#steggy positivity week

[roboticonography]

@geekynerddemon, I'm your Steggy Secret Santa!

Your letter was so lovely, and I was really touched that you said that I could “gift” you an update to one of my WIPs. You’re such a kind and generous fandom friend - I always see you being positive and supportive on other peoples' fanworks. So I wanted you to have something special that was written just for you.

I saw this headcanon on your Tumblr, and I couldn’t resist expanding on the theme of Peggy wearing/stealing Steve’s T-shirts.

Of course, you also said that you wanted some angst before the happy ending, so we might have to take the scenic route to get to soft times and T-shirt crimes… and the route will be extra scenic for you, because I'm not quite finished your story.

Here's a small preview of what's to come. I hope to have the rest posted in the next few weeks. Merry belated Christmas, and thanks for being so awesome! Hope you're having a great day/month/year.

(Obligatory tag @steggyfanevents)

Having a Frenchman in their party opens all sorts of doors for Captain America and his Howling Commandos. 

On this particular evening, it will open the front door of a cabane en pierre sèche, known to residents around Digne-les-Bains and—thus far, at least—unknown to the German army. 

Using a three-pronged offensive of diplomacy, bourbon, and racy jokes, Dernier was able to coax the location from a cattle farmer who was skittish about hosting American soldiers on his property, but who eventually agreed to share directions to a stone hut that locals sometimes used as a hunting cabin.

“I think we’re lost,” says Dugan, for the fifth time. “Better let me see the map.”

Using the back page of Steve’s notebook, the farmer has drawn them a crude approximation of the path through the forest—cleverly concealed by Dernier with an even cruder doodle of a buxom blonde with Bambi eyes and a cartoonishly tiny waist. Unsurprisingly, everyone wants to play navigator.

“I’m the map,” says Steve, tapping his temple. “We’re right on track.”

Bucky claps Steve on the shoulder. “You should draw more sexy girls,” he says, solemnly, as if imparting important life advice. “You know, for morale.”

“I draw what I see,” Steve says dryly. “When was the last time we were within a hundred yards of a sexy girl?”

Bucky grins, and Steve realizes, too late, that he’s given his friend an opening. “Well, now,” he drawls, “that depends. Does Agent Carter count?”

She counts, for Steve, in more ways than one. But he knows better than to fall into the trap. “No,” he says shortly.

“Come on, Steve. You really never noticed that she was a beautiful dame?”

Steve has, in fact, noticed this—and what’s more, has told her so, to her face, in a moment of sheer lunacy that still makes him blush when he thinks of it. She wasn’t particularly impressed by his observation (or by him, generally) and he’s avoided making further such observations, either to Peggy or about her.

Bucky folds his arms expectantly. The other guys are quiet, seemingly occupied, but Steve knows they’re listening.

An ominous crackle of thunder gives him the out he’s looking for.

“Let’s pick up the pace,” he calls, increasing the length of his strides accordingly.

*

By the time the scrub and stunted oak recedes to open ground, they’re being lashed by the rain from all angles.

No one is entirely clear on the electrical conductivity of vibranium, so everyone gives Steve a wide berth as they cross the field. There’s a brief, uncoordinated scramble over some rocky ground, and then, at last, there they are.

The ancient stone hut isn’t much from the outside: a pile of rocks and moss that looks almost accidental. It’s easy to see why it’s been overlooked.

The inside consists of two rooms, each with its own fireplace. The back room contains a narrow cot, while the front room is furnished with a table and a few mismatched chairs, as well as a woodbox. Pelts on the floors of both rooms serve in place of rugs. The shelves are bare, aside from a miscellany of tableware, some hunting knives, and a couple of cooking-pots, to be used over the front room’s apron hearth. The window closures are just shutters and skins—no glass. Judging by the dust and cobwebs, the place hasn’t been occupied for at least a season.

Such glorified squatting is practically routine for the Howlies by now. Morita sequesters himself in the back room to tinker with his ailing radio kit; Jones starts a fire in each room, after checking to be sure the chimneys are clear; Dernier takes up a collection of ration-boxes and starts on dinner. The rest of the crew get to work securing windows, sealing up drafts, and chasing out wildlife. Dugan finds a stiff broom and redistributes the dust with unbridled enthusiasm until the others, eyes and noses streaming, beg him to stop.

Steve goes back into the storm to tackle the rusty pump. A solid ten minutes of super-powered elbow grease finally produces water that seems drinkable, if not aesthetically pleasing.

“Are you quite certain you found the pump and not the privy?” asks Falsworth, watching Steve decant the fruits of his labour.

Steve hangs the full pot over the fire. “Added vitamins and minerals.”

The fire is roaring, and it isn’t long before the water is boiled. Each man scoops a share, adding his own coffee or tea to make it more palatable.

There’s enough left for reconstituting their breakfasts in the morning, and for a quick wash, if anyone needs it—all of them almost certainly do, but they’re all tired, and too used to close quarters to care much.

Feeling warmer inside and out, they shuck off their uniforms and hang the essentials to dry. Everyone is wearing the standard woollen long johns as their base layer—everyone, that is, except for Steve, whose battle suit is twice as warm as standard issue. The same could be said for Steve himself, who endures the usual hooting and wolf-whistling when he strips down to his boxers and undershirt.

Dernier, supplementing the pitiful K-rations with some odds and ends from his own scavenging, has worked his usual magic over the hearth: a hearty stew of root vegetables in a wild mushroom gravy that looks more appetizing than anything Steve has made on his best day at home.

They portion it out equally among various plates, bowls, and canteen cups. Every flat surface becomes a seat, and nearly every mouth is too busy chewing to speak.

“Where the hell’d you find potatoes?” asks Dugan, who never met a companionable silence he didn’t feel the need to shatter.

“In the earth,” replies Dernier, his tone pure contempt. “Do they fall from the sky in America?”

Dugan makes a rude gesture.

Falsworth asks, “Do I detect fresh thyme?”

A torrent of rapid-fire French—something about herbes de Provence, and a few turns of phrase that Steve recognizes as generally unflattering, apparently aimed at English cooking.

Gabe translates, “Yep.”

The others laugh.

Morita emerges from the back room, the door slapping shut behind him. “Orders, Cap.” He squats over the hearth to collect his cup and spoon.

Steve pauses, his own spoon halfway to his open mouth, and waits.

“We’re picking up a friend.” Morita shovels stew into his mouth and swallows without chewing. “Should be here around 0200.”

Friend usually means British intelligence. 

Peggy Carter is, technically, part of the SSR. But she’s also on loan from the SOE, and occasionally they like to call in favours. She’s been out on an assignment for at least a few weeks now—doing what, he can’t be sure.

All around him, the scraping of cutlery on tin has stopped. Dugan and Barnes exchange a meaningful look before pivoting to face him. Steve can feel his ears turning red; he suddenly wants to tell them both to shut up, even though they haven’t said anything.

Carefully casual, he inquires, “Any ID?”

Morita nods, his face splitting into a wide grin. “It’s her.”

[TO BE CONTINUED...]

[cafecitowriter]

Death Is Only the Beginning - Chapter 8: Nick

Summary: Agent Peggy Carter disappeared near the end of World War II, during the climactic battle with the leader of Hydra: The Red Skull. While the Valkyrie never landed and millions of lives were saved, no one ever found Agent Carter - or even what had truly happened to her.

Nearly 80 years later, Steve Rogers discovers a compass with a picture of a beautiful woman inside the lid. For a reason he can’t quite place, he decides to keep it.

A/N: For Steggy Week 2024 at @steggyfanevents Day 5: Inspired By. This fic is a (loose) homage to both The Mummy and Just Like Heaven, so clearly an update was in order for today.

Last we left off, Peggy and Nat were in a bit of a tight spot. Let's see if the boys are doing any better!

Read Chapter on AO3

Read from the Beginning

Steve had met Nick Fury exactly three times before. The first time he had been approached by the man at a diner while Steve was alone on his lunch break - only about a month after he had returned home from service. The second was a week later, when he had agreed to a meeting to learn more about SHIELD and hear out his full proposal. The third time was three months after that at a party that Natasha had thrown seemingly on a whim (which Steve later learned was a ruse to catch a target of hers). On the last two occasions, Steve had respectfully declined a position at SHIELD. Truthfully, the agency and the job (and hell, Fury himself) intrigued him to no end, and he knew that it would be something that he would be good at, but he also knew that what he needed was more time away from the fight. He wanted to discover more about who he was away from war and figure out what he really wanted out of life before throwing himself back in a place where he would have to follow orders and live in a world of secrets and classified existence.

Ironically enough, Steve had learned more about what it was he really wanted from life since Peggy’s appearance than he had in the entirety of the past year.

Fury’s eye widened slightly upon seeing the three of them walk in the command centre. 

“Just when I thought I’d seen all the strange today had to offer.”

“Director Fury,” Sam greeted in return.

“Always a pleasure Nick,” Bucky added cheekily before looking around the room. While the bustle hadn’t entirely stopped upon their entrance, there were many curious looks flitting back and forth between the three of them and Fury. “Busy day?”

[behindthelabels]

(One of) Five Times Howard and Bucky Cock-Blocked Steve and Peggy

For @steggyfanevents Steggy Week Day Six: Multiverse

I had hoped post all five times and the one for Steggy week but time got away from me, so here's the first.

Training with Steve has become the highlight of her day. It’s the only good thing about being stuck here doing nothing. She’s here with Steve, a man she admired quietly through basic training, felt a kinship with as they chatted on the car ride over, then took what should have been his.

She’s so so grateful he’s okay, when she saw him get shot she thought it was over, and she couldn’t bear it. But he’s a fighter and he hung on for her as she went into the machine and took the serum.

She’s been scolded and berated for taking it, by everyone except Steve.

She’s a super soldier, but one who’s relegated to an army base as a lab rat as they try to recreate the serum without using her. She wants to be more than this, trains to be more than this, but they won’t let her, because she’s a woman.

She’s mad, and she channels it in training, where only Steve sees. She wonders what he thinks of her new strength if he envies it as he struggles to walk again using those two bars.

She’s apologized for taking his chance more than once, he swears it’s okay, that he believes that she will be the one to win the war, but it’s hard to see that right now.

She knows for a fact she wouldn’t be so charitable if it had been her shot that was taken by someone else, but he’s so good, and that’s why it should have been him.

It’s the only reason she’s agreed to stay a lab rat—in hopes, they recreate the serum and give it back to the man who was supposed to have it.

She watches him struggle to learn how to walk again, knowing that if he had the serum he would be healed already.

She feels guilty, but also happy he’s here and safe. She never wants to see him get shot at again. Steve Rogers is a fighter but his body isn't made for the fight, and she knows he’d have been left behind at first chance if he somehow made it to the front line.

He deserves better than that, people who see him for who he really is, not just the man who should have had the serum. He is so much more than that.

She watches him sometimes, sees that mental strength and fortitude, that fight, as he pushes past his limits. Somehow he stays sweet, and positive, while she grows increasingly angry and bitter.

She needs to take a page out of his book, but she's not Steve Rogers, never will be, all she can do is follow his great example.

She’s watching him again, watching as his arms shake while he holds himself up, testing out how much weight he can put on that left side. He’s able to put more on it today than yesterday, is constantly improving, even if he can’t see it.

He settles and she watches proudly as he ever so slowly releases the bars until he’s standing.

“Peggy,” he marvels, turning over his shoulder to see if she’s looking. He smiles for a second, then she watches with horror as his weight shifts, too much of it falling onto his injured side, and he starts to crumble.

She rushes over, grabbing him and scooping him into her arms before she can think about what she’s doing. He’s so light, and she’s reminded again of how fragile he is, how breakable; all because of her.

She holds him close, asking breathlessly, “Are you okay?” and feels him nod against her, as she lets out a sigh of relief.

She sets him back between the bars, and he breathes, “Thanks, Peggy,” as she becomes painfully aware of how close they are, of how blue his eyes are, how beautiful his smile is. She wants him to look this way all the time, wants to be the one to bring a smile to his face.

He’s flushed and flustered and it only makes him more irresistible. She’s never been this close to him before, and she can’t seem to pull away. The air between them is electric, charged and she wants nothing more than to close the scant distance between their lips, to feel the warmth of his skin again. Her breathing is ragged, his is too, and she can feel it on her skin. What if—

“Agent Carter,” Howard calls and she jumps away from Steve who starts blushing harder. “I need your help.”

“I, um, I have to go,” she stammers and rushes away like a fool.

“What more blood samples?” she asks Howard.

“Not quite, what do you know about the Tesseract?”

[captainjimothycarter]

Your Scent Is A Drug To Me

The serum has enhanced Steve's senses and while that has saved his life a huge number of times, they also backfire. There are loud noises when he's trying to sleep, sensitive skin, extreme levels of taste, etc. The list will go on and on. What's one positive beyond the norm of the serum is the fact that he can smell when Peggy is ovulating and that is a beautiful drug to him.

The first time he smelt it, it was two or three so weeks following Peggy’s time of the month. It was a normal Sunday morning, where he was woken first by Peggy’s stirs and an unfortunate elbow in his chest. Normally that indicated Peggy was either having a nightmare, on the edge of the bed or wanted the human furnace that was her husband off of her. This time, as Steve’s eyes fluttered open to watch the golden morning sunlight streaming through the crack in the blinds above their bed, it was none of the above. She was just making herself comfortable, rolling over so her face was pressed right into his chest with that comfortable sigh leaving her lips. That sigh made his heart flutter, caused Steve to close his eyes and lower himself onto the bed so he could breathe her in, holding her close. She smelled like herself, that normal scent that became just Peggy in his mind. She’d once asked him about it, about the scents people had and it was hard to describe. She once compared it to him being an animal and that just made him snort, giving a roll of his eyes over their evening tea. Maybe he was an animal because right now there was another tinge in Peggy’s scent. It wasn’t the metallic laced that came with her time of the month. No, that was maybe three more weeks out. This one was more...sweeter, almost. Welcoming. Like bees to flowers, ready to pollinate. This one was almost addicting, it made him want to slide his face between her legs and bury himself there just to stay within that sweet, inviting scent. As if that was different from any other time. Maybe once upon a time, he would actually feel guilty for being aroused by this scent, maybe if he was still that naive guy during the war, still fluttering around his words, and trying to make right with his feelings, but that guy was long gone. Frozen in ice for 70 years and enduring the future for over ten years and all that entitled to it changed you. Steve figured himself lucky that Peggy still welcomed him back with open arms and allowed him into her bed. He was a lucky man and he showed that to her every day. With the tent growing in his boxers, he sighed as he shifted his hips enough to wiggle them off, not jostling the woman asleep against his chest too much. He pressed himself between her legs like he was welcoming himself home with a heavy, content sigh.

Here's day 14 for Steggy Month

[doctorhelena]

Steggy Fic: Sweet Dreams

I’ve created something for every day of Steggy Week 2023 over at @steggyfanevents! This is for Day 4 (Family and Friends). Previous Days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Summary: The Howling Commandos place a little bet about Peggy's knockout lipstick.

Rating: PG

Read it on A03

Excerpt:

It was funny, thought Steve, what passed for a good time in the middle of a war. 

It was a damp, cold night and, although they’d risked building a small fire for a bit of warmth, the Howling Commandos were in the middle of the woods, deep in enemy territory, and about to spend the night outside with nothing but their bedrolls shielding themselves from the overcast sky and the hard ground. Dernier had drawn first watch and was perched at the edge of the group, rifle at the ready, ears cocked for any suspicious sounds.

Still, the atmosphere was absurdly cheerful under the circumstances, everyone in a quietly celebratory mood on the heels of a successful mission with a bit of much-needed leave in London shining like a beacon ahead of them.

“Easy on the bourbon tonight, fellows,” Peggy warned them, taking the flask from Dugan and, despite her own words, tossing back a healthy slug before tucking it away. “We’re certainly not so far out of danger that we don’t need to keep our wits about us this evening.” She glanced at Dernier and then at Steve. “In fact, I think we might be wise to consider a two-man watch rotation.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.” Dugan shrugged and dug out the straws from his pack, then held his hand out for his flask. Peggy handed it to him with a look that was half stern, half amused, and he tucked it away in his inner pocket as everyone redrew straws. The rejigged schedule put Jones with Dernier on first watch, and he positioned himself in the darkness at the other side of the little camp they’d made, keeping his eyes and ears peeled in the opposite direction as Dernier. It wasn’t very likely that they’d been tracked, but they'd taken advantage of a schedule Peggy had pilfered from the base to make a brief detour to take out a decent-sized Hydra convoy too, and it was hard to imagine Hydra was too happy with the situation.

That business concluded, they all sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, finishing off their K-rations. “Carter,” asked Bucky finally, with the look of a man who’d been puzzling over something for a while. “Can I ask you something about the other day at the Mutterbergalm base?”

To Steve’s surprise, Peggy flushed slightly, although he didn’t think anyone else could tell in the darkness. She cleared her throat a bit warily. “What - would you like to know?”

Read the rest on A03

[grailfinders]

Grailfinders #320: Leonardo da Vinci (Ruler)

today on Grailfinders we’re making half the reason we spent the last week staring at columbus, Leonardo da Vinci (Ruler)! she is a Battle Smith Artificer to call her dino minions into battle, and that’s it! being able to build whatever you need makes the class super flexible.

check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

next up: when a bird hits your eye and it usurps your mind, that's a Mara!

Ancestry & Background

Leo I is still dead, so that means you’re still a Reborn, giving you +2 Constitution and +1 Intelligence, as well as proficiency in two skills of your choice (like Acrobatics and History), and a Deathless Nature that means you don’t need to eat, sleep, or breathe, and you have advantage on saves against being poisoned and dead, plus resistance to poison damage. you can even choose your size! I’d go small, because riding a robot triceratops into battle is fucking amazing, but it’s really up to you. finally, your Knowledge from a Past Life gives you the chance to add a d6 to a skill check proficiency times per day. you were so smart, you can think even after you’re dead!

you’re also still an Izzet Engineer, giving you proficiency in Arcana and Investigation. you also get an extended spell list, though most of them aren’t particularly useful for the build. check them out in the character sheet if you want to.

Ability Scores

as you’d probably expect, your Intelligence is your highest stat. after that, we’re bucking tradition and making Dexterity your second highest. you might not have your roller blades on any more, but you’re still a crack shot. third is your Wisdom. you’re one of history’s greatest geniuses, but you’re also a kid. for some reason. anyway, you get distracted more easily than big Leo. Constitution is still going to be positive though, rulers can take a beating. that means your Charisma is just okay. you’re personable enough, but you’re too busy taking care of Steggy to socialize that much. thankfully he has a nat 20 in charisma. that means we’re dumping Strength. you’re both a nerd and child, two of the most famously weak demographics known to mankind.

(I mean you’re also a servant so you can probably still snap a regular guy’s spine in half, but this has always been comparative.)

Class Levels

1. starting off as an Artificer, you get proficiency in Constitution and Intelligence saves, as well as in Perception and Nature. you need to be able to spout of dino facts at the drop of a hat, after all.

you also learn Magical Tinkering, so you can put tiny magical effects in tiny nonmagical objects for free, and your Spellcasting does use spell slots that recharge on long rests, but it does a lot more to boot. you can cast them with Intelligence btw.

I’m pretty sure the gang started a fire in the underwater cave that one time, and since Anastasia wasn’t there to light that, I guess we’ll have to give Create Bonfire to you too for your first cantrip. also pick up Acid Splash for your very first dino bullet. see, it’s green, just like the archeopteryx.

you can also prepare first level spells each day. technically you can rotate through your entire list as you please, but I’ll bring up the ones that are in-character. Chaos Bolt from the Izzet list is the closest we can get to your Noble Phantasm, dealing 2d8+1d6 damage, and the damage type is based on your d8 rolls. the reason a level 1 spell can work as your finishing move is because if both numbers are the same, you can blast another creature nearby, for theoretically infinite damage. that’s technically the most damage any character we’ve built can do!

more seriously, Feather Fall will help out your whole team when you’re climbing a vertical cliff face, Identify helps you know things because you’re smart, and Sanctuary will help you protect Steggy. with this on, anyone who directly attacks him in the next minute has to make a wisdom save or be forced to attack someone else. this ends early if he attacks somebody, but I doubt that’ll be a problem. this is mostly to keep him away from columbuses. columbii?

2. at level two you learn the main draw of artificers, the ability to Infuse Items. you can learn a total of four blueprints to start with, but you can only have half of them as actual items at any time. again, swap out as you deem necessary.

the Armor of Magical Strength is your big robo arms with six charges that recharge at dawn. you can spend a charge to either add your intelligence to a strength check or save, or to avoid being knocked prone. you can also make your crossbow more accurate by making it an Enhanced Weapon, adding +1 to all its attack and damage rolls. the Rope of Climbing isn’t the fastest way up, but it works; and the Bag of Holding is just plain useful.

3. at third level you become a Battle Smith, giving you your very first Steel Defender, a medium-sized robot you can command as a bonus action. it’s just the triceratops right now, but we’ll get more when our infusions allow. in the meantime, you’re also Battle Ready, giving you proficiency with martial weapons as well as the ability to use Intelligence instead of other stats when attacking with a magical weapon. with this, your enhanced flare gun becomes even deadlier!

you can also make The Right Tool for the Job over a short rest, creating any kind of artisan’s tools you need. you also get an extended spell list from your subclass, so you’ll always have Heroism and Shield ready to go.

4. we’re using your first ASI to pick up a feat, and it’s a pretty weird one at that- from the plane of Kaladesh, Servo Crafting gives you the find familiar spell as a ritual, creating a servo instead of an animal. it acts mostly like a normal familiar, but you can communicate telepathically with it and see through its senses while on the same plane. you can even use your servo as a living walkie talkie and speak through it. it can also attack as part of your action, but it deals a whopping 1 damage at a time, so uh. no. this one’s a lot more fragile, so it’ll be the archeopteryx later.

5. fifth level artificers get an extra attack if they’re a battle smith, but we’re not picking up the crossbow expert feat- you’re using a flare gun, after all. however, you do get second level spells too, so there’s a lot more there to work with.

if you want to turn your crossbow into an actual flare gun, your battlesmith spell Branding Smite has your back, dealing extra damage on hit and lighting them up for up to a minute. it’s pretty hard to hide when you have a flare sticking out of you. (warding bond is also nice, but you haven’t jumped in the way of any bullets yet.)

for your normal spells, check out Air Bubble to help the party find treasure at the bottom of the sea, See Invisibility to find extra-hidden traps, and Spider Climb to give the servants an easier way up the mountain. this level’s real big on support, huh?

6. Tool Expertise is nice, but doubled tool proficiency bonuses don’t mean jack compared to your next round of infusions. a Spell-Refueling Ring is nice, an extra spell slot never hurt, but the big-name item this level is the Cloak of the Manta Ray. while a creature is wearing this, it gains a swim speed and water breathing. now we can turn that triceratops into a futabasaurus! you can also give it to master if you want, but now you have all three dinosaurs available to you. we’re still working on some flight for the archeopteryx, but that one’ll take a while. in the meantime, have fun in the ocean while you can.

7. at level seven your Flashes of Genius kick in, so any time you or a nearby friend make a check or save you can backseat game and give them advice, adding your intelligence modifier to their roll Intelligence Modifier times a day.

8. use this ASI to pick up the Keen Mind feat for +1 to Intelligence but also to give you a bunch of useful smarts for your treasure hunting trip. you now have a perfect sense of direction and memory, and you can also keep track of the passage of time. mechanically this one’s kind of a dead level, but you can really mess with the DM with that memory trick.

9. ninth level battle smiths have an Arcane Jolt you can use Intelligence Modifier times a day. whenever you hit someone with a magic weapon or your dinosaur, you can jolt, either dealing an extra 2d6 damage or healing a nearby creature.

you also learn third level spells this time, including the freebies Aura of Vitality and Conjure Barrage from Battle Smith, plus Call Lightning from your background. for the spells you choose, Create Food and Water can help Gof out with dinner, and Intellect Fortress will make you even more protected because you’re just so dang smart.

10. at level ten you get another cantrip, Frostbite the blue bullet. you’re also a Magic Item Adept now, so you have another attunement slot, and crafting weaker magic items are faster & cheaper. you also get two more infusions- the Slippers of Spider Climbing can be master’s climbing gear, and the Boots of Striding and Springing will give your servo the boost it needs to fly short distances. by that I mean it can jump three times longer. unfortunately, its strength score is so atrocious that barely helps. its high jump height is a whopping 0 inches off the ground. look, flight was a new thing at the time, long jumping was the peak of performance.

11. eleventh level artificers can make Spell-Storing Items, putting a 1st or 2nd level spell into a weapon or focus. the spell can be cast by any creature, but it uses your intelligence to cast. you can only have one of these at a time, but they last indefinitely, and can be used Intelligence modifier times before wearing off.

12. speaking of, use this ASI to round up your Intelligence and Wisdom. now you have better everything. literally everything.

13. level thirteen doesn’t have any new features, but it does have fourth level spells! you get Aura of Purity and Fire Shield for free, as well as Conjure Minor Elementals and Divination from your background. that last one should be really helpful for treasure hunting, just ask the DM directly where it is!

the only fourth level spell I really need here is Summon Construct- the rest you can pick from at your leisure. now with your manta cloak on your steel defender and the spring boots on your servo, you can finally have all three robot dinosaurs up and ready at the same time! this construct doesn’t use your actions to take commands either, so all four of you can move pretty freely!

14. at level fourteen you become a Magic Item Savant, giving you yet another attunement slot, plus you don’t need to be a certain race or class to use any magic items.

furthermore, you get your red dino bullet Fire Bolt this level, as well as two more infusions. your Arcane Propulsion Armor is your regular rider gear, but since it’s just a change of clothes it makes sense to have it as an option. with this, your speed increases by five feet, and you have magical gauntlet weapons that deal force damage and can extend to twenty feet without disadvantage. while you’re treasure hunting, the Gem of Seeing will help you scan for clues. it comes with three charges that come back daily, and you can spend a charge for ten minutes of truesight as seen through the gem.

15. at level fifteen you gain one last goody from your subclass. now your Improved Defender has a stronger Arcane Jolt, as well as a boost to its AC, and it hurts those whose attacks it deflects. almost like it has big horns attached to a shield or something.

16. use this ASI to max out your Intelligence. you use that for literally everything, it should be as high as possible.

17 at level seventeen you finally get fifth level spells. your freebies are Banishing Smite and Mass Cure Wounds, but you can also Conjure Elemental as an engineer. our spells of choice this level are Skill Empowerment to be even smarter than anything thought possible, and Animate Objects to get a properly flying archeopteryx. you could also make a bunch of toy dinos come to life if you want, really go wild with it, you’re level 17 you deserve it.

18. we’re not done yet though! at level eighteen you become a Magic Item Master, giving you one last attunement slot as well as two more infusion options. the Ring of Protection and Amulet of Health both make you a little more ruler-y, with the former giving you a +1 bonus to your AC and all saves, while the latter gives you a ton of health by setting your constitution score to 19. that’s a full 36 HP difference, plus your concentration saves get a lot stronger.

19. with our last ASI, lets pump up those defenses even more with the Gift of the Metallic Dragon (though I guess it’s really more an amber-y dragon? anyway). with this, you learn Cure Wounds and can cast it for free once a day, but you can also spread some Protective Wings to protect yourself or a nearby ally, adding a +6 to their AC for one attack. you can do that 6 times a day.

20. the final level of artificer is so strong it’s almost impossible to multiclass out of, because why would you ever risk missing the Soul of Artifice? with this, you get a +1 bonus to all your saves per attuned magic item, and you can destroy an infusion instead of dropping to 0 HP each time it would happen. so that’s a +6 to all saves, plus six get out of fainting free cards per day, definitely a ruler-tier ability.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

like all artificers, you’re supremely flexible, with tons of options to swap in and out as the adventure calls for them. as long as you think ahead, you can be prepared for whatever the islands throw your way! also, you have plenty of damage types to keep yourself useful against resistant creatures, and you can fit into multiple party roles thanks to being able to heal or buff your allies.

that being said, one of your biggest virtues is your defense, especially when it comes to saving throws. your lowest save is a +5 roll, and you can add 5 to any of them pretty freely if you wish. you also have a pretty solid AC if you’re wearing medium armor and any of the armor-boosting infusions you’ve picked up, especially when you add in your dino defense. on top of that, as a reborn you can defend against one of the more common status debuffs easily, and you have advantage on death saves, so even after you finally fall, there’s a good chance you won’t stay down.

with all the infusions we’ve had to pick up for both your dinobots and treasure hunts, you have tons of mobility options available for the whole party, making all kinds of inhospitable terrain a cakewalk to traverse. from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, no treasure can escape you for long!

Cons:

that being said, we spent a lot of your infusions on mobility instead of other options, so you’re not helping your party much with damage, at least beyond what you’re already doing with your flare gun and spells. plus, I doubt they’ll be happy you’re spending your infusions making your robots (which you can summon and just put them where you want) more mobile.

that’s especially true since your robots are fragile compared to the fleshier party members, with even your toughest only have a touch more than 100 HP at level 20. this is especially painful for your summoned construct, as they have barely enough health to last more than a round, even if you spend a fifth level spell slot to make them.

uh… your Charisma isn’t great? idk, even when you fritter away a ton of artificer stuff on nonsense it’s still a really strong class. there’s not a lot of weaknesses to point out here.

[captainjimothycarter]

let's ignore just how late this is because my brain and body decided to tank the last few days of Steggy Week. This will be counting towards Day 5 (Inspired By) & Day 6 (WIP). @steggyfanevents & @dirtydoctorwho none of this would exist without you and all your help.

Having known Angie since she was a teenager, Peggy trusted that girl with her life. Even if they'd only met once in person in their early college years, Angie was still her best friend. It turned out to be a lifesaver when she called her in hysterics because Peggy had found herself in an impossible situation.

The impossible of impossible, her life was turned upside down because of one simple mistake and her parents would not hear her out.

She was pregnant, pregnant by some mysterious one-night stand that was a self-proclaimed traveler, so there was no damn way she would have contacted him (weeks later) to tell him that she was pregnant with his child.

Worst of all, her parents had found her positive pregnancy test when they were snooping through her trash and had demanded answers from Angie. To give her credit, her friend did hold out, feigned ignorance, until they stole Peggy's phone under the guise 'you are our child and we pay for your bill and you live under our roof' manipulation tactic.

They'd found more solidifying, concrete proof that their precious, angelic daughter who could do no wrong was pregnant. Pregnant out of wedlock.

Harrison and Amanda Carter did the only sensible thing and cut off all support with their only daughter and kicked her out of their home.

Forcing her to drop out of college, mid-semester.

Peggy did the only thing she could think of in her hysteric state and ran away to America, right into Angie's protective arms.

Angie's family comes from good, old-fashioned folks. Very hard-working folks who worked hard to get where they're at today. They adopted, and welcomed Peggy with open arms, meanwhile putting a curse on her family for ever kicking out someone just because they were pregnant.

Abandoning their flock because they're afraid of being judged. Afraid of how society would see them because her father is a well-known pastor and everyone knows that pastors are free of any sort of sin.

It takes a while for her to settle down, Angie's family insists that she must keep her feet up, and stress-free, to not worry about a thing for the sake of the baby.

Peggy brushes off their concern, saying that she needs to earn her own money and there's only so much of a handout she can take before pride gets in her way. She's as stubborn as they come.

Angie knows that well, so once Peggy is settled, a doctor clears her for work (because neither Granny Loretta nor Angie would allow her to do so until she sees a doctor), she gets Peggy a job at a local diner.

Peggy recognizes this one right away, it's a diner that's been in New York since the 1800s. More importantly, it's a Martinelli-owned diner, that's been handed down from generation to generation, kept run by Martinellis and their trusted friends and family.

Plus, it's in all of the Martinellis' family photos that hung

Angie might not mention it's a family-owned business and that's how she got Peggy the job, but she knew and thanked her friend for not outting this fact to help her keep her pride from being hurt.

Just like her studies, Peggy does what she does best and throws herself into her work. The work wasn't easy (not that she expected it to be), she wanted to make Angie and her family proud, and she wanted to provide for herself, not to mention the little one that depended on her to survive.

She wanted to let Angie's family know that she wasn't taking their help for granted.

The customers are rude, they yell, they throw things, and they speak their minds and stupid opinions when they're not even asked.

Unlucky for them, Peggy is rude back. She doesn't take no for an answer and refuses to serve customers who think of themselves better or think she's just some 'silly server' so they could sexually harass her.

The last fella who did that a few dribbles of hot coffee in his lap the last time he slapped her ass. Call it right time, right place.

No one knows that incredibly handsome but shy-looking man who comes into Martinellis's every so often enough to be known as a regular but is missed when he's not there.

Steve is sat in her section during an easy, light shift. Early, before the breakfast rush, where Peggy normally shines because she doesn't have to deal with assholes and can communicate with her customers.

She's told that he's a known regular, and sees the other server eyeing her with slight jealousy (but that's [person Steve kissed], she's jealous quite easily over the littlest of things). She knows the regulars by now but hasn't seen him around.

At first impressions, he's polite. The politeness that's old fashioned, that's taught by the older folks. He's sweet and kind. Yet, he's not old fashion like the men who use it to sexually harass her. He's kind, offers her a seat when he sees her approach, and says her feet must be killing her. (They are)

He's polite but not in an 'I've never done wrong' sort of way. It's just the old politeness. He might look like an American Boy with his blonde hair and bright blue eyes but she sees the scars on his fingertips, the charcoal and lead that stains his fingerprints. The black bags under his eyes indicate he so rarely slept.

He introduces himself first, says his name is Steve and he's been a regular here for a long, long time. (His Ma used to wait tables in between shifts at the hospital, he had spent his childhood drawing at the tables.)

He asks Peggy about herself if she's enjoying America, and the cultural difference (his knowledge of London seems almost old) but she notices that he cleverly avoids asking what brought her here, instead asks about her enjoying Angie's family and says that they've helped him out a lot too in 'this day and age.'

(More under the cut, just didn't wanna bug people with how long this is)

He speaks in an old-fashioned manner, whimsical. Like he's longing for something that is so far out of reach but he can't help but to want it. A time before that she wasn't privy to knowledge but witness the pain it brought this handsome (very handsome) gentleman before her.

She tries to imagine what he's thinking when his voice gains that whimsical note, tries to imagine what's behind those glasses but doesn't lose too much time to it. It's not up to her to learn these things, until she's told.

While they talk, she watches him, like she does any of her customers. He's kind to strangers and that's a rare thing nowadays (it's sad to say, even in her very pregnant state, people won't even give her a seat on the bus.) He picks up a kid's toy countless times, and the kiddo enjoys the game. It gave the exhausted-looking mother a break, a small smile shot their way because of it.

He makes sure to greet everyone he knows but follows her conversation, makes sure to ask questions. He's engaged, but not in a manner that seems forced. He doesn't seem like he's bored and just making conversation, he generally wants to know about her.

Most of all, Peggy notices, there's a distant yearning in his tone. That he needs /something/ to create a balm for him, to ease the pain that burns inside of him.

It's obvious there's something there, they click more easily than Peggy has to say that she has with anyone before. The talk is pleasant and when he smiles at her, it's genuine.

They talk so much that it's well past her shift, the sun has risen over the city, and Peggy is sitting with Steve, nursing a cup of ginger tea. She's exhausted but she doesn't want the conversation to end

After Steve leaves, Peggy returns from the bathroom and clocks out to see Angie with an envelope. Her name is on it, in fancy script. Angie stuffs it into her bag for her and tells her to open it once she's home.

Curiosity eats at her until she's home and inside she finds a bouquet of tulips, after she'd told him that roses were so overrated and tulips were beautiful. And how she wanted to see the Tulips in Holland one day but that was put on hold.

Another portrait inside is of a fantasy castle in the clouds, with beautiful stars sprinkling above. There's the backside of a woman (she has suspicion or perhaps wants it to be) who is holding a babe above her, letting it reach for the stars.

Seems like their talk of fantasy books and the slight mention of the nursery being a fantasy setting really rubbed off on Steve. Her smile faltered as she pulled out the large bundle of cash that Steve had stuck in there, with a note. That boy and his notes -

I know what this looks like, it's not illegal. I'm not framing you from my recent robbing of a bank. This is yours. To do as what you want with. - Stevie

There had to be well over a few grand in here. How the hell did a simple-man like Steve come by this amount? Despite his note, she was not settled and worried.

She asks Angie about it when she comes by later with dinner and Angie just shrugs her shoulders. "Oh, yeah, that's just Steve. He's really loaded. No one knows how or why, but we're sure it's not some sort of illegal blood money. Like 90% sure. Gram-Gram says it's old money, that he made some sort of sacrifice and deserves every penny and more. I wouldn't normally believe her but Gram-Gram never lies."

"I just don't understand why. Why would he give me this much?"

Angie shrugs. "Because he wants to. Steve likes to give big tips, loves to help people out. He must see something in you - what did you two talk about? It looked like you two were old friends."

"I can assure you that we are not. That was the first time I've ever met him," Peggy sighs, staring at the bundle of cash like it might bite her. "Only thing I told him was I was excited to start on this little one's room soon."

"Well," Angie hums, picking up the drawings. "He clearly is just as excited."

Notes:

HC that Steve had saved a Martinelli (most likely Lortetta’s immediate family) during WWII and because of that, they believe they are forever in his debt. They unofficially adopt him and help him adapt to society when he wakes up in the future.

Loretta encourages Steve to drop the Shield, to learn what it’s like to be Steve Rogers again

Legend has it that she gave Director Fury an earful over how he was treating Steve like a puppet. Fury’s ears are still ringing to this day.

Only Loretta knows that Steve was Captain America. No one else knows. Steve had dropped the shield once he woken up in the 21st century, feeling like he could no longer do the job that he’d once loved.

He only agrees to go on missions if they’re world ending biases. So far he’s only gone on two in the time he’s woken up in the future

Each time he had, he returned feeling like he was falling apart, mentally and physically. It took weeks of Loretta tending to him, cooking him meals before he started to feel like himself again.

WIP Graveyard

Steggy Week Day 6: WIPs and updates

[littlereyofsunlight]

thaw depth

Written for Steggy Positivity Week, Day 1: Agent Carter Timeline

Idiotville, population: Steve Rogers

Steve didn’t like airplanes so much these days.

It probably had something to do with how he’d crash-landed one in a frozen wasteland once. So he wasn’t very keen on working through the fear.

He’d still been asleep when he’d been flown back to New York from Greenland, so that had been fine. When summer had taken a turn into fall and Steve shivered just thinking about the winters he’d passed when he was younger, he’d jumped at the room and board Howard had offered him in Los Angeles. Steve borrowed one of his cars and drove cross-country rather than board Stark’s private plane. He’d been out west a few months now, and he was pretty sure he hated it. But winter wasn’t over yet.

Now here he was, on an airfield. He wasn’t even there to fly, but his palms were still sweating and he’d been having a hard time swallowing past the lump in his throat. Worst of all, Edwin kept clucking over him like some deranged mother hen.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather wait at home, sir?” he asked, giving Steve yet another worried once-over.

“I’m fine,” he said again through grit teeth. I’ve been through worse than this, he thought. Then again, Jarvis had been there to see part of the aftermath of that, so Steve felt he couldn’t blame him for his concern. Even if it was driving him nuts.

A small plane taxied up and men rushed over with the staircase, ready for the passengers to disembark. Steve straightened his spine and shoved his hands in his pockets, determined not to show the thoughts suddenly racing through his head. He focused on the propeller as it spun on the nose of the plane, pushing down the nausea that came rushing up with the memory of another prop whirling just under his feet, miles up in the air.

And then she was there in front of him, and the rest fell away.

Steve had yet to get over seeing her in civilian clothes. She always dressed impeccably, in a way that flattered her figure in the most distracting–but plausibly deniable–ways. Today, despite the transcontinental flight, was no different. If it was possible, the lump in his throat grew even bigger. It had been months since he’d seen her and Steve found her effect on him had not lessened with time apart.

“Mr. Jarvis, thank you for fetching me.” Peggy gave a warm smile as Stark’s butler reached for her bag. “Hello, Captain Rogers.” Her tone was decidedly cooler as she breezed past Steve. Perhaps the same could not be said for his effect on Peggy.

“Agent Carter,” he said, trying to sound only mildly pleasant as he opened her car door. His voice shook, though, so the effect was ruined. He snuck a quick peek up at her face, but she was inscrutable behind her sunglasses. He tried to think of something else to say, but his thoughts were drowned out by the roar of an engine as a plane taxied by. Steve flinched and quickly climbed into the back seat, slouching down against the leather upholstery.

Peggy sat straight-backed in the front passenger seat, waiting patiently for Jarvis to load her bag into the trunk and settle into the car.

“How is Mrs. Jarvis these days, Mr. Jarvis?” she asked as he started up the engine and began to reverse out of their parking spot. Another plane went by and Steve closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deep.

“She’s very well indeed, Miss Carter, thank you for asking. She’s expecting you for dinner this evening.”

Steve could see Peggy freeze. She started to turn toward him, ever so slightly, but stopped herself. “Oh! Well, that is very kind of you, of course, Mr. Jarvis. But I might—that is—I’m afraid I must check in with Chief Sousa straight away. He’s expecting me at the office, and I can’t say how long i’ll be at work.” Right. Sousa. The guy Jarvis had said Peggy’d been sweet on back in New York. That’s why she was here, to see him. To help him with a case, Steve corrected himself.

Now they were on the highway, headed away from the airstrip. Steve unclenched his hands and tried to arrange his features in a bland expression when he saw Peggy glance at him in the rearview mirror. She’d taken off her sunglasses and her dark eyes were fathomless. There was nothing cold in her gaze, though; no reflection of the tone she’d taken with him earlier. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he first thought.

Jarvis glanced up in the mirror at Steve, as well. “Of course, Miss Carter. I would be happy to drop you there, if you have the address.” He and Peggy passed the rest of the ride in pleasant conversation, while Steve mostly pretended not to be listening from the back. They didn’t discuss Peggy’s work with the SSR any further.

Steve realized he’d really, really missed her voice. He wished she’d say his name.

 Mr. Jarvis was still a bit tender from the punch he took earlier in the evening, so Mrs. Jarvis sent Steve to fetch Peggy from the Auerbach Agency late that night. He’d heard all about the excitement while Ana pressed a raw steak to Edwin’s jaw. Steve could read between the lines well enough to know that Peggy and Sousa had stumbled onto something far larger than a strange murder.

As he waited in the car, he noticed a young woman standing across the street. She seemed to be waiting, too. Steve watched as she looked at her watch and then up at the windows on the third floor, the ones with the blinds drawn but the lights on behind them. He could just make out the shadows of two people up there. Steve drummed his fingers on the wheel and continued to watch the woman out of the corner of his eye. She didn’t seem like a threat, but that didn’t mean anything.

A dark-haired man with a crutch crossed the street in front of the car and headed straight for her. Steve had never met the man, but he’d listened to enough of Jarvis and Howard’s stories to know that he was Daniel Sousa. Steve saw him lean down and give the blonde woman a quick kiss and a smile, and they left together. Steve’s heart skipped a beat. Sousa had a girl. Who wasn’t Peggy.

To hear Jarvis tell it, the only thing that had kept Peggy and Daniel apart in New York was the job. She wouldn’t open herself up to the criticism and ridicule of dating a colleague. But then Sousa had taken the chief job out west, and Peggy had realized too late her feelings for him were as strong as they were. Jarvis had told him that was right around the time Howard had located the Valkyrie, and Steve on it. Peggy had apparently welcomed the distraction, though by the time Steve was recovered enough to even contemplate making up that dance he owed her, he barely ever saw her. And certainly not alone. Besides, by then Edwin had told Steve all about her new life. She’d moved on.

There was a movement in the window. Steve could just make her out, up there in the shadows. Peggy had seen the kiss. What he wouldn’t give to know what she was thinking in that moment. Had she known before now? Or had she come to L.A. hoping for something?

In the window above, the light went out.

She hesitated when she saw who was behind the wheel. Steve sighed. Not that it should matter to him. He and Peggy were hardly even friends, anymore. He wasn’t sure how it had happened. Maybe they were just good at working together, but didn’t have a connection beyond that. He’d gone over their time together during the war so many times on his trip out here. It was clear he’d allowed himself, in the rush and drama of wartime, to read more into their interactions than was actually there. She’d kissed him, yes, but he’d been about to fling himself into the jaws of death. He had died. She never expected him to come back.

Whatever they’d had then, she clearly wasn’t interested in rekindling it now.  

He started up the engine as she climbed into the passenger seat. “Thank you for driving. I’m sorry to make you come out so late.”

Steve focused his eyes on the road. “Not a problem. I don’t sleep too much, anyways.”

“You’re still having nightmares, then?” She gave him a sharp-eyed look.

He blanched. “You know about those?”

“I’ve never met a soldier returning from war who didn’t have them, at least at first. Just because the war has been over two years now doesn’t mean you would be immune.” Peggy checked her vibrantly painted nails. “In my personal experience, the first year back is the worst. It should get better soon.”

This was too much information, but not quite enough. The question bubbled up from his throat before he could stop himself, words running together as he fumbled not to sound too accusatory. “Who did you, I mean were you—uh, how did—”

“Me, Steve. I’m speaking of my own nightmares.”

The relief that flooded through him didn’t last as he took in her exasperated tone. It was their first conversation since he’d decided to leave New York and he was making such a mess of it. The first time she’d said his name since she arrived, and it was while she was mad at him. Didn’t that just figure.

It was late enough that traffic back to Stark’s home was minimal. Steve and Peggy didn’t speak until he’d turned into the drive. He’d been chewing over his latest mistake, trying to figure out the right thing to say to turn things around, but it had evaded him. Still, he had to try. Even if he couldn’t be eloquent about it.

“I’m sorry.”

She’d already reached for the handle to leave, but stopped at his admission. “Are you?”

He summoned his courage and looked her in the eye. “Yes.” 

She held his gaze for what felt like forever. “All right.” She got out of the car.

His shoulders sagged. It wasn’t much, but at least she hadn’t shot at him. He made to follow her, but something on her seat caught his eye. She’d dropped a business card for a Dr. Wilkes, physicist at Isodyne Energy. And Dr. Wilkes had dropped what looked like his personal number on the back. Steve’s stomach sank.

“You forgot something, Agent Carter.”

“Hmm?” She turned back to him and he handed over the card. She quickly looked down at it and back up at him a few times. “Oh. Erm, yes, thank you.”

Steve headed for the door.

“He’s a witness, Steve. He knew the victim.”

“Okay,” he said over his shoulder. Why she felt the need to tell him that, he didn’t know. “Looks like he might be interested in knowing you, too. You sure do work fast.” His cheeks burned. He knew he shouldn’t let himself get worked up. Who she saw was none of his business. Though it rankled that she’d leapt right from one workplace entanglement to at least considering another. Or else why hadn’t she left the guy’s card at the office?

“Steve Rogers.” Peggy’s voice rang out imperiously. On impulse, Steve ducked. “I won’t have you speaking to me that way.”

He gulped and turned to face her. Peggy’s eyes blazed but her tone was ice cold.

“Don’t you dare insult my professionalism, Rogers. You know what I went through in the service, and you can’t imagine the hell it’s been since coming back. I would have hoped that you, of all people, would have a modicum of understanding and compassion for the position I’m in.” She took a breath and the shift of the detailed neckline of her red dress drew Steve’s focus to the way her chest heaved. He at least had the decency to feel chagrined when he realized just where he was looking. Peggy continued, “You convinced me once that you weren’t like all the rest, but I seem to have been mistaken. I thought, even if you didn’t want me anymore, you would at least treat me with decency and respect, but–”

“What?” Now his full attention was on her words. “Peggy, I don’t what?” He took a cautious, hopeful step back towards her.

His interrogative brought her up short. She cast about for a moment, looking as unsettled as he’d ever seen him. Then she took another breath and he could see her gather her dignity about herself once more. “It’s all right, Steve. We made no promises to each other, not really. I’m not holding you to account for anything that went unsaid between us. It was a different time.”

“Peggy,” he found his voice was suddenly hoarse, “I have always wanted to be with you. I never stopped.”

She shook her head. “But you never said–after you were back, you didn’t say anything.”

Steve ran a hand through his hair. If he’d thought he’d made a mess earlier… “Well, I was in a plane crash, and then I was a block of ice for a while. And then I woke up and the whole world had moved on.” He gave her a small, rueful smile. “Jarvis told me you’d moved on. I guess I was too scared to ask you if it was true.”

Peggy rolled her eyes, but took a step towards him. “I kept waiting for you to ask after the dance I’d been saving for you.”

“We were never alone. And you had so much work on your plate.” He took another step of his own.

“Yes, well, I was after a very dangerous fugitive!” Her words had none of their former bite, and she looked up into his face with a soft, open expression he never thought he’d see from her again. “I thought we could simply continue on as before, when you had your mission and I had mine. But then you left.”

“I’m sorry.” He reached out a hand, and she took it. “I couldn’t face the cold.” He reeled her in. “Not without you.”

Peggy twined her arms around his neck. “You idiot,” she said, tears in her eyes, “you wouldn’t have had to if you’d just said something.”

Steve smiled down at her. “Okay. In that case, Agent Carter, may I have this dance?” 

“Sod the dance,” Peggy surged onto her toes and kissed him, hard.

read on AO3

[menatiera]

Day 1: Discovering Betty Carver

“What the fucking holy hell?!” Steve breathed out in a whisper as the radio was muted in the end of The Captain America Adventure Program, and he looked totally stunned. Not in a good way.

Peggy almost laughed out loud. She needed every ounce of her spy practice not to do it, as the furious anger took the shock’s place on Steve’s face.

Steve being angry was among the most beautiful sights of the world. When he was calm, or joyful, or even sad, people were apt to forget who (and what) he was. The nicest person on Earth, sure, but also the world’s deadliest weapon in human skin, and he could be as gracious and terrifying as a caged tiger.

Now he seemed to be ready to march into a war zone again.

“Who the hell is responsible for this? They need to be fired,” he continued to circle up and down in the room, hands gesticulate wildly. “Didn’t they have any fleeting idea who you are? Didn’t they know that you gave half of the intel we used? That we would have lost the war without you? That you kicked more ass than all the Howlies combined?! Or did they, and yet they dare to air this disrespectful, scandalous and… and…” He made himself more and more furious, until he suddenly started off to the door. “I’m going to tell them!”

“Steve, wait!” Peggy jumped to her feet and followed him a little too late as he stormed out. If she was honest with herself, she was a bit impressed. Almost one year at the front of the greatest war, two and a half year spent frozen in the Arctic, revived by the best medical team, poked by doctors for another five months, and yet it didn’t change him at all. Still the same hot-headed mess.

Her mess, apparently.

She had to admit, watching Steve go haywire behind closed doors was fun, but she didn’t want a scene. If she desired one, she could do it for herself, thank you very much. There was a reason she didn’t go and break the door down to get to the radio producers. Mostly because as annoying as Betty Carver and her role was in the radio play, it was useful. Not exactly to her, but to the public, at least.

And yet she couldn’t stop smiling as she hurried to block Steve’s way.

The force of him trying to defend her honor (though it was totally unnecessary and he knew that for sure) was among the most heartwarming experiences of Peggy’s life.

Turned out, she didn’t need to actually stop him by force - he halted abruptly as a new thought occurred to him, and he stared at Peggy with a horrid face. “Does Dottie knows about this?”

Peggy stopped as well, a few feet away from him, and realization hit her like a ton of bircks. “Oh my”, she whispered. Having someone like her on her tail was strange enough, but if she ever finds out Betty Carver is supposed to be her counterpart… “She should never hear this. I’ll never hear the end of it!”

[theawkwardterrier]

Best Laid Family Plans

Steggy Week 2k22, day 5 Prompt: Domestic bliss

Summary: The family you have isn't necessarily the one you'd expected to.

AO3 link here. Thanks to @steggyfanevents​​ for organizing!

Peggy’s pregnancies are thankfully not particularly difficult - a spot of early morning sickness, cravings for salt, an increased tendency for rage over seemingly small complications, and quite a bit of frustration when she reaches the point that she needs Steve’s help to put on her shoes. But it isn’t exactly an easy endeavor overall, especially when she already has other responsibilities that she needs to balance, not to mention the number of politicians or members of the so-called intelligence community who would take far less an excuse than this to try to remind everyone that she is unsuited to her job (or any job other than wife and mother - two roles that she is, incidentally, perfectly happy to keep alongside her directorial position, thank you very much).

And their very dear two children are more than enough for both of them - a toddler who has inherited and seemingly expanded upon the trouble-making tendencies of both his parents, and now the baby too, who will, likely as not, fit into that particular family mold too. So Peggy is already thinking of precisely how to make her family planning suggestion to Steve when he preemptively tells her that he can make an appointment to take care of things.

(The fact that they are at the time on hour three of an unexplained, unsoothable middle-of-the-night infant crying session surely has nothing to do with the timing of this discussion.)

The doctor Peggy suggests comes highly recommended, although Steve does not ask how or from whom. That is the only thing which keeps him in the office when he meets the man himself - beyond being arrogant, he’s a bit too jovial and informal about the procedure. Steve might be certain that he wants to go through with the thing, but he still doesn’t need it referred to as “just a little snip-snip, hmm, old boy?”

Nevertheless, the recommendation seems to be sound enough. The doctor is at least serious in the operating room, the whole thing is over quickly and essentially painlessly - at least relative to Steve’s experience - and he is sent home. They follow the instructions, and appreciate the confidence that this gives them that things are settled. They are a busy, thriving family of four, and that’s how things will stay.

Peggy finds out that she’s pregnant the next year.

“Ah, bad luck to you, fella - or very good luck, huh?” the doctor says, actually managing to catch on from Steve’s expression that giving him a chummy elbow to the side won’t be well received. Straightening his own countenance, he continues, “I’ve only read about this sort of thing, never had it happen to one of my patients. But we’ll just get you booked in again, get things really taken care of this time. Not exactly likely to happen to you twice. Although—” He’s taking on that tone again, a smile creeping seemingly helplessly onto his face, eyebrows wiggling. “I’ll warn you, I don’t offer repeat customer discounts.”

Steve is very happy to find someone new regardless - he isn’t exactly likely to trust this to the same man who hadn’t been successful the first time. The second doctor is just as competent, with the added benefit of not making Steve clench his jaw in forbearance. When they have a few minutes to themselves between work, childcare, the everyday tasks of saving the world, and family dinners involving three rambunctious children, Steve and Peggy both breathe out in relief.

The second procedure, however, doesn’t work any better than the first.

“Well, if you’d asked me, I’d’ve told you that would probably happen, pal,” Howard tells Steve as they take a few minutes to stroll together one overcast Saturday. The older two children are already racing ahead to the playground while Steve walks with a whining toddler on his hip and pushes the baby carriage with the other hand. Howard looks on with something between alarm and revulsion.

“This wasn’t exactly the sort of thing we wanted to share with you, Howard,” Steve reminds him dryly, then turns to look at him as he adds, “Wait, why do you say that?”

Howard spreads his hands. “See, that healing factor of yours giveth and—Well, giveth and giveth and giveth, I guess. Same way your body has that healing boost for cuts and bruises and deadly stab wounds and all, it’s sensing that something’s off in your body and putting it right. No way to tell the serum that you’re knocking this particular part out of alignment on purpose and it should stop trying to rebuild.”

Steve gives a softly irritated acknowledging grunt which sounds more like Colonel Phillips than it does like him. Howard just shrugs, as unbothered by the sound as he had been during the war.

“Like I said, I’d’ve mentioned it if you’d asked. But I’ll tell you, it’s sort of nice to realize that you and Peg don’t have it all figured out - and that you’re sane enough not to have wanted all these…additions.”

“Of course we wanted them,” Steve says, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, fingers flexing a bit on the handle of the carriage. “Just because they weren’t planned, doesn’t mean that we don’t want our kids.”

If Howard wasn’t privy to Steve’s decision to have a vasectomy, he certainly wasn’t involved in the long and quiet conversations that Steve and Peggy had regarding other options when it became apparent that things hadn’t gone to plan. In the end it had of course been Peggy’s choice, all the practical factors outweighed in her mind by her single, simple statement: “Whoever it is, it will be ours.”

Once she had made the decision, she had committed to it as fully as she did everything else, taking it on with grace and without regret. Steve knows that it might be different for other people, but even if they hadn’t intended for things to go this way, their kids aren’t something they can regret - not considering the lives they’ve led, not after everything. And now that all four are here, he can’t imagine his life without them: the individual quirks, the overlapping chatter and childish profundity that they come out with, the way they help and defend each other regardless of how recently they might have been fighting among themselves. He feels their warm and sticky hands wrapped tightly in his as they whisper their secrets into his trust, their sleepy cheeks pressed heavy against his shoulder, the way just seeing them can make him smile, and knows like light and air that he will keep them safe with everything he has. More and more these days, his eyes will meet Peggy’s over the busy dinner table and, even as they mop up spilled juice and settle squabbles, he realizes again that they are united in this: caring for these small, flawlessly imperfect, growing people, making certain that they will have expansive, beautiful lives, together and apart.

Still, abstinence not exactly being a feasible option, he and Peggy have started using a diaphragm and condoms again. Just because they don’t regret the family they have now, doesn’t mean they are exactly looking to add to it.

Four Carter-Rogers teenagers at once is already going to be more than enough.

[steverogersweek]

What counts as Steve-centric?

Steve-centric means that your fanwork is focused primarily on Steve. That does not mean that you cannot include other characters, but your work should be centered around Steve and his experiences/challenges. Any fanwork where Steve is depicted as secondhand to another character’s conflicts or emotions would not be Steve-centric.

For example, a story about how Steve’s childhood still affects him in the modern age would be Steve-Centric

A non example would be a fanwork where Steve is comforting another character through something pertaining to their trauma, such as Steve comforting Bucky about Hydra

But can I write about another character’s trauma?

Yes, however it should not be the focus of your fanwork. Mentioning another character’s trauma or alluding to it in their behavior/interactions is fine, but it should not be the main conflict of your fanwork and Steve should not be placed in a caretaking role.

What counts as Pro-Steve?

Pro-Steve outlines any fanwork that puts Steve in a positive light, and does not demonize him on the basis of any criticisms of the writing you might have.

Do I have to create a slash fanwork?

No! Any Steve content is allowed. Of course, you are more than welcome to include any ships you might have and pair Steve with anyone that fits your fancy, platonically or romantically, or even neither! If your work only contains Steve, that is absolutely okay. So long as your work stays Steve-centric, it is allowed.

How do I navigate Endgame and Civil War?

Endgame and Civil War tend to be the films in which most people have the most problems with Steve’s story and arc. We all have different opinions on how different aspects of his storyline might go, but this event is not the place to highlight those criticisms or take out your frustration on the character. Fix-it fanworks are allowed, but make sure you are not bashing Steve in the process of creating them.

What ISN’T allowed?

We have outlined specific content restrictions in Rules, but otherwise any work that puts the spotlight on another character is not allowed, as well as any work that bashes other characters or ships. We are trying to keep this as positive a space as possible, and everyone loves Steve in different roles and relationships-- be mindful that your yuck might be someone else’s yum.

For example, an Endgame fix-it that demonizes Peggy or Steggy in any capacity is not allowed.

What can I submit?

Anything! Fanworks of any kind are welcome, but here are a few suggestions:

Fanfics

Fanarts

Moodboards

Playlists

Podfics

Is there a minimum for any fanwork? A maximum?

Nope! Your creation can be as short or as long as you’d like it to be!

Can I be under 18?

Yes, but we are only going to reblog NSFW content from 18+ creators. Be mindful of that rule while creating that work as there are no exceptions.

Is NSFW and/or dark content allowed?

Yes. So long as you adequately tag your creation, and rate it appropriately, it is allowed.

How do I submit my works for Steve Rogers Week?

You can share your works on tumblr and/or add them to the ao3 collection. If you would like for us to reblog your works, please make sure to mention @SteveRogersWeek and tag us #SteveRogersWeek2022

[wildestheart4ever]

I posted 7,218 times in 2022

347 posts created (5%)

6,871 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@headspacedad

@captainjimothycarter

@pyromon

@sapphireswimming

@just-absolutely-super

I tagged 2,629 of my posts in 2022

#marvel - 589 posts

#batman - 516 posts

#random - 308 posts

#danny phantom - 267 posts

#dp x dc - 153 posts

#lol - 106 posts

#gravity falls - 94 posts

#steggy - 77 posts

#dc - 72 posts

#tdp - 65 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#why do i see a ridiculously long fanfic and think ''yes. i will read that - even though i'm painfully aware my sleep is going to suffer for

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

@stealingyourbones

Here’s part 2 of this hot mess x

Original Bodyswap AU x

So Danny quickly learns his chances of going home and getting back to his body are on Bruce Wayne [Aka Batman, aka guy who should probably be seeing a therapist]. Unfortunately, his chances of meeting the guy lie on him putting up a good act and thus he has to play along with whatever Thalia is telling him.

He’s a little horrified to find this woman not only seems to want him to maim this one random kid, but expects it of him [Danny rationalizes that this is all due to the Lazarus Pit, and the uncontrollable anger that it apparently brings - he’s putting some serious faith that this doesn’t have much to do with Jason’s personality in general].

It doesn’t take Danny much to pretend to feel anger. Unfortunately, any pretense to feel it brings to thinking of anything that would usually make him feel angry, and the Lazarus Pit gleefully intenses that anger tenfold.

There’s a mean little whisper in a quiet corner of his mind, reminding him of his parents:

They’re the cause of this, them and their stupid and creepy life’s work, their obsession with ghost, their obsession that has them talk nothing but ghost and not focusing on what’s in front of them, making their life more difficult than it needs to be, bringing their junk into the house and making it practically unlivable, them being the town coots.

Why couldn’t they be normal, why couldn’t their focus on their work be normal, why did they have to be parents that saw nothing wrong with expecting their kids to do chores in a unsafe lab?? Why were they so grossly neglecting of their kids and their equipment???

He doesn’t know it, not yet, but his eyes glow an eerie green at the thought of his parents. He doesn’t know why that brings a satisfied smile to Thalia’s face.  

Jason. Now lab accident gained superpowers aren’t news to him, he’s met enough supers in his life to be pretty familiar with the concept - he just never expected to find himself to be in that position.  

It takes a frustrating amount of focus to keep himself from keeping any of his limbs from going through any solid surfaces, from floating off his feet in a fit of emotions, from changing back into a undead[???] corpse. It becomes clear to him that this is smth he has to keep from the Fentons after hearing just what they want to do to the ghost they capture.

They speak like scientist and wanting to do research, but it’s becoming clearer and clearer that they’re nothing more than hunters.

Each day under their roof has him worried over Danny, and what he’ll come back to.

Each day has him missing Bruce. Bruce, for all his strict demands, letting him run into dangerous situations and his frustrating emotional constipation, at least had the decency to keep some separation in their vigilant and civilian lives. At least he made sure to keep Jason safe when it came down to it, at least he never made Jason feel unsafe.

He tries not to recall how tense their relationship had been before his death.

He’s back in school after a week of supervision [Points to them for at least taking measures to giving him recovery time. Ha!]. Jason was half worried the secret would be up in smoke.....if they hadn’t spent most of the time in their lab fawning over that damned portal.

And now he has to learn every tidbit of this kid’s life, including the people in it, while trying to keep these new powers under wrap.

Danny. He’ll like to say he’s gotten used to this body, well, at least he’s not tripping or bumping into everything anymore. Thalia seems to take that as an okay to proceed with the training she has in store for him.

Jason’s body is used to extensive training, he finds, now if only that translated into him instinctively knowing how to control that.

He’s got half the mind to think these people are trying to kill him.

Any comparison he might’ve thought of this being anything like P.E. is shot down as soon as he’s put through hours of this long and brutal nightmare. Hours of harsh corrections, hours of seemingly impossible demands, suffering through screaming soreness in the after.

They teach him the weakest points in the body and how to exploit them, every vulnerable artery in which to aim for, how to make a quick kill. It horrifies him, he doesn’t want to know this, he doesn’t want to know how to take a life, how to brutalize someone. He lays in his assigned bed and has nightmares of the lives he hasn’t taken yet.

He’s fourteen, stuck in a body of an older teenager [Nineteen, Jason is nineteen. It doesn’t make him feel better], he’s a kid, they’re both kids. No kid should be taught this sort of violence.

It makes him wish for home, where everything was his semblance of normal, where the most that’s expected of him is to keep the lab clean.

He hates that any thought of it immediately brings this seething anger, hates that any thought of his parents suddenly brings hatred that makes everything burn green.

He hates that this anger drowns any homesickness he feels, the wish to see his friends, misses hanging out with them, he wants to see Jazz and be smothered in her overbearing self. He hates that this unexpected hatred he developed for his parents won’t let him feel homesickness in peace.

This is their fault.

Jason. He’ll like to say that he did what Sam and Tucker told him, he did his best to stay clear of Dash Baxter.

It’s not his fault Dash didn’t stay clear of him.

See the full post

205 notes - Posted November 27, 2022

#4

I keep thinking about the Fright Knight and his sword and the fact that if Danny Phantom was aimed at an older audience, that shit with Tucker and Mr. Lancer getting sucked into a void with their worst fears probably would’ve been gut wrenching or stuff out of actual nightmares 

Instead of, you know! Experiencing superficial fears like getting stuck on an island with no technology and nails being forcefully dragged against chalkboards.

239 notes - Posted May 24, 2022

#3

So my mind is currently reeling crossover stories, where Danny [Who in this scenario is around the same age as Bruce and is kinda part of the JL] takes one look at sad dead little Jason and decides “Is anyone gonna parent you? No?? Okay, you’re mine now”

Whether or not he found Jason pre or post Lazarus Pit dunk is the question, I’m leaning more on post!LP, with Danny teaching Jason how to control that madness. Idk, him just being mentor figure and teaching him the ways of the ghost I guess

This Danny is weirdly ambivalent about death and killing. Finds out Jason is another Joker victim [The Ghost Zone is filled with alot of them] and just......decides to find the Joker himself and basically curse his soul so he can make his afterlife as terrifying and painful as possible [Plenty of ghost cannibalism implied]. 

The Bats are unfortunately witnesses to the Eldritch horror display Danny makes.

And unfortunate for Batman, cause he basically finds himself in a custody battle for Jason lol. 

258 notes - Posted July 27, 2022

#2

@stealingyourbones, I know you already got a post about this au, but I really want to share this with you.

I really really want to write a bodyswap fic, I blame this post x

Scenes and shit have been rattling around in my head all morning while I was reorganizing my reblogs. I might not actually write it ever, but here are some things that I put into consideration

The bodyswap is between Danny the day of the accident and Jason after being dunked in the Pit, yes? Yes.

Now Danny, Danny is all brand new to this shit, right? No superhero experience, no ghost experience, no fresh added trauma [besides - you know! Thinking he’s gonna die]. The most exciting|terrifying thing he’s experienced beforehand is his dad’s driving - so given the events of the accident, I imagine he must be feeling pretty terrified waking up in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers, in a body that definitely isn’t his own.

Jason is a tough one, cause I don’t know if he was even the slightest bit aware of his situation pre!Lazarus Pit. If everything was muddled impressions, I’d imagine waking up in a body that just went through an alarming electrocution [and whatever side affects it brought besides the obvious] would be the first thing he’d notice. He’d be in pain, but he’d push that aside to take in the situation: Convulsive pains, everything feels wrong, disturbing basement lab, a massive glowing portal behind him, two teens crying and calling out for someone name Danny

But they’re looking at him

I’d like to think Robin training kicks in immediately, so he tries to comfort them and put them at ease before reaching out to reassure them all while trying to find any sign of this Danny.

Cue seeing the small white-gloved hand and finally taking notice of the prepubescent body he’s currently in possession of.

Now considering the fact pre!Lazarus Pit events might’ve been muddled to him in his catatonic state, the small stature might not be all that confusing to him, though the lack of lean muscle might be.

How confusing must that be? No recollection of the years that past, yet you come back to awareness in a body as small as you last might’ve remembered it.

Sam and Tucker probably assume his silence is due to him finally noticing the change in his appearance. So they trying calling his attention

“Danny, you okay?” “It’s clearly obvious he’s not okay” “Hey! I don’t see you trying to do anything.”

With a pit of dread in his stomach, Jason looks up at the two, confused and slowly coming to very correct conclusions, and asks “Who the hell is Danny?” 

Sam and Tucker are a little too worried the portal might’ve scrambled his memory to be thrown off by the cursing, “Oh man, I knew this was a bad idea. His parents are gonna flip when they find out.” “Doubt it, I think they’ll be a little too excited over the portal being on to wonder what happened.” “....Okay, but Jazz will definitely be freaking out.” “We need to get him out of here.”

Cue them trying jog Danny’s memory while dragging him up to his room, which just cements Jason’s horrible no good theory.

Danny was put in some random room, left to his devices to come down from first time Lazarus episode [Whatever that is], he can’t take any comfort or guidance from the strange woman, confused by the fact she keeps calling him Jason. Trying to stomp down the fear that has a choke hold on him, he tries to pinpoint anything familiar about his current location, but he can’t garner much of anything from what he can see out the window. 

Frustrated, he focuses his attention on the body he’s currently possessing. He might’ve thought this was a gone-to-the-future experience, but there’s no familiar birthmarks or scars on this body [and by the firm reminder that this body belongs to a Jason].

He’s still stumbling on these longer legs and under the extra mass

He might’ve been a little horrified and nauseated by the Y shaped scar running down his [Jason’s] torso.

Okay, so he probably jumps to the conclusion that things might’ve gotten mixed up in the portal with whatever necromancy these weirdos were up to. Now he’s just wondering if his friend’s are freaking out over his corpse....or over whoever this Jason guy is.

Jason. Does it take a while to convince Sam and Tucker that he is not their friend Danny? Yes, does it take another minute to convince them he did not possess their friend’s body on purpose? Also yes, his foot is still suffering under the girl’s clunky boot as she tried threatening him for info.

This is after he gets himself worked up and finding out Danny Fenton’s body isn’t that much of an animated corpse after all [Thank god, the lack of heartbeat was really creeping him out], much to everyone’s relief.

Does he fall into a bit of a panic attack at being asked what’s the last thing he remembers? Definitely, and now these kids look just as put off as he feels.

Does it nearly happen again when he learns that neither he, nor Gotham, nor Bruce Wayne exist in this universe? Also yes, but it’s nice to know they’re at least getting somewhere.

Is Danny Fenton an alternate universe version of him????

It takes a hot minute to get his head on straight and form some kinda of plan: Keep this on the down low, explore this Ghost Zone in hopes of finding anything about dimensional travel, and keep this kid’s life in track.

How much of his identity should he keep from Sam and Tucker? It’s not like he exists in this universe.

Danny knows he’s in deep shit. He doesn’t have the complete picture, and he still isn’t sure if Jason was here with these assassins willingly or not [He’s leaning more on not, considering the situation he woke up to]. And the longer he’s here, the further into a corner he’s finding himself in.

The woman, Thalia, is getting suspicious. She stopped trying to talk about him about his mission and his training when any information she brought wrought no visible reaction from him [Why should he care if this random Bruce Wayne guy adopted a kid?? Who’s Batman - and what guy goes running around in a bat themed costume calling himself that????] and it takes an admittedly embarrassing time to realize these things are all related to owner of this body.

See the full post

279 notes - Posted November 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Back on my half-baked “Danny Phantom adopts Jason Todd” nonsense [Original post  x] with more detail:

Danny raising baby ghost Jason for however long Jason’s been dead. Jason basically yoinks out of Ghost Zone existence and Danny thinks he moved on or whatever have yous.

Danny’s reluctantly accepting of the fact, but he really liked the kid [or whatever the remnants of him were], so there’s a lot of sad times :( :( :(

Until Jay is being dunked in the pool in what we DCxDP fans collectively agree is corrupted/dead/impure ectoplasm.

All powerful being of the Infinite Realms that Danny is, immediately notices the return of his little ghostly fledgling and snatches him.

And just....never gives him back.

Talia and whatever other league members that were there just waiting for Jason to resurface and then just kinda stand there dumbfounded when it becomes clear to them that it ain’t happening

“......Welp, time for plan G-2.0″

Danny realizes he got a very amnesiatic, pissy LP corrupted baby back and decides it's time for some extensive therapy....and a purifying bath, cause his little Jay smells like rot.

Jason obviously ain't gung-ho about paternal figures and is very gung-ho about his revenge plans, but he obviously has no idea how to get out of the GZ so he’s kinda a lowkey prisoner for a while there.

The baths are nice.

The purifying is a long multi-session type thing, so Danny takes that time to just hammer it into Jason’s head “Hey, your plans for the morally corrupt are all fine and dandy, but maybe don’t go around hurting innocent people just cause you got a massive chip on your shoulder”

Danny basically makes it clear that Jason is still technically under his jurisdiction and he will kick his ass if he strays from the path of righteousness.

A robin is saved that day

See Bats? Danny ain’t a complete enabler

It takes months before Danny thinks Jason is clearheaded enough to go out into the world and start leaving his bloody prints. If he assigns some shadows to keep an eye on Jay in a fit of over-protectiveness, well then that’s his business

If he winds up staying around ClockWork’s tower to watch Jason kick ass and take heads like a proud parent watching his kid’s soccer game, well that’s his business too.

Shut up, ClockWork

Cue aforementioned scandal with the Joker. [After what I decided was a terrifying session of Joker getting tortured by the souls of his more angrier victims “That’s just a taste of what’s waiting for you on the other side >:)”]

Pure ectoplasm has a weird calming affect on the LP infected, so while reminding Jason that he has a purifying session next month, Danny gives him Cujo as a substitute in the mean time.

“He’ll be there to protect you, keep you company, keep you clearheaded. He obviously doesn’t need to be fed or taken out to do his business - you know the deal. Also just so you know, if these bats give you any trouble, Cujo will get you out of that mess.”

Danny says this, all while giving Batman that too wide, sharp-toothed grin

He spends a few minutes saying goodbye to Jason like he’s sending him off to school or smth.

Jason is lowkey embarrassed and maybe viciously gleeful at how awkward it’s making Batman.

Danny bids farewell like this was just another day of world saving, and not him basically telling Bruce he’s ain’t giving Jason back so easily before leaving in the same bone-chilling display as when he came in [ala Eldritch horror lookin, souls of the damned swarming him like a gruesome looking cloak, light fixtures flickering ala horror movie, with deranged whispers of what might have been him saying See you again soon]    

Robin may have gotten the promise that Jason wouldn't go after his ass, but he sure knows he ain’t sleeping tonight.

The others still feel the chills.

Jason remains unbothered “That’s just him being dramatic, he wanted to scare the shit out of you.”

And just leaves with his new dog.

They don’t get to follow.

See the full post

323 notes - Posted August 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[cafecitowriter]

In honour of Steggy Week Starting on Sunday

I’m pretty new to the Steggy fandom, but I wanted to share love to some of my favourite Steggy content creators (most of which ya’ll probably know of already, but they’ve all brought me immense amount of joy at one point or another and deserved a lil shout out). 

@teaandatale has written a lot of incredible fics (including the Ski Lodge AU series which I’m obsessed with)

@beautifulwhensarcastic who not only has some dope fics but also is an incredible gif maker and they have a series of Steve and Peggy’s Modern Adventures which I live for (also this one)

@doctorhelena has one of my fave comfort fics: How The Light Gets In, among many others

@pegsccarter makes beautiful gifs that I could literally stare at for hours if society didn’t expect me to work so I could pay rent. 

@sagesiren is writing Rest for the Wicked. It’s equal parts, suspenseful, dangerous, and sexy. We love a mob boss!Steve. 

@formerlyir I’ve only read the first chapter of like the way you burn but I’m already so into it and there’s a sequel to it called can’t have it both ways and am stoked about it!

@captainjimothycarter has written some really rad things 10/10 would recommend 

@steggyisimmortal has written the incredible Shield and Gun series. Check out all their other fics 

@roboticonography has written the Flames We Never Lit Verse which is one of my favourite modern AU’s (and also has many more things check them out)

@indiefic has written so many great things, among them You Can’t Take the Sky From Me which is my fave thing they’ve written

I’m having a lot of anxiety about forgetting people and I know there so many more folks not tagged here but truly I just wanted to thank these people (and all other content creators!!!) for sharing their talent with the fandom. Ya’ll are the best!

[beautifulwhensarcastic]

Hey, first I want to start by saying that I love your stories. There are two in specifics that I ask myself a few times and I would like to know: in Dark Appetites, Steve and Peggy in the face of everything that happened and even having solved themselves managed to overcome what happened? And Peggy about her new situation, did she learn to deal with without running away? Or did the thoughts of moving away still prowling around her and caused some discussions with Steve? I love this one, because seeing them in a universe where they are vampires and lavish such a powerful sex Appeal is luxurious and wonderful. My other question refers to New York Solstice, my curiosity is about what YOU thought after Peggy assumes to Steve who loves him and how for you the situation proceeded after that? I know what I imagine, but I would love to know what you think about it. Thank you, I emphasize again that I love your steggy stories and I would love to see more of them❤️✨

Hello! Thank you for this wonderful ask! It made me smile so hard not only because of your kind words, but because of your inquiry. It's not often I get asks like that without it being a part of writing game/meme. So thank you 😘

Dark Appetites - it's not that easy getting rid of old habits, especially ones that are connected to some insecurities. Peggy will try to work on her tendency to run away and instead communicate more with Steve, but occasional ideas about running away still cross her mind. Especially when things get hard regarding following Zola's trope and what he does to other vampires. However, this time it would be much harder for Peggy to leave, because Steve still hasn't lifted the ban on her outings. And he won't. They may be together, but she falls under the same rules as everyone else and has to serve her "sentence". Like he said: “It's the law. Archaic, but still law. Which you stomped all over.” His eyes darkened again. “Consequences of your actions didn't touch only you, Peggy. There has to be atonement.”

As for the New York Solstice, it's the kind of fic I love as a story, but would be very judgmental of in real life, lol. Honestly, it follows exactly as Steve says and does. Meaning, he won't be chivalrous or honorable, he won't step away just because Peggy has a husband. And Peggy's marriage wouldn't be just done so easily. Making final decisions takes Peggy some time and she purposely uses her new job in New York to postpone any final heartbreaks, though she knows well they're coming and she has to cut the cord soon.

I toyed a bit with an idea that Daniel follows her to NY no problem, unaware of his wife having a hot affair with Steve. He plays house, finds a job here, all the while Peggy is very busy in her new career position (as well all the bendy positions Steve fucks her in). At some point shit hits the fan. Either Daniel starts pushing for them to start a family, or finally realizes those marks on Peggy's body can't be all from fieldwork. Daniel is heartbroken, Peggy is tired of dealing with it all, and Steve is simply unrepentant.

BUT, if I were to write a follow-up to the main story, I'd focus on Peggy actually trying to work on herself (not her deltoids - if you read, you get the joke). Meaning, she'd come clean to Daniel and end things with him before moving fully to NY. Obviously, divorce takes longer than few weeks and there's a lot of emotions involved, but she moves back to NY without her soon to be ex husband. Gossips spread fast, however, so Peggy starts her first months already known to some as an alpha boss bitch who bangs Captain Rogers. Peggy doesn't care much - she's a badass at her job, makes serious changes, and gets mindblowing orgasms.

[captainjimothycarter]

The Best Things in Life Are Unpredictable CH 7: Missed Connections

Steggy Week Day 2 - WIP

Peggy is by Steve’s side when he wakes up.

It was all up to Steve as to when he’d wake up and Peggy couldn’t have been more impatient.

In the back of her mind, in that lawl between sleeping and awake, she could hear footsteps padding across the room. She wanted to force herself to wake up, to check who was in here with Steve but ultimately decided none of that mattered when a soft blanket was wrapped around her shoulders and metal fingers gently stroked her hair.

“Sleep, Peggy,” Bucky’s rumbling voice told her. “Steve’s in good hands.”

Peggy hummed from her position, her face turning into the knitted blanket that had been draped over Steve’s torso, shifting so he was more comfortable. She would’ve argued but found that Bucky was right. If anything, God forbid, would happen, Steve was safe and she was here.

It was all on Steve when he decided to wake up and knowing him, it would be in the most dramatic of fashions.

She didn’t care in what manner he woke up in, as long as he woke up and came back to her. He smelled too much of a hospital for her liking, that too clean, acidic, bleach smell staining his skin and everything in this room. The black bags under his eyes seemed a permanent part of his features. He almost seemed smaller in size, his body having focused far too much on healing.

She didn’t care. She didn’t care if he’d never walk again, she’d be right there with him, through it all. All that mattered to her was that Steve Rogers was right here and he was going to get better. There was still plenty to worry about in his recovery and what was to come, that her poor Steve, hero to many, would face a long, long road of recovery.

Peggy is sure that Bucky leaves in the middle of the night, half aware that he’s gently touching her hair and whispering something to her. She’s not too focused on it, rather falling back into her dream-filled sleep of the future she and Steve would carve for themselves.

Her fingers curl around Steve’s hand, and the lull of the heart monitor drags her back into a gentle slumber. It’s only when the monitor starts to slowly pick up, the annoying pitch starts to wake her up a little more.

Peggy is sure it’s Bucky that’s touching her again, trying to rouse her from sleep. The touch is a little shaken as they stroke her hair and run their knuckles down her cheek, cold to the touch.

“Five more minutes,” Peggy sighs, turning to rub her face into the blanket. “Just…five more minutes, please.”

Hospital AU - @allcapsbingo, caretaker - @mfbingo, Camp Out - @peggycarterbingo, "Batman won't like this." - @yearoftheotpevent

[qqueenofhades]

Steggy + Old Guard AU? Also hi! So happy you're back! Hope you're good!

The sun won’t come up over the snowy mountains for almost another hour, and the rooftop is drenched in chilly violet shadows, the narrow cobbled street below still almost entirely black. Streetlamps burn in amber orbs that cast eerie halos, and Steve’s breath gusts in clouds of silver whenever he exhales. He’s been sitting up here for hours, keeping a sharp eye on the plaza below, and even the twin blessings of super-soldier serum and functional immortality don’t make it any less damn cold. He might break off little bits when he stands up.

Steve blows on his hands and shifts his position. This isn’t any worse than some of his more rugged escapades with the Howling Commandos, and at least a hot drink isn’t too far away. They’ve been in Sokovia for almost three weeks, tracking the elusive Baron Strucker and his rumored Hydra base, and the inland Balkans in January are not exactly a summer vacation. Indeed, far from it. Sokovia is a tiny ex-Soviet breakaway republic that sits in the shadow of the forbidding Rila Mountains, roughly equidistant from Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia. Nobody informed Steve beforehand that the lowest temperature recorded here at this time of year was twenty-three below zero Fahrenheit.

He’s properly shivering by the time there’s a sound behind him, he turns, and sees Peggy, clad in fatigues, parka, beret, and boots, an AK-47 slung over her shoulder. She crosses the rooftop and sits down next to him, and Steve immediately scoots in, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He presses his cold face to the back of her warm neck, and Peggy bites a yelp. “So that’s why you’re so pleased to see me,” she whispers, pulling the rifle off her back and holding it ready in her lap. Even a large and (self-servingly, but still) amorous lover cannot distract Margaret Carter from the mission. “Arse.”

Steve can’t deny it, so he shrugs. Then again, it’s been like this for almost seventy-five years, since his first death in 1945, when he crashed the plane into the ice and for some reason, entirely aside from the effects of Erskine’s serum, he didn’t die. Or rather he did, but then he woke up, and it’s happened several times since. Then there was Peggy’s first death-not-a-death in 1947, when the Zero Matter should have killed her – did kill her, actually, and then –

Just as Steve is about to enquire whether there are any other methods of keeping warm while they wait, there’s a sound on the street below. Sokovia’s old town is a picture-perfect Eastern European chocolate box, with red steeples and gingerbread houses, but it’s broken by shouting, dark sprinting figures, and a ruckus that shatters the predawn stillness. Steve leaps to his feet, ready to plunge off the roof and join the fray, but even with his enhanced reflexes, Peggy manages to be faster. She goes to one knee, slams the rifle against her shoulder, closes one eyes, sights down the barrel, and fires.

One of the dark figures turns a boneless somersault and hits the deck, as Peggy jacks out the spent cartridge and prepares to fire again. By that time Steve is already leaping, cold air whistling past his ears as he plunges past an elegant iron-work balcony and lands on the icy stones. A few frenzied minutes later, it’s all over, and as they both breathe hard and turn to each other, Steve and Bucky quickly assess that the other is still in one piece. Then another shadow swoops out of the chilly sky, lands, folds in his metal wings, and says, sounding a little miffed, “You guys know I had that covered, right?”

“Morning to you too.” Steve raises an eyebrow at Sam Wilson. He’s the youngest immortal of the team; he joined them in 1995, which means that Steve has now had to endure a full twenty-three years of his bickering foreplay with Bucky and arguments about whether to move the goddamn seat up. But at last they seem to be getting somewhere, because if they don’t sneak off and hook up in the dingy hotel bathroom after this, Steve will eat his entire Captain America uniform. Hilariously, Sam and Bucky steadfastly believe a) that they are being discreet and still totally acting like they hate each other, and b) that Steve and Peggy have no idea what is going on between them. Steve loves them both dearly, but no one ever said they were geniuses.

“You know,” Bucky shoots back at Sam. “If Zemo’s still looking for us, maybe you shouldn’t fly around in the open like a – ”

Sam rolls his eyes. “It’s called tactics. If we can draw him out, then – ”

Steve waits patiently for them to proceed through this stage. They’ve been after Helmut Zemo, the dangerous Sokovian leader of the Echo Scorpion paramilitary squad, who might have intel that can lead them to Strucker, and by the sounds of things, they argued the whole way. Then Peggy joins the party, not-so-clandestinely rolling her eyes. Living with three large immortal men who like to blow things up and repress their feelings like champions can be a call for a lot of that. “Good morning, gentlemen,” she barks, making Steve, Bucky, and Sam snap reflexively to attention. “Are we ready to go?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky says meekly. “Yes, we’re ready.”

With that, the team hurries up the street, staying low and keeping to the shadows. As they climb, Steve whispers pointedly to Bucky, “So how are things between you and Sam?”

“Fine.” Bucky determinedly keeps his eyes forward. It’s still sometimes miraculous that they have him back – after his first death in 1944 and the years he spent as the terrifying Winter Soldier, everything that Steve and Peggy went through to rescue and deprogram him, the fact that Steve can do anything so simple as tease him about a crush. “Why?”

“Mm. No reason.”

Steve must say this a little too angelically, because Bucky gives him some epic side-eye. “You’re a jerk,” he says, offering Steve a hand up the steep embankment. “Know that?”

“Punk.” Steve grips hold and lets Bucky lift him. He’s trying to say that it’s fine, that Bucky and Sam don’t have to hide, that he’s nothing but happy for them, and he hopes they feel safe enough to be together, whatever and however that may be. The four of them love each other in a way that literally transcends time and death, that will exist far beyond whatever they leave behind, whenever they finally do so. Their little immortal family out here in the world, doing their best to make it a better place, one day, one battle at a time. Always.

They reach the top of the street and look for a new route back to their safe house, where they can change clothes and get some strong coffee and continue the search for Strucker and Hydra. As Bucky marches ahead, clearly to save himself from any more probing questions about his relationship status, Peggy comes up next to Steve and slips her arm through his, with a look suggesting that she too has no objections to burning off post-battle adrenaline in a more intimate way. “They still think we’ve got no clue,” she says knowingly. “Don’t they?”

“Yeah.” Steve smiles at her, and she smiles back. “Let’s get going.”