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yesthatssadirichardslove · 2 years ago

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Spielberg wins big as Golden Globes make comeback

LOS ANGELES

Steven Spielberg claimed top honors including best drama at the Golden Globes on Tuesday for his deeply personal film "The Fabelmans," as Hollywood's A-list stars flocked to the first major awards show of the year despite a series of scandals swirling around its organizers.

The other top film award, best comedy or musical, went to "The Banshees of Inisherin" -- a tragicomedy about a shattered friendship on a remote Irish island that ended the night with the most movie prizes.

Spielberg, who also took home the award for best director, thanked his family including his late mother, who he said would be "up there kvelling about this right now."

"The Fabelmans" covers the troubled marriage of Spielberg's parents, anti-Semitic bullying, and the director's early efforts making zero-budget movies with his teenage friends.

"Everybody sees me as a success story, and everybody sees all of us the way they perceive us based on how they get the information," said the 76-year-old filmmaker. "But nobody really knows who we are until we're courageous enough to tell everyone who we are."

Spielberg said films like "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" had used elements from his real life, but he had "never had the courage to hit this story head on" until now.

Despite faring poorly at the box office, the film saw off last year's two biggest commercial hits -- James Cameron's sci-fi film "Avatar: The Way of Water," and "Top Gun: Maverick" -- to win the night's final prize.

"Inisherin" also earned a win for Colin Farrell for best comedy actor, boosting his Oscar hopes, and for writer-director Martin McDonagh for best screenplay.

The Globes, which kick off the annual film prize-giving season, have not had their usual glitz for the past two years, due to the pandemic and revelations about their organizers' lack of diversity and allegations of ethical lapses.

In particular, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the awards, was criticized for not having a single Black member, although it has recently expanded its ranks.

All eyes were on which A-listers would show up Tuesday, as NBC -- which scrapped its broadcast of the show last year -- brought back the 80th Golden Globe Awards on a one-off basis.

As it turned out, many heavy hitters were in attendance, including Spielberg, Rihanna and Brad Pitt.

Austin Butler, stepping into Elvis Presley's blue suede shoes for rock-and-roll biopic "Elvis," won best actor in a drama.

"You were an icon and a rebel and I love you so much," said Butler to the legendary singer, in an emotional speech in which he also praised Presley's family for their support.

Eddie Murphy accepted a career achievement award at the Beverly Hills gala, while Angela Bassett won best supporting actress for Marvel blockbuster "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

But Cate Blanchett, who won best drama actress for "Tar," in which she plays a ruthless conductor navigating the cutthroat world of classical music, did not attend the gala.

Other prominent winners who didn't show included Kevin Costner ("Yellowstone"), Zendaya ("Euphoria") and Amanda Seyfried ("The Dropout").

Michelle Yeoh won best comedy actress for the surreal "Everything Everywhere All At Once."

Her co-star in the multiverse-hopping sci-fi film, Ke Huy Quan -- who shot to fame as a child star in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" almost four decades ago -- won best supporting actor.

Action-packed Indian blockbuster "RRR," which has become a huge word-of-mouth hit in Hollywood, added momentum to its awards season campaign by winning best song.

"Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" won best animated feature, while "Argentina, 1985" won best non-English language film.

On the television side, "Game of Thrones" prequel "House of the Dragon" won best drama, and "Abbott Elementary" claimed best comedy series.

Success at the Globes is often seen as a potential bellwether for films hoping to win Oscars, which take place this year on March 12.

Academy voters will begin casting ballots for Oscar nominations on Thursday, just days after the Globes gala.

But recent controversies have muddied the waters.

Host Jerrod Carmichael, who struck a daring and edgy tone throughout the night, kicked the gala off with a monologue poking fun at the HFPA.

"I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here because I'm Black," said Carmichael.

Most of the Globes' usual swanky after-parties -- where winners parade their trophies, and losers drown their sorrows with free champagne -- did not take place this year.

Nominee Brendan Fraser and Tom Cruise, the star and producer of "Top Gun: Maverick," notably did not attend.

But despite the controversy surrounding the Globes, "Avatar" director Cameron told AFP he "didn't really think about it that much."

"Obviously I did my research about what they had gone through, and I made sure that they had been responsive to the protests and complaints and all that, which I believe they have been," he said. "I think we should celebrate the fact that an organization does such radical changes."

#yesthatssadirichardslove

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nxrthmizu · 4 years ago

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#28 with Daminette, please! Also I love your works!

Prompt: ‘Pretending to be a couple and this is a huge mistake AU’

Pairing: Daminette

Words: 2904 words

Note: I kind of changed up the idea a little, hope you don’t mind...

[Thank you so much for the request hun, I’m so sorry it took be so long...

Enjoy! 💖💖💖]

- Cady

---

Damian had always thought that turning eighteen was a privilege. Boy, was he wrong. It was, in fact, a nuisance.

“Mr. Wayne! Do you have a special someone yet?”

“Mr. Wayne, my daughter is 18 and single, would you like to-”

"Mr. Wayne-"

Galas became a swarming mass of reporters and fathers seeking marriage for their daughters. He could constantly feel chills along his back as women stared at him shamelessly as if he were a prize, their predatorial gaze piercing through his soul. Annoyance tainted every aspect of his features at galas, his siblings constantly reminding him to not scowl so much. But honestly, could you blame him? He couldn’t go anywhere without being pestered by twenty reporters about his love life.

Heck, if he wanted to get a cup of coffee by himself, he had to dress up like a criminal avoiding attention. Lucky for him, there was one special cafe that was out of the way and always offered a little quiet for him- As quiet as it could get, anyway.

The Lucky Bug Cafe.

It was quiet and tucked behind a little street, often filled with just one or two students studying quietly and an old couple casually relaxing by the corner. The Lucky Bug Cafe was run by a single, dark-haired woman who looked at him and thought: ‘Ah, he needs somewhere to lay low for a while’ instead of ‘It’s the heir of the Wayne Enterprises, the Damian Wayne’.

It was another casual morning, and Damian needed his fix of coffee before heading to the office, where he would oversee his father’s (And soon to be his) employees while self-studying his business course. A long day lay in wait ahead of him, and Damian would appreciate and nice, aromatic cup of brewed coffee before he had to survive on the machine-made coffee for the rest of the day.

“Good morning.” The dark-haired woman greeted him with a warm smile, her bluebell eyes twinkling under the glow of the yellow lightbulbs. “The usual?”

“The usual.” Damian nodded, hoodie covering his face.

Leaning against the counter, he watched as she bustled around the area, turning on the machine, humming a song to herself as she headed over to the fridge for fresh milk. He glanced at the glass display case under the counter, eyes flitting over the batches of pastries that she had made for the day.

“Could I get five mint-flavoured macarons, please?” He asked as she set his coffee on the collection counter.

“Oh, of course.” She smiled brightly, already grabbing a paper bag. “They’re my new recipe! Do tell me what you think of them tomorrow.”

Damian smiled, his features softening at the woman’s words. “Sure. Oh, and how’s your website holding up?”

Perhaps one of the reasons they clicked so well together was because they were both... Well, famous. Except that he was the future boss of the Wayne Enterprises and she was the anonymous designer of Nette’s Design and Clothing. Articles concerning the identity of the anonymous designer popped up occasionally on Gotham’s magazines, not to mention that the celebrities that wore her work often ended up on the front page of fashion magazines.

“Good. It’s getting a little flooded these days, but I think I’ll manage.” She said with a giggle, winking at him. To anyone else, it would seem like they were talking about a small, by-the-side online clothing commission business, but both of them knew the true value of their conversation. “Need me to make you a new suit for the gala?”

It was then the idea struck him.

He processed it, and a fierce blush erupted on his cheeks, the said man nearly dropping his paper bag of macarons in the process as he fully understood his idea.

“Are- Are you okay?” She asked instantly, worry clouding her features.

“Yea-Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll... Get back to you on that.” He stammered, knowing that if he stayed a second longer, he was going to blurt out his crazy, stupid idea, and everything was going to be over.

Except that he couldn’t get the idea out of his head as he stared at the ceiling, sleep refusing to overtake him. The idea wouldn’t even leave him alone as he leapt across the streets of Gotham, keeping an eye out for crime.

If he brought Marinette to the gala with him, all the reporters would get off his back.

But then again, Marinette would never have peace again, and he couldn’t do that to her... Right...?

“Morning.” Damian greeted her the next day, dressed in a dark green hoodie. To anyone else, it would seem like a normal hoodie, but in reality, it was his favourite hoodie. ‘NDC’ was stitched in with golden thread on the inside of the sweater- The work of his favourite coffee shop owner. She had gave it to him after two months of their discreet friendship, and it was one of his most valued possessions.

"Morning," She replied with a gentle smile, her eyes morphing into little crescents as she did so. "The usual?" Her fingers never stopped moving, constantly wiping the counter clean or preparing a cup of warm milk. It was just one of the things he found adorable admirable.

"Yeah."

Before he could think, his mouth acted on its own. “Do you think you could be my date for the gala?” He blurted out suddenly, freezing when her movements came to an abrupt stop. Bluebell eyes slowly flicked up to his emerald ones, his heart jumping out of his ribs when those soft orbs stared into his. “You don’t have to say yes, I was just wondering-”

“Okay.”

He could feel his heart fluttering happily as she smiled, her eyes twinkling in bluebell crescents and her lips a soft curve.

“If you don’t mind, could I maybe go as... You know.” She asked shyly, brushing one of her hair strands behind her ears. “I know you want a date because... Well.” She laughed. “The attention, but I was hoping I could go as... Nette instead of... Well, plain ol’ Mari.”

“You’re not plain.” He responded instantly like a reflex action, tone cutting but soft at the same time. “But if you want to go as... It’s your choice. And... Thank you. For understanding.”

The smile she returned him was worth more than a thousand dollars, he thought.

---

Slicking his hair into a neat, presentable style, Damian checked his appearance in the mirror for the last time. The day of the gala had arrived, and they had already discussed all the details of the night over text. They would pretend to be a couple so that the reporters would finally get off Damian’s back, and ‘Nette’ would get her first appearance in public- They had both agreed that Marinette would wear a mask in order to preserve her identity, so that she could stay in a quiet world for just a little longer before she planned her official debut to the world.

The suit felt soft to the touch, a silk moisture across the shiny surface of the dark fabric. Gold threads wrapped around the jade green that Marinette had chosen as the accent of the suit. A jade tie with the same golden embroidery accompanied the suit and the dark-moss green dress-shirt that he had on underneath. ‘NDC’ was stitched carefully in the same cursive lettering that it was on the corner of the suit, the trademark of the designer’s handiwork.

Not wanting to answer his family’s pestering questions, Damian slipped out of the house, acknowledging and thanking whatever deity out there for the wonderful man named Alfred Pennyworth.

Alfred gave Damian a knowing smile, handing him the keys to his new car. “Thank you.” The youngest Wayne thanked the butler, the keys jingling in his hands.

“Treat her like the lady she is.” Alfred advised him, stepping forward to adjust the emerald-eyed man’s tie. There was a quiet, lingering thought inside the older man’s head, but after one more glance at the nervous young adult with a cold outer shell, he decided against the remark.

The car engine rumbled to life with a purr, pulling out of the garage. Alfred watched as the tail lights disappeared into the evening, the thought still clear in his mind.

He’s in love and he doesn’t even realise it.

---

“Hey.”

She opened the door with a smile- God, she never stopped smiling, did she? A little twirl showed off her dress, made in the same palette as his suit. Jade green and moss green strips of thick fabric made the dress blossom into a flower shape around her ankles. The top half of the dress hugged her curves in all the right ways, a braided rope going over her neck to hold the dress up. The sleeveless-ness of the dress showed off the smooth skin of the designer, not to mention her striking, sharp collarbones that were on full display.

“You look beautiful.” He managed, knowing full well it was a lie that he had just uttered. She wasn’t beautiful, god, no. She was absolutely stunning and gorgeous, and he would give anything to keep that smile on her lips. He had to mutter up all of his resistance and self-control to prevent himself from reaching out to stroke her soft, dark hair.

“Thank you.” The smile would’ve made him melt into a Damian-shaped puddle, except he had a date and he would have to wait until the night was over to melt into a puddle. “Shall we?”

He offered her his arm, like the gentleman his dad butler had taught and raised him to be. The feeling of her soft skin in his hands made roses flower over his cheeks, his heart beat a little louder, and the affectionate feeling in his chest double in size.

The drive to the gala was the most interesting car ride he ever had. His fingers drummed against the steering wheel as he listened to her sing to the songs on the radio, occasionally joining in shyly, both their voices dancing in an intricate dance of harmony. Her laugh tinkled like wind chimes; her smile glowed like the moon on a clear night; her voice soothed his soul like a warm bowl of soup. There was absolutely nothing on his mind but her and her only.

“Are you ready?” He asked, pulling up in front of the gala’s entrance. Reaching for the mask on her lap, he placed in on her gently, careful not to tug on her hair as he adjusted it.

“For our fake date?” She giggled. “As I’ll ever be.”

A smile danced on his lips as he pushed the car door open, for once, not annoyed by the bright flashes of the cameras. He wanted the world to know how amazing Marinette Dupain-Cheng was, and he wanted her to rise to top of the fashion world and beyond. There was nothing that would make him feel more honoured than the fact that he would be the one that introduced her to the world, watching as she took over the rest of the fashion kingdom like the queen she was.

“M’lady.” He whispered, pulling her car door open as he offered his hand for her, bowing slightly. Whispers clouded the air, quickly replaced by gasps as Marinette took it gracefully, stepping out with the aura of a goddess. He planted a light kiss on her palm, emerald eyes bright and soft in the dying light of the evening.

“Thank you. Shall we?” She smiled in return, never removing her hand from his grasp.

He nodded to her, gesturing for the valet to take his car away, tossing the man the keys. He normally wouldn’t trust anyone else with his car, but at the moment, escorting to beautiful bluenette was the only priority in his mind.

Because she was the only thing that mattered, after all.

---

Funnily enough, he didn’t feel triumphant at all.

Damian had thought that if he got a woman to pretend to be his girlfriend, well, he would enjoy the disappointed looks on the fathers’ faces and the burning anger in the girls’ eyes. Well, it wasn’t the case at all.

He was absolutely mesmerised with the designer next to him, who was talking gracefully to the CEO of one of Gotham’s fashion magazines. She was the definition of grace, beauty, and poise. Everything about her said goddess. She practically radiated power into the room, even when she didn’t realise it. There was a calm to her that made her seem like a cool-headed queen, and boy he would be willing to be her knight any day.

“I’m going to go get some wine.” He whispered to her, arm looping around her waist naturally. They truly did give off the ‘dating’ vibe, but he was too absorbed in her to notice.

“Okay.” She smiled, only this time it made him feel something else. No, not just a little flutter of his stomach, or a resounding thump of his heart. In fact, the first thought going through his head was that he wished, hoped, prayed that he could wake up to that smile for the rest of his life. He could picture it in his mind- Her, curled in his arms, her dark hair spreading into an intricate net behind her, eyes closed softly.

He could see her eyes fluttering open, see her yawn and stretch before nestling back into his embrace, only this time her eyes were open and there was a loving smile on her lips, and she was speaking.

“Morning, love.”

It took him a moment to realise that he had been stupidly standing there after stating that he was going to get them some drinks. Both the CEO and Marinette stared at him expectantly, wondering why he had suddenly got into a daze.

He found a waiter, easily plucking two wine glasses from the man’s tray before making his way through the crowd, who parted for him like the red sea parted for Moses. It was infuriating; He couldn’t get the picture out of his head. Her, nestled into his arms... No, they were on a fake date, and it was only for one sole purpose... It wasn’t as if he liked her... Right?

Wrong.

---

He made a mistake.

It wasn’t until after the night ended that he begin to feel the pain. His heart ached when she left, thanking him for the night. For the next few days, photos of Damian Wayne and the mysterious, masked Nette clouded the cover pages of magazines, reminding him over and over of that one night that he got to live.

His family hadn’t stopped pestering him about what in the world happened, Damian, and after Tim had found out Nette’s identity through the batcomputer’s wide database, it didn’t take long for the rest of the family to piece ‘Damian-might’ve-fell-in-love-with-a-cafe-shop-owner-who-happens-to-be-a-world-wide-famous-designer’ together.

“You should ask her on a real date sometime soon, Master Wayne.” Alfred told him offhandedly as Damian strolled into the kitchen. The butler was busy polishing wine glasses, placing them neatly back onto the shelf when he was done.

“It’s kind of too late.” He muttered quietly, sinking onto the chair, the soft fabric of the dark green sweater comforting him.

Alfred sighed, placing down the glass with a sonorous clink. “It’s never too late for anything, Master Wayne. Not if you take the chance and make a move.” Damian met the older man’s eyes for a second, realising what he needed to do. It was as if someone had took a lighter and relit the candle in his heart.

“I’m going out, Alfred.” He said abruptly, never pausing to see the proud smile on the older man’s face. “I don’t think I’ll be home for dinner.”

“Noted, Master Wayne. Your car keys are on the counter in the living room.”

---

He didn’t bother to pull on his hoodie, barging through the back door of the Lucky Cat Cafe before turning back on second thought, closing the door gently, muttering a sorry to the poor door that just got kicked open in the heat of the moment.

“Why are you apologising to a door?” Her laugh sounded behind her, the woman giving him an amused look.

“I... Kicked it open.” He admitted, before remembering what he had come to do. “Marinette.”

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Yeah?”

“I know the gala was a fake date, and we did it because it benefitted the both of us, but-!” He caught himself, realising that for once he was doing something without a plan. “But I don’t want that.”

She stared at him blankly. “Um... That’s fine. We didn’t tell the media we were dating, it could’ve been a one-time thing...”

“No!” He burst out, his heart nearly overflowing with emotions. “It took me a long time, but I-! I want to date you. For real. And take you out. And do the sappy things that Grayson does with his girlfriend. And take care of you. I want to date you for real.”

Her mouth was open in an ‘o’, and he wondered briefly if he broke her. Then a smile slipped across her lips, and he could see it again- Both of them, sharing a home, sharing a life, and then a child with dark blue hair and emerald eyes-

“Okay.”

---

sjskjsks I was so worried about the plot!!! Was it choppy? And in the words of my ninth grade english teacher, did it lack fLoW??? I’m so sorry if it didn’t live up to expectations, I lost where I was going with this-

On another note I have this headcannon that the two students and old couple always knew that he was Damian Wayne, they were just ‘oh he’s totally in love with Mari, this is really sweet and we’re going to stick around and watch’ and when he asked her out for the gala he was actually being really loud and they were all just legit eavesdropping and the two students going ‘jskjskjkjkjs he finally asked her out oh my god the ship is sailing’ and the old couple going ‘aww how sweet’ and ‘my boy finally got his courage together, so proud of him even tho im not his dad but still’.

Anyways I was thinking of another way to get around the MDC nickname for Mari as a designer and I thought Nette would be a cool name for her, and DC stands for Design and Clothing.

Once again thanks for sending in the request, sorry that it took so long bby <3

Requests are open, just head over to my blog, check out the rules and specifications, then shoot your request right into my inbox, I’ll be waiting.

Also I’m watching Haikyu and I am IN LOVE with those babies, gonna start writing fics and opening up requests for the Haikyu fandom once I get a better grip on the characters’ personality.

Okay, I’ve been talking too much. Bye and thanks for sticking around to the very end, lol. I can be quite talkative when I’m typing anddd I’m just going to stop now before I write another paragraph

- Cady

#daminette #damianwayne #marinettedupaincheng #feel free to drown me with requests y'all #requests #Cady's requests #cady writesss «#cadyh2o

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gemmaheart · 5 years ago

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The Killer Snake

Damian Wayne x Female Reader

Summary

Reader is a assassin for the Black Cobra, an ally to the League of Assassins. At the age of 15, she is the best killer the Black Cobra has. What will happen when a young bird comes face to face with this elusive murderer?

Warning: Talk of killing/death

Writer’s Notes: This will be multipart if you want or we can leave it here please comment if you want more. I can’t take very much credit for this writing as I got inspiration from many other fanfics (Not all DC). Also please excuse all grammar/punctuation mistakes, English is my first (only) language, I’m just not good with it in written form.

KEY:

y/n means your first name

y/l/n means your last name

y/n/m means your name on missions

h/c means hair color

e/c means eye color

f/c means favorite color

Narrators point of view

It was another boring day at the Wayne Manor for Damian. Titus was asleep after having played for a few hours. Dick was off in Bludhaven, probably with his girlfriend, Cory. His father was at work, he had complained about having board meetings all day. So with nothing else to do, Damian went down to the cave to train. Once he got into it he was so focused that he had gone four hours without stopping. Not wanting to wear himself out before patrol tonight, he put his equipment away and went up to the kitchen. Alfred was currently making dinner. His father would be home soon then. “What are you preparing, Pennyworth” Damian asked. Alfred, rolling his eyes replied (Insert fancy dinner foods here) as sarcastically as possible. Damian elected to ignore that sarcasm as starting a verbal fight with the butler was a sure way to lose his patrol privileges. “Very good” he replied “Sounds wonderful” he quickly added. Just then Bruce entered the house looking exhausted from his many meetings of the day. Damian was told to set the table for the three while Bruce got into something more comfortable for the remainder of the day. Dinner was quiet, as usual for the three men. It’s what was to come after that Damian was interested in. Suited up in his Robin uniform he waited for Bruce. They where soon in the Bat-mobile zooming through the streets of Gotham. They meet up with Commissioner Gordon on the GCPD roof. Tonight there was a big drug shipment coming into port, Black Masks operation. It was suppose to be simple. Take down the guards, stop the drugs from getting into Gotham. Nothing was simple in Gotham however. When the dynamic duo arrived at the East Docks there was a full blown gang war occurring. Black Mask and the Falcones were fighting for dominance, an even match. (Not sure how to write a fight scene for this, SORRY) After a long fight against two crime bosses and their many goons, Batman and Robin are able to get the upper hand. Chasing the crime lords off and stopping the drugs from getting onto the streets, Bruce and Damian report to Gordon,do a lap around the city, and head home for some well deserved rest.

Somewhere in the Arabian Desert

Another mission, another person to kill. Y/N receives her orders, her target was Robin better known as Damian al Ghul, now Wayne. This mission was assigned by the leader of the League of Assassins herself, Talia al Ghul, Damians mother. She sees her son as soft, his father teaching him to not kill his enemies as he was originally told. Ten years of training wasted, a son ruined by Bruce Waynes rules and morales. No more than a kill mission for y/n/m. At the age of 15, y/n y/l/n was a true assassin. With more than 200 kills under her belt, she was a prize among the Black Cobra, reserved for truly challenging targets. But before all this glory she was nothing. No home, no family, no anything. The Black Cobra toke her in, trained her to be a killer, gave her a purpose. She was loyal to them, owed them her life. She has never failed a mission. Now, y/n was off to Gotham City, to take yet another life in the name of the Black Cobra.

Several days later in Gotham

The Wayne’s where having a charity gala tonight. At their mansion, with at least 350 people, and y/n would be one of them. At her age she needed someone to go as her guardian, the man was named Henry Garcia, a wealthy man from Star City, with ties to the Black Cobra. He owed them for a supply of weaponry gone missing last month, this was his ticket. With Henry, y/n could get into the mansion to spy on her target without suspicion. Not that there would be much anyway, she was young, pretty, and his age so no one would question her watching the boy. She watched him for the entire gala, learning about him. For instance, he was introverted, not talking to anyone and keeping to himself. He had found a corner and not really left it all night. Men talked about business deals and future plans. Women gossiped about the latest scandals and raves over the others dresses, shoes, and accessories. Some people danced, most drank, some tried to do both. Damian just looked on, a frown on his face, clearly not happy to be here. All the while y/n studying him, collecting anything that could be useful for later. At the end of the gala Henry and y/n walked out, no one the wiser of what had happened, why Damian was being watched by the beautiful h/c in the f/c dress.

Two nights later on patrol

Damians point of view

The night was calm, the rain lightly falling from above, cleaning the air of the wretched pollution. Father and I had separated to cover more ground, he toke the East and I the West. There are warehouses along the river, all supposed to be empty but one had lights on, dim but noticeable. I radio father on the comms, telling him my location, and that I was going to look around stealthily. He agreed with that plan and said he would be there as soon as he could. With the conformation to enter, I went in through the roof, landing on a path above the main floor. It seemed there was nothing but as I continued to look around from above I spotted a man tied to a chair. I quickly recognize him as a man from our resent gala, Mark something. I see about ten people on the other side of the expansive warehouse. I alert Father of this development as the men move to interrogate the businessman. They want money and supplies his company makes, he refuses, they threaten him but he says nothing. They look at each other, seem to have a conversation with their eyes because a few seconds later, one of the men puts a gun to Marks head and pull the trigger. I make a decision, giving myself away to take the men out. It was easy, he was an easy target. I comm Batman to inform him of the news but I miss his response as I notice something on one of the men I toke out, a tattoo of a cobra. “Oh shit” i say, louder than necessary. Father is asking what it was that I found. I can’t answer as just then I get blind sided. (Still can’t write fight scenes. Just imagine two assassins fighting it out) It’s a girl about my age. This is a shock but I push that away fast. She runs at me and I pull out my sword. The sound of metal clashing can be heard through the whole building, she’s fast and strong. I manage to deflect most of the blows and jabs directed at me and deal some damage in return. Eventually she has me pinned to the floor, strangling me. As I loose air and start to black out, she lets out a scream of pain, Batman has arrived and planted a batarang in her shoulder. I’m dizzy from air lose but from what I can see from my spot on the cold, concrete floor she is a excellent fighter, keeping pace with Father. I notice she wears a simple suit with little to no armor, made to be flexible, much like Graysons. She is slim with long h/c hair tied back in a high ponytail, with a mask covering her face. She can’t fight forever though and soon lands back by my side, a sword to my throat and speaks, calmly, almost quietly, “Don’t move, that’s it, just stand right there” “Let me leave without hinderance and Robin here can avoid further harm” Father returns with “And if I don’t” the girl laughs “Oh I believe you will, his life is of value to you, not sure why though, he can’t fight worth shit” she looks to me, speaks to me but Father can hear it “We will meet again Damian, and I won’t be going easy on you” “How do you know my name” I manage to stutter out. Her answer is simple “The Black Cobra knows everything, thought you knew that Mister al Ghul” and with that she collects her now conscious men, walks past the dead body still tied to the chair and out the front doors like nothing ever happened.

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cinning-at-midnight · 8 years ago

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The Charity Gala- Part 1

The day’s lessons had been pushed back, and so I took the opportunity to sit in the garden with a nice pot of tea. I sat in an outdoor lounge chair, my feet hanging delicately over the edge. My teal dress flowed to-and-fro, tickling my legs. The garden was my getaway, and whenever I had the free time, I would sit and admire the beautiful scenery. Today, I chose to take my afternoon tea amongst the hydrangeas.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Nico said approaching me in a hurry.

I leaned forward in my seat and turned to face him.

“Giles asked me to come get you,” he said, apologetically.

I glanced down at my teacup and took in one last breath, inhaling the fresh aroma of the garden flowers.

“Thanks, Nico, I’ll see him now.” I replied, smiling.

I handed my teacup and its saucer over to Nico, and moved to my feet. With a spring in my step, I strode through the castle halls. My proposal must have been accepted, I thought. A few weeks ago, I had told Leo of my desire to assist my people better-- to make a stronger impact on their lives. Leo helped me to write the proposal so that I could present it to Giles. And now I’ll finally have my answer.

In the study, Giles was leaning over a binder, flipping through its pages.

“Giles, I brought her!” Nico said, his voice musical like wind chimes.

“Did you submit my proposal to the bureaucrats?” I asked, my eyes boring holes into Giles’ turned back.

My advisor straightened his posture and turned around to face us, his hands neatly folded in his lap.

“Princess,” Giles began, “I spoke with the members of the board responsible for clearing charity events such as this one-- and they’ve accepted your proposal.”

I became overjoyed, and threw my hands into the air.

“That’s not all,” Giles went on, chuckling at my reaction. “There are to be several booths set up with refreshments. Our guests will enter, and buy tickets that they will use to buy goods inside the event.”

Nico grinned, “It sounds like a fair!”

“Hardly. Although the ticket system is the same, the event itself will be conducted as a gala.” Giles replied, his cheeks lightly tinted crimson.

I smiled at Giles, “Thank you, but now we must call everyone to a meeting to discuss it further.”

Nico, Giles and I all set out immediately to collect everyone needed for the meeting. At last, we were together in the parlor with Alyn, Leo, and Robert. The six of us had a much better chance at fine-tuning the details of the event when discussing it all at once. Alyn was the only one who was clearly annoyed to be in attendance.

“Gentlemen,” I spoke, beginning our deliberation, “Now that the proposal Leo helped me write has been approved, we need to work together to decide who will be in charge of the booths.”

“Alyn, I’d like for you to put together a dessert booth,” I said, “I believe the nobles would be drawn to those first.”

I could see Giles across from me, diligently taking notes on the results of our meeting, to look back on later.

“Yes, of course. Um,” Alyn stammered, “My one and only request is to be away from Leo.”

“Aw, c’mon, Alyn,” Leo whined playfully.

Alyn ignored Leo’s plea, and twisted around in his chair to avoid Leo’s gaze.

“M-moving on,” I cleared my throat, “Leo, you should be in charge of the ticket booth then.”

“So, I sell tickets to the guests?” Leo asked.

“Yes, that and you’ll be responsible for the security of their donations.” Giles said, looking up briefly from his notes.

I nodded in assent, and turned to the butler, “Nico, you’ll be responsible for putting together a tea and wine booth.”

“Tea and wine?” Nico asked.

“Yes, because I doubt a tea booth alone would generate donations,” I replied.

“Your Highness, what shall I do?” Robert asked.

“Robert, do you think you could do a booth of sketched portraits?” I asked him.

“Of course, but because of the amount of time it may take for a single person or a couple, I suggest that they be a higher value item…” Robert said, twiddling anxiously.

“Definitely, we can discuss the value of our tickets and the pri

,ce points individually at a later time,” I said, making eye contact with everyone.

“Thank you for meeting with me again on such short notice” I concluded, “I promise to meet with you each individually, and if you have any questions before then please come to Giles or I.”

They all began to leave, but I pulled Giles aside.

I looked into his eyes, “Giles, I wonder-- can we invite Stein to participate?”

“Are you suggesting King Byron run a booth of his own?” Giles asked, dubious.

“Stein could have a booth-- I doubt Byron himself would run it.” I responded, the wheels in my mind turning.

Giles smiled, “Of course, and we could invite Stein’s nobility as well, and split the donations between the two nations.”

A part of me had hoped for Wysteria to benefit the most from the event, but knowing Stein would be involved meant a higher likelihood of large donations-- and even more people would attend.

“Yes, let’s arrange for formal invitations to be sent out,” I told Giles.

“M’lady, one of us should go to Stein to speak with King Byron as well,” Giles said.

A small sigh escaped my lips, and I felt my adrenaline failing. The event was now no longer an idea-- it was becoming a real thing that required work.

“Hmm, I’d love to, but I really want to be involved in the planning taking place,” I finally said, my voice trailing off.

“Princess, it’s getting late, why don’t you go to your chambers and I’ll send Nico with your tea.” Giles said, tracing small relaxing circles on my back. I shivered from the sensation.

“Thank you, Giles,” I smiled at him, “but I don’t know that I can relax until I’m sure what’s happening.”

“Hmm,” Giles frowned slightly, “Then at least take some time to yourself, if you get overworked now then you might get sick.”

I nodded, and returned to my chambers, to work out more of the details I wanted to incorporate into my charity ball. In my room, I paced the carpet floor and began to work out the plans with myself. Alyn, Nico and Robert are in charge of the entertainment booths, and Leo will take their money and exchange it for tickets. My thoughts pulled me in several directions at once. Stein will be invited, and perhaps they’ll have a booth for raffle prizes. It’d be a good idea as well if Louis… The sound of a jiggling door handle broke me out of my reverie.

“Princess, Giles asked me to bring you tea to help you relax,” Nico called as he jimmied the door open, with a full tray in his hands.

“Nico!” I pulled the door wide open, and cleared a place on my dressing table.

“Thanks for that,” Nico said, placing the tray down.

Nico poured me a cup of tea, and handed it to me.

“If Giles thinks that tea will help me get to sleep, he’s wrong,” I said, gingerly sipping the warm beverage.

Nico poured himself a cup and sat on the sofa, “He’s only looking out for your health-- we all are.”

“This is the first charity event that I’ve pulled together, and it will make me look like a failure if it goes poorly,” I mumbled.

Nico smiled, “I can understand your worry, but because you’re behind it I’m sure it will be the best charity ball we’ve had.”

“Thanks,” I replied quietly.

We sat drinking our tea in silence, and I felt my limbs grow heavy.

“I’m starting to feel tired after all,” I spoke just before a yawn emerged from my lips.

Nico took my cup away, and returned it to the tray. “I’ll let you sleep, then.”

We said goodnight and Nico exited my room, the door closing behind him. I stood and snuffed out the candles in the roo. With a sigh I loosened my dress and it surrendered gently to the floor. My bed was already looking inviting, and I climbed under the covers and turned onto my side. I closed my eyes, and felt all of my worry gradually slip away as I succumbed to the darkness.

The following day I awoke feeling refreshed and prepared to tackle my plans. I hurried to dress myself, and quickly ran a brush through my tangled locks. At the breakfast table, Giles was already seated with Leo.

“Good morning,” I said, taking a seat next to Leo.

Leo turned away from Giles and their paperwork, “Good morning, Princess.” .

“Today’s plan is to approach King Byron about the event,” Giles explained.

Nico came in then, and poured my tea. “Good morning Your Highness, breakfast is almost ready.”

“Thank you, Nico.” I smiled at him, before he went back towards the kitchen.

“Giles, shall I come with you to Stein?” I asked, offering my assistance.

“Yes, I think that would be best,” Giles replied.

Leo interjected suddenly, “Princes, I can meet with the booth directors to discuss them in detail and take notes for you.”

I grinned at Leo over my tea cup, “Oh, Leo, would you? Thanks so much!”

Over breakfast, we decided that Giles and I would leave as soon as we had finished the meal. Leo was to meet with Alyn, Nico, and Robert. He would then give me notes in detail about their plans-- color coded, he promised. As I chewed on the remnants of my toast, I remembered an idea I had the evening before in my chambers.

“Leo, could you pass a message to Duke Howard that I’d like to speak with him?” I asked.

Leo nodded, and took a sip of his tea, “I certainly can. I’ll send word to his duchy later today.”

I swallowed another bite before responding, “Thank you. Please schedule his arrival for tomorrow-- we’ll arrange to have afternoon tea.”

I heard Leo mutter about never being invited to tea, but I didn’t address it with Giles around.

At last, it was time for Giles and I to depart for Stein, and I had a terrible knot in my stomach. Giles passed me the notes he’d taken from our meeting yesterday, and I clung to them as we boarded the carriage.Hopefully King Byron accepts the invitation, I thought. It would do well for our relationship with Stein, and both of our kingdoms after all… Giles climbed in and sat across from me, his hand gently pressed to my knee. At times, my advisor’s reassurance was all I needed to take action, and in this moment I was thankful for him.

“Do you think Leo will be alright, with taking charge for today?” I asked Giles.

Giles smirked, “I think Leo would be appalled that you would question his abilities.”

I shrugged my shoulders and sunk into my seat, “I know, but I don’t like asking so much of people.”

Giles nodded in understanding, “That’s what we’re here for, Princess.”

We smiled at each other, and Giles retracted his hand from my knee. The loss of contact felt lonely, as though I was being abandoned to dwell in my own worry. I stumbled over myself to think of a new subject. Giles was the one to break the silence.

“This charity event will give you ample time to spend with everyone,” Giles noted.

I looked to him for clarity, “Yes, I hope the guests enjoy themselves.”

“What about your relationship with Stein, and more importantly, Wysteria?” Giles asked me.

“You’re not suggesting my relationships are in peril, are you?” I inquired.

Giles laughed, “They’re not failing, no. I merely mean to ask if you’re trying to solidify a relationship with a suitor.”

A blush crept onto my cheeks, “Giles, if you’re so worried about me picking a Prince Consort why not just declare one and be done with it?”

His expression became forlorn, and I had to turn away to spare myself from his unspoken answer. He’s worried that’s exactly what it’s going to come down to, I realized. I need to make a fair effort to show that I’m going to meet him halfway. The carriage began to jostle over the cobblestone streets, and I knew we were only minutes away from Stein’s palace. Time’s running out, I should say something comforting.

I reached out for Giles’s forearm, and looked into his misty eyes, “I’ll take the time spent planning the event to also bond with the suitors one-on-one.”

Giles smile lit up his face, “That’s all that I’ve been hoping for.”

The castle came into view through the window, and I leaned forward to get a look at the grand entryway. I nearly slid off the seat as the carriage slowed to a stop. Giles chuckled quietly, as I hoisted myself back up. The footman opened the door, and I took his hand to carefully disembark. My advisor exited after me, and stood by my side.

“Come now, Your Highness, your future husband awaits.” Giles said coyly.

I rolled my eyes at him, “Don’t get your hopes up.”

The footman held the doors of the castle open, and we approached the entry way. Standing a few feet in the distance was two men dressed in very dark attire. The taller man with glasses spoke first.

“Welcome to Stein,” he said.

I curtseyed to them both, “Thank you for agreeing to see us.”

“I’m intrigued, Princess,” the man with an eyepatch said, bridging the gap between us.

“Wysteria has been distant from Stein since my father ruled-- with good reason,” he added.

“King Byron,” Giles bowed, “It’s an honor to meet you.”

I followed Giles’ action and curtseyed, “King Byron, I apologize if my request to meet came as a surprise to you.”

Byron’s eye widened, “It was not a remark meant to offend you, I merely stated that due to my father’s reign I had assumed the relationship between Wysteria and Stein was irreparable.”

He smiled at me, “I’m pleased that you’ve reached out to me personally, Princess.”

My cheeks became hot, and I fought to hold his gaze. Giles clapped his hands together as if to focus the attention on him.

“I apologize,” Giles said, “but our schedule is very tight and so time is of the essence.”

King Byron’s eye narrowed, “Yes, of course. Please, allow us to adjourn in my office.”

There were two chairs seated in front of Byron’s desk, and Giles and I took our seats there. Albert stood to Byron’s side, slightly behind the desk.

“First and foremost,” King Byron began, “The brief summary you sent states that for this charity gala, there will be booths presented.”

I nodded, “Yes, you see, I have beverage, dessert and portrait booths designated already.”

Byron considered this a moment, “It would seem you have almost all of your bases covered.”

Giles and I made brief eye contact, and I turned to Byron.

“Was there something you’d like to contribute?” I asked him.

“Well,” King Byron spoke, “What about doing a raffle booth, with donated prizes?”

Giles smiled, “That’s a lovely idea. Where would we get the donations?”

Albert cleared his throat, “Perhaps we could collect donated prizes from local businesses.”

Byron smiled at Albert, “I think that’s a good place to start. We’ll combine donations from businesses in Wysteria and Stein for the raffle.”

I began to feel giddy, seeing everyone come together for a charitable cause-- and one that I inspired, at that. It was becoming hard to sit still.

“Thank you, Gentlemen,” I said, when the meeting came to a close. “I’m very optimistic about the outcome of this gala, thanks to your involvement.”

King Byron bowed, “Thank you, Princess, for including us in this wonderful event.”

He placed a gentle kiss on the back of my hand, and I curtseyed to him in response.

In the carriage, Giles and I eagerly talked about the success of gala so far.

“It would seem you’re making quite an impression on everyone, as well,” Giles said with a sly grin.

I blushed, “The week’s not over yet, there’s still time to see for sure.”

#Midnight Cinderella #midnight cinderella fanfic #midnight cinderella fanfiction #giles christophe #leo crawford #Alyn Crawford #robert branche #albert burckhardt #byron wagner #nico meier #louis howard #charity event fanfic #charity gala #charity ball

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yesthatssadirichardslove · 2 years ago

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