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Brother Dearest Pt 61

“What the hell happened to him? He been faking that damn limp this whole time?” One of the Agents at SSR muttered to Chief Thompson who had just come from the lab Sousa’s team had shoved the irritated returned Chief from the shared lab between their floors. Already his own team was off sleuthing in Harlem for backup on the tip that Venom and Eddie had given them. With a huff through the passing group of Agents Sousa moved towards the elevator doors. And didn’t even make it halfway before Thompson stated with a smirk, “Few days near your sweetheart and you’re all upright, perfect example of bed rest to make a man out of a cripple again.”

Sousa simply pressed the button to call the elevator and tapped his cane against his fake shin that gave off an eye dropping metallic echo the men around him looked to. “New leg. Said in some time might be able to run on it. Just breaking it in.” The doors opened and before he could lower the cane the men watched with mouths opening to his unassisted step inside the lit up room. And when he turned he said, “Need it too, back up lab since you’ve been hogging ours has stairs.”

One of the guys asked, “Where the hell did you get a metal leg?”

While another asked, “How could you afford it?” As two more wondered on where the back up lab was that he’d never heard of before.

Sousa replied, “It was a gift.”

Thompson asked, “Let me guess, Peggy’s crime buddy ex squeeze Stark?”

“Baroness Bunny Pear Howlett.”

Thompson asked to their open mouthed stare, “Guess she’s trying to buy her way to the pearly gates before she kicks it. How’d you meet her?”

“I have a drive to get to the lab or I’d stick around chasing fiction and sit on my hands with you and your team.” He pressed the button and the doors closed cutting off the scoffs from the men who circled to talk more about the source of the new leg.

“Still say it’s a plot for points towards heaven. Heard she gained another ten pounds last week.”

Smirks spread and another in the group said to the stunned stare of one of the women on the floor passing notes to one of the Agent that came from another in a different department and floor. “I was her husband I’d have dumped her somewhere out of sight and mind instead of parading a whale around for clout in the papers.”

Down in the lobby Sousa strolled along all the way out to the lot where he climbed into his car and muttered, “Alright, let’s go follow a lead from an alien and his pregnant sister.” He shifted gears to the hum of the engine and pulled out of the lot to start the drive to the Hamptons where Stark’s mansion was located. Stretches of city were swapped for long patches of green with sprawling mansions that he sighed wondering how many years it would take him to save to afford one of these houses if he cared. And how many of these people actually owned these houses outright or had unimaginable mortgages on these marble accented wonders.

He couldn’t imagine a life in the city after his having grown up in a small town, but his sister did need him around. Sure it was just for weekly check ins and a monthly babysitting stop to let her and her husband have the night off. Always where he would be asked about his own future upon their return, now more than ever that his engagement had ended and he was back in town where he was just a floor away from the woman he hadn’t named to his sister that had caught on to his helpless pining. He had missed his sister and now that he had come back the townhouse he had been renting from his friend who had with the first offer stated one day he would be up to selling the place if he had gotten attached. It wasn’t much compared to the farmhouse he had grown up in but by chance if he could build up the nerve to take his chance and ask Peggy out just maybe she might like it for a family home of their own.

Stark’s drive however came into view and he sighed taking the turn and muttered, “Fingers crossed he’s in a helpful mood today.”

Off to the side of the front door he parked and spotted a curtain from above shift in notice of the company and out he climbed to make the walk to the door where he paused to fidget his hand on his cane before giving the front door a knock. Not two minutes later Jarvis was at the door that opened between them with a flinch of a smile, “Chief Sousa, how might I help you?”

“Mr Jarvis, I was wondering if I could talk to Howard actually.”

“Um,” he said to the faint sound of a one sided argument from a female and things being thrown and he stated, “Mr Stark is currently entertaining, however you are welcome to wait in the parlor.” Sousa nodded and stepped through the door that was shut behind them for the stroll through the echo filled mansion to the lushly decorated parlor where Jarvis asked, “Tea?”

“Sure,” Sousa answered and took a seat on the small couch closest to him.

For a few minutes he shook his head and bit back his ache to laugh at the insults fired at Stark until the faint sound of the kettle brought Jarvis back with a tea cart. Upon it with skillful ease he brought together a trio of cups while the tea steeped and asked, “If I may, are you here on official business, Chief Sousa?”

“Unofficially, yes,” that had Jarvis glance up at him, “Guys downstairs are hogging the lab and I was wondering if Stark might loan me use of his.”

That had Jarvis grin, “Oh, how exciting, new gadget?” A door slammed and he set down the napkin in his hand with a grin at him and said, “Pardon me a moment.”

Sousa nodded and watched him stroll out of the room adjusting his vest and tie to gather the belongings left by the door where around the still shouting woman he grinned in draping her wrap around her shoulders and offered her the handbag that had been left with it and stated, “Have a lovely day, Miss DeCoco.” Her thanks was soon followed by another shout to Stark who was now at the base of the stairs to watch her storm to the sports car she sped off in. Once the door was shut again Jarvis was heard to state, “Mr Stark,”

“Ya, I know, I’ll never learn my lesson. Time to go punish myself with a bubble bath.”

“Mr Stark,” Stark turned his head with brows raised and Jarvis continued, “Chief Sousa is here.”

“Oh, perhaps I should get dressed if I’m going to be arrested.”

“He stated he is here to borrow your lab actually.”

“Oh,” he said in a stunned tone and down the steps trotted in his untucked shirt and badly wrinkled pajama pants that lay over the top of his slippers. “Interesting.” To the door he went and strolled in with a grin and said, “Don’t get up, Daniel, how are you?” offering his hand to the man he approached who’d paused in his reach for his cane and shook the hand offered to him.

“Better than you it sounds like. Lovers quarrel?”

Stark shook his head with a grin at the release of hands stating, “Difference of opinions. I’ll send some scarves and a new purse and she’ll be more than happy to apologize.”

Sousa smirked, “So that’s what that was, denial, a lot quieter in my house growing up.”

Stark asked, “So what goodies did you bring to my doorstep? Jarvis says you asked to borrow my lab.”

After a reach into his jacket inner pocket he unfolded the sheet kept there while Jarvis poured the tea, “Part of my case I came back from LA to follow has some vanishing tech from a guy that came from Barbados. Well, I got a tip where to find him and the invisible ship he’s apparently been using to get around.”

“Vanishing tech, lot of people would love to get their hands on that.”

Sousa nodded, “Especially why we have to take him in and find out who else knows how to make it. However I got a tip on a compound to use to interfere with the tech. Pretty common ingredients, just couldn’t get it from her since she’s pregnant and all. Unsafe for the baby.”

Stark’s eyes flinched wider a moment and swept over the Chief asking, “Pregnant? Who gave you the compound?”

Sousa, “Oh, right, forgot to mention, Baroness Bunny Howlett.”

Stark’s face split into an amused grin, “How’d you get her roped into this case of yours?”

“Oh, her brother’s investigation mixed with mine and he caught some tips for me. Peggy knows them fairly well apparently, said they can be trusted and I mean it can’t hurt to try with what I’m up against.”

Stark accepted the sheet and chuckled saying, “Oh I gotta read this. Knew she was holding back on me.”

“Peggy?” Sousa asked accepting his cup of tea.

Stark nodded in response to his and replied, “Bunny. Babies, by the way.”

Sousa, “Must be twins by the size, no offense to her, and they all keep saying girls, as if they know for certain.”

Stark chuckled stating, “Triplets, actually,” parting the Chief’s lips. “She’s got a pretty good instinct on that from what I heard from the Brocks, can always tell a pregnancy before a blood test can by what they say.” Over the page his eyes shifted to the complex equations and diagrams of chemicals needed and reactions followed by one on how to fold the mixture into balloons. “This is way more complex than I would guess a second year student capable. Seems she’s been studying up on her own time. You must have shared a great deal on the tech with her for her to think up a way to counter it.”

“Venom did, apparently.”

Stark chuckled, “Come on Daniel, his name is Eddie. You can’t tell me you think Venom is real, some human eating monster brought on by a bite from a radioactive lizard. Bet it’d be amusing for them to hear you call him that.”

Sousa forced out a chuckle in curiosity if Stark had been let in on the secret, as obviously Peggy knew and only made him wonder why she hadn’t let him in on the fact that those comics were based on more fact than fiction. “Well apparently she’s been helping him to find a way to counter the tech from some diagrams in his own case which could be pretty deadly if they actually make it.” He took a sip and watched Stark read it again.

Jarvis asked after his own sip when he’d sat down, “How is she faring, Mrs Bunny? The papers, have not been particularly kind.”

Sousa caught his gaze answering, “She mentioned she was tired, she’s acting as Judge for some mock trials in school. Seemed to be a bit amused by some of the stories. Said they have a story planned when winter ends and she can’t hide the belly anymore.”

Jarvis said, “Perhaps we might drop in to make certain she is faring well.”

Stark said in a look up from the pages to say, “I’ve tried talking to the Times. Even been trying to stir up some bigger stories, but they are bent on chronicling Bunny’s health with every trash tip they claim to get. Today’s paper has a whole rehash of that frog dissection report and how that would equal a human’s autopsy if they had those results. Just trash, if anything that amount of metal in the body would leech moisture not allow a person to grow twice their usual size.” He lifted his cup and said to Jarvis’ glance his way, “She’s adorable pregnant, you know what I meant, she had to be what, 80 pounds wet, bound to be a reckoning when she puts that story out.”

A few sips later to the share of more plans Stark paused mid sentence at notice of the dark metal limb opposite the socked leg in view and said, “You um, that’s a new leg isn’t it?”

Sousa looked at him and said, “Oh, yes, the Baroness made it for me.”

Jarvis, “It was my impression she preferred not to be named by that title by friends.”

Stark, “She made you a leg? Out of what?”

“Metal, don’t know why gave it to me the second time I’d seen her. Fits shockingly comfortable. Said my old leg had lead in the securing brace that was leeching into my body and this one would be safer for me and help me to run again eventually when I’m used to it.”

Stark asked in a stunned tone, “Really?” Then glanced at his leg again and said, “Well, if you don’t mind I can watch you strut your stuff on the new leg down to our lab.”

“Nowhere near to strutting yet.” He said then joined the others on their feet to make the walk to the lab which gave Stark plenty of chance to steal glances at his eased stride after such little time with it. “So you have everything on the list, right?” His eyes having shifted away from Jarvis in his entrance of the code needed to unlock the lab.

Stark said, “Oh yes,” following Jarvis inside the room that lit up to the flick of a few switches that Sousa looked around while Stark gathered up a few things along the way to a bare station. Including a small device used to test metal contents, “fairly common ingredients by the look of it. Wouldn’t imagine they could do much of anything, but if Bunny says it should work then best to give it a try. No telling what she can pull out of her bag of tricks.”

He settled that helping of ingredients down Jarvis once he’d removed his jacket and folded up his sleeves got to arranging and finding the proper containers listed in your notes to prep and mix all of it in. Then paused at the final note, “Balloons?”

Sousa said, “She said that you have to keep it in latex, anything else it would eat through.”

Stark muttered to himself, “None of these are corrosive when mixed…” then looped around with more ingredients while Jarvis turned in a puzzled circle.

Jarvis, “We have latex gloves, no balloons.”

Stark said, “We have balloons,” pulling a package of grey balloons from a drawer in a desk along the way he added to the spread across the station and made a loop around Sousa to use the metal contents device on his leg. A single sweep of it and his confusion grew to the puzzling readings that there were no known metals in the known universe in it. “What metal did Bunny say she used?”

Sousa turned to see the device in his hand and answered, “She didn’t.”

Stark showed him the device, “Must have made a new one then, because this says there aren’t any metals in it.” After a pause they turned back to the task at hand and the Chief watched the duo work through the intricate directions that seemed to alter the known reactions of the ingredients. All entirely to puzzle the pair all the more on how you of all people had found them out and how this could react to the tech the Chief was up against.

Partway through the lift of a heated beaker underneath the fume hood as per instructions to be mixed into a cooled mixture in a silver bowl Sousa said, “I know you’re dying to ask more about the leg. Go on.”

Stark asked, “She just gave you a leg?”

Sousa said, “Said it’d help me keep up with Peggy. Seems like she just wants to help. Mentioned her relatives escaped a death camp,” that had Jarvis’ eyes on him, “And they’d seen a couple they were ordered to clear I guess and she was a Medic.” Jarvis looked away, “I mean she’s got that Medic rank maybe she wants to be a Doctor or work with the wounded.”

Jarvis asked, “You said Death Camps, her relatives escaped one?”

“Ya, Auschwitz, her aunt and cousin. Met them in France after they stormed Normandy Beach on D-Day. Haven’t met them yet, but if they’re anything like her and her brother should be a trip.”

Jarvis, “I believe Mrs Bunny has the best intentions for her education. And by your leg alone could change the lives of countless former soldiers at the very least.”

The final mixture came with a balloon to be folded over the fingers to pinch two knuckles worth of the creamy mixture that would upon the pinch of the balloon turned right side up to ease a tea spoon of the other mixture that almost had the men gag for the rancid grapefruit odor it gave off before each balloon was tied off and added to a bag for the Chief. “I’ll be damned,” Stark muttered to the sizzle of his having used the same spoon to scrape off the final creamy mixture than within moments ate the spoon he dropped into the mixture entirely. “She wasn’t kidding.”

Sousa peering over his shoulder muttered, “I don’t think she does that.”

Stark smirked, “Oh she has jokes, probably just missed some. She’s a master of subtlety is my guess with her humor.”

“One thing I cannot imagine her to be anything less than subtle. Title demands it no doubt.”

Stark smirked replying, “She married the title, grew up to barely a dime to her name. Could care less about that title so long as she got James out of the deal.”

Jarvis, “It is so pleasing to know she is so deep in love for all the hassle the press has given her since her retirement from the war.”

Sousa asked, “Where’d they even meet anyways, him being a Baron and all?” His eyes scanned between the duo and he asked to their shared disbelieving glance at each other, “What? What am I missing?”

Jarvis, “They met in the war.”

Stark, “Everyone knows this, it was in all the papers. Eddie had custody of her and he got drafted to the Canadian Forces. The hospital on the base Eddie got drafted to Bunny was a Nurse there then it got attacked.” This parted Sousa’s lips, “Eddie hacked off her hair and gave her a uniform, pack and gun and kept her with him while they were sent on their missions. Military counted her as a POW till a couple years later she ran into Victor and James’ platoon they mingled with. Not long after she got shot in the shoulder and was given a field promotion to Medic, E-4? I think. Then the world knew she was alive and safe out of Nazi hands. Somewhere in there they got sent on separate missions then met up at Normandy. That last year they stuck it out then got shipped straight to King George to be medaled and then out to Canada for her to get her GED and they met Truman somewhere in there and then she went on her University tour and settled on Barnard.”

“She got shot in the shoulder?”

Jarvis, “And the neck,” Only widening the Chief’s eyes more, “And there was mention of a facial grazing.”

Sousa, “She got shot three times above the ribs?!”

Stark, “Hard to imagine how badly she could have been hurt without that magnetic powered weapon she made that kept her men safe and was able to take out panzers and planes. Heard they got put on some harrowing details for their reputations.”

Sousa said, “I’m sorry, I can’t get past the she got shot in the face and neck part. I saw her, from several angles.”

Jarvis, “She was remarkably fortunate in her healing scar free from her injuries.”

Stark patted Sousa on the shoulder, “It’s alright Daniel, give it a few more visits and read up on her a bit, head down to The Blue Bonnet in lower Manhattan they’re playing a rerun of their wedding reel and the news clips they have on her in some sort of romantic retaliation for those headlines these days. Even some comics of theirs, helps to build up some socialization with the living mystery she is, well, the whole lot of them are.”

Sousa nodded and took hold of the bag, “Well, um, thank you for this. I have to get back and try to see if I can reach Eddie to plan a drop in tonight on my perp. Be a real thrill to catch my guy before Thompson catches his Weasel Bomber.”

Jarvis, “How have they not caught him yet?”

Sousa shrugged, “He’s got the whole floor except for Peggy on the case and all he’s won is a whole library of books and evidence that actually is from the case Eddie is searching on so they’ve been chasing an imaginary tail. Just ridiculous.”

Jarvis, “Could you not simply inform this Thompson that he is working on irrelevant evidence from an unrelated matter?”

Sousa smirked and said, “No, if the moron can’t figure his foot for a clue he shouldn’t have been given that promotion. But he’s too good at kissing ass than I could ever be to have been chosen against.”

Stark smirked back, “You got that promotion too old man.” Beginning to lead him off back to the front door.

Sousa rolled his eyes and replied, “They were desperate and I was the only one with enough time under my belt.”

Jarvis, “Sometimes necessity can be quite a virtue to have on your side. You have done more than earn the rank and now you have your own team here.”

“Who hate being stuck on my team. Rather be with the fun boys on Thompson’s floor.”

Jarvis, “Well then perhaps one might be traded for Peggy one day and you might have a worthy asset to your team.”

Sousa chuckled and answered, “Baroness has her way it would be best I wasn’t her superior.”

Stark smiled openly at him and clapped a hand on his back, “Well done, I’m hoping you mean in a matter of work positions, bout time we had another member on the team to know how happy you would make each other. And it’s nice to see Peggy gaining some strong women to back her outside of work. Hard to find someone on equal footing for her I would imagine. Plus Bunny has quite the mischievous streak in her. Hell of a pair.”

Sousa asked, “Have you guys seen that Lizard guy they’re putting up a billboard of over on the East Side?”

Jarvis, “Can’t say I have.”

Stark said, “I heard some big wigs have a big order from DC to post some new ‘official PR’ for one of their new show ponies.”

Sousa, “Why do they need a new show pony?”

Stark, “WW2 is over, Cold War is brewing though. Need someone’s face to slap on those posters now that Cap’s been bought out of their use.”

Sousa’s lips parted and Jarvis explained, “Mrs Bunny owns her brother’s image in and out of the uniform. Which the shield we hear is no longer in the Government vaults.”

Sousa, “Someone stole it?!”

Stark smirked and said, “Or someone took it home where it’d be looked after.”

Sousa muttered, “Home, you mean to his sister? What would she have need for that relic? Sledding with the kids?”

Stark chuckled and Jarvis stated in an amused tone, “That would be an amusing and handy use of the old hubcap.”

Stark more for himself than Sousa stated, “Well she certainly didn’t melt it down for that leg of yours. Vibranium would have been picked up by my scanner. No doubt if she’s got it nobody will see where she’s tucked it away. Just by chance he dropped it anyways, one of the last things he touched.”

They paused at the front door and Sousa said, “Victor said she has his pictures up in the library to honor their mother. To not pretend like he never existed. I can’t imagine, said he abandoned her for the war when she was a kid. Why would she have his picture up?”

Stark replied in a hinted solemn but steady tone, “Because she’s ‘not in the business of destroying little girl’s heroes’. What she told me. Why she shares about Bucky to his sisters and mom, he was all she had and he called her a monster. If you ask me, I think she saw him over there. Mentioned once how pitiful his shows were for the troops. If anyone could keep his memory from being trapped in that forever she would. Steve hated that damn show the minute he did it for the boys over there and not people back home who cheered and clapped.”

Sousa, “People who were out there dying, you mean.”

Stark answered, “Then he ran off on his own to news Bucky got taken prisoner. Had his boots on the ground after that till he took a nose dive in that plane.”

Jarvis, “I don’t imagine it would make much difference to put his photos away. He would still be there, all those years together, would still be there. Everything he said, and did, or lack thereof. Sometimes the silence and unanswered questions can be devastating enough.”

Sousa, “I just can’t seem to get a good read on her. I normally have a good radar for people. But her and her family, I don’t know about them.” The bag in his hand was lifted a little bit and he stated, “Thanks again. Let you know how it goes with the balloons.”

Stark said to his back, “Above all, have fun with it. My good balloons are involved.” The Chief chuckled on his way to his car to make the drive back.

Up against the wall you rested your hand in a moment’s pause once you’d hung up the phone after the call from the Blair House, where President Truman and his family were currently living to let the White House receive much needed repairs. He hadn’t asked again on progress of your pregnancy, yet shared he could have another word with the papers to ease up if they continued on like this when he was set for his next event. This call however came with news that out of respect for you they had found another mascot for their propaganda campaign for this new war on the hope front. Steve was at one time all you had and in that prior purchase of the comics Truman had enforced that ownership of everything Cap to sever that government owned tag from Steve’s ear to spare you pain of his face plastered everywhere once again. The big reveal would be at an event smack in the summer break when you would be in Canada and he said that once it did come out something might be done if you wished to show support publicly. But that would not be required.

Princess Elizabeth had responded to your latest letter in the trade off correspondence and even in her gleeful description of her enjoyment of the book you had gifted the couple for their vows the trunk hidden back in Canada kept popping back into your mind. It had been well over a year now since Truman had it sent to you personally that you had moved with you back there and buried like James and Vic had buried their own treasure hoards you had helped them to unearth and go through.

You had asked Peggy about a secret love child but somehow now thoughts of how his children would have grown up next to yours kept showing their faces like tiny prairie dogs you couldn’t shake while your date grew closer. But that tether had come to an end when the two hadn’t been physical, though not entirely fruitless as you learned by means of another Beserker on earth’s skilled studies that a sperm sample had been collected once from Steve and had been kept on ice in a facility. That upon the discovery to a more advanced facility had fallen prey to a freak accident and was leveled and the sample hidden away for when you might want use of it. Along with notes of the several failed tries of fertilization into volunteers by a group of scientists. By their inspection the sample was still viable and now under their care could last much longer and when the others would arrive there would be ample up to acting as surrogate for you.

But that would all be brushed away from your mind for now once again at the kick of your own girls who would send you back to the sketches you had been working up for the Manor finishing touches when you got back. Papers already had been bought before your trip back to Brooklyn and left there to install upon your return. Colored pencils helped to choose paint shades alongside paint swatches the guys had gathered and the duo helped to design some more furniture to go with what would be divided up to fill each of your wings by means of some books they flipped through. Every one of them secured answer that you were calming upon plans of the move. None more so than a mural of sketches on easels now set aside would be painted and hung when the basic paint smells didn’t make your stomach want to turn after the birth. The plans had been solidified nearly and on the page alone the Brocks who had come over the night prior had fallen in love with the changes to your new family home.

State vs Raslo, Tillinghast, Luckstrim

District Attorney Willie Abraham stood in front of the female student playing the 23 year old Christina Flanagan while she recounted her memory of the Defendant Jesse Rasslo on his way about the building in the process of stealing the information of ownership on each of the liquidated assets. “And you are certain it was Mr Rasslo? And not any chance it could have been anyone else?”

“I could point that hideous burnt orange and fuchsia leaf patterned fiasco of a vest he always wears out of a crowd. And if you mean his face I got a good look when he got into the elevator. It’s directly across from the store room I found a hole punch in to replace mine someone had run off with the week prior. Hard to get that ugly mug out of your mind after you see it with all of his tries at playing Casanova anytime he catches wind of a skirt nearby.”

The male student smirked and asked, “And when was the next time you saw Mr Rasslo?”

“Later on at the party. Came in far more gussied up than usual and made it a point to be social. Like he had to talk to everyone in the room. But then that’s when Miss Tillinghast began to try and put on a sort of one woman musical show and I excused myself to the other end of the room where I saw Mr Rasslo talking to Mr Virgil, who then left the room.”

“Did he seem angry?”

“No, determined, like he’d won something. Every time he won something he would get this one look on his face.” From the crowd now Jarvis, Stark and Peggy were added to the mix. All seemingly impressed of these cases they had caught up on with wonder on what two were next. “The same one Mr Gordon got a few minutes later when Mr Rasslo side stepped his way through the crowd to talk to him too. The brothers left and then it was like a switch flipped and Mr Rasslo joined Miss Tillinghast in her one woman show to keep all eyes on them. Only I couldn’t go hide in the toilet anymore as the lines for those grew and then by the time I’d found another for the catering staff in their office we heard the alarm sound and we all started to file out to wait for the cops to arrive to see what was wrong.”

Impressively a large board with the blueprints of a building to stand as example for the company was used by her and the DA in her show of where everyone was by use of markers and taped up sketches of ‘photographs’ taken from that evening by the team that was usually hired. This was what the Defense teams tried to attack and when they had failed in their tries to do so she flashed you a relieved smile in her being excused from the bench to exit the courtroom again now that her part was done.

And next came the pretend 37 year old, who a student with a blanket shoved into his shirt complete with an all crème suit and hat he carried once removed to play up his part of the back story on the gun expert down to a butchered Southern accent. More large pictures were used to discredit the possible bit of testimony that could exonerate the Defendants on trial if anyone believed the malformation of guns as he stated they were formed. The proper analysis of the evidence of trajectory came next along with copies of sketches of the crime scene supplied to yourself, the General, the Jury and the Prosecution to show that things were thrown both on top of one of the casings while a book found underneath Virgil had another bullet lodged inside of it showing that the so called robbery ploy was used to hide the evidence of the true scuffle. Sketches of blood stains on the carpet came next in larger size to show their hypothesis of who died first and how like footprints and arrows that led to the next clues. All of these things were noted by the impressed author of the case who saw that without the chunk of his case he so badly wanted to have gone other ways than this.

“The State rests, Your Honor.” Mr Abraham stated in the conclusion of the testimony of their fourth witness and your eyes shifted to the Defense for wonder on how their witnesses would go the next time you were together and the case with the sound of the gavel was paused to resume at the next date given for a couple days off and you excused yourself for a mini break. The buzz of the crowd waxed and waned in the switch of the teams and comments shared by the Judges, Professors and student Press here for the trial. Of course only to dim again upon your return to show things were headed back on track.

Firske & Hahn vs Glubb Insurance

Four witnesses filled up the remainder of the time. Louis Levard was first. Age 41 who was the GP Doctor Injured parties were sent to by Ins company. With a smile Mr Bressler questioned him after hearing what the injuries were and then promptly frowned beside his partner in Defense Mr Winters to watch Mr Urton stand with human anatomy chart in hand he taped up with help of Officer Browen on the supplied easel to dig into each of the flaws of the statement he had given. The author for this case shifted uncomfortably in his seat to each mistake named and made note of them to be marked later in his report and stole glances your way as others did for the cool expression on your face and occasional tick of your brow to each note you made yourself. Fully by the end of Mr Winters retaliatory questions the crowds could see just why his license was being challenged.

Wallace Walstead of the seasoned age of 51 was next. The Eye Doctor who felt the same fire from the oven he had been seated upon since the moment of being sworn in also with a challenged license. The student’s clear study into the anatomy of the eye led to a shaky but useful dissection of another anatomy chart that proved Miss Hahn’s injuries to her eye were far greater than put on by the Insurance Doctor.

Samuel Strenberg Age 39 came next for the most amusing one yet. Paid for several cases for their testimonies as it was revealed by use of copies of the bank notices added to the case to go with fake court dates and snippets from each trial where they played the satisfied patient. The audience watched with amused smiles while you shifted back in your seat with ample notes being taken to keep from smiling openly to the nearly awed expression on the author’s face to how this one throwaway witness he had written was being used by Mr Urton for the injured parties.

And lastly, smug as hell Bob Kleeman all of 47, Ins Rep on policy for coverage nearly had to be drug off the stand y the end of his testimony within which he defends his stance that since they didn’t go to approved Doctors first to be referred to ER’s afterwards they are responsible for all charges. Even against all the evidence, diagrams and otherwise, he held firm and heated up the room to a degree that had everyone pleased to call it a day by the time the gavel fell.

Into the halls people pooled with excited chatter on how the end of this phase of the case had gone with hopes that the witnesses for the Defense on the murder case would go the next day the court would be called. Stark however found your side and smiled stating, “Very well done on choosing these cases.”

“Oh I didn’t choose them. Just led them a bit out of the gutter.” Your eyes shifted to some of the awed Science students and you said, “I think you might be paraded around a bit today.”

His head shook, “Easy return for the show you gave us. Enjoy your classes. Gladly play show pony in return for today.”

Peggy with a smirk wished you a comfy next class, a sentiment that Jarvis shared in his own amused send off and shift to follow Stark as if to keep him from being eaten by the crowds that pooled around him to grant you a clearer walk with your family to the next class you had.

Pt 62

All –

@sherala007, @mariannetora, @jesgisborne, @knitastically, @catthefearless, @theincaprincess, ggbbhehe4455, @lilith15000, @alishlieb,

Not nsfw(smut) - @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore

X Marvel-Cast - @himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @changlingkhat

Brother Dearest - @thorinanddwalinsdwarrowdam, @swoopswishsward

#Daniel Sousa #Jarvis #Howard Stark #Borrowing Stark's Lab #Hashing up the past #Questions #Mysteries #New Mascot to Come #Failed Baby Cap Experiments #Mock Trials #Peggy Carter

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carynsilver · 4 years

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Favorite Fics: Darcy Edition

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. Things started going on that hurt my soul, and I just felt like, who cares about some fic recs when people are getting hurt? But… I don’t know. I still find solace and comfort in reading stories, even when things are hard—especially when things are hard. So, I finally felt like maybe it was time for another. If the fic writers out there are giving me escape, warm fuzzies, and enjoyment during these weird times, then they deserve some love directed back at them.

So far, I’ve listed my top 10 favorite Stucky, Drarry, and Stony fics. I love them all, but… that is a lot of dudes. I decided it was time for a little girl power in my fanfic recs. One of my favorite BAMF female characters is Darcy Lewis—one of the best and most under-rated, under-explored characters in the MCU.

I love Darcy as the every-girl who has the moxie and chutzpa to hold her own in a life full of superheroes. The girl tased the God of Thunder because he was freaking her out, for goodness sake! I love her being BFFs with Jane, being Thor’s lightening sister, and creating a found family. I love her living in the tower and caring for all the superheroes and science geniuses like they won’t care for themselves. There’s enough leeway in her backstory for fun twists, too, like being Jewish, or—one of my absolute faves—secretly being the daughter of Tony Stark.

There are a ton of good Darcy fics out there, but these are my top 10. Thank you, writers, for sharing these amazing stories with us!

Casa de Island Avengers by @inkbert

I clicked on this story because of WinterShock (Darcy/Bucky), which is a favorite ship of mine (I feel my love of Bucky has been previously discussed at length, lol), but it has become one of my favorite fics of all time. Not even just in the MCU—if I were listed my top five fanfics ever read, this one is on the list.

The concept is simple—post-Ultron, the Avengers started falling apart as a team, so Steve spearheads the effort to get them all on a two-week vacation to Tony’s private island in a last-ditch bonding effort. Every character (except Thor, but he does get some good screen time) has his or her own point of view for at least a chapter or two. Sometimes, this leads to characters sounding the same, but @inkbert really grounds each character in their own backstory and makes their inner monologues sound unique. Then, so many wacky hijinks ensue—camping, drinking, movie nights, girl bonding, sailing, pranks, and the most competitive game nights and challenges you’ve ever seen.

The ships included are Darcy/Bucky, Steve/Natasha, Pepper/Tony, and Clint/Wanda, but this story isn’t only about the ships. It’s about all these crazy characters bonding—found family at its finest. This is probably my favorite Darcy/Jane BFFs story ever, and the Bruce/Tony science bro connection is classic. The story is fully seated in cannon (up through Ultron and moving to the ccmpound), except no Clint/secret family and Pietro lives. Read it. Read it now! And if you enjoy it, there are several one-shots that follow, including a Wanda-centric one that shouldn’t be missed.

Best Supporting Soulmate by Valeris

I love a good soulmate fic, and this is an excellent one. The first thing your soulmate says to you is written on your skin, and there are both romantic and platonic soulmates. Darcy has Jane as a platonic soulmate, but it’s her other soulmate who made her life crazy before she even met them. What are you supposed to do when your soulmate’s first words to you are to let them die?

The two primary ships in this fic are Wintershock and Stony, which work well together, but the story delves into a lot more relationships. I don’t love the whole amnesia trope in a Stucky fic because losing all that history and friendship hurts so much, but in a WinterShock fic, I have a real soft spot for Darcy being able to help post-HYDRA Bucky learn how to person again, and she does that in spades in this one. She also cultivates friendships with just about everyone in Avengers Tower and beyond. Darcy/Johnny Storm BFFs are amazing, and the deep friendship Darcy develops with Tony in this story gives me all the feels. This is a great version of BAMF Darcy who can see what the tortured characters need and is able to help them get there. And there is some interesting conflict with the Fantastic Four, as well.

This was one of the first, if not the first, WinterShock stories I ever read. I had been trying TaserHawk, but it wasn’t really my cuppa, and then somehow found this one and got hooked.

Road Trip of Champions by @leftennant

Natasha and Steve are going on a road trip. Steve wants Bucky to come with, but they feel like they need a fourth to make things even. Natasha bribes Darcy into coming with, and over the course of the trip, we get a lovely WinterShock romance. The road trip concept is fun, and Darcy and Bucky have a light enemies to friends to lovers vibe going on. Bucky is recovering, Darcy isn’t going to take anyone’s crap, and Natasha and Steve really just want a little private time along the way. And the bit at the end of the main story when they play paintball—classic and a scene that has stuck in my mind long after reading many other fics. The protective vibe Bucky has for Darcy after all this and how it even affects paintball is adorable. There are other one-shots in this ’verse as well that should not be missed. You might never think of lemons the same again.

Daybreak by @anogete

Anogete has a really good touch with snarky, caretaker Darcy. I love all her WinterShock stories, but this is the one that’s stuck with me the most. The concept of Darcy trying to help dismantle Bucky’s trigger words by creating new memories for each one was so compelling. The therapy aspect did give me pause (a personal thing; it is dealt with as respectfully as possible in the story), but it all works out in the end. The fact that I loved it so much despite a mild personal ping with the concept speaks to how well it’s written, honestly. :-) And, if this one isn’t to your taste, Anogete has plenty of great WinterShock to read, so definitely try one of them instead!

The Run ’Verse by themonkeycabal

Though it eventually becomes a WinterShock story, my favorite thing about this universe is the Tony-Stark-is-Darcy’s-father trope. This is probably my absolute favorite version of that relationship. There is also time travel, and BAMF Peggy Carter. And even though I don’t love the Darcy-becomes-a-Shield-agent thing as much as Darcy the Scientist Wrangler, this story has a great, cannon-compliant reason for why Tony, Clint, etc., weren’t able to come help Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Maria in CA:tWS. There are a ton of stories in this ’verse, and I enjoyed every single one. My favorite, though, is the one where Darcy and Tony go visit Howard’s forgotten secret bunker and have three generation’s-worth of overdue conversations.

A Morbid Taste for Ice by sitehound

This is probably my favorite TaserTricks story, though I haven’t read nearly as much Darcy/Loki as I have other Darcy ships. I think it’s because writing Loki in character and making it believable to me that Darcy would fall in love with him, especially post-Avengers 1, is a fine line. If the fic apologizes too much for Loki’s wrongdoing without enough repentance/reformation, I don’t buy that she would legit be able to fall for him, but, go too far on the redemption and Loki gets OOC.

This story hits all those beats pretty perfectly and combines them with the whole Darcy/Jane/Thor (and now Loki) found family thing, Thor/Loki brother angst, Jane/Darcy BFFs, and a really compelling murder mystery to boot. There is also an interesting subplot with Loki being what basically amounts to a magical mechanic that I found really interesting amidst the snark, romance, and mystery solving. I’m sad this writer only has the one story up because it is so good!

Bygone by @inkbert

This story is Shieldshock (Steve/Darcy), not WinterShock, so even though I do try to only choose one fic per author (mostly), I’m totally fine having two by @inkbert on this list. Besides, this fic is amazing, and it’s not like there are anyone’s rules to follow on these fic rec lists but my own, lol! This is hands down my favorite ShieldShock story ever.

Jane’s experiment goes awry and sends Darcy into the past—specifically after Bucky left for basic but before he shipped out and Steve got tapped for Project Rebirth. Darcy ends up living with Rebecca and Mrs. Barnes, and she falls head over heels in love with tiny Steve, so much so that they get married despite not knowing what the future holds for her. Then, the night before Steve is going to report to basic, Darcy blips out again, and when she blips back in, Steve is dead. The rest of the story has Darcy blipping her way through time, making friends with Howard, Peggy, and the Howling Commandos. Ultimately, though, it’s her brother/sister relationship with Tony that is the most poignant, especially by the time they catch up to the present again. And Darcy is a complete BAMF the whole time—going on missions, learning to fly anything with wings, doing anything and everything to keep her found family together. This story also gave me a plan for what I would do if I were ever shot back into a timeline like this where I couldn’t sew or cook or make a living—become a typist… genius, Darce!

Their Hearts Said by @anogete

Another Anogete story because I just can’t resist. All her stories are really good, be they WinterShock, ShieldShock, or even her really good Loki/OC fic. I would definitely suggest giving all of them a try.

This ShieldShock story is my favorite post-Infinity War tale. It picks up a few weeks after the snap, with everyone grieving and trying to figure out what to do next. Steve is barely holding it together while the remaining Avengers try to figure out what they can do. After Jane and her family disappear, Darcy heads to Avengers Tower, hoping against hope that maybe Thor knows what’s going on. Darcy and Steve start sleeping together as more of an escape from the awfulness around them than anything else, but as the team works on a plan to save the day and bring everyone back, they develop real feelings for each other. There is also time travel and I really loved the minimalist way she wrote how the day was saved in this. It balanced well with the character stuff. This story is much preferable to End Game—too bad cannon didn’t go like this!

Good Madness by Em_Jaye

Normally, I prefer my Darcy embedded within the MCU cannon. I adore that every girl keeping up with superheroes thing. But, I do enjoy a good AU on occasion, and this is one of my faves. It’s ShieldShock and kid!fic. Darcy runs a bakery that was left to her by her mother (real You’ve Got Mail tones there, but no creepy identity porn), and Steve comes in for treats on occasion. One day, he brings his daughter, and the rest is history. I love the Steve/Darcy romance in this one, and Steve’s daughter is a sweet character. I love the Full House thing Steve has going on co-raising his daughter with Bucky and Sam. And there is a nice Bucky/Natasha subplot and some really good Tony, which I would say more about except that I don’t want to spoil the surprise. My favorite story in the series is the five rules one at the end, so definitely keep going long enough for that. And if you like Em_Jaye’s writing, you should check out The Long Way Around—a Shieldshock, time travel, Endgame fix-it WIP that is excellent, as well.

One Year by @steeleholtingon

This story is WinterShieldShock. OT3s aren’t my favorite trope, but somehow with Bucky/Darcy/Steve, it works. Maybe it’s something about the boys’ history and Darcy dragging them into the future. Kind of what she does for each of them individually in WinterShock and ShieldShock, but with even more oomph. I haven’t read the whole tag, but One Year is my favorite.

Bucky’s Winter Soldier recovery has pushed both Steve and Bucky to the edge. Steve ends up leaving (at Bucky’s demand, but also because the team is afraid he’s going to do some kind of suicide via superhero duty if he doesn’t get his head on straight). The wrinkle—the night before he left, Darcy and Steve had a comforting one-night stand that resulted in two pinks lines on the test. The resulting story takes place one month at a time. Steve tries to piece himself back together and put his feelings for Bucky in the past whilst falling for Darcy over text messages. Bucky, on the other hand, realizes how he fucked it all up and vows to be there for Darcy and Steve’s baby while Steve is gone. Darcy navigates the waters of an unplanned (but wanted) pregnancy while balancing her feelings for both of them. And all the rest of the Avengers, science crew, and other Avengers-adjacent peeps support all three of them through it all. Angst, recovery, and a happy ending. So good!

So, after all that, what are you guys waiting for? Get to reading all this Darcy goodness! :-)

And now I need to figure out what fic rec list to work on next. I have a Stranger Things one (Harringrove and Mileven) almost ready to go, and then I need to decide what to do with the ships and characters that I don’t have a full top ten for. Group them together, perhaps? Bughead and LoVe might be a good combination, lol. And WinterHawk and WinterIron.

#darcy lewis #darcy x steve #darcy x loki #darcy x bucky #wintershock #shieldshock #tasertricks #fanfic #fanfic rec #quarantine reads #highly recommend #thanks for writing these fics #bucky barnes #steve rogers

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thenerdiestbird · 5 years

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Hats off for the women of Marvel. Not just the ones who fight, but all of them.

MARIA HILL- What an agent. Escaping from a falling building in a Jeep and doing all the ‘boring stuff’... she’s a hero from behind the scenes. She doesn’t need to roundhouse kick you in order for her to save the day. Remember when she saved Steve, Natasha and Sam in Winter Soldier? Yeah.

WANDA MAXIMOFF- I understand that she’s not so popular, but sh deserves some appreciation. She watched her brother die, and what did she do? She fought off Ultron. She got off her ass. In becoming a hero, she has gone through moral dilemmas more so than most other female characters. It’s like she’s a regular superhero, except she’s a woman. She is relatable and has grown beautifully into her own character.

HOPE VAN DYNE- She deserved better in Ant-Man. We all know that. We saw her get overlooked, and even though she taught Scott how to punch, she never really had ‘her moment’. Now, in Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers: Endgame, she has entire scenes. Hope is a character who can love and she can fight. She will do the right thing, but she also has self-interest. She is human and we stand for her.

JANE FOSTER- Talk about a girl who is smart. She figures things out for herself and solves problems like no one else. She knows what she’s doing. She is proud to do it. Was she only meant to be a love interest? Yeah. But she is brilliant and strong. She understands Asgard and science. She captured our hearts, too. We can’t blame Thor.

SHARON CARTER- Despite that one scene in Civil War, Sharon Carter is actually quite the woman. Working at the CIA, we didn’t really see any other women besides her. She stands alone and she is stronger because of it. Her character shows weakness, like any human. No one shows a better mix of different sides than she does.

PEGGY CARTER- Damn. A girl who can shoot, solve problems, help Captain America infiltrate Nazi bases, be a spy, succeed in her field AND make us all lesbian for her lipstick look? You don’t get much better than her. She is stronger than she is given credit. Espionage and warfare were her fields. Girls don’t usually do that. She pulled it off perfectly. If we had pockets of her, pretty sure we would keep them forever, too.

GAMORA- A perfect balance of fighter and lover. She doesn’t fall into a mans arms at the end of the first movie. No. Instead, her plot line revolves around stopping her dad, saving the galaxy, and helping her sister become a better person. For once, we see a female character with a SIDE love interest! She mouths the words to songs, and she has a very caring side when it comes to her friends. But if you get in her way, she will stop you.

MANTIS- Oh, funny, empathetic, smiling Mantis. She’s low on her social skills, but that just makes her even more lovable. She cries with the others. She laughs with them. She is a dedicated and loyal member of the Guardians with a troubled past. She won’t kick your ass. She’ll kick your NAME and TAKE your ass. It’s hard not to love her.

MARIA RAMBEAU- Air Force Woman? Let’s hear it for her. She helped save the day behind the scenes, much like our first Maria on this list. She cares for Carol and helps her remember who she is. Intelligent and ahead of her time, Maria Rambeau is the kind of character Marvel is famous for making.

PEPPER POTTS- Can we talk about Pepper in Endgame? How she pulled a Tony Stark style landing in an Iron Man suit? She is strong enough to let go, but perhaps even more so, she is strong enough to tell Tony that he needs to save the day. She is a MOTHER. She is a wife to Iron Man. And she, herself, is a hero.

NAKIA- Someone who finally cares about the rest of the world. Nakia goes to other places and helps refugees and people in danger. She is perhaps the most realistic hero to come out of Marvel. Activist? Check. Spy? Check. Lover? Check.

OKOYE- An army of women is one thing to fear. When the general is this kickass lady, any enemy is done for. Okoye cares for her country and she is NOT AFRAID to kill even those she loves to protect it and the rest of the world. She singlehandedly ran Wakanda while T’Challa and Shuri were in the Soul Realm. What a leader.

SHURI- Wait. Did you just try to tell me that Black Panther WASN’T about Shuri? Who was it about then? Shuri is brilliant, funny and talented, and she makes memes like the rest of us teenagers. #relatable.

CAROL DANVERS- Higher, further, faster, baby. Part of the military. Shot the space stone and absorbed its power. Discovered who she was—I could talk the ears off a corn field about this hero. She is strong. Not just physically. Imagine the pain she went through mentally when she discovered she was on the wrong side! What an icon.

VALKYRIE- B I S E X U A L G O A L S. Walking away from a ship with fireworks in the background, off to kill an army. That describes her perfectly. Our new King of Asgard is a Goddess. Similar to Carol, she started out on the wrong side but underwent so much change. Now, she is our QUEEN.

NEBULA- I could talk for a milennia about Nebula. She started out evil, but we got to watch her become a Guardian of the Galaxy. Personally, I think she has the best character development in the whole MCU. But there is one scene in particular I want to talk about.

Nebula shooting her past self in the head.

That was a metaphor for her becoming a new person and leaving behind the evil that she used to be. She became a hero in that moment more so than ever. I still get chills to think about it.

And lastly.

NATASHA ROMANOFF.

First she was a woman in the back of Iron Man 2 who spoke Latin and saved Tony Stark.

Then she was a spy who had red in her leger and got to wipe it out. She was one of the original six Avengers—and the only girl. She shut the wormhole. She saved the boys.

Next, she was in the Winter Soldier. She fought off a genetically modified assassin from HYDRA. Nothing could have happened without her.

Age of Ultron—she is a lover, but she puts saving the world before her love.

Civil War—she fought within the law for those who went outside of it. Without a doubt she was the most interesting character to watch, as she betrayed her own side to save Steve.

Infinity War. Natasha kicked ass.

Endgame. She was the hero we all needed.

May the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, rest forever in peace.

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ekkorn · 5 years

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hi there, just saw in the tags that you didn‘t like endgame. would you like to expand on that? i am curious to know other people‘s perspective. personally, i liked it. it has flaws, yes, but to me it was enjoyable. if you don‘t feel like answering, that is fine :) have a great day!

oh wow. you really wanna know? okay, but on your own head be it. :o

i’m just joking, i’ll go easy, or at least give you the digest (a vicious lie) version. if you want to see the full extent of my derision and vitriol, you can go to @lowkeysebastianstan, which is the blog where i’ve tried to limit this too. but to give you the not at all short and not so sweet of it, here goes. (endgame spoilers obviously).

the first thing that really set me off was the ending, more precisely, what steve did. it made absolutely no sense whatsoever, and hit me closer to home than most of my followers here since bucky and steve are my fave characters, and the only ship i really have. now, i never thought stucky would become canon, not even a little, i didn’t even hope for it. sure, the representation would’ve been awesome, but there’s no way marvel could’ve done it justice, so it was just as well it was never gonna happen. what i hadn’t prepared for was to what extreme extent they were terrified of the ship and the effect it would have if they were to let it be even a hint that could be interpreted as some emotional connection between them, for 3 films they’re built bucky up as the most important character in steve’s life, he’s risked his own life to save him, he basically eradicated hydra during wwii fueled by grief for him, he was prepared to die for him in tws, he fought his friends and gave up everything for him in cacw, and then he just? leaves? to be with a woman who died of old age and natural causes after a long fulfilling life with another man and family of her own. who specifically told him to fucking move on in tws? yeah, sure. and do not get me wrong, i adore sam wilson, after bucky, and the real steve rogers, he is by far my fave in the cap verse (saving a few spots for my bp and cm peeps in the mcu, but we’ll get to them), and he is the superior choice to pick up the mantle, no doubt about it. (okay, a little doubt, they teased sebastian with that shield for 8 years, they based bucky on the brubaker storyline where he becomes cap, and so i do feel a little torn bc no matter how happy he must be for his friend, and him and mackie are good friends, he must be a little disappointed? but who knows, maybe they’ll do something with that in the series, which would be stupid af bc that would negate the positive leap in representation, and mackie deserves it too, so who the fuck knows, i’ll probably not be around to keep track anyways, and can you tell im rambling), but for steve’s last words to be to sam? while bucky stands and watch in the background? like??? i could go on in (more excruciating) detail, but that was why i linked the blog, there might be a point or two about this on there.

but that was just the start. all through the movie i felt disconnected and uneasy, they made some really weird choices, but i don’t think it was until nat took the plunge that i knew i had an absolute dud on my hands.

the mcu has done a lot of things right, but their treatment of women is NOT one of them. and oh boy did they go out with a bang. first is the obvious implication, he got to live bc he had “more to live for”, and she didn’t have a family, and ye gods we know she can’t have kids, so why should she live?

(see, if the bw movie wasn’t in the books, i’d completely get it, if it was to give scarjo her life back, and she wanted nat to be good and dead, sure. actually, when i first watched it, that’s what i thought tbh, that the bw movie was cancelled, so. but it’s not, so she will return. and since that the case it’s just fucked up that they yeeted her off the roster. and sure, some of the bw movie was always gonna be set in the past, but tbh? i don’t see much point in prequels for dead characters, you know that whatever happens won’t affect the outcome for the character at all, and i usually find them completely void of meaning. that might just be me though). and of course the fact that she died the same way gamora went didn’t help. (gamora’s death was maybe the single worst thing in aiw, she was fridged, not for the advancement of one man, but for two (thanos and quill) and it.just.shouldn’t.have.worked.thanos.cannot.love! again, mcu and women? not a good match.)

then of course, it comes back to steve and how much he doesn’t give a crap about the people close to him in the present, we never see him care or grieve for anyone but peggy, and he could barely spare two tears for nat before it was all business again. and the rest of the team? i think clint cared a little, and banner threw a chair, but that was it. no memorial, not burial, no nothing, it was like she never existed, and she died saving the world just as much as tony, he couldn’t have done jack shit without the soul stone.

and speaking of women, shuri and okoye? before the trailer dropped i was sure shuri was in this, that we’d get to see her lead in her brother’s stead. i actually did a short lament on this already, here.

carol was terribly underused, after all the oompf about her being there she was barely a blip. but the haircut was fantastic, and the best part of the movie was when she returned at the end.

then there’s nebula and gamora (again). at first i was actually quite pleased that they sort of found a loophole to bring gamora back, but then i thought about it (yes, sometimes i get seduced by the flashy colours too) and yeah. sure. a gamora is there, but she’s void of all the things that makes her interesting and all her development is just gone, everything “our” gamora achieved and experienced is gone, three films worth of arc is worthless. so what then is the point of getting “her” back? i don’t care about this person, i don’t know her. are we gonna see quill just harass her the next film, bc you know, she’s been with him, so why shouldn’t he expect her to just do that now? tbh i wouldn’t be surprised, but now that gunn is back maybe he can save it? not that i’ll be around to keep track though.

then nebula. nvm that time paradox, that’s a whole other fuckfest i’ll get back to, but we had to get to see her get killed too, didn’t we. by her sister, the only person in the world she loves. fucking fantastic, i cannot control my enthusiasm.

and no, cool as it was, the a-force surrounding parker is not enough to bring this home. it was a cool sight though. (see? i can see the good.)

then of course it’s peggy. a woman he knew for a few months back during the war. (sure they knew each other longer, but i’d say, even if you’re very generous, they can’t have spent more than a couple of months in each other’s company, and they kissed once). who they stripped of all character development and autonomy so that steve could go back and get his “damce”. everything she achieved, every good thing that happened to her, her husband, her family, her advancement in shield, all gone. bc steve must have his happy ending, no matter that she told him to move the fuck on in tws, who cares.

and then there’s sharon. yeah, they forgot about her, didn’t they. i mean, i was never really on board with that, the whole aunt/niece thing was a bit too weird for me, and this was way before i shipped stucky, but that doesn’t matter. bc they did that, they had them kiss within days after peggy’s death (oooh, look how he cared for peggy), making it clear that this was the beginning of something. (also marvel and several of the actors treated emily like crap, oh yeah, i remember, doesn’t help either.)

(gods i said this would be short, didn’t i? imagine if i could’ve spent all the words i’ve spent ranting about endgame on my latest chapter? good grief.)

then there’s their so called lgbt representation. 30 seconds of a character that had a total of 60 sconds of screentime in tws lamenting his dead lover? well. i. they wanted credit for that. i just.

then there’s thor. they negated every ounce of development he had in ragnarok, this also goes for aiw, wasn’t happy about that, and made him completely ooc, he just spends his time drinking ab\nd playing fortnite of all things? bold of them to assume that will still be a thing in 5 years, but also? thor? THOR? neglecting his people? his friends? the world? thor? then they of course made him fat, haha, so they could add fat-shaming to the list while they make light and fun of his drinking problems, his grief and his ptsd. awesome. the funniest.

then there’s clint. that they just randomly made a killer? just, like a straight up murderer? okay then. and still nat deserved to die. excellent.

then there’s banner. okay, i don’t think they fucked him up as bad as the others, but it’s still strange he would risk his intelligence to become hulk full time, but you do you.

rocket and rhodey were the best things about this damn disaster, just putting it out there.

then there’s tony. i mean, we knew he was the main protagonist, and im not objecting that, (even if i think it’s really strange he’d be born in 1970) but idk. that was strange’s plan? all that for that? and pepper just went, eh what the hell, just die, i can raise this kid you wanted. (i know, i know, she’s her mom, she cares), but it was just so flat. and idk. i mean, rdj wanted his life back, just as evans, but i’d want to see that switched, that tony get to retire and steve sacrifice himself to save the world. tony could still be the deciding factor in strange’s plan even if steve delivered the coup de grace. at least he cared enough to show an emotion™when peter came back, which was more than steve bothered with. jfc they fucked up steve.

then there’s the time travel. okay, a few things about the 2012 thing. they put him in the elevator, and then, instead of having him just kick the crap out of the agents, they reference hydra!cap? the biggest shitstorm in the comics in the last two decades? like what the actual fuck? then of course there’s the americas ass thing, which, again, that’s steve, cares about his ass but not his friends! (but at least 2012 steve cares about bucky, maybe he’ll save him a couple of years early, back to the future steve will just live out his life knowing bucky is getting tortured somewhere in siberia, good times.) oh! and i guess they have their loophole to get loki back too, great, they’ll probably just forget that he’s not in the main timeline, bc who cares.

and the fun just keeps coming with the time travel. oh they tried with some crap explanation that no one can make sense of, but here’s the kicker. they can’t either, they don’t even want to try, they don’t even agree with each other.

+ +

how did they know to meet up in wakanda or wherever, the dustees? did strange send a memo? not just the ppl in the soul realm or wherever they were, but all the others too, like valkyrie and hope. time and place just magically popped into their heads? and what happened when they all came back? or some came back, bc obviously a shit ton of ppl died at the dusting, like the pilot of a 747 gone? plane goes down and such, ppl really dead. and where do they reappear? where they disappeared? aka those passengers that got dusted comes back mid flight? fun! and what about the ones that moved on in their absence? what happens to the ones that come back when their wives and husbands are remarried, when there’s no place for them in their old lives. did all of peter’s classmates get dusted, or did the rest of the class graduate without him, i must assume that all of those in s:ffh did, otherwise some would be in college by now, yeah?

and that’s another reason their watertight time travel is leaky af, there’s no way to get the logistics to work. the only option as such would have been to go back to 2018 and fix it, to reset time, bc otherwise there are just too many holes, it’s just not possible. but they can’t do that bc then they’ll undo all the things that happen in the future that the characters don’t want to lose, like tony’s kid.

oh, i know, it’s a superhero movie, but im strange like that, i expect a modicum of internal logic in all my movies, the bitch that i am.

okay, im gonna leave it there, ive run out of steam, and i want to gif a set. there’s a few things more, but i think you’ve gotten the gist, that i’m not a fan of this movie and a short (lol, so sorry, nothing is ever digest with me, i should’ve warned you) list of reasons why. honestly this is the first time i’ve really don’t a more general account, ive pretty much stuck to steve and that crapshute, there’s a lot of other blogs that concentrate on the other characters, i’d list a few, but i don’t have it in me rn, pop me a msg if you’re interested, also if you’re interested in some real meta, this rambling rant isn’t something that people should be exposed to honestly.

avengers: endgame was a shit movie and no amount of “he’s worthy” and “avengers assemble” is going to fix that, BUT if you enjoyed it, i don’t think less of you, obviously everyone is different, and i envy the hell out of you, i sorely wish i could’ve liked it too. the russos directed what is by far the best movie in the mcu imo, tws, and they had us all fooled, even if we probably should’ve seen it coming after iron man 4: civil war.

hope you’re having a spectacular day, sorry you had to read this if you did, and and thank you for making mine better, i really had a rant in me needing out. (you’d think i’d run out of hate for this by now, but nah.)

thank you for the ask :)

#whyisitsohardtogetoutofbed #ask #answered #anti endgame #i am sorry #i know it's awfully negative #but you asked #obviously you couldn't have been prepared for this though #so i am i bit sorry #lisa's crap #oh look a new tag #i refuse to keep tagging for spoilers #if you've still not seen it idk what to tell you #also the read more should be enough

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lol-misantlery · 5 years

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Yuletide 2019

Hello! I am misantlery on ao3.

Under the read more are specific details about what I want for Derry Girls, Mad Men, Queen’s Thief, Into the Spiderverse, Fleabag, and The Eagle.

General Likes

PINING, awkwardness, people being inexplicably fond of each other, breaking up/making up fic, people being emotionally repressed, denial, FORCED INTIMACY (pretending to be dating, bed sharing, huddling for warmth, trapped in elevator/closet/room together), amnesia fic, first times, hurt/comfort, trust issues, hooker aus, robot aus, happily ever afters.

I am good with g-rated or nc-17 rated fic, but if you’re comfortable writing porn here are some things I am into:

bad decision sex sexual experimentation fun/goofy/‘bad’ sex sex pollen intimacy issues

General Dislikes

rape/non con, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, mundane aus, soulmate marks aus, 24/7 BDSM, non canonical major character death, harm to animals, unhappy endings, mpreg, issuefic, harm to children.

If you want to know some more about what i’m into for each fandom/want some prompts, then keep reading but don’t stress about following each prompt to the letter or anything. They’re here for inspiration!

Why are you so into The Purge as a scenario???

Listen, this took me by surprise too. Explaining it now makes me sound like a crazy person. But I will try.

The Purge is a horror movie franchise, set in a dystopian near-future America where all crime is legal for one day a year, including murder. Pretty dark, edgy, violent stuff! I am not especially interested in the dark and grim sociopolitical realities of this situation, in case my prompts don’t make that clear. I am here for the absurdity, and in the case of most of these fandoms, for the weird and hilarious contrast between my requested fandom and the over the top violence of The Purge. You don’t even need to watch any of The Purge movies, because let’s be real, I don’t care about the world building or logistics here, and I’m not interested in a true crossover so much as I am in borrowing the “all crime is legal for a day” scenario. If any of the Purge prompts speak to you, read some wiki summaries and have at it.

Don’t feel obligated to write those prompts if these aren’t scenarios that appeal to you! And if you do write them, please, don’t make them super dark. Again, the appeal here is the absurdity, not the grim violence of it all.

Derry Girls: Erin Quinn, Clare Devlin, Michelle Mallon, James Maguire

Let me start off by saying you don’t need to include all four in a fic if you don’t want to! I’m perfectly happy with any configuration you end up putting together. If you want to include all the gang, that’s great too! I love everybody nominated so feel free to go wherever your imagination takes you.

I love how the group will spend all day making fun of each other but always come together when it counts. I would definitely enjoy you keeping with the show and doing something with that. Everyone going up on stage to perform with Orla and James realizing that he belongs as a Derry Girl are two of my favorite scenes.

Prompts:

Erin/Clare: I would love a fic where Erin and Clare really do go to prom together instead of the whole thing with Mae and John Paul. Maybe they go for real, or maybe Erin goes as her fake date to support her and then they have to continue the charade after prom. Erin would definitely do a lot of research and throw herself fully into being the best lesbian she could be, which obviously would include practicing kissing Clare a whole lot. I love a good fake dating fic that has the couple accidentally catching feelings. I also love the idea of everyone thinking she’s just making a statement and her dad being the only one to realize her feelings are for real.

I also love the idea of them bonding over a crush on Ms. De Brun, either after the first time or having her roll back into town and Erin going full Dean Pelton “This better not awaken anything in me.”

Michelle/James: I’m very into their combative but loving relationship. Michelle asking him to stay in the finale *__* I’m also very much into introducing a cousinfucking aspect but if you aren’t, don’t worry. I also enjoy how they are in the show, so if you keep their relationship at that level I’ll still be perfectly happy. If you are into it, Michelle totally gives off a “stop making love to me while I’m trying to fuck you” vibe and I would really enjoy seeing how annoyed she would be to realize he was more than just a ride to her.

Michelle gets caught in a time loop and has to figure out how to escape it. Maybe she lets James leave Derry all those other times and the version we see is the one she got right. Or maybe James and Michelle both get caught up in a loop and try increasingly ridiculous schemes to get out of it.

Or maybe Michelle’s mom gave up James’ room when she thought he was leaving with his mom and now James and Michelle have to share a room. They have to deal with all the feelings the finale brought up.

If you are more inspired by one of the other configurations please go for it. I loved James being instantly on Clare’s side when she came out. Finding out how Michelle and/or Erin and/or Clare’s friendship started would be fun. I liked James coming through for Erin when she got stood up. If you are more inspired by James and Erin please keep it platonic. I like them just as friends. I’m definitely open to James, Michelle, and Erin being queer/bi/etc if you’re interested in including that in any of these prompts.

Something based on this post: https://v1als.tumblr.com/post/187672633662/meanwhile-in-the-other-derry . If this appeals to you please go as wild as you want. Fic about the Derry Girls bullying a clown to death? Awesome! Fic about Mary Quinn beating the shit out of a dumb clown with a frying pan or Sister Michael being incredibly unimpressed by It? Love it. If you want to go to an angsty place I’m into it but I would prefer it doesn’t end with anybody perma-dead. I'd be equally happy with ships or no ships for this. No need to bring in the rest of the It characters unless you feel like it.

Mad Men: Bob Benson, Pete Campbell

This is probably my forever yuletide fandom! The show’s been over for a while now, but I still have an enormous soft spot for the love story of Bob and Pete, and would read any number of variations on it.

I don’t mind if you ignore certain parts of canon (s7) or go canon divergent, you can also follow canon if want (Bob shows up in Wichita??) GO WILD.

Shipping Bob/Pete began as a joke for me, but I do ship it for real. I like that Bob is all *_________* about Pete and Pete is simultaneously disgusted and intrigued. He might not be gay, but he’s definitely into someone who’s into him.

Also, if you just want to write about Bob I’d be really interested in his past and what the whole “manservant” deal was. We pretty much know nothing about him and I’d be interested in some backstory, but I’m not exactly looking for Bob/OMC PWP. In case it seemed that way!

btw, https://vimeo.com/132033248 is a supercut of all Bob/Pete scenes (pw: kneetouching). Enjoy!

Prompts:

Fake dating: The CEO of a big company is secretly gay and Pete thinks pretending to be gay will form a bond of solidarity that will give him an edge, but the CEO mistakes this for interest and Pete scrambles to come up with an excuse to get out of doing anything gay and he comes up with, “I have a lover! You may have met him…”

They go to a gay bar lolz and awkwardness ensue.

Pete molds Bob into the Perfect Ad Man and falls for him in the process. Basically “My Fair Lady” with a hillbilly and sodomy.

Groundhog day fic: Pete has to go through the same day again and again, tries to get help from Ken, Peggy, etc, and then comes to the realization that only Bob believes him.

Bob is a conman who starts out trying to seduce Pete as part of a long con, but ends up falling in love.

what if Bob is a spy who mistakes Pete for his contact because Pete compliments his tie? what kind of spy and mistaken identity shenanigans could ensue?

What if Bob and Pete + the Purge??? I feel like Bob would do well. He’s got secrets. Maybe one of those secrets is a facility with weaponry. Also, sodomy wasn’t legal in New York until the 1980s. What if someone in the office awkwardly asks Bob what he’s going to do during the Purge and Pete is appalled, because how uncouth! Everyone knows you don’t ask people what they’re going to do during the Purge! And then Bob makes some veiled comment about how he always spends his Purges banging dudes, and Pete is horribly Intrigued because sex stuff is never a Purge thing he’d thought of.

Queen’s Thief - Megan Whalen Turner: Gen, Attolia

I love these books, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I love Attolia, Gen, and their relationship best. I didn't see the twist where Gen confessed his love to Attolia coming at all the first time I read it and I frantically read to the end to make sure that everything turned out ok. As soon as I got there, I flipped to the front and started again. Somewhere between that moment and when I reached that scene on the stairs again, they became one of my all time OTPs. To be honest, it was probably when she cut off his hand.

I just love them so much, with how ruthless Attolia is and how clever Gen is, and all I want is a fic that focuses on them and their sort of messed up dynamic and that will be enough. I also love Kamet/Costis and would be happy to see something about them in addition to some Gen/Attolia content. I'm open to canon divergent AUs, but, please, no AUs where Attolia doesn't cut off his hand.

Prompts:

Part of what I love so much about this pairing is how terrifyingly competent they are together, and what a good team they make. So I’d love a fic about something like, what if some of their barons are stupid enough to think that Gen and Attolia can be turned on each other? Obviously Gen and Attolia have to go crush them together.

They have to go on some kind of diplomatic visit to Eddis or Sounis or maybe something further afield and absolutely nothing goes as planned. Again, show me how terrifyingly competent they are! Or just go for the lolz: how hilariously wrong can things go, and how do Gen and Attolia deal with it? You can also go the action/adventure route: do they have to get themselves out of a sticky situation by fighting or sneaking around?

Speaking of sneaking around: I’m also into the many possibilities of the scenario where Gen teaches Attolia how to sneak into his bedroom for once. Sexy, funny, emotional, all of the above, I’m into any of it!

Part of the messed up dynamic that I love with these two is how fear and love and guilt are all mixed up together for them, after Attolia cuts off her hand. So I’d be really interested in anything about how/if Gen gets over his fear of Attolia in bed or not, but maybe definitely at least in part through sex.

And because I’ve got a soft spot for Costis and Kamet: Gen and Attolia attend Costis and Kamet's wedding, in disguise or not. Maybe it makes them think of their own wedding! Maybe everyone just reflects sappily on True Love! Or maybe someone gets up to shenanigans! It’s up to you, dear writer!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: May Parker, Olivia Octavius

"My friends call me Liv," Doc Ock says to Miles. And then when she walks into Aunt May's house, May says, "Oh great, it's Liv." I would really love to read a lot more about what's going on with that. Sex is not a must, but I do ship them and anything about a romantic relationship would be great. If you're not into that, then I'd love to read more exploring their dynamic in general -- May is so fondly exasperated and not remotely surprised, but they both immediately go to the mat.

Prompts:

Pre-movie college backstory. Were they rivals-turned-lovers in college? Friendly but disinterested roommates who spent all their time playing science cloak-and-dagger games before realizing over spring break that their nemesis was their roommate?

Pre-movie Spidey parallels backstory. May was clearly supporting Peter as he developed into your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and Octavia has been... what? We know she's CEO of Alchemax during the movie -- was she promoted? Is she the founder? I'd love something exploring their parallel paths, May as a behind-the-scenes string-puller and Liv as a mad scientist, with Peter in the middle working to counter Liv more explicitly.

Post-movie, MIles goes to visit Aunt May and finds Liv there. They have a really awkward tea.

Post-movie, Liv tries to make a comeback. May rolls her eyes and gets to work.

Purge!AU: What happens to the two of them on Purge night? Does May reluctantly go out to try to stop whatever Liv is up to this time? Do they end up working together for some reason? Do they declare it amateur night and just order a pizza?

Also, I would be interested in a fun fic where May and Liv both end up sort of awkwardly mentoring Miles because Miles and Liv end up in a classic supervillian-superhero team-up against some other big villain or disaster.

Fleabag: Fleabag, Priest

So I watched all of Fleabag in a weekend fueled by pizza and beer and loved all of it. But, not gonna lie, what really got me to sit down and finally watch the show was all this talk of a hot priest romance going on in season 2. Others may never believe Moriarty from BBC Sherlock could bring it like that, but I saw the light.

I’m absolutely fine with shippy fic for this fandom. If you want to go down the hardcore priest fucking road then go wild, but I did love everything about the show. Fleabag herself and all of her issues, Claire (and her haircut) and everyone else. Whatever you can write for me that captures how heartbreaking and funny the show is would be great, I'm sure.

Prompts:

With all this talk of the cool Pope maybe considering letting priests marry let’s pretend that the Vatican really does that and now priests everywhere can get married. How would Fleabag feel when she sees the news on the telly? How would the Priest? Imagine them bumping into each other after the news come out.

I think one of the most interesting things about season 2 was the Priest knowing when Fleabag was breaking the fourth wall. What if the fox is his personal fourth wall that no one sees but Fleabag that he can’t leave behind until he deals with his shit?

Purge prompt: Brexit finally happens and the new PM decides to try this Purge thing the Americans have been doing every year. How would Fleabag fare in the purge? Would she stay locked inside with her family having to fight off Stepmother, who’s down to do some purging herself and is scarily good at killing people? Would she go off to hunt Martin? Maybe fucking a Priest doesn’t count if it’s during purge night.

The Eagle | Eagle of the Ninth: Marcus Flavius Aquila, Esca Mac Cunoval

I love this stupid movie so much.I love Marcus, Esca, and Marcus/Esca and would prefer them shipped. UST/pre-slash is okay, too, if you'd rather not write a romance, but please at least leave me the hope that it's going to happen!

What I really love about Marcus/Esca is how even when Marcus is the one who holds official power over Esca as his owner, Esca is always the one with the power in their relationship because Marcus is so desperately into him. I love Marcus pining for Esca but being too honourable to do anything about it, while Esca is too angry at himself for pining for Marcus to do anything about it. I also enjoy Marcus having Roman issues about wanting Esca to fuck him and I don't care if they're not entirely historically accurate. I would just be very into Marcus having very rigid ideas about sex between men and struggling with wanting Esca to fuck him and Esca helping him overcome that.

Some general things about them that I love, both in the movie and in potential fic: cultural miscommunications, or just them worrying enough about miscommunication that they don't even try. Marcus having such utter blind trust in Esca. Esca having to relearn how to let somebody care about him.

Prompts:

That said, my first request is PWP. /o\ I would really, really love a Seal People Made Them Do It fic. Maybe the Seal Prince wants Esca to prove Marcus is his slave, or maybe there's a general boning festival going on and it'd be weird/suspicious for Esca not to participate, I don't know (and not too concerned with historical accuracy on this one). But I'm very into the danger element of they have to fake it for their safety/survival and the intimacy element of them understanding each other with few or no words. Like from Esca's POV, he gets that Marcus understands and consents, or from Marcus', understanding that if he doesn't want to go along with it, they can try to kill their way out. And, okay, if Marcus is a little ashamed of being into it, I am very, very there for that. :9

I would also love a roadtrip fic! The movie clearly ends with Marcus setting Esca up to choose their next adventure, so what does he choose? I don't have a lot of specific plot ideas for that, but I would definitely love to see them on another journey together, maybe hitting all the fun roadtrip tropes, like huddling for warmth in the woods and there being only one bed in their room at the hospitia.

Or, if you're feeling up to something fun and weird, a Purge AU. Honestly, Ancient Rome is a setting that seems oddly suited to hosting the Purge and I would love to see it either played relatively straight to dark and dramatic effect, or humorously deconstructed, with Esca exasperated by more let's-kill-people Roman nonsense.

I would also really be into fic from Esca's POV, holding Marcus during the surgery and contemplating letting twitch and die, and then ~looking into his eyes~ and feeling sick with himself for having such a thought about the man who saved his life, even if he is a Roman asshole. Perhaps followed by all the times Esca could have had him killed or let him die and deciding not to because HONOR until he realizes no, actually, I just really, really want to bone this dude. And then he follows up on that realization, in whatever romantic form that takes.

#yuletide #derry girls #fleabag #queen's thief #mad men #the eagle #into the spiderverse

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elenafisher · 5 years

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chelsea watches (read: is agonized by) “avengers: endgame”

i just got home from endgame and i have a lot to say about it!

OVERALL:

i... liked it? i think? i can’t tell.

there’s probably going to be a lot of complaining in this post, yet i didn’t actually hate the movie. but there was a lot to digest, so i’m sure my feelings will change over the next couple of weeks.

this movie was edited weird and i think it gave me whiplash.

the tone was dramatic and desperate, then lighthearted and fun, and then back to dramatic and desperate before i could so much as blink. it was very jarring!

it also made me cry.

robert downey jr. has always been very earnest in his portrayal of tony stark, but he gave all he had in this one. i was on the edge of tears watching him the whole time, really. there’s definitely a sense of finality to his performance.

those last 20 minutes had me weeping a bit. when they put the arc reactor on the bundle of flowers... oh, my heart. :’(

THE GOOD:

(most of) our characters are back!

but was there ever any doubt? the stakes were made to feel high, but they never really were. you always came away with the feeling that they were all gonna make it.

no word on vision, though! pretty confused about that one. i know he was killed after the snap occurred, so i don’t think they actually can bring him back, but i always thought that he would, since they have this to film still.

it was very well made. i hope they keep bringing back the people who work on the sets, the cinematography, and the lighting, because it was all so well done.

we need to raise one for alan silvestri and his amazing soundtrack.

oh, did anyone else notice the emphasis on DAUGHTERS?

tony’s daughter morgan

scott’s daughter cassie

clint’s daughter lila

thanos’s "daughters”, nebula and gamora

to me, it felt like they were setting up these girls for potentially taking up their father’s mantles, which would actually be cool as fuck.

morgan stark is absolutely the cutest little bean i’ve ever seen in my life.

I LOVE YOU 3000!

her scenes with tony were so sweet.

that cheeseburger parallel... oh man.

really, every scene that every person shared with tony was really good. you can just feel that everybody was giving everything they had because they knew they only had so much time left to play these characters together, and they wanted to get these final performances right.

tom holland, you heartbreaker. the audience in my theater went absolutely nuts when he finally returned. but when he was crying as he was talking to tony for the last time, oh man.

“i lost the kid.” please...

THE BAD:

i still don’t really get what they’re doing with thor.

i don’t share this opinion much because this is tumblr and everyone loves this movie, but i didn’t like ragnarok, and i don’t like what’s become of thor or bruce. i wasn’t really checking on these two before, but now they’re just the comedy reliefs of the MCU.

chris hemsworth is funny, of course, and thor is a badass, of course, but they were just trying so hard with him.

it kind of feels like they’re just pulling him apart, like one group still wants him to be the noble leader of asgard and the other just wants him to be the court jester. so, rather than decide, they just mushed their ideas together.

captain marvel: i knew she wasn’t going to be in the movie much, because she would’ve done everything in, like, 30 minutes, but they really, really underutilized her. seriously, she was only in this one, at most, for five minutes.

but, in those five minutes, she got a new haircut and kicked all kinds of ass, which are both wins.

THE UGLY:

STEVE ROGERS, SIR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

i can’t believe they hit the undo button on cap’s story.

rather than have him grow and develop in his new role in the future he never wanted or expected to receive, they just had him go back in time to marry the one that got away.

but don’t get me wrong y’all; steve and peggy hurt me so good. i live for their angst. but they weren’t supposed to get together like this!

it’s gross because peggy moved on. she was able to pick up the pieces and create something wonderful for herself by having a fulfilling career and a happy marriage with another man.

steve should’ve accepted her choice. if he loves her so much, he should’ve accepted that he lost her and, since she moved on without him, he has to move on without her.

i can almost get the poetic cinema that they were going for: after tony loses his chance at having a family and living his life, steve is woken up and realizes how much he’s been missing out on, so he decides to go out there and discover what he’s been running away from all this time.

but, rather than do those things, or literally anything else, steve goes back in time to... marry peggy.

like, he could’ve traveled the world with sam and bucky, or gone solo for a while, or even hit up sharon again.

sharon carter, what a waste. they really couldn’t commit to the idea of her and steve together, could they?

but as soon as they confirmed sharon to be peggy’s niece, there was just no way a romance could blossom. it’s kind of hilarious how in a cinematic universe where raccoons talk, characters time travel, and AIs can be 3D printed, kissing the niece of your former flame is still considered to be the weirdest thing about it.

seriously: i find it all so vulgar and manipulative.

the one good thing that came out of this was sam wilson, the only worthy captain america, receiving the shield.

i’ve read that some people are upset that sam got the shield instead of bucky. like, did y’all watch the last movie? let bucky have his plums and his goats. he’s done fighting other people’s wars.

THE EVEN UGLIER:

i got problems, y’all, and those problems have two names: natasha romanoff and clint barton.

i ship these two because everything in the avengers (2012) led me to believe that these super cool assassins who were fighting each other were actually in love with each other and it was them against the world (which doesn’t sound familiar at all, i know).

the characters had history and scarlett johansson and jeremy renner had chemistry. i saw it and i know all y’all saw it.

so, y’all can imagine how goddamn appalled i was when i first read that natasha and clint were not only not lovers, but that clint actually had a secret family, with a secret wife, on a secret farm, and that we were going to be told this with absolutely no build-up whatsoever.

but y’all could tell that the russos were as tired as i was when it came to accepting those facts!

they decided to throw caution to the wind and show some more intimacy between natasha and clint, which was delicious. finally, some good fucking food.

i mean, the necklace? she was wearing her necklace again!

to me, it seemed like natasha had fallen in love with him all those years ago, but he was either already married or had turned her down (or both?), and she was never able to act on her feelings for him. i think that clint was also in love... and perhaps knew that he could never be with her, because of their lifestyles and her past, and chose laura instead. or something agonizing and unfulfilling like that.

(i really hope her upcoming movie expands on this.)

and i do think that she loved him. like, romantically. she couldn’t stop touching him the whole movie (HER HANDS ON HIS FACE!!! she’s so worried for him i’m crying) and was shaking, she was so relieved, upon being reunited with him.

it is some consolation that no matter what, you are never able to deny that natasha and clint love each other: even when they’re not romantic partners, they are definitely platonic life partners. their mutual devotion to one another, in almost every universe in the comics and in these movies, is incredibly strong and moving.

so, rather than endure clint’s death, natasha chose to sacrifice herself so that he could get the stone and, ultimately, be reunited with his family. and, on paper, it sounds okay... except, it really isn’t.

y’all wanna know why it’s not okay?

it’s not okay because natasha was an original avenger, and we were never given the chance to spend time with her, or become emotionally invested in her journey, or to care about her reasons for making the ultimate sacrifice.

like, i cared about natasha, but i felt that i would’ve cared so much more (and that the audience could’ve, as well) had we’d been able to have a front row seat to her “atonement” arc.

because, as an audience, we sort of started in medias res: while she was not initially forthcoming with who she was or what she was doing, natasha came to be seen as a reliable and capable ally by the avengers, her second appearance onscreen. we are given no real reason to distrust her because she’s so desperate to find redemption, which she’s made apparent in almost every movie, and it’s hard to hate somebody working so strongly for another chance.

i mean, this journey would’ve been made so much more badass by us experiencing it firsthand, rather than relying on the hearsay from the directors, writers, and actors. we should’ve gotta a miniseries starring natasha romanoff as the black widow, so we could finally see what she did to become so disgusted with herself and so feared by everyone else.

this is (partially) why so many people adore bucky. we’ve seen him as the best friend, the fellow comrade, before he was forced to become a mindless killing machine. we’ve seen him kill and cause absolute mayhem. but now we’re watching bucky grow out from that and become something more (and, hopefully, something better).

basically, natasha romanoff should’ve received that same treatment. we needed to explore all of her facets, not just some of them.

tl;dr: we should’ve had more time with natasha.

it’s also not okay because natasha’s sacrifice, one that was both irreversible and absolutely pivotal to the fate of the final battle, was not given nearly the same amount of respect that tony received after his demise.

while we all owe a lot to robert downey jr. for his choice to portray, and continue portraying, tony stark / iron man, he is not the most important avenger.

it’s also worth noting that he did not have to be the one to snap his fingers. i mean, anyone could’ve been given what tony was wearing and then wielded the gauntlet. but, like natasha, he made a choice to sacrifice his life for the greater good.

yet, only tony was given an elaborate funeral. no matter how you slice it, it’s enormously disrespectful to a veteran team member. for this ultimate sacrifice to be made by the only woman on the original crew is doubly insulting.

AND ALL OF THIS IS MADE WORSE BY THE FACT that natasha’s death mirrors gamora’s. they’re identical, right down to the music that plays and how the camera focuses on their bloody bodies.

the russos were probably trying to invoke poetic cinema again here, but the scene comes across as somewhat lazy and insincere. like, they can’t even kill her right!

as terrible as this scene is, i want to give scarlett and jeremy a round of applause for it. you really got the sense that these characters were more than ready to die for each other, and that’s only because scarlett and jeremy were able to sell the emotional intimacy of the scene so well.

all of it is too little, too late, however.

allow me to conclude this rambling nonsense by stating that i also think they condensed her character arc too much. like, i know this branches off of what i was just talking about a dozen bullet points ago, but even if natasha were to receive this ending, i feel that she received it too soon, y’know?

there should’ve been more scenes in the previous films dedicated to her, and her feelings, and how she relates to any given situation, because another problem that drags this scene down is the lack of any information about natasha.

like, even when assembled with the other avengers, she feels remote.

perhaps that’s intentional, given that the character’s a spy and has been enigmatic about every other area of her life for so many years. but i think she’s been written to be too enigmatic.

#endgame spoilers #chelsea.txt #this is so long lmao kudos to anyone that reads it #and yeah i probably have more thoughts swimming around in my head #but i've been trying to write this post for three hours now and i can't think of anything else to write lol #i need to watch the movie again

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kinsbin · 6 years

Text

First Dates and Drive Ins

Title: First Dates and Drive Ins Word Count: 4722 Ship: Sharky Boshaw/Queenie [Canon/Self Insert]

Summary: Sharky likes Queenie. He likes her a lot. It’s hard to express that with words, though, even when you’re him. So instead, he decides to gather up some help to set up the perfect movie date for them both.

Author’s Note: Writing commission for @bumblebeequeenie! Sharky and her are such an OTP and I always enjoy writing for them both! ;w;

The night had to be perfect. Though Sharky rarely worried about such things as ‘perfection’ or ‘cleanliness’, tonight was different. No one could ever truly be perfect, he knew that, but...Queenie was to him. Everything from her smile to her looks sent his heart palpitating beyond a measurable human speed. He had a soft paranoia for a while that it was just the Bliss that caused her to be around him, sending him visions of an all-too perfect woman who would stand by his side and laugh at his jokes. It was the acceptance that she was, indeed, as real as he was that sent him scrambling over to the Deputy. His palms sweaty and his face flushed, as if he had only just realized the entirety of the situation a few moments ago (which he could neither confirm nor deny) the words that fell from his mouth were only a little bit shocking.

“I need y'all's help. It’s important.”

He could see the Deputy’s shoulders rise and fall in the deepest, longest breath of their life. Sharky knew that they were in.

---

“A movie date?”

Xena quirked an eyebrow at Sharky as he laid out his proposal. Her feet propped up against the barstool next to hers, she had been nursing a rum and coke while cleaning a shovel off. The process left a small pile of dried blood and dirt surrounding her on the floor. A shout from Mary about how she was going to clean it up indicated that it wasn’t the most welcome activity in the bar. Sharky balanced on the balls of his feet, shifting back and forth as he anxiously awaited her final decision. Brows furrowed, Xena thought carefully about it as she always seemed to do. The girl was good at thinking things through. Sharky wasn’t sure if that’s what he was excited for in this moment.

“Yeah! You know,” He talked with his hands as he moved them in front to mime out his desires, “Set up a huge tarp! Get an ol’ projector from the dump and fix her up. Find a couple of movies and BAM! Instant drive through, a perfect date, and maybe a kiss or two….Or we’ll have sex I mean-”

“Okay, OKAY.” Xena held out her hands with wide eyes, “I don’t want to think about your dick, dude. I’ll help y'all out. I can get a tarp and some movies for you no problem. You’ll have to go and grab a projector from somewhere else, though.”

Sharky grinned at her, pulling her into an awkward side hug that sent he stumbling from her stool and spilling her drink with a shocked yelp. “You are the BEST friend a man could have, Xeen! When this date gets up and rollin’, I’ll remember to think about you for it all!”

“Yeah,” Xena wheezed while pulling a face to hide the oncoming smile of amusement that threatened to grow against her cheeks, “I’d rather you not. Now let’s go.”

Pushing the man off of her, she grabbed her shovel and approached the Deputy, Sharky in tow as she put on a grin towards the Deputy waiting at the door, “Well? What are we waiting for? Operation ‘Queenie’s Perfect Date’ is a go!”

The Deputy laughed as Sharky’s grin seemed to grow even wider than before. Excitement burned through his veins almost as hotly as his love for the girl this was all for.

---

Queenie sighed as she stood on the front porch of the house she had taken up residence in. Close enough to the main town to be called if she was needed for a mission but far enough to avoid any light pollution and unwanted guests, the small cottage was an almost perfect fit for her. The sky above slowly began to change colors as the sun set, decorating the world in hues of pinks and yellows. The sheer of twilight coming from the opposite end of the west began to give way to specks of stars and even the moon, in all of her glory, glistened about the darkened line. Cold nipped at its heels, making goosebumps rise on her skin as she watched the night take over.

It was beautiful, but, did little to quell the anxiety slowly seeping into her heart. Xena and Sharky had been gone all day on a mission with the Deputy. Everyone else in town seemed to have one thing or another to do. It left her feeling lonely, missing her friends as they went out on an adventure without her. She was almost hesitant to accept Sharky’s invitation out after they had returned, Xena scurrying off with only a quick ‘hello’ and the Deputy trotting after her. The behavior was strange to say the least, but, she knew her friend was nothing if not honest. If anything was truly going on that she had to worry about, Xena would have told her out of the sheer civic duty of her personality. Sharky had blocked her anyways, babbling on about the day and quickly asking if she was free that evening.

“I wanna show ya something cool that I found-well-me and Rook found actually-but you can only see it at night and it’s really-really uh-Well, somethin’ else!”

Sharky, for all of his humor and pleasantries, was a terrible liar. Queenie couldn’t help but feel slight amusement at the attempt to cover whatever it was he was really up to, and could only nod to play along. Confirming with a soft ‘sure, sounds fun’ she was now waiting, a comfortable outfit of her favorite suspender-dress and shirt on, to be whisked away to what would obviously be more than ‘a really cool thing me and Rook found’.

She was pulled from her momentary reverie when the honkin of a car horn shattered the glass walls of her mind. Focusing back into reality, Queenie stared forward at the pickup truck pulled into her driveway. In the light of her porch, she could just make out Sharky’s familiar silhouette in the driver’s seat, his grin warmer than any sun that would dare continue to shine. It infected her within seconds, sending a soft smile twitching up the corners of her lips as she walked down off the porch and towards the car door.

Hopping into the passenger's seat, she tilted over to give Sharky a soft nudge with her shoulder. A friendly little gesture that placed them in contact and sent a warmth up to Sharky’s face. He hoped with all his heart that it was obscured by the dimming red sunset around them. Tilting his hat back, he gave a soft whistle as she adjusted her seatbelt, “Hot damn, don’t you look good tonight!”

The complement sent pride and flustered embarrassment up her spine. Queenie giggled as she tilted her head and bit her lip, “You think so? I’m glad. Dress to impress, I say!” Though she didn’t say that at all, it was only a half joke.

“You’re always impressive, though! I guess the outfit’s just...a bonus extra impression. Is there a word for that that ain’t negative? Pizazz or something right? Either way, you -uh- you look hot..” His honestly flowed from between his lips without thinking much about it. Like always, he seemed to simply speak how he felt. Every sentence made her smile wider, giggles raking down her shoulders as she tried to hold them back. The tension between them was a warm one, sweet and pinning as they meandered in the space between friends and lovers. Queenie felt hope, a hope for this moment, swell itself up in her chest and yet anxiety stopped her from speaking of it too loudly. There was a fear she was wrong somehow and, if she brought it up and he didn’t feel the same way, it would mean eternal embarrassment and an awkward relationship between them forever.

Still, the thread of laughs and jokes lasted through the ride as they drove off. The roads of the Montana backwoods were rocky with years of forgotten upkeep. Even in a pickup truck built for the hardened terrain, the ride was worse than usual. Queenie held onto the edges of the seat for dear life as the truck rumbled its way through the terrain, further into town. Her eyes cast themselves back and forth curiously, observing the surroundings in an effort to see just what was going on.

“So,” She spoke with a slow curiosity, “Where are we actually going?”

Sharky’s knuckles tightened on the wheel to the truck in surprise, eyes widening as he caught himself through his surprise with a loud cough into his shoulder. Facing her, he couldn’t look her in the eyes as he shrugged. “I dunno what you mean by that,” He denied vehemently, “I told you that Rook and I found something’ that you had to see right? I’m stickin to that.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I am not lying! Just hiding a bit of what I mean is all.”

“That’s lying,” Queenie laughed, taking a breath as she settled back into her seat while gazing out the window thoughtfully, “Just...promise me it won’t be anything bad, right? I’m not going to have to put myself out from being set on fire or kill any Peggies?”

“First of all,” Sharky held up a single finger with a pout, “Both of those things are RADICAL. Especially when we do them both at once. You can’t convince me otherwise. Secondly-” Another finger held up, awkwardly as it was his index finger and thumb- “I concede that, may perhaps, I have not been entirely truthful with you from the very beginning of this endeavor but, I can also assure you that it ain’t for any ill intent or lying or sacrificing you to any sort of god or would-be-wanna-be gods, Seeds or otherwise. I may also concede that I am most definitely not using the biggest and most articulate sentences I can manage while also driving to distract you from asking more questions until we arrive at the aforementioned destination to which I can show you exactly what I mean-Oh! We’re here.”

The truck came to an abrupt halt, sending Queenie flying forward against her seatbelt as Sharky slammed the breaks. With a huff of surprise, Queenie turned to gaze at him. He gazed back at her, blue eyes swimming with a positive pride that made her heart melt. How he always managed to stay so true to himself was something she admired, if not only in secret or to those also nursing a drink or two at the bar when they can. When they talked, he was always smiling. Always rambling. His hands motioned wildly in front of him as if he were creating a picture and whis words were so unique to each situation (stupid, others called it, but unique to her) that it made the world sparkle in a new way that she hadn’t considered before. It was his perspective, perhaps, that she loved the most about him.

Love? Perhaps it was. She wondered if he felt the same way about her.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Sharky clamber out of the driver’s side of the truck, nearly tripping over his feet in excitement as he reached her side of the car door. The click of the handle coming undone followed by the sound of it opening, creaking out its defense against rusty hinges, sent her reeling from her moment of silence. Turning to undo her seatbelt, she couldn’t help but match the smile on Sharky’s face as he bowed as deep as holding a door open would allow him to and gestured outwards with a flourished motion.

“Ma Damn.” He spoke, butchering the french word with his slick accent. The mispronunciation was nothing short of endeering, however, as Queenie giggled and stepped out of the vehicle gingerly. “Ever the gentleman.” She teased with a raise of her eyebrow as he closed the door behind her and re-adjusted his hat with a laugh, “Only for you, I promise.”

“I’ll keep you to that,” She returned with a hum, “Now, show me where we’re going.”

Sharky held out his hand, for once quiet as he watched her intently. The grin was smaller on his lips as he grew nervous, palms sweating just a bit too much to be safe from and he wondered, briefly, if he should have maybe not offered his hand. Perhaps there was time to take it back. Would wiping it on his pants be too obvious? The terrors of the situation loomed overhead like a foreboding cloud before they were blown away by the breeze of shock that instigated itself within him as they approached the area to which he was bringing her.

There was a mental note to buy Xena and the Deputy some whiskeys after all of this was said and done. Next to him, Queenie sucked in a breath as she gasped in shock at the entirety of the field before her. What once was a simple parking lot, grassy as it was made of dirt, cleared out of cars from where they had once idly stood while townsfolk went about their daily business. The normally yellow grass glowed a soft blue in the light of the fairy lights that hung around nearby fence posts and street lamps. The lamps themselves, dimmed to near invisibility, did not interfered in the aesthetic. In fact they almost added to it as much as the large, draped white screen did.

Set up as if it were a drive in movie, the white canvas was tied tightly to metal shafts, the frame of the entirety of it looked as though it was meant to be there. So seamless in its placement that it was, Queenie wondered if the entire town would be up for keeping this there as a drive in theater. It wasn’t like they needed more than one or two parking lots in town nowadays anyways, with cultists and angels attempting to steal whatever they could when they could sneak into the town borders. The thought of such a thing happening, she had to admit, sent shivers down her spine.

Queenie’s eyes gazed around to take the whole thing. The projector in the distance was manned by a familiar mess of red hair, glasses glittering in the blue lighting. As if sensing the gaze, Xena shrunk back and waved idly before disappearing behind a few boxes that seemed to be stack at her side more for convenience's sake than anything else. Queenie held back a laugh as she focused back on Sharky and the area he had created.

So caught up in her wonderment of the scenery around her, Queenie almost didn’t catch the blanket placed down across the dirt. The generic checkered pattern of a picnic mat was bright against the dark earth. A wicker basket, holding a variety of snack foods, rested at a slightly askew angle. The scent of sweetened kettle corn buffeted her olfactory senses as it made itself known amongst the variety of candies that found themselves a comfortable crevice as well. Her heart warmed to see it as well as the small bouquet of flowers resting comfortably inside a clear vase, their various yellow and pink hues shone in contrast to the various blues of the glowing light. The sun had since set officially, letting a lingering overlay of aesthetic against the whole site.

“Sharky,” Queenie found herself breathing out his name in awe, “This is...so beautiful...Did you set all this up for...me?”

Sharky grinned, lips curled upwards as his chest puffed out with pride at her gaze. A hand reached up to rub the back of his neck, averting his eyes towards the massive screen with a sheepish laugh. There was no unsureness in his tone, for Sharky was a very sure man, but there was nervousness. A hint of awe seemed to settle within his own voice as he gestured with his free hand over to the setup before speaking:

“Of course I did! Well, I mean, I got some help and initiated the assistance of some of our other compadres. But it...it was all for us. I mean for you-mostly for you-but I uh. Look-” there was a pause as he took a deep breath, putting his hands together before gesturing to her with a soft blush threatening to coat his cheeks, “I’m not a man of few words. In fact, I am a man of a lotta words, so, I’m gonna use that talent to get this out in the air to ya, Queenie. I-well-I like you. A lot. Like, a fuck ton lot more than I think I’ve ever really like any other friend or girl I’ve been with. More than I like blastin peggies and angels and-well, yeah, you get my point there. I like you. That was the point. And if this wants to make you walk away or kick me in the balls, I get that too! I mean it’ll hurt like a bitch but I’ll get it more or less I just-wanted to make somethin’ nice for ya to surprise you and maybe...have it be our first...sorta official date if you’ll have it.”

He sounded like a high schooler confessing to his crush for the first time. His arms were shaky with the effort of keeping his train of thought going in the correct direction. Sharky’s attempt at not rambling showed Queenie just how much he truly meant this. How much he truly loved her. The confession along with the setup sent the final sparks flying through her mind and a smile spreading across her lips. Reaching out, she touched his hand with her own. Startling, Sharky looked up at her with wide eyes. She felt her heart melt at his gaze as she reached out to peck his lips. It was a soft, timid half-kiss that left him speechless for once in his life. Her touch lingered on him as she pulled him forward. As they made it closer to the blanket, she sat down on it and brought him down with her, smile shy but approving as she did so.

“...I like you too, you know,” She spoke at last, “And there isn’t anyone I’d rather enjoy something like this with...so...I guess my answer is yes.”

Yes...Sharky felt as though he should be waking up from a dream. Pulling himself out of his mind so that he could go about his daily routine as if he hadn't ever had the courage to pull something like this off though. He did have the courage though and, with help, he managed to pull it off. Everything was perfect and, what was more, Queenie had said yes. His heart fluttered before the beat turned into a rhythm, sending shockwaves of awe that showed themselves off in the form of a grin across his lips.

“R-really?” He didn’t believe it even as he sat down next to her. Through the ground underneath was still rough and unpleasant, the blanket provided maximum coverage against the element. The honest question made Queenie laugh, her gaze appreciative over his form as she reached out and took his hand in hers with a nod of affirmation, “Really.”

Just as she had spoke, the soft ‘click’ of a recorder seemed to echo from behind them. A whirr of machinery filled the empty lot and, soon, the screen before them was flooded with light. The start of a horror movie, its interlude crescendo loud but distinctly 80s, flooded their eardrums and made them startle. Looking up, Queenie’s gaze lit with excitement as she reached around for the popcorn between them, throwing a few kernels into her mouth and scooting the basket over in favor of sitting up close and next to Sharky. For a moment he only froze, unsure of exactly how to hold her in the situation they were in. Then he remembered her words and reassurance. Slowly, ever so slowly, his arm found it around her shoulders and he was tugging her close to him with a grin across his face.

The movie was as funny as it was gory. The protagonist shot off witty one-liners as if they were a fine wine. Sharky couldn’t stop his rough and loud laughters from echoing as he pointed at the screen and made comments. Queenie, likewise, laughed through popcorn as she joined in, the banter between them filling up the noiseless forest just as much as the video was. Their conversation eased away the gory horror of the flim and amplified the comedy. Jumpscares were resulted in Queenie flying into Sharky’s arms, where he held her with a hearty laugh and joke to ease away whatever fears occured.

Her breath on his collar bone warmed his body in more ways the one, his heart thumping harsh in his chest as she saddled up to him stubbornly. Her sighs of relief once the gore was over flitted on his face and, for a moment, Sharky could not help but bury his nose in her hair and inhale the scent of her warm shampoo and perfume. There was a scent so unique to her that it could not be mistaken for anything or anyone else. Sharky was sure that, in a crowd of peggies and townsfolk alike, he would be able to find her in the darkest of nights. In the murkiest of depths or twisted backwoods, he would find her.

“You’re thinking about something?” Queenie’s question was gentle.

“Huh? What? No-yeah-” Sharky laughed, “What gave me away?”

“You stopped talking midway through your sentence,” She laughed and snuggled up closer, “Are you alright?”

“I,” He swallowed, “I was just thinking about what I’d do for you, is all. Because, I dunno if you know this but...I think I’d end up doing a lot of things for you.”

It was Queenie’s turn to blush this time, her face heated red even in the light of the movie playing on. As the ending approached, the mood seemed to turn away from lightheartedness and into something more serious...but not unwelcome. It was a moment of vulnerability he offered and she accepted in return. She adjusted herself so that she was sitting on his lap. Sharky kept his arms around her hips so that she wouldn’t fall or lose her balance, his eyes wide with the closeness. Only in his fantasies had she ever been this close. The feeling gave him hope and her body warmth. When she spoke, he listened intently. Hung up on her every word as if it were a prayer, his gaze never left her lips.

“Sharky,” She spoke his name as if it were a relief to say it outloud, “Tonight has been...amazing. It’s the most any guy has ever done for me and...I think it’s more than enough. I’m not looking for a knight in shining armor or anything like that...I just...want someone who will do this with me. Watch movies, laugh a lot...Kiss me like they mean it…”

Sharky picked up on the flirtatiousness of her tone. The way her arms wrapped around his neck to pull him closer. He swallowed, in awe of the woman before him, but recovered quickly. It was now or never and he knew it. Wasting no more time, he reached out with one hand to cup her face. Her cheek was soft and warm with her blush as he brought her forward to place a fierce, passionate kiss against her lips.

He kissed her with his body. He poured his heart into the movements of his mouth against hers, biting her lip and shivering as she gasped into his mouth. Arms tightened around his neck, bringing him closer and his free hand held onto her hip while they tasted one another with their tongues. She tasted like kettle korn with mint and he tasted like tobacco and skittles. Neither minded nor cared just what flavor they held, only that it was each other’s. Somewhere in the background the film ended and the shutter of the last frame of old tape clattered to the end of the recorder, its stray piece of film fluttering as the machine whirred somewhere in the distance. Cicadas echoed from the forest but not even their serenade was enough to pull them from one another.

His stubble was rough on her chin but in the best way possible. Queenie felt the high of lightheaded makeout sessions hit her like a bullet train several moments into the act. When the pulled away, she felt her face warm up with the effort of keeping herself still. Sharky’s hands were on her hips and ass, holding tightly as if she were a lifeline to reality. When she looked in his eyes, they bore deep into hers. Normally lighthearted blue eyes were darkened now with lust and seriousness. His lips were as swollen as hers were and, she thought, it was a nice look on him. One of almost keening desperation to be seen as serious. To see him like this and taking the situation the way he was told her everything to know about his love for her and, she thought, she may just cry over it.

“I love you,” His voice was shaky but meaningful, “And if it takes somethin’ greater than a theater and a kiss to prove it, I’d lasso the whole moon down for ya. Set a pile of peggies burning in a field to spell your name. I, of course, will take a kiss or two like that again if that’s what it’ll take too but-” He managed to grin, “-I think most guys would.”

Queenie rolled her eyes, reaching out to push the brim of his hat over his eyes. When he chortled out with shock, she removed herself from him to stand up. Dusting her jumper off, Queenie watched Sharky readjust his hat and stand at her side with a huff. Her arms were around him again, hugging him to drink his warmth from his body as she sighed.

“I love you too...Thank-you. For what you said and for what you’ve done...I...can only hope I can do that much for you too.”

He hugged her back, arms large and trapping her but she felt safe between them, “You do that much just by existing how you do, sweetheart...Now! How’s about another movie? I got us, like, three of them so-”

She reached up to kiss him again, just hitting his lips on the tips of her toes and giving him a wry smile, “Or,” Her words were soft as she spoke up, “We could go back to my place and finish it off there? My bed’s more comfortable than the ground…”

There was a pause as he processed her words. A tick and then two...And then he grinned after understanding her meaning. Sharky practically vibrated with delight as he nodded, coughing behind his hand, “Uh-Yeah yeah. I think that is an insanely better plan and, from now on, I vote that you come up with all the plans for us ever in the history of us being together forever. Because that? Great plan.”

As he talked, she listened. She laughed. Queenie took his hand and pulled him forward towards the truck they had arrived in and hopped in her passenger's seat. Sharky all but tripped to the driver’s seat and, once in, he leaned over to kiss her again. Despite his eagerness, the kiss was slow and warm. A sweet moment to savor their official first night together as a couple that would be ingrained in his memory for the rest of his years. Kissing her sent electricity down his spine and a smile up his lips.

As he pulled away and started the truck, Sharky felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. A hope, of sorts, that things would be okay. That life, despite the hell of Hope County they lived in, would get better than what it was.

And it would because, well, she was the girl he loved, after all.

There was nothing wrong with that.

#writing commissions #self ship #self inerst #selfshipping #self shipping #self ship writing #kinley writes #bumblebeequeenie #other ships #SO MUCH FUN AS USUAL TY FOR THE COMMISSION DEARIE <333

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sevens-evan · 6 years

Text

pride month day 4

author: daisys-quake

rated: g

pairing: angie martinelli/peggy carter

word count: 1375

summary: Steve visits Peggy on a good day, and learns a few things history forgot.

a/n: no prompt, i was just inspired. takes place between between avengers and ca:tws. i’m writing a fic a day for pride month; prompts are open for any lgbtq ships/headcanons/etc. until the end of june (see my post with details here). enjoy.

Peggy smiles calmly at Steve when he walks in, which is the first sign that it’s a good day.

“Hello, Steve,” she greets, not in the least surprised that he’s here, alive and young. Some of the tension in Steve’s jaw releases. He always does his best to be calm for her, explaining the ice and the time and the rescue over and over and over again because it isn’t her fault that she’s forgetting, but it takes a toll on him. It’s always easier when she remembers.

“Hey, Peggy,” he says, replacing the flowers he had brought the week before, still sitting in their vase by her bed, with the ones in his hand. Violets. Peggy had told him offhandedly, a few weeks prior, that they’re her favorite flower. He tries to mix it up, bring her different kinds each week. He had no idea there were so many varieties of violets. “How are you today?”

“Quite well, thank you,” she responds, her tone nearly identical to what it would’ve been seventy years ago in response to such a question: businesslike, polite but brief. “The nurse brought me my photos back.” She gestures at the bedside table, where a row of black-and-white photos in supermarket picture frames sits, angled towards the bed. Steve hasn’t seen them before. “I’m told they upset me sometimes,” Peggy explains. “It took quite a bit of arguing for her to return them.” Steve sits down in his usual chair, looking at the photos curiously. They’re nothing out of the ordinary; yellowed, faded photographs of Peggy with various people: Howard Stark, a woman Steve assumes is Maria Stark, a tall, stiff-looking man and a redhead about Peggy’s height, and…

“Hey,” Steve says softly, pointing at the photo closest to Peggy’s bed. He recognizes the woman with Peggy in the photo from his history classes, as well as several movies from the fifties and sixties that various people had recommended to him. “Isn’t that Angela Martin?” Peggy sighs happily, looking at the photo with a smile.

“It is,” she agrees, gazing at the picture fondly.

“I didn’t know you two were friends,” Steve says, which makes Peggy laugh for reasons unknown. The laughter turns to coughing halfway through, but she waves away the water he offers her, taking a few deep, rattling breaths before her breathing goes back to normal. The coughing fits are expected now, and the doctors tell Steve that it’s nothing to be concerned about, simply an unpleasant consequence of age, but the awful sound still makes his throat tighten with anxiety.

“You could call it that,” Peggy says. “Most people certainly insisted on doing so.” Steve frowns at her. Peggy glances up from the photo and sees his expression. Her eyes spark with a devious sort of humor. “We were lovers, you see,” she explains, and Steve is fairly sure his jaw drops. Peggy laughs at whatever his face is doing, the sound full of amusement and fond exasperation. “Surprised?” she asks.

“You could say that,” Steve mutters. He looks at the photo again with new eyes, this time noting the casual way Angela’s arm is wrapped around Peggy’s waist, the way Peggy is looking at her instead of the camera, the way they’re both leaning into each other a bit. None of it is overt, or even particularly noticeable, but it’s there when he looks for it.

They look in love, he realizes, and the thought doesn’t hurt a bit. Then he remembers why Angela Martin is so ingrained in the culture of the future, why she was famous enough for him to seek out a few of her movies. Part of it is due to her acting ability; she truly was exceptional, but another part of it…

“It must have been painful,” Steve says quietly. “When she…”

“When she died,” Peggy completes. Steve nods, wincing. “It was over thirty years ago, Steve, I can talk about it.” She shifts in the bed, adjusting so she can look at the photo as she speaks. “It was all very sudden,” she begins. “The diagnosis, and then the treatment, and then…” She lifts one shoulder. “All in the span of four months or so. I didn’t know how to deal with it. After so many years, to suddenly be alone. Howard was…not the man he once was, by then, and we weren’t nearly as close as we were during the war, or in the early years of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’d been with Angie since ’47, you see. We lived together, first in New York, then in LA. Thirty-five years without a moment truly alone, without wanting a moment alone. And then every moment I had was alone. It was terrifying.” Steve reaches out, setting a hand over Peggy’s. Peggy smiles at him, gripping it with a strength belied by her appearance. “It’s a strange thing, for the whole world to mourn someone you love, when you are the only one who knows what you have truly lost.” She pauses for a moment, gazing up at Steve. “Even stranger for such a thing to happen twice in one’s lifetime.” She returns her gaze to the photograph. “The people who mattered knew, of course,” she says. “Howard, Maria, Jarvis and Ana. Angie’s various boyfriends, most of whom dated her because they had their own more controversial relationships to hide, usually knew something of it, although most had no idea who I was.” She shakes her head. “Still, it disturbed me at first, that the world would remember Angie as a serial monogamist, unable to commit, when we were far more committed than many legal marriages I’ve seen.”

“You were married?” Steve asks, frowning in confusion.

“We certainly thought of ourselves as such,” Peggy answers. “There was never a ceremony of any sort, of course, or even a formal discussion, but, rings and legalities aside, I considered her my wife, and vice versa.”

“I’m glad you had her,” Steve says quietly, honestly. “I’m glad you got to be happy.” Peggy smiles.

“Not upset I didn’t spend my life pining over you?” she asks wryly.

“Of course not,” Steve says immediately. “I was dead, Peg. You moved on, you found someone amazing. I could never be upset about that.”

“I was only teasing, dear,” Peggy says gently. Steve flushes slightly, embarrassed at his unnecessarily emphatic reaction. They sit in a comfortable silence for a moment before Steve speaks again.

“Tell me about her?” he asks. “If you want?”

“I would love to,” Peggy says. She glances at the photograph again, and Steve picks it up off the bedside table, handing it to her. Peggy takes it with a murmur of thanks. She stares at it for a long moment, running her thumb along the edge of the frame. “Her first love was the stage, did you know?” she says suddenly. Steve shakes his head. “Yes, she wanted to be on Broadway,” Peggy explains. “She should’ve made it, too. Her voice was…well. I haven’t heard anything like it since.” Peggy smiles, then, wide and happy. Her eyes go a bit distant as she remembers, and her voice gets soft. She still sounds like she’s in love, all these years later.

“She worked as a waitress in a diner I would eat at,” Peggy recalls. “The food wasn’t even that good, to be honest, but I kept going back, almost daily. I wasn’t admitting it to myself back then, but I think, even then, I was taken with her. She was just so relentlessly optimistic, at a time when I couldn’t see much of a future at all. She would go to audition after audition and get rejected from each and every one, and she didn’t let it stop her for a minute. It was inspiring. Still is, really.”

“How’d you end up moving in together?” Steve asks. Peggy smiles again, that same soft, almost reverent smile, and Steve realizes that she doesn’t just sound like it.

She is still in love. Thirty-two years since Angela Martin, or Angie Martinelli, as Peggy knew her, died of brain cancer, and Peggy Carter is still in love.

The thought brings a smile to Steve’s face.

my ao3

#cartinelli #peggy carter #angie martinelli #steve rogers #captain america #agent carter #marvel #my fics #fic: cartinelli #pride month 2018

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starboyholland · 7 years

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Lovers for the Evening | Tommy Smut (and a lot of fluff) Dunkirk AU

Requested: Yes! thanks so much @fionnandfriends !! hopefully that tags you like it should and I hope you enjoy!! Let's all say a prayer that there aren't too many typos, I wanted to get this to you asap!!

Rating: R for smut!!

Summary: It’s everyone’s last night of freedom before you all go to work on the war front the next morning, so you and Tommy, who meet by chance, decide to have one more night of fun.

Remember requests are open for anyone!!!

////

“Alright, ladies, I’ve taught you everything I can, you’re going to feel unprepared. That’s natural, this is war, nobody is born prepared for it. You will learn everything you need to know from each other, and as you go, I promise you will all surprise yourselves with how much you will accomplish. Make me proud, I’m already so proud of you all and I can’t wait to hear of everything you have yet to achieve,”

The head nurse sighed, leaning on her desk and tilting her head slightly. “And I guess, after all of your hard work, you all can leave early- please make good choices!”

Every girl in the room got up out of their desks with whoops and cheer at the words of the head nurse, she’d been like a mother to you all during the fast paced training you’d all gone through to become war front nurses. You’d learned so much that you could only hope to retain enough to save lives.

Everyone grabbed their jackets from hooks on the wall and said goodbye to the head nurse, who smiled and waved, bidding all of the young nurses to go and have a good time while they could.

All of you stood in a circle outside of the makeshift nursing school, an old church that had been converted for training not only you nurses, but technicians and soldiers as well.

“What should we do with our day? It’s only noon now, we have until six-oh-clock tomorrow morning to have fun!” Peggy exclaimed, she had beautiful dark hair and a trim figure.

“Let’s all go get some food, and by food I mean desert!” Jackie laughed and everyone agreed, walking in the direction of the nearest town. As you were walking, you heard the roar of a truck from behind you, the group of you all veered to the side of the road to avoid the vehicle you all anticipated, all 26 of you looking over your shoulder.

It was a military truck, full of young men, squished into the cabin and the open topped trailer hooked to it, hanging off of the sides. They slowed as they drove past you, rolling at about the pace of your walking.

“‘Ello, ladies, lovely day ain’t it?” A few of the younger girls giggled at the attention. You just smirk, scanning the boys’ faces, your eyes catch on one in particular, he has dark hair and a pretty face, one you’ve never seen before. You would’ve remembered seeing somebody that looked as good as him. He noticed your staring, and while normally you’d look away, you were empowered by the feeling that nothing that happened tonight mattered- you were all going to war tomorrow, your childhoods would all be demolished day by day faster than any of you had originally planned. He sent a smile your way, winking. You smiled back, winking subtly at him. This caught the attention of his comrades and he received a few hoots and punches on the shoulder, as well as comments along the lines of what a “fine bird” he’d gotten the attention of.

He had a friend who was positioned next to him with equally dark, short curly hair that whispered something into his ear that made his face go red. His friend just smirked and sat back in his seat.

You didn’t have to think hard about what he might have said, Jackie had just made a joke the other night about how “deprived” the new soldiers must be feeling right around this time, having not been around any women in months.

The boy who you’d been staring at pushed his way through the crowd and made his way to the end of the slowly moving truck, he bent his knees as he jumped off the back end, quickly regaining his balance and looking up to find you.

“Go get her, lover boy!” A boy called from the truck, to that you held up a middle finger in the direction of the boys with a smirk.

“Hi,” his voice caught you off guard, he wasn’t American. “Hello,” you replied, walking slowly behind the group of girls so they wouldn’t eavesdrop on your conversation. Jackie continued to banter with the driver of the truck so you didn’t have to worry about the truck leaving your newfound crush behind any time soon. “So, you’re a nurse?” You nodded, “so you’re a soldier?” He nodded. “Yeah, they say we’re getting shipped out to France in the morning, so I’ll be closer to home but still not close,” he sighed.

“Actually that’s a good thing, no need for the conflict to get any closer to home than it already has,” you nodded. You hated how everyone around here was obsessed with the war. It was all anyone talked about, you knew it was because you were all terrified, but you wished you could have one night without worrying about it, even though the reality of war was closer than ever. Suddenly, the thought sparked in your head that you may never see this boy again.

“You’re really cute- um, what’s your name?” “Tom- Tommy, and thank you, gorgeous, what’s your name?”

You told him and he rolled your name off of his tongue and through his teeth, savoring the sound.

“Well, Tommy, as I was saying, you’re pretty damn good looking, what do you say we forget what’s happening tomorrow and have a grand time tonight together?”

Tom grinned, he liked you.

“That sounds like the perfect evening, to me, where should we go first?”

“How about we lose the group, were going to see them every day for months, how about we go see a movie, pretend we’re in love?” You joked to him. He knew you were joking and laughed, then looked at you again. “I wish there was time to fall in love with you, for real, YN,”

You felt your face heat up, you were determined to have a good time tonight but you were still you, and you weren’t immune to his charm.

The two of you followed the group to town, down the long winding dirt road that was thinly lined by trees. “Where to, doll?” Tommy asked, motioning to the town with his arm, grabbing your hand in his with the other.

“Well, handsome, lets go on a little rendezvous and fall in love,” you said and began walking towards the diner located to your right. The group had fractioned off into smaller groups with nurses and soldiers all talking and laughing together.

“Well, YN, tell me everything about yourself,” Tommy requested and you told him everything, and then asked him to do the same. He did, all the while you two talking and laughing and flirting, eating multiple courses of food. By the time the two of you noticed, the sky had gone dark and the restaurant had emptied out considerably, most of the young people gravitating towards a club across the street. “Well, my love, should we join them?” He motioned with his hand against the window, the cool glass shocking his skin.

“I would love that, my beloved,” you giggled, Tommy and you left money on the table with your many, many empty dishes and interlocked your fingers, holding hands and swinging your arms between you slightly as you walked to the dance hall. Swing music emanated from the open doors, the summer air was warm the spring air of early May filtering in and out freely.

“May I have this dance?” Tommy held out his hand with a grin after the two of you paid your entry fee.

“And all of the others,” you smiled, the two of you danced for an hour at least, before a smoother, jazzier song played and Tommy twirled you under his arm, this time instead of completing the turn you stayed facing the same direction as your partner.

You swayed your hips to the song, the night was still early enough, but you could tell by the positioning of his hands on your hips that he had more hopes for the night than just dancing.

His hands creeped lower, pulling you tightly against his chest, you leaned your head up to whisper into his ear after scanning the room with your eyes. “We’re attracting attention, Tommy,”

“Jealousy is an ugly trait that’s hard to hide,” Tommy teased back, rolling his hips into yours so subtly only you would ever know. You bit your lip to avoid letting out a telling noise.

“Why don’t we take this somewhere more private?” You suggested, Tommy’s eyes darkened so much that you could tell in the dark.

“Yes ma'am,” he replied with a gravelly voice. The two of you linked arms and walked with purpose from the hall, waving goodbye to some of the people you recognized. Several of your friends, both nurses and soldiers winked and cheered at the two of you as you walked through the hall arm and arm.

You knew there was a seedy hotel just down the street, but neither of you wanted to hassle with traveling there, checking in, paying, and having to stay in a bed that probably would be less comfortable than the cots you’d been sleeping on for the duration of your training.

You motioned to the bathrooms, Tommy laughed a bit under his breath, admitting into your ear. “I cannot believe we’re doing this, love,” before knocking on the door. He opened the door and looked inside. There was only one toilet and the door locked from the inside. The two of you looked around to make sure nobody was watching, and quickly entered the bathroom, nerves causing Tommy to pull you in behind him quickly by your arm.

Tommy pushed you against the door, making it slightly shift within its frame. The bathroom was dimly lit but neither of you could care less about your current surroundings.

“I was so lucky that you saw me, today,” Tommy said between kisses all over your face. “I was so lucky when you came down off that truck to find me,” you said, your voice raising an octave or two in a whimper, Tom’s supple lips making their way down your neck, to where your dress came together with a line of buttons that ran down your chest.

“I was so lucky to fall in love with you,” he spoke softly, raising one of your hands to his lips gently, his eyes locked on yours.

“I love you.”

From there it was a frenzy of hands, you removing his shirt and belt as quickly as you could, his hands working on the line of buttons, you worked from the bottom and he worked from the top. He stopped mid way and took off the rest of his clothes, you stopped your movement to look at his body for a moment.

Training had clearly taken it’s toll on his physique- it was beautiful. You could see every detail of him and it made you all the more excited. His hands returned to reveal yourself to him in return.

He worked through a final button as you did the same, your hands meeting as your dress fell open, showing off your bra and underwear.

“Fuck, no wonder I fell in love with you, you’re a goddess,” Tommy murdered into your ear, bringing your hands above your head against the door with one hand, caressing each of your curves with his other, pulling your bra down enough to expose your breasts, and teasing your nipples. He tweaked at them with his fingers before moving to work on them with his mouth, after a few moments he moved down to between your thighs, kissing over your panties. You hadn’t stopped moaning since he started his work on you, and you couldn’t be more excited when he picked you up, and placed you in the counter, he could see your back in the mirror and reached down with both hands to squeeze your ass, your legs dangling off of the ledge.

“Gonna take care of you, darling, don’t you worry,” he kissed your lips, one hand supporting your back, the other moving your underwear to the side enough so he had full view. “God, you’re so fucking wet, so hot,” he moaned at the sight of you and your head leaned back against the mirror.

“Please, we’ve gotta hurry-” your breath hitched as he inserted a finger, pumping it fast inside of you, you reached to play with his painfully hard length, teasing the tip that was red and dripping for you.

By now Tommy had two fingers in you pumping faster than ever and you were nearly ready to come, your legs shaking and head moving from side to side, trying to concentrate on pleasuring your new lover.

His hips bucked into your hands as he leaned forward, an arm helping to steady him on the mirror above your head. “You ready for me, doll?” You nodded eagerly and before you knew it, he was inside you, his body moving fast, hips aligned with yours.

Your hands were in his hair and you kissed, teeth touching at times.

“I’m- not gonna last, love,” Tom said apologetically, not slowing his pace. “Me- me either,” you said, struggling to get the words out along with your heavy breathing, you were already so close from just his fingers. You looked him in the eyes as he reached down and rubbed frantically between your legs. Your eyes rolled back and your head was thrown back in pleasure, meeting with the mirror behind you again.

“Come for me, my love,” Tom requested, and who were you to deny him?

Less than a moment later your walls clenched around him and he thrusted faster than ever, continuing to rub at your sensitive nerves.

You came so hard you saw stars, head leaning on Tommy’s shoulder, a layer of sweat covering both of you, your cheeks flushed. Tom had pulled out in time to finish in the sink, turning on the water to wash out the basin of the sink.

“Alex, he was right about you,” You looked up, curious as to where Tommy was going with this.

“He said you might be the best thing to ever 'appen to me,” your head tilted to the side as his kind words washed over you.

“I love you,” you said again. “I love you,” he repeated.

You cleaned yourself up as best you could, pulling your clothes back on. Tommy did the same, and the two of you agreed to meet outside of the hall as to not arouse suspicion from your friends.

You went first, finding a set of patio chairs outside the hall. You waited for a while in the cool spring air, watching the stars. Tommy came out and sat in the matching chair, a small round table between the two of you.

You both sat in comfortable silence, which was interrupted by a friend of yours coming out of the hall with a camera in hand.

“What happened to you two- wait, never mind, I don’t want to know,” she laughed, holding up the camera. “Do y'all want a picture from tonight?”

You looked at Tommy who nodded, you nodded as well and smiled at him, before the two of you could even look at the camera, the flash went off, the box-shaped camera spit out a photo of the two of you smiling at each other, looking like a real couple.

“This is cute,” Tom grinned, staring at the photograph. “Yeah, it is,” you agreed. The two of you looked at your friend who requested you both smile at the lens. You both obeyed and the flash went off again, both of your eyes squinting, but your smiles remaining the same. “One for you, and one for me,” You smiled, setting them both out on the table. “Thank you, Kit, that’s so kind of you,” you smiled at your friend who nodded happily at the two of you.

“Of course, now, you two love birds enjoy your evening and please, stay out of any more trouble,” she laughed to herself and winked at you. You and Tom laughed and spent the rest of the night staring at each other, wanting something beautiful to remember later on.

You took the picture of the two of you staring at each other, and folded it to fit in your locket. Tom did the same, he’d bought a dog tagged shaped necklace with a compartment that had stayed empty until now.

The next morning, with only a few moments before check-in, Tom ran up to you, pulling you from a group of other nervous nurses. “Hello, my love.” He said, a pen in hand. “Do you still have the picture?” He inquired, you nodded, pulling it from your necklace to show him. He took it from your hands and wrote on the back of it. “Here’s my full name, and my address, so you can find me, when all this hell is over,” he said, handing the picture back to you.

You did the same on his picture with your information and he tucked the photo away in its new and permanent home.

“I love you,” he said again as a loud voice called for everyone to line up to be checked in for service.

“I love you,” you repeated. This time you didn’t care if anyone saw you- you wrapped your arms around him one last time and kissed him, before breaking away and running to your assigned spot, waving goodbye once you reached it. He did the same after reaching where he was supposed to go, it already felt too far away.

Falling in love for a night may have been stupid, but with Tom, it may have been the best thing you could ever hope to do.

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shewritesalittlebit · 7 years

Text

Bio for Natalia Alianovna Romanova (@CzarinaRomanova)

SEE PROFILE:

https://twitter.com/CzarinaRomanova

Natalia Alianovna Romanova was born on the 22nd of November 1928 in Stalingrad (now known as Volgograd), Russia. Little is known of her familial background due to a partial memory loss, making every memory prior her seven years of age vague and blurry. Although she has visions of a mansion caught on fire, a middle-aged soldier carrying her body through the harsh Russian winter and a woman with red hair, dressed in regal clothing calling out her name.

There have been implicationsa and rumours that Natalia is closely related to the last Emperor of Russia, Tsar Nikolai II, but the famed elite assassin has been tight-lipped about the issue.

Most of her life, Natalia only knew the Red Room Academy, where she was trained most of her life to become one of the elite assassins from Russia known as the Black Widows. The Red Room wasn't only a training facility, but, in certain stories, employs biochemical enhancements for its agents and also implants them with false memories reminiscent of those used by the Weapon Plus Program.

Like many of her predecessors, Natalia was biochemically enhanced to be at the peak of her health, to be smarter, faster and sharper than most humans and also, her ageing had been delayed by the biochemical serum that was injected to her system.

Along with 27 other girls, Natalia is sent off to the Bolshoi Theatre to train as ballerinas and at the same time, learn how to infiltrate and attack while being undetected.

The same batch of girls were also under the training of Hydra’s Asset, the Winter Soldier. All the girls were drilled and trained before the Asset had chosen one protege to continue a much severe and rigorous training, to which Natalia rose to the top as the best candidate for the title of Black Widow.

For two long years, Natalia trained under the Winter Soldier and was even sent on short mission assignments with him as part of her training. The brainwashed war hero took the young Russian assassin under his wing, not realising that Natalia was opening up his humanity and feelings, as she did for herself. Under the Winter Soldier’s tutelage, Natalia Alianovna Romanova earned herself the title of Black Widow; the most legendary elite assassin the academy has ever produced, just before her eighteenth birthday.

The newly graduated Black Widow and Winter Soldier carried on their secret love affair, away from the prying eyes of Madame B and his handlers until such time that the Asset was again put back into his cryo sleep and wiped of any memories of his time in the Red Room Academy.

And as expected of a graduating assassin, Natalia is to undergo the “The "Graduation Ceremony", which takes place after the agents have successfully passed a series of physical and mental tests, involves the young women being forcefully sterilized. Removing their ability to bear children, supposedly makes the Red Room graduates better killers; they never have to experience such weakness as worrying more about a family than their mission.

However, Natalia was pulled out of the sterilisation wing personally by Madame B. Confused by the actions, Natalia remained silent as she was escorted to a car with the madame, only to find herself in a Russian Hydra Base. It is where Natalia is to be part of Hydra and Red Room’s pet project for an army of biochemically-engineered children to be raised as elite soldiers and assassins for the new world; Project Palingenesis. There, the eighteen year old assassin was forced to become a host of the enhanced fetuses through natural yet traumatising ways of inseminations from the triggered Winter Soldier; where she experiences 3 still born children and a baby boy that suddenly died after eight weeks.

During those grueling four years under Hydra’s experimentation and in-between short mission assignments, the handlers and Madame B discovered her affair with the Asset. Both were brutally sanctioned and Natalia had the first-hand experience of witnessing the wiping of the Winter Soldier.

Having enough of such brutality and her first heartbreak, Natalia Romanova defects from both organisations; living under multiple disguises and working as a lone mercenary before meeting Clint Barton, who takes her under his wing to become an ally of SHIELD.

Her time with SHIELD had proven herself to be an indispensable agent with exceptional skills, earning her top ranks and one of Director Nicholas Fury’s most trusted agents.

After the Battle of New York, Natalia Romanova became part of the Avengers Initiative alongside Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor and the Hulk.

AFFILIATIONS:

Captain Steven Grant Rogers

Not only has Natasha proven herself to be his second in command as the Black Widow for Captain America, Natalia is also Steve’s closest ally and friend, along with being his wing man. Natalia had willingly compromised her position and betrayed Tony Stark’s trust during the battle pertaining to the Sokovia Accords.

James Buchanan Barnes

Natalia’s former instructor from the Red Room Academy, lover and the only man she has ever loved. They both share a rich and deep history stemming back to their days in Russia. As of date, they have one child together.

Carolina Natalia Isabelle Barnes

Natalia and James’ only child as of date. A product of both their love and Hydra’s evil experimentation, Lina Barnes was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily, Italy with her adoptive parents, Irina and Gino Santangelo. Natalia would visit her child under the guise of a travelling godmother until the girl herself asked the obvious question at age 10.

CURRENT PLOTS AND SLs:

1. Project Palingenesis

TRIGGER WARNING

Peggy Carter (https://twitter.com/FounderOfShield) James “Yasha” Barnes (https://twitter.com/ExScrgeant)

- Where both women are subjected to become hosts of Hydra and Red Room’s experimentation and pet project to create an army of biochemically-engineered children.

2. The Black Widow and Winter Soldier TRIGGER WARNING

James “Yasha” Barnes (https://twitter.com/ExScrgeant)

- the very first time Natalia has laid eyes on her instructor, the Winter Soldier, who takes her under his wing leading up to the time their love blossoms into an unrequited love taking place in the freezing cold winter of Russia.

3. Domestication with a twist

TRIGGER WARNING

James “Yasha” Barnes (https://twitter.com/ExScrgeant) Lina Romanova Barnes (https://twitter.com/LinaBelleBarnes)

- 22 year old Lina Barnes has always played the matchmaker for her biological parents, who seemed to hate each other for a reason. She makes it a point to make sure her parents realise their love for each other while retracing their steps back to when their love was real.

Side notes and inserts:

1. To avoid confusion and a lengthy explanation, Natalia’s public papers and documents state that she was born on November 22, 1984 instead of 1928.

2. Only a close group of people call her Natalia. The rest will address her as Agent Romanoff, Natasha and Black Widow.

3. Natalia suffers from mild to moderate schizophrenia, brought on by the years of her mind being meddled with and partially brainwashed due to the academy’s system. Most of the time, Natalia would ostracise herself and smoke rolls upon rolls of cigars while drinking herself to a stupor; just to avoid seeing or hearing her delusions and hallucinations.

RULES AND NOTES:

1. PLEASE do not come up to Natalia and act like she knows you or she knows something/anything about you. Just like any other person in the world, you will act accordingly to how a stranger approaches you. Failure to comply to the rule will only result to a brash and cold, sometimes violent Natalia.

2. PLEASE do NOT come up to her DMs and try to force yourself upon her. Any form of abuse, sexual or verbal, will only get you blocked and reported.

3. I would prefer that the person/account approach her first when a certain plot is to be discussed. Natalia’s DMs are always open and she is open to entertaining your ideas.

4. RL tends to be a bitch and my replies can be sporadic depending on the writer’s day. If i do have a current SL with you, please have patience with me. I am not one to drop an SL without warning. If anything happens, rest assured that I will notify you if something comes up.

5. I have been roleplaying for a couple of years on various groups now, and unfortunately, I have the tendency to become picky with who or what i roleplay. Please do not take it personally, but i do prefer literacy, lengthy replies (but now always) and proficiency.

6. Like many accounts out there, ships (crack, headcanon or canon) are to be based on chemistry.

7. Natalia roleplays just about anything that is discussed properly between writers, hence a 21+ tag on her bio. It could be fluffy and simple up to trigger-filled and angsty. I would prefer that I interact and roleplay such heavy themes with someone of legal age.

#natasha romanoff #natalia romanova #twitter rp #roleplay

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topmixtrends · 6 years

Link

FULL DISCLOSURE: As an adult, I’ve only ever really invested in one piece of non-comics art, a painting (Psychedelic Self-Portrait, 2012) by Aline Kominsky-Crumb, the self-described “grandmother” of autobiographical comics. Those who have read her stories know that Kominsky-Crumb spent parts of her early life grappling with an artistic interest and ambition that was at times encouraged and at other times stifled by those — family, lovers, handsy male art professors — around her. While Kominsky-Crumb ultimately found her calling in the wildly confessional, wryly self-deprecating, and always entertaining comics that have been collected, in part, in her book Love That Bunch, her fine arts sensibility — and especially her investment in portraiture — is never far outside the picture.

Kominsky-Crumb’s characters and settings, drawn in an expressive style as willfully intense as the sometimes shocking, often boundary-pushing content of her work, are studies in the contradictions that make up individual inner lives. Her alter egos’ moods fluctuate, from deep self-loathing to keen self-admiration to an assortment of anxious and unanxious states in between. The Bunch (her most often recurring alter ego) takes care of her body’s appearance, but, she wonders in front of hand-drawn mirrors, does this make her overly obsessed and superficial? Her protagonists worry about what others think, but they are also often pictured in flagrante delicto (popping a zit; joyfully being mounted by a husband; seething at a mother or even, though far less frequently, at a young daughter). For me, as for the many who have been captivated by Kominsky-Crumb’s work, the attraction is in the exposure, in the ways her comics get readers to think in new ways about common themes and subjects — sex, love, money, family, trauma, work, aging, motherhood — that are so often represented in tired, masking clichés.

On a sunny day in early May 2018, I called Kominsky-Crumb from my Brooklyn, New York, apartment to speak to her at her friend’s house in the desert in Tucson, Arizona, where she was staying on a brief four-day break from her book tour. Since the 1990s, she has been living, with her husband and earlier also with their daughter, in France.

TAHNEER OKSMAN: I want to start by asking you how this expanded 2018 edition of your 1990 collection Love That Bunch came about. It’s a large hardcover. The design is careful and beautiful. Can you tell me the story of how it happened?

ALINE KOMINSKY-CRUMB: I ran into Peggy Burns at the Angoulême Comics Festival a few years back. We had a drink together, and she said to me, “I’ve just become the editor at Drawn & Quarterly, and one of the things I really want to do is a book of your work.” I said, “If you do it, I’ll do a new, long story for it too.” I did a new cover and endpapers, and I really got excited about it. It’s such a nice version of my work. And I’m old enough now to appreciate the attention.

I was very taken by the cover image of the book, a portrait which is a lot less expressionist than your comics. It looks more like a painting than a cartoon version of you. Why did you decide on that cover?

It’s because that’s who I am now. I’ve been teaching yoga for 25 years, and I have a very different feeling about my body, myself. A different self-image. And that cover reflects who I am now. I felt like, how can I draw what I was 30 years ago, or 40 years ago? I am that person but I’m an evolved, different version of that.

Reading the book from start to finish (which involved a lot of rereading of pieces you had published in different contexts and over three or four decades), I was struck by how many of the themes persisted throughout those years. I was also struck by how often the Bunch’s childhood seemed to come up again and again in different iterations. Why do you think these themes have stayed relevant in your work over time? How does it feel to look back on this body of work?

This collection seems very complete. I feel a great sense of relief that it exists. It covers a lot of territory, and it’s a good representation of my career as a cartoonist.

It’s not like there’s a direct evolutionary line. It goes all over the place, and keeps going back to things. There’s a period of time where you feel better, a period where you feel worse. Where you’re fatter, where you’re not in touch with your body, where you’re drinking too much, doing too many drugs, whatever it is. And I think the work reflects those different periods, but I think there’s a general trend toward fulfillment and self-awareness. Some of the early images are really out there — I was so crazy then, I was just trying to rebel against my upbringing completely. I had so much pain and so much anger. Those stories are very painful, very anger-driven. Some of the later stories are not quite so full of venom as the earlier work.

I was wondering too about how that notorious “monster” image of Blabette — the character who represents your mother — was included in this blown-up version in the index. I’ve heard you talk in the past about how that image caused you some trouble when your mother saw it.

That was the book designer’s decision, but I said it was okay because it was a very significant image in my early years. Now I get along great with my mother. She’s 90, and she’s really a character. I’ve developed a lot of compassion for her, thinking and realizing what she went through as a young mother with a pathological husband who was a liar and criminal. And she was 19 when I was born. Having been a mother and having lived a lot longer than when I first wrote those stories about her, I have much more compassion.

She also had a second husband, after my father died, and she took care of him when he was very old. She was such a wonderful caretaker that I think she evolved because of that, and I think I saw her differently after that, how much compassion she had. It made me love her and accept her so much more. And now we get along great — we enjoy each other and we have fun together. I spent February with her in Miami, Florida. We went to the gym together; we did yoga together. She schlepped to the Everglades with me to look at wild animals, which she never does. We went shopping together and we had lots of dinners with friends and family. I really had a good time.

I was interested in some of your depictions of motherhood in your comics — both the ways you depict Blabette and seeing the Bunch as a mother. I’m a new-ish mother, and it still seems rare today — though a lot less so — to get accurate and genuine depictions of some of the negative emotions and experiences involved in motherhood. How do you think being a mother affected your relationship to your work?

Robert and I both being egotistical artists, both of us felt like we were doing much more childcare than we should and neither of us felt like we had enough time to work. It was the worst that we’d ever gotten along in our whole relationship. We kind of hated each other during that early time.

And the thing that was the hardest for me, and sent me into years of therapy, was that my love for her, which was overwhelming, was painful instead of pleasurable. I couldn’t deal with that and so I went into therapy and what I finally realized, which was pretty obvious, is that I didn’t feel that from my mother. When I felt so much love for my daughter, I guess I realized I didn’t get that from my mother. So it made me feel pain rather than pleasure. And I worked on that a lot.

I think I was able to become a better mother as time went on, but in the early stages it was very difficult for me. I loved her so much — I felt like my heart had been moved to the outside of my body, and it could be pierced so easily by anything. I have never felt so vulnerable in my life as when she was a baby. It was the most overwhelming thing I’ve ever experienced. My pregnancy was easy, the birth was easy, but then when she was there, it was so hard.

Sophie now has three children. She is the most natural, best mother. And she recently said to me, “Yeah, but you were such a great mother, that’s why it’s easy for me.” I said, “Really?” I realized that I did a much better job than I thought I was doing at the time, and she does a lot of things now that I did then. I was a real hippie and I was very organic and I had cloth diapers and I hung them out in the sun and I had chickens and goats. I was really back-to-the-land California hippie. And she’s a lot like that, but in France. Being a grandmother and seeing Sophie as a mother has been a wonderful experience for me. And it has reinforced the fact that I was not a total fuck-up. At the time, I felt really inadequate and unprepared and very bad at motherhood.

I also felt guilty because I was thinking about my art and I was editing Weirdo magazine and I was doing a lot of comics then. It was the peak of my work phase of comics, and I was very productive before that. It was difficult, but I stayed productive throughout her childhood. I was able to do it somehow. Eventually, we got some childcare, but not for a while. I was too scared to leave her with anybody. And I breastfed for a long time. But gradually things got easier.

Your character talks a lot about the influence of creativity in her life. Sometimes she seems to have this kind of ambition, to produce work and be known, but sometimes she just seems to want to be able to do her work and be left alone. Other times, she wants to focus on life and love and sex. What role do you think ambition has played in your life, or your autobiographical characters’ lives?

I think I was in general ambition-impaired. But I think women have a harder time than men. For me, I’m very domestically oriented. I run a tight ship of a house and I really enjoy doing all of the domestic things, like cooking and gardening. It’s very time-consuming, but it’s also deeply satisfying. For all of my life, I’ve been torn between those kinds of “female,” domestic activities — they are totally satisfying to me — and wanting to get my voice out there in the world and participate in the general culture and have my say. I don’t think I ever had ambition in terms of caring about money or getting into movies or TV or whatever. But I do think I wanted to leave something, for posterity, in the culture. Say something. So I had that drive.

But then, I was also totally obsessed with sex and approval from men and wanting to have fun and taking drugs. All of it. It was all simultaneously going on, and there was a lot of conflict.

The way you describe it, you seem somehow more balanced than many people, who sort of zero in on one thing or the other.

Well, I managed to eke out some kind of body of work. And I managed not to be such a terrible mother, and to have a clean house. [Laughs.]

That’s superhero status, right there.

I think so too, a little bit. I was just helping my friend skim her pool, and I was thinking, I love doing this. I love working in my garden. I love cleaning and making order and aesthetic beauty in the house. It is a gratifying creative thing to me, along with everything else. I love decorating — I’m redoing another house. I take these old houses and make them beautiful again. I find that very satisfying also. It’s hard to say that one thing is necessarily more important than another.

You seem always to fluctuate between making comics and doing other stuff. This includes yoga and home decoration, but also working in other art forms, like the video and art show you collaborated on with your friend Dominique Sapel (Miami Makeover: Almost Anything for Beauty, 2012), and the paintings you do. How do you know when it’s time to make comics, or when it’s time to do something else?

Stories tend to fester in my brain and soul until they need to come out. After I’ve been working on comics for a while, and it’s so restrictive and uptight — it’s all black-and-white, these little boxes — after a while I have a huge desire to break out and do something in color. Either work on my house or decorate my house or do paintings. It kind of goes in cycles, and one reacts to the other. And then if I’ve only been working on my house, I might find I need to do something more meaningful and intellectual, and stop and go in my studio.

Sometimes I feel crazy, like I’m running from one to the other. But on the other hand, one thing informs the other. It’s also seasonal. When the spring comes, I want to start planting flowers like crazy. I feel more out there and I don’t want to be confined inside, so I work less. Now I have three grandkids, so I play with the children a lot and take care of them to help Sophie. And I love that too. That’s also creative and satisfying.

Another issue that comes up a lot in your work, and seems to be a uniting theme of the new story you included in Love That Bunch, “Dream House,” is money and class. Why do you think you have such an interest in the topic?

My grandparents were very successful and very comfortable and for the first five years of my life they lived in a big house and I was there a lot. I was very influenced by my grandmother, who had impeccable 1920s furniture. She was very elegant. She dressed beautifully. My fashion and decorating sense definitely come from her. Then when I was five, my parents moved to a very modern 1950s house and my father was a bum and a pathological liar and he never had any money. But they moved to a very fancy area where everyone had money and we had no money and I was always ashamed of my parents and my house and my outfits. I think part of my obsession with it was being in a place where everyone had that stuff and I didn’t, and feeling very inferior.

Later, when the 1960s came, I realized that was all bullshit, all of it, and I was kind of angry about having been raised in such a horrible place with such bad values. I had to deal with those things for a very long time in order to come to terms with them. And gradually, Robert and I developed our own reality with our own values and a bohemian lifestyle. We were poor at times, we had money at times. But that wasn’t what made our life rich. We found other ways of being rich, and that was cultural and trading things with people and being able to grow things and eating our own food and being able to fix things ourselves. We discovered a whole other way of life that had nothing to do with how I grew up. Gradually, I evolved beyond my upbringing. But in the beginning, having been subject to that value system and not having the tools or the equipment to deal with it was a very painful and difficult thing.

Lots of critics have focused on the traumas you depict in your work: sexual and physical and emotional violence. I noticed, in rereading your work in this new form, that there were several stories throughout the book that touched on issues of grief. One was about the loss of your father, another was about the loss of a grandparent. And there was a bit, toward the end, in your new story, that seemed to touch on grief in relation to your brother’s life and your relationship with him. All of this is done with your characteristically over-the-top sense of humor interspersed throughout. Why do you think you’re so drawn to the comedic, even when writing and drawing about these darker topics and themes?

I can’t tell a story unless there’s humor involved. I was raised with stand-up comics in New York, like Jackie Mason, Joey Bishop, Alan King, Henny Youngman, and Don Rickles. That kind of humor is really soulful to me. There’s a history of Jewish humor and storytelling where it’s somewhat self-deprecating. There’s pain and pleasure involved, but there’s also always this fatalistic dark humor about all of it. That’s what makes me want to tell a story — when I can see all of those sides to it.

I could see the absurdity of some of these grief rituals. Like, you’re sitting shiva and instead of sitting on wooden benches they give you cardboard boxes and my overweight relatives caved in the boxes. It’s almost this incredible social commentary about family deterioration at the same time. While I was grieving with my family, as it was happening, I was also thinking, my god, this is unbelievable. I’m really interested in these things happening simultaneously. That’s what makes a story to me: weaving together all of those details and contradictions because that’s how life is. It’s not linear, there’s not one theme. You’re weaving a tapestry. That’s what’s good art to me. And literature too. That’s what I want to read myself.

Are you thinking of any literature in particular? What do you read?

I read a lot of comics. I love Phoebe Gloeckner and Julie Doucet. Alison Bechdel, Carol Tyler. I love Chester Brown and I love Dan Clowes and Chris Ware and all these artists. And I love Lena Dunham and Broad City and Amy Sedaris.

I think it’s all linear, from my work to that. Whether or not they read my work, it’s in the collective unconscious and that autobiographical style of work has developed and spread. I’m always interested in reading that kind of stuff. One of my favorite writers is Jean Rhys. And I also like John Fante and Bukowski and writers from that period, too.

Lately I’ve been trying to keep up with The New Yorker and journalism because I’m so concerned with what’s happening in the United States. So I’ve been reading nonfiction since Trump got elected, to try to figure out what’s going on, and listening to good radio shows too, which I stream from France. I can’t ignore it.

I’ve spoken with a lot of cartoonists who like listening to radio while they work.

Yes. I listen to radio while I’m drawing. I can’t listen to it when I’m writing, but when I’m drawing I’ll stream NPR. I go to KQED in San Francisco, I go to KCRW in Los Angeles, I go to WNYC in New York. I go all over the country to try and figure things out. I also listen to BBC and French radio stations. I listen to ARTE Radio, which is German and French, and I try and get as much input as I can. Especially having grandkids, I wanna have some hope. I do have hope — I have hope that young women are going to take over from the fucked-up old white men, and that’s my hope.

This leads nicely into another question I had, which is about role models and mentorship. In one of your pieces about being in art school, you show the Bunch having a female art professor and finally feeling encouraged in her work, at least for a time. You’ve also been an important role model and champion of autobiographical comics for lots and lots of cartoonists — from Phoebe Gloeckner and Julie Doucet to Gabrielle Bell and Lauren Weinstein and Vanessa Davis. Could you talk about role models and mentorship — whether you feel like you had any, and what, if anything, you feel is your role as a pioneering creator?

I came from a fine arts background and started as a painter. My role models were Frida Kahlo and Alice Neel. Those were the two who influenced me most in terms of my style and how I saw I could express myself. And then Justin Green also, who wrote Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary (1972), the first autobiographical comic as far as I know. He influenced me a lot. When I first went to San Francisco, I went there to meet him because I was very influenced by his work.

I also loved Little Lulu comics when I was a kid. Those were the only comics I really read a lot. And I think of Little Lulu as an early feminist character — she was tough and strong, and I really liked that a lot.

I have had friends in my life, too, who were strong women, who have had an influence on me — some older friends. I had one friend who passed away. She said things to me in my life at moments when it was really important. And I have one cousin who is younger than me that I feel I had a really good influence on. We’re close friends and I think I steered her in a direction away from our horrible family values and into a much better way of being.

I’ve met so many inspiring younger people on this book tour. I’m happy about that. What more could you hope for, than that people will keep doing good work and even better work? Because the graphic novel is considered an important art form, people actually study it and learn it and they’re better than we were. We were just groping around, trying to figure out how to make comic books. There was no history and not much precedent — nothing really to base one’s work on. A lot of the work was really crude and not really self-realized in a lot of ways. The work I see now is better — it’s really impressive. And comics have themselves been influential. Alison Bechdel’s work is a Broadway show, and Lena Dunham’s work seems like it could have been influenced by early comics.

In 1976, I drew myself on the cover of [the first issue of all-female comic anthology] Twisted Sisters, sitting on the toilet. And then Lena Dunham put herself on the toilet on an episode of Girls. When I saw that, I fell out of my chair. People said I was crazy and brave for drawing myself, but that’s just a drawing — you can be distanced from it. But she put herself on the toilet on-screen, and I was blown away by that.

Looking back, do you still feel a connection to these earlier versions of yourself on the page? Or are they just characters you used to know?

There’s a connection, but it’s more and more distant, and I feel like a much more evolved creature than I was then, thank god. I don’t use any substances, I’m much more clear-headed, I have replaced alcohol and drugs and cigarettes with yoga for the last 25 years and that’s a very positive change in my life. It took me a long time to get there. Meditation has been a great tool for me as well, and it has helped me so much. I still incorporate that early self in myself. I think it helps me feel compassionate toward young people.

People can really fuck up when they’re young and still come out of it, as long as they don’t die of a drug overdose or get in a car accident while drinking. As long as you stay alive, there’s hope.

Tahneer Oksman is the author of “How Come Boys Get to Keep Their Noses?”: Women and Jewish American Identity in Contemporary Graphic Memoirs.

The post As Long as You Stay Alive There’s Hope: An Interview with Aline Kominsky-Crumb appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.

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