#(not the coloring. i redid this three times but this is the best i can do)

[trillscienceofficer]

Star Trek: Voyager Warhead

[bonesy-doodles]

Can you explain your process of how you came up with your ghoul designs?? I’m struggling a tiny bit and wanted to know if you could share a bit about your process 🖤🖤🖤

Hello!!! Of course! I can try my best. I hope this helps :D

I guess I should start with saying that I've been designing characters for years now, I think I've either hit ten years since I started or am about to hit the mark. Which means I've gained a lot of knowledge when it comes to design processes and such, which I put to use when doing all of the Ghouls. I always recommend looking into things like shape language, color theory, color language, and things like that. Just having a basic understanding of what parts of character design can say about the character and communicate their personality is really helpful. Some of my ghouls are rounder, softer, while others are sharper, more edgy and those things will communicate different things. Dewdrop is very sharp, which makes him look dangerous, while Cumulus is very round, which makes her look friendlier.

I think most of my ideas for the ghouls actually comes from the fact that I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons since I was a freshman in high school, and races like Tieflings and Genasi really helped me when thinking about what elemental demons would look like. I also knew, when going into my ghoul designs, that I wanted them to literally embody their element, not just be a gray demon with some minor things here and there (not saying that that sort of design is bad, I just wanted something more cause I LOVE details).

So, I sat down and looked at each of the ghouls, their elements, as well as things about their stage presence. I would highly recommend just thinking about what you would do for common features of each different element. Like, what would a fire ghoul's skintone range be like, would they be reptilian or dragon-like, what sort of ear shapes or horn shapes are common for them. Then move onto the next element. I've described Quintessence ghouls as space/spirit ghouls, but so far all I've drawn are space inspired Quint ghouls (but plan on making other ghost-like).

That's basically what I did to start off. Fire ghouls often have red, orange, and brown skin tones, resembling a literal fire, and will draw their visual appearance from different types of heat sources (lava, fire, sun, etc.) Reptilian scales, pointed ears and thin pointed horns that tend to go straight up. Quintessence ghouls are bovine like, they got cow ears, swirly horns, and space freckles.

Once I had all the figured out, I just started drawing. This was actually the fifth time I was attempting to design the ghouls, so embrace the trial and error, see what you like and don't be afraid to scrap what you don't like. Literally, Mountain does not look anything like my first attempt at designing him. Dewdrop on the hand stayed mostly consistent, with somethings changed or scrapped here or there. Sunshine, for example, I redid her color palette alone three different times because I couldn't capture the sunspot design the exact way I wanted to.

Character design is trial and error, just keep on trying different iterations, keep finding new inspiration, and I highly recommend making Pinterest boards of references and inspiration to help.

[faustiandevil]

Wanted to do a style challenge with classic horror guys in the Darkest Dungeon style and ended up with the worst D&D party ever.

Karloff mummy gave me a hard time. I honestly thought oh, the man is a literal stick in that movie I can do that… wrong. I redid his face like three times and the entire lineart at the end, because his height was off. I also used more of a Frankenstein green color for the skin to get a crusty mummy dust look. Gogol stands out a lot, because he has the least going on with his design and he is smooth as an egg. Ygor came out the best and he was the first one I did. I also looked up figurines to get an idea of what color the outfits would be (and yes there is a Gogol one and it looks as bad as you would imagine… still want it tho) and I’m glad that there are regional variants lol.

If anyone would like to mod them into the game feel free to, maybe then I would actually finish it. Game mechanic brainstorming under the cut.

Ygor – He is clearly the muscle. I think he should be able to summon the monster as well, but doing so would give anyone, but him stress. I mean that’s his mans, why would he get stressed.

Ardeth Bey – Magic user, could attack multiple enemies at once, but also takes a lot more damage. He’s a crumbling mummy dust after all.

Dr. Gogol – The healer, whenever he remembers to do so. He will just talk to himself about Galatea and giggle maniacally giving everyone stress. Every 5th round he will remember that he is a doctor and will do a heal. If you don’t control him, why is he in the game? Extra challenge that’s why. Weaknesses include knives.

[alltheangstmygifttoyou]

Art probably. Idk I finally have my headache down to a 1 for the first time in days and I want to ramble lol

Content warnings: body horror, bright colors (they make my eyes hurt if I don't have my screen brightness dimmed fully), psychedelic visual effects (best way I can think to describe it), Too many eyes! I dont remember the word for that but one image is literally a fuckton of badly proportioned eyes, along with the body horror i suppose blood is an easy interpretation in the piece.

Let me know if I missed something

My headache has come back to a three in the process of making this post because this is my life 😎🙃 aside from that the weird big head blonde is an old oc I drew one time in middle school and said fuck it and redid it digitally. Uh the mermaid one with a human karkat is a digital remake of a cover from a stick figure comic I used to draw. I'd already done this piece twice with watercolor, ink, and alcohol markers but none of it looked the way I wanted. So there's this version. If I ever manage to finish the fucking introduction I'll probably want to redo the piece again. Lol, we'll see i suppose. The pink house one? Thats an old highschool traditional piece all done in plain mechanical pencil. I wanted to see what I could do in procreate to just edit a photo without me having to really draw. The vibrant monstrosity is the result, I like it, but it really does make my eyes and in turn my head hurt. The one with the roses in the background are just lined and colored digital redraws of some past sketches of mine (maybe a few months? Maybe more? Time isn't real) of myself, or at least how I would like to look at least. The other sketch with the headshot of a red and purple haired person and a smaller cat person headshot is the same, lined and colored digital versions of traditional sketches. The eyes? Thats a work in progress that is going to be a lot more work than I was prepared for going in. The wacky background for the headshots was me playing with brushes and blenders then screwing around with layer affects.

[toomanyrobins2]

Those Four Words Pt. 1

Summary: an escalating fight between Jason and his girlfriend leads to a tense two weeks in Wayne Manor

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Word count: 2.1k

Warnings: language, mentions of sex and excessive drinking, mentions of character death

masterlist // next part

Jason Todd was in a terrible mood, having just got into an argument with Bruce. He decided to go up to his girlfriend’s studio to get away. She had been hard at work the past couple of days and he was getting needy. He came up behind her on the floor and pulled her into his lap. She tried to wiggle out of his arms. “Jay, I'm trying to do something right now.

He tried to snuggle closer to his girlfriend, “I deserve some of your time too.

“Deserve? You’re especially demanding today. What did you do?” Jason scoffed and pulled away. “What has crawled up your ass?”

“You did.”

She managed to escape and turned to look at her boyfriend, “I did? Huh, I think I would’ve remembered such a disgusting journey into your body.

“Dammit, Y/N! Enough with the sarcasm! You know what I’m saying.”

She sighed at Jason’s attitude, “I don’t understand what you’re doing right now, but you are starting a fight just for the sake of an argument. I’m sorry, but I can’t give you what you want right now.”

“I don’t want anything from you,” Jason was standing over his girlfriend, his whole body tense, “From any of you.”

“Why are you being like this? What happened?”

“What? You thought the minute we started dating all of our problems would magically disappear? Are you really that naive?”

Y/N put her brushes down and stood. She tried to walk closer, but he matched each step, moving away from her. “Jason, where the hell is this coming from? I thought we had got past this. Even you and Bruce are in a better place.”

“You think I'll ever forget you abandoned me. You all did!”

“Abandon you! What have you been smoking? We thought you died!”

“You replaced me!”

Now, Y/N was angry too and it was rare that anyone saw her this way. She was deadly calm, but the fire was roaring in her eyes, “I did not replace you.”

“That’s right, you were too busy whoring yourself around Gotham to even think about me.”

“That is not fair and you know it. I mourned you. We all mourned your arrogant ass. I never stopped missing you.”

“I saw the articles, Y/N! Don’t pretend you were mourning me. You were too busy whoring yourself around Gotham.”

Her mind went back to three years ago. Jason had died in an explosion set up by the Joker. She was sixteen and her best friend had died, and she hadn’t handled it well. What started as a way to get out of the house with friends, had led to this wild, secret life. Y/N had snuck out at night and used Bruce’s name to get into clubs. She drank anything she could get her hands on and had gone home with multiple men, trying to forget her pain. Once, Bruce had found out, her world had imploded. He sent her away and finally got her the help she should have received when her parents had passed. The only reason Y/N had moved back to the manor was that Jason had been found. She couldn’t believe that he was trying to use her moments of weakness against her, “How dare you throw that back on me. I was just trying to numb the pain. It wasn’t like I was celebrating the fact that you were gone.”

“Yeah, it really looked like you missed me.”

“God Dammit, Jay!” she stamped her foot, knowing it was childish, “If you would just listen to me!”

“Oh fuck off, Y/N! If I had known I was ever going to be stuck with you and your nagging, I wouldn’t have come back.”

“I wish you hadn’t!” The minute the words left Y/N’s mouth, she gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth. Jason’s emotionless mask slammed into place, and suddenly he was as blank as the day Bruce had found him. He turned to walk out and Y/N chased after him, “Jay, wait! I’m sorry!” He jumped onto his motorcycle and was out the door before she could stop him. She slammed her fist into the wall and cursed in frustration and pain. No one would see either of them for the rest of the day. Y/N stayed in her studio, wondering how they got to the point of shouting such hurtful things at each other.

The next day, they had both shown up for Friday night dinner, as was expected of them. Neither spoke, and the tension was too thick to be cut with a knife. Y/N had tried to pull him aside and apologize after dinner, but he had shot her with a cutting glare and stalked away. The other could tell that something had happened, but no one had the details. Tim wandered into the library after patrol that night, to find her in a chair tucked into the corner. “What are you doing here (Y/N/N)? Isn’t it a movie night with Todd?” He noted the tear tracks down her face but knew she hated showing weakness, so he said nothing about them.

“I wasn’t feeling up to it, so I canceled. I think I’ll head to bed now. Night, Timmy.” Y/N went to her room and cried herself to sleep, the guilt overwhelming her as she played the argument over in her head. If only she had just taken a break, maybe the whole situation could have been avoided. She woke up multiple times in the night, crying out Jason’s name after seeing him and the Joker over and over again. Finally, around 3 in the morning, she gave up on sleep and went to the kitchen to pour herself coffee. She decided to keep busy and started making breakfast for the family.

Alfred was the first to appear in the morning, as usual. Y/N tried to pretend that everything was normal, but nothing could be hidden from the family’s butler. He noted the dark circles under her eyes and the tremors in her hands from over-caffeination. The boys slowly started to emerge, and Alfred started to bring out all the food she had made. She made two plates out of habit and headed for the dining room. Y/N started to hand Jason his breakfast as she had every morning for a year, but suddenly she remembered and pulled her hand away. Jason didn’t even bother to look at her, and her heart clenched. She placed the plate on the table and walked back into the kitchen. “Sorry, Alfred, I’m not hungry. I think I’ll go paint.” She placed the plate she had made for herself on the counter and left.

Y/N’s studio had been a safe space since she had first moved into the manor. She had hidden away when she first arrived at Wayne Manor, unused to such an active family. Bruce had called workers to the manor and redid the room when she had told him she liked art. Now, after years of work, canvasses filled the room on all sides. Some paintings, others photos, she had accumulated in the three years. They hung on the walls and were laid across the floor. She flooded the room with Swan Lake, her sad music, and started to mix her colors. The music she played had become an easy way for the others to discern her moods since she hadn’t spoken to anyone except Fallon, Bruce’s wife, when she first came. Bruce and Dick had installed a speaker system in her studio to drown out the noise when she was overwhelmed, and everyone in the Manor could hear it if she turned it on loud enough. When the first notes hit their ears, all eyes in the dining room turned to Jason. He refused to look up and make eye contact, instead, he stared at the breakfast that had been abandoned on the table. Once everyone had averted their gaze, he pushed away from the table and disappeared.

This led to one of the most uncomfortable weeks in the Manor ever. Y/N barely left her studio and no one saw Jason for three days before he returned. When he did, he started to act as if nothing had happened. The music had eventually stopped playing altogether, so they had no idea what kind of mood she was in. Finally, Damian was the one to gather everyone else together, “Y/N/N has not come out of her studio in a week. Since Buckethead has just decided to pretend nothing has happened. We need to fix this.”

Bruce spoke up first, “Jason and Y/N are both adults. They are both being immature, and it will eventually work itself out.

“How can we fix this when we don’t even know what happened?” Tim looked up from his laptop, “I’ve been checking in on Y/N on the cameras. All she does is paint, and the most she’s slept in days is when she falls asleep accidentally. That never lasts long, and she cries. A lot.”

“Why did Fallon have to leave! We need to fix this, or the family vacation is going to be the worst!” Dick collapsed on the couch. Fallon had finally convinced Bruce that the family needed a vacation, but two weeks before they were supposed to leave, her sister had had a baby. She decided to go help her out and just meet them at the resort. They now had a week left, and it was not looking good. No one wanted to bother their mother since she very rarely took time for herself and was enjoying time with her family. They decided Alfred would be the one to try and convince Y/N to leave the studio at least and eat something.

He appeared in the doorway and watched silently as Y/N worked on a large canvas. He walked over and saw that it was a portrait of the family. “This is beautiful, Miss Y/L/N.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” her voice was hoarse from disuse.

“What is the plan for this one?” Alfred sat down next to her on the floor.

“Everyone hates photos, but Fallon wanted a family portrait for the sitting room. Since no one can sit still long enough I decided to paint one and give it to her for her birthday,” she slowly sucked in a breath, “Plus they only have the old one, and J--some people-- are missing from it.” Tears started to well up again in her eyes. Alfred wrapped an arm around Y/N and just sat with her for a moment.

“I’ve kicked the boys out of the kitchen. Do you think you could come down and eat something? For me?” She only nodded and they both stood. Y/N sat on a stool and silently ate the soup Alfred had laid out for her. She barely tasted anything, and she was starting to feel dizzy. Her vision started to blur, and the next thing she knew, she was waking up on the floor and had five heads floating above her.

“Hi, guys. Thought the floor looked lonely.” She tried to sit up but was cut off.

“That is it,” Bruce spoke firmly, “You are going to bed, and you are sleeping. I thought you were mature enough to deal with this but I see I was wrong.” He picked Y/N up and noticed she had lost weight. He carried her up the stairs and before he had reached her bedroom, she was already asleep again. Bruce turned to the boys. “At least one of you is staying in here with her and making sure she sleeps.”

Tim volunteered for the first shift and settled into her desk with his laptop. Y/N had barely been asleep an hour before she woke up from a nightmare of Jason dying. She shot up and shouted out his name, before bursting into tears. Tim -- being the awkward person he is -- was ill-prepared to deal with the crying Y/N. The only solution he could think of was to climb into bed with her and pull up a movie. She slowly fell asleep again and clung to Tim like a starfish. When Dick came to relieve Tim and saw that he was unable to leave, he climbed into bed with the duo. Anytime Y/N would start to become distressed, they would calm her down. Eventually, Damian and Titus joined the cuddle pile, the former somewhat reluctantly, grumbling about how he was only doing this for Y/N. Little did the Bat-Family know, Alfred had called Fallon and told her about the situation and she had rushed home.

[imreadydollparts]

I ordered a Dolk Sweet Robbery dress for this Obitsu Ai-Chan head on a Make it Mine Haley body that I’ve been calling Goob ever since @oak23​ pointed out she reminded him of this:

He’s not wrong (*/ω＼*)

Anyway it arrived pretty quickly and I was just as quickly disappointed.

It cost me about $50 after shipping and is much closer to something you could get off AliExpress for $15.

The fabric is the best part. While the “blouse” part of it is a plain, woven cotton, the printed parts are more like a polyester scarf. It’s soft and floaty and drapes nicely.

The wings are lapel-pins. Everything else was glued on.

This..... Uh......

I am not terribly picky in general, but in some things I am. This was unacceptable.

Unnfh....... Glue stain.

I got a bunch of stuff out (which I haven’t put away, yet...) and set to work.

I didn’t use everything but figured it would be better to drag it all out than have to keep going back and forth to get stuff if I needed it.

Gluuuuueeeeeuuuuuugh.... The bow was a satin ribbon glued to a metal pendant glued to a wad of lace glued to a clip.

I couldn’t get that glue out of the lace so I sewed the pendant to a bit of velvet ribbon (I don’t have any black satin ribbon on hand), then wrapped that around the lace to cover the glue, made a fake bow with more velvet ribbon, and stitched it all together.

I also stitched over the attachment pretty heavily to hide it. Much better.

To attach it to her wig which has a perfectly pressed part I didn’t want to mess up...

I lightly stitched a loop of the same velvet ribbon to clip the bow to.

It’ll be very easy to remove when I want to and isn’t too visible when she has her bow on.

On the bodice I sewed the charm on and applied a black velvet bow. I did hide the connection like I did on her hair bow but felt like it needed something more despite the GIANT wings.

As for the gaudy loop and hook tape closure, I’ve removed that and installed three black snaps which of course also meant resewing the back Honestly I didn’t try too hard on that part. I couldn’t see what I was doing even with the ring light right in my way.

The whole collar flap thing is sewn on wrong. I’m making myself ignore it since I won’t see the back often anyway. It does make the collar lay a little crooked in the front, though. That can be remedied with pressing and stitching it to the bodice of the dress. If I feel like it.

(different camera, different lighting) And I redid the hem by hand with a medium grey thread using the original machine stitched hem as a guide to place my stitches. My hand hemming isn’t great, but it’s better than having entirely too much of the wrong color there. I didn’t remove and repress the skirt. They hemmed it along with the print and didn’t get it straight, but I won’t see that all of the time, either.

Either way, it took me about four hours. I really do not enjoy sewing on snaps and I’m not fast at it, either. When I took a sewing class a good 20+ years ago the instructor said to use four separate threads instead of one or two so that if one breaks, the snap is still secure and you’ll have plenty of time to fix it. Now I do that every time even though I don’t enjoy it.

She’s wearing a Glitter Girls skirt underneath for some fluff.

I think this outfit suits her vaguely unsettling faceup very well. There are some Dollmore tights on their way, too, but I’m not patient and didn’t want to wait to take her pics.

[ace-in-a-shopping-cart]

The Evening Emerald

Word Count:  11,662

Content warnings: mentions of child abuse, abuse (both physical and mental), death threats, talks of death, alcohol mention,

Virgil reached his arm out to hook his middle finger around a brush and dragged it over, not wanting to drop any of the sections of hair he’d been holding. His step-sister snapped at him when he pulled slightly to grab the brush properly. He murmured an apology as he brushed a section out before carefully braiding it into another section. In another half hour, the elaborate hairstyle was finished.

In yet another half hour, his step-family was off to yet another party they hadn’t bothered trying to bring him to. He knew not many of those they kept company with even knew he existed. Sighing, he cleaned up the workstation and started on washing the dishes. It gave him something to do while his thoughts churned.

He wanted to get away from this household. His father had owned this house and land before he’d passed and, as his child, Virgil had inherited it. His step-father, married to his father shortly before the dear man’s demise, ran the house with an iron fist instead. Virgil was under his thumb and, having been beaten any time he tried to take command or even have the slightest bit of autonomy, he knew he wouldn’t be able to take it by force.

He moved on to scrubbing the counters and sweeping the floors as he thought. The only way he could get the land back is if he saved enough money to buy it or if he married someone rich. He couldn’t see either situation working as his step-father had hidden him away from society for so long that it had forgotten of his existence and he was never able to earn anything. Even so, he’d filched the odd coin or so from the maids or passing milk man enough that he had a sizable coin purse squirreled away.

Just as he was finishing his chores for the night, a knock sounded at the front door. Virgil waved a maid away, telling her to go on to bed, and answered it himself. The pouring rain met him, as did an elderly woman. “Please, young man, could you spare a crust of bread? Perhaps a small cup of water? I don’t want to be too much of a bother.” She shivered in the night air and her soaked clothing.

Virgil smiled, gently guiding her inside. “It’s cold out there, madam. Cold and wet. The master of the house won’t be home for another hour or so. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you drying off by the kitchen fire and having some of the leftover soup. It was going to be thrown out in the morning for the dogs anyway. Seems it could do you more good than it can the dogs.”

“You’re too kind.” She said, gratefully taking his aide.

He only released her once they’d arrived in the kitchen. Settling her in a chair, he stoked the flames and went to grab the soup. He put it on the hearth to warm up again, sitting to talk with her in the meantime. She ate the soup and smiled kindly at Virgil, thanking him for his hospitality. Just as she was about to leave, Virgil heard the carriage pull up to the door.

Quickly, he ushered the elderly woman to the back door and gave her hurriedly whispered directions back to the main road. Then, he had to almost run through the house to get to the front hall just as his step-family walked inside. They didn’t seem suspect at all and wished to go straight to bed. Virgil checked the back door once they were upstairs and, finding the old woman had left, redid all the kitchen chores.

It was close to dawn by the time he finished, prompting him to simply lay down by the dying fire for warmth and a quick cat nap. When the sun rose, he would have to get up and start his morning chores but for now he slept.

~~~~~~

A maid’s foot ramming into his side woke him. She gave him a whispered apology and an explanation that he was late in his duties and she had been scolded into doing it. Virgil took over, rushing to get everything ready before his step-family got too angry. He carefully balanced all three trays on his arms, one held in the crook of his elbow and the other two in his hands.

He gently set one down on a hall table to free his hand so he could open his step-brother’s door. The man groaned and rolled away from the light. Virgil set the tray from the crook of his arm on his bedside table before moving to throw the curtains open, still balancing a tray. His step-brother groaned again but sat up and threw a pillow at him.

Virgil expertly dodged it and moved to the door, closing it and picking up the tray from the hallway. He moved on to his step-sister’s room and did the same routine, not even getting a pillow lodged at him for his efforts.

Finally, he approached the bedroom at the end of the hall. When his father had still been alive, that door had always stayed open and Virgil had been allowed to come and go as he pleased. Laughter had always echoed from there when his mother had been alive, still there to some extent after her passing but not the same. Now that his step-father lived there, the door was always closed and laughter was rarely heard.

Virgil carefully opened the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. his step-father was already sitting up in bed when he entered, glaring daggers at him. “I don’t appreciate being kept waiting so long for my breakfast.”

Virgil dipped his head as he placed the tray over the man’s lap, moving to open the curtains. “My apologies, sir.” He knew better than to offer an explanation, preferring not to have the milk container thrown at the back of his head again.

When he stepped back from the curtains, his step-father spoke once more. “There is a list of chores I expect to have completed before you go to bed tonight on my side table.”

Virgil again bowed his head, coming close enough to retrieve the list before he departed, closing the door behind him. He didn’t look at the list until he had made it back to the kitchen. “Scrub the dining hall floors, sweep the front steps, clean out the root cellar, polish the mirrors, clean the windows, polish the silver, tidy the rooms, dust the guest rooms, who even uses the guest rooms?!” His voice rose in indignation.

The cook snickered as she pulled rolls from the oven. “I don’t know, sir, but breakfast should be done in a few minutes.”

Virgil smiled, his anger dissipating. He moved over and kissed her on her plump cheek. “Thank you kindly, Mandy, but it seems I have too many chores to stop for food. I’ll have to charm you out of a slightly larger lunch than usual.”

She swatted at him as he made his escape. “You be sure to eat lunch, young master!”

Virgil raised a hand in acknowledgment before going out to the yard. Looking over his list again, he noted some of the more laborious tasks even as he started his morning chores. The morning was slow as he worked his way through the chores and the list, especially as his step-family continued to add to it throughout the day.

When noon came around, Virgil was flagged down by Mandy and sat on a stool, forbidden from getting up until he’d finished what she’d given him. He was starting his list again at the stairs, sweeping them and the courtyard, when a messenger came in.

“Letters for the household.” She said gruffly.

Virgil nodded, holding his hand out. “I’ll take them in, thank you.”

He flipped through them, finding some from various lords or ladies around the kingdom, most likely asking for someone’s hand in marriage, but paused when he came to the royal seal. Hurriedly, he took the mail to his step-father, shuffling it to put the royal message with the red seal on top and brought them in.

Virgil’s step-father gathered his two children around him, Virgil standing in the corner where he usually was, before opening the invitation and reading it aloud. “A decree from the desk of the king: A masquerade ball will be held on three consecutive nights in honor of our Prince Patton’s engagement to our neighbor’s Prince Remus. Everyone of marriageable age from every household is invited to attend. The first ball starts at eight o’clock tonight.”

Virgil watched his step-family jump for joy, his step-sister rushing to find an outfit to wear while his step-father and step-brother shared a scheming look. Virgil felt a buzz in his own emotions as he thought he might be able to sneak out and attend at least the first one. The other two nights were a prime time for him to sneak away. His funds were low but not so low that it was impossible. He didn’t dare ask if he could attend as he didn’t want to have more chores piled on nor to be locked in his room as he knew his step-father wasn’t above doing something like that to keep him at home.

After he exited the drawing room, he paused and overheard their conversation. “We must do it tonight, it’s the only logical time to do it.” his step-father said.

“Yes,” his step-brother responded, “tonight is the perfect opportunity. And, if we don’t get the opening we need, we’ll just use the other two nights as back up.”

“By the end of the week, Prince Logan Aeron will be dead.” A sinister chuckle followed his step-father’s proclamation.

Virgil’s hand flew to his mouth, stifling a gasp. They were plotting high treason!

Instead of reentering the room, he sped up his chores while still doing them with barely a flaw. He slowed down just enough to look busy when his family left before rushing to his attic chamber. He had managed to hide one of his father’s old suits in his closet and carefully pulled it out. Red wasn’t really his color and he had no mask to go with it but it was better than nothing. Come sleet or high water, he was going to warn the prince of the assassination attempt!

He rushed down the stairs and, wearing his best shoes, he exited out the back door. Just as he was exiting the yard, the old woman from the night before rounded the corner and smiled at him. Waving her hand, she transformed from a bent old woman in rags to an old woman with a wand and flowing robes. “Hello, child.” She said.

Virgil wanted to tell her that he was hardly a child but he couldn’t find the words.

“I was touched by your consideration and generosity last night so I’ve come back to bestow a wish upon you. Please, tell me what you desire most.”

Virgil found his voice. “I want to go to the ball. Just once, I want to enjoy life.” He needed to warn the prince but that wasn’t a want. After all, the fewer people who knew about this the better.

She smiled, waving her wand. “Then so it shall be.”

Butterflies flew from the nearby garden to circle around Virgil, lifting him off the ground slightly. When they set him down, his whole attire had changed*. He’d been given a delicate purple mask that hid the upper half of his face but left space for his eyes, a deep purple dress with butterflies decorating the bottom and becoming more scarce until they stopped at the waist, purple gloves that matched the dress and had the same lace pattern as the ends as the mask, and crystal shoes that loosely resembled ballerina slippers with ribbons that wound up his calves and stopped just short of his knees. He twirled, feeling light as a feather and just as gorgeous.

“Thank you! Is there anything I must know?”

“This only lasts until midnight, it will revert back to your former clothing at that point. However, it will last all three nights if you so choose to return then, a different outfit each time.” She winked. “For variety.”

That deal was too good to pass up. Virgil agreed and was given a carriage to ride in to the castle. He arrived just as the clock struck half past eight, entering the ballroom shortly after. He was met with a wall of noise and color as people swirled on the dance floor, some standing off to the side talking, others holding plates and glasses from the refreshments table. Virgil moved forward and started mingling with the other guests, doing a good job at staying away from his step-family but keeping them in sight.

He watched the dancing for a moment, remembering his own dancing lessons and memorizing the way the dancers moved as he was a bit out of date. Still, it was a nice change to be able to be served instead of being the one to serve.

He found an unoccupied corner of the room and sequestered himself there, enjoying just watching the proceedings. He was a silent pair of eyes connected to a memory bank, trying to soak up everything he could and remember as much as possible. He watched people roam around, accidentally catching the eye of a stranger.

The man was dressed in a dark blue suit that accentuated how tall he was. His hair was styled carefully back with a few strands falling onto his forehead. His mask was a dark green that set off his suit perfectly. He turned and, waving off the people flocking around him, came toward Virgil. Once he was there, he bowed at the neck and held a hand out, making eye contact. “May I have this dance?”

Virgil smiled, taking the offered hand and allowing himself to be led onto the dance floor. “Of course.”

The masked stranger bowed as the dance began. “What shall I call you?”

Virgil shook his head, enjoying the feeling of being held close to someone as they swept around the room. “I don’t wish to use my name tonight.”

A small smile graced the man’s features. “That sentiment, I echo.” He hummed as his eyes scanned over the heads in the crowd, finally coming to rest on Virgil again. “Your dress reminds me of a kaleidoscope of butterflies so I shall call you The Purple Butterfly, or just Butterfly if you prefer.”

Virgil smiled. “Well, then, what shall I call you?”

The man thought for a moment. “Emerald. Just Emerald.”

“And if I prefer something fancier?”

He smiled conspiratorially. “Then you shall have to wait until later tonight to hear it.”

The dance started in earnest at that point, leaving them little time to talk. They glided across the room, moving as if they’d been dancing together their whole lives. When it finished, they stood there for a second with each other. The next song started and they didn’t have to talk to know they were going to dance it together. Two more songs passed this way before Virgil stopped them.

He shook his head when Emerald gave him the same eyebrow tilt and angle of his head. “If I don’t sit down now, I fear my legs will collapse.” He was used to moving a lot throughout his day, rarely getting the time to sit down, but these shoes were as new to him as the dancing was and he’d already been on his feet more than usual today.

Emerald nodded and led him over to a secluded bench. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

Virgil smiled. “If you wouldn’t mind. I don’t want to be a bother.”

He shook his head with a laugh. “It’s no bother at all, Butterfly.” With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

Virgil felt a trill in his heart when the man said that. He caught a glimpse of the only pair of people not wearing masks to the event, the engaged couple that the party was for, and was jolted back to his task at hand. He was about to stand and make his way to them when Emerald came back with the refreshments.

"Here you are, Butterfly," he said as he handed him a plate and small goblet. "This is just juice so don't worry about any alcohol."

Virgil smiled gratefully and took the offered items. He took a sip of the drink and found it to be a sweet and fruity liquid colored red. Looking down at his plate, he noticed simple snacks that were high in protein. "Thank you, this will be perfect."

Emerald didn't sit down right away, preferring to lean against a nearby pillar as he sipped at his own juice. They stayed there in silence, simply eating their food and watching the dancing crowd. Virgil's eyes kept drifting back over to Prince Patton and his fiancé, Prince Remus. Finally, Emerald seemed to catch on to this.

"Is there something you need to ask or tell them?”

Virgil shrugged. "Yes and no. There's something important I have to tell them but I'm not quite certain how to go about doing that. I wouldn't want to bother them during such a happy time."

Emerald turned his head, an unreadable sparkle entering his eye. "Is it something that can wait? If not, I have our prince's ear."

Virgil shrugged again, eyes scanning the crowd for what he knew Prince Logan looked like. "I can't see the object of the conversation so I'm not sure how useful that would be." He looked up at the man, smiling beneath his mask. "However, I do thank you for the offer."

He nodded and went back to people watching, almost autonomously bringing his food and drink to his mouth. Virgil did the same, savoring the rich foods and smooth drink, wondering when the next time he was going to have something like this again would be. Searching the crowd, he found his step-brother fawning over a young maiden, his step-father nearby. He really had to look to find his step-sister but she was sitting on a bench and conversing with another young lady, both sitting close enough together that the interest must have been mutual. Virgil thought about how close the masked man was standing to himself and wondered if they looked like a couple to outside observers in the same way the women across the hall did to him.

The man looked down at him from his stance by the pillar. "What are you thinking of?"

Virgil blinked, looking back up at him. "Nothing of much importance." He'd always been told he had nothing to say so why bother speaking his mind.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Come now, there must be at least one thing of importance within that brain of yours."

Virgil wasn't as sure about that as the stranger seemed to be. Still, he gestured to the two women across the room. "I was just thinking of how sweet that couple looked together." He shrugged, eyes darting back down to the now empty plate and cup in his hands.

Emerald nodded, reaching down to gather the dishware. "That they do. Here, I'll go take care of this. Would you like to dance another set after that?" He looked into Virgil's eyes, waiting for his reply.

Virgil smiled, remembering that he wasn't simply a servant tonight and could do as he liked. "Yes, I think that would be splendid."

The man nodded and left to put the dishware down on a nearby table. He soon returned and they were off, sweeping across the dancefloor for another four dances. Virgil smiled and laughed as they twirled and spun, getting caught up in the lovely feeling of one person's attention resting solely on him for so long.

Still, he came back down to earth when the last dance ended. He remembered what he was there to do: find the prince and warn him of the plot on his life. He scanned the crowd for his step-father and step-brother and found them where he'd last seen them. He tried to find the engaged princes but neither were in sight, nor was Prince Logan anywhere to be found.

Virgil's chin was gently grasped and turned and he flinched away, fearing punishment. He met his dance partner's eyes and saw an apology in them. The man leaned forward to be heard above the music. "I'm sorry, I made a mistake grabbing you like that." He didn't speak for a moment, just looked into Virgil's eyes. "Butterfly, would you like to get away from here?"

Virgil was suddenly aware of just how loud everything was, how bright all the lights were and how heavy he felt on his feet. He nodded and allowed Emerald to take his arm, quickly guiding him to a side door. The man waved at someone else but Virgil was so disoriented, he had no idea who it was nor was he inclined to find out. He found himself pulled through the door and into another, darker, room. He was directed to a bench. Light flickered at a farther end of the room but all the candles were snuffed out where they had entered, making it easier for his eyes to adjust.

Emerald knelt beside him, a hand nearby. Virgil took a deep breath and held it, doing the soothing technique the cook taught him. Soon, after much arm rubbing and deliberate breathing, he’d calmed down enough to look at the man who was staring at him in a way that was so heartbreakingly concerned Virgil had to look away.

“I’m sorry.” Virgil’s voice was quiet but it was loud enough in the silent room.

“No.” Emerald’s voice was soft. “No, it’s I who should be sorry. I touched you without your consent and for that I beg your forgiveness. If you wish to leave the ball now I will understand completely and, while I myself am not free to leave, I will find someone who can take you home.” He stood and moved as if to leave but Virgil grasped the hem of his doublet.

“Please, don’t leave me.” He didn’t want to spiral into the usual thoughts he did when his step-family mistreated him, he didn’t want to mar this perfect night with the thought of yet more violence.

“Of course.” Emerald stood near him as Virgil gathered the soft material of his skirts and stood. The masked stranger looked at Virgil for a moment longer. “Is it alright if I light the candles?”

Virgil nodded and, as the room was slowly filled with light, looked around. They were in a library, larger than the one back at the mansion. He spun in a slow circle, his dress fanning out around him, as he tried to take in just how many books were around him.

Behind him, Emerald chuckled. “Feel free to look around, pull a book off the shelf if you want. I’m not sure you can take it out of this room but every guest is free to spend as much time as they want in here to read as many books as they can.”

Virgil looked on in awe before slowly walking to the nearest shelf. He didn’t even dare to run his fingers across the spines, his gloves slightly dirty from the food. Still, he wandered the rows and looked at all the different titles that were there. Many looked interesting enough for him to curl up on that bench and read until the sun came up and the staff kicked him out. He knew he didn’t have that kind of time and whirled around, bumping into Emerald.

Emerald laughed, hands holding Virgil’s elbows to steady him. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Butterfly?”

“I must speak to Prince Logan, it’s an urgent matter.”

Emerald nodded, serious suddenly. “What if I told you I could get you an audience with him?”

Virgil clasped his hands anxiously at his waist. “Really? You’re able to do that?”

Emerald nodded. “Quite easily. I’m his closest confidant, he tells me everything.”

“What must I do to get an audience with him?”

“It’s a very simple thing. You must play a game of chess with me.” He held up a hand. “You’re not required to win, but you must play the game to completion.”

Virgil nodded, having played chess with his father often before his death and still managed the odd game with the random footman. “That’s doable.”

Emerald led the way deeper between the aisles and up a flight of stairs to a chess set. He let Virgil sit first, the purple clad servant choosing the black set. Emerald laughed and sat in front of the white.

About midway through their game, Virgil asked the question that had been brought up at the beginning of the night. “So, what shall I call you if I deem it a time to be more fanciful?”

Emerald hummed as he finished his move. “You’ll have to wait until after your meeting with the prince to know that.”

Virgil had no idea how long their game lasted, only that he’d gotten so lost in it he almost missed the bell that signaled it was half an hour until midnight. He jolted, looking at the wall that the bell came from. “Is that really the time?! I must be on my way!” The spell wore off at midnight and his family was coming home at one, he still needed time to get home and get his chores done.

“Yes, that’s the time. Is there something wrong?” Emerald had stayed in his seat but looked slightly worried.

“I must go home now. Is there any way to meet with the prince tomorrow?” If he wasn’t already dead. Virgil felt like such a fool for taking his eyes off his step-family, even just for a moment was too long.

“His schedule is, unfortunately, quite packed during the day tomorrow. However, we can resume our chess game at tomorrow’s ball and you can meet him after that.”

Virgil nodded and made his way out, back into the stunningly loud ballroom. He went around the outside edge and rode his carriage all the way back home. Everything reverted back to its former state just as he was walking up the drive.

Mandy smiled at him upon his reentrance to the kitchen, having briefly run to his room to change. “How was it, sweetie?”

Virgil smiled back as he grabbed a rag. “Oh, Mandy, it was just like a dream!” Cleaning up the kitchens, he told the cook all about the dancing and the food and Emerald, leaving out the parts where he nearly ruined the whole night and where he was very useless at stopping an assassination. “And the best thing is that I get to do it all over again tomorrow!” If the prince wasn’t announced dead and the rest of the balls canceled.

She listened patiently to his rambling story, smiling all the while and loving the way his face lit up while talking about this Emerald. “It seems you really did enjoy yourself. I’m glad.”

He paused his dashing about to stand in front of the stool she’d perched herself on. He held a hand to her cheek. “Mandy, I’ve got enough energy left in me to do both my chores and yours. Go on to bed, you look exhausted.”

“Truly? It’s not going to be too much work for you?”

He smiled. “It’ll be fine. Go on now.” She patted his cheek and told him where the cookies were before giving in and making her way to bed. 

He finished the kitchen and went on to clean up the sitting room, something that he really should have done before he left but he was too excited to do so. Just as he finished that, he heard the carriage come up. He'd changed into his every day wear a few minutes after getting back so there was nothing to worry about in that regard. His step-sister went straight to bed while the men went to the sitting room and called for some tea and refreshments, just as Virgil knew they would.

Virgil stood just outside the door and listened in on their conversation. “Did you even get a good look at him?!” his step-father was saying.

“No and I’m starting to wonder if Prince Logan had even attended the ball at all.” That was his step-brother.

Virgil breathed a sigh of relief. The prince was still alive and Virgil had another chance to make sure he stayed that way. He finished the rest of his chores as quickly as possible and went off to bed.

The next day, he was whistling as he worked when his step-sister came upon him. She sat on the upholstered bench as he dusted the library shelves. An unconscious smile came to his face as he thought of the library from the night before.

“You seem to be in a good mood. Care to share why?” She asked as he went about his chores.

Virgil shrugged. “I got an early start to the day, didn’t get a single thing thrown at me when delivering breakfast, and am slightly ahead in my work.” He instantly regretted telling her the last part, fearing that she would come up with other things to lengthen his day.

Instead, she didn’t even comment on it. “It’s nice that at least one of us is in a good mood.”

Virgil sighed, knowing she was operating on a script but hadn’t been given the lines for. “What makes you say that? Are you not in a good mood today?”

He caught sight of her in his periphery as she shook her head. “I met someone at the ball last night and I think we really could make a nice match.”

Virgil raised his eyebrows as the image of her and the young woman came to mind. “Oh? And who would this be? Why does this not put you in a good mood?”

“Because I’m not sure if Father will let me pursue her.”

“Her?” He coaxed her to keep talking so he didn’t have to, making it less likely for him to make a mistake and be punished.

“Yes, her. She’s not very high up, only the daughter of a baron. I’m sure Father wants to marry me off to foreign royalty if he can, at least a count or countess. He’d never approve of a baroness.”

Virgil hummed. They themselves were only on the viscount level, only a step above the barons. He wondered what level Emerald was at. He had to be high up if he had the ear of the Prince Logan, but he could also just be a childhood friend that had continued into adulthood. He tuned back in to hear his step-sister bemoaning her life and how it wasn’t fair that her father might not let her court the baroness.

He let her ramble as he worked before bowing and leaving the now cleaned library behind. He grabbed a filled water bucket and an old rag, washing the flooring in the entrance hall. Then came sweeping the stairs and dusting the bedrooms, guest rooms included. He helped with lunch and Mandy forced him to break long enough to eat before he was off to care for the animals outside.

By the time night fell and his step-family had left, he was very nearly dead on his feet. Throwing back on his best shoes and his father’s old red suit, he gained a second wind as he headed to the backyard. The old woman met him again, this time giving him a purple vest with silver accents, a black shirt and silver tie beneath it, and a pair of black suit pants. His mask for the night was a silverish white one that had purple accents and a silver butterfly wing as the right eye. His best shoes, admittedly quite ratty, were transformed into a pair that looked straight off the shelf and were as comfortable as they could be.

He was brought to the castle in the same carriage from the night before. He got to the entrance way before he spotted Emerald standing near the entrance to the ballroom, searching for someone. Emerald was wearing the same mask as the night before but his dress was an off the shoulder piece with long sleeves and a skirt that pooled around his feet. It was a dark blue color with star-like, shimmering sequins that clustered over the top and sleeves but trailed off at the waist, leaving the rest of the gown as a solid color. Emerald raised a hand as Virgil came closer, sliding through the crowd and coming to keep pace with Virgil.

“Hello, Butterfly. How are you this evening?” Emerald sounded as he did last night, slightly detached but with an air of caring.

Virgil smiled and breathed out a sigh. “How real do you want my answer to be?” He wondered how far he could push his luck tonight.

Emerald paused in his tracks, Virgil going a few steps ahead before turning back to find him standing still. “I want you to be as real as you’d like. You’re in charge here, Butterfly.”

Virgil genuinely considered that for a moment before speaking his mind. “In that case, I don’t think I could survive a night in that ballroom. There’s way too many people here tonight.” He was almost hoping Emerald would let them go straight to the chess game.

Emerald nodded, moving the few steps to stand by Virgil and holding his arm out. Virgil gratefully took it, settling his hand in the crook of the other’s elbow, and allowed himself to be led away. “I was almost hoping you’d say that,” Emerald said by way of explanation, “as I really wasn’t looking forward to dancing all night either.”

Virgil looked down at him, observing the way the light caught his mask and made his eyes sparkle. “I really do need to speak with Prince Logan before midnight.”

Emerald nodded, patting his hand. “And so you shall. We’ll take a turn about the gardens, see the stars, and then you can best me at chess and you can have that audience with the prince.” He smiled in a way that Virgil couldn’t interpret.

“Thank you. I’m grateful that you’re willing to do this for me.”

Emerald opened a door that led outside, depositing them in front of the castle gardens. “I find you an intriguing enigma, Butterfly. Would it be out of line of me to ask you to tell me more about yourself? You don’t have to disclose anything you don’t wish to.”

Virgil stepped out with him, breathing in the cool night air. “What do you want to know? How honest would you like me to be? I can spin quite the tall tale if you let me.” He used to talk to the child of one of the maids, always coming up with clever excuses and stories as to why he was injured in some way or another. He wasn’t sure if he was willing to share the truth with someone he’d met just the night before but he was also feeling slightly brave with the mask hiding his identity.

Emerald led him down a path lined with hedges and flower beds. “You can be as truthful or as fanciful as you’d like. I shall enjoy guessing which is truth, if you’ll let me.”

Virgil nodded. They walked in silence for a few more moments, the noise of the ball fading until it was almost gone completely. He sat, staring at the flowers across the path and the butterflies that flitted around them. “I’d like to talk about it, if you’re willing to listen.”

Emerald gathered his skirts and sat beside him. “I’m here whenever you’re ready.”

Virgil took a deep breath. “My childhood wasn’t the best. I had a few good, happy years. When Mother was still alive, before Father remarried. By the time I turned nine, everything had changed. Mother died when I was seven, Father remarried when I was eight and died shortly before I turned nine.” He shrugged. “Life went downhill from there.”

Emerald put a hand on Virgil’s shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me anything, Butterfly. I can apologize I asked and we can move on to lighter topics.”

Virgil shook his head, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. “Now that I’ve started, it’s easier to just keep going.” He felt a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. “My status no longer mattered. To them, I was just another person to put down.”

“To them? You’ve only mentioned your father’s second spouse.”

Virgil quirked the side of his mouth. “Yeah, them. Step-father, his son, and his daughter. They treat me like I’m lower than the dirt they walk on. The thing that gets me is that I let them. They’ve knocked me around so many times, I just do what they want because it’s easier than trying to fight back.”

He felt a tear slip down behind his mask. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Emerald’s arm slipped around Virgil’s shoulders and he pulled him against his side, just holding him for a moment. After a minute or two, Virgil sniffed and pulled away, pulling his mask out a bit to wipe at his eyes. “Sorry, I don’t know why I decided to spill my soul to someone I only met yesterday.”

Emerald looked back at him with gentle eyes, nothing but kindness to be found. “If you didn’t talk about it you would have burst. I can understand that feeling.” He perked up, standing and holding a hand out to Virgil. “Come on, let’s talk about a happier topic. Have you ever seen the night sky properly?”

For the next hour, they laid in the center of the hedge maze, heads together and feet facing opposite directions. Emerald pointed out stars and constellations, telling stories about them. Virgil asked about some and told made up stories about others. When they got tired of talking of stars and stories, they asked each other about opinions on anything and everything under the sun, learning about favorites and dislikes.

In that moment on the grass, Virgil felt that he could love this person, this man who comforted him when speaking of his family history, who played a mean game of chess, who had a lovely sense of humor. He knew that if he had the choice as to who to spend the rest of his life with, it wouldn’t be a hard decision to pick Emerald. It didn’t matter that neither knew the other’s name nor what they looked like, all that mattered was that they were alike enough that life would be paradise compared to his current situation.

Finally, Emerald sighed. “We should go back and join the ballroom, at least for a half hour.”

Virgil nodded and sat up. “Are you required to?”

Emerald shrugged. “As a close friend of the crown, it’s expected of me. Could you help me? I’m not sure I got all the grass off.” Virgil chuckled and helped brush him off, Emerald checking that Virgil’s suit was grass-free. They walked back together, hands linking.

They got back to the ballroom, the noise hitting Virgil like a wall. He took a deep breath as they went in, instantly trying to spot either his step-family or the royal family. He and Emerald stayed off to the side as they waited for the current dance set to end.

“Is your step-family here right now?” Emerald asked, leaning close to Virgil’s ear to be heard.

Virgil kept looking through the crowd. “I know they’re here but I don’t see any of them right now. That’s slightly concerning to me if I’m continuing the honesty streak.”

Emerald nodded, tucking him just that much closer to himself. “Can I ask why that’s concerning?”

“That’s what I need to talk to the prince about.” As much as he felt that he could trust this man, he was unsure if that trust could go as far as a plot on royalty’s life.

Emerald hummed, going back to watching the dancing. Virgil spotted his step-brother in the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. When the dance ended, Emerald tugged Virgil onto the dance floor and into his arms.

Once they were out there, they synched up. Emerald barely had to press his fingers on Virgil’s waist to guide the dance. They moved almost as one as they glided across the dance floor. Virgil lost himself in the motions, in Emerald’s eyes, in the moment, and in the feeling of being held.

A half hour later, the dance set was finished and the pair were sitting on a nearby bench, drinking from goblets and watching the crowd. “Do you know when I may speak with the prince?” Virgil asked, leaning wearily against the wall.

“After we finish our chess match.” Emerald drained the last of his drink. “I made sure it was left in the same position as when we played last night. Care to finish it?”

Virgil nodded and instinctively reached to take his empty goblet. Emerald simply smirked, taking Virgil’s and handing both off to a passing servant. They wove around the room and slipped through the door into the library.

They sat and resumed the game, each giving a fact about himself with each piece captured. When Virgil managed to capture the second rook, Emerald laughed. “Last night I promised that there was a fancier version of the nickname ‘Emerald’ I’ve been using.”

“Yes, just as you call me the Purple Butterfly, there was something you could be called.”

“Yes, that. If it is a very serious moment, or you wish to address me by the full thing, call me the Evening Emerald.”

Virgil nodded. “Alright, Evening Emerald, let’s finish this game.”

Just as he was about to make his next move, the clock struck a quarter till midnight. “Oh my!” Virgil stood. “My apologies but it seems it will need to wait another day. I must be home soon!” He hadn’t meant to stay that late at all.

With that, he ran out of the room. The Evening Emerald was left to stare at an empty seat and hope the Purple Butterfly was safe.

Once again, Virgil arrived back at home just as the spell wore off. He changed out of the tattered suit and old shoes into his usual servant outfit before doing his nightly chores. Mandy and the rest of the staff had already gone to bed so he had the house to himself for a rare moment. Dreamily, he danced around the kitchen as he did his chores, remembering the dancing from earlier.

When all the chores were done, he prepared a snack and waited for his step-family to arrive home. They arrived soon after he sat down, giving him no time to rest as he took their coats and brought the snack to them in the drawing room. He was told to leave the room but once again stood at the door. HIs step-siblings talked of the people they met at the party for a while before his step-sister withdrew to her room. The two men, left alone in the room, talked about the royalty again.

“Did you see him at all this time?” Step-father asked.

“In my defense, I was busy with a girl.” Virgil could see him in his mind’s eye, rubbing the back of his neck with a barely apologetic look on his face.

The sound of a thud and a crash reached Virgil, making him wince. That sounded like something heavy and fragile hitting a wall and Virgil knew he was going to be the one cleaning it up tomorrow. “Do you mean to tell me that we have wasted two of the three night window to be rid of that man?” his step-father’s voice was low and slow, a sure sign that it was time for Virgil to get out of there.

He took the tray of now dirty dishware to the kitchen, cleaning them properly before putting them away, hands shaking all the while. It wasn’t the yelling that one had to worry about when it came to his step-father. It was the throwing things, the hands that lashed out quickly, the feet that would trip and kick. It was the soft voice the man only used when he was trying to get something peacefully or when he was livid. 

That soft voice was what Virgil feared the most and the reason he wanted to leave so badly.

When the last dish was placed, Virgil made the long trek up to his bedroom in the attic. He pulled up the loose floorboard he kept his valuables under, checking to make sure that his coin purse was still there. It was, ready to go the day after tomorrow when he was finally going to leave this place behind forever. He put the board back before falling into bed, going to sleep soon after.

He woke the next morning to a footman knocking at his door. “Virgil.” A hushed voice reached him.

Virgil sat up, rubbing his eyes even as he pulled his work boots on. “Yeah? Come in.”

He poked his head around. “The master is up early.”

Virgil cursed under his breath, hurrying to lace the boots. “How deep in trouble am I today?”

“He threw a vase last night and wants it cleaned up two hours ago.”

Virgil rushed to the door, walking quickly with the footman on his heels. “Of course he does. And of course he wants me to do it. Because of course we don’t have a legion of maids to do exactly that.” Virgil grumbled as they descended. The footman didn’t respond but looked like he was nodding along.

They parted ways at the base of the stairs, Virgil giving him thanks and moving to the drawing room. his step-father was already there, sitting in an armchair and reading the morning paper. Virgil gave him a half bow before moving to pick up the pieces of ceramic.

The rug beneath the spot on the wall was damaged beyond repair and Virgil made a mental note to add a new rug to the shopping list. The wall was more or less undamaged, giving it a good wipe down would do the trick. Virgil stood and left the room, soon returning with what he needed to set the room right.

He hummed as he worked, thoughts drifting to the night before. The job was finished before he knew it and he stood to leave. Just as he reached the door, his step-father spoke. “There’s a new list of chores in the kitchen for you. I expect them to be completed before I return tonight.”

Virgil turned his head to look at the man who hadn’t even bothered to look up from his newspaper. “Yes, sir.”

The list was almost twice as long as it had been the first day. Virgil sighed, placing the things down where they belonged. Mandy blocked his way out the door. “I’m not letting you get a step farther until you at least eat something. I’ve seen that list and it’s more than should be asked of any one person.”

Virgil sighed but gave in, sitting down to eat. While he was eating, the scullery maid came in and set the feed bag down. “I’ve fed the animals and done what I can for them. I know it’s not much but it’s all I can give you.” He knew she’d grown up on a farm so the animals and their stalls were in good hands. He nodded his thanks as he shoved the rest of his breakfast into his mouth.

Snatching up the three trays, he went through the motions of serving his step-family before moving on to his other chores. He went up to the guest rooms, only to be told that all three of the maids had taken it upon themselves to clean them for him. He thanked them and went back down to sweep the front stairs and mop the downstairs. He was once again pulled into the kitchen for lunch but helped them to deep clean it afterwards.

The day dragged on slowly. Virgil counted the seconds until his step-family left for the ball. Finally, they did. He was up in an attic storage space trying to find decorations for something or other when the same footman came in. “Mandy wanted me to tell you that they’ve just left.”

Virgil glanced up and nodded. “Thank you.” He left his task where it was and went to get dressed. He pulled that floorboard back up and lifted out a small bag that contained his most prized worldly possessions. He opened it carefully and drew out a thin necklace chain with a small bat charm hanging from it, his mother’s necklace. He smiled, putting it on beneath his father’s old suit and best shoes.

He gave Mandy a kiss on the cheek before slipping out the back door. The old woman met him in the backyard again and provided the carriage and outfit. The shoes were the same as the first night but this time his dress was as black as midnight, with small stars dotting it and clustering in a swirl that ran diagonally across the skirt. It resembled a night sky with a nebula shining through and Virgil couldn’t have loved it more as it matched perfectly with the small bat charm resting between his collarbones. His mask was a black and silver version of the butterfly he’d worn the previous night.

When he arrived at the ball, Emerald was nowhere to be seen. Virgil slipped inside and found the same back corner as he had that first night. It wasn’t long before Emerald found him, slipping an arm around his waist and pulling him closer to him. “Apologies for not greeting you at the door, I was speaking with my brother.”

Virgil hummed, feeling slightly less drained of energy upon seeing him for some reason. “That’s fine, I’m not the main focus of this event.”

Emerald laughed lightly. “You’re my main focus. Speaking of,” he turned his head to catch Virgil’s eye, “what would you like to do now? Dance, walk in the garden, finish our chess match, sit and talk?”

Virgil smiled. “I honestly don’t have the energy to dance nor play chess at the moment. Finding a place to sit and talk sounds lovely, though.” He wanted to enjoy his last night with this amazing man.

Emerald nodded, stepping away enough to hold Virgil’s hand and guide him along. “Alright. I know an out of the way bench where we can sit and view the dancing without having to shout to hear each other.” He started leading the way and Virgil followed, paying more attention to Emerald’s outfit than to where they were going.

He was wearing a brilliant green suit that matched his name, his plain green mask that had been worn during both previous balls, and a silver circlet that kept his hair in check. As always, there were a few strands that had fallen over his forehead but Virgil found them endearing.

He was brought out of his musings by drunk shouting. A duke was blocking their path, shouting at a servant for, from what Virgil could gather, being out of wine. Virgil drew into himself just the slightest bit, having been on the receiving end of such yelling it is the furthest thing from fun he can think of. Emerald squeezed his hand before releasing it.

“Now see here, your grace. That is no way to treat someone who is only doing their job.” His voice was firm as he reached forward and grabbed onto the man’s arm.

The duke shook him off, squinting at him. “Who are you to order me around?”

Virgil looked around for help, flagging down a patrolling pair of guards. Emerald kept talking to the duke in a stern voice that grew angrier the longer he went on. The guards came over and Virgil filled them in on what was happening. They quickly escorted the duke out of the room and, presumably, out of the castle as well.

Emerald took Virgil’s hand, keeping him slightly closer as they kept going. They didn’t speak again until they’d arrived at a bench on the balcony. Emerald seated Virgil before he himself sat down. “I beg your pardon for my anger a few moments ago. The only thing I hate in the world is people who abuse their positions of power.”

Virgil smiled, feeling something settle in his chest at that, like something had just clicked into place. “I completely understand.”

“I must say, it was very quick thinking to call the guards over as you did.” Emerald remarked, making Virgil feel heat rise in his cheeks.

“It was just what anyone else would do.” He deliberately kept his eyes on the dancefloor, not glancing at his companion.

Emerald chuckled, switching the topic to sweets and favorite desserts. Virgil was grateful for the distraction, listening to him talk for a while until he felt awake and rested enough to dance. He told Emerald this and they waited for the next opening to step onto the dance floor.

As they danced, the world seemed to melt away. Virgil forgot about his step-family, the prince and the plot on his life, even the fear and uncertainty of tomorrow. In that moment, it was just him and Emerald. They twirled around the dance floor, both feeling as if they were floating rather than dancing, sweeping around the couples dancing with them. When they got toward the end of the set, Emerald took one of Virgil’s hands and spun him, smiling as Virgil couldn’t help but laugh as he spun. When he was pulled back in, Emerald dipped him. Virgil was held in strong arms, looking up into eyes that were a brighter green than the mask that lay over them, and had never felt more secure and loved in his whole life.

Emerald laughed through a heavy breath, holding him in the dip for a few seconds longer than the rest of the dancers before pulling him up and leading him to the same bench they’d sat on during the first ball. Both were breathing hard and just sat there for a few moments, leaning on the other. They didn’t speak for a few moments, simply sitting and enjoying the rush of the dance and the buzz in their chests.

Finally, Virgil sat up and away from Emerald. “That was exhilarating!”

Emerald chuckled, leaning against the pillar beside him. “That it was.”

A few more minutes were spent watching the dancing before Virgil caught sight of his step-father and was reminded why he was there in the first place. “Should we go finish that chess match?” He asked.

Emerald nodded and stood. “That sounds like a lovely idea.” He held a hand out and helped Virgil to his feet, tucking his hand into the crook of his arm.

They wove through the crowd until they reached the library door where they slipped through and over to the chess board. It was quiet as they sat down and tried to remember what their strategies had been and where they were in the game. Once they were mentally settled, they started up their usual banter as the game progressed. Virgil was enjoying himself, time seeming to fly.

An hour after they started, Virgil finally caught Emerald’s queen and moved into a checkmate position.

“You have captured my heart as easily as you captured my queen.” The Evening Emerald said softly, gazing down at the chessboard between them.

Virgil looked up at that, startled. “What?”

Emerald laughed. “Forget it. Let’s go meet the prince.” He stood, helping Virgil to his feet as well.

Virgil’s thoughts kept going back to what Emerald had said as they exited a door opposite the one they entered. They walked down the hall, taking a few turns before Virgil asked where they were going.

“He’s usually in the observatory at this time of night, ball or no ball, so we have to go there to meet with him.”

Virgil hummed in response. He carefully kept track of the amount of turns and in which direction they went.

“So, what are you wanting to speak to the prince about?” Emerald asked as they walked.

“I overheard my family talking about something that concerns me quite a bit.” He paused for a moment, weighing his trust for this man. After thinking, he continued speaking. “My step-father and step-brother are plotting high treason: the assassination of Prince Logan.”

They stopped walking when they got to a door. The clock proclaimed it a half hour to midnight just as they arrived.  Virgil startled. “Oh! I didn’t realize how late it was. I have to go. Promise me you’ll pass the warning on to the prince? Please tell him about the assassination attempt?”

Emerald reached out, not quite touching Virgil’s arm. “Please stay. Just this once? You always rush off so quickly. You finally managed to beat me, don’t you want to at least meet the prince? Isn’t that what you came here for?” There was a note of pleading in his voice that made Virgil want to give in. The one thing that kept him from staying was the thought of what his step-father would do to the servants if he wasn’t there when they got back.

Virgil looked between him and back the way they came. “I really must go. I can’t be gone when my family returns.” He ran down the hall, back the way they came.

“Wait!” Emerald called out behind him. Virgil ignored him, even as an ache began in his chest. He made his way back through the library, along the edge of the ballroom, and out into the corridor, picking up a bit of speed in the empty hallway. The thud of boots on stone sounded behind him as Emerald made it out. Another call to wait and talk to him echoed to Virgil.

He burst out the front doors, the carriage waiting right where he’d left it. Finding it harder to run down the stairs in the slippers, he slipped them off and held them for a moment. Before he could start moving again, Emerald appeared at the top of the stairs, maskless. Virgil dropped one of the shoes in shock, screwing up his face in anticipation of hearing the shoe shatter behind him but not hearing anything. Instead, he ran to the carriage and climbed inside.

Emerald made it to the shoe that was halfway down the stairs when the carriage left the gate, Virgil gazing out the back window. He hoped Emerald would be able to do something about the prince’s life, hoped everything would turn out alright. He kept watching until the castle faded from view as the carriage raced along the path back to the house.

Hooves pounded against stone behind him but Virgil couldn’t be sure if that was his carriage or someone pursuing him and he was terrified to look in case it was his step-family going home early. He arrived in one piece and jumped out just as the dress dissolved back into his red suit, leaving him with the one glass slipper, ribbons trailing from it.

Mandy met him at the back door. “How was the last night? Was it everything you dreamed it would be?”

Virgil smiled at her and took the time to twirl her around. “I’ve decided to make my escape tonight, while the others are occupied with the ball. I shall be back as soon as I have enough money to claim this land as my own.”

She laughed. “I wish you well.”

He ran up to his room and managed to change into his normal attire before a shout and bang from downstairs caught his attention. He stored the slipper with the rest of his valuables, rubbed his face on his apron to make him look dirtier than he was, and went back downstairs. The front door was standing open and his step-family was in the entry hall. Virgil walked up to them, taking coats and hanging them up. “You’re home early. Did something happen?”

His step-father scowled at him. “There was a commotion that resulted in half of the guard disappearing in pursuit of someone. I didn’t like the situation and so we left.”

Virgil bowed his head, silently cursing his foolishness. “Can I get you anything before you retire for the night?”

“No, that will be all.” His step-father swept up the stairs and to his room. His step-brother and step-sister didn’t speak to him, just piled their coats into his arms and went into the drawing room. Virgil put the coats away and went to sit in the kitchen.

“I don’t know what to do now. Do you think I have time to sneak out still?”

Mandy came over to him and ran her fingers through his hair. “Oh, sweet. Of course you still have time. Get out while you can, we’ll be fine here.”

Virgil nodded, back straightening with intention. “Okay, thank you. For everything.”

He stood and made it to the top of the main staircase when a knock sounded at the door. A footman seemed to almost appear out of the wall and looked around for someone to take orders from. He caught sight of Virgil and gestured to the door. Virgil shook his head, hissing out, “Don’t look at me for help, I don’t have any authority here.”

The footman sighed and rolled his eyes before going to open the door anyways. Virgil dove behind the banister and peeked out at the entrance hall. The door opened to an unmasked Emerald standing in front of a small troop of castle guards. “Excuse me, I’m so sorry to bother you at such an hour but I’m wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for a man who was seen holding a shoe that looks like this?” He held up the shoe Virgil had dropped on the stairs.

The footman nodded nervously, glancing up the stairs at Virgil’s general direction. Emerald followed the footman’s gaze and smiled. “Are you up there, Butterfly?”

Virgil growled low in his throat as he came out from hiding and walked down the stairs. “No loyalty at all around here.” He muttered as he came to stand near the footman, who promptly went toward the kitchen. The maids were clustered around the doorway, just watching what was happening.

Emerald smiled. “Are you my butterfly?” The maids giggled from the doorway, Mandy coming out to shoo them away. “Is there somewhere private I can talk with you and your step-family?”

Virgil didn’t respond but led him to the doorway to the drawing room, only remembering that his step-siblings were in there as he was opening the doors. His step-brother was lounging on the couch as his step-sister paced, mid rant about the maiden she’d been flirting with. Virgil forced a smile as he advanced into the room, moving to stand in front of the damaged wall. Emerald came in and took a seat in the armchair. He looked to Virgil’s step-sister. “Would you mind going to get your father?”

She curtseyed and left without a word. Virgil’s step-brother sat up, his eyes widening as he caught sight of Emerald. “Your highness, may I ask what the reason for your visit is?”

Virgil was trying very hard not to collapse to the ground from exhaustion so his mind briefly glazed over the title before coming back to it. By the time it had registered, however, his step-father had stepped into the room and was glaring daggers at Virgil already. Emerald held a hand out to Virgil who instinctively looked at his own hands as if he had something to hand him. Instead, the man simply smiled. “Butterfly, would you please sit down next to me?”

Virgil nodded and moved to stand by his armchair, not having anything to sit on nearby. Emerald took his hand, rubbing his thumb gently over the back of it. Virgil leaned against the chair just the slightest bit. Emerald turned back to Virgil’s step-family. “So, I was told you wanted me dead.”

His step-brother squeaked and looked to his father, who was as still and cold as stone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, your highness.”

Virgil could feel his day catching up to him, just how much cleaning, dancing, socializing, and running he’d done was starting to take its toll on him. He leaned a bit heavier against the chair as he listened to Emerald talk with his step-father.

“I was informed by a trusted source that you were conspiring to kill me. I don’t think I have to inform you that that’s high treason and punishable by death.”

“Father, what’s going on? I don’t want to die.” Virgil’s step-brother asked, panic invading his voice.

Emerald smirked. “Why would you have anything to fear?” There was more back and forth conversation before Emerald ordered the guards to arrest the two men. Virgil’s step-sister went with them as she wanted to see if she could court the woman she’d been speaking with at the ball.

Emerald tugged gently on Virgil’s hand, drawing his attention to him. Virgil looked down at him. “Are you really Prince Logan?”

He chuckled. “Yes, I am. Now that you know my name, am I permitted to know yours?”

“It’s Virgil. Virgil Strand.”

Emerald pulled on Virgil’s hand until he was sitting in his lap. “Thank you for saving my life, Virgil Strand.”

Despite how tired he was, Virgil’s heart did a flutter when he heard his name. He rested his head on Emerald’s Logan’s shoulder. “I promise that I’m very happy to see you and know you're safe but I’m very tired.” He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling safe in Logan’s arms.

Logan chuckled. “I understand. Do you want to stay here or would you like to come to the castle with me? You don’t have to go back to the ball or anything like that if you don’t want to.”

Virgil hummed. “I wanna stay with you. Where it feels safe.”

He felt Logan’s chin brush the top of his head before there were arms around him and lifting him. Logan walked for a minute or so before Virgil was handed off to someone else. Metal jingled and Virgil felt himself rising, settling down with his back to Logan’s chest as he straddled what felt like a horse. He stirred slightly, causing Logan to hum a soothing tune. Virgil finally gave into his exhaustion and fell asleep in his arms.

He didn’t wake up until the next morning when the sun came streaming in through the window. Virgil rolled over, feeling soft sheets on his skin and a warmth next to him. He curled into that warmth before realizing that it wasn’t normal for him to wake up well rested nor with warmth nearby. Jolting backwards, he fell off the bed before realizing that he was in a bed. He groaned and stood, finding Logan had been the one asleep beside him. With no knowledge of where he was or how he got there, he wasn’t sure what the next course of action was.

Luckily, he didn’t have to think long as Logan rolled over, his eyes opening as he smiled at Virgil. “Good morning, Butterfly.”

Virgil smiled awkwardly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Logan rolled until his head was in Virgil’s lap. “I don’t exactly remember what happened toward the end of the night.”

Logan laughed. “That’s understandable given the circumstances. We need to talk to my father this afternoon but the morning is yours to command. What shall we do first?”

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t exactly have any clothes to wear except for these.”

Logan nodded. “I can lend you some for now and buy you more later. Anything else?”

Virgil shook his head. “Nothing I can think of.” He was already feeling tired again, his body wanting to catch up on sleep.

Logan sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to mimic Virgil’s stance. One of his hands came up to cradle Virgil’s cheek. “In that case, I think we need to talk.”

“I agree.” Virgil wasn’t sure how to approach the topic he wanted to discuss.

Logan smiled. “I love you. To be honest, I couldn’t take my eyes off you when you walked into that first ball.”

Virgil smiled, his hand reaching up to grasp Logan’s wrist. “I love you too.”

Logan leaned forward slightly. “May I kiss you?”

Virgil nodded, closing the distance and meeting Logan in the middle. When they pulled apart, both had a smile on his face. Logan laughed lightly. “When I first saw you, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I knew I had to talk to you. I’m so glad I did.” He leaned forward to rest his forehead on Virgil’s.

That afternoon, the king expressed gratitude for Virgil’s attempts to save Logan’s life and asked him what he desired as a reward. Virgil said that he and Logan wished to marry. The king raised Virgil from a viscount to an earl, gave Virgil back his father’s land, and permitted the marriage. They married a month later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The End ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Loosely based on this art.

[fragileizywriting]

Izy... IZY.

I saw that art u showed for flp.

I just wanted to tell u. I. HAVE. BEEN DYING to draw someone- ANYONE! From your AU, EVERYTIME I READ IT. I GO FERAL OVER THE LITTLE DETAILS U ADD, WHETHER IT BEING THE CLOTHES THEY WEAR, their FACIAL FEATURES- EVEN THEIR BODIES. I can't I'm so weaaaaaakkkkkk I RLLY WANNA DRAW THEM SO BADDDDDDD.

BUT whenever I try tho, it's always the character's clothes that always get me. Like I KNOW this is set in a certain period, I just didn't know what!

From the way they lived I thought it was the year 15-1600s. BUT THEN, I remembered how you described Marinette getting dressed, and well IT DOESN'T ADD UP! I've done enough research and even watched TON of videos(def not for this AU no.) of how women got dressed in that time period. The exact detail I remembered that threw me off the loop was her putting stays as an undergarment! And I know that's not in that period, no that's not how they get dressed, unless maybe if she was a noble then maybe I haven't done enough research.

But she's only a commoner!!!(despite marrying a demon prince in the future!) And well... I DON'T KNOW ANYMOREヽ(`д´；)/!!!

I've always just drawn other characters from other shows, in another site so I've always wanted to make my first ml piece by making a small gift for u! I just wanted to know how they really look like(their clothes ofc, im talking abt their clothes)! And... the... time period ur writing in.........

hello anon!!!!! i hope you're doing okay!!!! oh god, i never imagined someone would want to draw this au, eep!!! i'm so glad you want to draw for this au...

you definitely have very important questions, and i hope i can explain!!!

this au isn't exactly set in any exact time period, which is even worse, isn't it? here's how it works out: there are two very distinct places of inspiration i got in order to flesh out this au.

black butler and howl's moving castle.

at the very least, these are two very different time periods, i know.

for black butler, it's where we got the whole "tattoo glowy part and the demon has the same tattoo on them in order to show that they're contracted to one another" type of thing. it's also where we get a lot of the dark elements of the story from.

howl's moving castle is everything else. the magic, the scenary, the sweetness and the calmness even though there's war and destruction in the movie, it's one of my all-time favorites.

i've tried to make the time period as "fantasy" as possible, but there are a couple of things i've made sure to do. for one, marinette wears a chemise under everything. she wears stays, too, and they either lace up the front of the back (the back is her more formal one, since that probably requires a second pair of hands to help her out. familiar chat to the rescue!)

i personally personally personally have taken a huuuge amount of inspiration from these two videos on how they dress for the time period: video one | video two yes, these two are definitely two very different time periods, too! but the delicateness, and the floweryness of the late 1700s combined with the ruggedness and the comfort of late 1800s... i've tried my best to combine them as much as i can, even though it might not have come off as professional... marinette wears nearly identical clothing to video two, but in dark colors instead of denim.

honestly, i should've picked a time period and stuck to it instead of trying to fit different time periods together in order to pretend that this is a completely different world ToT

the tl;dr, anon, is whatever you'd like to draw in whatever clothes, go for it!! the drawing i drew was original from when before i started writing the au, about two or three years ago, so it's definitely wrong now. i didn't fix it when i redid chat, because i totally forgot to!!

i hope this helped...

have a good day!!!

[jengarie]

#showyourprocess !

From planning to posting, share your process for making creative content!

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES — When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag up to 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you’d like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours!

Thank you, @rinielle for tagging me! She chose the piece above (original post), and oh boy this one was a whole ass rollercoaster ride! Unfortunately, I hadn't turned on the timelapse feature for this but I'll try to go through each part of the process as best as I can!

The photos I'm gonna upload are gonna be a mix of screenshots and literal photos of my screen, because I'm taking some of them from my updates to friends, since a lot of the steps got lost in my painting process.

But before that, let me tag some other amazing creators!

@dragonji: this gif art!

@candicewright: this yibo painting!

@wendashanren: this gifset!

@mylastbraincql: this gif!

I haven't been able to keep track of who's been tagged so apologies if you've already done this! Also, no pressure to do it at all if you would rather not! <3

Planning

Sometimes, I get an idea first and find reference photos to go with that idea. But for this one, I sought out a reference photo first, and built an idea on top of it!

After that, I roughly sketch out the base pose. Usually, this looks very messy, but it doesn't really matter as long as I understand which part goes where!

The idea for the background didn't really come until the creation process because I don't think I really planned this to be a full piece.

Creation

Sketching

Honestly, from this point on, it's more of trial and error.

So, I redid the the initial base pose—made it cleaner and a little bit more detailed. See: the added definition in their arm muscles, the rearrangement of Wei Wuxian's legs, and Lan Wangji's hand on Wei Wuxian's back. If you look at the second photo, I also changed the pose a bit midway—I tend to edit as I go sometimes when I change my mind. (For this, I thought, given the Lan arm strength, it would be better to make Lan Wangji look more at ease carrying Wei Wuxian. This gets covered by the robes anyway though, so it didn't matter much in the end.)

I also started adding details to the base! I usually start with the face and then the hair! I usually go for the clothes next, but I dreaded the robes in this piece so I guess that's why I ended up with a basic idea of what I wanted for the background instead LOL I also figured out how I want the final crop to look like, so I blocked out all the other areas with an extra layer!

Okay, onto the part that killed me like ten times: the robes. There are a lot of interactions between their robes here given their pose, and not to mention they also have layers upon layers on each of them! So, to maintain my sanity and to keep track of which part is which, I color coded them into the most colorful sketch I've ever made.

Another reason why I filled in each layer of robe with a solid block of color, is so that all the lines underneath gets covered. Without all of the colors, the actual outline actually looks like the one on the right. What a nightmare!

I also ignored the crop again for this part, because it's always better to draw past your borders, in case you decide to rotate or tilt or whatever your piece later on. I didn't do the feet anymore though, because that I was sure wouldn't show in the final piece anymore.

After that, I did the sketch one more time and then started adding the base colors. (I didn't have a screenshot of just the base colors, and the final CSP file is a nightmare so I copy pasted the layers into a new canvas to show you guys :') )

By the way, I drew their robes flowing this way, because I wanted it to frame the lower arch of the moon behind them for the composition. It was a little frustrating that I couldn't get Lan Wangji's robes a little higher because of Wei Wuxian's legs but I later filled in the empty space with his forehead ribbon anyway, so it all worked out in the end!

Painting

Because apparently, I was a masochist back then, I merged the base colors all into one layer and started adding shadows to the robes. (These days, I add shadows first and then, merge. It's much easier this way.)

And then, I started painting! Again, I did the face first and then the hair, before finally the robes. This was my first time painting side profiles and honestly it was quite a pain to figure out LOL but !!! I think I did a good job and I'm proud of how it turned out. I again used reference photos for this one but I can't link any because they were just several random Pinterest photos that I didn't save.

Another thing to note is that I use the mesh transform tool a lot, especially on faces. That's largely why Lan Wangji's face looks so different in the latter two!

And then I went with the robes. Somewhere along the way, I realized I didn't like how I planned to do Lan Wangji's sleeves and the flowy part of Wei Wuxian's robes and I... decided, with much dread, to do them over. So I sketched on top of the painted layers and redid the robes, again.

It was at this point that I decided to take a break from this piece because it was honestly very draining! I think it took about three weeks before I decided to open the file again and continue it.

When I did, I just finished painting the rest of the robes and their hands. The blue details on Lan Wangji's outer robes were painted on a separate layer that I put on Multiply. I probably did more adjustments to the face and hair and stuff, because my painting process is honestly a mess :')

Final Adjustments

I added some correction layers on certain areas to fix some of the colors. See: Lan Wangji's sleeve becoming much brighter and paler; Wei Wuxian's legs having less contrast. And then I merged all of the layers (excluding the background) and added a bit of blur. See: Wei Wuxian's ponytail; the entire lower part; the flowing forehead ribbon. My reasoning for this is so that most of the detail (and therefore the flow of the eye) goes to their faces and expressions!

And then, I put a blue Overlay layer on low opacity to make Wangxian blend better with the background, added a bit of shadow on the inside and the lower sections and added the glowing details for the added flair. I initially wanted sparkles and/or stars but they didn't turn out as well as this did. I also upped the contrast by a little for the entire piece!

Aaaand, that's it! In truth, I did a bit more color adjustments to the whole piece, but I was a dummy who forgot to turn them back on before posting so ... oh well.

Posting

Before posting, I upload it either on my spare private Twitter account or on a drafted Tumblr post so I can check the colors on my phone. This is because the colors on different devices can look very different, and I would at the very least want all my pieces to look nice on both of my devices!

And then, once I deem it satisfactory, I just try to think of a caption and post! Some artists wait for a certain time where most of their followers are active, but I didn't have a lot of MDZS followers at this point so it didn't really matter to me.

It still doesn't really; I haven't actually been able to figure out when my MDZS followers are awake even now.

[editorofeverything]

Four Times Marinette teleported to where she would be safest, and the one time she was already there—Part Three

Okay, so, obviously being out of school didn’t help me finish this at all. I discovered recently that I have a phobia to plots which kept me from finishing this earlier. I had originally planned this series out to be one shots that sort of went together, with little plot besides the daminette aspect to it. This, however, is plot heavy. So. Much. Plot. SO many details to keep track of throughout each chapter… My anxiety said “How about no?” But! I am back! And more determined than ever to finish! Just two (I think?) more chapters after this one! And they’re mostly written already! Hooray! I hope you like it!

I think this may read a little clunky and seem to jump around a lot, but there is a reason for everything, I promise! A lot to unpack in this chapter. Lots of emotions to work through and decisions to be made.

Without further ado:

First - Last - AO3 - Next

A month passed since the start of Marinette having the Wayne’s on her side.

Three akumas passed with ease in the time, leading to their monitoring the situation, but not really needing to assist. Her parents were ecstatic that Marinette had an internship at such a prominent company and they noticed how much effort she put into everything she did. They had concerns about Marinette slipping in school or taking on too much like she had in the past, but after a long conversation about priorities and responsibilities, Marinette stepped down as class president and her parents decided to hire a temp so Marinette wouldn’t have to step in all the time.

She and her parents started having family nights every Sunday where they either bake, play video games, or watch movies. Their trust in Marinette was slowly starting to be restored, and Marinette loved being able to not lie outlandishly to her parents all the time. Even though she was still technically lying, Marinette felt better telling her parents she had internship stuff to do, and then following through.

The first few weeks were bumpy, jumping from disappearing during an akuma attack to going to her internship, but learning about business and how to market her brand… it was like being paid to do what she loved.

Along with getting used to her internship, Marinette also started feeling more comfortable leaning on the Wayne’s for support, whether it just be to talk or when she was struggling.

Like a few days ago when Lila had ruined Marinette’s newly made sundress by “accidentally” spilling paints all over Marinette’s desk. Lila had immediately started sobbing through an apology, trying to rub out the paints which only ruined the expensive, sensitive fabric more.

Marinette had broken down, knowing there wasn’t anything she could do for the fabric and ran home. Unluckily for her, the Wayne’s had been monitoring the school more closely and Tim had just happened upon the footage of Lila very purposefully grabbing a pallet of paint and “tripping” onto Marinette.

A video call from Dick and Tim calmed her down and gave her some advice about being more aware of her surroundings and how to take care of her things so that people don’t find them or get them away from her easily. Jason also had some choice words of advice about how to get out of fights even if she started one, making her laugh.

She had went back to school the next day with her head held high and ignored everyone’s attempts at justifying Lila’s behavior and villainizing Marinette’s. Marinette thought long and hard that day about her friends in the class, and, after Damian’s prompting, decided that “taking the high road” wasn’t in her best interest, no matter how selfish she felt putting herself before her friends and classmates.

Which lead her to where she was, pulling Adrien aside after class when she knew he had some free time and even looked grateful that she pulled him away from Lila.

“We need to talk,” was all she said, and he followed her all the way to the bakery and up to her room silently.

After they sat in silence for a moment, Marinette to gather her thoughts and Adrien to admire her new setup—She had taken all of his photos and other crush memorabilia she had out, and painted her room a lavender color with white and gold accents. More sophisticated and mature, Damian had said with what she would take as pride after she facetimed him the first time since she redid it.—Marinette turned towards Adrien and tried to prepare herself for whatever outcome could come her way.

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

“Adrien, I need to tell you something, and I need you to let me talk until I’m done.” At his concerning frown and hesitant nod, Marinette straightened up and looked him right in the eyes, trying to channel the Wayne’s confidence and all the advice they had given her up until that point. “I won’t stay silent about Lila anymore. You said that what she’s doing isn’t hurting anyone, but you’re wrong. As you friend, I was hoping you would give me the chance to prove it to you. Otherwise…” Marinette swallowed, and clenched her fists. “Otherwise, I don’t think I can be friends with you or the rest of the class anymore.”

The alarm and hurt on Adrien’s face both wounded and relieved her. At least he genuinely cared for her. She wasn’t really sure about any of her friends in the class anymore.

“Marinette-” he cut himself off and took a shaky breath. “I’ll listen. Of course I’ll listen to you, Marinette. I… You were one of the first friends I made here… I don’t want to lose you over her.” His voice was so soft and emotional, and Marinette grabbed his hands in hers and pulled him closer to her.

“I’m sorry to make such an ultimatum. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you, right?” He nodded instantly and Marinette sighed. And then she told him everything. How Lila’s lies to their classmates could hurt them in the long run, how she keeps purposefully causing akuma attacks, and, finally, how Lila was obviously attacking both Adrien and Marinette.

“She’s bullying me, Adrien, and she’s harassing you,” Marinette said bluntly, if a little stern. If she was channeling Damian a bit there, no one else needed to know except for Tikki who was bursting with pride at her Lady Guardian. “I understand that you were homeschooled and that your father is really strict, but this can’t keep going on. The people around you who truly love and care about you should never stand by when you’re obviously getting uncomfortable or hurt.” Adrien was pale, and he looked as stricken as she felt, but she powered on.

“Badmouthing me to everyone who will listen, where I can hear her while she knows I promised you I wouldn’t do anything about it… she’s been hurting me since she threatened me when she first got here and I tried to expose her. I won’t let her hurt you or me anymore. Have you ever wanted her by your side? Hugging you? Trying to convince the class that you should be dating? Coupling up with you at every chance?” Marinette tried not to cringe at how she could relate to some of the words she was spouting. Between her, Lila, and Chloe, there was a good chance Adrien would never know what proper courting and dating behavior should be if she didn’t get through to him. “If she wasn’t working for your father, if she wasn’t lying about everything convincingly, she would’ve been removed from our class, maybe even our school, by now. No one would put up with her and they would be supporting us more. Now, it’s more complicated, because the class truly believes her every word, and we’ve been too complicit, but I would rather stand against her and take whatever consequences come with that than stand aside and let the people that I once cared about and called my friends be used and abused by a faker. I need to look out for myself from now on. I feel selfish, but I can’t keep babysitting the entire class to make sure Lila’s lies don’t hurt them permanently and stay sane. It’s part of the reason I stepped down as class president, and part of the reason I can’t keep staying friends with people who won’t have my back when I need them.”

Marinette tried to calm her breathing and watched Adrien’s face wearily for any signs that he would brush her aside or take Lila’s side. She didn’t want to lose him, didn’t want to lose any of them, but she wouldn’t keep drowning herself to make sure everyone else stayed afloat.

“…I… I am so sorry, Marinette,” he finally said, pulling her into a surprise hug. She could hear the thickness in his voice and felt her eyes fill with tears in response as she held him tightly. “I never thought that… No, I knew that what Lila was doing was wrong, but I thought everything would work itself out.” Adrien pulled away from their hug, but kept her hands in his, giving them a squeeze and a wobbly smile. “My father wants me to keep Lila happy… but I’m not happy anymore,” he admitted, avoiding her eyes, where she had begun to cry in earnest. “I haven’t been for a long time. What you’re saying now… I know it’s true. I’ve thought it before, but I just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before. Even though I wasn’t willing to put in the effort to get there. I let Lila hurt you and your reputation—your entire relationship with the rest of the class—just to make my father happy, even though he’s allowed Lila to—to harass me like you said. I think you’re right. Maybe it’s time we be more selfish.”

Marinette pulled him into a hug again and they cried together until Nathalie called demanding that he come home for practice. Adrien and Marinette were pilled on her bed, watching a movie and Adrien gave her a mischievous grin.

“Maybe being more selfish can start with staying with you a little while longer?” He asked gingerly and Marinette smiled at him.

“Maybe we can start with you staying the night. You ever had a sleepover before?” Adrien shut off his phone excitedly and threw it across the room.

“You have to teach me everything about sleepovers!”

~

Having Adrian by her side was something Marinette never really knew she needed in her life. She always wanted him by her side, but not like this. Not like she truly needed him. Not like how he needed her. And no matter what thirteen year old Marinette might’ve thought, Marinette wouldn’t trade the love and friendship she had with Adrien for anything else, and she really believed that she would never have to.

They didn’t do much anything differently in class, though Nino and Lila seemed to know something had changed between them. Maybe it was how they seemed to both disappear together after school all the time, ignoring invites to after class activities… Or maybe it was how one of them would sneakily intervene whenever Lila would corner the other. The rest of the class didn’t want to cause a fuss, so they turned away whenever the three of them would get into it, which Marinette actually appreciated.

She could fight her own battles now, and so could Adrien as he became more and more outspoken towards Lila’s drama, but fighting the people she once cherished as her closest friends… it was something that she was most afraid of.

Almost a week of no akuma attacks and peace throughout Paris led to Ladybug taking to the rooftops. The sky was clear and the stars seemed to glow as bright as the lights on the Eiffel Tower, and Marinette was able to actually look around and appreciate her surrounding for the first time in a long time. The way the Seine glowed at night; the people milling around the streets; the sounds of music drifting through the light wind kissing her cheeks. Marinette felt… bright. Her heart was light and she would bet the world that her soul was taking on a pinkish hue, beating with her heart in time to the sweet piano still playing somewhere.

She ended up, as always, at the top of the Tower, looking out over her city. Seeing her school, her parents’ bakery, Andre’s ice cream stall… it had been a long time since she could look at these places and the first thought of them be ‘home.’ She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the music once more.

A noise came from behind her, though she didn’t bother moving from her spot. She had taken to lying down, her legs swinging over the edge of the platform, staring at the sky.

“…My Lady?” Chat’s soft voice drifted around her and she smiled at him upside down. His soul seemed to be lighter than it had been and Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the soothing dance their souls took on as they slowly intertwined with each other.

“Hi, Chaton. Wanna come look at the stars with me?” She asked, returning her gaze to the night sky.

“Oh, um… of course, My Lady.” Chat walked over to her and sat down, though he didn’t lie next to her. Something was obviously on his mind, but Marinette didn’t ask. She would wait for him to speak, if he wanted to. And if he didn’t want to talk, they could gaze at the stars together and she would let him know she’s there for him.

After a little while, the piano stopped playing. The wind died down and there was less chatter on the streets. Marinette took a breath and sat up, pulling herself around to look at her partner. He was lost in thought, gazing out at their city.

“Chaton…” Marinette started, gazing at him warmly. She had thought about this a lot over the past month, and Tikki and the Waynes seemed to think it would be in their best interest, but there was still something holding her back.

“Ladybug,” Chat said, turning to her and the look in his eyes was determined, and Marinette was hit with a wave of unease, though she cursed herself for it. Chaton meant well, and he was her partner. She shouldn’t feel so uneasy around him just because she knew he had feelings for her. “Ladybug, I need to say something to you and I need you to listen to me, and I need you to listen until I’m done. Please. I—I need to apologize to you.”

Marinette froze. “…What?” She breathed out, confused and dazed and… hopeful? She shook her head. She would unpack all of those emotions later. “Whatever for, Chaton?”

Chat Noir straightened up, took a breath, and look her right in the eyes. She saw it then. The sadness, the fear, and the resolution there.

“A good friend of mine recently showed me signs of… harassment. Before, I just thought… I thought everything was fine no matter how uncomfortable I was… How upset I was the longer it went on and when my friend helped me out… I realized I acted the same way with you. You kept telling me over and over again that you didn’t want to reveal our identities. You told me over and over how you didn’t love me back, but I kept pestering you about my feelings and what I wanted. I—I’m so sorry, My Lady. I never should have ignored what you said about how you felt, or got upset when you told me the truth. I’ve realized that… The truth, no matter how upsetting, is always better than lying, and you’ve never lied to me, My Lady. I hope you can forgive me for pressuring you so much. I swear I’ll be better from now on and be the partner you deserve… if you still want me to be.”

Marinette felt frozen. There was no way… Was he really…? Marinette shook herself and sucked in a breath at sudden wobbling of her Chaton’s lips the longer her silence went on.

“Oh, Chaton,” she cried out, pulling him into a hug and holding on as tight as she could as his shoulders shook. “Of course I forgive you. You’re my partner, Chat. No one can replace you. Thank you for apologizing. I… We’ve been through a lot and… I’m not going to say it’s okay, making me uncomfortable and not listening to me, but I do believe you. I know how it feels to want to be with someone and everything else falls away. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t forgive you.”

After a few moments of holding on tight, Chat pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “Thank you, My Lady.”

Marinette knew right then. She knew deep in her soul that she wanted her Chaton to know who she was out of the mask. She knew she could count on him and trust him, and she knew that he felt the same. Their souls swirled together like a storm and she rested her head against his.

“I do love you, Chaton.” She watched as his tearful smile and sweet green eyes met hers warmly.

“I love you too, My Lady.”

~

With Adrien by her side during school, Chaton by her side during akuma attacks, and the Wayne’s with her every day, Marinette knew she was stronger than ever before. Her heart, mind, and soul were finally at peace, and working together versus being constantly at war was liberating. No matter what Lila did, Marinette honestly couldn’t be bothered anymore. She still called Lila out for lying and harassing Adrien, but she could no longer care about the rest of the class’s reaction or Lila starting something every day. Marinette learned how to walk away when the fight wasn’t worth her time.

If a certain green eyed, aloof Wayne came to her mind more and more often as she chose her battles, bringing her a type of strength she never knew she could have… well, no one needed to know that.

Adrien knew about the Wayne’s and they were aware of him, but both parties didn’t seem interested in knowing more about the other as long as they both supported Marinette. Chaton also knew Ladybug had been in contact with The Batman and his team, leading to an amusing freak out session when she announced that they’d be in contact with them in the next akuma attack.

Except it didn’t quite go as well as Marinette was hoping.

It wasn’t easy focusing on the akuma in front of her while forming her own plan and listening to Tim, Damian, Alfred, and Bruce making comments and giving their own opinions on the fight in her ear.

They just barely manage to defeat the akuma, and Marinette heard hers and Chat’s miraculous timer beep their third warning.

“My Lady?” Chat mumbled, keeping one hand on his side and Marinette tried to keep her balance with Chat’s added weight on her bruised ribs. The timing of her Miraculous Ladybug and a sudden explosion… was unfortunate, leading her and Chat trying to protect the nearby civilians and damn near getting blown up if she hadn’t pulled a car in front of them at the last second.

Yay for not getting blown up, but still ouch for being squished between a wall and the car.

Lady Luck didn’t seem to be on her side still as more civilians took to the street, demanding to know why Ladybug’s magic didn’t protect them from the bomb. How could their heroes not stop the bomb from going off sooner? Why were they running away instead of cleaning up the mess they made?

Marinette tripped as the fourth beep sounded off, and she barely managed to prevent herself and Chat from collapsing to the ground. There were still people close by and they would surely notice the appearance of two injured teens in place of their missing heroes.

Marinette couldn’t focus. Her hear hurt so bad, and the static in her ear from the earpiece that cut out with the explosion was deafening and she was getting dizzy and Chat was getting heavier and the voices were getting louder—

The sudden appearance of a red portal was all she saw before she gripped Chat tight and jumped just as the final beep of their Miraculous sounded off.

~

Marinette and Chat dropped onto the soft mattress of a bed right as their transformations wore off. Marinette, who landed on top of Chat and kept her face hidden in his shoulder, clutched him tightly to her.

“Um, My Lady?” Chat asked, holding her close and Marinette just knew he kept his eyes closed ever since they transformed, and she felt her dusty rose colored soul warm while it swirled with his minty green. “Did we just go through a portal?”

“…maybe,” she answered, not lifting her head just yet. She knew that if she asked, Chat would look away from her and allow her to mask them both again before he betrayed her trust, and Marinette considered her options.

“You don’t seem too overly concerned about this,” he said, shifting their weight to a more comfortable position. Her side twinged and she knew he must still be hurting as well.

“It might have happened to me once or twice before…” Chat barked out a laugh and Marinette felt her soul shift with his as she made her decision.

“Of course it did, My Lady,” he said softy—fondly. “So… where are we, exactly? Your house? I’ll keep my eyes closed if you want to go into another room. Plagg and I can be out of here as soon as he’s recharged.”

Marinette took a deep, steadying breath before pulling away from Chat without looking at him and sitting up. They sat back to back on the bed, heads tilted together and Marinette knew for sure. She looked over, finding Tikki and Plagg looking seconds away from passing out on the futon. Marinette gave them both a meaningful look and Tikki nodded her head in understanding while Plagg looked surprised. It was time.

“This isn’t my house, actually, and it’s a little hard to explain.”

“I get it, my lady! Secret identities are important and Master Fu made the rule for a reason. I respect your decision to keep your identity safe, as well as mine.” He sounded so… proud as he announced the words and Marinette wanted for the hesitation. Waited for the anxiety and the fear… but it never came. She just felt… happy. Excited even. Yes, this was right.

“…And if I said I changed my mind?”

Chat’s pause made her smile as she felt him straighten behind her.

“…you can do that?”

“Well, I am Guardian now… I’ve been thinking a lot about our team, Chat, and while I believe Master Fu’s intentions were good and his rules were necessary for the time, he’s gone now and I’m the Guardian. Things are different, and I trust you,” Marinette grabbed his hand and heard his breath catch.

“My lady, are you sure?” He asked vehemently, and she felt her eyes sting. Kwami, she loved him. Loved him with her whole heart and soul.

“Yes, chaton. I’m sure. I want us to be able to support each other completely. How can we truly be partners if we don’t know each other? I was scared for a long time, but I’m not scared anymore. I trust you, Chaton, and I love you.”

“…Alright, My Lady. I trust you and I love you. I’ve never regretted taking your lead, and I will follow you to the end.”

“Together?” Marinette asked, pulling her hand away and standing. She heard her Chaton do the same and took a breath. She had never felt this exposed… this seen and he hadn’t even looked at her yet.

“Together.”

They turned around. Blue met green and Marinette let out a laugh. A laugh of pure disbelief and joy that she couldn’t stop if she wanted to. Adrien smiled fondly at her while she giggled and walked around the bed to her.

He grabbed onto her hands tightly and brought them up to his lips. They were both crying now, tears slipped from the corners of their eyes and met at the curves of their lips that were wearing matching smiles.

“My Lady… I wish I could say I was surprised… but it’s always been you, hasn’t it?” He said, not letting go of her hands as they gazed at each other.

“It’s always been us, Chaton,” she corrected, and she pulled him to her and held on tight. “It will always be us.” Marinette knew a year ago she would’ve thought their embrace was romantic—knew that anyone could walk through the door and think they were a couple, embarrassingly enough—but she knew they were on the same page. Knew that when they met eyes unmasked that first time, it felt like coming home. The Lucky Ladybug and her Black Cat would always find home in each other, and she would never let him go.

~

Marinette waited until Adrien was asleep as comfortably as he could be while still injured with Tikki and Plagg watching over him before heading out the door. Unfortunately, she didn’t remember where she was in the Manor or how to get to the Batcave from where she was, and she didn’t have either of her phones on her since the akuma attack caught them off guard during school. Her ribs ached with every step she took, but it wasn’t bad enough to make her stop.

They were probably worried since her comms cut out after the explosion, but surely they would see the news where she and Chat—Adrien—disappeared. She vaguely recalled hearing Damian shout her name when the explosion occurred and felt her chest warm, though she decided to ignore it.

She tried the door next to hers, but it was locked, which seemed to be the trend down the hall as she tried each one. At the end of the hall, there was what looked like a servants staircase and she decided if the Batcave were anywhere, it’d be as far down as she could go.

Except her hand didn’t even meet the door knob when someone’s hand gripped her shoulder tightly and pushed her up against the wall. Marinette’s right arm was pinned behind her back, but her left arm was free, so she got her palm flat against the wall and prepared herself despite the throbbing in her side and head at the sudden attack.

“Who the hell are you?” A female voice snarled at her, and Marinette pushed against the wall, kicking off of it and coming up behind her attacker, moving her arm so that it wouldn’t come out twisted and wrapping it around the girl’s throat.

“Who are you?” Marinette yelled back, not letting up even as the woman elbowed her in her bruised side.

The woman seemed to freeze at Marinette’s words and dropped her guard enough that Marinette pushed to woman to the ground and flung herself towards the stairs as she heard the scrambling sound of her attacker coming after her.

She managed to race down the stairs just as she noticed a door at the bottom that was conveniently opening as she met the last step.

Her attacker reached the top of the stairs just as Marinette got to the door and hoped the person behind it didn’t see or hear her coming. Whoever opened the door was looking behind him and talking with someone. His mistake. Marinette didn’t recognize him either so she bolted down the last few stairs, not bothering with being stealthy, and launched her feet at the person who had just started to turn around at the noise. She hit him square in the right side with both of her feet and caught herself from falling with him by gripping the doorframe and launching herself over his falling body.

It wouldn’t be enough to knock him out, but it would slow him down enough that she could attempt to find the Wayne’s or get away to call for help. There were two women standing in the hall who turned at the noise, but Marinette saw them before they saw her and grabbed the rug as she ran along the hall, making them lose their balance and trip over each other in surprise. For good measure, Marinette flung the heavy rug over the two of them without stopping.

“Hey!” and “What the fuck,” came from behind her, but she just hoped they would be tripping over each other for another minute or so while she fled.

Marinette rounded a corner and ran straight into someone else, who grabbed her arms to prevent them both from falling. Marinette didn’t even look him in the face before she flipped his arms around so she had hold of him and dropped backwards, using her legs to fling him over her head and onto his back with an audible “oof” while she rolled from her back onto her feet.

She continued into a foyer where her exit laid. A large set of wooden double doors offset by beautiful ceiling high windows. Marinette dashed to the doors and pulled them open with ease despite their size. She took a single step outside when she heard people behind her.

“Marinette!” She skidded to a halt and turned, panting hard and finding Damian, Alfred, and Bruce Wayne coming from the stairs above her. To her left, Dick and Jason rounded the corner with concerned looks on their faces, and to the right, the group of people she got passed in the hall came through just as Damian and the others reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Who in the hell is the girl who used a rug like a fucking cartoon character?” One of the young women in the room asked. She had shoulder blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

“Tripped you up, didn’t it?” Marinette shot back, still feeling vulnerable and uncertain about the group of people in the room. This was her safe place… but not at the same time. The safe place she came to before was with a few of the men she knew whose souls resonated with her. These people were a mix of different souls and emotions, and some of them obviously didn’t know who she was and mostly likely also didn’t know about her identity.

“Why were you running through the house like a madwoman anyways? Don’t you recognize me, Ladynette? I’m hurt,” one of the men said, pouting at her. Tim. She had just thrown him onto his back.

“Oh no, Tim, I’m so sorry, I just reacted on instinct when I ran into you. Um…” Marinette shifted on her feet and look wearily at Bruce. “I was teleported back here after the akuma fight with my partner, Chat Noir. We ended up in the room I used last time I was here and I thought it would be best to come find someone since I didn’t have my phones on me when someone attacked me in the hall.” She shot the dark haired woman a look as Alfred came behind her to close the front door.

“When a strange girl appears in my family’s home, I don’t ask questions first, little girl. What’s your excuse?”

“When someone attacks me while injured, I don’t ask questions either, and I certainly don’t sit there answering all their questions while they have me pinned to a wall.”

Damian was at her side in the next moment, tugging on her elbow and looking her over, catching her attention. Jason also sided up to her, throwing an arm over her shoulders and making a face at Damian. Bruce and Dick were shouldering the other girl in between them as well.

“Alright,” Bruce said, “that’s enough. Introductions should be in order now, I believe. Marinette, this is Cass. Cass, this is Marinette, our sporadic guest we discussed.” Cass didn’t reveal much on her face, but the tightening of her lips and the slight twitch of her eye told Marinette enough as Dick nudged her with his elbow. Cass didn’t move, and Bruce looked at her disapprovingly, opening his mouth to say something.

Marinette sighed before marching up to Cass before he could, feeling drained from the sudden burst of adrenaline and feeling the throbbing in her head and side return with a vengeance. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. You were just trying to protect your home and family from a stranger. I was still… defensive when you grabbed me. I should’ve known better than to think someone random would get into this house.” She tried for a smile, but it came out as a grimace as she adjusted her footing to ease her side.

Cass narrowed her eyes before relaxing and nodding once. “I apologize as well. Your maneuvering while in your state was impressive.”

Jason snorted behind her and threw an arm around Marientte’s shoulders again, causing her to suck in a breath at the jostling.

“Shit,” he said, immediately pulling away but keeping her steady, “sorry, little lady. Let’s get you looked at.”

Alfred was looking over her bruised side as she laid on a plush couch when Tim, Jason, and Damian came into the room.

“Bruce is speaking with the rest of the family now. They had been told about you before, but I don’t think they really expected you to just show up out of nowhere,” Tim explained while they circled around her. Instead of feeling surrounded in such a vulnerable situation— injured and with her shirt off—Marinette felt safe with them all around her. She shivered at the cold patch Alfred applied to her side.

“You have some bruising, but nothing appears to be broken, My Lady Guardian. How’s your head?” Alfred asked, helping her sit up.

“Better now,” she answered honestly. Whatever Alfred had given her eased the pain while allowing her to remain focused. “I’m not hurt anywhere else. The Ladybug Cure healed everything from the akuma attack. The explosion is what got my side and head.”

“We saw,” Damian said briskly where he stood to her side with his arms crossed. “The news caught what happened when your comms went out. Do you know where the explosion came from?”

Marinette shook her head slowly, not wanting to cause the throbbing to come back. “Someone started screaming about a bomb and Chat and I tried getting the area clear as quickly as we could. We were still too close once the crowd cleared so I pulled a nearby car over for protection which blew us back, but kept us safe at least. He’s upstairs still, sleeping now. I think his leg is hurt, and maybe his head, but he seemed to be as good as me when I left.”

“Your partner is ok with being here?” Jason asked, sitting next to her and helping Alfred pull her shirt back over her head without stretching her side.

“…I haven’t told him where we are yet. Though I did reveal my identity, which went… better than I thought it would.” Marinette couldn’t help but smile and rested her head against the back of the couch.

“I’ll take you back to your room,” Damian suddenly announced, stalked out of the room before Marinette had even processed his words.

She missed the Look Alfred, Tim, and Jason shared over her head as she stood slowly.

“Um, I’ve been meaning to ask… About Chat Noir…” She looked uncomfortably away from their warm gazes. “I can have us teleport back to Paris as soon as our kwamis are recharged, and I take a look at Chat’s leg.”

Jason rubbed her head and gave her a smile. “We already discussed what would happen if your partner were to ever stop by, little lady. If you want to tell him where he is and who we are, we don’t mind. You’re a team and we wouldn’t ask you to keep our secret from him. Not if we want to keep working together in the future.”

Marinette felt her eyes sting again and she nodded shyly, unable to properly thank them through the lump in her throat.

Alfred passed along the first aid kit he was using to Marinette and patted her cheek.

“Go look after you partner, My Lady Guardian,” he said, “I’ll bring up some food for all of you in a little while.”

~

Marinette and Damian didn’t speak for a while as he led her to the room she was in. The made it all the way to the foyer before he slowed just enough that she was nearly walking by his side.

“Your attempt at escaping was admirable, but you should have been more forceful if you thought you were in a potentially dangerous situation,” Damian said as they walked. Being so close to him as she trailed after him once again was distracting to her. Why was his soul so… loud to her? “What did you think?” He continued, not bothering to turn around to see her reaction. “That they broke in? Rendering a potential enemy unconscious would be far more effective in a getaway than tripping them or knocking them down.”

His tone was cold. He sounded harsh, but Marinette could sense that he was trying to get a point across without saying it. He obviously knew what he was talking about, and he wasn’t one to sugar coat things. She could respect that.

She hummed in agreement and felt his soul flicker for some reason. “You’re right,” Marinette said and Damian turned his head at her. She caught a glimpse of surprise in his eyes before he jerked his head around again. “I was so concerned about just getting out of the house that I didn’t think ahead. If this was a different situation, I would have gotten caught just outside.”

“…Correct. And you don’t know where we are, do you? An unfamiliar territory could hurt you more than waiting to take stock of where you are or who has you.” They started up the stairs, going at a much slowly pace thanks to her ribs.

Marinette sighed. “Guess I should add ‘What to do in a kidnapping situation’ to my research list right under ‘What to do in a bombing.’” She swore she saw Damian’s lips curl as he glanced at her once again before continuing ahead.

“I’m surprised your instincts proved resourceful enough to allow you to get passed four well trained individuals after a draining attack and while still injured.”

“‘A Guardian must trust her instincts above all else to protect the vulnerable and stay one step ahead of her enemies,” Marinette recited proudly, bursting with the unspoken praise in Damian’s words.

Damian paused at a door at the end of the hall and Marinette tilted her head at him.

“Everyone will be waiting in the dining room for you both if you decide to stay. It’s been a while since everyone’s been together for dinner, so Father and Alfred are making a big deal out of it. You and your… partner are welcome to join us. I trust you’ll be able to find your way back to the foyer from here?”

Marinette hummed and smiled at him, feeling her soul swirl happily with his. Something about his eyes… she could get lost in them easily if she let herself, but she wasn’t going to go down that road. Not again.

He opened his mouth to say something when a thump came from the room that drew their attention.

“Perhaps I’ll see you, then,” he said briskly as he turned away.

“Thank you for your advice,” she called after him softly, hand on the door to her room. “I really appreciate it.” She entered the room with a smile that grew at the sight of Adrien on the ground while Tikki and Plagg snuggled together on the bed.

“Little help here, My Lady?” Adrien asked when he saw her in the open doorway.

“Of course, Chaton,” she giggled, letting the door close behind her, missing the way Damian had paused by the door to the stairwell, rubbing at his chest as if that would stop his heart from beating out of it.

~

Word Count: 6645

Hehehe, this chapter was soooooo fun to write, but it had soooooo much content in it and I kept having to go back and forth between chapters to make sure I was presenting the right information and emotions accurately. Also, what the hell is with the Wayne’s eyes?? I kept having to look it up and came up with different examples of whether Damian’s and Jason’s eyes were blue or green, so I just settled on them both being green because of the Lazarus Pits (ignoring Bruce’s dealings with it completely because why not? So Bruce’s and the other boys’ eyes are blue.) 

What to look forward to in the next part: More interactions with the rest of the Batfahm and the rest of the class, and a look into Marinette’s internship as well as Adrien’s sudden burst of rebellion getting much, much worse. Hope you like it! Comments are always welcome!

Tag List: @starlightshield, @nickristus-dreamer, @liquid-luck-00, @chocolatecatstheron, @kuroko26

[honey-dewey]

Somewhere That’s Green

Pairing: Jack ‘Whiskey’ Daniels/Reader

Word Count: 3,220

Warnings: None

Jack’s always known his girlfriend was big in musical theater. He’s heard her practice, listened to her sing, and driven her to the theater more than once. But this is his first show of hers, and boy is he in for a shock. Between the on-stage kissing and the death of his girlfriend’s character, Jack Daniels has never been so invested in musical theater. 

“And you’re sure you’re okay with missing work?” You asked, picking up your coat from Jack’s coat hook. “It’s a long show.” 

Jack smiled, grabbing your waist and pulling you close to him. “Darlin’ I wouldn’t miss this show for anything. I’ve been waiting two months to see this play.” 

You grinned, kissing him slowly, almost teasing. “Just promise not to murder my costars, okay?” 

“And just why would I be murdering your coworkers?” Jack asked, keeping his arm around your waist as he walked you out to the parking lot. 

Stepping into the parking lot and following the familiar trail to Jack’s car, you took a breath. “The show gets kinda dark. My character is abused by her sadistic boyfriend.”

“Oh.” You could hear Jack’s jaw tightening, hesitation filling your chest as you thought over inviting him to the show. Again. 

“Babe,” you said softly, trying to console him. “If you want, I can introduce you to my co-star Alex who plays the character. He’s a sweetheart, I promise. Wouldn’t hurt a fly and y’know how Stevie is my best friend? Well, Alex is like the cool big brother I never had. He’d never even think about touching me. And he knows I’m totally off limits. Stevie does too.” 

“Stevie’s the one who’s playing your nice fictional boyfriend?” Jack asked, opening the Bronco’s door and helping you up. 

You laughed. “Yes. Stevie is the one who gets to kiss me on stage and his character isn’t a huge dick. Alex is my first fictional boyfriend, and Stevie and I get together halfway through the show. He gets to kiss me.” 

Jack’s eyes darkened behind his sunglasses. “Does Alex kiss you?” 

Reaching across the center console, you took Jack’s hand. “No. Alex does not get to kiss me.” 

As Jack drove to the theater, you mulled over this decision. Since dating Jack, you’d done three musicals, but this one was your biggest and proudest role, as you’d finally managed to get the female lead in a musical after countless ensemble roles and smaller name characters. 

“And what’s the show called again?” Jack asked, squeezing your hand. 

You smiled, lifting his hand and pressing lazy kisses into his knuckles. “Little Shop of Horrors.” 

Jack hummed, his face scrunching as he thought. “Ain’t that that movie with the crazed talking plant?” 

“It was adapted from a musical,” you explained. “And then they redid the movie in the early 2000’s and put it back on Broadway.” 

“Ah.” Jack turned to look at you as you pulled up to a red light. “I’m sure you’ll kill it. You got the voice of an angel.” 

You smiled to yourself, the fate of your character entirely unknown to Jack. “I know I’ll kill it.” 

Upon reaching the theater, you hopped out of the Bronco, looking at Jack. “Wanna meet Alex and Stevie? I think Yvette and Eva are here too, and I know for a fact Amber’s been here for an hour, at least.”

Jack shrugged. “Why not. I’ll go park, you go get your friends.” 

You eagerly headed into the theater, practically jogging around as you looked for your costars. 

“Eva!” You shouted happily, hugging Eva and seeing Amber around the corner. “Is Yvette here?” 

“Nah,” Eva said, gesturing to the empty dressing room she shared with Yvette and Amber. “You know she always gets here at the last damn minute.” 

“And she’s somehow always ready to go first,” Stevie said behind you, causing you to laugh and spin around to hug him. “Heya Auds!” He used the nickname he’d given you based on your character, causing you to punch him lightly. 

“I want y’all to meet someone,” you said, walking towards the entrance, where you knew Jack was waiting. “Jack’s finally coming to see the show.” 

“Ooooo,” Amber said, coming out of the costume closet. “We finally get to meet the mystery man!” 

You waved them off, looking around for your final costar. “Where’s Alex? He didn’t call in tonight, did he?” 

“Of course not,” Eva scoffed, drawing her coat closer around her. “He doesn’t call in unless he’s like, bleeding out.” 

Laughing, you pushed open the door, seeing Jack leaning against the Bronco. “Jack!” 

Jack drew closer, smiling and looking at your friends. “Alright. Who’s who?” 

You introduced everyone, the chatter flowing easily until someone came up behind you, lifting you off your feet with a happy growl. “There’s my girl!” 

“Alex!” You squealed, squirming and laughing. “Alex you absolute fuck! Put me down before Jack murders you!” 

Alex put you down, grinning and holding out a hand to a very shocked Jack. “So you’re the mystery man our darling has been swooning over for the past three years. Nice to meet you.” 

Jack shook his hand. “Their darling?” He asked you as you stood by his side. 

“That’s what they always call the female lead,” you explained, tucking yourself under Jack’s arm. “Alex, Jack has promised not to kill you upon seeing the show, which is a damn relief because I don’t think we can do next year’s show without you.” 

“What’s next year's show?” Jack asked, looking at you. 

You shrugged. “I heard from the director that they were seriously considering School of Rock.” 

Alex whistled. “Auds, that’s been a rumor for years now. They aren’t gonna do it.” 

“Okay Dewey,” you said jokingly, reaching out to give Alex a light punch. “You wanna talk about people who were born to play certain roles? Alex is a spitting image of Broadway’s Dewey Finn,” you explained to Jack, who had gotten very lost very fast. “We’re all just waiting.” 

“Oh, so you wanna talk about that, huh?” Stevie said, raising an eyebrow. “I swear that voice of yours is identical to Audrey’s.” 

You flushed, checking your watch and looking up. “An hour,” you explained, extracting yourself from under Jack’s arm and heading back to the theater’s entrance. “I’ll see you after babe!” 

Jack grabbed your hand, kissing you deeply and nipping ever so slightly at your earlobe as he murmured a teasing “break a leg darling,” into your ear. 

“I like him,” Alex said, coming up behind you and smiling. “He’s good for you.” 

You rolled your eyes, grabbing Alex’s white jacket out of the costume closet and handing it to him. “Go get dressed, dork. We can talk about my boyfriend later.” 

Alex shrugged. “Just saying. You have my blessing.” 

“I don’t need your blessing!” You called after him, seeing him disappear into his dressing room. “And where’s Jake?” 

“Where he always is!” 

You sighed, heading to your own dressing room and sitting down, beginning the long yet calming process of caking your face in stage makeup. It took forever and made your face feel heavy, but the results were worth it. 

Eventually, by the half hour call, you were ready, having pretty much cemented your hair into beautifully picturesque curls and shimmied into the tight cheetah print dress that barely covered the tops of your thighs. Thank god you were able to wear tights. 

You tossed a fluffy cream colored faux fur cropped jacket overtop your dress and adjusted your black heels. With your makeup and your sufficiently warmed up voice, you were entirely ready for the night. 

Picking up a picture frame, you gave the glossy photo of Jack a kiss, slipping a worn out penny he’d given you when he’d first heard you did theater into your bra. It was a symbol of luck, and the magic would hopefully continue into tonight. 

“Knock knock,” Alex said, knocking on your doorframe. “How’s the princess?” 

“Good,” you said, raising your voice to get the perfect breathy innocence that was needed for the role. “How much time?” 

Alex checked his watch. “Ten. I think the girls are on stage already, and Jake’s having his fun on the beams. Are you sure you’re ready?” 

“Just nervous,” you mumbled, fiddling with the sleeve of your jacket. “I dunno what Jack’ll think.” 

“Does he know the ending?”

“No.” 

Alex whistled in a breath. “Damn. Ten bucks says he cries.” 

You scoffed, slipping past Alex and smiling, your heels clicking on the worn out flooring. “Twenty!” 

The opening of the show, as was the rest of it by now, was a familiar chaos to you. The fanfare that signaled the beginning spurred you and Alex to your places, tucked just outside of view but still able to see the show. 

The ensemble and the girls rushed past, filling the stage and giving life to the purposefully worn down set. You craned yourself neck, heart swelling when you saw Jack, his hat off, sitting in the front row. 

“Front row, fifth seat in, stage left,” you whispered to Alex, who nodded, spotting your boyfriend as well. 

Stevie joined you at that moment, grinning as Alex told him where Jack was sitting. “He got a good seat, huh?” He said with a wink, sliding past you to take his place on stage. 

As the second song started up, you adjusted yourself, tugging on your dress and asking Alex for help with your mic. 

“Break a leg,” he said, watching you rush behind the set to the section that was your fake apartment. 

At the cue, you opened the door, slipping out and beginning to sing. It was easy to lose yourself in the role now that everyone else was singing too. Stevie came out, singing his part as you sat weaved in and out of the ensemble members, climbing up a ladder to a fire escape on one of the building fronts. Leaning on the railing, you sang along with Stevie, spotting Jack beyond the stage lights and grinning as you finished out the song. 

The next four songs went smoothly. You left the stage after the next one, when Stevie got his first solo song. Standing next to Alex, you checked your phone. 

Jack: You’re amazing doll. Love the dress.

You smiled, slipping your phone back into your pocket. Stevie was, as usual, doing great on stage. Everything was running perfectly. 

While the songs you weren’t really in ran in the background, you helped prepare the other sets. The apartment set you were about to use was ready to go by the time your first big song was about to start, and you walked back out on stage, reciting lines you’d memorized months ago. As the set turned, revealing the inside of the apartment, you began to sing. 

The song was a nice one. Maybe a bit of strain on your voice as you pitched it upwards, but otherwise easy to sing. You poured a certain mournfulness into it, taking your jacket off and hanging it on the coat hook. 

Every so often, you’d see Jack out of the corner of your eye, grinning like a lovesick fool at you. When the stage rotated again, showing you leaning out the small balcony, singing about your character’s dreams for a brighter future, you watched Jack carefully. His eyes never left you, winking when he realized you were watching him. 

The song ended, the audience clapping as you slipped out, grabbing your coat on the way. 

One quick change and bit of makeup adjusting later, you were cycling through another song. Nerves began to bundle in your stomach as the introduction of Alex’s character drew closer. You always drew a few gasps when he roughed you up, but it never made you this nervous. 

Thankfully, it was a short scene, as the focus shifted to the introduction. His touch was always professional and careful, never actually harming you. You slipped off stage as his character began his song, settling down on a beat up old couch and loosening your shoes. You didn’t have to be on stage for a while, so you half listened to Alex and half focused on checking your phone. No texts from Jack. 

“Hey hon.” Alex flopped onto the couch next to you, shocking you a bit. “C’mon.” 

You quickly tighten your shoes, standing and taking Alex’s hand as he tugged you towards the stage for another small scene that you knew would make Jack’s jaw clench. 

The scene was, yet again, not harmful. You moved in perfect tandem with Alex so neither of you got hurt, stumbling a bit as you walked off stage after only two minutes. 

“You okay?” Alex asked, steadying you and checking your wrists where he’d grabbed you. 

“Yep.” 

“Everything good up in here?” He asked, knocking gently on your temple. 

You smiled. “Haven’t been this nervous about a show in, gosh I don’t even know.” 

“You’re doing amazing,” Alex promised, pulling you into a hug. “I’m sure he’d love it even if it all went to shit.” 

You nodded, tightly hugging Alex back. “Yeah. He would.” 

You two got ready for your final scene together, the one where he ‘hit’ you. The slap had been practiced until it was instinct, until it was a guarantee Alex’s hand would never even touch your face. 

Watching the stage and slowly moving behind the set pieces, you bopped a bit to the song, looking up and seeing Jake having the absolute time of his life above your head, singing for the plant. 

“Ready?” Alex asked, squeezing your hand. 

You nodded, hearing the cue and starting your nervous babbling conversation with a shouting Alex, stumbling through the door and smiling at Stevie. “Hey Seymour! I left my sweater here before.” 

Immediately, Alex followed you, still shouting. You couldn’t see Jack’s reaction when he called you a slut, or when he slapped you, your pitiful voice breaking as you and Alex headed off stage.

As soon as you were out of sight, Alex hugged you, murmuring the apology he always gave after that scene and heading off to act his death. 

It was a favorite scene of yours, and you watched as Alex ‘died,’ unable to leave the scene until the lights went dark and he hurried off, Stevie taking a bag of fake limbs and grinning to you as the lights rose and he headed back out. 

During intermission, you left the couch, allowing the girls to collapse into the frankly disgusting crease. Instead, you curled up in the oddest place that shouldn’t have been comfortable, the antique dentist’s chair from Alex’s scenes. 

Which was where he found you, settled into the leather and adjusting your makeup. You were humming along to some music playing out your phone, carefully wiping away your black eye and touching up your foundation. “Good job. You absolutely murdered it.” 

Alex smiled. “Thank you. Still nervous?”

“Nah.” You closed your makeup bag, spinning the chair lazily. “No more than usual now.” 

You two just hung out, as usual, until the signaling music began to play. You shook yourself out, standing and smiling. “Halfway there!” 

Alex laughed and took your place, grabbing a book. 

You were significantly more involved in the second act, breezing through the first few songs, feeling an uncomfortable tingle of guilt in your stomach as you and Stevie kissed during the second song. It was an emotional scene that was immediately followed up by a murder. Not your murder. You weren’t set to die until later. 

Of course, your next big scene was your death. You ran over the process in your head, just in case. Stevie would throw you into the giant plant puppet, and you’d slide past Jordan, who was the puppeteer inside, and out through a hole so you didn’t have to sit inside the cramped puppet. 

However, you had to die first in probably the most heart wrenching scene in the play. 

You walked out as Stevie walked in, alone on the stage aside from the plant. Sitting on the couch in your fake apartment, you began to sing, wandering over to the florist’s shop set and talking to Jake, who was still sitting above your head. 

And then it all went to shit. 

Jordan, inside the puppet, grabbed you with a vine, tugging you close as the song finished out, and you fake struggled as he pretended to eat you, the voice and the body working in perfect tandem as you got deep enough and struggled enough to open a buttoned up tear in your dress, smearing fake blood all over and making it truly seem like you’d been bitten, all without the audience knowing. 

Stevie pulled you out, revealing the wound to the audience. He carefully set you down, going through the musical motions as you poured everything you had left into your final few minutes on stage. Your voice broke, the gentleness fading slowly as you did your best to imitate someone who was dying, actually starting to cry with your last line. 

When the music swelled, Stevie wiped your tears and lifted you, slowly and gently placing you in the plant puppet and allowing Jordan to grab you and pull you in, helping you down and out the other side. Immediately, Alex helped you up, handing you a change of clothes and a pack of wet wipes. It was easy to remove the blood and toss the stained dress into the wash as soon as it was off. By the time the last plot important song was over, you were completely ready for the finale. 

You were unable to spot Jack as you and Alex walked out together, singing one final time for the night and taking your bows. It was a giant group number, everyone happy and very much not dead. Jake came down, singing and throwing an arm over you and over Stevie, dragging you two forward to take the first bow. 

Amidst the clapping and the people leaving and the actors heading off stage, you didn’t see Jack until he met you and Alex at the Bronco. 

He scooped you up, laughing and firmly kissing you. “Holy shit babe! You couldn’t’ve told me that would happen at the end?” 

You laughed, wiping tears off Jack’s face. “Alex! He’s crying!” 

“Well fuck.” Alex leaned against the car, smiling. “Guess I owe you.” 

Jack put you down, still holding you tight. “Y’all did good. I almost got up to smack you halfway through the show.” 

You rolled your eyes, squeezing Jack’s hand. “I’m exhausted.” 

“Alright,” Jack said, opening the Bronco’s door and helping you up. “Pleasure to meet you Alex.” 

“Same,” Alex said, stepping back. “You be good to our girl, you hear?” 

Jack snorted. “I will.” 

The drive home was quiet. Now that the adrenaline of the show was gone, you felt limp, every part of your body in pain. Jack, the ever sweet and loving boyfriend, carried you inside, setting you down on the bathroom counter and grabbing your makeup wipes for you. 

“Anything else?” He asked once you were done, cuddled up in your favorite pyjamas. 

“Well,” you hummed, getting down and heading over to the bed. “I seem to be missing my boyfriend. C’mere.” 

Jack, now eager, took his shirt off and crawled into the bed next to you, pulling you close. “You were amazing tonight, truly.” 

“Thank you,” you murmured, already falling asleep. 

“You’re welcome.” Jack shuffled so you’d be more comfortable, stroking softly up and down your back as you fell asleep properly, safe with the knowledge that Jack’s first musical theater experience had been a good one.

[kalimagik]

Should’ve Said No

Sirius Black x Reader 

Marauders Era 

Based off the song “Should’ve Said No” by Taylor Swift

<3k

Warnings: Angst and mentions of cheating

A/N: I’m back with another song based fic because that’s one of the few places that I draw inspiration from. I had a three hour car ride, listened to this song on repeat a million times, so in short, this fic just wrote itself! If you enjoy it, like, reblog, comment, or follow (I think you get the gist so far!) It’s my first time writing for Sirius, so I hope you all like it! Happy Reading <3

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I knew the risks that came with catching the eye of Hogwarts’ biggest playboy. I knew his reputation. I had stayed away for a decent amount of time, but the boy finally wore me down at the end of sixth year. He asked and asked. He said he was done with his play boy life. I said yes. Everyone was surprised I said yes. Hell, I was surprised that I said yes, but it was worth the risk. Sirius Black had my heart in his hands. He was careful with it too, almost delicate. 

Then seventh year kicked in and so did the beginning of quidditch matches and parties. I did as much Common Room rotating for the parties as the next girl, but the one time, the one time I decided that school was more important, he wasn’t strong enough to not ruin everything. Let me go back for a minute. 

Lily came up to me during lunch the other day, I think it was Tuesday or Wednesday, and sat with me at the Y/H table. 

“Did you finish that Transfiguration homework Saturday?” she asked me casually, but seemed to have a little bit of a tremor in her voice. 

“Yeah, Remus was a ton of help. Thank you for telling him that I needed him even though I didn’t want to ask. How was the party?” I asked, thinking nothing of it. It had been Gryffindor’s turn to host, but I wanted to get a good grade in my N.E.W.T. level transfiguration this year, so studying took precedent.  

Lily grew quieter suddenly. 

“That bad, huh?” I giggled, judging her reaction. “Where’s James?” 

I was still so daft. So stupid to think that everything was normal. Lily’s boyfriend and my boyfriend were best friends. It brought us closer than ever and it made me happy. Sound began to fill the Great Hall as others came in for lunch. 

“He’ll be along. I just wanted to talk to you,” Lily piped up again. “Are you almost done? Could we go to the loo to talk for a minute?” 

“What is with you, Lil?” I was worried now. Lily was usually such a happy presence to be around, but that day, something was off. I gathered my things, following Lily to a bathroom a little ways from the Great Hall. What was she so upset over? I hoped she was alright. “Oh, look! There’s James and Sirius!” 

I had started to call them over, but Lily quickly pulled me through the door of the bathroom. 

“Seriously, Lily. What’s up? Did James do something? Should I warm up my wand?” 

“He didn’t do anything, Y/N.” I just stared at her, mouth slightly opened. I was wracking my mind over what had potentially happened that had her acting this way

I realize now that I was so worried for her when she was just being protective over me. 

She finally spoke. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this, but you deserve to know. He isn’t going to tell you, Y/N/N, but I like you and it isn’t fair.” 

“What are you rambling on about?” 

“Sirius cheated on you…” she finally blurted out. My whole body went numb. I didn’t even hear her say who it was with. I later found out it was Marlene. That was a whole other beast to deal with. We were never that close anyways, so it didn’t surprise me. 

Like I said, I knew his reputation. 

“Y/N/N? It was at the party. I don’t know if he was drunk or what. I wasn’t paying much attention. He begged me not to tell you and James even begged me to give him the chance to tell you. I did. It’s been nearly 5 days and he hadn’t and I couldn’t just watch him with you, acting normal. I’m sorry.” 

I realized then that I hadn’t said anything yet. I stood there, staring at the sinks behind Lily. I didn’t even look at her. My gaze shifted to my face in the mirror. The color had drained from my face. I couldn’t even see any emotion in my features. I could only feel my heart shattering into a million pieces. 

Then Lily asked those dreaded words. “Are you okay?” I looked at her, a blank stare still ensuing, “Oh, no. You’re mad at me. I am so sorry, really. I didn’t want to tell you all of this.” 

Words finally found their way to my lips. “I’m not mad at you, Lily. I’m mad at him. I’m going back to my room. I may see you tomorrow. I don’t know.” 

I bolted to the door and for the crowded halls. I didn’t want to be with anyone anymore. I heard Lily calling to me over the noise. “But, we still have classes today!” 

I wasn’t going to classes. I was processing. Processing was allowed right? I just found out that my boyfriend, correction, my now ex-boyfriend, cheated on me. I would face him later, but for now, I needed time to myself. 

With classes continuing, my room was completely empty. The moment the doors shut, the tears began to roll down my face. I scanned the contents next to my bed. There were those stupid flowers that Sirius had given me the previous Friday. 

I stood in front of them on my night stand. I felt all the hurt and anger that had been numb explode. They burst. My hands acted on their own accord. I picked up the flowers in my hand. They were so delicate, but the anger flowed through my veins and instinct threw them against the wall. When the noise of the limp plants didn’t give me any satisfaction, I followed the flowers with the vase. The smashing sound of glass against the wall was all I needed to hear to know that I was broken inside.

 I skipped my afternoon classes, falling into a heavy sleep, exhausted from the crying. It felt like a hippogriff had run me over. I got up to use the bathroom later and assess my running makeup and horrendous bed head. It was bad, but I didn’t care. I enchanted the door so that no one could come in. They’d only be able to enter when I gave permission. I just needed to be alone in this school that was now seeming all too small.

 When I skipped dinner too, I knew someone was bound to come searching for me eventually. Only, I was expecting Lily or one of my roommates to knock on my door. For some reason, the idea of Sirius coming to talk to me never crossed my mind. 

I heard someone attempt to push against the door as I curled up under my blankets. I felt like they would protect me from the world. 

“Love? I know you’re in there,” Sirius called out to me from behind the door. “You skipped classes and dinner.” 

His voice was so calm. Surely Lily told him that I knew the truth about his weekend. He should be a mess like I was right at that moment!

“Go away. I’m not feeling well,” I lied. I wasn’t ready to confront him then. I wasn’t ready to even look at him. 

“Evans told me,” he sighed. I could hear his fingernails scratching against the wood. Another pause. “I know you know.” 

“Then you know why I don’t really want to talk to you.” I couldn’t help but let the blunt words take the place of my gasping and sobbing. I’d rather him hear the harshness in my voice than any of the hurt. 

“Y/N, darling. I will take it all back if you just give me one chance. It was a moment of weakness, love. With the party and the alcohol, it just happened. It meant nothing though.” 

I had no response for him. I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. 45 minutes may have passed. Sirius tried to speak to me a few more times. I even heard him trying to counter the charm I used to lock the door, but he couldn’t. He had no choice but to leave. 

I endured the cooing and sympathies from my roommates, but I hated it. I hated feeling like this. I hated feeling hopeless. This wasn’t my fault. I was a victim, but I’m not weak. 

I couldn’t sleep all night, so I silently moved around the room and placed all of Sirius’ things in a bag. His records of the muggle music he adored, the remnants of the flowers, even the pictures of the two of us. I didn’t want them. 

I marched down to breakfast with the strong intent of telling him off in front of everyone. Everybody in this bloody school knew what had happened by now. I’m sure Marlene basked in the mess she caused and would tell anyone who wanted to hear about it. So, I wasn’t going to let our break-up be ruined by rumors. I’d let everyone witness it first-hand. 

I combed my hair. Redid my make-up. This didn’t hide the fact that I had been crying all day and night, but I don’t care. I needed to do this.

So now, here I am, standing outside the Great Hall. Students from all the houses are eating their breakfasts and I’m holding this bulging bag. 

I feel Lily Evans’ bright green eyes on me as I walk down the length of the Gryffindor table to where she was sitting with Sirius and the other Marauders. From the short glance towards her, I can’t tell if she is scared about what I am going to do or proud. I don’t really care at this point though. I am here on a mission. 

“Pads,” Remus whispers as he is the first one to see me walking towards the group (aside from Lily). 

I’m carrying this bag and just thinking to myself how strange it is to think the songs we used to sing, the smiles, the flowers, and everything is just gone. His dark, piercing eyes met my own. He doesn’t look like a mess. He looks perfect like he always does. This recognition just fires the anger that has been building up inside of me all morning. 

“Y/N? You’re up! Excellent!” Sirius smiles at me. He reaches out to take the bag from me as if he’s helping. “I was thinking perhaps we could have a chat this morning before classes? We could go to the courtyard.” 

I examine him. He seems different to me now. He was pretending like nothing was wrong while he was in front of his friends. I can read him. I know this. 

“I don’t think so, Sirius. Those are your things.” I spit out at him, pointing to the bag now in his hands. Hoping that I am wearing a blank face, I watch his fall. I know he can tell what I’m feeling through my Y/E/C eyes. He always did say that they gave me away every time. 

“I told you last night though. It didn’t mean anything.” 

Scoffing, I can’t stop myself from shaking my head. “No, Sirius. Yesterday I found out about you and even now just looking at you feels absolutely wrong! I heard you last night. You say that you’d take it all back given one chance. It was a moment of weakness-” My arms were flailing as I began to yell. I’ve never been capable of keeping my voice down. I know I’m loud. “And you said yes!” The words bellow out of my throat and I feel like they echo. I don’t know. I’m mad. I’m not finished either. 

Sirius looks at me as if he wants to speak, so I have to cut him off quickly. 

“You don’t get to talk yet.” 

The silence of the Great Hall was deafening. I know that everyone is watching us. Although, I am feeling extra strong. Maybe all those girls that Sirius screwed over in the past were sending me their strength. 

“I was studying the night of the party. It was the first one that I missed and you messed it all up! Here’s what should have happened.” My hand motions are taking over as the words roll off my tongue. I didn’t even plan any of this. “You should’ve said no, you should’ve gone home, you should’ve thought twice before you let it all go. This school is so damn small that you should’ve known that word about what you did with her would get back to me!” 

Maybe I shouldn’t have just pointed to Marlene at that point…oh well. Put my focus back on Sirius. 

“I should have been there in the back of your mind. I shouldn’t be asking myself why all of this happened. You shouldn’t be sitting outside of my room begging for forgiveness at my feet. If you would’ve said no, we would still be together. I did everything right! This is your fault!” 

His eyes widened at my words. I can’t look at him anymore. I’m not eating breakfast, but it’s fine. I would be on a high from this for at least a little while. I could probably get through my morning classes. I don’t have any with Sirius, so that wouldn’t be a problem. I do have them with Remus, so that could pose an issue, but with what I am feeling right now, I can take it. 

“Y/N! Wait up!” Lily’s red hair chased me from the crowded hall. Her face was lighting up everything else. “That was awesome! I mean, Sirius isn’t looking too great, but you were fantastic! I think some people wanted to applaud you on your way out.” 

My high began to fade. I didn’t mean to make him feel awful. I just didn’t want to let it seem like he could walk all over me and what he did was okay. It isn’t okay! Cheating is one of the lowest things a person could do! 

Lily could see the uncertainty on my face. “Was I too hard on him? Should I have done that in private?” I could feel my eyes begin to puff and redden again. 

“He deserved it, Y/N/N. What he did to you wasn’t in private, so I think this is justice.” Lily smiled. 

That smile quickly fell. I turned to follow her line of sight. Sirius stood there, just looking at me. He was being quick to run up to me. 

“Can we please talk?” 

“That’s not a good idea.” 

“I said I’m sorry. It’s all in the past!” His eyes are pleading with me, but I just can’t do it. “I want to be with you, Y/N! I have wanted to be with you for the longest time. It was just a moment of weakness. If you could just give me a chance, please?” 

“You hurt me, Black.” I needed to stop and cringe. I used to only call him by his last name and it felt wrong to be using it again. “You can tell I’ve been crying, just look at my eyes! I’m sure everyone can see it. And you know all the right things to say! You’ve always been good with words. That’s one of the reasons I fell for you. But do you honestly expect me to believe that we could ever be the same after this? You should’ve said no, Black.” 

I turn to walk away, Lily being supportive next to me, but something is tugging on me, a question I didn’t realize I had, so I turn back to Sirius. 

“I need to ask you something before I go. I can’t resist. Was it worth it? Was she worth all of this?” 

Sirius hung his head. I haven’t seen him like this since he decided to leave home, and I was just a friend at that point. “No. She wasn’t.” 

I nod, accepting the fact that he understands that he messed up. Maybe, in the future I can forgive him for this and even be friends, but like I said, we could never be the same. Walking away right now seems like the best option for me though. With Lily beside me, I am going to go to classes and I am going to heal and move on. I said my peace to Sirius Black. He made a mistake, but I would not be the victim of the next one. 

[bucksblr]

#showyourprocess

From planning to posting, share your process for making creative content!

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES — When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you’d like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours!

I got tagged by Sabrina @lanwangiji to share my content creation process for the birthday set I made for Lan Wangji, thank you ^-^ there won’t be screenshots in this tutorial since it’s been a couple months since I made this set, and I am the type of person that deletes psds, gifs, etc. within two days after posting a set ;-; (I’ve also had to factory reset my laptop since then so unfortunately the coloring I’d saved has gone to waste as well...)

As always, the programs I used to make this set are Adobe Photoshop 2021 & Avisynth 2.5!

1. Planning

I made the set for Lan Wangji’s birthday, of course, as part of the birthday event we hosted over on MDZS Network. As with all birthday events I’d done prior to this one I would search “happy birthday” on Tumblr and scroll down all the posts to see if there were any gifsets that I could possibly draw inspiration from. Initially I didn’t get any inspiration from doing that, but then there was a post I saw that sparked my interest. Unfortunately due to exams and school (and me being an idiot and not liking the post) I lost the post and, thus, also the inspiration.

But then one day someone (I think it was Hanyi but I’m not 100% sure) reblogged this gifset onto my dashboard. The person who made the gifset also posted a tutorial of how they got their text to look like that and I, pretty much still being a noob at typography, decided I wanted to try it out for my Lan Wangji birthday post. Eventually, this person’s traits gifset series is where I drew my inspiration from!

For the scenes I decided I was going to use scenes where he doesn’t move around too much, this being because I was also going to experiment with coloring. I ended up with five scenes and five words, and then decided I also wanted to use excerpts from the novel directly. All the novel excerpts were taken from the Exiled Rebel Scanlations translation.

Having gathered everything I needed, it was time to get to work!

2. Creating

I started out by putting all my scenes through Avisynth 2.5 as I always do, and I ended up with five 540x540 videos of about 50 frames each. One of the first things I did in Photoshop was put in around three to four selective coloring layers to turn the background as blue as possible, but even after doing that I wasn’t satisfied with the result so I slapped on a solid coloring layer that I blended into an overlay and then turned the opacity down to 75. The reason why I wanted scenes where he doesn’t move around too much was so that I could do this, because once I put on the solid coloring overlay Lan Wangji himself turned this godawful blue color. So working with a layer mask I erased all the parts where his skin was showing so he would keep his natural skin color.

Once the coloring was (almost) done, I started looking for typography. I don’t remember exactly what fonts I used, but they were very similar to the fonts used in the gifsets where I drew my inspiration from. Following the tutorial (and failing countless of times before I eventually got it right) I was able to get the text to look the way it does! I did end up struggling with the text on every single gifset because no matter how many times I followed the tutorial I always ended up making a mistake somewhere. I think I redid the text on each gif up to five times.

Placing the novel excerpts was probably my favorite thing on this gifset. At first I placed them in a rather standard way, right above and right below the words with ample spacing. I think I originally saved my gifs that way too, but only a couple days before his birthday (and also before the start of my exams, which started on the 25th) I decided it was too boring. So I went back in and placed the excerpts in many different positions before eventually placing them the way they’re placed in the final version.

To this day, I still think this might be one of the hardest gifsets I’ve ever made. In total I spent a little over a week (I did have to study and whatnot during the day so I usually opened PS in the evening) making and remaking this entire set. I’m pretty sure this one also made me cry out of frustration because I kept getting the text wrong.... ;-;

3. Posting

I think I finished the set a day before his birthday so I ended up putitng it in my queue so it would post exactly at midnight. I was incredibly excited to post it because it was one of the best sets I’d made up to that point (it still is) and I remember getting a lot of compliments in the tags that made me really happy :D

I won’t be tagging anyone, but it was fun to be able to ramble a bit ^-^

[storyteller0417]

Who Are You

A/N Just getting back into writing so please be kind. Loki has inspired me to pick up the pen again.

Rora let out a yawn as she stood in front of her coffee maker willing it to go faster. She looked at the clock letting out a groan, 5:15. Rora had to be at the barn for an early morning riding lesson to prepare for an upcoming show. She gave up hope that her coffee would be done before she got dressed and shuffled to her bedroom. Rora slid the closet door open pulling out a pair of wine colored breaches and her favorite grey sun shirt. She figured she might as well look her best if she was going to have to be up so early. Rora got dressed then sat on her bed to put on her socks and riding boots.

On her way back to the kitchen, Rora stopped in the bathroom to brush her teeth quickly and pull her blonde wavy hair into a low ponytail. She stared at her makeup bag for a moment trying to decide if that amount of effort was worth it today. She let out a sigh before pulling out just the basics. She rubbed on a tinted moisturizer and added some eyeliner and mascara to her eyes.

Rora gave a little nod as if approving of her appearance for the day before returning to the kitchen to make her coffee. She gave a little sip to ensure the taste was perfect before grabbing her backpack and heading out the door. She paused to lock the deadbolt before walking to the elevator to go down to the parking garage.

The doors of the elevator opened and Rora stepped out holding her keys. She walked over to her grey Honda Accord, doors unlocking as she approached. Once settled in, Rora put on her favorite playlist. City life didn’t exactly mix well with Equestrian life so she had a roughly forty-five minute commute to her facility.

.x.X.x.

Thor stepped into the Bifrost. “Where are you headed?” Heimdallr asked, his voice calm and eyes staring straight ahead as he remained ever vigilant of any unwelcome guests trying to access Asgard. “Hello Heimdallr, I am meeting with the Avengers on Midgard to continue searching for Loki. I have received word that they believe he is hiding somewhere in that world,” Thor explained, his deep voice echoing around the dome of the Bifrost.

“As you wish,” Heimdallr stated as he turned his sword to activate the Bifrost, “I will allow no one in or out until your return.” The Bifrost began to rotate and lighting sparked around the two and Midgard became the target. In a flash Thor was gone.

.x.X.x.

Rora was cruising on the highway after her lesson windows down and her music loud, the skyline of the city visible. Suddenly there was a beam of light that seemingly appeared from the clouds and shot all the way to somewhere in the city. Rora slowed her car some bot believing what she was seeing. But as soon as it was there it was gone. She pushed her sunglasses up and rubbed her eyes. “I’m clearly so tired I’m seeing things,” she muttered before stepping on the gas to accelerate enough to flow with traffic.

Rora had planned to wander the city and do a bit of exploring as she had moved there only a couple months prior. Her work and lesson schedule didn’t lend much in the way of free time so she was eager to go out. Rora pulled into her parking garage pulling into her assigned spot. She rode the elevator up to her apartment stepping out to be greeted by a neighbor who she had yet to meet. She wasn’t surprised, such a large building she had no hope to ever know everyone. She walked down the hall to her door and stepped inside.

Rora quickly changed into a flowy green sundress with an open back that fell a couple inches above her knees and a pair of plain brown sandals. The temperature was supposed to be warm today. She stepped into the bathroom and pulled her hair tie out. She redid her hair to a ponytail that sat higher on her head. She grabbed her wallet out of her bag and stepped out of her apartment locking the door behind her. Rora stepped on the elevator this time headed for the lobby. She stepped off the elevator and walked toward the exit.

Rora turned to the right once outside. She had seen a coffee shop down the street on her walks to and from work that had appeared to have an appealing menu. She looked at the different shops along the way during the five minute walk making note of which ones she wanted to stop at on the way home. Rora pulled open the door of the coffee shop and was greeted by a welcoming atmosphere. The tones of the wall were bright and cheerful but not overbearing. Most every windowsill had a plant or two all healthy and some baring bright flowers. The bar itself had almost a rustic feel made of aged wood that had been covered in polish to preserve its appearance. There was a large case on the counter that had more baked goods than Rora knew the name of.

None of this though caught her attention. In the corner of the café away from any of the other patrons was a man with shoulder length black hair and pale skin. His complexion was almost other worldly he was so handsome. He had a coffee of sort in front of him and a book in hand. He was what could be called over dressed for a setting like this. He was wearing a black suit with what appeared to be an emerald green vest underneath. Rora was so startled by his appearance she didn’t realize she was staring.

.x.X.x.

Loki took his coffee from the counter and found a table in a back corner of the café so he could keep a watchful eye on the door should anyone enter that he had successfully hidden from the last few months. He reached into his jacket which successfully hid the green flash of his magic. He pulled out a book and opened it leaning back in his seat some as he began to read.

Loki’s thoughts were interrupted when a recognizable energy entered the café. He peeked over the top of his book expecting to see an Asgardian but instead found what appeared to be a human woman. However, the energy she gave off said otherwise. He looked back down at the page he was reading but felt eyes on him. He shifted his gaze upward and found the blonde woman staring at him. When their eyes met she immediately looked toward the menu hanging behind the coffee bar. Even from afar, Loki could see her cheeks flush. Just who was she?

Loki’s thoughts were interrupted when the door flew open and Thor stepped in followed by Tony and Steve.

.x.X.x.

Rora quickly tried to make herself invisible when the mystery man’s gaze locked hers but she was having trouble focus on the menu when her face was on fire. Her thoughts were interrupted when a group of three men walked in the café. She turned and saw another man who also appeared other worldly, his long blonde hair far too perfect to be real. The second man was Tony Stark, she had seen him on TV many times. She also didn’t recognize the third man. He was as tall as the first, clean shaven handsome.

They appeared to be looking for something, or maybe someone as they scanned the café. Rora looked over to the mystery man but he had disappeared. How had he left without being seen? She turned her attention back to the employee and ordered an iced latte to go. While she waited the trio left and the café returned to its previous quiet buzz as patrons chatted or typed away on laptops.

Once her coffee was done she turned to leave and noticed his book still on the table. She walked over her curiosity peaked. Rora grabbed it reading the title. It was in a language she had never seen before. She went back and forth with herself about taking the book she imagined he would come back in search of it. Rora decided to tuck the book under her arm and exited the café.

Once outside, Rora looked up at the sky. There were a few small puffy clouds drifting across the sky and the sun was shiny brightly. She was reminded of the bright flash from earlier. She was wondering if that had in fact been real and not her exhaustion playing tricks on her. But what could possibly have caused it. As she walked she sipped on her latte pleasantly surprised at the flavor. She would be sure to return to the café more often.

Rora stopped at a little store the entrance sitting under an overhang. From what she could tell on the outside it was a book store. ‘Maybe the owner will know more about this book,’ Rora thought pulling the door open and stepping inside. The bookstore was quiet, it appeared no other customers were around. The store was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Shelves seemed to spread in every direct, every genre imaginable seemed to be available.

Rora moved farther into the store spotting the counter with an older woman standing behind it who greeted her ‘Hello, how are we doing today?”

Rora offered a smile and responded, “I’m doing great, how are you?” The woman responded that she was well before looking down at the book tucked under Rora’s arm. “What have you got there? It doesn’t appear to be anything you found on my shelves.”

“I’m hoping to find out what exactly this book is,” she explained as she placed it on the counter to be inspected. The woman picked it up, inspecting the cover and flipping through the pages. The woman pursed her lips, pulling her glasses down from on top of her head. After a few more moments she clucked her tongue. “I’m sorry dear, I just can’t place this language. It’s nothing I’ve seen in the 30 years I’ve ran this shop.”

Rora smiled and shook her head, “Don’t worry about it. Maybe I’ll be able to find his owner and he can tell me what it is.” She chuckled knowing that the chances of running into that man again were slim to none. “I’m just going to look around for a few minutes,” she added as she tucked the book back under her arm and turned to disappear between the many rows of book shelves. She found herself in a back corner looking at books on dressage. Some of the books she owned already but she was hoping to find something new.

Rora pulled out a book and was flipping through the pages when she felt the mystery man’s book being tugged from under her arm. She turned in shock as she hadn’t heard anyone approach her let alone stand directly behind her. It was him. The man from the café.

“Thank you for keeping my book safe,” Loki stated tucking it inside his coat and it seemingly disappeared. Rora’s face immediately flushed. She was so startled by his silence and the fact that he snatched the book out of her arm that she was struggling to find her words.

“Uh yeah sure. It seemed too important to leave lying on a café table,” she managed to say as her eyes shifted out the nearby window in an attempt to calm her racing heart. A tiny smirk tugged at the corners on his mouth, “Yes well there were some unexpected and also unpleasant patrons that showed up at that café just after you did.”

Rora’s gaze shifted back to his as she remembered the three men. “What were they looking for you for? Did you do something illegal?” She took a step back, his closeness was making her feel flustered. Loki noticed her step and kept his face emotionless but couldn’t help but chuckle internally. “Yes well some may call it illegal, I call it causing mischief,” he said as he turned on his heal to leave, “Thank you again for keeping my book safe.”

Loki began to walk away from her but she followed. “What’s the name of that book?” she asked walking quick enough to stay at his side. Given their height difference his stride was significantly larger than hers. “It’s a history book from my… home land,” he explained looking down at her curious why she wanted to know.

“Well where is that? I’ve never seen that language,” Rora was surprised when he pushed the store door open for her and motioned that she go ahead of him. Loki let out a sigh. She was quite persistent. He was thankful his car was waiting on the curb. “Some place very far away my dear. But I’m afraid I must go,” he stated before opening the door of the car and sliding in. Before Rora was able to question further the black Audi roared to life. Loki pulled away from the curb disappearing into the flow of traffic.

Rora found herself standing on the curb feeling like she had just experienced whiplash. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and run into Tony Stark. He and those two men seem to know something,” she muttered before turning to head home. Today had been so mentally overwhelming she decided it was better to explore the city another day.

[vg2021]

September 2021 popular new games recommend

New games are always hitting the shelves, and we make lists so you can keep up with what games you need to give your attention to this month. Hi folks, it's Falcon, and today on Gameranx, the games you should consider playing in September, 2021. Starting off at number 10, it's "Lost Judgment," the second in the Judgment series, itself is spinoff of the Yakuza series. Now, if you recall, I did the "Before You Buy" for the first "Judgment," and I really liked it. It took a lot of the best stuff from "Yakuza," built on it, and gave you a completely different perspective, and it looks like they're really trying to keep plowing ahead with that formula. For instance, they're keeping the combat, but expanding it, giving you more styles, maintaining Crane style and Tiger style. They've added Snake style, which is a counterattack-oriented style, and then is completely revamping the stealth segments, apparently giving you more to do during them, which is good because they were kind of the slower parts of the game. When I played "Judgment," I was like, this is really a winning formula. Did I think that it was so different from "Yakuza" that it departed? Not really, but I like that they're developing the little ideas they had to make it a different series, and it looks like they're really maintaining the tone well. "Lost Judgment" is landing on the PlayStations, the Xboxes, and it's landing September 24th. At number nine is "Conic Colors: Ultimate." Obviously, there has been a long time between the original game and this remaster, but because of how stylized and unique this game looks, seeing it in a higher resolution with various enhancements, it does not look like an old game. This might be a slightly controversial opinion. It's probably the best of the 3D Sonic games, and I cannot imagine a better one to remaster and bring to new platforms, particularly the Switch, where I will be playing it. They do actually add a new wisp to the game and a few extra features that were not there before, but mostly, this is just an incredibly solid 3D Sonic game that I am personally really excited to go through again. I also have my hopes that the upcoming Sonic game is a sequel to "Sonic Colors," and that's the reason they're doing this, but that's my own little conspiracy theory for a Sonic the Hedgehog for 2022. In the meantime, "Sonic Colors" is landing on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC through Epic Games, and Nintendo Switch on September 7th. At number eight is "Life is Strange: True Colors," the third mainline game in the Life is Strange series and one that uses the mechanics of the game to tell the story of Alex Chen, as she tries to figure out who killed her brother and why. Obviously, "Life is Strange" is a game about people with supernatural powers, and hers is that she can experience the emotions of others, and as you might expect, that would be an easy way to figure out if somebody is lying when you're questioning them about, you know, killing people, and it also features one of the characters from "Life is Strange: Before the Storm." The game takes place in Colorado, and while you're traipsing around there, using your turbo empathy to figure out who killed somebody, you can actually influence how other people think and feel, but it also comes at the cost of you being, quote, unquote, "infected" by their emotion. Now, I will say some of those story elements sound like they could be really over-the-top if done in a certain way, and I hope they aren't, because the series has always kind of bordered on that, but never really gotten too unbearable, and it always tells an interesting sci-fi story, and that's kind of my hopes for "True Colors." "Life is Strange: True Colors" is coming to the PlayStations, the Xbox Ones, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch on September 10th. At number seven is "Tales of Arise," the latest in the JRPG series. This is a game that's been in development for quite a while actually, and takes the series into the Unreal Engine, producing what we all think is a graphically pretty big jump. Yes, it does retain the look of the series, of course, but it just seems that the amount of time they had to work on their own engine versus making the game in Unreal freed them up or something, because it looks a lot better. "Arise" focuses on developing the combat system, which isn't fundamentally changed, but they did go back to "Tales of Graces" from 2009 for inspiration and lean the combat towards dodging and counterattacking. They also added a feature called Boost Strike. I don't know exactly how this stuff plays out. Obviously, I haven't played it yet, but it's all very interesting sounding, and so is the plot, where this game takes place in a world that is divided between a medieval world and a technologically advanced world. Tales is a great series, and I'm really excited to play the latest entry. It's coming to the PlayStations, the Xboxes, and Windows on September 10th. At number six is "Diablo II: Resurrected." And let me just go ahead and say how excited I am for this. It's not completely untempered excitement, but man, this looks good. It's mostly positive for me because you get absolutely all of the "Diablo II" and expansion content. You get it looking like this, which is way better than the original "Diablo." They have completely read on the game in 3D, and it looks amazing. All the effects, all the character models, all the animation, everything just looks amazing. There are a couple of quality-of-life improvements, too. Probably the one I'm most excited about is the new shared inventory feature, so you can move stuff between characters without long treks where you meet up with your characters or have a third character that you have specifically just for moving items. It's also the first time "Diablo II's" been on consoles, and I think it's probably gonna work out really well, because "Diablo III's" controller support was really good. I enjoy playing it the traditional way as well as on controller, so I kind am thinking this is going to work out basically like that. The only thing that some people are a little iffy about is that it really doesn't bring anything new to the table, other than, like I said, a few quality-of-life improvements. Yeah, they completely redid all of the cinematics from the ground up, but there isn't new content. Now, for me, I think that's good, but this is a contention within the community, and I wanted to acknowledge it, because sometimes, developers do go the extra mile and include some extra stuff, like there's a new wisp in "Sonic Colors: Ultimate," for instance. But for me, I'm just really glad that they are keeping the original game as is and giving it to us in the best possible graphical fidelity. I am so excited to play "Diablo II again." It's coming to the PlayStations, the Xboxes, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 23rd. At number five is "Away: The Survival Series," and let me just go ahead and say this. This is something that's non-standard, something you probably aren't expecting to be a thing. It's a sugar glider game. You have to survive as a sugar glider, and honestly, it looks really interesting to me. It's kind of a strange concept, but it's really pretty, and there's enough interesting mechanics that sort of make being a sugar glider an interesting thing. You can climb trees. You can glide, of course. there's various senses and perceptual things that you can do. The only thing is, I would probably never go, oh man, want a game where I play as a sugar glider, but now that I see it, it is something I really want to play. "Away: The Survival Series" is coming to PC, PS4, and PS5 on September 28th. At number four is "Aragami 2," a third-person stealth game and the sequel to the 2016 PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch game, which is oriented towards stealth. Aragami, the titular ninja, can use shadow accents to teleport. And honestly, the original game is a really interesting title. I enjoyed it a lot. I had honestly forgotten about it, so when I saw they were making a sequel, I was pretty excited, This story involves sort of unraveling a mystery about the person who summoned you into existence. It's kinda convoluted, but it's also second fiddle to the mechanics, which is actually really good. I'm pretty confident that this will be a good sequel, and I'll be playing it when it lands on the PlayStations and the Xboxes, as well as PC, on September 17th. At number three is "Kena: Bridge of Spirits," a game that was originally actually teased as a PlayStation 5 title. It is also landing on PlayStation 4 and Windows, but I'm particularly excited to really see how it lands on PlayStation 5. It's kind of inspired by Zelda. The studio that made it specifically became known for a short film they made based on "Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask," and the world that they've developed for this game is absolutely beautiful. It obviously does actually contain a lot more detail than "Breath of the Wild," but you can also tell there is an element of influence there. The trick to making the combat unique to this game is that there are spirit companions, kind of familiar-type things if you're remember playing "Ni no Kuni" and how that plays out. It's obviously not turn-based. It is oriented towards an action-RPG-type thing. I am really excited for this game. It's one that I've been hoping is going to be very good. Obviously, we don't know, but it's always showed a lot of promise in my opinion, and I'll be playing it when it comes out, like I said, on the PlayStations and Microsoft Windows September 21st. At number two is "Hot Wheels Unleashed," a game that, actually, in my opinion, kind of came out of nowhere in terms of how exciting I think it looks. It seems like it's somewhere between "Mario Kart" and "Need for Speed," with the ability to make your own tracks, and that just honestly sounds like the recipe for something fantastic. I don't want to sit here and act like there's really a ton of details to discuss. I just get some old F-Zero-type, Mario Kart-type feel from it, but the cars also look a little bit more weighty, like a Need for Speed. The tracks, however, are so obviously inspired by "Mario Kart," and I'll be playing it. It's that simple. "Hot Wheels Unleashed" is coming to the PlayStations, the Xboxes, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 30th. And finally, at number one, it's "Deathloop." "Deathloop" is a big one for me. I've been waiting for a new, full-on just Arkane game for a while. I'm a huge "Dishonored" fan, and while "Prey" is great, there's just something about the way "Dishonored" works out that I particularly like, and "Deathloop" looks more like a successor to that. The premise is that you are an assassin stuck in a time loop against another assassin stuck in a time loop, and basically, you fight each other, as well as take out people. The mechanics are very, very oriented around what makes Arkane good. There's stealth, there's parkour, there's lots of powers, and it also even features a multiplayer aspect, where you can go head to head as the assassin. "Deathloop" is landing on PlayStation 5 and Windows on September 14th. Also, roll up your sleeves. I got quite a few bonus games for you. First is "WRC 10," the World Rally Championship game, built on what they call a hyperrealistic and ultra-precise physics engine. That's landing on the PlayStations, Xboxes, and PC on September 2nd. "The Medium," that really intriguing, dual-world adventure game, where you have to solve puzzles in the spirit plane, as well as in the real plane at the same time, sort of assisting yourself. Then we've got "New World," which is an MMO from Amazon Games, a game that frankly has seen a little bit of controversy over its development cycle. It's one that's been delayed a times. It could in theory be pretty good. I don't know. There's been beta tests. I haven't played it, but it looks interesting. The graphics are good. That's landing on PC on the 28th. Next is "NBA 2K22," really an outstanding-looking entry into the series. In all seriousness, the NBA 2K games just keep getting more and more insanely realistic looking. That's landing on the PlayStations, the Xboxes, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 10th. "Lost in Random," an action-adventure game coming from the EA Originals wing of EA, the sort of indie-scaled games. Seems like it's got a little bit of a sense of humor, too. Coming to the PlayStations, the Xboxes, Windows, and Nintendo Switch on September 10th. And finally, "Death Stranding: Director's Cut," which gives you a whole bunch of new features that might make the game better, might make the game worse. I don't know if that depends on perspective or really what's happening. It's one that I do want to play. I enjoyed the original version of it, and the PlayStation 5 is, of course, a great place for such an epic-scaled game. That's landing on September 24. And that's all for today. Leave us a comment. Let us know what you think. If you liked this video, click Like. If you're not subscribed, now is a great time to do so. We upload brand new-videos every day of the week. The best way to see them first is of course a subscription, so click Subscribe, don't forget to enable all notifications, and as always, we thank you very much for watching this video. I'm Falcon. You can follow me on Twitter @FalconTheHero. We'll see you next time, right here on Gameranx.

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[toomanyrobins]

Those Four Words Pt. 1

summary: an escalating fight between Jason and his girlfriend leads to a tense two weeks in Wayne Manor

pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

word count: 2.1k

warnings: language, mentions of sex and excessive drinking, mentions of character death

Jason Todd was in a terrible mood, having just got into an argument with Bruce. He decided to go up to his girlfriend’s studio to get away. She had been hard at work the past couple days and he was getting needy. He came up behind her on the floor and pulled her into his lap. She tried to wiggle out of his arms. “Jay, I'm trying to do something right now.

He tried to snuggle closer to his girlfriend, “I deserve some of your time too.

“Deserve? You’re especially demanding today. What did you do?” Jason scoffed and pulled away. “What has crawled up your ass?”

“You did.”

“I did? Huh, I think I would’ve remembered such a disgusting journey into your body.

“Dammit, Y/N! Enough with the sarcasm! You know what I’m saying.”

Y/N sighed at Jason’s attitude, “I don’t understand what you’re doing right now, but you are starting a fight just for the sake of an argument. I’m sorry, but I can’t give you what you want right now.”

“I don’t want anything from you,” Jason was standing over his girlfriend, his whole body tense, “From any of you.”

“Why are you being like this? What happened?”

“What? You thought the minute we started dating all of our problems would magically disappear? Are you really that naive?”

Y/N put her brushes down and stood. She tried to walk closer, but he matched each step, moving away from her. “Jason, where the hell is this coming from? I thought we had got past this. Even you and Bruce are in a better place.”

“You think I'll ever forget you abandoned me. You all did!”

“Abandon you! What have you been smoking? We thought you died!”

“You replaced me!”

Now, Y/N was angry too and it was rare that anyone saw her this way. She was deadly calm, but fire was roaring in her eyes, “I did not replace you.”

“That’s right, you were too busy whoring yourself around Gotham to even think about me.”

“That is not fair and you know it. I mourned you. We all mourned, you arrogant ass. I never stopped missing you.”

“I saw the articles, Y/N! Don’t pretend you were mourning me. You were too busy whoring yourself around Gotham.” 

Her mind went back to three years ago. Jason had died in an explosion set up by the Joker. She was sixteen and her best friend had died, and she hadn’t handled it well. What started as a way to get out of the with friends at simple house parties, had led to a wild secret life. Y/N had snuck out at night and used Bruce’s name to get into clubs. She drank anything she could get her hands on and had gone home with multiple men, trying to forget her pain. Once, Bruce had found out, her world had imploded. He sent her away and finally got her the help she should have received when her parents had passed. The only reason Y/N had moved back to the manor was because Jason had been found. She couldn’t believe that he was trying to use her moments of weakness against her,  “How dare you throw that back on me. I was just trying to numb the pain. It wasn’t like I was celebrating the fact that you were gone.”

“Yeah, it really looked like you missed me.”

“God Dammit, Jay! If you would just listen to me!

“Oh fuck off, Y/N! If I had known I was ever going to be stuck with you and your nagging, I wouldn’t have come back.”

“I wish you hadn’t!” The minute the words left Y/N’s mouth, she gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth. Jason’s emotionless mask slammed into place, and suddenly he was as blank as the day Bruce had found him again. He turned to walk out and Y/N chased after him, “Jay, wait! I’m sorry!” He jumped onto his motorcycle and was out the door before she could stop him. She slammed her fist into the wall and cursed in frustration and pain. No one would see either of them for the rest of the day. Y/N stayed in her studio, wondering how they got to the point of shouting such hurtful things at each other. 

The next day, they had both shown up for Friday night dinner, as was expected on them. Neither spoke, and the tension was too thick to be cut with a knife. Y/N had tried to pull him aside and apologize to Jason after dinner, but he had shot her with a cutting glare and walked away. The other could tell that something had happened, but no one had the details. Tim wandered into the library after patrol that night, to find her in a chair tucked into the corner. “What are you doing here (Y/N/N)? Isn’t it a movie night with Todd?” He noted the tear tracks down her face but knew she hated showing weakness, so he said nothing about them.

“I wasn’t feeling up to it, so I canceled. I think I’ll head to bed now. Night, Timmy.” Y/N went to her room and cried herself to sleep, the guilt overwhelming her as she played the argument in her head. If only she had just taken a break, maybe the whole situation could have been avoided. She woke up multiple times in the night, crying out Jason’s name after seeing him and the Joker over and over again. Finally, around 3 in the morning, she gave up on sleep and went to the kitchen to pour herself coffee. She decided to keep busy and started making breakfast for the family.

Alfred was the first to appear in the morning, as usual. Y/N tried to pretend that everything was normal, but nothing could be hidden from the family’s butler. He noted the dark circles under her eyes and the tremors in her hands from over-caffeination. The boys slowly started to emerge, and Alfred started to bring out all the food she had made. She made two plates out of habit and headed for the dining room. Y/N started to hand Jason his breakfast as she had every morning for a year, but suddenly she remembered and pulled her hand away. Jason didn’t even bother to look at her, and her heart clenched. She placed the plate on the table and walked back into the kitchen. “Sorry, Alfred, I’m not hungry. I think I’ll go paint.” She placed the plate she had made for herself on the counter and left.

Y/N’s studio had been a safe space since she had first moved into the manor. She had hidden away when she first arrived at Wayne Manor, unused to such an active family. Bruce had called workers to the manor and had redid the room when she had told him she liked art. Now, after years of work, canvasses filled the room on all sides. Some paintings, others photos, she had accumulated in the three years. They hung on the walls and were laid across the floor. She flooded the room with Swan Lake, her sad music, and started to mix her colors. The music she played had become an easy way for the others to discern her moods since she hadn’t spoken to anyone except Fallon, Bruce’s wife, when she first came. Bruce and Dick had installed a speaker system in her studio to drown out the noise when she was overwhelmed, and everyone in the Manor could hear it if she turned it on loud enough. When the first notes hit their ears, all eyes in the dining room turned to Jason. He refused to look up and make eye contact, instead staring at the breakfast that had been abandoned on the table. Once everyone had looked away, he pushed away from the table and disappeared.

This led to one of the most uncomfortable weeks in the Manor ever. Y/N barely left her studio and no one saw Jason for three days, before he returned. When he did, he started to act as if nothing had happened. The music had eventually stopped playing altogether, so they had no idea what kind of mood she was in. Finally, Damian was the one to gather everyone else together, “(Y/N/N) has not come out of her studio in a week. Since Buckethead has just decided to pretend nothing has happened. We need to fix this.”

Bruce spoke up first, “Jason and Y/N are both adults. They are both being immature, and it will eventually work itself out.

“How can we fix this when we don’t even know what happened?” Tim looked up from his laptop, “I’ve been checking in on Y/N on the cameras. All she does is paint, and the most she’s slept in days is when she falls asleep accidentally. That never lasts long, and she cries. A lot.”

“Why did Fallon have to leave! We need to fix this, or the family vacation is going to be the worst!” Dick collapsed on the couch. Fallon had finally convinced Bruce that the family needed a vacation, but two weeks before they were supposed to leave, her sister had had a baby. She decided to go help her out and just meet them at the resort. They now had a week left, and it was not looking good. No one wanted to bother their mother since she very rarely took time for herself and was enjoying time with her family. They decided Alfred would be the one to try and convince her to leave the studio at least and eat something.

He appeared in the doorway and watched silently as Y/N worked on a large canvas. He walked over and saw that it was a portrait of the family. “This is beautiful, Miss Bishop.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” her voice was hoarse from disuse.

“What is the plan for this one?” Alfred sat down next to her on the floor.

“Everyone hates photos, but Fallon wanted a family portrait for the sitting room.. Since no one can sit still long enough I decided to paint one and give it to her for her birthday,” she slowly sucked in a breath, “Plus they only have the old one and J--some people-- are missing from it.” Tears started to well up again in her eyes. Alfred wrapped an arm around Y/N and just sat with her for a moment.

“I’ve kicked the boys out of the kitchen. Do you think you could come down and eat something? For me?” She only nodded, and they both stood. Y/N sat on a stool and silently ate the soup Alfred had laid out for her. She barely tasted anything, and she was starting to feel dizzy. Her vision started to blur, and the next thing she knew, she was waking up on the floor and had five heads floating above her.

“Hi, guys. Thought the floor looked lonely.” She tried to sit up, but was cut off.

“That is it,” Bruce spoke firmly, “You are going to bed, and you are sleeping. I thought you were mature enough to deal with this but I see I was wrong.” He picked Y/N up and noticed she had lost weight. He carried her up the stairs and before he had reached her bedroom, she was already asleep again. Bruce turned to the boys. “At least one of you is staying in here with her and making sure she sleeps.”

Tim volunteered for the first shift and settled into her desk with his laptop. She had barely been asleep an hour before she woke up from a nightmare of Jason dying. She shot up and shouted out his name, before bursting into tears. Tim -- being the awkward person he is -- was ill-prepared to deal with the crying Y/N. The only solution he could think of was to climb into bed with her and pull up a movie. She slowly fell asleep again and clung to Tim like a starfish. When Dick came to relieve Tim and saw that he was unable to leave, he climbed into bed with the duo. Anytime Y/N would start to become distressed, they would calm her down. Eventually, Damian and Titus joined the cuddle pile, the former somewhat reluctantly, grumbling about how he was only doing this for Y/N. Little did the Bat Family know, Alfred had called Fallon and told her about the situation and she had rushed home.