~ ❀ ✿ ~

𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇 ― ☀ ☁ ― 𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖍

\\ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 //

TAYLOR CRUISE WAS A MULTI-TASKER.

At least, it was what she felt about having to shoot two films, one which required too many graphics, but she was still doing her stunts, and the other with too many stunts, and she was still doing her stunts.

Obviously.

So when she was told that this week would hold the day in which she'd be finishing her Marvel contract and shooting her final moments as the cinematic universe's Ironman's little sister, she could not believe it.

In the story-line for Avengers : Endgame, it is the Stark sister who loses at the literal hand of the infinity stones' radiation.

To Taylor, it wasn't the number one choice of death she'd wanted for her character, but at the end of the day these films were adapted from comics, so if a cliche, yet unexpected ending was not the ending, then it ain't a Marvel Cinematic Universe film.

The set held a somber quality to it today.

It was lively still, and people were running all around behind the multitude ensemble cast which had gathered for the final scenes of one Ms. Althea Stark.

She'd been playing this role since she was twenty-four, and now, with the year marking her tenth as an actress of the MCU, Taylor Cruise felt proud.

Althea Stark was a strong woman. Anyone who's anyone who'd watched a single Marvel movie with her in it knew that. The poor woman had been through too much alongside her brother, and now she could finally have the chance to rest.

This scene, it felt heartbreaking to even talk about. She'd been dodging it all this time, every single time, but now she couldn't do it any further.

Don't get her wrong, she'd love to continue portraying Althea Stark, and it was one of the many things she'd done in her life which she was genuinely proud and happy about. But, she couldn't stop herself from wanting to explore the depths of some other characters and people for once, and maybe, just maybe, she'd give something back to the world which represented what she stood for. Althea Stark had a mostly positive effect on her viewers, and Taylor could only hope they would wait and watch for what she was trying to bring to the screens and to their attention.

Robert had seemed to not want to let go of her side today, finding some other reason to stay or sit beside her. She could understand why, though. Saying goodbye to something which has been part of your life for so long, try a decade, it's not at all easy. Cutting ties with Althea Stark was way more tear-jerking than most of her other characters.

She assumed it was because of the people she'd learnt to love along the way of ten years. The people, the family, the love, all of the above.

"And... action!" Joe calls out, a thwack heard in the air before they're throwing up their facades and poker games on.

The tears are very real.

Her very much fast beating heart is real.

The heavy and fast breaths are real.

Portraying overload of radiation on the body felt real, most likely the pain of having to say goodbye building up on the pressure on her heart which kept constant with the reminders of 'it's over'.

She holds her heart over the 'suit', slow but yet heavy breaths escape her as she makes her way to the make-shift rock she was supposed to lean against and 'pass away'.

Taylor falls to her knees, slowly and steadily leaning her back against the rock, hands falling to her side, gaze void of any emotion.

Then, Robert comes in, holding his own heart from over his suit, slowly walking towards her with his own real tears in his eyes as he looks down at her shaking, disgruntled figure.

"Ally.." Robert whispers her character's nickname slowly, leaning beside her when he reached her.

Her face and eyes remain emotionless, but yet she makes the effort to turn her head at her 'older brother's voice, lips pulling upwards.

"They.." She whispers, hoarsely, holding back her tears which were ready to explode out any second.

"Talk to me, sis." Robert brings forth his hand after a few seconds of keeping it in frame in order to show the relaxing of the nanotechnology of their suits disappear in order to let him hold her cheek.

"They're..." Slow breath thrown out, "safe..." Robert nods, tears freely falling from his eyes as he tilts his head down to look at her closely.

"Yeah, honey, they're safe.." He pushes back rogue strands of dirt-sweat mixed hair behind, cupping her cheek.

"You're safe.." And that's the breaking point for Robert. A call back from ten years ago, hits the same, probably even worse right this moment. A cascade of tears fall from his eyes, and she lets a few drop too.

"Yeah, yeah, Al, you saved all of.." He holds back a sob, knot in his throat deepening, "All of us." Robert nods, smile on his face to make her seem just a bit of joy through the pain.

Robert looks down at her 'radiation-struck' and battered suit, nearly sobbing.

"We won, Ally, we won." Robert holds back the tears.

And then, the final declaration.

Then comes the true critical point.

Althea Stark had been through hell and hell, and right this moment, she was going to die in the arms of her brother, going out of the world the same way she was held for the first time.

Robert brushes back a single tear falling from Taylor's eyes, leaning forward to press a kiss on her forehead.

"You can rest now, Ally." Taylor tries to make a surprised yet tired, tear-stricken expression, and by the look of Robert's further breaking down face, she seemed to be doing a decent job.

'Tony' nods, lips pulling up at the sides, "You can rest now, Al."

A final expression follows from Taylor.

Her own lips pull up at the corners, crinkling, dust lines from the 'debris' falling wide, she nods.

And that's it for Althea Stark.

She falls back against the rock only after her confirmation from 'Tony', a single teardrop falling perfectly as her head hits the rock slowly with Robert's hand against it, protecting her even when she remained no more.

Silence follows.

The scene's done. Her journey's over. Ten long years, ended in three minutes.

"Cut! Beautiful, beautiful take guys! Excellent!" Joe and Anthony begin applauding them on, and everyone on set follows, some wiping their own tears, as cheers rush through the studio.

Taylor is immediately pulled into a hug by Robert, who rubs her back as a few tears escape her too.

The others are moving toward the two, patting their backs and hugging each other's sides as they celebrate their final moments with Taylor as a member of their cast.

The original seven are huddled up together, everyone but Scarlett in their suits just hugging each other and holding each other, the others join from behind, jumping around in pure happiness.

They hug her back and kiss her forehead, wiping her tears, and some of their own.

"Oh, shit, where'd all this time go?" She breaks into laughter, and everyone follows, shaking their heads.

"Hey, how 'bout some games, huh? Then some dinner later." Chris E. suggests, rubbing her shoulder after pecking her forehead, rubbing her shoulder as Scarlett and Lizzie help her wipe her face rid of the tears.

\\ 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 //

𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲 has posted

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18 minutes ago . . .

( taylor ― chris e. ― mackie ― sebastian )

"i'm telling ya', she's gonna strike."

"yeah, um, sleep with one eye open tonight?"

"she's gonna knock you down, grumbles. down."

"HA! for that, sebby, you owe me a twinkie."

"seriously? out of everything, you chose a twinkie?"

"oh, you mother-"

24 minutes ago . . .

( taylor ― chris e. ― mackie ― sebastian )

"well, this is what happens when chris and lori play together."

"yeah, um, chris, are you sure you're not gonna get stuck?"

"i'm pretty sure i already am."

"yeah, guys help me down safely, then we'll get him out-"

milesteller has sent you a message . . .

milesteller

hey!

taylorcruise

hi miles!

milesteller

we thought you fell sick or
something since you didn't
show up to work...

taylorcruise
i'm definitely not sick,
just double-booked myself...
we needed to reshoot
some stuff for the project soo..

milesteller
totally understandable,
you're a pretty busy woman..

taylorcruise
yeah...
it had been too long since
i'd reunited with the idiots over at
marvel, so i figured i'd drop
in once.

milesteller
pretty sure they must've had
loads of fun then

taylorcruise
oh no there was a lot
of crying.

milesteller
was that-
a spoiler of some
kind?

taylorcruise
🫢🫢maybe🫢🫢

milesteller
YOU CANNOT JUST
LEAVE IT AT THAT
TAYLOR I NEED THE DEETS
WTF

taylorcruise
you never heard ANYTHING
OKAY

milesteller
YOU BETTER NOT
LEAVE ME RIGHT NOW
MISSY

taylorcruise
okay, gotta go water my
porsche!

milesteller
way to make me feel
inferior 😒
read 19:43

milesteller
TAYLOR THOMAS AMELIA CRUISE
GET BACK HERE
read 19:45