#marvel really thought they could make me ship a straight couple

[wenellyb]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel that people who say stuff like this are straight up lying? Or is there some important piece of information I'm missing?

It's unbelievable to me that some people would like that non-canon ships like Stucky or any other non-canon ships paved the way for representation in modern media. Unbelievable.

Destiel, maybe, because of how big the fandom is/was but even Supernatural and even Destiel started out small and got popular because of the fandom and the ship(s).

I feel like people who saying they started shipping non-canon couples because their wasn't any LGBT representation in the media at the time aren't being genuine. I say that because before joining Tumblr, I didn't even know shipping non-canon couples was a thing (I had heard of Destiel, but it was more of a concept to me, even though I unironically watched SPN).

I feel that was they mean is that there wasn't any representation in popular shows or maybe they mean they weren't enough main characters. But otherwise there was!!!

These are just the one I can think of on the top of my head, but there are much more and there is en more if you go outside of the US. And these are just the shows.

If we add the movies... well!!!

You want romance with a Happy Ending?

You want Murder Mystery?

You want Drama?

There are so many many more and, yes these weren't blockbusters but it's not "no représentation and Stucky and Destiel were the only options"

Grey's Anatomy started out at the exact same time as Supernatural and now has over a dozen canon LGBT characters and half of them are/were main characters (Callie, Arizona, Amelia, Teddy, Yasuda, Helm)

When I joined Tumblr, I never even for a minute thought shipping was about representation or activism because there were so many shows and movies I knew but they were barely talked about on here.

Not criticizing ships by any means but I feel like people are trying to pretend that shipping is something it isn't.

In my humble opinion, non-canon ships were never about representation. Shipping was just shipping

I wasn't on Tumblr at the time, but I was on Youtube (old school) and to me, the people who were doing edits of the canon ships, in shows and movies were the real heroes.

Some people might say : "but those characters are side characters or weren't in major blockbusters/popular shows".

But fandoms could have decided to make them more popular if they wanted. Because believe it or not, Supernatural was a niche show at the beginning and I don't think it would have been as popular or gotten as many seasons without the shippers. They chose to make the non-canon couple (at the time) popular. So the fans could have done the same with shows that have canon LGBT characters But they didn't, they focused on non-canon couples.

I have no problem with shipping non-canon couples at all, I do it too, but I'm really surprised by people who want to make it seem like it's some kind of activism... It's not.

And I know there wasn't enough representation that's true, but why focus your energy on shows with absolutely no canon LGBT characters and pretend it's activism??

You guys could have had Noah's arc or Hit the Floor renewed and you focused your energy on Marvel characters.

And some people will say they ship Destiel anyway because they want fantasy and paranormal... Well does nobody remember Dante's Cove? Was it a fever dream😂? I admit the writing was bad, but have you seen the writing in Supernatural (I say this as a SPN fan)???

And I know some people will say they ship Marvel characters because they have a bigger audience and there were no canon Queer characters in blockbusters, but I feel like that a lie too because when there were indeed Queer characters in those blockbusters, they were ignored as well. Like in the Eternals.

Fandoms can be so powerful when they want to...they can make or break a movie, so acting like the focus on non canon couples was the only option surprises me.

Shipping is just about shipping. It's a hobby.

Stucky or any non-canon Marvel ship isn't "History", it's just a ship.

Last exemple: Let's take a look at 2 popular couples from the same franchise: 9-1-1 and 911: Lone Star. Only one of the couples in canon, but Can you Guess which one is more popular on Ao3 and on Tumblr ?

The non-canon couple!

Almost 3 Times as much fics for Buddie than TK x Carlos who are an actualcouple and even got married!

Shipping non-canon couples isn't about representation but about finding a story to fantasize about, which isn't bad itself but it's bad when you pretend shipping is something it isn't?

TL:DR: Shipping non-canon couples isn't activism imo.

I would be happy to hear tour thoughts because as I said, I only joined Tumblr later so I don't have all the info.

[bylertruther]

not to say something super obvious like grass is green and water will get you wet, but ummmm . even outside of dnd, mike and will would 100% roleplay together. they're both creatives with similar tastes, so i can see them coming up with all of their different little worlds and original characters to fill them up. some of them are fantasy, others are more adventurous, and some of them are their own superhero universes similar to marvel n dc but better because it's theirs. will draws their ocs and pivotal scenes and mike tells him they'll totally make a movie together about this one day obviously.

will isn't as confident in his writing, but mike tells him to shut up because of course you're good!!! you're great even!!! and you can draw, too, like talk about being a double threat, will!!! i won't stand for this slander of my best friend! will of course Loves mike's writing and all of the ideas and plots he can come up with at the drop of a hat. he lets and encourages mike to infodump about his characters' backgrounds, the world building, and all of the interpersonal subplots he was thinking they could do, and when mike suddenly peters out bc he's been talking nonstop for a couple minutes straight, embarrassed bc Dear God I'm Talking Too Much And Being Annoying Aren't I, will jus tilts his head and goes "why did you stop? :(" which makes mike pause n bashfully do The Will Smile bc ofc will is listening ofc he actually wants to know and cares abt wht i'm saying of course he does!! (insert butterflies in his tummy here) and so he keeps on going and tells him all about everything he was thinking abt during their super boring history class.

will is a little nervous the first time he shares that one of his characters is gay actually and mike is a little shocked NOT bc of the gay thing but bc will says it so quietly n nervously tht mike is just like ?!?!?!? u thought this would be a problem?! u thought i'd have a problem with this?!?!??! what?! and then before u kno it so many of their characters are lgbt tht they're eventually like ok .... i hate to say it, but i think we need some straight characters too just for diversity points here, which becomes a little inside joke of theirs.

and if one of their favorite ships just so happens to be a knight and a mage that were childhood companions turned lovers then tbh thts Their business and clearly they both really like this ship bc who doesn't love the fantasy element okAY it doesn't Mean anything, lucas, plEAse stop looking at me like tht or i will never share anything with u ever again thank u!!!!!! (said while snatching away will's colored pencil drawing of them n putting it back in his binder [in a plastic sleeve n everything btw] with the reddest face anyone has ever seen in all of human history heheh)

[heckofabecca]

Fic Author Interview (meme)

I was tagged by the wonderful @anghraine, whom I adore. Thank you so much!

For the purposes of this interview, I will be including my MCU stuff.

1- How many works do you have on AO3?

53 total, but at least one of those is a collection of ficlets that should really be a collection rather than a single fic.

2- What's your total AO3 word count?

A respectable 343,495.

3- What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

All of these are (unsurprisingly) Bucky Barnes/f!Reader, which you can find via my sideblog @beckzorz as well as on AO3.

Dressed To Kill (18+ nsfw): the first part of a porn-with-plot assassin!reader series, which involves a lot of banter and a LOT of sex.

Old Habits (18+ nsfw): Angsty; set after a mission with civilian casualties.

Patched Up (18+ nsfw): Porn without plot.

Sugarplum (cute): Based on a prompt re: leaving little gifts for your crush.

PREMONITIONS, or, Adventures Adjacent to a Six-Year-Old Seer (adorable): On Halloween, your clairvoyant niece leads you straight into Bucky Barnes. It could not have gone worse.

4- Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do! I love comments! It's really wonderful to know my work is engaging enough to prompt someone to leave their thoughts, and I want to honor that by being excited back at them!

5- What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

There's one ficlet where the POV character just had their chest exploded and is bleeding out, but I can't find it T.T

6- What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

I like my stories that end with the happy couple! So... a lot haha! But let's share a few beyond Marvel:

Second Time Lucky: When Lothíriel makes a hasty promise to a lady in distress, she must use all her wits to keep her footing. But there's more than one type of falling...

Mistrust: Stuck under her uncle Denethor's care in Minas Tirith two years before the Enemy's final defeat, Lothíriel of Dol Amroth spies on a marshal from Rohan on her father's behalf. But nothing ever goes quite according to plan when you're eighteen and foolhardy.

7- Do you write crossovers?

I have not! I have seen some I thoroughly enjoy, even if just the idea of them delights me. There's been a bunch of Danny Phantom x Batman across my dash lately that brings me joy (though I don't know either canon very well).

8- Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not that I can recall!

9- Do you write smut?

Yes, I've written quite a bit.

10- Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, someone was going through a bunch of Bucky x Reader stuff and posting them on one of those story sites... It was a number of years ago, so I forget the details.

11- Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of!

12- Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Sort of—a friend wrote a part of my series Across The Fords, about a Dunlending who visits Rohan.

13- What's your all-time favorite ship?

I do not have a favorite ship! I think some relationships are really wonderful but I don't have a favorite-favorite. If I had to pick, I'd pick Elizabeth/Darcy, to honor my friend Elizabeth :P

14- What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Far From The Swan-road* (which I lovingly refer to as my longfic) is complete on its own, I have future parts planned out that I doubt will ever fully see the light of day. It makes me sad, because I'm inordinately fond of it.

* Lothíriel wants her funeral to as grand as her father's will be. Is that so much to ask? A story about female ambition, companionate love, and the difficulty of knitting a world back together.

15- What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, smut, imagery.

16- What are your writing weaknesses?

Actually getting it done.

17- What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

In small amounts, sure. In large amounts, no.

18- What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter.

19- What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

The Silmarillion... But not the Fëanoreans lol

20- What's your favorite fic you've written?

There are two tied in my heart:

Far From The Swan-road, Lothíriel-focused

Out of Nowhere, Bucky Barnes x OFC

These both feel so SO tailored to my interests that I truly love rereading them—and then wanting to write future installments, which never goes quite how I'd like them to. Alas, but yay for having what I do.

Tagging: @jobean12-blog @kareenvorbarra @alliluyevas @marvelgirl7 @theemightypen @themoonlily

[wisteriasxx]

a/n: had this in the drafts since tfatws finished streaming and I forgot to post it but here haha

18+

Warnings: Weed, mentions of alcohol, mentions of sex

Smoke sesh with Marvel characters 🍃

this one is for all my stoner marvel fans💕 just my thoughts on what it would be like to smoke with some of our favs✨

———————————————————————

Steve

Well considering Steve is a super soldier, he can’t get drunk or high..........BUT for the sake of this let’s just pretend he can ;)

It would probably take loads of convincing for him to even try the stuff

If he decides to try it, he’s only taking one hit.

High Steve is definitely just super chill, and really cuddly, he’s gonna grab you and just hold you for the rest of the night.

When it comes time for munchies he will literally eat anything, but his favorite snack when the munchies hit is Mozzarella sticks.

He’ll start talking about how things were back in the 40’s, including how crazy the youth is today with this stuff you’ve just given him.

Tony

We all know that Tony is KNOWN for being a party animal, so he’s definitely down for a lil sesh with the avengers

Tony definitely likes to drink more then he would smoking, but he’ll still smoke.

Probably owns a dab pen with indica for for his anxiety

Prefers indica but will settle for a hybrid (sativa and indica)

Gets really giggly and even more sarcastic when he’s high

Will not move from his current place of rest, someone will have to bring him food when the munchies come or he will complain the entire time

Favorite munchies food is potato chips

High tony will definitely accidentally start spilling your secrets in front of people, you might have to physically shut him up somehow

Thor

Will give you a funny look when you hand him a joint or a pen or whatever it is that your using.

He’ll understand that you smoke it, but he’ll think it’s just tobacco or something

Before you can tell him what it actually is he’s already taken a couple of big hits

Once you tell him what it is that he’s smoking and what it does, the only response you’ll get is “this tastes funny and it will have no effect on me because I am mighty”

Fast forward to ten minutes later of Thor being loud and laughing at everything and just being an absolute goofball

Will eat and drink everything in sight once the munchies hit for him

“Where can I get more of this midgaurdian herb!??!!?!!” He’ll yell from the couch

Like Steve, he’ll get grabby and just wanna hold you the entire time. If you’re standing he’s gonna stand behind you with his arms wrapped around you and his chin resting on ur head. If you’re sitting he’s putting his arm around you and pulling you close.

Definitely ends with him passed out on the floor

Natasha

When she sees everyone playing “puff puff pass”, she’ll roll her eyes.

“What are you guys in high school or something?”

She will insist that she wants nothing to do with it, but after tony makes some remark about it, she decides to prove him wrong.

After a hit or two, Nat becomes more comfortable, she becomes less uptight.

Likes to shoot out more sarcastic one liners then usual

Becomes very flirty ;)

She gets smiley but in a tired way

In fact, She doesn’t stay awake very long after she’s had a hit or two in her system, she gets too tired and calls it a night

By “calls it a night” I mean she basically droops onto you and refuses to move, you’ll have to move her if you want to.

Doesn’t get the munchies because she’s asleep before she can

Clint

Clint will take a hit or two, just because why not? He could use the relaxation

He’s super chill when he’s high, he keeps to himself

He’s quiet when he’s high, but that’s just because he’s vibing, he’s taking in the music or just simply listening to the nearest conversation.

Wears sunglasses the whole time because he doesn’t want anyone to see his red eyes

He doesn’t really get munchies, he just chills the entire time

You can’t tell if he’s asleep or if he’s just vibing

Will only give one word answers if you ask him something

Not the most fun to smoke with but he’s just chilling and minding his own business so he’s welcome.

Loki

Will look at you with irritable confusion when you offer him a hit

When you tell him what it is and what it will do to him he’ll simply ask, “why would I want to do that?”

He won’t do it in front of anyone, that would mean letting his guard down and becoming vulnerable

He will definitely try it later in private though

When he’s high, he’ll want you to join him

He’s still basically loki when he’s high, he’s just more relaxed

“This is quite nice I must say.”

There will definitely be a conversation about how he can’t believe this is what mortals do for fun

He’ll become a little more open with you because he’s more relaxed

He’ll become confused when the munchies hit, but after you tell him it’s normal he’ll go with it

His favorite munchie food is definitely popcorn

I’m gonna flat out say it, high loki has a higher sex drive

Gets lost in the moment type of guy

In his opinion, the weed helps him block out everything else except for you, and that’s why he likes it

His mischief meter also skyrockets, you thought normal loki was good at pulling tricks? Just wait till you see how creative high loki can get

Bucky

Bucky is gonna look at you like your crazy

Then he’ll remember that he is also crazy, and figures the weed might help ease his mind a little.

Bucky becomes more relaxed when he’s high, his guard has dropped a little, but he’s still aware of his surroundings.

He’s funnier when he’s high 

Smiles more which makes you smile because you think he doesn’t smile enough

He still does the staring thing when he’s high, but it’s not as intimidating now, there’s a softer look in his eyes and a small smile on his face

Will open up a little more about his feelings towards you

After his first time trying weed, he’ll get some cbd gummies or something on a regular basis to help relax him

When the munchies hit for him, he’ll eat anything, but his favorite munchie food is anything Italian.

He just wants to cuddle man

Wanda

Wanda is surprisingly chill

She’s more open, more humorous, and even nicer.

her magic can resemble her current state of mind if she wants it to

So when she’s high, her magic becomes really pretty and elegant, like it’s in slow motion

In fact, she glows a little when she’s high

She’ll make her magic do pretty things for your entertainment

Due to her magic though, I feel that her high wouldn’t last very long

For her, smoking is just a quick little get away from her mind, something that just takes the edge off a little

Doesn’t get munchies

Prefers indica

Peter (quill)

He’s never had earth weed, but he’s definitely smoked and drank all kinds of substances through out the galaxy

Definitely likes sativa

He’s down for whatever, he likes to try new things

He’ll complain about the taste, but then love the way he’s feeling in 10 minutes

He becomes very stupid when he’s high

He’ll turn his favorite music on full volume and just start doing things, he won’t be able to sit still.

He’ll try to do things to keep himself entertained, but he’ll be bad at doing them because he’s high

When later or the next day comes when he’s sober, he’ll look at the evidence of him trying to do whatever it was he was trying to do and be totally confused, but not surprised

When the munchies hit, he’ll eat anything he can find on the ship that’s edible

It will end with him passed out in some weird spot on the ship or wherever he’s at

He once got high and woke up cuddling with Drax-

Gamora

Will not smoke

The designated driver

The “chaperone” of the night

Sam Wilson

When you offer him a hit, he’ll be unsure and say something like “man I haven’t done something this stupid since high school, I don’t know”

But he says “screw it” to himself and takes a couple of hits

Becomes really smiley when he’s high, like the dude won’t stop smiling. It irritates Bucky.

Definitely will start singing out of nowhere, even if there’s no music playing

He’s also gonna tell crazy stories about his past, things from high school stories to military stories

He livens up the session for sure, after a few hits in, he makes it his goal for the night to make everyone happy and vibing along with him

When the munchies hit for sam, he goes straight for pizza. This man absolutely loooovesss pizza when he’s inebriated

Dr.Strange

Is obviously familiar with the substance

Definitely used to do it all the time in college (helped with the stress of med school)

Will question if it’s the best choice for everyone to be making right now

Most likely will not do it, it wouldn’t look good if the sorcerer supreme was getting high

You’ll ask him if he knows some kind of spell that can sober you up

He’ll tell you “yes” and proceed to hand you a water bottle and roll his eyes

He’ll do the portal thing above you and a bunch of your favorite snacks will land on your lap when the munchies come

He’ll take care of you once you pass out, carrying you to your bed or your couch or whatever and setting a glass of water near you before he leaves you alone

Scott Lang

Oh yeah, he’s definitely taking a couple hits

Prefers bongs

Prefers hybrid blends (sativa and indica)

This man knows his kush okay? Would not be surprised if he had a plug, or if he was the plug

Weed makes him more productive, he’ll start doing things and multi tasking, he’ll do anything from messing around in the suit to playing rock band

Chinese take out is this mans go to munchie food, nothing brings him greater joy then inhaling wonton soup or lo mein when he’s high

He’s bringing his friends too, there’s no arguing

Like Sam, he livens the session up

Somehow become bolder, dumber and flirty at the same time when he’s high

When he comes down though, he comes down hard, and sometimes literally.

He’ll pass out or fall asleep in the weirdest places, but he’ll be enjoying it and wake up feeling well rested somehow

Bonus cuz i think it’s funny ++

John walker

Will be all cocky about taking a hit, thinking it won’t affect him or that it’ll make him cooler or something dumb

Gets scared and paranoid

Starts literally tweaking and saying stuff like “they’re coming for me”

Freaks out because he can’t handle the kush in his system

Definitely locks himself in the bathroom and cries, calls Lamar to come pick him up

Ends up becoming a hazard for everyone, so Bucky has to knock him out cold

Will probably snitch on everyone for smoking just because he had a bad time with it and he’s just jealous that he can’t vibe correctly

[make-me-imagine]

Hiyaaa! Could I request a Male ship for Star wars and Marvel?

I'm a woman, straight, Spanish, I have coppery brown hair with amber eyes; chaotic neutral, although most of the time I tend to be quite calm, I value silence and time alone although I also love to talk about interesting topics and have deep conversations; I hardly ever get angry, but when I do... uff... it's better to run; I love visiting new places; I usually make friends easily; I am passionate about dancing; I usually try new things but once I'm good at them I get bored and discard them; I have been doing martial arts for years; paranormal mysteries attract me a lot; I've been fascinated by history for as long as I can remember...

And I think that's enough haha

If you have many requests and you can't do this one don't worry <3 thank you very much.

You are a great writer and congratulations for your followers, you deserve that and more.

Have a nice day ❤️

For Others: Ships are Closed

--

Thank you very much! <3 I hope you like them~

Star Wars:

I ship you with Luke.

Why: Luke is very easy going and great to be around. He enjoys trying new things and is always up to try and learn new things with you. He enjoys deep conversation as well, so being able to do that with you and enjoy it would definitely be something that made his attraction for you grow.

Confession: You got hurt, and for a short moment in time he thought he lost you. Once you were reunited and he was reassured you were alright, he confessed that he thought he had lost any chance to be with you, though he had been wanting it for a long time.

Best-Friend: Leia. Once you and Leia met, you two grew close fast. She loves you and Luke together, and loves hanging out with you, you are like a breath of fresh air to her.

Other: I don't think Luke would be a very good dancer (two left feet), but he would love watching you, and would try to learn couple dances for you.

---------

Marvel:

This was a hard once, but I think I ship you with Thor the most.

Why: Thor adores those who have many talents and interests. That way he has knew tins to learn from you, as well as many things to ask you about and learn from. He will tell you a lot about the history of other planets, and Asgard, and loves listening to you tell him about historical events from Earth.

Confession: He never really held back with his flirtatiousness and was fairly open that he was attracted to you. His actual confession came in the form of a reunion. You two had been separated by events that he could not ignore, and when he returned, he confessed how he had felt about you. You told him you had waited for him, so he could know how you felt as well.

Best-Friend: Bruce Banner. Bruce is very easy to get along with, and you two bond over a variety of interests. (he is secretly super into paranormal stuff).

Other: Not long after you and Thor began dating, he took you to space to show you some of his favorite planets to visit.

xx

[stylesann]

Stark’s retirement plan

Steve Rogers x fem!reader

Summary: Steve looks for his happy ending.

Warnings: none?

A/N: idk what this is… I just felt excited about writing and apparently the only thing I’m able to do is twist Steve’s ending 145 times because I did not enjoy cannon version hihi, and welll this is the results tho it might be really bad i still wanted to post lol, bear in mind english is not my first language so there could have some mistakes anddd to finish, any comments are appreciated 💕 💕 -> written and posted 16/06/21 ->I do not own any marvel characters or anything really

Masterlist

“You're a good man, Sam. This one's on me, though” Steve answered his friend and directed himself to Bucky. “Don't do anything stupid 'till I get back.”

“How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you” they both chuckle and hug. Bucky knows something is up with Steve, he knows him and he sees all the signs that something is making him nervous, unsettled. “Gonna miss you, Buddy.”

“It's gonna be okay, Buck” Steve assures his friend. Truth is, he is not sure it will. Steve’s been anxious, every since he saw her that day he couldn’t help but feel his heart ache. All he wanted was to go straight to her and hug her and never let go. He knows he has a decision to make, an important one in fact, but he can’t help but wonder the consequences that the deepest desires of his heart would cause in the timeline, and that itself makes him pray everything will work out as planned for once in his life. Steve goes over to the Quantum portal and activates the time-travel suit.

“How long is this gonna take?” Sam asks.

“For him? As long as he needs. For us? Five seconds… Ready, Cap? Alright. We'll meet you back here, okay?”

“I’ll see you in a minute” Steve tells his friends before he disappears on the platform.

***********

“Steve!!”

“Steve, answer the coms! Are you seeing this??” Steve hears the voice screaming at his past version while you’re all fighting the Wakanda Battle. It’s you. God, he has missed you so much during the past 5 years. He almost cries knowing what is to happen in the near future to you. He can’t let it happen again.

Steve knows his past version is too far from where you where fighting many aliens all by yourself. He knows that what you where referring is a few alien ships arriving from the sky, and normally he would go directly to you but Thanos is about to show up in Wakanda and take all of his attention. Back then, he couldn’t have reached you on time to stop that alien from stabbing you seconds before half the universe is turned to dust. But now, damn him if he wouldn’t be there to take you out of the battle alive.

Steve knows he had to act quickly so that everyone would assume you just got dusted too. When people were to show up in 5 years and you didn’t… well he would worry about that later.

The soldier sees the aliens trapping you in the middle of them and they start to close the circle, leaving you with less and less space to defend yourself from their attacks. You were losing. He could see your movements slower and you were clearly tired. Your breath was heavy and you had injuries on your arms and torso. Steve decides now is a time as good as any to get you out of here. He steps out of his hiding place and runs to you.

With Steve there you both manage to get the aliens down. You seemed to be ready to thank him when the atmosphere changes. What was before a chaotic battle noise, now was silence. That was it, Thanos had snapped his fingers, and Steves time gap to act was getting smaller. He grabbed your hand and dragged you to where he was waiting before. The confusion was evident in your face but he didn’t have the luxury to explain it to you in the moment, so he just asks you to trust him and you both wait until it’s safe to leave without people seeing you or him.

************

Steve could hear the raindrops outside while he prepared a tea for you. He looked out of the kitchen window and spoted you sitting in a small couch that you both decided to put on the front porch of your house. You were wearing his big sweatshirt and had a blanket covering your legs, the perfect description of cozy if someone ever asks Steve.

The weather was chilly but Steve couldn’t feel any happier. He had you, he finally had you in his arms after spending so long without hearing your voice or feeling your touch. He spent 5 years missing your presence, your quirks and your habits. He felt so empty, like a man out of time again. He was out of time with you, except that now he wasn’t.

As soon as you both had been able to leave Wakanda without being caught, he told you what had happened. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t realised his face seemed more tired and older than hours ago, when you had last seen his past self. To you it was obvious when you looked at him, at his eyes that carried the weight of the world, that he was there for a reason. It was clear to you that you wouldn’t had made it out alive if he hadn’t interfered with the aliens and so you understood beforehand what he would tell you, but Steve still had to explain everything else, and he did.

The soldier cried a lot when he told you what life without you was like and it broke you heart to see such a strong man in such a fragile state. Steve then mentioned Stark’s plan of retirement, of moving out of town and starting a family maybe, and he said he wanted that with you, which you agreed.

And now you both lived in a simple house in front of a small lake, that had a lot of trees around which provided the most beautiful sight wether it is a sunny or a rainy day. The house was far away from the avengers compound, you both pretty much spend 5 years secluded without seeing your friends in order to not mess too much with the timeline. But there was one change that couldn’t be avoided and you as much as Steve knew that he would have to reveal in a couple of months, when the avengers were supposed to bring everyone back from the dust.

“How is my two favourite people in the world?” Steve chants from the door. He hands you the tea and hugs your side while you accommodate to his body.

“We’re good, the baby is sleeping I guess, he just stopped moving” you chuckle lightly as your hand goes to your belly to caress you 8 month bump. You feel Steve’s hand on your bump and you see him sporting the biggest grin.

“You sleeping there J?” He lowers his head and whispers to the baby, receiving no kicks back.

“Yeah, definitely sleeping. Probably tired from the party that he threw this morning on my belly. I swear I couldn’t sleep 3 hours straight” you yawn tiredly.

“One more month and he’ll be here with us, honey” you cuddle closer to him as you drink your tea. One more month and your baby James will be here. Just one more month and you both are gonna be the happiest ever.

************

“And returning in, five, four, three, two, one–“ Bruce activates the Quantum platform, but nothing happens.

“Where is he?” Sam asks nervously, wondering if something went wrong.

“I don't know. He blew right by his time stamp. He should be here.”

“Well, get him back.”

“I'm trying.”

“Get him the hell back!”

“I said, I'm trying!

“Sam...” Bucky calls, he’s looking at a man sitting in a log. They both walk closer to see Steve, a few years older, wearing normal clothes but caring a round bag with him.

Sams the first one to approach. “So did something go wrong, or did something go right? You look older, no offence”

“Well, after I put the stones back, I thought, maybe I'll try some of that life Tony was telling me to get.” Steve answers, he knew the past few months made an impact in his appearance, considering the baby wouldn’t let you or him sleep for too long. It’s almost laughable that the great Captain America was taken down by his baby son.

“And how'd that work out for you?”

“It is beautiful. And that’s why I can’t have this anymore” Steve hands the shield to Sam. “You’re the best man for the job, and I know you’ll make it proud… How does it feel?”

“Like it belongs to someone else.”

“It doesn’t.”

“You wanna tell me about her?” He asks seeing a wedding ring on his friends finger, and Steve smiles getting up to go back to you and your son.

“Eventually, but for now, I don't think I will.”

[dynamicduoofstackie]

How do more people not ship Stackie? I don't understand. I tried looking for fanfiction for them and there is //not enough//. They are PERFECT together! As just friends in interviews or something more. They are the best

Honestly, I think either the MCU fandom are so heterosexual and/or so used to the hegemonic heterosexual pairings in mainstream media like movies and tv shows, that by default they see any over-the-top chemistry by two males as a bromance. Iwas guilty of that myself way before I decided to look pass the gender of others to really look at who looks like they make each other happy. Or... they are just racist, whether they acknowledge it in themselves or not, and refuse to see what a bi-racial power couple Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie can be; if Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan choose to be.

Yes, I believe two straight guys can be platonic soulmates and have a bromance. Chris Evans and RDJ and Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth show clear examples of that. I think it’s adorable how Hemsworth wants to adopt all his male friends into the Hemsworth clan. Or how RDJ embraces the Stony community while being happily married with kids.

I find myself scratching my head at the MCU Fandom community as a whole simply because they don’t acknowledge the power of stackie romantically, but they also don’t even acknowledge their friendship either. You have rabid Sebastian Stan fans cooing over Sebastian and not acknowledging the fact that Sebastian smiles, talks, dances, feuds, laughs and is silly more around Anthony Mackie or thoughts of Anthony Mackie then any of his costars. You can’t embrace someone’s everything without also embracing what puts a spring in their step, and Anthony Mackie is it for Sebastian Stan.

Then you got those MCU fandom people who are so obsessed with the idea of EvanStan because the two handsome, white actors portrayals of their favorite ship Stucky, that they can’t see pass their noses that Stackie is just as, if not more so a possible thing. So these people are down for the cause as far as homosexual pairings go; but have their blinders on when it comes to any pairings that interfere with their OTP. Chris Evans has amazing chemistry with all his costars like RDJ, Chris Hemsworth, ScarJo, Anthony Mackie, etc. But Sebastian Stan literally lights up inside and becomes less introverted when he’s around a extrovert like Anthony Mackie.

Anthony Mackie is so sweet and kind to people who interview him and to his costars. He’s always saying positive things and ready to hype them up in whatever projects they are doing whether they are sharing a project or not. He has always taken acting roles that empower the black community. This man deserves better treatment in the MCU community as a whole. He shouldn’t have to insert himself into interview questions meant for other costars at a convention or interview, because fans and interviews refuse to acknowledge the awesomeness that is Mackie. Some might think it is rude, but I see it, as this man took time out of his busy day to be here and he is going to be known because he is somebody. He put in his time, just like the others. He petition to be a part of the Marvel Universe in any way possible and was rewarded for his efforts for being allowed to play the amazing Sam Wilson.

I love me some Anthony Mackie and I love me some Sebastian Stan; and I especially love them when they are together. I swear if any of these handsome men were the same race as the other; or a different gender then the other than more people would be shipping them. But because God made them who they are, and they love who they are, we are always going to have haters; haters who might not hate the friendship, but hate the idea that they could be something more.

I’m sorry, but there have been Romantic Comedies built on best friends who everybody, but the best friends saw they should be together, until they finally realize it themselves. I’m not going to apologizing for shipping the friendship and romantic side of Stackie because you see gossip rags and people doing that shit all the time when it comes to heterosexuals people. So how is it okay to ship real people in real life, but you can’t stomach it when it’s two hot guys who are black and white? Make that shit make sense.

I’m not going to outright and say to Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, if I ever see them, do ya’ll think you’ll ever get together? I wouldn’t do that if I see two coworkers at work that I thought should be together. That is rude as shit.

But if they somehow find my tumblr blog and think to themselves... hmm... maybe their might be something there that I didn’t realize because I can’t see the forest for the trees. Then I’ll feel like I did something good. Let these men find their happiness wherever they can get it. I’m happy if their happy and if they are happy together, then all the better.

Sambucky would not have a strong foundation without the magic of Stackie.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t for the crazy chemistry of Stackie.

You can’t fucking have one without the other. It’s like the chicken and the egg. One can’t exist without the other.

If you have any issues with any haters, point them out to me and we’ll gang up on them together with amazing examples of how Stackie is real, because we are small but mighty.

If I’m being too real for you, get the fuck off my post. This wasn’t meant for you.

[theories-by-val]

Hey! Can you do a post on Lokius? I know you don't like the ship, neither do I, but can you just go over your thoughts on it?

Thanks for asking anonymous! I really appreciate it. And here's your requested post!

So... Lokius....

Loki and Mobius would make an interesting couple. I think the two are adorable as like a BROTP, but as a couple... ejhbcejh?

Let's go over their personalities. I'm starting a new segment here on this blog called compatibility check. So here's Lokius' compatibility check. I'll be basing the compatibility of a ship based purely off of differences and similarities, aka: Are they too similar? Are they too different? And do their personality traits affect the compatibility?

After making this I feel like Mobius and Loki are just.... too different. I'm really sorry, but let me break it down.

First! Mobius is a workaholic, which you can tell by his love for his work. It gives him purpose, and even after Loki and Sylvie take the TVA down (which they will, I'm sure) I think he'd want to keep working for the greater good. And if Loki and Mobius end up together, I feel like Loki's fun-loving and free-spirited personality would definitely clash with Mobius' workaholic nature.

Loki would definitely want to go out and have fun, but Mobius would be working and be busy. Usually, when such a couple gets together, they drift apart due to lack of time spent together. So they would definitely not work out on that spectrum.

Next, Loki being calm and Mobius being short-tempered. Ya love to see it. Someone short-tempered needs someone calm, to keep them cool, and I feel like Loki definitely would do that for Mobius.

Okay, next we have the sexuality clash. Loki is definitely bisexual, but Mobius' sexuality is unknown. I really don't think he gives off gay or bi vibes, but maybe my gaydar's broken. Or maybe it's just Owen Wilson's portrayal of the character. Not that he didn't do an amazing job. So, Mobius could be straight for all we know.

Lastly, the biggest clash of all! LOKI IS IN LOVE WITH SYLVIE. Don't pull any of that, "Oh it's selfcest!" or "He doesn't love her, he's just confused!" bullshit on me.

Saying that it's selfcest and that they have the same DNA is saying Loki has the same DNA as a fucking alligator.

And he doesn't really love her?! Like, open your fucking eyes. Sylvie and Loki have obvious chemistry and I really don't want to go through this again, but I will.

That kiss was not a distraction or a manipulation on Sylvie's part because she didn't NEED a distraction. Loki's guard was already down and she really could have skipped the kiss and pushed Loki straight into the TimeDoor if she really wanted to, but she CHOSE to accept her feelings first, because she knew that if she didn't, the guilt would haunt her.

This reasoning failed her, and she collapses to the floor with the weight of her mistakes after killing He Who Remains, the mistakes being pushing Loki away and killing He Who Remains.

Plus, every Loki is supposed to betray someone they love and Sylvie's was Loki, implying that she did, in fact, love him.

Heartbreaking notions aside, Lokius would simply not work out, if not for one reason, then the other.

Also, like I've said before, having Loki date a man straight after coming out as bisexual is a horrible decision from a business standpoint.

If Marvel had chosen to have Loki and Mobius get together, it would cause an outrage and they would lose approximately 50 percent of their customers, and Marvel would probably lose a lot of money. So when it comes to a big decision like this, companies like Marvel choose to break down a huge step into smaller steps, so they lose less customers and have time to pick up new ones to replace them, which sounds horrible, but hey! That's business for you.

Also, isn't it kind of weird that a 17 year old girl sitting in her room was able to figure that out and not grown-ass adults, many of which have probably done a business degree or whose majors are business?

Like actually, this whole thing just gives me less and less hope for humanity.

Anyway, it's time to end this post, if you enjoyed it, please consider following! I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

XOXO, Valentine

[wenellyb]

Yeah, Kari really used the word couple. Someone on Twitter made a "this you, Kari?" In reply to the Variety article and posted an excerpt where she was talking about Sebastian's acting and how "he and Anthony together are amazing as a..." and she started stuttering until she said "couple" all quietly. It was a bit weird. MarySue pointed that excerpt out saying since Kari herself called them a couple it shouldn't be a problem if viewers see them as such given how they are depicted in the show.

Thanks for sharing this! This is really great and cute!

Poor Kari, she's obviously doing her best, but we know that even if she wanted to she wouldn't be able to say much. First, because that's how Marvel operates, even for straight relationships, but in this case it's even more delicate because it's about two men.

Personally, even though I think that the romantic scenes were put there intentionnally, I never thought that they would acknowledge it in an interview or something, at least not right away (maybe in an interview in a few years hahaha).

I don't think it's queerbaiting or anything, more like their hands are tied.

(Side note: As a general rule I feel like queerbaiting discussions should always be taken outside of shipping fandoms because shippers are rarely objective. )

Whether Kari and Malcom envisionned a love story in their heads, I'm almost sure they wouldn't have been able to put more explicit content than what they already put in the show (a kiss, Sam or Bucky saying they're bi,...)

In the particular case of TFATWS, I personally never felt it was queerbaiting, but something else, I don't know if it has a name or not.

It felt to me like they were trying to incorporate a love story but couldn't, because they knew it wouldn't get approved by the higher ups! I don't know if it's just plain homophobia from the producers/execs , if they didn't want to drive away their homophobic viewers, if they were afraid of the public's reaction about two masculine superhero dating eachother, if they were just testing the waters for later,...

It's not censorship of course, at least I don't think so, but it's something similar to that. Or some kind of auto-censorship, or implied censorship: like the execs would day outright say don't put any LGBT characters in your show, but it's heavily implied... I really don't know.

But to me it really felt like they were trying to tell a love story, but had to make it as subtle as possible, but if they had made it more obvious, they would have had trouble... That's the way I read it (I insist on I, because I could be wrong, of course)

It's the same feeling I had when when I was watching a Chinese drama, telling a story between two men, it was adapted from a book about a love stoy between 2 men but in the movie it ended up being a story about two guy becoming best friends, because of the censorship laws. They couldn't show any kiss or anything. If I find the name of the drama, I'll add it here.

I'm not saying that's what happened here, I'm just saying that that's how I felt while watching some scenes in TFATWS.

Like they wanted to show us a love story but just couldn't go all the way. Maybe it's because they wanted to leave the story open for new possibilities in the movie.

That's why I think people should cut Kari some slack, she's doing her best with what she has.

It's obvious she cares about the characters, it's obvious she worked on those scenes very carefully, and paid attention to a lot of details for Sambucky scenes (the car Bucky was driving being the same as the one the car Sam was driving at the beginning) and for other scenes as well.

Whatever is happening or not is clearly not Kari's fault. I can imagine she would like to say more if she could but she can't. You can tell a lot of her comments about Sambucky in interviews are confused and confusing.

When I read an article about how Malcom Spellman didn't even know what happened to Steve but somehow had to incorporate it in the story... I understood that some of the decisions are just not in their hands.

They do their best, but in some ways their hands are tied.

Unfortunately, I'm not an expert on this so I can only share my perception. But here's what I think about the whole Kari thing, I love the way she brings out some cute comments though: "They love eachother", "They're amazing as a couple".

I hope that at least in 5 of 10 years we'll start having some answers to these mysteries hahaha!!!

[colormeyondublue]

Chapter 5: The Data Drive

Chapter 4 Here - Chapter 6 Here

The next morning you awake with the sound of your alarm. You get ready and walk happily toward the mess dressed in your usual leathers. You see Yondu and Kraglin up front seated at the officer’s table. They have piles of holo pads surrounding them, meticulously studying their target and plans for their heist later that night. You grab something to eat and make your way over to your usual spot. The light from the moon drifts into the viewport and you enjoy your breakfast in peace. Just as you finish your last bite, you begin to stand and hear heavy footsteps approaching. You look over to see Yondu approaching you, holo pads in hand.

“Hey y/n, just wanted to run some info by ya before we head out tonight. Kraglin and I plan to take our team out around 21:00 hours. Here is some information I’ll need ya to log before we leave. There is a backup plan in there too just in case things get hairy.” “Sounds good. I can get started on this now. So, this job…is it…dangerous?” You ask. You know Yondu and the crew are extremely good at what they do, but you find yourself worrying more than usual. Yondu grins down at you, clearly understanding where you are going with this. “I’ll be safe darlin’, promise. This job is simple, but there’s a lotta details that need to be arranged. I’ll be back before ya know it.” “I know, I know. But I worry about you sometimes. What exactly will you be doing?” You ask. “Remember when we was walkin’ around during our date, and we was lookin’ at all those fancy shops?” “Yeah…why?” “Well, there’s a new jewelry store down there with really lax security and a lot of rare gems…loads of rare metals too. That’s where we’s headed. Kraglin was there last night scoping the place out. Figure if we can get a clean sweep, we can sell our take for about half a million units. It’ll be a nice score.” Yondu beams. “Wow. Well, sounds like it’s something you can handle no problem.” You smile at him. “But, still…you better get back here in one piece.” You playfully nudge him with your shoulder. Yondu chuckles a this, and you swear you see a slight blush come to his cheeks. “Promise ya I’ll be just fine. ‘Sides, I got more plans for you and me. Gotta come back all in one piece to take ya out again don’t I?” He finishes that last sentence with a wink and turns to head back toward Kraglin.

The evening drags on, but you find out pretty quickly that this heist goes perfectly, and the crew comes away with every single item out of that jewelry store. They boys are thrilled, and there’s cheers all around the ship that night. You are just finishing up with your work, having logged that information Yondu asked you to enter in the system earlier that morning. You close up your office and turn to walk back to your cabin. As you make your way there, you see Yondu waiting for you at your cabin door.

“Well, hello Captain.” You say in curious voice. “What brings you all the way down here?” You laugh. Yondu shifts on his heels for a moment before pushing his hand out toward you. “Here, I set this aside for ya. Didn’t want one of the boys to snatch it. I saw it at that store, and I thought ya might really like it.” You look down at his palm and see a stunning silver bracelet with intricate designs carved into the metal. There is small, round, sapphires set into the edges on both sides. The center is decorated with large, oval, white opals around the entire thing. With a small gasp, you slowly reach for it. “Yondu, this is gorgeous. I don’t know what to say!” You put the bracelet on your wrist. It fits perfectly, and it is very comfortable. You stare down at your wrist and your mind draws a complete blank as you marvel at the jewels. “Glad you like it. The stones, from what I saw on the sign at the store, are from Terra. Figured ya might like to have a little piece of home here with ya.” “Yes, oh my gosh, yes. This is just perfect. Thank you…thank you so much.” Without thinking twice, you step forward and wrap your arms around him in a quick, but close, embrace. You could feel him tense a little from your quick movement, but soon you feel his arms close around your back for a moment. You both let go at the same time and you blush. “Uh…sorry. I just, I can’t thank you enough. I doubt I’ll ever want to take it off.” You laugh sheepishly. He smiles at the comment. “Well, it’s been a long night. I think I’m gonna turn in.” “Yeah, of course! I should too…” “Kraglin is overseeing departure shortly. Wanna git outta here before anyone discovers that place we hit it totally empty.” He laughs. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Well, goodnight Yondu.” “Sweet dreams, darlin’.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~

About a week goes by, and the ship is headed for Knowhere so Yondu and Kraglin can meet up with the buyer for the jewelry heist the crew pulled off. You continue your work as usual; helping out Kraglin where needed, and keeping everything up to date. For some reason, a thought hit you. We have so much information logged in the ship’s system, should we have a backup drive? Data theft back home was a common issue, could it happen out here? With that thought, you decide to make a backup of all the vital information and you saved it to a separate drive. Feeling satisfied with yourself, you head out of your office and down to the mess for a quick bite. You just want to grab a snack and head back to your office. The peacefulness and privacy of your office was something you loved, so you grab something light to take back with you. As you headed back toward your office with food in hand, you heard your name called behind you. “Y/n!” Kraglin called. “Hey Kraglin, need any more help with anything?” “No, I’m good…thanks though. Here, I’ve got something for you.” He handed you a small chip, no bigger than your thumb. “What’s this?” You ask. “It’s some terran music. I was able to pull some from radio frequencies I caught when we passed near your solar system a few days ago. It was no biggie. Quill always was so obsessed with terran music. Thought you might like some of these songs.” He says happily. “Oh my gosh Kraglin, thank you so much! I miss music from back home. This is awesome! I’m gonna go download these now. I can’t wait to see what you picked up!” You say with a big smile. Kraglin nods politely, “Well, I’m gonna get back to it. See ya round.” With that, he heads out the door. You hastily head back to your office and get straight to checking out the chip Kraglin gave you. You find that there are a few songs that are from different countries, and you’ve never heard them before. A few from India, some Kpop, and a few hits you recognize from the UK. But then, comes something you remember from the United States. “No way!” You squeal. The song “Clearly” by Grace VanderWaal came blasting over the speakers. “I haven’t heard her in forever!” You say aloud. You remember every single word. I can see clearly now

The rain has gone

I accept all the things that I cannot change

Gone are the dark clouds

The dawn has come

It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day ~ There's a world outside my door I forced my feet down to the floor I'm gonna make it out I'm gonna make it out Take a breath and say a prayer Find the strength in my despair It's not gonna take me down It's not gonna take me down As you whole heartedly sing the words at your desk, you hear a knock at your door. You turn down your music and open the door to see Yondu. “Hi!” You say, a little more chipper than usual. Not only was the most handsome man alive at your door, but your mood was uplifted by some of your favorite music from back home. Yondu was a little surprised at your greeting. “Well, hey there darlin’.” He smiles. “What’s got you in such a good mood?” “Kraglin got me some music from back home, and I found some songs I remember. Not only that, but I found a song from one of my favorite artists!” “Well, that was awful nice of him…but we got a problem.” His tone changes pretty quickly. “What? What’s going on?” You say, concerned. “Kraglin just found that someone, we don’t know who, but someone managed to get into our files remotely and steal information on some of our most lucrative clients. Contact information, frequencies, ‘n stuff like that. Now, I have no idea what we’s gonna do, because the buyer in Knowhere is a new client! I can’t remember their frequency off the top of my head!” He huffed as he dropped down onto the couch against the wall, his large hand rubbing his temple. “Remind me to get new security software.” “Well, I don’t know who might have done it, but I do have some good news on that.” You smiled proudly. He glanced up at you from under his hand, his face clearly painted with a stressful expression. “Whassat?” You go over to your desk drawer, and pull out a small black drive. You walk over to Yondu and drop it into his hand. “What’s this?” He asks with one eyebrow raised. “That, is a data drive.” You point to his hand. “It contains every bit of info on every client we have. Including their contact information, frequencies, and our mission and heist details. Oh, and all of our crew’s personal info too. I backed up our all of our data and files onto a separate drive for just such an incident. Did it this morning actually!” You feel a prideful grin come across your face. Oh yeah, you were definitely the hero this time. It didn’t happen often, and you were feeling great about yourself for once. “See, on Earth, uh – Terra, data theft is a pretty common occurrence. Backup drives are a total necessity. So, naturally, I figured I should have one for us too. I planned on making it a part of my daily routine around here – backing up our files and data onto separate drives every day. I'd like to get a couple more. Gotta cover all the bases, ya know?” Yondu is speechless for a moment. He just sits there and stares at you. He breaks out of his trance and jumps to his feet. You feel his strong arms wrap around you and he spins you both around, his laughter echoing around the small room. “Y/n, yer incredible! I could just kiss you!” As he sets you back down on your feet, he continues to hold you close. The realization of his words hits him like tidal wave. He looks down at you and sees your nervous expression. “Can I?” He asks quietly, inching closer to you. This is so strange for him. Anytime he’s wanted something from a woman before, he would just take it. Coercion was the typical occurrence. He is basically a pirate after all. He rarely cared how the woman felt about it – which is why he usually stuck with love bots. They didn’t say no, they didn’t reject him, they didn’t care about his past or what he looked like. This, however, was different. It was way outside his comfort zone. You looked up at him, and nod ever so slightly. Your body erupts with goosebumps as he moves a warm, large, hand up your back and toward the back of your head. You move closer as he guides you toward him. Your eyes begin to close, and you can feel his lips barely brush against yours. His breath is warm and inviting. Your heart is pounding against your sternum, and the feeling of his hands on your body causes your mind to go blank. Suddenly, a rapid knock at your door causes you to gasp and jump back a little. Yondu pulls away with a sigh and reaches toward the door, letting go of you. He rips the door open in frustration, and see’s Kraglin’s face. “What?!” Yondu snaps. Kraglin, surprised at how quickly the door opens, stands there with his fingers still curled into a fist from where he was knocking. “Uh – apologies cap’n. We’re nearing Yuna’s atmosphere. Thought you’d wanna know.” Yondu’s expression changes from annoyed, to a little excited. He turns to you and says “Hey, remember that planet was tellin’ ya about a few weeks ago? Well, we’re almost there.” “What?! Are you serious?” You beam at him. “This is so exciting! I didn’t think we would go so soon!” “Yeah, it’s nothin’ really.” He smiles at you. “It’s kinda on the way to Knowhere, and we’ve got time to stop anyhow. Figured now would be a great time to show you around down there. Plus, I hear there’s some rare minerals on that planet we can get a few units fer. I’ll send some of the boys after ‘em.” “How long until we can take some M-ships down?” You ask. “About a half hour.” Kraglin chimes in. “Great! Yondu, I’ll meet you down at the docking bay when we get close enough to head down there!” You laugh and jump past the two aliens, darting down the hall to your quarters. You could not wait to see what the planet was like.

[hansoeii]

im in that weird spot of "i dislike the concept of loki and sylvie being romantically involved bc the thought of loki's true love being himself kind of implies he's the only one who'll ever love him and i dont like that, and i also want to see him w a man since hes marvels first openly queer major character (even tho we were robbed of his genderfluidity but ig thats asking too much from disney huh) and i want him to be in a queer relationship at some point in the show at least instead of just "oh hot powerful main female character obviously has to end up being his romantic interest!"

but at the same time falling in love with a version of himself is one hell of a way to learn to love himself beyond his narcissism that banked on him fitting a certain expectation he had for himself, and that the interactions that have lowkey romantic undertones between him and sylvie are... to my dismay, really well written (at least in my opinion - i see a lot of lokius shippers cringed at the scene in the grassland but i was cringing and finding it adorable at the same time im so conflicted) like its a really good execution of a really bad idea so im just here like 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️

but im not a particular fan of lokius either? i can see the appeal in the ship and its a fun dynamic but i personally see mobius as like, almost a father figure to him, mobius is just such a dad LMAO like especially in the first couple episodes it felt like dad!mobius trying to keep his feral troublemaking child out of control.

so im like. i simultaneously like sylkie AND lokius but i also want neither of them to happen but also wouldnt be upset if either of them happened. but i dont want loki to be alone either bc he deserves someone to love him like that.

Yeah, idk everything is all over the place for me currently too. At this point I just don't want them to add any romance at all tbh. But as you said, if it does happen then I would honestly prefer loki to end up with a man because he's the first openly bi character we have in the mcu and they just gotta explore his sexuality more. Of course you're still bi if your in a f/m relationship, but since this is the FIRST (how sad even is that) lgbt character in the mcu we have, it would just mean a lot if they give us the first gay relationship too.

And I gotta disagree with you on the father figure thing. Of course you can have your own opinions that's totally valid, but I don't see it at all? It's just, the way mobius interacted with loki has felt like flirting to me from the get-go. Literally the second I finished episode 1 I messaged a friend going "am I stupid or is this mobius guy full on flirting with loki?". The "pussycat", "if looks could kill" or the "I gotta be careful or you're gonna take my job" (I don't remember the exact line) comments were just straight up flirty and then you add the tie fixing scene to that. There's some tension going on that you just cannot ignore. I know some people see him as a father figure, but I just really can't. Every time mobius interacts with loki it just feels like he wants to eat him alive, haha. But again, you're free to think whatever you want!

And as I said before, I'm not a fan of the sylvie and loki romance thing at all. It just doesn't feel right to me and makes me extremely uncomfortable. I just really hope they keep it platonic and give us an awesome friendship! I need my chaotic trio 🙏

[ohhthereuare]

cannot believe we’re back to shipping wars in the year of our lord 2021 but with the overwhelmingly stupid cancel culture and moral police on every corner making it almost impossible to simply enjoy stuff these days I had to chime in my 5 kruge cents or else I’d choke

nobody gives a flying fuck about who you ship and neither should you because this is very rarely up to you. it’s like a god-chosen enlightenment, a sudden rush of serotonin that mysteriously dictates what’s gonna rock your boat from now on. that is great. grab that wheel and get on with it.

you don’t have to justify any of that. and I wish it was clear enough but apparently it still isn’t that villains are called villains for a reason and murder is murder no matter the motive. we know. trust me we do. but I guess that’s half the charm of a work of fiction that a character can be interesting despite its flaws. hell most of the time it’s interesting thanks to its flaws. when you say you like them it doesn’t mean you run to justify their sins and therefor imply these new moral conclusions to your everyday life and real people in it. it just means that this particular fictional creature makes your brain go happy. be them a ball of sunshine or a ball of darkness. you’ll enjoy their actions in a specific media and then get on with your life as an intelligent, morally responsible member of a society that will definitely not go on a killing spree because a fictional guy in a cool cape that doesn’t even exist did so in a story.

now getting that lengthy introduction out of the way I cannot believe that people cannot engage in an intellectually stimulating critical thinking discourse (that back in the day we just called meta) without criticizing every thing or else apparently they’ll go to literal hell. the Darkling is overall a bad guy and Mal is overall a good guy. that’s what the story it built upon. then again both of them are grey to some extent as people are because they are people. they have thoughts and desires and justify themselves because they believe in a greater good that sometimes they personally created. there’s no reason to compare the Darkling who’s straight-up a millenium-old murderer who just happens to be very charismatic and sexy to Mal who’s more human and the mistakes he makes are less of the murderous nature and as it unfortunately happens he’s just more plain. I’d be happy with Alina ending with either of them, knowing full well that there would be good and bad sides to either of the endings. even if the positive outcome of Alina ending up with the bad guy was only a sense of aesthetic fulfillment. that is all. I can say I see and understand the manipulation and the toxicity and still enjoy a power couple dressed in black cloaks the same way I’d enjoy childhood sweethearts leading a safe and quite life. whatever rocks my boat.

if we look at Leigh Bardugo’s work in a simple, quite superficial way then yes it is the question of black and white, good and bad. but it’s more than that and it’s one of the many reasons why it’s one of my favorite books series ever (let’s not go all JKR on her because as I’ve seen some of you do because apart from obvious situations no creator of anything should to held to impossibly pure moral standards making their work morally flawless because it’s based on their own personal experience and it’s impossible to stop some of it from seeping into the work itself even if you personally might find it problematic but they’re human just like you and me and I cannot believe I even have to type this rn). now I’m not wasting my time writing this essay and you reading it to stir up a ship war and I am NOT here as a darklina shipper because in the end I was quite happy with malina getting their happily ever after. but I cannot STAND this sudden wave of frantic justification and of hate towards it because it’s all missing the point.

the Darkling is a villain. the Darkling is a human being (to some extent). the Darkling is the bad character but he’s more grey than black and it’s Alina’s own opinion. THAT’s what’s so interesting about their relationship. he hurt her and the people she loved and hurt people she didn’t even know only to pin the blame on her to guilt trip her to do his bidding. we know it’s toxic and manipulative. Alina knows that too. she hates him and fears him and at times would kill him without hesitation. but she also comes back to him and can’t help but marvel and his beauty and genuinely sheds a tear when he falls. it’s hard to say whether she loves him to some extent, I think even she wasn’t sure and felt quite guilty about it. there’s was a strange pull she couldn’t deny, a wicked sense of understanding that could not be matched by anyone else. despite their chemistry she couldn’t overlook the murder part and that’s who she chose. that’s also who she became because if she had accepted his offer and went down that powerful path we would have been given a completely different story with Alina being a different character. it’s that magic of fiction that lets you explore such extremes but it still is just fiction. it’s okay to type lengthy essays about it to pick it apart and examine with interest but there’s very little point to criticize something so obvious or defend the impossible.

now still on the topic of the Darkling that’s what I love about the show. how Ben Barnes looked for the human parts in him (which is also literally his job as an actor to find parts of the character that he could sympathize with idk why are y’all so surprised and scandalized and y’all better leave my man Ben alone). parts that might have been lonely and misunderstood because that’s how the Darkling saw himself. he had to justify his own actions somehow because he believed he was right. a bad villain is bad by nature. a good villain makes you question whether he’s really bad, makes you justify his villainous actions with him. showing the Darkling express real emotions towards Alina, hope for their shared future, tears in his eyes as she turns her back on him just made him that much more interesting and multidimensional as a great character should be. a great character can still be a murderer. a murderer can still be a great character. it has nothing to do with them being a good person. but it doesn’t erase the toxic behaviors just by being sexy the same way that toxic behaviors have a hard time erasing the sexy part and if you find it sexy in fiction that’s great go on reblogging passionate darklina gifsets and if you can’t stand it even on paper that’s fine too enjoy your heartwarming malina handholding posts. fill in your “rip to alina but I’m different” preferable scenario and let it bring you joy.

Leigh Bardugo is a great author. Ben Barnes is a great actor. actually all the actors are great actors and they did a marvelous job of bringing our beloved characters to life and we cannot even imagine the burden of responsibility they must have felt. let’s try to be less negative and more grateful for a really well-done book adaptation and surround ourselves with people that share our likes and dislikes in a respectful and positive manner and hopefully not foolishly trust that people can tell the good from the bad in real life and still enjoy both in a work of fiction.

[gingerale2017]

In Another Life

Day 1 of the kaider ship weeks

For Tyla who really wanted me to write this and Bea, I hope this meets your expectations.

What does one say or do after a fight? Do they turn their backs, run away, apologize, cry, or anything else? And if that fight has put an unfixable dent in a relationship, is it worth trying to work it out?

These were the type of questions Cinder asked herself, late at night. Her thumb subconsciously twisted the ruby ring on her metal finger, comforting herself. Her head pounded in replace of tears and thoughts twisted and turned in her head.

She and Kai fought. Okay, they have fought before- but this was worse. It left a tornado of wreckage in her brain and she struggled to repair the damage. No, one fight wasn’t, couldn’t bring down an entire relationship, she was over-worrying. They would work it out in the morning- hopefully.

She leaned across her bed to switch the light off, and when she did, hopefully, her thoughts would go quiet as well.

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“Hey,” Cinder said, leaning on the doorframe to Kai’s room. He turned away from the window and smiled, but not one of his breath-taking smiles. It was a smile to cover up the pain. It seems like they were both doing it all day, the time for sadness was last night.

“Hey, are you about to go?” he asked, hands behind his back.

She averted his eyes, not ready for a replay of last night, “yes. Here you go,” she handed him the box where the ruby ring that she held unto for so many months was in. She watched Kai swallow and mutter ‘thanks’ and pocketed it.

“Well, goodbye,” she murmured, walking out. The more detailed and heart-wrenching farewells were last night where she held him one last time.

“What if this is a mistake?” Kai asked abruptly.

“Kai-”

“What if this is something we’re going to regret because I already-”

“Kai,” she said more sternly, “we talked about this. It’s for the best,” a headache was forming slowly. She needed to leave. She couldn’t be here when he would start to cry again. She couldn’t let him see how much damage this doing to her. She didn’t want to see them realize the pain they are causing on each other,

“I- I’m going to miss you,” he murmured, looking directly into her eyes.

“I- me too, Kai. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Cinder.”

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Cinder woke up to the artificial light of Luna. As an ambassador, she made frequent visits over the year from Luna and to Earth. And today was the unfortunate day where she would have to travel back to the place she grew up in, New Bejing. And back to her old love…. But she shouldn’t, wouldn’t think about that.

Sighing, she climbed out of the silk sheets and waited for Iko to bring her the dress for today. She managed to keep her mind blank until Iko arrived, skipping happily with a simple light green dress. “Ah, you’re going to look beautiful, Cinder!” she swooned, obviously happy to see their friends.

“Thanks, Iko,” Cinder loved her, but she could tune down her enthusiasm a bit because it was giving Cinder a headache. Or she’s supposed to cry…

“-with this necklace oh, I’m so excited!” Iko continued to ramble about the outfits for the next week while Cinder pulled up the news in her head.

Of course, the first thing to pop up is Kai. She scrolled but it was more about Kai, and his recent decisions and, she exited out of the feed.

But it was too late; memories of them, and regret returned to mind. Like a hurricane, thoughts slowly formed and swirled until it was strong enough to make an impact. His smile, the ways his eyes would crinkle when she teased him when they said ‘I love you’, their late-night comms, his full lips, his eyes averting hers when she told him that they wouldn’t work out, their lasts kisses, his tears, their last ‘I love you’-

“Are you okay?” Iko asked, staring directly into her eyes. Her head pounded and she nodded, forcing a smile.

“I-I’ll go change now,” she murmured, standing up.

“Hey, you talk to me, I know that it might be a little hard. Seeing him again, I mean,” Iko grabbed her hand, “just remember that I’m here, and the rest of us.”

“Thanks, Iko,” the android smiled and walked away, saying something about Kinney and promising to come back, leaving Cinder alone with her thoughts.

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Cinder woke up with dread as the morning sun shone over New Beijing. It has been 6 years since the fateful Peace Ball, and four years since breaking up with Kai. She struggled to get up from bed so she stayed still for a few more minutes, ignoring the light tap on the door.

The person knocked again and Cinder groaned and got up stretching, telling the person that she’s coming.

Opening the door she looked down to see Cress smiling up at her, “Hey Cress.”

“Good morning!” the blonde piped, “uh, Iko is currently not here, and I have to tell someone, but, uh-” she turned to see if anyone was behind her and gestured to inside the room. Cinder nodded and let her inside.

“What is it?” Cinder asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cress beamed, “Winter and Jacin are engaged! I didn’t mean to see them and I saw them! Oh stars, I couldn’t tell Thorne because he would tell everyone, and I don’t know if they wanted to tell anyone yet. But I just had to get it off my chest and it’s just so amazing, and wonderful, and ah! I just had to get it off my chest because I don’t think I could keep it a secret that long and-”

Cinder was listening to Cress, or at least she tried to but her mind kept trailing back to her own failed engagement. Did she really want to be around a happily engaged couple while also being near the man she was once dating and still in possible love with?

“Cress, this is great! Good for them,” she meant it, she really did. Cress smiled even wider.

“Sorry, am I talking too much, I’m just excited. Ah, marriage,” she swooned, but then caught Cinder’s fallen face before it was hidden in a split-second, “oh, Cinder, I-”

“No, no, Cress, I’m fine. Besides, I’m happy! Winter and Jacin deserve to be happy! Wow, this is amazing,” Cinder assured. This is about her friends, she should not be sulking around.

“Oh, okay. See you tonight?” asked Cress, her peppiness returning.

“Yes, of course!” Cinder said, closing the door. Then she continued to slump on the door. Why did she feel this way? It’s been four years! And she should be happy for her friends, it is a happy day for everyone across the world. Six years in peace. She should be happy. She is supposed to be happy. She wants to be happy. She needs to be happy.

But Cinder was not.

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Cinder woke up as soon as the alarm in her head went off. She quickly untangled herself from the comfy sheets and outside the guest room of the New Beijing Palace, while snatching a robe. Walking silently to the elevator she ordered the android where to go. She shrugged the robe one and relaxed into it. The elevator doors opened, revealing the empty floors of the treasury floor. When she reached the actual room, she nodded at the guard who knew she was coming and he let her in. Then she walked straight to the object she was pulled to, an object that was once hers.

Her engagement ring.

Eight years since the call-off and she still felt a connection to this ring and its empty promises. Every time she visited the palace and had to pretend to be okay around Kai, she had visited this damned ring, and every time she wished that they didn’t break up. That she could wake up in his arms once again instead of empty bed sheets and listen to his voice. To feel the warmth of his lips and to see the blush of his cheeks. For his lips to quirk and his smile brighten. To look into his eyes and feel safe and at ease instead of dread and regret.

Eight years and she hasn’t moved on. It’s pathetic, really, and even the public has started to take notice of how awful she looked. And they started to compare her and Kai because Cinder hasn’t found someone else and Kai… Well, Kai has. He let go of her and found someone else and is apparently impossible for Cinder to do so. She has tried and it seemed impossible. She couldn’t try to date someone without thinking of Kai. ‘Kai doesn’t do that’ or ‘Kai has very different thoughts on this’. Basically Kai this, and Kai that. And it’s been eight fucking years and she still loves him. It’s been eight fucking years and she wishes she was wearing this ring,

It’s been eight fucking years.

With that thought, she turned around and left.

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Cinder awoke to knock at her door. First, she checked the time and it was five in the morning and still dark outside. Second, she groaned and picked herself up.

“Coming,” she assured and walked towards the door sleepily. Who would need something at five in the morning? Thorne probably, except it was not Thorne. It was Kai.

She stared at him a little bit in shock because although they were friends, they weren’t close enough to wake each other up at five in the morning for the sake of their sanity, “Kai? What’s wrong? What do you need?”

He looked away and scratched his neck and that was attractive to Cinder because of course, it was. She was still a tiny bit in love with him after eleven years, “I need to tell you something,” he said and she knows he’s being serious.

“Oh. Okay, uh what is it?” Cinder mumbled. Her first thought was that he wanted to try again but that was stupid because if he did he would have told her ten years ago. Ah, it must be the time that’s making her sluggish.

Kai pulled a ring, the ring, her ring, out of his pocket. She watched the color filter from the lamp inside and marveled at it the same way she had at Scarlet’s farm when it was actually meant for her, “I’m thinking about it, and I don’t know what to do and I wanted your opinion because you’re, um-”

“The only person whose alive that you’ve been engaged to?” she needed to pretend to be impassive, for her sake.

He smirked, and stars, her heart still fluttered, “Yes. That.”

Cinder forced as smile as his gaze grew serious again, “there is something else I wanted to tell you.”

“Yes?”

“I’m questioning myself because there is a little bit of me still- still in love with you. And no matter how hard I try, that love will never fade. And I think that I will always love you, Cinder.”

“I-I,” she paused, looking for the right words. And that is when she realized that this is a chance for her to confess herself to him. But she doesn’t because it’s been so long and they probably have forgotten how to love each other. And they would fight and be unhappy, but they would still be in love, right? But she wanted to be happy, and so does he, and even though they still love each other, they would not be happy. They would never get what they want. So she sighs and continues, “Kai, if she makes you happy, the do it, because after all you’ve been through you deserve to be happy. And yes, I tiny part of me is still in love with you as well, but it would forever be that way because… that’s just how it is. No matter what you decide, I think you know what would be best for you. And I hope things work out better with her than with me.”

Kai smiled, just a bit, and hugged her. Cinder tried not to lean into his touch but failed and hugged him back. A headache began to take shape, a familiar one that had to do with tears which made her let go, “Well, good luck.”

“Thank you, Cinder. I’ll tell you how it goes. You’d be the first to know.”

“I better.”

“Good morning, by the way.”

Cinder smiled, “good morning, Kai.”

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Cinder woke up for the final time, gasping with a hand around her heart as if she were protecting it. Her hair messed up from restless sleeping fell around her as she controlled her breaths and reached to turn the ring in a calming way. She had over-worried about the fight, at least her subconscious did. The nightmare, clear and bright in her mind unfolded, and when she found she could not calm herself down, she got out of bed.

When she was halfway down the hallway, laughter rolled out of her that somehow turned to sobs she quickly quieted when she rapped on Kai’s door.

He opened it fairly quickly and she noticed the bags under his eyes. He hasn’t slept, of course, which was a habit of his. But when he saw her state he stepped out and widened his arms. He knew that Cinder had a nightmare. Unlike her dreams, they knew each other. But after those eleven years, they had forgotten, but that wouldn’t be a problem because they would spend those eleven years together, happy, like they are now, right?

Kai moved her inside and sat her on the bed. He left her to close the door and brought his hoodie that usually served to comfort her. He helped her put it on and then enveloped her in his warmth again, but it was more for him than for her. Cinder let loose her laughter-sobs and he kissed her head and comforted her. It was the first time either of them have spoken and its gentle and kind, not the alarming rising voices from hours before.

When she calms down a bit they move under the covers, wrapped around each other’s warmth, Kai begins to speak, “I’m sorry for what I said earlier, love.”

Cinder doesn’t say anything simply because she has nothing to say.

He continues, “I was tired and frustrated about something earlier but there’s really no excuse. I was angry, and I took it out on you. I-I didn’t mean to, and I certainly did not mean anything I said. I’m so sorry Cinder.”

She hugs him tighter, a tiny sob escaping her and he kisses her hair, “I’m sorry too, I said some hurtful things, but Kai,” Cinder sought out his eyes, the eyes she had missed so much in her dreams, the eyes that never failed to look at her with love, “you are the love of my life and every word that seems to mean that I don’t love you is untrue because I do love you, and nothing will ever change that. It might’ve taken me eleven years to realize that, but it’s true.”

They stare at each other and there are so many things that aren’t said but understood between them, so many apologies, so many promises. After a while his brow furrows, “eleven years?” he mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it,” Cinder whispers, her eyelids closing.

Right when she’s about to reach sleep Kai asks another question, “what exactly did you dream about?”

She gathers enough strength to press her lips to his, “about us,” she says, “in another life.”

A/N: I do not have the emotional preparation to break them up forever but I wrote this. Never wrote kaider angst before so whoo go me! Also, it is so late as for the rest of my ship weeks works so sorry about that. Hope you enjoyed it! (I am also very proud of this - it has 2618 words!)

Tagging: @just2bubbly @shelbylmkaider @deprivedmusicaljunkie @greasicookies @greenalmond @a-salting-the-world @cerenoya @the-wee-woo-rita @zephyr-thedragon @shellyseashell @winterrhayle @jacihayle @kaiderforever @cinderswrench @cindersassasin (ask if you want to be added or removed :D)

[iliumheightnights]

Let Me Make You Proud [3] | Tony Stark x Son!Reader

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Tony Stark x Son!Reader

Summary: (M/N) is forced to face his past to save his friends and family. However, sometimes the skeletons in the closet are too much to face.

A/N: The Final part of the let me make you proud series. A long time coming too. I’ve been writing this for months and yet it still feels like I rushed it. So I’m not TOO happy with it but I hope you all enjoy it. Lots of Stark Reader stories in the future, cause I’m a ho for dad Tony and son.

Read from the start

...

“So let me get this straight- or as straight as I can with you here. The Kree general Hala came and kidnapped all the avengers, plus Kamala and Doreen and now you’re here asking for my help?”

“Yeah that’s pretty much it.” (M/N) sat on Gwen’s beat up couch in her garage, his father next to him. The two still very much in an awkward stage. 

“Also the zoo was destroyed.” Everyone looked towards PRYSM. “What? I figured that was big news too.”

“I did like that zoo. So what’s the plan? We can’t just go without a plan.”

Tony stood up. “Woah woah woah. Plan? No, there is no plan for the two of you. I’ll get with shield and we’ll save the avengers. You-” He points at (M/N) “Will go back to the tower and wait for us to come back.”

(M/N) let out a chuckle before standing up. “Tough shit. She took my friends and family. I’m coming and putting her in her place. Gwen get your things, We’ll think of a plan on the way..first we have to find the ship.”

“Oh! Oh! I scanned the ship's heat signatures during the fight. I can try my best to track it!” PRYSM spoke up, bouncing a little as they said it. “Good. We’ll need that to find it...now we just need a way to get to it…” (M/N) looked at his dad. “I KNOW the avengers have a space ship. We’ll need that.”

Tony sighed and pinched his nose before looking back at the other three. “The avengers don’t have a space ship.” The three seemed to be at a loss. “I have a spaceship. I just let them borrow it.” That immediately made the other three perk up. “I guess if I can’t stop you...I better help get us there in one piece.” (M/N) patted his shoulder. “It’s the least you could do. Alright, let’s get going then shall we?”  (M/N), Tony and PRYSM moved to the garage door. “You guys go ahead. I’ll meet you at the tower. I need to get suited up.” (M/N) only nodded understanding and Tony looked confused. “Who exactly are you again?” His son quickly pushed him out of the garage. “Later, later. Let her do her thing.”

Exiting the garage the two were greeted by the sight of Happy, who seemed genuinely surprised to see (M/N). “Hey happy. Love what you’ve done to the hair.” Happy stuttered before smiling and opening the door for the boy he had known since he was born. “It’s good to see ya kid.” (Y/N) helped PRYSM into the car and hopped in. The car ride back to the tower was...intense to be sure. Tony looked like he wanted to talk to (M/N), but the boy was looking everywhere but him. PRSYM was the only one in the car really saying anything and that’s because they kept saying “oo’s and ah’s”. Happy was the one to break the silence. “So...kid. Where’ve ya been?” (M/N) smiled at him. “All over. I’ve only been back here for a couple months. My favorite place I went was Alaska. Might go back there someday.” After that the ride was quiet again. The car pulled into the tower's garage and everyone got out. Happy gave (M/N) a hug before going back to his normal routine. Tony, (M/N) and PRYSM entered the elevator and returned to the common area. Once the elevator opened Tony watched as (M/N) slowly took in the tower after the years he had been away. “I’m...I’m going to prep the ship.” Tony said before taking the elevator down a few floors to the hangar. (M/N) chuckled as the elevator doors closed. “It’s been years PRYSM and yet...he still can’t talk to me like I’m his son.” The little robot rolled up next to him. “It’s just awkward. Like you said it’s been years and he’s trying to figure out how to find the words.” The boy nodded and walked to his room.

His room was just like how he remembered it. However he noticed that dust was collecting on lots of things and it seemed like someone had been in it recently based on his journals left on his bed. He sat down on the bed and began looking through his notebooks. He looked at his old drawings and smiled, ever since he left he’s returned to drawing for himself instead of blueprints. He got lost in the books he didn’t notice when Tony entered the room. “Hey. The ships getting ready for take off we still have a bit.” He looked around the room and smiled at his son. “The rooms just like you left it. I didn’t want to mess anything up. It’s ready for whenever you’re ready to move back in.” (M/N) squinted at this. “What is this?” Tony looked at him with a confused look. “What’s what?” (M/N) stood up from the bed. “This! All of this! Are you just going to pretend like everything’s okay? That somehow after two years I’d just magically forgive you for the lifetime of neglect you put me through?” Tony was about to say something but (M/N) stopped him. “You know...I thought about what I’d say if I ever saw you again. I tried to put the words to how you made me feel...but I can’t. When I see you all I can see is how much I love you, but that I was never enough for you. When I see you, I see myself as a failure. All I ever wanted...was for you to love me like I loved you.” Tears began to form in (M/N)’s eyes. Tony closed his eyes and when he opened them he looked his son in the eyes, his own also glittering with tears. “(M/N) I know it doesn’t mean anything but-” At that moment he was interrupted by the voice of the A.I. “Sir. The ship is ready for launch.” (M/N) shook his head and pushed past his dad. “Later. We’ll talk about this after we rescue everyone.” Tony only nodded. “Yeah. you’re right.”

Walking into the hangar, (M/N) smirked at the ship. “Well, that’ll do. Now…” (M/N) typed into his phone and not long after the sound of webshooters could be heard. With a flip, Gwen landed on the hangar deck through the door wearing her spider gwen suit. “Hey guys. Ooohhh shit! Look at that!” She started freaking out over the ship. Tony was at a loss for words. “What...uh? Who are you?” (M/N) smirked. “Remember how I said I wanted one? This is Gwen, you met earlier. She has the same powers as Peter. Maybe a couple different things.” Gwen waved at him before turning back to the ship. “Well let’s GOOOO! I want to see space!” PRSYM grabbed (M/N)’s hand and pulled him toward the ship.

The ship was more like a modified quinjet able to travel space. (M/N) took the co-pilot's seat while Tony took the pilots' seat. PRYSM and Gwen got situated and Tony began the launch sequence. “You sure you want to do this?” He looked at everyone who only nodded. “Absolutely. Let’s go.” Tony let out a sigh and flew the ship out of the hangar. It wasn’t long before the ship had broke the atmosphere and the group starred out into space. “Alright PRYSM. Tell us where we need to go.” PRYSM was staring out into space. “Oh! OF COURSE!”  PRYSM’s eyes lit up and a holographic map appeared. “That way!”

Tony did exactly as PRYSM instructed and it wasn’t long before Hala’s ship came into view. “Ladies, Gentlemen, and PRYSM. We’re here.” Their small ship was slowly approaching the massive one. “Okay so what’s the plan exactly?” Gwen asked. “Easy. Board the ship, rescue the avengers, Kamala and Doreen, Then blow the ship to hell and back.” (M/N) said. “As for Hala. We’ll deal with her if we have to.” His dad looked at him with concern. “That’s not much of a plan.” (M/N) crossed his arms. “Well there really isn’t anything we can plan for this. Unless you have any ideas?” Tony was about to say something but stopped when he couldn’t think of anything. “Exactly. So let’s just do our best and be careful.”

Boarding the ship was surprisingly easy. All they did was connect their to the hull and cut their way through. Once on board the group made their way towards anything that seemed like a prison ward. The hallways of the ship were...eerie to say the least. It was like any generic ship you see in scifi movies with the creepy hum of engines. “I’m detecting lot’s of life signs from not far ahead.” PRYSM said. They followed the little robot until they found themselves in a large room with many cages. They found the prison, however there was something off. “Something’s not right. Where’s all the guards at?”

“HELLLLLOOOO!? IS ANYONE HERE!?” PRYSM yelled out. “Prysm shhh!” (M/N) tried to shush them. However nothing came after they expected some retaliation, instead they heard. “Hello? Who’s there?” That was Steve! “Steve!?” (M/N) ran towards the voice and found Steve and the other avengers. “(M/N)! Tony! What are you doing here?” Prysm hacked into their cell and shut off the energy door. “Rescuing you.” Peter got off his seat and smirked. “Aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper?”  (M/N) smirked at him. “I don’t know where you get your delusions laser brain.” Peter let out a laugh at the star wars quote. Of course Peter and (M/N) had started off rocky, but travelling made (M/N) realize it wasn’t the boy’s fault. He was tackled by someone. “(M/NNNNNNNNNNNNN!), I’m so glad to see you!” Doreen. She pulled back and (M/N) saw the look in her eyes, the worry. “They took Kamala.”

There wasn’t any time to waste. No hesitation. Once he heard Kamala was taken (M/N) started making his way towards the command center. Gwen, Doreen and Prysm followed close behind. Tony and the other avengers hadn’t even noticed they left. Typical. It really wasn’t hard to find the Command Bridge. The one with the big door on the end of the ship. “You guys ready?” Everyone got into fighting stances. “Yep.” “Yes.” “LET’S DO THIS!”

The door of the bridge was blasted open and the group rushed in. Rushing inside they found Kamala already in her own fight with Hala. “Guys!” Hala looked over and became distracted enough for Kamala to land a punch and knocked her out. “Ugh...that was a pain.” She shook out her hand and ran to her friends. “Guys! (M/N)! Gwen! You’re here!” The sound of footsteps brought the group out of their small victory. Tony and the other avengers ran in. “Oh god. You’re alright. Don’t EVER run off like that again.” Tony panicked. “It’s alright, we’re alright.” (M/N) laughed. “We’re alright for now. But Earth isn’t.” Kamala said, everyone listening to her. “She said she’s ordered the ship to head to Earth and to begin destroying anything it sees. She’s ordered it to raise the planet!” Everyone looked absolutely horrified. “How do we stop it?” Gwen asked. “What about the self destruct? There has to be one on here?” Peter asked. “IT’S BEEN TAMPERED! THE AUTO SELF DESTRUCT HAS BEEN ERASED!” Prysm shouted as they looked through the ship's computer. “There isn’t anything we can do.” (M/N) looked over the computer with Prysm. “That’s not true. The engines. We can set off a detonation and this whole place will blow. Kaboom.” Everyone agreed that sounded like the best plan. “You all get back to the ship and get out of here. I’ll set off the detonation.” (M/N) said making everyone look at him. “No. Absolutely not. I can’t lose you. I just got you back.” (M/N) shook his head. “There’s no time to argue. You all get out of here, I’ll blow this candle stick and escape on one of their ships.” (M/N) began walking towards the engine room but was stopped by Tony. “No. We’ll find another way. It’s too risky. I can send the su-” “DAD!” Tony stopped talking. “Just this once...let me make you proud.” It was then that (M/N) saw it. The love, the worry, everything he ever wanted, in Tony’s eyes. Not looking at Peter...looking at him. Tony relaxed his grip. “Okay...just come back to me. I love you.” (M/N) smiled, tears running down his face. “I love you too. Don’t worry. I don’t plan on dying.”

(M/N) made his way to the engine room, however he was stopped by a group of Kree guards. “Of course you come AFTER.” He didn’t slow down. Using his powers he lifted them up, slamming them into the ceiling then slamming them to the ground. “Welcome to Earth.” He passed them and continued to the engine room. The engine room was large and VERY loud. “Alright...explosion. That’s easy.” (M/N) ran to one of the computers that helped control the reactor. “If I set this to full power and overload that… There. That should do it.” He didn’t need to check anything because as soon as it was locked an explosion from a lower deck shook everything. “Shit. Gotta go...get off the ship, get off the ship!”

Luckily he had checked that the hangar was nearby. Arriving there he discovered all of the ships had been taken. “Great!” Another explosion shook the ship. Was this it? Was this the end? At least he stopped the ship before it could do anything to Earth. He thought of his friends. Gwen, Doreen, Kamala. The avengers, Clint. His dad. At least they were safe. Then the sound of a ship pulling into the hangar brought him out of his thoughts. The ship he arrived on was turning around and Peter and Gwen were on the ramp. “(M/N)! Come on!” Peter called out to him. He didn’t need to be told twice. He began running and used his powers to launch himself up. Peter and Gwen used their webs to to pull him in. They closed the ramp. “He’s in! Get us out of here!” Gwen shouted.

As the ship got safely away from the Kree ship, they watched as the reactor overloaded and the ship exploded into a ball of fire. “You did it. Good job...even if I wasn’t needed.” Gwen said to him. “Hey. To be fair, I thought it would be more of a fight then it actually was.” Gwen lightly punched his shoulder and went to talk to the others. (M/N) was left with Peter. “Hey…” (M/N) spoke. “Hey. Look (M/N) I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t realize tha-” (M/N) stopped him. “Pete. You’ve got nothing to apologize for. I know you weren’t trying to do anything to hurt me. In fact I should probably apologize for smashing your lego death star.” Peter grimaced at the thought. “It’s alright. I got to rebuild it so that was alright. If you’re sticking around I’d love to hang out...maybe be friends?” (M/N) smirked and patted his shoulder. “I’d like that.” Continuing through the ship. He was greeted by the avengers, each embracing him after all of these years for the first time. Clint walked up to him. (M/N) could feel his heart skip a beat. He hadn’t kept in good contact with Clint in a while and he felt bad for it, after all it was him that helped him. “H-hey Clint. It’s good to see you.” Clint glared at him making (M/N) sweat before he broke into a smile and pulled him into a hug. “Oh god...it’s so good to see you kid. You’ve grown up. It suits you.” (M/N) hugged him back. “Thanks dad.” He said in a sarcastic voice. “But for real, thank you. You really helped me discover who I am.” Clint rubbed his head. “Anytime kiddo. Now...I think someone wants to talk to you.” Clint pulled back and turned him towards Tony who was waiting for him. “Dad.” Tony didn’t say anything just quickly pulled him into a hug and held onto him tightly. After the shock wore off, (M/N) held on just as tight. “I really thought that was it. I was going to die there.” Tony let out a laugh, but there was no humor behind it. “I wasn’t about to let that happen.” He pulled back and looked his son in the eyes. “I promise you kid. I’m going to do everything I can to show you how much I love you. I can’t change the past, but I can give us a future. Please let me-” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as (M/N) pulled him into another crushing hug. 

“Let’s go home.”

[departed-pronouns]

You know what? I'm tired of the same argument against shipping certain couples because it's queer and I'm tired of how it's just a round about way to express homophobia, and I'm tired of the fact that it's considered 'an acceptable way' to discuss real issues and insult people, and that I will have to listen to some's 'opinions' and be expected to engage in dialogue about it. I am tired of hatred and the people spewing it. But 911 is the show I'm actively engaging the fandom in at the time, at least until more marvel shows come out on Disney+ so . . .

Jumping right into it. They're fictional characters, they have no life, their entire being is a blank slate until someone puts pen to paper. Unless for this example in the shows bible it's written 'buck is straight' 'Eddie is straight' all people have is the general assumption of a base line setup for every character. And as I say that I realize I could get into queer coding but that shit makes me so angry and right now I just can't.

So, focusing on my second hang-up here. Buddie can't happen because fictional character A and B are straight. Yet the writers/show runners won't just make it so and ease up on the queer references, and guys I thought Buddie was canon from the little I saw of the show before getting into it. Before I knew who the characters were I thought they were the fire fight husbands, and I've had no reason not to think that they couldn't become that in a show that shows diversity anyway.

But I keep having people tell me that it would be unbelievable. That it couldn't work because Buck and Eddie have never dated a man. Which again, fictional characters, we've only been given brief glimpses into their fictional lives. Which a writer could make anything up for. If I was hired as a writer for 9-1-1 tomorrow and got the go-ahead, I could have Buck go 'Reminds me of that month I worked at the circus as a lion tamer." And there you go! Buck was a Lion tamer all along. Or I could have him rescue Chris at the zoo from a lion using a chair and bam! He never knew it, but he was a little bit of a lion tamer all along.

Hell, tone shift and suddenly the first responders are dealing with supernatural calls and oh! The world was magical all along! It's a story, anything someone writes for it, it just is, really everything about a character is forced. And half the time when someone claims something feels forced in fiction it's just cause they don't like it. But for some reason to be gay, you have to earn it, you have to meet some list of requirements to make it feel organic. You can't have two guys or two girls realizing parts of themselves and their sexuality that they never knew before. They can't realize, I dunno, that they don't actually identify as they've always been made to - it isn't just one or the other. In real life, like so many things, sexuality and gender is a spectrum. And sadly because of the way people are raised they don't get to realize these things about themselves until they're older and and on their own and not restricted by their family and their families small minded views.

I know, I know, I'm focusing on the fictional aspect of this. But that's the context of the questions brought up and the catalyst for some really hatful things said. And at the end of the day, fiction/story telling/tv/movies/all media. It's a powerful tool. And if still, today, in 2021 we have to go through this same song and dance about a couple being a couple instead of something 'more deep and profound' then romance or some such nonsense just to keep it from being gay. Then I'm sorry, but I'm gonna rage against that.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "What If...T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" from Marvel Studios' What If...

Salutations, random people on the internet who already scrolled past this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

You know, a lot of people lost so much when Chadwick Boseman died. His family has lost a husband and a father, his fans lost an inspiration, and to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we lost both a hero and a king. His performance as T'Challa/Black Panther is by far the best the character has ever had, nailing the essence of the character while delivering so much more. So with the second episode of Marvel Studios' What If... one has to ask: Was Chadwick Boseman's final performance his best, or did the series failed to honor his legacy? Only spoilers can answer that question, so be wary as we analyze the second entry into Marvel's most ambitious series.

Now, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

T’Challa himself: I enjoy that because his story has changed, so did T'Challa's personality. There's this sly cockiness that we've never seen from the character before, showing how much influence Yondu and his Ravagers had on him. And it's actually pretty fun seeing a character who was so calm and collected now act so...not that. With that said, just T'Challa is now Star-Lord, that doesn't mean he's a copy of Peter Quill.

The major differences lie in the impact that T'Challa left on the galaxy. Instead of stealing for himself, he chose to steal for planets in need as his own version of Robin Hood. And that, in turn, is a way more intriguing and compelling character to me than Peter Quill ever could be. There's just something about the nobleness of choosing to be a heroic outlaw instead of being strictly an outlaw. It proves that despite having his history altered drastically, there is no erasing that perfect and intelligent King that we all know and dearly miss. It sucks that we'll probably never see him again, but at least the last time we did it was to leave one epic impression for the fans.

Korath is T’Challa’s #1 Fan: Not what I would have expected, primarily since the character never acted so goofy, but I appreciate this change nonetheless. Because it's oddly wholesome seeing how much Korath admires T'Challa, to the point where he honestly believes that they're best friends. Also, it's funny. Like, really funny. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this version of Korath is the funniest character in this episode. He's just too good.

It’s All Funny: Hey, we're on the Guardians of the Galaxy side of the universe. I'd personally be offended if it didn't have a sense of humor.

Yondu: Yondu seems to be the only one who hasn't changed that much through T'Challa's presence. Sure, he went straight because of it, but personality-wise, he's still the same. He still gives off the energy as this king of the idiots when dealing with his Ravagers, and you how he's this thief with a heart of gold. It's just that only T'Challa brought it out more than Peter did. Other than that, I personally don't mind that not much has changed. Yondu was already a fun character, to begin with, so I'm more than alright seeing him unaltered if it means we get to witness more of him.

The Galaxy is Better Because of T’Challa’s Influence: No, really, it is. Drax still has his family, Thanos renounced his genocidal ways, and Nebula not only remained in one piece but even has hair...somehow. It's impressive to see just how better everything turned out, and, in a way, it's also kind of funny when you think about it. Like, I wouldn't go so far as to say that the universe was in shambles because of Peter's existence...but it wasn't really better either, and I can't help my chuckles when witnessing how better off things were because he stayed on Earth.

Thanos: Not much to say here. It's fun seeing how chilled out Thanos is when he's not hellbent on wiping out half the universe. And I definitely chuckled a couple times when people called him out on his genocidal bulls**t. It's pretty enjoyable and made me glad we got to see his very surprising return.

Nebula: But this shocked me more. Korath becoming a T'Challa stan? Sure. Thanos acting as a respectful ally? Whatever. But Nebula becoming T'Challa's sexy thieve-in-arms girlfriend?! I don't think anybody in their right mind would have predicted that!

But putting aside the shock, this version of Nebula was surprisingly entertaining. It's nice seeing what she would've acted like without the tragedy as she acts like she's free as a bird but still a little devious. Although, despite having a much better life, that doesn't mean there isn't animosity between her and Thanos. He may not have torn Nebula apart as much as he did in the universe we know, but take notice of how she still has cybernetics in her left eye. That shows that T'Challa didn't get to fix everything, and I appreciate that the writers hadn't glossed over how much of a bad father the Mad Titan is, just because he's all sunshine and rainbows now. It allows a chance for Thanos to prove he really did change and gives Nebula an arc to forgive him. And while the pacing for that could have been better, it's still somewhat believable for me to get behind it. Thus surprising me even more with how not only did Nebula make a phenomenal appearance, but one that left quite the impact on the story.

The Collector: It's not just better heroes that T'Challa created. The Collector, for example, somehow became a genuine threat in this timeline instead of that pathetic dweeb in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Infinity War. This again amazes me with how T'Challa miraculously created a buff-supervillain in his universe, where Peter did jack all. Maybe the galaxy really would have been better off without him...

Howard the Duck: This is the best way to utilize Howard the Duck if you ask me. He's a character that doesn't really scream "leading character" to me (unless given the correct type of writers), so it's better to let him stick to brief cameos and occasional supporting roles. It allows a goofy type of character to shine without causing audiences to roll their eyes over the idea of a talking duck saving the day.

Wakanda Theme Playing when T’Challa Found the Ship: It's just a cool callback. That's all.

Yondu Lying About Wakanda’s Destruction: A pretty solid reveal that shows how even though Yondu loves the kids he steals, he doesn't have the best intentions. What more can I add?

The Collector’s Wall of Weapons: The callbacks are nice, but I like implications from seeing Captain America's shield and Thor's hammer on that wall. It could mean that while the universe is a better place from T'Challa's influence, not everybody made it out alright.

Yondu’s Speech to T’Challa: I'm sure these beautiful and sentimental words have some implications toward Chadwick Boseman as an actor, but I was too busy being emotional to notice them. Well done.

What Happened to Peter Quill: Ok...I think we can just stop beating Peter down for dooming half the universe. Because how much lower can you get when finding out that this other guy practically saved everything with very little effort, only for you to end up as a worker at Dairy Queen? I'd honestly feel bad if I kept doing it at this point. The poor bastard…

(Sidenote: Love the implications that the world is still in danger because Ego still gets to Peter. It shows that despite the more interesting changes, not everything turns out all hunky-dory.)

The Tribute to Chadwick Boseman: A well-appreciated sentiment to cap off a perfect episode...or what would've been a perfect episode. 'Cause ya boy's got some nitpicks!

WHAT I DISLIKED

T’Challa Being Called Star-Lord: A small thing, but the reason why Peter called himself Star-Lord was because it was a nickname his mom called him. What's even the reasoning here? Because it makes no sense when you sit down and think.

The Black Order are still Boring: Out of all the improvements we've seen, it is still disappointing that these four remain as nothing more than cannon fodder for our heroes to go through before fighting the main boss. And pathetic. Immensely pathetic. I mean, for f**ks sake, THE MAW GOT KILLED BY THE PINK GIRL FROM GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY! Psychic powers and he still goes out like a b**ch!

Thanos Got Nerfed: The guy nearly killed the Avengers, with and without Infinity Stones, yet he can barely hold his own against these people who worked for him. C'MON NOW!

IN CONCLUSION

But those were just nitpicks. Despite them, I'd still consider this episode a solid A with 9.5/10. It was fun getting to see the changes T'Challa made to the galaxy, added with some pretty entertaining moments with other iconic characters. You couldn't have asked for a better final performance from Chadwick Boseman, and here's hoping that wherever he is, he knows that he shined brighter than any star in the galaxy.