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#that's the only way you can watch it full without a physical copy I believe
elffhuntr456 · 11 days
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The DC x DP Justice League problem
I've noticed a pattern when it comes to DC x DP crossovers where when the Justice League has to deal with anything involving the Danny phantom world They are out matched and outclassed in every way.
I know most people in the DC x DP fandoms haven't ever picked up a comic, or watched DC media that wasn't animated (or sometimes haven't even watched Danny phantom) in their lives but at some point it gets ridiculous how incompetent the regular JL is made when it comes to combating the supernatural. 
And as an all-things DC enjoyer this hurts me.
Like Superman, multiple times in the past has gone up against ghosts, ghosts like beings, and ghostly Abilities using his powers like for example:
Superman was able to freeze Ghost Soldier, who could turn intangible, using his freeze breath.
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He could Freeze Zatanna's astral form
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He was able to decimate the Phantom Stranger's physical AND metaphysical form.
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He used his freeze breath to freeze the essence/spirit of H'el in time.
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When the Fortress Of Solitude's security program projections were turned into ghosts, he could still blast them with his heat vision.
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He withstood being stabbed through his heart and soul with magic a sword.
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He tanked silver banshees scream (which affects the spirit) head on.
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His super vision can also look past someone's body and minde to examine their soul.
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When it comes to Wonder Woman her shield, blade, braces, lasso, tiara, and entire body are all blessed with the power of the literal gods there is no way she wouldn't be able to go straight up to a ghost and punch it intangibility or not.
Her lasso can even drag a soul out of someone's body if needed.
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Same goes for Captain Marvel and his lightning.
All of Hawkman and Hawkwoman's armor (the little of it they actually wear) and weapons are made out of nth metal, which is a metal in DC that affects supernatural beings just like ghost, zombies, vampire, Spirits, specters, shade's, werewolves, "the Lazarus demon" and reanimated corpses, just like any other creature no matter how strong.
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Batman and Green Arrow have an entire arsenal of made the stuff too just in case.
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In injustice both Green Arrow and Green Lantern have whole suits made out of it.
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And even if you don't count injustice, (which is understandable) Green lanterns can easily have their rings copy the atomic structure of any thing they need (like kryptonite for example) and since their suits are made from their rings, they would still have no problem making a suit (or really any weapon they need out of the stuff).
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Batman has a pair of gloves that John Constantine gave him specifically used to fight ghosts.
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And it's been stated that the Batcave has supernatural barriers and wards to stop ghosts and stuff from getting in. (so no just casual walking into the bat cave).
And when it comes to the whole "ghost king summoning" thing I get it it's a fun concept to play around with, but the JL and JL Dark have so many other options other than to summon what they usually believe to be an interdimensional eldritch being into their world.
like the phantom zone projector something that was able to work on Mister Mxyzptlk a full-blown reality warper from the 5th dimension.
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Or contacting the other supernatural experts that aren't just Constantine and Zatanna (which are usually the only contact for supernatural problems the JL has in most fic's for some reason).
Or batman just contacting the strongest supernatural being he knows, who without a doubt would come stop a major supernatural threat (as its usually depicted)
SPAWN. (The guys so op in supernatural power it's crazy)
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There are so many other options than summoning the ghost king.
And in a lot of fic's the supernatural members (or just any member that would could help in a given situation) are off world (for some reason?) so they can't be contacted.
That just doesn't make much sense when the JL has the technology of so many advanced civilizations and individual people (witch some are said to be among the smartest in the universe) at their disposal, they should be able to contact their people halfway across the universe.
All of this is to say that due to widespread ignorance of the world of Detective Comics and the capabilities of its hero's (and sometimes Danny Phantom) that most DC x DP situations, stories, and scenarios end up with the Justice League a collection of the earths greatest hero's, being completely and utterly helpless and incompetent against any problems coming from the world of Danny Phantom (or just the supernatural in general).
This is to no one's fault of course, believe me no one knows all of DC lore and all it's details in its entirety.
But being someone why knows a lot about DC and seeing how useless a lot of DC characters are portrayed in most situations when you know they really wouldn't be having that much of an issue handling it, creates a weird disconnect between the two fandoms where it always seems more like the Danny Phantom fandom with DC characters stapled to it.
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8turning · 1 year
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can u do a 8turn love language & how they would individually show their love for their s/o
thank you for this request, anon! ♡
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⌕ . . . 8turn — love languages !
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bf ! hyung line + jangshinz x gn ! reader ★ fluff ★ bullet-point ★ headcannon ★ warnings: minor food mentions (myungho, yoonsung, & kyungmin). the hcs get longer the more you go scroll (sorry). let me know if i missed anything!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀〈 REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED ! 〉
⁰⁰¹ : JAEYUN.
quality time. physical affection.
my brain turns to mush (/pos) whenever i think about jaeyun but i will do my best to not explode 💔
jaeyun absolutely adores just simply existing in the same space as you - often times you two stay in the same room without exchanging a single word because your work loads are too occupying.
jaeyun loves to be around you in those times, but he loves even more when there's no distractions. no work or group chats blowing up or emails to check off. simply just you and him in the seclusion of his room (after he's kicked minho out, of course).
you'd spend most of your time together watching films or shows, taking time out of your schedule to watch when either of you were able to visit the other.
more often than not, you'd end up falling asleep next to him (its okay, he fell asleep too).
half of his body would be thrown over yours once you woke up, his temple pressed to your chest as your fingers instinctively began to run through his hair. jaeyun lived for moments like these with you.
plus, you both falling sleep mid-way through the film only gave a better excuse for you to visit again - its a win-win for everyone! (except minho, who just wants to be in his room).
he'd like to be inside with you whenever possible - for both reasons of his job and for his own preference.
loves loves loves just lounging around i can not express that enough.
does everything in his power to make sure you are comfortable with him 100% of the time, even if that means having absolutely NO ONE in the dorms when you visit, drawing closed the blinds and making sure no one sees you together, he’ll do what he can.
jaeyun strikes me as the type to prefer your hands being held or have his bicep resting on your shoulder so he can rub his thumb along your nape soothingly.
the only word i can think to describe how he loves you is comfortable. everything’s about jaeyun is so comfortable.
⁰⁰² : MYUNGHO.
physical affection. acts of service.
with how often myungho can be seen being physically affectionate with his members, it's hard to believe he wouldn't be that way with his s/o!
if anything, he'd be even more affectionate towards you. whether its an arm around your neck, hand holding yours, or his chin on your shoulder when he hugs you from behind, he absolutely loves connecting with you in such a way.
one of his favorite ways to show his love is by playing with your hands. its such a simple act that can be done mindlessly, but to myungho, there's more thought in such an action.
he loves to intertwine your fingers with his just to undo them, taking one of your hands in both of his and tracing over your knuckles and nails, the tip of his index finger following the lines in your palm before closing your hand between his.
when you hold hands, he prefers to have his thumb on the outside of yours so he can swipe over your skin smoothly. if you were to copy that action on him, he'd be the happiest man ever.
on days where its a bit more taxing for you both or you are unable to see each other for a long period of time or maybe your schedules just don't line up, he'd do his best to make sure you know he's thinking of you.
things like: if you say you're hungry, he'll immediately open a delivery app and order your favorite take out for you, the full meal at your doorstep within the hour (he'd pay an extra fee if it meant it got to you quicker).
of course, you'd do the same for him when given the opportunity, and it makes him happy knowing you'd go the same lengths to help him that he would for you :]
⁰⁰³ : MINHO.
quality time. words of affirmation.
he's always so smiley :( you could be doing the most mundane things and he'd just stare lovingly at you. even once you've caught him, he doesn't say anything.
you're so mesmerizing to him without even realizing it. even if its just him scrolling on his phone across from you while you study, he loves every second of it. he loves being able to look up past his screen and see you so concentrated, not knowing he's even admiring you.
minho knows you'd likely turn your face away bashfully if you knew he was staring, so the fact he only had to move his eyes in this position is definitely a bonus.
even if you caught him staring, his eyes would be so full of love that you couldn't even be mad at him.
something he was a bit more shy to do was express his admiration to you verbally. . . but that's not the case when it comes to text messages or notes!!
you'd rarely have a morning without a message from him encouraging you for the day. messages during your time away were somewhat common as well (if he was able to find in between his own schedule to send them).
minho would never miss a chance to wish you a goodnight, telling you how proud he is of you for pushing through the day!
when he gets the chance to visit you, he'd leave notes for you on your desk or in your bag. under your pillow or stuck on your fridge or counter.
minho's secret time! he's unsure if you've ever found it, but he put all of his feelings onto a sticky-note (well, all the feelings that could fit on there) and put it in your phone case. if you ever did find it, you never brought it up.
minho felt what he said was a bit cheesy - too lovey-dovey, but its how he felt about you, so he doesn't regret it all too much. if his members ever knew what he wrote, he'd never hear the end of it.
the words he wrote were only meant for you, anyways :]
⁰⁰⁴ : YOONSUNG.
gift giving. quality time.
yoonsung ♡
if you've read any of my other headcannons with yoonsung, you'd know the yoonsung-matching-with-s/o conversation is one i speak on a lot!!
yoonsung thinks every moment he shares with you is precious - he likes to make memories with you even through the most mundane of tasks.
if you're cleaning together, he'd be sure to have music playing and sing throughout the entire ordeal (the mini concert you get is a reward for all of your work).
he'd also love to try new recipes with you! finding whatever either of you had lying around/left over and trying to make something delicious . . . it works out about half the time - but you both have fun nonetheless!
yoonsung (i've said it twice but here's a third time) loves the idea of making bracelets with his s/o :( he finds the elastic string with colorful beads the most fun - you get to make them for each other so you'll always have a piece of one another with you :")
he's usually slower than you too 😭 wanting to make sure everything is aligned nicely and that it isn't too loose or too tight on your wrist.
if you express you're not too fond of jewelry, he knows how to work with that, too. whether that's buy buying matching shirts or a pair of shoe laces or simply giving you a few of his favorite sweaters, he'll find a way for you to have part of him with you wherever you go.
he loves spending time with you and it doesn't matter too much to him what you do together. if you wanna go see a movie or have a meal outside, he's down! or if you want to take a rest day with your boyfriend and stay indoors, he is more than happy to oblige.
if you're into keeping up with shows, he's gonna be there to watch them with you whether you're together or miles away! it's always nicer to have someone to talk about them with and its even better when they show the same amount of interest and enthusiasm as you do.
thinks little displays of affection can be just as powerful as the bigger ones, and with both of your busy schedules, he does whatever he can to make sure you know how much he appreciates you :]
⁰⁰⁵ : HAEMIN.
quality time. physical affection.
unlike myungho, haemin is much more reserved with his physical affection. he's not a huge fan of pda and typically gets shy when he tries to initiate it.
but his lack of initiation does not mean he doesn't enjoy it! he prefers to keep that kind of affection in the privacy of the dorm (and its not like he can show it outside of the dorm at this point in his career anyways).
but on the rare occasions you're both able to meet outside the dorm - hoods pulled over your heads and masks on your face - he becomes a bit more bold.
reaching for your hand across the table at whatever shop you decided to meet at and interlocking your fingers. joining your arms together as you walk down the sidewalk, enjoying the day together. he lives for the quieter displays of affection.
not because he isn't proud to be with you - he feels the happiest he's ever felt at this point in his life. but he understand with his occupation it gets a bit tough, and the last thing he wants is to jeopardize your safety. so for now, you'll remain behind the scenes for just a little while longer.
spending time together is a difficult task to plan, but you make do with the time you do get and spend it in the best way you can.
because of haemin's reserved nature, he enjoys being indoors with you a lot. catching up on shows or watching a movie is simple but one of his favorites - it allows him to relax and escape from his hectic schedule for a while, and that all becomes even better when he gets to do that with you!
maybe you have to study for an exam or tackle some project for work, even if he has absolutely no idea how to help you, he'll be by your side (or in the next room if you request for him to) making sure you don't push yourself too much and that you take a break once you need it.
he shows his love and admiration in the softer ways - ways he's reserved only for you to see and for you to receive.
⁰⁰⁶ : KYUNGMIN.
acts of service. words of affirmation.
kyungmin, similar to haemin, enjoys displaying his love for his s/o in more subtle ways. placing his hand on the corner of the table if you dropped something, putting the straw to your drink in first before his own, or making sure you have enough charge on your phone before you go anywhere are just to name a few things.
he never wastes an opportunity to tell you how much he appreciates you as his s/o.
kyungmin strikes me as the type to Not Care about about his idol image when it comes to being in a relationship LOL
if one day you're out and someone recognizes him, he'd do his best to make sure your face is covered from whatever cameras might have sprung up.
at the very least, he wants to make sure you're safe. pulling your jacket collar over your face, taking off his hat and putting it on you, rushing to use a mask or simply pulling you to his chest and making you walk backwards . . . he's ready to go to whatever lengths to protect your identity.
his career would never stop him from bringing you around - he's not too fond of the idea of keeping everything private all the time, but that's not to say he isn't cautious when and where he needs to be.
for the times when your schedules just don't line up the best, he will never go a night without talking with you.
whether that's accidentally falling asleep on call with one another, a simple goodnight text to let you know he's drifting off while thinking of you, or something in between, he makes sure you know you're on his mind.
most days he wakes up earlier than you, so that means almost every morning without fail, you'll wake up to messages from kyungmin.
anything ranging from what he's eating for breakfast to how much he misses you to what his schedule is for the day. . . if he doesn't talk to you he feels this unwavering weight on his shoulders from guilt.
always wishes you a good morning :( sometimes popping in a cheesy "hope you dreamt of me ♡" before he has to shut his phone off for some hours.
he can easily tell when you're stressing out and when a burn-out is creeping up. he's the first to tell you to take a break and regain your energy slowly rather than force work out of you.
while at the time you may feel like you need to cram, you know listening to his advice will always prove to be more fruitful. which results in many praises. "i love you, and i love how ambitious you are, but taking care of yourself comes first, okay?"
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© 8turning 2023.
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yunoteru4ever · 2 years
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So I found a neat website that has interesting promotion videos of the panchinko machine and...? I'm not sure what the second one is. Another panchinko machine? Or perhaps just another promotional video for the same one?
The first one interests me because there's art of the characters I haven't seen before? (Unless I haven't gone digging enough) Some of them just use the art from the reference sheets, but about half of them have (what I believe to be) new art. Also a few different voicelines? (I don't know, I don't think I've heard Takao say that before zjdbdj might be tripping.)
And there's also this promotional video on the same site that has a trailer of Mirai Nikki but with different framing. I also bring this up because it looks so... Different. It's merely a matter of where they changed the camera to be, yet, these shots of the trailer just give a whole different feeling. Maybe discomfort because I know those scenes well and it's just... Odd to see them differently?
Maybe you've all seen these, but hey, if I put this here maybe others will see them too.
It's been a couple of years since I've looked at those first two. I never actually listened to the audio on the first video before... damn, that announcer sounds so dramatic when he says "PACHINKO... MIRAI NIKKI" at the end. :P Andor the record, the second video is a promo reel for the pachislot game — the one WITHOUT any physical elements where a ball drops and is knocked around by plastic versions of the characters, etc. That full-fledged pachinko edition with plastic Murmur and bumpers shaped like Twelfth's head and whatnot came along a couple of years later.
Now, the THIRD video you posted? I've legitimately never seen that before, somehow. That strange music, the complete lack of any logic, the fact that it ONLY showcases images from the first two episodes... I really wonder what the hell this was made for! Maybe it was a VERY early trailer?? People in the comments seem to be talking as though the video predates the very first episode airing, so that might be right. But that music and the fade-in/fade-out presentational style of the random scenes makes for something really tonally bizarre.
Anyway.
For anyone reading all of this who is unaware, one thing that's always excited/fascinated me about the pachislot and pachinko machines is that they both contain unique animation sequences made by Asread AND new performances by the anime voice actors. (For example: Here's a fun bit of business where you can watch completely botch his attack on Minene in the second episode and get totally laid out by her, lol.) Oh, and obviously there's lots of new key art/promo art, but that's pretty well-established by now. I wish there was some way to extract all the video and artwork from the device to obtain clean copies... alas.
@sermeno14 made a really good breakdown of the pachinko machine and what we know about it in this post from roughly a year ago. In fact, they're the one who posted the link to that Episode 2 alternate ending originally. There's loads of good info in that post!
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vintagecoochie · 2 years
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The Ultimate Guide to Femininity ✨
I know there are some girls who would love to tap into their hyper-feminine side, but just don’t know quite where to start. Well this guide is here to help. I’ll be telling you all you need to know about tapping into that ultra feminine woman buried deep within you. Now this guide isn’t to help you mold a new copy and paste personality, that’s something that can only be achieved through self exploration and acceptance. It is however a fun guide to help you become more well versed in fashion, self-care, confidence, and femininity. Especially culturally. Starting with your history, or as Rupaul would say, your herstory .
Movies and Shows
Chick flicks are essential to this journey. As you find yourself indulging in more girly things, it’s important to digest media that will stimulate your girly impulses.
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Mean Girls and Clueless are cult classic chick flicks that, in my opinion, every girl must see. Both have amazing themes about being yourself without having to conform to a clique or other peoples social standards. Then you have Legally Blonde and the Devil Wears Prada (TDWP). Elle Woods and Miranda Priestly are icons. What I love about them is that they dominate their careers and never feel the need to tone down their femininity to be taken seriously. Along with tons of other chick flicks, these four are essential!
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Although Gossip Girl isn’t the best show in the world, I truly admire it for two things, and that’s the cinematography and fashion. Gossip Girl is visually stunning with impeccable costume design. You just feel rich watching it, and I feel like it’s a show that could definitely boost confidence. Sex and the City and Girlfriends are two great shows about camaraderie and successful women, I definitely think these shows could be helpful in navigating female friendships. And lastly Gilmore Girls, is a really endearing comfort show with tons of laughs and relatable characters. If you have a “girl” issue, whether it’s a breakup, and hater in class, or a fight with your mom, Gilmore Girls most likely has an episode for it.
Fashion
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Fashion is whatever you want it to be. I hate that some people equate being fashionable or feminine to always wearing pink, or heels, or dresses, and etc. Obviously I’m a huge enthusiast for all things pink, but I also love sneakers, sweatpants, and baggy jeans. However I will say that some of my good sistas really need help when it comes to silhouettes and styling. I’ve learned a lot about fashion from watching archived runway shows on YouTube and subscribing to magazine blog sites like InStyle and Elle. Simply researching runway shows for brands you like gives you a whole different sense of what clothes can do for you.
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Four of my favorite fashion YouTubers to watch are Modern Gurlz, Black Femininity TV, Haute LeMode, and Mina Le. I believe without a doubt that watching at least one of these influencers will help you become more stylish.
Dieting and Health
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I’m no dietitian so I wont try to lay out a meal plan seeing as everyone’s body and habits are different. However I will give tips on little things to improve your diet. Starting with a tip I picked up from “She is So Bougie”, wake up and go to sleep earlier. Depending on your job and schedule the amount of sleep you get can fluctuate and I get that, but when you can, try to go to sleep no later than 10:00p.m and wake up no later than 7:00a.m.There’s just so much more you can accomplish when you wake up earlier, and going to sleep earlier will ensure that you get a full night of beauty sleep. Also try to incorporate some type of physical activity into your day, it could be something as simple as yoga and stretching, to jogging and going to the gym. Lastly I’d say incorporate more water and fruit into your diet. The way your skin glows when you ditch grease and sugar is heavenly.
Self Care and Discovery
This last part is a fairly simple concept, but it’s one that people tend to struggle with the most. BE YOURSELF. Always move with yourself in mind first, never move for other people. Obsessing over the worlds perception/acceptance of you will be you’re downfall. You should never seek approval from others in anything that you do, achieve that summer body because YOU want it, buy that expensive purse because YOU like it, once you fall in love with yourself the world is yours💕✨.
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watchmegetobsessed · 4 years
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Hey Angel - Harry Styles
a/n: since i had so much time on my hand at work lately (not anymore unfortunately) i used it wisely and cooked up this PA themed fic bc i absolutely love this trope. it’s lengthy and kinda emotional? kinda, lol. hope you’ll like it and as always, feedback is much appreciated!!
warning: sexual content
word count: 11.5k
masterlist
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Harry likes to pretend he is tall enough to comfortably rest his chin on the top of your head when he stands behind you, but that’s not true. He has to push himself a little to his tippy toes and push you down at the same time to fit his chin above you, his arms weighing down on your shoulders. You stopped arguing him that you need to push your hips forward when he does this so you don’t carry his whole weight.
“Tha’s rude, you do not have to do tha’!” he defended himself every time you brought up, so you just stopped.
Now as you watch the game of air hockey unfold in front of you, a half empty pint in your hand, you don’t even budge when you feel a chiseled chin resting on the top of your head, you push your hips forward without a second thought to shorten your height. You catch a glimpse of a tattooed forearm on your shoulder, Harry’s chest presses against your back gently.
He doesn’t stay in this position too long, it’s making it hard to drink so soon enough, he wraps his left arm around your shoulders, coming to stand next to you, sipping on his tequila on the rocks.
“Hey you,” you smile at him as he gives you a side look, a boyish smirk tugging on his pink lips. “Everything alright?”
“Everything is fine.”
“You need something? How much have you had to drink?” you ask furrowing your eyebrows, looking down at his glass that was certainly full when you last saw him about ten minutes ago.
“Shush, stop pretending like you’re working,” he waves at your face, his words melting together, definitely thanks to the alcohol he has consumed tonight.
“I know I’m not working, I’m just tryna’ be your friend and look out for you.” Bringing your own drink up to your lips, you give him a look, but he just smirks at you playfully.
“Uh-huh, whatever. Don’t worry about me.”
“I always worry about you, H,” you sigh dramatically and it makes him laugh with his head falling back.
“Is this the part where you tell me I’m some spoiled brat celebrity you ‘ave to babysit for your living? And that I always do ridiculous shit so you ‘ave to keep an eye on me at all times?”
You can’t push your smile down at how far this statement is from reality. You just like to tease him about being a typical, asshole rockstar when he is literally your favorite person in the world without a doubt.
“Oh Angel, you can’t fool me,” he cackles, squeezing you to his side before taking another sip from his drink.
“Wouldn’t even try to,” you mumble with an amused smile. “Havin’ fun, birthday boy?” you ask, leaning into his side. You would never admit, but you love how touchy Harry can get sometimes, not really caring about physical boundaries, especially when he drinks. The hugs, the squeezes, the touches, they always make your heart flutter even after knowing him for years.
“I’m havin’ a blast. What about you?”
“What about me? It’s not my birthday,” you chuckle shortly.
“So what? I can’t make sure you’re enjoying your night?” he frowns at you dramatically that just makes you laugh.
“I’m having a great night. It’s just that my boss keeps coming after me even though I’m supposed to be off the clock.”
You peek up at him to see the grin on his face at your teasing. The dynamic between the two of you has been like this since day one. The constant bickering and teasing is what really brought the two of you close, you are so similar, it’s like you can see a male version of yourself when you look at him.
“Tell the dude to fuck off,” he mumbles into his drink and you bump your hip against him, but he just holds you tight to his side as an answer.
Soon enough, Harry joins the game and you watch him play from the side, obviously cheering on his opponent to annoy him, earning some pretty dirty looks from him whenever they score against him and you let out a “woho!” in victory.
“Y’know, it’s not too nice to cheer against the birthday boy, is it?” he calls you out when the table is taken by someone else and he joins you at the side again.
“Am I not allowed to choose who I want to cheer to?” you ask with a faked puzzled look and he presses his lips into a thin line, glaring down at you intently.
“Don’t test me, Angel,” he grumbles into your ear before walking off to join his friends who came out to celebrate with him today.
It’s a pretty lowkey celebration, since he is still in the middle of filming Don’t Worry Darling, so he couldn’t really travel far from the set, but some of his dearest friends were able to come here and celebrate with him and his cast members.
You stand at the bar and your eyes find him every time you scan the place, not able to keep your gaze away from him for too long, he just demands the attention. Or at least yours.
You’ve never met anyone like him. When you got the chance to be his personal assistant four years ago at the very beginning of his solo career, you never thought how he’ll move right into your heart and never leave it. Whether you look at him as your boss or your friend, you can’t deny that he changed your life and you’ve learned so much from him, you can only hope he thinks of you somewhat the same. However you always tell yourself: what could you possibly give for The Harry Styles? He has everything in the whole wide world.
Harry catches you staring and he arches a brow at you, abandoning the conversation he has been in for the past minutes, mouthing you “what’s up, Angel”, his accent thick even without hearing his voice.
He’s been calling you Angel for longer than you can remember. When you asked him why the nickname, he said it’s because One Direction’s song Hey Angel was written about you. It was a fat lie, you haven’t met him when the song was written, but his words still tightened your chest, playing with the thought of Harry writing a song about you.
As cheesy and cliché as it is, you fell for him faster than you’d like to admit. You tried to fight it for a while, convince yourself it’s just a silly crush, but you soon had to realize you outgrew that after the first few weeks working with him. How could you not fall for him? He is everything any woman could wish for and he has you wrapped around his fingers, just like he has half the female population, probably.
You shake your head in his way, not sure how to tell him you just got lost in your thoughts about him. In fact, he occupies your mind pretty much all the time, but he doesn’t have to know about that.
He excuses himself from the table and walks up to you, a slow breath leaving your nose as you watch him approach you.
“Tired?” he asks, stopping in front of you, placing his empty glass to the counter.
“Kinda,” you nod.
“Want to head home soon?”
“Don’t worry about me. I can just call a taxi and go home, you don’t have to come.”
“Don’t be silly, we go to the same place, obviously we’re gonna go home together.”
Since filming has started, Harry and you’ve been sharing a nice apartment near the set. It was his idea to rent a place for the two of you, rather than to stay at a hotel. At first you didn’t think it would be a good idea, but of course, he convinced you to live with him for the months while the movie is being filmed. So now you basically live with Harry, share pretty much all your living space with him, except your bedroom.
“But it’s your birthday, stay as long as you want,” you tell him, not wanting to snatch him away from his friends on his big day.
“We’re filming in the afternoon tomorrow, can’t drag the night too long either way,” he shrugs, trying to make you believe it’s really nothing.
No matter how badly you try to convince him to stay, he doesn’t bulge and starts saying goodbye within an hour, calling the two of you a car to take you home. He is clearly tipsy, but not drunk. Once you’re in the car, Harry’s hand finds yours and he pulls you closer in the backseat until your thighs are pressed together. He curls an arm around your shoulders, holding you tight to his side, sinking down in the seat. You let your head rest on his shoulder, enjoying the closeness of his body, pressing down any worrying thought that usually makes its way to your mind every time Harry gets a little cozier than the usual.
The rational side of your brain knows you should be keeping some distance from him for the sake of your own sanity and emotional health, but you just can’t. Denying these little moments from yourself would be like pure torture and your heart can’t take that for sure.
“What are you thinkin’ about?” he murmurs, his nose nuzzling into your hair and you just shrug your shoulders.
“Nothing,” you mumble your lie.
“Liar, I can hear the gears turning in that pretty head of yours,” he grins down at you as your eyes lock for a moment. Thank God for the darkness in the car, because you can feel your cheeks heating up. The last thing you need is for Harry to see how nervous he can make you feel with just a simple compliment.
“Stop being nosy, you don’t have to know everything all the time.” You poke his side with your elbow, it makes him jump a little before he snuggles back to your side.
“That’s not true, you know I’m entitled to hold every knowledge in the world.” He tries to hide his smirk, but he fails miserably and you just laugh at him with your head falling back to his shoulder.
“Harry Styles, you are something else,” you sigh shaking your head at him.
Arriving home Harry keeps an arm around you as you walk up to the front door, fishing your keys out of your bag since you’d bet Harry didn’t bring his. There’s a chance he hasn’t even used his copy since you’ve been here, he knows you always have yours and you haven’t really left without each other so far, always staying around the other.
“Want to shower first?” he hums, walking inside, his arm leaving your shoulders and though you feel lighter without the extra weight, you wish it was still there.
“Go for it, I’m gonna clean up the mess I made when I got ready earlier,” you tell him, heading into your bedroom where the floor is littered with half your wardrobe from earlier, when you were trying to figure out what to wear for the little outing.
Harry disappears in the shared bathroom and a moment later you hear the water running. You go around your room, picking up the dresses you voted against, placing them back into the wardrobe and then you put away your makeup you left on your bed in your hurry.
“Bathroom is yours!” Harry calls out just when you finish, you hear his bedroom door open and close so you grab a clean oversized t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts before occupying the bathroom.
The warm shower feels nice, it’s been a long day since you started on set, Harry had a few scenes to film before you could leave in the afternoon. You wash away the day, scrub your makeup off and then take off the rest with your wipes once you’re out. You brush your hair and use some lotion for your dry skin before getting dressed and leaving the steamy bathroom.
Padding down the short hallway you hear nothing coming from Harry’s bedroom and you wonder if he’s already asleep, but once you step inside your room you see that he is cozied up on your bed, your covers pulled up to his naked chest, a pillow tucked under his head as he scrolls through his phone so shamelessly, as if it was his own room.
“Did you take the wrong turn in the hallway?” you ask with an arched eyebrow as you throw your dirty clothes to your temporary hamper, which is basically your emptied out suitcase.
“Nope,” he grins smugly, you have to roll your eyes at him. He locks his phone, dropping it to the side table, watching you move around, getting ready for bed and his eyes on your figure feel like they’re burning down on your skin.
“You know, it’s rude to stare,” you comment not even looking at him, but you just know he is still staring at you. Grabbing a hairtie from the little dresses in the corner of your room you reach back to loosely braid your hair, but his voice stops you.
“Wait,” he pleads and you furrow your eyebrows at him. “Can I do it?”
You give him a confused look as he pushes himself up into a sitting position, his green eyes are glimmering from the tiredness and the alcohol he has consumed tonight.
“You want to braid my hair?”
“Yeah,” he nods. You hesitate for a moment but join him on the bed at last, turning your back against him, giving him full control over your hair.
A shiver runs down your spine when you feel his fingers raking through your strands. He is so gentle and careful as you feel him section your hair off to three parts.
“Didn’t know you can braid,” you tell him, eyes fixated on the sheets in front of you.
“Gemma taught me, but I’m not the best at it.”
“So I’ll look atrocious?” you tease him smiling to yourself. He pokes the back of your neck with his fingers before continuing his work.
“You could never look atrocious, even if you tried.”
“And you are such a flirt,” you sigh. Over the years you’ve gotten used to his flirty act, it’s just who he is and though in the beginning your breath always got caught in your throat when he said something cheesy, now you just brush it off, only thinking about his words when you are alone in the night, struggling to fall asleep because you’re once again, thinking about him.
“M’telling the truth. Have I told you how beautiful you looked tonight?”
“Mmm,” you hum. He has told you that you looked pretty when the two of you left and he saw you walk out of your room in your black skinny jeans and flowy sheer top on, your hair loosely curled, but you didn’t really know what to say, so you just smiled at him and it’s the same now. You’re not the best at taking compliments.
“You really did. You always are.”
“And once again, you are such a flirt.”
“Complimenting a pretty woman is being a flirt?” he asks pretending to be offended as he carefully works on your hair and you wish you could see his focused face as he is trying to keep track of the sections between his fingers. At a lack of a witty comeback, you just shrug your shoulders, fumbling with your fingers on your lap.
You both fall silent as he concentrates on your hair and you manage to stop thinking, just focus on how his fingers keep brushing against your back every time he crosses two sections over each other.
“Hairtie, please,” he asks, his hand appearing next to you with his palm upwards. You place it in his hand and he finishes up his masterpiece. “There, it didn’t turn out as bad as I thought,” he comments once he is done. Reaching back you run your fingers over the braid and it feels good, he did a great job.
“Thanks,” you smile at him shyly, turning around. He leans back, making himself comfortable once again and you arch an eyebrow at him. “Need me to walk you back to your room, sir?”
“No, I’m perfectly fine here,” he grins smugly, tugging his arm behind his head as he takes up the right side of the bed.
“You’re planning to sleep here?”
“Please, don’t make me sleep alone on my birthday!” he pouts, giving you those damned puppy eyes. How could you ever say no to him?
“You better not push me off the bed in your sleep,” you mumble before getting under the covers.
You turn off the bedside lamp and the two of you start moving around, finding a comfortable pose to sleep in and you end up facing each other on your sides, Harry’s face squished into the pillow as his eyes are roaming over the hand you have laid between your faces.
His fingers start to inch towards yours until he hooks his pinky with yours, the touch sending a warm feeling down your spine.
“I hate sleeping alone,” he mumbles into the semi-darkness.
“Why?”
“Don’t you like it when there’s someone next to you? When you wake up and you’re not alone?”
“I like it, but I don’t hate sleeping alone either,” you tell him as your eyes fall to your linked pinky fingers. “Why do you hate it? You have the bed all to yourself, and there’s no chance of waking up to someone snoring or talking in their sleep.”
He huffs out a laugh as he buries his head deeper into the pillow.
“It makes me feel lonely. Which is ridiculous, because I’m never alone.”
“But lonely and alone are not the same, so it’s not ridiculous. You can feel lonely when you’re not alone.”
“I know,” he nods, his eyes watching your linked fingers intently, before he moves his hand so it’s now covering yours, his warm palm wrapping around your much smaller hand. “I’m never lonely with you, though.”
“So… you are only lonely when you’re sleeping or in the bathroom, because we basically spend every moment of the day together.” You smirk at him and see his dimple form in his cheek as he smiles at you nodding.
“That’s right. We are like glued together.”
“How aren’t we sick of each other already?”
“That’s never gonna happen.”
“You sure about that?” You raise your eyebrows at him with an amused smile, he is too sure about that answer.
“One hundred percent. You’re my favorite person.”
“Is that what you tell everyone?”
He gives you a look, but you just chuckle, sinking further into your pillow. His fingers start playing with your hand as he draws a deep breath.
“I only tell this to m’ mum and Gemma. No one else.”
Your heart starts racing at the thought of him seeing you on the same level as his closest family. You know how much his mum and sister mean to him, but you never thought you are anywhere near them in his eyes.
“You’re my favorite person too,” you whisper as your eyes meet over your joined hands. He smiles at you warmly, his floppy curls falling into his forehead and you want to run your fingers through them, feel how soft they are under your touch. Harry scoots closer, your faces only a few inches away from each other as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
For a moment you just watch him, thinking how good it feels to have him in your bed. How amazing it is to end the day with him so close to you. You wish all days would end like this, you wouldn’t have another bad day with him next to you.
Lying there and watching him slowly fall asleep, his hand still on yours, the bitter thought eats itself into your mind that he is only here because he feels lonely and wanted to be close to someone, not you particularly. And though you’re glad it’s you he ended up next to, you try not to get too accustomed to the feeling, because you’re just a temporary fix to his loneliness.
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The door to Harry’s trailer opens and he walks in wearing his blue dress pants and crispy white dress shirt, fumbling with the top buttons to undo them. You glance up at him from your laptop where you’ve been working on his schedule for the upcoming weeks while he was filming.
“Hey, how did it go?” you ask as he places his water bottle to the vanity and then sits in the chair he spends his mornings in while his hair is being styled and tattoos are covered.
“Good. Messed up only a few times. Whacha’ working on?”
“Just your schedule, I’ll email it to you when I’m done, though you never check it.”
“Hey, I do check it! I like your color coding. I just suck at using it and you’re always here to remind me of the important stuff.”
You roll your eyes, continuing to type away on your keyboard as he moves around, having a snack and texting back people.
“Florence is coming over for a little after we’re done. We can order something,” he speaks up grabbing your attention again.
“Cool,” you nod with a small smile. “Is she staying the night?”
“No, we just thought it would be nice to hang out a little without dressed like this,” he chuckles looking down at himself.
“What’s wrong with Jack’s clothes? You look neat.”
“Do I?” he cocks an eyebrow cheekily, placing his hands to his hips as he looks down at you.
“Yeah. It’s a nice change after all the grandpa clothes,” you tease him and he gasps pretending to be offended at your words, though you both know you have nothing against his style. In fact, you love how he just wears whatever he wants, not caring what others would think.
“Watch your mouth or you can’t wear my bode jacket again,” he warns you holding up his pointing finger, shaking it at you, but you just chuckle at him, finishing up what you’ve been working on before shutting the laptop down.
“How long until you’re done?”
“Just a few more scenes. I think we can leave in about two hours.”
“Alright.”
“You done working?”
“Mhm, for now.”
“Come and watch the filming. You’re always so hidden in here.”
“Because I always have work to do,” you point out, putting the laptop to the side from your lap.
“Yeah, but you’re done now, so come out and watch me be the next Leonardo DiCaprio,” he smugly tells you, and it makes you roll your eyes at him.
“You’re so humble, H. Is something that comes with the age?” you tease him standing up from the small sofa, grabbing your phone from the table.
“You’ll find out in a year,” he smirks back as you follow him out of the trailer, back to the set.
Later that day you, Florence and Harry are chilling back at your apartment, munching on the pizza you ordered, watching some documentary on Netflix, just enjoying a lazy evening. You’ve become quite close with Florence, her personality is a lot like yours so you got along well from the beginning, the three of you often do things together outside of set.
You and Harry are sharing the couch while Florence is curled up on the loveseat. The temperature at the apartment is always nice, but you often catch yourself feeling a little cold in the evening, but it has more to do with the tiredness rather than with the heating of the place. When you pull your legs underneath you to warm your feet, Harry notices the action and knows right away that you’re starting to feel cold as always. Reaching down he grabs a blanket from the basket next to the couch and he wraps an arm around you, pulling you closer to him.
“Come ‘ere,” he mumbles, draping the blanket over the two of you. You shuffle closer to him, making yourself comfortable at his side as he makes sure you’re fully tugged in. Then he leaves an arm around you, his fingers gently grazing your shoulder as he turns his attention back at the movie.
Glancing over at Florence you see the puzzled look on her, but you ignore it biting into your bottom lip, turning back to watch the movie though you’re having a hard time focusing. All you can think about is Harry’s touch on you.
It’s almost midnight when Florence calls herself a taxi. Harry picks up the glasses you used and volunteers to wash them, leaving you and Florence alone in the living room.
“So, what’s up with you and Harry?” she questions right away without beating around the bush.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you two has always been close, but now… it seems all too… couple-like.” She narrows her eyes at you, hands on her hips, looking like a mother questioning her daughter.
“Don’t be silly.”
“I’m not,” she scoffs. Then you pretend to be busy with folding the blanket, but you can feel her intent stare on you before she speaks up again. “You like him, don’t you?”
“What?” you huff with a not too Oscar-worthy expression on your face that was supposed to hide the panic in you. “Well of course I like him, he is my friend and boss.”
“But not just like that. You like like him.”
“Florence,” you sigh, just when Harry walks out of the kitchen, oblivious to the conversation that he just interrupted.
“You sure you don’t want to spend the night?” he politely asks her, but she just shakes her head.
“I’m not really up for spending the night on the couch.”
“You wouldn’t have to, you can sleep in my bed,” he simply offers and something is telling you he shouldn’t open his mouth again.
“You’re not taking the couch because of me.”
“I wouldn’t, I usually sleep at Y/N’s,” he states as if it was nothing, but you instantly freeze.
Yes, ever since his birthday he has spent way more nights in your bed than in his own, always raving to you how well he can sleep when you’re next to him and you couldn’t bear the thought of him feeling lonely, so you’ve been letting him occupy half of your bed through the nights. He usually holds your hand falling asleep and then you wake up tangled together, sometimes he is cuddling you from behind, other times you’re the one curled up to his side. He treats it so casually, like it really is nothing, he just always goes on his day when you wake up so you decided to not make it into a big deal either.
Florence gives you a wide eyed look that you try hard to ignore, while Harry is so oblivious to what he just caused with his statement.
“I uhh—thanks but I’m fine going home. Besides, I think my car is already here. See you guys on set tomorrow. Y/N?” she calls out walking towards the front door.
“Hm?”
“We’ll talk later,” she tells you and it’s a strong message that she won’t just leave it at that.
“Uh, yeah, sure,” you nod awkwardly, waving her goodbye.
You and Harry clean up together and as always, he is the first one to use the bathroom and by the time you’re done, he is in your bed, waiting for you to join him. You don’t comment on his presence anymore, part of you afraid he would stop spending the night in your bed and you definitely don’t want that. Not much is left from filming, meaning that soon you are forced to go home where you and Harry do not live at the same place so you’re gonna have to sleep alone, like you did before. Only now you are way too hooked on the feeling of having him in your bed, even if it’s not in the way you truly want, it’s better than nothing.
The moment you get under the sheets, Harry reaches out and pulls you to his side. He hasn’t done this often when you went to sleep, only sneaking some small touches, but you don’t mind him being a little extra clingy.
“Filming is almost over,” you mumble into his chest, your hand lazily resting where his ribcage ends in his chest.
“Mhm.” There’s a short silence before he speaks up again. “What about it, Angel?”
“It’s just that it’s going to be weird going home. I got used to living here.” It’s your way saying that you’re gonna miss having him around all the time, but you’re not sure if he understands the hint. It doesn’t really matter anyway.
“You like cramped together with me?” he chuckles lowly.
“Was kinda nice,” you smile.
“Remember how you threatened me to throw my shit out if I leave my dirty clothes on the floor?”
“I do,” you smirk, thinking back to the conversation where you agreed to live with him while he is filming. “Didn’t find any clothes on the floor, so you get an A for that.”
“Wow, was this… a compliment?”
“Shut up, I always compliment you!” you laugh smacking his chest gently.
“Oh, no. You don’t compliment, you just tell me when I managed not to fuck something up,” he corrects you and your cheeks are heating up about how well he knows you.
“Those are compliments in my book, don’t be greedy.”
“M’not. I love how grounded you keep me with treating me like this.”
“Like what?” you ask furrowing your eyebrows.
“Like a normal person. With you, I don’t have to be afraid that I earn something because of who I am. You give no shit about my name, you always keep me in check and I appreciate that.”
“Can’t let you have a too big of a head,” you smirk, closing your eyes. He laughs with you, squeezing you a little before you both fall into silence, drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms.
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You’ve managed to avoid Florence in the past few days. Her burning look has been making you way too nervous, you know she wants to know more about what’s going on between you and Harry, but truth to be told, you have no idea what to tell her.
Yeah, I’m definitely in love with him and we’ve been sharing a bed for a few weeks because he feels lonely alone at night, so he uses me to ease the feeling while I just let him because as I said, I’m in love with the man.
No, you can’t tell her that.
Now there’s only two days left from filming, meaning that only two more nights to spend with Harry and it’s making you a nervous wreck to think about sleeping alone in your bedroom.
You round the corner in the maze of the trailers after a phone call you had with Jeff when you run out of luck and bump right into Florence.
“I’ve been looking for you, Y/N. Come have lunch with me in my trailer,” she smiles sweetly, grabbing you by your hand so you can’t escape her this time.
“Oh I wanted to call—“
“Do it later,” she simply cuts you off.
Soon, you find yourself in her trailer as she eats her burger while she eyes you with suspicion.
“So, you and Harry sleep together?”
“Well, not like that. We really just sleep in the same bed.”
“Oh, makes perfect sense, sleeping in the same bed as your boss. Very casual.”
“Don’t make it sound so weird,” you frown at her words. You definitely don’t see Harry as your boss. You do work for him, but it never felt like he stands anywhere above you, the two of you have always been equal even before you became close friends.
“You gotta admit it’s pretty unusual,” she points out and you just look away from her. “So let’s talk about how you’re in love with him.”
“What? I never said that!” you protest, but she just gives you a look that says ‘cut the crap, girl’ and you know there’s no use to try to trick her, she sees right through you. “Don’t fucking look at me like that, I have enough shit on my plate without your judgment.”
“Oh, I’m not judging you. I’m just wondering why you two are not together already.”
You practically snort at her statement, finding it quite absurd and ridiculous.
“What? You two are perfect for each other and I’m pretty sure Harry loves you too.”
“Yeah, as a friend.”
“That’s not how friends act, Y/N. He wouldn’t beg himself into your bed every night if he was just your friend.”
“He is just lonely. He doesn’t need me, just someone to be with him.”
“That’s bullshit,” she scoffs. “You two are just being idiots.” Just as you are about to answer, your phone starts ringing. Harry’s smiley face appears on the screen, making you extremely nervous because of the conversation you are having with Florence.
“Hey,” you breathe out answering the call.
“Hey, where are you?”
“Just, talking with Florence. What’s up?”
“I got an email from Jeff and I have some questions.”
“I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Thank you Angel,” he hums before ending the call.
“I gotta go. Please don’t… bring any of this up for Harry,” you ask Florence, heading to the exit.
“You’ve gotta sort your shit out. This is not ideal, Y/N.”
“I know it,” you growl under your breath, leaving the trailer. You chew on your bottom lip nervously as you march back to Harry’s trailer. You feel so confused and anxious about this whole situation and the worst thing is that you have no idea what to do about it. Telling him how you feel seems like a stupid idea, but mostly because you’re terrified of rejection. What if it all meant nothing to him? If you were right and he is just lonely and uses you to help himself, it has nothing to do with you. You wouldn’t survive the heartbreak it would give you if he told you he doesn’t see you more than just a friend.
As you walk into his trailer he is sitting on the sofa with his phone in his hands. He glances up at you, a warm smile tugging on his lips as you take a deep breath, feeling very much out of place suddenly. Unfortunately, he immediately senses your discomfort.
“Everything alright, Angel?”
Angel. This nickname could make your knees go weak in a heartbeat and you hate how much effect it has on you. Especially in this state of mind you’re currently in.
“I just…” You shake your head shutting your eyes. “Why do you keep calling me that?” you ask, sounding way more desperate than you intended to. Harry puts his phone aside, looking a little puzzled at your sudden weird act, but he seems more worried for you.
“I, uhh—“
“And don’t tell me it’s because Hey Angel is about me. We didn’t know each other back then.”
You have no idea where this is coming from or why you even questioned him about it all of a sudden, but Florence just totally threw you off with what she just said. Harry stares back at you, probably vigorously looking for the reason why you are acting up now, but luckily, he doesn’t try to turn it into a joke as always.
“I call you Angel, because you remind me of the song. It wasn’t written about you, but the lyrics match up with… you.”
“What?” you ask in confusion.
“I wish I could be more like you, do you wish you could be more like me?” he quotes the song, not singing the words, simply just talking them as he stares back at you. “I see you at the bar, at the edge of my bed, backseat of my car, in the back of my head,” he continues and you feel your throat doing dry just from the way he softly speaks, standing only a few feet away from you. “I come alive when I hear your voice, it’s a beautiful sound, it’s a beautiful noise.”
You never really gave it another thought, but now that he has told you this, it hit you hard in the chest. You weren’t expecting, especially because those lines are rather meaningful, to you at least.
“I thought of it once not long after we first met and thought calling you Angel would suit you. Do you mind it? I can just… stop calling you that if you don’t like it.”
You shake your head. You never want him to stop calling you that even if it’s not that meaningful for him. If it’s just some game. It’s great to know that something reminded him of you.
“No, it’s… it’s alright.” Your voice is small, barely more than just a whisper. It’s a little too much at once. Florence’s words are still stuck in your head, and what he just said has felt like he just gripped your heart even if he doesn’t know.
You take a shaky breath, forcing yourself to come back from this hazy state of mind.
“So, what about that email?”
“You alright?” Reaching forward he takes your hand and you try not to flinch at his touch, just smile at him nodding.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” He squeezes your hand before dropping it and he luckily doesn’t ask any more questions.
 You stay oddly quiet for the rest of the day and Harry surely knows something is wrong, but he respects you enough not to bug you about it any longer. He just stays close to you as much as he can, trying his best to take your mind off of whatever keeps you occupied.
On the way home you and Harry drop by a supermarket, buy some quick dinner, not wanting to stack the fridge when you’re leaving so soon. Then you sit in the living room, eating and watching some random movie that’s on TV. You snuggle to his side on the couch naturally, he doesn’t even have to pull you close this time. The thought of having left only one more night in the apartment makes you want to sue every little moment you have left in this bubble.
Harry makes you have a shower first tonight and when you come out from the bathroom, your bed is already nicely made, inviting you warmly. He is quick to finish with his shower and joins you in bed barely five minutes later. You move towards each other instantly, his arms curling around your form soothingly as you make yourself comfortable, melted into his embrace. You feel his lips pressing against your forehead and you almost start crying at the small action.
“Angel, I don’t know what has upset you, but I’m here for you, alright? You’re not alone,” he murmurs softly.
“I know,” you whisper. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I would do anything for you, just like you do so much for me. You’ve got me.”
I wish, you think to yourself. You have him, but not the way you’ve been desiring. His hand moves to cup your face as he lifts your head so you are looking into his eyes in the darkened room, but there’s enough light coming through the window that you see his features. He runs his thumb across your cheek, gently caressing your skin and everywhere he touches you, it feels like your body is in flames. This something has been building up inside you and now you’re not sure how long you’ll be able to control yourself. And just as you think about how you really should put some distance between the two of you so you won’t regret it later, the unexpected happens.
Harry pulls you up just enough so when he moves his head he is able to place his lips on yours, kissing you out of the blue. His lips feel so soft, so fitting on your mouth, you let out a whimper when he goes further than just a gentle kiss, taking your bottom lip between his properly. It’s an out of world experience, you’ve imagined it so many times, but you never thought it would actually happen and now that it is very much happening, your whole mind goes blank and for a split second… everything feels right. You kiss him back with fever and with each passing moment the kiss grows more passionate and way hungrier than how it started. Harry’s arm tightens around you, almost pulling you on top of him and you can’t make yourself stop, not that you want to.
With a little force, Harry pushes the two of you around so now you’re lying on the mattress and he holds himself up above you, his lips never disconnecting from yours. He licks into your mouth, pulling and tugging on your lips, making your whole body go weak just for him.
But then, as if reality hit you in the head, you realize what’s happening.
“Harry,” you gasp pulling back, gasping for air. “This—We…”
“Angel, let me take care of you. Please,” he begs out of breath.
“What…”
“I want to make you feel good. I want to take care of you, please let me.” He sounds so desperate, like he would do anything for this and you are not strong enough to deny it from him.
It’s just his pity. He’s been using you for his needs, now he wants to give some back, it’s nothing more, you think to yourself. It can’t be more.
You lack the willpower to make a rational decision, so as you stare up into his eyes that appear so dark due to the lack of proper lighting, you just nod before he leans down and kisses you again.
He holds himself up on one arm while his free hand wanders down your body, touching you at places you have never felt him before. He palms your left breast, squeezing it gently and it makes you moan into his mouth before his hand moves down the curve of your waist until it reaches your sleeping shorts. Your body is burning for him and you can’t stop it from reacting to everything he does. You buckle your hips up when you feel his fingers gently graze along your pubic bone, even though you’re still fully clothed.
“What do you want me to do, Angel? I’ll do anything you want me to,” he pants between kisses as his hand moves to cup your heated core, making you moan again from the sensation of his touch there.
“I need you,” is all you manage to get out.
“I’m right here. You got me. What do you want me to do? Please, tell me, Angel,” he whines, forehead pressed against yours and his hips fall, pressing against your thigh, making you realize how excited he has gotten. His erection is hard under the fabric of his boxers, almost aching to be freed. There’s no way you can take any teasing or a long foreplay. You need him inside you now before you burst.
“Harry, I need you inside me. Please,” you whimper, almost cry, before he kisses you again, hard and demanding as he simply pushes your shorts down, revealing your naked sex since you don’t wear any underwear to bed. You grab the waistband of his boxers too and push it down until he can wiggle his legs out of them, leaving him completely naked in your bed while you still have a top covering your upper body, however he is quick to change that. He grabs the hem and starts pulling it off, your hands helping him so a few moments later you’re completely naked underneath him.
“Fuck, Angel,” he breathes out, his perfect, pink lips attacking the side of your throat, kissing and nibbling on the skin, going down to your breasts, giving the same amount of attention to both while you turn into jelly under his touch. lacing your fingers through his hair you cry out his name as you can feel him leaving a mark on your left breast, his tongue swirling against the spot he just completely destroyed before he brings himself back up so he can kiss you again and again with so much hunger, it’s hard to tell where you end and where he starts. Everything melts together and you’re such a mess in every possible way.
His hand gently reaches down between your legs and parts your shaking thighs before he cups you drenched pussy, his middle finger sliding between your folds, a shameless moan slipping from your mouth, right into his as your lips are still attached.
“So wet, I can’t wait to make you feel good, baby. Let me make you feel good.”
“Harry, just… please,” you pant, surely feeling yourself lose the last bits of your nerves.
“D’you have a condom?” he asks, head lifting up a bit so he can look into your eyes.
“I-In my, um, the makeup bag,” you try to explain gesturing towards your dresser where your makeup bag sits on top, two condoms somewhere inside it. Harry pecks your lips before pulling away from you, the lack of his weight on top of you making you shiver.
He digs into the bag until he finds what he’s been looking for, tearing the packaging open with his teeth and he rolls it on while he walks back, not wasting another moment. You cling onto him like a koala bear once he is back in bed, his massive body covering you again.
“Just tell me how you like it, I’ll do anything,” he mumbles against your shivering lips as he pushes the head in first, stopping for a second before the rest of his cock buries inside you, completely taking your breath away. He is bigger than anyone you’ve ever been with, filling up every inch of you, your walls stretching around him as he stills once he is all the way inside you.
This is it. This is the moment you’ve imagined oh so many times, feeling him the closest possible, his cock buried inside you, his cheek pressed against yours as he holds himself up on top of you. Years of yearning and endless nights when you imagined your hand was his… and now it’s your reality. And though you know it’s gonna change everything, you can’t tell yourself to stop.
Harry lifts his head, pecking your lips gently, calling you Angel over and over again as he starts moving, the friction between your legs growing with each thrust. He fits inside you so well, you won’t be able to enjoy sex with anyone else now that you’ve experienced it with Harry. All of a sudden, he has become the epitome of your whole life.
“Tell me what you want, Angel. Do you want me to go slow or fast? Tell me how to make you feel good.” His lips brush against yours with each word while you’re just trying to catch your breath, fingers digging into his back, the euphoria building up inside you gradually.
“A little faster,” you breathe out, speaking feels like a hard task at the moment. Harry picks his pace up, finding just the right rhythm that makes you wrap your legs around his waist so he can go even deeper with each thrust he makes.
“Look at me, Angel. Let me see your eyes,” he begs, his hand cupping your cheek. He runs his thumb along the line of your lower lip before he takes it between his lips, tugging on it gently, kissing you like you’re his last breath on Earth. He is devouring you, body melts together with yours, all your senses are strictly focused on him. He is all you see, hear, feel and taste.
Your gaze meets his and the way he looks at you, like you’re his whole entire world, it makes your eyes tear up. You want it to be true, you want it to be reality, you want it to be more than just about needs and satisfaction, but it’s not and your consciousness is not letting you believe otherwise.
“Oh Angel,” he softly hums, wiping away a tear that escaped the corner of your eye and ran down the side of your face. Keeping up his rhythm he kisses along your jawline, your cheek, your lips, the side of your face, the bridge of your nose, everywhere he can before returning to your lips with a hungry, passion filled kiss.
“Harry…” you whimper, holding your thighs tighter around his waist as you feel yourself nearing the edge.
“Let it go for me, Angel. I wanna see you feel good, cum for me,” he tells you, eyes never leaving yours as you are ready to burst underneath him.
“Harry, I-I need you!” The words fall from your lips as a desperate beg, arms wrapping around his torso tight, as if he could disappear from your embrace any moment.
“I’m right here, Angel. Right here,” he soothes you, kissing your lips sweetly as proof that he is not just a trick your mind is playing on you. “Are you close, baby? Are you gonna cum for me?”
“Yes! Yes!” you pant, losing control over your body and all your senses. It’s gonna be intense, you can tell and it hasn’t even started yet, you just know it’ll shake you to the core.
“Good girl. Let me make you feel good.” “So good,” you breathe out before Harry occupies your lips with his once again.
It doesn’t take long. He keeps thrusting in the perfect angle and it throws you right over the edge. Harry demands you look him in the eyes when your orgasm wash you over and the intensity of it all almost makes you cry again. You burst, lose yourself under him, screaming his name as if you were praying to all higher forces. In a way, you are, because for a moment you really think you completely vanish from this world.
Harry follows you just a few more thrusts later, falling out of his rhythm as he grunts and moans your name, face buried into the crook of your neck while you tug on his hair, the feeling of his soft locks between your fingers is like pure heaven.
He stills, but stays inside you as he looks up, his eyes filled with satisfaction and contentment as he cups your face again, kissing you long, taking his time with you.
As you come off your high and the clouds of euphoria clears off, reality sets in more painfully than ever. Your limbs are paralyzed and you feel like you are outside your own body, just watching everything happen as if you were a third person in the room. Harry rolls to the side, chest heaving wildly as he is trying to regulate himself. Once he is able to breathe without panting, he pecks your shoulder gently and makes a quick round to the bathroom. You hear water running and then his feet padding on the floor, but you can’t bring yourself to move, you just lie there, completely drained out. It doesn’t change even when Harry gently cleans you off with a damp washing cloth, throwing it to the side to take care of it in the morning. He pulls the covers over the two of you and scoops you into his arms. You manage to bring your arm up to his chest as your head rests on his shoulder. His fingers are dancing up and down your arm, his steady breathing keeping your overcrowded head grounded. And then… he starts singing so softly, it’s almost just a whisper.
“Hey Angel, oh, I wish I could be more like you. Do you wish you could be more like me?”
Your eyes shut close, the damn tears flooding again, but you keep your sobs drowned in your throat. Instead you force yourself to sleep and hope you live to see the morning, because you feel like your heart is about to give up on you.
 When you wake up, you genuinely feel like you’ve drunk through last night and now have the worst hangover. It’s like you’ve been hit on the head with a chair. You slowly come to your senses and realize that you’re completely naked in bed and there’s a body curled to your side, equally naked.
The shock sets in first because you realize, once again, that what happened last night wasn’t just a fever dream, it actually happened. And then you basically jump out of bed when you look at the small digital clock on the bedside and see that the two of you have ten minutes to leave if you don’t want to be late to the last day of filming.
“Harry! Harry get up!” you smack him, kicking the covers off and grabbing your top and shorts from the floor, quickly putting them on. The man in talk growls, just rolling to his back without even opening his eyes. “Harry damn it! We have ten minutes or you’ll be late!” you snap at him and it somewhat wakes him up. With furrowed eyebrows at puckered lips, he lifts his head up and looks around.
Those lips were kissing you last night.
“What?” he mumbles in confusion.
“We overslept, get up. We have… eight minutes left.”
“Shit,” he mumbles under his breath, finally getting out of bed, reaching for his boxers.
It’s a shitshow as the two of you try to get ready on time and though you are running just a few minutes late, the driver of the taxi manages to speed down the streets fast enough that you arrive to set just in time.
During the whole ride, you feel Harry’s burning eyes on you, but thank God, you get a call from Jeffrey the moment you get into the car and it lasts the whole ride so you don’t have to talk with him about what happened last night.
“Y/N,” he tries when you’re still on the phone and he is already done with hair and makeup, heading to set to start filming.
“What?” you mouth at him.
“Can we talk later?”
“I’m busy. Go, I’m sure they are waiting for you,” you whisper to him and he looks so disappointed, but he nods and walks away. Your heart breaks as you lower the phone. You have been out of the call for some time, just didn’t want to talk to him.
Quite frankly, you’re not ready to talk to him about what happened last night. You don’t want to hear him say that he was just trying to help you out last night, that it wasn’t anything serious, just some messing around. It was just two people trying not to feel lonely.
Walking back into his trailer you can feel your chest tightening, a sharp pain shooting right into your heart the more you think about him. It was a mistake, you shouldn’t have done it because you are the one with the feelings and now you are the one struggling with the consequences of your little get together.
The more you think about it, the worse it gets and you feel like you’re about to suffocate. You need to get out of here, there’s no way you can face him now.
It all happens so fast. Before you can even second guess your decision, you’re on your way back to the apartment to pack all your stuff and get on the first flight back home. You need to put distance between you and him, spending one more night in the same apartment would make you go nuts. So while Harry is filming, completely oblivious to what you’re doing, you pack up your room as fast as possible and head to the airport to hop on the plane that leaves at four pm.
With a racing heart you check all your baggage in and make it through security when Harry first calls you. At first, you want to ignore it, but then you find yourself swiping your thumb across the screen.
“Hey,” you shortly greet him.
“Hey, where are you? Have been looking for you everywhere.” “I um… I’m at the airport,” you answer and the silence on the other end is deafening for a moment.
“You are at the what?” he then snaps.
“I had a, um, kind of emergency, so I’m heading back home now. Sorry, I would have called you, but didn’t know when you’d be off set.”
“You fucking packed and left already? You’re really at the airport?” He is fuming, Raging. You can tell he is pacing in the trailer, vigorously running his fingers through his hair, ruining it without a care. You almost feel guilty, but then again, you just know facing him now would break you. You’ll get back to him when you’ve pulled your shit together.
“I am, calm down, alright? Not a big deal.” “You just left on our last day here without a fucking word! And when am I seeing you again?”
“I, uhh—I need to be home for a while, but you’ll be fine. I’ll stay in touch with you in email and text.”
“Fucking text? Email?” he is barking now. Good thing you are not there because it would be a disaster. “Y/N, you can’t be serious. We-we were supposed to talk. You can’t just fucking disappear like this.”
“We’ll talk, alright?”
“When?”
“Later,” you simply tell him at a loss for a better answer. Hopefully, never, you think to yourself, but don’t say it out loud.
“Okay, you’re not doing this. Don’t you dare get on a plane, I’m going to the airport right now. You’re not leaving.”
“Well, I am and you’re not coming here,” you clap back, but you can already hear him moving around, probably gathering his stuff so he can leave right away.
“Swear to God if you get on that plane, I’m—“ He cuts himself off, no idea what to really say and you just sigh, closing your eyes. People rush by you and as you glance at the big screen you see that your plane is boarding.
“Harry, just… it’ll be better like this, alright? You’ll be fine, I’ll see you… when I see you. Have fun on your last day on set.”
You end the call before he could get another word out and put it on airplane mode right away as you grab your backpack and head to your gate.
Using your time on the plane wisely, you put together a very detailed schedule for Harry so he knows everything about his next few weeks and you can minimize your contact with him. You even set up a bunch of reminders in his calendar so he won’t miss his appointments.
When you set feet on the ground again, you expect the distance between you and Harry to feel comforting and freeing, but it’s the opposite. An ache in your chest is getting heavier as you get yourself a taxi and head home, feeling more alone than ever in your life.
Your home doesn’t feel like a home. Not without that one person who could make any place your home, but you can’t see him right now, not until you learn how to exist around him without the urge to faint.
Going to bed alone is pure torture. Every moment you are waiting to hear Harry shuffling around in the apartment, you miss his little snorts when he is watching the TV, his singing coming from the shower, but most importantly, you miss having him so close to you in bed. Now that you’re lying on your own, your bed feels so cold, it brings you tears as reality sets in. You miss him. You miss him more than anything and you can’t imagine a time when it won’t hurt anymore.
The crying pushes you into a shallow slumber sometime in the middle of the night, however, you’re rudely shaken back to consciousness when you hear someone banging on your door like crazy, pushing the doorbell constantly.
“Jesus fuck,” you mumble with a grimace, pulling a hoodie on as you make your way to the door hazily, probably still half asleep because you open the door without checking who it is through the peephole and you end up staring up at none other than Harry. “What the—What are you doing here?” you breathe out, panic sets in fast and your hands start shaking at the sight of him.
Harry steps inside without invitation and closes the door behind him, a stern expression on his handsome face.
“Y/N, what the fuck were you thinking when you left like that?”
“I-I told you, it was an emergency.”
“What kind of emergency? Because I called your mom and sisters, they all said nothing happened in the family, so what could possibly happen that needed you here immediately?”
“I don’t have to explain shit to you.” Shaking your head you try to step back to put some distance between the two of you, but he doesn’t let you, taking a step forward at the same time.
“Well I think we have a lot to talk about after last night, don’t you think?”
“I don’t want to talk,” you shake your head biting into your bottom lip. This wasn’t supposed to happen, why couldn’t he just stay where he was? “How did you even get here so fast?”
“Left as soon as we wrapped.”
“Where are all your stuff?”
“Left everything there, I’ll just go back and pack it up, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that for a girl who genuinely hates any form of working out, you ran pretty fast from you today.”
Any other day you would have laughed at his comparison, but not today. You just stand there, chewing on the inside of your cheeks as you try to figure out what to do or say. You were not ready to face him so soon.
“What do you want me to say?” you ask desperately, throwing your hands into the air.
“Tell me what it meant for you,” he calmly answers and you want to shake him. How is he so peaceful?
“No,” you shake your head. “I’m not doing this to myself, okay? I need time, Harry.”
“For what?”
“So I can get myself over this, alright? I need time, I—fuck this,” you growl, feeling the tears flooding your eyes again. Damn it!
“Why the fuck do you want to get yourself over it?”
“Because it obviously didn’t mean the same thing to me as it meant to you!” you snap at him and he raises his eyebrows at you in a way that tells you “you’re stupid”.
“What do you think it meant to me?”
“Probably nothing,” you scoff rolling your eyes, but the anger that bursts from him quickly washes your attitude away.
“Fucking nothing? You think I would get on a fucking plane first thing after filming for ten hours straight just to come after you? You think I spent all my nights with you these past weeks because you mean nothing to me? You know, for a smart girl, you can be pretty dumb sometimes.”
You blink at him in utter confusion, his words knocked you off your feet. He exhales sharply, long fingers running through his messy curls as he tries his best to calm himself down. When he is finally breathing somewhat normally his wildly vibrant green eyes meet your widened stare.
“Y/N, I thought we were on the same page. What did you think it was all about?” he softly asks, seeing how shook you still are.
“I, uhh—I thought this was all just some kind of distraction. You said you were feeling lonely, I thought you were just… kind of using me. And then last night was you returning the favor.”
“Hell no,” he breathes out shaking his head as he steps closer and this time you don’t back away from him. You let his hands run down your arms until they find your hands. “I thought this was clear, but I’m gonna say it then. I’m in love with you, Y/N, have been for a long time, I was just being a pussy and didn’t know how you’d take it. But then, when you didn’t kick me out of your bed the first night we slept together, it got me hoping and it was all heading just the right direction. Then last night happened and I was so damn sure this would be our turning point but then…” He breathes out shakily again, as if the thought still upsets him. “When I called you and you said you were at the airport… I love you, Angel, but I was ready to murder you.”
You let out a faint chuckle, feeling the tears bubbling in your eyes.
“Why did you run away instead of talking to me? Did you not trust me?” he asks softly, a hand coming up to cup your jaw gently.
“I didn’t trust myself,” you admit weakly.
“Oh Angel…” Leaning down he kisses your forehead tenderly, his lips feel like soft feathers against your hot skin. “Do you need me to tell you again how in love I am with you or are you gonna believe me? You’re not planning to run away again, are you?” he teases you making you chuckle as you shake your head.
“I’m not gonna run away, but I would love to hear you say you love me again.”
“I love you. I love you so fucking much, Angel, don’t you ever think otherwise for a moment, okay?”
You nod, lips curling into your mouth as your teary eyes meet his green orbs.
“I love you too, Harry.”
“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that,” he chuckles breathing out in relief and it makes you smile. “I would never just use you. Love you way too much for that, Angel. You are everything to me.”
“Wish I knew that earlier,” you mumble with a bitter chuckle. It would have saved you a lot of tears.
“I will never stop saying it to you.” His forehead rests against yours, noses touching as his arms curl around your frame, pulling you close to him until you’re pressed up against his hard chest. “Just out of curiosity, what were you thinking when I told you, you reminded me of Hey Angel? Because I think it pretty much gave me away, but apparently, I was wrong,” he chuckles lowly, pulling back a little so he can look you in the eyes.
“I honestly have no idea,” you admit with an awkward chuckle. “I just had a conversation with Florence before that where she called me out about my feelings for you and I was still kind of in shock. Probably took it as just your usual flirty behavior.”
“I’ll admit I do flirt some, but haven’t you realized it’s different with you?”
“I guess not.” “Angel, you are… something else,” he chuckles in disbelief before leaning down he finally presses his lips against yours. You giggle into his lips, arms wrapping around his neck as he lifts you up from the ground, twirling you around, a squeal slipping from your mouth.
“So, now you have to go back to pack your stuff?” you question, still wrapped into his arms completely and you don’t want to exist any other way. This is where you belong.
“Yeah. Had to chase down this Angel who thought she could run away from me.”
“So how are you planning to get to New York by four tomorrow when you’re still here and have to go back to pack? Have you checked the schedule I sent you? You’re not gonna make it.” You cock your head to the side with an arched brow.
“Did you just go back to full assistant mode right after we confessed our love for each other?”
“Someone has to be responsible and we both know it’s always me.”
“I’ll just hire someone to do it for me, I’ll leave to New York from here. Happy?” he grins at you as you nod.
“Very. Because this means you can stay the night here.”
“Seeing the fact that I literally have nowhere else to go, because even my house keys are in the suitcase I left back… I very much need to stay here for the night,” he points out.
“Good. Come on, my bed felt empty without you,” you giggle, pulling him towards your bedroom and he follows you eagerly.
“I can definitely help that.”
 Thank you for reading! Please like/reblog if you enjoyed!
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Fix-It AU - Clone Strike
"There is a siege going on in Umbara, and the separatists are attacking the Alderaanian outposts, so tell your troopers to stop playing dead, gear up and get ready for combat!" Palpatine demands in a holo-call with the commanders
"I'm afraid that won't be possible." replies commander Wolffe with no care for decorum "Us clones recently found out that being paid in 'exclusive GAR currency' instead of actual credits, having no assigned vacation time and not being allowed to quit is highly illegal and we're suing the republic."
"Wh-" Palpatine gasps, squinting in disbelief "What in the moons are you talking-"
"And I know," commander Bly interjects "it is a bummer that legally we aren't people so we can't defend ourselves in court, but this public defense attorney said they'll represent us in court for free because this is a flagrant human rights violation."
Palpatine's usually calm, pale features are reddened and clearly straining not to become twisted in fury.
"But you are not-"
"Yes, I know, we are 'clones, not technically human, blah blah blah'," Captain Rex shakes his head, rolling his eyes "but our attorney will be basing their case on animal rights - see, even if a pet 'belongs' to you, as we 'belong' to the GAR, the Jedi and the Kaminoans, if it is proven that you are causing harm to your pet, they get taken from you and you get sued. It's more or less how we're approaching this."
"How-"
"And I know you might think that we would be offended for being defended in court as animals," Commander Cody quips with a dramatic grimace "but look, after living your whole life as a clone trooper you kinda stop caring about the dehumanizing treatment, so..."
At this point, Palpatine slams his hands on his desk, abruptly rising up from his chair.
"Enough! This is treason! There is a war raging on, and our beloved republic will fall if you don't get in line and cease this treacherous talk! Now get in line and do your jobs!"
"Or what?" Commander Fox, the only clone physically present in the office asks, removing his helmet and showing his perfectly calm features contrasting starkly with Palpatine's enraged expression "What is the threat, Your Excellency? A death penalty? We face death every day, we witness it taking our brothers in battle, and we prepare ourselves for it every time our gunship's ramps are lowered and we step out into the gunfire. We are raised from infancy not to fear it, and we are hardened from combat to laugh at it."
And there is a gleam in Fox's brown eyes, in every speck of gold in his irises as he leans closer, placing his gloved hand on the Chancellor's polished desk of expensive Nabooan wood. Fox's scratched and dented hand guard stands out against the elegant furniture.
"You can't threaten us with imprisonment either." he continues "Not only we are trained to and used to living in small quarters with limited to none personal items of our own, I am certain that a sudden influx of over three million inmates would effectively break the republic's correctional system. Besides... you wouldn't want men as skilled as we are, with as much intel on the GAR as we have, kept with the Republic's worse criminals, right? So that, too, is off the list."
Palpatine doesn't interrupt Fox's musings. He seems too stunned at the clone he expected the most loyalty from and his unexpected act of betrayal. Fox straightens himself up and strokes his chin in thought.
"Now, separating us from our families, that would be a low blow, and most likely an effective one. Taking our spouses and children from us or even - stars - threatening them, that would be a brutal way to coerce us to do your bidding. But then again, by not allowing us to have personal lives of our own, the republic prevented us from creating any ties, so all clones are unmarried and childless. All a clone has is his brothers. So that won't work either."
Palpatine sinks back into his chair with a defeated sigh, his gaze lost. His right hand falls on his thigh, slowly moving under his desk. Fox's eyes narrow on him.
"With all due respect, sir, if you are planning on triggering the alarm and accusing me of attempting to murder you, I advise you not to." he glances at the helmet tucked under his arm "I have been recording this entire meeting, and the video is being relayed to all of my men who are scattered through the building and outside as well. I have given them instructions to make sure the recording reaches the public in the case of my unexpected death or imprisonment."
Palpatine freezes, eyes widening in a mix of shock and disgust at the clone, as if Fox is a misbehaved dog that he wants to beat.
"How dare you..." Palpatine grits out "How... dare you! The republic gave you life!" and he looks at the blue specters of the clone commanders' holograms watching him "We gave life to all of you!"
Cody looks at Palpatine. The Marshall Commander, always so polite and respectful grins wide, nodding.
"Yes. And now we are going to make something out of it, Your Excellency. With or without your permission. Fox will bring you a datapad with a list of our demands this afternoon."
"The separatists are still attacking as we speak!" Palpatine yells, spit flying off his mouth "There is no time for this! Even voting for every single demand of yours in the Senate could take months!"
"Well, then, sir," Commander Cody says with a shrug "I do hope you can try and speed up the process. You see - if the Seppies get to coruscant, my brothers and I can defend ourselves with ease and maintain our strike. I do not think the same can be said of the civilian population..."
"You are bluffing." Palpatine spits
"Maybe." Commander Wolffe smirks "Are you going to try and see it for yourself, sir?"
"You will be blamed for this!"
"We already are." Captain Rex interjects tiredly "We are already being blamed for everything that goes wrong in this war. "
Commander Thorn speaks up for the first time, his blue, slightly glitching image showing the commander that had long stopped standing in attention and is now giving Palpatine the same cold glare that all of his brothers share at the moment.
"It's not a long list, Your Excellency" his tone at the title is full of contempt "It is actually a perfect copy of the 8th Ammendment of the Galactic Constitution, on the rights for sentient beings - a text all senators, especially a Chancellor such as yourself, are very familiar with."
Palpatine's eyes dart back and forth as he follows the clone's words in bewilderment.
"You are soldiers." he hisses, attempting to display more self-restrain than he seems to be able to at this point "How much do you even think you know of our civil laws?"
Commander Gree smirks, shaking his head.
"Don't you think we know, sir, that we will be put on the stand to speak on behalf of our cause? Or do you think we will take the risk of having our attorney dazzle everyone with legal jargon, only for us to ruin it by sounding like a bunch of uneducated meat droids? Oh, no. We've been doing some studying."
Captain Rex tucks his hands behind his back, fixing his posture.
"Well, Your Excellency, I believe this should be all. We don't wish to take more of your time, as I assume that you are have important matters to attend to. Commander Fox will notify us of your response."
There is almost an entire minute of silence where Palpatine merely stare at the clones in disbelief. The clones exchange a few amused looks.
"Well then... Rex out." the Captain's image glitches and disappears
"Bly out."
"Wolffe out."
They leave, one by one, until the only clone still present is Fox. Palpatine grits his teeth at him, pounding a fist on the desk in front of him.
"This is treason." he is no longer screaming or hissing; instead, his voice is low and almost shaking with anger "You are all traitors. And you... CC-1010, you are a shame to the Grand Army of the Republic."
Fox stares at Palpatine, his expression inscrutable. In a deliberate, calm gesture, he takes his helmet in both hands and places it over his head. His voice comes filtered through his vocoder, devoid of any emotion.
"When we meet in court, Your Excellency, make sure to address me as 'Commander Fox'. Calling us by numbers while being accused of dehumanizing treatment will not be a good look on you or the institution." he turns his back on Palpatine, walking to the door that hisses open "I advise you to prepare for the next session in fifteen minutes and... oh, since I am no longer doing my rounds in the building, you should probably try to stay safe, sir. Good day to you."
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robininthelabyrinth · 3 years
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Spilled Pearls
- Chapter 29 - ao3 -
“In the future, you should send your children to the Cloud Recesses for me to teach,” Lan Qiren said. He was sitting with Wen Ruohan on one of the rooftop gardens in the Nightless City, watching the moon and stars from a pavilion placed there for that purpose; their bodies were pressed close together, and it felt as if they were far away from all the things that were familiar. “You and Lao Nie both, and naturally I’ll come visit with you often as well, bringing my nephew. Between the three of us, we might even be able to teach them how to be proper human beings.”
Wen Ruohan laughed in his ear and pressed his lips to his cheek – he had taken to kissing him at random, spontaneous, as if still overwhelmed by the fact that he now had the right to do it.
“I will,” he promised. “I agree, I think they’ll turn out better that way…you would really have me educate your precious little A-Huan?”
“If I’m willing to entrust myself with you, why not him? Anyway, I can teach him music, and with the aid of the other teachers in my sect the sword in the Lan sect style, but you can teach him much more than that. You know how to look at the world and see it for what it is, and then bend it to your will, make it sing to your tune. He’ll be sect leader in the future; he needs to learn that, and you can teach it to him.”
“I can, and I will,” Wen Ruohan said, then thought for a moment and asked, “What does Lao Nie bring to the table?”
“Flexibility, mostly.”
Wen Ruohan barked out a laugh. “He certainly has that.”
He didn’t even sound bitter about it any more.
Lan Qiren smiled.
“In the meantime, I will handle the rest of it,” Wen Ruohan added, and Lan Qiren looked at him in silent question. “Come now, Qiren. Did you really think that I would allow you to remain caged in the Cloud Recesses your whole life?”
Lan Qiren paused. That was the sorest part of his heart, his most painful misery, but he didn’t think Wen Ruohan would bring it up casually. If anything, he was a bit more afraid of what Wen Ruohan might get into his head to do about it – there was very little Wen Ruohan wouldn’t dare.
“Da-ge –” he started warily.
“No, no,” Wen Ruohan said, lightly scolding. “Little Lan, be serious! I already rejected the opportunity to cage you here at the Nightless City, playing only for me, despite how much I longed to do so. I refused to do it – me, refusing myself – because I knew it would only make you sad. Do you really think I would allow other people a privilege that I have denied myself?”
Lan Qiren did not laugh, but he dearly wanted to. It might be the first time he’d ever wanted to laugh about his situation – not even Cangse Sanren had managed that. “Has anyone told you that you are extremely self-absorbed?” he asked instead. “Arrogance is forbidden. Do not be haughty and complacent.”
Wen Ruohan smirked back at him. “All true, little Lan, but don’t forget your favorite: Do not tell lies.”
Self-absorbed, narcissistic and arrogant, Lan Qiren concluded, and there was no helping it. It was clearly a terminal case.
He used his sleeve to hide his laughter.
“What are you planning, exactly?” he asked once he had recovered. “If you harm my sect, whether directly or indirectly by denying them my services, I would be even more upset than if you tried to lock me away in here.”
Wen Ruohan waved a hand dismissively. “Do you think me so incapable? I have already begun making arrangements. Discussion conferences may only be once or twice a year, being as they are tremendously irritating to arrange, but there’s no reason that we of the Great Sects should not recognize our greater duty towards the smaller sects, and not to mention our obligations to protect the mortal world –”
“You know that it exists, then?”
Wen Ruohan ignored him. “The resources of cultivation clans are limited, and the world large. There are many places which would benefit from aid that do not see any simply because they are far away or tucked in inconvenient places, and no sect lives nearby – naturally, it is our duty to fight evil no matter where it is encountered. Lao Nie has already agreed that it is critical that the sect leaders demonstrate our sincerity by fulfilling this duty in person, leading by example.”
Lan Qiren’s heart had already felt as if it were overflowing with warmth, and it felt even more so now, almost squeezed to pain by how much joy was there. More than he had known he could contain.
Bad luck in brothers, he thought to himself - but oh, he had such good luck in friends!
“I see,” he said, thankful that his usual neutral tone concealed how happy he felt. “And naturally, where you and Lao Nie go, Sect Leader Jin cannot be far behind in his eagerness not to lose out, and where three of the five Great Sects lead, naturally the rest cannot be far behind. So I, too, will be obligated to...what? Go out on night-hunts in inconvenient places?”
“The world is too large, and the number of cultivators too few – and at any rate, there’s no point in setting up a full night-hunt which draws in every person from a thousand li for a few paltry fierce corpses or a ghost or two. I propose, instead, that we would send cultivators out alone, in pairs or in small groups, to wander for a few months through the remote places in the world and clean them up. Then, at the next discussion conference, the Great Sects could jointly agree that whoever was most enterprising would receive a reward, and naturally, stories of various exploits could be exchanged – ”
“Ah. Another reason for young men and women to gather and boast of improbable exploits.”
“Think of it as giving them more opportunities to win glory,” Wen Ruohan said. “And stop talking down about ‘young men’; you are a young man. Naturally you are also qualified to go out to do such things. Required, even: if our Great Sects do not set a proper example, who will?”
“Mm. A proper example. Even if I coincidentally happen to spend more time playing music than hunting demons?”
Wen Ruohan’s eyes were bright. “Even so. And naturally, you could always bring along someone more powerful to do the demon-hunting for you…”
“How convenient.”
Wen Ruohan smirked. “Do you doubt that I will be able to make it happen, little Lan?”
“No,” Lan Qiren said, then added, honestly: “I think you could take over the world if you wished.”
“Naturally! But it would be quite irritating, I think, if I had to also ensure that both you and Lao Nie did not disapprove of my methods…” He paused, lips twitching. “By coincidence, while we’re discussing convenience, I was thinking that it would be dangerous to send all those wild and reckless young men out there without proper support. Surely it would be only reasonable to set up a few convenient places here and there, not so far away, to provide them with supplies and a place to rest and recover –”
Convenient places that would fly the Wen sect’s flag and spread its influence, Lan Qiren presumed. Lanling Jin would be furious – using wealth to buy influence was their favorite technique, and they resented other people copying it – and would immediately insist on establishing their own set of “supply stations”, and then the rest of them would have to catch up and make their own. Yet another expense, and the Great Sects would need to do more than most; it would probably wreck havoc with the Lan sect’s annual budget.
On the other hand, well the remote parts of the world really did need the help. One of the Lan sect’s newly recruited guest disciples had been talking about a place not far from his hometown that specialized in making coffin goods; it was, according to him, the most inauspicious place that could possibly be imagined…
Not a place anyone might want to go, unless they truly were intent on traveling.
Lan Qiren smiled once again. He thought he might never stop smiling.
“Indeed,” he said, trying to sound dry and rational. “Very coincidental. No one will doubt that this is nothing but a scheme to expand your reach and power, rather than any personal motive.”
Wen Ruohan did not answer, but instead, matching a smile of his own to Lan Qiren’s, pressed his lips against Lan Qiren’s once more.
After a little while of silence, Lan Qiren cleared his throat and asked, “Do you intend to tell people?”
He was not referring to Wen Ruohan’s plans for the future.
Wen Ruohan understood.
“In time,” he said. “As much as I would love to shout that you are mine and I am yours from the rooftops and perhaps have bulletins be posted to every town -”
Lan Qiren grimaced. It would be one thing if he thought Wen Ruohan was exaggerating for romantic effect, but unfortunately it would be just like him to engage in that level of over-the-top grandstanding.
“– but your position is not yet certain, and my reputation is too questionable. People would make assumptions and spread malicious gossip, and I – I would not harm you to please myself.”
“Sweet-talker.”
“It’s not sweet-talking when it’s true,” Wen Ruohan protested, although he was chuckling. “When you are more renowned as a teacher than a sect leader, when little A-Huan is old enough to have passed the worst stretches of childhood – then we will announce it, and let the rest of the world choke on it if they like. You, me, Lao Nie…hmm. Jin Guangshan will probably think we’re concealing a conspiracy and ask to join in.”
Lan Qiren gagged. “I refuse,” he said. “I don’t care if I’m not physically involved, neither you nor Lao Nie are allowed to even think about it. That man has visited so many prostitutes that one might be forgiven for thinking he believes that the road to immortality is paved with venereal disease.”
“…thank you, that was an image I did not require.” A pause. “Jiang Fengmian –”
“Remember when he punched me in the face in a fight over a girl I didn’t even want?”
“It wasn’t a serious suggestion.” Wen Ruohan chuckled once more and pressed another kiss to his cheek. “Some years ago now, I swore to your Cangse Sanren that I would do right by you. I ought to invite her here and show her that I’ve made good on it.”
“You haven’t made good on it.”
“I haven’t?”
“No. Such a promise is fulfilled through the keeping – if you want to do right by me, there is no one singular moment that would qualify, but rather a continuing obligation.” Lan Qiren smiled up at him. “I’m sorry, da-ge. You’ll have to continue to do right by me for the rest of our lives.”
“I will,” Wen Ruohan said, and smiled back. “It would be my pleasure.”
-END-
163 notes · View notes
treybriggsthewriter · 4 years
Link
This makes me nervous, but I’m going to post it. I’m going to try my best to achieve my goals. I’ve put in a ton of work already, so I’m looking for additional help. 
From the campaign:
My name is Trey Briggs, and I'm a black woman who writes paranormal horror, speculative fiction, and other types of fiction. You can find my stories at MaybeTrey , Astrid the Devil , and on Instagram , Medium , and Wattpad .
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My stories are aimed at black people who want to read dark stories that focus on original black characters that are complex and interesting. I genuinely believe Black audiences deserve a variety of genres to delve into, and I want to introduce them to paranormal horror, dark romance, and fantasy that they haven't gotten enough of in the past. I also believe that this can be done across multiple mediums, and I spend my money with black creative professionals to make these experiences extend beyond my words. For the last two years, I've run my stories on sites and Instagram to great reception. I like to craft complex experiences that offer looks at character backgrounds, side and backstories, full websites for each title, and more. I also provide encyclopedias, maps, audio journals, and other ways to get into each world. During these last few years, I've run into a lot of walls, jumped a lot of hurdles, and tried my best. I've worked with amazing black artists, voice actors, and actresses, musicians, designers, and more. I trust my ability to run a project, especially when it comes to planning and finding talent. My overall goal is to run a team of black creatives that crafts novels, graphic novels, audio experiences, and animated series for a dedicated audience.
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Why I Need Help Long story short: I have the skill, I have the marketing/website building/business experience, and I have the drive. There's a lot I can do on my own, but there's also a lot that gets left behind because I don't have the money I need to proceed at a steady pace. I need help with funding so I can focus, hire the right people, and craft these stories the way they deserve to be crafted. I have thus far spent over $60,000 of my own money on my projects over the past two years - the writing and site-building are easy for me; the rest has to be hired out. I have art, site costs for hosting, domains, templates, specific plugins, and maintenance, audio (and vocal artists to pay), musical, and editing costs. I'm by no means rich or even particularly financially stable. I have taken on tons of extra clients for my digital marketing business, transcribed hundreds of hours of audio for dirt cheap, and taken out personal loans. I even worked a second full-time job along with my full-time business last year to afford to produce the content I love. It's starting to take a toll on my mental health. I plan on continuing to fund these projects out of pocket (and finding ways to do so), but having financial help, however big or small, would allow me to move a lot faster and with less stress. It would let me flesh out ideas and concepts that I have had to scrap because I can only physically handle so much extra work. I run a full-time marketing business from home, homeschool my autistic 10-year-old, and generally have a busy life. Some of the strain is taking a toll on me, and I don't want to give up. Having some financial backing could allow me to drop a client or two after a few months and focus on the work I love to do.
How You Can Help I mainly need a start—a sort of base. I want to emphasize that I plan to continue to provide the main bulk of funding for my projects. I know my goals are ambitious, and I know each step will take time and money. I welcome any help to make the process smoother and to get around the initial hurdles. I'd like to have ebooks and novels offered on my site by the end of the year (along with the free serials and stories). Funding means that I can broaden the projects, include more free aspects to my sites, and secure direct financing through sales of ebooks and audiobooks sooner. It also means that I can offer MORE stories, whether they are online only or fully fleshed out novels and sites. I am swamped with trying to work enough to cover all my bills and creative projects, so I lose a lot of time I could spend plotting and writing. If I have better funding, I can get my stories out quicker (and with fewer mistakes).
The Initial Stories Let's talk about my stories! If you're familiar with my work already, you can skip to the next section. My main story site is Maybe Trey . Currently, I have two big titles and a bunch of smaller ones that I am seeking help with funding: Astrid the Devil
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Astrid the Devil is the complicated story of a girl who inherits not only her family's features and DNA, but their fears, struggles, and fights. It's the story of a condition called Devil Syndrome, the women who suffer it, and the monsters that devour them. It's the story of the fight to save the people you love at the expense of innocent lives. At its core, Astrid the Devil is the story of a woman who inherits the chaos of three generations before her. It's a look at what is truly passed down to our children, and how they're left to fight our battles in the aftermath of our failures. It's the tale of an indescribable monster and the women who struggle to defeat it. It's a journey into how their every decision could save or destroy an entire world. Astrid the Devil is the story of Astrid Snow, but her story can't be told without the story of the women before her.
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Vicious: On MaybeTrey  and The Vicious site (in progress)
Somewhere, a war is brewing.  That's the only thing that's for sure to Junnie Gorton, a young horned girl suffering from a debilitating disease called Horn Rot. She typically dealt with her low survival rate and abnormally large horns by escaping the world with her best friend, Lewish. Now she's forced to figure out which side is which, save her entire species, and find out the truth behind the sudden uprising in her home. Horn Rot, a highly contagious and violent disease spreading through horned people, is causing mass amounts of madness and death. Normal horns grow in ways that will pierce, suffocate, and maim their owners, and the only one who can stop it is Junnie's mother, Lyria. As Lyria falls deeper and deeper into an anti-social revolt, the country reels. While Junnie broods, her entire species must prepare for mass extinction. Her brother plots with a group of people with less than good intentions and Lewish is quieter than usual. In a civilization brought up on extreme violence and competition, Junnie and Lewish try their best not to get swallowed by their culture, their lives, or their horns.
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Bunni and Bosque :
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Bunni lives. Bosque dies. We all know how this story starts. Bunni is obsessed with destruction and death. She comes from the healthiest Horned family in her country. She's from the oldest, purest bloodline in the world. And she's bored with it. Bunni spends most of her time trying to escape her duties as a pureblood. She wants things dirty, messy, foul, inconsistent. Having parents that are willing to kill to keep their bloodline pure is annoying. Knowing that she'll live a long, full life, produce more perfect children, and die unscathed is agonizing. Bunni wants something to mourn. We all know how this story ends. Bosque is destined to die an agonizing death, alone on his family's land. He's watched everyone he loved and grew up with perish. Sometimes it was because of their disease. Sometimes it was because of the malice and hatred of others. While he's absolutely withdrawn and satisfied with his life, Bosque has never had a chance to live it. He spends his days basking in the sun, bathing in wood baths, and contemplating the end. Bosque isn't interested in joining the rest of the world. He'd rather die out, alone, where his family belonged. Bosque wants to go peacefully. But neither expected to meet each other one day in a supermarket. Neither expected to fall in love, lust, and every vicious and dirty thing between. Neither expected to be so right for each other, all while being wrong for everyone else. You know the end of this story. Bunni lives, Bosque dies. But maybe something will change.
My smaller titles, Bunni and Bosque /Aite and Jude, can be found at Maybe Trey .
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The Business Plan
The initial phase of my business plan is to get the sites populated with ebooks and audiobooks for sale. I also have prints that can be sold. Right now, I am in the audience-building phase while I save up for editing the full novels. 
In terms of an actual business with which to publish the stories, I already have a registered publication company in Illinois: Wolfless Studios LLC. I took this step earlier this year with plans to self-publish Astrid and Vicious. So that is paid for and done.
I have also gotten initial editing done on the first six chapters of Astrid, though it will need to be edited from the beginning again once everything is said and done. I've spent over $1000 on that so far, and it would go a lot faster if I didn't need to save up to edit each chapter.
Astrid the Devil is fully plotted, outlined, and only needs the last three chapters. Bunni and Bosque and Vicious are newer, but plotted and already deep into character development (all being shared across social and Wattpad for audience growth). Aite and Jude and other shorts are plotted, and three other unshared stories are plotted and at the editing phase.
Other costs and ways I would use the funding (I would still put in my own money and do as much on my own as possible):
Initial $30K
$6000 - $7000 Line and Copy edits for Astrid (currently at 250000+ words/expecting over 300000 at $0.02 rate)
$6000 - $7000 Line and Copy Edits for Vicious
$3000 - $4000 Line and Copy Edits for Bunni and Bosque
ISBN Purchases (Separate ISBN for each format for each book) - https://www.myidentifiers.com/identify-protect-your-book/barcode
Covers for Astrid/Vicious/B&B Print Versions
Site Hosting Costs and Maintenance for 2 Years
Site completion for all stories
Initial store and app development
40K - Marketing and Graphic Novels
Social, Print, and Web ads
Email Marketing Campaigns 
Booths at Decatur Book Festival (depending on COVID)
Social ads and promos
50 to 60 pages
First two chapters offered as free promo with email sign-ups
Audio journals for each character
Situational audio journals
Encyclopedia for Astrid (finishing up)/Vicious
65K - Hires and Next Phases
Ability to hire a Full-Time Editor 
Audio Series for each (professionally done)
Vicious Graphic Novel
Additional Title Added
Short animations for both Vicious and Astrid (with plans to fund more with book sales)
Fleshed out Story Sections (Novellas for each character of each series)
Short comic series with Astrid and Vicious side characters
Possible to plan out monthly subscription service with new stories and 'story package' deliveries
75K -
Astrid the Devil Graphic Novel
Vicious Graphic Novel
Astrid the Devil Animated Short
Ability to hire part-time Web Developer
Additional bigger title
Anything Over - I ascend into pure light. And also, I can add titles, cover more mediums, and eventually expand my publishing to other black creatives.
From there, I should be able to handle the funding via sales of books, comics, audio, and more. Again, I will always offer mostly free content across the sites.
I believe in proof of concept, and I have diehard fans on my social platforms. With no outside funding, I've been able to a lot on my own. I'd love to expand my business into one that does the same for other black authors, artists, voice actors, and animators somewhere down the line. 
Thank you so much for your consideration. I appreciate all my readers, present and future, and I appreciate any help!
See incentives and more on the actual campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-trey-publish-black-paranormal-horror-stories
Thank you so much!
3K notes · View notes
honeypirate · 3 years
Text
Just a little Touch Starved
Hinawa x fem reader
When your Lieutenant, who you have a very flirty relationship with, learns of your predicament, he tries his best to help you.
Unedited
@fatgumshoneybun :)
You didn’t have much experience with weapons. You were an expert with hand to hand combat but that only got you so far, so you weren’t surprised when Lieutenant Hinawa brought you aside and told you he wanted you to start training with him with weapons.
“Once you become an expert with different weapons you’ll be a well rounded soldier and I won’t have to worry about you” he said with his normal stoic expression and unamused tone, pretending like he didn’t just admit to worrying about you specifically.
You felt special for maybe three seconds before you realize he probably worries about the rest of the crew too since that’s his job and he never usually breaks protocol. He never flirts with you at work.
“Yes sir! I’ll be looking forward to it”
Which wasn’t a lie, you were looking forward to it. You were excited to get stronger and learn, but you didn’t realize it meant he’d have to show you how to hold the weapons.
“Can I touch you?” He asks and you nod, knowing it would help to have him just position you “Let me know if I make you uncomfortable being this close and i will stop ” he says and you nod “it’s okay. I don’t mind close contact I used to work in a kitchen” you say with a laugh and he lets an almost laugh out, which was just air from his nose as he smirks.
You tried to control your breathing as the world seems to slow down. He steps close behind you, pressing his chest against your back you can feel him from your shoulders to your top of your butt. He wrapped his arms around you, his thumbs brushing lightly against your forearms, leaving tingles as he brushes them down to your wrists as he guides his hands around yours and transfers his gun into your hand.
“Hold it like this” you can feel his breath, hot on your ear and you bite the inside of your cheek so you didn’t make a sound.
If you said you were touch starved, that would be an understatement.
A pat on the shoulder from your captain was the most touch and action you’ve gotten in what seems like years.
Sure you get a hug from Maki or Iris occasionally but that wasn’t satisfying to you. You wanted, no, needed, one of those whole body hugs with the right amount of tightness. you wanted to be smothered by someone as they lay all their weight on top of you while you cuddle, you wanted, in the most innocent and naughty ways at the same time, to be touched and held and loved.
When Maki talked to you about love languages one day and showed you the test, you weren’t at all surprised to find out your love language is physical touch, just made you realize how extra touch starved you were from being single for so long.
And if you really paid attention you would have realized that since that conversation with Maki, Hinawa(having overheard your conversation) has been giving you more attention that usual. he would pat your shoulder/back more, ruffle your hair, inconspicuous ways he could show you that he cared for you by using your love language. cut him some slack he’s rusty with feelings.
All that touch starved energy you’ve been ignoring comes back full force as try not to focus on the way you can feel his voice vibrate into your back from his chest “Keep your hand here, bracing the bottom. Keep your elbows like this” he runs his hands up your arms to your elbows to position them before he gently knees you in the back on your leg and you feel your breath hitch and have to remind yourself to breathe deeply so you don’t get light headed from not breathing.
“Keep your knees bent a little” he pushes up your foot with his “keep your left foot farther forward and keep your legs slightly wider than shoulder width”
A sound like a whimper leaves your throat and you quickly cough to cover it, your cheeks heating quickly when you feel him chuckle against your back, you knew he knew but you were grateful he didn't tease you about it.
What you did to deserve this from the universe you didn’t know, but you couldn’t decide if you liked it or if it was cruel to give you a taste of something you didn’t know if you could even have. You’re leaning more towards cruel because even though you and Hinawa have a pretty flirty outside of work relationship, he’s never openly been so bold while working, so, this has to be you reading in to things, right?
“Line up the barrel with your mark, never put your finger on the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot.” You nod and look down the barrel to the target he’s placed a ways off “when you’re ready, take a deep breath and pull the trigger on the exhale” you sight the paper in the distance and line up a shot, you take in a deep breath, and smile slightly, goosebumps running down your back, when he breathes in with you.
And as you both let out your slow breaths you move your finger over and put pressure against the trigger
Your ears ring from the blast, your fingers vibrating with the recoil, but his strong arms around yours made it easy to keep the gun in your hands
“Good job” he says and steps away from you, your back feeling cold for just a second with the lack of his warmth.
Your soul felt like it was glowing, felt like an infernal, Your heart seemed burned alive with how good that felt. Shooting the gun and having him pressed into you for so long. You miss it, you realize a little sadly, the feeling of his strong chest against your back and you decided that the universe was cruel.
You practiced with his guns for a few hours until he was satisfied you knew all he wanted to teach you. Then you spent the next week doing more training to get the information to stick.
You thought that this was it, that guns were his specialty and he had nothing more to teach, you tried to forget about the way his strong body felt pressed to you but you couldn’t help but think about it every time you see him.
Forgetting, you realized, wouldn’t be easy when he said “okay, tomorrow we will practice with a staff” you choked on the water you were drinking “you know more than just guns?” You ask and you felt your cheeks warm when he meets your eye
“I know a lot of things that would surprise you” he says and his deep voice sends tingles down your spine. ‘He’s definitely flirting’ You think as you smile up at him “I hope you teach them all to me then” you say back and watch as his ears turn red, he just rolls his eyes, changing the subject before dismissing you.
The next morning when you walk out to the training ground he tosses a staff to you, which you catch with ease “are you ready?” He asks and you nod “let’s do this”
After he talks to you about how to use it, when to use it, what it’s good and bad against, he comes to stand behind you and you suck in a breath and hold it
He uses his left foot to tap your boots until you widen your stance, he reaches around your body, grabbing the staff next to your hands “copy me” he says into your ear and you feel your body begin to buzz as your heart races.
You move your hands, right hand holding the top of staff and left hand underneath, pressed right against his. “Good girl” he says, seemingly right into your ear, and you let out your breath quickly, biting your tongue to withhold any inappropriate noises. There was no way this was normal, no way he treated others like this. He has to be teasing you. Then it clicks, he’s enjoying this just as much as you are.
For the moment though, you push the way he feels pressed up next to you out of your head as he goes through movements with you. After a few minutes, when you were moving through his order precisely, he stopped. “Good, now lets spar”
After you’re done sparring with him, your hands feel blistered and you’re panting as you collapse to the ground “geez Lieutenant, I’m beginning to think you’re an expert at everything” you say between pants and he suppresses his smile, grabbing a couple water bottles.
He comes and crouches beside you, handing you a bottle. “Good thing I’m your teacher then” he says and you laugh, sitting up and taking the water from him with a smile “thanks Lieutenant” you say and he shakes his head “Hinawa” he says and you raise your eyebrows “what?” He clears his throat “if you’re comfortable, you can call me by my name” you laugh and place your hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently for a moment before pulling back “thanks, Hinawa” you watch his jaw tense and his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows hard and nods, his ears turning pink.
Oh god if you thought the first two were bad, the bow was worse.
“Can I show you again?” He asks and you nod, avoiding his eye so you wouldn’t blush.
He stands behind you, kicking your boots gently until you’re in the right stance then his arms come around you once more.
A soft sigh falls from his lips and you feel electricity enters your body from where his chest was pressed into your back. A sigh that made your cheeks heat, one that said ‘I like this’ and made you realize without a doubt that he felt the same as you did.
His hands rested against yours as he placed them on the bow before guiding your fingers to the string.
“This isn’t a very heavy string, as you train and get stronger you can use better bows” he says into your ear and this time you don’t hold in the satisfied hum “and you’ll teach me then too?” You ask, feeling a little bold
“I don’t know if that will be necessary” he says in his stern way that almost makes you think you took the signs the wrong way until he turns his lips closer to your ear “but I’m willing to give you a refresh lesson” you hear the smirk in his voice and you can’t help but chuckle
You turn your head to look back into his eye, your noses almost touching “and will it be like this?” You ask and you see his lips turn up in smirk “I believe that might be necessary if you keep this weak hold on the bow” you gasp and drop the bow, turning around in his arms and hit his chest playfully “so you have been teasing me during these lessons!”
He moves his hands to be closer together on the bow and stands up normally, pulling you a little closer to his chest with the bow “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable” he says and you feel your cheeks heat up again under his gaze
“I didn’t say that” you say softly and he chuckles “I just, I didn’t know, ya know? At least at first” you feel your cheeks warm “ No one has ever shown me how to hold a gun before or any weapons. I didn’t know it was extra flirty. I thought it was normal. Until the staff lesson, that was obvious”
He is silent for a moment and you watch as his cheeks dust light pink “I know I should have been professional, I -” you reach up and cover his lips with your first fingers softly “yes, you probably should have, but i’m not complaining, really” your cheeks heat up again “plus, it’s not like we haven’t been flirting for months”
“And i may have heard you talk to Maki about how you were touch starved” he confesses and you laugh once as you look up at him
“You had to look up what - “
“I had to look up what that meant yes” he nods once. After he looked it up, he couldn’t handle even thinking about you getting that from someone else, the jealousy he felt imagining you hugging someone who wasn’t him or kissing someone who wasn’t him, he couldn’t do it. That’s when he realized how deep his feelings for you were
You smiled, your heart was warm. He heard you talk about something that you were struggling with, looked it up to see how to help, and has been trying to help you ever since.
“You know, it would have been easier to just ask me if i needed a hug”
“Yeah but you need the training. I didn’t make that part up. You need to get stronger to stay with the company”
You laugh at his business demeanor and then wrap your arms around his neck, burying your face into his shoulder and sighing into him
He sets the bow aside and wraps his arms around your back, hugging you to his chest tightly, his strong arms making you feel safe and supported. You tilt your face up, brushing your nose against his neck as you whisper into his ear “thank you Hinawa” you whisper and he lets out a low hum of approval, of obvious pleasure from the hug, like he has been just as touch starved as you.
“Maybe you should teach me how to use a bow” you say after five minutes and you chuckle when his hold tightens a little
“Yes” he agrees but doesn’t show any sign of moving
Even though you havent had a lot of intimate or close time with him, you felt comfortable in his arms. It felt right, and you didnt want to move just as much as he didnt. You hum softly as you brush your nose up his neck and then against his jaw “Hinawa” you whisper and it sends tingles down his spine.
“You’re such a secret softy” you whisper and he chuckles “don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation”
You chuckle “we can’t have that. It cant ever come out that the bad ass lieutenant of the eighth likes to hug and likes physical affection” you pepper light kisses across his neck and jaw. feeling him shudder slightly at the sensation of your lips against his skin.
“Cant have anyone know how the lieutenant broke the rules on a work day in the middle of training, stopping just to hug and hold his coworker even though they’re not really together and haven’t even filed the proper paperwork.” that one seemed to get him and he pulled back to look down at you “I hope you know that we’re still doing all the training i have planned. This isnt changing that. And the paperwork isn’t difficult we should do that later”
You pause for a moment, looking into his eyes, watching as the corners of his lips turn up into a small smile.
Your fingers play with the hair coming out of the back of his cap “So what you’re saying here, is that you want to be relationship with me and fill out the paperwork, and that you aren’t gonna cut me any slack with training today?”
He nods “yeah that’s what I’m saying”
You laugh and take off his hat, putting it on your own head and turning it backwards as you reach up and run your hands through his hair.
“Then let’s do it” you say with a grin and he cups your cheek, eyes looking down at your lips “what are you doing friday night?” he asks as his eyes look back up to yours “I got a hot date” you say and he raises his eyebrows “do you now?” he asks and you nod, standing on your tiptoes to brush your nose against his “yeah. with you” you whisper and you see the way his eyes go from confused to amused as he rolls his eyes and then surprises you by pressing his lips to yours.
Safe to say, you both won't have to be touch starved anymore.
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nevertheless-moving · 4 years
Text
Suicidal Misunderstanding XIV
Part I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Part XI - - - - Part XII - - - - Part XIII
Star Wars Time Travel AU #27
Plo Koon woke to find himself chained in a dark room.
Somewhere behind him he could hear steady dripping; it was uncertain if that was deliberate or not.
He strained to discern anything in the dim light, but the walls of his prison refused to form into anything recognizable.
Cautiously, the trapped Master cast his senses out, only to find them reflected back at odd angles. He decided to wait before attempting to push any further past what his captor wished him to see.
Time passed strangely, but sooner than expected there was the sound of a pressurized airlock opening and, distantly, a raging ocean.
The airlock cycled through its rotation and Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped out of the amorphous shadows looking...decidedly worse for the wear. 
Plo ached at the sight. His normally carefully maintained beard was a scraggly mess. His robes hung tattered and bloodied. Of particular concern was how dry he looked, skin cracked and bleeding for want of water. The figure standing before him with a dead-eyed glare resembled less an accomplished Jedi Master and more the wretched husk of one. 
“Who are you?”  Obi-Wan's shade hissed. The chains around the Kel Dooran tightened. 
Well, however he might view himself and others...at least he’s willing to fight to defend what remains? At the bare minimum he’s not acting intentionally self destructive...
“Good Morning, Obi-Wan. I am a Jedi Master and your friend. I have been attempting to reach you through your rather impressive shielding. I must say, you’ve done a remarkable job confining me in this mental construct, its been sometime since anyone has managed to get the best of me in this arena.”
Obi-Wan snorted. “Don’t try and flatter me, you barely fought back. You could easily have forced your way anywhere, but for some reason you let me corral you, presumably to try and gain my trust. Now answer my question. Your presence is very much light so I doubt you’re Sidious or...Vader. I could be wrong obviously, but i can’t see either of themselves putting this much effort into that sort of mask...just tell me who you are, and why you’re with them.”
“I am Master Plo Koon, a High Council Member, and I am not unknown to you” he elaborated without hesitation. “I am glad that you can identify that I am a light force user. Can you not sense familiarity within my force presence, even so far within your domain?”
Obi-Wan reared back and the dripping noise in the corner stopped.
“It’s a trick. We might be in my head but that doesn’t mean I’m surrendering any of my thoughts to you,” Obi-Wan snarled. “I felt Plo Koon’s death, he was one of the first...and even if he somehow survived he would never work with the Sith to invade my mind. Never.”
“Obi-Wan. Listen to me. Please. I am not dead. I am not working with the Sith. I was brought in to reach you because no other method was working. You are in the healing halls at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.” Plo spoke calmly, but implacably, “We believe you have either experienced a uniquely detailed vision, or a run in with a dark-sider. Whatever has happened, I can feel the lingering impression of unsafety. But here and now, you are not in any immediate physical danger. There must be something I can do to convince you of your present physical location.”
“A uniquely detailed vision, huh? ha!” Obi-Wan replied, gesturing wildly. “Ha! You expect me to believe that what, the last four years of my life were a detailed prophecy? Why?”
“You...believe you have lived years beyond the rest of us. I take it the- what you remember has been dangerous enough to warrant maintaining abnormally tight control over your mental walls, precluding simply reaching out to ascertain the truth yourself.”
“Clearly my control wasn’t enough if you’re in here.” Obi-Wan muttered.
“I do apologize for the intrusion, but we’ve already used every other tool at our disposal to reach you. I repeat, is there anything that can be done to convince you that you are, from your perspective, ‘in the past’. You are a High Council member with a grandpadawan. It’s been two years since the start of the clone wars. You recently finished an extended clean up of the Mon Cala sector after your victory.”
Obi-Wan stared at him curiously. “If I set a test and you fail, will you agree to dispense with the pretenses?”
Plo-Koon hesitated. “Perhaps I’m making this deal in bad faith, as I am know I am Plo-Koon, and that everything I have said is the truth... but I swear that if you somehow prove that neither of those things are true and I am secretly working for a sith lord, I will...reveal that.”
Obi-Wan sighed. “Best I’m going to get, I suppose.”
The chains holding Plo-Koon loosened. Before he could respond, there was a hurtling rising sensation that he struggled not to fight against. After a disorienting moment, he found himself in his own body, feeling vaguely seasick. Obi-Wan blinked awake, apparently unfazed by the precautionary bonds holding him in place. Master Aerdo’s gaze flicked between them intensely. Plo-Koon held up a clawed hand to forestall any interruption while the two gained their bearings.
Obi-Wan spoke first:
“Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation”
“...What?” Koon replied, honestly confused.
“Cihynglo was a renowned Kashykian Jedi, her mediations are, well i suppose were considered a quintessential example of High Republic cosmic poetry.”
“I’m familiar with Cihynglo- my master used to speak of her fondly.” Plo Koon said slowly. “Though I can’t say I’m familiar with her Fourth Mediation.”
“Hmm. Yes, well her poetry in the last few decades of her life got increasingly, well, esoteric. While most of her work was widely translated and distributed, she requested that those who wished to read her fourth Meditations do so in person, so as to experience without dilution the full calligraphy and artwork that accompanied her words. She only ever produced two copies. Any guesses where they were kept?”
Obi-Wan’s voice started out in the steady tones of a born lecturer, only to grow bitter towards the end.
“Is one in the temple?” Master Koon asked.
“Yes, one was held in the Master’s wing of the temple archives. The other was housed in a place of honor in The White Forest’s Great Tree of Knowledge. Considering both libraries were reduced to ash in the first month of the Empire, it is quite impossible, even for the Emperor, to find a copy.” 
His vague attempt at a smirk quickly fell flat. 
“I was privileged enough to be granted time to begin reading it once, but, alas, an emergency situation in the intergalactic war you created meant that I had to run off mid-sonnet. Bring me that book, let me hold it, read it, and I will believe that I somehow unlocked the secret of time-travel while overdosing on Spice.” 
Obi-Wan paused, catching his breath. “In the next fifteen minutes, please. Any more than that and you might try tracking down the few surviving Wookie scholars.” Koon flipped open his comm. “Master Nu, I have an urgent request.”
“Nu here, go on,” came the response.
“This may sound strange, but it is crucial that Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation be brought to the healing halls, room seven. Within the next 15 minutes.”
“You do understand you’re talking about a physical book, not a flimsi-stack or a holocron. It’s not meant to leave a climate-controlled room.”
“I promise you, I would not ask if it weren’t life or death. Please Jocasta, I’ll explain later.”
“I’ll be there in 10. It had better be one durned good explanation.”
Obi-Wan looked bemused. ”You’re setting yourself up for failure.”
“I am glad you were able to come up with a test you found meaningful. Remember, you have friends here, regardless of whether you experienced subjective time travel or an incredibly detailed vision.”
They waited a little longer. Obi-Wan critically examined Master Aerdo.
“I’m a Senior Soul Healer” they offered at the non-verbal prompting.
“How interesting.” Obi-Wan remarked dryly.
They sat in awkward silence for another minute. 
They were all equally trained in suppressing fidgets, coughs, or other nervous tics, which made the wait that slightest bit more unbearable, each second nearly imperceptible from the one before.
Eventually the sound of heavy boots moving at speed approached.
Master Nu strode in, gently cradling a great burden. The book gleamed large and vital in the light of its stasis wrap. Her eyes widened at they took in Obi-Wan, still cuffed to the bed. 
“Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation, as asked for. I trust you have an excellent explanation for how a book of poetry is a matter of life or death.”
“I’m hoping that it will convince our friend Master Kenobi that I am who I claim to be and we are where I claim we are.” Koon gently pulled the book from her grasp and reverently placed it on Obi-Wan’s lap. Obi-Wan stared at it uncomprehendingly.
“Obi-Wan, I’m going to uncuff you now. I trust that you will use your freedom to examine our ‘proof.’ We will physically intercede if you make any attempts at self harm.”
Master Nu gasped. “Then the temple rumors...I don’t understand.”
Obi Wan picked up the book as if he was afraid it might bite him. With an irritated snort, he opened brusquely to the middle, and began carelessly flipping ahead.
Master Nu started forward, offended, but Plo Koon held her back. “Please Master Nu, patience-”
Finally Obi-Wan seemed to reach the page he was looking for and stopped. “..And still the rain fell like blood of the womb” he murmured. “That...I tried to think of how the line ended but I...”
Everyone watched as the book shook in Obi-Wan's grasp. He turned the page, gasping slightly and murmuring as he read. “This is...a little gross, but oddly touching. I certainly would not have come up with it myself...but its so clearly...” They watched his react, eyes darting wildly and brow furrowing in confusion.
Several pages later he dropped the book abruptly.
“This is impossible,” he gasped.
Nu darted forward, carefully snatching it from his lap, "I am endeavoring to practice tolerance, but how is destroying an irreplaceable piece of literature supposed to help anyone?!” she snapped
“I admit I wondered that myself, but when I imagined what harm the Sith could do with some of the archive’s more practical works, I understood your decision to torch the collection” Obi-Wan responded dreamily. “I suppose the more beautific works would likely have been destroyed anyway...”
“Torch the archives? I would never.”
“But you did,” Obi-Wan insisted feverishly. “I found your message when we searching for survivors. There were so many bodies piled at the archive door that I was almost hopeful that they had managed to...but I suppose they held out just long enough for you to complete your task.”
Nu backed away slowly. “That sounds like quite the disturbing vision, Master Kenobi.”
“It wasn’t just a vision, it was my life. It-visions don’t last years!” he said, finally growing hysterical. “I remember everything! That gods-awful mission to Cato Nemodia! Getting takeout food with Anakin! The smell of burning flesh in the creche! Singing to Luke! The last year of the war! All of you! You crying after Dooku’s death,” he added gesturing wildly at the archivist. “It was so awkward! You were embarrassed! You told me that for some stupid reason you had ‘held out hope’ it was all an insane uncover mission, that he wasn’t really- Three years alone in the desert! I remember three years of living on fucking Tatooine, how could that possibly be a vision!”
“I...hadn’t told anyone that,” Nu whispered with a hint of alarm. She glanced at Plo Koon, daring him to comment. “I know its very much unlikely at this point, and by any measure, he’s taken things too far, but he’s gone on such long shadow missions in the past...” she looked away.
“Oh, Jocasta...” Plo sighed.
“Master Kenobi. I cannot explain how you came to have such detailed knowledge of the future,” Aerdo said, drawing focus back to the bewildered Obi-Wan, who had shifted into a defensive crouch on the bed. “But I do know one reasonably sure fire way to establish that this, us, is the present. Open yourself up to the force, please, just let yourself listen to what it has to say.
“I...want to, of course I want to believe- but the idea that I’m here- it’s, if you’re real than you can’t possibly understand, its too good to be true.” Obi-Wan responded brokenly.
“I know things have been clouded of late, but, if nothing else trust in the force to not lie to you.” Plo-Koon urged. “If you keep closing yourself off like this, how can you possibly learn if things are better than you think”
Obi-Wan collapsed from his crouch, knees folding underneath.
“If I am...even if I am in the past... Sideous might be watching...i didn’t- i don’t know the extent of his gaze- even if...” he trailed off.
“If it makes you feel safer, you are of course free to again raise your shields to whatever extent you feel necessary once you have verified your reality.” Aerdo replied smoothly.
Obi-Wan looked warily at the three Jedi in the room.“I...” he started, trying to articulate the swelling hope and fear only to find himself at a loss for words.
Aerdo shot him a reassuring smile, “If you don’t feel ready right now, that’s perfectly understandable. We’re very happy you’re willing to reach out as much as you have already. Would you like to pause this discussion for now so we can find you something to eat? I believe a simple broth is a customary first post-bacta meal, but if you have any special requests I’ll do what I can.”
Obi-Wan let out a deep breath, dropping his head into his hands. “I- I need to know, don’t I?” he mumbled. “Force help me...you win.” He took one last, searching look at the faces of his fellow Jedi before closing his eyes and surrendering himself to the force.
He opened a small hole in his mental barricades and tentatively allowed his thoughts to drip out. Tentatively, he trickled over the bank of Plo Koon’s being (expecting a frigid burn) only to find a warm and heartbreakingly familiar pool of tempered kindness. 
He ran, slightly faster now, over the other Jedi presences in the room. Having finished his course without encountering any dark undertow, he ebbed back. There was an indistinct impression of something heavy giving way.
Obi-Wan’s Shields Fell Like A Dam Beneath a Tidal Wave -
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Lucky Charm: Reflekdoll
Summary: Adrien struggles to adapt to his powers as Mister Bug while facing an old villain with a new trick. Will he be able to learn fast enough to save his partner?
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"Reflektas, start turning the rest of Paris into me!"
Adrien hid behind the overturned car as Reflekta's clones started attacking untransformed civilians. Apparently, Reflekdoll broadcast a signal that brainwashed any copies. "That's new."
"You are Chat Noir, correct?"
Turning, he spotted a red kwami holding a pair of earrings. "Yeah? And that over there is... Ladybug?" Adrien asked as someone who could only be his Lady launched herself at the giant sentimonster. The suit may have been different but the cat ears were a dead giveaway.
"There's been a little mix up with the Miraculous. I'm Tikki, pleased to meet you!" Tikki offered Adrien the earrings which he accepted.
"Well! Tikki, transforme-moi!"
-----------------
Marinette dodged blast after blast from Reflekdoll.
"Well, my Lady Noire, looks like you're playing the easy part today!"
Lady Noire looked over to see who could only be Chat Noir with her Miraculous. "Not so sure about that!" Placing herself in front of him Lady Noir whirled her staff as a shield, blocking Reflekdoll's beam. "Looks like we'll be taking on two opponents that amplify each other's powers!"
They jumped onto the top of a nearby stone pillar as Reflekdoll attacked again.
"Stay focused, Mister Bug!"
Mister Bug took his yo-yo out and whirled it like he'd seen Ladybug do countless times. "Just my luck. I'm gonna have to capture two akuma instead of one."
"No, one akuma and one amok," Lady Noire corrected.
Reflekta fired her beam into one of the ports onboard. The magic layered by Reflekdoll before it shot a concentrated beam. Mister Bug acted on instinct and tackled Lady Noire out of the way. They rolled to their feet and charged up Reflekdoll as Lady Noire explained what a sentimonster was.
"Would've been nice to know what the Peacock could do before their sentimonsters started showing up!" Mister Bug commented as he launched a kick at said sentimonster to little effect.
"It was on a need-to-know basis!" Lady Noire swung her staff into the sentimonster with similar results.
"I really need to talk with the Guardian about what he considers 'need-to-know'!" Mister Bug leapt back towards the ground with Lady Noire. "Okay, so we need to find Reflekta's akumatized object and the baby monster's amok."
Lady Noire deflected another beam from Reflekdoll. "Can you manage or should we switch back?"
"C'mon! I'm totally capable of doin' it!" Mister Bug smirked.
Lady Noire pulled him out of the way of Reflekdoll's beam and they ran towards the Eiffel Tower. "We need to figure out where the akuma and amok are!"
"Probably the same place as the last time we fought her. In her bracelet!"
They jumped onto the tower itself and used the iron structure to shield themselves. "Maybe. We're gonna have to check that!"
"If I could just get my hands on a mirror I'd be able to reflect her own beam back at her!"
Landing on the first level, Lady Noire turned to look at Mister Bug. "That's not how it works." She crossed her arms. "The Lucky Charm doesn't just give you what you want."
"You ever asked? Watch and learn!" Mister Bug grinned. "Lucky Charm!"
"A mirror!" Oh, Adrien was gonna lord this over her so much! 
"Beginners luck," Lady Noire declared. Chat Noir was gonna be insufferable about this she could feel it.
"You're just jealous of my mastery!" Mister Bug teased.
A loud banging interrupted them and they looked down to see Reflekdoll climbing the tower. Reflekta steering with one hand and shooting her much smaller lasers through the window eyes with the other.
Mister Bug held out his mirror and reflected one of them back at her. Bullseye!
Reflekdoll shot at them with its big beam.
 "Very effective, Mister Bug."
"Hey, it worked didn't it?"
Lady Noire sighed in exasperation. "May I remind you that the Lucky Charm doesn't just give you an object to defeat the villain with-"
"I thought that's exactly what it does?"
"You actually have to figure out exactly how to use it!" Lady Noire poked him in the forehead. "Using your head!"
Reflekdoll reached there level and started firing. Mister Bug jumping for cover while Lady Noire blocked its attack with her staff. "Since you wasted your Lucky Charm. I guess that means it's my turn, buggaboy! Watch and learn! Cataclysm!"
Lady Noire leapt at the sentimonster and-
Her body was pulled out of the way of Reflekdoll's beam just in time. Mister Bug unwinding his yo-yo none too gently. "What was that about using your head? May I remind you that Cataclysm needs a physical medium to work properly! If that sentimonster is made outa magic I doubt it'll do what you want!"
Lady Noire held the Cataclysm as close as she could without actually touching it. "Well, what do you suggest?"
Mister Bug pulled her out of the way of another beam. "Uh... I... Knock her back to ground level while I come up with something?" Adrien smiled with the most conviction he could muster.
Lady Noire groaned. "Think fast!" And rushed out. Dodging Reflekdoll's attack she extended her baton and struck the sentimonster with her full momentum. Reflekdoll crashing back down to earth.
Taking advantage of Lady Noire's distraction Mister Bug glanced around from his high vantage point. Trying to spot anything that would spark an epiphany like Ladybug. "Okay, I admit it!" he cried out, shoulders slumping, "Being Chat Noir is way more fun."
Lady Noire leapt around the sentimonster and struck at its body. The Black Cat giving her a bit more agility than she was used to. Very handy.
Mister Bug added a swing of his yo-yo to one of her attacks. Reflekdoll stumbling with their combined force.
Lady Noire landed beside him. "What have you got?"
"Ah," Mister Bug rubbed the back of his neck. "About that..."
She stared at him. "Seriously!?"
"Well, I'm sorry! Some of us are just slow learn-"
"LOOK OUT!"
Lady Noire didn't think. She just acted. Mister Bug was the only one who could purify the akuma and he needed to keep going. She pushed Mister Bug out of the way as one of Reflekta's clones attacked... Just as Reflekdoll fired its beam.
"My Lady!" Mister Bug cried out.
Lady Noire stood immobile as a Reflekta copy.
"Yes! Now get bug boy's Miraculous!" The original Reflekta ordered.
Springing to life, the Reflekta that used to be Lady Noire aimed her bracelet and fired.
Mister Bug whirled his yo-yo as a shield and leapt to the nearest roof.
"You won't get away from me!" Reflekta called after him as he fled for cover.
-----------------
Adrien leaned against the wall of his hiding place. Breathing deeply, heart hammering in his chest. "Okay. It's okay. Ladybug does this all the time! What would Ladybug do? What would Ladybug do?"
The Ladybug earrings beeped insistently.
"This is fine!" Adrien announced as he detransformed.
Tikki falling into Adrien's palms as he fell to his knees.
"This isn't fine! Tikki, I can't do this! I'm no Ladybug! We should've switched back when she said! I-" Adrien's chest constricted and he forced his breath to slow.
"She trusted you enough to keep going," Tikki said weakly.
Her state bringing Adrien out of his head. "You need food."
Tikki hovered closer to his face, looking him in the eye. "No two of my Ladybug's have ever been exactly alike. Some are slower learners than others. I trust you, too."
Adrien looked away, shoulders hunching. "But I messed up."
"Remember Stoneheart?" Tikki prompted. "Ma- Ladybug messed up too. But you still believed in her." She placed a paw on his cheek. "Believe in yourself now."
Adrien's gaze came back to her.
"Don't ask what Ladybug would do. Ask yourself: what would Adrien do?"
Steeling his resolve Adrien nodded, rising to his feet and cupping Tikki in his palms. "First things first," he inched closer to the alleyway's entrance. The overturned car with his stash of Camembert a short sprint away. "Let's get you recharged."
A gaggle of Reflekta clones chased a group of civilians past him. The people hit turning into more copies and standing still until the akuma villain's voice came booming over the city. The new clones springing to life so they could follow her orders.
They lit up in Adrien's mind and his head shot back to the sentimonster in the distance. Its beam lighting up too.
Adrien gazed down at Tikki and grinned. "I've got an idea."
-----------------
"Lucky Charm!"
A mirror fell into Mister Bug's hands. "Wow, twice in a row. Lucky me," Adrien deadpanned as he tied it to his arm like a shield using his yo-yo. The plan was a laughably simple two step process.
Step One: Get shot.
"Hey, Reflekta!" he hollered from a rooftop at convenient shooting hight. "Don't you know that pink frills are so last season?"
"Once I turn the whole world into Reflektas it'll be the only season!" She fired into Reflekdoll's port which concentrated her energy into a stronger blast.
Just as planned. Mister Bug braced his feet and held his Lucky Charm directly in front of him. "Here we go!"
The sentimonster fired.
Step Two: Shoot Reflekta with her own sentimonster's magic.
The beam reflected off Mister Bug's mirror and perfectly into the round eye windows. Blasting Reflekta dead center.
Adrien held his position for a moment, peaking past his makeshift shield. Reflekta and Reflekdoll stood still. Waiting for orders from... themselves. The enhanced magic dependent on the sentimonster and by extension whoever was driving it.
"Yes!" Mister Bug raised both fists. "Now just a little pest control and we can all get on with our day!"
Finding and purifying the akuma and amok was easy when he wasn't being shot at. Grabbing Juleka as the sentimonster vanished and setting her down on the ground.
Adrien looked at Mister Bug's reflection in his mirror... "I've always wanted to do this." And tossed his Lucky Charm into the air. "Miraculous Mister Bug!"
As the ladybug's restored Paris he spotted a familiar black suit. Adrien ran for her.
"Mister Bug? What- OOF!" Lady Noire stumbled as her partner barreled into her and tried to squeeze all the air out of her lungs. Once she could breathe Marinette wrapped her arms around him and patted his back. "You did good, little bug."
Adrien just held her for a moment. She was okay. He'd saved her. She was okay.
Then his earrings beeped.
Breaking the hug, Mister Bug jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Ah, we should split."
"Yeah..." Lady Noire readied to extend her baton. "... I think I finally get why you're so protective."
Mister Bug smiled. "And I get why you're so focused all the time."
He offered a fist bump and she accepted. Both heroes leaping in opposite directions.
-----------------
"Tikki!" Marinette cradled her friend to her chest.
"Marinette!"
"I can't believe how much Chat trusts me... Knowing you might have to do that again? I don't think I could handle it."
"He's your Chat Noir for a reason, Marinette," Tikki agreed.
-----------------
"Fighting by yourself is horrible, Plagg! I don't know how Ladybug does it." Adrien held him tight. Deciding never to let his Miraculous out of his sight again.
"She's got you most of the time, doesn't she? You're supposed to support each other, ain't ya?"
"Yeah. You're right..."
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"... Well, one things for sure, Tikki." Marinette gazed off in the direction Plagg flew towards.
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"She definitely-"
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"He definitely-"
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"-got the short straw."
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Yes, this is technically the last prompt... But it's already written and I'm impatient.
@adrienaugust
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Accidently Married | Tom Hiddleston x OFC | Chapter 3 | And Miss Out on Mum Meeting the Girl You Married Without Telling Her? Not a Chance
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A/N:  Tom makes certain comments about an ex (who is unnamed).  It is a fictional girlfriend, take from it what you will.  Keep your hate to yourself.  
SERIES MASTERLIST HERE
Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Molly Bishop)
Summary: Tom is stuck in a news cycle from hell; Molly is stuck in the dead end job of bartending with a pile of student and credit debt.  Tom has an idea to solve all their problems.  Get married, get the paparazzi off his back, divorce after a year and Tom pays off Molly’s debts.  Tom has everything figured out, that is until he sees Molly as more than a just a friend and so does someone else.  In this vying for affections who will win, the handsome Brit or the boy from Boston?
This Chapter: Molly finally gets to meet Luke and they try to convince him that this marriage is not some elaborate plot to manipulate the press.  And Tom makes a critical error.  We learn more about Molly and her past. 
Warnings: fake marriage, smut (vaginal sex), mentions of:  child abuse/neglect, foster care, substance abuse, cheating.
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Tom regretted drinking two cups of espresso the next morning before heading to Luke’s. He definitely regretted not eating anything more than a piece of toast with butter and marmalade. Even after Molly offered to make something for him.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to make you eggs, an omelette? I could probably manage some French toast before we have to leave.” Molly sipped her tea as she ate some oatmeal. 
French toast sounded divine at the moment as Tom’s stomach did somersaults. Molly’s knee bounced in the passenger seat on the way to the Prosper office. 
“Do you think Luke will yell at me?” Molly asked. “I don’t do well when people yell at me.”
Tom’s head snapped over at her. She sighed. 
“Foster parents are not always kind. Bio parents can be worse.” She wrung her hands. 
He reached over and squeezed Molly’s knee. “I promise I won’t let him yell at you.” 
“Thank you, Tom. Are we telling him the truth?” 
“Only if necessary.” 
“Then what are we telling him?” 
“That I went to Vegas, and I fell madly in love with you and on a whim we got married.”
“A fanciful tale.” Her head dropped to her chest. 
“Oh, I don’t know, darling. You sell yourself short. You’re bright, funny, caring and dare I even say easy on the eyes.”
Molly blushed. “Thank you. You are not so bad yourself. Although I seriously question your dietary habits.”
Tom chuckled. “I’ll work on it. And I hope after all of this we will be good friends.”
“Me too.” 
“Looks like we are here.” Tom parked the car on the street. He hustled around to open Molly’s door and help her out. “Time to face the firing squad.” Her eyes widened. “Kidding!”
By the time the meeting was done, Molly wished it had been a firing squad. 
-
“Luke, this is Molly Bishop, now Hiddleston.” Tom wrapped his arm around her waist. “My wife.” 
“My condolences.” Luke shook Molly’s hand. 
Molly’s brow furrowed. “I…” 
“Of all the stupid shit you have ever fucking done—” Luke started in on Tom. 
“Luke, watch your tone.” Tom jabbed a finger in his publicist’s face. “You are not to yell at Molly.” His bright blue eyes flashed and his fists clenched. 
Luke took a step back. “Right. Take a seat and let’s see if we can straighten this out.” 
They sat next to each other. Molly reached for Tom’s hand and he took it. Luke sat down behind his desk, staring at the two of them. Luke pinched his nose hard and took several deep breaths. Before speaking, he poured a glass of water and dropped two Alka-Seltzer into the water. Molly stared at the whole thing. Tom leaned over. 
“For later. Luke says I give him indigestion.” he whispered.
“And headaches.” Luke added.
“I can understand the feeling.” Molly muttered under her breath.
“I beg your pardon!” Tom twisted around to face Molly. “Et tu. Is this about the vegetables?”
“It wouldn’t kill you to eat one every so often. You’re not 21 anymore.”
Tom gritted his teeth. “I said I would work on it. Can we not talk about this right now?”
“You’re the one who brought it up. I was just making a comment.”
Luke’s head bounced back and forth like watching a tennis match, a smirk growing on his face.
“You two are good. Really good. Damn Tom, the lengths you will go to… hiring an actress to pretend to be your wife, that’s—”
“We got married, Luke. In Vegas.” Tom retorted. “Darling, do you have the copy of the license?”
Molly grumbled. “I do, but we are not done with the whole diet thing.” She rummaged through her purse and produced the folded piece of paper. “Show him the photos.” She whispered to Tom as she handed over the license. 
“I’m not showing him the photos unless I have to.” Tom hissed.
“Show me the photos, Tom.” Luke beckoned him. 
Tom side eyed Molly and handed over the license and his phone. Luke glanced at the license and then scrolled through the photos, eyes growing wider. He zoomed in on one and squinted. 
“Is that a spider ring?” he asked.
“His name is Clive.” Tom deadpanned.
Luke cuts his eyes at Tom. “Of course, you named it. You wouldn’t happen to have the ring, would you?” He turned to Molly.
She let loose a breath, exasperated. “Honestly,” she jabbed a finger at Tom and then Luke. “I was not expecting the Spanish Inquisition.” She dug through her purse again. “You are both lucky that I planned ahead.” Molly slammed the two Tiffany boxes on the desk. “There, here is your pound of flesh.”
Luke opened the boxes and found the spider ring and plastic gem ring. His eyes went to their proper rings and then ran his hands through his hair. 
“Holy shit, you got married.”
Tom rolled his eyes. “I have been saying that for the last 24 hours, mate. Can we move on?”
Molly giggled. 
“I… I… apologize. Sorry.” He sputtered, he turned to Molly. “I’m sorry, Molly. You have no idea the things this man has put me through.”
“I can imagine.”
“Hey! I—”
“Not talking to you, Tom.” Luke held up a hand. “I am talking to your bride. Clearly the reasonable one. Although she did marry you, so…”
Tom slumped in the chair. “Two of you. I thought you were on my side.”
Molly reached over and rubbed his arm. “I’m always on your side, honey.”
Tom smiled and leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, darling. Do you believe me now, Luke?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes, I do.” He slammed his hand on his desk, rattling his water. “Now let’s talk about these.” He held up several newspapers.
Forty-five minutes later, they finally ended the meeting. Tom was starving. Luke grilled Molly about her background. By the end of everything, Tom now knew that Molly spent the ages of 12-18 in foster care, went to college where she worked two jobs to make ends meet, and has no contact with her younger brother who was adopted. Tom felt a twinge of guilt listening to Molly tell her life story. He never really bothered to ask. 
Luke led them to the door but stopped short. 
“How did your mom take the news, Tom?” Luke asked. Tom froze and paled. Luke leaned in. “You did tell her?”
Molly glanced between them. “I thought you called her when we got home.”
Tom ran his hands through his hair. Little bits stuck up. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened. “I forgot. I was distracted by someone yelling at me.”
“You haven’t told your mother about us?!” Molly screeched. 
Luke chuckled, which soon turned into a full belly laugh. “You are so dead, Tom.” Molly gasped. “You will be fine, Molly, but pray for your husband. There is nothing scarier in this world than Diana Hiddleston mad at her only son.” 
Molly gulped. “I will keep that in mind. Now if you excuse us, we have some calls to make.” 
Tom nodded, still reeling from the fact he didn’t tell his mum, or his sisters, that he got married. Fake or not. He hoped she hadn’t seen any of the photos yet. But knowing Emma and Sarah, they sent her the links. “Right, calls.” 
Molly pushed Tom out of the office and towards the elevator. She waved bye to Luke as the doors closed. 
“That went better than expected.” Molly shifted her weight from side to side.
“Yeah, yeah!” Tom blinked and came back to reality. “You were brilliant. What made you think to bring the rings?”
“People have the tendency to believe you when you can present physical evidence. That, coupled with the photos, lends credibility. I mean, who gets married with a plastic spider ring?” She laughed and Tom joined in. 
“Genius, really. Luke would have never—” Tom’s stomach rumbled. He blushed. “You were right I should have eaten something.” 
Molly stretched to reach his cheek and gave him a quick peck. “You will soon learn I am always right. Let’s find you some food and then you call your mother.”
“Fine.”
-
They found a place for Tom to grab a sandwich since it was too late for breakfast and not quite time for lunch. Molly stared on as Tom inhaled the sandwich, a bag of potato chips, and a bottle of water. 
“Did you taste any of that?”
Tom glanced up at her as he poked the last bit of the sandwich into his mouth. “Yes.” 
She shoved a napkin towards him. “You have crumbs on your face.”
Tom swallowed. “Thanks.”
“Call your mother.” 
Tom slouched. “Can’t we wait until we get home?” 
“No.” She stared him down. “If you don’t do it, I will.” Molly lunged for his phone, but Tom was too fast and grabbed it first.
“I’m calling her right now.” He held the phone to his ear, praying it would go to voicemail.
“Tom!” Diana’s warm voice filled his ear. “How are you doing, love?”
“Doing good. A bit of jet lag, I was in Vegas over the weekend.”
Diana hummed. “And how is Luke?”
Tom chuckled. “Angry at me as always.”
“If you would just listen to him…”
“I like her.” Molly popped in.
Tom waved her off. 
“I know, Mother. Listen,” He fidgeted with his hair again. Molly realized it was an absolute tell when Tom was nervous. “I was wondering if you might like to grab some lunch this week. We can catch up. So much as happened since I last saw you.”
“I would be delighted, Thomas. Why don’t you come up to the house? Does Wednesday work for you?”
Tom mouthed “Wednesday” to Molly, who shrugged her shoulders.
“Like I’m doing anything? You and Luke are the only people I know here.”
“Right.” He returned to the call. “Wednesday is perfect, mum. Noon?”
“It’s a date. Don’t forget to bring that wife of yours, Thomas. I am quite keen on meeting her.”
All the blood drained from Tom’s face. “I… I… can explain—”
“I’m sure you can. On Wednesday. I have to go, love. It was good to chat.” The line went dead.
Tom stared at the phone. “I’m so dead. She knows about you.”
“Oh, she knows. You are her son. And didn’t you mention having sisters? They totally ratted you out.” Molly smiled at him.
-
Tom had some appointments on Tuesday which kept his mind occupied from seeing his mother the next day. Molly took some time to figure out how to change her name, get a new passport, and figure out how to maneuver life in a foreign country. Tom took her to get a phone that would work. 
“Here you go.” 
The first thing she did was snap Tom to add to his contact list. He was laughing in the photo.
“Don’t use that one!” Tom pouted. “Let me pose.”
“But I like this one. It captures your essence.”
But now it is Wednesday morning. Tom woke up early to go for a run. Molly was already up, sipping tea in the living room.
“Can I join you?” she asked upon seeing Tom in workout gear.
“I run about three miles…”
“Sounds perfect. Give me two minutes.” She bounded off the couch towards her bedroom. 
Tom fiddled with his headphones until Molly emerged in sneakers and workout leggings. Over the ear headphones around her neck. 
“Ready to go.” She tucked her phone into a pocket. “I will just follow you.”
“Let me know if you need to turn around.” Tom winked as they set off.
They returned home about thirty minutes later.
“Sure you don’t want to go another mile?” Molly bounced on her feet. 
Tom breathed hard. “Maybe another time. I’m a bit out of shape. You run?”
Molly nodded. “Most days I run. If I get up in time. I miss the gym.”
Tom chuckled. “We need to get you a membership. And I need to ..get into shape myself. Can’t let my wife show me up in paparazzi photos.” he half-joked. 
Molly coughed. “They take photos of you running?!”
“Sometimes.” He took a sip of water, his heart rate going back to normal. “Definitely now with you in the picture.”
Molly raised an eyebrow, stepping towards him, grabbing the water bottle from him. “Think they are out there right now?” 
Tom glanced around and sure enough, he spied a few cameras with zoom lenses down the street.
“Yup.” 
Molly wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe we should give them a more scandalous photo.” 
Tom leaned down. “What did you have in mind?” he smirked as Molly tugged his head towards her and her lips crashed against his. She sighed and Tom slipped his tongue into her mouth. Molly did the same. As he fisted the back of her shirt, Tom noticed one of Molly’s arms moving. 
“AH!!” He screamed as the cold water poured down on his head and Molly jumped back laughing.
“I thought you needed a little cooling off.” she laughed.
Tom lunged for her with a smile on his face, droplets of water falling from his hair. 
“You’ll pay for that!” Tom gave chase, while Molly dashed into the house, screaming and laughing.
She made it as far as the living room before Tom’s long legs caught up with her.
“Got you!” 
Tom grabbed her by the waist to pull her towards him, but their feet slipped and they ended up on the couch. Tom on top of her. Their eyes locked for a moment before Tom scrambled to his feet. 
“I’ll get you all wet.” he commented nervously. “I should…”
“Right.” Molly nodded, sitting up. “I’ll make some breakfast. Eggs and toast. I don’t know what your mother is planning on for lunch.”
“A light breakfast would be best.” Tom shook out his now soaked t-shirt and Molly caught a glimpse of his abs. 
“No problem.” She smiled. 
They both headed off in different directions. When it was time to leave for Diana’s house, Molly fidgeted with her casual dress and knee-high boots.
“Do I look okay?” she glanced at Tom in jeans and a sweater. “I’m overdressed. Look at you, casually gorgeous. I’m going to change. I have nothing to wear. Nothing to wear…” Molly’s face broke down.
Tom wrapped his arms around her. “What’s going on, darling?” She buried her head in his sweater. “You didn’t freak out like this when we went to go see Luke.”
“That was business. This is your mother. I don’t do well with families, particularly mothers. What if she hates me?” 
He kissed the top of her head. “First off, you look beautiful. Second, if my mum hates anyone between the two of us, it will be me. She is going to love you, darling.” 
Molly sniffled and dabbed her eyes with the back of her fingers. “Really?”
“I am 100% certain. Now let’s get on the road.”
Molly smiled and nodded. The fear wasn’t gone, but she felt better knowing Tom would be there with her. That fear came rushing back as they stood on the front step of the house of Diana Hiddleston. Tom reached for Molly first. 
“I’ve got you, darling.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek right as the door opened.
“Gross, Tom. And at Mum’s house no less.” Emma gagged.
Tom’s cheeks turned a bright pink. “Emma! I didn’t expect you to be here.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “What a surprise.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “And miss out on Mum meeting the girl you married without telling her, not a chance.” Emma turned to Molly. “Emma.”
“Molly B… Hiddleston.” She smiled and extended her hand. Emma shook it with a firm grip.
“The papers didn’t give a name. She seems nice, Tom. Clearly she doesn’t know the real you.”
Tom continued to blush. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Em. Can we come in or are we eating on the front step?”
Emma held the door open wide and stepped aside. They stepped inside. “Mum’s in the kitchen.”
As if on cue, Diana’s voice rang out. “Is that them, Emma?” 
“They just got here!” she yelled before turning back to them. “She’s been cooking all day.” 
Molly gulped. Tom squeezed her hand. An older woman with grey white shoulder length hair. She came up to Tom's shoulder, if that.
“You were supposed to tell me when they got here.” she scolded Emma.
“I was on my way to tell you.” 
“Go take the food out of the oven.”
“But…” Emma protested.
“Go, child. You’ll have the entire meal to listen to me yell. Right now I need a word with your brother.”
Emma pursed her lips as she walked into the kitchen but made a slashing throat gesture, mouthing the words “you’re so dead” at Tom before disappearing. 
Diana wiped her hands on her apron. “Now where is my new daughter-in-law?” 
Molly raised her hand. “That would be me. Molly, ma’am.”
Diana held open her arms and wrapped them around Molly tight. She realized where Tom got his hugging skills. 
“You are just a doll. Is my son treating you well?”
Molly nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 
“So polite and much shorter than the last one. Right at eye height for me.”
“Mother…”
Diana waved Tom off. “And please call me Diana or Mum or Mom. I promise I don’t bite.”
Molly giggled. “Yes, ma.. Diana.”
Diana hugged her again before spinning to face her son.
“Tom.” She crossed her arms.
“Mum.” Tom grew very interested in the rug on the floor. 
“Do I get a hug?” Diana smiled. 
Tom looked up and grinned. “Always.” The two of them hugged tight, Tom bending at the knees to wrap his arms around her. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” Diana pulled back.
Her hand reached out and smacked Tom right upside the head. Tom cowered, covering his head.
“Mum!” he howled.
“You got married and didn’t tell me!”
“I was getting around to it. Luke distracted me!” Tom explained. 
Diana smacked his arm. “Do not blame Luke for this, he is a saint! You were keeping this lovely girl away from me.”
Molly beamed as Diana smacked Tom one more time. 
“You think I’m lovely?” she asked.
Diana turned to Molly. “Oh dear. You are perfectly charming. Unlike my wretch of a son.” Another smack to the chest.
“Really, Mum? In front of our guest?” Tom flinched.
“Molly is family.” Diana stopped, took a deep breath, and smiled. “Now with that sorted, let’s go eat.” She spun on her heel and headed back to the kitchen. 
Tom hooked his arm with Molly’s. “My mother.”
“I like her.” 
-
Emma and Diane pumped the two of them for every detail about this abbreviated courtship.
“A chapel in Vegas, Tom? Romantic.” Emma sneered.
“I thought so.” Molly added.
“Thank you, darling.” Tom leaned against her. 
“Awww.” Emma commented.
Diana stood to clear the dishes as Emma examined Molly’s ring.
“Let me help you.” Tom rose to help, taking the rest of the dishes. Diana grabbed his arm when they reached the sink.
“I really like her, Thomas. You did well.”
“Thank you. She is something.” Tom smiled.
“Much better than the last girl you brought home.”
Tom frowned. “Mum, I…”
Diana held up her hand. “I know. Don’t mention her. But I will say this. There was something about her that didn’t sit right with me.” 
“You never said anything to me.”
Diana smiled softly and cupped Tom’s cheek. “You seemed so in love and happy. And all I have ever wanted for all my kids is to be happy.”
“Oh.”
“But none of that matters. You have Molly now and the two of you have years of happiness ahead.” 
Tom glanced over to where Emma and Molly hunched over Emma’s phone. Tom’s heart twinged with guilt. 
“Right. Of course.” He smiled.
Molly burst out in laughter.
“What is so funny over there?” Tom called out, heading over to the table.
Emma giggled. “Just some old pictures.”
Tom’s face fell. “No, you didn’t…”
Molly giggled. “You were so skinny and that hair!” 
The two girls fell into a fit of giggles as Diane placed a hand on Tom’s shoulder.
“Yes, I like her very much.” she whispered. “Why don’t we pull out the old picture albums?”
Tom groaned. 
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Text
Dad!Harry talks to his daughter about her questioning sexuality PART 2
part one
(Thank you all for liking the last post, my heart is so full.)
More about the twins, parents' discussions, and a girl's day of insight and vulnerability.
WC: 3.5 k
-----
After tucking June in bed, much to her playful annoyance, Harry made his way to the bedroom where the love of his life was resting. Crossing the hallway, he smiled to himself. There was nothing he loved more than being a trusted father. Having this responsibility lifted him, it guided him to be even better. Just replaying the conversation he had in his head was bringing extra moisture to his eyes. What could he say? He was a natural softie, this (y/n) knew so it was no different with his babies.
Right before making it to his shared bedroom, he instead turned to make his way to the younger ones' room. (y/n) might possibly be crossed with him if she finds out he awoke them just for some kisses, but she didn't have to know.
Shuffling into the room, lit by a nightlight that displayed soft stars on the kids' ceiling, he noticed both of them whispering to one another. Having them share a room was the conscious decision of the parents. Although they had a few rooms to spare, they preferred the twins to sleep together, as they quickly noticed how the two reacted when apart. Oftentimes, they'll find Mick in Mazzy's bed, or vice-versa. It is clear to the parents that the twins are most comfortable with one another, and separating them seemed borderline abusive.
"Hmmm, what're you two on about? Late, innit?" Harry softly spoke, with a smile on his face to clear any seriousness in his words.
"Dadaaaa" Mazzy dragged, smiling that her father was here. She sat up on her bed, making grabby arms as to drag her father further into the room. He was so weak for his babies and quickly made his way to her.
"Mazzy meet friends today. Talk dada," Mick explained in an annoyed tone, which Harry obviously found hilarious. Pardon him for not knowing the basis of their conversations. As he smiled to himself, he wrapped his arm around Mazzy as she further burrowed himself on his side, and he extended his hand to Mick (whose bed was a very short distance away from Mazzy's). "Bedtime dada, momma said sleep" Mick said seriously to his father as he reluctantly grabbed his hand.
Harry and (y/n) could see the personalities of the two strongly already: Mick adopted the role of the carrying older brother despite being born only six minutes before, and Mazzy the clumsy, caring younger sister. The twins upheld their roles quite well, and because of their personalities, they rarely left each others' sides.
"Oh baby, I know she did but I just want some snuggies. Don't kill me, 'kay?" Harry said, pulling his arm so Mick would get the message to hug his father. Despite wanting to seem ever-so mature, loved nothing more than to hug the most important man of his life and finally succumbed to 'snuggies'.
"Mumma said to sleep for school, dada," Mazzy inquisitively said to Harry, looking up at him questioning.
"Yes baby, you two need to start sleeping more, you'll start preschool later this year, and mums' not sure if they do nappy time like in daycare." He rubbed both of their backs in unison as he saw them interlock hands on his stomach. These moments, he thinks, are the exact reason he does what he does. He wants nothing more than to support his babies (all four, actually) and be able to watch them grow. "Just wanted to give you guys some kissies. Kissies please?" He finished by puckering his lips as he looks down at the two.
They giggle and lean up to press soft kisses on his cheeks simultaneously.
"Now what's this about some friends, Mazzy?"
"Yes papa, so nice to me. Mick wants to hear if good friends."
Harry continued to rub their backs, so proud of their bond. "Good job Mick, always taking care of your sister. You know she'll always do the same for you too."
"I know dada, told me Aidan was rude to her. We not friends again." Mick stated, again making his father's chest filled with pride.
"Good, we all know we need to treat our friends nicely but if they are not kind back, we can't let ourselves be their friends. What do we do, babes?"
The kids smiled, playfully annoyed once again yet said together: "treat people with kindness." dragging it out as most kids do with very little seriousness.
"I've gotta go now, let's tuck you both in so momma will never know I was here, 'kay?" He lifted Mick in his arms and carried him the short distance to his bed, while Mazzy tucked her legs back in her blankie. Making sure Mick was cozy, he planted a wet kiss on his forehead.
"Dadaaa" Mick smiled, knowing his father's antics by now.
After placing another kiss on Mazzy's head, he placed a palm on both of the children's bellies. "I love you two so dearly. You guys, June, and your mum are the best things in my life. Rest up so we can have another fun day tomorrow babies."
He finally made his way out of their room, seeing the two burrowings further into their respective blankets with their eyes closed filling his heart. Sneaking his phone out, he snapped a quick picture and sent it to his wife so she could keep a copy of the moment. (although, through this, he effectively ruined the small secret of waking them.) Fuck it, he'll just say this is how he found them.
-----
"She wanted to talk about the Sage situation?" (y/n) guessed, as her beloved crossed the threshold and planted himself face-first on their king bed. All spread out, he moved his back to crack it, due to the stress of every day and ... well, age.
"Said she heard about my sexuality more than yours. Bet you're jealous huh?"
"Please, I know the bond you two have. Is she okay though? You gave her the good ole' 'we'll always be there' parent talk?" (y/n) never doubted his ability to be a father, but these circumstances were a bit more sensitive than other matters. She finally shut her book, placing it on the bedside table that holds Harry and her's current reads. There was no better end to her day than kissing her babies and reading alongside the love of her life.
"She's okay, I think. It's hard for her, obviously. I hate seeing her in pain but this is just one of those things she has to do. As long as she knows we're here, I don't expect it to be too difficult?" He pondered. He did mean it, being a questioning teenager is difficult as is but adding sexuality to the equation? He was fortunate enough to be so self-assured that the concept of questioning himself wasn't that turbulent. "But she wants to hear from you too, obviously. Be prepared to share your life story babe," he giggled, turning his head to see his wife who now began to stroke his hair. God, that really did it when he was tired.
"Yeah, I think I recall her saying this week was slow since she finished exams, so would you agree that we could take a girl's day in light of it all?" She pondered, wanting to assure her daughter in the best, normal way possible.
Harry finally sat up, only to cuddle into his wife's arms. This was another reason he knew the two were soulmates: she loved being the big spoon as much as he liked being held in her arms. "Yes, definitely a good idea. Mhm, what'd I do to have someone as mindful and loving as you? M'life would be incomplete without you, you're everything to me, love." Still feeling as 'lovey-dovey' as ever, he burrowed his head further into her, almost physically absorbing the love she poured out.
"I just want her to feel normal, I guess. When I finally came out, it seemed like it was the only interesting thing about me. It was the only point of conversation for a while, and I don't want June to feel like it's such a hugely different thing. She's still our baby, always will be."
"Hmm, the parenting books have nothing on us. So happy we're a team," he says, grabbing one of her hands to intertwine their fingers. "Gives me a love boner just thinking about how good we are, God."
"Narcissistic asshole. Want a bedtime handie?"
Her words make him shudder, a moan itching to be released. "M'done for with you."
She smiles at his words, knowing that the man in her arms is unlike the general population in that he prefers her hand far over her mouth. Shifting a bit, she kept one arm around his shoulders, to keep him close, and inched the other one to his briefs. They were firm believers in comfortable sleeping, which often lead to sleeping in only undergarments or less. She began to touch him softly through the fabric, already feeling how hard he was. "Oh baby, what's got you all worked up already?" It was a taunting tone, something about their position made it common sense that he'd be more submissive tonight.
"Please, (y/n). Just a quick hand, please." He shifted his hips, trying to get her soft hand to come down harder. Lucky for him, she wasn't in a mood to see him suffer and pressed the heel of her hand more firmly. "You know exactly what that does to me. Please baby, I'll be quiet."
"I know you will, you deserve this, 'kay?" She finally ended the small foreplay and moved her fingers into his briefs. Having been with her for over 15 years, (y/n) knew exactly what got Harry off the quickest. Nothing sold him out faster than a quick, sloppy hand, and her coaxing and appraisal always made him finish embarrassingly fast. Wrapping her hand around his length, she immediately began to jerk him off, wiping his precome to make it smoother. "Such a good daddy to our babies, best father out there I swear."
Her words made him shudder, even more, her touch making him extremely sensitive. Given her arm wrapped around him, he moved his head to the crevice of her neck, feeling shy from her praise. "(y/n), you're going to-" he was interrupted by her thumbing his head again, letting out a breathy moan, "god, make me cum so quick, please."
"It's okay baby, come on now, give it to me." She smirked as she felt him press soft kisses to her neck, almost as a thank you for the fucking phenomenal handie he was receiving.
His breath increased, indicating he was nearing his peak. He began to whimper ever so slightly, wriggling in place and only pushing himself closer to her. "Cumming, god m'cumming." he moaned, finally releasing over her hand.
(y/n) didn't end there though, still dragging her hand to rub his cum down his length and creating a click-ing sound. It was left unsaid that he loved to be overstimulated and milked.
Finally pulling her hand out after Harry begged her it was enough, she got up to grab a hand towel from their en suite restroom. Coming back, she found him with his eyes shut, clearly ready for sleeping.
"Budge up, or this'll get all gross in the morning."
Moving sluggishly, he allowed her to clean. "Come on now, let me do the same to you," he slurred as he flipped on his side, patting the bed.
"No baby, that's alright. Just wanna sleep with 'ya." She smiled at him fondly, noticing his eyes once again shutting in content. The two were almost annoying cuddlers, and they were practically seared together when it came to sleeping.
"Alright, in my arms 'ya go now. Come." He said faintly as she crawled into the space he made for her. Immediately squishing her face in his chest, he wrapped both arms around her back, caging her in and digging his fingers in her loose hair. "Love you," he whispered, although given his face was over her head, it was pretty muffled.
"Love you."
------------------
"Let's do three more deep breaths, and then we can go see what your mum made for breakfast," Harry indicated, eyes still shut as he sat cross-legged by Mazzy and Mick on the floor, June also sitting on one of the twins' bed.
Before the two parents gave birth to June, Harry insisted that it would be vital to teach their children meditation: a practice that would help them understand and work through their emotions. (y/n) agreed quickly, after hearing many testimonials online of increased mindfulness in small toddlers. Harry tried more often than not to do what he called "Good Morning Heart" exercises before school, but if he was out (y/n) had no problem doing it alone. Today though, the two woke up slightly later than usual and had to split up their duties.
"Okay, good. Keep your eyes closed for now, my bugs. I want you to think about one thing you hope to achieve today. Talk to a new kid maybe, or participate in class. Anything, and take another deep breath as you think of it."
"Dada, done now," Mazzy said, smiling wide at her father. Obviously having meditated her whole life (although they didn't consider it meditation, more so family time) she was used to these exercises and her father leading the group. She didn't know exactly why they did it, but being able to frame your day as positive before it even starts did boost her already positive demeanor.
"Good job baby, so proud of you. Why don't you go run down to see your mama? Not on the stairs though."
"I take her, dada!" Mick excitedly said, unknowingly to others, his positive goal for the day was protecting his 'baby' sister.
Harry smiled, dimples shinning as he saw the two siblings scurry down the hall. "Finished bug?" He asked as June and he were the only two left in the twins' room.
"Yeah, going to ask mom about everything."
"She's ready, and she's so fucking proud of you."
"Thank you, Dad, for everything. I mean it." June leaned over to give him a hug, making her cheek squish against his shoulder. He moved his head over to give her a kiss over her hair, closing his eyes for a second, basking in the life full of love he manifested.
"You didn't hear it from me, but I have an insider report your mum made chocolate pancakes."
-----------
"Come here for your kisses, don't try to weasel out of it," (y/n) laughed, putting her arm over the center console to pucker her lips. Mick was first, giving his mom a kiss on the cheek, dimples resembling his father's. Mazzy followed with obtaining their daily kiss before daycare, both stumbling their way out of the car to meet a teacher that helped them inside. "God they're so precious, as are you," (y/n) said, as she softly pinches June's cheek.
"Mooom," June dragged, now in the 'always embarrassed by parents' teenager phase. "Could we talk about Yesterday? You know, with whatever Dad said?”
“Yes! Actually, before we start would it be cool if we play hooky?” There wasn’t a ‘cooler’ parent between the two as they usually were very lenient, but this definitely bought (y/n) some cool parent points.
“What?! Are you sure? Is Dad okay with it?”
“Of course, he encouraged it really. Just a girl's day for us, can go shopping and eat lunch? Whad’ya think babe?”
“Freak it.” Or for translation, June’s way of saying fuck it.
—————
“Can you maybe … tell me how it worked for you? How you … decided?” June said nervously, still nervous about the topic.
“Yeah, of course, baby. It’s a much longer story than your fathers, but I’ll try to condense it:
“At your age, it’s such a period of confusion, and a lot of times your family can agitate that. From seventh grade to about my senior year of high school, I had what I now call my ‘identity crisis. Really, it was rooted in sexual confusion and overall expression but at the time, it was the most dramatic thing happening since the death of mom.”
The two were sitting in the car, having stopped by a local cafe for coffee before sitting in the mall parking lot. It was an odd place, but comfortable given the two were together. (y/n) and Harry prided themselves off of being an open family and sharing details of their past, but this wasn’t something June had heard of in such detail yet. Because of this, she was extremely absorbed in what her mother was saying.
“It’s really funny to me now, because that’s how I deal with things, I guess. But at the moment, I was-“ (y/n) turned her head to look out the window of the car, needing a small moment before recalling the most difficult time of her life. “It’s ridiculous because I know I should say losing mom was painful, but this whole sexuality thing tore me apart in a different way. It was silent, and it was internal. There was no one I could tell, not until my junior year.
“Anyway, going back to the plotline, yes. I did have a close friend I liked. She is mainly the reason I began to question, that and being a little too obsessed with Stevie Nicks. Sidebar: that was one thing that your father and I initially bonded on.” (y/n) finally lifted her head to see her daughter who stared at her with much adoration. Although she was a mother, this specific conversation still made her extremely insecure due to years of denial from family. She could only hope to raise her kids in a contrasting environment. “It was really hard, and I did become depressed and, well, suicidal frankly. Coming from a background like mine, there isn’t a ‘good’ view on anyone who is gay and that combined with my father's overall conserved nature, I was terrified. Then there was the back-and-forth: am I gay? Am I straight? Am I faking it? Does it matter? And the answer, to the last one at least, is yes it does fucking matter.”
“It made you that sad? Trying to figure it out? Dad says I’ll always be the same girl, why was it such a big deal for grandpa?”
“It was hard on me that I didn’t have someone noticing this pain I was going through. I, unfortunately, did not have someone to tell me that it was okay, and it was normal. God, I felt like such a deviant,” (y/n) laughed in an attempt at raising the mood. “When I finally got around to telling your grandpa, he said that mom mentioned it to him once, before she passed. He claims that she said I was going to be different, and he would have to understand that. Mothers always know. And he did, at least, he tried. It was hard to go from always saying future husband to future partner but he got the hang of it. You’re never too old to change your views and grandpa is the best example of that. He’s also very proud of his son-in-law for being so open about everything including sexuality, says that makes our relationship stronger and is the biggest reason he permitted your Dad to propose.”
"I don't even know what to say, that's kind of insane mom."
(y/n) laughed. The pain of her past has subsided over the years, and it was relieving to be able to recount it. "So insane. What else can I say about this? Two aunts were really rude about it and dad got so angry. It made me cry seeing him fight for me. After that, things just all worked out. It's still a hard topic, it took me forever to tell your dad. I thought he was going to be grossed out," (y/n) laughed again out of remembrance, cheeks warming from embarrassment.
"Mom! How could he, I'm sure he was the same as when you two met but dad would beat himself if he ever hurt you. And, that's really nice to hear about grandpa." June was amused over the change of topic and touched her mom was letting this information out.
"No, no. He's always been so attentive and needy," (y/n) giggled, June joining. "You should ask him about it, he's such a sap but that story especially gets a few tears out of him."
"Oh, definitely will do."
-------------
After the two had strolled around the mall a bit and found a few new pieces of clothing (what could (y/n) say, she had the tiniest shopping addiction) June opened up the conversation once more.
"So, how long does it take to know know."
"Oh babe, there's no number I can give you that works for everyone. You can't really but a timeline on these things. I will say there are stages, like definitely a questioning period, but you might not spend time experimenting with labels or you will. It's really hard to say. Personally, it was like six-ish years for me?"
They continued to roam the store, June now looking at jeans with embroidered details. "Hm." She looked deep in thought, but not nearly as conflicted as Harry described her to be the night prior. "I'm thinking about it mom, and I might be sure about it."
As (y/n) moved June into her arms into a Styles' classic bear hug, she hummed in joy. "I am so happy to hear that baby. We are so proud of you, and you're still our same baby but you're developing your identity and we're just so proud to be your parents. Please, babe, don't worry about this, we're here always to defend you through anything. Although, half of our friends and family are gay or something too." (y/n) gave her a smirk, both chuckling at the situation. "Now, if we're done here maybe we can stop by your dad's fav strawberry dealer, he sent me a message he was craving some."
June followed her mom out of the store after deciding to buy the jeans, body warming at the thought of having what she considered to be the best parents in the world.
_____________________________________________________
Part two done! kinda obsessed with this storyline now, so let me know what else you want to see from this precious family. ily!
114 notes · View notes
hellyeahheroes · 3 years
Text
Robin(2021) #1 Review
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Opening this comic with an assessment of a character that I have no choice but to agree with is a cheap way to score points with me.
Anyways, we caught heat for being unfair to this story since it was announced because all of us wanted it to be a Cass story since forever. And it became yet another thing Damian absorbs. I mostly ignored it because I’ve always been open about my disdain for the character and his fandom for nearly a decade. I never liked Damian because put these characteristics on a non-white passing character, they’d be dead inside of year. Then again I hate almost all of Grant Morrison monstrosities.
Regardless, new story who dis is in full effect here. We open this bad boy up with Damian gone missing and the Batfamily searching for him. Nightwing tried asking Damian’s old Teen Titans team and they obviously don’t know and probably hope Damian is dead. Tim checked Arkham Ruins(???) and Damian wasn’t there. I honestly don’t think Tim was trying to find Damian. Steph and Cass checked Damian’s farm and Steph concluded Damian has been there at least because while Damian may be a little shit, he loves his dog and pet bat dragon. Barbara checked facial recognition pings and his transactions and dude is an IRS nightmare.
Damian is missing. Bruce is worried that maybe making a violent murderous preteen Robin raised in a cabal of killers to be chief murderer was a bad idea and is worried. Barbara ensures him that they will find his son and we cut to Damian fighting Snake guy in some musty ass fight put somewhere. Because of course it’s a musty ass fight pit because while the story is well drawn, it never claimed to be not cliche.
Damian hands the scrub his ass and it turns out Damian is trying to earn a marker to participate in some tournament. I liked this panel.
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Not because of the artist flex of changing the art style, but it establishes Damian with a relatable hobby, reading manga. And not just a Shounen as you expect him to read but a slice of life manga which kind of puts his life in perspective. Also the lesson in the manga is reflective of what happens in the comic. Damian’s mastery is reflective of how he sees Hana. Hana decides to go beyond what her masters taught her. She decides to innovate and make her art her own. And that’s indicative of another flaw of Damian: Damian leans of the prestige of his teachers. He is the student that replicates the style 1:1. He wants to inherit Batman’s mantle, but doesn’t want to shed his teachings that he is proud of. And it comes down to this idea that Damian refuses to innovate and adapt because he is hiding behind his masters.
This panel saved the story so good job.
And after a talk with dead Alfred, it’s revealed that Damian is on this journey as a way to mirror Bruce’s journey into becoming Batman. It’s his way to iron his resolve without a catalyst to find a need to. It highlights his naïveté. He thinks that he can just simply copy the steps and get the same results.
Regardless what happens next simultaneously undermines the story or the impact of it.
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Okay, when you think of Martial artists in DC, you immediately think Batman, Shiva, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Bronze Tiger, Richard Dragon, and Shiva. Why I said Shiva twice? Because Shiva is the pinnacle.
So to reveal that three premier martial artists in the universe are not only not participating but they were paid off to not participate, cheated out, or were subbed in as an entry replacement, it undermines the promotion. It’s like going to a Beyonce Concert only to find out that between the words in small print Beyonce and Concert was ‘s Sister’s and now you are watching Grammy award winning Solange. Sure, it’s an unique experience but it ain’t Beyonce.
And also, there is no amount in the world that would keep Shiva away from this tournament if it’s as prestigious as it’s led to be. Let’s be real. If anything, it’s far more likely that she saw the roster of scrubs and decided to make some scratch.
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There are two characters that I recognize: Connor Hawke and Rose Wilson. I am not familiar with Connor so I am not sure if he is out of place. Rose is fine but y’know, scrub. I’m sorry Rose Wilson got her ass handed to her by Cass in the previous universe. There is no universe where I take her seriously in a fighting tournament to crown greatest fighter because the ass stomp was so thorough that Cass was beating Slade’s ego by proxy.
Back to the comic, Damian interrupts the host and basically is the fighting tournament trope of overly confident disrespectful guy with too many accolades which he will proudly tell you about them. What I like about this is the nice nod to the previous manga panel. Damian is not a great fighter. There I said it. Damian’s ability hinges on the idea that he was trained by the greatest killers and Batman but the issue is that name prestige doesn’t make great fighters. Too many times, comic books overly rely on this idea of fighting being a what you know and not being a game of not getting hit and getting hits in. It does not matter if Damian is trained by the League and Batman and it’s questionable as to how much Batman taught him in the first place. Hence why we see Damian with a sword or staff to compliment his lack of range. Damian can’t read muscle twitches like a Cass or Shiva so he has a normal reactive response and comics never highlighted his ability. The most impressive thing I’ve seen Damian do is catch a Batarang which is something I’ve seen Tim do. Damian overly relies on the idea that his teachers taught him to be the best when they simply taught him to survive in a fight.
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“But why does Cass get away with it?,” you ask. Cass has this broken hax that is reading muscle twitch and immediately knowing the instant of what you are going to do before you do it or decide to do. Cass doesn’t need range because to her, you are screaming your intentions. She doesn’t need to block an attack when she can just parry. She doesn’t need to step back when she can just step forward while slipping all attacks. She is an autistic savant at fighting with an absolute defense. Damian is just another badass teen in a world of badass adults.
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And the humbling of Damian begins...again.
Pros:
-Damian’s new costume. I like that he is branching out and starting to own his own colors. It’s nice.
-Using a character flaw to make it a theme. I like Chekhov’s gun via teachable moment. In tournament arcs, what separates the good ones and the bad ones is the idea that the hero simply must overcome their opponents and not their own self. This is why Yuyu Hakusho is awesome.
- Great art and nice continuity. It’s nice that Damian’s past wasn’t ignored for once and they didn’t just throw his Teen Titans characterization down the tubes. Say what you want, but it was arguably Damian’s longest run in spite of his fans hating it. And contrary to what they believe, it was very much in character for him. My fear going into this that Damian would not face any fallout and lo and behold he ran away.
- it’s a good start for a Damian story. Say what you want, but it’s unique in that the little shit gets his comeuppance immediately. And not that just by losing, but by dying. Damian has killed before and readily justifies it because he never realizes the weight of taking someone’s life. He’s been killed before but those were painted in a way that he is valiant. Here, this is death caused by his own arrogance. He mocks a fighter for talking shit and gets murked while talking shit. He spouts names of his own teachers and expects people to care or be weary as if Rose Wilson and Connor aren’t there. It’s a tournament sponsored by the League of Assassins, Damian. They have been taught by the league too.
Cons:
-Look I get promotion. No promoter is going to undermine their product but the fact that this tournament reeks like ABA is killing my interest to give a shit. It’s a convenient caveat to say that, “Well, a character won this so they can have the title but the title doesn’t mean anything.” I know of regardless of whom wins this, they aren’t the best. Go ham or don’t at all.
-not enough emphasis of the importance of this arc. Why even have this tournament? What’s the prize? What’s even the point?
-While the art is nice, the action is framed poorly. I like physical action like this to be nearly choreographed in a way I can see and piece movement in my head. The two fight scenes we get are somewhat disjointed in that it’s just poses. For example, Flatline’s first kick makes no sense at all and I don’t get her follow up. Trying to picture the movement hurts my head and in an action concept like this, it’s best to frame action scenes as more than doing poses. Here is a good example:
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This only emphasizes the action and gets the reader to acknowledge that this a tournament of great fighters or at least a great fighting story.
All in all, do I think this story is off to a good start? Yes. Is it going to change my opinion on Damian? Hell no. My reaction to Damian getting his ass handed to him was this.
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The issue is that it never sticks. Damian can learn and be a better person but the development never sticks. It becomes a cyclical series of events because whoever writes him next will just keep writing him as this shitty entitled murder rich kid who never learns anything and gets validated somehow. It’s been over a decade and I’m tired of the same excuses of his shitty behavior. I am tired of writers validating it or excusing it.
Damian losing isn’t an outcome I care for because it’s wasted on him. Honestly I am more interested in Connor and Rose being there. I have no faith that it will stick nor does it undo the shitty idea of the character. I have never wanted to see Damian fight. It’s never been fun to read about nor has the impetus of his character emphasized the ability or style. Placing Damian in an Enter the Dragon style tournament lacks the pizzazz of Cass doing the same thing. For example, let’s try Marvel.
Let’s say someone pitches an idea of a tournament arc styled after Game of Death. Immediately you think Martial Artists non-powered. Danny Rand, Daredevil, Elektra, Shang-Chi, Pei and Colleen Wing. Okay, instead of giving those characters the honor, you give the story to Black Cat. Honestly, I’d read it because Felicia could sell me a documentary on grass and I’d buy it but the point stands, why does Damian have this Bruce Lee inspired Martial Arts story versus the actual Chinese or East Asian Martial Arts focused member of the Batfamily, Cassandra Cain?
But this has nothing to do with what could have been. It’s a fun beginning of a possibly fun arc. In that regard, it delivers but what’s the point?
Like I said, fun story.
@ubernegro
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madam-melon-meow · 4 years
Text
Bisexual Kyoshi is something that can be so personal, actually
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Panel edit by @flagellasturbation
[image I.D. : An edit of a comic panel of avatar Kyoshi. On the left in the image is a close-up of Kyoshi from the torso up, contained within an upside-down trapezoid shape. She wears her full battle uniform of olive and emerald robes, dark gloves and bracers, and a golden headpiece in a fan-like shape. Her eyes are the same emerald shade as her robes, she has black hair billowing to the left edge of the image, and her black eyebrows have been dramatically lengthened by black face paint. Her face and neck are artificially whitened with chalky makeup, she has black winged eyeliner, red eyeshadow that sweeps upwards to her temples and down the sides of her nose, and red lipstick outlined in black. This is the classic Kyoshi makeup. Her arms are crossed, the left arm behind her head pointing a golden fan away from the viewer, the right arm extended in front of her face, another golden fan pointed towards the viewer. She appears to be looking upwards and towards the right of the image. Above Kyoshi’s eye level and in the top right of the image is a comic text box. It reads in all caps: “even avatar Kyoshi- who by all accounts loved men and women- was unable to effect any kind of real progress.” The background art and color has been replaced with the Bisexual Flag, a thick horizontal line of pink on top, stopping at Kyoshi’s cheek level, then a thinner line of purple ending at her shoulders, and a thick line of blue that extends to the bottom of the image. End I.D.]
(If someone does not find my image I.D. sufficient, please let me know. This is my first time trying to make such a thing, as i am a lurker, not a poster)
Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee, page 99 (text copy / pasted from the b&n ebook version)
““Are those . . . fire lilies?” he said, a wide, knowing grin spreading across his face.
Kyoshi flushed beet red. “Stop it,” she said.
“That’s right,” Yun said. “The Ember Island tourism minister brought a bunch when he visited two weeks ago. I can’t believe you simply shred the flowers once they dry out. I guess nothing goes to waste in this house.”
“Knock it off,” Kyoshi snapped. But it was too hard keeping the corners of her lips from curling upward.
“Knock what off?” he said, enjoying her reaction. “I’m just commenting on a fragrance I’ve come to particularly enjoy.”
It was an inside reference that only the two of them shared. Rangi didn’t know. She hadn’t been there in the gifting room eight months ago while Kyoshi arranged a vast quantity of fire lilies sent by an admiral in the Fire Navy, one of Hei-Ran’s friends.
Yun had spent the afternoon watching Kyoshi work. Against every scrap of her better judgment, she’d allowed him to lie down on the floor and rest his head in her lap while she plucked deformed leaves and trimmed stems to the right length. Had anyone caught the two of them like that, there would have been a scandal that not even the Avatar could have recovered from.
That day, entranced by Yun’s upside-down features dappled with the flower petals she’d teasingly sprinkled over his face, she’d almost leaned down and kissed him. And he knew it. Because he’d almost reached up and kissed her.
They never spoke of it afterward, the shared impulse that had nearly crashed both of their carriages. It was too . . . well, they each had their duties was a good way to put it. That moment did not fit anywhere among their responsibilities.
But since then, whenever the two of them were in the presence of fire lilies, Yun’s eyes would dart toward the flowers repeatedly until he was sure Kyoshi noticed. She would try unsuccessfully to keep a straight face, the heat coloring her neck, and he’d sigh as if to mourn what could have been.
Today was no different. With a wistful blush on his own cheeks, Yun stared her down until her defenses broke and she let out a giggle through her nose.
“There’s that beautiful smile,” he said. He pressed his heels into the floor, sliding up against the wall, and straightened his rumpled shirt. “Kyoshi, trust me when I say this: If it turns out not to be me, I’ll be glad it’s you.”
~~~~~~~~~
Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee, page 210 (text copy / pasted from the b&n ebook version)
“You think you don’t deserve peace and happiness and good things, but you do!” Rangi yelled. “You, Kyoshi! Not the Avatar, but you!”
She closed the distance and wrapped her arms around Kyoshi’s waist. The embrace was a clever way to hide her face.
“Do you have any idea how painful it’s been for me to follow you on this journey where you’re so determined to punish yourself?” she said. “Watching you treat yourself like an empty vessel for revenge, when I’ve known you since you were a servant girl who couldn’t bend a pebble? The Avatar can be reborn. But you can’t, Kyoshi. I don’t want to give you up to the next generation. I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
Kyoshi realized she’d had it all wrong. Rangi was a true believer. But her greatest faith had been for her friends, not her assignment. She pulled Rangi in closer. She thought she heard a slight, contented sigh come from the other girl.
“I wish I could give you your due,” Rangi muttered after some time had passed. “The wisest teachers. Armies to defend you. A palace to live in.”
Kyoshi raised an eyebrow. “The Avatar gets a palace?”
“No, but you deserve one.”
“I don’t need it,” Kyoshi said. She smiled into Rangi’s hair, the soft strands caressing her lips. “And I don’t need an army. I have you.”
Psh,” Rangi scoffed. “A lot of good I’ve been so far. If I were better at my job you would never feel scared. Only loved. Adored by all.”
Kyoshi gently nudged Rangi’s chin upward. She could no more prevent herself from doing this than she could keep from breathing, living, fearing.
“I do feel loved,” she declared.
Rangi’s beautiful face shone in reflection. Kyoshi leaned in and kissed her.
A warm glow mapped Kyoshi’s veins. Eternity distilled in a single brush of skin. She thought she would never be more alive than now.
And then—
The shock of hands pushing her away. Kyoshi snapped out of her trance, aghast.
Rangi had flinched at the contact. Repelled her. Viscerally, reflexively.
Oh no. Oh no.
This couldn’t—not after everything they’d been through—this couldn’t be how it—
Kyoshi shut her eyes until they hurt. She wanted to shrink until she vanished within the cracks of the earth. She wanted to become dust and blow away in the wind.
But the sound of laughter pulled her back. Rangi was coughing, drowning herself with her own tears and mirth. She caught her breath and retook Kyoshi by the hips, turning to the side, offering up the smooth, unblemished skin of her throat.
“That side of my face is busted up, stupid,” she whispered in the darkness. “Kiss me where I’m not hurt.”
~~~~~
I include both these quotes because i've seen a few posts about the “gigantic lesbian” avatar, and although i am glad my sapphic sisters feel connected to Kyoshi (as well they should!), that doesn't mean i wish to simply be quiet on the matter of her textual bisexuality. I understand that not everyone has read her novels, nor has everyone read legend of Korra comics, but Kyoshi is *textually* bisexual.
Kyoshi had a loving romantic relationship with her firebending friend Rangi, but this does not erase her feelings for her earthbending friend Yun, even if neither of them were able to properly express it due to their respective “status”. (For context if you haven’t read, the masters believed that Yun was the avatar, and though he was bodyguarded by Rangi, and though Kyoshi was his servent, the three of them were simiar ages and thus close friends until the discovery of Kyoshi’s true ability destroyed their former lives). Hell, Kyoshi and Rangi do not become intimate until after fleeing their former lives. Who is to say what would have happened, had Yun not been captured by father glowworm ?
I know that there is a chance you will scoff at this, will write this off as comphet, accuse me of disproportionately weighting an almost-kiss with a true relationship, but these above quotes (as well as the comic panel from “the legend of korra: turf wars- part 1”) serve as proof that Kyoshi, “by all accounts loved men and women” (see panel directly below)
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[image I.D. : the same comic panel as the edit above, this one without the bisexual flag edited in. Directly behind Kyoshi, within the upside-down trapezoid shape, is an olive to lime gradient, darker around her head and lighter near the bottom. Around and to the right in the image, outside of the trapezoid, is an aerial shot of buildings within an Earth Kingdom city, and what appears to be the lines of troops on the ground far below. the text box in the image is the same, but I have underlined the word “men” in blue, the word “and” in purple, and the word “women” in pink, to reflect the bisexual flag. End I.D.]
I am making such a big deal over this because Kyoshi is a massive figure, her long shadow cast over Aang’s life alongside Roku’s, and even before her novels came out there were often jokes about her “bloodthirsty” nature. I implore you to read the novels and see why Kyoshi believed in deadly justice at times, but also so you can see what a dynamic, loving, and beautiful character she is.
Some members of fandom have taken a “step on me” attitude towards Kyoshi, who has, even if the 7 feet tall thing is more fanon than canon, been explicitly described as “exceptionally tall”, and “towering” over others. This “strong woman who will break me and I thank them” attitude is one that butch &/or physically imposing sapphics, as well as trans women with similar statures to Kyoshi have expressed discomfort when applied to themselves and characters like them. I would love for more people to acknowledge her flaws and multi-faceted nature, that she is more than a “warrior goddess”, just as Aang is more than a living relic. Flattening her out to the easily-fetishable parts erases the depth of her character and the complexity of circumstances that led to the instances of deadly force.
There are very few bisexual characters in media, especially women, and especially in children’s media. Bisexual women have often been caricatured as loose, promiscuous, good for a threesome and not much else. (This is mot to say that i think any lesser of my fellow bisexuals who are proudly promiscious, nor can an actual live bisexual person be considered a stereotype for living their life, but media’s portayal of us as obsessed with desire is incredibly harmful). Knowing that a strong, beautiful, and important character in the avatar universe is a bisexual woman is amazing, even more so to have her first lady-love described in the novels with such care. F. C. Yee, the author of these novels, has my eternal gratitude. I sincerely hope that the new generation of fans, whether they are drawn to the cartoon or even the hypothetical live action show, will pick up these novels and discover the kind of bisexual character that I wish existed in my early days as a reader, and if a small fraction of them resonate with Kyoshi’s reciprocal on Yun and love for Rangi, then the world becomes a little bit brighter for it.
I mentioned her importance for the simple reason that Kyoshi IS important with the text of ATLA. As one of the avatars, she is one of the most historically important figures in that universe, one of the few avatars that Aang knows by name, and one of the only avatars to speak through his body. The fact that she has two whole novels to herself testifies to that effect, making her bisexual representation all the more important than a simple background character might be. 
If or when the ATLA live action tv show occurs, we can expect some mention of Kyoshi. After all, there is a whole episode dedicated to exploring one of her missions, and the way that the descendants of her enemy have recolored history. It is my sincere desire that enough discussion is made about her canon bisexuality , that fandom trumphets it from the roof with as much force as crackshipping zukka, that when she does make it to the screen, there is some subtle nod in her bisexuality’s direction, even if it is something as meta as casting a bisexual actress for her. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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edit by @flagellasturbation​
[image I.D. : An edit of a comic panel of avatar Kyoshi. This is like the first image, Kyoshi and the text box of the comic panel untouched, the background color and art replaced with the bisexual flag. However, this version has the words “by all accounts” blown up large and placed diagonally in the image, directly under Kyoshi’s face and stretching from one side of the image to the other. The bottom third of the image is similarly obscured, the words  “men” , “and” , “women” blown up large enough to fill the panel and cover most of Kyoshi’s torso, as well as the purple and blue areas of the background flag. End I.D.]
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reallyquitesoft · 3 years
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The good place that one episode where everybody is Janet in Janet's mindscape I have some questions. I think the actresses name is Darcy and I'm SO curious about how they prepared for that behind the scenes did they have the actors act out their lines in character and then had Darcy copy that did she have complete artistic freedom within the script which would be insane I mean of course this was late season good place and in order to act good you have to watch and react accordingly especially for such a character driven show as tgp your character isn't only yours to act but a collaboration but I'm getting off track
How did they do that?? It's not just the clothes either like she really embodied the characters so much so that you could (spoilers) TELL when it was Darcy playing a character pretending to be... Another character. What the hell. When I first saw the episode I literally paused it to freak out to my dad but I'm thinking about it again. The way I would probably do it is. Hm. Okay this is such an undertaking for them to take in a live action show I would never do this I'm not brave enough but! If somebody told me to do it I'd get Darcy to practice the physicality with the actors shes playing watching to coach and support because if they did it without them I'm gonna scream that'd be wild. Just because like. Sometimes when you play a character that character becomes your baby and you have thought patterns and habits essential to your character that are never shown because, obviously, but it ties the character together however the actor plays them. It keeps it consistent as well as being a good base for any character development later on, because you don't approach it from the outside as 'how has this character changed' but from the inside as 'how has this character's mindset changed'. I'm getting off track again
And I haven't seen this episode in forever but I remember being so shocked I'm pretty sure Darcy didn't play the characters as tropes but as people with their dialogues and mannerisms and habits. And sure you can get a lot of that from a script telling you what to do and studying the characters which I'm convinced must have happened if not to prepare for this episode than just incidentally as the filming went on even from the start- but it just seems so effortless and true to the characters I don't know if I believe they could have done it without like. A full on psychological analysis of each character
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