#steve is my favorite reformed mean girl

[l0verb0yy]

[calumfmu]

your fics are godly. you wouldnt know you were in a slump!

could i request eddie and steve fighting over reader? like eddie shows up at family video and steve is stood between readers legs feeding her red vines and shes playing with his hair and eddie is like 😤 game on steven.

Hiii babe <3 thank you so muchhh. like genuinely, I could cry rn. Im really fucking trying lmfaoo so I hope this is good :)))) Steddie x Reader (who is playing them both) cw: swearing, allusions to sex, 2.1k+ words (I did it y'all + working on edits are next bc I'm shit at them, I can only do collage)

“Just call me for what time to pick you up, okay?” Eddie’s voice was soft when he spoke to you, tires screeching to a halt as the van pulled up in front of the Family Video. You were shy behind the smile that nursed your lips, trying not to fully beam at him as he ran out to open your passenger door.

“Yeah, yeah, I know the deal, Munson,” you teased, hoping out with your bag thrown over your shoulder.

He stood up close in your space, nearly chest to chest with you as he reached up to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear. He smelled like leather, the familiar scent filling your senses like a heated towel.

“Just looking out for my favorite girl,” he whispered, pecking your nose as you rolled your eyes playfully at his comment. You weren’t his girlfriend, but he loved to tease you when it came to claiming you as his. You couldn’t even pretend to be upset at it, loving the way he called you his and the pet names that followed.

“Is that what I am now?”

“My one and only.”

The look on his face warmed you up, his hair blowing in the wind as he leaned down to press his lips to yours. The kiss was soft, lips touching with the briefest sensation of want— remnants of your time spent in the hazy morning in his trailer, seated on his lap, pushing him down into the mattress.

You heard a throat clear to your right, only for you to look up and see Robin standing with her arms crossed, leaning against the glass door of the video store.

“You’re gonna be late,” she grumbled, shaking her head at the two of you intertwined. Blushing, you pulled away from him, his hand outstretching to hold yours for as long as possible while you took a few steps away. He reluctantly let go, your arms being stretched as the distance increased to be too much for contact.

“Call me!”

You nodded at him, waving him goodbye as he leaned against the van door. Meeting Robin’s side, you bumped your shoulder with hers.

“You know, you’re going to have to make a decision some day,” she said, holding the door open for you as you walked in. Your heart kicked up at her words, clearing your throat to ease away the discomfort.

“What do you mean?”

You fawned innocence, eyes batting up at her as she gave you that all knowing look. The two of you made it a few steps into the business, your eyes immediately searching for that chestnut colored mane, puppy dog eyes lingering amongst the aisles.

“You know what I mean,” she said, leaning into your ear so her words wouldn’t carry far. “They’re not dumb, you know.”

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about.” You called out behind you as you made your way around the counter. She grumbled something in reply, it being lost as you as your mind was set on one thing.

You gave her a cheery smile, walking to the back office to place your things down. Immediately upon entering, there he was— Steve, your other situation, if you could call it that. The serious look on his face immediately flipped around upon laying his eyes on you, teeth bared in a smile with his eyebrows raised.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, no. You didn’t mean to be playing both sides of the fence, Eddie on one hand, reserved for late nights and early mornings, Steve on the other, day time charades and afternoon picnics.

It just happened. Maybe somewhere along the mysterious shit that always happened around Hawkins where you got to spend time with reformed king more or the effort to clear the Munson boys name, you happened to fall for the two of them. At the same time. It wasn’t your fault, okay? They were both too pretty to make a decision, too good to you in their different ways, too much to be able to put down.

“Hi, pretty girl,” he muttered before crossing the floor to meet you in an embrace. You felt safe in his arms too, chest broad in muscle, cinnamon scent encompassing you. It was different than Eddie’s, yet all the same. “You’re late.”

You looked up at him, chin at his chest as his eyes stared down at you. Sleep wore on his face, big eyes drooping slightly, exhaustion from the early morning showing.

“Only 5 minutes,” You pouted, bottom lip jutting out. “You’d cover for me right? My ride was a little hectic.”

“You know I always do.”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead, pulling you out of the break room to meet Robin on the floor. She was labeling VHS cases, tongue poked out at the corner of her mouth as she focused on getting the stickers straight. Following his lead, he settled next to her, dividing the pile while you took a seat on the countertop, opening a box of candy that had just been shipped in.

Your legs swung in front of you, hitting the backboard of the counter you sat on. While the three of you focused on morning duties, your foot hit Steve’s thigh every now and then, smirk on your lips as you knew he would get “frustrated” eventually and “snap”.

“Babe,” he warned, pushing your foot with his hip as he threw a tape down on the pile. You laughed under your breath, grabbing packs of Red Vines out of the case.

“What am I doing?” You cocked your head to the side, not yet wanting to look up at the look he was giving you. You tapped him again, toe pointed as his hand reached down to grab your ankle.

“Playing dumb is really your strong suit,” Robin commented, raising her eyebrows as she looked at the two of you. You shot her a look, urging her to not continue as Steve rose an eyebrow.

“Rob, shut up,” you laughed, throwing the balled up packing tape you had accumulated from the boxes at her. She dodged it as she laughed, throwing her own scraps from labels towards you.

Steve’s grip on your ankle tightened slightly, he slid in between your parted legs, hips pressed flush against the counter as you tried to maneuver out of the grip, laughing as he locked you in.

“Playing dumb? You’re the smartest girl I know,” he teased, helping you unpack the candy while still seated between your legs. Robin made a face at you from behind him, immediately going serious when Steve turned around to give her a look. She loved teasing you whenever she had the opportunity, all jokes in good fun, no matter what she thought of the predicament you found yourself in.

“That’s so rude, Harrington,” she said, rolling her eyes as she took a stack of tapes to re-shelf. You watched as she walked away, getting lost in an aisle closer to the door.

He ignored her, placing his hands on your thighs as he abandoned the candy. You held a box of licorice in your hands, toying at the corners as you looked at him. The look on his face grew more serious, eyes squinted as he pursed his lips.

“I wanna know though… what are you so good with playing dumb at that Robin had to be oh, so mysterious about?”

Your heart lurched at his question, eyes darting down to look at the blue box in hand. The corner ripped underneath your hand, plastic being pulled back as you found sudden interest in it.

“Nothing.”

He hummed at the short answer, fingers coming up to pull your chin to focus on him. You met his eyes, chocolate brown wide as you melted at the look.

“Is that so?” Steve’s voice was low, a deep grumble coming from his chest. His fingers found your hips, pulling him into you quickly that made you yelp, candy flying everywhere as your hands flew up to grab at him.

“Steve! Look what you made me do!”

“You still didn’t answer me.”

You groaned, looking at the mess of red candy that laid around you. He picked up a stick of licorice, taking a bite out of it before feeding it to you. You smiled around it, hand coming up to rest at his chest as you went to push him away from you. His scent of cinnamon hit you, preventing you from the motion, instead curling your fingers into the fabric of his striped shirt, sat under his vest. You dragged it up the length of his body, settling into his hair as you curled a piece of it between your fingertips.

“Hey, uhhh… you guys…” Robin’s voice was wary as she spoke across the floor, yet the two of you didn’t register it, focused on each other.

She hurriedly made her ways towards you guys, foot steps coming closer as her gaze was focused on something outside the doors. You took another bite of the candy from Steve’s fingers, looking up at him through your lashes as you made a show of it.

The bell above the door rang, signaling entry as the two of you remained distracted.

“You forgot your jacket in my…”

Your heart stopped. You recognized that voice. Eddie stood there, your jean jacket in his hand as he faltered his steps, feet away from the counter. The look on his face dropped, eyes glaring at Steve who stood in front of you. Pushing him away, you hoped off the counter.

Robin stood frazzled behind him, eyes wide as her eyes glinted between the three of you. Her mouth was dropped open, cringing at the awkward situation it was.

“Steve.”

The tone of the name had you cringing, realizing that Eddie saw you at no fault, this was up to Steve. He slowly made his way up to the counter, jean jacket being placed on the flat surface as he stared down the younger man.

“Than—” You cleared your throat. “Thank you, Eddie.”

He hummed in response, not breaking the staring contest that he found himself in. Steve shifted uncomfortably, quickly swallowing down the piece of candy he had.

“You had her jacket in your van?” The realization of the situation began to dawn on him, voice dripping with the same tone Eddie had. It was all directed towards the long haired man, leaving you out of it.

“Mhmm,” Eddie said, crossing his arms over his chest. You felt small between them, both boys beginning to size each other up. “She must have left it last night when she came over.”

You shot a look at Robin, begging her to help you as you didn’t know what to do. She shrugged at you, mouthing ‘told you so’ before turning on her heel, scurrying away from the budding altercation. Sighing, you placed a hand at your forehead, the temperature in the building rising suddenly.

“Came over?” Steve asked, stepping up to the counter, closer to him. You were grateful for the separation between them, not daring to think about what would’ve happened if it wasn’t there.

“That’s right, pretty boy.” You don’t think you had heard Eddie ever speak to Steve in that manner, them becoming ‘friends’ in the most recent months.

“That must have been after our trip in my car.” Steve’s eyebrow shot up. “To Skull Rock.” His palm pressed on the counter, leaning over in his direction. “After sunset.”

You could’ve passed out right then and there if it weren’t for the way Eddie suddenly smiled at him, teeth bared in a grin you had only seen reserved for you. He walked even closer to the counter, face inches away from Steve’s at this point.

“Touché, Harrington.”

With a quirk of his eyebrow, he turned away, walking towards the door. His hand shot out to push it open, lingering in the frame before turning to face you.

“See you later, sweetheart. Pick you up at 6, normal time?”

The subtle nod of your head had him smiling even wider, the chains around his neck clinking together as he tilted his head in response.

“She’s got plans with me at 7, Munson!” Steve’s voice shouted out to him as he exited, a loud ‘HA!’ left behind in his wake. The counter swung shut, bell ringing as the shutters on the door rattled.

You just stood there for a minute, wondering what the fuck you got yourself into. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, most definitely wasn’t supposed to be discovered like this. You closed your eyes, leaning onto the counter with your elbows, head rested in your hands.

“You are so fucked,” Robin laughed, returning to your side. You just nodded in response, palms digging into your eye sockets. Stars floated behind your closed lids, dancing in the darkness behind them.

“Shut it, Robin.”

Masterlist. Inbox and requests are open! Part two <3

[familyvideostevie]

🐚 SEASHELL: i feel like steve is very dial drunk by noah kahan coded so may i please request "i ain't proud of all the punches that i've thrown / in the name of someone i no longer know" with our favorite reformed mean girl! THANK U EMMA ILY <33

kait!! i took this and twisted it a little bit, hope that's okay! ily <3 here's steve helping you after you get in a fight :)

--

"Stop looking so smug," Steve grumbles. "This could have been a really shitty situation." His hands are gentle despite his grumpy tone. He feels really tall from where you sit on the closed toilet

"I'm pretty sure he accidentally punched me," you remind him. "And he looked like he was going to cry after. Especially when you showed up."

"I should have broken his nose," he mutters. "I think this is gonna be a black eye. How's it feel?"

He prods at the crest of your cheekbone and you hiss, fingers gripping the seams of his jeans. "Ow, Steve." His touch lightens but his expression doesn't.

"That'll teach you to get in fights." He rubs the bruise cream into your skin and you scoff.

"Excuse me," you say. "First of all, I didn't 'get' in the fight." You use your fingers as air quotes and his mouth twitches. "I tried to stop one, and then he punched me as a reaction so I punched him back."

"Shitty punch."

He's already bandaged your split knuckle and complained about your form. Steve gets a bit testy when he's really worried, so you're taking it in stride. After he finished bandaging you up he'll be clingy and at your beck and call.

"Second of all, I have it on very good authority that you used to get in fights all the time. And lose."

He knows you're joking. You've talked about his past a lot since you got together -- late nights with his head in your lap as he explained the shit he's caused and been on the receiving end of.

"Yeah, yeah," he sighs. "Laugh it up, slugger. At least I know how to throw a punch."

"But you don't, anymore." It's not really a question. It's more of a reminder for Steve that you know who he is.

He shakes his head, traces your bottom lip with his thumb. "Nope," he says, popping the p. "Unless someone tries to punch my girlfriend again. Then it's all fair play."

You laugh then wince when it pulls at your eye. Steve frowns and leans down to kiss your closing lid gently before doing the same to your lips. "Let's get some ice on that."

join the celebration!

[ladykailitha]

All My Roads Lead Back to You Part 10

My posting schedule went a tad skiwampus with the First Kiss fic and with it being Memorial Day tomorrow and all that entails with my family I’ll be too busy to post. So...you get this today!

Dustin tells Eddie what really went down with Steve’s last partner Andy. Edie and Harri are beyond thrilled about their dads friendship blossoming. And Steve’s views on fantasy novels are the author’s own (no hate in the comments and tags please).

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

***

Band practice rolled around again and Steve was finally able to use Dustin’s new ear plugs. The little twerp was right. They fit snugly in the ear without feeling like he was under water. He sat in the front room reading, nearby the garage in case they needed anything.

There was a knock on the door and Steve looked up to see Eddie smiling at him.

“Eddie!” he said with a smile. He scrambled to take out the plugs and put back in his hearing aid. “Are they done already?” He looked at his watch, but it read barely after eight.

Eddie grinned back. “Nah, just wanted to say hi. I got done with my stuff early and figured it would be fun to spend it with company.”

Steve pulled off his glasses and put them away. He was about to set the book next them when it was snatched out his hands.

“Good Omens?” Eddie asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Steve laughed. “Jeff lent it to me. It’s not bad.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “Not bad? You are calling on of the best fantasy novels of our generation ‘not bad’.”

Steve shrugged. “It’s not my thing I guess.”

Eddie pressed his fingers into his eye frustration. “You’re going to finish it, at least, I hope.”

Steve smiled up at him. “Sure. It’s not like I hate it or anything. I’m enjoying it, I’m just not...um...” He pursed his lips together.

“No, please go on,” Eddie said in that teasing tone Steve missed.

“Freaking out over it?” Steve finished with a grimace.

Eddie laughed. “God, man. Do you ever change?”

Steve rolled his eyes and scoffed. “I think we both know that I’ve changed a lot since high school.”

Eddie threw himself next to Steve on the sofa. “Nah. You would call Tommy H. and Carol off all the time. I think you just realized you didn’t have to pretend to be something you weren’t.”

Steve blushed. “Thanks, man. But I’m only a barely reformed mean girl.”

Eddie laughed. “Okay, maybe a little.”

They sat there talking about the fantasy books that Steve had read and what his favorites were.

“I enjoyed the ‘Incarnations of Immortality’ by Piers Anthony up until the last one,” Steve admitted.

“Evil was soo good,” Eddie agreed, “it was hard to come with a finale that came close to that brilliance.”

“Exactly!” Steve replied excitedly. “Time was a little weird.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “And boring too. Who would have thought that someone living backwards could be so uninteresting!”

Steve laughed.

And it was then that Edie and Harri came into the room.

Eddie looked over at his son with a smile. “You guys done?”

Harri nodded. “Yeah. I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

Eddie patted Steve on the knee and then used it to help him stand. “See you around, Harrington.” He winked.

Steve grinned back. “Laters, Munson.”

After Harri and Eddie left Edie turned to her dad and raised an eyebrow. “That was certainly interesting.”

“What?” Steve asked as he put on his glasses to go back to his book.

“You looked friendly.”

Steve looked up at her over his glasses. “I’m not sure you’re aware of this, but we were friends at one point.”

“You know you keep saying that,” Edie said, flopping on the sofa next to him. “But like how?”

“Turns out that we had more in common than we thought,” he said, setting the book aside. He knew he wasn’t going to get back to it at this point.

“Like what?” she asked, curling up to his side.

Steve put his arm around her and pulled her in close. “Our music tastes, for one. He thought I would be like Aunt Nancy and like pop and synth. But I was closer to Robin’s tastes with bands like The Cure, Depech Mode, and REM. Which aligned closer to his tastes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Dio...the list goes on. I opened up his mind to other genres of music and he helped find metal that wouldn’t make head hurt.”

“That’s so cool,” Edie said.

“I got him into mysteries and he got me into fantasy books,” Steve continued, softly stroking her hair. “Uncle Dusty kept trying to push fantasy on me. But not Eddie. He’d listen to my tastes and found books he’d thought I’d like.”

“Sounds like a good guy,” Edie murmured, almost asleep.

“He was,” Steve said. “After your mother and I finalized the divorce, I tried reaching out. But it wasn’t a good time. They were in the middle of the surrogacy of Harri and I was in a bad place. Jeff told me that Jay was good for Eddie and wait until after the baby was born if I still wanted to be friends.”

“And did you want to be friends?” she slurred, seconds from sleep.

“No, honey,” Steve said as she drifted off to sleep. “I was more in love with him than I’d ever been.”

*

Edie woke up on sofa, her pillow under her head and her blanket over her body. When she was little Steve would carry her to bed, but she had long outgrew his ability to do so. But he always went out of his way to make her comfortable.

She got ready for school and kissed him goodbye. He had an early meeting at work and she had drive herself again. She didn’t mind driving, but she missed their talks on the way to and from school.

When she got to school Harri was waiting for her. “Hey, Miss Thing!”

Edie fist bumped him. “H-man! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company on this fine Thursday in hell?”

Harri laughed. “You know, it wasn’t until our dads met that I realized how much you remind me of mine.”

Edie giggled. “Is he an over the top nerd with dramatic tendencies, too?”

Harri looked her in the eye and said, “Yes.”

Edie’s giggle turned into a full on belly laugh. “Duly noted.”

“So...our dads were looking pretty cozy on your couch last night,” he said, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

Edie rolled her eyes. “I know, right? Dad swears that they were just catching up.”

“Same,” Harri said. “But my dad is smiling more in the last week then he has the five years since my Papa died.”

Eddie waved her hand dramatically. “My dad was singing Judas fucking Priest in the kitchen. I didn’t even know he knew what metal even was!”

“That is incredible,” Harri said. “Judas Priest is one of my dad’s favorite bands.”

Edie scoffed. “Color me not surprised.”

“I think they’ve got too many hangups with each other to get together,” Harri said, pushing his finger tips against each other, “like a couple. But it would be cool if they became friends again.”

“Yeah.”

*

Steve walked into his meeting with Dustin and his top two techs with a whistle on his lips and spring in his step.

“Dude!” Dustin said with grin. “Looking good, Steve-o. What’s got you in such a good mood?”

Steve just shrugged and winked.

“So I hear Eddie’s back in town,” Dustin said, aiming for casual and missed by a mile.

Steve barked out a laugh. “Like you didn’t know that before I did. But yes, I’ve seen him...um...three times now?”

Dustin’s eyes went wide and huffed a laugh. “Three? I thought Edie only had her band practice on Wednesday. That’s twice, Steve. When did you see him the third time?”

“Wait...” Steve said. “Who said anything about seeing him at Edie’s band practice?”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “Eddie did. When he asked for you number?”

Steve huffed. “Right.” He turned to the other two techs. “So what have you got for me?”

Dustin eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you deflecting the question, Steve. I will get it out of you later.”

Steve grinned. “You could try. Or you could ask Eddie. He seems more willing to talk about it then I am.”

“I wonder why that is,” Dustin said.  

Steve shrugged, but the meeting continued without a hitch. All the while Dustin kept glancing over at Steve, a knowing look in his eye.

Steve would just duck his head to hide his smile and Dustin would be forced to go back to paying attention to the meeting.

After Steve left, Dustin pulled out his phone and called Eddie. “You know, when I told you to stop running away from Steve, I wasn’t expecting you to run toward him.”

Eddie laughed. “Blame Harri and Edie for that one. I got told by Harri that if I broke up their band he would release my baby pictures online for everyone to see.”

Dustin blinked and then shrugged. “Yeah, okay. So you decided to what? Befriend Steve?”

“Right in one, Dusty-bun,” Eddie agreed.

Dustin rolled his eyes. “I hate that my mom taught you that.”

“Hey, hey,” Eddie said all seriousness. “We do not disrespect Claudia Henderson, not ever.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dustin grumped. “So, the reason I’m calling is to ask you not to fuck this up. And I’m going to asking Steve, too, just so you know this isn’t pick on Eddie day. You two were the closest things I had to older brothers and it killed me when you guys tore each other apart. I just want to see you be friends again.”

Eddie let out a shuddering sigh. “I know. I’m sorry I kept forcing you to pick sides. That wasn’t fair. You were helping him with his hearing and I was being a little bitch.”

Dustin sighed. “Maybe just a little one.”

“I’m not going to date him,” Eddie swore into the resulting silence. “I can’t put myself out there like that.”

Dustin sighed again. “I doubt you’d get him to even try if you wanted to.”

“Edie said his last partner cheated on him,” Eddie said softly.

Dustin flopped into his desk chair and threw his head back. “It was more than that. Edie doesn’t know and the only reason I do, is because I was with Steve when it happened.”

“What did happened?” Eddie asked, a frown evident in his voice. “How bad could it possibly be?”

“Like walking in on your partner participating in a gang bang, him and two other guys banging some chick in your bed, levels of bad.”

“Fuck!”

“That’s certainly what they were doing, yes,” Dustin said. “It broke Steve. Like really bad.”

Eddie’s breath became ragged as he fought down his temper. “He didn’t deserve that.”

Dustin choked back tears. “No he didn’t. I can’t go into more than that. But, fuck, man. He was a wreck.”

“And so he swore off dating?” Eddie asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Yeah,” Dustin whispered. “So be gentle. Go slow. And of course I’ll tell Steve the same about you. But I just wanted to let you know why.”

Eddie sighed. “Yeah. Of course. Thanks for telling me.”

“Bye Eddie.”

***

Part 11  Part 12  Part 13 Part 14  Part 15  Part 16 Part 17  Part 18  Epilogue

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk​ @trashpocket @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @mightbeasleep @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @trashpocket @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666  @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @steddie-as-they-go @lillemilly @callas-shitshow @bisexualdisastersworld @renaissan-vvitch @immortal-iratze @bookbinderbitch @thylatrek @lilacrobin @nightmareglitter @nerdsconquerall

[riality-check]

ooo? for the character list thingy: you know it's gotta be my boyloser my barely-reformed mean girl my babygirl Steve Harrington. [grabby hands (/playful)!]

Oh let's go!!

Favorite thing about him: I mean, it's gotta be his whole redemption arc. His character growth is unmatched, especially from season 1 to season 2. I love to see him mess up and learn to be a better person. It feels super real.

Least favorite thing about him: His self-sacrificing behavior. I love it, it's ripe with angst potential, but someone needs to look at him and say that he doesn't have to risk everything for other people, that he can ask for help, too!

Favorite line: "My problem is that you guys are assholes!" from when he blows off Tommy and Carol in season 1. (Can you tell I just did a rewatch?) It's the beginning of him becoming a better person, and I love it, looking back.

brOTP: Steve & Robin, all the way, with honorable mentions to Steve & Dustin and Steve & Max. Platonic soulmatism is unmatched, but I also love Steve being a really awesome older brother for the two kids in the party who don't have siblings.

OTP: Steddie. One thousand percent. I don't think I need to say any more.

nOTP: Stancy. But only because I think it would be detrimental to both of their characters if they were to get back together. I love them individually as characters, and I think that if they had a long talk, they could be really awesome friends, but I don't see them together romantically.

Random headcanon: Steve hates his full name. I wrote a fic about it.

Unpopular opinion: The fandom tends to brush over the fact that Steve is still mean. That doesn't mean he's a bad person; it just means he doesn't think before he speaks and falls back on bad habits sometimes. He's easily frustrated and will insult people, but the important thing that differentiates him now from him back in season 1 is that he apologizes and actually cares. But Steve being mean is half his fun, and I wish more people would take advantage of it!

Song I associate with him: I'm gonna be a bit basic and say "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears, but I'm also going to have a blorbo projection moment and also say "Normal" by The Wrecks. You can't tell me that when he's surrounded by literal geniuses, and they're all in relationships when he isn't that he won't feel some type of way about it.

Favorite picture of him: the bat is simply too iconic not to include

Thanks so much for asking, and, if you want, you can ask me about a character!

[steve-harringtons-blog]

Your favorite? Really? I’m not blushing at all, nope!

I did in fact already know that, you’re somewhat of legend I think. What with being King Steve and all.

Oh, that stuff... Yeah, really thought I peaked in high school. Not really my proudest moments; lots of herd mentality and a desperate need to belong somewhere.

I feel like life became better once I lost that title. Robin likes to call me a “reformed mean girl.” And I hope you don't get scared off by some of the old King Steve stories.

I’d gladly just be Steve to you. 🤎

[ucflibrary]

Women’s History Month began as a week-long celebration in Sonoma, California in 1978 which was centered around International Women’s Day on March 8. A year later during a women’s history conference at Sarah Lawrence College, participants learned how successful the week was and decided to initiate similar in their own areas. President Carter issued the first proclamation for a national Women’s History Week in 1980. In 1987, Congress (after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project) passed Pub. L. 100-9 designating March as Women’s History Month. U.S. Presidents have issued proclamations on Women’s History Month since 1988.

 The Libraries will be hosting two virtual events to celebrate Women’s History Month for 2021. The first is a talk by Nicholson School of Communication faculty member, Dr. Kimberly Voss, called “Make No Mistake, Florida is Crucial”: Sen. Lori Wilson and the Equal Rights Amendment, which discusses efforts to ratify the ERA in Florida. The second is a panel discussion called Women & Academia in the Time of COVID where five UCF faculty and administrators will discuss the impact of the COVID pandemic and remote learning on their teaching, scholarship, service loads and personal lives. Both events are free and open to the public. Click on the links to register to attend.

 We have created a list of books about women, both history and fiction, suggested by staff. Please click on the read more link below to see the full book list with descriptions and catalog links. And don’t forget to stop by the John C. Hitt Library to browse the featured bookshelf on the main floor near the Research & Information Desk for additional Women’s History Month books.

 A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter Elnora Comstock grows up on the banks of Limberlost Swamp in Indiana with her bitter mother, Katharine. Unable to afford an education, Elnora develops a plan to sell artifacts and moths from the swamp. Suggested by Pat Tiberii, Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services

 A Woman of No Importance: the untold story of the American spy who helped win World War II by Sonia Purnell Based on new and extensive research, Sonia Purnell has for the first time uncovered the full secret life of Virginia Hall--an astounding and inspiring story of heroism, spycraft, resistance, and personal triumph over shocking adversity. It is the breathtaking story of how one woman's fierce persistence helped win the war. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 All the Horrors of War: a Jewish girl, a British doctor, and the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by Bernice Lerner Drawing on a wealth of sources, including Hughes's papers, war diaries, oral histories, and interviews, this gripping volume combines scholarly research with narrative storytelling in describing the suffering of Nazi victims, the overwhelming presence of death at Bergen-Belsen, and characters who exemplify the human capacity for fortitude. Lerner, Rachel's daughter, has special insight into the torment her mother suffered. The first book to pair the story of a Holocaust victim with that of a liberator, it compels readers to consider the full, complex humanity of both. Suggested by Katie Kirwan, Acquisitions & Collections

 Data Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein This book offers strategies for data scientists seeking to learn how feminism can help them work toward justice, and for feminists who want to focus their efforts on the growing field of data science. But it is about much more than gender. It is about power, about who has it and who doesn't, and about how those differentials of power can be challenged and changed. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Field o' My Dreams: the poetry of Gene Stratton-Porter compiled and edited by Mary DeJong Obuchowski In her introduction to Porter’s work, Obuchowski argues that the natural and spiritual themes of Porter’s poetry mirror the self-same concerns regarding nature and social issues found in her fiction and nonfiction. Reflecting and in some cases reacting against, current social attitudes at a time of political and demographic change, she was in demand as a columnist for popular magazines and a widely read fiction writer. Porter wielded considerable influence over her reading public, and in that role she acted as a reformer, particularly regarding the environment but also on behalf of women, children, and education. Suggested by Pat Tiberii, Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services

 Finish the Fight!: the brave and revolutionary women who fought for the right to vote written by the Staff of The New York Times Who was at the forefront of women's right to vote? We know a few famous names, like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but what about so many others from diverse backgrounds—black, Asian, Latinx, Native American, and more—who helped lead the fight for suffrage? On the hundredth anniversary of the historic win for women's rights, it's time to celebrate the names and stories of the women whose stories have yet to be told. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment by Eleanor Clift In this riveting account, political analyst Eleanor Clift chronicles the many thrilling twists and turns of the suffrage struggle and shows how the issues and arguments that surrounded the movement still reverberate today. Beginning with the Seneca Falls Woman’s Rights Convention of 1848, Clift introduces the movement’s leaders, recounts the marches and demonstrations, and profiles the opposition–antisuffragists, both men and women, who would do anything to stop women from getting the vote. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee Casey Han's four years at Princeton gave her many things, "But no job and a number of bad habits." Casey's parents, who live in Queens, are Korean immigrants working in a dry cleaner, desperately trying to hold on to their culture and their identity. Their daughter, on the other hand, has entered into rarified American society via scholarships. But after graduation, Casey sees the reality of having expensive habits without the means to sustain them. As she navigates Manhattan, we see her life and the lives around her, culminating in a portrait of New York City and its world of haves and have-nots. This fresh exploration of the complex layers we inhabit both in society and within ourselves. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 From Equal Suffrage to Equal Rights: Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party, 1910-1928 by Christine A. Lunardini The woman's movements and work in American history during the second two decades, was dramatic. It dealt with the past, with pageants and politics; with different organizations and with conflict from within. It took on the Democrats, founded a National Woman's Party; it waged a home front war. It dealt with prison, and resolution. It went from equal suffrage to equal rights. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Indelicacy by Amina Cain A cleaning woman at a museum of art nurtures aspirations to do more than simply dust the paintings around her. She dreams of having the liberty to explore them in writing, and so must find a way to win herself the time and security to use her mind. She escapes her lot by marrying a rich man, but having gained a husband, a house, high society, and a maid, she finds that her new life of privilege is no less constrained. Not only has she taken up different forms of time-consuming labor - social and erotic - but she is now, however passively, forcing other women to clean up after her. Perhaps another and more drastic solution is necessary? Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 See Jane Win: the inspiring story of the women changing American politics by Caitlin Moscatello After November 8, 2016, first came the sadness; then came the rage, the activism, and the protests; and, finally, for thousands of women, the next step was to run for office—many of them for the first time. More women campaigned for local or national office in the 2018 election cycle than at any other time in US history, challenging accepted notions about who seeks power and who gets it. Journalist Caitlin Moscatello reported on this wave of female candidates for New York magazine's The Cut, Glamour, and Elle. In this book, she further documents this pivotal time in women's history. Closely following four candidates throughout the entire process, from the decision to run through Election Day, readers are taken inside their exciting, winning campaigns and the sometimes thrilling, sometimes brutal realities of running for office while female. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Taking on the Trust: the epic battle of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller by Steve Weinberg Long before the rise of mega-corporations like Wal-Mart and Microsoft, Standard Oil controlled the oil industry with a monopolistic force unprecedented in American business history. Undaunted by the ruthless power of its owner, John D. Rockefeller, a fearless and ambitious reporter named Ida Minerva Tarbell confronted the company known simply as “The Trust.” Through her peerless fact gathering and devastating prose, Tarbell, a muckraking reporter at McClure’s magazine, pioneered the new practice of investigative journalism. Her shocking discoveries about Standard Oil and Rockefeller led, inexorably, to a dramatic confrontation during the opening decade of the twentieth century that culminated in the landmark 1911 Supreme Court antitrust decision breaking up the monopolies and forever altering the landscape of modern American industry. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 The Book of Gutsy Women: favorite stories of courage and resilience by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, share the stories of the gutsy women who have inspired them—women with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women and girls remains a big piece of the unfinished business of the twenty-first century. While there's a lot of work to do, we know that throughout history and around the globe women have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made progress possible for all of us. That is the achievement of each of the women in this book. To us, they are all gutsy women -- leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. So in the moments when the long haul seems awfully long, we hope you will draw strength from these stories. Because if history shows one thing, it's that the world needs  gutsy women. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 The Good Fight by Shirley Chisholm Chisholm describes being the first woman, and first black woman, to run for President, and how politicians operate. She writes about her relationships with black political leaders Walter Fauntroy, Louis Stokes, Ron Dellums, and Julian Bond. She gives her views on what direction black politics should take in the years to come. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Unapologetic: a Black, queer, and feminist mandate for radical movements by Charlene A. Carruthers Drawing on Black intellectual and grassroots organizing traditions, including the Haitian Revolution, the US civil rights movement, and LGBTQ rights and feminist movements, Carruthers challenges all of us engaged in the social justice struggle to make the movement for Black liberation more radical, more queer, and more feminist. She offers a flexible model of what deeply effective organizing can be, anchored in the Chicago model of activism, which features long-term commitment, cultural sensitivity, creative strategizing, and multiple cross-group alliances. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal In this retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan, Alys Binat has sworn never to marry--until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider. A scandal and vicious rumor in the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won't make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and start having children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire them to dream of more. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

[ziracona]

What are your thoughts on all the survivors that weren't mentioned in ilm? Like bill and zarina?

Well, I’m under-informed on a few of them. If I wrote a story including Bill, Heather/Cheryl, and Ash, I would do more research first, because I only have their DbD paragraphs and a little personal knowledge to go with, but I’ll still give you my current takes haha. 

I’ve never played Left 4 Dead, but from his perks and the little I do know, Bill seems gruff and rough around the edges, but like he’s got a good heart and while his paragraph describes him as wanting someone to fight more than anything, I’d argue it reads a lot more like he wants to see people protected more than anything. (I mean, considering he’s quite literally died for his friends before, and some of his perks are based around survival alone, but he’s also got Borrowed Time, one of the most altruistic survivor perks in the game). 

Heather I feel bad for more than anything else. Poor girl goes to hell once and what do you do? Ya send her back. It ain’t fair. I’ve /seen/ Silent Hill and never played it, so again I have very incomplete information, but I liked her, and mostly I just felt bad for her that her life was super messed up. Poor kid is extremely traumatized, but I greatly admire the resilience and how powerful she is when most people would pretty understandably curl up and die.

Ash, I’ve /only/ seen the first Evil Dead film, so I only know him as baby Ash/the world’s single biggest himbo. I’m losing it. In that film, he really does see a friend turn into a demon zombie (not the first time it’s happened either), attempt to murder him and another friend, then get decapitated but still be chattering on the floor, and when he asks what they’re gonna do now and his other (kind of dying at this point) friend says they have to bury the zombie still living corpse thing, dumb hoe really does go “But we can’t bury her! She’s our friend : (”.  He’s so stupid but I loved him. The movie was kinda too grody for my personal preferences--kinda icked me out--but I really enjoyed poor stupid Ash. I am lead to believe he is much more charismatic as an older dude though, so I’d have to do more research to have an accurate opinion on DbD Ash.

Yui I really like. Actually, I try not to play against Yuis when I play killer, or to like, at least not play Legion or Myers against them (I main Wraith/Myers/Legion, although I’m also learning Huntress, Nurse, Hag, & Spirit), because this poor girl got assaulted by a nasty stalker boy with a knife & half her character is about speaking out for women who get stalked & abused and thus I like, don’t feel super comfortable knifing a character who is written as a figurehead for “don’t abuse women or stalk/kill them” down as a slasher boy in-game? (Kind of a weird choice by the devs tbh). I like her a lot though. It’s cool that she rebelled against gender stereotypes even though it made home life really hard, and did it in a society where that’s even more complicated than where I’m from, and that she carved her own path despite a lot of obstacles, defended herself against a guy who was entitled to her body because he’d seen her, beat him, and then went through PT and recovery and got back to racing and was kind of a figurehead of speaking out against violence against women and had a whole biker gang devoted to that. She’s very hardcore.

Zarina is also cool. I like her whole “search for the truth” freedom fighter thing. Her perks are really neat & I think the way she’s tied to Caleb is cool. It’s been a while since there’s really been a connection between killer and survivor (I mean, ST I guess, but the Demogorgon has no personal connection to those two, it’s just from their world, so to me it’s been since like, Jeff), and this is an interesting way for them to be connected. You’ve got Nea having trespassed in the Nurse’s workplace, Benedict went looking for answers at the MacMillan estate, and Jeff having been friends with Legion in highschool, but other than that and the licensed survivors who get taken with the monster hunting them (Quentin, Laurie, Tapp, Heather, etc), most survivors have no connection. It’s neat that she went looking for truth and trying to see if Caleb was a monster like history paints him, and that’s why she got taken. Kinda sad too, because part of what made Caleb end so violent was that the justice system was super unfair to him, and probably if he knew all of Zarina’s history, he would appreciate her and get some weird small amount of solace from it (I’m not about to suggest he’d like, reform or something, but like, it would probably matter to him, and he’d probably take it easy on her in trials, even if his life didn’t fundamentally change much), but he’ll almost certainly never know that. Her backstory is brutal but kinda real, and it sucks a lot for her that her whole life has been unfair, and then she got snatched by the Entity too. : /  I like her though. 

Nancy & Steve I like, although it’s weird to me they were the pair taken lol. It would have made more sense if it was Nancy and Jonathan, or Steve and his bff Robin. ST seems like a weird addition to me, because I don’t think of it as horror, but that said, I really feel like they missed out by adding Steve & Nancy as their survivors period, even though these are both characters I like in the show. See, almost without fail before that, the licensed characters taken were either from stories finished being told, or dead/presumed dead, and that was really cool (I mean, Halloween I guess not, but Halloween doesn’t count because it’s already got like 6 timelines going--what’s one more?). It was great to see Quentin get a second life through DbD, and Tapp just dies offscreen presumably in Saw 1, so he was a great pick for someone to develop further in a different story--same reason he’s the first protag of the Saw video games. That was a really cool way to do things, and I think they should have stuck to it. It was smart, and awesome, and a lovely idea. ST, however, isn’t even finished getting seasons. And especially with that being the case, it’s weird to just have some totally undeveloped and unmotivated AU where part way between seasons...2 & 3? Nancy calls....Steve? And just Steve? To help her look something up? And they go missing together? Like, if you wanted a ST episode, which could have been really amazing, I’d have way preferred you stick to your OG, really cool guns & drag in a dead or underutilized character and give them new life than create an unmotivated AU where some probably happy in main-stream canon character is now trapped in hell for the publicity grab. I’m not actually, like, bothered about them being in-game or smth if that sounds harsh, I just am a little bit sad they didn’t go with their old modus operandi and do something really cool! Like, ST has a terrible track record for killing off characters for no GD good reason post season-one and DbD YOU COULD HAVE UTILIZED THAT FAILING SO WELL. You could have done amazing things!!! Like, Alexi gets to have a second life in DbD? Sign me the fuck up, he was my favorite character in Season 3! I fkn DIG that. OR UH. GIVE ME FUKCING BOB. I WOULD NEVER PLAY ANYONE BUT SEAN ASTIN AGAIN. I”M JUST SAYING. WHY TF DID YOU NOT PICK THE MUCH BETTER OPTIONS AND DO WHAT YOU USED TO DEVS I HATE IT.

So anyway none of this is revolutionary but here’s my short form thoughts on the other survivors that weren’t in ILM. Thanks for the ask! ^u^

[labyrinthof-fan-fiction]

The Kind of September

Part 2 of Try to Remember Series Masterlist Here

James “Bucky” Buchanan Barnes x teacher!Reader

Summary: A week after your initial meeting, you receive a text message from James.

A/N: So I’m just going to kinda pretend that Civil War doesn’t completely exist. Events that occurred happened, but I don’t want to break up the Avengers. Thanos will show up and ruin the party eventually. But I’m choosing to just ignore Civil War. If that’s a problem for you, just ignore this fic. OOC shenanigans.

Warnings: Sexual innuendo, swears.

Word Count: 1,222

A week had passed and you found yourself sitting on your couch, your phone situated on your coffee table as you turned the television to your favorite show. You nestled down with your blanket lazily resting on your lap. You felt yourself begin to zone out as the show continued in the background, mind brought back to Mr. James Barnes. You glanced at the phone, no notifications, well, there were notifications. But they were emails, and you were taking time for yourself. It was the weekend.

You were a bit hurt that you had not received any contact from the man. You thought there had been something there, maybe you had misread the situation. He seemed like a decent man, maybe that’s why he was kind. Your mind continued to wrap itself in maybes and could have beens, with the television droning on. You were drawn from your thoughts by a notification on your phone. You grabbed it and saw a text notification among all the emails you saw.

Hello, doll. Sorry I’m late, still have time for a random man?

Your heart fluttered in your chest at the name, doll. A grin coming across your face. You began typing.

Depends on the man. I think I can fit you into my schedule.

That’s good to hear. How are you doing?

Decent, papers graded. Gave that kid a B. You were right, they earned it. You?

Glad to hear. I’m doing well.

You paused for a moment, what kind of man in this day and age says he’s doing well? Although you had to admit, you preferred this to the other people you had pursued.

So what brings you to my screen tonight?

There was a pause as the typing bubbles filled the screen. A good two minutes passed before he responded.

I wanted to ask you if you were busy next Saturday?

I think I can squeeze you in.

Meet you at your place? Noon?

Yes and yes. What are we doing, Mr. Barnes.

Didn’t you know, we’re going on a date.

A chuckle fell past your lips as you shook your head slightly.

What I mean to say is, what activities are we doing on this date?

Lunch and a movie, then after that is open to negotiations.

I look forward to it.

As do I. Goodnight.

Night.

You stared at your phone, rereading the conversation multiple times. You had to wait another week before you saw him. Lunch and a movie, then negotiations. You had to admit, the negotiations had you intrigued. You settled back into your show, this was a rewatch, you knew what was happening. You couldn’t erase the grin from your face as you thought about what waited for you next week. Your mind began planning your outfit and other details for next Saturday. You realized that you hadn’t asked what movie you were going to see. You shrugged internally, might as well let it be a surprise. James sure was a surprise on his own. You snuggled into the blanket, watching the characters on the screen, not really paying much attention to them. In the back of your mind something was nagging to be let out, but you weren’t sure what it was. It had to do with James, but you couldn’t quite place it.

Across town James sat down, Steve Rogers to one side, Sam Wilson to the other on a couch in the Avenger’s tower.  All three men staring intently at the phone in Barnes’ right hand, the other gripping the pillow in his lap.

“And that is how we seal the deal.” Sam said, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. A triumphant look plastered on his face.

“Didn’t that seem a bit forward?” Steve asked, a slight nervous tone in his voice.

“She accepted, didn’t she?” Sam argued.

Steve grunted in response. “Buck, what do you think?”

Bucky stared at the phone in his hands, still a bit stunned that you had accepted his invitation. And that you had responded to the flirting that Sam had coached him on. “I’ve got a date in a week.”

“Yes, he does. With the school teacher.” Sam said, emphasizing your profession.

“Knock that shit off.” James grumbled, grabbing ahold of the pillow and swiping it at the other man. Sam caught the pillow and rolled his eyes. “She’s more than a teacher.”

“And you know this from just one cup of coffee? What if she recognizes you and….” Steve began.

“She was reading a paper that referenced the Soldier, she didn’t say anything when she learned my name.” Bucky mumbled.

“Really?” Sam asked, “No offense, but you’re pretty notorious after last year.”

“Sam.” Steve snapped.

“No, he’s right.” Bucky interrupted his best friend. “After the Wakandan King, most people know my face.”

“And she didn’t say anything?” Sam asked.

“No.” Bucky murmured, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Maybe she doesn’t know who he is?” Steve asked, trying to be optimistic.

“Highly doubtful. There’s no chance she has no idea who he is after that shit storm.” Sam said. His eyes meeting Steve’s behind Bucky’s back.

“You two do realize that I’m right here.” Bucky started. “I am directly in the middle of you.”

“Sorry Buck, it’s just.” Steve started, “What if she’s a HYDRA agent?”

Bucky and Sam burst in to laughter, tears forming in Bucky’s eyes. Once he caught his breath he glanced at his friend, who had remained stoic. “Steve, you can’t be serious.”

“I am serious. Isn’t it a bit of a reach that you meet a woman at a coffee shop, who doesn’t react to you being the Winter Soldier, then accepts a date with you?” The blonde asked.

“Steve, I hate to tell you, but I don’t think HYDRA would disguise an agent, as a teacher. With papers from students that reference the Soldier.” Sam interrupted. “And as much as this bruises my pride. Look at him. You’d be a fool if you refused a date with this hunk of manflesh.”

Bucky glanced at Sam, an eyebrow raised. “Manflesh?”

Sam sighed, “You two need to get caught up on popular culture. I swear.” He glanced between the two men. “I think, that he should go on a nice date with this girl. If she turns out to be HYDRA, she’ll be met with Falcon, Captain America, and the reformed Winter Soldier. She won’t stand a chance.”

“Wait, what do you mean Falcon and Captain America?” Bucky asked.

“You really think we’re going to let you go solo when Cap thinks that it is a HYDRA plot?” Sam asked.

Bucky groaned as Steve voiced his agreement. Bucky instantly felt regret for telling those two about you.

“So do we show up in full suits, or civvies?” Sam asked Steve.

Steve thought for a moment. “Suits?”

“Suits.” Sam answered, the duo rising from the couch to plan their directives in the event that you were a HYDRA agent.

Bucky reopened the messages of the conversation with you. He smiled as he read through the words. I’ve still got it. He thought to himself, but he couldn’t help himself from feeling a bit giddy that you had accepted his invitation. He felt a flutter in his chest, anticipation nestled in his heart. This was going to be a long week.

Part 3

[leland-chapman-the-bounty-hunter]

Fifty Ways to Kiss Someone

Relationship: AFAB!Reader & Bucky

Word Count: 5455

Warnings: None

Summary: Based off of this list

Link: Found here on my AO3

…good morning. Bucky, the first time he kissed you good morning, was halfway asleep. He didn’t even mean to kiss you that first time in the morning. But the sun had just risen. The golden rays hit your face in just the right way. He was still groggy from the dream he had. He had just done it. He has just kissed you and whispered ‘good morning’ to you. You just looked so amazing. You were half asleep too but you had still felt the kiss. When you brought it up later that morning, he chalked it up to being half asleep but he never stopped kissing you good morning from then on out.

…goodnight. Bucky always kissed you goodnight. From the first time you spent the night over at his house, he had kissed you goodnight. He loved being the last thing you saw before he fell asleep. He never ever dared kiss you goodnight anywhere else but your forehead. He loved saying that it would make you dream of good things at night and he always wanted you to have good dreams. You returned in kind, hoping that it would help with his nightmares, and it did. But he never told you that it was an old wives tale and that you-all wrapped up in his arms-is what stopped him from having the nightmares.

…goodbye. Bucky kissed you as a goodbye whenever you went on a mission. He never wanted to leave you without a goodbye kiss. He even stopped the jet a few times because he forgot to kiss you and it was that important to him. It was a ritual. You were Bucky’s good luck charm and he would never want to give that up. No matter what lied ahead of you both, he would never, ever forget to kiss you on the forehead. It was his way of making sure that you both still carried the unspoken agreement that you two would come home to each other relatively unhurt.

…where it hurts. Bucky loved kissing your heart. He knows it sounds weird but that was where most of your pain came from. Even if it wasn’t a physical scrape or bruise, he always kissed you there. He knew how much hurt you held there. All of the past lovers who broke it off because you were too ‘weird’ to your parents who weren’t so kind to you after you revealed that you were in cahoots with the man who killed Tony Stark’s parents. He knew that you were the only one in the relationship who truly seemed to care about other people’s opinions but he did too and he hated seeing you in that much pain because you cared so outwardly of those kinds of things.

…where it doesn’t hurt. Bucky always liked kissing you on your shoulders and neck. It often was the only place that didn’t get hurt during a mission and oftentimes the only place that you would let him kiss you after a mission. Trust him, he tried kissing elsewhere but it just didn’t work out in his favor. He learned soon enough to kiss only there after missions. You always said that it was your favorite part of getting the ever-loving shit beat out of you on these missions but he knew that it was kicking the shit out of the bad guys.

…on a falling tear. You had just lost your favorite pet of many years. It had been your only friend for years until Bucky showed up. This pet had loved you when no one else did. Bucky was the one person who had seen you begin to cry. He was the first and last person to see you do so, even after Tony’s funeral and your own wedding. He knew-only slightly-what it was like to see someone you love die. Sure, he had seen those around him die and had heard about his own family dying but never had he seen the pain it had caused to other people. He didn’t know it meant seeing you cry, but he held your secret to the grave.

…to shut them up. Bucky said you always talked too much. But he never minded when you talked. Sometimes he would just want you to be quiet. He would just kiss you to shut you up. This would never happen often though because he truly wanted to hear what you had to had to say. But sometimes, right before bed when your mind was still racing from the days before, it was just a way to make you calm down and stop talking. It was much appreciated though because you probably would not have gone to sleep without his kiss and you would forever be grateful to him for that.

…in secrecy. Your relationship was secret for some time. No one wanted to hear that you had gone and fallen in love with the man who killed one of your best friend’s parents. Hell, even Steve was concerned for you and the fact that you might be falling for the reformed assassin. But there was nothing more than love for him. He was the only one you had ever really loved before. He would make sure you were truly ready to come out with the relationship but before that it meant a lot of secret kisses in hidden corners of rooms while you were in secret.

…in public. Bucky hated kissing you in public. He was really not the kind of person would kiss his person public. But when he did, it was to show people who you were with. People tended to hit on you when they thought you were alone. You would never mind it but when people got too forceful with their flirting, he will swoop in and give you a kiss on the cheek to get them to stop. But that was the end of the people who tried to flirt with you. That was the only time he really kissed you in public other than your wedding day.

…desperately. He was super desperate to get back to you after missions where you two were separated. He was ready to see you and every time was like some movie scene. Bucky would come barreling towards you, dropping whatever bag he had with him for Steve or Sam to pick up, and lift you up in his arms all just to kiss you. It had become such a commonplace that the others would just ignore him. But it is the most desperate kiss he had ever given to you and that was fine by the both of you because that’s how much he loved and missed you. 

…in joy. It was the first time you said yes to a date with him. He would have the idea planted in his head that someone would not be in love with a man who had gone through as much trauma as he did but he was super happy that you said yes. He asked to kiss you almost immediately to which you obviously said ‘yes’. He just slammed his lips into yours because he was so happy to have ‘a catch’ like you ready and willing to date someone like him. Bucky was on cloud nine for the rest of the month.

…in grief. It was the day you both lost Tony. Bucky had been heartbroken that he never really got to apologize to Tony about what he had done while he was under the worst kind of brainwashing. It wasn’t the best thing to think about but he was crushed. You were crushed because Tony had been a mentor to you like most everyone else at the funeral. You all hung back and watched the lovely funeral as to not interrupt the family and friends who had really been liked by Tony despite all the fights that they had. But Bucky snuck in a few tear-filled kisses after the funeral was over just because he was so sad to see his former enemy die.

…discreetly. Bucky normally kissed your hand when he was trying to be as discreet as he could. Or he would fly past you with record-breaking speed during a mission and would kiss you on your cheek. Those were the best kisses though because he knew it always caught you off guard and that was his favorite thing to do, catch you off guard and keep you on your toes. But he hated those few milliseconds that he got to kiss you and would rather stop and kiss you for a few moments or until he was out of breath and ready to keep kissing you until you told him to stop but sometimes those discreet kisses were oftentimes the only thing he could do.

…casually. Bucky would kiss your neck and chest often whenever he was bored. He would never even think about it often. He would just do it. Bucky loved every single bit of kissing you and you would never bring anything up about it because you loved every single bit of it. It was the best part of his day. Just bringing his lips to your neck and kissing you just out of nothingness. You would return in kind every so often but it would normally be Bucky most of the time. He loved to just do that to you every time he was just ready to be casually kissing you.

…passionately. This was the second or third kiss that you two shared. It was right after a date that you two had shared with Steve and a girl Sam had tried setting him up with. Bucky was happy to have a date that replicated what he would do with Steve back before the serum had been injected into Steve and war broke out. He would happily make sure that both of you were provided with the best date possible despite Steve’s groaning. He was happy to just have you there with him and didn’t mind the groan from Steve when he finally kissed you.

…lazily. This would normally happen when he just woke up. He would place kisses all over your face. It would signal the start of a new day and a new chance to see his beautiful face. He was ready to see your eyes flutter open and look up at him with all the love you could muster at such an early time. Bucky was happy to just wake you up and wait for an hour or two while you laid in your bed with him. He didn’t even know why he did it, he just did. But that was the best part of his day and he swore by it.

…to distract. You had gotten pretty badly hurt in a fight. Bucky was the one who took you to the infirmary to get patched up. He waited there for a good hour while you were getting stitches. He kissed anywhere that wasn’t sterile because he thought it would take the pain away from you. It took up a bit of your attention and it was the best distraction that you could ask for. But it didn’t take up most of the pain but the kisses were enough to take away most of the pain you were feeling. He didn’t move away from you until you were all patched up and safe.

…as encouragement. You were about to go up on stage to give a speech in Tony’s honor. He would have wanted you to go up considering you were a lot better with people than Banner. So you had to give a speech about things you didn’t even know but Bucky ended up giving you a few kisses before you went on stage just to make sure you knew he was cheering you on from the sidelines. He was so happy for you and so was everyone else but Bucky was the one who showed his happiness for you the most out of all of them.

…for luck. Bucky kissed you out of luck all the time. He was ready to kiss you once more every morning because he needed more luck. Bucky considered you his lucky charm. He was ready to be near you towards the end of your bedtime in the morning but you both had to leave to get ready for separate missions. He always considered you his good luck charm and he was ready to make you feel good. It was already so wonderful to be considered his but it made you feel even more special to be considered his good luck charm.

…on a scar. You were the one giving him this kiss. He was so insecure of the scar that was left on his shoulder from where his arm had been taken off. You were ready to kiss him there whenever he needed it. He tried to kiss you on the scars you had but you always loved making him feel better about the scar on his shoulder. But on the rare times that you allowed him to kiss your scars, it was normally before the two of you had sex. But the times you kissed his scars, it was purely just an act of love and not lust.

…on a place of insecurity. Bucky always kissed you where you were insecure. He didn’t mind at all and would drop everything to do this. After all, you kissed him on the place that he was pretty insecure about anyhow. So he really loved to kiss you where you were insecure. The smile on your face when he whispered out how much he loved your insecurities was like going to heaven and seeing an angel. He was so happy to make your confidence soar, even for a little bit. He loved it so much and it was a thank you to all that you had done for him.

…in a rush of adrenaline. It was right after a mission where you almost feel off of a building much like he fell off the train. He was ready to grab you and now, with the help of Steve, was able to save you from the death that he had experienced. He was still in the middle of the mission but he kissed you anyways. He almost lost you in the same way Steve lost him. He pretty much stopped the whole mission right then and there to kiss you but Steve stopped the two of you from going any further just so that you could continue the mission like planned.

…in relief. You had come home from a big mission with Steve. Bucky had been held back because his arm had been malfunctioning. But as soon as you got back he rushed into your awaiting arms and kissed you so many times. He was ready to have you home, having become bored in Wakanda while you were gone. He had heard about all of the danger that the mission held. He was sure that you would come back seriously injured but that was not the reality. He was ready to make sure every injury was taken cared for but you returned unharmed to his relief and he kissed you.

…in danger. Bucky always kissed you when you felt some sort of danger around you during a mission before you both split up to go fight some more bad guys. Sometimes this happened when there was nothing to be fearful of. Bucky was ready to have all defenses up when it came to you. Both of you did it as an act of luck when you felt the danger arise but both of you ended up coming out with only a few scapes on you. That were a few times where both of you came out looking like death but that was few and far between all things considered.

…as a ‘yes’. It was the day both of you had attempted to propose to each other. Everyone but both of you knew that you two were planning on proposing to each other. It was hilarious once you both found out but that was the best day of your lives despite the fact that you two hadn’t known about the shared proposal. You both ended up giving each other a kiss as a way of saying ‘yes’ to the other. Everyone was super happy because they were ready to see how much you two loved each other and how happy you two were to propose to each other.

…as an apology. Bucky was super sad when he started a fight with you that he didn’t mean to even start. It took a long time for you to even actually begin to work on talking to you again. He wasn’t ready to work on building your relationship back up. You had seen the hard work that Bucky had been doing and when he came back to give you the best apology ever with the biggest teddy bear that he could find, flowers and chocolates but all you asked for was a kiss which he happily gave you but you still took the other presents just because he had put so much effort into his apology.

…as a suggestion. Bucky would love kissing you right on the lips every single time he wanted to get something from you. It was most often sex based on how long and how needy his kiss seemed. He loved every second of it because he knew what he was doing to you and what he thought about it. Normally, he would provide this kiss with bit of grinding as well. Then you knew what he was suggesting and would eventually give into the suggestion that he was wordlessly providing but that was after carefully putting anything away that might hurt either of you.

…as a lie. Bucky kissed you right before he got dusted. Both you and Steve had to watch him go down. He said that he was okay and that he felt fine but that was a lie. As soon as you backed away from him, he crumbled to pieces and you were left with Steve to console you while your whole body crumbled to the ground. Bucky had lied to you and for all you knew, he was dead and gone. You and Steve had to pick up the pieces of the hole he left in your lives but you never dared go out with anyone in the five years that he was gone.

…as a promise. Bucky has kissed you after your first date in hopes to make a promise to you to not give up on you both. He was ready to make a promise to you that as long as you wanted to date him, that he would help protect you and give you the best love he could give. That was all you needed and that was the best promise that you could have from Bucky or any other person. He loved every part of that promise kiss that he had given you after that first date and he upheld that promise every day afterward.

…as comfort. You would have to kiss him often when you both awoke from one of his nightmares. Bucky would love those kisses that calmed him down and made him feel more comforted. He didn’t like waking you up and always tried to convince you to sleep on the couch some nights but you would stay with him and kiss him on his forehead and ask him to please dream about him for the night. Sometimes that would happen but other times you would be awoken a few moments after falling asleep with more nightmares.

…after a small rejection. You had tried to apply for a job that would keep you busy after on the job injury would have you out of commission for a while. No one really wanted a superhero on their team because it was too much of a liability. But Bucky was there to kiss you every single time you got rejected from a job with a lovely dinner-well, as lovely as Bucky could prepare which was normally takeout-and a cuddle session after said kiss. He would have so many kisses for you that it was lovely to get those after those small rejections.

…to wake yours up. You were a lot heavier sleeper compared to Bucky. He was a light-ish sleeper due to the nightmare he occasionally gets but that was what came with the job. Either you were a super heavy sleeper or a light one. Whenever Bucky wanted you to wake up from your heavy sleep, he would kiss your forehead until you awake from your dreams. Sometimes it would take only a few kisses but it could take more kisses than that and that was because you wanted to feel his lips on your forehead. But as soon as you are awake, Bucky has to pinch you because you thought you were still in your dreams. 

…forcefully. The first kiss he had with you was less than perfect. He was halfway drunk at that point but that was the least of your problems when he first kissed you. It was less than romantic too since it was apart of a game Tony had set up with the rest of the partygoers. Bucky was super embarrassed the next day and apologized for his drunken, slightly forceful kiss. It still took awhile for you to forgive him for the kiss but it would eventually fall by the wayside as more problems had come into you life in more alien invasions of your home city.

…to pretend. Bucky and you had to go on a mission where you had to pretend to be in love with you for a mission. But that was the least of his problems. He was actually falling for you for you for real. He loved every second of being in fake love with you. He would much rather be in love with you and he found that out pretty quickly. He loved being fake in love with you so much that he would much rather be with you for real instead of for pretend but that was a long time before he actually asked you out.

…to gain something. Bucky had wanted to hear what you really wanted for the winter holidays. He didn’t have a lot of money saved in the bank since being a superhero didn’t really make money like it used to. Actually, it never really made money in the first place. But he wanted to make sure he gained some information about what the perfect holiday for both of you. But a lot of kisses and a little bit of coercing later he got what he wanted, the perfect holiday from you.

…to give up control. Bucky never wanted to give up control to anyone else but you. He gave you the first kiss because he wanted to give up control on his life and everything he ever felt. Bucky wanted to give up a lot of control when he started dating you. He wanted to make sure that you knew he was giving you all of the control that you never wanted to have but he gave it to you anyways in hopes that you would have his heart. He would want this to happen to anyone else but you because you are the only one he loved.

…without a motive. Bucky never needs a reason to kiss you. But you always felt like you needed a reason for him to kiss you. He would just want to kiss you whenever and wherever. You always asked about it because you genuinely wanted to know why he was always wanted to kiss you but sometimes he never even gave you a reason. It aggravated you from time to time but you learned to never question it again since you knew that it was going to be no reason at all on some occasions. It was fine with you after a while of being with him.

…because yours is running out of time. The last time Bucky kissed you was while you were in the hospital. You had badly been injured on a mission and he had been the one to find your injured body. He blamed himself a lot while you were in the hospital and blamed himself for the fact that you got hurt. Though, you didn’t end up pulling through. The last time he had kissed you was when you said you could feel yourself slipping. He kissed you, with tears coming down his face to stop you from saying anything much worse and that was when you ran out of time on this mortal plane. He had kissed you one final time.

…because mine is. Bucky had requested that you stay by his side through anything and everything. That meant going to Wakanda to see him put into cryosleep. You didn’t know when he was waking up and he didn’t know either. It could be a few months or fifty years. You ended up kissing him on the forehead, whispering ‘don’t forget to dream of me’ before the door was closed. Steve had to hold you while you screaming into his chest. While Steve and the others went on missions, you stayed in Wakanda and made sure you were there for Bucky when he awoke.

…because the world is ending. Bucky and you shared your last kiss before losing each other on the battlefield a few moments before he saw Steve for the first time in a few years. It was a heated kiss that never seemed to end. But the world was ending, how could you make a kiss last as long as possible? Bucky had been completely hungry for your lips. He wanted you to feel as though it hadn’t been ending. But both of you had to face reality and the fact the world was supposed to be ending.

…because the world is saved. As soon as Bucky came back from being dusted, the first thing he did was find you and kiss you. It didn’t matter that there was a huge fight going around both of you, you were his whole world and there was nothing without him. He was everything that you had ever loved. He loved you so much and you stopped everything just to kiss him. You didn’t care about the fight going on around you. You just wanted to kiss the man you loved after five long years without him. It was the most passionate kiss you two had ever shared.

…out of pride. You were his everything. No matter what you did, he was proud of you. You had won awards from the president for your own bravery. He had always been by your side because you dragged him there to help with his image. He didn’t want to go to these things but you wanted him there and he always was proud of you and didn’t mind posing for a few photos for the press, always sneaking in a kiss or two just to show how proud he was of you. As much as you were proud of him for coming out, he was trillions of times more proud of you for winning the award.

…out of greed. Bucky always loved kissing the absolute shit out of you because he was greedy. He never wanted to have anyone else to have their lips on yours. He loved every second of kissing you. It got to the point where you would use kisses against him. If he was good, he would be allowed to kiss you but if he wasn’t, he would have to go without for a little while. Either way, he hated not being given the chance to kiss you.

…out of lust. Every chance he could, he would be kissing you with the hopes of having you two go to bed. He loved having you under him and being able to kiss you every moment of the day. He loved every second of kissing you out of lust. You didn’t mind it either. He would much rather both of you be kissing for this reason and this reason only. But you didn’t get a lot of time to have these moments. He would have to get both of you alone and that didn’t happen all that often due to missions and such but those times you did get, it was wonderful.

…out of anger. You don’t have a lot of fights. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t have fights at all. Normally it was over petty things like were to eat or what to do that day. When Bucky could feel his own argument begin to slip, he will end up leaning down to kiss you. This wouldn’t happen a lot since you normally ended up agreeing with whatever he wanted to do instead because you just genuinely wanted to see him happy and make sure he got to experience the 21st century as much as possible because you never wanted to see him go back into cryosleep and that’s what most of your arguments were about when it wasn’t as innocent as where to seemed but it always ended up with a kiss.

…out of envy or jealousy. Whenever he caught someone actually trying to work you up without knowing about your very public relationship with Bucky, he would end up getting very jealous. To the point where people would have to hold him back when he gets in a jealous rage. He would be very, very envious. Bucky was the only one who was supposed to flirt with you. He was supposed to be giving you all the new relationship butterflies all over again. He would get very jealous and have to walk up to you and give you one of the biggest kisses in the world because he wants everyone to know that you are his.

…out of spite. People said that Bucky would never have a partner due to the life he led and the fact that he had been labeled a villain by one of the most powerful men in the world. Once he had found you, Bucky had found out that he could be loved by anyone and everyone. He knows that he would end up finding someone eventually but he hadn’t thought it would have been so soon or someone who had the same life he had. He was super stoked and had always ended up kissing you whenever possible just to show people that he had someone to love and that someone loved him back.

…out of habit. Bucky would wrap his arms around your waist and place kisses onto your neck and shoulder. Half the time he didn’t even know he was doing it. He just did it. He loved sneaking up on you and kissing your neck. He did it while you were cooking, while you were showering, while you were doing your hair/makeup. It didn’t matter. Not to either of you. He knew that you oftentimes scolded him for it but only playfully. You both loved it. You were getting kissed by that man at any moment and any time because it was his habit.

…out of necessity. There was not a time when Bucky needed to kiss you. You were like air to him. You were the only thing he ever wanted and needed. You were the only thing he ever woke up too. He was the person who always made sure that you were feeling loved. Every moment of every day, he was kissing you. Every single second, he was making sure that you were loved and that you were kissed. No amount of skin went untouched when he got into one of those kissing fits. You loved it as much as anyone can but this was a necessity to him.

…out of love. He had kissed you out of love every single time that he kissed you. But he would never forget the day he kissed you as his partner and lover for the rest of his life. The day of your wedding was the first time he had really felt all of your love poured into one kiss before. He would never forget that time. It was the day he had married the love of his life. The time that he would never forget because he had finally been able to kiss the person he loved without any boundaries, in front of the people you both loved as well.

[peculiar-sunshine]

Get Off My Boyfriend! (Johnny Cade x Reader)

Hey y’all!

So I originally wrote this fic a few days ago for my favorite Johnny Cade Babe™  @vhsbelle​ and I was so proud of it that she was kind enough to let me repost it here. Thanks dollface! 

Enjoy!

The scorching summer sun beat down on your shoulders as you and Steve walked happily to the park. It was such a hot day that you two decided to go meet your boyfriend Johnny at the park and walk to The Dingo to get a coke. You and Steve goofed around the whole way there, cracking jokes and smiling like dorks at one another, but all the fun ended as soon as you arrived. At the picnic table sat your beautiful dark-eyed boy smoking a cigarette and looking uncomfortable as he talked to a girl sitting across from him. She tried to grab his hand, but Johnny quickly pulled away. You instantly recognized the girl with the thick black hair and tanned complexion glancing seductively at your man.

Sylvia, that bitch! You thought to yourself. What’s she doing with him?

You tried your best to keep your cool as you and Steve approached the table.

“Hey Johnnycake!” You said, giving Johnny a kiss on the cheek and glaring daggers at Sylvia. She just gave you a sickly sweet smile.

“Hey babe.” he smiled at you, pulling you close to him as you sat down. “How’s it going?”

“I’m doing okay, how about you?”

“I’m alright, I was just talking to Sylvia here, she says Dally landed himself in reform school again.”

You looked at her and she was slightly pouting. You apologized to her using all the fake sympathy you could muster.

“Eh, that’s what he gets for being such a stupid asshole. He’s not a sweetheart like little ol’ Johnny.” she replied, winking in his direction.

As you rolled your eyes, you all decided to start walking to The Dingo, dying to get back in the air conditioning. Sylvia eagerly slinked up to Johnny’s side and asked if she could tag along. Johnny, being the shy and sweet can’t-say-no boy that he was, simply nodded his head much to your chagrin.

Luckily, the walk from the park to The Dingo was only about a mile, and you spent it walking by Johnny’s side just shooting the breeze. Steve and Sylvia walked in front of you two and Steve, sensing the tension between you and her, tried his best to keep Sylvia engaged in conversation. But that didn’t stop her from slightly swaying her hips and bouncing her perfectly round butt in her skin tight jeans as she walked, as though you or Johnny wouldn’t notice. You reached for Johnny’s hand and he happily let you.

Once the four of you arrived, you scanned the place for available seats. You saw four in a row at the soda fountain and Johnny led the way. You sat to the right of him and the other two seats were to the left of him. Sylvia raced over to the one closest to Johnny, but Steve nabbed it, causing her to let out an exasperated sigh as she sat at the last seat. You all ordered your drinks and guzzled them down, feeling the refreshing fizzy burn cool you off instantly. Shortly after, Steve excused himself to go to the bathroom, and you chatted with Johnny and Sylvia, trying your best to be polite to her. Was it just you or had she purposely pulled her shirt down to reveal her cleavage?

Suddenly, an Elvis song came on the jukebox, causing Sylvia to squeal in delight.

“Oh I love this song!” she cried. “C’mon you guys, let’s go dance!”

You two agreed and made your way to the dancefloor. You put your hands on Johnny’s shoulders and swayed with him to the music. Sylvia twirled around and shimmied her hips, trying her hardest to get Johnny’s attention, but he was focused only on you, singing along all goofy-like to the song and making you laugh. Sylvia scoffed, crossing her arms and glaring at you.

Once the song ended, you lightly pecked Johnny’s lips as he brushed a lock of your hair out of your face. Sylvia fished a dime out of her pocket and jammed it into Johnny’s hand.

“Here, Johnnycake, why don’t you go to the jukebox and pick out another song.” she suggested. You narrowed your eyes at her, but he agreed and sauntered off.

“Isn’t he just adorable?” Sylvia remarked, staring after him.

“Sylvia, what the hell is your deal?” you snapped.

“Belle, sweetie, whatever do you mean?” she replied in mock innocence.

“You know exactly what I mean bitch, why do you keep flirting with my boyfriend right in front of my face?” you said.

She let the nice façade drop. “Because you know what, Belle? It’s only a matter of time before he leaves you for me. I mean c’mon, can’t you see the way he looks at me? He can’t resist me, no man can. Pretty soon, he’s gonna realize how pathetic and stupid you really are, and then he’ll come crawling to me. In fact, why don’t we just get the ball rolling now, huh? Watch this.”

She turned around and sashayed over to Johnny, who was aimlessly pushing the button on the jukebox to scroll through the records. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and when he spun around she crashed her lips against his. The anger you had felt boiling inside you finally reached the bursting point.

“GET THE FUCK OFF MY BOYFRIEND!” you screamed, racing towards her.

You grabbed her by her hair and threw her down on the ground. You straddled her and began to punch her in her slutty little face. Everyone in The Dingo gasped at the sight in front of them, and Johnny went white as a ghost. Sylvia grabbed your fist before it could collide with her face again and threw you off of her. She climbed on top of you and punched you so hard in the nose that you heard a crack. You cried out in pain and blood began pouring from your nose like a waterfall, but Sylvia didn’t stop. She kept hitting you and hitting you until Johnny and Steve, who had just now resurfaced from the bathroom (eww Steve lol), pulled her off of you. Steve grabbed her by her arm, yanked her up and pulled her over to a corner where you could hear him screaming in her face that, if she ever tried anything with you or Johnny again, he’d personally beat the tar out of her. She ran out the door, her mascara running down her face in streaks.

Meanwhile, you were lying on the floor, too dizzy to stand and holding a wad of napkins that a waitress gave you to your gushing nose. The waitress ran to the phone in the back room to call 9-1-1 and Johnny held you in his arms, wiping away your tears.

“Oh, god, Johnny, it hurts so bad.” you sobbed.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to kiss her, I had no idea she was going to do that.” he replied.

“I know you didn’t, she was trying to make me jealous.”

“Why would she want to do that?”

“Because she said you were going to leave me for her.”

Johnny squeezed you tighter and kissed the top of your head. “Belle, baby, I would never do that. You’re my girl, not her. I don’t usually like to say mean things about girls, but Sylvia is nothing more than a disgusting little tramp. I don’t know what the hell Dally sees in her. She’s nothing compared to you. You’re so beautiful and amazing, and I’d be stupid to even think of dumping you for her. You’re my world, Belle. I love you.”

You had been crying at the pain, but now you definitely couldn’t stop the waterworks listening to the boy you love proclaim his love for you.

“I love you too, Johnnycake. You’re the best boyfriend a girl could ask for.”

Beaming with pride, Johnny lifted you up and carried you out to the awaiting ambulance. He was definitely the luckiest guy in the world.

[carynsilver]

Top 10 Favorite Characters

I saw @jandjsalmon​‘s post about the top 10 favorite characters, and that spurred @virtual-insomnia​ and I to do the same. Different from the favorite ‘ships list from last time, this wasn’t a “without description” post.

So, in no particular order, my favorite fictional characters:

Jo March -- I read this book so much as a kid, and Jo was the best! She was strong and unafraid to be herself, and she was a writer! Unlike a lot of people I know, I was never upset that she didn’t marry Laurie. I was only disappointed when she gave up on her writing, but she did end up an author in the end. :-) The Wynona Ryder version was good, but I’ve got to see those new adaptions that came out recently.

Thor -- I love Thor so much that I’ve never even cared that I don’t really ship him with anyone. He is great all on his own. I will also forever claim him for Hufflepuff. He might be brave, but he’s also loyal, a good friend, supportive, a huge nerd, really smart (tree language as an elective, people!), and he takes care of people. I can’t wait for movie 4!

Lorelai Gilmore -- I have loved this fast talking lady ever since my first episode of Gilmore Girls. The mother/daughter triangle Lorelai had with Rory and Emily was the most compelling set of relationships in the whole show.

Xander Harris -- He’s funny, sweet, supportive. Never developed magic powers (save a miscast spell or two), but was willing to do whatever it took to save the world anyway. And he did it without a lot of recognition. He really was the heart of the Scooby Gang.

Peggy Carter -- This chick doesn’t take crap from anyone, and she knows her own value even in the face of a world that doesn’t want to recognize it. Natasha and Carol are cool and all, but to me Peggy is the true BAMF woman in the MCU.

Logan Echolls -- I’m a sucker for the reformed bad boy character, and Logan totally embodies that. He leapt off the screen back in season 1 as someone you loved to hate, but then became a character I just loved. His character growth is amazing. He just barely edged Veronica herself off the list. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten to watch the new season yet! Why do I have to wait on these other people?!

Alanna of Trebond -- Add another for the BAMF chicks portion of this list. Alanna knew what she wanted, and she went for it, no matter what anyone else said. No female knights, no problem--just pretend to be a boy. If you need someone to kill an evil sorcerer, complete an impossible quest, or face down a god, she’s your girl! There wasn’t a Y/A section when I was a teen, but Alanna was there for me anyway. (Sadly, there were no .gifs of her--why don’t they make her books into a series or a movie already?)

Adrian Ivashkov -- Another snarky, reformed bad boy. He was my favorite character in the Vampire Academy series, long before he had his own POV. I was so excited when he got his own series, and it did not disappoint. His character growth from the rich boy who doesn’t care to a loving, supportive partner and someone willing to fight for what he believes in completely sucked me in. He and Sydney were amazing together and felt more real to me than the high drama of Rose and Dimitri. I loved Sydney once she got her own POV in Bloodlines, but Adrian leapt off the page even as a minor supporting character, which is why he’s on the list and not her. (Again with books not having good .gifs, lol.)

Steve Harrington -- I had no idea how much I would fall in love with the Stranger Things series. Great characters; great stories! But Steve is my favorite. Again with the character growth, and Dad!Steve is so fun. He’s also supportive of his friends and he will risk his life to save theirs, even when they treat him like crap. And when he realized he was being an ass, he fixed it on screen. Steve edged out my other ST fave, Billy Hargrove, only because I love Steve in canon and the reformed bad boy I love in Billy is more a fannon creation (though Season 3 did bring some of that to life... before he met his untimely end *sobs*).

Bucky Barnes -- I really waffled on this one. Coming back to the MCU three times might be a bit excessive, but Bucky is just so compelling. Stories about friendship are just as important to me as stories about romance, and Bucky, IMO, is one of the truest friends there is. He was unapologetically Steve’s friend before Steve was cool, he went back to war for Steve time and time again, and he threw off 70 years of brainwashing with just a look at Steve. (Too bad Steve decided to run away to an alternate dimension instead of stay with his friend, but it seemed to me like Bucky even supported Steve in that.) Don’t get me wrong, I love the Stucky ship, too, but Bucky is a fascinating character either way, and I’m so excited about his show coming up!

Honorable Mentions

Man, it was so hard to narrow down this list. A few characters that it was really hard to cut were Jughead Jones (if we were just talking Season 1, he probably would’ve been on the list), Penny Lane (ultimate scene stealer), Cath Avery (Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, read it!), Cordelia Chase (ah, the character growth!), Alex Manes (2019--too new to stand the test of time), Darcy Lewis (like Billy, my love for her comes more from fannon)... But, that just means there are a lot of good characters out there to enjoy. I hope I keep finding more!

[queen-of-the-crows]

11 Questions Tag

Okay so I was tagged by like 5 different people and I'm just gonna answer all in one post cause that's the easiest way to do it. Huge thank you to all my loves who tagged me in this @annorarutherford @heraldofwho @sassylavellen @enchantment1385 (twice :P) @elevanetheirin :)

Buckle up cause this is gonna be a long ride!

@annorarutherford questions

1. Biggest fear? Feeling like I've done nothing with my life and that I've been a failure

2. Favorite flower/plant? I'm not a nature person, that's just not my thing but a black rose

3. Are you close to your family? Sorta, some of them anyway, depends on alot honestly

4. Your deepest wish? Not to be rich but to be able to pay all my bills and still have a good amount of money left over to save and buy fun stuff

5. What's something that always calms you? No one thing always works, it depends on why I'm not calm. Video games work often, some times reading, sometimes writing, sometimes drinking

6. Some movies you love? Love this question! Jaws, Jurassic Park series, Alien series, Beauty and the Beast, Dracula, The Crow, and many others

7. Guilty pleasure song? I'm not really ashamed of anything I listen to but alot of people judge me for loving Fall Out Boy so I'll say anything by them, I have an entire playlist

8. Favorite weird smell? Professional hair color, I fucking love it. Also the green soap they use in tattoo shops

9. Game that has changed your life and how? Dragon Age. It introduced me to my love of gaming and are me fall in love with Thedas and the characters

10. Someone(s) on Tumblr you really admire/like? All my usual lovelies of course @annorarutherford @a-shakespearean-in-paris @sassylavellen @enchantment1385 @aban-asaara @heraldofwho also love seeing posts from @jawsandbones @andrastini @fyeahfenrisxfhawke @laraslandlockedblues @nevertrustamage and others

11. Worst personality traits someone can have? Always down on themselves, put down everyone around them, bad hygiene! (Not a personality trait but seriously bathe), being insanely cocky and thinking they can get whoever they want

@heraldofwho questions

1. When you get butterflies in your stomach what color are they? Blues and purples

2. If spiders could talk what would their voices sound like? I think they'd sound alot like Flemeth

3. How do you like your coffee or tea? In the trash lol I hate them both

4. If you could learn any language instantly, which one would you choose? Oh man, there's so many cool ones. Probably Russian, I love the sound of it

5. If they made a DA/ME film or series about YOUR protagonist- which OC would you choose and who should play them? Oh shit, I love them all so much!!! Probably Clea cause I think her and Zevran's story would be the most interesting. I would cast Megan Fox as Clea, she's my face claim for her and she plays a pretty good badass.

6. What change the nature of a person? Anything really depending on the person, death seems to be a big one, break ups, being broken

7. What musical instrument do you play? What instrument would you like to learn? I play piano and I sing. I'd like to have a piano so I can practice more but I wanna learn guitar also

8. Pick any aspect of your life or personality and choose a theme song for it. You Call Me A Bitch Like Its A Bad Thing by Halestorm because I'm very much fuck you and your opinions of me, i don't find being called a bitch insulting

9. Can you cook or bake? What's your speciality? I love baking and I can cook too. Cakes are my favorite thing to make

10. Got any dead crushes? Heath Ledger, Brandon Lee, Paul Walker, and Gary Oldman (I mean him in Dracula is to die for)

11. What is your quirkiest hobby or interest? I don't have many so probably writing fanfic

@sassylavellen questions

1. Do you have a favorite soundtrack from a movie or video game? Oh yes, Queen of the Damned. Best soundtrack ever created

2. What was the first video game you remember playing? Either Super Smash Bros or Mario Kart way back on Game Cube

3. If you could have any kind of food right now what would it be? Chocolate cake or Panda Express, maybe both

4. Are you a good cook? Oh yes

5. Do you have or want any exotic pets? I would love to have an iguana. Snakes are cool too

6. What fictional character would you love to be friends with? Oh so many, strictly friends with no somatic interest: Dorian, Varric, Cassandra, Shale, Charlie from Supernatural, The Doctor, Lisbeth Salandar, and Scout Harding

7. If you could have any superpower what would it be? Telekinesis and mind control

8. What movie could you watch and enjoy every single time? So many. Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and Big Hero 6 are probably my tops though

9. Favorite color combinations? Black crimson and white, black grey and blue, black and deep purple, basically dark combinations

10. When you play games do you use armor sets that have good stats but looks bad or armor that looks good with bad stats? Definitely looks good with bad stats but I keep the ugly with good stats to change into for particularly challenging encounters. I love the story aspect of games and put so much time into my characters I like them to look good

11. Favorite genre of music? Rock and metal. KoRn and Rob Zombie are my absolute favorites if that helps explain it

@enchantment1385 first set of questions

1. Favorite fandom and why? Dragon Age. Best game series ever, the characters, the play through, the environment, the choices, the romance. And the people I interact with here are amazing

2. What's your Pokemon team? I played Black 2 so my favorite team was Zoroark, Arcanine, Banette, Lapras, Hydreigon, and Virizion

3. Favorite team in Dragon Age or Mass Effect? Depends on my class honestly but my favorite is dual weapon rogue so I'll answer for that. Origins- Alistair, Morrigan, either Shale or Zevran. DA2- Fenris, Aveline, either Varric or Anders or Merrill. Inquisition- Cassandra, Dorian, either Cole or Iron Bull

4. Favorite nonBioware game? Dishonored

5. OTP? Alistair and Cousland, Zevran and Mahariel, Fenris and Hawke, Cullen and Lavellan. None DA OTPs Mulder and Scully, Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner, Emma Swan and Captain Hook, Rose Tyler and the 10th Doctor

6. What is your guilty pleasure? I really don't have one that I know. Reading smutty fan fic maybe?

7. A food you can't get enough of? Cheese pizza, mac and cheese, spaghetti

8. What can you see right now? I'm in class so classroom stuff

9. Something I don't know about you? Alot. I'm coloring my hair white, I have a huge Fenris and femhawke in progress back piece, I'm in cosmetology school, I have a tattoo appointment with Sarah Miller

10. Most loved OC and why? As hard as it to choose between all my loves, I choose Clea. She's the most like me or rather I see the most of myself in her and that was an accident. I love her attitude, her sarcasm, her badassness, her relationship with Zevran, her goals, how she carries herself and how she just is.

11. What song is stuck in your head right now? Hold Me Tight Or Don't by Fall Out Boy

@enchantment1385 second set of questions

1. What does your name mean? Do you think the meaning is anything like you? Like our usernames? Queen of the Crows is a reference to Clea who takes over the Antivan Crows with Zevran and they do some reforming of the guild. She's one of the leaders so she's the queen of the Antivan Crows, hence queen of the Crows. Is that anything like me? Well I mean she's my OC and I'm alot like her so I would hope to be that badass if I was in Thedas.

2. First celebrity crush? Max Thieriot, he's still good looking too

3. If you could live in one fictional world, which one would you choose and why? Come on love, guess :P lol definitely Thedas. Learn archery and dual wield, find one of my favorite romances and fall in love. Oh yes! Second choice would be Westoros provided I could be with Jon Snow of course

4. Why did the chicken cross the road? His life bored him and he needed change

5. You can have one superpower, what do you choose? Answered this already but since this says only 1 I choose telekinesis

6. Biggest pet peeve? When people can't do simple things

7. 1 fictional character you would meet for a day if you could? Hmmmm I wanna meet alot. If I only have a day I think I'd choose Iron Bull, I'd be in for an adventure all day

8. First game you ever completed? Dishonored

9. Which class in game do you enjoy playing the most? Definitely rogue. Idk what it is but I love rogues especially dual weapon although I've recently gotten into playing archery as well

10. Favorite fictional villain and why? I love Maleficient. She turns into a fucking Dragon and is bitter for not being invited to a party. And the movie really goes into depth about how she became how she was and it shows that good people can be broken so badly they become bitter heartless and evil

11. Creepiest experience? I'm not really sure, I try to avoid that sort of thing. I've been hit on by creepy weirdos though

@elevanetheirin questions

1. Coffee or tea? I hate them both. I'm a soda junkie though and love energy drinks

2. What is your favorite book or book series? I have a few. Dracula (this is my all time favorite), A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin (aka GoT series), Millennium series by Stieg Larsson (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and The Meg series by Steve Alten

3. Do you have a hidden talent? Most people don't know I can play piano

4. Who is your favorite author? George R R Martin, Steve Alten, Michael Crichton, Ellen Hopkins, Stieg Larsson

5. Favorite type of cookie? Chocolate chip, I know I'm boring

6. Brotp? Varric and Hawke, Sara Lance and Mick Rory, Meredith Grey and Alex Kerev, Sherlock and Watson, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner

7. Did you have a nickname in school? I've never really had a nickname ever. My love in high school called me his muse cause he's an artist. Lots of classmates called me that weird goth girl cause I was always quiet, very smart, read for fun, and was goth.

8. Do you have resting bitch face? Oh fuck yes I do haha I love it though

9. What makes you smile? Alot. My stupid cats, my boyfriend, my favorite shows and movies, funny gaming videos, video games, reading, SLEEP, FOOD

10. What one thing do you like most about yourself? The fact that I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks about me. Looks wise probably my eyes

11. The best part of your day yesterday? Getting paid so I had money for chicken nuggets

Finished them all!!!! My 11 questions

1. If you could switch places with one fictional character who would it be and why? (Besides your OCs)

2. If you could choose one fictional character to be your love interest forever who would it be and why?

3. Least favorite video game you've ever played?

4. How did you get introduced into the Dragon Age fandom?

5. Which of your OCs is the most like you and how?

6. If you could only watch one genre of movie for the rest of your life which one would you choose?

7. One tattoo you plan on getting someday?

8. Xbox, PlayStation, or PC?

9. Do you have any exes you would take back if they ever asked?

10. Favorite quest in the Dragon Age series?

11. Favorite ship or OTP?

I'm not tagging anyone cause most you already tagged me but if you wanna answer my questions then go for it!

[the-dark-side-of-the-blog]

Appetite For Destruction 30 Years On:

The most perfect album by the most imperfect of bands. 1987 was the year Appetite came out and changed rock music forever and things looked very different back then for Axl and co. While they might be back together now and reforming some of the attitudes and tendencies that made them (and specifically Axl) the unofficial douche-bags of rock in 1987 what was ahead for GnR was seemingly endless conflict and controversy. Fights with just about every other major rock artist, as well as with each other would soon ensue. Accusations of racism, misogyny and homophobia would tarnish how many viewed the band’s work and of course their (again mostly Axl) attitude toward fans would garner huge criticism and in the case of the riots destruction. Yet for all of their many imperfections there is no getting away from the fact that Appetite for Destruction is the closest to perfection a rock album can be.

So let’s begin with it’s peerless opener. Like a few songs on this album you may have heard Welcome to the Jungle enough times for the rest of your life but that doesn’t take away from the mastery of this track. It is a hard rock anthem of the highest order and one that loses none of it’s power or energy 30 years on. If Appetite was a movie Welcome to the Jungle would be it’s opening establishing shots, but they’d be the most amazing establishing shots ever. It sets the tone for an album full of songs perfectly crafted by Axl and Slash. Their dynamic on this song and album really represents the height of a singer/guitarist duo. 

Welcome to the Jungle is a song with such a clear voice as well. There’s nothing generic about the lyrics what-so-ever, which distinguishes it in an era of bland ballads. That distinctive voice characterizes the whole album. So how do you follow up one of the greatest openers on an album ever, with another killer track that may best define, at least the first half of, the album.

On a surface level It’s So Easy is a celebration of the excesses of their rock n’roll lifestyle, with it’s horribly sexist lyrics and descriptions of destructive behavior but really like so much of this album it is pointing to the emptiness of it all. “It’s so easy but nothing seems to please me” demonstrates how GnR were not just the thoughtless epitome of sex, drugs and rock n’roll they presented themselves as. It shows that there was a prevailing sense of unfulfillment and awareness that this life wasn’t what it was all about, if the title of the album didn’t already indicate as much.

And just before you can catch your breathe here comes the Nightrain. While Axl may not be ranked among rock’s greatest lyricists generally and for good reason, his writing rarely aspired to any kind of poetic profundity,  every song on this album just has the most amazing lyrical hook. Here we have “I’m on the Nightrain/Ready to crash and burn/I never learn” which by itself is already amazing not to mention it is surround by just about the most bad-ass rock song ever written.

The next track Out Ta Get Me, would be the lead single on just about anyone else’s album but here it is the weakest track in the first half and feels like a slight detente, even though it is still full of that anger and energy. Coming after it though are another two unmissable classics. Even with it’s comical “Yowzaa” conclusion, Mr Brownstone is a great rock song with another unforgettable hook “We’ve been dancing with Mr Brownstone/Hey’s been knocking/He won’t leave me alone.”

Even for an album wall to wall with classics, there are three songs that do stand out. One is Jungle, another we have yet to get to but you can probably guess what it is, but the middle of this genre defining trifecta comes midway through the album in the form of Paradise City.

A song all about lost horizons “so far away”, perfectly placed in the middle of the album. The iconic chorus juxtaposes the rest of the verses. The simplicity and innocence of that central sentiment “take me down to the paradise city/where the grass is green and the girls are pretty” re-frames much of the debauchery of the album’s first half and bridges us into the the “roses” half of the proceedings. Axl would try again to present his experience as a naive hick in LA’s seedy underbelly with the regrettable One in a Million, but with Paradise City he captures it perfectly to deliver GnR’s most anthemic track. 

As Paradise City comes to a crescendo we end the first half of the album and move from the Guns to the Roses. The dichotomy of the album’s two halves is not as simple as first half is all, violence, drugs and debauchery and the second half is all love and flowers, the second half is plenty seedy to at times but there is a shift. 

The track-listing of this album is again perfect as we go from Paradise City into My Michelle. While there is this shift from the first half to the second half, My Michelle eases this transition with it’s daddies who work in porno and mommies six feet under ground, it covered in enough dirt to fit nicely in the first half but it’s verse about everyone needing love hints at a tonal shift.

Then comes Think About You a good song that can get lost on an album of great ones. Following Think About You though is a song that would stand-out on any album. A distillation of rock-pop perfection. A song that takes a great album and makes it one of the greatest ever. Quite simply one of the best songs ever recorded. Sweet Child O’Mine.

If you can somehow think back to the first time you listened to it, initially it can almost present itself as just a well crafted ballad but it is so much more than that. The sound of guitar at the beginning is heavenly and the lyrics are subtly brilliant. When you read about Axl’s tragic upbringing and then hear him sing about “childhood memories” it adds a level complication and melancholy to what could seem a straightforward love song. Axl’s talk of the “thunder and rain”, often thought of as a reference to his mother’s mental health problems underlines this sense of melancholy and the final repeated “where do we go now” has an almost existential quality to, once again muddying the seeming idealism of the track. Yet there is no ignoring the sugary optimism inherent in the song and that is part of what makes it so perfect as the 9th track and virtual climax of this album, as all the darkness of the rest of the album is offset and made palatable by the undiluted love of this song. I could write another few thousand words on Sweet Child, it means that much to me. It belong on a very short shortlist of my favorite songs ever. Put simply music has the power to affect you in profound ways and to use the song’s words Sweet Child O’Mine is a track “that takes me away to that special place” and for that I’ll never get sick of hearing it no matter how overplayed it is and for all of their sins part of me will never not love Axl and co, because they gave me this. 

Where do we go now? becomes a pretty good question after a song of that power but the album continues strongly with You’re Crazy. After a song as loving and idealized as Sweet Child O’Mine it makes sense that GnR revert back to their more aggressive, cynical side, keeping the balance of the album just right. Again not the most PC song ever and part of a series of crazy-ex-girlfriend songs written by Axl but at least this one is not explicitly misogynistic and has great energy.

Anything Goes is not a bad song but it is the closest thing to a filler track on an album famous for having none. The album would not necessarily benefit from Anything Goes being cut, but it also would not necessarily be detrimental to the album’s legacy either. 

And onto the final track we go.Rocket Queen is a great closer but a song maybe remembered for the wrong reasons. It is a song famous for having a recording of Axl and Steve Adler’s girlfriend, having sex. Now while admittedly morally questionable and artistically dubious, it does nonetheless add something of an edge to an album that admittedly already had plenty. More than anything though it distracts from the fact that Rocket Queen is actually a great song and an amazing closer. It perfectly captures so much of what the album as whole is about. It is dripping in grime and seediness but there is also just hints of light amidst the dark. While Axl may literally be screwing his friend’s girlfriend in the song, it is ultimately a song about friendship, at least the second half is. It manages to get take some of that Sweet Child O’Mine positivity and mix it with the sex and drugs of the jungle and for that it makes a great closer to one of rock’s defining albums.

So there you have it, 30 years on and Appetite is still every bit the undeniable masterpiece it was in 1987. Some may say that GnR might have squandered their potential to be one of the greatest rock bands ever in the vein of a Zeppelin or an Aerosmith, but that’s not true because with Appetite for Destruction Slash and Axl secured a legacy befitting of any great rock band. GnR did great work after but they didn’t have to. Appetite for Destruction is a rock album of such near unparalleled perfection, if Axl had never picked up the mic and Slash the guitar, everything still would have been okay because they gave us this and you could never ask for more.

[itrashit]

I didn't watch the Karate Kid movies, I mean I only saw a few clips featuring Daniel when I was a kid and I kinda didn't like him, but now he's bae. Johnny on the other hand, I liked him since episode one.

But Steve? Back at season one, I used to think he, that girl and Will's brother (I forget their names sorry) were all lame and annoying and I didn't like them. Then season two came out and the girl and Will's brother were the same so I still didn't like them, but Steve was actually trying to be a better person and by season three he was my favorite too.

And yes, I can see the similarities between Steve and Johnny. Two reformed idiots with good hearts hidden beneat so much idiocy.. That's probably one of my favorite tropes btw.

Really weird realizing that Johnny Lawrence on “Cobra Kai” and Steve Harrington on “Stranger Things” have had similar story arcs and storylines and my reaction to both of them has been the same. I couldn’t stand them in the beginning and them being the popular bully, but then their girlfriends leave them and they ended up adopting all these younger kids and their new best friends adore them (Miguel and Dustin), and turns out they’re actually dorks with huge hearts but go about things so stupidly sometimes and are now my favorites. LOL :D

[thefutureisyellow]

My Forty-Page, Eleventh-Grade Paper on Wonder Woman

Or: I’m a Huge Wonder Woman Fan, And Somehow This One Movie Did a Better Job at Understanding Her Than Almost Anything Else

My old high school does this thing where every single junior has to write a twenty page paper on something in American history. I was a tiny feminist who hated writing traditional essays on history (always have been more of a textual analysis girl), and the local museum was doing a temporary exhibit on comic book art. So, I decided to write mine on the evolution of feminism from the 50s-70s as depicted in superhero comic books, and the twenty page paper turned into a forty page behemoth.

I had never had much exposure to comics before then, but I dove right in. Rereading the essay now, I was not the most expert of writers (I named it “From Busting Bad Guys to Burning Bras”!), but I did delve into Wonder Woman and other superheroines in a way I might not have gotten to with a more organic approach.* Here are the three main things I learned about Wonder Woman:

She was created specifically to be a feminist icon.

She has been frequently sanitized to avoid any radical versions of point one.

She is often written by people who do not understand her.

You can see these points today, even. Though she was designed to change the world and promote love and womanly strength over war (honestly, just go read The Secret History of Wonder Woman) she has been repeatedly changed from badass in charge to delicate flower. We can see this in 1949 when control switched from the original creator to a new guy. It happened recently, too, when in her comics she was a boss and written by Gail Simone versus in the thankfully never released pilot wherein she pines for Steve Trevor throughout the majority of the script.

That really takes me to point three, though: writers who get her. I was watching a play through of the Injustice 2 video game, and from the moment she appeared on screen I could tell that the writers did not understand her.** She is cruel, obsessed with Superman and order, and incredibly manipulative. The whole premise of the game, without too many spoilers, is that superheroes are divided by who is willing to kill criminals and who is not, but it seemed strange that Diana was on the side willing to mass murder any criminal without a trial.

So, who is Diana of Themyscira, according to my research, reading, and own somewhat biased opinion? We’re talking base mentality, not backstory. I’ll stick with three criteria:

She believes deeply in human potential for good. 

She always attempts peace as the first option, though will not hesitate if other methods are absolutely necessary.

She is incredibly earnest, though not always serious.

Injustice 2 fails all these essential Wonder Woman criteria. She believes that all criminals are incapable of reform, and would rather they die; she manipulates Superman and Supergirl into doing terrible things; going back to the first point, she is willing to execute all/any criminals to ensure order. This is not loyal to the character of Wonder Woman, whose sworn duty is to save the world of men.***

I was so, so worried that the movie would make the same mistakes as the unaired pilot or the Injustice games. Ever since that forty page paper, Wonder Woman’s been a patron saint of sorts, a totem of protection. Wearing her symbol (or, funnily enough, using her as my tumblr icon) has always given me strength and urged me to be a better person. Wonder Woman is about us doing better, and helping other people as a means of making the world better.****

Which is why I spent the first full twenty minutes of the movie crying. 

They got my girl. They did her justice.

Even from the beginning, she is everything Wonder Woman should be. She is always pushing to be better, to do her best, to train herself. She learns to fight because someday she will have to. Even the society of Themyscira is based on a philosophy of (eventual) responsibility for the world of men. The women around her encourage these ideas, mold her into an avatar of them, and Themyscira seems built around the essentials of Wonder Woman.

In fact, she starts the movie with these qualities, and the real struggle that she undergoes is the question of whether or not she truly believes in these things. The action tests her, sees how deep her commitment to her principals will go. Is humanity worthy of saving? Should peace always be attempted, or should violence be the first option when faced with people doing wrong? 

Only the third criteria is not central to the conflict of the movie, but it plays in throughout. Wonder Woman does believe in her ideals very deeply, from the time she is young, but that doesn’t make her a humorless, justice-seeking automaton. Wonder Woman can take a joke. Wonder Woman can laugh. 

However, hand-in-hand with her sometimes foreign principals, Wonder Woman is alien to us. Where Superman is (or should be) humanity’s adopted son who happens to be gifted with godlike abilities, Wonder Woman is an outsider who is not human. Superman, quintessentially, is an everyday Kansan who can fly, and everyman; Wonder Woman is extraordinary and foreign.***** She sees everything with fresh eyes, and though she may look like us, she is from Elsewhere. This, of course, provides some of my favorite scenes, which are both hilarious and insightful.

There were some problems with the movie. Was she as radical as she could be? Probably not. Were there problems with representation? Definitely. Could they have been more explicit about the fact that the Amazons are huge lesbians? For sure.

But after so many years of looking for her in comics, tv shows, books, and blogs, it sure was good to see my girl standing in front of me, challenging me and everyone else watching to be better, to believe. To become women of wonder. To change the world.

*I do wonder if approaching comic books through an individual, academic lens changed my experience with comic book culture. I didn’t have to deal with shitty dudes gatekeeping, and since I got most of my info off the internet I never even had to step foot into a comic book store. As an adult, years later, almost every venture into a nerd-centric place has been extremely unwelcoming, and I wonder if I would’ve developed my love for comics if I had just gone to a comic book store. But that’s an essay for another time.

**Nor did they have any understanding of good costumes for her. Damn, are those costumes ugly (not great at the 9:30 mark, but especially bad starting at 1:41:42). They don’t seem to understand her backstory (does that weird frilly loincloth count as a chiton of some sort?) so they put her in generic, shitty looking magic leathers. Put her next to Sif from Thor and it’d be impossible to tell which mythology-inspired sci-fi culture they come from. I guess this is not the most relevant point (though it could relate to the fact that they have no understanding of her story or character), but it did make me gag a little bit. So.

***It is not the world that Diana must save, in her earliest/best/more recent incarnations: it is the world of men. Not the planet, but a civilization of people. Wonder Woman must always seek to save people, not just preserve the planet. In addition, some may argue that the point of the Injustice series is to see heroes abandoned their professed principals. However, I do not believe that Wonder Woman would abandon her ideals for the love of a man, and I would push back further: Batman gets to keep his principals, and is not forced to abandon his philosophy of nonviolence. Why must Wonder Woman, especially when it runs so contrary to al of her characterization and personality? 

****There’s something very Jewish in her mentality, that peace can be achieved by helping individuals. Very tikkun olam.

*****In my opinion, the real reason that every recent Superman movie has flopped. He needs to be a normal guy who is pushed to being a hero by his powers, a Peter Parker style “with great power comes great responsibility.” He’s the fantasy we all have, where we’re secretly the children of royalty, which makes us question the good we could accomplish if we actually had the power we dream of. Again, another essay for another time.