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kinsey3furry300 · 3 years

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So how the heck do the Avengers pay for stuff, and how rich are they?

So, in the wake of “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” There’s a lot of debate about why Sam didn’t seem to get paid well for his work in the Avengers (at least in the MCU continuity), and this has got me thinking: we’ve got no evidence that the Avengers are, financially, anything but a hot mess. So lets break it down, Avenger by Avenger, using real-world pay scales for the ones who have jobs.

Tony: a billionaire, so clearly he’s a financial genius, right? Well….. his actions say otherwise. He’s shown to be wildly irresponsible with his money. He inherited a lot of wealth form his parents which was managed by the first Jarvis, Obadiah, and Pepper for him, he buys and then gives away not just woks of art, but entire collections by major 20th century artists on a whim, destroyed his own cars and home without concern, he tanks the value of his own company in the first Iron Man with a bad press interview, gets kicked of his own bord of directors, and ultimately, in Iron Man 2, gives control of his company to Pepper. He’s insanely rich, and insanely smart, but man, he’s not smart with his money. So all the cool stuff, his suits, the Avengers tower, the facility up-state: that’s all paid for by him, but Pepper is holding the purse-stings. So, does he pay the others? We have no evidence for most of them… but we do with Spidey. Peter Parker is in the Stark Internship Program a euphemism to hide the fact he’s training and mentoring him as a super-hero, but I find the wording interesting: he refers to Spidey, his surrogate son and chosen heir, as an intern. I.E., Unpaid. I’m guessing this is Howard’s influence over him, some sort of ‘make you own way in the world, son’ attitude, but if he’s not paying Spidey, is he paying anyone else? He certainly pays for stuff super heroes suits and things, equipment, fuel, the base, but does he pay anyone a wage? No one ever mentions it. You think it would come up.

So, if he’s not paying them a wage, where do Avengers (and thier allies) get their day-to-day money from, and are they rich? Using google and https://www.federalpay.org, lets find out.

Cap: Well, before Civil war, he’s a shield operative, and he presumably still holds his military rank: he’s a US Army captain, with (well) over 40 years service, so USD$88,142.40 per year, with $237.71 drill pay (pay per drill you have to do on weekends, on leave or outside of normal service) and $175.00 per month hazard pay (which I bet is interesting) on top of that. As a WW2 veteran, he’d be eligible for a war pension if he:

Was not discharged for dishonorable reasons; and,

Served 90 days of active military duty; and,

Served at least one day during wartime ("wartime" as determined by the VA); and,

Had countable family income below a certain yearly limit; and,

Is age 65 years or older; or

Regardless of age is permanently disabled, not due to wilful misconduct.

As he’s still receiving 90k per year, he’s ineligible for a pension as his countable yearly income is above the limit. So if shield pays him in accordance with his rank and years of service, about $90, 600 per year incuding hazard pay.

After civil war, he’s a fugitive on the run, so presumably flat broke. I’d asume he gets his pension returened to him after the snap.

He’s also just gone from the 40’s to the present day, so 70 years of inflation probably makes buying things very confusing for him: everything would seem insanely expensive at first. He’d also not know what the correct prices are for anything invented after 45. You might get used to how much more expensive food and coffee is, but how much is a smart-phone worth? $200? $2000 $20000? Who knows? I bet the others have to facepalm a lot when he either refuses to pay for what he sees as clear price-gouging, and at the same time regularly pays insane amounts of money for goods and services because he doesn’t know better. He also has no known assets other than his pay: he rents an apartment making him one of the few American males in his age-group who isn’t a home-owner

Thor: Does Asgard even have currency? It’s depicted like a “Crystal spires and toga” type utopia with no poverty: even working class Asgardian’s like Scourge seem to be pretty well-off and want for nothing, so he’s from a post-scarcity society where actual magic is a thing. His “Another” coffee cup smashing and the fact he doesn’t have a computer of phone in Ragnarök might indicate that, no, he just doesn’t have, need or understand money. Splitting a bar tab with him must be a nightmare. His breakdown post snap indicates he’s got some cash, but not a huge amount, and is probably skiving of Valkyrie and the other Asgardians.

Banner: Okay, so a PhD could make you a lot of money from patents… in pharmacology or engineering. Theoretical physics? Not so good. And if Banner did have any patents, they’ve probably been seized under eminent domain by the US military. At the start of The Hulk film, he’s working a entry-level factory job at a botteling plant in Brazil. The minimum wage in Brazil is 1069.62 Real per month, that’s 12,835.44 Real per year, or around $2437.79 US per year, before everything goes wrong for him! He then runs off to India, works for Tony for a bit and then gets shot into space. Spidey may actually make more in allowance than Banner does, and Banner is a gown ass man with bills to pay: I’d imagine he loses a lot in ripped clothing.

Natasha and Barton: Pre Civil-war, both are government spooks, so how well does that pay? The salaries of CIA Intelligence Analysts based in the US range from $25,838 to $685,701 , with a median salary of $125,340, so let’s assume that Shield pays in a similar range: $685,701 per year for Director Fury, around 125,000 for Natasha and Cliff, which explains Cliff’s nice, middle-class mid-western home. Post civil war, presumably not great: we know that Natasha spends a lot of her savings running and hiding all across the world, and Cliff takes a deal and presumably lives of his savings, pension and his wife’s income.

Rhodes: Full USAF colonel with over 10 years service? $105,562.80 per year, plus $293.23 drill pay per drill and $175 per month hazard pay, and because he’s team Stark and not Team Cap in Civil War, he’d not lose any of that. He presumably also gets an injury pay-out after his accident. After T’challa and Stark, he might be the best paid avenger.

Dr Strange: spends all his money he made as a surgeon on trying to cure his hands: spends literally his last dollars heading to Nepal to train. Wong even jokes with him about their lack of worldly money when asking for a tuna-melt. But, can use illusion to make people think he has money, and his home and clothes etc. come with the job, so in the same boat as Thor in that he has no money, but needs none AKA, he’s a bastard to try and split a restaurant bill with.

Wanda and Vision: No know source of income, just sort of live in Tony’s hose and eat his food, and on top of that Wanda goes on the run after civil war… yet they can stay in fancy hotels in Edinburgh, a relatively expensive city, and Vison apparently bought them a house to retire in, so one of them has some source of money. Maybe Tony gave Vision years of back-pay form when he was still Jarvis, or maybe the vison has a day job, which is, frankly, hilarious. Could you imagine him as a barista? I can, and it makes me very happy.

Scott Lang: I’d assumed he’d be super, super broke, but apparently the average pay for a private security consultant in the Bay area is $85,430 per year. Not bad. Pity he gets sucked into the quantum realm just as his business is taking off, so presumably, flat broke again.

Bucky: no known income, and I doubt Hydra paid him for being the Winter Soldier so he probably has no savings, but he should, technically, qualify for a military pension. As a single veteran, he’d be eligible for federal tax-free pension of up to $1732 per month, or $20,784 tax free per year. Not much for someone who lives in NYC. He may also be eligible for medical benefits over the loss of his arm. Whether or not he got to see any of that money given how confused his life has been over the past 10 years is unclear, but on paper he’s eligible.

T’challa: He is, quite possibly, richer than Stark, and as an absolute monarch pays no tax and has access to his Nation’s vast wealth in vibanium. It’s good to be the king!

Captain Marvel: USAF captain, and a test pilot; the test pilot school only accepts applicants with a service length of less than 9 years 6 months (10 years six moths of helicopters) as they don’t want older applicants. With 8 years service, $79,538.40, plus drill pay and hazard. However, no know (human) pay since 1990. Flat broke.

Guardians of the Galaxy: no data, but I’m assuming “Cowboy Bebop” levels of perpetual never-ending poverty given the way they choose to live. I’d also assume Rocket has taken all their cash into some sort of Ponzi scheme of his own creation, because just look at him, of course he has.

Spidey: he’s got about $10 of his aunts’ money at any given time, so he can buy lunch… which may in fact be more than Banner or Lang, and we know it’s more that Strange or Thor.

So, here the big one: how rich or how broke is Sam?

Sam Wilson: annoyingly, we’re not directly told what rank Sam held in any MCU film. USAF pararescue “Maroon berets” are generally NCO’s (but there’ are officer-ranked pararescue) , and he’s seen working on his wings at one point, where as officers don’t generally work on or maintain airframes. He’s shown wearing a Nation Air guard grey while jogging at one point to confuse the matter further. The general consensus on redit is he’s a former USAF tech sergeant (E-6). But how long was he in the air force? With six years service (the minimum sensible time he could have served to work in pararescue based on his age), that would be $41,464.80 per year, plus drill pay and hazard. As Anthony Mackie, the actor that plays him, was 36 as of Civil War, and assuming the character is the same age, and assuming he retired from the air force that year, and he joined the USAF at 17, the youngest you can join, he’d have served 19 years, giving him a pay of $51,566.40, the maximum pay you can get at this rank before promotion to Master Sergent, but meaning he left just before he’d qualify for the 50% final salary pension you’d qualify for after 20 years. Which seems weird. So let’s assume the character is one year older than the actor that plays him and served 20 years (ages 17-37), that means Sam has a military pension of $25,783.20 per year (20,784 of it tax-free), plus any injury benefits. He councils other veterans, but doesn’t get paid for that. He also chooses Team Cap in Civil War, so would become a wanted criminal, and so lose his income between 2016 and 2018, and then gets snapped and has no income for 5 years, which would destroy his credit rating. Like the rest of Team Cap, he presumably gets his post snap pardon, and goes to work for the US government at his former pay and rank. However, given how Captain John Walker treats him as an equal, it’s possible he’s been promoted to a captain when the hired back, giving him a pay of between $54,176.40 to $88,142.40 (with 20 years experience, depending on if they take into account his prior service or not, and how much prior service he has), but either way, he’s just starting this as a new job after being legally dead for 5 years: no savings, and no credit.

Commercial fishing vessels cost about 10% of their total value per year in maintenance alone. I can’t identify what sort of boat the Wilson’s have, but some quick googling indicates that the cheapest 15m long wooden in-shore shrimp trawler costs around $140,000, so that’s $14,000 per year in maintenance costs alone, minimum. And that’s a lower estimate, assuming the rest of the business is sound, which we know it isn’t.

So, in concussion, yes, Sam is in some serious financial trouble until he can re-build his savings and credit, but the scary bit is he’s not alone in that: he’s probably better off than Lang, Banner, Danvers, Strange, Thor, Bucky, Wanda and Parker. Only Clint (if he gets a full pardon and gets his full pension), Rhodes, Stark and T’challa aren’t in some sort of potential financial problems. That asshole bank teller was right: despite the fact it seems to pay well on paper, with a few exceptions, the Avengers financials are probibaly a mess. EDIT: Rocket is running the Ponzi scheme, if that’s not clear from context. The others know they have money somewhere, but not where it’s gone. And It’s been pointed out to me that as he’s technically a POW while he’s the Winter Soldier, Bucky is owed over 70 years back-pay, equal to over 3 million dollars, details in the notes.

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dynamicduoofstackie · 3 years

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I’m curious why SamBucky is so rare-ish in these streets when it comes to pairing Bucky with an MCU character? I get it, I get it, with the Stucky ‘end of the line’; we been teaming up since the comic book days spiel. I personally see Bucky and Steve as brothers after Captain America: The Winter Soldier cause it felt like Bucky was ready to adopt Steve after his mother, who was his only remaining family, died.

That’s me. I know everyone not going to see it in that light. But Bucky gives me big brother vibes whenever he has to save pipsqueak Steve in the MCU. Plus the original comics had Bucky as an adorable, little sidekick that would make you think reverse big brother and little brother, with Steve being the big brother and Bucky the little brother. I don’t read the comics so it might just me. No offense.

Is it really about the, Steve knew him longer thing? I mean other than possibly Natasha in the comics, Bucky has no clearly defined MCU love interests. Bucky was a flirt before he met Sarah Wilson, so him being able to flirt, just proves he’s coming into his own. I’m not saying he doesn’t like Sarah that way. But he also flirted with Peggy in the first Captain America movie because he’s a lady killer and was more than willing to take the two girls off Steve’s hand at the Stark Expo when Steve floundered. Steve/Tony I sorta get with the enemies to lover trope. The Bucky x Clint thing is really mind-boggling to me because there were no interaction between them in the MCU; so something must have happened in the comics. So okay... But the fact that Sam had more interaction with Bucky in the MCU and had a whole comic book series with him and Bucky shouldn’t have the ships OF SamBucky and Sam x Clint at a 700+ fanfic difference. Fandoms are so weird sometimes... anyway...

Sam and Steve are the only ones in the MCU who really interact with Bucky outside the strong and beautiful people of Wakanda. None of the Wakandians seem interested in Bucky, except in maybe a familial way. Like they found a stray cat, nursed and raised it; but the cat is still an outdoor cat that might visit from time to time, but is mostly out there doing its on thing. Just the feeling I get with how comfortable Bucky was interacting with Princess Shuri and/or the Dora Milaje. They respect him, fixed him, and let Bucky roam free.

Steve is somewhere on the moon or wherever, in The Falcon and Winter Soldier tv series and Sam is the only one willing to stay in contact with Bucky. Shoot in Endgame only Sam and Steve were Bucky’s only people because Steve protecting Bucky caused a rift between the Avengers. It was repaired, but Team Iron Man doesn’t know Bucky at all, and/or don’t seem interested. Team Captain America are either dead (Natasha), being with their family (Clint and Scott), or dealing with their own shit (Steve and Wanda). So that leaves Sam. That’s really no coincidence even though I’ll admit, Steve going to a support group to more Peggy instead of his two best friends that were recently missing was kind of shitty.

So again, getting back on track, why isn’t their more Sambucky love? We already know Stucky is default most popular in the fandom for Bucky pairing. But Sam, who has the enemies turn friends aspect about him and has been the only one, besides Steve, who openly tried to find Bucky. I mean what better love story is it for a man who went from thinking Bucky would be better off dead, to suddenly sacrificing his 9 to 5 and freedom to search for Bucky and help him escape the airport in Germany?

I mean SamBucky is one of the few ships that has a foundation of amazing content from Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan’s interactions with each other. Mackie and Sebastian literally went from play pretending like they couldn’t stand each other, to damn near needing someone to chaperone them in their interviews because they so random shit, flirt and love to be close. Sebastian has talked about Mackie more than any costar and Mackie has a wonderful knack for finding Sebastian on any red carpet event to compliment the hell out of him. They literally had a show created for the two characters because of that amazing chemistry and Sebastian even co-signed on it with this gem below.

The MCU was throwing Bucky and Sam together over and over again, way before they got their own tv series. They argued together, fought each other, tried to one up each other by ripping wings and dropkicking from the air. Even in the television show big-hearted Sam willingly allows Bucky to go on a top secret government mission with him. Checks in on him constantly to make sure he’s okay. The only one that defends Bucky against people like Zemo, Sharon and John Walker.

Sam really was the one person that helped put most of Bucky’s demons to rest in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He gave him the tough love he needed in the end. He gave him purpose. He teased him like he was a normal person and not a former, brain-washed assassin. Sam watched over Bucky because he wanted to. Steve never asked him to check on Bucky. Steve never asked Sam to help him find Bucky. Steve never asked for Sam to sacrifice his freedom and go to the raft just so Bucky and Steve could escape in the airport. Sam volunteered to do that all on his own because he saw how worthy Bucky was.

Why else would Sam have him on a top government mission? Why else would he try to bail out Bucky from jail or follow Steve and Bucky against his Avenger allies? Why else would he let Bucky talk him into let Zemo go? Or any of the other insane things they did together, unless he didn’t care?

And that’s what Bucky needs, someone to give a damn about him. Someone to text him and chase after him. Someone to defend him and remind him that he’s not the Winter Soldier anymore. Someone to offer him a place to stay and normalcy. Someone who isn’t afraid to introduce to his family or watch his six in a battle. Someone touch him because he knows Bucky’s been touch-starved or tease him because he’s not afraid to be next to him.

Sam knows this Bucky. The Bucky who was determined to give the Shield to Sam. The Bucky who dangled kids off his arm while talking to Sam’s sister. The Bucky who has trouble sleeping at night because he still has demons. The Bucky who tried to kill him because he didn’t have control of his own body The Bucky who was just as broken as Sam when Steve just Peggy over them. The Bucky who is trying to find purpose in a world that has forgotten about him. He doesn’t have to remake himself into the old Bucky for Steve because Sam only knows this Bucky. Bucky doesn’t have to be anybody, but himself around Sam and he is.

I mean maybe people don’t care to pair Bucky with Sam because he was against saving Bucky the first time; or didn’t pull up the car seat; or didn’t want to jump in believing Bucky after he threw him across the room by his chin; or maybe because Sam’s black... WHO KNOWS.

I just thought it was odd that the fandom doesn’t respect Anthony Mackie as a whole, too. Like the poor man has to insert himself into interviews with his white costars just to not be pretty arm candy. But that’s another rant for another post.

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lyricalvillain · 3 years

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TFaWS Spoilers Below!

Okay. Okay. Can we frigging talk about Falcon and Winter Soldier stuff real quick? Cause like... I'm blown away by all the emotional stuff going on here. I am loving where this is going so far and the intense issues the characters are struggling with and how wonderful the Actors are doing right now.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)

Anthony Mackie is a national treasure. I love his portrayal of Sam Wilson. He does an astounding job. He has such an expressive face and he uses it to break my heart.

His character is going through a lot right now. He just got back from being dead for five years. People mourned him, his family mourned him. He is trying to reintegrate himself into the world and his loved one's lives. Which is even harder when there's a five year gap of missing time to account for. Right away in Ep1 he's given shit from a banker about that five year gap in employment. (Which, excuse me sir who raised you???)

All while coming to terms with the fact that Steve is gone. Steve is gone and he dropped this monumental legacy onto Sam's shoulders.

And Sam felt he didn't fit that role, felt like he was standing in this massive shadow cast by what people expected from Steve (and now what they expect from Sam). His speech about needing new heros, and letting the shield rest because noone could live up to Steve-- wonderful. Beautifully delivered. Mackie is killing it portraying Sam. Just. A++

And the cinematography in that moment. The massive image of Steve looming over Sam. Really pushing how Sam feels in that moment.

He felt that the shield, the legacy, the title belonged to someone else. He had his own name, his own legacy that he was building. His own identity. I can see how he wouldn't want to give up being Falcon and pick up Steve's shield.

But that made the end of ep announcement of the new Captain America all the more heart wrenching, like seriously I wanted to cry. Because Sam trusted that the shield and uniform would be kept at the museum. Trusted that his decision and wishes would be respected. And oh god, how they rolled over that without a seconds hesitation.

The entirety of episode two was just triggering for both of our boys. Sam was constantly being reminded of how he gave up the shield. It’s the first thing Bucky says to him, and it’s the thing Bucky focuses on the most. Sam is probably already furious that this is happening and John Walker isn’t helping that either.

“It would be easier if I had Cap’s wingmen to back me up.”

Sam’s reaction to this was very telling. He was with the guy up until this point it seemed. As soon as he said this, Sam left. And I think it has a lot to do with him having his own autonomy as a hero, his own identity, his own legacy. He is very focused on who is behind the symbol, the person behind the symbol. (I also think Sam may have some Imposter syndrome going on, maybe?) He helped take down Thanos, take down Hydra. He’s put the work in, he's made a name for hinself. So when John says he's put the work in. I feel like that's just insult to injury right there for Sam.

While I doubt John meant any harm, he definitely stuck his foot in his mouth. It seemed like he thought of Bucky and Sam as accessories instead of their own individual people. Like they didn’t have issues and lives outside of being brushed off and put in play for whatever Cap needed them for.

Sam was with Steve because they were friends, why would he ally himself with John Walker, a man who had taken up the mantle he had tried to lay to rest, a man he didn’t know at all? A man who didn’t know him at all.

And don’t get me started on the cops man, they called for BACKUP. They stopped because they judged someone based on the color of their skin, and the backup arrived as they figured out who they were harassing. Fucking systemic racism, man. (Good job portraying that as well though.)

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)

Bucky... God damn. What a mess. Tragic back story to the max, add in a dash of survivors guilt, self worth issues a mile wide. And lets not forget the trust issues. We have those too.

We all know his past, the brainwashed assassin with no real name. Treated like a weapon, stripped of humanity and autonomy.

He was a fugitive for probably about four years spent some more time on ice in Wakanda, and then vanished for five. He comes back to help kick Thanos' butt and then Steve... Just leaves him to live his life in the past. For Steve it's been a long time. Steve lived through those five years without Sam or Bucky. But for Bucky it was only yesterday that they had been fighting to stop Thanos. He hasn't been able to integrate properly into society. He only had Steve and by extension Sam.

So now he's left to integrate on his own. Steve was his anchor, and he's adrift in the future where he only consistently talks to his therapist and a man who's son he murdered.

He is not okay.

In episode one and two we see just how not okay he is. He's mired in his past, clinging to the vestiges of his combat experience and skill set he picked up as the winter soldier. Sam tells him he's not a spy anymore and Bucky fights to be able to help, to feel relevant again.

Hes so focused on Steve's shield. I like to think its partially because of what Steve's trust symbolized to him, and also because it's tied so closely with Steve's memory that seeing someone, that Steve didn't give it to, wield it bugs him. Steve's last wish was for Sam to pick up the title.

The revelation that he was trying so hard because Steve believed in him broke my heart. Especially once he started doubting that faith his friend had in him.

"What was rule two again, Doc?"

Nobody gets hurt. But I wonder if bucky was implying that he has been hurt. I mean probably, Sam said some hurtful things, they both did. And they're both snarky and defensive. Still Bucky will help Sam, because even though they argue and fight, they're friends, united in grief and trauma. I just have so many feelings about my boys guys.

John Walker (Wyatt Russell)

I’m not gonna lie I expected to hate John, in fact the ending of the first episode just begs you to hate him. I don’t love him. But surprisingly I also definitely don’t hate him. He is a giant dumbass though.

So firstly, this dude is from the comics, he’s eventually known as U.S. Agent.

He operates within the confines of the law, and is basically the government’s lap dog at this point. Whereas Steve, as Captain America, had gone against orders multiple times, against the law even, to do what he thought was right. Despite the obvious differences in their character so far, there is a parallel we can draw between John and Steve and even John and Sam.

John feels that pressure that Sam felt in Episode one. It’s the first thing he really talks about. He doesn't want to let the people down.

He has been used as a marketing tool very much like Steve. Propaganda posters, the works. He tells his friend (high-school sweetheart?) that he wants to just “do the job” like Steve did. He’s frustrated about being paraded around, surrounded by dancing girls and stuffed in front of cameras.

As irritatingly confident as he seems, there is a lot of doubt and nerves in this guy. He is also… not enhanced. He’s just slightly above average for a human.

“I’m not trying to replace Steve, I’m not trying to be Steve. I’m just trying to be the best Captain America I can be.” This was honesty, there was frustration in the lines. He probably feels overwhelmed, he is reaching out for help from people who knew Cap best and are best equipped to help him take down the Flag Smashers.

Later when he shows up to bail Bucky out, he made a few more mistakes. Firstly, the therapy thing. Ordering his therapy to clear him so he wouldn’t be tied up was just short sighted and selfish. He may have thought he was doing Bucky a favor seeing as the therapy was court mandated, but Bucky NEEDS that therapy. His therapist was the only person he had regular contact with that wasn’t emotionally torturous for him.

Also calling Bucky an asset. DUDE. This man was referred to as “The Asset” for 70 YEARS. He was brainwashed and treated like a thing, didn’t have a name, wasn’t allowed to decide things for himself. So John swooping in and making the decision to “liberate him” from therapy because he was “a valuable asset”? John, buddy, pal. Maybe don’t. Maybe take you “I know what’s best” shtick somewhere else okay?

He knows who these men are, and he’s trying to be helpful and supportive to get them to like him, trust him and work with him. But that’s hard when you don’t KNOW these men and what they’re suffering through. John is just going to trample all over their emotional minefield.

That’s it from me, thanks for reading through my rambling thoughts on fictional characters guys! I'm going to go cry in a corner until next week.

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wenellyb · 3 years

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stop deluding yourself and your followers. Mackie is quite clearly anti sambucky and it’s what drove so many people away from the ship (the only ones left are the cishet girls with a gay fetish and their head stuck up their ass)

Hello Anon,

Below my replies, I'll make it "short" and develop this when I have more time.

1) Stop deluding yourself and your followers.

Done, you have it! I'll stop it.

2) Mackie is quite clearly anti sambucky

Here's the link of a Tumblr post with the audio from that interview where Anthony talks about Sambucky.

Tell me where is the part where you can tell he's anti-Sambucky?

I'll wait and listen. You can even reply to me on anon. But let me know the exact part where you can tell Anthony is anti-Sambucky?

Because the part where he is talking about male friendships is a reply to another question from the journalist, who asks about male friendships and the journalist is the one who says they are rare in the superhero context.

The only thing he said about Sambucky was laugh and then say he doesn't follow fandom stuff.

So where did you get to that conclusion?

Anon, I'm not a categorical person, I'm really interested in dicussing when it's done properly (politely), so I have no problem admitting it when I'm wrong, but I would need more than two sentences on Anon with no context or explanation.

And I will also need to know that you are someone who has all the information they need to make a judgment. Someone who hasn't only read the headlines and top tweets, but also read the article and listened to the audio.

I read the transcripts, and listened and what I hear is that what Anthony Mackie said was put out of context and wasn't about Sambucky. Let me know if you understand something else, after listening to the audio?

I just don't understand, I give all these links and arguments and explanations and then you come in my ask box with no counter argument, no evidence, nothing, and you expect me to believe you??? How does that work?

If Anthony is anti-Sambucky, ok, I'm not saying you're wrong, but what did he say to make you believe that? What quote?

And also if you have time to spare, you can read my post HERE.

3) it’s what drove so many people away from the ship

That and it's also because the show is over. I think there are several factors.

4) the only ones left are the cishet girls with a gay fetish and their head stuck up their ass

I'll adress this part later because it's a quite interesting topic but I don't have the time to adress it now!

Besides, you formulated this in a very rude way whereas it's an important topic to be discussed and that should definitely be adressed (the fetish part, not the head stuck up the *ss part lol)

#anthony mackie #anon asks #tfatws #I'm really open to discussions but anybody can just make random statements but it doesn't help when it isn't backed up by some evidenve #evidence #i was going for a short reply but I guess this is mid-length

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dotthings · 3 years

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Below the cut is some talk about specifics about how Sam and Bucky interact in this episode, and react to each other, watch out for each other, and about how they each reveal their capacity for empathy differently.

Let’s track through this.

Sam projects a lot of worry/grimness about Bucky going in alone to talk with Zemo, in a way that doesn’t seem to be merely Sam wanting to deal with Zemo himself. It seems to be specifically about Bucky being alone in a room with Zemo. While Bucky is giving Sam the rationale that he and Zemo have a shared history because of HYDRA and then poor Sam, his face gets even grimmer.

The show doesn’t forget at any point that Sam’s job is counseling vets with PTSD and how empathetic Sam is and he cares, but also he is specifically trained for these matters and he is very watchful and worried about Bucky’s mental state.

And after Bucky’s meeting with Zemo: “Zemo’s going to mess with our minds. Especially yours” and “it’s pushing you off the deep end.”

In the club, Sam puts his hand on Bucky’s winter soldier arm. He knows Bucky’s playing the role. But having to play that role, Sam knows could be triggering, not in the sense that it will make Bucky revert, but in that it’s traumatizing. it’s making Sam anxious for Bucky so he’s doing check-ins. All throughout the ep, check-ins. “You good?”

Sam I noticed is very watchful, as a person. Attuned to others. Mindful. Mackie plays this like Sam has his emotional sensors out at all moments to read people, to assess, concern when it’s for his friends, or strategy when it’s antagonists.

Sam also gives a slight bristle when Zemo handles Bucky like a commodity. That was an extremely tense moment and I think there is something about race in that--a black man seeing his white friend being touched like an object and treated like something on-sale. But that was also more personal, Sam I think just feels protective of Bucky a whole lot.

Bucky’s a lot more closed off. He is watchful but in a different way than Sam. He doesn’t come across as openly attuned to people and he’s not as expressive. That doesn’t mean he isn’t watchful or picking up on emotions. I think we don’t know that much about how Bucky processes these things, while Sam is a very open book and radiates feelings and picks up on feelings visibly. They’re different personalities and it’s so interesting how they play off each other.

Bucky I noticed herds Sam and Sharon out of the burning lab. The protectiveness emerges as physical here, and maybe because Bucky’s the supersoldier so his body recovered a whole lot faster from the jolt and shock of the explosion, but Bucky, like Sam, is inherently protective and him being the one enhanced human in the room, he’s going to look after his regular human friends.

The bickering scenes are emerging, to me, as a coping mechanism. A way for them to touch pinkies while under stress. Another way of checking in, grounding themselves while under fire. It’s coming across like they find that almost comforting.

On the plane, Bucky is cleaning his winter soldier arm when he asks Sam: “You okay.” Bucky is cleaning his winter soldier arm when he asks if Sam is ok. That’s some wonderful juxtaposition. This symbol of the ruthless, the cold, the killer, that requires some maintenance, against Bucky just asking if his friend is okay, that contrast is very very soft. And posited against Sam’s fears throughout the episode on how reverting to winter soldier will traumatize Bucky, we get a moment that deliberately places the winter soldier arm right next to Bucky’s empathy and check-in on Sam’s well being. *chef’s kiss*

Also there’s not really any big sign of Bucky watching Sam. Yet suddenly there it is. Bucky knows. He notices stuff. He does check-ins too. But he doesn’t do the kinds of stuff Sam does openly.

There’s one more check-in when Bucky says he’s taking a walk (so he can follow the wakanda bead trail) and it’s echoing back to the top of the ep, “You good?”

It’s coming across like it’s second nature to them now. Not a big deal. They check on each other. Even though I feel like they haven’t spend that much time together outside of when they were on the run with Cap. The difference in how the interact from ep 2 to ep 3 already, things have considerably thawed and fallen into a familiarity. Am I to assume they have spent more time together than I think? Or is this their behavior getting ahead of what they think the relationship is. (I’m thinking of the dialogue from the trailers where they deny being friends). Because it feels very natural and mutually supportive and like they’ve been partners consistently for years, but with this element where they don’t know each other that well and trying to figure each other out.

#Sam Wilson #Bucky Barnes #The Falcon and The Winter Soldier #The Falcon and the Winter Soldier spoilers #tfatws meta

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magnusetdona · 3 years

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Hello there family! Back from the dead and ready to kick things into gear. Please bear with me as I update Brina's bio and her page but to help with plotting and to explain what's going on with our most elegant and wonderous badass babe of science and medicine I humbly present this to you! Below in are the current state of mind / things regarding Sabrina Mackie:

*** i tried to make it small that didn’t work so thank you so much for reading <3. gore tw, death tw, blood tw & mentions of these.

REGARDING FAMILY:

Bram Mackie: Supporting her brother's decision to become a supernatural in order to avenge their family and level the playing field in that regard what is done is done. For a moment it felt like she would lose him, like she had the tiniest doubt ( and still does ) that Bram would die and not complete the change. Now that he has and he's no longer in the hideout there is a stronger pull to make the journey into were-territory to do as she's always done and that's make sure he's alright and to take care of him. Brina has been trading in the black market for hard to find items like bacon, smoked ham hocks and specialty meats and things and plans on making a large spread as promised for him in his new home. The bacon/smoked ham hock / meat ( likely used for a polish hunter's stew - eden's heritage is showing ) will draw a decent crowd if not most werewolves in a decent radius. Bram hadn't approved of this sort of dealing before and certainly wouldn’t now knowing how often she’s frequenting insanely dangerous places to get these things but mackie’s tend to do what they want. ( she’s not told him the detail of her experiments or how she’s come up with a system to sneak into bite clubs and shady af places to collect samples that we will touch on later ). its her plan to make those who will now be involved with his life aware she is still a huge part of his and she still loses sleep over him knowing he's not in the other room now and how can she save the big bad werewolf from dying if she's not there?

Cardelle Mackie: With the injuries Cardelle has endured, both mentally and physically from his last altercation with a high vampire and their last conversation... Brina is concerned about him. With their older brother now a werewolf and on his own personal quest she'd holding the pieces of a tattered playing card and the tattered soul of her other elder brother, the much more handsome one she will aways tell him not knowing how to patch the latter up completely. Brina's ad a front seat to the differences between Bram & Card and now with Bram gone is again worried about how Card will react to this void knowing he's always competed with Bram to be better at everything instead of loving himself. Brina's noticed the uptick in drowning his sorrows and this has in turn made her push herself in the repair of the playing card and her brother. She's currently thinking of ideas on how to possibly help him out in all aspects of his life and quietly harboring deep resentment towards the vampire that so thoroughly wrecked him. Additionally she's torn between asking Card to move in with her or just move her things into his place and tell him she's living there now to take care of him and help him back to where he was and then better than before. She looses a ton of sleep thinking about how she can watch out for him and give him all the good things he deserves. If anyone can make steal ten seconds of happiness, Brina would steal them for Card not matter their cost.

Rory Mackie: She is still missing the other half of her soul. the chaos to her genius and its like losing part of herself - the phantom limb. Being twins she feels a special connection with her that is hard to explain that causes her not to give up in the search when so many others have moved on worrying about her. Brina didn't see her at SRS and since then I don't imagine the brothers with their own issues have had a chance to update Brina on this revelation. So for the moment every time she goes out to gather samples, wander the city discovering things and every chance she gets to speak to black market vendors Sabrina is looking for Mackenzie Rhys picture and all. The connection is fraying, not severed but if Rory were dead Sabrina would feel it and she dreads the day she might and then its one more step closer to being the last Mackie left alive and Sabrina even then would probably seek drastic measures to get her sister back. In short her family keeps her up at night wondering if they are safe and Sabrina doesn't give up on making sure they are okay and this connection out of every other is the one if she looses it will likely kill her. Brina would be lost if she loses Rory entirely.

Lucky Jones Adams: Lucky though not blood is a Mackie through and through. To the end of time and that last days to where eternity falls off into nothingness this is her sister for life. It's not like the connection she has with Lorelai where their souls are bound by some inexplicable twinness and a sixth sense though the way she feels about Lucky is the same. Her sister. A woman that helped raise her into the woman she became and while Sabrina is the first in a long line of Mackie's to hunt search for an alternative solution Brina would wrestle gods and slay demons if it meant Lucky would stay. She understands the disappearances, knows the struggles of the other without the exact detail. There are pieces Sabrina knows that the other one keeps close to her chest - Lucky is the lone wolf of their family but that doesn't stop this member of their small clan from worrying. Sabrina won't push it knowing she too disappears into her lab for days on end or travels about the streets of calamity slipping through crowds and what not and she admires Lucky for all she is. With her being back now and back to herself thanks to the Mackies and their hand Brina would love for one of her brothers to tell Lucky they love her. Brina is unaware that Bram has said this and Brina just wants to keep kindling their relationship. If anything were to happen to Lucky or hurt her with everything its not likely Sabrina would let her disappear again and Brina would be there constantly, earnestly to help Lucky keep a handle on all the things or just be a comfort. When the world is spinning she knows she can count on Lucky but Sabrina wants to extend the same love and care that she's always felt from Lucky now Lucky is around and back to being themselves.

Michael Fothergill: Sabrina's first and second encounters with Mike have been rather interesting ones. Meeting her brother's best friend and now fellow werewolf. He's crazy she'll give him that and the type of crazy her sister would readily enjoy but Brina has strange feelings about Mike. Having declared herself the defacto matriarch of their family ( she thinks this not that it's actually true ) accepting someone new into the fold is a task. She's not against him no - quite the opposite she is entirely grateful to Mike for all that he is. He's just the type of off the wall the family melds well with and during Bram's turning he was there and he held her hand while she was afraid for Bram's life and kept her safe in case something went wrong. Admiration. That is what she feels that and gratitude for him now that he is part of their lives and there for her eldest brother when she can't be. Goodness she has questions though about werewolves and the life they live and wants to be sure she can trust him with the life of someone she loves and by extension Mike is now someone she also cares and worries over and will when she stops by Bram's new place bring him food and be on him too to make sure he's doing alright. Brina plans on having lunch with him or asking for some time to better understand what Bram is going through - he's not blood but he has no choice in the fact he is now part of the family at least in her mind.

REGARDING HER FELLOW HUMANS:

on the current state of the human faction: Brina has been keeping to herself, flying under the radar and honestly operating on auto-pilot. She does her work, eats, works, has a snack and then holds up in her lab for days. That or she switches out on the day she's not working to checking her plants and finding some other way to do something to keep busy. Or she's out on her own little scouting trip, wandering the city collecting more things, mapping more or spending time in the black market meeting interesting people or having dinner there trading there as well becoming quite the regular.. However hearing their commander has become a vampire now ( however unintentionally ) and Axel's moving up in the chain of command she's got a lot to think about. They are in a shambles really, she feels and she worries without a stabilizing force what will become of her entire life or the safe haven they built here. Brina might speak to Axel about moving locations now or even becoming Head Medic or more. Brina could never fully leave them - never abandon them because everything she does is to gain knowledge to better help them all and one day make it so they no longer need to hide and can roam around safely. Brina want's to help but she's not sure where to start knowing most everyone there and knowing everyone needs a hand. Tis stressful coming out of ones lab to find the rest of it in some form of chaos. These are her friends and they are like family and Sabrina is only one person who can’t do it all, patching everyone up and watch them go through it without suffering a little herself. She’s currently thinking of ways to help but has yet to approach anyone yet to do this officially If anything the recent happenings in short have inspired her to take on a more intensive role within the faction and work harder on the projects she’s got going on to protect those who are left. If anything she’s going to crack into that massive journal and have a plan to pull things together to help her human family.

REGARDING OTHER SPECIES:

regarding vampires: brina is considerably guarded on her feelings on them around most people. truthfully she wouldn't have a problem with them knowing this is their form of sustenance and most at a base level are surviving like everyone else. she wouldn't have a problem if they didn't show a complete disregard for humanity both of those they drain and themselves. she can understand some of it but what for a woman driven by facts and knowledge, a need to understand the world and in turn make it better all of that is speculation. Adding in the general sentiment a hunter family has around vampires who they steal humans, keep them as feeders and show little regard for the lives they take even indirectly by robbing them of that person and all the knowledge of hundreds of years they refuse to share and hoard to themselves it angers her. Mostly because she wants to know why because her life is built on knowing why and making plans and fixing things. It wouldn't help either by the fact people she's cared about have been turned and they are different people now. all in all though she has a healthy fear of vampires, she won't go volunteering to be bitten but would show respect to one if one respects her and would like to have an honest and frank conversation with one to understand why they are the way they are, what drives them, what their weaknesses are and yes then how to fix them. She doesn't wish to kill any of them because they were yes once human even if they no longer remember. In all honesty her protectiveness even extends to them in some odd way and there are a few who inspire her to continue her journey. The only one she would gladly see dead is Demetri for what he did to Cardelle - this is one thing she hasn't voiced to anyone.

regarding fae: There has always been bad blood between humans and fae and Sabrina isn't sure why. She can assume its because at one time humans were horrible creatures and some still are and to have soured a potentially incredibly fruitful relationship troubles brina. Again a being of understanding, hungering for knowledge and a way to build and protect their mutual interests ... she's wary. Wary only because of the way she's been raised and the way they have been raised knowing she herself is a rarity among humans who's interest is in science, medicine and understanding of the world reach farther than just helping humanity and they don't know her enough to trust her. Sabrina would like to cultivate closer relationships in hopes to seek a more harmonious discourse and stronger ties to heal old wounds and learn more about them to lend assistance. Would it be so terrible though to admit Sabrina is curious about magic, eager to study the small sciences and mysteries of a world that humans are denied access to? . Brina is still careful how to approach this thought knowing the power fae have is no joke and regardless of their classification any angered fae, pissed off is deadly and some are simply cruel for shits and giggles. She has a healthy respect for them knowing she if admitted into one's friendship or even tolerance is a gift.

regarding werewolves: She has a new found love and respect for them as Bram is one now. Growing up as a Mackie and the spawn of generations of hunters being told not to trust them and how dangerous they are now with an in via Mike and Bram she'd like to know more about them. Their transformation, their drive how they live and exist to understand more. Brina is no fool, will suffer no fools either and is perhaps the most careful of the Mackie. She's got plenty of things in her bag to protect and defend herself from every sort of being but she is excited quietly to meet more of them and this new part of Bram's life. They will see her quite often after all as there is no separating her from his life and in her expanding understanding to know worlds of knowledge hidden from her and perhaps share some of hers to help Bram's new family.

regarding witches: Sabrina while silent on most things as she is extremely quite on making her above opinions known ( while this is changing ) she is appreciative for witches though the sentiment is not always shared by others. She appreciates them and their craft again having a healthy respect and fear over their powers knowing she is mortal and they are in a way but supremely gifted. Were it not for Zyler Fane would the sickness that had been continue on and effect more and in the black market, Sabrina, has been gathering hard to find items for some of the witches there in exchange for this or that but never magic spells or curses but to gain their trust and ask for help finding persons she needs to. They are dangerous if they are dark and the magic they manage is nothing Sabrina balks at and she'd like to know more and plans on asking questions to understand slowly the witches thought process and again help make bridges and secure protection for a faction that needs it.

regarding merfolk: Sabrina understands merfolk and humans don't have the greatest history but she finds them infinitely fascinating. She too has heard of their wealth of knowledge and while she would jump at the opportunity to know it knows that is theirs and not a line to cross as mer are notoriously private creatures. Their desire to keep such knowledge private is what she admires being herself an incredibly private person. Perhaps that is why whenever she encounters one Sabrina feels honored and special. Heck, she even has dinner with one once every few weeks while both wander the black-market whenever or wherever it pops up. Brina would want to study and learn more about them with their permission though she is unsure how to do that since there is the matter of logistics to consider. Her previous dealings with mer would have her trust them sooner than she would most other species.

regarding demonic beings: The one thing Sabrina is deathly terrified of are demons. Memories are still burned into her mind, haunt her dreams and are the main reason she hardly ever sleeps. They have brought her constant nightmares since she was a child after having watched her parents meet their end at the hands of one. She's met a few before and it has always been the greatest struggle to remain calm around them, to hide all evidence of fear knowing Demons would chomp at the bit for a soul such as hers or to end her life. Yeah demons are a touchy, touchy subject and while she's grown bolder venturing into the outskirts of their territory and would love to free feeders / breeders alike she's know we'd get a full on panic attack.

regarding angelic beings, Her experience with angels, Nephilim ( enlightened or otherwise ) and fallen angels is extremely limited. She's met them, spoke with a few but not had enough interaction with any of them to form an opinion one way or another. Truthfully, she has doubts about their being a god and as much as she is curious to understand and uncover divine mysteries she's not had the desire to go looking but is none the less thinking about looking further into them for scientific purposes.

REGARDING HERSELF / PERSONAL ENDEVORS:

regarding her experiments / personal projects Sabrina is when she is not in the infirmary/medical wing of the hideout is experimenting somewhere and is never ever without her satchel and its contents which is where that journal of hers is housed. Brina is currently working on several little experiments. Vampire repellant, studying hematology not necessarily for a cure but multiple applications, hybrid plants that are resistant to disease, medicines, salves and cooking recipes. She also sneaks out to observe, map and draw parts of the city studying that too. They are a way of escaping her own thoughts by filling her head with other thoughts not focused on her problems and on things she can figure out and analyze. Good god though Sabrina more often than not is risking her life just to collect samples. Heck, Sabrina has even snuck into places most humans wouldn't want to get caught dead or alive in and into places if she were caught would mean a fate worse than death. After all what human has been into a bite club and not gotten nibbled at just to collect blood since its laying all over or a girl that has tailed the worst persons. If people knew what she did to get her selection of samples they might faint out of sure shock. Bram at the very least would drop a brick. What remains a constant though in any of this, Brina is willing to go to the ends of everything risking her own life in the process if it means protecting others and ushering forth the day where humans don’t have to hide and her children if she ever has half a mind to have any don’t live in fear as centuries of persons have.

regarding her quarters in the hideout and potentially finding her own place: It's just an idea. Its a thought that has been floating around her head about looking for larger quarters or perhaps even leaving the hideout to set up her own home some where. With Bram where he is now, with the level of care she wants to see Cardelle given and if no when they find Rory again and if any of them ever expand the family or if she find love which she highly doubts a home as always been the dream. A place to raise the next generation and to have large family dinners and to be at peace. For now she just wants more space to expand her lab or just find a place to sleep in her current lab and more books

in general ...

her ringtone in general is the harry lime theme from the third man

she’s got a collection of rare books

is studying midwifery thought a senior medic

brina cooks for people she likes to make up for not being constantly around

if you’ve passed through the hideout, brina is one of the first to great you and she knows everyone there

cares entirely too much and remembers everyone’s birthdays. makes an effort while giving tough love most of the time to make people feel loved and seen

won’t tell you she doesn’t like to sleep because she has nightmares 90% of the time

is an insomniac ^

works way too much

her journal is HUGE, likely enchanted to keep stuffing more pages and is like the mary poppins bag but in book form.

even though she barely remembers her parents she’s mastered her mother’s knowing look

has a solution for most things

smol, stealthy & deadly science woman with medical knowledge ™

keeps whiskey on her not for herself but for medicinal purposes

doesn’t know how to flirt and hasn’t been in love, doubts she will be or find someone she tolerates in that way.

her love language is theft and arguing.

#character update #head canon : sabrina #death tw #gore tw #blood tw

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phdna · 3 years

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TFatWS episode 5 keysmashing below!

What do you mean it's the second to last episode? No.

Mr Wyatt Russell acted the hell outta that opening scene. I mean, he was on fire the whole episode, but the opening scene just reminded me so much of the unhinged Walker from the comics that it was extra special to see. Walker was never a character I cared about reading comics but I'm not immune to geeking out over him

Bucky unconscious so Sam has to fight a supersoldier by himself for a while? Thank you Marvel I love it when Sam gets to shine!

That being said, it feels so viscerally wrong to fight over a bloody shield. There are many correct ways to make this shield switch hands but this is definitely NOT one of them.

Bucky "I am not afraid to throw a tantrum to make a point" Barnes needs to learn how to not take two steps back with Sam whenever he takes one forward. If next episode he does something stupid again, I'm gonna cry

SAM. Why does Mackie have to destroy my heart so much??? This might be worse than the end of episode 1!!! He looked so devastated after that fight, I felt zero satisfaction knowing the shield is back with him

The soundtrack also didn't help. Like at all. That song always has me tearing up even out of context - in context it was a lot

My baby Joaquin Torres is back! He's such a cute kid. And apparently the new Falcon! And he doesn't even have to look like a bird to get the mantle! Hope he gets himself a Redwing too!

What... What is the Contessa doing here. I need answers.

Karli needs both a hug and to be stopped. That's going to be tricky. Like, stopping her is a priority, of course, she's a full-blown terrorist now... but how to handle her after she's stopped? No way she'll trust Sam easily again, but he's her best option, so :/ I hope this doesn't have an unhappy ending, I really do

I still have no idea why the hell Bucky would feel he has to make amends with Zemo (am I missing something???) but all I care about is that the Dora have Zemo as they should, and Bucky and Ayo seem to be alright-ish

Eli! Didn't expect he'd make a comeback in this show!

"If you ain't bitter, you blind" goes down as one of the best lines in the show. I don't make the rules.

The entire Isaiah sequence was... Heavy. As it should be. But that was hard to watch

Sarah and Sam bickering nonstop whenever they're together is so cute, I want a whole movie about them and nothing else

A community looking after each other??? Did you mean my favorite trope of all time that always makes me tear up???

Bucky showing up and awkwardly trying to show he supports Sam while aggressively glaring is adorable. Baby steps are hard!

I'm sorry, Sam, but I now ship Bucky and Sarah, they're pretty cute around each other

Bucky: It's time for me to leave and stay in a cold hotel room with no friends no family nothing that matters in my life I have no home nobody cares whether I live or die alas I know no one in the area who has a couch I can borrow so I'm doomed to this bitter fate

Walker doesn't deserve the Hoskins family. (Although the hill I'll die on is that he wouldn't have become such a horrible villain if the government hadn't made him Cap, so he's only like... 80% to blame)

Aw man, Sarah's kids playing with the shield was just the cutest thing I've ever seen. (And Bucky waking up from nightmares on the floor of his empty apartment vs waking up in a HOME to the sight of children being happy and loving what the shield stands for?? Ugh, my heart!)

Anyway I would die for any member of the Wilson family

Oh, so Bucky was in on Steve's plans, canonically. I've always thought so but it's nice to have it spelled out. Anyway, good on Bucky for using his words and apologizing to Sam! Long time coming and very necessary! I hope this is an ongoing thing, even if offscreen, and that he learns how to do better in the future

And Bucky genuinely opening up about how he's been feeling and Sam responding to him so warmly and wisely? Helped him in like 5 minutes more than any of his court-mandated therapy ever did. Sam is amazing

Sam and Bucky speed running from "we're sort of partners maybe" to "we're bffs now" through the power of fixing a boat and throwing a metal frisbee sparks so much joy

Sam and Sarah talking towards the end of the episode was so sweet and I was so happy to see Sam finally getting the support he deserves

Shield training montage!!!! Cool as hell!!!!!!

Batroc just won't stop oh my god how many times will they have to beat him

Speaking of which... Sharon. Honey you know I love you but you're way out of line. Just... god. What a mess, I'm not looking forward to this and I'm... Having doubts Marvel will handle it well

Can't believe they wouldn't let us see Sam wearing his new uniform today!!!! That's evil!!!

Walker DIYing a shield show be menacing but somehow it was so funny. Like... "I'M EVIL NOW!!!! Let me go buy spray paint."

I.... Honestly think I would have preferred the whole show to be more like this episode. Sam is a really fascinating character and this episode more than most explores that

#tfatws spoilers

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ladyfiresfanfiction · 3 years

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Flying the Nest; One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Fic- Chapter Two.

Sorry I am late, guys and girls! I completely forgot that Sunday had been Easter, so it was a busy day with family. This is a bit longer than chapter one and has a bit more of a backstory on Janie. I’m also trying something new to include the reader in my story, too! Let me know what you think of this idea and the second chapter. I’ll be staring the next chapter tomorrow! Enjoy :)

I don't remember speaking this much since I received the call that Charles Bogney had been found in his family's guest room, hanging from his belt behind the closet door. His mother found him, a bottle of Percodan underneath him, what little was left strewn below his feet on the wood flooring, an empty bottle of 40-ounce Belgian imported beer shattered on the ground from when he dropped it as he lost consciousness and passed away, alone and in misery. Our mutual friend, another toxic ex-boyfriend of mine whose name was Bryan Harris, had to be the one to call me. I had been trying to get into contact with Charles for the last few weeks of his short life. I felt something was wrong. Deep inside I knew if I didn't get a hold of Charley, he would die prematurely. Unfortunately, my gut feeling and seemingly spot on premonition had come to fruition. The first few weeks after Charles had died, I blacked it out. I remember feeling as if the world stopped and froze as Bryan had stammered the news of Charles's death. My heart skipped a few beats and my vision started to become blurry. I dropped to my knees, the phone on the ground as I let out guttural cries of pain that escaped my lips and waves of tears burned my eyes like acid. I cried inconsolably for the first 96 hours of Charles leaving the planet. I couldn't make the trip to his native state of California for his funeral, and I refused calls and visitors for much of the first month of his passing. My only nutrition became opium, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol. My family treated me as if I was a lepper, never understanding I had lost the great love of my life, despite the toxic and harrowing past we shared.

Mac listened intently as he showed me around the grounds. The outside, where the patients (which we coined them the lovable nuts) could come out for fresh air and sunshine for an allotted amount of time per day was fenced in, but it was a spacious and breathtaking piece of land. Large trees that covered most of the land, little trails for patients to walk with supervising orderlies or nurses, tables for patients and the staff alike to enjoy a little solitude during the day. It even had a fairly big basketball court and exercise areas near the shockingly high chainlink fence, which was adorned with razor wire to dismay any patient who thought of running away from the hospital. Overall, it looked like paradise for someone who enjoyed being a prisoner. Mac talked of hearing about the patients going on some field trip, however, it would be just for the boys. The girls had had their own trip last week. As we stopped at the entrance of the second-floor corridor in front of a massive pair of white double doors, Mac turned to me and looked broken. He cleared his throat, forcing me to pay attention and face him.

"I'll never forgive myself for leaving you with Harry and Ethel. You probably wouldn't be as bad off if I just would have taken you with me. You were just a little girl, though. And I was an irresponsible and young angsty teenager. I thought maybe they would have taken better care of you than they did me. I'm so sorry Jane. I have done horrible things but nothing has given me more pride and made me want to be a better man than having you as my kid sister. You'll never have to be alone again." Mac spoke in a low yet sincere voice.

"It wasn't your job to parent me. You were eighteen when you struck out on your own, and I was only nine. They were so awful to you. You had to get out before they drove you certifiable. Charles brought me here for a reason. I feel it. I'm just glad to have my big brother back. We're going to make this place ours, Mackie. Then when we get out, we can start lives worth living." I said, patting his shoulder.

"If you need me, even if it's at night, I'll come find you. There are phones in here, all you have to do is call and ask for me. I'll be here in a jiffy. I'll see you during our counseling session with Ratched and the crew tomorrow. Get some rest, Baby Jane."

As soon as I walked in, I was brought to intake. My medical history was repeated, I was weighed, my temperature taken, asked a slew of questions, and then I was given an ugly patient garb to wear. As I was taken to the room I would be sleeping in, I saw that in each room there was a telephone with a pamphlet that had numbers to the nurse's station as well as the number for Spivey's office and the number for the nurse's station on the men's floor. Each room on the ladie's floor had three beds for three patients per room, a chair and desk, and a nice comfy-looking Cloth chair with a desk on one side and in the far right corner a bookcase filled with books to read. I would have been far more comfortale to be in a solitary room, or shared a room with my brother and his roommates, but it was against the hospital's policy for men and women to be roommates. I sighed, taking in a breath of courage, and went straight to bed, avoiding the two people I would be bunking with until I had the energy to introduce myself. In fullfledged withdrawal from opiates and alcohol I was writhing in pain already after only 14 hours without a hit and a drink and I was so sleep deprived. I felt dead on my feet. I threw my haggard body on my bed and soon enough, sleep overpowered me.

The comfort of unconsciousness would not last for long, though.

The Ladies ward had come alive with an ear piercing scream in the dead of night. It was only a quarter past one a.m. when animalistic cries and screams of "Charley! Please! No!" had caused an overnight nurse, the security guard, and an on call doctor, and every patient on the ward to jolt awake in sheer terror. After several unsuccessful attempts at shaking my writhing body awake, a slight slap to my cheeks jostled me and my eyes widened as I jolted upright in bed, taking in gulp fulls of oxygen as if I had been strangled. I shrink back as I see a roommate of mine looking worried and sitting gingerly on the edge of my bed.

"Are you okay?" You ask.

"I-I-I'm fine. I-I'm so-sorry. I... I have night terrors.." I stammered, trying to explain my problem.

"I have them, too. Don't be sorry. My name is (y/n), but everybody calls me (y/n/n), what is your name?" You asked.

"It's ni-ice to meet you, (y/n). My name is Janie McMurphy."

Before we could get to know each other further, three staff members burst into the room with a mix of alarm and annoyance etched into their faces. Turkle, the nighttime guard of the hospital joined a nighttime nurse whose name I had already forgotten, along with Spivey's nighttime replacement, Doctor Stuart. Another body scrambled in not too long after, a flustered and scared Mac. I buried my reddening face in my hands as four voices bombarded me with questions I was too tired and ultimately too annoyed to deal with.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" Turkle asked. "You have a set of lungs on you, don'tcha?"

"Do I need to call Doctor Spivey for you, Miss McMurphy?" Doctor Stuart asked.

"I'm going to get you a diazepam pill, Miss McMurphy. It's all okay, I promise. Mister McMurphy, we'll give you five minutes then you need to go back to your own bed on the bottom floor." The nurse said, winking at Mac.

"She had a night terror, Mister Turkle," (y/n) began. "It's okay, I got her up. Could I have one too, Nurse Katt? I can't fall asleep tonight." they asked.

"Sure. I'll be right back. Doctor Stuart will be sure to write this occurrence in a note for Nurse Ratched and Doctor Spivey and you can see them both tomorrow morning. Five minutes, Mac." Nurse Katt added as she, Turkle, and Stuart left the room.

(Y/N) shyly smiled at Mac when they made their way back to their bed, turning on their side to face the wall to give the two of us some form of privacy. I was hugging my knees to my chest in the bed, avoiding Mac's eyes. He let out an audible sigh and sat beside me, placing a comforting arm around my shoulders. I trembled, trying to keep my eyes from overflowing with tears and took in a shaky breath, resting my head on my brother’s shoulder. We didn't talk; we sat in silence until I faced him.

"I'm sorry you came up here, Mac, but I'm fine." I said.

“The nurse called me as soon as she heard your first scream. I came as soon as I could. Why are you sorry?” He asked softly.

“I’m sorry for a lot of things, but mostly for waking you up, brother. I just can’t control these fucking night terrors.” I replied, scrunching my eyes shut as more tears threatened to brim over.

"How long have these damn things been happening?" He asked, looking down at me.

"For almost two years... Since Charles killed himself." I replied, quietly.

"Meet me in my room around seven o'clock, ok? We'll have breakfast together and head to therapy together. It's going to be okay, Jane. Thank you, (Y/N), for helping my sister, sweetheart. I appreciate it." Mac smiled as he stood up and ventured back to his own floor.

The next morning I awoke before my two roommates, one being (Y/N) who stayed up with me until the diazepam knocked us into another universe, and another patient around our age named Elise who had slept through the night terror debacle. (Y/N) said that Elise was used to their night terrors and usually saved a few barbiturates so nothing would disturb her at night.

I made my way to the first floor, skulking into the first room on the right, which Mac said would be the room he shared with “one giant motherfucker named Chief, but he’s harmless so don’t be scared.” I felt uncomfortable in my new uniform, or prisoner’s gear as I called it. As I looked around and made my way through the large corridor and found Mac laughing with a rather large Native man, I nearly ran right into someone.

“Oh! God, I am s-“ I began, finally taking in who I nearly ran right through.

“I-I-Its n-no problem, Muh-muh-Miss.” A very red Billy Bibbit replied.

“No, really, Billy, I am very sorry. I was looking for my brother and just wasn’t watching where I was going.” I smiled, looking away shyly.

“M-M-Mac is-is-is ri-ri-ri-right in there, Miss.” He smiled, pointing to the door behind me.

“Call me Janie.” I said, finally looking at him and finding myself entranced by his big blue eyes.

“Okay… J-Ja-Ja-Jaaanie.” He smiled back, forcing my name out through stutters that flustered him.

“Did you, uh, wanna have breakfast with Mac and me?” I asked.

“O-Oh, I’d like to, b-b-b-b-but I have my morn-ning appointment wi-ith Doctor Sp-Spivey now. Raincheck?” He asked, hopefully.

“Of course. I’ll see you around, Billy.” I smiled, watching as he walked away.

“My dear, dear sister,” Mac began, smirking devilishly as he stood in the doorway of his room.

“I do believe you would eat that boy alive if you two became an item. Come on in, there’s somebody I want you to meet.”

I walked into Mac’s small room and saw the man he was speaking with earlier, getting his shirt on. He nodded at me and I waved. I looked around their room and was surprised at how gloomy and small it was. The ladies had larger rooms with picture windows and furniture. However, the men’s room only held two beds and a kind of chain fence separating rooms with the other men in the ward. Their one large window in the room was locked down tight and had bars on it so the patients had no way of escaping, even if they managed to open their window. I watched Mac talk quietly with the man he called Chief, leaving me standing there awkwardly. Over an intercom it was announced that it was time for medication and all patients needed to walk single-file to the medication window. I walked out with Mac and Chief and found that the women in the hospital were standing in a line next to the men, and I stood with Elise and (Y/N).

“Remember, Janie, breakfast after this. We’ll go to the cafeteria; there’s a small window table we can eat at.” Mac whispered, and I nodded.

Billy and I stood in line side-by-side, and every time I looked over, I caught him staring at me, which made him turn scarlet. I felt self-conscious, wondering if I looked too fat in this uniform, or if my hair was a rat’s nest, or if there was something wrong with me. Mac was utterly amused and mouthed “Billy has a crush on you” to me, but I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He was just being nice, or so I thought.

The doctor put me on diazepam at night in hopes of ending my night terrors, and in the day time had me on a cocktail of medication. Something for my debilitating anxiety, two different medications that were supposed to work together for depression, something for my PTSD and flashbacks, and a mood stabilizer. Within ten minutes I was at the table with Mac, and he was telling me how he ended up here, a girl had lied about her age and her parents found them having sex. She lied that he raped her and her parents pressed charges and that while he was innocent, he figured he would never beat the case so he came here as a last ditch effort to avoid spending a third of his life in prison. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but I nodded. I believed my brother and I loved him. He had a knack for choosing the wrong girls as I had a knack for choosing the wrong guys.

Several of his new friends sat with us; Taber, who I noticed liked to scream a lot, a pompous and annoyingly whiny man named Harding, a smart and friendly older man named Cheswick, and a little guy who didn’t talk much but was always smiling, whose name was Martini. Chief was minding his own business and standing in the far left corner of the cafeteria, near the exit and watching everyone. He liked to make the staff think he was deaf, mute, and dumb. Once Mac found out that in fact, Chief could not only talk and hear but he was as sharp as a tack, he laughed heartily and gave the Native man a high five, impressed with his trickery and his way of staying sane in this insane place.

“Hey, Billy boy! Can ya show my sister the good Doc’s office? She kinda forgot where it was and I’m still eating this slop here. I’d owe ya one.” He said, winking at me.

Billy had stopped by the table as he had finished his meeting with the doctor to let me know Doctor Spivey was looking for me. He tried to avoid my gaze but caught several glimpses of my blue-green eyes before bashfully turning his head away. I nodded and stood up as Mac grabbed my wrist.

“U-u-Uh, su-sure, M-M-Mac. Come on, Ja-Ja-Janie.” Billy replied, holding out his hand to me.

“Thanks, Billy.” I muttered, glaring at Mac who feigned innocence.

We didn’t speak much on the way to the Doctor’s office. I felt lost in a sea of fog since this was my first day taking the new medication, and Billy seemed pensive along with being super nervous. As we made it to the office, we stood outside there, not speaking nor looking at each other right away.

“Will you be at th-th-the therapy session today, Janie?” He asked, looking at me this time.

“I sure will. Ratched knows what happened last night and I guess wants me to talk about it today.” I replied, feeling nauseous at the thought.

“Don-don-don’t worry. She ca-can be mean, b-b-b-but deep down she’s a n-n-n-nice lady. She’s friends w-with my m-m-mother, so I’ve known her mo-most of my l-l-life. I’ll be there for y-y-you if things get hard. I promise.” He explained.

This time I looked at him. Really looking and overcome with a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time; safety. I barely knew this cute boy but he, along with my brother, were ready to protect me and get involved in my messy life. I wanted to cry and I wanted to hug Billy, but I didn’t know how he would take that just yet. I smiled and thanked him, finally letting go of his hand before watching him walk away. He had a sweet smile plastered on his lips, his eyes lit up as we said our goodbyes. His soft brown curls bouncing as he jogged back to the cafeteria. I slid down the wall and sat there, trying to gain my composure before recounting what I dealt with last night. The door opened after five minutes and I looked up to see the doctor himself extend a hand and help me to my feet.

“Ah, there you are, Miss McMurphy. Let’s get to the bottom of these night terrors, shall we?”

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marvelgiggles · 4 years

Text

Milestone

Avengers Cast x Reader

This is for all of you in this little community who were supposed to have a high school graduation. So someone mentioned it would be cool to have a surprise one thrown by the Avengers for you.

Also this got a little longer than I planned. I hope I didn’t ramble too much!!

@fluffy-lee @t-w-i-t-c-h-y @squashedbananatk @mysterious-marvel if there is anyone else I’m sorry.

“Where are we going?” You giggled as Robert was leading you through set with a blindfold on.

“Y/N for the last time it’s a surprise. Stop asking questions.” He scolded you as well as pinching your side playfully making you squeak. He continued walking you throughout set no doubt trying to throw you off. Or at least you didn’t remember set being this windy.

“Okay and here we are.” Robert said as he removed your blindfold. It took a minute for your eyes to adjust but when they did your hand flew up to cover your mouth.

You saw a wall of photos of you with all of the cast members, a large Downey sized graduation cake, balloons of your favorite colors as well as those gold number balloons that said 20. The decorations screamed that it was Robert doing to arrange this party.

“SURPRISE!” All of your cast members jumped out from their hiding places. “Happy Graduation!” They all cheered while firing a bunch of those confetti guns.

You were the youngest on the cast and were living away from you hometown and due to the coronavirus you were stuck in Atlanta with your other cast members. You kind of came to terms that you wouldn’t be getting a high school graduation, something that you’ve worked hard for the last 13 years of your life. So you were pretty overwhelmed with this heartfelt surprise from your cast mates.

Robert walked you toward you cake pulling you out of your little daze, while Evans brought out a cap and gown for you to wear. They all gathered around you behind your cake to take a picture.

Once everyone settled down in a circle with their piece of cake, Robert piped up. “Why don’t we go around and say one of each of our favorite memories with Y/N.”

“I’ll go first.” Tom stated. “I’ve loved having someone my age to have as a partner in crime on set.” You smiled fondly thinking of all the trouble you and Tom have gotten into on set together. “Especially when we filled Mackie’s trailer with pool inflatables.” You and Tom laughed at the memory and you pictured Mackie’s annoyed face when he opened his trailer door.

Everyone continued to go around saying incredibly sweet things and you were on the verge of tears with the overwhelming feeling of love from your cast mates.

“I’ve loved how much we’ve seen her grown up over the years. Although, she’s still our baby.” Evans said poking your sides.

You giggled. “Well at least I’m not old, like 40!” You laughed at Evans while smearing frosting on his nose.

Evans quickly wiped the frosting off of his nose and gasped. “I’m 39!” He cried and quickly wrestled you to the ground and straddled your waist. “I’ve also loved all the time I’ve tortured Y/N with...TICKLES!!” He cried as he started scribbling his fingers all over your stomach.

You squealed and immediately started to knock his hands away pretty pathetically. While this shouldn’t have surprised, all your cast members loved to use this weakness of yours against you as much as they could.

"Oh good. She’s just as ticklish as she was before she graduated high school.” Chris said playing dumb as he now started to tickle you by poking the inside part of your hips by your waistline. You were pushing at his bent knees to try and push your way out from under him but you couldn’t help but suddenly he hit a spot that made you scream and curl up laughing uncontrollably.

“Oh ho ho. Did I just find a new spot?” He teased as he then just pushed into that spot with more pressure and vibrate his pointer fingers. You were know desperately trying to twist his way out from under him.

You just heard all of your other castmates laughing at your expense. Thankfully, Evans decided to have some mercy on you but you saw Evans nod at someone. Suddenly he was leaning over you but pulled your arms up over your head and he got off of your waist. However, you suddenly saw Tom smiling down at you.

“Hi Tom.” You giggled and smiled sweetly at him hoping that it would get one of your best friends to have mercy on you.

“Hi Y/N/N.” He smiled and you knew you sweetness got you nowhere. “You know I never got you back for all the times you messed with me when I had to hang upside down.” He said and he dove his hands straight into your armpits.

You cried out in laughter and wanted to shoot your arms down but then you were met with the strength of Captain America.

“NOHOHOHOHO! TOHOHOHOHOM!” You pulled yourself up enough to hide your face into the crook of your elbow so you weren’t laughing quite so loud.

“Uh uh. None of that.” Tom teased as he bent down to blow a raspberry into the exposed side of your neck. You shrieked and tried to squish his face out of your neck but it didn’t work. It would just leave the other side open for him to torment.

“Tell me the truth Y/N. I’m your best friend right?” Tom whispered in your ear which tickled more than you thought it would and it made you break out into Elmo like giggle. “Oh oh oh, I didn’t know you could giggle like Elmo.” Tom continued to whisper making the giggles continue to come out. “Seriously though Y/N/N, I’m your best friend right?”

“Hehehehehe yehehehehes!” You continued to giggle.

“You promise?” Tom asked still whispering in your ear but now added tickling your underarms into the mix.

“YEHEHEHES! I PROHOHOHOHIMISE!” You cried out hoping he would give you a break. Which thankfully he did and he got up off of you and went back to finish his cake.

“While I love the sound of our precious Y/N laughter but we all know there is only one person that can really make her laugh.” Robert said and you literally felt your stomach drop when you heard Sebastian crack his knuckles.

You didn’t know why nor could you explain it but Sebastian could somehow tickle you worse than anyone else for some reason and he was a master at teasing you too. So when you saw him slowly get out of his chair and make his way over to you, you were already nervously giggling and trying to squirm out of Chris’s grip.

“I’m gonna to get youuuu.” Sebastian sang with a menacing grin on his face. “Uh oh, is Y/N scared of a visit with the tickle monster.” He continued to torment you and he hadn’t even tickled you yet.

You curled up and tried to kick him away since your legs weren’t pinned down by anyone.

“What do you know? She still has a little fight in her.” He chuckled as he wrestled both of your legs back down to the ground. “I can fix that.”

“Seb, I love you.” You tried your sweetness on him hoping for a better result than you had with Tom.

“I love you too Y/N, but I I also love your laugh.” He said as he slowly wiggles his fingers at you but not quite tickling you yet.

That didn’t matter though since the anticipation got to you and you still broke out into giggles. “Dohohohnt do thahahahat.” You giggled while Sebastian continued to play with you.

“But this too much fun.” He stated simply. “But not as fun as this.” He sang as he started to squeeze right below your rib cage and you let out an animal like scream while frantically kicking you legs. “Oh come on it can’t be that bad, I’m barely even doing anything. Maybe I need to put a little more pressure.” He continued to torment you and you laughed harder and started kicking your legs more frantically than before.

“NOHOHOHOHOHO!” You screamed. Seb knew the most torturous way to tickle you in each and every one of your multiple tickle spots, but your ribcage was your most ticklish spot and produced everyone’s favorite laughter. Thankfully, Seb stopped to let you breath, but you knew the worst was coming. He’s never quit this early and you had a bad feeling he wouldn’t start now.

“Hey Evans. Do you think Y/N has all of her ribs?” Seb asked Evans.

“No no no no no! They are all there, I promise.” You cried.

“Well we better make sure.” He responded. You tried your hardest to twist you hips to get Seb off of you and pull at your arms so you could break free. Although you were up against Captain American and the Winter Solider, you didn’t stand a chance.

You felt Seb curl his thumb and pointer finger into your lowest rib. You tensed from the first of many horrific ticklish feelings shoot through your body. He quickly squeezed the flesh in-between each rib. You shrieked and started to laugh uncontrollably and desperately. “One.” Seb sang as he then moved up into the next space. “Two.” He continued to sing as he worked his way up your ribcage inflicting torturous torment.

Once he finally made it to the top, he smiled down at you. “Now as fun as that was, it still didn’t produce our favorite laughter.” Seb smirked down at you. He wasted no time and used his devilish fingers to shake your ribs.

You broke out into deep belly laughter, which warmed everyones heart, as you had no fight left in you. All you could do is lay there and take it, you stopped pulling on your arms and kicking your legs. Through your tear filled eyes you saw Seb smiling fondly at you.

You lost track of time while Seb continued to shake your ribs but eventually you stopped laughing which was his cue to stop. Once he did you brought in as much air as you could while still giggling at the same time. He quickly brought you up in his arms and started peppering kisses all over your face making you break out into giggles again.

You were weakly pushing his chest and his face. “No more.”

“Okay okay.” Sebastian chuckled pulling you into his lap as everyone continued to talk about the great memories that had on set throughout the years.

#tickle #Tickling #ticklish #tickle tickle #tickles #tickle ticklish #ticklish!reader #ler!tom #ler!chris #ler!sebastian #marvel tickle #tickle marvel #marvel tickle fic #mcu tickle #tickle mcu #mcu x reader #mcu tickle fic

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pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles · 4 years

Text

Wicked Game

Another round of the 5sos fic writing collab brought to you by @maluminspace and @h0tsos. There are so many amazing writers involved and I highly recommend checking out the event master list linked below. Thank you to the Sagittarius sorceress @sexgodashton for being very caring, patient, and kind while helping me tame this monster. Massive shout out to @ghostofmashton for the photo edits, especially Ashton’s eye. that’s my favorite. You’re a rock star. Texas girls forever, love you to bits!

Event Master List

Prompt: Chef AU with Cashton

Dialogue Prompt: “Kissing you is all I’ve thought about since the moment we met” First person to spot it in the fic and send me a screenshot gets a personalized blurb request.

Word Count: 20K+ Team Long Winded Bitch strikes again, this will be posted in multiple parts over the next couple of days. This first part is about 5K

Rating: 18+ Slash fic Strong language, alcohol and drug use, and a misogynistic and racist comment. Sexual scenes including masturbation, toys, voyeurism, oral, and anal sex.

Summary: Ashton is ready to move on with his life after his painful divorce from Luke and the demise of the restaurant they’d built together. With the help of his protegee and sous chef Hima Singh, Ashton is ready to take on opening weekend of his new restaurant Anne-Marie’s. Calum is a reporter filling in on an assignment and is surprised when his past comes back to haunt him. Hima arranges an interview that takes an unexpected turn between the two men.

Part 1

"Great job, guys, we couldn't have had a better opening weekend. Thank you so much for making it happen," Ashton told the two staff members in the kitchen who'd closed as he unlocked the back door.

"No problem boss, glad to be here. We made money this weekend. See ya tomorrow," DeSean told him as he left.

Ashton locked the door behind them and walked out into the empty dining room, his steel-toed boots echoing heavily on the distressed blonde faux hardwood floors. He stopped to adjust a few tables, double-checking sightlines and looking over the layout of the tables. The upside-down chair legs cast long shadows in the soft pink neon glow.

He looked up at the sign above the bar that read "Anne-Marie's." He smiled, not caring if anyone thought it was cheesy to name his restaurant after his mother. His mom had always been his lucky star, and he couldn't have gotten through the last couple of years without her.

"You look so serious,' a voice behind him startled him out of his thoughts.

"What the fuck Hima," Ashton yelped, clutching his chest dramatically. "I thought you were still in the kitchen."

"The guys didn't leave me anything to do so I decided to change and have a drink with you before my brother gets here," she tossed her bag and chef's coat onto a stool grinning at Ashton. She hopped up to sit on the bar before swinging her legs around as she pushed off. Landing without a wobble she reached under the bar and grabbed a bottle of black label Bushmill's Irish Whiskey and two short glasses.

"Straight for the good stuff, I like the way you think," Ashton smirked, taking a seat at the bar.

"To simply mark the occasion, of course" she poured them each a shot before adding a splash of water. She raised her glass, "Cheers to you, Boss, and to Anne-Marie's."

They clinked glasses. "Couldn't have done it without you," he replied before taking a sip.

"Awwwwww thanks Ashtton, " she grinned at him. "Damn that's good, the whiskey makes me forgive the Irish for how dreadful Guinness is. Did you see Kevin Mackie snuck in last night? I expect a write up in the Metro on Tuesday and I know you saw Patricia Bennett," she rolled her eyes at the name.

"She makes herself hard to miss," he snorted. "I missed Mackie though. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we were busy and I didn't have time for you to get all giggly and nervous. He got the crab puffs and the Mac and Brie and inhaled them. You were right about the nutmeg; I thought he was going to lick the plate." She opened two bottles of beer before hopping back over the bar and taking a seat next to Ashton.

"How did this weekend compare to the opening of ‘Lune Rouge’? Was it as good as the first time?" Hima finished her whiskey before shaking a pack of Camel Crush cigarettes out of her bag.

"If you get ashes on the bar Paloma will flip her shit," Ashton warned.

"I'm not afraid of her," Hima snipped, but she made sure to be careful. No sense in antagonizing their temperamental main bartender.

"This opening was definitely smoother than the first one. We didn't know what the hell we were doing. The first night we ran out of duck fat and gorgonzola before the dinner rush was over. My sous chef's sister had to run to Whole Foods for emergency supplies. We got lucky the press ignored us for a couple weeks until we got a little buzz going. This time I knew what to expect but there was also more pressure," he paused, taking a pull on the bottle of beer. "This time I expected to succeed right out of the gate."

"You succeeded there," Hima stubbed her cigarette out in her empty glass. "I really need to quit."

"You could get a puff bar and start vaping," he teased.

"I'm not a fucking junior varsity cheerleader. I can take my cancer like a big girl." She checked her phone. "Ugh it's almost nine, and it's gonna take me at least thirty minutes to get home. You're closing tomorrow with me right?"

"Yeah, I'll be in around 11 all this week. Rafi is handling brunch with Gloria but I want to be here," Ashton double-checked his phone. "Tuesday I have that interview with Men's Life and they just emailed me."

Hima saw his nose scrunch up as he read. "What's wrong?"

"I thought they were sending Taj, but instead of rescheduling the interview, they're sending Calum Hood," Ashton sneered.

"Chill dude, it's not that bad," Hima was confused by the venom in his voice. "Yeah he's a bit of a goof, but he's hot and not a pretentious dickhead. They could've sent Felipe."

"True, true," he grumbled as he saw a black Honda pull up outside. "Kabir is here."

"Shit, ok see you tomorrow, Boss," she grabbed her stuff, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran out the door, locking it behind her.

Ashton walked through once again. He made sure the lights were off in the employee lounge. Since many of his staff members used public transport or worked two jobs, Rafi had convinced Ashton to provide his staff with a decent place to take a break and get ready before or after work. He built a small shower stall, lockers, and provided clean towels, and as his new kitchen manager, Rafi took responsibility for maintaining the space. Ashton took a last look at the bar, double-checking for any stray ashes Hima might have missed before setting the alarm, locking up, and heading home.

Calum opened the email from his editor and swore loud enough to wake the scruffy brown terrier mix snoozing at his feet.

Hey Cal,

Sorry it's such short notice but Taj's mom had an emergency and I need you to cover for him. He's interviewing Ashton Irwin, remember him? He had the Lune Rouge a few years ago. Well, he's got a new place, diverse staff and we're doing a feature. Maybe even the cover if he's really pretty. Tuesday at 2 pm I'll send you the address and details after I talk to Taj. Oh, and my friend Nick is coming into town and I told him you'd show him around. It's been a while since you had a date but you'll like him. He's kinda short, but he's got big muscles, huge dick, perfect credit. You could do a lot worse.

Call me tomorrow

Sham

This isn't good, this isn't good. Calum's mind was racing. He rubbed his temples trying to think. Taj was notoriously reliable and responsible, so if he was taking off on short notice, it must be serious. It was just his bad luck it was Ashton Irwin.

He usually covered travel and sports for Men's Life while Taj handled food and fashion. Calum didn't mind taking back food and dining for the time being. He'd started in that industry, working as a line cook while he went to school for journalism. He'd quit both when a flirty, older professor recommended him for an internship at California Culture and he managed to land a real job. Professor Davis had been highly disappointed to lose him as a student and catch him making out with her son who went to the same college. He'd found a tiny shitty apartment, spent his life on the road for work, and sent every penny he didn't need to live on to his family. He didn't even date for the longest time until he met a handsome blonde with sharp features and a sharper tongue.

He couldn't remember if it was four years ago or five, but he clearly recalled his review of Lune Rouge had not been nice. Calum was in a toxic relationship with the restaurant's sous chef at the time. He'd let his personal life spill over into his work for the first and only time. It wasn't something Calum was proud of and while he felt he owed Ashton an apology, the right time and place hadn't presented itself yet. He'd run into Ashton twice since then. The first time he was with his husband, and Calum wasn't about to humble himself in front of Luke. The second encounter came not long after their marriage broke up. Calum was dating a photographer at the time, when Ashton came to the photographer’s art show. They were briefly introduced but Ashton's chilly demeanor discouraged any further conversation, so Calum avoided him the rest of the evening. He remembered being unable to stop staring at the handsome chef with the sad eyes. He'd always hoped they'd bump into each other under better circumstances. I guess an interview will have to do.

********

Ashton sat out on his condo balcony overlooking Echo Park, taking in the night air and enjoying a second bottle of IPA. Hima was right, the opening had been a smash. Anne-Marie's had the best staff he'd ever had the pleasure of working with, and aside from a small mix up between gruyere and Havarti cheese, the opening had been smooth. The alcohol hummed in his veins as he allowed his mind to wander back five years.

Lune Rouge's opening had been a chaotic mess of brilliance, balls, and blind luck. He was a year out of culinary school, newly married, and ecstatically in love with his husband. Luke was a trust fund baby; his dad ran a major studio. He put up the funding for their restaurant which procured a prime spot in trendy West Hollywood. Ashton had the idea of taking traditional French cuisine and turning it into "pub grub." Luke created a kitschy tacky cool interior with the ambiance of fairy light curtains, vintage 90's movie posters, an eye-popping pink and aqua come scheme. Featuring a bartender who doubled as a DJ, the restaurant became an immediate hot spot.

The culinary press treated them like rock stars and it went to their head. Ashton was portrayed as the mysterious boy genius, boisterous and foul-mouthed, he ran the back of the house, oversaw the business and created the menu. Luke, who's blonde-haired blue-eyed good looks were regularly described as "angelic", was the frontman, often schmoozing in the dining room, taking song requests, or slinging drinks behind the bar. They worked so well together until they didn't.

Ashton shook his head, not allowing himself to linger on negative thoughts, not when he'd fought to regain balance. He'd spent the last year freeing himself from the wreckage of his partnership with Luke. Still, tonight after the opening, alone and overlooking the city lights, his mind kept going back to the exhilaration of that first opening night. After they stayed late with the crew for a drink to celebrate, Luke's hand wandered up Ashton's thigh causing him to almost choke on his tequila. Soon Luke started whining about all the paperwork he had to do before they could go home. The crew quickly bagged it out of there, not wanting to get roped into more work.

Ashton swallowed at the memory before glancing around at the other balconies. It was late enough most of his neighbors should be asleep. Already hard, he reached down and squeezed his bulge through the thin fabric of his pajama pants.

After letting everyone else out of Lune Rouge that first night he'd been puzzled to find Luke no longer at the bar. He heard noises coming from the office. When he opened the door, he found his husband, shirtless, and waiting for him.

Ashton slid his hand into his pants swiping his thumb across the leaking tip. He heard a sliding glass door open and froze in place until he realized it was his neighbor below him chatting on the phone. He stroked himself and let his mind wander back to Luke. It had been too long since Ashton got laid, and Luke was still the best sex he'd ever had. He shuddered and bit his lip thinking about the way Luke grinned at him as he opened the office door. Before Ashton could say a word, Luke was sinking to his knees. A bit awkward given his long legs, but it didn't take long before he was letting Ashton fuck his throat. The thought of those blue eyes looking up at him as Ash's hands tangled in those blonde curls caused a moan to slip out, and his neighbor stopped talking at the sound.

"I think somebody is having sex," he heard her whisper. He almost laughed.

His dick was twitching flat against his stomach as he ducked back inside his bedroom, kicked off his pants, and grabbed a small tube of lube. Ashton shut off the light and stepped back outside.

The breeze cooled his fevered skin as he stood there looking out at the city and stroking his dick. The idea that he could possibly be seen turned him on almost as much as his trip down memory lane. He swallowed another moan thinking about how Luke's lips felt against his, their tongues tangled until he pulled back looking at Ashton with mischief and love before giving him a wink and turning around.

Ashton's breath caught in his throat as he worked his cock thinking about it. The red and white striped pants his husband pranced around in that night had been blissful torment working him up until the moment he slid those pants down and bent over the desk.

"Come take what's yours, my love, I've been wanting you all night," he cooed, wiggling his hips.

Luke was a whiny boy when he was getting pounded, and the memory sent Ashton closer to the edge. He felt his knees tremble as he increased his speed, the city lights becoming starbursts in his vision as he edged himself closer. At the moment of release, he swore he could feel Luke pushing back against him taking him in as deep as he could go.

When Ashton opened his eyes, he found himself sweaty and streaked with his own seed. He was amazed he'd managed to stay quiet, but his neighbor was chatting away obliviously. He went back inside, cracked another beer, and took it with him into the shower, trying to focus on his day tomorrow.

It was after midnight by the time he went to bed. His body was exhausted but the adrenaline from the opening weekend hadn't quite worn off. He found himself still restless and playing on his phone. After scrolling through Instagram, he found himself looking at the page belonging to the Galway Grill-- Ashton cringed at the name-- an Irish pub and microbrewery very recently opened by Luke and his boyfriend Finn.

Ashton simmered with resentment perusing the menu; they'd recycled at least half of the Lune Rouge recipes, his creations. He'd heard they'd rushed their opening to launch the week before Anne-Marie's, and even with Daddy's deep pockets the decor looked slapped together, all flash no class. He came to a picture of the happy couple and couldn't help but notice how thin and tired Luke looked despite his huge smile. He felt a twinge of concern for his ex before pushing his phone away in disgust. Rolling out of bed, he headed to the bathroom and fished an orange prescription bottle out of the cabinet. He broke a valium in half and swallowed the smaller piece with a gulp of water straight from the faucet. He scrolled through different sounds on his phone before settling on crashing waves. He spent the next ten minutes stretching and practicing deep breathing to push out any lingering negativity and troubling thoughts. It was too late to drag up the past and there was nothing to be gained. Ashton crawled back under the duvet and sank into a deep sleep dreaming of blue eyes.

*********

Hima rolled into work a little after one, pleased to see a decent lunch crowd and multiple delivery orders going out. She ordered a chicken mojito wrap for her lunch and headed back to the office to find Ashton. She found him in his chair with his laptop open on his desk, a notebook in his lap while scrolling through his phone.

"So what's the Monday morning report, Boss?" She asked, taking a seat across from him.

Ashton was beaming as he spun the laptop around to show her. "We made 30% over our projected sales. We came in right at payroll, actually a little under if you can believe that."

"I've checked the reservation book," she responded, flashing her phone. "We're booked solid for dinner Friday and Saturday and will call is 3 pm-7 pm. We're probably going to have to do that all week."

"Whatever you need. This weekend is going to be bonkers. If you have any suggestions, I'd like to do something for the staff. That reminds me, I've got to talk to Maisie." He scribbled down a quick note.

"She's already on it," Hima laughed. "The servers who struggled are coming in for extra training with her and Dakota. I have no doubt she'll straighten them up or ship them out."

Ashton nodded as Daniel knocked on the office door to bring their lunch.

"How's it going out there? Let us know if you need anything," Ashton told him.

"We've got this, Boss, enjoy your lunch," Daniel closed the door behind him.

"He's Rafi's brother?" Hima asked before taking a big bite.

"Cousin, Gloria is his sister," Ashton replied tucking into his roasted corn and quinoa salad with queso fresco.

"Are you ready for this interview tomorrow? You look tired," Hima looked concerned.

"I am tired," he shrugged. "I just wanna get this over with. I'm thrilled we're doing so well, but that's not what the press wants to talk about."

"Don't think about it like that. Anne-Marie's will stand on her own. You've just gotta get through this week. I know it's a lot," her words were half-muffled by a napkin.

"Tomorrow is the worst of it. Mackie called and is available Tuesday at one or Thursday for dinner around four. Since he's already been here for dinner, I thought I'd let Rafi wow him this time," he told her.

"Good idea, try to keep it short because if he drinks he gets super chatty. He gave a lecture at school and came to the bar afterward; he would not shut up," she warned.

"Chatty bastard, got it," he replied and they both laughed.

Anne-Marie's was his restaurant, but he couldn't have done it without Hima. She was fresh out of culinary school working as a line cook at the Hilton when he'd discovered her a little over a year ago. Ashton only lasted four months before chafing under the corporate yoke and deciding to strike out on his own. She'd been the first person he'd hired for the restaurant, guaranteeing her first year's salary out of his own pocket. Rafi and DeSean were excellent managers for the kitchen, but Hima was a coach: she understood the business as a whole. He'd let her handle most of the press and promotion, and she'd scored two big interviews.

Gourmet Table had interviewed him last Thursday The piece wouldn't be that in-depth, but they'd spent three hours photographing food. He expected the Men's Life article to focus more on him and his personal life. Calum Hood was known for his sharp pen and take-no-prisoners style. He'd given Lune Rouge two stars and a biting review during a brief stint at California Culture before he'd become known. It was five years ago, but Ashton still had the clipping somewhere. Calum had branded Lune's food as tasty and imaginative but thought the presentation was lacking in creativity. He'd ripped into the decor, calling it "somewhere between art house and frat house," and labeled Luke and Ashton "spoiled pretty boys pretending to be chefs." Luke had brushed it off with a laugh, but it still bothered Ashton.

Unlike the Hemmings’, Ashton’s family didn't have money to throw around. He'd started at sixteen, washing dishes and peeling vegetables for Chef François at Bordeaux on Hollywood. He'd taken culinary classes after high school while working full time. Sadly, Chef François had a heart attack and retired around the time he met Luke.

"You're not listening again," Hima complained, licking her fingers. "Rafi killed it with this wrap. The chicken is amazing, but the cucumber-mint salad and the tamarind chili mayo are next fucking level."

"You're right, I'm not. Sorry about that," he pushed his plate aside.

"Ok, what's got you so rattled? You've handled the press like a champ up until now. Is it Mackie or Hood? Who needs to catch these hands?" Hima stood and assumed a fighter's stance, bouncing on her toes.

"Easy there killer, I can defend my own honor. Mackie is an irritating little mosquito. He just wants gossip, but he's got enough readers so we all have to kiss his ass. Hood gave me one of the few bad reviews we got at Lune, and it stuck. He called us frat boys and said we were trying too hard," Ashton rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed by saying it out loud.

Hima raised her eyebrows and smirked, "I love it when you're petty. You're always so perfect and Zen, it's annoying."

"My therapist would disagree. Oh shit, that reminds me," he straightened up in his chair and grabbed his phone. "I've got an appointment at 2:30. I'll be back before 4," he dropped his eyes to the floor.

"Ashton," her voice was soft but commanding, and he looked up. "I don't know what's going on, and if you don't want to tell me that's fine. I want you to take care of yourself, whatever that takes. Ok?" He nodded and she smiled, "You can tell Dr. Claire that I've confirmed her for 8 pm Saturday, and you're going to personally cook her dinner. We've got the 50th anniversary that night so maybe you could flex and make your Pavlova's? I'll get the berries myself."

"It's a deal; we can comp them champagne, too. I'd better get going before I get yelled at. She's a stickler for punctuality, I think it's a British thing."

"I'll hold things down until you get back," Hima gathered up the dishes and headed out with Ashton right behind her.

*********

Ashton drew a deep breath and exhaled through his nose as the reporter settled in the chair across from him. Kevin Mackie's column in L.A. Metro was the definitive opinion for restaurants on the West Coast. His readers loved the snarky tone, celeb sightings, and bitchy gossip that peppered his column. His reviews could make or break new restaurants.

"Let me start off by saying I love the decor of this place. It's rustic, but not in that played out, hipster-in-the-woods nonsense," he leaned in and lowered his voice towards the end of the comment with a coy smirk.

"You'll find no Mason jars here," Ashton replied, taking the bait. Kevin liked people who liked him, and his most recent column was a snarky takedown of "Pinterest style interiors." Ashton found the article tedious and uninspired, but there was no need to be antagonistic right out of the gate.

Ashton watched as the reporter ordered his lunch from their server Zia. He guessed Kevin to be in his forties, and he thought he could see fresh hair plugs, bleached blonde, and a bit of Botox. Rumor had it, he'd recently split with his long-time girlfriend over a fling with a much younger waiter. Ashton tried not to pay attention to industry gossip. However, his personal problems made their way into the column more than once, and he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of satisfaction at the other man's problems.

After they'd both ordered, Kevin sat back and took a sip of his Pellegrino water and smacked his lips. "I was here the other night and I have to admit I was prepared to be underwhelmed. A menu based on sandwiches and comfort food sounded like an upscale Applebee's, but I really liked it despite myself. I was surprised to see your main girl was on the mature side, but she's efficient as hell so I get the trade-off."

Ashton's body tensed at the insult to Maisie, and he took a deep breath. Exhaling through his nose he forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Kevin was prattling on with some bit of gossip as Ashton sipped on his iced coffee.

"So let's start with something simple and ease our way into the rough stuff," Kevin set his voice recorder on the table between them. "Tell me how you formulated your top-secret house coffee blend."

Ashton broke into a wide grin as he described taking two months to travel and sample different beans, learn more about the roasting and blending process. Kevin sipped his coffee and nodded as if deep in thought, but his eyes kept wandering to Ashton's biceps. He'd been baking this morning so he smelled of cinnamon, his black t-shirt damp and clingy from sweating under his chef coat.

"So we sell the house blend all year, but we have single-source coffee that's seasonal, all of it fair trade," Ashton finished proudly.

"Coffee has always been your thing if I remember correctly," Kevin said.

"True, true, and once I started roasting my own beans it became a true obsession."

Kevin followed it up with a couple more softball questions about menu details and sandwiches. Ashton expounded on his love of food. "Cooking for someone is a simple way to show care, to be enjoyed almost as much as dining should be. Food is caring and comfort; it sustains us. It brings people together in a shared experience."

"Ooh that's a nice pull quote," Mackie chuckled. "I love when y'all have media training. It makes the bullshit flow much smoother.

Ashton seethed but said nothing. He'd watched this man's pettiness wreck a good opening, and Ashton couldn't do that to his crew. Zia brought their lunch. Ashton noticed Kevin had also ordered the chicken mojito wrap.

"This looks delicious. I think it's a nice touch that you've got so much, let's say diversity, in your restaurant. That you're actually letting them make their own food makes your menu more interesting. Not all restaurants get it. Please tell me you've seen how horribly Finn ripped you off for that tacky Irish pub," Kevin glanced up at him a tiny smirk playing on

"I haven't paid any attention to that," Ashton wanted to end the interview right there.

"Oh come on, you've had to see how much he's trying to recreate the magic you and Luke once had. The menu is tired, I don't give a fuck if he is Irish. Finn has no imagination yet fancies himself an impresario. Luke's still got it though. He even asked when I was coming here. I didn't tell him of course, I'm a professional after all."

"Of course," Ashton nodded checking out of the conversation. The reporter talked as he ate which given the wrap he was eating proved especially messy and little flecks of food kept flying his way. Ashton watched the door, nodding at customers, silently willing someone to come and save him. Kevin was still talking about himself when Hima and Zia came out of the kitchen. Ashton tried to catch their eye when he felt a hand on his arm.

"I wanna ask you about that one," Kevin leaned in so he could almost whisper.

"Who? Hima? What about her?" Ashton was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the answer.

"What's the deal? I've only ever seen you with Luke. Did your palette change that much? India must've been a real spiritual awakening for you huh?" Kevin winked at him, thinking he was clever.

Ashton controlled his breathing trying to keep his temper in check. He looked over at the reporter who kept talking oblivious to the situation.

"Who doesn't like trying something exotic. She seems like a smart cookie. She's darker than most Indian girls you see, like a rich brown butter sauce. I bet she tastes like tumeric though."

"Get out of my restaurant" Ashton hissed, his hands gripping the table to restrain himself from physical violence. "You are not going to insult my staff, my friends, in their restaurant."

Kevin started to speak but Ashton cut him off.

"Not another fucking word" he kept his voice at a low growl so as not to cause a scene. He noticed a couple of the closest tables were already watching them. "You've said enough and I'm barely holding back as it is. Get out of my restaurant, don't ever come back, don't ever speak to me again, and if you trash me in this review I promise you I will find you and fuck you up personally." Ashton stood up and Kevin flinched, the sight would have made him laugh if he hadn't been so furious. He stepped back and the reporter scrambled out of his seat leaving his lunch unfinished. Ashton walked back into the kitchen, Hima fast on his heels. He kicked the door open to the break room and headed for the speed bag hanging in the corner. He'd learned the hard way punching walls usually resulted in the wall winning the fight so he'd given himself something easier on his hands.

Hima watched him from the door, his back and biceps rippling as he went two minutes at full speed. When he finally turned around she could see the anger had cooled somewhat. She hated that her boss looked incredibly sexy when he was angry.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?" She asked when he turned back around.

"Nope, it'll just piss me off all over again, and I gotta get ready for another fucking interview. With a guy who already doesn't like me," Ashton put this coat back on and headed into the line to check on Rafi.

At least the second interview can't be worse, she thought, wishing she believed it.

*********

Calum eased his beat up Range Rover into the parking lot of Anne-Marie's amongst the Mercedes, Audi's, and Teslas. He cursed the traffic when he checked the time. He was late, and they were busy. Not a good look he thought, grabbing his bag.

He smiled at the ladies waiting for a table before introducing himself to the impossibly serene hostess. He was quickly led to a table in an alcove not far from the kitchen. As he pulled out his voice recorder and notebook, he noticed a young woman heading his way. Her black hair was knotted tightly in a bun on top of her head, and her chef's coat had a large streak of what might be hollandaise sauce. He remembered his editor, Jacqueline, telling him Anne-Marie's had a female sous chef. He checked the notes she'd given him quickly as she was stopped by a server. Hima, Culinary Institute of America graduate, 23, Indian maybe?

"Hello I'm Hima Singh, you must be Calum Hood," she greeted him. From up close, he noticed that her eyes were a rich golden brown and that her smile didn't reach her eyes. He chalked it up to her youth; his editor said she was 23 but she looked like a teenager. He mentally stopped himself there. He'd become jaded by one too many husband/wife teams in recent years trying to rebrand a post-divorce startup as a "new adventure." While the divorce was true, Calum knew Ashton's history.

"Yup that's me, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hima," he shook her hand, relieved to see her relax a bit.

"Chef Irwin will be out shortly. He's helping with a problem in the back" she glanced towards the kitchen, and Calum had a feeling she was lying.

"Can I get you something while you wait? Do you like coffee? We have a house blend cold brew Chef Irwin selected himself that we roast and grind on-site," she asked motioning towards the sign listing the daily selection of teas and coffee.

"Thanks, but maybe not coffee. I'm nervous enough without more caffeine," he admitted, "but the lavender and blackberry infused lemonade sounds amazing." He smiled and her face softened.

"Absolutely," she signaled to Zia who brought Calum his drink and a basket of warm, fluffy yeast rolls with Anne Marie's cinnamon honey butter. The smell reminded Calum he'd skipped breakfast as his stomach began to rumble.

"So you're Chef Irwin's sous chef? I heard a rumor you were a partner as well," he asked, almost drooling as he tore into the soft bread, watching the steam escape.

"Yes sir," Hima's smile finally reached her eyes, and she sat down across from him. "When he got his core team together for Anne Marie's, there's three of us total. Desean and Rafi are his kitchen managers, and he gave us the opportunity to buy in as minority investors, no pun intended."

"These rolls are incredible. Please take one before I finish this whole basket and ruin my lunch. How long have the three of you worked for Ashton, excuse me, Chef Irwin?" He asked.

"Desean and Rafi were part of his Lune Rouge crew. They go way back, but he met me fresh out of school and took me under his wing," she told him.

"Did you go to CIA?" Calum was jotting down notes, getting a feel for the story.

"I wish, it's so pretty up there. My twin brother attended Brown, and I went to Johnson and Wales so we could stay close."

"You're a twin? Is he a chef as well?" Calum asked.

"Are you kidding? He's a lawyer, of course, my parents had to have one in the family," Hima laughed.

Zia appeared beside their table. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Rafi is looking for you, Hima."

A worried frown replaced her warm smile and Calum felt his nerves bubbling back up. He glanced around and caught sight of Ashton, flushed and sweaty from the heat of the kitchen, poking his head around the corner. Their eyes met, and Calum felt like he'd been hit by lightning.

Hima saw his reaction and whipped around to see what Calum was looking at. Spotting her boss she quickly excused herself and hurried to the back.

Zia cleared her throat and Calum realized she was still standing next to his table.

"Would you like to try Rafi's plantain skewers while you wait? It's my favorite thing here, and it'll leave room for whatever these geniuses cook up," she asked with a smile and a wink.

He nodded and she headed to the server station to put the order in. Calum looked around and started taking notes. The most striking thing about the decor was how they'd used diffused skylights for soft lighting to accent the Nakashima-style crafted wooden furniture. Thanks to his Mom’s love of Antiques Roadshow when he was younger Calum discovered his preference for natural grain wood and bespoke pieces. He liked the use of pastel neon signs to complement the muted green and blue tones of the mosaic tile floors and he thought the framed pictures of what he assumed were family photos of the staff provided a really nice personal touch. The largest photo was in the bar of Ashton and his mother, the restaurant's namesake, Anne Marie.

Zia set a plate down in front of him. "The boss will be out in a minute., Let me get you some more tea," she told him.

The skewers consisted of chunks of pineapple, plantain, red onion, and sweet potato grilled and dusted with chili powder and brown sugar served with a yogurt sauce for dipping.

Calum was almost finished with the first one when Ashton came out of the back, making his way towards him. The chef stopped to talk to several customers, the hostess, and Zia before he made it to Calum's table. Cal licked his fingers, wiping his hands clean with a Sani-wipe before standing up and offering a handshake.

Ashton took his hand and Calum wasn't expecting it to feel so soft. Caught off guard Calum stammered out an introduction as he sat, but he noticed Ashton just nodded, barely listening.

"If today isn't a good day we can reschedule," Calum sipped his tea, his throat suddenly dry.

"I'm here aren't I?" Ashton snapped. He folded his arms across his chest, his hazel eyes narrowing at Calum. "I still remember your first review you know."

Calum's pulse was racing. He hated confrontation, and he hadn't expected Ashton to kick off right away. He knew he'd better suck it up and apologize if this wasn't going to go completely off the rails.

"Listen, I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have been such a dickhead." As he spoke Ashton scoffed at him and Calum felt his cheeks get warm. "I was young and stupid. I let something personal affect that review. I'm sorry."

"Personal? With Luke? What do you mean by that?" Ashton went from annoyed to hostile.

Calum realized he'd said something wrong but wasn't sure what exactly. He was floundering trying to think of what to say next.

"Nothing with Luke, no no no. I was involved with Finn and we weren't getting along. It's so stupid I know, but I think you're a great chef. The new place looks incredible, and Hima is a delight."

The anger drained from Ashton's face, leaving him looking empty and sad. His head dropped to his chest, and Calum held his breath waiting for him to speak.

"I'm really sorry, it's not you, but I can't do this right now. Maybe we can reschedule or something. My apologies, but I have to get back to work," Ashton mumbled, standing up.

Calum spotted Hima watching them from the podium, chewing on her lip, her black eyes wide with concern as Ashton hurried back to the kitchen. Calum started to get up but she was too quick for him.

"Well, aren't you lucky. I'm going on my lunch and I hate to eat alone," she slid back into the seat across from him. "Please forgive my boss. He's had a rough day, but I'm better company anyway." She waved to Zia who headed their way. "You gotta try the toasted gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce if you like cheese, but if you want something lighter the apple carrot kale wrap is excellent too," she smiled at him, and to her relief he smiled back, both of them realizing the situation might be salvageable after all.

(A/N: y’all my tag list, much like my life, is a hot mess. I know some of what I write isn’t for everyone. If you want tagged in part 2 of this fic or my upcoming smuts, pink kink series, or dad!calum series please let me know. I apologize for my previous mistake)

@sublimehood @tea4sykes @be-ready-when-i-say-go @scribblesos @kiiiimberlyriiiicker1995 @wildmichaelflower @castaway-cashton @damselindistressanu @notinthesameguey @cashtonasfuck @irwinkitten @mermaidcashton @malumsmermaid

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