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avengerscompound · 3 years
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The Tower: Happily Ever After - 5
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The Tower: Happily Ever After An Avengers Fanfic
Series Masterlist | Character Refrence PREVIOUS //
Pairing:  Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)
Word Count: 1601
Warnings:  Pregnancy
Synopsis: Almost 40 years after Elise Cooper first crashed into Natasha Romanoff outside the library at Columbia University, she and the Avengers are adapting to a near-immortal life together with their large brood of children.  Yet things aren’t perfect.  Life is moving on without them and they’re starting to discover who isolating being immortal can be.When Angela comes and asks Thor to take the throne of Asgard once more, the group leaves Earth in the hopes that they will find their Happily Ever After there.
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Chapter 5: Farewell to Our Old Life
It was kind of strange how little there was to organize for us regarding our move.  There was packing, but we couldn’t exactly hire a moving truck so it needed to fit in bags that we could carry or it had to stay behind.  That was difficult.  We had had a long time to collect a lot of things we considered precious to us.  The glass artwork that Thor and I had inadvertently made on our honeymoon was the thing I wished we could bring the most.  It would stay in the fountain in the entry and hopefully, we’d come back sometimes and see it.
Thankfully, most of our things were fairly portable.  We also wouldn’t need a lot of clothes because Asgard would provide things more fitting for the palace, and it’s not like we would need any furniture.  Mostly it was just personal effects and tech that Tony wanted to use there.
Other than that it was just letting the doctors know I was leaving, pulling Marya out of school, and organizing the party.
It was still leaning on the stressful side though - especially considering we were still waiting to hear what the rest of the kids were going to do.
Even though Rose and Paul had appeared closest to deciding to come, it was Billy and Teddy who came back to us first with a yes.  They had also said they wanted to do a bonding ceremony when we were there, which added another level of excitement and another level of stress.
Rose and Paul came next.  They said that they would try it out and see.  The concern about their children’s lifespan was a big issue for them, but Paul also said he’d be crazy to give up at least trying to live on Asgard as actual royalty.
As expected it was Eddie who took the longest to decide.  He really did love his job, and I think even with his talk about having children, he, Lyra, and Rory were still right into the rich, young party lifestyle.  He was worried about what they’d lose going to Asgard, rather than focusing on the things he might gain. 
No one pressured him though.  Any questions the three had were answered as honestly as we could and if we didn’t know we’d send word back to Asgard and Loki would come and give the answers they were looking for if at all possible.  Eventually, he decided that he’d give it six months for us to settle and make sure things with Stark Industries and the Avengers was transitioning smoothly given our sudden departure, and then he and his family would join us there to try it out.  He mentioned maybe doing six months on each planet or returning to Earth for a month or two every year, but we were all just glad he was willing to try it out, and his delayed departure from Earth was a good idea.  He even promised to come and visit when his new siblings were born.
When our goodbye party began, the whole family was excited for this new chapter in our lives and sad to say goodbye to the last.
Many of our friends were elderly or had passed on, so the party was going to be a mixture of different people.  Clarke was still around, though Jax had passed a few years ago.  We’d lost Rhodey and Fury, though Hill was still running the day-to-day operations of the Avengers, even in her old age, and Coulson had retired after years as successfully being director of SHIELD.  Vision was the same as ever, and people often came to him for direction when it came to the Avengers.  Carol also hadn’t changed though she still spent more time in space than on Earth.  A lot of the people we had met that had seemed so young when we met them, were all not officially middle-aged.  Even Peter Parker who was only fifteen when I met him was now pushing fifty and had a wife and daughter of his own.
They would all be at the party, including a lot of the new Avengers lineup.  Most of whom were much heavier hitters than any of us, even when we were wielding Mjolnir.  It was definitely going to be sad to say goodbye.
“It’s going to be okay, you know?”  Wanda said, snapping me out of my mini-trance as she ran a brush methodically through my hair.
“No, I know,” I said, tilting my head back.
“Then tell your brain that,” she teased.
I giggled and leaned up and pecked her lips.  “I’m sorry.  I would if I could.  Just hormones I guess.  Feeling stressed.”
“Well, stop it,” she scolded playfully.  “It’s bad for the babies.”
She began to braid my hair and I hummed as her fingertips grazed over my scalp.  “Imagine it though, Elly,” Wanda said.  “All the kids nearby - the new babies.”
“You’re a baby-oholic,” I said, laughing softly.
“It’s true,” she says.  “I am.”
She ran a hand around my side and pressed it on my stomach.  “I can’t wait to meet them,” she said.  “They already have such busy thoughts.”
I looked up at her and I’m not sure whether it was the look of pure and complete love in her eyes or the way the light caught in her hair, but I was struck by how beautiful she was and how much I loved her.  She smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead.  “I love you too,” she said and picked up a strand of silver wire with black opal and threaded it into my hair.  “All done.”
I stood carefully and straightened out the skirts on my blue lace cocktail dress.  “How do I look?” I asked.
“Perfect as always,” she said.  “Let's go say goodbye to our friends.”
We made our way down to the party deck where the party was only just starting up.  Bruce, Steve, and Clint were all already there, but there was no sign of Tony, Natasha, Clint, Sam, Thor, or Bucky.
Some of our kids were there and their kids all played out in the garden atrium that was built on the protruding wing of the tower and the party deck opened out into.  I greeted everyone and as I made my way around the room more people arrived.
Clarke came over and tapped me on the shoulder.  I turned and smiled, hugging her tightly.  She had aged well, not as well as I had obviously, but while her face was lined and she was a little frailer looking, she had kept in good shape and she continued to color her hair.  It would be easy to think she was in her early fifties rather than her mid-seventies.  Her eyes were what gave it away.  What had once been vivid violet had faded to pale lavender and were slightly cloudy.  They were heavily lined at the corners, the years having carved deep crevices to mark each time she was happy or sad or angry or worried.  It was still my Clarke though and I was going to miss her.
“I can’t believe you’re not going to be here when these two are born,” she said, indicating to my stomach as we pulled apart.  She was one of the select group of people I would be totally fine with touching my stomach unasked - but she never assumed.  “Where am I going to get my baby kisses from?”
I laughed and shook my head.  “I guess you’ll have to visit me on Asgard.”
“You can do that?”  She asked.
“I mean… I’m the Queen.  I think I can pull some strings,” I teased.
She laughed.  “God, thinking of you as a Queen is such a trip.”
“Hey Auntie Clarke,” Billy said, appearing behind us.  “I haven’t seen you for a while.”
Clarke hugged him and looked around.  “It’s been too long.  Where are those kids of yours.”
“Come on, I’ll take you to them,” he looked over at me and narrowed his eyes.  “You go sit down, mom.  You know you’re supposed to be taking it easy.”
“I am taking it easy,” I argued, holding up my hands.  “I’m just standing here.”
“Go on,” he said.  “Don’t make me page Dad Tony.”
“Heaven forbid,” I laughed and he wrinkled his nose at me and led Clarke out to the atrium.  I got myself a little plate of appetizers and a glass of punch and went and took a seat.
It wasn’t long until the whole room was teeming with people.  The Avengers had gotten to be a rather large collection of people since the original six had been reluctantly dragged together all those years ago.  Having so many of the people who meant so much to all of us here at the same time couldn’t help but make me think about how I’d first joined this group that would one day be my family.
All those years ago I had been a traumatized woman in her mid-twenties, just trying to get by.  I didn’t have many good friends, because it took a lot for me to trust people.  It took a superhero to get through and with her, so many other people flooded in after.  I was so grateful to them, and so in love with each of them to this day.  It would be hard letting this life of ours go, but it was inevitable.  I still had my 9 chosen people though, and I always would.  I was glad to be taking this next step with them at my side.
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// NEXT
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movedto-jewishbucke · 4 years
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N, P, R & V?
N - Name three things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)?
I'm gonna do this for Chicago Med since that's a fandom you're familiar with + Emmett already sent me this letter (that I'm gonna do for Lone Star) akdnsks BUT I'm also not big into the Med fandom so idk what kind of fuckshit they're on anymore
I wish people would hold the male characters accountable for their actions instead of blaming the women 😳 (like 98% of the fandom coddled the fuck out of Will & absolutely tore Natalie to shreds because Natalie didn't tolerate how Will undermined her at literally every turn? I mean, now all the hate Natalie gets is warranted cause I heard she violated Crockett's privacy to an extreme degree in the most recent episodes)
um... I think it'd be super attractive if people stopped shipping imo predatory relationships! like idk I just think that'd be cool. it's not exclusive to med tho 🤷
also I wish there were more trans interpretations of characters and less genderbends :/
P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)
James, I have so many. like. I come up with AUs like it's NOTHING. anyway for lone star... here are two AUs I've thought of and have considered writing:
a Young & Hungry AU? that show has it's problems but I think the premise is, like, idk kind of funny? Carlos is a super successful tech billionaire (I really like the idea of Carlos being rich don't @ me) & TK is his chef (yes I know the fandom loves TK "can't cook to save his life" Strand but). I'd have to think about how everyone else fits into this AU but yeah
Criminal Minds AU with Michelle as the one who leads the team and Paul being her, like, second in command? Marjan is their media liaison, TK is a profiler & is definitely a player (he and Carlos definitely have a relationship that is very flirty but also platonic as shit b/c neither want to make the first move) (I see TK as being kind of like Morgan in a way), Judd & Carlos are just regular profilers (Carlos does want a leadership position but he likes his job and his team and he'd never try to go after Michelle, or Paul's, jobs), Grace and Mateo are their Technical Analysts, Owen is the BAU Section Chief (he makes very few appearances), and I think I got everyone?
R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships
UH... honestly every ship I have (even the super rare ones) has at least one other shipper (either you, Emmett, or Nova lmao)
BUT UH even tho I haven't seen OG 911 I'm already kind of like "TK & Buck seem like they would be a fun crackship" so like... maybe that? (or TK/Buck/Carlos)
OH WAIT NO HERE'S A CRACKSHIP that I'm sure no one except me ships: Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds) x Sonny Carisi (SVU)
V - 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms
Peter Parker/Harry Osborn from The Amazing Spider-Man (are you surprised I'm mentioning this one? probably not)
TK Strand/Carlos Reyes from 911: Lone Star
Spencer Reid/Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds
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bibbleknickers · 5 years
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Favourite avengers movies scenes?
OOOoOoOOOoooh
Okay
2012 Avengers 
“His first name is Agent!” Love me that sweet sweet pepperony content
Hawkeye knowing more about the tesseract than the scientists that had been studying the tesseract for months. 
All the A++ Coulson content, especially when Tony is walking down the Hellicarrier hall telling him he’ll help him with his cellist
Steve giving Fury the money after losing the ‘nothing surprises me’ bet, I love Steves's face. 
Tony bringing the party to the gang, and Nat not wanting to party, “I’m bringin’ the party to you.”, “I-I don’t see how that’s a party...”. 
All the Tony scenes. 
Loki is a little shit. Especially when Thor and he argue on the cliff edge, and then Thor gets yeeted and Loki’s all bitchin’ and just “I’m Listening...”  |(ᵕ.ᵕ)┘
Bruce aka Mark Ruffalo accepting the “good boy” blueberries from Tony aka RDJ, and Steve aka CEvans probably denying his nature to accept and being a #seriousSteve.
Avengers Age Of Ultron
The whole strings thing, god I hate Ultron but my dude made Pinnochio cool for like a second!! 
Language, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, never forget this gold.
Clint angrily babbling about ‘killing’ Pietro; has me in absolute fits every time! 
Vision!! All of my computer son. Losing Jarvis was hard but, I’m happy we got more Paul Bettany. (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧ “Well I was born yesterday. 
Thor trying to make Bruce feel better about Hulking out by telling him about all the damage and destruction he cause and then super backtracking because he realises that’s not what Nat meant, also Steve’s -I wish I was still on Ice- face.
“That’s an agent of some kind...... And those are smaller agents.” Tony and Steve not comprehending Clints farm and family is the best and goodest shit.
“Please be a secret door! Please be a secret door! Please be a secret door-YAY!!” 
Avengers Infinity War
Pepperony in the park, Happy being a dork and chasing people in a golf cart.
Peter’s shirt... ‘Lettuce The Taste Of Sadness’.
IRONSTRANGE OI OI 
Peter Parker is a stowaway and his dads Wwizard dad and Mr Stark dad, aren’t here for it.
Groot sacrificing his arm for Stormbreaker 
“If you throw another moon at me, I’m gonna lose it.” Tony Stark is the strongest Avenger and the World’s best defender and no one will ever say otherwise or I’ll fite u (づ ̄ ³ ̄)づ
“Get lost squidward!”
Stephen calling Stark Raving Hazelnuts a bit chalky just to flirt with Tony, I mean duh, that’s how they do.
Avengers Endgame
Carol Danvers. In general, every moment of her existence in the movie.
Soft Nat. Nat writing her lil notes, I’m soft. Nat eating a peanut butter sandwich and crying, queen. Running the operations for the 5 years while Clint goes awol, she really is that bitch, my queen. (I do not acknowledge the poor decisions of the Russos’ and she’s still alive).
New Asgard and chonky Thor!
Thor actually portraying someone struggling with their mental health in a way that had me sobbing like a baby, because if he’s still worthy, maybe I could be too...
Ironfam... Ugh I needed more, but I’m so grateful for what we got.
“I... Am... Ironman.” I-CoNICc. This bitch really. And as much as I’m in denial and canon is definitely that he survived he just lost his arm duh, if Tony had died I think they did it decently and he went out the hero he never thought he could be.  
Obviously, there are more moments but I can’t just copy-paste scripts!
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fantasticescapism · 5 years
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Brothers in Everything but Blood - Chapter 4: A Li'l Bit o' Jealousy Might Work… or Not
Story’s available in AO3.
Part 4 of the Never Truly Gone series
For the next few days of Harley’s stay with the Parkers, he got into a routine. Harley would cook breakfast and packed lunches for all three of them. Then, one by one, he would go through his list of colleges to visit and then at night, he would cook dinner with May’s help. The cooking-slash-teaching sessions they had was truly fun, especially when May told him stories.
“Oh God! When I first found out about Spider-man, it freaked me out! Then when I freaked out, he also freaked out so imagine us freaking each other out. It was a riot!” They both laughed. May fried pork chops while he caramelized onions for the gravy.
“But you’re okay with it now?” He asked.
“Yeah, it took some time though and with strict conditions.” She gave him a mischievous smile. “I remember when I chewed out both Peter and Tony. Have to say, it was satisfying to see this billionaire superhero panic in front of you.” She chuckled.
“What made you let him continue?”
“Well,” she sighed as she removed the chops off the skillet, “I realized, I really can’t stop him, you know? If I tell him no, I’m sure he would just do it behind my back. That would be worse. I hate the thought of him risking his life out there but I hate it more if I don’t know everything that’s going on. And, I want him to have as much support as he needs. I imagine it’s hard to fight crime and keep it a secret from your family at the same time.” He nodded.
“Ya know, if I have superpowers, there’s no way I could keep it a secret.” He said as he chopped some veggies for a salad after he’s done with the gravy. “Especially if I have teleportation powers, I could take ya’ll anywhere you want; no customs and no hassles.”
“Oh, me too. I could use some super strength or even that Peter Tingle.”
“The what now?” Harley abruptly stopped chopping. He wasn’t sure if he heard her right.
“The Peter Tingle.” She looked at him wide-eyed and serious. “You know, that thing that helps him sense danger or something.” Oh… OH!
“Oh my God!” Harley guffawed. It took a lot of effort to control his laughter, at least enough for him to speak. “May, that’s-” He wheezed. “Thank you so much! I’ll definitely call it that from now on.”
“You’re welcome!” May giggled. As if summoned, Peter got home; earbuds on and books in his arms.
“Hey guys! That smells so g-what?” Peter looked confused as he watched both May and Harley laugh.
“Nothing, sweetie.” May grinned at him while Harley took all he had to stop laughing. “Go get ready for dinner.”
“Okay.” Peter looked at them with slight suspicion before he deposited his bag and books in his room.
---
For the colleges upstate, Harley decided to just check out their online tours instead of a visit in person. They were not high in his priority list anyway. As for the colleges in the city, he would visit those personally so he could do touristy things too; two birds with one stone. Awesome!
For Columbia, the last college on his list, Peter asked to come with him. Apparently, it’s one of his top three choices. Harley didn’t mind the company even if Peter brought his best friend along. The more the merrier, right?
His first impression of Ned was almost the same as with Peter: nerdy, a bit overwhelming but nice. Peter did tell him Ned would ask a ton of questions especially since he told Ned he also interns for Tony.
“Is it true you designed the stealth mode for the quinjet?” Ned asked with wide-eyed excitement. They were on their way to the university for a tour and get some brochures among other things.
“Yeah.” He answered.
“So, you’ve seen it up close?”
“Yeah, I did. Had to do some maintenance on it from time to time. Not recently though. Tony let other people do it instead.”
“Whoa!” Harley thought the questions would end there. He was wrong. “What other projects did you have with Tony Stark? Did you and Peter work on other projects together? Did he let you come with him to conferences?”
“Here we are.” Peter interrupted Ned as they reached one of Columbia’s Broadway Gates at Morningside Heights. “Wow…” He looked at the gates as if it’s a portal to another world.
“Got the sudden realization that in two years time, we could be studying here, huh?” Ned asked.
“Yeah… It just… It’s a bit…”
“Intimidating? Unreal? Scary?”
“... Yeah.”
“It’s only a year left for me. If I got accepted here, I’ll let you guys know what it’s like.” Despite the bravado he projected, Harley was terrified. He spent most of his life in some county in Tennessee. The idea of venturing out on his own for months far away from home made him feel like his heart would jump out of his chest; like he’s at the edge of a diving board looking down. He cleared his throat and said, “Our tour guide’s name is Paolo. He said-”
“‘Sup losers.” A voice called from behind. All three boys turned around and saw a girl with curly hair and an air of indifference.
“H-hey, MJ!” Peter grinned and started fidgeting. Harley frowned a bit at the sudden nervousness. “We’re-we’re good.”
“Cool.” She gave him a tight-lipped smile. Harley observed how unnaturally tight the newcomer held the straps of her backpack.
“Oh umm, MJ this is Harley. He’s my fellow intern with Mr. Stark.” They smiled at each other. “Harley, umm Michelle. She’s our team captain at decathlon.”
“Hey.”
“Hey.” She nodded at him then turned to Peter. “So, you guys booked a tour here, huh?”
“Yeah,” Ned answered, “how did you-”
“I heard you. I mean, just now I heard you guys.” She chuckled. Harley, with eyebrows raised, suddenly had a hunch but he needed to see more to confirm it. So...
“Do you want to come with us? It’s okay with me. How about you guys?” He turned towards Peter and Ned.”
“Yeah, sure.” Ned shrugged.
“Y-yeah. It’s-it’s ummm okay with me.” Peter had that goofy grin that made Harley smirk.
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” She looked relieved.
“It was nothin’. Well, we better get this started then.” Harley said as he placed an arm around Ned’s shoulders, pulled him through Columbia’s gates and left Peter and MJ behind with no choice but to walk together.
---
Paolo was a cool guy. He didn’t mind if another person was added to the tour group. He’s also a junior in Mechanical Engineering so he could tell them what day to day life was really like. It was fascinating! He showed them all the usual stuff like the Low steps, the libraries, St. Paul’s chapel, the fitness center… but the part Harley really looked forward to was Paolo’s offer to let them take a peek at one of the laboratories he frequented at the Seeley Mudd Building; something that’s not in the official tour itinerary.
They were at a white hallway in front of a blue laboratory door as they waited for Paolo to punch in a security code when Harley felt something vibrate in Peter’s backpack.
“Dude, is someone calling you?” He whispered. Peter, as he tried and failed to contain his excitement, jerkily and blindly reached in his bag. He must’ve sent whoever it was to voicemail since the vibrating stopped. “Are you sure? Maybe it’s something important?”
“Nah, it’s fine. If it’s really an emergency, they’ll call again.”
“Okay then.” Harley shrugged.
“Alright, guys. Come on in!” Paolo opened the door wide and led them in the room where, according to their guide, students spend most of their times.
“Whoa!” Ned looked around in awe. There were a lot of things to see. There were robots and mills, drills, material testers and a wide variety of machines everywhere. It’s not as sleek and advanced as the toys they get to play with in Tony’s workshop but, it’s still awesome!
“Cool, huh?” Paolo grinned. “Our classes are mostly hands on so we spend a lot of our time here. Well, here or the Maker Space.” He chuckled. “Once we’re done here, wanna check that out? It’s upstairs.”
“Yeah!” Paolo laughed as the guys exclaimed.
“Okay, cool.”
Between looking at the different projects the other students have and asking how classes were like, Harley couldn’t help but watch how MJ and Peter surreptitiously looked at each other. He made sure to keep Ned away from those two to give them space and hoped he would see some progress in this obviously blossoming high school sweetheart scenario. He even wondered if Ned’s aware of it at all.
By the time Paolo led the way to the Maker Space, Harley got frustrated from watching MJ and Peter skirt around each other.
“Are those-” MJ started.
“3D printers? Yeah.” Paolo led them towards a corner full of 3D printers. “Students are free to use all of the machines here. You just need to let the professors know.”
“Whoa!” Ned was about to follow MJ towards the 3D printers as she tried to figure out what they were printing but Harley stopped him with an arm on his shoulders.
“Hey, let’s check them magnets, huh?” Harley stirred him towards the other side of the room. He looked back and saw Peter look at the printers with MJ. Harley took out his phone and typed a message. He couldn’t let Peter hear their conversation.
is there something goin on with those 2?
He showed the message to Ned and was pleased when the other guys nodded enthusiastically. Ned took out his own phone to type a message.
ikr? been telling him to just ask her out. if there’s anyone who could easily ask a girl for a date, it’s him.
he just needs a little push. Harley smirked. He typed a long message on his phone then called out, “Hey, Paolo? I have a question.”
---
Harley could practically feel the tension from Peter as Paolo led the way back to Low Steps. If before, Peter and MJ were left alone most of the time, by the tail end of the tour, Paolo walked beside MJ and asked her a lot of things. They actually bonded over books and Buzzfeed Unsolved.
“Right? I like True Crimes better than Supernatural but it is funny to see Ryan freak out.” Paolo remarked as MJ chuckled. “Okay, at the count of three: are you a Shainiac or a Boogara?” He asked. “One, two, three!”
“Shainiac!” They both exclaimed then they laughed and gave each other high-fives. Harley saw Peter clench his jaw. Come on, dude. Do something about it!
“Okay, that’s the end of the tour!” Paolo grinned at them. “Hope you guys learned a lot about Columbia.”
“We did, thanks!” Harley grinned back.
“Yeah, thanks Paolo.” MJ smiled.
“You’re welcome! Oh and Michelle, you did say you’re more interested in Sociology or writing. I do have friends with other majors so if you want, I can ask them to show you around next time. Maybe we could exchange numbers?” Harley sneakily watched as Peter’s spirit dampen.
“Thanks, but I’m not exactly sure what I want to do yet unlike these guys.” She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Maybe next time.”
“Okay.” Paolo smiled kindly. “Alright, bye guys and thanks for considering Columbia.”
“Bye! Thanks again!” They all waved as they walked towards the gates.
“Thanks for letting me come along.” MJ said as they got past the gates
“You’re welcome, Michelle.” Harley smiled at her. “It was fun.”
“Oh, you can call me MJ.” She smirked.
“Okay, MJ. Are you going by subway too?”
“Nah, I have somewhere else to go.”
“Me too,” Ned said as he looked up from his phone. “Sorry Peter, my mom wanted to meet up somewhere near here and she’s on the way. Rain-check on the Avengers Compound Lego set?”
“Yeah, it’s okay.” Peter assured him.
“Okay then, take care ya’ll.” Harley waved at them.
“Bye guys! Bye, Peter!” MJ and Peter shyly waved at each other before she walked away.
“Bye, guys!” Ned and Harley fist-bumped then he did this special handshake he had with Peter before he crossed Broadway. Harley and Peter were on their way towards the subway when he noticed Peter’s still a bit sullen.
“Relax, she didn’t give him her number.” Harley smiled when Peter looked at him like a deer in the headlights.
“W-w-what do you-what do you mean?” Peter fidgeted. “It’s-it’s really fine if she wants to give her number to other guys. I mean, she’s a perfectly capable and strong woman and she’s pretty and smart so I’m sure other guys would-”
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! For someone with a Peter Tingle, you’re dense!” Harley laughed when Peter gave him a flabbergasted look.
“Where did you-argh!” Peter’s groan only made Harley laugh more. “Maaaaaay!” He whined. “Man, please stop using that name.”
“Oh come on, we can’t use the other name in public. Besides, May coined it and I don’t want to break her heart by not using the name she prefers.” Peter glared at Harley’s shit-eating grin.
“It doesn’t even work the way you think it works.” Peter crossed his arms like a petulant child.
“Well it should,” Harley said as he fished out his MetroCard from his pocket, “because then you would know that she likes you too.”
“She does?” Peter suddenly stopped walking and caused a commotion behind him.
“Hey! Watch it kid!” The man behind him shouted.
“Sorry, sorry…” Peter held Harley’s arm and led them to the side to avoid foot traffic. “You think she likes me?”
“Dude, it’s obvious and Ned agrees with me.” Peter looked like he got his mind blown. Harley decided to give him a serious advice. “Peter, you said it yourself, you think MJ’s an amazin’ woman and other guys would like her too. So get a move on before someone else takes the opportunity or before she thinks you don’t like her back. Fortune favors the bold.”
“Where did you get that?” Peter smiled.
“From Tony actually. He does give great one liners.” They both sniggered.
“Maybe I should text her and-,” Peter stopped as he opened his phone. Harley frowned as he saw the guy’s face turned pale.
“What?! What is it?” Was there an emergency?! Was it May?!
“Oh, shit! No, No… Nonononono…”
“Damn it, Parker! What?!” Harley demanded. Peter looked up at him with fear in his eyes.
“I ghosted Mr. Stark!”
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“While they're depicted as happy and in love, there are a lot of details that don't make sense.”
Oh boy I can’t wait to hear this from the pinnacle of comic book journalism that is Screenrant....
20 EVERYTHING ABOUT "ONE MORE DAY"
 Okay fair enough
 19 THEY HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON
 Sense of humour. Study different forms of science. Science and acting are both about making sense of life. Troubled childhoods. Living double lives. Living with guilt over relegating on responsibilities which hurt your family. Immense inner strength. Oh and btw having shit in common isn’t the be all and end all of romantic relationships so shut up.
 “It's possible for two people to love each other and not have much in common. ”
 That’s what I said.
 “At some point, however, a couple needs to have something to build a relationship on.”
 And they did see above and add in being one another’s friends, confidants and support group.
 “Peter Parker and Mary Jane couldn't be further apart from each other in almost every single way. He's a science geek with a weird sense of humor and no social skills.”
 Also heroic, also gult ridden, also responsible, also inner strength, also working class, also lost a parent, also lived a double life....like MJ.
 “Meanwhile, MJ is an aspiring model/actress, except for when she's a super successful model/actress.”
 Everyone knows model/actress = a personality right.
 “In recent years, she's shown a more entrepreneurial side, but that still involved opening a nightclub, the sort of place where Peter doesn't fit in at all. They say opposites attract, but there comes a point where that just becomes nonsensical.”
 Yes there is but that point is well beyond the ways in which Peter and MJ are opposite to one another because their traits often balance one another out.
 18 THEY GOT TOGETHER WAY TOO SOON AFTER GWEN'S DEMISE
 They got together almost 2 years after Gwen died shut up.
 “Time in comic books is a funny thing. The Marvel Universe has a sliding timescale, meaning that it's hard to peg down when stories took place in relation to each other. The time that passes in the real world means nothing. That being said, Peter and MJ started dating way too soon after Gwen Stacy's demise.”
 Canonically its still 2 years so shut up.
 “She lost her life in Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973) by Gerry Conway and Gil Kane. By the end of the next issue, the seeds were being planted for them to get together. They didn't immediately start dating, but Peter seemed to get over his "one, true love" suspiciously fast”
 2 years isn’t too fast and she wasn’t his one true love. Nobody has a one true love.
 17 SHE FLIP-FLOPS ON PETE'S LIFE AS SPIDER-MAN
This list is about stuff that doesn’t make sense. Anybody dating a superhero is probably going to flip flop over their own or their loved ones’ lives being potentially endangered by super powered serial killers.
 “Look, dating a superhero must be hard. Nobody can blame someone for not wanting to deal with it, or trying to convince a loved one not to risk their life. Also, it can make having a social life impossible. It's understandably frustrating, but at some point, enough is enough.
It seems like Mary Jane can't make up her mind about Peter's life as Spider-Man.”
 Obviously she can because she chose to date him, chose to marry him and stayed with him all the time sans stories where she was written as OOC.
 She both likes it and dislikes it which makes her compelling and its realistic too. She doesn’t HAVE to make up her mind definitively and every day stay on track with liking or hating it because people flip flop over shit all the time.
 Shit Spider-Man himself flip flops about BEING SPIDER-MAN!
 “Sometimes she's fully supportive, while other times she wants him to quit. ”
Gee its almost like something as dangerous as a superhero’s life would have lots of factors that impact how you feel depending upon what side of the bed you got up from.
 Also she never wanted him to quit outside of when she was OOC. She only once wanted him to remain retired when she was heavily pregnant.
 “Considering that she knew Peter was Spider-Man before she even met him, it's time for her to figure out her feelings and make a decision. ”
 a)                  She did, hence they married
b)                  She doesn’t need to make a decision YOU the individual reader want her to but realistically the character for her own sake doesn’t have to
 “They both know he's not going to give up being a hero, so it's time to be grown ups.”
 16 THEIR ENGAGEMENT WAS SUPER QUICK
In the history of mankind there have been quicker engagements.
Shit STAN LEE got married super quick, he married his wife Joan of 60 something years literally the day she got divorced.
“In Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987) by David Michelinie, Jim Shooter, and Paul Ryan, Peter Parker married Mary Jane. Behind the scenes, this occurred because Stan Lee wanted Spider-Man to get married in the newspaper comic strip that he was writing at the time. Marvel liked the idea, and decided to have them get married in the comics as well.
The problem was that they were broken up at the time. So, the writers had to quickly bring her back, rekindle the romance, have Peter propose, and then get married.”
 This is total fucking bullshit.
Mary Jane had been a mainstay in the titles for over 4 years before the wedding, being the most recurring character sans Spider-Man himself.
Moreover broken up isn’t strictly accurate, Peter and Mj years prior to their wedding had been effectively dating whilst being in denial about it to one another or publicly.
Their romance and love was always there they just weren’t being honest about it until Peter proposed.
Yeah the proposal-wedding was a few issues, but the romantic tension and relationship had been years in the making.
“Anyone that's ever planned a real wedding knows how unrealistic this whole timeline was.”
Yeah unless you were having a quick wedding at city hall with a small ceremony and there was a time skip before and during the final part of the story where they tie the knot.
15 DO THEY HAVE A BABY OR NOT?
“The second Clone Saga that ran during the mid '90s had one of the most confusing endings ever written. Basically, the writers needed to finish Ben Reilly's storyline while also tying up all of Peter's loose ends to make it possible for Peter to become Spider-Man again. One of these plot threads was the fact that Mary Jane was pregnant.
The editors felt that Spider-Man being a dad would age him, so they suggested that Mary Jane not have the baby, after all. However, it was also heavily implied at the time that Norman Osborn had the baby taken away. This storyline was teased for a few years, before ultimately being forgotten about.”
This list is about things that do not make sense. This list is not about things that are merely unresolved.
14 WHY DOES PETER STILL USE THE BLACK SUIT?
“In Amazing Spider-Man #299 (1988) by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, Venom made his frightening first appearance. Mary Jane thought she saw Peter wearing his black costume, until a mouth formed and turned into a horrific smile. Venom didn't hurt Mary Jane, but the experience was still pretty traumatic for her.
After Spidey defeated the villain, Mary Jane asked him to stop wearing the black costume. This made sense, and Peter happily obliged. Except, he keeps bringing the costume back from time to time.”
 Yeah and it’s justified each time.
He brought it back in the 1990s during McFarlane’s run because he needed something stealthy and he discussed this with MJ.
He brought part of it back in the Clone Saga because he had nothing else to wear but it wasn’t the whole suit.
He brought it back during the Mackie run with Larsen because again he had nothing else to wear and MJ was presumed dead at the time anyway.
He wore it again in Back in Black at a time where he wasn’t wearing it in front of MJ and wanted to send a message to criminals that he was now going to be a more violent and scary fucker (it worked).
He wore it again in Brand New Day when he was impersonating Venom and he and MJ were broken up.
He wore it again in ASM #800 when he needed the power boost from the symbiote to beat Red Goblin.
And all this aside, MJ got over her fear of Venom anyway.
So rather than making no sense each individual instance actually did add up.
“Sometimes there's a specific reason, other times he just seems to feel like wearing it. He knows it scares his wife, but apparently Peter likes the way it looks too much to care.”
Not true as I just explained. Peter himself doesn’t even LIKE the suit anymore.
13 HOW SUCCESSFUL IS HER CAREER?
“Not everyone is a fan of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship. While many fans love her, some feel that it's weird for Peter Parker to be married to a supermodel. That can be a valid complaint, but the problem is that Mary Jane has had one of the most inconsistent careers ever.
She's constantly moving between being a struggling model, a highly sought after model, a soap opera actress, and even giving up on show business completely multiple times. It's understandable for careers to have ups and downs, but it seems like the writers can't even decide if she's famous or not.”
Because a model and actresses career and fame can’t fluctuate right?
 12 THEY'VE BOTH DEALT WITH TOO MANY STALKERS
WTF is too many exactly when one of you is a famous-semi-famous actress and model and the other is a superhero?
Like shit dude, there are people, a lot of them women, who aren’t famous and can have stalkers.
“In the late '90s, Marvel's first attempt to undo Spider-Man's marriage resulted in Mary Jane getting on a plane which then exploded mid-flight.”
Technically that was not their first attempt.
“For the next year or so, everyone believed she had passed away. Instead, she had been snatched away by a deranged stalker, who caused the explosion so that no one would look for her.
Before that, Mary Jane had to deal with Jonathan Ceaser, who attempted to take her away several times in the early '90s.”
 OP misspelled ‘once’ as ‘several times’.
 “Even Peter had to deal with his ex girlfriend, Felicia Hardy, dating Flash Thompson just so she could be near him during that same time period. ”
That isn’t a stalker.
“People really need to give these two their privacy.”
 Again...not a thing that doesn’t make sense which is the point of the article.
 11 THEY BREAK UP CONSTANTLY
constantly
Dictionary result for constantly
/ˈkɒnst(ə)ntli/
adverb
1.    continuously over a period of time; always.
 Hmmmmmm...doesn’t seem to add up with breaking up:
 For the first time in the late 1970s.
Again in Spider-Man vs. Wolverine.
Trial separating (which isn’t a proper break up) in 2001.
Seperating for real in OMD/OMIT
Breaking up again in Superior when it wasn’t even the real Spider-Man. And no her dumping him again twice doesn’t count.
 Gee, four break ups across 40+ years = constantly apparently.
 “Comic books can't just rely on action, they also need to have drama. One of the most common places writers create drama is in the hero's relationships. It's probably very hard to date a superhero, and it's understandable that not everyone would want to sign up for that ride. At some point, however, enough is enough.”
 I’m not saying I’m innocent of lazily repeating the same words and phrases over and over again, but I also don’t get paid to write for a big website.
 Also, wtf does enough’s enough even mean?
They broke up a few times, one due to genuine issues, once because of a misunderstanding, once because MJ wasn’t well and Peter was OOC (which doesn’t count) and every other time also because they were both OOC.
 “It's hard to feel bad for them when Peter and Mary Jane break up, because they do it all the time. He's always focusing on saving people, she's constantly moving to another part of the country to work on her career. When Mephisto forced them to break-up, he could've just waited a few months and gotten the same result.”
Again all the time and constantly does not = 4 times across 40 years.
Also that wasn’t Mephisto’s endgame but whatever.
10 HOW DID SHE NOT NOTICE OTTO'S MIND IN PETER'S BODY
Hey look, the secod legitimate point on this list. The answer was because bad writing.
9 HOW DO THEY AFFORD THEIR APARTMENTS?
“A common complaint across various forms of fiction is that characters always seem to be able to afford apartments that they shouldn't be able to. For Spider-Man and Mary Jane, however, it's pretty bad. Of course, there are times when Mary Jane's career is going very well, which explains how they can afford a nice apartment.
For the most part, however, Peter is a struggling photographer and she's a struggling model. Somehow, they are consistently able to afford apartments with giant skylights. ”
 If this happens across most fiction in ways which aren’t more egregious than anything else (because Joey and Chandler’s apartment is egregious given their jobs) then it’s not worth mentioning on this list.
“Seriously, Tony Stark would struggle to afford some of the places they've lived in over the years.”
He really wouldn’t.
8 PETER WAS SUPER SHALLOW ABOUT MEETING HER
First off he wasn’t super shallow, he was as shallow as you would expect any teenager to be in that situation.
Also, a teenager being shallow. Thats certainly something that doesn’t make sense and belongs on a list entirely about shit that makes no sense.
“In the early stories, Peter could be kind of shallow. Granted, he was a teenager, but he always just seemed interested in dating the prettiest girls. ”
Ugh...no he didn’t. He asked out 3 young women who were all relatively attractive but none of whom were like compared to Hollywood starlets of the era. There was something of an implication that Betty Brant, his high school love, was not as attractive as the more glamorous Liz Allan whom he typically rebuffed in favour of Betty.
Also if we’re playing the ‘its super shallow to just date the hottest people you can’ then Peter and MJ were no worse than one another at those ages.
“Considering that he was always getting bullied and picked on, he should've been more understanding.”
a)        Being bullied and picked on isn’t innately going to make you more understanding of anybody
b)        Understanding of who? Who was he being inconsiderate towards exactly? He asked out two girls he was attracted to, attraction being an involuntary thing in the first place. He presumed his elderly not hip aunt who described MJ as being a good house wife was going to pick someone unattractive or boring, especially considering that if she was going to be set up with him she probably couldn’t get a date with anyone else. Meaning in his teenage head she must be unattractive
“Then, when he found out that she was beautiful, he was suddenly interested. ”
 My God how dare characters as teens be shallow and flawed. It makes no seeeeeeense!
 “It turns out, Peter's type was "any girl that looks good, regardless of her interests or personality."”
 That’s true which is why he quickly began to turn away from MJ because he found her shallow and preferred Gwen who was seemingly not shallow...
 7 WHY DID SHE NEED TO BE SET UP WITH PETER IN THE FIRST PLACE?
...huh?
 “Every comic book fan knows the story of how Peter and MJ met. A recurring plot line in early Spider-Man stories was Aunt May constantly trying to set Peter up with her friend's niece. The two didn't actually meet until The Amazing Spider-Man #43 (1966) by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, when Peter opened the door and she said the iconic phrase "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot!"”
 Wow...the degree of incompetence in this paragraph is truly impressive.
 First of all it was ASM #42 not #43...how do you fuck that up. More importantly it was with Lee and Romita Senior not Lee and Ditko. SERIOUSLY how do you fuck that up.
 “What's weird about this, however, is that Mary Jane was a beautiful and outgoing girl. Peter was busy being Spider-Man, and was considered a nerd by his peers, so it's understandable that he'd need help getting dates. Mary Jane, on the other hand, should have been doing just fine.”
 Lets ignore how this was explained in Parallel Lives a story which has a major plot point referenced by the article more than once.
...why is this presumption Mj NEEDED to be set up. Maybe she just agreed as a favour to her aunt.
6 HOW DID SHE KNOW TO SAY THE JACKPOT LINE?
Because she knew she was sexy and could tell by his reaction he didn’t realize that and was taken aback by it.
“Ok, this might seem like a nitpick,”
Why let that bother you now.
 “The famous scene where Peter and Mary Jane first meet plays out like this: Peter answers the door, and Mary Jane is standing and delivers the famous line. It's a memorable moment, but it also doesn't make any sense.
Mary Jane never met Peter before this.”
Not formally no, but yes she had and knew what he looked like.
“How did she know she was a "jackpot" for him? Maybe she wasn't his type?”
His reaction spelled it out for her.
“For all she knew, he could have answered the door and been very disappointed. Also, maybe he wouldn't care what she looked like? It was a pretty arrogant thing to say, looking back, and she's lucky it didn't backfire.”
 *rolls eyes* oh fuck off.
5 THE REASON SHE CALLS HIM TIGER MAKES NO SENSE
“For years, everyone focused on the "jackpot" part of Mary Jane's famous introduction, but apparently, Peter was focused on a different part. Apparently, he never understood why she called him "tiger," especially because the nickname stuck. In all honesty, it's a good question. Especially during those early years, Peter Parker was anything but a "tiger."
In the original Clone Saga that ran during 1975, Peter actually asked Mary Jane for the reason. It turns out, it's because he's not a tiger and she's just playfully teasing him. That's fine, except why did she say it the first time she met him? How did she know he wasn't a "tiger?"”
a)           Because she called everyone that
b)           Because Aunt May and Aunt Anna probably told her about him
 4 THEY DON'T EVEN TRY TO HIDE KNOWING EACH OTHER
Yeah they do.
 “Peter's never been great at keeping a secret identity.”
Yeah that is why hardly anyone knew it before Civil War...
 “His entire scheme is that he takes pictures of himself fighting crime as Spider-Man, and then pretends that he's just Spidey's photographer. He's basically telling everyone that he's connected to the wall-crawler in some way.”
Yet it worked so obviously he is good at hiding it.
 “Even worse, whenever Spider-Man runs into Mary Jane, they often blatantly talk to each other in public. They always forget to pretend that Mary Jane isn't supposed to know Spider-Man. ”
He talks to lots of people in public and MJ has the easy cover story of knowing/dating Spider-Man’s friend Peter Parker.
“That, or they go way over the top and really awkwardly state that they don't know each other.”
No they don’t.
“At some point, someone's going to notice Spidey flirting with Peter Parker's wife and put two and two together.”
Yet they never have so...
 3 HOW DID SHE FIGURE OUT HIS SECRET ID?
“As previously stated, Peter is kind of terrible at keeping a secret identity. ”
As previously stated no he isn’t
“Often times, Peter doesn't even get caught as Spider-Man, people just end up figuring it out.”
Again a lie from the author who didn’t even know Romita Senior isn’t Steve Ditko.
“For example, after dating Peter during the '70s and the '80s, Mary Jane broke up with him, moved away, and then came back to New York. ”
Actually they broke up in the 70s and began dating after she returned in the 80s.
“When she returned, she revealed that she had figured out his secret.
While that made sense, later stories contradicted this. It was eventually revealed that she saw Peter leaving his house dressed as Spider-Man the night Uncle Ben died. So, she didn't figure it out. Obviously, this was a retcon, but the result is that Mary Jane lied to Peter. She didn't figure anything out!”
a)           Seeing Peter Parker enter an abandoned house and Spider-Man emerge would count as figuring out his identity
b)           She never actually told him directly she figured it out like she was a goddam detective
2 THEY BOTH KEEP HANGING AROUND THEIR EXES
As do most comic book characters...
“Both Peter and Mary Jane had healthy dating lives before marrying one another. There's nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, it's strange how they're both constantly hanging around their exes. ”
Or refreshingly healthy...
“Peter still brings Black Cat around constantly, and he and Betty Brant are still very close.”
He dated Betty as a friggin teenager and the author reaffirms he doesn’t understand what constantly means.
“Meanwhile, Mary Jane dated Harry Osborn while they were both in college, and the relationship did not end well for him. Now, years later, everyone is always hanging out together and that's a little strange. Hanging around with your exes typically leads to disaster, and based on how many ex-boyfriends and girlfriends are around, Peter's Spidey-sense should be tingling.”
Or again healthy and an affirmation of a deep bonded friendship that goes beyond personal baggage from when they were young and dumb.
1 GWEN WAS MEANT TO BE PETER'S TRUE LOVE, NOT MJ
Again, not something that doesn’t make sense. In fact it makes less sense for Gwen to be his true love since they were not a great match and true loves are fairy tale bullshit.
 “The end of Gwen Stacy is one of the most defining moments in comic book history. Up until that point, the hero saved the girl. Part of what made this story so memorable was that Gwen Stacy was always meant to be Peter's one true love.”
As far as Stan Lee was concerned yes but not everyone else.
Also OTLs are bullshit.
“Her demise rocked his world, and he's still affected by it, even to this day.
That's understandable, but it also strains Peter's relationship with MJ. She's always been understanding, but how many times can she come across him crying over Gwen's picture in the attic before it starts to effect her.”
He has literally never ever done this ever.
“She's constantly being reminded that she might be Peter's second choice.
Again with the misuse of constantly and no she isn’t because Peter has told and shown her she isn’t second best more than once.
And again, not a thing that doesn’t make sense however you slice it.
You what really doesn’t make sense.
This person being paid for this garbage.
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Gotta Secret, Can You Keep It? (Peter Parker X Reader)
Summary: A few weeks have passed since your almost kiss with Peter Parker, and it’s all the two of you can think about and all the Avengers tease you about. Tonight, you are visited by an injured Spider-Man in need of your help, which you gladly give to him with no hesitation, and you’re surprised to feel a spark between the two of you that confuses your heart even more. The next night you make a few discoveries and uncover a secret. But when you confront the person after an Avengers pool party, what will happen next?
Author’s Note: Okay, okay, I’ve been waiting to write this part for awhile and I’m so EXCITED for you to read it, I had so much fun writing it. Just trying to cure my IW depression, you all get it. P.S I LOVE TOM’S HAIR IN INFINITY WAR LIKE OMG So as always, enjoy!! AND THE LYRIC AS THE TITLE IS SECRET BY THE PIERCES I’M ALSO SORRY IT’S SO LONG BUT READ IT IT’S WORTH IT!! AND WHEN YOU SEE THIS (*) IMAGINE THIS:
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If you guys like it, let me know and I may do another part... ;)
Warnings: So much fluff, SO MUCH, a bit of angst and there’s some blood, alcohol, Tony being a dad AGAIN, Wanda being a supportive, amazing, and helpful big sister, and... DUN DUN DUN!!!!!............. heavy makeout ;)
FC: Elle Fanning
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“An Avengers pool party? Tomorrow night?” you repeat, leaning your back against the front of the couch, Wanda gently pulling your long hair back into a braid, being sure not to tug too roughly because she knows your tender-headed.
“You know Tony, (y/n), he’s always finding an excuse to through a party, no matter the occasion,” she says. “When you have as much money as he does...”
“You put it into a savings account, gain interest, and invest in successful stocks and companies. That way you stay rich,” Tony appears in the room, taking one of your chips from the bowl on the table in front of you two, making you chuckle. “Having a wealthy family works too.”
“And throwing extravagant parties every chance you get is somehow apart of that?” Wanda looks up at Tony who narrows his eyes at her, chomping down on his potato chip.
“You can’t truly call yourself a Stark if you don’t, wicked witch of the west,” he cocks an eyebrow, walking out of the room and Wanda scoffs at the nickname while you bite back a laugh.
“I think I like that nickname...” you say quietly, smirking to yourself. 
“You wouldn’t dare,” she looks over you, her long, deep red hair falling over your face, you smile and blow it out of the way.
“I’ll get you, my pretty, and you’re little dog, too,” you quote with a laugh and she tugs hard on your hair, purposefully, as she finishes it off. You yell ‘ow’ and whip your head around to glare at her.
“Watch that big mouth, (y/n), I have all the power here,” she smiles smugly, tying off your hair in a small, blue ribbon.
“You wish,” you snort, pulling your hair over your shoulder and playing with the pretty ribbon, admiring the plait in your hair. “But my hair does look nice.”
“It does, so maybe you should start being nice to your big sister then, hm?” she raises an eyebrows to you when you turn around to look at her, grinning at each other. “It’s no wonder why Peter Parker likes my pretty little sister.”
You roll your eyes, turning away and blushing hard, “He does... he does not. Peter...” you shake your head.  “No, he doesn’t.”
“You know... that American movie with that woman, who was it... Alicia Silverstone and that.. uh, Paul Rudd with the parties and makeovers?” she asks you, twirling a strand of your hair that’s fallen out of the braid around her slender finger.
“Clueless?”
“Yes! That’s you!” she smiles.
You laugh flatly, “Very funny.”
“It is funny,” she agrees, not hinting at the sarcasm in your voice and nodding her head, unable to keep herself from laughing.
“What’s funny?” Natasha asks, sitting down on the couch on Wanda’s right, while you lay down on the floor, looking up at both of them with your limps splayed out, making carpet angels.
“How much Peter likes (y/n)...” Wanda smirks.
Natasha nods in agreement, lightly kicking your side, “I could cut that tension with a knife, girlie. Please tell me you notice it too.”
“Oh, you mean how much Peter likes (y/n)? That boy is smitten...” Clint walks in the room, chuckling to himself, pizza in hand. Where the hell did he get pizza?
At this point you’re as bright red as a ripe tomato, blushing every shade of scarlet, wishing the ground would split open and swallow you whole. 
“Jesus Christ, you guys,” you hold your burning face in your hands, laughing but it comes out a lot more nervous and shaky than you intended.
Natasha leans over the couch and peels your hands away from your face, looking you in the eye, raising both of her perfectly arched brows, saying very sincerely, “(Y/N)... I am telling you this as your friend... that Peter Benjamin Parker has got it bad for you, (y/n) (y/m/n) Maximoff.”
“You just said my middle name,” you point out.
She nods, “I did.”
You groan, “That must mean you’re being serious.”
“Damn straight.”
“But he can’t like... me?” you look up at your sister and Natasha. “Can he?”
“Didn’t you two almost kiss a few weeks ago?” Wanda leans forward, chin resting in her hands, smirking.
“Oh my God,” Natasha leans back into the couch, gaping at you. “You two almost kissed and you’re still questioning whether or not this boy likes you?”
“I mean...” you look down at your fiddling hands, intertwining your fingers together and smiling sheepishly up at her. “Purely hypothetical... if I said yes to that... what would you say?”
“I wouldn’t say anything, I’d hit you upside the head,” Natasha looks at you.
Wanda mouths a quick and unnoticeable ‘RUN’ to you, hiking her thumb in the direction to your room. 
~~~
TAP, TAP, TAP!
You shoot up from your bed at the sound, out of breath and startled from the sudden noise. You look around your room and see no one else but the one and only, Spider-Man, knocking on your window. The sight is so shocking you have to blink rapidly and pinch yourself hard in the arm to make sure you’re not still dreaming and truly awake.
When you definitely feel the pinch, and wince slightly, you run over to pull the window up.
“Spider-Man,” your voice is hoarse, thick with sleep and eyes half-lidded, a lazy smile on your lips from seeing your old friend. “What are you doing here?” you yawn.
“I’m... I’m really sorry to wake you, (y/n),” he says, voice strained and he’s clutching his side, a pained expression you can see even through his mask. “And I know it’s late, but I could really use your help with something.”
Before you can think better of it, you nod, and help him inside. He removes his hand from his waist and you watch as blood is slowly pooling on his side, staining his suit. You heart races, fuck, you’ve never done this before, cleaning and patching up someone’s wound. Maybe you’ve done this to yourself when you lived on the streets with Wanda and Pietro, but it was never extensive and like this. Why did he come to you of all people? You’re sure he has friends.
“Uh...” you bite down on your lip, nervous sweat beading on your forehead. “Okay, okay... first, you’re going to need to unzip your suit, keep on the mask if you want, and... I’ll- I’ll be right back with first aid.”
He nods and sits down on your desk chair, while you sprint out of the room, barely thinking about what you’re doing when everything feels like it’s moving 1000 mph around you. You get back to the room, gulping down the lump beginning to slowly form in your throat, practically having to shield your eyes to prevent you from staring at his muscular and fit physique. 
How can a situation be such a nightmare but also such a dream at the same time?
You kneel down in front of him, licking your dry lips and chewing on your bottom one, your own nervous habit. You can’t tell if he’s watching your hands or your face, but you feel his breathing shallow when you press a piece of gauze to his bleeding cut, soaking up the blood before cleaning it with a disinfectant.
And, God, now your hands are shaking. You struggle to grab the band-aids, knocking over the first-aid kit and having to pick it all up from the floor, muttering your apologies over and over.
He takes your hand in his warm one, both of you intertwining your fingers together like it was the most normal thing in the world, your eyes flicking up to meet his artificial, tech ones. “Please don’t say you’re sorry... I’m the one that’s burdened you with this. So I’m the one that should be apologizing.”
You shake your head, “You were bleeding out and came to the first place you saw, I completely understand that. It’s your life on the line, and I’m being... being a nervous mess. I should be calm, I should-”
“You’re doing really well, (y/n),” he cuts you off to assure you and you smile weakly.
You laugh, looking up at him for a moment before getting back to patching up the cut, “You’re a terrible liar, but thank you... The cut is a bit deep, but not deep enough for stitches, you’ll be okay.”
He lets out a sigh of relief once you you finish putting the bandage on, laying back on the floor like you’re falling from an intense adrenaline rush, letting out the longest breath of air you think you’ve ever exhaled.
“I can’t thank you enough, (y/n),” he breathes out and you hear the relieved smile in his voice.
You sit up and look at him, your eyes drooping from need of sleep, but you’re smiling, “Just promise me you won’t get hurt like this again and we’ll call it even, okay?”
“I can’t promise that,” he chuckles nervously, the sound eerily familiar, but you shake off the thought. “Not with the people I have to fight everyday.”
“You can be more careful,” you say. “It’s amazing... what you do, everyday, but you still need to be aware of what it does to you. I’m sure there are plenty of people in your life that count on you coming home everyday. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for them. Promise me.”
You raise your pinky to him and cock an eyebrow, waiting for him to hook his around yours.
“Really?” he asks.
“Really,” you deadpan.
“But-”
“No but’s, Spider-Boy. Pinky promise me,” you say, moving your pinky closer to his hand. Then he gives in and nods, hooking it around yours, electricity shooting through the both of you at the contact. You then wait for him to zip up his suit and get situated before helping him up along with you.
“You should probably leave now... Tony Stark is... overprotective...” you trail off. Or at least that’s one word for it...
He looks at you for a moment, lifting up his mask half way to show only the tip of his nose and a pair of pretty, pink lips. Everything about him is so damn inviting and... terribly familiar. Then it happens, it’s so quick, you barely have time to react as he leans forward and presses a small but sweet kiss to your cheek, leaving a tingling feeling on your skin even after he pulls away. His lips were so soft, really freaking soft, causing heat to pool into the pit of your stomach.
He smiles at you before pulling his mask down again and swinging out of the window, off into the night, one thought on your mind the rest of the time you tried to fall back asleep.
Spider-Man just kissed me.
~~~
“Spider-Man...” Wanda says hesitantly, nursing her Mai-Tai made by Banner who’s manning the Tiki bar. “Kissed you?” she repeats.
“After I patched his injury up, yes,” you say, sipping on your own virgin Mai-Tai, still bashful from what happened last night, and still not sure if you just imagined the whole thing. The only thing proving otherwise being the feeling of his incredibly soft lips on your skin.
It had to be real. But it also confuses you, what you feel with Peter is real too, but when you start to think harder about it... you see that the feelings for both of them are a lot of the same.
“Wow,” Wanda smirks at you over the rim of her drink, rolling her eyes. “Two boys tripping over their own feet for you. How romantic.”
“It was a friendly kiss,” you say, hoping it to be true at least, thinking that maybe if you say it enough that it will come true. You can’t develop feelings for Spider-Man, not for two boys at once, it wouldn’t possibly work out for anyone in the end if you did.
“I’m sure he wanted to get real friendly with you...” her smirk widens, making your jaw drop at your sister’s innuendo, slapping her in the arm.
“You... bitch!” 
“Witch, you mean,” she corrects. She’s had more than a few Mai-Tai’s in the last hour or so.
“I see you’re embracing the new name,” Tony says, appearing out of nowhere, wrapping his arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. “It seems we’ve gotten to her, (y/n).”
“It seems we have,” you agree, downing the rest of your dink, setting the glass down on one of the glass, patio tables. “Why are you throwing this party again, anyway?”
“You all deserved a break,” he shrugs, looking at Wanda skeptically when she sways drunkenly side to side to the song playing over the speakers. “A pool party is a way to both cool off and have some fun. So enjoy yourself and stop asking questions, Curious George.”
“Do you ever call anyone by their actual name?” you laugh, waving at a far-off Natasha and Clint.
“What’s the fun in doing that?” he looks at you like you offended him before patting you affectionately on the back. “You’ll also be happy to know that Peter will be here in ten minutes...”
“Why would I be happy to know that?”
He looks at you with a flat expression, “You know why, Cher Horowitz.”
You blush and he smiles when he sees he has his answer, walking away from you and Wanda to be a good host to the other guests, welcoming the other members that have just now arrived.
“Then it’s a good thing you wore my swimsuit, huh?” Wanda asks, finishing off her drink and doing a ‘gimme, gimme’ gesture with her hand to Bruce who hands her another while shaking his head. 
You look down at the small, scarlet red bikini with gold accents your sister’s let you borrow, showing off most of your body but also highlighting all your assets as Natasha would say, the bottoms hanging low on your lean hips so you’ve wrapped a loose, patterned cover-up over yourself until you get into the water.
“I guess it is...” you blush, chewing on the inside of your lip. “But I’ll never wear it as well as you,” you tease.
“Good answer,” she points her drink at you. “Very good answer, but you also wear it well, I have to admit. But don’t tell anyone I did,” she puts a finger to her lips and sh’s loudly.
“You’re hammered,” you laugh, taking the drink from her. “I’m cutting you off,” you grin proudly before smacking into someone’s hard chest, their hands catching you by resting on your arms, steadying you.
“Oh! (Y/N), are you okay?” Peter asks, looking down at you, and holy crap, he looks good. Really good.
“Yeah...” you breathe a laugh, setting down Wanda’s drink which she quickly grabs again before tucking a piece of your wavy hair due to the braid from last night behind your ear, blushing like it’s the only thing you remember how to do. “I’m- I’m okay. I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going and I just...” you trail off, trying to find words, but a small laugh comes out instead as you’re completely awestruck by him. His quaffed, brown hair, ivory skin slightly more olive from being in the sun these last few weeks, and fit to the gods.
He furrows his brow before catching sight of what you’re wearing or lack thereof, his eyes widening and he meets your eyes, embarrassed, smiling at you the sweetest you’ve ever seen, “You look... wow. J-just wow. You’re fucking beautiful,” he says before he can think better of it and you’re blushing so brightly you swear that everyone at the party is looking at you now.
You laugh, “Thank you, you look really good too,” you say, meeting his blushing face again with a big smile. “I’ve missed you.”
“You have?” he furrows his brow.
“Of course I have,” you say in a ‘duh’ tone. “You’ve been busy, I know that, but... I really did miss you being here,” you smile softly.
Dimples. “I’ve missed you too.”
“Good because it would be awkward if you didn’t,” you tease.
He laughs, “I could never not miss you, (y/n), you’re too unforgettable to let that happen.”
“Likewise,” you say breathlessly, you tend to get like that when you’re with him, out of breath just from being around him.
You look over to see Natasha looking at the two of you, making a heart with both of her hands over the two of you, and Clint pretending to shoot a Cupid’s arrow. 
“Have they been doing this to you too?” Peter asks you.
You sigh, “All the time.”
“I thought it was just me,” he says coolly, but his blush betrays his words, both of you are nervous wrecks right now.
“I think they’re trying to tell us something...” you say with an amused lilt weaved into your voice, looking at Peter from the corner of your eye.
“I didn’t know the Avengers were matchmakers.”
You laugh, “I think we’re just lucky enough to bring it out in them,” you say and look him over, eyes catching a... bandage on his side.
“Holy shit...” you mutter (*), your eyes wide when you point at him, jaw practically dropped onto the floor. 
Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!
Peter brow pinches in confusion, looking to where your eyes lay and looking back up at you after putting two and two together, “(Y/N)... calm down...” he says, but your heart is racing and you can barely hear him.
“I knew it! I fucking knew it! You’re f-” You didn’t know it, but everything is finally fitting into place and making so much sense that you have to curse yourself for being stupid enough not to figure it out a lot sooner. You want to push him into the pool for not telling you, you want to hug him for getting hurt, you want to thank him for saving people everyday, and you want to kiss him because you just might be in love with him! Or would it be possible to do all four of those things?
He holds a hand over your mouth and his lips are on your ear, whispering, “(Y/N), I will explain everything if you just calm down. Let’s go somewhere that we can talk, okay?”
You nod slowly and allow him to drag you away to go inside without anyone noticing, getting indoors and immediately glaring at him.
“I am feeling so many things right now,” you fold your arms over your chest, looking at him like you’re truly seeing him for the first time. “Why... wouldn’t you tell me? Why aren’t you an Avenger? And why’d you kiss me in a mask instead of doing it face to face with me?” you throw your hands up in frustration.
“I didn’t tell you because I have enemies and if those enemies were to find out about you or who I am, then... I can’t even think about the consequences. I can handle a few bumps and bruises, but not if anything happened to you...” he admits, looking at you through his thick, dark lashes, the anger slowly simmering in your belly. 
“Ask Mr. Stark why I’m not an Avenger, hopefully it will be soon, but until then, my identity was supposed to be kept a secret,” he looks at you and smiles softly. “I just... I couldn’t stay away from you, I guess.”
“And the kiss?” you ask, breath caught in your throat when he steps closer to you, your back pressed against the wall. His leathery and salt water scent fills all of your senses and you can barely think because he smells so damn good and the way he’s looking at you... 
“I think you know why, (y/n).”
“You think I would,” you say, eyes searching his face. “You think I’d know by now to tell you how crazy I am about you because it’s... driving me nuts, looking at you everyday, talking to you like I’m not secretly falling in love with you,” you say, his gaze softening along with his smile when you say those last words. Then you laugh, looking down at your feet and shuffling them against the granite, tile floor, “And really wanting to kiss you, it’s almost unhealthy... how much I want to...” you whisper this last part, looking him in the eye.
“I really want to kiss you, too,” he gulps, eyes falling onto your slightly parted lips, silently begging for him to close the distance. 
“Glad we’re on the same page then.”
“Yeah...” he smiles adoringly at you and blinks hard, making sure he isn’t dreaming. You can’t possibly... feel the same way. Could you?
Oh, fuck it, you think to yourself.
You step up on the tips of your toes and press a soft, tender kiss against his lips, everything in your body melting into a puddle when he inhales sharply, barely recognizing you’re doing it even after you pull away, looking at him through your fluttering lashes.
He looks at you for a moment, and for once in his life he’s absolutely speechless, then his hand slides up the back of your neck and captures your lips in his own. And in that exact moment, you could feel your broken heart begin to fix itself as he hands his own heart  to you through his kiss, completely vulnerable for you. His lips are so plush, warm, and soft, the match in the pit of your stomach engulfing your entire body into flames when he gently lays his fingers to rest on your waist, dancing on your hot skin and eliciting a small whimper to escape your swollen lips. You have no idea what to do, and neither does he, but somehow it works. Even when your noses bump as you wrap your arms firmly around his neck so you’re skin to skin to run a hand through his impossibly, gorgeous hair or when your teeth clash into the kiss or when you have no idea whether to keep your eyes open or closed, your heart is getting those butterflies again and it’s the best damn feeling in the world because you’re kissing Peter Parker. 
You’re the first to break away due to lack of oxygen, arms still wrapped around each other when you take in Peter’s messy hair that you repeatedly ran your hands through, his swollen, bright, pink lips, lust-blown eyes, and lopsided grin. 
“That... that was my first kiss,” you admit quietly, flushing with embarrassment, but he only smiles.
“Mine too,” he whispers. “But you were... you’re amazing,” he stumbles over his words, laughing softly. “And I’ve been wanting to do that for months.”
“You have no idea,” you grin and shake your head, hearing shouting, whoops and hollers, and laughter from outside, both of you just now realizing that the door you’ve been pressed against was made of glass this whole time.
“WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!” Clint sings and pumps his fist, knocking his beer against Tony’s Champagne flute, both of them grinning to themselves. 
Wanda’s drunkenly sobbing into Natasha’s chest because you’re growing up so fast, making you smile softly at the sight, but also stifle a laugh.
You blush harshly when you look at Peter, “We’re never going to hear the end of this, are we?”
“No,” he says, leaning forward to kiss the tip of your nose lightly and both of your closed eyelids. “But we can handle them,” he smiles.
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Silence Pt. 2
Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader
Warnings: Language 
Part 1 Part 2 
A/N: I know this has taken me forever, I am so sorry. 
~
Note to self: Never let anyone, no matter how famous they are, put a fucking camera down your throat. It is uncomfortable and painful and very very weird to have people staring at you while you have a tube stuck down your throat.
It is Monday. I am currently sitting at school, in my French class, working on some project about movie theaters and the man who invented cinematography. My head is hanging over my desk and my paper and I am trying to finish this assignment as quickly as possible.
Now, I know the question that you must be asking yourself. How does a girl that doesn’t speak get to be in a language class and how exactly does that work? Well, here is the thing. I can still hear the language, which means that I can still learn it. I can figure out the way that things are spelled and I can learn the vocabulary and the grammar just like anyone else. So that means that my listening and reading writing comprehension is through the roof. The only thing is that I can’t speak the language. Which. As anyone knows, is a pretty big part of learning a language.
And that also means that I cant ask questions in French like everyone else can. Which means that my participation grade is shit even though I physically CANNOT ask the questions in French. I know what the questions are and I can write them out but because I cannot physically speak, she cannot physically give me a good participation grade for speaking. But. I don’t know French Sign Language and William doesn’t know French either so it is just a bad time in this class.
Ugh.
“Hey, Y/N can you look this over real quick and see if it okay. I am trying to write this certain part where the girl meets the guy for the first time and there is no way that I can make this scene sound believable,” William is turning his computer towards me and I can see the writing of his book and it makes me laugh a bit. This man is always working on his book.
‘I don’t know. I am the worst person to talk to about romance. I have never even had anyone like me romantically’ I sign and I can feel my face scrunch up in disgust. I have never been the type of person to really care about having a boyfriend or being kissed. I have been single for 17 years and I am pretty okay with keeping it that way.
“Yea, but you are a teenager. You must watch stuff like film dramas and other things. Just tell me if you think this scene is believable,” he pushes the computer towards me more and I sigh in defeat before I begin reading.
‘Her eyes shined with the brightness of the future that she imagined him and her having? Are you serious? You said that this was the first time that they were meeting in the story,’ I look back over at him, eyes wide and my brow furrowed.
“It is the first time they are meeting. What, you think that line is a little farfetched?” he takes the computer back from me and begins looking it over again.
‘It’s a little crazy is what it is. No relationship, real of fiction, would ever be successful if the main girl is thinking about their future together the first time that she meets the boy!’ Why is it so hard for people to understand that not everything in the world is a fairytale ending in which a damsel in distress gets saved by prince charming? Why is it so impossible to believe the fact that a girl doesn’t need a guy or vice versa to be happy?
“See? This is why I need help with this story! I told you there was no way that it was going to sound believable”
‘The rest of the book so far is great. But I would erase that entire scene and start over. It is needed.’ And then I am hunched back over my assignment, trying to finish it while I still can. I need to get it finished considering that I have a ton of other work that needs to be done and I don’t need to tack this onto that long list.
~
Lunch comes around quicker than usual. All of my classes seemed to fly by with either us working on small projects or just watching movies about the things that we are studying. It has been pretty nice to just sit back and relax a bit. Something that isn’t usually done because of the fact that everything is work work work when you are a senior in high school.
“Hey,” William says and he taps me on the shoulder. Sometimes he forgets that I am not one of the usual deaf kids that he has to work with because he is constantly tapping on me to make sure that I can see him. He forgets the fact that I can still hear. “I forgot my lunch at home so is it okay if I go and get lunch? I will be back in 15 minutes max,” he looks a little sad and the fact that he has to leave me (because he technically isn’t allowed to) but I just nod my head at him.
‘Of course. I am not going to die on my own for 15 minutes. Go get some lunch,’ he smiles at me and laughs before he turns to walk away. Then I am actually on my own and it is a different experience. I am used to having at least one person around me that is my link to the outside world.  A way to get my thoughts out into verbal words for people.
I walk to the cafeteria and when I step in, I am met with the low roar of the standard cliché high school cafeteria. With people sitting and standing at different points around the room, talking to people and mingling with people. They are all stuck in their little groups, jocks, geeks, stoners, and others as well, and then there are the rest of us that are just stuck around, trying to fit into a certain place.
I am pretty much an outcast. That is the group that I fall into. But that is because they don’t really have a group of hearing people that are mute and have to use sign language to communicate with other people. Hell, they don’t even have deaf people at this school. Nor is there another mute person. So I am just really an oddity to them.
I take a seat somewhere in the middle of the cafeteria where there is an empty table that I have pretty much claimed as mine, and take out my homework for tomorrow. I might as well finish while I have time. I look up and I can see Rae sitting with her other group of friends a few tables down. I don’t want to cath her attention and draw her over here because I don’t want her asking questions about why William isn’t with me.
“Hey,” I hear someone say, and it is only after someone taps on my shoulder that I realize that that person was talking to me. I whip my head around to see a boy coming around from behind me to take a seat across from me. My eyes are locked in a state of confusion until the boy sits down and I recognize him as Peter Parker, the boy I met at Tony Stark’s tower on Friday.
‘Hello’ I sign back to him and he gives me a small smile as he pulls out his lunch.
“Where is your translator?” he asks me as he takes a bite of his sandwich. It is only now that I realize that his eyes are surprisingly bright for someone with brown eyes. Mine definitely don’t look like that.
‘William isn’t my translator. He is my interpreter,’ I sign, and then I realize as his eyes widen and he furrows his eyebrows, that William – my interpreter – is not here to interpret for Peter how William is my interpreter and not my translator. Shit. And here I thought I wouldn’t be speaking to anyone for the 15 minutes he said he would be gone.
“Why don’t you have any lunch?” he asks, completely ghosting over the first response that I gave him. I don’t really know what he is expecting. Maybe if he just keeps switching the questions, I wont realize that he doesn’t know any sign language at all?
‘I cant order food from the lunch room without my interpreter. People here don’t know sign language,’ I know that he cant understand me but I am not used to having to dumb my sign language down for people to understand. I always have William. He is sort of my crutch.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know sign language. I don’t know how to- uhm, what do I-“ he is stuttering and stumbling over himself and I can’t help but let myself laugh a bit at his antics. It is clear that this boy has never had to deal with a person who uses sign language. I just hold up a hand to stop him. I turn around to my bag to grab my phone so that I can type things out for him and show him. “Wait,” he says and I turn around to look at him. “I want to learn sign language,”
And that stops me dead in my tracks. He wants to what? I don’t think that I heard that I heard that right. I don’t think that this boy actually just said that he wants to learn sign language. I have never, in the two years that I have been learning sign language, eever had anyone tell me that they want to learn sign language so that they can talk to me.
‘Why’ I sign, and when he furrows his eyebrows at me once again I repeat the motion and mouth the word along with it. No sound comes out, but I hope he can read lips well enough to understand what I am saying.
“Why do I want to learn sign language?” I nod my head to show him that that is what I meant and he kinda shrugs his shoulders a bit in response. “I want to be able to talk to you. I know that you are hoping that Tony can help you talk again, but until that happens, I would love to learn,” I am honestly so shocked at his statement. Why? Why would he want to learn for me? I have only met this kid once.
‘Ok’ I sign mouth the word for him. I am not used to mouthing the words because I usually have William, but I guess I will have to start getting used to mouthing the words if Peter is going to learn.
“So was that guy you came in with on Friday your dad?” he asks as he takes another bite of his sandwich and I cant help but let myself tense up a little. It is an innocent question enough. Peter doesn’t know that Paul isn’t my dad and he doesn’t know my situation, but still, the question is enough to send shockwaves through me,
‘No. Paul was a friend of my dad’s. I live with him,’ I make sure to sign things slowly and to mouth all of the words. It takes about a minute but he finally understands what I am saying and nods his head.
“Im guessing you don’t want to talk about why you are living with him and not your parents,” he says as he sets the sandwich down and takes a drink of soda.
‘No. I don’t’
“I understand” I look up to the cafeteria door to see William coming through it with a bag from Subway. That man better have brought me a cookie or I will be so upset. He knows I love their cookies.
“Hey Y/N,” William says and he reached into his bag to pull out a smaller bag with a cookie inside of it. He knows me too well. He sets the cookie down on the table with his food. “Come on, lets go get you some food real quick so that you can eat before physics,” it is only then that he looks over and sees another person sitting at the table with me.
‘William, this is Peter. Peter, this is William, my interpreter,’ I sign, and the sweet sound of William’s voice fills my ears as he interprets what I say to Peter. It brings a sense of security to me. Being away from William during the school day for too long gives me anxiety. It was the same kind of feeling I had right after the accident, when I couldn’t speak and  Ididnt know sign language so there was really no way for me to communicate.
“Nice to meet you,” Peter says to William and they shake hands.
“Nice to meet you as well,” comes William’s response and then Peter is looking back at me to see what I am going to say next.
‘I guess that I will talk to you tomorrow and we can find a way to work out a plan about when we can meet,’ I say and Peter just pulls out a piece of paper, scribbles something down on it, and hands it over to me. When I look down, I can see that it is his name with a number under it. When I look back up to try and ask him why he gave this to me, he is already gone and going to go sit with a couple of other people at another seat.
What the hell?                      
“Wow Y/N,” William says as we head up to the food line. “I leave for 15 minutes and you get yourself a boyfriend,” he laughs at me, but I don’t laugh back.
‘He’s not my boyfriend.’
Taglist: 
@geeksareunique  @j25m18c24 @thewhinersoldier
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maudelebowski29 · 6 years
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My Top 10 Movies Of 2017
So this was hard because I saw a lot of good shit this year and I thought 2017 was a way better year for films than 2016. Here’s my list:
1. Baby Driver Is Edgar Wright capable of making a terrible movie? The answer so far has been a resounding no. The man who gave us The Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World continues his unstoppable streak as one of the best film makers of the 21st century and gives us a fantastic hybrid of heist movie and jukebox musical. Baby Driver is an excellent example of great character study, technical prowess, and scene geography. I adored every second of it. It also has the best soundtrack of the year. Oh, and a film that finally knows how to use Jon Hamm correctly!
2. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Are Wonder Woman, Logan, and Thor: Ragnarok technically better movies than this? Probably. But I don’t care. GOTG Vol. 2 is still my favorite comic book movie of 2017 and holds the most emotional resonance for me. It deals with themes of losing a parent, toxic fatherhood, and making a family of people who aren’t blood-related to you and it had many moments where I wept in a movie theater openly. It’s a tearjerking heartbreaker that still manages to deliver the laughs and satisfying space battles. I can’t wait to see what James Gunn has in store for us in Guardians 3.
3. Blade Runner 2049 Easily the best science fiction movie of 2017. Absolutely gorgeous to look at, fantastic performances all around (including one of the best roles Harrison Ford has had in many years) and manages to ask a lot of poignant questions about what it means to be human. There are things about it I like even more than the original and that’s saying a lot. Unfortunately this didn’t do well at the box office, but I hope more people do see it. Denis Villeneuve is one of the most gifted directors working today.
4. Thor: Ragnarok The best movie in the Thor trilogy, the most fun I had at a movie all year, and it has some subtle anti-colonialism messaging to boot. Marvel lets Taika Waititi loose on their product and he gave us a cosmic party adventure that wouldn’t look out of place in the Flash Gordon universe. It’s drenched in 80′s - the colors, the costume design, and Mark Mothersbaugh’s synthy score, but it doesn’t feel cynical like the upcoming Ready Player One. Also, hearing the term “devil’s anus” in a superhero movie will never not be funny to me.
5. I, Tonya Darkly funny, well acted, and an almost feminist call-to-arms to reevaluate Tonya Harding in the pop-culture landscape. This is a star-making turn for Margot Robbie and I hope she wins all the awards she can for it. We also see strong acting from Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Paul Walter Hauser, and Bobby Canavale. The cast is stellar. I only saw this a couple days ago as of typing this out and I can’t stop thinking about it.
6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi My favorite Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back. I loved The Force Awakens but you can’t deny it played it quite safe. This, on the other hand, does not. I love the weird, bold choices it makes in terms of storytelling and the Star Wars mythos, the characters, and the stunning visuals. Mark Hamill has never been better as Luke Skywalker and Rey, Kylo, Poe, and Finn continue to be fascinating. I also really loved Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, a fangirl who loves Finn but doesn’t shy away from pointing out his faults. Plus a lot of MRA and Reddit choads hated this movie which gives it a ringing endorsement, as far as I’m concerned. 
7. Logan Lucky Holy shit. A movie about working-class people that doesn’t condescend to them. Steven Soderbergh’s return to the director’s chair sees him going back to the well for a heist movie but I liked this way better than any of his Ocean’s films. Adam Driver’s quiet dignity as Clyde and Channing Tatum’s likable Jimmy make for a great duo. Though Daniel Craig steals the show as Joe Bang. He’s terrific. There’s a scene in this movie where a little girl sings “Country Roads” by John Denver at a beauty pageant and could have been corny as hell and laughable. But it’s not. It’s a show-stopper and an emotionally effective moment.
8. Get Out The best horror movie of the year. No contest. Smart and genuinely scary. It has a lot of intelligent and relevant commentary about race in America but never comes across as preachy and heavy-handed. The fact that this is Jordan Peele’s first time as a director is astonishing. Oh, and I will never look at a spoon tapping against a teacup the same way ever again. *shudders*
9. Logan So if you’re Fox what do you do with the X-Men franchise after the disappointment of Apocalypse? Why, you do a Wolverine solo movie, make it R-Rated, and turn the universe into a dystopian western. Nice. Logan isn’t for everyone - it’s violent and bloody as hell and there are no happy endings. But I fucking loved it. It’s certainly the best X-Men film since First Class. Dafne Keen is a revelation as Laura Kinney (X-23) and one of my favorite female characters in recent memory. When her claws came out the first time I literally squeed in the theater. Please give her her own movie as soon as possible. Logan is a fitting send-off to Hugh Jackman’s signature role.
10. War For The Planet Of The Apes The third entry in the second best trilogy of the 2010′s (the first being Captain America) is a different breed of summer blockbuster and one I hope to see more of. It’s thoughtful, ambitious, and emotionally devastating. The themes of slavery and genocide and the allusions to militias and the white power movement are pretty clear and it definitely puts you on the side of the apes. Andy Serkis is still amazing as Caesar and the motion capture used to create him is astoundingly realistic, Woody Harrelson is genuinely frightening as the main villain, and Amiah Miller as the mute Nova is one of the best child performances of the year. Oh, and that last shot is killer. I’m hoping they make more of these films, but if they don’t this is one hell of a finale.
Some honorable mentions: Spider-Man: Homecoming Huge thank you to Marvel Studios for saving our favorite webslinger from the awful Amazing Spider-Man franchise, two movies that turned Peter Parker into Edward Cullen from Twilight (ugh).
Wonder Woman After the cinematic wrongness of Man Of Steel, Batman v. Superman, and Suicide Squad (three of the worst big-budget movies of the decade that are not Transformers films), I had really low expectations for this one and was pleasantly surprised by how good this is. Three words: No Man’s Land.
IT Another film that surprised the hell out of me. A horror movie released in the beginning of September has no fucking right to be this good. But it is!
Dunkirk Christopher Nolan at the peak of his powers. This almost made my top 10 list for its technical acumen alone but it didn’t quite make the cut.
Atomic Blonde Probably the best pure action movie of the year. Is the plot convoluted as all hell? Sure. But it has Charlize Theron kicking major ass in well-choreographed fight scenes and making out with Sofia Boutella. What’s not to love?
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heroesmusings · 4 years
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FULL NAME: Elise Opal Burke 
MEANING: Oath of God
NICKNAME: Doll, Lee, Lisey
MEANING: Bucky calls her Doll and the others are just shortened versions of her name
AGE APPEARANCE: Appears 30, is actually 111 (Don’t bring it up)
BIRTHDAY: May 5th, 1917
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus
SPECIES: Enhanced Human
GENDER: Cis female
ALLERGIES: None
SEXUAL PREFERENCE: Polysexual
THEME SONG(S): I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift, I’ll Follow You by Shinedown, Woman Like Me by Little Mix, Not with Haste by Mumford and Sons
APPEARANCE
HAIR COLOR:  Blonde
HAIR STYLE AND LENGTH: A little longer than shoulder length, most of the time wavy. She pulls it back for missions but the rest of the time its down
EYES COLOR: One blue eye and one green eye
EYESIGHT: 20/200 One eye is worse because it’s closer related to a snake. Though she has yet to tell anyone she literally can’t see out of one eye
HEIGHT: 5″10′
WEIGHT: 165 lbs
OUTFIT/CLOTHING STYLE: For missions she wears Other!Cap’s uniform that was fitted. When she has time off it’s alway Steve or Bucky’s clothing
ABNORMALITIES: Two different colored eyes. 
DISTINGUISHING MARKS(SCARS,MOLES): When on a mission she has a metal arm. She’s got stretch marks all over her hips and thighs and breasts, bullet hole wounds and knife wounds. She has Bucky and Steve’s initials and army numbers tattooed on her hips and later a ring tattooed on her left hand
SELF CARE(MAKE UP): Elise is very put together for missions and leaving the house but at home she’s usually cozied up without makeup 
FIRST IMPRESSION ON PEOPLE: Before the war, Elise seemed gentle and soft but after Hydra she’s become a bit unapproachable and distant 
SKIN COLOR: White
BODY TYPE/BUILD: Muscular band fairly lean
DEFAULT EXPRESSION: Constantly looks annoyed and like she knows better than you (she does) 
POSTURE: Fairly straight posture, has changed since taking on the arm and the shield 
PIERCINGS: one on each ear, nipple piercings .
DESCRIBE THEIR VOICE: Elise’s voice is gentle, a little on the deeper side for a woman but will make sure she’s heard despite how sweet her voice sounds
RELATIONS:
MOM: Rachel Burke
HOW WELL DO THEY GET ALONG: She doesn’t know her mother, she left right after Elise was born
DAD: Paul Burke
HOW WELL DO THEY GET ALONG: She doesn’t remember much of him before he went to prison. Her grandfather doesn’t like to speak about him 
SIBLINGS: None
HOW WELL DO THEY GET ALONG: N/A
CHILDREN: N/A
HOW WELL DO THEY GET ALONG: N/A
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS: Grandfather (Oliver Burke) 
PAST LOVER(S): Unknown
CURRENT LOVER: Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes
REACTION TO MEETING SOMEONE NEW: She’s polite but doesn’t do more than a shake of hand and small talk 
ABILITY TO WORK WITH OTHERS: …….if they aren’t the avengers then she doesn’t work well with them. She’s used to being the boss and it’s hard to change that.
HOW SOCIABLE(LONER,ETC): Sociable to a degree, again all polite conversation if she doesn’t know them.. But if with friends then very social 
FRIENDS: Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Other!Peter Parker, the rest of the avengers team
PETS: Basil, a giant anaconda
LEAST FAVORITE TYPE OF PERSON: Anyone who thinks they can boss her around, anyone who is unaccepting of her sexual orientation
PARENTAL TYPE(PROTECTIVE,ETC): Protective, unable to say no
FAVORITE PEOPLE: Steve, Bucky, Tony, Nat and Peter
LEAST FAVORITE PEOPLE: Anyone related to Hydra
PERSONALITY:
..WHEN YOU FIRST MEET THEM: ? Distant, Polite, Sarcastic 
..AS YOU KNOW THEM BETTER(AND THEY LIKE YOU): Excitable, Loyal, Protective
..AS YOU KNOW THEM BETTER(AND THEY DISLIKE YOU): Cruel, Biting, Bossy 
FAVORITE COLOR: Green.
FAVORITE FOOD: Waffles, Pop Crackers (Funyuns), M&Ms
FAVORITE ANIMAL: Snakes
FAVORITE INSTRUMENT: Piano 
FAVORITE ELEMENT: Earth
LEAST FAVORITE COLOR: Brown
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD: Anything too strong on the sweet or spicy spectrum 
LEAST FAVORITE ANIMAL: Mice
LEAST FAVORITE INSTRUMENT: That fucking electronic shit 
LEAST FAVORITE ELEMENT: Air
HOBBIES: Reading, sun bathing, bothering Tony 
USUAL MOOD: A good mood most of the time 
DRINK/SMOKE/DRUGS: Drinks socially, smokes every now and again because she’s from the 40s OKAY 
DARK VERSION OF SELF: Unforgiving, cutthroat, skull splitting 
LIGHT VERSION OF SELF: Gentle, healing, loving 
HOW SERIOUS ARE THEY: Elise is only really serious on missions, other than that she’s very joking 
BELIEVE IN GHOSTS: Only two.. 
(IN)DEPENDANT: D E P E N D A N T WILDLY SO 
SOFT SPOT/VULNERABILITY: Talking about Hydra, Talking about her old universe, anyone targeting Steve or Bucky 
OPINION ON SWEARING: ……...she grew up in the 40s war time with Bucky and Steve -- it ain’t a pretty mouth
DAREDEVIL VS CAUTIOUS: cautious holy fuck 
MUSIC TYPE: Anything with a little swing, the “oldies” 
MOVIE TYPE: Documentaries just because she's trying to catch up on this universe
BOOK TYPE: ANYTHING SHE CAN GET HER HANDS ON, she loves reading!! Anything and everything 
GAME TYPE: Card games! Basil helps her cheat 
COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE: If the room isn’t warm she’s LEAVING 
SLEEPING PATTERN: For a LONG time Elise barely slept but now that she’s back with Steve and Bucky she sleeps well again, curled up next to Steve until he leaves to work out then she’s snuggled up with Bucky 
CLEANLINESS/NEATNESS: It’s the 40s in her, but she likes a pretty clean house.
DESIRED PET: MORE SNAKES MORE SNAKES, but also likes cats and dogs
HOW DO THEY PASS TIME: Reading and annoying Steve and Bucky
BIGGEST SECRET: Her fucked up eyesight is her biggest secret at this point and her fear of waking up alone, everything else is really out in the open 
HERO/WHO THEY LOOK UP TO: Tony Stark 
WHAT ANIMAL WOULD THEY BE: Elise would say it's a snake but it’s a wolf -- faithful to her pack until her last breath
FEARS: Steve and Bucky dying again but also the rest of the avengers 
COMFORTS: Anytime Bucky and Steve just hold her, sunbathing in one of the boy’s sweaters, the sound of her boys’ voices
HOW DO THEY ACT WHEN THEY ARE:
SAD: Elise is a private sad person, she bottles it up until it comes crashing through the flood gates, until she can’t stay anymore and she can no longer breath or hold herself together, it’s a violent sadness 
HAPPY: Elise jokes a lot, she loves teasing and messing around with people, she can’t stop smiling or laughing.. She feels warm and content 
ANGRY: VIOLENT, SHe tends to get violent, it can be with words or with fists (She’d NEVER HIT THE BOYS OR HER FRIENDS) 
AFRAID: Elise gets angry when she’s afraid, she gets frantic, her mind goes right back to the moment she lost it all, her lungs feel like they’re full of smoke and the world feels slow and heavy
LOVE SOMEONE: She loves them wholeheartedly, she wants to hold him, kiss them, make them smile and laugh and show them how good they are and how important they are to this world .
HATE SOMEONE: Elise ignores or makes sure they know she doesn’t like them 
WANT SOMETHING: …………...well…. She’s much more of a piner than anything 
CONFUSED: She usually brushes it off, chalks it up to just not knowing 
HOW DO THEY REACT TO:
DANGER: She looks to where Steve and Bucky are, if they’re the ones in danger she’s making sure they end up safe.. And if they aren’t she addresses the danger with CAUTION and A PLAN 
SOMEONE THEY HATE WHO HAS A CRUSH ON THEM: Elise would turn them down straight up sorry 
PROPOSAL TO MARRY: It would be a confusing thing.. I’m sure proposed in bed by one of the boys, laughing as they do because they can’t get married.. But it would turn into something she’d want even metaphorically 
DEATH OF LOVED ONE: Considering it’s already happened once, Elise couldn’t handle much more. It’d ruin her. 
DIFFICULT GAME/MATH/ETC: Elise gives it to Bucky or Tony to figure out 
INJURY: If she’s hurt it isn’t really that big of a deal. Someone else? FUCKING MOTHER HEN MODE, She was a nurse she’ll fucking fix it 
SOMETHING IRRESISTABLY CUTE: Elise would wanna squish or kiss 
LOSS OF HOURS OF WORK: She’d find someone to annoy with all her time off 
KNOWLEDGE:
LANGUAGES: English, German,, ASL.
SCHOOLING LEVEL: Nursing School 
FAVORITE SUBJECT (S): Anatomy and English 
INTERESTED CAREERS: Nurse.  
EXPERTISE: Combat, Communication and Control of Snakes, Manipulation, Enhanced Senses, Seduction 
PUZZLES: They aren’t they interesting to her 
CHEMISTRY: In the science field a little bit because of her new body chemistry but for humans, she’s got an eye for it.
MATH: Elise didn’t care much for math 
ENGLISH: SHE LOVED ENGLISH, she adored writing
GEOGRAPHY: After Hydra she’s an expect at geography 
POLITICS/LAW: Being from the 40s and seeing things first hand, Elise has a VERY strong political view 
ECONOMY/ACCOUNTING: Again the 40s a very strong view of the economy 
COOKING: Elise knows a lot about cookies because woman in the 40s but is working on making things modern and able for her to eat
SEWING: Again VERY good at it because of her past, both clothing and medical 
MECHANICS: yeah that’s a no 
BOTANY (FLOWERS): nope . 
MYTHOLOGY: none really
DRAMATICS(ACTING,SINGING): She’s a good manipulator but GOD SHE CAN’T CARRY A TUNE, only sings to make her boys laugh 
READING LEVEL: Top tier 
HOW GOOD ARE THEY AT PLANNING AHEAD: Elise is a planner, she can’t help it. She’s far too aware of time passing and the danger her boys get into not to be a planner 
ROMANCE:
DO THEY TAKE INITIATIVE: YES Y E S. Elise is constantly working her boys up 
HOW DO THEY ACT(SHY,ETC): Elise likes to play coy at times to be flirty but usually she likes to be pretty open about what she wants 
GENTLEMAN/LADYLIKE VS KLUTZY: Lady in streets, a freak in the sheets oKAY 
GO SLOW VS JUMP INTO: Elise and her idiot boys are the very definition of GO SLOW 
PROTECTIVE: ALWAYS 
ACT LIKE FRIENDS OR LOVERS: Both!
WHAT KIND OF PRESENTS DO THEY BUY: ELISE LOVES FLOWER PETALS AND BUBBLE BATHS so she gets romantic things 
TYPE OF KISSER: Elise likes it slow and deep, she likes to take her time, build it up before it explodes 
DO THEY WANT KIDS: ..at first no then yes
DO THEY WANT TO MARRY: She wishes they could 
MAKE GOOD OR BAD DECISIONS: Elise likes to think MOST of the time she makes good choices 
ARE THEY ROMANTIC: Y E S .
HOW ARE THEY IN BED: Well consindering she knew these boys before they knew her, she’s fucking MINDBLOWING 
GET JEALOUS EASY: Yes but she can’t help it she’s just.. Scared 
WIFE/HUBBY BEATER: U H N O. 
MARRY FOR MONEY: Nah.. 
FAVORITE POSITION: Elise likes either being in the middle or on top. Her favorite is when she’s riding one of the boys and then they other is fucking whoever is on bottom… she also likes it from both ends :)
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON THEIR DREAM DATE: a warm sunday afternoon, they’d take turns dancing to steve’s favorite record and there’s nothing looming over their shoulders.. It’s just them having a cute picnic in their living room
OPINION ON SEX: Elise really likes sex honestly, she likes the intamcy with her boys.. Something she thought she lost. 
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zephyrvos · 7 years
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When you have time, would you be willing make a list of all of your autistic characters, and why you think they are? I just think it'd be so interesting to hear your thoughts! If you don't mind of course!
Sorry this took ages and ages. It got long... Also I lost steam on some of them, so the explanations are short or less formal. And some of them are from media I haven’t seen in a long time, or haven’t watched thoroughly enough, so a lot of them are sans explanation, but I still thought belonged on the list. If you want clarification/more info or just to come talk to me about them (how they stim! special interests! favorite sensory things!), ask away!
And now for a read more:
Buffyverse:
Willow Rosenberg (x)
Lots of stimming - drumming with straws, twirling/floating pencils, twiddling her fingers
“It’s noisy up here” in her head, her brain is always loud and full of too many thoughts at one time
When she tells Anya to “learn the rules” and “act more human” because she’s had to make a conscious effort to learn the rules of social interaction in order to pass as neurotypical
Often extreme reactions to emotions because she struggles with emotional processing 
Extremely logical and organized, as evidenced by color-coded notes
Struggles when people don’t react the way she expects them to
Likes routine and predictability, going to the same places because she’s comfortable there and knows what to expect
Often takes a literal interpretation and struggles to find what people actually mean
Bad at reading other people and their emotions, spends lots of time in the library, finds it easier to interact with adults than peers of her own age
Anya Jenkins (x)
Is rude and fine with being strange, doesn’t care about passing as neurotypical
Special interest in money and capitalism
Literal interpretations - and this is definitely before she became a demon as well, as we see in flashbacks
Sensory issues, describes things as “unpleasant tactile experience”
Doesn’t read people, doesn’t pass as neurotypical - comes across as rude because she’s blunt and to the point, rather than tiptoeing around issues because she doesn’t understand emotions
Bad at expressing or dealing with emotions, partly because she isn’t used to them - she didn’t form many strong emotional attachments prior to Xander and the Scoobies
Fred Burkle, probably
DCTV:
Felicity Smoak
The first time we see her, she’s chewing on a pen (stimming) and rambling. Read as autistic straight away, which made me really glad she stuck around and has become as important as she is
Takes things very literally, which is often played for comedic effect but is also very autistic
The first one to come to mind is “It’s nice to have you inside me. And by you I mean your voice, and by inside me I mean in my ear…” It gets played for inappropriate humour a lot, which I enjoy, but is also incredibly autistic
My mom brought up her clothes: We never really see her casual, she’s almost always in heels and nice clothes. My mom pointed out that this could be an extreme manifestation of adopting social norms - wanting to blend in by dressing like ‘normal’ people and therefore taking it too far and always dressing this way rather than in comfortable clothes. It’s an interesting read there.
She stims a lot - the pen I mentioned, spinning her ring when she’s nervous (sometime in s4 I noticed this heavily), plenty of other moments I’m forgetting
“Was that my out-loud voice” or something like that, which was very much not being able to regulate her thoughts to speech
Says inappropriate things, lacks tact: her first scene, when she immediately mentions his dead father, and then tries to recover and just makes it worse; then she points out the bullet holes rather than going along with the lie; then to stop her ramble she goes “which will end in 3-2-1…”
Doesn’t like other people messing with her workspace, because she has things a very particular way and she values order
Special interest in technology, built a computer at a young age and was a programming genius relatively young
Curtis Holt
A lot of traits in common with Felicity
Bad at reading social situations and social cues - interrupts at inappropriate times, makes inappropriate comments, misreads dinner with Paul
Special interest in tech - built his T-spheres, tinkers with tech during his downtime
Physically awkward and ungraceful - finds it difficult to learn fighting form + technique
Harry Potter:
Luna Lovegood
This headcanon has the support of Evanna Lynch herself, so you really can’t argue
Such an awkward, eccentric little oddball
Special interest in “mythical” magical creatures
Peers bully her because she doesn’t fit in, she says odd things
Gets along better with animals than people
Hermione Granger
Misses the cues or the rules of human interaction - for example, correcting people’s pronunciation or always raising her hand in a way that comes across as “know-it-all”
Finds books and libraries comforting, because the rules are easy to understand and facts are soothing
Can’t remember how canon this is but dresses/does her hair in ways that are comforting and soothing sensory experiences
Newt Scamander (Fantastic Beasts)
MCU:
Tony Stark (+ADHD)
Bruce Banner
Leo Fitz
See (buckysbears)
Seriously she put together the most amazing checklists ever for FitzSimmons, I am in awe (also all of her autistic headcanons are awesome)
Jemma Simmons
See (buckysbears)
Daisy Johnson (ADHD)
Peter Parker (ADHD)
Misc:
Five (Dark Matter) (x)
See (mine)
Kaylee Frye (Firefly)
Prefers casual sex over dating most of the time because it’s easier and the social rules of it are simpler
Understands the ship’s engine better than people (it “speaks” to her) and is most comfortable in the engine room
Still innocent and child-like in many aspects, but still a valued member of the crew
Simon Tam (Firefly)
River Tam (Firefly)
Farkle (GMW)
LaFontaine (Carmilla)
Amy Santiago (B99)
Sherlock (any adaptation, including House)
Bones (Bones)
Zach Addy (Bones)
Larry Fleinhardt (Numb3rs)
Kirsten (Stitchers)
Lilo (Lilo and Stitch)
Jeremy Chetri (Wynonna Earp)
Zeph (Killjoys)
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All 19 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies, Ranked
If you’re a massive comic book fan like me, the surprise announcement of a cinematic universe based on Marvel characters back in 2008 had you elated. Now, 10 years later, after the release of Avengers: Infinity War, we all need a refreshing look back on how far we’ve come by re-visiting all 19 (!) Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.
Eighteen: Iron Man 2 -- ‘Is that Mickey Rourke?’ was my only thought throughout this whole movie. Rourke as Whiplash makes you question what direction the production wanted to go in. It’s a muddled storyline, but the charm of the MCU saves it from being a complete flop.
Seventeen: The Incredible Hulk -- They literally wanted to erase this one from history. Edward Norton is criminally underwritten as Bruce Banner, being able to showcase his immense talent and range by doing nothing but make silent, weird faces throughout the movie. The Hulk has so much potential, we’ve seen him shine with the Avengers and Thor, that I think it’s time that we revisit a solo Hulk movie.
Sixteen: Doctor Strange -- Marvel has perfected their movie-making process in the past couple years, fixing what used to be their generic storylines into further-developed ideas, but that wasn’t the case with this Benedict Cumberbatch-starring blockbuster. The Sorcerer Supreme has such an immense realm of powers that it’s almost hard to capture, but I think that’s where this movie goes above and beyond. The visuals are amazing, but the story doesn’t have much substance outside of it.
Fifteen: Thor: The Dark World -- I think this movie is the best showcase of the overused thread for comic book movies (a problem that especially plagues Marvel) with a bland and forgettable villain and little to no substance weighing the film down. However, the cast has such fun chemistry together that it keeps this movie from falling further down the list.
Fourteen: Ant-Man -- I’ll be honest, I was really hoping Edgar Wright was going to direct this movie as planned. Instead, I was left wondering what could have been. Paul Rudd gets utilized to the best of his abilities and Evangeline Lilly really saves her character from being just another love interest, however, I just wish that we could have gotten that trademark Wright quirky feel, it really could have taken this movie to another level. Fingers crossed that Ant-Man and the Wasp fares better treatment.
Thirteen: Thor -- This one really gets a bad rep. I still feel that new, innocent feeling of when the MCU was first introduced when I rewatch it, and I would recommend you do, too. The acting is incredible, especially the relationships between Anthony Hopkins’ Odin, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. It borders on Shakespearean, however, and it doesn’t always fit into the traditional summer blockbuster picture. They opened the mold just wide enough for this movie to fit inside, and I think it really works, bringing a new concept into a franchise that could have easily run into the ground by that time.
Twelve: Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 -- Last summer’s sequel to the surprise smash hit that was the original Guardians, Vol. 2 has the same basic story as before, but the newly introduced stuff isn’t as enjoyable (how do you waste Kurt Russell, of all people?). The third act especially gets muddled, and the source material is a little out-there for casual fans to catch on to. We’ll see what James Gunn comes up with for Vol. 3, I guess.
Eleven: Thor: Ragnarok -- Taika Waititi’s inventive, bubbly spirit is everywhere in this movie, and considering how the last two Thor movies were received, it was a welcome addition to a franchise bursting with possibility. Who knew that Thor had such sharp comedy chops?
Ten: Iron Man 3 -- This movie is so much heavier than what was advertised. A superhero struggling with PTSD? Yes, please! It makes for a much more interesting story than usual, especially for Marvel’s first three-quel. Considering they still touch on the ideas introduced in this movie, I would definitely suggest a re-watch.
Nine: Avengers: Age of Ultron -- Another underrated movie, Ultron flew under the radar for most. It was a little underwhelming as a sequel compared to The Avengers, but it still has great comedy and introduced the gut-punching emotional moments we’ve all come to know as a part of the MCU. The storyline definitely peaks interest, but it can sometimes get buried underneath the subplots that are treated as equal (especially when they can get a little problematic). Nonetheless, a worthy addition to the Marvel canon.
Eight: Guardians of the Galaxy -- The first trek into space, Guardians blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. What was expected to be a subtle sidekick movie to the main Avengers flicks, instead delivered a fun, musical ride alongside the team that no one knew existed. An amazing feat, especially considering James Gunn didn’t have many directing credits to his name before signing his contract.
Seven: Captain America: The First Avenger -- Another one of my favorites, this movie introduced the Star-Spangled man with a plan, a fan-favorite throughout history. It could have easily been a kitschy patriotic tale, but instead had some surprising gravitas to it with the addition of pal Bucky Barnes and solemn setting of World War II. It also gave us the best love interest in the Marvel universe, with Hayley Atwell’s Agent Peggy Carter (I definitely recommend seeing her spin-off TV series if you haven’t). An all-around crowd pleaser.
Six: Iron Man -- The first movie in the than-unannounced cinematic universe, this movie hit the motherload in charisma with star Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane. The world-building is nuanced, as it had to be, but the surprise post-credits scene (another soon-to-be staple of MCU films) had hardcore comic fans rolling in theater aisles with excitement. A great kickoff to an unforgettable franchise.
Five: Captain America: Civil War -- A more somber option, Civil War brought together all of your favorite heroes (and then some more) to duke it out over their philosophical principles regarding their jobs. It might sound a little heavy for the MCU, but it culminates in a 15-minute fight scene, so nothing too far from normal. The only reason it isn’t higher on the list is because the source material, Mark Millar’s 2006 series, is treated with such hard-hitting tonal brutality that doesn’t translate so well to the screen adaptation. For such a great comic series, the movie becomes underwhelming and doesn’t have any real consequences. It’s still a winner in my book, though.
Four: Spiderman: Homecoming -- After being introduced in Civil War, Spider-Man set out on his own solo (sort of) adventure in this 2017 blockbuster. Starring newcomer Tom Holland, this was the first Spider-Man film to employ an actual teenaged actor, and it shows. Peter Parker discovering his abilities within the pressure of a much-larger MCU world made for a charismatic, heartwarming portrayal of a relatable character.
Three: Black Panther -- The box-office smash of February, Chadwick Boseman wore his claws with such ferocity and style that it was hard to remember that this was a Marvel movie. Add to that a scene-stealing supporting cast, an amazing soundtrack, and the power of representation, you’ve got the recipe for a classic.
Two: Captain America: The Winter Soldier -- This movie changed the game at a time when the superhero formula was growing tired. A sleek spy thriller brought a fresh take to the first Avenger, especially considering the weight that this movie carried in terms of world-building. There’s a reason directors Joe and Anthony Russo keep getting asked back.
Honorable Mention: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER ALERT!) -- The most recent MCU movie, I really, desperately need you to go see this without any context before you read on. Okay, if you have seen this one, you understand why I was nothing but a sobbing, stressed-out mess throughout the whole two hours and 40 minute run time. They promised us heartbreak, and boy, did they deliver. All of your favorite characters are dead (it was only a matter of time, I guess). I can’t wait to see how they continue the story in the subsequent Avengers movie and the coming standalone films.
One: The Avengers -- There was a time where I was able to quote this movie word-for-word from beginning to end (no joke) from watching it so many times. This movie had so much going for it, it would have been so much easier to make a mediocre movie that satisfied fans’ lowest expectations and nothing more. Instead, we got this, the culmination of four years of carefully escalating storytelling and meticulous character building. This was the first time we got to see Marvel’s gift in ensemble pieces, somehow being able to establish every character equally, introduce new ones, and create coherent stories that keep our interest. I still don’t know how they’re able to pull all of this off, but I’ll keep rushing to the theater as long as they’re still doing it.
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jillmckenzie1 · 6 years
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A Group of Remarkable People
When it comes to cinema, we’re living in an age of marvels. Take the long view for a moment, and consider that with theatrical releases and streaming platforms, we have access to a wider and deeper selection of films than at any point in human history. You can immerse yourself in independent films, catch up on old classics, watch virtually whatever you want whenever you want. To say that there are no good movies anymore is wildly inaccurate, you just have to work a little to find them.
That concept also means that, increasingly, the theatrical experience is reserved for blockbusters. You know what? That’s okay! Figure that the average movie screen is 30-90 feet wide and 10-30 feet tall. To settle into your seat and watch a story of commensurate size unspool in front of you is, I suspect, not dissimilar to Neanderthals huddled in front of a cave painting, or the faithful during the Middle Ages hearing a sermon within a soaring cathedral. It’s a moment that’s almost holy.*
However, we incorrectly think that big equals dumb. Blockbusters such as…oh, I don’t know…the Transformers movies are dumb as toast, but assuming all blockbusters are idiotic is like assuming all beer is Budweiser. You need to be willing to approach the question of quality with nuance. When it comes to quality filmmaking on a grand scale, the only real game in town is Marvel Studios.
But, wait, away put your weapon! Before you bombard me with your “What about Star Wars/James Bond/Pokemon” examples, keep this in mind. Ten years ago, Iron Man was released. Since then, there have been a total of 19 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s some rough sledding at times,** but watch how Marvel Studios learns from their mistakes. Each film is a little better, tries something a little different, and all of them have narrative connective tissue. No other franchise can accurately make the claim that they’re essentially creating a cinematic novel. The 19th film, or chapter if you like, is Avengers: Infinity War, and it’s the platonic ideal of what blockbuster cinema should be.
So who’s the hero? That word doesn’t really apply here. Instead, let’s say protagonist, the person who drives the story forward. Here, that’s Thanos (Josh Brolin). He’s a titan from the planet…ah…Titan, and he’s on a quest to find the Infinity Stones. These six stones represent a particular aspect of the universe, and they have control over space, reality, power, mind, soul, and time.
The Mad Titan wears the Infinity Gauntlet, a big-ass glove that doesn’t just look like he’s seriously overcompensating. When he pops an Infinity Stone into the Gauntlet, he gains power. Thanos’ endgame is a ruthlessly simple one. He believes the resources of the universe are finite and there are simply too many beings for it to be sustainable. If he wipes out half of all life, the remaining half can live in comfort and prosperity.
That’s the bad news. The worse news is one of the Infinity Stones is embedded in the head of the synthezoid Avenger Vision (Paul Bettany), and another is within the amulet of sorcerer supreme Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Thanos and his peeps do not arrive and ask nicely for the Infinity Stones. Instead, like a galactic frat party, they immediately start wrecking stuff.
This gets the attention of a group of earthbound heroes including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Wong (Benedict Wong), the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Captain America (Chris Evans). They’ll come together and collide with more cosmic heroes made up of the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), and Groot (Vin Diesel). Then, things get real…or maybe not.
That paragraph above is by no means a complete list of the heroes, villains, and supporting characters in Avengers: Infinity War. What we have here is a movie that’s gigantic in scope. We’ll visit numerous countries, planets, and realities with multiple intertwining storylines. There’s grand ambition on display, and more than a few critics have remarked that the amount of spinning plates is miraculous.
Only it isn’t, though it is highly impressive. Consider that directors Joe and Anthony Russo began their careers in television, and they worked on Community and Arrested Development, both shows with large and distinct ensembles. From there the Russos made Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. The scale and the stakes grow, but it’s all based on the Russos ability to effectively manage a large cast. They know that the main reason we keep showing up to these movies is to hang out with the characters and watch them ricochet off one another.
Add to that the strong visual direction from the Russos. As we bounce between the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and others, the Russos subtly adjust the film so that it feels like the solo movies of each character, before gradually creating something unique. For a movie that clocks in at a bladder-punishing two hours and forty minutes, the pacing never feels that long. Action scenes are zippy and clear, but the Russos make sure to take time for character development, humor, and tragedy. The stakes are huge, but the tone never veers off into grimdark territory like the unfortunate Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
This is the fourth film in the MCU written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, and we’re luckier for it. Markus and McFeely know the characters, old and new, and they don’t just innately understand individual motivations. They get that tension and humor come from different (and sometimes bizarre) character combinations. The instant antagonism between Tony Stark and Stephen Strange, or the weird camaraderie between Rocket and Thor keeps things fun, but like any strong comic book, Markus and McFeely balance continuity and character growth effectively.
Remember the old days of superhero movies where actors generally wouldn’t take the roles seriously, and would wink at the audience? That’s not even close to the case here. Every actor is giving it their all, from the recurring PTSD of Tony Stark to his hero worship by Peter Parker to the desperate desire for normalcy of Vision and Scarlet Witch. We have a group of strong personalities that fit together just so.
That’s why the villain of this particular piece needs to be strong enough not to be overwhelmed. Marvel has had a villain problem in the past, and in recent years that problem seems to have been solved. As Thanos, Josh Brolin isn’t a cackling lunatic glorying in destruction. He’s quieter, more thoughtful and vulnerable, and despite being a rotten father and a mass murderer, the Mad Titan is all too human.
Based on this semi-fawning review, is it correct that I hold Avengers: Infinity War up as the best film in the MCU? To quote a close friend of mine, “Yes…but no.” This is an excellent film with a definitive beginning, middle, and end, but it’s also part of a far longer narrative. Infinity War is the Empire Strikes Back of the MCU, and we’re wise to give it time and see how it fits in with the fourth Avengers film out next year. But I can only be honest with you. Based on what I’ve seen and how it ties in with the preceding films? There’s one way I can put it that expresses how this movie made me feel.
Make mine Marvel.
  *I caught Chappaquiddick theatrically. It’s a solid film grappling with ethics and politics, and it also largely features guys in suits talking in rooms. Does it demand to be seen theatrically? No, but movies like that should be supported. That’s a thorny dilemma to discuss another time, though.
**I’m looking at you, Iron Man 2. And you, Thor: The Dark World.
from Blog https://ondenver.com/a-group-of-remarkable-people/
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Eastern Conference First Round Playoff Preview
I tell ya, the Eastern Conference had absolutely no business being as dramatic as it was. Now, it’s still not better top to bottom than the Western Conference but it’s was a breath fresh air that not only did defending World Champs Cleveland Cavaliers fail to nab the first seed even when it seemed they really wanted to but the only got the second seed via a tiebreaker. There are signs of a power shift in the East and the events of the playoffs may help solidify this theory.
This was a wild race. The eight seed was decided on the final night of the season (also via a tiebreaker) and the bottom four seeds were in play until the very end. The top gave us a three way fight between Boston, Toronto and Cleveland. Hopefully the Eastern Conference playoffs will not disappoint, the end of the regular season surely didn’t.  
#1. Boston Celtics vs. #8. Chicago Bulls
Well looka here, the red hot Bulls winning 7 of their last 9 drew the one team at the top of the conference they haven’t enjoyed unusual success against one of the top seeds in the East. Boston won the regular season conference title but here comes the hard stuff. Starting with the Bulls.
Celtics will win if they………
Have IT4 answer the call and use the versatility of their roster to create mismatches against the bound to come down to earth Bulls. Thomas, Boston’s 5’9” point guard put together quite the Hurculean body of work this season with a line of 29 and 6 assists per night. But as is with most of the top tier teams in the league their real strength lies in numbers. The addition of Al Horford has appeared to be quite the strange fit at times throughout the season but he and his 14 and team leading 7 boards per night is exactly what this team needs for the postseason run. Defensive stalwarts Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley will most likely wreak havoc on the hot shooting of late Bulls. Bradley and Crowder also provide a decent scoring punch at 16 and 14 per night respectively. Boston also boasts one of the best 2nd units in the game featuring Marcus Smart, Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and rookie Jaylen Brown.
Bulls will win if they…………
Continue to let Jimmy Butler do his best Russy impression. Butler has been the spark behind the Bulls’ recent fortunes. Amid all of the on and off the court turmoil this season Butler put up a superb 24-5-6. A diminished or at least more focused role for Dwayne Wade may help this also. Funny how when Wade was sitting out with injury the Bulls began to find their groove by giving young guys Denzel Valentine, Paul Zipser and Bobby Portis much more reps and essentially a green light to shoot. Nikola Mirotic also began to look like the much needed stretch 4 gunner they expected him to be so his production here will be a must. The Bulls also stand to control the boards especially offensively which can really help them operate in transition which has silently been a fixture of their recent hot streak.
H.B. says…………..Celtics in 6 
 #4. Washington Wizards vs. #5. Atlanta Hawks
Normally the 4 x 5 matchup provides quite a bit of excitement since they usually feature two of the more evenly matched teams in the first round and it provides a window into who the top seed will play in the second round in most cases. Hell, the 4 x 5 matchup on the Left Coast is a humdinger but this……this right here party people is one bleak looking series. These are two teams who’s production has tapered off a bit to end the season although it’s quite clear to most who has looks to come out of this one.
Wizards will win if they………
Take full advantage of their clear cut advantage over Atlanta in the backcourt. Four time All-Star John Wall and All-Time All-Star snub this year Bradley Beal are the vastly superior to Atlanta’s Denis Schroder and either Tim Hardaway Jr. or Kent Bazemore. Their ability to spread the floor will also heighten their chances of pinning the Hawks’ back against the wall (get it?). The Wiz feature 5 guys that log considerable minutes shooting the three ball at a 35% or better clip. If Ian Mahinmi can return from injury during the series Washington will be able to provide a second body to put on Dwight Howard as well as establish himself as the clearly superior big when comparing both second units.
Hawks will win if they………
They can establish a clear second option on offense. Milsap will be able to eat but second leading scorer Schroder will most likely have his hands full trying to evade Wall so it would behoove the Hawks to get someone else going. Eyes turn directly to Hardaway Jr., and Bazemore. Both very capable of getting hot but it’s really hard to talk myself into believing that they can sustain the required level of consistency needed to make the impact they desire. Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavey Jr. may be able to provide a scoring punch but lack the defense to stay on the floor for an extended amount of time. Speaking of defense, Atlanta is actually well equipped to challenge Washington’s shooting. The Hawks finished the season ranked 4th in defensive rating and between the usual suspects (Milsap, Sefolosha and Howard) the Hawks have gotten promisingly consistent defensive play from rookies Malcolm Delaney and Taurean Prince.
H.B. says…………….Wiz in 6
 #3. Toronto Raptors vs. #6 Milwaukee Bucks
This is going to be one helluva series. Which is why you may find it strange when I say it also a series breaks my heart for a few reason. For whatever reason, someone at the league office decided that THIS is the series that should be relegated to NBATV for at least two matchups (couldn’t think of ANY other series you know like the one y’all just read about), it’s going to be hard to look at this matchup without thinking of how it would turn out if they had Jabari Parker and the Deer drew the one team that matches up PERFECTLY with them. Although it definitely be argued vice versa.
Raptors will win if they………
Get performances from Lowery and DeRozan that will go a long way in shedding their dubious reputation for petering out in the playoffs. Luckily for them there’s evidence supporting the likelihood of this. Lowery looks to be ready to roll coming off of his injury, DeRozan’s offensive game took a mini-leap (a hop if you will) but most importantly they’ve added reliable shooters in P.J. Tucker and Serge Ibaka both making their treys at a 40% clip. On the other side of the coin their defense look to be spearheaded by the same duo. This paired along with whatever contribution Demarre Carroll can chip in and having the clear cut superior post man in the series in Jonas Valanciunas will pose a threat to the scoring ability of the young and spry Bucks.
Bucks will win if they……….
Make them fear the Deer. Milwaukee may not be the matchup nightmare for Toronto like they are for just about everyone else in the league but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be resigned to play conservatively. The key is work to keep Giannis operating in space. And if you read the Raps portion of this preview (I certainly hope you did because if not that’s just weird) you’ll notice that this is much easier said than done. Both Rookie of the Year candidate Malcolm Brogdon and irritant savant Matthew Dellavedova will be tasked with this and may see some success as Lowery will look to take Khris Middleton in most cases and that will leave them to operate against the much less defensively inclined Derozan. Also, finding some shooting will help. Middleton will be big here as well as Mirza Teletovic, and surprisingly Tony Snell.
H.B. says……………Drakes in 6
 #2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #7 Indiana Pacers
Man, someone failed into a good situation here. Somehow (looks shadily at Adam Silver…..j/k) the defending World Champions Cleveland Cavaliers were able to secure the 2 seed which relatively put them out of harm’s way by drawing the Indiana Pacers a team that at times struggled to beat a heavily resting Atlanta Hawks team on the final night of the regular season. This allowed them to avoid the Bulls who for reasons I’m not sure anyone knows appears to have their number (Cavs were swept by Bulls this year in the season series 4-0) and the Bucks who would have really made life hard for LeBron and the Brontones’ really shaky defense. But, we will be treated to at least four games of sweet LeBron vs. Paul George action.
Cavs will win if they………
Use their depth and shooting to take control early and make PG-13 do all of the work. Sure, they have their fair share of defensive deficiencies and it is something they need to address but this is a team that shoots the 3 ball with 38% accuracy (good for 2nd in the league) and almost everyone on their playoff roster can knock em’ down. Also, outside of their situation at center Cleveland can go a legitimate 2 deep at every other position (hell three at some). Outside of his assignment on George this will most likely be an exercise to get James into playoff ready mode and his supporting cast should assure that it stays this way.
Pacers will win if………..
They can put enough scoring together to expose Cleveland’s faulty defensive tendencies and deploy capable defenders to help shoulder the load from George since he has to be at his best offensively here. PG-13 WILL have at least one breakout game that then forces James to yell at everyone and they would be smart to build off of that. George will also have some damn fine defensive performances. Now if you can point out a recurring theme of the paragraph to this point what would it be? Exactly. Thaddeus Young, Jeff Teague, C.J. Miles and whatever fumes are left in the tank of Monta Ellis will be needed and the return of Glenn Robinson III would be boss here to boot. But where Indy can really make an impact and expose the Cavs is if second-year breakout center Myles Turner can have a big series.  
H.B. says……………Cavs in 5
 -H.B.
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javicarles · 9 years
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BILL EVANS
‘It bugs me when people try to analyse jazz as an intellectual theorem. It’s not. It’s feeling. (Bill Evans, 1960, p.114)
This is an example of what jazz was for Bill Evans. But, which is its official definition? From the Oxford English Dictionary, jazz is ‘a type of popular music originating (esp. in ragtime and blues) among African Americans in the southern United States, typically performed by ensembles and broadly characterized by regular forceful rhythms, syncopated phrasing, modifications to traditional instrumental tone and pitch (such as the use of blue notes), and improvisatory soloing’. Nevertheless, Evans went beyond the mere definition of jazz as a music style and defined it ‘as a process of making music, being more a certain creative process spontaneous than a style’ (Bill Evans, 1966), giving thus a unique and personal way of playing and understanding jazz. To understand what roll had in the history of jazz, is extremely important to talk about his beginnings and musical influences.
Bill Evans (1929 – 1980) was raised surrounded of classical music and started pianos lessons at the young age of seven. His firsts music experiences came from artists such as Beethoven, Schumann, Mozart or the impressionists Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, who later will assume them – and style of Impressionism itself – as a big influence at the time of playing and harmonize his own musical pieces. Until the age of thirteen he had a strictly knowledge of classical music, but around that time he joined his brother’s band and played ‘Tuxedo Junction’ (Glenn and His Orchestra, 1939), having thus his first jazz experience. He soon delved himself in jazz music, listening to bebop artists such as Bad Powel, Charlie Parker or Oscar Peterson, cool jazz by the hand of Dave Brubeck and probably his biggest influence of popular jazz music: Nat King Cole, referring to him as ‘one of the tastiest and just swingin’est and beautifully melodic improvisers and jazz pianists that jazz has ever known’ […] (Bill Evans, 1965). He soon collaborated with big jazz musicians such as Charles Mingus, Art Farmer, Chet Baker or George Russell. Since then, Bill Evans started to be recognised as a classical jazz pianist, joining Miles Davis’s Sextet at the beginning of 1958. His influence on the trumpeter was that big that Miles confessed in one occasion that ‘Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall’ (Miles Davis, 1989, p.226).
During the recordings of ‘Kind of Blue’ (1959), Evans took care of the piano, playing thus modal jazz. This branch is characterized by slow-moving harmonic rhythm and the uses of musical modes (specially the Lydian and Dorian ones), being able thus to improvise and move around the instrument as long as he stays within the scale being used. Evans is considered one of the first modal jazz pianists and his contributions to this genre were clearly important and influential. The first song that opens the album, ‘So What’, is a great example of modal jazz where he uses just two chords during its 32-measure duration, creating thus a sensation of ‘call and response’ between the piano and the band. Hence, the song contains fewer chord changes and so the freedom for melodic improvisation is performed by the wind instruments.  He also incorporated – and later on would define his way of playing the piano – a technique that soon would become used by the later jazz pianists: rootless voicing. A voicing is the number of notes played in a chord, and the root of a chord are his 3rd, 5th, 7th and sometimes 9th, or a combination of these notes.  From here on, the characteristic of this technique is to play chords without the root, giving thus, again, more space and freedom to other instruments – such as the bass – which is playing the roots. Adding large block chords combined with moderate swing makes ‘Kind Of Blue’ a pleasant consecutive album from beginning to end.
Later 1959, he left Miles Davis’s Sextet and continued his career with his own trio, featuring drummer Paul Motian and bassist Scott LaFaro, which would be recognised as one of the best-known jazz trios. The three of them had a velocity and remarkable fluidity at the time of playing their instruments, though they often performed waltzes – such as the record ‘Waltz for Debby’ (1956) – combined with slow tempo swing and melancholy tones in order to create room within them and Evans. He always showed desire to make the trio ‘grow in the direction of simultaneous improvisation rather than just one guy blowing followed by another guy blowing’ (Bill Evans, 1959), which corroborate its strong interest to ‘sing’ with his trio. What made them special was that the trio itself was one, where neither Evans was the soloist nor LaFaro a mere accompanist. Evans and LaFaro understood each other perfectly when playing, to the extent that the bassist once said in an interview by Martin Williams in Jazz Review that ‘it is quite a wonderful thing to work with the Bill Evans Trio. Bill Evans gives the bass harmonic freedom because of the way he voices, and that’s because of his classical studies. We were each contributing something and really improvising together, each playing melodic and rhythmic phrases’ (Scott LaFaro, 1960). This is one of the qualities that define his way of playing the piano, building an improvisation based on rootles voicing chords progression with his left hand and having thus a wide range of keys to improvise on his right hand, while the bass player feels free to shape his own line to suit the character of the piece.
Bill Evans provided new and delicate techniques of how to harmonize and perform a jazz piece, as well as a new concept of structuring jazz trios where the piano maintains a deep dialogue with the drums and bass. The passage of Bill Evans through jazz marks the birth of cool, which proposes freer and less complex harmonic structures compared to the previous style called bebop. Later on, with the contribution of other musicians of that time – later fifties –, they redefined what jazz was, bringing it to a more intellectual and abstract field. Following this, modal jazz would also define his style, bringing with him a new concept of how to build a melancholy and delicate piece where all the instruments fit together. Due to all of this, I would say that jazz music itself would not have been possible developed without the contribution of Bill Evans.
Many popular jazz musicians such as Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau or Herbie Hancock have taken Bill Evans as a big influence in the development of their way of playing and specially understanding and feeling jazz. And this is what Evans always sought: feeling, because he never played a piece with all his soul, since he always thought it was the only way to develop your own sound.
Bibliography
Pettinger, Peter (1998). Bill Evans, How My Heart Sings. Yale University Press
Jazz Piano (2013) Available at: http://jazz-piano.org/pianists/bill-evans/
Theory: bill Evans on the Creative Process and Self-Teaching. Available at: http://animationresources.org/theory-bill-evans-on-the-creative-process-and-self-teaching/
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