#he proclaims himself dead to wilson

[rabarbarzcukrem]

Okay I've been meaning to write this post for a while because. Those last few episodes have fucking layers mannnn

So let me start by saying that House and Cuddy's relationship was, sadly, doomed from the very beginning. That's not to say that it didn't have any chance of working out, ever, because they clearly had chemistry and cared about each other. But the circumstances of them getting together, the fact that it was the reason House decided to stay clean makes for an absolutely awful start. It fucks up the dynamic of your relationship - it demands one person to stay for the sake of ensuring the other doesn't relapse, and no one should ever be put under this kind of pressure. Secondly, it was always conditional - which is actually not as bad as it sounds. House is a person who loves pushing boundaries, and Cuddy is a woman who knows her own worth. She, Stacy and even Dominika aren't pushovers - with them, there are lines that House knows he can't cross. Lines that, once crossed, will make them decide it's not worth it and leave him.

And here's where Wilson comes in, because he's exactly this kind of pushover. During one of the therapy sessions House straight up admits that's why he's still his friend - because he can say anything to him and he won't leave. Wilson's affection for him is truly unconditional, and as unhealthy it may be, it's the only kind of relationship that really works for House.

See, he is fundamentally a selfish person. I am not saying that he doesn't have his moments of kindness, but on the most basic level he prioritizes his own needs above everyone else's. He's right when he says he doesn't sacrifice himself. In fact he's incapable of, or perhaps too stubborn to, sacrifice even the smallest amount of his own comfort for the other person, or to simply make the situation easier - a quality that's crucial for, y'know. Existing within society, not to mention maintaining a romantic relationship. He follows his own curiosities with no regard for anything, he will intentionally make his own life harder just to get what he wants, to end up being right. Even in his affection and care for other people he's always centering himself - when Cuddy is hospitalized, he panics. But his fear doesn't motivate him to support her in this trying time, it consumes him to the point he can't even bring himself to visit her. It doesn't matter that she's the one who's sick, or even that her tumor is benign. The only thing that matters is that he is scared.

Someone might say: "well, yeah, but underneath all of this he's actually full of self-hate". And I agree! Except that fact only contributes to his selfishness. You know how anxiety disorders make you worry about what other people think of you to the point you're not actually focusing on them, but only on yourself and your worst qualities? That's exactly what's happening here. In fact, his overall cynicism and pessimism require that of him. If he believes himself a horrible person, and one incapable of change at that, and also believes in the inherent cruelty of the universe and ultimate egoism of all people, of course he ends up unable to connect with anyone. Like when he ends up pushing Stacy away, because he decides it's not even worth it to give them a chance at happiness - making it all about himself again. He thinks he's unlovable, so he acts like a dick. Because he acts like a dick, no one wants to deal with him. This confirms his assumption that he's unlovable, and the cycle continues.

And the reason these last episodes are so gut-wrenching is because all of that gets completely turned on its head. You see, Wilson and his friendship is House's point of reference, the one stable thing in his life, one thing he can be sure of. He's very cautious about depending on anything and anyone else, and yet in Wilson he puts complete trust. During his time in prison, he admits to one of the men there that he's "peepless", because nobody has ever visited him. Yet once he comes back, he's fully ready to fall into the same routine with Wilson, almost as if the possibility of their friendship ending has never crossed his mind. Because he can do unimaginably stupid and cruel things, he can make everyone hate him, but no matter what he does he will not lose Wilson.

Except that when Wilson gets cancer, he has to face the reality that no matter what he does...he will lose him. And the rug is pulled from under his feet.

Once again, we see House repeat the usual pattern of being so scared of losing people that he panics and abandons them at the time they need him the most. He's so terrified of having to not only witness Wilson's death, but keep on living without him, that he gives in to his most self-destructive tendencies. He takes the cowardly way out, because the alternative would require him to get over himself, to get over his fear and insecurities, to endure it for the sake of being there for someone else. He can't bring himself to, he decides it's just not worth the pain.

Except..in those last moments, when he's debating with himself if he should go through with it, he ends up breaking the goddamn pattern. He goes against his self-centeredness, his stagnancy, the features that are the most central to his whole character and opens himself up to change. House! Who has long accepted that people, and especially him, will never change! He sacrifices not only his comfort, not only his core beliefs, but the very thing he lives for - the puzzle, or more specifically, medicine, just to spend these last few months with his best friend. It doesn't matter that it hurts, it doesn't matter that House has lost all hope and doesn't see the point of it all, he will bear it. Because Wilson needs him..and that's enough.

[whileiamdying]

Review: Casablanca

The film has a peculiar magic to it, and because of its pace the richness of its sense of detail often goes unnoticed.

by Jeremiah Kipp December 13, 2008

 Photo: Film Forum

y the time we arrive at Rick’s Café Américain, a certain paranoia and vivacity has been set—and then comes romance, in the form of piano player Sam (Dooley Wilson) and his rendition of “It Had to Be You” as the camera makes a slow dolly toward him through the bustling crowd and wafts of cigarette smoke. It’s easy to fall into the rhythms of Casablanca, long before the appearance of the star-crossed lovers and their damaged idealism, or most of the great character actors who populate the world of Michael Curtiz’s film make their presence felt—such as Sydney Greenstreet’s bemusedly sinister Signor Ferrari and Peter Lorre’s nervously sweaty Ugarte.

The film has a peculiar magic to it, and because of its pace the richness of its sense of detail often goes unnoticed. Audiences make generalizations about Casablanca because of how all those little particulars add up. Film lovers discuss it with a starry look in their eyes, as if they were describing their first kiss or a lost love, because something in the film touches them, perhaps its theme of dignity and decency, of rediscovered idealism. Men seem almost instinctively drawn to Humphrey Bogart’s Rick because he’s a man of integrity, while women seem to dig him because he’s a man of mystery.

There’s also something else to Rick, and it’s visible in his hangdog face. When we first see him he’s playing chess by himself, and the light picks up on a small glimmer of spittle on his lips. Bogart was always a sputtering actor, which made him so great as a B-movie villain cowering for his life before getting shot to death by the hero. But his sudden stardom revealed something incredibly human, and as such relatable, about him. He seemed more like a real man than, say, the frequently idealized characters played by Errol Flynn. The fact that Bogart was a movie star says a lot about his particular charisma—the kind that’s earned by an actor who’s paid his dues and figured out who he is. Rick is his own man, and like those refugees at the start of the film who watch a plane fly above Casablanca, his life experience is written on his face.

Rick is first seen with his back turned to a local who’s had too much to drink. “Rick, where were you last night?” the man says, to which Rick replies, “That was so long ago, I don’t remember.” Even though there’s no overt sex in Casablanca, it’s constantly implied. When Rick orders his bartender to take a girl home in a cab, he asks him to come right back. In the scenes between Rick and Captain Renaud (Claude Rains), the men talk about women as if they were baubles to be admired, then dropped. Renaud also fawns over his friend with the most extravagant, slightly ironic hero-worship, and in a classic line from the film, Rains’s classy, debonair captain tells Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa Lund that if he were a woman, he’d also be in love with Rick.

It’s astonishing when Bergman materializes some 30 minutes into the film, after Ugarte has whimpered for his life and been shot dead, and Rick has proclaimed that he “sticks his neck out for no one” and came to Casablanca “for the waters.” The shot that first captures the glamorous Bergman doesn’t call attention to itself, or highlight her in the frame, and yet we can’t take our eyes off her. It’s strange, because the shot is very wide, the dress she wears is plain, and she looks nervous and hesitant. How can a woman be so luminous when she’s moving her face back and forth like a deer transfixed by car headlights? When the audience finally sees Ila in close-up, sitting at a table in Rick’s Café with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), her face is somewhat round, her eyes are sharp, and her voice has a certain breathless quality. Bergman, like Bogart, captivates us because of that ineffable thing we call presence. In this moment, the audience instantly understands Rick and Ilsa through the actors’ faces.

If audiences are to admire Rick and Bogart, then we’re meant to adore Ilsa and Bergman. Victor is set up as a great freedom fighter, yet he feels more like an abstract idea or plot point, not unlike the letters of transit that allow people safe passage out of Casablanca. Ilsa, like Rick, is a full person, with vulnerability in her eyes and a magnetism to her presence that goes beyond gauzy lenses and classical three-point lighting. Naturally they’re drawn to one another. She has a lot of big moments in the film, but a lot of small ones too that are just as memorable, such as that tiny, mischievous gleam in her eyes when she asks Sam to play some of the old songs.

There are, of course, the close-ups of Rick and Ilsa when they see each other for the first time as Sam plays “As Time Goes By,” but there’s also the furtive glances that they throw at one another before their eyes flicker back to the table, as they sit chatting about precedents being broken with Victor and Renaud. Casablanca is about striving for something meaningful. But it’s also a tale of sacrifice in the name of greater good, set in a world of shadows, booze, cigarette smoke, and memories. The love story at its center of allows heroes to tap into something special within themselves, and if they lost it in Paris, somehow they got it back in Casablanca. The film is all of those things at once, but it’s also about these people, these faces, and all the little moments between them. It reminds us that when we’re in relationships, we learn more about who we are reflected in others, and when we go to the movies, the great ones can do the same thing.

Score:  

Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Dooley Wilson  Director: Michael Curtiz  Screenwriter: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch  Distributor: Warner Bros.  Running Time: 102 min  Rating: NR  Year: 1942  Buy: Video, Soundtrack

[tricksters-captain]

Bucky Barnes imagines - Some Sunny Day Part 4

AN: What a crazy episode! I definitely think this episode was one of the best so far and I cannot wait to see what happens next after that insane ending!

Overall Summary: Before the Blip, you and Bucky were close. After you both returning and Tony’s funeral, you decided to go back to your home town to spend time with your family. When duty calls, you return.  

In this chapter: Now in Latvia, you and the boys must find Karli before the Dora take Zemo away (Based on S1 EP4)

(PART 1) (PART 2) (PART 3)

Pairing(s): Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader, Sam Wilson x Platonic!Reader

Word Count: 6,123

Warnings: Spoilers for episode 4, violence, strong language.

Once inside Zemo’s apartment, you started to look through the cupboards. 

Zemo had excused himself to take a bath but you felt starved. 

Even with the limited stock you managed to whip something up for you and Sam. 

“Thank you.” Sam took the bowl from you gratefully. The food Zemo had given you on his private plane wasn’t exactly edible and you were still feeling the affects of the Nagel fail in your body. 

“Well, the Wakandans are here.” Bucky announced as he entered the apartment; having returned from his walk. “They want Zemo. Bought us some more time.”

“”Were you followed?” Sam looked up at him. 

“No.” Bucky made his way over to you and Sam by the kitchen island. 

“How can you be so sure?” Zemo pondered. 

“Cause I know when I’m being followed.” Bucky sent an unimpressed glance to the man in the bathrobe. 

You pushed a bowl of pasta towards Bucky but he shook his head and pulled out his phone.

“It was sweet of you to defend me at least.” Zemo stated. 

“Hey, you shut it.” Sam quipped. “No one’s defending you. You killed Nagel.” 

“You gotta eat.” You whispered to Bucky. 

“Do we really have to litigate what may or may not have happened?” Zemo rounded the island so he was closer to you all.

“I’ll eat later.” Bucky mumbled back to you as he furrowed his brow at twitter. 

“There’s nothing to litigate. You straight shot the man.” Sam argued with Zemo. 

“Sam.” Bucky had found something. 

“What?” Sam turned his attention to Bucky and away from Zemo. 

“Karli bombed a GRC supply depot.” Bucky showed you his phone screen so you could read.

“What? What’s the damage?” Sam’s concern grew quickly. 

“Eleven injured, three dead.” You said after skimming over the article. 

“They have a list of demands and are promising more attacks if those demands aren’t met.” Bucky added as Sam sighed. 

“She’s getting worse.” Zemo spoke up. “I have the will to complete this mission. Do the three of you?”

“She’s just a kid.” Sam was right. She was only young, she reminded you of you when you first joined the avengers. Desperate to fight for a cause. 

“You’re seeing something in her that isn’t there.” Zemo disagreed. “You’re clouded by it. She’s a supremacist. The very concept of a Super Soldier will always trouble people. It’s that warped aspiration that led to Nazis, to Ultron, to the Avengers.”

“You’re talking about our friends.” You felt the need to remind Zemo that you were actually apart of the Avengers as you placed your empty bowl in the sink. 

“The Avengers, not the Nazis.” Bucky felt the need to clarify. 

“So, Karli is radicalised, but there has to be a peaceful way to stop her.” Sam was determined there wasn’t a need for a fight. 

“The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path. She will not stop. She will escalate until you kill her.” Zemo explained as he reached for the bowl you had originally offered Bucky. “Or she kills you.” 

You swatted his hand away to which he frowned at. 

“Maybe you’re wrong, Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve.” Bucky argued his point. 

“Touché.” Zemo picked up a biscuit instead. Holding it on his finger as he spoke. “But there has never been another Steve Rogers, has there?”

“Well, maybe we should give him to the Wakandans right now.” Bucky suggested to you and Sam as he moved over to the couch. 

“And you’ll give up your tour guide?” Zemo asked as he opened the cupboards to look for some food. 

“Yes.” Bucky didn’t hesitate. 

“From my understanding, Donya is like a pillar of the community, right?” Sam interrupted with a new thought. “So, when I was a kid, my TT passed away.”

“Your TT?” Bucky asked, unsure of what Sam had meant. 

“Yeah, my TT, yeah.” Sam nodded. 

“Who is your TT?” Bucky asked as you sat down beside him. 

“Fine. When I was a kid, my aunt passed away and the entire neighborhood got together for a ceremony. It was like a week long. Maybe they’re doing the same thing for Donya.” Sam proposed. He could be right. 

“Worth a shot.” You proclaimed. 

“Your TT would be proud of you.” Zemo sounded more awkward at the use of the phrase before he pulled out a fancy looking tin. “Turkish delight? Irresistible.”

Sam caught the small sweet that Zemo had thrown. 

“I say Zemo put’s some clothes on and we head over to the refugee camp that Donya was staying. See if anyone knows anything about a funeral or ceremony for her.” You ignored Zemo as he looked down at the sweets. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Sam stood from his seat at the island and looked over at Zemo. 

Zemo nodded before disappearing into a bedroom to change. 

It didn't take long to get to the camp from Zemo’s apartment. 

“Shame what’s become of this place. When I was young, we used to come here for fabulous dinners and parties. I knew nothing of the politics of the time, of course, but I remember it being beautiful.” Zemo seemed saddened by the state of the buildings being used as the camp. 

“I’m gonna take a look around upstairs. See what you can find out here. And keep an eye on him.” Sam told Bucky as he gestured to Zemo. 

“I’ll stay out of your way.” Zemo promised. 

“(Y/n), you look around through there. See if you can... You know.” Sam pointed down through one of the ground floor doors. You nodded and left the men.

Most of the adults fled when you entered the building but you noticed a young girl who looked too busy with what she was doing to notice. She had looked maybe 16 or 17 years old and she was embroidering an old silk scarf. 

“That’s beautiful.” You knelt down beside her but as you spoke, her eyes shot up and widened with shock and fear. 

“T-t-thank you.” She stuttered as her eyes flittered around the room for help. 

“It’s okay. I was just wondering if I could have a look at it.” You smiled softly at the girl as you held your hand out. 

She reluctantly gave it to you. 

“This truly is beautiful. You are very talented. May I buy it from you?” You placed your hand in your pocket and pulled out a note that you had previously stolen from Zemo’s jacket.

“You c-c-can have it.” She whispered as she stood. You rose with her as you folded the scarf to place into your pocket. 

“I insist.” You took her hand gently and cautiously and placed the money in her palm. She smiled but she still was nervous and full of worry. You figured she knew who you were. 

You folded your hands over hers and that’s when you unplugged the cork on your powers. 

You closed your eyes and within seconds all the girls memories flooded into your head. 

You tried not to react as it happened. 

You tried your best to filter through the memories quickly. When you reached the time after the blip, you slowed down. You saw the horrors of them being rejected, being abandoned and then you saw Mama Donya and Karli. 

You focused on Karli. 

You watched Karli smile and laugh with all the children, she’d play and look after them as Donya looked after Karli. 

Closer memories brought what seemed like events that only just happened. Karli visiting with supplies. 

You saw the mourning of Mama Donya from everyone and then you saw the arrangements for the funeral. 

You opened your eyes and let go of the girls hand. She thanked you again and left. She would have never realised what you had seen as the memories are shown to you within a matter of seconds. 

You leant against the table and inhaled deeply. 

You felt weak again. 

You pushed yourself off the table and headed back out to Bucky. 

Zemo was surrounded by a bunch of small children.

“You okay?”Bucky asked. The second you reappeared he immediately noticed a change in you. 

“I’m okay.” You lied. “I spoke to one of the teenagers inside. I looked inside her head. You were right, Sam. They are having a funeral but she only knew that she would be taken to it later this afternoon.” You explained as Sam joined you both. 

“Good work.” Sam wrapped his arm around you and gave you a small squeeze of appreciation. 

They both knew how hard it must've been for you to use your powers after the Nagel incident. 

The toll of touching the dead had knocked you for six in the past and in a matter of forty eight hours you had touched the dead and looked into the memories of a live person. 

You’ll need an energy boost before you can do this again. 

Zemo turned back to you and you all returned to the apartment. 

“Well, I got nothin’. No one’s talkin’ about Donya.” Bucky slouched down on the couch in defeat. 

“Yeah, it’s because Karli is the only one fighting for them.” Sam joined him on the couch. “And she’s not wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Bucky asked. 

“For five years, people have been welcomed into countries that have kept them out using barbwire. There were houses and jobs. Folks were happy to have people around to help them rebuild. It wasn’t just one community coming together, it was the entire world coming together. And then, boom. Just like that, it goes right back to the way it used to be. To them, at least Karli’s doin’ somethin’.” Sam explained himself. 

“You really think her ends justify her means? Then, she’s no different than him or anybody else we’ve fought.” Bucky pointed over to Zemo. 

“She’s different. She’s not motivated by the same things.” Sam argued with Bucky.

“Sam’s right.” You spoke up. “When I looked into that girls head I saw a lot of Karli. She means a lot to those people, she is their light, their Captain America. But she’s just a kid. From what I saw she has a whole lot of love in her heart and I'm not saying that hurting and killing people is right but she sees it as the only way to help her people.” 

Zemo had walked over from the kitchen with a tray as you spoke. 

“That little girl. What’d she tell you?” Bucky questioned him. 

“The funeral is this afternoon.” Zemo only said what you already knew. 

“We know that. Now you know the Dora’s coming for you any minute. In fact, they’re probably lurking outside right now. Keep talking.” Bucky demanded. 

“Leaving you to turn on me once we get to Karli. Hmm. I prefer to keep my leverage.” Zemo sure knew how to push someone’s buttons. 

Bucky shot up and threw Zemo’s cup against the wall. The crashing of the glass made both you and Sam jump to your feet. 

“You wanna see what someone can do with leverage?” Bucky threatened Zemo. 

“Take it easy. Don’t engage him. He’s just gonna extort you and do that stupid head tilt thing.” Sam tried to de-elevate the situation. “Let me make a call.”

“You want some cherry blossom tea?” Zemo offered Bucky as Sam walked away.

“No, you go ahead.” Bucky grumbled, scowling at the Baron. 

“Come on.” You took Bucky’s hand and pulled him away from Zemo. 

You headed into the bathroom and started to fill up the tub with some cold water. 

“Will you get me some ice?” You asked Bucky to which he complied. 

Once the tub was full of ice water, you stripped and climbed inside. 

Bucky had taken a stool and faced the door to give you some privacy. 

“You shouldn’t let him get to you.” You said as you settled into the water. Your body was screaming at you as the ice touched it but you knew it’d give you the wake up call you and your muscles needed. 

“I don’t.” Bucky grimaced. 

“You don’t? Oh, so the shattered cup in the other room was just a scare tactic?” You mused. 

“Yep.” Bucky grumbled. 

“Okay.” You sighed before going under. 

The cold water hit your brain and you immediately sat back up. 

“Feel better?” Bucky had heard the splashing of the water. 

“Yeah.” You admitted, running your hands over your face and hair. “Can I have my towel?”

Bucky kept his back to you as he passed you the towel. 

You wrapped it around you and stepped out. 

“You can look.” You told him.

Bucky turned and his eyes went straight to the bruises that covered your legs and arms. 

“I’m okay, Buck.” You assured him as you watched the cogs turning in his head. 

“I forget you aren’t...” Bucky’s words dropped off as he stepped closer and lightly took your arm, examining the damage. 

“That I’m not a super soldier?” You smirked. “I may bruise but I can hold a lot more than most, Buck.” 

“Doesn’t stop me worrying.” Bucky admitted as he lowered your arm. 

“I know.” You whispered, looking up at the man’s deep blue eyes.

“You better get dressed. You already know what Sam is thinking with us both being gone right now.” Bucky went to go towards the door when you stopped him. 

“I had a dream about Wakanda on the plane ride here.” You confessed. 

Bucky stopped and looked back at you. 

“It was the day you finally beat the Winter Soldier.” You told him. 

*Flashback*

“These are incredible, Shuri.”  You smiled widely as you threw the new high tech Vibranium knives that Shuri had made for you. 

“I know. I know.” Shuri was well aware of her awesome brain. 

Shuri pressed the combat button on the wall which simulated attackers for intense weapon training. 

You inhaled as you closed your eyes. 

A footstep gave away your first attacker. You threw the knives to the holograms and the attackers were down. You ducked and dodged and jumped around the room as you practised with the knives. 

Shuri cheered you when you finished. You smiled through your heavy breaths and Shuri jogged towards you to give you a fist bump. 

“You are something else, my friend.” Shuri praised you. 

The doors opening behind you made both you and Shuri turn to see who had entered. 

It was Bucky. 

He rushed towards you with a bright smile. His lips seemed to quiver and his eyes were glassy. Something had happened. 

It had happened.

He embraced you tightly and you returned it. Your fingers gripped onto Bucky’s long hair as he buried his face in your neck. 

You looked back at Ayo (who had followed Bucky) and Shuri and mouthed a ‘Thank you’. 

Ayo bowed her head at you before leaving the hall. 

Bucky had finally gotten over HYDRA’s programming after all these years of being held prisoner by a few words. 

You and Bucky stayed like that for what felt like hours. The relief from Bucky washed over you and bound him to you until he was ready to part. 

It was an incredible day.

*End of Flashback*

“Maybe you could sense that the Dora’s were close on our tails.” Bucky suggested. 

“No, we all knew that they’d come for Zemo eventually.” You dismissed the idea. “I think it was after seeing Zemo treat you like him again.” 

Bucky remained silent. 

“I don’t think I ever told you how proud I was of you that day.” You folded your arms over your chest as you leant back on the tub.

“You didn't need to.” Bucky assured you. “I already knew.” 

You watched Bucky leave the bathroom so you could change. 

When you had returned to the main space again it was just about time to head out again. 

You felt a little nervous as you didn’t really want a fight with Karli since you weren’t 100% but you figured you had felt a hell of a lot worse before.

As you left the apartment, a voice and face you didn’t particularly wanna see called out. 

“Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you guys to be pulling this shit.” John Walker and his little side kick were walking down some stairs towards you. 

“Ah! How’d you find us now?” Bucky called back. 

“Come on. You think three Avengers can walk around Latvia without drawing attention?” Lemar, Walker’s partner, scoffed. 

“No more keeping us in the dark. You could start by telling us why you broke him out of prison.” Walker pointed out Zemo. 

“He did that himself, technically.” Bucky corrected Walker.  

“This better be an unbelievable explana––”

“––Hey, take it easy before it gets weird.” Sam interrupted Walker before things could get heated in front of civilians.

“I know where Karli is.” Zemo kept walking as the others stopped. 

“Well, where?” Walker asked, stopping Zemo by stepping in his way. 

“All we know is it’s a memorial. So, we’re gonna intercept her there.” Sam informed them.

“That means civilians. High risk of casualties.” Lemar relaid to his partner as you continued to walk.

“All right, good, we’ll move in fast. Take her by surprise.” Walker started to talk through his plan when Sam stopped him. 

“No, I wanna talk to her alone.”

“I’m not losing her again.” Walker argued with Sam. 

“Look, the person closest to her died, she’s vulnerable. Now is the best time to reason with her.” Sam was trying to defend his reasoning but Walker wasn’t having it. 

“What? No. Wait, no! No! Stop. Hold on. Stop, okay?” Walker ran up ahead to stop everyone again. “I think we’re way past reasoning with her, unless you forgot that she blew up a building with people still in it.” 

“Sam, you walk in there cold, she could kill you, man.”Lemar tried backing up his partner. 

“If I go in hot and the op goes wrong, more people will die.” Sam handed over the other scenario. 

“You’ll let him do this?” Walker looked between you and Bucky. “Are you gonna let your partner walk into a room with a Super Soldier alone?”

“He’s dealt with worse.” Bucky told him flatly. “And he’s not my partner.”

“I used to counsel soldiers dealing with trauma, okay? This is in my wheelhouse.” Sam walked past you and Bucky to face Walker.

“I know. And I know those soldiers, which is why I know this is a bad idea.” Walker still wasn't on board. 

“Wait, John.” Lemar stopped Walker.  “If he can talk her down, it might be worth a try.”  

“Thank god Battle-scar here has some sense.” You declared. 

“It’s Battle Star actually.”Lemar smiled at you but you ignored him. 

“We’ll deal with you later.” Walker told Zemo as he caved in.

“I’m sure it will all come to an agreeable conclusion. My associate is just up ahead.” Zemo lead you towards the young girl he had spoken to earlier that day. 

“Hello, my friend. This is for your family. Can you show us the way?” Zemo handed her some money and the girl beckoned for you all to follow.  

“What the hell?” Walker seemed a little confused by Zemo’s ‘associate’ being 12.

The girl lead you to the building where the funeral was being held and you all waited for a signal. 

“Karli’s in there.” Zemo announced as the girl ran off. 

Sam went in whilst Walker cuffed Zemo. 

“You got 10 minutes. Then we are doing things my way.” Walker told Sam before he left. 

“Aggressive.” Zemo mumbled after being handcuffed. “But I get it.”

You rolled your eyes subtly at both Walker and Zemo. 

You took up a position by the door with Bucky. 

You watched Walker sit down, his grip on the shield was tight as he slowly huffed in and out. 

You frowned as you studied the man. Your eyes glanced over to Zemo who was also watching Walker. 

You shared a look before you let your eyes fall back down to your feet.  

“Uh-uh. No, no, no. This is a bad idea.” Walker started to pace as he let his impatience get the best of him. 

“It hasn’t been ten minutes, John. Just sit tight.” Bucky sighed unimpressed by the young solder. 

“Don’t do that. Don’t patronise me.” Walker glared back at Bucky. 

“Sam knows what he’s doing.” You backed Bucky up. 

You all watched Walker stop as he thought. His heavy breathes causing his chest to rise up and down quickly. 

“I’m goin’ in.” Walker didn’t want to listen anymore. He stormed towards the door but both you and Bucky stepped in his way.

“This is all really easy for you, isn’t it? All that serum runnin’ through your veins.” Walker didn’t even look at you as he squared up to Bucky. 

That really bothered you.

You took hold of the man’s upper arm and yanked him to look at you. 

“You may be Captain America right now but we don’t follow you. We said we’d give him 10 minutes. So, he’s getting 10 minutes.” You glowered at the man. 

“Your partner needs backup in there. Do you really want his blood on your hands?” Walker leant towards you, trying to be intimidating but it wasn’t working. 

“Just wait.” You looked the man in the eye with a subtle threat in your stare. His jaw clenched as he tugged his arm away from you. 

Walker went back to look at the clock again. 

After a couple more minutes, he tried once more. 

“Time’s up! Our turn.” Walker didn’t hesitate to push past you as he charged ahead. 

Bucky kept his tongue in his cheek as he watched it happen. 

You and Bucky stayed behind Walker and his partner as they marched ahead.

“Karli Morgenthau, you’re under arrest.” Walker announced as he entered the room. 

“This is what that was?” Betrayal flashed across Karli’s face as she looked at Sam. 

“No, wait––” Sam didn’t have a chance now that Walker had intervened.

“––Tricking me until help came?” Karli started to back away. 

“We had enough time to talk.” Walker exclaimed as he headed straight for Karli. 

“Nazi! “ Karli wasn't going the easy way. She hit Walker back and he went straight into a table. 

Lemar tried to keep you and Bucky back but you had easily managed to get round him to chase after Karli. 

Bucky being what he was managed to get ahead of you but you were close on their trail. 

Sam had found his own way but ultimately you all lost Karli. 

“I lost her.” Bucky sighed.

“This place is a maze.” Sam looked around at the several doorways with a frown. 

The sound of gunshots is what caught your attention next. 

“Come on.” You rushed through the building trying to get to the source. 

You didn’t manage to get there before Walker did. 

Zemo was unconscious on the floor and vials of the serum were smashed around the concrete floor. 

“What happened?” You asked as you looked down at the mess. 

“He was shooting at Karli. I stopped him but she got away.” Walker lifted his shield a little to symbol how he had stopped Zemo. 

“Let’s get him up.” Sam started down the stairs and you followed. 

Zemo woke up after a little encouragement and some smelling salts. You had decided it was best if you split up on your way back to the apartment. 

You and Sam were going to stay with Zemo and see if you can dig up anything on socials and the computer and Bucky was going to do a round and see if she had holed up anywhere familiar. 

Sam sat at his computer, he was contacting Sharon whilst you stood with your phone searching Twitter to see if any Flag Smashers appearances or Karli were popping up in recent tweets. 

Zemo laid down on the couch with a wet towel and a strong glass of scotch. 

“You got anything?” Sam asked you. 

“Nothing. I don’t think we’ll find her this time if she doesn’t want us too.” You put your phone down in defeat. It wasn't usual for people to give her Karli’s location anyway. 

“I think you’re right.” Sam hated to agree but this was the first time you had come close to actually talking Karli down and it failed. 

“And now with the serum’s gone. Who knows what her next move will be.” You knew that Karli didn’t have the option to create more super soldiers now and that gives her a disadvantage. The idea of an army is gone now and she would only have her current foot soldiers to help her. 

Zemo moved for the first time in ten minutes as he lifted his cold compress. 

“Were you ever offered it?" He asked aloud. 

“What?” Sam furrowed his brow at the man. 

“The serum.” Zemo replied. 

“No.” Sam smirked at the idea. 

“If you had been, hypothetically, that is, would you have taken it?” Zemo inquired. 

“No.” Sam answered instantly, his smile dropping. 

“No hesitation. That’s impressive.” Zemo nodded before removing his towel. “Sam. (Y/n). You can’t hold out hope for Karli. No matter what you saw in her, she’s gone. And we cannot allow that she and her acolytes become yet another faction of gods amongst real people. Super Soldiers cannot be allowed to exist.”

“Isn’t that how gods talk?” Sam queried. “And if that’s how you feel, what about Bucky?” There was a silence from Zemo. “Blood isn’t always the solution.” 

Before the conversation could continue, the door opened and Bucky strode inside.

“Something’s not right about Walker.” Bucky stated as he removed his jacket. 

“You don’t say.” Sam huffed with amusement. It was clear as day that Walker was at his wits end with the pressure on him.

“Well, I know a crazy when I see one. Because I am crazy.” Bucky poured himself a glass of whiskey. You rolled your eyes at his statement. 

“Can’t argue with that.” Sam retorted. 

“Shouldn’t have given him the shield.” Bucky was back on this topic again. 

“I didn’t give him the shield.” Sam rose to his feet to face Bucky.

“Well, Steve definitely didn’t.” Bucky sipped on his drink just as the doors flew open. 

All right. That’s it. Let’s go. I’m now ordering you to turn him over.” Walker commanded, his face red and his ears steaming. 

“Hey, slow your roll. Shield or no shield, the only thing you’re runnin’ in here is your mouth. Now, I had Karli and you overstepped. He’s actually proven himself useful today. We’ll need all hands on deck for whatever’s comin’ next.” Sam approached Walker to try and pump his breaks. 

“How do you want the rest of this conversation to go, Sam, huh?” Walker chuckled softly as Sam remained silent. “Yeah. Should I put down the shield? Make it fair?”

Sam scoffed, shaking his head at the man’s antics. 

Walker put down the shield but the only thing flying next was a spear that struck the pillar by Walker’s head. 

It was the Dora Milaje. 

They had come for Zemo. 

From your time in Wakanda you understood the language as Ayo spoke to Bucky. 

“Even if he is a means to an end. Your time is up.” Ayo reverted back to English. “Release him to us now.” 

Walker introduced himself to Ayo, not that she cared for him.

“Well let’s, uh, put the pointy sticks down and we can talk this through, huh?” Walker suggested, only to be met, yet again, by silence from the Dora’s.

“Hey, John, take it easy. You might wanna fight Bucky before you tangle with the Dora Milaje.” Sam tried to warn him but he wasn’t backing down. 

“They don’t have jurisdiction here––”

“––The Dora Milaje have jurisdiction wherever the Dora Milaje find themselves to be.” Ayo cut Walker short. 

“Okay.” John chuckled lightly. “Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot.” Walker made the mistake of putting his hand on Ayo’s shoulder. 

Ayo responded with an attack. 

The surrounding Dora’s fell into defence positions as Ayo and Walker fought.  Lemar bounced into action, trying to help his partner out but it only warranted in more fighting. Or more asses getting kicked by the Dora Milaje. 

“We should do something.” Sam said as you, him and Bucky stood together watching. 

“Looking strong, John.” Bucky called out. 

“Bucky!” You tried not to laugh as you scolded the man. 

“Guys...” Sam nodded to Ayo about to strike John with her spear which made Bucky reluctantly intervene. 

“Ayo, let’s talk about this.” Bucky only landed himself directly in the mess. 

You realised how serious this was as Ayo didn’t hold back and went ahead to help Bucky. Sam went over to help Lemar but was met by more Dora's.

You grunted as one of the women attacked you. You had almost forgotten just how incredible they were at combat. Almost. 

You were backed against a wall with the spear to your chest when the room fell silent. 

You looked over at Bucky to see his arm was on the floor. 

You wanted to move towards him but you were stuck until orders were given to release you. 

“He is gone. Leave it.” Ayo had opened the bathroom doors to reveal the manhole had been opened. Zemo had escaped. 

You were trying to slow your breathing when finally the Dora’s fell back. 

She retracted her spear and left with Ayo and the others. 

“Did you know they could do that?” Sam asked Bucky as he pushed himself off the floor. 

Bucky reattached his arm. He groaned as he swung it round to adjust it. 

“No.” He said but the shock on his face from before had already given away that answer. 

You looked past Bucky to where Walker was still on the floor. 

“You all right, man?” Lemar offered his hand to help him up. 

“They weren’t even Super Soldiers.” You heard Walker mutter. 

“Come on.” Lemar tugged him to his feet. 

“I can’t believe he pulled an El Chapo.” Sam walked over to the bathroom and stared at the hole. 

“I can.” Bucky wasn’t really that surprised and neither were you truthfully. 

“Come on.” You beckoned the boys out of the apartment so you could talk. 

You got down to the streets and away from Walker before you spoke again.��

“Walker isn’t stable. He’s on the brink of cracking.” You kept your voice low as you spoke to the boys. 

“What do you mean?” Sam asked. 

“We may not like him but he’s not stupid. He knows that he can’t be Steve, do the things Steve did and it’s killing him. He's so obviously trying to win this fight by himself and it’s going to drive him insane if he isn’t the one to beat Karli.” 

“But he can’t beat Karli. You saw her kick him across the room like he was a cardboard box.” Sam reminded you of what happened earlier. 

“We have to get to Karli before he does because he’s either gonna stop her or kill himself trying.” You weren't worried for the man but worried about what would happen if he finally snapped. 

Suddenly, Sam’s phone started to ring. It was his sister. 

“She said what? Right. Hold on, hold on. I know, I know. Listen, pack an overnight bag and take the boys...” Sam sounded worried. 

“What happened?” Bucky asked. 

“Karli called Sarah. She threatened my nephews.” Sam told you both. “Okay. Go somewhere safe. Only pay cash. All right? Tell me when you arrive. I know. Look, I love you. I’ll never let anything happen to you and the boys. Okay. Bye.” He hung up and then immediately texted an unknown number. 

“What does she want?” You knew Karli was desperate but threatening kids was a different story.

“Karli wants to meet. She left a contact number.” Sam’s phone buzzed with a new text. “She said come alone.”

“We’re coming with you.” Bucky wasn’t going to take no for an answer. 

“Alright but keep your distance.” Sam didn’t bother to fight you on it. “We better suit up.” 

You suited up by adding a few more weapons to your body. You placed your favourite thigh holsters on that held your Vibranium knives out on display. 

Sam got his wings and soon you were at the location. 

“Karli!” Sam bellowed as you entered the building. 

Karli leant over a balcony to make herself seen. You remained on the ground floor but looked up at the girl. Bucky followed Sam. 

“You called my sister? That’s how we’re gonna play this?” Sam was upset and understandably so. 

“Sam, I would never hurt her. I just wanted to understand you better.” Karli confessed.“I see you, um, didn’t come alone.”Karli peered down at you then up at Bucky. 

“You have to end this now.” Sam told her. 

“I don’t wanna hurt you. You’re a tool in the regimes I’m looking to destroy. You’re not hiding behind a shield. If I were to kill you, it’d be meaningless. I was gonna ask you to join me. Or do the world a favour and let me go.” Karli spoke pretty boldly for someone who seemed to be alone. Super Soldier or not. 

“Hey, Sam, new Cap is moving, looks like he’s found them, or maybe they found him.” Sharon’s voice came through on Sam’s intercom. 

“It’s Walker.” Sam looked down at you and then Bucky. 

Karli jumped from the balcony at the realisation the jig was up but Bucky was quick to jump too. 

Karli kicked Bucky back but you managed to weaken Karli as you flipped over and kicked her in the jaw. 

Sam put her down momentarily as he flew down and kicked her also. 

“I’ll send you the location. Go!” Sam ordered both you and Bucky before he took off. 

You knew Bucky would be fast enough to run there but you didn’t have that luxury. 

You crossed the street to a parked motorbike and opened up it’s wiring. Just as you managed to get it running, Sam’s coordinates came through. 

You docked your phone and set off. 

You dodged through the narrow streets and traffic to arrive at another large building. Karli must have a favour for buildings you could get lost in. 

You drove through the doors and skidded to a stop. 

Bucky had gotten there before you. You could hear his grunts from a flight or two up. 

You raced up them only to be met by a super soldier fighting Bucky. 

You sent a knife forward, it embedded itself into the man’s soldier, he cried out which gave Bucky some time to throw him down the stairs. 

You tucked up, over the tumbling body, holding onto the railing and the wall. 

Bucky jumped over the rails and with one final blow knocked the soldier unconscious. 

“Stay there.” Bucky told him before climbing back up to you. He thanked you for the help, handing you back the knife that had been in the man’s shoulder. 

You then both went ahead to find Sam and Walker. 

They were fighting more super soldiers a floor up. 

You didn’t hesitate to go in for the attack.

You pulled a knife and threw it to Bucky for help; he caught it midair. 

You screamed with frustration as the soldier you were fighting, pulled your arm behind you and slammed you into the pillar. You managed to swivel around, taking out the soldiers legs as you freed your arm. 

You threw a knife into both his biceps. You only intended to injure, not kill, them anyway. 

He groaned as he pulled them and tried to use them against you. 

All at once, the fighting stopped when you all witnessed Karli kick Lemar into one of the concrete pillars. 

Lemar’s body slumped down with blood painted across his lips. 

John broke free from his attacker and slowly made his way over to Lemar. 

From the sight of the body, you already knew he wasn’t walking out of there. 

Walker desperately tried to wake him up. 

That’s when Karli took her chance to flee. 

You and the boys took off after her but lost her again pretty quickly. 

When you rounded the building, you saw a crowd gathering. 

What you saw next made you feel psychically sick. 

John Walker stood above Karli’s right hand man, blood splattered up Steve’s shield and across his uniform. 

He had killed the man in front of all these civilians. He had killed a man as Captain America. 

(PART 5 HERE)

Bucky Barnes Tag List

@florencxs​ @mystictimetravelcolor​ @yourphotographyteen16​@shannon-posts​@darkbluenovember @sexwithhiddlesbatch​@thefandomimagines​ @mydarkness-itsnotmyfriend​ @sad-huffle-nerd​ @glitchingghosts​ @themaddies-obx​ @avenging-parker​@delilahsdaydream​​ @felicityofbakerstreet​​ @purplewcrld​​ @opheliaaaa​​ @avisexe​ @lindseyrae20​ @thanossexual​ @smolanxiousdeku​ @soccer-100000​

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Marvel OC Masterlist 1

Name: Adelaide Stark

Title: Beyond The Archetype

Faceclaim:  Jenna Louise Coleman

Love interest: Sam Wilson

Summary: Adelaide Stark had always had a lot to live up to. Her dad always tried not to put a lot of pressure on her, but the rest of the world hadn’t been so kind.  So, Adi spent the first seventeen years of her life working and studying to follow in her family’s footsteps and work on military technology.  But when her father goes missing in her senior year of high school, her world falls apart.  And when he comes back, alive and a superhero, she has to rebuild herself and her dreams.  Now, not only Tony Stark’s daughter, but also Iron Man’s daughter, Adi realizes that maybe it’s time for her to stop following, and to do something for herself instead.

Name: Adonis Stark

Title: Stars Defied

Faceclaim: Colin Donnell

Love Interest: Orion Royce

Name: чудо | Adriana Stark

Title: Like The Sun (We Will Live To Rise)

Faceclaim:  Madison McLaughlin

Love interest: Peter Parker?

Name: Alana Stark

Title: Born To Die

Faceclaim: Madison Davenport

Name: Alena Zemo

Title: Untitled

Faceclaim: Poppy Drayton

Love Interest: Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes

Name: Alessia Stark

Title: When Tomorrow Comes

Faceclaim: Melissa Benoist

Love Interest: Steve Rogers

Summary: “So this Doctor Banner was was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?”  “A lot of people were, only one succeeded.”  “Who?”  “Howard Stark.” -Steve Rogers and Phil Coulson

When Alessia Stark was sixteen, her dad used her to test out a new super serum.  He succeeded, and died a week later.  Aly Stark has never wanted to be a hero, despite the serum running through her veins.  She grew stronger, her aging slowed, she had even developed an inhuman healing factor, but she still didn’t want to be a hero.  Until her twin brother - now over a decade older than her - is kidnapped by terroists and returns a superhero.  Aly may not want to be a hero, but she’ll be damned if she leaves her brother to fight alone

Name: Alvina Strange

Title: Paradox

Faceclaim:  Alba Baptista

Name: Angelina Stark

Title: Cheap Tricks (And A Cheesy One-Liner)

Faceclaim: Phoebe Tonkin

Name: Angie Stark

Title: Turn Back Time

Faceclaim: Malina Weissman

Name: Antonia Stark-Parker

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Olivia Holt

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Anya Barton

Title: What Happened In Budapest (Doesn’t Stay In Budapest)

Faceclaim:  Emma Stone

Love interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary:  What happened in Budapest?  Clint and Natasha took out an arms dealer, saved the world, had a baby, learned that the Red Room lied about sterilizing Natasha, and killed a few people.  Now all grown up, Anya Barton is the newest SHIELD recruit, and almost immediately, aliens invade and a god brainwashes her father; that’s a hell of a first day.  But Anya is the daughter of two of the greatest spies in the world, she’s not going down without a fight.  Not when aliens invade, not when SHIELD is revealed to be Hydra and she has to go off the grid, and definitely not when, in Budapest of all places, she meets a man with a metal arm who’s also trying to hide from whatever is left of Hydra.

Name: Aphrodite

Title: The Course of True Love (Never Did Run Smooth)

Faceclaim:  Vanessa Morgan

Love interest: Thor

Summary: Aphrodite could barely remember her home planet of Olympus, thanks to Odin destroying it when she was a child.  As the sole survivor of the Olympian gods, Odin decided that she was “useful” enough to keep, and brought her to Asgard.  Clearly he’d never considered the consequences of murdering her entire world and taking her hostage, as he somehow still expected her to be loyal to her.  Unfortunately for Odin, that plan was as stupid as the rest of his ideas; Aphrodite had never been loyal to him, her loyalty had always been to the next king of Asgard, and when he sends Thor to earth, he’ll learn just how far a goddess of love is willing to go to make sure he doesn’t cost her another family.

Name: Aria Parker

Title: The Art of Disappearing

Faceclaim:  Natalie Dormer

Love interest: Steve Rogers

Summary: Peter Parker was hardly the first enhanced Parker.  His aunt Aria had been born with the ability to control the elements.  At eighteen years of age, she dropped off the face of the earth, and no one, not even her cousins Ben and Richard, had any idea where she’d gone.  Most people thought she was dead, until ten years later when she helped Clint Barton find his dog in Central Park, and somehow befriending he and Natasha Romanov.  Even then, though, most of the world didn’t know who or where she was; not until Shield fell apart and Natasha found herself reaching out to the only person she trusted who had no affiliation with Shield or Hydra.

Name: Arielle Stark

Title: Piece By Piece

Faceclaim:  Nina Dobrev

Love Interest: Steve Rogers

Name: Aris Stark

Title: Forged In Iron

Faceclaim: Olivia Holt

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: All Aris Stark wanted to do was train for the Olympics - gymnastics, specifically - and go on dates with Peter. Of course, being Iron Man’s daughter and Spiderman’s girlfriends complicated things, but Aris could handle complicated. Everything was perfect, until both her dad and boyfriend hopped on a ship to outer space while some crazy alien tried to destroy the universe. She waited in the compound, preparing all of the ways that she would yell at them for scaring her. And then she woke up, the compound on fire and crumbling around her, Tony and Peter nowhere to be found. And if that weren’t confusing enough, suddenly she was glowing.

Name: Asteria “Stargirl” Quill

Story: Made Of Stardust

Faceclaim:  Chloe Grace Moretz

Summary: If Peter Quill had known that some species didn’t have gestation periods, he might have been a lot more selective about who he slept with.  But, he hadn’t, and so, he wasn’t.  And so, he found himself with an infant daughter.  Half alien, all ravager, Asteria “Stargirl” Quill is all about profit and adventure, just like her dad.  But when a fight breaks out during a sale, and she and her dad get arrested with a green girl, a racoon, and a tree, everything is about to change.

Name: Athena Stark

Title: Iron Princess

Faceclaim: Zoey Deutch

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: Athena Stark had a plan. She was going to be the valedictorian for her grade at Midtown High, then an undergrad in Poli Sci at Yale, then law school at Harvard, and then she would become president of the United States. She would change the laws in order to better protect superheroes like her father, and she would make him proud. But then her dad brings Spiderman to Berlin for a fight, and Peter Parker comes back talking about a Stark Internship that definitely doesn’t exist. Athena’s life plan never accounted for Superhero Liaison, let alone for becoming a superhero herself, but Starks are made of iron and Athena will make it work.

Name: Aurora Hansen Stark

Title: The Future In Silver and Gold

Faceclaim:  Bailee Madison

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: “Please don’t tell me there’s a 12 year old kid waiting in the car that I’ve never met.“  Actually, she’s thirteen and at home, but with Killian having killed her mother, Aurora Stark is about to find out the truth about her mysterious father.  Unfortunately, as unprepared as Tony is for a daughter, Aurora is equally unprepared for a father, and getting used to each other will be harder than either of them could have ever anticipated.

Name: Octavia Ava Potts

Story: Golden Child (Grew Up)

Faceclaim: Danielle Rose Russell

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: A lot had changed for Ava, since her father died.  She had moved in with her Aunt Pepper and Tony; aliens had invaded New York, they had moved to Malibu, she had gotten kidnapped, they — well, you get the picture.  A lot had changed for Ava over the years, but as she settled into her life at Midtown High, she thought that the craziest of changes were in her past.  And then the Avengers break up, and she discovers that one of her closest friends is hiding a secret not too different from her own.

Name: Bennett Parker-Maximoff

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Danielle Campbell

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Betsy Walker

Title: Chasing Shadows

Faceclaim: Amanda Seyfried

Love Interest: Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes

Name: Bianca Davis

Title: The American Dream

Faceclaim:  Kat McNamara

Love interest: Steve Rogers

Summary: Being 26, in Washington DC, and working at the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space wasn’t exactly where Bianca ever imagined herself, but it’s a pretty fun gig, and a great stepping stone to becoming a Smithsonian Curator.  And she gets to work in the Captain America exhibit, which has always been a fascination of hers.  Twenty six and working a good job in her field of studies is more than most recent graduates can say, but her life is still completely mundane–until the day Steve Rogers walks into her exhibit for the first time.

Name: Brinley Brant

Title: Because I Could Not Stop For Death (He Kindly Stopped For Me)

Faceclaim:  Lili Reinhart

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: There had been four Brant sisters, once.  Beatrice and Bridget, twins and completely inseparable; Betty, the oldest, brightest, best; and Brinley, the middle child, overlooked, and Betty’s biggest fan.  And then, the decimation.  Three sisters and their father waiting by the door for Betty to come home, to tell them she was alright and laugh about them worrying.  But she never did.  With a dead sister and a dying mother, it fell to Brinley to fill the gap.  Day by day she became more and more like her sister, no longer able to differentiate between her reflection and Betty’s pictures, until one day she woke up and realized that she was a whole year older than Betty would ever get to be.  And then the Avengers reversed the blip, and when the doorbell rang, Betty had finally come home.

Name: Brynhilde Parkerdottir

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Jenny Boyd

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Brynn Bates

Title: Dust To Dust

Faceclaim: Erin Moriarty

Name: Calypso Lokidottir

Title: This Is Your Kingdom

Faceclaim:  Emilia Clarke

Love Interest: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Calypso “Callie” Laurens had always known that she wasn’t normal, no one had ever tried to spare her from that truth. With her silver-white hair, her fondness for “renaissance fair” dresses, and her Shakespearean speech, it would have been impossible for her to not know that she was strange. What she didn’t know was that her name wasn’t Calypso Laurens, but rather Calypso Lokidottir, princess of Asgard and daughter of Loki. But, when a strange hammer shows up in her town, one that only she can lift, Calypso is about to learn everything that Odin never wanted her to know, including why she was cast away to Midgard in the first place.

Name: Constance Osborn

Title: Rise Above

Fandom: The Amazing Spider-Man

Faceclaim:  Lily Collins

Summary: At five years old, Constance Conwell lost her mother.  Suicide, she was told; her fault, the note said.  She never knew the details, but the men in the suits read her the note, made sure she knew just how much her mother had hated her — so much that she chose death over her daughter. It hadn’t made sense, her mother had always seemed so happy to spend time with her daughter, but the note said otherwise.  So Constance was packed up and moved to New York, where she met Norman Osborn — the cold man with empty eyes who was apparently her father — and Harry Osborn — with his warm hugs and soft eyes and endless excitement to have a little sister.  Harry, with his best friend Peter; Peter who had also just lost his parents, and Harry, who always knew when she needed to be distracted and when she just needed someone to sit with her.  At five years old, Constance Conwell lost her mother, and Constance Osborn found her brother.

At eleven years old, Constance Osborn lost her best friend.  Boarding school, her father had explained, packing Constance and Harry into the private jet and sending them to Europe. But they both knew the truth; Norman just didn’t want them.  So they went — first to England, then France, then Switzerland, and so on so forth as various disciplinary infractions kept them shuffling between schools.  With no Peter Parker, with no best friend to keep them in line, the Osborns fell apart faster than the tabloids could keep up with.  At eleven years old, Constance Osborn lost her best friend.  She never found another.

At sixteen years old, Constance Osborn loses herself.  Only a few months out from graduation, her dad asks to see her — the first time he’s asked to see her since she moved in — and she flies back to New York for a couple of weeks.  But whatever cautious optimism she’d harboured for a touching family reunion was crushed almost as soon as she saw what she’d come home to.  A city on the verge of destruction, a father who was losing what little was left of his sanity, a world of heroes and villains that left no one unscarred.  At sixteen years old, Constance Osborn loses herself.  She’s not sure who she found.

Name: Cora Royce

Title: Stars Defied

Faceclaim: Willa Holland

Love Interest: Sam Wilson; eventual poly Sam x Bucky in TFATWS

Summary: In 2011, Cora Royce’s parents went to New Mexico for a week’s holiday; some aliens invaded, and they never made it home.  In 2012, the same aliens invade, and Cora almost loses her brother.  When Orion insists on taking her to work with him “for her safety”, Cora expects a boring day at the main office of the family company, she doesn’t expect to find out that her brother has a second life as a spy-archer-assassin for a top secret government agency founded by Cora’s personal hero, Peggy Carter herself.  She also doesn’t expect to find out that her parents were part of the agency themselves, and that their holiday in New Mexico was part of a mission to stop the very alien-god who killed them.  And she definitely didn’t expect to find herself on an invisible flying battleship with her pseudo-uncle Tony Stark — sorry, Iron Man — and an apparently not-dead Captain America.  

Cora is under strict orders from Orion to stay in the lab where Tony can protect her, but when everything goes to shit, Cora can’t just stay on the sidelines.  She may not be a superhero, but she’s Royce, and there is nothing that could stop her from protecting the last of her family.

Name: Cordelia

Title: I Was In The Darkness (So Darkness I Became)

Face claim:  Alycia Debnam-Carey

Name: Courtney Lang

Title: The Cost Of Legacy

Faceclaim: Willa Fitzgerald

Summary:  Courtney Lang loved her dad, she really did. Sure, he did some illegal business and was in jail for a while, but hey, nobody’s perfect.  But when he got back from jail, everything changed.  He was keeping secrets, avoiding her, lying to her, but it all made sense when she learned that he was actually a superhero.  But then he went rogue, got put under house arrest, and broke said house arrest with less than a day until his time was up.  Still, she could handle all of that, until half of all living things disappeared, and her father along with them.

Name: Danni Stark

Title: Fated

Faceclaim:  Lily Collins

Love Interest: Steve Rogers, possibly poly Stucky

Summary: 1942.  The United States Of America has finally joined the war.  Danielle Stark becomes a war correspondent and, with some help from her older brother, becomes the official liaison to the Howling Commandos.  As the history books will tell, Danni and Peggy Carter were as inseparable behind the scenes as Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were on the battlefield.  And as the history books won’t tell, Danni Stark fell in love on the front lines, with both Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.  And then, Bucky fell from a train and Steve crashed his plane, and Danni found herself alone.

1945.  The war is over.  Everyone goes home.  Unsure of what to do with herself, Danni ends up in New York, helping Peggy and Howard to found SHIELD.  For several years, Danni juggles her work as a reporter with her secret life as a SHIELD agent, until Howard finds something in the arctic.  With the new powers of the tesseract at his fingertips, Howard finally decides to try a new version of Project Rebirth, and Danni is the first to offer herself as a volunteer.  But as soon as he sees the powers that the cube gave his sister, Howard files the project away, destroying all evidence that it had ever happened, and Danni keeps her newly developed powers a secret from everyone except for Howard, Peggy, and Edwin Jarvis.

2012.  A new war brews on the horizon.  Danni has been off the grid for decades — after all, she’s hardly eager to explain why she still looks twenty-five rather than ninety-five.  As far as most of the world knows, she died shortly after her brother; quietly and peacefully, a very private affair.  The only person who still knows she’s alive is her nephew, Tony Stark, with whom she is in regular contact.  But even Tony has never tried to convince her to come out of the shadows — not until he shakes her entire world with a single line on a voicemail; “Steve is alive, he’s at SHIELD.”  And Danni Stark knows that it’s time to return to the world she’d long since left behind.

Name: Diana Moore

Title: The Long Game

Faceclaim:  Hailee Steinfeld

Love interest: Peter Parker

Summary: You would have to be an idiot to not realize that Peter Parker is Spiderman.  Well, Diana might go to a school for geniuses, but clearly they’re all idiots because no one else seems to have figured it out. Well, that’s fine, that makes it easier to keep the whole Secret Identity Thing a secret.  And if there’s one thing that Diana Moore is good at, it’s keeping a secret - or it was, until she and the rest of her Acadec team nearly die in DC.  Now it’s personal, and whether he likes it or not, Diana is going to do whatever it takes to help Peter Parker save the world.

Name: Dominique Barton

Title: Life Goes On

Faceclaim: Emily Rudd

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Name: Dorothy Madison

Title: Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Faceclaim:  Keira Knightley

Love Interest: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Dorothy Madison, Bucky Barnes, and Steve Rogers had been inseparable for most of their lives. Four years her senior, the boys had already been best friends for years before they met the small girl on her first day of kindergarten and immediately got into a fight with her first bully. From then on it was much of the same; Steve getting into fights, Bucky either joining him or pulling him out, and Dorothy keeping them out of trouble.

The years passed quickly, and she found herself falling in love with both of her best friends. But before she figured out what to do about that, the war made its way to their door. Bucky got drafted and, during their last night together, Steve got himself enlisted.

Well, no way was Dorothy letting her boys go to war without her. She quickly found a place for herself within the Office of Strategic Services, and soon found herself put in charge of the Howling Commandos. Finally, everything was right again; Steve was rushing head first into danger with Bucky as his right hand, and Dorothy struggling to keep her boys alive.

Name: Eir Odinsdottir

Title: See No Evil

Faceclaim: Maisie Williams

Summary: Once, Eir Odinsdottir had been the princess of Asgard; Odin’s youngest child, and only daughter, and beloved by her brothers and their kingdom.  But Eir was also a seer.  She could see things that had happened, things that were happening, and things that had not yet happened.  And one day, she saw the truth about her family: the older sister long since cast away, the secret behind her brother’s parentage, and the dark and bloody truth behind her father’s reign.  And so, Odin exiled her.  Eir spent years travelling the nine realms, longing for home, before finally seeing her brothers on Midgard, so to Midgard she goes.

Name: Elena Barnes

Title: Balancing The Score

Faceclaim:  Kaya Scodelario

Summary:  Imagine a weapon who has all the skills of the Asset, but without the memories.  No need to wipe and start over, no questions, only loyalty to Hydra. Enter Elena Barnes.  Bred by Hydra to serve that purpose, they truly believed that they had created the perfect weapon.  But, compliant as she seemed, Elena watched the torture that her father suffered, and anger lived within her veins.  After the Battle of Manhattan, she finds herself out in the world with instructions to bring back Loki’s staff, but instead, she disappears.  Goes off the grid and dedicates herself to learning the truth about herself and her father, until one day she’s at a museum and meets the one person who can truly answer all of her questions.

Name: Elia Patel

Title: Eclipsed Sun

Faceclaim:  Summer Bishil

Love Interest: Tony Stark

Name: Elizabeth Banner-Parker

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Natalia Dyer

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Elizabeth Barton

Title: Walking The Tightrope

Faceclaim: Emma Watson

Love Interest: Tony Stark

Summary: Elizabeth Barton has been working for SHIELD since she was sixteen; since she and her big brother had been recruited out of the circus.  No mission ever phased the ex tightrope walker, nothing ever compared to the thrill and danger of walking on a wire, over 20 feet in the air.  Even her elite task force with Clint and Natasha - Silver Swan, Hawkeye, and Black Widow - paled in comparison.  But then Tony Stark becomes Iron Man, Liz is assigned to get to know the man behind the mask, and suddenly she feels like she’s sixteen and walking the tightrope again.

Name:  Eleanor “Ellie” Coulson

Title: Reinvention

Faceclaim:  Sabrina Carpenter

Love interest: Peter Parker

Summary: There are some facts in life that are simply unavoidable. “If your father is one of SHIELD’s top agents, and your mother is out of the picture, you will be raised as a SHIELD agent from before you can walk” is one of them.  Eleanor Coulson has spent her entire life as an agent in training, and she happens to be very good at it.  But when SHIELD is revealed to be Hydra, and her dad is charged with rebuilding the entire organization, Ellie is faced with her most challenging mission yet. High school.

Name: Elsie Carter

Title: Travelling Soldier

Faceclaim: Daisy Ridley

Love Interest: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Even before her sister joined the army, Eloise Carter knew that she was always going to be second best.  Still, that wasn’t going to stop her from helping in the war herself - so Elsie became a nurse.  She loved her job, despite the heartbreak that came with every life she failed to save, but she couldn’t have been less thrilled to suddenly find herself assigned to her sister’s troops.  At least until she was put in charge of the recently rescued James Barnes.  She soon learned that James was never without Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, and suddenly her transfer seemed a little less awful.  But they were soldiers, and Elsie couldn’t do anything more than wait for them to return from every fight, praying each time that they would make it back.

Name: Erna Bragidottir

Title: Speak No Evil

Faceclaim:  Gal Gadot

Love interest: Thor & Steve Rogers

Summary: When Hela massacred the Valkyrie, only two survived; Brunhilde and Erna. But Odin wasn't going to risk anyone learning the truth about his bloody history, and was quick to exile them both.  One minute, Erna was trying to say goodbye to her best friend, her sister, and the next she was waking up on Midgard, surrounded by a group who called themselves the Howling Commandos, apparently in the middle of the planet's biggest war.  The Valkyrie may have been slaughtered, and she may have been exiled from Asgard, but Erna is, and will always be, a Valkyrie and she is going to fight for her new home.

Name: Evelyn Rogers

Title: Long Story Short

Faceclaim:  Katie Cassidy

Love Interest: Bruce Banner

Summary: Having lost her father to the Great War, her mother to tuberculosis, and her boyfriend to the draft, Evelyn Rogers was not going to lose her brother too.  So when he signs up for something called the Erskine Program, she refuses to sit back and wait for him to come home.  When Steve becomes the world’s first superhero, the new poster boy for war relief efforts, Evelyn’s name is at the top of the list for his chorus girls, and she follows him all the way to the war.  And when they find out that Bucky as his battalion have been captured, she follows him all the way to the front line — and into Johann Schmidt’s grasp.  She doesn’t follow him back.

When Steve Rogers forms the Howling Commandos, he has one mission in mind.  Wipe HYDRA off the board, and bring Evelyn home.  When he finally finds her, on a train with Armin Zola, she has no memory of anything since reaching the HYDRA base. Still recovering from her time with HYDRA, and from losing her first love, Evelyn is unable to follow Steve into his final confrontation with Schmidt.  And Steve goes into the ice.

Evelyn returns to New York with Howard Stark and Peggy Carter, with a hole in her heart and no bodies to lay to rest.  Desperate to find some sort of peace, she throws herself into searching for the bodies of the only two Howling Commandos not to make it home.  After months of searching, Evelyn finds a lead on Bucky, and is never seen again.

Until, 70 years later, she shows up on Nick Fury’s doorstep.  No older than the day she disappeared, with no memory of anything after her brother’s plane hit the ice, Evelyn Rogers follows her brother into a new century.

Name: Ezra Barton

Title: Vortex

Faceclaim:  Jennifer Lawrence

Name: Francine Barton-Parker

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Emily Rudd

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Freya Thordottir

Title: Like Catching Lightning

Faceclaim: Jenny Boyd

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Name: Grace Osborn

Title: Bound In Secrets

Faceclaim: Camila Mendes

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: Once upon a time, Grace Osborn had it all.  She was the prized princess of the Osborn family, she had a wonderful older brother, and she was her parents’ pride and joy.  And then Norman Osborn found out that her mother had been lying for thirteen years and Grace wasn’t his daughter, only a lie to force him into marriage.  In order to keep the scandal quiet, Norman quickly sent Grace away to boarding school in England; out of sight, out of mind.  That was three years ago.  Now, Norman is dead and Harry is in charge, and he has only one priority.  Bring his baby sister home.

Name: Grayson Frost

Title: Fear No Evil

Faceclaim: Dylan Sprayberry

Love Interest: Kassandra Maximoff

Name: Ilya Romanova

Title: Fatale

Faceclaim:  Holland Roden

Love Interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary: Once, the Red Room had trained dozens of girls, with the Romanova sisters as their greatest success.  Natalia, the Black Widow, was a prodigy in everything she did, and her sister Ilya was close behind.  But when Natalia defected, Ilya was quick to rise up and fill the hole her sister left.  She left a bloodstained legacy unlike any other, earning the title of Red Widow and thriving under солдат’s personal training.  So when Hydra sought her gifts, looking to raise her up from student to mission partner, they complied, and the Widow became the Banshee.  

сирена met every one of their expectations with ease, and it was no question that she would be their first miracle; developing powers to match her name.  For decades, солдат and сирена worked as a perfect unit, carrying out Hydra’s vision on a global scale.  But when the assassination of Nick Fury goes awry, the partners find themselves face to face with ghosts of pasts they don’t remember, and everything Hydra has built threatens to fall apart.

Name: Irina Drakov

Title: Shadow

Faceclaim:  Mila Kunis

Name: Jameson Barrett | марионетка

Title: Til The End Of The Line

Faceclaim: Dove Cameron

Love Interest: Stefania Raine

Summary: Under the scars, white hair, and leather ensemble, Stefania Raine recognized Jameson Barrett — the very best friend she thought to have seen die two years prior, when aliens invaded New York. But for the other girl, Jameson Barrett was buried deeper; she only ever remembered being марионетка, The Puppet, and being sent there with The Soldier to end Nicholas Fury’s life.

In the middle of the chaos, Stefania lost sight of her best friend, but refused to let the girl go again — even if that meant teaming up with a recently un-brainwashed soldier to find her.

With a faulting memory and unbalanced emotions, Jameson knew that accepting that she used to have a name wasn’t enough of a step to becoming a functional person. So, when she runs into the man from the bridge, from the helicarriers — the man who refused to fight — and he asks for her help in finding her ex-partner and the closest thing she had to a friend, she doesn’t say no.

Name: Jamie Carter-Rogers

Title: Out Of Time

Faceclaim: Margot Robbie

Love Interest: Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like Jamie Rogers.  She was raised on war stories, stories about her long dead namesake, and her dad’s stories of another world.  A world of aliens and superheroes, of pain and hope, stories of how half of its universe died, and of the ones who gave everything to avenge it.  But when Jamie touches the strange crack on her wall and finds herself in New York City, in an alien invasion, in 2012, she realizes that her dad’s other world is not only real, but is the world he comes from, and every single story she heard was true.  Everybody knows that everybody dies.  But not every day.  So, trapped in a world where she was never born, with no way to go home, and knowing exactly what the universe has in store for earth’s mightiest heroes, Jamie makes a promise to herself.  Just this once, everybody lives.

Name: Jason Grant

Title: When Tomorrow Comes

Faceclaim: Tyler Hoechlin

Name: Jordan Jameson

Title: Unwritten

Faceclaim: Margaret Qualley

Name: Justine “JB” Barnes

Title: Lost

Faceclaim:  Kathryn Newton

Name: Kara Helasdottir

Title: The Memories Are Gone (The Aftershocks Live On)

Faceclaim: Emma Dumont

Name: Kassandra Maximoff

Title: Fear No Evil

Faceclaim: Danielle Rose Russell

Love Interest: Grayson Frost

Summary: Kassandra Maximoff was no stranger to fear; she’d been afraid ever since her parents were killed by a Stark bomb, since she spent those days hiding with her siblings, wondering if any moment might be her last, waiting for Tony Stark to kill her too. So when Strucker offered she and her siblings the opportunity to be strong, to protect their country, to not be afraid, they took it. By the time they found out he was HYDRA, it was too late to escape. The siblings spent months being tortured, knowing exactly what would come if they defected. Kassandra had long since accepted her fate, had long since given up hope. And then the Avengers break into their facility.

Name: Katarina Amelia Aliano

Title: Skyscraper

AO3 | FFNET | WATTPAD

Faceclaim:  Sophie Turner & Summer Fontana

Love Interest: Harley Keener; possible Harley & Peter

Summary: Child genius turned orphan, Katarina was counting on her own hacking skills to keep her under the radar.  And they do, until she gets caught hacking into Stark industries, looking for answers regarding the aliens that killed her parents in New York, and suddenly she’s not just on a radar, she’s on Tony Stark’s radar.  When he decides to take her in, no one expects it to go well, but she soon makes a place for herself on the team and in their hearts.  She’s not a superhero, far from it, but she’s a hero in her own right, and nothing comes between Katarina and her family; not her biological family, and definitely not the weird group of misfits and gods that she calls her own.

Name: Kathleen Swanson

Title: Ghost Of You

Faceclaim: Claire Holt

Name: Katie Dean

Title: Renegades

Fandom: Runaways

Faceclaim: Meg Donnelly

Love Interest: Chase Stein

Summary: Katrina Dean was, all things considered, relatively happy with her life.  She had her church, cheerleading, choir, and her sister, what more could she want?  Or so she thought, at least, until Karolina’s friends discovered the truth about PRIDE, and Karolina discovered the truth about their bracelets.  And as much as Katie would love to pretend that nothing had changed, as much as she would love to keep living her perfect life, she knows that’s not an option anymore.  And so Katie and Karolina run away.

Name: Kennedy Keener

Title: True North

Faceclaim: Sophia Lillis & Abbey Cowen

Name: Lara Rogers | призрак

Title: Death Defied

Faceclaim:  Lyndsy Fonseca

Love interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary: No one told Steve that his DNA was going to be used to breed a new super soldier - or that it was going to fail.  No one told him that a civilian, Angie Martinelli, was going to give birth to his son, Caleb Rogers, or that Caleb wouldn’t be a super soldier.  No one told him that Caleb was going to have a daughter, Lara, and absolutely no one told him that on her fifth birthday, his granddaughter was going to be kidnapped by Hydra, turned into a super soldier, frozen over and over again, tortured and brainwashed endlessly, and eventually get partnered with the Winter Soldier.  But suddenly he’s in the future, suddenly he’s fought aliens, and suddenly солдат and призрак - the Soldier and the Ghost, Bucky and Lara - are attacking Nick Fury in the middle of DC. Suddenly Steve is on the run with Natasha, suddenly they’re in a Hydra facility underneath a bunker, and suddenly the computerized ghost of Arnim Zola is telling them everything.  And while it feels sudden to Steve, Project Insight and its enforcers have been seventy years in the making, and no matter how much he wants to cling to the last remains of his family, they might be beyond saving.

Name: Lavinia

Title: Untitled

Faceclaim: Lindsey Morgan

Love Interest: Peter Quill

Name: Lillian Rogers

Title: To The End Of The World

Faceclaim: Ali Liebert (in Bomb Girls)

Love Interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary: Lili Rogers would do anything for her brother.  Lie and steal to get his medication, agree not to flirt with his best friend despite her eternal crush, even fake her way into the US army.  Of course, it didn’t take long before someone figured out that Liam Rogers was actually Lillian Rogers; but thankfully she was found out by Peggy Carter, who quickly hired her as her secretary and liason to the Howling Commandos.  Lili honestly couldn’t have cared less, until she found out that the elite force was led by none other than her brother - who had somehow doubled in size - with the love of her life as his right hand man.

Name: Lisbeth Dugan

Title: Spider Web

Faceclaim:  Madelaine Petsch

Name: Lorraine Gillespie

Title: Dying Day

Faceclaim:  Tuppence Middleton

Name: Lucy Pierce

Title: Heaven Or Hell

Faceclaim: Vanessa Kirby

Love Interest: Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers

Summary: Bought from the Red Room by Hydra, Lukeriya Turgenev found herself becoming Lucy Pierce when she was forced to marry the head of Hydra, Alexander Pierce himself.  A tortured doll reprogrammed to be a perfect weapon and model wife, freedom had always been a foreign concept to Lucy.  At least it was, until a failed assassination put she and Yasha – James – The Soldier – face to face with Captain America and Lucy’s former sister and rival, Natasha Romanov.

Name: Lydia Cabot-Stark

Title: Right Down The Line (It’s Been You And Me)

Faceclaim: Blake Lively

Love Interest: Tony Stark

Name: Marina Kovol

Title: Clockwork

Faceclaim:  Emily Bett Rickards

Name: Mia Pierce

Title: (I’ve Got) No Strings On Me

Faceclaim:  Troian Bellisario

Love interest: Pietro Maximoff

Summary:  Mia Pierce has been raised as a Hydra pawn since the day she was born. Her father, Alexander Pierce, believed that she was the future of Hydra, someone that they could teach to worship the organization without brainwashing, that could be raised as a public figure and eventually positioned in whichever political office they needed her in.  But Mia was too curious for her own good, asked too many questions, and tried to tell too many secrets, and so she was punished, and forced to comply. But after her father died, and Winter escaped, the Avengers broke into her latest facility, and suddenly Mia is free for the first time in her life.

Name: Millie Quill

Title: Untitled

Faceclaim: Eliza Taylor

[awesomerextyphoon]

Slit Reflection

This is my entry for @jtargaryen18​​’s Haunted House 2020 Challenge. Mine was Sam Wilson. Credit for dividers goes to @firefly-graphics​. Check them out!

Summary: You’ve always loved Halloween, especially the haunted house at the edge of the woods. So happens when the ‘Star Spangled Trio’ enters the mix?

Pairing: Demon King!Sam Wilson x  Black!Reader (Fem)

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 3,054

Warning: Kidnapping, Forced Marriage, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Stalking, Breeding Kink, Mentions of Torture, and Non-Con/Dub-Con Smut. You have been warned.

Back to Masterlist

You’ve always loved Halloween. It was your birthday and the haunted house at the edge of the woods gave the best spooks and thrills. It was your first Halloween after undergrad and this year was different.

The Star Spangled Trio were celebrity guests and they were bringing two of the old rooms back!

It took you six days to get a ticket. You tried getting one online, every shop in town, but got nothing.

Finally, a new face at the library took pity on you and gave you the last ticket along with a book on demon folklore. You thanked the new librarian and rushed out of the building. Had you looked back you would’ve noticed a smirk on their face and their sclera and pupils turning black and gold respectively.

Halloween—the day of your birth—was here, and it was shit. Your toothbrush broke, your car refused to start, the job that you desperately wanted was dashed by yet another rejection email, and both your student loan and rent checks bounced. You just need to get through today.

You missed the cutoff, but got in because the person working the line was a family friend. Anxiously, you wait in line wondering how the haunted house in your small ass town managed to nab the Star Spangled Trio when you noticed the excited expressions of the people leaving. Now you’re super anxious.

By the time you entered the haunted house, you’re doing the breathing exercises to calm yourself. This was it! You were finally going to meet your all time heroes (and possible spank bank entries)!

The first few rooms were your typical haunted house fare which you loved, but were secondary to your excitement in seeing your heroes. Maybe you could get an autograph and hug from them!

You were about to follow the person in front of you into the haunted house’s hospital room when you noticed a light flickering to your left. It revealed a door done in the Neo-classical design with some Latin text engraved in the middle (had you studied Latin , you would’ve known that the text read “Reveal yourself, my beloved”).

Opening the door, you saw that it lead to the Hall of Mirrors. This part of the haunted house was always a favorite of yours, but both the itinerary and the ticket worker said that it was closed this year. The hall itself was chillingly quite and pristine as if no one else had stepped foot inside this season.

All of the mirrors looked standard for the haunted house; some of them made you laugh or briefly catch your breath. The one at the end of the hall caught you off-guard. It was at least 12ft (about 3.66m) high with intricate carvings of characters out of dark folklore and a single diagonal slit.

You were about to turn away when you saw nothing thinking it was a small haunted house joke at your expense when the mirror flashed.

In your place was the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen, but it still looked like you..sort of. Your hair was long, luxurious and gently flowing. Your eyebrows, eyelashes, and nails were immaculate. Your nose was adorably broad and your lips were sensually full (the type of full women would shell hundred’s if not thousands of dollars for). You wore a diadem with thick gold chains ladened with diamonds, onyx, and rubies and around your neck was a ruby and onyx amulet. You were dressed in a loose, yet sleeveless form-fitting Vivaldi red gown with hints of fiery red and a thin rosewood colored shoulder veil connected to the dress by a ruby broach in the middle of your cleavage.

You looked about four or five inches taller and the mirror version of you made you feel nervous about your curves being out on display.

Curious, you reached out to touch the mirror. Your hand was less than a centimeter away when your mirrored self opened it eyes. Suddenly, it grew curved horns and its eyes glowed pale gold.

The mirrored version of you grabbed your outstretched arm and dragged you through the mirror all while you screamed hoping someone would come to your rescue, but to no avail.

Samael, or ‘Sam’ was notified of your departure and the trio had to excuse themselves from the festivities to congratulate Sam on finding his bride.

You woke up with a start and shout clawing the air but stopped once you realized that you weren’t falling anymore. Instead, you were in a huge, opulent room filled with treasures that not even Windsor Castle had. Curiosity seemed to have taken hold of you because you walked out onto the connecting balcony to find that you were on a different planet/dimension/realm, whatever!

There were floating landmasses (the smallest of which was the size of your small town) and five planets ranging from Moonbow Gold to Venetian Red in color.

You thought about where the fuck you were and how you could get back home when a voice interrupted your thoughts.

The source of the voice was a demon with Antique Ruby skin with reddish gray undertones and Cinnabar and Rosewood colored hair. She had two short outward curved horns with a gold chain and aquamarine teardrop connecting them. Her eyes were an inviting aqua blue eyes with a dark red sclera.

“Hello! My name is Scheherazade, but you can call me Sherry. I’m your Lady in Waiting. I’ve brought some food.” Sherry offered as she set the tray of food on a small table next to a dresser.

You smiled cautiously at your new elevated handmaiden,”Do you know why I’m-”

“Oh, I almost forgot! We need to get you ready for your presentation!”

The Fuck?!

“What do you mean ‘presentation’?,” you asked as nicely as possible, but reality came out more like a demand.  

Sherry stopped her ministrations and faced you,”Well, when the monarch, crown prince, or princess declares their mate, they are presented to the royal court,” she then returned to her task of finding a suitable dress for you not catching the mortified expression on your face.

This day can’t get any worse. Wait?

“What time is it?”

“Oh, yes, It’s pretty much always night here. The sun only comes out for three hours. Would you look at the time! Everyone’s waiting!”

“One last question,” you started as Sherry began dressing you,”Who am I marrying?”

“Why my second cousin, King Samael, one of the Three Demon Kings,  of course!”

You fought the impulse to faint.

It took thirty minutes for Sherry to make you look unrecognizable. Thankful for her assistance, you followed the floating torches to the throne room. The throne room was an enormous room with high wide vaulted arches, delicately carved pillars and columns, and a small bridge connecting the ground at the door to the center. The court comprised of beautiful yet fearsome demons of all shapes and sizes.

The king himself was seated on a grand, ornate throne atop a huge dais with at least 25 steps. He seemed familiar.

As soon as you were passed the threshold, the king raised his head and everyone stopped talking and cleared a path for you. Several courtiers whispered as you striddled towards the dais. When you finally reached the dais, the king got off his throne and walked down the steps to greet you.

You almost face-palmed. The king was Sam Wilson! Or at least, looked like him.  

Sam for his part was devastatingly handsome. He had a tall, powerful build, broad shoulders, bulging biceps, muscular thighs, short well-kept hair and beard with surprisingly kind eyes.  

“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” Sam uttered as he pulled you in for a hug. You could’ve sworn he sniffed your hair, but you didn’t want to go into that right now.

“Everyone!” The court turned to the throne,” Thank you for coming. I have finally found my bride. We will be married tomorrow night!” Sam exclaimed to thunderous cheers and applause. He slipped on a magnificent ruby and diamond engagement ring with a black gold band.

You could not believe this, “I can’t-,” you started, but Sam discreetly grabbed your wrist, “Pre-wedding jitters,” and led you to a side room.

You expected him to hit or yell at you like so many other royals in a similar setting, but instead he gave a sad smile and asked if you were truly happy in your old life. You thought about your crushing debt, little to no job prospects, both parents dead, no friends and you had to admit your life did suck, but he didn’t get to decide.

Disappointed, Sam casted a small compliance spell and pulled you in for a kiss. Your pupils blew out in lust and you lost yourself. When he finally decided to break for air, Sam stated that you will be his bride and he will not be denied any longer. You smiled and gave him a short but passionate kiss. He moaned but had to end it before he went too far.

Tomorrow night he promised himself.

He quickly called for Sherry to return you  to your quarters.

Sherry woke you up the next ‘morning’ with a small army of beauty experts and maids.

“Rise and shine, Your Grace! We’ve got a bride to present!” Sherry proclaimed.

Damn it! It wasn’t a nightmare.

They managed to stuff you into a marvel of a wedding dress. It was a Torch Red long-sleeved mermaid wedding dress with soft yet detailed lace work made to look like an enchanted forest, diamond, dark ruby and pearl beads, and a floor length train. On your head was a black gold spiked sunburst goddess with deep ruby roses and a simple ruby teardrop chain that rested on your forehead, the ends of which were wrapped around your horns.

“Not even Lilith could compare, Your Grace!” Sherry gushed at her handiwork.

The wedding procession and ceremony was done in a swift fashion as Sam didn’t want to wait much longer. The vows were short as well. You wanted to object, call for help, anything but a voice in the back of your mind beat you to it.  

A couple hours into the wedding festivities, Sam announced that it was time for he and his new queen to retire and led you to his quarters. It’s the fanciest suite you’ve ever seen dripping with luxurious reds, violets, and obsidian.

In all your awing of Sam’s quarters, you failed to notice him approaching you in only a simple loose shirt and trousers. He gently put his hands on your exposed shoulders,”Alone at last, my love.”

You recoiled, “Can’t we wait for a few days? It’s just…” you trailed off as soon as his jovial expression vanished replaced with something darker and hungrier.

“I’ve waited for so long to have you here with me, love,”  Sam confessed while you moved towards the exit,”and I will not be denied any longer!”

In an instant, Sam pulled you in for a demanding kiss. He pushed his tongue past your lips moaning when your tongue tepidly danced with his own and from the sweet taste of your mouth. He pushed you onto a bed that had to three times the size of a California King and his lips moved jaw and neck, egged on by needy whimpers and moans.

He took his time ripping off your gown, enjoying the view like a child on Christmas, ”Fuck, you’re so beautiful. Utter perfection,” Sam murmured as he watched your breasts bounced free. He alternated between sucking and pinching your nipples with his hands and mouth,”I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he whispered in your left ear and he continued to play with your breasts like a concert-level musician. All the while moaned and cried out feeling pleasure you never thought possible.

Once satisfied with his handiwork with your chest, Sam’s hands roamed over your stomach and hips followed by strategically placed butterfly kisses that made you squirm. He tore off the last of your wedding gown causing you to hiss at the sudden sensation of cold air touching your pussy.

You used your last bit of willpower to plead, “Please stop! I’ve never-,” Sam stopped and raised his head to look at you.

“I know, love. I’ll be your first and only,” and with that, he gives your folds one long, slow lick and growled at your sweet and tangy taste, “I’ve wondered how you’d taste. You’re even better than the best Kharian wine. I could get used to this.”

He dove back in and played your pussy for all it was worth. His tongue worked its magic stroking and circling your clit sending you higher and higher into euphoria. Sam kept you right on the edge of an orgasm, just enough to beg for release.

“Say you’re mine!,” you mewled in response, to blissed out to use words. “Say it or I’ll leave!”

“Please let me cum, My King!” you cried out when he thrusted two fingers into your pussy.

“That’s a good girl. Now,”Sam started as he vigorously rubbed your pussy,”cum for me, love.”

Your orgasm came like a tsunami and Sam made sure finish his feast.

You got out of your post-oral haze to see Sam looming over in all his naked glory. His body must’ve been made by the gods because it was divine. His frame was an ode to sexiness wrapped in sinful warm sepia skin.

Sam caught you biting your lower lip and cocked his head, “Like what you see?”

Damn that cocky bastard, but damn if he wasn’t right. Part of you wanted to fuck his brains out…and that was before you saw his cock. Standing proud and erect with angry veins, his cock had to be the biggest you’ve ever seen (not like you had much exposure, just a few pornos).

Sam crawled up to you, lifted your chin and gave a soft kiss on the lips sensing your unease, “Relax, love,” He then lined his cock to your entrance and slid in as gently as he could.

You hissed from the pain, he was just so damn big. Sam praised you on how well you fit around him like ‘you were made for him’. Once the pain subsided, you bucked your hips into his causing him to moan at the sensation. He smiled at your eagerness and picked up the pace, making his thrusts come out to just the tip was in you and slamming back into you. You cried out his name each time he filled you to the hilt, pleading with him to go faster. Soon he reached your G-Spot causing to orgasm again, this time with you crossing your eyes and coming with a squirt.

Not too long after your second orgasm, Sam came with an otherworldly roar and glowing bright gold eyes shooting rope after rope of thick cum into your womb. He then flipped you onto your stomach and forced you onto your hands and knees so that he could take you from behind.

He got ten orgasms from you, each one more mind-blowing than the last. Once he was satisfied, he let you sleep.

“Soon you will be round with my seed, and we will have many children. I can’t wait.”

Ah hour after you closed your eyes, Sam left his, now yours, quarters. “Make sure she doesn’t leave,” he orders the guards although, he’s confident that she’s not going anywhere with the way he hammered her.

He strode down the corridors until he reached the dungeon. There, he found a rather nice looking apartment-style cell with only one prisoner, your mother.

“I’ve taken your daughter. Do you want to see her before you go?”

You see, Samael, Mikael (Bucky), and Stelios (Steve) were demon warlords who began conquering kingdoms left and right 1200yrs ago. They fought their way to the last free kingdom, Kharan. By the time your grandparents were brought before them, they had killed your uncle, the heir to the throne. The king and queen begged for their lives and the kingdom to be spared.

The trio agreed on one condition: if the next child the queen bears is a girl, then she would be Sam’s mate (Mikael and Stelios already had mates).

The king reluctantly agreed. The queen gave birth four months later to a girl, but she was in demon form. The queen had two of her most trusted attendants spirit the child away to another realm and raised her as their own.

Sam had your grandparents slaughtered and razed Kharan to the ground for their trickery. No matter, he was immortal. He would bide his time.

Eventually, your mother was told about her true parentage and form. She learned to control her powers, found love and she too was with child.

Sam found her a week before she went into labor and said that it was time to collect. She promised you in her stead immediately in hopes that it would buy her some time.

It did. She was able to pass you, a cambion, off to a friend of hers who wanted a child but couldn’t conceive and gave Sam a fake baby. He had your mother thrown into the dungeons.

Sam searched for you, but discovered that your mother put a cloaking spell on you. So, he approached your mother with a deal: her freedom for you becoming his mate.

It took your mother three years of torture for her to say yes.

Once the spell was lifted, Sam went to work. He made sure your adopted parents had a little ‘accident’ when you were old enough to take care of yourself, made sure that no one would want to hire you, and saddled you with debt. He even got Mikael and Stelios to pose as ‘The Star Spangled Trio’ with him to finally get you to the Hall of Mirrors.

Your mother bowed her head in shame, “No. It’s best for her to believe that I don’t exist.”

Sam unlocked the cell door with a simple spell, “You’re free to go. Have a nice life,” and returned to his quarters to be with his mate and queen.

Your mother took one last look at the palace,”I’m sorry, my little moon and stars,” and disappeared into the night.

Taglist: @jtargaryen18​ @threeminutesoflife​​ @giorno-plays-piano​ @lookiamtrying​ @sherrybaby14​ @opheliadawnwalker3​ @life-of-yn​ @mcudarklibrary​ @marvelfansworld​ @imdarkinme​ @sapphirescrolls​ @samingtonwilson​ @chris-evans-indian-fanfic​ @pseudonymphet​ @dahkness​ @saiyanprincessswanie​ @golden-ariess​ @chixkencxrry​ @anyatheladyclown​ @stargazingfangirl18​ @saint-bvcky​ @cherienymphe​ @iguessweallcrazyithinktho​ @cockslut-padalecki​

[gladdygirl18]

Taking the Time to Laugh

Summary: Young Peter had a rough week at school. When the weekend hits, he still pushes himself to study and stop whatever little crime he can catch. Let’s just say some certain Avengers remind him to have fun every once in a while.

Word Count: 2676

Monday, the start of another week of high school for Peter. Everything goes by smoothly; got an A+ on a physics project he got last week, stopped a bank robbery during his lunch period, and somehow was still able to make it back to school on time, nothing major.

Tuesday. Okay, it was a little harder today. Flash, of course, picked on Peter again just for fun, had 2 tests back-to-back; good thing he studied, and he stopped a jail break during his lunch period.

Wednesday. Peter was late to school because of a jewelry store robbery. Had to study for a test that was at the end of the week, and saved hundreds of lives from a train before it derailed. Seriously, Queens, give the kid a break.

Thursday. Does the city of Queens WANT Spider-Man to die? Seriously, Peter had to stop 3 bank robberies, 2 jewelry heists, and 2 thefts. On top of that, he had a history test, a math test, AND a Spanish test that day.

Friday. Finally, the week is over. Peter had a physics test that day, which he wasn’t too worried about. Got A’s on all his previous tests that week. During his lunch period, he saved a bus full of people that almost went for a swim into the Hudson.

Peter was as happy as a dog when it gets a bone. The week was finally over, which means he can spend the weekend studying and sleeping at Avengers HQ. Swinging across the buildings from his school, he soon arrived at the Avengers Facility. Walking inside, he was greeted with cold, dead silence. Letting out a sigh, Peter looked up at the ceiling.

“FRIDAY, where is everyone?” he asked.

“The Avengers are out on a mission in Switzerland. Do you want me to contact them?” she asked.

“No, no. It’s okay.”

Thanking the AI, Peter dragged his tired legs to his room. Reaching his room, Peter walked inside and threw himself on his bed.

“FRIDAY wake me up in 4 hours please. I want to study for a bit before tomorrow.” Peter said.

“Of course, Mr. Parker.” the AI said politely.

Letting out a tired sigh, the young Spider-Man was asleep in no time. After four long hours, FRIDAY woke the kid up to a very deafening alarm. Peter flipped onto the ceiling in shock like a scared cat. Remembering what he had asked the AI to do, the kid calmed down and jumped down from the ceiling.

“Hey FRIDAY, are the others back?” Peter asked, hoping that if they were back, they didn’t hear the alarm.

“No, they are still in Switzerland. Do you want me to contact them?” she asked.

“No thanks.”

Peter looked at the time and saw that it was already past 7. Shaking off the drowsiness, Peter took out his textbooks and notes, and started studying. He even asked FRIDAY to quiz him after an hour of studying in solitude. After what felt like hours, the kid finally stopped his studying and decided to go to bed.

“FRIDAY, do you know when the others are going to be back?” Peter asked.

“I do not know.” was all the AI said.

Nodding silently, the kid put on his sleepwear and was out like a light in no time. The new day dawned, and the Saturday sun spilled into Peter’s room through the closed blinds. Feeling the warm sun on his face, Peter cracked his eyes open and let out a small yawn. Sitting up, he stretched out his arms and let out another yawn.

“Come on, body... Move...” Peter said tiredly.

The kid pushed his legs off the side of the bed until he was lying in a very awkward position. Groaning in discomfort and frustration, he shot two web strands at his walls and used them to hoist himself up. Walking into his bathroom, he washed his face and brushed his teeth.

“Ugh, I’ve gotta stop with the late-night studying...” Peter reminded himself.

It was a small habit of Peter’s that he couldn’t control. Like his Aunt May always says, “Do what you NEED to do that way you can do what you WANT to do.”

“No pain, no gain, I suppose.” Peter said, to himself.

Slapping his cheeks to keep himself awake, he walked out of his room and was greeted by the sounds of voices.

“They’re back.” Peter said to himself.

Looking over the balcony from upstairs, he saw his fellow teammates relaxing in the living room. Smiling, the kid walked downstairs to join them. Hearing footsteps, a certain super soldier turned around to see the kid walking towards them.

“Afternoon kid.” Steve said.

The others that were there, Clint, Bucky, and Sam, turned to the kid and smiled.

Afternoon!? How long have I been sleeping? Peter thought.

Looking up at the clock, he saw that it was a quarter past 2.

“Hey Parker.” Clint said.

“Hey guys. How was Switzerland?” Peter asked while taking a seat next to the Hawkeye.

Sam leaned his head back and let out a frustrated groan.

“Cold. Very cold.” he said.

“We’re used to it.” said the two super soldiers.

“Why am I not surprised?” Clint asked.

The kid nodded with a fond smile. Peter leaned against the armrest of the sofa and let out a yawn.

“Hey kid. You okay?” Bucky asked.

All Peter did was nod.

“Rough morning?” Steve asked.

Peter shook his head no.

“More like a rough week.” Peter said.

“Mind telling us?” Sam asked.

Peter let out a sigh before facing the four older Avengers.

“Well, the start of the week was good, but then it all went to hell after that. Just this week alone, I had to stop 4 bank robberies, 2 thefts, 2 jewel heists, had to save hundreds of people from a train before it derailed, had to stop a jail break, and save some people on a bus before they took a swim in the Hudson. On top of that, high school is being a pain in the ass. I think I had at least 5 or 6 tests this week alone...” Peter said.

The kid looked at the Avengers and saw that they were all staring at him in shock.

“One question... How?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know, Mr. Wilson. And to make it worse, I did some really late studying for a test this upcoming week... Ugh, I just need rest...” Peter said.

His vibrating phone soon took him out of his thoughts. Checking the NEWS, he saw that there was a jewel heist downtown. Letting out a sigh, he got up from the sofa and started heading for the door.

“Whoa, hey, where are you going?” Steve asked.

“Jewel heist downtown,” Peter said.

“Nu uh. No way. Let the police handle that. You stay here and rest.” Clint said.

“I have to go because for the past week, I’ve been doing the police’s job.”

Without another word, the kid ran out of the facility and swung into action. The four older Avengers looked at each other in disbelief.

“The kid’s gonna work himself dead if he keeps this up.” Sam said.

“Preach to that notion.” Clint said.

“What are we going to do? Even if we try to force him, his honest to God pure heart won’t let innocent people die on his watch.” Steve said.

“He’s an Avenger for a reason.” Bucky said with a smile.

The other three agreed with silent nods.

“Well, what else can we do?” Clint asked.

The four of them sat in silence trying to come up with a solution. After a while, Sam snapped his fingers when he came up with an idea.

“We may not be able to stop the kid from overworking himself, but we can remind him what fun he’s missing out on if he keeps working.” Sam said.

“Care to elaborate?” Steve asked.

Sam smiled and gladly explain his plan to his friends. The kid didn’t come back until 5. While he was swinging back to the facility, he saw a back robbery and stopped it. His spidey powers are supposed to help him recover after tiresome things, such as school and crimes. They were not helping. When Peter got back to HQ, he was met with silence.

“They probably went out to Switzerland again.” Peter said, chuckling to himself.

Walking into the living room, he plopped down on the sofa and breathed out a heavy sigh. Peter then let out a loud yelp when he felt something pull him down to the floor. His attempts to fight off his attackers were short-lived when his arms were held out to the side of him. He then felt weight being added on his waist. Looking up, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it was Clint and Bucky.

“Guys, what are you doing?” Peter asked, stuggling in the Winter Soldier’s grip.

“Nothing too farfetched, Spidey-Boy.” Clint replied.

“Okay, then why do you have me pinned down against my will?”

Bucky couldn’t help but let a giggle escape when the kid said that.

“We’re just reminding you to have fun.” said a familiar voice.

The kid looked up and saw Sam and Steve walk in out of nowhere.

“W-What does that mean?” Peter asked nervously.

“You have nothing to fret, kid. This won’t hurt at all. Trust me.” Steve said.

Peter struggled in the Winter Soldier’s grip, but his strength and metal arm made it impossible to get loose. Plus, Hawkeye’s weight making it difficult to buck him off.

“Riddle me this, kid. Have you ever heard the phrase; laughter is the best medicine?” Bucky asked, putting emphasis on his question.

Peter’s struggling almost became twice as violent when he heard that phrase. His Uncle Ben always said that phrase when Peter was young and sad. After the phrase being proclaimed, he was reduced to a puddle of giggling mess.

“I’ll take his struggling as a yes.” Clint said.

“Well, don’t wanna keep the kid waiting, do we?” Steve asked.

Nodding to one another, they all pounced at once, their fingers raking, scribbling, and wiggling all over the kid’s defenseless body. Peter literally screamed in laughter when they all pounced at him.

“Oh my Gohohohohohohohohod! Stahahahahahahahahahahap! Plehehehehehehehease!” Peter begged.

“Stop? We only just started!” Sam said cheerfully, kneading his fingers into the kid’s ribcage.

Peter gave a small buck when he felt the weird sensation on his ribs.

“Stohohohohohohop! Thahahahahahahahat feels sohohohohoho weird!” Peter cried.

“It’s called being ticklish, kid.” Bucky said bluntly.

Steve placed a hand on the kid and vibrated his hand all over the poor kid’s belly. Peter shook his head back and forth, trying not to think about the ticklish sensations all over his body. Easier said than done if you ask me.

“Yohohohohohohou’ve hahahahahahahad your fuhuhuhuhuhuhun! Now plehehehehehehehease stohohohohohop!” Peter cried.

“We’ll stop once you say that you’ll stop overworking yourself and take time off to have fun with us.” Steve said.

Peter couldn’t even respond. His childish laughter was getting in the way of every sentence he tried to form.

“You know Parker, everyone has a weak spot. Do you have one?” Clint asked.

“Nohohohohoho!” Peter answered.

“Liar.” Bucky said.

Holding Peter’s arms down with his metal arm, Bucky scribbled his fingers right below the kid’s armpits. Peter gave a small buck and his laughter reached a new volume.

“NOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHEHRE!” Peter begged.

The four Avengers smiled almost menacingly down at the kid. Clint soon hiked hands upwards, inching closer and closer to the kid’s armpits.

“MR. BAHAHAHAHAHARTON PLEHEHEHEHEASE DOHOHOHOHON’T!” the kid begged.

“Sorry kid, I just gotta know.” the Hawkeye said.

Once his hands were in his target, Peter first fell limp with laughter before his struggling turned into violent thrashing.

“Looks like we struck gold.” Sam said.

“More like we struck diamond. Look at him.” Steve said.

What Captain America appeared sound. The kid’s laughter was louder than ever, and his thrashing was getting more and more violent. Not a problem for Bucky. He had Peter’s wrists locked down tight. The kid wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! I CAHAHAHAHAHAHAN’T TAKE ANY MOHOHOHOHOHOHOHORE!” Peter cried out.

“Too ticklish, Spider-Boy?” Bucky asked, grinning down at the kid’s laughing face.

Peter cracked opened one of his eyes to look at the Winter Soldier. Bad decision. They say if you look at your tickler, the tickling becomes a hundred times worse. Apparently, no one told Peter Parker this information. Bucky was grinning like the devil himself. And with his long hair blocking the light in the room, it made him look ten times scarier. Honest to God, Peter’s laughter reached a new octave and volume.

“GUYS STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!” Peter begged.

“You know what to do to make us stop. Say that you’ll stop overworking yourself and take time off to have fun with us.” Sam said.

“I CAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAN’T! QUEENS IHHIHIHIHIHIHIS COHOHOHOHOHOUNTING ON MEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!”

“All I hear is excuses...” Clint groaned.

Taking a gamble, Steve started kneading Peter’s inner thigh and got a really good reaction out of it.

“DOHOHOHOHOHON’T DO THAHAHAHAHAHAHAT!” Peter cried.

“What? This?” Steve asked, kneading the kid’s thighs again.

The kid’s laughter fell on deaf ears. His face was beat red, tears streaming down his shut eyes, and nothing but cute, childish was being produced.

“COHOHOHOHOHOHOHOME OHOHOHOHOHOHON! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!” Peter begged.

“You have the power to stop all this, yet you refuse to do so. Why is that, Mr. Parker?” Bucky asked.

Peter couldn’t form a word; he was laughing so much.

“I think he needs more persuasion.” Bucky said.

Holding down Peter’s wrists with his knees, he slid his fingers into the kid’s sleeves and attacked his bare armpit. Peter honest to God screamed out a new stream of laughter.

“BUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUCKY NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! GET YOUR HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAND OUT! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!” Peter begged.

“Oh, I get it.” Clint said, catching onto the Winter Soldier’s plan.

Nodding to the Falcon, the two of them snaked their hands under the kid’s shirt and teased the sensitive skin. Peter started to buck and thrash like a bull.

“YOHOHOHOHOHOHOU GUYS ARE SOHOHOHOHOHOHO MEHEHEHEHEAN! STAHAHAHAHAHAP!” Peter cried.

“Just say what we wanna hear, kid. This’ll all be over if you just say what we want you to say.” Steve said.

If they didn’t stop now, Peter was surely going to pass out from lack of oxygen.

“ALRIHIHIHIHHIHIHIHIGHT! I’LL STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP OVERWORKING MYSEHEHEHEHEHEHEHELF!” Peter cried.

“And?” the four Avengers inquired.

“I’LL STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHART TAHAHAHAHAHAHAKING TIME OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOFF TO HAVE FUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUN! JUST PLEASE STOP!”

Once he said that, the four men removed their hands from the kid’s body. Peter’s chest rose and fell slowly while he took in the much needed air. His heart felt like he was going to explode.

“You good kid?” Sam asked.

Peter panted but was still able to nod towards the Falcon.

“Sorry if we overdid it a bit.” Clint said.

“A bit!? I felt like I was gonna die!” Peter cried sitting straight up.

Hawkeye shrugged with a smile. Thinking back to his rough week, he let a wide, genuine smile form.

“I guess I have been working myself to the bone lately,” he said.

“After hearing how your week was, we couldn’t feel more sympathetic for you.” Steve said.

“You may be called Spider-Man, but sometimes you gotta remember that you’re still a kid.” Bucky said.

“Yeah, a kid with a lot of responsibilities.”

Bucky looked at the kid with an annoyed smug look.

“But I get your point. I’ll try and stop working myself to the bone and try and start having fun... with my family...” the kid said.

The four men smiled at being called family.

“So, Parker, what do you want to do now?” Steve asked.

Peter thought for a while before a smiled loomed on his face.

“Well, I guess I can get my revenge on you guys...” Peter said with a malicious smile.

For the rest of the afternoon, Peter was able to exact his revenge on his family. And in truth, the Avengers were his family, in more ways than one.

Hope you enjoyed! Stay Safe, Stay Blessed!

[felicia-cat-hardy]

20 Asian American Musicians To Add To Your Playlist Now

Over the past several years, the K-pop industry in the U.S. has grown exponentially. The fan enthusiasm behind bands like BTS has drawn parallels to The Beatles, and so many K-pop groups have received the same passionate reception. The attention is well-deserved, but Asian artists represent a multitude of musical genres (even just within the K-pop industry) — a fact that should not be overlooked. Whether you're a fan of indie rock, R&B, hip-hop, or dance music, you won't want to sleep on these Asian American musicians.

Asian artists have recently received some long-deserved recognition in the entertainment industry, primarily in film. In 2020, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite won big at the Oscars. The following year, Youn Yuh-Jung won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Minari, which also scored The Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun a nomination for Best Actor. However, there's still plenty of work to be done within the music landscape to ensure equal representation is achieved.

BTS, most notably, has seen unprecedented success in the U.S. Still, despite being invited to attend the last three Grammys, they've yet to take home an award, highlighting the discrepancy between their immense success and the Recording Academy's willingness to acknowledge it. Additionally, Asian artists have a harder time landing record deals. As American Idol alumni Paul Kim explained to The New York Times, he was blatantly told by industry execs he would have been signed to a label faster had he not been Asian.

By streaming these artists, you're not only supporting them and their art, but you're subsequently showing industry insiders just how valuable they are. Consider this list sonic proof Asian artists are making exceptional, diverse music that can't be boxed into one genre or sound. Each of these artists prides themselves on breaking boundaries and creating their own rules. You may have heard of a few, but many have been flying under the radar for far too long. Your ears will thank you soon enough.

Melissa Polinar

Polinar got her start in the late 2000s when viral YouTube covers paved the way for success. While artists like Justin Bieber and Lennon & Maisy were sharing music covers, Polinar focused on posting her original music — and her soulful vocals were a hit. In 2019, the Filipino-American songwriter actually re-recorded one of the songs that propelled her career forward, "Try," on its 10-year anniversary.

Eric Nam

Born and raised in Atlanta, Nam moved to Korea to pursue music because he felt he had a better chance of succeeding there. “Even if you look at American Idol, or X-Factor, or The Voice or anything, it was always difficult to see an Asian or an Asian-American make it to a certain point,” Nam told TIME in November 2019. Today, Nam is a highly visible and respected name in the K-pop industry. While he's very proud of his K-pop success, he considers himself a pop singer first. He hopes to grow his success stateside and told TIME, "I want people to hear my music and say, 'I don’t know who this person is,' and I could be Black, white, Latino, Asian — it doesn’t matter, but it’s just a great pop song."

Clinton Kane

Kane's got every making of a great singer-songwriter, and his lyricism will make a fan out of loyal Ed Sheeran or Sam Smith listeners. The Filipino-American singer's impressive vocal range captivates, and his emotion-driven lyrics will melt your heart. One of his more popular tracks, "Chicken Tendies," has upwards of 2 million views and is a must-add to your heartbreak playlist.

Jhené Aiko

As a mixed-race Japanese, Creole, Dominican, and European woman, Aiko has proudly championed her diverse roots throughout her accomplished career. The R&B singer is a six-time Grammy-nominated artist and is well respected within the industry for her philanthropic endeavors. She launched the WAYS foundation in 2017, an organization dedicated to helping cancer patients and their families.

Steve Aoki

Steve Aoki is hardly a newcomer to the EDM scene, but as one of the most prominent DJs in the industry, and one of the biggest Japanese DJs ever, it would be a crime to leave him off this list. Aoki even has his own record label and, in 2016, Netflix released I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, a documentary about his career.

Karen O

As the lead singer for the rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O has solidified her spot as a rock music legend. Not only is the Korean-American singer's discography with the band a must-listen for any rock music fan, but her 2019 album with Danger Mouse, Lux Prima, earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance.

H.E.R.

Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, H.E.R. (aka Gabi Wilson) has become one of the most prominent names in R&B. At just 23 years old, the singer-songwriter already has four Grammy wins and 13 nominations. Along the way, she's never shied away from praising her Filipino mother and Black father, Agnes and Kenny Wilson, for giving her the unique perspectives that propelled her musical success.

Toro Y Moi

Toro Y Moi is actually one person (Chaz Bear) and he's become the unofficial king of chillwave. Born to a Filipino mother, the South Carolina native later relocated to California to further his music career. If you need some chill vibes on your playlist, Bear's got you covered.

Ruby Ibarra

Ibarra is a Filipino-American rapper from San Lorenzo, California who also dabbles in spoken word poetry. Her music is meaningful in more ways than one. A number of her songs touch upon her experience as an Asian American woman. In April 2021, she released a powerful song and video called "Gold" with Ella Jay Basco, which exposed the harmful effects of the skin whitening industry.

Ella Jay Basco

You may recognize Basco from her appearance in Birds of Prey, but her music is not to be slept on because it's making major waves. Her song "Gold" with Ruby Ibarra highlights her Filipino heritage. As she told People, "From top to bottom, we wanted to make sure that our Asian-American community was represented with this project."

Mitski

Meet your new favorite alt-rock queen. Mitski's dreamy melodies appeal to the indie-rock crowd more than anything, and, if you're a sucker for a sad bop, this Japanese-American songstress has plenty of those stacked up.

Yaeji

Yaeji was born in Flushing, Queens in 1993 and grew up between the U.S. and Korea. Since she moved around so much as a kid, she found friendship on the internet, where she first connected with the bossa nova, jazz, and Korean indie music that drove much of the Korean DIY scene. She soon returned to the States to attend college, where she discovered a love for producing and DJing. Now, she meticulously blends hip-hop elements with her house-driven sound for a listening experience that is unlike anything else.

Hayley Kiyoko

Kiyoko has been given the nickname Lesbian Jesus since she’s so outspoken about LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry. The Japanese-American singer is a true trailblazer and her pop music genius has landed her hits with Kehlani, MAX, and AJR.

Jay Park

Park is an industry heavyweight. The Seattle native got his start in the K-pop industry as part of the band 2PM, but he went solo in 2009. Today, not only does the star have dozens of hits under his belt, but he has two record labels of his own that specialize in R&B and hip-hop music: AOMG and H1ghr. Park uses his superstar status to give others the spotlight, and he's put his support behind other artists like GOT7's JAY B and Yugyeom, and Raz Simone. Whether you're a self-proclaimed K-pop stan, or you're just recently getting acquainted with the genre, Park's discography is required listening.

Jin Au-Yeung

Born and raised in North Miami Beach, Florida, the Chinese-American rapper, aka MC Jin, has some seriously impressive accolades under his belt. After becoming popular among his musical peers for his epic freestyles, he was signed to Ruff Ryders in 2002 at just 19 years old, becoming the first Asian American solo rapper to be signed to a major record label in the U.S. He's since parted ways with the label and now travels back and forth between the U.S. and Hong Kong, seeing success in both places. In May 2021, the rapper released a single called "Stop the Hatred" with Wyclef Jean to raise awareness about hate crimes toward Asian Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Olivia Rodrigo

Rodrigo needs no introduction, but I'll do it anyway: This Filipino-American actress-turned-singer-songwriter's mega-hit debut single "drivers license" was unavoidable in January 2021. Its heartbreakingly relatable lyrics about a crush moving on with someone else struck listeners to their core and immediately soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also went viral on TikTok, before making its way into a Saturday Night Live sketch. Rodrigo's songwriting skills have fans likening her to industry heavyweights like Taylor Swift, so it's no surprise her debut album, Sour, is one of the most highly-anticipated albums of summer 2021.

Run River North

Run River North is not just one musician, but three. The band formerly known as Monsters Calling Home is an indie rock band from Los Angeles. The group has an eclectic sound that draws inspiration from each member: Daniel Chae, Alex Hwang, and Sally Kang.

ZHU

When ZHU first entered the electronic music scene, he used an alias and remained anonymous. By 2014, the artist also known as Steven Zhu was ready to share his identity with the world. ZHU got his start in San Francisco, California, but has made his mark on the EDM scene globally.

Darren Criss

Criss rose to fame starring on the television series Glee and he's since proven himself to be a true triple threat. His work can be seen across TV, film, and music. In September of 2018, Criss became the first Filipino-American to win an Emmy in the lead actor category for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He’s also got several full-fledged EPs under his belt.

Amber Liu

Amber Liu (also known mononymously as Amber) is of Taiwanese descent and grew up in Los Angeles. She made a big splash when debuting as a member of the K-pop girl group f(x) in September 2009, but has since gone solo. Her 2019 solo track "Other People" racked up millions of streams, and she’s gearing up to drop her first album of 2021, called y?, very soon. In the meantime, she’s continuing to grow her superstar following on social media, where she has 5 million Instagram followers and over 2.3 million on Twitter.

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[wesleyhill]

He Descended to His Enemies

A homily preached at Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh, on Holy Saturday 2021

“The gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.”

I would speak to you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

That line from our epistle reading today that has struck many Bible readers over the centuries as tantalizingly cryptic: “The gospel was proclaimed even to the dead.”

From the church’s very early days, Christians have interpreted this verse as a reference to Christ’s descent into Hades or hell which we confess in the Apostles’ Creed: “he descended to the dead.” Within a couple of hundred years after Jesus’ resurrection, Christians were already spinning out elaborate mythologies about Christ’s journey through the underworld on Holy Saturday after His death and before His resurrection. Listen to how the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus pictures the scene:

While Satan and Hades were… speaking to each other, there was a great voice like thunder, saying: Lift up your gates, O ye rulers; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates; and the King of glory shall come in!Hades, hearing the voice…, answered as if forsooth he did not know, and says: Who is this King of glory? The angels of the Lord say: The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. And immediately with these words the brazen gates were shattered, and the iron bars broken, and all the dead who had been bound came out of the prisons, and we with them. And the King of glory came in in the form of a man, and all the dark places of Hades were lighted up.

There continue to be modern versions of this story, too, like Evan Dahm’s remarkable new graphic novel The Harrowing of Hell.

I confess that I don’t think this scene is really what our epistle reading is talking about when it says that the gospel was proclaimed to those who have died, but I am still absolutely enthralled by the picture.

Most of all, I love the icons of it.[1] The classic Eastern Orthodox depiction of this shows Jesus trampling down the gates of hell and grasping the hands of Adam and Eve, the parents of the entire human family, and pulling them up from the pit. He dies on the cross and goes down, down, down to the nethermost parts of the mythological world to rescue the openly rebellious, the brazenly defiant sinners who plunged the whole human race into ruin and destruction. And then the Gospel of Nicodemus pictures Christ also turning to the rest of the damned and miserable denizens and saying, “Come all with me, as many as have died through the tree which [Adam] touched: for, behold, I again raise you all up through the tree of the cross.”

As I say, I’m not convinced that this is what the first epistle of Peter originally meant, but I still think there is real truth in this picture of the “harrowing of hell” because what it pictures is Christ going down to the lowest point to be with those who had turned against Him, those who had betrayed and denied Him, those who were His enemies — and hoisting them up out of their sin and torment to enjoy His victory.

Theologian Sarah Hinlicky Wilson wrote in her newsletter this week about Christ’s descent into hell, and she suggested that the picture is ultimately the same picture as the Gospels’ accounts of Jesus coming back to His faithless disciples after His resurrection. The point is that Jesus doesn’t die in order to escape from those — us! — who nailed Him to the cross. He dies and goes down to death precisely for us who are His betrayers and deniers and backstabbers and executioners.

You see this in all four Gospels. In Mark’s Gospel, the angel says to the women at the tomb on Easter morning, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Tell Peter! — the one who denied that He knew Him and left Him alone in His time of greatest need — tell Peter that He will meet him again.

Matthew tells the same story but adds a twist, as Wilson points out. “Jesus exposes himself to the risks of re-entering community: ‘And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.’ … Yet he’s so determined to stick it out with them that his last words, the very last words of this Gospel, are: ‘And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Jesus dies and goes to be with the very people who doubt Him, the ones whose fidelity to Him is wavering, the very ones who sent Him to His death.

In the Gospel of Luke, after His resurrection, He meets a bewildered couple who are, as He tells them, “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe.” And yet, even so, He reveals His identity to them as He breaks bread together with them. He comes to them with mercy, in spite of themselves.

And in the Gospel of John, Jesus has an extended conversation with Peter where He gives Peter three opportunities to reaffirm his love for Jesus and in that way reverses the three times he had denied Jesus on the night of His arrest and trial.

Wilson sums it all up like this: “It’s a miracle that Christ descended into hell. It’s a miracle the Christ rose again from the dead. And it’s every bit as much a miracle that Christ walked right back into the midst of the other people who comprised his own personal hell… He left the solitary stance of the noble martyr to reenter the company of the sinners who betrayed him.”

Friends, this is the good news for us this Holy Saturday. Whatever personal hell you or I are living through, Christ has died in order to descend into that hell with us and for us — and, ultimately, to hoist us out from it.

I have a friend who wandered away from Christ for several decades. He considered himself an atheist and kept far away from church. But he eventually made his way back. I asked him one time, “What brought you back?” He said: “A catastrophic need for grace.”

I’ve never forgotten that phrase: a catastrophic need for grace.

Isn’t that why you’re here today? Isn’t that why I’m here?

Aren’t we all aware of the ways we have abandoned Christ, betrayed Him, denied Him, turned against Him, killed Him? And yet He descends into our deadness. He comes to the very ones who deserve His wrath.

He throws open the gates of our hells and says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come!”

Amen.

[1] In this, I share the Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson’s view: “One will, I fear, have to construe the three days according to the construal of the salvific relation between the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection found in one’s theological tradition and own best reflection. I confess my own leaning toward the theology of the Eastern icons, which is not that of my own tradition” (Canon and Creed, p. 44).

[flamboyantly-incompetent]

Since the World Began (2/?)

Hades!Bucky x Persephone!Reader

Word Count:  7793

Warnings: maybe a little trauma, nothing major

A/N: So, it’s been a little over a year since the first part of this series was posted - I know a couple people have asked to be tagged in this, so I’m sorry this has taken so long!  The gifs are, surprise surprise, not mine.  This is gonna get hella cute real fast.  And then hella angsty.  I’m sorry (kinda).

Part 1

When you fell for him, really fell, there was no way you could have known the consequences.

As the time passed, so did many mortals, and Bucky found himself busier by the day with the rising population of the underworld.  Sometimes, when you passed by the door in the cliff face, you could see him sitting in the doorway, eyes closed and legs hanging down, bathing in the sunlight so rarely seen.

Joining Bucky in the underworld became a frequent occurrence, and you didn’t mind.  For all the weariness slung on his shoulders, his home put him at ease, and his presence did the same for you.

One such occasion, you’d joined him in the tower as he tried to complete some kingly or otherwise morbid sort of task.  Enthralled in his work, he began to pay you no mind; you draped yourself dramatically over his bed.  When he didn’t look up from his desk, you sighed loudly.  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.  You were gaining ground.

Rolling onto your stomach, you opened your mouth to speak and -

Hermes flew through the open window, rustling every rustlable thing in the room.

“Sam!” Bucky exclaimed, trying to keep the papers littering his desk orderly, “You know I hate it when you do that.”

His wings snapped shut with a whoosh and he grinned, “That’s why I do it, Skully.”

“Cheron hates it when you do that - you’re supposed to take the ferry.  Cerberus hates it when you do that; he is especially fascinated by small flying things, he’s gonna be all in a tizzy.  Are you taunting him on purpose?”

“Oh, nuh huh I am never going near that thing, he tries to bite me every time I’m down here.”

“Did you hear a word I just said?”

“I am the messenger, proclaimer of things.”  Bucky huffed as Hermes turned to you.  “Persephone!  Fancy seeing you here.”

“Wilson,” Bucky warned.  Sam winked at you with a cheeky grin; you laughed out loud through the heat on your cheeks.

Sam ignored Bucky completely and continued, “Anyway, I’d love to shoot the breeze some more but I’ve got five more gods to get to by sunup.  Zeus has called a meeting for the Olympians, and I know you aren’t technically on the council, but he wants you both there.  Thanks for saving me the trip.”  He winked at you again, to Bucky’s chagrin.

“No problem.  What’s the meeting about?” you replied, rising to your feet.

Sam only shrugged and unfurled his wings, reaching for a piece of fruit from the bowl by the door.  Before his fingers could grace it, though, his hand was struck by a flying object - an ink well, you thought.  He stared at Bucky, now standing rigid, in shock.

“You really don’t want to do that,” Bucky said, voice low.

Sam gulped, “Right.  Sorry, I always forget that.  Uh, thanks.”  Bucky gave him a nod before he took off, rustling the room once more.

With Sam gone, Bucky finally shot you a glance.  You were smirking at him, altogether too satisfied by whatever thought you had running about inside your head.

“What’s that look for?”

You smiled wider and nudged him in the middle.  “The god of the dead is a big ol’ softie.”

“Am not!”

“Are too,” you reached up to poke his reddened ears.  “Your ears give you away every time.”

“I just don’t want that pigeon stuck down here pestering me for all eternity because of an orange.”

“Sure, sure,” you said, giving in but knowing you were, in fact, absolutely correct.  “I wonder what this summons is all about.”

Bucky groaned, massaging his temples. “It can’t be good,” he mumbled.

“What makes you say that?”

He turned to you.  “My family is, well, we tend to get into a lot of drama.”

You took his hand in yours.  “In any case, we should go.”

“But (Y/N),” he whined pitifully, wrapping his arms around your middle.  You giggled into his chest.  “We could just not go.  What’s Zeus gonna do?  Run the underworld himself?”

Still giggling, you pulled out of his grasp.  “Probably not, but we still should go.”  He was unconvinced.  “What if it’s serious?”

“All the more reason to stay down here.”

“Bucky.”

“Oof.  Alright, alright.  D’think Sam would mind if we brought Rus along?”

On your path back to the mortal realm, Bucky tried his best to placate a disgruntled Charon, who began complaining the second you were in earshot about how “gods these days have no respect for the likes of ol’ Charon.”

“I don’t even ask for a tool from Olympians!” he continued on, rowing Bucky and yourself across the Acheron slowly, “Is it really so much for me to ask, as the ferryman of the underworld, that when in the underworld one takes the ferry?”

Bucky nodded sympathetically, as if dealing with a child.  “Trust me, I know.  I tell Hermes every time he’s here.” 

“All I’m asking, is for a little respect.  The whole reason we have the bloody river is to control who gets in -”

“And out.  I know; I asked Poseidon to put them there.”

“Right, sorry.”

As the two of them bickered, you watched the wandering figures on the shore; they were as mournful and despondent as ever.  You had meant to speak to a few this visit, but the thought of seeing Bucky always seemed to take precedence.  It made you sad and ashamed, how often you allowed these pitiful beings to be pushed from your thoughts.

Bucky took your hand when you reached the shore, and you made for the mortal realm when a shade among the moaning fell to his knees at your feet, a river of pleas falling from his open and eerily still mouth.  You recoiled from the dead man’s spirit; his presence felt dank and slimy.

“Persephone, my lady,” his partially disembodied voice entreated, “My family, my wife, I’ve left them with no one, please.”

The look of shock evaporated from your face and with one hand you lifted the man to his feet, your heart sympathetic to his plight.  “What would you have me do”

Slowly and with much effort, he looked this way and that, as if confused and under water.  “Tell them I am sorry, and that I would rather wander the shore than they waste the drachma.”  He paused, surprised you listened still.  “Please, tell them, lady.  I have no other way.”

Bucky, still at your side, simply watched you, waiting for your response.  He needn’t protect you, not from these shades; he’d granted you authority enough already in his heart.

You listened to the spirits words, and imagined the twice-mortal blow of death and abandonment, and reached for his hand.  When his fingertips brushed yours, you saw it - a house, standing somewhat miraculously on a hill by the sea, but one wrong breath from collapse.  In addition, you saw that he had been a pious man, and knew it to be your duty to honor his request in death.

You smiled at him.  “I have passed this place many times; I know it well.  Your family shall hear your message, you have my word.”

The shade thanked you profusely with his motionless mouth, fading back into the others wailing on the shore.

“I don’t think you should have done that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Given him your word,” Bucky explained as the two of you continued on your way.  “You’ll be bound by it now, if you don’t deliver that message there will be consequences.  There are always consequences.”

You huffed lightly.  “I don’t see why that should matter, as I fully intend to visit that man’s family when we’re done on Olympus.”

He paused, glancing at you with a small smile.

“What?”

He laughed, “Nothing, just, sometimes I’m reminded of one of the reasons I love you and I’m, I don’t know, startled?”

A grin spread slow across your face, conquering you.  “Startled?  That’s what you want to go with?  You’re lucky I love you.”

“You don’t have to remind me of that.”

“Really?  I wouldn’t want you to be startled by your good fortune and say something you’d regret.”

“What would I say?”

“Oh I would rather not find out.”

He shook his head, still laughing, and pulled you closer to him.

Rus met you near the door.  He was, in fact, in a bit of a tizzy, bouncing around in circles, whacking the floor and shaking the ground with his tail.  You handled this one.

“Hey Russy,” you cooed at the dog, who only stuck out his tongue, to pant at you.  “Rus, did that big silly bird tease you?”  The beast whined in response, flopping over in anticipation for the inevitable belly rub to come.

Mount Olympus lay only a god’s walk away from the entrance to the underworld.  You and Bucky were nearly there when you were intercepted by a friendly face.

That face appeared in the form of a wall of water that came leaping out of the river you walked next to.

“Steve?” Bucky asked the open air, agitated and soaking wet.  You giggled quietly at the sight and flicked the water off your own hands.  “Steve, I swear, would it kill you to just say, ‘Hi Buck, nice to see you?’“

“Where’s the fun in that?” a voice came from the river.

“Get your scrawny butt up here.”

The man called Steve rose from the river, spraying Bucky once more with water.  “Hi Buck, nice to see you,” he said, grinning shamelessly.

Bucky smiled in spite of himself, and pulled the man called Steve into a bone crushing hug.  “You’re a real punk, you know that?”

“Jerk.”

Bucky pulled back, and gestured towards you, “Steve, this is Persephone.”

Steve reached out to shake your hand; he was quite small, though his eyes held a depth, a sort of ability.  “I’m Poseidon,” he said, “But you’re welcome to call me Steve.”

You smiled warmly, “Call me (Y/N).”

“I take it you’re headed to Olympus?” Bucky cut in.  When Steve nodded he looked to you for a moment then offered, “Walk with us?”

For the rest of the journey, Steve and Bucky swapped stories of silly things they’d seen mortals doing, and, to Bucky’s chagrin, you and Steve swapped stories of silly things you’d seen Bucky doing.  It was a pleasant change from your typical lonely wanderings.

“I’ll admit, Steve,” you started, “I haven’t met many gods yet.  You’re the fifth.  Tony - my mother goddes, Demeter - Bucky, Wanda, Sam of course, and you.  I’m rather nervous.”  You paused, realization flooding through you.  “Oh no, Demeter!  It hadn’t even occurred to me that I’d see him today.  Much has passed since we last spoke.”  Though you couldn’t explain why, the idea filled you with apprehension.

Mount Olympus stood the tallest among the peaks in the range.  On most days, the zenith could be seen with such clarity any mortal could spot the temple that sat there should they know what to look for.  Today, though, the clouds sat low on the mountain, obscuring the gathering from sight.  The mountain top was bustling with activity by the time you arrived at its summit; gods you had never seen before rushed around all about, and Steve was doing his best to point them all out to you.

“That’s Ares, god of war, everybody calls him Rhodey - I think he’s actually pretty good friends with Demeter.  Oh, that over there is Aphrodite, be careful, he’s got quite the temper, I hear - goddess of passion or, something like that.  And that is Athena - wisdom and -”

You cut him off there, “But why is he blue?  And why is he the only one wearing a cape?”

“Vision was born out of Zeus’ forehead.”  Steve shrugged, “He can do what he wants.”  You nodded, a bit overwhelmed.

“Zeus always gets the credit for that,” you spun around to see Tony striding up towards you, “But I did most of the work, you know.”

“Mother goddess!” you let him pull you into a hug.  “It’s good to see you.”

“You too, pumpkin.”  He released you to address your companions, nodding his head politely, if a bit cold, “Poseidon, Hades.”  They nodded similarly, and he turned his attention back to you, “Come, we don’t want to miss Zeus’ opening remarks.”

“We were just on our way, join us, Demeter?”

Tony gave a thin smile and obliged you, taking up his gait on your left.  Bucky remained on your right, though he had allowed some distance to come between you.

The temple where the council held its meetings was designed for twelve, not some odd hundred.  As such, Zeus addressed the throng of deities on the stage of an amphitheater.

“Friends!  Thank you for joining me, I have a very special announcement!” he said, loud, boisterous, and happy, grinning ear to ear.

Bucky leaned towards you to explain, “Zeus’ name is Thor.  He is very...”

“Loud?”

“Yes.”

Zeus continued, “Today, the council says goodbye to its eldest member, and welcomes a new.  Hestia, would you like to say a few words?”  The god called Hestia held himself with a regal demeanor; a soft warmth wafted off of him.

“Hestia is goddess of the hearth.  There’s a people on the African continent that know him as their king.”

“His name?”

“T’Challa.”

Hestia began to speak about the changing of times; Tony took the opportunity to whisper to you, “You and Hades seem rather familiar, dear.”

You blushed and whispered back, “We’ve become friends, yes.”

“I don’t like the idea of you spending so much time together.  He’s dangerous.”

How could you respond to that?  You were Olympians!  All of you were dangerous.  Zeus’ voice cut through your argument, “And so, it is with both sadness and joy that I welcome Dionysus to the council, and bid Hestia a happy retirement.”  Among the gods there was a hodge-podge of arguing, grumbling, halfhearted congratulations and some well-meaning applause.  He continued, unbothered by this response, “Would the twelve Olympians please remain seated, the rest of you are free to go.”

There was a general surge of noise as the whole amphitheater stood.  Bucky gave you a look as he moved off with Steve, which you returned with some apprehension before turning back to your mother goddess.

“Why don’t you like him, mother goddess?”

Tony scoffed, “Ask him why he is god of the dead.”

“Because Zeus made it so.”

“That is why he is king of the underworld, dear.  Ask why he is god of the dead.”  His cold tone struck an uncomfortable chord, and you found yourself unable to look at anything but your hands folded in front of you.

As the gods trickled out of the amphitheater, you bid your mother goddess a strained farewell, making for the home of the shade’s wife.  It was not far in god-stride, and you arrived in the face of a beggar with a gift.

When you arrived, a woman still dressed in the dark robes of mourning stood with her back turned to the road, salty win whipping locks of undone hair about her hung head.  You called out to her, and asked for a moment to rest for a while.  She turned to you, dazed, and invited you inside, where you gave your gift.  It was a jar of honey, which the bees had given up freely to you who was their first caretaker.

You both sat down for a meal.  There were four chairs at the table, and four hooks by the door, but as far as you could feel there was no one else in the house.

When the meal was done, she asked you, “Where do you travel to?”

“I am on my way to fulfill a promise.  It shouldn’t be much longer now.”  That answer seemed to satisfy her, so you asked her, “Who do you mourn for, lady?”

She stood, her every movement languid and melancholy.  “My husband.  I have some wine around here somewhere...?”

“No, I have another gift to give you.”

She looked puzzled and sat back down at the table.

“Where are your children?”

“They have gone.  My husband could leave me no dowry, and my time of childbearing has passed.  My sons are old enough to find work, so I bid them to.”

“Have you no kyrios?”

“When my sons return, I will know.”  She paused, looking worried, “I am afraid I have no gifts to give you traveler.  I haven’t even the coin to pay for my husband’s crossing of the Acheron.  I will be gone before his hundred years are up,” she continued quietly, “so we may at least speak again as lonely spirits.”

“Ah,” you said.  Her head lifted and her gaze met yours.  “That leads me to my second gift.”  You let the illusion drop about you , the blood red sheen of life on your skin obvious in the dull darkness of the house.  “I am the bringer of spring, and I also bring your husband’s words.”

The woman fell to her knees.  “Forgive an old woman who mourns, I have forgotten to wash your feet.”

“I will bring no curse upon your house; this is the favor I spoke of.”  You knelt in front of the woman, grasping her hands.  “Your husband came to me on the shores of the Acheron, and he asked me to tell you that he is sorry.  And to feel no shame in his waiting; that he would rather do so.”

She sniffed a little into her hands.  “I know that you speak the truth.”  The burden of your word was lifted, and you understood what the shade had wanted to ask of you, but hadn’t.  It was something you were happy to give.

You stood, pulling the woman to her feet with you.  “You have been kind to me, and let me ask my many questions.  Your sons will have every beneft I can give to them.”  She thanked you as you bid her farewell, donning your beggar shell once more.  “Gift to me a good life, and that of your children, so we may be friends in Hades after all.”

You walked down the hill until you were out of sight, and you became invisible to mortal eyes again.

Ask why he is god of the dead.  Your mother goddess’ words rang in you ears, persistent, with every step you took back to Hades.  It crossed your mind more than once to find some excuse not to join him again, but your feet refused to consider the idea.

You met him in the asphodel meadows and lingered there, watching the shades speak to each other in apathetic and faint tones, wondering how you could ever breach the subject of Bucky’s authority.  He walked beside you in silence.

Eventually, you said, “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

Abruptly you stopped and turned him to face you.  “My mother goddess, Tony,” you paused, uncomfortable under Bucky’s gaze, “he told me to ask why you are god of the dead.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, but not in anger.  “And is that your question?”

You nodded, guilt already welling in your chest.  The pale glow of the drop of sun Apollo had fixed on the smooth stone ceiling of the underworld did nothing to warm your nervous shivers.

“C’mon, this is a conversation better had with wine.”

“Oh, I thought I wasn’t supposed to-”

“No, honeybee,” he said, chuckling halfheartedly, “it’s for me.”

The two of you climbed the stairs to Hades’ tower in silence.  He gestured to a long, asymmetrical settee which he joined you on.  You took his metal hand in yours.

Before he spoke, Bucky ran his free hand through his hair.  “How much do you know?”  His face was laced with worry; those lines still made your heart ache.

“Only what you’ve told me,” you answered softly.

He began slowly, tasting each word before it left his mouth, with how he and his sibling gods had wound up in the belly of Cronus.  “Cronus lived in constant fear that he’d be overthrown by his children like his father before him, so he prevented a betrayal by swallowing us whole.”

The blue in his eyes held a reserved chill, an icy resentment.  You waited for him to continue, holding your breath.

“Zeus couldn’t set us free until he reached manhood, but even then - we didn’t know.  There was no hope.  Only darkness, and the knowledge that there would be an eternity of it.  Hestia was the oldest, he was trapped there the longest and he was alone for years before I joined him there.  I don’t know how he stayed so sane.  It was... different for me.  By the time Demeter was eaten, I had already gone off the rails.”

He withdrew his hand from yours and continued, “I, (Y/N) I could hear him speak to me.  Cronus.  He spoke terrible, vile things about my mother, my siblings.  He swallowed a whole pack of centaurs once to see if he could goad me into murdering them.  I suppose you could say I was his favorite.”  A rueful smile twisted his face before it softened and his shoulders slumped.  “Steve was trying to knock some sense into me when Zeus cut that bastard open.  That’s how,” he trailed off, gesturing to his metal appendage.  Your hand covered your mouth in distress.  “Then suddenly, we were free.  There was still work to be done, though.  I told Zeus he should just kill me and be done with it, but he said he needed all of our help in fighting the rest of the Titans; it was easy for me, even with only one arm.  Zeus just wanted to imprison them in Tartarus, where they could do no more harm.  When it came time for Rhea, though, I slit her throat.”

Bucky leveled his gaze on you, still holding your breath.  “That is how I came to be god of the dead and death.  It has followed me ever since.”

With great effort, you allowed yourself to breathe.  Your heart pounded in your ears in rage and sorrow.  “Thank you for trusting me with this,” you said.

Bucky shook his head, eyes fixed on his hands.  “It is not a secret; any god would’ve told you the story if you’d asked.”  He paused, chewing his cheek.  “Demeter was right to warn you; I am a dangerous god.”

You bit your lip, thinking.  Of course he was dangerous; that had never been a question.  How could you hope to explain that, while dangerous, he wasn’t a danger to you.  Deciding to climb out on that limb, you asked, “Would you let me show you my home?”

He looked up from his hands with something of relief and curiosity, “I thought your home was wandering the earth conjuring flowers and baby bunny rabbits.”

“That’s not entirely wrong.  It is about time for birthing season.”

“(Y/N),” he began, tense.

With a look you silenced him, and took his hand back into your own.  “Bucky.  Trust me.”

“I trust you.  Are you sure you trust me?”

You raised his hand to your lips.  “I love you.  Will that do?”

He blinked at you.  Then he blinked again.  He leaned into you, resting his forehead on yours, sea green eyes open wide.  “That it will.”

You grinned, hands shaking.  “Come on.  It’s high time I show you something of life.”

He gulped, but allowed you to pull him to his feet.  Bucky held a firm grip on your hand until you reached the other side of the Acheron.  Cerberus was waiting for you both on the shore; the shade that had approached you before presumably satisfied as they all gave you a wide berth. 

“Hey, Rus,” you cooed at the hulking creature, reaching out to scratch behind the nearest ear.  He followed you to the door with silent footsteps that shook the ground, whining softly when you stopped in front of it. 

Bucky caught your eye.  He was putting on such a brave face, but he let you push open the door.  “Do not be afraid.”

Out into the world you ventured.  The sun was out in full force; Bucky squinted at the powerful rays reflecting off the waves. 

You giggled softly, “When was the last time you went outside?”  The wind ruffled his hair and, by Olympus it was lovely.  He shrugged.  “Come on,” you said with a smile.  He followed you obediently across waters and through forests and fields, occasionally glancing back to check the damage of his footsteps, an action that did not go unnoticed by you.  You hoped you were doing the right thing.  You hoped he would understand.

Eventually, you arrived where you’d planned.  To call the patch of grass the doe had chosen a clearing would be an overstatement, but you stopped there nonetheless.  You gestured for Bucky to remain where he was, tucked neatly in the folds of the forest, and stepped into the light.  The deer was not startled by you, welcoming your presence as you approached and knelt in front of her.  Bucky shifted behind you and her head shot up, ear twisting, listening.  

You hushed her, “Shh,” and reached your hand out to Bucky.  He looked at you with an expression quite similar to that of the deer.  They looked at each other, communicating silently for a spell.

With exceptional caution, he approached.

“Is she…?”

“Pregnant?  Very.  It’s just about time.”  He took a sharp breath in; you gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Abruptly, the doe got to her feet and began pacing.  In all reality, there wasn’t much you could do for her besides keep her company.  So you did.

The doe curved her back, releasing the first fawn with little difficulty, and began to lick him clean.  Bucky watched, transfixed, as the fawn tried to stand through the resistance of his mother’s care.  

The second fawn was born with more of a struggle.  When he tried and failed to stand, the reason became apparent - his feet were curved at awkward angles, and when the doe began to clean him, white patches in his fur started to show.  

Beside you, Bucky was unnerved.  “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come-”

“This is not your doing.”

“But,” he started, backing away from the fawns, “he…  Something’s wrong.”

You rose to your feet, the sadness of the reality of life weighing your heart.  “It is an unfortunate truth, one that even I cannot change.”  He raised an eyebrow at you, breath still irregular and nervous.  “Trust me a little longer.”

After a spell, the doe and her fawns moved on, the doe keeping a safe distance to distract predators from her new fawns.  The piebald fawn had a particularly hard time keeping up with his family, and it was him that you followed closely.

“My presence cannot bode well for this fawn,” Bucky hissed, following close behind you.  You shushed him gently, knowing he would soon understand if he could endure a bit longer.  “(Y/N),” he started.  Again, you shushed him, with more force this time; you wanted him to pay attention.  Stopping him with a squeeze of his hand, you nodded your head towards the mountain lion that stalked the fawn.

She was poised to strike at every moment, devastating strength thinly contained in muscular shoulders as she moved without sound.  She paid you no mind.

Bucky moved to protect the fawn.

“Just watch.”

His eyes were glossy as he stared at you with confusion, “He will die because of me.”

You paused, looked pointedly at his hand clasping yours and then his steps through the forest.  Or, more, the lack of evidence of his steps through the forest.

The corner of your mouth tugged up a bit at the realization that came over him.  “Trust me,” you implored, the tone of your voice practically begging it of him.  He released a shaky breath and turned his attention back to the predator and her prey.

When she finally did attack, the fawn didn’t even see it coming and it was over as quickly as it had begun.  Bucky held onto you when the fawn’s life fled from it and remained silent while you followed the big cat back to her den.

Inside were three young cubs that tore the carcass apart.

“Why are you showing me this?” Bucky asked in a whisper.

“Because life demands some amount of death.  It isn’t always as balanced or as poetic as this, sometimes it is harsh and bitterly futile, but it is a fact unwavering.  And it does not exist because you made it so.”

“I-I,” he started, pulling away from you, and you wondered if you had made a mistake.  You drew the backs of your fingers down his cheek with a sigh, and told him that he would know where to find you before turning to leave him with his thoughts.

His hand circled around your wrist and pulled you back to him until you were once again staring into the eyes that held the horror of truth.  You shivered.

“Marry me,” he said.

“What?”

“Persephone, (Y/N), please.  Marry me?”  Yes, you thought, your heart pumping blood into your cheeks with fervor.  “I love you, you love me.  Be my wife.  Let me be your husband.”

You laughed when you remembered you’d only thought it.  “Yes,” you said.  The tremor in your voice hinted at tears threatening to spill.

Here you were, Hades and Persephone, harbingers of the living and the dead, in over both their heads in love.  There was no force you could imagine that could ever sever what was forged when you said yes.  You were right, of course, but not for lack of trying.

You married Hades in early dawn on Olympus, the mountain deserted but for you, Bucky, and Zeus.  Cool air rushed through your hair, your hands holding your love’s.  Zeus asked you both if the other was your intended.  The two of you agreed, and there was nothing more to be said.  Each of you had already owned the others heart.

The moment, intimate as it seemed, was not without spectators, and by the time you and your husband reached the foot of the mountain, every god worth gossiping with had heard of your union.

Demeter heard of it while enriching the soil on the land owned by a grain farmer who had been particularly generous with offerings of barley and poppies.  He heard from Dionysus, who had heard from Hermes, who had heard it from Poseidon, who had heard it from the giants whose eyes could see and ears could hear for miles.

Tony sank to the ground in defeat, a storm of half lucid memories gusting through his chest.  The darkness, and fear, and blood.  Malice.  And the darkness.  It always came back to the darkness.  And it had taken his daughter goddess.  He knew there was only one thing he could do - one thing that must be done.

Demeter departed immediately, and marched straight for Mount Olympus.  

He threw open the doors to Zeus’ home and shouted, “Zeus!  You’ve married my daughter to that abomination!”  Thor stood, startled, from his table.  “Well?”

“I have,” Zeus replied, crossing his arms.  “They both consented to it, seemed pretty happy if you ask me.”

“I didn’t,” Tony snarled.  “You have given my daughter to a treacherous beast without asking me or even telling me.  I would like to know how you intend to retrieve her, because by Olympus you will.

Poseidon, who had just explained to Zeus how his friends the giants had learned of the ceremony to begin with, stood also.  He said cooly, “Your daughter goddess has made her own choice, and she is perfectly safe.”

“Safe?”  Tony rounded on Steve, fear and anger heating his face and his words.  “How could she be safe?  Have you forgotten what he did to our mother?”

Steve shook his head, bewildered, “She let him eat us!”  

Long had it been since they spoke of their years of torment.  Silence fell thick in the house, though outside passersby could hear most of the yelling, and the noise attracted the attention of a friendly looking dog.

Inside, Tony shook his head in despair.  “You always have to defend him.”

“He’s my brother.”

“So was I.”  Tony clenched his jaw, and before Steve could reply, said, “I invoke the rights of the twelve.”

Zeus’ face melted into shock and frustration.  “You cannot declare their union invalid; what has been done cannot be undone.”

“Hades is not on the council; it is within my rights to take back my own kin.  She will be free of his presence tonight.”

The dog outside, having heard Demeter’s plans to banish Persephone from Hades, ran back to her master.  Hecate was on the way back to the underworld, guiding the spirit of a woman carrying the required two coins of silver, when her familiar came bounding up to her, frantic.  Hearing the news for herself, Wanda left the spirit to be guided by the dog as she sped ahead to warn Hades.

She found you together on the Isle of the Blessed dancing with the spirits there around the only thing that could grow so deep in the underworld.  They ate the pomegranates from the tree with gusto, and you laughed in their merriment.  

The joy melted off your faces when you saw her sprinting toward you.

“Hecate!” Bucky said, confused.  He jogged to meet her, and you followed closely behind.  

She explained in gasps of air that Demeter and Zeus intended to remove you from Hades and the underworld.  Bucky took a sharp breath in and drew you into him.

“But,” you said, holding onto Bucky’s hand on your waist, “How can they do that?  It must be my mother goddess, but he has no right!”

Wanda shook her head, “He has invoked the rights of the twelve.  He has every right.  Hades, they will be here soon.”

Bucky nodded grimly, “I did not notice Demeter at first.  His authority feels similar to (Y/N)’s, but I can feel Zeus now.  Poseidon is with them also.”

“Go,” Wanda said, “Beg for them to reconsider.  Persephone, you should hide.”  

Bucky kissed your hand sweetly and whispered, “I will do anything I can, my morning glory, I promise.”  Then he turned from you and raced off to his tower in the distance.  His absence from you pulled your gut like a riptide.

The spirits on the Isle gathered around you, sensing your distress.  “What can we do, mistress?  What is the matter?” they asked. 

“Where can I hide?” you asked.

They whispered among each other.  “The only place outside the sight of Zeus is Tartarus, but you should not go there.  It is dangerous, even for divine ones.”

You looked from Hecate to the spirits, to the looming darkness you could not see, your heart racing.  Your hands shook.  Light flashed from the tower.  Lightning.  “I - I must.  Zeus is here, and I must hide.  Hecate, will you come with me?”

She stood very still, her eyes fixed on the tower.  “(Y/N), we cannot go there; there are dangers there we know nothing of.”

You nodded, understanding her fear.  “I cannot leave him.”  She called after you as you ran, your mind made up, but all you could hear was the thudding of your own heart and your own feet against the ground.  The darkness began as a low presence in the distance, and grew like smoke clouds as you drew nearer.  The darkness wasn’t nearly as horrible as the smell, a sickly sweet smell of rot, and the sounds, low rumbling of a mountain turning over and screams the likes of which you had never heard.  

The threat of separation from the one you held most dear spurred you on beyond all fear and all reason.  You would hide there, dangers be damned.  Literally.

Under the cloudy darkness, there was a deep depression in the ground with steep slopes all around, surrounding an enormous grate of enchanted iron.  You stood at the edge of this depression and peered into the darkness.  Through the holes in the grate, you could just barely make out the shadows of spirits fleeing, and the shadows of things much larger that devoured them.

One giant eye opened up altogether too close to the grate for your liking.  A voice spoke, crooked and gravelly, and eternally deep, “Zeus can still see you there, life-walker.”

You looked over your shoulder, afraid you’d see that tell-tale lightning.  “How do you know who I am?”

The eye blinked.  “I see everything, even from this prison your husband the murderer and his brothers have locked us in.  Though, he could not see you if you stood on the grate.”

“Why should I trust you?  Who are you?”  You asked though you feared you knew the answer.

“By all rights, I am your grandfather, Persephone.”  Cronus laughed.  “You know that you are the first of my offspring to visit me in this pit?”  At your silence, a giant hand swiped at the grate, only to be deflected long before coming into contact with it by whatever enchantment had been placed upon it.  “See?  You have nothing to fear from me.  I could do nothing to you were you not the Queen of this plane.”  

“You can see everything?”

“That is what I said, yes.”

You climbed down the slope carefully.  “Can you tell me what’s happening in Hades’ tower?”

“I can show you.”

In Hades’ tower, he paced, frantic and running his hands through his hair.  “Thor, please,” he said, hands clasped in front of him, “you know she is in no danger - I love her!”

Zeus stood next to your mother goddess, expression pained.  Demeter, however, was livid.  “No danger?  How can she be in no danger when she is here?  This is the home of death and monsters, you yourself have seen to that.”

“Tony,” Zeus said, his tone warning.

“I want her home, with me.”

Poseidon gestured out the window with exasperation.  “She won’t want to leave.  Her husband is here.”

“This is none of your concern, Steve.  Where is she?”

Bucky turned to your mother goddess.  The expression on his face broke your heart, shattered.  “Demeter, Tony, if you do this I will-”

“What, Hades?  Huh?  Kill me?”

Bucky was taken aback.  “I will never recover.”

You could see Tony’s resolve falter, but a second later his expression hardened again and he growled, “Where is she?”

If there was no way you could convince your mother goddess to let go of this fear, to let you love who you did, and if there was every possibility that if you left with him you would never see Bucky again… then hope was lost.

Cronus spoke again, “Demeter is right, this place is filled with monsters, your husband non excluded.”  A tendril of smoke had crept through the grate and began wrapping itself around your leg.  You recoiled in disgust, climbing out of the pit.

“The only monster here has been locked away, and I hope he rots there,” you spat.

“Be careful, child,” he said, his eye closing, “There are powers here still greater than you, and they do not forget in waking or slumber.”

At his words, you remembered something Charon had said, an age ago.  We didn’t make the rules, kid.  Once again,  you ran.  There was hope; it was a desperate sort of hope, but you knew what you had to do.  You ran back to the Isle of the Blessed, back to the tree that grew there, and plucked a pomegranate from the branch, four figures on the horizon.

“Persephone!” Hecate said, “No!”

“Wanda, there is no other way.”

“There is always another way.”

The figures were getting closer.  “Can you think of one in the next three seconds?”  She could not.  “Then help me!  Please, I know what I’m doing.  I will not leave him.”

They were close enough to see you now.  “(Y/N)!” Bucky called out to you.  Your eyes locked.

“Please,” you begged.  Wanda shook her head, distraught.  She pulled a dagger from an inner layer of her priestess robes and handed it to you.  You only managed to cut twelve seeds from the fruit by the time they made it to you, and you only ate half of those before your mother goddess wrestled the rest from your hands.

“Stop!  Persephone, please!” he shouted.  “What have you done?”

“I will not leave him.  And now you cannot force me.”

Zeus picked up the fallen pomegranate, pale.  Bucky had two thin tear lines streaked on his cheeks.  Steve put his head in his hands.  Wanda backed away into the shadow of the realm.

Your mother goddess, Tony, held both your hands.  “You, you are trapped here forever now.”

You squeezed his hands, desperate to make him understand.  “I know.”

The weight of what you had knowingly done set in, and your heart began to ache again.  It seemed there was no way to win.

“Thor,” Bucky said, “there must be something you can do.”

Tony rounded on him.  “What do you care?  You got what you wanted.”

“You think this is what I wanted?!”

Zeus held up a hand.  “(Y/N), how many seeds did you eat?”

“Six,” you said.

He pursed his lips for a moment, brows creased and stroking his beard.  “Yes, I think that could work.  It wasn’t the whole fruit, after all,” he muttered to himself.  You took Bucky’s hand, fingers interlaced, and held each other tight.  “And it is still, technically eternal.”

“Thor?” Steve spoke up, “You gonna clue us in?”

“It’s not ideal, but I’ve thought of a possible loophole.  In accordance with both invoking the rights of the twelve and the laws of the Titans before us, Persephone will be banished to this plane for six months of the year, and from it the rest.  Does that work for you?”

“No!” Tony and Bucky shouted at the same time.  Zeus shook his head and pointed at you.

“Me?” you asked, “That sounds like the best we’re going to get.”  You squeezed Bucky’s hand in reassurance. 

He looked at you, exhausted and burdened with troubles, his thumb ran circles over the back of your hand.  “I think you might be right, dove.  I just-”  his voice caught in his throat.

“I know,” you murmered.  The back of your hand stroked against his cheek.  “What about now?” you asked Zeus, “Am I trapped here now?  The world is not ready for me to be gone that long.”

“Then we must move quickly,” Zeus replied, gesturing toward the tower, and, further, the Acheron and the door.  “We don’t want to press our luck, especially here.”

Nodding, you hid the rogue tears that escaped your eyes from your mother goddess and your husband.  Bucky accompanied you to the edge of the Acheron.  Zeus followed your mother goddess onto Cheron’s ferry.  “I will be back,” you told Bucky, tapping his chest, “and I will be counting the days.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but Posieden cut in, “(Y/N), we need to go.”

With leaden feet, you tore yourself from your husband’s arms, and followed Steve onto the ferry.  You watched Bucky, standing alone on the shore, until he was lost from your sight.  Cheron was uncharacteristically silent.

On the other shore, Rus was waiting.  

His eyes were dark, and something in his demeanor changed when he sniffed the air above you.

“Rus?”  All six of his eyes snapped onto you and you understood.  “I know, I’m going, I’m sorry.”  He growled at you, a vicious and low dragging sound, and watched you like prey until you fled out the door.

In your hurry, you missed the step and slid down the steep, rocky slope until your toes  reached the tide of the island.  Shocked, you blinked at the ocean, expecting it to somehow reflect some, any change.

Your mother goddess slid down beside you.

“(Y/N),” Tony began, “(Y/N), I just wanted to protect you.”

Seething, you rose to your feet.  “How dare you decide what that looks like? You have ruined me and doomed this world through your deliberate blindness!”  He recoiled from your rage, and you drew back the tendrils you’d loosed. Zeus and Posieden watched awkwardly from the door.  You sighed.  “Everything I am comes from you, but the next time you presume to make my decisions, don’t.”

You held up a hand to prevent any more of Tony’s words, and set out alone across the sea to begin your half year of banishment. 

During this time, you found a small pocket of comfort in nurturing new lives, helping the saplings to find the sunlight and the calves to follow their herds.  But you missed him dearly.  It was an ache you fancied you could feel in the blossoms you encouraged to open.  The only cure for it was to wander as far as you had before you’d met him.  

So, you wandered.  Melancholy and in love, you wandered.  The forest and grassland that sprang from your steps grew in the shape of your heartache.  It would have seemed beautiful to you had it not been so irritating in its accuracy.

You watched the mortals build their temples and weave their legends; you watched them live and love with some amount of envy.

When the time came close for you to rejoin your husband again, you reversed your wandering.  Sleep, you whispered, I will wake you when I return.  As you left the forests, the animals found places to rest, and even the trees fell into their mighty slumber.  When you were satisfied, your feet carried you from across the world back to that forsaken and blessed door.

Cheron greeted you as you boarded his raft, and with every push of his long pole you felt yourself drawing closer to your husband.  Again, he saw you long before you saw him.  You could not see him on the shore when you stepped off the raft, but he could see you.  You were just as beautiful as you’d been all that time ago, but you had acquired an age.  The steps you took were no longer out of innocent joy but necessity.  He squared his shoulders and stepped out of the shadows to speak to you.

You felt his presence before he could speak a word.  

He said, softly, in the voice of a broken man, “Lady.”

@thelureabove​ @slender--spirit​ @egos-r-life​ @punkgirl-pinkbows​ @i-never-said-i-care​ @elsasshole​

[justforbooks]

Little Richard. Prime force of rock’n’roll who made an explosive impact with songs such as Tutti Frutti, Good Golly, Miss Molly, Lucille and Long Tall Sally

Little Richard, who has died aged 87, was the self-proclaimed king of rock’n’roll. Such was his explosive impact that many of the baby boom generation will vividly recall the moment when they first encountered his assault on melody.

Awopbopaloobop alopbamboom! That first hit, Tutti Frutti, released in October 1955, was wild, delicious gibberish from a human voice as no other, roaring and blathering above a band like a fire-engine run amok in the night. We glimpsed a new universe. The Sinatra-sophisticats were slain with a shout. Enter glorious barbarity, chaos and sex. With a few others – Fats Domino, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly – Little Richard laid down what rock’n’roll was to be like, and he was the loudest, hottest and most exhibitionist of them all.

Richard Wayne Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia, one of 12 children of Charles, a bricklayer, and his wife Leva Mae Stewart. His family were Seventh-day Adventists and Richard learned the piano and sang gospel in the local church choir, but was thrown out of the family home at 13. He performed in medicine shows - with “miracle cures” promoted between entertainment acts – before hitching to Atlanta, where he signed to RCA Records in 1951, using the name Little Richard.

He recorded several undistinguished singles for them, including Every Hour (1951), but none had much impact. His optimism undimmed but his style still unformed, he tried the independent Peacock label in Houston, recording sides on which he began to reveal a delicate, elaborately filigreed vocal style that would resurface years later on slow gospel numbers. This same style would sometimes ornament his rock sides too, as on She’s Got It (1957), where that “got” is twiddled into 10 syllables.

These Peacock sides brought no success, and at the beginning of 1955 – the year that was to end in triumph for him – he returned to Macon and to washing dishes. He sent a demo to another indie label, Specialty, whose owner, Art Rupe, soon became so sure that Little Richard defined the future that he rejected Sam Cooke as too pallid.

Brought to New Orleans in September and given almost the same band as Fats Domino, Penniman went into the studio with the producer Bumps Blackwell, and came out with Tutti Frutti. The single was a hit with black and white audiences and sold 500,000 copies – despite the popularity of Pat Boone’s cover version released shortly afterwards – and reached 17 in the US pop charts and No 2 on the R&B list.

A cascade of frantic but tight hits followed, establishing Little Richard as a prime force in rock’n’roll. His piano work, crucial to his sound, was limited to hammered chords and skitterish riffing (he did not even play it himself on Tutti Frutti) but with that megaphone voice, falsetto squeal, bursting energy and powerhouse band, his records became classics: songs every local group played every weekend for years to come; songs the other rock greats covered; songs that fired the ambition of those artists who would change the 1960s, the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

Long Tall Sally, Slippin’ and Slidin’, Rip It Up, Ready Teddy, She’s Got It and The Girl Can’t Help It were all released in 1956. The following year, Little Richard recorded Lucille, Send Me Some Lovin’, Jenny, Jenny, Miss Ann, and the awesome Keep A-Knockin’. And 1958 produced the last great batch: Good Golly Miss Molly, True Fine Mama and a glorious pillage of the music-hall oldie Baby Face.

It is obvious now from the titles alone that a formula soon set in with these records. Back then though, it was just how Little Richard was: an unstoppable force. Within the flailing combustion of True Fine Mama we now recognise a conventional 12-bar blues; at the time we heard formless galactic meltdown. Similarly, we now see that his presentation was partly “outrageous queen”, his catchphrase “Ooh ma soul” pure camp. But these were cliches from the future. When rock’n’roll and Little Richard were new, his preening, boasting and benign lasciviousness seemed highly individual.

He was an inspiration to younger black musicians with white audiences. The young guitarist Jimi Hendrix learned a lot from backing Little Richard on tour; and as Richard once observed of Prince, “the little moustache, the moves, the physicality – he’s a genius but he learnt it from me. I was wearing purple before he was born; I was wearing make-up before anyone else.”

His sexuality was no simple thing. As he revealed in his candid autobiography, The Life and Times of Little Richard (1984, as told to Charles White), he fancied men and women, but most of all he fancied himself.

However, touring Australia in 1957, he threw his rings off Sydney Harbour bridge, renouncing the devil’s music for God. The performer who had once said of gospel that “I knew there had to be something louder, and I found it was me” now divided his time between bible school in Alabama and the Seventh-day Adventist church in Times Square, New York. He met his wife, Ernestine Campbell, at an evangelical rally in October of that year. They married in 1959 but divorced four years later.

Specialty kept the hits coming until 1959, when the long line ended with a game By the Light of the Silvery Moon. An era was over. Elvis had been drafted, Holly was dead. With God on his side, and Quincy Jones producing, Little Richard made the religious album It’s Real, for Mercury Records, billing himself “king of the gospel singers”. A 1962 single, He Got What He Wanted (But He Lost What He Had), fused old and new, its parables sung in vintage style: a steaming, raging, funny tour de force to equal Long Tall Sally. It was a minor hit.

He returned to rock’n’roll and Specialty, recorded Bama Lama Bama Loo (1964), and played Britain with the Rolling Stones, Bo Diddley and the Everlys. As the rock critic Nik Cohn testified, “he cut them all to shreds”. While in the UK he also made a TV special with the Shirelles (It’s Little Richard, 1964) – one of the rare times when rock was truly exciting on television.

I saw him live in this period, backed by the instrumental group Sounds Incorporated. He never paid them a moment’s attention, and was magnificent. When he stood on top of the piano, took off a ring and threw it into the audience, even those of us at the back with no chance of getting within a 100ft dived forward, hypnotised by this consummate artist.

But while the debut record from the 60s soul king Otis Redding was titled Shout Bamalama, Little Richard himself slid through failed comebacks, vainglorious live theatrics and indifferent re-recordings.

Exceptions included fine versions of Lawdy Miss Clawdy (1964) and Bring It on Home to Me (1966), while 70s covers of the Beatles’ I Saw Her Standing There and the Stones’ Brown Sugar emphasised how much he had inspired those bands in the first place. Attempts to update himself brought small success and in 1976 he retreated back to religion. By the decade’s end he was a late but rapacious convert to drug abuse.

In the 80s, however, the world and Little Richard were ready for each other again, and in 1986 he appeared, smiling with Hollywood good health, in the hit film Down and Out in Beverly Hills. It says much for his unquenchable charm that so soon after his upfront autobiography he could remake himself as a Disney favourite, with an album of children’s songs and a TV series, on which a revisited Keep A-Knockin’ incorporated knock-knock jokes swapped with his new young audience.

In 1993, the 60-year-old gospeller had supposedly found Judaism but was also rock’n’rolling again. In 1996, wavy hair down his back, he was to be seen playing on a truck at the closing ceremony of the Atlanta Olympics, and, as gloriously incongruous as ever, in an episode of Baywatch, performing on the boardwalk, his eerily plastic-smooth face that of a 35-year-old.

Little Richard became embedded in showbiz, appearing frequently on American television, in roles and as himself, including as a judge on Simon Cowell’s Celebrity Duets in 2006. He voiced a Disney World pineapple, saw his hits recycled in ads and films, was the subject of a 2000 biopic, and recorded anew with partners from Bon Jovi to Elton John. As a preacher, he conducted weddings for celebrities including Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, and spoke at the funerals of Wilson Pickett and Ike Turner.

Gaining multiple awards for his pioneering early work, he was among the first to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1986, and received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1993. Little Richard needed none of these awards or hall of fame citations to tell him who he was or what he had achieved. He knew that all along. He was one of the gods, and almost the last among them.

His health declined in the 2000s, and he had heart surgery in 2008, cancelling a planned European tour with Berry. In 2009 he had hip replacement surgery, after which he still performed, yet giving audiences the novelty of seeing him seated at the keyboards.

In 2013 he announced his retirement. His last appearance was while attending the ceremony at which he received the Distinguished Artist award at the 2019 Tennessee Governor’s Arts Awards in Nashville.

He is survived by a son, Danny.

• Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman), singer-songwriter, born 5 December 1932; died 9 May 2020

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[myhauntedsalem]

Horror Movies Based on True Events

Open Water (2003)

When a couple goes scuba diving in Open Water, their boat accidentally leaves them behind in shark-infested water. It’s based on something that really happened to American tourists Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were left behind by a diving company off the Great Barrier Reef. By the time the mistake was realized two days later, it was too late, and they were never seen again. A shark attack seems not to have been the cause of death, however, as the couple’s dive jackets were eventually found. The jackets weren’t damaged, which suggested that the Lonergans likely took them off, “delirious from dehydration,” and drowned.

Borderland (2007)

When three friends head to a Mexican border town to have some fun in this movie, they get mixed up with a cult specializing in human sacrifice. The concept loosely stems from the life of Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, a drug lord and cult leader who was responsible for the death of American student Mark Kilroy.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

The iconic baddie Freddy Krueger kills teenagers via their dreams in Wes Craven’s franchise-launching film. Craven told Vulture that the idea stemmed from an article he read in The Los Angeles Times about a family of Cambodian refugees with a young son who reported awful nightmares. “He told his parents he was afraid that if he slept, the thing chasing him would get him, so he tried to stay awake for days at a time,” said Craven. “When he finally fell asleep, his parents thought this crisis was over. Then they heard screams in the middle of the night. By the time they got to him, he was dead. He died in the middle of a nightmare. Here was a youngster having a vision of a horror that everyone older was denying. That became the central line of Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Black Water (2007)

Set in the swamps of Australia, this movie sees a group of fishers attacked by a humongous crocodile. It was inspired by an actual crocodile attack in the Australian outback in 2003 that killed a man named Brett Mann in an area that his friends said they’d “never, ever” seen a crocodile before.

Dead Ringers (1988)

In David Cronenberg’s movie, Jeremy Irons plays twin gynecologists who do messed up things with patients and ultimately die together in the end. Cronenberg adapted the movie from Bari Wood and Jack Geasland’s novel Twins, which was inspired by the lives of actual twin gynecologists Stewart and Cyril Marcus. TheNew York Times noted that the Marcuses enjoyed “trading places to fool their patients” and that they ultimately “retreat[ed] into heavy drug use and utter isolation.”

Deliver Us From Evil (2014)

The movie follows a cop and a priest who team up to take on the supernatural. It’s based on self-proclaimed “demonologist” Ralph Sarchie’s memoir Beware the Night, in which he tells supposedly true stories, such as the time he found himself “in the presence of one of hell’s most dangerous devils” possessing a woman.

Poltergeist (1982)

In Poltergeist, a family’s home is invaded by ghosts that abduct one of the daughters. The film was inspiredby unexplained events, such as loud popping noises and moved objects, that occurred in 1958 at the Hermanns’ home in Seaford, New York.

Psycho (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock’s essential film traces a woman who embezzles money from her employer and runs off to a mysterious hotel where she is (58-year-old spoiler alert) murdered by the man running it, Norman Bates. Bates is said to have been based on Ed Gein, a Wisconsin man who was convicted for one murder in the 1950s, but suspected for others. He also was a grave robber, and authorities found many disturbing results of that in his home, including bowls crafted from human skulls and a lampshade made from the skin of someone’s face.

Scream (1996)

The classic ‘90s slasher flick uses dark humor to tell the story of a group of teens and a mystery man named Ghostface who wants to murder them. But the real story ain’t funny. The movie was inspired by the Gainesville Ripper, real name Danny Rolling, who killed five Florida students by knife over a span of three days in August 1990.

The Conjuring (2013)

The movie stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as ghost hunters helping out a family in a haunted 18th-century farmhouse. The hunters, Ed and Lorraine Warren, are real people, as is the Perron family that they assist. Lorraine was a consultant on the movie and insists that many of the supernatural horrors really happened, and one of the daughters who is depicted in the film, Andrea Perron, says the same. She recalled an angry spirit named Bathsheba to USA Today:“Whoever the spirit was, she perceived herself to be mistress of the house and she resented the competition my mother posed for that position.”

Annabelle (2014)

The creepy porcelain doll from The Conjuring gets her terror on in this spin-off of The Conjuring. The ghost-hunting Warrens have claimed that there was a real Raggedy Ann doll that moved by itself and wrote creepy-ass notes saying things like, “Help us.” The woman who owned it contacted a medium, who claimed that it was possessed by a seven-year-old girl named Annabelle who had died there.

The Disappointments Room (2016)

Kate Beckinsale stars in the movie as an architect who moves to a new home with a mysterious room in the attic that she eventually learns was previously used as a room where rich people would cast off disabled children. It was reportedly inspired by a Rhode Island woman who discovered a similar room in her house that she says was built by a 19th century judge to lock away his disabled daughter.

The Exorcist (1973)

Two priests attempt to remove a demon from a young girl in this box office smash. The movie was based on a 1949 Washington Post article with the headline “Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip.” Director William Friedkin spoke about the article to Time Out London: “Maybe one day they’ll discover the cause of what happened to that young man, but back then, it was only curable by an exorcism. His family weren’t even Catholics, they were Lutheran. They started with doctors and then psychiatrists and then psychologists and then they went to their minister who couldn’t help them. And they wound up with the Catholic church. The Washington Post article says that the boy was possessed and exorcised. That’s pretty out on a limb for a national newspaper to put on its front page… You’re not going to see that on the front page of an intelligent newspaper unless there’s something there.

The Girl Next Door (2007)

The movie follows the abuse of a teenage girl at the hands of her aunt, and it was inspired by the murder of Sylvia Likens in 1965. The 16-year-old girl was abused by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, Baniszewski’s children, and other neighborhood children, as entertainment. They ultimately killed her, with the cause of death determined as “brain swelling, internal hemorrhaging of the brain, and shock induced by Sylvia’s extensive skin damage,”

The Possession (2012)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick star in the movie as a couple with a young daughter who becomes fascinated with an antique wooden box found at a yard sale. Of course, the box turns out to be home to a spirit. The flick’s “true story” basis came from an eBay listing for “a haunted Jewish wine cabinet box” containing oddities such as two locks of hair, one candlestick, and an evil spirit that caused supernatural activity. The box sold for $280 and gained attention when a Jewish newspaper ran an article about its so-called powers.

The Rite (2011)

In The Rite, a mortician enrolls in seminary and eventually takes an exorcism class in Rome, where demonic encounters ensue. The movie was based on the life of a real exorcist, Father Gary Thomas, whose work was the focus of journalist Matt Baglio’s book The Rite: The Making of an Exorcist. A Roman Catholic priest, Thomas was one of 14 Vatican-certified exorcists working in America in 2011. He served as an advisor on the film and told The Los Angeles Times that in the previous four years he had exorcised five people.

The Sacrament (2013)

In the movie, a man travels to find his sister who joined a remote religious commune, where, yep, bad things happen. It was inspired by the 1978 Jonestown massacre, in which cult leader Jim Jones led 909 of his followers to partake in a “murder-suicide ceremony” using cyanide poisoning.

The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece is about a man who is driven to insanity by supernatural forces while staying at a remote hotel in the Rockies. The movie Derives from Stephen King’s book of the same name, which was inspired by the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, where plenty of guests have reported seeing ghosts. The Stanley wasn’t actually used in the movie, however, because Kubrick didn’t think it looked scary enough.

The Silence of the Lambs(1991)

The Oscar-winning film tells the story of an FBI cadet who enlists the help of a cannibal/serial killer to pin down another serial killer, Buffalo Bill, who skins the bodies of his victims. FBI special agent John Douglas, who consulted on the film, has explained that Bill was inspired in part by the serial killer Ted Bundy, who like Bill, wore a fake cast. Ed Gein is also believed to be an inspiration, what with the whole skinning thing. And per Rolling Stone, 1980s killer Gary Heidnik was a reference for how Buffalo Bill kept victims in a basement pit.

The Strangers (2008)

Three killers in masks terrorize the suburban home of a couple (played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) in this invasion thriller. Writer-director Bryan Bertino has said the film was inspired by something that happened to him in childhood. “As a kid, I lived in a house on a street in the middle of nowhere. One night, while our parents were out, somebody knocked on the front door and my little sister answered it,” he said. “At the door were some people asking for somebody that didn’t live there. We later found out that these people were knocking on doors in the area and, if no one was home, breaking into the houses.”

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 & 2003)

Ed Gein also reportedly inspired elements of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its remake. The movies are about groups of friends who come into contact with the murderous cannibal Leatherface. The original film memorably features a room filled with furniture created from human bones, a nod to Gein’s home.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976 & 2014)

The original film follows a Texas Ranger as he tracks down a serial killer threatening a small town, and the 2014 sequel of the same name essentially revives the same plot. Both are based on the Texarkana Moonlight Murders of 1946, when a “Phantom Killer” took out five people over ten weeks. The case remains unsolved

Veronica (2018)

The recent Netflix release follows a 15-year-old girl who uses a Ouija board and accidentally connects with a demon that terrorizes her and her family. The movie’s based on a real police report from a Madrid neighborhood. As the story goes, a girl performed a séance at school and then “experienced months of seizures and hallucinations, particularly of shadows and presences surrounding her,” according to NewsWeek. The police report came a year after the girl’s death when three officers and the Chief Inspect of the National Police reported several unnatural occurrences at her family’s home that they called “a situation of mystery and rarity.”

[whileiamdying]

Review: Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca Gets 80th Anniversary 4K UHD Blu-ray Edition

It may be without any new extras, but Warner’s 4K UHD release of Casablanca features a strong enough A/V presentation to make the set worthy of your double dip.

by Jeremiah Kipp & Derek Smith November 10, 2022

By the time we arrive at Rick’s Café Américain, a certain paranoia and vivacity has been set—and then comes romance, in the form of piano player Sam (Dooley Wilson) and his rendition of “It Had to Be You” as the camera makes a slow dolly toward him through the bustling crowd and wafts of cigarette smoke. It’s easy to fall into the rhythms of Casablanca, long before the appearance of the star-crossed lovers and their damaged idealism, or most of the great character actors who populate the world of Michael Curtiz’s film make their presence felt—such as Sydney Greenstreet’s bemusedly sinister Signor Ferrari and Peter Lorre’s nervously sweaty Ugarte.

The film has a peculiar magic to it, and because of its pace the richness of its sense of detail often goes unnoticed. Audiences make generalizations about Casablanca because of how all those little particulars add up. Film lovers discuss it with a starry look in their eyes, as if they were describing their first kiss or a lost love, because something in the film touches them, perhaps its theme of dignity and decency, of rediscovered idealism. Men seem almost instinctively drawn to Humphrey Bogart’s Rick because he’s a man of integrity, while women seem to dig him because he’s a man of mystery.

There’s also something else to Rick, and it’s visible in his hangdog face. When we first see him he’s playing chess by himself, and the light picks up on a small glimmer of spittle on his lips. Bogart was always a sputtering actor, which made him so great as a B-movie villain cowering for his life before getting shot to death by the hero. But his sudden stardom revealed something incredibly human, and as such relatable, about him. He seemed more like a real man than, say, the frequently idealized characters played by Errol Flynn. The fact that Bogart was a movie star says a lot about his particular charisma—the kind that’s earned by an actor who’s paid his dues and figured out who he is. Rick is his own man, and like those refugees at the start of the film who watch a plane fly above Casablanca, his life experience is written on his face.

Rick is first seen with his back turned to a local who’s had too much to drink. “Rick, where were you last night?” the man says, to which Rick replies, “That was so long ago, I don’t remember.” Even though there’s no overt sex in Casablanca, it’s constantly implied. When Rick orders his bartender to take a girl home in a cab, he asks him to come right back. In the scenes between Rick and Captain Renaud (Claude Rains), the men talk about women as if they were baubles to be admired, then dropped. Renaud also fawns over his friend with the most extravagant, slightly ironic hero-worship, and in a classic line from the film, Rains’s classy, debonair captain tells Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa Lund that if he were a woman, he’d also be in love with Rick.

It’s astonishing when Bergman materializes some 30 minutes into the film, after Ugarte has whimpered for his life and been shot dead, and Rick has proclaimed that he “sticks his neck out for no one” and came to Casablanca “for the waters.” The shot that first captures the glamorous Bergman doesn’t call attention to itself, or highlight her in the frame, and yet we can’t take our eyes off her. It’s strange, because the shot is very wide, the dress she wears is plain, and she looks nervous and hesitant. How can a woman be so luminous when she’s moving her face back and forth like a deer transfixed by car headlights? When the audience finally sees Ila in close-up, sitting at a table in Rick’s Café with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), her face is somewhat round, her eyes are sharp, and her voice has a certain breathless quality. Bergman, like Bogart, captivates us because of that ineffable thing we call presence. In this moment, the audience instantly understands Rick and Ilsa through the actors’ faces.

If audiences are to admire Rick and Bogart, then we’re meant to adore Ilsa and Bergman. Victor is set up as a great freedom fighter, yet he feels more like an abstract idea or plot point, not unlike the letters of transit that allow people safe passage out of Casablanca. Ilsa, like Rick, is a full person, with vulnerability in her eyes and a magnetism to her presence that goes beyond gauzy lenses and classical three-point lighting. Naturally they’re drawn to one another. She has a lot of big moments in the film, but a lot of small ones too that are just as memorable, such as that tiny, mischievous gleam in her eyes when she asks Sam to play some of the old songs.

There are, of course, the close-ups of Rick and Ilsa when they see each other for the first time as Sam plays “As Time Goes By,” but there’s also the furtive glances that they throw at one another before their eyes flicker back to the table, as they sit chatting about precedents being broken with Victor and Renaud. Casablanca is about striving for something meaningful. But it’s also a tale of sacrifice in the name of greater good, set in a world of shadows, booze, cigarette smoke, and memories. The love story at its center of allows heroes to tap into something special within themselves, and if they lost it in Paris, somehow they got it back in Casablanca. The film is all of those things at once, but it’s also about these people, these faces, and all the little moments between them. It reminds us that when we’re in relationships, we learn more about who we are reflected in others, and when we go to the movies, the great ones can do the same thing.

Image/Sound

Warner Bros. has always rolled out the red carpet for Casablanca before on home video, so it’s no surprise that this 4K UHD release is top-notch. The image quality on their 2012 Blu-ray was already fantastic, but this new transfer gives a noticeable boost in contrast, particularly in the moodier interior scenes in Rick’s Café Américain, where the blacks are now deeper and the varying shades of gray are more clearly defined. There’s also tighter grain levels, which means that there’s new depth and dimensionality to the image. The audio is also flawless, with a well-balanced and robust mix that greatly benefits Max Steiner’s legendary score.

Extras

The extras on this two-disc special edition, all ported over from Warner’s 2012 release, are included on a separate Blu-ray disc in order to maximize the bit rate of the film on the 4K disc. Most noteworthy are the two nicely complementary audio commentaries, one by film critic Roger Ebert and the other by film historian Rudy Behlmer. Ebert and Behlmer each discuss Casablanca’s historical context, behind-the-scenes drama, and the actors’ backgrounds, as well as provide expert critical analysis, and without undue redundancy.

Also included are a pair of feature-length documentaries on Michael Curtiz and Humphrey Bogart that provide in-depth overviews of their respective careers and struggles with the studio system. In another, shorter documentary, Casablanca’s rocky production is the focus. Also stressed is the fact that this was just one of 50 films that Warner Bros. released in 1942, and that no one at the studio or any of its stars expected it to be so acclaimed.

The remaining extras are more bite-sized, including a brief intro to the film by Lauren Bacall, a slick puff piece called “A Tribute to Casablanca,” deleted scenes, outtakes, and an interview with Bacall and Bogart’s son Stephen Bogart and Ingrid Bergman’s daughter Pia Lindstrom, who discuss the enduring legacy of the film. Lastly, there are audio-only features of the scoring stage sessions and a 1947 Vox Pop radio broadcast and a handful of Looney Tunes shorts.

Overall

It may be without any new extras, but Warner’s 4K UHD release of Casablanca features a strong enough A/V presentation to make the set worthy of your double dip.

Score:  

Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Dooley Wilson Director: Michael Curtiz  Screenwriter: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch  Distributor: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment  Running Time: 102 min Rating: NR  Year: 1942 Release Date: November 8, 2022  Buy: Video

[nclkafilms]

The absurdity of fanaticism

(Review of ‘Jojo Rabbit’. Seen in Biffen Art Cinema, Aalborg on the 23rd of January 2020)

“Let everything happen to you, Beauty and terror, Just keep going, No feeling is final.” (Rainer Maria Rilke)

Taika Waititi received his commercial breakthrough with ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, which followed indie hits such as ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ and ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’. He is one of those directors with a very clear style and vision, and he continues with a unique style in his latest film: nazi satire and self-proclaimed anti-hate-film, ‘Jojo Rabbit’. As if the notion of making a comedy/satire about Nazi Germany was not controversial enough, it certainly raised some eyebrows when he cast himself, half maori and half jew, to star as Adolf Hitler. And ever since it premiered, ‘Jojo Rabbit’ has divided audiences and critics alike into more or less three groups: those, who are deeply offended by its lack of political correctness and comedic take on one of history’s most tragic events, those, who think it is not dangerous enough or does not expose the horrors of the holocaust enough, and, finally, those who has been charmed, entertained, provoked and moved by a perfectly balanced mix of slapstick humour and gut punching drama. I, myself, sit firmly in the third group - ‘Jojo Rabbit’ is a wonderful piece of filmmaking.

We follow 10-year-old Johannes Betzler, better known as Jojo, as he prepares for a weekend camp with the Hitler Jugend. We watch him as he proudly dresses up in his uniform before heiling his imaginary friend, Waititi’s Hitler, as if he was a sportsman preparing for a game before he ultimately shoots through town heiling at everyone to the tunes of the german version of The Beatles’ “I wanna hold your hand”, while we alternately see Jojo and b/w clips of Hitler being celebrated as a superstar complete with cheering girls and everything. A bizarre and weirdly entertaining opening scene that perfectly sets the tone of the film’s dark humour; nothing is sacred here. The story that follows is Jojo’s coming-of-age-story. A process that typically lasts years, but in the midst of a world war nothing is “typical”. Waititi manages to beautifully balance the naivety and blind-eyed fanaticism of young Jojo with the horrors and brutal reality of war as things start to spiral out of control for our main character from the moment he discovers a jewish girl hidden in the walls of his home. Where is her horns? Is she going to eat him? Why is his mum helping her? and what does it mean to love someone? Jojo is forced to discover the many feelings of life and following him on his journey is as hilarious and endearing as it is thought-provoking and tragic.

This is more than anything thanks to just 12-year-old debutant, Roman Griffin Davis, who is nothing short of a revelation as Jojo. The range that he shows in his portrayal of Jojo is simply spectacular. He truly has funny bones with both physical comedy and a great timing, but it is when the story gradually shifts from Wes Anderson-ish, bizarre, slapstick nazi satire to a much heavier and emotional war story that Griffin Davis really pulls the rug from under you. In the process of the film you both laugh at and with Jojo, you are shocked by him, you feel his excitement and loss, and most importantly you really care for him. This is, of course, down to Waititi’s screenplay and directing, but it would never have worked without Griffin Davis’ wonderful performance that really bodes well for his future.

In addition to him, the other actors also turn in some memorable performances. Scarlett Johansson is perfectly endearing as Jojo’s mother, Rosie, who has to raise him on her own, while hiding a jewish girl in the attic and manoeuvring through the hardships of war with a heavy heart from losing her daughter. The chemistry between Johansson and Griffin Davis is stunning and feels so natural that their mother-son-bond becomes one of the most heartwarming aspects of the film. Johansson shines just as much as Rosie shines as the film’s clearest ray of humanism and empathy. As Elsa, the hidden jewish girl, Thomasin McKenzie is fierce and strong with the inevitable vulnerability of an oppressed person hiding to save her own life. As such she represents all the jews who suffered from Holocaust while staying brave to save their own and loved ones’ lives. Just as with Rosie and Jojo, the chemistry between Elsa and Jojo is electric and it is an absolute delight to see how their relationship develops and becomes deeper and deeper the more they both get to see each other for what they see rather than what they have learned. As such they become the clearest symbol of the film’s obvious anti-hate, anti-prejudice moral.

In the other spectrum, Sam Rockwell, Alfie Allen and Rebel Wilson are all hilarious as absurd caricatures of Nazi officers blinded by their fanaticism and extremism. This is, of course, one of the film’s very divisive decisions; because the actions that they perform whether it be teaching children to shoot and use grenades or burning books and teaching lies about jews are obviously despicable - especially in the light of what happened during holocaust. So to turn this into something funny (and boy, is it hilarious) is a brave decision, but also a clever one. The things they do are so absurd that to simply show them as dreadful and horrible is sometimes too easy; showing the absurdity and making people laugh at it can be quite disarming and, frankly, relieving at times. Another example of this is Stephen Merchant’s unforgettable, yet short, cameo as Gestapo agent, Deertz, who is hilarious at first. You laugh at him only to find yourself on the edge of your seat seconds later as the tone shifts and the scene becomes immensely nerve-racking. Now Deertz’ absurd behaviour is intense and in no way funny. Waititi disarms you by exposing you to the hilarious absurdity of this character only to catch you off guard shortly after and hit you with reality. He does this in another simply devastating scene that stands as one of the single biggest gut punches that I have had in the cinema for a while; leaving me with my mouth wide open and a tear running from my eye.                 To round off the acting performances, Waititi’s own portrayal of Hitler never really becomes anything other than a funny sidenote that adds some interesting comments to the extremist thoughts roaming around Jojo’s head.  It’s funny and at times delightfully dark in its humour, but it - thankfully - never draws focus away from the other, much more interesting characters.

But let’s get back to this balance between the laughs and tears, because this is what lifts ‘Jojo Rabbit’ up as a stunning film experience. It works as a comedy/satire and it works as hard-hitting, thought-provoking drama. This is an insanely difficult balance to truly hit and only a few films manages it. ‘Jojo’ succeeds in being a hilarious comedy thanks, partly, to its well-written and delightfully politically incorrect screenplay by Waititi with so many great and memorable one-liners. But it is also because of its tight editing by Tom Eagles and brilliant score by Michael Giacchino, who supports the shifting nature of Jojo’s perspective through both joyful and more sorrowful compositions. As a drama it works - of course also thanks to the screenplay - because of a brilliant production design by Ra Vincent that often stands in great contrast to the absurd action unfolding in it. Finally, the costumes by Mayes C. Rubeo are simply delightful whether they are historically accurate or hilariously comedic as when Jojo roams the street as a robot gathering “metal for Hitler” or Rockwell and Allen take their final bow as some kind of absurd superhero devoid of all the human faults that they otherwise infuse their characters with.

And now let us return to the quote from the beginning of this review.

“Let everything happen to you, Beauty and terror, Just keep going, No feeling is final.”

This is not only a beautiful quote that gives us an important lesson on why not to give into hate and despair, it is also a quote that is mirrored in the film’s three main characters. Elsa remains hopeful and decent even when the entire world seems to hate her and want her dead. Rosie gives her son the love a mother should give despite him representing everything she fights against. And, finally, the film tells the story of how Jojo learns this lesson; to not be tempted by hate and the “easy exit” of jumping on the bandwagon, but to stay curious, to acknowledge love and to let it in. As such ‘Jojo Rabbit’ does not become “oh, that film that made fun of Hitler”. No, it becomes a film about the importance of experiencing and exploring the world around us. The importance of being curious and engaging with people despite our differences. Simply put: the importance of never forgetting love. It might not be in the absolute top of 2019 objectively, but personally, Jojo and Elsa danced their ways into my heart and my top 3 for 2019.

4,5/5

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Marvel OC Masterlist 1

Name: Adelaide Stark

Title: Beyond The Archetype

Faceclaim:  Jenna Louise Coleman

Love interest: Sam Wilson

Summary: Adelaide Stark had always had a lot to live up to. Her dad always tried not to put a lot of pressure on her, but the rest of the world hadn’t been so kind.  So, Adi spent the first seventeen years of her life working and studying to follow in her family’s footsteps and work on military technology.  But when her father goes missing in her senior year of high school, her world falls apart.  And when he comes back, alive and a superhero, she has to rebuild herself and her dreams.  Now, not only Tony Stark’s daughter, but also Iron Man’s daughter, Adi realizes that maybe it’s time for her to stop following, and to do something for herself instead.

Name: Adonis Stark

Title: Stars Defied

Faceclaim: Colin Donnell

Love Interest: Orion Royce

Name: чудо | Adriana Stark

Title: Like The Sun (We Will Live To Rise)

Faceclaim:  Madison McLaughlin

Love interest: Peter Parker?

Name: Alana Stark

Title: Born To Die

Faceclaim: Madison Davenport

Name: Alena Zemo

Title: Untitled

Faceclaim: Poppy Drayton

Love Interest: Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes

Name: Alessia Stark

Title: When Tomorrow Comes

Faceclaim: Melissa Benoist

Love Interest: Steve Rogers

Summary: “So this Doctor Banner was was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?”  “A lot of people were, only one succeeded.”  “Who?”  “Howard Stark.” -Steve Rogers and Phil Coulson

When Alessia Stark was sixteen, her dad used her to test out a new super serum.  He succeeded, and died a week later.  Aly Stark has never wanted to be a hero, despite the serum running through her veins.  She grew stronger, her aging slowed, she had even developed an inhuman healing factor, but she still didn’t want to be a hero.  Until her twin brother - now over a decade older than her - is kidnapped by terroists and returns a superhero.  Aly may not want to be a hero, but she’ll be damned if she leaves her brother to fight alone

Name: Alvina Strange

Title: Paradox

Faceclaim:  Alba Baptista

Name: Angelina Stark

Title: Cheap Tricks (And A Cheesy One-Liner)

Faceclaim: Phoebe Tonkin

Name: Angie Stark

Title: Turn Back Time

Faceclaim: Malina Weissman

Name: Antonia Stark-Parker

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Olivia Holt

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Anya Barton

Title: What Happened In Budapest (Doesn’t Stay In Budapest)

Faceclaim:  Emma Stone

Love interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary:  What happened in Budapest?  Clint and Natasha took out an arms dealer, saved the world, had a baby, learned that the Red Room lied about sterilizing Natasha, and killed a few people.  Now all grown up, Anya Barton is the newest SHIELD recruit, and almost immediately, aliens invade and a god brainwashes her father; that’s a hell of a first day.  But Anya is the daughter of two of the greatest spies in the world, she’s not going down without a fight.  Not when aliens invade, not when SHIELD is revealed to be Hydra and she has to go off the grid, and definitely not when, in Budapest of all places, she meets a man with a metal arm who’s also trying to hide from whatever is left of Hydra.

Name: Aphrodite

Title: The Course of True Love (Never Did Run Smooth)

Faceclaim:  Vanessa Morgan

Love interest: Thor

Summary: Aphrodite could barely remember her home planet of Olympus, thanks to Odin destroying it when she was a child.  As the sole survivor of the Olympian gods, Odin decided that she was “useful” enough to keep, and brought her to Asgard.  Clearly he’d never considered the consequences of murdering her entire world and taking her hostage, as he somehow still expected her to be loyal to her.  Unfortunately for Odin, that plan was as stupid as the rest of his ideas; Aphrodite had never been loyal to him, her loyalty had always been to the next king of Asgard, and when he sends Thor to earth, he’ll learn just how far a goddess of love is willing to go to make sure he doesn’t cost her another family.

Name: Aria Parker

Title: The Art of Disappearing

Faceclaim:  Natalie Dormer

Love interest: Steve Rogers

Summary: Peter Parker was hardly the first enhanced Parker.  His aunt Aria had been born with the ability to control the elements.  At eighteen years of age, she dropped off the face of the earth, and no one, not even her cousins Ben and Richard, had any idea where she’d gone.  Most people thought she was dead, until ten years later when she helped Clint Barton find his dog in Central Park, and somehow befriending he and Natasha Romanov.  Even then, though, most of the world didn’t know who or where she was; not until Shield fell apart and Natasha found herself reaching out to the only person she trusted who had no affiliation with Shield or Hydra.

Name: Arielle Stark

Title: Piece By Piece

Faceclaim:  Nina Dobrev

Love Interest: Steve Rogers

Name: Aris Stark

Title: Forged In Iron

Faceclaim: Olivia Holt

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: All Aris Stark wanted to do was train for the Olympics - gymnastics, specifically - and go on dates with Peter. Of course, being Iron Man’s daughter and Spiderman’s girlfriends complicated things, but Aris could handle complicated. Everything was perfect, until both her dad and boyfriend hopped on a ship to outer space while some crazy alien tried to destroy the universe. She waited in the compound, preparing all of the ways that she would yell at them for scaring her. And then she woke up, the compound on fire and crumbling around her, Tony and Peter nowhere to be found. And if that weren’t confusing enough, suddenly she was glowing.

Name: Asteria “Stargirl” Quill

Story: Made Of Stardust

Faceclaim:  Chloe Grace Moretz

Summary: If Peter Quill had known that some species didn’t have gestation periods, he might have been a lot more selective about who he slept with.  But, he hadn’t, and so, he wasn’t.  And so, he found himself with an infant daughter.  Half alien, all ravager, Asteria “Stargirl” Quill is all about profit and adventure, just like her dad.  But when a fight breaks out during a sale, and she and her dad get arrested with a green girl, a racoon, and a tree, everything is about to change.

Name: Athena Stark

Title: Iron Princess

Faceclaim: Zoey Deutch

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: Athena Stark had a plan. She was going to be the valedictorian for her grade at Midtown High, then an undergrad in Poli Sci at Yale, then law school at Harvard, and then she would become president of the United States. She would change the laws in order to better protect superheroes like her father, and she would make him proud. But then her dad brings Spiderman to Berlin for a fight, and Peter Parker comes back talking about a Stark Internship that definitely doesn’t exist. Athena’s life plan never accounted for Superhero Liaison, let alone for becoming a superhero herself, but Starks are made of iron and Athena will make it work.

Name: Aurora Hansen Stark

Title: The Future In Silver and Gold

Faceclaim:  Bailee Madison

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: “Please don’t tell me there’s a 12 year old kid waiting in the car that I’ve never met.“  Actually, she’s thirteen and at home, but with Killian having killed her mother, Aurora Stark is about to find out the truth about her mysterious father.  Unfortunately, as unprepared as Tony is for a daughter, Aurora is equally unprepared for a father, and getting used to each other will be harder than either of them could have ever anticipated.

Name: Octavia Ava Potts

Story: Golden Child (Grew Up)

Faceclaim: Danielle Rose Russell

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: A lot had changed for Ava, since her father died.  She had moved in with her Aunt Pepper and Tony; aliens had invaded New York, they had moved to Malibu, she had gotten kidnapped, they — well, you get the picture.  A lot had changed for Ava over the years, but as she settled into her life at Midtown High, she thought that the craziest of changes were in her past.  And then the Avengers break up, and she discovers that one of her closest friends is hiding a secret not too different from her own.

Name: Bennett Parker-Maximoff

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Danielle Campbell

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Betsy Walker

Title: Chasing Shadows

Faceclaim: Amanda Seyfried

Love Interest: Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes

Name: Bianca Davis

Title: The American Dream

Faceclaim:  Kat McNamara

Love interest: Steve Rogers

Summary: Being 26, in Washington DC, and working at the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space wasn’t exactly where Bianca ever imagined herself, but it’s a pretty fun gig, and a great stepping stone to becoming a Smithsonian Curator.  And she gets to work in the Captain America exhibit, which has always been a fascination of hers.  Twenty six and working a good job in her field of studies is more than most recent graduates can say, but her life is still completely mundane–until the day Steve Rogers walks into her exhibit for the first time.

Name: Brinley Brant

Title: Because I Could Not Stop For Death (He Kindly Stopped For Me)

Faceclaim:  Lili Reinhart

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: There had been four Brant sisters, once.  Beatrice and Bridget, twins and completely inseparable; Betty, the oldest, brightest, best; and Brinley, the middle child, overlooked, and Betty’s biggest fan.  And then, the decimation.  Three sisters and their father waiting by the door for Betty to come home, to tell them she was alright and laugh about them worrying.  But she never did.  With a dead sister and a dying mother, it fell to Brinley to fill the gap.  Day by day she became more and more like her sister, no longer able to differentiate between her reflection and Betty’s pictures, until one day she woke up and realized that she was a whole year older than Betty would ever get to be.  And then the Avengers reversed the blip, and when the doorbell rang, Betty had finally come home.

Name: Brynhilde Parkerdottir

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Jenny Boyd

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Brynn Bates

Title: Dust To Dust

Faceclaim: Erin Moriarty

Name: Calypso Lokidottir

Title: This Is Your Kingdom

Faceclaim:  Emilia Clarke

Love Interest: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Calypso “Callie” Laurens had always known that she wasn’t normal, no one had ever tried to spare her from that truth. With her silver-white hair, her fondness for “renaissance fair” dresses, and her Shakespearean speech, it would have been impossible for her to not know that she was strange. What she didn’t know was that her name wasn’t Calypso Laurens, but rather Calypso Lokidottir, princess of Asgard and daughter of Loki. But, when a strange hammer shows up in her town, one that only she can lift, Calypso is about to learn everything that Odin never wanted her to know, including why she was cast away to Midgard in the first place.

Name: Constance Osborn

Title: Rise Above

Fandom: The Amazing Spider-Man

Faceclaim:  Lily Collins

Summary: At five years old, Constance Conwell lost her mother.  Suicide, she was told; her fault, the note said.  She never knew the details, but the men in the suits read her the note, made sure she knew just how much her mother had hated her — so much that she chose death over her daughter. It hadn’t made sense, her mother had always seemed so happy to spend time with her daughter, but the note said otherwise.  So Constance was packed up and moved to New York, where she met Norman Osborn — the cold man with empty eyes who was apparently her father — and Harry Osborn — with his warm hugs and soft eyes and endless excitement to have a little sister.  Harry, with his best friend Peter; Peter who had also just lost his parents, and Harry, who always knew when she needed to be distracted and when she just needed someone to sit with her.  At five years old, Constance Conwell lost her mother, and Constance Osborn found her brother.

At eleven years old, Constance Osborn lost her best friend.  Boarding school, her father had explained, packing Constance and Harry into the private jet and sending them to Europe. But they both knew the truth; Norman just didn’t want them.  So they went — first to England, then France, then Switzerland, and so on so forth as various disciplinary infractions kept them shuffling between schools.  With no Peter Parker, with no best friend to keep them in line, the Osborns fell apart faster than the tabloids could keep up with.  At eleven years old, Constance Osborn lost her best friend.  She never found another.

At sixteen years old, Constance Osborn loses herself.  Only a few months out from graduation, her dad asks to see her — the first time he’s asked to see her since she moved in — and she flies back to New York for a couple of weeks.  But whatever cautious optimism she’d harboured for a touching family reunion was crushed almost as soon as she saw what she’d come home to.  A city on the verge of destruction, a father who was losing what little was left of his sanity, a world of heroes and villains that left no one unscarred.  At sixteen years old, Constance Osborn loses herself.  She’s not sure who she found.

Name: Cora Royce

Title: Stars Defied

Faceclaim: Willa Holland

Love Interest: Sam Wilson; eventual poly Sam x Bucky in TFATWS

Summary: In 2011, Cora Royce’s parents went to New Mexico for a week’s holiday; some aliens invaded, and they never made it home.  In 2012, the same aliens invade, and Cora almost loses her brother.  When Orion insists on taking her to work with him “for her safety”, Cora expects a boring day at the main office of the family company, she doesn’t expect to find out that her brother has a second life as a spy-archer-assassin for a top secret government agency founded by Cora’s personal hero, Peggy Carter herself.  She also doesn’t expect to find out that her parents were part of the agency themselves, and that their holiday in New Mexico was part of a mission to stop the very alien-god who killed them.  And she definitely didn’t expect to find herself on an invisible flying battleship with her pseudo-uncle Tony Stark — sorry, Iron Man — and an apparently not-dead Captain America.  

Cora is under strict orders from Orion to stay in the lab where Tony can protect her, but when everything goes to shit, Cora can’t just stay on the sidelines.  She may not be a superhero, but she’s Royce, and there is nothing that could stop her from protecting the last of her family.

Name: Cordelia

Title: I Was In The Darkness (So Darkness I Became)

Face claim:  Alycia Debnam-Carey

Name: Courtney Lang

Title: The Cost Of Legacy

Faceclaim: Willa Fitzgerald

Summary:  Courtney Lang loved her dad, she really did. Sure, he did some illegal business and was in jail for a while, but hey, nobody’s perfect.  But when he got back from jail, everything changed.  He was keeping secrets, avoiding her, lying to her, but it all made sense when she learned that he was actually a superhero.  But then he went rogue, got put under house arrest, and broke said house arrest with less than a day until his time was up.  Still, she could handle all of that, until half of all living things disappeared, and her father along with them.

Name: Danni Stark

Title: Fated

Faceclaim:  Lily Collins

Love Interest: Steve Rogers, possibly poly Stucky

Summary: 1942.  The United States Of America has finally joined the war.  Danielle Stark becomes a war correspondent and, with some help from her older brother, becomes the official liaison to the Howling Commandos.  As the history books will tell, Danni and Peggy Carter were as inseparable behind the scenes as Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were on the battlefield.  And as the history books won’t tell, Danni Stark fell in love on the front lines, with both Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.  And then, Bucky fell from a train and Steve crashed his plane, and Danni found herself alone.

1945.  The war is over.  Everyone goes home.  Unsure of what to do with herself, Danni ends up in New York, helping Peggy and Howard to found SHIELD.  For several years, Danni juggles her work as a reporter with her secret life as a SHIELD agent, until Howard finds something in the arctic.  With the new powers of the tesseract at his fingertips, Howard finally decides to try a new version of Project Rebirth, and Danni is the first to offer herself as a volunteer.  But as soon as he sees the powers that the cube gave his sister, Howard files the project away, destroying all evidence that it had ever happened, and Danni keeps her newly developed powers a secret from everyone except for Howard, Peggy, and Edwin Jarvis.

2012.  A new war brews on the horizon.  Danni has been off the grid for decades — after all, she’s hardly eager to explain why she still looks twenty-five rather than ninety-five.  As far as most of the world knows, she died shortly after her brother; quietly and peacefully, a very private affair.  The only person who still knows she’s alive is her nephew, Tony Stark, with whom she is in regular contact.  But even Tony has never tried to convince her to come out of the shadows — not until he shakes her entire world with a single line on a voicemail; “Steve is alive, he’s at SHIELD.”  And Danni Stark knows that it’s time to return to the world she’d long since left behind.

Name: Diana Moore

Title: The Long Game

Faceclaim:  Hailee Steinfeld

Love interest: Peter Parker

Summary: You would have to be an idiot to not realize that Peter Parker is Spiderman.  Well, Diana might go to a school for geniuses, but clearly they’re all idiots because no one else seems to have figured it out. Well, that’s fine, that makes it easier to keep the whole Secret Identity Thing a secret.  And if there’s one thing that Diana Moore is good at, it’s keeping a secret - or it was, until she and the rest of her Acadec team nearly die in DC.  Now it’s personal, and whether he likes it or not, Diana is going to do whatever it takes to help Peter Parker save the world.

Name: Dominique Barton

Title: Life Goes On

Faceclaim: Emily Rudd

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Name: Dorothy Madison

Title: Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Faceclaim:  Keira Knightley

Love Interest: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Dorothy Madison, Bucky Barnes, and Steve Rogers had been inseparable for most of their lives. Four years her senior, the boys had already been best friends for years before they met the small girl on her first day of kindergarten and immediately got into a fight with her first bully. From then on it was much of the same; Steve getting into fights, Bucky either joining him or pulling him out, and Dorothy keeping them out of trouble.

The years passed quickly, and she found herself falling in love with both of her best friends. But before she figured out what to do about that, the war made its way to their door. Bucky got drafted and, during their last night together, Steve got himself enlisted.

Well, no way was Dorothy letting her boys go to war without her. She quickly found a place for herself within the Office of Strategic Services, and soon found herself put in charge of the Howling Commandos. Finally, everything was right again; Steve was rushing head first into danger with Bucky as his right hand, and Dorothy struggling to keep her boys alive.

Name: Eir Odinsdottir

Title: See No Evil

Faceclaim: Maisie Williams

Summary: Once, Eir Odinsdottir had been the princess of Asgard; Odin’s youngest child, and only daughter, and beloved by her brothers and their kingdom.  But Eir was also a seer.  She could see things that had happened, things that were happening, and things that had not yet happened.  And one day, she saw the truth about her family: the older sister long since cast away, the secret behind her brother’s parentage, and the dark and bloody truth behind her father’s reign.  And so, Odin exiled her.  Eir spent years travelling the nine realms, longing for home, before finally seeing her brothers on Midgard, so to Midgard she goes.

Name: Elena Barnes

Title: Balancing The Score

Faceclaim:  Kaya Scodelario

Summary:  Imagine a weapon who has all the skills of the Asset, but without the memories.  No need to wipe and start over, no questions, only loyalty to Hydra. Enter Elena Barnes.  Bred by Hydra to serve that purpose, they truly believed that they had created the perfect weapon.  But, compliant as she seemed, Elena watched the torture that her father suffered, and anger lived within her veins.  After the Battle of Manhattan, she finds herself out in the world with instructions to bring back Loki’s staff, but instead, she disappears.  Goes off the grid and dedicates herself to learning the truth about herself and her father, until one day she’s at a museum and meets the one person who can truly answer all of her questions.

Name: Elia Patel

Title: Eclipsed Sun

Faceclaim:  Summer Bishil

Love Interest: Tony Stark

Name: Elizabeth Banner-Parker

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Natalia Dyer

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Elizabeth Barton

Title: Walking The Tightrope

Faceclaim: Emma Watson

Love Interest: Tony Stark

Summary: Elizabeth Barton has been working for SHIELD since she was sixteen; since she and her big brother had been recruited out of the circus.  No mission ever phased the ex tightrope walker, nothing ever compared to the thrill and danger of walking on a wire, over 20 feet in the air.  Even her elite task force with Clint and Natasha - Silver Swan, Hawkeye, and Black Widow - paled in comparison.  But then Tony Stark becomes Iron Man, Liz is assigned to get to know the man behind the mask, and suddenly she feels like she’s sixteen and walking the tightrope again.

Name:  Eleanor “Ellie” Coulson

Title: Reinvention

Faceclaim:  Sabrina Carpenter

Love interest: Peter Parker

Summary: There are some facts in life that are simply unavoidable. “If your father is one of SHIELD’s top agents, and your mother is out of the picture, you will be raised as a SHIELD agent from before you can walk” is one of them.  Eleanor Coulson has spent her entire life as an agent in training, and she happens to be very good at it.  But when SHIELD is revealed to be Hydra, and her dad is charged with rebuilding the entire organization, Ellie is faced with her most challenging mission yet. High school.

Name: Elsie Carter

Title: Travelling Soldier

Faceclaim: Daisy Ridley

Love Interest: Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Even before her sister joined the army, Eloise Carter knew that she was always going to be second best.  Still, that wasn’t going to stop her from helping in the war herself - so Elsie became a nurse.  She loved her job, despite the heartbreak that came with every life she failed to save, but she couldn’t have been less thrilled to suddenly find herself assigned to her sister’s troops.  At least until she was put in charge of the recently rescued James Barnes.  She soon learned that James was never without Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, and suddenly her transfer seemed a little less awful.  But they were soldiers, and Elsie couldn’t do anything more than wait for them to return from every fight, praying each time that they would make it back.

Name: Erna Bragidottir

Title: Speak No Evil

Faceclaim:  Gal Gadot

Love interest: Thor & Steve Rogers

Summary: When Hela massacred the Valkyrie, only two survived; Brunhilde and Erna. But Odin wasn't going to risk anyone learning the truth about his bloody history, and was quick to exile them both.  One minute, Erna was trying to say goodbye to her best friend, her sister, and the next she was waking up on Midgard, surrounded by a group who called themselves the Howling Commandos, apparently in the middle of the planet's biggest war.  The Valkyrie may have been slaughtered, and she may have been exiled from Asgard, but Erna is, and will always be, a Valkyrie and she is going to fight for her new home.

Name: Evelyn Rogers

Title: Long Story Short

Faceclaim:  Katie Cassidy

Love Interest: Bruce Banner

Summary: Having lost her father to the Great War, her mother to tuberculosis, and her boyfriend to the draft, Evelyn Rogers was not going to lose her brother too.  So when he signs up for something called the Erskine Program, she refuses to sit back and wait for him to come home.  When Steve becomes the world’s first superhero, the new poster boy for war relief efforts, Evelyn’s name is at the top of the list for his chorus girls, and she follows him all the way to the war.  And when they find out that Bucky as his battalion have been captured, she follows him all the way to the front line — and into Johann Schmidt’s grasp.  She doesn’t follow him back.

When Steve Rogers forms the Howling Commandos, he has one mission in mind.  Wipe HYDRA off the board, and bring Evelyn home.  When he finally finds her, on a train with Armin Zola, she has no memory of anything since reaching the HYDRA base. Still recovering from her time with HYDRA, and from losing her first love, Evelyn is unable to follow Steve into his final confrontation with Schmidt.  And Steve goes into the ice.

Evelyn returns to New York with Howard Stark and Peggy Carter, with a hole in her heart and no bodies to lay to rest.  Desperate to find some sort of peace, she throws herself into searching for the bodies of the only two Howling Commandos not to make it home.  After months of searching, Evelyn finds a lead on Bucky, and is never seen again.

Until, 70 years later, she shows up on Nick Fury’s doorstep.  No older than the day she disappeared, with no memory of anything after her brother’s plane hit the ice, Evelyn Rogers follows her brother into a new century.

Name: Ezra Barton

Title: Vortex

Faceclaim:  Jennifer Lawrence

Name: Francine Barton-Parker

Title: The Final Countdown

Faceclaim: Emily Rudd

Summary: Years after the final battle against Thanos; after Tony and Natasha died and Steve stayed in the past, after Bruce became Professor Hulk and Clint retired again, their daughters are all grown up with children of their own. In their defence, they didn’t realize that their parents’ time fuckery and infinity stone usage would pass onto the newest generation, leaving them with six superpowered girls, each with the power of an Infinity Stone. And they certainly never expected the girls, the self proclaimed New Avengers, to decide to fix the mistakes that their grandparents made, starting back at the very beginning, with the Battle of Manhattan. And no, you can’t ask about their dad, thank you.

Name: Freya Thordottir

Title: Like Catching Lightning

Faceclaim: Jenny Boyd

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Name: Grace Osborn

Title: Bound In Secrets

Faceclaim: Camila Mendes

Love Interest: Peter Parker

Summary: Once upon a time, Grace Osborn had it all.  She was the prized princess of the Osborn family, she had a wonderful older brother, and she was her parents’ pride and joy.  And then Norman Osborn found out that her mother had been lying for thirteen years and Grace wasn’t his daughter, only a lie to force him into marriage.  In order to keep the scandal quiet, Norman quickly sent Grace away to boarding school in England; out of sight, out of mind.  That was three years ago.  Now, Norman is dead and Harry is in charge, and he has only one priority.  Bring his baby sister home.

Name: Grayson Frost

Title: Fear No Evil

Faceclaim: Dylan Sprayberry

Love Interest: Kassandra Maximoff

Name: Ilya Romanova

Title: Fatale

Faceclaim:  Holland Roden

Love Interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary: Once, the Red Room had trained dozens of girls, with the Romanova sisters as their greatest success.  Natalia, the Black Widow, was a prodigy in everything she did, and her sister Ilya was close behind.  But when Natalia defected, Ilya was quick to rise up and fill the hole her sister left.  She left a bloodstained legacy unlike any other, earning the title of Red Widow and thriving under солдат’s personal training.  So when Hydra sought her gifts, looking to raise her up from student to mission partner, they complied, and the Widow became the Banshee.  

сирена met every one of their expectations with ease, and it was no question that she would be their first miracle; developing powers to match her name.  For decades, солдат and сирена worked as a perfect unit, carrying out Hydra’s vision on a global scale.  But when the assassination of Nick Fury goes awry, the partners find themselves face to face with ghosts of pasts they don’t remember, and everything Hydra has built threatens to fall apart.

Name: Irina Drakov

Title: Shadow

Faceclaim:  Mila Kunis

Name: Jameson Barrett | марионетка

Title: Til The End Of The Line

Faceclaim: Dove Cameron

Love Interest: Stefania Raine

Summary: Under the scars, white hair, and leather ensemble, Stefania Raine recognized Jameson Barrett — the very best friend she thought to have seen die two years prior, when aliens invaded New York. But for the other girl, Jameson Barrett was buried deeper; she only ever remembered being марионетка, The Puppet, and being sent there with The Soldier to end Nicholas Fury’s life.

In the middle of the chaos, Stefania lost sight of her best friend, but refused to let the girl go again — even if that meant teaming up with a recently un-brainwashed soldier to find her.

With a faulting memory and unbalanced emotions, Jameson knew that accepting that she used to have a name wasn’t enough of a step to becoming a functional person. So, when she runs into the man from the bridge, from the helicarriers — the man who refused to fight — and he asks for her help in finding her ex-partner and the closest thing she had to a friend, she doesn’t say no.

Name: Jamie Carter-Rogers

Title: Out Of Time

Faceclaim: Margot Robbie

Love Interest: Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes

Summary: Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like Jamie Rogers.  She was raised on war stories, stories about her long dead namesake, and her dad’s stories of another world.  A world of aliens and superheroes, of pain and hope, stories of how half of its universe died, and of the ones who gave everything to avenge it.  But when Jamie touches the strange crack on her wall and finds herself in New York City, in an alien invasion, in 2012, she realizes that her dad’s other world is not only real, but is the world he comes from, and every single story she heard was true.  Everybody knows that everybody dies.  But not every day.  So, trapped in a world where she was never born, with no way to go home, and knowing exactly what the universe has in store for earth’s mightiest heroes, Jamie makes a promise to herself.  Just this once, everybody lives.

Name: Jason Grant

Title: When Tomorrow Comes

Faceclaim: Tyler Hoechlin

Name: Jordan Jameson

Title: Unwritten

Faceclaim: Margaret Qualley

Name: Justine “JB” Barnes

Title: Lost

Faceclaim:  Kathryn Newton

Name: Kara Helasdottir

Title: The Memories Are Gone (The Aftershocks Live On)

Faceclaim: Emma Dumont

Name: Kassandra Maximoff

Title: Fear No Evil

Faceclaim: Danielle Rose Russell

Love Interest: Grayson Frost

Summary: Kassandra Maximoff was no stranger to fear; she’d been afraid ever since her parents were killed by a Stark bomb, since she spent those days hiding with her siblings, wondering if any moment might be her last, waiting for Tony Stark to kill her too. So when Strucker offered she and her siblings the opportunity to be strong, to protect their country, to not be afraid, they took it. By the time they found out he was HYDRA, it was too late to escape. The siblings spent months being tortured, knowing exactly what would come if they defected. Kassandra had long since accepted her fate, had long since given up hope. And then the Avengers break into their facility.

Name: Katarina Amelia Aliano

Title: Skyscraper

AO3 | FFNET | WATTPAD

Faceclaim:  Sophie Turner & Summer Fontana

Love Interest: Harley Keener; possible Harley & Peter

Summary: Child genius turned orphan, Katarina was counting on her own hacking skills to keep her under the radar.  And they do, until she gets caught hacking into Stark industries, looking for answers regarding the aliens that killed her parents in New York, and suddenly she’s not just on a radar, she’s on Tony Stark’s radar.  When he decides to take her in, no one expects it to go well, but she soon makes a place for herself on the team and in their hearts.  She’s not a superhero, far from it, but she’s a hero in her own right, and nothing comes between Katarina and her family; not her biological family, and definitely not the weird group of misfits and gods that she calls her own.

Name: Kathleen Swanson

Title: Ghost Of You

Faceclaim: Claire Holt

Name: Katie Dean

Title: Renegades

Fandom: Runaways

Faceclaim: Meg Donnelly

Love Interest: Chase Stein

Summary: Katrina Dean was, all things considered, relatively happy with her life.  She had her church, cheerleading, choir, and her sister, what more could she want?  Or so she thought, at least, until Karolina’s friends discovered the truth about PRIDE, and Karolina discovered the truth about their bracelets.  And as much as Katie would love to pretend that nothing had changed, as much as she would love to keep living her perfect life, she knows that’s not an option anymore.  And so Katie and Karolina run away.

Name: Kennedy Keener

Title: True North

Faceclaim: Sophia Lillis & Abbey Cowen

Name: Lara Rogers | призрак

Title: Death Defied

Faceclaim:  Lyndsy Fonseca

Love interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary: No one told Steve that his DNA was going to be used to breed a new super soldier - or that it was going to fail.  No one told him that a civilian, Angie Martinelli, was going to give birth to his son, Caleb Rogers, or that Caleb wouldn’t be a super soldier.  No one told him that Caleb was going to have a daughter, Lara, and absolutely no one told him that on her fifth birthday, his granddaughter was going to be kidnapped by Hydra, turned into a super soldier, frozen over and over again, tortured and brainwashed endlessly, and eventually get partnered with the Winter Soldier.  But suddenly he’s in the future, suddenly he’s fought aliens, and suddenly солдат and призрак - the Soldier and the Ghost, Bucky and Lara - are attacking Nick Fury in the middle of DC. Suddenly Steve is on the run with Natasha, suddenly they’re in a Hydra facility underneath a bunker, and suddenly the computerized ghost of Arnim Zola is telling them everything.  And while it feels sudden to Steve, Project Insight and its enforcers have been seventy years in the making, and no matter how much he wants to cling to the last remains of his family, they might be beyond saving.

Name: Lavinia

Title: Untitled

Faceclaim: Lindsey Morgan

Love Interest: Peter Quill

Name: Lillian Rogers

Title: To The End Of The World

Faceclaim: Ali Liebert (in Bomb Girls)

Love Interest: Bucky Barnes

Summary: Lili Rogers would do anything for her brother.  Lie and steal to get his medication, agree not to flirt with his best friend despite her eternal crush, even fake her way into the US army.  Of course, it didn’t take long before someone figured out that Liam Rogers was actually Lillian Rogers; but thankfully she was found out by Peggy Carter, who quickly hired her as her secretary and liason to the Howling Commandos.  Lili honestly couldn’t have cared less, until she found out that the elite force was led by none other than her brother - who had somehow doubled in size - with the love of her life as his right hand man.

Name: Lisbeth Dugan

Title: Spider Web

Faceclaim:  Madelaine Petsch

Name: Lorraine Gillespie

Title: Dying Day

Faceclaim:  Tuppence Middleton

Name: Lucy Pierce

Title: Heaven Or Hell

Faceclaim: Vanessa Kirby

Love Interest: Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers

Summary: Bought from the Red Room by Hydra, Lukeriya Turgenev found herself becoming Lucy Pierce when she was forced to marry the head of Hydra, Alexander Pierce himself.  A tortured doll reprogrammed to be a perfect weapon and model wife, freedom had always been a foreign concept to Lucy.  At least it was, until a failed assassination put she and Yasha – James – The Soldier – face to face with Captain America and Lucy’s former sister and rival, Natasha Romanov.

Name: Lydia Cabot-Stark

Title: Right Down The Line (It’s Been You And Me)

Faceclaim: Blake Lively

Love Interest: Tony Stark

Name: Marina Kovol

Title: Clockwork

Faceclaim:  Emily Bett Rickards

Name: Mia Pierce

Title: (I’ve Got) No Strings On Me

Faceclaim:  Troian Bellisario

Love interest: Pietro Maximoff

Summary:  Mia Pierce has been raised as a Hydra pawn since the day she was born. Her father, Alexander Pierce, believed that she was the future of Hydra, someone that they could teach to worship the organization without brainwashing, that could be raised as a public figure and eventually positioned in whichever political office they needed her in.  But Mia was too curious for her own good, asked too many questions, and tried to tell too many secrets, and so she was punished, and forced to comply. But after her father died, and Winter escaped, the Avengers broke into her latest facility, and suddenly Mia is free for the first time in her life.

Name: Millie Quill

Title: Untitled

Faceclaim: Eliza Taylor

[drummingncise]

@ivycoveredwalls​ // plotted, sorta!

It’s on a whim, he tells himself, that he’s here, in the department store. Not even a year out of the Time War - and a year is really only a blink for him, isn’t it? - and he’s already looking for trouble again. Usually, he knows, he’s the one causing it, but now that he’s the last of the Timelords, the only one left, including the one he caused trouble for, he’s not sure what to do. He thought, that after all the things the Timelords had put him through, it would’ve felt better, being the one to end the war, but... now he just felt empty.

The device in his hands - disguised to look like a cell phone from the year prior - beeps, and he looks down in shock. There’s alien interference at work, here, and it’s not him. Curious.

Ten minutes later, he’s found the dead body of a man with a name tag proclaiming ‘Wilson’, and the Autons - the alien interference he’d found - are awake, if barely. Wilson was a casualty of their hand-guns going off in the rebooting process. 

A minute or two later, there’s a blonde girl, looking for the dead man, and he’s keeping an eye on her as he tries to find the source of the connection. And then she’s being threatened, and he’s running to her aid. 

“Run!” He says, as he takes her hand.

[roamanova]

   A WIDOW OF YOUR OWN ! post-widow hunt arc / canon-divergent.

Referencing the events of this arc in some interactions, this is SEMI-OPEN with slots for main and exclusive players in the moving parts - it will be part of a multi-arc plot involving an expanding scope of a threat to be discovered. All who are interested can feel free to reach out for plotting!

Leo Novokov, an elite sleeper agent trained by the Winter Soldier himself as part of the Soviet’s Project Zephyr, was accidentally ripped out of stasis years ago. Overcoming the traumatic event and debilitating amnesia which followed, it was the international news of his former mentor now publicized as an exonerated American Hero that pushed Leo over the edge. -- He wasn’t alone.

The ramifications of what became known as the TRIAL OF CAPTAIN AMERICA spread quickly to the East, one revelation, in particular, being the surprise nuptials of the Black Widow and James Barnes. Former confidential Soviet ops coming to light during the botched legal proceedings and a successful escape attempt from what had been arranged to be Barnes’ final trip to a gulag in Siberia reignited the growth of deep-seated roots that had long spread beyond the confines of the iron curtain.  This embarrassment could no longer be ignored.

Working in conjunction on this shared area of interest, the self-proclaimed RECLUSE and YELENA BELOVA employ Leo for convenience’s sake. Exploiting his bloodlust, they work to dismantle by way of return. And, with the help of a former Dept. X Scientist, Leo revived Natasha’s old Soviet ballerina cover. Although Bucky managed to save her and revert her back to her normal self, the truth of this hasty conditioning soon revealed itself to be much, much worse.

Memories fractured, augmented, or otherwise eradicated, the rushed nature of what was done to her proved to be a labyrinth to navigate during her recovery. Enough to draw the conclusion that some pieces were left behind for a reason waiting to be discovered. -- In the interest of avoiding potential infiltration, SHIELD, at the orders of NICK FURY, elects to enact the burn notice protocol for Natasha Barnes Romanova. All known associates are informed of a deep cover mission, a lie by which to follow the thread anchoring her. No reference of her former life is to be made, and contact is subsequently shut off.

With the threat of retaliation by Leo seemingly neutralized once he’s relegated to solitary confinement aboard the RAFT, Bucky Barnes attempts to piece together a life beyond the tragic events. Without his partner, and still believed by the broader world to be dead, he’s aided by SAM WILSON, SHARON CARTER, STEVE ROGERS and the rest of their former team, all the while drawing ever closer to safekeeping for Natasha.  In doing so, Bucky begins to uncover the troubling signs of the Red Room’s resurgence : missing children, questionable intelligence, resurfacing memories, old ghosts made flesh once more.

Even with the former agents of the KGB crippled, a renaissance of sorts awaits the Red Room in the same shadows in which it had once flourished.

ACTIVE PLAYERS

James Barnes : @decommed

Natasha Barnes Romanova : @roamanova

Jessica Drew : @vnmblasts

If interested message DECOMMED or ROAMANOVA !