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marvelvsmarvel · 3 years

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Writing the Mandarin for Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

It’s become a trend to write sympathetic villains or to at least try to get the audience to understand their perspective. Marvel has attempted to do this most notably through Loki, Killmonger, and even Thanos whether the audience chose to sympathize or agree with them or not. I expect nothing less for the treatment of Tony Leung’s The Mandarin Wenwu and yet there is an opportunity to write him in a very real and very relevant light.

The Mandarin as it stands as a title is still very derogatory while maintaining the comic history. That part can be remain by most fans since the character’s original “debut” in Iron Man 3 was such a disgrace to the comic counterpart and Marvel fans in general. Tony Leung is a literal icon in China held to the highest regard as an actor and he is being portrayed as a villain. Marvel Studios has a strong business relationship with China through film and would not want to simply paint one of their darlings as a stereotypic “Fu Manchu kung fu villain from the East”. On top of this the Mandarin as suggested for the MCU is the leader of an established terrorist group of called the Ten Rings and is said to be ancient. While part of his individual power stems from these literal Ten Rings (one for each finger, each ring possessing different powers) in the comics his power is also rooted in history, technology, and triumph in which the important one of these is technology. Now consider the context of that. If the original Eastern villain image was not bad enough the “technological threat from the East” gives the Mandarin a real modern twist. So how could Marvel write this delicately to not make these overly specific, to not offend any fans foreign or domestic, and to get fans to either sympathize with him or see his perspective?

Not Overly Specific: It’s all in the history. We definitely know he’ll be getting an origin story that if sticking to the comics will date him back to pre-communist China. Expand his cultural outlook to make him a man of the people. The Ten Rings have been depicted in the MCU by the middle eastern group that abducted Tony Stark, a white man who abducted the imposter Mandarin Trevor Slattery in the Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King, or one of the groups that tried to buy the Darren Cross replicated Pym Particle (suggested as workers for Hydra). So his influence is suggested as international already but it can now be supported through history. Have him and his followers help to end certain wars or stop historic terrorists groups or simply gifted countries in different manners of technology or culture like through the arts or simple humanity like aid through philanthropy. Maybe the Ten Rings never used to even be a terrorist group until Aldrich Killian painted them as one by using their name and Wenwu’s image to hide his acts of terror. You can compare the legacy left behind like in a guy like Tony Stark, not to smear Tony’s story but perhaps the Mandarin could have mass produced helpful technologies used all around the world that he gave to the public... freely?

Not to Offend: Embrace the culture. There’s going to be stereotypes but don’t make them the butts of jokes. Make them proud. The Mandarin may have helped to spread the knowledge of martial arts around the world. Maybe he helped create trade through China in the modern world by his efforts and not just because of imperialism. Use food! A quality tool to use in film but also a very real point that a version of Chinese cuisine is extremely international and maybe that was a gift from the Mandarin and his travels. With the recent success of Crazy Rich Asians give us a look into the Mandarin that is intimate. Give a look at Wenwu as a person in his culture that is rich and historic and beautiful. This touches back on the fact that stereotypes are unavoidable as in a primarily asian cast doing a martial arts film but that beats Cobra Kai anyday! Own it! And show the world how important it is to take pride in native culture and how brilliant it all is.

To Sympathize or See Perspective: History is told by those who write it. This is a concept expressed by the villain Whiplash Ivan Vanko played by Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2 about the slant on his father’s technology as well as the villain Ghost Ava played by Hannah John-Kamen in Ant Man and The Wasp for the same exact reason. In the MCU we have Cap in the 1940s as the farthest back we go. Within that film there’s a quick scene where the Cap is freeing POWs, one being Dum Dum Dugan played by Neal McDonough and he asks Cap while looking at one of his future Howlin Commando brothers Jim Morita played by Kenneth Choi, “What? Are we bringing everybody?” to which Morita replies “I’m from Fresno, Ace.” It’s a very real scene used for comic relief but for those who don’t know Morita is said to have been created inspired by The Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi Pat Morita who did serve in WW2 (speaking of Cobra Kai). So this film Shang-Chi has a real opportunity to share some Asian-American history. Maybe the Mandarin was a cowboy on the Western front. Maybe he struck gold and became a landowner. Maybe the gold and some of the land was taken from him but he still held some of it at a cost. You can compare a legacy of great patriotism like Steve Rogers, not to smear Steve’s story but perhaps the Mandarin was forced to fight in the war or else he and is family would be sent back to China and even while fighting in the war his family was still either deported or held in an internment camp. Then even when returning to home a decorated soldier maybe he had nothing to his own to come back to and his family needed to start over cooking or cleaning to build themselves up in America.

So now how does such a person become a villain? After a lifetime of not only being a great man but a giving man and to never want anything in return but to spread knowledge and culture all of it is taken because some guy painted Wenwu and his followers as terrorists. For the last time many of the things he legitimately claimed and then cultivated from the ground up are being seized and taken by “governing bodies” because they perceived him in a certain way. The MCU history books have already written the Mandarin and the Ten Rings as villains. After a lifetime of seeing the rise and fall of cruel men around the world and failed government structures, but also the rise of heroes, aliens descending from the sky, and the near destruction of Earth, maybe the Mandarin wants to make a change. Unlike Loki who wanted to conquer or Hydra who wanted to control maybe all the Mandarin wants to do is what he’s always done. Be a man of the people: take out those parties that write history the way they see it, fight against evil and for what is right, and give through knowledge and culture and if necessary... the art of war. From a glance this could read like a terrorist motive but from another perspective it could be Captain America. Project Oversight seemed ethically wrong having carriers with such firepower in the sky but the E.D.I.T.H. Satellite seems perfectly fine so long as Peter Parker can be responsible enough to use it. The true villain of the story would be the narration of history, the propaganda of media, and failure to seek knowledge. There is an valuable opportunity to write the Mandarin Wenwu in a very real and very relevant light for this film.

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dccomicrants · 2 years

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Who are the JSA?

Content Warnings: Spoilers for Stargirl

Summary: The Justice Society of America has a long history, but who are the Justice Society of America in Stargirl's TV Show?

Comic Issues: Stargirl TV Show, Infinity Inc (1984-1988), JSA (1999- ), Justice Society of America (2007-2011)

The Justice Society of America was founded in World War 2. In the comics it's had a variety of members from Kal-L to Hippolyta to Thom Kallor as Starman, a man who is normally a member of the Legion of Superheroes.

In Stargirl, we're introduced to the core members of the JSA before Courtney Whitmore's: Charles McNider aka Dr. Mid-Nite, Sylvester Pemberton aka Starman, Jay Garrick aka The Flash, Ted Grant aka Wildcat, Dr. Fate who can only assumed to be Kent Nelson, Johny Thunder and the Thunderbolt, Rex Tyler aka Hourman, Alan Scott aka Green Lantern, and Pat Dugan aka Stripsey. In the picture we can also see Carter Hall aka Hawkman, Shayera Hall aka Hawkgirl, and Wes Dodds aka Sandman. After the JSA appeared to die in a battle on Christmas Eve against the ISA, the few members who did survive went into hiding.

Courtney Whitmore brought back the JSA, her team includes Yolanda Montez aka Wildcat, Rick Tyler aka Hourman, Beth Chapel aka Dr. Mid-Nite, and S.T.R.I.P.E.. We've also been introduced to Jennie-Lynn Hayden, the daughter of Alan Scott, we know the name of her twin brother, Todd Rice, and we've been introduced to Jakeem Williams and Mr. Bones.

This lineup doesn't really fit with any specific team, some of the characters are truly JSA members when it reforms in the comics. But some of these members do belong to a different tea: Meet Infinity Inc founding members Jennie-Lynn Hayden aka Jade, Todd Rice aka Obsidian, Sylvester Pemberton aka Skyman, Rick Tyler aka Hourman, Beth Chapel aka Dr. Midnight. That's right, the team we're slowly watching build in the TV show is not an iteration of the JSA, but instead Infinity Inc. When the kids of the first JSA wanted membership, their parents initially refused to grant it to them, so they set out and formed their own team. It had more members, including Henry King aka Brainwave, Al Rothstein aka Nuklon, Hector Hall aka Silver Scarab, Lyta Trevor aka Fury, and Mr. Bones to name a handful of them.

Of the members the TV show has introduced so far, two of them have never been on the JSA: Yolonda Montez and Beth Chapel. Both die while they were with Infinity Inc. Rick Tyler ends up briefly retiring from being Hourman before he would eventually go on to join the JSA. Todd and Jennie have both worked with the JSA but in recent comics, they've been reserve members and not full-time members. What happens to Sylvester? Well, he dies shortly after Pat Dugan agrees to be Infinity Inc's mechanic.

Why does anything matter? Well, no one said DC TV Shows were the most accurate when it came to their comic source material. So technically we can ignore comics and continue to take this as it's presented, but instead it becomes an interesting point for speculation if you remember that Infinity Inc was made up of the children and younger associates of the original JSA, and it makes you wonder who they'll introduce next.

#dc comics #comic analysis #tv show analysis #JSA #Justice Society of America #infinity inc #stargirl spoilers

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oldfadcdhq · 3 years

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anonymous asked: mw?

if you want a most wanted from a few or a specific fandom ask, here are just a generalized one. it’s a long list so i put it under read more.. also bolded might be characters i really want.

lex luthor, barry allen, eobard thawne, oliver queen, wally west, cisco ramon, julian dorn, harrison wells, eddie thawn, joe west, tommy merlyn, john diggle, roy harper, curtis holt, adrian chase, emiko queen, ricardo diaz, william clayton, beth chapel, lois lane, selina kyle, nora west-allen, lucy quinzel, donna troy, dinah lance, courtney whitmore, connor hawke, pat dugan, alex danvers, jennifer pierce, anissa pierce, iris west, mia smoak, rick tyler, starman, mike dugan, henry king jr, cameron mahkent, mon-el, winn schott, jimmy olsen, maxwell lord, kara danvers, j'onn j'onzz, khalil payne, jefferson pierce, aly, freddie, aubrey, lonnie, jane, mal, evie, audrey, doug, gil, harry hook, zevon, jay, gaston jr, gaston the third, jafar, hans, kristoff, prince eric, prince phillip, ron stoppable, mickey mouse, maui, john darling, michael darling, jack skelenton, mulan, elsa, anna, tiana, oogie boogie, prince florian, jack-jack parr, dash parr, the bloody baron, hugo weasley, peter pettigrew, lucius malfoy, horace slughorn, mad eye moody, barty crouch jr, barty crouch senior, george weasley, percy weasley, amycus carrow, albus dumbledore, aberforth dumbledore, credence barebone, antonin dolohov, augustus rookwood, avery, carban yaxley, gregory goylve, vincent crabbe, cormac mclaggen, tina goldstein, hermione granger, dorcas meadowes, mary mcdonald, marlene mckinnon, roxanne weasley, luna lovegood, leta lestrange, queenie goldstein, hulk, wolverine, loki, black panther, clint barton, groot, cable, nick fury, magneto, luke cage, iceman, carol danvers, valkyrie, wanda maximoff, pepper potts, morgan stark, mary jane watson, kitty pride, jubilee, jessica jones, jean gray, peggy carter, lady sif, gamora professor x, stefan salvatore, klaus mikaelson, enzo, elijah mikaelson, jeremy gilbert, john gilbert, alaric saltzman, tyler lockwood, matt donovan, kol mikaelson, marcel gerard, jackson kenner, vincent griffith, josie saltzman, lizzie saltzman, alyssa chang, jade, hayley marshall, davina claire, freya mikaelson, esther mikaelson, vicki donovan, caroline forbes, elena gilbert, bonnie bennett, josh rosza, declan, roman, tristan de martel, milton greasley, ryan clarke, jed, kaleb, rafael waithe, grover underwood, luke castellan, tyson, piper mclean, zoe nightshade, hazel levensque, reyna ramirez arellano, ethan nakamura, poseidon, hades, zeus, hephaestus, ares, will solace, frank zhang, jason grace, leo valdez, octavian, renesmee cullen, bella swan, alice cullen, leah, sulpicia, jane, victoria, carlisle cullen, archie cullen, emmett cullen, earnest cullen, royal hale, caius, aro, alec, demetri, felix, afton, garrett, benjamin, mr. gold, peter pan, cora, snow white, regina mills, lucy mills, henry mills, baelfire, robin hood, david nolen, jefferson, august booth, vuctir frankenstein, archie hopper, graham humbert, isabelle lightwood, clary fairchild, jocelyn fairchild, celine herondale, maia roberts jace hernodale, simon lewis, valentine morgenstern, jordan kyle, lucian graymark, raphael santiago, lorenzo rey, meliorn, jonathan morgenstern, bow, sea hawk, yoda, mando, leia organa, padme amidala, finn, poe dameron, ben solo, anakin solo, jacen solo, luke skywalker, rose tico, qi’re obi-wan kenobi, chewbacca, rey’s mother, rey’s father, han solo, darth maul, boba fett, count dooku, qui-gon jinn, jango fett, lando calrissian, sky, bloom, stella, flora, musa, techna, aisha, brandon, timmy, riven, helia, nabu, roy, prince thoren, & nex.

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poc-movie-supremacy · 4 years

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My Dad

A.N.: Pat with all of his kids! That’s kinda it. I hope you like it! Comments and likes are appreciated. (I do not own anything related to the Stargirl tv show or the comics) :D

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Pat didn’t plan on being a Dad. The superhero gig took up most of his time. He was fine with it too. He knows he’d only get a kid if he had time for one. Sylvester was the one who really wanted kids. Pat was more focused on keeping him alive to see him or her or they grow up. Sylvester was pushy though. Late nights when they were relaxing after patrolling he would day dream about little feet running about.

He finally got his wish years into their superhero routine. Sylvester and Pat had been living together for years. If they could get married, it would’ve been their 4th anniversary, and on that day, they brought home little Mike Pemberton Dugan. They argued for a long time on what his last name should be. In the end they flipped a coin and Dugan won. Life was fine for a few years. Then the ISA got worse. Pat begged Sylvester to not go and fight, but he wouldn’t listen.

“What happens if I don’t show up, Pat?” Sylvester would always ask him. “If I don’t show up, what kind of world would Mikey be subjected to?”

“A world without you,” Pat would always think, but never say. Eventually Sylvester would win the argument, and Pat thought it was the worst choice he ever made. It was a couple weeks before Christmas, Mikey was turning two. He was babling and walking down around the house, elated when Sylvester would come home.

Sylvester and the rest of the gang went out giving Pat specific instructions to watch over the kids. Pat didn’t listen. He found a sitter and paid her good money before rushing out to join them.

He was too late.

It kept running in his head, “He was too late.” The ISA had won and almost all of the JSA had died. Pat didn’t know what to do. How do you tell the little boy waiting at home that his other dad wasn’t ever coming home?

Mikey didn’t take it too well. He became moody and irritable overnight. A small funeral for the deceased JSA members was held a few weeks after their deaths, two days after Christmas. Him and Mikey were on their own after that. Pat tried to date other people, but nothing seemed to stick. Besides, the ISA were still out there so there were other things to worry about than dating.

Then he met Barbra. She was the sweetest, prettiest woman he had ever met. He thought, maybe, it was time to settle down again. Courtney was a slight problem though. She didn’t take too kindly to Pat. He thought maybe he should end things with Barbra, but she promised everything was going to be okay. And it was, Courtney, very slowly, opened up to Pat. Trust was there, and Pat tried so hard to be a good not-dad for her. Then it broke when they had to move.

She wasn’t happy about the move, Pat knew that. He also knew that he wasn’t her biological father, but he wasn’t going to let her get into danger fighting Brainwave. His brain screeched at him to acknowledge that Sylvester had another kid, but he shoved it down. That possibility could be dealt with later. Right now he had to figure out a way to keep his step daughter alive.

Joey Zarik dies and Pat has nightmares that it could’ve been Courtney.

Rick Harris seems like a nice kid. Troubled though, and Courtney figures out that he’s a legacy, Hourman’s kid. Pat was surprised, the kid’s grown up a lot since he last saw him. He decides to give him a gift, a piece of the car that he remembered Rick needing. At his house, something felt off. Rick’s uncle reeked of alcohol and he didn’t seem like the nicest person in the world. Pat didn’t want to say anything yet, he opted to just keep an eye on Rick whenever he could.

He hears that Courtney recruited a bunch of other kids, Rick included, to join the Junior JSA. Pat wonders if he has grey hair yet. He knows he’s going to get an ulcer soon. Sylvester would probably laugh at him. Pat spends most of his time planning on different strategies to keep them safe.

He fails.

He tried so hard to prevent this, but Beth gets injured. They were fighting off Tigress and she was out for blood. Rick picked up Beth and cradled her in his arms. Pat picked them up in his giant robot hand and flew them off. Barbra was waiting for them in the auto shop and immediately went to help Rick with Beth. Pat pointed out where the antidote was then flew back to help Courtney and Yolanda.

Despite the fear in his heart, he couldn’t help but feel pride at watching Courtney and Yolanda fight. They have improved so much, their moves were more precise and graceful. Pat stayed back and only attacked when needed.

They managed to knock Tigris out. Courtney and Yolanda dragged her body over to pat and together all four of them flew back to the auto shop. Barbra was taking Beth’s temperature while Rick clutched Beth’s hand.

Court and Yolanda took Trigis to the basement of the auto shop then put as many heavy objects as they could over the door. Sure it was a fire hazard, but they figured if worst comes to worst, Rick could move all the stuff off the door.

“How is she?” Yolanda asked. Rick was quiet, Pat noticed his usual brooding borderline angry look was replaced by complete sadness. He looked like his world was falling apart. Pat filed that detail away for later.

“She seems to be fine, currently she has a low fever and in a minute I’ll take her to the emergency room so they can monitor her.” Barbra replied clipped and profesional.

“She should be fine, guys. Green Lantern was hit with it once and he survived. I’ll call all your parents and tell them that you’re having a sleepover.” Pat reassured.

“But that doesn’t cover how Beth got poisoned.” Courtney almost yelled. She was pacing around fiddling with her fingers. Rick still hasn’t said anything, his eyes never straying from Beth’s face. Yoland crossed her arms and eyed Pat defensively as if asking, she’s right Mr. Dugan.

“I’ll think of something. For now, all of you get changed out of your uniforms. Take a shower, I’ll talk to your parents. Then we’ll take a trip to the emergency room.” Yolanda and Courtney left to go change while Barbra went to fix up the car so it could take Beth to the emergency room. Rick stayed though.

“Rick, she’s going to be fine. You need to change.”

“It should’ve been me.”

“Rick.”

“If I was just fast enough, then it would be me instead of her injured. It should’ve been me ‘cause now she has a fever and she’s in pain. And I’m not leaving her side, what if she needs me.” Rick swallowed a lump in his throat. “What if something bad happens?” Rick spews out quickly. Tears are threatening to fall now and his grip on Beth’s hand has tighented.

Pat scooted closer to rub Rick’s back in a hopefully soothing manner. “You don’t have to leave her side. I can stand my ground against your uncle. He’s been drinking too much for him to be a problem. Anyways, Beth’s going to be fine, medicine is advanced than it was ten years ago. And, don’t think that way Rick. Self-hatred will get you nowhere. After this we can analyze the fight and see what went wrong and what we can improve up and what we did right. I only need you to leave her side for a moment. You shouldn’t stay in that sweaty costume any longer than necessary.”

“Pat-”

“Now Rick, and don’t punch Tigris in the face quite yet. As is she’s quiet, I don’t want to deal with another thing right now. Beth and calling you parents, but mainly Beth needs my full attention.”

Rick reluctantly left Beth’s side to do as Pat said. He was surprised, he expected more of a fight from Rick. Then he realized that Rick probably left so he could compose himself and ‘shower’ by spraying febreeze on himself.

“The car’s ready for transportation. I called Mike, he’s up and he said he’ll bike over to the hospital but I refused. After dropping off Beth, I’ll pick up Mike. He seems pretty spooked.” Barbra rubbed her hands on Pat’s shoulders.

Pat rubbed his hand over his face. “I’ll bet. You okay honey?” Pat turned around and ran his arms up and down her to try and soothe her.

“Yeah, a little spooked, but she’ll be okay? She’ll be okay.” Barbra said in an effort to reassure herself. “I never thought I’d be this stressed as an adult. They’re doing well for themselves though. Very impressive.”

Pat nodded in agreement. “I should start calling all their guardians.”

“We need to do something about Rick’s uncle,” Barbra commented.

“Yeah, but I want to be careful about it. One wrong move and CPS will send him halfway across the country.”

“You’ll figure it out.” Barbra reassured. The calls went easier than expected. Rick’s uncle didn’t even pick up, and Alex picked up and he seemed fine that his sister was having sleep over. It was the Chapel’s that made him nervous. Her father was on a business trip, but her mom was already at the hospital and she promised to ready a bed for Beth. By the end of the call everyone was ready to go. Pat got into the drivers seat while Courtney, Yolanda, and Rick sat in the back holding Beth to their laps. Barbra made sure it was as safe as possible before climbing into the passenger seat. Pat got them to the hospital in record time. Rick picked Beth up bridal style and carried her into the ER. Mrs. Chapel showed Rick the right way to the emergency room. Barbra kissed her husband on the cheek before going to pick up Mike.

Yolanda and Courtney walked hand in hand into the hospital. Pat was right behind keeping an eye on them. Sue him, his already frayed nerves were completely broken after watching Beth get injured. “How are you girls holding up?”

“Beth- She’s like this bright light. She’s kind and she's positive and she always says the right thing you know? It feels wrong like something is deeply wrong in the universe, you know? It- not her. It never should’ve been her.” Yolanda tells him. Her voice sounds more hollow then usual, but her eyes her entire being radiates anger.

“I get what you mean.” For the thousandth time, Pat wondered if this whole game was worth it. They were kids, amazing kids, but kids nonetheless. At least with the original JSA they were adults. Pat knew they were in too deep, so he just texted Barbra to bring more coats before taking a seat in the waiting room with everyone else. Rick eventually came back, seething somewhat. Pat assumed that he was kicked out the hospital room and just gave him some space.

Barbra came back with blankets and coats and Mike, who looked dead asleep, was carrying a couple trays of drinks from McDonalds. “Mom and I stopped by McDonald’s for drinks. They’re all labeled.” Pat smiled at Mike calling Barbra mom, it was a small thing, but it made him happy. Mike went to everyone before heading back to his father. There was a seat open between Courtney and Pat so Mike took that one.

He, with his big puffy coat, curled into Pat’s side. “Everyone’s ok?”

Pat thought hard before answering Mike, “Well, we’re in the hospital, but we’ll be okay.”

It was a cold and long night. Mike dozed off not long after coming here. No one else could sleep. Horrible, awful, what-if’s ran through their mind. After a while, Rick was coaxed out of his brooding by Barbra. She gave him a blanket and a seat to sit on. No one said anything. Maybe they should’ve, but then a nurse entered the wait room and talking was forgotten in favor of listening to the nurse.

“For Beth Chapel?” Barbra and Rick shot up. Pat couldn’t with Mike and Yolanda and Courtney were half-asleep.

“How is she?” Rick asked.

“She’s going to be fine. Any of that weird substance in her system isn’t putting her in danger and the fever should pass by the night. Her mom is with her now, but soon multiple visits will be allowed.”

A collective exhale was let out around the room. Beth would be fine. Rick smiled. Barbra let out a relieved chuckle and gave Pat a kiss, careful of Mike. Yolanda and Courtney gave a sleepy whoop. They pulled Rick in for an hug that he got trapped in once they fell asleep. Pat felt himself finally relax knowing that they were all safe. He never planned on being a dad, he wouldn’t change his situation for the world.

#stargirl #pat dugan #barbra whitmore #courtney whitmore #yolanda montez #beth chapel #Tigirs #Mrs. Chapel #Mike Dugan #I'm sorry for Beth whump #I didn't mean it #hournite #pat x barbra #ella's stargirl fics #we're all fic writers here #rick tyler

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seasurfacefullofclouds1 · 3 years

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Your tags about the pop category not being worth anything this year is spot on. No matter who wins, it will be overshadowed by the Weeknd controversy. Unfortunate category to be nominated in atm.

Those pop categories will be under a cloud. This is unfortunate for the nominated artists, but the entire situation also bespeaks of a fundamental dishonesty and lack of integrity about the Grammys.

These are the ethical controversies that have beset the Grammys:

• Michael Green was forced to step down as Academy President after credible allegations of sexual harassment.

• Neil Portnow stepped down as President after his unfortunate remarks about women not stepping up in positions of leadership, and the allegations of sexual assault.

• In 2018, Dana Tomarken, VP of Musicares, accused Portnow of funneling money away from the charity in order to cover the deficit by holding the event at Irving Azoff’s preferred venue. You’ll remember this is where Harry performed with Fleetwood Mac on stage, and also the last concert Lindsey Buckingham performed with FM before he was fired.

• Interim President Deborah Dugan is fired mere days before the broadcast in 2020. She files claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging discrimination and a host of other internal issues.

Finally, on October 24, 2019, Mr. Ehrlich, the Producer of the Grammys, sent an email to Ms. Dugan and Mr. Mason [Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy's chair and interim chief executive officer] and outrageously attempted to use his position to influence nomination votes," according to the complaint. "Specifically, Mr. Ehrlich attempted to press the Academy into nominating a song by a particular superstar in order to increase his ability to convince the superstar to perform at the Grammys."

The complaint continues: "The email reads, in part: looking at the AMA nominations this morning, it's more about who's NOT there than who is.....and [superstar] is definitely not gonna be happy. minor representation at best......sooo. I think there's a case to be made to [superstar] that a performance of [song] from [album] on our show, should it be nominated."

Given these serious and extensive allegations against the Academy and the Grammy award process, and now the irregularities with The Weeknd being shut out of nominations, we have to ask whether the Grammys reward any real artistic merit, other than the ability to play industry games.

I can’t imagine the broadcast to have any value to audiences who are waiting for meritocracy or transparency. It’s too bad for artists who were nominated and actually deserve accolades. Grammys fucked themselves, the artists, and the audience... all because of greed and power.

#grammys 2021 #25 november 2020

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witcherislovewitcherislife · 4 years

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Three Christmases

This is my Steggy Secret Santa 2019 Gift for @captaindoritoes

I was unsure of what to write so I settled on this. And when a bit of writer's block hit me, I turned to smut because that is always fun to write. I really hope you enjoy this! I hope this is all cohesive too, I wrote some of it out of order so hopefully everything flows together well.

Nearly eight months had passed since Steve had returned to the past. Returned to regain the life that he had lost. It was his first Christmas with Peggy in over a decade, and the first one spent outside the confines of a warzone.

His schedule hadn’t changed much since returning. His internal clock woke him at five thirty in the morning nearly everyday. Peggy however, loved her beauty sleep and Steve knew by now that waking her early could unleash her wrath. He certainly didn’t want that but still smiled at the fact that he and Peggy were now past the no argument part of their relationship. Where both were so afraid of losing the other that they silenced the qualms.

He sat up quietly in their bed, he still had such a hard time believing that this was real. That this was their bed that they shared together in their home. She looked so beautiful and at peace in her slumber. Steve, not wanting to disturb her, let his mind wander and reminisce. He thought of the Christmas mornings they had spent together during the war. How for one day, everything could seem okay.

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The first Christmas that they spent together was in 1943, five years ago for Peggy, but nearly fifteen years ago for Steve. But he still remembered it clearly, as if it was just yesterday.

They were stationed in London, living in the hidden base buried beneath the streets. Nearly everyone had been granted temporary leave for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. A temporary escape from the harshness of war, two days where they could forget and celebrate. Peggy’s folks still weren’t able to travel into the city with the war on and all. Steve knew she was missing her family, as they all were so he made it his job to cheer her up.

He convinced her to come with him and the Commandos out drinking. She didn’t really want to be around a bunch of horny drunk men but she did want to be around Steve so she agreed. She supposed that she should get to know these soldiers outside of the confines of war since they would be spending a lot of time working together in the near future.

Peggy was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed herself. Not only was she glad to see Steve relaxed and carefree for the first time, she also managed to drink each and every one of the Commandos under the table.

She excused herself when a drunk Dugan challenged her to a one-armed push-up contest. She would have done it although she was pretty sure that the floor was filthy and she would rather not touch it. Living in a warzone was filthy enough as it was.

Steve had asked to walk her back to her flat and she obliged. She certainly didn’t need his protection but she was enjoying his company immensely. She had linked her arm with his, huddling tightly against him for warmth and just to feel like a normal woman for a moment. A woman who didn’t have to fight a war. The blush that crept across Steve’s face at the body contact was just a nice bonus.

When they got to her door, he pulled out a small wrapped gift. Steve would never forget the look of pure wonderment and surprise on her face. She had unwrapped the gift, it was a bar of Fry’s Peppermint Cream chocolate, her favorite sweet he had learned.

Peggy had thanked him with a genuine smile and a kiss on the cheek. From that moment on he knew for an indisputable fact that he wanted to see that smile every second of every day for the rest of his life.

Steve slept better than he ever had that night. Not restless for the first time in months.

*******************************************************************************************

Their second Christmas together was under much less pleasant circumstances. They were bogged down in the midst of a blizzard in France. The mission was supposed to be simple and have gotten them back to base by Christmas Eve but now it was Christmas Eve and they had no clue what direction their base was even in anymore.

Separated from the rest of the Howling Commandos, Steve and Peggy marched on through what was at least a foot of snow while more wind and snow blew in their faces and all around them.

They managed to find shelter in an old abandoned farmhouse, they had no clue where they were on the map but they hoped their base wasn’t far off. It didn’t matter to them in the moment though as they weren’t planning on leaving until the blizzard waned.

Steve had gone out to gather some firewood as Peggy rummaged the house for any extra supplies. Luckily, they were smart with their rations because no food was left in the house. There was a bed big enough for the both of them and multiple blankets still left in a bedroom upstairs however. It was clear from the state of this house that the owners had left in a hurry, likely avoiding German troops that had marched into the country.

Although the circumstances were far from ideal, Steve and Peggy made the most of it. They huddled together for warmth next to the fire and nibbled on the crackers that they had rationed, deciding to save their instant meals for the morning. They passed the time by sharing stories, Peggy told Steve how her family celebrated the holidays growing up while Steve doodled in his sketchbook.

They made love that night. Slowly, softly, and quietly. And fell asleep tangled in each other’s arms around the dimming flame of the fire.

When they awoke, the blizzard outside had passed and the sun shined bright. Steve had called it a Christmas miracle. They got their bearings and found their way back to base. The Commandos were already there waiting for them, delighted to spend Christmas with the friends that had become their family.

*******************************************************************************************

Peggy awoke with Steve still staring at her, deep in thought.

“Have I something on my face?”

Her voice broke him from his revery and a slight blush and grin formed on his face. He hadn’t even noticed when she woke up, too busy reminiscing on their past Christmases spent together.

“Sorry, just thinking.”

Peggy sat up and leaned into Steve, kissing him tenderly on the lips. She was still getting used to kissing a man with a full beard but it was growing on her more and more every time. The kiss quickly deepened and Peggy could feel Steve’s hardening member against her side as she moaned softly.

A thought rose to Peggy’s mind as she remembered the surprise she had bought specifically for him. She slipped out of bed and out of Steve’s embrace causing him to release a soft whine and put on his puppy dog eyes, practically begging her to come back to bed.

“Oh, quit your pouting. I’ll just be a moment. So dramatic,” Peggy teased, her tone light.

Peggy retrieved the surprise from the guest bedroom and went into their hallway bathroom to change and freshen up. When she was fully dressed in the ensemble, she checked herself out in the mirror. She looked positively breathtaking if she did say so herself. Satisfied with her appearance, Peggy headed back down the hallway to see what Steve thought.

When she reached their bedroom, Peggy leaned on the door frame, eyeing up Steve from across the room. She noted how dark his eyes got when he saw her and how his trousers began to tent up.

“Fucking hell,” Steve muttered under his breath, his mouth going dry as his eyes roamed over her curvy frame.

“See something you like?”

He could only nod, his love’s outfit stopping any thoughts from coming to his head.

She was wearing her specially made Christmas lingerie courtesy of Ana Jarvis. Ana had sewn it herself upon Peggy’s request, grinning the whole time as Peggy described what she wanted.

Peggy wore a sheer red and white babydoll, designed to make her look like a sexy Mrs. Claus. Her heavy breasts were held firmly in the cups of the built-in brassiere, the babydoll hung low, allowing for ample cleavage to be displayed. White faux fur adorned the border of the cups and the bottom of the piece. Her breasts were covered only with a thin sheer fabric, allowing Steve to see her hardened nipples through it. Her stomach and abdomen were covered only in a transparent lining, giving Steve just enough of a glimpse for him to beg to see what was underneath.

Beneath it, Peggy wore the skimpiest pair of red panties she owned. They hugged her bottom tight, accentuating the cheeks of her ass, making them look even more desirable.

Her pale skin made the red pop even more, something Steve’s heightened vision was sure to pick up on. And to top the whole look off, Peggy wore a Santa hat atop her silky brunette curls.

“Care to unwrap your present, my darling?” Peggy asked in her best seductive tone. It was a cheesy line but it seemed to work well enough on him.

Peggy grinned wickedly, pleased with the effect her outfit was having on him. She sauntered over to the bed, crawling up on it, inching towards him agonizingly slow.

She crawled up his legs until her head rested gently over his crotch. She kissed his member through his tight black boxer briefs and Peggy laughed when she heard the thud of his head lolling back and colliding with the wall.

Peggy’s fingers reached under the waistband and pulled his boxers down. Steve arched his lower half off the bed, allowing Peggy the room to discard of his underwear for good. With the barrier out of the way, she wrapped her slim fingers around his thick member and began pumping him to his full size.

Steve’s gaze fell down and he almost came apart right there. Peggy’s red painted nails contrasted beautifully with his engorged cock. She looked up at him and they locked eyes. Steve didn’t know what Mrs. Claus was supposed to look like but he knew she certainly wasn’t supposed to look this sexy.

Peggy kept eye contact with him as best she could as she lowered her mouth around his length. She sucked him like she did everything else, quickly and efficiently, knowing the exact way to work him up.

She pulled off him with a pop and moved herself to straddle both his thighs. She didn’t let him enter her yet, wanting to tease him just a bit.

Peggy bent down, purposefully popping her chest out towards Steve. She could feel his eyes bearing into her and loved every second of it. She moved her mouth over to Steve’s ear and whispered, “Have I been naughty this year? Perhaps I should be punished.” She ended her seductive words with a nip of his earlobe, biting it gently at first then tugging more roughly.

“Touch me, Steve.”

He didn’t hesitate, his hands seemingly managed to be everywhere at once. Steve gripped her firmly on her ass, kneading the fleshy skin tenderly before he gripped her panties and ripped them clean off.

“Steve!” Peggy reprimanded him but she wasn’t upset.

“Guess I’m the naughty one,” Steve teased before moving his hands around to her front, cupping her heavy breasts in his large palms. Steve kissed the top of her chest, nibbling and leaving little bite marks that would fade the next day everywhere he went.

Steve grabbed the hem of the lingerie and pulled it down, revealing her pale tits fully to him. No matter how many times he had seen them, they still amazed him each and every time. He squeezed and kneaded them softly before lowering his mouth. His tongue circled her areola as her nipple hardened to a peak before he closed around it. Meanwhile his other hand was busy tweaking the nipple of her other breast.

Peggy’s back arched and her head lolled back as moans fell from her red lips. She was grinding down hard on his member now, causing grunts from his mouth that vibrated against her chest.

Deciding to wait no longer and take what she wanted, Peggy lifted herself up before sliding down his length. She slid until he was fully sheathed inside of her and both let out soft moans as Peggy adjusted to the stretch.

Moments passed before Steve spoke softly, “Move, Peg. Please.”

She obliged and lifted herself almost all the way off of him, leaving just his tip inside of her before sliding back down him again. She started at a slow but steady pace, gradually picking up speed until she was eventually riding him with both fervor and tenacity.

Her tight inner walls squeezed his cock and Steve was doing everything possible to not cum until she did.

Peggy wrapped her arms tightly around his head and her fingers tangled in his hair. She pulled his face towards her chest and kissed the top of his head and forehead. Their close proximity allowed Steve to fully breathe in her scent and he was intoxicated by it.

Peggy rode his cock for minutes, letting the volcano inside of her rumble and build up until she was about to burst. Both were covered in a sheen layer of sweat as their collective pants, moans, and groans filled the room.

Her moans grew louder and throatier and Steve could tell she was close, all she needed was a slight push over the edge. Steve’s left hand gripped her firmly on the ass while his right hand came around to toy with her clit, pinching the nub slightly before rubbing it at a quick pace. At the same time, he began thrusting up into her, hitting her g-spot over and over again.

Peggy let out a final scream and erupted, falling over the edge into ecstasy and bliss. Steve followed suit, spilling himself inside of her, his release making her insides even warmer.

As she came down from her orgasmic high, Peggy rested her head on Steve’s shoulder, allowing her breathing to return to normal.

Steve planted soft kisses to every inch of her skin he could reach and petted her hair lovingly. As his member began to soften, Peggy slowly climbed off of him, a bit saddened to lose the intimate contact.

She scooted close to him, fitting eagerly into his embrace and kissing him passionately. After a minute, she pulled back breathless and rested her head on the pillow next to him.

“You didn’t even get to unwrap your present.”

“I did tear your panties though.”

“Mm, yes, thanks for reminding me. You owe me a pair.”

“Guess I know what I’m getting you for next Christmas.”

Peggy just giggled and said, “Mmm, Merry Christmas, my darling.”

“Merry Christmas, Peg.” Steve replied as the two fell back into slumber, content in each other’s embrace. This was certainly the best Christmas they could have asked for.

Ironically, the one and only Christmas they spent together outside the confines of war, was also the last Christmas they spent alone.

Because nine months after Christmas, a little girl joined their family. It seemed that Peggy’s surprise present worked a little too well. Steve may have not unwrapped her but he also didn’t wrap himself. And thus baby Natalia Sarah Rogers-Carter came into the world. And as much as they loved each other’s company, they both agreed that Christmas was much better with their daughter there.

#steggysecretsanta #steggysecretsanta2019 #fanfiction #steve rogers #peggy carter #steve and peggy #i hope you enjoy!#i did my best!#and only like 15 minutes late oop-

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windona · 4 years

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Pat Dugan or Bruce Wayne vs Gabriel Agreste (specifically as Gabe, not as HM. dad fight.)

Bruce swirled his drink and let his eyes flicker up. Tim had asked Bruce to go to Paris fashion week specifically so he would have an excuse to talk to Chat Noir and Ladybug. So far, Adrien Agreste was a top suspect for Chat Noir.

Which made the fact that his father, who was a large part of the fashion show, only appearing through a tablet all the more worrisome.

Bruce was only casually snooping when he heard Adrien’s cry of “Father, please!” and the shortly shut down “Alright, father.” He saw the boy walk out in front of him.

“I’m surprised not to see your father here,” Bruce said casually as he adopted his eccentric persona.

“I’m not. You get used to it. But don’t worry Mr. Wayne, I’m sure the show is something you’ll enjoy.”

“I’m certain,” Bruce said, walking out. It was then a dark butterfly began flapping towards him.

#prompting night #whoops I didn't get to the actual Bruce v Gabrielle #but that's because Gabrielle is a recluse #Anonymous

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b0sscrew · 4 years

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Hey, this is my first post!

Also, you know this person?

This person right here?

Yes, this person is a beautiful person. This person is very hard to miss.

Blame this person for this dumb and wonderfully beautiful idea that I love so much. So here we go.

Dugan Duck AU!

Now hear me out!

What if season three didn't happen. What if I threw out all of the cannon we know now and just focused on background characters, or relationships we rarely get to see? That's what I'm planning to do. (To be clear, Daisy is staying. I love her and she's never leaving.)

I've decided that Dugan is about five by the time he comes into Feathery's care. It makes sense, since Feathery has been in the lab for four and a half years. @drummergirl231-2 had the idea that Feathery never knew about Dugan because he was in that lab for so long, and I think it's brilliant. But I also think we could go further.

What if Mary didn't want Feathery to know about Dugan because she thought he would be too distracted from his work (or something, I'm still working it out). But one day Mary gets really sick and has no choice but to send Dugan to his Uncle Feathery. I can only think of the chaos and cuteness that would bring.

Just imagine it. Scrooge is in his office after the events of Moonvasion. He's minding his own buisness when Feathery's can rings. Scrooge begrudgingly answers to an almost panicked sounding Feathery, telling him to hury over. Against his better judgment, Scrooge goes to visit, dragging Donald and Huey along with him, because why not. They get there and Feathery shows them the last thing they'd expect. There's a freaking toddler on the floor, just laughing to himself as they all stare at him. Feathery explains the situation about the baby NONE OF THEM KNEW ABOUT, and how Mary had kept him a secret. He would tell them he was taking the kid in but had no idea what to do, and all three of the other ducks would immediately start 'helping' in their own way. Donald would be the only helpful one as the other two just play with Dugan the whole time. Donald tells Feathery the basics and Feathery takes little notes in a torn notepad he had in his coat.

JUST IMAGINE IT!

Also things our lovely friend thought of that I didn't and I decided to add onto.

1: Feathery would ask for help at the worst times from Donald.

Absolutely true! No matter how many notes he took he would think he was doing something wrong. So, of course, he would call Donald at wildly inappropriate times. I mean, he would call during normal times too but that's not the point. It doesn't matter the time or day. If Dugan is sick at three in the morning, Feathery is calling Donald to get advice, getting reassurance and a death threat instead, not that Feathery would notice the threat (He's not dense, he's just focused on Dugan once the threat comes out). Dugan refuses to go to sleep? Feathery calls up Donald for advice. Dugan is slow at learning something? Donald is on speed dial and is groaning before Feathery even touches the call button.

2: Feathery rambles about Dugan.

Not only does he ramble about Dugan, he's always thinking about Dugan too. Sometimes he'll be rambling about Marinebiology and accidentally replace some of the creatures with Dugan without even realizing it. His family would be proud that he found something knew to be one of his special interests, but even Mrs. Beakley and Donald would get tired of the relatable stories and constant questions. But no matter how tiring it gets there is a silent agreement to never tell Feathery to shut up while talking about Dugan.

3: He does surprisingly well as a father.

Yeah, he's far from perfect, but he has so many fatherly tendencies already, you would think he was already a dad. He's willing to protect others at the cost of his safety (and maybe his life). He'll stop what he's doing, no matter how much he loves it, in order to make others happy. He even knows so much of how to take care of sea life, like they're his kids. I mean, he sings to his krill to make them happy and glow, he makes the sea worms feel loved, and then there's Mitzy (I don't think I need to explain that one).

Now here are my ideas.

1: Feathery's job. (This one is partially inspired)

Scrooge would suggest a job as soon as he knew that Feathery had taken in a kid, but Feathery would refuse. He would want to get his job the old fashioned way and want to earn it. He would find a research job and work super hard at it. Once he got home he would work even harder to take care of Dugan. That persistence never goes away and he almost over does himself a lot of the time until he finally does crash and Dugan somehow calls Donald to come over, who sees what happened and takes over from there. Feathery works so hard at his job that when Donald calls his work and tells them Feathery can't come in they don't even ask any questions and let's the family go on with their life for the day.

2: Gladstone and Feathery are really close.

I love the idea that Gladstone and Feathery kept in touch while he was in the lab. Once Dugan was adopted Gladstone made it his mission to become even closer to Feathery. He visits on weekends, babysits when Donald is busy, and he even helps Feathery with money on bad days. They're just so close and Feathery wishes he could return the favor, but Gladstone turns the suggestion down every time since he's "the luckiest duck in the world". It's just so cute.

4: Ships!

Of course there will be Feathery ships. I just don't know which one to choose. Should I bring Gloria (his girlfriend from the comics) back or should I do a ship from Ducktales? I don't know but I'm so excited!

5: Feathery has bad nights.

Feathery already has trauma like Della does. He was stuck in the lab for so long without any human (Is it human? I don't know the term.) contact. I bet he would have nightmares about it, refuse to get out of bed at night because it reminds him of the lab, jump whenever he saw seamonsters on tv, or just get sad because one of his favorite things was partially ruined because of the experience. He just hopes it's not obvious to Dugan and that the fear doesn't grow onto him.

6: Dugan is a wild child.

Dugan is the wildest child and you can not change my mind! He's more hyper than Dewey and Webby combined and it sometimes scares Feathery because Dugan always wants to do crazy stunts. He's met Webby and wants to do what she does. He loves animals, specifically jungle animals. His favorite animal is a porcupine and really wants one for a pet. Instead, Feathery got them a hamster and named him Porky. Dugan loves Porky almost as much as he loves jungles and adventure. Another thing to know is nothing can stop him when he puts his mind to something... except Uncle Feathery. He refuses to make Uncle Feathery mad. He hasn't yet and he wants to keep it that way.

7: Feathery is a giant neat freak.

After leaving the lab he realized how much of a neat freak he actually is. So once he got a house, Feathery made sure everything was spotless. He met Dugan and one of the first things he taught him was how to be neat and do things by himself. He will not tolerate toys on the ground or drawings on the wall. He will, however, tolerate spills. Accidents happen and he'll clean it up later. He's not strict and he lets Dugan bend the rules on occasion, but Dugan is not allowed to break the clean house rule, and Dugan refuses to break it. It's an unspoken rule, but it's the biggest rule.

And that's everything I've thought of so far! If you're reading this please say hello to @drummergirl231-2 for me. And Drummer Girl, if you're reading this... I'm sorry.

Have a good day!

(I just realized I never explained who Dugan is... he's Feathery's nephew in a comic that's not originally in English, so most of this is from scratch.)

#ducktales #ducktales fanfiction #dugan duck #ducktales 2017 #ducktales au #feathery #ducktales Feathery #ducktales dugan #ducktales 2017 au

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man1health1 · 4 years

Text

Get a Stronger Erection With These 10 Tips

Erections are everywhere – on commercials on TV, in ads on the internet, and even in movies that don’t include a guy delivering a pizza to a woman without enough money to pay for it (nudge-nudge-wink-wink). All of these images keep boners on the brain, so it’s no wonder that when a man can’t summon his soldier, he gets concerned. Here’s the thing – weak erections are a common issue to have; if they weren’t, there wouldn’t be a $1.65 billion industry around to treat it. However, a worm that won’t wiggle doesn’t necessarily need a little blue pill. Sometimes, a man just needs to address some things in his life to breathe the life back into his member. Here are 10 ways a man can boost his bone without seeing a pharmacist (and thereby improve his total personal health as well).

Erection Exciter #1: Give Your Penis Some PTO

Wait…get a stronger erection by not getting an erection? Sure, it seems like a chicken-egg conundrum, but too much activity can desensitize Mr. Happy. Take a day or two off and see if he rises strong after a little rest.

Erection Exciter #2: Take It Easy on the Porn

Pornography definitely can amp up the excitement with a partner or give some inspiration for self-pleasure. However, porn can also desensitize a man to his partner if he can only get excited for five-ways on a canoe with one person wearing a clown mask. Hyperbolic? Sure. But, that’s the thing with porn; the more you watch, the more you escalate with the content.

Erection Exciter #3: Keepin’ It Tight!

By keeping your body mass in check, your hormones, specifically testosterone, stay stable. Gain too much around the middle, and that chub starts converting testosterone into estrogen, which is a major boner basher.

Erection Exciter #4: Underlying Health Conditions

Treat the root cause, not the symptom. Weak erections can be a side effect of many diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. So instead of focusing so much on the one-eyed snake, be sure to properly handle the reason he’s not wiggling in the first place.

Erection Exciter #5: Mental Health Managed

Mental health is such an important part of whole health, including penis health. Get help when it’s needed. Take medications, if prescribed, and talk it out.

Erection Exciter #6: Seize Stress

Your nervous system can affect your hard-on status, so keep stress in check. Find a few ways to stay calm and serene, like meditation, boxing, or relaxed breathing. Less stress means better health.

Erection Exciter #7: Work It Out!

Get thee to the gym. Get in some cardio to keep blood vessels in tip-top shape. Be sure to lift some weights or strength train to maintain muscle mass and strengthen the thrusty areas of the body in the reproductive region.

Erection Exciter #8: Limit Libations

A drink or two is okay, but anything more can make a boner go bye-bye.

Erection Exciter #9: Stop Smoking (and Vaping Too)

Anything that damages your blood vessels is terrible for your big stick, so it’s time to kick the habit.

Erection Exciter #10: Healthy Romantic Relationship

A satisfying and relaxed relationship with your partner or partners is the key to many things, and a chill, sensitive penis is one of them. Doubts, distrust, and resentment won’t lead to a happy sex life.

One of the most important things to remember is that having the occasional weak erection is normal. More than 50 percent of men experience a slack salami at some point in their life, so don’t panic or feel bad about it. Take inventory and see what might be affecting performance, and then make moves to improve it. See a doctor if the problem becomes a regular thing (happening more than 25 percent of the time). Also, use a specially formulated penis health oil (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which has been clinically proven safe and mild for skin) to keep penile skin sensitive and robust. This oil includes L-arginine and vitamin C, which are both vasodilators and boost blood flow to the penis. Use it daily for a happy, healthy, and hard member.

Visit http://www.menshealthfirst.com for additional information on most common penis health issues, tips on improving penis sensitivity, and what to do to maintain a healthy penis. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men’s health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous websites.

#erection #weak erection #penis health oil

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averagemarvelbitch · 5 years

Text

Pride and Joy

Summary: AU where Tony Stark has a daughter, but then shit happens.

(Future Stony/ mentions of child abuse)

Chapter Four

March, 2005

Washington, DC, USA.

The table was covered in pictures. Men and women, of all ages and races, staring back at him with dead, unseeing eyes. Strangled, poisoned, shot, stabbed, drowned. A particular man, probably in his mid thirties, stood out. His skull had been crushed; brain, bone and blood covered the cold floor. Even after years on the job, Clint Barton still felt sick every time he had to look at scenes like that. He was no stranger to human cruelty. He had known, from a very early age, what people were capable of when given the right incentive. Still, seeing things like this, it always upset his stomach.

He took the file once again, re-reading the information SHIELD had managed to acquire on the infamous Black Widow. Truth be told, there wasn’t much. They knew she was a woman. They knew she’d been trained by the Red Room, some sort of academy for assassins and spies, as discovered by Director Peggy Carter years ago. And that was it. That was all the information they had. They didn’t know what she looked like. They couldn’t even confirm if all the kills credited to her had actually been her work. The Black Widow was a ghost and it was Clint’s mission to put an end to her.

He had forty-eight hours before the mission. SHIELD had planted the information that Andrei Mikhailovsky was in Germany and currently negotiating with an American agent, trading Russian secrets for asylum. The plan was to let the man wander through the city and go to a specific location while Clint kept an eye on him from afar. It was a risky plan, but it was their only chance to finally neutralize the Black Widow.

“Already familiar with all the details, I hope, Barton”, said a voice from the door. Clint didn’t turn nor did he acknowledge the new comer in any way, continuing to stare at the pictures on the table as if the other man wasn’t even there.

The man rolled his eyes and shook his head as he carefully approached the archer. As he got closer, Clint seemed to finally notice his presence, turning to look at him. The archer smiled and quickly turned on his hearing aids.

“Hey, Phil. Just getting acquainted with our little spider over here.”

“A very deadly little spider, try not to forget that part”, the older man answered, pressing his hands on the table and pushing his upper-body forward to take a better look at the pictures. He took one (the man with the broken skull) on his hands, examining it with a frown. “Very, very deadly spider”.

“I’ve face worse, you know that”.

“She’s killed half the agents we sent after her, Clint. And the other half just disappeared. Excuse me for worrying”, he said, throwing the picture back on the table.

“Hey”, Clint said softly, standing up and taking Coulson’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. “It’ll be fine. I’m pretty damn good at this job, boss”.

“This is highly unprofessional”, he answered, but did not move his hand.

“Oh boy, if you think this was unprofessional, you’re really not gonna like what I’m gonna do next”.

Clint did not give Coulson time to answer, pulling the older man to a deep kiss. He felt strong hands on his hips, pulling him even closer, as he circled Coulson’s neck with his own. God, he thought to himself, tongue caressing every inch of his partner’s mouth, I could kiss this man forever.

Too soon, they broke the kiss, foreheads touching as they tried to catch their breaths. They stayed like that for a moment, just breathing and admiring each other’s faces. Coulson touched Clin’ts red lips softly with his thumb, all his blood immediately going south when the younger man bit on it with a smirk. He took a step back, adjusting his suit and returning to his usual, very professional self.

“You have a plan to catch. Don’t die out there.”

“Oh, don’t worry, boss, I have plans this weekend that I really can’t miss”, Clint replied with a wink.

Coulson had his back turned to him as he left the room so Clint couldn’t see his face, but he’s willing to bet his bow and arrow that his partner was fighting a smile.

Clint couldn’t stop thinking about the Black Widow. He read and re-read the file a thousand times on his way to Germany. Peggy Carter’s neat handwriting was oddly soothing even though the words written brought Clint no peace of mind.

“According to the information acquired, the place is known as the Red Room, an academy for the training of assassins and spies in the Soviet Union. The place was discovered during a mission, in 1984, in which the Howling Commandos, SSR agent Jack Thompson and I infiltrated a facility believed to be a Leviathan base camp in Belarus.

Upon investigation, we discovered the facility had a structure similar to that of a school, with many rooms posing as classrooms, including a video room we believe was used to dispense subliminal messages through movies.

A young girl, around 10 years of age, was found in the facility. She stabbed Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan, managed to steal his weapon and shot Jonathan “Junior” Juniper, who died instantly.

We believe the Red Room trained young girls to become elite assassins and undercover operatives through a process of indoctrination and desensitizing, teaching them hand-to-hand combat and other tactical skills. We also believe other facilities similar to the one found exist throughout the Soviet Union.”

It was hard to believe something like this existed. Where did they even get the “young girls”?, he thought as he looked out the window, staring at the clouds. The pictures kept showing again and again on his mind. The brutality, the complete lack of empathy, it astonished. The worst part was he didn’t even know why he was so shocked with what he had read and seen. He had faced worse people in his life, both as a SHIELD agent and as a dumb teenager, but this one woman, knowing what she had probably gone through and what she had done, it made him sick to his stomach.

Maybe Phil was right. Maybe he really was projecting his own emotions on this target. He had had a very complicated childhood, followed by a crappy adolescence. Clint had gone through things no child should have to go through, and he knew in his heart that, if Phil Coulson hadn’t given him a chance that day, he’d probably be the one being target by SHIELD today. He owned his life to Phil and SHIELD. They had given him a chance to be someone else, something more than just the dishonest, murdering piece of shit that others had made of him. What if someone gave this woman the chance I was given?, he couldn’t help but wonder, would she choose the right side if someone gave her the chance?

February, 1983

Waverly, Iowa.

Barney was late. Again.

He really has no self-preservation skills, Clint thought as he slowly dragged a huge bag of garbage outside. Barney was supposed to be helping Clint clean the shop, but, as usual, he’d left early in the morning and had yet to return. God, Clint could already hear his father’s booming voice inside his head. You were supposed to help your brother, Barney, he would scream, you need to pull your weight if you want to live under my roof, you useless fucking cunt. Then Barney would scream back, because of course he would, he did every single time, the utter moron, and their father would get angrier and angrier and just smack both of them a good few times before passing out drunk in the living room. Sometimes having a brother fucking sucks, he thought to himself, throwing the bag into the garbage bin, trying so very hard not to rip it because, really, the last thing he needed right now was to be covered in rotten meat and bones.

He went back to the shop, wrinkling his noise at the stench of old, dead animal, running straight to the sink to try and wash it off.

“Hey, shrimp”, he heard from behind him, turning around to see Barney, who was entering the shop with a big smile on his face. Clint was immediately suspicious.

“Where the hell were you? I had to take all the trash out by myself, asshole”.

“Hey, chill. I was helping Mr. Connor out with some boxes”.

“You’re supposed to be helping ME”.

“Yeah, well, that fat ass Harold doesn’t pay me”, he replied with a smile, putting his hand inside his pocket and taking two little pieces of chocolate out, “but Mr. Connor does. Here, take them, I already ate two!”

Clint didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly patted his hands on his worn out, dirty pants, trying to get them dry as fast as possible, before lunging himself at Barney, taking both pieces of chocolate. He put one in his mouth and almost moaned.

“Oh, man, that’s one of the good ones”.

“Yeah, none of that shit that tastes like cardboard! He gave me the expensive ones!”

“Awesome!”, the younger brother replied, already chewing the other piece with a satisfied sigh.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s pretty good, now get your ass upstairs, I’ll finish up here”.

“Okay. Only thing left is mopping the front”.

“Yeah, I’ll do it. Take a shower, you stink”.

Sometimes having a brother can be pretty cool.

March, 2005.

Nuremberg, Germany.

It was cold. Too fucking cold. God, how he hated snow. He was wearing the new suit SHIELD had given him. It was warmer than the last one because science. The girl ― was it Fitz? Or Simmons? He always got confused with those two ― had explained to him every single new feature of his suit and Clint pretended to listen with interest while debating inside his own head what would be the best way to ask the girl if he could take one of the donuts on the nearby table. Still, even with all the thingamabobs they had put in his suit, it was fucking cold. Too fucking cold.

He was at the top of a building, bow and arrow on his back, watching Andrei intently and trying to find anything suspicious or out of place. Missions like this during winter were the worse. Everybody wore big coats with scarves covering their faces. Stupid winter.

“Hey, Andrei, you doing good, man”, Clint said on his comms, “you’re almost at the creepy ass house, just a little longer”.

“Do you see her?”, the Russian asked in a whisper, sounding terrified.

“Not yet, but don’t worry, I got you covered”.

“Why do I have to carry briefcase? Waste of time, makes it hard to run”.

“Come on, man, you were a spy. You know this shit. She sees the briefcase, she’s gonna think you’ve got something important there. That way she’ll only try to kill you in a place where she has easy access to it”.

Andrei huffed. “If you think that would stop Black Widow, you are more fool than I thought”. Clint decided to ignore the reply completely and just kept following him.

He knew the ex-KGB was scared. Damn, if it was him at Andrei’s place, he’d be scared shitless too. The man was a sitting duck, a literal walking target, and he was being hunted by one of the best assassins in the business. He had a damn good reason to be terrified. Clint couldn’t blame him for that.

It was a hard mission. Clint knew that. Andrei knew that. So many things could go wrong. The cold and the snow were problematic, he had no idea what the Black Widow looked like or even if they had really sent her in the first place. He had no idea what to expect from this. It’s true that was Clint’s specialty, going into the unknown with nothing but his courage, bow and arrow and devilish good looks. But this, this was another level entirely. Protecting a mobile target from an unknown threat was always hard. Protecting a mobile target from someone who once killed a man in the middle of a party with 400 people without being detected was, well, let’s just say it again, Andrei had a very real reason to be terrified.

Soon enough, Andrei reached the final destination of his little tour. And that’s when Clint saw her. She wore a black overcoat and had a blue scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, her red hair falling down like a fire waterfall. He barely had time to draw an arrow before she took out running. She was fast, even with the snow. Suddenly, a knife was flying through the air, aimed straight at Andrei’s head. She was fast and skilled. Well, I’m fast and skilled too, lady.

The arrow hit the knife with incredible precision. Clint smiled, proud of his own work and looked at where the supposed Black Widow was. She looked up, most likely trying to find him.

“Andrei, you might wanna run, man”, Clint said over the comms. It was pointless, really, because Andrei was no fool. He had already taken off, running as fast as he could inside the house.

The Black Widow soon followed. Clint aimed an arrow at her leg. He missed. Goddamn it, he thought, already drawing another arrow and trying to hit his target through the windows. Missed again.

“God fucking damn it”, he exclaimed, taking a “rope arrow” and aiming just above the window on the second floor. Using his bow, he quickly descended through the rope, slamming his body at the widow, glass going everywhere. He heard a gunshot. Shit shit shit.

Ok, so Clint was man enough to admit, the woman was terrifying. She stared at him like she was ready to cut him mouth to anus, open him up like a Christmas ham and feast on his insides. So, yeah, terrifying.

They fought. She was good. She was better than good. The Black Widow fought like she had been born for it. She fought like someone who had been fighting since preschool and had no problem in using every means necessary to win a fight. Clint knew his orders. Coulson’s voice suddenly appeared in his head as she broke his nose.

No one is going to cry too much over Andrei. Your priority is to eliminate the target. If it comes between saving his life and eliminating the Black Widow, you eliminate the target. Do you understand, agent?

He reached behind his back, trying desperately not to choke on his own blood as she pressed his own bow harder at his throat. Finally, he managed to grab one of the sedative arrows. He quickly covered his mouth and nose as pink smoke came out of his quiver. The Black Widow let go. Clint fell to the ground, covering his face and trying not to breath. He heard the sound of a body hitting the wooden floor and turned back. The Black Widow was down.

The smoke dissipated. Clint turned around, still sitting on the floor, and looked at her. He had a gun. He could make it fast, easy. She was heavily sedated, she wouldn’t even feel it. It would be mercy, really.

There’s no point in interrogating her. She won’t talk. Torture doesn’t work and she has no weak spots. Eliminate her on sight.

But shit. She looked young. Barely an adult. God, she was probably the same age he was when he… Damn. I had a second chance. Doesn’t she deserve one too? He knew it was different, but… Was it really? Were she and him really that different? She’d had a shitty childhood, much shittier than Clint’s, that’s for sure. Harold had been an abusive dick, but he was no Red Room. They had taken everything from her. Just like they had taken everything from Clint. Maybe, maybe she was more like him than he thought. Maybe all she needed was a chance to be good.

He turned his head, looking straight at Andrei’s body, blood covering the floor. Shit, he thought, getting up and walking towards the woman, Coulson is going to make me sleep on the couch for a year.

September, 1985.

Waverly, Iowa.

It was a good night. And Clint was aware how rare good nights were in his house, so he was determined to enjoy it. His mother was making steaks. Steaks! He couldn’t remember the last time he ate steaks. He started salivating just thinking about it. His father only ever let them have the crappy meats, the ones no one would buy. But today he had been in a good mood. According to Barney, some fancy guy had bought a shitload of meat from the shop and Harold was smiling from ear to ear. And when Harold was happy ― which was VERY rare ― so was the rest of the family.

Clint was sitting at the table, drawing in a piece of paper. He sometimes raised his head and watched his mother for a few minutes, cooking and humming a song he didn’t recognize. She looked happy. She deserved to be happy. He smiled. Barney was cutting potatoes, sometimes glancing longingly at the steaks. The whole kitchen smelled great. It was a great night. So, of course, Harold had to ruin it.

He came into the kitchen so fast Clint didn’t even notice him before he grabbed his hair and pulled him from his chair. He cried out in pain, trying to escape his father’s death grip.

“WHERE IS THE MONEY, YOU FUCKING CUNT”, he screamed, eyes wide and face as red as a tomato. He stank of alcohol. This is not good, was all Clint could think of.

“Let him go, Harold!”

“HE STOLE THE MONEY, EDITH, HE CLEANED OUT THE REGISTER, I KNOW IT WAS YOU BOY, WHERE IS IT”.

“He didn’t steal nothing, you fucking drunk, put him down”, Barney exclaimed, and when the man didn’t listen, he took the knife he was using before and waved it around menacingly, “PUT HIM DOWN”.

That finally got his father’s attention. He let go of Clint like he was a dirty sack of potatoes and stepped closer to his older son.

“Oh, is that how it is. You’re a big man now, aren’t you, you useless piece of shit? I bet it was you, wasn’t it. You’ve always been a greedy little bastard”.

“No one took your money, Harold, for the love of God”, Edith begged, putting herself between her son and her husband, “please, stop this!”

But Harold was having none of it. He took his wife’s arm and twisted it, pulling her closer. “You want to protect these little fuckers? FINE”.

He started dragging her out of the kitchen. “Stay with your brother”, Edith said when Barney tried to go after her, “stay with him, okay, dear?”

She was obviously trying not to cry, but both children could see the solitary tear streaming down her face. Harold slammed the kitchen door closed. Barney went straight for Clint, hugging his younger brother. “It’s gonna be okay”, he whispered as the boy covered his ears with both hands and cried, “it’s gonna be alright”.

This could have been a good night.

March, 2005.

Nuremberg, Germany.

She was still out, which was good, because Clint had no clue what he was going to say to her. Shooting people with a bow and arrow? Easy. Infiltrating the heavily guarded mansion of the boss of one of the most dangerous cartels in the world? Ugh, at least give him a challenge. Now, social interactions of any kind? Yeah, that was a big no-no.

So here he was, sitting on the floor, eating some cup noodles while he stared at the red headed woman in front of him, thinking what the hell he was going to say to her and how the hell he was going to convince her to join SHIELD. They were inside an old police station used by the agency as a safe house. There was no one there but Clint and the Black Widow. He had bound both her arms and legs and put her in one of the cells, locking the door and hiding the key. Not that any of this would actually stop her, he thought, wincing as he touched his broken nose. But it was the best he could do right now and that would just have to do.

He had called Coulson. Informed him that Andrei was dead, that they needed a cleanup crew to take care of the scene and that he had taken a very much alive Black Widow to a SHIELD safe house, surprise! Needless to say, his partner was not happy. He maintained a professional stance, like he always did, the perfect bastard, but Clint knew his Phil enough to notice the strain in his voice, the worry in his words. There were so many ways this could go wrong. So many. She could manage to run away and inform her employers that SHIELD was on to them. She could kill Clint in the process, leaving Phil to bury a disfigured body (if there even was a body in the end). She could accept Clint’s offer, betray him, steal a shitload of SHIELD’s secrets and return to Russia a hero. So many damn things could go wrong. But Clint knew that, if he didn’t do this, if he didn’t try, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Phil had been very honest with him. You’re projecting, agent Barton, he had said over the phone, she’s not you. She’s nothing like you. She doesn’t have what you have. And Clint knew what he meant. She didn’t have a Barney. She didn’t have a burning regret that destroyed her very being and reminded her everyday of how easy it was to succumb to a life of hatred and revenge. But maybe she had something else. Something that would make leaving this life of torture and complete lack of autonomy an easy choice, a smart choice. He could only hope that was the case. He was too young and handsome to die a horrible death on the hands of the world’s best assassin.

The woman stirred slightly. She moaned in a soft tone, moving her head slowly to the side, her eyes blinking as she woke up. The sedative was a strong one. She wouldn’t be able to actually move her body for at least three more hours, so that gave Clint plenty of time to talk to her. I hope. He continued to eat his noodles and stare at her. She stared right back at him, her face giving away nothing. She can put Coulson’s Neutral Face of Displeasure right out of business.

“Hi. I’m Clint”.

Oh for the love of fuck, did I just say “Hi, I’m Clint” to the world’s greatest assassin? What the ever loving fuck is wrong with me?

She said nothing, just kept on staring at him with dead eyes.

“So… I’d offer you some noodles, but I’m pretty sure you’d just get sick and throw up all over the floor, which would be gross. And, I’m gonna be very honest here with you, I’m also scared that if I get any closer you’re gonna bite my ear off and use it as a weapon”.

Still, she said nothing, but he could see the ghost of a smile on her lips.

“So, yeah. To summon up, I’m Clint. I work for SHIELD and they sent me here to kill you. So… Yeah, nice to meet you”.

“Why didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry?”

She cocked her head slightly to the side, assessing him. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“Oh, right. Yeah, no, I made a different call. I thought we could, you know, chat a bit, talk about the weather, our favorite TV shows, that sort of thing. You watch Friends?”

“You want information, then. You’re wasting your time”.

“No, no”, he replied, stuffing his mouth with more noodle, which made a bit hard to properly talk, “I mean, I’m not a complete sucker, you feel like giving me some information, I’m not gonna say no. But no, that’s not the reason you’re still alive. I mean, I read your file. SHIELD knows there is nothing we could do to you to make you talk, so yeah, that would’ve been a complete waste of time”.

“You talk too much”. Her voice was still a bit sluggish, but Clint could still hear the heavy Russian accent.

“So I’ve been told. So… Uh, are you by any chance looking for a new job? ‘Cause we could definitely use you at SHIELD. Plus we’ve got medical, dental, and the pay isn’t bad either”.

“You... Are you trying to hire me?”

“Yeah. Wasn’t it obvious?”

She raised an eyebrow, looking a bit confused. “I’d say this is the most bizarre job interview I’ve ever had, but then I’d be lying”.

“Good, Honesty is good. Honesty is the main foundation of any relationship. So, you’re interested?”

“If I say yes, will you let me go?” When Clint hesitated to answer, she smiled, “That’s what I thought”.

“Hey, come on, we just met. We need time to bond, to trust each other”.

“My employers trust me. You and your SHIELD could never. I’d be watched all the time, every step, every move. It doesn’t sound like a very fun work environment”.

“Do they? Your employers”, he clarified when she cocked her head in question, “Do they trust you? Or do they think you’re a pretty robot who can’t think for herself and just does as she’s told without ever questioning orders?”

She smiled. “So you think I’m pretty”.

“I’ve met someone else from the Red Room. Her name was Dorothy Underwood. SHIELD has some footage of her questioning. I noticed a few things, you know. Like the fact that she didn’t develop a personality, probably because the Red Room keeps their assets a blank slate to make it easier to control them and to mold them into whatever character they need to become to achieve their goals. Three people interrogated her. She mimicked them, like a mirror, the way they talked, the way they moved. Then, another person would come in, and she would change completely. You’re not like that, though. I can see it. Which means that you’re not a mindless puppet. Am I wrong?”

The Black Widow did not move. She did not take her eyes from him. Her face was as blank as it was when she first woke up. She said nothing.

“I don’t think I’m wrong. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that maybe you’ve thought about leaving. You’ve thought about what it would be like to make your own decisions, to be your own person. To be more than just the Black Widow, to be… What’s your name again?”

“Natalia”, she replied in a whisper, “Natalia Romanova”.

Clint wasn’t expecting that. Maybe she was lying, just saying whatever name popped in her head, but… She looked sincere. She was looking down, pensive. Like she herself couldn’t believe she had just said that. If it was true, if that was really her real name, then maybe this would work. Maybe Clint was getting somewhere with all his crazy talk.

“Is that your real name? Or is that the name they gave you?”

“My real one. My parents gave me this name”.

“What happened to them?”

“Too poor. Hungry. Cold. They were offered money. They needed money. They could always make another child”.

The words. They sounded rehearsed, like the woman had been made to repeat them again and again and again until she knew them but heart. Until they became her truth.

“Is that what they told you?” Clint asked. She did not look at him, nor did she answer. “Where are your parents now?”

“I don’t know”.

“Wouldn’t you like to know them? Wouldn’t you like to know if that’s the truth?”

“What does it matter?” She answered, looking up at him. Her eyes hid some much pain Clint could almost feel it. “The past cannot be changed. The truth will change nothing”.

“You’re right. You can’t change your past. But you can change your future.”

“What future is there for me? You say you read my file. You know what I have done. What future is there for someone like me?”

“If I can have a future, so can you”.

This time, she laughed a humorless laugh. “I have stolen, and killed, and tortured in the name of my country”.

“I know. I’ve done that for SHIELD too. And…” He stopped, looking down at his now cold noodles with a sad smile. “I’ve done that before SHIELD too”.

The Black Widow was silent. Then, “Tell me your story”, she whispered.

Clint looked at her, surprised. “Okay. My father was an abusive drunk. He would hit us and shout at us. My mother took the heat when she could. They died when my brother and I were young. Car accident. He was drunk.”

Natalia nodded. “And then?”

“Foster homes. Hundreds of them. Well, not really, I’m clearly exaggerating, but yeah, a lot. Last one was the Millers. Nice couple, took Barney and me to the Circus one time. Three days later, Mr. Miller punched my brother so hard he had a concussion. We got the hell out of there after that. One abusive asshole had been enough to last a lifetime, thank you very much”.

“Where did you go?”

“The Circus. We hid on the back of one of their trucks. Trick-Shot, one of the carnies, found us. Gave us a lecture about hitching a ride without asking permission and told us he would call social services to take us home. We told him what had happened. He said ”fuck the system” and let us stay. Barney and I, we worked hard. I learned this…”, he said, patting the bow and arrow beside him on the ground, “… And I was good. Well, you saw it”.

“I did. It was quite impressive. For a man in a purple unitart”, she replied, with mirth.

“Yeah, well, I was the best. And I liked it there. But Barney wanted to leave. He wanted to join the army, so he got out. And I stayed. And I trusted the wrong people. His name was Jacques, the Swordsman. I caught him stealing money from the Circus. He beat me up to a bloody pulp, worse than even Harold ― my asshole of a father”, he explained when the red head shot him a confused look, “worse than he had ever done. He would’ve killed me if Trick-Shot hadn’t found us. He drove the asshole away and helped me get better. Then he told me about this business of his, easy money, easy job. We stole from some people, killed some other on the way. I figured, he saved me, you know. Least I can do is help him out. So I did. Then, one day he told me he had a big job, a game changer”.

“What was the mission?”

“Steal from Marko, the guy who loaned money to Jacques.”

He has a lot of security, so we need a sniper. You kill all the guards with that bow and arrow of yours while I get inside and take the money.

“What happened?”, Natalia asked in a whisper.

Clint huffed, shaking his head. “Turns out, my brother had done real great in the army. He became a CIA agent. His first job was to cover Marko’s ass. Protect him at all costs. I didn’t know it was him. Put an arrow through his heart”. Clint? Is that you? “He recognized me. He was coughing blood, could barely talk. Trick-Shot knew the whole time. He didn’t tell me”. No, no, please, Barney, no! “He died in my arms. I got pissed. Tried to kill Trick-Shot, but he was better than me. He took one of my own arrows, impaled me to a tree with it and left. Told me he would come back to kill me properly some day. SHIELD showed up”.

“And offered you a job?”

“Hell no!”, he laughed, “Arrested me. I told them all I knew, didn’t care either way. Than Co… This agent showed up. He tried to convince me that I was worth a damn, that I could do some good. It took him months to actually get through my thick skull, but hey, I had just killed my brother and been betrayed, again, by someone I considered family. It was hard to trust anybody else at that moment, especially a guy in a fancy suit”.

“How did he convince you?”

“He offered me something I desperately wanted but didn’t think I could have”.

“What was that?”

“A good life”.

Natalia was silent. She looked away from Clint, a thoughtful expression on her face. Clint waited.

“I will do it. I will be loyal to your SHIELD. I will do everything they tell me to do. But there is one condition”.

“Name it. I’ll see what I can do”.

“There is a girl. In the Red Room. I trained her. I want her”.

“To be an agent?”

“To be a person”, Natalia replied immediately, looking at Clint with determination, “she never submitted to the handlers, not the way others have. She follows the rules, she pretends to be compliant, but I know her. She will slip, make a mistake soon, and she’ll be killed for her actions. I can’t let that happen”.

“Ok. That sounds reasonable. I’ll talk to SHIELD, we’ll track her down. We won’t stop until we find her”.

“Then I’m yours”.

And in that moment, looking into Natalia’s eyes, he finally realized. As it turned out, they did have something in common. They both had someone they wanted to protect, someone they failed, someone they desperately needed to have safe and sound even if it cost them everything. In Clint’s case, it was already too late. Barney was dead, he was never coming back. But Natalia still had a chance. Natalia could still safe her Barney.

“What’s the girl’s name?”

“Anastasia”, she replied with longing in her voice, “her name is Anastasia”.

#pride and joy #chapter four #natasha romanoff #stony #tony stark #clint barton #black widow #hawkeye #Iron Man #captain america #steve rogers

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lovelyirony · 6 years

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Moms’ Little Girl

the apostrophe is intentional bastards @socketwrenching

Peggy Carter met Angie Martinelli at a bar. Angie was hustling naive men at pool for money, and Peggy saved Angie from getting a pool cue to the body. Angie thanks her by saying “thanks for not having me killed English! By the way, I kind of like your lipstick, can I test it?”

And so the romance began. Angie was always the cheesy one, who got Peggy flowers on any random day because “they’re as beautiful as you are, English!”

“Angie, these are wilting and one just fell off.”

“I got hungry and stopped to get hot wings.” And Peggy just smiles and kisses Angie with that bright red lipstick.

Originally, the plan was for Peggy to be in the FBI. She most certainly had the skills to get in, and would have most likely got in. Except Peggy felt that the job was almost going to be because she had to, so she went back to school to be a history teacher. Angie was the drama teacher at Carver High School, and there happened to be a history opening after Mr. Phillips retired. So Peggy marched in, got the job, and always went to work with her wife.

They got married in June, specifically June 12th because Peggy had a honeymoon already booked for June 13th.

“That’s really unlucky, Pegs,” Angie says with a grin.

“It’s not on a Friday, so I think we’re in the clear,” Peggy answers back with a grin. “I can’t wait to see your dress, Ange.”

Angie has a beautiful dress. It’s ivory colored, with tiers of lace. She’s also wearing bright red lipstick, the same shade as Peggy’s.

Peggy is in a long-sleeved dress, smooth and white. Angie grins as Peggy lifts the veil. “We can’t even mess up the lipstick if we have the same shade, English. I thought ahead.”

The vows are said. Peggy and Angie have their first dance to “Tuxedo Junction” by Glenn Miller, laughing as they get steps wrong and Angie accidentally spins too wildly and lands in Peggy’s friends’ Edwin’s arms.

Life begins. They decorate their home, then their classrooms. They welcome students in, and so begins the Carter-Martinelli school year. Peggy enjoys seeing Angie pop in to grab students to talk about the upcoming musical or play or anything else, and Angie sends a wink her way. Peggy always nods, but all her students know she’s totally gone on Angie.

Something, however, is missing. Or rather, someone. While they’ve mentioned it a few times, Angie and Peggy would like to have a child. Someone to love and cherish and provide for. Someone to give a future to.

So it begins--the great search for the Peggy-Angie child. It takes a lot of research, home visits, and checks on both Angie and Peggy. They stress and cry and worry over being parents, but they find the baby.

Her name is Sharon, she’s completely bald, and has the bluest eyes Peggy’s ever seen. So of course, they fall in love. Sharon is perfect, and they get to take her home when she is three months old.

Angie goes a tiny bit overboard with the child-proofing and decorations. But she wants the best for Sharon. It is agreed that Angie will take time off work to care for little Sharon. (Peggy had some inheritance from old family members, making the family comfortably well off.)

Sharon, by the time she is one, is already known for her spitfire attitude and the fact that she is like both her moms in almost every way. She has a gummy grin and a surprisingly strong glare when she feels like it. Peggy must have hundreds of videos on her phone of Sharon being “angry” and showing it off.

The students all love Sharon. Whenever Sharon gets to come visit because preschool was done early or she didn’t have school, all the students coo and play with her, which Sharon has no problem of. She basks in all the attention.

Sharon is also quite famous for getting into trouble. Angie always shows any student the video of Sharon running around with a plastic knife, laughing maniacally as she chased Uncle Dugan around the picnic table. Sharon also isn’t allowed outside without supervision, because she climbs trees and sends Mum (Peggy) into a panic.

All in all, a perfect combination of her mothers.

#HELL YEAH I'M WRITING THIS #YOU THOUGHT I WOULDN'T?#angie and peggy: moms #peggy is mum #angie is probably ma or mama #sharon is cute and that's canon #she's a precious darling #dads not required #yeah this in the verse now #i'm making it so #no one can control me anymore #i've grown too power hungry with the ability to disregard any canon of marvel #lovelyirony writes #sharon carter #peggy carter #angie martinelli

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chicagoindiecritics · 4 years

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New from Kevin Wozniak on Kevflix: What’s Streaming This Month? – June

At the end of May, HBOMax launched and really elevated the streaming services to a new level. Along with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and the Criterion Channel, HBOMax is another streaming service that is loaded with infinite content.

Even with so many streaming services, the quality of content coming to streaming is possibly the best I’ve seen in a long, long time. Some true classics will be available for viewing, along with some fun genre fare and some new 2020 films.

Here are my picks for the best movies coming to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, the Criterion Channel, and HBOMax in June.

NETFLIX

Full list of everything coming to Netflix in June can be found here.

CAPE FEAR (Martin Scorsese, 1991)

Underrated in every way: an underrated Scorsese picture, an underrated Robert De Niro performance, and an underrated remake.

CASPER (Brad Silberling, 1995)

A silly, childhood classic that is still a technical marvel 25 years later.

CLUELESS (Amy Heckerling, 1995)

A timeless classic that could be argued as the greatest Shakespeare adaptation ever made.

DA 5 BLOODS (Spike Lee, 2020)

Spike Lee’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning BlackKklansman is a look at a group of African American vets who return to Vietnam to find the remains of their fallen Squad Leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide. One of my most anticipated movies of 2020.

THE DISASTER ARTIST (James Franco, 2017)

James Franco gives a brilliant, uncanny performance as the legendary Tommy Wiseau in this look at the creation of the midnight classic, The Room.

E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (Steven Spielberg, 1982)

Not much to say about this one other than it’s one of Spielberg’s best and bonafide cinematic masterpiece.

INSIDE MAN (Spike Lee, 2006)

Spike Lee’s fun and twisty heist thriller features a trio of stellar performances from Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster.

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (Jonathon Demme, 1991)

As good as thrillers get, Jonathon Demme’s Oscar-winning masterpiece is one of my all-time favorite movies.

STARSHIP TROOPERS (Paul Verhoeven, 1997)

My favorite Paul Verhoeven film is a delirious, violent, darkly funny war satire.

WEST SIDE STORY (Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, 1961)

A bright, lively, beautiful, stunning musical.

ZODIAC (David Fincher, 2007)

One of David Fincher’s best films, Zodiac is one of the best movies of the 2000’s.

AMAZON PRIME

Full list of everything coming to Amazon Prime in June can be found here.

CRAWL (Alexandre Aja, 2019)

A fun little thriller about a woman trying to survive a siege of alligators during a hurricane.

DIRTY DANCING (Emile Ardolino, 1987)

An 80’s classic.

GROWN UPS (Dennis Dugan, 2010)

It’s stupid and peak Sandler-is-on-vacation-movie, but it’s mindless, funny entertainment.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, 2010)

As good as any Pixar movie, How to Train Your Dragon doesn’t get nearly the love it deserves as one of the best animated movies of the 2010’s.

KINGPIN (The Farrelly Brothers, 1996)

Featuring a great performance from Woody Harrelson and a scene-stealing performance from Bill Murray, Kingpin is the best Farrelly Brothers movie and a great sports movie.

KNIVES OUT (Rian Johnson, 2019)

One of the best movies of 2019, Rian Johnson’s whodunnit gets better with every viewing.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (Brad Bird, 2011)

Featuring one of the best action sequences of the last decade where Tom Cruise climbs the tallest building in the world, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is one of the great action movies of the 2010’s and a perfect mix of a maniac director working with a maniac actor.

THE NATURAL (Barry Levinson, 1984)

One of the great baseball movies and a great Robert Redford performance.

SEX DRIVE (Sean Anders, 2008)

A wildly under-seen and utterly hilarious sex comedy.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (Spike Jonez, 2009)

A visually stunning, emotional adaptation of a childhood classic.

HULU

Full list of everything coming to Hulu in June can be found here.

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (Rob Reiner, 1995)

A charming political romance featuring a pair of lovely performances from Michael Douglas and Annett Benning.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (Marielle Heller, 2019)

Tom Hanks becomes Mr. Rogers in Marielle Heller’s beautiful movie about love and forgiveness.

BUFFALOED (Tonya Wexler, 2020)

One of my favorite movies of 2020, Buffaloed is a wild and crazy crime film featuring an off-the-wall, brilliant performance by Zoey Deutch.

CASINO (Martin Scorsese, 1995)

A sprawling gangster epic from the crime maestro Martin Scorsese.

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR (Mike Nichols, 2007)

A solid movie, but worth the watch for some solid Aaron Sorkin dialog and a top-tier Phillip Seymour Hoffman performance.

CLEMENCY (Chinonye Chukwu, 2019)

Alfre Woodard and Aldis Hodge are outstanding in this powerful, heart-wrenching look at the relationship between a warden and a death row inmate.

I AM LEGEND (Francis Lawrence, 2007)

A smart and intense movie bolstered by a one-man showcase performance by Will Smith.

OUT OF SIGHT (Steven Soderbergh, 1998)

One of Soderbergh’s best, Out of Sight is a stellar crime film features George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez at their absolute best.

TRUE ROMANCE (DIRECTORS CUT) (Tony Scott, 1993)

Quentin Tarantino’s writing plus Tony Scott’s plus an all-star ensemble equal one of the wildest movies of the 90’s.

YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN (Dennis Dugan, 2008)

One of Sandler’s weirder movies, but really entertaining and funny.

DISNEY+

Full list of everything coming to Disney+ in June can be found here.

ARTEMIS FOWL (Kenneth Branagh, 2020)

Director Kenneth Branagh and a stellar cast of Colin Farrell, Josh Gad, and Judi Dench look to bring this YA adaptation to life.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTING THIEF (Chris Columbus, 2010)

A fun but forgotten adventure film.

TARZAN ( Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, 1999)

A late-90’s animated classic with a banging soundtrack.

CRITERION CHANNEL

Full list of everything coming to Criterion Channel in June can be found here.

*The Criterion Channel does things a little differently than every other streaming service. The Criterion Channel, a wonderful streaming service that focuses on independent, foreign, and under-appreciates movies, doesn’t just throw a bunch of random movies to stream. They get more creative, by having categories like “DOUBLE FEATURES” or “FILMS FROM…”, giving us curated lists of films that somehow blend together or feature a specific artist.*

DOUBLE FEATURES

CITIES OF SHADOW:

The Naked City (Jules Dassin, 1948)

In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950)

A pair of noir murder mysteries presented by directors Josh and Benny Safdie.

FIGURES IN LANDSCAPES

Museum Hours (Jem Cohen, 2012)

Columbus (Kogonada, 2017)

Two movies that look at unexpected human connection between two people in which art, architecture, and environment serve as characters themselves.

DIRECTED BY MIKE LEIGH

Mike Leigh is a huge blindspot director for me. I’ve seen a couple of movies of his, all of which I’ve liked, yet have dove more into his filmography. Thanks to Criterion, nearly his entire filmography (the only films missing are his last two films, Mr. Turner (2014) and Peterloo (2018)) will be available to view, which has me very excited.

Meantime (1984)

High Hopes (1988)

The Short and Curlies (1987)

Life Is Sweet (1990)

Naked (1993)

Secrets & Lies (1996)

Career Girls (1997)

All or Nothing (2002)

Vera Drake (2004)

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

Another Year (2010)

SCORSESE SHORTS

Criterion just dropped this on Blu-Ray not too long ago. The collection features five Martin Scorsese short films from his time at NYU to through the early 60’s. Martin Scorsese is my favorite director ever, so seeing his early films has me very intrigued and excited.

JAZZ SHORTS 1929-1939

Another short film series, this one focusing on tune-filled shorts, featuring some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time in their electrifying prime. These films were made as preludes to accompany feature films and feature the legends of Jazz like Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday.

Black and Tan (Dudley Murphy, 1929)

St. Louis Blues (Dudley Murphy, 1929)

I Surrender Dear (Mack Sennett, 1931)

A Rhapsody in Black and Blue (Aubrey Scotto, 1932)

A Bundle of Blues (Fred Waller, 1933)

Sing, Bing, Sing (Babe Stafford, 1933)

Cab Calloway’s Hi-De-Ho (Fred Waller, 1934)

Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life (Fred Waller, 1935)

Artie Shaw’s Class in Swing (Leslie M. Roush, 1939)

Hoagy Carmichael (Leslie M. Roush, 1939)

HBOMAX

Full list of everything coming to HBOMax in June can be found here.

*HBOMAX is brand new, but it has already changed the game of streaming services. The content is so extensive and features something for everyone, whether its a Hiayao Miyazaki masterpiece, an Oscar winner from the last couple years, or a Hollywood classic, HBOMAX has it and their library is so expansive, it’s easily worth the price.*

AD ASTRA (James Gray, 2019)

One of the very best movies of 2019, James Gray’s moody space drama sticks with you long after it’s over.

ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (Chris Colombus, 1987)

This 80’s gem is also a Chicago classic.

DOCTOR SLEEP (DIRECTORS CUT) (Mike Flanigan, 2019)

One of 2019’s most underrated films is a bizarre, haunting sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.

FIRST MAN (Damien Chazelle, 2018)

Damien Chazelle showed us the difficulty and horrors of going to the moon in 1969 in stunning fashion.

FORD V FERRARI (James Mangold, 2019)

Another one of my favorite movies of 2019, Ford v Ferrari is a classic American sports tale featuring a pair of dynamic performances from Matt Damon and Christian Bale.

HE GOT GAME (Spike Lee, 1998)

Spike Lee’s powerful look at basketball, redemption, and family.

THE IRON GIANT (Brad Bird, 1999)

One of the greatest animated movies ever made.

MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER (Robert Altman, 197

A Robert Altima Western starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. What else do you need?

SPEED RACER (Lily and Lana Wachowski, 2008)

Panned on its initial release, Speed Racer is a gloriously bizarre and visually astounding triumph that needs to be revisited by all.

TITANIC (James Cameron, 2007)

A movie that literally has everything. It’s a big, bold, epic movie with romance, action, comedy, and drama and I love all 194 minutes of it.

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