#Starker Request

[starker-sorbet]

Moodboard for Demon Lover by @thestarkerisobvious

"College student Peter Parker LOVES brining hookups back to his single dorm room. Is it his fault if his dorm room is haunted? Is it his fault if a certain dark spirit is jealous?''

[pretty-bratty]

how about a day trip? shopping or the park or something like that? with bucky and tony and petey 🧡

Peter, Tony and Bucky on a day trip - can you guess who was picking the activities😌

Hope you love it🥹💜

[spiderlinging]

I'm feeling greedy on my birthday 🎉 but only have one request from you all as a gift... 👀 Starker fic recs.

But really, it's a gift for everyone.

If you need inspiration, I have a list of what to consider:

What's your favorite fic that...

...makes you laugh the hardest?

...makes you sob every time?

...makes you need a fan to cool yourself down 🥵?

...is the best fix-it fic (Endgame or NWH)

...is the best AU

...is the best omegaverse

...you desperately want a sequel of?

...doesn't get the love it deserves

...is the slowest of slow burns

...is the most realistic/in character

[starkerscoop]

Hi!! Au interviewer Peter and regular Tony, Peter has to interview Tony on stark industries projects and what not, all while Tony is just thinking about how hot Peter is, then at the end of the interview Peter asks about Tony’s love life for “the ladies wondering” and Tony is just so attracted to Peter, that he asks him on a date, and they go from there! *I really want you to just build off of this!* (I love your blog!!)

Hi! (Thank you so much!!!) I know you sent this a while ago, so I'm sorry for the delay, but here it is :)

also on ao3

-

When Pepper mentioned that Tony hadn’t been to an interview in a while, he’d sighed and resigned himself to attending another invasive interrogation that made him want to jump from the roof of his own tower.

He never expected that an interview could change his life so drastically. For the better, even.

Tony had groaned and whined with the force of a toddler denied candy, refusing to leave his lab when the dreaded day came. It took Rhodey and Happy’s combined force for him to get to the interview on time and look presentable. Tony’s threats fell upon deaf ears, and there he sat, waiting for his interviewer with a mug of coffee warming his hands.

Someone entered the room, and Tony sighed quietly, his momentary peace disrupted.

A hand entered his line of vision, followed by a voice that said, “Hi! My name is Peter Parker. I’ll be interviewing you today.”

Tony grasped the soft hand to give it a polite shake and looked up from his coffee, his voice catching in his throat and stealing his words from his mouth. Warm chestnut eyes met his own and softened the longer Tony remained silent, slight unease creeping into them. Tony admired the rosy swell of his cheeks, the ruffled eyebrows that stubbornly reached for the sky, and the sharp jut of his jawline, so prominent that he ached to trace his fingers along the bone and see if it could cut.

This was easily the most gorgeous person Tony had ever laid eyes upon, and he’d done a lot of that in his time. One could say he was a bit of an expert.

“Is everything okay?” Peter asked uncertainly.

Tony’s throat relaxed, releasing his voice into the air, which seemed to be increasingly warmer. “Everything is just fine.”

He gave Peter an obvious once-over, allowing the meaning behind his words to register in Peter’s brain, who flushed a deep red.

Peter graced him with a small smile that he was clearly trying to contain. It felt like a victory. Tony leaned back in his chair and relaxed. Suddenly, coming to this interview didn’t feel like the worst thing in the world.

“If you’re ready, we can get started with the interview,” Peter said, his face having returned to its usual color.

Tony grinned cheekily. “I was born ready.”

Peter alerted the crew that they were ready to film. When the cameras started rolling, he introduced himself and Tony to the viewers, all the while maintaining a smile that gave Tony chest pains. They got started with the questions.

“Which industry trends are you most excited about right now?” Peter asked. His hands were free of cards, his questions either memorized or made up on the spot.

Tony laughed, throwing his head back. “I don’t follow trends. I set them.”

“So, which of your trends are you hoping others will follow?” Peter questioned once his own laughter died down.

Tony steepled his hands. “I’m very big on clean energy. Everyone else may be behind on that, but if they could try to keep up with me, that would be great. We’ve only got one planet.”

Peter nodded in agreement. “What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?”

“Don’t use your interns for coffee,” Tony joked. “Well, maybe sometimes. But that’s a lot of wasted potential.”

As Peter continued to pose his questions, Tony gave him his answers on autopilot. He’d been asked everything under the sun in all the interviews he’d gone to, and he had a response prepared for it all. Instead of putting thought into his responses, he allowed himself to get distracted by Peter, the way his hands waved about animatedly as he talked, and the gleaming curls Tony was tempted to tug at.

He wondered how soft they were. His fingers twitched, and he forced them still, gripping his mug tighter. Peter was too delicate for him, too easy to ruin, but something in Tony rebelled at the mere idea of staying away.

Tony turned back just in time to hear Peter say, “Now, on behalf of all the ladies wondering, I’d like to ask: is there a special someone in your life?”

“No,” Tony said simply, “but there can be.”

He gave Peter a suggestive look, leaving no room for doubt as to what he was implying.

“You don’t mean…” Peter trailed off, disbelieving.

Tony was caught off guard. How could Peter ever doubt his own beauty? It seemed impossible to Tony, who was all too aware of his own looks but even more so Peter’s.

“I do.”

Silence stretched on for an eternal moment, Tony’s heart pounding fiercely, the thunderous beats echoing in his ears.

“Let’s start with dinner first,” Peter said, flustered. “If that’s okay.”

Tony’s heartbeat eased. “That’s more than okay.”

-

Tony had picked the place. Of course he did. He always had impeccable taste, especially when it came to impressing someone. The restaurant was modern but intimate, with dim lighting that cast soft shadows over the sleek decor. Tony didn’t care much about the atmosphere—he was too focused on Peter, seated across from him, looking like something out of a dream.

They’d ordered drinks before Tony even realized he was staring at Peter again. His eyes traced the curve of Peter’s lips as he took a sip of his wine, the way his fingers gripped the stem of the glass so delicately. Tony’s mind wandered, his thoughts a mix of admiration and desire, and before he knew it, he was lost in the quiet space between their conversations, the comfortable tension.

Peter, meanwhile, was trying to hold it together. His palms were a little sweaty. Was it the nerves? Or maybe the fact that Tony Stark, the infamous genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist—had just asked him out on a date? He kept catching Tony’s eyes and finding it hard to look away. Tony was... well, Tony. He was sharp, confident, and clearly well aware of the effect he had on people. And yet, here he was, being kind, patient, and even a little soft.

“So,” Peter said, trying to steer his thoughts away from dangerous territory, “You’ve worked on some pretty crazy projects. I mean, who else can build an AI-powered suit of armor that’s practically invincible? What’s the next big leap for you?”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You want to talk about the next big leap after I ask you to dinner?” He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping a little lower, more intimate. “That’s... that’s some pretty advanced multi-tasking, kid.”

Peter swallowed, feeling a warmth spread over his face. “I—uh, well... just... curious, I guess?”

Tony laughed, the sound like music in Peter’s ears. “That’s what I like about you, Parker. Always curious.” He took another sip of his wine, eyes lingering on Peter. “The next big thing? Well, you’re looking at it.” He gestured to the two of them with a quick flick of his hand. “Right here. Right now.”

Peter blinked, unsure if he’d heard him correctly.

Tony’s smirk was playful, but there was an undeniable sincerity in his eyes. “I don’t make moves on just anyone, you know. But you? You’re something else.”

Peter’s chest tightened with a mix of excitement and anxiety. “I’m not... I’m not sure I deserve all this attention.”

Tony leaned in even closer, making Peter's heart race. “Let me make it clear, Peter. You’re the only one I’ve been thinking about all night.”

Peter could barely process the words as they hit him. He was pretty sure his brain had stopped working entirely. “You really mean that?”

Tony’s smile softened. “I do.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, the weight of their shared moment filling the space between them. Peter’s thoughts began to spiral again, and he reached for his water, taking a long sip just to give himself something to do with his hands. When he lowered the glass, his eyes met Tony’s again. There was no more hiding it now.

“Tony,” Peter said, almost shy, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Tony’s voice was light, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes.

“What... what if we did this again? Not just dinner. Maybe... something more?” Peter’s voice trailed off, unsure if he was being too forward.

Tony leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. “You mean a date?” he asked, teasing, though the warmth in his voice was unmistakable.

Peter nodded, his heart hammering in his chest.

Tony leaned in, lightly brushing his fingers against Peter’s hand, his touch sending a spark through Peter’s body. “You’re in for one hell of a ride, kid.”

[late-to-the-party-81]

Tony putting Peter in a skirt with no underwear and pushing a vibrator into his ass and then making walk around during their date

Challenge Accepted

Sorry this took so long, but I hope you enjoy this little ficlet, which I’ve decided is set in ‘A place on earth’ universe, because I can. As always, aged-up Peter Parker

Un-beta’d so apologies in advance.

Join my tag list here.

Relationship: Tony Stark x Peter Parker

Word Count: approx 700

CW: Mild exhibitionism, mild feminisation, Sex toys, Sass and Snark, discussions of safe words, pet names, implied future smut

Peter came to a dead stop, almost tripping over his own feet, as the vibrations swept through him. The only thing that kept him upright was the deathgrip he had on Tony’s arm, which was ironic considering that Tony was also the source of the issue.

“Are you alright there, bambino?” Tony’s voice was saccharine sweet, full of faux concern and Peter glared at him.

“Peachy…”

“Yes you are,” Tony bounced back, and then decided to add insult to injury by grabbing a handful of Peter’s ass and giving it a squeeze and a jiggle, an act that did nothing to restore Peter’s equilibrium. A moan left his lips unbidden and his eyelids fluttered and he could hear Tony’s low chuckle.

“Keep making noises like that, and I won’t be responsible for my actions,” Tony said close to his ear.

“When are you ever?” The situation was making Peter feel sassy, and if he didn’t like to tread the fine line of danger he wouldn’t have become SpiderMan in the first place.

Tony chuckled again, but the vibrations eased and Peter drew in a few deep breaths, willing his body back under control.

“Are you ready to keep walking, sweetheart? I’d hate for us to miss our reservation. Although, with me being me, it wouldn’t actually be that much of a problem.” Tony started walking, and Peter was forced to move along with him, the weight of the plug heavy inside him.

“Humble, aren’t you?” Yes, the sass was strong today. So sue him.

“And you love me for it, Petey-pie.” Tony gently patted Peter’s hand where it was looped through his other arm.

“At this moment in time, I think I hate you.”

Tony clicked his tongue. “I think you will find, amore mio, that the mess you currently find yourself is one of your own making. I’m sure it was you who said - and I quote - “I can take anything you can dish out, Daddy. And you did start it all, skipping around the apartment in lingerie and making me have even nastier thoughts that I’d already had.”

“Yes,” Peter hissed out between clenched teeth, “but I meant at home. In private. And not in a skirt.” He gestured down at the red miniskirt that barely covered his ass. “People are staring…”

“So, full on exhibitionism is out? Noted.”

“Tony!” Peter hated to whine and pout, but he was feeling so exposed and there was a funny feeling in his tummy.

Tony halted them this time, turning towards Peter, effectively shielding his slighter frame from prying eyes, and taking hold of his hands. “If people are staring, it’s to call me an old letch - which I fully admit I am. But if you’re that uncomfortable, we can go home. You can safeword at any time, baby, and you get your reward either way.”

“I-” Peter started to reply, but then snapped his lips shut. What did he want to do? Yes, his cheeks were flaming, and people were staring, and the skirt made him feel so vulnerable, but at the same time he had Tony by his side. Tony made him feel so safe and so loved. And the vibrations of the plug he was wearing were obviously not unpleasant. As he mulled everything over his cock twitched, something that was telegraphed to Tony as well, due to the way the red cotton moved with it. Maybe he was feeling so jumpy because that’s how he expected to feel? He couldn’t deny the thrill he was feeling alongside it ,so maybe… “I’m alright to continue, Daddy,” he finally replied, and Tony’s mouth split into a broad grin, before he ducked down and kissed Peter a little more passionately than he normally would for such a public setting.

“You’re going to be the death of me, bambino mio,” he stated when he let them both come up for air. “And I tell you what, if you can get through lunch without drawing too much attention, then afterwards I’m going to take advantage of the easy access of your attire and suck off that perfect little cock in the executive washroom.”

Peter blushed deeper at the thought, but started to walk along the sidewalk with Tony once more. That was until the vibrations started up again, making him gasp. “Daddy!”

Tony shrugged. “Like I’m going to make it too easy for you, baby. Let’s see how much you can take…”

Tag list: @km-ffluv, @wheezy-stucky, @kmc1989, @kombatfather1796

@doasyoudesireandlive, @endlesstwanted,

[lixy-u]

Requesting about peter listening to his boyfriend tony playing piano for the first time and asked him to play a thousand years by Christina perry

Since you don’t specify the timeline and the request is not so detailed so I’ve thrown in some of my ideas as a plus. This is post no way home where Tony got resurrected but his arm where he wielded the gauntlet is heavily injured and also Peter had been waiting for him. 

My English sucks.

I'll put this on my daily dose of starker collection too.

___

It was a quiet night. 

A night where no cloud could be seen in the sky, leaving a single star shining so brightly, the moonlight reflected on his frame creating a lone shadow on the wall behind like he was lost in time. He was surrounded by many skyscrapers and Tony is a futuristic guy, he loved tech - heck he invented many of them but somehow he didn’t fit right in this scenery which is quite impossible considering the fact that he's Tony Stark.

Tony took a deep breath letting the fresh air filled his lung, he felt alive again after a long time. 

The last few months had been an absolute disaster for him, from creating a time machine to bring everyone back, leaving his seemingly “completed” family behind to sacrifice himself by going against Thanos and finally being resurrected. 

He had come back only to find out that his wife - now no longer his wife (but why did he feel so relieved ?) 

Pepper moved on. 

He lost 7 Morgan’ birthdays. 

Avengers had gotten several new faces. 

And…Peter. 

Gosh, how he was defeated when that boy died in his arms. He spent the following few years living in misery, got married in a hurry, he got a family, a wife and a kid yet he still felt it was not enough. He felt cold when touching his wife, when his lips pressed on hers, all he didn't feel the tingling sensation when his finger traced along Peter’s hand when the boy was working on his suit. 

That thought scared him. 

He tried to keep himself busy but everytime he looked at what he had he always imagined what could have been.

When Scott talked about time travel, he was afraid that everything could change and brought back his own dilemma about the kid, Tony could fool anyone but himself. He knew that he wanted this and the deal was sealed when the boy ‘s face appeared on the holographic screen, Tony knew he was ready. He's more ready than he ever was. 

He got the boy back but then he died. 

Waking up a second time just to discover again that Peter was no longer here drove him mad, he spent time searching for him again like a drunken sailor for his lost treasure. And when the truth finally came out, he couldn't breath, he felt sick, his ears full of water, he couldn't hear at all. 

How dare he ? He promised Peter he would be there yet all he ever did was bring pain to the boy, May’s dead, Peter is alone and the only one who remembered him is an old broken man. 

Not his lover, not his best friend, just Tony. 

But Peter was more than delighted to have Tony back, he basically beamed every time he saw Tony, lab time, late night movies, a casual touch here and there.

Tony knows it was coming back. 

His somewhat normal routine. Getting tortured by his own turmoil. 

He wished he could be more than a mentor figure. 

The boy grew up so beautiful. 

His body is lean, not a too muscular figure, but Tony knows how his crazy is his core strength, enough for Tony kept on drooling over the boy whenever he came over and wished he could bend Peter over and fuck him on the desk. 

Tony sighed, staring at his tented up pant. 

Peter grew up, it's legal now. Devil whispered in his ears. 

But he does not have the bravery to tear through this thin line of a relationship they had, they are each other's last link of sanity. The boy needed him like he needed the boy but does the boy also crave him like he did ? Staring at his plump ass all the time, the cherry lips, the biteable collarbone, the sweet smile, the breathy call “Mister Stark” causing butterflies in his stomach. 

Yeah, he is only Mister Stark. Nothing more.

Tony frustrated pulled his hairs then stared at his hand, the hand where he wielded the gauntlet, the skin burned, he has a lot of scars being Iron Man and an engineer but this level of scars will never go away, it's a reminder of he has once lost Peter. 

He let his thoughts wander for a moment, on a night like this his mom used to play piano while waiting for his father to come home, in her melody he could hear the longing, the sadness, it was the time where his usually preserved and closed mother displayed her emotions the most. 

His eyes caught something in the corner.

A Steinway piano, how convenient. 

For a moment he found himself lost in their family old manor where the same white Steinway was placed near his parents bedroom. 

His gaze softened, he walked towards the Steinway and opened up the fall-board, his fingers brushed against the nearest key, cold, untouched. He pressed the key down, a short sound came out and Tony feel drawn to it, he sat down, like the same ways his mother did, right hand on the keys, one note, two note, three notes, a simple twinkle twinkle little stars song came out but his movement is stiff due to the injured hand, he can feel the strain nerves, he lift his hands up, his hand trembling. 

He smiled, it was not the same crappy and crackly sound he had when he copied his mother melodies on his cheap piano toy, this is a Steinway, the crystal clear sound ringing in his ears bringing him back further to the past. Tony placed both his hands on the piano, straightened his back, closed his eyes, his fingers danced across all the keys. 

Just this moment where he can prove that Tony Stark does have a heart. 

_____

Peter walked out of the elevator, telling FRIDAY to not alert Tony, wanting this to be a surprise when he had gathered all his courage to confess. 

It was truly a miracle to have your childhood crush back where he thought he had lost him, furthermore he remembers Peter, he is not affected by Dr.Strange spell, this feels like a dream. 

Tony Stark is Peter’s savior. 

When he came back, he could no longer tear his eyes from the man, he is desperate for his touch, to feel him alive, to ensure his existence was here. He feels ashamed despite Tony telling him that it was not his fault but the wounded keep on bleeding, what happened keep coming back and cursing in his ears on how he failed to keep Tony legacy. 

Peter had spent his childhood admiring his hero and spent all his teenage years loving the same man, now in his adult years, the love hidden in his heart grew only stronger to the point it suffocated him seeing Pepper and Tony together. He knows he shouldn't be like this, but an ugly part of him cheers a bit when they get separated. He kept on coming to the Tower, staying in the place where Pepper should have been if Tony hadn't sacrificed himself, touching what could have never been his and lust after a figure he should consider a mentor. 

But tonight is a quiet night. 

He is 23 now, he's not a child any more; if he wasted any time Tony could be with anyone else; even if he failed... (that's hurt), he could tell the truth without regret later on (oh, who could he fool?). He will regret it, but a tug in his heart when he saw Tony having his hand on a supermodel’s waist is killing him) 

Peter walked through the room when he heard a melody.

It sounded a bit delayed, like double tapping, he could hear the shaky hand. 

“What is going on ? There should be only Mr.Stark on this floor” He frowned “Friday ?”

Hearing no reply from the AI made his chest tighten, sweat started to form beads by beads on his forehead, no way Tony could be in danger right ? This is Stark Tower after all, it's highly secure to the point being paranoia. 

He fastened his steps. 

There in the room, he could see Tony sit in front of the piano and keep on practicing the same melody. The moonlight shines on his frame, smoothen the edges of his face. At this moment he doesn’t look like a playboy, no Iron Man, just Tony Stark, the same Tony he sees when having their lab time together. 

“Didn’t know you could play piano” Peter walked up to his side, all smiling. 

“Kid, there’s a lot you don’t know about me yet.” Tony laughed. 

Yet ? Does this mean I could learn more about you? Peter tried to calm down his messy heartbeats by faking a small laugh. 

“My mother used to teach me how to play, it’s boring without you so I decided to play some tunes tonight, you know, rusty skills” Tony sighed “My hand is too shaky to play” He lifted up the injured hand. 

“It doesn’t hurt but it’s a little bit tricky but I’m starting to get a hang of it so I’m fine”

“Glad you said so”

“Course kid, I plan on playing some rock n’ roll, I believe if my hand can survive those then I could play anything.”

Peter burst out laughing. 

This man, plan on playing rock n’ roll on a Steinway ? Bach would certainly come back and hit this man hard. 

“Don’t believe me ? Shoot me a tune, I’ll play it”

Peter snorted. 

“A tune huh…” Peter looked at Tony’s hand, the hand that wielded the gauntlet, saved his life, patted his back while saying “good job, kid”. 

“How about Thousand Years by Christina Perri?” Peter asked, eyes still locked on Tony’s hand. He is afraid if he looks up, his mask could have broken and slip his real emotions out.

“Feeling something deep tonight ?”

“You could say so”

Tony began to play. 

Peter stood beside the piano. 

The lyrics started to run in his head.

Colors and promises.

How to be brave ?

Gosh he wanted to ask that too. 

How can I love when I’m afraid to fall? 

Peter’s scared, he is petrified even. He came here to confess his love, afraid he wouldn’t have the opportunity when Tony, oh so bright Tony could love anyone else but him. 

But watching you stand alone 

All of my doubt 

Suddenly goes away somehow

Peter is not stupid, he has a Spider sense he knew the moment he went to space he could die. The danger rang loudly in his ears weren’t jokes yet seeing Iron Man, he felt he can do anything just having Mr.Stark by his side. 

One step closer

I have died every day waiting for you Darling, 

Don't be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years 

I'll love you for a thousand more 

He spent all his time loving Tony Stark as not only Iron Man but the scientist and the man behind. He really did. He had waited for the man for 7 years when the world moved on, he saw him everywhere he went. 

But will Tony love when he confessed this dirty thought of his? Will he leave ? Oh god, Peter hopes not, Tony is everything Peter had left. 

I will be brave 

I am not brave at all. Peter is not as brave as Spider Man, when wearing the mask he could secretly throw some cheesy quips here and there, crack some jokes and be close with Tony the way he wished as Peter. No, Peter is Spider Man but Spider Man is never Peter. 

I will not let anything 

Take away 

What's standing in front of me

He failed. 

He had failed Tony. 

He threw away Tony’s gift, his legacy. 

He paid the price, lost everyone but Tony (but oh he did lose him once, twice when Tony ask who is he when they met again)

And all along I believed I would find you 

Time has brought your heart to me 

It was indeed time that had nurtured his love for Tony. The more he stood beside Tony, the more greedy he became. That ugly part of him, the part he could never show. 

“What’s up with your face, kid ?” His finger stayed pressed on the last note, extending the fading melody “Feeling sad ?”

“Yeah, it was a good song. You played it well, Mr.Stark” Peter forced out a smile. 

“Of course, I’m Tony Stark after all” He shot a smug face to Peter. 

“Oh, and didn’t you tell me you were busy today ? Party and all that jazz”

“Yeah…I was, but the party was boring so I left early. And I have something I wanted to tell you so I came to the Tower” Peter looked down, wishing his curls could hide his face. 

Tony turned to him, he raised an eyebrow with a questioning look on his face. 

“What do you want to tell me ?”

I have loved you for a thousand years 

I'll love you for a thousand more 

The words stuck in his throat, he stood there, opened and closed his mouth like a stupid goldfish out of water. He could feel Tony’s gaze on him, the curiosity, patience, gentle eyes. 

“O-Oh… yeah, I forgot”

Peter will love Tony a thousand years more, til his grave and he’s sure of it. But there was so little time left before he sees Tony with someone else, not him, not Pepper, just someone. His place beside him will be stolen once more, he didn’t know this time how long it would be returned to him, maybe forever. 

He would rather keep this moment just a bit longer. 

“Is that so ?”

“Yes”

“Alright kid, pick a movie.”

[captshipper]

one word = one drabble, but I'll write starkercest (and probably smutty)

[starkerhowlter]

Gothic Starker as requested by @starkerkitty

[strawberry-bubblef]

May I request some Malleus x Asian dragon reader? I just think the contrast between a western dragon and an asian dragon is neat

Asian dragon reader x Malleus

I’m not very familiar with Asian dragons, but I did my best to research about them them,sorry if I got anything wrong.Feel free to correct me!

Everyone knows who Malleus Draconia is.

A prince of thorns, shadowed by stormclouds and legacy, feared and revered in equal measure. The horned fae, the dragon of Diasomnia, heir to a kingdom most only speak of in hushed awe.

And you?

You are something older.

Not feared, not whispered of, revered. A whisper in the wind, a shimmer of scales gliding between the clouds. A celestial serpent, a creature of rain and sky, called by ancient temples and children’s prayers for rain.

You and Malleus are both dragons, yes. But you are night and dawn. Fire and river. Thunder and rain.

You meet at Night Raven College , you, summoned by strange magic you’ve never quite trusted, and Malleus, watching from the shadows with curious green eyes. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was the pull of your shared natures. But it doesn’t take long before you’re drawn to each other,not by the ferocity of your power, but by the loneliness beneath it.

And now?

Now, he rests his head on your shoulder as you both sit in the spires of Diasomnia’s tallest tower, silent save for the quiet wind brushing against your horns.

"You’re warm tonight," you murmur.

He huffs a laugh. "You always say that. You’re the one who's cold like cloudwater."

You turn your head to look at him, elegant, regal. His eyes glow faintly in the darkness, but they soften when he gazes at you.

“You burn like wildfire,” you say. “I glide like mist. You were raised to cast shadows. I was raised to clear skies.”

And he smiles at that, not the polite prince’s smile, but the one only you get to see. Soft. Secret. Full of something that borders reverence.

“Opposites,” he says. “Yet here we are.”

It’s not always easy.

There are moments when he rages,when centuries of solitude and misunderstanding claw at him like ghosts. When his temper crackles in the air and the world remembers why fae are feared.

But you, ancient and serene, don’t flinch.

Instead, you wrap yourself around him, coils and breath and calm. You press your forehead to his and whisper, “Storms pass. They always do.”

He clings to your voice like it’s a prayer.

And there are times you falter, too. When you’re lost in memories of temples long crumbled, of people who once knelt to offer offerings.You wonder if you’re still needed. Still wanted.

“Your divinity never needed belief,” Malleus says one night, when he finds you staring at the sky with distant eyes. “You shine, whether anyone is watching or not.”

He brushes your cheek with the back of his hand, and you lean into it like it’s the only thing keeping you tethered.

“You found me,” you whisper. “When I thought I’d drift forever.”

In your dragon forms, the difference is even starker.

He is massive, winged and imposing, fire and smoke and ancient wrath.

You are long and serpentine, without wings, moving through air as if it’s water, trailing stars with every movement.

When you fly together, you are yin and yang,the sky splits with thunder and clears behind you with rainbows. Watching you together is like witnessing the balance of nature itself. Malleus, fierce and quiet. You, gentle and eternal.

He tells you stories of Briar Valley. You tell him tales from the clouds, of mountains that cry, of dragons who live in the rivers and whisper to fishermen. He listens as though hearing stories from another world.

And when you return home together,to your ancestral temple, deep in a bamboo forest few mortals find,he bows before the great stone gate. Not out of obligation, but because he knows what you are.

“I do not kneel easily,” he says, voice low, “but your roots demand reverence.”

You lead him inside, your form shimmering under moonlight, and the old spirits watch. They whisper of harmony. Of balance.

Of a future forged from thunder and mist.

In quiet moments, he holds your hand and traces the long curve of your claws.

“In another universe” he says, “we might have been enemies.”

You shake your head, resting your forehead against his. “In every universe, I would have found you.”

He believes you.

Because the contrast between you is not what divides, it’s what binds.

You are not two halves of a coin, nor two sides of a blade.

You are sky and earth. River and fire.

And where you meet, something holy grows.

English is not my first language !

[kimberbohwrites]

Can I request a drabble where Rolan overheard that gn Tav genuinely thought Rolan still hates them but just learnt to tolerate them? When in reality, he's been in denial about his crush on them for the longest time but accepted it recently 🤣

First of all— I am sorry that this took so long for me to get to. I rarely find time for asks and it took me awhile to get to this one— some of these I just needed more practice for tbh. I am striving to be better, however I am incredibly busy at work so I cannot promise you I always will be. Instead I promise you that I will always try to make your ask worth the wait.

Words Yet Unsaid

Rolan x Reader, SFW, only lightly edited

Word Count: 1214

Tags: Misunderstandings, fluff, and love confessions

Rolan sits down in front of you with a huff. There is a flush about his face that is so… him. The color on his cheeks paints a starker backdrop for the freckles that dot his face. Despite your so-called nerves of steel you cannot help but quickly glance away from the sight as your heart began to race in your chest.

The silence stretches and you look back across to find him nervously studying the wood grain of the table between you.

Sensing your gaze, he straightens up and clears his throat. He smoothes the simple but well-made dark blue tunic he’d worn with the tight leather breeches you could not help but notice as he’d joined you.

The color he’d chosen suited him well. Distracting you almost as much as the way his bottom and thighs had looked, no longer hidden behind the wizard robes. This was the first time you had ever seen him in at the tavern in casual clothes — sharp as these were.

The Elfsong Tavern was usually a good place to identify oneself as a great and powerful archwizard. But instead, he’d chosen to dress up and blend in with you. But why?

You tried not to let the racing of your heart, and the flush of your cheeks hide you from the cold truth that Rolan had never liked you. You were certain that this meeting he had arranged through Lia, was some sort of attempt at arbitration of your longstanding feud for the sake of his siblings.

Truth be told you had never wanted to fight with Rolan. It just happened every time you two had interacted since the very first time you’d crossed paths in the Druid’s Grove. That ire had only grown through the experiences that followed in the Shadow Cursed Lands and even when you’d slain his corrupt master and ended his apprenticeship abruptly.

So much pressure had instantly been thrust upon him, becoming master of the tower and archwizard of Baldur’s Gate so suddenly. Of course he’d be frustrated further by you.

Despite your best attempts to avoid him, your friendship with his siblings had caused you to repeatedly cross paths. It had been months now since the restoration of the city was considered complete, after you had ended the crisis. You’d attempted to returned to a normal life.

It was simple and gratifying, but something was missing.

“Thank you for joining me here this evening, you look lovely”

His tone cut through your thoughts; it sounded warm but a quick glance to his face revealed that warmth didn’t reach past his words. He looked… uncomfortable. Like your presence somehow pained him.

Tears sting in your eyes as you clear your throat and quickly stand.

“This was a bad idea.”

He opens his mouth, and his hand moves across the table like he’s reaching for you. Before he can form a word you continue.

“I’m sorry for wasting your time, I can tell this isn’t something you want to be doing”

You turn quickly to leave before he can say anything and before the tears you feel welling up are too much to hide. Your stride is quick and sure across the familiar boards of the tavern and out on to the streets that raised you.

The cool night air of the city was an immediate balm for the panic that had caused you to flee the tavern. All you needed to do was avoid Rolan for the rest of your life now, great.

You groan as you continued down the dark and empty streets. All of this weighs heavy on you but it becomes unbearable when the low roofs of the houses and shops fall away. As the street spills out into the open area which reveals Sorceress Sundries and the large structure which you knew was the point of travel for Ramazith Tower — the massive and beautiful wizard tower Rolan now called home.

It is as if the weight of the massive structure itself is on you now and you are stopped in your tracks. It’s then you hear your name called and the sound of someone running after you in the dark.

“Tav, wait! Please!”

You turn quickly to see Rolan sprint after you, still somehow looking perfect in his nice clothes despite the struggle of catching up to you. You glower momentarily at the thought that he will apparently always be gorgeous. Typical.

He catches up to you, huffing and puffing as his tail lashes out to steady him while he catches his breath.

“Why would you run after me?” You say with a whisper and you take a step closer to him, unsure if you’re needed to render aid for the struggling man.

“I… I’m sorry… I don’t hate… you… Tav….” He puffs out the words as he catches his breath.

Your blood runs cold at the words. It’s like you can feel the night breeze itself move through you.

“Rolan…”

You don’t know how to continue, and it gives him the opportunity to catch his breath and explain himself further.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have tried something so public to talk, Lia warned me, she didn’t say you’d run but…”

He sensed he was rambling and shook his head as if to clear it and start over. Your breath caught when his jaw tensed, the perfect bone structure always so eye catching, so hard to resist.

“I needed to tell you Tav, I don’t hate you. I… I overhead you talking to Cal and Lia about why you keep your distance when they invite you for dinner. I.. I should have apologized better — after all we had gone through—“

“We should have found time to talk…” You add

He takes a step closer to you, as if drawn to you and this time you don’t run.

“Why… Why would you run after me Rolan?” You ask

“Tav…”

“Why do you even care now?”

You can’t help it. The tears that had threatened you earlier, now spill down your cheeks as you pepper Rolan with questions.

He closes the distance to you quickly, his hands on your cheeks. You barely register the softness of the pads of his thumbs as they brush the tears away from your cheeks before you are swept away by the feeling of his lips, crashing into yours.

Your breath catches in your throat. You can’t help but moan into the kiss as his body presses firmly to yours.

He breaks the kiss and presses his forehead to yours and you feel his tail coil around your thigh. Keeping you flush with him as he speaks.

“Because, Tav… I love you. I think I have always…” He gasped as if the realization fully dawned on him as he spoke, “I think I have always loved you.”

You kiss him now, no words on your tongue could be sweeter than to feel his lips against yours once more.

There would be time for words but for right now you wanted to keep kissing the wizard and so you do.

Under the open skies and the stars that shine each night over the city of Baldur’s Gate, wrapped in the strong arms of the man you loved, you kissed him with all the passion of the words in your heart yet unsaid.

[starker-sorbet]

Tony was used to how humans reacted around him when he displayed what he was. Despite the fact supernatural creatures had lived alongside humans for centuries now instinct just couldn't be helped when it came vampires. They were predators after all. The thing is even though he's really young for a vampire (he hasn't even stopped aging yet) Tony had figured out all the reactions he would usually get. Humans were consistent creatures after all. Which is why his new roommate's reactions were so confusing. He never tried to make excuses to not be around Tony when ever he had to fed. Hell he often seemed to deliberately try and stay in their room whenever Tony went to get a blood bag from his fridge. Peter was just a conundrum to Tony. Peter's heart rate went up whenever he showed his vampiric nature, like any humans, but what else goes on with him just doesn't make sense to Tony. Pete seemed to blush at the merest hint of fang and bit his lip whenever Tony needed to use his vampiric strength. If he didn't know better he'd swear that Peter was getting aroused by him. But that wasn't right humans couldn't get over vampire being their predators. Couldn't they?

Modern fantasy au with vampire!Tony used to scaring humans meeting human peter who's attracted to him for anon

[mrclownbae]

♥︎Royal AU / King!Tony♥︎

Peter is Tony's son who is to be wed soon. The only problem is: Tony refuses to select a suitor for the boy. Nobody's good enough. Tony will always find some excuse to deny an arrangement. He'll negotiate before ultimately refusing the deal, or he'd make unreasonable requests, knowing that his terms won't be agreed with. Truth of the matter is, nobody's good enough for his prince. Nobody but himself, that is.

(just dadson Starker. Tony who refuses to set his son up for an arranged marriage, the king always having an excuse or a reason for why they can't marry his boy. he's a selfish man. wants to keep his prince to himself.)

[starkerfestivals]

May is coming to an end! Thank you to everyone who participated in our little Mer-may event. And now... it's that time again!!

StarkerFestivals Summer Bingo– No wait! It's now:

StarkerFestivals Bingo 2025

We've decided to make some changes to how we do bingo and here they are!

This SF Bingo will run from June 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025

Because this is no longer strictly during the summer, we're just now calling it StarkerFestivals Bingo 💗

Cards will have a theme and maybe a few theme related prompts for fun. (You can always request a prompt change if any of the prompts aren't to your liking)

This year's theme is travel/resort vibes. 🌍✈️

What else has changed? Not much else tbh!

For anyone new or just needing a refresher, here are the basics:

StarkerFestivals Bingo 2025 is an event where participants will receive a personalized card with a 5x5 bingo of prompts. To fulfill a prompt, participants create content using the prompt.

Sign Up Opens: May 25, 2025 Cards will be sent out by June 1st. Anyone signing up after June 1 will receive cards within 1-3 days. Duration: June 1 - Dec 31 2025 What is allowed: Anything! Fics, art, moodboards, gif sets, anything Starker related and fills the prompt, we'll accept it Minimums: No minimums Exceptions: Only one prompt per fill, or one prompt per chapter for multi-chapter works Tags: #SFBingo2025 and on AO3

We're excited to welcome everyone, new and old, back to SF Bingo!

Sign up here!

If you have any questions, feel free to send an ask to the blog or dm @the-mad-starker or @starkersparks

More info and FAQ under the cut

How Do You Play?

As a participant, fulfilling prompts can be done at your leisure. We want everyone to have fun, so whether you fulfill 1 or do the entire card, it's up to you! There is no obligation to "win" bingo, but for those who want to go for it:

To "win," you will need to get five in a row via horizontal, vertical, or diagonal means. You can also win by getting the free space and all four corners. Finally, you can get a blackout by completing every square on the board. Visual examples:

Free space is free prompt choice. You can write or draw anything you like as a fill. Just please make sure it follows the rest of our rules as they apply.

Please elaborate on the "one prompt per fill"/multi-chapters?

The only rule is that it is one prompt per fill. The exception would be multi-chapter fics (ex: the prompt "falling in love" can be claimed for chapter 1 and then a 2nd prompt, first kiss, can be claimed for chapter 2. Or you create an accompanying moodboard with the prompt "Falling in love" and the fic is used to fulfill "first kiss".)

Is there an age restriction to join?

All ages are welcome! The sign-up form will ask if you would like SFW, NSFW, or both. Only 18+ participants may receive a card with NSFW prompts.

Filling out the Sign Up form– What are the different sections?

Username: Where we'll send the card (can be tumblr or email)

Card section: where you select the type of prompts you want (SFW, NSFW, Both)

Likes: This will give us a general idea of what prompts to give you.

Triggers/DNWs (Do Not Wants): Please let us know any triggers or DNWs and these will not show up on your card.

Prompts section: is an area where you'd like to submit prompts to our prompt generator.

Additional comments: Anything you wanna tell us that isn't included in any of the previous questions.

Can I post outside Tumblr?

Yes! While StarkerFestivals is based on tumblr, participants are free to post anywhere they want- we only ask that it's not behind a pay wall.

Can I sign up for multiple cards?

You can only have one card active at any time. You may ask for another card after you have won your old one. As for a new card, you should receive it within 1-3 days.

Do fills have to be strictly Starker?

They do not have to be strictly starker, but we ask that the focus is Starker since this is a Starker bingo.

Can I use a work to fill both my Starker bingo prompt and another event's?

Yup! We're cool with that, just make sure the other event is also fine with it.

[late-to-the-party-81]

When Peter parker's famous boyfriend tony stark returns from a two weeks mission or business trip, he decides to treat him. smut please. Buttom power! peter riding tony

What a boy wants

AN: Well here’s a smutty little ficlet for you. I’ve decided this is set in my 'A place on earth' universe, because why not? As always, aged up Peter Parker.

Not beta’d, so sorry for any rogue commas.

Master list | Series Master list

Summary: If you’d asked Tony yesterday which one of them was ‘in charge’ he would have said it was him, but at this moment he was starting to reconsider that assumption. Peter was fully at the wheel this time and Tony was definitely only along for the ride, something he was getting more comfortable with second by second.

Relationship: Peter Parker x Tony Stark.

Word Count: 1.3k

CW: Explicit Sexual Content, implied use of sex toys, anal sex, cock riding, power bottom!Peter, Nipple clamps, Cream Pie, Clothing disparity.

“Tony!”

Tony had barely stepped out of his suit before the slim, but muscular body of his boyfriend barrelled into him.

“I missed you,” Peter mumbled into his chest.

Tony wrapped his arms around Peter’s frame and rested his cheek on the top of Peter’s dark curls. “Missed you too, baby boy.”

Peter tilted his head and Tony raised his own so he could look down at his angel. “Not as much as I missed you,” came the emphatic reply. Peter’s eyes were deep pools of raw emotion and Tony was so hypnotised by them it took him a moment to realise two things. One, Peter was steering him backwards, a fact that he was only really aware of when the back of his legs hit the couch and he tumbled down onto it. Two, Peter was wearing his short silk robe and only that.

Tony landed on the couch with a soft oomph and immediately Peter was climbing up onto him, straddling his thighs and using his nimble fingers to work at Tony’s fly with a determination bordering on obsessive.

“Hey, baby. Slow down. What’s the rush?” He tried to sit up, but halted when Peter looked at him, one eyebrow raised. 

“Anthony Edward Stark. You’ve been gone for two whole weeks. Since we got together the longest I’ve gone without you filling me up is forty-eight hours.” Peter glanced down as he freed Tony’s cock and licked his lower lip. “I ache for you Mr. Stark.”

Tony’s eyes rolled back as Peter let out the honorific and he started to pump Tony’s cock which didn’t seem to have an issue with getting with the programme, despite the fact that a part of his brain thought Peter was a little shit for pulling out the big guns to get his way.

However, Tony would admit that the way that Peter was so unashamedly going after what he wanted was doing something to him. If you’d asked him yesterday which one of them was ‘in charge’ he would have said it was him, but at this moment he was starting to reconsider that assumption. Peter was fully at the wheel this time and Tony was definitely only along for the ride, something he was getting more comfortable with second by second.

Having brought Tony to full hardness at record speed, Peter let him go and threw off his robe. He was, as Tony had thought, naked underneath, except for a pair of gold and red clamps joined by a chain, which made his small nipples puff up as they squeezed them. Tony couldn’t help but skim his palms up Peter’s sides and then rub his thumbs over the two stiff peaks, watching his lover shudder with sensation, before he stared down at Peter’s straining and dripping cock.

“Petey,” he sighed, full of lust, love and amazement for his boy. Peter leant forward and pressed his lips to Tony’s and Tony lost himself in the sweetness of the kiss, not even registering that Peter had taken hold of his cock again until he felt it being enveloped by a warm wet heat. He jerked in surprise and opened his eyes as Peter groaned and fully seated himself, his eyes still closed.

“Holy shit, Peter. Are you okay?” Tony felt panic and then confusion rise within him. They hadn’t done any prep and there wasn’t any lube in this room, but Peter didn’t feel dry and overly tight - quite the opposite - and Peter wasn’t crying out in pain either. In fact he looked entirely blissed out.

Peter smiled and gently rocked atop Tony’s cock.. “So okay, Mr Stark. Friday told me when you set off for home, so I opened myself up and got myself ready. I’ve been slowly fucking myself with that dildo you bought me for the last thirty minutes. Made my little boy-pussy all wet and slippery, so I could take you in straight away. Almost came so many times, but I’ve been saving it. I needed to feel you inside me.”

Peter lifted himself up and started to fuck himself, and all Tony could do was look up in awe, desperately trying to burn each erotic movement onto his retinas. Peter was resplendent -so self-assured - as he just took his pleasure from Tony’s body. He let out little sighs and moans as he moved up and down and stirred his hips.

“Feels so good, Mr Stark. Love the way you fill me up.”

“Fuck, baby. Where did this dirty mouth come from?” Tony asked, still not fully believing that his sweet boy was being so commanding.

“Been dreaming about you ‘n’ decided I wanted to be selfish when you got back. Just want you to lie there and let me have this. You can take it can’t you, Mr Stark? Just let me ride you and ride you until I want to come?”

All Tony could let out was a garbled moan before he bit his lip, tightening his hands on Peter’s hips as he willed his orgasm to build slower. He wanted to make Peter happy. He always tried to let his boy finish first, but this time it felt even more important that he succeed. He thought that closing his eyes again might help, so he wouldn’t be able to see the erotic  juxtaposition of a naked Peter wantonly riding his own clothed body, but it just made everything worse. All his other sensations were suddenly amplified. Peter’s breathy sighs and the salacious, wet, slapping sound of him taking Tony over and over filled his ears. The exquisite push, pull and squeeze on his cock was the only thing he could feel. It was getting too much.

“Peter,” he whined. “Please. I’m so close.” 

“I’m almost there too, Mr Stark,” Peter replied between pants. “Pull on the chain.”

Tony fluttered his eyes open again, trying to focus on the delicate gold links swaying between Peter’s small but defined pecs. He reached out, snagging the chain between the thumb and first two fingers of his right hand, and gave it a cautious tug. Peter let out a deep moan and his body clenched down, making Tony choke back a cough.

“Again,” Peter commanded. “Harder. And when I come I want you to fuck up into me as hard as you can.”

Tony nodded dumbly and then pulled on the chain again, slowly drawing it back towards him and watching how Peter’s nipples lengthened, until his concentration was broken by Peter’s loud shout and the feeling of Peter’s channel starting to spasm as his orgasm took hold. With Peter’s cum splashing all over his shirt, Tony let go of the chain so he could grip Peter’s hips firmly, plant his feet, and start to thrust up. 

Tony started to come almost immediately. He felt the way his balls drew up and the way his cock swelled inside the tight clutch of Peter’s body. His own cry of pleasure mingled with Peter’s as he rode out a wave that felt never-ending, pouring himself inside of his lover. 

Peter collapsed over him, and Tony shifted his hands so he could stroke Peter’s hair with one hand and his back with the other.

“Damn, Petey,” he gasped out. “That was… Wow!”

Peter lifted his head and opened one eye, looking up at Tony. “You liked?”

Tony dropped a kiss onto Peter’s smooth, unwrinkled forehead. “I loved,” he confirmed.

“Does that mean I can be bossy more often,” Peter asked with a smile.

“Baby boy, you can be as bossy as you like, as often as you like, if that's what comes from it. But for now, I’m gonna lay down the law and say that we need to go and have a shower. I also need to burn this shirt - I don’t think it’s salvageable.”

Peter giggled, his voice bell-like. “It’s a good job you can afford to buy more, because I have a feeling a few others might get ruined.”

“Bring it on, baby. Bring it on.”

Tag list: @doasyoudesireandlive, @endlesstwanted, @marvelstarker-mha98, @km-ffluv, @wheezy-stucky, @kmc1989

Join my tag list here

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Bill Day :: @BillDaytoons

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 15, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Apr 16, 2025

A large crowd of protesters calling for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man the Trump administration sent to a notorious terrorist prison in El Salvador, milled around the courthouse this afternoon where U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis held a hearing on the case.

Anna Bower, Roger Parloff, and Ben Wittes of Lawfare watched the hearing and explained that Judge Xinis is now building the evidence to determine whether individuals in the administration have acted in contempt of court. The court ordered the administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S., as well as to give updates on what they are doing to make that return happen. To date, Judge Xinis said, “what the record shows is nothing has been done.” She dismissed the administration lawyer’s argument that yesterday’s Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and president of El Salvador Nayib Bukele was part of the effort to “facilitate” the case.

As Bower said, we all know what’s going on, but it’s impossible right now to know which individual is responsible for the stonewalling. For that matter, Bower added, those speaking for the administration usually deny personal knowledge of the case, simply saying they have been made aware of the facts they are representing. Judge Xinis called for two weeks of fact finding to determine if the Trump regime is following her orders that it facilitate his return. The judge told Abrego Garcia’s lawyers that they may conduct four depositions and apply for two more, make up to 15 document requests, and up to 15 interrogatories (these are lists of written questions that must be answered under oath and in writing).

Xinis noted that “every day Mr. Garcia is detained in CECOT is a day of irreparable harm.”

Bower added that the Trump regime is likely drawing this out in part because it permits them to showcase the one part of their agenda that is still polling well. The staged meeting with Bukele enabled officials to get widespread media coverage for the straight-up lie that Abrego Garcia has been found to be a member of the MS-13 gang. As Greg Sargent reported today in the New Republic, this story came from a police officer who, just weeks later, was suspended for “providing information to a commercial sex worker who he was paying in exchange for sexual acts.”

The Oval Office event also enabled White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller both to lie that the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision against the administration was actually in favor of it, and to rerun the litany of heinous crimes he associates with immigrants. The attention to the case has also gotten Miller airtime on news shows, where he repeats those lies.

The administration needs the immigration issue to play to its base, but it’s actually not clear that Americans like Miller’s approach to immigrants. Data journalist G. Elliott Morris noted today in Strength in Numbers that while polls say Americans generally like Trump’s approach to immigration—a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll said 49% were in favor—they hate the specifics.

The same Reuters/Ipsos poll says that 82% of Americans, including 68% of Republicans, think “the president should obey federal court rulings even if he disagrees with them.” Only 40% think he “should keep deporting people despite a court order to stop,” although 76% of Republicans think he should violate a court order.

The questions specifically about immigration are even starker. Trump promised during the campaign that he would deport undocumented immigrants who have committed violent crimes, and people like that plan by an 81-point margin. But according to Morris’s crunching of polls on the subject, U.S. adults oppose deporting undocumented immigrants who have lived more than 10 years in the U.S. by a 37-point margin. They oppose deporting undocumented immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens by a 36-point margin. By an 18-point margin, they oppose deporting undocumented immigrants who have broken no laws in the U.S. other than immigration laws.

The more visible Abrego Garcia’s case becomes, coupled as it is with the idea that it is a precursor to sending U.S. citizens to CECOT, the less likely it is to be popular. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) got an earful from his constituents on the topic. “Are you going to bring that guy back from El Salvador?” one man asked, to applause and calls of “Yeah!” from around the room. When Grassley said no, because that wasn’t a power of Congress, the man replied: “The Supreme Court said to bring him back!” and others chimed in, “They’re defying the Constitution.” “Trump don’t care,” the first man said. “If I get an order to pay a ticket for $1,200 and I just say no, does that stand up? Because he’s got an order from the Supreme Court, and he just said no! He just said ‘Screw it!’” “It’s wrong,” someone in the crowd said. The first man concluded: “I’m pissed.”

This evening, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) noted that “[f]ollowing his abduction and unlawful deportation, U.S. federal courts have ordered the safe return of my constituent Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States. It should be a priority of the U.S. government to secure his safe release, which is why tomorrow I am traveling to El Salvador…to visit Kilmar and check on his wellbeing and to hold constructive conversations with government officials around his release. We must urgently continue working to return Kilmar safely home to Maryland.”

Trump’s losing ground on his other major selling point in the 2024 election: that he would improve the economy. He promised to bring prices down “on Day One,” but backed off on that almost immediately. Then an utterly chaotic trade war, tariffs on and off and on again, and a dramatic drop in the bond market as well as the stock market suggesting that the U.S. is losing its status as a safe haven made April an economic disaster. JPMorgan said this week that Trump’s tariffs mean that he is “on track to deliver one of the largest US tax hikes on record,” taxes that will fall on poorer Americans rather than the wealthy and corporations.

Under Biden, Vietnam and the U.S. had strengthened economic ties, but yesterday, China and Vietnam signed dozens of cooperation agreements to combat disruptions caused by Trump's trade war. Today, Chinese officials stopped accepting Boeing jets or U.S. airline parts. China has also stopped accepting U.S. beef, turning instead to Australia. U.S. beef exports to China have been worth $2.5 billion annually. Last Thursday, Gustaf Kilander of The Independent reported that “fund managers quietly fear Trump doesn’t have a tariff plan and that he ‘might be insane.’”

Meetings in Washington this week did little to calm the situation. Jordan Erb of Bloomberg reported that Maros Sefcovic, the trade chief for the European Union, left yesterday’s trade meeting in Washington unclear about what the U.S. even wants. Erb notes: “The uncertainty around Trump’s chaotic tactics, replete with delays, retreats, new threats and sudden exceptions and trial balloons, hasn’t helped.”

Trump also promised he would end Russia’s war on Ukraine immediately. But it has become obvious that Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is using Trump’s desperation to deliver a peace deal to strike harder at Ukraine. Just after a visit to Moscow by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff last week, the Russians struck the Ukrainian city of Sumy during Palm Sunday celebrations, killing at least 35 people and injuring another 119, including children. European leaders called the attack a war crime, Trump said it was likely a “mistake.”

After Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday night that U.S. officials are echoing Russian disinformation, Trump called for CBS, the channel on which 60 Minutes appears, to lose its license.

Bloomberg reports that the U.S. refused to support a statement by the Group of Seven (G7), an informal group of seven of the countries with the world’s most advanced economies, condemning the Sumy attack. The U.S. said it wouldn’t condemn the mass killing of civilians because it is “working to preserve the space to negotiate peace.”

One of Trump’s key attacks on the Biden administration before the election was his lie that it had shortchanged the North Carolina victims of the devastating Hurricane Helene by sending money for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to undocumented immigrants, likely to buy their votes (it is illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections). In fact, the Biden administration and FEMA had been in the state since the start and approved FEMA’s reimbursement for 100% of disaster relief, particularly emergency protective services and the removal of debris, renewable after six months.

Trump won North Carolina by more than 3 points, but on Saturday the Trump administration denied North Carolina’s application for that extension. “The need in western North Carolina remains immense—people need debris removed, homes rebuilt, and roads restored,” North Carolina governor Josh Stein said. “I am extremely disappointed and urge the President to reconsider FEMA’s bad decision, even for 90 days. Six months later, the people of western North Carolina are working hard to get back on their feet; they need FEMA to help them get the job done.”

Trump’s approval ratings are dropping steadily, with even Republican pollsters showing him “underwater,” meaning that more people disapprove of his presidency than approve of it.

Part of Trump’s fight with the Supreme Court is an attempt to demonstrate dominance as his numbers drop, but institutions, as well as the courts, are standing up to him. With Trump having won concessions from Columbia University and then announced those concessions were only the beginning of his demands, other universities are banding together to defend education, academic freedom, and freedom of speech.

On Monday, Harvard University took a stand against the administration’s demand to regulate the “intellectual and civil rights conditions” at Harvard, including its governance, admissions, programs, and extracurricular activities, in exchange for the continuation of $2.2 billion in multiyear grants and a $60 million contract. Harvard is the country’s oldest university, founded in 1636, and in 2024 had an endowment of more than $53 billion.

In a letter noting that the administration’s demands undercut the First Amendment and the university’s legal rights, Harvard’s lawyers wrote: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government. Accordingly, Harvard will not accept the government’s terms as an agreement in principle…. Harvard is not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.”

But Harvard didn’t stop there. It turned its website into a defense of the medical research funded by the federal grants Trump is threatening to withhold. It explains the advances Harvard researchers have made in cancer research, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, obesity and diabetes, infectious diseases, and organs and transplantation. It highlights the researchers, shows labs, and presents readable essays on different scientific breakthroughs.

As the administration slashes through the government with charges of “waste, fraud, and abuse,” Harvard’s president Alan Garber has made a stand on what he calls “the promise of higher education.”

“Freedom of thought and inquiry, along with the government’s longstanding commitment to respect and protect it, has enabled universities to contribute in vital ways to a free society and to healthier, more prosperous lives for people everywhere,” he wrote. “All of us share a stake in safeguarding that freedom. We proceed now, as always, with the conviction that the fearless and unfettered pursuit of truth liberates humanity—and with faith in the enduring promise that America’s colleges and universities hold for our country and our world.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[captshipper]

I need motivation to write Starker again (to write in general, actually). Send me a word for a drabble?