#i hope the recruiting industry dies in a fucking fire

[snowonthebeachmp3]

i wish there was a mechanism where you could leave publicly visible feedback on a company’s recruitment process because they are all so utterly dogshit at making the experience tolerable for applicants

[lovelyirony]

❛  there is no heroism in war — there are simply things that need to be done.  ❜ with tony and your choice of second person?

If there’s one thing that Tony learned from his father, it was that everyone will idolize the people in war who go too soon. 

Every single Fourth of July, they visited the honorary headstone that was put up for Captain America. Howard waxes poetic about how strong and how brave this man was, and if he gets drunk (which is usually always a given) he talks to Tony about how much he wishes he had a son like good ole’ Steven Grant Rogers. 

“Well, you first went wrong by agreeing to let Mama name me Anthony,” he says, because his words can be just like Howard’s. 

He gets sent to his room for the remainder of that holiday, and watches fireworks that boom with impressive chemical reactions while overlooking the party that his parents host every single year. 

His least favorite holiday is the Fourth of July. He lets people know it, says it in all the fluffy interviews, and he lets everyone think it’s because he can’t make fireworks himself, or that he hates his father’s patriotic legacy, and those are both true. 

But not the real reason. 

- 

This continues for years. Tony is infamous for never celebrating the Fourth of July, especially after his parents’ deaths. 

People speculate. Say it’s “too painful a day.” 

Oh, it’s not. It’s far from painful. Tony simply just...doesn’t care about the day. He makes himself a nice drink, sits on his deck, and stares out at the ocean ahead of him. People ride on boats, there are fireworks going off all day, and he treats it like any other day. 

And then he’s asked for an interview for a documentary on Captain America. 

Everyone and their mother knew about Howard’s obsession; he wasn’t exactly quiet about it. 

He says no. 

“I don’t talk about him,” Tony says over the phone. “But good luck with your show.” 

It makes it to the media. People accuse him of hating America, hating any symbol that represents America, and being a Communist. 

“A billionaire being a Communist,” he muses the next time he’s out in public, and everyone’s microphones are shoved in his face. “I like that logic.” 

Rhodey says that he is now on a watch-list. 

“Aw, a late birthday present for me? You shouldn’t have,” Tony purrs. “How hard did you laugh, honey-pie?” 

“For about ten minutes on and off after that meeting,” Rhodey says with a snort. “I’m just surprised they only have you on it now. Haven’t you threatened at least one government official before this?” 

“I think my body count is ten as of last week,” Tony says. 

“What’d you do last week?” 

“Hm, you’ll find out about it soon enough.” 

- 

When he’s with Yinsen, he thinks that maybe he’ll be a hero. He’ll probably die and no one will ever find him, and then if he sees his father if there’s an afterlife, he’ll probably be proud of him. 

Finally on the same level of Captain America. 

But Tony thinks that maybe he’d like to see a Malibu sunset one more time. See Pepper groan as he ignores yet another set of paperwork, but smiles when he gets it done when her back is turned. Sit with Rhodey at a burger place and complain about everything in life. 

So goddammit, he’s going to skip the whole hero shtick. Wasn’t his thing then, certainly not his thing now. 

Yinsen looks at him with a smile. 

“Ready to get out of here?” 

“Yes, Tony. I think I am.” 

- 

It’s a cruel kind of joke, to be ready to get out of there and mean that your family is somewhere high up, open with open arms. 

Tony grieves for a moment, but he only has one moment to spare before everything goes up in flames. 

It’s enough of an explosion that Rhodey will know without a doubt it’s him. No one with any sort of military training would make that explosion, although Tony laughs as he soars into the sky and realizes that it looks similar to the unfortunate kitchen fire he started during their third year of college. 

He just hopes they make it in time. 

- 

He creates Iron Man again. A better version, honestly...

At least, until the icing thing, which he was very stupid for overlooking, but he’s not going to blame himself too badly for it because he just created a suit that was made for flying. 

He founds out that the man he viewed as more family than his own should never have been trusted, and he nearly dies on a couch that is honestly not that comfortable to begin with. 

- 

He decides people won’t know he’s Iron Man. He doesn’t want to give them that much satisfaction, that much more motivation to kill him. 

He knows he’s not a hero. He also knows that if they knew about Iron Man, most people would probably scoff. Wonder how long this little fad for the rich guy would last. 

Tony doesn’t want people to know he’s doing it, especially not the board. 

When he announced that the weapons manufacturing department was shutting down, he knew that Obadiah wasn’t the only person in power who had the means to subvert things without being caught onto, at least for a few months. 

Iron Man--if he wasn’t directly tied to Stark Industries--had a much better chance of destroying old weapon shipments. 

- 

He wasn’t expecting to become a hero. He also wasn’t expecting people to catch on, regardless of how much Rhodey and Pepper laughed at this at their Sunday dinners. (New thing that they’re trying out, Tony likes it a bit too much.) 

Well, not everyone catches on. 

Fortunately for him, SHIELD doesn’t. They want to know who Iron Man is, if they can sway him to work for them. Tony nearly laughs every single time they send a newbie agent to survey the property or have Agent Coulson visit about every month. 

“You’ll have to be careful,” Agent says on one of his monthly routine visits. They never say what time he’s coming, which is why Jarvis has been given permission to go wherever he likes in their servers. 

Jarvis pretends like he’s not as excited as a kid on a holiday. 

“We’re just asking for a little transparency,” Agent asks, on one of his tirades. 

“Will that be all, Agent?” Tony asks, entirely over this little interaction. He had really been banking on Fury sending in a new recruit, and Tony would get to scare them with his new loud-speaker he’d been working on...

“Well actually-” 

“Tony, you should be on a first-name basis by now,” Pepper says, sweeping gracefully into the room. “Good afternoon Phil, good to see you again.” 

“You as well, Ms. Potts. I hope your business dinner went smoothly?” 

“It did.” 

“I don’t like how friendly you two are,” Tony says, narrowing his eyes. “And Phil? You want me to call him Phil?” 

“You could call me Phillip,” Agent suggests. 

“Who are you, a member of the royal family?” Tony asks. “I hope not.” 

“We’ll be in touch,” Agent says. 

“Don’t be,” Tony says. “We’re fine here. Iron Man’s watching you.” 

"Mind telling me where?” Phil asks lightly, knowing he will not be getting a serious answer of any sort. 

“Well unfortunately, Iron Man signed a very extensive babysitting contract. All hush-hush, you know how NDA’s can be, darling.” 

Agent sighs, and then leaves. 

Pepper looks after him. 

“You know, SHIELD could use someone like you.” 

“They could use something,” Rhodey says with a snort. “They want the suit and leverage on top.” 

“Exactly,” Tony agrees. 

“So? Negotiate,” Pepper says with a shrug. “Make it work for you. You’ve done it before.” 

“We’ll see,” Tony says, diving back into the circuits. “We’ll see.” 

- 

He does not see. 

They tell him that Captain America got defrosted, and there Steve Rogers is in an ice block, at least until they can melt down the ice surrounding his feet. 

Agent is, of course, over the moon. 

“You could at least pretend to be professional,” Tony mutters, eyes not tearing away from the man in front of them. “Where are you going to put him?” 

“Rehabilitation program through SHIELD.” 

“And your plan for that?” 

“On a need-to-know basis.” 

“Oh, so it’ll go terribly. Wonderful.” 

“It won’t go terribly,” Agent says. “There may be some hiccups, but that happens with everything. I’m sure Iron Man wasn’t picture-perfect when you found him.” 

“Of course not, but he isn’t...he isn’t this,” Tony says, gesturing to the melting block of ice. 

Phil turns back to look. 

“I think your dad would be over the moon.” 

“Best day since the fucking Fourth of July for him,” Tony says bitterly, turning away. “I gotta get going. Let me know if you need anything for him.” 

“I think we have it handled, unless you want to send Iron Man over as a bodyguard.” 

“Ha ha,” Tony says sarcastically. “How smart of you to offer. He’ll have to decline due to extenuating circumstances.” 

- 

Of course SHIELD bungles Steve Rogers. Terribly. 

He doesn’t know which history-major-dropout they got to coordinate the room’s details or the details of his life in general, but they did a truly terrible job. 

God, Tony only half-paid attention to his dad’s rants about the “good old days” and Rogers’ whole biography of life, and he could’ve done a better job while drunk. 

But it’s not his job to fix, and he’s more focused on making sure that Iron Man stays busy, because if he doesn’t then SHIELD tends to think he’s bored. (And he is...don’t get him wrong. But not that bored.) 

- 

Aliens. 

Fucking aliens. 

They bring a man back from oblivion in immortality, and now they have aliens. 

It’s one of those things where Tony just says “alright” and goes with it. 

They want Iron Man aboard, and Tony asks where he’s wanted. 

“Just Iron Man,” Coulson says, an apologetic smile on his face. 

Tony shoots him one right back. 

“Because I know this wasn’t your decision, Agent, I won’t be mad at you. Also because you’re one of Pep’s favorite people. But it’s like salt-and-pepper shakers; just having one is sad.” 

That’s all the explanation SHIELD gets, until they learn to ask Rhodey. 

“You have any mechanics that Tony trusts with that suit?” he asks. 

"We have a variety of skilled mechanics that would be happy to help,” the man says over the phone.

“No,” Rhodey says, grinning. “I mean, do you have any that Tony knows and trusts?” 

The phone is silent after that. 

“I thought as much. Well, let Tony know I’m eating his leftovers since he left them in the fridge to help you guys out with the end of the world or whatever.” 

Click. 

- 

The Avengers is a shit-show. 

But Tony is very excited to see one man in particular, and that’s Bruce Banner. Doctor Bruce Banner, if you wanted to get technical. (If you wanted to get even more technical, you could add about six more “doctors” in there.) 

They work well together, and Tony gets a tiny view into how Bruce works, in a sense. 

They found him playing doctor, and he wasn’t exactly happy to leave. 

Tony tells him that he thinks that there’s more to his life. 

“So what, Hulk...saved my life?” Bruce asks, and Tony can tell he doesn’t believe it, can tell how he’s avoiding looking through the glass across the way. 

(Tony’s broken a window that way, having eye contact with himself.) 

“Yes,” Tony says simply. “And I’m glad he did, because I have a lot to ask you about...” 

And then, you know. 

Life happens. 

You make about three too many jokes, and suddenly you and Captain America have this weird tension thing, and then you have to manually turn a fan so the entire ship crew doesn’t die. 

It seems to run on some form of electricity! 

God, what a nightmare. 

- 

Aliens invade. 

Tony learns about how to tell the modern telling of Jonah and the Whale, and he also learns that he never wants to learn anything about space again. 

Hulk also makes a lovely alarm. 

- 

Bruce is the first to move in. 

Well, he’s kind of forced to, but not really, because Tony promises that he won’t actively try to get Hulk to come out for things, and Bruce is swayed by the promise of getting bagels for breakfast. 

- 

Natasha and Clint trail in next, and Natasha says that she told Steve to come to. 

“You didn’t ask me if I was okay with that,” Tony says with a frown. “But I suppose it’s better than whatever accommodations SHIELD pulls.” 

Clint snorts. 

“You got that right.” 

Thor knows he has a place to stay at, should he ever need it. He smiles at Banner on his way up to Asgard to send his brother to alien-jail, or whatever they call it up there. 

Tony doesn’t ask about it.

He and Bruce drive home in one of his flashy cars, and Bruce looks a little lost at all the posters hung up around the city, the ones with a green man grinning. 

“They like you,” Tony says. “Good job.” 

“Not like they hate Iron Man or anything,” Bruce says. “I just...I’m not a hero.” 

Tony nods. Doesn’t say anything. He gets the sentiment. 

(He knows how this will go.) 

- 

Hiding Iron Man is...harder. Admittedly. 

Steve keeps wanting to talk to him about battle strategy, and Tony is at work, so it’s not like he can conference call. 

(Okay well he can, but Pepper yelled at him for wearing the helmet in his office.) 

Natasha and Clint are naturally curious, as they’re supposed to be. The only problem is that both of them have professional training in how to make that curiosity dangerously effective. 

Thor doesn’t really mind, although he keeps making hints that he could take Iron Man to get better armor. 

“Sorry lightning rod, I’ll pass,” Iron Man says on one mission. “Now, where is my favorite doctor...” 

“He’s already back at the Tower,” Clint says. “Said something about wanting to ask Tony a question on his experiment.” 

Iron Man pauses. 

“...alright. I’ll start jetting home, meet you guys there.” 

- 

Iron Man barely makes it into his “section” before Bruce is coming down the stairs, muttering and holding papers. 

“Tony?” 

“Yes, dear!” Tony calls, scrambling to shed off the armor before Bruce could get too close. 

- 

It didn’t work. 

He has one of the gloves still on his palm as he faces Bruce. 

“...what.” 

“Um, just. Trying out the schematics. Of the suit. For Iron Man.” 

“You’re...you’re Iron Man?” 

“Well, let’s not throw around accusations that can’t be proved.” 

“You have literally stated in interviews that the suit is custom-fit to the user,” Bruce says. “I have the magazine that that’s from.” 

“Well, I have a...similar body type?” 

“Oh my god.” Bruce blinks, readjusting his glasses. “Do the others...Natasha knows, right? She has to know.” 

“Absolutely not,” Tony says. “Of course not! Why would she know?” 

“Because she’s a spy, Tony! That’s what spies do!” 

“Well then she’s a bad one!” 

There’s silence for a moment as they stare at each other. 

Tony sighs, heading over to the chairs set aside. 

“I imagine you’ll have questions, Dr. Banner.” 

“Of course I do.” 

Tony gestures somewhere, telling Jarvis to put the lab in blackout mode, no one out or in, and to update Pepper on the NDA situation. 

- 

“Why’d you hide it?” Bruce asks. 

“No one needs to know it’s me. Easier to balance work and home life.” 

Bruce looks at him. 

“Do not bullshit me.” 

Tony looks over at a blue hologram of a project he’s working on. 

“In all honesty, I’d like to say that it’s because of that, but I’ve never actually balanced work and home. It’s just...ugh. It’s personal. Can I say it’s personal, and you drop it?” 

“I mean, you could,” Bruce says. “But I still know that you’re him and he’s you, and you’ve been hiding that you’re a hero for years.” 

“I wouldn’t call it being a hero,” Tony says. “Just tying up loose ends.” 

“And saving the world, can’t forget that one,” Bruce says. 

“Well if you call me a hero, then I get to do the same thing for you.” 

“Hulk is not a hero, he’s a carefully monitored rage monster.” 

“Was that what we were doing the whole time we were up against the Chitauri? Monitoring the Hulk while multitasking? I don’t know if you’ve read the scientific news, Bruce, but none of us can multitask as well as we think.” 

“Not the point.” 

“Yes the point.” 

They stare at each other. 

“Why don’t you want to be known as a hero?” Bruce asks, finally. 

“I’m not the type of person anyone wants for a hero.” 

“And am I?” Bruce asks with a smile. 

“Are any of us?” Tony responds. 

So they sit, and there’s this comfortable familiarity about being the same, looking at things the same, if not for a bit of difference. 

Bruce finally speaks up. 

“So. Who are we betting to be the last to know? Because I think it’ll be Natasha.” 

“Are you crazy? She’s gonna be the next to know.” 

“I don’t know, Clint can be pretty perceptive.” 

“Oh come on. If anything, it’ll be Thor. He’s almost never here, and he never drops by with a message beforehand.” 

“I bet you a smoothie that it’s Nat.” 

“You’re on.” 

- 

Nat is the last one to figure it out. Bruce just shrugs as Tony looks at him, mouth open. 

“How did you...?” 

“I know things,” Bruce says. 

(Not true: he’s been waging psychological warfare on Nat ever since he made that bet because he wanted a peach-mango smoothie.) 

- 

Neither think of themselves as heroes. But sometimes, you don’t think of yourself as a hero even though you are one. (Not that they know that other people’s perceptions hold sway.) 

[margoshansons]

Hold On Tight: q.b.

Quentin Beck x Summers!Reader // Yours Truly, 2095: 01. 02.

Summary: --You’ll get everything you want, one way or another

Warnings: Manipulation, slight angst

Notes: 

__________________________

Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to restrain herself, to not yell at the man who had recruited her, to keep her temper in check as he debriefed the Queens hero.

But something deeper, darker, and more guttural wanted to unleash all the anger coursing through her onto Fury. 

How dare he recruit a sixteen-year-old? 

Peter Parker just lost one of his mentors. He just came back from the dead and Fury is determined to get his help with something he never asked to be a part of.

She agreed with Peter. Why couldn’t Fury get anyone else?

Why did it have to be him?

She disagreed with Fury’s methods, with his subtle manipulation, using Peter’s admiration for Tony against him.

She breathed in through her nose, empathy spiking as Peter’s emotions flowed through her, her extrasensory perception picking up the anger the teenager was feeling.

“Hey” Y/N offered, moving closer, “Is everything okay?” “Can I be honest with you Miss Summers?” Peter asked, eyebrows creasing in worry, “I, uh, really don’t feel like saving the world this summer. That probably sounds really awful--”

Y/N placed her hand on his shoulder. “Peter? It’s not selfish to want to have a normal life” She assured him, carefully placing her finger on the bare skin between his neck and his suit, “You’re a teenager, it’s alright to want certain things for yourself.”

The spiderling nodded, his features glossing over as his worries transferred from his body to hers. Anxiety ran through her, sending jitters up her spine and a knot forming in her stomach. Holy shit, she thought, is this what Peter felt every day?

“After Prague, you’ll be able to get some rest,” Y/N told the kid, her own guilt wracking her body at the current state of things, “If it were up to me, you wouldn’t be going, but I only have a certain amount of say in things--”

“Can you at least try?” Peter asked, hope filling his weary, sunken eyes. Y/N brought her hand down, the overwhelming emotions too much for her.

“I will,” Y/N promised, cursing herself for not being able to do more. 

Not for the first time in her life, she cursed her mother for passing on the worst mutant gene to her. She was aware that Scott would never be able to see anything but red for the rest of his life, but at least he got to destroy shit.

Alex had been the luckiest of the three of them, genetics wise, and she had resented that about him up until the day he died.

Now she barely saw Scott, let alone talked with him, and her mother was nowhere to be found. She scoffed to herself. Typical.

She shows up to pass on empathy to the next woman in her family and then disappears, leaving Y/N to pick up the pieces and raise her brothers. 

Fuck, she hated that woman. 

Her empathetic perception prickled the hairs on the back of her neck. Someone was watching her. 

Y/N whirled around, meeting the bright blue stare of Quentin Beck, newly dubbed Mysterio. She had to wonder if he was also a mutant based on the powers he had exhibited. She made a mental note to do a DNA test later for SHIELD’s records before striding over to the interdimensional man.

“Are you okay?” He asked, “You seem a little...tense.”

Y/N chuckled mirthlessly, “That’s a bit of an understatement,” She sent a look toward Peter, worry still evident on his face. “I just can’t believe Fury would recruit a kid when he has a plethora of other superheroes on call,” Y/N shifted her eyes to the man beside her, “Not to mention someone who has experience with these creatures.”

Quentin nodded, a slight smile tugging on his lips.

“He wants us to stand a chance,” Quentin defended, “With Peter, we might.”

Y/N sent him a disapproving look.

“I’m not saying I agree with him” Quentin backpedaled, “If it were up to me the kid wouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous. But Fury makes sense.”

She let out a resentful sigh. Of course, Fury made sense, but it was that kind of reasoning which had brought Scott and Alex to Xavier’s. That kind of reasoning got her brother killed.

Quentin punched through her thoughts with a startling revelation, “You were always great with kids back on 833”

Y/N chuckled, her chest warming at the compliment, “What does that mean?”

Something passed over Quentin’s face, an echo of his thoughts projecting toward her. “Whatever you want it to mean.”

He strode away to discuss the plan for Prague with Fury and Peter, leaving her struck with confusion as she watched his figure retreat.

Y/N stood in the same place for far too long, trying to decode the thought Quentin had unwittingly projected at her.

Be Cryptic. She can’t know too much.

She shook her head, erasing any doubtful thoughts that had entered her mind. She wasn't even sure if she had heard it. Xavier had told her that she could develop the ability as an Empath, but after the events seven years ago, she didn’t know if she trusted a word that came out of his mouth anymore. 

Quentin was here to help, she told herself. If he was hiding something, it wasn’t anything malicious. It couldn’t be.

***

This was going to be easier than he anticipated.

Y/N was already halfway to falling for him, and Peter, the pest he was, was playing his part as the reluctant hero perfectly.

Quentin almost felt bad for the kid.

He had been tracking Peter since his own termination from Stark Industries several years ago. He resisted the urge to scoff.

Stark had fired him and hired a fourteen-year-old in his place. It was laughable really. As smart as Peter was, he lacked almost any common sense or people skills.

Something Quentin had an abundance of. 

Stark chose this kid, over some of his most loyal employees? 

No wonder he didn’t live past fifty.

Peter was the same way, except Quentin supposed he had a soul, unlike his former employer. Peter actually cared about the people he could potentially hurt, which made it harder to pretend to mentor him.

The kid was bright, overlooked, everything Quentin had been in his youth. Except he had the irritating tendency to try and save everyone. He hoped through some quick mentoring sessions he could quell that part of him.

He figured the best way to get rid of the insect was to convince the kid to go back and enjoy his trip. 

He already had Y/N helping him out on that front. The kid practically hung on her every word. Although, the connection struck him as unusual. 

She never worked at Stark Industries, wasn’t even friends with Stark if he recalled correctly. He sighed, chalking it up to her older sister complex and continued to dream up ways to solve these hitches in his plan.

Y/N really was the saving grace. The reason the equation worked. She had planted the seed of doubt in Peter’s mind, fallen for his act, and grown further from Fury and Hill. Now he didn’t see a reason to kill her. 

Instead, he could keep her by his side. He could let her in. Her credibility would be vital in his formative years as a hero.

“Patience Quentin,” He told himself, a smirk drawing itself on his face, “You’ll have everything you want. One way or another.”

_______________________________

God, Quentin is just peak bastard in this and I love it. But like he said, every hero has a love interest, but that also means he has a weakness. Oops, can’t say too much.

Tag list:

@thefuriousquake @osric-the-l3m0n-l0v3-demon @rizamendoza808

Got a request? Send it in!

[girlbookwrm]

Bah! Bah! Bah da-dah. Badabadabadadah bah dah dah! (<-- this is the iron man song)

THE MIGHTY ENDGAME REWATCH CONTINUES: PART THREE

(parts one and two are HERE)

The Gal Pal has joined us, so tonight we are three (@goteamwin is the Roommate and @pegasuschick is the Gal Pal.) This time we ALL pregamed with booze and cookies. 

Further note: It Has Been Years and I Still Miss The Old Marvel Logo

The Gal Pal: For a second I thought this was Lord of the Rings

THIS WAS A GAMBLE. I have to remind myself of this every time I watch this movie because this was a hhUUUUUGE gamble starring a recovering addict and directed by a nobody using technology that had been tested in Transformers, a franchise known for it’s kwality filmmaking (not u bumblebee i’m sure you’re g r e a t)

(the roommate would like it noted that they probably stipulated in RDJ’s contract that he wouldn’t be fully paid until he finished the movie because he’d flaked out on previous filming commitments for. you know. getting arrested and going to jail.)

This is a solid opening. A Super Solid Opening, in fact. Quality flashback. Actually TFA, take note. This is how you do a flashback, TFA

WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY

comedy moment with the stark missile here. 

Howard Stark Mark I. (of three. Never forget. that there are three howard starks)

Oh No it’s Wrong Rhodes. Rhong Wrodes? just Wrodes?

Obadiah Stane? Really?? who thought he was a good guy??? although I love how easily he does this “getting on the stand to accept an award for Tony” thing. like he’s done it a thousand times before. because of course he has.

GOD THEY'RE ALL SO YOUNG

no da Vinci his a fair comparison, actually, given that Da Vinci apparently designed loads and loads of Very Deadly Things. 

At this juncture, the Gal Points out:

Not to be super gay here, but I would observe that the later Iron Man movies get hotter lady extras. Just a note.

she is not wrong. 

You're better than this journalist lady.

actually wait is she only sleeping with tony for the purpose of snooping?

SHIT SHE TOTALLY IS.

on the one hand DAMN PEPPER I HOPE CHRISTINE GETS MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THAT BURN but on the other hand BOO GIRL ON GIRL CRIME.

Tony your music is bad

why isn’t it the iron man song

what band is it that does the iron man song

black sabbath, said the Gal Pal and The Roommate in unison.

tony i thought you weren’t a painter how do you even know who pollack is

The perpetual question with this movie: Was the script That Good or is RDJ Just That Good?

Will We Ever Truly Know

WRONG RHODES HAS A POTATO FACE RIGHT RHODES HAS A GREMLIN FACE. YOU NEED CORRECT GREMLIN POTATO FACE PAIRING.

Things that Date This Movie:

Tony’s suits (the fabric ones)

The phones (ohhhhhhhhhh my god flip phones oh my gooooooooddddd)

the fact that the hero is a new york billionaire with his name on the side of a building and people actually like him

Wait is Obie fucking someone? NO DON'T MAKE ME THINK THAT

I hate this part NOSE NO THANK U. GROSS. GROSS. NO I DON’T LIKE IT. NO. i came here for an ACTION MOVIE not a BODY HORROR MOVIE HELP PLS

Yinsen is v well dressed. like. Yinsen is SO dapper wtf Tony looks like a bum by comparison. And his chemistry with Tony is Un. Paralleled (except by pepper.) He fucking NAILS THIS ROLE. Ho Yinsen, International treasure

sub note YINSEN’S FIRST NAME IS HO. YOU ARE ALL VERY WELCOME.

sub sub note: The Roommate spent like fifteen minutes calling him Jensen. This Seems Racist. She points out that I am being racist for thinking that. She may be right. 

the ten rings IT IS LOTR

“I don't watch Iron Man that often, it's always a surprise when I enjoy it” - The Roommate

I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T A PAINTER TONY. THOSE ARE VERY GOOD DOODLES FOR SOMEONE WITH NO ARTISTIC INCLINATIONS.

I love/hate that it’s like: Oh no this bad guy speaks English NOW WE'RE IN TROUBLE.

THAT. SEEMS. RACIST.

“Yes I would like a delivery date” says the roommate, someone very accustomed to working with clients that do not provide a coherent delivery date/schedule.

every time i see this scene i am reminded of that interview where Cevans is like: tthHHAT’S RDJ?? and then he licks his lips like the thirsty little bitch he may or may not be.

army recruitment - avengers - dick swinging contest - dumpster fire <-- this is literally the note i made for myself, i don’t know exactly how we got onto this particular sidetrack but look here’s the story:

the pentagon subsidized the early marvel movies, but then they stopped. that was a fun fact that I knew

the gal pal looked it up and it is Very Real. She was explaining to us that they STOPPED subsidizing marvel movies after the avengers because SHIELD. ‘Does the army answer to SHIELD or does SHIELD answer to the army?’

Me: SO ARE YOU TELLING ME. THAT THE ARMY. A REAL LIFE ORGANIZATION. STOPPED FUNDING MARVEL MOVIES. BECAUSE THEY GOT INTO A DICK MEASURING CONTEST WITH SHIELD AND MIGHT HAVE LOST????

yes

the answer to that question is yes

the military industrial complex is a dumpster fire.

32 minute mark and Tony has more time with yinsen than anyone else

I cannot believe it took them them THIS LONG TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. No one thought to question that glowing thing in tony’s chest, just like: Nah that seems right. That’s part of the missile building process, right? They're working. this seems fine

It's still a horror movie but now Tony is the monster 

he was always the monster

YINSEN WE HARDLY KNEW YE

Tony Tedward Stark you're literally the only person in the world who didn't know Yinsen’s family was dead. “I’ll see them when I leave here?” THEY’RE DEAD TONY. THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN DEAD.

also: YINSEN IS AN INTERNATIONAL TREASURE

Tony, at the end of this fight scene, is A) deaf from all the bullets pinging off his suit. B) very badly burned, and C) has broken every bone in his body.

All Jameses in the MCU come with an innate Bullshit Detection Sensor. “Steve’s in trouble” “What’s that explosion? probably Tony.” JAMES POWERS ACTIVATE.

40 minutes in and this is the first time I buy Wrodes as a pal. Maybe

Tony Stark: BRING ME BURGERS. YINSEN TOLD ME NOT TO WASTE MY LIFE

oh hey phil is here!

Tony you have PTSD ---- aaaand you also have a burger stashed in your sling? that’s the best thing. THAT’S THE BEST THING.

UGH GOD OBIE’S ON A SEGWAY GROSSSSS (as if we didn’t already know that he was evil just from his NAME)

The Gal Pal, re Tony vs his PTSD: of course he builds himself a suit of armor. we're lucky he didn't end up in a gimp suit.

me, internally: bold of you to assume he doesn’t.

I refuse to even imagine this movie with Tom Cruise it would be so Wrong. (For those who don’t know, the studio really wanted Tom Cruise  to play Tony, Jon Favreau really went to bat for RDJ against the studio, you know. on account of the whole. addiction getting arrested thing.)

TONY THIS IS A LABORATORY, WE WEAR OUR SHOES AND BUTTON OUR SHIRTS.

Mad money really dates this too. Add that to the list of things that date this.

Tony: Pepper you’ve got small hands, right? get down here.

 Now is the perfect time to remind you all that comics tony has canonically been pegged by Gamora.

You Are Welcome

A) pepper is great. B) Tony is definitely not really going into cardiac arrest. C) I’m remembering that they were my first Marvel OTP and I love them.

Re: Rhodey and the whole “Manned vs unmanned flight” and Tony coming in like “What about just the pilot with no plane” or whatever QUICK QUESTION ASKING FOR A FRIEND WHEN DOES THE FALCON PROGRAM HAPPEN

RDJ and his big sad brown cow eyes. 

The Roommate: I know I wasn’t into it at the time, because I was a youth and he’s like forty and I was like “No, he is Not For Me.”

Me: PAST YOU WAS A MORON.

The Roommate: Yeah i know that NOW.

Tony built his own keyboard that's so extra

Yikes generic ten rings bad guy you should put a bandage on that

ROBOT ABUSE, but also, can we talk about how much I love DUM-E, U, and also this entire sequence?

U is getting real fancy with the camera zooms

At this point we got into a discussion of whether the arc reactor gives Tony powers:

Me: Please. He’s a glorified normie. He’s the Batman of the Marvel Universe.

The Roommate: Yeah! He’s the Batman of marvel with out the...

Me: The what exactly? 

The Roommate: The dead... no his parents are... the car-- no he’s got lots of fancy-- The pearls. He’s the Batman of Marvel without the pearls.

now we have to wait until Civil War to see if Maria Stark is wearing pearls when she dies.

PIZZA. Obie is like the stepdad with that pizza. “I’m taking the pizza back. Nah go on take a slice.” G R O S S

Paul Bettany! You're better as a disembodied voice. 

The Roommate: I do not care for your purple robot form. I know Wanda does but--

Me: Listen. We’ve all made mistakes and bought an unreasonably large purple dildo

The Gal Pal: And we’ve all gotten attached to non-human characters. 

The Roommate: Like the fox from Robin Hood!

The Gal Pal: Exactly. And hey, maybe he just keeps going, you know? like the energizer Bunny.

Me, Upset: NONONONONONONO

The Roommate: now hang on a minute that’s interesting.

Tony, i feel like you didn't think though. But seriously, what is this scene? Why is there a Ferris wheel? Are those the director's kids?

YOU’RE DOING GREAT, DUM-E.

Tony, quick question, did you cut holes in all your tee-shirts? Why? There’s no need for it? It’s Literally? Just for the dramatic effect? Tony?? WHy??? ARe YoU LIke THiS????

they are literally titty windows

these shirts are probably very expensive

sToP

oooo the bad guy (side note, put on a bandaid my guy. get some neosporin or something) has the iron man 1.0 suit and waaaIT A SECOND ARE THERE BULLET HOLES IN THE CROTCH ARMOR??? DID THEY SHOOT TONY IN THE CROTCH?

First of all, Jarvis is a treasure, I’m sad they ever got rid of him, second of all I love that Tony can just show up unannounced at a Very Important Party and no one questions it, third of all:

Poooterrrrrr

Oh hey Phil is here!!

Oh Pep. You are so on top of things, you basically run SI, you know your fear about the deoderant is just paranoia. You applied twice and you have an extra one in your purse and you’re wearing perfume. You smell like roses and victory.

O! T! P!

Christine, why do you have these photos where have you been keeping them why don’t you just pull them up on your phoneOHHHH RIGHT THIS IS THE PAST THERE ARE NO SMART PHONES YET FFGHSSJJSJSDKDKD I FEEL OLD.

Tony is standing on a higher step than Obie for this. The Smolest Avenger.

This is the first full iron Man moment but all I can think is:

Toe socks Tony? really?

~Cool guys don't look at explosions~

SOMEONE REALLY NEEDS TO TELL MARVEL THAT MORE VILLAINS =/= BETTER VILLAINS.

Rhodes sees the boom on the screen and is like but… Tony is here. in the US. I know he's here. I'm 99% sure. 98%. (explosion #2) I’m 95% sure. (by explosion #5) I’m 42% sure that Tony is in the US.

Definitely the worse thing that Pepper saw was him cutting titty windows in his tee shirts

MARVEL! MORE VILLAINS ARE NOT BETTER VILLAINS!!

beeteedubs We All Hate the way Obie says “data” and “manufacturing.” Dah-tuh. Man-uh-fact-ering. U G H.

YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND PEPPER I HAVE A NEW JOB NOW AND IT'S SAAAAVING THE PLANET

every movie ever: Is this hacking? Is this how hacking works?

Obie’s frankenstein vein and the way he slllluuuuurrrrps his whiskey. GROSS.

Oh Hey Phil Is Here!!!

What other applications?

WAIT WHAT OTHER APPLICATIONS ARE THERE FOR SHORT TERM PARALYSIS?

NO DON’T TELL ME I DON’T WANT TO KNOW

Hhhhhhow does Obie already have a specially designed arc reactor extractor?

TONY WHY DON’T YOU GET ON THE SCOOTER INSTEAD OF SHOVING IT AWAY? WOULDN’T YOU GO FASTER?

DUM-E IS A TREASURE

Re Pepper:

The Roommate: Pepper’s superpower is calling the right authorities and making sure the right people get arrested.

Me: so what I’m hearing is that Pepper’s superpower is being a responsible adult???

This Seems Accurate.

“Anything else I can do?” says Terrence Howard. “yeah, you can turn into don cheedle” say we all.

Where's the water in this creepy underground lair. Whyyyyyy are there water light effects? WHERE? IS? THE WATER???

OMG look at that cgi wowwwww he’s just coming up through the concrete and it is Definitely CGI.

dear obadiah stane: YOU DO NOT FIRE PEPPER POTS SHE IS ESSENTIAL. IF YOU FIRE PEPPER POTTS YOUR COMPANY COLLAPSES LITERALLY THE NEXT DAY.

Hey Obie. Did you put the Batman voice modulator in yourself orrrr... 

Holy Cow Digital Hand is Very Digital.

HANG ON ISN'T THIS EXACTLY WHAT ANT MAN DOES TO TONY IN CIVIL WAR???

Blow the reactor, he says. JUST DO IT, he says.

The Gal Pal: Shhhh you can hear Howard Stark rolling over in his grave

oh hey Zuul is coming

OH HEY PHIL IS HERE!!!!

The roommate: THAT'S NOT TRUE SMALL AIRCRAFT ARE VERY SAFE

WAIT WAS CAPTAIN MARVEL PHIL’S FIRST RODEO? *need to see Captain Marvel Intensifies*

“Girlfriend who worries about me” Tony says. It's Rhodes. Right? I mean. He already has a girlfriend who worries about him. It’s Colonel Rhodes. 

tony is so bad at lying

which is cute and all but FORREALS do you remember seeing this movie for the first time? whether you like Iron Man or not, whether you like MARVEL or not, this is fucking cinematic history happening here. this is the first franchise of its kind, it opened the door for so many others and it is so weird to remember that.

BAH! BAH! BAH DA-DUH. BADABADABADADAH! BAH DAH DAH!!

we have spent literally the entire movie waiting for this song to play

wow Jarvis u ok

THERE HE IS. Lookit him. with his eyepatch. he’s Seen Things. he’s Done Stuff. him and phil. geeze.

Me: I really wish I had just seen Captain Marvel 

The Gal Pal: I feel like that every morning

i mean i don’t want to harp on this given that we’ve already moved on from the incorrect hulk but WHY WOULD TONY STARK BE RECRUITING ROSS?????

[armageddon-generation]

Fixing The Legend of Korra - Book 4

AGAIN THIS IS A SOLID SEASON, SO THIS IS MOSTLY JUST CHARACTER STUFF – I ALSO VEER INTO FULL-ON FANFIC AT A FEW POINTS, BUT FUCK IT

I also need to thank @threehoursfromtroy for being a huge inspiration, especially with the korrasami dynamic - you’ll notice I magpied a bunch of ideas from her amazing fics.

Book 1,  Book 2,  Book 3,

KUVIRA

FUCKING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT – let’s fully explore her reasoning for leaving Zoafu (the White Lotus is pretty much done, the Dai Li have been disbanded but now they’re individual warlords ruling over Ba Sing Se as a city state, the airbenders are still rookies and she sees them getting injured)

Emphasise the familial connections between Kuvira and the Beifongs – playing sports with Wing and Wei, falling for Bataar Jr.

Besides Bataar, have her be closest to Opal. They were both outsiders – the non-bender and the unofficial adoptee, but Opal, as the only non-bender in a family of historically famous benders, was also jealous of Kuvira the metalbending prodigy, who appeared to be everything Su wanted in a daughter. Kuvira was similarly jealous of Opal, the biological daughter who was doted on despite not doing anything to ‘earn’ it. This complicated relationship evolved into their bitter hatred of each other

Have Kuvira’s isolation in Zoafu parallel Korra’s in the South from Book 1

Without Korra there to push them forwards, everyone has started backsliding – In Kuvira Bolin has found a Korra-surrogate to rely upon instead of taking responsibility for himself (this is the same reason, ironically enough, he was attracted to Eska – she controlled him and he could hide behind her – something a more mature Eska is able to see when they meet at the Corniation)

EARTH EMPIRE

Let’s see Bolin leading the charge clearing out Ba Sing Se, and Kuvira liberating the city and defeating the Dia Li (who are trying to establish their own control of Ba Sing Se as an independent city-state) for good

Explore the apparatus of the Empire a touch more – the propaganda recruitment system – how does fascism work?

Have Raiko supply troops to Su so he doesn’t look like a complete fool. That way when she defeats Zaofu and sees Raiko violated her terms, Kuvira has a legitimate reason to go after Republic City

Also, can we make the Battle of Zoafu a proper siege once they break the ceasefire? Avatar does Helm’s Deep? Pretty please? Kuvira knows all the city’s defences as former Head of the Gaurd, so let’s demonstrate her tactical prowess dissecting the domes’ weaknesses. And have some of Zaofu’s defenders start siding with Kuvira (people she used to command etc), fighting amongst themselves to give her an easier victory

When the Beifongs are captured they go through the camp system, so we get to explore it – take inspiration from true stories and films like Life is Beautiful –The other prisoners either hate them for giving up, hate them for creating Kuvira, or look up to them as their only hope. But in the end they’re just a family trying to hold together on the brink.

Bring in the Red Lotus members hiding across the world – they start trying to move against Kuvira from the shadows. They are the strongest chance the world has against Kuvira without Korra, and Raiko’s willingness to accept their help (as the shady politician) shows how desperate the situation is – Korra needs to step in

ASAMI (& KORRASAMI)

The best part about Korrasami is how opposite they are – The non-bender figurehead, The bender figurehead. Traddition vs innovation, spirituality vs technology, idealism vs realism, faith vs strategic calculation – Asami should by all means be a supervillain, but she’s just too good a person. Play into that divide and conflict in Book 4

Asami is keeping herself dangerously busy, between helping the Equalists and managing the spirits living in the city that are against her industrial company  

Without Korra, Asami felt lonely and vulnerable. To compensate for a world without Korra, (much like Kuvira) Asami secretly develops plans for super weapons inspired by a combination of her father’s old Equalist designs – these weapons are designed to artificially replicate bending attacks on the scale of the Avatar state – Seismic waves, artificial flooding, firebombing, weaponised wind machines etc. She has prototypes developed

This gives her attempts to re-connect with Hiroshi more weight – she’s lost, and reviewing his old work makes her feel closer to him than she has in years – she thinks she’s beginning to understand what he went through when her mom died.

When Korra returns the weapons cause major conflict between them – especially when undercover Red Lotus steal Asami’s plans (exploiting their new connection with Raiko) and attempt to use protypes to ambush Kuvira – causing an all-out battle

Because the protypes were so hastily assembled they don’t work particularly well and cause chaos – Team Avatar has to jump in and save as many from the crossfire as they can, and Korra has to ignore a chance to fight Kuvira – they then have to leave the people to be taken by Kuvira, because they can’t save all of them.

These weapons would be key to Korra’s arc, as she doesn’t yet trust or have full control over the Avatar State again – she’s fighting that power as recreated by the person she cares most about, compounding the themes of Korra confronting herself

Kuvira uses the weapons the same way Korra used to use the Avatar state – wantonly and without thought, causing mass destruction.

Kuvira defeats the Red Lotus and takes Asami’s weapons for herself (Asami is horrified – she has indirectly become what her Father was to the Equalists. Varrick is being more morally upstanding than her.)

Korrasami is not smooth sailing in this book – both of them are aware they love each other, but they also have to deal with their own shit first. Korra’s time away let them build up perfect, imaginary versions of each other. Asami needs to stop idolising Korra (the same mistake Hiroshi made with her mom) and Korra needs to stop idolising Asami (as I felt the original show tended to do)

In the finale, Korra is the one to get Hiroshi out of jail, because Asami needs to move past his shadow – the repentant Hiroshi comforts her and assures her she is better than him. So much like her mother. He also expresses gentle approval of Korra before he dies.

Asami is the woman in the chair in the finale, simultaneously helping with the hummingbird suits and coaching the United Republic Forces (Hi, General Iroh) through how to defeat the artificial bending weapons.

I don’t know if it’s feasible, but I think reuniting the OG Team Avatar (Toph, Katara and Zuko) as three of the most powerful benders in the world (plus Zuko has a dragon) against these things the same way the White Lotus took back Ba Sing Se in ATLA would be really cool

The series ends not with the culmination of a relationship a la ATLA, but the tentative beginning of one

MAKO

Mako has let himself become consumed by his work – the only one to visit him is Kai, who’s filling in Bolin’s spot as little brother. (“Stop breaking in to a police officer’s apartment!”). Their relationship has grown a lot stronger, but they both miss Bolin

Mako is caught between both sides of the Earth Empire debate – he works for Wu and knows that deep down he’s actually a decent guy, but he has an established professional relationship with Kuvira, and he really respects her. They joke about his new job together before the Corination.

Kuvira has become a surrogate Korra figure for all Team Avatar – Mako (who admits he’s still in love with Korra) sees the potential for Kuvira to compensate for the loss of Korra, and must learn to let go of this unhealthy dream.

Because he’s no longer a member of the Republic City Police. Mako and Lin finally get to work together as equal partners

AIRBENDERS (KAINORA)

Look, I just want some cute long-distance Kainora stuff, OK? Keeping in contact via astral projection

Kai has been unofficially adopted into the airbender family and acts as a big brother to Rohan and Meelo

(I also think it’d be fun if Rohan was an uncontrollable bending prodigy like Jack-Jack from The Incredibles, bouncing around the house like the Tasmanian Devil – Pema and Kai are the only ones who can control him

Jinora has become the day-to-day leader of the Air Nation, using astral projection t co-ordinate people across the globe, with Kai in support

They express frustration with Air Nomad tradition – they sneak out at night and run around the new Republic City, giving us a chance to explore – Jinora shows Kai the wonders of the Spirit Wilds, while he teaches her how to win at street gambling.

They flirt with breaking the law – practicing pickpocketing the rich to feed the poor, and dabble in vigilantism – until they get caught.

Mako gets them off charges, but this causes a big conflict between Tenzin and Jinora. My problem with Jinora’s characterisation the original Book 4 (she was previously one of my faves) was she seemed too perfect. In this version, that perfection is an act, and she needs a way to blow off steam. Tenzin argues (quite rightly) that by taking the law into her own hands Jinora is no better than Kuvira (or Korra, Jinora points out. “Jinora, you’re not the Avatar.” / “I’m as good as.”)

This is important because original book 4 Jinora felt super stuck-up and full of pride, not good traits for an airbending master. Here we’re emphasising then confronting that big-headedness. Kai helps her realise she’s still just a kid, and that’s OK. Her family (and Korra) help her realise she’s stronger when she embraces the strength of others

I also like the idea of air nomads roaming with herds of bison, like Bryke originally envisioned for Aang

ZUKO, IZUMI AND THE FIRE NATION (This part veers into full-on fanfic territory and doesn’t really contribute to the plot, but I need to get the idea out there so sorry)

Use flashbacks to explore how the unrest in the Earth Kingdom parallels the unrest in the Fire Nation after Ozai was defeated

These could adapt elements of the Smoke and Shadow comic, where Mai’s father leads a rebellion against Zuko. This would take place when Zuko is in his early thirties, just after Kya was born (her waterbending was a trigger for nationalists)

The opposition find Azula after she ran away at the end of The Search, and manipulate her mental state to use her as a figurehead against Zuko – an alternate legitimate heir

Zuko and Katara have to flee with the toddler Kya, and go underground in the Fire Nation as the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady respectively, fighting the coup from the inside (with Mai and Ty Lee, allowing us to explore everyone’s interesting relationship history) while everyone else tries to fight from the outside

During her wanderings Azula found the Sun Warriors and the dragons Rin and Sha – she uses her new followers to storm the temple and capture the blue dragon (just like her great grandfather before her). Azula is now riding around on a huge blue dragon. You’re welcome.

This is how Zuko gets his dragon – he and the Gaang liberate the Sun Warriors and the red dragon partners with him in order to save its mate

In the final battle between the two factions Azula inevitably snaps and the coup leaders are unable to control her – she goes nuts and tries to lay waste to both forces.

Zuko and the red dragon save both the blue dragon and Azula from herself. He is able to reassert control over the nation and get Azula back to hospital. This explains Kya’s extreme guilt and Izumi’s extreme reluctance to get involved in the Earth Empire situation

TOPH, LIN AND SU

Kyalin are already a thing by the time Book 4 starts – Korra is flabbergasted, and they set an example she wants to follow with Asami – things are very casual and domestic, which is a new and weird experience for both of them

When Lin meets up with Toph to free the Beifongs and then they free Su, have the idea of motherhood come up a few times – Toph suggests Lin has waited this long to re-enter a relationship because she doesn’t want kids, because she’s scared she’ll end up treating them like Toph. Toph encourages Lin to make her own choice uninfluenced by her – Lin can learn from Toph’s mistakes, and Su has made a great mom

The subject of Lin and Su’s dads come up. In this version, Sokka is Su’s father – hence her darker skin – but the brief affair was secret because he was married and Toph was with Lin’s father – one of those regretful one-night stands you always knew was a bad idea

This is a bombshell for Su, who never realised – it completely recontextualises her relationship with both Sokka and the Red Lotus (she almost joined the people who killed her father) . It also forces her to reconsider both her political and personal responsibilities – she accepts responsibility for her part in creating Kuvira, and understands her abandonment issues a little better

Lin, however, the aspiring detective from a young age, figured it out a long time ago (she always assumed Su knew). This is why Lin resented Su so much when they were kids – her arrival caused Toph and Lin’s dad to end things, because she was proof Toph never got over Sokka

Now Su is the one angry at Toph, and Lin is there to apologise and comfort her. Opal recognises what Toph is trying to do; throw herself under the bus to get rid of any lingering resentment between her girls and strengthen their sisterly bond – she’s forcing them to move on

Through Opal’s intervention everyone manages to patch things up

DARK KORRA/KORRA’S TRAUMA

In the original series it was never explained what that creepy vision of Korra in chains actually was. Sometimes it was just in her head, other times it physically attacked her, and then it just disappeared.

My explanation links to the Book 2 finale – Jinora was able to bring Raava back because she still existed within Vaatu. By the same logic, though Vaatu was destroyed, he (and Unalaqq, now forever bonded with him) exist with Raava’s light. In Book 3 we established Raava was directly feeding off of/reliant on the light within Korra. Now that Korra has been through all this trauma, that light has been replaced by negative energy, which allowed Vaatu to grow within her.

The Dark Korra hallucination is a manifestation of Vaatu’s dark power growing within Korra, feeding off her trauma and attacking her from the inside-out. It is both psychological and spiritual. When she goes to the Tree of Time, she sees echoes of Vaatu are there. He has stolen Unalaqq’s voice and face, completely taken him over – the ghost of the family member Korra failed to save.

When she finally reconnects with Raava, Korra defeats the Dark Korra; she can’t destroy the darkness inside her, but she can move on

Korra has to find alternate energy source for the Avatar State now her past lives are gone. She learns to channel the energy of the spirit world through Raava (a spiritual extension of Toph’s root connections, possible thanks to the open portals)

During the finale Korra’s appeal to the spirits to protect the world is heard – as the spirits attack Kuvira’s weapon, simultaneously the swamp halfway across the globe demolishes the Earth Empire’s vine harvesters – all the spirits come out of the woodwork and attack, claiming the area as a new Spirit Wild, like in Wan’s time

[the-canary]

Burned, not Buried - S.R

Summary: Space and isolation are necessary things at times, but they also blind you to others. (Implied! Reader/Steve Rogers)

Prompt: i gave him the moon and stars, but all he wants is space.

Word Count: +3.6K

Masterlist

A/N: this is now @barnesrogersvstheworld ‘s 1k challenge! i think the prompt worked out both ways, rather than just towards steve. been in a big mood lately, and maybe you could feel it here. i’m not so sure about this much, but i hope you enjoy it -- at least somewhat. 

As also, feedback in always appreciated. 

It was kind of strange to be the one that people were looking for after so many years of chasing one particular person, but nobody really had your set of skills. No, that wasn’t exactly true, but it was better to deal with something familiar than turn to look into someone else, you might not know -- a stab in the back, a shot in the dark -- your line of work made people paranoid. Tonight, it has you scrutinizing the tall, bearded blond man seated in the back of one of your more regular pubs. The bartender --a stubby, red haired man-- knows your order as he gives you a nod before handing it to you.

You sit there, nursing it the drink, for a good twenty minutes before asking for another one alongside some snacks. You glance at the pub twice over, red bar stools with small laps in every booth though it didn’t help with seeing everyone that was in the place. It had taken you a long time to calm down when you first entered through these doors a few months back, but you had gotten used to it.

However, tonight was a different story, your back was hot with a stare you would rather not look up to meet. You know who it is and you briefly have to wonder if it was Natasha, who always knew where you were (your relationship was like that by now, even if you always rejected her offer), or Wanda who you had meet by accident near a bakery with Vision a few weeks ago.

It was probably Vision, since the Avengers were “officially” back together for some time now since one James Buchanan Barnes had been pardoned and the two leaders had made an awkward but necessary amends. He was probably pulling back the pieces of everything that used to be, not that you were that important to begin with.

“Whiskey, please,” he finally states, as you turn up slightly to see said bearded man -- Steve Rogers, Captain America in the flesh. You sigh and down your own drink in one go, the feeling of not talking and simply returning to your little dingy apartment almost overwhelming you. However, there is something deeper running through your veins, a liquid fire that you hated yourself for, that kept you glued to your seat.

“It’s been awhile,” there’s an odd timber to his voice, which causes you to look at him -- bad idea. Blue eyes are softer than usual and there’s an awkward smile on his face as he keeps looking at you, as if looking for some type of answer. It sends your brain on high alert, as you stiffen up and put your guard up.

“Could you just give me your sales pitch, so I can say no and go home,” you exclaim in annoyance, staring straight ahead, playing with your glass cup, “I really doubt it’s any different from Nat’s, though.”

“I didn’t come for that,” he answers honestly, as your eyes widen. Red alarms going off in your head because the only reason Steve Rogers would come and even consider seeking you out would be for recruitment -- getting back into the game, even though you hadn’t been on his type of battlefield in almost 3 years. Unless, someone else told him something, a breath of air leaves your body as you get up on shaky legs.

“Yeah, no. Not doing this...whatever you want,” you make hand motions between the two of you, while Steve watches patiently, only for you to pay for your drinks and leave. Steve never says or does anything to stop you, as you walk into the chilly Scottish night.

“‘m guessing you’re the man she’s been mulling over,” the bartender, steady and fatherly, ask the sighing blond.

“I guess I am,” is all Steve can say.

2011.

In hindsight, you should have headed May’s warning after Coulson had given you this assignment. You were perfect in everything you did, clean and efficient, but you had a big heart and you often got swept up in Coulson’s old Captain America stories. Don’t let hero worship destroy you, and she had been right in the long haul. Back then, you were just a field agent with the right amount psychological training and connections to Coulson (and Fury) that he wanted you to try to help integrate Steve Rogers back into modern society.

It’s not easy to win Captain America’s trust, and you are never able to in those short months you shared with him. There was anger and resentment underneath that veneer of cold politeness every time you meet him in that mock 1940’s gym. And while, he was never directly angry with you, he never lets you in either -- you’re just there to help him catch up, nothing more.

“So, there still aren’t any flying cars around?” he questions, general curiosity towards the subject as he looks over the detailed notes you had presented to him. From one to three in the afternoon, you would set up in the gym and give him a detailed report on a certain year -- today, you were hitting the 1960’s.

“No, but every few years you hear about Tesla or Stark Industries trying their hands at it,” you explain, almost not noticing how blue eyes flicker at a certain name. You don’t say anything on the matter, not wanting to bring up how Howard Stark died.

“Tesla, the inventor? I thought he died in ‘43,” Steve dodges the subject by asking another question, as you nod.

“The founders of Tesla Inc. named it after the inventor as a homage,” you state as he nods, “But, before we get into Silicon Valley, I should probably go into how the Space Race started.”

His blue eyes light up at the mention of science with a slight quirk of his lip your smile grows a bit more on its own. It’s a small crack in his suit of armor, you could handle that -- just a little more, just a little more and maybe, Steve Rogers could learn to accept this age.

Then, the Battle of New York happens.       

“Good morning,” the familiar voice greets as you don’t give him the time of day, better of playing on your computer with what a certain someone had sent you than meeting whatever emotion was directed at you today. It had been two weeks since the night back in Scotland and while your heart played crazy with ideal teen fantasies, your head knew better. You still weren’t sure what he wanted with you and asking Natasha hadn’t help either, though you knew it was probably her who gave your coordinates away this time – in a little coffee shop in Prague as mid-morning slowly approached.

“It’s too early to talk about what you’re selling, Cap,” you murmur before taking a sip of your café latte, as he sits down. You look up for a moment and freeze. He still had the beard accompanied by a brown bomber jacket, that stupid white shirt that is a bit too tight, and aviator glasses. You frown as your heart stutters for a bit, someone knows your likes too well.

“Is Natasha dressing you again?” you say and while it’s supposed to a tease, your flat disinterested tone makes it a bit questionable. There’s a small smile on his face at the statement because you aren’t outright ignoring him anymore – he’ll really have to thank Nat later.

“Something like that,” he admits, but you’re already going back to work. The waiter asks him if he is going to order anything and all he asks for is black coffee. Nothing much is said after that and eventually you finish your work and get up without another word, but it feels like big step in some ways to Steve.

Let her go at her own pace and you’ll see. You’re both stubborn like that.

Natasha really did have some good advice.

2014.

Just tell him already. What’s the harm in that?

Natasha really had some of the worst advice sometimes. The redhead was the first, and only person thus far to have picked on your little crush towards America’s Golden Boy and tried to have you do something about it. However, on your own you were quick to pick that while your relationship with Steve had sobered into a semi-casual friendship. You weren’t stupid not to notice how his eyes fluttered and he smiled a bit more when Nat talked about a certain nurse that lived in his building. You had fallen for all the different sides that you had seen (that he had let you see) of Steve Rogers, and you hated yourself for it.

However, you weren’t needed, the expendable sort of person -- you weren’t like Nat, or even like Sam. You have this epiphany, as you sigh in the waiting room chair rotating your shoulder with a hiss a pain. You were sure you were going to need a cast after fighting your share of disguised HYDRA agents when all hell broke loose on the Triskelion. Hell, you were going to need a new job now too. You close your eyes and just sink in your own murky thoughts, unsure of what to do next.   

“How is he doing?” a low voice ask you, as you look up to see blue eyes and a worried smile -- Agent 13, Sharon Carter. Her hair is little matted and there is a small bandage on her right eyebrow, but she still looks better than you -- black eye and busted lip.

“Don’t know,” you mumble because you don’t really know, which is really the larger statement to the present relationship you have with Steve Rogers because while you went on thinking everything was all right, he was out there looking for the Winter Soldier and brought down all of S.H.I.E.L.D down with the helicarriers. You were angry and annoyed, but more with yourself than him. This wasn’t fucking healthy.

“You know, the CIA is recruiting,” Sharon breaks you out of your despairing thoughts, probably thinking that you are more worried about what happens now that your livelihood is gone than your disastrous personal life.     

“Thanks, I’ll look into it,” you give her a steady smile, as her name gets called from the other side.

Fury knows that there are two places you don’t go to -- London and Miami. The Floridian city due to a very botched mission that involved a sequin dress and a certain cartel, which Nat still didn’t let you forget when the occasion rose for it. London was more childish, the bad weather fitting your current personality, though you tried to ignore it since this present mission called for it. However, it wasn’t helping that a certain blond man with dark jacket and dark navy suit underneath that, almost as if to match your own dress, is standing next to you. You groan, as he gives you a sheepish smile.

“Nat again?”

“Tony,” he explains, as you frown and make a note to throw away any Stark Tech you might have back in your hotel room. You take a couple of deep breaths before looking at the man standing next to you, noting that you don’t have much of a choice now.

“I guess, you’re my date tonight,” you state, while putting your hands in your coat pockets and thanking whatever force up above that is stopping Steve Rogers from taking off that beard, “I guess, just sit back and look pretty.”

“Aren’t you gonna give me a debrief?” Blue eyes look at you and he can’t help but smile at how gorgeous you look, even though the those red-painted lips of you are forever frowning at him. He gives you a boyish grin, momentarily thinking that this is somewhere else, though in your head he’s with someone else.  

“Nope. You’re gonna enjoy the party and I’m gonna do my job,” you declare, quickly running through the rain as you cross the street in high heels, only turning back once to yell at him before disappearing into the building completely, “You ain’t part of this, Steve!”

He knows that you’re hitting him back for everything he had done to you, but somewhere deep down he was also gleeful to hear his name coming from your lips once again, as he follows your lead and tries to make sure you didn’t get killed.

2016.

It wasn’t that your job with the JCAT usually involved going into other countries and chasing after superheroes, but after everything that had gone down in Vienna and your connection to a certain Star Spangled Man, your team leader had sent you on the first plane to get as much data as you could from Agent Ross and Carter. However, as you watched everything go down to hell, Sharon choose to help Steve and he seemed elated at it. Blue clashing with blue as you watched from the behind the vehicle, you didn’t have to be here --you didn’t have to be risking your job and livelihood for a glimpse at the unobtainable-- but, you had wanted to help, even if you weren’t needed.   

It’s a look. It’s a kiss, and you do your best to look away -- to let your heart break in silence over the confirmation of many things. Steve leaves with the rest of his faction, no glance in your direction nor a goodbye as Sharon comes back to the car you drove in.

“I--” she starts, and you wonder if in someway it’s the same for her because anything she could have with Steve Rogers just flew out the window due to his dedication to Bucky Barnes and the cry of injustice his friend was suffering after all he had gone through. Maybe, Steve was chasing the little remnants of the past he had because Sharon could have been Peggy once, and Bucky would still be there. However, you aren’t part of the past, even less of the present.

“You would’ve looked cute together,” you say in a hollow voice, as she gives you a tight smile. The both of you get back in the car, ready to face the consequences of your actions.  

“You ready?” is all she sees, in these few moments where your heart stutters and resurrects itself, you feel a connection with Sharon Carter that you hadn’t before.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” you declare with a laugh, but it feels like you’re stating something bigger in the fact that you are ready to move on from Steve Rogers.  

He disappears. Sharon gets put under disciplinary probation for a year, and you run the moment Nick Fury appears at your front door.  

“You know, I saw him there other day,” Sharon states, testing out the waters as you look at her with an even stare.

In the past two years, you had formed an odd friendship with the CIA Agent, meeting here and there whenever you were in the general vicinity of each other. You had watched each other grow and hardened a little more and Sharon even allowed herself the chance at potential real love, as she had fallen for a British Interpol agent not that long ago, as you had seen from the pictures she had sh0wn you.

“And?” is all you manage to ask, as you stare off ahead into the clear, blue water in front of you. You cock your head to the side, waiting for her voice once more.

“He’s different,” she explains, “Like, he’s finally steady here. Maybe, you should see him again.”

Her suggestion is met with a hum of dissatisfaction, but she starts up again before you can give you own list of reasons as why you weren’t going to do something that she was suggesting, which happened more often that you realized. Maybe, it was just something that happened more frequently now that you were more blunt about your feelings.   

“I’m not telling you to do it for him,” Sharon states, as you finally turn to look at her. A small smile on her face, as she states something way too close to your heart, “Do it for yourself, to forgive those emotions I know you hate so much.”

“When did you get so wise, Carter,” you tease and concede in your own way, though it doesn’t mean that you would be searching for Captain America anytime soon, though it was in the back of your head now, and that’s all Sharon really wanted to do.

“I think it runs in the family,” Sharon laughs, as you shake your head.

Too bad, you didn’t know that a certain man would come looking for you instead.

2018.

It was one of those newer things he was getting used to since coming back to New York, taking a day off every couple of weeks and enjoying hanging out with Sam and Bucky. Drink some beers, play some games, and sometimes just swap stories. However, it seems that Steve is feeling something close to nostalgia as Sam and Bucky notice that he keeps going on about more recent stories to around the time shortly after the Avengers had been formed. Both of his friends notice the softness that his face seems to gain around a certain person, one that neither of them had meet, which piques their curiosity even more. However, Bucky can’t help but sense that there is something more at play here.

“So, where this gal now?” Sam questions, as he takes another chug of his beer. The story had been about how she had almost burned the kitchen trying to make dinner which lead to a very wet Steve and her trying to explain everything to Tony.

“She joined the FBI after S.H.I.E.L.D fell, haven’t really heard from her since,” Steve explains as Bucky keeps observing the reaction of his best friend’s face -- wistful and almost dreamy. The blond clears his throat, asking the two if they want anything before he gets up and goes back into the kitchen area.  

“She kinda sounds like that woman that was in Vienna,” Sam says shaking his head, already pretty much putting everything together, “The one with Sharon.”

“He’s probably in love with her, and he doesn’t even realize it,” Bucky sighs out in annoyance, “Seventy years and still emotionally constipated.”

“You gonna tell him?” Sam laughs.

“Nah, let him figure it out on his own,” is all Bucky says on the matter, though he is fully aware on how good a super soldier’s hearing can be.   

Three months, you’re radio silent for that long, that even Natasha hears nothing. However, she isn’t one to worry because she can personally  attest for your skills and while Steve doesn’t doubt you either, it’s those feelings of worry and something else that bring him back to the little Scottish pub -- to ask if you had come back and if the bartender had a way of contacting you. The answer was always no, until one night --near closing-- when he’s sitting closer to the entrance, ready to leave and head back --- that’s when the door opens.

“Vodka, please,” a rusty voice pleads, as blue eyes turn to see a figure taking a seat two down from his. The bartender hisses at the sight of your face -- black eye, busted lips, and the two men can tell that you are probably hiding more injuries underneath that coat and dark clothing that you are wearing. There is a silence between the three of you as the man lines up the small glasses and blue eyes watch you.

“What are you doing here again?” you question before doing your first shot. Steve stays silent as you turn to stare at him.     

“I’m not sure what you want, Steve,” you state, confused and bitter at the same time, “But, I’m not the person you knew 3 years ago. Hell, I doubt you are too. I’m not going to reminisce down memory lane with you.”     

“That’s not what I came here for,” he states calmly, as you feel a bit of annoyance and that old anger flare up again, like you already know what he wants to for.

“I’m not going back to New York. I like my job as it is now,” you declare defensively thinking that he might be here to recruit you, as he simply nods taking in what you’re saying and enjoying having you next to him, talking like the two of you used to. You take another shot and wince lightly at the burning sensation that it gives your busted lip.

“I’m not asking you to change anything. Just…”Steve pauses for a moment, unsure of how to say what he really wants to, “I just want be friends, be part of your life again. It’s taken me some time realize, but I missed you, alot.”

You stay quiet for a moment, closing your eyes and remembering what Sharon had told you awhile back.

“I...I can do friends,” you smile as best you can before an odd sound escapes your throat, almost like you’re laughing. Steve nods, before taking the seat next to yours.

“Have I ever told how much I hate Miami?” you question in all seriousness, as he starts laughing at how you say it.

“No, but I am guessing there’s a story behind it,” Steve states, smiling behind his own glass.

“Well, ya see. It started with Nat…”

There is space given and space taken, and just maybe one day both of them will realize that there doesn’t need to be any space between both of them and their true feelings.     

[qqueenofhades]

things fall apart (the center cannot hold)

This will absolutely be jossed in a month when s2 comes out, but I had a Need. Based on spoilers/press releases/promos/etc. Apparently my muse lives. Welp.

Wyatt Logan has always been well aware that war is hell.

He’s a soldier, after all. He’s been in Iraq and Afghanistan, he’s seen some shit that stays with you. He’s served with the grunts wearing camo, battling through the desert dust with jeepfuls of Taliban on their tail, and he’s tracked down high-value targets wearing a five-thousand-dollar suit in Dubai. When you’re Delta Force, the job description is flexible, and while Wyatt has moments where it comes back – the Alamo mission, for example – he likes to think he’s, on the whole, mostly good at handling it and remaining mentally competent and unaffected. He’s not, no one ever really is, but everyone who makes a career in the service has to believe that lie. They’ll come home and find that it is one too damn soon.

Nothing, however, has compared to the shrieking artillery shells, the tangles of barbed wire, the distant yellow haze of mustard gas, the flaming bi-wing planes overhead, the endless mud, the kids who can’t be more than seventeen dying with their guts spilled out and sobbing for their mothers, and the hellhole trenches of the French front of World War I, 1918. Or maybe because it’s more than that, this time. It’s not just the Great War, it’s – impossibly – a Great War. Because someone already tried to kill Wyatt and Rufus back at Mason Industries, when the damn place blew up, and Lucy still hadn’t come back from her visit to her mom. It’s been a fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants sort of thing. They haven’t put it all together yet, can’t figure out why Lucy’s on the Mothership, who even has the Mothership, and why –

This, of course, isn’t the important thing. They just need to catch up to her first, and they’ve put all their energies into doing exactly that. Only to find, of course, that Lucy has already rescued herself, tried to recruit Marie Curie to help, and wants to save a wounded soldier named Nicholas Keynes. This is still a bit too much for Wyatt and Rufus to process, given that less than twenty-four hours ago, they thought their job was done. Rittenhouse’s head honchos (and Flynn) have all been arrested. What the fuck are they doing back here now?

“It’s…” Lucy’s eyes look odd, as they sit in a grimy canvas tent by the light of a camp lantern, and listen to the distant thuds and booms. “It’s complicated.”

Wyatt and Rufus look at each other. They have picked that up for themselves, funnily enough, but they can tell that something is terribly wrong, and not just the obvious. Finally Wyatt says, “Your mom – ?”

The flare of Lucy’s nostrils alerts him that she really doesn’t want to talk about this subject. Her fingers twist in her brown serge skirt. At last she says, “She’s here. She and Emma Whitmore took me here. My mom – my mother is – is Rittenhouse. She’s always known. About all this. She arranged to have Emma steal the Mothership, and…”

Wyatt starts to say something, then stops. There is not much you can answer to that, and any words of comfort sound trite and stupid in his mouth. He reaches out, gripping her hand, and Lucy squeezes it quickly, then lets go. “There’s more,” she goes on, coolly as a battlefield surgeon. “Nicholas Keynes, who I was trying to save – that’s exactly what they wanted me to do. It turns out he’s my great-grandfather. They want to bring him to the present to be Rittenhouse’s new leader.”

“What?” It’s Rufus’s turn to try, and fail, to get his head around this. “What, more of your relatives? Have the whole lot of them been Rittenhouse this entire time?”

Wyatt shoots him a warning look, but it’s clear he has the same question. “Wh – your great-grandfather? How can they take someone who lives in 1918 to the present?”

“They can do anything they want, can’t they?” Lucy bursts out. She jerks to her feet, whirling on them, though it’s clear that Wyatt and Rufus aren’t the one she’s really angry at. “They have the Mothership! Everything we thought we did, we – ”

She stops, closing her eyes, breathing hard. Another boom goes off in the distance.

“But your – your great-grandfather,” Rufus says uncertainly. “He’s supposed to get married and have a kid, right? Has that already happened? Or do they take him, and then you don’t –”

Since they have already skated perilously close to getting another of Lucy’s grandparents killed, thus possibly erasing her, this is obviously a question of considerable interest. Finally Lucy says tightly, “I don’t know. I don’t know which of my biological parents he’s the ancestor of. I don’t know if he died here originally. I don’t know.”

This is the worst thing for a historian, for someone who has made her living, and saved them so often, by being familiar with all the secrets of the past, and realizing that her own is such a huge and terrible mystery. Obviously, the Time Team is going to have to keep fighting, but that’s the only certainty they have, and the false hope of thinking everything was over is making this bitter pill still harder to swallow. They exchange looks. More explosions.

“Fine,” Wyatt says grimly. “Let’s kick some ass.”

This is indeed what they try to do. It’s a noble idea.

It turns out to be totally disastrous.

Fighting Flynn was one thing. The Time Team got used to him quickly, could just figure he would adopt the straightforward expedient of going out and shooting whoever looked important, punching a few passersby, blowing something up, or otherwise favoring the scorched-earth approach. But that’s the thing about Flynn. He was a one-man wrecking crew, and a very efficient one at that, but he was one man. His assistants mostly existed to help him out, not to take any action on their own, and Flynn could usually be counted to burn through them anyway. As much as the team has had to fight to keep Flynn’s grubby paws off the good china, they’ve had an advantage: there have been three of them, working together. They outnumber him. Of course, albeit with effort, it’s been possible to thwart him.

That advantage is totally gone now. Rittenhouse has at least half a dozen trained operatives spread out to every side, led by Carol Preston and Emma Whitmore, and all of them are working actively according to whatever super-secret How To Take Over The World In 12 Easy Steps evil memo they’ve been given. Wyatt, Lucy, and Rufus are utterly overmatched. They can’t run one place and beat out the embers only for them to flare up behind their back, can’t possibly attach themselves to everyone, and since Carol has ordered them to be on the lookout for her daughter, that puts Lucy at risk every time she steps outside. They’ve lost any hope of stopping whatever Rittenhouse proposed to do with Nicholas Keynes, and they’ve got no clue what else is on the agenda either. They don’t even know their enemy. Flynn was reliably recognizable, they could just ask for the tall dark Eastern European man, and someone was bound to have had a bad experience. All these agents are faceless, unknowable.

“You know,” Wyatt says grimly, as they’re trudging back to the Lifeboat, filthy and humiliated and footsore. “I swear, I’m actually missing him.”

He stops short, glancing at Lucy, as he also knows that this is a sore subject for her. That she shouted at Denise not to arrest Flynn as the SWAT team closed in, that Flynn believes she has personally and savagely betrayed him, and he’s been carted off and thrown in some black site to molder indefinitely. In Wyatt’s opinion, some moldering will be good for Flynn, and it’s not like he didn’t deserve it. Wyatt feels protectively that Lucy has been much more understanding to Flynn than could ever be expected, though he has to admit that the bastard had a tiny flicker of decency in 1954. But what good does that do them now, when –

Something occurs to Wyatt. Just a moment, just in passing.

No. No. That is a horrible idea.

Absolutely not.

(It won’t quite go away.)

Lucy has been watching him, and Wyatt has an uncomfortable feeling that she knows exactly what he was just thinking. Their eyes meet, then turn away, as they climb into the Lifeboat smelling like swamp ass, and Rufus starts firing up the controls to jump them home. Great. Back to the weekly Vomit Comet Power Hour. Just what Wyatt wanted.

Once they’ve landed back in 2018, try as Wyatt might, he can’t shake the idea. He and Rufus are very leery of staying around in the warehouse for long, given as it was exploding the last time they were here, and they shuck their 1918 clothes and leave as quickly as they can. Nobody feels safe on the streets either, or apart, and as they’re driving back to Rufus’ apartment, it being the only place that they can lie low for a while, Wyatt can’t hold back any more. “I – guys, I’ve been thinking. That was a total disaster. We keep up like that, we’re screwed. We need more help.”

“What?” Rufus looks at him warily. “Jiya? The last jump in the Lifeboat did something weird to her brain, we can’t risk that again. And given as someone tried to blow us up the last time we were in Mason Industries, I don’t think we’ve got a ton of options for – ”

“I wasn’t thinking about someone from Mason Industries.” Wyatt reminds himself that this is his last chance to come to his senses. “I was… thinking about Flynn.”

Rufus almost drives into the semi-truck in front of them, slams on the brakes just in time, is honked at by the person behind him, and cuts hard into the right lane with a screech of tires. “Are you out of your mind? Flynn?”

Lucy has gone slightly pale, but by the look on her face, Wyatt can tell this was in fact what she was thinking earlier. “I know it sounds insane,” he starts, “but – ”

“Yes,” Rufus says. “Yes, it sounds insane. It sounds idiotically insane. Flynn?”

“We know what he did to you.” Lucy’s expression is troubled and sympathetic as she leans forward from the back seat. “Trust me. But this whole time… he was right, wasn’t he? It was Rittenhouse that was doing all this. He knew more about them than we ever will, and he…” She hesitates. “Well, he got results.”

“Yeah,” Rufus says. “Like shooting Abraham Lincoln. Or were we talking about nearly blowing up your grandfather? Or – I don’t know, pick literally anything he’s done?”

“He might agree to work with us,” Wyatt says. “It’s got to be better than rotting in jail.”

“So he can kill us and go back to his own crusade?” Rufus was never going to like this, alas, and Wyatt has to admit, he might be the only thing saving their butts from a renewed approach, but still. “He’d shoot us in the back of the head and jack the Lifeboat the instant he got a chance. Don’t tell me he wouldn’t.”

“I…” Lucy sighs deeply. The insanity of approaching a man who thinks they betrayed him, who has been their enemy almost this entire time, is plainly obvious, and like Wyatt, she has no real good counter for Rufus’s objections. “I’m not sure. He still hates Rittenhouse. I can’t believe he really wants to sit there and do nothing, if he had a choice otherwise. And I reached him once. Changed his mind. I think I could do it again.”

Rufus shoots her an unhappy look. If it’s a matter of blaspheming Flynn, he will do that gladly, but it’s less easy to defame or distrust her. “Lucy,” he says. “I know you had that whole journal thing with him, and… all right, he used to hate you maybe two percent less than he hated us, but now that he thinks you set up the fuzz to nab him – ”

“I know,” Lucy says heavily. “But what’s our alternative?”

Everyone thinks about that. It’s an uncomfortable silence.

Wyatt says, “Anyone know where Denise lives?”

“No,” Agent Christopher says. “I absolutely cannot agree to that.”

“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but we just got wiped out.” Wyatt looks at her levelly. “We’re lucky we didn’t come back here and find – I don’t know what, but it was bad. We are completely overmatched on the ground. The last time we tried to just rope in another soldier, it was Bam-Bam, and we…” He hesitates. Dave Baumgardner was his friend, after all. “Well, we saw how long that lasted. We don’t have time to train and brief someone else.”

“You didn’t have any training,” Denise points out. “We told you time travel was real, you got in the Lifeboat, and you went.”

“Yeah,” Lucy says, “and we learned on the job, but don’t you think the stakes are too high for that now? Last time was the beginner level. This is beyond that.”

“We can’t trust Garcia Flynn,” Denise says flatly. “If we let him out, and he goes rogue again – if he turns against you three – ”

“I know.” Lucy’s voice is quiet, but unyielding. “I know all the reasons, believe me. We’ve gone through them. But I told you not to arrest him in the first place. You owe me this.”

Denise takes that in. It’s hard to tell what she feels about being essentially rebuked by a subordinate to her face, but she says nothing. Then she turns to Rufus, having – accurately – sensed that he’ll have the most objections. “What do you think about this?”

“I hate it,” Rufus says, after a brief pause. His voice trembles. “I’m terrified of Flynn, I’m not going to pretend I’m not. But I think I’m more terrified of Rittenhouse, about everything they’ve done to me, that they could still do to everyone. And I trust Lucy and Wyatt. If for some crazy reason they think this the best choice, I support them.”

Denise has not expected that, and Lucy and Wyatt move instinctively to either side of Rufus, to make it clear they’re standing together. Of course, if Rufus’s decision was absolute to never see Flynn again, they would have respected it, but now that they’ve committed to, they aren’t turning back. There is a very uncomfortable silence as the Time Team and Denise stare at each other. Nobody seems inclined to be the first to back down.

“Just so you know,” Wyatt says. “If you don’t help us get him out, we’re going to have to take matters into our own hands. And I’m pretty sure nobody wants that.”

Denise glances away. “Fine. We’re going to take a ride.”

Technically, civilians aren’t supposed to know where the black site is, and of all of them, Wyatt is the only one who might have actual security clearance, but it’s nighttime, they’re not going to sit there with their eyes closed the whole time, and they’re a little past such things anyway. It’s a drive of thirty or forty minutes out of the city, until they pull up to a chainlink, barbed-wire fence, Denise rolls down the driver’s window and flashes a badge at the guard in the booth, and they roll through with a crunch of gravel. They step out of the car, follow her to another locked gate, and head in.

Inside, it’s cold steel and harsh fluorescent lights, doors marked NO ACCESS that probably contain the NSA agent spying on your search history, and other such charming aesthetics. Denise has phoned ahead, and leads them down the corridor to one of the interrogation rooms. The glass is one-way, so they can see who’s sitting inside before he can see them. He’s dressed in a grey inmate jumpsuit, a chain around his waist, handcuffed to the bar on the table, and if looks could kill, the entire Bay Area would be dead. Lucy has a too-late qualm. This is, in fact, a terrible idea. Her stomach has turned over at seeing him again, as she finds herself anxiously searching his face to see if he’s been beaten up. Not that it matters.

They step into the booth with Denise, and she presses a button. “Good evening, Flynn.”

His face twists. Even if he’s been informed that someone wants to talk to him, he has no reason to expect anything besides another round of questions. Much as he clearly wants to fire back, he just stares back at them. It’s insolent, but it’s also oddly heartbreaking. He doesn’t see any point in fighting. He had what he wanted, in his hands, and then it was gone. He’ll torment his captors to the end, because of course, but he has no real reason aside from habit. The glare of the lights bleach him of color. He looks half like a skull.

“Well?” he growls at last. “Get on with it. Or is this some new tactic to – ”

“Rittenhouse has the Mothership.” Lucy wasn’t going to speak, but she can’t help it. “They stole it about a week ago.”

At the sound of her voice – after all, he still can’t see them, he didn’t realize it was anyone apart from Denise – Flynn goes completely motionless. Then he half makes to get up, is caught by the chain, and crashes back down into the hard metal chair. “Lucy,” he says, curling his mouth viciously around it. “Well, well. Just you, or the other two idiots as well?”

“We’re all here,” Wyatt says shortly. It might have been his idea to do this, but he clearly isn’t going to stand for lip. “And she isn’t lying. Rittenhouse has the Mothership.”

Flynn stares at them – or rather, the glass. It’s impossible to say what is going through his head. Then finally he barks, “How is that my problem?”

“It…” Lucy bites her lip, feeling her finite confidence dwindling. “It’s not, but we…we had thought you might…”

At that, it seems to occur to Flynn what they might be here to ask him. It’s harder to say if he’s more amused or angry about it. “Let me make sure I have this clear,” he says, in tones of scathing derision. “Are you actually asking me to help you?”

Nobody can quite be sure that’s what they are in fact here to do, when he puts it like that, so there’s a brief and marked silence. There’s nothing they can offer him. There’s no way he’ll believe that they’ll actually help him get his wife and daughter back, the last time going how it did, and he probably doesn’t give a shit if he’s in jail or out of it. Once there was his – whatever it was, connection, fascination, destiny – with Lucy, but that’s gone too. All they have is his hatred of Rittenhouse, and that doesn’t seem like much.

“I’m not helping you.” Flynn’s eyes smoke. “Now torture me, make me disappear, or whatever you’re going to do. Then maybe you can learn what it’s like to – ”

“Flynn,” Lucy starts helplessly. “Garcia, I – ”

He tilts his chin up and stares so directly at her that she can’t help but feel he can momentarily see through the glass. “Get. Out.”

Denise and Rufus give Lucy and Wyatt looks as if that’s it, they’ve tried, they can safely chalk this up as a loss. They take a step as if to go, but then Wyatt leans over and hits the button that reverses the opacity on the glass, allowing Flynn, for the first time, to see the four of them. “Hey,” Wyatt says roughly. “Hey, remember when you had me tied up in a chair during the Watergate mission and would not shut the hell up? Remember how you told me what happened to your family? Those bastards are still out there. They’re still out there, and they’re gonna do to a lot more families what they did to yours. You’re really telling me that doesn’t matter to you? Huh?”

Flynn’s eyes are slits. “Don’t talk about my family.”

“You can’t stop me, can you? You’re chained to a table. You can come out here and make me shut up, or you can sit on your ass and let them win. And you know what? I don’t think you’re going to do that.”

The silence is smothering. Flynn continues to stare at them evilly. He doesn’t bother asking what’s in it for him if he cooperates; he neither trusts nor cares about anything they would say. Likewise, he doesn’t promise them anything, as he clearly has no intention of keeping it. If this is their best hope, it feels like Rittenhouse has already won.

“Well?” Denise says, into the silence. “Do you want to stay here or not?”

“No.” A mirthless smile twists up Flynn’s mouth. “I want to punch Wyatt. Let me out.”

The first mission was a disaster. The second mission is more of one.

Once the black site’s security cameras are conveniently scrambled, a second car follows Denise and the Time Team back to Mason Industries, the Lifeboat’s modifications for four people are checked over, and everyone they meet has the same reaction (“FLYNN?!?!”) it isn’t long until they get a chance to see how bad, exactly, this is. Rufus won’t come anywhere near him, Lucy and Wyatt aren’t too sure themselves, and while they finally have to get into the Lifeboat together and jump to a 1950s stock-car race, this does not presage any kind of improvement. Rittenhouse apparently wants to destroy the American auto industry (they could have just asked General Motors) and the instant they land, Flynn books out on his own. Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus are left to team up as usual and try to sort things out without him. “I have an idea,” Rufus says darkly. “Let’s just leave him here.”

Lucy and Wyatt give him looks that remind him they can’t do that.

“Be honest,” Rufus goes on. “Does anyone actually feel any safer now that we have Flynn and Rittenhouse running around? Now we just have more baby-sitting to do that we couldn’t afford in the first place. Flynn isn’t going to save us if we get into trouble, or have our back, so why do we have any obligation to have his?”

“We don’t,” Wyatt says heavily. “But we got him out of jail and made him part of the team. And that means we don’t leave him behind.”

Rufus looks as if he still has plenty more to say to this, but sighs and gives up. They don’t see Flynn again until the end of the mission – in fact, when they get back to the Lifeboat, he’s leaning against it and waiting for them, scowling. “Took you long enough.”

“Great.” Rufus throws up his hands. “We’re all back together.”

“Where have you been, Flynn?” Every time Lucy asks him anything, he’s pretended to be deaf, and she doesn’t want to sound like a chiding schoolteacher, not that any variation of tone or manner would help her at all. “We were – ”

“I was out killing Rittenhouse agents,” Flynn snaps. “The thing we’re here to do, aren’t we?”

That catches them short. They exchange looks. Finally Wyatt says, “You were…?”

“You’re welcome.” Flynn stands up with a jerk that makes Rufus back away. “I killed three, by my count. I’m guessing you had no idea who they were, did you?”

Wyatt, Lucy, and Rufus look at each other. It seems hypocritical to smack Flynn on the wrist, when they got him out of jail precisely to be a blunt-force weapon, but still. Finally Lucy says cautiously, “If you could tell us, maybe we could – ”

“No.” Flynn sneers. “We are not a team, and we are never going to be one. This is how it is going to be. We’ll travel out and back together, that’s it. Whenever we get somewhere, you three go do your version of fixing the problem, and I’ll do mine. We can compare notes at who’s more efficient later. That clear?”

“So what?” Rufus snaps, surprising everyone. “You think we’ll just give you a ride wherever you want to go murder someone next, then come pick you up when you’re done? I’m the only one of us who can actually drive your butt home, so what are you going to do if I refuse? Get me shot again?”

Flynn eyes him as if he’s thinking about it, and Wyatt tenses, trying not to reach for his own gun too obviously. There are a few very unbearable moments. Then Flynn whirls on his heel. “Get in the time machine, Carlin.”

“Yeah,” Rufus mutters, with a very black look. “We’re screwed.”

And then, Salem.

There has been Hollywood, and Flynn once more disappearing to do things his way, and a few more Rittenhouse agents turning up dead on the beach, and other things have gotten a little complicated between Wyatt and Lucy, and it’s spooked both of them. Not that they have time to focus on it, especially given that they next end up in the middle of the frigging Salem Witch Trials. For the first time, Flynn can’t just thunder out and murder the nearest Rittenhouse agent, because Rittenhouse has been very careful about not making an appearance. They’ve just stayed out of sight, pulling strings, inflaming the existing public hysteria, and letting that do the work, and it doesn’t take the Salemites long to latch onto these four strange newcomers as Clearly Up To No Good. One of Cotton Mather’s goon squads grabs Lucy, and no matter how much she kicks and struggles, she soon finds herself shut up in a small room with a number of the other accused women.

The hangings have already started, and everyone is terse and worried, Lucy not least. None of the boys know where she is. If she tries to play the trick she used on H.H. Holmes, it will be indubitable proof of witchcraft. She will think herself out of this, obviously, but even she is running low on ideas. She’s just about to ask the women if one of them should feign a swoon, or sickness, if there is anything they can do at all that will not be taken as proof positive of their demonic ways, when she hears a muffled thump outside. Then after a moment, another.

The women look up anxiously, some of them grabbing each other’s hands, thinking that the entire mob of outraged citizens is storming in here to lynch them on the instant. Lucy bolts to her feet, ready to fight if need be, even if that is clearly not her forte. Then there is a third thud that is unmistakably a body hitting the deck, and the door flies open.

The women utter small screams, stop, and stare at the newcomer in confusion. He strides across the floor with creaks and thumps, leather duster swirling (of course he’s wearing a leather duster in 1692, because he is just that extra) and reaches Lucy, grabbing her roughly by the arm. “Let’s go.”

“I – ” Lucy stares at him. Through the door, she can see several Puritans knocked out for the count, and one more groaning, but clearly not able to get to his feet. It is clear that Flynn just punched his way through the lot of them. “I – are you – ”

“Go!” Flynn barks at the other women. “Before those bastards wake up. Now!”

The women stare at him, at each other, and at him again. Flynn must not look too far off from the Devil Himself, bursting in here on behalf of his detained servants, and if nothing else, nobody wants to be spotted with him. They scurry out in white flashes of collars and mob caps, and Flynn watches them go with grim vindication. He blows on his scraped knuckles, then tightens his grip on Lucy’s arm. “They hurt you?”

“I – no.” Lucy has no idea what’s going on. “No, I’m fine.”

Flynn’s eyes flicker over her briefly, as if he has to make sure, and then snorts, letting go of her. “Come on.”

Lucy picks up her skirts and follows him through the prone Puritans. She can’t think this will do anything for their prospects of not getting convicted, but that was always going to happen anyway. What’s more baffling is that Flynn, who has been reminding her at every opportunity that he could not give a shit about her or any of them, has just torn apart a roomful of men on her behalf. She supposes she’s lucky he didn’t shoot the lot. But for her –

It’s strange. She could be entirely and horribly mistaken. And yet, for the first time since the war began, Lucy Preston thinks there might be a chance to win.

[autodiscothings]

Prayers for the wicked must never be forsaken.

I jokingly tag all my Thane Krios reblogs and posts as ‘Sad Murder Lizard,’ but I think it sums up my thoughts on him pretty well.

When you first meet him, it’s very cool- neck snapping, vent crawling, sauntering down darkened ducts to casually take out guards, starting a gay awakening in salarian janitors… as introductions go, it’s great.

And then you learn he is dying. And holy shit, is this the trait in which his entire character is built upon; death and redemption. He tells you this, several times over:

The universe is a dark place. I'm trying to make it brighter before I die.

And later, during his loyalty mission trigger:

As I face the end of my body's time here, I find myself dwelling on my mistakes.

Well alright, it’s a suicide mission! Hop aboard, sad murder lizard, you’re recruited. Plenty of room on the Normandy with similarly inclined folk staring at the end of a barrel.

So Shepard sits and talks with Thane over tea, and the first conversations are surface- religion, his sickness, where he’s from. Given what choices you make, he can be quite dry in wit- not Garrus levels of snark, but it’s there.

The second conversation, however, is when the fucked up shit starts surfacing. You learn he’s been an assassin-in-training since he was six, given to the Compact by his parents to the hanar:

They were training me. I was not to be used and thrown away. I was an investment.

Oh but don’t act shocked- sorry, did I mislead you? They saw me as a person, honest. And anyway, I didn’t really kill my first man until I was twelve. This is normal, yes?

And if you fire back that it sounds like slavery, he gets very defensive:

They rescued us – some of us- from extinction. We owe them our lives. Don't insult me, Shepard. Anyone can refuse to serve. Few do.

So let’s talk about that Compact. When I first started writing about drell, I was trying my hardest to see it from the hanar’s point of view; that their intentions were honourable and good, and to some individual hanar, perhaps. Thane gives a mauldin Thomas Hobbes quote about the drell homeworld:

“When all the world is overcharged with inhabitants, when the last remedy of all is war, which provideth for every man with victory or death.” As Rakhana died around them, my people slaughtered each other for mouthfuls of water.

Out of the billions left to die on Rakhana, the hanar took 375,000 drell to the ocean homeworld of Kahje. Later on, thanks to Kepral’s fucking them up, their life expectancy actually decreased: out of those 375,000, Thane tells you:

There are only a few hundred thousand of us left, after all.

I’m going to assume drell are not a mono-religion culture, but to Thane’s religion, where the literal goddess of the afterlife carries you across the sea, it’s very easy to imagine the deep effect it had to most. We the lucky ones have been carried safe and sound, and placed on welcoming shores by our saviours.

The drell at the time weren’t even space faring, nor had they discovered the Relays. They had “no fusion power,” which given the janky space science the writers are prone to can either be taken to mean actual (still a theory)  fusion power, or (already proven, thanks Manhattan Project) nuclear power.

If drell were pre-nuclear power, that means Rakhana fucked itself over during their version of the industrial revolution; the hanar literally took a race that barely made aeroplanes and cars into a world full of Mass Effect relays and made them their servants.

And this fits in very nicely with what Thane tells you the third time you speak to him. That his accountability for his actions are not his own, because drell do not think of their body and souls in the way humans, asari and turians do. So when he kills, it’s on whoever ordered him to make the kill- he was the gun, not the one who pulled the trigger.

My body is merely flesh. Flesh whose reflexes were honed to kill. My body was only the tool they used. If you kill a man with your gun, do you hold your gun responsible?

As lines of defence go, it’s fairly shit, isn’t it? You can’t argue anything back to him, the game won’t let you.

It’s also of note that during this conversation he lets slip his infamous “sunset eyes” solipsism, and his Wife In The Refrigerator is mentioned.

Irikah at least gets to speak in the Foundation comic, and I like some on the things they introduced about her. We learn she was a scientist, and worked researching a cure for a hanar disease; that she really did stand defiant in the laser dot of his sniper rifle.

But it was still her role to die, and I did not get the impression she was her own person in either the  comic or through Thane’s dialogue. In a 24 page comic about her husband I would understand this can be hard to achieve, but she still was a prop created for Thane.

Her death is glorified, too. There’s an entire panel of Thane kneeling in her blood; her attacker goads Thane by telling him she “tasted sweet” when she died, and of the “unspeakable” things they did to her.

And so Thane went after them all in a suitably badass manner. It’s a common storytelling trope: John Wick, Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Logan/Wolverine, The Punisher… Revenge yarns are fun to watch, but the reason for the revenge always seems to be an afterthought.

All of this could be dealt with Thane telling you what he loved about her; perhaps the pride he felt because she helped people with her work, not like him, he was just a killer- that she was a good mother; how she liked her tea- just something other than- defiant, wife, murdered.

Fridging aside, we learn that Thane tried to be a family man. In the comic, he flat out states he didn’t know how to be a husband or a father, but did it anyway. When he asks Shepard for help finding his son, we see he starts to contradict himself:

My body is blessed with the skills to take life. I didn't want that life for Kolyat. I hoped he would find his own way. If he hated me, so be it. He would not have shared the path of sin.

He calls it sin, his life. Gone is the “it was a honour, Shepard” defence and in its place is a man who knows the paths he walked down were dark:

I'm trying to make it brighter before I die.

The loyalty mission hinges on finding Kolyat so his son doesn’t make the same mistake. What’s interesting here is two things introduced to underpin this. The use of Captain Bailey, who looks the other way to help because he sees a parent who gives a damn and knows what estranged father feels like, and Mouse.

Mouse the drala’fa, the forgotten duct rat. Mouse who Thane gave chocolate to, but not Kolyat. Mouse who he took a photo of. Mouse who he used for his wetwork, to spy on his targets. Mouse, who is more observant than he lets on:

Whenever you talked about your kid, your eyes got like that. Like they was someplace else. Sad. He had that holo you took of me, you know. That's how [Kolyat] proved who he was. But when he turned it on, his eyes got like yours do.

Interestingly with Thane, I find the Renegade options reveal meatier options (and snarkier responses.) It’s through Renegade Thane begs Kolyat that he knows no other life:

I was six when the hanar began to train me. I didn't know any better. Your mother woke me from my battle sleep.

That’s him admitting it was a hard life, a life no child should have. There’s no honour of the Compact there, but a lonely man trying to reach out to his son to not make the same mistakes he did.

If the mission is a success and you slap/shoot Kolyat, Thane tells you about Irikah (in an offhand manner I take issue with, as mentioned.) But the main takeaway I get from this conversation with Shepard is this:

It is difficult. All things worth keeping are.

That’s him realising his mistakes, and having some semblance of hope for the future. The last conversation you have before the last mission, no matter if you romanced him or not, is Thane telling you he walked to his death with open eyes. That when you met him snapping necks in Dantius Towers, it was his last target, because he knew without Shepard there, he would’ve died.

If you fail the loyalty mission, Thane walks to his death again, because taking bad is not that same creating good, and that:

Entropy always wins.

If you romance him, you know he’s now terrified he’s woken from his battle sleep and had a reason to live again (Kolyat, Siha) only to have the ticking time bomb in his lungs and the Collectors remind him what little time he has left:

[I will] take the time left given and praise all I know for allowing me to walk my final days with hope and certainty that I am worthy of more than my cold isolation, solely because you believed.

So Mass Effect three happens; Thane is a bit of an afterthought here. From a cold logistical gaming writer POV, I can see why it happened, but it still sucked to endure if you: 1) romanced Thane and 2) actually liked the character.

The writers seemed that take the letter to a romanced Shepard from the Shadow Broker dossier and used it to shape Thane’s narrative for the third game, as well as for the Citadel DLC. Kepral’s isn’t magically cured in the space of six months; no space magic happens for Thane to return to the Normandy and be at your side again.

If I’m honest, I like this aspect of his story; Thane Mod exists for those that do not. In my opinion, death has always shaped his character; it is his constant companion, still.

The reunion you have as a romanced Shepard is very much him “letting you go,” in some ways. After apparently getting it on in a hospital (classy, Shep- classy) the second conversation is him telling you that:

Live well with the time you have. Perhaps we shall see each other again.

No tu fira here yet, that comes later. To fit in with the narrative of the DLC, you can perhaps argue he’s keeping himself out your way as his sickness is worse than he’s letting on. Thane knows Shepard’s role in the Reaper war is important; he would only hold them back.

Which of course means that the game codes you as single there after, and you can’t tell Vega to get jumped when he’s all flirty, or brush off other advances.

Cerberus coup time, and Captain Cutscene (aka Kai Leng and his silly sword) is here. Thane goes out in the way he wanted; not coughing in a hospital bed, but trying to do some good saving a Councillor.

Thane is at least given a goodbye here; he dies with his son and either his Siha or his “only friend” by his side. He prays for you, not him. He wants the last thing he hears to be Shepard’s prayer, not his.

No one in the game recognises the sacrifice, and you need to buy a DLC to be allowed to grieve. When Garrus stands by the memorial wall to talk about the Virmire survivor -if they died, if they didn’t- Thane isn’t mentioned. All the headcanon in the world can create a reason why, but it’s still a dick move from the writers.

The DLC memorial scene is interesting. It has a stilted, awkward Kolyat not understanding why he has to have it (which, for a race built on memories, is hilarious, and I head canon that some drell don’t see the point of memorials, since they never forget anyway.)

Even if you don’t romance him, he sends vidmails to you, his only friend. You know he tried to reach out for you, but circumstances meant you couldn’t connect.

The main interesting thing I take from the funeral scene, is that the Council want to make Thane a recognisable hero. Thane Krios’s name would be associated forever with an act of good, not his “path of sin” as an assassin. He became his wife, defiant in the sight a scope. Or rather, a Cerberus sword.

So, to summarize: Thane Krios- death becomes him, death defines him; in his sacrifice, he will be remembered as a hero, not as a villain: Your mission gave me purpose. A cause to die for. A chance to atone. I was able to speak to my son again. I can leave my body in peace.

NOTE: Despite someone who has so far written a fanfic about Kolyat and has a lot of thoughts about sassy lizards, I’ve been very quiet on Thane/Kolyat’s dynamic in this little essay. It’s an interesting one to talk about, but it deserves its own separate post, which I’ll get around to at some point.

[thehooliganhangoutspot]

(Submission) Thoughts 💭

Nerd here: I know I’m mad late with this but I read back on the convo here, and I honestly don’t think Bruno is in the illuminati. Yeah I know the music industry is a harsh place, but Bruno loved his mom, why would he sacrifice her? That’s just wild. There’s no proof to back up the sacrifice claims, that’s all hearsay from conspiracy theorist from YouTube and such. Just because a close loved one passed doesn’t mean they was sacrificed. One of my sisters died last year, I bet if I was famous, people would say she was sacrificed too I guess. But of course she’s not. It’s just an unfortunate and very sad thing that happened. Death happens all the time, we all experience people close to us passing it’s heartbreaking and just because someone passed in a celebrity circle don’t automatically mean foul play. Now that doesn’t negate the fact that Hollywood is a shady and cutthroat type of industry, and weird things do happen behind the scenes. That’s true. But the sacrifice thing, I just don’t believe it. Especially with Bruno. Nah, the first thing Bruno did when he got famous was buy his mom a house. He loves his family. Sacrifice is the opposite of that. I respect everyone’s opinion here, but this is how I feel about it. He loved his mom, he would never.

Getting to a new subject, I do feel that Bruno has changed over the years. He’s probably seen things and experienced things that made him this way. Honestly, he changed ever since his mom passed, he’s heartbroken, which is understandable. He’s not as enthusiastic like before. There’s an element of sadness behind his eyes. The passing of his mom is the reason he stopped walking red carpets cuz he doesn’t want to do all those extra interviews. He don’t want to talk. Also all the other things he’s experienced. He had to fire Brandon Creed, Ari is gone, there’s no more Smeezingtons, he doesn’t even talk to his best friend Ryan anymore. A lot of things has happened. That made me think about what he told Cardi, to not let the music business change you. I guess he feels it changed him in a way. I feel that after this era is done, he’s gonna take another long break. And maybe put out a final fourth album (depending on his contract on how many albums he owes Atlantic Records) and after that set up shop and retire. I don’t know, I just have that feeling. Bruno doesn’t seem as excited about this anymore. I HOPE I’m wrong because I LOVE Bruno and his music, and I enjoy it very much. But I just have this feeling in my heart that Bruno is gonna call it quits soon. 😢😔I know he wants to go back to Hawaii, that’s his home. He’s most happy there. I remember in his interviews he would talk about how music is literally in the air in Hawaii, how someone always have a Ukulele ready to jam. And then when he moved to LA, it was a culture shock for him with Billboards everywhere and there was a homeless man taking a shit in a parking space when he first arrived there. Lol. Just the juxtapositions of the two places tells me he’s happier in Hawaii. I kinda feel he’ll go back to being behind the scenes again. Break away from Atlantic Records and start his own Record company. I know he’s already trying to do that with this Gorilla Management thing. I remember he mentioned that there’s literally no record companies in Hawaii. Bruno will probably be the very first person to set up a Record Company there. And recruit acts from the Island as well as from all over the country. He’s already sponsoring students from Hawaii to get a musical education through the Grammy program, I read an article about that a while back. I don’t know, I just got this feeling like that’s the direction he’s gonna take soon in the future. And when the time is right, he’ll probably settle down with someone (Whoever that might be I don’t know) and take them to Hawaii, buy a house in Hawaii, have kids in Hawaii, and raise them in Hawaii. Do everything in Hawaii. Lol. He’s always so happy in Hawaii. (Sigh) I guess I’m rambling at this point (sorry) I could be completely wrong, but those are my thoughts about Bruno. To wrap this up, all the fake woke asses crying and pissin their pants hollering “culture appropriation” cuz Bruno won some awards can go sit down. I know, yeah they feel bad cuz they don’t think Bruno deserve the award. Which is understandable. But damn, they ain’t gotta attack Bruno and go on a rampage, dissing his craft. It’s not his fault he won the award. The Grammy committee voted for him, something he could not control. Ain’t gotta be throwing shade. We not gonna act like Bruno ain’t worked his ass off to get here. How he was snubbed for many awards before. Early in his career, he always got snubbed. You don’t see Hooligans crying. He used to be homeless/broke in Hawaii, dropped from Motown, rejected from American idol, rejected from dozens of labels, faced racism in the industry, wrote/produced hundreds of songs and GRIND his ass off to get here, and I’ll be damned, if I don’t celebrate him FINALLY getting his due and sweeping the Grammys. Especially with the unnecessary hate he’s getting, it’s just gonna make me love him even more. So “fuck all you haters out there hating on Bruno Mars cuz Bruno Mars is the mothafuckin truth!” (I’m quoting Bruno from that interview) Lmao! But yeah, I’m so proud of you Bruno, keep doing you, don’t let anyone dim your light. ❤️Alright, that’s the end of my rant. Sorry for making it so long. Lmao! 😂

[savetopnow]

2018-03-16 10 MUSIC now

MUSIC

Brooklyn Vegan

tours announced: Bear Vs Shark, Book of Love, Cactus Blossoms, Jack White, more

Culture Club, Thompson Twins, ABC, Midge Ure & more new wave stars on tour

Lorde played the Staples Center w/ Run the Jewels (review, setlist, videos)

'Legion' Season 2 premieres in April (watch surreal teasers)

Beth Ditto & SSION @ Brooklyn Steel (pics, videos)

Consquence of Sound

Ava DuVernay to helm DC Films’ New Gods

Consequence of Sound seeking intern to work out of our Florida office

QOTSA, Florence + the Machine, Q-Tip contribute to Elton John tribute album, Revamp

Vic Mensa and Valee dine on “Dim Sum” with new song and video: Watch

Portugal. the Man brought a marching band for their “Live in the Moment” performance on Ellen: Watch

Fact Magazine

Inga Copeland releases new Lolina album The Smoke

Visit MJ Cole’s gin factory-turned-studio in east London

Influential South African artist DJ Spoko has died, aged 35

Behringer shares prototype of Sequential Circuits Pro-One synth clone

Google has designed a DIY controller for its AI synthesizer

Fluxblog

The Sun In Your Cold World

Took Me For A Ride

At My Leisure

What Is This Force

Hopes Or Holidays

Idolator

Nicole Millar’s “Gimme A Break” Is A Perky ’80s Throwback

Sean Paul, David Guetta & Becky G’s Neon-Drenched “Mad Love” Video

Apology Unaccepted: Rihanna Responds To Offensive Snapchat Advertisement

Jennifer Lopez Defies Gravity On The Cover Of ‘Harper’s Bazaar’

Charlie Puth Recruits Kehlani For His Feisty Anthem “Done For Me”

Listen to This

Casey Burns - New Suede [Hip-Hop / Motown / Soul] (2018)

This Way North -- Pressure [indie pop] (2018)

Magik Markers -- Axis Mundi [Noise Rock/Alt. Rock](2007)

Khonsu -- A Dream of Earth [Progressive Metal / Industrial] (2016)

Ryoko -- 小夜子/Evening Child [Acoustic] (2016)

Popjustice

Louisa Johnson interview: “We went, ‘oh, fuck it, let’s just get drunk’”

Popjustice’s Spring Statement: Key Points

New Music Friday: Vera Blue’s Lady Powers are still strong

New Music Friday: When it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist hard

Important service announcement for anybody intending to travel on today’s M-Train

Reddit Music

Japanese Breakfast - Boyish [Experimental pop]

Post a genre of Music you hate. Someone else respond with your favourite song in that genre

Why the drummer from Coldplay has the best job in the world {non-music video}

The Stooges - 1969 [Proto-Punk]

Tenacious D returning this summer at Montebello Rockfest \m/

Rolling Stone

Rihanna Condemns Snapchat's Offensive Advertisement: 'Shame on You'

Roger Daltrey Previews New LP With Soul-Rock Cover 'As Long as I Have You'

Watch Chance the Rapper's Cameo in Vic Mensa's 'Dim Sum' Video

Neil Young Talks Wild New Film 'Paradox' and Why Retirement Tours are 'Bullshit'

Watch Arcade Fire Wreck Casino in 'Money + Love' Short Film

Slipped Disc

Just in: James Levine sues the Met for unfair dismissal

A woman composer who died 100 years ago today

Biz news: Eric Whitacre upgrades his concert profile

The violinist who replaced lost hair

Frankenstein, the Brussels monster

Spotify Blog

Spotify Launches Self-Serve Advertising Platform in the UK and Canada

Spotify Announces Launch of Line-In

John Hancock and Spotify Give Runners Everywhere Access to Custom Playlists and Tips from Some of the World’s Fastest Marathoners

Spotify Kicks off Women’s History Month with the Launch of ‘Amplify,’ a New Hub Spotlighting Causes & Community Voices

Spotify’s Electrifying Concert Series “RapCaviar Live” Returns with a New Tour Lineup featuring Migos, 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard, Lil Pump, and more

We Are the Music Makers

Hesitant about Posting....

Cheating at keyboard

midi related question

How to check Mid/Side?

Tips for recording guitar direct into interface?

[savetopnow]

2018-03-16 07 MUSIC now

MUSIC

Brooklyn Vegan

Culture Club, Thompson Twins, ABC, Midge Ure & more new wave stars on tour

Lorde played the Staples Center w/ Run the Jewels (review, setlist, videos)

'Legion' Season 2 premieres in April (watch surreal teasers)

Beth Ditto & SSION @ Brooklyn Steel (pics, videos)

new Times Square venue Sony Hall opening this spring (MGMT playing Grand Opening)

Consquence of Sound

Consequence of Sound seeking intern to work out of our Florida office

QOTSA, Florence + the Machine, Q-Tip contribute to Elton John tribute album, Revamp

Vic Mensa and Valee dine on “Dim Sum” with new song and video: Watch

Portugal. the Man brought a marching band for their “Live in the Moment” performance on Ellen: Watch

Neil Young responds to NRA spokesperson’s obsessive hatred of his music: “Why doesn’t she just shoot me?”

Fact Magazine

Inga Copeland releases new Lolina album The Smoke

Visit MJ Cole’s gin factory-turned-studio in east London

Influential South African artist DJ Spoko has died, aged 35

Behringer shares prototype of Sequential Circuits Pro-One synth clone

Google has designed a DIY controller for its AI synthesizer

Fluxblog

Took Me For A Ride

At My Leisure

What Is This Force

Hopes Or Holidays

An Emotional Sexual Bender

Idolator

Apology Unaccepted: Rihanna Responds To Offensive Snapchat Advertisement

Jennifer Lopez Defies Gravity On The Cover Of ‘Harper’s Bazaar’

Charlie Puth Recruits Kehlani For His Feisty Anthem “Done For Me”

Sophia Black Returns After 3-Year Break With “Real Shit”: Premiere

Lady Gaga, Pink & Miley Cyrus Contribute Songs To Elton John Tribute Albums

Listen to This

Magik Markers -- Axis Mundi [Noise Rock/Alt. Rock](2007)

Khonsu -- A Dream of Earth [Progressive Metal / Industrial] (2016)

Ryoko -- 小夜子/Evening Child [Acoustic] (2016)

Phum Viphurit - Lover Boy [indie-rock](2018)

The People Brothers Band -- Money Goes [Funk/ Soul] 2017 - Recorded live at Down On The Farm Music Festival

Popjustice

Louisa Johnson interview: “We went, ‘oh, fuck it, let’s just get drunk’”

Popjustice’s Spring Statement: Key Points

New Music Friday: Vera Blue’s Lady Powers are still strong

New Music Friday: When it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist hard

Important service announcement for anybody intending to travel on today’s M-Train

Reddit Music

This is Morgan Page, DJ/Producer/Remixer - come ask me anything!

The Bravery - An Honest Mistake [Rock]

Ween - Captain Fantasy [rock]

New York Dolls - Personality Crisis [glam proto-punk]

The Rolling Stones -- Can't You Hear Me Knocking? [rock]

Rolling Stone

Rihanna Condemns Snapchat's Offensive Advertisement: 'Shame on You'

Roger Daltrey Previews New LP With Soul-Rock Cover 'As Long as I Have You'

Watch Chance the Rapper's Cameo in Vic Mensa's 'Dim Sum' Video

Neil Young Talks Wild New Film 'Paradox' and Why Retirement Tours are 'Bullshit'

Watch Arcade Fire Wreck Casino in 'Money + Love' Short Film

Slipped Disc

A woman composer who died 100 years ago today

Biz news: Eric Whitacre upgrades his concert profile

The violinist who replaced lost hair

Frankenstein, the Brussels monster

Shostakovich: I wish I’d written Jesus Christ Superstar

Spotify Blog

Spotify Launches Self-Serve Advertising Platform in the UK and Canada

Spotify Announces Launch of Line-In

John Hancock and Spotify Give Runners Everywhere Access to Custom Playlists and Tips from Some of the World’s Fastest Marathoners

Spotify Kicks off Women’s History Month with the Launch of ‘Amplify,’ a New Hub Spotlighting Causes & Community Voices

Spotify’s Electrifying Concert Series “RapCaviar Live” Returns with a New Tour Lineup featuring Migos, 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard, Lil Pump, and more

We Are the Music Makers

Music Making Help

How to check Mid/Side?

Tips for recording guitar direct into interface?

I want soundtoys...

Chord theory epic: functional harmony, secondary dominants, substitutions and diminished 7ths

[savetopnow]

2018-03-16 04 MUSIC now

MUSIC

Brooklyn Vegan

Beth Ditto & SSION @ Brooklyn Steel (pics, videos)

new Times Square venue Sony Hall opening this spring (MGMT playing Grand Opening)

iHeartMedia radio conglomerate files for bankruptcy

BrooklynVegan SXSW day parties livestreaming (watch here)

Courtney Marie Andrews streaming new LP, playing BV SXSW day party & other shows

Consquence of Sound

Nine Inch Nails to release new EP before the end of June

SXSW Film Review: Ethan Hawke is brilliant in Paul Schrader’s visceral, probing First Reformed

Cold Fronts share the Origins of their new single “This Always Happens”: Stream

Vince Staples refunds “Get the Fuck Off My Dick” GoFundMe contributions, donates money to Michelle Obama Library

Tom Hardy appears as a Stormtrooper in deleted scene from Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Fact Magazine

Inga Copeland releases new Lolina album The Smoke

Visit MJ Cole’s gin factory-turned-studio in east London

Influential South African artist DJ Spoko has died, aged 35

Behringer shares prototype of Sequential Circuits Pro-One synth clone

Google has designed a DIY controller for its AI synthesizer

Fluxblog

Took Me For A Ride

At My Leisure

What Is This Force

Hopes Or Holidays

An Emotional Sexual Bender

Idolator

Charlie Puth Recruits Kehlani For His Feisty Anthem “Done For Me”

Sophia Black Returns After 3-Year Break With “Real Shit”: Premiere

Lady Gaga, Pink & Miley Cyrus Contribute Songs To Elton John Tribute Albums

Halsey’s Next Single Is “Alone” Featuring Big Sean & Stefflon Don

Dua Lipa Recreates Her “IDGAF” Video On ‘The Ellen Show’

Listen to This

Robert Randolph and the Family Band - Find a Way [Rock] (2017)

Khonsu -- A Dream of Earth [Progressive Metal / Industrial] (2016)

Ryoko -- 小夜子/Evening Child [Acoustic] (2016)

Phum Viphurit - Lover Boy [indie-rock](2018)

The People Brothers Band -- Money Goes [Funk/ Soul] 2017 - Recorded live at Down On The Farm Music Festival

Popjustice

Louisa Johnson interview: “We went, ‘oh, fuck it, let’s just get drunk’”

Popjustice’s Spring Statement: Key Points

New Music Friday: Vera Blue’s Lady Powers are still strong

New Music Friday: When it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist hard

Important service announcement for anybody intending to travel on today’s M-Train

Reddit Music

New York Dolls - Personality Crisis [glam proto-punk]

Why do artists typically perform the same setlist on a tour?

Sturgill Simpson - Some Days [Country]

Joni Mitchell ~ Big Yellow Taxi + Both Sides Now (BBC - 1969)[folk]

M.I.A. - Paper Planes [Hip-Hop]

Rolling Stone

Watch Arcade Fire Wreck Casino in 'Money + Love' Short Film

The Last Word: John Prine on Fatherhood, Johnny Cash, Why Happiness Isn't Good for Songwriting

Brandi Carlile Recruits String Quartet for 'The Joke' on 'Colbert'

See Courtney Barnett Float Through Space in 'Need a Little Time' Video

Beck Expands North American Tour

Slipped Disc

A woman composer who died 100 years ago today

Biz news: Eric Whitacre upgrades his concert profile

The violinist who replaced lost hair

Frankenstein, the Brussels monster

Shostakovich: I wish I’d written Jesus Christ Superstar

Spotify Blog

Spotify Launches Self-Serve Advertising Platform in the UK and Canada

Spotify Announces Launch of Line-In

John Hancock and Spotify Give Runners Everywhere Access to Custom Playlists and Tips from Some of the World’s Fastest Marathoners

Spotify Kicks off Women’s History Month with the Launch of ‘Amplify,’ a New Hub Spotlighting Causes & Community Voices

Spotify’s Electrifying Concert Series “RapCaviar Live” Returns with a New Tour Lineup featuring Migos, 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard, Lil Pump, and more

We Are the Music Makers

Website for sharing your art

I'm starting a new music festival!

Noise guitar recording techniques?

EastWest Instruments 30th Anniversary - Save up to 50%

Some of you mind sharing their studio setup?