#des’ MCU bingos

[theribbonmarkedroom]

All of my MCU bingos so far from most recent to oldest. I usually make and post them a day before the finales air (I also made so many moon knight variations but I only included the two)

[rebelmeg]

Heart Eyes Over Coffee

by rebelmeg

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sarah Wilson Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Sarah Wilson (Marvel), Ned Leeds, Shuri (Marvel), Harley Keener, Peter Parker Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Protective Bucky Barnes, Dad Mode Bucky Barnes, MCU teens ganging up on their work dad, Awesome Sarah Wilson (Marvel), Bucky blushes a lot, Flirting, First Meetings, Mentioned Sam Wilson, the teens are all entities of sass, mentioned Harley/Shuri, Nicknames, Bucky will personally throw all mean or disrespectful customers out the window Summary:

Papa Bear Bucky (wow, does he hate that nickname) falls in love at first sight, while his work kids ogle and make helpful commentary. "Helpful" being extremely subjective...

Notes: *Knocking out squares and prompts like a prize fighter*  Warm & Fluffy bingo square N1 – Coffeeshop AU, @marvelrarepairbingo​ square O2 – unexpected love, @buckybarnesbingo​ square C1 – nicknames, @comfortember​ Day 16 – Coffee/Tea Break, and @fleurdelouve​ SarahBucky Month, Day 14 – Coffee Shop/Bakery AU!

[buckets-and-trees]

Peering In My Hollow Core

Fandom: MCU Title: Peering In My Hollow Core Characters/Pairings: Nomad!Steve x Morally Grey!Female Reader Word Count: 2.4k

Summary: Even the best laid plans can go up in flames. You're both wrong, and yet also more right for each other than you know.

Content Warnings: explicit smut, DUBIOUS CONSENT due to sex pollen, masturbation, rough fucking/vaginal sex, unprotected sex/ejaculation

Logistical Notes: I claimed prompt 13 for @lunarbuck's Star-Crossed Lovers Soulmate AU challenge and also knocking off I1 "masturbation" for @the-slumberparty's August/September Bingo challenge. And because you know I can't resist... it's also using one of the prompts (first bolded line) for @witchywithwhiskey's Horror Movie Hoe-a-thon! And it's answering an ask I got from one very mischievous @stargazingfangirl18 that's been on my mind for the last two weeks.

Additional Notes: @biteofcherry and @vonalyn let me suss out how this evolved, so thank you for enduring my brainstorming! Eva also gave a line of dialogue inspiration that I found too delicious not to snatch up, and so that's bolded for acknowledgement as well (near the end). Title from Scars by Basement Jaxx.

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

“What’s your grand plan here, Doc?” The golden-haired, bearded hulk of a man, America’s golden boy now a rogue in the shadows is pacing before you. “Are you even a doctor?”

His tone is biting, angry, and you don’t hold it against him.

He did fall right into your trap.

“You’re a smart boy, you can guess.”

“I want to hear you say it.”

“I think it will bruise your ego more if I spell it out for you.”

“You should have thought of my rage before you put yourself in this situation, Doc,” he all but growls, still prowling back and forth across the living room floor. “What’s your exit strategy here?”

“You’re getting more volatile and heated, that’s good. That’s what I need.”

“Do you think this is a fucking game? You’re on dangerous ground.”

Your lips curl up slightly, but you try not to smirk. “I dangled myself in front of you. Good Captain America couldn’t resist trying to liberate the poor scientist who got wrongfully entangled with the remnants of HYDRA. You never even stopped to consider that I was dangling myself out in the wind to get you here like this, and you’ve read enough about HYDRA, you know what I gave you.”

“But why?” he barks.

“No one can beat you for strength. You’re driven, resourceful, able to evade an attack. Your weakness is caring,” you pause because he stops his pacing, he looks ready to spring, but doesn’t yet. His eyes haven’t left you for even a moment since he realized it’s you he needed to worry about, not save. “I need your DNA, blood samples, bodily fluid, and I can’t trap you with anything, but I banked on the one physical vulnerability even a super soldier isn’t immune from: a compound they initially developed as something called a sex pollen. In fact, I think you know they tested it on a super soldier, don’t you?”

He slams his fist on the table between you two, and it splits from his actions.

You shouldn’t have provoked him with that. It wouldn’t yield the results you were trying to manipulate him into.

“Easy, Nomad,” you raise your hands cautiously to ease the tension just slightly. “That’s what they call you now – Nomad is the moniker now that you can’t be Captain America out there to the world anymore.” He flexes his fists, another angry reflex, but one you know speaks to a slight de-escalation, self-regulation. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t agree with everything HYDRA has done.”

He lets out a bitter laugh.

“I don’t,” you insist.

“If you’re not in with them, you’ve made a deal with a devil you’ve vastly underestimated.”

“They’re a means to an end.”

“How can you be so foolish to think that?”

“No one will fund my research at the rate and without regulatory oversight the way they do. They’re desperate to have more of you but under their thumb, especially since you’re at the root of them losing their prize assassin.”

“You’re not stupid, so why are you giving them what they want?”

You lift your chin defiantly.

Steve’s eyes narrow. “Oh god. You can’t tell me… Really? You think you’re gonna keep your research and development from them in the end?”

“Look at what I’ve done so far,” you gesture. “You’ve evaded every attempt they’ve made to get you, you’re evading all the countries who are supposed to enforce the accords and hand you over, and yet I have you trapped here.”

“Why do you care about a super soldier serum?” he asks.

You shrug. “I’m interested in a serum, but I don’t need super soldiers. The list of your medical ailments before you were injected, and then you’re instantly cured of everything? Do you know how many people need even a drop of what cured you?”

“And you think I’d be opposed to that?”

You scoffed, “Yeah, easily. Once the research exists, it will get applied for things it was never intended to be used for, up to and including developing super soldiers for HYDRA and people who pretend they’re better than HYDRA.”

“So, who has made you this desperate?”

“You don’t get to know that.”

He scoffs now. “You don’t get to set the terms here if you intend to get what you want.”

“Don’t I? You’re uncomfortable. You’ve been uncomfortable for a while. It’s going to get worse, but I adapted the formula for what I gave you in that drink of water. All you have to do is ejaculate, and the toxin will abate from your system.”

“How thoughtful of you,” he deadpans.

Then his demeanor changes. He sniffs, and his eyes finally stray from you.

“You said this house is reinforced in its lockdown to keep me in until you initiate and secure your extraction with the HYDRA team?”

“Yes,” you answer slowly, trying to follow his line of sight and decipher what he’s looking at.

“I think you’re going to need to adjust your plans and priorities and do it quickly.”

You open your mouth to ask why, but then your mind quickly makes the leap. “They modified my ventilation system.”

“HYDRA has refused to be eliminated for decades. They can wait for a purebred super soldier and think they can get one in your womb today.”

The heat of humiliation floods your body. How could you have been so foolish not to account for a maneuver like this. They had clearly approved of your strategy too easily.

“Soon you won’t be able to think about anything more than my cock in your cunt, so you better start thinking of how you’re going to get yourself out of this, Doc, because Nomad is not who everyone knew Captain America to be, and I’m certainly not inclined to assist you in any way now. Been doing fine evading capture as you yourself asserted, I can probably figure out my own exit strategy here and fight off the sex pollen until I make it out. But for someone without any biological enhancements… I’m not optimistic over your odds. I read everything on HYDRA. This stuff was nasty when they first developed it, but you can bet they will have reverse engineered whatever you did to the formula to make it even worse.”

As if on cue, you start to feel the physical effects of whatever nearly imperceptible airborne toxin – imperceptible to you, but apparently not to enhanced individuals. Heat flares again in your body, but this time it is a pulsating sexual need.

You close your eyes to try and keep your breath steady and even, but after another moment, you whimper and draw your hands to your stomach as the poisonous desire pulses more strongly, the tremor of need undeniable.

Your eyes burst open again, seeking out the male across the room from you.

He chuckles darkly. “Oh, no. I’m not giving you anything you want. If you’re as brilliant as you think you are, you don’t need me to get out of your unfortunate predicament.”

Your body is yearning for him, but you know he’s serious.

You also know he’s right; you need to think fast.

You’re coherent enough to get both of you out of the lockdown state of the house now – because HYDRA was clearly going to come for both of your – you had a failsafe to get out in case there was some loss of electrical power. But could you get away in this state?

And you know if you get out, you’ll never get the DNA you need from Steve Rogers – you’ll never be close enough to or even see him again. You know that in your bones.

Over the next hour, at different points during the feverish state that overtakes you, you can sometimes hear the super soldier nearby, doing things around your home, undoubtedly trying to apply his own ingenuity.

He might be successful.

It hardly matters.

Now you’re in the shower, under a stream of cold water, trying both to alleviate the unbearable heat your body has peaked to and to hide the sound of your sobs as best you can. You’ve stripped down to a nearly naked state. You ripped off your shirt and pants in your room, left them on the floor, your panties are on the tiled floor outside the shower, but you couldn’t spare your hands to remove your bra. At first you were almost experiencing a sliver of relief with one hand between your legs, paying every attention to your excessively slick folds and throbbing clit, thrusting your fingers in and out of your cunt as well, but it was a false grasp at hope.

You don’t know when you slid down the tiled wall of the wet glass tomb where you think you may die, curled in on yourself, one hand still trying pointlessly to trigger the orgasm that will flush the desperate physical pain from your body, surely it must come.

You don’t know how long he’s been standing in the doorway of the bathroom before you try to shift pathetically, your eyes open, and you see him slowly stroking his hard cock, watching you. You shut your eyes again, in agony wondering how he can possibly seem so collected. Why isn’t he pumping his fist in a frenzy? You couldn’t stroke your clit fast enough, and now you can’t bear to touch it, but the heel of your hand can’t help bumping it as you try to fuck yourself on your fingers.

Then a rush of air blasts over your body.

You open your eyes weakly to see Steve reach to shut off the water, before he bends down and without a word grabs your limp body from the floor, drapes you over his arm, where you hand limply, bent in half, and he hauls you back to your room, and throws you on the bed.

You continue to cry and stroke yourself while you hear him unzip and unfasten, your body a trembling heap, facing away from him as he’s undressing.

“I’m going to fuck you, and then you’re going to let me out before HYDRA comes for both of us. You’re fucking clever and I can’t get out of here without you.”

You whimper when you feel his weight on the bed behind you.

He forces you into a kneeling position, but he doesn’t care that you can’t even prop yourself up, head and shoulders slumped down on the mattress, ass in the air. His left hand grips your hip, and he groans as he guides the head of his cock up and down the slit of your dripping cunt before he finally slides in. It’s deliberate, sliding down to the base, his hips pushing into yours. The way he invades and stretches you is painful, and yet you need it, keening at the fullness.

You do catch that his breathing hitches.

He needs this, too.

You’ll give it to him if he’ll just put your body out of its misery.

After a moment of slowly rutting against you, only shifting his girth inside of you a bit, teasing, perhaps warning, you whine, “move, please, more.”

“More than you bargained for,” he growls, then pulls back, and then thrusts back into you, adopting a brutal pace, both hands anchored at your hips now, slamming you back and forth roughly.

He pulls a first orgasm from your body quickly, but the second comes not long after when he reaches around to pinch and roll your clit between his fingers, still using your pussy for chasing his pleasure.

A third, and you’ve gone from whimpers and keens to crying out and a fresh wave of tears. This is rough and you’re over stimulated, and he knows. He leans over your back to smirk against your neck.

“Please,” you cry. You don’t know if you’re begging for more or for less because your body is screaming in exhaustion, but the fire is still tormenting your veins.

Because you haven’t been filled.

The smirk turns to a sneer against your neck, and Steve snarls, "You wanted it. You staged it. So, you're going to take it and keep fucking taking it until I'm done with your pathetic fragile body."

He’s pressing into places you’ve never felt before, and you cry out more, face pressed into the sheets. He pushes back up and pulls his cock out of you. His fingers work the clasp of your bra, and he pulls it off while he flips you over so you’re on your back. You can’t even open your eyes, but you feel him looming above you, kneeling between your splayed out thighs.

But then you feel something shift. He mutters a curse and is suddenly still.

You open your eyes and look up at him, but he’s looking at your chest. His hand moves up to trace his fingers over a scar near your collarbone. You look and see the same scar evident on his chest.

You reach up and your fingers quest along his bicep, and they do find a scar there, very faint but long, matching one you’ve had nearly your entire life.

Your eyes lock on each other now, and the acknowledgement there between you is terrifying.

There are more scars, but you don’t need to continue to confirm what you know.

You’re soulmates.

You’ve betrayed him before you even knew.

You’re still beholden to the drive of the sex pollen, boneless and exhausted, but this revelation drives with adrenaline through the haze, too hard to deny. It gives you enough to say, “We can’t deal with this now if we want to get out of here with a chance to escape HYDRA, fuck me and end this.”

He does, but he can’t look at you. He buries his head in the crook of your neck, and spears you with his cock. The fucking is rough, and you take it. It’s punishing penance and painful pleasure. You cling to him as he thrusts you over the cliff of ecstasy again, coming with you finally, and his spend pumps hotly into you. The physical relief from the torture is blessedly immediate. His hand ghosts over your lower abdomen where he’s just planted his seed. With his eyes closed, he touches his forehead to yours, then pushes roughly away and rolls off of you.

“Get up, get dressed, pack light,” he says, stone cold. “Between us we might get out of this dangerous trap. That’s all we need for now.”

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

[dharmasharks]

I read so many neat fics this summer thanks to the @ficreadingchallenge and managed to black out my bingo card! Not only did I finally get to stories that had been languishing in my TBR for literal years, but I discovered tons of delightful fics in genres I wouldn't have sought out otherwise.

Thank you mods for organizing this, I’m already itching to do it again. Bingo card below the cut, plus my unhinged ramblings about the 24 fics I got to read. (Mostly Stucky, but also a smattering of Sambucky, MattFoggy, a Winterhawk, a Captive Prince, and a Catwin.) 

WIP: on the shore of the wild world by verger_de_pommiers

MCU | Steve x Bucky | M | 19k | Civil War AU

In which a fierce little Steve shelters wounded union soldier Bucky in his remote cabin. Gorgeous prose, immersive historical detail, and tender protectiveness. I lucked into finding this as it was posting (it’s now complete!) and felt like the author had been reading my dream fic journal because it ticked so many of my very specific boxes!

No powers AU: Broken But Mending by Lissadiane

MCU | Bucky x Clint | M | 15k | Modern AU

Bucky is a recovering war vet who starts rebuilding his life one instagram post, coffee, and plant at a time with some motivation from Clint Barton’s weekly sex advice column. Spoiler: the advice isn’t so much about sex as it is about trying again, and accepting that we’re all scared and scarred and worthy of love anyway. Read this on a day where your heart needs a big hug of happiness. 

Secret relationship: Don't Ask by AnnaFugazzi

MCU | Steve x Bucky | M | 21k | WW2 

I’ve seen this fic recced a lot for wartime stucky but was admittedly apprehensive because it’s canon-compliant and we all know where that train gets off, ya know? This is not a lighthearted premise either: Steve and Bucky get outed and because they’re a propaganda machine, the Howlies are ordered to keep their relationship a secret, despite their intense discomfort—all told in a devastatingly effective outsider perspective from Gabe. I appreciate that the author didn’t shy away from depicting unflattering (and hard to read!) period-typical attitudes, including those Gabe and Morita would have faced in the service.

Newest fic in the tag of your choice: Cabin Fever by missbeizy

MCU | Steve x Bucky | E | 5k | Cabin PWP

Missbeizy never fails to deliver on beautifully written stucky smut that caters to my tastes, so when I got that notification you better believe I jumped on it stat. Even in their shorter fics, they always build up a lovely setting and tension, which makes the eventual hot, hot sexy times feel even sexier. (All their stucky fics are *chefs kiss* — Foothold and Number of Years are my favorites.)

Mission fic: (With eyes shut) it's you I'm thinking of by Yavannie

MCU | Sam x Bucky | E | 3k | Partners with Benefits

Gosh only knows I enjoy a dynamic where it’s easier for two closed-off people to communicate physically than to actually talk! About their feelings! Good stuff!

Found family: Only the Good Die Young by ZenaidaMacroura / @zenaidamacrouras1

MCU | Steve x Bucky | M | 23K | Shrunkyclunks

There’s banter both awkward and charming, sweet sweet crushing, and a whole cast of wonderful characters who care so much (even when it’s hard). I love the dynamics between everyone in paramedic!Bucky’s crew and the way they look out for each other.

Pets: no years of silence in the shadow of regret by Ginny_Potter / @hipsterdiva

MCU | Steve x Bucky | G | 9k | De-serumed Steve

I don’t usually have the strength for post-EG fic, but look at me now, I read three this summer! Here, Steve is irrevocably changed by everything he’s endured, and he suffers for it in the most perfectly Steve-ish way: very, very quietly. Such a satisfying balance of grief and hope as Bucky tries to bridge the distance Steve’s put between them (and his acquired pet, The Dog) in order to protect himself from the possibility of loss. 

Mythical creature AU: all this and heaven too by spinawren

Captive Prince | Laurent x Damen | M | 15k | Selkie AU

I may never get over how perfect a Lighthouse keeper / selkie AU is for these characters. There’s Laurent, whose sense of self-preservation is so integral to his sense of self that giving love feels like giving a part of himself away—because it means giving up your armor. And Damon: unwaveringly devoted, who knows that love isn’t taken, it’s a choice you both keep making. I want to live in the lush world of this fic forever. 

Oldest fic in the fandom: Genie In A Bottle bykupcake_goddess

Dead Boy Detectives | Cat King x Edwin | E | 2K | Missing Scene

Edwin was hot for that hot cat guy and they should have kissed about it. Fanfic is great.

Fake dating: The Constellation of Touch by what_alchemy

Daredevil | Matt x Foggy | E | 19k | Pretend Relationship

What’s juicier than fake dating your best friend? Fake dating your best friend while actually going through a messy (law partnership) divorce! Featuring: wonderful Nelson family dynamics, a singular bed, and the intimacy of getting to know the person you thought you knew best all over again. I’ve read a lot of gorgeous depictions of the way Matt experiences the world, but these might be some of my favorites. 

Author’s oldest fic: the wrote and the writ by stewyonmolly

MCU | Steve x Bucky | G | 10k | everybody lives, nobody gets serumed

You know when you read the first paragraph of a fic and go, “yes ha ha ha YES,” like a sicko, but what you’re really sick over is the author’s style? That’s how I feel about this fic. I would eat the dialogue if I could! While it includes one of my favorite soft premises (everyone home safe in post-war Brooklyn, the end), Bucky doesn’t come back unscathed. But Steve–and this is a wonderful, wonderful Steve–never dances around Bucky’s amputation and Bucky never coddles him back.

Parallel universe: Except it Abide in the Vine by spitandvinegar

MCU | Steve x Bucky x Sam | M | 27k | Multiverse Shenanigans 

If you’re afraid of the summary just know that there is a place for every Steve and every Steve in its place, which is with a Bucky (and/or a Sam)!!! And by golly are there a lot of Buckys to love in this one, including a scrappy 616!bucky with the most pockets and everyone’s favorite cannibal, Sweetpea. There are plenty of melty exchanges (and breathtaking art!) but my favorite multiverse moments are always when a WS!bucky gets to see a small Steve again. I could read it a million times and it would never be enough. 

Free space: When I Put Away Childish Things by hansbekhart

MCU | Steve x Bucky | M | 14k | Prewar

One of the most vivid and immersive prewar settings I’ve had the pleasure of reading, which is saying something, because I have read a [redacted] quantity of prewar stucky. The narrative structure is so powerful and effective, even if you already know what we’re building toward. The author also has my new favorite take on Bucky’s enlistment status, which felt nicely refreshing (and this is a 10 year old fic!) given the otherwise ubiquitous fanon.

Space AU: We'll meet again in Brooklyn by Gfawkes / @gfawkesphoenixchokingonashes

MCU | Steve x Bucky | E | 33k | Scifi AU

Amazing dystopian premise and world building featuring the bravest small nurse Steve and a devoted and self-sacrificing soldier Bucky. They’re both so loyal to each other but also to their separate friends and teammates.

Werewolf AU: you touch me within and so i (know i could be human once again) by notcaycepollard

MCU | Sam x Bucky | E | 12k | werewolf!bucky

In this canon-adjacent-verse, Bucky is freed from Hydra’s clutches, but they turned him into a (very soft and sweet) werewolf who just needs to be cuddled and petted and maybe bossed around a little bit. Sam is understandably beside himself…and also up to the task. 

Vampire AU: the blood is the life by obsessivereader

MCU | Steve x Bucky | M | 3K | vampire!bucky

When Bucky keeps sneaking off to bite a lot of strange young men, Steve’s biggest concern is, “Why not me????” I love the trope that the super soldier healing factor makes them great vampire companions.

Short fic: give up on trying to save us by returnsandreturns

Daredevil | Matt x Foggy | E | <1000 | Hate Sex

They’re rival lawyers, they banter, they are not going to have sex with each other again except that oh no, yes they are! What’s not to love!?

Slow burn: Steve Rogers, PA by sparkagrace / @sparkagrace

MCU | Steve x Bucky | T | WIP | Hunkyclinks

Hopefully you all are reading this one already because it’s a freakin delight all around. The premise is incredible and very funny, but there is also action and wound tending and my favorite thing ever, which is Steve and Bucky always managing to know each other better than anyone.

Holiday fic: Teshuva by JHSC

MCU | Steve x Bucky | T | 6K | Recovering Bucky

I could not find it in me to read a holiday (lbr: Christmas) fic over the summer, but ‘tis the season for atonement, y’all! That’s right, Yom Kippur is upon us, and this was a really lovely read on Bucky coming to terms with his memories, his relationship to his mother, and what it means to seek forgiveness. 

Medieval AU: The Tale of the Silver-Armed Knight by BeaArthurPendragon

MCU | Steve x Bucky | E | 5K | medieval AU

I had never come across a medieval fic in my journeys before, so this was a fun scavenger hunt. I managed to stumble my way into some sexy, sexy treasure by way of smithy!Steve measuring knight!Bucky for a special suit of armor. Amazing historical detail including—and I am very serious—D/S dynamics that felt so period appropriate. 

Video edit: Evidence by @bromcommie / vivelarevolution

MCU | Bucky Barnes

Why are you reading this rec list (or whatever this is) when you could be watching and reblogging this fucking edit! Are you watching it yet? Are you??? OP’s perfectly matched dialogue, parallels, and transitions will destroy you and you WILL thank them for it. (Thank you, Max.) The build up from the quiet of Bucky’s therapy session to the blurred violence between Bucky, the Soldier, and everyone he’s been in between is beautifully gutting.

Inspired by another fanwork: [Podfic] If They Haven't Learned Your Name by quietnight

MCU | Steve x Bucky | M | Post-CATWS

I’m far from the first to praise quietnight’s incredible voicework and podfic production, but holy heck, I’ll do it anyway. I have a hard time getting into audiobooks, and have never had a problem feeling fully immersed in their works. Silentwalrus’s story deserves all the praise it gets, too. A lovely balance of humor and heart, action and character work. 

Fluff: Invisible Ink by ctimene

Daredevil | Matt x Foggy | E | 16K | Tattoo Parlor AU

Hard to write a rec that isn’t just keysmashing and squealing sounds but OKAY FINE I’ll try. This ‘verse manages to parallel canon in ways that are both delightful and heart twisting, with all of Foggy’s heart, kindness, and snark translated to tattooing instead of lawyering. And they were still avocados! And also: sexy. Really, extremely sexy.

Time travel: Some legends are told by chaosmanor, rufferto

MCU | Steve x Bucky | E | 26K | Neolithic Wanderings 

In which Steve will go to any length to find Bucky, including 4 thousand years into the past (while wearing a very short tunic). I absolutely devoured this and was beside myself with delight over its uniqueness and all around nerdery—so many amazing and specific historical details.

Domestic: t'aimer sur les bords du lac by burning_brighter / @burnin-brighter

MCU | Steve x Bucky | M | 17k | Post-EG

Lovely and soft wish fulfillment: put those boys in a cabin until they can get the rest they deserve…and also talk about their feelings! I loved how careful they were with each other until they slowly found their footing again.

[abarbaricyalp]

Written for the @sambuckylibrary summer bingo prompt: Beach Day! Had to get one more in under the deadline.

Rated T, gets a little suggestive at the end

Okay so ages ago @katatonicimpression posted about Sam getting a Captain America 'suit' from Namor that was actually a speedo and well... (Funnily enough, I had not seen the original tags on the post until I was done with this story. I agree: Bucky would be fuming)

Namor's characterization in this kind of melds the MCU with the comics, since we didn't really get to see a lighter side of him in BP:WF. ("Or you could just wear a suit" joke line, my beloved)

(Sea) Star Spangled

Bucky had brought this upon himself.

He didn't usually like to take responsibility for things that had even a slightly contested origin. He thought he'd had plenty of shit laid at this feet egregiously, so, no Sam, it was not his fault there was only a swallow of milk left in the jug in the fridge.

But this one... This was his fault.

("You're welcome, self," he also thought.)

Here's the thing. He knew Shuri had told him about another actor, another nation, another hero who dealt with Vibranium. But, to be fair to himself, things had been pretty hectic for the both of them at the time and she'd said this guy lived under the ocean, so he really wasn't Bucky's priority. And, in this brave new world of "supervillain" teammups and consequent subterfuge, Bucky hadn't thought about the fish guy, merman, aquaman person since that brief mention.

By the time mermaid Barbie did catch up to him, Bucky had been at this game long enough to be practically working for Shuri instead of de Fontaine. She and he had worked out a nearly flawless repertoire of information sharing without getting caught and Bucky was pretty sure his new bosses were none the wiser. It had been Shuri who'd told him about an odd deposit of vibranium in the shallows and sandbars of a remote beach island.

Bucky had been investigating that lead when he met the submariner for the first time.

So, hey, maybe he could actually blame this all on Shuri.

It had been harder to convince Namor that he was a friend, not a foe. The alliance between the Atlantean and Shuri was evidently not as steadfast as Shuri had led Bucky to believe those weeks ago. Namor was intense and smarter than most people Bucky had been dealing with recently. (Shuri obviously excluded) He nettled and prodded at Bucky and his story for hours. Sharks literally started to circle at one point and Bucky had to let the Atlantean know that his threat was received perfectly clearly.

When all was said and done, when Namor was reluctantly on board with the plan though not any happier about it, when Bucky's research vessel was so thoroughly destroyed he didn't even bother trying to fish pieces out of the water, Namor took him to shore and asked who should be contacted.

Bucky had said the first name that came to mind.

Hours later, when the sun had scorched Bucky's chest, shoulders, and face, Sam appeared on a boat. Because of course he knew how to drive a boat. Bucky knew that and yet his heart still tripped over itself in his chest to see him looking like some dashing privateer. A privateer in board shorts at any rate.

Sam read people better than Bucky did. Bucky was great at threat assessment, but that was usually as far as his skills went. (Barring his ability to get free sweet tea from his favorite waitress) Sam knew how to work any angle on any person. He knew to show up dressed down instead of in his full Cap gear. He knew to cut the engine well before the rudders could damage the shoreline kelp life. He knew to approach Bucky and Namor with a somber but not cowed cadence to his steps.

Steve told a story constantly about the first time Sam met T'Challa. About his nigh on irreverence and familiarity. Bucky could see him assessing now if that kind of banter would work. In the end, he went for the safer route, turning his attention to Bucky and narrowing his eyes. "What did you do?" he asked.

Bucky wouldn't say Sam and Namor got on easily. Namor was not as quickly swayed by Sam's pervasive charm and ready smile and moral dignity. But the half-snarl curl of his lip had disappeared and the tension in his shoulders ebbed the longer he and Sam talked. Sam was good at this, winning people over long enough to rectify a situation and get back out of it.

And he did get Bucky out of it. Bucky got an earful on the ride back to some place with a plane, but it was worth it once he got into the cabin and out of the sun.

The next time it happened, Sam showed up in his Captain America uniform, and Bucky felt vaguely betrayed that Sam had been doing real Captain America things without him. The conversation between Namor and Sam flowed more easily as Bucky's shoulders continued to sunburn.

The THIRD time was not Bucky's fault. In fact, Bucky found Sam and Namor already in the midst of a fight that they had started in the shallows off an uninhabited island. Surprisingly, Bucky's new bosses weren't involved, so Bucky had no idea what was going on, but people were throwing spears at Sam and that was unacceptable.

The fight didn't last much longer after Bucky joined. Sam and Namor had had it mostly under control before he showed up, so the extra brute force only helped. The combatants disappeared into the water exactly like the sea monsters of his childhood stories.

"What are you doing here?" Bucky asked Sam so he didn't have to think about what else lurked in the water. He did follow Sam out of the shallows quickly though.

"Your friend picked up your bad habits," Sam answered in a half-teasing, half-stressed kind of way. He wiped his face free of salt water.

Namor scowled at him. Bucky wondered if his own scowls were that unconvincing. It was kind of impossible to actually get angry at Sam. "He is not my friend and I did not call you for help. You stopped yourself."

Sam shrugged. "You looked like you were losing."

"I do not lose!" Namor insisted again.

"Well, hey, next time you aren't losing and don't need help, you know how to reach me," Sam said with a grin. And then, to Bucky, he added, "We share seagulls!" A phrase Bucky completely did not understand.

The next time Namor showed up, Bucky hadn't even bothered him. He and Sam had detoured away from their return home from a mission because they were flying over Nassau and neither of them were passing up the opportunity for a beach vacation. The first two days had been flawless. But that night, tangled together on a high sandbar during low tide, a sudden wave, tall enough and dense enough to blot out the moonlight, crashed over them and left fish and kelp and so much salt water in its wake. It practically flooded the sandbar out and left bits and pieces of their uniforms floating in the water.

"I can see you!" Namor called from somewhere far away, or maybe right under the water. Bucky could never tell. "Go elsewhere!"

And yet. AND YET. They were here now.

Maybe he could actually blame Namor. Thinking about it again, he could definitely blame Namor. Bucky had only accidentally introduced him and Sam. Namor had done this.

"It looks pretty good right?" Sam laughed, smoothing a hand down his perfect body that Bucky should really be napping against right now instead of suffering in the middle of the ocean. How was he actually glistening? He wasn't even wet. What was this golden glow? There was cloud coverage.

It was about the only coverage on this boat.

For an ocean where a battle had just raged with too many combatants and interests at play for Bucky to keep straight, the sea was calm, the sun warm, the bird call familiar. It could almost be any other day on the boat. Except for the blood growing tacky in Bucky's hair and the bruise sprawling down Sam's shoulder and back. He needed to get an ice pack on it.

Actually, he needed to put a shirt over it.

"It is made of the same fibers as all of our warriors' clothing," Namor explained about the "outfit" Sam had quickly changed into. "Yours and mine are the same." And he looked entirely too smug as his gaze flicked to Bucky momentarily.

Despite joking about it, Bucky knew Namor didn't actually wear a speedo. It was shorts and he had fantastic thighs that would make any clothing look smaller. Those shorts--battle garments, his ass--were even smaller on Sam. They were practically molded to his ass. There was almost nothing down the back of his thighs. They were fighting for their life to cover his ass and stay around his hips at the same time. They were a dark navy with subtle, darker striping around one leg, not that anyone could tell because they were so damn short.

"If you're going to spend so much time on the water, you should be equipped to do so. No, Barnes?" Namor looked at him again and was definitely smirking. Suddenly Bucky preferred the scowl.

"Sam flies," he ground out.

"Yes. He's very impressive," Namor agreed. "And then he rescues you from the water all of the time."

Bucky ground his teeth together even harder.

"I know you have many suits for many different reasons. I just wanted to offer a gift of my own," Namor continued. "Talokan is grateful for your help and friendship." He reached out and clasped their forearms together.

Bucky seethed.

This was not a suit. This was obscene. There was a star right over the crotch, for God's sake. (Okay, slightly left of the crotch, whatever) Namor didn't even buy into nationalism. He hated it. It had been a huge point of contention until Sam had explained to him his own struggles with representing a country or ideal that outright rejected him over and over. If anything, this should just be navy. Plain. And longer, dammit. Bucky's brain was going to overheat. He needed to look away from that damn star.

"I appreciate it, K'uk'ulan," Sam said earnestly, like he wasn't standing around looking like a soft core poster. He bowed his head a little and held a hand over his heart. God, Bucky wanted to eat him.

Then Sam kicked his ankle and Bucky turned his irritation towards him. It wasn't enough to make him want to eat Sam any less, but it eased some of the burning need in his chest. Sam subtly tried to nod towards Namor, eyes wide and imploring.

With a sigh that gathered up all of Bucky's willpower, he turned to Namor and tried to ease the scowl on his face. "We will always help Talokan and the Talokanil," he said, and surprised himself with the honesty in his voice. He did really like Namor's home and his people. What of it he had come to see and understand. "I would rather help them than whichever evil bastards are trying to pull the reins up here."

The flash of gratitude over Namor's face was only that--a flash, but Bucky saw it and he tucked that information away. But it was too quickly replaced by a grin. "Then you agree. It is good that the captain now has appropriate dress."

The scowl got deeper by three fold and Namor's grin only turned more gleeful. And, oh. Namor hadn't put Sam in a speedo to leer at him himself. He'd done it to tease Bucky. The asshole.

"We should get Bucky one," Sam joked.

Bucky and Namor pulled twin grimaces, which made, Sam laugh and laugh.

"We need to head out," Bucky said to Sam. "We'll have a better chance of holding off alphabet agencies and suits if we're not right on top of the fight.

Sam frowned, tipped his face up to the sunlight because he was genuinely some kind of sun god and needed the replenishment as far as Bucky was concerned, and then sighed. "You're right," he agreed. "One day, we'll have to meet under better circumstances," he said to Namor. He offered his hand out to the not-merman and they did that gladiator hold thing again. Namor clapped a hand on Sam's uninjured shoulder.

"Yes, I agree. Alas, we both have people to protect and our enemies are becoming bolder. It doesn't leave much time for socializing."

Sam nodded his understanding and then hoisted his wing pack onto his back. He should really put on a shirt before using it, Bucky thought. And pants. "Come on, grumpycakes," he said to Bucky and offered out the harness they had developed together for exactly these kind of low stakes, short hops.

Sam gave Namor a lazy kind of salute and Bucky managed a cordial nod. Namor only offered another smirk and even a thumbs up. He was truly nothing like Bucky had anticipated.

Sam dropped them on the far side of the nearest island. They would have to await extraction--maybe island hop a few more miles away--but there was no rush. They hadn't called for help yet.

Bucky considered the fine white sand of the beach. It was soft and warm, verging on hot. He could lay Sam out right here and get those shorts off. But he remembered trying to untangle kelp from his hair, and discarded the thought. Instead, he walked Sam back into the tropical foliage several meters away and then sank to his knees without a word.

Sam's fingers fell to his hair, head dropping back to the tree behind him. Which was a shame because Bucky liked Sam's eyes on him. Liked to be able to look up and catch his gaze, see exactly what Bucky was doing to him based on the sparkle in his eye.

"Yeah," Sam agreed to their silent understanding in a breathy sigh. "We definitely have to get you some of these shorts too."

[writer-or-whatever]

Thanks for the tag @if-not-now-tell-me-when :)

RULES: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I've done this before (it's been a little while) and many of the WIPs remain the same 😬 (I start a lot more projects that I finish? oopsies. but! none of these are abandoned or anything so. maybe one day they'll be done?)

Bad Things Happen Bingo- Body Swap AU (Peter/MJ bodyswap soulmate au post-NWH) (mcu)

Chinese, Censorship, and Other Small Town Adventures (gilmore girls)

Concert Interruptus AU (gilmore girls)

Gilmore Girls Victorian AU

Luke/Lorelai Camping Trip (gilmore girls)

Rachel/Monica One Shot (friends)

Rory/Jess One Shot (Post-Canon) (gilmore girls)

Should we just keep driving? (gilmore girls) (my most recently worked on wip also)

Spideypool Phone Sex Fic (marvel)

Supernatural Fear-Inducer Trope w/ Peter post-nwh (mcu)

The Doctor Donna fix-it fic (Doctor who)

Tagging: @sarah-sandwich @otpcutie @ernestonlysayslovelythings @serenefreakgeek @webtrinsic1122 @maria-de-salinas

[smowkie]

finished my second bingo card from @ficreadingchallenge, woo! thanks again for hosting this event, it's great fun! 💗

list of read fics under the cut

1. multichapter fic

Countdown by prairiecrow

Garashir, DS9, 8,090 w, rated teen

summary:

Garak is poisoned, and Bashir finds himself in a race against time.

2. mythical creature AU

beautiful eyes lookin' deep into mine by sarahcakes613

Barisi, SVU, 1,664 w, rated gen

summary:

Rafael hasn't seen his reflection in almost six decades. Sonny finds a magic mirror.

3. less than 20 kudos

I'm Thinking Pastels by harinezumiko

Garashir, DS9, 100 w, rated gen

summary:

Prompt: garashir, magical unicorn adventure.

4. found family

Two Fools And Their Son [series] by Talvenhenki

Garashir, DS9, 5,227 w, rated gen

summary:

Julian adopts a child. As the child grows, so does Julian's family of misfits.

5. historical AU

Our Better Natures by OnlySlightlyObsessed1

Spones, TOS, 1,429 w, rated gen

summary:

Spock couldn't let it happen again.

6. future AU

I will die in the house that I grew up in by justhockey

Buddie, 911, 3,169 w, not rated

summary:

Loving Eddie is like breathing past all of the broken glass in his lungs. Buck can’t believe he gets to have this - can’t believe he gets to hold something so precious in his shaking, bleeding hands, and is trusted not to ruin it. He’s not sure he deserves that kind of faith, but he will spend the rest of his life being grateful for it anyway. He’ll spend the rest of his life trying to deserve this family that he’s made.

7. 5+ year old fic

Letters from the Northern Continent by thehoyden

Garashir, DS9, 7,966 w, rated mature

summary:

It just figured that the first time Julian Bashir set foot on Cardassia after the war, it would be halfway around the world from Elim Garak.

8. fic with no comments yet

Big Medicine by LadyDrace

Garashir, DS9, 100 w, rated gen

summary:

Doctors make the worst patients... and tailors don't make very good doctors either...

9. hurt/comfort

Here, at the End of All Things by sahiya

Garashir, DS9, 17,929 w, rated teen

summary:

He was no one’s choice of nurse, Garak reflected, even if Bashir seemed to tolerate him more than anyone else on the station did. Garak had been trained to inflict pain, not to ease it; to terrify, not to comfort. Bashir had shown Garak more tenderness and care than anyone had in many, many years, and the idea of trying to play that same role for the good doctor now was, frankly, a little intimidating. Not trying at all, however, simply was not an option.

10. fix-it fic

you standing in the doorway by Mireille

Stony, MCU, 1,420 w, rated teen

summary:

The most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway / Is that it's you and that you are standing in the doorway - Mountain Goats, "Going to Georgia"

11. genderbend

Magic is the Worst by arianapeterson19

Tony Stark (gen), MCU, 1,354 w, rated teen

summary:

As far as magic went it wasn't the worst thing to have happened to Tony but it also wasn't turning out how he wanted. He was going to find Loki and demand a refund. OR The one where Tony gets turned into a lady.

12. de-aging/kid

Kid Steve by Neverever

Stony, Avengers Assemble (cartoon), 1,752 w, rated gen

summary:

It's all fun and games for Kid Steve after being de-aged by the Impossible Man, until asthma attacks.

free space

Bombing It by tokidokifish

Garashir, DS9, 1,112 w, rated gen

summary:

“Happy birthday.” “I’m sorry, my dear doctor—I think you’ve mixed me up with someone else.” “I haven’t. I know you wouldn’t ever tell me your real birthday, but I still wanted to give you something to show how much I appreciate your friendship—so I just picked a day with appropriate significance in human culture.” “The first of April.” “Exactly.” — Julian wants to give Garak a gift, so he simply picked a day to do it.

13. bodyswap

i'm yours, body and soul by meidui (orphan_account)

Stony, MCU, 749 w, rated gen

summary:

When Tony wakes up in his husband's body at six in the morning hundreds of miles away from his conference, he almost puts a pillow over his head and goes back to sleep because, really, stranger things have happened.

14. daring rescue

come out to the sea, my love by allyasavedtheday

Buddie, 911, 8,035 w, rated teen

summary:

“Bobby,” Maddie exclaims. “It’s Buck.” Eddie’s head shoots up, hand immediately going to his own radio. Did something happen? Is it another clot? Did Christopher call 911? Is Buck on the floor bleeding out while his son watches- “He and Christopher were on the pier.” There’s one dizzying moment where Eddie’s vision completely whites out and he loses all control of his limbs but then a strong hand is gripping his arm and he manages to pull himself together enough to focus on Bobby’s face. “Maddie, how do you know that?” Bobby asks and he sounds calm but Eddie can hear the tension hidden in his voice. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. “A girl with a drone called 911- she sent me the footage and-“ Maddie lets out a hitching breath. “They’re stranded on top of the 136’s ladder truck.” * Tsunami au in which the 118 find out about Buck and Chris being stranded on top of the ladder truck and come to rescue them before they get separated.

15. fic written by someone who follows you

a line drawn in the sand by crazyassmurdererwall (smartalli)

Buddie, 911, 5,655 w, rated teen

summary:

When Eddie forgets about a family tradition and can’t get off work early, Buck steps in and takes Christopher to Abuela’s for him. Eddie doesn’t expect Buck to still be there when he gets off work. He doesn’t expect to tell Buck how he feels. And he doesn’t expect to stand up to his parents. But maybe it’s about time he did. Maybe it’s about time he go after what he wants.

16. unhappy/bittersweet ending

Flowers for Julian by peytra

Garashir, DS9, 1,232 w, rated teen

summary:

A late-night conversation about time and gardening.

17. short fic (<1000 words)

Sleep And Be Peaceful by Elemental_Queen

Garashir, DS9, 214 w, rated gen

summary:

Garak comes home late, and finds Julian asleep on his couch.

18. BFFs

I really love you (oh, you’re my best friend) by stellarpoint (pettifogger)

Steve & Robin, Stranger Things, 1,457 w, rated gen

summary:

Robin approaches him slowly. She sees herself in the mirror: still dirt-smudged with bags under her eyes and dried blood obscuring her freckles. She rests her hand on Steve’s back and feels the rattle of his breath under the vest he still hasn’t taken off. “It’s okay, Steve.” He jerks his head up. His eyes are red-rimmed and shining. She slides her left hand all the way around his side until she’s hugging him from behind. She presses her cheek to the denim covering his back and closes her eyes. “It’s okay, dingus. You can let it out,” she murmurs. She rubs her face against his back and slides her hand down the bare skin of his arm. “It’s just me. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay.” Or: Steve has a tell for when he’s trying not to cry and Robin seems to be the only one who notices it.

19. pets

Birthday Surprise by PepperSpicedLatte

Saffi, ST: Picard, 100 w, rated gen

summary:

Evie, their beloved cat, has a surprise for Raffi

20. mistaken identity

What Happens At Comic Con by Heartithateyou

Stony, MCU, 1,164 w, rated gen

summary:

So Steve likes to go to comic con sometimes. And just maybe he dresses as Captain America. And perhaps he might flirt with an Iron Man cosplayer. But can you blame him?

21. remix fic pair (worth 2 spots)

out of the mouth of babes (a childish remix) by Fluffypanda

Stony, MCU, 3,745 w, rated teen

summary:

Tony doesn't know how to deal with a child-sized Steve that seems to think they're friends.

22. new (to you) fandom

when you think you've tried every road by firstaudrina

Tristan Duffy/Liz Taylor, AHS: Hotel, 3,224 w, rated teen

summary:

Normally Tristan would brush off someone eyeing his ass but this is different, somehow – like Liz looked at him once, and wanted to keep looking.

23. lyrics title - listen to the song too!

Crawling on Your Shores by Mireille

Stony, MCU, 9,600 w, rated teen

summary:

Compared to the last time Tony was trapped in a cave, this should be a piece of cake. It's really not. His armor is damaged, he doesn't have anything to work with, and he has an unconscious supersoldier on his hands. It's definitely not a piece of cake.

24. slow burn

keep a bower quiet for us by starghost

Garashir, DS9, 20,218 w, rating gen

summary:

Julian Bashir goes on vacation, and ends up stuck on Earth, in the past, with Elim Garak. Things could be worse, probably.

[nagiru]

@ficreadingchallenge

Two bingos!

Sooo... this is. a long list. I'm only gonna tag them under cut just to be sure. Anyway, thanks for the event! <3

FIX-IT FIC Understorm | Final Fantasy XVI | Cid/Clive | fix-it fic

GENDERBEND / RULE 63 when does a man become a monster? (i'll become a monster) | Percy Jackson | Perpollo | Female Percy Jackson

CROSSOVER OR FUSION FIC Past And Future Running Free | Percy Jackson + EPIC The Musical | crossover

SMALL FANDOM (<1000 FICS) i cant mansplain, manipulate, manslaughter my way out of this (manwhore it is) | EPIC The Musical | gen | Small Fandom

HOLIDAY FIC Soft Puppy | Final Fantasy 16 | FireStorm (Cid/Clive) | holiday fic

NEW (TO YOU) FANDOM Consequences | EPIC The Musical | gen | new fandom

SHORT FIC (<1000 WORDS) Mission Microwave | Naruto | Kakashi & Tobirama | short fic (892 words)

FREE SPACE this wild to be held | Persona 5 | Wingfic (Free Space)

TIME TRAVEL With Great Powers Comes Meddling Fucking Gods | Final Fantasy 7 | ASGZC | time travel

INSPIRED BY ANOTHER FANWORK seeing eye to eye | Daredevil & MCU | Avengers & Matt Murdock | inspired by another fic (None So Blind)

LESS THAN 20 KUDOS Reasons I Like Hibiki | Devil Survivor 2 | Yamato/Hiro | less than 20 kudos

UNFINISHED / WORK IN PROGRESS Hunger (A Moth in the Twilight) | Percy Jackson | Perpollo | Work in Progress

MULTICHAPTER FIC Eraserhead | Boku no Hero Academia | gen fic | multichapter

FLUFF To Teach a Hotsuin How to Skate | Devil Survivor 2 | Yamato/Protagonist | fluff

DE-AGING / KIDFIC These Haunted Halls | Boku no Hero Academia | gen | kidfic

OLDEST FIC IN THE FANDOM Scandal! | Devil Survivor 2 | oldest fic in the fandom

FIC FROM YOUR FIRST FANDOM spirit shackle | Pokemon | ghost Green | my first fandom

[smokeybrandreviews]

Monster Mash

The final episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is in the books and it has been one hell of a ride. This show had no right to be as good as it was. Seriously, Monarch was a solid, refreshing, little entry that squeaked in just before the end of the year and I’m glad it did. Obviously, it’s not highbrow, intellectual fair but it is very well written, with strong characters, great performances, outstanding effects, and a whole ass realized world. I have my issues, of course. Off the top, I don’t like any of the original monsters being introduced by the Monsterverse. These things suck balls, every last one of them. Admittedly, this is an overall Monsterverse thing, not just a Monarch show thing. The US is just so uninspired with their kaiju design, always has been. Ren Watabe is kind of awful and doesn’t have the acting ability to carry such an emotionally involved role. Also, this thing just blows open gaping plot holes and raises so many questions about all of the content which came before. I like a lot of the “revelations”, I just wish they were integrated with the established lore better. There’s only a handful of films. You can’t be f*cking up that narrative like this so soon. Those are minor gripes, of course, because Monarch has been a beacon of what streaming originals can be and it has found a pretty broad audience because, and this is kind of the point of this essay, the lead is a lesbian Japanese woman and no one seems to care.

You would be forgiven if you thought this was Kurt and Wyatt Russell’s show, the marketing pushes that narrative strong, but you would be wrong. This show is about the Randa siblings, Cate and Kentaro. The aforementioned disappointment, Ren Watabe plays Kentaro but, in direct contrast to his flaccid performance, Anna Sawai plays his half-sister Cate, and she is the engine that makes this show go. You watch Cate’s character develop, spend so much time with her, learn so much about it. This is HER show and it never she’s away from who she is, which is kind of remarkable because Cate kind of checks every box of diversity bingo. Woman? Yessir. Japanese? You betcha! Lesbian? Check. Overtly carrying romantic feelings for Kiersey Clemons’ bisexual May? Check, again. Also, May is black. Just wanted to throw that in there for reference. Oh, and she basically left Kentaro FOR Cate, too. You’d think having a queer relationship presented front-and-center in the middle of A-spec Goji content would get all the neckbeards in a tizzy, but I haven’t heard a single peep. But the representation doesn’t stop there. The leader of Monarch is a woman. Mari Yamamoto plays the Randa siblings grandmother, Keiko, and she’s also a founding member of Monarch, itself. Michelle Duvall, Sandra Brody’s sister, is this bad ass Monarch operative who goes rouge with Lee Shaw, eventually taking over his band of defectors after the good Colonel goes missing for the second time. This show is riddled with POC, queer, and female representation. By all means, it’s woke as f*ck and no one has said a word. Why? Because it’s f*cking good.

I will dies on this hill, man. There is no such thing as “Go Woke, Go Broke.” There is not Superhero fatigue. The issue is that this stuff is poorly written. Identity politics can encapsulate your entire goddamn narrative, as long as you write it well. Your lead characters can be two, gay ass, men, as long as the character work is there to make those aspects part of who they are, not define them as a whole. I’m speaking, specifically, about The Last of Us. They did that sh*t twice, actually. Nick Offerman’s episode as some of the strongest television I have ever seen in my entire goddamn life. It was beautiful It was tragic. It was inspired f*cking television. That’s how you do representation and identity on television for the wide audience. That’s what Monarch has done with Cate and May. That’s what we need to see more of out of Disney, Lucasfilm, and the MCU. There has to be nuance when developing these characters and stories. They have to feel real, not just performative checkboxes for Xitter clout. You’re always going to have Neckbeards upset that The Force is Female, but don’t feed the trolls with more lazy characters like Rey. Write better ones who line up closer to Ahsoka and Dr. Aphra. Interestingly enough, Chelli is also a queer woman of visibly Asian descent. An just like that, we’ve come full circle! Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a great show. It’s probably the best thing The Monsterverse has produced to date, and it did so while incorporating a ton of diversity, without alienating the entire audience. That, alone, I think, is worth a watch. And, more to the point, worth the entirety of Hollywood taking note. We need more shows like this, Atlanta, Beef, Reservation Dogs, and The Brothers Sun. It’s not hard to write “Woke” content for the masses, as long as what you write is organic and true to the characters. No one wants to be preached at or pandered to. Monarch towed that line beautifully and every follow it’s example.

[smokeybrand]

Monster Mash

The final episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is in the books and it has been one hell of a ride. This show had no right to be as good as it was. Seriously, Monarch was a solid, refreshing, little entry that squeaked in just before the end of the year and I’m glad it did. Obviously, it’s not highbrow, intellectual fair but it is very well written, with strong characters, great performances, outstanding effects, and a whole ass realized world. I have my issues, of course. Off the top, I don’t like any of the original monsters being introduced by the Monsterverse. These things suck balls, every last one of them. Admittedly, this is an overall Monsterverse thing, not just a Monarch show thing. The US is just so uninspired with their kaiju design, always has been. Ren Watabe is kind of awful and doesn’t have the acting ability to carry such an emotionally involved role. Also, this thing just blows open gaping plot holes and raises so many questions about all of the content which came before. I like a lot of the “revelations”, I just wish they were integrated with the established lore better. There’s only a handful of films. You can’t be f*cking up that narrative like this so soon. Those are minor gripes, of course, because Monarch has been a beacon of what streaming originals can be and it has found a pretty broad audience because, and this is kind of the point of this essay, the lead is a lesbian Japanese woman and no one seems to care.

You would be forgiven if you thought this was Kurt and Wyatt Russell’s show, the marketing pushes that narrative strong, but you would be wrong. This show is about the Randa siblings, Cate and Kentaro. The aforementioned disappointment, Ren Watabe plays Kentaro but, in direct contrast to his flaccid performance, Anna Sawai plays his half-sister Cate, and she is the engine that makes this show go. You watch Cate’s character develop, spend so much time with her, learn so much about it. This is HER show and it never she’s away from who she is, which is kind of remarkable because Cate kind of checks every box of diversity bingo. Woman? Yessir. Japanese? You betcha! Lesbian? Check. Overtly carrying romantic feelings for Kiersey Clemons’ bisexual May? Check, again. Also, May is black. Just wanted to throw that in there for reference. Oh, and she basically left Kentaro FOR Cate, too. You’d think having a queer relationship presented front-and-center in the middle of A-spec Goji content would get all the neckbeards in a tizzy, but I haven’t heard a single peep. But the representation doesn’t stop there. The leader of Monarch is a woman. Mari Yamamoto plays the Randa siblings grandmother, Keiko, and she’s also a founding member of Monarch, itself. Michelle Duvall, Sandra Brody’s sister, is this bad ass Monarch operative who goes rouge with Lee Shaw, eventually taking over his band of defectors after the good Colonel goes missing for the second time. This show is riddled with POC, queer, and female representation. By all means, it’s woke as f*ck and no one has said a word. Why? Because it’s f*cking good.

I will dies on this hill, man. There is no such thing as “Go Woke, Go Broke.” There is not Superhero fatigue. The issue is that this stuff is poorly written. Identity politics can encapsulate your entire goddamn narrative, as long as you write it well. Your lead characters can be two, gay ass, men, as long as the character work is there to make those aspects part of who they are, not define them as a whole. I’m speaking, specifically, about The Last of Us. They did that sh*t twice, actually. Nick Offerman’s episode as some of the strongest television I have ever seen in my entire goddamn life. It was beautiful It was tragic. It was inspired f*cking television. That’s how you do representation and identity on television for the wide audience. That’s what Monarch has done with Cate and May. That’s what we need to see more of out of Disney, Lucasfilm, and the MCU. There has to be nuance when developing these characters and stories. They have to feel real, not just performative checkboxes for Xitter clout. You’re always going to have Neckbeards upset that The Force is Female, but don’t feed the trolls with more lazy characters like Rey. Write better ones who line up closer to Ahsoka and Dr. Aphra. Interestingly enough, Chelli is also a queer woman of visibly Asian descent. An just like that, we’ve come full circle! Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a great show. It’s probably the best thing The Monsterverse has produced to date, and it did so while incorporating a ton of diversity, without alienating the entire audience. That, alone, I think, is worth a watch. And, more to the point, worth the entirety of Hollywood taking note. We need more shows like this, Atlanta, Beef, Reservation Dogs, and The Brothers Sun. It’s not hard to write “Woke” content for the masses, as long as what you write is organic and true to the characters. No one wants to be preached at or pandered to. Monarch towed that line beautifully and every follow it’s example.

[missfitmarvel0-0]

For Marvel Fluff Bingo: De-Aged (@marvelfluffbingo)

Jack knows two things are true: 1. His stupidly brazen wife has just thrown herself into a fog of rose colored gas in an attempt to search for any potential victims of the Lymex attack. 2. And even though it’s been just a few moments she hasn’t come back yet. Rushing in, Jack finds that neither he or Peggy are the same people they were before.

[reesa-chan]

The new chapter of Whoops, I slipped is up!

Fic summary:  When an explosion in the lab leaves Tony in the body of a small child, he's disconcerted to discover that his adult brain and the tiny body he's now inhabiting are entirely at odds with one another, and he doesn't know how to properly operate it. He's left floundering while his teammates try and figure out who the kid found in Tony's workshop is and what to do with him.

This is all somewhat of a flashback to 2012 Avengers fanfic. Everyone lives in the Tower and is just starting to work together as a team. Lots of found family feels. 

Chapter summary: Tony has a bit of a whoopsie and finally figures out exactly what is wrong with his body. 

Chapter warnings: Secondhand embarrassment

Chapter 3 is a fill for the de-aging square on my Marvel Bingo card.

[darthbloodorange]

Avenging Shadow

Rating: Gen Universe: Marvel Cinematic Universe Pairings: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Warnings: Internalised Ableism Major Tags: Established Relationship, Kidnapped Tony Stark, De-Serumed Steve Rogers, Rescue Missions Word count: 100 - Drabble

Summery: Tony sits in his cell, waiting for his rescue. Though, when it comes, he can't say he's exactly pleased.

For the: ✦ cap-ironman​​​ Universe Medley, “Marvel Cinematic Universe” Month. ✦ + “De-Powered” [N2] of Cap-Ironman’s Medley Infinity Stone Bingo.

Read below or on AO3 >HERE<

'Thank god Steve wasn't here.'

Tony feels guilty as soon as he thinks the thought.

He knew it wasn't really fair. Steve was more than capable of handling his own. It was just... Steve's 'own' was currently 90 pounds soaking wet with a list of ailments longer than he wasn't tall. Though... he wasn't all that tall currently.

Something catches his eyes, moving through the darkness behind his captor like a prowling shadow. He gets a funny, twisting feeling in his gut.

Tony hangs his head, sighing deeply.

He should've known this would happen.

Steve has come to save him.

THE END

[buckets-and-trees]

Navy, Navy, Navy...

You dropped this man in my askbox at the beginning of the week, and I knew I knew him, but it took me a couple of days to figure out exactly which Steve he was...

And then I realized he's absolutely Buck's Eleven Steve...

Fandom: MCU Collection: Buck's Eleven Title: Bookings and Rings Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x Female Reader Word Count: 650 

Summary: Our first glimpse of Steve's girl in this AU. Can be read as a standalone, you only need to know Bucky and Steve are putting together a big heist job for New Year's Eve 1960.

Content Warnings: hints of 1960s societal views, movement toward smut at the end (fade to black)

Logistical Notes: Thank you @vonalyn for spiffing this up and making sure it was up to snuff. This ticks off my first box in my @the-slumberparty Bingo Card B4 "Proposal."

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

You lock and close the door behind you, letting out a happy sigh. You’re home. You drop your keys on the table in the entry and step out of your heels, clutching them in one hand and your travel bag in the other, then make your way down the hall into the living room.

You pause and grin at the sight in front of you.

Steve is sitting in one of the armchairs, relaxed, reading the paper, the bright afternoon sun streaming in from the window behind him. You can tell he’s had a fresh haircut since you saw him last week. He’s in a brown tweed sport coat and black shirt. He always looks good.

“You’re home early,” you say.

“Is that a complaint?” he asks, returning your grin as he lowers the paper to look at you.

“Well, you’re also in my home, not your home.”

“Until you agree to call my home your home, sometimes I just can’t help myself when I want to see my girl.”

You roll your eyes and shake your head, but the grin is still on your face. “Good thing you’re handsome, Rogers.”

“And you know I’m good for other things, too,” he says as he folds up the paper and sets it aside. “Now come over here, tell me about your day. Where were you?”

You deposit your heels and your sleek blue Pan Am duffel on the couch, then sit on the coffee table in front of Steve. “Rio de Janeiro.”

“Long flight then, let me take care of my girl.” Steve gestures for you to rest your feet up on his thigh, and as you do, he immediately takes one of your stocking-clad feet in his strong hands and begins pressing his thumbs deeply into the sole. You moan and some of the tension in other parts of your body starts to melt away. Steve smiles at that. “Tell me about your day.”

You do. While you talk, he listens, asks a few questions, moves to rubbing out your other foot completely, and then starts working up your calves.

When you’ve caught him up on the relevant pieces of the things that have happened the past few days, shared the frustrations as well as the funny stories, you finally ask him, “What do you want – I get the foot rubs when you want something.”

“You’d get this regularly if you’d accept my ring, honey,” you open your mouth to protest, but he shakes his head and continues, “I know, I know, you’re not ready to give up your explorations.”

“No, I’m not.”

“But you remember I’ve always got that ring with me. You say the word and it’s yours.”

You lean forward and kiss him, then say, “I’m not saying no, I’m just saying not now.”

“I’ll take you everywhere you want to go.”

You lean back a little and tilt your head. “I know.” You rest your hand over his heart. “And I am yours… just not your wife yet.”

“Yet,” he echoes.

You laugh then kiss him again. It’s a long kiss this time, one that has him eventually pulling you into his lap, and your arms are wrapped tightly around each other, lips and tongues dedicated to nothing more than connecting and expressing the feelings between the two of you.  

It only ends when you’re both completely breathless.

“What do you need from me?”

“Two things… I need to get a team into Vegas. Can you book them in?”

“Sure, leave me the list of their names and departure cities before you leave, I’ll put them in.”

“Thank you, honey.”

“What else?”

He grins and his hand slips between your thighs, moving right up to your mound. “Let me take you to bed and give you more reasons to make it hard for you to hold out on finally becoming my wife.”

[polizwrites]

WIP  Update -  5 June  2018

Time Out of Joint (Extended Remix) – @tisfan collab. Still a WIP in terms of posting -- It updates every Friday and we’re up to chapter 7 of 11 total.  The Time Travel Shenanigans are in full swing, and the WinterIron is about to ramp up nicely...   

2018 WinterIron Spring Fling:  I posted Wait and See (if it’s the best you ever had) - a 5 chapter, 10,324 word story to the collection and it is now available.  This was a fun fic to write, and ended up being a mix of a stripper AU (the prompt from my giftee) and coffeeshop AU with some identity porn thrown in for fun. It also features a genderfluid!Tony - I got some great feedback & advice from some WinterIron Discord folks on my portrayal, along with @godaof221b.  The fic is rated Mature for eventual smut, tho the bulk of the fic/main story is Teen-rated.

The Tony Stark Bingo 2018 Challenge! is a go!   I posted my first fill  Yet - never - in Extremity and will post the second fill  I've got finished (2179 words) probably tomorrow. This gives me K1 and S5 (2 corners), and I've got my next prompt about 3/4 done - 1563 words so far, with two different ideas for K5.   Combined with something I've already got sitting in my WIPs folder (meant to be a multi-chapter fic, but stands alone decently enough) for  the center free space, I think that will be my first bingo.   Another square is in progress as well (A5 - 1295 words) with ideas for six or seven more,  including a possible Cyrano de Bergerac AU that  @tisfan,  @27dragons, and @sadieb798 are being enablers for.  :^D The Tony Stark Bingo collection  over on Ao3  is up to 29  works and covers multiple pairings and ratings -- go check it out for some amazing fics!!!  @tisfan did an awesome job of putting together this project  and deserves tons of kudos!  

The Rumlow POV remix of By Their Bootstraps  (the de-aged Avengers fic I posted earlier this month) is still a semi-active project, tho I need to figure out how much detail I want to go into to get it caught up to cover the same events. It is still sitting at 4980 words and I may try to squeeze it into the Tony Stark bingo as well.

Speaking of Bingos - the WinterIron Bingo Adventure 2018  is a new challenge that just opened up yesterday and will run through the rest of the year.    Hosted by  @phantomas67,  you can request a card at their  Tumblr url or via email:  winterironbingo@gmail.com.    There's also an AllBingo thread:  https://allbingo.dreamwidth.org/107213.html I got my card and am looking forward to putting something together and posting to the Ao3 collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Winteriron_Bingo_Adventure/profile   

The following WIPs have gotten pushed to the back of the desk, but are still on the list.  HINT: if any of these pique your fancy, let me know and maybe they'll move up the list a bit....

The Shield Split Asunder  (sequel for To Shield from the Storm) I’m not sure when this will first see the light at the moment… leaning towards late summer at the earliest. The fic will be Steve POV and stick as close to canon as I can make it.  I have the first two scenes roughly sketched out - tho I may rethink the starting point to get some  Stony scenes in before  they get split up by  Events.

Carry On, Wayward Sons:  Holding on the draft of Chapter 3 until I get some more work done.  The intent is still to match it up with the other StarkQuill/StarkLord piece I threw together awhile ago.  This may get a bit of a push from one of the Tony Stark Bingo fill ideas I'm rolling around in my head -- stay tuned! 

The Subtle Briar –  Still nothing new - other projects are demanding my attention. However, @sadieb798 is now onboard as a cheer-reader, so this may get some traction after all.

I should prob go look at the  @imaginetonyandbucky prompts at some point as well.     There's also a   MCU Rolling Remix  challenge that sounds interesting - with 2018 signups possibly coming soon.  

As always, any words of encouragement on these projects would be greatly appreciated!

[adarafaelbarba]

So as mentioned in my previous post about this bingo, my birthday is next month. And for that occasion I wanted to host another bingo! Like my last bingo in October 2021, this one will have moodboards to the squares. You don’t have to use them, but they’re there for inspiration, and can also be used in your fics as a “cover” if you’d like 🥰 I’m gonna have the moodboards up before the bingo starts on Monday 17th of January 😅

here are some rules:

1. It’ll start on January 17th and ends on February 17th at Midnight (Norwegian time)

2. Write one, ten or all of the fics. But don’t feel like you have to write them, this is a fun little writing exercise

3. You can write a head canon, ficlet, multi-chapter (one moodboard/square per fic) or a one shot. But please, if it’s longer than 500 words, put it under read more.

4. The fics can be fluff, smut, angst, etc if you feel like they would fit with the aesthetic of the moodboard you write for. Please remember to tag the fics with the right warnings before posting it.

5. Tag me when you post it, so I can keep tracks of the fics that are posted for this challenge and use the hashtag: #adarafaelbarbabirthdaybingo

6. Characters allowed (reader insert, oc, ships)

SVU:

Rafael Barba

Sonny Carisi

Mike Dodds

Nick Amaro

Peter Stone

Odafin “Fin” Tutuola

Alex Cabot

Casey Novak

Olivia Benson

Amanda Rollins

Rita Calhoun

Kat Tamin

Elizabeth Donnelly

Other Raúl Esparza Characters:

Jackson Neill

Nevada Ramirez

Jonas Nightingale

Bryan Kneef

Frederick Chilton

Paul Mendelsohn

911 / 911 Lone Star:

Evan Buckley

Eddie Diaz

Maddie Buckley

Chimney

Hen Wilson

Bobby Nash

Athena Grant

Owen Strand

T.K. Strand

Grace Ryder

Judd Ryder

Marjan Marwani

Paul Strickland

Carlos Reyes

Tommy Vega

Mayans MC:

Miguel Galindo

Angel Reyes

Ez Reyes

Bishop Losa

Emily Thomas

Coco Cruz

One Chicago:

Matt Casey

Kelly Severide

Brian «Otis» Zvonecek

Joe Cruz

Stella Kidd

Gabby Dawson

Violet Mikami

Sylvie Brett

Emily Foster

Jessica Chilton

Gianna Mackey

Evan Hawkins

Jay Halstead

Antonio Dawson

Adam Ruzek

Kevin Atwater

Erin Lindsay

Hailey Upton

Vanessa Rojas

Sean Roman

Kim Burgess

Connor Rhodes

Ethan Choi

Will Halstead

April Sexton

Crockett Marcel

Jeff Clarke

A Discovery of Witches:

Baldwin Montclair (Trystan and Peter’s version, but specify it 😅)

Matthew de Clermont

Marcus Whitmore

Diana Bishop

Miriam Shepard

Domenico

Sophie Norman

Nathaniel Wilson

Gallowglass

Satu Järvinen

Juliette Durand

Phoebe Taylor

Hamish Osborn

Chris Roberts

Ransome Fayrweather

Outlander:

Ian Murray

Frank Randall

Jamie Fraser

Clair Fraser

Briana Fraser Randall

Roger Mackenzie

Fergus Fraser

Marsali Fraser

Jenny Fraser

Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts:

Sirius Black

Remus Lupin

James Potter

Newt Scamander

Young Dumbledore

Kingsman:

Eggsy Unwin

Roxy Morton

Harry Hart

Merlin

Charlie Hesketh

Percival

Lancelot / James Spencer

Ginger

Whiskey

Tequila

Characters from the King’s Men

MCU:

Thor Odinson

Steve Rogers / Captain America

Tony Stark / Iron Man

Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

Sam Wilson / Falcon / Captain America

Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier

Dr. Stephen Strange / Dr. Strange

T’Challa / Black panther (rip Chadwick 🥺)

Shaun / Shang-Chi

Xialing

Wenwu

Wong

Peter Parker / Spiderman (Tom, Toby or Andrew. But specify it 😅)

Clint Barton / Hawkeye

Wade Wilson / Deadpool

Scott Lang (Ant-Man)

Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel

Baron Helmut Zemo

Yelena Belova

Monica Rambeau

Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver

Charles Xavier / Professor X

Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto

Druig

Makkari

Dane

Thena

Sersi

Ikaris

Ajak

Gilgamesh

Kingo

Phastos

Note: If there’s a character/fadom not listed, feel free to DM me.

7. No RPF/real person fic. No underage character (includes reader/ocs)

8. Please signal boost this post, regardless if you participate or not

9. Most important! Have fun! 🥰 Feel free to dm me with any questions or concerns