#we’re using one of my bffs sperm

[bigqueervillain]

.

[petersasteria]

𝐤'𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

DISCLAIMER:  *This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.*

Holland!Reader Masterlist || Preferences

𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥𝕤: 2020

> Stickwitu // Part 2    - You’re a singer and everyone’s heart shatters when they find out you and Tom aren’t dating anymore.

> Comfy    - You and Tom finally spend time with each other.

> Cancelled Date    - In which you weren’t aware that your date is cancelled.

> No To Publicity    - You don’t want your relationship with Tom to be public. We don’t always get what we want, though.

> Oh My God I Love Her    - Tom loves seeing you with the people he loves and he falls deeper in love with you because of it.

> Think of Me - rich kid AU // Part 2    - Based on ‘Think of Me’ from The Phantom of the Opera.

> Secret    - Tom is hiding something from the whole world and it involves you.

> Complete    - You completed him, because she wrecked him. Now that he’s complete again, he leaves you.

> Red    - Color soulmate AU in which everyone is born seeing all of the colors except one.

> Miss Universe    - Tom never really supported your dream to become Miss Universe.

> Sperm Donor    - In which Tom makes a mistake.

> Rumor Has It (High School AU) // Part 2 (2021 Update)     - In which Tom leaves you for a girl named Madison, but when you started dating someone else, he left her for you.

> You’re A Star    -  You’re more than just a crew on set, you’re a star and Tom thinks that too.

> Wrong Number    - In which Tom receives a text from an unknown number.

> Reversed Curse (Royal AU)    - You and your mother were cursed as a form of justice for your father executing a woman’s husband. Now, you have to reverse the curse and you need help.

> Biggest Fan // Part 2    - You’re a famous singer and Tom’s your biggest fan.

> Not Over Yet // Part 2    - Collab with @spideyanakin x

> Support    - The boys are updated with your videos.

> How You Met    - What the title says.

> Jealous    - Tom is jealous of Timmy Chalamet.

> Fuck, We’re Screwed    - You and Tom hate kids.

𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕥𝕤: 2021

> drivers license // soc med     - Based on ‘drivers license’ by olivia rodrigo

> Marriage // Alt. Ending 1 // Alt. Ending 2    - Your marriage with Tom has been going downhill.

> What You Don’t Know Won’t Hurt     - An unexpected twist hurts you and your relationship. (Chalamet!Reader)

> Thesis     - In which Tom is a successful actor while enrolled in college and he’s a graduating student. But will he graduate, though? Soc Med AU

> Winning Season     - BFF!Tom is living because it’s your winning season. 

> Happy Birthday, Co-Star! - NEW    - Prompt: how about tom and y/n are co-stars and tom celebrates his bday while they’re filming. This is for @hollandsrecs​ birthday fic fest.

𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤

 > Princess (AU) (ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)     - A princess chooses to leave her royal life in exchange for a normal one. Tom is an intern for a fashion company in New York City. Both have very different lives, but what happens when they meet?

> Chronicles of a Pregnant Assistant    -  Your adventures as Tom Holland’s pregnant assistant.

big thanks to @allyz​ for the dividers 🤍

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @blueleatherbag @cocoamoonmalfoy @thatforgottenangel @parkerpeter24 @turtoix @slutforsr @givebuckyhisplumsnow @buckys-little-hoe @runawayolives @chewymoustachio @hollandsrecs @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @yourstrulyamour @juliediggory @lharrietg @alexx-stancati @rumplebutterbaby @dummiesshort @spideyspeaches @thevelvetseries  @buckymylove @quxxnxfhxll @marvelsimps @dreamy-clousds  @bora-world @hunnybunimdun @supred12  @more-like-reyna @caitsymichelle13​  @aayaissaa​ @wannabemobwife​ @sunwardsss​ @bigassnocash @repostcentral​​

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @holland-styles @trustfundparker @calltothewild @felicityparkers @hufflepuffprincess24 @tommysparker @justasmisunderstoodasloki @quaksonhehe @call-me-baby-gir1 @itstaskeen @theonly1outof-a-billion @lost-in-the-stars03 @justafangirlduh @piscesparker  @speedymaximoff @miraclesoflove @lexirv @blairscott  @getbywithasmile @pqrkerr @lavender-writer @blackbat2020 @hoodpankow @bi-lmg​ @emmastarz @moonchild-s-blog @itszulli​​​​

new year, new taglist

[sobdasha]

some (very long) Hiro metas and a Kisa-n-Tohru tangent

seeing the "Hiro is a brat!" "Hiro just has trauma!" debate has made me ponder…

Like, not to compare trauma and argue who had what worse and invalidate suffering, but my immediate reaction was kind of, "Wait, what? I mean, okay, I guess Hiro did just have some trauma re: Kisa, but like, overall…???"

So it's time for some scrutiny!

I’mma talk myself through this in a post.

Here we have Hiro. He's a Souma, which is pretty damn traumatic in its own right, and possessed by a Zodiac spirit, which is even worse. He's part of an elite inner circle, privileged with status and wealth; but on the flip side, there's still people in the family who look down on the Zodiac, and Hiro's looking at a future of isolation (afraid of looking like a monster, afraid to betray the family secret, not properly free to pick his own job, may or may not be able to live outside the estate, love life is gonna be a disaster when puberty hits). And Akito, whom the possessed part of him loves deeply and desperately, tends to weaponize his own love and withhold it when someone displeases him, or turn hurtful when someone needs punishment.

Okay, so that's bad. But Hiro shares that with all of the Zodiac members, that's just the baseline trauma, and there's some compounding issues at play that Hiro lacks:

- Hiro, as the Sheep, isn't especially hated. Kyou, for instance, has a bad attitude that's partly due to the entire clan ragging on him for being a horrible abomination of a monster, comparing him unfavorably to Idealized Yuki, and telling him he's gonna be locked up in a one-room house on the estate to suffer out his life--and that's not even counting how being the Cat affected how his immediate family treated him. Haru, as the Ox, got ~harmlessly teased~ about being a big dumb slow stupid ox by the family so much that he started flipping over to a Black personality to violently vent his feelings.

- Hiro's family life is, as far as I can tell, actually ideal. His parents didn't reject him (Momiji, Kyou re: his sperm donor, Rin), split up over him (I suspect this is what happened for Kagura, because her parents argued a lot when she was young, and I wonder about the fact that Ritsu's dad isn't at the onsen? And there's no mention of Kisa's dad? But then again, we're told repeatedly that Yuki and Ayame have a father and he lives in the same house as their mother and I've never seen proof of this man's existence), be coolly indifferent to him (Ayame after Yuki was born and he got off the hook but honestly I think that was a blessing to him, Yuki, Hatori), or get extremely overprotective (Kyou re: his mom, I'd argue this is partly why Ritsu's mom is so stressed out, and also I'd argue this may be why Kisa's mom hits her limit). In fact, Hiro's the only one who we can definitely say has two parents, who live together, and have a good relationship, and actively enjoy nurturing their child. Also Satsuki's completely adorkable. (This puts strain on Hiro in other ways, lol, but at least he shares that feeling with his dad.)

- Hiro, as the Sheep, probably doesn't particularly stand out. I'm guessing his hair color isn't particularly notable? So he probably hasn't been singled out for teasing from people who don't even know about the curse, like Kyou and Haru and Kisa. (No one's not-thirsty enough to have teased Ayame or Yuki for their looks, I'm pretty sure, and Momiji can pull the biracial card, even if that wouldn't stop people, and went to international school, where people probably found other ways to pick on you.)

So where, for Hiro, does his particular extremely combative, condescending, scathing, sarcastic attitude come from?

That's not to say none of those things above could be factors. It's extremely possible that the family found dumb things to say to him because, y'know, clearly it's impossible to hurt a kid's feelings if you're arrogant enough about it. And like Kyouko says, you can't really judge someone's family situation based on their behavior, and vice versa. I'd expect Hiro to be super well-adjusted, coming from a loving nuclear family, but kids are people and they will turn out how they turn out both because of and in spite of how they're raised. And maybe Hiro's experienced some bullying about whatever, and his instant sharp-tongued retorts became the default in response to that. Hiro didn't tell us any of this, but who knows!

Or maybe Hiro's difficult phase is just a phase. Maybe that's how all his classmates talk to each other?? I can easily see that being a thing, especially with boys, both friendly with friends or aggressive with people you want to treat badly, and maybe Hiro's so much in the habit of it that he doesn't think first (and doesn't care enough about Tohru and her feelings to exercise a little self-control). Like this post that points out how it's a Definite Thing that part of Hiro's lording-little-brat arrogance is because he's in his final year of elementary school and he's everyone's senpai and that sort of thing is indulged because adults know he'll get cruelly humbled next year when he's a baby kouhai.

But I think maybe, what's most relevant with Hiro, is that because of his lack of obvious outside factors to fight against for personal growth, his growing pains as a character are internal. He's fighting against himself. AKA, it's only logical that he's a tiny little shit and his character arc is about growing into someone who isn't a jerkface. Which can be just as difficult and traumatic as standing up to your parents, or Akito, or society, or your classmates. Hiro has to assert himself against himself, and himself won't punch him in the face or lock him in his room but it's so easy to just put the blame elsewhere and let himself get away with it and give him a pass and stop trying to improve.

Now I wanna analyze the timeline!

Aside from a few select Zodiac members, Akito hasn't really done anything super terrible that we've heard about until Hiro's in 3rd grade. That's when Hatori and Kana ask to get married, and Hatori gets injured. Akito has been a jerk before, and Akito is very clearly in favor of a hierarchy that puts God at the top getting all the love. But Shigure and Ayame have talked about their sexcapades with no issue, and Kagura's always going on about her undying love for and future marriage with Kyou, and this is the first incident that says those things aren't allowed.

Sometime not terribly long after that, Shigure gets kicked out of the Main House. This ramps up Akito's hatred of women, though Hiro wouldn't know the betrayal behind it and might not have a clue about Akito's vendetta.

Right about the time Hiro starts 6th grade, he feels compelled to tell Akito that he has feelings for Kisa. (I'm pulling this from the Collector's Edition timeline. In the actual story I keep seeing the English being like "I always thought Hiro hated me / I thought Hiro hated me for a long time" with Kisa then immediately turning around and saying "We were bffs all through my elementary school years / Hiro always played with me until this year", so I heavily suspect the translators keep getting a modifier in the wrong place or something because wtf.) Akito kicks Kisa's ass and Kisa takes two weeks to heal. (This isn't Akito's fault. It's also not Kisa's fault, obviously, because Hiro didn't even tell her yet that he liked her. So that means it's all Hiro's fault.) Hiro's horrified, because he could have had an idea this would be bad but he probably didn't expect it to all be taken out on Kisa. After all, Hatori got hurt, not Kana, and Rin hasn't been pushed out a window yet.

Hiro abruptly cuts off his interaction with Kisa, to protect her from getting punished by Akito again. Kisa goes back to 7th grade, where she's just transitioned from Top Of The Heap Senpai and Just A Child So We Can Let Things Slide to Lowly Kouhai Who Needs To Learn Proper Social Behaviors, and she's being bullied, and her bff won't talk to her, and her Talking Things Out skills are having zero effect, so she just stops talking, and now her mom is upset, and then she starts skipping school, and now her mom is really upset. And Hiro was probably unaware of a lot of this, until it got really bad several months in, since he stopped seeing his bff.

And Hiro's agonizing and worrying about it, when suddenly Tohru swoops in and magically saves the day, bringing hope where there was none and erasing suffering, right when Hiro was probably nerving himself up to try to help somehow without bringing Akito's wrath back down on Kisa.

Oh I wanna have a tangent about Kisa!

Timeline again, but from Kisa's point of view:

Kisa and Hiro are only a year apart, so they've always been super close. Hiro is her bff.

Now Kisa is starting 7th grade.

Kisa does something Bad. It's not clear what, but it's Bad Enough to make Akito hate her and also seriously beat her up, so that's Pretty Bad.

Actually it's Really Very Bad, because after that Hiro hates her too.

Anyway Kisa's starting 7th grade! Yay! New school, new girls, new pressures. In my personal experience, middle school is when girls are at their nastiest (after they hit high school, they start to chill out. Obviously you still get jerks, because people, but there was a little more "live and let live" attitude), so I always assume this is part of the problem. Kisa's classmates start to bully her. Kisa tries out her conflict resolution skills, like the adult she's expected to be becoming, and it only causes the situation to escalate. Her self-esteem has already had the crap kicked out of it, and hasn't healed in 2+ weeks. Her bff hates her and won't talk to her.

And then Kisa just gives up without telling anyone why.

Tohru's got a very valid point, that it's hard to talk about the things that actually bother you. It's hard to ask for help. I can complain all day long about little things, but I can't put big issues into words without spontaneously bawling? Which is really fricken embarrassing???

But I think the reason Tohru strikes such a chord with Kisa, and is able to instantly win her over, is because she talks with such quiet feeling about being scared her mom wouldn't love her anymore. Because that feeling was very, very real for Tohru--grounded in the fact that Kyouko actually did abandon her once.

And Kisa recognized that, and realized that Tohru--unlike everyone else--actually got it, because that's exactly what Kisa's feeling. Because Kisa's gotten along with her mother very well all her life, if what we see of her with Hiro is any indication. Except that suddenly Akito hates her. Suddenly Hiro hates her. It's a very real fear, once Kisa's mom starts getting stressed about the not-talking, that Kisa's mom is going to stop loving her just like everyone else is suddenly doing. Because that's literally what's happening to Kisa.

Tohru's not just a warm, loving, accepting, motherly presence. Tohru's someone who can very viscerally relate to Kisa's terror. Of course Kisa clings to her.

Back to Hiro though!

I think we could also stand to apply to Hiro the tried-and-true, "The things you hate most in other people are the things you hate most about yourself," because it is both true in general and a definite thing Fruits Basket does (for a quick example, see Yuki saying he hates dependent people [while Kyou's like "that's you tho"] and Rin hating Yuki [because he's dependent on Haru the way she is guiltly dependent on Haru]).

I went to rewatch the episode to look at all the specific things Hiro says about Tohru and other people, only to realize the obvious flaw that like everything he says is an insult and there's too much there for me to unpack here, so I chose just a few statements that were really specifically phrased (I can't stand people who X).

I can't stand people who let themselves be pushed around so easily

Hiro also talks a couple times about Tohru having no sense of identity or agency, or not having thoughts of her own. So this reveals Hiro's inner struggle with his own complacency. He's got that bond with Akito, he's got a life that's at least partly set in stone already for him, and he's not doing anything to fight it. He didn't hide his feelings for Kisa from Akito, and then when Kisa got hurt Hiro never told her why ("It's my fault because I told Akito I like you and that made him mad, it's nothing you did") and never called Akito out on it (he can't blame Akito but when he talks about it you can tell he also knows he should blame Akito because Hiro can figure out that that was wrong. Maybe because, unlike so many others of the Zodiac, he was raised in a sensible and loving family and he knows that Akito's behavior isn't normal, isn't right, isn't acceptable).

This is probably why, even while using "I'm just a kid" to get away with his behavior, he's so frustrated with not being an adult. Because, to him, an adult wouldn't just let these things happen. He's wrong, on one hand, but on the other hand the maturity that will come with his personal growth will let him be the kind of adult he envisions.

I can't stand inconsiderate people

Hiro knows he's a jerk. He knows his snappy retorts piss people off--he enjoys that. He's super jealous about Tohru and doesn't care about her feelings, and him taking his anger out on Tohru has been hurting Kisa's feelings and that hasn't caused Hiro to check himself yet either.

He knows this, he hates this, he's not ready to deal with it yet and exercise self-control, so he's the niceness police about other people being rude.

(I think it's interesting that, when Hiro starts maturing, even though he still has that tendency to rudeness, there's also a hint that it will one day turn into a frankness that isn't just "a blunt insult is the same as honesty right?" That time when Hiro realizes that Kyou and Tohru have Feelings and he's like "Um, wait, is that okay? Are we just not going to talk about the fact that Kyou is going to be locked up alone in a room for the rest of his life???" He asks the tough questions lol. I won't give him credit for bringing up Tohru's dad issues because he was just doing that to be a dick, there was zero maturity there. In another world, though, he would've been the only other person besides Kyou [who already knew the details] to think to question Tohru about it.)

People who whine about their situation while accepting no responsibility are so irritating

Again...Hiro hates the whole situation that happened with Kisa, and hates his part in it, and didn't do anything to fix it before Tohru came along. And even then, he still hasn't fessed up to Kisa about the real circumstances. He knows he owes Kisa that, and he hasn't taken responsibility yet.

This ties into the complacency issue, but with the added fact that Hiro's said it's shitty and unfair but still is going along with it without trying to stop it. So he's an extra jerk, but he still hasn't stepped up yet.

I think maybe this is why Tohru's speech touches him, even after he just called her out on magical Mary Sue emotional healing powers. He's been nothing but his worst self around Tohru--bad enough that it's not only just Tohru but Kisa he's been upsetting as well--he's been bratty and insulting and pushed Tohru around and stolen her property and treated her like shit and--

And instead of rolling her eyes, or getting fed up and firing back, or any other response that show her low expectations for Hiro…

Tohru just stands there and says it's brave, to admit you have flaws, and that she has faith that he can and will make good on his responsibilities. Even though nothing at all that Hiro's done--and he's very well aware of this--gives any indication that he would even try. Let alone succeed.

The way that Hiro, when people call him a brat, tends to then embrace it and get even brattier--this makes me think he's the kind of kid who lives down to people's expectations, rather than trying to prove them wrong. So when Tohru without hesitation sets the bar high like that, and it pisses Hiro off--

He's gonna show you, stupid woman. You think he's a prince? You're gonna be floored at the kind of prince he'll be.

(Eventually. Much later.)

[onewfantaesy]

Au where everything is the same like taemin is still in shinee and Kai is still in exo and they’re still bffs

But there’s this huge scandal about how this fertility doctor used his own sperm to father dozens of children. And it’s terrifying and horrible and it’s all over the news.

This guy is just completely crazy, but news footage of him being arrested shows him shouting gibberish about how he helped all those people have children, but then he says, “and two of my sons are idols, they’re famous! I fathered them!”

And everyone is trying to find out if it’s even true, and if it is, then who?

And then Taemin’s parents have to tell him something very serious.

Taemin finds out he’s one of the kids this crazy doctor fathered. And his whole world is turned upside down.

And two days later, jongin wants to tell taemin something very serious.

Jongin’s biological father is the doctor as well.

They realize they’re brothers. That’s why they look so alike and they both love dancing and they’re so similar. They’re brothers. Actual, blood-related brothers.

And taemin is really, really freaked out about it and he’s so upset, and for whatever reason, jongin wasn’t as freaked out so he spent a very long night comforting taemin.

“Shouldn’t the big brother be the one doing the comforting?” Jongin teases.

“Shut up,” Taemin laughs, but it’s a very wet laugh and he’s been on the verge of crying for days. “I’ve always been the little brother. I don’t know how to be a big brother.”

“Good thing we’re so close in age, then,” jongin laughs back.

“How old do you think the others are?” Taemin whispers. “Holy shit, we’re related to so, so many people.”

“Just clicked with you, huh?”

“Oh my god, jongin,” Taemin says with a catch in his voice.

He’s officially having a meltdown.

He’s glad jongin is there to make it better.

[buckybarnesappreciationsociety]

“Winter Soldier 2.0-Dad On A Mission”

Summary: After 2 months, Izzy’s privileges were restored. She and her parents settled into a routine of keeping the lines of communication open and honest. Their piece of mind shattered when an evil from the past tipped the scales of happiness. How will the team react? What will Bucky do to get his daughter back? The answer will definitely surprise you!

Word Count: 2K+ (Yep it’s long)

Warnings: Swearing, kidnapping, distress

A/N: A keyboard translating English to Russian was used for the conversation between Nat and Bucky. (www.masterrussian.com)

Bucky, Jillian, Izzy and Steven fell into a peaceful existence. After her 2 month grounding, 16 year old Izzy enjoyed hanging out with her 9 year old brother, Aunt Nat and Wanda and bff’s Kayla and Maddie. Truth be told, Maddie had a serious “crush” on Sam! He thought it was cute!

Steven was growing by leaps and bounds; Izzy becoming a beautiful young lady, with dark auburn hair, a brilliant smile and her signature freckles. Everyone said she looked like Bucky.  On the other hand, Steven was a combination of his dad and mom. Chocolate brown locks,  deep blue-gray eyes, olive skin tone like Jillian and her dazzling smile..

Steven loved hanging out with this dad. They dubbed it ‘guy stuff.’ Izzy extremely athletic,  played soccer at the Central Midfielder position. Bucky NEVER missed a game. The other parents admired his enthusiasm. And heaven forbid if the Avengers attended as well. They were a raucous bunch, especially if Izzy scored a goal

SOMEONE’S LURKING IN THE DARKNESS

Friday around dusk, everyone milled around after the game. It was hard fought but alas, Izzy’s team lost by a score of 3-2. Tony thought a team pizza party would lift their spirits. So, he reserved the entire eatery, “Reynaldo & Giovanni’s Pizza Emporium.” The heartbroken players, coach and parents dined on succulent calzone, strombolis and a variety of pizza.

Izzy sat at the table with her friends, picking over her food. Bucky noticed and consoled his daughter.

“Hey, sweetheart, why the long face?”  Sighing heavy, Izzy sounded broken, “Dad, it was my fault we lost. I let the team down.” Tears brimmed in her eyes.

“C’mere baby girl.” Lifting her chin, Bucky reassured his distraught daughter no one blamed her for the team’s loss. Now, where’s that beautiful smile, huh?” Wrapping her arms around Bucky’s massive frame, Izzy’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

Returning to Jillian’s side, Bucky noticed a look of terror on his wife’s face. “Doll, what’s wrong? Looks like ya seen a ghost?”

Trying to clear her head, Jillian replied, “I think I did babe. That man who as across the street looked like Rodney.” Bucky craned his neck, looking out of the large window.

“Doll there’s no one out there. Are you sure it was him?” Bucky’s forehead creased.

Visibly shaken, Jillian responded. “I guess not my love. Everyone’s leaving, guess we should too.”

Mrs. Barnes wasn’t wrong. Rodney slithered from a distance, watching Izzy. He knew the school she attended, her place of residence and favorite hangouts. His twisted mind devised a plan to kidnap her for ransom. With the IQ of a gnat, the doofus forgot who her real dad is, James Buchanan Barnes, formerly the Winter Soldier.

Nat, Wanda, Tony, Sam and Steve walked back to the Tower since it was only 3 blocks. Izzy and Steven wanted to join them, but Jillian balked at the idea.

“Hey mom. I’m gonna walk back to the Tower with….” Jillian cut Izzy off. “No you’re not. We’re taking the car! Bucky and his puzzled daughter stood silent after the outburst. Draping his arm over Jillian’s shoulder, Bucky tried to calm his nervous wife. “Angel, what’s gotten into ya? You’ve been jumpy all night.”

Jillian’s hands shook as she apologized to her daughter. “I’m so sorry Izzy. I didn’t mean to yell at you. Listen, let’s just take the car home, okay?”

Steven and Izzy nodded ‘yes.’ Exiting the restaurant, Jillian was on high alert. Obviously something or someone frightened her.

Once home, the kids showered and went to the theatre for movie night. Jillian opted to stay in the apartment and read. She felt the bed dip and gazed into her husband’s worried eyes.

“Hey, are ya okay?” Jillian closed her book and replied, “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry about earlier, kinda tired,” pecking Bucky on the cheek, she grabbed her book and continued reading. If there’s one thing James Buchanan could spot and that’s a liar. Right now, Jillian was lying!

Joining his kids, Bucky settled down, watching “John Wick 2”. Izzy was tucked under his right arm, Steven under the other. Bucky was a doting father and husband, love and adoration written all over his face. All of that happiness faded when he thought about Jillian. Did she really see Rodney?

HANGING OUT

No missions on the weekend ushered in much needed downtime. Izzy, Kayla, Maddie, and Steven were enjoying a lazy Saturday  morning in the common room with Sam, Nat, Thor and Tony.

The quirky billionaire mussed Steven’s hair, “So, any plans for today?” Kayla chided, “Nope. We’ll probably walk to the park and hang out for awhile. It’s a pretty day.” Izzy added, “Yeah, we wanna get out a bit.

Nat remarked, “Be careful Izz. Do you have your pepper spray and cell phone?” Giggling, Izzy kissed her overprotective  aunt on the cheek. “You worry too much. We’ll be fine and to answer your question, yes I have both.”

APPREHENSION

“Hey mom, dad! Where are ya?” Bucky heard his son bellowing and came to see what all the fuss is about. “Hey champ, why all the racket?”

Trying to catch his breath, Steven informed his dad they were leaving for the park. To his dismay, Jillian vetoed the idea.

“Steven James  Barnes, you’re not going to the park!”

Steven bristled at his mom’s harsh tone. “But mom, we wanna go to the park and kick the soccer ball around. PLEASE?”

Standing before Bucky and his wife were 3 adorable teens, with puppy dog eyes. Izzy batted her eyelashes, “Mom, dad I love you. We’ll be home before dark and I’ll take good care of the rugrat.” Izzy gently nudged her brother.

“Doll, what d’ya think?, “Bucky replied, quirking an eyebrow at Jillian. Breathing a deep sigh, Jillian gave the kids permission to go out. “Just be careful and Izzy, watch your brother.”

Steven grabbed the soccer ball and the merry band rode the elevator down and out of the Tower.

After the “grandparent” fiasco, Uncle Tony purchased Izzy a new phone, with state-of-the-art Stark tech. NO ONE outside of family, has her number. As an added measure of security, Steven and his sister carried burner phones. Everyone on the team were programmed into both phones. At the push of a button, help could be summoned in a flash. Even with all this security, Jillian still had an uneasy feeling.

Steven grabbed his phone, shoved it in his front jean pocket and grabbed the soccer ball. Kayla dashed beside him and swiped the ball, causing the kids to laugh. “Gotta be faster, squirt,” Maddie giggled.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

Rodney Baretti, thief, con artist, Izzy’s sperm donor. This man was lower than a snake and his so-called “parents” weren’t a shining example either; the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Rodney, his brother Caleb, and their parents managed to worm their way into Izzy’s life. Of course, there was an ulterior motive behind it; money.

Caleb and Rodney were troubled children born to an abusive mother and alcoholic father. By high school, both had a juvenile record for petty larceny and possession of a controlled substance. Rodney, the eldest, steered his brother down the wrong path.

By the age of 20, Caleb served time for armed robbery; 10 years. He was released after 6 years under the stipulations of obtaining his GED, attend anger management classes, get a job and become self-sufficient. He achieved all of those goals and was doing well on the outside. His attempt to distance himself from the vicious cycle of drug and alcohol abuse was short lived.

Rodney didn’t want to be a father and Jillian was excited about that. At least Izzy wouldn’t come in contact with his family’s toxic behavior.

The plan to kidnap Izzy was devised by Rodney and his parents. Caleb tried to distance himself from the fiendish plot, but Rodney enticed him with money and drugs.

PLAN A

First, fill Izzy’s head with falsehoods about Jillian. If all else fails, they would know where she went to school and lived. Knowing he couldn’t waltz up to Stark Tower or her highly secure school, Rodney cam

PLAN B

Caleb slithered around watching while Izzy played in the park. He bought chloroform and a getaway van. Rodney knew the plan was foolproof.

SURREAL

Steven and Maddie teamed up against Izzy and Kayla in a mini soccer match. Caleb kept a safe distance, not drawing attention to himself.

An afternoon of physical activity was quite taxing,  Steven and Maddie, sat on a bench, breathing heavily, gulping down their water, while Izzy and Kayla visited an ice cream stand situated on the sidewalk, not too far from the bench.

Kayla grabbed two cones from the vendor, both chocolate. She carefully walked back to the bench to give Steven his cone. Just as Izzy got her and Maddie’s cone, the sound of screeching tires penetrated the quiet park. Two men with masks jumped out and snatched Izzy by her arm. Remembering her self-defense training, the courageous  teen kneed one of the men between his legs.

Running in the direction of the  fray, Steven, Kayla and Maddie attempted to grab Izzy, as she kicked and screamed. One of the stoolies managed to get the chloroform rag on her face. Izzy’s body went limp and was pulled into the van.

“IZZYYYYYYY, NOOOOOOOO!!!!! SOMEBODY HELP US PLEASE!!!” Steven emitted a blood curdling scream.

The ice cream vendor called police, but when they arrived, Izzy was gone.

“STOOOOP…..STOOOOOP!!!! IZZZYYYYYYY, OH MY GOD….PLEASE HELP US.” Kayla let out a high-pitched wail, while her body shook.

During the maylay,Maddie scrapped her knee on the sidewalk and needed medical attention. Kayla held Steven close as she dialed Bucky’s phone.

“Hey Kayla, hey. Wha-? Bucky sounded surprised.

Hollering in the phone, Kayla replied, “MR. BARNES...MR. BARNES PLEASE COME QUICK. THEY, THEY TOOK IZZY

Steven was in the background shouting for his sister. “DAAAAD….DAAAAD….DAAAAD! IZZZYYYYY….I WANT MY SISTER!”

Bucky swore this was a terrible nightmare. His military instincts went into overdrive.

“STEVE, TONY, WANDA, NAT!!! SOMEONE’S SNATCHED IZZY. WE GOTTA GET THERE NOW!!!!”

Tony summoned his suit and flew out of the Tower. Nat, Bucky and Steve ran fast as possible. The kids were only 3 blocks from home.

First on the scene, Tony. He made certain Maddie and Kayla received medical attention as well as calling their parents. Once their parents arrived, they told police what occurred.

Bucky bolted to his son’s side. “NO NO NO NO!!” Desperation dripped from his raw throat. “THIS CAN’T BE...IT’S..IT’S  A NIGHTMARE….M’NOT AWAKE!”

Kneeling down, Steve scooped up Steven, who was unresponsive, and cradled his namesake; placing a blanket around his rattled shoulders. ‘This is unbelievable! I-I can’t…Oh geez, Izzy.”

Meanwhile, Jillian slumped down on the floor of their apartment and sobbed uncontrollably, yelling for her baby girl. “IZZZZYYYY….IZZZZYYYY!!!” Wanda rocked her back and forth. “Shh-shh I’ve got you. They’ll find her-they’ll find her.”

Standing, Bucky’s eyes were blank; devoid of any emotion. The metal plates in his arm shifted loudly. Nat tried to speak to him, but there was no response.

Bucky’s movements were robotic, calculated. Tony and Steve watched closely as he strode back to the Tower.

“H-hey Buck?” Steve stuttered, holding little Steven in his massive arms.

Natasha informed him, “Shit Steve, that’s not Bucky.’

Steve gingerly carried little Stevie to Dr. Cho, where Jillian and Wanda were waiting.

“OH MY SWEET SWEET SON. WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM? WHY ISN’T HE TALKING?” Jillian was visibly distraught, running her hand through his har.

Dr. Cho examined Steven. “He’s in shock. I’ll keep him here overnight and monitor his vitals. Jillian you may want to stay as well.’

Through a deluge of tears, shoulders shaking, “I’ll be here.” Wanda stayed with Jillian.

Upstairs, Nat tried to reach Bucky, but he was in Soldier mode. At least his wife and son weren’t around to witness his transformation.

ЬЩМУ ТФЕФДШФ

(MOVE NATALIA)

“ФКУ НЩГ ЫГКУ НЩГ ЦФТЕ ЕЩ ПЩ ВЩЦТ ЕРШВЫКЩФВ ФПФШТ?”

(ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO GO DOWN THIS ROAD AGAIN?)

ШЬ ТЩЕ РФМШТП ЕРШЫ ВШЫСГЫЫШЩТ ЦШЕР НЩГ

(I’M NOT HAVING THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU)

ЦРФЕ ЫРЩГДВ Ш ЕУДД НТ?

(WHAT SHOULD I TELL JILLIAN?)

ЕРУ ЕКГЕР

(THE TRUTH)

Tony analyzed the blood and found it to be Caleb’s. All of his information was on file because of his stint in prison.

“I need to get to Bucky before he does something stupid”, Steve deadpanned.

Tony cautioned the blonde super soldier to wait before approaching Bucky. The rest of the team was contacted. Everyone convened in the conference room. When Bucky arrived in the room, Sam nudged Clint, looking at their friend.

The gray sweats and t-shirt had been shed for black tactical gear; loaded to the hilt with weapons. Bucky stood quietly in the back of the room, arms folded across his chest and icy stare.

James Buchanan Barnes no longer existed, nor the Winter Soldier. He was someone more dangerous ….a father on a mission.

[couchmonkey]

PILOT season!!

When I was young, Brandon Tartikoff was a hero of mine. I always fancied myself a closet programmer, so I love pilot season. THR published a list of the projects moving forward and as I was procrastinating, some are already on the air.

Let’s start with Stumptown. Inspired by the Oni Press graphic novels, Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders), a strong, assertive and unapologetically sharp-witted (but, let’s face it, hot mess) Army veteran working as a P.I. in Portland. Michael Ealy plays the cop because there must always be one. His boss is Camryn Manheim (yes!!), and the whole reason I heard about the show is Tantoo Cardinal, a powerful local Native American tied to Dex’s past. Oops, almost forgot the best friend, JakeJohnson of New Girl. His past is a little messy, too. He now owns a bar and employs Dex’s brother Ansel (Cole Sibus). It’s a tight cast, and Dex really is a hot mess nut she gets things done.

All Rise, it looks like, was originally pitched as Courthouse, good thing they changed the name! Simone Missick is a former DA who just became a judge and is encircled by Ruthie Ann Mills as her assistant, Lindsay Mendez as her stenographer, J. Alex Brinson as the deputy in her courtroom, and Marg Helgenberger as her mentor. I was not familiar with the first three when I started the show but they are a strong team. The 2 main lawyers are Wilson Bethel, a DA and old friend of Missick’s judge, and Jessica Camacho, a VERY determined public defender. I like the dynamics of the show, it’s very seldom a case of the week situation (even though there is one). Viewers get little snippets of most of the characters’ lives organically so, in my opinion, you enjoyed the show more the more you watch.

Evil is one of the most unique shows on the air this season. It pits science and religion, Katja Herbers plays a skeptical clinical psychologist who joins a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a blue-collar contractor ( Aasif Mandvi)  to investigate supposed miracles, demonic possessions and other extraordinary occurrences to see if there's a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work.The give and take between science and religion is truly engaging and Michael Emerson is truly creepy and possibly playing for the other side in this battle.

Bob Hearts Abishola follows Bob (Billy Gardell) who, after having a heart attack, falls in love with his Nigerian nurse (Folake Olowofoyeku). I think I saw the pilot, the rest of the episodes are on my DVR at the moment and thanks to some of the promos and Christine Ebersole, I do plan to get to them. ETA: I’ve watched a couple.  Folake Olowofoyeku is really great but because this whole thing seems to involve the progress of their relationship, it runs a little slow for me.

Carol's Second Act is also piling up on my DVR.  I’ve been on bedrest because of an injury and have been mostly streaming. But, like Bob, I do plan to get to it. I do like that Patricia Heaton is the lead, a med student of all things. I have to think it’s also still on the air because it also has a strong male lead, Kyle MacLachlan, although I’ve never personally seen him do comedy.  Cedric Yarbrough is a strong motivator for me as well as I saw every episode of Speechless. ETA: Well, plans change. I erased them all. I thought if I hadn’t gotten to them by now, watching them would be a chore.

The Unicorn is a sitcom I actually have been watching. I didn’t want to at first because, although I’d heard of Walton Goggins, I had never actually seen him in anything. But it’s kind of like Seinfeld in that there is such an impressively strong group playing the couples who are his friends. Omar Benson Miller (yes!!) and  Maya Lynne Robinson are a couple with 4 kids and essentially a no nonsense approach and Rob Corddry and comedy goddess Michaela Watkins are the white color kid with a single kid who is well on her way to nerdhood.  These four a Goggins’ lifeline after his wife passes and he becomes a single father. The whole widower thing is handled well. His wife is mentioned or remembered in a completely organic way and allows the show to stay away from a trajectory that could have become maudlin.

Prodigal Son is another fairly unique concept for this season. Tom Payne plays Malcolm Bright, the son of a notorious serial killer called The Surgeon (Michael Sheen) who understands how killers think. The criminal psychologist uses his skills to help an NYPD unit led by Lou Diamond Phillips, a cop he’s known since his youth. What is interesting for me so far is that Bright’s mom, Bellamy Young, is her own kind of nuts, and Malcolm, who started off as a little nutty (I mean consider his past), is well on his way to possibly off his rocker.

Bluff City Law is a case of the week legal drama set in Memphis. The viewer is getting smidges of the character’s private lives each week but character development seems a little slow. I like Caitlin McGee’s performance but I’d never heard of her before watching this. The anchor for the show and the law firm in it is Jimmy Smits. The supporting cast, especially Barry Sloane who’s mostly navigated a single case for the first part of the season, is just starting to get noticed. It’s not something I race to watch but I like it. ETA: It has gotten cancelled. Poor Barry Sloane.

Emergence was a show I was waiting for as it marked the return of Allison Tolman.  She plays a sheriff who takes in a young child that she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation so far has been weird and sometimes violent and definitely is affecting her family, including father Clancy Brown and ex-husband Donald Faison. But, bless her, she is nowhere near ready to give up. The cliffhanger before Christmas break was very illuminating.

I have watched a couple of episodes of Perfect Harmony (the rest are on my DVR). I love that Bradley Whitford is doing outright comedy although his character, an Ivy League music professor, is quite cranky. But I’m not in a rush to get back to it because it doesn’t seem like there’s enough material for it to run for multiple seasons. ETA: Like Carol’s Second Act, these got dumped off my DVR.

While we’re talking about enough material, Sunnyside was one of the first casualties of the season and, I have to say, I saw it coming. The pilot was well done, Kal Penn played Garrett Shah, a disgraced former New York city councilman who finds his calling when faced with immigrants in need of his help and in search of the American Dream. I know the immigration and nationalization process in the US is a lengthy process but it just didn’t seem like there was enough to keep people coming back despite the presence of talent like Diana Maria Riva.

Almost Family revolves around Julia Beckley (Brittany Snow) having her life turned upside down when it's revealed that her father, a pioneering Nobel Prize-winning fertility doctor, used his own sperm to conceive dozens of children over the course of his career. She connects with two “sisters” in particular and I think that’s what they’ve built the show on but I had a hard time believing any of the negative effects of all this coming from Snow and chose to stop watching. I do have the Australian show it’s based on as part of my Netflix list, I think I will probably end up watching that first.

I did start watching Batwoman before my injury, it being female led and all. Ruby Rose does inspire a bit of monotony in the voiceovers that populate the show but I get it, she’s tired, she’s working hard and only making minimal progress, I understand she’s not full of pep. It is kind of weird to watch her slip into the suit and try to make it work for her and watch Camrus Johnson, the steward of the life Bruce Wayne abandoned, do his best to both avoid and become her Alfred. ETA: That got dumped off the DVR, too. There’s SOOOO much TV.

FBI: Most Wanted is a spinoff of FBI (somebody may have to stop Dick Wolf) featuring 
Julian McMahon of Nip/Tuck as the head of team tasked with hunting down fugitives. Sadly, it’s been pretty run of the mill so far except for McMahon’s in-laws, which include Nathanial Arcand as his brother-in-law and a member of his squad.

The CW did reboot Nancy Drew and while I did not hate the concept, I’m still loyal to Pamela Sue Martin and chose not to watch it.

These are the shows that are on the air. Some mid-season shows are still ready to roll out. Some are already being bolstered by promos like Deputy. I am looking forward to that one and watching Stephen Dorff unexpectedly be made the sheriff of LA County. I think and really hope Yara Martinez, last seen and underutilized on Bull, will get to be a meaty part of this drama. ETA: Yara has gotten some featured episodes and done well but she’s essentially in the same boat as David Conrad on the Ghost Whisperer and Jake Weber on Medium.

Tommy is another cop show but thankfully Tommy is Abigail Thomas’ nickname and Edie Falco is front and centre as the first female chief of police for Los Angeles. She got the position as part of a court mandate after some ugliness in the department and often has to deal with the mayor, Tom Sadowski. Tommy’s assembled a pretty tight circle so far and, of course, does things her own way, so I’ve been trying to watch this live.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is SOOOOOO good. I’ve missed Jane Levy so much and this has not only a lovely story but singing and dancing (with choreography by Mandy Moore). After an accident in an MRI machine, Levy’s character can hear people expressing their feelings through song. Her supporting cast is top notch. Alex Newell of Glee plays her neighbor who is trying to help Zoey figure this out, Skylar Astin of Pitch Perfect and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is her BFF, Lauren Graham is her boss, and Mary Steenburgen and Peter Gallagher are her parents. Some of the most touching scenes (and songs) have involved Levy and Gallagher, who has lost many functions, including speech and a lot of movement. Thanks to Zoey’s condition, he is able to express himself to her through song and Gallagher’s voice is so sweet.

Geniuses has become Outmatched and features Maggie Lawson and Jason Biggs as parents of 4 children, 3 of whom are geniuses. I’ve seen 3 episodes so far. Everyone except the “normal” child seems to be waiting for a rimshot. I did enjoy Tony Danza as Jason Bigg’s dad but I am not going to be busting my butt to watch it. 

Uninsured has become Indebted. Adam Pally and Abby Elliott end up having to take care of Dave's parents (Fran Drescher and Steven Weber), who have mismanaged their finances and need help paying down a sizable debt. Sadly, like Outmatched, everyone seems to be waiting for a rimshot and the jokes seem really repetitive. Weber’s character, for example, is constantly talking about spending extravagant amounts of money even though he is deep in debt and I doubt they’re going after a dementia storyline with him. When the name Dan Levy popped up on the credits I did a lightning fast search on IMDB to make sure it was not, in my mind, THE Dan Levy of Schitt’s Creek, and thankfully, there are 2 of them.

Lincoln Rhyme, who was played on the big screen by Denzel Washington, is now Russell Hornsby from Grimm and Fox’s failed Proven Innocent. There’s still an Amelia Sachs, there’s still a Bone Collector, and Michael Imperioli is always a strong utility player but I’m finding it collecting on the DVR because of the plethora of good stuff available on Thursday and my need to get through that because sampling Friday’s mostly guilty pleasures.

Katy Keene has made it air. It’s a Riverdale spinoff on the CW and they are spending a lot on advertising but not enough to rope me in. Not that I think it’s not a good show, I’m just not the target audience.

Of the rest of the list, I know the planned reboots of New York Undercover and NYPD blue did not make it out of the gate. 

I’m never going to get this post finished if I included all of the pilots on the list I still haven’t talked about, so I’ll go with bullet points about the ones that stood out to me:

Nana: Katey Sagal playing a grandmother. Yeah. 

An untitled comedy pairing Leslie Odom Jr. and Kelly Jenrette: GREAT team, well matched I think.

The Republic of Sarah: Sarah Drew of Grey's Anatomy goes from mayor to president. So much story potential there.

Broke: Jaime Camil and Natasha Leggero plus Pauley Perrette - uh, yes please. Sounds like a very strong team to me. 

Next is a vehicle for Jon Slattery of Mad Men, who I adore, but I don’t recognize much of the supporting cast, which could be a problem if none of them are able to rise to his level.

Filthy Rich features Kim Cattrall and Gerald McRaney, a very strong base but I’m wondering how the religious community will respond to a story about how imperfect true believers can be. Another plus for me, it’s supposed to be filmed in New Orleans.

Richard Lovely is a vehicle for the uber talented Thomas Lennon, who plays the disgruntled author of the best-selling children's book series, Mr. Mouse. It looks like he’ll have Wendie Malick as a frequent scene partner and I believe that to be an ideal pairing.

Council of Dads is getting a lot of advertising but will involve death. If they handle it as well as The Unicorn has, I think it might have a chance.

That’s all I’ve got. I wish I’d finished this sooner. My DVR is 63% full. I’m going to match more TV.

[gossipnetwork-blog]

How Joining The Real Housewives Changes Your Life

New Post has been published on http://gossip.network/how-joining-the-real-housewives-changes-your-life/

How Joining The Real Housewives Changes Your Life

Bravo

Margaret Josephs almost stepped into the spotlight on The Real Housewives of New Jersey a whole lot earlier in the Bravo hit’s run than its current eighth season.

A fan of the show since its inception, in part, because it was highlighting women from her neck of the woods, the franchise’s newest addition told E! News that she was contacted by producers about joining the fray way back when Caroline Manzo was spinning off onto her own series after season five. “[They] actually approached me in 2013, we were discussing it last night at dinner, and I couldn’t do it that year,” she revealed. “It just wasn’t great timing.” Considering that was the year she divorced first husband Jan Josephs for current hubby Joe Benigno, the hesitation is understandable. After all, allowing Bravo’s cameras to capture your life, warts and all, for the world to see is one heck of a commitment. 

But 2017 felt like the perfect time for the pigtail enthusiast to convince her family to let her document her life on national television, she told us. “Well, A. I’ve led many lives by the age of 50, and, at 50, I thought it was a great turning point. I’ve already had a business for a long time, all my kids are up and out of the house, and I thought this would just be a great opportunity to do something different,” she explained. “The truth is, my whole life has been a reality series since birth, legit. You’ve seen Marge Sr. I thought it was just the next step in my career. I thought it would be fun. I thought it was great to show people that women could be entrepreneurial. I didn’t come from the Lucky Sperm Club. I pulled myself up by the boot straps, I’ve taken a lot of hits, so I thought I was also very relatable. And Jersey could definitely use a blonde, so I thought it was a good idea.”

With her mind made up, it was time to get her family on board, something she wasn’t able to do with everyone in her life. “Because I’m so out there, and they call me TMI Marge, my whole family knows everything’s out there. My husband Joe is very funny. Everybody just acts like themselves, the girls in my office, Marge Sr. They were super excited. Of course, my children, who are not on the show, were not excited,” she said. (Margaret has one son, as well as three step-children whom she helped raise, from her first marriage.)

“They were like, ‘Um, people know enough about us already. Do you really need to blast it all over TV?’ I mean, I got a lecture from my son. ‘Who talks about their vagina on TV the first episode?'” she continued. “So my children are extremely private people. I don’t discuss their names, I don’t discuss their industry. So I have to keep my kids off, but I have so many other family members, including my ex-husband, who are willing to be supportive and go on the show with me, it’s fine.”

As cameras began rolling on season eight, life quickly began to change for Margaret. Namely, getting used to a lack of spare time. “The adjustment is I run around like a chicken with my head cut off because I also still run my business,” she explained. I didn’t have as much time for myself. You’d think I have all this time for beauty routines. I don’t. That’s how my life has changed. I’m actually more stressed, less time, less time to shop, less time to do anything. But I’m enjoying it. It’s a great ride.”

Of course, then came being involved in her first big Housewives fight, which occurred at the top of the season when the ladies traveled to Boca Raton and Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga‘s cake fight set Siggy Flicker off in a serious way. “First of all, I found the first part entertaining. I thought Melissa and Teresa were hilarious. When I saw Siggy literally having a breakdown about it and crying, because that was really happening, I was in shock,” she admitted. “That’s why I was like, ‘Take it down a notch.’ I mean, are you kidding me? Who cries over a freaking cake? I could not believe grown women get upset about things like this, so I was like, ‘Wow, this has never happened with my friends and myself. I’ve never had this kind of dynamic.'”

Introduced to viewers as a friend of Siggy’s, Margaret quickly aligned herself with Teresa, Melissa and Danielle Staub after the shocking turn of events in Boca, putting her at odds with Siggy and her BFF Dolores Catania ever since. Of course, referring to her newfound nemesis as “Soggy Flicker” didn’t help things, though she asserts she never meant any actual harm by the nickname. 

“I was shocked that she was sensitive. Usually, strong women have thicker skin,” she told us. “We were acquaintances, we weren’t good friends. We only knew each other from town and things like that. I’ve been around a very long time in my area, I know a lot of people. I get along with mostly everybody, I make fun of everybody. So no one ever has taken me that seriously. I think she truly took it to heart the wrong way. I apologized. The apology obviously didn’t go the way she wanted it to. She wanted me to follow a certain script. I don’t know what it was. Kiss her toes, braid her hair? I guess I didn’t follow it appropriately, so yeah, I was a little surprised it went that way. But we obviously are two different people who don’t see eye to eye.”

Of course, the second life-changing experience as a novice Real Housewife begins when the season starts airing, inviting comment from the farthest corners of the internet. “I think I’ve had an amazing, positive response, which is great. People are writing to me that they relate to certain situations,” Margaret admitted. “I’ve also had some petty responses. People can be so obsessed with pigtails. I always thought it was normal. I never knew I was such a crazy, little oddity, which I think is so funny.”

Around her town of Englewood, NJ, Margaret said that reaction from her neighbors has been overwhelmingly positive, as well. “I’ve lived there since 1991, I literally know everybody. People are very super-excited, all my friends are excited. Everybody loves it. Everyone’s like, ‘Marge, I saw you on TV. Oh my God, you and Joe!’ The funny part is we haven’t changed our everyday routine. I eat at Jackson Hole diner in Englewood three time a week for breakfast because my oven’s still not working, I just want you to know that. We eat in all of our same restaurants, people are super sweet and positive. They’re saying the most amazing things to us. They say, ‘The way you are in real life is the way you are on TV,’ and I love to hear that because that’s the way I act every day.”

While her tenure on the series hasn’t generated any sort of wild endorsement offers just yet—”I’m waiting for the pigtail extension thing to come out,” she said, laughing. “I’m just waiting for that line. A blow-up doll of Marge or something creepy will probably come out”—she has seen a positive influence on her business, the Macbeth Collection. “Christmas orders have improved, people reaching out,” Margaret said. “‘Where can we get your products?’ But we really sell to the mid-tier and the mass. So sales are starting to pick up and we’re getting new deals every day.”

Along with the seeing the public’s reaction to her presence on RHONJ now that the season has been airing, Margaret’s also had to relive every awkward moment, including her bizarre diner scene with Siggy where each woman staked their claim as the show’s resident Joan Rivers. (“OK and obviously we all do know who it is,” she said, laughing.) But so far, she has no regrets about her past behavior. 

“It’s almost like an out-of-body experience,” she said of watching herself back, months later. “You can really almost have the same emotion and you don’t realize until you watch it back what exactly everybody looks like, but I’m not embarrassed by anything I have done. I only usually regret what I haven’t done. So it’s very interesting to watch it back. I still find it entertaining. I’m loving this season. We’re here to entertain with the good, bad and the ugly and nothing we do is really that serious, so I thought that diner scene was classic. I loved it.”

There’s still plenty more to come this season, including tonight’s showdown at the Posche fashion show, a trip to Milan—”We suck the life out of Italy,” she promised—and her “super-glam” 50th birthday party, but Margaret was already busying herself, looking ahead to her first reunion.

“This is the Super Bowl of Housewives. That’s what I call it. That’s what I’ve labeled it. So you have to prepare for the Super Bowl,” she explained. “So I’ve been mentally preparing, I’ve been taking my notes. I look at the episodes, what is poignant. Yes, I am very prepared for the Super Bowl. I’m going in very strong. I have my dressed picked out. My hair, I don’t think I’ll wear it in pigtails, spoiler alert. I don’t know if I’ll be MVP coming out as the rookie, but maybe Rookie of the Year.”

[Ed. Note: Margaret and her co-stars sat down for the season eight reunion days after this interview took place.]

As she looked back on her experience thus far, she summed it up for us as such: “It’s very interesting. I feel like I’m in high school. You never get out of high school, that’s the bottom line.”

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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[buckybarnesappreciationsociety]

Winter Soldier 2.0-Dad On A Mission

Summary: After 2 months, Izzy’s privileges were restored. She and her parents settled into a routine of keeping the lines of communication open and honest. Their piece of mind shattered when an evil from the past tipped the scales of happiness. How will the team react? What will Bucky do to get his daughter back? The answer will definitely surprise you!

 Word Count: 2K+ (Yep it’s long)

 Warnings: Swearing, kidnapping, distress

Characters: Bucky x Reader 

OFC: Izzy, Steven, Rayna, Maddie, Rodney and Caleb Baretti                                          

 A/N: A keyboard translating English to Russian was used for the conversation between Nat and Bucky. (www.masterrussian.com)

 Bucky, Y/N, Izzy and Steven fell into a peaceful existence. After her 2 month grounding, 16 year old Izzy enjoyed hanging out with her 9 year old brother, Aunt Nat and Wanda and bff’s Kayla and Maddie. Truth be told, Maddie had a serious “crush” on Sam! He thought it was cute!

Steven was growing by leaps and bounds; Izzy becoming a beautiful young lady, with dark auburn hair, a brilliant smile and her signature freckles. Everyone said she looked like Bucky.  On the other hand, Steven was a combination of his dad and mom. Chocolate brown locks,  deep blue-gray eyes, olive skin tone like Y/N and her dazzling smile..

 Steven loved hanging out with this dad. They dubbed it ‘guy stuff.’ Izzy extremely athletic,  played soccer at the Central Midfielder position. Bucky NEVER missed a game. The other parents admired his enthusiasm. And heaven forbid if the Avengers attended as well. They were a raucous bunch, especially if Izzy scored a goal

 SOMEONE’S LURKING IN THE DARKNESS

 Friday around dusk, everyone milled around after the game. It was hard fought but alas, Izzy’s team lost by a score of 3-2. Tony thought a team pizza party would lift their spirits. So, he reserved the entire eatery, “Reynaldo & Giovanni’s Pizza Emporium.” The heartbroken players, coach and parents dined on succulent calzone, strombolies and a variety of pizza.

 Izzy sat at the table with her friends, picking over her food. Bucky noticed and consoled his daughter.

 “Hey, sweetheart, why the long face?”  Sighing heavy, Izzy sounded broken, “Dad, it was my fault we lost. I let the team down.” Tears brimmed in her eyes.

 “C’mere baby girl.” Lifting her chin, Bucky reassured his distraught daughter no one blamed her for the team’s loss. Now, where’s that beautiful smile, huh?” Wrapping her arms around Bucky’s massive frame, Izzy’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

 Returning to Y/N’s side, Bucky noticed a look of terror on his wife’s face. “Doll, what’s wrong? Looks like ya seen a ghost?”

 Trying to clear her head, Y/N replied, “I think I did babe. That man who as across the street looked like Rodney.” Bucky craned his neck, looking out of the large window.

 “Doll there’s no one out there. Are you sure it was him?” Bucky’s forehead creased.

 Visibly shaken, Y/N responded. “I guess not my love. Everyone’s leaving, guess we should too.”

  Mrs Barnes’ intuition was correct. Rodney slithered from a distance, watching Izzy. He knew the school she attended, her place of residence and favorite hangouts. His twisted mind devised a plan to kidnap her for ransom. With the IQ of a gnat, the doofus forgot who her real dad is, James Buchanan Barnes, formerly the Winter Soldier.

 Nat, Wanda, Tony, Sam and Steve walked back to the Tower since it was only 3 blocks. Izzy and Steven wanted to join them, but Y/N balked at the idea.

 “Hey mom. I’m gonna walk back to the Tower with….” Y/N cut Izzy off. “No you’re not. We’re taking the car! Bucky and his puzzled daughter stood silent after the outburst. Draping his arm over Y/N’s shoulder, Bucky tried to calm his nervous wife. “Angel, what’s gotten into ya? You’ve been jumpy all night.”

 Y/N’s hands shook as she apologized to her daughter. “I’m so sorry Izzy. I didn’t mean to yell at you. Listen, let’s just take the car home, okay?”

 Steven and Izzy nodded ‘yes.’ Exiting the restaurant, Y/N was on high alert. Obviously something or someone frightened her.

 Once home, the kids showered and went to the theatre for movie night. Y/N opted to stay in the apartment and read. She felt the bed dip and gazed into her husband’s worried eyes.

 “Hey, are ya okay?” Y/N closed her book and replied, “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry about earlier, kinda tired,” pecking Bucky on the cheek, she grabbed her book and continued reading. If there’s one thing James Buchanan could spot and that’s a liar. Right now, Y/N was lying!

 Joining his kids, Bucky settled down, watching “John Wick 2”. Izzy tucked under his right arm, Steven under the other. Bucky tried to enjoy the movie but his thoughts were on Y/N.

 HANGING OUT

 No missions on the weekend ushered in much needed downtime. Izzy, Kayla, Maddie, and Steven were enjoying a lazy Saturday  morning in the common room with Sam, Nat, Thor and Tony.

 The quirky billionaire mussed Steven’s hair, “So, any plans for today?” Kayla chided, “Nope. We’ll probably walk to the park and hang out for awhile. It’s a pretty day.” Izzy added, “Yeah, we wanna get out a bit.

 Nat remarked, “Be careful Izz. Do you have your pepper spray and cell phone?” Giggling, Izzy kissed her overprotective  aunt on the cheek. “You worry too much. We’ll be fine and to answer your question, yes I have both.”

 APPREHENSION

 “Hey mom, dad! Where are ya?” Bucky heard his son bellowing and came to see what all the fuss is about. “Hey champ, why all the racket?”

 Trying to catch his breath, Steven informed his dad they were leaving for the park. To his dismay, Y/N vetoed the idea.

 “Steven James  Barnes, you’re not going to the park!”

 Steven bristled at his mom’s harsh tone. “But mom, we wanna go to the park and kick the soccer ball around. PLEASE?”

 Standing before Bucky and his wife were 3 adorable teens, with puppy dog eyes. Izzy batted her long, curled eyelashes, “Mom, dad I love you. We’ll be home before dark and I’ll take good care of the rugrat.” Izzy gently nudged her brother.

 “Doll, what d’ya think?, “Bucky replied, quirking an eyebrow at Y/N. Breathing a deep sigh, Y/N gave the kids permission to go out. “Just be careful and Izzy, watch your brother.”

 Steven grabbed the soccer ball and the merry band rode the elevator down and out of the Tower.

 After the “grandparent” fiasco, Uncle Tony purchased Izzy a new phone, with state-of-the-art Stark tech. NO ONE outside of family, has her number. As an added measure of security, Steven and his sister carried burner phones. Everyone on the team were programmed into both phones. At the push of a button, help could be summoned in a flash. Even with all this security, Y/N still had an uneasy feeling.

 Steven grabbed his phone, shoved it in his front jean pocket and grabbed the soccer ball. Kayla dashed beside him and swiped the ball, causing the kids to laugh. “Gotta be faster, squirt,” Maddie giggled.

  SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

 Rodney Baretti, thief, con artist, Izzy’s sperm donor. This man was lower than a snake and his so-called “parents” weren’t a shining example either; the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Rodney, his brother Caleb, and their parents managed to worm their way into Izzy’s life. Of course, there was an ulterior motive behind it; they saw dollar signs.

 Caleb and Rodney were troubled children born to an abusive mother and alcoholic father. By high school, both had a juvenile record for petty larceny and possession of a controlled substance. Rodney, the eldest, steered his brother down the wrong path.

 By the age of 20, Caleb served time for armed robbery; 10 years. He was released after 6 years under the stipulations of obtaining his GED, attend anger management classes, get a job and become self-sufficient. He achieved all of those goals and was doing well on the outside. His attempt to distance himself from the vicious cycle of drug and alcohol abuse was short lived.

 Rodney didn’t want to be a father and Y/N was excited about that. At least Izzy wouldn’t come in contact with his family’s toxic behavior.

 The plan to kidnap Izzy was devised by Rodney and his parents. Caleb tried to distance himself from the fiendish plot, but Rodney enticed him with money and drugs.

 PLAN A

Lay the foundation. Fill Izzy’s head with lies so she’ll turn on her mother. 

 PLAN B

Caleb slithered around watching while Izzy played in the park. He bought chloroform and a getaway van. Wait for the opportunity and pounce!

 SURREAL

Steven and Maddie teamed up against Izzy and Kayla in a mini soccer match. Caleb kept a safe distance, not drawing attention to himself.

 An afternoon of physical activity was quite taxing,  Steven and Maddie, sat on a bench, breathing heavily, gulping down their water, while Izzy and Kayla visited an ice cream stand situated on the sidewalk, not too far from the bench.

 Kayla grabbed two cones from the vendor, both chocolate. She carefully walked back to the bench to give Steven his cone. Just as Izzy got her and Maddie’s cone, the sound of screeching tires penetrated the quiet park. Two men with masks jumped out and snatched Izzy by her arm. Remembering her self-defense training, the courageous  teen kneed one of the men between his legs.

 Running in the direction of the  fray, Steven, Kayla and Maddie attempted to grab Izzy, as she kicked and screamed. One of the stoolies managed to get the chloroform rag on her face. Izzy’s body went limp and was pulled into the van.

 “IZZYYYYYYY, NOOOOOOOO!!!!! SOMEBODY HELP US PLEASE!!!” Steven emitted a blood curdling scream.

 The ice cream vendor called police, but when they arrived, Izzy was gone.

 “STOOOOP…..STOOOOOP!!!! IZZZYYYYYYY, OH MY GOD….PLEASE HELP US.” Kayla let out a high-pitched wail, while her body shook.

 During the maylay,Maddie scrapped her knee on the sidewalk and needed medical attention. Kayla held Steven close as she dialed Bucky’s phone.

 “Hey Kayla, hey. Wha……? Bucky sounded surprised.

 Hollering in the phone, Kayla replied, “MR. BARNES...MR. BARNES PLEASE COME QUICK. THEY, THEY TOOK IZZY

 Steven was in the background shouting for his sister. “DAAAAD….DAAAAD….DAAAAD! IZZZYYYYY….I WANT MY SISTER!”

 Bucky swore this was a terrible nightmare. His military instincts went into overdrive.

 “STEVE, TONY, WANDA, NAT!!! SOMEONE’S SNATCHED IZZY. WE GOTTA GET THERE NOW!!!!”

 Tony summoned his suit and flew out of the Tower. Nat, Bucky and Steve ran fast as possible. The kids were only 3 blocks from home.

 First on the scene, Tony. He made certain Maddie and Kayla received medical attention as well as calling their parents. Once their parents arrived, the police filled them in on what occurred.

 Bucky bolted to his son’s side. “NO NO NO NO!!” Desperation dripped from his raw throat. “THIS CAN’T BE...IT’S..IT’S  A NIGHTMARE….M’NOT AWAKE!

 Kneeling down, Steve scooped up Steven, who was unresponsive, and cradled his namesake; placing a blanket around his rattled shoulders. ‘This is unbelievable! I..I can’t…Oh geez, Izzy.”

 Meanwhile, Y/N slumped down on the floor of their apartment and sobbed uncontrollably, yelling for her baby girl. “IZZZZYYYY….IZZZZYYYY!!!” Wanda rocked her back and forth. “Shh...shh I’ve got you. They’ll find her….they’ll find her.”

 Standing, Bucky’s eyes were blank; devoid of any emotion. The metal plates in his arm shifted loudly. Nat tried to speak to him, but there was no response.

 Bucky’s movements were robotic, calculated. Tony and Steve watched closely as he strode back to the Tower.

 “He..hey Buck?” Steve stuttered, holding little Steven in his massive arms.

 Natasha informed him, “Shit Steve, that’s not Bucky.’

 Steve gingerly carried little Stevie to Dr. Cho, where Y/N and Wanda were waiting.

“OH MY SWEET SWEET SON. WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM? WHY ISN’T HE TALKING?” Y/N was visibly distraught, running her hand through his har.

 Dr. Cho examined Steven. “He’s in shock. I’ll keep him here overnight and monitor his vitals. Y/N you may want to stay as well.’

 Through a deluge of tears, shoulders shaking, “I’ll be here.” Wanda stayed with Y/N.

 Nat and Bucky were in the corridor leading to his apartment. He turned to her and spoke Russian:

 ЬЩМУ ТФЕФДШФ

(MOVE NATALIA)

 “ФКУ НЩГ ЫГКУ НЩГ ЦФТЕ ЕЩ ПЩ ВЩЦТ ЕРШВЫКЩФВ ФПФШТ?”

(ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO GO DOWN THIS ROAD AGAIN?)

 ШЬ ТЩЕ РФМШТП ЕРШЫ ВШЫСГЫЫШЩТ ЦШЕР НЩГ

(I’M NOT HAVING THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU)

 ЦРФЕ ЫРЩГДВ Ш ЕУДД НТ?

(WHAT SHOULD I TELL Y/N?)

 ЕРУ ЕКГЕР!

(THE TRUTH!)

 Tony analyzed the blood and found it to be Caleb Baretti’s. His records were easy accessible.

 “I need to get to Bucky before he does something stupid, Steve deadpanned.

 Tony cautioned the blonde super soldier to wait before approaching Bucky. The rest of the team was contacted. Sam, Clint, Scott, Thor, Rhodey, and Steve convened in the conference room. When Bucky arrived in the room, Sam nudged Clint, looking at their friend.

 The gray sweats and t-shirt had been shed for black tactical gear; loaded to the hilt with weapons. Bucky stood quietly in the back of the room, arms folded across his chest and icy stare.

 James Buchanan Barnes no longer existed, nor the Winter Soldier. He was someone more dangerous ….a father on a mission. Rescue his daughter and end the lives of those who took her.

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