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bi-writes · 4 years

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notorious: reboot — chapter eight genesis

This is our genesis, and ours only; once we start this chapter, what will end it?

type: series, alternate universe detail: mob!tom word count: 12.7k warnings: mature language and themes, mature sexual and nsfw content included in this chapter (oral fem!receiving, unprotected sexual content, overstimulation, cum play) series masterlist music playlist by mood, curated just for notorious

There were many things you could tell about a person from looking at their hands. They could be dirty or clean, adorned with jewels or nothing at all, nails painted or chipped or bare, cut or bruised or scratched or completely, utterly soft. Sometimes they wore wedding rings, sometimes they didn’t, sometimes they had ink circling around their fingers. Hands were interesting storytellers, and oftentimes you found yourself finding more about someone from the way their hands were kept rather than listening to them speak. Sometimes people lied. Their hands couldn’t lie, all they could do was simply be.

It was so quiet here. You could barely see anything in the darkness, but there was a sliver of light coming from the candle in the far corner of the room. The wax had melted almost all the way, the wicker barely lit, but it was enough that you could still see clearly what was beside you, who was beside you.

Your head was propped up on a soft pillow, but Tom’s hand was beside it, palm flat against the bed, and you could hear his gentle breathing. You brought your hand up to trace Tom’s knuckles, which were slightly split. They had bled, you could tell that much, and there were yellow and purple bruises dotting the dry, cracked skin there. His nails were well groomed, but you could tell he picked at them because of how his cuticles were ripped a bit, the edges of his nails a bit rugged.

Hands of a killer. So why doesn’t it hurt when he touches me with them?

You turned his hand over, following the callous along his palms. Blistering, dry, and used, Tom’s hands were a reflection of the dirty business you both had chosen to run in. It didn’t matter where you were in this business, it took something from each and every being inside of it. You and Tom were young, but you had been thrust into a world of secrecy and anarchy where your worth was determined by nothing more than where you stood in a line of hundreds, blanketed by tradition, ritual, and kings without mercy.

You had seen too much, but it was enough that you were numb inside at times. Death did nothing to you any longer. Blood was nothing but a stain, and guns were just accessories. Judges, cops, and lawyers were the men and women on your payroll, and funding amateur killers was just a part of your work. Love was a luxury, children became heirs, and money was your lifeline. One mistake could cost you your head, one wrong move could dismantle your operations, and without a throne to sit on, there was no need for you except to bleed you dry of what you had and to leave you for the earth to swallow whole.

Daughters become enemies.

Only ruthless, cold individuals that were truly dead inside could sit on thrones made of bones. You had to be willing to do anything to put the crown on, and even then, it could slip right off of your head in a moment.

Rivals become lovers.

You had never known anything else. You had never tried to be anything else. Your mother loved you, but she didn’t try and take you away from this life; she had thrust you into the world headfirst, and she made you who you were.

Sweet faces become killers. She made you a killer.

You wondered who had made Tom. Staring at the soft tufts of curls on his head, you wondered who had taught him to hold a gun, to point it at his target, and to not hesitate pulling the trigger.

You wondered what kind of burdens he carried on those broad shoulders of his. You wondered what hid between the curves of his muscles, what truly defined the scars along his back, and what kind of blood had been spilled against those crackling knuckles of his. You wondered who had taken the light inside of the little boy he had once been and crushed it. All kings and queens had lights inside of them once, even you.

We lose them, and then we spend forever trying to find it inside of others because of what is broken inside of ourselves.

There was a map on his skin. From the tips of his fingers to his toes, Tom had a map. Scars and the occasional tattoo, indentations and uneven patches of skin, defined muscles that ached and stretched and breathed. Some people were meant to be kings, and Tom was one of them, but there was a part of you that wished that Tom had never seen the metal of a gun or the inside of someone’s body or the way life left someone’s body slow, then quickly all at once.

I wish you never knew what it looked like when there were stars in their eyes, right before they saw a vast nothingness.

There were people inside of you, souls that wanted to be discovered, but you and Tom had buried them so deep that neither of you knew who they were anymore. Tom had mentioned once that he used to watch movies until his eyes were red from the glare of the television screen. He mentioned once that he had felt the vibrations from dancers on a stage, the echo of voices across the emptiness of a theatre, and he mentioned once that there had been light inside of him once when there were spotlights warming up that single spot reserved onstage.

Tom would never know that little boy. Tom would never see what that little boy could become, and he would never get to tell him that he was meant for so much more than this dirty, dirty business. There were songs inside of him, but he would never get to sing them, and for that, a part of you hated whoever had taught Tom to be who he was. They had robbed Tom of every good thing he could’ve been, and now here he was, with scars on his hands, cuts along his back, and a light inside of him that would never, ever be allowed to illuminate whatever soul was buried underneath all of the death and destruction he had built up for so long.

Boys become assassins, and girls become paper dolls.

You wondered if he would hate your mother for the same reasons.

You leaned over and kissed Tom’s forehead before slipping out of bed. You opened the door to your bedroom, going into the kitchen. You were at your apartment this time, and Tom had come with you that night, and he simply didn’t want to leave.

You and Tom had been through hell hours before, but there was something different between you now. There were no secrets between you, and now, it felt strange. For so long, you and Tom had been pretending, lying to each other and falling for each other at the same time.

One and the same.

It was still dark outside. The city lights glowed at night, so bright and awake even in the dead hours of night, and that was how it always was.

You noticed something by the door. There was a white envelope on the floor, as if someone had slipped it underneath the door to get it to you. You bent down and picked up the envelope, turning it over in your hands. The envelope was meant to be white, but it had yellowed from age, and it was dry and crinkly in your hands. There was no return address, just a scribbling on the back in handwriting you thought you recognized but couldn’t decipher.

my baby is all the back read.

You slipped your finger into the opening, ripping the envelope open. Inside was a letter, written on blank copy paper. It was written in scribbly black ink, smeared occasionally, as if it had been written in a rush. You looked around, to see if anyone was around, because it felt as if you were being watched. The apartment was quiet, and there was nothing around you.

You looked back down at the letter, opening it up all the way, smoothing out the folds.

To the only love I’ve ever known,

I don’t know when you’re going to be given this letter. I don’t know if you’ll ever receive it, but if I never write this, then there is a chance that you will never know the truth. I can’t leave this place knowing you might always be kept in the dark.

There is too much I’m going to miss. I tried to do right by you all these years, but now I fear perhaps I’ve just given your father the weapon he’s always needed. He has no ambition, none at all, to do right by his men. Your father is a coward, and he always will be. He takes advantage of even the most precious things in his life, and he has neglected you since the day you were born.

There is going to be a day when he needs you. There is going to be a day when your father will not be able to say no to you, and that day I fear more than anything else in this world, even death. I tried to give you the tools you would need to succeed, but I fear that my time has run out to finish the difficult job I started with you. I’m not finished. I want to keep doing more for you, but my time is running out, and even writing this letter is wasting what little I have left, but I need you to know the truth.

Your father will never understand what it takes to run this kingdom he’s built. I have tried for years to get him to listen to me, but anything I say, he ignores. One day, it’s going to get him killed, but that is the least of my worries. My worry is what comes after, what continues after your father is gone. As much as he wants to pretend it isn’t true, you are going to be the one sitting at the desk. You will be the one left when the dust settles.

I dreamed of being able to sit there myself. When I lived in New York, I was used to being the princess. After marrying your father, I had to get used to being what was left behind. My hatred for him grows every single day, and if I had it in me, I would be done with him. It would be him instead of me, but I’m not meant for those kinds of things. It isn’t in me, and I don’t think I’ve ever been meant for this kind of life. I hate myself for getting involved, and even more, I hate myself for bringing the most beautiful angel into this life.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry I did this to you. I should’ve left, I always knew I should’ve left. I should’ve taken the only good thing to ever happen to me and dragged her far, far away.

I planned on letting you live a normal life. Your father never wanted you to follow in his footsteps, and I planned on letting you grow and learn and go to college and live the normal life that I always dreamed for you, but you were my only hope. You were the only weapon I had against your father, and I’m sorry. What I did was selfish.

I made you like this because I wanted you to be better than him. I wanted you to be better than all of them. Everyone in this world is lonely, ugly on the inside and out, and incredibly stupid. They lack all the good qualities that soldiers should have, because that is what living in this hell is like. You will always be at war, and I wanted you to always have the tools to survive in the disgusting world that these men have built for us.

I needed you to be better.

Your father tonight is going to tell you that I left. You are going to find the drawers of my clothes empty, you are going to find most of my things gone, and you will never see me again. He’s going to tell you that I went far away, perhaps, maybe even to the fucking moon. Your father is going to tell you a lot of things tonight.

All of them will be lies.

Your father is going to kill me tonight, and I’m going to let him, because if I don’t, you will never become who I need you to be. I’m being selfish again. I fear I might hate him more than I love you.

Don’t trust him. Ever. Even if he seems like he is on your side. He will never learn until it’s too late, and by then, nothing will be able to save him. It’s you, and it will always be you, and I hope he dies knowing it.

He doesn’t deserve you. And he never has. He never will.

I love you more than anything in this world.

mama

You put the letter down slowly, running your hands through your tangled hair. Your hands were shaking a bit, and you felt like there was something stuck in your throat, making it hard to breathe.

She made your bed. Now you have to lay in it.

You picked up the letter again and went into the bedroom. Tom was awake, sitting up against the headboard, an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

“Was wondering where you went,” Tom said lowly, striking a match to light the cancer stick. You came towards the bed slowly, still holding the letter, and Tom finally looked at you, standing there with a strange look in your eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“This…this came. Someone slid it…u-under the door,” you said softly, putting the letter onto the bed. Tom switched the lamp on, and he picked up the paper, holding it in front of him. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and let out a slow breath, his eyes running over the page. The silence was killing you.

“You said your mum disappeared,” Tom said finally, tapping off a bit of ash.

“That’s…that’s what my dad told me,” you whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed. “It’s why I left New York. Why I left…Ri.”

It changed everything. It changed me.

“Your mum says otherwise,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes. “Is this real? Do you believe this? I mean…who would just put this under the bloody door? How could this just appear on your doorstep? Timing is right suspicious, don’t you think?”

“It’s my mom’s handwriting, Tom, I’d know,” you said defiantly, taking the letter back. You folded it up again, putting it into the bedside drawer. You slid back into bed, scooting close to Tom. He put his arm around you, letting you lay your head on his chest. You were silent again, the room was silent again, and it was enough time for you to have a single tear falling down the length of your cheek, your whole body feeling cold all over.

“Your father’s a lying twat,” Tom scoffed, and you stared off into the distance.

“He killed…my mom,” you said weakly, and Tom stubbed the cigarette out, putting a hand to your head and kissing your forehead. It was tender, but it was not warm enough to stop the tears that followed quickly behind, dropping silently onto the pillow. “H-He killed her, Tommy.”

And she killed me.

You weren’t sure how to feel about the letter. Your father had told you your mother had left, that she was gone, and even though you knew that those kind of antics could never be that of your mother, you believed him, or at least you forced yourself to believe him.

Because you weren’t ready to face any other alternative.

You had cried over her, mourned over her, and then you had let her go. Part of the coldness of your personality was trying to steel yourself from losing anyone else. You distanced yourself from Mariposa after, changing your number and refusing to go back, making it your mission to focus all of your pent-up anger and aggression and sadness to becoming whatever kind of heiress your father needed you to be.

Nothing in that letter was really a surprise to you, but it felt like a slap on your face knowing it came from her. Your mother had truly seen through every single lie, and just like your father, she had used you to do her bidding. She made you feel like she was on your side because she needed you to be somebody for her. A secret weapon, a key hidden under a mat, an iron sword that had rusted over and been long forgotten. She had been waiting for the perfect moment to polish you clean, reveal you to the world, and she stepped face-first into death to do it.

She can call it whatever she likes. She can call me a savior, a soldier, a daughter. I suppose mothers use their daughters just the same; this business rubs off on even those we admire. On those that we think we love.

“He made plans with you, yeah?” Tom asked gently. You blinked, coming out of your thoughts. “Plans for Saturday night, didn’t he?”

You nodded slowly, “yes. We made plans for…how it would go, yes.”

Tom smacked his lips a bit, clenching his jaw. “You’re going to tell me every detail, y/n. Don’t leave anything out, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is. I have a feeling your father is going to fuck the both of us over. And we’re not letting that happen, yeah?”

Has it rubbed off on you, Tom?

“Yeah,” you breathed. “Okay.”

Will you use me just the same?

Tom moved your head, making you look at him.

“You and I, love,” he murmured, and you nodded again, putting your hands over his. You shared a tender kiss, and you pulled away with a smile on your face. The lack of distance made you warm all over. Tom knew everything. There was nothing black between you, nothing holding you both down. You had been so lost before, and there was an uncertainty that weighed inside of you. You weren’t sure how to deal with your father, to deal with whatever feelings had grown in you, and although you had worn a straight face, there had been nothing but panic in you.

There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. Tom had you, closer than he ever had you before, and you knew he wouldn’t let go. Tom was going to take care of you, and you had to trust that, because otherwise, you were as dead as you were the day before.

“You and I, Tommy,” you said softly, and skin against skin, you knew he had you, because you could feel the tenderness in his touch. There was nothing to fear anymore. There was nothing worry about.

Because I am yours. And you are mine.

You met his eyes in the mirror. He looked incredibly handsome, freshly showered and smelling sweet, a beautiful suit on him. He was wearing black tonight to match you, and he ditched the tie and unbuttoned his dress shirt underneath, just enough to see a glimpse at the chain he was wearing. You remembered when you and Mariposa used to get ready like this, smiling at each other in the mirror, but now it was Tom, and he wasn’t shying away from checking you out. He was adjusting the watch around his wrist, his dark eyes running up and down your figure.

“You should close your mouth, baby,” you said softly as you smoothed out the front of your dress. “You’ll catch flies.”

Tom chuckled lowly, shaking his head, and you hiked up the skirt of your dress to slip your thigh holster on. He clenched his jaw at that, and he couldn’t help himself. He came close to you, pressed up against you from behind, and you bit back a smile as he smoothed a hand down your back, over the curve of your hips.

God, who said she was allowed to look like this?

“Jesus, fuck,” Tom muttered, watching you secure the gun underneath your dress. “Couldn’t get any more beautiful, and then you pull shit like this.”

“Shut up,” you laughed a bit, putting your dress back down, much to his dismay. “Now you’re just saying things because you want something.”

The word was in the air, but Tom pretended not to see it. He liked the chase. He had never had to chase anyone before, but it was fun. Having you so close yet so far away made him ache all over, but the look in your eyes told him it would be worth it.

Tom grinned at you in the mirror, “of course not, love…never. I’m simply commenting on how absolutely mad you drive me when you do things like this. If it happens to turn you on…” Your smile broke out as he kissed the side of your neck, “perhaps it’s just a bonus.”

You let Tom tilt your head to the side more, let him kiss the skin there. There was something possessive about it, and after a few minutes of wet teasing with hungry kisses, you pushed Tom off of you and grabbed your jacket, laughing to yourself.

Tom guided you to the elevator of your building, and he kept a hand on the small of your back as you walked. He always kept a hand on you now, a sweet, small detail that you appreciated. You both got into the back of the car he ordered, and while you sat on opposite ends, he had a hand on your knee as he looked out the window.

You remembered meeting Tom here. As he helped you out of the car, the familiar doorman gave you and Tom a nod as you passed the line. Tom went for your hand this time, and you looked down in surprise as he intertwined your fingers. You bit back the smile on your face as he led you by the hand. His touch was warm. You liked this, more than you thought you would.

People had always talked about you being Tom’s girl, but the label always made you spit at them. You had a name, and you expected them to use it. You didn’t need to be behind a man for it to mean something, for you to matter, and you made that clear from the beginning. Tom liked that, he knew from the start that he adored your independence. It was attractive and fresh, and for once, a woman with personality had stood up to him, and she was absolutely full of fire. It was one of the reasons he fell for you so fast and so hard. You were beautiful like that, always steady on two feet.

A queen, Tom had thought to himself. A righteous queen, and her eyes are hungry, just like mine.

You noticed Mariposa wasn’t at the table. Harrison was sitting there, and he looked incomplete without Mariposa beside him. He looked on edge, staring out into nothing, and he was bouncing one of his legs impatiently.

“Harrison,” you greeted him as Tom shooed his brothers to the side for room to sit in the booth. “Where’s Ri?”

Harrison sniffed a bit, shaking his head, “don’t know. She was supposed to be here a few minutes ago,” is all he answered. You let go of Tom’s hand, and at that, his head turned to you.

“I’m going to go take a lap, yeah?” You assured them. Tom tugged you back with a hand on your wrist, and you were surprised when he put both hands on your face, capturing you in a kiss that caught you off guard. The boys at the table shifted nervously as you kissed, even Tom’s men watching intently as you embraced without shame. Eyes closed, hands in your hair, Tom had you in just a few tender kisses, lowering yourself to sit beside him to give him a better angle. Harrison smirked a bit as he watched, shaking his head as Tom licked over your bottom lip dramatically. Tom pulled away casually to light a cigarette, letting you go finally, and you sat there dumbfounded for a moment, taking deep breaths as you fought the smiling growing on you.

“Be careful,” is all he said, his face unbothered as he reached over and took a sip of Harrison’s drink. You stood up on two feet again and smoothed out the front of your dress, avoiding the knowing looks from Tom’s brothers.

You left the table to make your way around dancing, sweaty bodies and through flashing lights. You were looking every which way for her curls. Maybe she got held up at the bar, or there was a line for the ladies room.

That’s a stupid thought. There are no lines for Holland girls.

You spotted her curls finally, done up in a glamorous bun, strands of her dark ringlets falling to frame her pretty face. She had her legs crossed, showing off the sparkling heels she always wore. You knew they were hers by the scuff at the bottom of the heel. She had been wearing the same stilettos for months, a gift from Harrison, and she never wore anything else, despite having a closet full of shoes. You followed the curve of her bare arm, adorned with a few golden bracelets and her fingers decorated with rings to match. Her nails were long and manicured, a deep red color that she always preferred. She had a fierce smile on her face, fluttering her long lashes as she spoke to whoever was across from her, and you could tell she wasn’t flirting by the way she sat up straight.

Mariposa had two ways of talking to men. The first way was distracting them, and she would twist her curls around her finger and lean forward so they could peek down the neckline of her top. She was beautiful, and they would always stare, and she would always get what she wanted. This time, she still had her jacket on over her corset top, and she was talking, her eyes narrowed and her posture straight and tall to convey her confident nature. She was saying something that was meaningful, and whoever was across from her needed to listen to whatever she had to say.

You came closer, and when she noticed you, her entire face fell, and she paled a bit. You stood at the end of the table, and you blinked when you noticed who was sitting across from her. You almost pulled the gun out from under your dress, but laughing voices from the table over reminded you where you were. There was nothing you could do but hope the candle on the table caught the sleeve of suit on fire and consumed his deranged soul in a fiery death.

“y/n—” Mariposa tried to explain, but you caught her off.

“Johnny boy,” a bitter smile grew on your face. “Mmm…you love being in places you don’t belong, huh?”

His eyes brightened a bit when he saw you. He looked older, much older than you last saw him. His face had sunken a bit, maybe a few more wrinkles there. His eyes were still bright and green and warm, and his hair had darkened just a bit from the dirty blonde it used to be. He still kept his hair a bit greasy and slicked back, and he still wore suits that were too big for him, a watch you knew he couldn’t afford, and a smile on his face that didn’t belong there.

Giovanni was the Sicilian man your father always wanted you to end up with. You called him Johnny to insult him, because you always knew how much he hated being American, and he preferred being called by his name in Italian. You refused him that, always calling him “Johnny baby, Johnny boy,” and each time making him angrier than it had the time before. He didn’t even know how to speak Italian. He was always trying to impress those above him, and your father was the man whose ass he kissed most frequently.

When he should’ve been kissing yours.

Your fears about an arranged marriage were valid. When your father told you the news about your mother and you had hurried back to California, mourning your mother wasn’t the only thing your father expected of you. When you had left for New York, your father knew you as someone that liked to get in trouble but would fall in line if he needed you to be. He had no idea what New York had done to you.

You knocked on your father’s study door, adjusting the leather jacket over your blouse. When you heard his voice, you came in, your boots sounding on the creaking wooden floorboards of the old house, an awkward sound in the deep silence that surrounded the walls of his office. You stood there frozen as the door closed behind you.

Your father was standing up from his seat behind the desk, De Luca beside him, and his lackeys lined up along the walls. Giovanni stood there in front of the desk, his own father holding him there with a hand on his shoulder. You brushed your hair back a bit, coming forward to stand in front of the desk.

“What’s going on, daddy?” You asked, crossing your arms over your chest. “You called for me.”

“Well, y/n…things have been complicated in business lately,” your father explained, gesturing big with his hands. “We lost 20% of the ports in Italy because of some of the raids, and Giovanni’s father has generously agreed to get to work on acquiring the land back again on a few conditions.”

“That’s great,” you smiled bitterly. “What does that have to do with me?”

The men in the room shifted a bit, and you looked around at them all, turning back to your father when you had read the room enough.

“Oh, daddy,” you let out a breath. “No, you didn’t.”

“You know, y/n, there are things we do for business that make—”

“20%?” You scoffed. “That’s what you value the rest of my fucking life? My life is worth 20% of your Italian coast, yeah?”

“y/n—” Your father was mortified. He had never heard you speak like that, nor talk back to him like that. here were a lot of things you learned how to do in New York. One of those things had been to use your voice. You weren’t a little girl anymore, and you were adamant on standing up to anyone that got in the way of your interests.

Giovanni? That was against your interests.

“No,” you interrupted him. “Find another way.”

“There is no other way,” your father growled. “I made my deal, now it’s your turn, y/n.”

“y/n, c’mon, I’ve known you as long as I can remember,” Giovanni spoke up, coming close to you. He even had the audacity to put his arm around your waist, pulling you towards him. You looked up at him, your mouth opening in disbelief, and you felt his fingertips digging into your back, slipping under the fabric of your jacket. “It wouldn’t be so bad, yeah? Can’t say you haven’t thought about it.”

He was grinning, like he had won something, and you scoffed a bit.

“You’re right, Johnny boy, I have thought about this,” you leaned forward a bit, your face close to his. You moved your arm around to put your hand over his on your back, and you smiled sweetly at him before grabbing onto his wrist and twisting his arm enough to hear something crack in it as you pried him off of you.

Giovanni screamed loudly, and your father put a hand to his forehead as you held Giovanni by his arm still, holding pressure there as you continued to pull at his arm. You turned to his father, narrowing your eyes.

“Make a different deal,” you demanded. “Now.”

“You can’t just—”

Giovanni screamed in agony again as you pulled back his arm, using your leg to kick Giovanni onto his knees.

“Make a different deal,” you said again. “Or I’m going to make sure Johnny can’t even wipe his own ass again.”

“God, Dad!” Giovanni cried, doubling over as you held onto his arm. “Fuck, just do it, Christ!”

“Son—”

“Do it, do it!” Giovanni begged as you heard something crack violently as you bent his arm just a bit more. You were using the heel of your boot now, and using the weight of your body, you strained the length of his arm, the sounds only making your point more serious. “Jesus, fuck!”

“Perhaps, Mr. y/l/n, we can decide on a price instead.”

Giovanni walked around with a dislocated shoulder and broken fibula for months. Your father was furious with you, but he had no right to be. You had been so insulted that your father thought he could get away with something like that, and for a while, you made his life a living hell with his business partners. You had one message to get across to your father.

Don’t ever try and control me again.

You weren’t going to roll over and obey like the rest of his men. You had a purpose, not a position, and marrying you off to a misogynistic bastard wasn’t going to work. It was the beginning of your pursuit to be heard and seen, not used. That beginning had your father thinking twice about whether or not to barter you off like property, and it had started the growing, fiery mutual hatred between you and Giovanni.

You never expected Giovanni to grow a pair and come all the way to New York to entice you, but Giovanni was also absolutely terrible and would do anything to try and get the upper hand on you. He had been for years, and you were foolish to think he’d stop now.

“Hey, baby,” he greeted you, his eyes darkening and falling over the length of your body. He whistled a bit, lowly, rubbing his chin. “New York has done you well, y/n. Is this your new look now? I like it.”

“Ri, I think you should get a refill,” you said firmly, grabbing the glass of wine out of her hands and downing it. You handed it back to her, empty, and she stood up slowly, her fingers wrapping around the stem of the glass as you sat across from Giovanni. “Go on.”

Mariposa looked between you two before walking away, and Giovanni followed her, his eyes watching her as she disappeared into the crowd.

“Hmm…I see you and Miss Muñoz are still friendly,” he winked at you, “and I can’t blame you. I mean…fuck, look at her.”

You scoffed a bit, “you’re still as much of a dickhead as I remember. Whose ass did you kiss this time to get yourself here?”

Giovanni tsked, “y/n, don’t be that way. I came all this way to see you, I thought you’d be happy,” he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I wanted to see my baby girl before she got all done up…all ready to take on Holland territory. I mean, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it? Gonna marry that piece of shit, aren’t you?”

You tapped your fingers on the table, clenching your jaw, “you know, I don’t remember my father inviting you in on family matters,” you smiled knowingly at him. “I don’t ever remember one of his…lackeys being in on operations like this. I seem to remember that only people that matter, only people that could contribute, got to sit it on important meetings. It’s bad for business when men at the bottom know about things like this, so I’m sorry, Johnny baby, that information is…classified.”

He laughed a bit, licking his bottom lip with a roll of his eyes. “Your father promised me a lot of things he’s yet to deliver on. Maybe bringing me with him is how he plans on giving me what I deserve finally.”

“Promises he had no way of guaranteeing,” your eyes were sparkling. “My father was simply mistaken, and he had to learn from those mistakes.” You stopped tapping your fingers, tilting your head to the side as you met his eyes and didn’t back away from his glare. “I do as I please, Johnny. Nobody tells me what to do, nobody can.”

“And what are you doing here?” Giovanni raised a brow. “You’re nothing but a whore for your father, letting the Hollands degrade you…all for your dad to get New York again, I think that’s what he said.”

You sniffed a bit, shifting in your seat, leaning forward more.

“If you think I’m a whore, then you’re as blind as you were years ago,” you said lowly. “That’s not how it works here. If I ask something of the Hollands, they do it for me. And no, it’s not because I sleep with any of them. It’s because unlike daddy’s business, where boys like you are running errands, there’s only men here, and they don’t ignore women because their dicks are too small.”

Giovanni snickered a bit, “you know, I don’t think I would’ve liked to have you as my wife anyway.”

You smiled a bit, gripping his collar and pulling him close. “You’re right, Johnny. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in that relationship.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as you licked over your bottom lip. “You know…cause my dick is so much bigger than yours.”

Poking at his insecurities was always your defense because it worked every time. Giovanni was the equivalent to a child and commenting on the size of him always seemed to get him angry enough to do stupid things.

Giovanni stood up abruptly after you let him go, but he was forced back into his seat when he bumped right into Tom. The color ran out of his face when he realized who he was in front of, and he scooted back into the booth, away from him, and Tom snatched the drink right out of Giovanni’s hands, tipping his head back and swallowing it all. You bit back the smile on your face as the glass hit the table, and Giovanni was visibly sweating.

“Mm…” Tom scrunched his nose. “Vodka and seltzer? What a terrible choice in liquor, mate.”

“Holland,” Giovanni straightened out his jacket, and you saw all the fight drain out of him. Intimidated by Tom’s glare, he held out his hand for Tom to shake. “I’m…Giovanni. I work for y/n’s father.”

“Mmm…so you work for y/n,” Tom corrected him, and Giovanni just pursed his lips. You watched as Tom pulled a chair out and took a seat, spreading his legs a bit as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and slid some matches your way. You stroke one of the matches, leaning over to light it for him, and you dropped the match into Giovanni’s glass. Tom took a few puffs of the cancer stick before passing it to you, letting you take a drag.

Giovanni watched the entire time. His eyes darted between you and Tom, watching intently as you both looked at one another, as if you were communicating silently, understanding one another.

“He just came to say hello, Tom,” you said finally, letting out a breath of smoke, and Tom turned to finally grace Giovanni with his eyes. He leaned back in his chair, holding the cigarette between his index and forefinger as he looked Giovanni up and down.

“Oh, to say hello, eh?” Tom was taking up space with the way he sat, knowing exactly how to intimidate others just by the way he positioned himself. “Mate, I can’t help but notice the way you look at y/n. I think…” he leaned forward and blew a breath of smoke into Giovanni’s face, “you should have more respect for my fiancé. Because being disrespectful to my fiancé means you’re disrespecting me, and I don’t bloody care for men that don’t respect me, do you understand what I’m saying?”

Your heart tightened a bit in your chest. You didn’t need Tom to stand up for you, and he knew that, you had been doing it for months yourself. But hearing him do it anyways, it was sweet. You had yet to hear Tom tell you that he loved you, but there was no denying it now, not here.

Giovanni shifted in his seat, brushing his hair back. He nodded finally, fiddling with his fingers.

“It wasn’t…it wasn’t like that,” Giovanni assured him, his voice breaking, and Tom tilted his head to the side.

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“No! N-No,” Giovanni shook his head adamantly, “I meant…y/n and I, we go…we go way back. We’ve known each other a long time.”

“I see,” Tom laughed a bit, looking between you and Giovanni, his smile so sinister. Giovanni laughed with him nervously. “I see, so…because you and y/n know each other, it’s alright for you to act like a bastard, yeah?”

Your eyes glowed as you watched Tom break Giovanni down like a wall made of glass. Giovanni was scared, and you adored seeing him like this. You adored Tom, who was spitting venom in his ear, all for you. You couldn’t do much except stare at him lovingly.

“I think…you should apologize,” Tom said finally, and Giovanni gaped at Tom, blinking in disbelief. “I think your father would appreciate that, wouldn’t he, darling?”

“Mhm,” you agreed, standing up. Tom brought his hand around your waist as you took a seat in his lap, and he passed you the cigarette as you met Giovanni’s eyes. “Let’s hear it, Johnny. What do you have to say to me?”

Giovanni was proud, so proud. He had an ego even bigger than Tom’s, and he hid behind your father to throw insults at you. But here, in New York, your father wasn’t in charge anymore. What a Holland said was how it went, and there was no viable contradiction to it. Your father was not here to back up Giovanni and his unrealistic desires, and Tom was in your corner now.

I am yours, and you are mine.

Tom squeezed your hip, kissing your bare shoulder before trailing up and planting soft kisses to your neck. You smiled at Giovanni, reaching up and tangling your fingers into Tom’s curls to encourage him. Your eyes were dark and alight with contentment, and Giovanni could do nothing anymore. You were untouchable here, and there wasn’t a thing he could do to bite back at you.

“I’m sorry, y/n,” he hissed through his teeth, and you blew Giovanni a kiss.

“Mmm…submissiveness suits you, Johnny,” you purred, standing up from Tom’s lap. You tapped off the cigarette as Tom stood up from his seat, straightening out his suit. “Tell daddy I said hello, and that I hope all is ready for tomorrow. Nine o’clock, right?”

Giovanni grimaced, biting back the words he was dying to say to you, but Tom was still listening, a look on his face that dared him to open his mouth. Giovanni simply nodded slowly, and you stubbed out the cigarette onto the table, tossing the ashes at him. Tom watched as you started walking away, smirking as he took a handful of your ass in one hand, following you. You let him, licking your bottom lip as he squeezed, and you grabbed onto his hand as you backed up into the wall, bringing him with you.

“Thank you,” was all you said, and Tom just pursed his lips, glaring down at you. He wasn’t angry, that wasn’t it. If he was, he would’ve gotten you both alone, in private, and he would’ve told you exactly what he wanted you to hear. This was different. He was seething, his chest rising and falling heavy, but he wasn’t angry.

“Who was that?” Tom demanded, touching under your chin. He wanted answers, clearly. You smoothed out the collar of his dress shirt, fixing it over his jacket. You sighed a bit, shaking your head.

“Nobody,” you said softly. “One of my father’s…I don’t even know what to call him. Tried to marry me off to the guy once upon a time,” you were pulled away from him abruptly as he pushed away from the wall, “wait, Tom—”

Oops.

You sat in silence in the car, sitting on opposite ends in the backseat, but this time, Tom didn’t have a hand on you. He was staring out the window, bouncing his leg, a hard look on his face as he ran a hand through his hair, fluffing the curls out of the product that kept them tidy. Tom had been acting this way all night, something itching at him, something bothering him, and it kept his head preoccupied.

“You didn’t care to tell me about that fucking tosser, eh?” Tom asked finally, his voice hard. You took a deep breath.

“Tom, honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever see him again,” you explained, shaking your head. “I definitely didn’t think my dad was going to let him go on a trip with him, especially here, when we’re getting…married and all.”

Tom laughed a bit, “you know, y/n, I thought we were on the same page. I thought we were going to stop fucking lying to each other when the situation at hand is so fucking sensitive, that I could lose my bloody head!”

You scrunched your nose a bit as he raised his voice, and you smoothed out the skirt of your dress.

“Tom, I didn’t know,” you said again, sighing. “He surprised me just as much as he surprised you. Don’t yell at me.”

You rode in silence again, staring down at your painted nails as the car stopped and drove in the congested Midtown traffic. After a few minutes of Tom silently brooding, you were taken back when Tom reached over and grabbed both sides of your face, pulling you to him and kissing you hard. It was the same way he always touched you, always grabbed you, where his fingers slightly tangled in your hair and his palms were warm against your face and his grip was tight and firm. He pulled away shortly, licking over his bottom lip as he stared down at you. The touch of his rings cooled your face just a bit, but you still felt hot all over from his kiss.

He pulled back completely and sat straight again, resuming his previous position. He didn’t say anything or acknowledge how passionate the kiss had been, and you were grateful, because you were still recovering from it. You turned away from him, reaching up to touch your lips, and you smiled to yourself. Tom wasn’t upset with you; no. Tom was jealous.

When you looked down at your hands again, you paid attention to Tom’s diamond band, still on your ring finger. He had yet to get you an engagement ring or something of your own, but he never asked for his ring back, and you continued to wear it. Smoothing your finger over it, it was almost symbolic. You had taken it right off of Tom, but he was content in you having it and keeping it because he trusted you.

Because he loves me.

You hoped everything of his was that way. Once you took his name, you would have a whole other position to take on, a whole other empire to think about. He would give it to you, but there was no tension or fear between you because he trusted you, and you trusted him. In just a few days, you and Tom were not just business partners with benefits. You were connected to him, and he was connected to you, and nothing in your life had ever felt so seamless, so complete. It had to stay that way.

It just has to.

You turned your head to look at Tom. He was still looking out the window, but his nervous leg had stopped bouncing, and he was still, his legs spread a bit as looked at the city that belonged to him. His jaw was a bit hard, and he kept flexing and unflexing his fingers, curling them into fists and out of them. His mannerisms were calm and slow, but something was bothering him still. Perhaps the same thing that was bothering you.

From the moment you met Tom, you knew he was going to be hard to resist. You were a woman, and women had needs, of course they did. Tom was insufferable, a complete arrogant, egotistical, and excruciating pain in your ass, but God, was he beautiful and God, did he dress well. Tom exuded the money he made, he cleaned up like it, and he acted like it. You had always hated that personality in the men you met, but for Tom, he did egotistical and arrogant far more sophisticated and far subtler. He was good at being bad, he was good at being rich, and there were days when you just wanted to slam the door to his office shut and force him against it.

I mean, aren’t you marrying him?

Truthfully, you had no idea what you were doing. You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment, shaking your head. It wasn’t the time to think about those things. You and Tom had work to do, and none of it involved ripped clothes and tangled sheets.

You’re trying to merge kingdoms, not get hot and heavy with him. Focus.

The car stopped, and Tom opened the door. He stood on the sidewalk, waiting for you, and he held out his hand for you to take. You intertwined your fingers, and Tom shut the door behind you, helping you onto the sidewalk. You looked up at your apartment building for a moment, and even though there was a chill outside, you kept Tom there, not moving from your place on the sidewalk.

Tom sighed, letting go of you for a moment to light a cigarette. He took your hand again as he put the lighter away.

“What is it, y/n? What do you have to say?” Tom asked, as if he knew there were words itching to be spoken. You swallowed a bit, stepping closer to him. You reached for the ring on your finger, taking it off and holding it up for him to look at.

“Is this…what are we doing?” You wondered, a bit breathless. “Tomorrow, we’re supposed to…get married. That was the plan, it was always the plan, but…things are different now. There’s no secrets, Tommy, that changed things.”

“Nothing’s changed,” Tom countered, and you pursed your lips.

“You’re an idiot if you think nothing’s changed, Tom,” you argued. “I just…I just want the truth, Tom. That’s all.” You met his eyes, shaking your head. “I just want to know that…even if being married to me isn’t what you want, that…that you’ll still have my back.”

Tom let out a slow breath of smoke, away from you, before taking the ring out of your hands and putting it back onto his own finger. Your face softened a bit, and you swallowed hard, trying to fight down the feeling crawling up inside you.

No, no, no.

Tom reached into his suit jacket, pulling something out of one of the pockets. You looked down as he opened his palm, and you let out a shaky breath as you saw it. There, in his hand, was a thin solid gold band with a single rectangular diamond. He took your left hand in his, dropping the cigarette and stubbing it out before slipping the band onto your ring finger. You had nothing to say as he brought your hand up to his lips and kissed your knuckles before intertwining your fingers again and tugging you towards the building.

The silence told you enough. Tom had always planned on going through with it, and even though neither of you were sure about the future, you were sure about each other. Tomorrow night, you would marry him, and he would marry you, and even though both of you would be pretending, the vows would be real.

The beginning would be true.

You punched in the code for your door and used the key to unlock it, opening it. Tom held it open as he came in after you, and Tom shut the door as he backed you up against it, resting both of his forearms on either side of your head. You swallowed hard as you met his eyes, barely able to see him with the lack of lights on. The moonlight peeked in through the windows, but it was only enough to see half of his face.

“Tom,” you said finally, “what are you—”

He captured your breath in a kiss, pressing you up against the door. You dropped your purse onto the floor, hearing it clatter as you wrapped your arms around Tom’s neck, pulling him closer to you. He nipped at your bottom lip, enough that you let out a little laugh. All the tension in your body rose as one of Tom’s hands left the door and came up your neck, wrapping around your throat, gripping it firmly.

Oh, you have me, Tommy. I’m all yours.

You swallowed again, something dry, as Tom’s thumb trailed along the length of your jaw and up, tracing the outline of your lips. His touch was soft and hot, and his eyes were watching your reaction. You didn’t move, not at all, not until his thumb went into your mouth and you could wrap your lips around it, your eyes going up to meet his again.

“I’ve seen a lot of things tonight I wish I hadn’t, y/n,” Tom said lowly, chuckling darkly. “And you with that bastard was one of them.”

So jealous.

You gasped a bit as his grip on your throat tightened, forcing you back into the door, his wet thumb rubbing along your chin now.

So possessive.

“Bloody disrespectful that was,” Tom’s lip twitched angrily, and his eyes were so dark, you couldn’t see anything in them. “But you know what pushed me over the fuckin’ edge tonight, darling, eh? You know what it was?”

All mine.

When you didn’t answer, Tom shoved you into the door, your head hitting it a bit hard, and you grunted a bit, letting out a few heavy breaths. You were shivering all over from his touch, thinking about the last time you were underneath him. This time, just his fingers wouldn’t be enough, you knew that much.

“It was you, y/n,” Tom breathed, shaking his head. “You, thinking that I didn’t want you as my fucking queen. And it got me thinking, love.”

You let out a harsh breath as he shoved his knee between your legs, his thigh just ghosting the place you needed him the most. If you weren’t wet before, you were drenched now, hot all over, and completely shivering. Finally, Tom Holland had you at his mercy. He was enjoying every second of it.

Every curve, every dimple, every piece, it’s mine.

“It got me thinking that perhaps you don’t bloody understand what you mean to me,” Tom murmured, licking his lips. “But you will, darling. You’ll understand. I’ll make sure that you understand.”

You cried out in surprise as Tom gripped you by the waist and turned you around, pressing you up against the door again. Your cheek rested against it as he pressed his hips into your backside, dipping his head to the crook of your neck as you felt him, hard and strained against the zipper of his trousers, all for you. Tom kissed under your ear softly, his breath warm as he dragged his tongue up the length of your ear and kissed the edge of your earlobe.

“You’re a princess today, y/n,” he growled. “And tomorrow, I’m gonna make you a bloody queen.”

With everyone on their knees for you.

You were rendered speechless. Tom was whispering in your ear, his hands were falling down your sides, and you were completely, utterly useless. You whimpered as he gripped the hem of your dress and hiked it up, his hand cupping one side of your ass generously, squeezing. He almost moaned himself seeing the holster strapped around your thighs, your gun nice and snug against your leg.

“Bloody fucking hell,” Tom chuckled. “Look at you, darling…” You leaned your head back against his chest as you felt his fingers tug at the lace of your panties, moving between your legs before he touched between your thighs. He whistled a bit, lowly, “shit, baby, you’re bloody soaked…”

That was an understatement. Your panties were ruined.

“God, Tom—”

“You’ve wanted this,” he observed, gripping the waistband of your panties and sliding them down your thighs. “You’ve wanted me, sweetheart, but you never said a word. You don’t have to hide anymore, y/n. If I’m going to be your husband, you’ve got to be honest with me, eh?”

You couldn’t concentrate as his hands moved between your thighs, and you cried out a bit as he spanked you firmly. Your head was spinning, all you could think about was the ache between your legs and how hot your whole body felt. You knew you were dripping when Tom grasped the handle of the gun, pulling it out of its place and unbuckling the holster so it fell onto the floor. The metal was so cool and hard against your skin, and you froze as he released the magazine from it, the bullets scattered across the floor now. He dropped the gun, and it clattered onto the floor.

God, he’s going to make me come, and he’s barely touched me.

“Answer me, y/n. You’re going to be more honest with me about what you want, yeah?” Tom demanded. “If my wife is bloody needy,” you groaned as he tangled his hand into your hair, forcing your head back again, “if my queen wants something from me,” you sighed with relief as he kissed your neck, “I expect her to say so.”

My wife.

“Yes, Tommy,” you cooed, and you felt him smile against the skin of your neck.

“Good girl,” he whispered in your ear, and you had to bite back a moan. You felt so submissive, so out of your element, but you had never adored the praise more than right now. This was the attractive, hot, kingpin that the city was afraid of, and he was calling you his good girl, his princess, his queen, and you didn’t realize how much you loved being worshipped until right now. You didn’t realize how much you needed someone to take care of you.

You closed your eyes as Tom started to kiss over the back of your neck, one hand sliding up your waist again as the other toyed with your clit, circling it gently just to keep you occupied as he felt up the body he loved more than any other. He had his eyes closed, and he was trying to memorize the curves of your skin, how often your breath skipped as he touched you, how warm you were. You smiled a bit as he fingered the zipper of your dress.

“Go ahead, Tommy,” you said softly. “I want you to.”

Good girl.

Tom unzipped the back of your dress, his knuckles dragging along your spine as he did. His touch was electric, each time his skin met yours was like a bolt of warmth that cascaded all down your back. You closed your eyes again as he began to kiss down your back, butterfly kisses trailing from the back of your neck to between your shoulder blades to the base of your spine, a trickle effect of shivers moving through you. Tom got down onto his knees behind you, and you groaned a bit as he bent you at the hip a bit. He put both hands on your ass, kissing the skin there, biting even.

“You couldn’t get any more beautiful,” he said lowly, and you let out a soft whimper as you felt his curls tickle your skin. It wasn’t long before your knees began to give out, an involuntary response as Tom dipped his head between your legs, his tongue poking out from between those wet lips to slip inside you.

“God, Tom—” You gasped, holding onto the wall for support. Tom put one hand on your hip to steady you and used the other to touch you teasingly. He started out slow, lapping through your folds, humming as he collected the sticky, sweet wetness onto the surface of his tongue, swallowing before delving in for more. With two other fingers, he massaged your bud lovingly, coaxing the most beautiful moans out of you. Tom was smirking like a bastard when he noticed your knees were shaking a bit, your body trembling as you gave into the sensation. “Tommy—”

“Mmm…you’ve got such a sweet cunt, darling,” he murmured, kissing your thighs, his voice a bit muffled against your skin. “Bloody wonderful.”

You leaned your head back, one hand leaving the wall to grab at his stiff curls, pulling on them hard. Tom chuckled a bit, his lips wrapping around your clit, his tongue moving in rhythm as he slipped two fingers inside of you, stretching you nicely, making your eyes roll back in your head as you rocked your hips a bit, feeling a sweet knot forming in your belly.

“Mm, princess, you’re so bloody tight, yeah?” Tom breathed, pulling away to catch his breath. “You’re close, eh?”

“Tom, Jesus!” You squealed, forcing his head back between your legs. “Don’t stop, what’s w-wrong with you?”

Tom didn’t stop. He stood up from his knees, grabbing you from the waist and hoisting you up into his arms. You held onto his neck as he carried you into the bedroom, setting you down on the bed as he shed his suit jacket and kicked his shoes off. You stopped him from moving too fast, slipping your heels off before sitting up on your knees on the bed, tugging Tom to you by the fabric of his shirt, meeting his eyes as you slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt.

Tom undid the clasp of his watch, tossing it onto the floor on top of his jacket. He undid his cufflinks as you finished undoing the buttons of his shirt, and you slid the fabric off his shoulders, revealing his muscular torso. You couldn’t see much in the dark, but your fingers ghosted over flexed muscle and soft skin, and you let out a breath as you scratched down his stomach. Tom was a sight for sore eyes, and despite the scars and marks that you could feel, his skin was the most kissable surface you had ever seen.

“It’s alright, love,” a gentle noise escaped you as Tom gripped your chin hard with one hand, the other unbuckling his belt and working on his trousers. “I know…it’s hard to fathom how fit your husband is, isn’t it?”

“You’re not my husband,” you said defiantly, and Tom clicked his tongue.

“After tonight, m’love, you’ll never need anyone but me.”

“Bite me, Tom.”

“With pleasure.”

You heard the fabric of your dress tear as he pushed it off your shoulders roughly, grabbing the hem of it and shimmying it down your hips. He forced you onto your back so he could pull it off and toss it behind him, and Tom grinned as he looked down at you, scooting back on the bed as you kicked your panties off your ankle. There you were, like an angel sparkling in moonlight, all bare for him to admire.

All fucking mine.

He caged himself over you, getting on top of you, and you cupped his cheeks, kissing him warmly as you both settled back against the pillows. Despite how dominating Tom could be, this was gentle, this was sweet, and there was no rushing now. Tom brought you up to sit, rolling over until you were straddling his waist, his back against the headboard as you both kissed warmly, your thighs still shaking and damp from Tom’s unbelievable mouth. It wasn’t long before your fingers were threading through his curls again as you grinded down on his lap, chasing your high even though Tom had yet to remove his boxers.

He wasn’t stopping you. Both of his hands were on your bare back, his palms pressing you close as you moved your hips, both of your mouths still focused on each other, kissing, biting, breathing. You were chasing a high that Tom had denied you, not caring how desperate you looked as you leaned your head back and moved.

Your moan was feverish and shaky as you came, falling onto his chest for support as your hips slowed their pace. Tom gripped you by the hair and flipped you both over, getting on top, and you reached down between your grinding bodies to feel the front of his boxers, feeling how damp and sticky they were.

“Mmm, did you make a mess, baby?” You teased, and Tom pulled at your hair roughly, and you smiled at that, to his delight.

“Aye, you bloody adore that thought, eh? Getting me off without so much as fucking touchin’ me,” he chuckled a bit, and you hummed as he grabbed your leg and wrapped it around his waist securely. You held onto him as you felt the tip of him against your thigh, warm, wet, aching to be touched. You stared right into his eyes as you lowered your hand, finding his cock and wrapping your nimble fingers around him, your lips parting as you felt him for the very first time.

Tom gripped one side of your face hard as you stroked him, your fingers exploring the parts of him you had been deprived of for too long. Tom was lengthy, hard, and throbbing, and he thought you were being cruel with how slowly and tenderly you were touching him.

“Look at me,” you breathed, and he grunted as he met your eyes again, licking his lips as you slowed your fingers around him. You leaned forward, giving him a kiss beside the mouth before kissing him firmly, hotly, sloppily. “I’m going to make you unstoppable, Tommy. I know what you want, baby, and I’m going to give it to you. You want the world, Tom, and I swear…it’s yours.”

As if I’m not already fucking hard for her.

You couldn’t remember how long you kissed for, but your lips were swollen, red, aching by the time Tom gripped your hips and pushed into you. You arched your back at the feeling, still sensitive from your previous orgasm, but that didn’t stop Tom from sinking into you slowly, not stopping until your hips touched. You clawed at his back, your nails digging in hard. Tom didn’t move, but you could feel him pulsing, aching, dying to do something, anything.

“And I,” Tom sucked at the skin at the edge of your jaw, taking the skin between his teeth as he kissed to nibble and bite, “I’m going to give you the fucking power you deserve, princess.”

What I deserve.

You moaned in his ear as he finally lifted his hips, grunting as he pressed his body as close to yours as possible, the tip of his cock grazing somewhere inside of you that had you crying out in pleasure. Tom grabbed your face again, holding it tight as he moved his hips against yours, watching as your mouth gaped open wider and wider as he found his rhythm.

“Everyone is going to know your name, y/n,” Tom growled, rutting his hips up into yours, his breath faltering when he could feel you tightening up around him. “You’re going to be a fucking Holland, aren’t you, love?”

“Yes!” You gasped, dragging your nails down his back.

“Say it,” Tom gripped you by the throat this time, forcing your eyes on his as he quickened his hips, starting to lose control. “Fuckin’ say it.”

Mine.

“I’m a—” You moaned loudly as he dug his fingers into your hips, a forceful grip that had you shaking all over. Tom was relentless in his drive to get you seeing stars, and the tip of his cock was hitting the same sweet, aching spot over and over again inside of you. Once he found it, he didn’t stop searching for it, his focus solely on making those sweet eyes of yours milky and white with pleasure.

“Say it, princess,” Tom demanded, becoming breathless and hot as he moved on top of you. There was sweat lining his forehead, and your nails dragging along his back had become clammy with the sweat dripping down the length of his spine.

“I’m a Holland!” You cried out, biting down on his shoulder, and Tom slowed his pace a bit, picking you up until you were upright with him. You put your hands on his shoulders to steady yourself, leaning your forehead against his as you both moved as one, your hips meeting deliciously, getting faster and sloppier every second you both held onto to one another. Tom was hitting deep inside of you, and you needed to feel more, you had to feel everything, because it had been so long since you had felt anything.

All mine.

Tom smoothed his hand up and down your back, your panting breaths mingling as the pace quickened again, the knot in your stomach building up sweetly and intensely. Tom was fucking you raw, and you were loving every single moment of it.

“I need you, Tommy,” you breathed, and he nodded in response, not stopping the quick thrusts he had built up so well.

“I know,” he whispered, pulling at your sweaty hair, hugging your chest close to his. Skin on skin, the only sounds being Tom’s cock moving between you and your sweet breathless moans as you held onto him. “Be a good girl for me, y/n.”

You whimpered as he said it again.

Good girl.

It was a command you couldn’t help but obey. For so long, you had tried so hard to be anything but good. Good never got you anywhere, and no one cared about good girls, no one in this business listened to good girls. They ignored good girls, tossed aside good girls, killed good girls.

But here, now, in this bedroom, Tom needed you to be good, and it wasn’t because he wanted to toss you aside, it was because he needed you to be good to give you whatever you wanted. Tom didn’t need you to be good for anyone else except for him.

Your whole body froze as you came around his hard length, your hips stilling and your voice faltering as your vision turned a bit blurry for a moment. Everything was so silent and pleasurable for just a few moments, Tom’s hips slowing their pace but not stopping as he reached his own high. You gasped a bit as you felt him, filling you up and almost making you collapse. It was almost like a second high, feeling him like that, and Tom had to hold you upright as you tried to swallow down all the wonderful feelings inside of you.

You both panted hard, sweaty and exhausted, but neither of you wanted to move. Tom’s cock had softened, but you stopped him as he tried to pull out.

“Just a minute,” you breathed, closing you eyes. “Just…wait.”

The truth was that you had never felt more vulnerable or closer to anyone than this moment. You wanted to hold onto it for as long as possible. Tom nipped at your neck as you relaxed in his lap, and you let out slight gasps as he moved every once in a while. Finally, slowly, you urged him to pull out, and Tom was quick to collect everything dripping onto your thighs and slip those fingers into your mouth, watching you hungrily.

“You’re mine, y/n,” Tom said finally, brushing the hair out of your eyes. You looked down at him, perched on his lap, and you nodded slowly. “Your father is going to have to pry you out of my dead bloody hands to get to you, yeah?”

“Don’t say things like that,” you whispered, shaking your head. “The only way we get out of this, Tommy, is together.”

“You and I, love,” Tom echoed, his forehead against yours again. He left a chaste kiss on your lips. “My ride or die.”

“Two sides of the same coin,” you cooed, and Tom leaned in close enough to kiss you again.

“One and the same,” you both said at the same time, smiling wide at one another, so enamored with each other that it was frightening.

You tried to remember how Tom looked like this. His handsome features only lit by moonlight, the sweat along his brows, the smile ghosting his swollen lips. Tom was pretty in this light, almost gentle, and you adored being able to see him like this. No one else would ever be able to admire him in this light, and you didn’t care if it was selfish. You didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, and you tried so hard to swallow the fear in your throat. Tom couldn’t know how nervous you were, how scared you were. You had to show him that you were capable of doing this for him, that you had it in you to sit on thrones that weren’t made for you and to take on challenges that were never designed for you to succeed. You had to be better. You had to be more.

You need to be you.

Tomorrow would be the first chapter in a book you had never planned on writing. For so long, you were sure about where you were supposed to stand, but now you were struggling where to even put your feet as every step felt shakier than the last. Looking into Tom’s dark eyes, you were certain that this was the calm before the storm. Time and time again, your father proved he couldn’t be trusted, and there was something inside you that knew even the things he told you must’ve been a lie.

“He will never learn until it’s too late, and by then, nothing will be able to save him.”

Your father would only see through you. He would never be able to see you for what you were. You would have to take everything from him because you were certain that he would never give you what you were promised. You would have to take it, and you were relying on Tom to be there to catch you when you did.

“It’s you, and it will always be you, and I hope he dies knowing it.”

This had to be the beginning, your beginning. It couldn’t be anything else. This love, this happiness, it all had to be for a reason, and the right reasons. You had fought so hard to get here, to finally feel in control, and finally, someone was looking at you. Tom was looking at you, and he was in love with you, and you needed to protect it from the world that you were never meant for. You knew it would do anything to tear it away from you, to make you believe that you weren’t worthy of it all, but you had to be better. You couldn’t let this be anything more than the start. It couldn’t be the beginning of anything else. Not the beginning of losing, not the beginning of being alone, not the beginning of the end.

It has to be the beginning of me.

read chapter nine

#wowie its here #i hope it was worth the wait #tom holland imagines #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fanfic #tom holland fic #tom holland x you #tom holland x reader #tom holland au #tom holland series #tom holland x y/n #mob!tom #tom holland smut #thnsfw #notorious

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starlxghtmoon · 3 years

Text

Spread Your Wings || Chapter Four

Pairing: Hawks x Reader || Tangled AU

Warnings: Manipulation in the beginning (Mother Gothel is manipulative and abusive as hell, let’s all be honest here)

Word Count: 3,605 words

A/N: To anyone who cares, I apologize for taking so long to write this up. I did warn that the updates will be slow, so please bear with me! I will get it out, it’s just gonna take time cause I’m super lazy and cannot sit and write out a movie for more than 10 mins ajklskowoik anyways, perfect time to get this chapter out cause it’s our favorite bird man’s birthday!! I love him sm aklajpwign enjoy more of my garbage writing!

Disclaimer: I do not own BNHA or Tangled, both and all characters except OCs [Mimi the cat] belong to their respective creators. This is purely creative fun.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three || Chapter Five

Masterlist

You dropped the frying pan you were holding with a squeal and immediately hid behind a piece of furniture as the unknown man fell to the ground. Cautiously, you peeked over top of the furniture piece you were hiding behind, seeing that the man only laid, face down on the ground, unmoving. For a moment you feared that he was dead, so you decided to see and make sure. Warily approaching him, frying pan in hand, you gently tapped at the back of his head. He made no move, but you didn’t trust it at all.

Letting out a heavy breath, stomach in knots, completely on edge, you looked over at Mimi for an answer and all she offered in return was a shrug with a soft purr. You looked back at the intruder and leaned forward once more, nudging his head to the side. Guard still up, your gaze darted back over to Mimi again, unsure what to do. The midnight black cat in question padded over to the crude painting your mother had left on the ground a few hours prior. She pawed at the painting and looked up at you, putting on an angry face, baring her own fangs.

You nodded and gripped the frying pan by the other side, using the handle to pull his upper lip back to see his teeth, clenching yours as you looked. Your expression dropped when you saw that he didn’t have razor sharp teeth like your mother had entailed.

“Huh.” You breathed before curiously prodding his hair from his face. Reeling back just in case he woke up and suddenly attacked you, you were taken aback by his handsome features. Your heart skipped a beat and your face grew a little warm as your gaze examined his features, taking in his side profile even though you knocked him out.

You leaned in a little to get a closer look at the way the sunlight from the window brushed across his face before suddenly, his eye snapped open. “Huh?” You gasped out loud and quickly slammed your frying pan into his head again, successfully taking him out once more.

“Oh god! Mimi! Mimi, what do I do!?” You shouted frantically, grabbing at the roots of your hair. You gasp again, “Oh my god! Mimi, we aren’t defenseless! I’m not defenseless!” You realized, eyes glittering as you giggled with excitement. “This will show her! Then she’ll let me see the lights!” You exclaimed happily, scooping Mimi up and spinning around with her in your arms. “We should probably do something with him… oh! Let’s surprise her!” You set the cat down and searched around the room with your eyes, mapping out a place to put the intruder until she got back. Your gaze settled on your large empty wardrobe. “That should do…” You mumbled to yourself and went to try to pick the man up, but stumbled back as soon as you tried to lift and pull him. “Oh wow, you’re much heavier than I thought…” You huffed, blowing your hair out of your face and picking yourself back up. “Hmmmm…” You put a finger to your chin as you examined his body, thinking up how you were gonna get him into the closet. And then a light bulb went off in your head. I’ve got it! You knocked your fist against the palm of your hand and began gathering up your hair to wrap around the intruder’s torso.

Once you had securely wrapped him up, you got a good grip on the slack of your hair and began tugging him in the direction of the wardrobe. The task was difficult, but not impossible. You grunted as you pulled him along, soon your back was slamming into the wardrobe from how hard you were pulling him. You panted as you dropped your hold on your hair and looked back at your wardrobe. This is gonna be much harder than I thought. You proceeded to unwrap him from your hair and swing open your wardrobe. This is gonna be a lot of trial and error.

You first tried to lift him into the wardrobe. Didn’t work. Then you tried to shove him in at full speed. Also didn’t work. Pray for this mans neck. And you tried to swing him into the closet with your hair. It worked, but now your hair was stuck. Thunk.

You sighed as you looked at his upside down figure in the wardrobe, arms and legs sticking out. That certainly wasn’t gonna work. You shoved him in legs first, pushing him back in and quickly slamming the doors closed. You let out a triumphant chuckle, dusting off your hands and walking away from the door. It worked… until the wardrobe swung open again and now, you were being crushed by the intruder’s unconscious body.

Whipping out the broom, you struggled to get him back in the wardrobe, jabbing at him and shoving him back with the broomstick. You successfully got the door closed, but his fingers were sticking out. “Hm?” You raised a brow and proceeded to poke his fingers back in. Success!

For extra measure, you grabbed a chair and propped it up against the doors to keep him from falling out again, frying pan in hand. “Okay, okay, okay. I’ve got a person in my closet.” You started as you backed away, on your guard again. “I’ve got a person in my closet.” You looked at your reflection in the mirror as you repeated your words, “I’ve got a person in my closet!” You exclaimed with an excited laugh, twirling the frying pan in your hand and dusting it off, “Too weak to handle myself out there huh, Mother?” You tossed the pan up and caught it, swinging it back and spinning it around your finger, “Well, tell that to my frying pan-” You knocked yourself right in the forehead with it, wincing in pain as you rubbed the sore spot. “Ow…” You mumbled before you noticed a satchel lying on the ground in the reflection behind you.

Curiously, you inspected it, the open flap just begging you to see what was inside. A sparkle of jewels caught your eye and you leaned down to take it. Carefully holding it in your hands, you examined the many pretty jewels decorating the piece. It was certainly beautiful, but you weren’t sure what it was for. It actually looked like an oversized bracelet. Very oversized actually.

“Hmm.” You tested the idea, sliding your arm through it, but it only hung from your wrist. Raising a brow, you looked over at your cat with a tilt of your head, seeking approval. She looked for a moment before firmly shaking her head. Taking it off your arm, you inspected it again, this time with a more scrutinizing gaze. Looking into the gems, you looked at Mimi through the crystal, seeing her shake her head again. Lowering it from your gaze, you turned toward the mirror, looking at your reflection. Maybe… You took the piece and placed it on your head. It rested nicely upon your hair. Looking at yourself with the accessory on, Mimi shook her head-

“Y/N!” You gasped, eyes widening in surprise.

“Oh!” You took the accessory off your head and stuffed it along with the satchel into a pot on the floor, rushing over to the window. Swinging the shutters open, you took your hair and tossed it onto the hook above the window, “One moment, Mother!” You called, lowering your hair down to her.

“I have a big surprise!” She announced while grabbing onto your hair.

“Uh, I do too!” You began pulling her up, chuckling a little under your breath.

“Ooh! I bet my surprise is bigger!”

“I seriously doubt it.” You mumbled as she sat up on the window sill.

“I brought back parsnips.” She announced as she swung her legs inside. “I’m going to make hazelnut soup for dinner. Your favorite. Surprise!”

“Well, Mother, there’s something I wanna tell you.”

She sighed, taking off her cloak and hanging it up. “Oh, Y/N, you know I hate leaving you after a fight. Especially when I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.”

Her words ticked you off a little, you knew she was trying to redirect any wrong doing onto you, but you brushed it off, wanting to get to the point, “Okay. I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said earlier.”

“I hope you’re not still talking about the stars.”

“Floating lights.” You corrected, “And yes, I’m leading up to that.”

“Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart.”

“No, Mother, I’m just saying, you think I’m not strong enough to handle myself out there.”

“Oh, darling. I know you’re not strong enough to handle yourself out there.” She looked over her shoulder at you.

“But if you just-”

“Y/N, we’re done talking about this.”

“Trust me! I know what I’m-”

“Y/N.”

You reached for the chair holding your wardrobe closed. “Oh, come on!”

“Enough with the lights, Y/N!” She snapped, “You are not leaving this tower! Ever!” You stopped, blinking up at Midnight. You knew it was true, you always did. You knew that you weren’t going to be allowed to leave ever, but hearing her say it. Hearing her confirm it, hit hard. Your heart sunk into the deepest part of your stomach at the reality of the situation, the anger that flashed across her face, behind her eyes. You weren’t leaving ever.

Your mother plopped herself down onto a chair, “Ugh, great. Now I’m the bad guy.” She groaned, propping her head up on her hand. You drew your eyes away from her, gaze trailing up to your latest painting of yourself. Your heart ached with longing, your body filling with envy at yourself in that painting. You were never going to have what she had and you made her. You were never going to know the purpose of those lights, you were never going to know anything. And maybe... it was for the best.

“All I was gonna say, Mother, is that… I know what I want for my birthday now.” You stepped in front of the chair propped up against the wardrobe.

“And what is that?”

You hugged yourself, heart heavy as you looked at her. “New paint.” You simply said, “The paint made from the white shells you once brought me.”

“Well, that is a very long trip, Y/N. Almost three days’ time.”

“I just thought it was a better idea than the stars.” She thought about it for a moment before heaving a heavy sigh.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright on your own?” She stood from her seat and approached you.

You wrapped your arms around her in an embrace as she lifted her hands to pet your head, “I know I’m safe as long as I’m here.” She pressed a kiss to the top of your head and with that, you helped her prepare for her three day trip.

Seeing her off, you watched from the window as she headed for the opening of the cave that led to the tower. She stopped and turned to wave at you, to which you waved back before darting back inside in search for your frying pan.

Hesitantly, you approached the chair propped up against the wardrobe, carefully tugging it back and hiding behind it to pull yourself together with a deep breath.

“Okay.” You whispered to yourself as you took your hair and used it to pull open the wardrobe from your spot safely behind your chair.

You watch as the stranger’s limp body falls forward from the wardrobe and faceplants right in front of you. You gasp a little, watching him lying there before his body slowly slides forward so he’s fully lying on his front on the floor.

Proceeding with caution, you approach the unconscious stranger before letting out a soft, “Huh.” and looking around to figure out what to do with him.

You’d settled on setting him up in the chair and tying him down with your hair. Tugging him into the center of the room, directly under the light coming in from the sky light in the roof, interrogation style. Mimi was perched around his shoulders, curiously examining his unconscious face before attempting to wake him up for you. First, she tried pawing at his face, letting out a soft ‘meow’. When he didn’t budge, she glared at him a little with her feline eyes and swatted harder at his face before jumping back in a flash of fear. Once she realized that he still wasn’t waking up, she got bolder and pawed and swatted at him some more, even letting out an intimidating hiss. Still, with no response, Mimi went with a last resort decision and opted to lick his ear, effectively waking him up. He let out a groan of distaste and looked over at the cat in his state of drowsiness.

“The hell…” He grumbled upon seeing her and she rolled her eyes with sass in response before hoping off his shoulders. “Strange…” He mumbled before looking around, taking in his surroundings for a moment and looking down at his hands that were strapped down with… hair? Struggling against his restraints, his gaze followed the trail of hair leading from his chair. “Is this hair?”

“Struggling… Struggling is pointless.” You informed from one of the support beams of the roof. He looked confused as he tried to see where your voice was coming from.

“Huh?” You climbed down from the roof, gracefully landing on the floor as his eyes followed your venture down. Even though he saw you climb down, you still tried to hide and sound intimidating.

“I know why you’re here, and I’m not afraid of you.” You spoke, trying to put on a brave face, but only continued to further confuse him.

“What?”

You stepped out of the shadows and into the light, still wielding your frying pan, “Who are you? And how did you find me?”

“Aha…” He stammered, looking at you strangely.

“Who are you, and how did you find me.” You reeled back your frying pan, enunciating your words with a more firm tone. A warning indeed. You were not afraid to start swinging again.

He cleared his throat before speaking, “I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you. But may I just say…” He took on a dramatic tone before pausing and putting on a grin, “Hi.” You furrowed your brows, deeply confused and unimpressed. Is this… some sort of tactic…? Or is he just not all there…? “How you doing? The name’s Hawks.” Your gaze darted around as he continued, keeping your guard up, “How’s your day going? Huh?”

You scoffed in annoyance and confusion. What’s his game here? “Who else knows my location,” You gestured your frying pan at him, making him lean back away. “Hawks?”

“Alright, snow white.”

“Y/N.” You corrected.

“Gesundheit. Here’s the deal.” Hawks starts, “I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest. I came across your tower and…” He stopped, seemingly realizing something. He looked around, slightly panicked. “Oh! Oh, no. Where is my satchel?”

You crossed your arms, looking at him with an arch of your brow, knowing you now have leverage. “I’ve hidden it. Somewhere you’ll never find it.”

“It’s in that pot, isn’t it?” He pointed out after looking around for a moment. To which, you knock him out once more with your frying pan. Brain damage be damned!

By the time he woke up again, Mimi was mid lick up his ear. With a shout, Mimi was knocked off his shoulder once more. She let out a hiss and a meow as Hawks tried to wipe his ear off against the fabric of his vermilion vest he wore.

“Would you stop doing that!?” He exclaimed, glaring at the cat as she sat herself down and began licking at her paw, grooming herself, unbothered.

“Now, it’s hidden where you’ll never find it.” He grumbled at you as you began walking around him with a flip of your hair. “So, what do you want with my hair? To cut it?” You waved your frying pan around carelessly before threatening him with it as you walked around him.

“What?”

“Sell it?”

“No! Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it, literally.”

“You…” You stopped, slightly put off by his admission. “Wait. You don’t want my hair?”

“Why on earth would I want your hair.” He spoke, gesturing his hands around. “Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed it. End of story.”

You were hesitant to accept this as the truth, afterall Midnight did warn you that men were evil and out to get you for your hair. You couldn’t tell if he was being deceitful or truthful. “You’re telling the truth?”

“Yes!” You waved your frying pan out to him, watching him skeptically as Mimi came up to you and circled around your feet, also glaring skeptically at the man called Hawks. The cat jumped up on his lap, tail swishing around behind her and stood against his chest, eyeing him intimidatingly as he stared back, slightly confused and taken aback. She growled low at him before jumping into your arms, keeping a watchful glare on him. He watched as you walked away from him, turning around so you could whisper to Mimi, her tilting her head and meowing in response.

“I know. I need someone to take me.” You whispered as she gave soft mews of assurance. “I think he’s telling the truth too.” You agreed. Mimi’s senses were never wrong. “He doesn’t have fangs.” She continued giving her responses, Hawks was trying to see what you were doing behind you, but was restricted to the chair as you talked to your cat. “But what choice do I have?” You sighed, finally coming to a decision and turning to him as he rocked in his chair, but you trusted that he wouldn’t break free. “Okay, Hawks. I’m prepared to offer you a deal.” You announced, beginning to walk away, tugging him along to face you.

“Deal?”

“Look here.” You began climbing up the archway to your most recent painting, the pull on your hair causing Hawks to spin around and fall over. You reached for the drapes hiding your painting, “Do you know what these are?”

He looked at your painting from his place on the floor. “You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?” This information brought you relief. So you weren’t crazy. They really aren’t stars!

“Lanterns? I knew they weren’t stars.” You whispered to yourself, internally jumping for joy at the confirmation. “Well, tomorrow evening, they will light the night sky with these lanterns.” You pointed your frying pan at Hawks, “You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal.” You wager, not taking any negotiations.

Hawks adjusted himself on the ground to lay on his side in the chair instead of his face with a grunt. “Yeah. No can do. Unfortunately the kingdom and I aren’t exactly simpatico at the moment, so I won’t be taking you anywhere.” He rejected, making you stare at him for a moment. You were dead set on seeing those lanterns, and he was going to take you to see them, buddies with the kingdom or not. You didn’t care. You looked over a Mimi, curious of her opinion, to which she tapped her paw against the other in a threatening manner, encouraging you to rock em sock em if he didn’t comply with your terms.

You jumped down from the archway and grabbed up your hair to begin tugging him toward you. “Something brought you here, Hawks.” You pulled him back upright. “Call it what you will, fate, destiny…”

“A horse.” He interjected, but you ignored him in favor of pulling him toward you.

“So I have made the decision to trust you.”

“A horrible decision, really.” He deadpanned as you kept going.

“But trust me when I tell you this.” You pulled him forward, tilting his chair and slamming your palm into the back of it to hold him steady and draw him close. “You could tear this tower apart brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel.” You spoke in a serious tone, actually putting him off for a moment at your determination.

He cleared his throat before speaking, “Let me just get this straight. I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home, and you’ll give me my satchel back?” It sounded like he was actually considering the idea.

“I promise.” He looked at you skeptically. “And when I promise something, I never ever break that promise.” He raised a brow, encouraging you to further convince him. “Ever.” Mimi meowed in agreement.

“Alright, listen. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder.” He looked down and looked back up at you with a face, making you raise a brow, completely unimpressed by his antics. He stared at you for a moment, noticing that it wasn’t working at all, “This is kind of an off day for me. This doesn’t normally happen.” He finally broke the face he was putting on and gave in, caving to your proposition, “Fine! I’ll take you to see the lanterns.”

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#bnha #hawks #keigo #keigo takami #bnha x reader #hawks x reader #hawks x you #hawks x y/n #keigo x reader #keigo x you #keigo x y/n #tangled au #im so sorry this took so long #ajbfkkwikflsnkjb #this sucks so bad #ugh

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mattzerella-sticks · 4 years

Text

Supernatural Crack🩹tober

Day 16: Hair Swap

He returns on a Tuesday. Walking through the door, duffel bag slung over his shoulder and spinning his keys on his fingers. Cas sees Dean at the map table, back facing him. Short hair sticking wildly at all ends, hunched over as he watches a video on Sam’s laptop. Shaking with silent laughter. The sight makes his heart swoon, Cas falling deeper in love despite the previous record set yesterday when Dean called because he texted a frowny face. They spoke well into the evening, until Cas fell asleep.

Dean has not heard him yet, so Cas uses it to his advantage. Silently descending the stairs, he creeps towards the other man. Runs his fingers through Dean's hair and drops a small kiss along the crown. “Hello, Dean.”

It wasn’t Dean.

Sam’s face comes into view, an earbud falling out. “Cas!” he says, slamming the space bar, “What are you doing?”

Cas pales, blinking. Looking from the younger Winchester’s face, then at his hair. Nothing adds up. “Sam?” he says, “you’re not…”

“I’m not what?”

“You’re not Dean.”

He snorts, turning fully in his seat. Languidly stretching, boots propped across a nearby, unoccupied chair. “Thought it’d be obvious,” Sam starts, lips pursing, “I am the more attractive brother. For a second I thought you broke and finally admitted your attraction to me, because then I’d have to awkwardly turn you down and hope it wouldn’t ruin yours and Dean's relationship.”

“I…” There’s a lot he said that Cas needs time digesting. He still hasn’t gotten past the hair. Nor Sam’s lazy smirk that reminded him of someone else. Before he can think more on this, he hears another person approaching. Deep timbre achingly familiar. “Dean? We’re in here – Dean!”

Dean steps into view, hair pulled tight in a bun. Smiling, like nothing was out of the ordinary. “Cas!” he says, striding forward with a glass of green liquid in hand, “I thought I heard you. Didn’t think you’d be back this soon, though.” He kisses him, free arm looping around Cas’s shoulder.

Cas hugs reflexively, nose scrunching in distaste. “You reek,” he says. And, as his hand trails across the damp planes of his shirt, Cas adds, “sweaty, too.”

Chuckling, Dean pulls away. “Yeah, I hadn’t showered yet. I was on my way, too, honest. Don’t like stewing in my yoga sweat for long.” He gestures at his outfit, the loose cotton t-shirt and shorts sticking at odd angles, toes flexing on the hardwood floors. “But I had to make sure someone was doing their research like he promised.” The pointed glare aimed at Sam strikes, the younger boy switching tabs with a rueful pout.

He hadn’t left them for more than three days. How did this happen? “Are you feeling all right?”

“Yeah, never better actually,” Dean says, “why do you ask?”

There were many reasons. Given how ordinary the brothers treated this situation, Cas opted for a simple lie. “It’s just… yoga?”

“I know,” his hunter sighs, leaning on map table. Tapping on his glass. “I normally do it every other day, but it was raining all morning and I didn’t feel like running in it. But I’m keeping with my juice schedule!”

“Your… juice schedule?”

Sam snickers, nudging Dean’s thigh with his elbow. “You know, Cas, it’s the thing Dean drinks that tastes like raw sewage and not… y’know, good?”

Dean needles him back, flicking his temple. “It is good. Good for you.”

“Chunky vegetable water isn’t good for me. Burgers are,” Sam stands, collecting his things. He offers a tiny salute in Cas’s direction before swaggering through the exit. “Which I’m gonna go ahead and make. Hopefully regain some of my appetite along the way. So long, bitches!”

Glaring at his retreated form, Dean sips at his juice. “Jerk.” Then, Dean downs the entire contents while Cas watched helplessly.

His mind ran through a number of possible scenarios. Dean and Sam were being possessed. Replaced by versions of themselves from a different universe. Under a spell. Touched a cursed object. Were playing an elaborately staged prank on him. The list grew infinitely. Stopping only when Dean snaps his fingers, drawing Cas out of his mind. “Hey,” he says, running a hand down his arm, “you okay?”

“Fine,” he answers, throat scratchy. He stumbles backwards, giggling. “I… it was a long trip. Guess I’m pretty – I’m tired.”

“Tired, huh?” Dean asks, grinning. Reading far past the shallow waters of his excuse. “Yeah, I guess I’m pretty beat, too. My body was such a tight knot, like I haven’t stretched in ages.” Or ever, Cas mentally tacks on. “If I wasn’t so filthy I’d collapse onto our bed and…” Dean demonstrates, shimmying onto the table and dropping. Legs helplessly kicking as they dangle over the edge. “Whoops,” he says, “give me a hand?”

Cas inches close enough he can grab Dean and lift. As he does, the hairtie holding the other man’s hair breaks and a waterfall of hair cascades across his shoulders. He gapes at the magnificence, unsure if Sam’s hair ever looked like that. Or was that long when he left.

“Dammit,” Dean growls, picking up the former accessory. Frowns at the broken circle, now a sad line. “I’m running out of these… oh well.” He tosses it blindly, tugging Cas into the space between his legs in the same breath. “Cas,” he says, “I thought you said you were tired?”

Cas winces, pants incredibly tight since the threadbare exercise shorts allow Cas to feel everything. “I did.”

“I was tired,” Dean sings, looping fingers around Cas’s wrist. Dragging the hand up, guiding it into his hair. “But if you want, I’m game for whatever. Better before I’ve showered than after, right?”

“Dean, I…” His protests still, Dean’s hand covering his and squeezing. Cas’s fingers threading through soft locks, a newer sensation that makes fireworks explode behind his eyes. He claws at Dean’s hair again, tighter. Those same bursts happen within Dean’s green gaze. “You like this?”

“Of course I like it, Cas. I love it.”

“No, no… I mean this.” He pulls Dean’s hair harder, a gasped moan stolen from his lips, “Having your hair pulled.”

Dean furrows his brow, playfulness waning. “Well, yeah. But it’s not like I’m the only one who gets off on it.”

“Hmm?”

“Cas?” Dean asks, pushing his arm away. Frowning, “Are you okay?”

In that instant, Cas makes a decision. Maybe not the best, but he sees it through. He places both hands on Dean’s scalp and grabs his hair, one after the other, in quick succession. The pupils of Dean’s eyes widen, and his adam’s apple throbs. Better yet, Cas’s leaking dick spasms. He did enjoy this. “Sorry,” Cas smiles, guiding Dean’s face towards his. Their lips hovering nearby, barely touching. “This hunt, it got me all turned around. But I can tell you about it after, okay?”

“Okay,” Dean kisses him, ankles crossed above his ass. “Less talk about work, more this.”

“Gladly.”

🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹

The next day, Cas sits with the Winchesters at the table as he explained the strange circumstances. “Apparently, when touching the finger trap,” he tells them, “it caused your personalities to switch… among other things.”

Sam sighs, brushing his bangs from his face. Hairstyle returning, the ends curling below Sam’s chin. “Thanks for figuring that out, Cas. Being Dean for two days was more than I’ve ever wanted to be.”

“I don’t think it was enough,” Dean snorts into his coffee. “Maybe if it was a week, my stunning personality would’ve rubbed off on you. Maybe then you'd be less of a wet blanket all the time.”

“Really, Dean? You wanted to drink those disgusting juices for a week?” At the mention, Dean’s stomach gurgles loudly. Dean shudders from the memory of happily inhaling those tinctures, cheeks tinted green. “That’s what I thought.”

“Whatever.” Dean stands, circling the table. Placing a sweet kiss atop Cas’s head. “Just glad you put everything back to normal.” He pulls on the hair tie at his wrist, quickly gathering wavy, chestnut locks and folding them into a messy bun. “I’m making omelets. Any requests – that aren’t vegetables, Sammy.”

“You're supposed to put vegetables in omelets!”

“Meats and cheeses only!”

Cas sighs, sipping at his own coffee while they bickered. Glad that both brothers were themselves again. At least, almost.

When researching the cause of Sam and Dean’s strange behavior, and after finding the cursed object responsible for it, Cas happened across a spell that could undo the finger trap’s effect. Returning what had been swapped. As he read through the ingredients, he kept flashing back on the wondrous night Dean and he shared together. The feel of his fingers through that long hair. Cas would miss it when Dean’s old hairstyle returned.

But, hidden within the margins, Cas found a scrawled note from Men of Letters past. Deciphering that faded chicken scratch, the writer added extra instructions. Variations of this spell that could change its effects. In the example given, a beauty mark stolen could be duplicated and shared between the donor and recipient. Cas wondered if it would apply elsewhere.

“Cas?” Dean calls, bundle of hair bouncing while he cooked. Dean swaying along with an imaginary song. “Cas, what do you want in your omelet?”

He stood, drifting closer. Wraps his arms around Dean’s waist and burying his nose in his hair. “I’ll have what you’ll have.”

“Two kitchen sinks then,” Dean grins, nipping at Cas’s lips. He shoots a stale glare over Cas’s shoulder, “and one pussy vegetarian.”

“Dean,” Cas nuzzles his cheek, laughing, “watch it. If you're not careful, some of your hair might fall in.”

Sighing, Dean focuses on his cooking. Extra cautious with how his bun flopped around. “You know,” he whispers, “sometimes I think I might be better off with a buzzcut...”

“Really?” Cas digs his fingers into Dean’s hairline, scraping it. Catching loose strands in his efforts. “You think so?”

Chuckling, Dean melts into Cas’s embrace. “Nah… short hair’s lame, and so not me.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

(Day 15 - Impala Alternate Paint Job)

#supernatural #spn #cracktober #profoundnet #destiel #deancas #dean winchester #long hair dean winchester #sam winchester #short hair sam winchester #castiel #destiel fanfic #deancas fanfic

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desertdollranch · 4 years

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When I sent my six modern girls to camp two weeks ago, I honestly had no idea that so many of my followers would enjoy the posts so much. A lot of you showed such generous enthusiasm and excitement at watching the adventures unfold. I know a lot of us, myself included, are wishing that this summer could be less stressful or isolated than it is. I’m overjoyed to know that some of you got to live vicariously through my girls and be distracted for a while from the difficult situations in our own lives. I appreciate and value all of you, which is why I’ve decided to take you all behind the scenes of Camp American Girl!

Usually when I make posts that feature my doll-sized crafts, I include a few sentences about how I made them, so that people who want to make the same crafts can do so. For the Camp AG posts, however, I didn’t do that. I didn’t want break the fourth wall and give the impression that each post was more about crafts than their true purpose, which was to show the girls having fun at summer camp. (For the same reason, I also chose not to include any mention of a pandemic or address why they’re not wearing masks or keeping physical distance.)

So, within this very long post, we will revisit each adventure and activity, and I’ll talk about how I created them. I hope that this inspires some of you to have fun with your dolls and be creative with them, or send them to your own summer camp!

If you missed any posts from Camp AG and want to see them all in one place, click here to see the hashtag #CampAG! If you want to see my previous Behind the Scenes, click here to see the hashtag #BehindTheScenes!

I created all the scenes and props for the summer camp with the help of the following three books and craft kits published by American Girl:

Doll STEM Doll Travel Doll Outdoors

Each book comes with full-page photographs, instructions, and ideas to create little scenes for your dolls, as well as a kit containing lots of stickers, posters, punch-out cardstock paper items, and small accessories. There are probably 50-100 pieces included in each craft kit! All of them require a context in which to use them, so I did have to use some imagination to figure out how I would use each piece. Many of the pieces were labeled with “Camp AG” and “Camp American Girl”, so naturally that’s what I named my summer camp. I knew that would save me a lot of work and time printing custom items.

I got Doll STEM and Doll Travel last year, but I only just bought Doll Outdoors this past May. I noticed that a lot of the props in that book’s photos tie in directly to the camp-themed collection of Truly Me items released in 2018. This also tied into the new American Girl musical theater show, which takes place at a summer camp.

I saw that I had these three books with all of these craft ideas and little pieces, and I wanted to give myself the chance to use as many as I could in the same series of photos, so that I could put them all to good use. I think I used all but 3 projects from Doll STEM, about half of Doll Outdoors, and only 1 or 2 from Doll Travel. But last year my modern girls went traveling around the country and the world, and that used a lot of my smaller pieces from Doll Travel like plane tickets, passports, and city maps. That was fun for them and for me. You can see all those posts in my #Doll Vacations tag. (One of the dolls included in that series, Ofelia, has since left my home to go live permanently in New York City and study music, so that’s why you didn’t see her this year at summer camp.)

That’s when the idea came to me that I could send them on a trip (Doll Travel) to a summer camp (Doll Outdoors) to brush up on their science and technology know-how (Doll STEM). I took stock of my supplies and realized that I’d probably have enough for a full two weeks of activities.

I will admit that I never actually went to summer camp as a kid, so if I got anything wrong, that’s my inexperience showing! I really had to dig into my imagination to help me out with ideas. I also reread Molly Saves the Day to get some more idea about how things work at summer camp.

I bookmarked all the craft ideas I intended to use, wrote down exactly how I planned to use them, and started working on everything in late June. I wanted to have everything all photographed and have the girls return home before the end of July, so I could move on to other projects before it gets much later into summer.

There were a few ideas I wanted to make real but ultimately had to pass on them, like making canvas tents for the girls to sleep in, similar to those in Molly Saves the Day. But I didn’t want to be spending so much money on supplies necessary for several tents, when it would probably end up being difficult to photograph the interior of those tents the small handful of times I needed to do that. Besides, lugging them around outside would be more effort than it’s worth. So I went with the idea of letting them stay in small cabins that used pages from my scenes and settings books, and I’m happy with the results. I only did three indoor shots of the cabins, so it’s probably best that I didn’t go to too much trouble and expense for only three pictures.

All of the outdoor pictures (excluding the pollinator garden) were taken in the beautiful nearby national forest. I live in a high desert area with mostly scrubby shrubs and grasses, but a 20 minute drive takes me to some very lovely, shady, and infrequently-used forested public lands. When I went out to take pictures for the first photo shoot, I wasn’t sure exactly where I’d take them, but I just happened to stumble upon the perfect spot. There’s a sort of small trailhead parking area that has only one spur trail, nothing particularly worth seeing. So I could park there, haul my stuff into the clearing surrounded by pine and juniper and oak trees, spread everything out as needed, and just have a few hours of fun with my dolls. I never saw anyone use that spur trail, not once in the four different times I was out there taking pictures. And it was the perfect setting: even in full daylight, the trees provided plenty of shade, and there’s really no better light to take pictures in than shade on a sunny day. The colors look great, the shadows are minimal, and the backgrounds don’t get washed out.

It was utterly delightful being outside with my dolls and having them act out all the scenes, completely immersed in their little world. This summer has been rough, being home so much more than I’m used to. I’m still being very careful to limit my travel almost exclusively to essential trips, and so I’ve missed going sightseeing here and there and everywhere. My state has a mask mandate, but since I never saw a single soul out there, I don’t think I’d be required to wear a mask way out in the middle of the forest.

I had intended to take all the outdoor pictures in one trip, but it turned into four trips because I kept forgetting to bring certain props, or I’d get a new idea for a particular photo, or I’d get home and find that the photos weren’t great quality and needed to be retaken. I got most of them done before the daily rainstorms began around the middle of the month, but after that there were a few I had to delay due to rainy afternoons and evenings. No matter. I would have gone out more than that if need be.

The pollinator garden pictures were taken in Kirsten’s tree fort, also known as the area around a cottonwood tree in my backyard. It casts the most splendid shade, and the sun always sets behind it, making some absolutely stunning golden hour light that makes for terrific photos. You’d think backlit shots couldn’t turn out as nice as they do, but it happens somehow!

The indoor scenes were shot in my house, using the historical character Scenes and Settings books.

I estimate that I spent probably under $10 on materials, not including the price of the three books, and not including things that I already had, like the backpacks and the chemistry set. A whole sheet of foam core is $1 from Dollar Tree, and the poster paper is $.50 apiece. The wooden craft sticks cost about $2. Everything else was made from hot glue, baking soda clay, and random stuff I found around my house. Upcycling is a good skill to cultivate!

All that said: I’ll start from the beginning, and share how I made each and every scene and prop from each day of camp. I’m doing this so that if any of you want to use any or all of these ideas to make your own summer camp scenes, I enthusiastically encourage you to do so. And I would be thrilled to see the results!

Since the girls wear a mix of homemade and American Girl brand clothing, I won’t include the names of outfits, but feel free to ask if you’re curious about any particular clothes featured here.

All links elsewhere are in bold type.

The day before camp began, the girls had to pack their bags. Sierra’s room uses Felicity’s scenes and settings book. It’s Felicity’s bedroom but in a pinch works well for generic room settings. (I’ve since made some new modern bedroom backdrops that you’ll see in future posts.) Her bed is an empty plastic bin covered with blue fabric and using the homemade pillow from my Kirsten’s bed. Her backpack is an AG brand item part of the Back-to-School Set.

For the camp itself, I used Samantha’s scenes and settings, which feature a backdrop from Piney Point and Goose Lake in the foreground. I (rather sloppily) edited out the book’s seam in the middle. That’s the main lodge where Grandmary is standing waving to incoming boats. Behind it you can see the smaller cabins, including Wood Tick Inn where Samantha and the twins slept.

From left to right: Josara is carrying a duffel bag that came with Doll Travel. Antonia has a the School Backpack Set II. Rajani’s luggage was made for me last year by my mom, using this pattern by Miche Designs. Sierra has an American Girl brand backpack as stated above. Hana’s is a backpack I made using this tutorial from Pipe Cleaner Crafts. Sariah has a zippered bag I made from a change purse with a grosgrain ribbon glued onto each side.

For the cabin interior scenes, I used Powderkeg School scene from Kirsten’s scenes and settings. In the picture on the left, I printed some generic window scenes from pictures I got from a Pinterest search for “faux window view”, and taped them over the original windows to more accurately reflect a lovely mountain setting. I think that one on the right might be the Grand Canyon. It was just a bit smaller than I expected so I moved it up and made it look like an open window. I edited out the bench with the slate right behind Sierra.

In the picture on the right, the girls can be seen in their cabin again, and of course I forgot to edit out the bench with the slate. Behind them, I edited the brightness on each window section to make it look like night. Sierra’s laptop came from Doll STEM. It’s thick paper that is folded and glued. Antonia’s tablet is a printable from American Girl Ideas (find it on YouTube as Totally Rudy and at americangirlideas.com). The beds are plastic storage containers covered with some white fabric.

This cute little camp map was a piece that came from Doll Outdoors. (It’s absolutely not representative of what I actually portrayed, but it’s close enough in concept.)

For the marshmallow roast on their first evening at camp, I sat them all in a circle with a few carefully placed sticks against their backs to hold them sitting upright (a trick I use way more often than you all realize, I’m sure!). I edited out the sticks from the photo. It was actually nowhere near dusk when I took this; I dialed down the camera’s exposure to make it look darker.

The campfire is from Kaya’s collection. It lights up and makes crackling noises. The marshmallows are styrofoam packing peanuts cut in half and glued to a trimmed bamboo skewer. A little bit of light brown acrylic paint lightly sponged onto one side gives it a toasty look. Black and medium brown make it look almost burnt. The crackers and chocolate (pictured in the original post but not here) are Our Generation brand that came with the camping tent I bought last spring and which I used later on in this series.

Skipping ahead out of order because I used the photo of Sierra and Antonia in the initial post. The ranger shirts and hats were made by me. I used a pair of thrift store pants to make the shirts, and a different pair for the khaki hats, which I made by sewing a donut shape and then slipping thin cardboard inside before stitching it shut. The cap part of the hat is a thin strip of cardboard covered in khaki and glued to the brim. The badges and patches are glued to the shirt, and they’re from the Doll STEM kit. The National Park sign (glued to a wooden popsicle stick) and the trail map are also from that book’s kit. The walkie talkies are also pictures from the kit, glued to some painted foam core and the antenna is the end of a toothpick painted black. The compass was made from one of those pop-top caps that come on half gallon containers of almond milk, like where stick your finger through the loop and pull to pop it off. I’ve always got those around (this is why I hoard small boxes, lids, and containers!). The dial of the compass was hand-drawn by me and glued to the cap, which I then painted army green (a mix of green, gray, brown, and black paints). Antonia’s canteen seen at the bottom right is a plastic one that came with Doll Outdoors. It’s very cute. The cap comes off but is blocked so you can’t fill it with water.

The instructions for the geocache activity are outlined in Doll Outdoors. The “official geocache” labels, the logbook, the GPS unit, and Antonia’s watch are all included in the Doll Outdoors kit. Instead of writing on it, I just edited on some text to the photo. The postcard from Singapore came with Doll Travel. I edited on to it some coordinates of a nice looking forested area by a lake in far southwestern Colorado. The little goodies in the geocache are some random tiny toys and books I made from old American Girl catalogs. The pack of cards featuring Coconut the dog came from Doll Travel. The army-green container is made from a plastic container that I painted. I think it was a cream cheese container originally. I’m not exactly sure what Antonia’s watch is supposed to be, since Doll Outdoors never actually mentions it or how to use it. I presume it’s some kind of navigation device in addition to being a watch, because it has an altimeter on it, showing an elevation of 6325 feet above sea level. Their camp is located a bit higher up than that, so I edited the picture to make it say 8325. You’ll have to look super closely at it to catch that detail, but it’s there!

For the surveying, I used instructions given by Doll STEM for each prop. I made pink safety vests by cutting up a shipping envelope and gluing some rectangles together. Bottom right, Hana’s clipboard is a rectangle of cardboard with a binder clip at the top. Bottom left, the topographical map, T-square, and protractor came from the Doll STEM kit. Top left, the total station is a spice container painted orange, with a plastic cap glued to the front and painted. The legs are pencils painted orange. Top right, the optical level is a wooden bead painted white and two painted pencils glued into the holes. The little green tool belt that Sariah wears came with Doll STEM.

The dinosaur dig was one of my favorites. The bones (top left and top right) were made from baking soda clay, and then rolled in the dust to make them look aged. Sierra is holding a small brush made from a toothpick and old paint brush bristles. Not pictured here but in the original post, she’s holding a magnifying glass which is an AG brand product from Cécile Rey’s collection. The fossils are made from coffee ground clay, which is a mixture of flour, water, salt, coffee grounds, and brewed coffee. It looks very similar to stone when it dries. There are lots of tutorials to be found on Pinterest, or Google search “coffee grounds fossils” for the basic recipe. I looked at pictures of common fossils on an image search to get an idea of what I wanted to make (ammonite, crinoid, trilobite, ferns, dinosaur footprints, and scallops). In the original post, the scallop shell fossils were made by pressing a real shell into the clay.

The chemistry/geology lab was easy because I made hardly any of the smaller details. The microscope, microscope slides, test tubes, holder, green safety apron, and the open textbook in the bottom left are from the Science Lab Set. Doll STEM includes some more microscope slides that are identical to the ones in this set. The Petri dishes are plastic caps from gallon water jugs. I sprinkled in some spices and dried herbs into three of them. The one on the top right has pink dish soap and the top left has vanilla extract. The minerals and geodes are from my own collection of cool rocks. They are exactly what I said they were in the post: raw amber, fulgurite, gypsum, and so on. The unopened textbooks on the table in the bottom left are printables wrapped around some foam core and glued. Their safety glasses were made using a template included in Doll STEM; the ear pieces are white craft foam and the lenses are clear rigid plastic cut from a container of some sort (another good thing to hoard for craft purposes!)

The classroom backdrop is made from printed pictures glued to two sheets of poster board. The classroom door image, seen at the right hand side of the upper left picture, came from americangirlideas.com. The tabletop is a rectangle of black foam core.

The climbing wall is probably my most favorite thing that I made for this series. I got the idea from Doll Outdoors, although the instructions were for something a little simpler. I embellished it somewhat. It’s all made from just one piece of foam core. I crumpled up pieces of newsprint and paper-mached them onto the foam core. Then I painted it all over in gray paint diluted with water. I used the bristles of a plastic dish scrubber brush to fleck it with white and black paint to resemble real rock. The colored bits are made from clay mixed with acrylic paint, poked with a nail, and then allowed to dry. Then I poked the nails through the foam core, and hung the pieces from the nail. The harness is made from elastic ribbon and some super strong paracord I use for my hammock when I go camping. I hung them over the branch of a tree just above, out of frame. I was careful not to include the whole wall in any single picture, so that it would give the illusion of the wall being much taller than it actually is. In reality, it’s only about twice the height of a doll.

The zipline was another favorite for sure. I tried and tested several ways of doing this, before I settled on harnessing her up and using a mini carabiner to secure the harness onto the cord. I tied a long length of cord between two oak trees, one end higher than the other. It really works when I hold her at the top and let go, but the whole thing happens so very fast, that getting a decent video with the timing just right was really challenging. So I made a stop motion gif instead, and I had my left hand holding her while holding the camera in my right hand and using continuous shooting mode to quickly capture bursts of many photos in a few seconds of time. I used imgflip.com to stitch all the pictures together into a gif image.

Their weekend relaxation activities included some jam sessions, card tricks, and chess games. Sierra’s guitar (top right) is from Dollar Tree. Kelsey (top left) is playing an American Girl brand violin. Bottom left, Hana’s Coconut cards are the deck we saw earlier in the geocache post, part of the Doll Travel kit. That’s Rose, my Magic Attic Club doll, standing in as one of the other (mostly unseen) campers being entertained by Hana. Rajani and Antonia (bottom right) are playing chess with a board I made from a square of wood that I painted. The chess pieces are beads.

The instructions for outdoor movie night came from Doll Outdoors. The image of Nanea on the movie screen also came from the Doll Outdoors kit. I tried taking these photos outside, but the pictures looked awful. So I took the scene inside and used a piece of black foam core for the walls. The popcorn containers came from Doll Outdoors, but the popcorn itself is made from pieces of styrofoam that I ripped into square chunks and then painted yellow, white, and brown. The movie projector is a little wireless modem that I had lying around from years ago when it was my only way to get wifi.

The idea for architecture class came from Doll STEM, and all of the small accessories are from that book’s kit, minus the birdhouses. Those are from Doll Outdoors. The picnic table and the bat house pictured in the original post are made from wooden craft sticks and wood scraps. The bat is Batty the Beanie Baby, one of my favorite beanies that I’ve had since I was younger. I stuck a thumbtack through her tush tag and poked it into a piece of wood panel I set up indoors.

The pollinator garden was made with some instructions in Doll Outdoors. The butterfly and cocoon stickers come from that book’s kit, as do the birdhouses. The flowers are from Dollar Tree. The straw bale is something I found at the thrift store. The blue jay in the bottom left is a Teeny Beanie, Rocket the Blue Jay. The birds in the birdbath include Addy’s friend Sunny, plus another faux bird I can’t remember where I got. The birdbath is made from a plastic lid painted gray, resting on a cylindrical container of salt. Josara’s binoculars in the bottom right were made from an American Girl Ideas tutorial. The mantis egg that Rajani is holding in the original post is one of the many, many egg pods I constantly find around my yard. I protect those eggies with my life because praying mantises are teeny tiny precious friends.

In the top left of the collage is the Truly Me Gardening Tote and Tools, and they came bundled with a doll I’m currently restoring. It was a happy coincidence that I had received them in the mail around when I was building the pollinator garden. The set includes a green tote, a pink watering can, a pot with a flower, a flower press, four colored flower blossoms, two seed packs, a trowel, and a Gardening Guide.

The veterinarian’s office was made following instructions from Doll STEM and pieces from that book’s kit. That’s where the name badges come from. The backdrop is, like the classroom, made from printed pictures glued to poster board. Top left, Sierra’s stethoscope was made from black cord and a button glued onto the end and painted silver. The rabbit is a statuette. Hana’s syringe at the top right was made from the clear inner part of a ballpoint pen, and some pieces of craft foam. The deer is a Beanie Baby. The x-ray display is made from pieces of foam core glued to the wall. I cut a hole through the wall, inserted a little twinkle light, and taped the x-ray image over it so that it was illuminated from behind. The fish hatchery tank is a bread pan filled with water. Some of the fish are from Doll Outdoors and some are from Doll Travel. The images from both books are the same.

The telescope was made using a tutorial from americangirlideas.com. The backdrop of stars is a poster that came with Doll STEM. I edited out the fold lines in the poster.

The comet that they’re looking at is a very real comet, I didn’t make that up. And I hope you all got a chance to see it while it was here, because after it leaves it’s not coming back for a very long time.

The laptop computer is from Doll STEM, and the Big Dipper image is also from that book’s kit. It’s glued to a piece of cardboard which covers the computer screen.

The girls’ camping tent is an Our Generation tent. The picnic table is made from cardboard that I cut into pieces and then paper-mached and painted. It’s supposed to look like those rough-surfaced tables you sometimes see at campgrounds made from what looks like a combination of wood and plastic. The camp stove, blue dishes, and green wooden chair were made by me, and you can see how I did all of those things in this post. Antonia’s hammock is something I knitted a few years ago on a Knifty Knitter loom. You can see Addy using it in this post (doesn’t it look so cozy?). Antonia is holding a mini American Girl magazine, which was included in the Doll Travel kit.

The idea for the cookout came from instructions in Doll Outdoors. The ice cream cones also came from that book’s kit, but the ice cream itself was made from little pieces of seat cushion foam that I cut into spheres and painted with puffy paint and acrylic paint. The soda cooler is foam core glued into a cube shape. The cooler’s label came from Doll Travel. The soda cans were made from strips of rigid aluminum (like the kind that pie tins are made from) and the labels for them also came from Doll Travel. The table is the same one used in the architecture class photo. The corn cobs were made by me from clay that I painted yellow and then sponged on the brown grill marks. The tortillas are circles of craft foam that I painted yellow and flecked with brown paint. The green chile stew (left side of the table) is made from an applesauce container and painted black, and the insides are chopped sunflower seeds dropped into a mixture of green acrylic paint and cornstarch and left to dry for a few days. I glued on little bits of brown faux leather to look like meat in the stew. The beans (right side of table) were made by rolling up little balls of clay and dropping them into a cornstartch/paint mixture. The red chile (smaller pan next to the green chile) was a measuring scoop that I filled with wax and let it harden, then painted the top. I think that’s how I made it. I made it so long ago for Josefina that I’m not completely sure if that’s how I did it.

And that’s everything! Two full weeks of outdoor fun and learning, all for a few bucks worth of supplies!

If you use any of these ideas to send your own dolls to summer camp, please let me know, because I always like to see people being inspired by my ideas!

#camp AG #behind the scenes

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marshmallowprotection · 4 years

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Petunia

Assistant Lila AU!

Link: AO3 | FFN

Pairing: Choi Saeran/Original Female Character(s)

Description: Unknown always wanted to have his own assistant. One that is bathed in wisteria and petunias, covering their throat until they suffocate or give in. There are some things that he can't do by showing his face and that's where someone who was very much his equal in sense of the word would be able to help him achieve the goals of Paradise. He's got his eyes set on somebody and surely, with her, the success of Mint Eye is ensured.

Based on the Prologue's Bad Ending. A standalone fic that can read without reading any of the other stories in the series.

Lila wasn’t sure exactly sure why she had decided that she needed to get this far away from her home. She just looked at the map on her wall and the first country that her eyes met became the one that she would escape to. It just turned out that it happened to be the country that she last expected it to be.

She did know why she wanted to get away it just wasn’t something that she wanted to focus on.

Family life had gotten really bad, and after that really bad breakup, she just wanted to escape. It wasn’t until she had the ticket in her hand and she was boarding her flight that it hit her; She was getting away from all the lingering problems that had haunted her for months. It was liberating in some ways that were hard to express.

This was the first time in a very long time that she felt free to do whatever she wanted to do. She didn’t have to live up expectations or push herself so hard into her word that her fingers bleed. She could frankly do anything, and she went straight ahead without even thinking through all of her choices as they were endless.

She was going to take life by the flip of a coin.

It was very unlike Lila, but, she wanted to make a change. If she wanted to be more daring and bold of a person then she needed to take some risks.

So, that’s exactly what she did. It took a couple of long hours but after a nap and a quick read-through of one of her favorite books, the plane arrived in Seoul sometime during the afternoon. She settled in rather quickly. She headed to her hotel right off the bat and slept off the lingering jet lag until her body felt refreshed.

That following morning, she got up and for once, she had no idea of what to do with herself.

Normally her anxiety would have chomped at the bit at that realization, however, this time, she didn’t feel as concerned about it as she normally would. Lila just pilfered through her phone for a little bit to let those that were concerned, not as if there were any apart from one person, and after reassuring her sister that she had arrived just fine and sound, she rose from the bed and decided to start the day.

She got dressed and then left her hotel to just do whatever seemed interesting. Whether that meant she walked for some time until anything intriguing popped up, or if she recalled something from her online research back home and wanted to check it out. That cycle was rinsed and repeated over two weeks.

Sure, a good portion of that time was spent looking for new accessories and props that would look good with the coords back at her apartment, but there was nothing wrong with that. The best place to find cutesy stuff always seemed to lead back to South Korea or Japan. There was no way she would pass up the chance to find great prices on stuff that cost an arm and a leg to buy and ship back home.

You had to keep your eye out for the next coordinate and all the looks that went with it, that’s how Lila enjoyed spending her free time and just being able to bask in that hobby without the judging eyes of her mother on her back was the greatest feeling she had ever felt thus far in life. Everybody has their little niche.

Hers just happened to be Lolita.

She didn’t always get to dress up, though. It was harder back home when there weren’t enough meetups and never quite enough people to chat with her about it in a positive way. Some people just didn’t get that it was a form of rebellion, just like those classic punk kids in ripped jeans. Although, that just meant all the more chances for her to come across rare items without competition.

Never let it be said that Lila was someone who could be stopped when she got her eyes locked on target.

She might have hissed at someone if they dared touched something with Cinnamoroll on it before she could. Of course, only in her head would that scenario play out. She was far too socially anxious to ever push a confrontation.

All and all, the first couple of weeks had been a lot of fun and allowed her to breathe. All of the weight that had been suffocating her back in America was all but gone. It still existed but it was like there was a barrier that kept it from reaching her while she was here. Lila was grateful for that.

It was nice, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back just yet. She would have to, though, eventually, and when that day came, she would still be reluctant. For the time being, she just wanted to enjoy this vacation for what it was.

She hadn’t spoken to many people, although be it not much of her fault because while she was relatively fluent in the language, she was by no means an expert. She would often misplace the right word she was looking for with something else. It could be embarrassing and she wanted to avoid making a fool of herself.

Better left unsaid when you didn’t know what you were doing. Faking it till you made it only worked in the context of other situations.

Tonight, though, something felt off.

As a matter of fact, something hadn’t felt quite right in the last few days. She couldn’t put her finger on it but it was like something was watching her back everywhere she went. Lila didn’t know why this was the case. She never did see anyone looking at her or trailing behind her at all.

She knew when to look and not get caught. It was just a trait that any woman in a city learned fast either when they were young or when they started living there on their own. She would try and note for any abnormalities in windows and her phone camera but nothing came out. She decided tonight that she was just being irrational.

It wasn’t unlike Lila to get overwhelmed with a sensation and run with it.

It just had to be one of those things, right?

...Right?

The city streets were always alive with people and there was always the sense that she wasn’t alone so that couldn’t have been it. She frowned and glanced at her phone as the view of her hotel started to appear on the horizon.

She had stayed out a little later than usual to get some tea, and that wasn’t much of a big deal. It was nice to meet up with other Lolita. She didn’t often get to do that. So, she was dressed up tonight and as cute as can be. Nobody would take her as much of a threat when she looked like a cute cupcake, you know?

It was just this feeling that wouldn’t go away. She just didn’t like this feeling. If she had to make a break for it, it would be a little harder than normal. Her phone told her that it was around nine o’clock. There weren’t as many people out as there were when she normally took this path back, but there were enough that she wasn’t as nervous as she might have been on another night.

Another odd thing that she couldn’t ignore was happening. For some reason, her phone was downloading something and that shouldn’t have been happening.

Lila stopped in her tracks and went underneath the first streetlight she saw to see what it was loading up. She didn’t remember clicking anything. She never even unlocked it. Her data was limited too abroad, so this shouldn’t have even happened without her okaying it.

She watched as it finished loading and then with a raised brow, she murmured the title of it to herself in confusion, “R.F.A.? ...What the heck is that?”

It could have been an accident?

Against her better judgment, she clicked the little button a chatroom opened out. Most of it was distorted in the background like the code had been frayed, or broken, maybe tinkered with just in the wrong way?

She pursed her lips. Something here was fishy. It gave her the prompt to enter a username.

Lila plugged in her nickname, then she hesitated. She may be trying new things but this might have been a reach. She was going to close it and try to remove it because it could have easily been a virus but a message popped up.

Unknown: Hello?

Wisteria: Um, hi?

Unknown: Can you see this?

Wisteria: Yes.

Unknown: Oh, thank goodness. I didn’t think I was ever going to get a response from anyone.

Wisteria: I’m a little confused myself.

Wisteria: Um, what is this app? Do you know?

Unknown: …

Unknown: I was going to ask you that. You see, I found this cell phone on the subway. There was nothing on it.

Unknown: Except for this messenger app.

Unknown: I wanted to return to its owner but there

weren’t any contact details written anywhere on it.

Wisteria: Well, this app just kind of… appeared on my phone. I’m not sure who that device belongs to, or how this got on my phone in the first place.

Unknown: Hm. That’s really odd.

Unknown: Darn. I thought I had found someone to give this to after not knowing what to do with it.

Wisteria: Well, you can always take it to the local police station.

Wisteria: I’m not really from this area. I don’t know anyone, I’m afraid.

Wisteria: It’s very good of you to want to return something like that though. Most people would have just pocketed the free device.

Unknown: Well, I’m a very religious person. It would be against the teachings to not do the right thing, you know?

Unknown: Oh, look at me. I was so excited about finding someone that I forgot to introduce myself.

Unknown: I don’t care for my name. I usually leave all my accounts blank like this.

Unknown: I guess you could say my name is Unknown…

Wisteria: My name is Lila.

Unknown: Since you’re typing in English, I can assume you’re American?

Wisteria: I would hope it wouldn’t be that obvious.

Unknown: Wow, you came from a long way away.

Wisteria: To clear my head, if that makes sense.

Unknown: Sure. I can understand.

Unknown: I'd hate to bother you anymore and I figure you're probably really wary of strangers in a foreign country...

Unknown: I'm not all that great at talking to people... or reaching out... but I want to find the owner of this phone.

Wisteria: Well, your best bet is lost and found or the police station.

Unknown: Yeah. That makes the most sense but... ah.

Unknown: I've got really bad social anxiety when it comes to stuff like this.

Wisteria: Oh...

Wisteria: I understand. I have the same problem.

Wisteria: Don't you have any friends that can accompany you?

Unknown: Ah, no. I'm pretty new to this area too since I came here for my studies.

Unknown: There is an address on this phone now that I’m trying to pick it apart, but that's really about it.

Unknown: I don’t want to just pop into somebody's place out of nowhere without being able to speak with them first!

Unknown: You wouldn't happen to want to go there for me?

Unknown: Would you?

Wisteria: Just pop up to a stranger's place to tell me this person found their phone but they're too nervous to give it back themselves?

Wisteria: You're joking right? lol

Wisteria: Don't put me in that position too!

Unknown: It is strange to suggest, isn't it?

Unknown: lol

Unknown: I'm kind of trapped between a rock and a hard place. I know it’s silly but…

Wisteria: I'm gonna kick myself for this but if you're in the same area as me then I might be able to come with you to drop it off with the authorities.

Unknown: Really? Oh, you don’t know how much that would mean to me.

Wisteria: What could it hurt?

Wisteria: As long as it's in a public area, it should be fine.

Unknown: Oh, man, I never thought someone would be so nice to me like that.

Unknown: [address]

Lila clicked the link and it took her to her maps app.

It said that the location wasn’t all that far from where she was. It was a couple of blocks away but it seemed like a dense area given the few different restaurants and businesses. It was probably alright. They seemed okay. She didn't have any bad feelings in her gut and she empathized with this person.

She wanted to give them the benefit of a doubt.

She was trying to be more spontaneous and open. Surely this could count as one of those things if she let it. If things got fishy, she could always leave and turn around.

It wasn’t like they were asking her to go out of their way and do it. They seemed to appreciate the thought. She didn’t want anyone to feel worried about themselves and if that got her into trouble, well, so be it.

Her empathy was, unfortunately, stronger than her brain at times.

If someone said that they were struggling in a way that she did, her empathy overtook her brain and she just went to help them. It had gotten her into a lot of trouble in the past but there times where she did believe it was an asset.

What kind of person would she be if she didn’t try to help others?

Wisteria: That’s not far from me…

Wisteria: Well, I’ll help you out. But if things seem fishy, I’m out of there.

Unknown: Really?

Unknown: I won’t let you regret it.

Unknown: Th

Unknown: ank

Unknown: you

Unknown has left the chatroom.

Wisteria has left the chatroom.

Lila stashed her phone away and decided to head towards the location using her GPS to guide her the rest of the way along with the signs that she couldn’t quite read on her own. As she began to turn away from her hotel, the bright lights started to die down the further she walked away. It was a little ominous but she paid it no mind.

It wasn’t like she would be gone for very long.

When she arrived at the area that had been sent to her, she glanced around to see if she could see somebody that seemed to be looking for someone else. It took a few minutes of looking at whoever passed her by but after five minutes of looking around, she had decided that whoever it was didn’t really want her help.

They would have found her by now if that was the case.

She blew out a puff of air and went to stash her phone back into her coat pocket when a voice spoke from behind her head, “You wouldn’t happen to be username Wisteria, would you?”

Lila immediately spun around to face this person. She found herself staring up and into the most dazzling and haunting green eyes she had ever seen. They were almost unnatural in color the way that they shimmered underneath the streetlights. His locks were dyed white but had to a sheen to it where pink lingered through the tips.

He was a stark contrast in dress compared to what she was wearing.

He looked like he had walked into a mall Hot Topic and grabbed the first thing he saw to make himself look tough; With a leather jacket that purposely hung from his shoulders and a tank top that fit a little too well against his frame, as well as dark jeans and boots.

She wasn’t one to say something about the way that somebody looked so she wasn’t going to comment on somebody’s aesthetic. People would take a look at her and make their assumptions. She hated that. Plenty of people were far different from the way that they looked and she knew plenty of people that were kind and dressed dark as night.

She cocked her head to the side, “And I presume you’re username Unknown, then?”

It made him grin involuntarily. It didn’t reach his eyes, though. “You’d be correct. I don’t hate smart people so I’m impressed you’d picked up on that so quickly. Yeah, that’s me, Unknown. Funny, isn’t it, though? I don’t bother with nicknames but the system gives you one anyway. ”

“Yeah. Society and labels, am I right? You’d think somebody like me wouldn’t fit the name I picked either,” she offered a small, polite smile.

“Mmm,” he hummed. “No, I’d say that your name suits you. It isn’t a symbol I expected to see from somebody with such a nice disposition like yourself, but then again, my name doesn’t match me quite fit as one would think… right?”

“I suppose so,” she nodded in agreement.

Unknown seemed alright.

His hands rested at his sides and he didn’t move much. There was enough space between them that she didn’t feel out of place. She didn’t feel very threatened by him yet so she didn’t say much to him. He wasn’t making any sudden moves or anything so this seemed like it was legit.

She shuffled from one foot to the other as the lingering anxiety buzzed. Lila looked away for a moment and then looked back at Unknown, “So, you said you found a phone? Whoever lost it must be missing it plenty. I can head with you now if you still want me to!”

Unknown stared at her for a moment as if he were trying to read her expression for something hidden underneath the surface.

When he seemed to find what he was searching for, he nodded his head. “Yes, I want to do the right thing. I appreciate that you want to help me so willingly. Most people wouldn’t help a stranger like this.”

The two of them started to walk down the sidewalk together and the further that they traveled away from that spot, the darker and more lonely the streets grew. Fewer people were standing around or walking in the same direction, and the streetlights were dwindling. It was like the road they were on was getting into a more desolate part of town.

“Yeah, but you seem like an alright guy to me,” Lila said. She kept her hands close to her body. ”I’m sure you deal with this sort of thing often, not a lot of people are nice to anyone who deviates from what people consider normal. I get it. I hear plenty of flack from people about the way that I dress from time to time.”

“It suits you,” Unknown replied.

His tone, although dry, made her chest feel warm.

Heat rose to her cheeks. She wasn’t used to compliments nor did she know how to react when she got them from people. She let out a little awkward laugh. “Well, thank you. I work hard to pull these off. It takes a lot of thought to make something look just right.”

They spent the next twenty minutes or so just talking and chatting about this and that. He would charm her or make her feel like she was really special, and her trust for him would grow stronger and stronger by the minute.

It put her off-guard.

She was so preoccupied with chatting with this stranger that she didn’t even realize that they were the only people standing on the street now.

"It really is my lucky day," he commented, idly.

There was no sign of any other light and all the lights sans the moon were long but gone.

Lila glanced at him, “What makes you say that?”

A chuckle bubbled up from the back of his throat. It was dark and made her shiver as it echoed throughout the street, “Oh? You don’t know? At first, I thought that you would be the perfect choice for my plan. Anyone would be enthralled by a girl as naive as you without even blinking. But, I think I changed my mind. I don’t want to share you with those bastards.”

That was when Lila realized the position that she was in and just how far they had strayed from the rest of the world. It was just she and him. There was nobody if something happened. She wasn’t sure what he was talking about.

Her blood ran cold.

What plan?

"Plan?" Lila asked, trying to keep her cool. She didn’t want to escalate anything. Clarification was going to be key here. “What are you talking about? I thought that I was just helping you with…”

Unknown held up his hand and shushed her before she could finish talking. His face told her all she needed to know. He clicked his tongue in distaste. “I’m getting ahead of myself. I don’t want to play twenty questions, princess. I’ll put it in simple words for you. I’ve come to take you to paradise. A place where only the chosen can wander freely, and where all your pain disappears.”

Paradise…?

What was he talking about? She had no clue what he was talking about. She just wanted to help him return a phone. There was nothing about this when they spoke. He never mentioned that he had a speech ready for some sort of mythical location.

Her body was trembling.

Every part of her was screaming that she needed to get out of this place as fast as she could but her legs weren’t listening. She could feel her chest tightening and her breath start to quicken. This wasn’t good, this wasn’t good.

Unknown took a step closer, and another, and another until he was in front of her. “My dear naive princess.... did you really think you could trust any stranger? Don’t worry, I’ll reward you greatly for your actions. I know you’ve been hurt by the outside world but I know just how to correct your woes and pain. You’re going to come to paradise with me… whether you like it not.”

Lila swallowed, “A… And what are you going to do if I scream for help right now?”

"Let’s just say, I don’t want to have to do those when it’s all that easier just to get you to walk willingly for me, you wouldn’t like the answer, trust me." He said, “I really don’t want to dirty my hands or hurt you. But, I must do what I must do for paradise. You’re the one that willingly came to help somebody shady, you know? You don’t have any regard for your safety.”

She could try to make a break for it.

But she didn’t have any idea if he had a weapon or not. Even if she tried, he would be able to take her down. He was a lot bigger than she was. It wouldn’t have taken much to do it. She had no choice but to listen to him.

Lila knew that she should fight back.

But, at the same time, she knew that if she fought him right now, the odds were stacked against her from all sides.

Unknown was watching as she ran through all of her options and landed on the one that he already knew was coming. He only laughed when she dropped her head in defeat and went quiet. From his perspective, she was about to burst into tears.

He gripped her chin in his index finger and thumb and tipped it back so he could see her nervous brown eyes. “What a good girl you are, princess. You really do act as you look. I thought you were going to make it hard on me, but it turns out you’re just as polite about following your manners as your profiles led me to believe.”

Lila didn’t say anything.

“Haha… hahaha…! Don’t worry. I’ll treat you better than that traitor ever would have.”

17 notes · View notes

alice1290 · 5 years

Text

Read All About It - An Ace/OC fanfic

Chapter 2 -

It had been three weeks since Ashina had joined him on the ship. She wasn’t part of his crew, but she was sticking with him until she could meet back up with her own. She communicated with another female she called K every few days through a small transponder snail. Three weeks, and he didn’t know much more about her than her name, that she liked to lay in the sun, she didn’t eat much, and that, according to Saber, her coloring was striking.

At the first island they reached, she had departed off on her own and he wondered if he’d ever see her again. She’d surprised him by already sitting on the deck of the Spadille when he boarded, a backpack full of clothes beside her. At the second island, she surprised him again by showing off her haki infused hand to hand combat. She was deadly without a weapon, she was downright frightening with a sword in her hand. Oh, she was left-handed too, which came as a deadly surprise to a few pirates and one bounty hunter.

He slept with the crew while she occupied his bed at night. The idea was driving him crazy. Ace was no virgin, but he’d never had a woman occupy his thoughts like Ashina did. He didn’t care about women, he was supposed to focus on his dreams, but she occupied his mind. The new clothes didn’t help. She’d been pretty in brown pants and the loose white shirt, but she was striking in the pair of black shorts she had become so fond of wearing.

His eyes followed her now as she walked across the deck to lean on the railing, her own eyes on the horizon as the sun sunk into the ocean. The colors of the sunset made her hair look like a flame. The bold red glinting with hints of orangey-golds in the light. Her hair was long, falling in gentle waves down to the small of her back.

She crossed her booted feet, drawing his attention and Ace let his gaze follow the path of her long, toned legs from her feet all the way up to her hips. Ashina was slender, of average height, and her curves were natural. Her breasts weren’t as large as most women that he encountered. He imagined they’d be a good handful though.

Damnit. He couldn’t be thinking these thoughts. He shouldn’t be thinking them. As if sensing that his mind had traveled down a dangerous, dirty road, Ashina turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

A soft grin graced her lips before she turned back to the sea.

“You should talk to her,” Deuce said from beside him, too quiet for her to hear them. “Not just stare.”

Ace grunted, not wanting to admit that he did stare. A lot. She was beautiful, any man with good eyes could see that, and several of his men talked about it. She was all tanned skin, gentle curves, long legs, red hair, and those shocking green eyes. They were liquid emerald and as deep as the sea.

“Go, scaredy-cat,” Deuce teased, nudging him with his elbow.

“I’m not scared.” Ace huffed out. He wasn’t scared of her, not unless she was angry, but it did take him a moment to work up the nerve to stand up. He crossed the deck and leaned against the rail a few inches from her. He wasn’t even sure what to say to her, so he kept his gaze on the sea.

“You’ve made quite the name for yourself,” Ashina said. “High bounty for a rookie, eighty million beri.”

“I’ve never seen your face on a wanted poster. You got a bounty?”

“No. I do my best to stay incognito. After that failed mission I supposed they know my face now.”

Ace frowned. “I am sorry about that. That you got separated from your crew because of me.”

“It wasn’t all you. I wanted to find what I was looking for. I should have aborted mission when the alarm sounded. Besides, it really wasn’t a failed mission. I retrieved what I came for, I just can’t get it back to my boss until we meet up again.”

“When will that be?”

“Saboady.”

“Who’s your boss?”

Ashina smiled and turned her head to look at him. “I’m a Revolutionary.”

Ace sputtered. “You work for Dragon?”

Ashina chuckled, soft and low. “Yes. I found my way to the Revolutionaries when I was fourteen. Four years later, here I am.” She was silent for a moment, turning her eyes back to the sea. A gentle smile still played on her lips. “Do you have a dream, Ace? A goal? Why’d you become a pirate?”

“To be free. Make a name for myself.”

“Pirate King?”

She watched him from the corner of her eye as Ace laughed.

“One day, after everyone knows my name and has learned of my strength. It’s my brother’s dream too, so I guess I’ll have to fight him one day too.”

“You have a brother?” she turned, leaning her hip against the smooth wood of the ship, and facing Ace.

“Younger yeah.” Ace about faced and leaned back, propping his elbows up on the rail. “Luffy. Not by blood, but he’s my brother. We grew up together.”

“Doesn’t have to be blood to be family.” Ashina turned her head to look out at the sea. The sun had almost set below the horizon and the sky was getting darker.

“You have a sibling?” Ace asked.

She turned her eyes back to him and shook her head. “No. Just me. A few friends in the Revolution. So, tell me about Luffy.”

“Captain!” Mihar, yelling from the quarter deck, caught his attention. He waved an arm, motioning for Ace to join the group of men. “Captain!” he shouted again.

He turned to say something to Ashina, but she was already gone from his side.

It was late. Ace was tired. And sore. Sleeping in a hammock sucked. He missed his bed, but he didn’t dare resend his offer to Ashina. He was also tired of staring at the maps on the desk, and trying deciding the best course to take.

“Oh,” Ashina said from the doorway as she stepped into the room. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were in here. Mihar said you’d gone to the kitchen. I’ll come back.”

“No. No. It’s okay.” Ace stood quickly, making the chair topple over in his haste. He quickly caught it, just before it hit the floor and shuffled around to slide it back into its place under the desk.

Ashina giggled. “Are you sure? This is your room.”

It was his room, but her pack of things sat in the corner near his trunk. An extra pair of boots she’d picked up two days ago sat carelessly at the foot of the bed. The room even smelled like her now.

Ashina walked further into the room, closing the door behind her. Even though it had been closed prior to her entrance Ace gulped, unsure of her actions. Unsure of her in general.

“You can stay, Ace. I’m not running you out of your own room.”

He stood there awkwardly as she toed out of her short leather boots. The loose over-shirt she wore came next, leaving only her shorts and a thin, pale blue tank top.

She tossed him a look over her shoulder, a smirk on her lips. “Enjoying the show?”

Shit. Shit shit shit. Ace about faced, staring daggers into the wall. He was enjoying the show, way more than he wanted to admit.

Ace wanted to touch her. Most pirates would have already tried. Most captains wouldn’t have given up their room, but the idea of turning her out caused images of a fuming Makino to appear behind his eyelids. Ace was raised to have some manners, some small part of him was a gentleman.

“You can turn around,” she said on a giggle.

Ace did turn, slowly, because her voice came from a different location. She was in the bed, legs covered by the blanket. She was wearing a loose t-shirt, one far too big for her frame. It clearly didn’t belong to her, nor was meant for a woman.

Ace, realizing she was clearly ready for bed, and that he was staring again, cleared his throat and turned for the door. “Goodnight, Ashina.”

“Ace, you can stay.”

Ace sputtered, whirling around to stare at her. “What?”

“The bed is big enough for both of us. I’ve slept in plenty of hammocks. They aren’t awful, but a soft mattress is definitely better.”

“But… you… and me… and you’re a – a”

“Girl. Yes, and you’re a boy. Are you scared, Fire Fist?” she was teasing, another smirk playing on her lips and he caught the glint in her green eyes.

Ace straightened, and shook his head. He wasn’t scared. Nervous maybe, the women he’d been with before had been simple one-offs on random islands. None had ever slept in his bed. None had ever stayed on the Spadille for any length of time. He’d known Ashina now for two whole months. She had befriended his crew.

“It’s just sleeping, Ace. Besides, Flame Boy, the air is getting colder and I bet you make a good space heater. The offer stands, you don’t have to leave. Sleep in the bed if you want, or sleep on the floor for all I care. Goodnight, Ace.”

“But the crew will think that we…” he trailed off.

“Fucked?” Ashina supplied, making him choke and sputter again. She smiled at him. “They can think what they want. Make up your mind. I’m going to bed.”

Ace stood there for a moment longer, debating before finally deciding to throw his gentlemanly side out the porthole. He was tired of the damn hammock and Aggie’s atrocious snores. His bed was soft, warm, and calling his name. The beautiful woman in it was just an added bonus, one that he was not going to touch. Maybe. Hopefully his gentlemanly side won out.

Kicking off his boots, Ace shed his hat, shirt, and accessories. He tugged both belts from their loops, but decided to keep his shorts on. Normally he slept nude by himself, but that seemed a step too far with Ashina curled up in the sheets.

Ace slid into the bed, being sure to keep as much space as possible between them. After a few moments a pair of ice-cold feet pressed against his leg.

Ashina hummed. “I was right. You are warm.”

Ace had never cuddled with a woman before. Kisses yes, heavy make out sessions yes, and he’d had sex on a number of occasions. Sex was nice, it felt good, sometimes a bit messy, and it was intimate, but he’d never shared a bed with a woman like this. It was a new level of intimacy that made him nervous. The feelings that were stirring in his chest were foreign to him. She trusted him to do no harm to her. She trusted him enough to close her eyes and fall asleep inches from him. She trusted him.

Rolling to his side to face her, he noticed she was curled on her side as well with her back to him. If her feet were freezing he could only imagine how cold the rest of her felt. He hesitated for a brief second, before tossing the gentleman out the window and snaking a hand over her hip. He was a pirate after all. He pulled her flush to his chest and amped up his body temperature.

She let out a soft squeak of surprise, but quickly relaxed. She shifted slightly, pressing her feet against his shins and her back closer to his chest, and hummed. “So warm,” she breathed.

“You know you really need a cook,” Ashina stated staring at the spoonful of soup she held up in front of her. The food wasn’t bad, but she was no professional cook. Growing up her mother had cooked for her, then she cooked for herself for a while, before she landed with the Revolutionaries and a team of cooks fed everyone meals.

Ace shot her a glance. “You and Mihar do okay.”

“Really? That’s you’re answer. We do okay?”

“Well,” he shrugged. “I used to have to catch my own meat and cook it over a fire myself. Deuce you remember SIXIS?”

Deuce gave an affirmative and chuckled. “I almost killed you.”

Ashina rolled her eyes. “Ugh. At the next island I’m finding us a better cook. Maybe in the mean time you could catch a fish.”

“I can’t swim.”

“Then make sure it doesn’t pull you overboard, Flame Boy.” Ashina gave him a smile and a wink and stood from the long wooden table.

Ace watched her take her empty bowl and spoon into the kitchen, disappearing behind the swinging door.

“So…Cap?”

Ace turned his attention to Saber. “Huh?”

“What’s she like?”

Ace sat there, puzzled. “What?”

“You know… haven’t you? With her?” Saber said, motioning between Ace and the door.

Deuce chuckled. “You’ve been sharing a bed for a week Ace, you mean you haven’t had sex with her?”

When Ace sputtered and blushed Deuce grinned. “What a shame. Mind if I give it a shot?”

The table erupted into laughter when Ace’s shoulder caught fire. He scowled at Deuce. “No. You may not.”

Ashina reappeared and the room fell silent. The flames on Ace’s shoulders disappeared and he looked down at the table. She raised a brow, giving them a puzzled look, before rolling her eyes and strolling through the room to the stairs. “You guys are weird.”

Once she was out of earshot, Aggie said, “Ace, brother, you can’t just say she’s crew.”

“Of course she is.”

Saber chuckled. “Captain, she shares your room. That’s like… having a missus.”

The flames returned, shooting higher in the air than last time, but his cheeks also burned with a deep blush. “We’re not… she’s not... we haven’t even,” he sputtered making the crew laugh.

Deuce clapped him on the back and grinned. “It’s okay, Cap. We like Ashina, she’s cool, and she’d make a good missus.”

Deuce ducked Ace’s sudden punch, erupting in a new round of laughter.

Ashina finished the dishes from the night’s dinner and dried her hands on a rag hanging from the oven door’s handle.

Banshee was no professional cook either, but her time spent at her family’s marketplace food stand had made her a better cook than Mihar and Ashina. Ashina made her way to the top deck. Several of the men, Ace included, were playing cards around a table. She noticed Deuce off to himself, sitting on the deck. His knees were bent, drawn up close to him, and he appeared to be writing in something.

Ashina strolled over and plopped down beside him. “What ya’ doing?” she asked. She stretched her legs out in front of her and crossed her booted ankles.

“Writing.”

“Writing? What do you write?”

Deuce hesitated before answering, “It’s an adventure journal.”

“Oh, cool. So you record the crew’s adventures?”

Deuce was shocked. He waited for the teasing remark to come, but when it didn’t he grinned at her. “Yes.”

“Huh. Doctor and a writer, and a ship builder. Man of many talents. Striker is cool.”

“Yeah. We modified it to work with Ace’s Devil Fruit ability. It’s a sturdy little vessel.”

“How’d you meet Ace?”

“We were both stranded on SIXIS. Ace found the Mera Mera no Mi and split it with me. He got the powers, I just had a piece of fruit. We built the original raft that became Striker and got off the island.”

“So you were his first crew member?”

“Yeah. Spade pirates have come a long way. Soon we’ll be in the New World. Ace is a good captain. Strong, kind, he’s fiercely loyal and protective. Bit of a goofball, and sometimes an idiot. He also tends to fall asleep at the most random times.”

“He’s a bottomless pit when it comes to food I’ve noticed.”

Deuce and Ashina shared a laugh.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “He says his brother Luffy is the same way.”

“Damn. Can you imagine trying to feed the both of them?”

Deuce looked horrified, then his face shifted as he grew curious. “I wonder if it’s the D? Monkey D Luffy and Portgas D Ace.”

“Probably. Or they both just happen to be gluttons.”

Deuce and Ashina dissolved into laughter again. They sat in comfortable silence then and Deuce began writing again.

After a while Ashina placed her hand on Deuce’s shoulder, using him as leverage to stand. “Goodnight, Deuce.”

“Goodnight, Ashina.”

The Captain’s cabin was cool and she shivered as the door closed behind her. Ashina crossed the space to her trunk, the one that sat next to Ace’s. She was slowly growing her wardrobe with each stop they made. Some pieces she bought, others she had lifted from less than chivalrous people. Ashina pulled the newest article from the trunk, one she purchased, and then shut the lid. The floral printed fabric was lightweight and soft. She was unsure of wearing the nightgown, but it was longer than the t-shirts she had been sleeping in. It was however, thinner and more revealing than the shirts. The gown had thin straps and dipped low down her back.

Ashina looked to the door, wondering if she should lock it before changing on the chance that Ace should enter. Deciding she did not quite care if Ace saw or not, she toed out of her boots and began to strip off her clothes. She tossed them in the growing pile of dirty clothes on the other side of her trunk and then stretched. The cool air felt good against her naked skin, but she longed for Ace’s warm touch. She wondered if it was his devil fruit ability that made him warmer than the average man. It seemed that some nights he would even amp up the heat if she shivered.

They slept together in the same bed, but other than those few intimate hours of peaceful sleep, Ace kept his hands to himself. Ashina sighed as she pulled the nightgown over her head. The hem stopped mid-thigh. Would the choice to wear the nightgown lead Ace to make a move? She wished he would. He was devilishly attractive with those strong features, gray eyes, and all those hard muscles. She also enjoyed his smile, his laugh, and his strength. Deuce had been right in his description of the Captain. Ace was strong, brave, and fiercely loyal, if not a wee bit reckless and wild.

Ashina wanted more than warmth from him during the night. She wanted to do more than share the bed, but she was hesitant. Would it mess up their dynamics? She was bound to leave the Spade pirates eventually. Once they reached Sabaody she would part ways with Ace and return to the Revolution. If they started something it would only be that much harder to leave later. But if she didn’t take that chance with him… would she regret it?

Ashina grumbled to herself and climbed into the bed. She laid on her back, staring at the wooden boards of the ceiling wishing she wasn’t so damn attracted to Fire Fist. This hadn’t been part of the plan.

She was still staring at the ceiling when he entered the room. Ashina listened, keeping her eyes upward, as he partially undressed. He never slept with his pants off and it made her wonder if he went commando. That idea was hot as hell. She stamped down the feelings of wanting to find out for herself as he slid into the other side of the bed. It was a comfy bed, but not a large one, so there were only inches between them.

Ace moved his arm and Ashina rolled over onto her side, pressing herself against the length of his body, soaking in the warm of his internal fire. She rested her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her. She felt him stiffen as his fingers brushed against the soft material at her lower back, but he relaxed after a moment, letting his hand rest on her hip.

They had become comfortable with this, the contact that was only slightly sexual. It never started that way, but several mornings over the last weeks of sharing a bed they had woken up tangled together, hands in places hands hadn’t been before they’d fallen asleep. Ashina wanted more. As much as it might break her heart when she said goodbye, because surely, she would fall for Fire Fist Ace, she wanted it. Despite all her worries she wanted him. She sometimes felt his eyes on her, when she was on the deck, or eating dinner with the crew. Each time they docked at an island and they separated, she noticed the relief and joy in his face when she came aboard again.

She wondered if he wanted her? Some mornings were awkward when they woke up and Ace had been hard, his length pressed against her thigh or backside. Even if he was only attracted to her sexually, he never made a move. Ashina wondered if under all of his confidence he was nervous to start anything with her. She wondered if it was for the same reasons as her.

Ashina knew she had to leave eventually, and that idea tugged at her heart already and churned in her stomach. While she was here, on the Spadille with Ace, she was going to make the most of her time.

She tilted her head back so she could see him. His eyes were closed, so she studied him. With his eyes closed the thick, dark lashes lay against his freckled cheek. His dark, wavy hair brushed his forehead. The bridge of his nose was straight, his lips soft. The angle of his jaw was straight. Ashina leaned closer and pressed her lips against his jawbone.

Ace tensed under her touch and his fingers tightened around her hipbone. That foreign feeling stirred in his chest again and he relaxed. He enjoyed the feel of her tucked into his side as much as she enjoyed the warmth he produced. She fit well with his crew and she was a strong woman. He knew because he watched her train with Skull on two different occasions, and fight a group of men by herself on another. Her swordsmanship was excellent and she could use Haki to strengthen her kicks and punches. The boys teased him mercilessly about her being his missus. She would make a good partner – strong, smart, and the beauty was an added bonus.

The crew didn’t believe they weren’t actually having sex in this very bed, but only sleeping. He wanted to cross that line, wanted to know what it was like to touch her. He wouldn’t admit that he was nervous though. She would leave him and his crew once they reached Sabaody. The transponder snail had said so a week ago, and they were drawing closer to Sabaody every day. He found himself wanting her to stay more and more each day. The idea of her leaving made him uneasy. Being a pirate was dangerous, but so was being a Revolutionary. If she stayed with him as a pirate he would be able to watch over her.

Turning his head, Ace pressed his lips to her forehead. Her hand that was tucked between them slid across his chest so that her fingers curled over his side. Ace raised the temperature of his fire and she hummed in pleasure, pressing closer. Ace kept his head turned so that his nose brushed against her hair, and he could breathe in the smell of her.

#Portgas D. Ace #fire fist ace #one piece #one piece fanfiction #fanfic #oc #original female character #spade pirates #Ashina #Read All About It #my writing

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dndeed · 5 years

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Critical Role Miniature Rollout: C2E59

With Andrew Harshman

An archive and review of the miniatures used on Critical Role.

Three maps in one episode? What a treat! The Dwarven Forge Battle Cam has pretty rad so far, delivering a diverse array of dynamic camera angles.

Turn on the charm and reduce your max HP, it’s time for Critical Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 2 Episode 59!

The List

Mats by Mars: Swamplands

Mats by Mars: Shattered Soil

4Ground Fyrburg Fort

4Ground Sleevigal Fort

Miniature Building Authority Blacksmith Shop

Dwarven Forge Dungeon

Dwarven Forge Caverns

Dwarven Forge Double Doors

Dwarven Forge Caverns Chasm Pack

Dwarven Forge Wicked Dungeon Trove Round Pool

Dwarven Forge Wicked City Smuggler’s Wagon

Dwarven Forge Medieval Furniture Set

Dwarven Forge Wicked City Water Barrel

Dwarven Forge Barrel

Dwarven Forge Stone Ruins Add-On Pack

Dwarven Forge Mountain Peak Pack

Dwarven Forge Mountain Cliffs

Dwarven Forge Dungeon Floor Pack A

Safari Ltd Civil War’s Officer’s Tent

Tabletop Props Tent Accessories

Icons of the Realms Adventurer’s Camp

Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Barrel

Crown of Fangs Dressing: Well

Mantic Games Terrain Crate Dungeon Debris Barrels

Mantic Games Terrain Crate Dungeon Debris Crates

Legendary Realms Wooden Large Open Crate

Legendary Realms Wooden Chest

Dungeon Lair Pots and Urns

Dungeon Lair Small Treasure Chest

Mage Knight Artifacts Set 2

Hirst Arts Stone Arch Wall Mold #88

Axe N Shield Single Flyer Risers - Clear Mithril

Dungeons & Dragons Spell Effects: Arcane Fury & Divine Might

D&D Spell Effects: Wall of Fire & Wall of Ice

Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures

Master Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures

Monster Menagerie 3 #029a Stone Giant Dreamwalker

Storm King's Thunder #030 Stone Giant

Rage of Demons #030 Chasme Demon

Monster Menagerie 3 #013 Mezzoloth

Rusty Dragon Inn #025 Riding Horse

Unknown Stone Slab

Model Train Trees

The Terrain

Many returning terrain items including the mats, trees, tents, Dwarven Forge, and even the super obscure Mage Knight Artifacts 2 set. The new terrain set piece getting a lot of attention is the wooden fort from 4Ground wargame models and buildings. Looks sharp, really pops under the studio lighting, and it’s highly modular. Another fine new terrain model is the Miniature Building Authority Blacksmith Shop in the background. This is the third Miniature Building Authority to appear on Campaign 2.

The NPCs

Soorna Monster Menagerie 3 #029a Stone Giant Dreamwalker

A very Coachella look going on here. The highlight of this miniature for me is the stone skin, the combination of material, paint, and paint wash looks really awesome. The sculpt itself is sharp and detailed.

The dreamwalker lore in Volo’s Guide to Monsters talks about how these giants wander for extended periods of time and as they do they collect large objects and add them to their clothing. Over time these objects will sort of adhere to their stone flesh and become encased in stone. This is seen in both the book art and the mini. This giant has some gears/wheels affixed to them, and a boat anchor imbedded in their right wrist. This dreamwalker knows how to accessorize!

Stone Giants Storm King's Thunder #030 Stone Giant

Mini images sourced from minisgallery.com

Boring sculpt, boring paint, boring pose. This mini fails on so many levels. Sadly, there are so few suitable 3x3 stone giant figures, so DMs are kind of stuck if they want to use prepainted figures. This flat gray paint job hardly evokes a stone texture. Stone giant? More like giant waste of time, am I right folks?!

The Monsters

Chasme Demon Rage of Demons #030 Chasme Demon

Oh no, no, no, this grade school baby blue color is not befitting of a demon! As Sam pointed out during the session, this monster looks ridiculous. The level of model resolution is pretty good, but it’s all wasted on a pretty generic flying pose and a bizarre wavy haircut. I do like the translucent wings though and the removable flight stand functions well (which is not generally the case with D&D Icons of the Realms stands of this design).

Babau Demons Monster Menagerie 3 #013 Mezzoloth

So not a wildly exciting figure. But the sculpt fidelity is decently good, the paint work is clean and organized. Basically, you can tell what this is, which elevates it above quite a few prepaint minis out there. Not to critique a life experience I have never and will never have, but if I had four arms and a trident I’d wield it with my top arms, so as to attack from a higher angle. Or I’d use all four arms for extra power. Or I would just retire from harrying adventurers and become a dealer in Vegas.

So this is a puzzling miniature choice. Matt stated that he didn’t have any babau figures, a demon with one of the least distinct creature designs. A babau is just a humanoid demon with a tail and a horn on it’s head. Any generic humanoid mini is a fine stand-in, even a zombie or ghoul would have worked. But instead, Matt goes with mezzoloths, a creature with one of the most visually unique and recognizable looks in the whole monster manual! But hey, when you’re DMing sometimes you just go with what’s convenient and readily available. I’m sure that’s the case, no judgement here.

Closing Remarks

Three maps is an impressive number, tying this episode with Episode 28 and 45 for most Campaign 2 maps contained in a single session. Though it’s not a new record, this episode’s maps take up more surface area than those present in 28 and 45, making it the largest three map ep. Critical Role, once again setting the bar higher and higher.

#criticalroleminiaturerollout

#criticalroleminiaturerollout #criticalrole #crspoilers #cr #critrole #critical role

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moonlightreal · 5 years

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Winx Club season 8/1

In which the Winx are back and younger than ever.

Welcome to season 8! I love this show, I love everything about it... including the parts I don't like, because I can snark at them. So warning: there will be some snark when I see something dumb.

About the new art style:

Why I don't like it: The girls have gotten a little more samey-samey with the loss of their individually shaped features, and Tecna's eyes shifted from turquoise to blue. I know that's a tiny thing, a slight eye color change but it's one more step towards them all looking the same. It feels like by the time we get to season 20 they'll be six identical fairies! Also the girls now look twelve. There’s been no mention so far of them de-aging so it's just the art style change, but... ok most of y'all wouldn't care but I'm writing a fanfic that parallels the show and now I have to decide whether to de-age my characters or what!

Why I like it: They're sooooo cute! They look like Moondreamers or Lady Lovelylocks or some 80s dolls! I love it!

I have a theory about why the style change. This is only a guess since I don't know animation, but is it possible they're using a program with sort of mannequins, and they're now using the same bodies for both Regal Academy and Winx? To save money maybe, since now the animators will only need to learn one style? Is that even the way computer animation programs work? Animators, help me out here!

And yes, Musa and Flora are now basically Caucasian looking. This is not cool. I have acknowledged it and written to Rainbow about it but since there’s nothing else I can do I’m going to enjoy my show in spite of it. That’s my response to the color change; your response is something you’ll have to decide for yourself.

1 Night of Shooting Stars

We open at Alfea where some minor fairies are watching shooting stars. Familiar minor fairies! It's not just the Winx who have a new look; the whole class has been ported over. I'm really happy about this! I was sure they'd just do a whole new background cast and we'd lose more continuity, but here are Evie and Lori, those two dark skinned and indigo haired girls, and other familiar faces.

The Winx are up on a sort of bridge over the courtyard-- Alfea has had slight upgrades for the new season and it looks great. And so do the girls! They're so detailed, the layered outfits and all their accessories are so fun. Their necklaces sway when they move, even, props to the animators.

Bloom is delighted by the shooting stars but Musa’s not feellin’ it, she was hoping for musical inspiration but it isn’t coming. Flora, Tec and Aisha join them and it turns out Musa wants to write the new song for the concert tomorrow! Tecna conjures her “astroscope” so they can watch the stars, and starts to explain something but Aisha shuts her down. Kiko pops up on the other end of the astroscope and scares Musa when she looks through.

Out comes Stella, for a selfie!

In the Italian, Stella says “Selfie time!” in English. Heh.

But Musas’s glum face spoils the selfie. Stella says there should be no problem since, “You have ME to inspire you!”

Kind of not a great intro for the girls, but now we leave them and cut to Twinkle being chased by star-eaters. Which are cool, as villain minions go. They look like dark purple puffs or blobs, I’m getting a very Original My Little Pony vibe from them. A whole swarm of them are chasing tiny Twinkle through the rings surrounding planet Magix. They merge into a giant blob that roars as Twinkle flees towards the planet below.

Musa’s spidey sense tingles!

The star-eaters display their power of splitting into tadpoles and joining together again.

The Winx are concerned: this star is coming down awfully close! Twinkle zooms above their heads and crashes in the woods.

The girls arrive in the scene we saw in the trailer and are immediately charmed by the sleeping Twinkle. Stella identifies her as a Lumen, “a creature of pure light that lives inside stars.” They take their find back to Alfea to take care of her.

But evil is watching them! Or at least a turban-wearing lackey of evil with a bunch of star-eaters around him is. Obscura says, “Oh no! That Lumen managed to reach the Winx!” so he knows who the Winx are.

In the Winx common room Twinkle is still asleep and the girls and Faragonda admire her cuteness. I think she’s got some kind of charm ability! Stella gives us some more information, “She’s from Lumenia, the star that lights Solaria.” and Faragonda says Lumens never leave their stars except for serious reasons.

The next morning—daylight shots of Alfea, great cg—Twinkle wakes up, gets scared of Kiko, there’s some chaos and room destruction, Twinkle flies around screaming until she bangs into Stella. Stella introduces the Winx, “We’re fairies and this is our school.” and asks why Twinkle came. But Twinkle can’t remember.

Tecna scans Twinkle and detects “a memory lapse.” The Winx offer to help her remember but Aisha thinks scaring her is the way to go! So they try to scare Twinkle, who just laughs. Short slapstick scene.

Then Bloom gets a text: the boys are coming! Their ship lands in the courtyard to a rockin’ beat. The girls stand with little hearts around them, Stella twirling her hair.

The boys look so weird in this art style. I will try and probably fail at not mentioning this every time they appear.

And oh heavens, Brandon still has a deep post-puberty voice in his 12-year-old body. I think this may be the same voice actor from last season. Voice weirdness aside, he brought Stella a big pile of presents. These two are the best couple.

Helia is showing Flora a picture he did of “a rose from the planet Iris, but its beauty is nothing compared to yours.” Wasn’t Iris where Diaspro’s from? Flora blushes and it’s cute.

Sky and Bloom kind of twirl each other around and laugh, which is sweet.

Timmy and Tecna are already up in the dorm working on a Lumen amnesia curing device, which explodes. Twinkle bounces and chirps, “Again! Again again!” Ok she is a little bit adorable.

They get the memory viewer going and its screen shows Twinkle’s memories of being chased. She freaks out and flies into the air glowing brightly. Then the memory viewer overloads.

Cut to the courtyard, the girls ponder what they saw while Twinkle looks glum. Kiko tries to cheer her up. Stella says that Lumens are peaceful creatures with no enemies, so the girls don’t know what was chasing her. Poor Twinkle is very down, and Stella prescribes music to cheer her up.

Over at Red Fountain we’re in either the ship or a locker room. The boys are tired out, they’ve been on a mission to the Omega dimension before the Winx called! Points to the writers for remembering the names of places! Also points for how the boys are powering-down their suits, it’s a neat little detail that they do this.

The boys talk about how they wish they could’ve helped the Lumen, then do some reminiscing! They had a mission on the planet Hypsos where they beat a horde of space mutants and destroyed an opal dragon?? And apparently neither of these was as scary as the landing! Timmy, who was the pilot, droops. Then he blames Helia for not being able to read a star chart. It looks like they’re about to fight when…

A Mysterious Figure arrives! Wearing a kind of ship-captainish coat and purple neck scarf. Codatorta said he could come back. The boys are pleased, more pleased than most of the fandom is!

The mysterious figure is not Venomiya, so there should be no sabotage at the Winx Band concert we go to next. More great cg Alfea. Is there an official map anywhere, of what rooms are what? There are some weird outbuildings and stuff. I’m not even sure if the bridge is new or if it’s just that the girls didn’t hang out there in previous seasons. And did the wings attach differently before? I can’t tell if the school has changed shape or not! I think it has...

And there’s a blast from the past, it’s Knut the ogre, Alfea’s handyman! He’s back after many seasons, helping set up the lights for the concert with Kiko’s help.

And here’s Grizelda, and the new art style has not been kind to her! She looks younger and has a more WoW art style look, and I don’t like it! And whaaaaaat happened to her voice? She does the ‘I’m watching you�� thing at Knut. she’s not very nice. I mean, she’s not supposed to be nice, she’s supposed to be a scary lady so that’s good.

The concert is being held at the top of the steps in front of the main door to the school. All the minor fairies hang out on the steps or in the courtyard to watch. It is so nice to see the same minor fairies as before. They’re super excited to see the Winx in their—freaking adorable—concert outfits. The girls are all in brightly colored fake fur and music note themes, with streaks in their hair. Bloom dedicates their first song to ‘Our new friend from far away.’ and Twinkle giggles with delight.

And then… concert transformation! The girls’ PURSES do magical girl henshin routines and transform, Bloom’s into a microphone, Stella and Flora get guitars, Musa has a keytar and Tec gets a three-piece piano while Aisha’s got drums. Ok, I love this. I know, it’s gotta be a gimic to sell toys, but sparkly henshin instruments, it’s wonderful!

The song’s all right, it’s Winx pop just like every song in Winx and I don’t think the voice actresses are in any way professional singers, but it’s fun. Miss F, Grizelda and Palladium are in the audience. Twinkle loves the music. Knut seems to be trying to pick up on the minor fairies, but Grizelda shuts him down.

Then the concert is rudely interrupted by a portal opening and delivering a bunch of star-eaters! Twinkle sees them and remembers what happened to her and flies for help!

Stella observes the sun-eaters don’t look too scary, but then they all pile together into one big one. Oh no! The minor fairies, unable to fight since the artists haven’t designed transformations for them, back away in fear.

Faragonda and the teachers—Wizgiz appears too—direct the minor fairies to take cover inside. The Winx transform. Butterflix time!

Twinkle is impressed.

The girls fight but the giant eater can portal in and out and break apart whenever it wants. Only Stella’s sun power seems to have any effect! Then they get an idea: Twinkle lit up with the memory viewer, maybe she can help here! Stella gives her some power and little Twinkle is just so happy! She lights up like a sun and the big eater breaks apart into little eaters that all look despondent and flee back through their portal.

Since Twinkle has remembered everything, now she can tell her story! The girls and Grizelda for some reason meet with the headmistress in her office.

Twinkle is the messenger of Lumenia, on a mission from Queen Doranna(?) to the “most powerful fairies in the magic dimension.” The stars are in danger! The eaters are eating their light! I do like that there’s a reason the Winx are going to be called to save the world again, that Doranna specifically requested them.

Then there’s… Faragonda tells them this is a delicate mission and to be cautious. Stella breaks in with, “caution is our middle name! well, more of a nickname.” Heh.

Then Bloom has an anime moment, she goes to the window and puts her hand up to her reflection, with a serious expression. Not the kind of moment we usually get in Winx, and I really like it. “Tomorrow we leave for Lumenia, Queen Doranna can help us understand what’s going on. This is a mission for the Winx!”

#winx club season 8 #winx club

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tothewaterhq · 5 years

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ARENA MAP // MALL OF AMERICA

Like the 76th Games, the tributes have a lot of room to maneuver around in. But, that is where the similarities end. The tributes are surrounded by four walls, stores, only sporadic shafts of sunlight enter from the ceiling, three stories up. Even the Cornucopia (#1) is different, a glass, geometric statue standing beautiful in the centre of the rotunda. Shopping bags spill out of it and litter the floor, their contents obscured by gift wrapping and tissue paper.

Ambient mall music filters through hidden speakers as the tributes take in their surroundings. The floors give little traction and are made of a glossy, white tile. Two sets of staircases wind their way up to the second and third floors from the first. A defunct elevator lies next to the eastern set of staircases. Behind the semi-circle of tributes an amusement park that dominates the middle of all three floors looms. Stores line each floor and a food court sits gleaming on the topmost floor.

FIRST FLOOR // CRANE WORLD & MAKE-A-MUTT

Tributes who stay on the first floor will be intimidated by Crane World (#2) that will attract their eye whenever they walk around their floor. The amusement park is vaguely themed around what seems like old cartoon characters. A large yellow square with pants looks down on the tributes as they walk through one of four entrances to the amusement park. There are two roller coasters that rise up to the third floor and come back down. A ferris wheel slowly turns in long enough intervals that if a tribute wishes to get on and ride it, they can. A carousal sits still in the middle of the park, while a bumper car ride sits empty. Any of the rides that are currently powered down can be turned on, but lights, music and the sounds of operation will alert anyone and anything to the tribute’s location.

A Make-A-Mutt (#4) store sits across from the Cornucopia and is filled with several stuffed animals. A stuffing machine sits quite large at the back of the store. Several bins filled with little accessories dot the store. Some accessories are cute like bows, collars, and hats. Other accessories are gruesome like razor sharp teeth, poison stingers, and gnarly horns. Already made mutts line the store windows and the shelves. Ranging from simple dogs to horrendous looking lizard monsters.

One department store is open for tributes to explore. It spans all three floors and has escalators that link the floors within the store Heavensbee’s (#3). Inside there are so many different departments, spanning from shoes to jewelry to housewares.

The convenience stores have icee machines that give out various colours of slushies, as well as a couple of small vending machines that require coins to operate.

Other stores on the first floor that have supplies are:

Wiress’ Wires; useless wires, display phones/tablets

Birch & Nolie’s; books about random topics (none that pertain to survival)

77/11; convenience store

Forever 17; clothing

Force of Nature; plant store

Hot Topic; clothing

Eno’s Earrings; accessories

Any other store has empty shelves.

If a tribute takes any item out of a store, an alarm will sound alerting everyone to your location.

SECOND FLOOR // PANEMIAN GIRL & BATH AND BODY WORKS

If a tribute stumbles into Panemian Girl (#5), they will notice several dolls in the windows and along the shelves on the walls. Like, Make-A-Mutt there are several baskets of accessories, but all of these are innocuous in nature. The dolls in the front windows are all dressed as stereotypes for the different districts and the Capitol. However, the shelves in the store seem to store more personalized dolls. Each doll on the wall looks like one of the 24 tributes in the Games. These dolls can be taken off the shelves.

Walking past Bath and Body Works, the scents that it produces seem enticing. The scents coming from the store smell like lavender, vanilla, cotton, sandalwood, and other delicious smells. However, if a tribute spends more than ten minutes in the store, they will start having hallucinations. Exiting the store and getting away from the smells is the only way to stop the hallucinations. The store has plenty of obstacles and product towers that make it hard to navigate when hallucinating.

The pharmacy stores have only a couple of pieces of supplies, limited to prepared herbs and a couple of bandages.

Other stores on the second floor that have supplies are:

Abercrombie & Snow; clothing

Care of Celeste; pharmacy

Panemanian Eagle; clothing

Club Cashmere; clothing

Harlow’s Newsstand; convenience store

Toscana’s Closet; clothing

Rubin’s Runway; clothing

Any other store has empty shelves.

THIRD FLOOR // FOOD COURT & STORES

A store called Relaxing Massage catches the eye of any tribute that walks by because it seems like there is an adult person in there. If a tribute were to walk in and feel at home with a strange man in the Arena, they will learn that this is a real massage parlor. For ten minutes, a man will massage a tribute. They will leave feeling refreshed.

Another store on the third floor called Old Time Photos is open. If a tribute walks in they will notice a bunch of props scattered on the counter and floor that can be used in a photograph. If they press a button on the camera, a ten second timer will begin and the camera will take three photos (ten seconds between each photo). A print-out will slide out of the camera as a souvenir.

Other stores on the third floor that have supplies are:

I Love Panem!; district and capitol themed souvenirs (keychains, etc.)

Got Kilt?; clothing

Dior’s Discs; record store

Singing Lark; personalized gifts

Mason’s Medicines; pharmacy

Zale & Conway; designer swimsuits

Any other store has empty shelves.

The Food Court (#6) dominates a good chunk of the third floor. Lots of tables make up the middle of the food court with many different counters for different cuisines around the outside. Currently only Auntie Annie’s is opening with steaming hot pretzels coming out every hour.

The Food Court restaurants are:

Orange Caesar Flickerman

Peeta Pit

Auntie Annie’s

Panda Express

Burger President

Juley Rockets

Long John Finnick’s

Any stores not labeled on the map are somewhere on the floor indicated.

#77.arena #77

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dietaku · 5 years

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The Chill of Terror

A White Elephant I made for the Exalted Forums, I’m also posting it here. Enjoy!

Beginning in the Realm Year 1276, 892 years after the end of the Ochre Fountain Era, 625 years after the formation of the Deliberative Council, 127 years after the eradication of Saigoth -Azorn, but 25 years before the pogrom of Archrajah Daelryath and his subsequent assassination by Gentle Inquisitor Kestrel the Peregrine. There, during this period, Malgigi the Viiolet, Twilight caste Solar; soothsayer, exorcist, and general miracle man, traveled with his beloved, Smiling Ollia, Waxing Moon Heroine, and their boon companion, Orlando the Lion, No Moon Engineer, as they wandered the White Valley. Veterans of the various northern campaigns, this peaceful vacation was a welcome respite from their constant battles. However, this would all change, as they discovered true horror...

“There goes another one,” Malgigi mused, looking up as the trio ambled along the crisp white roads of the Deliberative. Far above, the stars of the evening sky twinkled, and sure as Malfgigi announced it, a star fell, then another, and another still. Pausing to take in the spectacle, the wiry man tossed back his auburn ponytail in sympathetic appreciation of the mystic power at work., even removing his smoky quartz spectacles to wipe away a single tear.

“It's a veritable shower of the Heavens,” Ollia, his beloved, breathed. The diminutive bespectacled woman, garbed in a grey borcka skin bodysuit, nevertheless radiated immense energy, both of optimism with her constant smile, and her calculated, graceful movements that belied her intense martial arts training. Beside them, their boon companion and mutual friend, Orlando the Lion shrugged. The largest of the three, Orlando was a veritable mountain of a man, all muscle, sculpted like an anatomy lesson of human power, his leopard skin toga straining to contain his frame. Despite this, Malgigi knew better than to take the man's intellect lightly, for even still, his mind was as sharp and bright as the blades he was so fond of creating.

“This isn't anything to be happy about. Such a massive amount of Sidereal energy is sure to cause disruptions or even ripples in Fate. We best leave this place soon,” he rumbled, as Malgigi laughed.

“My dear friend, stars fall all the time. Whenever the Viziers wish to attend to new tasks or when the Maidens seek to pursue new Fate. All these things rewrite the Fate that guides reality. Besides, we're not so beholden to such things. I'd not worry about it,” he called, as Orlando growled in irritation, but said nothing else.

“Oh, come now, Orlando,” Ollia called, patting his massive arm gently,” Malgigi studied these things, he knows what he's talking about.”

“That's what I'm afraid of. He's like a cat, too curious to notice the perilous fall awaiting his jaunt up the tree for the canary,” Orlando countered, as Malgigi snickered to himself. He greatly enjoyed these little barbs, as he paused in his walk looking over the road., then to his chart of the valley Despite what their map clearly delineated, the paved through-way suddenly stopped, and the trio found themselves in the middle of a sparse forest.

“What's all this?” Ollia asked, scanning about the desolate field, before returning her gaze to Malgigi, as he shrugged.

“Something is afoot, methinks,” Orlando growled, as Malgigi chuckled.

“Then all the better for us. Tis much better for us to spring this trap than some luckless mortals., eh? If the stars dropping from the sky is indeed related to this sudden shift in the terrain, then we may meet something prodigious indeed soon,” he mused.

These words stood prophetic indeed, as the pleasant spring terrain soon gave way to chilly breezes, hard, frozen earth, and naked, dead trees. As they trudged along, Malgigi felt the essence of the place dim, as if this unnatural snow dampened the spirit of the world along with his own.

“Even the energy of this place is bizarre, like something's affecting it,” he warned, as Orlando furrowed his brow.

“This wind is unnatural. I feel it. The wind flows opposite this ordinarily,” he growled. As if waiting for Orlando's pithy comment, the winds slowly rose, pummeling the trio as they walked along with ice and snow. This continued as Ollia tried yelling to the others, but her voice vanished into the incessant howling of the gale about them. Indeed, it was only when the choker around his neck strained that Malgigi gained new perception on their situation.

“My dear pet,” his choker purred, as Malgigi paused. His jewelry was no merely accessory, but also was his godsmother, the ancient faerie Anscyllrie the Sugar-Garrote Poet.

“What is it, Godsmother?”

“My dear sweetmeat, my little rabbit doll, you are in utter danger,” she purred, her velvet voice rubbing over his mind like a silk shirt over his form.

“What sort of danger, Godsmother?”

“Beasts from an earlier age. Not seen in this land since days long lost,” Anscyllrie explained,” However, fear not, my dear pet. You will not die yet. Not if I can help it.”

The wind stopped. Malgigi blinked, and the trio found themselves in a quiet glen of snow, as Ollia jerked up, as her attention narrowed.

“Something is coming,” she whispered, as loud baying echoed across the glen. Over the hill, arose three large beasts. Massive, shaggy and with grotesquely severe human faces, they charged forward, slavering jaws lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth.

“Humans!” they cheered to one another,” Humans! Let's chase them down!”

“Haha, human flesh tastes so good, kill them, kill them!” another bayed, as the trio looked to one another with knowing looks, and the three leaped to action. Orlando quickly grabbed at his belt, producing a small hammer, which melted seamlessly into a giant maul, as he slammed the first beast in reach into paste before him. Another two used this opportunity to bound at him, tearing chunks out of his flank, as Orlando roared, his body glowing with silver light as his rage crystallized into fiery power about him.

“Bloody Hells, these beasts are persistent,” Malgigi mused, leaping about, barely avoiding a similar fate, as his fingers danced through the air, forming lines of ice in the air in beautiful concentric patterns.

“Temperentia, answer your master's summons,” he intoned in a dark voice as the balefully cackling beast nipping at his feet paused in his manic merriment, run through by a dangerously wrought broadsword, still shuddering with the impact of its fatal stroke. As Malgigi drew the blade from its gruesome new sheath, his attention drew to Ollia, as she held three of the beasts at arm's length.

“I implore you, cease this foolishness or I will be forced to act,” she pleaded, as the beasts sniggered to one another, charging, jaws agape, as Ollia sighed. Crouching down before them, her entire body tensed, as she shouted,” BRAVE TOE!” snapping a diagonal kick across the pack, scattering them with this attack as the shadow of a hopping mouse appeared behind her. Malgigi also noted rather primly, that despite her hand never leaving the exquisite rapier at her belt, she alas never drew it.

“No desire to unfurl Caritas on these fools, eh, Ollia?” Malgigi called, as she shot him a look.

“None of these beings deserve Carita's kiss. You know that,” she countered, as he raised his hands in surrender of the point. With Ollia's decisive stroke, the remaining beasts paused, looking to one another fearfully.

“These humans possess magic and cutting knives! Retreat! Retreat, and let the Brobnag hack them into scrumptious pieces,” they cried, scampering off, as a rumbling gait sounded. Out of the frosted terrain rose a dark figure, far taller than even Orlando as they trudged through the snow towards the trio. Nearing ever closer, Malgigi realized this newcomer was a woman, or at least female, as her slim body, garbed in a dirty leather gown was revealed in the light breeze. Untroubled by the cold with her modest dress, what drew his attention was her face. Initially thinking her to possess a wide face by dint of the broad eyes peaking through her disheveled raven mane, as she swept her tresses aside, Malgigi reflexively stepped back in horror.

This woman stared down at him with four large eyes, arranged around her face horizontally.

She wordlessly scanned the battlefield, before the beasts bounded around her, baying in their incessant whines.

“Master, Master! These humans have magic and cruel knives! Hack them to cutlets so we can devour their guts,” they wheedled, as the woman grabbed on by the scuff and howled in its face, revealing she too possessed rows of fangs. Dropping her victim as the pack vanished into the brush, she returned her gaze to the trio before finally speaking in slurred Old Realm.

“Sun-blessed, Moon-Charmed, leave this place. Soon a danger will befall you here, and even your great powers will not save you. By the great Triangle we have not transgressed against the occupying government of the Heavens. Let us live in peace,” she stated, and before anyone could respond, she trudged back from where she came.

“What was that all about?” Ollia asked, as Malgigi laughed.

“What we're about to figure out. There's something fishy about this entire debacle, and the way she spoke didn't sit well with me,” Malgigi muttered, hefting Temeperentia to his back, as Orlando nodded. Whispering to the splattered corpse before him, he stood up with approval as the corpse unfurled itself, rearranging muscles, tendons and bones into a pair of elaborate mannequin legs propping up a pair of delicate bent rods, made of the most dainty of bones. A casual observer easily could mistake Orlando's trick for some foul necromancy, but Malgigi knew better. The immense power of Orlando's maul, Industrias, was to rebuild all nonliving matter into useful tools or structures.

“This really isn't the time to douse for gold or water, Orlando,” Malgigi called, as the artisan waved off his friend's pithy quip.

“Far from it. These dousing rods will direct us towards their home, wherever it may be,” Rolando boomed with a grin.

“Aha! That way even if the environment changes, then we can still track them down! That's so smart, Orlando,” Ollia cried, patting her hands together.

“Yes, well, it wouldn't do for any inefficiency, least of all now. Come now, small one, show us where your old master lived,” Orlando chuckled, clearly pleased with Ollia's compliment. The trio marched through the snow, following along behind the stilt-like gait of the dousing servitor. Silence reigned as nothing but the crunching stride of the automaton, until it paused, as a high-pitched whine rose from a nearby thicket.

“GET DOWN!” Ollia cried, as the automaton exploded, the tree behind them. Malgigi and Orlando quickly scanned about them, as a tree several inches away from Malgigi's head collapsed, cleaved in twain by some unseen means.

”Some sort of sniper attack?” Malgigi hissed, as Orlando snorted.

“There's no air disruption, and we would've seen any ranged attacks in the nearest mile,” Orlando growled, as Malgigi's eyes fluttered, his awareness expanding as his senses searched the surrounding area.

“There, over there,” he said finally, pointing through the brush. Orlando narrowed his eyes, and understood his meaning. There, hidden in the brambles, stood a tall creature. Like a naked flightless bird about the size of an ostrich, with a crazed single eye in its bizarre head. Where its beak would reside, a single spiraling horn extended. As it turned its attention towards the three of them, this wicked appendage hummed with power.

“Watch it,” he hissed, tugging his comrades down as the missile whistled over their heads.

“I'll take care of this,” Ollia smiled, as a whip-like tufted tail emerged from her backside, her bodysuit seamlessly parting to accommodate this new appendage.

“Ollia, what are you--” Malgigi began, as Ollia flashed him a broad grin as she leaped up in a flash,” OLLIA, DON'T!”

It was too late. Ollia shot forward like a human rocket, surging forward. The beast noticed her approach as well, firing a salvo of cruel horns into Ollia's limbs. Still, she charged forward, her form suffused in silvery light as her hand whipped to Caritas.

“ACCEPT IT, MY KINDNESS!” she roared, lunging forward, as the thicket exploded with silver light. Orlando and Malgigi rose, approaching, finding the beast decapitated, and Ollia laying still, pierced through her legs and arms with the horns of the dead beast.

“That thing, it's a Boulbouhz, a beast from the Age of Glories,” Orlando clarified, as Malgigi turned to him, clearly impressed.

“Oh? You fought one, too?”

“You could say that. When I was a young man during the Titanomachia, warrens of Boulbouhz settled near my home village. Many lost their lives to avoid them, and I wouldn't take I any longer,” Orlando said bitterly, and Malgigi let the point drop. Instead, he turned his attention to Ollia, rolling her gently over, as he sighed. Her limbs pierced, she lay still, as he rummaged through his bag for medicine as she puckered up.

“The Princess needs a kiss from her Prince to revive her from the cursed beast's awful wounds,” she called, as he jumped to his feet, irately poking her with his foot.

“Then maybe the Princess ought not rush like a maniac into danger!” he growled, as Ollia giggled.

“Oh, you're no fun,” she shrugged, as the horns dropped from her flesh as she stretched, her wounds completely healed.

“I thought you'd not rush to use Caritas?” Orlando asked, arching his brow.

“My mind blanked and I went for the easiest answer,” Ollia admitted,” I'm sorry.”

“I'm not the one you ought to apologize to,” Orlando muttered, eyeing the Boulbouhz,” But enough of that. We need to move.”

“Why? That thing was firing horns everywhere. There's going to be no one around,” Ollia asked.

“Because Boulbouhz are herded by sapient races. Remember how I mentioned my home was destroyed by a warren of these beasts? The reason they moved was because they were herded there by a race not dissimilar to that woman before. Malgigi, Ollia, I think we're in a some atavistic snare,” Orlando declared, as Ollia stared at him.

“An Atavistic ...what?”

“I don't know if this is a malicious attack or an accident, the appearance of this forest, and the appearance of this Boulbouhz, suggests all this,” Orlando muttered.

“Then what should we do, Orlando? Waltz up to them and ask?” Malgigi asked.

Orlando nodded,” We wait, and shadow them for answers. “

Ollia brightened,” Oh then, Orlando, we ought to do that thing!”

“If that's what you want,” Orlando sighed, as the pair swiftly shifted into tiny beetles.

“Live in peace, love those around you, and share your wealth,” Ollia offered, settling on Malgigi's right shoulder.

“Don't listen to her. Live for yourself, and satiate even the darkest desires in your heart,” Orlando offered in a milky smooth tone.

“So, what's the punchline to this routine?” Malgigi asked.

Ollia hopped up excitedly,” We're the Cheepmaun, one of Luna's incarnations, three beetles who test both gods and mortals with their sweet voices. Alwen, he who speaks virtue through the right ear, Simeon, who tempts those who toil towards evil through the left, and Teodor, who directs the mortals towards simple and clean living, albeit with leather pants and too many belt buckles, with his actions.”

“Then where's your Teodor?”

“We don't have enough people, so I guess it's you!” Ollia replied, as Malgigi sighed, shaking his head. Before he responded with his own counter, footfalls crunched through the snow, and Malgigi huddled nearby a fallen tree as three towering figures, of similar stature and dirty garb gathered around the corpse. Harsh words rang out and the three looked about, as Malgigi hissed words of power, and felt the chill of Air essence cover him.

Masking Mantra: Blanket of Snowflakes, a low level Air aspected spell of situational usefulness, molding ambient Air essence into a cloak shrouding the caster from all but the most comprehensive of scrutiny. However, the sheer amount of Air essence needed, along with the oddity a billowing localized cloud of snow would be in most situations made the spell a rarely used tool, even if Malgigi smirked that, most Sorcerers would scoff at such knowledge.

“But I'm no ordinary Sorcerer. Knowledge is power, even if not power you can use every day,” he thought, as the trio of strangers fanned about, spending an entire hour searching the surrounding area, before they gave up their hunt. Trudging slowly back, Malgigi slunk along, albeit with several moments where the giants paused, their four eyes flashing this way and that. In those tense seconds, Malgigi wondered if his spell even affected them.

“Can their eyes pierce my Sorcery?” he wondered, as his hand slowly drew to Temperentia, slung across his back. Despite these moments, this odd group journey forward, reaching a small hamlet with a ramshackle palisade.

“What's going on here?” Ollia whispered, as Malgigi craned to get a better view. Inside the village's common, dozens of the man-faced creatures from before herded about, as they milled about, baying to each other in rude voices.

“SOD OFF, FRAKKERS!”

“I WAS HERE FIRST, SILT-LICKER!”

“I'M THE TALLEST, BOW DOWN TO ME, SMALLERS!”

And so on. What drew his attention most, though, were the crisp glyphs etched into the walls of the corral. Precise, clear, and delicate in their stroke-work, memories deep within his psyche rose, and Malgigi recalled a single battle during the Titanomachia. Despite his usual conflicts against the Many-Tentacled Greed, the Brilliant Effigy of Glamour, and The Spiral Archipelago of Empathy, However, when a lone tower of crystal, pulled along by a flock of frolicking flying whales, rode a wrought sapphire monstrosity. Made in the form of a dainty human princess, its abode was covered in such runes, which Malgigi deciphered many weeks later, after this horrifying behemoth was cast down and hacked to pieces.

Praise be to the Glory of the Theorem. The Theorem of Ratio. The Ratio of the King. Glory to the King. The King of Gold. If Sun=Energy, and Energy= the Love in a system, then, the system is perfect, the perfect system. Perfect System=Supreme Leader, ergo, THEION.

THEION, LORD, OF WHICH I AM A MERE EMBER.

I, THE SMOULDERING ASHES OF WISDOM.

Praise HIM, for to praise HIM is to praise Knowledge.

Knowledge=I, THE SMOULDERING ASHES OF WISDOM.

Which repeated on and on ad nauseum. As he stood there, fuming furiously at this revelation, while deeply afraid at its implications, he sensed a presence behind him. Spinning about, his hand lashed out towards Temeperentia, as the giant behind him smashed his skull, as he collapsed, both to the ground and into unconsciousness.

Awakened by a pulsing heat, Malgigi initially thought it the blazing bonfire nearby, as he looked down and felt his godsmother burning his skin.

“Godschild, by the great dawn of Laasshe, child, what is within your head? To find yourself captured so! My dear pet, you are in terrible danger!”

“Godsmother, what do you mean? This is hardly my first time bound and naked,” Malgigi whispered.

“My. Dear. Pet. The enemy facing us is diametrically opposed to my powers, one of my ancient enemies. I cannot save you now,” Anscyllrie hissed. Malgigi sighed, ignoring his godsmother's lambastements, finding himself in a new harrowing situation. Stripped of his clothes and Temeperentia, all of which propped against a straw effigy nearby, he hung over the corral precariously as a wizened giant strode over to him.

“Magician, you trespass upon our sacred rites, and for what? To read the letters of beckoning? What manner of fool are you?” it rumbled in slurred Old Realm.

“The kind who shagged your mum,” Malgigi smirked, as the giant cocked his wizened head.

“I am unfamiliar with how making my mother thick and tangled would be an insult, Magician, but it matters not. OBSERVE!” he sneered, grabbing Malgigi's face as he jerked him down to observe the proceedings. The other giants hefted large wooden cages packed with crying human hostages, which were promptly dumped into the corral. The man-beasts cried with delight and the shrieks and crunches of wood and other materials, as Malgigi looked away.

“See, Magician? Your race is naught but chattel to those we use as livestock. Now, observe as we call upon one of your old enemies. I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you,” the elder wheezed gleefully. Snapping his fingers, the glyphs burst into flame as the man-beasts all shuddered.

“The Strong prey on the Weak, the Sun follows the Moon, water flows downhill, all are laws. All laws are within the Hierarchy. Now, great Theorem, release one of your children to set right your return to this world,” he called, as the air grew ever more cold. Malgigi shuddered as the man-beasts cried in pain and fear, fleeing their feast as the air solidified into ice about them. The frozen chunks of ichor and guts rose, swirling about, replaced by a shimmering spectacle of geometric crystals formed of the airborne ice, before a facsimile of humanity, forged of this ice slowly staggered forwards out of the storm.

“FRIDGUS, THE CHILL OF TERROR, EMISSARY OF SHE WHO LIVES IN HER NAME, ARRIVES. YOUR SACRIFICE IS PLEASEING AND DESERVING OF MY STATION. WHAT LARGESSE DO OU WISH?” the snow about it spelled precisely.

“Consume this Magician, and drop this entire world into the frost of your passage! Erase motion and cheer into the order of our Mistress,” the giant cackled.

Fridgus, nodded slowly,” SO BE IT. THIS WORLD SHALL FEEL MY KISS ONCE AGAIN.”

Malgigi wrestled against his bindings to no avail. Unlike his companions, his specialty wasn't intense athleticism but his wits and occult powers, and with his hands bound, he couldn't bind any spells this way! Without any other option, he sighed, releasing his largest shout.

“GAN-MU! GAN-MU, STEED OF GOLDEN MANE! I WANT YOUR HELP HERE, ONCE AGAIN!”

As if on cue, a glorious vision erupted beside him. A four legged beast, in similar approximation to a gilded horse, its regal human countenance and broad legs ending in dextrous human hands belied its supernatural origins. On top of this, a small squat fellow, with green fur, beady eyes, and a aquiline snout, sat pertly on the back of this bizarre steed. This pair of horse and rider trotted about Malgigi excitedly, its every step bursting into brilliant purple sparks as the beast spoke in a clarion voice.

“Malgigi, I arrive. It has been many moons since you called upon me. What do you wish?” it said, as Malgigi nodded.

“Free me, Gan-Mu. I don't know where Orlando and Ollia are presently,” he called, as Fridgus, resumed its passage forward, no longer startled.

“After them! Seize the horse and the Magician!” the elder cried, as the giants rose as one, wielding sickles, axes, and hammers.

“NOT SO FAST!” rang out, as Ollia appeared out of nowhere, slashing down the first wave of giants with a flick of her toe, as Orlando joined her, hammering the fallen attackers with Industrias.

“W-where did you two come from?” Malgigi sputtered indignantly.

“We saw you get knocked out, and thoguth to rescue you! Theese mosnters didn't give us an opportunity to untie you, though, so we bade our time,” Ollia called, as Malgigi only narrowed his eyes. Typical Ollia, to let him hang till it was most dramatically convenient. His bindings burnt away, he hopped onto Gan-Mu's back, and charged forward at Fridgus. Gan-Mu's charge slowed, as Fridgus' aura of cold hammered Gan-Mu. Slowing to a crawl, Malgigi chattered his teeth as he wove a pattern of energy about him. A burst of flowers and a refreshing warm breeze billowed over him, and the chill fled his body.

“Arrival of Bounty: Mantle of Spring,” Malgigi grinned, hefting Temperentia before him,” Fridgus, your presence is nothing to a Magician such as I! Return to the Brass City, and I will not prosecute you nor your supplicants further.”

Fridgus merely continued his stride forward,” Pitiful Magician, yours is a tiny light compared to the vastness of this Universe. You may possess the ember of the Sun within you, but I possess the Order that made reality itself. Freeze, and accept your place as a mote within this system.”

“Very well then,” Malgigi sneered, raising Temperentia as it hummed with hefty power.

“What will your sword do to one such as I? I possess no body to cut,” Fridgus mocked, as Malgigi lunged.

“Ollia!” he cried, as Ollia nodded.

“C'mon, Orlando! Time for our team attack!” she cried, as the pair leaped away, standing opposite of Fridgus, before jumping forward as one, smashing Fridgus' wispy form with their weapons.

“Borne of an Oath made to protect those we love; our ultimate attack, Twin Stewards Fang!” Ollia cried triumphantly, as the pair landed, high-fiving each other on a team attack well-done.

“Your blows mean n--,” Fridgus keened, his form shuddering,” W-what happened to my invincibility?”

Malgigi grinned mischievously, raising Temperentia once more,” My blade cannot kill instantly, or slice faster than the sun, but it can stop sorcerous effects, like, say, the intangibility of a spirit, like you.”

Fridgus said nothing, as his shuddering grew, and he exploded violently, rocking the entire village. Buildings flattened, and all that remained was the corral's pit.

“Finally, that's over,” Malgigi muttered, dropping Temperentia as Ollia trotted over beside him, before she smirked, her eyes flashing intently.

“I...Oh,” Malgigi sighed, realizing he still lacked clothes,” Help me get my coats back before we leave.”

“And let me miss this?” Ollia protested, as Orlando hefted her onto his shoulder. Tossing Malgigi his clothes, the Lunar engineer shook his head at his friends.

“To think I've seen it all, Valentinian will never believe you defeated a behemoth all while in the nude,” he rumbled, as Malgigi snickered.

“Yes, well, there's a lot of things he won't believe. Enough of this frozen wasteland. Let's get out of here.”

#exalted #fiction #Adventure #short story #fantasy #the Oath Warriors

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tech-battery · 3 years

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LENOVO THINKPAD X1 FOLD REVIEW: A FOLDING SCREEN FILLED WITH POTENTIAL

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is awesome… as a concept.

Come on, it’s a display that folds in half. You can carry it around like a tablet. You can prop it up and use it like a Surface Pro. You can fold it halfway and use it like a clamshell laptop. You can fold it slightly and hold it like a hardcover book. And everyone who sees you whip it out of your briefcase will ask “Wow, what’s that?” And you can tell them “Oh, nothing. Just the world’s first foldable PC.” Picture it. There’s no way you won’t feel like the coolest person in your meeting.

So should you buy it?

I mean, no. Before we get into this: definitely not. It’s a whopping $2,499, not including the stylus and keyboard. (Bundles with both accessories start at $2,749 on Lenovo’s website.) That’s more than anyone needs to spend even to get a very good laptop — and there are a few too many problems with the X1 Fold for me to put it in that category.

But! I do like the idea. The folding form factor certainly makes life easier, and I have no doubt that we’ll see more devices like this in the future — assuming manufacturers can work out some of the kinks.

A TRAVEL PRO

Here’s how a day with the X1 Fold went for me. In the morning, before signing on for work, I lay on the couch and used the Fold as a mini clamshell (that is, folded at 90 degrees with the keyboard on the bottom half of the screen) to catch up on emails. Someone had sent me an interesting YouTube video overnight. I unfolded the laptop into a 13.3-inch tablet, setting the keyboard aside, and watched it fullscreen.

Then, work time. I popped out the built-in kickstand and propped the unfolded ThinkPad up on my kitchen table, laying the keyboard out in front of it. I used multiple windows in split-screen, with Slack and Spotify over top, the way I’d use any standard 13-inch laptop. In the early afternoon, I had an hour-long Zoom meeting, so I headed back over to the couch and folded the thing into a book shape, with Zoom on one side and Slack on the other. After that, back to work — but I didn’t feel like going back to the table, so I folded the ThinkPad back into mini-clamshell mode and used it that way on the couch for the rest of the day.

This is all just to illustrate how many different uses there are for this form factor. I can’t say that a folding screen has ever been at the top of my “Laptop Features I Need” list — but after using the X1 Fold for a week, I would love to own one of these.

There’s no laptop I’d rather bring on a business trip than the X1 Fold, and that’s due to a couple of design choices in addition to the versatile form factor. For one: it’s really, really nice. The device is clad in an authentic black leather cover with a sturdy kickstand integrated into it. The ThinkPad logo adds a sleek splash of red. It all looked very out of place in my drab apartment. The only parts that look a tiny bit cheap are the bezels, which are large and rubber. Those are necessary to protect the sides of the display from clinking against each other, and they also give you something to hold while you’re using the Fold as a tablet.

A folding display also makes for a great travel companion. Folded in half, this ThinkPad is about the size of a hardcover book: 9.3 x 6.23 x 1.09 inches and 2.2 pounds (299.4 x 236 x 11.5 mm and 999g). The keyboard fits inside the folded device (magnets keep it secure), and it has a snug sleeve for the stylus on its side. I easily slipped the whole affair into my purse and would have loved carrying it around a trade show or conference under my arm. Any time I brought this somewhere, I thought, “Man, I wish I’d had this in college.”

And with the leather cover, I was never worried about bumping or scratching the Fold — something that can be stressful with devices this expensive. (Lenovo says its product underwent MIL-STD 810H testing and is resistant to conditions including humidity, dust, sand, extreme temperatures, and mechanical shock. This certainly promises a much higher level of durability than we’ve seen from folding phones thus far.)

THE FOLD

With foldable devices, there’s always one big question. The answer to that question is no: you can’t see the crease while you’re using the Fold (though it’s visible when the device is turned off). The exception is when it’s partially folded like a book. The lighting in the middle and the lighting on the sides is a bit uneven in that case. But credit where credit is due: when you’re using the Fold flat, there is no crease to be seen.

The hinge itself, which Lenovo says it spent years developing, is quite sturdy and didn’t give me any problems. The ThinkPad requires two hands and a bit of a firm tug to open. But on the plus side, it always stayed exactly in the position I put it in without any slips or wobbles.

Flat, the display is a 13.3-inch OLED with 2048 x 1536 resolution. That’s a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is unusual for a laptop but feels quite roomy compared to a traditional 16:9. I could easily stack two or even three Chrome windows side by side, often with Slack, Zoom, or another app over top, without having to zoom out. And I didn’t notice any jelly scroll (where one side of the screen is able to change pixels faster than the other side), which was a problem with some early foldable phones.

The viewing experience is a luxury. The panel reproduces 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut, 100 percent of Adobe RGB, and 95 percent of DCI-P3. It’s great for watching videos and movies; even the dock icons pop with color.

On the downside, good luck using this thing outside. Not only is it quite glossy, but it only reached 289 nits at maximum brightness. That’s not a problem for indoor work, but it’s still a bit of a letdown for the price since some premium business laptops offer 1,000-nit options for less.

PERFORMANCE AND SOFTWARE

Lenovo has come up with some neat software tricks to improve the Fold experience. There’s an app called Pen Settings where you can map the buttons on Lenovo’s stylus: they can do everything from copy / pasting to erasing, toggling music and volume, and pulling up various applications.

You can also use Lenovo’s Mode Switcher (which pops up whenever you fold or unfold the device) to split the screen in half, essentially creating two separate displays on either side of the crease. This is most useful in the mini-clamshell form if you want to have one application running up top and one on the bottom. But you can also use it when the Fold is flat, the same way you’d use the Windows split-screen feature. And if you split the screen in Mode Switcher, the Fold preserves that layout when you move between portrait and landscape orientations, whereas elaborate arrangements of tabs and apps sometimes get scattered everywhere otherwise.

These are nice touches, and they show that Lenovo has really thought through the potential this form factor has, rather than just slapping a hinge onto a Surface Pro. But when it comes to performance, there are signs that this product is still in an early stage.

There’s a lot to commend Lenovo for here. I get stressed out just thinking about the tasks this computer has. Not only does it need to know whether it’s in portrait or landscape mode (like any regular tablet), but it also has to detect whether it’s folded, how much it’s folded, and where the keyboard is — and then resize its interface accordingly. Given all that, I’m quite impressed that this thing (mostly) works.

Mostly. But it’s not seamless, and there are some areas where the Fold and Windows 10 aren’t quite seeing eye to eye yet.

For example: every so often when I had the Mini Keyboard connected, the Fold forgot it was there and sent up the on-screen keyboard anyway when I selected a textbox with the stylus. You can turn the on-screen keyboard off in Settings if this annoys you, but it’s still a glitch that’s disappointing to see. On the other hand, occasionally, the on-screen keyboard didn’t come up immediately when I wanted it to, and I’d have to prod the text box a few times before the Fold got the hint. And the little writing box, which is supposed to pop up whenever you tap a text field with the stylus, seemed to come somewhat randomly: it didn’t appear at some times when I wanted it, and it did pop up at some times when I didn’t (like if I had just highlighted something in a Google Doc).

There were two occasions, both after a restart, where the Fold didn’t realize it was in mini-laptop mode and tried to expand across the whole screen. I had to remove and replace the keyboard before the Fold detected it. (Lenovo is aware of that issue and says it’s working on a fix.)

Most annoyingly, I wasn’t able to video chat in Zoom or WebEx using mini-laptop mode because my video feed (like the tablet’s camera) was sideways. That’s not a Lenovo-specific problem — some other Windows convertibles also don’t properly rotate their cameras if you flip them around during video calls. But it’s still something I hope Zoom and WebEx are able to fix. Were it not for this issue, mini-laptop mode would be the ideal form factor for remote meetings (WebEx on the top half, notes on the bottom).

I have faith that Lenovo will iron out these kinks as time goes on. But at present, they are here.

The X1 Fold doesn’t have as heavy-duty of a processor as you’ll find in some other ThinkPads. It’s powered by the Intel Core i5-L16G7, one of Intel’s “Lakefield” CPUs. These are “hybrid” processors, efficient chips designed for small and light devices. They’re Intel’s answer to the Arm chips in phones, tablets, and now MacBooks. (Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Neo is supposed to be getting one, too.)

Occasional glitches aside, I was pleasantly surprised by the performance here. Multitasking in a dozen apps and Chrome tabs was no problem, and I could do some scrolling and browsing during a long Zoom call without anything freezing up. Of course, that’s also true for plenty of devices you can get for a few hundred bucks.

And the Fold also dragged its feet on some tasks where other premium business laptops (not to mention high-end consumer laptops that are half this price) do better. It takes a good few seconds to boot up, for example, and I sometimes got impatient waiting for it to find things in File Explorer and send windows to fullscreen. Webpages were a bit slower than I’m used to. The ThinkPad also takes a few seconds to rearrange itself between modes — and mini-clamshell mode, in particular — but I’m willing to forgive that since it’s a brand-new use case for Windows 10.

Battery life, though, was quite disappointing. Running the X1 Fold through my sustained workload (around 12 Chrome tabs and apps, occasional Spotify and YouTube streaming and Zoom calls, 200 nits of brightness), I averaged four hours and 50 minutes on the Better Battery profile and five hours and 35 minutes on the Battery Saver profile (with Intel’s battery-saving features enabled). That’s not necessarily unexpected for a laptop with an OLED display and only a 50Whr battery. But it’s not good for a $2,500 device, especially one that’s meant to be used on the go. The Surface Pro 7, which has a higher-resolution screen, got seven to eight hours in our testing.

The final thing worth mentioning here is that Windows 10 is still a “meh” operating system for tablets. If you’ve never used a Windows tablet before, it’s quite different from using an iPad. Gesture controls are still fairly basic, especially compared to Apple’s shortcut offerings. Moreover, most Microsoft apps aren’t designed to be used on a tablet the way that iPad apps are, so you’ll be doing a lot of struggling to tap boxes and icons that are much smaller than your fingertip. And actions like rearranging tabs and dragging / dropping windows that are second-nature with a touchpad are difficult to do with your fingers.

Switching to Windows Tablet Mode helps with this a bit, but you have to dig into the Action Center to turn that on manually. The Fold doesn’t swap to it automatically when you disconnect the keyboard the way Surface Books do. (Again, it’s not a Fold-specific problem — in general, disconnecting Bluetooth keyboards from Windows convertibles doesn’t trigger Tablet Mode — but it’s inconvenient nonetheless.) And of course, Windows 10 doesn’t have any unique features that take advantage of the dual-screen setup; Microsoft is working on an operating system optimized for dual-screen hardware (including its own Surface Neo), but we don’t expect that to arrive until next spring.

The running theme here is that most of these issues are Microsoft’s fault, not Lenovo’s. The convertible laptops Microsoft makes use the same operating system. But the lack of tablet functionality makes more sense on Surface Books and Surface Pros, which can serve as tablets where needed but are still meant to function primarily as computers. The problem with the Fold is that it’s at its best as a tablet. The ideal X1 Fold customer will be using it as a tablet most of the time. Because there are two major reasons I don’t recommend this device as a primary laptop. Those reasons are...

THE KEYBOARD AND TOUCHPAD

The X1 Fold is beautiful to look at and, as a tablet, a marvel to use. But I still dreaded having to drive it for my actual work every day. That’s because the keyboard and touchpad are tiny.

Now, I understand why they’re tiny. Lenovo wanted to make a keyboard small enough to fit inside the folded device so it wouldn’t be an extra thing to carry around. And it certainly succeeded in making a keyboard that fits perfectly into the folded-up tablet. I was never concerned that it would fall out.

But I hate typing on it. The keys actually feel quite sturdy and have a satisfying click to them, but Lenovo essentially had to combine a number of keys to achieve its desired size. For example: the apostrophe / quotation key, usually to the left of Enter on a US keyboard, has been moved to the far right side of the keyboard above Enter. (It’s a half key, sharing a slot with colon / semicolon). Every time I needed to type an apostrophe, I had to consciously stretch my hand far to the right. Approximately 50 percent of my apostrophe attempts resulted in instinctively slamming Enter instead (as my colleagues who received numerous incomplete Slack messages can attest). I assume you’ll adjust to this after a while of using the Fold, but boy is there a learning curve.

It gets worse: Lenovo had to cram some keys that were already dual-purpose together, meaning that some buttons accommodate as many as four different symbols. Question mark / forward slash has been combined with period / greater than, so typing a question mark requires hitting all three of Shift, Fn, and period at the same time. Dash has been relegated to Fn+9, which also tripped me up. I had to go through this review and delete a bunch of accidental 9s I’d typed before I filed it. And backslash requires Fn+8, which would make the X1 Fold a huge pain for people in STEM fields who needs to use LaTeX and some other programming languages.

Again, I understand why the keyboard needed to be small. But I would rather carry the keyboard separately than have to press three keys to make a question mark. Lenovo could make a nice carrying case that fits the Fold, the keyboard, and the stylus, and I would be totally fine with that. The company could also create some more space by removing the touchpad — which it might as well because the touchpad is basically useless.

To put in context how tiny this thing is: if I place two fingers on it (and my fingers are quite small) there is almost no room above or below them. So as you can probably imagine, scrolling is a pain (you hit the plastic frame immediately) as is clicking / dragging, highlighting, and anything else that requires two moving fingers. (There’s nowhere close to enough room.) Laying out a big article, which involves copy-pasting text and moving a bunch of images around, was quite a struggle.

The touchpad also didn’t do what I needed it to as often as I wanted. It sometimes thought I was holding it down when I had let go, meaning I’d unintentionally move tabs around. And highlighting a segment of text or getting my cursor to land in an exact spot was often a trial-and-error process. Even with the touchpad on its lowest sensitivity, I rarely got the right location on the first go.

I don’t use third-party peripherals with laptops I review, but this touchpad pushed that principle to its limit: I have never been closer to saying “Screw it” and plugging in a mouse to give myself a break. I ended up using the stylus for most of my navigation, but that’s suboptimal for some actions (rearranging tabs, doing anything in Google Docs).

Overall, the X1 Fold is a spectacular device in a lot of ways. It’s good at the one thing it’s advertised for (folding). It’s beautiful, both to look at and to use. It’s sturdy. And the form factor is useful. It’s not a gimmick. I would love to own a tablet like this.

The key word there is “tablet.” The X1 Fold isn’t a tablet. It has a laptop operating system and — more importantly — it’s priced like a laptop. It’s priced like a very expensive laptop.

And it’s not ready to fill that role yet. The battery life isn’t there yet. The keyboard and touchpad aren’t there yet. The software integration, while commendable, isn’t there yet.

The key word there is “yet.” Because with all that being said, I can’t wait for the second generation. Samsung’s first foldable phones were riddled with issues — but just over a year and several iterations later, the company is selling a folding device that’s very usable (albeit pretty expensive). I’m sure that’s going to be the case with foldable laptops as well. Lenovo has a groundbreaking idea, with a strong foundation to build on. I really hope it’s able to patch the Fold’s glitches without compromising on the components that are already exceptional. That would be a breathtaking device, one that would earn my unambiguous recommendation.

AGREE TO CONTINUE: LENOVO THINKPAD X1 FOLD

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.

To start using the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, you’ll need to agree to the following:

A request for your region and keyboard layout

Windows 10 license agreement, Lenovo privacy statement, and Lenovo limited warranty

You can also say yes or no to the following:

Wi-Fi

Microsoft account (can be bypassed if you stay offline)

Privacy settings (speech recognition, location, Find My Device, sharing diagnostic data, inking and typing, tailored experience, advertising ID)

Customize your device for gaming, schoolwork, entertainment, creativity, family, or business

Sync an Android phone

OneDrive backup

Office 365

Allow Microsoft to collect personal information for Cortana, including location and location history, contacts, voice input, speech and handwriting patterns, typing history, search history, calendar details, content and communication history from Microsoft services, messages, and apps.

Add a Lenovo ID profile

That’s six mandatory agreements and 15 optional agreements to use the ThinkPad X1 Fold.

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arplis · 4 years

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Arplis - News: Cheap Dunes And Duchess

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agilenano · 4 years

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Agilenano - News: Cheap Dunes And Duchess