#angry fuzzbutt

[asktheritochampion]

*anoints the wrinkly peachboy with a leaf for his head* May it keep you warm

[ringlorn]

"Hiss—hey, watch it!" He's a small monkey, but he's heavier than he looks. With a grimace, Nezha tries to shift his injured chest out of the way before he replies.

"For the record, he threw the signpost at me first." Asking him not to provoke Sun Wukong was like telling the sun to get out of the sky. It wasn't just unnatural, but a fact of life.

It was also the only thing tying them together after the shitstorm in Heaven all those years ago, sad as that sounded.

"I wasn't gonna arrest him," he added petulantly a second later. "Or you. Don't have the authority for that anymore."

"Stupid fuzzbutt still can't think straight when he's angry. What do you think got him into trouble in the fir—cough." Throat burning, Nezha realizes he can't tell this Wukong anything either. Damn.

Was worth a try, though.

He grabs the bag of frozen bananas off his eye next, tearing it open to help himself to the contents inside. He figures it's free real estate if Monkey King's given it to him already.

"He got pissed because I wasn't telling him shit," Nezha grumbled. "Like I'd want him to beat me up. Last time I saw him, he was still trying to eat rocks off the ground because some bastard told him they were peaches."

Old Sun was painful to watch, but at least he was predictable. New Sun was uncharted territory, and Nezha the clueless ship that got tossed in his storms.

He watches Nezha out of the corner of his eye as he drinks. It was something Monkey King noticed when cleaning and bandaging him up: this Nezha's body was a regular mortal one, not made of lotus, and it looks like it heals with the same speed that a normal mortal body would (or close to it at least; he honestly has no idea how fast a mortal would heal). Weird. But he won't ask.

"Just don't make a habit out of this, yeah? This isn't a hospital for infirm gods." And frankly he has better things to do than taking care of a guy he barely knows. Like watching reruns of his shows. Or lying down on his bed and staring at the ceiling for hours.

You know, important stuff.

"That's me." He takes a sip of his soda and hums. Monkey King hasn't tried to call Sun (yet), figuring the guy will come to him when he is ready. But... "If I had to guess, and I think I would be right, he's either at home or with- his partner, feeling bad about beating you up like that."

Leaning back against the couch (and against Nezha's much suffering ribs), he points at the lotus prince with his can.

"Here's a word of advice, bud: Sun doesn't remember you too well and is - rightfully - pissed off about that. So, you know, I wouldn't recommend provoking him unless you actually want to die next time."

[lunamusings]

For the writer ask: 11. Who is your favorite character(s) to write about and why?

Oooh this is a tough one, but besides my fuzzbutt oc, I would have to say right now it's a tie between Jotaro and Rohan.

Joot's got so much going on internally, it's a blast showing what turmoil is going on inside his head while there are only micro-expressions outside. I particularly enjoyed writing the scene wherein he discovers he does have a crush on Lith. He's got a completely straight face but is interrogating himself harshly and it ends with. "I do like her...shit...."

Meanwhile, Rohan is just this chaotic hot mess of "must experience all the things" and social awkwardness but I also totally understand it as an artist and a person who wants to make all the things all the time. He has different priorities from most people around him and it makes for a fun exploration of how characters react to situations. Most people would either be pissed or scared of being lifted off their feet by the neck by a tiny angry woman. Rohan's like "This is going in my manga! Also I kind of like this and will now be hiring the tiny angry woman as my assistant because I'm keeping her. Bonus that it's making Josuke mad".

[whimsimmortal]

Plot Bunny

Wow, I’m alive! And posting fanfiction on tumblr, as if I have any idea what I’m doing!! Please check it out on AO3, where I am actually capable of navigating the website: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27441853

Plink. Another small, innocuous sound scarcely registered past Danny’s homework-induced stupor. It could have been a stray raindrop or a kamikaze bug. He had more important things demanding his attention; namely, the book report due tomorrow. This was at least the fifth time he’d rewritten the same paragraph. Words had lost all meaning to him by this point, but he was so close to finishing.

Tip-tap. Clonk, the noise emitting from the bedroom window insisted. He glared suspiciously towards the disturbance, envisioning ethereal arrows or blob ghosts intent on breaking in. He hadn’t sensed anything ghostly nearby, but given his luck, the paranoia was usually warranted. Emitting a groan from the depths of his soul, he rose from his desk to inspect the noise. He spared a second to stretch and shake the pins and needles out of his fingers, trying to wake up. Just in case it was something serious, y'know. Tink. “Alright, jeez, I’m coming,” he muttered, pulling back his curtain.

There weren’t any ghosts, of course. That was somewhat of a relief, even if going down swinging  was preferable to succumbing to a failing high school education. The early sunset gleamed amber off the windows across the street, and the sky was clear, except for— chink— the pebbles bouncing off his window. A lone kid was standing on the sidewalk below, no older than eight or nine. He looked vaguely familiar. He was pulling his arm back to throw more stones and bawling his eyes out.

Danny yanked open the window, sliding up the screen to fully stick his head out. His core vibrated, unsettled. There wasn’t any obvious danger, and the kid didn’t look hurt. Where were his parents? Why was he here? “Hey! What’s wrong, buddy? Are you okay?”

“You, you, you,” the kid tried to start, but great hiccupping sobs interrupted him. He scrubbed his face with his fists, obviously trying to regain his composure. “You’ve gotta send the ghost hero out!”

Danny jerked back, unintentionally smacking the back of his skull on the underside of the window. Well, now he was awake. What? “Uh, a ghost? Here? No, there isn’t—I can’t—what are you talking about?”

The boy was right up against the side of the house now, sniffling loudly and staring straight up at Danny with wide, sad eyes. “Please?” He whined, winding his hands up in the fabric of his sweater nervously.

Well, now he was stuck. Some random kid was going to out his whole identity, but the urge to help was almost overwhelming. “I can’t—there can’t be any ghosts here, but give me a second and I can just come down?” He offered. “Do you want me to find your parents?”

“Noooo!” The kid wailed and stomped his foot, banging on the wall with his tiny fists. “Don’t lie to me! I’ve seen the superman ghost go in there! Let him out! I need him!!”

Oh, crap, someone was going to hear. This kid’s parents were going to freak out, or his own parents were going to notice, and what if they took that kind of claim seriously? Shoot. Literally. He chuckled nervously. “Hey, hey, shhh, okay! You win! I’ll, uh, summon him, or something! But you have to be quiet, or you’ll, y’know, scare him off.” The child nodded solemnly, wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve and stifling his sobs.

Danny ducked back behind the curtain, gracelessly crumpling to sit with his back against the wall. He ran his hands through his hair. He’d been seen? When? He’d tried so hard to be careful, and use invisibility whenever he was close to the house. Maybe he’d gotten lazy. Maybe, sometimes, he let the promise of sleep take priority over precautions. Stupid.  He smacked the palm of his hand into his forehead, frustrated. How long had this kid known? Who else had he told? He couldn’t just scare him into silence, he was too little. That was just messed up, he’d give him nightmares or something.

He wasn’t going to figure anything out by sitting here moping. He triggered the transformation, the familiar prickling electric feeling swiftly replaced by the soothing cold. He turned to peek over the edge of the window, checking for anyone else around. It was still just the same kid, kicking at a pebble on the concrete while he waited.

He floated down slowly, not wanting to startle his impromptu visitor, who turned and saw him as he touched down. The little guy gasped, forgotten tears slipping away from unblinking eyes.

“Hi there,” Danny prompted gently. “Were you looking for me?”

The kid kept ogling, mesmerized, and a few seconds passed by before he could shake himself out of it. “Wow, you’re the real superhero guy,” he whispered reverently.

Oh. That was pretty cute, actually. He couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, that’s me. You can call me Phantom,” he offered.

“I’m Wyatt,” the kid mumbled, covering his damp cheeks with his hands shyly. He tipped his head down, still staring through his eyelashes.

A neighbor’s front door opened down the street, and Danny swiftly disappeared. Wyatt startled, blindly swinging his hands back and forth through the seemingly-empty space. “Wait! Come back!” He recoiled with a yelp when his blundering reach made contact with the specter.

“It's okay, I’m right here,” he reassured the kid. “But we can’t let people know I’m here, okay? They’ll—um. I’ll get in trouble.”

Wyatt squinted, reaching forward again. Danny offered his hand, and the little fingers gripped his glove tightly. He looked like he was offering the empty air a fist bump. “Right,” the kid agreed earnestly.

“Seriously,” Danny pressed. “You can’t tell anyone that I li-” he bit his tongue. Don’t say ‘live’. That’s so dumb. “Uh. Hang out here sometimes. Not even your friends, okay? Promise?”

Wyatt’s little dark eyebrows drew together, and despite his trembling chin and small stature, he looked profoundly serious. He shook the hand. “I promise.”

Well, that would have to do for now. “Thanks. Uh, what did you need me for?”

The kid’s eyes immediately started to well up again, but he squeezed Danny’s fingers and pressed his lips to put on a brave face. “C’mon, Phantom, you’ve gotta-” he sniffed. “You gotta save Fuzzy,” he warbled, turning and pulling. The ghost floated behind like a balloon on a string as the pair stepped down from the curb, heading across the street.

Oh, man, if this was about a dead pet, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. That was closer to Jazz’s expertise. He swallowed his mounting dread. “Who’s Fuzzy?”

Wyatt’s face scrunched up. “He’s my bunny,” he explained, looking away. “I was just tryin’ to show ‘im to Audrey, and—and then,” he sobbed. “He went under the house! And he’s gonna get lost and stuck, and I’m-, never-, gonna see him ever again!” He let go, burying his face in his hands and howling.

Danny rested a hand lightly on Wyatt’s little shoulder, throat tight. He’d never had a pet like that, but he could understand the fear of losing loved ones a little too well, and empathy always felt more forceful when he was in ghost form. Probably something related to ectoplasm being shaped by residual emotional energy, blah blah ecto-science theory. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”

The unusual duo walked two more houses down the block and cut through a side yard to a modest backyard, strewn with outdoor toys and an overturned wire fence—likey an outdoor pen for Fuzzy. An even younger girl sat on the paved patio, chewing on the end of her braid. She leaped up as they drew close. “Wyatt! I told my dad about Fuzzbutt, and he’ll call the—um, animal people. But they’re not here yet. Did you find him?”

Wyatt glanced a little to Danny’s left with a guilty expression. Well, crap, so much for his secret. He bit his lip, trying to keep his cool. First things first. A cursory scan of the area didn’t show anyone else in the immediate vicinity, so he faded back into visibility. The little girl—‘Audrey’, he guessed—gave a muffled shriek. “Ghost man!”

“Hush,” Wyatt scolded, voice quavering. “He’s a secret.”

“Oh,” Audrey whispered back. “Hello, mister normal guy man. I think you’re cool.” She beamed up at him.

“Hello, small ordinary human,” Danny quipped, and Audrey giggled delightedly. Wyatt dropped to his hands and knees, crawling up to the house, where a gap between the foundation and dirt was evident. The other two peeked over his shoulder, but there wasn’t any bunny visible past the darkness.

“Fuzzy,” Wyatt choked out. “Hang in there, we’re gonna rescue you!”

Danny turned intangible, letting his molecules seep down through the dirt past the level of his nose. He drifted close to the base of the house, juicing up the glow from his eyes. “Just wait here, okay?” Two grim, round little faces nodded back, and with that minor assurance, he delved beneath the house.

The weight of the floor above loomed. It was claustrophobic, like being buried… well, half-alive. The musty, dank mildew smell was gross, even though he wasn’t breathing. He could taste it. “Here, bunny, bunny,” he muttered. Please don’t be hurt.

A tiny pair of eyes reflected green through the gloom. The little ball of fluff was backed into a corner, and it snorted like a tiny angry bull, stomping its feet. Danny hadn’t even known rabbits could make that sound. It probably didn’t like his creeping, unnatural aura, like most rational animals. “Shhh,” he cooed, reaching for the tiny, grubby ball of fluff and dimming his glow. “I’m not gonna hurt ya.”

Fuzzbutt wasn’t convinced. In a courageous move, it darted through Danny’s forehead, wedging itself under a crooked board and squealing. Danny reached easily through the plank and wrapped his hands around the unhappy creature, sharing his intangibility. It writhed and fussed, trying to bite through his gloves. “Stop that!” He clutched it close to his chest; if he dropped it here, the stubborn thing really would be stuck. He swooped back out into the backyard, startling the anxiously waiting kids.

Audrey shrieked and tipped over. Wyatt recovered first, leaping to his Velcro-sneakered feet expectantly. “Is he okay?”

Danny recovered a more solid form, holding up the wiggling rabbit. Wyatt gasped, fresh tears glittering on his eyelashes. He reached out for the beloved pet, unable to contain his joy at the reunion. “Fuzzy! You’re okay! I love you, Fuzzy!”

“Let’s go inside first, so he doesn’t get away again?” Danny suggested. The last thing anyone needed was an instant replay. Audrey darted to open the back door, and Wyatt led the way inside. He sat on the wooden floor with open arms, and as soon as the door was firmly shut again, Danny deposited the squirming animal into his lap. Fuzzy looked marginally more content to receive numerous sloppy kisses from his adoring owner. He was actually a pretty cute little guy, black and white like a panda.

Even footsteps padded around the corner. “Wyatt, baby? Did you find-” the woman’s question cut off abruptly as she noticed the glowing stranger in her living room.

Crud. At this rate, the whole block was going to find him out before the week was up. He edged back a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, I was just, um,” darn it, wrong persona. He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. “Doing my heroic duty, ma’am,” he finished in a falsely deep voice.

Audrey giggled (he didn’t sound that bad!), and the woman smiled nervously. Wyatt hopped to his feet, still cradling his bunny. “Mama! Look, he saved Fuzzy! I’m gonna rename him Fuzzy Phantom,” he declared.

Mama Wyatt dutifully stroked the bunny’s dusty ears. “Fuzzy Phantom needs a bath,” she commented, before looking back up to meet Danny’s eyes. She held out her clean hand, and it took him a second to recognize the offered handshake. He started to reach back, thought twice about his messy glove, and hastily peeled it off to shake her hand. Her fingers were delicate, but they didn’t falter at the chill. “You look taller on the TV,” she joked lightly. “It’s nice to meet you. Phantom, right?”

He nodded. “Uh, it was nice to meet you, too, Ms.-?”

“Sylvie Rosales,” she supplemented. Audrey snuck around her to flounce deeper into the house, taking the adult’s distraction as an invitation, and Wyatt started to follow her, but hesitated. He snuck a hand out around Fuzzy to tug on Danny’s arm, so he leaned down accommodatingly.

Wyatt stood on his tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “Can I come see you sometimes?”

Oh, heck, no. That would be truly asking for disaster. “No,” he quickly replied, but before Wyatt’s pout could evolve into a true objection, he added, “but if you really don’t tell anyone how to find me, I could drop by sometimes.” He looked towards Ms. Rosales. “If that’s okay?”

Wyatt looked over to his mom pleadingly, stars in his eyes. What have I gotten myself into, Danny wondered, but he couldn’t help feeling charmed. Ms. Rosales looked like she was thinking along the same lines, with her thin-lipped smile and folded arms. “As long as you don’t cause any trouble,” she hedged.

“Thank you!!” Wyatt hugged Danny spontaneously, smushing his face into his shoulder. Fuzzy grunted his objection.

Danny ruffled the kid’s mop of hair. “I should get going. Take care of Fuzzy,” he grinned, pulling away. “And stay safe,” he added in his false baritone with a mock salute.

“You, too,” he heard Ms. Rosales call after him as he phased through the wall. He looped above the street once cheerfully before disappearing to sneak back home. He’d left his window open; rose-tinted light and a handful of moths had spilled onto his bedroom floor. This time, he didn’t reappear or turn back until he’d stealthily drawn the window and curtains closed.

He still had an hour or so to plug into his homework. He hummed as he started back in on the paragraph he’d been stuck on. It didn’t seem as daunting now, even with the lost time and near reveal. He’d have to keep an eye on his nosy little neighbor, but in the end, maybe it was the moments like today that made the whole gig worth it.

[wolfpawn]

I Hate You, I Love You, Chapter 120

Chapter Summary -

And so the alum is released, how will Tom and Danielle act?

Previous Chapter

Rating - Mature (some chapters contain smut)

Triggers - references to Tom Hiddleston’s work with the #MeToo Movement. That chapter will be tagged accordingly.

authors Note - I have been working on this for the last 3 years, it is currently 180+ chapters long.  This will be updated daily, so long as I can get time to do so, obviously.

I am not one to dwell on the past and those in it, but when Reputation was released in November, you know it had to be checked and reported to Tom regarding its content.

All image rights belong to their owners

tags: @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog​ @jessibelle-nerdy-mum​ @nonsensicalobsessions​ @damalseer​ @hiddlesbitch1​ @winterisakiller @fairlightswiftly​ @salempoe​ @wolfsmom1

‘Hey,’ Danielle walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face, which fell when she looked at the concerned look on Tom’s face. ‘What?’

Tom swallowed slightly as Luke cleared his throat. ‘The new album is out.’

‘And?’ She asked, folding her arms and bracing for the worst.

‘Well, there are a few references.’

‘Are they defamatory?’ Danielle asked.

‘No, but they are not pleasant.’

‘Well, she is hardly going to be pleasant, is she? That’s not her style, “I’m a victim, I am so lovely and the big bad men hurted me” is more her style.’ She put on a pathetic whiny voice as she spoke. ‘I bet Kardashian and the husband got it worse though.’

‘They did, and the press. Apparently, her songs are about no one and the press and people try to make it about her and people she is somewhat connected to.’ Luke scoffed.

‘Give me a line that proves otherwise.’

‘She references men with Jaguars and Range Rovers.’ Luke looked at some of the lyrics on the sheet.

‘What does Harris drive?’ Danielle already knew the answer.

‘A Range Rover.’ Tom confirmed.

‘Wow, shocking. “I reference things but don’t want to be accused of it being about anyone”. She really needs to grow the fuck up. Either say “Yes, I do sing about these things, and?” or actually keep away from it all, she comes across as a fool otherwise when it clear she is lying, but let’s face it, she was caught doing that before.’

‘Have you heard any of the songs?’ Tom asked.

‘No, I didn’t even know this pile of trash was out, why, should I have?’

‘The first song was released today.’

‘Please tell me it’s ridiculous. What is the album even called?’ She looked at the title on the page. “Reputation” Yeah, she’s building one of those alright.’

‘The song is called “Look What You Made Me Do,” Luke informed her.

Danielle paused for a moment, her eyebrows raised. ‘Is there a reason she titled a song after something abusive people say? That gives me the creeps. I have had to deal with a woman that had her jaw broken, her cheekbone broken and her eye swollen shut by a guy who yelled those words at her as he was being dragged away in a police car. She is mental. She is actually implying she’s abusive?’

‘I don’t think so. The lyrics are implying other people making her have to do stuff.’

‘Yeah, abusers do that too, imply the actions of others are why they do the shit they do. Highly narcissistic,’ Danielle growled, taking the groceries out of the bag she brought. ‘Where are the dogs?’

‘Outside, Mac is teaching Bobby in the ways of staring at birds hoping for them to fall out of a tree.’ Tom informed her. Seeing she was annoyed by everything, he walked over and rubbed her arms. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Annoyed, pissed off and angry that someone makes a living out of being an utter cunt to others. So many good songwriters can actually go an album without this shit.’ She growled before shaking her head. ‘I am glad this happened here, I just need to spit about it for a minute and I will go back to normal.’ She sighed before looking at Luke. ‘What’s the worst of it?’

‘Getaway Car.’ He stated getting to the page in question. ‘It’s a song that implies she is in an unhappy relationship and she uses another man to get out of it, but it was only a pitstop relationship, it was only to get rid of the first guy, it was only ever that from the start.’

‘Classy. So much for being a strong independent woman if you cannot even leave a relationship like an adult.’ She looked at Tom. ‘How many more relationships are you going to be accused of ruining?’ She scoffed. ‘I’ll have to keep an eye on you.’

Tom smiled at her attempt at humour, ‘Yes.’

‘How do you feel?’

‘Embarrassed, annoyed, as to be expected. Most of her focus seems to be on others, but it still is hurtful, to me, you Mum, Em and Sarah, we are all facing this now, I brought this on us.’

Danielle rubbed his arm. ‘She chose to do this, you took an adult approach to a break-up, she did not show the same courtesy.’ She then walked over to Luke with her hand extended, the publicist handed her the pages with the song lyrics on them, the parts suspected to be about Tom were highlighted. She scanned them and frowned. ‘She’s losing her touch, her whole chorus is literally “Look What You Made Me Do” no other words. Oasis, U2, Michael Jackson, and Prince she is not.’ She threw it down again. ‘I hope her voice is better autotuned this time. Would anyone else like a cup of tea?’ She asked.

Luke looked at Tom half in concern but seeing the other man smile slightly. Tom realised that Danielle was not overly bothered by it all anymore and was just moving on with the day. ‘Tea for me Darling, Luke is a coffee man.’

‘Okay. There are fresh hobnobs in the bag and I got a duck for dinner.’ She stated as she got the cafetiere out of the press for Luke.

‘Lovely.’ Tom smiled, going over to the bag to retrieve the biscuits. ‘We have been found to be house-hunting as well by the way.’

‘How many weeks pregnant am I?’

‘Not showing yet, but the winter jackets could be hiding it.’ Luke chuckled.

‘Good to know. I feel like almost going and getting a fake bump from a set to fuck with them. Nacelle offered and everything.’

Tom laughed. ‘That would screw with them alright.’

‘Please warn me in advance when you do that.’ Luke pleaded.

‘“When”?’ Danielle asked with a smirk.

‘You have a streak to you that I would imagine would cause you to seriously consider it.’

‘Aw, Luke, I believe you are actually getting to know me.’ Danielle laughed. She passed him a mug and the coffee. ‘Nah, it’s too much bother, it did cross my mind though. So what is the general consensus on that?’

‘That we are looking at a house worth four million belonging to Michael McIntyre.’ Tom grinned and folded his arms as he awaited her reaction.

Danielle stared blankly at him. ‘Four…..Four million? I nearly lost the plot at two million, I’d need to be anointed if you brought me to a place for that, what would you even buy for that, the Darcy house in Pride and Prejudice?’

‘A lot of the manor houses are in terrible condition, so they probably would go for that.’ Luke shrugged.

‘What the absolute fuck made them think that?’ Danielle asked.

‘Well, the “source” is a friend of mine that I apparently told, and they mentioned it.’

‘Did you tell anyone?’

‘Ben, Jeremy and Luke.’

‘Hardly three gossips.’

‘People hear titbits of our conversations and assume the rest.’ Tom dismissed. ‘It doesn’t matter in general, only I thought I ought to tell you.’

‘Well yes, given my current condition, I cannot risk the stress of not knowing and it being dumped on me.’ Danielle rolled her eyes. ‘Are people actually that obsessed with you procreating?’

‘It is my own fault, I mentioned watching Jungle Book with my kids someday in an interview and they all are mad about it since.’ Tom shrugged. ‘No pressure on you.’

‘Clearly not.’ She scoffed. ‘I am going to let you two gentlemen get on with whatever you need to do and I am going to be boring and get some stuff done.’ She smiled going to the back door. ‘Come on you two fuzzbutts, get in and leave that poor chaffinch alone.’ The dogs immediately rushed over to her. ‘Come on, into the living room with me.’ She took her cup of tea that Tom was holding out for her and smiled at him before going into the other room, the two dogs following after her, though Bobby stopped at Tom or a moment and sat, hoping for a rub, on receiving it, he rushed after Danielle and Mac again before Danielle went out of sight.

‘That went as well as can be expected.’ Luke commented.

‘She is fine, once she is allowed a minute to be annoyed, I said as much.’

‘Yes, it is odd she calmed so quickly.’

‘She is not calm, she’s very much annoyed, but she cannot bottle it in, if she did, she would probably be five times angrier later. If she hadn’t already gone running today, she would be gone out now.’ He informed his friend. ‘But she has work to do, so she is going to focus on that now.’

‘How is she doing with work?’

‘Busy as hell, but she is a business partner now, so that is par for the course, right?’ Tom smiled. ‘She insists on doing everything she can from here and is looking into getting a fax machine for here too to minimise what she has to do in the office.’

‘Is she here quite a bit then?’

‘Most days of the week, because of the dogs more than anything.’ Tom smiled. ‘Another reason we need a bigger place, she needs a proper office.’

‘I ended up with a one-bedroom apartment making my second one an office, it does make life easier.’ Luke concurred. ‘See if her company will okay it as an expense, she could get it for nothing then.’

‘I will mention that to her.’ Tom smiled. ‘Now, what was this about a schedule?’

*

An hour later, Danielle came into the kitchen with paperwork in her hand and went over to preheat the oven. It was only after she got the duck out of the fridge that she realised the two men were still talking. ‘I am not after walking in on private Infinity War stuff, am I?’

‘No, nothing private, just dates and premiers.’ Tom smiled.

‘Okay, nothing too bad so,’ She sighed in relief as she continued to prepare the meat, noting the sheer amount of pages and dates on them. ‘It looks busy.’ She noted.

‘It is, it is utter insanity how much of it there is.’ Tom commented, Luke nodding in agreement.

‘When is the first trailer hitting?’ She enquired

‘Soon enough apparently, again, they are not telling us, but around the end of this month, start of next month.’ Tom smirked.

‘God, this is going to be something else.’ Danielle smiled. ‘How many of ye are without further contracts so far?’

‘We don’t know, we are all not allowed say, even to each other. Chris wants to move on though, as you know, he said that when we were talking to him. The others, I cannot say for sure. Ben is still contracted.’

‘Well, they left the whole situation at the end with Baron Mordo that needs to be addressed in the Strange movie.’ Danielle commented as she cut up an orange. ‘Adding Iron Man to Spiderman would make things interesting too, but it depends on what happens in the next two Avenger Movies. Damn it, I hate waiting.’

Tom chuckled. ‘If it is any consolation, we don’t know what happens other cast members, only ourselves.’

‘And anyone who you witness die.’

‘True actually, yes.’ Tom conceded. ‘But let’s face it, Loki survived how many deaths now, others could do the same.’

‘Yes, we have Black Panther to go to soon as well, that will be great.’

‘I had not realised that you are an actual Marvel fan.’ Luke stated.

‘Yeah, DC and Marvel were huge as cartoons when I was a kid, Spiderman, X-Men, Batman, Superman, it wasn’t Saturday or Sunday morning without the TV on with them on it.’ She smiled.

‘True actually.’ Luke conceded.

‘Elle, how long will that take to cook?’

‘About an hour and a half, I’d say, why? Will you be done?’ The men looked at one another and shook their heads. ‘Have you dinner plans this for evening, Luke?’

‘No,’ He said unsurely.

‘Wonderful, do you like duck?’

‘Yes, he does.’ Tom smiled. ‘You don’t mind?’

‘I am cooking anyway, what’s a few more potatoes or a bit of extra vegetables. What I will do is get my stuff and the dogs out of the living room and you two go in there and that way you can talk more without the sound of me clanging pots and pans.’

‘Elle, thank you, Darling, but it is just dates and other such things.’ Tom dismissed. ‘Work away.’

She said no more and did as required to ready the meal. With only a short time to go before it was ready, Tom went to the bathroom for a moment. ‘You do not mind my being here, do you?’ Luke asked.

‘Not at all, you are more than his publicist, you are his friend.’ Danielle dismissed.

‘But you and I do not know too great a deal about one another.’

‘No, but surely the best way to rectify that is to actually spend time in one another’s company.’

‘That is again, true.’ Luke chuckled as she offered him a wine glass. ‘Red, please.’

‘You’re not driving, are you?’

‘No, Tom drove me here, I will get a taxi back.’

‘I am not going to drink, I can drop you if he decides to.’ Danielle smiled as she got a nice red wine and opened it for him.

‘You are an incredibly healthy mature person, do you know that?’ Luke stated out of the blue, causing Danielle to look at him with her brows raised. ‘I mean that in a good way, I swear. You trust and respect Tom’s space.’

‘He has never given me reason to not trust it. If he says he is going out and will be back soon, he is; if he says he needs space for whatever reason, usually work, he is never far away. He does not stay away overnight when “going out with friends”. He has never come home covered in lipstick and love bites, so I don’t care.’

‘Or perfume.’

‘No, he has come home with a smell of that on him, because people hug him with perfume on, that is just the nature of his work, it does not mean there is anything untoward going on.’

‘Do you know, there are women that all but stick to their partners at premiers and sets. It is fascinating to watch when it does not involve your clients.’

‘I would actually love to watch that.’ Danielle laughed. ‘But that is so incredibly unhealthy. That, I would imagine, does nothing but urge a wandering partner. Plus could you imagine being stuck in each other’s pockets all the time.’

‘Or making scenes at events.’

‘I couldn’t do it to you. You’ve suffered enough.’ Danielle smiled.

‘Thank you. At least you are considerate of my health.’ Luke grinned in return.

[ringlorn]

"Yeah, obviously not."

Over the years, he's gotten used to getting thrashed by this guy in combat, so Nezha's had plenty of time to sharpen his words instead. Maybe sometimes he stabbed a bit too hard...but his temper had to go somewhere.

"Real decent of you to get angry at me without context, I bet."

I was alone, Sun says and Nezha thinks, we were both abandoned. Banishment from Heaven didn't just mean cutting ties with a place, but its people as well. At least Sun had the luxury of amnesia. He spent years in that bracelet just watching with full knowledge of what was going on, and no way to stop it. It was the first time he'd tasted misery, whose bitter flavors still lingered unpleasantly on his tongue.

"Your head's not even on straight yet," he retorted. "Just eat your own cookies and be glad you still remember what they are, fuzzbutt."

You're still stupid.

That hits a nerve. Sunpuff wraps its tiny paws around Sun's leg and for a brief moment, Sun's body tenses at the contact. He doesn't move. The urge to walk right up to Nezha and punch him was simmering down. For now at least.

...

For now.

The more Nezha spoke though, the more he felt the anger building up inside of him.

"Fought for me, huh?" Sun scoffs. "I don't suppose you're looking for some kind of cookie." That's real funny. This guy is hilarious.

"Nobody fought for me. I was alone..." His words trails off. Wait...He hadn't been alone though, right? Tang Sanzhang had been there...Hadn't he? HE had been there. After their travel and they returned.

"And I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

[nme-flow]

Hello lovelies, . I try to show you my marigold and a fuzzbutt gets in the way. I'm not entirely happy with her. She woke me up in the middle of the night. She was trying to get at a skunk. She couldn't, but she scared it. And my bedroom had the loveliest odor for the rest of the night. Thankfully, the musk seems to have gone away. Let's hope there's no more adventures with nocturnal critters. I need my sleep! . Night all! . . . . . . . . P.s. I am american and nb and angry about recent legislation that impacts mine and a whole lot others health. Because we *need* that during a pandemic with mental health in the toilet. Choice words. Choice, censored words. . . . . . . #maine #cat #skunk #wildlifeencounters #lostsleep #catwokemeupearly #smell #smellssobad #marigold #nonbinary #america #lgbtqia #law #healthcare (at Bangor, Maine) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBbXTHoBYNO/?igshid=yknz33hdlevv

[bladeblooming]

Character Interview: Katla Amani

► Name ➔ "Katla Amani! Charmed, I’m sure~”

► Are you single ➔ “Oh, unfortunately! There’ve been some flings here and there, but I’m still looking for that special someone...”

► Are you happy ➔ After a pause that lasts just a fraction of a second too long: “Why wouldn’t I be?”

► Are you angry? ➔ "... Everyone’s angry at about something or other, aren’t they?”

► Are your parents still married ➔ “They, er, never were to begin with... Next question?”

NINE FACTS

► Birth Place ➔ “Rabanastre, Dalmasca.”

► Hair Color ➔ “Light brown.”

► Eye Color ➔ “Hazel.”

► Birthday ➔ “Thirteenth sun of the 6th astral moon.”

► Mood ➔ “I could use a nap. Or a drink. Both? Both.”

► Gender ➔ “Female”

► Summer or winter ➔ “Summer, easy. I can’t stand the cold!”

► Morning or afternoon ➔ “I mean, I can get up in the morning if I have to. But there’s just something so wonderfully decadent in sleeping past noon, don’t you agree?”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

► Are you in love ➔ “Last time I checked, no.”

► Do you believe in love at first sight ➔ “Not really, but it’s a wonderfully romantic idea, isn’t it?”

► Who ended your last relationship ➔ “... Next question, please?”

► Have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ “Ah... Several someones, I’m afraid...”

► Are you afraid of commitments ➔ “Er, well... maybe a little..?”

► Have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ “Probably.”

► Have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ “I’ve had a few, here and there!”

► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ “I... Yes. Several times. I’m working on it.”

SIX CHOICES

► Love or lust ➔ “Both? Both. Both is good.”

► Lemonade or iced tea ➔ "Lemonade.”

► Cats or Dogs ➔ “Both are wonderful, but I think I prefer cats. Quieter, more independent, and just as loving.”

► A few best friends or many regular friends ➔ “A few best friends is... preferable, but I won’t say no to a bunch of friendly acquaintances.”

► Wild night out or romantic night in ➔ “Depends on who I’m with. A wild night out is always fun when I’m alone or with some friends, but... Well, with the right person, a night in isn’t so bad...”

► Day or night ➔ “Night! More things to do!”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

► Been caught sneaking out ➔ “Sneaking out, sneaking in...”

► Fallen down/up the stairs ➔ "A couple times...”

► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ “Oh... Who hasn’t?”

► Wanted to disappear ➔ “Again, everyone wants that sometimes, right?”

FOUR PREFERENCES

► Smile or eyes ➔ “Oh, there’s something to be said for pretty eyes, but a nice smile can just light up someone’s whole face.”

► Shorter or Taller ➔ “Taller, not that that’s hard to achieve.”

► Intelligence or Attraction ➔ “Attraction. Smarts are nice, of course, but... Will I sound shallow if I say I care more about a pretty face? Oof, yeah, that sounds really shallow...”

► Hook-up or Relationship ➔ “Hook-ups are... better in the long run, I think. For me, at least. They’re a good time, and you’re not setting yourself up for disappointment.”

FAMILY

► Do you and your family get along ➔ “No.” And that’s the end of that answer, it seems.

► Would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ “It’s... pretty normal for Rabanastre, I think...”

► Have you ever ran away from home ➔ “Technically, I’m currently doing just that.”

► Have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ “... Yes. A couple times.”

FRIENDS

► Do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ “What? Is that a thing people do?”

► Do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ “I, ah, currently don’t have much in the way of any friends, to be honest...”

► Who is your best friend ➔ “Uh... Fuzzbutt, I guess?”

► Who knows everything about you ➔ “Nobody living.”

Tagged by: @hellsbovnd​

Tagging: @twin-moons-ffxiv​ @jholikesshinies​ whoever else wants to do this!

[birger-wuvs-elsa]

The Dragon’s Thorn

Because I’m having tooth issues, so dammit, he will too.

This is technically a few years ahead, by the way.

Birger had behaved oddly for several days now. He’d been holed up in his stable for most of the time, and rarely ever came out. When he did, his movements were stilted and he head never rose above his shoulders. His face had been an empty mask as well, and he never looked at anyone anymore. He wouldn’t even let anyone near him, save for his girls. Worse yet, Birger wasn’t speaking; not to Anna, not to the castle attendants...not even to Elsa. He, for whatever reason, had her blocked as well; he was truly not speaking to anyone.

This worrying situation went on for many days, until...

Elsa had taken a meal in her study, when a resounding knock came from the door. She frowned, and her utensils stilled in the air as she stared at the door. There shouldn’t be any reason for anyone to disturb her. It wasn’t Anna’s knock, Kai and Gerda had long since retired for the day, and the children should be in bed. But then, who could it–

Another set of knocks, but they spoke this time, “Your Majesty, it’s Alan.”

Elsa sighed in relief, and set her utensils down as she stood. She approached the door and opened it, and smiled gently to the young man before her. In the past few years, he’d grown into quite the handsome gentleman, and had proven his worth time and again. He’d long since become the Official Horse Master of Arendelle, and had performed admirably since. Alan, who chose the surname Stark for himself, even ended up earning Birger’s respect.

The past few days, he was the only person aside from Elsa and Anna that said dragon would let get close.

“Yes, Alan, what is it?”

Though Alan gave her a smile and a slight bow, the smile faded as he grew solemn. “Elsa, I asked for some help regarding your dragon’s matter.”

He paused for a moment, and Elsa instinctively held her breath, and waited for him to continue.

“It’s not as bad as we might’ve thought, thank goodness.”

Elsa let out her breath in a relieved sigh, and nodded. “That’s so good to hear. What is the issue, then? What’s wrong with him?”

Alan glanced over his shoulder, down the hall, before he looked back to her. “You’ll have to come and see, ma’am.”

Elsa frowned and hesitated. It was late in the night, not egregiously so, but still...decency had gone out the window. But as the blonde immediately turned away and looked for a cloak, she happily ignored decency. When her dragon’s health and happiness was at risk, she would ignore a great deal. Once she was more properly dressed, Elsa returned to Alan and followed him through the castle.

A scant few minutes of walking later, and the pair were in the courtyard and approached Birger’s stall. The large structure, nestled in a corner of the castle yard, was currently occupied; as it had been the past couple of weeks. The dragon lay curled, snout nestled between his paws, but was at least turned towards them. Mostly, he had his back to the outside, but blessedly not today. To Elsa’s surprise, Anna was knelt beside his large fluffy nose, and had her gloved hands in the fur.

As she and Alan walked up to her, Elsa now noticed the woman who stood to her sister’s right. The blonde had never met her before, but she knew this to be Astrid Dahl, a fairly well-respected veterinarian. The woman glanced up at them, her eyes widened as she noticed the queen’s arrival, and hurried to bow.

“Your Majesty, it’s an honor.”

Elsa waved a hand, but did give the woman a small smile. “It’s quite all right, Ms. Dahl, there’s no need for formalities after midnight.”

Astrid scratched the back of her head awkwardly as she stood straight, then covered a cough with a fist. “A-anyway, I suppose I should let you know what I’ve discovered.”

Elsa nodded, “Yes, please do.”

Astrid nodded, and slowly, so slowly, approached Birger’s snout. Birger kept his eyes downcast, as he always did these days, but his lips did quiver with the beginnings of a snarl. A slight rumble sounded from his chest, but before these signs of hostility could progress, Anna shushed him and ran her hands through his fur.

“Hush you, we’ve talked about this. You should’ve told us, fuzzbutt, so deal with the consequences and let Astrid help!”

Birger still didn’t look at anyone, nor move, but his lips stopped quivering and the growl quieted. Astrid continued her approach, but still moved carefully as she stopped just behind his right saber. The veterinarian reached out to his lip with her thickly mitted hands, and glanced up at his eye. He still wasn’t looking at her, but Elsa could both see and understand her hesitance; even the most experienced vet would be nervous to be so close to a dragon’s maw. The also blonde-haired woman took a deep breath, then reached out and gently pulled up Birger’s large lip to reveal his teeth.

Elsa immediately gasped, and her hands came up to cover her mouth. The tooth right behind his saber was cracked, and not only did it bleed, but the tissue and gum around it looked angry. There was at least one color that the queen saw that she knew shouldn’t be one found in any beast’s mouth. Elsa slowly approached, while Alan lingered behind for his respect of the dragon, and the queen stopped beside Astrid as she gaze despairingly at the ruined tooth.

Birger, why didn’t you tell me...?

He still didn’t move, his eyes still looked at nothing, but a subtle, keening whine sounded in the air.

...I...

Elsa gasped again, softer this time, as she looked up at his eye. Even as the rest of him hadn’t moved, he was looking at her now...

...I thought it would go away, given time. I thought it would heal...I didn’t want to scare you...

Elsa pursed her lips and shook her head.

You shouldn’t have left this to chance, Birger. You should’ve told me.

Astrid grunted as the lip she’d held up slipped out of her grip, as Birger clamped his mouth tight and the growl came back. The tone was different this time, less defensive, more...deprecating, almost. More angry, and as Elsa felt Anna’s hand on her shoulder, knew that her sister understood the tone as well. Birger was mad at himself, that was why he’d been so apart from everyone. Few things bothered him as much as his own mistakes did, despite the girls’ best attempts to reassure him about them.

I just...I thought it would go away...it’s gone away before...

Elsa sighed, then looked to Astrid, who’d taken a respectful step back. Though the woman hadn’t been around long, she’d long since learned that the Queen of Arendelle and her dragon had a special connection. Now that the conversation seemed over, and the queen was looking at her, Astrid cleared her throat.

“Yeah, um, so with help from the princess, I was able to discover that and it’s pretty clear what it is.” The longer she spoke, the more professional she became as she gestured towards where the tooth was hidden by the fuzzy lip. “Obviously, he cracked his tooth, but it’s been infected and he’s let it fester. I don’t know how long it’s been like this, but it’s definitely been like this for some time. Don’t know how long, but...yeah, no, it’s not bad but it’s not good. He’ll need treatment, now, and for a few days.”

Elsa nodded, and looked back up at Birger’s eye. He was still looking at her, and while there was no fear, there was absolutely shame. There was even the faintest glimmer to his eye, and Elsa’s heart cracked in her chest.

It’ll be all right, min kjæreste. I’ll be here for you, and Astrid is highly experienced and revered in your trade.

As she felt a wash of trust and love from her dragon, Elsa turned to Astrid and nodded.

“Let’s begin, then.”