#He is not letting go of Steves perfect cuisine just because the house is on fire

[stucky-headcanon-bot]

🥘🏕️

#Bucky is a supportive husband okay #Also a foodie #He is not letting go of Steves perfect cuisine just because the house is on fire #Also the scenary will be fire #It's literally so 🔥 #steve rogers #stevebucky #james barns #james buchanan barnes #white wolf #stucky #chris evans #sebastian stan #steve bucky

[cowboyhorsegirl]

What is Tony’s fav soup? In fact, all the fav soups of the avengers go!

(please)

OMG anon heyyyyyy!!!

Thank you SO much for this ask I am literally sitting you down at my dining room table right now and offering you my favorite homemade roasted tomato soup with roasted garlic bread that I made this afternoon just for you and i hope you don't mind i've already packed you a tupperware to go too <3

Edit! Forgot to mention that this ask was most definitely inspired by this post!

JARVIS (AKA my favorite Avenger don't come at me): JARVIS loves alphabet soup lol!! ................................................................please clap

Rhodey: Roasted Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic Bread (as aforementioned!). Why mess with the classics?? Bonus: Rhodey never passes up the opportunity to assault Tony with his weapons-grade garlic breath before Tony begs him to please go gargle some mouthwash NOW.

Bruce: Haleem. So much of his life is trying to fight against the hot anger and turmoil within him that seems to tear him apart from the inside out. The first time he had haleem was while he was in hiding in India when a lovely woman whose name he never caught saw him shaking against the side of a building in the street and offered him a bowl to eat when she coaxed him to come join her and her family for dinner that night. I firmly believe in the divine healing powers of women you don't know who offer you a brief and selfless kindness during the darkest moments of your life and I know Bruce does too. Sometimes it's nice to let yourself feel the sort of warmth without jagged edges that can only come from a kind stranger or a desi stew <3

Thor: is ambrosia a soup or a drink? let's go soup. I feel like thor doesn't care much either way for most midgardian foods BUT i also feel like one time he had the most god awful hot dog soup at a diner in New Mexico and was forevermore Compelled by it.

Clint: Clint does not like soup. Why would he, after all, it's barely food and it's certainly not a drink. When Clint wants to eat he wants to chew his food like a grown man, damn it! No, Clint definitely does not like soup. And he certainly does not keep a can of Campbell's Tomato A to Z's in his pantry to eat on nights when Laura is visiting her mother and the kids are all out for some reason or another--going to the next town over for a baseball game or an overnight band trip or sleeping over at a friend's house--and he just can't believe that they're growing so fast and he remembers feeding all his babies A to Z's while they were squirming around in the high chair and then having to finish up the half-spilled bowl himself before it became a fully-spilled bowl. It definitely doesn't taste like nostalgia and stability and family. Definitely not.

Pepper: French Onion. Classy and sophisticated, you can't cut corners with this soup. This is a luxurious soup, but instead of highfalutin ingredients or 36-step recipes, all the luxury is derived from time and care; a soup for one with high standards, discerning taste, and a lot of love in her heart <3

Natasha: Thai Corn Soup. Spicy and comfy and perfect in every way. May seem a bit intimidating for a home chef at first, but practice is the key and it takes much less practice than you'd think to make the best thai corn soup <3

Steve: Tom Kha Gai. This was definitely a case of Steve bemusedly getting dragged all around New York by Tony and Natasha and Pepper to try out all the international cuisines he's never heard of before and then having a quasi-religious experience in the restaurant because he did not know soup could taste Like That. No recipe because honestly neither Steve nor I have the clearance to make this. We prefer getting it straight from our favorite local Thai joint.

Tony: Vegetable Beef Soup. No recipe here either, though there was one at some point--Tony seems to recall a step involving flour that Steve always thought was bullshit so they skipped that step every time and then eventually just stopped using the recipe altogether. What goes in this soup? Tony couldn't tell you, though to be fair he wouldn't be able to tell you what goes in most of the food he's ever eaten that's usually prepared by butlers and high-end chefs, but he could most definitely show you the ingredients that go into this soup. It's all in the muscle memory, bustling about the kitchen in the kind of easy unspoken choreography that says i want to stay here forever with you. The ingredient list changes a bit every time depending on what's around, but Tony could recognize this soup anywhere. This is kind of soup you make with and for a very special someone. This is the soup you make when what you're really making is a home together <3

#signed sealed delivered #tony stark #james rhodes #JARVIS #natasha romanoff #bruce banner #thor odinson #pepper potts #steve rogers #clint barton #stevetony #soup #i fucking love soup if you couldn't tell #i don't know the newer avengers like vision wanda bucky and sam very well what do y'all think their favorite soups would be?

[nevenabadr]

It's a Twin Thing: Part 1. Bucky Barnes & Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Note: English is not my first language or Romanian. Also, this was written in a hurry as I was babysitting.

Y/A: your name

The story is in second-person, thus, the reader is the main character.

Inspiration: this is inspired by:

My Sebastian Stan’s fan chats on WhatsApp; we support Supernatural too, that’s why the Winchester are mentioned.

Word count: 2568

Warnings: Smut–this is +21 and not for everyone.

Enjoy reading and please comment with your feedback, please. 🖤…

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It was a hot summer's day when you came home early to surprise your boyfriend, who is finally off from his duties as an actor and having a little time off for a holiday. You and Sebbie, your boyfriend of a year, now decided to stay in New York, as he missed being in his favourite place on earth.

You were early, holding lots of bags that were blocking your sight to the door. All worth it, because you will be able to cook him a homemade meal and show him that new lingerie you have got. If he forgot, you will remind him where home is.

You put everything down and took off your shoes; you started unbuttoning your blouse and taking off your pants. You were eager to take a shower and start cook for him.

You opened the bathroom door, and he was standing there fixing his hair in front of the mirror, yet he turned to face you. Before he spills a word.

You muttered, "Hey, I did not know you will be early."

You narrowed the gap between the two of you and taking his lips to meet yours in an intense kiss.

You missed him, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer to you, making the kiss sensual and he had no problem putting his hands on the curves of your waist pulling you closer to him.

When you broke the kiss, you took a moment to look into his eyes “Bebelus, there is something different about you."

He was blushing and puzzled "Yes!" He sighed, "you have mistaken me for Seabase, did not you."

You jumped a step forward in panic "James? Oh, my God! I am so sorry."

You were trying to cover your body and confusion took over you.

"But you kissed me back." You were angry that almost slapped him, but he dodged your hand.

"Easy doll, I am sorry?" He came off guilty.

"I heard things about you. I did not know you would be your e." You spoke while your eyes gazed upon the floor.

"My plane arrived this morning. I am so sorry that Seabass did not tell you." He kept fixing his hair, which is identical to Sebastian.

"We got on the wrong foot your e, but can you please give me a moment?" You pointed at your body as you were wearing nothing but your undergarments.

"Oh! I will be outside." He shut the door behind him as he left.

You turned on the water and let it run, washing away your impressment.

James is Sebastian's identical twin. James Buchanan Barns and Sebastian Stan Barnes. Stan was Sebastian's middle name, something related to his mother's Romanian roots.

James has a military classified job, while his brother made a career for himself in acting.

Not even their mother could tell them apart, except that Sebastian is a dork and James, as they call him Bucky, is an easy-going ladies-man.

When you finished showing and dressing up. The sound from the kitchen seemed as if your boyfriend was having a loud conversation with himself.

They even sound identical, you thought to yourself, gathered your strength and stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey, guys," you waved for both of them.

"Oh, baby! Bucky told me about the incident" the twin with jogging clothes came and wrapped his arms around you.

You almost stopped him "Sebbie, baby, is that you?"

Yes, Y/N." He kissed your forehead and then your lips.

"I am so sorry, that I forgot to mention that Bucky was coming." He soothed you with another sweet kiss.

"We were not introduced properly," Bucky said playfully

"This is Y/A, my girlfriend and lady of the house." He said, then pointed at Bucky, "this is the famous, James Buchanan, Bucky, my mysterious brother."

"Seabase told poems of you. I am sorry that we have that incident," he implied the earlier kiss.

"No, worries" you am smiled and extend a hand "Welcome to our home, Bucky" he took your hand and smiled calmly.

At the dinner table, Sebastian and Bucky were laughing and catching up. You were calm and just appreciating the home-cooked dinner by Bucky.

"You are talented at cooking." You were enjoying the cuisine.

"I, the chief, and Seabase were the tidy one." He looked at his brother, "we are a team of cooking and cleaning."

Except that, I don't cook," Sebastian said joked

“Bucky, you know it is today?” Sebastien was busy eating.

Bucky was stunned “a family and friends gathering!” “You are going to see the gang.” Sebastien was rather excited about this more than anything you have seen before.

Georgeta Orlovschi, or as her official name now, Georgetta Stan was a lovely woman, a Romanian immigrant who fell in love with an American to a marriage that brought the best thing in her to the world, the twins; James and Sebastian.

As a violinist and part of the New York Opera House, she met their father, Mr William Barnes, a well-known handsome conductor who made her world perfect.

The world was perfect until she had to change diapers and stay up with William by her side.

William was of a well-known wealthy family, but Mrs Barnes was an Eastern European woman. She wanted to have deities by herself and not to have servants to do all the work.

Her friend Mary Winchester, the wife of William's closest friend, John — was the nicest woman you can meet, a Taxes woman. Mary was like Mrs Barnes. She did not like servants to do the job; she took upon duties of her firstborn, Dean, and later she had Sam, a few years before the Twins.

The boys grow up together.

Dean took the eldest brother's duties to the bone. Even when the new kid, Steve Rogers, became best friends with Bucky; he took him under his wing.

The gang, no one could touch his brother or their friends.

Soon after they entered Middle School and Dean was a senior, Steve got into a fight. Dean came close to the boys to find Bucky just leaving his book aside and taking the ground by his friend.

Sebastian was the one in front of both. No one hurt Steve.

Sam hurried to Dean for safety. Dean arrived and tried to calm everyone down "Steve said he was sorry." He smirked at the boy, who was angry and demanded to bully Steve.

While Sebastian and Sam were trying to hold Steve back, "I can do this all day."

Bucky did not give anyone else a chance to speak as he bunched the bully right in the nose, which got everyone in trouble, which Dean wanted to take the responsibility for. Detention and forever to be recorded in his file.

Dean Winchester did not care for his record, just the young boys to be well.

But finally, the boys came clean to their father; Bucky was homeschooled for the rest of the year and Sebastian refused to go back to school until his brother joined him back.

They were all a mischievous gang with Dean Winchester as the head.

Days passed, and each got into their ways; Dean with Harvard school as his father pulled a connection to forget the file problem. Dean was already qualified enough.

Sam went to Stanford, Bucky and Steve picked a military life, and Sebastian was all about acting.

It was his first time alone overseas, the Shakespeare's Globe yet had another surprise for him, a friend; Anthony Mackie, an American talent who became Sebastian's best friend.

The gang was getting bigger and louder.

Mrs Barnes had the entire gang and their families for a gathering. James, Bucky, as he liked to be called, is finally back after an entire year in God-knows-what military work.

After dinner, the gang was laughing and drinking.

Dean smirked at Sebastian "You got a good girl over here."

"A great kisser too." Bucky teased.

"What do you have in mind, Dean?" Sam teased Dean because he knows what he will spill next.

"You gotta do the twin thing." Dean raised his bottle of beer.

Steve's eyes widened "what twin thing, exactly"

"My man, Dean wants Seabase to go wild." Anthony laughed at the idea.

Dean explained, "a sandwich with her in the middle and the outer layers are twins."

Sam tried to elaborate "if the middle was a girl unless other preferences and so."

Steve was blushing at the idea while Bucky and Sebastian were looking at each other.

"Don't scrunch your nose" Sebastian looked at Bucky.

Bucky tilted his head and give him the puppy eyes "adventures, please."

Then Dean joined him for bagging "please."

"Alright, Alright." Sebastian took a sip of his beer "only with consent.

At that moment Anthony gives Dean ten "You won."

Steve was just irritated at the idea and he kept eyeing his bottle "I can't believe you, guys"

"Dean always wins," Sam shrugged.

You were heading closer to the boys, who were laughing.

"Are not we going home?" You asked Sebastian.

"Yes, babe."

He excused the gang and Bucky followed with the boys waving and clapping.

"They seem happy and excited. Are not they." You waved at them while speaking to Sebastian, but the reply came from Bucky "they should be. And hopefully, will be,"

Back in the car, Sebastian hesitated, but he told you why they were laughing.

“Dean wants you to try what?” You were completely shocked.

“The twin-thing.” Bucky sounded excited.

Sebastian took your hand in his, “baby, it’s a silly boys’ bet.”

You looked at him, “are you going to let Dean win?” and you smirked.

Bucky explained the rules. It has to be a sex sandwich with both of them, but no sex while they are in their mum's house.

“God only knows how she might react to this.” Sebastiana sighed.

Bucky laughed and explained, “an eastern European woman, she might get them a priest to perform an exorcism on us.”

“Or sanctify the house.” Sebastien completed his twin’s explanation.

They agreed Bucky will stay at Sebastian’s house for the night until they plan the twins’ thing.

The next morning, after you all had eaten breakfast together, you were cleaning the table. You will keep bumping into Bucky.

His torso to your back, kissing the exposed parts of your skin. You titled your head on your back to give him room.

His hands will travel under your clothes. His girl was wearing nothing but your skill PJ of pair of shorts and a top.

Dean's words have got straight to Bucky’s head, that he has been imagining having the twin-thing with his brother’s girlfriend.

Bucky reached the kitchen, and he almost dropped the plates.

His brother was kissing Y/N, who closed his eyes completely as Sebastian was squeezing your butt with a hand and they together are caressing your nipple about the silk.

You moaned; Bucky felt himself getting hard.

Yet, you felt Sebastian's hard length against your butt. You turned to kiss him with parted lips, looking to consume him.

Their tongue met and the sounds of their kissing made Bucky, who was at the edge and impulsively tried to hide his aroused length.

Sebastian opened his eyes as he parted from the kiss. Y/A twirled to meet Bucky's eyes and peeking at his lower body.

"Poor Bucky." You stepped closer to him, you kissed him first, yet he opened his eyes, waiting for Sebastian's approval, who gave him a wave to go ahead.

You kissed Bucky and slides your hand to stock his length above the sweat pants he was wearing.

Bucky moaned against your lips and wrapped his arms around you for a moment to deepen the kiss.

At that same time, Sebastian paced to lay kisses on your shoulder and squeeze your butt.

You started moaning, parted from Bucky, to meet Sebastian at a kiss

"Better take it to the bedroom." You said in between your moaning and breath.

You walked with the twin brothers to the bedroom, yet could not take off their hands off your body.

In the bedroom, Sebastian pulled down your shorts, and Bucky took off your top.

"Bucky, you are beautiful, Y/A," he said as he keeps kissing the soft spot under your ears and lowers down your breast.

"You better underdress to boys," you ordered and both of them took off their clothes at once.

Before starting anything, Bucky looked at Sebastien, who understood his brother immediately.

“Second drawer in the nightstand near his bed.” Sebastian pointed to Bucky, who was full of condoms, lubricant, and some toys.

You twirled around Bucky for a moment "nothing I have not seen before" you

Ran your fingers on his skin till touching his length and teasing his slit that was dripping pre-cum.

Yet, before Bucky put the condom on his length, you got down and tasted him, “tasty,” you whipped your lips and helped him to wear the condom

Then moved to Sebastian and kissed him "oh, that chest is getting rough again." You kissed his lips and lower to his jaw and neck.

Then you winked at Sebastian playfully to drop on four to take his full length between your lips.

You sucked him slowly. Bucky was watching your butt against him and your inviting lady delicate area was pumping with a need that he could not keep himself from entering you all at once.

You clenched him inside you, milking him and you were bobbing your head, milking Sebastian with your mouth as squeezing his balls.

Sebastian gripped your hair and Bucky put his hands on your hips, entering you, as you were getting tighter and closer.

"I am closed," Sebastian muttered breathlessly as he came inside your mouth. You swallowed him whole.

On the other hand, Bucky was close, Sebastian took a step back to let you rest on four, you were moaning and Bucky banging himself harder against you. The voice of their skin clashing and moaning were loud that the rest Sebastian was getting harder again.

Bucky wanted you closer to him, he pulled you up and rested your head on his chest and squeezed your breasts "cum for me now doll," he ordered as biting the side of your neck and squeezing your breasts and you were so tight that Sebastian came close and stocked your clitoris to give you more pleasure. You were standing between the skin of the two brothers.

With almost shut eyes, looking at Sebastian who was stocking your clitoris, then he kissed you down till his tongue reached your soft part. After two strokes with his tongue on your clitoris. You were so tight around Bucky that he could not see in front of him as he cum hard at the same time you felt the shaking electric power of your orgasm.

You were about to collapse that Sebastian carried you to the bed. You laid together between the two brothers.

"That was wow," Bucky muttered breathlessly.

Sebastian asserted playfully, "round two"

"Maybe later tonight?" You rolled and kissed Sebastian.

The three of you were laughing and Bucky closed his eyes to rest.

You put a leg on Sebastian's tights, getting closer to his body, feeling Bucky's chest hugging you from behind.

The head of their bodies calmed that the three of you slept in harmony.

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My tag list:

@shafverani

@imsebastiansta-n

@brokenwitty

@sinner-as-saint

@zemosimp05

@fallloverfanfiction

#Sebastian Stan #dean winchester #sam winchester #Steve rogers #Sam Wilson #anthony mackie #Marvel #MCU #Bucky Barnes #marvel #the winter solider fanfiction #the falcon and the winter solider spoilers #captain america #bucky barnes fanfics #tom hiddleston #sebastian stan smut #sebastian x reader #sebastian stan x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #Sebastian stan smut #sebastian stan series #bucky barnes fluff #Bucky Barnes Tiwns #Sebastian x reader #Bucky x reader #jensen ackles #jared paladecki

[spacesnail3000]

Brooklyn’s Sweetheart Chapter 2: Diamonds Are Forever, Those Boys Ain’t

Pairing: Stucky x Reader

Chapter Summary: They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but can diamonds keep her company all summer at Martha’s Vineyard? She didn’t think so. 

Word Count: 4,336

Warnings: Language, drinking, eventual smut

Masterlist / AO3

The next morning, Y/N sat at the kitchen table, eating the Eggs Benedict their chef, Rita, had made, when her father walked in.

Obadiah sat down at the kitchen table and stared at his daughter. “Good morning.”

“Morning, Daddy,” she greeted him, her voice light.

“What do you want?”

It was his way of apologizing for the night before. They’d been through this enough times that it was now a routine.

When he yelled at her during her celebratory end-of-eighth-grade-sleepover, she got a brand-new MacBook out of it. When he screamed at her homecoming date in sophomore year, he gave her a St. Bernard puppy. When he cursed out her coach at her state qualifiers swim meet the year before, he bought her a white gold and diamond tennis bracelet. 

She wore the bracelet now, and the dog, a Sweet Good Boy named Hermes, sat at her feet, looking warily up at her father. Hermes and Obadiah had quite the hateful relationship.

Hermes was just a good judge of character.

“I want Steve and Bucky to come with me this summer.”

She had thought about it all last night, knowing her father would come to her this morning with a peace offering—more like a way of buying her forgiveness. And she knew what she wanted, which was to spend the summer with her two closest friends since childhood.

Every summer, her father sent her off to their vacation houses. The cabin in the Adirondacks, the beach house in the Hamptons, the cottage at Martha’s Vineyard. Each time, she was accompanied by a small entourage—people to keep her safe and to keep her from being bored, because of course her parents weren’t about to spend the entire summer with their daughter.

Steve and Bucky had gone with her on several of these trips but had made no plans to be with her for this summer, which was outrageous to her because they were the perfect pair to keep her both safe and entertained. 

She was headed to the cottage in a week and she wanted her favorite boys to be there, no matter if one was not speaking to her and the other had forced a very interesting kiss on her the night before.

So maybe the kiss she shared with Bucky had prompted this whole idea, but she sure as hell couldn’t ask her father for only Bucky to come. That would be suspicious. And she did miss Steve, so she hoped this would give her the chance to smooth things over with him.

Even if he was a big dumb blond hunk of meat.

“That’s all you want?” her father asked suspiciously, expecting the other shoe to drop.

“Yes,” she nodded. 

“Really?” he stole a piece of toast from her plate, and she glared at him. As he chewed, he said, “You know, diamonds are forever, those boys ain’t.”

Simpering, she quipped, “Whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend hasn’t met Steve and Bucky.” Then, “A new Balenciaga bag would sweeten the deal. But mostly I just want them with me for the whole summer.”

“Sure thing, sweetie, whatever you want.”

As their weekly mob meeting later that night finished up, Obadiah broke the news to Steve and Bucky. It worked out well for Obadiah. He hadn’t known who he was going to send with his daughter to protect her until she made the decision for him. Stark had taken an interest in the Rogers kid for some reason, had big plans for him over the summer, but he had managed to talk Stark into letting him go at least for a little while.

 “You two will be accompanying Y/N this summer,” Obadiah said with an air of finality, “Your job is to keep her safe and happy.”

That had always been their job. To anybody remotely concerned, that was Bucky’s and Steve’s sole purpose for being alive.

They hadn’t been doing that good of a job of it for the last few months—at least not the “keeping her happy” part.

The boys didn’t argue—not to Obadiah’s face. They didn’t have a death wish. 

“You’re leaving in a week for Martha’s Vineyard.”

Tony sent them a look that told them he approved of this and they had no choice in the matter, before he exited behind Obadiah.

Sam waggled his eyebrows at them. “Make sure to pack your swim trunks, boys. Oh, and you’ll have to find a guard-dog-friendly beach. Pets allowed, and all that.” He snickered as Bucky flipped him off before he exited the room. 

As the last two in the meeting room, Bucky and Steve looked at each other. Bucky’s gaze was pleading—Steve had barely spoken to him the entire day, and when he had, it had been clipped statements that simmered with an angry undertone. Steve’s gaze now was even angrier.

“What the fuck, Bucky?”

That was all Steve said before leaving.

Bucky had no idea why Steve was so mad—aside from the obvious fact that he kissed Y/N. Even then, Bucky thought it was hypocritical of Steve to be mad over such a thing considering he had also kissed Y/N last year. Bucky had told Steve as much earlier, and Steve only responded by getting even angrier.

Bucky made his way into the kitchen, where everyone was gathered for the big family dinner they always had every Sunday, right after the official weekly meeting. Tonight, Tony’s chefs had prepared a variety of Indian cuisine for them.

He spotted Y/N on the other side of the kitchen. She had just come in from the backyard with Peter Parker, Tony’s boy, and she was barefoot. Bucky started to make his way over to her but Steve got there before he did. Peter scurried away when Steve made eye contact with him.

“So,” Steve said, sidling up to her right by the kitchen table, effectively trapping her between him and the table. “Martha’s Vineyard, huh?” His voice was hard, slightly annoyed.

She looked up at him with that sweet smile. Her lips were glossy with lip balm and she smelled like the sun. “Yeah, I thought it would be fun. Are you excited?” 

He sighed her name, exasperated.

“Hey,” she said before he could say anything else, “I’m wearing the necklace you got me. Thank you, it’s perfect. I love it.” She hooked her thumb around the chain and showed him the gift he got for her birthday. It was a silver locket, an engraving of the sun on the front.

His eyes softened when he saw that, and he smiled at her genuinely for the first time in a year. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I’m not sure what pictures I should put in it, yet,” she said, fingers opening and closing the latch of the locket with a little snap. “Maybe we’ll take some good photos at Martha’s Vineyard.”

He hesitated before asking, “Why did you want us there this summer?”

“I miss you guys,” she answered earnestly. “You never spend time with me anymore. And next semester, I’ll probably be at NYU, maybe. And then I’ll never be around and I’ll never see either of you.”

“Sweetheart—”

“I just want one summer with you guys. Is that too much to ask for?” Her puppy dog eyes hit him in just the right spot.

“No,” he sighed, giving her a small smile, “No, it’s not too much… It’ll be fun. We’re excited.”

Y/N parted from him then, squeezing past him to make her way into the living room to talk to Wanda and Pietro Maximoff before dinner started.

Bucky came over to Steve and Steve sighed. “I couldn’t stay mad at her.”

“You don’t really have a reason to be mad at her,” Bucky pointed out, “Not really.”

“I know…” he turned to Bucky, eyeing him. “Do I have a reason to be mad at you, Buck?”

Bucky shrugged. “I told you, the kiss was an accident. Doesn’t mean anything.”

 “Yeah… Okay… Sorry for bein’ an ass.”

“S’okay,” Bucky clapped him on the back. “I’m used to it by now.”

Steve laughed and punched at Bucky’s shoulder, and then dinner was called.

A week later, Steve and Bucky were packing their suitcases into the SUV for them to get ready to go on the six-hour trip to Martha’s Vineyard. They had gotten a late start and probably wouldn’t be there until it was dark. 

Steve drove and Bucky rode shotgun, dictating the music the entire drive—much to Steve’s and Y/N’s chagrin. She sat in the back with Hermes and chattered with them both about nothing for the first half of the drive.

They were already behind schedule, and it was only made worse when Bucky and Y/N demanded they stop for a bathroom break about three times each—Steve was seething by the last time. He calmed down when she came back from the gas station convenience store with a bag of M&M’s for him—his favorite candy.

They had stopped for a late lunch at a pizza place in Boston—and had gone 40 minutes out of their way for it. Between the three of them, they had devoured three pizzas and a whole basket of garlic knots. It had sent Y/N into a food-induced stupor. By the time they were pulling up to the Stanes’ cottage, she was fast asleep, using the dog as a pillow.

He and Steve carried all the luggage in before they contemplated waking her up. 

“Let her sleep,” Bucky said, “She’ll probably be out for the rest of the night.”

“I’ll carry her in,” Steve said as Hermes jumped out, “Can you get the dog?”

Bucky obliged. He let the dog go into the fenced-in backyard.

The cottage at Martha’s Vineyard wasn’t so much a cottage as a 6-bedroom converted-barn-turned-luxury-mansion overlooking the water, complete with a big fancy backyard and a pool and access to the beachside and a private dock. Bucky was always blown away every time they visited and this time was no different.

He stood in the backyard admiring the black waters while Hermes did his business.

“I set her on the couch,” Steve said, startling Bucky.

Bucky looked back to see Steve on the porch, taking a seat on the porch swing that faced the ocean. He walked over, taking a seat next to him. Their arms brushed together as they settled in.

“Here,” Steve said, handing him a bottle of whiskey. “They’ve got this place stocked with liquor but no food. We’ll have to make a grocery run tomorrow.”

Bucky grunted in response as he took a long drink. It had been a long day, and truthfully, all he could think of doing right now was going to bed. Instead, he stayed up with Steve, ready to relax on their vacation after the last stressful few months. 

Tony had taken Steve under his wing, mentoring him into a more important place in the mob. It was the start of something big, Steve kept saying. Bucky was excited for his friend, if not a little jealous. But Steve deserved it, he knew; Steve was always the more determined of the two of them, always the more ruthless one.

So tonight, Bucky welcomed the respite. As they chatted and ribbed each other over the bottle of whiskey, it was like nothing had changed.

The conversation had turned to Steve and Peggy, and Steve was saying, “Yeah, Peg’s great, but I dunno. She doesn’t really get it.”

“Get what?” But Bucky had a feeling he knew what Steve was talking about. He took another swig of whiskey before passing the bottle to Steve.

“The mob, the life we live. She doesn’t know the half of it, and if she did… She wouldn’t stick with me through it.”

“You need someone who already knows our life, Stevie. Someone who understands.”

Steve was quiet for a moment before saying, “Someone like Y/N?”

Bucky stiffened. That hadn’t been what he was going for, but Y/N was on the back of his mind when he said it. She had been on his mind since last week. He laughed it off. “C’mon, Stevie, you think Stane would let you have her?”

“Stane’s been thinking of who to marry her off to,” Steve said after a long drink. “Only reason he’s letting her go to NYU is ‘cause he hasn’t had any good contenders yet.”

“And you think you’re gonna put in an offer?”

Steve scoffed. “No. I’m dating Peggy, Buck. C’mon.”

“But if you weren’t?”

Steve looked beside him to find Bucky already staring at him intently. They made eye contact, the air between them tense. Finally, Steve shrugged. “I’m not sure, Buck. Maybe I should be askin’ you the same thing.”

“Does it look like I’m ready to settle down and take a bride?” he asked, giving Steve and incredulous look. Steve laughed and looked down at his lap, shaking his head, doing that bashful thing even when Bucky knew he wasn’t bashful at all. “Besides, I wouldn’t do that to her.”

Steve knew what he meant. Tying her to the mob, for as long as they both shall live. Mob wives were much more involved than the children of the mob, and they both knew Y/N was too sweet and innocent for that.

Steve’s smile fell away and he nodded, thinking it over. “Yeah. I wouldn’t want to either.”

They had both had quite a bit of whiskey by now, and Bucky was feeling brave. “Tell me about when you kissed her, Stevie.”

Steve’s eyes widened and he looked at Bucky with a shocked expression. “You know about that?”

“Yeah, she told me the other night,” Bucky answered, taking the bottle from Steve as he was about to take a drink. “’Fess up, punk. Don’t avoid the question.”

He let out a long sigh, his shoulders drooping, hands braced on his knees. “Fine. But you can’t tell anyone.”

“Who the fuck would I tell?”

Steve swatted at his knee. “I don’t fucking know, just keep your mouth shut about it. Got it?” When Bucky nodded, Steve continued. “It was the end of last summer when we were all in Southampton. She snuck out with some of her friends to a party one night, and I caught her coming back late. I was just startin’ to lay into her about it when she started crying—and not her usual crying when she’s bein’ a brat, you know?”

Bucky knew. She got real teary eyed sometimes when they caught her doing something she shouldn’t have been, specifically when Steve started yelling at her. But usually she took his scolding with a stiff upper lip, unless he was being really unfair.

“She starts sobbing, and I can tell something’s really wrong. So I hug her and coddle her and eventually she tells me that some guys at the party were makin’ fun of her because she’s a virgin.” Steve clenched his jaw, remembering the way she blushed when she told him, the way she looked down and whispered it like she was ashamed of it. “And so I’m trying to tell her there’s nothing wrong with that, and she tells me she’s never even kissed anyone, and how is any guy ever gonna like her if she doesn’t even have any experience.”

“So you kissed her?” Bucky asked, remembering Y/N had said that he had offered.

Steve shook his head, laughing a little. “I don’t know what came over me. She was just so sad, and you know I have a soft spot for girls when they cry.”

Bucky knew very well about Steve’s weakness for people when they cried—not just girls. He and Steve had experimented in bed plenty of times and if there was one thing they had found out, it was that Steve loved it when Bucky cried. It really got him going for some reason.

“I wouldn’t call it a soft spot…” Bucky muttered, earning a punch on the arm. Steve still laughed about it good-naturedly.

“She was lookin’ up at me, all doe-eyed, and red, and sad. Kinda like how you used to look at me, Buck.”

Bucky looks at him, surprised, and memories of their times together flash through Bucky’s mind. They were each other’s firsts, stumbling their way through puberty and coming-of-age and the discovery of teenaged sexuality together. It wasn’t until after he experimented thoroughly with Steve in many different ways that he became the Lothario he is today. He feels his cheeks heat up at the images his brain conjures of them together in bed, touching and kissing, dry-humping each other until Bucky came in his pants.

“Yeah, like that,” Steve said, looking at him with a fond smile, something dark gleaming in his eyes. And truly, Steve thinks Bucky looks wonderful right now, all flushed and shocked and exactly like he did when Steve fucked him for the first time when they were 16.

So maybe Steve has a type for innocent young things who blush a lot. That’s why he was trying to stay away from Y/N. Maybe that’s why Steve had always felt like Peggy was wrong for him but staying with Peggy was such a great distraction for now.

“So I couldn’t help myself,” Steve shrugged. “I asked. I didn’t just force myself on her.” Part of Bucky feels sheepish at that, because that was exactly how he kissed her the night of her birthday, forcefully, predatorily. The other part remembers how nice it was every time Steve forced himself on Bucky in the heat of the moment. “I asked if she wanted me to kiss her just to see how it felt. And she said yes. So I kissed her.”

“Did you like it?” Bucky asked. He couldn’t help it.

The blush on Steve’s cheeks surprised Bucky. “Yeah, I guess I did. But don’t you ever tell anyone that.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. As if he would. “If you liked it, why’d you ignore her afterwards?”

“What? I didn’t!”

“Don’t bullshit me, Steve. You can’t bullshit me, I see right through you, pal.”

 Steve looked down. The red hadn’t faded from his cheeks. “I dunno. I liked it too much, maybe. Stane would kill me if anything happened between us.”

Bucky got it, then. Steve liked it, and he needed to put distance between them to stop himself from taking things further.

“And then I found Peggy, and I just got too busy with Tony. So Y/N and I stopped talking as much.”

Bucky thought about this, but in his tipsiness, his dazed mind kept wandering back to how he kissed her. He kissed her like Steve used to kiss him, and he wondered if Steve kissed her the same way.

“How was it, Stevie?” he asked, a question that had been on his mind for a week now. “How was the kiss?”

Steve smirked knowingly. “Nothing like how I used to kiss you, that’s for sure.”

Bucky remembered their first few times together, sweet and tentative, innocent explorations. Steve had kissed him kindly then, but they had both quickly found out they liked it when Steve took charge. When Steve was rough with him, showed him no mercy.

But Bucky only liked it when Steve did that to him. None of the other men or women he had been with were the same in that regard. He only trusted Steve to take that power away from him, knowing Steve would never hurt him.

He supposed Steve liked the control aspect of it. As for Bucky, he needed that control whenever he was with anybody else.

“Guys?” they heard from the doorway after a brief silence. Hermes, who had been lying at their feet dozing, immediately got up and trotted over to where Y/N was standing, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“Hey, sweetie,” Steve said, “You just wake up?”

She nodded and padded over to them, Hermes following her loyally. Her feet were bare and she was still wearing her clothes from earlier, leggings and an oversized sweatshirt with her high school’s mascot on the front. Bucky thought the sweatshirt had belonged to Steve once, or maybe him—or maybe both, he couldn’t recall.

She took a seat between them and slumped down onto Bucky’s shoulder. “I’m tired,” There was a little pout on her lips, puffy and sleep-swollen.

“Then go back to bed,” Bucky told her, draping his right arm around the back of the bench, letting her rest her head on his chest.

“Can’t fall back asleep.”

“Are you hungry?” Steve asked, ever the doting mother hen. “There’s not food in the kitchen, but maybe we could go pick something up.”

She shook her head. “I’m still full from the pizza.” 

“Well, we’ll go for an early breakfast tomorrow,” Steve said, “Any place you want.”

“Okay, Stevie,” she said, smiling up at him sleepily. 

Steve couldn’t help himself when he swung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to rest on his chest instead. She went willingly, cuddling into him. Bucky sent him a look, and Steve raised an eyebrow back—a little like a challenge, one that Bucky did not accept. Instead, he yielded to Steve, resting his right hand lightly on Steve’s shoulder, feeling the need to be close. Her legs came up to rest on Bucky’s lap and she just sat there with them, enjoying the night. 

Just like old times.

“Are you guys staying with me for the whole summer?” she asked, her voice muffled into Steve’s unusually large peck.

“I dunno, doll, is that what you asked your dad for?” Steve asked knowingly.

She shrugged and buried her face deeper. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean he’ll keep his word.”

“We’re here until further notice,” Bucky said. “Steve might get called away occasionally.”

“Because of Tony?” she asked, her voice small.

“Yeah,” Steve said, pressing his lips to the crown of her head in a kiss, “But you don’t need to worry your pretty head about that.”

“Okay.”

“Now, doll,” Bucky started, placing his left hand on her calf. She glanced at him from Steve’s chest. “Are you gonna behave with us this summer?”

She blushed, but a smirk fell across her face. “Of course I will, Bucky,” she said in a tone that implied the exact opposite.

His hand slid up to her knee. “Not gonna go getting into any trouble with all the teenage hooligans on the island?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why would I want to get in trouble with them when I could get in trouble with you guys, instead?”

Steve’s arm tightened around her shoulders in a way that was just a little bit threatening. “Now, Y/N, listen to me,” he said, using his serious voice, “Your dad wanted us to keep you safe. You’re not gonna go around making trouble for us. Got it?”

“I guess,” she whined. Steve didn’t like that.

His hand came up and cupped her jaw, tilting her head up forcefully so she looked at him. “Don’t be a brat,” he said, a warning in his tone, “You’re gonna be a good girl for us or there’ll be consequences.”

“Steve,” she pouted, the whine still in her voice.

He grit his teeth, and his fingers squeezed her jaw just hard enough for her to get the message. “No complaining, baby girl. Now you say ‘Yes, Steve’, so I know you understand.”

“…Yes, Steve.”

He let her go, and she tried to pull away from him but his arm around her shoulders anchored her against him. Bucky’s hand moved from Steve’s shoulder to her head, stroking his fingers through her soft hair to sooth and reassure her.

They were all silent then, like they often were after Steve scolded her. It was a familiar dance for them. When she got bratty or if she did something wrong, Steve would reprimand her sternly, while Bucky sat by and watched. Then, both Bucky and Steve would calm her down so she knew they forgave her. It worked to correct her misbehavior every time, but it took all three of them.

With Steve rocking them gently on the porch swing and Bucky running his fingers through her hair, it didn’t take long to lull her back to sleep.

Steve carried her upstairs to put her to bed, and Bucky followed, turning down the covers and tucking her in. Hermes curled up on the bed at her feet, settling down and dozing off right next to her. 

Steve had already placed their luggage in the rooms they would be staying in, all their rooms side by side in the same hall.

Bucky followed Steve to their respective bedrooms, and they lingered in the doorways.

“Do you think I was too hard on her?” Steve asked. They spoke quietly in the mellow darkness of the night. Bucky could hear the waves crashing on the beach out back.

“Nah,” Bucky reassured him, “She can take it. Plus, it’d be nice if she didn’t act up during this trip.” He could hope she wouldn’t, at least.

Steve nodded. “She gets so ballsy on these vacations when her dad’s not here.”

“Well,” Bucky said, clapping him on the shoulder, “If she gets like that this summer, you’re here to put her in her place.”

Steve looked at him, dark eyes glinting. “Damn right,” he said, voice low. Bucky couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but Steve’s tone of voice sent a shudder through him. “We should get to bed,” Steve said finally, breaking up the tense atmosphere. “I’m waking you both up early tomorrow.”

Bucky groaned, “Ugh, c’mon Stevie. Let us sleep in.”

Steve grinned, “No chance, Buck. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Bucky said, his voice soft as he watched Steve retreat into his bedroom, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

He let out a deep breath, rubbing a hand over his face. It was going to be a long, intense summer, he could already tell.

#steve rogers #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fic #dark!steve rogers #bucky barnes fic #dark!bucky barnes #fanfiction #mcu #stucky #stucky x reader #brooklyn’s sweetheart

[ichliebdich]

gimme some STONY

Send in two (or more) names and I’ll fill all this out about the ship!

general

rate the ship

awful | ew | no pics pls | i’m not comfortable | alright | i like it! | got pics? | let’s do it! | why is this not getting more attention?! | the OTP to rule all other OTPs

how long will they last?

quite a long time until they have a falling out where the argument is suffocating their relationship. at that point, steve would have to be the one to initiate the break up because tony wouldn’t even think of leaving him no matter what, he doesn’t want to let him go and he doesn’t want to see him go.

how quickly did/will they fall in love?

about as fast as watching paint dry or the grass grow. they don’t realize it until long after and even so, they’d deny it, tony more so than steve.

how was their first kiss?

after going through their signature arguments, tony gets frustrated to the point where he just grabs steve by his face and kisses him. it was a very awkward moment, especially for tony considering he just realized what he just did and he’s internally suffering at that point. steve just stands there with tony’s hand still on his face, ( sexually ) confused and stunned. they haven’t admit it, but they liked it.

wedding:

who proposed? 

you would think it’d be steve, but it’s actually tony! he likes to show off but at the same time, he’s pretty straightforward about it, so he’ll lay it out on steve with a very, VERY expensive ring.

who is/are the best man/men?

rhodey, thor, t’challa and bucky. peter is their ring boy. :’)

who is/are the maids? 

pepper is the maid of honor. shuri, nataliya and pretty much the rest of the girls in marvel are the maids!

who did the most planning?

tony –– steve would try to include himself but tony would not let him, he’s not fixing to have an old fashioned wedding, NOT ON HIS WATCH. he wants it to be modern and even better!

who stressed the most?

tony. he’s a huge perfectionist. he sees ONE thing out of place or any mistake whatsoever and he’ll have a midlife crisis. steve is trying to calm his fiancé down as if it’s not a big deal.

tony: BUT IT IS A BIG DEAL, I NEED THIS TO BE PERFECT, STEVE, NOT FOR ME BUT FOR THE BOTH OF US.

steve: …. tony, are you on your cycle?

tony:

how fancy was the ceremony?

back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | normal church wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | kate and william wish they were this big.

who was specifically not invited to the wedding?

deadpool. my poor boy…

sex

who is on top?

we all know it’s steve from how much tony wants it.

who is the one to instigate things? 

tony’s always vaguely asking for it. if only you can see the way he “unintentionally” leans forward on the counter, showing off his ass or the way he runs his hand over steve’s arm or gives him a few pats on the butt LMAO

how healthy is their sex life? 

barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | they are humping each other on the couch right now

how kinky are they?

straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

how long do they normally last? 

sometimes it’ll be brief ( typically 5-10 minutes more or less ), other times it’ll be long––it depends on their mood. but if tony’s in one of those “moods” where he keeps telling steve what to do when he’s not quite satisfied until steve has enough of it… 

do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms?

not particularly. tony would try but he’d always end up forgetting about it because his head would end up being too clouded to remember. steve doesn’t really think or are about it, he’ll give and he’ll have something in return regardless.

how rough are they in bed? 

softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | the bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne johnson blush. also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

how much cuddling/snuggling do they do?

no touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | a little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | they snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

children:

how many children will they have naturally? 

well they can’t exactly reproduce, so none.

how many children will they adopt? 

one or two –– three is the maximum.

who gets stuck with the most diapers?

STEVE. tony refuses to go near them, he has no desire of dealing with the struggle, let alone risking the chance of getting peed on.

who is the stricter parent? 

out of the two, probably tony even though he’s laid back himself. that doesn’t mean that the child would be able to do whatever they want though, there’s always a limit to what they can do.

who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school?

both of them. 

who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? 

both do but it’s not like they’d ever forget because there’s f.r.i.d.a.y. to help keep in check too!

who is the more loved parent? 

both! steve and tony are best dads.

who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings?

either or. if tony’s too busy, steve would go and vice versa but both would go when given the chance.

who cried the most at graduation?

tony, he’s weeping on steve’s shoulder. watching them grow is too much for him…

who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law?

BOTH. no way either of them are gonna allow them to get in that sort of trouble… tony would be so dramatic as to show up in his iron man suit BECAUSE HE’S HAVING NONE OF THAT, meanwhile, steve would simply step in and stop them from doing anything reckless.

cooking:

who does the most cooking?

y’all know it be stevie :>

who is the most picky in their food choice?

tony… he’d literally tell steve what he wants and how he likes it, but sometimes he’d change his mind so it becomes a hassle for steve. and if tony gets what he doesn’t want or feel like eating, he’d whine about it until steve shuts him up by shoving the food in his mouth because Enough is Enough™

who does the grocery shopping?

sometimes steve but tony just has f.r.i.d.a.y. order for them.

how often do they bake desserts?

once in a while for certain occasions or if they feel like it. 

are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? 

they’re pretty much both. they like themselves a properly balanced meal.

who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? 

tony! he’d be cheesy about it too. he had to stall steve when he’s out, cause he kept burning the food. he could’ve just ordered fancy food, but he wanted it to be special and personal. he tries hard, at least.

who is more likely to suggest going out? 

sometimes both or either of them, but mostly tony. he likes homemade food, but having a nice variety of cuisines from many of his favorite restaurants would be refreshing and nice to have every so often or at least once in a while.

who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? 

tony…… he’s almost done it about five times. luckily his own house is “smart” enough to prevent it from happening

chores:

who cleans the room? 

steve does it mainly because it keeps him active inside. tony doesn’t because he’s too full of himself. and too lazy. #bigmood.

who is really against chores?

tony’s against doing them. steve asks him to do one small task and tony’ll sigh in exasperation as if he was asked to run a marathon across the world. he’d decline the demand by using “i’m busy!” as an excuse when he’s not even busy.

who cleans up after the pets?

steve… starting to look like he’s the housewife here haha.

who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? 

tony, but then he’d get called out by f.r.i.d.a.y.

who stresses the most when guests are coming over? 

tony! he expects the place to be clean for the most part and thats when he ACTUALLY cleans the house––tony makes steve help because he doesn’t want one spec of dust anywhere at all (bless steve’s soul for having to deal with tony’s pushy ass). 

who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning?

steve!

tony: oh look, you got your daily allowance.

steve: 

misc:

who takes the longer showers/baths? 

definitely tony. he likes to soak in and relax. steve makes it short and brief unless tony makes him take a bath with him.

who takes the dog out for a walk? 

steve. tony’s always busy with some kind of work.

how often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays?

as often as they can, unless something bad doesn’t come up. 

what are their goals for the relationship? 

to tolerate each other? they like to see how well they could negotiate in any situation they would argue. who knows, maybe there will come a time where they won’t argue over tony’s decisions or steve’s actions. (NOT).

who is most likely to sleep till noon?

tony, he’s such a sleepy head after using so much of his head. steve would take the time to do whatever he likes without getting judged or commented on for it LOL

who plays the most pranks? 

ooh, this is interesting –– tony would initiate the pranks, mostly with his creations while some are other stuff and steve would always make a comeback for them.

#this was a RIDE #casiks #answered. #stony. #stony #long post

[themusiciantraveler]

For Whom the Bells Toll in Dresden

Sunday.  May 27, 2018.

    It was the first morning any of us have actually “slept in” since we departed the States at the beginning of our trip, and let me say that the extra bit of rest was much needed.  We once again stuffed our faces before heading into Dresden for a rainy Sunday morning.  We arrived in the heart of the city just as it started to sprinkle outside — the fog heavy as the sun began to peek behind the clouds.  The moment we stepped out of the van we instantly stepped back in time to the height of the 1800s with their grand balls and premiers of the latest Wagnerian opera.

   The towering sight of the Zwinger — a castle and fortress that ended up only being mere walls and a courtyard, turned into a porcelain and crystal museum — greeted us as we were transported to the era of late-Romanticism.  Fountains and gothic architecture graced the darkened grey skies, almost blending in together.  We were running late (as per usual with 14 other traveling companions) so we only had time for a brief walk through the courtyard before walking to the main square that opened up to the Semper Opera House.

   We stepped out into the courtyard of the Semper Opera House only to be greeted by a quartet of brass players performing a stunning Bach chorale.  The notes gracefully intermingled in perfect, genius harmony as the reverberated off the lofty corners of the surrounding architecture. After they cadenced their beautiful reverie we tipped the talented musicians and decided to try our luck with a song request – specifically the National Anthem of the United States of America.  They looked at us and then looked at one another before kindly acquiescing to our odd request – I’m certain they had never been asked to play the piece ever before based on their reactions.  But soon the familiar strains that bring hats off heads and hands to cover hearts began to drift through the courtyard.  Pride swelled in each of our hearts as we sang the lyrics that accompany the famous verses – the dictionary definition of juxtaposition as we took in the extremely European history around us.

The Elbe River flowed directly alongside the town square, hemming in the antique architecture that surrounded our world.  The rain began to pick up until it was falling steadily as we joined the queue to wait for the English tour of the opera house.  A small tip, plan to have at least two hours to spend on the tour — we only had about 45 minutes to spare before our next excursion, so we unfortunately only barely got to see the stage and stunning seating boxes in the heart of the opera house. Also, check the daily schedule if you are there on a weekend, there may be a performance or two going on and you will need to plan around them accordingly because all tours will stop 2 hours before curtain call.  Additionally, if you would like to take pictures of the magnificent marble columns and stunning chandeliers you will need to purchase a photo license at the beginning of the tour for a 3-Euro fee.  If you don’t, they will kick you out of the tour if you take any photographs.

    Just a few months before WWII ended the Allies bombed the living daylights out of Dresden, in retaliation for the loss of Coventry, completely destroying both the Semper Opera House and the Frauenkirche.  In fact, the opera house that was originally commissioned for infamous composer Richard Wagner, had been destroyed on 2 previous occasions (both times by fire) so the building we got to tour was actually the 3rd reincarnation of the magnificent performing arts center that architect Semper had originally envisioned. 

   We left the tour early and in a hurry as the 11 o’clock bells began to toll from the Frauenkirche just a couple blocks down.  There are three main services on Sundays: the 7am Mass, the 11am Lutheran service, and the 5pm English Presbyterian service.  And once the service begins, you are not permitted to enter the church late, so we ran for all our worth, making it to the doors just as the final bell tolled to signal a change in the hour.

    After being momentarily distracted by the beauty of the Frauenkirche, we finally located Doc and the row he had saved for us in the cathedral.  We stood as the priest called us to worship and praise.  Much of the service was spent looking around, counting and admiring details in order the stay awake because the entire service was in German! Every so often I would catch a word I recognized and my attention would be sparked before returning to my own thoughts. We participated in several traditional segments of a Mass, including the Kyrie and the Gloria, as well as call and response sections of the service.  The most amazing part of the service that I will never forget was singing hymns and the Lord’s Prayer in German.  Getting to worship alongside the fellow believers in our group in a different language was an incredible opportunity that just absolutely made my heart soar — certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

    After the service ended, we talked Doc and Michael into letting us have a 30-minute break to walk around town a bit more, grab lunch, and purchase some souvenirs before getting back in the van for another long drive.  We walked the picturesque square until we stopped at a quaint little cafe and bistro.  We ordered cappuccinos and several small pastry bites covered in cinnamon and sugar and enjoyed the sunshine and the sounds of a Sunday in Dresden, Germany. The coffee was smooth and rich, a perfect pairing with the light sugar-coated pastries — something I wish my mom and I could have after every Sunday church service, though I do prefer my service in English.

    After snagging some souvenirs for friends and a sandwich for the road, we headed back to the van through the Zwinger, the sun now high in the sky as we began our trek to the capital of Berlin. After yet another deep nap and several restroom stops, we finally arrived in the heart of Germany and our hotel for the next two evenings.  We were given a chance to freshen up before a few final outings in the slowly sinking sunlight.  We began at the Holocaust Museum and Memorial, after a few delays (as I’ve said before, maps are a useful commodity when traveling to a new place).  A piece of advice, use Rick Steve’s travel books as resources when researching what sights to see.  He often provides hours of operation and days that museums and other sights are closed. Something unique about Germany is that many museums are open on Sundays but are closed on Mondays, so by the time we finally arrived at the Holocaust Museum it had already closed for the evening and would not be reopening until Tuesday, by which time we would already be in another city.

    So instead, I took some time to ponder and think on all that had happened to the people of my heritage during those dark years of WWII.  The stunning and heart-stopping monument is designed on uneven ground with stone pillars of varying heights.  People walk in and out of the pathways that the pillars create, but because of the differing heights of the columns, it makes it appear as though people randomly appear and disappear in the midst of the monument. It is intended to create an atmosphere that reminds the onlooker of what it must have felt like to lose everyone around you, friends and family disappearing suddenly into the night either in escape or in hostage.  A frightening, yet nonetheless interesting, fact about the location of the monument is that it is less than a mile away from Hitler’s final stand, where he took his own life in his bunker.  The building no longer exists, but a plaque on the pavement will reveal the location.

    After taking a moment to slow down and think, we moved on through the city and just around the corner to the Brandenburg Gate – the starting point of the infamous Berlin Wall.  The sun was creeping closer and closer to the ground, streaking the sky in pale hues of orange, yellow, pink, and blue, providing a stunning backdrop to such a painful monument in history.  After an additional 2 miles of walking in search of Checkpoint Charlie, we finally convinced Michael to stop for dinner at the only place in sight.  We ordered as much as we could as fast as possible, seeing that we had only had a small meal since the early morning.

    A few final tips as our evening comes to a close.  I recommend indulging in the local cuisine of the country you are in — try new things that might scare you, I promise they will provide some of the best food you will eat on the entire trip.  And never travel without a map and research your closing times.  You will thank yourself later when you are not wandering around a new city blindly or have missed the only chance at seeing a museum or shop you had on your list of ‘must dos’.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

A Different 24 Hours in Philadelphia, My Former Least Favorite City

If you had a chance to revisit your least favorite city, would you go? Recently I got an interesting opportunity in my inbox. Booking.com invited me to visit my least favorite city for 24 hours and give it a second chance, staying in really nice accommodation and doing lots of nice activities.

I was intrigued, and I immediately knew the city to visit: Philadelphia.

I’ve been to Philadelphia somewhere around eight times. And while I don’t hate the city, I’ve never really liked it. It’s always felt small and dirty to me, short on attractions and limited in focus. As a native Bostonian, Philadelphia feels like it has all of Boston’s worst qualities but none of the best.

But I knew it had to be better. My sister loves it, to start, and so do many of my travel blogger friends. Additionally, almost all of my Philly visits were pre-blog; the lone visit post-blog was mainly hanging out in the suburbs with my friends Kelly Anne and Dave and only briefly venturing into the city. I’ve changed a lot as a person since then, and my travel style has changed significantly as well.

Plus, Philly is only 90 minutes away from New York by train. That is so close! How nice would it be if I had a city I loved that close by?

Switching to Holiday Mode

Booking.com has been researching how people can make their trips better by de-stressing in advance and planning for a relaxing trip. It’s all about taking care of your mind and body, getting yourself to a good place so you can see your destination at your best self.

For me, I didn’t want to end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy. I would genuinely go into Philadelphia with an open mind this time. I would take care of myself, I wouldn’t push too many activities, I would spend time outside and do lots of walking.

This would be different from my past trips. No cheesesteaks. No South Street. No Liberty Bell. No running up the steps of the art museum like Rocky. I would spend my 24 hours enjoying the city the way I wanted to.

By 5:30 PM, I was checked into my accommodation and I started the clock.

5:30 PM: Get settled in at ROOST Midtown

While a lot of people will head out right away, I think it’s important to take a moment and relax for a bit. Heading straight out after arriving is more likely to stress me out; I prefer to take a few moments of quiet solitude.

And what a place to enjoy that solitude.

ROOST Midtown is a condo-style hotel in Center City. It felt more like a private residence than a hotel and it was so big I could have done several cartwheels across the space.

This mid-century desk was the perfect spot to answer emails and get some last-minute work done.

Unusually, the bedroom didn’t have windows, but it did have an open loft to the living room which let in some natural light.

The bathroom was modern and stocked with adorable amenities.

This had all the pluses of an Airbnb — an apartment-like setup, self-catering facilities, laundry, and an awesome clubhouse on the roof — with none of the minuses, like having to coordinate being around at the same time so you can check in. I got the amenities I wanted with the privacy, discretion, and anonymity of a hotel’s front desk.

After a quick recharge, I headed out to explore.

6:30 PM: The Beautiful Streets Around Rittenhouse Square

Rittenhouse Square was a short walk away from my accommodation. This green space is one of the prettiest parks in Center City. But even better were the houses in the surrounding streets.

It amazed me how much the architecture varied in this neighborhood, yet how cohesive it was! There were moments when I felt like I was in Amsterdam, or Savannah, or even Harlem!

I’ve loved driving around and looking at fancy houses since I was a kid. Now that I’m grown, I still love walking around city neighborhoods and checking out the fabulous homes.

7:30 PM: Glass of Champagne

The secret to solo female travel confidence? Drink champagne. It immediately makes you the most interesting person in the room. I’m still shocked by how much that post resonated. Years later, girls still send me pictures of themselves drinking bubbly, saying, “Now I drink champagne just like you!”

Twenty Manning, with its elegant bar and dark wood tables, was a lovely restaurant for a pre-dinner drink.

8:30 PM: Tasting Menu at Talula’s Garden

I got a lot of recommendations for high-end Philly restaurants, mostly for high-end Israeli restaurant Zahav, followed by the French-influenced Laurel, but both were booked solid. Instead, I searched OpenTable and found Talula’s Garden, a restaurant specializing in local, seasonal cuisine.

I love eating local whenever possible, and seeking out local chefs’ takes on their region. (Even though New York local and Philly local is pretty much the same. Many of our local farms are in Pennsylvania!)

So how was it? OH MY GOD. This is one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory. Seriously. And ten courses for $100 might sound crazy, but it was great value for food this good.

If you eat a la carte, my favorite dishes were the fried green tomato with smoked jalapeño, the seared scallop with smoky bacon and riddled cornbread, the grass-fed beef pappardelle bolognese, the “Jewel of Summer” soft cheese with peaches, and the blueberry apricot tarte tatin. I didn’t do the wine pairings but got a glass of white and a glass of red that the waitress recommended, as well as the included sparkling wine, and all three were spectacular.

As I left, my waitress told me, “I wish more women were like you — taking themselves out for a tasting menu, just because!”

“Oh, I’m actually a travel writer on assignment,” I said apologetically. “But I agree — women should! It’s something special to do for yourself!”

Talula’s Garden was easily the best thing I did in Philadelphia, and I recommend them highly.

11:00 PM: Cocktail at Hop Sing Laundromat

The entrance to this speakeasy is intimidating. Set in the middle of Chinatown behind a nondescript door, I got in line behind the one girl standing there and we waited for the door to open.

Finally, a Steve Harvey-looking dude poked his head out and demanded to know why we were there. “I’m here for my friend’s birthday party!” she yelped and was immediately let in.

“What about you?” he said with a glare.

“I — I just heard this was a good place!” I squeaked. “I just, you know, I’m alone but I thought it would be nice to check out, maybe have a cocktail…”

He sighed and let me in.

The girl and I were ordered to sit down and listen to the rules. Absolutely no photography. No bar photos, no selfies, no social media videos, no Instagram, and if you violated that, you would be kicked out immediately.

Got it.

The girl headed back to her group; I went to the bar, where there were only two chairs and I was the sole patron. Kind of weird for a Thursday night. I had a tasty gin and cucumber cocktail and briefly chatted with the bartender, but empty bars are a bit depressing when you’re solo, and I left after finishing the drink.

12:00 AM: Bedtime!

8:30 AM: Breakfast at Federal Donuts

I met up with my friend Dave for breakfast at Federal Donuts. (Do check out their website if you’re on a desktop — it’s hilarious!) This place is famous for tender, sweet donuts, and the fact that they serve them alongside fried chicken. If chicken and waffles makes so much sense, why not chicken and donuts?

To my dismay, chicken was not served until 11:00 AM, but the donut was no consolation prize. My peach cobbler donut was astoundingly fresh. I could have eaten another one right there.

9:15 AM: Coffee at Elixr Coffee Roasters

Coffee is always a priority for me, and I personally held off from getting coffee at Federal Donuts so I could enjoy an artisanal shop nearby. I decided to check out Elixr Coffee Roasters — a cool industrial space that catered to a wide variety of people. My flat white? Delicious!

10:15 AM: Mütter Museum

The strangest and most macabre attraction in Philadelphia is the Mütter Museum: a collection of medical abnormalities. You’ll find things like preserved diseased body parts and skeletons of all kinds, most of them deformed somehow. I love quirky and unusual museums, so this sounded like it could be fun.

I’ll be honest: I did not like this place. It was too disgusting for me. I had to actively suppress the urge to vomit the whole time.

But hey, don’t let that stop you. You might like it.

11:00 AM: Lavender Latte at Peddler Coffee

In my research I discovered that Peddler Coffee was a good midpoint between the Mutter Museum and the Barnes Foundation — and that they made a lavender latte with their own homemade lavender syrup. I’m still dreaming of the lavender spiced mocha I had in Savannah last year, so that was a must!

It was absolutely worth the stop. Definitely my favorite coffee of the trip.

12:00 PM: Barnes Foundation

This is an incredible collection of art. The Barnes Foundation is a stunning collection of art with a crazy history behind it. Dr. Albert Barnes amassed an incredible collection of art over the course of his lifetime and meant for it to be kept together in his home following his death; things did not go to plan. It’s the subject of the Netflix documentary The Art of the Steal.

There are tons of Matisses here, a handful of Picassos, a Van Gogh, some Renoirs, and hundreds of paintings by other artists, stacked up on top of each other in little rooms. I loved how it was structured — it felt far more intimate than most art museums.

Tip: get the app before you go! The Barnes Foundation has an audio guide that you can use on your phone.

1:45 PM: Reading Terminal Market

I’m surprised I missed Reading Terminal Market on all my Philly visits so far. This food market features dozens of food stalls hawking everything from Cajun eats to bakeries owned by the Amish.

(Tip: Please don’t photograph the Amish. Being photographed is against their beliefs. Though the women working here may be used to being photographed without their consent, that doesn’t mean that you should take advantage of that.)

The dish that came with the highest recommendation was DiNic’s roast pork sandwich, topped with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe. It’s been on lots of lists of “best sandwiches in America.” The verdict? Pretty good, but not life-changing by any stretch.

My friends warned me that the market would be super busy around lunch time, and they were right. It was a bit much for me.

3:00 PM: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

Artist Isaiah Zagar has dedicated himself to beautifying Philadelphia’s neighborhoods with his art since the 1960s. In the mid-90s, he began working on a lot on South Street, and in 2008, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens were open to the public.

Today they are a beautiful place to wander, a place that hosts artistic events — and Instagram gold. My biggest surprise was that it wasn’t full of Instagrammers trying to get the perfect shot in every direction!

4:00 PM: Capogiro Gelato

I met up with Dave again for a gelato break! Capogiro‘s gelato isn’t like what I’ve had in Italy, but it was delicious nonetheless — incredibly creamy and smooth. Black Fig and Peaches and Cream were solid flavors.

4:45 PM: Browsing at Joseph Fox Bookshop

I’m always down to check out an independent bookstore. Joseph Fox Shop has an interesting array of books, including many from small presses I’ve never seen before. For a tiny place, they have strong sections on feminism, African-American studies, and cultural American studies.

I picked up a few essay collections by Roxane Gay and Zadie Smith.

5:30 PM: And that’s 24 hours!

That was my itinerary and it worked for me — but I should point out that this is a rushed itinerary for most people. I tend to sightsee very quickly when traveling solo and even for me this was a bit quicker than I would have liked to go.

Other than that, I was happy with how I spent my time.

Bonus Itinerary: Fishtown

Some of my favorite Philly experiences happened in the final evening after the 24 hours was up, so I’ll include them here:

That night I headed to Fishtown, which people are calling Philadelphia’s new hipster neighborhood. Truth be told, there were parts that looked exactly like Bushwick, Brooklyn.

I got dinner at the highly recommended Wm. Mulherin’s Sons (probably the worst restaurant name I’ve ever heard) and thoroughly enjoyed my double margherita pizza (regular mozzarella AND burrata!) and glass of lambrusco. The pizza was pillowy — an utter delight.

Next, I walked a few blocks down to ROOT to enjoy sparkling rosé with my lovely reader Maria and her friends Whitney and Naomi. Shortly after, my friend Jeff came to join us. ROOT is a fun wine bar with a great atmosphere in the heart of Fishtown.

The next morning, I headed to La Colombe for a gorgeous flat white before grabbing a Lyft and heading back to the train station. I’ve seen La Colombes in Boston and New York but I had no idea they were originally from Philly!

So how did I feel about Philadelphia this time around?

I enjoyed Philadelphia more this time around than I ever have before. Why? Because I visited on my own terms.

I’m no longer the 18-year-old who went to Philly with her glee club friends. I’m not going to visit a new city, have a group dinner at Cosí, take group photos in condom shops, and leave with new piercings. I like to think I’ve matured a bit since then.

Would I go back? Absolutely. I would come back for the food scene, the coffee, the wine, the cocktails, to stroll and enjoy the architecture, and to hang out in Fishtown. And especially to spend time with my friends.

I wouldn’t come back for the sights, though. While I loved the Barnes Foundation and enjoyed the Magical Gardens, I wasn’t overall impressed with Philadelphia’s sights. In fact, I found myself to be irritated by the crowds that swarmed the sights, much more so in other cities. Why is that? I’m not sure.

Philadelphia is so much better when you get off the beaten tourist path. If you haven’t been enjoying the city, perhaps that’s the problem. Go explore the cool neighborhoods and jump into the food scene. I think you’ll be surprised at what you find.

Essential Info: I stayed at ROOST Midtown, a condo-like apartment hotel in Center City. I loved the location, the spaciousness, and the clubhouse upstairs. This is a great option for accommodation in Philadelphia and I recommend it to others. Note that the sign on the building is discreet — they can’t put up a big sign because it’s a historic building. Google Maps sends you to the right spot. Rates from $162.

Talula’s Garden offers a ten-course tasting menu for $100 plus $50 for wine pairings; they’ll include a glass of sparkling wine and an espresso if you don’t do the pairings. They also offer à la carte menus.

Admission to the Mütter Museum is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, $13 for youths and students, and free for children under 5.

Admission to the Barnes Foundation is $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, $10 on weekends and free otherwise for college students, $10 for youths, and free for children under 5.

Admission to Philadelphia’s Magical Gardens is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and $5 for children under 5.

I found it cheap and easy to get around Philadelphia using Lyft. Most rides cost around $6 before tip; to Fishtown and back was closer to $12.

This campaign is brought to you by Booking.com, who covered my stay in Philadelphia and monetarily compensated me. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Have you been to Philadelphia? What did you think?

via Travel Blogs http://ift.tt/2g0a9OV

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[stevenuniversallyreviews]

Episode 50*: Full Disclosure

“I want to be a part of your universe.”

Steven Universe is a hero, but is he a superhero? Sure, his powers are magical, and his enemies tend to be more monstrous than villainous, but the same could be said of fellow Steve-with-unusual-surname Stephen Strange. Steven certainly evokes your typical sidekick, and the Crystal Gems have a cool team name that sounds more like the Justice League than the Jedi Order or the Fellowship of the Ring. Most importantly, Steven lives in contemporary times despite his sci-fi/fantasy adventures, and lives a dual life between the weird and the mundane.

He doesn’t fill quite enough tropes for me to firmly put him in that category, but I bring it up because Full Disclosure uses a plot straight out of superhero lore: keeping a secret to keep a loved one safe. This secret tends to be the character’s identity as a hero, which has frankly been done to death; great shows like The Flash (well, its first season is great at least) grind to a halt as our lead continually lies for no actual reason (why would your friend let villains know that they’re prime kidnapping material?), and the plot point has been brilliantly deconstructed by the likes of Brian Michael Bendis’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Mark Waid’s Irredeemable. Steven Universe similarly subverts this story, thankfully in the span of a single episode, to show us just how childish this self-distancing really is.

Not that Steven’s reticence isn’t understandable: Greg, who we’ve seen worry about his son plenty of times before, has a massive freakout after hearing what Steven went through in The Return and Jailbreak, and any kid could make the logical leap that their friend might have a similar reaction. Greg’s message of support through his hyperventilation is everything to this scene; Tom Scharpling really can dad with the best of ‘em.

From here, we have a rare stretch of Steven alone and introspective. This isn’t Samurai Jack we’re talking about, so Zach Callison is either talking to a hypothetical Connie or singing about his feelings. Regardless, we have poignant moments of silence as his rambling falters to the physical aftermath of Homeworld’s attack. 

Ronaldo makes his way into the plot, and does exactly what Ronaldo should do: act pompous and give lousy advice. Scenes like his are why I can never be too hard on the guy, because he has a role to play that no other character can, and he plays it well. His speech is a nice dose of comedy in what could be a bleak sequence, but nonetheless captures Steven’s internal struggle. Most importantly, he doesn’t overstay his welcome!

It’s unfortunate that the song that follows has to come on the heels of Stronger Than You, because it’s one of the show’s finest but it sorta gets lost in the fray:

Integrating the ringtone we’ve been hearing since the end of Jailbreak into an actual song is unspeakably clever. While the workmanlike lyrics aren’t too special compared to other Steven Universe numbers, it’s a welcome return to Steven singing; we may have gotten a taste in On the Run and The Message, but he hasn’t gotten a full-length solo song since all the way back in Island Adventure. Steven may just be singing what he’s obviously thinking, but between Zach Callison, the visuals, and the instrumentation, I’m good.

The sequence has two flashback montages of sorts: Steven looking through past pictures of hanging out with Connie to reestablish their history, and actual events we’ve seen in the past two episodes. Even if these episodes are fresh in our minds, Steven’s specific memories highlight just how much he’s witnessed: Garnet’s destruction, Lapis’s imprisonment, the menace of Peridot and Jasper, the crash, and the formation of Malachite. Note that the headbutt that gave him his black eye is omitted, because Steven is most upset about bad things happening to other people, which fits right into his concern about Connie and his dad.

After some fun with the Gems, we immediately see how childish Steven’s behavior is, first using exaggerated vocabulary and then sloppily avoiding Connie rather than confront his feelings. Episodes like this are the reason Connie is so surprised to learn that Steven is older than her in Steven’s Birthday, because her maturity saves their friendship; Grace Rolek even incorporates a little Doctor Maheswaran as she admonishes Steven for making her worry. But not before this perfect little moment:

Full Disclosure’s insistence on letting destruction speak for itself is wonderful, considering we just got a song that spells out Steven’s exact thoughts. After seeing Steven shocked into silence a few times earlier in the episode, Connie’s wordless run through the hall of the ship as she chases Steven hammers in just how big of a deal Jailbreak was. Moreover, the visual storytelling reinforces her character: this alien stuff is confusing and a little scary, but she’s more focused on her friend than sating her curiosity.

The staging of their confrontation builds enough suspense that it made me a little worried in my first watch, which is pretty impressive considering Steven and Connie obviously aren’t going to stop being friends. I love that we don’t see Steven explain what happened, not only because we saw it and got his summary already when he told Greg about it, but because it allows for one of Full Disclosure’s departure from the show’s signature style. Beyond the reverse star wipe opening, we get not one but two fade-out transitions—one after Steven’s song, and the other during this implied conversation—and both enhance the pensive tone of this aftermath episode.

All this worry makes the conclusion that much more satisfying. On the micro level we see that Greg has calmed down, and on the macro we see the whole town coming back together. It’s not Ocean Gem’s three-cheers-for-Steven ending, but what he needs after such a life-changing finale is a little relief.

And yet.

Act I of Steven Universe is over, with Steven having a major victory that marks a turning point in his growth. Considering the shape of things to come, it’s fascinating that his first adventure post-Jailbreak involves him keeping the truth from loved ones in the exact way his mother did. And it’s fascinating that he’s so concerned about others that he's willing to put his own happiness on the line for their sake, because that’s the self-destructive martyr complex that drives his actions after the story of Rose shattering Pink is revealed. And it’s fascinating that Connie debunks both of these notions well before they become major themes in the show’s third and final act (not counting the movie and epilogue series). We’re playing the long game, and the seeds of the angst that consumes Steven after Back to the Moon are planted right here, but Connie has already revealed the solution to Steven’s eventual problems: trust is the antidote to Rose’s legacy of secrecy, and love is the antidote to Steven’s sacrificial mindset.

Future Vision

Steven gets a taste of his own medicine in the aftermath of Wanted, where Connie ignores his calls and texts. Both incidents are sparked by Steven going to space without her, but her differing reactions speak volumes about her character development: here she’s worried because she’s out of the loop, but by the time he goes to Homeworld she’s furious and hurt that he let her go through it again. Ignoring how far their partnership has come to take on danger by himself betrays how hard Connie’s worked to be a part of his universe, and I’m thrilled that the show addresses this. 

See below.

I guess you could read it that way…

If you watch Full Disclosure first, the knowledge of the Temple’s fence is foreshadowing. If you watch Story for Steven first, it’s a callback. I gotta go with the foreshadowing on this one.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

As the unofficial third act of a two-parter, Full Disclosure suffers a bit compared to individual episodes. But tone is still king for me, and I welcome any portrayal of the immediate aftermath of major episodes. Characters in serials tend to be unrealistically resilient when it comes to episode after episode of drama and trauma, and a big part of Steven Universe’s second season is establishing just how much these past events we’ve seen (versus the first season’s focus on past events in a character’s history) affect our leads.

While Full Disclosure itself doesn’t make the cut, now that we’re fifty episodes in I’m expanding the Top Ten to a Top Fifteen. Congratulations to On the Run, Warp Tour, Maximum Capacity, The Test, and Ocean Gem for getting out of the runners-up slot!

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

On the Run

Warp Tour

Maximum Capacity

The Test

Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Future Vision

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

No Thanks!

     4. Horror Club      3. Fusion Cuisine      2. House Guest      1. Island Adventure

#full disclosure #steven universe #su #steven universally #review