#this sounds anti steve but it's not i swear i am just frustrated with how people misinterpret his character and write off his flaws

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

(More Steve salt incoming. Again, I don't hate him, I just have issues with how people are erasing his flaws when Tony was demonized for so long...this is part of my looking back on the MCU series of metas that I'm putting out for Tony's 1 year memorial.)

One thing that's always bothered me about people's responses to Endgame, especially the critical ones, are that people keep framing it as a failure because it wasn't a happy family together at the end. Several posts on various forums have explicitly mentioned how this "should have been a found family story" but it was ruined by the Russo's, and this kind of pisses me off. Firstly, for all their issues, the Russo's are competent directors. They're gonna have to make some sacrifices and nothing will be perfect, but they know what they're doing largely. Honestly, I think it's usually us who misunderstand and lose sight of the big picture, which is the root of all the trouble and leads me right to my next point:

People have sorely misunderstood the dynamic of the Avengers. Maybe this had to do with one too many "Clint living in the rafters and Thor eating Pop Tarts" fics (which are very sweet), but somewhere along the line people forgot what the Avengers dynamic and storyline actually is. It was never supposed to be a family! It was always made up of different people who didn't fit together, but chose to, for the greater good. But, when their visions of what was the greater good differed, they had to split; that's what civil war documented, and after that point, they weren't supposed to function as a team. The rest of the movies document how they've changed, how they've shifted in relation to each other since civil war. It's not supposed to be a found family because these people no longer consider each other family, and if you ask Tony Stark, he would say they were never a family in the first place.

The only one who might say that would be Steve, because he's basically in denial about how everybody else feels. He has his own vision of how he wants things to be and he's willing to deny reality to pretend that's how things are. He lives in a false, idealized world (just like how WWII is romanticized, he does the same). But Tony is unable to deny how things are/will be. That's what causes conflict between them. The entire franchise is based on this conflict of two opposing ways of seeing the world, and two very different ways of approaching other people. They're two different ideologies, they're intended to contrast and act as a foil for the other, and I don't see how people have managed to miss that so completely. This franchise was not about saying that the world could be perfect, nor that if we all just learn to get along we can find family in the strangest places...it's supposed to demonstrate how it is possible to put aside preconceived biases, and work with people with whom you disagree; it shows how conflict is often inevitable but that compromise is important; it shows the importance of forgiveness and likewise the importance of expressing your grievances openly so that reconciliation can be had; and ultimately it shows that whether or not you agree with someone, you should be willing to do the right thing even at cost to yourself.

Tony does this often, but Steve never does. Steve is too stiffly ensconced in his own ideas and way of seeing things that he doesn't allow himself to grow, or learn, or change in any positive way because of the new environment and people around him. He's supposed to represent how our society can get stuck in its ways, and value certain things because they've always been certain way. He's stubborn, stiff-necked, and doesn't adapt to changing times. It's the most blatant allegory I could think of, since they literally took him from the past and put him in the future, and now what do you know you have someone who doesn't change. Meanwhile Tony, as the futurist, is supposed to represent our society's drive towards change and progress, and also demonstrates how we often are resistant to and shun new ideas, simply because they are new. He represents adaptability, which is why he is always the one to compromise between him and Steve. But he's also supposed to show that when it comes down to it, we're supposed to fight for progress, and change, and growth, and not let stubborn opposition from those who came before us, or are older than us, or think they know better than us, get us down. Tony made the ultimate sacrifice for what he believed in, but it made a difference, and for once, the narrative proved him right all along, as opposed to Steve (again, an allegory for society. Steve, the old generation, the privileged group, etc., is always supported by the system--but when some people dare to implement change, there's a good chance that the history books will see that as the real victory). What legacy do we want to leave behind? Tony, by actively considering the future, is also considering the effect that he is presently having on the world. Steve, however, is so caught up in the way things used to be that he doesn't consider what he might leave behind. That's why, ultimately, he can't stay in the in-universe present. By staying there, he would be forced to face the consequences of his actions, and that is never something his character has done. Steve has never considered the future, really, because his character has always been stuck in the past, and that's why I think it's fitting that he spends his lifetime after Endgame in the past. The only way to belong in the present is to be forward-thinking, and willing to change with the changing times. How some people miss these messages, and prefer to diss on the franchise for not living up to their expectations of harmony, found family tropes, and an "everything is awesome" mentality is beyond me. They might be superheroes, but they're supposed to show us something about how the world really is, and how we can make a difference in it, and how we might be living in it now, not to provide an idealistic escapist fantasy. That sounds more like something is Steve would do...and clearly, that didn't work out so well.

[afictionaladventure16]

Side Effects May Include (Tony Stark x Daughter)

Side Effects May Include (Masterlist) 

Part 12

Warnings: foul language, arguments, mentions of rape

Word Count: 1,802

After the interaction with Bren, Olivia decided to skip the rest of her classes, she didn’t care how pissed her dad was going to be when she got home. She just wanted to be far away from there. She called Happy, who picked her up at the corner of the street where her school was.

“You know your dad isn’t going to be happy that you skipped school,” Happy said after a few minutes of silence.

“I know,” Olivia said softly, “And I don’t care.”

“Everything okay, hon?” He asked as he looked at you through the review mirror.

You shrugged, “I just want to go home.” The tears threatened to spill, you quickly wiped them away before it becomes noticeable.

Happy didn’t say anything the rest of the ride home, he knew that Olivia just wanted her space, he was understanding like that. The only words he exchanged after his conversation with the young girl was to let her know that they had arrived. Olivia asked him if he was going to get off but he declined, saying he had a business to do for her father.

Olivia made her way into the Avengers building, “Hello, Olivia,” Friday said as she walked into the hallway.

“Can you like not notify my father that I’m home?”

“Mr. Stark is out on a mission until tomorrow,” Friday stated.

This caught Olivia off guard, “Oh?” She questioned, “what kind of mission?”

“I am not allowed to say, but Mr. Barnes and Mr. Rogers are still here, would you like me to notify them of your arrival?”

Olivia shook her head, “no, It’s fine, thanks, Friday.”

Olivia looked around for the boys, spotting them in the training room, she sighed to herself and walked down to the lower level. She made her way to her room, she pulled out her phone and went to Spotify, she just needed to listen to music. She needed a form of escape from this cruel world.

So of course, she’ll escape to a world where there is nothing but music that will hug her in a comforting way with words that will touch her soul in an understanding way. That’s all she needed from lyrics right now. To be wrapped in their arms as she cried her heart out.

The soft guitar, came through the speaker, as the song Medicine by The 1975 slowly began to play.

She thought it was funny how there was someone out there that wrote lyrics about her pain, but it wasn’t her pain, it was their pain, she just so happen to know exactly what that pain felt like. Yet, with the knowledge that there was someone out there that’s been through the same damn thing, she still feels this sort of loneliness in the world.

She knew there were songs out there about rape, with all it’s metaphors and all its self-help mechanisms, but right now she just felt lonely.

Why couldn’t the music capture her loneliness? Why couldn’t the music take it all away? Thanks for the representation of my pain but please just take it away, she thought. Olivia walked over to the cabinet that held her anti-depressants, they were prescribed to her after her mothers' death. She always got a new prescription, but never took the pills, she knew how to handle a loss of a loved one, mostly because she wasn’t the only one to lose that loved one. She wasn’t the only one going through that pain.

The medicine wasn’t needed but Olivia still kept it, just in case.

There was a knock that irrupted her thoughts, “who is it?” Olivia asked.

“Bucky,” she heard the rough voice of the man that was still getting used to this modern world.

She sighed, “come in,” quickly changing the song to The Sound by The 1975, something more upbeat.

Bucky walked into the young girls' room, scanning the room like he was so used to even though there was no immediate danger, it was his nature to do so. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“Shouldn’t you be dead from old age?” Olivia sighed once more, realizing that the words that just came out of her mouth were a bit harsh, “Sorry.”

Bucky shook his head as if to dismiss her comment, “it’s fine, it’s true though,” he said as he let out a dry chuckle.

“I was having a bad start at school today,” Olivia said as she sat down on her bed, “decided to just come home.”

“Your dad isn’t going to be too happy about that,” Bucky said as he took a seat at Olivia’s desk chair, “do you want to talk about it?” Olivia shook her head, “well, Steve is taking a shower, how about we watch a movie when he comes out of the shower? Get your mind off things.”

Bucky was too sweet, ever since he had arrived at the facility he acted like this big brother to Olivia and she didn’t mind. “Sure,” she said softly.

Bucky smiled, he thought of Olivia as a little sister, she actually reminded him of his actual little sister that he missed so dearly. Bucky got up from the chair, “what song is this anyway?”

“The sound,” Olivia stated, “it’s by The 1975.”

“The 1975? Weird name for a band, but I guess it doesn’t beat the name for that band called The Weekend.”

Olivia smiled, “The Weekend isn’t a band,” she explained.

“It isn’t?” Bucky looked so confused.

“it’s a stage name, Bucky,” Olivia explained as she turned the music off. Bucky muttered some things to himself as they both walked out of the room, “you’ll get used to it,” Olivia stated as they walked down to the living room. They looked through some movies on Netflix while they waited for Steve.

“Liv? What are you doing home from school?” Steve asked as he made his way over to the couch.

“She had a bad day at school,” Bucky explained for Olivia, “so I suggested we watch some movies in order to get her mind off it.”

Steve gave Olivia a concerning look, and then sighed as he saw her sad expression, “Your dad is going to have a field day when he gets home, but he can’t force you to go to school if he isn’t here,” Olivia smiled at Steve, “what movie we watching?”

“Beauty and the Beast,” Olivia stated.

Steve smiled, “I’ll make some popcorn then.”

They watched movies for hours, Olivia almost forgot about what had happened at school, but it would come back to haunt her every once in a while she tried her best not to show her emotions but whenever a sad scene come on a movie; she thought of it as an excuse to let out a few tears.

Liv looked up to the ceiling as she heard the low hum of an engine, “I think they’re home,” she whispered.

Steve looked over at the young girl that sat beside her, “do you want to continue watching movies or scramble off to your room before he catches you?”

Before Olivia could even reply she heard the ding from the elevator, “too late for that,” she mumbled.

“What’s this I hear about you skipping school?” Tony said as he walked into the common room, spotting his daughter sitting with Bucky and Steve.

Olivia groaned, “I thought I told Friday not to tell you.”

“Wow, telling my AI not to tell me that my daughter skipped school, which by the way the school calls me when you miss a class and when you walk out of one too! Now care to explain this, young lady?”

“Tony, calm down,” Steve began to say, “she just had a bad day at school.”

“Are you encouraging her?” He looked at Olivia, “did the almighty Captain America encourages you to skip school even after I specifically told you that you had to go to school.”

“No, I didn’t,” Steve defended himself as he stood up.

Olivia let out an angry grunt as she shoved herself off the couch, “Now where do you think you’re going, if you think we’re done with this conversation then you are wrong!” Tony said.

“Just shut up!” Olivia yelled out in anger.

“And that’s our cue to leave,” Nat said as she looked at Bucky and Steve, motioning them to follow her, which they did.

“Shut up?” Tony asked as Nat and the boys began to leave the room, “I don’t like this attitude you’ve been giving me lately.” Olivia sighed, “what’s been going on with you?”

“Nothing! Just leave me the fuck alone, okay? Can I just have some privacy?” Olivia began to make her way out of the room, but Tony grabbed her arm, “Stop it!” Olivia yelled as she tried to pry her arm away.

“Tell me what’s going on, Liv! This isn’t like you!”

“Just let go of me!” Olivia began to feel her breathing increase the more her father held onto her arm.

Tony lets go of his daughters’ arm, “What is with this attitude, Liv? Seriously, it’s becoming a problem. Walking out of class? You’re not like this!”

Olivia let out a heavy sigh as she began to walk away, “Don’t walk away from me!” Tony said as he followed Olivia out onto the hallway were Nat and the boys were at, basically eavesdropping, “I’ll deal with you later,” Tony mumbled.

Olivia shook her head at the group that had been standing by the door, “Olivia Maria Stark! Get back here this instant! I’m not done talking to you!” Tony let out a frustrated sigh as he walked behind his daughter, “I swear to God this attitude of yours is ridiculous.”

Olivia felt so many emotions, mostly anger, and for some reason, he was blaming him. The person who tried his best to protect her, the more he spoke the angrier she got until she broke, “FUCK YOU!” She yelled as she quickly turned around to face her father. The group that was just down the hall gasped at the words that just came out of the girl’s mouth.

Tony was taken back, he’s heard those words come out of your mouth before but never have they been directed to him, “Go to your room. NOW,” he yelled the last part as he pointed towards the elevator.

“With pleasure,” you mumbled as you stormed off into the elevator.

“Tony,” Nat said softly as Tony walked by them.

“Not now, Nat,” Tony said as he walked into the common room. He needed to drink, he needed to feel something. He needed pepper.

Nat gave Steve a knowing look, Steve gave her a small nod, “Friday, tell Pepper she needs to come home,” Nat said as she glanced, through the open doors, as he began to pour himself a drink, “quickly.”

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[scribeofmorpheus]

His Girl Tuesday - Prologue

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Tuesday Adams x  Billy Hargrove

[Series Masterlist] [Main masterlist] [AO3]

A/N: I know I said I wouldn’t post any chapters for this fic yet, but I had to write down this opening scene before it disappeared. So now, we have a prologue and I just want to remind everyone, this series won’t pick up until I’ve concluded my on-going ones (let’s be honest though, how many times have I said this and then started a new fic immediately after?).

Warnings: NSFW, swearing, butchered Spanglish | Words: 2k

January, ‘85...

An open can of spaghetti, a bubbling pot of coffee and a sizzling pan were the three key signifiers that one half of the Adams household was awake.

Tuesday moved the spatula around as though she was digging through the strands of pasta to find some hidden treasure. When nothing was found, she took the pan off the hot hob and placed it on another, filling her mug with scalding hot coffee and unfolding the newspaper to do the crossword for the day. As she scribbled in the answer for five-across-six-down, her mind began to fill with static as a disembodied voice screeched in her head.

 "Please, no! Don't hurt me, please!"

Shattering sounds of teeth breaking; an echoing sinister laugh; wet coughs and splattering blood.

Tuesday pinched the bridge of her nose and drowned out the evasive inhuman shouts with a gulp of bitter coffee. Her temples throbbing something fierce.

"Ughh," she groaned as her vision filled with flares of light, a cold tingling shooting up her spine. The sensations were chased away by the familiar snoring sounds erupting from her father's burly chest over by the couch. His nasal rumble filled the small two-bedroom house with a conjoined dining and kitchen area with a billowing strength.

"Thanks, Dad," she whispered in relief, her father too deep in slumber to have heard her.

Tuesday poured the rest of her coffee into a thermos and washed up the dishes -making sure to put the morning's leftovers in a tupperware box in the fridge for when he woke up.

She grabbed her keys and slipped into her work overalls, her hand almost at the door when she caught a whiff of smoke from the pair of socks on the floor. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Tuesday grabbed her dad's socks and ventured into his room to pick up the discarded clothing left in scattered piles on his bedroom floor, stuffing them into the ancient washing machine before she grabbed his bedroom alarm clock and set it for 3 pm, placing it by the side table next to the couch so he won't sleep through it. She kissed him goodbye and hopped into her crappy jalopy on her way to work.

***

The sound of welding, hammering and an old tuned-out radio filled the grease smelling, poorly lit garage at Fix-em Up Auto Repair. Tuesday found the disorienting loudness of the small space comforting. It made it harder for her to hear the voices.

Whilst waist-deep in the engine of a yellow buggy, Tuesday saw a pair of dusty, worn-out combat boots walk her way. A smile creeping on her face.

"Hey, little missy, I'm looking to get a tune-up. Know who I can speak to about that?"

Tuesday removed herself from under the hood and pulled the lever down so it shut with a pathetic thud.

Wiping her hands on her rag, she shifted her toothpick from one cheek to the other, eyeing the man in front of her lasciviously, "Depends… What's the make?"

The blonde tugged on his leather jacket, advancing closer like a hunter on the prowl, "'82 Trans-Am."

Tuesday leaned onto the hood of the buggy, the metal straining under her weight. "Oh! Tough luck, buddy. I only work on real men's cars, like a mustang or a porch." Her tone grew more and more teasing.

"Real men's cars huh?" He took a step forward, his hips toughing her under-thighs.

 "What the hell are you freak?"

Wheezing; metal scraping against metal. A club whizzing through the air, flesh pressed inwards beyond where it should; eyes as black as ink.

Tuesday rubbed at her eyes with a soft mumble, vertigo pushing her further down, toothpick slipping through parted lips.

"Baby," he took her face in his hands, steadying her body. "You good?"

Tuesday clicked her tongue in frustration, "Yeah, just my bloody tinnitus. I'm fine Billy, just a dizzy spell."

Billy scratched at his untended scruff, "You really should get that looked at."

Tuesday rolled her eyes, hopping off the hood and walking towards the work desk area, "Sure, once Jack gives me a raise and I don't need to save up for college anymore."

Billy groaned, kicking his boots as he followed after her, "Again with that pipe-dream. There are more fun things than being glued to a classroom chair listening to depressed old professors who spend most of their time looking up girl's skirts."

"Oh, and I suppose you've got a better idea for what I should do with my future?" Tuesday lifted her eyebrows as she poured the morning's coffee into a paper cup.

"Yeah, I do," Billy leaned against the counter, licking his lips. "You and me, the open road, sleazy motels and greasy diner food."

Zipping down her overalls, Tuesday pulled her arms out of the sleeves, letting the cool air dry the sweat sticking to the hairs on her arms. She huffed, "Sounds charming."

Billy pulled out a cigarette from behind his ear, "Baby, if you wanted charming, you'd be working as a sexy little librarian, shelving books and wearing tight skirts, not beige overalls."

Tuesday popped a painkiller and took a sip of her bitter luke-warm drink, it was as dissatisfying as the quality of the music playing off the radio. Static fizzled in and out and the station's signal kept dropping unexpectedly. She balled her fist and banged on the cheap radio several times until it stopped.

Billy whistled, "You know, on second thought, maybe I don't need that tune-up after all."

A breathy laugh escaped her chapped lips, "Good, because I don't give out freebies." She took another swig. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but… isn't it your day off?"

"What, I can't come over and visit my girl on my day off?" Billy asked, lit cigarette held between his teeth.

Tuesday shrugged, "Your girl, huh?"

Squinting one eye, Billy leaned close to whisper, "Well I figured since friends don't make a habit of sleeping with each other…"

Tuesday punched his chest, firm muscles colliding with her dainty knuckles. Billy's eyes narrowed when he saw her lower shoulder. In a possessive move, he put out his cigarette on the vinyl counter, a black spot permanently burned into it as he rolled up the rest of her shirt's sleeve and moved her towards the light to get a better look at the purple and yellow mark imposing on her flesh.

"How'd you get this?" His voice held an edge to it, thick eyelashes covering his eyes under a dark hood.

Tuesday looked down at the bruise, previously unaware of its existence. With a nonchalant nod, she said, "Don't know. Must've bumped into something."

Billy unclenched and let her arm go, believing her easily. His silvery-blue eyes shedding their darkness in the process.

 "Son of a bitch! You thought you could kill me?"

The electric hum of fluorescence; the reverberation of shattering glass; a sickly sinking feeling like drowning in tar; cold, frozen-ice cold.

Tuesday shook her head, today was one of the worse days.

"You sure you're okay?" Billy questioned, his hand lifting her chin to meet his penetrating gaze.

For a moment she flirted with the idea of saying no just to see how he'd react, but she knew Billy was coarse, lacking a sensitive touch. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he had closed that part of him off, forming a tough shell around himself as a form of self-preservation. That closed-off nature of his brought forth a roughness in him that had initially drawn Tuesday to him. It made him a great distraction and a great lay. And right now, she felt desperate for an escape.

Licking her lips, Tuesday leaned in close to nibble at his parted lips. At first, he didn't move, he simply let her lavish his mouth with her tongue. Then with a pleased groan, Billy wrapped his hands around her midriff and pulled her into a deep kiss.

 "You'll pay for tha--"

Quiet: empty, hollow… free.

Tuesday let out a thankful gasp when the voices died out. Looking up she noticed Billy's pupils had diluted with hunger, the saliva on his lips making them shine like a well-maintained paint job.

"Your house empty?" he asked.

"Uh-uh, my dad had a late shift, he'll probably still be there."

Billy's nostrils flared as he let out a deep exhale at the anti-climax.

Tuesday's lips curled upwards at the prospect of an alternative, "What about your car?"

"You read my mind."

"Juan, I'm heading out for an early lunch!" Tuesday shouted at the man in the back office.

"Is Jack, Jack! We're open. Only Juan after closing!" Her boss shouted back with a thick Puerto Rican accent.

"Right, sorry Jack!" Tuesday corrected and Billy scrunched his eyebrows together.

***

Billy's strong grip directed Tuesday in the backseat of his car. Seat buckles, cassette covers and random junk food wrappers pressed into her back, the sound of rustling filling in between the moans and pants.

"Fuck," Billy grumbled as he had issue unbuttoning his tight jeans, his erection bulging against the frame hugging material.

Tuesday giggled as she ran her fingers up his thighs, across his bulge and towards his button.

Billy bit his lip, savouring her exploring touch. With a satisfying pop, his jeans were loosened and he pulled them down to his knees. With greedy fingers, Billy yanked down Tuesday's overalls and pulled her bra over her breasts until it rested just shy of her neck.

Tuesday's open palm pressed against his exposed abs, halting Billy's efforts to undress her. Sighing, he asked, "What is it?"

"You got protection, Romeo?"

Billy riffled through his pockets and a frown grew over his heated gaze, "Son of a bitch!" The muscles in his jaw started working before they uncoiled and his eyes widened at the glovebox.

Reaching over, he pulled out all the cassette's and spare change and moved a hair comb out of the way until he spotted a golden wrapper.

The condom unrolled over his dick with a slapping noise, Tuesday giggled as Billy's face contorted into a painful pursing of his lips for a brief second.

"That wasn't funny," Billy grumbled as he leaned over her.

Tuesday wiggled out of her panties before wrapping her legs around his back, "It was a little funny."

What followed after was a reel of thrusts, hair tugging, gasps and suckling kisses peppered around Tuesday's neck and collarbone. Billy's hips began to sputter as he neared his climax, his thumb adding delicious pressure on Tuesday's clit as her walls undulated and contracted around him. Semen filled the condom and the both of them lay limp in his backseat, the fogged up windows obscuring the ugly view of the garage's empty parking lot.

Tuesday patted Billy on the back, "Nice work, lover boy. I needed that."

Billy's chest vibrated as a bemused laugh tickled her ears, "I don't know about you, but after this work out I could use a bite to eat."

"Food sounds divine right now."

Billy kissed the corner of her eye that folded slightly, pulling himself from inside her, "Fries?"

Tuesday nodded.

***

"What was with that ‘Jack not Juan’ stuff earlier?" Billy dipped two fries in ketchup while Tuesday slurped up her coke through a red and white straw.

"Mmm, its stupid but it's sort of a sales thing. Jack noticed a bump up in his commissions when people thought the owner of Fix-em Up was named Jack and not Juan, so he stuck with it."

"You're right, that is stupid."

"C'est la vie."

In the corner of her eye, Tuesday noticed a family of six sitting in a booth by the window. The neon open sign bathing all four kids in bright magenta. One of the kids looked up at her and pulled at his eyelids, tongue sticking out. His mother, noticing this, pulled him by the ear and scolded him in stern whispers.

"Fucking brats," Billy murmured as he lounged deeper in the seat.

Tuesday redirected her gaze to the humming florescence above, "C'est la vie."

***

After her lunch break, Tuesday rapped on Jack's door with a take-out bag in hand, loud Cuban music playing from within.

"Si?"

Tuesday opened the door halfway, "Lunch."

"Ah, gracias."

"De nada."

Jack beamed her a thankful smile, "You finish with the bug?"

"Mmm, almost, just need to oil her up and check the brake line."

Jack gave her a thumbs up, "Okay."

"Did Sam fix the gato?"

Jack looked at her with a confused expression, mustard on his cheek from the burger, "The cat?"

Tuesday slapped her palm on her forehead at the obvious linguistic slip-up before making a cranking motion with her hands, "The jack."

"Ah, the gato!" Jack said in recognition. "Yes, he send it. It's in the back. He wanted to charge extra dinero. That Estúpido. I told him I know the prices, he can't cheat me. I may not speak good Inglés, but I'm no idiot either."

"I told you not to go to Sam, he's… a hard-ass."

"Hard-ass?"

"Forget it, I'm going to finish up on the bug."

Jack gave another thumbs up in exchange of words, his mouth full of bread and meat.

 The burn of liquid cascading down a dry gullet leaving behind a buzz of alcohol assimilating through veins; a rapid heartbeat; tingles of adrenaline swirling in an intoxicating downward spiral.

“Again?” Tuesday braced her temples, body swaying yet again. "Come on!"

When the dizzy spell passed, she picked up the car jack and placed it under the buggy. As she cranked the lever, the jack groaned suspiciously. Tuesday cocked her head to the side, taking a step back and eyeing the jack to see if it would hold. Despite the alarming groans, the car didn't move an inch.

"Sam, you better have fixed it like you said," she thought aloud.

With a gulp of air, Tuesday pulled the creeper to her feet so she could sit on it, fixing a head torch onto her head.

Using the floor as an oar, Tuesday rolled herself under the car and started working underneath the car.

While she busied herself, another set of tires rolled up to the garage and the sound of car doors being opened and slammed echoed through the room.

"Hello?" A masculine voice called out as the bell dinged. Several smaller footsteps gathered after him in the garage too. An argument playing out between two kids about a film or something other.

When Jack didn't answer, and the bell dinged for a second time, Tuesday shouted out, "Over here. Gimmie a moment!"

The crank groaned again and then a nut flew off its side and suddenly the car started to plummet down. Tuesday braced her face as everything moved in slow motion. When a second past and Tuesday remained uncrushed, she peeked through her folded arms and was shocked to see the car moving away from her body, gliding over to the side where it landed with a loud crash.

"Holy shit," she mouthed in disbelief, eyelids pulled back as far as they could go as she craned her head to the group of people standing by the counters.

A girl with short hair wiped the blood from her nose with the inside of her flannel shirt. The group of boys standing next to her with mouths gaping open -though something told her it wasn't in amazement from what she just saw. The oldest among them rushed to her side, sneakers squeaking against the concrete floor, hands bracing hers as he helped her up.

"You're Steve Harrington," Tuesday recognised him from high-school. "And that's Nancy Wheeler's younger brother."

"I guess we can't pretend to be out of towners," Steve half-joked as he ran his hands through his hair and then around Tuesday's frame in a pre-emptive effort to ensure she didn't topple over from shock. "You're uh… Wednesday right?"

"Tuesday," her voice was soft, bewildered even. Her eyes narrowing now at the group of kids who backed away without losing eye contact, "What…" She looked up at Steve. "What the fuck just happened?"

  To be continued...

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[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

Ok I'm looking back on the MCU now that it's been a year since Tony died, and I'm looking back particularly at my favorite stomping-ground, CA:CW. I'd seen a post recently that said that Steve was "100% right". And I just don't get how you can think that. So here are some thoughts (which get pretty spicy at points, but I want to preface, I don't hate Steve as a character, nor do I think he was 100% wrong. I just have a lot of issues with how people react and respond to him and I need to vent.)

So to start us off: do I think the Accords likely needed revision so that they weren't so drastic with the power they would give to world government? Yes. But I think Tony had a very valid point, and for ONCE, the narrative actually backs him up. Explicitly backs him up, may I add, because that call-out scene in Endgame was fricking epic and much needed. The ONE time that the narrative does not outright excuse Steve's selfish stubbornness, people are still writing it off and giving him a pass! Not only that, people are blatantly ignoring the message of the film!! In my opinion, the film touches on many topics: one, how you should always consider the other perspectives, and that discussion is infinitely superior to conflict; two, how you can't make decisions for other people; but three, in contrast to two, you have to be willing to be held accountable for your actions (social contract theory) which coincidentally is something that Steve is NEVER willing to do (until MAYBE) in Endgame. And I think it's telling that people miss this message! The movie is not intended to have one person come out 100% right, it is supposed to show that you should never assume that you are incapable of being wrong, that there are always things that you will misunderstand, that it is important to be humble enough to listen to the other side and honestly evaluate what they are saying, that compromise is important, that you should choose your battles, that no one is perfect...the movie spends so much time showing that Steve is flawed and breaking the perception of him as some all-American hero who is selfless and would do anything for the greater good. It is INTENDED to show that he isn't perfect, that he makes mistakes, and that he doesn't recognize them and instead of reconciling, he makes a selfish and headstrong decision that has lasting repercussions...It's showing the danger of a savior/God complex. It's showing how we can grow too attached to an ideal, so much so that we are willing to overlook its faults and flaws and explain away everything that might be problematic. We have to reevaluate the voices we listen to, and whether it is appropriate to rebel against authority. There is a place for individuality, even rebellion, but there must also be a reason--and the decision made in this film by Cap was emotional, not reasonable. If thought out further, it could have become reasonable, but ultimately he opposed the Accords because he wanted to save Bucky. You can't reject accountability and submission to authority on emotional grounds alone; we need to be respectful of those who lead us, even if we disagree, and work to change the system from the inside. This whole film demonstrates how polarization leads to tension, which leads to conflict, which results in no progress and no benefit. The only true progress is achieved by compromise.

And that is something Tony was willing to do!! Tony was the character trying to maintain harmony and act in everyone's best interest, by listening to everyone, not just deciding for them that this isn't something they should be ok with (sounds a little overly authoritative, eh, Steve?) But Steve and Bucky gang up on him and beat him down, which I believe is a representation of what often happens when you feel strongly about an issue. You will associate with those who agree with you, and you will make the matter a personal one, so personal that you will interpret any disagreement as an attack. Tony (who can represent moderation in ideals here) is beaten down by Steve and Bucky (who can represent polarized "extremists"), and I think that's a good commentary even aside from politics that is being completely lost because people continue to insist that Steve was 100% right. No! He wasn't! That's the point! And you're 100% missing it! NO ONE WAS COMPLETELY RIGHT!! The important thing is TO LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES!!! LIKE TONY DID!!! TO CHANGE YOUR PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR INSTEAD OF ENTRENCHING YOURSELF EVER MORE DEEPLY INTO YOUR STANCE!! To grow and to accept that you were wrong and you made a mistake and you're sorry and you're going to take active steps to change your behavior and make reparations even if it's uncomfortable! To progress! To learn to step back and give others a chance to shine! To become humble! To learn quietness and compromise and strive for peace! All of these are things that Tony, across his entire arc but especially in this movie, has been doing and demonstrating and working towards, and for every step forward he takes, Steve's absolute unwillingness to budge from where he is becomes more and more evident, until it seems that in comparison he is going backwards, because we are growing and moving forward too, and we are leaving him behind. Is it any wonder that people don't like his Endgame ending?? It's because it seems selfish, and we think he should be past that by now. But he's not, and he never will be, because he looks at the road to growth and he says "No, you move." But the only thing that passes is time, and eventually we are SUPPOSED to realize that maybe that kind of perfect resolution isn't all it's cracked up to be, and maybe he's flawed, and maybe we are too, and maybe the only way to "get that life Tony was always talking about" is to try doing what Tony did, and actually live it.