walon always thought they were so much better than his planet's society. 

Thanks to reading, he knew a bit about the real galaxy. 

Walon had nothing but the clothes on his back. He had no money or possessions. No title, no name. So he wandered. 

Soon he ran into a group of Mandalorians, one by the name of Jaster Mereel. They quickly took in a teenage Walon, teaching him a new way. The way of the Mandalorian warriors. He never believed his home world's ludicrous ideas, so switching religions and cultures was very easy for Walon.

His family found out and disowned Walon for giving up his culture and religion. He lost his title and broke his mothers heart. His mother apparently died of a broken heart, after she heard the news that he would never return. But he knows deep down that his father finally snapped and killed her.

Walon became a perfect warrior, his body and mind already scarred from years and years of abuse. He was cold, calm, and calculated. Walon was also highly educated and very intelligent. So much so that some other Mandalorians taught him how to torture and dismember. He learned about the medical field and could have even been a doctor, but he preferred dead bodies and torturing. 

Jedi could hardly sense him in the force, his soul too broken. He was a perfect Mandalorian Warrior, fighting along with his friend Jango Fett and many others for years.  He fought in the Mandalorian Civil Wars, killing Jedi with no issue. 

Early in his time with the Mandalorians, Walon met a Strill. The Strill could sense Walon’s shattered soul and broken mind, so it adopted him. The Strill was named Lord Mirdalan, jokingly after his favorite uncle. The uncle that had beaten him the less, and had been executed when Walon was ten. Walon did not miss him, or anyone from his home world. 

That’s Walon Vau’s childhood story. He’s ice cold, calm, and utterly detached for a reason. His body is scarred, as is his shattered soul. He was so traumatized and beaten down into the way of the soulless that he had a hard time trying to escape that pit. 

He was cruel to his Clone Commandos, but every day he would be up all night thinking. He wanted them to survive the war, that's all he wanted. He didn’t want them to be failures like him, he couldn’t allow it. Failures never survived.

Walon Vau hardly ever sleeps at night, his mind plagued by nightmares. Not of the wars, but of his home life. 

Mird held Vau together a little better, but his soul never healed. He could never escape the hole of his traumatic past, and it ruined his life forever. 

They call him a psychopath but he really isn’t. Walon Vau can still feel, he just doesn’t know how to. Walon Vau is just a shattered and traumatized man, one who never got proper help. One who never had a childhood. 

(Please reblog this if you like it! I worked very hard on it!) 

Tags: @leias-left-hair-bun @iamassbuttkingofhell @catsnkooks @mxndalorians @colorfulloverbatturkey @ahsokatano-thetogruta @jedi-mando @peacefulwizardfox @hounding-around @julyzaa @feathersforclones @chr0nicbackpain @strangebroadwaykinks @jedi-nila-rhyn @crimson-dxwn @detroitbydark @passionofthesith

[mylokabrennauniverse]

And after so long some things in Endgame still seem absurd to me. Today I found a good note on Internet about...

10 Things That Make No Sense About Avengers: Endgame:

10

Why Didn't Captain America Lead The Survivors?

Following Thanos' devastating snap that left the universe decimated, Earth's governments were in upheaval and struggling to maintain order, yet when the film jumps ahead five years later, Steve Rogers is leading a support group instead of the Avengers or the rest of the surviving population.

Not ti imply that the work he was doing wasn't important or that Black Widow was a poor leader for the Avengers, but Captain America could have given the survivors of his country the figurehead needed to rally from the disaster.

9

How Did Lang's Quantum Tunnel Still Work?

Scott Lang was lost in the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man And The Wasp where he remained for five years until the Quantum Tunnel in his van was activated by a curious rodent that happened to walk over the on-switch.

This incredibly convenient rat managed to turn on a device in a van that had been packed full of equipment and moved without anyone touching the button. Then there had to be an active power source left running after five years, as the old van likely wouldn't have had a remaining charge, and the tunnel was shown later in the film to require the van's juice.

8

How Does The Time Machine Work?

Lang's return from the Quantum Realm revealed the time difference in the miniature universe that would prove to be an essential part of the Avengers plan to save the day, though the actual "specifics" of the time machine aren't clear.

Even the Back to the Future's DeLorean was explained by the Flux Capacitor, yet Endgame basically threw the problem of how at Tony Stark/Iron Man and left it at that. A briefly glimpsed Möbius strip and the Quantum Tunnel are really the only acknowledged components of the time machine, leaving a bit too much to the imagination.

7 (My favorite one)

How Did They Remove The Aether?

Part of the Avengers time-traveling plans to bring back the snapped victims of Thanos included gathering the Infinity Stones from various places across the timestream before they were destroyed, which obviously included The Aether/Reality Stone.

Thor and Rocket Raccoon traveled back to Asgard during the events of Thor: The Dark World with a device to extract The Aether from Jane Foster. However, even Odin confessed to being unable to remove it without killing her in The Dark World, yet the Avengers were able to contradictorily draw it out with a fancy syringe.

6

How Did Thanos Use The Time Machine?

The final climactic battle of Avengers: Endgame featured Thanos and his army from the year 2014 after they replaced the modern-day Nebula with the still loyal 2014 version and she activated the time machine.

Except, the strict limitations of the "time heist" meant there was a limited amount of Pym Particles available, meaning enough for one round trip for each Avenger. When 2014 Nebula returned to the present-day she used up her final does of Pym Particles, so how was Thanos' ship in the past able to travel through the Quantum Tunnel at all?

5

Nebula's Time Paradox

Time-traveling characters are bound to deal with the threat of potential paradoxes, and Avengers: Endgame featured a few that have a lot of fans still talking which include the problematic death of 2014 Nebula.While the film spends some time explaining how timelines can split and create alternate realities, the fact remains that the present-day Nebula killed the past Nebula of 2014 while also bringing 2014 Gamora to the present-day. Did Nebula create a paradox because she killed her past self? Or is the alternate 2014 timeline without Nebula or Thanos now the best MCU reality?

4

Why Didn't Captain Marvel Use The Nano-Gauntlet?

Following the team's creation and use of the Nano-Gauntlet to bring back the snapped population of the universe, they are forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with Thanos' army for possession of the Gauntlet.

Captain Marvel, considered by many to be the most powerful Avenger, takes hold of the Gauntlet and tries to run it through an army, but with so much power at her disposal, why didn't she try to use it? Both Hulk and Thanos survived its use, so she could have potentially prevented Iron Man's sacrifice by using the Gauntlet instead, despite Doctor Strange's prophetic visions.

3

Where Were They Planning On Taking The Nano-Gauntlet?

The Avengers knew they would have to take the Infinity Stones back to their respective places in time in order to maintain the safety of the timeline (which they technically failed at doing), so when Thanos arrived unexpectedly they tried to get the Nano-Gauntlet to the Quantum Tunnel.

But what was their goal after getting the Nano-Gauntlet to the Tunnel, especially considering there shouldn't have been any Pym Particles left to travel through time? And if they did, Captain Marvel certainly didn't know where to take the stones back in time to close their respective loops, either.

2

Thanos' Power Levels

When the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy first encountered Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, he had already gathered a few of the infinity Stones which exponentially increased his power levels.

However, his battles with both teams of Avengers as he gathered more stones still carried weight and felt like there was a struggle happening. Yet when Thanos from 2014 attacked the team without the stones, he seemed to not only hold his own against but almost fared better than his future Infinity Gauntlet-powered self, which seemed somewhat unbalanced.

1

Captain America's Time Paradox

Nebula wasn't the only character to create her own paradox, though fans are still debating the unique time paradox created by Steve Rogers when he traveled back in time to return the Infinity Stones and stayed in the past to live his life with Agent Peggy Carter.

His decision to grow old in the past made fans question how a hero like Captain America was able to sit by and ignore his knowledge of future events. There is also the matter of his iconic shield that he hands on to Sam Wilson/Falcon, which was destroyed by Thanos. Did Cap steal it from the past, get it from an alternate timeline, or none of the above?

So...what do you think about it?

[runpogorun]

Gravity

To fill my Marvel Fluff Bingo square, Astronomer AU. No warnings apply, rated G, Matt Murdock/Foggy Nelson, 2759 words. Read it here or over on AO3.

Matt makes his way slowly into the room. The first thing he finds is the couch in the middle, presumably facing the TV, so Matt circles it slowly, his cane tapping lightly between the heavy thud of upholstery on his left and the hollow chink of wooden skirting board. The cane makes a higher tink as it collides with a metal structure and Matt reaches out with his hand, searching, and confirms a metal cabinet. He continues sweeping his cane across the hardwood floor, wary of any rugs, as his hands skate the surface of the cabinet finding photo frames, three clustered plant pots. He sends some loose sheets of paper skating off the surface and freezes, trying to track their direction of flight. 

“Don’t worry about it!” Foggy calls from the kitchen. “I’ll get them.” 

Matt turns his head over his shoulder, towards Foggy, and grins sheepishly. “Sorry. Comes with the territory.”

Foggy tsks quietly. “It’s not a problem. They’re just bills. You said whisky, right?”

Matt nods, “Yes, thanks,” and resumes his exploration. There’s an open doorway just past the cabinet, and Matt pauses, head tilted. “This the bathroom?”

“Yup.”

Matt moves his cane again, and it twangs in his hand with another metal vibration. But this doesn’t feel as heavy as the cabinet. He frowns, and reaches forward as he hears Foggy come up behind him.

“Oh, that’s a little more fragile, but feel free to… feel away.”

Intriguing. Matt stretches through space and finds smooth, painted metal with his fingertips. The metal is curved into a tube, and as his fingers move along it they find an encircling ridge. The object gives under his touch, and he finds the pivot point, the tripod suspending it. He tucks his cane under his arm and takes a step forward, using both hands to get a better idea of its dimensions.

Matt turns his head back in Foggy’s direction. “Is a telescope actually useful in New York City?”

Foggy makes a considering noise. “It’s alright. Not as good as, say, the Socorro Desert. But I can still see things.”

“Does your apartment have roof access?”

“Not the apartment itself, but the super lets me use the service stairs. 

“Nice.”

“Yeah.”

Matt files that away, drops his hands and turns towards Foggy. “Shall we sit?”

“Sure.” Foggy moves towards the couch. “Did you find the couch? It’s over here.” He pats the cushion with an open palm, a firm thump of orienting sound.

Matt smiles at him. “Yes, thanks.” There’s a coffee table as well that Foggy forgot to mention, but he expected that. He folds up his cane and drops it on the coffee table and sits down next to Foggy before accepting his drink. “So, what sort of things do you like to look at? You’re not a creeper, are you?” He takes a sip, revelling as always in the first burn.

Foggy laughs loudly at that. “No. I’m an astronomer.”

Matt tilts his head. “You said you were a teacher.”

“I am. I teach Observational Astronomy and Cosmology at NYU.”

Matt laughs. “And here I was, thinking you were a dance teacher.” Foggy had held the class in his palm, everyone drawn to him, like he had the strongest gravitational pull in the room. It had only taken three classes for Matt to succumb, and accept an invitation for a drink.

“That’s just a hobby. I like to boogie. And it’s a good way to meet people,” Foggy says, nudging Matt with his elbow.  

Matt raises his glass, and Foggy clinks them together. “Slainte. So, do you do this often?” He takes a sip.

“Meet people?”

“Bring strange men back to your apartment.”

Foggy laughs at that. “Strangers are friends we haven’t yet met. But, honestly? No. I don’t.”

Matt considers that. He, in contrast, does do this often, but usually only once or twice with the same person. Matt’s a comet, shooting in and out, plenty of noise and fuss but little substance.

“How about you,” Foggy asks.

“Me?” Matt mentally scans through all the men and women he’s dated in recent history. This may not be the moment to share that information.

“How do you make your crust?”

“Oh.” Matt leans back against the couch cushions and stretches an arm along the seat back, towards Foggy. “I’m a lawyer,” he says, mouth quirking in a slight smile, and waits for the inevitable praise. People are always impressed.

“Oh cool. I nearly did Law,” Foggy says. People often say this - it’s one of those throwaway lines. But then he adds, “I was aiming for Columbia but then… I took an intro to Astronomy class over the summer after high school and I sort of… fell into the stars.”

Matt tilts his head. “Tell me about it.”

Foggy hums, consideringly. “I’d always been interested, you know?” he says. “But I hadn’t really thought that it could be my job. I thought it would be fun to take the class, that it would be interesting. So I did.”

“Always a solid choice, choosing the interesting.”

“It was residential, close to an observatory. One morning we got up in the middle of the night, and towards dawn I saw the Orion Nebula. It’s near Orion’s Belt.  And it was so beautiful, and unknown. I wanted more. I couldn’t stop thinking of what else must be out there. 

“I mean, we do know a lot now, especially when a probe like Juno fires back information, but also a lot of it we can’t exactly know. No one knows what it’s like to stand on the surface of Eros, not really. Or what the Helix Nebula looks like from the inside. We can model it, sure, but we can’t know. I was hungry to find out what I could. I was hooked.” Foggy stops, abruptly, and Matt can hear him sip his drink.

Matt is struck by the emotion in Foggy’s voice, growing with every word. “That’s a great story,” he says. “Not everyone finds their passion, or follows it.

Foggy takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. “Yeah. You know, I don’t usually tell people all that, right out of the blocks.”

“I guess I should feel honoured,” Matt says.

“You should, my friend,” Foggy says, the humour back in his voice.

Matt angles his head towards the telescope in the corner. “And that. Do you use it often?”

“Uh yeah, I do, actually.” Matt can hear Foggy shifting against the cushions, like he’s embarrassed again, caught out. “I mean, it’s no match for the Keck telescopes, but it still lets me look. I like looking.”

“Why don’t you show me?” Matt suggests. “I mean, if it’s a good night for it.”

Foggy holds his breath for a moment, then lets out a puff of laughter. “Sure. Why not.” 

It takes a minute to get sorted. Matt snaps out his cane, stashes the whisky bottle under his free arm and holds the glasses in that hand. Foggy is gentle, almost reverent, with the telescope as he folds up the tripod. They head out the apartment door, Foggy and telescope leading, Matt and whisky following, and up the stairwell to the roof. 

The summer air is still warm, but cooler than the oppressive heat of the day. “Over here,” Foggy says. There’s a table and a couple of chairs set up to one side, and Matt settles down to listen as Foggy fusses over the equipment.

“You do do this often.”

“Mmm. It’s nice up here. Quiet.”

Matt listens to the sound of cars rushing in the street below. It’s muffled, sure, and you can’t ever escape cars in New York City. But Foggy’s right. It is peaceful.

“What do you see?”

“There’s still some light in the sky from the sun, but Mars is close and bright. And Venus. Not that I need the telescope for them.”

“You don’t?”

“Not to find them. They’re just like bright stars. But it’s not really dark enough yet. I’ll wait a bit.” The other chair creaks as Foggy sinks into it. “Tell me about your law practice, Matt. Are you a corporate hotshot?”

“Not so much.” Matt shrugs. “It’s just me and my partner Kirsten, and our paralegal Karen. I mostly do what Kirsten says.”

“Partner?”

“Business partner,” Matt says, smiling at Foggy. “Best friend from law school.” 

“What kind of work do you do?”

“Small stuff, mostly. Tenancy disputes, work visas, that kind of thing. Most of our clients come from here in the Kitchen.”

“Sticking up for the little guy!” Foggy cries. “Show me some skin.” Matt holds up his palm and Foggy high fives him. “That’s what I wanted to do.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Well, like I said, it was the stars. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d learned in that in astronomy class. And I’m good at Math, so that helps. I ended up switching from Philosophy to Physics before the year started. And then I went on to get my doctorate at UC Davis. My parents were devastated when they realised I wasn’t going to drive a Bentley” he says, laughing.

Matt laughs with him. “Academia isn’t really a way to make money, is it?”

“It’s really, really not. Not like law. Mom wanted me to be a butcher but that was never going to happen, so at least I could have done something which would have made me rich. Such a disappointment.”

Matt laughs at that. “You sound like me. I’ll never be rich.”

“Your family counting on you for the bucks, too?”

Matt sobers. “Uh, not exactly.” He needs to get off this topic, now. “How far into the galaxy do you usually look?”

“The radiotelescope guys look right back in time, as far as we can look. But I kind of like our neighbourhood - our solar system. Each planet in our solar system is a whole world. Well, obviously they literally are worlds. They’re suspended, hanging in the enormous void of space. They look so serene, from Earth, as they hurtle through the endless blackness, but they’re dynamic and complex. Did you know that the Great Red Spot on Jupiter is so large that two Earths could fit side by side inside it? It’s an enormous storm that’s been raging for at least 150 years, probably much longer.”

Matt shakes his head. “I don’t know much about any of it.”

“We’re all so far from each other, and together at the same time. Once you leave our solar system it’s 25 trillion miles to the next one.”

“The next galaxy?”

“The next solar system. Our galaxy is fifty-two thousand light years across.”

Matt shakes his head. It’s too big a number to make sense.

“We’re bound by gravity to the rest of our solar system. There are so many stars and planets out beyond the Kuiper Belt,” Foggy continues, “And we’ll never be able to reach them. We can’t even see most of what we know is out there, we just have to make an educated guess at it, work it out from the clues.”

Matt half-smiles to himself, and takes a sip of his drink. “Seeing and knowing are two different things.”

“Uh, yeah, of course, I didn’t mean to--” 

Matt cuts him off with the wave of his hand. “So you took the class, and fell in love with astronomy?”

“Oh no, that happened much earlier. Growing up in the city I never saw that many stars, you know? When I was eleven I went away on summer camp to this place upstate. We stayed in these little cabins in the woods by a lake, just outside a small town. It was weird - so quiet, but sometimes you’d hear a wild animal. And at night, the stars! I didn’t know the sky could be like that. Like grains of sand scattered across a velvet blanket. I’d sneak out in the middle of the night when the sky was truly dark, and the entire sky was covered with stars. The trees were only visible as the places where the stars weren’t. 

“I discovered later that Aboriginal people in Australia, who live in the desert where obviously it’s really dark and the sky is very clear, have constellations that are the darker areas between the stars. The reverse of us who live with more light pollution. All people look up at the stars. We all wonder.”

Foggy suddenly sounds like he’s come back to himself, remembered where he was. “I’m sorry, I’m doing all the talking and this is probably really boring.”

“No,” Matt says quietly. “It’s not. I’ve never heard a description like this before. I-” He cuts himself off, unsure how to carry on without making himself sound wistful, and smiles. “I like it. I like listening to your voice.”

Foggy makes a quiet, pleased sound. “That’s a great line. I feel like I should be saying things with gravitas, or beautiful things. She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches, with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars,” he quotes.

“Now that’s pretty,” Matt says.

“It’s Neil Gaiman. And he’s right, about the stars and planets dancing, caught in each other’s gravity.”

Matt smiles. “So then, tell me,” he prompts, gesturing upwards. “What’s there to see tonight? You said Venus?”

“Let’s see.” Foggy stands and goes again to the telescope. Matt hears the quiet scrape of metal as Foggy adjusts the focus. “There’s Jupiter. It’s high and bright right now. And Venus and Mars.” 

Foggy’s quiet, and Matt considers how far away his focus is. It’s hard for Matt to have a clear impression of anything beyond the reach of his hands - when he’s not touching something it could be anywhere, just out of reach or miles away. But Foggy looks at planets thousands of miles away, places he can never touch but he knows.

“Sometimes it’s better not to use the telescope at all,” Foggy says. “The Leonids meteor shower is going to arrive in a couple of months, and that’s better observed with the naked eye.”

“What are meteor showers like?”

“Fireworks. Bright, white hot stripes painting the sky. Streaking across the heavens.”

“But no boom.” Matt places his empty glass on the small table next to the bottle, and his glasses alongside.

“Good point! And several nights in a row. I’m looking forward to it.” Foggy sounds like he’s turned back to the telescope. 

Matt stands, the whisky now making him loose-limbed and easy, and walks slowly towards Foggy. His hand is slightly extended, reaching for the tune Foggy’s humming under his breath - it’s Drops of Jupiter. He clears his throat. “And what do you see, closer to home?” His voice is low and husky.

Foggy jumps and turns and his arm bumps Matt’s hand. “Oh! Um. Well.” Matt hears him take a quick breath, as Matt brings his hand to rest on Foggy’s shoulder. “I can see at least one beautiful thing.”

“That’s very cheesy,” Matt says, sliding his hand up to Foggy’s neck, then further to cup his cheek. He fans his thumb across to Foggy’s mouth, finding a goatee, and feels Foggy lean in to match him. “But I like it,” he breathes.

Foggy makes a small noise of pleasure for the brief moment that his warm, soft lips are pressed against Matt’s own. Matt brings his other hand to Foggy’s face, sliding both hands back and finding that Foggy’s hair is pulled back into a low pony.

“I didn’t think long hair would be allowed, Professor?” Matt asks.

Foggy huffs a laugh. “It’s Doctor to you, and anything goes these days.” He rests his forehead against Matt’s. “I like you,” he says, breathless.

“Really,” Matt says, one eyebrow lifted.

“I promise I’m usually better at… Words. And things.”

“What sort of things.”

“Oh, I can totally show you. But I feel obligated at this point to tell you that my super has a CCTV camera on this rooftop, and he is probably watching us right now because that’s the kind of guy he is. So, maybe we could take this back downstairs? If I’ve wooed you enough with the stars.”

“I could stand to hear more,” Matt says. “But yes, let’s go inside, and continue the story there.” And Matt follows Foggy again, drawn along by his gravity. He wonders what happens to a comet that gets caught in a gravitational field it can’t escape, wonders if he’s going to find out.

[lonelyghosts-stuff]

Avengers Infinity War-First Time Watching Reaction Play-by-Play (Pt. 2)

Part 1

I wonder how many people Gamora has killed? What made her finally snap to not serve Thanos anymore?

How DID Gamora find it? Like, who told her?

How did Thanos capture nebula?

Poor nebula. She’s literally been through hell and back.

Ohhhh she snuck on board...

Thanos you suck so much. You favor one daughter over another.

Oh. Where was said map to the soul stone?

Gosh I feel so damn bad for nebula. She was raised as his daughter too but he tortured her and tore her apart. Nebula never had the chance to be her equal. She deserves so much.

Taught groot as an elective? What about all speak?

Buckle up rocket. It’s gonna get emotional.

Thor is literally all alone. He needs a time to sit alone and cry and break a whole building.

Rocket and Thor friends? Please

1500 years old? Jane, honey, you escaped.

Gotta give it up to Hemsworth’s acting chops here. Especially talking to nobody in reality. Just a bunch of cgi

Ew ew ew eye socket

Should have washed that yikes

Snuck it out by hiding it up your? Huh? You watch too many movies rocket.

Huge title card. Thank you. I wouldn’t have known where we were despite them saying their location many times.

How is that video game battery not dead?

Perceptive rabbit

I LOVE that they used a dwarf to play a giant character!!! This is brilliant! (And that dwarves are giant for some reason lol.)

Soooo again Thanos killed everyone EXCEPT Eitri despite his “morality” supposedly being balance

Poor hands

Poor nebula

Smart nebula

Maybe should have waited to be fixed fully first

Ah crap. SOMEONE PICK UP THE SPACE PHONE

MANTIS

Love how Stark asks for peters help in steering and not Stephen lmao

Nice parking job

Peter, stop popping pop culture refs

Lmao ITS ABOUT TO BE THE ICONIC SCENE

YES PLEASE

Blanket of Death. Capey has a new nickname.

Where’s Gamora

Who’s Gamora

Why is Gamora

What master do you serve?

Jesus?

I mean, yea I do. So does Pratt lmaoo.

LMAO PARKER’S FACE WHEN QUILL SAID THOR WASNT HANDSOME

Storm breaker time baby

“In theory it could summon the bifrost” who theorized this? How do you only theorize and not know?

Oh my gosh mantis is just bouncing around

Mr. Clean lmao

Kick names, take ass

Hey now, these guys saved the galaxy and universe from Ego so lmao

Oh no I know the scene coming up

Poor quill lmao

“I’m half human. So the 50% of me that’s stupid, that’s 100% of you.” “Your math is, blowing my mind.” What’s funny is that Quill’s math was actually completely accurate lol

Stephen having a stroke or a seizure? You good homie?

Soooo if Strange looked to the future and so possible outcomes, what does that mean for the TVA? According to them, there’s ONE sacred timeline, so all other branches are erased (which again messes up what smart hulk eventually says in end game. See kids, this is why you don’t mess with time travel in stories. There’s no way to go back in time without creating a time loop). Ehhhhh I’ll let it slide. Just ignore it... sigh... I can’t help it if I’ve studied paradoxes

Hmmmm not good odds I’ve gotta say...

Watch like, outside of the millions of realities that strange saw, there were like a million or billion more he missed where they won with no casualties lol

Hey Red Skull. Long time no see. How did he get here anyways and why?

Yea you’re prepared all right...

Gotta say, Lord Elrond has seen better days

I’m not ready to say good bye to this Gamora. Gamora and Loki and Nat go down as my favorite characters, gotta say. I know that Tony does and it’s sad, but his feels more satisfying because his sacrifice directly results in them winning. Loki is murdered. Gamora is murdered. Nat died just for a stepping stone for the avengers. She has no idea whether or not they will actually win in the end.

I’m hopeful they may bring Nat back like in the comics, red room clone style.

We got back vision, Loki (kinda), variant Gamora, a new captain America, why not Nat? Yea we have a prequel, but gosh I love her so much.

“You must lose that which you love.” Couldn’t that apply to like an object or something? Could I not throw my Nintendo switch over the cliff? Or my dog? (I would hate that just as much as a person, don’t get me wrong, I’m just curious about the rules)

Yea boohoo sad for Thanos... loses his favorite daughter. I don’t care about him. He deserves suffering.

Poor Gamora doesn’t think he’s willing to do it.. GIRL RUN!!!

Thanos deserves all the suffering.

He does love you Gamora... but that love... it’s selfish. It’s blind... Thanos seems to be a chaotic vigilante who is narrowminded, tunnel vision on his goal with no regards of the cost. But he is evil. If there is ever an alternate route to an end that doesn’t result in the loss of innocent lives, and you know that but you willingly choose the once that costs innocent lives, that is an evil decision. Maybe Thanos isn’t evil, but he’s not good. Far from it. He’s obsessed with this idyllic Utopia but he rushes to one method of getting there. Yes, people suffer. It sucks... it’s unfair... it’s horrible. But it is never the right of someone else to dictate whether or not said person would be better off dead. Who lives, who dies. If Thanos truly was neutral and not selfish, he would have thrown his own life into the mix of the potential 50/50 snap. Thanos is not good. He’s not misunderstood. He’s a murderer. A genocidal cult leader. I have no tears for him. Only for those who suffered more at his hands.

Rant over, time to try not to cry about Gamora...

Her face of realization

Gamora run please

Thanos, I hate you. (Great character her, but not a good person)

Poor Gamora

Oh my gosh the emotion here is great but I’ve heard this sound used as a meme on TikTok too many times aghhhh

Gamora!

What a way to die

I’m crying again. I miss her already...

Who the hell designed this place and put the stone here???? Who did this?

Cry Thanos. Suffer. My only comfort here is that you are sad. You deserve suffering. You really do...

The TVA is laughing here and I’m not okay..

Poor Peter Quill... he’s also lost a lot like Thor, but has had the “luck” of not knowing his family too close.

Wakanda babyyyy

No, you don’t want Starbucks, you want Dutch bros

Lmao I love rhodey. Poor Bruce.

BUCKY BUCKY BUCKY

HUG

NO CMON HAVE A LONG HUG

MALE FRIENDSHIPS ARE SO IMPORTANT.

Yea Shuri show em up.

Okay quick pause, I love love LOVE how Shuri is smarter. It’s a powerful moment for females BUT it’s not done in a way that’s condescending to males! It’s not saying women power because men bad, she’s just good! (And she has had access to technology they never could have but I digress). More of this please Hollywood. Don’t let being a female be the power. I don’t want strong female characters, I want strong characters who happen to be female. Ones who hold their own, have faults like anyone else, struggle, have weaknesses and strengths, but are strong without putting down others. Just a comment, just because a woman character may not be as strong as a man character, that is not saying she’s weak. If you’re the second strongest human in the world, you are NOT weak. You’re just not as strong as the strongest human ever, but that’s nothing against you. LET WOMEN STAND ON THEIR OWN MERITS WITHOUT SEX AFFECTING THEM!

Anyways

I love Shuri

I wish they had more time. She definitely could have done it. But stupid Thanos

Ughhhghhg

I know what many scenes are upcoming... with quill and peter and vision and everyone else

Let👏🏻Bucky👏🏻Have👏🏻Peace👏🏻

Thank you Nat!!! I love that Nat is so protective and selfless.

GET THIS MAN A SHIELD

Bucky needs love please. He’s my stand in, manipulated, greasy, long haired, dark and mysterious, stabby boy. (Also I need Bucky and Loki to meet. But let Loki finish his show (and come out of it alive because if he doesn’t I will sue) and be the antihero hero we need. Please. If he doesn’t get reintroduced into the mcu as a hero I will sue.

Thor, sweetie, are you a masochist?

Back to wakanda

Oh no, bad CGI, floating head Bruce banner. I’ll let it slide... sigh....

Can’t like, you just rain bombs on them forever?

JIBARI TRIBE YEA BOYYYYY

Sorry Proxima Midnight, you look like a frog and your name sounds like a middle schooler’s OC.

How nice. Diplomatic meeting.

“Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood.” Reeeeeeally wish you didn’t say that, T’Challa...

Yay big CGI battle commence! It’s like a really expensive animated cartoon at this point

WAKANDA FOREVER!

Poor Bucky. Forgot this dude doesn’t know much about the modern world.

Ahhhh Kamikazi aliens

I just wanna say that I love that Wakanda still has the artistic culture in their clothing and tradition all the while having badass, super advanced technology.

Why can’t they just rain bombs down the whole fight lol. Rhodey has those super nice bombs, like, do that they he whole time? Please? Why do you not have a barrier around the entire king.

No M’Baku, it’s not the end of wakanda. But half of all life, yea

WAKANDA FOREVER YEAAAAAAA

They should honesty all have nano tech suits like black panther lol. Or iron man suits. Fine maybe the most powerful one with the best quality material for the king, but besides that, yknow.

Wow Steve is hot with a beard.

So much happening at once. Thor, Wakanda, Vormir, Knowhere, am I missing anything?

Okay, but what IS the full force of a star? Like in Newton’s or something? Juls? Is it heat?

What’s this metal? How does it fare with vibranium?

Get off your wooden butt, groot.

“He needs the axe” are you Thor, the god of axes?

Soooo, I thought Thor didn’t NEED the hammer, it just helped him concentrate his powers or act as a conduit. Is that retconned already?

Cmon groot, put down your game. Soooo, is Groot worthy? He technically lifted it. Or is it a technicality because it wasn’t fully finished yet?

Cmon bucky, use that fancy arm of yours.

Wow they’re getting destroyed.

They need wanda to help.

BADASS ENTRANCE BABYYYY

How did Thor know to come to wakanda?

Floaty head Bruce

“BRING ME THANOS!”

Ahhhhhahahaha yeaaaaaa

Cry Thanos. Do it. I hate you.

Much more of a purple grape nutsack.

Oh gosh... I know what Peter Quill is going to do. I still don’t hate him.

“With all six stone I would simply snap my fingers. They would all cease to exist.” Orrrr, now hear me out, I know I sound like a broken record now but... MAYBE DOUBLE THE RESOURCES INSTEAD?? That’s not mercy. That’s not up to you to decide whether or not someone’s better off dead.

Smoosh

Yea quill has experience with the power stone

AIM FOR THE HEAD

Cmon it’s basic zombie tactics

I love peter quill lmao

Go capey!!!

Magic with a kick!

Poor Peter

CAPEY NOOOOOO

Wow he’s OP

Ouch quill just got majorly clotheslined

NEBULA

“Where’s Gamora?” 😭😭😭 SHE CARES AGHHHH

Restrain him! Work it mantis!!!

Why even remove the gauntlet, just slit his throat... kill him....

Quill no... stop being cocky...

Oh no

Quill please don’t

JUST SLIT THANOS’ THROAT

Quill please....

Poor quill. Just lost the person who really really loved him

Okay, I still love star lord. Idc what others think. He reacted realistically. If you hate peter quill for how he reacted, you better also hate Tony Stark for how he reacted to bucky when he learned bucky killed his parents despite knowing for a fact that bucky was brainwashed. Yes it was annoying... yes they were so close, but quill is so human here. I don’t hate him. He gets too much hate for acting like any normal person would have. Distraught, grief filled, he lost his love. Someone who helped him open up and finally move on from his mother’s death and fathers villainy.

Spider man saving mantis gives me life

How did that power stone blast not kill them?

Clearly Thanos has played Majora’s Mask. At least he has good taste.

So close vision.... but I know... I know what happens.

YES BUCKY AND ROCKET GUN CIRCLE.

Lmao give rocket Bucky’s old arm.

“I am Groot.” “I am Steve Rogers.” Comedy gold

Cmon Thor, go after the big one first.

Cmon wanda, save them. We need some scarlet witch magic up here to stop these

Okay that was so cool. AND THEN SHE USED THE BLADES

Oh no but now Shuri is alone

So close yet so far.... Dangit... vision was almost good

Ouch. Bonk to the head

YEA BLACK WIDOW

BADASS TIME

AND OKOYE!!

LETS GOOOOOOO

BADASS WOMEN

Ouch poor vision

Cmon Thor back up vision

Please

Hulk is in his feels

Cmon hulk grow up

Ooooh smart move banner

Aaaaand he’s gone

Giant blade look oit

Corvus, screw off.

YEA STEVE

WHERE IS THOR WHEN YOU NEED HIM

CMON NAT

Oh dang. Nice one wanda. But also, sheesh. Helluva way to go. But no big.

Yea vision. Stabby time.

Now vision and Steve, kiss.

Spider man saving everyone’s lives.

YEA STRANGE

Where was this in New York???

MULTIPLYING

WHY DIDNT YOU DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE????

Oh no

Well then... ouch. Soooo where’s the real stone???

Hey look Tony, you have a fan.

Okay I’m just pissed odd they didn’t just kill Thanos when they had him subdued. Like, worry about the glove AFTER he’s not longer a threat

Oof

Tony is taking a beating

HE WAS STABBED

WHAT

I don’t want your respect Thanos. That’s an insult.

They will remember him. They will remember him Thanos. When he kills you.

DOCTOR STRANGE WHAT?

You really doing this??? I guess he knows what needs to unfold for them to win... dang. I wouldn’t trust him tho.

Peter Quill in berserker mode

Where’d he go?

Name dropping the second movie

Strange knows everything about to go down. Who dies, who lives, what Thanos is about to do... he’s accepting his soon dusted demise because Stark needs to live...

AIM FOR THE HEAD UGHHHHH

Stop teleporting. That’s Loki’s gimmick.

KILL THIS RAISIN LOOKING NUTSACK UGH

Homie way too OP

Poor wanda and Vis...

HER LIP TREMBLE

PHENOMENAL ACTING

SAY I LOVE YOU

I JUST FEEL YOU

AGGHHHH IM CRYING AGAIN

Poor wanda. To have to kill her love... this.. this is a sacrifice Thanos... not your murder....

Wow Steve is holding back Thanos with pure brute

WANDA IS SO STRONG

HOLDING BACK THANOS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY BREAKING THE MIND STONE

I LOVE YOU

AGHHHHHHHHH

And I know what happens next...

Poor wanda

Piss off thanos you understand nothing

You lost more than she could know? Bull crap. You are causing everyone to lose...

Cruel reality. Wanda has to see him die twice. RIP Vision

RIP half of all life...

AIM FOR THE DAMN HEAD

IF THOR KILLED HIM THEY COULD HAVE USED THE GAUNTLET TO BRING EVERYONE BACK TO LIFE. USED THE TIME STONE TO REVIVE THEM ALL.

How did that not kill Thanos tho. It may not have been a head shot but still.

Lil Gamora

What is this place?

Is this the soul realm?

Thanos, I hope you suffer forever. You deserve all the pain...

Rest In Peace: Vision, Loki, Bucky, T’Challa, Groot, Wanda Maximoff, Sam Wilson, Mantis, Drax, Peter Quill, Dr. Strange, Peter Parker (I don’t feel so good), and everyone else...

Thank you Nebula.

Thanos, you do NOT deserve to retire peacefully—wipe that smile off of your face

Oop, Rest In Peace Maria Hill and Nick Fury too... Motherfu— (so close Sammy boy...)

Yea Thanos you didn’t really think that through. Much more than half will died since other people rely on other peoples lives

Good thing he hit that button last minute huh? I wonder how captain marvel would fare in the TVA? are her powers considered magic? I mean, she clearly doesn’t know everything since she only just learned about Thanos (which is funny because she was supposedly traversing the universe to protect people)

Welp... onto movie two!

[f-117-nighthawk]

I’m in a Playlist Mood

I was scrolling through my dark matter tag looking for something I made a while ago to reference in the next chapter of Carry Me Home and ran across my last playlist explanation post. It put me in the mood to think about this again, and I’ve added...a lot. The playlist might’ve actually doubled in length since then (Thank You Abyss) and I’ve moved some stuff around in order. So, more playlist meta under the cut (it’s LONG)

So first thing: I’ve actually created two new playlists (well, one new one and actually made the third playlist have more than two tracks) since that post jhadsfljd. Working forwards in time (kinda), we have:

Dark Matter: The Road to Ruin

The Road to Ruin is the Main Playlist, the thing I use to write to, the thing I lie in bed and listen to to think up new things, and half the thing that keeps the timeline in place (it’s actually more updated than World Anvil rn whoops). Here we have overarching plot hooks, character development, and the story of six Paladins and their friends trying to save the universe.

Turn the Lights Out I sort of explained in the last post and I can’t think of too much more to add. The TLDR is it’s about the Lions (and, well, technically [REDACTED] too....) and sort of why I refer to a fully-melded Lion-Paladin duo as Spirits.

(I was here/Will you welcome and recognize me/I'll be there/I was here/Will you dread me, will you despise me/I'll be there/For the last living thing)

Remnants of Stars is again about Galran philosophy and the actual process of the quintessence nurseries filtering quintessence back into the universe. But the bit about giving in to know the truth becomes important much, MUCH later.

(As children of space/With stardust in our veins/We will give in to know the truth/We are the remnants of stars)

Your World Will Fail, Dark Matter, and Eater of Worlds are about [REDACTED], about what happens between that instant between the first plank time and the next. They’re an overarching theme, but also the event that everything else builds from, whether that be interpreted as the beginning of the universe or the Voltron comet crashing into Daibazaal.

(Your world will fail my love/It’s far beyond repair/Your world will fail my love/It is already there)

(Bring me your soul/Bring me your hate/In my name you will create/Bring me your fear/Bring me your pain/You will destroy in my name)

(Can’t imagine the violence/The rage and the love in my madness/I am the eater of worlds and I’m looking for someone to feed me)

Apocalypse 1992 is actually the main story of Through Apocalypse Skies, although its framing story is shortly after String Theory. It happens between parts of Awakenings, detailing the rise of [REDACTED] and the final hours before the destruction of everything sentient species knew beforehand.

(Fly high through apocalypse skies/Fight for the world we must save/Like tears of a unicorn lost in the rain/Chaos will triumph this day)

You Keep What You Kill covers the slow degeneration of the Empire between The Fall and the Battle of Arus. The knowledge harshly taught by the Thuanial War is forgotten under the influence of Zarkon, Haggar, and [REDACTED]. Marzin and Galraasa quickly rise the ranks as the Empire’s left and right hands, like omens of destruction before them. The four are the ‘holy half-dead,’ the ones who shape the devouring of the universe before them.

(Defying dimensions/These ruthless creatures will steal your soul/Breaking away from the chains of mortality/They won't be taken down/Bow now to the holy half dead/The master to death mongers calls)

The Seven Sisters is about Keith, mostly, and connected to Closure via its influence on Child From the Stars (Lost in the Dark) and also to Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met

(I cast my hope upon The Pleiades/The Seven Sisters who would come for me/They'd fall to Earth to grant a child's dream/But I'm still waiting)

Starlight is the newly added Adashi song. Here, it’s the sad part, based around the time that the SFSS Genesis launches for Kerberos. It also is sort of about Shiro’s thoughts throughout the war as he watches ‘from distant skies’ (and influences String Theory kinda)

(At night the earth will rise/And I'll think of you each time I watch from distant skies/Whenever stars go down and galaxies ignite/I'll think of you each time they wash me in their light/And I'll fall in love with you again)

Abyss is Awakenings again. It’s specifically the Red Lion waking up on Sendak’s ship to her new Paladin, but also sort of the rest of the Lions as they find new Paladins for the first time since The Fall

(Open my eyes in a daze/How long has it been? Am I so out of place?/Warmth I can no longer feel/My mountain is gone, I'm surrounded by steel/The strangest of structures arises ahead/Seems to be held up by nothing/Where have I gone, do I dream?/How can the stars be all I can see?)

Who Will Save You Now is about the Paladins in First Contact. It’s the video messages they send to their families, the warning that Something Is Out Here that they need to prepare for. It’s a declaration of protection for Earth, but a recognition that the Paladins may not be able to do what they say.

(I will not take from you and you will not owe/I will protect you from the fire below/It's not in my mind/It's here at my side/Go tell the world that I'm still alive)

The End of the Beginning and Nobody Gets Left Behind are the aftermath of the Battle of the Sarnan Nebula, the end of season two. The End of the Beginning hasn’t been posted yet, but it’s also the second of the four Closure fics. The End of the Beginning also has influence on String Theory. 

(Every night I die just a little/All this time, I'm caught in the middle/All your life, you fought with no winning/This is just the end of the beginning)

(Don't even try to pretend/That you're rough and just as tough/As when you're missing a friend/Attack and take him back/Cause when the team isn't whole/You've got a hole in your soul)

A Simple Plan is sort of part of The End of the Beginning, but really takes place after it. It’s the newly shuffled Team Voltron attempting to track down Lotor as Haggar tries to keep him under her control, and the new Black Paladin’s slow shift away from the things that he was pushed into and to the Blade. (And... guess what... it has influence on String Theory!) Fun fact I found out recently: The Spiritual Machines are by and large also the people behind Les Friction, which explains so much.

(What is this space we’re climbing/What is this place we’re stuck in/Why do we feel we’re sinking/How do we get out – get out of this) 

Memories of a Girl I Haven’t Met skips all the way over Naxzela and to the Mission to the Baaria Shipyards, the first major offensive that isn’t somehow connected to canon (even if only a very very small part of it is actually at the shipyards lol). This is also the song that solidified Keith’s very queer identity in Dark Matter.

(In this lonely place, bathed in silence and thoughts of you/I can't see your face but I'm trying to envision you/So are you really out there? Are you awake with memories/Of a boy you haven't met yet who's wished upon the Pleiades?)

TRIALS (reimagine) and String Theory are.... hoh boy. [REDACTED], [spoilers], and the turning point for a lot of things, which is why it has the honor of being the separating fic between my two main Dark Matter folders. TRIALS being on here is a fun story, because I associate that song very heavily with my main Star Wars fics, since that’s where the series title comes from, but the reimagine version of it gave me such strong Dark Matter vibes, it ended up here. It has heavy influence on the first part of String Theory, and is what I’ve been using for general pacing of the first half. String Theory itself isn’t the weirdest song on the playlist, but it’s really hard to find the connections to it without several layers of abstraction and backstory on [REDACTED]. String Theory is also weaved into a good chunk of fics before it.

(The ending won't be forgotten/It's written in the stars and the hieroglyphs/Sending the lionhearted/The stones break bones, but we're venomous)

(You don't believe in space/You don't believe in light/You don't believe that anything is well beyond your might/We walk across the sky and beneath the ocean floor/We're never going anywhere we've never been before)

House on Fire is the aftermath of String Theory, and a large vibe of We ARE Struggling Together! (Rise Against says it’s about parenting???? lol fuck that) (okay but actually, switch the parental love part to sibling love/general familial love and that’s a pretty good description....)

(So I'll just hold you like a hand grenade/You touch me like a razor blade/I wish there was some other way right now/Like a house on fire we're up in flames/I'd burn here if that's what it takes/To let you know I won't let go of you)

Belgrade is the klance song! It is a) bop b) always stuck in my head because it is That Good. The line in the chorus about ‘sweet songs of seduction’ is eternally funny to be bc a)they’re both ace and b)QPR’s don’t usually involve seduction as far as I know. Belgrade also leads almost directly into...

(We pretend in the darkness/We pretend the night won’t steal our youth/Singing me the sweet songs of seduction/Let me be the fool, fool, fool/Who will live and die for you)

Here to Save You is about Sam. Mostly. It’s also about Pidge. And Zaivorge cannons.

(A slave for humankind/I made sure I would survive/To stay alive/Now it's time to move on/When there's nothing left to prove/I'm coming to get you)

Iron is what eventually replaced Ten Thousand Against One. The plot has actually changed a lot since it was that song like. two years ago (three?) at this point. It has more of a focus on Keith knowing what’s going on due to [spoilers] and coming to accept parts of himself that are suddenly very obvious (kiiiinda the third closure fic?)

(You can't live without the fire/It's the heat that makes you strong/'Cause you're born to live/And fight it all the way/You can't hide what lies inside you/It's the only thing you know/You're embracing that, never walk away)

Birthright and Firewall are not exactly a direct result of Iron, but they wouldn’t happen how they do without it. They’re actually largely about Lotor, but then [REDACTED] swings back into the fray and things learned in String Theory/the framing story for Through Apocalypse Skies hit in full force.

(The voices in my head have all begun to sing/(The voices in your head have all begun to sing)/And they sure as hell hope I am listening/(I sure as hell hope you are listening!))

(They come to your dreams with illusion/They come to bring shape to your mind/You know how to stop the intrusion/We all have to fight for our lives)

and then, The Day the Earth Collapsed

(How much time has been elapsed/Since the day the earth collapsed?)

Here Comes the Reign doesn’t come into full effect until several months after Birthright/Firewall after Galraasa meets their fate, but starts with The Day the Earth Collapsed. It’s largely about Haggar and [REDACTED]

(You made something they can't take away/Now bring the fire of the burning sun on everyone)

Closure is placed where the fourth of its fics is. Closure in general is a lot of Keith’s character development and some of the struggles he goes through to accept his place in the universe and the fact that yes, he does have people that care about him. The last fic is me shining a brighter light on Closure’s chorus and taking a ‘last goodbye’ as never needing to say it again

(I am the child from the stars/That got lost in the dark/Between heaven and hell/I am forced to live on/I am the cause when you sin/I am the demon you skin/But there is no more tears to beautify/This is my last goodbye)

Ember and Soulbound are two closely related missions involving both Voltron and the Blade (specifically the Dark Whispers) in which [REDACTED] comes in with a vengeance, and some revelations about certain people’s fates are had. Soulbound is actually sort of from Krolia’s perspective.

(Dark matter falling from the sky/Dancing flames reflecting in your eyes as you watch them burn/Watching all your riches witches burn)

(Soulbound, endlessly forever/Locked between the darkness and the light/Don't drown in the swarming, blackened rising/Hold on to humanity and fight)

Darker Matter and Other Worlds Than These are. Well. [REDACTED] and [spoilers] and String Theory’s revelations rearing their ugly head once again, but this time with extra context and just a little bit of [spoiler]

(Dream yourself away/The pull of you shredding time and space)

(There are monsters in the sky/There are demons in the sea/I have seen them with my eyes/I've seen what you won't see/Pull the wool out from your eyes/It won't shade your frail belief/In the end we cannot hide/There are other worlds than these)

Godhunter is a fun one. The combined effects of String Theory, Soulbound, and Darker Matter/Other Worlds Than These come to a head and Team Voltron goes, well, hunting.

(She's been watching for a century/With hatred, and with scorn/If you know the hunter's coming/Then you hide or keep on running/'Cause she's slain the gods before)

My Darkest Hour is revenge for Godhunter, as well as a distraction from it, although Godhunter continues all the way to Louder than Words. 

(When the sun comes crashing down/When the world is spinning round and round/I will face what must be my darkest hour)

Faster Than Light is almost direct aftermath of My Darkest Hour, and sort of the inverse of Godhunter, where now Team Voltron are the hunted, even as they attempt to continue hunting. Oh and, Marzin and [REDACTED] are big parts

(Once more we're flying fast as light/Dark matter passing in the night/Pursued by a force we can't outrun/As we hurtle towards a dying sun/We maneuver through the remnants of a moon/On the solar winds of supernovas/There is not a place to hide, the Matriarch is close behind/It's plain to see she's coming for us all)

The Reckoning, This is a Call, World on Fire, The Wind that Shapes the Land, and Louder Than Words are the finale, what everything has been building towards. Earth’s faction, Haggar, [REDACTED], Voltron, the Empire, and the Coalition, all clash together in a final desperate bid to finish or prevent the final result of Your World Will Fail/Dark Matter/Eater of Worlds.

(I see your face, find peace of mind/Between the madness and the sadness and the fire burning/The end of war, the great divine/We'll see the day of reckoning)

(This is a call to action/This is a call to arms/All lives for one, together/There are no false alarms)

(World on fire with a smoking sun/Stops everything and everyone/Brace yourself for all will pay/Help is on the way)

(Search within/Uncover the will to win/Turn against the tide that washes o'er/Find the strength to fall and rise again/Open up the gates, unleash the force/I am the wind that shapes the land/Old as time and twice as strong/Oceans arise at my command/I alone can carry on)

(We have the force to fight/We have the blinding light/A war is more than heard/Coming in louder than words)

Dystopian Fiction

Dystopian Fiction is focused on what happens on Earth during the main playlist. I split it out because putting stuff like Cross the Line on the main playlist was getting clunky, and I figure Adam and Veronica (and the rest of the Paladins’ families, but mostly those two) deserve a chance for their story to shine on its own.

Dark Matter is on here because title track, but also it does end up with effects.

(Don't stop, don't think/Move up, don't blink now/On your knees pray for rain/Don't breathe when you take your aim)

Codebreaker is Adam’s song! I have him primarily as a cryptologist for the Garrison, teaching on the side and as a reserve pilot. Aviators says Codebreaker is actually about Cyperpunk 2077 but uhhh Fuck That it’s about Adam being The Best and dealing with...

(Codebreaker can't you find/Can you read between the lines of code?/Tell me all that you know/How far down the hole does it all go)

Cross the Line is the Éskhayklos’ image song. They’re a neo-luddite movement turned terrorist group that are upset with the way the Sol Federation is trying to fix Earth, stating that humans are the one that pushed it into this state, they should leave it to die and die along with it. Akane Shirogane was their worst nightmare. Cross the Line fits because, well, they crossed the line when [spoiler beep] and they were happy about it. (And “human cause” comes into play later when they pick up anti-alien leanings)

(Cross the line, redefine, break away unbent, unafraid/Together we stand in the dark/Seeking the light and what is right, together we cross the line/Our journey will come to an end and then our human cause will be/Justified)

Who Will Save You Now here is about Sam, and the aftermath of Here to Save You, in addition to its referenced role in the main playlist

(Alone with this vision/Alone and blind/Go tell the world I'm still alive)

The Day the Earth Collapsed is exactly what it says on the tin.

(How much time has been elapsed/Since the day the earth collapsed?)

Dystopian Fiction is the title track for this part. With the events of The Day the Earth Collapsed, the Garrison and our heroes on Earth are at their lowest point. It really is a piece of dystopian fiction, between [spoiler] and [spoiler]. And also: “Nobody can shoot me down, not just yet” is about Adam bc Fuck Canon

(I'm a dead man/In the wasteland/I'm a soldier fighting for superstition/Under search lights/In the long nights/We've been written like dystopian fiction)

The Reckoning is the only one of its little subset that made it over here, because it’s the only one that references events from before its eponymous fic (both verses are Very Earth)

(We're all alone, walking in twilight/The night has been long and so many have fallen/Feel no remorse, light will be breaking/Our freedom is worth it all)

Filaments

Filaments is the least complete, mostly because it’s the ‘sequel series’ of sorts. I have ideas for it, but I still haven’t posted most of the major story beats from the main portion of Dark Matter, so I’ve been purposefully putting it on the backburner. I do have enough to write Carry Me Home and put some foreshadowing in other fics.

Dark Matter is here because, well. A) Title track, B) yes, it still has effects. It’s the overarching theme, after all. Filaments sort of has a subtitle itself, which is ‘The Undoing,’ after the other part of the lyric that the subtitle of the main playlist comes from. It’s about undoing a past mistake (that wasn’t obviously a mistake until much later) and reconciling the events of Your World Will Fail.

(I am the keeper/I am the secret/I am the answer/I am the end)

Filaments is the title track of this part. It’s... a little hard to explain why without giving away the entire plot (what little I have planned lol) but it’s about the connections between different parts of the universe, and some fall-out of Darker Matter/Other Worlds Than These.

(These glowing filaments/Conducting this enchanting/Sarcophagus that's holding us)

Starlight is, again, Adashi song, and this time the happy part

(Don't leave me lost here forever/I need your starlight and pull me through/Bring me back to you)

Carry Me Home is what I’m in the process of writing right now, and it’s about the aftermath of the Quintessence War, specifically about how Shiro decides to settle down on Earth and what he does to build himself a home.

(Carry me home to the morning light/carry me home before you wave me goodbye/Oh, carry me home...)