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dcxdpdabbles · 4 months

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So Danny is just a bunch of good that takes a humanoid shape, and we've seen him stretch and warp himself. What is sometimes he just leaves bits of himself behind. He has restoration so he can heal himself and others so when he realizes he left a foot behind he just grows a new one.

Batman: We've found more of the meta, 3 left feet all genetically identical, either were dealing with a cloning operation or someone using a regenerative meta as an organ farm. The most recent finds washed up between Gotham and metropolis.

Meanwhile Danny: I've gotta visit Dani more Madrid was beautiful can't wait to show Jazz the photos, tried to land and eats it, Damn it I though I fixed this!

Danny loves his new power- he likes to call it "Play-Boo" as a pun on playdough because it allows him to shift and change his body as he sees fit.

It was hard to mentally change his appearance as his core was tied to his idea of himself. Still, he can make his hair longer at will, shift to a younger or older version of himself, and even slightly change his coloration, though that takes a bit more concentration.

Danny is sadly unable to shape-shift into someone else. He thinks being able to regenerate is an okay trade-off. Especially when Danny accidentally leaves bits of himself behind with his new warping technique.

It's not the kind of warping he would like- seeing as he could only go a few yards from his original spot- but he hopes with time and practice, he will be able to fling himself from one side of the country to the other, much like opening portals.

But unlike the portals, he won't have to step into the ghost zone as a layaway.

One day, he'll be able to think, "Star City!" and bam will be there without having to destabilize his whole body or lose limbs. Or some internal organs. Like his left kidney.

Which was currently somewhere in Gotham as his warping has developed to the point that he can send himself to the area within eyesight, and he had traveled to metropolis in this method instead of flying to try to perfect it.

"Shoot," He grumbles, falling into a booth across from Dani. She had asked that he visit the big city with her, do a few sights, and then the two would fly downstate to check out some national parks.

"Lost something again?" She asks, sipping the soda she had ordered while waiting for him. Dani had been in the city for about three days and had fallen in love with the diner they were eating at.

She insisted they meet up there just so Danny could try some of their roast beef sandwiches. The favorite food of the two siblings.

"My left Kidney." He sighs, patting his side. Thank goodness his Play-Boo allowed him to not feel pain. He hated to have to feel every time he lost one of his body parts. "I need to eat my troubles away until a new one grows back."

"I'm not paying for your meal."

"But Dani! I'm down a kidney!"

She snorts. "It'll grow back by the time we leave, and you know it. But fine, you big baby, I'll pay for lunch. You have to cover the diner."

Satisfied, he lets her call over a waitress who quickly takes their orders and vanishes to the back, where the cook will likely make "the best damn roast beef" for him. He leans back, asking Dani about her travels.

She eagerly starts talking about the local art she has taken pictures of. At one point, her travels had turned into photo albums, documenting everything she saw and experienced.

She made some money this way, selling some of her photos, but mostly, Dani preferred to keep them for herself or the family.

As she talked about the light reflecting on some large News building- the daily planet- and the great lengths she had to go to get close enough to capture the sunlight, the door to the dinner chimed.

Two men in suits ushered in, one wearing a dark blue that seemed far cheaper than the deep black of his companion. Danny instinctively turned towards the sound, but he quickly looked away as the two men found a seat in a booth furthest away from him.

"I met this guy, Jimmy, who promised to have my photos submitted for a junior photographer contest. It's to help promote tourism, so it's based on the "Metropolis' beauty," but first place is five hundred!" Dani eagerly tells him, her eyes sparkling.

"I know you'll win. You'll make a name for yourself in no time as the best photographer of our era." Danny smiles at his little sister. He lowers his voice "Maybe with that money you win we won't have to sell my organs for a while."

She laughs, adding to the joke like it's second nature, "But you're so fun to harvest! Side's it's not like Vlad will allow you to walk away from the operation. He already has two more kidney orders from Gotham waiting for you."

Danny grimces. "I just lost one this morning. Why does he overbook me so much."

"I can do it if you-"

"Not on your life. I can regerate. You can only cry."

Dani kicks him hard in the shin. She waves her coffee spoon at him like a wizard banishing a wand. "Are you calling me a crybaby?"

"Well, I'm not calling you a cry-lady." He laughs as she scoffs. She opens her mouth to say something when her eyes lock with something over his shoulder. Her face closes down at once, hardening into someone who has traveled through the roughest parts of cities and towns.

Danny used to be worried that her instance of traveling alone at such a young age would ruin her childlike wonder and innocence, but he knew it would be worse to keep her at home.

Even with Vlad finally getting the much-needed help, the fact that Dani has existed for two years now didn't mean she was comfortable with being tied down.

Twisting around, he doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. The two men are casually eating their meals by the far window- too far for them to hear, the waitress is sitting behind the counter flipping through a magazine, and the chef can be seen through a little window making something at his gril.

What had alarmed Dani so much?

"We have to go," She hisses in ghost speech, eyes never leaving the man in the blue suit. Was it him? He seems to unthreatening with his big bulky glasses and easy smile. "I don't know why, but I don't like that guy's vibe."

Well, he won't argue with her about her gut feelings. Those were never important to ignore. "Let's take the rest of this to go."

She raises her hand, calling over the waitress, flipping open her wallet to leave enough to cover their bill and leave a generous tip. Danny quickly gathers their food in take-home boxes, keeping his body in front of Dani to block the men's view of her.

He's grateful that he had pulled on his hood, as his ears had gotten cold from the warping. With the fact he never turned around once since they walked in and his trusty hood, his face has been kept hidden from the men.

A small victory.

Hopefully, he won't see them again after this.

"Come on." He tells Dani, as she quickly gathers her stuff. "Vlad is going to have my arms and legs if we late meet him. I don't want to be just a torso again."

"I mean, it's your fault for trying to run away." She sighs. "You know how he gets. At least you didn't have to entertain his guests."

"Yeah laying in a dark room hoping to regrow my limbs is much better than letting those freaks touch me." Danny agrees thinking back to the big gala Vlad had invited them to.

To show goodwill and try to move past their hostility, the Fentons' children- Jazz, Dan, Danny, and Dani- had all agreed to go with him, under the condition that they be on their best behavior.

Danny had been running late due to a ghost attack and had chosen to use his wrapping far past the agreed limitation his parents, and Vlad had set for him.

He got to Vlad's castle but none of his limbs had followed him. Mom had been so outraged by his reckless behavior he's been grounded staying in one of the guest rooms without tv to "think about what could have happened!"

Dad and Vlad had merely nodded to their wife's punishment for their child. (And he was still getting used to the idea of Vlad being married to his parents.)

Jazz, Dan, and Dani were left to the gala, where Jazz had intellectual conversations with college professors Vlad was funding or where Dan was talking up some pretty men and women with a drink in hand, Dani as the youngest was left to affluent old ladies pinching her cheeks and giving her backhand compliments on being a "lady."

The Dannies hated being touched by strangers, and those higher-class old ladies had no concept of personal space.

"Don't worry, I'm almost too old soon." Dani chirps, holding the door open for him. "Soon Vlad will have to find other kids to flaunt in front of rich people."

"That would be the day." The two exit the dinner, switching the conversation to the idea of dessert- deciding to search on their phones a local frozen yogurt place.

Neither notice the two men- one whose fork has crumbled in his grip and another who is clicking away on his phone with a look of outer disgust on his face

"Bruce?"

"I'm already messaging Babs. She's following them with the city cameras as we speak. Don't worry, Clark, this "Vlad" isn't going to get away with it."

#dcxdpdabbles #dc x dp crossover #Practice makes perfect Au #Basically Clark started heard them with his superhearing #He thought it was cute when she talked about the photo contest that quickly grew into alarm at the rest of the convo #Misunderstandings all around #Vlad married Jack and Maddie two years ago #Now he the chill step dad #Danny is 16 #Dani is 14 #Jaz is 18 #and Dan is 17

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deepouterspacecandy · 3 months

Text

Chronicles of Ember: Part One

Violence and sexual themes. 18+ only

Sometimes, when you’re alone and feeling nostalgic, you travel back to the memory of her simply to remind yourself it happened. It was real. Her touch engraved in your mind and hidden at the depths of your soul.

A towering pang wrenches at your chest every time you let yourself remember, really remember the brush with fate you experienced that morning.

The universe gifting you more than you bargained for during an otherwise dreadful scavenging effort. And it’s the skiff you notice first, with each trip down memory lane.

The way the pebble-strewn shore had nearly swallowed it whole. You can still taste your salt-bitten lips as you approach the small boat, gnawing at the dry skin you’d long since given up finding a consistent remedy for.

You weren’t sure what you’d find as you crept closer. History and hard lessons failed to remind you to scope it out from a higher vantage point before making your approach.

Sure, the scene appeared harmless from a distance, all wrapped up in giant swaths of dried kelp and peppered with barnacles.

A beautifully cruel trap. A stroke of dumb luck between strangers at the darkest edge of a desolate coastal town.

__________

“Holy shit.”

There were no supplies inside this boat. No ropes, no fishing line. If there was ever food, it would be difficult to find proof of it.

Instead, and to your utter amazement, there lay two frail bodies with just enough colour left in their cheeks to prompt you to check for a pulse.

“Holy shit,” you repeat, louder this time. The emaciated forms don’t so much as twitch and you’re not as relieved as you might otherwise be.

Huddled together, they appear lifeless.

You check for obvious signs of infection and its feeble work. Something, or someone, riddled one of the motionless bodies with injury. You knew a knife wound, or two dozen, when you saw them. These weren’t bites or scratches. But maybe you were just hopeful.

“Can you hear me?”

It had been weeks since you’d seen another living person.

You climb inside the boat and lose your footing, algae thick beneath your shoes. You catch yourself before you end up in the same unfortunate condition—piled on top of them like a soggy bag of laundry.

Your knee catches the sharp-set limbs of the woman below you and you hear her groan.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” you say as you kneel beside her. “I swear I’m not trying to hurt you.”

Deep-set scars paint the face of the boy curled up next to her, the rest of his body littered with lacerations, many healing badly. A side effect of a brittle immune system, you suspect, but you’re no doctor.

This world is unkind to most everyone in it, and you presume these two have survived more horrors in recent months than most face in their lifetime, based on their physical condition alone.

The harsh reality of the matter is that there’s no workable way for you to transport both to a safer location. It’s a twenty-minute hike to your current hideout, and that’s on a good day. Today didn’t feel like one of those. Rain is coming down in a drizzle, but it’s only a matter of time and you’re sure the screams you hear beyond sight belong to an unwelcome visitor or two.

“I don’t know what to do,” you say.

The bodies inside the boat offer no suggestions. Another shriek rings out from afar and your heart hammers inside your chest.

“If you can hear me, please open your eyes.” You wait for the flicker of eyelids or a cough. Anything to show there’s something left to save.

The scream you hear next sends a frigid chill down your spine. You twist awkwardly to investigate and immediately regret the decision. One hundred and fifty feet away, maybe less, you see it, extremities flailing in the distance like gangrenous, water-logged tree branches.

“I think he’s blind, but we don’t have much time,” you say, mostly to yourself. “Hey! You need to wake up. Now.”

The woman groans again as you shake her ailing body. You squeeze her shoulder harder and while you wish there was time for a gentler approach, you also recognize the abject danger you’ll face in about six seconds if you don’t make an escape.

“I really need you to get up—do you hear me? He’ll tear us all apart.”

You swear the woman mumbles something, but the sky tears open, giving leave to sheets of rain that thrash against the boat like a drum.

It’s impossible to focus through the pounding in your ears.

You lean in, close enough to feel her erratic breath on your face.

“Lev,” she rasps. “Take Lev.”

“What?”

She grimaces and clenches her teeth, her trembling hand weakly pushing the small body next to her.

You gripe, “I can’t move him by myself,” but she falls quiet and a sobering realization dawns on you.

She may have used her final breath to save this kid. It’s worth attempting, if for no other reason than to pay tribute to her last wishes.

You turn around once again to gauge the distance between you and a brutal death when you notice the weather has given you a leg up. Raindrops reverberate off rusty debris on the beach, disorienting the plague-ridden creatures that inexplicably travel in packs during your most vulnerable moments.

Although you’re not built for hauling the sick and wounded, you lift the boy until the boat lets out a deafening creak. It immediately draws the attention of a writhing monster, whose click-clack squalls turn your stomach sour.

You strip the coat from your back and place it over the woman you’re forced to abandon.

“I’m so sorry,” you say. “I’ll try to lure them away from you.”

******

Embers explode from the firepit and land directly onto your lap. You leap from the mossy log and flail around as if they have set you on fire.

His laughter booms.

“You little shit,” you say, and it only serves to make him laugh harder.

“My bad,” Lev smirks, proud to overuse the phrase he adopted from your experience with the old world. “It was my turn. I’m just trying to be useful.”

“Oh yeah? And you figure setting me on fire is the best way to accomplish this?”

Lev giggles and drops another log onto the flames, this time with more precision. “You’re being dramatic. It wasn’t that bad.”

“Tell that to the hundred tiny holes in my pants. I think you singed my leg hairs.”

He shakes his head, but the smile hasn’t left his face. In the year or so you’ve been travelling together, this might be the happiest you’ve seen him. You’d gladly accept another bucket of embers in your lap to witness it again.

“I guess we better try that camp after all,” Lev says. “Maybe they’ll have clothes. You’re going to need new pants.”

“And all thanks to you.”

“You’re welcome,” Lev retorts.

While his sense of humour has only improved, this kid has always made you laugh with a combination of his sheltered upbringing and naturally playful disposition. There’s darkness in the experiences he’s endured, but it hasn’t altered his humanity.

Which is more than you can say for most people you’ve encountered on the road.

“You’re probably right,” you say. “We’re running low, and I don’t think we’ll last much longer out here without better shelter.”

Lev’s smile fades. “They have tents. Good ones.”

It was the first thing you noticed. A group with large canvas tents and an abundance of ammunition, unlike any you’ve seen outside quarantine zones.

“It’s dangerous,” you say. “We’ll have to wait until it gets dark and even then, we’re walking a thin line.”

“What line?” Lev asks before shooting you another playful smirk.

He understood more than he let on sometimes.

“If we only take what we need, we should be able to get in and out of there before anyone notices.”

Lev nods, his attention lost to the pop and glow of the coals. He collects a handful of leaves, damp from the forest floor, and balls them up in his hands. They sizzle when he tosses them onto the fire, and you watch as their edges curl. He repeats it until there aren’t any leaves within arm’s reach.

“You doing okay?” you ask.

He frowns and ponders, pulls his knees to his chest to rest his chin. You figure it’s a step in a healthier direction. A few months ago, he might’ve recited the easiest answer before changing the subject.

“I miss her.”

“Your sister?” you ask.

“Everyone, I guess. My mom. My sister,” Lev says as he reaches for the crooked stick he’d been using to poke at the campfire. “Abby.”

You resist the urge to ease his grief with a string of useless discourse, but it rakes at your soul to see his expression fall. If there’s anything you understand at your core, it’s the anguish and despair the loss of a loved one can leave behind. You find it hard to swallow as you wrap your arms around yourself and listen.

“Sometimes I play it out in my head over and over, you know? Trying to figure out what I could’ve done better or quicker, or—I don’t know,” he explains, blinking back his sorrow. “Everything always happens too fast.”

He’s right. Between survival and catastrophe, there’s rarely time to pause and even less time to calculate. It’s a breakneck world where the infected aren’t the only ones looking to cause destruction.

You wish it could be different for him.

“I’m scared something will happen to you,” Lev says. “And then I’m alone. I don’t want to be alone.”

Your vision blurs and you concede to spilling a few futile words. “Well, I’m not going anywhere. Not if I can help it, okay? We’re in this together.”

“Even when I try to set you on fire?” Lev says, rubbing his palms against tired eyes.

“Yeah, even then,” you chuckle. “But you better watch yourself, because I hold one hell of a grudge.”

Lev sticks out his tongue in mock defiance before curling up to get some rest.

You wonder where he learned it from.

Based on his stories from his life with the Seraphites, you doubt it was a tolerated form of communication, even between siblings.

“Thank you for not leaving,” he whispers, and it strikes through you.

You wait for the easeful rise and fall of his chest before letting yourself shed silent tears. One for every collective piece of heartache, neither of you will find time to heal.

“Thank you for giving me a reason to stay.”

----------

If there were such a thing as past lives, it’s unlikely you were a notorious thief or covert operative—especially since you’ve spent an excessive amount of time lurking around a camp you planned to rob with zero advancement.

The makeshift barracks are crawling with soldiers draped in military fatigues, their bedraggled boots bludgeoning the muddy ground with every step. It has you frozen in place, sweat dripping down your back against the subtropical air.

“Food, shelter, disappear,” you chant under your breath, eager to feel that surge of effective fear Lev always talks about.

Instead of valuable terror, what you discover is that it would take multiple trips from the base camp to your small plot of land to manage building a complete shelter and a fierce pit settles into your abdomen.

You kneel and observe. If you’re sneaky about it, you’ll have a better chance leaving with a backpack full of ammunition and a stray weapon or two. Perhaps a hearty meal to boost your energy reserves so you can both return in better shape.

Or maybe it’s finally time to think about moving on and going about searching for a more permanent home. Before the thought of disappointing Lev can permeate, the whiz of his arrow flies past your head and sinks into the canvas behind you.

You spin on your heels to find yourself face to face with an angry gunstock. A burst of intense pain radiates through your jaw, accompanied by the metallic taste of copper pennies and a warm trickle down your ragged shirt.

Another arrow lashes the canvas, this time with a soldier pinned to it by the bulk of his shoulder. He cries out for his comrades and if you weren’t so dazed from the blow to your face, you’d have the good sense to run.

“Don’t you fucking move,” a stern voice warns. The frigid muzzle of a pistol presses into the base of your skull, the heat of a formidable body searing you from behind. “You move, and I end you where you stand.”

You struggle to snap back, reaching an instinctive hand up to your face instead. Your chin is a throbbing, tender orb as you slip your tongue across your teeth to check if there’s been any casualties behind your split lip. Thankfully, not. Dental care wasn’t exactly abundant in these parts.

The troop gathers instantaneously, surrounding you and your captor, and your body becomes a strained rope threatening to break. You’re acutely aware of the hand at the small of your back constricting your wrists. Maybe if you just twist—

“Don’t,” she snarls before yanking you closer.

Your shoulders ache.

“Who are you with?” she asks. “How many?”

“None,” you croak. “Nobody. I’m on my own.”

A gruff soldier trudges toward you, and you’re confronted by his rancid breath. “Bullshit,” he all but spits in your face. “Someone is slinging arrows and you either tell us where to find them, or we find them and make sure it’s the last arrow they shoot.”

“Please, just let me go,” you say.

The soldier pinned to the canvas seems to have a much worse go of it, his breaths becoming laboured as his gaze loses focus. It’s a frenzy of tending to his wounds and searching for the person responsible.

Lev has the astonishing gift of becoming a ghost when he needs to make himself scarce, but this group has clear militance and strategy that the two of you lack, especially in your bloodied state.

“We need a plan, Anderson. He’s bleeding out.”

A huff of breath hits your neck, and it’s miraculous her grip hasn’t eased up. Your shoulders and wrists are desperate for respite.

“Let me go,” you say. “I won’t be any trouble. You won’t see me again.”

The woman sniffs and clutches you harder. “I’ve heard that before. Fool me once.”

Her anger radiates with every twitch of her tight restraint, and you understand. But this fury feels deeper than it should.

When a soldier calls out from the field about a boy with a recurve bow, you lose composure and resist her stranglehold, lunging yourself forward. She fumbles but uses it to her advantage, taking you to the ground.

Gravel and twigs grate the skin on your arms as she flips you onto your back.

You shout in the face of the woman holding you hostage. Wriggle and try like hell to drive your knees into her back as she straddles you.

“Relax,” she says, and it’s an order. You crane your neck, desperate to locate Lev among the bedlam. “Hey—fucking relax!”

You don’t relax and you do not stop trying to break free. She grabs your face to redirect you and it’s the first time you cry out in pain. It shocks you both, her hand retracting so fast she takes her whole upper body along with it.

“I won’t let you hurt him. I swear to God if you touch him, I’ll kill you myself,” you spit and she’s still staring down at you like she can’t believe she caused pain to a stranger that, let’s face it, she is well within her rights to accost.

“Nobody is killing anybody,” she says, her brows furrowing into an irritated arch. “But you did this, okay? You and whoever you’re with. Why the hell wouldn’t you just approach our camp like a normal human being?”

“Oh, hilarious,” you retort, back to writhing against the unpleasant grip of her iron thighs. “I’ve seen your group, and every group like it. You’d have killed us on site.”

“You’re wrong,” she says, her tone arctic and deep. “We’re not all the same.” She gestures to the injured soldier being transported into a Humvee on a cobbled together stretcher. “But this shit has consequences.”

The Humvee is past its prime, but it starts up with a roar, soldiers packing in like a clown car. Your hip bones are raw from the friction of this brawny woman on top of you, and you’re not all the way convinced she won’t knock your lights out, so you relinquish any attempt to escape.

“What kind of consequences?” you ask.

She narrows her eyes at you. “What would you do in our boots?”

“I wouldn’t be in your boots,” you grumble. “I don’t fuck with community anymore—people are untrustworthy,” you continue, giving her a once-over, “and violent.”

“Are you referring to people who roll up and steal shit for no reason, or just the ones who hold you accountable for your stupid ass choices?”

Before you’re able to retaliate, her gaze wanders into the far distance and her unforgiving grip on your body slackens. Her eyes become fixed on the only person on this planet you care to protect.

“No. No! Please don’t,” you beg, but she’s on her feet faster than you can blink.

You scramble to put yourself upright and slip on the muddy ground before regaining composure. Your heart falls through your body as you watch this woman barrel toward Lev, helpless to prevent it.

You run toward them, fuelled by the ice-cold panic coursing through your veins and suddenly you’re clinched to her back, arms around her neck, weightless against her force but determined to take her down.

She’s agile in her movements and shrewd in combat.

You’re on the receiving end of her expertise.

The soldier holding Lev separates the two of you before the world shrinks in a way you never expected.

“Abby,” Lev chokes out. His bottom lip is wobbling, and you’re fighting to catch your breath before it clicks.

Abby is on her knees by the time Lev wraps himself around her neck, this time with no threat of bloodshed.

This is the person Lev has been holding out for all along—the person preventing the two of you from moving on to a more stable environment and you get it now.

You see why he needed to check the beach often. You understand why even after all these months and the deterioration of hope, he still dragged you down there from time to time.

What if she made it out? What if she comes looking?

You notice her for the first time when she spins to look at you. Steel-blue eyes, red rimmed and damp, raking over your form. She is rugged, and scars of every shape and size carve her face. But when she tilts her head, she becomes feather soft.

“You’re the one who saved him,” Abby says, her voice high and thick with emotion. “I thought it was a fever dream.”

Speechless, you feel yourself shrug.

She frowns at you, and then you hear it. The most melodic amalgamation of joyful laughter between Lev and Abby, while the combatants still lingering in the camp, gather in relative confusion. The soldiers murmur among themselves, and you’re suddenly overwhelmed by the worry of what to do with your hands.

“What now?” you ask.

Abby dips her head before finding your gaze. “I don’t know. We head back home.”

“What—what exactly happens when we do that?” you stammer.

“Well, we ask the boss how to handle you,” she says. “Maybe get this kid a bite to eat.” She gestures at Lev but locks her eyes on yours.

“Is your boss the scorched earth type? Because we didn’t mean to hurt anyone, and I’m not looking to walk us headfirst into trouble.”

She tucks a tuft of hair behind her ear, tidying up the mess you made of her low ponytail. Abby looks nothing like the frail human you found at the water’s edge. She is a mighty force, restored and rosy-cheeked.

Your fingers are a pretzel, and she studies the way you twist them together to soothe your nerves.

“I’ve got you,” Abby says. “Both of you.”

“What about your boss?”

“Right. Scorched earth and whatnot,” she smirks. “I think you’re safe for now.”

“You think? Well, that’s great.”

If you grab Lev and run for the hills, you might have a fighting chance at survival. Perhaps you’re overestimating your ability to outrun this absolute behemoth of a woman, but you’ve never been one to throw in the towel.

Abby orders her group to call for transportation and to prepare to move locations. They all seem to scatter in the wind, gathering supplies and organizing their gear.

Oh.

“You’re the boss,” you say.

“Yes ma’am,” she says, stripping off her sweater and handing it to you. Underneath is a tight black shirt you’re loathed to linger on a little too long. “Something like that. Play your cards right, and I might just show you how well we operate.”

Lev beams at you. “You can trust her,” he says.

Abby gave you the shirt off her back—that counts for something. You turn it over in your hands and there’s a patch stitched neatly below the collar. You skim over it with the pad of your thumb and let out a deep breath.

----------

The drive to their settlement calms your racing heart. Despite a serious reluctance to leave yourselves vulnerable, there’s comfort in an armed and disciplined group surrounding you.

Abby and Lev shift between gabbing and sharing their stressful trials and tribulations. You overhear bits and pieces about the weeks leading up to their separation and it adds up to exactly the state you found them in. You try to mind your business, but the journey Abby traversed just to get both feet on the road to recovery captivates you.

She slept for nearly a week after reuniting with the Fireflies. You suspect she battled profound grief the moment her eyes opened back up. If Lev’s own voyage is anything to go by.

“You like cats?” Abby asks. It isn’t until Lev elbows you that you realize she didn’t mean the question for him. “You know, with the whiskers and the purring?”

“No, I know,” you say. “Uh—yeah. I mean, it’s been a minute since I’ve spent time with any. Cats are alright.”

She chews on your answer without breaking eye contact.

Heat creeps up your neck.

“Cool,” she grins.

You need a quick distraction and make a point of staring through the windshield, sitting rod straight in your seat. You swear you hear Abby chuckle in tiny, quiet puffs of air, but it’s simpler to concentrate on the weathered trail nature has reclaimed.

“Almost there,” Abby says, tapping on the driver’s shoulder. “We’re going to hang back for a bit. I’ll bring them around in the morning.”

He nods and surveils you through the rearview mirror.

“Hang back where? You’re not separating us,” you say. “I’m staying with Lev.”

“Easy,” she warns, but she appears oddly gratified by your proclamation before giving Lev a nudge. “Quite the guard dog you’ve got here, huh?”

Your antics, as usual, amuse Lev. “Yeah, we’re not a bad team.”

“I can see that. Got room for one more?” she asks.

Lev grins, and before you know it, you’re the three musketeers.

The military vehicle lurches to a squealing stop, and you’re ushered onto a driveway overrun by weeds. Beyond it is a decaying structure snaked through with vibrant vines. Broken windows reveal the interior’s abandonment, but on the porch, a beautiful wind spinner catches the light.

“It’s a little rough, but it’s got potential,” Abby explains. “Good bones, as my dad would call it.”

“You live here?” you ask.

“I do. Well, sort of. I’m needed in town, so I stay there sometimes, but I’m trying to build something more permanent, I guess. I was going a little nuts without a project.”

A makeshift greenhouse rests to one side of the property, busy nurturing plants and vegetables you notice through the glass. Your stomach growls.

“Plenty of that to go around,” she says, nodding at her garden. “Venison too. We just got back from a buck hunt, so you’re right on time.”

“I could eat a whole deer,” Lev groans.

“Oh, yeah? I might be able to arrange that,” Abby chuckles. The steps that lead to her front door are rickety and she reaches her hand out for you to grab.

You hesitate before accepting her assistance.

“Thanks,” you breathe. “I’m pretty clumsy.”

“I figured,” she says, and her smile rivals the wind spinner.

Abby is a gorgeous woman, and the acknowledgment of it deposits a hard lump in your throat that you’re forced to swallow around. If you hold her hand all the way into the living room, it’s strictly for safety reasons.

“Home sweet home,” she announces, dropping her arm around Lev’s shoulders. “You’re getting tall, kid.”

“And you owe me a deer if you want me to keep growing,” Lev says. He leans into her and your heart squeezes.

Their bond gives you hope that chosen family still matters in this world.

Abby gives him a playful shove toward the staircase. “Go grab a shower, Goober. You stink.”

Pure excitement breaks out all over his face and he’s upstairs in record time. You haven’t set up camp near fresh water in ages and the thought of a hot bath is ecstasy.

“Any chance you’ve got a tub?” you ask, toeing at the dusty carpet.

“You bet,” she says. “I’ve gotta be honest—I didn’t take you for a bath girl, but it makes sense. Being clumsy and all.”

“You’re quite the comedian.”

“That’s what they call me. Abby, the comedian,” she titters. “The water tank is about as magnificent as this house, but it’ll do the trick if you wait a while. I can boil some water if you want.”

You fidget, and she picks up on your lack of enthusiasm. It’s a long-broken habit to accept any favours.

“It’s the least I can do,” Abby continues, and she mirrors your anxious hands.

“I tried to rob you.”

She draws her bottom lip between her teeth and steps closer. A breeze drifts through the fractured window and lifts her woodsy scent. An intoxicating blend of fresh pine needles and the sea helps your shoulders drop from your ears.

Abby raises a slow hand to your chin. “I’m sorry we did this.”

“You did nothing. I earned it.”

When she disappears into the other room, you take inventory of the few luxuries she’s placed around her home. A shelf packed with war-torn medical books. Another, littered with novels and wrinkled magazines. Oddball lamps, placed strategically around furniture to indulge her hobbies.

Maybe the two of you have more in common than you expect.

“Here!” Abby announces, and you jump nearly an inch off the ground. “Shit, sorry—I didn’t mean to spook you.”

“It’s fine.”

She flames up into a crimson red, peppered down her neck and onto her collarbone. “Sit down,” she orders, gesturing to a lonely Lawson chair. “Please.”

“Why?” you ask.

When she huffs in what you can only perceive as annoyance, you fight back a smile. Lev and Abby share characteristics only you would likely notice. Little idiosyncratic behaviours buried from the naked eye.

“I’d like to clean that up for you, if you’ll let me.”

“Is it that bad?”

Abby winces. “I don’t want it to get infected. An ounce of prevention, a pound of cure. It’s more relevant than ever lately.”

You amble past the couch and pause when you hear her slide a chair across from yours. It’s shrill as it drags across the floor, and your breath catches.

“You startle easily,” she says, and it’s to herself more than anything—reminiscent of a doctor taking notes to save in your personal file folder. “I promise I won’t hurt you, okay? Please let me take care of this. I’ll be gentle.”

“Gentle Abby. Any association with Comedian Abby?”

“They’re one and the same. I’m extremely dynamic.”

Your uncertainty fades as you drop onto the reading chair. It’s rather comfortable for a piece of furniture you suspect is on the wane. She taps your outer thighs, and you make room for her between your knees.

“Wow. You’re pretty confident for a nerd,” you tease. “Do they know their boss reads romance?”

Her mouth quirks up into a half-smile. “You’re awful nosey for a scaredy cat.”

“I’m observant,” you correct. “One of many skills I’ve gained.”

“Now who’s the cocky one?”

Lev, for an archer of stealth, shocks you both into submission with his thunderous jaunt down the stairs. His hair is a porcupine, sticking up in every direction. Haircuts have been sparse and poorly done with a dull knife until now, but it has made for some funny conversation along the way.

“Can I eat?” Lev asks, making his way into the kitchen. Cupboard doors squeak open and closed, and he hollers to make up for the distance. “Oh man, look at all this food! What’s this brown leather stuff?”

The corners of Abby’s eyes crinkle as she gazes up at you. She hollers back, “Jerky.”

“Can I eat it all?”

Abby’s glee strikes a match to your chilly skin and melts you like ice. You want her to take her time mending your wounds and the thought sets free a butterfly net of flutters between your ribs.

“Knock yourself out,” she shouts.

“What does that mean?” he shouts back, muffled by the jerky you suspect he has shoved into his mouth with both fists.

Abby wrings out the cloth she’s been using to clean the dried blood from your face. She soaks it in a basin of warm water before repeating the process, pressing it to your lower lip. Your eyelids fall as she dabs and glides the spongy cotton along your chin, collecting stray droplets of water as they escape down your neck.

“Is this okay?” she murmurs. “Does it hurt?”

It’s a concerted effort to speak. “No.”

She stops.

“I mean, yes, it’s okay. It feels good—or you know. It doesn’t feel bad.”

Hidden behind your sleepy eyelids, you avoid the embarrassment of your tangled words. Her hand cradles your jaw as her breath chills your wet skin. A deep ache blooms at your core and you catch yourself squeezing your knees against her in response.

It has been a lifetime since you’ve experienced euphoria from human connection. You gnaw on the lip she’s trying to mend, and she delicately scolds you.

“Tired, sweetheart?” she murmurs, and you’re fading fast.

Staying alive has cost you the lavishness of meaningful rest. Inside the walls of Abby’s peaceful home, knowing that Lev is safe, you are losing the resolve to combat sleep. You whimper as the heat of her body abandons you, but before you can protest, you’re off the chair and in her embrace.

“What’s wrong?” Lev asks. “What’s happening—she’s okay, right?”

Abby’s whisper reaches your ears, but your energy has drained from every muscle. “She’s okay. Exhaustion has a way of catching up. I’m going to get her to bed.”

“Good idea,” you hear Lev say. “Make sure a blanket covers her feet. She won’t stay asleep if you don’t.”

“Gotcha. Thanks,” Abby says.

The creak of the old wooden stairs and a pair of powerful arms lull you into a potent slumber.

#abby x you #abby x reader #abby the last of us #abby tlou #tlou 2 #abby anderson #abby x fem!reader #abby x y/n

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tearsofthefilmreviews · 2 months

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I AM A FAN OF MADAME WEB AND HERE’S WHY - REVIEW

Madame Web is perhaps the most controversial and hated of Sony’s attempts into this universe. I went into this hoping to like it, but having in the back of my head that I might not. My friend predicted a 2/10 or 8/10 from me…and let’s just say it definitely came out in the higher end of things for me. I’ll start this review off with the main negative that loses the film points, and then get into the great stuff it has to offer, and why I think it is an overhated film.

Without further ado…

-The Main Negative-

Our villain, Ezekiel, is the main cost of points. This is mainly due to writing issues with him and the performance being the most lacking of the film, and his vocals feeling too overdramatized. It feels off at times and serviceable otherwise. This is my main criticism of the film, and caused a decent chunk of point loss due to it. There isn’t much else to say in this respect besides the villain overall is messily handled compared to the rest of the film. It’s unfortunate, but it didn’t ruin the film for me whatsoever; it just made it not a 9/10.

-The Technicals-

Before getting into the narrative and acting, I want to touch on the filmmaking aspects of Madame Web. There are a lot of interesting shots and visual effects employed through the film; particularly, whenever we see Cassie’s visions of the future playing out, as well as moments replaying themselves around her, I thought it was very visually interesting and engaging, and really sold the chaos that she must be feeling as this all goes on, and the deja vu that is remarked on. It was honestly one of my favourite aspects of the film, and I am happy it was used to its potential and not just discarded after one use; we see many moments like this through the film. I’ll go into detail on two scenes in particular and why I thought they were executed fantastically.

(Diner Scene)

This scene is one of the highlights of the film, as is the other scene I’ll get into below. The diner scene has both its moments that felt great, and also some quite funny moments. A chunk of it is to the tube of Britney Spears, and there’s what feels like a clearly intentional hilarity to this big, dramatic fight sequence happening with a pop song in the background. I also thought the cinematography during this scene was great, and the transition when Cassie gets stabbed is honestly super satisfying visually. It is another great example of the future sight and rewind powers being used to great effect, and it also uses the setting in a good way. It’s also the prime example of Cassie starting to really come into her powers, as she changes the future that she herself witnessed and participated in; changing the timeline of the web that she and the girls are in. I also really like the lighting in this sequence, between the dark forest roads and the diner itself, the atmosphere of each location is sold clearly. This goes for the whole film as well.

(Metro Scene)

This scene is also excellent, and is a fantastic showcase of the editing prowess in the film. Its mind-bendy in such a fun way. In particular I am talking about when Cassie and the girls are all on the train, and Cassie is seeing the girls dying over and over, as they get on and the conflict begins to kick into gear. It really does a wonderful job of showing how chaotic it is at first for her, having these visions of the future, as things are much more fragmented here than say, in the climax. The train passes by multiple times, people repeating lines and sitting, visions of the deaths…it all blends into a great, chaotic inciting incident as Cassie’s responsibility becomes the girls’ safety. The scene is one of the better ones from Ezekiel too, as is the above diner scene.

(More technical details)

I think there are a lot of interesting - and sometimes funny - shots and editing moments in the film. In particular, the funniest moment has to be the dramatic setup to Cassie trying to climb on walls like a Spidey, only to slump down along the wall to the floor, the dramatic music cutting out as she does so. The film has a very solid script in my opinion; a couple of moments that falter, but they are very few and far between. I really like a lot of the cinematography of scenes in general; it looks very nice, and is visually engaging. There’s many great stills from this film that I can pick out easily, and will definitely apply as wallpaper and profile pictures sometime in the future, when more become easily available online. I really like the visual style the film is able to keep throughout, particularly aided by the cinematography and editing, as well as very solid colour grading.

i think that Sony finally got super-suits down well in this film; they all look very good and fit the characters well…Julia’s in particular, and Ezekiel’s is honestly quite good-looking as well.

Overall the film is fantastic in the technical department, and is directed quite well save for a couple of oddities with the lesser performances, described below.

-Narrative and Performances-

First off, let us get the obvious out of the way. Dakota Johnson absolutely kills this role throughout, and I also especially enjoyed the performances of Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor, though out of the three the show-stealer is definitely Sydney, who nails the awkward, geeky personality. Costuming was also on point all around; I really liked Cassie’s outfits for the whole film, and Julia’s sweater getup is gorgeous. But yes, they carry the film to upper heights with their portrayals of these characters, and Dakota Johnson continues to cement herself as a great actor. She brings a great energy to the film. Also, I do need to mention that again, Ezekiel’s performance is the weakest, followed by Ben Parker, who doesn’t do much and is more just fine than negative-leaning.

As for the narrative itself, I honestly do quite like the direction they took it. It is interesting and fun, and also really develops Cassie’s character very well, as well as those of the girls. It is to the film’s benefit that they didn’t give the girls their powers yet, because it allowed us to explore their characters before they even have that concept in their heads, as well as truly leaving more room for Cassie’s character development and coming filly into her powers by the climax. Not having the same physical strength sort of powers, Cassie has to be quite clever about solving the conflict since she cannot do a physical fight, and I thought that the filmmakers pulled that off super well; she absolutely outsmarts the villain, and I liked the fact that her powers, while incredibly powerful, aren’t all she needs to win the day. She has to think on the dot as well, and really shows how far she comes from the beginning to the end. She becomes more open as a person as well, less awkward in the ending than she is in the beginning, something that Julia comments on after their initial escape. I also found the moment where Cassie sees her mother’s past very touching, especially when she gets to hug her mother. I do also want to touch on the resolution of the film, and in particular, the moment where the girls revive Cassie after she falls into the water and is blinded. It’s a very well-formed moment, and also a strong foreshadowing example; earlier in the film, Cassie taught them CPR, and it comes into play in a strong way by the end. Thematically the film’s mainly about controlling your fate, and having agency in your life. It also makes a clear connection between its main characters besides simply being acquainted; they have all gone through some form of familial hardship, and are able to further their bond because of that. The girls, while maintaining their agency, also learn to think before they act, particularly forwarded by the diner scene.

I really liked the tone that the film had throughout. It’s very engaging, while having fun and funny moments in there as well. The film, to me, really all comes together through the different aspects of it, and makes for a great experience with a compelling lead and interesting narrative that uses the Marvel universe well. I also consider this film overhated, a term I don’t use very lightly. It has so much going for it that films like Venom and Morbius never had, so that fact it is being compared to those (in a way that’s despite them being made by the same company) is kind of crazy to me, let alone being called worse than Morbius. Dakota Johnson’s performance alone makes this film better than the rest by a lot, in my opinion. I know I will be in the minority to be so positive towards Madame Web, and I am fully fine with it, because I do genuinely like so damn much about this film.

-Cassie-

I do wish to get into Cassie’s character before closing off this review. Cassie is a very interesting character, and the way she discovers her powers is intricately linked to it all. She discovers them when she quite literally dies, and begins to see everything in the future, including much foreshadowing for the film itself. She’s both selfless and reserved; her occupation involves saving and helping lives, yet she is quite awkward when appreciation is shown for it. She also has her priorities straight in her head though; she saves the girls and helps protect them despite being initially frustrated with the turn of events. She scolds them after the diner scene for getting themselves into danger, but its at that point that we see how much she clearly has come to care for them, despite her frustrations. She defeats the villain not just with her powers, but with her own cleverness that she demonstrates throughout the film.

-Conclusion-

Overall, Madame Web is a film I am very happy with, and it held up wonderfully on the rewatch. There’s a lot that I like about it in the technical side as well as the narrative side, and though it isn’t perfect, the lead performances along with the other strong aspects - particularly cinematography, narrative and editing - make this the best Sony Universe film, and a great film in its own right. Interesting ideas and characters as well. I’m a fan!

8.2/10 —> 4.1/5

#films #madame web #dakota johnson #sydney sweeney #sony #spider woman #unpopular opinion

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crystal-crax · 4 months

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A RANT:

THE NEON LEON

(I) A rise to leadership

Pun intended bc Leo would love it

Has this been done yet? Of course, but i love ranting about my favorite characters and boy, rise tmnt has so much to rant about (well, the whole tmnt franchise has enough material to speak for HOURS buttt rise lives forever in my heart so yeah i'm biased). Might talk about mutant mayhem in the future idk.

Leonardo Hamato/Splinterson has always been the leader, the one that carries the weight of carrying the team and following splinter's steps as the next "head" of the family (as said by splinter in the 2012 tmnt). And yeah in much of the versions of the turtles, this is a very important aspect of his personality, it's his literal purpose; it's the catalyst for a lot of the narratives and storylines seen across the tmnt universe: His fights with Raph, his anxiety, his inferiority complex, his constant wish to be better, how he sometimes neglects (or simply goes against?)his brother's feelings in order to keep them and the team itself safe.

Being the leader is both the weight and medal that comes with being Leonardo, that sisyphean task that we will always see try to accomplish over and over again.

So if we want to explore why he is a great leader... shouldn't we take that weight off his shoulders?

And that my people, it's what rise does perfectly. The best way to prove that Leo is a great leader? To show us how he can handle the team from the shadows, let us see how well he knows his team's strengths and shortcomings.

But don't just make him want to be the leader, no no, show us why we should all trust him to.

First of all: Leo panicking at the face of danger, might be useful sometimes.

Honest to god: i think the rise writers and animators are amazing. They're so GOOD at showing us important pieces of the characters even without directly saying it.

First of all, he doesn't have a fight or flight response because he straight up waves his ōdachi directly at anything that attacks him and his brothers (bro has kill om sight sense, he literally sliced warren one time, remember?). He will always have the advantage, even when surprised. Also the way he lightens up the situation with his witty banter and one liners when stress is too much? Extra points for keeping team morale up👍

Or in a different case, leo's panic when the mad dogs get in trouble upon a stronger rival. Why is it great? Because even though he's losing his absolute shit, he's able to act and take the next conscious step; even when it's used for laughs: He calls for his father when his family is in danger. It may sometimes be a funny gag ; like in "Flushed but never forgotten" or soul fucking wrenching like when they're attacked by shredder and RAPH IS PROTECTING DONNIE AND LEO SCREAMS AND I- *ehem*. But he knows splinter it's capable of defending them, he trained them after all (this may be arguable when talking about season 1 splint but well, he still recognizes his father as a ninja and his master).

And thus, the next marvel of Leo:

B) He's completely aware of the team's abilities

He's a middle child, he has seen everything, and the most perfect example of it: Many unhappy returns.

BOY IF THAT'S NOT THE MOST AMAZING DEMONSTRATION OF LEO'S LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY IDK WHAT ELSE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR

He trusts his siblings completely, sure he looks out for them and supports them when needed (while being sarcastic about it), but he knows they're amazing at the hero thing.

I wouldn't doubt it if Splinter; being with Leo most of the episode saw just how in control he was of the situation and went: "dude...why are you not the one leading the team? You're...actually so smart wtf????"

C)He knows how to dial down his brother's enthusiasm and calls out his father's faults (and sometimes hypocrisy)

Remember the paper thieves episode?

That's peak leader Leo

The whole team was full on trying to get killed for the lols, and what does he do? Pulls them to the side and explains why they should start with something more simple and gives a speech on why focusing on the "easier task" it's still a good hero job (look out for the small/weaker ones, right?)

Not only that, but he's the one that constantly calls out his dad's mess ups, remaining by his brother's side and defending them (THIS IS NOT A SPLINTER SLANDER, I'M SAD DAD SUPPORTER AND I WILL TALK ABOUT IT LATER) seen as one of the YouTube shorts or when splints nags then about keeping secrets from him: he stands for his team, "you are not supposed to do that/you do the same thing you yell at us for"

He both inspires and defends his team, and hey; a leader is not the one that orders, but the one that motivates and supports you.

D) He's their personal hype man

Cue back to point B, he is amazed by his siblings abilities, even if he dies hide it sometimes. Remember when mikey wanted to go on a solo mission? He's fully on board and never doubts mikey is in control of the situation (sure he does go to "save him" with the others later on but come on, you all heard the call and saw Raph panicking. He trusts him but he's still his little brother y'know?)

He knows Donnie is an absolutely genious and is completely aware of Raph's dedication to the hero gig and responsability.

April and Splints? He knows they're completely capable of holding their own and willingly helps them when the situation calls for it.

And this is it please be free to add anything you might like and tell me if i'm making sense??? Idk i just love him a lot😞

HECK EVEN CASEY, A LITERAL BOY HE JUST MET. He is aware of casey's passion and abilities; i mean, if his own future self trusts him as the only one capable to fix everything, why shouldn't he?

Conclusion: Leo quite literally grew to deserve the role of the leader.

#tmnt #tmnt rant #rise of the tmnt #tmnt 2018 #rottmnt #rotmnt #rise leo #thanks for coming to my rant #rant post

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thepaperpanda · 2 years

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𝓓𝓪𝔂 13 - Blur The Lines || Steven Grant x fem!reader

Masterlist

Summary: You are best friends with Steven Grant. Even though you enjoy your friendship, you decide to blur the lines.

Warnings: smut (handjob, cumming without penetration)

Word count: 1137

Author: Rouge

A/N: the prompt for today is: Masturbation

Steven Grant is my best friend of many years. Sweet, smart, and with a dry wit that makes you laugh; measured and considered; he is the most level-headed person I've ever known.

I find this appealing, and it's one of the reasons I like him so much. Although I know he wouldn't blur our carefully drawn friendship, I yearn for it. I want to shock him so that he loses his composure and I can feel his desire for me. However, I feel insecure about the fact that he doesn't seem to be even slightly interested in me; I can describe a whole sexual encounter and Steven won't even raise an eyebrow.

It is not that I have tried to seduce him, but I have decided to change that. In this story, I'll tell you how I tempted Steven to cross our boundaries.

It was a hot summer night and I was staying at Steven's flat. On a visit to London, I crashed on his floor since we lived in different cities.

Our day was amazing and we really connected; we talked about work, health, and minds. It felt so good to be so close to him emotionally, but I wanted to be that close to him physically as well. When we got back to his flat after a walk, I decided to tease him a little.

The summer dress I was wearing was green and floaty. As we sat on the floor chatting, I pulled my knees in, exposing my underwear to him; Steven glanced at my knickers a few times, but didn't seem concerned at all.

I decided to take a less subtle approach at that point. "Steven," I began, my voice light, "What do you think about when you masturbate? Do you watch a lot of porn?"

A little frown appeared on Steven's face as he held my gaze. This question was slightly out of the blue, but it wasn't really outside of our normal conversational limits. A sigh escaped his lips as he replied, "Really, I don't know. I sometimes watch porn, but I feel like it's getting a bit old."

The sight of him looking unnecessarily weary for our age hurt my heart a little. He's been clearly unlucky in love and hasn't really had much intimacy with others; I couldn't help but move closer to him. My intention was to be more direct, "Sometimes I fantasize about cuddling you while you touch yourself. Would you be open to that?"

His eyes met mine; his lips parted a little, but he did not appear upset; rather, he appeared curious. "Y/N, you know how much I love you, but I don't want to lose our friendship."

The solemnity of his speech made me laugh a little. "Who's talking about losing this friendship? We're so close, I just want to show that closeness." As I gauge his reaction, I smile lovingly. "No romance, just plenty of sexiness."

Steven smiled and nodded slowly as well. As he considered the idea, he kept calm as ever, nodding in approval. "A physical expression of friendship, no romance, only sex... I guess I can see that..."

"So?" I asked lightly.

He smiled and nodded, "Then let's try it. You need to spoon me."

We almost raced to his bed after laughing. Taking him close between my legs, I sat behind him. My lips were right by his ear, and I whispered to him to pull out his cock as I knelt up to view his crotch.

Suddenly, he looked nervous, but did as I said, his cheeks blushed.

Having been best friends for so long, I knew he appreciated women who could take charge a little. The size of his cock surprised me; it's gorgeous, long, and slightly girthy. I gently caressed him.

I breathed instructions into his ear and he became harder.

Having moved my hands away from him, I didn't need to say anything more; any initial shyness was gone as Steven's lust intensified. He started to stroke his full length as I whispered sweet nothings into his ear.

As he shared this moment with me, I felt myself getting nice and wet. Steven was so vulnerable right now, but we were at ease, our bodies as close as our souls. I slided my hands along his thighs, caressing his legs. Trying to squeeze as close to him as possible, I wanted to soak up his lust until I was dripping. Unconsciously, Steven gasped.

His cologne lingered against my nose as I kissed him along his ear, down towards his neck. It was still possible to see his lovely cock being worked to its full size in his hand.

Slowly and steadily he pumped himself, occasionally playing with his tip with his thumb, but never neglecting the full length of his considerable cock.

Without intending to, I licked my lips; I wanted to get on my knees and suck him off, have him fuck my mouth until I begged him to stop, but this wasn't about me - I needed to focus on him.

"That's it, sweetheart," I whispered to him, my mouth at his ear.

Steven started to pant a little.

"Steven, please, I need you to cum, baby, so bad," I begged him, gently nibbling on his earlobe.

As he leant back into me, he moaned and beat his cock faster.

As I moved my hands along his thighs gently tugging him so he had to spread his legs a little for me, I gently whispered, "That's it, sweetheart. Cum in my arms, baby, I love you so much."

Steven seemed to lose control. I locked eyes with him; he looked desperate, and lust-filled, and completely exposed to me, as his hand manically rubbed at his cock, hard and fast.

I kissed his forehead and caressed his cheek.

Turning to me, he let me hold him.

Over and over, eagerly and desperately, I instructed him to cum for me. He moaned openly, staring at me with desperate, almost devoted eyes.

"I need your cum," I breathed, feeling my wet cunt lips slip against each other as he jerked against me.

In the end, Steven spewed long streams of thick, white cum all over himself.

For the first time, I kissed Steven on the lips, and he responded passionately. The moment I looked down at my best friend, who was covered in his own cum, I was astonished at how sexy and happy he looked.

Scooping up the cum with my fingers, I swallowed as much as I could before licking my fingers clean. There was a sense that I was really his, and he seemed really mine. I had made him happy, and he had given me what I craved the most - hot cum to lick up, while gazing at a man I cherished.

#Steven grant #steven grant x reader #Steven grant x you #Steven grant imagine #Steven grant smut #steven grant x y/n #steven grant drabble #moon knight smut #moon knight x reader #moon knight x you #moon knight imagine #paperpanda kinktober #kinktober 2022

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inflammatoryfandomblog · 11 months

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okay. so voltron’s second season (”seasons” 3-6) were. well.

i have to say that i sort of vastly preferred the first production block. i definitely think the show was more in its element with the episodic “defeat zarcon” stuff than with... to be honest, i have no idea what’s happening.

i mean it started off pretty good. could have gone in a lot of directions. i was interested in the idea of lotor, whose ideology seemed to be a very good contrast to zarcon’s but still seemed to be a good villain. a darker side to the alteans, the fact that the lions can bond to multiple paladins, etc etc etc.

like idk, i know there are people that would take issue with it but it would have been kinda cool if various characters could bond to the different lions sometimes, and the relationship with each one could reveal something about the character. like maybe it would have been a contrast to zarcon, who was hyperfixated on the black lion and thought that because it was the leader, it was the Important One or whatever.

anyways this is called “inflammatoryfandomblog” and it’s time for the griping.

-> the plot is about quintessence, which... the galra empire depends on for some reason, even though it was really the druids we’ve seen use it before, and they were destroying whole planets for the stuff and using it to power zarcon’s little ego “i’m going to get the lions trip.” it’s kind of unclear what else uses it. and i think that’s like my main issue with this season/production block? aside from the S1-like episodes, it feels very muddled and hard to really get into.

i just. am trying to make sense of lotor’s plan. or haggar’s plan. or what they each wanted. or what even what quintessence does. quintessence seems to be like, a... theme-thing... for being too entrenched in the past and what you’ve lost, and so being poisoned by it is losing sight of the present by trying to recreate it. at least that’s what makes the most sense. it’s not, uh, subtle--but it’s not used well enough to relieve it of the Magical Bullshit feeling.

(this is something she-ra has over voltron; whatever plot magic BS happens is generally woven in better, thematically, with adora and glimmer and catra--but this just might be because there’s a lot less characters and she-ra very early on drops the pretense of being political in any way; it’s the type of series that’s very transparent with that--it says “yeah lmao our world doesn’t matter this is basically a basic family story with princess/scifantasy icing”, while voltron is very different in this regard, and so this approach does it no favors, because how it developed its world was a very good selling point for me in the first production block)

like “oh we just offer them more quintessence and they’ll listen to me” seems like a really bad justification for......... anything......... and idk if they even needed that plotline, i feel like lotor wanting to create an “inclusive/fair empire” is a pretty interesting oxymoron without the weird altean magic stuff. that haggar also unlocked. somehow. i wasn’t very invested in it i suppose; it failed to sort of convince me at any point of being true to the setting, which was a real strength of the first season.

-> i remember being miffed at the lack of shiro/lotor interactions (i mean, the lack of interactions sort of gave it away that this shiro was not worth investing into, especially since it was so telegraphed that druidlady was controlling him, but i was annoyed at the time) because i dunno, real!shiro and lotor could have built up an understanding re: being forced by zarcon to do bad stuff. generally the shiro clone plot is very meh, i feel it would have been better if a) the “real” shiro was actually taken to be some sort of trojan or he’s dead and the clone has to reckon with what it means and be an actual character or b) shiro’s spirit guided them and he was a mentor figure the entire way through, only getting back into a body at some point or another.

generally the entire clone plotline was just kind of worse than most possible alternatives to it, including having both shiros be alive and kicking. as it is now shiro is basically the same as the one from the first production block and can’t have changed.

-> for a second, since most of my predictions panned out in some way, that shiro *was* actually going to be zarcon all along. that would have been wild. similarly a very funny alternate universe is one where the gang splits the comet, gives half of it to the evil alteans and half of it to the galra and simply lets them fight.

-> i liked that the characters went off and had lives/missions outside of voltron (or at least, pidge/keith) and had a few episodes dedicated to those. those, aside from the early “season 3″ episodes and the fun one-shot ones were very enjoyable breaks from the mostly incoherent main plot. i had fun watching them instead of being like “hmm. so this is a Thing now” in the Main Story

i really feel that ultra-dramatic storytelling is not these writers’ strong suit. which, fair, i mean, i’m not a writer, but i don’t think it’s a stretch to say that they’re a lot better with episodes with some implications as opposed to long, serialized, dramatic structures as a group. i think it might just be a matter of experience; most cartoons until the 2010s were very episodic, and longer stories just have more production/meddling complications which are non-trivial, whereas with episodes, if something doesn’t work... you can just dump it. but episode-episodes also don’t play well with streaming. just kind of an unfortunate media-landscape conundrum there.

(note that japanese animation for example, while it’s very serialized, most of the time has the benefit of having source material already laid out for it. really the equivalent of something like that are like, comic book shows i guess.)

-> animation is really stellar and action is very good. studio mir is great. they always stick the landing.

-> i guess i like that they tried to do something with the idea of “the evil emperor is dead/gone, now what?” which is kind of a difficult plot to write honestly, especially when the main cast are transformer-power-rangers, it’s not obvious how to make them relevant enough to have the focus on them. (and in classic fashion, i don’t really like making suggestions.)

-> lance is going to get with allura nooooooo. i was really invested in the idea that he defects because of a hot girl. instead he just gets jealous of lotor. the sad thing is i really think they could have been at least good friends (lance/allura). the scene where allura replicates trying to flirt with the blue lion is really funny, and lance bringing out everyone’s goofballness would have been a good variant on his general archetype. instead lance is mostly Annoying and gets a few disconnected Scenes. i can’t even really think of a good lance episode this season.

-> pidge baby though. she’s obviously flawed (esp with the prisoner exchange stuff like wth lady) and like. the main plot is dead to me at this point. but i really liked her side episodes. same with keith etc etc.

-> predictions for next season (if i get around to watching it):

-> 1. sendak (zendak?) invades earth. “YOU EARTHLINGS DEFEATED ME LIKE A CHUMP... LOOK WHO’S THE CHUMP NOW???” -> 2. allura and coran start a cow extermination policy -> 3. everyone gets sent to a mental institution and they have to break out -> 4. haggar does some quintessence bullshit and tries to revive lotor or whatever. zombie lotor is horribly mangled and rips a hole through reality again! -> 5. shiro binge-watches all the series he’s missed in the time he’s been dead. he likes kdramas or wuxia. not anime though. -> 6. ?????? lance becomes embroiled in cuban politics. just randomly. (he’s the one who likes anime.)

#vld #reactions #me.txt #begone thought #maybe #i feel like it's really not THAT bad.#i don't really understand the fans' hate for it. to me i sort of got more or less what i expected.#i mean there are worse series out there that promise more upfront #i didn't particularly expect this show to be very Deep and the plot is blockbuster movie basically. maybe b-movie.#i like the action. i like the ideas. the main plot kinda bad though #which is like. honestly. most action shows.

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tatiejosie · 6 months

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Bella/Mandrake trauma processing comic

That one's a little older than most of my projects, but it was my first time approaching the sore, complicated topic of Earwig's disband! I have straight-up nothing sketched out for this one.

After a movie night, Bella wakes up on the sofa, stuck right between a still-sleeping Earwig and Mandrake. As they find themselves adjusting to this newfound family life, they reflect on the evolution of their relationship across the years.

CW: very tuned-out, implied nsfw content.

Bella wants to stretch, but she’s tangled with Mandrake, Earwig, and the cat - ultimately, she decides that it’s just not worth it to disturb them. She pauses awkwardly, not knowing what to say, and looks up at Mandrake.

B Seems like we didn’t make it through the whole movie last night, eh…? M I did. You didn’t miss a lot. B … Oh. Well, little miss girlie here will probably want to catch up on the rest of the movie anyway… M But she stayed until the end. You’re the first one who fell asleep.

Bella is dumbfounded.

B Huh…? B-but… … Wait, what are we doing here then? You two didn’t bother to wake me up at the end?!

Mandrake observes Earwig quietly.

M I think… Dearwig just liked it here. She preferred to stay on the couch for the night because she had the occasion to sleep with us.

Bella is visibly flustered, fumbling for words.

B …O-oh, um… M I believe her… when she claims that she loves me. Are you still struggling to see that this girl loves you too?

------

M were you seriously considering that I didn’t… love you anymore?

Bella scoffs. She’s searching for her words. She doesn’t want to hurt Mandrake, but she’s struggling to translate her feelings into tactful sentences.

M You can be honest with me. (you have to.)

Bella loses patience and promptly abandons the diplomatic route.

B … It’s not like you were prone to show it in the first place. Y’know, even before- before all that…

Bella stiffens a little when she mentions the “before” part. She ditches her sentence.

B [sighs] I’m not resentful of you for that, I promise.

Mandrake stays quiet, expressionless as usual.

B For what it’s worth, it’s probably my fault.

------

She thought about the miserable decade that they spent under the same roof, going through some sort of growing, excruciating estrangement. It was almost like a punishment for what happened in the past. Some sort of constant reminder that she might have screwed up. It kind of reinforced this feeling, in a way. She was distanced and isolated and miserable… and at her lowest point, she was even convinced that she deserved it. At best, she felt an abstract sense of freedom, safely out of his aim/sight as she obeyed him and maintained everything in order for him to be satisfied. At worst, she felt shackled with fear. The crippling fear that he could let go of her at any moment, for any reason. The gut-wrenching feeling of being scrutinised every minute of the day. How much it could hurt when he broke into another scorching meltdown.

----

They still shared some things, after all. A roof, a few carefully timed moments embedded by his routine, meals of his choice. An occasional touch. Touch that sometimes delved into more than just touch, initiated by nothing else than serendipity. Still under the strict, implicit rule that nothing other than primal responses were allowed. No words, no discussion. They ride out each other’s climax, they let go of each other, then they part ways and pretend that nothing happened.And Bella would hang on to these few shared moments as if her life depended on it.

—-

Bella is startled.

B … m… me?

Mandrake considers his words.

M Since we broke off the band…

Bella holds her breath. It might be too much.

M I know you were hurt. And I know you’re still hurting.

Bella shuts her eyes.

M Yet, you kept moving on. That… I just couldn’t do. I was so distraught, I think I’ve lost myself. And I was most definitely drifting away, but… your presence kept me anchored in reality. I think, In the end… I had you to look out for. But I just wasn’t ready… or brave enough… to come back to you.

Mandrake pauses for a bit. He sighs.

M I’m… still wondering why you kept holding on to m-

B Why would I ever want to let you go?!

#earwig and the witch #.erwg #dusting off my old scripts for angst #i also made a tag for these bc theyre very important to me #making bella miserable is my favourite thing to write ever. i want her to be in soooo much pain #probably very ooc because its old and im delusional

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thelediz · 7 days

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Sonic Underground 06: The Price of Freedom

I’m watching Sonic Underground in search of inspiration to finish a fic I’ve been writing forever. It’s a sad state of affairs. See the recap of the first three episodes here, if you're interested!

This is episode 6: The Price of Freedom, which is Sonia’s world building episode! It shows a little bit of how the aristocrats live, and what they have to be willing to do, consciously or not, to maintain their lifestyle.

The plot (for want of a better word): Frustrated with life on the run, Sonia goes to visit her best friend Mindy LaTour. Mindy reveals her latest project: fashion watches! But not all is as it seems! It turns out Robotnik has been using Mindy’s watches to spy on her customers. Will Sonia be able to help her friend escape Robotnik’s machinations?

THE DRAMA.

Sonia has a new outfit! It is immediately ruined, along with her bike. RIP both.

I actually vibe with Aleena’s narration this time. She points out that you can get so caught up in running that you lose sight of why running is worth it. It’s important to take breaks and remind yourself of why you do things that you do. …like watching a show to remind you why you started writing a fic twenty years ago. …huh…

ANYWAY.

Sonia… sweetheart, they are the authorities. Them calling 911 will do nothing. Also, you’re on Mobius, there is no such thing.

Honestly, I know they’re dumb boys in a 90s cartoon, but if Sonic and Manic could show just the slightest hint of emotional empathy to their frustrated sister right now, I would be so impressed. Though it is nice that they’re cheering her win rather than mocking the fact she got stuck in a tree.

But to be fair, she gets personal before they do. And then proceeds to forget that she’s a literal fugitive to go visit her best friend.

I love Mindy and her father as world building devices, by the way. Because it’s again quite believable: raised taxes as a result of Robotnik ramping up his efforts against the resistance means the idle rich can’t afford to be idle, and Mindy’s father is forced into corrupting his own daughter’s design to make surveillance equipment, or (as Bartleby saw with Lady Windemere) they both risk robotocisation. If they choose principles instead, they immediately have to go on the run. They give up their lives, their homes, everything they have, with no particular reason at this point to believe they’ll survive. It’s… a lot to risk.

I am not a fan of Sonia’s nightmare however. It feels like time filler which could easily have been spent with Sonic and Manic following SWATbots to the factory, or discussing Sonia and her lifestyle choices, or whether she really belongs in the resistance – you know, world building?

Anyway, stop thinking, LeDiz, Sonic and Sonia are somehow talking through their medallions, despite Sonic wearing his medallion. One of these things is an animation error and I am not going to ask which. They make up and it’s as cute as you can expect from this show.

The SONG: Money can’t buy (the things you really need). A rare song to be sung by someone who isn’t a royal triplet! Very um… I mean Mindy’s a whole reference to Cindy Lauper. It shows.

I do love this so much though: “I don’t need manicures!” “You don’t?” “Well, I could cut back! I could definitely cut back!” Sometimes even the Trashfire can be funny.

And she thinks being in the resistance is a game and it annoys Sonic so much and it’s GREAT. I just love Mindy so much…!

Aaaand they are promptly caught and doomed. DISTRESS. Except Sonic’s escaped this time so it’s okay.

Don’t know how he got up to the flying ship, but WE DO NOT QUESTION. He’s here to Save The Day As He Must.

…I was wondering (because it’s been a while since I watched these) what the Hedgehogs were doing to the watches. I am impressed that Manic and Sonic apparently know how to reprogram – normally that would be a Sonia The Accomplished Everything skill, but I suppose Manic’s a wrenchhead and Sonic learned from Uncle Chuck. Stop questioning.

Also don’t know how the watches got up onto the flying ship, but again, stop questioning!

(MegaDrive controller’s a nice touch though)

But Mindy and her dad are now on the run. We will never see them again.

This is not the last time we will see a character that has been manipulated by Robotnik. It was a bit of a running theme. But this episode did a lot to help build the aristocratic perspective in my head, I think. It’s all about choices and perspective, and what you’re willing to risk and for what.

Still a terrible show though, let’s not forget.

But I love Mindy. I LOVE MINDY. She's so terrible and childish and PERFECT at what she is, and she gives great insight into who Sonia was before the Resistance. She's such a powerful world building tool. I so wish we could have seen her again. Ahh, my good show That Could Have Been...

Come back tomorrow for more if you're interested!

#sonic underground #lediz fics #sonic the hedgehog #sonia hedgehog #manic hedgehog #mindy latour #worldbuilding #spoiled rich kids #that aren't really terrible people #they're just sheltered and dumb #and i love her

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huntinglove · 21 days

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Hoi!

How about 😵‍💫 - Who has the weaker stomach, you or your f/o?,

🕳 - Do you know your f/os worst fear? is it something classic like the dark, heights, or more existential than that?,

🪚 - Would your f/o survive a Saw trap? (Yes, there is a Saw amusement park ride. Perfectly valid question.),

🕰 - Who has better time management, you or f/o? Who's showing up ten minutes late no matter what, and who's trying to get ready thirty minutes early?

for all the current mains?

-@redwingedwolves

Hi hi!! Thank you so much for the ask!! I'm gonna answer these for the mains I'm the most focused on right now!!

😵‍💫 - Who has the weaker stomach, you or your F/O?

Charlie has a weak stomach when it comes to gore and rollercoasters, he just can't help it, so I usually keep some medicine for his stomach in hand, just in case something happens!

Sir Pentious is hard to disturb, surprisingly! He may get scared or tense depending on the situation, but it's never gotten to the point of making him nauseous or sick

Simon has a weak stomach to specific foods as well as strong smells, other than that he's fine with pretty much all disturbing sights and even with harsh movements

Jacob would only feel sick to his stomach if something extreme happened to me specifically, and even then, it'd make him see red before anything else.

🕳 - Do you know your F/Os worst fear? is it something classic like the dark, heights, or more existential than that?

Charlie's worst fear is losing all control of himself and being stuck as a secondary character in his own life. He's terrified of the idea that one day Charles will just take over his whole life and that he won't be able to regain control over his own body and personality.

Sir Pentious is generally terrified of pain in most ways, even if he's used to some of it because of his line of work. He flinches and absconds very easily when confronted with the threat of physical pain.

Simon is scared of the idea of losing his mind once again. He's very prone to accidents, especially when it comes to cursed items, and the idea that one day he might just feel himself waking up another thousand years in the future, with no other emotions other than regret and confusion causes him many sleepless nights.

Jacob hates the idea of ending up like his mother in any way, shape or form. It's very haunting for him, especially when hints of her personality make themselves known in himself, her anger and lack of self control flood his mind over any inconvenience. Sometimes, looking at his own reflection can be too much, seeing glances of her in the mirror makes him sick.

🪚 - Would your F/O survive a Saw trap? (Yes, there is a Saw amusement park ride. Perfectly valid question.)

Charlie absolutely would not. His anxiety would get the best of him and he wouldn't be able to remember most of the instructions given to him, if he didn't accidentally activate the trap himself instead.

Sir Pentious would not. He wouldn't take it as seriously as he should, being by himself would make things a lot harder as well, he would most likely try to break himself free fruitlessly until time ran out.

Simon could, in specific cases. It'd take a lot out of him to be able to listen to the instructions while keeping himself from panicking. If it's solely about pain, he'd definitely make it, if it was a juggle between strategy and time, things would be more difficult for him.

Jacob would have a very small chance of making it out alive. If it was a trap set only for himself, he'd be able to keep calm until the very last minute. If it was a punishment trap, he'd sacrifice anyone to make sure he'd escape.

🕰 - Who has better time management, you or F/O? Who's showing up ten minutes late no matter what, and who's trying to get ready thirty minutes early?

Charlie has a bit of time blindness, especially when he's nervous so he tends to be late a lot. I'm usually very early to any plans I have, so I'm his personal calendar and alarm, whenever we have to go to an appointment or head out in general!

Sir Pentious is punctual, he enjoys being on time and considers someone being late as something rude. We're always on time to anything we have planned!

Simon also enjoys arriving early to any plans we have for the day, he always makes some wiggle room in his schedule to make sure we won't be late if something else comes up!

Jacob honestly bases his time management around how important he believes something is. If it's something important to him, he'll show up early and prepared, otherwise he'll get there when he's able to.

#✯ lovely asks #❥ strawberry flavored kisses #❥ inseparable souls #❥ the ice king's princess #❥ be my muse

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severidescigar · 2 years

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She was my best friend - Stellaride

Fandom: One Chicago

Pairing: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd & Leslie Shay

A/N : Pure heartbreak 🥲 my all time favorite one shot I ever wrote.

•••

After Casey moved out of the apartment, Kelly and Stella’s relationship only kept progressing so they decided to start looking for a new place to move in, that would feel more homey and cozy rather than the big industrial loft that still held so many of their memories for the past few years.

With moving came a lot of packing which was the least exciting part of the whole process. As Kelly was out all morning buying some more storage boxes, Stella was left emptying a few last drawers before being completely done. She quickly came across a stack of CDs and one in particular stood out as it had the words ‘The Contract’ written on it. While usually not being one to snoop around, she frowned debating whether she should play it or not, ultimately deciding for it as curiosity took the best of her.

“Is it on? It’s on!” Kelly’s voice echoed through the room as he appeared on the big screen. “The contract, rule number one” a womanly voice could be heard immediatly followed by Kelly’s again “We promise to never get in each other’s business…Rule number two, no matter how much work gets to us we promise to never bring it home.” The camera turned around revealing Shay holding a bottle of tequila and a smile immediatly appeared on Stella’s face. She had never heared Shay’s voice and the only picture she saw of her was the one hanging on the wall at the firehouse, as Kelly did a great job at burying old memories that brought him so much pain. “We should also say that no matter how much life gets to us, we should never bring it to work. Because what we do is so much more important than all this.”

“Is that it? Any other rules?” Kelly could be heard asking as she passed the bottle of tequila to him.

“Just one! That we…we promise to be there for each other…always, no matter what.”

“Always”

Hearing someone clearing his voice behind her Stella jumped at the sight of Kelly standing in the doorway. He’d been there a while watching most of the CD play out.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t trying to snoop through your stuff” she tried excusing herself just to be interrupted by him. “It’s fine, don’t sweat it.” Kelly sat down on the floor next to her, letting a deep breath out and pulling a box out of the drawer filled with pictures.

“You never told me much about her…” Stella said unsure, waiting to see how he’ll react so she’d know whether to drop it or not.

"She was my best friend…the purest soul I ever met, the only person I could trust for the longest time. On her first day at 51, my roommate had just moved out and she said she was looking for a new place to stay…so she moved in with me. We just clicked, like I never clicked with anyone before then…I can’t even explain it. We used to get on each other’s nerves sometimes but at the end of the day we only wanted the best for each other…we never fully respected this contract. When I injured my shoulder once on a call, she’d give me painkillers…took them from ambo and used to blame it on junkies stealing them during inventories. She’d went through so much trouble just because I was hiding an injury that would bench me for a few months…and I was so selfish because never once did I think about the possibility of her losing her job for what she was doing for me. At some point I wasn’t far from being addicted to them…I went cold turkey and in a matter of weeks I was clean…but just because she was there for me and never let me lose my focus. Then her ex showed up pregnant out of the blue, saying she still had feelings for her…which didn’t turn out too good but after that Shay kept saying she wanted a baby so bad and I thought it was some weird phase she was going through, but next thing I know we were at a fertility clinic talking about IVF and all these other procedures, but that fell through too…and that’s one of my biggest regrets, because now I’d still have a part of her here with me. Each time we fought it was because she wanted the very best for me and I didn’t want to listen and she kept pushing…man she was so stubborn. One time there was this bombing at Med, casualties everywhere and she stumbled, impaling herself in some kind of metal sticking out of the debris…she was losing so much blood but she patched herself up and kept working until she passed out…we barely kept her in bed, she wanted to go right back into the action. The days before her death we fought and we made up right before she went in that building…the building I carried her out of. Each morning after that I was waking up going to her room and hoping she’d be there…nagging me about eating her yogurt. You don’t realize how many useless fights you have with someone until they’re gone…you don’t appreciate them enough until they’re not there anymore one day. After her death I dissappeared for a while…I couldn’t go back home or to work, the thought of her was too painful and apparently it still is after all these years. When she died, I know a part of me went with her…something inside of me shifted and I wasn’t the same after that day. I wish you would’ve met her though…she would’ve loved you to the point where she would’ve tried to steal you from me.“ The two shared a laugh as Kelly’s voice slowly became more and more shaky and Stella gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"I wish I’d met her too…I know we would’ve easily hit it off. ” Stella said looking at the pictures in front of her. “I’m sure if she was still here, she would be so proud of who you’ve become.”

“She would’ve kicked my ass so bad, each time the two of us had an argument…or each time I remotely made you upset.” He said as a small smile crept on his face at the thought of Shay scolding him when it came to relationships.

“Do you believe in soulmates Kelly?” Stella asked reciving a confused look from him in return “Because I think she was yours.”

“Then what are you?” He asked turning himself around to face Stella. “Hmm, I don’t know…but soulmates don’t have to be lovers, a soulmate is someone who gets you and connects to you on a level you can’t explain, it’s someone who inspires you to be a better person, someone you can carry with you forever and no matter what happens the love you have for them never dissappears…it’s you and Shay.”

Kelly thought after all these years he’d be able to say more than a few words about her without tears immediately appearing in his eyes, but oh boy he was so wrong. Shay will forever live on in his heart and he promised himself he’d never let her memory be forgotten.

#kelly severide #stella kidd #leslie shay #stellaride #shayveride #kelly severide one shot #kelly severide imagine #chicago fire #kelly severide fanfiction #stella kidd imagine #stellaride one shot #brettsey #upstead #matt casey #sylvie brett #hailey upton #jay halstead #chicago pd

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musashi · 1 year

Text

A Rabid, Song-by-Song Analysis of Turnabout Musical by Someone Who Knows Jack Shit About Music

Track 3: The Objection Song

The Objection Song! I have a confession to make: I don’t often listen to TM all the way through. I did in the beginning—when I had first discovered it, and was absolutely ravenous and couldn’t get enough. But after a couple hundred full listens I realized there were songs I just skipped too often in order to get to my favourites, and that resulted in me making a second playlist that was just more or less a handful of act 1 songs, and pretty much all of act 2. Thus, all my reactions to these act 1 songs will probably be a little less bulky, a little more fresh, because I’ve had less time to meditate on them and think on them. So! The Objection Song, here we go.

A beautiful tutorial of a song. We love Phoenix Wright, doomed to be a video game protagonist, and thus doomed to be a Bar-Certified lawyer who does not know how a cross-examination works. I’m used to the TAAAM version of this song, so listening to it feels a little bit like coming home but someone’s rearranged my furniture. That’s just fine.

Our first taste of Sarah Taranto’s take on Mia (by Aha [i am tazed]) and I forgot how much of a fucking boss she was hitting those high notes. I mean this in the kindest possible way but sometimes when I am listening to her my brain is like “Damn. Now you’re just showing off.” It’s truly a spiritual experience.

Immediately I am struck by how much I just love the arrangement of this song as a whole. It’s so bouncy and lighthearted and I feel like that in itself does an excellent job of setting the mood for how trials tend to be in Ace Attorney. Yes, someone died, and we’re all very upset about that—but while we’re arguing about how it happened, let’s just bring some absolutely fucking insane behaviour into this court of law. For flavour. I think the biggest pet peeve I have when it comes to AA fanworks is when people lose sight of this—yes, AA is a very powerful series about loss, grief, trauma, legacy, karma, and justice… but it is also about love and friendship and light in the darkness, and it is incredibly silly and goofy. Your honour, I plead oopsie daisies. The defense holds that its client be allowed their right to be a silly goose.

All of that is crucial to making a good AA fanwork, or at the very least one I personally find enjoyable. TM, of course, has this in spades.

As the cross-examination starts, we get one of our more obvious incorporations of the game soundtrack! The actual song that plays during cross in the games, Questioning ~ Moderato 2001. This is one of the most recognizable tunes from AA in my opinion, so it’s nice to hear it here! I fucking love whatever the piano is doing here as the contradiction reveals itself. No idea what to call that but it tickles my brain in ALL the right ways.

The desk slam is so POWERFUL. Now’s probably as good a time as any to talk about the foley work in this musical. It’s a little thing that I think goes very overlooked in most mediums, but it is crucial to my love of some of the songs in TM. Whenever there is a chance to incorporate an every-day sound effect, TM will take it more often than not, and that choice, naturally, adds a LOT more life to the world!

Oh wait hold on actually because I’ve just remembered how much I love Chris Zambelis as Larry Butz. There is not a shred of restraint in the way he plays this man, exactly as it should be. Larry’s agonized, despairing cry of ‘GIVE ME THE CHAIR!!!’ in the background is easily my favourite thing about this song. I mean no disrespect to the overall masterpiece of it, but that single moment is the selling point for me. I had completely forgotten until right this moment and just choked on my diet coke. Well done, sir.

There’s Sarah hitting that insane high note again. Is she out there doing great things with that voice of hers? God, I hope so.

I’m a very big fan of… well, honestly, every single harmony that exists in this musical, but there is just something very enchanting about whenever Mia and Phoenix get to sing together! It’s another rant I have planned for a different song, but I absolutely adore how hands-off Mia is in her mentoring in the game—she, like her mentor before her, lets Phoenix come to his own conclusions with some very gentle nudging. This song does an excellent job of representing that and then having them come together in the end—once Phoenix has gotten his wits about him, that’s when they begin their double-team. It’s a delight to listen to.

That’s about all I have to say about this one! Obviously, big shoutouts to Ben Smith as Sahwit, Ami Garrett as Payne, and William Barkley as our Judge :] Their character voices are impeccable, and they do a wonderful job of evoking an image in your head, even for someone who is perhaps not familiar with the franchise, I think~ Overall, The Objection Song does a wonderful job of setting the overall tone for the courtroom drama and sillies that exist within the AA universe. What more can you ask for!

[Turnabout Huh? What do you mean there’s an Ace Attorney Musical?]

<- Track 2 | Track 4 ->

#turnabout musical #pwaa #ace attorney #wendy rambles #colossal waste of time

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thunderprompts · 2 years

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▼ {RP} P r o m p t s & S t a r t e r s from Remedy’s “Control” ▼pt. 1

001. “Fair warning: This is gonna be weirder than usual.” 002. "Can’t be helped.” 003. “You called me, so here I am.” 004. “I know I shut you out sometimes. I’m always glad to hear from you.” 005. “It’s just that... I get my hopes up. So many times it’s led to nothing.” 006. “I’ve found nothing.” 007. “It’s like... we live in a room, and there’s a poster on the wall. We stare at it and we think that’s the whole world, the room... and the poster. The room is a cell. And the picture... it’s different for each of us... [and] we’re all transfixed. But it’s all a lie.” 008. “[It’s all] to distract us from the truth.” 009. “They’re lying to us. We’re lying to ourselves.” 010. “The world is much bigger and much stranger.” 011. “I’m here. Why did you bring me here?” 012. “Yeah. I see it. But what is it? I can... feel it. It resonates.” 013. “The things you show me, my friend.” 014. “I forgot, ‘it’s all in my head,’ right?” 015. “Where is everybody? I need someone to point me in the right direction.” 016. “Certain objects are not allowed inside the Bureau. Recent incidents have necessitated a reminder on prohibited materials.” 017. “This thing... I saw it a long time ago. I keep seeing it in my dreams.” 018. “Federal Bureau of Control... All these years I’ve been looking for them, and they were hiding in plain sight.” 019. “███████████ a shark in his ██████████████████, although secure, ██████████████████████████ permission to ███████████ following basic protocol ███████████████. Shoot to kill. Good luck.” 020. “There you are! You are here about the job.” 021. "I’ve done enough nightshift loner jobs to know it makes us come off weird.” 022. “Better than somebody with no face at all. Think about it: No face.” 023. “They told me I imagined it.” 024. “Did I lose you there for a moment?” 025. “You know what’s on my mind: My baby brother.” 026. “Seventeen years since the men of this Bureau took [my brother.]” 027. “When penning any notifications of death... please adhere to the following guidelines.” 028. “I am not to be disturbed! Cancel all my appointments for the day, for the rest of the week!” 029. “I can’t trust them. Not a single one.” 030. “Shit. Shit shit shit.”

#rp prompts #rp starters #writing prompts #writing starters #dialogue writing prompts #dialogue prompts #written prompts

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sl-newsie · 9 months

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Spelled (Carlos de Vil x Sanderson Daughter) Ch. 18: Broken

Carlos’ POV

Magica’s trying hard to understand, she really is. And I really like that. Most of the others around here couldn’t care less about us, yet she acts as if she’s a villain kid herself sometimes. After she leaves me to go talk to Ben I go find the others in Mal and Evie’s dorm, with everyone looking a bit uneasy and jumpy.

“Um, hey guys.” I wave awkwardly. No one says anything, and Dude answers by licking my nose. “Huh, you’re right, buddy. No one’s happy.”

“Nice family reunion, huh?” Jay chortles darkly. “Not exactly the warm, friendly greeting I was expecting.”

“It’s because we’ve been stuck in this candyland of niceness. They’re our parents, Jay. On the Isle? The one with all the wicked evil and all that? We- we can’t lose sight of what’s important.” Mal seems distant but tries to cover up what’s wrong by turning away to look at her spellbook.

“You want to break Ben’s love spell?” Evie asks when she reads the page Mal’s looking at.

“You’re gonna break the spell?” I panic and nearly drop Dude. “But that means… that means Magica won’t like me anymore!”

Mal shrugs and avoids my gaze. “I just thought keeping Ben under the spell would be a little… mean.”

“You’re the daughter of Maleficent. Since when do you care about being mean?” I rage.

“And you’re the son of Cruella de Vil, yet you’re still hanging around with that goody-goody!”

My hands are in fists, and I’m shaking in a silent rage that threatens to burst.

“Mal, you don’t understand. I’ve found a girl who makes me feel- happy! And she doesn’t care that I’m a VK! I’m not just going to let you ruin my only chance with her just because you suddenly feel guilty.”

“God, Carlos! She already knows about the love spell!” Mal drones in a whiney voice like it’s obvious. “She obviously did something to make it wear off and figured we originally had it planned for Ben.”

I do a double-take. Is she right? How does Mal know the spell wore off? She’s acted as though she loves me, how could she fake it? That would’ve been cruel for her standards, so… Has she really loved me all this time?

“Wait- so everything she’s done, everything she’s said up to this point has been the truth, no spell at all?”

Evie’s sadness melts away and she comes over to take my hand. “Yes, Carlos. Before Ben came to get Mal for their date she warned us not to harm him, along with saying she knew about the love spell. We don’t know how she broke free, but until yesterday afternoon she’s been acting on her own accord. Magica really does love you.”

The hidden forest. Everything she showed me, everything she said… was all because she trusts me. She loves me.

I stagger back a bit and go to sit on the couch, ignoring Jay’s teasing smirk.

“This is a puzzle, huh guys?” I try to lighten the mood and hope someone offers some help, but only Dude tries to help by jumping up to sit on my lap.

“Yeah, and now Magica’s got an edge on us. For all we know she’s probably spilling her guts out to Ben right now!” Mal spurts as she waves her arms frantically.

I shake my head, still staring at the ground while I pet Dude. “I don't think she’ll tell. She would’ve said something earlier to Fairy Godmother, and as long as Magica thinks we won’t hurt Ben then she won’t say anything.”

Evie tries to stay calm and takes a deep breath. “Let’s just get through this stupid family day without the whole operation turning into an exploding powder keg. We can’t afford any more mistakes. Our parents are counting on us.”

“I’m not sure I like that,” Jay comments from across the room. “After seeing how different Auradon is from the Isle, are we still on board with this? This whole… betraying and stealing routine?”

Mal scoffs. “This coming from Jafar’s son? I thought backstabbing and stealing was your hobby.”

Jay gets up to argue but I block him with my arm, while Evie stands in the center of the room with a stern look.

“Everybody be quiet! Listen to us! We can all agree that being brought here has changed us, and we’ve all found something or someone that’s made our lives brighter. But Mal’s right. We can’t lose focus of what’s important.” She pauses and looks outside at the darkening sunset. “Right now we’ve got to get through tomorrow, so let’s all just go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. We’ll regroup in the morning.”

I wish it weren’t true, but I’m more scared of my mother than the authorities here. I just wish Magica didn’t have to come between the middle. But I will draw the line with Dude. No one’s going to make a coat out of him, no matter how much mom wants to.

Mal walks to the door and holds it open, indicating she wants us out with no further discussion.

Jay, still scowling, storms out without another word. I pick Dude up again and go to follow Jay, but stop to look at Mal when I get to the door.

“Mal, I know you’re upset, but I know you’re strong enough to move on. Just because the love spell’s broken doesn't mean your life will be too."

“I’m brewing the antidote tonight, Carlos. But it’s for Ben.” She starts to close the door, but then adds bitterly: “Be lucky you found someone who loves you as you are, not just because they’re under a spell.”

I try to apologize but she slams the door shut. Dude lets out a high-pitched whine and signals me to start back to my dorm. Thankfully no one’s around to see the big grin on my face.

“She loves me! Do you hear that, bud? She loves me!”

I can’t believe it! Out of all the luck I’ve had, my life might actually be turning around. If only we didn’t have to take over the world.

I get back to the dorm to find Jay sulking by the window. I try to greet him, only to get a rough grunt in response.

“She could’ve at least tried to see my side,” Jay grumbles. “We all know she’s falling for Ben, yet she’s still gung-ho with impressing her mom.”

“We all know how Maleficent can get when she doesn’t get her way. This whole new world is new to us, Jay, and Mal’s trying to hold onto how we used to be.” I set Dude on my bed and go to look for his food bowl. “Just give her some time and maybe she’ll change her mind?”

Jay just grunts, unconvinced. “Yeah. Maybe. I just hope there's food at the party tomorrow”

I ignore him and busy myself by filling Dude’s bowl. At least you’re not mad. This is a happy day, the day I find out that there’s someone in my life who loves me.

But how do I let her know I feel the same?

#descendants carlos #carlos de vil x reader #carlos de vil #evie descendants #mal descendants #jay descendants #disney descendants #descendants #disney #uma descendants #harry hook descendants #ben descendants #audrey descendants #doug descendants #binx hocus pocus #hocus pocus #sarah sanderson #winifred sanderson #mary sanderson

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