#who is not a villain (he insists) and they all pretend like they believe him

[tonystarktogo]

Tony Stark + rumors = utter madness2 * π or something

It’s crazy!” Brock lets out a long-suffering sigh. “You can’t hire anyone these days without having them ask you all about Stark, whether he’s really a villain and if maybe that makes it alright that their kids look up to the guy so much, and if I can tell them anything about his plans once he deems the world ready to acknowledge his absolute reign.”

He clonks his head against the table, much to the amusement of his audience.

“Underlings,” Victor van Doom mutters derisively. “This is why Doom does not trust humans but robots.”

“Sure,” Deadpool smirks -- well, technically nobody can tell, what with the mask and all, but really, with that tone of voice it’s impossible for him not to be smirking -- ”Because Stark is just so terrible at dealing with robots. Guy isn’t just a hot piece of ass, y’know?”

Doom doesn’t deign that with a response which leads Brock to suspect he doesn’t have one. 

“Hey, Loki?” Brock frowns down at the cards in his hands. Poker is still fun, but ever since they started what one of Loki’s minions insisted on naming ‘Fantasy Avenging’ it’s just not as fun anymore. “What with all that god of lies and mischief shit, couldn’t you figure out if Stark really is a hero? Like, smell if he’s lying or something?”

Loki smirks, a sure sign that Brock is about to be mocked. “Deceit is indeed a language I have long since mastered,” he twists his hand in a careless gesture that, looking back, Brock is sure means the bastard cheated because fucking magic, “yet you seem to forget that the knowledge all the lies in the world does not grant you insight into the truth beneath.”

“So, in other words, you’ve got nothing.”

That at least earns him a cool glare. “I should like to smite you where you stand, mortal, where it not for the occasional entertainment your foolish bumbling provides.”

“I’m sitting,” Brock deadpans.

“Brock and Loki, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-” Deadpool coos, then suddenly breaks off, which Brock interprets as him wanting to bring the conversation back on track--which proves just he is just as interested in the matter of Stark as the rest of them. Unsurprisingly. These days you’d be hard-pressed to find a villain who isn’t interested in Stark.

“Doom would not expect the Man of Iron to have the heart to be of traitorous nature.” Doom licks his lip thoughtfully and folds.

“Good point,” Brock acknowledges. “But can you imagine if it were true?”

That gains him the undivided attention of his fellow players in an instant.

“I’m just saying.” He shrugs. “It would be...almost impossible to pull off, but tactically speaking it’s not a bad plan. Take them down from the inside out instead of attacking outright. It’s what HYDRA did after WWII. Hiding themselves inside SHIELD until they were strong enough to strike...” he trails off, realising that what he almost said out loud were the words ‘if anyone’s gonna pull it off it’d be Stark’. 

“Well shit.”

They are so fucked.

Deadpool gives him the fingerguns.

#ReRe writes #so I discovered this in my old drafts #i have no memory of writing it or where i was going with this but... i like #i like very much #Tony Stark as the villains' Favorite™ #Tony and his villains #Brock Rumlow #Loki #Deadpool #who is not a villain (he insists) and they all pretend like they believe him #Victor Van Doom #just a couple of supervillains gossiping and making fun of each other #MCU #drabble #crack

[emmitaaa4]

I want to preface this little rant by saying that I am all for ship and let ship—at the end of the day none of this has any significance, and we should all get to enjoy our silly little ships to our heart’s content. Me personally I just want Elain to do whatever the hell she wants and be happy in the end. That being said, rn I just felt like getting something off my chest.

From what I have seen and understood, most of The Other Side believes that Azriel feels entitled to Elain. That he sees her as a sexual object, or at the very most as a rebound he doesn’t truly care for, nor respect; he does not think of her beyond what he can get from her sexually. They say his attitude towards her is toxic in its ‘possessiveness’; he doesn’t consider her an equal, for he sees her as a perpetual damsel in distress he must save; his attraction to her / feelings for her are a symptom of some twisted trauma response.

We know that they believe that. We’ve heard it. Over and over and over. Since 2021. Hell, everybody’s momma probably knows it, too, with the way that rhetoric is spread. But Elriels have made it plenty clear that we have a very different interpretation of the text and do NOT agree with those assessments of Azriel (nor half the things the poor man is diagnosed with, bless his fictional soul), considering what we do know of Azriel’s character and his relationship with Elain, based on the books--and yes, the bonus (see this, this, and this post). Otherwise—i.e. if we believed him an incel x fuckboy hybrid (probs the first of his kind!) who is only interested in getting her in is bed—we would obviously not be shipping them together: most of us (99% I’d say lol) care about Elain more than we do Az, or care about them both just as much.

So it is getting pretty tiring to see us shippers—the actual humans behind the screen—labelled as having a toxic/immature view of what love is, of being “too young/naive” to see the supposed red flags, of mistaking lust for love because we have not experienced a healthy relationship (?), of actually promoting toxic relationships & advocating for toxic masculinity (which someone told me on tiktok just now)(stay away from tiktok, folks). Those generalizations are wild to me, not only because they are wildly untrue and condescending, but because Elriels are a colorful bunch, you know—when you’re speaking of the fandom Villain™, you’re speaking of people of every demographic, speaking of daughters mothers grandmothers, depressed uni students (pardon the self-insert), etc... I need to get thicker skin, but those statements can get pretty hurtful in the long run. And I’m tired of feeling the need to justify myself as if we’re wrong for shipping two people who MUTUALLY want one another and lets be serious, no its not “just lust”.

I know I know, I am probably being dramatic. But it’s just weird to see a ship being so demonized and its shippers along with it, all because louder portions of the fandom disagree with our opinions and insist on toxifying ours. Just to be clear, I know that many have had unpleasant experiences/interactions with Elriels, just like many Elriels have had the same with Gwynriels and/or Eluciens. I condone none of the disgusting behaviour I’ve seen from some shippers, and in fact I abhor it. As everyone should.

To end this on a good note.

Elriels, I say we run with it. Az wants Elain for himself. He is jealous and his mind is plagued by thoughts of her. Her presence is too much to bear, for he can’t stand to be in the same room as her and pretend like he feels nothing. He is ready to beg on his knees for a chance to worship her, and it took Nesta one look to see it.

AZ IS OBSESSED AND I SAY WE EMBRACE IT.

#pro azriel #elain archeron #ship and let ship folks #that said embrace the obsession my elriel girlies #azriel #elriel #rant post #azriel bonus chapter #pro elriel #azriel shadowsinger #acotar

[flightfoot]

ML Fanfic Recs for 2023: 60K - 80K Words

So I’ve been going through and adding particularly good fics I’ve read throughout the year. Only Complete fics, of course. Enjoy!

---

drowning (in plain sight) by @buggachat

Everybody had expected Monarch's defeat to be a moment of triumph. Nobody had expected Gabriel Agreste, unmasked and mind frayed from continual abuse of the miraculous, crying out to all who would listen and making Paris certain of one thing:

His son, Adrien Agreste, is one of his sentimonsters.

And now he's missing.

Nobody can find him— not even the superheroes, and not even his closest friends. But Marinette, Nino, and Alya aren't ones to give up so easily. They'll find him, no matter what it takes.

(But, geez, would it kill Chat Noir to lend a hand?)

I’m sure everyone saw this one coming. If there’s one thing buggachat’s good at, storywise, it’s capturing raw, tumultuous emotions, frantic breakdowns as the characters desperately try to navigate bad situations. This was a real treat to read, as I’m betting most people reading this will agree, given just how popular the fic has been. It also has a ton of fanart, both by buggachat and by random fans, if you go looking for it (there’s a drowning in plain sight tag which I’d advise perusing). 

---

The Rules of Engagement by @overworkedunderwhelmed

When tragedy sends Adrien Agreste racing back to Paris to run his father’s fashion house, Marinette doesn’t expect much from her very new, very rich boss. At least not until she is set up on a blind date with a very familiar face.

Much to her surprise, Adrien Agreste was hiding far more secrets behind his stoic business-like mask of temporary CEO. Maybe as many secrets as she had been trying to hide for years.

As they grow closer, Marinette fears her mask isn’t nearly as foolproof. Day after day, it gets harder for her to keep all her secrets well hidden from the surprisingly sweet man who insisted on staying by her side as often as possible.

Only she couldn’t afford to fail. Not when her biggest secret could spell the end of the job she’d dreamed about for years.

They might not be superheroes in this universe, but secret identities are still active here. Both Marinette and Adrien used to be involved with the Ladybug and Chat Noir movies, and both kept that a secret - Adrien especially, since if his father found out about it, there could be some bad repercussions, as he voiced Chat Noir without Gabriel’s permission. Marinette, meanwhile, is well known for making cosplay (calling herself “Ladybug” after the movie), and has been in contact with “Chat Noir” for quite some time before the story starts - not that she knows he’s the actual VA.

It’s mostly an Adrienette fic with the two of them getting to know each other after their unusual “first” meeting, where Marinette pretended to be Kagami in order to scupper the date with Adrien and get Tomoe off her back, with some intrigue and drama thrown in. Lila’s skulking around causing problems for the people around her, but she’s honestly not the main focus here. 

---

call it even by @anna-scribbles and @sha-nwa

After a year of dating, there is one thing Marinette knows for certain: it's her and Adrien against the world. Through it all, Adrien is kind, patient, and endlessly understanding—even as she tries her best to keep her secret superhero identity hidden from him along with the rest of the world.

Nothing could ruin it, not even the supervillains of Paris: Hawkmoth and Chat Noir.

(adrinette dating // ladynoir enemies au)

This is one of those fics where Adrien and Marinette are REALLY going through it emotionally, with them starting off with wildly different perceptions of each other when untransformed, and then reckoning with the person they love the most being someone they think of as a villain, with all the betrayal and doubt that involves. Especially with Adrien having been lied to extensively by his father, and not knowing who or what to believe.

---

Miraculous Conception series by @ladynoirfanao3

Summary of the first story, The Power Of Creation:

Everyone knows that Ladybug's cure fixes everything after the destruction wrought by Shadow Moth's akumatized villains. After an akuma with an unfortunate power leaves Ladybug and Adrien in an awkward position, Marinette has never been happier to simply forget. However, she soon discovers that her miraculous ladybugs have a limitation on their curing ability, a limitation that puts her in a situation she never expected to be in.

So basically, Ladybug and Adrien run into each other just as an akuma makes everyone in the vicinity extremely horny, and when they both start remembering things again, they’re in a pretty... compromising position. But it’s just an akuma so they put it out of their heads, until Marinette discovers she’s pregnant and has to decide what to do about it, whether to keep the pregnancy, tell Adrien she’s Ladybug and is having his baby, what to do with the earrings when she’s too pregnant to be Ladybug, etc.

I really enjoyed it! Just watching Ladybug and Adrien try and navigate the situation, especially with secret identities thrown into the mix.

The main fics in the series are basically the same story, it’s just that the first one is from Marinette’s perspective, while the second one is from Adrien’s. The Power of Creation is rated M while the Power of Destruction is rated E, but for both fics it’s just rated that for a single sex scene that occurs in the fic (with it being the same sex scene in both fics, just told from two different perspectives).

---

I Put A Spell On You by dazaimaru

Friday, October 25. 6 days until Halloween.

It’s their first high school Halloween dance, and Marinette and Adrien are ready to throw on some non-superhero costumes for once--that is, until an akumatized witch spoils the party and threatens to reveal what lies underneath everyone’s disguise.

With Hawkmoth taking full advantage of the spooky season, the days leading up to Halloween are certainly going to be thrilling! Especially considering Marinette’s growing feelings for a certain black cat…

This one’s mostly just some really cute Lovesquare shenanigans around Halloween, with some really fun sequences like Marinette and Adrien getting body-swapped and Marinette temporarily becoming a vampire (and also Marinette repeatedly stunning Adrien with her outfits. I was just waiting for him to pass out from blood loss from a nosebleed).

---

Through the Looking Glass by @jheqiawrites

Adrien is a lonely child, cut off from the outside world by his parent's strict rules. But when he discovers a window in his closet and sees a young girl looking back at him like his reflection, maybe he has hope for friendship after all.

Poor Adrien here, he makes a long-time friend (who everyone thinks is an imaginary friend), and has several great years interacting with her as his parents grow more concerned with him not growing out of it... and then Emilie dies, Gabriel orders the window destroyed, Adrien’s put on medication to suppress his “hallucinations” (which also makes him forget Marinette) and he’s just kind of left like that for the next several years, until he’s an adult.

Luckily, while Adrien forgot Marinette, Marinette never forgot him, and he’s not too difficult to track down...

This is some really cute Adrienette, if you want a “forgotten childhood friends-to lovers” Adrienette story, you should check this out!

---

Fate, Destiny... A Hamster by @mostmagical

After finally moving into his very first apartment per Ladybug’s suggestion, Adrien discovers something no movie or TV show could have ever prepared him for: someone else's hamster.

Marinette was so excited to have her first pet. If only it would stop escaping!

At least now there’s an excuse to talk to the new neighbor.

(Adrienette Never Met AU)

Funnily enough, this is based on a true story. Specifically, the author’s own experience of having her hamster run out and be found by a neighbor.

Anyway, this is adorable! Marinette and Adrien become smitten with each other extremely quickly, with Marinette’s hamster keeping giving them reasons to talk. Very effective wing-hamster, that one XD. 

#miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic rec #drowning in plain sight #call it even #adrienette #ladynoir #marichat #ladrien #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng

[peterlorres21stcentury]

I was going through some past emails and I found this post from my old Yahoo group

On Feb. 6, the "Old Movie Section" blog posted this "tintype" of Peter, written by Sidney Skolsky, taken from a book titled "Tintypes". Peter was working on "Crime and Punishment" at the time:

<<<< 11/27/1935 HCN Tintypes By Sidney Skolsky

Peter Lorre is in his dressing room. It generally takes him an hour to dress for his role in Crime and Punishment. He does this slowly, intentionally. He believes it aids him to portray the character.

He goes on the set and stands in for himself. He is one of the few big actors who do this. He poses under the hot lights while director von Sternberg arranges them and the camera. He does this because von Sternberg, who is particular about lighting a scene and an actor, asks him to do it. It means hard work for him, but he admires von Sternberg.

While on the set he has a favorite drink, a mixture of raspberry syrup and water. He makes everyone sample it. While making a flicker he doesn't eat much. His lunch consists merely of sliced fresh fruit, usually peaches.

He walks about, whether it be in the studio or in a restaurant, much in the same manner as he did in M. People who have seen him in this great flicker are scared when they first see him in person. He knows this and is greatly amused by it.

It was his excellent performance in M which got him a contract with Columbia. Before coming to America, he signed to play in the flicker, The Man Who Knew Too Much, to learn to speak English. He is good at languages and was quite adept at English in six weeks. He spoke better English in the latter reels of The Man Who Knew Too Much than he did in the beginning.

He was born in the village of Rosenberg, Hungary, on June 26, 1904. It was after he completed high school that he ran away from home to become an actor. In one early theatrical job he was given a three- line part. After the rehearsals the lines were taken away from him because he overacted. The director said he would be a standout by merely walking across the stage.

He is five feet 5 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown prominent eyes, brown hair, and rosy cheeks. A strange villain.

He speaks in a low, confidential voice which cannot be heard very far away. At the studio he will visit different offices. He amuses friends by acting and making faces. When telling a story he acts out all the characters.

He is a mild, pleasant person. He has a house at Santa Monica to which he invites his few friends for breakfast or dinner. He prefers to test by himself in his garden here. He seldom barks. He is not a visitor to the Hollywood gay places.

He enjoys watching tennis and football. His favorite sport is wrestling. He attends the bouts regularly. He once waited until after a match to ask Man Mountain Dean for an autograph.

He is married to Cecilie Lvovsky, an actress. They met when they were both appearing in the German play, "The Candidate," and were married when they met again in London. He was making a flicker. They were married during a lunch hour, and Lorre was in the make-up he used in The Man Who Knew Too Much. They haven't any nicknames for each other.

He makes charcoal sketches, landscapes and portraits, and is a good artist for his own amusement. He likes to listen to classical music. He detests bright red fingernail polish on women.

He insists that if he did not have to act, he would not. Acting, he says, is a child's profession for a grown up. "But," he slyly adds, "I love it."

When he isn't working he relishes a big meal. He likes Hungarian goulash and is especially fond of new potatoes in cream. He will talk about food and give a lecture on why a certain salami is better than another type of salami.

He is not at all particular about clothes. He doesn't try or pretend to be fashionable. He always carries plenty of baggage, most of which he never uses. He claims it looks good when you're traveling.

He likes cold showers and actually takes them.

He seldom carries money with him. Often he has run into a shop to buy a package of cigarets [sic], has found himself without a penny, and has had to write out a check for 15 cents. He sleeps alone in a twin bed. He wears pajamas, and on warm nights he wears only the jacket. He always reads himself to sleep.

He has a clause in his contract. Each day before work he is allowed to run into Boris Karloff's dressing room and frighten him.

#peter lorre #quotes #interviews #tintypes #does anyone have this book? #I've never seen it for sale #I kind of love this writeup #it's the sort of thing I might write to get a sense of a character #only in this case the character is peter himself #🖤 #let me know what your favorite detail is #I lurb him

[rams-wool]

Rambling about The Emperor I just want to put out my thoughts as I just finished the game so sorry if it's not organized well [BG3 spoilers]

I'm not the biggest Emperor fan in the room but I do think he has an interesting character I feel a lot of the playerbase completely missed. Lots of people simply run with him monologuing like the most cartoonish villain admitting to having manipulated you from the start like a puppet etc after you reject him, when he is otherwise a very lonely being (insight) who is cowardly and has temper almost as short and explosive as Gale's (please cast detect thoughts when you first meet him it's funny). I honestly feel like that scene is another front he is putting up because he got rejected and is mad and hurt as hell after opening up, and he'd rather pretend he isn't because that's something he thought not possible, assert back his dominance over the situation because he hates the thought of being weak and underneath someone, lacking control including self control. He has reactions that are not necessary to get you to do what he wants or earn his trust, moments when emotions peek through the astral prism when he still hasn't revealed himself. He surely privileges survival over anything else but he has flaws in ways that would not benefit an oh so calculative and intelligent emotionless mind flayer. I don't think he feels the way he used to certainly but it doesn't appear there's nothing there either, his old self was just lost to ceremorphosis.

More stuff.

He is so full of himself he only believes your potential truly achieved once you fully embrace becoming an illithid, but also how can he fully trust non mind flayers when everyone else wants them dead? If someone refuses to become one, doesn't it show they still have some negative bias against them, and therefore him? It's the only way for him not to be alone without a colony, his will to live specifically not designed around an elder brain, as even his best friend boyfriend tried to take his life completely ignoring his wish to live. I don't blame him for hiding his nature for that reason.

Isn't it also interesting how he wants to share this power with you, even though again he's clearly not looking for a colony or an army? He simply sees himself in you, he even basically says "I was an adventurer just like you", so he thinks what was in his opinion beneficial for him will be for you, especially against such a foe he insists only illithid (he) can truly understand.

I don't know what to make of Stelmane at this point because of all the evil cult related stuff that I've yet to understand but honestly considering how much he INSISTS on eating criminals' brains and having maintained a moral compass all these years (even if it's one I find terrible) I wouldn't put it past him for the harm brought on her being related to his definition of protecting the city.

His character really got rushed to hell near the mid point of Act 3 and there's so many inconsistencies it's hard to decide for oneself what was intended from what are mistakes but I think it still makes a lot of sense if you see it the way I do and I feel it's kinda stupid to just dismiss it as cartoon villain level of character and insist so. I think he sucks but more in a "he's a politician who thinks everything revolves around him and is actually scared of death" way than "he has no emotions or whatever and it's all fake so he can live" way. He's a loud "Me" not a neutral "Us".

#bg3 #the emperor #this makes barely any sense but I'm trying okay #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 the emperor

[nicki0kaye]

you.

@mymblesbuir, you get it

that bitch was so ready to die. it was pure chance he was able to escape, and like. Obviously he does create a plan on the fly, but I think that shit was him moving on instinct. And even then, it was a CRAPSHOOT that the Ghost would catch his escape pod at all.

and there was no plan beyond that.

he barely integrates into the rebellion, is still talking like a bond villain, idk maybe its just how I see him, but the man is not adjusting. Not in how he speaks or carries himself, and that has to be a choice for such a calculating person. I do think there's an aspect of he just can't turn it off, but I also think that he just straight up doesn't know what he'd do if he DID. Like...he has no idea what to do with himself. He is consciously out of place, in part because he never thought he'd get out. I don't know if he still believes he should be out beyond, like, having no choice and also being a genuine asset for the rebellion.

idk, its just something I love to think about, how out of place he is and how conscious he must be of that fact and how much of it is his choice to remain so obviously Imperial-in-Rebel-Clothing. How much does the dissonance bother him? Is he doing it to keep ppl at a distance? Is he playing to ppls expectations or his own? Is he genuinely so focused on work that he doesn't care to loosen up or is he using work as an excuse to avoid having to rebuild outside the strict but known social parameters of the Empire?

is he genuinely comfortable in his own skin, or is it just the skin he's worn for so long, he can't trust what he might find underneath? There's so much more going on, after all. Him 'finding' himself is such a low fuckin priority.

I got to explore that a bit in my 'Meet the In-Laws' Kalluzeb fic for those curious. The context is he's met with his older brother, Tuz, who is giving him flack for covering his tattoos and keeping up a fake accent. Tuz insists it's because Alex was ashamed of his family. Alex goes off;

"I was an Imperial spy who had defected to the Rebellion," Alex hisses. He can hear his own voice going pitchy from stress, from the strain of keeping it lowered and this private conversation private, but he has to explain, or more accurately, he couldn't stop himself from explaining, now, if he tried. It just has to come out. Tuz has no idea what wound he's prodding at– (Would Zeb? No, Alex has never told him, not in so many words. He's never told anyone.) "I was under constant scrutiny after–after nearly two decades of pretending to be a model example of the Empire's–of humanity's superiority, hunting down and snuffing out any descent! Do you know what would have happened if I suddenly dropped that act? Hmm? After switching sides? When everyone around me was scrutinizing my every move, because they either suspected or were out right certain I was some triple agent? Still bowing and scraping for the Emperor behind closed doors? All the grace I'd earned would have gone up in smoke, that's what. Wasted on something as juvenile as ego." Blood now pounding in his ears, Alex starts punctuating each declaration with a rough stab at the table. "They needed to trust me. I needed them to trust me so I could do my job! Yes, I hid my tattoos, because I didn't have time to waste, explaining how I got them and whether they were authentic. I didn't start talking like I used to because it didn't matter, and it would have only distracted from the karking war." He cuts himself off, there. Swallows down around the rest–how isolating it was, how claustrophobic it felt at times, how maddening the contradiction of it was, that he was free and still, voluntarily trapped in his Imperial costume. How he had so many selfish reasons for leaving the Empire and near all of them were set aside for the sake of the Rebellion, and that it ate at him– –that it eats at him still, 8 standard months out and still stuck in his ways, afraid of upsetting the tentative balance he's found with Zeb in their new home. It's choking him slowly, and still he clings to what he knows, falls back on the bad habits and the lies, continues to make excuses for why it just isn't 'the right time' to begin his soul searching, to find who he 'really' is. (When is he going to admit to Garazeb how afraid he is that there's nothing under the costume to find?)

#kalluzeb #kallus #nik v sw #fulcrum #obviously there's the fact he's a side character in an underfunded children's cartoon #but rebels has also never shyed away from showing how one action can completely remake them #esp in the later seasons #but its also season 4 and they had no money and no time and really needed to yeet Thrawn to wild space so I do understand

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for defending myself against attempted murder?

I (48M) recently discovered that my fourth wife (32F) was having an affair with another man (50M). She made it clear that she did not love me (personally I doubt she loved him, or indeed anyone), and I am certain (despite having no way to prove it for a long time) that she only married me to murder me for my money (she attempted to do so at least once--I became ill from what I recognise, from experience, as the symptoms of arsenic poisoning, despite the doctor insisting otherwise, and am convinced she put arsenic in my drink but failed to use a high enough dose to be fatal. A rather amateurish mistake, clearly she hadn't done this before.). When I confronted her about this she called me a ghoul and accused me of murdering my previous three wives (my first wife disappeared, and the other two died of what my doctor says were completely unexpected heart attacks. No evidence has ever been found linking me to any of their deaths.)

For her birthday recently, she decided she wanted to have a party in a supposedly haunted house, and intended to invite several of her friends (i.e. people who would take her side) and the man who I strongly suspected to be her lover (I believe she was unaware that I knew this). Obviously, this could only have been a plot for her and her lover to murder me, and as anyone else would have done in such a situation, I knew I needed to kill them both before they could do so (what else was I expected to do? let them kill me?), so I changed the guest list to include her lover and several people who neither of us knew, but who were in need of money (so that I could more easily get them to take my side). She was unreasonably angry about this, and even more so after I insisted that she attend the party (where I could more easily keep an eye on her) when she suddenly decided to stay in her room for the evening (presumably in an attempt to carry out her plan without my knowledge).

Halfway through the party, my wife (with impeccable timing, I was just starting to get a bit bored) was apparently murdered by hanging. The other guests immediately accused me of murdering her simply because I was the only one present who knew her (her lover was claiming never to have met her at the time), and while I pointed out that I wasn't stupid enough to hang my wife by a rope from the ceiling in front of everyone, they didn't seem convinced. I initially wondered if my wife's lover had decided he wanted all the money for himself and killed her, but I soon realised that she had in fact faked her death. (Also, one of the guests [56M] burst in on me ranting about ghosts while I was alone with her 'corpse'--annoyed at the interruption and at the time wondering if he was in on the plan [as it turns out, he was not], I briefly attempted to strangle him, which he seems to hold against me, but he was being extremely annoying throughout the evening.)

It took me a while after this to figure out the exact details of my wife's plan, as I had not expected the fake death, but eventually I realised that her and her lover were manipulating another of the guests [25F] into believing that I was trying to kill her (as if I had any motivation to do such a thing, I'd never even met her before) and killing me in "self-defence" (my wife's lover also accused me of being responsible for the gaslighting--this is the kind of disgusting act that I would never commit, and I really don't see how anyone can see me as the villain of this story when they would do something like this).

At this point I put my own (much better--I was honestly rather disappointed by how many holes in my wife's plan there were) plan into action. When the guest shot me (aware that my wife was planning to kill me, I had earlier loaded every gun except my own with blanks--as a side note, being shot with a blank does still hurt, and I have received very little sympathy from anyone for this) I pretended to be dead (and did a rather good job of dramatically staggering falling to the ground, if I do say so myself). She ran out of the room in a panic, and I lay on the ground and waited until my wife's lover entered. He took away my gun and dragged me in a rather undignified way across the floor (none too clean, and I was wearing a suit--I realise I am significantly taller than him, and most people, but surely he could have at least tried to pick me up?), in an attempt to throw me into a pit of acid. (Yes, there was a pit of acid in the house. Don't ask me, I didn't put it there.) Naturally, I threw him in instead.

After this of course I needed to deal with my wife. I hid and waited for her to enter the room. When she did so, I used a fake skeleton on strings (a rather amusing little device I'd built earlier) to convince her my vengeful ghost was haunting her (what can I say, I have a flair for the dramatic), and taunted her for a while before pushing her into the pit of acid. All in all, quite a satisfying end to this little adventure, and I was feeling quite pleased with myself, but certain people have been calling me a murderer for it. Personally I think they should be more grateful, since I did give them the money I promised, and stated at the inquest that I'd killed my wife's lover in self-defence while he was trying to kill me (and that my wife had then fallen in--not TOO far from the truth, and the whole story is quite a long one, so I think taking a few liberties is understandable, don't you?), when a different, less honest man could easily have pinned the blame on any of them. I've been informed by more than one person that my choice of a skeleton tie pin for the occasion was "inappropriate" (I thought it was very appropriate) and "ghoulish" (I had no idea ghouls dressed so well). The particularly irritating guest I mentioned earlier even insists that my wife's ghost will haunt me (which should prove he's not a reliable source of information--fascinating as it would be if ghosts were real, I have seen no proof of it).

I think I'm clearly innocent in all this, as I acted in self-defence, and that some people simply lack a sense of humour. Others apparently think I'm a "serial killer". AITA?

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

[kewltie]

izuku bleeds out under katsuki's hands or in which bkdk fights against a villain who has mind control quirk and he uses it on katsuki to beat izuku up, nearly killing him and sending him into the icu for wks; katsuki deals w the knowledge that he almost murder izuku, his partner and bf.

katsuki has no control when he outright broke both of izuku's legs and crushed his fingers. when the news got out that hero dynamight beat deku so bloody that they had to restart his heart THRICE, they call him a murderer and even when it revealed he was being mind controlled. while the majority of the ppl were semi-understanding that it was katsuki's fault but when a vid that was recording during bkdk's fight where katsuki was grinning as wipe izuku's blood of his cheek after as izuku lay still, they shudder bc thats not a fight it was a torture.

the thing is deku is the no.1 hero and he could have easily fought back instead of making it such a one sided slaughter but bc deku CHOSE to not fight back bc it's his partner, HIS BF, HIS KACCHAN, that it look so wrong from the outside where katsuki looks like hes enjoying it. when izuku was finally release from the hospital, his friends offer maybe it's better to stay with us for a few days but izuku insists in returning home to katsuki and pretending nothing was wrong, while katsuki hovering tensely nearby almost afraid to touch izuku out of guilt. katsuki doesnt care what the fuck the public think of him but when he saw the vid of what he did, he cant help thinking of their turbelant past and how he had promised he wouldnt ever hurt izuku again; sparing and scuffles are the norm of bkdk BUT NOT LIKE THIS. this was cruelty.

he never lay a hand on izuku with any malicious intent or with such force that izuku has a scar running down his chest and how sometimes izuku's hand slightly tremble under stress ALL DUE TO HIM; katsuki never view himself as capable of such violence bc it's not in him and yet... it doesnt matter what ppl call him, WHAT PPL ASSUME, katsuki knows the kind of person he is and so does his friends and izuku but when he sees himself smiling as he twists izuku's arms and slams his head against the wall, he doesnt see himself; he sees a monster who hurts deku.

when izuku insists he wanted to go home to katsuki, to their apartment, katsuki was actually the one who brought it up that izuku should stay with one of their friends for a time but izuku wanted to go home to HIS KACCHAN he has enough being away and wanted to go home!!!!! so due to izuku's insistent & stubbornness katsuki brought izuku home to recover. at first katsuki is tense and careful around izuku like he's afraid if he touch izuku wrong once he'll break which is funny bc izuku is incredibly resilient & he never been afraid of touching izuku.

izuku mindlessly insisting that he's FINE and that nothing IS wrong, he's ok as ift he didn't died twice on the operating table that katsuki almost believe him until he accidentally touched izuku's hand and izuku violently recoiled as though terrified, terrified of KATSUKI!!! the thing is trauma works both way; katsuki has nightmares where he'll wake up and could almost feel izuku's heart bleeding on his hands then a violent sound or a careless touch will set izuku off, curling up into himself and trembling in fear. they're both suffering from ptsd.

neither are at fault!! what happened was out of their control; izuku chose not to fight back and katsuki never had a choice but the damage been done, the scars are there and katsuki relives the trauma everytime some asshole rtwt or the news rebroadcast their fight for publicity. so now it's them relearning how to live in each other space w/o triggering each other trauma and realizing maybe neither of them are OK that sometimes izuku feels scare and helpless that he doesnt want to feel this way around katsuki but he does & its not katsuki's fault or his. when katsuki looks at izuku, sometimes it's like he staring at the bloody face he almost killed and that make him want to puke bc seeing izuku is like reliving the horror of that day again and reminder of violent he committed, not of his own choosing but still by his own hands.

after one particular night where izuku's shaky hand almost drop a boiling pot while cooking and katsuki instinctively reaches out to make sure he's alright in that moment and izuku was so surprised that his quirk activated ad he slammed katsuki so hard against the counter that he got a concussion. it is then that they realize maybe living like this where one of them is a ticking timebomb is not tenable & that neither bkdk want to live in fear of each other; katsuki fearing that he's gonna hurt izuku again& izuku fearing that next time katsuki lay a hand on him it will hurt.

so bkdk FINALLY communicate because even through all the fear, anxiety, and trauma they may unintentionally caused e/o they still fiercely love e/o that they're willing to give it all to make this work like going through therapy & setting up system so the other wont be trigger. like katsuki cant come behind izuku and surprise him while on the other hand, when katsuki has his nightmare izuku wont try to touch him; it's being more careful and thoughtful of their action in considerate of each other trauma's; it's a lot more work but they're willing for each other.

it's a story of recovery and living with the horrors of your experience but not letting it determine your relationship bc sometimes the ppl we love hurt us and sometimes we hurt the ppl we love even if unintentionally but we dont have to be define by the guilt and the trauma.

#bakudeku #not!fic

[egg-emperor]

Seeing people try to speculate that Eggman is going to become good or stop being a villain after Frontiers , it's so obvious they're just packaging what they WANT to happen as if it's a sensible estimate of Sonic Teams decisions. Anyone could see by actually looking at the content of the Games, let alone the official social media content, that Eggman isn't going anywhere and he's not going to stop being THE villain. But they want him to not be, and because that's what they want they'll reject reality and assert their desires as fact as if that'll bring them into reality. And then when they're proven wrong they pretend it never happened so they never have to admit they have no idea what they're talking about, and then go right back to doing the same thing all over again =P

Yeah it's all wishful thinking :P All the people I knew who were believing and praising an Eggman that simply does not exist in the games, already had those nonsensical beliefs about his character looong before Frontiers ever existed. I'm talking over a decade for some of them. When they've wanted to believe or have something changed to that preference they've had for so long, or at least just want it hard enough even if they've only been a fan for five minutes, of course they're gonna believe it's finally happening/they're getting proof of it being what they want. It's always stemming from wanting to something to be true for so long that they believe it or being new and completely misinformed.

That's why I don't think Frontiers is to blame for this. People always wanted nice Eggman, people always wanted wholesome Eggdad, and people always wanted Eggman to become a better person. So when the game at least explores one of those themes in the form of him getting a daughter but in an in character way instead of the wholesome kind they want, people are just going to see what they want, ignore what makes it different and in character instead, and say it's something completely different as they dreamed of instead. Same goes for anything else they can twist into seeming like he's becoming a better person. But it requires so much ignoring and denying key moments, details, writer commentary, and downright facts that go against it, and that's what they do.

And I get it, when all the people doing that are the loudest voices in the fandom, it can seem like that's what the official media is really going for because how can so many people get it wrong, right? That's why I myself was tricked into thinking that they were taking Eggman in directions I really would've disliked. But when you shut out what all of the fandom is constantly screaming in your face, trying to drill into your head, and telling you how to think and feel about it constantly and let all the official stuff speak for itself instead, you'll see that it's not what they're saying it is at all. Eggman is still very obviously a bad guy and he will always be in the games. He's one of the most iconic villains ever!

And at this point I really couldn't give a damn about fans insisting otherwise at this point, they don't get a say in what the actual canon is and nothing they say can change what's really true about it. When I'm left to my own devices playing the games and seeing and analyzing what is actually happening in it and what writers say without considering what random people online are saying, I really enjoy what I see and I know that Eggman isn't going anywhere, so I'm happy and that's all that matters. Not caring about what the fandom is saying has been very freeing, I've been happy and at peace ever since I started going out of my way to avoid it and just focus on all the games, including Frontiers.

And now I actually really love how Eggman's role and the implications of his actions and dynamic with Sage require deeper thought and analysis to fully understand because I love doing that shit. Though I would argue that MOST of it is extremely in your face obvious, when you aren't letting the voices of fandom drown it out. Could they have rephrased certain lines and emphasized certain aspects a bit more to avoid confusion or make that wishful thinking a little more difficult? Perhaps. But even when they depict something in the most solid undeniable in your face ways, people still take away something completely different if that's what they want to see. It's always happened with Eggman.

That's just what the Sonic fandom does and we should all know that by now lol. The games, their stories, and their characters are great and they'll always be there to enjoy and will keep all the things we love intact, so what fans are saying that isn't accurate to it at all but will have no say or power in changing the actual media itself is of no concern to me anymore. I'm blessed to love game canon and its Eggman and while the most popular fanon version is waaay different and people are acting like Frontiers supports it, the truth is that canon is still exactly all the things I fell in love for it for and fans' wishes and misconceptions don't take away my beloved Eggman in the games, he's here to stay! 💜

#dr eggman #eggman #dr robotnik #dr. eggman #asks #my post #sonic frontiers #sonic frontiers the final horizon

[barbiegirldream]

you're so right Hori really half assed Hawks's storyline

Hawks is the type of character where if you think about him more than the screen time he's allotted you're like hey wait a minute why isn't He the narrative foil for society???? Because Izuku falls apart as a narrative foil immediately by getting his powers and losing the status of quirkless and instead becoming the special literal chosen one with superman powers.

Hawks is born into this society in a worse off situation than everyone save Eri. He has the animal type of quirk that the story insists was prejudiced against. He also somehow has all three quirks cause the wings are a mutation, the telekinetic control is from his mother and that's emitter even though she also had extra eyes, and the hardening of the feathers is transformation. His versatility is commented upon but that is kind of huge.

Anyways Keigo was purchased off the streets by the government and we see his innate desire to good somehow stripped away until the boy who wouldn't steal is now assessing who he needs to kill and how to kill them and is surprised to hear his own name. The boy who looked up to heroes was turned into a spy playing pretend in every aspect of his life. Being a hero is something the commission believed he didn't care about not really. And we simply I don't think will get to see what becomes of Hawks. He knows how to do nothing but Work. Fanfics give him other hero friends but he doesn't have those until incredibly fucked up things build a bond between him Endeavor and Best Jeanist. When the commission went down and his mother betrayed him he showed almost no emotion except to say he was glad they were gone. And then continued to do exactly what he was trained to which was sketchy espionage and used Deku to do it despite his reservations about children in war.

If Lady Nagant had been used as a mentor type figure we'd have seen more of how the underwokrings of society are Really upheld as we've been shown and told the Hero stuff is all a facade and generally not that useful. Hell they still have Police. Heroing is definitely for show. Hawks more than the high schoolers trying to conform to this society I think would have been an interesting avenue into the World Hori built with more maneuverability to understand the villains. Because from where the Heroes stand it's trying to convince the villains they're simply wrong about their goals because these teenagers Don't get what any of the villains are talking about. Which to be fair Shigaraki also had no clue what he was doing and Dabi's motivation was lunacy. Spinner gave up on his goals almost immediately. And Toga belives it's her god given right to have other people's blood so you know

[honourablejester]

Random Interlude

My father, while we were talking about Shannara and Wishsong of Shannara and Slanter the gnome and pragmatic cowards with a badly hidden honourable streak, reminded me of another rank cad and shirker and dishonourable coward, with not so much of a honourable streak: Colonel Thomas Blood, from George MacDonald Fraser’s ‘The Pyrates’ (yes, based -if loosely- on the historical Colonel Thomas Blood, the one who tried to steal the crown jewels, had a chat with the king, and got off scott free from it). The Pyrates is one of the original golden age of piracy spoofs, written in the 1980s, and primarily follows Captain Benjamin Avery of the King’s Navy, a fully over the top parody of a classic swashbuckling hero, who gets embroiled in the theft and search for a jewelled crown that’s been taken and split into six parts by a cadre of pirate captains (who, again, are ‘loosely’ based on RL golden age pirates). But also embroiled in said mess, as a counterpoint, is our own Irish Colonel Thomas Blood, who is, to put it mildly, a card-carrying scoundrel.

Now, this was from the 80s, and a parody, so the treatment of various topics and the behaviour of some of the characters is a bit … yeah. But. I do enjoy it for what it is, and I’ll always remember one particular Blood and Avery moment, very early in the book. Blood has gotten in a fight with Avery, thinking the dashing blond idiot will be easy to knock off, and then he can snaffle the crown for himself. But he gets injured during the fight, which will ID him if anyone goes looking for whoever knocked off Avery on deck during the night, so he has to recalculate and make Avery believe it on the fly. So he decides to abruptly, mid-fight, to disarm the man with a dirty trick and then pretend to be another Admiralty agent sent to shadow and test Avery, and we get this gem:

---

“All right, all right!” Blood interrupted warmly. “Can you think of a better cover?” he asked knowingly.

“You mean,” whispered Avery incredulously, “that you’re not really a notorious foul villain of ill repute—”

“Rank repute.”

“— Rank repute and noisome infamy, steeped i’—”

“If I was, you wouldn’t be standing here running off at the mouth, remember?” snapped Blood. “Some of us,” he went on virtuously, “don’t mind being given a bad name if it enables us to serve his majesty better. We don’t insist on going poncing about like Sir Walter Raleigh. We are content to wear,” he added bitterly, “dishonour’s mask in honour’s cause.” Here, that’s not bad, he thought; a nifty to remember.

---

I just love that abrupt mid-combat switch, where the murder failed, so it’s time for a quick change-of-pace con to get him back out of the hole again. And Avery, being a very logical and virtuous hero-type, and also familiar with the British Admiralty and their tendency to just do things and not tell the Joe Soaps on the ground about it, buys this hook line and sinker. And is all anguished that he failed the test, and is found wanting, and not only doubted but wounded this ‘honest, sturdy gentleman’. They head back below decks arm in arm, and as they part:

---

There they bade each other a comradely good-night, and sought their respective cabins, Avery thinking, what a worthy fellow, and Blood thinking, what an amazing birk.

---

It is a fun book, and Blood is easily the best part of it. ‘Here, that’s not bad, he thought; a nifty to remember.’ It’s a great line, dishonour’s mask in honour’s cause, and he’s just making it up off the cuff based on what he thinks this idiot will swallow.

You’ve got to love a quick-thinking swindler, even when he’s got no particular morals to speak of. Just for the craft. Heh.

#quotes #the pyrates #george macdonald fraser #colonel thomas blood #conman and swindler extraordinaire #and decent sword fighter when pushed

[admirableadmiranda]

Hi

This is something I have been seeing on my fyp or I just noticed it cuz it annoys me but what do u think of the take “ the lan clan isn’t really much of an upgrade” even though wwx choose to be there? Lwj would never force him to be somewhere he doesn’t wants to be and wwx likes beings there as we see in the extras . Also it always comes with villain lqr even though that old men is more of a comedic relief than anything else

Well given that I call myself a Proud Lan Stan Who Can Read The Book sometimes in my tags, I don't think it'll surprise you too much anon to hear that I don't think much of that take.

While I respect that people can have their own problems and not find the Lan to be appealing, there is a certain take that insists that Wei Wuxian would not like it that tends to ignore anything that Wei Wuxian himself says to the contrary, that insist that he's a lot more bothered by certain interactions than we see on screen and that he would be happier off doing something else; usually starting a farm outside of the Jianghu.

I personally believe that those takes are people forgetting that they are not Wei Wuxian and that he consistently shows an appeal and fondness for the Lan throughout the book, masked as it may be in playful complaining. They inflate the things that would make them miserable, claim that Wei Wuxian could not like it there, usually citing the way that he behaves at Lotus Pier or in the Forsaken Battlegrounds, ignoring all the social and fraught dynamics in both of those places and conclude that MXTX did not know that she was doing when she put them with the Lan.

Lan Qiren is definitely meant to be seen as rather pathetic and powerless in the end; think of what he's reduced to. He has an order that no one obeys that is only mentioned once, he throws tantrums for Wei Wuxian having loud sex that Wangxian's solution is to have more loud sex about and Lan Wangji has taken over teaching in the Lanshi now. Wei Wuxian has always handled in him in the same way since he was a teenager and we get Wei Wuxian's textual feelings on him during the second siege, where we can see that he really is just not concerned about him.

I also do find it funny in how socially secure these people must feel to not recognize the vast difference in Wei Wuxian's positions now that he is a part of the Lan Clan, having gotten married to one of their most respected family members. He is no longer the main enemy of the cultivation world, he is no longer alone, he is no longer of a lower rank that they can besmirch him for. It may not be a blissfully perfect happy ending, but that wouldn't suit Modaozushi anyway. What it is, is an offering of security and quiet, where Wei Wuxian can engage with the jianghu on his own terms and have a place to go that he likes, where he is treated well and no one can really fuck with him because his husband is the head of discipline and the Clan Leader's beloved younger brother. Compared to all that he suffered before in the book, I fail to see how it is "not much of an upgrade".

Thanks for the ask, I do usually try to not get involved in Lan debates since most of the Anti-Lan takes do piss me right the fuck off for how easily they can be refuted with actual text and often contain a fundamental misunderstanding of Wei Wuxian himself.

By all means, you don't have to like them. But don't pretend that Wei Wuxian doesn't. Because that's not true.

#mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan clan #gusu lan #asks #anon #anon asks #proud lan stan who can read the book #hot button issues #fandom wank

[diamondcitydarlin]

far be it from me to interrupt the unnecessary character hate train some folks in this fandom insist on having but I have to say, what seemed a little unnecessary but still somewhat understandable from a separate POV in season 1 just doesn't make any sense now- that is, of course, a time-honored fandom pasttime of trying to force a character into the role of villain against the actual narrative. it's nothing new ofc I've seen it happen in just about every fandom I've been in and I've learned that there usually isn't a point in trying to debate with people that have made up their minds this way and with the way I've tagged this I'm probably just preaching to the choir but like...it seems to me this whole season is ALL about being flawed, the ways in which every character in the cast (beloved or otherwise) has flaws and issues that have hurt others, but most significant, the ways in which a person can grow and learn and mend and still deserve to be loved despite everything. this isn't really a story where you can pick out the 'good ones' with completely clean moral slates from those you've decided are irredeemable unless you're choosing to ignore the actual themes being presented (which like, fine, but that's a choice of interpretation that goes directly against what's actually there). Everyone has been victim of someone else. Everyone at this point has inflicted some kind of hurt on someone else. Stede hurt Ed, Ed hurt Stede, Ed hurts Izzy, Izzy hurt Ed, Ed hurt Lucius, Lucius hurt Black Pete and so on and so on and so on. There's really no one here who is just a completely blameless uwu victim and that's actually a good thing because most of us just fucking aren't either, as much as we may want to believe that or think of ourselves as morally superior to others bc of fictional characters we like or don't or whatever, as much as we may be caught up in our own victimhood (which I absolutely get I've found myself there many times too) we're all flawed, we've all hurt people, there's no getting through life without doing it at some point. it's not really about having or trying to manufacture the image of a clean moral slate, it's about learning and growing and trying to do better the next day and accepting those flaws with a gentle grace. the sooner some of yall wrap your minds around that truth the better off you're going to be, and maybe a good start is learning from these flawed, imperfect, sometimes hurtful characters that we've grown to love because we see ourselves in their actions.

some poignant takeaways from the last couple of eps I think are 1) when Fang suggests to Ed he should try sitting with himself for a bit instead of trying to talk through and shallowly justify everything. I think everyone can benefit from doing this, as so often we think of things from an external perspective rather than internal. It can be hard to introspect rather than blame the world or others and construct little superficial rituals that make us feel momentarily superior (like, idk, deciding one character in a show is the 'bad guy' and anyone who likes him is bad but not you you're not bad bc you don't like him so you must be a better person even though this involves you picking fights and harassing people trying to enjoy themselves, idk, just a random example). It's so much harder to ask yourself why you feel a certain way in the first place, to ask yourself if it's possible that you see aspects of yourself in a character you despise that you're not willing to face within, things about yourself you've buried deep and pretend don't exist at the cost of being 'morally superior'. It's possible, isn't it? Would it hurt to be still for a moment and think about that? I mean, maybe it would, quite possibly it would hurt a lot at first, but I think it's worth it in the end, far more than the effort to put up a morally superior front that no one even has.

the other one that I think the people I'm actually addressing won't appreciate because of who it involves- when Izzy gives Lucius the carved shark and explains that not moving on is worse than doing what is necessary to actually move on. Not necessarily advocating for lying to oneself (tho if I were a more reckless person I might say this can be a genuine bandaid tactic when you're in survival mode and just need to get to the next day, I get that too) but I do think there's a good point here about learning to let go of the things that only gnaw away at us inside. holding on to anger and spite can feel like a form of justice in the short term, but over time it only corrodes the host. at some point, at some time, to truly heal we have to figure out how to let go of certain things, if only so it won't poison us further. Lucius threw Ed overboard the same way he did to him, but ultimately it didn't help, did it? What changed was seeing the way his obsession with his hatred hurt the man he loved, what changed was introspection.

So, idk, really good show, very educational and emotionally aware and I think some of us could benefit from paying more attention to what's actually there than what we want to believe. Idk, it's a thought.

#ofmd #the izcourse #i had thoughts #this season is really speaking to my personal journey as well #so idk will this help someone? will it give them a brainworm to think about for awhile? maybe #ofmd spoilers

[amarriageoftrueminds]

P*ggy makes so much sense as a character if you think of her as Cynthia Glass undercover. I rewatches catfa and early on, she almost seems... Mad??? About Steve insisting he could handle the rebirth experiment after she says to shut it down???? Like she was under orders to stop or delay it

You're so right Anon but, and this is super fickle of me, I'm actually kinda torn??

We've seen now from WhatIf that she would literally step over Steve's bleeding body to take the serum for herself (just like all the other villains!)

Pausing only to ask the disabled man whose healing she just stole, who's now bleeding to death, the one question she really cares about -- how do I look?

So you could say that her objection is motivated by the fact that she thinks she, as the center of the universe, is the only person worthy of being given serum!

And her ego is such that, despite her age and total lack of rank, it's inconceivable to her that anyone would think her suggestions are irrelevant.

So she's mad because she's being ignored.

(Maybe that's the door that she claims was shut in her face? She followed that eugenics project all the way to America, like it was a Man Trying to Get Away From Her, only to find out they wouldn't agree to give serum to Just Some Broad?) .

And, at that time, she was pretending to give a shit about Steve's welfare, albeit in a patronising, faux-maternal, 'oh you poor disabled man you can't get bitches how sweet' sort of a way (while not being moved to the point of actually, y'know, asking him to dance or anything. As if he's worthy of her notice?? Good heavens, no!)

Pretending to care, despite being the person who smiled when the cute disabled man risked being blown to shit by a grenade. Despite being the person who stood by with her little clipboard, taking notes and doing precisely fuck all, while Steve was having barbed wire kicked in his face and being pushed off a climbing wall by the very same 'bully' she suckerpunched, when he dared to question her non-existent authority. And despite being the person who elbowed those inconveniently pretty nurses out of the way so she could get a quick grope in of Steve's new body.

(And, in later years, laughed off Steve's valid concerns as melodramatic when his life was in danger because of her brilliant Nazi-hiring policies.)

NB: PSA, since nobody in the writers room seems to be aware, there's a big difference between someone who's kind and someone who's kind because they want to date you. .

When it comes to the idea of her being an actual Nazi spy though...

(Explaining what she's doing in all those Allied spaces, and yet calling herself a spy? Spying upon whom?)

...Well, my only objection is that I feel her universal incompetence is actually a pretty vital part of her personality, in the MCU?

She is a wrecking ball, an elephant in a china factory.

She fucks up everything she touches and then blames men for it.

She thinks she's an intellectual, the smartest person in every room, and yet -- just as a blind person needs a seeing eye-dog -- she has to have a thinking brain-sidekick to patiently walk her through difficult concepts, such as: 'smashing that large object through a window won't stop you being handcuffed to it, Peggy' and 'this is how many sides a cube has, Peggy.'

She's the woman who had to lie about her war-record (by stealing Bucky's) in order to seem relevant. Who gets surprise-attacked by Unforeseen Mook B because Mook A lies about how many other mooks there are, and her brilliant spy brain just believes him.

Who lets active enemy Black Widows out of custody to show off how unbothered she is (great idea! but hmm... you seem pretty bothered?) Who hires dangerous Soviet scientists into intelligence jobs, without bothering to check whether their story is actually true, first. Who walks into traps because she arrogantly assumes she can outmaneuver her enemies (or: is lying about knowing it's a trap in advance in order to seem smart in front of her thinking-brain sidekick? 🤔)

Who has to avoid being photographed whenever she's undercover, because her ability to disguise herself is non-existent. Whose disguises therefore typically last about twenty seconds before she reverts to her chief skill of grabbing a heavy object and smashing someone's brains in.

Who claims to be a spy but LITERALLY could not spot an actual spy if they moved into her apartment complex, walked right up to her in the hall and stuck their tongue down her throat.

Spying requires a cool head.

Subtlety, stealth, inscrutability. Self-awareness, humility. Lack of temper. The ability to wear more than one kind of outfit. (See: Natasha Romanoff.)

So the idea of Peggy -- of all people -- being any shape of competent as a spy just doesn't suit her character at all?

She's a nepotism hire who keeps asking for cushy jobs she can't actually do (because they involve paperwork instead of glory), getting the cushy jobs, refusing to do them because it's Boring and Beneath her, making her poor colleagues do them for her instead, and then complaining that she isn't being given this other, much-cooler job instead.

(A job which she... also... cannot do. 🤦‍♀️)

And then she credits 'misogyny' as the reason she wasn't gifted the ballerina barbie job she really wanted.

But the real reason is, she's blundering, disloyal, condescending, selfish, and neither physically nor temperamentally suited for spy work. Bad bad career choice on every front.

But on the other hand... 🤔

I guess you could lean into that??

If you take Steve's unpredictability + his total dismissal of everything she ever suggests + his refusal to keep her up to date on his life/missions + his miraculous ability to survive the insane dangers she puts him in (including having a gun fired right in his face pointblank in front of witnesses!)

Put all that together...

And you've got a sort of spy version of Michael Palin's character from A Fish Called Wanda. Peggy the bumbling Nazi who keeps trying to kill Steve. But failing, spectacularly, every time, because she's completely useless at her job, and cannot predict the actions of someone who always does the right thing, because she has no idea what that is.

And the reason nobody bats an eye (or suggests, hey, maybe that bossy analyst who tried to kill Cap should be fired??), is because she's an upper class twit with a violent temper.

Yes, she is, but she has excellent family connections. 😂

#long post #antipeggy #antisteggy #cynthia glass #p*ggy meta #mcu critical #steggy is hydra trash party #meta #was not expecting to reference a wish called wanda today or any day #heck maybe intelligence even KNOW she's a spy and think it's a scream that she actually believes she's here on merit?? #really it's not an either/or scenario she can be every inch the entitled moron she is AND still a nazi #mcu meta #yet each man queues the thing he loves

[stackthedeck]

i normally really do not enjoy starker but dear god i need you to write the sad old dilfs fic

Sad old dilf (singular) Tony is still in his young, dumb, and full of you know playboy era. Hear me out, I'm at my most creatively fulfilled when I look at fanon or canon and I say "that has potential but poor execution, let me help you out, let me 'yes and' you" so here's my pitch for the kind of starker fic I could get on board with (Peter B Parker x 616 adjacent Tony Stark)

Peter B Parker, according to into the spider verse, is 38 years old, freshly divorced and for the sake of keeping him at his most sad and pathetic, the plot of into the spiderverse hasn't happened yet. He is crying in the shower, still wearing the spider suit, eating pizza as we speak

The last time Tony Stark's age was mentioned in the comics he was 34 (can you fucking believe he'd be 50 in the mcu currently) but I think this pairing would benefit from Tony having just finished his origin. So lets say this Tony has just realized the error of his ways and is trying to get this whole Iron Man thing to work and for the sake of drama he's still doing that thing where he pretends the iron man is his bodyguard because I love that. That'd put Tony in his mid-twenties

Spider-Man runs into Iron Man one night, at the top of Stark tower and Peter gives him a stay out of my city new guy I don't trust you kinda talk. Iron Man is like I know I'm new at this but I've got to do something good, I've got to make him for my past mistakes, I have all this power and I need to actually use it to help people. And Peter's like...okay I didn't ask for your whole backstory dude. He also makes a snide comment about Iron Man being that spoiled brat Tony Stark's bodyguard and Iron Man says that spoiled brat pays my bills. Peter is like damn is he taking applications? Iron Man gets really excited about this because Tony is of course inspired by the first superhero this city has ever had, the one protecting people for as long as he can remember. And Peter is like, I don't do team-ups or friendships, Spider-Man is a solo act right now. But he promises to help Iron Man out in an emergency, maybe give him some hero tips. Iron Man says he wants to help Spider-Man in any way he can but Peter kinda shrugs him off

There's like some Stark charity gala that Peter is forced to cover for the Daily Bugle but oh no a super villain attacks or some shit. Peter is like fuck I'm getting too old for this but puts the suit on anyways and somehow saves Tony before he can call the iron man armor. Spider-Man has to carry him out of the building which requires some kind of cradling. Spider-Man is like are you okay while like maybe holding his face or something. Tony who is instantly down bad for anyone that shows him the slightest bit of care is obsessed

the next day, Peter gets a call from the Bugle that Tony Stark wants to give them an interview, but he insists that Peter has to be the one to do it. Peter is like shit, the super genius put the pieces together but my life can't get worse so fuck it. He goes and Tony is like, you're the guy that takes pictures of Spider-Man can you give me his number. Peter is like what. Tony wants to sponsor Spider-Man and this instantly boils over into a fight because Peter thinks Tony is trying to buy Spider-Man and you can't just buy goodness, but Tony genuinely wants to help. Peter storms out and Tony slumps against his desk with a drink in his hand. He is now down bad for Peter because his type is older men that are mean to him *cough* daddy issues *cough*

Spider-Man and Iron Man work together for some save the world type thing idk I hate action set pieces. Peter mentions that Stark tried to buy him and Iron Man suggests that maybe he was just trying to help. Peter calls bullshit, but Tony pushes and says that he could give him some upgrades to his suit or Peter could work for Stark industries, with the webs like that, the guy behind the mask also has to be pretty smart. Peter tells him a hard no. But Peter gets back to his apartment to a pile of bills and no emails back from all the jobs he applied to. So he puts his masters in biochemistry to use and applies for a position at Stark Industries. He gets a call back the next day

Tony interviews him and even though he was hoping Spider-Man would apply, he needs to fill the position and Peter is undeniably qualified. Peter notices that Tony looks like shit, he looks exhausted and like he's drinking more than usual but also he's got bruises that Peter can't imagine a CEO having. After the interview is over, Peter reaches across the desk and takes Tony's hand and earnestly asks him if he's okay, maybe does the "who did this to you?" thing. Tony nearly starts crying and melts into a puddle at the same time. He does neither of those things thankfully and tells Peter he's got the job, no reason to kiss his ass. Peter rolls his eyes and says that he can be concerned without wanting Tony's money

Peter starts at Stark Industries and he's working in the lab...with Tony. He's surprised that Tony is still getting his hands dirty and he's even more surprised that the CEO wants to work with him even though he's just a new hire. Tony needs someone with biochemical experience for three reasons, he wants the vital measurements in the iron man suit to be more precise, Stark Industries used to make chemical weapons and he wants to make treatments for the victims, and he wants to improve his chest plate and treat his heart condition. Peter is like holy shit none of that is for profit that's so sexy

As they work together, they actually become friends and at the same time, Spider-Man and Iron Man are teaming up more often. After months of working with the Iron Man armor, watching Tony try on and test the armor, Peter puts two and two together, but he understands the importance of secret identities so he keeps it to himself, but he does feel bad about the double life he's created with Tony and he can't help but compare it to how that foundation of lies was what made his and MJ's relationship so unstable in the first place

It's the anniversary of MJ and Peter's divorce and Peter is fucking distraught but comes into work anyway. Tony is like you look like shit man and Peter explains. Tony gives Peter the day off and offers to go bar hopping with him. Peter gets mad at him because he knows that Tony is pushing himself too hard just like Peter did at his age. He tells him that he's still young, still has a chance to make something of his life why is he throwing it away on drinking and this party boy life and wasting away in a lab with an old burnt-out weirdo like Peter. In the middle of Peter yelling at Tony, Tony kisses him says some cheesy pick-up line about maybe he likes being yelled at by older men.

They take the elevator to Tony's penthouse in the tower and they sleep together, Tony probably calls him daddy. Peter mostly does it because he misses MJ but also maybe he likes Tony too, he definitely cares about him. But he's also having a crisis because he's a decade older than Tony but Tony is also his boss oh god what's the responsible thing to do here. Tony is down bad for Peter, he wants this so desperately to work, needs this to work because no other relationship has given a shit about him like Peter B Parker has

Tony obviously moves too fast and instantly tries to start doing romantic gestures for Peter, nice dinners, gifts, getting physical while they're working together, etc. And Peter just kinda lets it happen like he's not opposed to dating Tony and he's definitely physically attracted to him, but he's not sure if he's ready for a romantic relationship

and then idk after that Tony probably reveals that he's iron man and Peter is like fuck I feel really bad about not telling him I'm Spider-Man and that's only going to make things more complicated. Maybe Peter tries to break it off and Tony kinda spirals so Peter as the older more responsible one feels the need to continue to care for Tony. Maybe Peter thinks they're just fwb when Tony has caught feelings idk

#asks

[aquanova99]

Premonition

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Amun x Reader

A/N: lowkey high key the Amun requests and fics. I’m always the most proud of them so I hope you enjoy this short little one shot. And thank you for this amazing request lovely

Summary: Y/n runs into a bit of trouble and Amun worries for her. Takes place in ancient Egypt when vampires were believed to be gods. The term vampire has not come about yet.

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“You shouldn’t have been out there.” Amun said after rushing in, y/ns hair flying and gently floating back around her face. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms at his mate.

“Please darling, I think I can handle myself.” Y/n rolled her eyes

“My statement stands.”

“You know the rule, we rotate to take care of any outside threats. Besides I wasn’t alone.”

“I highly doubt one of our kind counts as a threat especially with you.” Y/n laughed, she was one of the more adept fighters in their coven but hard as she tried to deny it, hated any sort of conflict. Amun imagined that this was weighing on her. He sat next to her and grabbed her hand.

“You should hear what they came up with.”

“Oh? Am I the hero or villain today?”

“Hero, I believe.” He had waited to tell the newest tale going around, she raised her eyebrow and he sat down next to her, “They believe you’re Nephthys first of all….”

“I look nothing like Nephthys.” Amun shrugged, humans had their moments but the things they came up with to explain their world baffled him. He chuckled at y/n getting worked up, crossing her arms at the thought of it. Her and Nephthys famously did not get along in their coven. Both stayed for their mates built didn’t stop either of them from going at eachother often.

“Could have been Isis.” He offered

“No one would confuse Isis. She doesn’t mind letting the humans see her. And besides… as if you are to chastise for such things Amun Ra, oh so powerful sun god.”

Amun rolled his eyes. He’d only been seen by the humans once but he had been the first among his kind to be seen , it had been in his newborn phase and the suns reflection of his skin dazzled the humans. It had taken no time for word to spread. Amun scoffed, “please. I try to forget.”

“Ah if only we could do such things.” Y/n said as she intertwined her hand in his and kissed the back of it.

“Would you care to explain why on earth the two of you were carrying around dismembered enemies instead of burning them?”

“Please my love, you know the humans grow more weary of us. Isis saw them around the riverbank when we finished checking to make sure there were no there around. We decided to not give the humans the information on the one thing that kills our kind. So we grabbed what we could and burned them elsewhere.”

Amun hated to admit he was wrong. Y/n was right the humans were starting to grow weary of their own disappearing. The one member in your coven who had the power to influence their sight. was gathering to much attention. Eventually the humans wouldn’t be tricked by a vampire pretending to be a god hiding them to the afterlife. The field of reeds storyline had bought you time, but soon everyone’s nature would be revealed. At first the humans all but gave away the younger ones a sacrifices all too willingly, Isis had fought to change the illusion. Half of the coven insisted the humans be kept as slaves. Amun wasn’t sure if it was because they couldn’t remember a time they were human or if they enjoyed the power they had over them. But he had saved Kebi and y/n from being used as more than a mere meal, he hated to think what else they wanted to do with them and he hoped the other half of the coven wouldn’t be swayed to their side. Hoped that a majority still kept some semblance of morality.

More and more blood drinkers were appearing in their region. Amun worried a group could rival their own, y/n could see his brow furrowing. She knew all too well his worries. Her sister and herself felt indebted to him and while they sometimes could care less for the humans that so easily gave them up so many years ago, they wouldn’t dare side against him.

“My love, what is it?”

“It worries me. Today I mean. What if there had been more of them?”

“I admit it has been a bigger problem as of late.”

“Hm.” There was no stopping Amun when he was like this, he was always protective of you, even more so when you became his mate. But lately, it seemed to be wearing on him.

“So what did the humans have to say about Nephthys and Isis today?” She tried to distract him

Amun offered her a smile she knew all too well what she was doing, still he appreciated her efforts. “You know humans they will try to make sense of anything, they thought the two were trying to save Isis’s mate. Put him back together. They assume Set somehow tore him apart.”

“Well, if anyone were to turn on one of our own it would be Set.” Y/n squeezed his hand and he rested his lips on her temple before giving her a slight kiss. He lifted a hand to her face and ran his thumb across her cheek.

“I’m sorry. I know my worries get out of hand.”

“I think it’s quite endearing actually.”

“Glad one of us thinks so, my love.”

“I will try and not go out without you and Kebi. You are right, and there’s safety in numbers, don’t want another one of our kind sneak up on us.”

Amun let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding back, it offered physical relief but a weight did seem to lift off of his shoulders.

“You know I adore you, yes?”

“I should hope so.” Y/n smiled up at him and kissed him before standing up and leaning against the wall, “I should have made you ask, it would interesting to see you beg.”

He appeared beside her, whispering in your ear, “be careful what you think ish for my love. From what I recall I’m not the one usually begging.”

Y/n pinned him against the wall, “let’s see about that, yes?”

Amun grinned, he began leaning down to meet her lips when they both heard one of their covens yell for someone to begin gathering humans for their next meal.

“Shame. We’ll pick this up again later.”

“Lucky for you.” Y/n smiled as she turned letting her hair slightly hit him

Amun smiled at his mate, but just as he grateful to find her. His worry grew when he thought of something possibly happening to her. He cares for his coven but y/n would always be his priority. With Kebi right after, y/ns younger sister painfully reminded him of his human family. And the mistakes he made as a newborn. He refused to let anything happen to them.

“Amun?” Y/n worried how often he got into a trance, worrying herself that he could be caught unaware of any dangers around him.

“Sorry, my love. Shall we?” He offered his arm to her and the two began heading out of their room.

“Worrying again?”

“I can’t seem to stop.”

“Darling, we are practically indestructible. And regardless, we’ve got eachother. What could happen?”

Taglist: @adaydreamaway08 @artaxerxesthegreat @aunt-pipie @avyannadawn @heartrise (props to you for this idea bb) @imtoanonymousforyou @lacychick @raindancer2004 @venusdelaroix @volturiwolf @xcastawayherosx @jelly-fishy-babie

#aquas works #twilight #new moon #eclipse #breaking dawn #twilight renaissance #twilight saga #twilightedit #twilight amun #egyptian coven amun #amun egyptian coven #amun imagines #amun x y/n #amun x you #amun x reader #amun twilight