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whetstonefires · 7 months

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“The Justice League and the Avengers are very different teams”

In what respect? Like, how would you say both teams differ in terms of overall function, how they respond to threats, how they’re viewed by their respective publics, etc?

😂 who even are you?

anyway, these two teams have been reformed and rebooted so many times and are the flagships of the two juggernauts of their industry, so their natures have evolved and influenced one another heavily over the decades as you see armies tend to do in prolonged warfare, so there is probably not one single statement you could make about either one that's always true.

it would be crazy to try to explain the difference in diegetic terms, because those aren't goalposts they're hockey pucks. the difference in kind exists at a publishing level.

fundamentally, the Avengers was designed to rest, in narrative terms, on everyone's personal relationships and neuroses, and develop soap opera subplots and office drama around how these intersected with each other and various villains. because in the 60s Marvel was launching the Big New Thing which was heightened naturalism and relatability in comics.

(spiderman and the whole genre of underdog superhero who can't catch a break rather than slyly winking at the audience as the world looks down on his secret identity, not knowing how impressive he really is, dates to this pivot of Marvel's. both Superman and Captain America did the latter in their early days, which is highly dissonant from Cap and Bucky looking at them today, but Cap was retired from print for like 20 years and got heavily rebooted for the new age.)

they had an actual mansion they could all live in, and many of them did, for a solid chunk of time early on. there's a reason people swung so hard for the 'everyone lives in stark tower' scenario foreshadowed at the end of Avengers (2012)--that's how the Avengers are! you bang the action figures together and give them angst and bonding about it!

they fractured repeatedly under the weight of all that drama (because psychology and because stories that don't end are unable to make any narrative sense, and breaking up a team is honestly a half-decent substitute in the Eternal Now of big comics) and at this point the current avengers is much more impersonal and even pays salaries, like basically the commune-underwritten-by-rich-buddy has reincorporated as an NGO.

but it still runs on the same types of narrative tensions mostly--huge epic stuff will be happening, but the Avengers tension comes down to whether everyone really hates T'Challa this month for that thing he did. and what this is doing to group cohesion.

the Justice League on the other hand was not built for character-driven story.

they've done plenty of them, after it became the done thing, and even imitated the Avengers and did the diegetic collapsing and reforming arcs and so on. but it's not fundamental to how a Justice League runs; you could do a super long run where the interpersonal tensions never rose above B-plot status and it wouldn't be tonally dissonant.

it would be weird for many of the Justice League to live together--when a character is shown living in Justice League facilities it is usually to signify that they are isolated and don't have a life and this is Bad. the Martian Manhunter and Maxwell Lord dominated era was deliberately aping the Avengers imo and came out weird as a result, and Lord turning out to be a mind-controlling supervillain was not unrelated to how weird most people felt it was.

the Justice League is like. joining a club rather than a frat. like being on the board of an NGO, rather than taking a full-time job there.

you know? the type of commitment is different. the level of intimacy is different.

cap and iron man's relationship has generally played out primarily in the context of their positions within the Avengers, even though it spills into their own titles, while superman and batman have had entire joint books just for them, and their friendship has not usually been allowed to take up much page time in Justice League issues. because that would be indecorous.

commercially speaking, Justice League is first and foremost an easy-buy showcase for high-profile hero characters and anyone you want to burnish up by displaying adjacent to them.

They've totally gotten messy with it over the years but like. I think the seminal Justice League internal dramas were 1) that time Barry Allen killed the guy who'd killed his first wife and was about to kill his second one and they put him on trial 2) that time Wonder Woman killed a dude who told her under truth compulsion that the only way to stop him from mind-controlling Superman to murder people was to kill him and they put her on trial 3) blah blah Batman paranoia exploited by eeeeevil (barely counts imo) and 4) that extremely oogy time it turned out the Justice League had been using magic to forcible reform criminals and erased Batman's memories of this being a thing when he found out and objected because ethics wtf.

That last one was sufficiently story-breaking they started pretending it hadn't happened as quickly as possible. Which was amazingly quickly considering Identity Crisis was the basis for things like killing off the presiding Robin's remaining parent. They actually soft-reset the whole world fairly soon after by timeskipping over most of a year and being like ahem anyway the past is in the past. And then the universe just kept serially ending for over a decade, so it's been weird.

Justice League has reliably gotten a shiny coat of polish with every reboot tho lol.

(Still not over the way they were like, okay we're wiping Green Lantern back to Hal but now we don't have the token black guy everyone who saw the cartoon expects, let's promote Cyborg people know him because of that other cartoon, ah shit he doesn't work without a partner to do bits with. well we can't put garfield logan in the justice league it's too prestigious, he's from the doom patrol for a reason, yeah i know we've had folks like plastic man shut up this is a Cool Sexy new reboot where Superman and Wonder Woman are fucking, we're not using friggin beast boy. how about Captain Marvel? yeah ok shazam is An Silly Joker now and besties with this 20 year old who may or may not know about his elaborate cognitive situation. i don't actually think they put even this much effort into it but otoh maybe they debated really hard and this was the compromise.

........actually vic could probably work up a decent oppositional patter with eel o'brien ik they were never gonna use plastic man but i don't hate it.)

Right. There was a point.

Obviously I'm probably missing a few big dramas here, but the point is DC was trying to keep up with the fantastic dysfunction of the Avengers because if it bleeds it leads, but even in the Dark Age they could not dive in groin first without tarnishing valued brands. The Justice League is simply not built to tell the same types of stories that the Avengers are.

In Justice League stories the narrative will typically be split in focus to a varying degree between the problems created by the villain and the personal emotional situations--the problems--of the heroes. Usually the villain leads and provides the emotional stakes. Only occasionally, overall, do problems between the heroes rise to the same level. Even when they're having them canonically in some other book Justice League tends to be ruled not the right place for that.

Secret identities are traditionally kept to a minimum in the League and League stories, though what this means in practice has gone through some shifts.

This is not just the difference between DC and Marvel house styles, though of course that's part of it, nor is it the League being older, because it isn't by any significant amount. It replaced the Justice Society of America in 1960. Other teams, even the Titans to an extent which was just the junior wing of the League at first, were allowed to get more into the grit sooner, and have the experimental story of Speedy's career-ending heroin problem happen and intra-team dating drama take the foreground, and all that. Doom Patrol was all about the dysfunction, god.

But the Justice League is simply not designed to be that kind of a team book, and when it's occasionally written that way the seams usually creak.

#ask #hoc est meum #Anonymous #despite racing to the bottom of the pit in many ways #dc has never stopped being fundamentally more conservative than marvel #somehow even now that marvel is disney owned #like partly that's just dc being in internal meltdown mode #but also like the incredible hulk got to be a hellacious horror comic under disney etc #soon i will be out of quarantine and these asks will stop working #comics #damn i spent so long writing this shit i almost lost my duolingo streak #i need to make different life choices #i'm putting away laundry and going to bed

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voraciousvore · 24 days

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Giganterra (Chapter 8)

Prologue/ TOC | Previous (7) | Next (9)

Word Count: 2.3k

Content Warning: Threats of vore (no actual vore)

------ Chapter 8: Stowaway ------

While Leon, Martin, and Chester received the tribute, Joey wandered off to be alone with some privacy, or at least as alone as he could be when his tall figure was visible for miles. He went back to the more rural section of the human territory near the forest and rested his backside in a fallow dirt field, where he wouldn’t destroy any crops or livestock. He relaxed his elbows on his knees and his chin on his forearms and stared off into the distance with glazed eyes.

He tried to follow the advice of his mentor, whom he respected as a wiser man, but he was struggling. He didn’t want to cause any harm to the tiny folk. He hated to be here as an oppressor. He liked the little people, and he wanted them to like him too, but he knew that could never happen if they only saw him as a tool of the king to enact his barbaric will. The fact that he was lumped in with monsters like Chester who delighted in devouring people disgusted him. He wanted to hide away in shame at the mere thought.

He held still, enjoying the warm kiss of the sun and the cool breeze on his back. A few sparrows flew by and perched on his knuckle, not recognizing him as a living creature with his immense size. He watched the microscopic specks of fluffy feathers dance over his hand, chirping and fluttering before they soared away. He sighed. The sights were novel and lovely, but he felt very out of place.

His back started to ache, so he laid down, carefully unfolding his legs so he wouldn’t collapse any trees, and stared up at the clouds with his hands clasped over his torso. He was tired, since his troubled thoughts had caused him to lose sleep as of late, so he began to drift off. The sound of small voices near his shoulder brought him back to consciousness. He could hear two children, a boy and girl, chattering to each other excitedly. He was tempted to shift his head to look at them, but he didn’t want to scare them, so he stayed motionless, waiting to see what they would do.

He felt a tickle on his arm as little hands gripped his sleeve and began to climb up his body. He was heartened to discover they weren’t frightened of him, but he remained still. He made an effort to keep his breathing slow and steady as the small beings explored the vast landscape of his mighty chest. Nevertheless, his heart still beat faster than he intended. One of the children tripped, falling on his sternum, her weight less than that of a baby mouse. She climbed back to her feet with a giggle, jumping on the plush surface with joy. Joey failed to repress a mirthful smile.

The little boy was just as rambunctious, and started to climb up Joey’s neck and chin, pinching his pliant skin in his hands. Joey tried not to swallow or cough, even when the boy stepped directly on his Adam’s apple. The human child successfully scaled his chin and started to tour his face. He was smart enough to avoid Joey’s mouth, but he tripped while hiking over his cheekbone and landed on the lens of his glasses. The boy stiffened as he found himself staring at a huge, inquisitive, chocolate brown eye. Joey blinked and the boy flinched.

“The giant’s awake!” he yelped, leaping back instinctively with alarm. His feet couldn’t find purchase on the curved, squishy surface of Joey’s cheek, and he toppled off the side of the giant face. Joey reacted quickly, his arms rocketing up to catch the boy. The little girl, still on his chest, gasped as the huge pillars of flesh soared over her head and the muscles flexed underneath her.

Joey cradled the boy in his hands, relieved he caught him in time. “Are you alright, little one?” he asked, keeping his voice soft. He had never seen a human child up close before, and he marveled at how small he was, even when compared with adult humans. The kid was half the length of his finger, if that. The boy twisted around in his hands, staring in wonder at the enormous fingers towering over his head and the soft cushions of skin beneath him.

“You helped me,” he uttered in disbelief.

“Of course,” Joey replied, smiled gently. From the giant’s chest, the young girl screeched an incoherent vocalization and started to cry.

“Oh, you should probably comfort your friend,” he remarked. He lowered his hand to his chest, so the boy could rejoin the girl.

“Don’t worry, sis, I’m okay,” the boy chirped happily. Joey expected him to dismount to his chest, but instead the boy waved his arms for his sister to join him. “Come here!” She stared at her brother with wide, watery eyes, still sniffling. “Don’t be scared! He’s a gentle giant, see?” He patted Joey’s palm with his own.

The girl seemed uncertain, but she trusted her brother. She looked up at Joey’s face, mostly his chin from the extreme angle, and cautiously climbed up into his gargantuan hand. Joey sat up to get more comfortable, moving slowly so as not to frighten the small children. He cupped his hands together and admired the tiny creatures ensconced in his palms. They were adorable. They stared up at him, transfixed by his unfathomable immensity.

“Hi there. I’m Joey,” the giant introduced himself, with a friendly smile.

Before the children could answer, a feminine voice screamed from far below. Joey looked down to see a woman flitting about in a panic next to his leg. “Unhand them, you foul beast!” she shrieked. She grabbed a stick and whacked Joey in the thigh with desperation. When he didn’t react, she resorted to jabbing him with it instead. “Don’t you dare harm my precious children!”

“I had no such intentions, ma'am,” Joey assured her. He placed his hands palm-up on the ground, allowing the children to go back to their mother. She dropped the branch, clambered up his fingers, grabbed her kids in her arms, and ran, not looking back in her haste. Joey watched her go sadly. He supposed he could understand her reaction, for she didn’t know he was a gentle giant. Even so, it made him melancholic to be treated like some savage man-eating monster that would hurt defenseless children. He sighed and stretched his arms, then polished the mini handprints off his glasses with his tunic.

In the meantime, Leon, Martin, and Chester finished collecting the tribute and were heading back. Chester was marvelously satisfied, despite the ache in his throat from being strangled. He kept licking his lips and sighing with pleasure, his mind off in dreamland as he fantasized about swallowing humans whole. He wanted that last human, Jackie, inside his belly more than anything. Leon held the cage defensively out of his range, so he wouldn’t drool all over it.

Leon morosely withdrew into himself, seeking to block out his surroundings, and by extension his complicity in the whole affair. He couldn’t bear to look at the people in the cage between his hands, or at the humans giving him horrified stares at his feet, but he couldn’t avoid meeting their gazes either as he watched his step through the tiny streets. He didn’t want to cause more damage than he already had.

Martin was flustered. He kept sneaking glances down at the cage, at the little blonde lady who was likewise enamored with him. He wanted to talk to her and ask her name, but he couldn’t possibly do anything of the sort considering the awful circumstances. He warned himself not to get attached. He knew what abysmal abuses she would be forced to endure, and his heart couldn’t bear it. He always tried to distance himself from the humans, so he wouldn’t be sensitive to their pain, but he felt personally responsible for this particular woman. He tried to convince himself that her fate was out of his hands as his heart settled into his entrails with guilt and despair.

While the giants were preoccupied with their respective thoughts, none of them noticed a tiny man hiding in the streets, peering out from behind a building. Cesar was still insulted and dejected over being refused. He had more right to go than that other pitiful excuse of a man who didn’t even want the exalted privilege of meeting the giantess princess. As a huge shoe stomped next to him, he leapt into action. He raced forward, and with a mighty jump and a swing of his arms, snagged onto the giant’s boot. He clambered up the side and concealed himself under the cuff of the trousers.

Leon didn’t notice the inconsequential weight of his new human passenger as he walked. Cesar’s heart pounded and his stomach heaved with the long, rapid strides of the giant. The speed and power were dizzying, and he struggled to hold on until he could properly situate himself on the top edge of the boot. Once he was secure, he was able to catch his breath, even as nausea rose in his throat. He forced it down and clung on for dear life.

Martin, Leon, and Chester didn’t have too much trouble finding Joey in the rural countryside, considering he dwarfed every landmark even while sitting. Joey was already despondent from being a source of terror for the human mother he encountered, but his mood soured further when he saw the cage in Leon’s hands full of humans. He wordlessly got to his feet, dusted off his clothes, and followed the others. He avoided looking at the people inside the cage. He failed to notice Eren, the tiny archer that shot his leg with arrows, but she recognized him. She gritted her teeth, feeling a burst of consternation despite her vindictive spirit. She feared that the giant might retaliate when he saw her. She felt vulnerable, stripped of her poisons and weapons. It was a major setback, but she hoped to still find a way to assassinate the giant king. She was determined.

Martin, to distract himself from Candy, attempted to make conversation with Joey. However, Joey was in no mood to talk, and limited himself to muttering short responses and shrugging his shoulders. Leon didn’t want to engage in idle chatter either. Martin looked around, observing that Chester had wandered off.

“Where’s Chester?” he vocalized. The trio stopped, swiveling their heads.

“Over there,” Leon pointed out. Chester was crouched over a tiny farmhouse, in a field of beans he’d trampled without a second thought. He’d poked his fingers through the front entrance of the house, punching through the door as he teased the little family inside. His eyes lit up with glee as his hand closed around a squirming prize. He tried to pull out, but his enclosed fist was too large to fit through the doorframe. He adjusted his prey so that she was pinched between two fingers and wrenched her from her home.

A shrill cry pierced the air as he dangled her high in the sky, slopping his tongue avariciously over his lips and teeth. “Oh, boy!” he exclaimed, sending a shudder through the small lady. He sniffed the air and grinned, his pearly teeth gleaming with saliva. “You smell delicious!” His belly clamored for food with an insistent gurgle.

“D-d-don’t eat me!” the woman stammered. She was shaking like a leaf in a storm. She tried to say more, to beg for her life, but she tripped over her tongue with a stuttering whine instead.

Joey rushed over as quickly as he could without destroying the land underfoot. “Chester!” he yelled. “Put her down!”

Chester glanced over at him. No malice was in his eyes, just an irrepressible hunger. “Why? She’s just a little thing. Nobody will miss her.”

“No, please, I have a family… I have children…” the woman whimpered, tearing up as she looked at her house far below.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll take care of them; I’ll gobble them up too,” Chester proclaimed, as if this statement was somehow supposed to reassure her. His words had the opposite effect, though, as she thrashed in his hand with renewed vigor.

“No!” she cried. Chester ignored her, lowering her down into his gaping mouth, tongue extended. Joey reacted with lightning speed, hooking Chester’s arm and prying his hand back from his mouth.

“Not on my watch,” he growled. With skillful precision, he drew a dagger from his belt and pressed the blade firmly against Chester’s neck.

“Joey, there’s no need for that,” Chester said, uncertainty in his gaze as he locked eyes with the other giant. Even so, he didn’t release the human from his grasp. Despite Joey’s ferocious intensity, he didn’t believe that the squire would really slit his throat, especially over what he considered a trivial matter.

“Gentleman, stand down!” Sir Maneater shouted. “Joey, put that blade away! We can’t shed blood here!” Joey wavered, unsure how to proceed, before begrudgingly lowering his weapon in acquiescence to his mentor. He knew the noble knight was on his side.

“Chester, you know the humans are the property of the king,” Leon warned. “If you eat one, I’ll have to report it to King Richard. He won’t be pleased.” Chester sighed and pouted, gazing at the human with longing before setting her back down. She sprinted into the nearest structure, the house, to hide, even with the knowledge that it wouldn’t protect her. Joey sheathed his blade.

“Sorry,” Chester apologized sheepishly. “I’m just so hungry, and they smell so good, and I only ever get to taste them. I rarely get to eat them, except for when the king wants to dispose of his leftovers.” He sighed, as if this struggle was some great burden. “I’ll control myself better.”

Joey was fuming, opening and closing his fists. “How can you say things like that with such callous nonchalance? They’re people, for crying out loud!”

Chester stared at him blankly. “I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders, unconvinced. “Anyways, let’s move along.”

Chapter 9

#giant #g/t #giant/tiny #g/t writing #tiny #giant tiny #size difference #g/t fluff #g/t story #g/t fearplay #giant men #gentle giant #gianttiny #gt fluff #gt writing #gt story #gt fearplay

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agentnico · 4 months

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Top 10 BEST Movies of 2023

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all partied hard and are now surviving a dreadful hangover by sitting with your family or friends and enjoying a well deserved marathon of Lord of the Rings. 2023 - what a year! In the movie biz alone there were those little minor events known as the strikes of the actors and writers. Just when we thought COVID was over and stopped affecting releases, these strikes were like “errr no, actually..!”. To be fair, the way the streaming services were underpaying their actors and the studios enforcing AI so much into the media, it was good that these artists stood up for themselves and showed it to the man so to speak! Anyway, we’re not here to talk Hollywood politics, but to celebrate all the quality filmmaking that was exhibited this past year. I’d say in all honesty this year felt weaker compared to 2022. To be fair last year gave us Everything Everywhere All at Once, Top Gun: Maverick and of course the legendary RRR, so the bar was high for 2023. That being said, I still enjoyed some solid films, so let’s rank my Top 10 favourite movies of 2023, but first some honourable mentions…

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Evil Dead Rise - one heck of a gore fest, and the best opening title card of the year hands down!

Past Lives - a simple yet brutally honest love story.

The Boy and the Heron - Wanna hear Robert Pattinson sound like not Robert Pattinson?!

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl are a match made in heaven.

Barbie - I’m Just Ken…need I say more??

Wonka - Timmy makes for a good Willy.

Right, with that, let’s get into the actual fun stuff - The Top 10 Best Movies of 2023!…

10) GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT - The least Guy Ritchie film Guy Ritchie has ever directed and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Away with the rough East End and grizzly jokes, and instead what we have is a very reserved and straight-faced war thriller. Honestly I was so surprised with how much I was engaged and invested in The Covenant - it is a thrilling pulse-racing story of survival that adds to the dread that elements of it are true to many people’s reality. Truly, this is a well-made movie!

9) TETRIS - You hear of a movie titled Tetris and one has to wonder if we have another Emoji Movie on our hands, where we get little tetra shaped characters goofing about in some animated mathematics world trying to force an unfunny joke upon our poor heads. Luckily that’s not the case, as instead this is a behind-the-scenes look at the legal drama behind the ownership of the game rights, and though that may not sound that fun, the movie is surprisingly very entertaining with some visual pixel tricks, a great soundtrack, delightful nostalgia, a fast-paced ante-upping narrative set in the backdrop of the Soviet Union and an adorable Taron Egerton in the middle of it all. Honestly, I’m shocked at how much I digged the Tetris movie!

8) GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 - Marvel is evidently in a rut, but a rare bright spark in recent memory was the final instalment of James Gunn’s take on the fun dysfunctional space family. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a wonderful ride, bringing lots of great humour, character dynamics and emotion, and gets you hooked on a feeling…one last time. Oh, and Gunn finally managed to properly show Nathan Fillion’s face in a Marvel movie, and that in itself is a win!

7) MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING - PART ONE - Tom Cruise - what a guy! I mean yes he’s a Scientologist, has a constant death wish by breaking his ankles on film sets and also guilty of jumping on Oprah’s sofa like a monkey, but my my is he a charmer! You guys know the drill with these Mission Impossible movies - Tom Cruise throws his body around like a potato fearing not for his life nor broken limbs, but you have to respect the man for wanting to give the audience their tickets’ worth of entertainment, and Dead Reckoning not disappoint! There’s never a dull moment, the action is constantly inventive and exciting, and honestly with how consistent the quality of these films are, I say keep ‘em coming, Cruise-man!

6) DREAM SCENARIO - Anyone who knows me knows how much I love me some Nicolas Cage! The guy’s an acting legend, and he’s had it rough a decade ago when he got stuck paying off hi tax money and starring in crappy B-movies, but recently he’s been on a hot streak of great original content, and Dream Scenario adds to that. I love this idea of a random dude suddenly appearing in people’s dreams for absolutely no reason. It’s so rare to have a new original conception in a film in our day and age, and the execution here is great. As a bonus, the movie features possibly the best fart joke in the history of the cinema.

5) OPPENHEIMER - On one had this is probably the most “well-made” movie of 2023 cinematically speaking. Christopher Nolan does not hold back in using his typical non-linear way of storytelling, with the film weaving narratives and different time periods seamlessly as it explores the profound depths of a man who’s actions altered the world’s trajectory forever, for better or worse. It’s an incredible historical piece of cinema, and the movie gets extra points for the whole ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon, but the reason this film is not higher on the list is due to the fact that I believe it is overrated. Cause every single person raved about how bloody amazing this thing was, I became tired of the positivity. Yeah, I know, I’m being a Scrooge but what you gonna do about it?? Oppenheimer is stuck at No. 5!

4) KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - When a movie forces you to stay in the cinema for over 3 hours, it better be one epic film, as your man here was straining his bladder to health threatening levels. However this is a Martin Scorsese picture, as such this is event cinema! And this one may be up there with one of his best. Killers of the Flower Moon is a major saga of greed, murder, corruption and despair, told through the eyes of a filmmaker who somehow is still managing to mature more as a director even though he’s already over 80 years of age.

3) THE HOLDOVERS - The Holdovers is very much a vibes movie. It has that old-timey retro feel to it from how it is shot to make it look like it’s from the 70s (reminiscent of John Hughes films and Dead Poets Society). You also have the constant snow falling and the Christmas music just really delivers that cozy winter feel. It’s a wholesome Christmas movie through and through. Paul Giamatti gives a career-best performance and the writing is absolutely stellar, as such The Holdovers is destined to become a holiday classic.

2) BEAU IS AFRAID - A. 3-hour long anxiety attack that A24 spent $30 million to produce. For a movie studio to spill out such a massive amount of cash on a completely original IP that is divisively out-there and wild is such a unique thing to happen in Hollywood in this day and age, that like the film or not this act needs to be applauded. It just so happens that Beau Is Afraid is batshit bonkers and truly an act of madness, yet one that I will forever cherish. I bet David Lynch had the biggest hard-on when he watched this movie - you betcha!

1) SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is, put simply, brilliant! It’s everything that made Into the Spider-Verse great dialled up to 1000%, and the result is honestly fantastic. Look, I watch a lot of movies. And yeah, movies are great and I love them deeply. But in watching so many films I have in a way lost that magic of being in awe every time I go to the cinema. Cliches and repetitiveness in films stick out like sore thumbs. However with Across the Spider-Verse I felt like a kid again, purely stunned in amazement at every single frame, engaged with the characters and story-line, not knowing where it will go next. Like I cannot reiterate how much fun I had watching this movie! The animation is phenomenal, the narrative so rich, a pulse-throbbing music score (I even have Pemberton’s score on vinyl now just cause I love it so much!) superb character development and so many fun and unexpected twists and turns. Across the Spider-Verse is THE movie of 2023 for me and I believe this is the first time ever an animation took a top spot on my list. Here’s hoping Part 3 of the Spider-Verse saga will play out like The Return of the King!

There you have it - my favourite films of 2023. Naturally I don’t expect my list to be the same as yours, so don’t go throwing a tantrum if I missed out a movie you loved. Or do throw a tantrum, see if I care. But also don’t, cause like we’re all friends here, right? Right??!

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cryinglittlepeople · 7 months

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What was Rose and Izuru's first meeting like? Did they meet during the really awkward "hey we're not dead" meeting in the rubble of fake karakura? at the third like a week later? How was it? Awkward AF? Love at first sight? Both of them acting utterly deranged and feeling cringe while bewitched by the other's equally demented antics?

Ooh that's a fun question!

I don't think rose and izuru actually met in the winter war, things were probably way too hectic, with everyone all cut up, gin dead, aizen caught. Everyone tending to their nearest and dearest first.

I do like to think that for a moment rose "sensed" something, or maybe kinshara did, or maybe even his inner hollow. Something marvelous, something inspiring. You know how in early bleach people's reiatsu was depicted as a ribbon? Izuru's reiatsu dancing just out of rose's view, but he felt it. He didn't have the time or mind to go chasing after it ofc.

When he's first properly introduced to izuru he's like !!!!!! Oh my god! It was you!!

So I do think rose was completely enchanted from the first moment. But I also think he didn't know yet what kind of feelings he had towards izuru at first. I think by his very nature rose tends to become infatuated by people, and things, and moments. Is this pure inspiration? Platonic love? Sexual attraction? Gotta find out.

For izuru's part I like to think he got on with rose quickly, not bc he's handsome or bc rose swooned, I think, bc we know from the manga that izuru is kinda closed off emotionally, and he's also kinda used to people acting a bit....odd..around him, so I don't think he'd really react to rose if all he did was swoon and serenade.

I actually think what got them closer is the opposite: rose listened. Like, /really/ listened. Not just things about the betrayal, or izuru's trial , and things like that, but rose would listen when izuru talked and remembered things like izuru's favorite poet, the way he liked his tea, his favorite pen, etc. I don't think anyone had done that for izuru in a long time.

And I think another thing is that rose respected izuru, his decisions, his authority, his opinions.

Things like that made izuru really start paying attention when rose would say sweet things to him, leave him notes, tell him he'd written songs about him. And that was just the beginning.

And then ofc if I'd go further into that, like I said before I think they had sex very quickly after that. More than anything to both just find out what would happen if they got it out of their system.

Surely, any feelings after that would simmer down? .....they would, in fact, not.

#rosezuru

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sisterspooky1013 · 11 months

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Parallel, Chapter 3/6

Rated X | Read it here on AO3

She stands nude in front of the mirror, marveling not at what she sees, but at what she doesn’t see. There is no scar at the base of her neck, no pink patch of raised tissue on her belly, no tattoo on her back. Would she dream all this up? Erase every trace of her life from her own body? She firmly pinches a sizable amount of skin on her forearm and gives it a twist, gasping at the pain and the resulting redness. That certainly felt real. But it can’t be. It’s simply not possible.

She steps into the shower and lets water pour over her head. From the back of her mind, Mulder—her Mulder—whispers that this doesn’t seem very much like a dream. Dreams are notoriously ambiguous, even the vivid ones. The laws of nature never seem to apply, and time doesn’t move linearly. In dreams, you can’t read clocks or operate electronic devices. It’s like a showroom of your life—all display and no function. But the hot water running down her back feels very real, and she’s been able to read a clock and make a phone call. It doesn’t make sense, at least not in any way that complies with her understanding of the natural world.

But if it were real, if she somehow landed in another dimension, she’s not sure what to make of the fact that she and Mulder not only know each other, but are married. That is perhaps the most perplexing part.

The shower door snaps open and she shrieks, turning to face the wall while simultaneously covering her breasts and vulva.

“Sorry, I thought you heard me come in,” she hears Mulder say, and then the shower door snaps closed again.

She pulls in a deep breath through her nose and blows it out through pursed lips, attempting to calm her own startle response. But then warm, wet arms encircle her from behind, and she lurches and sucks in a ragged breath. He pulls away a bit and cranes his neck around her to see her face. She stares at the wall, shell-shocked by her own nakedness, and presumably his, and the proximity of their respective nakedness to one another.

“Sorry,” she sputters, aware that her reaction does not make sense in the context of this—whatever this is. “I didn’t realize you got in.”

“Do you want me to get out?” he asks with an edge of hurt. “I can wait until you’re done.”

In a matter of seconds, she recognizes three things to be concurrently true. One, whether a dream or some kind of alternate reality, Mulder is her husband right now. Second, whatever happens in this space presumably has no impact on her actual life. And lastly, being naked near Mulder while he is also naked has been fodder for many a fantasy, and it seems downright wasteful not to enjoy it a little. Besides, she’d hate to risk causing marital problems for some alternate version of herself, should such a person exist.

“No, it’s okay,” she tells him, though she can’t bring herself to turn around.

He pulls her closer, and her eyes go big as she feels his penis press against her lower back. They stand under the spray of the shower like that for minutes and she slowly relaxes, even leans into him a little. One of her arms is still pinned across her breasts, the other hand held loosely over her pubic hair, but it feels nice standing here like this with him. It feels natural.

Suddenly his arms fall away and she is once again on high alert, unsure what he plans to do next. He reaches past her and dispenses soap into his hand from a pump on the wall, then smears it right on top of her head. It’s cold against her scalp, but then his fingers begin to work it into a lather and the smell of mint fills her nose. He’s washing her hair like it’s something he does all the time. Maybe in this world, he does.

“I saw the star on the calendar,” he says smoothly, pressing his thumbs firmly into the nape of her neck.

“Oh?” she answers, then waits for more context that doesn’t come. “Is that…good or bad?”

Mulder chuckles, sliding his slippery hands down her back and over her ass cheeks. Her internal panic and a hearty throb between her legs disorient her, and she doesn’t move.

“Very good,” he says, giving her ass a squeeze. “Not that I need a reason.”

“...A reason for what?” she tries, so hyper aware of his hands on her ass that she momentarily forgets to breathe.

He sighs and wraps his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“It’s only been six months,” he says tenderly. “It’ll happen. It doesn’t mean that something’s wrong.”

He squeezes her again and takes one step back, then resumes washing her hair.

When the pieces fall into place, time slows down. The roar of the shower becomes a gentle hush, Mulder’s fingers against her scalp move in lazy circles, and drops of water fall in slow motion from the tip of her nose.

A baby.

“Mulder,” she blurts out, and he freezes.

“Are you talking to me?” he asks, genuinely confused.

“Fox,” she corrects herself, though it feels foreign on her tongue. “I’m sorry, could I have some privacy, please?”

He pauses for a moment, undoubtedly wondering what he did wrong.

“Sure,” he says, holding his hands in front of her to rinse the suds away. “Let me know when you’re out.”

She keeps her back to the shower door and listens as he steps out and dries off. When she hears the snick of the door closing, she lets out a blustering sigh and every muscle in her body relaxes. She rinses out the shampoo Mulder applied and completes her routine, finding that many of the products are the same ones she keeps in her shower at home.

If this dream is of her own fabrication, it’s a markedly cruel one. Why her subconscious would decide to show her what her life would look like if she got everything she ever wanted—but will never have—is beyond her. Angry, disappointed tears spring to her eyes and she lets the water run over her face to wash them away. With her eyes closed, she wills herself to wake up, begs her alarm to go off, gently slaps her cheeks in an attempt to rouse herself. She’s seen enough. She’s felt enough. It hurts, and she wants out. She wants to go home.

She doesn’t wake up in her bed in Georgetown. The water starts to cool and she shuts it off, realizing that she needs to save some for Mulder. She gets out, towels off, and finds some clothes to wear in the bedroom closet. She gets ready for a lunch date with her dead sister because she doesn’t know what else to do. Back in the bathroom, she peeks in the drawers and cabinets until she finds a small bag of makeup, and when she has an eyeliner pencil poised at her water line, Mulder appears in the doorway, stark naked.

“Okay if I jump in?” he asks, and she looks over at him, her eyes immediately falling to the dark thatch of hair at his groin.

“Oh,” she says, startled, unable to tear her eyes away.

She’s caught glimpses here and there, typically during some kind of medical emergency. This is quite more than a glimpse. He’s not even attempting to conceal himself. If he were, he’d certainly need both hands to get the job done.

“See something you like?” he asks, and her eyes snap back to his face.

He’s smiling at her, wagging his eyebrows suggestively, and she feels her cheeks flame.

“Sorry,” she stammers, averting her eyes to the countertop.

“Sorry,” he repeats quietly, perplexed, as he takes two steps towards her. “Dana, are you blushing?”

He’s right beside her, as is his completely exposed and very large penis, and she knows she’s behaving strangely but she can’t suppress her reaction. Neither the reaction he can see on her face, nor the one that is concealed beneath the powder blue sundress she selected. She forces herself to look up at him, to at least make a good faith attempt to play the part. Who knows how long she’ll be stuck here? Things could certainly get worse.

“I guess you still have that effect on me,” she says in her very best casual, playful voice. The one that she hasn’t used in years because she hasn’t had anyone to use it with.

She hopes that her facade is effective, because internally she feels so nervous she may vomit. Mulder wraps one hand around the back of her head, threading his fingers through her damp hair, and kisses her soundly. He’s naked, and he’s kissing her, and she tries to convince herself to relax and enjoy it. When his tongue slides along her bottom lip, she drops the eyeliner pencil and turns her body more fully toward his, resting her hands on his bare waist. With her eyes closed she can forget where she is, forget that she doesn’t even know where she is, and allow herself to recognize the salt of his mouth, the familiar smell of his breath, the entirely new sensation of his teeth knocking up against hers. He moans and grabs her hand, and she feels the heft of an erection slide into her palm. Her eyes snap open, and she pulls her hand away as though his flesh burned her. Mulder opens his eyes and she sees confusion begin to fall over his face. She doesn’t want to hurt him—any version of him—with her own self-doubt.

“We don’t want to be late,” she says sweetly, pushing up to her tiptoes to give him one last kiss. “Raincheck?”

He sighs and nods, then openly leers at her as he backs away toward the shower. She turns to the mirror and retrieves the abandoned eyeliner, aware of his reflection behind her. She tries to keep her eyes on her own image, but curiosity gets the better of her and she sneaks a quick look.

Dear god.

She has no way of knowing if she’ll still be here to make good on that raincheck. Part of her hopes not, but a bigger part of her, the part that wonders whether getting this wet while wearing another woman’s underwear violates some niche set of etiquette rules, hopes that she is.

Tagging @today-in-fic

#the x files #x files fanfic #txf #dana scully #fox mulder #xf fanfic #x files #the x-files #xfiles

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nekoannie-chan · 1 year

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Words

Title: Words.

Ship: Steve Rogers X Reader.

Word count: 486 words.

Rating: Teen.

Square: B5 “All he had to do was say the goddamm words”.

Summary: You thought Steve would leave and abandon you.

Warnings/Tags: Angst, happy ending, misunderstanding. No Archive Warnings Apply.

A/N: This is my entry to @allcapsbingo AC1078.

You can read it on Wattpad and Ao3 too.

@saiyanprincessswanie

My native language is Spanish so I wanna improve my writing skills in English if you notice any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct them.

I don’t give any kind of permission that my fics to be posted on other platforms or languages (I translate myself my work) or the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this), I did them exclusively for my fics, please respect my work and don't steal it. There are some people here who make dividers that anyone can use, mine is not this type, please look for the other's people. The only exception is the ones I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. If you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts, please let me know. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

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If you like it, please vote, comment, and give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

Tags: @sinceimetyou @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad @navybrat817 @angrythingstarlight @shield-agent78 @charmed-asylum @pandaxnienke @real-fbi @smokeandnailz @white-wolf1940 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @xoxonotme @bluemusickid @leyannrae @harrysthiccthighss @marvelatthisone @caplanbuckybarnes @sapphire-rogers @lizzieolseniskinda @notyourtypicalrose @hallecarey1 @nana1000night @talia-rumlow @writingshae @alexxavicry @azulatodoryuga @daemonslittlebitch @chaoticcollectivenightmare @endlesstwanted @chemtrails-club

You had just left the empty glass on the table; you had lost count of how many you had drunk, but you were actually avoiding crying. The discussion you had with Steve... since Scott told you how to fix what happened with Thanos, you and Steve talked, and he promised you that he was going to stay by your side.

But a few hours earlier it seemed Steve had changed his mind, you would have trusted him if he had said a few simple words.

Bucky came into the kitchen, and for a few seconds, you pretended you hadn't noticed. You knew he was going to intercede for his friend, but it wasn't something he could fix.

"Hey, I think you should listen to Steve."

You didn't pay much attention to what he was saying, and you didn't care either; in fact, you didn't even know what you were going to do in the future.

"All he had to do was say the goddamn words," you sobbed.

"Come on, you know what his feelings are."

"Bucky, you don't understand." You got up upset and left; you needed to be alone to understand what had just happened.

Maybe Steve lied to you the whole time you were together.

"You should talk to Y/N; she is very mad; she didn't even want to listen to me." "I know she was pretending to listen to me, but you would have seen the look on her face," Bucky said.

"I don't know if she wants to listen to me; we argued, and I'm sure she doesn't want to see me."

"You're going to lose her if you don't clear things up, Y/N will probably hate you if you don't tell her the truth if she doesn't hate you already."

You had decided to say goodbye to Steve forever, and you arrived at the cabin just in time. You didn't want to talk to him; you would just say goodbye and leave.

It seemed like everyone was there; would they know what Steve was planning?

You approached, and suddenly you felt very confused—who was standing on the platform was not Steve but Strange.

"Steve asked me to give you this." Bucky handed you an envelope.

You opened the envelope and read the letter. Steve was waiting for you somewhere else, so you went there as fast as you could.

"Steve?"

"You were right, I was going to do something stupid, but the last thing I want is to lose you," he said.

"I thought... I went... but, it was Strange," you were confused.

"I told you I was going to go, but I thought about it; I don't want to lose you, so I let someone else take care of it," he replied.

"Steve, I was afraid," you said.

"I love you; you're the best thing that ever happened to me."

"That was all I needed to hear."

#allcapsbingo2023 #all caps bingo 2023 #steve rogers x reader

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wall-legion · 11 months

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The Brewmaster’s Tea Room

It wasn’t every day that a new restaurant opened in the Black Citadel. It certainly wasn’t the same year that two did, and two as different as the ones that had.

It seemed as though the hubbub over the Citadel franchise location of Heroic Encore! Maid Cafe had only just settled when something else unheard of was being advertised as opening soon near the Canton: a tea room. Publicly, many scoffed: a tea room? No self respecting charr worth their tail, let alone their teeth or claws or weapons, would be caught in there. However in private, even the loudest detractors wondered to themselves if it could be worth a visit. After all, the maid cafe had been such fun to stop in, and the food was actually good there. Perhaps a tea room could have something worthwhile to add as well. It opened without much fanfare, unlike the storm of flyers and street corner advertisements the Heroic Encore! staff had brought upon the citizens of the Citadel less than a month before. So when a charr and an asura happened to notice that its hand-painted sign read ‘open’ while passing by one afternoon, curiosity led them inside. The air was filled with fragrance, all at once grassy and floral and herbaceous and fruity. A kettle on a fire at the other end of the room was filling the room with steam as well, making the experience that much more heady. The pair looked around at the walls filled with jars, taking in the names as they walked further in. “Greetings!” The sudden voice made them both jump, and they looked towards the counter. Where there had once only been the kettle, now there stood a full grown female charr with a wide grin on her face. “Welcome to the Whistle and Cup. I’m Vita Brewmaster.” “Oh-!” The other charr, also female, raised her hand in greeting. “I’m Lu.” “I know! Lucasta and Kudo. You’re very well known.” “We are?” The asura looked briefly worried. “All good things, all good things!” Vita returned cheerily. “Now then, let’s get you both your tea.” “But we haven’t ordered yet-” Lu started, stopping as a finger was held up from the other charr. “I have a gift for these things,” was her cryptic answer. “You both require calm, but in different ways. I will make you something to help. Just a moment.” A few minutes later, Lu was given a mug of herbal tea infused with lemon balm, chamomile and lemongrass, while Kudo was given a rooibos tea with vanilla and cinnamon infused into it. When the two of them stared at her blankly, she simply said, “It will help.” Within fifteen minutes, both mugs were fully drained, and both had to admit that the teas did have some affect on them: Lu felt more relaxed, and Kudo felt downright cozy. They thanked Vita for the tea, and headed out to the get-together they were at the Black Citadel in the first place for. Within hours of their departure, more folks of all sizes and races began to trickle in. Many mentioned Kudo and Lucasta; all mentioned the seemingly magical properties that the pair purported the tea of this establishment to have. Vita smiled to herself as she put another kettle on, using her elementalist skills to ignite and fuel the fire under it to speed up the water boiling within. It would seem that this would be a very busy Saturday. She brought out all the mugs she had, setting them up on the counter as she examined the people before her. The first to catch her eye was a norn, and a very pink one at that, with a glowing hammer strapped to her back. Vita felt the familiar buzz of another elementalist’s magic near her own, and marveled: she had never heard of an elementalist fighting with a hammer before. Then again, there were all manner of new things coming back to Tyria now that people were journeying to Cantha. Green golems purported to be made of jade imbued with dragon magic, swords that were also guns, and of course Void, but if there was one thing Vita had learned in the “twenty seven” years she would admit to- there were charr older than her who knew that perhaps another twenty seven should be added onto that- it was that the universe demanded balance. For the goodness it gave out to those who had not yet walked into the Mists, it also demanded some hardship, some challenge to be risen up to and met. She considered this norn for a moment more, before asking her name. “Lorelei,” the norn told her. “Why should you need to know that in order to serve me tea?” “It is the last ingredient,” Vita answered with a small smile and looked down, but not so soon as to miss the confused and worried look Lorelei gave those assembled around her. “You have traveled far and quickly, miss Lorelei. You have boundless energy. White tea is mild and crisp, with only a little caffeine. Some rose hips for vitamins, to keep you healthy, and some dried pear and papaya for sweetness and brightness. Enjoy.” She handed the mug to the elementalist, before scanning the crowd and sensing another elementalist nearby. “You.” “Me?” the sylvari she pointed at asked, pointing at himself while blinking. Daggers on him, what elementalist fought with daggers? What times they lived in now! “Wh- why? What? I’m not even good at tea!” “That’s fine. It’s my job. Name please.” She took out the special whisk and the jar next to it without even having to look down for them as she reached, placing them up on the counter. “I- you- it’s Elandrin?” “It’ll be matcha for you. You do need the caffeine, and the multitude of healthy benefits that come from drinking this.” She began patiently whisking the beverage after pouring the water into the mug, waiting until the froth was just right. “There we are. Enjoy.” She watched as he took the mug, and then glanced down. Partially hidden behind her kettle was another sylvari, the leaves making up her hair marked and tipped with vibrant white. Vita could sense magic about her as well, but it was not elementalists’ magic. Perhaps a necromancer, as it did not feel like a mesmer’s, she mused. “Your name, dear?” she asked with a smile. “I’m Damia,” she answered, returning the smile. Vita studied her face briefly. “You’ve seen so much,” Vita said after a moment, “hardships more than others may ever know. You need some peace. Give me just a moment.” She turned to her jars, humming softly as she pulled a few down to begin blending things together. “A little of this... a touch of this... perfect. Let’s get that brewing.” When the tea was done steeping, she stepped around the counter and bent down to hand the mug to Damia. “White tea, blended with lavender and sweet orange peel,” she explained. “A touch of caffeine, a touch of calm, and a touch of brightness and sweetness. It felt like the right mix for you. Let me know what you think.” The sylvari nodded and thanked her, and Vita stood back up, scanning for her next customer. A pair of bright green eyes caught hers, and she found herself looking into the face of a tall, proud female charr. “Your name, lass,” she said. “I’m Jayrim Beastcharmer,” she answered, lifting her chin slightly as she did. Vita’s smile curled a little. Oh she knew just what to make for this proud young thing. “Just a moment,” she said, and turned to her work. “There we are. My gunpowder green tea.” “Gun-” Jayrim stopped from where she was about to reach for the mug on the counter. “You telling me there’s gunpowder in here?” Vita laughed. “Burn me, no! That’d be a waste of supplies, and surely someone from the imperators’ offices would come down to yank on my tail about that. The name comes from two things about the tea: the way the leaves roll up into small balls that resemble pellets of gunpowder, and the slightly smoky, metallic taste some get from the cup. Please, enjoy.” Jayrim gave her a very slow, cautious look, before finally taking the mug off the counter after all. As she left, she passed another female charr with blue eyes in the most armor Vita had seen on someone since one of her last mates. ...well, until she helped her out of it. “Your name?” she finally asked, snapping herself out of that particular thought before it could go much further. “Me?” The other female charr put a paw to her chest as she spoke. “I’m Vesnia.” Vita studied her a moment more. “I’ve heard of you, I think. From the Ebonhawke treaties?” Vesnia nodded, the slightest smile creasing her muzzle as she did. “Ah, good, my memory doesn’t fail me yet. I think I have just the blend in mind for you. Just a moment!” She turned to her jars again, pulling down two jars before adding them to a mug and topping it with a heaping spoonful of black tea leaves, before pouring of boiling water. She stood back, once again using her magic to refill the kettle and make sure the fire was hot enough, as she waited for the brew inside to be ready. After a few minutes, she strained out the leaves and herbs and presented it to Vesnia. “There we are. A tea for mental and physical fortitude,” she explained. “Thank you,” Vesnia said after a moment, stepping back. “Who’s next then?” Vita asked, before spotting a sylvari whom she could only describe as “floral-colored”. He was the softest shades of pink and purple she thought she had ever seen on anyone, let alone the plant people who’d started appearing out of the southwest when she was fresh out of fahrar. “What’s your name, lad?” “Taffy. Oh, Tafyndel, I mean,” he replied in a voice as soft as his coloring. For all the armor he wore, he seemed like he was worried if he rose his voice he would hurt someone’s feelings. “I’d like a tea too, please, if it isn’t any trouble.” Vita, who was years past cubbing, had to shove down the urge to pick up this poor thing and put him in her back room so she could take care of him. “No trouble at all,” she said once she’d regained her composure. “I’ve just the thing for you.” She reached for the jar that had the blend she’d already made ages ago. It was a favorite of hers, and of the cubs she’d had in the past: a blend of dried vanilla beans and rooibos tea. It was caffeine free and subtly sweet. Once it was brewed, she handed the mug to Taffy. “There you are, dear,” she said, not meaning to add on the last part but not catching herself. “Enjoy it.” “Thank you,” he said, just as softly. As he disappeared to find an available table- get more tables, or maybe set up an outside seating area, Vita noted to herself for a future problem to solve when she didn’t have a small army of every known Tyrian race in front of her looking for service- another sylvari, far darker in coloring and with a noble countenance, stepped to the counter. “Good evening,” Vita said cheerily. “May I get your name?” “I am Saraid,” the sylvari replied. “May I order, or am I to get what you decide for me like everyone else?” Vita’s brow quirked as she fought the urge to grin. “I try to let my intuition guide me on my guests’ first visits,” she explained. “On future visits, if they so choose, they can pick their order or let me decide the tea they need that day.” “And what is it that you think I am in need of?” Vita finally did smile. “Peace, perhaps.” The sylvari gave her a very long look, before nodding. “Go ahead with what you are planning. But if I do not like it, I will let you know.” “Of course.” Vita set to work, putting a new kettle on a lower flame so it would not get to as high a temperature. She brought down new jars, spooning dried flowers and petals into a glass mug instead of the ceramic ones she had been giving to the others so the beautiful color of the tisane she concocted could be seen. Once the water was hot enough, she poured it over the blend, creating an alluring amber gold color and a powerful floral fragrance from the cup. After a few minutes, she strained out the ingredients and handed the cup to Saraid, waiting for them to taste. “It certainly smells nice enough,” they said, though as an afterthought they added, “It reminds one of home, a little.” They lifted the mug delicately to their mouth, blew across the surface to cool it, and took their first sip. Their eyes grew wide, and they looked at Vita. “Yes?” “This... this will do.” Saraid turned on her heel and made her way through the crowd. Vita allowed herself a chuckle as she looked over the crowd. Everyone appeared to have been served, perhaps she could lower the fires for a moment... “Hello.” Vita could have leaped out of her fur, let alone her garments, at the sudden presence before her. Where had that sylvari come from? There’d been no one at the counter, she would have sworn it on the tails of her sire, dam, and every cub she’d personally born mewling into this flames-foresaken world! She gathered herself, trying to look as though she hadn’t been as badly startled as she had and failing since she could not keep her tail from lashing back and forth, and spoke. “Good evening to you...” “Yvalris, young lady.” Vita raised a brow at that: she knew she was aging well for a charr but not that well. Or maybe this sylvari was trying to flirt? “I look forward to whatever you make for me.” Vita gave her a look over: she was wearing what appeared to be some of the Canthan fashions that some folk were gravitating towards now that the borders were reopened. “You’re in luck. I think I have just the thing for you,” she answered, and set to work. She took out a box that was brought back from Cantha by one of her sons as a gift for her, and from that took out a single jar. With a pair of tweezers, she took out dried flowers and placed them into another glass mug, before adding white tea leaves in a tea bag. She poured over hot water and waited. Gradually, the dried flower petals reopened, revealing delicate pink cherry blossom that now floated gently in the steaming hot water. Vita removed the tea bag before handing it over to Yvalris. “There you are. Enjoy.” “How did you..?” “I thought you might be interested in this because of your outfit.” “Ah. Yes. My outfit. Of course. Thank you dear.” The sylvari hurried away, and Vita watched her leave while rubbing her chin for a moment. She shrugged after a moment’s contemplation, and set to making herself a cup of lemon lavender tea to help her flagging energy. She’d just set it aside to steep when she looked up to see a norn female walking towards the counter with a short human next to her. Vita stepped up to the counter and realized the human was wearing the uniform for the maid cafe nearby. “Hello,” she said. “Can I help you?” “This one was stuck outside trying to get through this crowd,” the norn woman explained, resting a hand on the human’s shoulder. “They have a group order for that cafe thing.” “Sorry,” the human said. “We didn’t know you were this busy, I can bring the order from us back over later-” “Nonsense! Let me see.” Vita held out a paw, and the human put a scrap of paper in it. “What have we got here... a chai, two green teas, and a matcha? Oh that’s no trouble at all! What’s your name?” “Kennan, ma’am.” “Kennan. You see that chair here behind me? You take that seat and have a rest, and I’ll let you know when I have everything ready. Then you can head out the back door rather than trying to lug four drinks out the front.” Kennan looked visibly relieved. “Thank you ma’am.” “You’re welcome, dear. Now take a load off.” She turned her attention to the norn. “Anything I can get for you, dear?” “Oh- well, I suppose whatever’s easiest.” Vita gave her a look. “What would you like?” The norn’s shoulders untensed. “Something sweet, please?” “Of course. What’s your name, hon?” “Cinalu.” “Just a minute then.” She reached for her favorite chai blend, with more cinnamon for extra sweetness and a touch extra ginger for an extra note of baking spice type of flavors to it. She put this into two cups- one for her and one for the cafe order- before starting the other three cups for the cafe. She poured boiling water into them all and stepped back to let them steep, finally remembering her own tea and taking the ingredients out. She took a sip- it had oversteeped a little, and it was lukewarm, but thankfully it was her own cup and not a customer’s. She took another sip, before starting to look for a tray or a box she could lend to Kennan in order to carry the four drinks over to the cafe without any incident happening. With a short box found, she started finishing the drinks, setting one of the chai aside for Cinalu and setting the rest into the box. “I’ll be right with you,” she said to Cinalu, before picking up the box and turning to Kennan. “All right, Kennan. Come with me.” The human followed her to the back door, and once Kennan was out the door Vita handed them the box with the drinks. “Thank you, ma’am,” they said. “You’re welcome,” she replied. “Just be careful walking back with those, as they’re quite hot.” “Yes ma’am.” “And don’t call me ma’am. I’m Vita.” “Yes m- Vita.” Vita grinned. “Go on, then.” She watched as Kennan left, before heading back in and picking up Cinalu’s mug and putting it up on the counter. “Sorry about that.” “No, no, you’re fine.” She picked up the mug and inhaled deeply. “It smells wonderful.” “I’m glad to hear that. It’s my own blend.” Vita waved a paw. “Please, go ahead and give it a taste.” Cinalu took a sip, before taking a longer drink nearly immediately after. “Oh it’s lovely,” she said after swallowing. “It’s perfect.” “Oh I’m glad.” Vita smiled widely. “Please, enjoy.” She looked up and, despite herself, saluted at the charr behind Cinalu. “Legionnaire Horncleaver!” “At ease, Brewmaster,” the male charr chuckled. “So this is the tea shop I got word about a few weeks back...” “Yes sir.” “Please. I’m off duty. It can be Gaius for now.” “Oh. Of course. Can I get you a cup of tea, Gaius?” Calling him by name felt awkward, but she wanted him to be comfortable. “Go right ahead. I heard from your other guests that you decide what we get, so...” He waved a paw. “Go ahead.” She nodded and set to work. Fresh ginger was grated into the strainer along with a spoonful of her dried ginger root, some cloves, some dried vanilla bean to balance the heat of the spices, and then yerba mate for the caffeine. Once the strainer was in the mug, she put in two cinnamon sticks as well, before pouring the hot water in and giving it all a good stir. She refilled her kettles for what felt like the hundredth time already that afternoon- though looking outside, she realized that the way the shadows stretched across the well-worn paths implied it was more like late evening at this point. After another good stir, she removed the strainer and the cinnamon sticks before placing the mug before Gaius. “There you are.” He took a long sniff without picking up the mug, as if he thought it might explode or bite him. “Smells spicy.” “...is that bad?” Had she misjudged him? “Hell no. I love spicy.” He picked the mug up and gave it a quick slurp. “Ah! Only complaint is I need to wait for it to cool more. Otherwise it’s delicious. Congrats on the opening!” “Thank you!” she called to his back, as he’d already started on his way to the front door. The crowd was starting to thin out, at least: most of the people who were here now were seated, talking to others while they were finishing their drinks. It was everything she had wanted when she had dreamed up this place. She took another sip of her tea, wiped up the counter, and tended the fires under her kettles for a moment when she heard someone clearing their throat. She turned to see another sylvari, black with bright purple coloring, looking up at her. “Good evening,” he said with a smile. “I’m told you’re serving tea to everyone.” “So I am,” Vita replied. “Could I brew some up for you?” “It depends.” He laced his fingers together and rested his chin upon them. “What is it that you think I need?” She raised a brow, but held her tongue as she looked him up and down. “Peppermint,” she said after a moment, turning to take down the jar that contained the aforementioned herb. He blustered a moment, slapping his hands down instead of holding his coy posture. “I- peppermint?!” “Yes.” She continued measuring the herb out into the mug, and pouring hot water over it, without looking up at him as she spoke. “It calms the nerves and helps to deal with one’s stresses. And, if nothing else, it can provide a cooling sensation to one who needs to find some chill.” Some of the other patrons quietly chuckled at that last part, while the sylvari just scoffed. “If you insist,” was his reply. She strained out the leaves after a moment more, and set the mug on the counter, turning to put the jar of peppermint away. “Oh, I never asked your-” She finally turned to look at him. “-name.” The mug, the sylvari, and her tip jar were all gone. “Burn me,” she muttered. “Well, what’s one mug of tea when I’ve been this busy all night, I suppose.” She sighed, and resumed her cleaning, until someone else clearing their throat caught her attention again. She looked back at the counter from where she was neatening up her jars to see only the second human she’d seen all day. “Well, well. Good evening to you.” “Good evening,” the human returned. “I’m so sorry, are you getting ready to close?” “No, dear. Just getting some cleaning up in. Can I get you something?” “If I could. I heard from some folks that you decide what we’re in need of for a drink, though.” Vita nodded. “I do indeed. Can I just get your name, dear?” “It’s Minei, ma’am.” “Welcome to my shop, Minei. I’m Vita. Give me just a moment.” She turned back to her shelves, pulling down a jar. “You have need of a special tea. It’s called pu’er tea, and it has a deeper, earthier taste. You seem like someone who would appreciate its nuance.” She got the fire burning hotter under her kettle again and spooned some of the dark leaves into one of her few remaining mugs. Once the water was hot enough, she poured it into the mug, leaving it to steep before turning to put the jar away. “I’ve found this to have a very grassy aroma, but perhaps you’ll smell something different than I do.” She strained the tea out, and handed the mug to the young woman. “Please enjoy.” “Thank you. I think I will.” Minei dropped her coins on the counter, as everyone else had, and turned to sit down. Finally, without a line awaiting her, Vita made her way to the front of the building to turn over the sign to where it read ‘closed’. She weaved from table to table to pick up empty mugs and wipe up wet spots, chatting with anyone still there as she went. She washed up the mugs as she made her way back behind the counter, and set them out to dry on the colorful towels her family, friends, and warband members had gifted her for this occasion. And when the last person finally filed out, and she sat down to drink her stone cold tea from hours ago, she thought happily of how she would be able to do this all again tomorrow.

#gw2 writing #vsart party #I'll tag everyone's characters later

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theresawritesstuff · 10 months

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Maisel Prompt: “Today I feel like running naked through your street To get your attention”

Dear Lenny,

I know I said calling wasn't something we do last time we ran into one another, but I've been thinking about you lately so I thought we could give letters a go. See how it feels. If I don't hear back from you then I'll have my answer…

So. Who's got gout?

All clear here on the eastern front in that respect.

But in all seriousness, I hope you're well. That all is really, truly well, and that California has been treating you kindly.

I imagine there's a certain lucky little girl who is very happy to have you there with her. Has your social calendar been completely booked with fancy tea parties and trips to the beach? Busy taking peanut butter and jelly picnics in the park? You're shaking your head at me I'm sure, but if you ever find yourself in need a proper hat for just such an occasion, I have more than any reasonable person should stashed away in my closet. I'm sure I could spare one for the cause.

Or perhaps I'm being presumptuous to assume there isn't someone on the west coast you could more easily borrow from. Someone else who's turned your head since you left?

I've been working again. Thought you might like to know. By day I'm the resident lady writer for the Gordon Ford Show. If one of my jokes ever actually makes it to air, maybe we can make an exception on the no calling thing just so we can marvel at the miracle.

I wish I could say it's a dream gig, but it's been an uphill battle in stilettos getting any of the other writers to take me seriously. The pay keeps the lights on, though, so I'll keep at it for now. On top of that, Susie has me working the club circuit around town almost every night. No need to worry about me hiding away at 30 Rock. I learned my lesson on that front. I'm taking every gig that comes my way. And a few of the ones that don't. It's been daunting getting back out there, but I made you a promise and I intend to keep it.

Can't have Lenny Bruce walking around brokenhearted.

I'm sorry for letting you down before. You've always been one of the few people who have believed in me through all this, who have gone the extra mile to give me a leg up, to help me over the roadblocks. Even the ones I put in front of myself.

You always saw me better than anyone else. Even me. I find myself wondering what it might take to turn your head my way again after such a royal fuckup.

Some days I think about packing a box full of every poster and billing with my name on it from the last few months and shipping it off to your house, just to show I listened and took your words to heart.

Others nights I look at the phone on my nightstand and contemplate the time difference until I fall asleep.

There's been a few times I have considered walking right over to Gordon's desk on air just to tell you hello into the camera or tell a joke you might actually laugh at, but that would lose me the nice paycheck I've come to like so much.

Today I feel like running naked through your street just to get your attention, but given there's a child also living at your place of residence perhaps that would be ill advised.

I'll refrain from purchasing any airfare for the purposes of streaking, if only to save you the hassle of having to explain to your daughter how you know the naked crazy lady.

New York has been awful lonely without you. I ran into Peluso at the diner the other night. He's absolutely beside himself with grief from missing you.

But we understand there's someone out there who needs you more. And that's a very brave thing to show up for her. Be there for her. I know I always felt better when you showed up for me.

Thank you, by the way for always showing up when I needed someone. When I needed you.

You have always been sensational in that regard, as you are in many, many others.

I'll never look at blue walls the same way ever again.

Try not to burn in the sun, oh creature of the night.

All the best,

Midge

#midge x lenny #Midgelenny #tmmm fanfic #Ficlet #Love letter

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kiragecko · 1 year

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I just read THIS post, and wanted to talk about how Tip turning into Ozma in The Marvelous Land of Oz legitimately traumatized me as a kid in ways I'm only recently recognizing.

If you haven't read the book, Tip is a little boy raised by an abusive witch. He's clever, and good at whittling, and solves most of his troubles by making automatons that he brings to life. He doesn't trust easily, and shows some signs of trauma. He also hates his guardian, and the story makes it explicit that he is not a bad person for hating the person who raised him. She hasn't kept her part of the parent/child contract, and he owes her no respect or love.

[Rest of the post contains spoilers for this 100+ year old book.]

At the end of the story, we find out that Tip is actually the rightful ruler of Oz, Princess Ozma, who was transformed into a boy as a baby to either keep her from the throne, or protect her from the person who usurped her. (I forget which.) Tip is anxious about being transformed back, but eventually accepts.

Princess Ozma shares 0 aspects of personality with Tip. She is perfect, sweet, happy, nice, gentle, well behaved, and extremely pretty (in a little girl way). That is her entire personality, and it will stay that way for the rest of the (very long) series.

I related intensely to Tip. I had explosive anger that I was very guilty about. I didn't always understand why my parents treated me like they did, and struggled to convince myself it was right. I was clever, and loved robots, and thought whittling was SO COOL.

I was used to identifying with boys, by that point. I went to a Mennonite school where the boys and girls shared classes, but societal pressure kept them from interacting. The girls were baffled by me, and usually distantly polite. I couldn't figure out anything that they did that would actually be fun. I was also poor in a private school. Outside of school, my only friends were my male cousins. I was intensely lonely, and neurodivergent, and bad at social cues.

Reading about this character I related to turning into a girl and then losing every aspect of his character that I related to was PAINFUL. As a little girl, there was no space for Ozma to be angry, or bitter, or resourceful. There was no space for her to have bad manners, or dress in poor-people clothing. She became everything I was failing at being, and lost all the things that made her cool, and this was SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD THING.

It made explicit the pressure I felt all around me. It made it more obvious that societal femininity was a trap that couldn't allow most of what made me me. It was written long before I was born, but things hadn't changed, not really.

I'm still struggling with this aspect of identity. Do I really feel like I'm not a woman, or am I just INTENSELY distrustful of what will be demanded of me by people thinking I am a woman? Is wanting to be nonbinary just a way of looking for space to be allowed to be neurodivergent?

But I do know that I Do Not Want To Be Princess Ozma.

#gender stuff #nonbinary #oz #children's literature #neurodivergence

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lorei-writes · 1 year

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Nǐ hǎo! (Please excuse spelling and grammar errors, English is second language!) Could I request headcanon with (Chinese) contortionist MC? With Nobunaga and Kenshin or Mitsuhide (either one works, I have no preference). Chinese contortionist is very neat, and often times people don’t realize China invented it! Thank you very much.

Hello, Anon!

Sorry it took me so long to get to this. And no worries about errors -- English isn't my first language either, so I get that it can be hard to use it sometimes. As long as we can communicate, all is good.

Chinese! Contortionist! MC

Characters: Nobunaga & Kenshin

Content Warnings: none

Nobunaga

When she said she wanted to perform, he thought she meant a dance. Everything seemed to align with that -- the music, her taking a stance... Nobunaga sat back, a cup of sake held firmly in his hand.

The cup of sake did not stay in his hand for long.

Actually, it met the floor with record speed.

Kimonos aren't exactly ideal in regards to allowing for the range of movement necessary to perform contortions. Her undressing? First unexpected thing. But it did not occupy his mind for long, no.

Truth be told, Nobunaga didn't even take notice of her costume. It just didn't register for the longest time. He knew she was not naked, but... The reality sort of, kind of, dissolved itself before him. It just did not seem to be real. He had to be dreaming.

Except it wasn't a dream.

He did not know human body could move like so. His mouth was hanging open the entire time while he just tried to comprehend how it was all possible.

He failed at that miserably.

Truth be told, Nobunaga did not get to appreciate her first performance at all. He was just too stunned to pay attention to the way her movements aligned with the music, or to any finer gestures for that matter.

He took it upon himself to examine whether she was unhurt afterwards. (In a strictly medical sense of the word. He found it just that hard to believe, and wanted to be absolutely sure).

Overall, Nobunaga remained curious of it. He asked her to perform for him again. And again.

Eventually it grew to be something of a personal little thing they share. He developed some understanding and appreciation of this form of art.

Nobunaga performs for her in turn -- however, he can "only" dance.

Kenshin

When she wanted to perform for him, he was open to the idea. However, as soon as the actual performance part started, Kenshin panicked.

He wasn't used to seeing anything similar in healthy people. It just... scared him, a little? Not because the art itself is scary, no. It was more so because it was her, his lover, and what he saw brought forward rather gruesome images from his psyche. It as an unfortunate association, but he couldn't help it.

Kenshin asked her to stop.

He needed to see that she was well. That she was safe, unhurt, very breathing, and still very very much alive.

That was where it all ended that day. However, Kenshin didn't mean to hinder her interests, so inevitably, the topic resurfaced eventually.

He asked her to teach him, so that he could experience it for himself.

Of course, he didn't reach her level of mastery. But he didn't need to. He just wanted to assess that it was possible while also being safe.

And it was! Except! His bum! Was! TOO! FREAKING! STIFF!

He did terribly at first. Absolutely awfully. He never before realised that his body was that rigid.

In the end, it only increased the amount of respect he felt towards her. He understood what levels of dedication and self-discipline one must have to practise this art.

Kenshin didn't learn to do contortions, but stretching became a part of his daily routine. He managed to do splits eventually.

After several weeks, he worked up the courage to ask her to perform for him again. This time, he watched her with marvel and admiration she deserved.

Tag List: @cilokgoang @violettduchess @the12thnightproject @oda-princess @tele86

#answered #Anonymous #kenshin uesugi #ikesen kenshin #ikemen sengoku kenshin #ikesen #ikemen sengoku #ikemen series #nobunaga oda #ikesen nobunaga #ikemen sengoku nobunaga

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jackiequick · 11 months

Text

Friends over the years [Agent Carter fic]

Pairing: Jason Grey Underwood and Howard J. Stark

Summary: A friendship that goes beyond a average kinda bond. They loved each other like brothers, treat one another like friends, respected their relationship like a pair of lovers. Sadly it goes downhill due to a stupid painful argument…

Romantic or Platonic Relationship

Fandom: Marvel, Agent Carter

Spoilers for Agent Carter season 1 & season 2. A bit of Iron Man 2.

Warning: Fluff, angst, mention of treason and one side conversations

Characters shown/mentioned: Peggy Carter, Maria Stark, Nurse Violet, Edwin Jarvis, Ana Jarvis, Daniel Sousa, Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Dr. Jason Wilkes, and SHIELD in general.

Note: Glen Powell played Hangman, my HC is that Hangman is BI so will be Jason haha

—

It started out to tender so sweet then they got me smoking out the window…

“What’s your name, champ?” Said Stark with a classic charming grin, holding out his hand.

“Jason, Mr. Stark.” I replied shaking his hand with a politic accent and smile to go along with it.

“Mr. Stark? Call me Howard everyone does! What brings you by?”

“Uh, Peg said you have new pairs of gun for me?”

“Ah, Peg sent you! Well your in luck pal, cause I have the perfect hand held guns made just today. Better than ones I manufactured back in 42’ I’ll tell you that much.”

“Anything is fine, Howard. As long as it last me up to more than 50 hours a bullet, I’ll be doing just fine.”

“Your my type of man, Jay! Can I call you, Jay or JJ?”

I chuckled, “Of course you can.”

~~~

He walked and talked about everything, “Great! You seem familiar, have we met before?”

I chuckled once again, “Actually we have, a charity in the park back in 43’.”

“Don’t remember.” He shrugged.

I sighed, “You were wearing a cherry brown tie and a freshly tailored suit.”

“Ah yes, now I remember! I was looking snazzy in that suit, I remember bringing home a lovely lady that very evening. She was Italian and the champagne was devilishly delicious—”

“Howard!”

“What?”

“Focus.”

“Yeah, right! You were saying.”

“I’m here because I’m working with the SSR on a case involving Dorothy Underwood and a Russian therapist who framed you and your weaponry.”

“Ah yes! I invent stuff but I always make sure what I’m doing correctly, what do you got?”

“Easy, we’re tracking them down for each movement. I know where Dorothy is and Peggy is tracking her down while The stupid Russian therapist is currently at SSR headquarters. Before anything gets messy, do you have any relations to any of those two?”

“Uhhh no? I met a lot of people how do you expect me to stay on track with that. I’m a busy man, JJ.”

~~~~

It took time but he started to connect the dots on how he was related to Dorothy Underwood’s case, then we were on the roll. After what felt like hours with Howard, Peggy and Jarvis we were able to settle down on a plan. Howard was used as bate to lure our bad guys out while Daniel, Jack, Peggy, Jarvis and I were ready to attack. Quickly Howard was kidnapped by them as we raced after him. Once we arrived Howard was flying a plane straight headed near the New York City Harbor as he being mind control by the therapist to his practical deathbed!

Daniel, Jack and I instructed Jarvis to fly the plane as we kept marched up to track down the threats. Peggy was fighting Dottie while all of this was happening, I swear i was getting a headache sooner or later from all of this. Thankfully the day was saved, Howard was brought back to the ground, Jack and Daniel returned back to work and Peggy was giving a seat nearby the stakeholders at the SSR allowing herself to get a more flexible job.

A week later, I headed over to Howard to discuss moving out to LA since it cleared up to see that my sister, Dottie, wasn’t gonna be a huge problem anytime soon. There was always crime to be solved in LA especially after Daniel Sousa offered be a positive choice there, why not take the offer and run with it? So I did!

-//-

-> In Los Angeles, everything felt pretty cool! Howard’s penthouse and other living corners were very much a good fit for me. Breakfast in the morning next to the poolside, a nice walk in the park. Heading to set for movies we’ve decided to film together and afterwards in the afternoon, I spent hours at the SSR for detective and paperwork duties ordered by my friend, now Chef Sousa.

“Morning, handsome.” Howard teased coming up from his workshop, grinning and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“What have i told you about late night in your workshop?” I replied taking a bite of my toast and taking a sip of coffee.

“Uhhh don’t do it?”

“Exactly! I swear I’m one of the reasons you’re still alive today.”

“Heyyy! You love me!”

“Never said I didn’t, hot stuff.”

I stood up and walked over to the kitchen island, standing next to Howard ruffling his hair a bit with a smile. Howard smiled and being his usual flirty self. It results in a laugh and a eye roll.

He moved closed and joked yelling, “Quit it!”

“Be good today.” I joked back sending a charming wink to him, as I walked out grabbing his jacket.

It was good. Real good.

Until it wasn’t.

Sadly, that same week I crashed my car during a horrible lightning storm driving around the countryside of LA to see Peggy and our friends for a unsuspecting case. The weather got chiller and air became thicker as all time froze up, leading me gasp for air after being unconscious for 20 minutes straight.

I was fine and arrived back home with a few cuts in bruises leading to, Nurse Violet, to help patch me up as we all discussed the crime rate activity in LA with the group. I fell for this woman hard. A gentle soul.

-> During the invading investigation which lets everybody working and spending in Howard’s lab for answer on Miss Froster connection to Zero Matter.

Jason was calculating a design for a machine to cover up and consent the rest of issue, especially involving their new friend, Dr. Wilkes, who joked how much Jason and Howard seemed to care each other. The respect they had for one another. He joked back with a shrug saying that Howard was his idiot in more ways than one, at that same time Jason felt a heatwave climb up his jacket and slightly dizzy.

Howard and Peggy noticed and rushed over, lifting Jason off the ground before he fell back. He insisted he was fine but he was tired and overwhelmed, Peggy remember that Jason didn’t even bother to go to hospital after accident.

Jason was given a opportunity for plenty of examinations and refused to say on bed rest that night, until Peggy practically threatened him to do so. Jason was examined again and again, even got a cast on his sprained ankle. But nothing crazy happened and the results came down to a small fever.

Nurse Violet and Ana took care of him that the next few days. Jason would admit he was eternally grateful for that, especially for Violet since she was sassy angel gifted to be by their side. He took his shot and asked her out on a date, but she told him to wait for that time to come. It was a small promise that was made.

Thankfully it was fine and the fever went away, they all assumed it was side effects from the accident, the stress from the case and work in general. And it was.

—-

Everyone got back to work and weeks went by, months along the way Ms Frost was put away behind bars and Dr. Wilkes was offered a job at the SSR.

One morning after having a moment to actually catch their breath after all that chaos, Howard appeared next to Jason nearby the pool of their house, handing him a beer.

“Thank you.” Jason repiled, taking a sip with a smile, “You alright? A penny for your thoughts?”

“Y-yeah. Just thinking about the future.” He replied with a playfully nudge.

“You’re film? You’re gonna make that happened with Frost public?”

“Maybe? I mean no! Well not that worse idea. I can win an award winning director for that. Can you imagine?!”

“Howard. Focus.”

“Right sorry! I was thinking a bit more closer to the present. Everyone deserves a bit of normal after everything right?”

“Of course they do. But maybe we shouldn’t settle for normal life, domestic romanized life maybe.”

Jason met Howard’s dark brown eyes, and he felt like he was lost for words, in the sweet warm of it all. Damn Jason wanted to test the water and try something a little different. Howard met his eyes seeing a life with him, deep down a part of always smiled knowing shining light in them. Damn Howard could tease the waters with him, he liked his women and men, especially this one. They moved closer to one another with soft grins laced on their faces laughing at the fact how silly they are being about this whole thing.

“What’cha thinking, Howard?” Jason asked with a tease in his voice, “I know that look. Very well.”

It was rare to see Howard this silly, vulnerable and honest. Only ever him and Peggy seen it.

“How much almost I lost you and our friends two weeks ago? I can’t live with myself if I did. I just can’t, JJ!” Howard admitted to him with a sigh and smiles, “Look at me? What am I doing?”

“You’re being honest with me. Your one of my best friends, Howard Stark, maybe even more than that. You will never lose me..I hope?” Jason replied with a chuckle.

Howard joked with a smirk, “Is this the part of the film where the guy kisses the girl?”

“Or so I’m girl in the scenario huh?” Jason joked back with a smirk.

“Well if you insist.”

“Hey wait-!”

Before neither one of them to say a word or even finished that very sentence, Howard leaned in and placed his lips onto his best friend tasting the liquid gold from the beer. Jason chuckled honestly didn’t care who say, locking lips tasting the tequila shots from earlier with him cupping his chin.

They were rather tipsy but won’t admit it. The two stayed like that for a little while, sparking a sweet open love and tender laughter from how ridiculously fun it was.

The two friends knew that the kiss meant nothing, it was just a fun thing of accidental attraction. They laughed about it. They’re young! Besides what’s friendship if you can’t experience and experiment things together?

——

Over the months, Howard and Jason did almost everything together. It was a very casual thing the two had together, but they cared about one another much. It was a rather open friendship, they dated and talked about who exactly decided to be their lucky ladies. Jason started finally dating Nurse Violet and was admiring their blooming romance.

You could’ve sworn they were like an two old friends or even, old married couple.

But that award went to Maria Stark and her loverboy Howard. Maria, Jason and Howard were a young trio within itself, noticing everything that happened. Along with Peggy, Jarvis and the rest of their friends. Matter a fact, it was Maria and Ana that pointed that Jason’s slight deep wrinkles that were previously made from the smile lines were fading gone and the effectiveness of the curious blew up. As they realized that it seemed over the last few months the aging process stopped completely for him.

Howard, Daniel. and Peggy worked long enough to figure out a way to seek what happened to him. They spend months doing tests, case films and files, examining his every single movement and reading books for answers. But nothing came up, Jason believed it was a giant mistake, a curse that happened due to the lack of caution he reflected on not having.

Maria reassured him that it wasn’t his fault, they couldn’t have known for this to happen. Peggy agreed knowing that they didn’t knowledge this beforehand as Howard was deep into a book, who trying to figure out what went wrong with his equipment and such, agreed.

~~~~

One night Jason felt defeated and went home to tell his girlfriend, Violet, what pained him.

“Honey, I’m sorry, so sorry. You don’t deserve me..” He said standing in the middle of the living room.

“What do you mean?” She replies knowing what happened, cupping his hands.

He kissed her hand gently and replied, “You deserves somebody who can grow old enough with you. I can��t give you that..”

She nodded looking at him with love in her eyes, “Hey sugar, I know it’s bad for us right now.”

“I don’t want to be a burden on you and have you wake up one day regretting your decision to be with me..”

“Then I’ll love you for as long as you’ll have me..”

Jason smiled softy and didn’t hesitate to lock lips with the woman he loved dearly. That moment he knew, Violet Bolger, would be his girlfriend for as long as they’ll have each other.

—> However being the loyal man he always tried to be and knowing how much he loved Violet, a two and a half years later, he let her go. Their relationship was slowly dying out, he didn’t want to a burden who was holding his sweet girl one down. He wanted to see her happy, loved and most importantly an opportunity for a life where she can travel, grow old and make memories with someone even greater than.

Years went by the group slowly grew older but Jason stayed the same way. He didn’t mind it too much, yes it pained him very much to not be able to grow old with his friends, who he considered family, and sometimes being seen as the youngest one. However it is what is! At least he had the support of his family and lovers beside him. Maria and Howard.

And when baby Anthony Edward Stark came along, or Tony for short, let’s just say everyone was happy. Poor Edwin Jarvis though, he had to change diapers. Peggy and Ana were delighted to be aunties. Maria was excited to be a mother and Jason was always wanted to be a uncle. The first two years, Howard was very attentive and on top of things when it came to his son. Bring Tony everywhere and anywhere possible, the days he wasn’t working at SHIELD and in his lab downstairs that is.

When Tony became 3 years old, almost 4 however, that’s when the plane started to take off. Bickering, arguments and feelings just either hurt or ignored. Yes it was normal for couples, or in this case, sorta throuple always fought. Especially this one! Howard was always working more than Jason ever did and Maria was always part time working at the jewelry store she co-owned with a friend of hers. They always made time for one another, especially when it came to their family and friends.

~~~

One afternoon Jason returned home from a long trip on a mission to Las Vegas, Nevada to collect samples of a metallic suspicious bonds and examine that at SHIELD headquarters. He appeared in the front door to hear running of tiny footsteps, followed by much larger ones. The giggles came along with the footsteps made Jason roll his eyes and chuckle.

The tiny footsteps zipped by and before they can reach the living room, Jason caught him. In his arms lay the giggles and yells from the charmer himself, Anthony Stark, his hair was a mess and in his hands held a toy screwdriver.

“Uncle JJ!” Tony yelled finally registering who’s arms he was in and giggling tightly hugging him, “You’re back!”

He laughed hugging his nephew tightly showing him in plenty required tickles for being gone for too long and asked, “Yeah buddy, I’m back home! Now why were you running? You knew the rules.”

“Jar’vis is making me clean my f-feet!”

“What?”

It didn’t register in his mind what his nephew meant until he looked down to see the shoeless feet that rested against his button down, that were covered in dirt. He sighed deeply realizing now that he had to clean up a cheeky little 4 year olds dirty, probably muddy, feet from playing in the backyard without his shoes. He carried the young boy into the bathroom and requested for Jarvis to get him some towels as he washed his feet.

Tony explained what he was doing today after attending dentist appointment that his mother had earlier, which involved him building outside, drawing, watching his favorite cartoons and helping his mother with the dishes. He even slipped out that he accidentally found himself in his father’s workshop just wanting to hang out in there as Howard kicked him out, resulting in Tony hearing his mother and father bickering as he was carried out by Jarvis.

Jason sighed deeply once again and internally groaned in annoyance at what happened today. At this point, it didn’t surprise him at all, with the amount of time they fight it surprises him how Maria, him and Howard still live under one same roof. To be honest, they all walked out of this house more than once, due a argument

Tony pouted and spoke up, “A-are you mad at me?”

“Buddy why would i be mad?” He asked, scrubbing his feet gently.

“Cause..i walked into daddy’s workshop..i know i can not go only if you guys let me.”

“For starters we don’t want you in there unless supervised because it can be dangerous and you can accidentally get hurt.”

“Okay..I’m sorry. A-are you gonna talk to daddy and momma?”

“Well why did you do it in the first place?”

“Be..cause i wanna play with daddy but he too busy for me..he don’t love me anymore..”

“No buddy, don’t say that. Of course he loves you, he’s just gets too caught up with work that’s all.”

“I just wanna play with him, uncle J..”

“I know buddy, i know. You’re father does things for a reason, he just keeps carried away sometimes..”

~~~~~~

Then Tony asks him a question he didn’t expect for the four year old, then again he was smart for his age, but still. The young boy sighed deeply, sometimes he picked up on from seeing his uncles and aunties doing a lot. Tony asked, “A-are you love, JJ?”

“What?” He asked with a soft smile, adding some more now to his feet.

“Are you love? Momma says that you don’t date anymore..and that you love her and daddy more.”

“Well buddy, i do love them both very much. With all my heart. As for dating, uh it’s hard for your uncle to find himself a girlfriend with work and no one wants to date someone with crazy dance moves..”

Tony giggled at that and yelled, “You do dance funny!”

“You see! Auntie Ana says i dance like a chicken.” Jason replies chuckling, drying off his feet now.

“You dance like a funny chicken who ate too much candy!”

“A chicken on a sugar high?”

“Yes!”

The two laughed, smiling. Yes there was truth to that part to what his uncle told him about not dating, was that he didn’t age and rather not live a life with somebody who can, but Tony doesn’t need to know the whole truth just yet. He was still a child.

Jason place a fresh pair on shoes, thanks to Jarvis, onto Tony’s little feet as he said, “You see! If i went on dates every night I wouldn’t have time to talk with you.”

“You are right! No dating, i do not want a date either! Girls are eww!” Tony replies giggling, walking down the hallways following Jarvis and his uncle downstairs. That resulted in both men to roll their eyes and laugh at the young boys words.

The three of them found Ana and Maria serving lunch greeting the women, as Howard came, slightly late, upstairs to eat with them. It was good, real good for a while. The rest of the day was just fine, per say.

————

However it soon got to a point where the tension ran high the next few months and possibly even years. The water to the cup started to soon overflow, but Jason kept quiet, it wasn’t his place to talk about certain things. He knew his limits and where he stands, but sometimes it annoyed him. It made him question everything he ever knew…

He noticed how Howard and Maria changed perspective on certain things, Maria got more annoyed about things and Howard kept acting like everything was fine. When clearly he was ignoring stuff around the house and even his son. If those was thing that made Jason’s blood boil was something that involved his friends and family, especially his young nephew who didn’t know any better.

One Wednesday afternoon, he had enough of this bullshit. He knew Maria wouldn’t say anything about it and handles everything her own way, but he wasn’t her. Jason stormed into the lab downstairs that now held so much stuff, it looked like a madhouse in there. No wonder why Jarvis always complains about Howard’s messes!

Howard was working on a few equations and running his fingers across some equipment he’s building to showcase Hank Pym later that week. He didn’t even hear the door shut or the fact that there were rough clapping of footsteps followed up within seconds. He heard a simple ‘can we talk? Now.’ And he only received a half nod in return.

Jason tapped his foot onto the floor, with his arms crossed and waited for his friend to stop what he doing to stand up straight and look at her.

“What?” Howard asked removing his sunglasses and runs his fingers across his hair, “If it’s that i forgot to pick up the presents for Ana’s birthday and forgot to pick up Tony from school, I’m sorry.”

“I-ahhh, that’s not it!” He replied, pinching the bridge of his noses knowing how much a idiot he is, “Actually this is about Tony.”

“Is something wrong with him?”

“Yeah, he’s not being treated fairly by you.”

“W-w-wh-what?!”

He scoffed, “Howard you’re more focused on your work than your own family! You’re overworking yourself and literally kick out your poor son whenever you get the chance.”

“HEY! Everything i do is for my son, you know that!” Howard remarked pointing a finger at him, “To give me a future i never had!”

“I know that!”

“So just let in work in peace, huh? You don’t understand what I’m doing here.”

“Oh really? Yeah of course, the futurist everybody! The last few years you have been so disconnected from everything. You barely go on date nights anymore with Maria or watch the stars with her, you don’t give Tony a bedtime story anymore and you just said it yourself—you forgot to pick him up at school!”

“It was a accident. Am i not allowed to make accidents as a parent huh? Everything i do is for my kid.”

“You just said that and i know. But Howard..” Jason sighed, “Tony doesn’t need any of this, he just needs you. You’re time and energy, that charming smile of yours to shower him in love! Not you working night and day, over and over again where you can’t breath or take a second of your time to relax with us. You’re forgetting sight of who you are!”

Howard growled, “Don’t! Don’t tell me how to raise my son, Jason. He’s not your kid, he’s mine! You’re just his uncle. As for Maria, you don’t need to defend her here, if she has a problem with me then she should just tell me herself!”

“That’s because she’s doesn’t care anymore! I’ve seen that women fight with you over and over again, to the point where she just accepted that, that’s the way you are now.”

“Yes I’ve changed JJ! People are allowed to change, that’s part of human evolution.”

Jason paced back and forth, turning around hearing Howard’s long winded speech about evolution and change. Howard leaned against his desk scoffing and dryly laughing, “You’re hilarious. This is all some joke to you right?”

“I—what did you just say to me?” Jason stopped and whipped his face toward him.

“This is a joke to you. You believe that your right here and I’m wrong, Jason. Just because you live here with us and know how this works, you think your right here.”

“BECAUSE I AM HOWARD! When was the last time you got out of here, huh? When was the last time you told Tony ‘I love you’ or took time to take Maria’s dancing or go bowling with me? Ever seen you started SHIELD, you’ve been noticing but a consuming jerk!”

“Is that really what you think of me? A jerk?! You don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand?!”

“Yes!”

“You weren’t acting one in the beginning, but the months and years after, yes you have become a bit of a jerk. One day you’re gonna regret what you’ve done.”

“I won’t.”

“You will!”

~~~

Both men were furious at this point, they have been yelling loudly and screaming for more than an hour, bringing up moments from their past. Some stuff was even throw on the floor at this point. That fire due to the years of love, the friendship and the curiosity was going out..or maybe the fire was already gone?

Howard grunted, “I’ve done nothing much work my ass off and made sure to investigate and invent things to make the world a better place. I’m doing what i think is right here! You just don’t see it!”

Jason scoffed, “Yeah and the world has hated you and thanked you for it! Must i remind me about what happened in 56’? Or in 46’, when you were committed for treason for holding glorified weapons and the whole state was after your ass? And we had to save yo—”

“Don’t finished that sentence. What do you want me to do, huh? Give me my lives work? I’m a inventor, if I don’t invent something or work my ass off, i will probably explode. I-is that what you want? What are you gonna do if i do continue this lifestyle? Leave me?”

“If i could i would take Maria and Tony somewhere else, away from you for a while, I would. But we both you would sent the best lawyers possible and god knows what after me, so I won’t. I won’t do that to you..or them.”

“Ah, you know me so well. And i know you..”

“You do and i love you for everything you do. But this…I can’t!”

“Jason..I can’t change what i do Jason, you know that! I just can’t. I’ve come so far and you just don’t see it.”

“Stop it!”

“Stop what?”

“You’re playing the pity card again. You don’t think Maria, Peggy, Jarvis and I don’t see it? We do! Hell, Tony see it!”

“So why don’t you let me do it? Leave me alone to do my work! I’m trying here. Look what at I’ve made and I can’t stop it now.”

“Yes you can!.”

“No, I can’t!”

“Look, I’m not exactly asking you to leave everything behind. But understand this, I rather you show Tony this world of yours, instead of shutting him out! All of us out. Take a break or..”

“Or what?”

“Or you’re gonna lose the people you care for the most…you know what? What’s the point? I can’t do this...”

~~~

The next words that escape Howard Stark’s lips came out of pure anger and annoyance, “Do what? You’re gonna leave me? If so, get out. You clearly don’t want to be here anymore.”

“You don’t mean that.” Jason replied with slight shock in her tone and blinked a few times.

“Yes i do. You don’t need to be here unless you don’t want to.”

“Howard stop it. Listen to what you’re saying! I care about this family too much to see it fall apart.”

“This is my family! Not yours. You don’t get the final word, i do.”

“You don’t listen, do you?”

“Enough Jason! Get out.”

“You’re gonna regret this! Don’t come complaining to me when you’re son hates you.”

“Get out! There’s the door.”

~~~~

If there one thing Jason Underwood was and that was persistent, so before he left. He said, “When are you gonna realized your greatest creation isn’t those weapons you made or SHIELD or anything related to that, it’s your legacy. Your son!”

“I’m not gonna ask again. Please go..I don’t ever want to see you again.” Howard said with a pissed off sigh, blinking a few times.

Those last words hit Howard hard, as he stood up finding one of his older cameras and place it securely on the tripod with a half smile.

One of his friends, the man he once called a love in his life, the uncle to his only son and supporter walked out of that door without a second chance to help his case. Howard sighed deeply with his head in his hands. He was angry, tired, and annoyed. A part of him knew that his friend was right. He’s a workaholic man with no respect or anything like that for other people, depending on the situation. Always focused on the world’s future, but not sure on the future he set for his family. His only concern was Tony and Maria. His greatest creation being his son.

Without a question later, he turned on the camera and started to film himself, try to speak again like the focused, honest and vulnerable man he tended to be. He decided on leaving his door open just in case his wife called or anyone walked in in general.

Meanwhile Jason was packing his overnight bag for possible a two day stay at Jarvis house. He already had a house in Miami but he was only willing to stay with Edwin and Ana for a couple of days to get himself straightened out before leaving for good. Maria tried to convince him to stay, even if a part of her agreed with her husband instead

But his mind was already set on leaving and possibly visit in the future. Jason ripped out a sheet of paper from his notebook and wrote a note to his nephew, one to Maria, as well as one to Howard. He played them secretly onto in places where they knew they’ll find them one day in life. To say Jason was hurt like this was a understatement, breaking up with a girlfriend was one thing but with your friend of almost 20 years or more.

All he wanted to do was save something in this family of theirs, but knew he couldn’t. And that’s what pained him, he wanted to scream and possibly cry, maybe even let out cloud of smoke out the window.

The men may have been on separate grounds of the house, pissed off and hurt from their two hour argument with one another, but they knew one thing. They still somehow had respect, admiration and compassion for each other, no matter how much hatred and annoyance came from that. A part of them knew it.

——

Over the months and years, their friendship grew sadly apart. Their friends knew it. And what made it more interesting is that they still saw each other, weather they liked it or not. At work, parties, gatherings, birthdays, graduations, a ceremony for some special they were invited to.

Howard would always being pushed to speak to Jason and vise versa, only ending up in small talk between the pair, then walking off to speak to other people. They would be found speak to family members but not one another, Howard even though of not allowing Tony nearby to his uncle for too long, would be better during those events.

It was plainly stupid on both of their parts, but they both had their rights to be angry and bitter. It hurts.

Jason always wanted and most importantly, tried to explain to Howard the situation, hopes for his forgiveness after that nightmare of a week. But Howard’s huge ego, witty jokes, stubbornness and willingness to hold a grudge never let him see the light…

—//—

I hope you all enjoyed this story. It was a long and a interesting one to write. Remember to like, comment and share

This was an AU tales of two friends I wrote a long time ago before the whole MCU x Agent Carter fic thing

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @triptuckers @ohgodnotagainn @msrochelleromanofffelton @gcthvile @drspencereidhotch @mandylove1000 @t-nd-rfoot @topgun-imagines @blackheart-beauty @meiramel @eliohasmyheart @rooster-84 @yetanotherwells @blueboirick and etc

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