#tad songs take up most of my mental space :) they’re just magical

[soni-dragon]

OKAY THIS ISNT A QUESTION BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU I FOLLOWEED BECAUSE OF THE AMAZING DEVIL LYRICS ON YOUR BLOG OK MAYBE I HAVE A QUESTION HOW MUCH OF THE AMAZING DEVIL'S ALBUMS DO U THINK FITS INEFFABLE HUSBANDS (THIS IS A TRICK QUESTION BUT ALSO THERE IS A CORRECT ANSWER) no pressure btw i just got rly fucking excited

OH HI THIS ASK MAKES ME SO HAPPY I LOVE CHATTING ABOUT THE AMAZING DEVIL!! This is so funny I was literally ABOUT to make an ineffable husbands post with amazing devil lyrics as the caption

BUT ANYWAYS SO MANY OF THEM DO!! I may have just added the entirety of Love Run to my playlist lmao. After the new season ruin and marbles and rockrose and the thistle make me weep :’)

Also battle cries!! (I won’t let you turn our last night into this I’m going to binge watch a box set, drink wine, reminisce this isn’t a break up, dear heart, it’s a season finale) Blossoms fits very well for both of them after this season in my opinion, and horror and the wild fits for the line “give me back my heart you wingless thing” hehe

If you can’t tell amazing devil has been on my mind these past few days, ty so much for asking!! :DD

[inawickedlittletown]

Walking The Wire (165/167)

Summary: Tony Stark always knew about Peter Parker. He didn’t know that Peter was going to get superpowers and become Spider-Man, but he always knew about Peter because Peter was his son.

This will span from pre-Iron Man up through the rest of the MCU (eventually including Infinity War) and will be for the most part canon compliant except where I’ve taken some liberties and interpreted canon a certain way.

Pairings: Pepper/Tony, Tony/Steve (endgame), Tony/Mary (past)

A/N: If you want me to tag you when I post new chapters let me know. This fic is also on AO3

I used Collider’s MCU timeline to stay canon and the title of this fic is an Imagine Dragons song that is just so fitting for Peter and Tony

@findmeinthestarss

Masterpost

Chapter One Hundred Sixty Four

-

The wedding was on a Saturday and because it was the big day, the day started off with rain. Not just a drizzle, but torrential rain. The kind that came complete with high winds and just kept coming down. 

“And this,” Tony said, “is why we don’t trust the forecast.” He was standing by a window, looking out at the ground of the compound where the wedding was supposed to take place. 

The grounds were entirely bare of the chairs and tables that were supposed to be set out. 

“Friday says it’ll stop in about twenty minutes and that it’s going to be sunny the rest of the day,” Steve said. 

Tony nodded with a sigh. “Rain is not the worst thing that could have happened today, I guess.” 

Steve gave him a look. “If you continue that train of thought you’re going to curse us and have some random and weird crisis happen today.”

Tony just leaned over and gave him a chaste kiss. “We’re already courting bad luck by even seeing each other before the ceremony. Anything could happen. You know, if worse comes to worse, I suppose we could ask Strange to magic the rain away or whatever it is that wizards do.”

“He’s not a wizard,” Steve said with a roll of his eyes. “Can he even do that?” 

“I think so? I don’t know.”

The ceremony was still hours away, but it was the day. They were finally getting married. He was finally getting married -- doing the thing that Tony had never expected he’d ever do. Marriage had seemed like a trap -- like a way of really and truly losing all freedom. At least, that’s how Tony saw it back when he was younger when all he’d had to go on was his parent’s marriage. Now, he knew that it wasn’t some sort of trap -- that it wasn’t him chaining himself to a life he didn’t want. It was the opposite of that. It was freedom and love and happiness all wrapped up in one and Tony didn’t think marriage or a wedding was necessary to have that, but it was a celebration of it. Of their future together. A celebration of everything that had happened and that they’d been through -- everything they overcame. The plus was going to be able to call Steve his husband. 

“It’s just rain,” Steve pointed out. “It’ll go away and if it doesn’t then we figure something else out.”

Peter called them for breakfast, then and Steve reached for Tony’s hand to walk him over. Like Tony, Peter wasn’t entirely happy with the rain. 

“We can just move it all into the hangar. Or get a tent. It’s fine,” Steve said. 

Tony nodded. It was going to be fine. The rain wasn’t going to get in the way of their day. 

“Anyway, it is lucky, isn’t it?” Peter asked. “For it to rain on the day of a wedding?” 

“I guess that counterbalances us sharing a bedroom and seeing each other for breakfast this morning,” Tony said with a smirk shot at Steve. 

---

A few hours later it had stopped raining. Since mostly everyone was staying at the Avengers Compound, everyone was already there and most of them were helping with set up and following everything that Pepper instructed them to do. It was weird seeing the collection of people attending because the Guardians of the Galaxy had opted to wearing their usual uniforms and then there were the Asgardians who looked like they were all in costume for a play. 

“You know, I should have expected nothing less for your father’s wedding,” Bucky said. 

“Or your best friend’s wedding,” Peter said with a grin. 

The good thing about being back at the compound was that he was getting to spend some time with Bucky. 

“Yeah, who would have thought. He was worried, you know, about whether he would actually get out of the stone or not. Glad he did.”

“And you’re going to stick around, aren’t you?” Peter asked. “Now that you’ve been cleared and all.”

Bucky nodded. “Yeah, kid, I’ll be a regular around here as much as I enjoyed my time in Wakanda.” 

“Awesome,” Peter said. 

By the time that everything was set up for an outdoor wedding on the still dewy grass, a few other guests were arriving and mingling around the compound and Peter was thrumming with excitement. It was going to happen. 

Doctor Strange arrived through a portal with Wong around the same time that a jet touched down that could have only come from Wakanda but none of those arrivals caught Peter’s attention as much as when May walked in and MJ and Ned followed. May was talking to Ned, and Ned was glancing around, but it was MJ that kept his attention. 

She was in a nice periwinkle dress and her hair was pulled back from her face but still her curls fell over her shoulders. MJ looked good, but not unlike herself and the purse she had leaning on her hip looked big enough to hold a book and Peter wouldn’t be surprised if there was one inside. 

“Is that the girl?” Bucky asked and nudged his side. 

“Shut up,” Peter muttered. 

“She’s really pretty,” Bucky said with a grin. “You should go for it. Did you figure it out?”

Peter glanced over at where MJ was talking to May. “I think I like her. I want to tell her. Maybe not today but soon.”

“Good luck with that, kid. And look, they’re coming over.”

Sure enough MJ, Ned, and May were walking towards him. Bucky pat him on the back and turned and walked away. Peter looked after him, but Bucky didn’t turn. And as MJ and Ned approached, May stopped when she spotted Pepper. 

“You clean up well,” Michelle said. “I don’t know if I expected you in the Spider-Man suit or not so this is a nice surprise.” 

“Come on,” Peter said with a groan. 

She laughed and poked his arm with her finger. “I wouldn’t have put it past your father. But you do look good, Peter.”

“So do you,” Peter said. 

She grinned at that and her cheeks were tinged with a blush. Peter’s eyes dropped to the ground, but his gaze found Ned a few seconds later. He was wearing a blazer that was just a little big on him and because he was Ned underneath the blazer was a Star Wars t-shirt and he had a hat on. 

“I think I just saw Thor,” Ned whispered. 

Peter grinned. “Yeah, he’s around here. So are a bunch of other Asgardians. Long story. I think you’ll like The Guardians though. They’re from outer space so--”

“Wait. For real? Like aliens?” 

“Most of them,” Peter said and he made a mental note to try and introduce Peter to Quill and Gamora. 

“But have you met him, yet?” Ned asked. 

“Met who?” MJ asked. 

Ned rolled his eyes. “Thor. After Iron Man, Thor was always his favorite Avenger.” 

“No,” Peter said. 

The Asgardians and all the different things that Thor had going on meant that Peter still hadn’t gotten a chance to actually meet Thor. It was a tad disappointing and Tony thought it was hilarious. Sam had gotten wind of it too and he’d laughed for a while before promising to introduce them at the wedding but it had yet to happen. Maybe at the reception. 

May approached them, then. “Oh, yes. But then, have you seen the biceps on that man? And that haircut. It’s kind of doing it for him.” 

“May!” 

“What? I have eyes.” 

Peter just groaned. Ned pat him on the shoulder, but he was laughing and Peter thought he saw him and May high five. MJ’s eyebrows wiggled at him before she too started laughing. 

“He is something to look at,” MJ said. 

“Don’t you start,” Peter mumbled. 

MJ just grinned. “It’s cute you have a crush.” 

She was joking, Peter knew, but the mention of a crush made him nervous and he could only just nod and he was at least saved when May pulled him into a hug. 

“You do look great, Peter, and it is really cute that you have a crush. And I’m not talking about Thor.” She whispered it into his ear before pulling away and Peter sighed. 

Everyone was called to sit and Peter let MJ, May, and Ned go. He watched as everyone started to take their seats. It was such a huge mis-match of people. The Guardians of the Galaxy were there taking up a row and there really was a tree-creature called Groot. Peter had gotten to meet him but he couldn’t make heads or tails of the only thing that Groot seemed to say which was his own name. According to Steve, Thor understood him perfectly. 

At another row were a mixture of Avengers. Then there were Asgardians and Thor and some sort of rock person elsewhere. A few agents of Shield including Maria Hill and Fury were there. Wong and Doctor Strange had found seats at the very back. A few of the people that worked at SI had been invited as well as some of Rhodey’s family. It had become quite a group, but they were all there to celebrate the wedding and for those in the know, the saving of the universe. May, MJ, and Ned sat together near the middle next to Sam. 

Peter waved at Ned when he looked back at him and then walked inside to where his dad was getting ready. It was all going to start soon. His dad was in one of the bedrooms and Peter was sure that he was probably getting impatient. 

“They’re all mostly seated,” he said when he arrived. 

Tony nodded and smiled. “I guess it’s almost time, then.”

“Yeah. Nervous?” 

“Me, nervous? Who do you think I am, Pete?” 

“One of the grooms,” Peter said with a grin. 

“Damn right, I am.” 

Peter watched as his dad grabbed his watch and put it on. It wasn’t the gauntlet one, he noticed, unless it was a new version of it. 

Peter remembered finding out that Richard wasn’t his father. He remembered how he’d felt when he was wondering if he would ever know his real father. Never had Peter expected it to be Tony Stark or for his life to go in the direction it had. 

“You know there will come a time when it is you getting married,” Tony said, turning towards him. 

“That’s not going to happen for a good while, dad.” 

Tony nodded. “Yeah, I know. Just -- it will. And it will feel amazing and nerve racking and it will be worth it as long as it’s with the right person.”

“Steve is the right person,” Peter said with a tilt of his head, even though he already knew. 

“Yeah, kid, he’s definitely my right person. Anyway, come here, I think we need a picture before we go out there.” 

Peter moved closer and they took a couple of pictures. They looked good together. 

“We’ll get one of these printed,” Tony said. “It’s a monumental day.” 

“Yeah. That’d be nice. Dad, I’m really happy for you. For you and Steve.”

“Thanks, kiddo. And the most important thing is that you’re here to see it all happen. We’ve come a long way.” 

Peter nodded. “I couldn’t have dreamed this up if I tried.” 

“Me either,” Tony said. “That makes it even better.”

“Yeah. I, um, I should go check and see if they’re ready for us.” 

“Go on.” 

He ran into Rhodey as he left the room. 

“How’s he doing?” 

“Good. Not nervous at all,” Peter said. 

Rhodey nodded. “Probably a good sign. Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to see Steve and to see if everything is ready.” 

“Go. I’ll be with your dad for a little while.”

Steve was in another of the rooms and when Peter entered, he found Bucky there as well. 

“Hey, kid,” Bucky said. 

“Peter,” Steve said. 

Unlike his dad, Steve did look a little nervous. Or maybe it wasn’t nerves but just excitement -- Peter couldn’t really tell. 

“Well now that you’re here, I will be right back. Didn’t want to leave him alone.” 

Peter shrugged as Bucky passed by him and then he looked towards Steve. 

“Are you ready?” 

“I think I’ve been ready since he asked. You know, your dad kind of fascinated me from the moment I met him even if we butted heads a little and yet the thing that made me really see him was you.”

“Me?” Peter asked, surprised. He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched Steve who had been standing by a mirror but turned to look at Peter. 

“Yes, you. I had no idea you existed when your dad flew that nuke into space. But, Peter, when we were all fine and back at the tower and he was reading your letter I felt like the biggest asshole because your dad had you and he was willing to sacrifice himself anyway for the greater good. And I realized that we had a lot more in common than I expected. In respecting him, I just saw him and I fell in love.”

Peter didn’t know what to say. Instead, he just stared at Steve for a while. 

“Pete?” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever said, but I’m really happy you love my dad.”

Steve laughed. “Me too. Me too. Not just him I love, though, Pete.”

“What do you--”

“You, kid. I love you, Peter.”

“Oh,” Peter said. “I--”

Bucky returned, then. Interrupting Peter. “Ready?” he asked. “Everyone is waiting.” 

Steve gave a nod. Peter pushed up from the bed and he walked over to wrap his arms around Steve for a hug. “I love you too, Steve,” he whispered and he tried to keep his emotions in check as he pulled away.

“Kid?” Bucky asked. 

“I -- I’ll go tell my dad but he should be ready. See you both out there.” 

---

Steve walked up the aisle on his own. Everyone had come to their feet and he felt all their eyes on him which should have made him feel awkward, but instead he was entirely focused on what the day was about. His wedding. It was finally happening. On his walk up on the velvet fabric that had been put down, he looked out at everyone that was there. Natasha smiled at him from where she was seated, offering a thumbs up. Thor and Bruce offered smiles and Sam gave him a nod. He thought he heard Groot say “Groot”. Strange gave him a nod. 

“Looking sharp, Cap,” Pepper said when he reached her.

“Thanks.”

Bucky and Rhodes walked up together next and it was nice to see his best friend and Tony’s best friend right next to each other. He nodded at Rhodes when he came to stand on Tony’s side. Bucky came to stand at Steve’s side. 

“Can’t believe this is actually happening, Stevie,” Bucky said. 

Steve nodded. He couldn’t either. It was -- this was not at all what he could have ever expected or hoped for. To find someone like Tony and for his admiration of him to become something more -- it was unbelievable. And after everything they’d been through to finally make it to this moment meant everything. He wanted forever with Tony and this was just the beginning of what he hoped to be a long and happy life. 

Rhodes shot him a grin. In front of them Pepper smiled at them and Steve knew that she’d taken the role of officiating the wedding reluctantly, but she looked right standing there with her hair pulled back into a loose curls and her dress fluttering because of the wind. In another life it might have been her in his place -- or rather her walking down the aisle towards Tony. But somehow it wasn’t and Steve was getting the honor instead. 

“Ready?” Pepper asked. 

“Yeah, I think I am,” Steve said. 

It didn’t take long for Tony and Peter to come out and when Steve turned, his face split into a grin. Their arms were looped and Steve could almost feel Peter’s excitement as they walked. Peter was still just a little shorter than Tony, and they looked so alike as they walked together that it was almost flooring. Steve had no idea what was playing as they walked -- or what had played as he walked up for that matter -- but it didn’t matter because Tony was walking towards him with Peter and while Steve had been there while Peter picked out a suit, he hadn’t seen the end result of Tony’s. It was just like his own in burgundy and yet the way that it fit around Tony made all the difference. He looked breathtaking. 

Tony looked good in anything but he looked radiant in that moment. It wasn’t just his perfectly tailored suit but how happy he looked. Tony was gorgeous. Steve would never think otherwise, but he was always going to remember what he looked like as he walked towards him with his smile and his suit and their son at his side. He wanted to draw them -- sketch them out and paint them. It was definitely an idea for later. Much later. 

Tony and Peter arrived and Steve took a breath.

“Hi,” he said. 

Tony chuckled. “Hi,” he said. 

Peter stepped aside going to stand next to Rhodey and Steve shot him a smile before his attention was captured by Tony again and then the ceremony began and there were words and at some point he said his vows and Tony said his and Steve didn’t hear or notice any of it because his sole focus was Tony and his warm brown eyes and the feel of his strong callused hands in his and the way that Tony was smiling -- the curve of his lips and the way the wind rustled his hair. And then, they were married. 

Tony was kissing him. He was kissing him back. Peter was cheering. 

-

Chapter One Hundred Sixty Six

[bahannah01writes]

Bring Me a Dream (Pt. 3)

Summary:You finally meet the ever-lovable Tyler over dinner and it goes quite... Well, it just certainly goes some sort of way. But nonetheless, you find yourself liking the new addition!

It's still Sunday! I made it! By two hours where I am but I made it! Ah, I'm sorry guys, I promise, I will do better <3 Also I edited this while I was rather tired so tell me if there are any errors my sleepy brain missed?

Previous    Next 

Read the first part of this series here! 

Tags: @kourt-kay @boots-jpg @bananakid42 @mtttme if you want to be on the tagged list,  just message me and it shall be done! Enjoy!

~~      Mark’s door shuts behind you as you stealthily enter his room. Smiling to yourself, you thank the heavens for Mark’s cleanliness habits- otherwise, this would be a much more bothersome endeavor. Mark is currently in his recording room- a new addition- and when you had woken up, you noticed that his room was empty and that this would be as good of a time as any to begin your mission. Which lead to where you are now, searching through the now raven haired man’s room for certain tell-tale signs.

     There are a few, they’re tiny but they will give you a definite answer on whether or not your suspicions are correct. Which unfortunately, you think they are. Nonetheless, you want to be certain and searching for their presence seems to be the only way you can be. So, with your senses on high, you try to leave as little of a mark as possible- the less Mark knows about all of this, the safer he’ll be. After all, it’s not as if you are up against some measly pixie whose mischievous ways interfere with one’s dreaming, no, it appears to be something far darker that’s plaguing Mark’s mind; something that, while it may be well-known, is much harder to get rid of than a mere fae.

    As you spend more and more time in his room, you become aware of this ever present of something… looming. It sends a shiver down your spine. Why must these things be so creepy? Even in such a light and lovely space, your Dreamer’s space, it almost feels as if it has become void of your work. While your work may be more psychological or spiritual, like anything in this world it leaves a trail. But, it’s cheery- not this borderline chilling aura you’ve been receiving. And out of the corner of your eye, you spot it. ‘It’ being the sliver of evidence you need to reassure you of your ideas of what’s haunting his mind- walking ever so slowly you reach the windowsill and sigh. One of those vile beasts really are here then? Marvelous. This is just… delightful.  

     Curious and hesitant fingers pinch and raise the lonely shard of glass up to your face for inspection, it has an orange tint to it. The longer you look at this damning evidence, you feel your blood boil and you glance around the room with furrowed brows almost expecting to see them. They want to mess with your Dreamer? Then they’ve got another thing coming.

     Eyes narrow as you clench your fist around the object, you turn and begin a steadfast walk back to your room- though, you wind up bumping into the owner of the room. All anger diminishes and instead a nervous laugh fills the air, “Heh… Hey Mark.” Instead of evidence, you now search for a reasonable excuse for being in his room.

    “Hey? What are you doing in my room..?” He asks, his expression shifting to one of confusion.

    Searching…

    Not quite there yet…

    ...Found it!

     “I was searching for you, ya doof,” You say, shrugging simply. Good job! He seems to believe this and nods, his smile returning.

     “We were working, though we’re just taking a break for a few,” Mark explains as he steps into his room and pulling his phone from the charger, “You sleep well?”

    “I did, thank you!” Though, something struck you as odd, didn’t Matt and Ryan move out? You wrack your brain and can’t quite come up with an explanation, “And I’m sorry, but who exactly is ‘we’?”

    His face seems to light up with excitement, “Oh right! So, my friend Tyler moved in with me and we’ve been working together ever since- he’s the best, you’ll love him! I’ve known him forever, he helps me with editing my videos and it’s just nice to have someone in the house again, you know?”

     Subsequently, a soft smile spreads across your lips, Tyler is indeed someone you remember. A close friend of Mark’s since his Cincinnati days who has apparently moved in with him now, you feel as though you should know that but then again with them interfering lately, maybe it’s slipped through the cracks. That seems to only fuel your determination for eliminating this pest from Mark’s mind. Although, you push that thought to the back to stay in the joyful mood Mark knows you for, “I can imagine, Markimoo, so when can I meet the fellow then?”

     “I was hoping over dinner?” He proposes with a black brow quirked up.

     “Sure! What are we having-” You stop yourself, noticing his eyes begin to plead with yours as he wears a guilty smile. An amused chuckle leaves your lungs, “You’re hoping that I’ll cook, aren’t you?”

     “You don’t have to! I thought it might be nice way to start out your stay here, y’know?”

     “Is it that, or is it that you really just wanted to eat my food again?”

     Mark tries not to smile but inevitably fails to and causes you to laugh, “It’s so good!” You shake your head with your own smile, “Give me five minutes and I’ll start cooking, sound good?”

     “Sounds great!”

~~

     It’s no doubt that you have more magic than your previous visit. In fact, the only ability you lack may be floating amongst the celestial clouds and the only reason you can really think of why that may have been left out is quite a simple one: gravity. The one thing science manages to overcome in this situation- you’ve no idea why but in some way you do find it a tad funny. All the same, because of your heightened powers, you realize you can make practically anything taste decadent. Magic is lovely, isn’t it? You make a simple yet classic dinner for the three of you to enjoy, chicken alfredo, and set up the bowls as the boys work. Lips pursing in concentration as you cook, you place a pinch of, not only dream powder, but a quick protection powder that should help temporarily defend against the creatures of the night in addition to your own protection over him. Tonight, you decide, you’ll have to work on the slow elimination process.

     Until then, however; you find a song makes it way into your mind and you can’t help but hum along. The beat slow and soothing; worries leave your mind and you enjoy this peace for how long it may be. Subconsciously, your body begins to move to the mental melody; hips sway ever so slightly, head bobbing in accordance, and every other step seems to match a beat. It’s a subtle dance; dancing is something you’ve always seemed to admire. Dreamers do it quite well, Dream Makers- more or less. You do it nicely, not the best, but most certainly not the worse. Breena, a stunning Dream Maker whose silver hair compliments her dark complexion very nicely, is the most amazing singer yet- and while she’s a dear friend of yours, you would say she has what Dreamers call ‘two-left feet’.  Sings like a bird but dances like a baby deer- it’s quite adorable in your opinion.

     The scent of the dish begins to fill the air and intoxicate your tastebuds, you finish it up and equally divide the dish between Mark, Tyler, and yourself. You grab some cups and set them in front of the bowls- that would be something they’d have to do themselves- before getting a drink for yourself. Once complete, you stand back and nod to yourself, you’re rather with how your introductory dinner turned out. After one last look, you turn on your heels and head to stairs, “Dinner’s ready!”   

     You walk back to your seat at the table and start to hear footsteps thundering through the hall and down the stairs before seeing the all familiar black poof of hair make his way into the kitchen donning a broad grin. His shoulders slump as the scent greets him, “This is exactly what I missed!” Mark chimes and then adds, “Tyler! Get your ass down here already!”

     Not being able to help it, a laugh slips through your lips and you shake your head. He is definitely something; a peculiar, lovable something at that. Mark soon slides into the chair beside you and gets his utensils ready to dig into the scrumptious meal in front him. Another set of footsteps make their way down into the room and you begin to feel butterflies as he enters, hoping the meeting goes nicely and that you don’t manage to make a fool of yourself. The corner of your lips turn up into a, albeit nervous, smile, “I’m guessing you’re Tyler?”

     “Yeah,” The brunette nods, taking a seat across from you, “And you’re (Y/n)?”

     “Indeed!” Eyes study him for a moment, his curly brown locks are primarily hidden beneath a gray beanie apart from a few of his curls in the front. He’s much taller than Mark though looks to be equally, or a bit more muscular than your Dreamer, he also has thin rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His brown eyes appear friendly yet chill, and in  addition to that lopsided smile of his lead you to believe he’s easy going. It also helps that as soon as you caught a glance of him, snapshots of memories play in your mind and although they may not be in depth, they do reassure you of what you believe him to be.  

     “It’s nice to finally meet you,” His aura slowly turning into a smug one as the hint of a teasing smirk plays on his lips, “especially since Mark wouldn’t shut up about you for the longest time.” You glance towards a now wide-eyed and high browed Mark whose expression causes you to attempt at keeping the laugh that’s threatening to bubble out down.

     “The Hell, man?!”

     Tyler can’t quite help himself from laughing, his laughter rumbling out as he tries to keep it under control. After that, however; you fail at keeping yours under wraps.

    You begin to like Tyler already.

~~

    The dinner is full of laughter, primarily from Tyler and Mark going back and forth with embarrassing childhood stories of each other. Tyler being almost a teasing mother figure, decided you should know a bit more about Mark- especially since he knows that you two have become rather close. And according to Dreamers, mothers, or in this case mother-esque friends, think the best way to do this is to tell stories: particularly embarrassing ones. Yet, once Tyler finished his about Mark, your lovely Dreamer wanted to ‘retaliate’ by sharing one of Tyler’s tales… Minutes later, the meal has been finished for some time but the boys continue this battle of embarrassment. 

     Either way, your belly begins to hurt due to how hard you're laughing at these stories. Whether it be embarrassing family moments, rejections, or just an abundance of dorkiness (primarily on Mark's end), you find them hilarious! In this moment, they distract you from the negative and secretive reason of why you came back. Rather, it allows you to relish in the positivity of it all. Your heart is like a falling petal of a flower instead of a sinking anchor; peaceful and light.

     Yet, you a question drags you back into reality, “What about you, chickadee?” His deep voice gets your attention and you look his way, in answering his inquiry, you merely shrug.

     “I obviously didn't have as interesting of a life as you two,” Albeit, to some your answer may be the complete opposite of the truth. But, what are you to say? There's not too many opportunities to embarrass oneself when your life is basically only two things, creating and recharging. Between those times, while there is of course socializing, it's mainly showing each other's abilities and messing around.

     “Everyone's life is interesting,” Tyler says plainly, “and we all have that one time we wish we could take back- or just hate thinking about,” he lightly chuckles. “So, what's yours?”

      They both look at you with curious eyes; meanwhile, you rewind the tape in your mind and search for an example of this. And as soon as you feel that sinking stomach feeling and a heat rise on your cheeks, you know you just found what they're talking about. “Well, I suppose there is one occasion…”

       You shook your head with a crooked smile, “My friends and I were hanging out one day, just… painting, per se. It was really nice!” A gentle laugh of yours escapes before you continue, “At least, it was up until I decided to start working on this big creation, adding probably a bit more… paint, than necessary. They said it wasn’t a good idea, in the back of my mind I think I knew that, but I didn’t really and soon enough, the canvas toppled from how heavily I layered the paint and kind of fell on me… I was every color of the rainbow that day.” In all reality, it was a creation contest and you attempted to make this ginormous rainbow dog- it was cute up until he decided to shake and for some reason; the rainbow slid off his fur and drenched you in the colorful paint like material. Your cheeks were feverishly red when that happened, both because of your blush and the excess red from the rainbow. Quite lovely, no?

     Mark raises a brow, a playful smirk under his mustache, “That the worse you got? No bad crushes or weird camp stories?”

     You blink and bite your lip, “Does it count if we were both very young? Like, children?”

    “I don’t see why not.”

     Nodding you head, a bout of tiny laughs pour from your lips as a memory comes to mind, “Then, I do think I have worse.”

    “Do tell,” Tyler’s voice rings out, brows furrowed in curiosity.

    “When I was young, very young, there was a boy named Ezra,” A fond but sheepish smile spreads onto your expression, “I liked him, and in the little time we had to do whatever, we would always play! While we were playing, I decided to tell him I liked him- his response?” Chuckling, you look down and rub the back of your neck, “His response was to scream… and then proceed to panic before tossing a stuffed animal at me as a ‘distraction’ as he ran away. I believe that would be worse than the other story,” You finish unable to hold back your own laughter as you hear them begin to crack.

     “Yeah, I would say that’s worse too,” The brunette agrees all while progressively laughing more and more, you think that while the story is far more simple, the pure imagery of a toddler doing such things to avoid ‘love’ may be what the funniest part about it is.

      “Did you still hang out with him after?” Mark asks as he drowns in the hilarity.

     “Oh goodness, no! He practically screamed every time he saw me after that so I eventually started to avoid him as well.” If you hadn’t, your hearing would most likely be shot by now. For such a tiny new soul, he had some pipes on him. Who knew there’s more drama at the child level of Dream Makers than the adults?

     As the night goes on, you all share in stories of your lives, each one being interesting and funny in their own way. And despite some of your being complicated due to the whole Dream Maker part, you simplify or edit them to make them fit into what’s normal for the life of a Dreamer. Though, within a few hours, you can tell Mark and Tyler are starting to craze the one thing all Dreamers need: sleep. Which, for you, means that you’ll need to begin the spell once you're sure it is safe to do so.

     “What time is it?”

     Tyler slides his phone from his pocket, “It is… just about 9:30.”

     Mark groans his brows knit together in confusion and frustration, “How is it so late?”

     “Because we’ve spent a bit of time reminiscing over the past,” You answer along with a giggle following after.

     “I know… I should head up then. Tyler, you have any work to finish? I can stay up a little longer if you want help,” Mark offers, though due to his morning workout routine, he probably should be in bed by ten at the most.

    His beanie covered head shakes as he takes a stand, “No, you’re fine, Mark. I need to wrap it up but other than that, I’m probably going to sleep too,” He shrugs and then looks towards you, “You heading up too?”

    You ponder for a moment, “Maybe,” Lips purse as your gaze shifts towards the window in the dining room- the night tempting you. “I may sit outside for ten minutes or so.”

     Tyler nods and reaches over to give your shoulder a pat, bringing your attention back to him, “Sounds like a plan,” his familiar crooked smile returning, “It was nice to meet you.”

    A joyful ping resonates in your hearts causing you to return with a sincerely cheerful smile that Mark knows you to have, “A pleasure to meet you as well, Tyler.”

    Your shared gaze lasts for a few more seconds before breaking, he heads up the stairs the echo of a yell filling the air as he leaves, “G’night!”

     “Night!” You chime as your eyes shift to Mark, who appears to have calmed down from the laughing fits earlier, “You’re going up too, right?”

     “Yup,” He stands and walks over to you, casually slinging an arm around you shoulder, “By the way, Tyler said him and our pal Ethan, who you’ll meet eventually, are going to hang out for the majority of tomorrow. I was wondering, would you want to have a mini adventure with your ol’ friend Mark while they’re gone?”

      “If you’ve got no work to do, I’d love to,” You watch as his dark brown orbs light up, sending a joyous feeling throughout your being.

      “Awesome! Then, I shall see you tomorrow, m’lady,” Mark bows and shoots you a cheeky wink, causing you to shake your head at his silliness as he starts his walk up the stairs, “Good night!”

     “Sweet dreams!” If only, but nonetheless you say it with a hopeful heart. Once he’s out of sight, you sigh and your gaze goes to the Los Angeles skyline again. Tonight your work will begin to rid this place of that beast- that is, you realize, you clean up the dishes that are left behind…

      Thanks for the help on that one, guys. Really appreciate it.  

~~

If you enjoyed, please leave a comment or a like, they keep me going and motivate me to no end! :D

[boricuareads]

[Image description: graphic titled “Adriana Reviews...” followed by four books with their titles, authors, and release date (discussed below), superimposed over a gradient mosaic of pinks and purples]

Hi, everyone! I’ve been busy moving and with personal family business, but in between I’ve been reading, so this post is intended as a review-dump of all the books I read during that time. That’s right, I’m not talking about just one book reviewed, I’m talking about FOUR books being reviewed. In ONE post! Hold on to your reading devices, ‘cause it’s about to go down… (Spoilers and Long Post Ahead!!!)

I’ll start with the one I read during my finals week (I know, procrastination got the best of me):

Future Leaders of Nowhere by Emily O’Beirne (March 14th, 2017)

Set in Australia, we follow along as Finn and Willa end up at a camp for “Future Leaders” thanks to their performance in their respective schools. Pitted against each other as captains of their respective teams, these teenage girls must find common ground in order to survive the wrath of an entitled straight white boy who’s drunk with power (or a semblance of power).

I really liked the plot and characters of this book! At first I was apprehensive about the thematic and was sort of confused about what the camp entailed, as well as the fact that a month-long camp where they basically mixed a roleplay “Settlers of Catan” with scavenger hunts didn’t seem like something I would be interested in. However, it was the characters which drew me in. I loved Finn and Willa, both separately and together. Finn was a silent-but-deadly kind of leader that left me doing chinhands because DAMN I love girls who don’t take any shit. The same went for Willa, since I kept repeating “I wanna be like you when I grow up” as I saw her take charge of her Amazonian group of girls. Their relationship was organic; gotta love that friends-to-lovers trope. I adored their tenderness, how genuine their respect for each other was, and how realistic these aspects were because these were teen girls! Willa and Finn were insecure, they had family and identity issues, and yet they still managed to be there for each other. Of course, they had issues, but that’s a part of teenage angst and author-made drama.

The author was also able to include so much representation that made me so giddy! On the page, Finn was bisexual (I loved her explanation in Ch. 63: “Listen, I’m perfectly happy to help you out with difficult concepts. Like that time that I explained anaerobic respiration to you, but I do not have the time or the energy to explain really basic stuff. Especially when the meaning is in the actual word. Bisexuality. Hear that? Bi.” Even though that definition is very binary, it was important to see that word written out), Willa was gay and of mixed Indian descent, and there was a whole cast of side-characters with varied identities.

With all that said, I also had issues with some parts of the book. The characterization of Willa was at times inconsistent, and there was an islamophobic act depicted (a character tried to take off a Muslim girl’s hijab) that wasn’t really dealt with beyond the anger of some characters and it ended up seemingly brushed aside by the MC. The shifting POV worked most of the time, but there were times where the POV of that character didn’t feel all that necessary.

All in all, the book reminded me of the styles of E. Lockhart and Becky Albertalli. It was a fun, breezy read if you’re a fan of teenage hijinks at a sleepaway camp. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me access to review this book through NetGalley.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Goodreads // Amazon

After reading that last book, I read Joyride during the flight home, which made it easy for me to delve into its world…

Joyride Vol. 1 by Jackson Lanzing and Colin Kelly (September 21st, 2016)

Joyride was a fascinating read for me. I don’t usually read graphic novels (probably because I’m incredibly picky about them and devour them so fast), but Joyride was just fun to devour. The writing kept me engaged and I genuinely was interested in the development of the characters and their adventures in space. I’m a fan of science-fiction and space adventures, especially when the team is comprised of found-families in the face of adversity.

Though they kept me engaged for the duration of my flight, I felt they were forgettable characters for some reason. I loved them, but I felt like they weren’t developed enough. Perhaps in Vol. 2 there was more character development, but in this installment it was difficult to discern between characterizations and that got in the way of the storytelling. In the future, I would like to see the relationships between the female characters explored some more as well as the dynamics with the brothers. The book left me with so many questions, mostly centered around the plot and its characters: what type of government were they under at the base? Was the alien sidekick necessary to the plot besides to make snide and unhelpful comments? Was Catrin gay? Is there going to be a love triangle around Uma? If so, I would read the next installment.

In terms of the art, I felt like the colors were vibrant and it appeared neat. I’m not that knowledgeable of art and drawing, I find myself lacking in that department, but I really liked them because they kept drawing me in; it was the type of aesthetic I like in my science fiction media. I did find the depictions of the characters inconsistent at times as well, but I didn’t really mind that.

In any case, on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 is Jupiter Ascending-ridiculous and 5 is Star Wars: The Force Awakens- glorious, Joyride falls in a solid 3 level sff (so, maybe like a Star Trek Beyond). Thanks to BOOM! Studios for allowing me to read this through NetGalley.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Goodreads // Amazon

After reading this graphic novel, I knew I wanted to delve into a more light-hearted, highly anticipated read…

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han (Release date: May 2nd, 2017)

I want to start by giving thanks to our lord and savior Jenny Han for being so generous as to give us meek readers a third and final look into Lara Jean Song-Covey’s life. Her writing is always full of life and colors. I have to say that when I read, I become a very mentally-visual person, so when I tell you that a book and its words remind me of certain colors, it’s good. Always and Forever reminded me of a muted blue, the blue of melancholy, of looking back through old pictures, of taking the last step out of your high school. It is a blue that looks at the future and says it’s okay to not have your shit together as long as you have people around you supporting you and cheering you on to your next great adventure.

Always and Forever was the best goodbye to Lara Jean I could’ve hoped for. It was full of twists and drama and it was so realistic I had to check if the story wasn’t actually about me. I could relate to Lara Jean’s anxiety around college and the process of getting accepted or denied to the universities you love. When I was going through that process, my dream schools were University of Wisconsin-Madison and Penn State, and though I got accepted, I had to go through the heartbreak of declining their offers because it was too much money. I felt Lara Jean’s disappointment as if I had declined those offers right then and not four years ago.

I also felt Lara Jean’s uncertainty around the relationships you keep or give up on after high school. There are some that are forever, like your family. Her family, as always, showed up for her time and time again, and their love for her shone through in this book. I loved Kitty so much, especially with her feelings towards her second older sister leaving their house. On the other hand, Lara Jean felt conflicted over her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter. Though I graduated without a significant other (much like Lara’s mother advised them to do), I found myself a tad angry at Peter and even Lara. I don’t know why I kept finding it selfish for them to want to go to the same university and just keep doing what they’re doing because it works instead of challenging themselves. Maybe it was the cynic in me talking over the idealistic voice that permeates Young Adult Contemporary Romance, but by the end of the book I was glad to squish that so-called voice of reason; who needs that when you could be salivating over Lara Jean’s wardrobe/cooking/everything. I had one question, which I may have missed over the course of the series, but I needed to know what was Lara Jean’s major, as that may have been key to her characterization.

In the end, I was glad for Jenny Han’s basically coming full-circle with this book. This novel was the best tight, pretty bow this series needed.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Goodreads // Amazon

Last but not least, a monster of a book that took me an entire week to get through while tending to my dad at the hospital…

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (Release date: September 5th, 2017)

First off, I want to declare that I was dubious about this book. I first heard of it through a friend, who sent me an article that dubbed it as “a feminist retelling of Snow White”. I’m always cringing when someone calls a book a feminist-anything, but I was willing to give it a try. When i saw that NetGalley had it in advance, I requested it, not really thinking I’d get approved. To my surprise, my inbox was telling me that Flatiron Books had approved my request and I was really excited (thanks Flatiron Books!). I delved into Bashardoust’s world without much background besides the fact that it was supposed to be feminist and a retelling of Snow White (which I may or may not have forgotten when I started reading it because I was tired).

I think it was essential for me to dive into this one without reading what it was about, because it led to me wanting to process everything written at face value. Girls Made of Snow and Glass was a magical tale of putting oneself first, as the opposite would allow for men’s greed and ignorance to burrow itself into women’s lives.

In this tale, the patriarchal notions of duty to a man in a position of authority and notions of how a woman should exist in public and private spheres are challenged by the main characters: Mina and Lynet. Lynet was a normal fifteen-year old girl in a fictional royal family; she wishes to be more than what she was born into, wanted to run away from her circumstances and, above all, be herself. This sounds pretty cliché, except for the fact that it’s GAY! Yes, you read right, G A Y. I won’t go into details, but it’s a very nuanced and mellow pairing that felt like ocean waves on a stroll by the beach. On the other hand, Mina was set up to be the wicked stepmother, except the narrative framed her more as a woman who’d been forced to assimilate into a patriarchal monarchy that didn’t appreciate her prowess as a tactician and desire to help those in need. Mina’s circumstances were constricted by her father’s ambition and her own intellect, which in itself is deemed as valuable by the author but not by people surrounding her, much as is the case with many powerful and influential women.

I really liked the characterization work the author put into the story, each character was fleshed out and I wanted to know more about each of them. I did think the author maintained the races of the characters vague, which was a problem for me, since it’s being marketed as a feminist fantasy book and there’s not a lot of visible racial representation. The plot I felt was slightly predictable, but I was delighted by the way the author threaded these characters reacting to each other. I felt the reveals came too early, that the reader was just given the characters’ secrets readily, rather than it being a slow reveal. I liked the author’s writing, I think it was really nice and had a beautiful poetic flow.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass was a wonderful read about the influence women have and, in summary, to never underestimate the power that their words and actions hold. At its center, it’s a story about two women coming together from two very different points in their lives and learning from and loving one another. Bashardoust’s story was intricate and a bit of what we needed in the realm of fantasy. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads // Amazon