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starryjuicebox · 7 months

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Beloved (9) - Interruption

Summary: Halsin finally enters the scene.

Pairing: Ascended!Astarion x Tav

Word Count: 1.8k

Masterlist | Ao3 Link

Kythorn 1495

Our wedding festivities have begun at last. I was very surprised when Astarion announced that we would have a royal Silevrenian wedding. I had resigned myself to never seeing my kingdom again. Thankfully, Rolan was more than happy to send us to Silevren, so long as we promised to bring back a wedding favor for him. Astarion said we could have just forced his hand, but I would much rather be in the Ramazith Tower’s good graces.

Before we left, I disguised my eye color and hid my fangs with a simple spell, but I think Aelia caught on that something was different. I suppose we aren’t twins for nothing; I just have to make it through this tenday.

My family is wary of Astarion. Mother pulled me aside on the first day and commented on his crimson eyes and sharp fangs. The concern in her eyes wounded my very soul. I reassured her that I would be fine, but truthfully, I don’t know if I will be. They have been very cordial in his presence so far, but I cannot help but worry. Astarion will not hide who he is from them and I’m not sure how they are feeling about his…nature.

Nevertheless, it is too late to turn back. We will make our vows before our loved ones, then we will make our vows before each other, Corellon Larethian, and the Oak Father. I cannot falter.

I overheard a servant gossiping that Astarion had spent time secretly embroidering the blue roses into my dress. I had assumed he had commissioned a seamstress to do it, hearing that he did it himself…I was beside myself with joy. It is such a shame I can never tell him I know the truth. The blow to his pride would be far too great.

Baby’s breath, heliotrope,and irises made up the flower crown he gave to me as part of the first day tradition. I am sure he just had a servant pick out flowers; after all, he had once said, “flowers are so overrated. They’re bright, gaudy, and almost never make good poisons.” Surely, he couldn’t have known what their meanings were, but I cannot deny that my heart fluttered. After all, everlasting love, devotion, and trust - things I thought the Rite had taken from us were woven together in a symbol of our union.

For my part, I placed atop his head a crown of red roses, honeysuckle, and amaryllis. Though I dare not hope he is familiar with the language of flowers, it was imperative to me that I at least express my feelings on what will be the most memorable days of my life.

I had just hoped they would be the happiest ones.

Stella Ancunín

“Forever and always, I will stand by your side. With the Moon, Stars, Oak Father, and Corellon Larethian as my witnesses, I will be with you until the sun itself burns out. Ai armiel telere maenen hir.”

“Aeterna amantes. Lovers forever, until the world falls down. My consort, you shall want for nothing. We shall be together, forever. Anything you want, you need only ask. We will be sovereigns - this I vow to you.”

Such were the vows they had shared over three centuries ago in front of his consort’s family and their friends, upheld for three centuries. True to her word, while she seemed to have grown more and more withdrawn over the years, she never attempted to actually leave his side. There was only one incident early into their marriage where he hadn’t been able to find her. She had explained that she had been deep in trance, not hearing him arrive home, and that was why she didn’t greet him at the door. He still wasn’t sure he believed her, but she had dutifully met him at the threshold the moment he returned every single day ever since. Even when she barely looked at him.

Astarion tightened his hold on his consort, trying to shake free of that terrible memory. He would see her back to her old self. She’d come back to him, fully. It was an inevitability.

Of all the tools at his disposal, his body had always been the most effective…and the only way he really knew how to express himself. When words failed him, surely he could get his feelings across another way?

"Astari-" he cut her off by crushing his lips to hers, pulling her slender frame against his own.

She stiffened initially, but melted just a moment later into his touch. Over three centuries of lovemaking led their bodies to slot together as perfect puzzle pieces.

He reached up to cup one of her soft breasts, running his thumb over its peak. “My treasure, you-”

Clack. Clack. Clack.

An incessant tapping grated on his ears. The Ascendant gritted his teeth.

With a low growl, he waved his unoccupied hand, parting the curtains. A large brown owl hovered outside their window, rapping its beak frantically against the glass.

“Who…?” his consort murmured from his embrace, raising her head to peer at the bird.

His fingers itched to just close the curtains again, but Stella was already gently extracting herself from his arms and swinging the window open. Astarion clenched his jaw, but forced his body to still. It was too late to stop her.

The owl’s feathers rippled and grew into flesh, Halsin now standing where had once been the large bird.

“Pardon the interruption,” the Archdruid rumbled, rolling his shoulders back.

“I sent a servant to tell you to leave, yet you trespass into my consort’s garden. I allow you to live slightly longer by ignoring you, and now you interrupt us. Tell me, exactly why should I not simply kill you where you stand?” Astarion hissed, a hand flying to Crimson Mischief on his side.

“I assure you, I would not have done so, had it not been urgent. I received word from Francesca of the High Forest that there has been a strange army of sorts marching towards Baldur’s Gate. More specifically, their leader seems to be a vampire by the name of Lady Incognita. I would have sent word by carrier pigeon, but I was unsure how far her influence extends. I feared the letter could have gotten compromised.” Halsin held up his arms in a placating gesture.

Another vampire coming towards his city? Preposterous. This “Lady Incognita” surely had a death wish. Astarion furrowed his brow. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but just where had he heard it before?

“Lady Incognita… Amanita Szarr?” Stella gasped, hands flying to her face.

“...Who?” Though the last name was all too familiar, Astarion struggled to recall an “Amanita”.

“The author of the letters in the attic of the Palace, all those years ago.” she wrung her hands, ruby eyes filled with fear.

Why was his treasure so afraid?

“I am the strongest vampire to ever walk this land. Let them come. They will meet their end,” he declared, arms spread wide.

He had spent so long carefully maneuvering politically. All of Baldur’s Gate danced like marionettes on his strings. Since he had married into the Silevren royal family, he even had his fingers in another kingdom’s politics as well. A bloody battle like this one was sure to be an exhilarating change of pace. Lady Incognita would be no match for his powers. He had spent the past three centuries exploring everything a Vampire Ascendant could do.

Halsin frowned, turning to the Ascendant’s consort instead. “I was concerned for your wellbeing, little bluejay. They will not spare anyone in the castle.”

“Halsin…please, don’t call me that.” Stella lowered her eyes, almost shrinking behind Astarion.

“My apologies. I do not mean to overstep. I simply wanted you to know that danger is coming.”

“Will you help us? Stand with us?” she reached out to the Archdruid, though Astarion grabbed her arm before she could touch Halsin’s.

She froze immediately. “S-Sorry, my lord.”

Something within his chest twisted. Why was there such a difference in how his consort treated them? Did he not shower her with affection? He knew she had once had a romantic connection with Halsin, even permitted it. But after his ascension, she had spent even more time with the other Druid than before. Despite that, after the Netherbrain’s defeat, barring the reunions and other special occasions that would cross their paths once more, his consort had not once left the castle to go visit, nor even requested to do so.

Astarion didn’t understand.

Pulling her into his arms protectively, he drawled at the other man, “Your warning has been heard. Now, leave us.”

Stella remained silent, staring down at the plush crimson carpet beneath her sapphire-encrusted slippers. His most recent present to her, aside from the flower garden outside.

Halsin sighed, running a hand through his brown locks, now speckled with gray. “Unfortunately, I cannot aid you in this upcoming battle. I…”

The Archdruid seemed to be at war with himself, yet ignored Astarion’s demand to leave.

“There is… a natural order that I am duty bound to protect. Lady Incognita seeks to re-establish this natural order. Thus, I cannot interfere. But alas, I could also not sit idly by without warning you of her incoming attack.”

Annoyance coursed through him, though he couldn’t quite fathom why. Nonetheless, he knew he wanted Halsin gone from his castle. “If you aren’t here to help, then leave,” Astarion snapped.

The Ascendant could sense his wife’s objection to his words through their bond, but still she said nothing.

Halsin nodded. “I will take my leave soon, but there is one more thing I wanted to tell you.”

The Wood Elf leveled a gaze at Stella.

“I had once told you that I wished for you to be able to spread your wings, if you so desired. It seems it is as I feared. He has caged you. The harmless game has become all too real.”

How dare he? In a flash, Astarion’s hand was wrapped around Halsin’s throat and slamming him against the wall. The surface cracked from the sheer force. He bared his fangs, fully ready to rip out the larger man’s throat.

“Starry, please!” Stella cried out, rushing towards them. Her cold, thin fingers gently curled around his arm.

“You dare barge into our home and then accuse me of mistreating my consort?!”

Crimson filled his vision, and he couldn’t hear anything over the cacophony of his thoughts shrieking out the deepest fears he’d always shoved away.

Halsin was trying to take away his treasure. His Stella. His consort.

He would not let that happen.

The roaring in his ears turned out to be his own shouts.

His eyesight cleared.

A mangled body lay still before him.

“N-No, Halsin…”

#astarion #astarion bg3 #astarion fanfic #ascended astarion #lord astarion #ascended astarion x tav #angst #astarion x oc

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draculaflow3 · 3 months

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ig the reason why i've avoided reading stone butch blues is because as someone who's always felt butch-adjacent (attracted to women, masculine AFAB) , i kind of am clinging to that label as a way to make sense of my identity as i come out of a tumultuous period in my life. but i am worried about being "othered" by it. feels like i'm breaking some rule to aspire to that so deeply even now.

sorry i’ve been sitting on this ask because i’ve been thinking of what to say for a While. i understand this and im sorry & sympathize with what you’re going through. honestly, reading sbb was enormously clarifying for me— realizing that other people feel and identify similarly to myself, especially 30 years before i was even born, was so deeply reassuring and touching. i think this is the case for a lot of other people too when reading it.

even if you don’t perfectly align with leslie feinbergs way of identifying as stone or butch, i think the journey that hir character jess goes on and the confidence and conclusions about gender identity that jess comes to are genuinely very inspiring and definitely helped me come to terms with who i am as a person and a lesbian

you’re not breaking any rules by feeling or wanting to identify a certain way. and feeling othered is something that i think is near impossible while reading stone butch blues, a lot of the story is about self acceptance and being the most comfortable you can be in your body and presentation. it certainly made me a lot more confident and happy in my own body and mind. and sorry if this is near incomprehensible bc im just kind of spilling my guts here but i think you should try to read it

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catboyclarity · 3 months

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dew, nyx, and remus for a character of your choice!

Ok usually when its any character I do Rosarian but this time I want to talk about Clement who am I writing a LOT about rn but have posted almost nothing about!!! Clement time.

Dew: What’s something someone could do for them to make them instantly relax?

Smoke! Ze's a werewolf hunter and werewolves don't/can't smoke. It's a nasty habit but werewolf hunters often do it around each other as a way to signal to each other.

They don't have to worry about getting cancer bc most of them don't live much past 35 anyway!

Nyx: Day person or night person?

Clement is a night person, but not really naturally. Ze has just gotten very used to keeping watch at night as well as being more active during the night over the years. I think as a kid ze loved the daytime and was afraid of the dark.

Remus: What’s their favorite pastime?

Ze kind of prefers to just do nothing, relax, maybe watch a movie or just hang out and talk to someone important to hir. Ze hasn't had much of a chance to develop a lot of hobbies/interests due to the werewolf hunter lifestyle, sadly,

#asks #i have to draw hir like so bad ive drawn hir twice and that was before i changed a bunch of shit!! i have to draw hir!!

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cozyqueerchaos · 1 year

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Hi, this is the aro anon yesterday! (i'll send u another ty message bc i appreciate your reply :D)

Dunno if it'll benefit you at all but below is the resource that made me realize I was aroace.

https://www.asexuality-handbook.com/faq/am-i-aromantic

https://www.asexuality-handbook.com/the-a-spectra

I never cared about my own identity terms, but I'm in a relationship. My partner assured me of my a-spectrum concerns, but some relationship counsellors claimed one is playing with fire if ze never felt attracted to hir partner (I now worry for their a-spectrum patients).

I think it was your fic that made me reconsider whether I was demi or aro. You made me realize, "Holy crud, this wasn't considered romantic attraction?"

(He loves her in the language of old sweaters and crunchy autumn leaves, of running in the sun and hiding from the snow. He loves her like an old friend he's only just begun to meet.)

This is what romance means to me, and I think it's more beautiful. I showered my partner yesterday with comparisons of blanket forts and clear skies because of you!

ah yeah okay! im probably not aro, then- the second link describes very closely how i feel about my gf :> admittedly, it took several months for me to begin feeling that way, so it could be im demiaro, if i'm understanding the correct meaning? im a bit of a "hopeless romantic" (for lack of a better term) as well hehe, so like you, it's not particularly important to me to have a label as long as i'm happy ^_^

also yeah damn that's a horrible thing for a counselor to say?? holy shit. anyway, im glad my fics could help you and i wish nothing but the best for u and your partner!! <3

#i also just tend to have trouble recognizing/understanding my own emotions (for a variety of reasons but mostly extreme repression)#so take all of my ramblings with a grain of salt haha #ask #thank u for sending this!! it was very kind of you ^-^

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startgamc · 9 months

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"When I was having a hard time staying on track in school, I would just copy Ingo's homework!" He chirped, as if he was somehow proud of the fact. "He always told me not to, but he did a rrreally bad job keeping it out of my possession." If he thought about that for longer than half a second, maybe he'd realise that his brother had probably left it so accessible to him on purpose knowing that Emmet wasn't going to listen to him and copy it anyway. "So maybe you just need a twin, too!" He clapped his hands together as if that idea had solved the entire issue.

"Drayton." He continued, his voice suddenly very stern. "I am going to ask you a question. Please answer honestly. How old do I look." Please dear God, Emmet, no one would ever believe you were another student. And even if they did, copying anything schoolwork Emmet did probably wasn't going to help.

Whenever Emmet visited, Drayton knew he was in for a good time. He always just said whatever came to mind, little to no filter, which was refreshing. Most people don't say what they mean or put up a front.

Not to mention, he often felt like Emmet was the only one in his weird little family that got him. Drayton and Emmet were the troublemakers of the bunch.

"Oh yeah? Just spontaneously will a twin into existence huh? I'll get right on that." He chuckles, leaning his head on his arms as Emmet goes on.

If he didn't know him so well, he'd have assumed that Emmet was actually about to say something worrying. But no... Not in the slightest. Drayton sat up in his chair, as if studying Emmet's face. He tilts his head, and after a moment gives him an answer that will absolutely lead to more shenanigans.

"I dunno man I think you could pass for 17! We'll tell everybody you hir a crazy growth spurt."

#wrongtrain #{ ☆ Drayton ; Dragon Tamer }#every time I looked at this ask I giggled #emmet is so silly #and finally he can hang with cousin/nephew drayton!!!

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dearest-infinity · 9 months

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guess who's FINALLY back

so ik i was dead for a long time. sorry about that, can't promise it won't happen again, but hey! i got some better outlines for my wips and new directions things are going in :> so while i might've been in a bit of a creative coma, i'm slowly clawing my way back to the surface lmao

anyway! since it's been a hell of a long time: what's up, name's moony (or lune, if you're feeling formal), pronouns he/him or ze/hir, and i'm a fantasy writer!

the wips i'm focusing on are, at the moment:

wrong side of legendary: an urban fantasy work about a keith, traumatized former prince, cross, the rat bastard keith summons when he tries to do something for his roommate, and saying fuck you to the world and the people they were supposed to be. mlm, just a teeny bit spooky

red rise: soft sci-fi fantasy that the outline is worrying me with the projected word count of, oh god that's centered around kyra, a girl with a sun living in her chest, trying to save the universe from an empire that can never really outrun the destruction it leaves in its wake, and silena, her best-friend-turned-desperate-enemy who's the golden girl of the empire and owes her life and more to it. there are so so so many sad lesbians in this. i am not immune to sad lesbians and neither are you.

dark eyes (name under construction): tragic fantasy. levi is the town witch, and it's her job to keep everyone safe from the magical forest that surrounds them and, should it come down to it, the fae that live in it. this... does not go very well. one day, levi wakes up to the entire town having been overrun by the forest, and the townspeople either turned to wood or vanished. as she sets out to right this, she encounters branwen, a forest fae who will help her in exchange for one thing: her heart. i love them dearly, your honor.

and of course, the backburner wips:

elle is waiting (by the bodies of your gods): retired apocalypse-ender yis'sika and her wife rhoze are called upon, once again, save the world from— huh. it seems no one can really tell them. no one except a girl who claims to be from another world, and a young woman made of flowers who claims to be yis'sika and rhoze's daughter. no one trusts each other, but the clock is ticking. the statues have eyes. and elle is always, always, waiting.

black lightning: nova and zenith are vigilante partners who know and trust each other with everything in their fight against the corrupt system—everything, except their identities. this becomes a problem when nova, civilian name estelle, is scouted to become an intelligent, a once-human, now-machine enforcer of the law, and is brought into the glass palace—which, despite its name, is impossible to get anything in or out of. zenith, civilian name zhen, realizes that something must've happened, and tries to save nova from whatever fate has befallen her; a course that takes her to the glass palace. it may be the lion's den, but with the two of them working together, they might be able to strike at the heart of the power that's hurt so many. also they're gay. they're really gay. fluffy wlw superhero action (with just a teeny touch of the body horror. TINY)

unnamed wip (time travel sapphics flavored): fellas, is it gay to time travel to save the world? no? fine. is it gay to time travel to save your really really hot dyke best friend? THERE WE GO. wlw and happy for once!!!

unnamed wip (wild west flavored): an immortal necromancer wants to fulfill the natural order and die. a sunwraith cowboy, risen from the grave to have its justice—or is it revenge?—, wants to live the life stolen from it. i won't lie, i don't know much about this one, but it's gay and bittersweet.

postcard from the end times: this one's actually going to be a comic! fantasy story about a bunch of kids who go to trauma school and try really, really hard to win in a system that's trying to farm them for all the misery they can produce. spoiler alert: it doesn't work. so, new plan: kill the school and everyone behind it. salt and burn until the cancer's dead, and keep going until it can't claw itself out of its own grave. what's god to a shit ton of angry teenagers? killable.

woagh. that was a lot. anyway, love you all! good luck this year, hopefully it's better than the last ;;-;;

#writeblr intro #or #well #writeblr reintro

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figuring-it-all-out · 3 years

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If Star Trek Was Trans

The Original Series

James T. Kirk played by Brian Michael Smith (he/him)

Spock played by Asia Kate Dillon (they/them)

I know there’s a Thing™ about enbies only getting to play non-humans, but I really liked the idea of Asia Kate Dillon as Spock. But don’t worry. I tried to include more human enbies in the fan cast too. For context: if I cast a nonbinary actor to play the character imagine that the character would be nonbinary.

Leonard McCoy played by Alex Blue Davis (he/him)

Pavel Chekov played by Elliot Page (he/him & they/them)

Montgomery “Scotty” Scott played by iris menas (zie/hir)

Uhura played by Janet Mock (she/her)

Hikaru Sulu played by Leo Sheng (he/him)

The Next Generation

Jean Luc Picard played by Sara Ramirez (she/her & they/them)

This is a bit of a departure from the OG Picard but I really wanted to include Sara Ramirez in this and liked the idea of an enby Picard.

William Riker played by Jake Graf (he/him)

Geordi La Forge played by Kingston Farady (he/him)

Worf played by Skyler Cooper (he/him)

Beverly Crusher played by Alexandra Billings (she/her & they/them)

Deanna Troi played by Trace Lysette (she/her)

Data played by Scott Turner Schofield (he/him)

Wesley Crusher played by Lachlan Watson (they/them)

Deep Space Nine

I actually am not very far into “DS9″, I haven’t even finished season 2. So keep that in mind as you see this next bit.

Benjamin Sisko played by Marquise Vilson (he/him)

Kira Nerys played by Michaela Jae Rodriguez (she/her)

Odo played by ?

I love Odo, but I had no idea who to cast as him. Did I cast a trans dude, an enby, someone agender? I didn’t know so I left it open. Feel free to share your thoughts!

Julian Bashir played by Theo Germaine (he/him & they/them)

So I know the original actor who played Bashir was half Sudanese but unfortunately I am not familiar with any trans actors with that background. Feel free to share your thoughts on this too though!

Jadzia Dax played by Amiyah Scott (she/her)

Miles O’Brien played by Michael D. Cohen (he/him)

I didn’t include Quark because he’s a slimy, misogynistic sleaze ball (at least he is by where I am in this serious). So he can be played by a cisgender actor. Or Caitlyn Jenner.

Voyager

Full disclosure: I haven’t seen a single episode of “Voyager” so the only characters I really know are Cpt. Janeway and Seven of Nine (& even then I don’t know a TON about them). So I only cast them for the next part.

Kathryn Janeway played by Laverne Cox (she/her)

Seven of Nine played by Jamie Clayton (she/her)

And that’s all the Star Trek I know. I’ve never seen “Enterprise” or any of the newer shows, but if I ever watch them maybe I’ll revisit this. Anyways, this was just for fun! Feel free to chime in with any thoughts you have. :)

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synonymroll648 · 2 years

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this is my friend izzy! fae's been pondering some new pronouns, so if fae decides to use those, i would be pleased to recruit faer to the neopronoun agenda. regarding the tags on faer last post i would like to let faer know that fae can use neopronouns and still be cis, neopronouns are just a fun way to play around with gender!

and a version with she/fae so you can see how you like the combination

fae's a super talented author and i'm so excited to read her latest fic! i haven't gotten around to it yet but faer writing is always good, so i'm optimistic i'll be obsessed with this one too. i hope she's proud of faerself for finishing, since i know it took her a lot of effort.

it makes me excited that you're excited to read the sokeefitz nightmare fic!! :'D

if i didn't know that it's not unheard of for cis people to use neopronouns i would be. freaking out on an emotional level on top of a cognitive level atm.

but um. if it's not too much to ask. could you and/or people reading this that have experience with gender shit try to talk through with me whether or not what i'm feeling is like... wanting to use fae/faer in a funky cis way or a trans way because i have No Idea. like. for context (sorry if i explained this already and this is repetitive; i can't remember since i just explained this to my irl best friend through email) - fae/faer just sounds nice to the ears and looks pleasing to my eyes in context of myself and reflects parts of who i am and/or want to be on a cognitive level. she/her still feels Very Right in application to me, and i have an understanding of when pronouns feel Wrong when applied to me, since i messed around with they/them and he/him pronouns and other neopronouns like ae/aer and xe/xem and ze/hir and stuff and those Didn't Feel Right. with all that in mind - does it sound like i need to worry about gender crises and such?? because i have no idea-

#ask #gendiana jones

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enbysiriusblack · 3 years

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you watched the new west side story? I have a few questions bc I’m super wary of it and idk if I wanna watch it yet. Is the composition and the choreography the same? Bc I can’t handle the thought of Bernstein or Sondheim’s composition being changed and Jerome Robbins’s choreograph, especially for Cool, is untouchable tbh. If I know it’s all unchanged in the remake then I definitely wanna watch it bc they fixed the casting issues which I hated in the original. But I’m also too much of a music nerd so any new composition had me worried. Also, is it set in the modern day era? Cos that had me worried too bc you can’t really have dancing street gangs in an era of phones imo. Also I refuse to believe Officer Krupke is better I mean Russ Tamblyn as Riff was incredible buuuut I’ll still give it a chance and update you on if I change my mind (I promise I’m not a wss super fan... wait yes I am who am I kidding).

ok so,, you'll be probably be annoyed but.. cool is very different in the remake... (its still really good one) and is a duet between riff and tony (i may be a theatre nerd but i have 0 understanding on music theory but im pretty sure the composition is the same?? im pretty sure it is)

it's still set in the same era, im so glad its not modern day

the composition is all the same (im pretty sure, all the songs are the same, and theres no other songs added, maybe there's some musical differences?? but lyrics are the same)

for some reason officer krupke just feels so much more,, playful?? like obviously it is in the orginal but even more so

also just adding: anybodys (originally a tomboy) but i really related to them sm,, the new one made anybodys transgender :) im so happy about that (the actor is trans nonbinary (zie/hir) as well)

#the actors of anita and bernardo were especially good

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kairos-polaris · 3 years

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Revelations and not so secret crushes

A little gift for @bunathebunny . Also @miraculousmelodies , like I promised

People make mistakes all the time. And it's okay! Failure is a part of progress and if you never fail, then you don't do anything at all.

One may argue that mistaking potions for milk and eating someone's special macaroons wasn't this type of mistake. "He should have been more careful," they say. But did you try to make coffee in a kitchen littered with potions while also being sleep deprived? No? Thought so.

The last paragraph was specifically written for Dick's younger brothers, Jason Todd and Tim Drake. Those two decided that it was a great idea to make fun of their dearest elder brother and his very unfortunate mistake. And even if Tim was perfectly aware of struggles that came with making coffee while being sleep deprived, he didn't have to worry that white liquid may be a potion, not milk.

But in the end Dick was very grateful for that small mistake. It has resolved several conflicts and had very unpredictable consequences.

***

It was morning. Just a normal winter morning. You know, when it's too dark and far too cold and you don't want to leave your bed? That was a morning like that.

Normal men don't get up at six a.m but Richard "Dick" Grayson wasn't one. And it's good, because his family was neither normal nor sane.

"Being normal is boring," his girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, would say. If it were someone else, Dick would wholeheartedly agree with them while hanging upside down from the chandelier in the manor.

But because it was Marinette, Dick had to immediately assume she hasn't been sleeping or eating healthy for the last 48 hours. Usually, he was wrong, but he did enjoy taking care of her.

Another proof that shows how much Dick Grayson isn't a normal or sane man is vigilantism. You see, normal people deal with trauma by talking about it with a therapist or their friends. And do you know what did Dick do? He donned his family's colour and decided to beat up criminals. What a great idea! And Bruce Wayne allowed it because, apparently, fighting crime is an appropriate hobby for a nine-year-old boy. (Don't worry, Brucie, we know that Dick Grayson is too stubborn and he forced you to make him your sidekick, we don't blame you much)

No matter how much not normal or insane Dick was, he was a good man who wanted to help people. That's why he didn't complain to Bruce about being tired after patrols. Much.

It didn't mean he didn't complain to Marinette though. Hugs and kisses were an added bonus to her being a very good listener. But that morning Marinette was too busy to even notice him. Dick tried his hardest to swallow his disappointment. He knew how important every commission was to Marinette. It was her passion and her life.

He sighed with the most miserable expression he could muster but Marinette didn't even look up. She continued sewing and ignoring his brilliant performance. Dick huffed with annoyance. How could she ignore him when he was sitting on their bed looking so sad and exhausted and hot?

***

Kitchen was the best room in their apartment. It was also the safest one because of Marinette's protection charms and spells. There was always a faint smell of pastry and delicious food.

Preparing coffee was completely mechanical. His tiredness didn't let him comprehend his own actions. That's why he didn't notice the strange taste of the drink as he should have.

Dick immediately felt better after finishing his coffee. He felt like a burden was lifted from his shoulders. It made him think about Marinette. His lovely girlfriend. He wanted to, no, he craved to see her. He could bet she smelled amazing.

Marinette was still working when he entered their room (she preferred her bedroom to any office). His heart swelled with tenderness at the image before him. Marinette was biting her lip, strands of hair in her face. She was also wearing his sweater, which made him roll his eyes, because it was the very same sweater he had lost. She was so concentrated that she didn't even notice him entering their bedroom.

Dick slowly approached Marinette to not spook her. "I love you, Cupcake," he confessed out of blue. Marinette jumped at the sound of his voice making Dick cringe internally. "I'm sorry for startling you, Mari." The woman just laughed and took off her glasses. Apparently, sewing in deem light isn't good for your eyes. And how could she know that?

"No, don't be sorry. I should pay more attention to my surroundings," Marinette suddenly stopped mid sentence. "I'm sorry for ignoring you earlier, Birdy. Do you want a hug?" Dick grinned at her offer and immediately scooped her in his arms.

"I know it's been a stressful week. What do you think about staying in bed the whole day? We can watch a movie. We can watch the Ladybug one and make fun of inaccuracies. Or any other superhero movie," he ranted excitedly. Marinette laughed a little and pulled back slightly. Dick's was adorable, but Marinette had a feeling that he wouldn't appreciate her laugh.

"I have to finish this dress for Clara, you know that," Marinette sighed tiredly. She really wanted to take a break and spend the day with her boyfriend. He always knew when she was too tired to continue working. Maybe, today was a day like that?

It was unfair to keep Marinette from her passion and Dick knew it. But! He wanted to spend some time with his wonderful girlfriend. It wasn't his fault she was the cutest person he has ever met. And he still couldn't make her choose between her passion and him. Dick sighed and started moving slowly to let Marinette out.

"Hey, I didn't say no," Marinette laughed at his hopeful gaze. "Yes, I would really like to spend more time with you."

And that's how Marinette found herself suffocating in a tight grip of her boyfriend. She actually didn't mind it. Feeling his weight on her body was the best feeling ever. It reminded her that he was with her, grounded her, when she was too concentrated on her work.

Marinette didn't really focus on the movie that was playing. Something was off and she couldn't focus. Dick was talking but she couldn't understand a word so focused on her feelings.

"...Marinette? Marinette?" Dick's worried voice drew her out of haze. She could see concern in his eyes so she tried smiling as reassuring as possible. Dick didn't seem convinced but hard lines on his face relaxed a little bit.

"I'm sorry. I dozed off. Cuddling with you always makes me sleepy, you know that." Dick sighed and hugged her even tighter. "What were you talking about?"

"I wanted your opinion about the next Titan's mission. You see, Wally has offered this strategy…"

Marinette listened to his every word very attentively. His excitement was obvious in every line and small movement. He was proud of Wally and his ideas, he wanted to share it with her.

"Do you know that you've spent more time complimenting Wally than actually relaying his strategy?" Marinette asked with a teasing smile. His face and neck were immediately covered with red spots.

"I… I… I have a crush on Wally!" Dick blurted out and Marinette felt like all air from her lungs disappeared. Colour left Dick's face immediately after realising what he had said. He started babbling how much he loved her, how important she was for him, he kissed her cheeks and hands. But all Marinette could focus on was that… she had lost a bet. Jason would be unbearable for the next several weeks. Or maybe even months. Marinette shuddered at the thought.

"Marinette, please, say something. Please. I'm sorry," Dick was clearly panicking and for a moment Marinette wanted to prank him. Pretend that she was hurt and then explain that it was because of her bet with Jason. But it felt too cruel, so she took his hand and smiled reassuringly.

"I knew it," she said, and Dick's bewildered expression was worth her honesty. "And it's okay, because it's possible to love multiple people at the same time. You loving Wally doesn't mean you don't love me." Dick stayed still for a long moment before leaning to her and knocking her breath out with a kiss. Marinette tried to lean away but he chased her lips every time, continuing kissing her.

"I love you so much. I don't know what I have done to deserve someone like you, but I will keep you until the end of the Universe," he whispered into her lips when they finally pulled a part.

"I love you, too. And falling for you felt like the easiest thing in the world," she said breathlessly, making Dick snort. He let out an involuntary whine when she leaned even further away.

"Why were you so upset?" Dick asked after several minutes of silence. Marinette murmured something into his shirt but he couldn't understand a word. "Can you repeat it please? I didn't understand a word you've said."

"Because I've lost a bet," she repeated just barely louder, but thankfully Dick heard her clearly this time.

"A bet?" he asked with the most confused and bewildered expression possible.

"You see, both Jason and I knew about your crush on Wally. And one day we were bored, so we started talking about you two. Jason said that you would blurt it out during an inappropriate moment but I thought you would sit me down and explain everything. So now, because of you I will have to give Jason 10 dollars," Marinette explained, carefully gouging hir reaction.

Dick prepared himself to hear a lot of different explanations. They varied from "I was surprised and didn't know how to react" to "I am unhappy with this and everything I said was for your comfort". He did not expect that the reason for her surprise was a bet. A bet. With his brother. His brother who also knew about his crush on Wally.

"How… How did you two find out? I thought I was doing a great job concealing my baby crush."

"Oh, it was so hard! You totally don't look at him with a stupid lovesick grin. And you totally don't laugh at his stupid jokes. You don't hold hands and touch each other all the time. You don't look both at me and him when you make jokes or laugh. Oh no! You do all of that and more!" Marinette exclaimed with a fake surprise.

"...I do?" Dick asked, his voice so small. "And you really don't mind it?"

"I really don't mind. As I said before, I'm secure in our relationship and I know that you love me. Also, I really like Wally. You have a good taste," Dick's smile at her words was brighter than thousands of suns. He picked her up and started spinning her around. Marinette's laugh filled their apartment, and in that moment Dick knew everything was going to be alright.

***

Later, much later, Dick was panicking. Everything sounded so easy when Marinette was with him. "Just go and confess to him,"she said. "I'm sure he feels the same," Marinette said, patient as ever, when Dick was panicking about every possible negative outcome.

"What if he rejects me? What if he wants me to break up with you?" he asked Marinette then. He tugged his hair from the frustration, but Marinette just smiled and took his hands.

"If he rejects you, I will hold you until you feel better. We will eat ice cream and watch cheesy movies. And Wally is a good person, I'm sure he would never ask us to break up." Dick briefly thanked all gods for giving him Marinette before leaning in to kiss her.

"I love you," he murmured into her lips.

But now he was alone in their apartment, because, unlike him, Marinette had a job to do. Dick sighed the tenth time in a row. He didn't have to worry about Marinette's reaction to his confession, because she was the one who had asked him out. "I don't hesitate anymore," she had said with a brilliant smile.

Well, Dick knew one thing for sure: he was a coward and would never confess to Wally without Marinette being there. And he couldn't ask anyone for advice. How does one explain that they are in love with two people at the same time? Should he just google it?

His musings were interrupted by a series of long knocks and a loud voice. Was it Jason screaming. "Hey, Dickhead, asking someone to hangout with you and then not showing up is such a dick move!" Yes, that was Jason. Dick scowled before remembering that he had invited Jason and Tim to spend time together.

He grinned and leaped out of the bedroom. Hanging out with his brothers would be a perfect excuse to not confess to Wally! A great timing on their part.

"Hey, guys..!" he was rudely interrupted by a shirt thrown into his face.

"Get dressed, Dickie bird. I don't want to see proofs of you and Pixie having a healthy sexual life." Dick flushed bright red when he realized that he was naked. He ran back to his bedroom followed by both Tim's and Jason's laugh. God, how embarrassing.

***

Wally was bored. He felt like he could die from boredom. And the day had started so nicely. He woke up early and prepared himself a very tasty cup of tea. Wally finished every small task around his apartment. He started reading several different books but none of them piqued his interest. There was nothing interesting on TV.

Wally sighed again. And again. And again. He felt like an aristocrat, laying on his coach with a wine glass full of water in his hand. The only thing missing was a manor. And nicer clothes. And servants. And wine. Actually, a lot of things were missing.

Jason's invitation to hangout felt like a blessing. Finally, something interesting to do. His heart totally didn't flutter in his chest when he found out that Dick would be there, too. No, sir, no. Dick was his best friend and nothing more. He was also dating Marinette, Wally's another very good friend.

Wally was the first one to arrive at the bar Dick had offered to meet in. It took all of his mental strength to not start bouncing from all the energy.

"Hi, Wally," Wally's smile dimmed a little when he realized it was Jason, not Dick. "I thought Dickie would be here first. You know, considering it was his idea."

Wally nodded at Jason's words. He thought he would have at least several minutes alone with Dick, who seemed to avoid him lately. And if he did pay attention to Wally, Marinette would always be there. It wasn't a bad thing per se, because Marinette was amazing, but Wally wanted some alone time with his best bro.

"I wonder why," Wally mussed at loud. Jason smiled in agreement and started talking about neutral themes. Wally could do that. After a day of pure boredom everything was interesting.

Twenty minutes later Tim was there, but Dick was nowhere in sight. Wally frowned. Did something happen? Dick would never miss family hangouts.

"You are late, Replacement," Jason chided Tim, conveniently forgetting he himself came later. Wally laughed at the sheer hypocrisy, but it was a very Jason move.

"Well, Dick is not here, so I don't think it counts," Tim shrugged. He was holding a half-empty cup of coffee (what else could it be?) and clearly needed more sleep. Wally internally shook his head. Sleeping as little as Tim was surely wasn't good for his health. Where were Dick and Bruce looking?

"Where is Dick anyway?" Jason asked, letting out an annoyed huff. "Did he do that so Timmy and I could hang out together? Not a very smart move, because I can just leave now and he will never know."

"He could have just forgotten about it," Wally suggested. He was met with two doubtful gazes. "Yeah, it's very unlikely. Something has happened and he can't leave?"

"Why didn't he say anything then?" Jason asked. He was leaning down on the wall of the bar with a small frown. "We should call him or Marinette."

"Marinette is working so she can't know where he is. We should call Dick directly," Tim said, already holding his phone. He was the one who dialed Dick, but Dick didn't answer not after the first call, nor the second, nor the third. Wally was worried. Dick always answered when someone called. Something must have happened.

"I was right. We should go and check on him. Should we walk or should I run to his apartment?" Wally asked, worry laced in his voice.

"Let's ride. I parked my car nearby," Tim said and turned around, walking to his car. Wally looked at Jason who just shrugged and went after Tim. Well, it seemed like he didn't have a choice then.

The ride to Dick's apartment felt longer than it should have. Wally was burning from all the anxious energy. What if something has happened to Dick? What if they were too late? What if Dick just didn't want to see them? Wally didn't know what would hurt more.

The apartment's doors were locked, which was a good sign. It meant that nobody had broken inside. It also meant that they couldn't enter. Fortunately, Tim had his own key so it wasn't a problem. ("Marinette gave it to me," Tim answered Wally's silent question. "She wanted me to know that I'm always welcome here". "Oh, Pixie didn't give me my own key! Does she not want to see my handsome face?" Jason asked more dramatically than needed. Wally totally wasn't disappointed that he didn't have his own key. It didn't mean that Dick didn't trust him, right?)

The apartment was clean, no visible signs of someone breaking in. Wally looked around, trying to find some clues that would help to understand the situation. Jason yelled something, but Wally didn't pay enough attention to understand him.

Wally turned around at the sound of Dick's voice only to look away immediately. He did not expect to see Dick naked. Wally blushed, thinking about the man's muscles and biceps, small scars on his chest and arms, scratches, and hickeys… Wally paled immediately. Oh, yes, hickeys, because Dick Grayson, his best friend, was dating Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Wally couldn't let himself forget.

It was easier to think after Dick had left. Now, Wally didn't have to use all of his mental strength to not ogle his best friend. Wally wondered why he had reacted this way. It's not like he had never seen Dick naked before. "You saw him when you were changing. You were both naked then. But here, it's much more intimate," his traitorous mind whispered.

"I'm not waiting for the golden boy to get dressed. I'm going to the kitchen. Pixie always has something sweet there," Jason said and walked out of the living room. Wally looked at Tim who just shrugged and followed his brother. Well, it seemed like he had no choice but to go to the kitchen.

The room was full of light and delicious smells. The table was littered with numerous vials, pastry, herbs, and other things Wally couldn't identify. He breathed out, feeling more relaxed than ever, despite his complicated feelings. Marinette's presence and influence were obvious there, and she always had the way to make people feel better. She was just magic that way.

"Wally! I didn't know you were here," Dick's excited voice interrupted his thoughts. Wally didn't even hear him coming in. Do not think about his body. Do not think about his body. Do not think about his body. "I'm really sorry about forgetting our hangout. I'm deeply ashamed."

"You wish I said "it's okay, I forgive you". But I won't! I will always tease you about it, so get ready!" said Jason, while rummaging through a freezer. "Where is milk, Dickhead? I wanted to make a cup of tea for myself, but I can't find anything here."

"Oh, we ran out of milk," Dick replied easily before a panicked expression settled on his face. "Wait… If we ran out of milk, then what did I add to my coffee this morning?"

"Welp, I hope it wasn't one of Marinette's potions," Wally offered sympathetically, but one look at Dick's panicked expression hinted that it was most likely what had happened. And wasn't that funny? Judging by Jason's laugh, he also thought it was hilarious.

"We can call her and ask about the effects of that particular potion?" Tim offered, trying to be serious but burst out laughing. Dick did not appreciate the lack of concern from his brothers. What if the potion hurt him and the effects could never be reversed? "It's very funny, but we really should call Marinette. We don't know how it can affect Dick. It could be really harmful," Tim said after calming down. Even Jason stopped laughing.

They did call Marinette. It must have been the smartest decision in several hours. But she didn't answer. Calling her five more times didn't help. They just were directed to voicemail. Marinette's cheery voice telling them "Hi! You've reached Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I'm very sorry, but I'm busy and can't answer you right now. You can leave me a message and I will call you later! Bye!" didn't help.

"And what should we do?" Wally asked, interrupting the awkward silence. Well, it wasn't awkward per se, but Jason desperately trying and failing to suppress his laugh did make Dick feel uncomfortable.

"You can try and recall everything that happened. This way we can know how exactly the potion affected you," Tim offered with a small shrug. "Start from the morning and up until this moment."

"I was really tired after patrol last night, so I tried complaining to Marinette, but she was too busy so she ignored me. I decided to make a cup of coffee. I actually felt better after it, but I had this strange need to go and hug Marinette, tell her how much I love her." Wally totally didn't feel a pang in his chest. He wasn't jealous. He didn't want Dick to confess to him, because they were best friends and nothing more.

"What happened next? Or are you hiding something?" Seemingly innocent questions (especially, considering it was Jason who asked) flustered Dick so much he was completely red. He's so handsome…no, bad, Wally, stop. "Oh, you are hiding something."

"Marinette and I cuddled, while watching movies," Dick answered, still as red as a tomato. "And then we had sex!"

Wally wasn't jealous Wally wasn't jealous Wally wasn't jealous Wally wasn't jealous Wally wasn't… Oh, he was so jealous

This time silence was certainly awkward. Very awkward. Dick was burning from embarrassment. Wally was trying to convince himself he wasn't jealous. Tim was thinking about anything other than his brother's love life.

And only Jason was amused. The day was working out great for him. He won 10 dollars. Yes, it wasn't much, but the satisfaction of winning the bet with Marinette was worse so much more. It would be even better if Dick blurted out that he has a crush on Wally with him nearby. But it seemed that his dearest older brother would rather embarrass himself than confess.

"Is it everything? Because I think you have left out something," but Dick just glared at him. Well, time for big guns. "Were you and Pixie talking about something? Something very important? Something that will have a big influence on your relationship?" he then feigned a scandalised gasp. "Did you confess that you have cheated on her?! Did you cheat on Marinette?!"

Dick's glare was the funniest thing in the world, and Jason's snickers just made him angrier. "Nothing like! I just told her that I have a crush on Wally!" His satisfied expression slowly morphed into one of shock. "I meant to say that I had told her about my crush on Wally! No, not that! About patrol! Yes, patrol!"

"Your crush on me?" Wally asked, his voice small and soft. He clearly was shocked by Dick's confession. He looked even more surprised than Dick was. "Are you serious?"

Tim felt like he was in a tv drama. Secret crushes? Check? Oblivious main characters? Check? Mean brother Jason? Check. The drama of the reveal? Check. Friends to lovers? Check? Another love interest? Check. The only difference was Marinette. That woman certainly wasn't the "evil and annoying wife". He briefly wondered how she had reacted, but judging that Dick was still alive she was very nice.

"How unpredictable, how surprising," Jason stage whispered, leaning down to Tim. This time both Wally and Dick glared, which was somehow even more amusing. Even Tim was cackling.

"Get out of here. I… Wally and I have to talk about my stupid slip. Go!" Dick shouted, basically throwing them out of the kitchen. Tim and Jason exchanged a knowing look and burst out laughing. Knowing that it pissed Dick off made them laugh even harder.

Dick didn't know what to say or how to react. He wanted to wait for Marinette to confess to Wally. She would know what to say and how to explain his feelings better than he could ever do. Her presence would give him strength and courage. He didn't want to blurt it out. Again. He was an idiot and Wally would never like him back.

"So, you like me?" Wally asked with a nervous chuckle. His crush liked him. His crush liked him. His crush liked him. Wally could not believe it was real and he wasn't dreaming.

"I..yes. Yes, I do," Dick stated, more confident than before. "You are smart, amazing, and incredible. You have a beautiful smile that lights up every room. Your plans are brilliant, but you don't always see it. You are very important to me so yes, I like you."

Wally felt like his head was spinning from Dick's compliments and the sincerety in his eyes. Blush rised to his cheeks. He was at loss of words. How should he react?! Compliment him back?

"I… I really like you, too," Wally finally answered, his throat dry from nerves. Dick broke in a brilliant, brighter than the sun grin. "How did Marinette react to that?"

"Do you want her exact words or just generally?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Generally."

"Well, she said that polyamory exists and that me loving you doesn't mean I love her any less," Dick answered with the same gentle smile he always had when talking about Marinette. But this time Wally didn't feel envious or jealous. Dick suddenly looked more nervous than before. "Would you date me? You don't have to date Marinette, but I don't want to break up with her, you know?"

Wally didn't know. He has heard about polyamory and open relationships before, of course. He didn't know what to do or how to act. Would he and Marinette have to share Dick? Would they have a schedule, so they could spend time with Dick? Would they have to be together all the time? But Wally did know that honesty was important in every type of relationship so he took a deep breath and explained everything to Dick.

"Well, neither I nor Marinette have the experience of dating two people at once, so we will have to figure it out. Trials and errors, you know?" Dick offered with a small 0shrug. He looked away, suddenly more nervous than before. His main concern was confessing to Wally, he didn't think how the whole thing would work. "We can try anyway."

"We can try, yeah," Wally repeated with a small smile.

"Now kiss!" Jason groaned from annoyance and lack of patience. Dick felt blush from embarrassment (the amount of times he blushed today was concerning). Jason was not affected by his glare at all. "Well, I'm waiting. Marinette wanted to see your first kiss and I promised her to take a picture," he said gesturing to his phone.

"We won't kiss on camera. We can wait for Marinette," he growled before realising that he hadn't asked Wally how he would feel. Dick could hope the sudden realisation wasn't obvious, but judging by Jason's and Tim's expressions they both have noticed. Nothing to lose then. "Would you mind kissing me with Marinette there? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Wally was silent for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly. "We can try, I guess," he said before realising one very crucial detail Dick had missed. "When did you two return? Because I remember Dick throwing you out of here."

"When Dick confessed to you? I'm not sure," Tim said with the same tone one would discuss weather, not their brother's love life. Jason nodded in agreement. "Now, we can leave you two alone. Right, Jason?"

"Eh, we all have to make sacrifices for the happiness of our elder brothers," Jason said with a dramatic gasp, but nothing new, nothing new. "Let's go, Timmy, let's go. We are not welcome here." Wally could swear he had heard Tim mutter "it's not like I am the one who suggested to leave" under his breath.

"So, are we waiting for Marinette?" he asked with a nervous chuckle. God, having Dick's undivided attention and being completely alone with him was a nerve-wracking experience. Wally locked his eyes on Dick's lips. They looked even better than usual. Was it because he could kiss him now? Must be. "No, I wanted to kiss you for too long to wait even a second more," Dick murmured before leaning towards Wally.

Kissing Dick blew up his mind. It wasn't something Wally hoped would ever happen but desperately wanted to. Dick's lips were a little bit chapped, just enough to notice but not enough to make their kiss uncomfortable. Wally didn't want to lean away even for a second to take a breath. If it was his last kiss with Dick (and it certainly wasn't), he would enjoy for as long as he could.

"It was just like I imagined it," Wally blurted out when they stopped kissing. He felt breathless and higher than ever.

"So you imagined kissing me?" Dick asked with a smug smile. "Well, I am me and I'm awesome."

"Where was the confidence when you were panicking about confessing to Wally?" Dick and Wally immediately wiped their head towards the voice. There was standing Marinette with a teasing smile and a Polaroid in her hands. "Don't worry! I wasn't standing here creepily and watching you two make out! I just took a photo and left immediately. Didn't want to intrude," she explained upon noticing Dick's and Wally's reaction.

"Why did you take a photo?" asked Dick.

"For my scrapbook, my heart. I have a photo of our first kiss, our first date, from the day we moved in, and when we finally organized everything. And I wanted to have photos of every important milestone in your relationship, too," Marinette explained, while moving gracefully around the kitchen. Her chaotic moves seemed to have a complicated system Dick couldn't understand.

Wally… didn't know what to say. Sure, he knew that Marinette wasn't against their relationship, but he didn't expect her to be so supportive and kind. He felt warmth bloom in his chest. He wasn't in love with Marinette, but right at that moment, in hers and Dick's cluttered kitchen, he felt like falling for her was the easiest thing ever.

But they still had some questions for Marinette to answer.

"Marinette, you love me, right?" Dick waited for Marinette to nod in agreement before continuing talking. "I may or may not have drunk one of your potions! But it was an accident!"

Marinette sighed tiredly. Then she sighed again. And again. And again. Wally stopped counting after five consecutive sighs. She pinched the bridge of her nose before talking again. "It's okay. I shouldn't leave my potions in the kitchen if I don't want anyone to accidentally drink them. I'm not mad, not disappointed. Accidents happen and it's not your fault. I just need you to tell me from what vial you took it and how it affected you, okay?"

It didn't take long for Marinette fo realise what potion Dick had taken. And when she did, she burst out laughing. Unfortunately, Dick and Wally didn't share her knowledge of magic, so they couldn't appreciate the irony of the situation without her help.

"I've been trying to make a way to free kwami. Tbe potion you've drunk? It's a result of my experiments. It didn't free kwami but it freed you," Marinette explained before laughing again. And this time Dick and Wally did join her.

#maribat #dickinette #birdflashbug #birdflash #fluff #and even more fluff #love confessions and oblivious idiots #I hope it's a good gift

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bitter-sweet-farmgirl · 4 years

Text

Go Before Me & Stand Behind

OC coaxes Thranduil to allow her to fight in a battle, but is injured and the healer accidentally reveals she is pregnant.

MASTERLIST

OC(s) Used: Enyalie

Word Count: 1,727

Translations are at the bottom

~~~~~

"Melleth nin, I don't care what you say or do, you are absolutely not coming with me and Legolas to battle. It's too dangerous for an elleth." Thranduil said, standing in front of me as I scowled up at him, dressed in my armor.

"Thranduil, I am coming with you. Nothing you say will make me change my mind." I said stubbornly, crossing my arms across my chest and lifting my chin defiantly.

Thranduil sighed, his icy blue eyes sliding away from me as he struggled to maintain his composure. "You ARE NOT GOING! If I have to chain you up in the dungeons, I will." He hissed, his tone of voice turning harsh.

I bit my lip, trying to keep the triumphant smile that tugged on my lips at bay. I still had an ace up my sleeve.

Dropping the stubborn act, I reached out my arms for Thranduil and he promptly enfolded me a gentle hug, his chin resting on my head.

I snuggled myself against his chest. "Goheno nin, Melleth nin. I'm just scared about the battle. What if they storm the castle? Then I will be here alone without you." I whimpered 'fearfully', and Thranduil's grip tightened slightly.

"I wouldn't leave you alone. I will have guards assigned to you." He whispered comfortingly against my hair. I smiled to myself as he was acting according to plan.

"I know, but I'd feel safer with you, El nin." I whispered, pulling away slightly, my hands gliding down his arms as he kept them around me.

The moment I saw his gaze flicker to my lips, I knew he was mine. "Muin nin, I will consent as long as you do exactly as I say, alright?" He said gently, leaning in to softly kiss me.

After a long moment, I pulled away from Thranduil, gently running my fingers through his silky white hair before wriggling out of his grip. "Let's go get those hu ugauns." I said, making Thranduil smile.

"You are always so creative in your word choices Muin nin hervess..." He chuckled as he followed me out of the room.

Le time skip~~~

Once we were finally, finally on the field of battle, I realized just how much I hated it. Hated all the blood and guts flying everywhere, and the agonized screams of wounded Elves.

But I continued onwards. Thranduil rode before me on his elk, and Legolas behind on his silver mare. I myself rode a pure white doe of massive proportions, the mate of Thranduil's elk.

Thranduil kept glancing back at me, unable to keep his full attention on the coming battle. I urged my doe to walk faster until I was riding beside Thranduil.

"Melleth nin, I will be fine. You trained me yourself, remember? Now, just focus on the battle." I said, reaching out and grabbing his hand, squeezing gently.

Thranduil gazed silently at me for a moment, reading my expression. Then he nodded, dropping my hand as he drove his elk forward, a harsh battle cry emerging from his throat as he kicked his elk into a gallop. The rest of the army followed close behind, obeying his shouted instructions.

Legolas sped along beside me, not wanting to leave me or disobey his father's order of protecting me.

I watched as Thranduil arranged the army, calling last minute commands before taking his place on the front lines.

As the opposing army appeared, Thranduil again called the battle cry, making me wince at the harsh tones his voice took on.

"Si ath thur!"

The armored Elves tensed, waiting for the final command that would prompt them to launch themselves at the enemy.

Within seconds, Thranduil called for the army to advance, to attack. The wall of Elves rushed forward, some setting up a wall of shield, their lances sticking out about it. Others continued forward, swords drawn to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

Metal shrieked across metal the two armies met. The cries of the wounded and dying again filled the air, causing me to frown.

Legolas paced his horse beside me. I sent a glance towards him, noting his longing expression. "Go ahead, ion nin. I will be fine." I said to him, motioning towards the fierce battle.

Legolas looked at me incredulously. "Naneth, I can't leave you, Adar said--" But I cut him off with a raised finger.

"Legolas, I am perfectly capable of defending myself if it comes to that. Which it won't." I said. "If your Adar says anything, tell him I sent you away. My fault, not yours."

Legolas looked apprehensive, but swiftly rode away into the fray, leaving me behind.

Once he had disappeared from sight, (an easy thing to do in the mass of bodies), I breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a bit stifling to have Legolas pacing beside me, casting those longing looks towards the battle.

After taking a quick glance around me, double-checking that both my husband and son were both not paying attention to me, I dismounted and drew my sword. It had been given to me by Thranduil as a courting gift.

There were words inscribed on the hilt. 'Hin gelair lin orthernir 'uren'. There was a special meaning behind them. Thranduil always said that the moment my eyes had met his that first time we'd met, he'd been mine.

A whispered command of 'stay' had my doe standing stock-still as I darted into the battle. It did not take me long to realize battles were definitely NOT my favourite. It was almost all I could do to just stand my ground.

Somehow, I gained only minor injuries, but each one stung just a little more than the last, sapping my endurance and strength.

I gasped for breath, watching the army retreat. We'd won the battle, and hopefully wouldn't need to do anything more to ensure the peace of Mirkwood.

I limped back to my doe and mounted her with some difficulty owing to my injuries. Also, my pants had been sliced by a particularly nasty brute and threatened to fall at any given moment.

Finally settling myself in the saddle, I sat sedately on the doe, waiting until Thranduil returned to my side. I could only imagine what he would say at my tale-telling appearance. Maybe he would believe it if I told him that a few soldiers had come after me...

But one look at him as he approached told me that it wouldn't the case. He was going to launch into a full-on lecture.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING OUT THERE? DID YOU EVEN REALIZED FOR A MOMENT THAT YOU COULD HAVE DIED? HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY ME! I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP YOU SAFE!" He yelled, causing everyone else to stare at the two of

us.

I listened quietly, feeling a bit sheepish. I knew he would rant for awhile, finding someway to make me feel horrible for even daring to step off my doe.

Then I started feeling nauseous. VERY nauseous. My hand fluttered to my mouth and I vaguely heard Thranduil fall silent.

"Melleth nin? Are you alright? You've gone pale... Mela!" Thranduil cried as I rocked forward. He jumped off his elk just in time to catch and lower me to the ground.

A puddle of vomit quickly appeared at my feet as my stomach clenched and heaved. Thranduil held my hair back, murmuring gently as I gagged up more partially digested food.

"Melleth nin?" Thranduil cooed once I'd finally rid myself of my stomach's contents.

I didn't bother to answer due to the dizziness that overwhelmed me. Slowly, everything faded to black, Thranduil's panicked voice still echoing through my head.

~~~

Loud voices and a bitter herbal smell assaulted my senses. ��A groan escaped my lips at the disturbance. I was aware enough to realize that I was being carried in someone's arms, tucked close against their chest. Thranduil's chest.

But once my groan pierced the air, the voices fell silent, and hot breath warmed my skin as Thranduil gently nuzzled my neck.

He resumed talking, this time in a softer voice so as not to disturb me before placing me gently on a soft bed.

"Muin nin... How are you feeling?" Thranduil murmured, his face slowly coming into focus as I blinked. Another face came into view beside him, one of a Healer's.

"Excuse me Hir nin. I must examine your wife, Hiril nin." She said, nodding to the both of us.

Thranduil quickly stepped aside, letting the Healer move to my bedside. But I protested quickly. "No, no. I feel perfectly fine." I said, sitting up suddenly and almost falling face-first onto the floor as dizziness again clouded my senses.

Thranduil caught me, pushing me gently back against the pillows, his face worried. "No, Melleth nin. You passed out, remember?" He said, cradling my hand within his own. "Just let the Healer look you over."

I tried to protest again, but the Healer moved quickly, her hands moving lightly over my cuts and bruises, gently applying salve to them.

Then she gently peeled up my tunic, running her hands down my sides to check for broken bones. Once finding none, she gently poked at my stomach, checking for internal injuries. But a look of surprise flashed across her face before being replaced with a knowing smile.

She moved quickly through the rest of the exam before giving me the okay. "Well my Lady, you are both good to go. Although I would not advise taking part in any more battles in your condition..." She said, giving me a wink before turning to Thranduil who had a confused expression on his face.

"Congratulations, My King." She said, making him look even more befuddled. I grimaced, this was not the way I'd envisioned telling Thranduil about the newest addition to our family.

"I haven't told him yet..." I said, and Thranduil's eyes widened as the puzzle inside his head finally fell into place.

The Healer slipped away as Thranduil scooted closer, his icey blue eyes sparkled like saphires.

"You are with child." He murmured, and I nodded. I could tell from his tone that after Thranduil got over his excitement, I would be getting hell from him for even daring to suggest taking part in a battle while in my condition.

Melleth nin: My love

Elleth: Elven woman

Goheno nin: I'm sorry

El nin:

Muin nin: My dear

Hu ugauns: Cowardly dogs

Muin nin hervess: My dear wife

Si ath thur: Now to victory

Ion nin: My son

Naneth: Mother

Adar: Father

Hin gelair lin orthernir 'uren: Your radiant eyes conquered my heart

Mela: Love

Hir nin: My Lord

Hiril nin: My Lady

#thranduil #thranduil x oc #legolas #battle #the hobbit #mirkwood #thranduil fluff #thranduil x pregnant oc #elves #go before me and stand behind #fluff #angst #angry thranduil #fanfic #fanfiction

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polyboros · 3 years

Text

a little minific about the dangers of medical malpractice and self-experimentation, and also siblings. tw for needles/injections, injury, and some stated but not very detailed icky crab carcinization body horror.

quill doesn’t come home to a quiet apartment.

aza is always doing something or another, especially this time of day. he pushes open the door and glances around at the empty living room, limbs twitching out from his back and settling onto the floor instinctively. lift, skitter. it’s the only noise.

correction: the second noise. quill hears a muffled shuffle from aza’s bedroom and zeroes in on it, shoving that door open with equal measures wariness and annoyance. “are you dying, or—”

his voice dies in his throat at the lump on the bed. that’s associated with “depressive episode” or “injury,” but the odd twitches and writhing is associated with neither of those. “aza.”

“quill,” comes the reply, strained but amused. typical. “i am in an incredible amount of pain. can you grab the vial on my desk?”

“can you take the fucking- blanket off? what is wrong with you?”

there’s a faint- chitter, and then the blanket is abruptly torn to shreds by a blur of red and pale blue. quill blinks twice, eyebrows raising just about as high as they can go. the mass of chitin and excess limbs and claws on the mattress looks absolutely nothing like his sibling. something that’s probably their head tilts, another chitter escaping. “i fucked up.”

“clearly.”

“you’re going to have to rip some of this off my skin.” a lengthy pause, like they’re mustering up the energy to speak again. “it is not going to be pleasant for either of us.”

“i told you your crab biology stuff was gross,” quill says, gesturing to the all of them and hurrying over to the desk. he lowers himself to the ground again and pulls his limbs back to his back, shuffling through the papers as he eyes the needle put to the side. “you said it was a vial.”

the mass of chitin lifts in something that’s maybe a shrug. it would definitely be a shrug if aza was still anything near human-shaped. one of the legs extends and flicks his shin.

“quit that. this is why we can’t live together anymore.”

“over a year.”

“i’m divorced,” he dismisses. it gets him another chitter that’s distinctly part of a laugh. “you should get divorced. this would be way more understandable if you were.”

aza stirs, shifting onto their side as quill finally picks up the needle. “midlife crisis,” they deadpan, the legs on hir back twitching as quill snorts. “piece on my thigh.”

“is it loose?”

“enough.”

quill’s done more bloody shit to his own body. he still grimaces, giving aza a glare that pretty accurately gets across you owe me one. “i’m bringing ooze over tomorrow.”

“is it nice?”

“nice enough.”

aza hums, chitin lifting in another shrug. quill begins to coax the piece from aer thigh, glancing away as blood begins to trickle down the rest of the pieces. “the rest of it won’t be this bad when you get this shot, right?”

“no clue,” they reply. “band-aid it.” he rolls his eyes and tears it off in one go, silently glad the chitin wasn’t fully fused and there’s only torn flesh around the edges.

“at least self-experiment with someone here next time.”

“it’ll be gone tonight.” he can hear the smile in their voice that he can’t see. “the wound. the chitin would be permanent.”

quill gets it. he really does, which sucks, but he doesn’t really have any more emotional capacity to care. he injects whatever the anti-crab mixture is into the exposed flesh in one, half-careful motion.

aza collapses further, curled up as much as they can be. “thanks. love you.” their voice is fainter still. quill’s worry eases. xe wouldn’t say that shit if xe was dying or something like that.

“love you too, dumbass. go to bed.”

“yeah.”

#kbitycus art #blaseball #gestures vaguely. more of sketch than anything but it was living rent free #aza's a little bit stir-crazy from the whole ''timeloop resets change'' thing #there's an additional two scenes to this i might write sometime. one of them is of ooze and aza hanging out #can you imagine being held by ooze. i think it would be nice.

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enchanted-arms · 3 years

Text

Dating as a System

cowritten by Thea ♠ Shep of the Caridea system

Shep: I suppose hahah that a more apt title would be "dating within a system" but ah debating appropriate titles is not the purpose of this post.

Thea: Wouldn't want to bore the readers.

Shep: I haven't seen this topic before so the local kismessitude will try and tackle it! Basically, Thea and I are together, sort of. We more or less refer to it as a QPR (queer platonic relationship), but believe that this mini- piece is still relevant despite the particularities of our partnership.

Overall, I feel like contrary belief, we really don't get to spend much time together. Inner-system dating isn't glamorous nor really good for getting attention. To me, it comes off as a silent uh

T: respect. I mean like we understand each other? I guess? 8ut at the end of the day- it's really just respecting each other as individuals and you know! Enjoying life together. It dooooooooes suck in that, despite sharing a body, we can't actually do physical things together!!!!!!!! We can draw together or watch a show or listen to music sure 8ut any sort of cliche date is ruined.

Shep: Right. The major drawbacks we have observed is that most things people pursue a relationship for just do not exist in this particular mode of commitment. I will never be able to physically hold Thea, I can't take pictures of us, etc... On top of that, both of us are polyamorous. We cannot pursue other relationships without jeopardizing our own since that would require opening up to people that we are a system, a system in kahoots with each other no less. I understand to non-systems, the idea that you're involved with someone who exists within your mind is genuinely *weird* and particularly stigmatized. So we are stuck between sticking solely with each other or ending it so neither of us are formally cheating on the other partner technically.

T: Yuh. Consent is a HUGE thing. Being plural like really makes it complicated. There's quite a few of us, and ignoring our relationship, if Shep or Alister or Methia or anyone else really had a physical partner, and then another headmate wanted a partner, we'd have to once more open up. No one can just have a "normal " life. Factor in certain headmates being polyam, then it does kinda look like infidelity on a mass scale which sucks major ass. Our best bet would be to find an accepting partner system that we all magically vibe with, but that would be really fucking difficult.

Shep: Not that we aren't fulfilled with each other- On the contrary we are very happy with each other! On the few nights that we can actually co-con together without the other being forced out of front. As I said earlier, we truly do not spend much time together. I tend to be quite busy with bodily upkeep, and hir triggers are a bit strange. I'm sure I talk to her too within the mindspace, but I do not remember any of it. Going back to my point about the lack of physical contact, it does admittedly feel lonely at times. Which is something you might want to consider before jumping into inner-system partnerships. Can you handle the isolation? Can you handle possibly not seeing each other for days to weeks at a time?

T: A lil pessimistic don't cha think? It's the truth though. I do tend to miss them, and I end up feeeeeeeeling pretty bad if I'm unable to front for some time.

Shep: Overall, just like any other relationship, there's pros and cons. We have spoken about the cons quite a bit, so what are the pros? You have some who understands you almost perfectly. They share your thoughts and can occasion feel your emotions as well, so you don't have to worry about fighting too much especially if communication is good between you two or three or etc... It's also just nice having someone with you. Even if shi doesn't front much, we're still inseparable- distance isn't really an issue basically. Sometimes if the body has a headache or is experiencing pain, we switch off on who's fronting too that way no one person has to suffer all of it. As I said earlier, I am fulfilled with this relationship despite the circumstances. If you can handle the cons, then the pros might be worth pursuing if you find yourself in this situation or similar. Thea: Dawwww you saved my the closing remarks! How sweet of you ;;;;) The pros for me is that personally it's just more viable. I'm not host lmfao no one fucking knows me off the internet and its not like I front enough to be able to grow physical interpersonal relationships. Yuh it's just easier in some regards. I mean cons still hold but what 1) I got someone who gets me fundamentally 2) I got someone with me 3) someone who actually knows I exist and 4) someone who isn't put off by me being a fictive.

Fuck how do you end a post? We hope you enjoyed reading this lol Until next time super fans ::::)

#plurality #personal #multiplicity #plural hearts #<- maybe a new tag for stuff like this?#vris on the airwaves #straight from the drafts

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queerlymasculine · 3 years

Text

note to subs with ptsd and other struggles related to childhood trauma:

I've had a bit of an Emotional Journey over the week or so, and I want to impart a few lessons. I can only speak for myself and my own experiences, so ymmv, but hopefully this will be helpful in some way.

(obviously, this will have non-specific, general references to childhood trauma. no details are given. this discusses expecting other people to act like one's abuser(s) did/does. but there are no details.)

disclaimer: everything I say here assumes a relationship with a dom who is acting in good faith. also, my dom and I don't play with rules or punishments, so when I say something like I felt like I had done something wrong, I mean it in a regular, everyday, interpersonal relationship way. this post is only talking about kink dynamics that are ongoing relationships. finally, kink is not a substitute for therapy with a licensed and competent professional nor for medical treatment if appropriate. go to therapy.

disclaimer over.

self-awareness is one of the most important skills you need to build in order to practice kink safely and responsibly. sometimes the way we react to things does not seem logical from the outside, so we need to understand why we react certain ways and be able to clearly communicate that. this does not just apply to reactions that may occur during a scene. in fact, I think it's even more important for reactions outside of a scene.

for example, recently, I realized I have not been as supportive to my dom as I would like. it's been a tough month for me for a variety of reasons -- not enough work, pandemic, ongoing health issues, etc -- and although it's understandable to be at limited capacity, I want to be a more positive, supportive person in general, at least towards the people I like. so I had this realization, and it's always uncomfortable to realize you haven't been acting in a manner consistent with your values, but because you're an adult, you tolerate that discomfort, recognize the behaviors you want to change, apologize, and move on.

except...... I wasn't feeling just that healthy discomfort. it was also something else. and what made it worse was that my dom didn't think I had done anything wrong, and at first, I thought I was fine. I assumed it was just the healthy discomfort, so I waited for it to fade on its own over time.

slowly, the situation changed from "I would like to be more supportive" to "I have been so selfish and I've been constantly asking for support and I'm a terrible person and ze must be angry with me for not being as supportive as I think I should be."

and then it became "ze is angry with me but won't tell me and I don't know how to make this better."

so that was when I realized I might be a little off base because that is not what ze is like lol and we had played recently and ze had been as just as amazing as always, everything has been wonderful, nothing had felt different. so something was off.

I decided to broach the topic again, and as I was communicating all of this, I realized:

lmao oh shit I feel like I'm walking on eggshells and waiting for the other shoe to drop and expecting to be punished (like, in a bad way, not a fun consensual way because punishment play could never be fun for me and I will never consent to it) by this person who I love and am close to and wishing for some kind of punishment just so I won't be waiting constantly for it. that's ✨trauma✨. that's not how things have ever worked in this relationship I am having at 29. that's how things worked when I lived with and talked to my family.

it made me doubly grateful that I had been so careful and discerning when deciding to be with my dom. when I have that walking on eggshells feeling, I can't guarantee I wouldn't do something I was uncomfortable with, just to make things right. but that's not something I have to worry about because ze doesn't give orders and would never ask me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with.

power exchange is risky, no matter what role you choose to play. when you have experienced childhood trauma, the risk increases exponentially. power exchange changes a relationship. even when we're not playing and we're just people, I am incredibly sensitive to my dom's behavior towards me. I wouldn't be this sensitive if we didn't practice kink because I wouldn't be as vulnerable.

and if my dom was truly angry with me, if I felt like I was no longer in hir good graces, if I felt like ze no longer wanted me? that would fucking hurt in a way I don't think many people would understand. because it wouldn't just be an argument or something. I consistently bear my soul to this person. I have never trusted another human being like this. I have given myself to hir.

I always say kink is play and that people need to stop taking it so seriously. and this remains true. it doesn't have to be a whole thing with all the bells and whistles. protocols are unnecessary unless you want to play with them. doms have no inherent right to my respect whatsoever.

but just because it's play doesn't mean it doesn't matter. yes, it's play, it's make believe, my partner doesn't actually own me because you can't own people, and it's just stuff we do for fun when we feel like it.

but the emotional stakes are real. the potential for harm is very real. if you have lived through childhood trauma and you want to do kink on the sub side of things, you need to know yourself well enough to be able to communicate your needs to your partner. you need to be able to communicate when shit like this happens.

awareness and communication is how you avoid sabotaging your relationships because you're trying to keep yourself safe. you keep yourself safe by knowing when it's trauma talking and not your realistic view of the situation at hand. you keep yourself safe by telling your partner what you're feeling and giving them the necessary context. you don't have to give details, but you do need to give context because that helps them understand and it gives them the tools they need to take better care of you and keep you safe.

it's not easy, but it's necessary if you want to be able to engage in kink in an ethical way. your dom can't take care of you if you don't tell them what they need to know. your dom can't give you what you need if you don't tell them. unexpected things happen, of course, and people make mistakes along the way and that's normal and fine, and your needs can change over time, and you learn more about yourself as time goes on because that's part of being a person.

but as a rule, you have to know yourself and you have to know what you need, and you have to give this information to your partner. you have to be willing to address issues as soon as they come up. issues might seem small at first, but it's better to have a conversation now rather than later. if you wait or don't fully air everything out, resentment can build.

again, this isn't always easy, and it's okay if it feels hard. but you still have to do it.

it might feel like a lot of work at first, but doing that work now when everything is fresh is better than watching your dynamic fall apart. it's work worth doing if you're in a dynamic you want to stay in. and part of being a human is learning to give other people chances to surprise you. I'm not talking about letting toxic people back into your life. I'm talking about giving partners a chance to give you what you need, and they can only do that if you tell them what you need and how to give it to you.

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