#i feel so lucky to explore these things and complicated ships
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twig-tea · 1 year ago
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Bump Up Business Review
I just binged the entire show, and...really don't know what to think lol This is a drama in which idols from a group that first gained notoriety by overtly appealing to shipping culture in their choreography and MVs and then moved to making explicitly queer music videos that were dedicated to giving visibility and garnering acceptance for love between two men [the song dedications are in the official video descriptions], are starring as idols being asked to follow a "business gay" concept but who actually fall in love. This is...complicated.
Overall, this was better than I was braced for. It was a lot of fun watching OOO act, and the OST is great. Lots of flaws but I didn't feel like I wasted my time.
Spoilers below the cut.
Things I liked about the drama:
Both of them already knew they were gay from ep1 (it's unclear whether Eden is homophobic based on his childhood experience, but my takeaway was that he was trying to hide his homosexuality rather than being in denial. He is clearly super interested in Jihoon from jump and has to keep talking himself down. And we get him explicitly calling J his first love, which to me makes it clear his 'what do you mean, how could a guy be a first love' to Jihoon was his attempt to wave that off without outright saying Jihoon was wrong.
This means that unlike what I was bracing for, this was two various-states-of-closeted gay men in a homophobic but also ship-driven industry being asked to pretend to have affection for one another for views while they develop real affection for one another. Much more interesting than thought-I-was-straight drama!
The chemistry between Nine and Mill is of course excellent; for those who don't know OnlyOneOf they were already a ship before this series and are the stars of the last two music videos in their Be series.
Real kiss on camera (though see the list below)
I liked the OST main song , which is lucky because it repeats a couple of times
The we-met-in-childhood couple was not endgame for once!
Things I did not like:
This drama is really short, and the story is too complicated for the length (there are TWO love rivals?!; just generally it tried to give emotional weight to too many things and as a result nothing had emotional weight)
What happened between Hyunbin and Jihoon is not clear; it seems like Hyunbin conspired with Go Ra-eun to drug and take compromising photos of Jihoon so as to create rumours...I'm really not clear whether this was to hide their romance or to make him stop his idol activities, though I'm guessing the latter.
This drama didn't seem like it could decide whether it was in the BL world or the real world (in which homophobia exists). The CEO seemed fine with the idea of Jay and Eden dating; but Hyunbin challenged Eden that if he pursued Jihoon he'd have to tell his family and friends about him.
The acting was very uneven (Nine and Mill's acting was surprisingly good for most of it; I liked Mill's version of sunshine and Nine's version of grumpy)
The CEO is somewhat villainized as only caring about her agenda and not caring about the wellbeing of her idols, but this is also shown to be good business, so I'm not really sure it is successful in making a point about the industry, if it was trying to.
Similarly there was not enough in the way of exploring the impact and consequences of feeding into shipping culture for my taste; I feel like this show wants credit for criticizing this type of approach without actually criticizing it (other than the one moment where Eden says it's wrong and is ignored).
It drives me mad that the kiss we got was explicitly stated to be "business only" even though it clearly wasn't; it was also (less clearly) a drunk kiss; why do a kiss fake-out at the end? I assume it was to not encourage fans in thinking Nine & Mill are real, but if that's the concern then don't do this plot in the first place?
There was no good explanation for why Jihoon was avoiding Eden and why he was so successful; how had Eden gone from "I'll talk to him directly" to not going into Jihoon's dressing room to talk?
The water trauma was really glazed over
It ends in a really precarious spot, it's not clear at all what their future will be, whether they'll be allowed to stay in the group and date, whether they'll continue, etc.
Just generally this show started a lot of threads and did not do a good job maintaining them or keeping things moving evenly.
I don't have a rating system, so I'll just say: It's a good binge if you're bored. I feel like I still need to sit with the storyline about the idols but as it stands: it's complicated.
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capriccio-ffxiv · 7 months ago
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apple blossom :   how does your muse go about expressing or not expressing their sexuality ?
PHEW that's a COMPLICATED one, for a lot of reasons!
So, up until very recently, I identified as asexual, and grey-romantic. When I created Illyria, it was with the express idea that I wanted to explore a character who is a lot more sexual than me; who is completely allosexual and alloromantic, and confidant about that. Illy is loudly and proudly bisexual; but for her, sex is very casual. It's just another fun interesting thing one can do with friends, there's nothing special or sacred about it. She's blunt and forthright about sex and sexuality, in a way that some of her friends find kind of awkward.
Ryuu... ha. Ryuu was based on a self-insert I made up when I was like, 15/16 years old. I re-tooled her as mostly ace but sapphic, in the way of "not sexually attracted to people, but romantically attracted to women, and willing to have sex with women." That... all changed over the course of RP with my RP partner, when poor Ryuu (... and myself) got "... shit, I'm bisexual" plus "... shit, is this what sexual attraction feels like!? oh no" She's still not terribly comfortable about expressing her sexuality around anyone but her partners (currently Y'shtola and Kian, her co-WoL)
Seshat: Seshat is so damn new and based on my Guild Wars 2 toon. GW2!Seshat was completely aro-ace and Seshat will probably end up the same. Every time I think about "who would I ship her with" I'm like "That cat doesn't have a sexual thought in her fluffy orange cat head."
Hyperion: Ryuu's Ancient. Hyperion liked to put on a pretense of Yep I'm a Totally Normal Guy in Normal Ancient Society, while... secretly changing his sex/gender all the time to see if anyone even noticed. When everyone has to wear the same clothes and masks and hoods, turns out, nobody does. It was a little game he played. Luckily for him, his wife thinks that's hot as hell.
Dionysos: Illyria's Ancient. Dionysos is based not just on Dionysus, but also on Diogenes and the Cynics. Unlike Hyperion, Dio never once bothered to hide or pretend that they were Normal, and in fact in their youth they were briefly Altima before being exiled for writing seditious plays (when they're not Azem, anyway). They were extremely lucky to *only* be exiled and not just executed; Emet-Selch was instrumental on arguing for their exile and not execution (the man was young, recently appointed, and still really liked Dio's plays. Even the seditious ones. Maybe especially the seditious, salacious ones...). Dio was the kind of person to have public sex just to scandalize people and to make rhetorical points about problems with Ancient society.
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ask-zaukodar · 1 year ago
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Miraculous Awakening Thoughts
So now that I've actually had time to digest (and re-ingest and re-digest) the miraculous ladybug movie I want to gush out about what I did and didn't like. Spoilers below the break.
WHAT I LOVED
Marinette's lack of having it together in the beginning and having the anxiety about messing up because she kind of is a disaster was a great starting point for her character in this movie.
Gabriel Agreste got a lot of improvement. Outright evil to morally gray, actually behaving like a fashion designer and not just a big business man, using his miraculous taking a serious toll on him, those fucking pipes of his...I could go on, but I like this condensed but complicated villain more than the series. Especially at the end where he faces actual consequences and doesn't get to peace out on his terms.
The Ladynoir development, which was clearly the main focus of the movie, felt a lot more fun even when it was being condensed (rushed?) for the sake of time. I've seen a lot of critique of how LB and CN don't just spend more time hanging out and goofing off with each other and seeing them do just that felt great, especially when they have their teasing nicknames for each other and you get to see them grow from insufferable rivals to best friends and more.
Adrien having more of a spine in the movie than in the series felt good. Him telling off his father was a satisfying moment, and his frustration evolving into anger in the final fight felt natural.
I like that Tikki and Plagg chose their holders instead of having their holders chosen for them. Sure Adrien didn't get a Master Fu moment that showed his worth to Plagg, but Tikki basically seeing Marinette do her thing and going "yeah i want her" before slipping into her backpack seemed more earnest.
Speaking of Tikki: she has SO MUCH MORE SASS and I love it. I've always loved Tikki and how sweet she is with Marinette, but now having that extra layer of vibrant energy was a great touch. Especially when Marinette tries to ditch her, Tikki shouts "YOU D-", and then just pops back in. Also the shameless shipping gestures. Love her.
THE FINALE REVEAL, AAAAGH IT MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH STUFF. Putting aside just how gorgeous that dress is, that emotional climax of the two lovebirds finally knowing each other and getting to be together without any secrets felt amazing. Adrien crying tears of joy felt perfect in that scene.
"Stronger Together" is probably the best song I've heard in a musical movie in a very, very long time.
Marinette's dad getting more screentime and focus was great, even if it only happened for two scenes.
All the little nods of how the two heroes are made for each other: the beginning intro, all the photos on Alya's phone, the back-and-forth scene cuts where they're talking opposites about each other, how dorky the two really are...soup for the soul.
Special shout-out to the thumbs-up scene for making me laugh harder than it really should have.
Second shout-out for Careless Whisper being used correctly in both the ironic and unironic senses.
WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE
Poor, poor Plagg: most of his subtle points and nuance just got tossed out the window just so he could become fart jokes?! Why?! Granted the cheese was going to be a thing, but...man, where's the rest of his character? The friendly chats with Adrien? The glimpse of his relationship with Tikki?
Why didn't Ladybug have Lucky Charm or Miraculous Ladybug during the second fight onward? Okay she wouldn't have either during the first fight, but we don't get to see her unique thinking process with weird items or see her repair the damage of all those fights, which is an under-utilized quality in superhero media these days.
The Adrienette angle of the love square didn't get the proper exploration it needed, and while I realize there wasn't enough time to fully do it justice it would have been nice to see Adrien also have a moment or two where he's starting to see Marinette in a different light and having the same conflict that Marinette had over Adrien vs CN.
The final battle didn't feel quite epic enough, and it's clear there wasn't enough time to do it properly. I would have added a few minutes more where LB and CN actually get their act together and make a bigger dent in HM before they get curbstomped, at least.
The Volkswagen product placement was jarring, and the heroes being there to endorse the cars under the Eiffel Tower felt out of character for a couple of teenagers who are taking a relative serious duty. They're teens, but they're not out for fame or fortune.
Nathalie was waaay under-utilized, but again I get that this was probably because of lack of time, which is a shame.
There's probably SO MUCH MORE I could take apart, but I should probably stop here. Suffice to say: I love this movie, it's a solid 9/10, and I can't wait for the next one in this specific universe.
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alittlextrathatway · 11 months ago
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I just wanted to say I saw your post about LiSM and a bad comment but please trust and believe you should NOT let this get to you.
Nothing justifies a negative comment on your work and I'm sure it's disheartening but I PROMISE there is an audience for this fic. I was devastated by JS leaving and what it would mean for Brettsey but I love imagining this world where they are making it work and getting to see those trials and tribulations which you write so beautifully! It's the nuance that show can't give us due to timing and just JS not being around but you've turned that into an incredible fic that is entirely plausible and romantic as hell. There are so many opportunities for the Brettsiest of moments we'll never get on the show but we are so lucky to get in your fic instead!
I can't say I know what its like to be on the other end of it but I just wanted to say as a reader, truly, I've enjoyed this fic just as much as your season 8/9 fics or Cruel Something. As long as I get Brettsey together in any way, shape or form, I'm good! Anyways, this is all to say, write what makes YOU happy and trust there are readers for it, I certainly am one of them!! 🌟💛
HOW DID I MISS THIS? I feel SO INCREDIBLY BAD.
Your encouragement on LiSM makes me so emotional still! I really felt passionate about that fic. It was a labor of love during a time in my life where my comfort show was no longer a comfort. I needed to imagine Brettsey would get through it even if the show tries to make me believe otherwise. I am so glad other people enjoyed it and felt it was in character and cathartic.
My favorite thing about fanfic is being able to write the little moments that make a ship feel real. The domesticity Tv shows can rarely give us due to the formula or make up of the show is such lovely fodder for fanfic. The white space is my favorite space, lol.
LiSM had complicated timing fandom wise. A lot of people didn’t want to think about Kara exiting or Jesse never coming back but then some people like myself really wanted to live in a world where Sylvie wouldn’t have to choose between a career she loved and the man she loved. I wanted so badly to help her find a path that gave her everything she wanted.
I still hope the show does that for her. Whether she goes to Portland or Matt moves back to Chicago, or they go somewhere else all together, I hope she gets to be head over heels for her man, a mom to Julia, and a badass leader of medics for happily ever after.
It’s what she wants so, as Matt says, that’s exactly what she deserves.
And thank you so much for reading my fics and stopping by the askbox to offer me some encouraging words! It means the WORLD to me. The fact that you love LiSM as much as my works from the PEAK Brettsey era is extremely moving to me.
And omg you mentioned Cruel Sometimes. The way that fic became one of my personal ALL TIME faves to write shocked me, to be honest. It was supposed to be a quick Sylvie-in-Danger whump and then ended up becoming this exploration of the Brettsey-Darden family and the Brettsey-Stellaride friendships along with an HEA for Brettsey. It was a surprise to me as I plotted it out but I am incredibly proud of the outcome.
And thank you 🥹 you’re right. I should just write what makes me happy. If it makes me happy, hopefully it makes other people happy too.
Gosh, this was such a beautiful surprise to find in my messages even if I feel INCREDIBLY guilty for letting it sit for FAR TOO LONG.
(😭 PLEASE FORGIVE ME. YOU ARE THE SWEETEST.)
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gamersonthego · 2 years ago
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GOTG Review: Opus: Echo of Starsong
This is the third game in my Backlog Roulette series, where each month I spin a wheel to randomly select a game on my massive backlog that I must play (though not necessarily to completion). These wheel spins occur on the monthly preview episodes I co-host with my friends on The Casual Hour podcast. Video games can be anything — from a complex web of interactions in something like Crusader Kings, to the twitchy, fast-paced action of a Call of Duty, even to the chill vibes of A Little To The Left — but should they be? Can you think of a time when you were playing a game and thought “this might be better as a movie/book/comic/TV show?” Because that’s kind of where I am on Opus: Echo of Starsong.
Opus is billed as a text-driven side-scrolling adventure game, which, while technically true, seems a bit generous. Outside of its quite pleasing aesthetic elements (interesting characters, a well-realized world, striking visuals and sound design), the rest of the game feels…kind of like an afterthought. 
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You can freely move your ship around space, but moving to a destination requires an amount of fuel equivalent to where you were last stationed.
In Opus, you travel around a solar system in a spaceship, talk to people and explore asteroids as you look for increasingly rare caves of lumen (the game’s energy source, basis for religion and handwaving catchall to explain literally anything). But all of these activities feel not just unfun, but so powerfully straightforward as to be mere busy work before the next story beat can be told. 
Driving your ship around the stars requires fuel, and going from place to place can trigger FTL/Oregon Trail-style events. Maybe you’ll run into some pirates and lose some armor plating. Maybe you’ll find a guy who will give you a material with which to upgrade your ship. Sounds like some juicy push/pull risk/reward so far, but you’ll quickly come to realize it all just finds a way to even itself out. You always seem to have just enough resources to get by, and if you don’t, you can be sure you will after visiting one or two more stations along the way. I couldn’t even tell you if completely running out of fuel or armor plating is a lose condition because you’re just not ever put in that position. 
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The ship looks great, and the upgrades all show up cosmetically, but they don't really change the way you play the game.
You can upgrade your ship, sure, but you should know those upgrade aren’t really giving you a leg up or expanding your options: They’re just letting you keep up with the slightly higher numbers you’ll need for the next bit. Get a bigger fuel capacity? Lo and behold, your next destinations just so happen to be a tiny bit further out than before. Equip a part that gives you bonus points on your chance dice rolls? Now instead of a 2-in-6 chance, you have a 4-in-12. Lucky you.
Plus there’s the always fun “illusion of choice” dialogue options. Don’t expect any of your decisions to prove especially meaningful. Opus’s story, while well told, is not yours to tell, just to observe.
Even the game’s puzzles are devoid of challenge or interest. Move here. Select a thing. Move there. Select a thing. It’s less about “solving” anything, and more just going through the motions. 
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This is about as puzzling as Opus gets. Just line up the white lines with the pillars.
Which leads me back to my main question — Why is Opus: Echo of Starsong a game if all the game stuff is so flat?
The answer isn’t complicated: When video game developers make something, it tends to be a video game. The same way a movie studio is more inclined to make a movie rather than write a book. And people end up having different strengths and weaknesses. The team at SIGONO happen to be pretty good storytellers and visual artists, but maybe aren’t as good at the mechanical parts of a video game. 
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The game looks (and sounds) fantastic.
The devs seem to know the strengths of Opus too. Looking into the options menu before I started playing, I noticed an unusual one: You can individually switch on or off each character’s voice lines. The game presents it as a way to perform the game with a group, with each person taking a role of a different character, and the game filling in with voiced dialogue for whoever’s left over (though, do note, there isn’t any English voice acting, just Chinese and Japanese.) I think it’s a hell of a cool addition, but I wouldn’t put my friends through the hell of having to watch me fiddle with the most basic of inventory management before getting back to the next story scene. 
Should Opus: Echo of Starsong be a video game? Maybe, but maybe not this video game. There’s a lot of cool stuff being done in the visual novel space these days. I think Opus could fit in pretty well there. But as is, I just don’t find the fun-to-tedious ration to be in its favor. 
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catalystofchange · 3 years ago
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A - Ships that you currently like a lot.
A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.
Slade Wilson and Dick Grayson (OTP? Yes).
I know it's controversial, but hear me out. The dynamic between Dick and Slade is unique, because Slade and Dick both truly see and understand each other in a way no one else does (or cares to do). The respect is sincere, and while they often find themselves on opposite sides, they display a genuine affection and concern for each other in spite of Slade's insistence that it's just business. These two truly care for each other in very quiet, unobtrusive ways, and I love that subtly. I also love the... dark aspects of the ship, but that's a story for another time. Slade needs someone he can take care of who is strong and competent enough to withstand how Slade is, and Dick needs someone who will stand unwavering in his support and belief in him. Both of those things are highly valued by each of them, and it's something they bring to each other. I just. I LOVE THEM.
(On an unrelated note, I didn't start out feeling this strongly about the ship. It wasn't until I found a partner who actually seemed to understand the characters more deeply. The lack of fulfillment before almost ruined the ship for me, but I'm so glad I've found what I was always missing before. This ship has sailed to the top of my list now because of this person. Thank you, @mutantxagenda!)
Jason Todd and Roy Harper (OTP? Yes). 
This ship is controversial for a lot of reasons. I know there are a lot of people out there who get deeply frustrated and offended that DC "took away" Dick's friend and gave him to Jason. I think this is ridiculous. Dick has 8793402087259 friends, and he would be ecstatic to know that Jason found a friend in Roy. He couldn't think of a *better* friend for Jason to have. There's no need to be offended on his behalf. Dick is not offended. He is an adult, and is perfectly capable of sharing friends. Not only that, but he's seen how Roy and Jason are together. They each bring out a softness and a gentle humor that they lacked growing up. Both Roy and Jason were (in some ways) rejected by their father figures. They never felt like they measured up to Dick Grayson. Roy saw himself as a failed sidekick and Jason saw himself as a failed Robin. I think (aside from me just not being the biggest fan of Batcest), I prefer them because they can both relate to each other without adding to the problem. They aren't jealous of each other. Roy doesn't demand a lot from Jason and often teaches him to relax, have fun, and live a little. I like to think he makes him laugh at least once a week. That's more than worth it to him.
However, there was a part of Roy that always wanted to bring Jason back to his family. He didn't like how far he was sliding down into more and more questionable activity, because it meant it would be harder for him to go back. He tried to act as a conscience of sorts - at least, until Jason took off. There is part of him that still blames himself for that and always will. It's just in his nature.
Jason Todd and Dick Grayson (OTP? No. Platonic OTP). 
This is the one ship that made it on the list that ISN'T romantic. I want to say that I don't really care if other people ship the Batfam together, but I personally do not feel comfortable shipping it unless the characters in question are in an AU and have no relation.
But there's no doubt I love Jason and Dick's relationship. Jason is blunt with Dick and is able to redirect his thoughts (similar to how Slade is able to do with Dick). They are both grounding forces - and, in Jason's case, possess a deeper understanding of what's going on. They are the only two Robins who experienced Bruce Wayne prior to Jason Todd's untimely death. They understand more than any of the other siblings what it was like to be raised in a household like that, and they can deeply sympathize with each other for that reason. The difference is in the opposite ways they chose to handle it. Dick turned the anger inward and carried responsibility on his own shoulders, but Jason externalized and projected his anger on others. It made Jason look like the bad kid and Dick like the good kid, which had become a source of contention over the years, and it wasn't even true.
Dick carries an immense amount of guilt for what happened to Jason and would spend every second of his life trying to make it up to him. Part of him is always concerned it's too late to turn things around, even though he has seen changes in the recent months. For the first time, he felt like he has an actual brother. The relationship between them utterly breaks my heart (in a good way), and the depth this player and I have managed to reach with these characters continues to astound me. I've never found that in anyone I've ever written with. That's at least 90% why it's made the list. :) *coughcough* and in case anyone hasn’t guessed, that’s the same player already mentioned.
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heartpilled · 2 years ago
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I’m an olddddd old fan of Timkon, and something I love about their relationship is just like. The unconditional love they have for each other and the purity and strength of their bond, versus the absolute mess of emotions and shame and unspoken words that had built up between by the end of pre-Flashpoint. I think so often about their conversation in Adventure Comics #3, when Tim could barely stand to look at Kon because he knew what he was really admitting to when he was confessing all the things he did in reaction to Kon’s death. When the first preview for the Dark Crisis mini came out, I know most of us had a suspicion this would be touched upon with the kiss between Cassie and Tim being shown. I was actually a preteen during this era and at the time I was convinced it was leading towards Tim coming out, and I feel very lucky that Meghan cares enough to go back in and re-explore it now that Tim is out of the closet.
And I think...it should hurt. It absolutely should not be easy. I think we as fans deserve for it to be complicated. People who are concerned mainly with ships and sexualities being confirmed should probably brace themselves for disappointment. Not because I don’t think either of those things could happen, but because those things won’t be the point of the story. And I really really want more stories in comics where things like this can be given the space and patience to be properly explored. 
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ceramicdove · 2 years ago
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Dove ^_^ happy Sunday!! I recently saw your post about not being able to understand wataei if you hate eichi and honestly I'm kind of surprised people think that way ive literally never met anyone like that so it's probably just an unlucky enstars fan thing...but anyways I'm looking forward to discussing more with you if you're finishing succession anytime soon ๑(◕‿◕)๑ I got through it pretty quick LOL
KRISTINA! OH, KRISTINA. I'M LATE...Happy Monday, or rather, happy Halloween!!!
You've got no clue how lucky you are. I still quietly watch over fans, so I'm decently aware of what people say about characters I like these days. that take in particular is common, perhaps really common, there's many people who dislike or downright hate eichi (or even wataru, or both of them) but like their relationship.
Note that at the end of the day nobody is truly obligated to love a certain character, I know that's unrealistic and I'm simply lamenting on my own here, but it saddens me that it's kind of become a consensus to turn them into that surface-level "ohhhhh their interactions are so cute and gay #yaoi pteohhh gay people I hate gay people they're so lovey-dovey! (but I hate them as individuals)" ship.
I also get happy and bubbly when I see their cuter interactions, but they have such an insane level of depth and most don't choose to explore it outside of a limited set of tropes (like the renowned "what if eichi died of his illness :(" scenario, which I have complicated feelings on because it feels gimmicky in terms of sensibly handling disability and terminal illness in turn of creating Sad Gay Romantic Angst). in turn, some people have resorted to treating it like a boring basic fujo-starter ship because of this, when in reality, a careful reading of their relationship is one of the most fascinating and/or difficult faucets of grasping ES. you can tell I'm a bit disheartened with this as someone who loves them as such. shrug! such is life. I'll carry on and continue sharing my thoughts & love for those who also want to engage with me, share perspectives and discuss. much of the charm of being here lies in seeing what other people think.
no more of that, though. onto succession, you definitely did get through it faster than I expected, now I have to be the one to catch up! I promise I'll try to get there soon, since I'd love to hear more of your thoughts. you might have posted about this already and I just missed it, but who are your favourites? I know you shared your interest in tom, greg, and shiv earlier on, but I want to know if that perspective has changed post-S3!
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your-brilliant-lady-m · 3 years ago
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Part 1 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Miraculous Jewels
Alright! I promised you meta and now I deliver!
I feel like people mostly watch Miraculous for the romance these days. Shipping is all everyone cares about. I wonder why? Probably because writers themselves don't take their worldbuilding very seriously and because they don't put much effort into making the audience care about something other than Love Square, like the mythology behind the Miraculous, or motivations of the main villain, or some pretty heavy topics for a kid's show that they bring up and then refuse to touch again. You know, all the good things. And this is coming from someone who is a passionate multishipper. I have lived through several shipping wars in different fandoms and came out victorious after all.
I am probably the only person out there who cares about the big picture, the overall storyline and the worldbuilding of Miraculous in addition to all details and implications that could develop into fascinating plotlines relevant to the main story. It is a rather lonely fandom experience, I must confess. But, hey? Who cares? I am here to have fun and bring to the table discussions no one wants to have.
So, let's talk about the basics.
If you, as the writing team, are capable of keeping only 1 thing consistent, then please, I beg you, let it be the basic concepts of your universe. Because in this case, one has to actively put effort into writing characters and conflict resolutions badly. And also because nothing can save bad worldbuilding.
I don't have high worldbuilding standards for Miraculous. They certainly aren't as high as the ones I had for Legend of Korra (which was a badly written trainwreck, that ATLA doesn't deserve as a sequel) or the ones I currently have for Dragon Prince. Therefore I won't be too harsh in my criticisms. Granted, I think that Miraculous has better worldbuilding and lore consistency than Winx Club for example (I haven't seen the reboot yet, so writers might have fixed their worldbuilding at least a little bit). Even though I enjoyed Winx when I was younger and some elements of this story still attract me.
Both serialised and episodic shows as well as movies to the lesser extent must have some flexibility in worldbuilding and plot because you can never be 100% sure where your story is going. Maybe, you'll get money for more seasons, maybe not. However, you must never lose sight of your basic concepts. They have to stay the same no matter what, because rewriting lore and retconning major developments every new season is not and never will be called good writing.
Forgive me for using architectural metaphors, but you need a solid foundation to build any kind of structure. Otherwise, everything falls apart.
I like to apply this logic to writing as well. When designing a world where your story takes place, you must lay a few ground rules. It's especially important if you have a magic system. What kind of ideas absolutely must exist? What kind of conclusion do you want your story to have? Does your magic system has limitations? Where is the grey area? Could you introduce new elements later on?
And I feel like the writing team of Miraculous Ladybug did not ask these questions. This may feel like I am nit-picking canon material and looking for problems that simply aren't there, but I promise that I am not. You see, things that I am about to point out only seem small at first glance. But these details are actually the source of the largest plotholes in the series. And their presence negatively affects character development, conflicts and resolutions of said conflicts.
That doesn't mean that I have nothing good to say about the magic system of the show and its elements. There are a lot of great ideas and concepts. And some of them have the potential to contribute to the delightful story.
Let's dive right into it, shall we?
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Camouflage
I have to give credit where it's due because the idea of camouflage and shapeshifting for Miraculouses is brilliant. It seems like Miraculous can't fundamentally change its type of jewellery or accessory. The ring will always be the ring but with a different ornament, colour or shape. This is true most of the time (Monkey Miraculous is an exception since it transformed into earplugs/headphones/headband/circlet) It makes sense and avoids plotholes. Grimoire doesn't have the pictures of each Miraculous in disguise for identity protection. That was very neat too. I have no comments. This concept was very good.
Also, since Marinette wore a nose ring of the Ox in "Kwamibuster" without any problem and Adrien wore Ladybug's earrings in "Reflekdoll", we can assume that you don't need to have piercings to wear a Miraculous. Miraculous just magically passes through your skin.
I'm interested to know the following. Can Kwamis recognise a camouflaged Miraculous on a person? Can the holder order them to confess the identity of this person? This shouldn't be possible for identity protection just like with Kwamis sensing each other. But more on that in later posts.
Power Levels
For a long time, we assume that there are only 7 Miraculouses. Turtle belongs to Master Fu, Gabriel has Butterfly and Peacock, Marinette and Adrien have Ladybug and Black Cat. Everything is pretty straightforward. Then it's revealed that there are more jewels and more boxes. It makes the worldbuilding interesting, but it also majorly complicates things, making them inconsistent.
Their position in the Miracle Box implies their power levels. Creation and destruction are the most powerful forces in existence, therefore they are at the top. Moreover, it makes this Box the most important, the most powerful out of all others. Su Han in "Furious Fu" calls it "Mother Miracle Box". Fox, Turtle, Bee, Butterfly and Peacock have less power than the main pair, but more than the Miraculous of the lower Zodiac tier (since they correspond with animals of the Chinese Zodiac).
1. Ladybug can create anything out of nothing (Lucky Charm, which gives what you need the most at the moment). This Miraculous can resurrect the dead, reverse the effects of the Cataclysm. The power of Miraculous Cure or Miraculous Ladybug can work in several ways:
it simply repairs the damage (puts stuff back together, heals injuries and so on)
it reverses time for the matter, restoring things back to the state they were before the destruction occurred (however, the Cure doesn't erase people's memories of everything that happened unless they were mind-controlled, frozen in place or transformed by Akuma into something else - this is an important point that I'll discuss some other time)
How does Miraculous Cure work when there are no supervillians? In NY Special Marinette just says this.
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Excuse me, what? What was that? You can't do anything when the villain is gone? What the hell?
*insert here every scene where Ladybug fixed Paris after destroying akumatized/amokized object (this action causes the Akuma victim to detransform/sentimonster to disappear - villain is gone) and purifying butterfly and feather*
It was such cheap angst. I couldn't even be upset when Adrien gave up his Miraculous, because that whole situation is just stupid. But, never mind. We aren't talking about that today.
Apparently, Lucky Charm and Miraculous Cure only work when summoned to battle a specific villain. What is the point then? Huh? You can't tell me that Ladybug has the power of unlimited creation and then say that she can't repair the damage without a special Lucky Charm that was magically synchronised with specific big bad of the week.
Ladybug also can purify Akumas. It makes sense for Ladybug to have the ability to reverse the magic of less powerful Miraculous. But this power can't be applied universally. How does this power of reversal apply to different situations where there is no evil Butterfly holder? Can Ladybug reverse the magic of any Miraculous?
The unlimited power of creation introduced in season 4 ("Mr. Pidgeon 72") is another fascinating thing. On one hand, it's logical and proves the status of this Miraculous as the most powerful. On the other hand, by introducing this power, you have created a plothole. Look, Marinette can create the charm which repels Akumas. If Ladybug can create anything then what stops her from creating a tool for finding Hawkmoth (like special glasses for discovering identities or a compass)? I mean, the show says that the power of creation is unlimited, it means that the creation of such tool is possible.
2. Black Cat can destroy anything with Cataclysm, even other Miraculous. He can kill living things and turn them into ash, but not himself. This Miraculous is supposed to have other special abilities that we don't see. And they should be equal to powers of Ladybug, both in number and in potency. Unfortunately, after 3 seasons writers didn't give us anything. It makes laughable the idea of balance between Ladybug and Black Cat.
Now, to the second tier. These Miraculouses have a singular ability, but they need a second one to keep the power balanced between Zodiac and the main pair.
3. Butterfly creates champions with different superpowers. But how does the time limit of children work for Butterfly? In theory, the countdown should start right after the creation of the Akuma since for Ladybug and Chat Noir countdown starts after activation of their powers even if they don't use them. However, if the countdown of the Butterfly begins after Akuma creation then there's no point because the holder has to stay transformed to guide their champion. The charged butterfly won't have time to even grant powers before the transformation of the child-holder drops. This issue is never explored because Gabriel doesn't have a time limit. However, I feel like it should be addressed in flashbacks of past Butterfly holders for example.
This Miraculous should be less powerful than Ladybug and Black Cat. It's often not. Some Akumas are too overpowered. Stormy Weather can move the Earth away from the Sun, Timetagger can send people through time and jump through time as well, Chat Blanc destroyed the world with a single energy blast, Miraculer could steal powers of those more powerful than her by default. These are the most notable examples. One could argue that Chat Blanc was a different case. Hawkmoth simply gave the most powerful Miraculous a boost. However, we know that even without a holder (the wildest and the most powerful form of uncontrolled Miraculous magic) Plagg's Cataclysm can't destroy the universe just like that (he presumably wiped out dinosaurs and sunk Atlantis on his own without a holder). I think that the less powerful Miraculous (Butterfly) shouldn't be able to increase the power of destruction to such a degree and give Black Cat the power to destroy celestial bodies and galaxies.
Writers want us to see Hawkmoth as the formidable villain. But it's not easy because he is less powerful than your main heroes by default of your worldbuilding. Sometimes writers make the Butterfly more powerful than creation and destruction to raise the stakes, breaking the laws of their magic system. So, how do you solve this? Let Ladybug and Black Cat keep their status as the most powerful and instead of giving Hawkmoth more magical power, make him smarter, more cunning, inventive. Gabriel is a fashion designer, whose creativity makes him a very good Butterfly holder. He has a life full of experience, he knows much more about things than the main teenage characters. Catalyst was very interesting for this very reason. Gabriel sort of discovered a cheat code to boost his powers. Show us how he experiments with his powers, how he analyses his past Akumas and tries to find the most effective ones. Maybe Gabriel tries to design Akumas that can specifically neutralise Ladybug and Chat Noir. This exploration could also give writers an opportunity to explain how the powers of Butterfly work. Can he control the type of powers he grants? Can he control the appearance of Akumas? There are many things to be explored.
4. Peacock creates sentimonsters. I remember that fans were very disappointed when the power of the Peacock was revealed at the end of season 2. I was one of them. The concept of Amoks is far too similar to akumatized butterflies. Other Miraculouses have unique abilities and keywords for their powers, while Peacock just looks like Butterfly 2.0. That glowing mask effect just adds insult to injury.
You have to start by figuring out the powers of the Peacock in a normal situation. If a holder is a good person, then how does their power work? For example, make them related to sight (because of the "eye" pattern on feathers). Maybe, Peacock grants the ability to see the several possibilities of the future, but only a few minutes ahead. Maybe, this Miraculous gives you the ability to see through someone's eyes for a few minutes (and the victim is completely unaware of the intrusion). Perhaps, Peacock allows the holder to use feathers (or tiny peacocks) as cameras one at a time and be all-seeing. These feather-spies can be destroyed by the holder or disappear on their own after some time. Such power could be devastating when used against heroes in canon.
5. Bee can paralyze. This power is pretty straightforward. Once I read a fanfiction focused on very vell done Chloe Redemption, where she fights alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. Eventually, she grows and becomes a better person. This fic ends with an Akuma battle, where LB and CN are trapped and Akuma is ready to kill them. But Chloe uses a second power of the Bee on the villain - Miraculous Stinger. It's deadly both for the holder and for the victim (because bees die when they sting someone). Chloe kills the Akuma with a Stinger before it can get LB and CN, but she too dies making the ultimate irreversible sacrifice. I will add a link if I find it again.
6. Turtle can create a shield. I don't have much to say on this either. It feels underpowered compared to others in the second tier. Maybe Turtle can also slow down opponents (because turtles aren't the fasters animals out there).
7. Fox creates illusions and acts as their puppeteer. In order to create a balance between other powers, these illusions must hold for as long as the holder needs them to. I propose this mostly because we see that Venom of the Bee lasts very long, the shield of the Turtle lasts either until it's destroyed or the holder wants to remove it, same goes for Akumas and sentimonsters who disappear only when the holder wants them to or their affected object is destroyed.
Let's talk about Zodiac tier. Miraculous of the third tier shouldn't have the second ability like more powerful ones. These powers are the most inconsistent. Even if we haven't seen all of them yet.
8. Mouse can create many small clones of the holder. It is unclear how these clones communicate with each other and how many of them this Miraculous can create. The holder can control the number of clones. This power was very convenient in "Kwamibuster" and it makes sense symbolically for the mouse. What activates the time-limit for children? Marinette didn't have any problems with it when she became Multimouse.
9. Snake can create a 5-minute time loop and has the ability to come back in time. This Miraculous feels a bit overpowered for the Miraculous of the Zodiac Tier. The holder can reset the time as many times as he/she needs to. It's was a good source of drama and trauma in "Desperada". I was honestly surprised that Adrien was capable of fighting after spending months in a loop. But this doesn't change the fact that Snake is overpowered. You can give this Miraculous the power to hypnotise or keep the time ability but place a limit on the number of resets. How does the lyre work as a weapon? Who knows? No one!
10. Dragon can shapeshift into elements: water, wind and lightning. It has the coolest transformation words hands down (Bring the Storm and Open Sky). Apparently this Miraculous doesn't have the time limit.
11. Rabbit can time travel or jump through alternative realities, even writers aren't sure. Time-travel in this show is so badly written it gives me a headache. This Miraculous shouldn't exist just like its powers. Snake belongs to the same tier, but 5 minutes and whole centuries of time jumps aren't comparable in power levels. They are not and this is the hill I will die on. Give the Rabbit powers related to its symbolism in China like an ability to de-age people, heal them or give them a speed boost in contrast with Turtle who might have the ability to slow down.
This Miraculous is so special that its Kwami - Fluff can live separately from his Miraculous in a Miracle Box for millennia (Fluff lives in the Box in "Sandboy", but his Miraculous, pocket watch, was passed down for generations in Alix's family). This is a discussion for a separate post, however. There's a lot to unpack. We'll do that some other time. You will suffer with me but at a later date.
12. Horse can create portals. They could lead anywhere, which is pretty cool. On the other hand, this power is not very useful in direct combat, especially when it's used by a child since we can have only one portal per transformation.
13. Monkey can cause a malfunction in powers of other people. What is the point of this? This power was specifically created by writers to defeat Akuma in "Party Crasher". That's it. What if your target is not magical? How does this Miraculous work in different circumstances?
14. Pig shows people their greatest desire. Both the holder and the recipient of this power can see this desire. Chat Noir wasn't impressed in "Guiltrip" and neither was I. It's underpowered compared to other Miraculous in this tier. Also, why does the tambourine can shoot energy beams? Why?
That's all I have to say on the matter. I'll update the power analysis as needed.
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owl-with-a-pen · 4 years ago
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They kissed!!! well, Brainy kissed her (And it's strange, I was convinced that if there was a kiss, Brainy would make the first move) Can you imagine what it meant for him to do it? And it was so sexy and then he said those cute things. I'm going to cry. Tell me what you will write about it. I'm sorry, I'm just so happy, Brainia is two steps away from being official again.
- I know what you mean! I was hoping Brainy would be the one to make the first move this time too, and it didn’t disappoint. What shall I write about it, you ask? Perhaps a self indulgent addition to the scene with even more kissing involved! Hope you enjoy. x
Brainy had missed this. So much, in fact, that a part of him didn’t want to give it up. Of being here on the Legion ship, with Nia Nal and no one else.
After all, for the next half hour, there would be no world ending threats. No calculations to commit to memory, no multi-dimensional planes to map out exact co-ordinates for. The ship’s route was pre-programmed. For the first time in far too long, Brainy realised that he could relax.
Of course, recent factors had made such a concept unthinkable at first. Undue stress had complicated his emotional control, thwarting what little progress he’d made with Lena. Comfort eating had become somewhat habitual over the last few days, and even after every coping mechanism Midvale High’s expansive list of extra-curricular activities had been able to teach him, nothing had wanted to stick.
Nothing until he’d heard her voice.
Nia singing. So softly at first, arms tucked awkwardly around her chest, as though afraid to be heard by anyone other than herself. But then she’d met his eyes and, in that moment, she’d smiled a smile that had lit up his world.
Brainy could still see it so clearly in his mind, had reserved an entire thought track for that memory, playing her song over and over whenever his more volatile emotions tried once again to rear their head.
He could hear her now, a distant murmur of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, calming the frayed edges of his nerves still agitated from two days’ worth of close calls.
Nia hadn’t just saved the day. She had saved him. Pulled him back from the brink of total emotional meltdown. Indeed, he hadn’t felt this at peace with himself since removing his inhibitors, and he had certainly never felt this sure of his emotional state.
Right now, he felt hope for the future, of course, but there was something more. Something comfortably warm that flooded through his chest and stomach, itching through his blood like static. He felt giddy. He felt happy.
He felt love.
He had always been capable of those emotions - had felt them in varying degrees throughout his life - but looking at Nia now, even while she was sat halfway across the room, flicking through that old Midvale newspaper with a soft smile on her face, Brainy realised he had never felt it this profoundly before. His love for her swelled inside of his chest, urging him to close the distance between them then and there, to spin her in his arms and never, ever let go.
He could still taste the sweet bite of her lip gloss on his tongue. Ardently, he wanted to kiss her again. But, this moment was still, undisturbed, and he did not want to ruin that.
So, instead, he remained in his chair, switching aimlessly through the settings via telepathic control. He found it far too easy to slip back into old patterns, half spinning about the main control deck to dissuade at least some of the nervous energy that was steadily building inside of him.
It wasn’t stress this time, but felt just as chaotic, swirling in his stomach, unwilling to still for even a moment. It would have done no good to try and box this feeling away and so, Brainy closed his eyes, falling back onto his thought track of Nia’s song.
Tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition…
Within moments of seeing Nia’s smile fresh in his mind, the tension in his shoulders began to ease and Brainy breathed out, relaxing steadily into his chair.
He only realised he’d started humming the song out loud when Nia’s actual voice caught him by surprise – far closer than he had expected.
“Brainy? Everything okay?”
He blinked open his eyes to find Nia stood in front of him, arms folded, brow furrowed with concern.
Brainy smiled, it appeared he was doing that a lot more lately. “Everything is… perfect,” he admitted. “More so than it has been for a long while.”
Nia smirked at that, biting her lip. She reached out for his hand, running her fingers gently across his knuckles. “You’re sure?”
Brainy relished the feel of her touch, nodding firmly. “One hundred per cent.”
“Those are pretty good odds,” Nia agreed solemnly, squeezing his hand. “But, um, I think we can do better.”
A bubble of something caught inside Brainy’s chest. He swallowed it down, suddenly far too aware of the insistent beat of his own heart. “That would be… statistically improbable.”
“But not impossible,” Nia said. She took a step closer, her legs brushing against his knees. “How much time do we have before we get back to our Earth?”
Brainy blinked, quirking a brow. “Not long, just under thirty minutes before we breach Earth’s atmosphere.”
Nia’s next smile glimmered with mischief. “I can work with that.”
“Work with that – how?”
“You said earlier that you’d forgotten how good emotions could feel,” Nia said, lowering her voice. “Maybe I can remind you of some of the best ones.”
Before Brainy could ask her to elaborate, Nia’s arms curved around his back, fingers pressing firmly into the nape of his neck. Brainy shuddered involuntarily, the static in his blood exploding into shrapnel, piercing every exposed nerve. Nia’s touch felt electric, hot like a pulsing fire; her nails dug teasingly against his neck as she tugged them up and through the back of his hair.
Their faces were so close now; Nia’s right knee was balanced precariously in the space between Brainy’s legs, allowing her the purchase to pull herself towards him.
Nia’s smile was radiant when she murmured, “What d’you think, Wildcat?”
Brainy opened his mouth instinctively, welcoming her lips a moment later. The heat in his heart blossomed outward as he pressed hard into the kiss, a low groan catching inside his throat when Nia’s fingers clenched around handfuls of his hair.
The sound must have startled her, for Nia began to pull away, appearing worried she may have acted too impulsively. Brainy’s heart stuttered at the loss of contact and, desperately, his teeth latched to her bottom lip, urging without speaking for her continue. That he wanted her to continue.
Nia laughed in response, the warmth of her breath scattering across his face as she cupped it in her hands. Brainy’s eyes fluttered shut and he sighed out, taking Nia’s arm as she relaxed further against him. 
When her lips met his again, they were softer than before, more inquisitive, but it wasn’t long before she deepened the kiss, and Brainy was more than happy to match her enthusiasm. When his hands found her waist, Nia gasped out against his mouth, the sound alone increasing the blood rush in his ears.
By the time they parted, Brainy realised he had to pause to catch his breath. He blinked upward. His lips felt tender, and his mind was hot and clouded, but it was still. Every thought track had paused its course, instead shifting all focus to one Nia Nal. 
Brainy scanned every inch of her, chest hitching and falling with the frantic beat of his heart. He drank in every aspect of her expression – the joy glimmering in her eyes, the grin that split her face wide open, the exuberant happiness that he found he shared with her without even needing to try.
She was wondrous, stunning and so, so beautiful. Brainy felt for a moment that he must have certainly been dreaming. How else could he have been so lucky to have Nia in his life?
“So,” Nia said breathlessly, tracing her hand beneath Brainy’s chin, leaving a prickled warmth wherever her fingers touched. “Did it work?”
Brainy answered her question by kissing her again, tugging her so suddenly that she lost her balance and toppled halfway into his lap. Brainy grinned against her lips when she laughed again, his hands exploring every inch of her back, scratching insistently against the netting of her dress.
Thirty minutes, Brainy thought.
It appeared he could work with that, too.
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theotherace · 4 years ago
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Fic Recs: Taang
I’ve made two or three rec lists over the past few months, but I thought I’d make a proper, comprehensive one that’s easy to add to in the future. Not all of these are exclusively Taang, but they all feature the ship to some degree. I will only recommend one or two stories per author, but some profiles are definitely worth checking out further. So! Here goes.
Multi-Chapter, Complete
Whisper Into the Sky by damagectrl – Toph has two choices: Go home and get married or have the family fortune and her inheritance given to a stranger. Her problem: She wants to keep her ties to her family, but is quite content traveling with Aang. Her solution: Fight her way through suitors for her freedom. Literally. | General 
The Slow Path by Tazmainian Devil – Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind. | T
A Matter of Honor by Adridere – Almost 4 years after the war. Aang is engaged to Katara and is up to Zuko to teach him the facts of life. Yep, the bees and the birds. Crazy kings, bananas and the ultimate contest for the hand of a reluctant maiden. | M
Roommates by breeeliss – An unlikely tale of two unlikely people being forced to live together under unlikely circumstances.| Modern AU | T
Fall of the White Lotus by Boo-82 – Three years after the war Zuko is living a life of duty while Katara reluctantly travels the world with Aang. So, when General Iroh orders them to find Zuko’s mother and save his Order they seize the opportunity with both hands. It’s the beginning of an adventurous journey of discovery, but as time runs out a rising threat puts their bond to the test. | T
Half Asleep by The Crushinator – Five years after the Hundred-Year War, Fire Lord Zuko is hit with an assassin’s dart, and falls into a coma from which he cannot wake. A week passes, and his prognosis is grim. But Katara could swear she hears him in her dreams… | T
Yaaburnee by aviatordame – Avatars aren't meant to belong – that's as much as Aang can fathom. | M
Getting Lucky by roca-dos – Crazy things happen in college every day. | Modern AU | T 
All Fall Down by DJNS  – Aang copes with a tragic loss and finds renewed hope in an unexpected place. | M | Warning for Major Character Death
The Princess & the Badger-Cat by panaili – In a land never torn apart by the Hundred Year War, the sixteen-year-old Avatar Aang is trying his best to keep the balance between the four nations, including the increasingly antagonistic Fire Nation, which, despite his friendship with the Crown Prince Zuko, refuses to acknowledge him. Elsewhere, Sokka and Katara have been separated on their quest to find their missing father, and Sokka, pursued by the same bandits who kidnapped his sister, finds himself on the balcony of some rich girl’s house in Gaoling. Oh, and a sorcerer has turned him into a badger-cat. It’s just one of those days. | Teen and Up
Reborn by Jakia – Life. Death. Rebirth. This is the cycle that all spirits must abide to, even the Avatar. Aang and Toph face death and the reincarnation cycle. | T
New Girl by tiffaniesblews – After coming home early from a business trip, all Katara wanted to do was surprise her boyfriend, Jet. Imagine her surprise when she got home and Jet was in bed with another woman. Not wanting to live with her ex, and unable to live with her best friend, Suki, Katara takes her brother Sokka's offer to move into his loft with his two roommates. Aang is perky and sweet, the owner of a st. Bernard and a cat, who's often confused about his direction in life. Zuko, on the other hand, is a closed-off bartender, who takes some time opening up to others.The four could not be more different, and yet? They work out perfectly. Even if Katara's feelings for Zuko get a bit more complicated as time goes on. | Modern AU | Mature 
The Ties That Bind series by LdyKirin – An exploration of the ties that bind for good and ill. Toph and Zuko are both shaped by the family they were born to and the family they choose. Lots of found family feels. | T
What Happens In Kyoshi by BlackVelvetBand – Prince Zuko, and the GAang take a vacation on Kyoshi Island. Flirting, fighting, and embarrasment ensue as Sokka takes it upon himself to defend Katara's virtue...in a dress? A short,chaptered fic featuring Zutara, Sokki, and Taang. | T
Under the Night Sky by mycomfortblanket – Aang hears the chattering of teeth during a cold night. Was an AU that I found on tumblr that I made fit into this story. Orginal prompt: "We have to go camping together and share a sleeping bag even though we are complete strangers | General
On The Precipice by JoyDragon – They’re just best friends. Or maybe they’re teetering on the edge of being something more. | General
Oneshots, Complete
Air and Stone by Wolvenfire86 – A few Taang stories munched together. My first submissions. I hope everyone likes them. Please review, it makes me feel special. | K+
Taang Week 2020 series by teabagginses | Teen and Up & Mature
Our Little Secret by IrisPlumeria – Toph and Aang, sat next to one another dressed in their finest under paper lanterns and surrounded by copious amounts of food and friends, cringed at the disgusting noises coming out of Sokka’s nostrils as he blew his nose into Suki’s handkerchief. “I can’t believe two of my best friends are finally married!” Sokka sobbed, earning a supportive pat on the back from Suki, who didn’t flinch at the snot coming out of his nose. “I’m so happy for you guys!” Toph and Aang's family are happy for their nuptials, but will they be able to survive their wedding party without letting slip a big secret?Written for Taang Week 2020 - Tradition. | General 
All Roads Lead To Ba Sing Se by irisbleufic – "I was thinking," [Mai] said, tucking her last remaining dagger into her belt as she strode to meet him, "that it's about time I let Fire Lord Zuko know that I quit." When Kuei smiled at her, she could see the sunshine at which she once cringed."Notice that's six years overdue is better than none at all." "Indeed," said the Earth Queen, and grinned at him. | Teen And Up
Lady Fu’s Fortune Telling by Lady Cleo – Katara and Toph visit the local fortuneteller to get their fortunes told. Added a part two with Zuko and Aang. | T
The Perfect Companion by Morna – Aang seeks comfort outside of the arms of his wife, Katara. Taang, slightly lemony. | T
Box by JoeMerl – Written for Taang Week, one-shot. Toph ticks off Bumi, but Aang is willing to fight his old friend tooth and nail to get her out of trouble. Humor, light romance. | K+
2 am by shmulia – Whoever set off the fire alarm at 2 in the morning is on Katara's shit list. Even if he is hot and shirtless. | Modern AU | K
And its sequel, 11:45 – House parties aren't Katara's thing. Sokka's drunk, Suki's on a mission to set her up, and Toph is... well, Toph. But for every cloud there's a silver lining, and for Katara it comes in the form of a second chance with her neighbour... | Modern AU | T 
Treat by PsychEmpress – She felt the corners of her own lips quirk as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Consider this my treat,” he said and Toph allowed a smile to break out. OR In which Toph is a stressed architecture student who gets a free cup of coffee from the handsome waiter after she helps his friend. Taang. Mentions of Sukka. | Modern AU | T
Sawaru by metacognitive – This love is simple. Non-Korra compliant. | K+
Newlyweds (and basically everything else) by PandaCookie – Everyone’s a bit hopeless right after they’ve been married. | K+
Rhythms by xcgirl08– For now, though, her child’s heartbeat was hers to contemplate. | K 
Tenderness by Adridere – He wanted to keep her, even though he was not supposed to. He promised her freedom, and she promised him sanity in his own household. She kept her part of the bargain, but he found a way not to keep his. | M
Holy Matrimony by Loopy – After their marriage, Zuko and Katara deal with conflicting religious beliefs, and look to the friends for advice. Between the Zutara and the religious satire, every single person who reads this should feel offended. | General
Blind Maiden’s Grace by Adara_Rose – You can learn a lot of things from a flower… | Not Rated (I’d say General) 
Etched in the Earth by Dance_Elle_Dance – She knows the feel of Aang’s footprints better than her own, and that reality scares her. | Teen and Up
No One Asks About The Scars by voleuse – Write about how you learned to curse in order not to be cursed. | General
When in Rome by dtmars – She wasn’t stupid. She knew what she was doing and what she was getting herself into. They both did. | Modern AU. | Explicit
Like Real People Do by DerAndere – The moon is full and bright when he falls out of bed, awake, asleep, inside a dream, and starts walking, driven by the feeling he does not understand, tugging on him relentlessly, and he is Aang, and he is not, and the world is cold. | General | Full Disclosure: This is my story.
Meet Me Under The Table by avatarfan16 – A story of how Toph and Aang find love, in the most unusual of places. TAANG | K+
Aftermath by Zaram'delar – In any celebration, there's always one or two people with a habit of disappearing. Taang drabbleish series. | T
I Choose Dare by for_darkness_shows_the_stars – An ode to how Aang, under the power of a mighty temptress, was forced to grow a beard. Oh, and the birth of his first child, too, he supposes. | General Audiences
Multi-Chapter, In Progress
Heartbeat by AngelicBee – Avatar Aang's soulmate probably died 100 years before, but he can't help but feel she's closer than he thinks. | Teen and Up
a mighty ocean (or a gentle kiss) by poweradequeen – no, the title doesn’t make sense but i don’t care. i couldn’t think of one so now you’re stuck with a cheesy line from two by sleeping at last.it’s a taang fine arts university au. because i said so. | Teen and Up
Neither is Love a Cage by cali-chan – Love is the freedom of flying accompanied. It is letting be without possessing. PG-13 (possibly M later on), drama/romance/angst, Zuko/Katara + Aang/Toph, post-finale but diverges before LoK canon.
Operation: Zutara (REVAMPED) by dtmars – Everyone could see that those two were in love with each other. Everyone except for them. So Toph takes the initiative and fills in for Cupid to give them a little push, while Aang just tags along for the ride. | Teen and Up
Taang One Shots by stitch1830 – A collection of short stories about Toph and Aang that I've had saved in my notes for a few months. Stories are in the ATLA/LOK universe (not canon compliant), and typically revolve around their relationship and family. | Teen and Up
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royallyprincesslilly · 4 years ago
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Title: Hibiscus Kisses {1}
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Chris Evans x OFC Ajali Rambaue AU {Ah-Jah-Lee, Ram-Bow}
Warning: Plot Heavy, Cursing, 
Words: 6.1k
Summary: Ajali decides on a rash decision to go on a Disney cruise, not for her love of Disney, but because she needs time to figure things out after things get even more complicated in her complicated life. She only expected peace, quiet, tropical drinks, and an overabundance of Disney songs. What she got was more than she bargained for when the cruise of a lifetime on the brand new ship Enchantment turned into a nightmare. The only saving grace is that she’s not the only one living through the nightmare. Can Ajali survive the test of a lifetime and the dangers ahead of her, and better yet, will she finally be able to live a little?
Note: Hey, hey, hey, guys! So here we are trying something different/new. I hope you enjoy this. 🤞🏽 Please feel free to tell me what you think. I’m super excited to explore this one with you all. 🤗 Also, what do you guys think of the title? What does it make you think of?
As always, thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this, please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG! ❤️❤️
I appreciate each and every one of your guys’ support and love!
***Loosely Edited/Proofread***
**Very Interactive**
***French Language Incorporated w/translations according to Google***
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“Yes, mom, I packed my charger and my vitamins. Oh my god, of course, I have my scarf. Mom!”
 Your mother continued to press you about things any woman would never forget packing. This was how she was normally. Almost morning, she would make her routine calls. First to your sister Atali, then to you. When she made it to you, she’d ask if you ate, and of course, by the time she called you, you were usually at work or on your way to it, and you wouldn’t have eaten. Then she’d ask you why you hadn’t eaten, to which she’d go back and forth with you about the importance of eating a well-balanced meal. Somehow that would lead to her asking how you expected to find the one when you didn’t eat enough. It was a never-ending thing with her. She was obsessed with you and your sister finding the one.
You understood. Your parents had been married for well over two decades, and they were still disgustingly in love. There was also no one like your dad, so you understood. They both saw what a catch they both were. After she told you the story of how she finessed your dad and got married in record time, it always turned into focus on you finding someone to marry. No matter how many times you told her that even though marriage was great and all, you weren’t in any hurry, it never registered.
 “Mom, I have everything I need. It is just supposed to be a two-week cruise.”
 “You’d be surprised the things you realize you left once you’re at sea. Then it will be too late,” Cynthia, your mother warned.
 “Then I’ll just buy it. Mom, I’m not going to the middle of nowhere. I am going on a huge ship from one of the world’s most reputable companies. I am positive they have every possible thing I could want to buy onboard. Plus, when we dock at ports, I’ll be able to buy much more.”
 “You’re always buying. Gah, I blame your father. He spoiled you and your sister rotten.”
 “I am not spoiled. It’s not like I haven’t worked for my money. Yes, daddy helped me set up my company, but I got where I am today because of me,” you professed.
 “I know, sweetheart, you don’t have to preach to the choir. All I’m saying is your daddy’s wealth only helped spoil you and Lali more. I saw it in you at the playground the most. You always wanted what the other kids were playing with. If it was a ball, you tried to take it. If it were the swings, you’d overtake it, toys in the sandbox my goodness those kids would end up with sand in their eyes and you alone with the toys.”
 “Some would call that persistence, hardworking, and assertive.”
 Your mother laughed then tsked.
 “I’m surprised that when you were in high school, I never got a call about you getting into a fight because you stole some girl’s boyfriend.”
 You pursed your lips, but as you were going to open your mouth to respond, your phone vibrated, signaling a notification.
 “Hang on, mom.”
 You thanked the Lyft driver for helping with your bags then checked your phone.
 MSG Javii: I’ve been calling you all night. Come on, Chaton (kitten). You have to talk to me at some point. Tu me manques (I miss you).
 You sighed and rolled your eyes. He had some nerve, you thought.
 “Ajali, hello!”
 “Yes, mom, I’m here. Sorry. I was getting my bags together.”
 “So, you’re really doing this?”
 “Yes, mom. Why wouldn’t I?”
 “Who goes on a cruise alone? What about the man I heard in the background of our call a few weeks ago? Why not go with him?”
 You rolled your eyes again, thinking about that man in the background a few weeks ago who was on your shit list.
 “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It was the tv,” you lied.
 “Ajali--,” your mother began before you cut her off.
 “—Plus, mom, it’s a Disney cruise,” you stressed.
 “Exactly. The people who go on Disney cruises are families, wives, husbands, kids. You are neither of them and have nether of them.”
 You balanced your phone on your shoulder and rolled your luggage toward the designated pier.
 “I just need some time to myself to clear my head and destress. Two weeks.”
 “Ignore your mother, my petal. You take the time you need. I’ve told you, and your sister working is important, but living is just as important. You don’t live to work; you work to live,” your father said.
 “Thank you, daddy.”
 “Plus, maybe you will find a worthy man on this cruise while you’re living,” your father slid in.
 “Oh god, not you too, daddy.”
 “We are unified in this, Lulu. He may wear the pants, but I control the buttons and the zipper if you know what I mean.”
 You tasted vomit in your mouth.
 “Eck! That is disgusting, mother. On that note, I gotta go.”
 “Wait, wait, enjoy yourself, my petal. We love you.”
 “Love you too, daddy, love you, mom.”
 With that, you ended the call and continued to walk toward Pier eighty-one. You passed families with rowdy children who looked like they couldn’t wait to get ice cream wasted, couples who looked as if they couldn’t wait to get to their suites and even elderly couples who were dressed to the nines for vacation, including already applied sunscreen and sunhats. Despite what your mother thought, Disney cruises were for everyone.
 You’d purposely chosen Disney because you didn’t want to be around other couples who were loved up and nauseatingly adorable, spewing love in the air. You wanted to be as far from that as possible. Love was the last thing on your mind. You were going on this cruise to get away from it. Your phone vibrated and went off twice.
 MSG Atali: Have you made your getaway yet?
 You stopped rolling and went to reply.
 MSG: Almost. I’m walking to the boarding line now.
MSG Atali: I think you’re doing the right thing. Space and time. In two weeks you’ll know what you want to do. I hope it’s what we talked about.
MSG: I know, Lali, I know.
MSG Atali: Have some fun too. It’s Disney.
 You could picture her face as you read it. She was probably cheesing at this very minute.
 MSG: Thank you for looking after the company while I’m gone.
MSG Atali: Boo, you know it’s my company too, right. Don’t worry; our clients will be taken care of. I’ve got it covered.
 You knew she did. Atali was the older one and had always acted like it, even though she was only nine months older. You knew she could take care of things on her own while you were away.
 MSG: I know, still. Thank you.
MSG Atali: You’re welcome, Lulu. Call me later. Margaret Bailey’s appointment is next. Apparently, she’s throwing some party, and she wants to be the envy of everyone.
MSG: Eck, you have your work cut out for you. Bye.
 As you were putting your phone away, another message came in.
 MSG Javii: Chaton (kitten), call me, please. Don’t you think you’re dragging this out a little?
 You almost said, “are you stupid” out loud. The man had some nerve. Dragging it out? You rolled your eyes as another message came in.
 MSG Javii: Je t’aime (I love you).
 Just like that, you melted. He was playing on the fact that your father was French, and the language itself was a favorite of yours. He was not a stupid man; he was a smart businessman.
 MSG Javii: I’m sorry. I know we’ve talked about it, but you have to give me more time. Please.
Unbelievable, you thought as you exited your messages and stuck your phone into your back pocket. You turned and ran smack dab into someone’s hard body.
 “Shit. I’m so sorry,” you rushed out even as you were falling back.
 A pair of strong arms grabbed you and firmly held you, preventing your fall.
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“It’s okay, you’re lucky I don’t mind beautiful women bumping into me,” a deep masculine voice said. You knew it was a man, but you couldn’t see his face even though he looked to be well over six feet. His head was dipped low, and the hat he wore over hair that fell to his neck was so low you couldn’t see anything but the full beard that showed off a chiseled jawline.
 He set you right side up and slowly brought his hands from your arms back to his side. “Stay safe out there,” he said before he walked off.
 You stood there for a few moments, then looked back to where he’d walked and watched him saunter away. He had a slight dip to the way he walked that could either be seen as a happy go lucky type of thing or something that said he had some sort of swagger. Before you stared any longer, you sprang into motion with wheeling your luggage to the growing line to board the ship. Thankfully the line went quickly thanks to the ten different lanes that had ship staffers ready and eager to help guests.
 When it was your turn, a friendly-looking woman with a trendy bob cut explained what to do. While she talked, her smile never fell, but you didn’t really pay attention because her uniform was so distracting. She had on a purple and green hat that had mermaid scales and Ariel printed all over it. This hat matched the shirt and skirt combo she wore. Her shirt was two-toned, on one side was Ariel’s face, and on the other was mermaid scales while her skirt was plain white. It looked like The Little Mermaid threw up all over her. You didn’t expect anything else; it was a Disney cruise after all.
 After doing all the check-in steps, such as handing off your rolling luggage to the ship porters and taking a photo for your provided identification wrist band that the crew will use to identify you and your indicated needs, you boarded the ship. All the friendly faces you passed all looked happy to welcome you to Disney Cruises and to direct you to where you wanted to go. The noise inside was much louder inside than it was out. The kids that looked excited outside looked downright jubilant inside as they posed for pictures with life-sized Disney characters and got welcome ice cream treats.
 You were even tempted to take a picture or two, but you decided against it. What you did not decide against was ice cream. You took an offered vanilla cone and kept on your way, looking around the ship as the other guests did. From your research, this was the best-rated cruise this year. It was a newer Disney ship and one that cost over ten million dollars to design and build. Everyone said it was the Rolls Royce of Disney cruises.
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From what you saw with the décor looked to have cost a fortune. There was glass, fancy lights, and marble everywhere. It was clear they didn’t skimp on funding and clear that they had the comfort and luxury in mind. There were plants around the central atrium that gave off that tropical vacation vibe and even paintings and pictures hanging on the walls that further pushed the agenda that this was supposed to be a fun time for all.
 The more you walked around looking at different areas, the more you were impressed. If the gathering areas looked this upscale, you were even more excited to see your suite.
 “Can I help you with anything, ma’am?”
 You shook your head and smiled at the man wearing Hans all over him. “I’m all right, thank you.”
 The next thirty minutes or so were spent walking around while following the map in your hand. You found and noted where the spa, library, on-ship garden, movie theater, bowling alley, tropical setting wave pool, and best restaurants and bars were. You had every intention of soaking up all the luxury that you’d paid top dollar for. When you saw a few amenities that you hadn’t expected, your jaw dropped. You had no idea why there was an ice skating rink or an indoor sky flying dome that had the tallest clear tube you’d ever seen. You didn’t know who’d designed this cruise, but you knew it must have cost millions. You were sure you wouldn’t be getting in that sky flying dome.
 When you finally got the alert that your suite was ready, it was well after one in the afternoon. The walk among the crowds was noisy. Everyone was either talking about what they wanted to do first, how enormous and beautiful the ship was, or making a plan for the cruise duration. In between all the chatter, there of course, were the screams and cries of babies and toddlers who were already losing their shit.
 This is what you’d expected when you decided on this Disney cruise over another like Carnival or Norwegian. You knew that the other passengers would be of a specific age range leaning on the younger and family-oriented side, which meant you wouldn’t have to fight off unwanted suitors who tried to shoot their shot. It also meant that you wouldn’t have to deal with any sort of drama that usually happened on a cruise with young adults all looking to hook up. That was not what you needed right now. You wanted to stay as far away from hooking up or eligible men that had blue eyes or a perfect head of hair, or abs that were chiseled by Michelangelo himself, or an ass that would make a mannequin jealous.
 On the elevator ride to your floor, you caught the eye of an adorable little boy with a complete head of luscious dark locks and doe eyes with an unmeasurable depth. His smile was innocent. Every time your eyes met his, he hid behind his mother. When you looked away, he looked back at you. After two or three playful back and forth glances, which had him becoming more adorable, you surprised him by not looking away. When he realized it, his squeal was so childlike and filled with so much glee that everyone on the elevator had to giggle. Over the next several minutes, the passengers on the elevator got off group by group until it was just a few people remaining.
 “Sixth floor,” the elevator attendant announced.
 You made your way through the door but gave the adorable boy a look. “Have a fun cruise, cutie,” you said with a wink before the doors closed with the sound of his giggles. You looked at your phone to remind yourself which room was yours, then glanced at the numbers on the wall that directed you where to go. The dinging sound of an elevator brought your attention down the hall to your right to see one man walk off. His hat was dipped down low, but you noticed his face was buried in his phone before he turned and walked in the opposite direction of you.
 Focusing on the signs on the door, you walked down the left side of the aisle. It didn’t take you long to realize your room was at the end of the hall. Once you reached it, you glanced back to see the same man with his tipped low hat. It looked like the same man from before outside the ship. It couldn’t be, you thought. The odds were not that small. As you opened your door, you saw him disappear into the room at the opposite end of the hall.
 Once you walked inside, you immediately thought that this was what you got when you had Atali handle the arrangements. The theme of the room was clearly sky blue. The couch in the living area was a satin, silky sky blue that looked as if it was plush and comfortable. It matched the blue and grain colored carpet before it perfectly, and the abstract blown glass art on the wall. The colors all worked together to give you a sense of peace. It wouldn't have been something you’d chosen because, unlike Atali, you liked to keep things as low maintenance as possible. Just because your family had money doesn’t mean you had to look or behave as if you did.
 When you walked into the bedroom portion of the stateroom, you saw your suitcases waiting for you in the far left corner of the room. The sunlight pouring in from the screened balcony bathed the room in a beautiful, cheerful yellow that was so inviting that once you kicked off your shoes, you had to step out into it. The temperature was not blazing hot because it was just the middle of April in New York, and that meant a mix of chilly and warm days with the occasional possible snow shower. The salty air of the sea was one of your favorite smells. You remembered when your father took your family to France on your yearly family vacation. As a child, you loved the beach and the salt of the sea. When you became an adult, nothing had changed.
 Not realizing how long you remained on the balcony, an intercom announcement came on.
 “Attention passengers, this is Lucas Albright, one of your captains. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you aboard this Disney Enchantment Cruise.”
 He paused, and you could hear the uproar of cheers and claps from over the intercom as well as in the halls and neighboring staterooms.
 “We are all excited to host you on this two and a half week christening journey from New York. I say christening because you lot are the first to travel on this brand new ship. This is her maiden voyage.”
 More cheers and applause came for what felt like forever.
 “We will be on this beautiful vessel for two days, at which time we dock in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic at approximately eleven o’clock in the morning, where you can enjoy plenty of the excursions and activities for the day.”
 Again applause followed. Everyone was undoubtedly excited about this cruise. You tried to get out of your funk and onboard the excitement train.
 “We will then set sail again, leaving port at ten o’clock that evening and moving on to two days at sea until we reach our second destination of Port of Grand Turk in beautiful Turks & Caicos. At that time, we dock at eleven 0’clock and lift anchors at ten o’clock. From the beautiful Turks & Caicos, we will be at sea for two days until we reach the tropical breezes of the British Virgin Islands!”
 You were already making some mental plans for everything you wanted to do at each port.
 “After spending out eleven o’clock to ten o’clock time there. We set sail to the glorious white sandy beaches of—Arrrruuuba!”
 At that time, the classic Beach Boys song Kokomo came on at the Aruba part. It was so corny, but everyone seemed to love it. You shook your head as the short clip of the song played loudly until it was lowered to play in the background.
 “Again, we’re docking at eleven o’clock to set sail again at ten o’clock. We are then at sea for three more days until we get to Ocho Rios, Jamaaaaica!”
 As he spoke, you went around the room, placing things you’d need and freshening yourself up. When he finally finished giving the itinerary, you were situated and checking the schedule of events for the day. All in all, it was set to be an action packed seventeen days at sea. Atali must have chosen this length because she knew seven or ten days would not be enough time.
 “All right, ladies, gentlemen, kids, and big kids, I hope to see you all at the welcome mingle we’ve scheduled to begin within the next twenty minutes or so, at which time we will lift anchors and say sayonara to New York and aloha to the seven seas.”
 He had a voice for radio or a game show. It was velvety deep, just what many women seemed to like these days. You grabbed your phone and crossbody bag and walked out of your room. You had a mission before you lifted anchor. Everyone was still abuzz with talk of the itinerary as more of the beach boys played over the ship speaker system. Vacation vibes were in full effect. Once you got to the media area, you promptly purchased your airtime so your cell would be able to work while at sea. You knew your mother would have a heart attack if you went two days without checking in with her. You didn’t think it was because she was that attached to her children though, you knew it was her motherly duty to remain up in the tea, so she felt continuously connected. As she got older and older, you realized it more and more.
 As soon as that mission was completed, you made your way to the top deck where the mingle was being held. As you stepped out into the sun, you marveled at just how extravagant Disney had chosen to go with this ship. Several feet before you stretching obscenely high into the air, you saw something that looked like a rollercoaster. There were plenty of other passengers pointing to it and excitedly chattering about it. You made a mental note to stay as far away from it as possible. Who would think to ride an insanely high rollercoaster on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean?
 Slowly you walked around the deck, cordially smiling at those you passed. You passed a bar area and took one of the prepared cocktails, and proceeded to find a good spot at the side of the ship to watch them lift anchor. After several minutes of searching and bumping into all the excited kids and passengers who were posing for pictures with friends, family, and Disney staff, you found an excellent spot to press your back against.
 Across the way, a familiar hat caught your eye. It was him, you thought. He always kept his head low and tried to steer away from big crowds. It was strange to you considering he’d chosen to get on a cruise ship filled with hundreds of people. He wouldn’t be able to escape the crowds. Your eyes followed him as he walked to another bar to grab one of the drinks there. As he did, he joked with the bartender, and it was then you saw a flash of his pearly smile. You couldn’t tell if he was attractive or not, mostly since all you’d gotten were glimpses of pieces of his face. Part of you wanted him to take off the stupid hat so you could be sure, but the other part—the sensible part that remembered why you’d chosen a Disney cruise slapped your ass back into focus.
 “Welcome, Disney guests!”
 In response, everyone around you screamed, clapped, cheered, and stomped so loudly the sound could have rivaled that of a rave.
 “We are pleased to welcome you once again!”
 As one of the staff members continued to speak about the ship procedures, expectations, highlights, amenities, and more, you continued to look around the deck, taking in all the grandeur before you. It didn’t take long to get lost in the directory you held. Again you took note of where everything was that you wanted to experience and even went as far as to make a plan of what you wanted to eat each night. Between you and Atali, you were the planner. You liked things to make sense and liked them to be stable and constantly reliable. You hated the erraticness of people and impulsivity. You always tried to steer as far from it as possible.
 By the time the speeches were finished, you’d had three drinks and were working on your fourth. The vibration of your phone brought your attention to it.
 MSG Javii: Chaton?
 You rolled your eyes and sighed out a little louder than you intended. What attracted you to him in the first place was what was annoying you right now. His persistence. You sat in a nearby seat and stared at the text exchange and thought of what you wanted to reply. Five minutes passed with you not typing one word. The truth was you didn’t know what to say. You were that jumbled up. The stress of it all was making your head hurt. You rubbed your brow and began your message.
 MSG: I need some time away.
 Instantly a message came back.
 MSG Javii: From me?
 Bobbing your head from side to side, you tried to make a quick decision.
 MSG: From this—us.
 MSG Javii: Chaton, say what you mean. You know I prefer directness. Do you mean from me?
 MSG: Yes.
 A few minutes passed before he sent another message. You wondered if you’d hurt him. Part of you didn’t want to hurt him, but the other part wanted him to suffer and see what it was like to be without you. Maybe then he’d start appreciating what he had.
 MSG: I just need to figure some things out.
MSG Javii: Are you breaking up with me, Chaton?
 The name was killing you, and you were sure he knew it. Every time he called you “chaton,” it made your belly flutter.
 MSG: I just need time and space, Javii.
MSG Javii: I love you. You know that, right? I love you more than anything.
MSG: If that were true, I’d be there right now instead of where I am. I have to go.
 You closed your messages and sighed out again.
 “Mm, I can easily read that expression, and if any man causes brow or forehead wrinkles, he isn’t the one.”
 Your head snapped to your right to see an older woman sitting there. She wore a straw hat atop her long red hair that looked close to that of Lucille Ball’s. The hue of her hair complimented her bronze and gold complexion. Her makeup was expertly done, as was her purple painted nails that pinched the straw that was at the corner of her mouth, a mouth that was painted perfectly accentuating her cupid’s bow lips. She was gorgeous.
 “Uh--,” you began as she continued.
 “The only one who is worth it is the one who gives you cheek wrinkles and smile creases.”
You grinned to yourself and took a sip from your glass that was resting on the table between you.
 “Trust me. I’ve dated plenty of men, ones who cause both, ones who cause one more than the other and ones who only cause one—the bad ones.” She motioned to the space between her eyebrows, symbolizing stress wrinkles from furrowing your brows.
 “I have yet to meet one who only causes smile creases,” she finished.
 You shrugged and looked glanced back to your phone before you put it on the table face down.
 “Maybe that one doesn’t exist on this Earth,” you countered.
 “A skeptic, I see. You’re one of those women who don’t believe in the one, right?”
 After scoffing, you looked at her. “I don’t know what I believe. Once upon a time, I did then---things got complicated.”
 The woman placed her drink down and nudged her fist underneath her chin, giving you her complete attention.
 “Oh, complications are the joys of life, darling. Nothing is ever cut and dry or so simple and steady. I say go for the ride but make sure you hand on for the bumps.”
 You contemplated her words. There was some logic there, but once she said nothing was simple or steady, you had to admit your heart skipped a beat. You hated when things weren’t simple. You took your glass again and finished its contents. At the same time, your eye found the man who’d caught you maybe an hour ago. You watched as he walked closer to where you were seated and caught another glimpse of his face before he passed you.
 From beside you, you heard the woman whistle.
 “I wouldn’t mind going for a ride with that one.”
 Your laugh was loud and couldn’t be stopped. You shook your head at her, but she didn’t look one bit embarrassed or remorseful.
 “It’s a cruse darling, a vacation. Now’s the time to live a little—or a lot,” she said, finishing with an exaggerated wink.
 This woman was inadvertently suggesting you let your hoe flag fly for the duration of the cruise. She reminded you of your aunt Josephine from your father’s side. As a French woman, she definitely embodied the French lifestyle of only living once and to live life right the first time. You’d spent countless hours with her listening to her stories of her travels, boyfriends, escapades. You and Atali always loved to live vicariously through her. That was until Atali came of age and decided to live just like her.
 You sat with this woman who introduced herself as Genevieve and listened to her stories of life and love. Usually, you hated speaking to strangers, but she didn’t feel like one. She felt like a kindred spirit, a much more carefree spirit but still kindred the same. You didn’t realize that two hours had almost passed with the two of you sipping cocktails and giggling. When you said your goodbyes, you wandered around the ship, taking in all it had to offer. You peeked in on activities that were already underway and scoped out other places you could disappear in.
 You made it back to your room in time to shower, change, and put on a lite layer of makeup before you made it to dinner at one of the forty restaurants. Once you walked into the restaurant, the atmosphere screamed luxury though it was not opulently done. It still looked family-friendly, but it was done in a way that let you know that you were meant to feel important by the décor alone.
 At the bottom of the long stairs, you quickly looked around, trying to find an empty table. When you’d zeroed in on one, you saw a hand waving you down—the hand of the same woman from before, Genevieve. Why not, you thought to yourself before you began to cross the dining area toward her. Within a few steps, you ran right into a body that felt like a brick wall. You could feel your body falling backward, but in the nick of time, a pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around your back, holding you in place.
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If his face had been eluding you all day, it was not anymore. The eyes you stared into were blue enough that the sea you sailed would be envious. His lips were so red that an apple would want a rematch for bragging rights and his face so symmetrical that even the perfect line of symmetry didn’t seem perfect enough when next to him. The man was gorgeous. You watched his eyes roam your face as if he was in no rush, wanting to take in every detail. What felt like minutes was probably only seconds before he set you upright. As you were prepared to speak, he smiled, and the action had you feeling like you’d been hit in the head at the same time as your gut.
 “Twice in one day. What’re the odds? Are you okay?”
 Rather than speaking, you nodded.
 “Are you sure?”
 “Yes, thank you. I’m—I’m sorry,” you stuttered.
 “Nah, forget about it. No harm, no foul.”
 From behind him, you could see Genevie giving you a look that said she wanted to know what was being said and who he was.
 “I uh—I was going that way,” you said, nodding your head to behind him.
 “And me that way.” He nodded behind you. “Stay safe out there,” he uttered before he walked off in the direction you’d just come from, giving you the opportunity to walk to Genevieve.
 The look on her face needed no words to along with it, but she still spoke.
 “Is that the same snack from before?”
 You nodded and nearly snorted out, hearing her use the word.
 “What’s his name?”
 “No idea, but I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before. I just—can’t place it.”
 “I don’t know how. I’d never forget a face like that.”
 She had a point; he had an unforgettable face, one that stayed with you and possibly could haunt your nights. You bet he got whatever he wanted and whoever he wanted. As dinner progressed, you had your choice of different appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts. If one wanted Scandinavian food, they could get it, or southern food it was within reach. As you ate, you listened to more of Genevieve’s stories. She told you about the men she’d dated, the things she’d seen in her years, and lessons she’d learned from those men. The moral you learned from her stories was love often, love hard, and love entirely because while you’d remember the pain, you’d remember the love more.
 As you ate and listened to her, you couldn’t help but think of the reason you were on this cruise in the first place. You were not running to love but from it. If you were to listen to Genevieve, you should have stayed your ass in New York and gone to Javii. If you listened to her, you’d probably spend another year living in sin. By the end of dinner, you’d met three other women all within the same age range as you, but they all were in different times of their lives. One was newlywed, and on her honeymoon, the second married a year and expecting her first child and the third long married with three children.
 It was an interesting look at alternate timelines for you. Any of them could have ended up being you if you’d only made different choices. Part of you wondered which one you wanted to be more, your natural self, or one of the three possibilities.
 After dinner, you made your way to one of the theaters to watch the planned show for the night. It was a re-enactment of The Little Mermaid, and the audience was filled with little ones who clapped and cheered throughout. You were surprised at how well the staff performed. They could have easily been true broadway stars. A little more than halfway through the show, you found the stranger with the deep eyes across the room. He was sitting alone, just watching the show with a relaxed look on his face. He looked as if he were genuinely enjoying it. Your curiosity was piqued as to why he was sitting alone watching The Little Mermaid on a ship full of people and why he didn’t seem to be bothered to make acquaintances. Who came on a cruise alone? Once you thought it, you wanted to laugh at yourself. You were the one to come on a cruise alone.
 As you were about to look away, his eyes found yours. At first, they looked empty as if he were looking right through you. Then after a few moments, there was a spark in them. You watched him raise his glass to you with a soft smile teasing his lips. Realizing you’d been caught looking, you curtly nodded back then looked to the stage to focus on the show.
 Two in the morning. That was the time when you finally made it back to your room. Festivities were going on all around the ship. No one seemed as if they wanted to go back to their rooms. There was something for everyone. The little ones had endless activities, including a sleepover with their favorite Disney characters, where they were set to have plenty of fun for the night. There was a mixer set up like a rave on the opposite side of the ship for the adults. From the things you saw when you scoped it out, you were sure a few siblings were going to be conceived tonight.
 As you scanned your bracelet and opened your door, you looked back to see the stranger again. He was looking directly down at you. You gave him a head salute and disappeared inside your room. After a quick shower, you found your way to your balcony to watch the waves roll by with a glass of wine. It was the perfect end to the night.
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madlymiho · 4 years ago
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Today we’re celebrating the wonderful and amazing birthday of the sweetest artist around, I’m talking about my dear dear @elliemehl​ 💗!
Darling, you have been such a dear friend to me, and I’m so happy I met you! You did something incredible for my own birthday, so I couldn’t miss the occasion to spoil you a little bit in return! 🙈
Please never change, you’re such a golden-heart, I’m lucky to have you around! Happy birthday!
words: 4734
warning: NSFW!
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Tensions on the Polar Tang (read after the cut)
It’s not the first time he feels wide awake at night, piercing grey eyes gazing at the ceiling with a certain tiredness, unable to find some sleep, even in such a quiet place than his own ship. Perhaps it’s because he has been working for hours today, and that his mind is clouded with information which definitely wouldn’t disappear before he would reach the lands of his dreams, or maybe it’s an entire different reason he’s not able to face. Something stuck in his head, like a broken record, always playing the same particular music. You kissed. It has been such an intense yet short moment that sometimes he’s not entirely sure if it was real in the first place. It felt like a suspended moment he wasn’t ready to live, the two of you finally surrendering to that silly game you’re both thoroughly practicing since you have met. Months of teasing, comments and comebacks, all of this ending up in your soft lips crashing on his when he circled your nape to pull you closer, just enough for him to remember their taste, before you both took your distances. You never really talked about what happened that night, but Law blames the booze and your hormones for such a desperate moment. He’s a captain after all, he has his own duty, and you’re only just a temporary guest among the crew. The very fact you’re sleeping in the room next door shouldn’t upset him like this, not especially when he’s experiencing a cruel lack of sleep for years, his bad habits creating some tensions within his heart family. Yet, he feels like there’s something untold between the two of you; a childish emotion he’s unable to face because it would admit that his heart has another function than pumping his blood to his brain. He, the captain with one of the most violence and coldest reputation, couldn’t let someone in. The last time he did that ended up pretty nastily, his precious organ scratched so deeply that he didn’t want to bond with anyone after that. It’s a risk he doesn’t know if he wants to take it, and all those questions are harassing him at night when the object of his obsession is spending some time on the submarine.
“Tsst, you’re a jerk.” Law curses himself while he stretches his legs, slender fingers massaging his temples for a moment.
He lets loose another sigh, profound this one, before he eventually decides that sleeping would be optional, one more time. He’s used to these kinds of short nights anyway, it wouldn’t ruin his schedule, at least that’s what he hopes for. Now back on his feet, he doesn’t even bother to put something to cover his chest, his jogging pants dangerously sliding down his thighs, only maintained by the little knots he made just under his V spot, saving him from losing them for good. After all, there are almost only men on the Polar Tang, and if Ikkaku is up, she’s not the kind of woman to get upset because her captain is wandering half-naked on his ship. Tired, but definitely awake, Law eventually leaves his cabin, sliding both of his hands in his jogging pants pockets, hesitating for a moment when he passes by your door. Perhaps you’re also in the same agony? Would it be truly dangerous to knock on your door and finally surrender to the urge of your complicated passion? Even if the siren call is more than tempting, Law doesn’t oblige, step by step getting away from the temptation, as he’s heading to the kitchen to eventually grab a snack, if Bepo didn’t have one of his numerous night munchies, otherwise, he’s already certain that he wouldn’t find any leftover in the fridge.
As he’s getting closer from the kitchen hall, he notices a soft light emanating under the doorway, as he doesn’t make a move for a moment. It’s not unusual that someone is awake at this time of the night, but none of his crewmates would have bothered to close the door. Almost sure that he’s about to bust you there, Law firmly grips the handle of the door, opening it without a single hesitation, despite his squeezed heart within his chest. Indeed, he has been right ; you’re there, reading a book you’ve probably brought yourself onboard, since none of his crewmates is  interested in collecting them in the first place. Or perhaps it belongs to Ikkaku, one more time? She’s a surprising woman for sure, however Law could bet all his money that she has nothing but mechanical or engine readings to offer.
“Sleep troubles?” He whispers, pushing on the door to offer you the sought-after privacy you were looking for. “A book on this ship, that’s a rarity.”
You lift you stare up, trying your best to muffle all those emotions dancing wildly in your guts, as you heard him entering in the first place. You didn’t want him to see that obvious look on your face, but despite your preparation, Law always managed to catch you off guard.
“Actually, I stole this one on your shelves,” you answer with a soft smile, lidding your eyes for a second. “I thought it was written in another language for a while, it’s unreadable.”
It only brings a frown on Law’s face, while he steps closer, one hand in his jogging pockets, dangerously pulling down those comfort pants he’s wearing, the other one grabbing the book to have a look on the cover. He smirks, and throws you one of his teasing stares you have a very hard time to handle.
“Anatomy and the study of the body.” He reads loudly, slender and tattooed fingers lingering on the relief of the cover. “I didn’t know you want to become a doctor,” he pauses, and pushes the book back in front of you. “Or maybe you’re looking for a way to study bodies a bit more? Looking for a partner, miss Eileen?”
Ah, bastard. You know he’s always up to tease but you’re never truly ready for his taunt. You roll your eyes impatiently, and dismiss him with a wave of your hands. It only increases the smug smile on Law’s features, because he knows you always have such a hard time to handle his comments and comebacks. However, he’s also certain you’ll eventually come up with something; your body language is already betraying your need to shut his bratty mouth.
“Don’t get cocky; I have the perfect partner if I want to, he already agreed to help.” you eventually raise your stare up, closing the book with an impatient gesture, while you’re getting back on your feet.
Law raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms around his chest, already thrilled to discover what you’re going to throw to his face.
“Is that so?” He asks with his eternal sensual tone, another step closer bringing the both of you almost glued together. However, he believes you’re too stubborn to actually back down and take a step backward. Ah, you sure know how to play this game too… “And who’s that partner? So far, I’ve always seen you alone. Are you hiding someone on the sub?”
“Bepo.” You abruptly snap. “I have a certain interest in… fluffy gigantic bear. Impossible to find someone matching that kind of body.”
Law wants to snort and laugh, but he manages to keep an utterly serious face, as he tilts his head just slightly, his golden earring gleaming under the light of the kitchen.
“The only body interest Bepo has is to find a way to develop his already more than concerning excess weight. Unless you’re trying to match a polar bear density and his goal to nap for three months during winter times, I guess you’ve stolen the wrong book. However, if you’re really serious about this, should I put a lock on the fridge for you too?” He tuts you, and notices the massive effort you’re making not to burst into a powerful laughter. He peers down at the plate full of biscuits you probably picked for your night munchies while studying, his smirk growing wider on his mischievous features. “Oh, that explains a lot. You’ve already started.”
You immediately look at him with your best pouting face, slamming your fist right into his bare shoulder. Of course, he could have easily eluded the punch, but he believes he deserved it.
“What are you trying to say, you zombie doctor?” You growl, but you can’t help but have this floating smile appearing at the corner of your lips.
“I’m just saying…,” he takes another step forward, his warmth breath ghosting your features, his fingers softly skimming the hand closed on his anatomy book. He can’t miss your flinch, nor your artery suddenly palpating to his proximity. “That if you want to make things right…,” his thumb rubs the top of your hand, his piercing grey eyes focused on yours. You gulp. He smirks like a demon would do. “You should increase your stealing skills and actually pick the good book.”
And as his face feels dangerously close to yours, Law uses it as the perfect distraction to retrieve the book you stole. He knows it’s really unfair to play with your emotions like this, and your lust, but he has to control himself in the first place. You kissed, but it doesn’t mean he should surrender to his own desires, even if he terribly wants to have a reminder of the taste of your skin. He wishes that his hands could explore your body, whispering how perfect you look for him, but he can’t. He doesn’t allow himself to cross that barrier, and he believes it could be one of the worst ideas. You both have this incredible attraction, something deep and burning, setting on fire every inch of your souls, yet you couldn’t accept your common desire. You couldn’t ruin whatever you’re sharing right now.
“It’s time for you to sleep.” Law decides, a sudden sadness crossing his usual teasing irises. “It’s not reasonable to be awake right now.”
Before you can eventually protest, he raises his right hand and creates his room around you, the walls of the sphere enveloping the kitchen, but also the corridors and the rooms of the Polar Tang, a bit further away. In a blink, you’re standing in front of your bed, frustrated and unable to understand why he suddenly changed his mind. You are certain he wanted to kiss you like the other night…
“I’m sorry Eileen.” Law whispers while he’s now alone in the kitchen, the room gently cracking before it would disappear for good.
He hides the biscuits in the larder, because he can’t let Bepo find something if he ever wakes up hungry in the middle of the night. He believes it’s also time for him to have his own rest. While he turns around to reach the door, he quickly has to take a step backwards, watching you rushing in one more time, a deep frown on your eyes, and visible anger spreaded on your features. He sighs, and crosses his arms around his chest, somehow silently scolding you for never listening to him. Well he knows it’s quite unfair to room someone away in their cabin in the first place, but he’s still the boss on his ship, and he believes as a doctor, he already knows what’s the best for you.
“Didn’t I tell you to go to bed?” Law snaps, the corner of his lips unable to hide that little grimace of irritation. He doesn’t like when his authority is challenged like this, or perhaps he loves it, but feels slightly guilty to sense those emotions. “Go to your room.”
You take a step forward, raising your eyes to prove that you’re not in the mood to follow his orders, fingers immediately gripping the corner of the anatomy book he keeps against his chest.
“No, I’m not tired. I want to read, and you have absolutely no power nor any reason to tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
Cocky. He can’t help but smirk to the sentence, pleased to see that you’re still this wild fire he can’t tame, but also amused with your pouting features. Even though he tightens his grip on the book, and takes himself a step forward, until you have no choice but to plaster your back against the door.
“I’m still the captain here. I gave you an order.” He states with a severe voice, before he eventually throws the book away, ignoring the fact that it might damage it. He notices your visible confusion, his smirk growing on his features. “What am I supposed to do with a guest who can’t behave?”
You cock your head, strands of your brown hair skimming your shoulders, while your hazel eyes gleam with a certain challenge.
“You’ve answered the question yourself, captain.” You whisper, finding yourself having a hard time to breath properly, the proximity increasing your heartbeat. “I’m your guest, not your crew mate. You can’t treat me like them…”
He presses the palm of his hand against the cool door, his body moving closer, as he traps you there, and forbids you to escape his presence.
“I should treat you differently, then?” His voice is nothing but a long snarl, deep and sensual, sending so many goosebumps down your spine that you’re unable to answer for a minute. “That’s what you want? Something… Different?”
You can’t help but nod to the question, your eyes betraying that desperation, your stomach falling in the depths of your guts, as he comes closer and closer. His palm against the wall eventually falls on your cheek, the pad of his thumb describing the slowest caress you have ever experienced. You breath in and out harshly, anticipating the next movement even if it’s hard to tell what Law has in mind. In addition, for him, the game feels terribly intense, his own excitement almost unbearable. He wants to remember the taste on your lips. To have them printed on his flesh and bask on their scent. He doesn’t feel parted anymore, driven by lust and despair, unable to repress those emotions he has been fighting for so long. Not now that you’re looking at him this way. Not now that he feels the same agony nailing you there, in front of him.
“Guests like you are such a pain in the ass.” Law growls, before he eventually crushes his lips on yours, softly at first, almost too slowly. But soon enough, the desperation wins over reason, the sensuality of his kiss turning into something more intense, needy, and messy.
His slender fingers begin to explore your hair, fondling its softness, playing with your brownish locks, while his mouth doesn’t stop for a second. He doesn’t allow you to catch some fresh air, he doesn’t allow you to think. There, plastered against the kitchen’s door, you’re at his mercy, trapped under his claws. He slams your body harder against the entrance of the cafeteria, both of his hands now cupping your jaw, while he deepens the kiss. He opens his mouth, the tip of his tongue gently entering your cavity, yours immediately meeting his to share the most passionate dance. Both of your breathing are heavy, uncontrollable, a raging fire you both can’t contain anymore.
“Fuck…” Law snarls, while he parts his lips just slightly, not enough for you to escape from their eternal caress over yours. “I don’t want to stop.”
His plea sounds desperate, but you certainly share the emotion. You’ve kissed once. You have already been there together, but it has never been like this. You have been able to stop before things would get complicated. You have been able to find a way to control your emotions, and your desires. Yet now, it seems that you’re both unable to find a way to stop the wheel. You clench your fingers on his arm, pulling him closer, Law obliging, his body leaned with yours as both of his hands follow the curve of your back, only to fall in your rear and grope it.
“Don’t stop, please.” You mumble, your lips brushing his, your hazel irises focused on his. “I don’t want to stop either.”
He hesitates. Should he deny that eternal lust you’re both sharing? Should he act like the man or the captain? Duty over passion? Usually his heart would have been clear about the answer… Though Law can’t lie; he’s a man of many flaws. If he believes he should listen to that little voice in the back on his head, his fingers are already acting differently, palping the curves hidden under your jeans, eager to explore this unknown and unconquered territory, turning your sweet little person into his. He hums longly, his own mind on fire, trying to figure out his own feelings. But while he’s focused on this complicated task, he flinches when he senses the palm of your hand exploring his chest, following the muscles and the dark lines of his tattoo. He can’t be reasonable all the time, after all. A pirate isn’t reasonable. A pirate takes what he wants, and when he craves it.
“Yeah, fuck that.” He answers to his own torment, slamming your body back against the door, pinning both of your hands above your head, his mouth devouring yours in the most unconventional way. There, he can finally unleash what he has always been afraid to explore, his tongue meeting yours instantly, sharing the same passionate dance repeatedly, until you would suffocate and beg for more and some fresh air at the same time. He eventually abandons your pinned hands, one arm rolled around your waist, as he makes you spin, clumsily for sure, but enough for him to find the kitchen table. He helps you jump on it, making sure that you’re all settled and comfortable, at least, in the heat of the moment.
“Here?” You mumble between two kisses, swept in another world, while you can definitely feel the smile growing on his lips.
He grips the bottom of your top and lifts it over your head, while both of his hands finally fall onto your thighs, pulling you at the edge of the table.
“You can’t be picky.” He says with the same warm and tempting tone, his mouth exploring the crook of your neck, fingers eagerly working to unbuckle your pants. “Are you playing the prudish girl with me now?”
You hum loudly to the sensation of his digits on your warm skin, the heat of your body irradiating the entire room, as you wiggle on your legs to help him undress you.
“What if someone comes in?” You warn him, but Law immediately bites your neck, sensually teasing the area with his sharp teeth. “L…Law, I’m serious…”
He knows you’re perfectly serious and wary, yet he doesn’t have time, nor the motivation, to find another spot. Perhaps you could have settled for a more comfortable place, but right now, you’re both surrendering to the lust of the moment, and there’s no time to be afraid. You’re both taking a risk like this, but it’s something he’s more than willing to commit.
“Then, be loud enough to make them understand they really shouldn’t come in.” Law smirks devilishly, as he slides his fingers right into your already damp panties. “That’s what I thought; you really don’t want to go anywhere yourself, do you?”
As he talks, he begins to brush that more than sensitive and needy area of yours, coating his slender digits with your natural wetness, spreading it over your lips and clit, his grey eyes focused on your face, just to be certain that he’s doing an amazing job. He can’t believe he has been depriving himself from this sight, your parted lips and frown beautifully indicating that you wouldn’t survive such a temptation tonight. Too bad, Law thinks, because you’ve definitely signed for the entire show now, and the very thought sends even more blood down into his groin. Without any rush, as his golden stare is focused on your features, he begins to add more pressure down there, his lips finding their way back to yours, stealing another passionate kiss, his own cold heartbeat awakened after so many years. Lust is uncontrollable at this point, his expert fingers increasing their pace, until soft moans and harsh whispers would be swallowed in his throat. You move your hips to follow the rhythm, unable to remain calm and patient now that you have him this way. And surely, he doesn’t wish for you to behave either, devouring you right here with his mouth, fingers skillfully providing you waves of pleasure. 
“Law…” You let loose desperately, as he increases the pace of his knuckles one more time, eager to see at what point you would break and ask for more. 
He smirks against your skin, sensually finding that sensitive spot there, in the crook of your neck, his teeth peppering the area with the most dangerous nibbles. You find yourself bucking your hips to have more, a greedy monster unable to stop, at the edge of having the most powerful orgasm of your life. Perhaps Law felt it, because as soon as you begin to moan harder, he withdraws his fingers, abandoning your needy flower, as he looks at you with a certain satisfaction. Gently, he brings his coated digits to his mouth, shamelessly tasting you, before he eventually presses his palm over your shoulders and invites you to lay back onto the table. 
“I guess you’ve earned it.” He growls, pulling  both his jogging pants and underwear down, revealing his hardness, proudly bumping against his abs. “I wanted it for so long, Eileen.” 
Words are escorted by expert movements of his hands, as he places them on your thighs, pulling on them to find the perfect place, his thumbs caressing your thighs up and down. Once he’s sure you’re in the best position, he grabs his manhood to rub it a few times on your wet lips, each time watching you losing your mind ; he definitely believes he can drive you crazy for minutes like this, yet, he’s also aware that you’re both quite needy and impatient right now. With a slow push of his hips, Law penetrates you, inch by inch, a long shiver running down his spine as he can’t believe how incredible you feel right now. You’re tight enough to drive him insane, his fingers clenched on your skin, a discreet plea escaping his lips. You close your eyes, arching your back, before you manage to wrap your legs around his waist, your hand falling to grip the edge of the table. 
“Don’t tease…” You frown, somehow anticipating another of his little games, as you feel your patience disappearing for good. 
However, it’s definitely not in Law’s plans to tease any longer, his hips suddenly bucking so hard that you see the stars for a second. No, really, he doesn’t wish to waste anymore time, somehow understanding that it has been far from being enough. Right there, narrowed walls trapping his cock inside of you, your face expressing nothing but pure bliss, he doesn’t wish to act cowardly. He wants you to be his, and only his. So without any word, hands coming up to caress your waist then breasts, Law thrusts at first with an easy pace, the room slowly filled with the filthy sound of your collading skins. You moan, your fingers looking for his, your eyes unable to look away, watching his grey eyes lidded, and his dark cheeks tainted with redder colors. You love what you see, finding how beautiful he can be one more time ; a demon of lust and passion, taking you right here, after so many months of teasing. 
For a moment, you wonder how many minutes you can resist before begging him to continue what he has started previously, when his fingers were teasing your most sensitive area, waves of pleasure travelling through your veins like the sweetest illness. You wonder if he will ever go back to this, or only fuck you like this, his hips adopting a steady yet controlled pace, each time extracting more groans from your throat. He definitely knows what he’s doing, but god, you want so much more! You want to see how cruel he can be, the sadistic doctor taking care of this entire operation, until you would met under the power of his aura. 
“Harder, please! Fuck! Please, touch me, give me more, Law…!” 
Your words are almost like a scream ; you straighten yourself back up to roll your arms around his neck, your mouth immediately finding his. You want more, you need more. This is the greedy monster speaking within you at this point, and not the controlled woman you can be. You feel the droplets of sweat cascading down your spine, and his own heat enveloping you as a second skin. He chuckles, and slams his hips with a harsher pace, one of his hands coming between the two of you, only to play with your swollen clit. 
“I didn’t know you could be such a glutton, even for sex,” He growls with a sensual voice, his tongue playing with your earlobe, now that you’re all plastered against him. He rolls his thumb over your clit, focused on your reaction. “Come on, don’t you want to be louder than this?” 
Oh, he can’t help but play with you after all, now that his lust is tainted with the desperate need to tease you. You seem completely swept away, and he loves to have you this way. He slows his pace, only to have the privilege to watch his shaft coming and going so gently inside of you, his thumb sometimes coming down to coat more of your wetness. 
“You really wanted me, do you?” He whispers against your skin, gentle kisses dropped in the crook of your neck. “You’re so fucking wet for me. I bet I can make you come over and over again…” 
The sweet promise extracts another plea from your throat, as you move your hips to escort his slow thrusts, teeth digging into the skin of his shoulders. Satisfied to see that you’re not even able to answer, he presses his thumb harder on your clit, suddenly adopting such a quick pace that you can’t help but let loose that promised whimper he has desperately wished to hear. It feels too much! You can’t control yourself anymore, digging your teeth and your nails in his skin, trying your best to muffle those lovely sounds he’s the only one allowed to hear. As you finally reach your own nirvana, Law feels himself quite unable to resist the siren call, your walls clenching his cock so hard, that every of his thrust sends him at the edge of his end. As he kisses you one more time, he eventually follows your lead and cums as well, his growls disappearing in your mouth. After a moment when the both of you ride out your orgasms, he eventually pulls out, and wraps his hands behind your back. 
“Are you okay?” He asks, almost tenderly, hoping you don’t regret what just happened between the two of you. 
“Yes,” you reassure with a firm nod, hiding your face in the crook of his neck. “But I’m so sleepy right now…,” 
He smirks and rolls his eyes, creating a room around you both, and holding you tighter than before. He can’t believe you almost made him believe that you weren’t sleepy… Well, for once, he doesn’t wish to scold you anymore. That’s probably for the best, if the two of you can get some sleep at this point. 
“Not in my room…” You mumble one more time, eyes peering up with a certain authority. 
For Law though, you only look like a demanding kitten, not that frightening but terribly cute, and he eventually sighs. 
“I guess for once, I’ll give you the privilege to use the captain’s cabin.” 
As you disappear from the kitchen, the two of you plastered together, Law intimates himself that it can’t be the only night you share together. Right there, with the warmness of your body against him, he begins to realise that you won’t ever be just a guest for him… 
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marciego · 3 years ago
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18 and 22 for the drabble challenge uwu
sorry for the late reply and thank you <3 had a lot of fun doing this, and for a ship i never wrote for!! even tho it's not that shippy in the end, but it's still relationships i don't often explore!
18. "Let's share this bed"
22. "I dreamed about you...and it was...wild...in a good way"
"Okay girls," Camila says brightly. "How do we do it?"
Naty and Francesca turn towards her, putting down the last of their baggages in their hotel room.
"I don't mind sleeping with any of you," Naty says, throwing a glance at the two beds in their room, a double bed and a single one. "But I move in my sleep, like, a lot. Lena says I tend to kick too, so..."
"Got it," Francesca laughs at Naty's sheepish smile. "Camila, let's share this bed and Naty can have her own."
"That's fine by me," Camila smiles at them. "Do you think Ludmila and Vilu also have to share a bed in their room?"
"I don't think so," Francesca says, looking at her phone. "Violetta would have texted me if that were the case."
"And we would have heard Ludmila complaining," Naty laughs.
The girls start laughing with her, Ludmila has changed a lot in the last few months, and in a good way, but some things stay the same, and Francesca can only guess that her opinion on sharing her bed is one of these things.
"We're lucky it's not Camila who ended up sharing a room with her," Francesca jokes as she gets closer to her baggage.
"What does that mean?!" Camila turns towards her, comically frowning.
"She's right," Naty says, her voice teasing but her eyes soft when she looks at Camila. Francesca rolls her eyes to herself, a smile on her lips. "You're always picking on her, I don't want to see what would have happened if you two were roommates, even for a week."
"Well," Camila answers, still trying to prentend she's offended, but she's always had a hard time keeping the act up around Naty. "She's always picking on me too, and I'm not as impulsive as you think!" She bends slightly, getting closer to Naty's face. "I could have surprised you," she adds, and Francesca fake gags at the flirty undertone in her voice. Camila catches it and glares at her, the difference in her expression from one second to another exceptionnally funny to Francesca, while Naty only giggles at Camila's comment, blissfully unaware of what's happening between her two roommates.
Naty's phone lights up in her hand and interrupts her, she quickly scans the screen with her eyes and smiles. "Talking about Ludmila, she asks me to help her unpack her stuff, I gotta go."
"Can't she do it on her own?" Camila raises an eyebrow as she crosses her arms.
"Ludmila packs a lot," Naty answers easily, getting closer to the door. "Even if Violetta and I both help her, I'm not sure we'll be done before dinner."
She giggles and gives Camila one last smile before leaving the room, leaving Camila and Francesca alone with the silence.
"You're not subtle," Francesca says, looking at Camila staring lovingly at the closed door. "You know that?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she quickly answers, going back to what she was doing.
"You should ask her out," Francesca adds despite the murderous look Camila is sending her. "I'm serious! She didn't even say goodbye to me."
"Well maybe that's because you're being a bad friend Francesca!" she scolds her. "I'm taking the bathroom first," she adds angrily, closing the door behind her way too fast for it to be natural.
Francesca only laughs and shakes her head. The cohabitation with her roommates and their feelings might be a bit more complicated than she anticipated.
---
Helping Ludmila sort her things out must have been pretty tiring, if Francesca judges by the snoring coming from Naty's bed that night. She came back a few minutes earlier and was already far gone by the time Camila even tried to chat with her. Now she was sitting there, reading some script on the bed she shared with Francesca, obviously irritated.
Francesca knows better than to tease her in this moment, so she just slides into bed next to her and picks up the books she started reading in the plane. The room is quiet, except for Naty's snores, and Francesca slowly feels the fatigue of the day and the jetlag coming back to her. When the lines of her book get blurry, she decides it's enough for the day. Weakly, she says goodnight to Camila and lets herself slowly drift towards sleep.
She couldn't tell how long she'd been alseep, or if she slept at all. It could be hours or a few minutes, but she knows the moment she hears Camila's voice quietly talking next to her that it's about to end. At first, she doesn't quite get what she's saying, her brain too tired to make any sense of the words she hears, but she notices Camila's voice. It's rough, somehow, maybe a bit breathless. Flirty, even flirtier than when she talks to Naty. That, at least, makes her wake up a bit more, not enough to open her eyes just yet, but enough to understand what Camila is saying.
"I dreamed about you..." she hears next to her, too close for Camila to say it to anyone else. The bed shifts on Camila's side and her voice gets lower, seductive. "And it was...wild...in a good way.."
"Camila!" she whisper-shouts, sitting up in shock and almost cracking her neck to look at her with round eyes, wide awake. She groans in pain at the sudden movement, taking it more slowly and moving so she's facing Camila. "What the fuck was that?" she asks, a bit too loudly.
Camila hushes her, agitating the papers in her hand in front of her. "Be quiet!" she urges her. "Do you want Naty to wake up?"
"Well depending on what you're up to, yeah I might wake her up," Francesca says, irritated. She knows Camila, she knows she doesn't have some kind of secret crush causing her to lust over her in the middle of the night, she'd know about it. This means she must be very close to causing Francesca problems again, and she might need Naty's help. "Again," she says. "What dream are you talking about?!"
"Huh-huh," she muses, going back to the papers she's holding. "Isn't it obvious?"
"No," Francesca says helplessly. She really wishes she could go back to sleep. "And what is this?" she ask, taking one of the papers from Camila's hands. "My hands in your hair and yours on..." she starts reading before catching the end of the sentence. "Camila!" she almost shouts. "What is this?!"
"It's my script," she answers simply. "I couldn't sleep so I'm rehearsing. Did I wake you up?"
Francesca stays there, looking at her with her mouth open. There are a lot of things she wants to answer. "W-Well, yes, you woke me up. I thought you were talking to me! I thought-"
"No!" Camila straight up screams, and Francesca has to almost jump on her to put her hand on her mouth and shut her up, glaring at her. They hear stirring and ruffling coming from Naty's bed, mixed with a soft sigh before she starts snoring again. Once she's sure Naty is not going to wake up, Camila continues, admittedly in a quierter voice. "Did you really think that...? Me? About you?"
"No," Francesca grunts, putting her hands in her face. "But I was sleeping and I woke up to that, I was confused!"
"Or I'm a very good actress," Camila adds, smiling like it's the most entertaining moment of her life.
"Whatever," Francesca gives up. Camila has way too much energy for her to handle at the moment. "I'm going back to sleep now."
"No no no no," Camila says as she puts half of her script into her hands. "Now that you're awake, you're gonna help me practice."
"What? No," she immediately answers, giving her her papers back. "I'm not helping you for....whatever this scene was. I want to sleep."
"Francesca, please," she starts begging, taking her hand in hers, a bit too loudly before Francesca shushes her. "I really need a partner for this one, and you're the best friend ever so please!"
For a few seconds, she thinks about, she really does. The only thing Francesca wants to do is to go back to sleep, but Camila seems to really need this help, despite how late it is. She opens her mouth to accept when a snore, louder than all the previous ones, interrupts her. She turns towards Naty's bed and, suddenly, sees the solution to all her problems.
"Well," she tells Camila. "You do have a partner in this room."
"Really?! You'll help me?"
Francesca grins at her, but she's not sure Camila can really see it in the dark, she then takes back her hand and uses both of them to tilt Camila's head towards Naty.
"Go tell her how wild your dreams about her were," she tells her, almost solemnly. "Hopefully you'll get something more than a scene partner."
Camila takes a few seconds to register the information, but when she turns towards Francesca again, she can see she's smiling.
"You're a genius!" she says, jumping on her to hug her tight. "Not because I have a crush on her or anything," she quickly adds, toning her excitation down. "Naty is just an amazing partner."
"Of course she is," Francesca laughs as she hugs her back.
Quickly, Camila takes her script in her hands and gets up. She nervously walks towards Naty's bed, and Francesca can't help herself from smiling at the scene. Camila, strong, fierce and confident Camila, not daring to come too close to the snoring pile of limbs and sheets on the bed.
Francesca gets up too, taking her pillow and her comforter under her arm. She starts walking towards the door in silence when Camila's voice stops her.
"Wait!" she whispers. "Where are you going?"
"Clearing the way for you," she laughs. "I'm moving to Vilu's room, good luck."
"Wait!" Camila says again, but Francesca's hand is already on the handle. "Francesca, don't leave me! I can't do it!"
"I'm sure you can," Francesca laughs, and closes the door behind her.
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amimons · 4 years ago
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Miraculous Sweet-ember (Sept. 24th)
September 24th: Backwarder, Gamer 2.0, & Weredad
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Backwarder went deeper into Master Fu’s past by introducing an old love interest who has some involvement with the miracle box. Marianne was back in Paris after years apart from Fu due to the sensitive nature of Fu’s position as guardian. Unable to meet in person Fu gave Marinette a request to give Marianne a letter. A simple request made not so simple when Marinette also has a letter of her own she wishes to give Adrien on top of picking up Fu’s prescription at a pharmacy with a Doctors note. Its a classic situation of switching the papers up but it turned distarious when Marianne took Marinette’s note to Adrien as Fu’s note. She turned into Backwarder giving her the ability to reverse things. 
Marianne is used as an example as to why having secret identifies is a positive thing. Since she knew the guardian of the miracle box she was able to inform Hawkmoth. It’s nice seeing the what could go wrong with sharing too much information about the miraculous which gives all the secretiveness a purpose. Backwarder was a tricky akuma to battle. Her defeat called for Ladybug’s most complicated lucky charm. I love seeing how Ladybug’s mind work. She is able to plan out solutions in her head by taking in her surroundings and getting the timing just right. She always has to be one step ahead of the curve. Which makes it interesting when her plan is all about goin backwards to get the result she needs. Ladybug has a brilliant mind and I love seeing it highlighted. 
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Gamer 2.0 explores the heavy toll that Marinette’s life takes as she works balances school, projects, and being a super hero. Giving her little to no time on doing activities for fun like playing video games. Because she has a jam pack schedule she lacks the patience to focus more energy on an akuma battle and wants to just quickly finishes things. This effects her performance in the battle which Chat Noir picks up on. Chat is having fun playing along with this akuma video game battle. He is someone who likes to live in the moment not feel stuck in it. He understands Ladybug’s perspective but knows that offering his own can help her get out of the funk she boxed herself in. This is one of the things that we constantly see Chat do over and over in their partnership. He is able to communicate with Ladybug in a way that can reach her and pull her out of a negative mental space. 
This is a big reason why I love them as partners. Chat was just extremely fun to watch this episode. He was not only performing well in battle but having a good time along the way. And as him and Ladybug work their way up to completely the video game battle they are forced to face off against each other. Chat Noir heroically sacrifices himself knowing he can fully trust Ladybug to bring him back and save the day. Another grand gesture of trust shown by Chat Noir. After the battle Chat Noir leaves Ladybug with a sweet sentiment. He tells her that his favorite moments are when he is just with her and he would give up everything for just those moments with her. Not only is this very sweet of him to say especially since Ladybug was having a hard time struggling with sacrifices but because we know what Adrien’s home life is like. He is forced to strict schedules and not allowed enough quality times with his friends. So being with Ladybug gives him that chance to feel free and have fun. 
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Weredad puts Marinette’s acting skills to the test. After fearing that her identity was almost exposed to Chat Noir after he went after Ladybug only to find a detransformed Marinette on her balcony she does what any reasonable person will do in her situation. Proclaim her love for Chat Noir. Little did she know she also had an audience, her parents heard her proclamation of love and invited Chat over the apartment to join them in a meal. The whole situation called for some hilariously awkward moments and some really intense irony. Marinette does her best to act like she is hopelessly in love after Chat Noir respectfully decline her stating that he is in love with Ladybug. She pretends she is devastated by the news aiming to be as convincing as possible. Which actually worked a little too well because after seeing his daughter in such a distraught state, Tom gets akumatized into Weredad. 
Weredad traps Marinette in a thorn tower to protect her from getting her heart broken again. This means Chat Noir is temporally going to have to take on the akuma alone. Chat’s determination to save Marinette is so strong. Even though he does not yet understand his romantic feelings for Marinette that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deeply care about her. Not only was this situation confusing for him but it was extremely difficult for him as well. It was hard for Chat to reject Marinette because her friendship means a lot to him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Marinette but he needed to be honest with his feelings. Even when Weredad had Chat bested, Chat refused to lose. Ultimately Marinette was the one who was able to deakumatize her father because she found the hidden rose. I’m glad she was still able to rescue herself from this situation while Chat was willing to fight for Marinette’s safety. 
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About Sweet-ember:
For the month of September I wanted to spread some positivity and praise Miraculous Ladybug on the things I’ve appreciated/enjoyed from the show.
Everyday I’m going to select one particular moment, event, theme, etc. from an episode of Miraculous and shared what I liked from that episode. Each post will discuss 2-3 episodes (from season 1-3; 78 episodes in total).
Whether its something big or small there is something positive that I can take away from every single episode of Miraculous.
Please feel free to add a moment from these particular episodes that you loved to this post as well!
Salt towards the show, characters, ships will not be tolerated!
Sweet-ember posts
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
[18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31]
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Hear It Again | Poe Dameron
Pairing — Poe Dameron x Plus Size Reader (she/her)
Word Count — 5.2k
Request — could I request a Poe Dameron x ps reader? The reader and Poe were raised together, they have always been inseparable. When both join the resistance the reader becomes a spy, whilst Poe becomes a pilot. Reader becomes missing in action. Years later on Jakku Rey/Finn/BB8 find the reader, she helps them escape (she has been stranded on Jakku and has been fixing the Falcon) She gets reunited with Poe, who confesses his love. Maybe she has apart of the map that leads to Luke. Thanks!
Warnings — angst, mentions of loss, war, and violence, Rey and Finn being their cute selves, BB-8 being a baby, reader cuts herself on purpose (not with the intention of self-harming), arguing, fluff, I feel like Poe being Poe should be a warning.
A/N — I enjoyed writing this soooooo much! I fell in love with Poe all over again, harder than ever.
Gif credit
☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎
A spy stranded on the planet they were supposed to infiltrate had to be the definition of ironic. Or moronic, if they asked you.
You had been sloppy, the plan failed too early on and instead of asking for help, you decided to keep going. Compromising the mission wasn’t worth it, you had been trained to do anything but.
The village had been too dangerous, staying there would mean falling into a trap — no one ever knew where people’s alliance rested, so you opted for staying as far away from it as you could. The junkyard wasn’t ideal, but nothing was in a sandy and hot planet.
As if things couldn’t be trickier, your only way out of there was in a ship that needed a lot of repairs. Not just a ship, The Ship. You were sure Han Solo would be close to a heart attack if he knew his beloved ship was abandoned in a junkyard planet.
The Falcon was famous for many reasons, your favorite was the fact that it had always looked like shit. It was silly, Poe would always say so. He liked it because the ship had made the Kessel run in fourteen parsecs — twelve according to Poe who took the difference very seriously.
Poe was your best friend. The two of you grew up together in Yavin 4 — the years you had spent apart while being trained hadn’t been easy so when you found your way back to him by joining The Resistance, you were more than thrilled.
He had laughed when you were done with your first meeting in General Organa’s presence. ”You know she knows the Millenium Falcon, right?”
You had giggled, shaking your head. When you were kids, you often came up with complicated plans to steal it, according to you it would be easy if you did it while everyone was sleeping. ”The hardest part will be finding it,” he would always say, swatting a hand to gesture for you not to worry.
It was easy for Poe to act in such nonchalance, he had always been graceful at many things. Back when things were easier and your only worry was not being caught sneaking out of your house to explore the depths of the forest with your friends, you believed him to be invincible.
You wished for that to be true, for him to be okay. You trusted in his abilities, you had re-trained him personally in case he was captured —not that he needed it, you just wanted to be sure— but you didn’t know what he was up to now.
Oh, how you wanted to be a child again, being teased by your best friend for your obsession with a ship you would never pilot because you didn’t care for piloting at all.
And you still didn’t, you knew the basics because it was part of your training but you didn’t care about becoming the best pilot of the galaxy. How could you when Poe carried that badge with so much pride?
Or at least you imagined he still did. It had been so long since you last saw him… you wondered how he was handling it, if he was still alive — he had to be.
When you weren’t groaning out of frustration or complaining out loud because of the heat, you wondered many things about him; mostly regarding his safety.
Distant sounds made you jump. “Kriff,” you whined, rubbing the top of your head as you ducked to not hit yourself again.
With your free hand, you withdrew your blaster off your belt. A screech filled your ears which prompted you to stand still. Someone was inside the ship, their approaching steps let you know two pairs of shoes were the source of the noise.
A whirring sound, soothing and somewhat familiar joined the steps. You carefully stepped closer to the cockpit with your blaster held up and ready to pull the trigger.
Something bumped your ankle. Your favorite beep greeted you. The young man and woman gushing about the ship a couple of meters ahead of you turned around.
Recognizing the jacket the guy had on, you gruffly asked, “Where did you get that jacket?”
“W—What?”
The girl stepped in front of him. She was protecting him with no hesitation. “Who are you?” she demanded to know.
“You first.” You nodded upward.
She studied you, lifting a hand when her companion started to speak. He clamped his mouth shut. “I’m Rey.”
“Pamaf,” you gave them the name you had been using throughout your latest mission.
“Where are you from?”
BB-8 beeped, demanding attention. You tensed, torn between acknowledging the droid and getting more answers.
“I’m Finn,” the guy said. “The jacket is mine.”
You stared at him, tenser now. He opened his eyes wide, drawing a thin line with his mouth. Oh, stars, this idiot was pretending to be part of The Resistance.
“Do you trust them, buddy?”
BB-8 happily beeped in an affirmative gesture.
“Where’s Poe?” If you knew something about Poe, and you knew everything about Poe, it was that he only left BB-8 behind when he didn’t have another option — no matter how reckless his last resort was. The droid was part of him, just like the jacket Finn was wearing.
Finn couldn’t help himself and explained, ���we crashlanded. He didn’t make it.”
You took a deep breath in, barely nodding. Your only hope now was that it had been quick, that he hadn’t suffered.
“We need to get out of here,” Rey sighed exasperatedly, “you can question us throughout the journey. I suppose.”
“The ship isn’t in optimal conditions,” you croaked.
“None of us will be in optimal conditions if we don’t leave now,” she quipped.
Seeing you frown, Finn added, “They want the droid. And to kill us.”
You wished they would for a fleeting moment. What was life with no loved ones but a painstakingly slow crave for the relief of being lucky to see them again, surrounded by the force where bliss was the only thing that existed?
You merely nodded. Rey hurried to the pilot seat, beaming as she got comfortable. She looked adorable, you would’ve expressed it if you weren’t about to crumble.
Had he missed you like you missed him? You supposed he had. The two of you had been close for so long that it was safe to assume he would care about his friend.
Friend. Did friends laugh the way the two of you did? How could anyone be sure? Lines blurred all the time between childhood friends, and with the life you had in The Resistance it was common to grow closer to its members.
Even then, he probably had replaced you after all that time apart. And now it didn’t matter because he was…
Poe was dead.
You had been trained to endure many torture tactics and fight any creature or thing imaginable to human beings. You had been under a lot of pain, in the brink of death — nothing had hurt like the news Finn gave you, nothing had hurt like knowing you wouldn’t ever hear Poe’s laugh again.
You felt numb. Too many things were going through your head and your heart, so many you couldn’t feel anything at all. You knew the ship was rocking, you could hear Finn’s and Rey’s shouts, but you weren’t processing them.
Loss had never numbed you before. It had angered you, wrecked you, made you a tougher woman — a better spy.
Everything went by in blurs. You weren’t sure if you had imagined it or if someone else had entered the ship. It wasn’t like you cared either.
Even BB-8 was avoiding you now. You preferred it that way, you weren’t ready to be around something Poe had loved so deeply.
You were pushed by Rey into a hiding place. Finn handed you a mask and you robotically put it on, feeling the weight of BB-8 against your calf.
The rafter above you opened. Han Solo greeted you, “Hey, kid. What are you doing here? Who’s the pilot?”
Snatching the mask off, you motioned to Rey. “She is.”
You had met Han and Chewie by mistake in one of their smuggling adventures. Han hadn’t been happy when he found out you were part of The Resistance but you promised you wouldn’t say anything and miraculously, he believed you.
True to your word, you had never mentioned him in front of General Organa. It had been somewhat hard not to tell Poe about it, but a promise was a promise. Now you wished you had told him — you could only imagine how shiny his eyes would get as he giddily asked for more details and about The Falcon.
Finn, Rey, Han, and Chewie were speaking. You knew the topic was important but for the love of the stars, the majority of the words escaped you.
Map. Skywalker. Resistance base.
You glanced down at BB-8. The poor droid made a frail noise. Taking it as a sign that you should stay quiet, you announced you would make sure you had done the reparations correctly.
☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎
Visiting Maz Kanata didn’t excite you. Although Takodana looked the same it had the last time you visited, it felt more dangerous than ever.
You were sure Han, Chewie, and Rey could take care of themselves, but Finn worried you. He was jumpy, looking at everywhere as though he was waiting for someone to attack.
Elbowing him on the side, you handed him your blaster. He stared down at it, frowning. You just shook the weapon, gesturing for him to take it already.
His shakiness didn’t go unnoticed by you, and honestly as worried as you were, you couldn’t blame him.
Stars, you really needed to tell them the truth. Clearing your throat, you took in a deep breath. You should trust them, yes. “I know where to find a part of the map.”
“Where?” Finn asked in a hushed tone.
“What if I said my pocket? Kind of.”
“I would kiss you if I didn’t—“ he stopped himself.
You almost chuckled. “Piece of advice?” He nodded so you continued, “she won’t reciprocate if you continue lying to her.”
His face fell. “That obvious?”
You patted his upper back. “Yeah. Fix it before it’s too late.”
Han interrupted your conversation to hand Finn a weapon. “She’s right. Women always find the truth.”
Finn handed your blaster back, nodding downward in a thankful gesture to both you and Han. You put the weapon back in place.
After a few seconds of pondering, he asked you, “how do I tell her I want no part in this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t like war. I’m running away from it.”
“Only mercenaries like war, Finn.” You placed your hand on his shoulder. “Some people don’t like it because of the destruction, others because of politics, and a few because it only takes and takes but never seems to give.”
His kind eyes told you he wanted to ask something. You hoped he wouldn’t because you were sure you would break down sobbing if you had to speak about Poe.
“Why are you still fighting?”
“There’s always something worth fighting for. Freedom, love, family…”
Finn and you shared a look as you entered Maz’s Castle, exchanging a nod to assure the other you had each other’s back.
A mess, that was what the situation you had found yourselves in was. Rey and Finn had each ran away at different times, leaving you and Han to deal with Maz, BB-8, Luke’s lightsaber, and the fact that neither of you had an interest in going back to The Resistance base.
You didn’t feel ready to see your old friends, to find out how many of them had died. You didn’t want to hear their condolences because whoever was still around must’ve known you and Poe were close. Facing Leia would be devastating when she saw Poe as another son, the son who had stayed.
Commotion surrounded you, screams and confused questions overwhelmed you as people ran out of the castle. Han and you followed them, making your way through the sea of people congregated at the front gates. Chewie was there too, with his bowcaster ready.
An incandescent red light shone brightly in the sky, no clouds nearby whatsoever. The ground trembled. Finn’s voice filled your ears, “it was The Republic. The first order, they’ve done it.” He then asked for Rey.
Looking down, you loudly blurted, “Where’s BB-8?”
It was too late. TIE-fighters invaded the planet, destroying everything they could aim at. Han, Chewie, and Finn followed Maz, you stayed outside, helping as many people as you were able to. If you were going to die that day, you would do it fighting like you were taught by the New Republic.
Your companions came out of the ruins, shooting at any stormtrooper that crossed their path. You hid behind a pillar, holding your blaster tightly. Thinking about Rey, how excited she had been to see so much green, you took a deep breath. Poe came to your mind, the fact that he had given Finn his name because he refused to call him by a demeaning code… Finn, his craving for a better life.
Suddenly it felt personal. It stopped being about the cause, it was about the people in and around it — the innocent who didn’t have any other choice. You finally understood, perhaps too late, that you could make a difference because you were on the side that didn’t like war when the other in fact did.
Finn ignited a blue lightsaber, you imagined it was Luke’s, and started fighting too. He was sloppy, but you knew his heart was in the place it should be. Seeing Han and Chewie approach him, you did so too, looking behind you from time to time.
Heavy steps started following you out of nowhere. Shaking them off was impossible, you tried it all with no success — there was only one you, a hungry, tired, dehydrated, and broken-hearted you and dozens of them.
The troopers disarmed you, pointing at the four of you with their own weapons. With your hands on the back of your head, a familiar whooshing brought your hopes up.
Han smirked, sharing a look with you. The troopers around you started dropping to the ground, along with pieces of TIE-fighters that had been hit by X-Wings. You hoped Jess was up there, it would be nice to see her if you made it out alive.
Running behind Chewie, you pried your blaster off the dead hands of the trooper that had taken it from you and followed Han, shooting at any white helmet you spotted.
In the air, the leader piloted like they owned the sky. Finn’s adrenaline was running high and he screamed in excitement.
“That’s one hell of a pilot!”
They were. But they weren’t Poe. Their maneuvers were similar enough for you to cling to the hope that it was him, but Finn had been clear when he said your beloved friend hadn’t made it.
☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎
D’Qar hadn’t changed much, it looked busier but with everything going around the galaxy you hadn’t expected anything different.
BB-8 beeped to gain your attention, rolling excitedly. You followed the droid with Finn close by. He was worried, panting as he ran behind the little droid. You saw a few new faces as you walked through the crowd of pilots.
The droid rolled fast toward an X-Wing and your heart skipped a beat. You stood frozen in place, only able to watch as Poe, yes, Poe, greeted the droid with the same joy he used to greet your mom whenever he saw her.
Finn ran towards him, and Poe ran to Finn. You saw them embrace, their words didn’t register as you could only stare. Warm eyes caught yours, and Finn moved out of the way.
You tried really hard to move forward but your legs weren’t capable of doing it. You felt arms around you, your face collided against a semi-hard surface.
“You’re alive,” he rasped.
His voice was everything you needed to feel like you could breathe again. Hugging him back, tightly, you mumbled a tired yes. Poe’s embrace tightened.
“Finn needs help,” you remembered, “and I, well, he. Both of us… Finn and I need to talk to The General—“
“Shhh, it’s okay,” he said calmly. Parting from you, lingering his eyes on your face — the one he thought he would never be able to see again, he took your hand and with his free one motioned for Finn to go with you.
Finn repeated what you had said. “I need your help.”
“We’re getting it, buddy,” Poe assured his new friend.
You were pried off Poe in order to be pulled into a tight hug. When the shock wore off, you hugged Jess back. Recognizing your body language, she reluctantly let go of you, staring at you with dampened eyes. Gripping her shoulder in the assurance that you were okay, you followed the path Poe and Finn had taken.
Finn looked at you, interrupting whatever he was telling the General. Nodding you lifted a hand for him to give you a moment.
Pulling your dagger out, you discarded your dirty plain jacket. Everyone’s eyes were on you. Stars, you hoped that dagger wasn’t too dirty.
Taking a deep breath, you held your forearm at a comfortable angle.
“Wait,” Poe yelled. “What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Trust me.”
He fell silent. Even after all those years of thinking you were dead, he trusted you blindly. Fear didn’t spare him, he held his breath as he watched.
Hissing at the sting when you pierced your skin, you bit down your bottom lip. Dropping the dagger, you pulled the tiny card out of your arm. Unwrapping it from its plastic protection, you handed it to C3PO.
“Mission accomplished, General,” you breathed out. Three years later, but accomplished nonetheless.
General Organa nodded. “Go and get that cleaned.”
Ripping a piece of your sleeve, you shook your head and tied it around the wound. “I’m fine. Ready for duty.”
Leia opposed, Poe did too. You couldn’t understand where his attitude was coming from, but it didn’t matter — you couldn’t disobey your general.
The medical exam took a long time, you needed to be tested for everything as part of the protocol. The base had turned silent by the time you were told you were free to go back to your quarters and take a shower, everyone must’ve been attacking Starkiller Base under Poe’s command.
“My clothes are still there?” you incredulously asked.
Latia, the nurse, smiled warmly at you. “Of course, those are your personal quarters.”
“They are? After all this time?!”
Your incredulity broke her heart. Nodding, she placed a hand on your back and guided you toward the hallway.
“Has the code changed?”
“Commander Dameron made sure it didn’t.”
Your stomach flipped — Poe had counted on you coming back. The code, indeed, was the same. Your quarters were in the same state you remembered leaving them, too.
Showers were underrated, you decided under the water as you washed the grim off your hair. Sure, sonic showers were more efficient and quicker but nothing would ever beat hot showers after a long day — or excruciating years.
☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎・・・・・☆︎
Poe could only imagine you were frustrated by not being granted permission to go with them. The fact that your part of the map hadn’t completed it was upsetting even to him.
He was informed you were healthy enough to be allowed to stay in your room when he followed the medical team to the infirmary as they carried Finn. Latia said you needed rest to which he agreed, but she also winked at him. He knew what he needed to do.
You hadn’t received any notification of the squadrons being back nor one for the need for evacuation. The knocking on the door startled you — aiming at it with your blaster, you opened it with your other hand.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Lowering the blaster upon finding it was only a very unfazed Poe, you shrugged. “How did you know I wasn’t asleep?”
Poe chuckled, nodding upward instead of answering the question. “Can I come in?”
You placed the blaster on your bedside table, waiting for him to get comfortable. To your surprise, instead of sitting down on the couch, he did so on the edge of the bed.
His eyes were startlingly heavy on you. He looked like he wasn’t even blinking. You rotated your body to examine him. Poe’s arms wrapped around you tightly, pulling you flush to him.
You hugged him by the neck, trying to hide how shocked you were by the sudden show of affection. His shoulders started to shake. A sob escaped him and you could only tighten your arms around him.
His weeping wetted your top, but none of you cared. Poe was in so much distress and you couldn’t fathom why — he had always performed admirably under pressure.
You whispered his name, “What’s wrong?”
“I thought I lost you.” His comment was muffled by the material of your shirt and his clogged nose, but you understood his words perfectly.
You swallowed loudly. “I thought I had lost you, too. Finn said—“
Lifting his head off your stomach, he exploded at you. “Yes, but you didn’t spend an eternity thinking you would never see me again, that you would have to live the rest of your life incomplete… I did, it fucking sucked.”
“You don’t know what I went through! Or what I felt when I saw someone else wearing your jacket!”
His chiseled face turned red. “You made me watch you cut your flesh open earlier!”
It now sounded like he was just finding things to make you feel bad about. If that was what he wanted, he accomplished it. “It’s healed already, if it worries you that much.”
Poe couldn’t believe your words. Pushing you off him, he stood up. “If I worry that much? Have you not listened to what I’ve been telling you?”
“You’ve been yelling at me for something I didn’t have control of,” you said, hoping he would finally understand your perspective.
“You could be dead right now! I could be planning a funeral if I was lucky enough to…” Poe’s voice shattered. “I can’t lose you,” he rasped.
“And I can’t lose you either, but I can’t stop doing my job because you might worry.”
He nodded, letting more tears fall. It broke your heart seeing him like that, you wanted nothing more than to take every bad feeling out of his system — you needed him to be okay, to be the cocky Poe you had fallen in love with.
Offering him a tissue, you reminded him, “I’ll always try my best to come back home.”
He cleaned his face in silence, with a thought whirling inside his eyes.
“You don’t believe me?” You tried to guess.
“I believe you.” Poe gave you his back to discard the tissues. He gripped the edge of your desk, inhaling deeply.
You worriedly gazed at him, at his white knuckles and the heaving of his shoulders due to harsh breath. Approaching him, you placed a hand on his back.
“Breathe, Poe,” you reminded him, rubbing his upper back, “it’s okay.”
“I saw them kill everyone in that village… you could’ve been there.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You weren’t,” he affirmed, reminding himself that you hadn’t been in that village, that you were there behind him. You were there, rubbing soothing circles on his back and speaking softly to him.
You were there, actually in the room he had kept intact and immaculate awaiting for your comeback. In the room he had slept more times he was willing to accept because it still smelled like you, like home.
Poe wanted to turn around and face you, to tell you all those things filling his heart to the brim, but he decided to be selfish for a few lingering moments and enjoy the warmth of your hand on his tense back.
His breathing finally evened out, thankfully. You were on the verge of crying again, if it wasn’t because your head was about to explode you would’ve been a sobbing mess in front of him.
“Did you miss me?”
The question caught you off guard. You still answered, “I did. How could I not?”
He shrugged. Poe could think of a few reasons, of a handful of fears — things he had never told you, ashamed and scared you would think any less of him. He had insecurities like any other human being that very early he learned to mask and channel, not always successfully but well enough to not worry you.
It sounded silly, hiding things from someone whom he craved the attention of so they wouldn’t worry, but Poe was sure you would drop anything you could to aid him. He couldn’t allow it, no matter how desperately he wanted — you loved your job, and he feared you wouldn’t focus properly because of him like he sometimes couldn’t focus properly because of you. Ever since you became missing in action, it all took a giant toll on him.
A big part of piloting was from muscle memory, at least for him. The adrenaline helped him to focus, to enjoy the thrill running up his body. Poe never became distracted to the point of not being able to do his job thanks to the training you had reinforced him, he would sometimes catch himself slipping but he didn’t allow it to go that far — the moment the mission was done, though? He dreaded those.
He just said it. Hiding it now —in the current political climate, in the middle of a war that would end in so much loss and suffering whether the two of you made it out alive or not— would be a big mistake and a waste of time. “I’m in love with you.”
“Excuse me?”
He glared at you. “You heard me just fine.”
“Maybe I want to hear it again.”
“Well, just say so.” Before you could snappily say it, he repeated his confession, taking your hands in his. “I’m in love with you.”
Intertwining your fingers with his own, you gave him a tired smile, “I’m in love with you too.”
Poe tugged on your hands to bring you closer, letting them go once you were chest to chest. He wrapped both arms around your hips, resting his head on your shoulder. There was nothing more to it, just a tender embrace.
Your fingers tangled in his curls, the pads of your fingers massaged his scalp as he comfortably sighed. “I really missed you,” you told him, wrapping your free arm around his shoulders. “I thought you would have another best friend by the time I could come back, and then Finn appeared with your jacket and said you hadn’t made it and I just... stars, I could be planning a funeral right now.”
“Now you know what it feels like,” he mumbled, nuzzling his nose against your neck to then inhale your scent. “I missed your perfume.”
“I’ll buy you one.”
“It’s not the same.” Poe lifted his head, just enough to kiss your cheek. “It smells better on you.”
You turned to the side to be able to look at him. “Yeah?”
He smiled, gazing down at your lips. Humming, he planted his hands on your lower back. “May I?”
You kissed him first, pressing your chapped lips to his just as the question slid past them. Never had you shared a kiss so tender and full of emotion, one that said what words fell short at.
Losing that would mean losing the only real thing you had left — losing Poe, like you had thought you had, would mean losing yourself. And he felt the same.
Fingers still buried and tangled in his curls, you poured all your gratitude and love into the kiss. Poe did the same, not able to hide how giddy he felt and smiling against your mouth.
“Promise me you will be more careful next mission,” he told you between short kisses.
Humming, you dragged your lips to the side to pepper kisses on his stubbled jaw. “Only if you promise the same.”
“I’m always careful.”
He received a glare from you. You hoped he didn’t need a list of the reckless things he had done ever since you two joined The Resistance because not only were you extremely tired, you would rather have him cuddle you.
As if reading your mind, Poe slowly untangled from you. He started undoing the bed, folding the duvet onto itself. “Get in, sweetheart, you need some rest.”
Sitting down on the bed, you stared at him with your head tilted. “Will you cuddle me, Dameron?”
He was offended by the question, of course he would cuddle you. Your eyes followed his movements as he rounded the bed — Poe bent over, pulling a bag from under the base. Unzipping the bag, he took a pair of sweatpants out.
Feeling your stare, he said in nonchalance, “unless you want me to sleep in my underwear?”
You would never oppose to that, but you had a more important question. “Why was that bag under my bed?”
Scratching the back of his head, he smiled sheepishly. Poe told you the truth, though, you were a couple now. He supposed you were, at least. “I sleep better when I can smell your scent.”
With your heart beating faster, you nodded while telling him he could sleep however he wanted. Two minutes later, you were being spooned by your best friend —and boyfriend—, with his warm breath fanning on your neck and fingers trailing your plump belly.
“Can’t sleep yet?”
“It’s been like five minutes, Poe.” Placing your hand on top of his, you started playing with his fingers. “Where do you think we should look for the map next time?”
He couldn’t believe you were still worried about that. It was mostly his fault for not telling you. “We found it, you don’t have to think about that anymore.”
You rolled on the bed to face him, lightly slapping his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”
It was his time to glare at you which brought him great satisfaction. Seeing you roll your eyes, he brought you closer. Poe laid on his back, making you rest your head on his sternum.
You changed the subject, then, “are you going to go get Luke Skywalker?”
“Rey’s on her way with Chewbacca.”
“Han let Chewbacca go without him?”
“General Solo is dead,” he sighed, a hint of sadness coating his tone. “Did you just call him Han? Since when do you call General Solo simply Han?”
Oh, boy. You hoped he wouldn’t break up with you for hiding your little adventure with Han Solo and Chewbacca for years.
Poe didn’t, he feigned offense and pouted but you kissed it better. You kissed it all better as he held you, close and tightly like he had fantasized for so long.
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