#fighting for independence??? gotta show your teams are better

[bagelbucket]

instead of making guns and nukes we should solve literally every conflict with sports like the mesopotamians. just without ritual sacrifice.

[thehufflepuff02]

Chapter nine—Jake

Jake gathered the clans with Neytiri by his side. His strong, independent, fierce mate. The woman he loves with his whole heart. The clans followed him. They followed Toruk Macto, rider of the last shadow. They returned with hundreds- thousands of Na’vi prepared to fight. The Ikran swept down from the sky in colorful swarms. Some arrived on dire horse. The tree of souls filled with warriors.

Neytiri gripped his hand as the couple watched proudly of the army they brought together. Unlike humans, the Na’vi cared about each other no matter the cultural differences or distance between them. They protected one another through thick and thin. 

Norm was there, in his human form when Jake unlinked. “The clans are willing to fight with us.” Jake told him, pushing himself down into his wheelchair with a grunt. “Everyone is at the tree of souls preparing.” He felt the affects of being linked for so long, his body screaming for food. Hunger gnawing at his insides.

“Before you say nothing else, I need to go grab Trudy and Grace. If I don’t they will probably team up and kill me.” Norm said quickly, putting a exo-pack on and rushing out the door.

It took some maneuvering but Grace managed to get inside the shack. Despite the situation they were currently dealing with, Jake had to hold back his smile. Any other day he would have made fun the the scientist.

“You and Neytiri did it? The clans came?” Grace asked.

“Yea, doc.” Jake gave her a proud smile. “Have you guys heard from Max at all?” 

“We got a message saying he will try to get in contact the moment it’s safe.” Norm explained.

“It has to be a total shit show back at hell’s gate.” Trudy mused. “Without the head of the Avatar department,” she gestured to Grace. “And their obvious best pilot.” She put her hand on her chest.

The other three looked at her, definitely not amused.

“Sorry…too soon?” Trudy asked. “Just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Too soon, babe.” Norm agreed, rubbing her back. 

Ringing coming in from the comm alerted them. “That’s gotta be Max.” Jake quickly said, going to answer it. “Right?”

Grace nodded. “Yea it’s him.” 

Jake accepted the call. 

Max’s face appeared on the screen. “I don’t know how secure this channel is.”

“Talk fast.” Jake told him seriously.

“It’s crazy around here, Jake. It’s full mobilization. They’re rigging up the shuttles as bombers. They’ve made these pallets of mine explosives,” Jake saw as Grace paled at the word explosives. “It’s for some kind of shock and awe campaign.”

“Fucking daisy cutters.” Trudy cursed.

“Holy shit.” Norm spoke.

“Can you talk to Selfridge? Maybe we can get some sorta deal before this goes all the way.” Jake ask, doubtfully.

Max shook his head. “No, Quaritch has taken over. He rolling and there’s no stopping him.”

“When?” Grace asked, stepping in when Jake mulls over the last thing Max said.

“Why are you in your av—” he begins to ask, when Grace came on the screen.

“Now isn’t the time for an explanation. When is Quaritch planning on rolling in?” 

“Oh six hundred tomorrow.” Max told them. 

Before anyone could thank Max, he whipped his head around and shut down the call.

“We’re completely screwed.” Norm deadpanned. “We can’t go up against gun ships and bombs.”

“You know he’s gonna commit those bombers straight to the tree of souls.” Trudy pointed out.

“That’s right. Because I gave it to him on a silver plate.” Jake knew this was his fault, the guilt was eating him up. If he wasn’t so stupid they might not be here right now.

“We both did.” Trudy admits. 

“It would have happened sooner or later even if the two of you weren’t feeding Quaritch information.” Grace assured them the best she could. 

“If he goes for the tree of souls it’s over. It’s their main line to Eywa, to their ancestors. It would destroy them.” Norm reminds.

“Then I guess we better stop them.” Jake announces like it wasn’t already the plan. 

“Jake, you need some rack.” Grace told him, changing the subject when she noticed his dark bruise like eye bags. She gave him a slightly scary glare that was daring him to object. “You look awful.” 

“Jeez. Thanks for the compliment, mom.” Jake rolls his eyes. He was fine. He didn’t need sleep. What he needed was to help prepare. How would anyone even expect him to sleep now?

“I wouldn’t need to act like your mother if you actually took care of yourself. That goes for all of you.” Grace said, looking at the kids she didn’t sign up to take care of. 

“Yes, mom.” The three of them said in unison. 

“That’s it. I’m going to let Mo’at know we got in contact with Max.” Grace left, squeezing herself through the door. 

Trudy looked Jake in the eyes. “If you don’t eat and get some rack there will be consequences and I don’t feel like dealing with an angry doctor Augustine.”

“She’s right.” Norm added.

“Fine.” Jake obeyed. “I’ll go get some food. I’m not promising anything about sleeping, coffee will have to do.”

[miekasa]

M-mie could we get some athlete boyfriend eren hcs too if you don’t mind, please and thank you😩

He is: my boyfriend, and I love him dearly. Perfect amount of himbo and athlete without being a jock, everybody give it up for Eren for being my dream boy <3

Eren plays sports year round, with the exception of maybe one or two winter seasons, just because his school/work/home life was too busy for athletics at those times. Otherwise, he’s always go something to practice for: soccer in the fall, hockey in the winter, and his choice of baseball or basketball in the spring.

He’s not a varsity athlete; that is, he’s not “committed” to any one team, so he’s not tied to playing one sport every year, nor are his academics linked to his athletics, or vice versa. He’s just a pretty athletic guy, and he’s got a lot of energy, and he enjoys sports, so naturally he plays whenever he can.

As it turns out, it does help him with his academics. Knowing he’s got practice the majority of the week forces Eren into building a schedule that prioritizes both schoolwork and sports so he can enjoy them equally. It teaches him to be independent in a way that he wasn’t expecting, but he’s come to really love.

And because he loves it, he doesn’t mind working hard for it. Liking the way he’s set it up for himself encourages him to do his best in both areas. It’s really just good for him all around: a good outlet fo his energy, a good way to spend his time, a good way to keep his grades in check, and a good way to keep himself comfortably happy and busy.

His appetite is insatiable, so it’s only dramatized when playing sports. He takes the all you can eat in all you can eat sushi a little too seriously.

The thing is… he’s a shit cook, too, so it’s not like he’s meal prepping to make sure he’s satisfying his appetite. He just buys a shit ton of food whenever he’s hungry. He’s always asking you if you wanna grab food, and part of it is to ensure that you’re eating—not as much as him, but eating nonetheless—but part of it is that he just likes sharing meals with someone.

He also doesn’t like to eat alone, so even if you only have your ten California rolls to his forty six spicy tuna rolls, that’s fine; he just wants the company.

That’s also why even if you say you’re not hungry, he’ll drag you out to eat with him anyway. And you’ll probably get fed some of his food even if you don’t order anything and insist that you’re not hungry because, “It’s really good, baby, just try it—just one bite, it’s okay I’ve got plenty left!”

He usually keeps a few granola bars and chips and other snacks of his liking on him. But because of Eren’s nature, he keeps them on you, too: in your car, in your backpack, in your apartment/dorm. You’ll meet him after class and he’ll kinda just start walking behind you, and you realize he’s opening your backpack, and you don’t even have time to question him before he’s pulling a bar out of the smallest pocket with a smile and munching on it.

Sometimes you come home and see his little protein shakes in your fridge. You definitely didn’t put them there, but you don’t move them, either. When you stock up on more when they’re running low, Eren contemplates marrying you.

If it’s been a hard week of practice or school, he tends to get sleepy when studying (usually when studying for his least favorite class, no coincidence there). He’ll close his laptop, put his hood up, and scooch his chair closer to yours before leaning his head on your shoulder.

He gets increasingly clingier the longer he naps; hand wrapping around your waist, nose poking at your neck. He’s not so subtly trying to hint that he wants you to quit studying and take him home to cuddle instead. If you don’t get the message, expect him to shut your laptop for you.

When you protest, Eren just looks at you with pouty lips and tired eyes, “Chemistry sucks anyway. Wanna nap, and also wanted you to do that thing with your hands when you massage my back for me.” (He then promptly falls asleep mid-massage on your bed).

He’s actually got a waiver to see a physical massage therapist because of how frequently he’s exercising. On occasion, he goes, but he claims he likes your massages much better. Also because he’s hesitant about a stranger touching him and once he moaned when the guy was working on his back and Eren swears it was one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.

He doesn’t get upset if you can’t make it to every game, but he does like it when you show up. Gets all cheesy and cocky with his arm around your shoulder, going on about how, “You’re my good luck charm, baby. I play better when you’re watching, you know?”

He has so much team clothing, from sweats to hoodies to t-shirts to socks. All he asks is that you wear something on game days, even if you can’t be there to support him while he’s playing. And that you keep one or two things for yourself anyway. He’ll put them in your closet for your if you don’t take them yourself <2

Because seeing you in his hoodie is always great, but his team hoodies are extra special, because they’ve got his name and his number on them. Whenever you’re wearing one, he trails just a half step behind you so he can see JAEGER printed on your back while you walk. Something about you wearing his last name around is… enticing, to say the least.

Even if it’s not the clothes branded with his name, Eren’s got a thing for you in sweats and/or workout clothes, so he’ll toss them at you whenever you sleep over. He’s always handsy, even if you’re just wearing an Under Armour shirt with the school’s logo on it; the material of it, and knowing that it’s his just makes him want to keep his hands on you.

Truthfully, he doesn’t workout all that much outside of practice. Occasionally, he’ll go to the gym with some of his teammates if they need a buddy, or go himself to stretch or take one of the free classes, but he doesn’t have a strict schedule for it. If you go to the gym, he’ll follow you if you ask, tho.

Turns out something that he does like is yoga. He’s not particularly flexible lmfao, but the stretching helps with muscle pain and tension, and he kinda finds the whole atmosphere of it relaxing. He’s still not so great at the meditation part of it, but he’s getting there.

(Actually, it’s pretty cute because on Tuesday and Thursdays, the yoga classes at the gym on campus are open-level and beginner friendly. That’s when the majority of the athletes show up, and you see people like Eren, Jean and Connie holding tree pose in the back room).

This, of course, makes him think that couples yoga is a great idea. Let’s just say, you’re lucky that Eren is strong enough to catch you and has sharp reflexes, because he’s certainly not the most balanced partner for this activity.

Game days are fun for him, and usually even if his team loses, he’s still so pumped up on adrenaline that he’s pretty happy. He only gets moody if he thinks the other team is playing dirty, or the refs are unfair, or he’s just been in a bad mood because of something that happened in his personal life; sports are an outlet for him, not his drive in life, so losing a game doesn’t take a huge toll on him.

Usually, even if he is upset about something personal, he’s able to funnel it into his game play. Small things used to make his whole sportsmanship sour, but overtime, he’s really gotten better at using his energy to fuel the right things. However, one thing that makes him foul (emotionally and literally; as in he might foul out of a game), is if he’s been fighting with you.

Sometimes it works in his favor—using the game as outlet, like usual—but it goes south pretty quickly. Because instead of using his aggression in a productive way, he gets distracted and easily pissed off, and it’s no good for anybody, especially himself. Because if he fouls out, or the coach takes him out for doing too much, then he can’t play; and if he can’t play then all that pent up frustration has no where to go; and then he’s forced to just sit with himself and his thoughts, but usually he starts deflecting and telling everyone else to piss off. Truly a no good, very bad box he’s put himself in.

You guys don’t fight that often, and it’s rare that it drags out for an extended amount of time when you do; but as with any relationship, it can happen. And when it does happen, if Armin doesn’t get to you first, expect one of Eren’s teammates to come groveling at your feet.

Or, rather, two. Because when you and Eren were fighting for over two weeks about god knows what at this point, it was Connie and Jean who ambushed you in the library. Jean had some pride to keep, but Connie was practically begging you to make up with Eren: “Look, I know he’s probably the one who said or did something to piss you off, and I’m not saying you gotta forgive him, but please just talk to him. I can’t run anymore extra laps because of him, and it’s gonna be so embarrassing if we lose to a C-list team on Friday because Eren’s funking up everyone’s attitude. PLEASE!”

Jean is more interested in the tea between you guys, but he also wants Eren to go back to being his normal hotheaded self, and not his current moody self. “He’s been playing like a bitch baby all week, and I’m gonna knock his skull in if he doesn’t fucking get his act together,” Jean rolls his eyes, “So just show up on Friday, alright? Do it for me and Connie, at least.”

When Eren does see you in the crowd at the game, it’s not a Troy and Gabriella moment, but when he sees you he feels so much relief that he’s physically calmer and way more mentally relaxed—because at this point Eren wasn’t even mad, he was just scared you might break up with him, and that fear brought out the worst in him. Seeing you in the stands, even if you didn’t wanna speak to him, was reassurance that you still gave a damn about him, and that was motivation enough.

He rushes to you after the game, wanting to make sure you don’t get swept away or leave with your friends. He’s smiling and so happy to finally see you that he almost forgets that you’re mad with him; hugging you and grinning ear to ear. When the reality kicks in, he kinda steps back at bit and rubs at his neck, embarrassed, but at least he knows he still has a chance to make things right with you.

(When you do make up, you’re surprised to find flowers and $10 coupon for your favorite pizza place in your mailbox a few days later. They’re from Connie, and his poorly handwritten note thanks you for “saving the team” and “curbing Eren’s temper).

[scattered-winter]

Been going back through your blog to see stuff and a batfam pirate au would be awsome. Like Dick would love the freedom and being able to get anywhere, thinking hanging from the mast to drop down on everyone. Damian obviously arrives with his own ship, it was a gift from his mother that is better than Bruce's. Jason either fell over board in a fight or was executed by another crew only to actually not be cos Talia rescued him. The batfam did look for him, maybe they were all together or on seperate adventures. Could have sworn I had more thoughts but as always my brain has deleted them

YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH

Dick started out as a member of Bruce's crew but as he got older, he wanted a ship of his own, so he left to go find himself a crew (the Titans). For a while he mostly kept to himself but he started to ally with Bruce for raids every so often

Tim was a stowaway on Dick's ship, and Dick brought him to Bruce so he could teach the kid how to sail and fight. He also got a small ship of his own, and his crew consists of the Young Justice team

Stephanie was also a stowaway but she just kinda showed up on Bruce's ship and refused to leave so he just rolled with it. After a while she jumped ship at a port and Bruce thought he'd never see her again, but she showed up one day with her own ship and all-female crew

Jason was captured by an enemy crew and thought to be executed but the al Ghul armada (yes they have an entire FLEET of pirate ships) raided the ship and freed the prisoners. Jason was badly wounded in the fight, so Talia took him aboard her flagship and nursed him back to health. As soon as he could, he returned to pirating with a ship and crew of his own (also gifts from Talia). The batfam ofc all tried to track down the ship that had kidnapped him, and they found the destroyed remains, but by then the al Ghul fleet was long gone, so there was no way to know what had happened after that. Bruce realized that Jason must have died when the ship went down, so he stopped looking until Jason showed up again with his own ship

Cassandra escaped from her father's ship and drifted on the sea until she was picked up by Bruce's crew. She spent a few weeks on his ship before hopping over to join Stephanie's crew because the girls gotta stick together, ya know??

Duke formed his own crew (the We Are Robin kids) and sailed on his own ship; for a while he was a freelance pirate but eventually joined the Bats

Speaking of which: the Bats aren't a fleet like the al Ghuls, where there's a bunch of ships all under the command of a single flagship. They're more like....an alliance. They work together, and berth together when they can, and if one of the ships is attacked the rest will retaliate, but each individual ship is more or less independent. Some of the newer crews (like Tim's and Damian's) tend to stay close to Bruce's ship, but they definitely go out on their own adventures too.

[lokiondisneyplus]

Most Marvel post-credit scenes hint at the future. Loki opted for a blunter approach: the God of Mischief would return in season 2.

Based on the final turn of events, there was really no other choice: Loki (Tom Hiddleston), having journeyed to the furthest point in spacetime with his variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) to meet the founder of the TVA, a scientist-turned-survivor-of-multiversal-war known as He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), finds himself zapped into a new reality when his lady self slays the omnipresent being. The mind reels!

Creator Michael Waldron takes delight in the endless possibilities of Loki’s core premise. And as a veteran of Rick and Morty, he knows what anchors a mind-bending show, and what will keep Hiddleston’s character hurtling through his chaotic, rewritten future. Below, Polygon talks to Waldron about landing on the key choices of Loki season 1, what to expect from season 2, and a bit on his next project, the wrestling drama Heels, which is set to premiere on Aug. 15.

Did you know there’d be a second season of Loki from the beginning or was that choice made later in the process?

Michael Waldron: We always knew that it was a possibility. We always knew that we wanted to propel Loki and these characters out into the MCU after this, into further stories. But that didn’t really crystallize as a sure thing until we were in production and everything. And as we were really figuring out the finale.

So you were still cracking the ending as you shot the show?

There was a hiatus due to the pandemic. So things were constantly being retooled because of that. I think, by and large, everything with He Who Remains and the Sylvie-Loki conflict was always there. But that cliffhanger was the sort of thing that suddenly became a really appealing opportunity, a chance for that to lead into a second season.

What element of the series helped you crack the macro story of Loki, and made all the other pieces fall into place? Each episode almost feels like a standalone adventure, similar to Rick and Morty, but what helped it all click?

The first couple of weeks in the writers room was just laying out the individual episodes. It was very important to me that each episode stood on its own, and you could say “This is the Lamentis episode,” “This is the apocalypse moon episode,” “This is the Void episode.” I didn’t want it to just be cut up chapters and have one long continuous story. Obviously, we had to figure out the time travel for things to slot into place. I think a big idea for us was the way you get around the TVA by hiding in apocalypses. That felt like such a big, cool, exciting idea that it drove the action of episode 2, episode 3, and in a way it’s like Alioth is the ultimate apocalypse that He Who Remains is hiding behind. That sci-fi idea cracked a lot open for us. I know that after we had that I went home and I slept a little sounder.

Did adding the multiverse to the Marvel Cinematic Universe feel like blowing something up or expanding it, in terms of narrative possibilities?

In the same way that after the first couple Iron Man movies, and with the first Avengers, suddenly these movies were kind of going to space. Then we had Guardians. I think of the multiverse as another version of that. It’s new ground to cover, and particularly interesting because characters meeting other versions of themselves and other versions of people they know is... cool. That’s just a cool sci-fi concept! But I think with anything, as you expand outward, it only works if the humanity remains. It’s exciting to watch characters dealing with big crazy multiversal conflicts because we can see ourselves in them. I think you just have to hold on to the humanity that makes these stories work in the first place.

Did you go back to the Thor movies for Loki? Was there anything to find in the past of Marvel as you were paving the future?

Absolutely. I mean I watched them many times, contrary to what Twitter might think because I did some bits on there saying that I’ve never seen Avengers and I upset some people [laughs]. I have seen it many times. “Confirmed: Loki writer has seen Avengers and saw it before writing Loki show.”

In fact, I was watching all these movies on a loop in the writers’ room. I gleaned so much because you watch the evolution of the character. Avengers was particularly informative because our story picks up Loki right after that, but I also I found a lot of inspiration in Thor: The Dark World, a maybe sometimes maligned movie that I actually really enjoy. I just think there’s great stuff with Loki being tangentially responsible for the death of his mother, how he reacts to that. That is the start of his journey of that version of Loki’s redemption, so I was inspired by that.

What’s propelling the characters into season 2? Where are you headed in basic terms?

In season 1, you saw a lot of characters reckoning with and questioning their own glorious purpose, and that glorious purpose changing, [characters] realizing that that can change. Everybody except for Sylvie. I think she holds onto hers, which is vengeance, and to the detriment of us all, perhaps. And we’ve got a Loki who, at the top of our show, assessed himself as a villain and, I would argue, at the end of our show, has become a little bit of a hero. There’s nothing more heroic to me than fighting for the right thing and losing. You see that washing over him as he’s there back at the TVA, after Sylvie has knocked back there. And then he gets up because that is what heroes do — they keep going. So I think that you’re gonna see a Loki that looks at himself in a different way certainly that at the top of this.

Do you hope to explore more of Sylvie’s backstory in season 2?

I guess we’ll see. We certainly have our own rich backstory for her, stuff that didn’t get to make it into the show. Elissa Karasik, our episode 2 writer, wrote a lot of amazing backstory for Sylvia and everything. So those ideas exist out there.

And her version of Thor?

Tune in.

How did He Who Remains come about? Did you bring the character to Marvel or was that a character Marvel hoped to introduce?

I was pushing and our team was pushing early on in the writers’ room that it should be a version of Kang up in that Citadel, sort of fusing the mythology of He Who Remains with a little bit of the Immortus mythology. And that was a thing we were excited to do. And it became clear that it actually made sense for our story. The only way we were going to do it was if it made sense, but it was like, who had a better argument for creating the TVA to prevent other versions of themselves from existing then a guy as evil as Kang the Conqueror?

You wrote the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — did Marvel hire you for that after Loki? Does the movie feel like a continuation of the show?

Yeah, that opportunity came as we were getting ready to start production on Loki. It was a pleasure. I got to work with Sam Raimi, a hero of mine. I was in London for five months making that movie at the top of this year. We had a blast. I think that it’s a continuation in as much as ever every Marvel movie is to some extent a chapter in an ongoing story, but these things are meant to stand alone and the most important thing about Doctor Strange too is making the most kick ass Doctor Strange movie we could.

Is Loki a two-part show now or are you invested in telling a longer story with future seasons beyond season 2?

Time will tell, but I do my hope is that season 1 stands on its own. We always wanted to tell a complete story there. And in whatever the next chapter may be will stand on its own as well.

Your next show, Heels, is already on the way. We got a big preview out of Comic-Con this year, but I’m curious about the scope of this story. You’re starting with two brothers running an independent wrestling franchise, but you’ve dropped the name “Vince McMahon” a few times — is this about the building of an empire? Would you liken it to The Godfather or Breaking Bad?

I always thought about it a little bit of a Scorsese-sort-of rise, and we’ll see if there’s a fall. Starting from humble beginnings and trying to build some crazy. Wrestling was certainly not always the empire that it is and that’s what’s interesting, to watch the evolution of a family-run wrestling business from something you do in your small towns and perhaps a national, even global empire. That would be a really compelling arc for a show over the course of several seasons. I’d be excited to explore that.

What’s the most dramatically fulfilling wrestling moment you’ve witnessed? What’s the bar for the wrestling drama of Heels?

It’s gotta be Hulk Hogan turning heel in the WCW. There was an invasion storyline, these guys from WWF, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, came over and they were the bad guys. It was at a Pay-per-view and and they were beating up on the good guys that you love, and here comes Hulk Hogan in the yellow and red and he’s the hero. “The Hulk’s gonna get ‘em! The good guy’s here!” And then the Hulk just leg drops Randy Savage. That was the original Red Wedding. I just think about the boldness of turning him heel. To a little kid... I wasn’t even like a massive Hulk fan, but he was just such a mythological figure. What a chance that Hulk Hogan took as a performer, as a bankable kind of movie star at that point. That was bold, risky storytelling and it set off two years of amazing storytelling with Hogan just playing a craven, cowardly heel and just being so evil. I really respect the hell out of them for doing that. That was a great storyline.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Non-Sequential [Ch. 24]

Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader

One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.

Word Count: 3,000

Chapter 23

1943 - Italy

Steve doodled as the rain poured down around him.

His pencil traced back and forth over the dancing monkey.

“Steve?” A voice said behind him.

He did a half glance over his shoulder and quickly did a double take when he found Y/N soaking wet with only an oversized military jacket around her shoulders.

He shot to his feet.

“Y/N!”

Steve rushed forward and pulled her into his arms. 

She was freezing. 

He immediately took off his coat and wrapped it on top of the other one that was the only thing keeping her from being completely naked.

“Are you OK? Are you hurt? How long have you been here? Were you looking for me long?” He rattled off question after question.

She smiled. “Take a breath, Steve. I’m fine.”

She pointed for him to sit back down and followed suit. 

He did as she said. Then he suddenly got bashful and embarrassed. He shifted his weight awkwardly as if he was trying to hide from her gaze.

Y/N caught on rather quickly. “How does it feel?”

Steve was speechless.

“This is your first time seeing me since your operation, isn’t it?” Y/N added, but she already knew the answer.

He just nodded, too uncomfortable to meet her gaze.

“I bet you can’t keep the girls off you,” Y/N teased.

Steve blushed. “Well, I don’t know about that – I mean, don’t be ridiculous.”

Y/N giggled.

His face dropped, “You were right. It did work.”

She gave him a warm grin. “Told you that you were the right man, didn’t I?”

Steve frowned. “Yeah, except now I’m just their show pony.”

“Now what would Agent Carter think of that?” Y/N teased.

It was such a strange game to play, pushing Steve toward Peggy when Y/N knew that she would be Steve’s second love because of her. 

Y/N respected Peggy, appreciated what she’d taught Steve about love – especially what she taught him about loving a strong, independent woman.

But there were still times when jealousy reared it’s ugly head. Y/N hated those times.

Steve’s eyes widened at the mentioning of Peggy.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about her,” Y/N smirked.

“How are you?” Steve changed the subject. His eyes were serious and genuine. “Last time I saw you, you were upset with me – future me, that is.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what I’m saying. You could be visiting me from before that time. This all gets rather confusing, huh?”

Y/N chuckled at his adorable frustration and confusion, and gave him a shy smile. “No, you were right the first time. I’m visiting from further into the future.” She nodded, “Things are better. I forgave you. Don’t think there will ever be a time when I can’t.”

Steve exhaled, relieved that there wouldn’t be a time when Y/N would stop being his friend, stop talking to him, stop visiting him through time.

Y/N’s eyes glanced at Steve’s sketchbook.

“Feeling like a dancing monkey, Steve?” Her tone was playful, but the question was serious.

He quickly closed the book. He cleared his throat. “I’m traveling with dancing girls, trying to get people to buy war bonds.”

Y/N nodded, “Wars are expensive.”

“But I could be doing more,” he snapped back.

“Then do more, Steve.”

“I can’t – I’m not even officially in the army.”

Y/N laughed, “Since when have you ever followed the rules?”

He laughed too.

She carefully reached out and took his sketchbook.

Steve tensed as flipped through it. She wasn’t surprised to see a portrait or two of Peggy. There was also some of his mother. Y/N was wondering why Steve hadn’t taken to sketching any of the girls in the dancing troop he’d been traveling with.

“You ever do any sketches of…” Y/N was about to tease him and ask about drawing her. But her words died out when she flipped to two pages of portraits. 

Both were of her.

She was in some form of Steve’s clothes in both of them. A ill-fitting shirt falling off her shoulder in one, pants bunching at her ankles in another.

“You weren’t ever supposed to see those…” Steve mumbled, scratching the back of his neck and lowering his head so she couldn’t see his blush.

“I’m flattered,” Y/N admitted. She took in all the details. “You made me rather beautiful, though.”

Steve scoffed without meaning to. “I only drew you how you are.”

It was Y/N who was blushing now.

Yes, in the present, where she was together with Steve, he told Y/N all the time how beautiful he found her.

But for some reason, hearing it from innocent, sweet Steve Rogers was different. He held no feelings for her and, as far as he knew, he never had a chance with Y/N. But that didn’t stop him from letting her know that she was indeed a beautiful woman.

Y/N flipped back to a drawing of Peggy. “You should tell her how you feel.”

“She doesn’t – I’m not – don’t be ridiculous, Y/N.” Steve fumbled around with his words.

No matter how long he knew Y/N, her direct way of speaking still caught him off guard every so often. The only times Y/N did not speak her mind clearly was when she could not tell Steve hints and secrets of the future.

“She does. Don’t be an idiot, Steve.” Y/N looked around. “You’re in the middle of a war. You need to make sure you find something worth fighting for.”

“And what about you?” Steve asked gently.

“I’m not fighting a war. At least… not yet.” Her eyes glazed over at the thought.

“That’s not what I meant.” Then he shifted his weight, trying to decide if he should say what he wanted to. “I meant… is there someone back where you’re from – uh – telling you – telling you that you’re beautiful.”

Y/N smirked at Steve’s awkwardness. He’d lost so much of it after all of his hardships. He’d gained so much more confidence; he was more self-assured now.

“I do,” she admitted softly.

She was going to make another joke about him drawing her, but the words got caught in her throat when she flipped to the next page.

Bucky.

Bucky standing with his crisp and clean and brand new military uniform. Hat tilted a little sideways. And that famous Bucky Barnes smirk on his lips.

Y/N’s fingers traced over the lines without even realizing it.

“He’s missing,” she blurted out.

“What?”

Her eyes shot up to him. “You’re going to find out in a few minutes. This is the 107th – or what’s left of it, I guess.”

“Y/N, you never tell – what are you saying? Bucky – is he – is he dead?”

“No, he’s alive. A prisoner of war, but alive.”

“You’ve never told me something like that before,” Steve said slowly, clearly still trying to process the news.

“Sometimes I get sick of fighting time,” Y/N sighed.

“I have to go after him,” Steve’s shoulders straightened and he was handling a surge of determination.

Y/N smiled, “Yes, you do.”

Then fear filled his gaze, “I know you can’t - or you won’t – tell me…but is he – will he be OK?”

Y/N stared into his eyes for a moment. “Yes, he will be fine.”

‘For now…’ she added in her mind.

Steve was surprised she continued to tell him of the future.

Y/N looked over her shoulder as if she could see something. But when Steve followed her gaze, not even his super-soldier sight spotted anything.

“I have to run before she finds you,” Y/N told him. “When it comes to her, you’re a terrible liar. And I don’t want you to have to explain how a naked, American woman got onto this base, completely undetected.”

Steve shot to his feet. “You’re leaving already.”

“I’m sorry, Steve. But you’ve got to go save Bucky and then you gotta get the girl.”

Then she quickly kissed him on the cheek, instantly making him go red.

He made a step for her, not wanting her to leave already.

But she was already quickly turning back to him, accidentally bringing their faces far too close to be considered just friendly.  

“Try not to kiss Private Lorraine,” Y/N breathed, caught off guard by their closeness that could easily be seen as intimate.

Steve’s brow furrowed. But he couldn’t stop his gaze from flicking down to her lips quickly. “I-I don’t even know a Private Lorraine.”

“Well, you will. And you should stay away from her. You should stay away from all women like her, OK?”

He nodded, not wanting to disappoint her.

“It’ll make sense soon. I promise.”

Lo and behold, Peggy was the next woman in his life to surprise him and show up out of nowhere.

—————-

PRESENT - Wakanda

Y/N quickly walked down the halls of the royal palace. She could hear the two kings guards tailing her.

One of them cleared their throat, “Ms. Y/L/N, if it is Sergeant Barnes you are heading toward, he is actually in the training facility.”

Her brow furrowed. She was going to find Bucky, just like she always did when Steve was gone and she was lonely.

However, he was alone at his hut less and less it seemed.

Y/N would’ve been happy, proud that he was socializing himself with new people more and more frequently. But that didn’t seem to be his motivation.

She didn’t want to jump to any ridiculous conclusions, but she started to feel like Bucky didn’t want to be alone with her.

Even when he had asked for him to teach her self-defense, Bucky insisted that they also enlist some of the Dora Milaje. He said it would help since he only had one arm and he didn’t want her education to suffer because of it. But Y/N knew Bucky could take down Steve with a single arm if he so wished, therefore it felt like weak reasoning.

Y/N had been in Wakanda for a year now and she’d found a routine in her life.

She no longer felt like a foreigner, but a proper member of Wakandan society – despite the fact that she lived in a royal palace.

Steve would need to leave to meet up with the team every so often, but he always tried his best not to return as quickly as possible.

Y/N still had nightmares of her kidnapping, her torture, her near death experience that she could only blame Hydra for. She was sick of hating her time traveling affliction.

When Steve asked her if she was having them when he was away, Y/N always lied. What good would it do either of them for him to worry and feel guilty about being away?

The nightmares were one of the main reasons she finally asked Bucky to teach her self-defense.

Y/N would’ve asked Steve, but she didn’t want to make him stay in captain mode any longer than he already did. He also was almost too patient with her. She needed to be pushed.

When Y/N walked into the gym, Bucky was doing one-armed pushups.

He had no shirt on and there was just a pair of black shorts and sneakers – which Shuri most definitely designed – covering his body.

Wakandan hip-hop was playing on the speakers, which was why Y/N didn’t recognize it. Shuri had taken it upon herself to help Y/N teach Bucky anything and everything pop culture.

The kings guards left Y/N to it. Whenever she was with Bucky, they didn’t see the need to linger. He would protect her.

Bucky heard their arrival and his head snapped up.

He quickly jumped to his feet when he spotted Y/N and gave a small nod of acknowledgement to her guards.

Y/N tried not to stare at Bucky’s ridiculously muscular and sweaty chest. She did. But it was damn near impossible.

His and Steve’s bodies were ridiculous. God-like is what most women would confess.

Furthermore, Y/N got to see how Steve put his to use… in ways no one else knew about.

“You wanna keep rubbing it in my face that you can do hundreds of pushups with one arm while I can’t even do 5 with both of mine?” Y/N greeted him.

Bucky chuckled, and Y/N swore she made him blush. Or maybe that was just from working out.

“You just gotta work at it, kid. I’ve got the advantage of a super-soldier serum.”

There it was again. That nickname. When he said it, Y/N realized he hadn’t used it in quite some time.

But Y/N pushed the thought out of her head and rolled her eyes teasingly.

“Yeah, I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to still do all of those without it.”

As soon as her feet stepped onto the padded flooring Bucky was waiting on, he kicked Y/N’s legs out from underneath her.

He did it so smoothly and quickly that Y/N could’ve blinked and missed it. The only proof being that she was now laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Her head was aching from hitting the ground hard. 

“Bucky! What the actual fuck!” She screamed.

He tried not to look too pleased with himself. “Last lesson, I told you that you needed to learn to always be prepared. Most attacks are going to be a surprise. If you don’t train your body to always be ready, all the other stuff is pointless.”

Y/N glared at him. “Way to build trust...” But then she quickly rolled back to her feet.

Without really thinking her plan through, Y/N lunged for him. She meant it to distract him from her actual intentions, which were to knee him right in the balls. 

Payback is payback.

But Bucky easily deflected all efforts. And he absolutely knew what she was trying to do.

“Ya trying to play dirty?” He asked with a smile.

“Just trying to get even,” Y/N snapped.

She knew she wasn’t going to get any damn hit in. She was a civilian jousting with the Winter Soldier. She didn’t stand a chance.

But Y/N did know is that Bucky wouldn’t ever hurt her. In fact, he would put himself in harms way to make sure that didn’t happen.

So, Y/N decided to use that to her advantage.

If she wanted to take him down, she had to go down with him.

Y/N lunged for him at a weird angle, hoping her own weight combined with gravity would be enough to drag him down with her.

Bucky’s eyes widened slightly as he realized Y/N’s body was about to hit the ground hard and quick, and at an angle that would easily dislocate her shoulder. 

He shifted his weight so his back hit the ground and he took all of the blow, Y/N having his body as a cushion to land on.

“You OK?” He asked hurriedly. Even though there was no way she could’ve harmed herself.

Y/N nodded and smiled mischievously. “Had to figure out a way to bring you down…”

Then Bucky snapped back to reality.

He was laying on his back with Y/N laying on top of him. Her chest pressed against his. Her hands were spread across his bare chest, able to feel his skin. Her warmth was enveloping him. When did his grip on her go so low on her hips? He could feel her heartbeat, and then he felt it quicken when a silence settled between them and they realized how unsuitably close they were.

But swore he didn’t mean. He tried with all of his might not to take a glimpse at her lips. But his eyes were no longer in his control.

Now he was panicked.

He quickly ushered her off of him, almost being rough about it.

Y/N misread his panic as irritation with her.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “Did I hurt you?”

Of course she didn’t hurt him.

“I’m fine,” Bucky mumbled without looking at her.

Y/N was finally able to acknowledge that something was off between the two of them, and it had been for awhile. She wasn’t sure if she could put her finger on when it started, but it felt like it had been since she showed up at his doorstep after seeing him bleeding out in the snow. She’d killed a Hydra agent that day trying to protect him.

“You don’t call me ‘kid’ anymore,” she accused him.

Bucky’s brow creased as he finally looked up at her. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, you did earlier. But that was the first time in months.” Then she gestured at the giant and empty training facility. “This is the first time we’ve actually been alone in months too. What’s going on, Bucky? Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” he muttered swiftly.

“Then what is it? Because something is – it’s off. We’re off.”

But Bucky just stared into her gaze.

He couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t explain what he was going through.

He couldn’t tell her that he was trying to keep his distance, trying to prove to his best friend that he wasn’t trying to steal his girl. But he couldn’t stay away from her either. He couldn’t leave her be when both of them were so alone here.

Bucky couldn’t tell her he was in love with her.

What would be the point?

The two kings guards returned. “Ms. Y/L/N?”

“Yeah,” she muttered without breaking her stare down with Bucky.

“Captain Rogers just landed. We thought you may wish to know.”

Y/N finally blinked and turned to them, “Thank you.” Then she turned and promptly left without saying another word to Bucky.

As soon as he was alone, Bucky rubbed his face and paced. “What the hell are you thinking, Bucky?” He whispered to himself.

------------------------

Chapter 25

It only took me 2+ months, guys!  Please, please, please let me know how you feel and what you think. ❤️

[doidaredisturb]

Stories and Supernatural

Do you know why I need stories?

Because stories remind me that I’m not alone in what I’m going through. Stories remind me of the whole of human experience: they break my heart and they lift me up when I’m feeling down, and they surprise me and them embrace me in comfortable predictability. They remind me that other people think and act differently than I do - they let me live lives I will never be able to live - they remind me of the other worlds that are out there - of something hiding far across the universe that I may never get to see. They remind me of what is real.

Yes, this is another post about Supernatural. I can’t help it. Season 16 has crawled its way into my brain and won’t let go. And it’s about 15x18, and the finale, and Destiel, and character development, and stories. It’s about Charlie and Stevie - who could have been me one day: eating eggs together while talking about everything and nothing - sharing the same space - just being together. It’s about Charlie determined not to love again and yet doing just that; it’s about how she looks at Dean and Sam and asks “She’s just collateral damage to you - is that all I’ll be?” and we all thought ‘of course not, you could never be, but then she was. 

It’s about two characters who have known each other for twelve years - who’ve danced around each other on the head of a pin - who have circled the same space the entire time they’ve known each other - who had to figure out who they were together and who they were apart and deciding they they were the ones who were going to tie themselves together - who kept choosing each other over and over and over and over again. About “we’re making it up as we go” and “you asked what’s real? we are” and “Cas - you’ve gotta bring him back”. About staring blankly into a funeral pyre - about punching the sign of a door because no one is answering your prayers. About betrayal and longing - about losing each other and finding each other again. Destiel isn’t (just) about sex - it’s not me needing two hot guys to kiss. This is the internet - I can find porn if that’s what I wanted. 

It’s about the fact that I needed them to hold each others hands and press their foreheads together and breathe together and decide together to live. 

I needed Sam to fulfill his potential. To be someone other than Dean’s little brother or a Winchester. I needed him to be Sam. They showed us such great leadership potential in him - they showed us him figuring out how to live and love (Eileen, the end world hunters). They showed us the potential for him to grow into his own man and find independence and confidence in himself. 

I needed Jack to be more than just his fulfilled destiny. He deserved to be more than just the hammer that came down on Chuck. He deserved to be more than someone who has to fix the world. He deserved his family. He deserved the family he chose and who chose him. He deserved to have his family tell him they love him and want him there. 

I needed Cas to hear that he was wanted. I also needed him to hear that he was loved. This literal angel who gave up everything for some messy humans (who I adore, but they are a mess), who rebelled against everything he’d ever known - against an unfathomable amount of years - this angel who never wanted to do harm, but always ended up with his brains turned inside-out. Who stumbled through learning how to be human and forgave everyone else while never letting go of his own guilt. 

And Dean. I needed Dean to get to live a life that was his own. Since he was four, his entire life had been about fighting monsters and protecting his brother. There were moments where that changed (usually due to an outside force), but ultimately, Dean never really let himself dream of a life outside of what he had “I always wanted to try dancing” - wistfully, but never fully realized. He deserved a chance to really dream. To really live. 

In the end, Supernatural wasn’t about two brothers who fight monsters. It was about family. The story was the family. The story was who we decide to be in a world that doesn’t want to let us be that. The story is about the younger brother who just wants to be normal and finds out that we create our own normal. The story is about the older brother who doesn’t have any choices choosing people over and over again. The story is about an angel who realizes that free will is worth everything. The story is about a child with a destiny who found a family instead.

Or it was supposed to be, anyway. Up until the end, that’s what Supernatural was about. That was the legacy. Team Free Will 2.0. Found family. Choosing to live outside of what’s been written for you. Hokey and clunky and a mess, but it was about the people, and that’s why we loved it. 

I think that’s why I’m having such a hard time with the ending. I didn’t get what I needed. (I never expected to get what I wanted, but that’s because I’ve been here for over ten years and I know better lol.) But I didn’t realize there were things I needed for the show to feel done. Instead, I feel lost. 

Stories matter. And endings are hard, but they matter too. The problem is that Supernatural wanted to be a story-driven show and it became a character-driven one. The plot of Supernatural had no staying power - not in the later seasons. It was always the characters and the chemistry and the choices. 

The good news is that now that it is over, the people in charge don’t have the power anymore. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this story is ours. We are the ones that fought for and made this story possible. We are the ones that took the strange plots and picked up the threads that didn’t make sense and made something beautiful out of it. We are the ones who made this real. And we are the ones who are real in the end. 

[youngbugandtonystank]

If you can, do some more of the facial and body language analysis posts because they're soooo good, I love them and your blog 💕

Hi, I’m sorry for the long wait!

This must be the hardest analysis yet. I cried three times writing this, so I’m sharing my pain with you.

1. Peter is a kid.

2. Tony and Peter are a team.

3. He’s traumatized.

Ok, the first thing you gotta understand about Peter Parker in these movies: he is a kid. 

No matter how much you want him to act all grown up and capable, he’s a kid. A very brave kid. Throughout the movie, Peter remains calm and collected because he really wants to help and he understands the gravity of the situation. Bear in my mind this kid is not acting because someone gave him orders but because they informed him what’s going on. He knows that they need to take the gauntlet off, he knows Thanos is dangerous and this could be the complete demise of not only his neighboorhood but the entire earth. We all know that at the end of the movie, Peter shows just how scared he was all the time.

‘You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man...if there's no neighborhood.’

The minute he realizes that there’s trouble, he goes and helps.

It’s been two years since Homecoming (it was confirmed that the time gap between HOCO and IW was two years even if Peter says he’s 16 in FFH. This could possibly be a mistake since not many people knew much about IW and Endgame back then. Also, in HOCO there was a similar mistake with the timeline. "Eight years later") Peter’s been spiderman for almost three years and he knows how to control and work his powers better. He probably trained with Tony and he has now more experience with all the superhero thing. 

Now, Peter is his very own independent hero, he has his story but some people think that everything about him revolves around Tony and I’ve said it before, in my HOCO analysis that the reason people think this is because Tony Stark is a very big presence in the MCU and it’s easy to overlook the other details about Peter’s life when someone that big is also there too. But, any fan who really loves Spiderman knows that Peter’s journey is about growth. It’s about sacrifice. It’s about responsibility. It’s about him finding his way into this world and surviving it. It’s about him protecting the little guy because he is the little kid in a big world like his. His attachment to Tony has more to do with the fact that he wants a male figure in his life, one that is alive. He wants the comfort, the safety and the support that comes with it. A teenage wanting those things is not out of the ordinary. He’s allowed to have more than one paternal figure in his life. Don’t constraint Peter just because you don’t like Tony Stark.

And Peter himself confirms this: 

‘Peter knew he should feel all these things -help other people, being responsible inthe hero business- without Tony’s approval. But, right now, Peter wanted Mr. Stark to approve of him more than anything.’ 

‘Mr. Stark made him feel normal and okay. Something he thought he’d never feel again.’

Something very interesting to me was how both Tony and Peter reacted the same way when the aliens came. Tony was internally panicking and said to Bruce: ‘This is it.’ And in the IW novelization, the moment Peter saw the space ship he said to himself: ‘This was it. He had to do something.’ 

Something that I just love about this is how much they know each other too well. Tony knows Peter is stubborn and he won’t give up easily. Tony told him that Strange ‘The wizard’ was in trouble and Peter went after Maw and didn’t let go even if he was getting dragged up to space, so he did what he usually did when Peter was being difficult. Force him back to earth. And Peter? He cooperates with him so well, he calculates his mentor’s next moves and goes along with it. They’re a team. They have worked together before. Two years of working together. Look at the coordination, how they flawlessly work together. They’ve done this before. How Tony just informs Peter what’s going on instead of yelling and panicking. He understands Peter is pretty capable of defending himself. 

Later, they demonstrate this again with this:

Peter is capable of thinking of a solution because this kid, no matter how many pop culture references, is a genius and will be a great strategist in the future and Tony knows this. He left EDITH to Peter for these reasons.

This is routine for them. Tony makes this a teachable lesson. lol. ‘Come on. We got a situation. See him down there? He's in trouble. What's your plan?’

He’s a dad, forgive him.

I love how they just bicker while Strange is getting tortured down there lmao. 

This part only solidifies their relationship. Look at Peter looks so done and disappointed because this is the same argument Tony gives him when he’s in danger. Tony may trust Peter but his safety always comes first and Peter knows this. Look at him: 

He takes in the situation and even if he can come back to earth and fight the other aliens there, he won’t leave Tony. I want to clarify that the reason Peter is in space is because 1. He wants to fight. He wants to help. He’s said it before, if he has the chance to help, he'll do it. He’s spiderman and is his responsibility to help if he can. This is the essence of Spiderman. 

‘When you can do the things that I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.’

2. Tony. He’s a loyal kid and he loves his mentor. People regularly point out Tony’s fear of losing Peter but Peter is just equally scared of losing Tony.

‘speaking of loyalty...’  ‘I just thought about you on the way...and kinda stuck to the side of the ship.’

So he fights Tony on this. He won’t let him not participate. He already lost Ben, he won’t lose Tony. He knows this is a dangerous situation, he wants to protect his people. He feels responsible for them and he’ll fight to do the right thing.

Another thing is how much Peter trusts Tony. He knows and is so sure that Tony will keep him safe, no matter what. This is because Tony has proved this before. Multiple times. He knows he’s Tony’s priority even if the world is practically ending. 

‘He wanted him away from all of Tony’s complicated feelings around caring about this kid way too much to focus on the task at hand.’

‘Tony had to keep himself calm and not think back to mere seconds ago when that terror had been his own, directly connected to the possibility of losing Peter Parker.’

‘Tony had only continued onto the ship because he felt certain that he’d gotten Peter safely out of harm’s way. With Peter here, very much IN harm’s way, would he be able to fully concentrate on the task at hand?’

‘They were about to take on the greatest enemy they’d ever faced. This was an enemy that had haunted Tony for six years. An enemy that threatened to wipe out half of the universe, untold trillions of beings with the snap of his fingers. He had a wide-eyed kid he had to protect’

‘Is this… oh, no… is this how it feels? To be on the other end of this? He owed Pepper an apology. He owed Pepper a lot of apologies.’

I love how Tony is comparing Pepper’s love for him with his own love for Peter. This not only tells you Peter is part of his family but just as Endgame confirms it, Peter is one of the few people he loves the most in the world.

Later, when the guardians attack, look at how Peter stays put, he could easily get himself out of Quill’s grip but he doesn’t, he lets Tony handle the situation. 

Makes me wonder how many times they’ve been in this situation. Homecoming!Peter would’ve done something very reckless. He would’ve risked his life or someone else's but this is a 17-year-old kid who’s had Tony as his mentor, he’s had May to think about and he won’t let Ben down. 

Also,  the non-verbal communication between them is very telling. How the glances, the trust and the way they fight tells us how much they mean to each other. How he always looks at Tony for his reaction and how both of them are in synch with everything. 

Now, let’s talk about this kid’s bravery in this film. Look at him, this is peak bravery. This kid is kicking one of the most terrifying and powerful titans on the universe. 

Even if I loved FFH, I think they shouldn’t have skipped the part where Peter dwells with the repercussions of his trauma. They should’ve focused on Peter’s traumas and experiences after passing through all of this.

Look at this, you do really believe this kid wouldn’t have nightmares of this monster? He probably sees his face in every nightmare. This titan killed Tony. This titan killed him and half of the universe. He threw him around like a rag doll, chocked him and slammed him against the ground. 

One of the most heartbreaking things is that Mysterio is right about what he said to Peter. ‘Maybe if you were good enough, Tony would still be alive’ Peter feels responsible. He does. Remember how Peter was a big part in securing the gauntlet? He took the gauntlet off Thanos. He actually did it. He took it off. For Peter, there were pretty close. That was it. He doesn’t know what Strange knows, Strange must’ve seen in all of the millions of possibilities he saw that even if Peter took the gauntlet off, Thanos would still win. But Peter doesn’t know this. He thinks he almost got it. 

When he came back, he was one of the people who went after the gauntlet to protect it. He took it because he felt like this was his responsibility before waking up and now he’s trying to amend that by taking care of it. Thanos started blowing people off with lasers and Peter still held the gauntlet like it was his lifeline. 

He feels like he failed. The person who used the gauntlet, later on, is his mentor.

Of course he feels like he failed. He feels responsible for Tony’s death even if he’s not. 

‘I don't think Tony would have done what he did, if he didn't know you were going to be here after he was gone.’

He knows that Tony practically did it for him. Tony is a hero and he would’ve done that regardless but the motivation behind all of it, it was Peter. Always Peter.

‘Tony second-guessed everything he did. But the one thing he didn't second guess was picking you.’

It’s natural that Peter feels responsible. Look at the catatonic way he behaves after the horrible experience. He’s still in shock.

Peter is the kind of kid that stands tall and bounces back up when the situation demands it but he’s also the kind of kid that wants to introduce himself to a magical cape and walk ladies across the street.

Look at him: This kid is scared but his bravery doesn’t let him hesitate. He knows what’s right and he knows in his heart, what he needs to do.

This is the kind of kid that would go to war with his mentor, stay on the space ship to save one person, come back from being dead and fight all over again.

Now, this is the most painful part and I almost wanted to skip it because... I’m still not over it and I never will. I still think Tony deserved a different ending.

So first Tony witness one of his biggest nightmares. Peter dying. Peter, for the first time in this film, shows us just how scared he truly is. He sees how the others start fading and he feels his demise coming. It’s inevitable. So he thinks in the one thing he always thinks about when he’s in a place where he can’t save himself. He goes to Tony. He thinks Tony can save him. Tony always saved him so why would this time be different, right? He desperately clings to Tony and begs him to save him. He doesn’t want to die. 

When he knows that there’s no other way, he gives up. This 17-year-old kid just gave up on his life and apologized for it. This just tells you how selfless Peter is. He’s dying and he’s concerned Tony is going to blame himself for his death. 

Then, when he comes back, from Peter’s perspective, it’s only been a couple of hours or minutes but he doesn’t know he lost 5 years of his life. Imagine how traumatic it was for him when he realized he’s been dead for years. 

He lets Tony hug him. He’s probably done this before. I refuse to believe this is their second hug after two years. Just because this hug is more emotionally charged doesn’t mean Peter didn’t get any affection from Tony before. 

Then the terrible thing happens. He realizes his mentor is dying and tells him the thing no one else told him: ‘We won and you did it, sir.’ 

Tony did it and Peter is aware of this. He tells him it’s him, it’s Peter. It’s someone he trusts and knows. ‘Can you hear me?’ He clings to him and by the look on his face, Peter’s in pain. He passed through this once and now he’s doing it again. For Peter, this is history repeating and he feels like is his fault all over again. 

He’s begging Tony to come back now. He’s watching his father figure die. This kid must be pretty messed up. I thought that after this he wouldn’t be capable of trusting people again but maybe FFH took another direction and showed us that nothing can corrupt Peter’s pure heart. Tony would’ve wanted him to stay pure. It’s just who he is, he always put others before himself. 

In my perspective, I think Peter is not over Tony’s death. He’s not even halfway there. He’s still in denial, he’s still assimilating, he’s still going through it and it’s going to take some time.

Peter is one of the bravest kids out there and that alone should be a big reason to have mad respect for him. He has been through hell and back and he still comes out on top in every situation.

Tony is a big part of his life, and he is always going to be. Peter has Tony in his heart and his presence will still be on him the rest of life. He loves Tony and will always love him, whether you like it or not and if you want to be mad about this, stay mad. This is a fact and no matter how much whining you do, there’s nothing you can do to change that. 

[doyouever-daydream]

Story of Boy Meets Girl

A/N Here I am writing the date I wish I’d have with Spencer Reid but instead I am at home, writing fanfiction for our entertainment, be safe, dear humans!

I wrote this while listening to the When Harry Met Sally score and the (500) days of Summer soundtrack, that’s how I came up with the title, hehe. Also I am a plant nerd (but there might be some mistakes) and for this fic I downloaded a book about the USBG and saw a 20 minute tour on youtube (which is a great thing to do while on quarantine)  and I fell in love and now I wanna go so bad, so if you also like plants hmu and I’ll share the links.

First oneshot for my BAU does Blind Dates series for the prompt blind date for my @cmbingo​ card

Summary: Both, Spencer and (y/n) have no expectations for their blind date, but their mutual friend Penelope seems to think they can be good together so they’ll just have to find out while they visit the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Femal reader

Warnings: None.

Word count: 2183.

My other nonsense

Penelope was out shopping with her friend y/n, they had met in a hand embroidery class a few months ago, (y/n) was a salvation for Penelope, she was still adjusting to her new job, and her best friends (and boyfriend) were extremely busy fighting bad guys so having her made Penelope feel less lonely. (y/n) on her part wasn’t very social, she got along with her coworkers and most of her close friends were back in her hometown, so for her, Penelope also was a gift from her lucky stars. 

“What’s got you smiling so big Penelope?” (y/n) asked while they were at a vintage dress store.

“Luke’s coming home from a case today, they wrapped the case sooner than they thought” She showed the text message to her friend.

“That’s great, hopefully he won’t get another case during the weekend” 

“I hope so, I really want to spend some days with him without stressing about his safety and the rest of my friend’s safety as well” Penelope sighed, the team have been away many days in some difficult cases that had her nerves on the edge.

“You will, I’m sure you’ll have a great weekend together.” (y/n) smiled at her.

“What about you, huh? What are your plans for the weekend? Any hot date?” (y/n) laughed.

“Ha! No, just me, my plants and comfort food” She sighed.

“Hey, you’re young, you have more than enough time to find someone” Penelope knew she had been struggling with her personal life. Or rather the lack of it.

“Can you call my mom and tell her that too? She has baby fever, or grandchildren fever, I don’t even know how to call it.” She placed of her hands in her face getting anxious just thinking about it.

“What about you? Do you pressure yourself to be in a relationship? To have kids?” Penelope carefully asked.

“Well… I did before, all my friends getting married and me just being the single one, I felt like I needed someone but then I just let it go, and that’s the way it’s been my whole life, everyone with their boyfriends, girlfriends and me, the independent woman that moved half across the country from her family and friends to work in a place that I loved”

“I understand, trust me, I completely understand the need to find someone just so you stop being the single friend but sometimes you just gotta let it happen.”

“I know, I know but I can’t even remember the last date I had!”

That’s when Penelope had an idea.

“How would you feel about a blind date?” (y/n) looked at her with an amused face.

“You know me, I’m too shy and awkward to go on blind dates”

“Let me try, I can be a really good matchmaker, please?” (y/n) thought about it, Penelope had  been playing with an idea in the back of her mind for a few weeks, she even talked to Luke about and he supported the idea so she thought she might go through it.

The next thing (y/n) knew, was that she had a date for Saturday with one of Penelope’s friends, she was too nervous, but Penelope and even Luke reassured her that she’d be fine.

“Uhm, excuse me, are you (y/n) (y/l/n)?” A tall guy with light brown hair asked her.

“Yeah, you must be Spencer, Spencer Reid” Both of them had shy smiles on their faces, hoping their mutual friend was right and they could have a nice day.

“Shall we go in?” He signaled to the entrance of the United States Botanic Garden.

Once they started to walk through the gardens of the USBG, they realized they hadn’t talked at all.

“You chose a beautiful place, (y/n)” Spencer said while he looked around and put his hands in the pockets of his pants.

“Thank you, have you been here before?” She asked in a low voice, feeling really awkward.

“Just once, many years ago, I brought my mom” He remembered fondly that one time her mom had visited him and the only thing she wanted to do was visit the USBG.

“That’s amazing, I want to bring my mom here but she haven’t visited me” She was feeling more relaxed.

“Oh, where does she live?”

“California, she lives there with my dad, and well, all my family and friends are there” Spencer could see the sadness in her eyes.

“How long it’s been since you moved?”

“A year and I’ve seen them, I fly for Christmas and Thanksgiving but I’m not the most social and outgoing person so it’s been a little tough on me” She confessed and he smiled sympathetically.

“I understand, I don’t have many friends beside my team, and Penelope, she changed her job but yeah, it’s just them” He awkwardly explained.

 “Introvert life, I get it” So far (y/n) was feeling more at ease with this nice and good looking stranger. “I think that’s why Penelope came up with this idea” 

“Yeah, maybe that was it” He looked at her and smiled, and suddenly his mind went blank, he didn’t know what to talk about so he did one of the things he did best: telling facts “The story about this place is quite interesting, the first idea for its creation goes back as far as 1796, botanical studies started to be more prominent during the eighteenth century but the creation of it officially started in 1820…” 

Spencer started to quote almost the entirety of a book he had read about the U.S. Botanic Garden, and as they walked through it and (y/n) listened fascinated by the way he talked. Once or twice she had made her own comments about what she knew and soon enough they were comfortable with each other.

Once they entered the Tropic exhibit, (y/n)’s face lit up, Spencer noticed that and stopped talking for a second.

“This is my favorite part of the whole place, I love seeing all kinds of greens and their contrast, also here they have calatheas which are my one of my favorites” Spencer smiled as he listened to her.

“Ah, calatheas, some people refer to them as a family of plants when in reality they are…” He was interrupted by an overly excited (y/n). 

“A genus of plants, they belong to the Marantaceae family, sorry, it’s just I really love this exhibit” She blushed.

“Oh, don’t worry, do you come often then?” She looked even more embarrassed, Spencer was not sure why.

“Uh, actually I work here” (y/n) confessed as she bit her lip.

“Really? Oh, wow, I never asked what you did, and what it is that you do?” He was pleasantly surprised. 

“I have a degree in Botany, I moved all the way from California to work here, today’s my day off obviously, but I always thought it would be nice to have a date here, it’s a place I know like the back of my hand and here I could have something to talk about” She was worried Spencer would think she was pathetic for wanting to have a date at her workplace instead he was worried he had been talking too much.

“Oh God, you love this place, you work here and I just told you things that you probably already knew, I am so sorry” It was his turn to blush.

“Don’t worry, I enjoyed listening to you, I knew some things but not all of them, and I just really liked knowing there is someone else that knows the history of this place, it was really nice” Being the awkward person she was, her face was now as red as a tomato.

Spencer only smiled at her and decided to look carefully at the plants, something (y/n) was grateful for, as she tried to regain her normal color.

“Come on, let’s go up to my favorite spot” Once they were there, Spencer understood why she liked that specific spot.

They looked down from the mezzanine and could see the beauty of the whole exhibit.

“What do you think?” She asked with a small smile.

“It’s beautiful, I don’t think I came up here before” He felt happy as to how the day was turning out, not only the whole place was a delight but the company of (y/n) was wonderful “Add some weeping angels statues and it would be even better” 

“Oh, and maybe a TARDIS” He turned to look at her, he was shocked she had caught the reference.

“Do you watch Doctor Who?” (y/n) looked at him and then back to the scene below them.

“No, I don’t” Spencer’s smile faded just a little, she was still great and he was hopeful they could go out again.

“Penelope does and she talks about it so much, once she did an embroidered TARDIS, and that’s why I got the reference” She played with the fabric of her blouse.

“I am really glad that Penelope thought about this” He said looking at her.

“Yeah, me too” She nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

“Would you like to have coffee?” He dared to ask.

“Sure, when?” She replied while looking at him in awe, she couldn’t believe the date had gone far better than she had expected.

Spencer shrugged his shoulders and looked around “What about now?”

“Yeah, let’s go”

Once they were at the coffee and had ordered, they sat down close to a window.

“So what do you do at your job?” Spencer asked while sipping on his coffee.

“I am a part of the conservation team, but the past few months I’ve been more focused on coordinating activities and the creation of programs for visitors, and I love it, it’s different from what I thought I would do but I enjoy doing that” She held her mug tightly and Spencer sensed there was more to it.

“Was that the position you originally wanted?”

“No, I wanted to work with plants and only plants, but then the opportunity presented and I took it and loved it but my family thinks that I moved across the country for a job that’s not entirely related to my degree, and it’s pretty much a desk job which is not true, but I can’t seem to make them change their minds” (y/n) looked sad.

“Are you close with them?” 

“Very, moving here was by far the hardest decision I’ve ever made and I don’t regret it, but it’s been tough” She looked out the window and Spencer looked at her empathetically.

“I imagine this has been difficult but I’m sure you’re doing an amazing job, I’ll try to go more often and participate in the programs, I’m curious as what you and the USBG has to offer” (y/n) smiled and took a sip of her coffee.

“Thank you, Spencer, but enough about me, I don’t know much about you, I know you’re a profiler but I am unsure as to what a profiler does, care to elaborate on that?” 

Spencer nodded as he went on to what his job was about and (y/n) listened with amazement in her eyes, she knew the BAU chased down bad guys but she didn’t know exactly how they did it.

The stayed there, both of them drinking cup after cup of coffee, and talking about everything and anything, by the end of the afternoon, they both felt as if the had met each other for a lifetime. 

They both walk back to the metro station together and Spencer is feeling unsure as to how he could suggest seeing each other again but (y/n) beats him to it.

“Spencer, I really, really enjoyed today, thank you for coming”

“Of course, I also had a great time today”

“Should we do this again?” She bit her lip hopeful he would agree.

“Go the US Botanic Garden?”

“Oh, not necessarily, I meant go out, I could use some company and I enjoyed yours”

“Ok, yeah, yeah, I would love to see you again” He’s smile was so big his eyes squinted and she felt her heart beat faster.

“Ok, you got my number, right?”

“Yeah, I saved it when you texted me” He pulled out his phone and held it up as if to prove he wasn’t lying.

“Have a good night” She smiled and waved at him, both of them had to take the metro in different directions so she started walking towards the opposite of him.

“You too, (y/n)!” If anyone looked at Spencer they could see the heart eyes he had while seeing the girl walking away from him. 

As he was ready to start his way home, he felt a tap on his shoulder and as soon as he turned around he received a hug from (y/n).

“Bye, text me when you’re home” She whispered in his ear and pulled away to start her way once again.

He stood there watching her walk away, being unable to move, remembering to call Penelope the minute he got home to thank her a million times for setting them up.

[tvandenneagram]

The Umbrella Academy: Ben Hargreeves - Type 9w8

Ben is sweet, responsible and judgmental. He wants to stay connected to his family and despite his death he remains on earth to still see his family and be around to watch their lives.

At his best, Ben is selfless, understanding and makes decisions to help the greater good. This can be seen when he is willing to sacrifice himself to stop Vanya and the Apocalypse. He does so in a loving, empathetic and honest way that is able to reach Vanya and help bring her out of her dangerous state. She finally feels more accepted and loved as a result of the way Ben speaks to her and calms her.

At his worst, Ben can allow things to happen to him, rather than taking action for himself. We can see this with his relationship with Klaus. He also has a tendency to scold Klaus and can be a bit critical towards him for the choices he makes.

Ben was well-liked by his whole family and was a valuable member of the Umbrella Academy. His death is felt by all his siblings and it is part of the reason for the team going their separate ways. Due to Klaus’ ability to see the dead, he sticks around and follows Klaus through his different experiences through time. He has a strong bond with Klaus but can become frustrated by the way he lives his life. He wishes he was able to still feel and live and thinks Klaus wastes his opportunities to enjoy his life.

Ben is a very calm and gentle person who has a deep love and affection for his family. Despite his sensitive side, he is shown to defend his family at all costs. Even as a spirit he is willing to try and fight to keep his family safe. This can be seen when he saves Diego from falling debris and also when he continues to try and help Klaus stay sober. He often tries to give advice in a constructive way to Klaus to help him on his path to sobriety.

He is very introverted and can be seen to have kept to himself when he was alive. He is shown to have loved reading and to have even continued reading whilst the family was having dinner. Due to his death he has only interacted with Klaus for a very long time so when he is able to possess Klaus and interact with new people, it can be seen that he is very awkward and nervous when talking to others.

Ben has a wing 8 as he is very laidback and relaxed, but will show his anger more outwardly (especially towards Klaus) than a wing 1 might. He is quite practical and seems to value his connection to others as well as his own independence.

Tri-type: 9w8 - 5w6 - 2w1

Some quotes to describe Ben’s motivation:

“Life isn't supposed to be easy. Life is hard. Bad things happen. Good people die."

“You know what the worst part of being dead is? You're stuck. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to change. That's the real torture, if you gotta know. Watching your brother take for granted everything you lost and pissing it all away.”

“Klaus, the way you feel right now is the way I feel every day. All I do is watch you make the same mistakes over and over and over and over and over again. Welcome to powerlessness.”

“Nobody needs your shit Klaus. That’s why you are always alone.”

“Can you hug me as I go? It’s been a long time.”

“Dad treated you like a bomb before you ever were one. He was... so scared of your power, he never let you use it. Drugged you up, kept you numb for years. That's messed up, Vanya. No wonder you couldn't control it. Dad couldn't handle your anger. That doesn't mean you can't. And maybe you have a right to be pissed off and sad and messed up, but... it's a shitty world full of shitty people sometimes. You aren't a monster. You're my sister. And right now, our siblings are risking everything out there trying to save you. You aren't alone at the table anymore, Vanya. You can do this.”

“I know what it’s like to love dangerous people. Difference is they love me back.”

Ben: “You know, I'm tired of seeing you wallow in self-defeat.” Klaus: “Well, then avert your gaze.” Ben: “You're better than that. And Dave? He knew it, too.” Klaus: “Yeah, you're right. You're right. I'm... I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry.” Ben: “Thank God.” Klaus: “Psych!”

Klaus: “Ow! You just Patrick Swayzeed me. How did you do that?” Ben: “Uh, I... I didn't. You did. I think.”

[hockeylvr59]

Morgan Rielly #2 😋

Since people seem upset about Mo in my Auston series, here...have an independent Mo blurb. 

I apparently cannot write short smut…. (1406 words)

2.“Let me show you why you should stay in bed.”

______________

If there was one thing you loved about your boyfriend it was that he was passionate and committed to the sport he loves. If there was one thing you hated…well the same could be said. It wasn’t that you didn’t support Morgan, you absolutely did 100%, it was that with all the time he was on the road, sometimes when he was home you wished he wasn’t so dedicated. 

For example, Morgan had yet to miss an optional skate all season. The word optional was there for a reason and yet you hadn’t been able to convince him to skip one even when he needed it because it was clear he was getting worn down. This morning though…you weren’t about to take no for an answer. The team had been on the road for a week and you were well aware that today’s practice was optional and it was even encouraged for the boys to take a day off and just rest. 

Still, Morgan’s alarm went off for practice like always and you groaned, wishing for once your boyfriend would stay in bed with you. After all, it wasn’t that often that you both had the option to take a day off and do nothing and you were slightly annoyed that he was seriously about to take that for granted once again. 

Feeling the bed shift, you watched as Morgan turned the alarm off and moved to get up. 

“Morgan…” You whined softly. “Come back to bed.” 

“Gotta go pee.” He mumbled still half asleep. Determined that he was not going to leave this room beyond that and food, you slipped out of your pajamas and perched on the edge of the bed waiting for him to return. 

As his footsteps approached you waited for him to notice you and instead he headed straight for the walk-in closet. “Morgan,” you called out again, this time watching the look on his face as Morgan popped his out of the closet. “Come here.” You whined, pleased when his eyes darkened. He complied with your request, coming over to kiss your head gently. 

“I gotta go to practice.” He murmured and you shook your head, guiding his hands down to your naked body. 

“You should skip practice…it’s optional.” You declared your voice dropping into the tone you always used when trying to seduce Morgan. “Let me show you why you should stay in bed.”

It was clear that he was fighting with himself over going or staying here and when his hands remained on your body you took the small victory, trailing your hands over his naked torso as well. “Come on Mo…stay in bed with me. We never get to have morning sex.” As your hands reached the waist of his pajama pants you could feel him giving in to you. “Baby…please…it’s been a week. I’m hungry…” The glint in your eye was enough to make Morgan groan and he gently pushed you back on the bed before leaning in to kiss you. 

“Fine…you win this time.” He murmured, his hands trailing over your body like you were treasure he was afraid to drop and break. 

“Bout damn time.” You mumbled pushing him onto his back on the bed before shifting to pull his pajama pants off of his body, his cock popping free. He was already half-hard and you smirked to yourself, loving how easily he responded to you and how his thick length was going to feel in both your mouth and your pussy. 

Stroking him a few times, you leaned down to lick at the slit where his precum was already gathering. Morgan’s hands were already reaching down to tug at your hair as you settled yourself above him, teasing over him with gentle strokes of your hand and flicks of your tongue. 

“Baby please.” He groaned after a moment and you smiled kissing up and over his stomach for a moment before speaking. 

“Well, I suppose since someone agreed to stay home with me that maybe I should reward them.” You breathed, licking over his length once more before hollowing your cheeks out and taking him into your mouth as deep as you could. It never took long to work Morgan up like this, and since it had been a while since the two of you had been intimate you weren’t expecting it to take long now. Still, you were slightly surprised at just how quickly Morgan’s length started twitching in your mouth before his seed was spilling down your throat. Swallowing, you cleaned him up with your tongue before pulling back and perching next to him as he recovered, arm thrown over his face. 

“Holy shit babe.” He eventually mumbled, his cheeks flushed and chest still heaving. 

“Looks like you needed that.” You teased, trailing your fingers over his chest again. 

“Okay fine. My sexy girlfriend knows best.” Morgan finally responded, making you laugh as he finally worked up the energy to move, pinning you down to the bed as he kissed you. Humming happily, your fingers trailed patterns up and down his back, pleased to have this time to spend with him where neither of you had anywhere to be all day. 

Just as you were about to ask what said sexy girlfriend could expect to receive in return, two of Morgan’s thick fingers brushed between your legs before plunging inside of you causing you to immediately moan. “So wet for me already,” Morgan mumbled though he’d known that you would be. There was something about blowing him that always got you dripping if you weren’t already. With your hips canting up toward his hand, Morgan used his free hand to hold your hips down. He knew that you hated not being able to move but the look on his face told you that he didn’t care all that much. 

Morgan knew your body better than anyone else and so it wasn’t long before the feeling of his fingers inside of you and his thumb pressed against your clit had you spasming around him as your body shook with pleasure. 

“God, you’re so fucking gorgeous when you cum.” Morgan murmured and only partially sated, you reached over to tug him on top of you. 

“If that’s the case then you should fuck me.” You pleaded, knowing that Morgan wouldn’t be able to resist being buried inside of you. After all, since the two of you had had a discussion about it, you had frequently woken up to Morgan’s cock resting inside of you while the two of you slept after he’d played a hard game. Every chance he had, Morgan liked spending close to you like that and you were honestly surprised that you hadn’t woken to him inside of you after a week away. 

At the same time, because you hadn’t you were even more desperate for him now and so when Morgan dropped his hips into your own, you sighed in relief as your body stretched around him. 

“Oh god…I missed this.” You admitted, rotating your hips a little to try and get him even deeper. Morgan knew exactly what you wanted and so he tugged your legs over his shoulders allowing him to settle as deep as he physically could. Neither of you moved right away, just enjoying the feeling of each other but it wasn’t long before you both needed the friction as well. 

Though Morgan’s movements started off slow that wasn’t what you needed and when you told him, his hips sped up, pounding harshly into your own leaving you moaning and keening against him. 

“Yes…Mo…” You exclaimed, waiting anxiously for that blissful feeling to crest once more. When it did, every muscle in your body clenched almost painfully but after being worked through it you were left feeling boneless and filled with relief. “God Mo…” You added as he kissed soothingly up and down your body. 

“I love you.” He declared, tucking you into his side as he settled onto his back. “Thank you for always knowing what I need.” He added, nuzzling against your neck in a way that made you beam back at him. 

“I love you too…” You replied, stretching out your muscles like a cat. “Do you think we could get some breakfast and then maybe go again?” You questioned and though he laughed, Morgan was quick to agree. 

“Sounds perfect babe.”

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Matthew

(Not my gif || I couldn’t help myself)(Requested by @therealbitchshady )

(I’m so sorry for the incredibly long wait!! Hope you enjoy!)

- You met Matthew when the both of you were six years old. You became instant friends and continued to stay that way for years all the way up until the end of middle school/start of high school.

- For a while he was hung up on Kimberly but then one day he just started to notice you. It was like he was seeing you for the first time in years. You weren’t just y/n his best friend since childhood, you were actually really pretty and had a great personality… and since when did you have boobs?

- The moment he sees you in that new light he just can’t seem to turn the light off again. He’s been thrown into this loop and he feels completely out of place.

- This is all combining with him losing interest for Kim as he gets to know her as a person not just a pretty face so his entire life is being turned upside down piece by piece.

- Now everytime you hang out he ends up looking at you like you have two heads as he tries to figure out how the hell to abort his growing feelings for you.

- You notice a change in him and the way he acts around you but don’t really think much about it. Like sure he’s a bit more nervous and awkward around you but you sort of just assume it’s a puberty thing or something.

- Meanwhile he’s dying on the inside trying to act natural everytime you touch or tease him like you’ve always done.

- It’s normal for him to walk beside you when you’re with each other but now he trails behind you like a lost puppy debating if what he wants to say is the right thing to say. His heart nearly stops whenever you turn to talk to him about because ‘oh my god you’re so pretty’ and he doesn’t want to make a fool of himself since now he’s gotta worry about you finding him attractive.

- A ton of times he’s about to nervously confess his feelings but then you turn around and say something and completely throw him off.

- You know those scenes where the character is doing something while the other persons back is turned and then the person turns back around and the character just nervously smiles at them hoping they didn’t see anything as the person strikes up a conversation. (That’s you and him constantly)

- At some point he’s definitely purposefully hurt himself during a soccer game or practice just so you would help him bandage himself. He doesn’t even mind you teasing him and calling him a wimp, it’s all worth feeling you touch him.

- Laughing your head off when you find out he’s pretending to be a girl and afterwards tutoring him in all things teenage girl.

- Listen, I’m convinced you lended him a bra to help with the allusion and he just stared at it for an hour after you left his house. When you gave it to him he was absolutely speechless but it was like the heavens had opened up and swallowed him whole.

- He confesses to you after one of his games; he just takes off running from the field and doesn’t stop until he’s all the way at your house, still in full uniform with the wig. He knocks on your door and waits anxiously for you to answer; once you do, he barges in, tears off the wig and pulls you into a kiss.

- You sort of just stand there in awe before he pulls away and stutters out something along the lines of “me like you.”. You probably laugh at him but quickly pull him into another kiss before he thinks you’re rejecting him.

- Once you pull away he’s practically speechless until he manages to mutter out a “how about we go see a movie sometime” making you laugh again. But you do agree to the movie and in no time the two of you are officially dating.

- Soft kisses.

- You call him your “little ladybug” (usually jokingly), he pretends that he absolutely hates it but he kind of loves it.

“Sweetheart.”

- He uses it both sarcastically and genuinely depending on the moment. (I feel like he probably either started using it because of an mtv interview or because his mom calls him sweetheart and it just became his default pet name)

- He doesn’t really show a ton of affection/pda because he’s at that age where it’s still a little weird to him and he wants to seem cool. But if you come over and hug him or hold his hand he loses his mind and turns into a shy, red faced little goof.

- He goes to Julie for advice every now and again even though he’s nearly always confused by what she tries to tell him.

“Hey mom? How am I supposed to let y/n be as independent and strong as a young woman who just left home against all odds to make her dreams come true in the big city?”

- He daydreams about you constantly which is kind of sweet even if all of them are hormonal teenage smut fests.

- Really likes your legs but can’t exactly explain why. If you wear a skirt or shorts around him his eyes are going to be trained on them .

“They’re just all... nice… and soft.”

- He stares at your ass constantly; there will never be a day that goes by that you do not feel his eyes on your ass at least once. Chances are he’ll end up “accidentally” touching you too.

- That being said, he cannot for the life of him muster up the courage to innocently compliment you even though what he wants to say is swimming through his head. He might see you and instantly think “wow her hair looks really nice today” but god forbid he tries to say that.

- Could spot you in room in 0.02 seconds. He will always know where you are in a crowd or notice if you’re there or not there.

- He’s a surprisingly creative person. Doesn’t matter whether he’s helping you and fixing your problems or coming up with date ideas, you can be sure he’ll come up with something interesting.

- Milkshake/ice cream dates.

- Helping him study so he can stay on his sports teams without any problems.

- Watching him play soccer and attending all his games and practices.

- He always has this adorable smile on his face when he sees you in the bleachers and the minute the games over he goes to hug you. Even if you’ve attended every game he’s ever had he’s still surprised to see you there.

- He really wants to teach you how to play soccer(that is if you don’t already know how) so be prepared to face his puppy dog eyes if you attempt to refuse.

- He copies Chester when he isn’t sure what to do, like Chester gets his mom flowers all the time so Matthew goes and buys you some flowers.

- Sometimes he just randomly picks you up to prove that he can and “show off”. Like he’ll pick you up then flex at you with a goofy wink, while you giggle at him.

- He tries to convince you to go skinny dipping with him at least once.

- Don’t even think about going near him with makeup, having to wear a wig for months was enough “girlish nonsense” for him no matter how much you insist ‘eyeliner would look good on him’.

- He’ll let you braid his hair if you’re lucky but anything other than that gives him flashbacks to the ladybugs (even though he’ll admit it wasn’t the worst experience of his life).

“You know you were really pretty as a girl.”

“Damn right I was.”

- Anytime he thinks he’s annoyed you or you pretend to be mad at him he just repeatedly tell you he loves you until you smile.

“I love you. I love you. I looove youuu.”

- Accidentally calls you dude and ends up awkwardly correcting himself and apologizing even though you always say you don’t have a problem with it.

- He knows that you’ve seen him and his room as a complete mess before you were dating but everytime you’re supposed to hang out he goes on a mad man cleaning spree and makes everything look all prim and proper.

- His moms always kind of amused when you coming over makes him clean better than her yelling at him all week.

- He loves doing just about anything with you. Just hanging around the house? Great! Running errands? Lovely! Going to the arcade? Perfect. As long as it’s with you he’s happy.

- Watching tv with him. The instant you join him on the couch he wraps both his arms around you and pulls you into his side.

- He doesn’t really get jealous since he knows from experience how you act around other guys. It really just depends on if he knows how the guy feels about you or not.

- Like before you were together he could easily hear about all the boys who may or may not have had a crush on you and he still holds it to them even if they don’t have a crush on you anymore. They don’t know that he knows but he’ll be petty towards them.

- Making faces behind their back or just acting passive aggressive when they joke around with you or him. You definitely have to stifle your laughter sometimes.

- Fast food dates. You guys go to the movies like every week and after you’re done watching the two of you go out to lunch and get burgers.

- Stealing his shirts to sleep in.

- You never really fight, there’s never a reason to. The both of you were friends before you got together so you already knew what you were getting yourselves into. You had a lot of time to learn what the other person likes and doesn’t like so you can pretty much avoid most fights.

- Helping him deal with his temper and making sure he doesn’t sabotage himself during games.

- Slapping a hand over his mouth before he curses at someone or something.

- Talking with him about his feelings (and his father) whenever he needs to get something off his chest.

- His mother loves you; she thinks you’re a good influence on him (she chooses to ignore the whole helping him disguise himself as a girl alongside Chester thing).

- Chester appreciates you helping him with the whole “being a teenage girl” thing so you’re okay in his book. But whose he kidding, the whole family loves you.

- He may complain heavily and adamantly refuse when you first ask him but he’d honestly do just about anything for you.

- He has a really good heart and set of morals deep down even if they aren’t completely obvious all the time. He knows right and wrong and he’ll apologize/acknowledge if he’s wrong even if it means messing up his ego.

- He’s honestly such a supportive boyfriend even if he acts like a little bastard man.

- He’s an absolute cheerleader; literally anything you do is rewarded with applause.

- If you want a pep talk he’s your man, be prepared to feel motivated or at least feel a lot better.

“Well take it from me, you’re absolutely amazing and even if you weren’t I’d still love you just the same.”

- He imagines your wedding like two times a day so you can rest assured he isn’t ditching you anytime soon.

[ryder616]

Rewatching Parting Shot

Parting Shot, aka the episode where nobody (important) is dead or dying and yet you still end up bawling your eyes out anyway. 😁

Or at least I do. I mostly blame Henry Simmons for that. His sorrowful, teary-eyed-but-keeping-it-in expression completely shatters my resolve to “not gonna cry, dammit!”. Add that beautiful piece of music and  😭 😭 😭 . Every. Single. Time.

Plus there’s the fact that we lose Bobbi and Hunter for nothing, not even to trimmer down the main cast because the show went back to 8 regulars pretty quickly. *sigh* I really miss Bobbi and Hunter. 😢

And you just know that if this was a regular episode and not a set up for a spin-off that’ll never go to series (*grumbles*) the disavowement would never stick or never happen in the first place. They’d just forge new identities for them, lay low for a while or maybe fake deaths and then it’d be business as usual. I mean the OG team are all basically ghosts. Coulson is supposed to be dead. Daisy didn’t exist in the system when Rosalind went checking and it should be the same for all of them. S.H.I.E.L.D. itself is a ghost at this point in time.

Anyway, I shouldn’t be complaining. This is a great episode and a comforting send off for Huntingbird, if S7 doesn’t surprise us. Because no matter how painfully they might end it for the other characters (😬), Bobbi and Hunter will still be out there, somewhere, fighting ninjas at weddings and being their generally awesome selves. And that’s not nothing.

Gotta Catch ‘Em All:

General Androvich, Russia’s Minister of Defense, former KGB assassin and, for what little we saw of him, an overall unpleasant dude, had the power to manifest a sentient “shadow” made of Darkforce, also known as Zero Matter (Whitney Frost says hi), capable of acting independently from his (in)human form.

Stuff that crossed my mind:

You must have something to say for yourself. -- I'd like a cheeseburger, medium, with cheddar cheese, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. And some curly fries. Crispy. The Interpol guy sounds French. I bet she’s being extra American on purpose.😁

I headcanon that S.H.I.E.L.D. issues clothes made of special thermo-adaptive fabrics because I hate cold and seeing Bobbi and Hunter (and later everyone else) running around Siberia, AT NIGHT, in clothes that look like something I’d wear in spring if the sun is up makes me shiver just typing this. 🥶🥶 

I have to say, I have never encountered someone like you. [...] who has the ability to spout absolute nonsense with such ease. He’s the best, isn’t he? 😎

Bobbi and I were on holiday, picking mushrooms. -- In the woods of Siberia, in the dead of winter. --  Do you know a better place to find the jumbo chaga mushroom? Because I certainly do not. [...] we were accosted in the woods by some ham-fisted, dare I say, drunken soldiers, who dragged us into this entire mess. [...] You want to know the key to a good mushroom soup? Dried porcini. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

They've wiped out almost 30 square kilometers of forest, just to make room for this place. You wonder why the planet's dying. -- Got that right, mate. You and Jemma watch that documentary I mentioned? -- Oh, yes! The one about the Amazon? Hunter gave FitzSimmons environmental documentaries recs for date night. 🤗

If we're gonna infiltrate, a surveillance package would help, sir.  -- And guns. Don't forget those. And properly warm clothes? Please? 🥶

You want to assassinate a former member of the World Council on Russian soil, knowing that if we get caught or our actions are tied to the U.S. government in any way, that it'll be considered an act of war. Sure, when you put it like that it sounds bad....

I was just trying to recall the last time we went away together on a proper vacation. I spent half of S6 trying to recall the last time the Bus Kids might have had a proper meal. Vacations sound positively extravagant for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

We were just looking for the main road. -- Out for a spot of mushroom picking. Perfect cover story, guys. As everyone knows, the outskirts of covert military installations that sit in the middle of freezingly cold forests are the ultimate tourist destination for the discerning mushrooms enthusiast.

Are those mushrooms? - Mm-hmm. For soup. You know, I looked up chaga mushrooms and they look awful. I think I’ll be sticking with porcini, sorry Hunter.

How’s everyone’s Russian? -- My pronunciation’s not fluent. -- And mine’s nonexistent. -- I dated a Russian hacker once, but I only learned the dirty words. May speaks Russian but not as well as Bobbi. Mack doesn’t. And Daisy had sex with a loud Russian hacker. 🤭

Remember our mission protocol. Low profile, in and out, no one gets caught. Well, thank you very much. Now you jinxed it.

Amadeus Ravenclaw Hunter (I don’t even...and where does Lance come from?) is from the south-east of England, his dad was a police officer and the secret to his l33t mushrooms soup is chicken bouillon.

Come on, Daisy. You can hack the Pentagon and shake the Earth. You're gonna let a few backwards letters trip you up? *high fives Bobbi in Daisy’s stans solidarity*

Just think what the United States did for the Native American populations. If we hadn't created the reservations, they would've been wiped out entirely. I totally believe you have the Inhumans’ best interests at heart now. What a convincing, totally not infuriating, not even a little bit revisionist argument you just made.🙄

It's the world's first Inhuman politician. The first you know of, at any rate. What if Abraham Lincoln was Inhuman? With stretchy powers.😉

There are many intelligence agencies around the world. Some are run by incompetents, but not all. Given that nuS.H.I.E.L.D.’s been operating for two years doing whatever they pleased out of a base near the U.S. capital, that is entirely a matter of debate, buddy.😁

S.H.I.E.L.D. is about sacrifice, not for you or me but for the greater good. -- Even the ones you love? -- Yes. Even them. -- I don’t know whether I admire you or feel sad for you or both. Both. Both works.

Spasibo, Daisy! -- De nada. -- Pretty sure that's not Russian. -- Whatever. 🤣

Everyone listen up. This hit is going down here and now. The Russian Prime Minister is arriving, and there's an Inhuman assassin on the loose. You need to stop him. Good thing this was supposed to be a low-profile, surveillance mission. Looks like the plan turned to rubbish once again.

We'll need a distraction. --  I have an idea, but it involves May hitting people. I don’t think she’ll mind...

Fitz and I believe the General has the ability to manifest a form of sentient dark force, able to shift its density at will. -- Judging by the way he’s elsewhere at the moment, it operates independently of him. -- Can you just cut to the part where you tell us how to beat it? Always so impatient...I wanted to hear more about the sentient darkforce!

You ready, sestra? -- Da. *glares at the show for not giving me more Quake&Mockingbird team-ups*

I don't know what frightened me more, the firing squad or that shadow muppet. --  We were lucky. -- I was lucky. You were good. Aww, Hunter. Sometimes you really say the best things.

Once you're back, we'll change your identities, move your families, and unfortunately, you'll be done in the field. -- Sir, I think that we’ve proven we’re not built for the lab. When disavowement and potential incarceration and execution are more appealing than dealing with FitzSimmons’ “systems”... 🤣😉

You’ve got an admirer. -- Who? -- They asked me not to say. Clearly the operative tailing Bobbi and Hunter in the pub belongs to one of the incompetent intelligence agencies. Because otherwise they’d have had identikits for the entire command structure of S.H.I.E.L.D.😁

[phoebehalliwell]

What do you think would have happened had Billie and the Charmed Ones successfully helped Christy reintegrate and to control her powers?

i mean i think it you be really interesting bc like obviously they’re both really powerful because they’re the “““ultimate power””” or w/e but like,,, they’re really powerful witches. like christy’s a firestarter yeah, but she clearly has some psychic abilities what with her power to sense demons and on top of that, seem to manifest the triad in a physical form? (in theory, they’re only back in spirit form but whenever they visit christy they are very much corporeal). also, we can assume she like,, trained in the underworld and all that, maybe even has demonic allies, it could have been a very fun yin-yang balance of billie as the paragon of good and christy as the one from the dark, especially seeing as billie was definitely the more bitchy one with the attitude and a disregard for authority, where as christy is in canon very much someone who is loyal and will follow orders, and than inferring as to what her character could have been if they didn’t making her so awkwardly conniving, she seemed very kind, open, and honestly a bit shy. so there’s this mirror opposites thing that could have been where if one were to meet the ultimate power and had to guess who was trained by the charmed ones and who was trained by the triad, they would almost always guess wrong.

i also think it could be really interesting to try to see the sister dynamic between billie and christy, because billie really is this independent loudmouth who does what she wants to do, even if others discourage her. but she’s the younger sibling, and when christy comes back, we really see her start to slide back into that role, following her sister’s lead, doing what she says, etc. of course, for the most part, this was bad writing, as we needed billie to fall to the dark side so we could have the ultimate battle. but like. what would it have been like if we were trying to make billie and christy viable characters? was christy a bossy older sister? was she nice? what was their dynamic after she was kidnapped? how did she mentally construct her relationship with billie while they were apart? did she worry billie was kidnapped to and she had to reunite? was it an honor complex and she thought if she stayed civil they wouldn’t go after billie? or was it a more selfish, narcissistic thing, where it was finally confirmed she was the ya protagonist here, she was the special sister with the powers and adventures? we don’t get to know because the writers didn’t care to tell us, so we have nothing to really base off what a normal christy would be.

honestly, i think being raised completely by demons really gives you such a screwed view of the world, and what christy like actually needs is extensive therapy and then to move to the countryside and live a magic free life making like whole range crafts to sell at the farmers market. but like, obvi if she’s the other half to your ultimate crime fighting duo, she’s gotta go like fight. i think the two options to make christy a potential character to put in that story is to either a) have her escape from her captivity early on and have to teach herself the craft while dodging demons and living constantly on the run (which is what i did with her character in a how would i make s8 better hypothetical) or alternately, have her be trained by the triad, but have her always sort of be on the look out for an escape, have her always keep this plan to break out and rejoin her sister in the back of her mind, as she learns the ropes of magic from demons, and works her way into their hierarchy with the full intention to fuck shit up. billie finding an empty, manipulated husk of a girl with no idea how to engage with other humans is almost unsalvageable. but if you gave her one of these plots, you’re already granting her a separate set of skills from billie as well as a different viewpoint of the magical world, which would make for a very fun team up dynamic, which i’m assuming would have to carry the spin off show.

[theangrypokemaniac]

Contests Part 2/2

6. Loser Jessie

Screechy harpie Jessay has even more of a raw deal than Mavis and Dawn of the Dead.

From the outset I knew she'd never be champion, but she ought to rise above the tiresome berks clogging up procedure.

Sufficient popularity at Pokémon Towers ensured the girls were allotted coverage of all their award ceremonies. They had a moment in the sun.

What has Jessie in comparison?

I can't recall Hoenn, but I don't expect it was much.

Sinnoh however carried naught but a single paltry episode.

This for a main character.

This for someone there from the beginning.

This for an ardent fan favourite.

This for a wench who, should we include all her various mutations, has featured in more installments than either of 'em.

But no, treat Jesseee as worthless, even lower than Dawn's groupies. It's not like anyone watches it for her.

Looking back, it's obvious what they were intending to do come Unova.

What's the score then?

• One paltry Contest on screen.

• A couple happen elsewhere, marked by a few seconds per mention when the script oh-so generously moves away from the thrilling main plot.

It's gotta be the small-town concerns for Jessuhleenuh, nothing major. She deserves no better.

• One won by James, so not hers. Press her inadequacy upon us!

• One obtained as a gesture of pity from Kate Middleton.

And how did that work? What's the good of allowing 'Dawn' entry again?

She'd already qualified. If winning here, that gives her six, therefore there aren't enough Co-ordinators for the culmination.

And when Jessie showed up with a Ribbon recorded as belonging to Dawn, how was she taken as fulfilling the quota?

The slapdash way these Contests are run!

God forbid Jess should be shown as excelling at anything. It must be scraping into the final undeservedly.

Bitch gotta know her place.

7. Bumpkin Jessie

...

Ain't no description I can give that don't rhyme with 'hit', or variations of the theme.

You thought the shafting Jessica got coverage wise was bad enough? Yer ain't heard the 'alf of it.

Sinnoh was a period of peak Moron Team Rocket, where the one surprise was how stupid they could be.

You may remember an early episode when James designed her clothes for the catwalk. She thought it'd complement his work by applying lipstick all across her mug.

Obviously Jessie would do that, clueless as to how make-up functions.

Come on kids, she's thick!

Even at that numskull nadir it's difficult to comprehend anyone choosing this get up without severe duress.

Picture the scene: you debut on stage, before an audience of thousands and television cameras, in an event preoccupied with superficiality.

What do you wear?

• Giant, oversized glasses out of fashion since the Seventies.

• Bootlace tie last worn in the nineteenth century Wild West by a barman serving sarsaparillas.

• Colour scheme of brown and orange, the nation's favourite hues.

• A man's old shirt fraying at the cuffs.

• Voluminous apron dress.

• Massive yellow bows last seen decorating an Easter Egg. Always a winner.

• Heavy, clod-hopping boots.

• PIGTAILS!!!

Even the name is unattractive.

Ah yes, very common for those under six. Unheard of later.

You have reached puberty haven't yer Jessie? I can't tell anymore.

They couldn't get enough of that combination in Cosmo, which is why it's no longer in print.

Not only is Jessie denied success, she's deprived of the chance to be pretty in a realm where nothing but that carries weight.

Worse, given how her face disintegrated, this is the best she's been for five generations.

Yeah, because the inbred milkmaid style is such a good look, eh?

SEXAY!!!

8. So Long, Tsundere

Remember tsunderes? What happened to 'em?

The curse of Pokémon was draining the well of inspiration too quickly, throwing away interesting characters as mere guests.

This is particularly noticeable regarding the ladies. Back then, we got Misty, Jessie, Jessibelle, Cassidy, Aya, Giselle, Tyra, Sabrina, assorted crones Brutella, Nastina and Lacy, plus Joy, Jenny and Dame Ketchum provided parental authority.

How did a series that began with ball-breaking birds like that end up with insipid, glassy-eyed dullards like Zuhreena, Banana Lana, Marsh Mallow and Lilliput?

Ooh, Zuhreena is a pwincess!

Ooh, Banana Lana bwows big bwubbles!

Ooh, Marsh Mallow wuvs phallic waddishes!

Ooh, Lilliput won't pwet wanimals bwecause of Secwet Pain!

Can you imagine such weak specimens finding any place in the anarchic atmosphere of the classics?

It's SO boring!

Where's the punch? Where's the human spirit?

Where's the entertainment gone?

This squishy attitude began in Hoenn. Misty left, Jessie's hair symbolically changed from volcanic red to pink, and Contests introduced a cuddly theme where glitter glue and sequins are top priority.

Every sharp corner, every jagged point has been filed smooth. Now its substance hasn't the hardness to even develop edges, not when it's all cushions and candyfloss, where catching Pokémon rests on them deigning to grant permission, rather than 'avin it out.

Tsunderes, exuding untamed charisma and independence, besides a soupçon of danger, simply don't fit the cardboard box we habit now.

Nor do yanderes, kuuderes, tsuntsuns, or even derederes. It's just nothing but smiley-smiley creeps.

I wouldn't mind any of these tropes as long as there was some sign of colour to be had.

9. The Sacrifice of Misty

Misty bid farewell under the feeble justification that the lack of a longterm goal made her vulnerable to sacking.

Such a line uttered as if her own choice, being beyond them as writers to invent a purpose.

This implied her replacement would have an exciting quest aiming for excellence, something just beyond Misty's capabilities.

What did we get?

Dressing up and collecting Ribbons!

Is that...is that it? Is that the great idea? Is that all the girls are worth?

I lost Misty for THIS?!

Perhaps it makes no difference. By Hoenn they'd rendered her a leaden blandness sucked dry of all that made her special.

Going by the greasy-toothed bastardisation that swanned up in Alola, Misty was simply too wild for the safe, stifling atmosphere of today.

Her departure ensued she remains frozen as a funny, beloved presence, unlike those she left behind.

Now there was a lucky escape, as once the fanny-flapping starts, the bints have it on the brain.

May had Max to beat on the side, but Dawn developed monomania.

Hardly an episode went by without some reference to Contests, or how today's plot spurred her on to the next opportunity.

Yer need help, love!

Rather than Ash's new friend being a fascinating person who so happened to enter vanity projects, the competition defined them to the exclusion of life.

It is but moths drawn to the candle flame waiting to engulf them.

Contests are this world's version of Tom Riddle's diary: they promise sympathy and validation, but they eat your soul.

Like Tumblr.

10. Completely Unoriginal

Seems to me it wasn't so much Misty had no goal, it was more that Contests were the supposedly hot concept wedged into an existing property.

If earlier aspects failed to accommodate the invader, the onus certainly wasn't on the new kid to change. Oh no, stuff it in and chop off whatever gets in the way.

In the eyes of the post-Shudo regime, Misty was too volatile to last, and so had to go.

What idiots.

She's a tsundere. The softer, more feminine side is a defining component.

Would it really have been so problematic to retain her as an entrant? If Jessie can, why not?

Even if failing to fit, so what? Since when was established characterisation a barrier?

Isn't twisting likeable folk into unrecognisable pods the modus operandi of the writers?

That canon is immaterial, and must always give in to whatever fancy they currently have?

Well then, what's the big deal in infantilising Misty to promote it rather than pensioning her off?

Viewers will be more invested in the challenges awaiting a familiar face rather than a stranger.

What reduces the above to the risible is the original Misty and Jessie both participated in the Princess Festival.

All Contests are is that very scenario on repeat and robbed of all meaning.

Think about it:

• Beauty round

• Battle round

• Jessie loses

Same bloody thing.

Not only have I got to suffer this draining spectacle, it's got the nerve to possess not one iota of fresh ideas!

Contests are a low rent rip-off. The Princess Festival had a worthy reward in the shape of one-of-a-kind Dolls.

It'd already been revealed that ordinary Princess Dolls were ruinously expensive, therefore the special Pokémon edition have to be priceless.

What d'yer get for the trouble of a Contest but a bit of plastic tat taped to bargain basement frippery?

And they demand you get five of 'em!

Contests themselves were then resurrected as Showcases, although mercifully slimmed down to only three, with the emptiness ramped up in compensation.

Perhaps ironically, Princess Versus Princess is one of my favourite episodes. I love its critique of female avarice and accurate portrayal of clothing sales as reminiscent of the zombie apocalypse.

I don't mind the Festival as a single adventure, but I may have felt less favourable had it been a constant presence.

Except it isn't the competition at stake. This is a framework to explore Jessie and Misty as people.

Through its device we learn their history and therefore how they came to develop as the girls we know.

The setting serves as an opportunity for both to confront the misery and isolation of their childhoods, with the promise of overcoming that old torment with the balm of victory.

In the final, they aren't so much battling an opponent as fighting to be free of the past.

The tragedy is only one can be granted that reprieve. The other must remain unhappy in the ruins of memory.

It matters, unlike vapid Contests, where posturing is king. What depth can they provide in comparison?

Despite identical content, they are inverse counterparts, with the Festival presented as merely a light affair concealing a rather dark tale of neglect.

Contests however are paraded as this worthy nourishment for body and mind, a major point in one's journey towards enlightenment, when all they really amount to is an organ grinder and his monkey arsing about for the slack-gobbed plebs.

Bread and circuses.

Best of all, Misty won, not some side twat, as it should be.

Note how Jessie dressed: in delicate, vivid robes and golden decoration. The boys thought her beautiful.

Not as a gormless dweeb you'd cross the street to avoid!

And why the need to disguise herself anyway?

The Twerps had no issue with Jessie of Team Rocket joining the fun back then, so what happened?

At least she received the consolation of gaining Lickitung as a friend, with James and Meowth desperate to comfort her.

What do Contests bring? Sod all!

[jdkloosterman]

Just to See You Smile--Ochako’s Story (3): Team Battles

This… can’t be right.

              Ochaco’s face was absolutely burning as she stared at what she’d taken out of the suitcase.  I said space-themed heroes! A spacesuit! Like Thirteen!

              “Yo, Ura, what’s taking so long?” The dangle-eared girl (Jiro?) called over at her. “C’mon!  Teach is gonna be upset if you’re not out there in time.”

              “Right, right…” Ura bit her lip, still looking at the costume. Perhaps it stretched, but it still seemed far FAR too small. This sort of thing couldn’t be practical for hero work.  It’d be like wearing a swimsuit!  People would be staring at her…

There was no help for it. Sighing, she started to slip out of her uniform.  Is my bra even going to fit in this thing?

#

              It did, and even seemed to hide the outline relatively well, but Ochaco kept tugging different sections, hoping to loosen it up, so it was impossible to be sure. Are they looking? Are they looking? They probably think I’m one of those heroes like Mt Lady or something! Oh my word why didn’t I just say I wanted a space-suit!?

              “Are you uncomfortable?”

              Ochaco looked up and saw cleavage.  She blinked.  “Um…”

              “Is it your costume?” the supermodel girl, Momo, asked.  “Did they not make it to your specifications?  They don’t allow for complete redesigns, but you could probably get it resized.”

              “Uh… well, I didn’t offer many specifications, really…”  Ochaco said, tugging under her armpit.  “I guess I just thought… I figured they’d choose something practical.”

              Momo snorted.  “Oh yes,” she said, “it seems support courses are full of people who prefer to take ‘creative licenses.’  They left this with my costume.” She showed Ochaco a note.

              Momo Yaoyorozu.  We reviewed your request for an open costume with exposed skin and came up with this.  It’s not quite like your original design, but we think you’ll agree that it’s cooler and sexier.

              Ochaco blinked at the note.  “…huh.”

              “I didn’t give them many specifications, but I noted that the back and midriff seemed like logical spaces to leave open for the creation of large items.”  Momo gestured at her front distastefully.  “How do they expect me to move in this?”

              Ochaco had to agree with that point.  In fact, looking about at the other kids, Ochaco felt a bit better about her own outlandish costume. Even the boys—one was topless, and another had a skin-tight bright yellow costume, like an overmuscled banana.  Iida’s armor at least looked practical, but the French boy was almost painful to look at, and Bakugo had some bizarre orange-and-black hair pieces that she couldn’t begin to guess the point of.  

              The whole thing seemed more than a little ridiculous, like wearing a clown costume to a war zone. Izuku, she noticed, as the boy ran out to join the others, had chosen a much more sensible outfit—not much more complicated than a hooded jumpsuit.  “That’s a great costume, Deku!” she grinned at him.  “Really down to earth.”

              Izuku rubbed the back of his head.  “It… my mom made it,” he admitted.  “Yours looks really… nice.”

              That was a relief, at any rate.  Ochaco turned, just in time to see All Might give Izuku a very strange look.  It quickly vanished, though.  “All right!” the pro hero called. “Today, we are doing team battles!”

#

              She watched as Izuku was carried off in a stretcher by the robots.  He really needs to do something about that quirk, she thought.  They’d won (Iida was sitting, crushed with shame, next to her, Bakugo fuming on the other side of him), but it’d been down to the wire.

              After getting their score and evaluation (Ochaco felt irritated at Momo calling her attack “haphazard”, but she couldn’t actually disagree), it was time to watch the others.  

              Mina skipped close to her.  “Excited to watch Shoto’s match?” she whispered.

              “What? Why do you ask?” Ochaco looked at her.

              Mina giggled.  “All the girls are.  Well, I guess Toru’s in the match against him, but it should…”

              “MATCH OVER! HEROES WIN!”

              Both their heads went up, just in time to see the building ice over.

              Ochaco blinked.  “That was fast.”

              “Awww…” Mina pouted.  “Oh well.  You’re up, Kirishima!  She gave the grinning red-head a high five.  “Knock ‘em dead!”

              “That’s the idea!  We’re the villains!” Kirishima smiled, moving out the door.

              “I told you we know each other from middle school, right?”  Mina said. “He’s really great.”  She leaned in closer and whispered, “anyway, don’t listen to Momo, I thought you did amazing against Iida!”

              “I shouldn’t have laughed, though, she was right about that.” Ochaco smiled at Mina. “I feel like I should be taking this stuff more seriously, really; it all seems like one big game sometimes.”

              “Eh, we’re in high school.” Mina waved.  “You need to have fun in high school.  I mean, once we start doing internships and stuff, sure, but at school you gotta take a moment to crack up now and then.”  She leaned back, interlacing her fingers behind her head.

              “You and Midoriya work really well together, Ochaco-chan,” a voice said.  Ochaco actually had to look down to find the speaker—the frog girl was crouching low on the floor, squatting on her haunches.  “Most people would have been only focused on their own fight.  You two were coordinating back and forth. Ribbit.”

              Ribbit?  Ochaco shrugged it off.  “Deku set up the teamwork, I just took advantage of his attack.”

              “You took advantage of it quickly.” Frog-girl said, stroking her own cheek. “That’s just as much part of teamwork as anything.”

              “Dude. Midoriya was a beast.” The yellow-haired blonde grinned.  “Dodging all around those blasts…!”

              “All Might really should have called off the match,” said the frog girl.  Her tone wasn’t accusatory or wondering.  It was calm, observant.

              “Was it that dangerous?” Ochaco looked at the others.

It had all been too fast to think.  One moment, they were running through the building, then suddenly Deku had tackled her, just in time to dodge the explosion.  They’d hit the ground hard, the heat had washed over them, and then Deku was pulling her to her feet by the arm, shouting at her to go-- Run on ahead, Uraraka, don’t worry about me! That last image of the scrawny boy standing between her and the maniacally grinning Bakugo had haunted her all the way up the elevator shaft.  She had kept telling herself to stick to the plan, to trust that Deku knew what he was doing…

She swallowed.  “He’d… Midoriya said Bakugo would focus on him… so we thought we should split up…”

“That was the right call.” Frog-girl nodded again.  “Bakugo seems too nimble to effectively gang up on.  You would have been in the way.”

It was a bald, tactless statement, and Ochaco blinked at the strange girl. She saw some of the others looking too—but no one disagreeing.  Apparently the girl had only said what the others were thinking.  But the girl herself hadn’t even looked away from the screens.  “Kirishima and Sero seem to do well together.”

              Ochaco hadn’t really been watching the screens. It looked like Kirishima was taking on the kid in the yellow muscle outfit, while the tape-boy (Sero?) had already ensnared the flocks of birds trying to attack the bomb.

              “Playing to their strengths while retaining independence,” the girl mused.  “It’s a flexible strategy, but could be exploited by a more coordinated team like yours. Too bad it looks like Sato and Koji aren’t that sort of team.”

              Sato. Koji. Sero. Ochaco repeated the names in her head.  People liked it when you remembered their names, but it took a bit of work. “You’re… taking this pretty seriously.”

              “Ribbit? Am I?” The girl’s large eyes blinked over toward her for a moment.  “I guess I don’t really know the difference. Tokoyami and I are going up pretty quickly.”

“Kirishima and Sero are really well suited to defense.” A bird-faced boy seemed to materialize out of the darkness.  “A devious stratagem, to use the tape as a net like that.”

“Sato could have charged right through them.  If Koji could’ve distracted Kirishima…”

Ocahaco felt her attention slipping as the others began analyzing the attack strategy of the boys on the screen.  She should be focused, she knew, she should be paying attention, like the others were, but she couldn’t help it.

It was weird, but she kept feeling it—the firm pressure of arms grabbing her around the waist, pulling her clear of the heat of the explosion. Surprisingly firm arms.  

#

              To Ochaco’s surprise, Deku disappeared soon after class.  Everyone wanted to talk to him about his amazing battle, the way he’d dodged Bakugo, all sorts of things that Ochaco had had no idea about, but he excused himself nearly immediately.  It was a pity, because the others had all decided to grab an after-school snack together.

              “A mochii cake? Is that all you’re getting, Uraraka?” The blonde boy (Kaminari, Ochaco reminded herself.) looked at her.

              “Um…” Ochaco hadn’t expected anyone to really notice. “…yeah.  I’m… um… I’m on a diet.”

              “Ah, right, that makes sense.”  Kaminari nodded.

              The earlets girl (Jiro) smacked him. “You’re not supposed to agree, moron.”

              “Wait, I’m not?” Kaminari looked confused.  

              Jiro gestured.  “Does she look like she needs to go on a diet?”

              “Well no, but…”

              Ochaco felt relief as the table started arguing about how to respond to diets. At least they’d forgotten about her meal plans. The mochii cake was honestly a bit extravagant, but after a look at the school’s lunch plan, Ochaco felt she could splurge a bit—UA had a remarkably affordable cafeteria. Probably due to Lunch Rush’s quirk… She shook the ungrateful thought away.

              “You have quite a formidable quirk, Uraraka,” said a voice.

              Ochaco turned. “Ah!  Thank you…” she struggled to remember the tail-boy’s name.

              “Ojiro.” The quiet teen did not seem put off at being forgotten.  “Mashirao Ojiro.  Does your quirk run in the family?”

              “Ah… no.”  Ochaco swallowed.  “No, my parents are… there’s not a quirk like that anywhere in the family.  It’s a mutation.”

              Ojiro nodded.  “How do you come up with your moves, then?  I’ve never heard of a quirk like it; there must not be a lot of examples for you to study.”

              Ochaco shrugged.  “I don’t really… come up with moves, I guess. I just use it for whatever seems handy at the moment.”

              “You improvise, then,” Ojiro said.

              “…yeah, that sounds right.” Ochaco nodded.  “I mean, I’m always looking for ideas—when we figured out my quirk actually was I started reading up on space and gravity and stuff so I know how to use it.  But I haven’t really thought of any combat applications.”

              “It’s impressive that you’re able to react that quickly,” Ojiro took a drink of water.  “I needed to practice a great deal before my reflexes were fast enough to use my quirk effectively.”

              “What is your quirk, anyway?” Ochaco asked.  She’d wondered if there was more than the obvious to this boy.

              “It’s just the tail.” Ojiro smiled.  “That’s all it is.”

              “…oh.” Ochaco wasn’t quite sure what to say.  “That’s… wow.” She blinked as the full implications hit her.  “Wait, so you smashed your way through the placement exam like that?”  She stared at him.  “You… must train a LOT.”

              “…I do.”Ojiro seemed to preen, just a little, before quickly re-composing himself.  “Many heroes do.  It’s not that unusual. Midoriya, I’m sure, must train extensively—he was able to fight Bakugo with almost no quirk at all.”  His face fell.  “Certainly he fared much better than I did against Shoto.”

              “Oh, but that was…”Ochaco realized she had nothing to finish the sentence. “…I mean, you couldn’t have…”

              “We were outclassed, yes.” Ojiro nodded.  “Hard work cannot always overcome raw power or an impressive quirk.” He played around with his glass.  “Good to keep in mind.”

              Ochaco looked at him for a moment more, then let her head rest against the table with a sigh.

              “Something wrong?” She heard him ask.

              “It’s just…” Ochaco waved.  “People here are analyzing and practicing and have names and costumes and moves all thought out and I… just…” she gestured.  “I mean, I didn’t even have a good idea for my costume. I feel like…” she laughed, sitting up.  “…I feel I’m just not on the same level with you guys.”

              “If you’re here, then you are,” Ojiro said. He smiled, almost to himself.  “I suppose I should keep that in mind myself—second-guessing whether one is ‘good enough’ to be here isn’t a judgment one can make.” He nodded.  “In a way, the school accepted us not even because of who we are, but who we could become.”  The nodding grew more pronounced.  “That’s a very good point.  Thank you, Ochaco.”

              Ochaco was confused.  “I didn’t…”

              “That makes me feel much better.” Ojiro drained the rest of his water.  He looked at her with a smile.  “I don’t usually talk this much to people I’ve only just met.  You’re a very easy person to talk to.”  He leaned closer.  “For what it’s worth, I didn’t put a lot of thought into my costume either, I just asked for somethin that would give me a lot of freedom to move.”

              Ochaco blinked.  I wonder what costume I would’ve gotten if I’d put that down.