#then you can have your very own human superhero outfit that only uses it's base component materials to act as source for alien outfits haha

[whatudottu]

Something that I have been secretly obsessing over for forever is the idea of a Ben 10 (or general Omnitrix wielder) that goes full superhero and goes and designs secret identities for EVERY transformation, seeing as how though perhaps the wielder themself is from a human perspective disguised behind the face of an alien, well- fairly certain that transformations have their own degree of recognisability themselves-

Find out more in the cut below-

I mean, from the perspective of a human Omnitrix wielder like Ben or many other characters from canon to original may focus on the visual aspect of recognition, so maybe species with more than one recognisable feature or a completely different set of recognition (vulpimancers may recognise scent and perhaps sound, pyronites may recognise - among sight - heat signature or temperature) are kinda looked over without actually putting their all into studying ‘what makes me recognisable’, but like- in all honesty this is just me rambling about what human masks would fit the Omnitrix translation to certain alien transformations without proving detrimental to any of their abilities.

What kind of mask would a lepidopterran wear, one that conserves confidentiality without detracting from mouth-based protectiles, what about piscciss volann with their biting? What about a mask with a beaded mouth covering, perhaps one with antennae (or lures) of it’s own? What kind of mask that a human can wear be safely used on a pyronite? Give em a flame retardant gas mask, one maybe with an open back just to maintain the flame headed aesthetic.

Can you even mask every transformation? Beyond the Omnitrix sample of arburian pelarota being the very few examples of the newly practically if not extinct species, can you mask a face that rests on the main body? Is recognition of Arburia dictacted in fact by the face of a pelarota or is it determined by shell and (apparently they have hair) fur patterns?

Well, perhaps in that case a superhero outfit is best for the situation!

What superhero mask doesn’t come it with it’s own superhero costume? Well perhaps you could outfit your arburian pelarota transformation with a cloth ‘mask’ that physically acts as the shirt, they do after all have ‘eyeless vision’, all in due part according to their sensory fur (how do you think they see when rolling rolling?). Why not pair our pyronite mask with a firefighter coat, make them seem like a heroic rescuer rather than a TF2 Pyro main, the chunkier and more Fire Force it looks the better. And what about another member or a near extinct species petrosapiens sporting layers of sound absorbing clothing, worn with perhaps a full head mask that also helps insulate from sound as a defense whilst keeping up an optimal level of anonymity.

Masks with bells, give them to aliens that recognise with sound. Masks with real flowers, give them to aliens that recognise with scent. Put a mask in the fridge or let it sit in the sun, give it to an alien that recognises temperature.

What degree does body shape affect alien recognition, how different do you want to make the body look, how does your superhero outfit work to perhaps benefit your transformation.

How do you mask an opticoid? Give them a lacy mask/shirt, they don’t give a shit about chest nudity! How do you costume a gourmand? Give them a jacket they can zip right open, maybe just straight up sleeves with extra material that MIMICS a jacket! How about a loboan? Give them a long-nosed eye mask, it doesn’t need to cover the mouth so long as it covers the top of the snout!

Ough I love masks so much-

[beatrixutoniumx]

✫⌒ NEXTGEN : UNA-JULIE’S BIO

!! full factsheet HERE ( includes connections and more general info )

“ And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. ” — the little prince.

full name. una-julie dimalanta ( pronounced : oona-julie ) faceclaim. kate valdez age. 22 (1 year old technically) dob. 21 june occupation. private investigator assistant

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

long dark hair, stylishly tied back or pulled back with a sweet headband

her style is currently a mix of brynne and beverly’s outfits that she’s seen in photos

height is   5' 4"

small but strong, not muscley though. she has an airbender’s build.

> una-julie’s origins:

when bria utonium decided they wanted to prioritise on important work, they decided to make someone who could work on everything else. the small stuff, the lesser priority tasks. una-julie was born for this purpose, and not much else. it was very much a “fuck around and find out” decision, and oh, boy, did they find out.

they weren’t even born with a name.

entrusting their aunt trixie with the secret of the experiment, bria and trixie worked on how to help this new human adjust to the world. sure, she could whip out an essay and put together an assignment and recite all the numbers of pi, but how else was she meant to be? could she be anything else? should she even try, would she even want to?

the experiment wasn’t born with much, and that was the first (and ongoing) struggle.

bria and beatrix decided that it was best for beatrix to take the main responsibility as guardian of the experiment. she brought the experiment to townsville, where beatrix was now based as a superhero and somewhat investigator. bria visits sometimes, along with bryson utonium, and it was through these three that the experiment was meant to learn how to live.

the first order of business was giving them a proper name. beatrix suggested “una” , which meant ‘first’. the experiment didn’t seem to mind and smiled when they realised they now had another name, one that was all their own.

it was beatrix who first realised that una tended to mirror and copy them rather than actually display any individual personality, and she quickly remedied this by setting up a bunch of movies at once for them to watch.

beatrix’s thinking : well … how else do we get a personality ? if not through movies ? ://

it was a silly and last-minute attempt ( don’t worry, beatrix eventually bought some ‘toddler parenting’ books ), but surprisingly it worked. beatrix observed as una watched everything. she was disappointed to see that they didn’t seem to like top gun as much. okay. no matter. but the experiment was truly enjoying musicals. and when una finished watched ‘the sound of music’, she came to the kitchen bench where beatrix was eating sugary cereal and said:

“ i want my name to be una-julie. like julie andrews. ” “ oh, cool, you want a middle name ? rad. ” “ no. it’s my name. una-julie. ” “ una-julie ? your whole first name ? ” “ yes. my name. ” “ hmm … aight. ” “ aight. may i have the sweet cereal too ? ” “ for sure. ”

as for her surname, beatrix’s neighbour at the time was a kindly old filipino woman, who noticed una-julie sitting on the fire escape for hours on end, watching life below. the woman invited her up to eat food, and found herself engaged in a conversation in tagalog for the whole afternoon. una-julie never wondered how she could suddenly speak a new language, but she liked that it made the woman happy. the woman told her she reminded her of her grandchild. una-julie took her surname. dimalanta.

> una-julie, life & powers:

UJ has the ability of aerokinesis, but seldom uses it intentionally. 

she’s quite a still creature. she’s generally unfazed by things. i hesitate to say ‘gullible’ because it’s not really that she believes anything, it’s that she’s ready to accept it if it seems right. when everything is new, nothing is a surprise, so her thought process is just to accept anything new as fact and then scrutinise and question it as the conversation goes on.

to understand her relationship with her powers, first it’s important to understand how she sees life. her powers seem kind of secondary to her.

OOC, when creating una-julie, the backbone of her character is made up with these statements:

she’s grappling with her ‘purpose’. bria created her to do all the boring things they didn’t want to do. so does that mean her existence is as boring and meaningless as the tasks she’s given to do?

bryson brings forth the idea that the people in your life don’t need labels, they just to need to be fulfilling to you somehow. and this applies to the things you do in life as well.

there’s also this new goal to find a new way for her to experience existence in a way that’s not uncomfortable. ever since she was born, she’s been very sensitive to weather and the natural world. maybe this is in connection to bria’s weather powers, or maybe it’s a cosmic message from the universe telling her she doesn’t belong here … that’s what UJ believes, at least. she feels the wind as sharp as knives, she feels like swimming will drown her, she feels like the rain wants to wash her away. she obsessively watches the weather forecast just so she’s prepared. but just in case, she wears multiple layers at all times — especially during winter.

she feels like a guest in life. like a visitor or a tourist who can be evicted at any time. she believes life is inconstant, and while this is also a blessing in some cases (she loves to learn new things and meet new people!), she also fears losing things. she fears one day bria will not want her there. she fears if people find out she’s an experiment, they will also not want her there. this is partly why she loves movies and taking photos so much, because it feels like a way of capturing life so it doesn’t change. she will take photos of things that make her happy, she will also take selfies of her being happy, so she can look at them in the future and stare at it and wonder: how did i get so happy?

the world can be so overwhelming, and una-julie is feeling everything for the first time so she documents her emotions. it might seem strange to find photos of herself angry or sad in her album of physical photos, but it’s important for her to also see it and not just remember it. she usually also writes down the context of the emotion. 

there’s also a more private list of the strong emotions she feels bria feels. the connection was stronger when she was first born, but UJ can sometimes feel what bria feels — especially the strong emotions. 

her powers feel more like a talent. like being able to whistle. she can use them, there’s no mastery required. but she doesn’t find them important.

> una-julie in elias:

SHE’S NOT MEANT TO BE HERE RIP (not just like … in life … but in elias hehe)

over the past year of taking care of UJ, beatrix really began to care for the girl and even love her. she had never wanted to have children of her own, but she’s glad now that she’s there to take care of UJ. ever stubborn, she doesn’t believe UJ should be kept hidden away forever. she stuck to the rule that they should stay in townsville, and she was happy with that, but now seeing how enamored by life UJ is, beatrix wanted to finally get her out.

so beatrix packed their bags and took them on a little vacation to elias.

whoops.

una-julie, however, is happy to be here. she’s nervous and curious. she has her trusty camera with her (it’s a digital camera and she meticulously archives and organises all her photos, the same time each night). she has her phone where she takes notes. she knows what she’ll say to introduce herself to people (she worked on this with trixie a lot).

“ hi, i’m una-julie. what’s your name ? ”

she wanted to add ‘it’s lovely to meet you’, but trixie advised that she shouldn’t say that unless she actually feels it is lovely to meet someone.

but for a not-a-girl who was born last year … it IS lovely to meet everyone :(

> random things:

she can remember anything told to her, her primary purpose was to do homework and other little tasks. like a little task rabbit rip. she views bria utonium as her creator and twin.

she always has her lil camera with her!

she keeps secrets like a locked vault. bria and trix told her to never tell anyone how she was born. 

by the end of the nextgen event, she’ll probably add another name(s) to her name, probably someone she really connected with :3 

[mybunnyparadenme]

chaossanthebae replied to your post “Graphic design is NOT my passion and all I have is...”Listen to me listen to me, B1, we have some...

Sorry it took so long! OTZ I hope you like it, I made sure that Kenny’s 100% just a civilian here. Long live Chaos/Kenny supremacy :D

--

B1 - Professor Chaos/Kenny

Kenny's mind felt so hazy as he slowly made his way into consciousness.

He blinked, not recognizing his surroundings, and felt his eyebrows furrow together when he tried to move and found that his arms were bound behind his back. Seeing as he wasn't naked, he figured this wasn't the fun version of being all tied up, but he couldn't think of any other situation that would leave him in this position. The last thing he remembered was leaving the store after picking up a gallon of milk for breakfast the next morning. There had been... a loud noise, maybe an explosion? Then a flash of light, and then here he was in this high-tech room, feeling like he'd been hit by a bus. But he wasn't alone, he quickly realized as he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. A handsome guy in a ridiculous outfit was walking towards him, his blue eyes seeming to spark with electricity with every step he took.

"Ah, sleeping beauty's finally awake." He said, a grin slowly rising on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. Damn, he had nice biceps. "I didn't zap you too hard, did I?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Kenny asked, feeling his lips twist into a scowl. "And what did you do to my milk?"

"Oh, I put it in the fridge to keep it from spoiling." The guy said, his expression turning sheepish for a moment before his smug mask fell back into place. "And as for who I am, well... you'll know soon enough." 

Kenny was ready to tell this guy off for being overly vague (and for abducting him of course), but before he could get the first word out, the large screen on the wall in front of them lit up. An overweight guy about their age took up most of the screen, the top half of his face hidden behind a black raccoon mask. 

Great, now he had to deal with furries on top of everything.

"Chaos!" Raccoon Boy bellowed, his voice so gravelly Kenny wondered if he had a cold. "Show yourself!"

"Right on time." Chaos took a few steps into view and grinned up at him. "Why if it isn't The Coon! So nice of you to join us, did you need Call Girl's help to hack into my frequency, or were you able to follow the breadcrumbs this time?"

"Cut the banter Chaos, what have you done to the hostage?"

"He's fine." Chaos said, gesturing to Kenny behind him. "Though for how long, I can't really say. It's amazing how high you can turn up the voltage before the human body starts to lose control."

"You've sunk to a new low, haven't you?" The Coon growled, his eyes darkening as he stared at Chaos. "Electrocuting civilians is barbaric!"

"Oh, like clawing up my minions is any better?" Blue electricity crackled in the air around Chaos, making the hair on Kenny's arms stand on end. "You think you're so heroic, but really you're hardly any better than I am!"

"I am better than you!"

Things were starting to click in Kenny's head, and he tuned out the arguing to really think things through. Electricity, minions, Chaos... oh he remembered now! The guy in front of him was Professor Chaos, the new villain in town who was quickly building an empire of crime in South Park. Kenny felt a bit comforted by this realization, strange as that might be. He could handle being used as a pawn in some superhero political bullshit, no problem. There were worse things to be kidnapped over, like being used for organ harvesting or being part of a serial killer's sick fantasy. This was nothing.

He watched the two of them argue for a minute, frowning when he saw that neither one of them was really getting anywhere with this... negotiation? That was probably what this was supposed to be, but it was looking more and more like a petty squabble between childhood frenemies. He leaned forward in his seat as far as he could and whispered, "Hey, Chaos?"

Chaos jumped, looking like he'd forgotten that Kenny had been in the room at all. "Y-Yes, what is it?" 

"If you really want to intimidate him, give him a deadline." Kenny said, nodding at The Coon, who seemed to be in the middle of a long monologue about the difference between good and evil. He also didn't look like he was paying any attention to him, the person he was supposed to be saving. God, the guy must really like the sound of his own voice. "Tell him he's got a day, that should shut him up for a bit."

Chaos gave him the most bewildered look, but composed himself enough to call out, "Coon, I'm tired of this! You have twenty-four hours to meet my demands or the hostage... the hostage dies, you hear?"

The look on The Coon's face was more than worth the indirect death threat. "What the fuck? You don't kill people, Chaos."

"Now end the call," Kenny whispered. "Make him sweat a little."

"Things have changed, hero." Chaos let out an evil laugh and gathered sparks in the palm of his hand. He sent the lightning straight into the screen, causing the whole thing to start short-circuiting. The Coon's angry face lingered for a moment, just long enough for Chaos to grin and give a snappy, "Time's tickin'!" before the screen finally died and went black. 

The room was silent for a long moment, save for the crackle of lingering electricity in the air, but it was quickly broken by the sound of Chaos groaning loudly into his hands, all of his bravado disappearing. "Oh god, why'd I have to go and do that for? That's gonna cost a fortune to replace!"

"On the bright side, you looked really cool doing it." Kenny said, grinning when Chaos lifted his head up to look at him. "What? I'm a guy who can appreciate good theatrics."

"Yeah, I guessed that when you didn't freak out after I threatened your life." Chaos said, tilting his head like he was trying to see him in a different light. "Don't you... want to live?"

"Well obviously." Kenny said, shrugging his shoulders. "But this is clearly your first time taking a hostage, so we might as well do it right."

"How do you know this is my first time?" Chaos asked, his cheeks huffing out indignantly. 

Kenny lifted a leg in the air, a loose piece of rope dangling from his shoe. "This right here. You secured my hands, but left my feet loose enough for me to wriggle them free. You didn't notice because you were too busy with Raccoon Boy."

Chaos flushed and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "W-Well it's not like you would've gotten very far! My secret base is rigged with booby traps, you would've been a goner if you left this room."

"Is that right?"

"Of course!" He said, his cheeks turning pink as he puffed his chest out proudly. "I might've let you trick me into ruining my monitor--"

"Hey you did that all on your own!"

He pursed his lips but powered on. "--but that doesn't mean you have any power here. I'm a dangerous man, you know. You're stuck here until I say you can leave."

Kenny considered this, tapping his foot against the floor as he took in the villain in front of him. Chaos had some wickedly strong powers, and even with his legs free he really wouldn't be going anywhere without the use of his hands. The only real option  he had was waiting for that tool, The Coon, to come rescue him, and that didn't sound appealing at all. He leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. "Well since I'm not going anywhere, I should probably introduce myself to my host. Hi, I'm Kenny."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Bu-- um, I mean, I'm Professor Chaos!" He said, his cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink at his almost slip-up. He cleared his throat and tried to look serious as he continued. "And wherever I go, destruction's sure to follow. So you'd be smart to get on my good side, Kenny." 

A shock went through his spine at the sound of his name, and Kenny was sure it had nothing to do with the villain's electrical powers. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling, but he could already feel his lips curving up in anticipation. He'd always been a sucker for trouble, and it looked like Chaos was just the right combination of danger and adorable awkwardness that would make all of this worth his while.

No matter how this went down, he had a feeling this was only the first of many encounters between him and Professor Chaos.

[eirikaanemo]

The Hidden Hero

Superhero!Venti x GN!Secretary!Reader

2.7k Words

Warnings: Stalking (not you), thievery, human trafficking mentioned once

Of all the heroes to ever exist, Barbatos: the Anemo Hero is your favorite by far. He was one of the big heros from the Archon Agency along with other major elemental manipulators like Rex Lapis and Baal. They were the big wigs back before All Might hit it big. While they weren’t quite symbols of peace like him, their sheer presence was enough to send most villains running for the hills. Their quirks, teamwork, and training made them extremely formidable. The Archons, as the main seven heroes of the agency were called, were very successful, until they weren’t.

It’s said that ‘all good things come to an end’ and the reign of the Archons came to an end when Tsaritsa left the agency for reasons unknown to the general populace. The remaining six scattered to the winds. They each founded their own agencies and continued to fight crime. But their earlier fame was unsustainable and their hero rankings fell significantly. Despite this, most of them are still actively and visibly involved in the world of heroes. Some, however, are not.

And unfortunately Barbatos is one of those heroes that seemingly faded away into obscurity after founding the Mondstadt Hero Agency and handing it off to his former sidekick, Dandelion Knight. Only the most dedicated fans remember him anymore. It frustrates you sometimes that such a great hero could be so easily forgotten. You will never forget him though, not anything from his teal tipped braids to his signature “Ehe”.

So when an opening for a front desk secretary at the Mondstadt Hero Agency opened up you put in your application immediately. Sure you already had a good job, but working at the agency Barbatos started would be a dream come true. Thankfully your resume got you an interview and the interview went surprisingly well. Apparently you remembering Barbatos was a huge advantage on top of your excellent work experience and recommendations.

When you got the job you could barely believe it! This was a dream come true and you resolved to not let them down. Your first day was absolutely amazing. You got a tour, a run-down of your responsibilities, and got some training. But the best part was meeting many of the heroes and sidekicks who work there, from Alchemist to Outrider to Dandelion Knight herself. The whole day almost didn’t feel real.

You settled into your new job easily and enjoyed it immensely, even if it was ridiculous some days. This just happened to be one of those days. Captain Cryo had been jumping on Dandelion Knight’s last nerve all day. Alchemist’s niece, Klee, had lost her babysitter again and was running around the agency causing chaos. Traveler’s sidekick, Paimon had gotten into another argument and was yelling loud enough that everyone in the agency could hear. And with all this you decided to stay after your shift for a while to finish up some work that needed to be done by tomorrow.

This ended up being the best decision you ever made. Fifteen minutes after your shift should have ended, a new hero slipped through the front doors. Your eyes glossed over him at first before you quickly looked back at him. Were those… teal tipped braids? Could it be? Yes, it had to be Barbatos!

You took a second or two to school your face before looking at him again. He wore a skin tight suit under a loose poncho with a utility belt and some other equipment, defensive and offensive, layered on top. The outfit is mostly dark grey with some dark teal accents breaking up the monotony. His steps were nearly silent as he passed by your desk, scanning his hero badge with the badge reader, and continuing deeper into the building.

Out of curiosity, you took a peek at the information on his scanned badge. Apparently he is an underground hero called Wind Spirit: the Freedom Hero. His specialization is organized crime, specifically dealing with the sensative cases like human trafficking. Not much more is there, but that’s to be expected since he’s underground.

Shaking yourself, you quickly close out the badge scanner software and finish your work for the day. You have work to do and can’t allow yourself to be distracted any longer. But once you finish and go home, you can’t stop thinking about it. Not even two hours ago you had been only feet away from your favorite hero of all time.

You’re so excited that it takes you a while to calm down. But when you do, you have questions. Why did he change his hero identity and go underground? He had been hugely popular. Why did he give that up for a job where he would get little to no recognition?

In the end, you decide it doesn’t matter. He obviously doesn’t want to be recognized or bothered, so you will respect that. It will be difficult but you resolve to try and treat him no differently than you do the other heroes at the agency. No one needs to know that you recognize him, not even him. That would probably be the easiest way to keep his secret. Pretend you don’t know it and play dumb if it ever gets brought up.

By the time you get to work the next day your mind is well and truly made up. In a moment of weakness you do request a change to serve half an hour later than you used to. You try to rationalize it to yourself a couple times, but know deep inside that it’s really just so you can see him. It’s kind of risky but it’s a risk you’re willing to take for a chance to see your favorite hero at the end of every shift.

As time goes on things go even better than you had expected. Apparently the first time you saw him, “Wind Spirit” had been exceptionally busy with a high risk case. Once that was taken care of he slowed down his entrance and started chatting with you as he came in. You learn more about him as a person than you could have ever imagined before.

He likes to sing and knows how to play several different instruments. His “ehe~” laugh is, in fact, how he really laughs and was not just him playing things up for the fans. Rhyming is a habit of his and he loves trying to fit it into casual conversations which bugs some other heroes, like Darknight, to no end. And most of all, he is one of the nicest people you have ever met.

From what you can tell, only a few other heroes know of his past as Barbatos. Dandelion Knight knows of course since she used to be his sidekick and now leads his agency. Darknight and Traveler seem to know as well. But other than that no one else seems to know. They do know him and consider him a friend, but are clueless as to his past.

But there is one other person that seems to know. Every once in a while La Signora, a sidekick from the Snezhnaya Agency, will show up loiter in the waiting area by your desk. When you ask how you can help she responds with, “No, I’m just waiting for someone. There’s something that I have been instructed to… acquire from an old colleague of my boss.”

While she has yet to stay long enough to see him, you’re fairly certain she’s looking for Wind Spirit. And she’s started staying longer and longer. If she keeps this up then she will actually run into him. And your quirk, which gives you emotional impressions based on people’s intentions, makes it clear that she is bad news.

After a couple of these visits you decide to take your concerns to Dandelion Knight. Once you make sure that she is available and have someone watch the front desk for you, you make your way towards her office. You take a deep breath to calm your nerves before you peak your head through the open doorway to make sure she’s there.

“Miss Jean, do you have a moment?” You ask cautiously. She looks up from the paperwork on her desk and smiles, obviously relieved to have a distraction from her work.

“Of course,” she says. “Come sit down. How can I help?”

“I have some concerns that I would like to inform you of,” you explain as you take a seat across from her desk.

“Sometimes La Signora comes in and sits in the waiting area for hours and hours at a time. She insists that she’s waiting for someone that she’s been asked to ‘acquire’ something from and that there’s nothing I can help her with. But my quirk is giving me the feeling that she’s up to no good.”

“Do you know who she is waiting for?” Jean asks you.

“Yes, she hasn’t told me outright but I believe she is waiting for Wind Spirit.” You inform her. Jean’s gaze immediately turns piercing and the mood of the room turns sour. You fiddle nervously in your seat as you wait for her response.

“I’m authorizing you to call security if she tries to stay longer than she already has been.” Jean states after a moment of contemplation. Your eyes grow wide. “She is not to run into Wind Spirit under any circumstances, do you understand?”

You nod vigorously. “Of course, Miss Jean, I’ll be sure to let her know and do so if I must.”

She sighs and sends you a thankful smile. “Thank you. The Snezhnaya Agency has been trying to meet with him for some time despite our insisting that, as an underground hero, he is to be left alone. I’m sorry you have gotten caught up in all of this.”

“It’s fine,” you assure her. “I consider Wind Spirit a friend. I will do my best to make sure he is not bothered.”

“Thank you again then,” she remarks. “Is there anything else? I should probably get back to this.” She very carefully keeps her face neutral as she gestures at her paperwork, but you can see the budding grimace on her face.

“No, that is all,” you reply. “I’ll go get back to the front desk.” You get up and walk back to your desk, pondering this new development. To your non-existent surprise, you find La Signora in the waiting area. As usual, you ask if there’s anything you can do to help and she gives you the same response as always. But this time, you have something to say after she says her piece.

“Alright, just know that if you attempt to stay any longer than 4:30, I will have to call security to escort you out.” Her face was priceless as she ground out an acknowledgement before going back to waiting. You did end up having to threaten to call security several times within the next couple weeks, but it did the job and kept her off of Wind Spirit’s back.

In the meantime, Wind Spirit had started coming a little earlier and talking with you a little longer. If you didn’t know any better you would think he was trying to flirt with you. But no, he’s Barbatos. Why in the world would he be flirting with you? Sure he told you his real name, Venti, and lets you call him that now; but you’re just a secretary who got lucky. So you decide that he’s probably joking around with you. There’s a little part of you that hopes though. A part of you that wishes that maybe he might just mean it.

After all, what isn’t there to like? Venti’s a nice guy, makes you laugh, is undeniably attractive and around your age, and you love every moment he spends with you. It might also have to do with the fact that you’ve had a slight celebrity crush on him since he debuted that still hasn’t gone away. For now though, you just enjoy what you have. Why risk what you have?

Then you get sick and miss a day. One day is all it took. You had hoped La Signora would have stayed away for one day when you were stuck puking your guts up all day, but no such luck. While you had been away, the stand-in had ignored you and Jean’s very specific instructions to not allow La Signora to stay past time for some reason. So she ran into Venti and things went down.

You come into work the next morning, still queezie, but better, to find out that she’d stolen a valuable support item from him. A lot of people were running around like chickens with their heads cut off but you could barely breathe. You shouldn’t have missed yesterday. This is your fault. If you had been here it never would have happened.

Flopping down onto your chair at your desk, you bury your face in your hands and try to breathe. It’s not easy, especially with the stress of the situation and the fact that you are desperately trying not to cry. The one day I’m not here, you think to yourself. A tear rolls down your cheek, hidden by your hands.

Then you feel a hand on your shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?” You hear Venti ask. With your face still in your hands you shake your head.

“No, no I’m not,” you choke out. “This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gotten sick. I should have been more careful, I’m sorry.” You feel him go still. He must not have known. Now he must blame you, hate you, just like you do yourself.

As your thoughts start spiraling you feel two arms wrap around your shoulders and feel him pull you into his chest. “It’s not your fault,” Venti murmurs. “Tsaritsa has been trying to do this for years, it would have happened eventually. And I should have been strong enough to stop her. I guess I’m out of practice with the less subtle, more brute force type moves I used to use.”

“Yeah,” you muse. “You were a lot flashier as Barbatos, weren’t you?” You feel him go still again.

“You knew?” He questions. Then your brain catches up to what you just said.

“Whoops, yeah, uh, I knew,” you stutter. “Ever since I saw you, really. But you didn’t mention it and didn’t seem to want to be recognized so I didn’t mention it. I was a huge fan, by the way- still am.”

Venti squeezes you lightly in the hug. “Thank you, it really means a lot that you kept quiet about it. And besides, she stole my gnosis in full view of a camera so we have a lot of evidence against her when we take this to court. A camera we only thought to put up once you brought up La Signora’s suspicious visits. So we have far more reason to thank you than blame you.”

Pulling back, Venti gently tugs your hands away from your face so he can look you in the eyes. “In fact, I should do something to thank you personally! Could I take you out to dinner? Like a date?” The emotional whiplash caused by his question made your head spin.

“Huh? Me?” You ask him. “You want to take me on a date?”

“Absolutely,” he confirms. “How about Good Hunter?”

“Sure,” you reply a little absentmindedly, still reeling from the realization that his flirting hadn’t been a joke after all. Your favorite hero is actually asking you on a date. The more you recovered, the more flustered and excited you got. “When do you want to do that?”

“Are you available Thursday? I have the day off so we could do it then. Our shifts aren’t really conducive to good date opportunities otherwise.” You nod in agreement.

“I’ll see you then!” You exclaim and peck his cheek before he hurried away to where Jean was calling him. The pink that bloomed on his cheeks was adorable.

By Thursday the court case had been closed up and Tsaritsa revealed her true colors as a villain. Things had been crazy but, thankfully, Venti had still gotten the day off. Your date went wonderfully and you both agree that the next one can’t come fast enough.

He calls you the hero of his story and you call him the hero of your heart.

[cultofstan]

My love for Bane!!

Before you read, I want to make it clear that there are some nsfw parts to this posts. If you are under 18, please don't read!

This post will go over various details and reasons why my heart belongs to the big green giant know as Bane from Batman and Robin (1997). Get ready for a long read, because I've got a lot to say.

(If you haven't check out my Bane Wallpapers, go do check them out! They bring me so much joy, I hope they do the same for you ppl too!)

His mask is very cool and unique, because if you look closer you see they used Bane's comic book mask as a base and then just changed the mouth area and added black eye pieces on top of the red piece he normally sees out of. Imo, it is the best movie Bane mask we have ever had! A lot of people hate the multiple tubes coming out of his head, but I think it makes things extra spicy! A constant reminder that your not just dealing with any normal super human, you dealing with a venom infused one that can fight you like it's nothing! The bulging veins that can be seen in certain lighting is a detail I feel deserves more love. It adds to his big and tough demeanor. You can really tell the venom is working wonders on him! The zipper on the top of the head and the fact that his mask is most likely made of tight leather or latex brings thr entire thing together and is truly a marvel to look at! I absolute love it!💚Imagining him slick that smooth, stretchy, husky mask on while the venom starts to pump into his brain and muscles just does things to me. If Bane offered me a chance to wear it, venom or not, I would do it in a heart beat! It would probably reek of sweat, his bad breath, and of old leather, but I wouldn't care. Just the thought of inhale all those smells brings me a joy I can't describe! 😍

When I was a kid, in addition to his lovely mask, his clothing choice was another thing I loved about him. It looks like Bane is just wearing a black cotton tank top with some black sturdy pants, but I've always the headcannon that it's actually very flexible black latex one piece! It makes a lot more sense when you notice his collar, chest harness, wrist bands, crotch diaper, and boots are also make out of a harder leather with spikes and studs! I swear, half of my clothing choices/dreams come from this man! His boots, for the most part, are very frankenstein/gothic inspired with thick sole and it going all the way to his knees. The copper rivets are the only things that make them stand out, imo. I've had thoughts were in order to prove my love to him I have to lick or kiss his boots while he judges. I'd hate it for the most part, because they probably taste like dirty and dust, but I want him to know that I do love him, so I'd do small smooches starting from his toes and work my way up his leg until I'm straight up licking his boots. I'd get so carried away he'd probably make me stop pretty quickly so I don't get sick 😂. His spiked collar and wrist bands are easily the clothing items I want the most! Any time I see someone on the street with spikes in their clothing I immediately think about him. Because he's worn them for so long, they're probably not that tight or rough but still firm enough to not sag. Maybe even a little flaky in certain parts. I don't think I'm comfortable with myself enough to wear a collar in public but I've come so close to buying spiky wrist bands or gauntlets it's crazy I don't actually own a pair yet. One day, I'm sure. His crotch diaper, for lack of a better name for it, is the one thing I'm 50/50 on. Some days I think it really adds to his look, especially with the spikes that go out. Plus, to a certain extent, it makes practical sense because that way heroes cant go from behind his and try to restrain him, or can't throw too many kicks, without getting poked/cut by the spikes. But other days I think it just doesnt look that great, because it ultimatly looks like a big metal diaper, it takes away from his intimidation. Plus, I won't be able to give him proper hugs! (I want to give daddy all the hugs he deserves! 💚) His chest piece is what brings everything together. The little Bane symbol is so cute, I've always looked for a pin or something to buy but no luck. I actually used to have this Bane cape that I won at Six Flags when I was little. I cut the symbol of his face out of it and tried multiple times to attach it to my jean jackets but I suck at sowing. 🥲 The leather straps that hold the chest piece compliment the other leather pieces of his outfit. The metal looking chest piece looks wonderful and adds a layer to his character that I both love and hate. In this movie he's a drone, a mindless agent that is only allowed to follow orders. I'll will discuss this in a bit. But for the record, I hate the fact that Bane is written as big dumb idiot in this movie. It's the one big problem I have with him, which sucks because I literally love everything else about him!

I've probably watch the Bane transformation scene in Batman and Robin, like, a thousand times. No joke. I didn't realize it then, but seeing a short, thin, twink become a tall, hulking, king really hit my desires in the right way. Like, now, I know for sure that's one of my kinks and it makes me so damn happy! Granted, I've never been skinny in my life, but I've always wanted to be a musclar and strong man, so it makes sense why I love this scene so much. It's a literally fantasy of mine brought to life! More specifically, I've always wanted to be a type of strong that allows me to run miles like it's nothing, throw punches that instantly knock someone out, and lift so much weight that I borderline have a superhero body. Don't get me wrong, this is seriously mentally unhealthy because I know it's kind of impossible considering my personality and the actuality of gaining so much muscle, but I believe as long as I realize it's a dream and not beat myself up over it, it's not too bad of a thought to have. Actually, if you think about it, this Bane is kind of a plus size body representation. Sure he's got giant arms that can crush my bones like tooth pics, but he's pretty bulky with a big belly. That might be too much of a stretch to say, and I totally understand if people don't agree with. That being said, I have to say it, this man probably gives the best hugs in all of Gotham! He's so big that you don't even need a jacket in the house! Just let him embrace you and you'll never feel alone or cold again! His thick hands holding you in really tight, his muscles locking you in and warming your arms, while his gut pushes you back a little of your feet, like he wants to swoop you into his arms and carry you! 🥰 He'd be careful with his spikes of course, don't worry. A detail that sends me over the moon about Bane in this movie is his green skin. I can't put my finger on it, but it really adds to the whole transformation and therefore my thirst for him grows even bigger! Especially because it's completely unique to the movie. It looks so good that I wonder why the comics haven't adopted something similar.

I could go for hours about how I think the writers butchered Bane's character in this movie, but I want this post to mainly act as a positive appreciation post/background for head cannons that I might post about him one day. So to end, and give a taste, I'll finally talk about Bane being a drone in this movie. In weird way, because he's played as a mindless servent, it makes this version of Bane one of the easier Bane's for me to fantasies about. This is because in the movie, it's implied Bane only follows Poison Ivy because she was the first person he didn't see as a threat. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if she used some of her suductive powers on him. (I would too, just saying) So, with that established, I like that he's a mindless drone because it means that, in my head, he's not exactly my "servant" but he will basically do whatever I say. Why? Because I will prove to him I not a threat either, and only want to love him!! He'll have a concuious and his own goals, and I'll follow along and help because I trust him and want to support him, but, for the most part, he will do what I say and love me in return. I could explain this more, but I want to save the juicy parts for the follow up post I have planned for this. 😏

If you've read this far, thank you. From the bottom of my hear. I've never wrote something this personal or long. I hope I can continue to do more of these, if I'm passionate enough.

[inkribbon796]

My Favorite Human Ch. 2: I Want YOU in This Custody Fight

Summary: It’s not a date if you argue about the kids in front of the restaurant staff.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3

Chase tried to dress nice when he came to this building. It was one of the fancier restaurants under Dark’s control. He didn’t have a whole lot of nice suits but he did have a white button-up and a black vest. But that was as far as he got.

Dark never seemed to mind either way. After all this was strictly business. They’d talk about the twins, and then Chase would leave. The Entity would offer for Chase to order something from the menu, “on me”, and the marksman would always turn him down, even before he first glanced at the menu.

After he’d seen the menu he was determined to never order anything from this place because it was way too much for anything.

But the view . . . the view was amazing. The restaurant was situated by the river and so at night it looked amazing. Dark was always in a private business room, to make sure their conversations couldn’t be easily overheard by errant patrons.

As Chase walked up, sans superhero outfit or mask because he didn’t want his meetings with Dark getting on the news at all, a waiter led him right to Dark.

When Chase walked in he had his usual crisis, his feet stopping and a weight settling in his heart. Dark had his back to him as he looked out into the city.

Chase got his feet to work and he took his usual seat.

Dark sighed when Chase sat down, “I heard what happened.”

“Mori and Tempus think he’s better now, least he’s not runnin’[1] around naked in the woods anymore,” Chase reported. “I think Mem got most ‘a[2] it out ‘a[2] his system.”

Dark clicked his tongue. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him, at least the others don’t have to be watched so some random hiker wouldn’t get attacked.”

That got a chuckle out of Chase, settling a bit in his chair. “Really? I find that hard ta[3] believe.”

“Arthur was a bit of a handful but at least he could be contained to his books. He didn’t actively seek to become chaos itself.” Dark’s fingers drummed casually on his desk.

“Prolly[4] could have cut him off beforehand if I hadn’t been on patrol this mornin’[5],” Chase’s eyes tracked over as a waiter came in to bring some wine for Dark and a water for Chase, he was braced for a random attack. It was mostly out of habit — because of Clubs — but still trained all the same.

Dark’s aura circled around the rim of his wine glass. “Yes, Illinois commented the same.”

The Entity’s aura hummed as he thought, he twisted the base of glass with two fingers. “I was thinking that perhaps the problem is not that they need constant supervision, it’s merely that they’re bored and they do the first thing that comes to mind.”

“Not sure how I can help with that ta[3] be honest,” Chase admitted.

Dark paused to take an especially long sip of his wine. “It has occurred to me that perhaps if they spend a bit long thinking about the ideas they have that maybe they would make wiser decisions. They are very young spawnlings, and there is a certain impulse that such young demons only have when they have never been threatened and feel safe in a territory.”

“Really?” Chase smiled. “Yeh[6] were impulsive back in the day? Would’a[7] loved ta[3] see that.”

Looking away, Dark took another sip, “No, I made Egoton into what it is today so I would not have to waste my time finding a new territory every couple of decades.”

The smile didn’t fade from Chase’s face quite yet. “So yeh[6] got any plans fer[8] the twins, err, boys.”

At that mistake, the smile did drop and Chase was glaring out the window for a full second or two. “Yeh[6] got any plans fer[8] the boys?”

“A couple,” Dark mercifully ignored the slip up. “My first option was to just stick them with Illinois, he’s more than mentally equipped to corral chaotic spawnlings. But with the wedding coming up, I figured . . .”

Dark trailed off, waving his hand dismissively, “Best not to leave the responsibility with Illinois.”

Chase felt the urge to say something, but he didn’t even know what that something was, so he kept quiet. He preoccupied himself with wiping down the condensate from his glass.

“Tempus is fine on her own, but if I leave her to them, she’d only mildly protest at whatever they do and then record them, and Wil only seems to enable their destructive behavior,” Dark continued.

“Hmph, that’s Bubbles fer[8] yeh[6],” Chase dismissed coldly. “I think he might e’en be givin’ ‘em ideas.”[9]

“Oh, of that I have no doubt,” Dark agreed, “Tempus too, a couple of their more harebrained stunts have actually been her idea, despite Memento’s insistence that he’s the brains of their operation.”

That got a chuckle out of Chase.

“But that still leaves me with a problem, namely that apart from Illinois or myself there seems to be only one other person who can reason with them, or at least enough that they don’t get themselves into legal trouble. Their minor antics are fine, especially if they can confine it to the Manor, but running around the parks or beaches is getting them into trouble, and getting them noticed by demon hunters.”

“Yikes, didn’t know it was that bad yet,” Chase sat up a little straighter.

“It’s nothing that can’t be handled, but I was thinking, and Kay and Illinois posed the idea themselves, that you could help,” Dark proposed, his expression neutral and guarded. “Since you seem to be the only other person they listen to.”

Chase was quiet, the room was so quiet that he could dimly hear chatter from the other room. He wasn’t exactly sure where this conversation was going. “I’m tryin’ ta watch ‘em, but I still got patrols ta keep up with. I’ve got ta deal with random bullshite that the Duke or Anti cause in the city. I’m still part ‘a the Coalition.”[10]

“The heroes have more than enough people to deal with them,” Dark dismissed.

“Dark, I’ll keep doin’ e’erythin’ I can fer the boys, but I’m tryin’ ta stay on good behavior,”[11] Chase reminded him. “It’s bad enough they’re barely lettin’ me see my other kids, I don’t know what they’d do if I wasn’t bein’ a hero. It’s the only thin’ I got goin’ fer me.”[12]

Dark meant to be reassuring, that Chase was a natural parental figure underneath his poor mental health and self-incriminating bad choices. That they’d made a mistake when Chase was denied his children. But such words required a certain amount of emotional vulnerability from Dark, and the Entity could never allow himself to be vulnerable, even when it was desperately needed.

So the words that came out of his mouth were, “I could make sure there were no problems.”

Chase froze, staring at Dark in alarm. Normally his head and heart were at war. Between wanting to treat Dark like a dearly loved friend, and his head who reminded Chase that Dark was a dangerous, demonic mob boss. Someone who destroyed lives that didn’t suit him.

At this moment there was no discourse.

“What does that mean?” Chase’s tone was terse.

“I don’t see why anyone should have a problem with you seeing any of your children, Anti has not used you as a host in months. He has not targeted you in even longer. The correct people merely need . . . convincing.”

“No!” Chase snapped, surging up so he was away from the table. “Don’t! Just stop right there. Yer not gonna threaten or “convince” anyone. Stacy’s fine. She’s doin’ fine with ‘em. If yeh could get yer fookin’ claws outta Paddy that’d be e’en better.”[13]

“Your eldest has his own goals and if he wants to achieve it through my Network, I see no reason to stop him,” Dark dismissed. “He is an expert marksman who’s time and skill were being squandered on running around with other delinquents pretending to be gangsters. Crime and trouble would have found him if I hadn’t swept in and taken him.”

Chase made some ugly snort that carried his disbelief and offense.

“The four of them are already embroiled in the Network, it would certainly make things simpler,” Dark suggested, immediately doubling down on his point.

“Simpler?” Chase scoffed. “Fer who? I’m not gonna fookin’ sit on my arse until they do somethin’, it’s not like I’ve got anythin’ useful fer yer little crime organization.”[14]

Dark gave Chase a look.

Chase just stared at the Entity in alarm, “No.”

“You denying the very nature of your magic and soul doesn’t make it any less true,” Dark commented, metaphorically shoving his foot right into his mouth.

“No,” Chase repeated a little more firmly. “Fook[15] off.”

“The heroes have had a top marksman for years and yet you are sidelined constantly,” Dark commented. “Even if you’re not killing in my Network your skills would be more useful. You don’t even have to be in the room to do the job.”

“So that’s what this is?” Chase spat. “I’m just some asset fer yeh ta buy?”[16]

In the absence of anything that wasn’t an emotionally charged response, Dark fell silent.

Chase threw his hands up, so angry that there was a very furious grin where teeth ground together, “No. We’ll keep the system we got, it’s workin’[17] just fine.”

The marksman was boiling with rage and it didn’t help that Dark wasn’t confirming or denying it.

“Enjoy yer[18] overpriced steak, Dark, I’m goin’[19] home,” Chase decided, alright turning.

Dark stayed quiet, and when Chase looked back at him he let out a groan of annoyance and stormed off and out of the building.

The Entity didn’t stop him, he was too busy tending to his blue soul who was trying to follow Chase but was stopped because Dark was staying in his seat.

“He’s angry,” Damien commented in their shared headspace, his fragmented soul full of nothing but emotion and none of the social cues that kept those emotions from being acted on. “What did I do?”

“He’s a human, it’s all they do,” Dark’s red soul commented dryly. She was already wanting to leave, fretting about the mountain of work they needed to do.

“We can give him things,” Damien suggested hopefully, looking to Dark for approval.

Why? Dark asked. Is he the man we’ve been sleeping with for decades? Because I seem to remember someone a little more pink and mad. Or am I wrong?

Dark’s blue soul curled in on himself and stopped pulling the Entity to follow after Chase. He was more subdued than he’d been in a while.

It let Dark finally leave and head back to the warehouses to get some work done. And if Damien urged Dark to give little macabre trinkets to the triplets, he only hesitated for a little bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post A/N: Man, if Dark and Anti were half as good at communicating as they were at killing people, all their problems would be solved!

Accessibility Translations:

1. running

2. of

3. to

4. Probably

5. morning

6. You

7. Would have

8. for

9. I think he might even be giving them ideas.

10. I’m trying to watch them, but I’ve still got patrols to keep up with. I’ve got to deal with random bullshit that the Duke or Anti cause in the city. I’m still part of the Coalition.

11. Dark, I’ll keep doing everything I can for the boys, but I’m trying to stay on good behavior

12. It’s bad enough they’re barely letting me see my other kids, I don’t know what they’d do if I wasn’t being a hero. It’s the only thing I got going for me

13. Don’t! Just stop right there. You’re not going to threaten or “convince” anyone. Stacy’s fine. She’s doing fine with them. If you could get your fucking claws out of Paddy that’d be even better.

14. For who? I’m not going to fucking sit on my ass until they do something, it’s not like I’ve got anything useful for your little crime organization.

15. Fuck

16. I’m just some asset for you to buy?

17. working

18. your

19. going

[handlewithkara]

Versus a depowered “human” Kara ending

I know that people have put forth the theory for why they think that the show will end with Kara giving up her powers and becoming “human”. I thought I would lay out my reasons why I don’t think it will happen. For this I will use a mixture of spoilers, discussion of themes and yes of course you can’t avoid personal preferences. 

First let me say, I don’t blame people for this speculation and that it makes the stupid or bad fans. I can see why looking at the evidence could make them come to that conclusion (for example with quotes like “Melissa:  What she stands for and always fighting for what's right, and leading with your heart and compassion and finding your family and holding on for dear life. “ or “ it's a lot of exploration of power and what it means, how do you wield it well, how do you wield it for the wrongs reasons, and what happens when you do on both sides of heroes and villains. “ or “The more Kara matures, the more she's grappled with her power and what it means to carry the powers that she has on Earth and her identity as either an alien or human, or where she belongs. Those are things we're really exploring this year with her. And what makes you strong? What makes you feel empowered? Those are things we're looking at this season across the board for all the characters. But with Kara specifically, this season is going to be more of a self-exploration, looking in the mirror and [contemplating] what her power means because it's almost limitless and it makes her so strong on Earth. Where does she draw the line? How does she reconcile that with her humanity?”), I’m just going to share why I don’t think it will be the ending the show goes with. 

Things we know about the ending - quotes: 

Quotes from Melissa:

-  they pitched me the end, and it's really lovely. It's a great ending. I feel fantastic about it  

-  "Story-wise, it's really lovely the capacity in which [James, Winn and Mon-El] return."

-  She said she would be willing to put on the Supergirl costume one more time to convince [her son]."If he asks, I would do it," Benoist said. "Something tells me he probably won't. [He] might be embarrassed." 

-  Of course, I’m not going to give anything away, but I am very happy with the strength and the empowerment that comes with the way we’re ending the series for Kara.

- it’s our heartfelt wish that her legacy echoes the central message of Supergirl: embrace the hope, the inspiration and the supwerpowers that live within yourself

Quotes from Chyler: 

- Question: Are you content with where Alex’s story ends? Chyler: It’s bittersweet. [..]  It’s going to be a “to be continued” kind of thing. It’s understanding that, OK, they’ve reached a certain point in their life where it’s almost like the audience can hopefully give them permission to imagine them having some time to be happy and it not be dire straits all the time. There’s always going to be bad guys.

Things we know about the ending from behind the scenes pictures: 

- Alex and Kelly will have a wedding and very likely Alex will finally get to adopt a kid like she has always wanted. 

- James, Mon-El and Winn are back for the finale and take part in the big battle. Kara is still flying in that battle. 

- A part of the battle is the people of National City rising up and helping out. 

- There is a scene where Andrea and Lena create something dedicated to William Dey. There is a scene of Nia posing with a flag and Kelly is present. 

- Alex will appear in the Flash crossover which is set after Supergirl concludes, potentially together with Kelly. Kara/Melissa won’t take part. As per her quote Melissa very likely doesn’t plan on playing Supergirl any time soon. 

The feminist message of Kara giving up her special powers

To me, there has always been a feminist message in women having powers and getting to use them. If you compare it to how how the journeys of Kara’s male colleagues have gone, traditionally they have gotten only more powerful over time, such as with Oliver dying and returning as an almost all powerful being. 

To me the message of taking the most powerful character in the Arrowverse who happens to be female and telling her “you have to give up your powers for the greater good” seems just kind of wonky to me. Not that it couldn’t be done at all, but I find it at least somewhat questionable rather than “I heard it and I got it immediately”. (is it really a great example of strenght and empowerment for Kara to give up her special powers? Is it really a lovely occasion for Mon-El, Winn and James to return to watch Kara give up her powers? As opposed to the occasion being that all of Kara’s friends, all the people she inspired to be heroes, powers or no powers get together to help her defeat the baddies) 

Especially since in the context of the show, these powers are an inherent part of Kara, just like they are for Nia and J’onn. And the show has consistently shown as the powers also being something that give Kara great joy (particularly flying). 

Diversity versus hegemony

Supergirl has always used aliens as a metaphor for immigrants and bringing up various aspects like suspicion against aliens, their rights as full citizens etc. 

It seems to me that for the way the show has used this metaphor the more suitable message would be aliens and humans living in harmony with each other and the aliens can keep having their powers. To resolve this conflict by Kara just “becoming human” seems like an odd fit for me compared how the show has handled this topic so far. 

Especially considering how Melissa has recently frequently brought up season 4 and citing that she liked it precisely for the political storylines it had. That being the very same reason where Kara contemplates embracing her heritage in public. 

There has been a lot of moaning about the potential implications of “giving up your life for a dude”, but I would bring forth, isn’t “giving up your heritage, giving up an integral part of yourself for anybody” still a pretty wonky message (presuming that the end would be something like “Kara gives up her powers for Alex, so she can be human with Alex, since the sisters are the heart of the show” [as it does not appear that Kara gave her powers up to defeat the big bad, since she still seems to have her powers in the big battle, so it would have to be what... Kara asking Nyxly or Myxy to take away her powers?], it just seems to me that in such a scenario, wouldn’t the greater love be where the other person doesn’t need or want you to give up such a huge part of yourself and instead loves you the way you are?

To me it just seems like the more uplifting message would be if aliens can keep their powers and still be accepted for who they are. 

Powers are used to bring down the big bad

Having a badguy with the power to do everything at the snap of a finger would be an excellent setup for Kara to lose her powers. But if the message of the show is supposed to be that no-powers is as good or even better than having powers, wouldn’t you expect that be reflected in how the big bad is handled? If the end of Kara’s story was that she gives up on having superpowers and focuses on being just a journalist, wouldn’t you expect then that journalism is what brings down the badguys? Wouldn’t you expect a big battle where Kara does not have powers but beats the badguys anyway to show off that powers are not needed at all even when facing down the biggest bads? 

Instead it looks to me like Kara still very much has her powers in this confrontation (we see her doing a superhero landing) And she is still wearing her superhero suit. Again if the central message of the show was wouldn’t it be more powerful if the big final battle would feature Kara facing the badguys down in her human, reporter outfit? 

Kara wouldn’t leave her friends

I find this claim strangest of all. Because Kara has left her friends before. She left to live on Argo. And if you look at those episodes, she did not come back because she missed her friends so much and realized she could not live without them. She realized she did not like it there, that she didn’t fit in there because even in a mostly peaceful world where Kara has no special powers compared to everybody else Kara could just not stop superheroing and she returned because earth was in danger. 

Back in season 3 when Kara tried to leave, all the people in her life were arguably in a way worse condition than they presumably be at the end of season 6. In season 3 Alex was still alone and still saddened by her breakup, just on the verge of taking steps towards her goal of motherhood. At the end of season 6 she will presumably be married to an equally heroic partner with the adoption she has been craving going through. 

In season 3 Lena was still clueless about the inner workings of superheroics, by the end of season 6, Lena is in the know, part of the team and has forged a lot of new friendships and might presumably even get more active powers of her own and it stands to reason by the end of season 6 Lena will be truly free of her family influence. Nia has grown into her own powers. Compared to the last time Kara left, everybody is in an even better shape.  

Would Kara really stop being a physical hero if she lost her powers? 

One component of the speculation is that whatever the ending is, it must provide an explanation for why Kara isn’t taking part in crossovers. Yet... Alex has no superpowers and she is still a hero. And every time Kara lost her powers in canon, she still kept on being a hero. So even if Kara gave her powers up permanently why wouldn’t she just join Kelly and Alex in being a technology based hero? 

I find it much harder to believe that a Kara who stays would sit by idly while Kelly and Alex put themselves into phyiscal danger. To me, a setup where Kara is still a superhero, just physically elsewhere and trusting Alex to hold down the fort just works a lot better than Kara not joining physically when she is basically around the corner and the show has plenty of technology lying around that would allow her to stay a physically active hero. 

It just seems odd to me that she couldn’t do both yet at the same time Alex presumably stays active as a hero. So is staying a vigilante superhero something worthwhile (even as you can have a positive influence on the world as a social worker or a reporter) or is it not?  If it’s not worthwhile, why is Alex still doing it and if it’s worthwhile and Kara’s beloved sister is doing it, why would Kara stop doing it, when in the past, she has always shown herself to still act heroically even when she had no powers? 

Is being human is better than having powers, shouldn’t J’onn and NIa (or Mon-El for that matter) give up their powers too? 

If the core message of Supergirl is supposed to be that not having superhuman powers and just acting with human empathy and ingenuity is better, why don’t J’onn and Nia give up their powers? if let’s say sacrificing powers was a requirement to defeat the big bad, wouldn’t that also affect J’onn and Nia? 

Yet when Nicole Maines was interviewed and asked how she would like Nia’s story to continue after Supergirl she talked explicitly about wanting to develop Nia’s powers more and how she wants Nia to become even more powerful. Something that seems kind of at odds if she just comes off a show where the presumably celebrated end is the main character losing her powers. 

If Kara has lot her power, why isn’t she present right there in the front line in those scenes with Andrea, Lena and Nia? 

If the aim of the show is for Kara to become “human” and focus on her work as a reporter and the various way that humans can inspire each other and lift each other, wouldn’t you expect Kara to be part of it? To either cover it as a reporter or to even be part directly when for example sort of inspiring organization is being created? 

Kara not being in those scenes to me makes more sense if she either isn’t there and these scenes communicate how various other characters carry on her mission OR if she at the very least still has her powers and flying over them in a way that is added as CGI later. 

Anyway, these are the reasons why I personally find it rather doubtful that the show will go with a depowered or “human” Kara ending. 

I personally lean towards what I call a “Graduation” ending, an ending where Kara looks down with pride on all heroes she helped inspire and moves to some other location to be a hero there or hone her heroing there, feeling safe in the knowledge that she is leaving the protection of earth in capable hands and that her message is still being carried forth by the people she has inspired. 

Another option of course could be that she just stays as a superhero as before, and they just don’t care to have any particular explanation for why she isn’t taking part in crossovers. 

Maybe the strength and empowerement could come from full circle from the pilot in her standing tall as a powerful hero with a army of people she inspired behind her and finally being open about her secret identity, as an alien (as mirror to Kara revealing her powers to the world in the pilot, it is Kara revealing her identity to the world). 

In the end, it be will a question of personal preference and we’ll probably have to agree to disagree which ending seems more likely and just a couple of months from now, we will see what the show goes with, what they felt was more suitable and what Melissa thought made a “lovely” ending for Kara’s character. if Kara “turn human” in the end and Melissa is happy with it, whatever. I can live with it. But with the things are now, I’m skeptical that that would be their ending. To me it would just seem like an odd fit with the overall messaging of the show (yes even with all the talk about human hearts, but what does it say about the rest of the characters who are also aliens?) and a rather dubious place to leave the character in and imo doesn’t really provide a lot of advantages to Kara keeping her powers and staying in town when it comes to explaining her position vis a vis the rest of the Arrowverse. 

[thevindicativevordan]

Terra-Man

I created a section for Superman Rogues in my Superman masterpost so I feel obligated to actually write about a character for there. But I don’t really want to dive into the nuances of Lex or any of the big guns just yet, so how about we talk about a guy most people don’t even know exists?

Terra-Man friends! The Pre-Crisis version was created by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Dick Dillin. Based on Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name”, he was a child of the old American Wild West, with his father killed by an alien. Young Tobias Manning was then adopted by said alien out of guilt. The alien took Tobias with him out into the cosmos, trained him, and crafted high tech weaponry for him that resembled weapons used by 19th century cowboys. He was also gifted with slowed aging that gave him nigh-immortality. Tobias killed his alien guardian and struck out on his own as an interstellar criminal, taking the name “Terra-Man” to homage his Earth roots. His Pre-Crisis fights with Superman varied between him being treated as a bizarre gag villain and a deadly serious threat.

Spoilers: The guy who ages up Superman is Tobias. He actually comes across as a legitimate threat in the story, using preptime to outwit Clark repeatedly:

And it was the first time I had read a story with Terra-Man in it that made me go “this guy could be a legitimate threat”. Of course Bates had more creativity in his pinkie than a lot of creators produce in their entire careers, and the Post-Crisis revamp of Terra-Man really sucked:

They got rid of his cowboy hat (a creative felony if I ever saw one), and revamped him as a businessman who had a crisis of conscience over the environmental damage he was causing, and thus set out on a crusade to protect the environment. They kept the high tech weaponry, and gave a lot of it an ecological spin, he had gadgets that allowed him to drain Superman’s solar levels to make him susceptible to weaponry, but the background motivation has aged poorly. Given the current environmental state of the world, more people would probably cheer this version of Tobias on as a hero (just look at Green Arrow or the Poison Ivy fans!) than want to see Superman beat him up. Also he still talked like an old school cowboy for some bizarre reason? Or maybe that was just how writers thought every Texan talked.

Anyway he ended up getting ripped in half by Black Adam and basically has been gone ever since as far as I’m aware:

 So he’s been absent for two whole reboots now, New 52 & Rebirth, so I feel entitled to give my idea for how to make him work as a Superman Rogue. First up: his design. None of the ones I posted above really worked for me, none of them look “cool”, and if Venom and Carnage have taught us anything it’s that 90% of why some villains stick around is that they look cool. The Pre-Crisis one is too plain looking, he looks generic, the Post-Crisis look lacks a hat and the cowboy theme and is thus unacceptable. Luckily there’s already two very cool looking sources to draw on for a new design:

Guy front and center is Terra-Man from the Legion of Superheroes cartoon, and my first introduction to the character. His backstory was heavily modified for the show, but he was a stone cold badass, forcing Imperiex and Superman X to team up to beat him. Think Cad Bane from The Clone Wars by way of Terminator and you basically get the gist. I honestly wouldn’t mind just straight up taking that design and adding the mustache of the comic version. But there’s another source to draw from:

How the hell this guy never caught on I’ll never know. Maybe because Morrison never gave him enough badass moments during their Action run? But Nimrod has a very cool design, and he also has some crazy weapons like a gun that shoots telepathic bullets, he already feels somewhat like a Terra-Man revamp to me. I’d take the idea of a helmet/full body suit and the crazy high-concept tech weapons from Nimrod & Pre-Crisis Terra-Man, and combine it with the color scheme, basic outfit and hat of the animated Terra-Man. That would be a really cool design that would get people interested in Tobias I feel.

Second off: the name. Maybe I was just dumb as a kid, but I was always wondering why animated Terra-Man never used his earthbender powers. He clearly had them, why else would he call himself Terra-Man and not Space Cowboy? In the interest of retroactively justifying my young self’s stupidity, I propose a new name: The Terran. I think that does a better job of conveying what his deal is, that he’s a former resident of Earth aka Terra who has gone out and made a name for himself in the cosmos. Think of the children who will no longer be confused about why he’s not throwing boulders at his foes. I rest my case.

Third and finally: The motivation. Why does this guy show up on Earth? What’s his deal? Why does he hate Superman? Well I think there’s some easy justification in explaining why he would finally return to Earth in the first place by making him a hunter like Nimrod was. Terran is out to hunt the most dangerous creatures of a species for sport and profit. Guess who has an Intergalactic Zoo in his Fortress, containing last members of extinct species some of whom posses hides or organs that would fetch high prices on the galactic black market? That’s an easy way to justify why the two would first come to blows, and where the root of the contempt for each other would begin.

But that would only be the beginning. See there’s some very interesting twists on the Superman concept with Tobias. He inverts a lot of the core components of Superman. He’s a human who was abducted and adopted by aliens as a child. He got his “powers” from his alien father, and his “name” from the aliens he worked for and killed. He’s a human straight out of Earth’s past, a literal Man of Yesterday. I think you could do some very interesting stuff by contrasting the two, and one of the big ways to do it would be to make Tobias Manning gay.

Yeah yeah get your jokes out of the way but hear me out: Tobias is from 19th century America, not exactly known for it’s tolerance of homosexuality (or anything non-WASP really). Part of why Tobas stayed away for so long then was that he felt alienated from his home planet. He thought he would never be accepted there, and thus stayed away and tried to carve out a life for himself in space where at least no one looked down on him for who he loved. So when he finally comes back and sees the way things have improved he’s overjoyed. Finally he can be himself among his own kind, he doesn’t have to stay away from Earth anymore, he can stay here and reconnect with his heritage. But then he runs into another barrier: He was raised according to 19th century American norms as a kid, then by alien norms for the rest of his life. He has zero in common with regular humans in the 21st century DCU Earth. His speech is antiquated and peppered with alien words no one understands, marking him as odd. Nobody shares any of his interests, and his job, which would’ve been cool and badass in the 19th century, now invites disgust in everyday conversations. Tobias may have been a human born on Earth, but he was born in the Wild West and raised in space, and he’s become totally alienated from the rest of humanity.

Enter Superman, an alien born on another planet but perfectly able to live amongst humanity since he was raised by them and educated in their modern standards. He’s white-passing and straight, and those two attributes help him be accepted. It would absolutely piss Tobias off that this alien is viewed as more human than he is, is accepted where he is not, and that would fuel the fires of resentment. So when he and Clark cross paths, Tobias is out for blood. Not just to beat/kill Superman, but to embarrass him, humiliate him, make him the outcast for everyone to point and gawk at. Also killing one of the last Kryptonians would really help cement Tobias’ reputation as a stone cold badass hunter which doesn’t hurt either.

On Superman’s side, part of him would absolutely despise Tobias for being a poacher, for hunting and killing endangered species, for trying to kill or humiliate him. He’d be put off by Tobias’ 19th century ideal of manhood and enjoyment of killing, something Superman wholeheartedly abhors. But on the other hand he would absolutely empathize with Tobias’ frustration. Clark has felt alienated from humanity at points himself, but also recognizes that he was lucky to look and be like he does given where he landed. He’d want to try to reach this guy, to connect with him, given how much he can sympathize with the longing for a place where you can be yourself without fearing rejection from others. Whether he would ever succeed is anyone’s guess.

I realize the possible pitfalls in making a prominent villain, who is also a cowboy gay, but I do think what I have here is an interesting way at looking at the very concept of “alieness”, a topic often explored in Superman stories. I’d add a prominent gay member to Superman’s supporting cast as a counterbalance too, either to the Daily Planet or the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit.

So yeah that’s how I’d revamp Tobias into the Terran.

[floatingcatacombs]

Evaluting Gatchaman Crowds Through Rui’s Outfits

12 Days of Aniblogging 2020, Day 1

Oh, I’m fashionably late to this one. Gatchaman Crowds is a 2013 superhero anime that serves as a soft reboot of the old tokusatsu franchise, only now with 21st century shitty anime tropes. From this painfully generic setup emerges a surprisingly layered evaluation of technological disruption in the smartphone era. For this reason, Crowds is a favorite amongst anime bloggers as a superhero work that’s actually trying to do something interesting.

Unfortunately I don’t care about any of these guys

But it’s also a favorite amongst all sorts of weirdos because of the character Rui Ninomiya. A horrifying amalgamation of the technolibertarian CEO and trans femme hacker archetypes, Rui is by far the most interesting character in the show, because they’re a surprisingly prescient look at how the tech industry will function throughout the 2010s. But they’re also a ‘boy’ who never leaves their house without dressing in the most girly clothes imaginable. Predictably, this is catnip for me. But the funniest part of the whole situation is that nobody ever addresses it. Rui never provides an explanation for their outfits and the rest of the cast just uses she/her until they properly get acquainted and switch to he/him.

I could tell you that Rui’s obviously trans and wrap up the post right there, but that’s honestly not the most interesting angle of attack here. So I’m just going to use whatever pronouns I feel like in the moment for them and focus on what really matters: fashion! Rui has a surprisingly large wardrobe throughout the show, so I’ll be doing the heavy lifting of ranking each of her outfits. Oh, and also maybe a little analysis of what she represents. Spoilers for the whole show, of course.

7. The Yellow Dress

Let me lay out Rui’s ideology before I lay into their fashion disaster. You see, they’re a tech disruptor who believes that governments and bureaucracies are too slow to achieve the monumental (yet unspecified) change that society needs. So, they preside over a smartphone app called GALAX that successfully predicts Pokemon Go’s geosocial AR gimmick three years early. GALAX is a technolibertarian’s wet dream – crowdsourced emergency response, interest-based meetups, and matchmaking for people who need specific help and the people who can help them, all deeply gamified.

Their outfit here is about as messy as their politics, but at the same time, what a look. She’s got blue-and-white-striped programming thigh highs on under her combat boots, which are both such trans iconography, you know? While they may just be a reflection of early-2010s 4chan crossdressing culture, it’s also totally possible that Rui directly influenced or reinforced trans girl fashion, like the accelerationist she is. What a prescient show, in all sorts of weird ways.

6. Lace-up Dress with Bunny Ears

It wouldn’t be an anime girl cosplay without some bunny ears, now would it? Rui spends 5 minutes in an early episode just wandering around the city in this outfit, listening to people’s conversations and feelings on GALAX. There’s something very funny about how nobody even notices them, like they’re completely invisible despite their ridiculous outfit. This actually factors back into the tech stuff! Like pretty much every tech company, Rui’s app and vision are both sleek and shiny but rely on tremendous amounts of dirty labor kept as hidden as possible. From Amazon’s inhumane warehouse conditions to Facebook’s trauma-inducing moderator farms to Apple’s child labor-tainted supply chains, there’s always suffering humans behind the too-good-to-be-true magic of tech companies. Rui’s lie by omission is failing to mention that the app relies on invisible extradimensional beings called CROWDS that are manually controlled by underpaid workers to assist its users. One of the workers comes to Rui challenging their vision and arguing that they should be sharing this tech with the movers and shakers of the world, not trying to keep it invisible. He threatens a collective walkout and Rui fires him. At this point, we’re not even operating on metaphors.

5. Green Business Casual

Sure, most tech companies have cruel labor underbellies, but there’s also the separate risk of moral rot. It’s what causes Microsoft to take on ICE contracts and Google to develop censored versions of their search engine at the whims of authoritarians. Many tech companies start off with an altruistic message, but without a serious ethical core, they will start doing a whole lot of evil as they bend to financial and other pressures. Rui’s version of this is extremely literal: she made a deal with the devil to gain the ability to use the CROWDS and launch her app. Except this devil is also a butch gender-noncomforming alien (there is a Lot of other gender going on in this show that I don’t even have time for) and the two of them seem to have an extremely fucked-up relationship. Like any good Faustian bargain or any bad attempt at raising more venture capital without a viable business model, eventually the whole thing comes tumbling down and now you’re doing something terribly fucked up. Rui looks good in a dress shirt, at least!

4. Whatever your abusive partner puts on when she body-snatches you

Of course the center won’t hold, GALAX is subject to a hostile takeover, and to nobody’s surprise, an app with the flimsy promise to change the world for the better can actually be way better at ripping it all apart. I guess the prescient social media parallel here is Facebook being used to propagate Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing, or really anything related to Twitter for the last 5 years. FuckedUpAlienMimic!Rui sure does have cute fangs and a way more refined fashion sense though. I don’t feel like looking into that one.

3. Business....Futch?

I know I’m not done outlining Rui’s arc, but I’m going to skip ahead for a moment to say that Gatchaman Crowds also has a second season! I’m largely ignoring it here because Rui is pretty much stripped of all plot relevance and most of her outfits are less exciting, but I had to include this one. For two episodes, she puts on bright yellow stirrup leggings and an oversized polo shirt, with a cute ponytail to boot. It’s a ridiculous look, but still feels really evocative to me. Sometimes a girl just has to put together completely uncoordinated outfits and see what happens.

Unlike the disruption-focused first season, Gatchaman Crowds season two, which aired in 2015, is about how unfettered technolibertarianism can easily descend into fascism. Goddammit.

2. The Bunny Ears Outfit Again Oh God Who Hurt Her

The weight of the world comes crashing down in Rui’s hands, she’s bruised and beaten in a surprisingly sadistic manner by her alien ex-business partner/girlfriend, and she’s locked out of her own company which is very quickly causing society to fall apart. So what does she do? She puts the bunny dress back on, and wanders the streets again until she has to call upon the powers that be to fix her own mess. It’s silly that the powers that be in this world are superheroes, but I bet you forgot that this was technically a superhero show at this point. Anyways, my extended metaphor is quickly drifting off course, but I guess this is the part where Rui gets grilled by Congress and slapped with an antitrust case.

1. Every Trans Girl Stereotype Rolled Into One

I’ve been incredibly harsh on Rui throughout this writeup, because I’m harsh on the industry she represents, but I’ll make it up with this section. Look at what she’s wearing! A choker, the gothiest Hot Topic dress imaginable, arm warmers, no less than three asymmetric garters not even holding up anything, and the tallest black boots she could find. It’s incredible! If the first outfit on this list was hinting at her relationship to stereotypical trans fashion, then this outfit just screams it. It’s the perfect goth femme hacker look, a style commitment I have no choice but to respect.

Gatchaman is a weird show. After spending most of its runtime thoroughly dunking on tech disruptors for being too optimistic and uncritical, it takes a last-minute turn into Lockean state of nature arguments. It settles on “the masses are inherently good enough that empowering people through technology shouldn’t ever be a problem”, ignoring all the suffering that happened due to Rui’s unwillingness to curate their own technology. I’d give Gatchaman Crowds an average rating, but it’s one of those interesting average ratings where instead of being milquetoast, they tried something and failed and wrote themselves into a corner. But hey, at least there’s an interestingly gendered character!

[tired-college-student-writing]

Beautiful Versions of Brokenness pt. 2

Summary: Marinette is different. There was no denying it, but none would have guessed that the true reason was soul deep

Continuation of Prompt: If you're into Black Butler, maybe something with that and Miraculous ladybug? Or Black Butler with Demon Bim? I just think you'd do a good job with the Black Butler characters.

Part 1

____________________________________________

Chat Noir reluctantly left so that Ladybug and Sebastian, shortly after, promised to meet up on the next patrol night so that they could properly discuss their unlikely reunion.

Instead of going home, Marinette leads them to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Parisians are used to seeing their heroine and a black figure at the top of the tower, no one would think twice if she arrived there. Sebastian follows as he always did.

“This isn’t my first life after Ciel then,” She hummed, once she arrived, deciding to deal with the first question on her mind.

“No,” Sebastian agreed, as her timer slowly beeped towards its end, “This is my 37th time meeting you since your contract was created. The 21st time you’ve awoken your Phantomhive memories.”

Her eyebrows rose, “it’s only been 130 years since Ciel died, how have I been reborn 37 times?”

The demon all but scoffed, “Really mistress? All these years with beings of heaven and hell toying with your life and you still believe we are playing by earthly rules?”

Marinette just glared, “You’re telling me Hell lacks linear time then? When I die, my soul just flies to any time period it pleases and becomes whichever child it can find?”

“Precisely,” Sebastian smirks, “There have only been a few rules your soul seems to follow, your eyes remain virtually unchanged, still the strikingly blue and purple hues they have been since our contract was sealed, your hair an inky black and your memories return within a year of the age you took your earldom, thirteen, or not at all. Other than that this is the eighteenth time you’ve taken a female form, fifth where you’ve been of mixed races, tenth of being Asian descent, you’ve been of African descent six times, middle eastern eight, Native American three times. You’ve been of peasantry or slavery six times, on three different continents. Though being enslaved has triggered your memories flawlessly every time and allowed for you to rise in the ranks of society with grace. Sixteen times you’ve been of noble birth in multiple different royal families across the globe. It’s been an adventure each time

“What about Lizzie?” She finally asked,” She never sold her soul, and yet Chat Noir is clearly my fiancé.”

Sebastian frowned, “To be quite honest, she’s never appeared before, or at the very least never awoken. Human souls are not supposed to be reincarnated so quickly, even by heaven’s terms we should not have run into Miss Elizabeth before the 30th century and I’ve never heard of the average reincarnation remembering their memories as vividly as Chat Noir did.”

“Who would know?”

The grimace was fleeting on the demon’s face but Marinette knew what he was getting at.

“The Grim Reapers,” She groaned, “Grell hanging around anywhere?”

“What makes you so certain that pest is still working off their debt?” Sebastian countered

Marinette glared, “Because I’ve seen a shockingly familiar red figure watching the Akuma battles before, but only the ones that might have high casualty counts if we had lost. Plus you’re always aggravated whenever I came back from those types of battles and she was the only one that I know that gets under your skin that badly. If she wasn’t so… open about her desires I would have loved to see her around more.”

The demon sighed, “Observant as always my lady. Grell Sutcliff, William T. Spears, and Ronald Knox have all been given special assignments to follow your reincarnated soul around as they are used to our unique brand of chaos. They are given time off when your soul is inactive, and this works counts as double time for their repayment… containing the destruction left in your wake.”

Marinette hummed, as her time finally wore out a Tikki appeared next to her.

“Sebastian,” Tikki greeted, cooly, drawing a wicked grin on the young girl’s face.

“Miss. Tikki,” He offered with his polite butler smile, the one Marinette knew meant he wasn’t happy, “A pleasure as always.”

“Oh, you’ve met then?” Marinette laughed with twisted glee “I haven’t seen you look so constipated since we had to do those Phoenix poses!”

She could practically hear the teeth grinding behind his forced smile, “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about Mistress, I think the reincarnation process has scrambled your mind.”

She hummed, cheeky grin not falling as she passed Tikki her emergency cookie, “Either way, we need to plan. Obviously, we can’t play the butler and Earl roles as we once did so we must figure out new roles that we can play, and create a fake hero identity for you if you plan on continuing to help out during Akuma battles.”

The smirk he gave showed off far too many teeth, but instead of unnerving her, it filled her with a sense of comfort, “Allow me to handle everything, mistress. What kind of demon would I be if I couldn’t manage a simple cover story and superhero outfit.”

________________________________________

Marinette awoke the next day to find it starting off horribly. Not only had she overslept without the ever-present tapping on her balcony door Sebastian normally did whenever she slept through her alarm, but as she was rushing she tore her blue contact, only to find it was the last one she had in stock, her new order not set to arrive until later in the week. She decided to give the demon a pass just this once since he most likely was still coming up with proper identification and dwellings for him to stay at now that she required him to be more than just a bird.

Looking in her closet she paused at her normal outfits, plink blossoms, pink jeans, and ballet flats. It just… felt wrong with her new memories of the Earl rattling around her head. She wasn’t unhappy being a woman in this life, still feeling as comfortable as ever in her own skin, but the overly modern and feminine dress just didn’t sit right with Ciel’s memories so fresh in her mind.

Instead, she pulled out a peter pan collared button-down shirt with the collar and large buttons navy against the cream of the rest of the shirt, a forest green western tie clasped in the front. She also pulled on a pair of straight-legged green pants and a navy blazer adding a tan pair of thick heeled ankle boots.  For her final touch, she deep parted her hair, pinning it over her right eye and pulling it back into a bun securing a cream ribbon in a bow around the base of the bun once she was finished. Satisfied she grabbed her bag and took off at a run, bidding her parents goodbye as she attempted to make it class before the bell rang.

She arrived seconds late and found the room reorganized, seats had been moved and the open seat on her normal side of the room was right up next to Adrien. Well, she had to admit her previous actions around him had been overboard in retrospect, and while he was still cute but with Lizzie back in the picture it seemed almost like cheating on her old fianceé.

“Good morning, Adrian,” She greeted, choosing to stand in front of the desk instead of sitting down yet.  

The blonde turned to her and perked up, “Marinette! I’m loving the new look, very Victorian esque”

“Thank you!” She laughed, “I felt like a change, You look great too!”

She could feel the eyebrows around the room go up as she smiled gently at the boy, but it was a good change of pace for him, his usual sneakers, jeans, and T-shirt had been swapped out for shiny dark brown dress shoes, a fitted pair of emerald green pants, with a crisp dark blue shirt tucked in. When he turned she could see a silver lace embroidery cutting a wavy path from his left shoulder to his right hip shimmer. He even wore a simple silver ear cuff to finish off the look.

“I picked it myself,” He preened under the positive attention, “Father usually is so strict about what I wear in public but he said I did well with this one!”

“Well, I have to agree,” She hummed, “You should experiment more often, I’d love to give you critiques now that we’re desk partners.”

“Girl what?” Alya finally interrupted, “That’s not your seat, you’re sitting in the back now.”

She could stop her smile from falling into a stony blank look as she turned around, “Excuse me? Who made that call?”

“Well,”  Nino piped up with a slight weariness at her look, “She’s got hearing issues so we had to put her upfront, to make it work Ivan sat next to Mylène, Nate sat next to Alix, and she came up with the idea of moving me up here, so I could spend more time with my girlfriend.”

Marinette raised a brow making the majority of the room fidget, “Who exactly is she?”  

Before any of them could answer Ms. Bustier opened the door and started her normal classroom announcements, “Good morning, students. I'm sure you've all heard by now, but Lila's home from her trip to Achu and she's back in school with us again.”

The Italian girl all, but bounced into the room to greet everyone, receiving a warm answer back as Marinette’s mouth thinned.

The fox paid her little mind as she pretended to gasp in surprise at the empty seat next to Adrian and started gushing, “Oh, a seat in the front row! You all remembered my hearing issue! You're such sweethearts, all of you!”

Marinette tilted her head, “I didn’t realize you had a hearing issue, Lila.”

Green eyes flashed towards her as she painted on a self-conscious smile, “Oh Yes, I suffer from tinnitus, a constant ringing in my left ear. I've had it ever since the sound of an airplane engine burst my eardrum on the runaway when I was saving Jagged Stone's lost kitten,”

“Really?” Marinette questioned with a raised brow, “Well I am sorry to hear that, but I would like to know why your disability is ranking above my own.”

Lila froze as Bustier paled eyes widening with realization. The room grew silent before Kim slapped the desk, “Oh my god, we forgot Marinette can’t see!”

She laughed, shaking her head, “I’m not blind Kim,”

He waved her off, “You know what I mean.”

Nino groaned, slinking down, “You aren’t even wearing your contacts today!”

“I ripped one this morning,” She sighed in explanation, “My replacements aren’t coming until Wednesday. So I really can’t sit in the back of the room even if I wanted to.”

Alya’s face scrunched, “I’m missing something,”

Marinette stared up at her unblinkingly, “I have a severe vision problem that causes me issues with depth perception and distance, especially if I’m not wearing my contacts. As noted by my doctor I need to be sitting within the first two rows of the classroom, and to have a seat partner is willing to give me notes that I may have missed if my vision acts up. It has been on file since I was six years old.”

“Ivan and I can move to the back,” Mylene offered quickly, “I’m sorry for forgetting Marinette!”

She offered a soft smile, “It really is no issue, as long as it gets sorted.  While I must admit I believe the origin of Lila’s disability is fabricated, I am sympathetic to her for having said disability, but I refuse to not have my accommodations met just for someone else’s to be met.”

“Fabricated!” Lila gasped tears welling in her eyes, “How mean! You don’t like me, do you! You’re trying to make me look bad and have a hard time due to my disability!”

The ice that entered Marinette’s eye before she turned to the Italian girl sent a shiver down the class's spine, causing Chloe to shrink back and Adrian to sit up stick straight. Marinette felt an odd calm fall over her as the Phantomhive came out to play.

“You claim that you received hearing damage from being too close to an airplane because you ran onto an active runway to save Jagged Stone’s kitten from a jet preparing to take off,” Marinette repeated slowly, “ Not only does Jagged Stone despise cats, but he’s despised them since he was a child after one attacked and killed his parakeet, Juniper. This is an easy fact to look up as he’s mentioned it several times in multiple interviews. The pet he currently owns and has owned for almost twenty years now, is Fang, a freshwater crocodile that Jagged hatched himself. No one is stupid enough to forget the animal they heroically saved from a vehicle that’s accelerating an average of 32 meters per second squared, wasn’t even a mammal when I know that Fang weighs almost 200kg.”

Lila tried to break in but Marinette just straightened her back, and crossed her leg at the knee before continuing, “Furthermore, no airport in this day and age would allow for a teenage girl to make it to the runways where a plane was taking off without being tackled by security, nor do I believe that your mother, a diplomat, would be moronic enough to allow you to be placed in that much danger. If it did happen there would no doubt be multiple stories run by the media about it, internationally so since Jagged Stone is such a big name and you are the daughter of a diplomat, this would not be the first we would be hearing it.”

Marinette grimaced as she moved onto the next point, not even paying mind to the sputtering Lila was doing, “Based on these facts I’m going to assume the claims that he wrote a personal song for you that have been bouncing around are also false as if they’re not it does not paint a good picture that a famous man in his forties is writing and dedicating songs for you, a young teen fan. If these accusations were true, I'd be forced to believe that Jagged Stone is a hebephile or at the very least grooming you.”

Marinette simply crossed her arms as the room grew deathly silent, “Lastly, nothing suggests that sitting closer to the front of the room helps tinnitus, as the persistent ringing would not change and make little difference in a room this small. Most students with tinnitus require the student being given the option to move to a quieter location if the condition is triggered during class, groups the student is working with being given the option to move to a different area in case group work gets too loud during group activities and being placed near a low-level sound, such a small fan, computer, a heating element, or an open window, as complete silence can irritate the issue. I did enough research when helping Aurora fight for proper accommodations made in her own classroom on the subject to know that much. Or as by the way you are dressed and the fact you claim to have spent the last few months traveling the world, your family clearly has money so buying one of the many options of hearing aid out that that has been developed to assist and almost eliminate tinnitus would be overly easy. They sell them for around 270€, fairly cheap for accommodation products, and if your family truly took you on trips across the globe then you can’t convince me they don’t love you enough to shell out a few hundred euros to make your life easier. So tell me again why I’m making a big deal about making sure my own disability is taken care of?”

Lila sputtered, before bursting into tears, “I was too embarrassed to tell you the real reason! I didn’t want you guys to think less of me for taking a break with Prince Ali to go see a concert, I didn’t mean to get so close to the amps but… the hearing loss is so new I’m still adjusting”  

Marinette glared at her, “Save the tears. Lies are pathetic tools to use and earn you no lasting loyalty, and to accuse someone of being ableist for questioning the origin of your disability, not even the disability itself is vile. Not a single person in this room would have been upset at you if you told the truth instead of tried to force the issue of fake heroics.”

She sniffled, “I’m sorry Marinette, I didn’t mean to make accusations about you or your character. I’m still on edge from the whole situation…”

Marinette let her glare drop and gave a cool, “It’s forgiven this time, now can we please figure out the seating situation?”

“Well,” the teacher stepped in, “Since Adrian agreed to be Lila’s tutor to help her catch up-”

“Actually, Miss Bustier,” Adrian raised his hand sheepishly, “I was going to bring it up with you later in private, but I really don’t think I’d be a good option to tutor Lila given how full and sporadic my schedule is already, I really would hate for her to fall enough further behind.”

“Oh crap,” Alix swore, “We didn’t even think of that when Lila suggested you!”  

Adrian just gave a slight shrug, eyes not looking up from his desk, “It’s okay, I do want to help out the class as much as possible, I feel bad never being able to help out with anything after school.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Kim brushed off, “We get your dad is really on you about everything, we’ll just have to find stuff you can do in class instead!”

“Maybe,” Mylene squirmed a little in her seat as everyone turned to face her, “I mean just a suggestion… but maybe Adrian could be Marinette’s seat partner and help her take notes. You rarely miss actual class time for your activities and this way you’re helping out without committing to any extra time that your dad might not let you come for.”

Bustier clapped, a blinding smile on her face, completely missing how Lila’s face had twisted into an angry mask, “Excellent idea! Let’s all find new seats again, Marinette and Adrian stick together in the first two rows, Lila why don’t you sit on the left side of the classroom by the windows to see if that helps your tinnitus for now. I’ll call your mother in for a proper evaluation over the next few days and we’ll find a proper course to deal with your disability. If someone would like to volunteer to be Lila’s primary tutor please take the seat next to her. Everyone else please fill in!”

Slowly the room began shifting once again. Adrien and Marinette simply switched seats to allow her to better see the room as Alya, Nino, Chloe, Sabrina, Rose, Juleka, and Nathaniel stayed in their same seats. Ivan and Mylene did move to the back row together as Max broke away from Kim to sit in the second row next to where Lila ended up and Alix slid across the aisle to take his old spot.

Alya was still looking at Marinette as if she had three heads, “Girl, what on earth was that? You’re like sunshine personified, but you just tore Lila apart like she was tissue paper.”

Nino huffed a slight laugh, “Keep forgetting you’ve only been in the class for a year, babe. You’ve never seen a Marinette takedown before.”

Marinette smiled, “Do not lie and do not do anything that might have permanent consequences. If they can not follow those two simple objectives in my presence then I will gladly set them straight. Lila not only lied but accused me of being a bigot, I will not tolerate slander.”

“Well I think it was badass,” Adrian commented, causing her to smirk wickedly.

“Thank you. It’s always nice to know my skills are appreciated.”  

“Oh do you need any notes from the last few days,” Adrian asked suddenly, sliding his notebook between them as the lesson started.  

She gazed down idly, “Not that I can think of but thank-”

Marinette had to keep her eyes from bulging as her words faded off, because in the middle of the page, squished between two facts about the Roman empire stood a simple sentence in perfect English.

I didn’t think I would see you until tonight, Ciel.

“How on earth were we this blind,” Marinette mumbled in English, earning a laugh from his once betrothed.

“Excuse me?”

The pairs heads snap towards the door as a worryingly familiar voice sounds through the room.

There in the doorway was a tall teen with shaggy raven hair as he sheepishly held out a paper towards the teacher, “Are you, Miss. Bustier? There seemed to be a mix up with my transfer papers. Mr. Damocles told me just to head down and you should have all of my forms by tomorrow, but he didn’t want to prevent me from starting today as planned.”

“Oh I hadn’t realized I was getting a new student today,” She apologized, taking the paper and skimming it briefly before turning to the room, “Class it looks like we’re getting another new face today! I want you all to welcome him with open arms! This is-”

He was shorter, a little lankier and with a rounder face then they typically saw him, looking every bit the fourteen year old he was in no doubt playing, but there was no doubt who it was.

“Sebastian,” The demon introduced, mirth dancing in those burgundy depths as he grinned up at the reincarnated duo, “Sebastian Michaelis. I look forward to joining your class.”

___________________________________

Tag List: @lividdreams9

[sebastianshaw]

Do you have any headcanons about how Haven and Maddie would get along? You mention them both a lot and they seem like they have things in common

OH BOY DO I EVER i happen to love shoving my faves into interaction in my head even if they never met in canon---ESPECIALLY if they never met in canon---and these are my two mega fave ladies! ...coincidentally I was out today on errands and playing Tori Amos (because *of course* I was) and specifically her “American Doll Posse” album, and I was like “GIRL DISAPPEARING and SECRET SPELL have Maddie vibes” (I also listened to KING AND LIONHEART by of Monsters and Men, it’s my fave of theirs, and “As the world comes to an end, I’ll be here to hold your hand” is forever a Haven lyric to me) So massive MASSIVE ramblings under the cut!

Anyway, yes, you’re completely correct, they have a TON in common, both in what actually happened TEXTUALLY to them, and the meta-text of how their stories were handled in very similarly misogynistic ways. Like, they’re both villains through no choice or fault of their own, both the victims of demonic corruption, both exploited specifically for their reproductive capacity (Maddie created literally to have Scott’s baby, Haven’s unborn child used by the Adversary to possess her), and both used to frame female sexuality as evil (Maddie only starts with the skimpy black outfits when she becomes a villain, Haven is a pure and chaste woman who had sex ONCE and as a result becomes demon-pregnant, corrupted, and dies, she’s very much punished for violating purity taboos just ONCE despite all the good she did, while NOTHING HAPPENS to the man who took advantage of her naivete and knocked her up) and both were treated with little sympathy by the story or other characters despite being so very deserving of it. So they’ve got a ton to relate and commiserate on if they ever met and opened up to each other about it, but even if they DIDN’T tell each other about their pasts (which I doubt they would, certainly not at first, it’s not something either is keen to talk about, Haven never told her own beloved brother and Maddie literally KILLS Threnody for throwing it in her face) I think they would get on well. With the understandable exception of Jean Grey, Maddie has NEVER been a jerk to anyone who wasn’t one first (she did go overboard with Threnody, of course...) and Haven, even while a demonically-posessed supervillain, was very calm, composed, polite, and downright kind to the good guys even when they KEPT ATTACKING HER. And to quote the “X-Plain the X-Men” podcast “❝ In this scene, she [Haven] is the one that’s being kind and calm and compassionate, and he [Xavier] is being AN ANGRY JERK. ❞ So, I think they’d get on at first meeting because they’re just both nice people at their default. They’re also both morally good people at their default. Haven’s history is that she’s someone born to extreme wealth and privilege who was driven to use it to help others, she did shit like bathing lepers and caring for dying babies and building children’s hospitals (literally how she got her name in canon, no shit) and even as a supervillain BENT ON DESTROYING THE WORLD OUT OF COMPASSION she STILL does shit like SURRENDERING A FIGHT SO SHE CAN TRY TO HEAL AN *ENEMY* OKAY. And Maddie was just straight-up a superhero even before she had the “super” part going for her, she was one of the X-Men even as a human and even after Scott left her, she had an incredibly strong sense of justice, she did her best at rescuing people in her job as a pilot during crises, she GAVE UP HER LIFE with the rest of the X-Men when Forge needed their life energy for a spell to save the world (she got brought back, they all did, but she didn’t know she was going to be resurrected, she went in knowing she’d die and thinking it would be permanent) and the first time she did get superpowers WASN’T as the demonic Goblyn Queen, but as the healer Anodyne. And you know why her powers specifically took the form of healing? It wasn’t random. The Fire Fountain (from which she and some other humans got these gifts) gave people their powers based on their passions and desires; Maddie’s desire and passion was to help others. So both of these women are extremely moral, healing-types at their core, both in powers and personality, who care about others deeply, even at the expense of themselves. Obviously, Maddie became very morally-grey since in the 90s, but even then she cared about other people first; Sebastian Shaw was never a bad boyfriend in the slightest to her, he was actually her first good relationship, but she left him because he was doing harm to other people, people she didn’t even KNOW, and she wouldn’t be complicit in that even as a bystander. She’s kinda gone full evil in the 2000s but she’s also very much Not Maddie Anymore as of the 2000s, so I just...don’t count that...anyway you see my point! My point being I think they would really come together on helping people, like Haven has the funds (she would probably not have powers anymore if she’s alive, since she’s no longer the host body of the Adversary) and Maddie has the piloting skills and superpowers, they could do a TON of good in the world if they teamed up to do relief work and refugee aid and stuff! I would honestly be really here for that. I really like the idea of them doing good in a way that has nothing to do with superhero adventures and is in no way glamorous or a battle that can be won with powers and punches, but is necessary and worthy all the same. I think they could really get a good working relationship going with this. I think the place they would differ is that Maddie is ANGRY. She’s very angry at what was done to her, she’s very angry at the X-Men, she’s very angry at Jean, she’s very angry at Scott, she’s very angry at Sinister, and she has a RIGHT to be. There is nothing wrong with this. But her anger also isn’t limited to people who harmed HER. Back when Maddie was Maddie and not a walking misogynistic stereotype, she also got BIG MAD at people who did bad things, who hurt others, who oppressed mutants and other minorities, etc. Like, during the story in which we find out about Genosha and how they’re enslaving mutants, Maddie is ready to WRECK ALL THEIR SHIT WITHOUT MERCY using the demonic energy that’s started incubating inside her. And you know what? Good for her. Maddie is the fire of justice and retribution, and if you have done something to deserve it she will FRY YOU IN HELL. Haven is not like that. Again, even when she’s possessed, even when she ostensibly wants to kill the world, even when she’s being steered by an entity of cosmic evil and chaos...she’s still so soft with her “enemies”. Hell, even when she’s come to the conclusion that Xavier must die, she still can’t do it with her own hands and has to just let some other villain out of prison and HOPE he does it, that’s the MOST action she can bring herself to take, and she thinks how “I admire you, Charles Xavier. I respect you. In an odd way, one might say…that I love you. For how can one not love a soul so pure, a heart so full of good intentions? One must love one’s enemy…if one is to slay him with compassion.” And this was AFTER Xavier rammed in his way into her head after she begged him repeatedly to STOP (boy was THAT an uncomfy scene) and she literally unmade herself from existence temporarily (yes, she could do that, and remake herself) in order to get away from him, even though SHE could have just unmade HIM permanently. So, once you take the demon out of the equation, I can only see her as being even MORE pacifistic and forgiving, just the epitome of grace----grace meaning not as in graceful (though I think she’s that too, she’s very elegant) but as in the religious sense of God’s grace, which is mercy where it is undeserved. She’s NEVER going to want to hurt people for their misdeeds like Madelyne does. She wants to comfort the victims, but not attack the victimizers. She’s probably the kind of person who prays for Neo-Nazis. She probably utterly forgives X-Factor and Xavier and the man who got her pregnant. And you know what? I also support that. I support Madelyne’s righteous rage, I support Haven’s all-forgiving compassion and mercy. I think both of these are beautiful. But they WOULD probably make conflict wherein like, Maddie wants to go after some bad guys to avenge the victims, and Haven doesn’t, that kind of thing. And I can see Maddie being angry AT HAVEN for that, and Haven UNDERSTANDING because she’s very understanding but still standing fast in her own beliefs. Haven is at peace with the universe, both its good and its evil. Maddie rages at the Heavens like if Milton wrote a woman. Both are perfect. Also like...I love so much the idea of Maddie being ready to PHYSICALLY FIGHT SOMEONE, no powers, she’s just going to WRECK THEM WITH HER BARE HANDS (trust me, she has a mean punch) and Haven pulling her back. Because Maddie is canonically 5′6 and 110 lbs, she’s not short but she’s VERY skinny (because Marvel likes making all their women borderline underweight; I headcanon Maddie should be more in the 135 lb ballpark) and Haven is a SOLID SIX FEET and has been shown as able to carry around GROWN MEN in her arms, so like Maddie just this feisty lil skinny spitfire ready to MURDER YOU and big mama Haven gently holding her back like an angry lil kitten!! Speaking of physical contrasts I also love how they’re very Tomboy & Girly Girl? Maddy is a pilot, she’s very adventurous and rough and tumble, she’s got cute dresses but she also wears her brown/green flight suit a lot, she’s a goth in the 90s...and then Haven is like, this very well-brought-up polite woman with super-long princess hair and the one time we see her in civilian-wear it’s this GORGEOUS sari with tons of jewelry, they’re just so Queen & Lady Knight, I love it. (It’s not that Maddie is unfeminine, Maddie’s VERY femme, she’s just more versatile and aggressive, whereas Haven is very conventionally hyperfeminine) I think another point they’d have a lot of difference---though not arguement---is sex. Like, Haven still spoke about her one (1) sexual experience with a lot of shame twenty years later, she’s very much a product of a conservative religious culture and while I don’t think she’s the type to slut-shame anyone else, I think she’s now very thoroughly celibate because of her experiences. Whereas Maddie is very much not, like she literally walks into Sebastian Shaw’s bedroom one night and rides that dick because shut up she wants to. While I don’t like the idea of her as this Sexy Evil Succubus that she’s become in the 2000s, I do see her as having a fun, practical, down-to-earth approach to sexuality as something that she enjoys and isn’t ashamed of, while also not being this male fantasy of a femme fatale 24/7. So I can see her commenting on hot guys buff bodies and Haven being embarrass, things like that, maybe Maddie trying to get her a date. Like basically Haven is the Virgin Mary, she’s chastity and motherhood and peace and mercy, and Maddie is Ishtar, the goddess of love AND sex AND war. Another thing about Haven is that she was established as EXTREMELY sensitive to the feelings of others, especially their pain, and that this was NOT a superpower from the Adversary, it’s how she’s always been since childhood. She’s almost psychic, she instantly figures out the personal problems of everyone in X-Factor, from Lorna and Alex’s co-dependence to Guido using humor to mask that he suffers from chronic pain due to his mutation. So while I doubt Maddie opens up to her about her past even when they become friends, Haven can very much feel out that SOMETHING awful happened to this woman. And Haven’s nature as a healer is going to be drawn that, to want to help her, without going too fast or too invasive, without doing anything Madelyne doesn’t want, without forcing anything on her because Haven has had that happen to her and she’s not going to do it to someone else even with good intentions. She’s done ENOUGH wrong with good intentions. And as Madelyne does begin to let her in and let Haven know what happened, Haven in return reveals her own startlingly similar trauma, and I think there’s a mutual healing there in supporting each other. Haven becomes the one shoulder Maddie has to cry on, and Maddie becomes someone who can be angry FOR Haven on her behalf. I see Maddie as probably being protective of Haven, like she has been of other women in the past who were wronged or vulnerable----such as when she was murderously incensed over what Genosha did to Jenny Ransome or when she offered to be Dazzler’s eyes when Dazzler was blinded by a mask magically stuck to her face. And Haven can help Maddie with moving on and owning her own life instead of devoting herself to vengeance anymore, because she loves Maddie and rightly believes Maddie deserves BETTER than that. Honestly, I just...love them both...and want them to be happy and healing...so much...thank you for this ask, I loved talking about them!! ;A;

[pixxyofice]

You guys know how in PQ2 there are scenes that jokingly give the members of other teams Phantom Thief names? How these names were not the most serious, how they weren't exactly treated seriously?

Well. I decided I wanted to give a serious shot at trying to determine what the Investigation Team's Phantom Thief names would be. Note that due to a lack of familiarity with the SEES members that I won't be doing them; just the Investigation Team members.

The Phantom Thief Outfits are based on what someone's Image Of Rebellion is. The Phantom Thieves (usually) name themselves after the image their Phantom Thief outfit represents. If not that, then they are named after something meaningful to the Phantom Thief themselves (which can tangentially relate to the outfit in some way.)

For examples...

Joker looks like the traditional Gentleman Thief. His name relates to how his wild card ability makes him a useful asset up the sleeves of the thieves. The Joker's power can depend based on what game of cards you are playing, after all, sort of like... Well, Joker.

Queen looks like a post apocalyptic hero, which are usually in Very Badass Action Scenes. Cool scarves, odd outfits, spikes and metal armor... Very cool. As someone with a position of power, she can be seen as a sort of 'ruler'... A Queen.

Noir looks like a musketeer. Traditionally defenders of justice, known for a tale where they fight off evil to their kingdom. Noir named herself that because she views herself as working on the darker side of the law... hence the French word for black. (Which actually fits her thief outfit a lot! The french, I mean.)

So when giving the IT thief names, we have to consider what their personal images of rebellion would look like. Along with that, we have to consider what they would name themselves based on those images.

Let's get started.

Souji Seta/Yu Narukami. (I prefer Souji, so that is the name i'm going to use.)

Souji's image of rebellion very likely closely resembles his Persona. What was his persona based off of... A banchou or something? Kingpin, whatever. His image of rebellion seems to be a cool, collected, intimidating figure. See his Persona and also how he dressed up for the cross dressing pageant. His mask could look very similar to Izanagi's mask.

As Souji is similar-ish to Joker, I reasoned that Souji would be named in a similar manner. He is the leader of the team, the level head making the decisions... And a Wild Card. His look is intimidating, like a Kingpin, so... Name him after a strong card in a deck, or the central piece of a chess board: King. (After all, if he falls, the game is over.)

Yosuke Hanamura.

I'll be real with you. I thought image of rebellion for Yosuke, and I thought Superheroes. Sure, his first persona looks like a Ninja... But all of his Personas have a Hero Vibe to them, yeah? And he wanted to look into the TV world because he wanted to be a hero... So, Superhero Costume. His mask would probably be that Traditional Superhero Mask.

As for his codename? Knowing him, he'd probably try to come up with something Cool. Hero Sounding. I am not good with names, alas, but... What I came up with is Galestorm. It fits his wind vibes, it's a cool sounding word... Uh... I dunno. It fits him maybe!!

Chie Satonaka.

Let's be real here. Her image of rebellion is TOTALLY the protagonists of kung-fu movies. She would probably wear a yellow tracksuit, like her Persona, which.... Yeah, reference. As for her mask? ... Haha I have no idea, y'all come up with one.

As for her name.... Well, Dragon. As in Trial Of The Dragon. Alongside that nifty reference, Dragons, as mythical creatures go, could very well fit Chie. Protective, aggressive towards those it deems a threat, a fiery attitude... Its pretty good! Maybe!

Yukiko Amagi.

Yukiko Amagi's image of rebellion is likely closely related to birds. You look at her outfit and you probably think 'bird'. Remember in the Anime how Yukiko admired her pet bird for being able to fly free? Yeah. That. That's why her image of rebellion would be birdlike. Her mask could resemble plague doctor masks, somewhat. Think a less pointy Prince Akechi and also it covers more of her forehead for Beak.

As for her name? She would likely connect the feathers on her outfit to the attachments of her Persona, which represent... Sakura Petals/Blossoms. She probably had a thought jump from "sakura" to "flower terms", and probably prefers Blossom out of the two terms she thought of. It sounds pretty... But also has a tougher name Feel than Petal. Blossom sounds more like a codename, too!

Kanji Tatsumi.

Lets be real here. There's a reason the Thieves named him Skull 2.0. Their images of rebellion would be... similar? Kanji's is influenced by various outside factors, including a certain manly push, but still. His costume would probably represent his punk ideal... maybe subtly mix in his preference for cute things here and there in accessories? Dunno.

As for his codename? Well, he looks tough, and he is tough! He's the one to point to if you want someone to smack people down. Call him... Breaker. Because he breaks things. (Additional thing I only realized and laughed at now: he's an electric user. Aren't Breakers also the names of the things you use to control whats powered in the house...?)

Rise Kujikawa.

I'll be honest, I... Have no clue. In the version of this post that I lost, I think I HAD a clue, but it went with the wind. If I were to think, though... Maybe her image of rebellion is... sorta like Panther's. She has an image of a woman who is assured of herself, knows herself and her friends, and reflects their brightest points. A somewhat revealing outfit, but one that's... mature? I don't know... Her mask would probably resemble Himiko's "face" of solar panels (somehow).

As for her codename... Let's think about how she's the IT's support. Or... Well, her Persona. Her Maxed Persona has a solar system orbiting around her, with the Persona itself being the very center, like a sun. The Investigation Team could be like those planets; strong and sturdy on their own, thriving with the touch of the sun. She's like... Sunlight is necessary for a human to live, and she provides that sunlight for her teammates to stand even taller. With her outfit idea in mind... Sunlight sounds too "young". So perhaps Sunbeam for her codename. Same idea, but sounds Better!

Teddie.

...... Hey, before I just go right out and say it... Technically... Aren't both of Teddie's forms some form of rebellion from the other Shadows? He formed his bear image so he could be loved by humans, and then formed his human image so he could be with his human friends. That... That's rather unique, isn't it? Could be a rebellion in itself.

... And now for me to just say... It's Ted. Teddie gets the Morgana treatment here. A shortened version of his name that just sums up that, yep, he sure is a bear that helps in fighting shadows. No fancy name for him.

Naoto Shirogane.

Naoto's image of rebellion is rather simple, honestly! ... The outfits of the heroes of shows like Neo Featherman! Sure, Naoto admires detectives and loves reading/watching detective things... But thats not their image of rebellion. When they think rebel, they think of posing live action heroes, fighting bad guys regardless of the laws! As for their mask... Uh. Bandana across face look. Also worth noting: their Persona's little wing/cape thing would Definitely be a part of their thief outfit.

As for their name... Naoto would probably go with something on the simpler side. Their outfit reminds them of their Persona, who is bug based, and thus, bug theme names. Wasp... Beetle... Moth. Moth fits their Persona's wing/cape thing the most, and sounds sort of soft... But if you underestimate Naoto, they'll show you that their softer name hides a brain of steel and a quick trigger finger.

So... The Investigation Thieves are:

Souji Seta/Yu Narukami - King

Yosuke Hanamura - Galestorm

Chie Satonaka - Dragon

Yukiko Amagi - Blossom

Kanji Tatsumi - Breaker

Rise Kujikawa - Sunbeam

Teddie - Ted

Naoto Shirogane - Moth

What do you guys think? Should I have come up with better names? Reblog/Tag with your thoughts!

please I know there could be better names for Yosuke and I know someone out there has a good Rise Thief Image, please

[eddiesasspbrak]

Forever and Always Ch. 4

Eddie is the only one of his friends to stay behind in Derry after high school, causing him to lose touch with some of them. Now 24, Eddie has heard rumors that his now famous, former best friend (aka love of his life) may be coming back to town. That won’t be too awkward, right?

nsfw content to follow

Ch. 1

Ch. 5

Read on AO3

5k+ words

When Eddie arrived at work bright and early on Monday morning, the first thought he had was of his dream. He saw himself bent over the counter where he’d have to spend the rest of the day, Richie grinding into his ass and getting ready to rail him. It sent a shiver through him and he had to try to focus on anything else to keep from getting hard right there in the store. He went about opening up the store and found that focusing on different types of spices helped keep the dream and Richie out of his mind. The day was fairly normal. Old people coming and going, shopping and buying groceries. Monday’s were typically pretty busy, people stocking up for the week.

By the time Gerard came in for his shift after school, Eddie was ready for a nap. He was in the middle of checking out Mrs. Sanford when Gerard came in slouching, dragging his feet, his bag hanging almost completely off his arms. He greeted Eddie with a yawn on his way back to the break room. When he emerged minutes later with his apron on crooked, he came behind the counter to open the second register. Half Eddie’s line moved over to the other side and with the both working, the line disappeared quickly.

When they were finally free for a moment, Gerard turned to Eddie with a loud sigh.

“I fucking hate Mondays.” He said.

“Language. We still have customers.”

“Do you know how exhausting it is getting up at 7am?” He asked, ignoring Eddie.

“I’m up at six every morning.”

“But you’re not human so that doesn’t count.”

“Maybe don’t spend Friday through Sunday staying up till 4am.”

“Hey, I only do that on Friday and Saturday. Sundays I only stay up until 2am.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Oh, my mistake. You shouldn’t be tired at all then. That’s plenty of sleep.”

“Fuck you.”

“Language.” He warned again as another customer came to his register.

“What did you do yesterday then? Polish your attendance trophies?”

“I don’t have any trophies.”

“You just said you get up at 6am every morning.”

“So? When I was in high school, I ditched at least once a week to go to the quarry with my friends.”

“Seriously? You mean you used to be fun?”

“I’m still fun. I just have responsibilities now.”

“No, you’re boring now. So, what did you do yesterday oh lord of the dull?”

“I went for a jog, did some cleaning...had lunch with Richie.”

Gerard crossed over to Eddie’s side and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Tell me everything.”

“There’s nothing to tell. We talked about friends.”

“Did you fuck him?”

“What? No! We just had lunch and then parted ways. His dad had his surgery yesterday and he went to the hospital after his mom called.”

“Ok so if he hadn’t left would you have fucked him?”

“It’s not like that with us.”

“Who cares? It could be!”

“I thought you wanted to be with him.”

“I do but you have the upper hand being childhood friends. So, if he chooses you, I will be heartbroken, but I’ll have no choice but to cheer you on. I expect you would do the same for me.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but Richie is straight. Not into guys at all.”

“Bullshit.”

“Don’t believe me if you want but you’ll just end up heartbroken.”

Eddie’s phone chimed and he pulled it from his pocket with a speed that Gerard definitely noticed. He eyed him while Eddie smiled down at the screen and then typed out a message.

Richie: Are you working today?

Eddie: Until 6 like most days.

Richie: I thought we could go out tonight. Hit up a bar or something.

Eddie: On a Monday?

Richie: I figured they won’t be too crowded tonight so we should be left alone.

Eddie: Alright, yea I think I can make it

Richie: Have you had your break yet?

Eddie: No. Gerard just got here and we’re pretty busy

“Who are you texting?” Gerard asked, sure he already knew the answer.

“A friend.”

“Richie?”

“No. It’s...Beverly.” Eddie didn’t really know why he was lying. He just wasn’t sure he wanted Gerard to speculate about his true feelings for Richie. He wasn’t known for keeping his mouth shut and the odds of him blurting something out in front of Richie was a danger Eddie wanted to avoid.

“Oh yea? What’s she saying?” Gerard leaned on the counter with his elbow on the countertop and his head propped up on his fist.

“She’s saying to mind your own damn business.”

“Language, Edward. There are customers.”

“You’re so annoying.” Eddie sighed.

“Excuse me, if it weren’t for me, you’d have no one to talk to in this shitty town. You love me.”

“Do you really want to brag that I’m only friends with you because I have no other option?” Eddie asked with a laugh.

Gerard grumbled in annoyance and said nothing more when and older woman came to the counter to ask Eddie for help with something. Eddie left the counter in Gerard’s hands while he led the woman to an aisle near the back of the store. A second later, Richie was coming through the doors. He smiled and waved at Gerard as he approached the counter. Gerard let out a weird breathy laugh as he awkwardly waved back.

“You’re back! I guess you really liked that peppercorn!” Gerard said, immediately hating himself for his choice of greeting.

“It was great. I’m here for Eddie this time.”

“Sorry, but he’s not for sale.”

Richie laughed. “I’m not sure I could afford him if he was.”

Gerard snorted and immediately covered his nose and mouth with his hands in embarrassment. Eddie emerged from the aisles and paused when he saw Richie at the counter laughing with Gerard. Seeing him there brough his dream back to his mind for a second before he pushed it away with nutmeg, paprika, cardamom, turmeric. He approached slowly, still not used to talking to Richie after such a long time apart.

“What’s so funny?” He asked as he grew near.

“We’re discussing how expensive you would be.” Richie said, turning to smile at him.

“Ok���well, what are you doing here? Aren’t we seeing each other tonight?”

“Tonight? What’s tonight?” Gerard asked, leaning forward.

“We’re going drinking.” Richie answered when it was clear Eddie wouldn’t.

“On a Monday?”

“Oh, absolutely. It’s the best night to go out. Plenty of attractive people to take home after you’ve had a few. Just make sure you’re drunk enough to think it’s a good idea in the moment and then regret it the next morning when you wake up next to a stranger.”

“Beep beep Richie. He’s only sixteen and he doesn’t need you giving him advice and getting drunk and picking someone up at a bar.” Eddie said.

“I already do that.” Gerard said to Eddie before looking back to Richie. “So, people actually say the ‘beep beep’ thing? I thought that was just a bit for your shows.”

“It’s definitely a real thing people say. It’s the only way to get him to shut up.” Eddie rolled his eyes with a smile.

“My dear friends just don’t like hearing what I have to say because they know I speak the truth.” Richie said, nudging Eddie’s arm with his elbow.

“No, it’s because you aren’t funny, and you never know when to shut up.”

“Please, you definitely think he’s funny. You’ve watched like all his shows online.” Gerard said, outing Eddie for being a secret fan and mortifying him in one breath.

Richie’s grin widened as he looked at Eddie, amused. “Oh really? You watch my shows? Are you a fan, Eds?”

“No…I just thought I should support you.” Eddie said.

“He’s definitely a fan. We spend most days talking about you.”

“Shut the fuck up, Gerard!” Eddie said, giving him a look that said he might kill him if he kept talking.

“Aw, my sweet Spaghetti in a fan of his very best friend.” Richie said, ruffling Eddie’s hair.

Eddie smacked his hand away and glared at him. “I’m ten seconds from kicking you out of the store. You never even told me why you’re here.”

“Oh, right. I wanted to give you something.”

“It couldn’t wait until tonight?”

“I didn’t want to take it to the bar.”

Richie reached into the inner pocket on his jacket and provided a pile of notebook paper, stapled together. The pages were wrinkled and folded, some rips on the edges from years of being handled. He held it out for Eddie to take, whose eyes widened as soon as he realized what it was.

“No fucking way. You still have this?” He asked, his smile returning.

“I found it in my old room last night when I was going through some things.”

“What is it?” Gerard asked, standing on his toes to try and see from his spot behind the counter.

“It’s a comic we made with our friend Bill when we were kids.” Eddie explained, admiring the roughly drawn cover art.

All seven characters based on themselves and their friends were present in pencil and it brought back some good memories for Eddie. The three would write and draw different scenarios while in class and pass them back and forth. Sleepovers were spent huddled over a table plotting and drawing. Bill did the illustrations as he was the best artist out of the three of them. They’d imagined them all as superheroes and had designed outfits for all seven of them. One Halloween they’d convinced the others to dress up as their super selves. Somewhere Eddie was sure he still had the photo from that night.

“I can’t believe this still exists. Maybe we should post it online so people can see where up and coming author Bill Denbrough got his start.” Eddie chuckled.

“Hold up. Your friend Bill that you talk about is that Bill? Holy shit dude. How many famous people do you know?” Gerard asked.

“I don’t know…our fiend Ben is making a name for himself as an architect already and Beverly is definitely going to be a famous fashion icon one day.”

“She dresses me for most of my shows.” Richie added.

“Shit dude. Why are you still in Derry then if all your friends are so successful? Shouldn’t you be out there making a name for yourself too?” Gerard asked, wide eyed.

Eddie didn’t answer. It was a sore spot and he really didn’t want to talk about it in front of Richie. They’d already briefly discussed over lunch why he’d stayed in Derry and he didn’t want to open that wound again so soon. He kept his eyes on the comic as he flipped through the pages. His super self was definitely more impressive than he was. He wouldn’t have stayed in Derry. He would have left to save the world with his friends. Eddie tried not to let it show how sad he was when he looked back up at Richie.

“Thanks for this. It brings back a lot of memories.” He said with a forced smile.

“Yea, I thought you’d like it. I should probably split before someone sees me and posts on twitter where I am. I’ll see you tonight though, yea?” Richie said, backing toward the door slowly.

“Yea. I’ll see you.”

With that, Richie waved one last time before leaving the store and disappearing from sight. Eddie sighed, his smile falling away as he looked down at the pages in his hands again. He was reminded against how much he truly missed his friends. He survived on old memories, text conversations and occasional phone calls. It didn’t compare to the seven of them spending summer nights down by the quarry, drinking cheap booze and talking about their lives and their futures. Eddie longed to feel that way again. To feel unconditional love from the six people he held dearest.

*

Eddie had never cared what he wore in front of his friends in the past. Now, as he stared at his fifth outfit choice so far, he felt like he looked ridiculous. It’s not like this was a date. It was just getting drinks with an old friend and catching up. It wasn’t a big deal at all. He could show up in pajamas and Richie wouldn’t care. Actually, he’d probably give him grief for it but only because Richie didn’t know when to shut up and had to make everything a joke.

Eddie sighed as he stared at himself in the mirror. The jeans were ok, but the button-down shirt was definitely too much. He looked like he was going to a job interview. He stripped that off and traded it for a light blue t-shirt with the Golden Girls on it. It was stupid shirt that was a size too big he’d found at a thrift store outside of town. He thought Richie would appreciate it though.

Throwing a hoodie overtop that was thick enough for the cold spring night, he double checked for his phone, wallet and keys before heading downstairs. He tried to be quiet as he sat on the bottom stair to put his shoes on, but of course his mother was sat in her recliner in front of the TV. He knew she arranged the furniture that way so she could see him coming and going. A little bit of control from his childhood that she hadn’t let go of.

“Eddie bear, where are you going?” She asked.

“I joined a book club.” Eddie had thought of the lie earlier just in case. It wasn’t like she could stop him from leaving the house if he told the truth. He was an adult. But if he’d told her he was going to drink on a Monday night with Richie Tozier, she would have argued and tried to guilt him into staying home. Lying was easier. That’s what he kept telling himself.

“Really? What book are you reading?”

“I don’t know. It’s my first meeting. I’ll find out when I get there.”

“Well, be safe and make sure you don’t stay out too late.”

“Yea, sure.” Eddie said as he made his hasty escape out the front door.

Eddie shivered as the night air hit him. It was officially spring, but nights were still chilly. He zipped up his hoodie and tucked his hands into his pockets as he started his trek into town. Richie had texted him about an hour before to agree on a meeting spot. Eddie suggested the closest bar to their houses since he was walking. He’d briefly thought about taking his bike but decided that was probably a bad idea in case he got drunk. Not only was it dangerous, it counted as drunk driving if he rode his bike under the influence.

It wasn’t a long walk and by the time he made it to the bar, Richie was already standing outside waiting for him. Eddie stopped and stared at him for a moment before he noticed he’d arrived. He was standing with his shoulders up to his ears, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his breath visible with every exhale. For a second Eddie wondered if he was dreaming. So many times, he’d dreamt of reconnecting with Richie, of being with him again. And there he was, standing in the cold waiting for Eddie. It made him smile and for a second he could pretend that no time had passed at all. He could pretend he had followed Richie to New York all those years ago and they were meeting after work for a drink before going home. Together.

Richie finally noticed him, and his face lit up with a grin as he pulled one hand from his pocket and waved. Eddie crossed the street to join him and suddenly he didn’t feel the cold anymore. They greeted one another and headed into the warm bar. Richie was right about it not being crowded given that it was a Monday. There were a few people sitting at one end of the bar, watching whatever sports game was on the TV. Two tables were occupied and appeared to be friends blowing off steam after a long day of work. Eddie figured they must look the same. They opted to take two empty bar stools and made themselves comfortable while they waited for the bartender to come over and take their drink orders.

Richie looked over at Eddie and stared for a long moment before chuckling and looking away again.

“What?” Eddie asked with a smile, wondering if he should get defensive or not.

“I never thought I’d see you in a bar.” Richie said.

“Why not?”

Richie shrugged. “Just didn’t figure it was your scene. Bars are dirty, right?”

“Man, you don’t know me at all anymore. You’d be surprised how often I frequent bars.”

“Really? Eddie Spaghetti is a regular here, huh?”

The bartender made her way over and took their orders, setting two beers down in front of them a second later. They both took a swig, the unfamiliar tension between them creeping its way back in. This used to be so easy, now they felt like strangers. Eddie searched this mind for anything to say, anything he could talk about to break the ice and help them fall back into their old ways. Part of him remembered what it was like to joke around with Richie and speak freely about anything. He wanted that back more than he wanted his next breath.

“So…which bar is your favorite then?” Richie asked, finally breaking the awkward, drawn out silence.

“Uh…it’s outside of Derry a little way. In the city.”

“What’s it called.”

“Why? Planning to head into the city for a drink while you’re in Derry?” Eddie was worried if he told him the name, he’d look it up and realize it was a gay bar. He wasn’t sure he was ready to mess up their reunion by coming out unexpectedly. He didn’t know how Richie would react. None of them had really batted an eye when Stan and Bill announced that they were dating. Still, it was scary telling a new person. Especially when only two people actually knew. Aside from the few guys he’d met at the bar and had killed time with.

“Why not? You can’t expect me to hang around the local bars the whole time I’m here, right?” Richie chuckled.

“Aren’t you out of here in a few weeks anyway?”

“Is there a reason you don’t want to tell me the name of this bar? Worried I’ll show up and embarrass you in front of your city friends?”

Eddie took a long swig from his beer. “It’s, uh, Over the Rainbow.”

“That sounds like a gay bar.”

“Can I get a shot of Jamison please.” Eddie called out to the bartender, not responding to what Richie had just said.

She nodded and poured the shot agonizingly slow while Eddie could feel Richie’s eyes burning holes in the side of his face. She brought it over and set it in front of Eddie and he tipped it back without a second thought. Telling him the name was definitely a mistake. Why didn’t he just make something up? He definitely knew now, and Eddie’s heart was beating so fast he thought it might leap out of his chest and land on the bar in front of him.

“Eds, are you…?” Richie’s question was unfinished. It didn’t need to be finished. They both knew what he meant.

“Another please.” Eddie said, setting the shot glass aside.

She handed him a second and he tossed it back just as quickly as the first. He’d probably regret it later, but for now he needed to get out of his head a little. When he made plans to hang out with Richie, he hadn’t planned on coming out. Especially in such a public place. The music was low and who knew who was listening to them. Richie was still looking at him, but he was too afraid to meet his eyes, to see what expression he was sending his way.

“Hey, Eds, it’s cool. Relax. I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me before given…” Richie said, finally looking away from him.

“Given what? That we used to be best friends?”

“We’re still best friends. We have a lot to make up for, but you mean more to me than anyone and we’re going to get passed all this bullshit, ok? As for…” Richie glanced around the room to see if anyone was obviously listening. “…that. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m not exactly straight either.”

Eddie finally looked at him, his eyes wide. So, maybe Gerard had been right. “Wait, really?”

“I figured you’d know that.”

“How? You only ever talked about girls back in the day.”

“Jesus, you make us sound old. And I wasn’t exactly eager to broadcast it in this shitty town, you should get that. With how close we were, I thought you knew.”

“I didn’t.”

They fell silent again, but this time it weirdly felt like a wall had disappeared from between them. Maybe speaking honestly was what they needed. Neither one was well known for sharing their feelings easily. Still, they used to tell each other everything so maybe they could get to that point again. The point of blind trust and unconditional love. Eddie was so starved for that kind of intimacy with someone and he was ready to cling onto anything that Richie had to offer at this point.

“So, you watch my stuff.” Richie said, breaking the silence for the second time.

“Yea. On YouTube. I look up clips people have uploaded.”

“You should come out for a live show. I’ll save you a front row seat.” Richie grinned.

“That’s tempting. Getting the Netflix special must be pretty exciting.”

“More like overwhelming. Getting paid to tell jokes is awesome, but there’s a lot of pressure. If something flops, it’s so…public. They want me to get a writing partner.”

“Are people getting tired of the jokes about Derry and your friends?” Eddie asked, taking another long swig of his beer and flagging down the bartender to order a second.

“I guess so.”

“Well, you were never very funny so why should it be any different now?”

Richie laughed and pointed a finger at him. “This coming from my number one fan? I used to have you in stitches when we were young, and you wouldn’t watch my stuff if it didn’t make you laugh.”

“Yea, well a lot of the jokes you tell about your childhood are bullshit.” Eddie chuckled.

“Like what?”

“Ben having a shrine to Beverly in his closet. That was definitely not a thing.”

“I said it might as well have been a thing, not that it was. Ben thought it was funny.”

The bartender brought over their second round and Eddie was already feeling that lightheaded buzzed feeling that spread warmth through his limbs. He hadn’t set out to get drunk, but now here he was, one beer and two shots in and feeling like he could keep going if it let him loosen up around Richie. He wanted to badly to go back to that feeling they used to have and if liquid encouragement was needed, so be it!

“Ok, what about Stan pissing himself in the middle of the pep rally? We all know that he dropped his water on his lap.” Eddie said with a smile.

“It’s funnier if I say he pissed himself.”

“And your first love? Who the fuck is that? You never showed real interest in anyone.”

“Totally made up.” Richie said, putting the bottle to his lips and taking a long drink. He wasn’t looking at Eddie and that made him think he was lying. He wondered who it really was but decided not to press him any further.

They continued to drink and talk, loosening up further as they became more intoxicated. They joked about old times and Richie suggested calling up the other Losers to convince them to come to Derry to see them. They could go for a late-night swim at the quarry like they used to and sleep on one of their floors all huddled together under blankets and sleeping bags. Their parents couldn’t tell them that Bev couldn’t come anymore. They wouldn’t have to sneak her in through the window for once. Richie sent her a text explaining their great plan, but they didn’t receive a response. She was probably sleeping, something they both should have been doing as well.

They closed out the bar, Richie picking up their tab. They entered into the cold night air once more, this time together. Richie draped his arm around Eddie’s shoulders while they walked. It was warm and comfortable, and Eddie forgot about everything he’d been worried about. All he could think about now was the feel of Richie’s fingers tightening on his shoulder. It wasn’t until they were a block away from Eddie’s house that he realized he couldn’t go home.

“Shit, my mom is going to kill me.” He laughed, stopping in his tracks.

“Why? Did you break curfew?” Richie asked with a grin.

“She’s never seen me drunk.”

“So what? You’re a legal adult.”

“Have you met my mother? She’ll definitely wake up when she hears me come in and she will give me shit for the next three weeks if she sees me this shit faced.”

“I guess you’re coming home with me then.”

“What? No. I can’t.”

“You gonna sleep on the lawn? Cause I think that will get you in more trouble.”

“Shit.” Eddie thought for a second. “Still got the couch in your basement?”

“Yep.”

Without another word, the two turned at the next corner and headed to Richie’s house instead. The last time Eddie had been there he’d only seen the outside. Walking inside was almost like stepping into the past. It weirdly still smelled the way he remembered and nothing much had changed. They’d replaced the couch in the living room and the TV was bigger, but everything else was the same. The same pictures hanging on the walls, the same wallpaper and carpet, the same kitchen with the same table and chairs. If Eddie closed his eyes, he could pretend he was sixteen and hanging out at Richie’s after sneaking out of his house.

Eddie followed Richie down into the basement and the nostalgia hit him even harder. So many weekend nights spread out on that floor with their friends, reading comics and watching movies on the shitty box TV with the attached VCR. The time Bill broke his finger messing with Wentworth’s weights in the corner. The old bookshelf full of old dusty novels that hadn’t been touched in ages. The old computer against the wall, that had been replaced by a newer model finally. He remembered the first time Richie had convinced him and the other boys to look up pictures of breasts on that computer when they were twelve. Eddie had thought it was gross and at the time he didn’t understand why. Now he did.

When he turned back from examining the things that were the same and different, he saw Richie setting a blanket and pillow out on the old plaid couch. His cheeks were flushed from a combination of the walk in the cold air and the alcohol. He plopped down on the cushion, which creaked in protest, and patted the spot next to him. Eddie joined him, enjoying the feel of Richie’s arm stretched out behind his head. They’d shared many talks spread out on that couch together. Heart to hearts between two best friends that felt so long ago.

“I lied.” Richie said, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.

“About what?” Eddie smiled. “The cat on the skateboard you said you saw going down the street on its own?”

“No. That definitely happened. I mean about my first love.”

“Oh.” His smile fell away and his gut twisted sickeningly. Maybe he’d had too much to drink, or maybe he just wasn’t prepared to hear who had stolen Richie’s heart. “Who was it then?”

“One of the Losers.”

Eddie felt like he could double over in pain from the stab that just landed in his heart. That was worse than some random classmate.

“Beverly?” He was sure all the other guys had had a crush on her at some point. He was sure he had a crush on her before he realized he was 100% gay.

“Nope.”

If he’d said yes, that would have been easier. Richie still liked girls and somehow losing to a girl was easier than to another guy. Especially one of their best friends. What if he still had feelings for him? At one point Eddie had a small thing for Bill and his heart had skipped a beat whenever Mike would easily lift him up as if he weighed no more than a feather. Stan and Ben were the only ones he’d never really felt an attraction to. Not that they weren’t both good looking in their own right.

“Bill?”

Richie smiled. “No not Bill.”

“Mike?”

“No.”

“Ben.”

“Ben’s hot as hell. But no.”

“Then Stan.”

Eddie could feel the vibrations from Richie’s laughter through the couch. “Stan would kick my ass if I said he was my first love.”

“So, it was him.”

Richie finally lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking at Eddie. Despite his best efforts, Eddie couldn’t help looking back at him. His heart was racing and breaking all in the same breath and it was painful.

“It wasn’t Stan.”

Eddie ran through their friends one more time in his head and he was sure he’d been through them all. The only one left was Eddie, unless Richie was going to say he was in love with his own reflection. Which was a possible joke he’d make but Eddie prayed he wouldn’t. He had too many emotions rushing through him at once and he was too drunk to deal with something like that right now.

“Me?” Eddie was breathless and wasn’t sure if Richie had even heard him. But he did and instead of responding, he leaned forward and kissed Eddie. It was soft and chaste, making Eddie’s lips tingle. It was over so fast, he wondered if he had made contact at all.

“It’s always been you, Eds. I thought you hated me for so long after I left. I wanted to bring you with me so badly. Letting you go was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Eddie heard the tremble in Richie’s voice before he saw the tears in the corners of his eyes. Instinctively, Eddie reached out and cupped Richie’s face between his hands, swiping at the tears with his thumbs as they fell. Not giving in and touching him had been so hard, but now there he was with his hands on his face and wanting nothing more than to crush their lips together. So, he did. He was drunk and in love and overwhelmed and he just needed Richie so badly. Part of him worried this was another dream, but when Richie grabbed his ass and pulled him into his lap, he knew it was real. His dreams never felt like this.

Straddling Richie’s lap, he parted his lips and traced patterns on the inside of Richie’s mouth. He tasted different than he’d expected. Not the beer or the Jamison or the pretzels they’d eaten at the bar, just completely Richie. His hands were in his hair while Richie’s hands were on his hips, pulling him close with every grind down against him. Years of want and need were coming to fruition and neither could stop themselves as they moaned against the others’ lips. Richie reached for the zipper of Eddie’s hoodie as he pulled it down, pushing the sleeves down his arms and letting it fall to the floor. His hand traveled to Eddie’s jeans next, hesitating over the button.

“Can I?” Richie asked, briefly breaking the kiss.

“Yes.” Eddie’s response was breathy as he dove back in to devour Richie’s mouth.

Richie made quick work of the button and zipper and Eddie all but whined when his hand slid beneath the fabric of his jeans and boxers. He bucked his hips against his hand as his cool fingers wrapped around his semi-hard dick. His hand was dry, but Eddie didn’t care because it was Richie and he was far too gone for it to feel uncomfortable. Richie left his lips to trail kisses down his jawline to his neck. Eddie tilted his head back, allowing for better access.

“Fuck! Richie…” Eddie groaned when Richie nipped at the tender flesh of his neck. “You too. Can I touch you?”

Richie nodded against his throat, lapping over the hurt he’d left behind with his teeth. Eddie fumbled with shaky fingers to unzip Richie’s pants to get his hands on him. Richie moaned against his skin as he wrapped his fingers around him. He was bigger than he’d been expecting. The thought of it being inside him made a shiver ripple throughout his body, but he’d have to wait for a later date to experience that. Eddie lost himself in the feel of Richie’s hot fingers, his lips and teeth and tongue peppering his neck in markings he was too gone to care about right now, his own hands working quick to get Richie off. To drag more of those growls from Richie’s throat that made him weak.

He felt the tension building in his gut, his toes curling against the couch cushion as Richie brought him closer to the edge. Richie bit hard just above his collar bone and that was it for him as he spilled into Richie’s waiting hands with a string of his name and curses and on his lips. Richie didn’t stop until he started to come down, chasing his orgasm to the end. Eddie’s hand had momentarily stopped when he came, but as he slowly came back to earth, he began to pump again. Richie buried his face into the crook of Eddie’s neck, a strangled “fuck” falling from his lips.

“God, Chee I’ve dreamt of this for so long. Touching you, coming apart in your hands. Tell me you feel good too.” He whispered into his ear, planting a kiss against his temple.

Richie’s jaw was clenched tight, his clean hand squeezing Eddie’s thigh hard enough to hurt. “Eddie…Eds…I fucking love you.” Richie seemed incoherent, lost in the pleasure. A second later he was moaning from deep in his throat as he tensed against Eddie.

The room fell silent, save for their joint heavy breathing as they both came down from the high. Richie held Eddie close to him, afraid he might run if he let him go. But Eddie didn’t want to run. Just the opposite. He never wanted to leave. He wanted to stay in this moment of bliss with Richie until the end of time. He didn’t care that their hands, and probably pants, were a mess. He didn’t want to move. As long as they sat there in that moment, everything was ok.

[takaraphoenix]

Miraculous ladybug for the ask game?

Thanks for playing! There may be more here than for Good Omens, but I’m not THAT deep in this one either, so no promises. xD”

Top 5 favourite characters: Adrien, Alya, Luka, Nino, Kagami

Other characters you like: Juleka and Rose

Least favourite characters: Lila and Chloe!

Otps: Luka/Adrien, Kagami/Marinette, Alya/Nino, Juleka/Rose

Notps: mmmh I don’t really have any, I think?

Favourite friendships: Alya and Marinette, Adrien and Nino

Favourite family:mmmh it’s not like we know a whole lot of families and recently I have been thinking a lot about the fact that Marinette’s parents never question that they can’t get a hold of Marinette and can’t be there to directly protect her when Paris is under attack. Like. She’s a fifteen year old girl, you bet your ass I’ll hunt down my only child and try to be with her during these attacks, or at the very least made damn sure she’s somewhere safe... So... I have started doubting her parents based on that... They’re still a billion times better than Adrien’s fucked up family (even more so now that we met his aunt and cousin :D”), but yeeeah...

Favourite episodes: Desperada, for all three, the Luka content, Luka as a hero and the Adrien angst, also definitely Captain Hardrock because it actually introduces Luka, Silencer, because that Luka/Marinette content was really nice?

Favourite season/book/movie: season 2, probably

Favourite quotes: not really a quote-kinda-gal

Best musical moment: yes, please, give me a musical episode - I mean, come on, they have a BAND!

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: When Alya got the Fox Miraculous?? I was sooo looking forward to that

When it really disappointed you: every single time Marinette reverts back to her gross possessive behavior when it’s about Adrien. It’s... so exhausting and it was already exhausting in season 1, but the longer this drags on, it becomes cringey as fuck? It’s due time both Marinette and Chat grow the fuck up and start respecting the other person’s boundaries and start seeing them as people. Fully. Because occasionally, they do - and then they take ten steps back again and I am tired

Saddest moment: it’s not really a sad show...

Most well done character death: no one has died yet

Favourite guest star: GRANDPA BEING CALLED BAKERIX IN A CLEAR HOMAGE TO ASTERIX, if that counts

Favourite cast member: it’s a cartoon, so not really actors. And I am so not into tracking or remembering voice actors, so... can’t answer that

Character you wish was still alive: Again, no one has died xD”

One thing you hope really happens: THAT THEY FINALLY FORM AN ACTUAL FUCKING TEAM. Let the other Miraculous holders KEEP THEIR FUCKING MIRACULOUSES. After that disastrous season 3 finale, they GOTTA learn from it! They HAVE to realize how bullshit it is to keep all the Miraculouses in ONE place!!! PLEASE.

Most shocking twist: that Adrien’s mom is being kept in the basement. Like. I always knew Hawkmoth was Adrien’s dad and I suspected he wanted to rewrite reality around Adrien’s mom but that he fucking keeps her body in the basement. Why. What. No. Stop it.

When did you start watching/reading?: Ooof 2016

Best animal/creature: Plagg!!

Favourite location: there aren’t really any impressive locations in this show

Trope you wish they would stop using: Love Triangle. Love triangles can be fun. Admittedly, the Love Square had an interesting twist to it with the secret identities. But when they on top of that Love Square then ALSO added “but oh no! Now BOTH Marinette AND Adrien have ADDITIONAL potential love interests”, this has become some knotted-up nonsense that’s giving me a headache...

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: nothing, really? It got the child heroes, it got the Quippy Boy, it got the female lead who can just do abso-fucking-lutely ANYTHING and is perceived as that kind sweet girl by everyone around her and loved and adored by everyone, it did pretty much all the standard tropes in any superhero or magical girl franchise, but none very outstandingly better than other shows

Funniest moments: uuuhm drawing a blank here

Couple you would like to see: at this point, I would like to see Luka/Marinette and Adrien/Kagami become canon, because the dragged-out Not Good behavior displayed in the Love Square have started to become... uncomfortable for me to watch. I was really on board with them being endgame in season one, but post season 3, I think I’d prefer if both parties genuinely moved on with their new love interests

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: really not a voice actor kinda person so... *shrugs*

Favourite outfit: Chat’s

Favourite item: mh, I do think that I like the Fox Miraculous the best, design-wise

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?:I do own a Plagg plushy! ^-^

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I would be a frequently akumatized human :D” (seriously, that bitch Hawkmoth gets to akumatize everyone over the smallest feelings of upset...)

Most boring plotline: it’s... it’s not like the show has a whole lot of plotlines... unless you really count every single episode’s akumatized person’s plotline... then honestly I think I wouldn’t even remember the most boring ones...?

Most laughably bad moment:I... just... I laughed and screamed at the screen when Hawk Moth got all the Miraculouses, because I have spent over a whole entire season screaming at my screen that it’s irresponsible and dumb to keep them all in one place, instead of leaving them with the individual carriers. Even louder so after the Master got compromised and went into active hiding. Like. It was only a matter of time until Hawk Moth finds you. So that was so incredibly avoidable and the fact that CHLOE ONCE AGAIN shows her greedy needy self-centered side and was the one enabling Hawk Moth was just... really frustrating (can you tell yet that I was not pleased with the season 3 finale? :D”)

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Hasn’t really done a lot of flashbacks yet and I’m not big on the ones we got. Does Cat Blanc count as a flashforward, because it was also an alternate timeline? Though... I wasn’t really a fan of that either... mmmh...

Most layered character: They’re all not overly layered, in my personal opinion?

Most one dimensional character: I mean the majority of the characters. Like, most of Marinette’s classmates have like one personality trait assigned to them and that’s it? There’s not a lot of depth and character development going on with most of them

Scariest moment: really not a scary show xDDD

Grossest moment: thankfully enough also not a gross show :D

Best looking male: Luuuka I love his character design

Best looking female: Juleka!

Who you’re crushing on (if any): None

Favourite cast moment: I don’t follow those things, even less so with voice acting xD”

Favourite transportation: ...they... uh... had a train that went into space...? xD”

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): it’s not really a visually stunning show so I got nothing?

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: I mean unanswered questions, a lot, considering the show is still on-going! Most of all, what exactly happened to Adrien’s mom

Best promo: I don’t pay attention to these things ^^°

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I honestly can’t tell. I mean, I have come to love it, definitely, but I don’t really have one defining moment that I can say “this was it!”

IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS

[sassyduckqueen]

30 Days of Lukanette- Memories

Ok so I may have gotten a little inspired by the Cat Blanc trailer.... but damn does it look good!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Viperion sobbed to himself as he held a limp Ladybug in his arms. Her blue eyes once full of light were empty. Her skin pale and cold. Her hands flopped to the side but she wasn't the only one like this. To his left, he could see Ryuko on the floor in a pool of blood and on his right, Bunnyx was facing the sky with a blank look on her face. The sound of his bracelet beeping got his attention and his outfit disappeared as Sass landed on the floor. The tired little snake pushed itself up as Luka held Ladybug in his arms. He had failed her. The sound of ice crunching made him, looking up shakily as someone walked over. Blinding white and harsh blue eyes met his and a blank smile worked it's way onto a familiar face before the monster before him pointed his finger at him then there was a blinding white light....

 "Aaaaahhhhh!" Luka screamed as he jolted up in bed. Sweating dripping down his face and his body shaking. The door burst open and his mother rushed in.

 "Luka?!" She gasped, sitting on his bed and cupping his face as he shakily took deep breathes. "What's wrong? You were screaming,"

 He remained quiet for a few minutes before shaking his head. 

 "N-nothing, Ma. Just a bad dream," He muttered, feeling sick. His mother raised an eyebrow and frowned deeply but she could tell that he didn't want to talk about it she got up and gently patted his head then left his room. He flopped back down on his bed, taking a few deep breathes. He was really glad Juleka was spending the night with Rose. Juleka had been crushing hard on Rose recently and Rose had finally asked her out. Luka was happy for them and told them that he thought it was about time they got together.

 "Luka? Are you ok?"

 "I'm fine, Sass," He replied, looking up at the ceiling. "It was just a really bad dream,"

 "You want to tell me about it?" The little snake muttered as he stretched. Luka remained quiet for a few minutes.

 "I saw Ladybug die," He suddenly stated, causing the snake to gasp and look at him in shock. The teenager's normal blue eyes were filled with sorrow and fear as he looked up at the ceiling. "She was in my arms and she was dead. Ryuko and another superhero was there too. I haven't met her before but I knew her name. She was called Bunnyx. She was dead too and it was Cat Noir, who had killed them... expect he didn't look normal. You know how he's black with green eyes?"

 "Yesss,"

 "Well, he was white with blue eyes and he looked so emotionless and empty," He replied as he shivered before looking over at the snake, who frowned deeply. "It felt so real..."

 He expected the little creature to say something to reassure him that it wasn't real but he frowned when the little creature said nothing.

 "Sass.. it wasn't real... was it?"

 "I don't know," The snake admitted. "On very rare occasions, holders of the snake miraculous can developed a secondary power... it is kind of a side effect from the resets,"

 "What exactly is it?"

 "Premonition," Sass replied. "It happened once before. Centuries ago now but I had a holder, who developed a second sight in a sense. He wasn't always about to see exactly what was going to happen but he would get a rough idea of what was going to happen before it actually happened. I believe it is my power bleeding into the mind of the holder. After all, my power is about time and going back to a set point after living through a future. I would imagine that another particular sensitive human could develop premonitions from using my power after a while,"

 "So what I dreamt might be real?" Luka gasped.

 "I can't say for certain," Sass replied. "I think we should talk to Marinette and Tikki,"

 "No, I don't want to worry her," He mumbled, getting up. "For all, we know it could just a nightmare. I was prone to them when I was younger,"

 "Luka, it would be wise to talk to her," Sass replied, floating over to him. Luka frowned before looking at him.

 "How about this? If I get the same dream again, I'll talk to her, deal?" He suggested, holding out his finger.

 "Deal," The snake replied, shaking it. Luka walked into the kitchen and took a glass out of the cupboard before filling it up with water and downing the drink. He really hoped that this dream was a one time nightmare that had no real meaning but the feeling he got suggested otherwise. Frowning to himself, he plodded back to his room and laid back down in bed. Sass curled up next to him and the two fell into an uneasy sleep.

 (***)

 "Luka?" Rose's voice suddenly brought him out of his thought train as she frowned softly at him. Marinette was suppose to be coming to their band practice straight away after school but she had to help her parents out at the bakery with a last minute order. She had promised to come by once she was finished. Alya and Nino were there as well but unfortunately, Lila had insisted on coming alone to watch. Luka was already distracted with the dream he had and the last thing he needed was Lila there. "Are you ok? I've just called your name five times,"

 "Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," He mumbled, tuning his guitar for the sixth time as his mind flickered back to his dream. He didn't have it again once he fell back to sleep but the look on Cat's face and Ladybug's dead body was haunting his mind. 

 "Luka?!" Rose gasped again, causing him to look at her. He muttered a sorry as he realized he had zoned out again. Juleka and Ivan looked really worried as he tuned his guitar again. Juleka walked over to him.

 "Hey, that's the seventh time you've tuned your guitar... are you ok?" She asked. He looked at her. He knew would be able to lie to her but he couldn't tell her the truth either.

 "I... I need some air," He muttered before putting his guitar down and heading up to the surface. The sun was setting and the Autumn wind felt good on his face. He walked over to the edge of the Liberty and looked down at the water. The sound of footsteps came across the deck and he frowned as he didn't recongize them. He looked over and saw Lila coming over.

 "Are you ok? I was like super worried," She stated, causing him to roll his eyes as he faced away from her. "You seem really distracted. Is it because I'm here? I know it can be super hard playing in front of a new person. Jagged Stone had to teach me some breathing te-"

 "What do you want?" He asked, making her frown. 

 "What do you mean? I don't want anything,"

 "Yeah right," He replied. "Girls like you always want something,"

 "What do you mean 'girls like me'?" She asked, faking innocence before she pretends to gasp in shock. "Is this because of Marinette? I know me and her don't get on eye to eye but to judge me based her opinion seems silly. Especially when we could be friends,"

 "I'm not judging you based on her opinion," He replied, folding his arms. "I am capable to concluding if I dislike a person on my own. I judge a person by what I hear in the hearts and your tune is quite frankly awful. All you do is lie and manipulate people and somehow, you have my sister and her friends wrapped around your little finger. Oh and you insulted my music so to sum it up, I don't like you, I don't trust you and I certainly don't want to be your friend so just leave me alone!"

 He turned to face the Seine but Lila didn't make to leave.

 "I only tell people what they want to hear," She states in a different tone. Luka turned around and faced her. "It's not my fault that they are gullible enough to believe what I say,"

 "It's called lying, Lila and it's not a good thing,"

 "You can tell you hang out with Marinette a lot," She smiled sweetly but it made Luka feel sick. "She said the same. Look, people can't resist when they hear what they want to hear and I just tell them what they want to hear. It doesn't matter if it's true or not,"

 He went to say something to her but she walked over to him.

 "But with you... well, you're a little less dumb then the rest so you wouldn't buy my lies anyway. Not that I need them. After all, we both know that Marinette doesn't really care about you. You love her but she doesn't love you back. She has eyes for Adrien and only Adrien. Of course, I won't let her get him but it must hurt, knowing that she will never love you back," She smirked before facing him. "In fact, you're basically invisible to her. You're a nobody to her. You couldn't hold a candle to Adrien. In fact, she only pays attention you because she can't have him,"

 She moved closer and he stepped back a little.

 "No matter what you do, you'll never be the person she truly loves," She smirked evilly. "All you'll ever be to her is the second choice,"

 She smirked before turning on her heel and heading back downstairs. Luka waited til she was gone before he allowed himself to fall to the floor. The worst part about what she said was that it was exactly what he feared. It was his biggest fear. That Marinette didn't love him. That she only had eyes for Adrien and that all he was to her was a second choice. A rebound. He tried to blink away the tears but Lila's words had really gotten to him and he knew she had done it to hurt him. She hated that he distrusted her and that he could see through her so she had basically declared war on him. He shakily slammed his fist into the boat and rested his head in his arms as tears silently rolled down his face. His phone buzzed and he picked it up, seeing Marinette's number flashing up on the screen. He pressed answer. 

 "H-Hey," He tried to sound normal but Marinette picked up on it straight away.

 "Luka? What's wrong?" She gasped.

 "L-Lila's here... she just showed m-me her true c-colors," He replied, trying wiping his eyes but his tears kept on coming as he heard what Lila had said on repeat in his mind. That mixed with the nightmare he had was pushing his feelings over the edge. "She s-said you didn't love me and t-that I would only ever be your second choice,"

 "Luka, that's not true," She whispered but he went silent as he saw a small purple butterfly flying over. 

 "Marinette... there's an akuma..." He suddenly stated, staring at it.

 "Try and breathe, Luka," She gasped before she shouted her transformation words. "Keep a cool and calm head. I'm on my way, Luka,"

 "O-ok," He closed his eyes and started to take a calming deep breathes as he tried to zen out, allowing his mind to clear but suddenly, a flash of bright light caused him to jump back as he saw those cold blue eyes again. He shook his head and dropped his phone as the corpses of Ladybug, Bunnyx and Ryuko flashed before his eyes. He gripped his chest as he tried to breathe but suddenly, that cold feeling of the akuma spread across his body.

 "Silencer, this is Hawkmoth," Hawkmoth's voice echoed in his mind. "Lila Rossi has your loved ones caught in her web of lies hm? Well, I'm giving you the power to silence her for good. No more voice means no more lies,"

 "N-no!" He gasped, gripping his head. "Not again!"

 "Don't you want to stop Lila from bad mouthing the girl you love? Don't you want to free your friends from her influence?" Hawkmoth asked. "Give in to me, Silencer and I can help you with that."

 "S-shut up!" 

 "Exactly what I'm offering," Hawkmoth chuckled. It sent a shiver down Luka's spine. "Really, Silencer. I just want to help you. Give in to me,"

 "N-no! You're lying!" He gasped but he started to feel his will power slipping away. Hawkmoth could help him get rid of Lila Rossi for good. With her gone, Marinette wouldn't be hurt and Juleka would be free. There would be no more lies because there would be no more Lila. Silencing her wouldn't be enough.

 "I couldn't agree more so I'll tell you what. I'll change your powers," Hawkmoth laughed in his head. "Eraser, I grant you the power to erase people from existence, starting with Lila Rossi. All you have to do is return is get me Cat Noir's and Ladybug's miraculous. Do we have an agreement, Eraser?"

 Before Luka could answer, he felt two soft hands on his face, slowly bringing his senses back.

 "Luka, whatever Hawkmoth has offered you, it won't help," A familiar soft voice spoke. 

 "No! Don't listen to her, Eraser! Only I can help you!"

 "Hawkmoth preys on those who think there is no solution but you know that isn't true," She spoke but Luka couldn't see past his hurt and his fears. "Luka, please. Fight it,"

 "I'm trying but she's right! You'll never love me. How could you?" He gasped, tears rolling down his face. "I'm not good enough,"

 "Excellent, Eraser. You can use the powers to erase everyone else out of existence so only you and the girl you love exist then she'll have no choice but to chose you. You'll never be second best again!"

 "I acc-" He was cut off by the feeling of her lips on his. The kiss was a desperate one, full of fear and yet it was soft and loving. 

 "Eraser?" Hawkmoth wondered as he started to feel the self loathing feelings disappear. "No! You can't resist!"

 "Listen to me, Luka," Her voice echoed. "You are amazing and strong. You can fight this. I know you can.... You mean the world to me and I love you so don’t give up,"

 "Marinette..." Luka gasped before she pulling him down and kissed him again. His hands fell down from his head and he wrapped one of them around her waist as she cupped his face. He linked his spare hand with hers as the Akuma left his wristband, breaking off his connection to Hawkmoth and fluttered away. He gently pulled away. She wasn't in her ladybug costume. "You should catch that Akuma,"

 "I'll be right back," She replied before running off. He saw a red light and then a few minutes later, another red light flashed and she came rushing back onto the boat. She walked over to him and before he could say a word, she hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her hair.

 "Thank you," He muttered, pushing his fingers through her hair as she rested her head against the chest. He knew she only said those words to free him from Hawkmoth but right now, he didn't care. All that mattered was this moment. He closed his eyes and hummed softly. 

 "He offered me the power to erase Lila from existence," He muttered before pulling away. "You should go and talk to the others. I'm sure they would love to see you,"

 "Are you sure? I don't mind staying here with you," She mumbled but he smiled softly.

 "I'm okay thanks to you," He smiled. "Hawkmoth won't get control of me but I still need a few moments to myself,"

 "Well, ok," She pouted. "But don't be too long,"

 "I won't," He smiled, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing it lightly. She blushed before going downstairs. He leaned on the edge of the boat and looked over at the water, smiling like a fool. He hummed to himself as someone came on the deck. He recongized the footsteps as Lila's. He sighed to himself as she walked over.

 "Look... I just wanted to say sorry about what I said earlier," She stated. "I'm just so stressed with been asked to babysit all the time and been in charge of my mother's finances-"

 "Other people may see through your lies, Lila but I don't," He stated, calmly, making her frown.

 "I'm totally not lying. Why would I lie?"

 "Because you want all eyes on you and like the attention," He replied before shrugging his shoulders. "Lie all you want but know I see right through them and I have no interest in been your friend,"

 She frowned evilly as he looked back at the water. 

 "I don't know who you think you are but anyone with an ounce of intelligence would want to be my friend but if you don't want to... that's fine but like Marinette, I'll make sure you don't have any left," She smirks, making him frown before she walked over and flicked her hair.

 "Good luck with that,"

 "What?" She gasped.

 "I really don't have many friends and the friends i do have can see right through you too so good luck with that," He replied, shrugging as she gawked at him with surprise. He completely ignored her, causing her to huff and walk off as Marinette and Alya came up. Marinette looked over at him with a worried expression before he turned around and smiled as she walked over.

 "So Alya's having a Halloween Party.... do you want to come with me to it?"

 "I'd love to,"

[halfgclden]

Sharkboy, Lavagirl, Yeast-Man, and Bacteria Boy | Jack&Parker

Summary: Jack and Parker watch a movie together, Parker is excessively awkward, don’t talk about it.

Walking down the tree-lined promenade, Jack felt very out of place. This was a nice neighborhood built for nice people, which he certainly was not. Trying not to feel too out of his depth, Jack had put on a fairly nice shirt and combed his hair. What did somebody wear to a social event based on Sharkboy and Lavagirl? "You can't grow if you don't let yourself blow," Jack whispered to himself before buzzing apartment 6C.

Did Parker wear a long sleeved shirt because Jack was coming over and he didn’t know how much one would want to lean on the other? Possibly, but he’d just say that he looked good in underarmor. He hooked his computer up to the television, which took a while since he didn’t fully understand how an HDMI cable worked. He jumped when he heard the buzzer and ran over to press his palm against the button to open the door.

Halfway up the elevator ride, Jack wished he had taken the stairs instead of sharing this small car with a stranger who was very clearly avoiding any sort of eye contact or human-to-human acknowledgment with the burn victim standing two feet away. Of course, they were both heading to the 6th floor. Sighing in relief once he stepped off the elevator, Jack waited a full 30 seconds before walking down the hall to Parker's room. Jack took a deep breath to collect himself mentally then knocked three times on the door.

Should he have done something else with his hair? Parker ran his hands through it a few times. He kind of felt like an idiot worrying about how he looked before watching Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Could he have latched onto a different thing that Jack talked about and asked him to watch that? Probably, but instead he’d chosen to watch a movie that he was pretty sure was not going to be everything he remembered it being while he was drunk from white wine. He pulled the door open and flashed a smile at Jack. “Hey!” He stood to the side so Jack could enter. “What’s up?”

Jack grinned at Parker's greeting. He stepped inside, instinctively making sure not to accidentally brush against Parker. "Uh, not much. This," Jack chuckled. The apartment was gorgeous—well kept and well decorated. Jack was used to cleanliness by way of owning few possessions. It was refreshing to a see a room that had artifacts of life and love. "Oh, this is for you." Jack pulled a pair of old Spy Kids 3D glasses from his shirt pocket and held them out toward Parker.

Parker closed the door behind Jack and smiled at him as he admired the apartment. It would be a lie for him to say that he didn’t take pride in how nice his apartment looked. He almost laughed as he took the fragile glasses and unfolded them. He felt like he could rip them in half. “Wow. I’m amazed you still have these.”

"I have a folder where I keep all my nostalgic paper stuff, like drawings or whatever. It was in there." Jack gestured toward the TV. "I like your set up. I should have brought snacks or something. Like... Shark gummies or... Lava cakes?"

“That’s so cute.” Parker exhaled a laugh. He pushed himself away from the door so he could actually move toward the couch rather than standing awkwardly in his doorway. He laughed again and shook his head. “I don’t have either of those, but if you want snacks I can grab some?”

"Uh, that's okay. I'm not really hungry, I'm just trying to be cute and thematic," he confessed. Jack took Parker's lead and sat down on the couch. "Here, let me text you the link for the movie and you can pull it up on your laptop." Jack pulled out his phone to send the text.

Parker smiled. “You’re doing a good job of it.” He raised his eyebrows a bit and nodded quickly as he moved forward to the computer. He pulled out his phone so he could tediously type in the exact link into his computer. “Funny that they have a 3D version of this movie to pirate. They assume you have the glasses?”

"It's one of those DVD rips, so I guess? Honestly I've never seen it not in 3D." Jack pulled his feet up onto the couch, sliding his feet out of his old Converse. He looked around the room again, trying to deduce which parts were Parker and which were Kieran. "You guys have a lot of DVDs."

“Uh, yeah.” Parker bobbed his head as he typed in the link and searched it. “I guess I’m just behind then? I just watched regular old disney channel.” He glanced at their collection and exhaled a laugh. “Uh, yeah, they’re all my brother’s. I bought him a few? If that counts.”

"I'm guessing none of the ones you bought were in 3D?" Jack grinned. "I didn't always have TV, so I kinda just watched whatever DVDs I could get my hands on." Jack tried intently not to stare at Parker's back muscles through the fabric of his shirt. He tugged on the sleeves of his button down, suddenly feeling awkward for picking such a formal outfit. Trying to be discreet, Jack pushed up his shirt sleeves and mussed his hair.

Parker shook his head. “I just watched whatever was on cable.” He shrugged. Did that sound pretentious? He didn’t think it did, but after Jack saying that he didn’t have TV, it seemed so. He watched as the link loaded and he had to click out of a number of unsavory ads. He didn’t normally pirate movies. He was more the type to watch whatever he could find on whatever he could legally find. He clicked the movie, then clicked it again, and then again until ads stopped popping up and he could pause it. “Um, should I let it load?”

"Uh, sure." Aw fuck. Jack hadn't prepared any topics of conversation and could feel his nerves jamming up the part of his brain that controlled his speech. "So, uh, if you could be an animal-based superhero, what would the animal be?"

Parker turned slightly, still squatting so he would be ready to play the video, though the longer he sat the longer he found it strange. “Uh...” Parker had to think about this one. “Based on personality or based on what I’d want?” Were the answers different, or was Parker trying to buy himself time?

"Uh," Jack hadn't thought it through. He didn't think that such a dumb question needed any explanation, but he was glad that Parker seemed to be taking his idea and running with it. "I guess like a combination of personality, vibe, and what you feel in your heart?"

“Um...” Parker had no idea, if he was honest. He didn’t want to seem lame, but also, he didn’t know what exactly what compromised a ‘vibe’. “Maybe, like, yeast-man? Because then I can bake bread super easily. Does that count?” He laughed. “I don’t know, I’m never good at stuff like that. What are you?”

Jack cackled. "Ew, what? Yeast Man?" Jack applauded Parker's answer. "Wait, how would that work? Would you be like, part-yeast or would you shoot yeast beams out of your body?"

Parker dropped his face into his hands, as though he only realized how dumb his answer was when Jack repeated it back to him. “Ugh, no, nevermind. Please forget I said that. Let me be bear-man or something.”

"What? No! No take-backs!" Jack was curled up in a fit of laughter. "Yeast Man is incredible! You have to own it!"

Parker felt his face grow hot under his hands and he groaned quietly. He lifted his face and peaked at Jack from between cracks in his fingers. “I just mean because I work in a bakery!”

Jack shook his head. "You don't have to explain yourself, I'm all for it. Yeast Man, protector of gluten, dual wielder of baguettes." Jack laughed at his own joke.

Parker sighed and moved to take a seat next to Jack again. “You didn’t say what you’d be.”

"Um..." Jack tapped his chin. "If we're going with this theme, I could be like, Bacteria Boy. We could form the Scoby Squad."

Parker couldn’t exactly tell why he was absolutely charmed by everything Jack said, but he pushed the feeling aside as he smiled as he ran a hand through his hair. “It’d be like Osmosis Jones.”

"Uh..." Jack wasn't sure what Osmosis Jones was but nodded anyway. "Yeah, sure," he laughed. "Oh, we could do the power rangers morphsuits and then when we tap rings we just turn into bacteria and yeast. And then that's it."

Parker groaned again and shook his head. “Please never bring up the power rangers morphsuits again, thanks.” He briefly wondered why he sounded like an idiot every time he opened his mouth.

Jack laughed. "Okay." Jack rested his chin on his knees, his arms hugging his legs. "Is it loaded?"

“Ah, yeah.” He had almost forgotten that’s why he’d paused the movie. He stood to press play before settling back down on the couch. He slid on the paper glasses and he rested his hands in his lap.

Jack smiled wide when Parker put on the glasses, but refrained from making any comment just in case Parker might get self-conscious and take them off. "I'm really hoping this movie is as good as I remembered it to be."

Parker pulled one leg up onto the couch and wrapped his arms around it. He smirked and looked at Jack. “I doubt it, but here’s hoping.”

As the opening scene came on the TV, Jack sprung up off the couch. "Uh, let me get the light." Jack circled the room flicking a few switches on and off until the room lights flickered off, leaving them lit up only by the blue light of the TV. Jack returned to the couch, sitting a little closer to the middle now, casually and discreetly.

Parker turned to watch Jack and scooted an inch closer to where he was sitting while his back was turned. He rested his right ankle over his left knee. “It’s... Woah, it’s really 3D.”

Jack chuckled. "I mean... Yeah. Did you not watch any 3D movies growing up?"

Parker shook his head. “Not at home. Just in theatres.” He pushed his glasses down his nose and came to a realization. He looked at Jack. “Is... Is this giving you a headache? We can watch a non-3D version.”

"No, that's okay!" Jack didn't want to admit how much enjoyment he was getting out of seeing Parker with the 3D glasses on. "I can like, do one of these." Jack circled his thumb and pointer fingers around his eyes like glasses.

Parker exhaled a laugh and pushed the glasses back on. He smiled and shook his head. “Okay, but tell me if you do get a headache, I don’t mind missing out on the 3D.”

"I'll let you know." Jack turned to watch the movie. It was not, in fact, as good as he remembered it to be, but Jack still found himself smiling at some jokes. Every now and then, Jack turned to watch Parker, to see his reactions, to smirk at the way he looked in the glasses. At some point Jack pulled his legs up into a criss-cross applesauce, maybe not-so-accidentally letting his knee cross over into Parker's space.

The movie was... It was something. Parker couldn’t say that he wasn’t enjoying it, but the effects and jokes were... Not great. Much less high brow than the jokes in the movies he and Kieran would watch, but that did make them easier to laugh harder at, even if it was just at how ridiculously they were delivered. He pulled his sleeve down with his thumb so it was covering half his hand, somewhat unconsciously, as he stretched his arms out behind him on the couch. He was nowhere near actually touching Jack’s shoulders, but he had a moment of faint panic as he tried to focus on a young Taylor Lautner performing his song and dance scene.

"Dream, dream, dream, dream," Jack muttered along with Sharkboy. Jack turned to look at Parker. "Is it weird to say that Sharkboy was like... My gay awakening?"

Parker choked out a laugh and covered his mouth. He looked at Jack. “I hope you mean, like, as a kid.”

“Ew, duh, of course I mean as a kid.” Jack laughed. “Unless you think I’m only just now realizing I’m a homo.”

Parker smiled and moved his hand from behind Jack to rest on the back of his own neck. “Um,” he exhaled a laugh. “It was a joke. I’m still not great at them.”

In the corner of his eye, Jack noticed Parker's hand move away from the back of the couch. For a moment, his heartbeat stumbled. "You're better than you think." Jack nestled his face in his palms and turned back toward the screen to hide the red rising in his cheeks.

Parker leaned his upper arm against the back of the couch and rested his head against his hand. He glanced at Jack and smiled at him, seemingly engrossed by the film. He turned back to the movie. “Who was your favorite character?”

Jack leaned back into the seat of the couch. "Do you mean like, in this movie? Or just in general? Because definitely Sharkboy if we're talking Sharkboy and Lavagirl."

“Because he was your gay awakening?” Parker laughed. “Do you have one in general?”

"Yes! Exactly. How could he not be my favorite?" Jack laughed. "In general though, if we're talking childhood, I'd probably have to say... Miranda Priestly?" Jack laughed again, not sure if the reference would even land with Parker. "How about you?"

Parker rested his hand on his cheek. He didn’t know who that was, so he just nodded and hoped Jack wouldn’t want to talk about it too much. “Cool. Uh, I don’t know if I have one. I probably do, but not off of the top of my head.”

Jack tapped on the couch between them, watching his fingers. "You'll have to figure it out. And then we can watch your movie next." Jack slid his hand back onto his lap. "So we're even."

Parker watched Jack’s hand for a moment before looking back at him. He felt his ears grow hot as he grinned, so he turned back to the movie. “Yeah, cool.” He couldn’t stop smiling. He moved his arm back to the back of the couch. “I can look through the movies I have here. Unless we want it to be another childhood movie.”

"Whatever you want!" Jack answered a little too quickly. He didn't want to seem too eager to spend time with Parker. Or did he? He felt his face go red again. "I just want to know what you like."

Parker continued to smile and only glanced at Jack, afraid that he might be watching him instead of the movie too much. “Um, I like watching films with my brother, but I really like funny, shitty movies like this. I mean, not that this is shitty, it’s great. It’s just... I’m enjoying it.”

Jack turned to look at Parker. "You can say the movie's shitty, Parker. I know it's shitty," he laughed. "I hope you don't, like... Think that I think this is a masterpiece."

Parker laughed and pressed his cheek into his shoulder, a bit embarrassed. “I don’t, it’s just, I don’t want you to think that I’m not enjoying it, because I am. And sometimes I’m kinda rude with what I say, I’ve been told.”

Jack grinned and shrugged. "Eh. Words are just words. Sticks and stones may break my bones but just don't burn my eye out."

“Um,” He exhaled an almost-laugh at that, feeling bad for doing so, but feeling worse if he didn’t. “Yeah.”

Jack snorted. That was the first time he had ever made a joke about the incident out loud to another person. Despite Parker's reaction, Jack still felt a little rush come on, as if he had finally released a weight he didn't know he was carrying. He pushed his fingers into his cheeks, trying to get himself to stop smiling so hard. "Sorry. Just kidding." But not really.

“Oh, yeah, I mean.” Parker shrugged. He wondered how Blue would feel about Jack sitting on his couch right now. He swallowed. “Um, I’m gonna grab water. Did you want anything?”

"Uh, water sounds great." Jack pressed his face between his hands. Oh gods, was the joke too dark? Jack exhaled, not too loudly, trying not to psych himself out. He let his feet fall back on the floor to give himself some better circulation. Jack wasn't used to feeling this many emotions at once and he needed to remind himself not to cease all autonomous bodily functions.

Parker stood and ran to grab two cups of water. He closed his eyes for a moment as he stood at the counter and sucked in a long breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled. He felt like he was doing well, but he could feel himself crashing. He swallowed and moved back to the couch. He took a seat noticeably closer to Jack this time, but still kept about half a foot between them. He held the cup out to him. “Sorry I didn’t offer this when you got here. Bad hosting on my part.”

"That's okay. Sorry about that joke, I wasn't trying to make things awkward, or like... Uh." Jack took a big sip of water and set the glass down on the floor in front of them. He shook his head. "We're both pretty shitty at words, I guess," Jack offered meekly.

Parker sipped his water and shook his head. “No, no, it’s fine, just, unexpected, I guess.” He shrugged and put his water down as well. “God, yeah. I called myself yeast-man earlier. I thought that was an appropriate thing to say.”

"I still do. I don't know why you wouldn't think that's an appropriate thing to say." Jack smiled at Parker. "Since you're a baker and all."

Parker dropped his head as he laughed quietly. He folded his hands in his lap. There were moments when he was overwhelmed by how much he liked Jack, and in this particular one, he felt almost guilty about it, like it was a mistake having him here. He forced the thought away and sat back. “I guess you’re right, bacteria boy.”

Jack chuckled, exhaling a sigh of relief. The conversation was back on track. He folded his arms across his chest and sat back, leaning ever so slightly in Parker's direction. Jack had forgotten entirely about the movie but he forced himself to look at the screen to avoid the risk of making any more awkward jokes.

Parker moved his legs up to criss-cross on the couch, his knee inches away from Jack’s leg. He rested his hand in his lap and didn’t look at his leg. “Um, do you watch a lot of movies?”

"Uh, yeah." Jack answered the question absentmindedly, not sure if he was telling the truth or not. His eyes had fallen to the small distance between his leg and Parker's, and his mind was singularly focused on deciding whether to close the gap. "I've been watching a lot of shitty 80's horror movies lately. Like, summer camp slashers and that kind of thing. How about you?"

Parker pushed the glasses to sit more securely on his nose. “I’m not really a horror guy? But it might be because I don’t watch any. I watch, like, early French cinema. Like, pre-Nouvelle Vague and it’s all in black and white. I watch some Spanish movies too. My brother’s really into film.”

"Oh my gods, you're, like, sophisticated." Jack laughed. "Do you speak French and Spanish? Because that's... Kinda hot."

Parker laughed. “I’m not, it’s all Kieran’s influence. I never really watch movies on my own. Don’t know why.” He bit his lip and smiled. “Ha, yeah. You know, romance languages. Pretty neat trick, I guess.”

"Wow. Really neat." Jack let his hand slide to the side of his knee, occupying the small space between them. "Can you, like... Tell me something in French?"

Parker glanced down at Jack’s hand and turned to look at him. “Do you speak French?” He tilted his head.

"Not even a little bit." Jack smiled.

Parker smiled back. “Je te trouve très mignon, Jacques.”

Jack bit his lip, grinning from ear to ear. "Um... Something, something, steak, Jacques?"

Parker smiled and rested his hand on the back of the couch again. “You got the jist of it.” He pressed his cheek to his shoulder again.

Jack gave a small chuckle and looked back at the screen. Lips pressed together, Jack held his breath and reached his pinky out to touch Parker's knee.

Parker watched Jack’s hand when he felt him poke his knee. He didn’t move his head, hoping that the glasses would somewhat cover his eyes. “Do you speak anything but English?”

"Uh, I don't." Jack retreated his pinky to his own leg. "Just 100% English and bullshit for me."

Parker let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when Jack pulled his pinky away. “Ah, I can always help you if you wanted to learn French or Spanish. I think when I speak French, you can tell I knew Spanish first.” He pulled a face.

"Sure, yeah. I don't think I'll be any good, I've never really learned any sort of language before, but I'm down to try." I'll take any excuse to hang out again. "If it makes you feel better, I definitely couldn't tell."

Parker grinned. He’d successfully managed to get Jack to agree to hanging out after this. “That’s good, it means my accent’s getting better.” He looked at the hand behind Jack and played with the hem of his sleeve. “I’m not the best teacher, so we’ll see if I’m any better than Duolingo.”

"Well, I'd rather learn from you than an owl." Jack pulled his feet back up onto the sofa, hugging his knees and curling up again.

“I can French better than an owl.” Parker smirked at his stupid joke and looked back at the screen.

Jack propped his chin up on his knees and did his best to focus on watching the rest of the movie. Whenever the 3D became tiring to look at, Jack would drop his eyes to the floor or steal small glances at Parker.

Parker stayed somewhat amused by the effects and storyline. He looked at Jack again as Max and Linus fought with brains. “Do you think this is what it’s like when the Morpheus cabin gets upset with each other?”

Jack laughed. “Like a pillow fight but with brains?” He looked over at Parker with a smirk. “You should give them the idea for the next time they fight with the emo guy.”

Parker laughed. “I hear they’re apparently fine with just punching him?” He shrugged. “I really like Lavagirl. I think she was my favorite when I was younger too.”

"Wait," Jack turned to Parker. "You've seen this movie before?"

“Yeah.” Parker nodded. “I watched it a bunch, just never in 3D.”

"And you watched the whole thing again right now?" Jack laughed, clapping a hand over his face. "Oh my gods, I thought this whole time you hadn't seen this movie before. I wouldn't have tortured you with it if I had known!"

Parker shook his head. “No, no, I thought I told you!” He shrugged, smiling. “This isn’t torture. I’m having a great time.”

"Ugh. Good." Jack's cheeks flushed red, but he was smiling ear to ear. "I'm... Also having a great time."

Parker ran a hand through his hair and shifted slightly closer to him. “Good. I’m glad you’re not regretting letting me watch something in 3D while you... Don’t.”

Jack laughed. "I mean, I can't watch 3D anyway." He gestured vaguely at his face. "It would just be all red."

Parker nodded. “Ah, yeah, I figured. Thanks for... Letting me experience it? Sorry you got shafted though.” He pointed at his own right eye. “Is this one red?”

Jack smiled. "Um, yeah. You can't see it?" Jack reached out and held his hand in front of Parker's left eye, careful not to touch Parker's face. "See?"

Parker held his breath as Jack reached toward his face. He shook his head ever so slightly. “I’m, uh, colorblind.”(edited)

Jack clapped his hands over his mouth. "Oh my gods, please don't tell me I just made you watch a movie you couldn't see."

Parker laughed and shook his head. “No, I’ve been able to see fine. I just don’t know what color everything is. Like, I kinda do? Just, not fully.”

"Okay, thank gods," Jack laughed. "Um... Do you have a favorite color then?"

Parker shrugged. “Probably red? I don’t know.” He laughed. “Do you?”

"Wait, I'm confused." Jack paused. "So you can see red?"

Parker shook his head. “Well, a little? I can tell what it is sometimes? Against other colors, most of the time? But people say I look good in red, so I like red.”

"Huh." Jack sat back and looked at Parker for a moment. "Yeah, I can see that." I mean, you'd look good in every color, he thought. "I think my favorite color would probably be like... Black. At least if we're going with the clothes."

Parker laughed. “That’s a goth answer, but it fits, I also like blue.”

"Ugh, black looks good on everybody, okay?" Jack laughed. "Blue is such a straight boy color. Very American."

Parker laughed. “Okay, so I like blue and I’m straight but you get to like black even though it looks good on everyone?”

Jack laughed. "Uh, duh. Black is inclusive. You mix all the crayons together and you get black. Blue is like, the color that Danny Rinaldi hoarded in 1st grade because blue was for boys only."

Parker didn’t understand half of the references that Jack made, but figured he should probably find them funny. “Shut up.” He grinned. “It doesn’t matter, I can’t see it right anyway.”

"Sorry," Jack held up a hand in surrender. "You're right, I shouldn't mock the color blind."

Parker shook his head. “It’s fine, I don’t mind when you make fun of me.” He paused. He couldn’t tell if that was a lie. “That much.”

"Um," Jack wore a look of amused skepticism. "I don't think I believe that Mr. Parker Porsche Valentine."

“Shut up.” Parker repeated and ran a hand over his face. “Okay, forget I said anything.”

Jack laughed. "Sorry." He bit his lip and looked back at the screen. "I just, like, talk a lot of shit. I'm not—you're not actually... You know." Jack decided to stop talking before he accidentally shaded Parker again.

Parker laughed and shook his head. "Ugh, no, I was kidding." He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't mind, I don't. I'm just sensitive. I think the Porsche thing is funny, I swear."

Jack snorted. "Ugh, these mixed signals. I can't."

Parker dipped his head and laughed. "I just think you're funny, that's it."

"Good. I am." Jack was beaming, his entire face bright red. He wondered if Parker would be able to tell through the 3D glasses.

Parker exhaled a laugh. "You are," he agreed. He looked at Jack and smiled at him before looking back at the movie. "I can't believe you thought I never saw this movie. It's like you thought I never had a childhood."

"I don't know! Some people are just, like, sheltered. I never saw Toy Story until like..." Jack scrolled back through his memories. "I... Don't think I've seen Toy Story."

Parker shrugged. “I don’t think the movies are that good?” He sighed. “Please don’t tell anyone that, though. They’ll probably yell at me about their childhood or something.”

"People are too sensitive about childhood stuff. It's like—I was just a snotty kid with two thumbs, I would've taken anything my mom put in front of me."

Parker smiled. “Same. I think it’s only when you start, like, actively choosing things for yourself that it matters.”

"Yeah," Jack smiled at Parker, his eyes lingering on Parker a little too long before flickering back to the screen. "And we chose Sharkboy and Lavagirl anyway."

“Yeah.” Parker smiled at Jack even when he looked away from him. He looked back at the screen after a moment. “The best movie.”

Jack's cheeks were aching from how much he had been smiling. As the final battle began wrapping up, Jack suddenly realized the window of time for an super casual movie cuddle was quickly closing. The butterflies in Jack's ribcage had evolved into bottle rockets. As subtly as he could, Jack leaned slightly more in Parker's direction, trying to minimize the space between them without making any obvious moves.

Parker couldn’t tell if Jack was actually moving closer to him or if he was just sinking into the couch. He wrapped his hand around his sleeve, what he’d kind of been preparing for. His heart skipped a beat in his chest. He felt like he was in middle school. He kept his arm on the back of the couch, but moved it slightly closer to Jack’s shoulders.

Jack felt Parker move slightly on the couch beside him and his heart lurched. With a little more confidence and intentionality now, Jack scooted an inch in Parker's direction until he felt his shoulder brush against Parker's body. Jack's breath was completely still.

Parker stopped as soon as Jack was barely touching him. He didn’t know how close he’d have to get to make Jack pull away. He didn’t put his arm around Jack, but turned his arm so his elbow was slightly against his back. A bit awkward, but enough contact to send shocks up Parker’s arm. He felt like an idiot. He kept his eyes glued to the screen.

Jack didn't quite settle into the position, but stayed frozen there. What the fuck is this right now? He was afraid of being too forward but too far in to turn around now. As the final scene flickered onscreen, Jack remained half-touching, half-not, his heart thunderously pounding in his chest all the while.

Parker closed the space between them, pressing his side into Jack’s. He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes on the screen.

Jack could have squealed. In fact, he had to bring a hand up to cover his mouth to stop the intense urge to giggle. Jack silently cursed his instinct to laugh in times of nervousness and intimacy. He tried his best to breathe deep and enjoy the sensation, but very quickly, the movie ended and the credits already began rolling onscreen. Oh, fuck you Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Jack sat still, waiting to see what Parker would do.

Parker pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, chest tight for a moment. He tilted his head back and laughed before turning to look at Jack fully, his face hot. "Apparently this movie has me acting like I'm in middle school. Is it cool if I have my arm around you?"

Jack laughed in return. “So cool.” Fully beaming, Jack nestled a little closer into Parker.

Parker draped his arm around Jack much less awkwardly, happy that he'd worn the long sleeved shirt to make that possible. He felt a bit awkward just staring at the credits roll across the scene, and finally took his glasses off. He folded them and held them back out to Jack. "Oh, here. I almost forgot I had these on. Next time we can watch something that you can actually see."

Jack laughed, taking the glasses. "Thanks." He let them fall onto his lap for the time being, not wanting to adjust just to slide them into his shirt pocket. "I guess they didn't make old French movies in 3D?"

"You know, surprisingly, they don't. I think me and my siblings should wear the glasses next movie night, though. Great accessories."

Jack gasped and nudged Parker’s leg with his own. “Parker Valentine, trendsetter. I’d die.”

Parker pressed his lips together to keep himself from smiling too much at Jack’s leg against his own. He wasn’t sure if he was more or less satisfied now that Jack was pressed against his side. “My family already makes fun of me for how I dress, couldn’t get much worse.”

"They're just jealous." Jack folded his arms across his chest and let his head fall back onto Parker's arm. He closed his eyes, wishing he could screenshot the way he felt in this moment.

Fuck. Parker almost felt like yelling. Jack was so cute and so close and yet... He scanned his eyes over Jack's features. He turned his head to press a quick kiss to his own shoulder and then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Yeah, probably." he sighed.

For a second, Jack thought he heard... “Did you just...” He hadn’t felt anything, so he second guessed himself and decided not to finish asking the question.

Parker shook his head, doing an awful job at pretending he didn't know what Jack was talking about. "I didn't do anything." He squeezed his eyes shut and wished for a moment he could act like a normal person.

Jack chuckled. His heart was pounding out of his chest and not even Parker’s awkward quirks could stifle the amount of joy he was feeling in the moment. Jack shut his eyes once more, smiling ear to ear.