#and people I expect to see lots of love for Stephen

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

(Yes, finally got polls!)

(No offense towards Wanda - but we should show Feige scientific proof not to let Waldron write another Marvel screenplay.)

#my first poll #and people I expect to see lots of love for Stephen #Waldron/Feige done him wrong in so many ways #that line they put in Wanda's mouth was one of the most egregious #Stephen Strange #Doctor Strange #Wanda Maximoff #Scarlet Witch #Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness #Multiverse of Madness #MoM #DSMoM #Oh Stephen My Stephen💙 #Strangebatch #the only Hero the only Doctor for me #LOML #My Eternal Muse

[professional-benaddict]

Stephen and Tony laying in bed. They have been together for 7 years now. Maybe they are having late night talks, serious, bare it all talks. And maybe on this night, they talk about "the one that got away" they are happy together, and things are great and wouldn't trade each other for the world.

But both their pasts are complicated. Most people are not still best friends with their ex's who got together. Who knew that Pepper and Christine would end up as the love story of the century.

But surprisingly, they don't say those names- the one the other was expecting.

" See... there was this intern. His name was Peter; I never clicked so well with someone. But he was young.... Pepper said it was bad PR so we kept it quite. We didn't go public... we were together about a year, but I still wasn't off the wagon.. just better at hiding it at that point... there was a party. I can't really remember the night, but the next day he was gone. ..."

" Funnily mine was named Peter too.... his aunt was a nurse at the hospital, and he volunteered there a lot for the scholarship for his college. We fit well together, I knew he had recently gotten out of a relationship, but we were moving fast. I had a long day with intense surgery... one of the few patients I lost. I was angry. I know he was trying to encourage me. But I wasn't having it. I said.... so many hurtful things... Came home a few days later to a package of my things from his place at the door."

Would they realize they were talking about the same Peter??

And just who is Peter with now....

- WinterSpiderPurrs

A year later, Stephen and Tony are at a charity event. They already made their donations, but they have to show some face as well. The couple is very much looking forward to leaving soon and going on a date, just the two of them. Tony found a new exciting looking restaurant they want to try.

Seeing familiar faces in the crowd is to be expected, but this one feels different. It stirs up something in Tony, even after just one glance. His curls are shorter, but the colour is the same.

The young man turns, and their eyes meet. Tony doesn’t make the first move, too embarrassed to do so. He knows he was in the wrong way back then. But, the man approaches. God, Peter is even more beautiful now.

“Mr Stark! It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah, it really has. Mr Parker.” Tony manages to breathe out shakily. Peter’s smile seems so genuine, but there is something in his eyes. It is hard to pinpoint with all the memories swirling in Tony’s mind.

“Hey, honey. Ready to get going?” Stephen swoops in from behind, putting a hand on the back of Tony’s neck.

“Oh, Doctor Strange, too. Wow!” Peter gasps.

Only now does Stephen notice Peter and his eyes go wide in surprise.

“Peter! I didn’t expect to see you here.” Stephen says, reaching a hand out in a greeting. Peter takes it, but lets go quickly.

“Wait, you know him?” Tony asks, making Stephen turn to him with a puzzled look.

“Yes, uhm- he volunteered at the hospital. Is- is that- intern Peter?”

The husbands start talking over each other, not really listening to one another, but neither wants to back down either. By the time they look around, Peter has disappeared.

Date night probably isn’t going to go as they hoped it would.

——

i would love love looove if you continued it a little bit if you can hehe☺️☺️ maybe stephen and tony meet peter on their way out and see him with someone?? @winterspiderpurrs 💗💗

#i loved it sm i just had to write!!! #starker #strangespider #spiderstrange #ironstrange #tony stark x stephen strange #tony stark x peter parker #peter parker x stephen strange #tony stark #peter parker #stephen strange #ask

[noxale]

Why people like "Ascension" from a psychological point of view.

\N: A message from me, the post itself starts with the word "START". Hi, It's not my post and it's not my words. But I think it would be helpful to understand it. I can see how the situation already seems better (?) maybe I just don't go on reddit. But I feel like this post just still needs to be. From myself I want to say thank you to all neutral, calm players and just those who have fun. Thank you Ascension scares\dont like a lot of people, but people aren't picking it because they want dom-sex (not the only reason for sure) and haven't understood anything "character theme" with their head. Things are different, complicated and there can't be just one theme. Everyone has their own emotions and life experiences. Stephen Rooney didn't dictate the character's theme like in class. Also, the BG3 game is positioned "...or make chaos in the world, you decide", "Great paths of evil". Hi's neutral Author to both endings. Evil and Good - you play hero or villain. Here's how I understand it.

layered and complex. For example: Poetic justice for neutral evil, in an evil way it is evil, and still complex (not black and white). Power (just any power) corrupts, ambition as Jupiter - dangerously. Freedom is nice, permissiveness - not so much (but this game is all nice).

But that's not what we're talking about. Here's a little essay, (a little emotional, but emotions are like that) why people do "Ascension" from a psychological point of view. START\\\

You know what, i wrote this "little" essay and decided to leave in some treads on Asc Astarion, because I got triggered and annoyed by this drama enough to feel like i need to share some thoughts about toxic vampire love thing in name of education for everyone. If you like it, feel free to repost it anywhere you want. (\\\N: which I do)

So, what this dark romance fantasy is about for me personally, (even though i prefer spawn romance, i absolutely understand the appeal of asc Astarion because honestly, i was all about this kind of romance during my childhood and teenage years, hardocore the Phantom of the Opera girl is here, inside your head) and why it's also healing route for some players, and no, it's not about kinky vampiric banging.

1) A lot of people feel extremely worthless and insecure, lonely, like no one really cares for them at all. It's a very deep wound that hurts and it's difficult to overcome even in perfectly loving, healthy and supportive relationship with a good partner, and even with therapy. So fantasy about a vampire, being obsessed with you so much that he is ready to do absolutely anything just to be with you for forever is really comforting. Also, you don't have to think too much about your imperfections, because for him you like a center of his vampire heart. Besides, you sympathise with him - it's like a selfcomfort mirror, i love this monster despite everything, so in a way, i accept myself despite any flaws i see in me. 2) Safety. When the world around you feel like a wilderness, full of monsters, it feels like only the most terrifying loving monster can protect you from it. He is powerful and protective, and i am so precious to him, that he will set the world on fire just so i would be safe. 3) Responsibility. As you may see, this kind of relationship have daddy issues vibes and codependency, and in real life, you can't just fully submit safely to anyone, I don't think i have to explain why it's a dangerous idea to seek this kind of relationships in real life. You have to stay a grown up independent person and seek safety for yourself without expecting someone to come and heal all your wounds. But this is fantasy, so finally you can use this as a comfort fantasy with no fear about being taking advantage of, without shame to be called childish and etc. 4) Independence. Spawn ending is very terrifying for anyone who has issues with feeling safe and independent, because some of us prefer violent power fantasies over "we have each other and that's all that matters", second of all, this ending also has some shady co-dependency undertone to it that can be triggering for some people. I love Spawn Astarion a little bit more more than Asc and yet my heart stayed absolutely broken after running away from the sun scene, and i hate that he is so dependent on Tav. Larian owes me some emotional refund after this.

5) SA trauma: it wasn't even seen as possibility for healing way by writer, but it is for some. Asc Astarion feels like he is the most powerful creature in the world, and he is fully controlling everything that happens between him and Tav, so finally, it's a kind of situation where there is no chance of him being abused again. It's one of the reasons why some people become Doms in BDSM-dynamic relationships: finally, full control of the process and a partner, who trusts then enough to fully submit, trust issues is also big deal in Astarion story of healing. I find idea that that only Subs can enjoy Asc Astarion a little bit naive. Because, well, some news for you: Doms like it too because they understand why he is so eager to be a top :D Unrealistic, not the healthiest way? Probably! But this man and this love is not real anyway. Yes, i think many of us, especially folks who went through therapy and a lot of self-reflecting are already aware that it's basically romanticized version of narcissistic obsession and in real life this is creepy, but it's not real, it's a fantasy. People use BDSM to heal, romance books and all other forms of art to deal with their inner demons and it's absolutely normal. Even if someone is blind to see what is wrong with Asc Astarion, I highly doubt that toxic bucket of shame and aggression are able to help see anyone problematic side of things. Do you know who is usually up to romanticize toxic dynamic in romance? Victims of abuse. In real life, if you just scream and yell at any poor girl/boy/whatever about how stupid they are for believing that their abusive partner really loves them, people will either break down and cry or tell you to f!ck off and they will have every right to do so, but they won't see what's wrong with their partner,in whom quite often victims of abuse see their only source of love and safety in life. Hells, I am so sick and tired from this "white cloak knight saviour from cycle of abuse" toxic flood in this fandom. If you really want to educate people - do it with extreme care and compassion. Real life healing is not working like it's with Astarion in the game,few right dialogs and boom, dude is on the right path. It takes enormous amount of patience and love, be kind to one another, and stay safe, darlings. Being toxic on Asc fans you are not helping anyone, you just hitting your superiority complex button in your ---. To heal others with their lethal dose of poison, it's hilarious /Sorry for the wall of text, sorry for grammar, English is not my first language/

\N: That's it. I hope this essay makes someone realize that those who choose Asc also have deep feelings, thoughts, and personal experiences in life. They have the right to think differently deep than most about video game, history, and any art. And discussing the canon to in different ways. It's Dark Fantasy, complex topics. So especially The Canon. I am enjoy learning new, different opinions. Also I hope this helps anyone who has felt uncomfortable with the toxic wave. I'm going to try very hard not to look at the responses to this post for my personal calmness. All the Best\

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #astarion #ascended astarion #astarion ancunin #long post

[ratatattouille]

what i really adore about everything now is how it actual respects teenage girls (and teenagers) as people. they aren't sexualized. anorexia, which affects primarily girls, isn't sexualized or trivialized. we see how horrible, ugly, terrifying, nuanced, and psychologically damaging it is--without being too graphic or torture porn. it's a real, serious illness that isn't a fad or phase, and i also like how mia's body dysmorphia and issues with gender don't make her nonbinary, because the show is explicit that this is a common experience for teenage girls in a world that sexualizes and demonizes their bodies, alienating them from their bodies, which is something that usually gets left out in conversations on gender. i related a lot to mia, even though i've never been anorexic, but i struggled a LOT with body dysmorphia as a teenager, and it's so . . . bro i get so emotional just thinking about how RESPECTFULLY how GRACIOUSLY and TENDERLY they talked about it and displayed it. it's so rare and it's so GODDAMN REFRESHING.

I also love how they explored how gay boys and boys in general are expected to be hypersexual with will and theo, and how scary a culture of pornography and enforced hypersexuality is on minors. how traumatic it can be. so many teen shows are exploitative of teenage sexuality, more interested in parading them than actually depicting teenage struggles. a lot of internet culture and porn culture in Hollywood is actually grooming, and it's so sad to me how many people don't realize how prevalent it is in a lot of shows aimed at teens (you know, MINORS).

i also love how they handled the abortion topic. too many shows keep trying to fear-monger girls when it comes to abortion, but many girls and women do not have regrets or nightmares or complications, and I'm glad they showed that perspective.

I ALSO LOVE how lesbian romance doesn't take a back seat and it is allowed to be developed and nuanced and takes precedence. bisexuality isn't seen as this deviant, confused state. and being gay isn't depicted as this glamourous, effortless thing, but neither is it miserable. it's all just normal.

this show is one of the few non-condescending, non-childish, non-adultified, non-exploitative, sincere, genuine shows on teenage humanity, especially the humanity of teenage girls.

AND POC CHARACTERS WEREN'T TOKENS. THEY WERE THE MC'S. IT WAS SO SO SO REFRESHING OMIGOD.

and stephen fry was just . . . i loved him. his character, his dialogue, his delivery, so so so good.

what a gem.

#also #i love carli #but i will forever be a mia x alison shipper. #everything now #second best teen show of the decade #derry girls is first for me #but god i love this show

[johannestevans]

My Top 6 Films of 2023

Just some recommendations for my favourite new releases of last year!

Originally published on Cinemania.

2023 had a few knock-out hits as far as the cinema goes — obviously, people were very excited about the respective releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer, but my top films of the year were a bit different.

One thing I do think unites a lot of these — and a trend I hope to see from more films in the next few years — is a trend toward more earnestness and sincerity in scripts and plot lines, and I’m hoping that trend continues!

Without further ado, my top films of 2023:

They Cloned Tyrone (dir. Juel Taylor)

They Cloned Tyrone is a fucking triumph, and hands-down had my favourite costume design of the year — it at the same time feels very vintage in places, calling heavily on the Blaxploitation movies of the 1970s and their aesthetics while at the same time dragging in more modern— and dystopian — futuristic elements throughout. Teyonah Parris is a particular triumph as Yo-Yo, but the whole cast really rocks this whole flick.

This film feels in so many ways like a fever dream, layering disparate elements and tones, and for that is all the more hard-hitting with the horror and painful realism of its cynical central plot.

If you watch a single of the films recommended on this list, make it this one.

Down Low (dir. Rightor Doyle)

This film is weird as fuck, and it makes a lot out of leaning into that. Delving into the ugly reality of down-low hook-ups on gay dating apps and dialing the chaos that can arise from them up to the max, this is a surprisingly heartfelt look at gay loneliness and isolation in the white middle-class US.

It’s fast-paced and kooky with its dialogue — Lukas Gage, of Euphoria fame, co-wrote the script with Phoebe Fisher, and Gage’s particular style of verbose and down-right weird speeches are dotted through it — and while it ultimately ends in the death you know from the beginning is coming, it doesn’t feel like it’s wholly a tragedy.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023, dir. John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein)

I don’t think I need to go into great detail about this one — Dungeons and Dragons’ newest addition to its array of canons here is a spellbinding and delightful watch. A lot of the problem with fantasy films and TV shows the past few years has been how painfully over-ironic they are, with none of them being able to just lean into their premise and accept that, yes, we’re being a bit silly, and that’s the point! But the DnD movie is just spectacularly earnest and gives itself entirely over to the wonder of its world, and that feels wonderful.

Every time I’ve watched it, which is a few times now, I’ve picked up on new fun world details or little in-jokes, and there are just so many things this film does right and has fun with, most of all making Xenk Yendar even more autistic than ever whilst also making him hot with the Regé-Jean Page casting.

And also, Hugh Grant is here playing a horrible, sleazy bastard of a wizard, and speaking of hot —

Cocaine Bear (dir. Elizabeth Banks)

Must a film be good?

Firstly, isn’t a coked-up horny female bear wreaking havoc and ripping people to shreds enough? And also, even if it wasn’t enough, aren’t so many queer characters going through the weirdest day out ever, girlbosses galore (I’m including the bear), funny as Hell dialogue, and even plot twists enough?

We saw this in the cinema on its release, and it was utterly glorious. Everyone should have the pleasure of seeing the feminist icon of 2023, the cocaine bear (sorry, Barbie), on the biggest screen imaginable, ripping into some hapless gay with full surround sound.

The Boogeyman (dir. Rob Savage)

I normally run along to see any new releases from Rob Savage as I loved Host, and The Boogeyman was so much more than I expected — bearing no resemblance at all to the original lacklustre Stephen King short story, this film really plays so creatively with light and shadow and has an honestly spine-tingling monster design that feels viscerally frightening from its introduction to its final boss battle.

I love it when a film plays with light sources, most of all when good horror does it, and this flick really delivers on that point — not knowing where light is going to come from adds extra tension when you’re trying to see into the shadowy corners, and whether it’s from the lunar nightlight, the videogame flashes, the camera, the fridge, or anywhere else, this film really has this holistic approach to light and shadow that just fucks.

The Pope’s Exorcist (dir. Julius Avery)

Again, must a film be good?

Isn’t it enough to have a coked-up bear —

Okay, I used that line already, but this time it’s Russell Crowe, and he’s doing an Italian accent, and he’s riding a little Vespa, and it’s the funniest and best thing in the world.

Much like the DnD movie, The Pope’s Exorcist really leans into its premise and just goes really earnest about it — it doesn’t take too much time to sardonically comment on the ridiculousness of its own universe, and that makes it feel really fresh compared to a lot of other big studio horror films. It’s silly and stupid and mixes more impressive scares in with the cheap ones, and it’s just a really fun movie to watch with friends.

#musings #movie recs #they cloned tyrone #cocaine bear #down low #Youtube

[opinions-about-tiaras]

I think it's okay for people to be disappointed and feel misled and maybe even a little upset Scott Pilgrim Takes Off wasn't a more straightforward adaptation.

It's a masterwork as a piece of media, of course; a AU-that's-also-a-sequel based on both the movie AND the graphic novels, in dialogue with both, telling a tight, near-flawless story with immaculate animation and voice acting that, quite frankly, often makes the 2010 movie look poorly directed. (Tony Oliver is getting a LOT more out of these people in the booth than Edgar Wright managed to in front of the camera, frankly.)

And that's part of the problem, I think.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World oozed charm out of every shot; it's beloved by everyone who worked on it, which is always a good sign. But as an adaptation it was flawed in ways that were inevitable. Sacrifices had to be made to fit all six graphic novels that are deliberately messy and are meant as separate narrative arcs into something that runs on the big screen in less than two hours.

That meant a lot had to go missing. The original graphic novels were often leisurely rom-coms where they weren't stark, raw looks at emotional dysfunction, and a big part of their structure was the secondary and supporting cast. A lot of that had to go. Knives entire arc was cut to the bone. Stephen Stills being a hot mess and his weird and hilarious offscreen gay awakening went into the trash. The heart of Volume Four (still the best volume FIGHT ME), Lisa Miller's instigating presence, junked. Roxie Richter and the Katayanagi Twins are reduced basically to jokes. Envy Adams is given just enough to be a villain but none of what she needed to be a real person, which is a big deal in the comics. Even Gideon gets short shrift; the emotional violations and the dark, stinking, malign weaponization of emotional headspace that make him work in the comics are thrown aside in favor of him being a more straightforward supervillain using mind control chips.

And of course the biggest person to get shanked was Kim Pine. Kim had a storyline of quiet desperation, of seeking intimacy while being desperately terrified of it, romantic and sexual awakenings she isn't equipped to handle, deep and personal betrayals almost every volume that she nonetheless perseveres through. That had to go as well.

When I heard there was an animated adaptation coming, I was thrilled that I would finally get to see all of that rendered onto the screen. Scott Pilgrim was born to be an animated series more than it ever was live-action (and it's been proven multiple times over the past five years especially that animation can produce something wildly special when adapting a comic source handled properly) and it was finally going to have the breathing space to do it RIGHT.

Only it isn't that at all.

I wouldn't trade Scott Pilgrim Takes Off for the more straightforward adaptation we were expecting. The series has sunk its hooks deep into my brain, it's like I'm 29 again, driving my terrible, jank-ass car five hours to Toronto to attend the release party of the final volume. There's so much special about it; Knives and Kim's beautiful love duet is one of the most tender, pure things I've ever seen. The League of Evil Exes as a bumbling cadre of weirdos. Everything to do with Roxie Richter.

But it also means that we're probably deeply unlikely to get that more straightforward adaptation anytime soon. And that makes me feel like something has been lost.

And I respect the feelings of those who are disappointed and upset by it. Especially given that the marketing for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was deliberately deceptive. I think that's a valid way to feel.

#bryan lee o'malley #scott pilgrim takes off #scott pilgrim vs the world #scott pilgrim

[infiniteeight8]

Anything in the Tony and Soul Stone' verse? I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love it!

I feel a little bit like I have to apologize for this installment in the series, because I don’t think anyone was looking forward to it, and I suspect it’s not what you were looking forward to when you prompted more in the ‘verse. And there’s no Stephen, and no Soul (speaking, anyway). But I seem to be writing this story in chronological order, and we have to go through this part to get to the rest of the fun, romance, and stone-bearer stuff that I have in my head for the future. So I hope you’ll forgive me.

This is Pepper and Tony breaking up. Lest you skip it because I’ve written that before, allow me a small spoiler, since it’s different from what I’ve done before: Tony is the one doing the breaking up this time. (Although I’ll admit that the reasoning is very similar to what I’ve used from the other side.)

Links

Most of Tony & Soul can be found here.

The most recent instalment is on Tumblr here. (It'll be added to the series eventually, but it isn't there yet.)

-

Tony is waiting on the couch when Pepper gets home. He’d been tempted to have a drink for this conversation, but he’d decided that he wanted the clearest possible head. And also that it might send the wrong message to Pep. So instead of fussing with a glass, he’s fussing with his phone. 

“Tony,” Pepper says warmly when she steps off the elevator. Tony sets aside his phone and straightens up a bit, looking up at her as she crosses the room. “Were you waiting for me? I’m sorry, if I’d known I wouldn’t have stayed as late.”

It’s not terribly late, but Tony had still spent the last two hours torn between calling her so that he could get this over with and not wanting this to happen any sooner. To be honest, he’d still been debating when FRIDAY told him Pepper was en route. “I was waiting,” he says, because it’s obvious. “But it’s fine. I could’ve called.”

Pepper slowly sinks down onto the couch. She starts to speak, then stops. Finally, she sighs, tucking a lock of hair behind one ear. “I get the feeling we’re not here to talk about starting wedding planning again.”

Tony huffs humorlessly. “No, we’re not.” He runs his fingers over the bracelet housing Soul. The stone is quiet. Tony hadn’t actually asked for that, but it’s Soul. They know. Taking a deep breath, Tony looks up and meets Pepper’s gentle gaze. “You’re one of the most important people in my life, and I hope that will always be true, but I don’t want to marry you, Pep. I don’t want us to be in a relationship anymore.”

Pepper nods sharply and drops her gaze, blinking rapidly. Her fingers twist together for a moment before she deliberately smooths them out over her knees. “Why?”

“You’ve been putting up with me for a long time,” Tony says. “You put up with me screwing around, you put up with my recovery—”

“Tony—”

He holds up a hand. “Let me finish, please.” Pepper bites her lip briefly, but nods. Tony takes a break and goes on. “You put up with Iron Man and all the fights and me flying off into space more than once. And I was grateful for that for a long time. Really. But a relationship shouldn’t be about putting up with each other.”

Pepper can’t resist breaking in. “If you’re doing this for me—”

Tony shakes his head sharply. “I’m not,” he says firmly. “I’m doing it because while a lot of that stuff is past, Iron Man isn’t. I expect the battles aren’t. And I don’t want a partner who looks at that part of me and my life and sees it as a negative they have to cope with. I want someone who’s going to be a part of that life, whether that’s literally or figuratively.” Tony reaches up and touches the nanobot housing that he’s wearing. “I want someone who isn’t waiting for me to take this off.”

“Tony,” Pepper says carefully, “you’re not going to be Iron Man forever. You’re 48 years old. No matter how good the suit is, someday you’ll be too old to wear it.”

No, I won’t, Tony thinks. Soul told him right at the start that immortality was part of the deal. But he hasn’t told anyone about Soul. Stephen is the only one who knows. Just thinking about telling Pepper feels wrong. 

“Even if I put the suit aside,” he says aloud, because with multiple lifetimes on the table, that might well happen one day, “I’ll still be Iron Man. Iron Man isn’t the suit, Pep. It’s answering the call when the shit hits the fan. I’m always going to answer, even if it’s for,” Tony smiles, “tech support.”

Pepper laughs and brushes away a couple of tears. “I should have known,” she says. “When you ran off into space the last time. I should have known then.”

“To be fair, I didn’t know, either,” Tony offers. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since I got back. About the reality of my life, instead of the fantasy. About what I want my life to look like, now and later.”

“And I’m not in it,” Pepper says. She sounds sad, but not disappointed. It’s a bit of a relief.

Tony shakes his head. “You’re in it. As a friend.”

“Well.” Pepper stands and wipes her cheeks dry of tears again. Going to the bar, she pours a couple of drinks. Returning to Tony, she hands him a glass and then extends her for a toast. “To friends.”

“To friends,” Tony echoes.

They clink glasses.

#IronStrange #ficlet #Tony & Soul

[like-what-the-fuck-scoob]

Marvel Character x Reader Imagines -

How You Cuddle (Marvel Men Part 1):

This post includes: Tony, Steve, Bucky, Sam, Stephen, Bruce, Thor, Loki, Clint, Peter P.

Please see Part 2 for Scott, Vision, T'Challa, Peter Q, Marc, Steven.

Summary: Male Marvel character x reader. A series of short imagines about how each male Marvel character would cuddle their significant other. You can read all characters, or just scroll down until you find your comfort character 💜

Warnings: None, just lots of cuddles and fluff!

A/N: The rest of the Marvel men and the Marvel women will be a separate post! I got this idea of writing style from my teenage days browsing the 'Imagines' trend on watpadd, and thought I would contribute more of these short pieces to Tumblr. If you like this and want to read more imagines, please let me know!

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

Tony Stark:

Tony's cuddles would be so protective. You mean the world to him, and often his ego prevents him from showing that with his words. But you can always tell how much he loves with his protective cuddles - throwing his big arms around you and squeezing you tight, keeping you safe.

Steve Rogers:

Steve's cuddles would be full of kindness and appreciation. Hugging you from behind, he would sway your hips gently, burrowing his face into your upper back, taking in your scent. "Hey sweetheart, I've missed you, how have you been?" Turning around to face him, he beams a smile and presses his body to yours while you enjoy each others company for a moment.

Bucky Barnes:

Considering Bucky's experiences with people haven't been great, it took him a while to warm up to the idea of cuddles and physical touch. The idea of that kind of trust scared him, but over time he learned that all your arms and hands would do is provide comfort, not threat. So whilst he isn't the tightest hugger in the world, Bucky's cuddles are gentle, tender, as he traces each imperfection on your face and body with a careful touch. Lightly, he places his metal hand on the back of your neck, pulling you into his chest, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead as you doze to sleep.

Sam Wilson:

Sam's cuddles vary depending on whether you are alone or surrounded by friends/are in public. Around others, Sam is a charismatic character. He adores making others laugh, attempting to keep a light hearted tone during social events, and yes, this is reflected in his cuddles. Around his friends, his interactions with you will be fun yet loving - shoulder squeezes, dramatic kisses to your hand accompanied by the remark "my lady, another drink?" But alone, finally de-stressing in your bedroom, drained of social battery, his cuddles share a very different tone. They are emotional and long, laying on his chest as he wraps his strong arms around you, taking a breather - each others safe space after a tiresome and jam-packed day.

Stephen Strange:

Every time Stephen cuddles you, it's as if it's the last time. Sometimes, you could go for long periods of time without seeing each other due to his responsibilities, and knowing how often he attracts dangerous people and situations, sometimes he would prefer to keep you at arms length for your safety. But he can never resist. He always, comes back to you. No matter how much he tries to push you away, no matter how much the multiverse expects of him, he can't stay away from you for long. So whenever he sees you, whenever he comes back to you, he throws his arms around you and pulls you into a tight, intense, emotional cuddle. Staying in each others arms for what seems like hours, you cherish each moment of physical touch until your love is called to leave again.

Bruce Banner:

We all know Bruce wouldn't hurt a fly, but having almost no control over the hulk absolutely terrifies him when he is around you. He loves you, and the last thing he wants is to unleash the hulk and hurt you - the light of his life. So during cuddles, often you have to lead. Sensing his hesitancy, you grasp his hands and place them on your hips, pulling him forward, allowing him to take a step or two closer to you before you close your arms around his neck. After a moment or two, realising that nothing bad has happened, Bruce's anxiety will fade and you can feel his hold tighten around you, whispering sweet nothings in your ear as the night unfolds.

Clint Barton:

Clint's cuddles are strong, grasping you firm in his hold. After Natasha's death, the thought of losing his loved ones was enough to give Clint nightmares. When his mind spirals, his anxiety heightens and he feels as though he's about to lose control the people he loves, your cuddles are his safe space that help ground him back into reality. Taking deep breaths, he holds you close, in silence, the tightness of his grip enough for you to know that no words need be said - this man loves you.

Thor Odinson:

Thor cuddles you with pride. His cuddles more than anything show that he is overjoyed to have you by his side - his other half. In every situation, in front of his family and yours, in front of his friends and your friends, this man will not hesitate to cuddle the hell out of you. When he first introduced you to his father, you were both concerned that he may not accept you as a simple Midgardian. Understanding your nerves, and wanting to prove to his family just how happy you truly make him, he pulled you into his armoured chest. Picking you up and spinning you around, he wrapped his muscular arms around your waist, squeezing you with so much love, before placing a finger under your chin, tilting your head to lock eyes with yours before unleashing a beaming smile. "See, Father, look at how much I love them! Isn't it great!"

Loki Laufeyson:

Around others, Loki pretends to be the dominant character of your relationship. However, behind closed doors, you see Loki's struggles with his inner demons and childhood trauma. Over time, he has become transparent with you about his hardships. The truth is - he needs you. Like a safety blanket, you are Loki's comfort, and your arms provide a space for him to relax, express his emotions, and ground himself. Often, he will be the one to initiate a snuggle, especially after a hard day. Looking up at you with distant eyes, you know exactly what your lover needs. Sitting up against your pillow, in the darkness of your bedroom you feel Loki crawl into your lap, resting his head against your stomach. His hands wrapped around your waist, you gently rub his shoulders and back, kissing his forehead, and running your fingers through his raven hair. "It's okay, I'm here."

Peter Parker:

Peter is a big bundle of kindness and praise. Cuddles with him are incredibly uplifting. He has no filter, and whilst this can be a teeny tiny issue in some situations, cuddles is definitely not one of them. He doesn't hesitate to tell you all of the reasons why he loves you, holding your waist tightly. He will never bury his head in your neck, but that's only because he loves to make eye contact with you while he showers you with his words of affection. Out of breath from his string of compliments, Peter places his forehead against yours, staring lovingly and deeply into each others eyes as your chests press together in a beautiful union, swaying to the beautiful silence of the room.

#marvel fanfiction #marvel imagine #marvel x reader #tony stark x reader #steve rogers x reader #bucky barnes x reader #sam wilson x reader #stephen strange x reader #bruce banner x reader #thor x reader #loki x reader #clint barton x reader #peter parker x reader #fluff #marvel fluff

[bizantineempire]

So I have some thoughts on RWRB

If you divorce it from it's adaptation, it's a perfectly servicable film.

IDK how to say it but it was too polished? I guess? (Maybe that's book nerd for it doesn't look like how I imagined it IDK) it feels like an adaptation of a short film that got a bigger budget but it lost some of the heart of the original you know?

I should have expected it but it was a lot simpler than the book. other people have mentioned the things, June, Nora, Pez, Leo etc.

I did enjoy the way they did the texting at the beginning and I wished they carried that through with the emails later (although maybe they did and I wasn't paying enough attention?)

In this day and age of streaming there is no excuse for book adaptations to be simplified movies. Here's my reasoning: streaming platforms don't need to have time slots, so they can literally release a 3 episode miniseries or a 2 episode miniseries, or 2 movie length mini series or whatever. Black mirror does a bit of this where the different eps are different lengths and honestly, there should be more of it.

I liked some of the references to the book like the powerpoint presentation reference but it just made me want to see that.

I missed seeing Alexs drive and enthusiasm for politics. Look, I'm Australian, I couldn't give a rat's bum about american politics, but reading Alex give a shit about it was interesting and to see him kinda do a politics thing but also not really made me miss Book!Alex more.

I feel like the King being all "this could be fake" would have been a lot better if ALEX HADN'T JUST RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING THEY WERE IN LOVE!

Stephen (Steven? Stephen.) Fry saying Homoseksual

Stephen Fry BEING a homophobe was funny A+ casting

The lake scene being in the day was weird. So Henry just turns away and is silent. And then he swims away and what, doesn't say a word to Alex for the rest of the evening? Does Alex ask him what's wrong? Why don't they talk about it? it makes more sense being in the middle of the night because he cracks a joke, changes the subject and goes to sleep. Alex is a little offput but he figures he can talk about it later if it's still a thing and then Henry's gone. Makes so much more sense.

Also (this also happens in the books) So Henry's "The Spare" but what about Bea? I'm p sure she's older than Henry, but younger than Philip. Doesn't that make HER the spare? He's just overkill at that point.

If they were going to cut out a sister imho they should have cut out Bea since they did her dirty anyway. Like if she's not going to have character anyway. June would be far more utilised.

One of the things I love about the book is that by the end Alex has a great friend group. I missed that in the movie.

Zahra was perfect.

I miss chaotic brains Nora

I have very few thoughts on the actual romance part. It was fine.

TF is Miguel

As a bisexual myself, I missed the bi panic.

Also Liam. He was great.

This has nothing to do with the movie but my cat is kneading right next to me.

Why was it rated R? It was sanitised the hell????

If you like the movie, if you love it that's great. I'm glad for you. For me I might have to sit and think about it for a bit before I rewatch it.

#red white and royal blue #rwrb #rwrb film #red white and royal blue film #spoilers #agcd #alex claremont diaz #firstprince

[my-favourite-zhent]

THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT MY FELLOW WRITERS

Tagged by @commander-krios and @tellmeallaboutit ❤️❤️❤️ Tagging: @fistfuloftarenths @dustdeepsea @thisaccountisagainstmywill

Last book I read: Hmm this is tough as I mostly just listen to podcasts nowadays. It might have been:

Lovecraft's Monsters which is an anthology of what is essentially Lovecraft Fanfiction by famous authors such as Gaiman and King.

Either that or getting like part of the way into the start of The Lies of Locke Lamora and not really vibing with it.

Greatest Literary Inspiration:

Hmmm, maybe Salvatore and Sapowski in terms of world building and action? Possibly Stephen King in terms of characterization. I'm not really good at analyzing my own writing.

Things in my current fandom I want to read but I don't want to write: I really enjoy reading Zevlor fics but I don't ever see myself being in the head space to write one.

Things in my current fandoms I want to write but I think nobody would be interested in them but me:

To be honest I thought Rugan and the Gates Crew Zhentarim were gonna be this but we've got a group of something like 10-12 fanatics now so I guess that wasn't the case! (Also we keep tricking each other into new microblorbos, looking at you @captainsigge with Edvige!)

You can recognise my writing by:

Oh no I just said I'm bad at this part. Ah I guess heavy lore research? Funny (I hope) dialogue? Complete inability to write drama and inclusion of a lot of smut.

My most controversial take (current fandom): I don't like narratives in 2nd person generally. Maybe I'm just old but I tend to associate them with the choose your own adventure books of my youth (RL Stine and that one space vampire book).

Yeah that's the one. To me 1st person and 3rd person feel more like proper literature, but I hear 1st person is out of vogue with the youths (I'm old okay).

Current writing mood (10 – super motivated and churning out words like crazy, 0 – in a complete rut):

Maybe a 3-4? I've got a few ideas brewing but I'm not in the manic phrase like at the start of New Tricks. I need to let things simmer a little bit first.

Top three favourite tropes:

You know I used to be a TV Tropes addict and I cannot for the life of me remember a single one now. I do love Trope subversion in general a la Community or Rick and Morty. Setting up peoples expectations for one thing and then bam gotcha! However it can't just be random, there needs to be proper foreshadowing.

Maybe deadpan snarker, silk hiding steel and enemies to lovers?

Share a random frustration:

Ehhhhhhhhhh, is this fanfiction specific? I guess egregious anachronisms is my biggest pet peeve.

#tag game #bg3 fanfiction #forgotten realms fanfiction #writing

[xenomorphee3]

What do you think about Varang, the Ash Clans of Acatar 3? If you can, do you have any predictions on what you think Varang will be like, her relationship with Quaritch - we know for sure from spoilers that they will make some contact as well as if they will mirror a darker side to Jeytiri, and what the culture of the Ash Clans will be like - we just know they’re more hostile than the other clans

Can’t wait for the next chapter!

Hey this a great question and I wish I knew! In fact, my anticipation for the Quaritch dynamic with the Ash People is one of the biggest factors in me writing my story. What's funny is that I was not aware of like leaks and stuff for Avatar 3 or even Varang's name. I only knew based on what Jon Landau shared that there would be "Ash Na'vi," that their elemental symbolism was fire, and that they would represent a "darker" side to Na'vi.

With this information (and being catastrophically down bad for Quaritch lol 😅), in early January I started crafting my own version of the Ash People and created our beloved Zu as a "Varang" stand-in. So in a way my story IS an embellished version of what I think could possibly happen/is at least plausible at a broad theme level (particularly in the earlier chapters). Now for Avatar 3 whether or not the Ash People will have any positive rapport with the RDA is uncertain. However, I think it could be very possible given that it's near certain Quaritch will be working with them, but I imagine he'd keep his loyalty to the RDA for a good bit of time (at least two more movies worth--much longer than I depict in my story).

I also do think the Ash Na'vi in Avatar 3 will potentially exploit Pandora a bit more than what we've seen other Na'vi do. The reason for this is just based on who James Cameron depicts as villains in Avatar. He is very explicit that the bad guy thing in Avatar is exploitation and destruction of nature (and colonization). So I would expect the Ash Na'vi to keep with this theme. And such matches their associated symbolic element of fire-- which burns and was necessary to the industrial revolution. Probably not to an extreme extent, they are still Na'vi, but... it would make sense. This is why I depicted my Ash Na'vi as embracing of human technology and a little more environmentally destructive than other Na'vi. But we'll see!

I have no idea what Quaritch and Varang's dynamic/relationship will be like to be honest, and I think many people (myself included) are making a lot of assumptions that may or may not hold true in the end. But it's just fun speculation! The Quaritch fan in me ships them *very* hard haha as, yes, kind of like this anti-Jeytiri. Na'vi but dark compared to what we have seen. There is an interview Stephen Lang saying:

"Hope doesn't exist without despair. Eden doesn't exist without the serpent. Quaritch is a necessity, he becomes part of the fabric of Pandora, even if it's to test it."

So that vibes with the idea that he's this dark antithesis. In particular, Jake's anti as it seems Cameron has presented him in Way of Water with his uncanny parallels. Regarding a relationship with an "anti-Neytiri" which may be what Varang is, there are set and cast photos of Stephen Lang and Varang's Actress Oona Chaplin looking close and friendly, but eh that could mean SO many things!

Beyond my just liking Quaritch, I personally think it would be super cool and make sense to the story-- I'd love to see Varang help Quaritch come to embrace being a Na'vi and Pandora, but in a dark way, the way Neytiri did for Jake. Because then you also have the unique influence of Spider who will clearly be some helping hand for multiple characters in the films (Socorro means "help" or "aid). Of course, some people don't want this and think it'd be a cheap knock-off of Jake and Neytiri and could make things too messy for Quaritch's as a character given that Spider is already his primary relationship, and I can fully respect that! But James Cameron cooks.

Naturally, I'm just along for James Cameron's Avatar ride. Whatever direction he takes Quaritch (If Quaritch doesn't get a hot bad bitch Ash Na'vi girl in the end or just flat out dies, I still have my story lmao)

I was kind of bummed about the leaks at first because it felt like they took the wind out of my story's sails where it was existing in, at that point, an uncertain Avatar future. Some of the Avatar 3 script leaks even had dialogue that was freakishly close to some I'd written. But ultimately, this kind of worked out so that my stories would just be a reasonable alt-universe from the get-go. Though, I wouldn't be at all surprised if my story has genuine similarities with how some things go down since I think Avatar 2 has done a good job of broadcasting some overt aspects of Avatar 3 (in a good way!) and I worked hard to be keen on them. Many writers have! Anyway, this last paragraph is a tangent.

Sorry for the long answer! Next chapter of Happiness is Simple is up by the way! 💙

#avatar fanfiction #quaritch fanfic #miles quaritch #avatar james cameron #avatar quaritch #colonel miles quaritch #avatar the way of water #avatar 3 #avatar oc #varang #ash na'vi #ash na'vi oc #quaritch x oc #recom quaritch #atwow #jeytiri #spider socorro #avatar spider

[honey-from-hell]

Red, White, & Royal Blue Movie Rant

Spoilers. All the spoilers. You've been warned.

I'm going to be talking pretty negatively about the movie, and if you don't want that, please, please scroll. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I know how important this movie is to a lot of people and the last thing I want is to upset anyone with my opinions. I just need to get my thoughts down. I'm a list autistic (yes, ha, like Alex).

My ramblings about this are not in any way meant to take away the importance of this movie. It is sacred in a way to a lot of people, the same way Harry Potter was when it came out (fuck JKR). It makes people feel seen despite how good or bad it is and that is important. This is my opinion on this piece of media as just a movie, as a thing. NOT as a concept that is good and needed and unashamed. I really hope this is the beginning of more feel-good queer movies. As a queer person, as an American in a time of trans-bills who is dating a trans person, this movie is powerful. But like, also bad. And I have opinions on it. 

So, I didn't like the movie. The mixture of the promos, the R rating, and the 90% it had on Rotten Tomatoes before it came out definitely got my hopes up. And I love the book. But in the end, I don't like the movie. I wasn't expecting something worthy of awards and critical acclaim, but I was expecting something more.

I think the reason I can say I didn't like the movie and not something more along the lines of, "I enjoyed it despite its problems," is because of how many issues I have with it. If it was just pacing, or just the cheesiness, or just an actor I think I would have liked it. But I pretty constantly went, "Oh, I don't like that." And the issues just kept stacking.

Going into it, I knew the main differences from the book were the lack of June and the fact Ellen and Oscar weren't divorced. And I think those two huge elements that play a part in Alex's character are really apparent in the movie. I thought Alex was kind of flat. I thought a lot of the characters were kind of flat. And this one is going to piss a lot of people off, but I didn't like Nicholas Galitzine's acting at all. I think the moment the movie went from enjoyably bad to bad bad for me is the last third where it's from Henry's perspective. The scene where he started browsing the books in the red room like that was particularly awkward and stilted. A lot of his scenes felt like that, like he was acting for a play or something. It wasn’t realistic. Since he’s a main character, it really did affect my opinion of the movie as a whole. 

Amy and Zarah were amazing. And Stephen Fry as the King did a great job. Taylor Zakhar Perez’s acting was on point, most of the time. I think some of my favorite scenes were Alex interacting with his mom, Zarah, Amy, and Nora at the beginning of the movie. Also, I fucking loved Nora. I wish she had been in the movie more, and also explicitly bisexual. And Pez. I just really wanted Nora/June/Pez, but I digress, not having that is not what made the movie unenjoyable for me.

I tried not to compare it to the book as a way to determine how good or bad it was. Like, when I heard June wasn't a character, I didn't immediately go, "Well, that means it going to be bad." But one of the great things about the book is the way all the characters interact with each other, not just Alex and Henry. We get to see what kind of relationship Alex and June have with their mom as their mom and as the president. We get to see the White House Trio be goofy but genius young adults figuring themselves out. Those were the moments that flesh the characters out and make you care about them. And there just really wasn’t very much of that in the movie.

The R rating made me happy, for one, because Alex says “fuck” so much in the books. His potty mouth is commented on. It is part of his character. It’s such an easy way to portray this very genuine and good character as someone who is still brash and a bit of an asshole. I had also hoped that the rating would help it feel like the book (says the person desperately trying not to compare it to the book). It is supposed to be sexy and fun on top of being unapologetically queer. But on the flip side, that was such a PG-13 movie and I have a feeling whoever decides the rating of movies was being homophobic. Because a gay sex scene is more “inappropriate” than a straight one. I also associate a level of maturity with R-rated movies, not because of more mature content but because the people consuming the movie and the movie itself should appeal to a more mature audience. If that makes sense. But it felt like a Hallmark and Disney’s ever so slightly more raunchy lovechild. 

The pacing immediately took me out of the movie. It was like watching a movie on 2x speed. I totally get why so many people thought it should be a mini-series or something. And I know they couldn't fit all 400 pages into a movie, but there have been adaptations before that do a solid job. I don't think RWRB did. I feel like Alex’s character development was flat and a bit magical—unnatural and unearned. Like, Henry apologizes and suddenly they are BFFs.

AND THE EMAILS. That’s what the whole ending conflict and it felt very much forgotten. We got the text messages and stuff, but when it came to the emails, it was just voiceovers. I think, like in the book where Alex thinks about private email servers (which is like my favorite joke in the book, it’s so layered in so many ways), there needed to be the equivalent of that in the movie before to bring attention to it. But this catalyst just kind of gets overlooked until it’s relevant.

And motherfucking Miguel Ramos. He felt like just a juvenile addition by being into Alex and being big bad because he’s into Alex. It was kind of icky in a way the book avoided. In the book, it was about politics, and while icky, they didn’t use a queer character to achieve the big conflict. His character, and really the whole progression, reminded me a lot of fanfiction written by a new writer. Like, the concept is good but the execution is what holds it back. 

Okay, so, I for sure have more things I disliked than things I liked, but I did appreciate the humor. It was the one part that 100% felt like the book. It was stupid and inappropriate, but witty and compelling. The direct quotes had me fangirling. Zarah, Amy, and Nora. Just ugh. I’m gay. Shaan? I also miss his sweet ass. 

I didn’t expect this movie to be perfect but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. I’ll try watching it again when I’m not in hyperfixation mode. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

EDIT: Also, Alex confirmed their relationship in the speech BEFORE the talk with the king. Like, Sir King Stephen Fry, it's already out there, man. The speech was supposed to take place after their talk with Philip and the King.

#red white and royal blue #red white & royal blue #rwrb #rwrb movie #rwrb spoilers #rant

[futureplayboibunnie]

‘‘WICKED GAME’’ PT.1

Dr Strange x fem!reader

- i’m finally doing a multiple chapter fic and damn the ideas i have for this one is simply unpalatable. i’m so inspired by the songs ‘wicked game’ by chris isaak and ‘lover you should’ve come over’ by jeff buckley for this fic. it completely captures the smokey, moody, neo-noir atmosphere i’m trying to get across.

i’m basically going for enforced proximity, two cold and heartless people falling for each other, SO MUCH TENSION, SO MUCH ANGST. the ‘touch her and i’ll kill you’ type or dynamic that you WILL have in the forseeable. i don’t want to give too much away, but i love u sm <3

There was never really a job description for this kind of thing.

Drills were expected, training was a necessity but when push came to shove, you would have to save the fucking world from evil or entities no one really knew how to deal with.

But what no one truly could grasp was the evil lurking underground, the corruption and illegalities were strenious and massively interconnected to the point where everyone in the Avengers had special training when it came to undercover work. And once every few years, the rings of corruption bore its ugly head again; everyone had to take turns undercover, it was almost never the people whose true strengths relied upon the sorts but it was simply the rules. It was the equivilent of jury duty: unmissable and boring as fuck.

What made it more interesting is that it was coupled up in pairs, and no one had a say in the matter. It was a mission and it had to be done, for the greater good. This year it was you and Doctor Strange which was actually very strange considering he had more experience in the exact opposite. Seeing him take down a ring would be interesting as his strengths and ambitions lie upon the cosmos and time itself not just a bunch of goons with hard drugs. You and Natasha were far more qualified for this than anyone else.

You never really interacted with Strange that much, you'd hardly uttered a word to him and he you. It was different. Stephen was quiet, he wasn't that hard and arrogant sorcerer people believed him to be anymore- he didn't have time to be in over his head.

From what you could survey, Stephen was cold and calculating, he would rather die than get his hands bloody or dirty- and that's where you came in. The fists of it all. You knew that Stephen's brains would be useful in all of this, it would definitely get this chore done quicker...

Though Tony did have one rule, no fraternizing with your opposite partner. It would sidetrack the mission and he didn't have time for it.

Now you were both here, in a crappy motel stuck for a year with each other; you barely knew him. You didn't really build an impression of him but you wanted to understand what made him tick, what made him so distant, so cold. It intruiged you to see that nothing ever affected him, it was is if everything was surface level and you couldn't help but want to dig deeper into his psyche- even though it wasn't in your right to pry, you were just colleagues after all. This was all just a professional courtesy. Just two people doing their jobs.

Did you really need to get to know him either? It would probably be difficult to live off the land by only exchanging a curt 'hello', 'I have a plan' or 'are we getting food or cooking?' You'd have to stick it out.

Stephen watched you as you lugged your bags into the room, he wondered if this was some sort of cruel joke Tony was playing- he could obviouslv pay for just about any type of infrastructure in the city, something a lot better than this. But with a little bit of deliberation he came to the conclusion that this undercover shit had to be believable and spending a year in the most expensive studio apartment in the city would be highly suspicious.

The room wasn't too small actually, it was unexpectedly clean. It had a kitchenette with an island and a small dining table and thankfully: two bedrooms. Crisp, snowy sheets and a plumped up pillow was all he needed, he was grateful for the two seperate rooms for at least a slight modicum of privacy; though he expected he wouldn't be getting much of that.

Although Stephen didn't have a choice in the matter, he had no idea how he would be useful in an undercover mission- his powers were quite literally unmissable and there were plenty of other people more qualified for this but rules were rules. He could just take out the entire drug ring by conjuring a portal to the literal depths of hell but no, Tony insisted that this be handled delicately. They had connections from all over the city and the mayor insisted that this be completely covert not a public spectacle for prying eyes to criticise.

Believe it or not, Stephen wanted to get his fists bloody. So bad. He was aching for it.

It wasn't even about powers and his ability anymore, he wanted to watch his knuckles bleed and turn white with every punch and every hit. What made it hilarious is that people believed the opposite. Stephen was just so angry and irate all of the time, it was like the testosterone was building inside of his body cemented by his own primal nature. He just wanted to be messy, maybe this was what he needed: to watch himself completely lose it and spiral into oblivion but then again...you would be the one with his mess on your hands.

Then again...it was you that was working with him.

The recluse. The moody. The cryptic.

Stephen was too busy watching your wild eyes dart to every corner of the room, giving nothing away in the process as usual when you percieved your surroundings. When he closed the door and dropped off his bags, he took the split second to survey you at your most candid. You were still acting like a hardass, completely unpleased with this outcome but your face seemed lighter...probably due to the unexpectedness of the room actually being clean. Stephen wondered if he could break through this exterior, it would make his life a hell of a lot easier and he needed that right now.

You darted to one of the bedrooms and scanned it eagerly, letting out a flat ‘’This one's mine. Unpack and then we'll pull some files on these goons.’’ You sounded so fucking done already and he was onlv mirroring that reaction silently as he retreated to the room you so kindly left him.

Stephen let out a sigh as he closed the door. The window offered a pleasant view of the concrete jungle outside, the neon signs gleaming ruby and lagoon as the argon lit up his room dimly. The blackening sky outside seemed to blacken his thoughts, he was straying already- attempting to grasp the broken thoughts of a damaged man working with a woman he barely knew and trying to understand how he could stick this out for a year.

It was just a mission after all. A fucking year long mission without any outside communication except for each other. A year to dismantle the drug ring that just keeps coming back and now you both had to end it once and for all.

You seemed to get unpacked fairly quickly, your mind was running rampant which only transferred to your physical movements. You still couldn't wrap your head around Stephen but right now you had to focus on your first moves by going through the files Tony gave you. It'll be a banal and tedious task indeed and you were simply keening at the idea.

Ugh. How was any of this going to work if you barely even talk to each other? All you knew is that he would rather die than get his fists bloody, that's the only type of impression you got from him already.

Stephen finally creaked open his bedroom door and through the small slit he viewed you wandering and pacing up and down the kitchenette absolved in your own thoughts. You looked panicked...worried, yet Stephen wasn't concerned about it. He finally got out of his room and the noise of the door closing behind him made you whip your head around. He looked...for a lack of better words, like hell. It was so fucking late, neither of you should be up at this unholy hour.

"Oh, hey.’' You sounded breathless but stephen noticed your eyes slightly softening at the sight of him.

'’Hey. It's late.’’ Stephen said in response and it made him internally cringe a little at the incessant need for small talk.

‘’Yeah, I'm hungry.’’ You said coldly and it made him raise a brow at how quickly you could change your tone, is this something he needed to be concerned about? Hmm, he'd sleep on it. ‘’I can’t be bothered to make anything.’’

Thank God for Tony stocking up on supplies and actually allowing you to use your weapons.

‘’Could order something. I'm hungry too.’’ Stephen suggested as he sat on the small dining table, he was just as impassive as you were and he didn't know if it was a good thing or not. Your breath halted a little. Eating? With Stephen? As if you were friends? Was this something you could handle? You paused for a second, using the fleeting moment you had to look at him in the eyes.

‘’You like Thai?’’ You asked placidly and he nodded.

Jesus Christ. If it was going to be this boring you needed to do something about it.

The food came just in time for the silence to border on incredibly awkward. But now you were both just sat on the dining table, cursed with dim lights and a palpable silence but blessed with delicious food in your lap. Stephen knew you wanted to brief him on these idiots with a boatload full of heroin and he wasn't dreading it but he wasn't thrilled about it either.

The silence was lingering and big. You stole glances at him. He stole glances at you. As if you were trying to assess who would utter the next word, it made you...nervous. A word you would never associate with yourself with. You tried to focus on the food, the pad thai was soul replenishing but all of this felt so clandestine, your mind was straying to the man in front of you. It was becoming an annoying problem to the point where you were staring at your fingers.

‘’Were you given the files?’’ Stephen asked you, cruelly dragging you out of your thoughts and catching you out of your daydream. He was trying to talk about work rather than address what was going on here.

‘’Yeah, it's a big operation and they just seem to be coming back after every bust- Tony's expecting us to be done cleanly and quietly.’’ You retained your sentient composure enough to say that.

‘’It's a big sting, we're going to have to-‘’

You cut Stephen off before he could finish, your lips were moving faster than your brain.

‘’Speaking of us and 'we'…’’ Stephen gave you a puzzled look at your interference. ‘'Who are you?'’

You cocked your head and stared at him intently opposite you, his hard exterior was still in full motion. Stephen was searching for the unexpected words, tripping up at any type of answer at all to such a question.

Stephen leaned forward and lowly asked '’Who are you?’’

‘’I know nothing about you.’’ You stated it in a way that wasn't destitute or insulting, it was just a matter of fact. ‘’We work in the same organisation and yet I can't recall a single conversation we've ever had. How am I supposed to work with you now?’’

Stephen stared at you blankly, not revealing a single thought to you when his eyes bore into yours. When you blinked at him so sure of yourself, Stephen felt as though you were stripping away at his soul, like you could see every dark secret, every lonely feeling and the anger that coursed through his very veins. He questioned if you saw it. If you saw the true version of himself he's trying to hide from everyone. The arrogance that was actually acrimony and animosity.

Was this the path he was destined to lead? Could he be able to decieve you of his true identity for an entire year? Spending a few hours with you already had him asking questions he wasn't ready to face. Stephen wondered if this was how you talked to everyone you haven't conversed with, just calling them out on it without a sprinkle of shame. He admired your forwardness…but he could be like that too.

‘’I like music.’’ Stephen said simply, his voice softening at the sentiment- he was thawing. Stephen never thawed.

‘’You act as if your emotions don't exist, yet you love music.’’ You crossed your arms, a little taken aback by his honesty.

‘’That's not a question.’’

‘’It's a statement.’’ You quickfired.

‘’A question then.’’ Stephen gave you leniency but his voice was stern; he didn't know for what reason, you left him a little stunned but he would rather die than show that.

You paused for a beat, eyes still interconnected as if to throw down a challenge. You were up for it to say the least.

‘’Favourite song?’’

Your lips tugged up to a crooked smile and Stephen felt as though the world halted underneath him, the world must be spinning on it's axis the wrong way, the equator must be diagnal at this point. His eyes flitted to your lips, the white of your teeth were just peeking through and stephen had never seen you smile before. His gaze was lingering a lot longer than it should but he felt special for seeing you loosen even if it was just a little bit. A little bit was better than nothing.

Your lips were plump, they looked...soft. Stephen wanted to see you smile like that again.

He was dragged out of his looming when he registered your question. Does he want to reveal such an intimate part of himself? He did open this floodgate up though, it was all on him and now he was dealing with the ramifications of it: being seen.

‘’Wicked Game.’’ Stephen mumbled.

‘’Wicked Game.’’ You repeated so obviously fascinated, your face darkening at such an admission.

‘’If the world was on fire no-one could save me but you.’’ Reciting the words made you ponder upon what else this conspiracy of a man could be hiding. ‘’'Isn't that too...emotional for you?’’ You weren't insulting him, you were genuinely curious and Stephen was uncertain if he wanted to entertain it or not.

‘’Your turn.’’ He demanded.

‘’Lover, You Should've Come Over.’’ You replied bashfully, a little sense of whist pulled at the pricks of your ears at the sentiment. It's the most incredible love song of all time, you couldn't be a hardass and act like it didn't affect you at all because it did. Love songs were a weakness within you. Poetic love songs not that platic poppy crap.

‘’Jeff Buckley. 1994.’’ Stephen remarked trying to feign his surprise at such a song.

Speaking of emotional. Damn.

‘’My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder.’’ You bit your lip at the words attempting to imagine and unable to fathom how one could risk and sacrifice everything for a carefree exchange.

Imagine being loved that deeply. Scorchingly. It made your heart wilt a little knowing you'll never have it.

‘’She is the tear that hangs inside my soul forever.’’ Stephen's eyes dialated against yours as he continued the saga of lyrics.

Your lips parted as your pupils decided to have a mind of their own, your gazes daren't oscillate- it felt like he saw you raw. He saw you real. Delicate. Desperate to be loved and missed so uncontrollably. It made you feel pathetic but you couldn't deny what your heart was yearning for under all this hardness and resentment. You were a hopeless romantic.

Could you keep this charade up forever? Was it in you?

Love is silly stupid thing and your responsibilities rely elsewhere, you didn't have time for it and it would only hold you back. This was the only constant you had with love: that it wasn't worth your time and it would make you weak.

Stephen was afraid he caught you out and overstepped, you were quiet and still and he could practically hear your soft intakes of breath. You looked at him as if you saw him in a new light, not the version of himself he'd been trying to portray. Stephen was worried. He didn't know what of but he was and it rattled him.

It was 1:42 in the morning and the rain was beating heavy against the windows. At this rate, you would spend all night just getting to know one another- you could not have that.

You suddenly went to your feet and stood up from your chair.

‘’I'm tired.’’ You said hastily, your voice cracking a hair. ‘’Goodnight.’’

And with that, you walked away into your room closing the door. You left him in the wind, completely dazed at your sudden exit and at this moment he knew it'll be a difficult entrance into getting to know you. Right now he had a crumb of you but for some reason, he wanted to know more. He was mystified.

Now he only had you for the year. You needed to get used to the company.

#dr stephen strange #dr strange angst #dr strange fluff #dr strange x fem!reader #dr strange x y/n #stephen strange smut #dr strange smut #stephen strange #doctor strange x female reader #doctor strange one shot #doctor strange smut #doctor strange

[elatedandexasperated]

So RWRB was a movie with some discourse...

In all honesty, the discourse has bugged me more than any issues with the film itself. I get a film adaptation not living up to personal expectations set by a book is... a response that people have, but the fact some people have been trying to convince people it's not worth watching bothers me.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen all of the love for it too and I know the antis for the film are definitely in the minority. No one can control how anyone relates or who is allowed to enjoy a piece of media, but the sheer hatred I've seen from some of the people on here for the film hurts a bit to see. The arguments seem to be no deeper than "x character was removed" , "there's these plot holes" and "it's too formulaic" that last one of which I feel was kind of the point: it's a formulaic romcom so that queer people can have a fairy tale romance story like the straight ones that get shoved down our throats from a young age by companies like Disney. McQuiston, an NB writer, has gone on record stating that a huge reason why they write is to feature queer identities and make stories that people like them would have liked to read and feel represented by when they were younger.

If this was a straight Hallmark romcom (which tbf, it basically is in terms of story structure, and I low-key love it because of that) it wouldn't have made so much as a blip on most people's radars. But because it features queer characters the threshold for scrutiny seems to have been dropped to the floor (insert "Get Low" joke here). I can get having criticisms of the film, I have a few myself, but the attempt to convince people the film is bad and to disregard it as a whole because of them ignores the positive qualities, what the film means to people in the queer community, what its success can lead to in terms of representation for underrepresented people in the community (Ace, bi, NB, trans, etc.), and an understanding of intricacies that go into adaptation.

At the end of the day, this film was competently made (and in my opinion, well made) by a gay director with an inclusive team and a deep care for both the source material and an understanding of what the film would mean for millions of viewers. It featured experiences and themes that are common to many people in the community with several very poignant messages that actually have huge metatextual implications with the film (The "forced conformity of the closet" quote sticks out in particular to me: the number of op-eds speculating Nick and Taylor's sexualities and how they've been mum about them makes me think a lot of people missed that one; also looking at you, people that forced Kit Connor out of the closet 😒)

The film is a celebration of love featuring characters that people like me and others in the community can relate to. Is it formulaic? Yes. Did they remove some characters to try and create a tighter narrative focused on the main romantic pair? Yes. Is it overly cheesy and so unrealistically sweet that it will give me diabetes? Delightfully so.

So ending on a positive note, I just want to run down some things I've loved about it:

- An mlm story with an actual happy ending that features adult main leads! (Credit to youth stories, they're important, but as an adult it's hard to relate to teenage characters sometimes)

- The charisma both TZP and NG just radiate throughout the movie

- Sarah Shahi eating the absolute SHIT out of every scene she's in (Touch her and die)

- Same for Rachel Hilson

- Uma Thurman and Stephen Fry (enough said)

- The acting overall was fantastic

- The care and work put into intimate scenes and inclusion of an intimacy coordinator

- On a personal level, I loved seeing parallels between Alex and Henry's relationship and the relationship I have with my husband. For the first time in my 30 years I actually see a little of myself in an uplifting and happy piece of media and not portrayed as a dramatic tragedy, villain, or inconsequential background character.

Tl;Dr if you didn't like the movie, that's your opinion. I'm not here to try and convince you otherwise. But please stop trying to convince people it shouldn't be watched. Regardless of your opinion, this film means a lot to a lot of people, including the author of the original book! Just let us enjoy this imperfect, but tasty cheese with our w(h)ine ❤️

#rwrb #rwrb movie #red white and royal blue #taylor zakhar perez #nicholas galitzine #firstprince #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor

[practically-an-x-man]

Genuine ask: What is it that's appealing about Horror? I've never really been into it (Except for reading some Stephen King). Have I just not been exposed to *good* horror?

Long ramble ahead, I'm very passionate about this stuff

Well it's definitely a polarizing genre, there are some people who love it and some people who really can't get into it no matter how much they try. I'm the former, so is my dad, my mother is the latter. She does not enjoy horror and never will, and that's fine.

I find a few things really fun about horror. The first is that I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so the fear and tension in a good horror movie is a similar effect to riding a roller coaster or going skydiving. Some people find it a thrill, others find it terrifying. I find it a thrill.

There's also a psychological phenomenon linked to it, called excitation transfer. Basically, the more intense a scary situation is, the more pleasant the relief feels when it's over. I actually did a whole research project on this! Horror movies present a safe space for experiencing these emotions, since you know you can't really get hurt, and excitation transfer means that even when the fear and anxiety during the movie may be unpleasant, the relief feels really good afterwards. Again, same principle as thrill rides at theme parks - terrifying in the moment, but fun when it's over. Granted, I like roller coasters in the moment too since I actually really like the feeling of flight or falling, but... same principle.

And even outside the thrill perspective of it: horror movies can have some of the best or most interesting practical effects, and I'm an SFX artist myself so I have to appreciate those. And because of how many complicated, intense emotions it presents, it can often involve some of the best acting on top of it. Horror usually presents a greater variety in themes and plot than other genres, since they aren't afraid to go to uncomfortable places. I mean, you watch a romcom and pretty much always expect that the guy gets the girl, you watch an action movie and expect the heroes to come out on top, but with horror it's a lot harder to really guess how something could end, or if it'll be a win for the "good guys" at all. Sometimes the dark ending is just what's right for the story, and horror is more likely to keep that ending while other genres may shy away from it.

And horror can also present as a bit of escapism - you can see yourself as the final girl, or the killer exacting well-deserved vengeance, or whoever else. Everyone has dark fantasies sometimes, and there's almost always a movie to reflect that in a safe space. You daydream about killing your boss at work? Mayhem (2017). Belko Experiment (2016). You want to see spoiled rich brats getting their comeuppance? Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022). The Menu (2021). You like zombies? Vampires? Robots? Demons? Slashers? Mind control? Mundane settings turned terrifying? It's such a versatile genre, there's something for just about anyone as long as they like scary things.

From an academic perspective, too: horror reflects the societal fears of its time period. In the 60s we got Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the Manchurian Candidate because it was the Cold War and people's biggest fear was foreign spies. In the 80s it was a lot of demons and Satanic themes, because the Satanic panic was what had people scared. Lately we've been getting a lot of tech-based horror like Countdown and Host, since technology is usually at the forefront of people's fears. It's neat (to me at least) to see how society's trends reflect themselves in horror.

Plus, I just really like spooky things. Vampires and zombies and creepy mutated creatures and whatever else are my jam! I can get all academic on why horror is a great genre and why people enjoy it, but this stuff also just calls to me. I love it.

#my friends!!! #answered asks #idk i'm just a huge monster kid. i could ramble about horror for HOURS if you let me. there's a reason i'm making a career out of this #i'm absolutely insufferable when i'm in the studio bc i am ALWAYS talking about whatever movie i've seen recently #i mean seriously if you met me in real life i'd be the biggest nerd you'd have ever met

[mrthology]

I've seen an uptick of hate for RR and his portrayal of the gods and accuracy to myth, do you have any thoughts on that with how much fic you write and the way you portray the gods? /gen

Hi! I’ve answered something similar to this HERE as well, if you’d rather read that! I haven’t seen any uptick of negativity, but I try to avoid any of the more discourse-y sides of fandom. Mostly because I’ve seen it all before, and while discourse is a valid way to interact with fandom, it’s not how I enjoy PJO! 

Short answer: I don’t think a children’s book series is an educational source, nor do I think authors have a responsibility to be 100% accurate when it comes to writing fiction. If someone is looking to RR as their only source for mythological accuracy, that’s a different conversation to have. 

Longer answer below the cut!

The books have flaws, and RR has flaws. But, I don’t expect a children’s fiction book to be perfectly accurate. Hell, classists still argue about a lot of the history and myth. New translations change how we think about Greek texts. There are different historical sources, authors and historians disagree with one another, etc.. History is complicated, especially when it’s so ancient! There’s a reason this is an area of study people devoted their lives to, after all.

I don’t see the PJO series as accurate, but I don’t think they need to be. At their core, I’ve always seen them as stories about Percy, and that’s a very human story that resonated with me as a child, and I know it resonated just as much with others. I likewise don’t read any other retellings expecting perfect accuracy (which, considering the subject, is difficult to do lol), but for a story I enjoy. I read Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati recently and it wasn’t perfectly accurate. But I enjoyed the story, I enjoyed the portrayal of a character who’s always interested me, and I enjoyed the author’s writing style. There are Greek (and other) retellings I didn't like for whatever reason, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong per se, or that people can’t enjoy them as works of fiction.

When I first read the PJO books, I picked them up because I already loved Greek mythology, and I kept reading them for Percy. He was, and still is, a character I adore. That’s why I love PJO, even if as an adult I know they have a lot of flaws, know they’re often wildly inaccurate, and don’t agree with some of RR’s portrayals or takes. I don’t need to! I fell in love with PJO for the characters. Not for a perfect historical and mythological summary, or for a portrayal of the gods I see as relevant to me and my views and beliefs. And, to be blunt, I don’t think that anyone should read PJO or any of the related books as if they’re accurate. They’re not, and they don’t need to be. They’re works of fiction made for children. 

My issue with the so-called accuracy isn’t the books; it’s when people claim they should be (or are) perfectly accurate, or when people use them as an actual source. RR has his issues, but if people are genuinely using a kids series as their source for all things Greek Mythology... that’s on them. He’s a children’s author, and that’s where he’s strongest. There are bits I liked, and bits I side-eyed. But the books are meant to get kids reading and having fun. I, and many people in the fandom, simply am not the target audience. I’ve re-read them and have had issues with some things, but those are issues I as an adult have, and that’s okay! They’re not meant for me. They’re meant for kids. 

I could also say the same thing (and do) about so many other retellings, and so many other books. Stephen Fry’s Mythos, Madeline Miller and her books, the multitude of girl-boss retellings, and more. I’ve DNF’d some retellings, refuse to read others, and have my issues with some aspects of them. But, I don’t think any of the above authors, or RR, are presenting their books as some perfect historical texts, and I don’t think anyone should read them like they are. 

I write because I love to write, and am still in this fandom because I adore Percy as a character and love the escapism and enjoyment it brings me. If someone else gets their enjoyment over debating accuracy in the books, that’s likewise 100% valid. It’s just not for me.

#anon #rick riordan #percy jackson #pjo