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buryustogether · 1 year ago

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lilac - chapter 4

miguel o’hara x f!reader

summary: you accidentally overhear a conversation between miguel and his ai at work.

wc: 4.5k

warnings/tags: domestic lifestyle, mentions of violence, mentions of choking and death, swearing, mentions of office sex, strippers, sex workers, strip club, private dances, cuddling

author’s note: he’s so lana del rey coded guys

Anybody with experience knew that trying to keep twenty third graders together was like herding cats. Anybody with further experience knew that keeping twenty third graders together in a sharp, sleek, trillion-dollar facility like Alchemax was like herding cats who were soaking wet and high on all the catnip they could have stuffed their stupid little faces with in the span of five minutes.

“Alexander,” you snapped as you helped your coworker count little bodies as they piled off the bus. “If I have to tell you one more time to keep your hands off James, I’m going to drive this bus myself back to school and give you a fifty-page packet while everyone else here has fun.”

While your words had the effect you hoped they did, you wouldn’t exactly classify a field trip to Alchemax as fun. It was a megacorporation that dabbled in exploits from clean energy to genetics to god knew whatever else they did in there between those fancy metal walls. The building looked as though it should have come straight from a sci-fi film compared to the other foundations on the block, all floor-to-ceiling windows and fifty-some floors and armed guards that stood at the front doors. Certainly not a place to take a field trip with a bunch of nine year olds. Again, you would have thought some place like the zoo or even an interactive museum would have been better, but when the principal wanted something, she got it.

To be honest, you had a suspicion she was hooking up with one of the guards here, but you had nothing to prove your theory.

Like the pack of raging little animals that they were, your students filed across the front way of the building and up the stone stairs to the doors, where they waited in a mass of wiggles and excited spasms. Each of them held their partner’s hand, a rule you pressed with each field trip. Going into a freaky building like this, you almost wished you had a hand to hold yourself.

“That’s all of them,” said your coworkers, one of the three teachers who had come to chaperone the trip. She looked up from her clipboard of names, double checking each kid as you both followed the crowd of children up the steps. “Christ, this is going to be a shitshow. I just know we��re going to be escorted out of here after�� I don’t know, a molecular leveler gets demolished by tiny, sticky hands.”

You snuffed out a little snort, reaching up to adjust the necklace perched about your collarbones. In your free hand, you carried a coffee cup that still had the tab in; it wasn’t for you. “I think it’ll be alright,” you said, but not nearly as confidently as you would have liked. “We had an entire assembly over this.”

“And since when has that ever helped?” She followed your movements, her eyes trailing over your form. You blinked at her. “Are you wearing lipstick?”

“Hah! No…!” Quickly, before she could ask any more questions, you turned away and pressed your lips to your sleeve, trying to wipe off some of the excess lipstick you’d applied right before leaving the school. Fuck, it was too much, wasn’t it?

Definitely too much for popping in to visit during a school field trip when you should have been watching your kids.

After passing through multiple tall, sleek-looking metal detectors (and scolding a few kids for bringing their phones when they were specifically told to leave them at school), you met the man who would be giving the tour of the facility in the lobby. Overhead, modern-art-classified light fixtures hung from the ceiling like someone had captured starlight and crammed it into bulbs. A cafeteria filled with scientists and researchers and everyone in between stood to your left, each of them donned in a stark white lab coat. Some of them spoke on phones, others clacked away on laptops and futuristic-looking tablets with such an intensity you would have thought they were taking a test for their lives. A few of them spared a glace or two at your group, but they didn’t last long. Apparently field trips to designated areas in the building were normal.

You heard the tour guide talking animatedly to the kids, but his words didn’t quite register as you kept your head on a swivel, searching out something specific. After a moment, when you leaned back on the heels of your feet, you found what you were looking for; the elevators.

“Hey,” you said to your coworker as the kids began to move deeper into the lobby, “will you cover for me? I’ve got to run to the restroom real quick.”

After they had moved along to where they couldn’t see you, you grasped the coffee cup tighter in your grasp and made a beeline for the elevators. Your footsteps against the polished marble seemed deafening as you quickened your pace, realizing the cup wasn’t as hot as it had been earlier. How fucking humiliating would it be if you brought him cold coffee? There was a part of you that knew, really, he wouldn’t mind, but the larger, more insecure bit insisted he would mentally cringe and throw it out the second you left.

Fuck, you thought. This man had you whipped.

You had just reached the elevators, reaching out to tap the call button, when a voice called out to you from your left. “Excuse me,” said a woman sitting behind a large metal desk you hadn’t seen in your haste. She eyed you from behind thick lenses, brow quirked over the top of her monitor. “We do ask that you stay with your group, if you’re here for a tour.”

“Oh! Uhm…” Gripping the cup tight enough that you felt the cardboard bend ever so slightly against your fingers, you padded closer to the desk and put on your best tight-lipped smile. “I’m sorry. I was just bringing a drink to someone who worked here. He’s, uhm… he’s -”

Before you could force your tongue to get out some kind of excuse, some kind of title, the woman was pulling out a small paper sheet from a drawer beside her leg. “Are you a significant other?” she asked, pulling a visitor sticker from the sheet and leaning forward to press it to your shirt. She didn’t seem to want to wait for an answer before sitting back down and clicking away at her screen. “Just a security question before you go; name and floor number?”

Goddamn; suddenly you were so fucking glad some people sucked at their jobs.

Taking a breath, you inhaled and plastered on a grin. “O’Hara,” you replied. “Floor seven.”

“Alright,” she said without looking up again. “You’re free to go up. Please stay in the public hallways.”

The entire elevator ride up to the third floor, you were unable to keep a goofy, surely stupid-looking smile from your face. You liked the idea of being called Miguel’s ‘significant other.’ It made your stomach clench, made your pulse race and your heart thunder and your core throb with a dull ache. For just a moment, you allowed yourself to imagine that kind of role, being deserving of such a title.

Coming home from your teaching job not to immediately race to do your makeup in loud, flashy colors, but to stay in the warm, basking glow of a house or a roomy apartment each evening. The keys would always fit just right in the lock, never click or jump. The air would be filled with the sound of a little girl’s quiet giggles from her bedroom, along with the smell of dinner cooking on the stove. Small soccer cleats by the door. Trinkets and photographs and everything else that made the house a home strewn about the rooms. And a tall, sinewy figure that towered over you there to greet you when you walked inside, all warm smiles and wide, calloused hands on your hips and full lips to press against yours with enough gentleness and passion and adoration to keep you on your toes the rest of the night.

A bed big enough for the both of you, with enough blankets and comforters that you wouldn’t be cold even if you couldn’t afford to keep the heat on. Sheets and pillows that knew your white-knuckled grip, that would mold to your hands as you laid out bare for him and allowed him to worship the very ground you walked on with his mouth, his fingers, what lay beneath his slim, narrow hips…

By the time the elevator reached the seventh floor and the doors opened with a gentle chime, your cheeks were hot and your palms were sweaty enough you were sure you’d heated the coffee back up to steaming.

Wandering through the halls of Alechmax’s third floor and feeling incredibly out of place amongst the scientists flipping through reports and chattering on calls, you shuffled from office to office, searching for that familiar name that made your stomach flip. It seemed an awkwardly insane amount of time before you finally spotted his name on a plate beside a door left slightly ajar. You approached and smoothed out your shirt, preparing to present the coffee, when you heard voices inside.

“This isn’t like you, boss,” a woman was saying, her voice slightly warped from speaking over a computer. “You’re always preaching to the others that messing with canon events and triggering changes that aren’t meant to happen is wrong. You know it’s wrong.”

From across the room, a voice you recognized as Miguel’s scoffed. “This one is different. I’m balancing out the changes. I’ve got it under control.”

“Some control you’ve got. You do realize you’ve already altered enough canon events that even this universe itself doesn’t know where it’s going anymore? The bad guys here aren’t supposed to be in jail. Things aren’t supposed to get better. You know why? Because here, there is no Spiderman.”

Spiderman? Your gut clenched slightly as you inched closer to the gap between the door and the frame. If they were talking about Spiderman, then surely - he must have come from here. Some of those conspiracy theorists were right.

“Like I said, Lyla,” Miguel replied, his voice a touch deeper than it had been just a moment ago, “I have it under control.”

The woman named Lyla went on despite the dangerous rumble in Miguel’s throat you’d never heard before. “Here’s another one. That friend of yours? She was supposed to be engaged by now to her boyfriend. Her actual boyfriend. They’re supposed to have the whole angsty proposal thing, go back and forth for another three months, then end things. When he ends her. Asphyxiation by choking for approximately seven minutes, by the way.”

For a long, long while, there was silence. You realized you had been holding your breath, trying desperately to connect these pieces that just refused to fit together. What on earth were they talking about? Universes? Spiderman? Someone getting choked to death by their fiance? It sounded like a bad movie plot.

“Lyla?” came Miguel’s voice.

“Yeah, boss?”

“...Shut down and mute all alerts.”

Again, there came that horrible, palpable silence. Lyla seemed to be in some kind of shock. “Boss, I’m not sure that’s really what you want. You’re in a state of denial. Maybe you should take a break there, come back to headquarters. Jessica’s tried reaching out. Peter and Ben, too. I advise spending time with friends to decrease levels of -”

“Shut down. Now. I’m not going to tell you again.”

“...Yes, boss.”

When you heard his footsteps crossing the room, you took a small step back and clutched the surely-lukewarm coffee to your stomach. You’d never heard him take such a tone before, always used to that warm, content baritone that rumbled comfortably from deep within his throat. This kind of voice you’d just heard was cold and emotionless, without an ounce of feeling in a single one of his words.

You took a breath and exhaled it softly.

Then, as if he heard it from inside his office, the door was opened at an alarming rate to reveal Miguel on the other side. His brow was furrowed and a line had appeared at the corner of his mouth with his frown, obviously expecting one of his coworkers to be intruding at his door. Yet when his gaze met yours, when his frame towered over your smaller one, he realized just who you were, recognized that gleam in your eyes when you locked stares. His gaze softened like an airbag deflating. That line by his mouth disappeared. His tensed figure slowly relaxed, his shoulders coming down from where they’d been set.

For a short moment, you simply stared at one another. You were forced to admit to yourself that tone he’d spoken with had intimidated you.

It reminded you of the one Ferris used when he cornered you and threatened to take off for good.

Finally, Miguel’s lips parted. “Hey,” he breathed out, like he was trying his damn fucking best not to let that tone leak through to you.

You swallowed and slowly allowed yourself to relax. He wouldn’t ever speak to you like that. You didn’t know how you knew. You could just sense it in the warmth that poured from him, from the gentle honey of his dark eyes, from the way he held himself and carried his weight and set down each step like he knew the outcome of each and every movement he made. “Hi.”

Miguel inhaled, as if he were relieved you decided to speak. “Sorry about that,” he said and gestured over his shoulder into his office. “We’ve been testing out some new AI lately. Throwing it curveballs to see if it can keep up.” A small smile graced his face, close-lipped and sweet. Again, you realized - he never smiled with his teeth. “It hasn’t been going well.”

Like a dam breaking and letting a flood of water into a canal, relief rocketed through your systems and worked to ease your stress. Of course he had been talking to a computer. You doubted he could ever speak to a woman like that, much less anyone else. And that also explained all the wild things they had been discussing. Universes? Some poor chick getting murdered by her fiance?

Just the complicated workings of an out of sorts AI.

“I have to admit, I was wondering,” you let yourself laugh. “But, you know… who am I to question Alchemax’s best geneticist?” You watched in fascination as the corner of his mouth quirked upward and one eye squinted with the smile. God, you could watch him do that all damn day. Suddenly remembering the coffee in your hands, you held it up to him with an embarrassed grin. “I meant to bring you this while it was still hot, but I guess you know how hellish it can be getting a bunch of third graders on a bus.”

He took the cup with a rather confused expression.

“The field trip,” you said and folded your hands in front of you, because you knew if you didn’t, you would surely reach out and touch his face. “It’s today. You signed the permission slip about a month ago.”

Miguel blinked a few times, then took a breath and lifted his face. “Right. Right, sorry. Must have slipped my mind. I’ve - heh.” He shook his head and reached up to scratch at the delicate skin of his throat in that way he did when he spoke to you. “More going on than you would know.”

“Believe me,” you said softly, looking down at your shoes. You thought of dishes still in the sink, and band practices in your living room, and threats of leaving you all on your own because, really, that was truly your worst fear. “I know.”

You thought from there you would smile and turn, say something like, ‘Well, just thought I’d stop by,’ and leave him in the doorway of his office so that he wouldn’t see the yearning swimming in your irises. Maybe if you were feeling bold, you’d reach out and touch his wrist for just a moment before pulling away and practically sprinting back to the elevators.

But when you went to turn, he beat you to all of that. He reached out to touch your upper arm, the tips of his calloused fingers brushing along the fabric of your shirt, and he asked if you’d like to come inside, sit down for a minute. And inside his office, he told you what his department was working on, explained it in ways he knew you would understand. He spoke of a molecular collider that, in theory, would open a doorway to parallel universes.

You could have spent hours sitting in that office that smelled like his cologne, listening to him talk.

But life moved on. You were forced to pull yourself away, travel back downstairs and hold Gabriella’s hand like you hadn’t just thought about Miguel folding you over his desk, hushing your desperate cries, and gripping onto your hips with a hold that would bruise. You were forced to drive home and argue with Ferris about dirty laundry and his new keyboard girl constantly texting him. You were forced to land in the dressing room at The Menagerie, carefully dotting rhinestones to your collarbones in the mirror while the other girls buzzed around you.

“And he brought you flowers, too?” asked Shawna from where she was spread out on the couch across the room. She sighed deeply and hung her head over the armrest. “Girl. When are you going to stop playing and give that little girl of his a new mom?”

“You know why I can’t,” you replied as you pressed a small plastic rhinestone to your skin.

Zara met your eyes in the mirror as she grabbed the back of your chair, already dressed in her colorful, skimpy outfit and her mask. “We know why,” she hissed, but not at you. “That Ferris dude has got you held under the water, babe. Serious ball and chain kind of deal here. You really need to do something.”

If you could have found the strength to, you would have rolled your eyes at their words. But you really couldn’t. You were nothing short of exhausted after the field trip today, so much that you wouldn’t be surprised if you were unable to keep your eyes open while you were on stage. God, you loved your teaching gig, but sometimes it was so, so stressful. And so was this job. Teaching, dancing, disciplining, teasing. They all collided into one big, neverending hurricane of fatigue.

“Maybe in another universe,” you found yourself mumbling under your breath, remembering everything Miguel had told you about this morning, “I could have been a flower shop keeper.”

Behind you in the mirror, a few of the girls looked at you with strange expressions.

Before you could go back to applying your rhinestones, one of the newer girls entered the room and pushed her mask up so that her face was visible. She looked to you. “Boss said you’re canceled on the stage,” she said, and you hoped for a moment you were going to go home early, before she added, “Guy paid for a private dance in Room 7.”

“Goddammit.” You groaned and leaned forward to rest your forehead on your arms. You were way too fucking tired to do a private dance right now.

“M’sure he won’t be that bad,” said Shawna as she let herself slip further over the arm of the couch.

Grumbling beneath your breath, you stood, finished off your rhinestones the best you could, and slipped your cold porcelain mask over your features. At least like this, your customer wouldn’t be able to see your exhausted eyes and lost expression.

The beating, thrumming music of the club seemed to vibrate your very soul in your chest as you wound your way past patrons and around the stage, sure to throw half-assed smiles at the people you were forced to wiggle past just a bit too close. The short corridor leading to the private rooms were lit with neons, playing with shadows across your costumed form as you found Room 7 and gently knocked on the door. You blinked a few times to clear the blur from your eyes, then cleared your throat and stepped inside.

“Hi, handsome,” you said as you turned to shut the door - your classic line, no matter who the buyer. “How are you doing tonight?” You turned around to face your customer, then came to a complete stop. Even your heart jumped a beat or two.

The man you’d seen in the shadows that night of the robbery, the man with the little scar on his collarbone, had gotten to his feet from his chair when you entered the room. He wore that same spider mask, still had his dark hair slicked back over his head.

You swallowed thick as you felt his eyes traveling over your form behind the gaps in his mask. “Hello… Spiderman.”

He hesitated for a moment, like he was lost on just what to do. “Hey,” he said in an equally soft voice. It was muted in the same way it was behind his spandex mask.

You placed your hands behind your back as you leaned up against the door - and locked it. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“...You asked.”

“Did I?” Putting on your best flirty, coy smile, you slowly crossed the room to meet him. “I thought all I said was… if you stopped by, to ask for me.” You reached out to touch the edge of his shirt, past his dress jacket, and skim your knuckle over the tan skin of his exposed collarbone. That scar sat just where you’d seen it before. “But you’re here.”

“...I’m here.”

There was a soft lilt to his voice, one that you had not heard before. Then again, you hadn’t spoken to him much, just in the bank and on the rooftop. But it seemed long enough to know that it wasn’t normal.

“What’s wrong, Spiderman?” you asked gently, taking a step closer. Your knees brushed against his, and when you gave him a gentle push on the shoulder, he sat back in the chair positioned in the center of the room. You gingerly climbed up so that your knees rested on either side of his thighs, so that your center was just inches above his. You didn’t miss the slight hitch in his breath, the way his eyes widened ever just so behind that spider mask. “Have a bad day? Some criminals get the better of you?”

You knew, in a way, that he wasn’t going to do it himself, so you took his wide, warm hands in your own and rested them on your hips. They stayed there for a long, long moment. Then they moved not down, toward your ass and your core, but up. They felt tentatively along your middle, his thumb tickling your stomach just a bit, and stopped just below your breasts before sliding back down again.

“No,” he replied in a low, raspy voice. He paused when you slowly lowered yourself so that you were seated on his lap now, your hips pressed against his. You felt his thigh twitch beneath your ass. “Pretty good day, actually. Just… heard some bad news.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

You hummed, letting your fingers drag along the delicate skin of his throat, just barely shaded with stubble. “What can I do to make you feel better?”

You expected him to hesitate, then make a request. Strip for him. Dance. Whisper in his ear all the things you wanted to do to him.

But there came none of that. Instead of touching you like you were used to, his hands - which were still respectfully resting against your middle - slowly slid across to your back and gently, gingerly, pulled you against him so that you were lying against his front. So that your chests were pressed together. So that you were slumped comfortably in his lap. He held you there against him, one hand on the small of your back and the other on the base of your neck.

“Just this,” he murmured.

You were stunned, to say the least. This was not the first time a customer just wanted to hold, or be held, or anything of the sort. But even then, those touches were desperate and needy, clingy and awkward. But this was everything they were not. This was gentle and considerate, kind and… romantic. Like he didn’t just need to be touched, he needed to be touched by you.

When you inhaled you thought you recognized the scent you breathed in. But with his body so close and his hands holding you so securely, you dismissed it like a runaway thought.

“Here.” Spiderman pulled you back for just a second, raising his fingers up to pull at the ribbon keeping your mask on your face, mindful not to catch any hair. Your breath hitched when he set the monarch mask aside, your face now bare as you stared down at him. This was against the rules. You were not supposed to do this. Customers were not supposed to see your face, know you like this.

But this?

This was far beyond any rules.

Your lips parted and your heart thundering in your chest so loud you were sure he could hear it, you found your own fingers slowly reaching up to graze at his porcelain mask. Your fingertips grazed the edge, began to hitch it up…

He caught your wrist in a hold that was so gentle, yet so commanding, that you immediately let your hand drop. But there was no venomous feeling there, no edge. Just a warning. A soft, quiet warning.

Exhaling, you wrapped your arms around his neck and settled yourself against his wide, powerful frame. Your face nestled itself into the crook of his neck, your chin resting atop his shoulder, as his hands came back to hold your form against his. One of his thumbs glided across your shoulder blade, sending goosebumps rising across your skin.

Gripping onto his jacket collar, you opened your eyes to look at yourself in the mirror that faced the back of the chair. Here you couldn’t see the mask over Spiderman’s face, just his slicked-back hair and his broad shoulders keeping you caged against him. His head tilted toward yours, your temples resting together.

For a moment, in your exhaustion and fatigue, you thought he resembled someone else you knew. But you let the thought pass, instead shutting your eyes and basking in his soft, gentle, perfect touch.

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#miguel o’hara #miguel o’hara x you #miguel o’hara x y/n #miguel o’hara smut #atsv miguel o’hara #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o’hara across the spiderverse #miguel o’hara atsv #across the spiderverse #atsv miguel #spiderman atsv #atsv x reader #atsv #spiderman 2099

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thought--bubble · 1 year ago

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She is Happy Now Part (3/5)

Modern Aemond X (Ex Girlfriend Reader)

Warnings Below

Word Count: 1,949

She is happy now Master List

Modern Aemond Master List

Full Master List

Banners by @arcielee

Warnings: Alcohol use, mentions of cheating, angst

You enter the red keep hand clutched to Cregans arm. You hadn't been here in a very long time. The Targaryen family haven't lived in the old castle that their family has owned for generations, but they did use it for large gatherings and celebrations. The old bedchambers set up like elaborate hotel rooms. Balls and parties taking place in the old throne room with the local wealthy elite The throne was moved to the citadel museum years ago, but when you're standing in this room, it feels like you're standing in a piece of history.

Being Aemonds girlfriend for all 4 years of high school afforded you invitations to many of these events over the years. As always, the hall was decorated lavishly as was Alicent's superpower. She always had an eye for the exquisite.

"I don't belong here, aemond."

"Of course you do. You're my girl" he laughs

"We've only been together 3 months, and this is not a party my family would ever be invited to." You look around the hall self-consciously

"I hardly belong here myself. All these picture perfect people and then me, the disfigured nerd"

"Aemond!" You smack his shoulder."Don't say that!"

"So let's not belong together, ok?" He shyly grabs your hand and guides you further into the room to join the other guests.

You sigh and Cregan looks down at you.

"Looks like the seats are assigned. Let's find our place, ok?

You nod at him and let him lead the way. People are standing around in pockets talking. Servers walk around with trays of drinks, offering them to wedding guests as they pass by.

"Drink miss?" One such server offers you. You grab the glass of wine and start chugging it.

"Hey take it easy there darling"

Cregan lowers the glass. "We are going to have fun, ok? Dancing, food, and a little bit of alcohol nothing crazy "

You smile sheepishly. "Can't I just get black out drunk, and then you carry me home?

"That wouldn't be good" Heleanas voice rings out behind you.

"Hey, Hel," you turn around and give her a hug. "we were just weighing our options on how best to celebrate. I was thinking of going vintage Aegon"

Heleana snorted at this "no no no I have pictures to take and I can't have you all sloppy" she pushes your shoulder.

"Speaking of that" she takes out her phone and points it at you and Cregan. "Smile love birds!" Cregan wraps his arm around you and you smile looking towards Heleana. She starts snapping some shots.

Behind her, you see that familiar mop of silver hair. He is so tall his head bobs above the other heads as he quickly gets closer. His mere presence causes your head to sag.

"Sister, let me take a photo of you with your.... friends, " he says, sounding a little nervous while holding out his hand towards Helena.

"Yeah, ok. Thanks, Aemond. " Heleana gives you an unsure look before handing him her phone and moving across to stand on the other side of you, placing her arm above Cregans on your back, making you the center of the photo.

Aemond takes a few pictures and then he looks right at you.

"Absolutely beautiful"

You two lock eyes and you freeze. Until you feel Cregan squeeze your waist.

"Come on hun. heleana says our table is over there, " he said, pointing to the far side of the room

"Oh um ok" you barely squeak out as you let Cregan lead you away on shakey legs.

"Well, he's an odd duck. Certainly brazen. " Cregan half laughs, but you can sense the tension in his voice.

" That's a term for him, I guess." You nearly growl.

"I thought you said you were over him?" Cregan says voice low, but you can hear he's annoyed.

" I am, I just want to simultaneously set him on fire"

"Hmm" he scratches his beard. "Is that what you were trying to do? Set him on fire with your eyes, is that why you couldn't take them off of him?"

"Creg..." You stop walking and close your eyes. "I do not want to fight with you. I especially do not want to fight with you because of him of all the people in the realm"

"I'm not trying to start a fight. It's just.... hard to ignore the way you two..... the way the air changes when your near each other." He says pinching his nose.

You go to say something, but he interrupts you. "I'm going for a smoke. I'll be right back. Our table is right there"

He leaves, and you take 2 more steps toward the table and then see a server. You grab 2 cups of wine off the platter and go sit down by your name tag.

"Vintage Aegon it is"

"We have to get him back to his room, or my mom is going to actually kill him," Aemond says between huffs, trying to pull a very enebriated Aegon to his feet.

"I want to go back to the paaaaarty," aegon slurs, trying to free himself from his brothers grip.

"Aegon!" You giggle,"your mother is in there!"

Aegon slouches against Aemond. "Ok, my room then, but no making out or anything gross between you two." he wiggles his eyebrows.

"Shut up, Aegon," aemond says, pink slowly spreading across his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

You successfully get Aegon situated in his guest room within the keep, and both you and Aemond collapse laughing against the door in the hallway.

"I'm sorry, my brother is an idiot. " he says, looking down and scratching the back of his neck.

"He's not an idiot. Not a genius either, but at least he's amusing?" You shrug your shoulders at him standing up. "Let's get back to the party. Your mom might question it if you're both missing"

You reach your hand out to him, and he grabs it, pulling himself up. You turn to walk down the hallway, but he pulls you back into his chest. He takes a deep breath and then gently places his lips on yours.

Your heart beats wildly in your chest as he pulls away, smiling gently and putting his forehead against yours. "That was my first kiss," you say elated.

"Yeah, mine too," he says breathy, "was it.. good?" He asks nervously

"Yes, very," you snuggle up closer to him, grabbing the lapels on his tux jacket. "How about you? Was it everything you thought it would be?"

He let's out a long breath "and more" as he leans in to kiss you again.

You had already sucked down your two glasses of wine and had picked up two more, and Cregan still wasn't back. You sat at the table, your chin resting on your palm.

You hear the clinking of glasses as Alicent hightower-targaryen stands by the table that is placed in view of all the other tables where Aegon, Cassandra, and the wedding party members are sat.

"I just want to say a few words about my firstborn son and how lucky I feel to finally be a mother-in-law." You roll your eyes and take another big gulp of wine.

"Aegon has always been a free spirit. As free spirited as a young man can be. That's why when he told me he was going to marry Cassandra, I knew it was nothing short of true love. " she raises her glass "to Aegon and Cassandra. May this marriage be everlasting may you be eachothers greatest support, may you trust, love, and confide in one another. May your days always be filled with honesty and devotion. Congratulations, my baby boy!" Everyone cheers, and you finish off your 4th glass of wine for the night.

Aegon yells out a disgruntled "mom!" And laughter spreads around the room. Cassandra's father Borros stands up and starts his toast, but you couldn't be bothered to listen. You pull put your phone and text Cregan

"Where in the seven hells are you?"

"Outside. Be in soon"

You let out a huff. This was typical between you and Cregan. When you got in a disagreement or argument he would go out under the guise of smoking a cigarette and play on his phone for an hour until he calmed down and then would come back like nothing ever happened at all. You knew that wasn't the proper way to take care of issues, but avoidance was your go-to defense mechanism, and Cregan avoided most negative interactions. He was an easy breezy guy.

"you don't want to talk to him about it? Find out what actually happened?" Heleana asks you gently handing you back the tub of ice cream you were sharing between you.

" I know enough of what happened. He was naked she was naked, and he looked ike I just rose from the dead, " you say, violently jamming your spoon back into the carton.

" I understand that but don't you want him to explain himself? At least for your own closure? Yell at him maybe? Call him out? Anything?"

"Nope. As far as I am concerned I never met an Aemond Targaryen and I'm thankful for it. Guy sounds like a clown"

Heleana sighs. " I just want you to be able to heal and feel better. I heard closure is a necessary ingredient to that recipe"

"Heal? Hah. He didn't hurt me. He hurt himself. I'm fine. The second I saw that all feelings turned off for him" you stare ahead hard at the TV

Heleana looks at you with a disbelief on her face.

"Just think about it ok?"

"Nothing to think about. It's over he's gone, and I'm fine"

The room goes quiet again, and Aemond stands up, holding his glass out.

"Aegon and Cassandra, a love like the two of you share is a rare and valuable thing. It is irreplaceable and changes you forever. It only takes a second to lose it. So I ask you both whenever you make a decision, be it innocuous or extremely important, ask yourself how this will affect the other. If the answer is ever negatively don't do it. No matter what it is. Most things can be replaced, but a love like this can not. A love like this is palpable. Tangible even. One only needs to stand in the presence of the two of you together to feel how the air noticably changes. That can not be replaced, duplicated, or imitated, and if it is lost, trust me when I say you can spend a lifetime in mourning. That is real, and the value of that is incalculable. Aegon and Cassandra" he clears his throat."I wish you a marriage filled with love and all the blessings that come with that. But the thing I wish you the most of is time. A long, long time to spend together and in love. Cheers to Aegon and Cassandra. " he quickly sips his drink and sits back to down to a round of applause.

"You can spend a lifetime in mourning," you whisper to yourself.

You run both your hands down your face in an attempt to keep your emotions bottled up.

Are you sad? Angry? Confused? You're not even sure anymore.

But you realize Heleana was right. You need closure.your not sure if it is liquid courage or if you have finally had enough, but you are going to get it from him tonight. Whether you have to chase him down or beat it out of him,

You are going to get your closure from Aemond Targaryen tonight.

A/N: Closing in on the end here! It has been so much fun writing this and interacting with you all! 💗 Thank you for reading! I should have part 4 out in the next few days!

Part 4

To be added to taglist click here

#modern aemond/ you #modern aemond x reader #aemond x reader #modern aemond #modern aemond angst #aemond fanfiction #aemond one eye #aemond targaryen #hotd fanfic #ewan mitchell verse #ewan mitchell fanfic #ewan mitchell #jess fics #my modern war criminal bf

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amongusmpreg · 1 month ago

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Why are you so cheesy pilled

ok, well honestly this is something i’ve been meaning to get off my chest.

1. Meeting your soulmate

2. Going to your friend's weddings

3. Stargazing

4. Food

5. Going to every country

6. Nice smelling candles

7. Music

8. Concerts

9. The people that love you.

10. Snowball fights

11. Going to the beach

12. Sunsets

13. Sunrises

14. Hiking in Forests

15. Dogs and Cats and Pets

16. New movies

17. Old movies

18. Going to the drive in theatre

19. Walking through local markets

20. Your favorite artists next song

21. Drawing

22. Sculpting your own pots

23. Birthdays

24. Inside jokes with your friends

25. That special persons laugh

26. Warm houses on cold days

27. Bonfires with smores

28. Reconnecting with old friends

29. Smelling flowers

30. Soft plushies

31. The smell of fresh baked cookies

32. Kareoke

33. Sleepovers

34. Your favorite videogame

35. Learning a new language

36. Long walks on the beach

37. Seeing every ocean

38. Squishy bunnies

39. Going to the store to smell perfumes

40. Long hot showers

41. Tea/ coffee

42. Seeing rainbows

43. Helping wounded animals

44. Bath bombs

45. Cleaning the Earth

46. Getting married

47. Going to see brodway shows

48. The sound of rain

49. Long car rides

50. Going on a train

51. Memes

52. Going to the zoo

53. Looking at funny art

54. The smell of old books

55. Butterflies

56. Collecting shells

57. Color

58. Sending letters

59. Surprise parties

60. Warm sheets

61. Reading

62. Swimming in the pool at night

63. Going to diners with friends

64. Early morning runs

65. Looking at old photos

66. Going to a museum

67. Soft sweaters

68. Glitter

69. Going to the aquarium

70. Hugs

71. Making snow angels

72. Holidays

73. Home cooked meals

74. Roller coasters

75. Decorating for parties

76. Playing pranks on friends

77. Dancing

78. Singing in the shower

79. Seeing your favorite animal in person

80. Meeting your hero

81. Bubble wrap

82. Ice water on hot days

83. Poetry

84. Trying on funny clothes

85. Hanging out with friends

86. City skylines

87. Wearing your favorite color

88. Beautiful wildlife

89. Collecting stickers

90. Making some ones day

91. Laughing so hard you can't breath

92. Warm blankets fresh from the dryer

93. Sewing

94. Seeing the future

95. Late night convos

96. Rewatching your favorite show

97. Blowing Bubblegum

98. Boardgames

99. Sitting out in the rain

100. Bubbles

101. Cooking new thing

102. Bob Ross tutorials

103. Picnics

104. Tire swings

105. Old architecture

106. Reading books

107. Growing your own food

108. Clear skies

109. Baking things you love

110. Finding new hobbies

Wowwwww, you meow like a cat! That means you are one, right? Shut the fuck up. If you really want to be put on a leash and treated like a domestic animal then that’s called a fetish, not “quirky” or “cute”. What part of you seriously thinks that any part of acting like a feline establishes a reputation of appreciation? Is it your lack of any defining aspect of personality that urges you to resort to shitty representations of cats to create an illusion of meaning in your worthless life? Wearing “cat ears” in the shape of headbands further notes the complete absence of human attribution to your false sense of personality, such as intelligence or charisma in any form or shape. Where do you think this mindset’s gonna lead you? You think you’re funny, random, quirky even? What makes you think that acting like a fucking cat will make a goddamn hyena laugh? I, personally, feel extremely sympathetic towards you as your only escape from the worthless thing you call your existence is to pretend to be an animal. But it’s not a worthy choice to assert this horrifying fact as a dominant trait, mainly because personality traits require an initial personality to lay their foundation on. You’re not worthy of anybody’s time, so go fuck off, “cat-girl”.

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wlwcatalogue · 1 year ago

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Female Queer Icons of Hong Kong // Yam Kim Fai (任劍輝) and Pak Suet Sin (白雪仙)

Photo 1: Promotional photo for 1955 contemporary movie The Model and the Car (玉女香車) (no video available) (Source: LCSD Museum Collection Search Portal)

Photo 4: Photo from Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe's 1958 trip

Photo 5: Photo from a 1962 newspaper feature on Yam, Pak, and others at their (?) summer villa in Central, Hong Kong

Photo 6: Christmas celebrations with Yam, Pak, and their protégés of the Chor Fung Ming Troupe

Far and away the most iconic duo in Cantonese opera, Yam Kim Fai (任劍輝) and Pak Suet Sin (白雪仙) – commonly referred to simply as Yam-Pak (任白) – were famed for their partnership both on and off the stage… Click below to learn more!

Edit on 28/07/2023: Updated to link to a photo of the entrance to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s Pop Culture 60+ exhibit, and to add information regarding Yam and Pak's marriage status.

Iconic? How?

Yam-Pak are the face of Cantonese opera; you can't talk about the latter without mentioning the former. It's to the point where a gigantic picture of them graces the entrance to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s permanent exhibition on Hong Kong pop culture’s evolution across the past 60 years (“Hong Kong Pop 60+”) - they are the first thing you see upon entering!

Best known as the originators - with Yam playing the male leads and Pak the female leads - of five masterpieces of Cantonese opera, namely:

1. Princess Cheung Ping (帝女花) 2. The Legend of the Purple Hairpin (紫釵記) 3. The Dream Tryst in the Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭驚夢) 4. The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom (再世紅梅記) 5. Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (蝶影紅梨記) (Note: Princess Cheung Ping, Purple Hairpin, and Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom were made into abridged movie versions, with the Sin Fung Ming troupe members reprising their roles from the theatre productions. Also, the "Fragrant Sacrifice" (香夭) duet from Princess Cheung Ping (movie clip) is one of - if not the most - famous songs in Cantonese opera.)

Yam and Pak were the leading pair and co-founders of the legendary Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe (仙鳳鳴劇團; 1956-1961), which is widely held to have pushed Cantonese opera forward as an artform due to Pak and scriptwriter Tong Tik Sang’s (唐滌生) emphasis on poetic libretti and adapting source material from Chinese literature and history. (Note: it has been common practice since the 1930's for Cantonese opera troupes to be founded by key actor(s).)

They were also very active in the Hong Kong film industry in the 1950's, being paired in over 40 movies together across roughly 8 years. One of those – the aforementioned Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (蝶影紅梨記) – is the sole Cantonese opera movie on the Hong Kong Film Archive’s 100-Must See Hong Kong Movies list (IMDB list / archived version of the official PDF). It's a well-deserved inclusion - check out this beautifully-shot dance scene.

Even their post-retirement activities had a significant effect on the industry! In the early 1960’s, they held auditions for prospective students and provided - for free - systematic, hands-on training to those who passed; Yam and Pak even hired other veterans to teach skills they personally were not as familiar with. Prior to this, apprentices were expected to learn primarily from observing their masters, and to pay handsomely for the privilege. Yam-Pak’s methods proved exceedingly effective: the Chor Fung Ming Opera Troupe (雛鳳鳴劇團; 1963-1992) starring their apprentices reigned supreme in the 1970’s-1980’s. Following this success, Cantonese opera institutes - most notably the major 1900s-era guild, the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong (八和會館) - started to offer systematic coaching to young hopefuls in the 1980's.

Okay, so why are they queer icons specifically?

The lazy answer is that they're queer icons because nearly all of Yam's roles were male, so Gender is involved by default, and since most hit Cantonese operas of the time were romances, that means you get to see two female actors performing being in love onscreen (and also on stage, but there aren't any video recordings from back then). So far, so Takarazuka Revue.

Female actors playing male roles in Cantonese opera To give some context, each Cantonese opera performer specialises in one of four major role-types, and Yam was a sung (生) - i.e. an actor specialised in playing standard male roles. Female sung were fairly common in the 1910's-1930's due to women being banned from performing with men during that period, but when the ban lifted in the mid-1930's, many troupes shifted towards cis-casting. Yam was pretty much the only one whose popularity survived the transition. Just take a look at the huge number of Cantonese opera movies produced during the 1950’s-1960’s – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a female sung other than Yam, let alone one with top billing. Happily, thanks to Yam's immense popularity, her profilic film career (over 300 movies!), and the prominence of Sin Fung Ming works in the Cantonese opera canon, there has been a resurgence in female sung which endures to this day. Two noteworthy examples are Yam's protégé Sabrina Lee/ Loong Kim Sang (龍劍笙) - a star in her own right - and Joyce Koi/ Koi Ming Fai (蓋鳴暉), one of the biggest names still active in the industry. (Note: perhaps due to cinema being more "realistic" in nature, Yam's early movies often involved her playing female characters cross-dressing as men, including in some Cantonese opera movies. However, she received increasingly more male roles as her fame grew, and from the mid-1950's onwards she was playing male characters onscreen nearly exclusively-- even in non-Cantonese opera movies! See Photo 1 above.)

What sets Yam and Pak apart is that they were particularly known for their chemistry. Long before Sin Fung Ming's formation in 1956, the advertising copy for their first Cantonese opera movie together - Frolicking with a Pretty Maid in the Wineshop (酒樓戲鳳, 1952) - declared "Only this movie has Yam-Pak flirting on the silver screen" (source - 華僑日報 1952/05/23-26). And indeed, they were popular for their flirtatious duets: their Cantonese opera works invariably contained at least one, and such scenes made it into some of non-Cantonese opera (i.e. "contemporary") movies too. In fact, there are not one but two contemporary movies where Yam and Pak's characters are not paired up and yet still sing a duet together in such a way that their significant other(s) become convinced that the two are in romantically interested in each other - see 1952's Lovesick (為情顛倒) and 1956's The Happy Hall (滿堂吉慶) - a weirdly specific situation which doesn't crop up in the other, non-Yam-Pak movies I have seen.

Speaking of contemporary movies, let's talk about a certain plotline that keeps cropping up in works featuring the both of them and where Yam plays a woman! Six of the eleven movies which fit that criteria involve Yam's character cross-dressing as a man (a common characteristic across Yam's handful of female roles), and Pak's character falling for her. Nothing ever comes of it, of course, but, um. It was certainly a trend. Actually, even their very first movie together - 1951's Lucky Strike (福至心靈) - falls into this category.

Such storylines, and the emphasis on their chemistry, are particularly interesting given that both Yam and Pak remained ostensibly unmarried throughout. This was unusual for female performers of their stature, who tended to wed in their twenties, often to fellow-actors or wealthy men (e.g. Hung Sin Nui/紅線女, Fong Yim Fun/芳艷芬, and Tang Pik Wan/鄧碧雲)... In contrast, by the time Yam-Pak retired from the stage in 1961, they were both over 30 years old and without husbands.

Also, did I mention they were popularly believed to be living together? There doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence either way... although it's a little strange that separate newspaper pictorials depicting "Yam at home" and "Pak at home" seem to be of the same location... however what is conclusive is that they did spent a lot of time together offstage. Pak has talked about how when they had no guests over, Yam would watch TV by herself while Pak was in the living room (source - p93), and protégé Mandy Fung/ Mui Suet Sze (梅雪詩) has said that Pak would sometimes cook for Yam at home (source - 03:53~). They would also celebrate birthdays, New Year's, and Christmas together (see Photo 6 for an example of the latter).

Shortly after Yam's passing in 1989, Pak set up the Yam Kim Fai and Pak Suet Sin Charitable Foundation (任白慈善基金) to support the arts and provide welfare for the elderly. In 1996, Pak made a large donation to Hong Kong University, resulting in one of the buildings being renamed Yam Pak Building (任白樓) in thanks (source).

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to DM me or send an ask if you have any questions, or are just interested in learning more.

If you made it here, have this bonus piece of trivia - Yam and Pak were also well-acquainted with Hong Kong's preeminent queer icon, Leslie Cheung (張國榮), who was a massive fan of theirs. Sadly there don't seem to be any pictures of them before Yam's passing, but here's one of Pak (centre) having afternoon tea with Cheung (left) and his long-term romantic partner Daffy Tong (唐鶴德) (right) at the Cova cafe in the Pacific Place shopping mall.

#wlw recommendations #sapphic #lgbtq #asian lgbtq #hong kong #theatre #cantonese opera #chinese opera #yam kim fai #leslie cheung #pak suet sin #yampak #yambak #pak sheut sin #bak sheut sin #hong kong queer icons #not me hastily adding tags because i keep forgetting certain ones

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welikeimagines-andfandoms · 2 months ago

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100 Random Prompts

1. “I fucking hate you, but I don’t hate fucking you”

2. "I get so hard when I'm around you. I've tried fucking other people and pumping my cock every night and yet my body craves you."

3. “How did you manage to hurt your hand this badly?” “Well I’ve never punched someone before, I didn’t realise how hard peoples faces are.”

4. “I love you and I hate you all at the same time.”

5. “Yeah, sometimes I get sad, but then I look into your beautiful eyes and it’s all better.”

6. “You like when I call you ‘princess’? Will you be my good little princess?”

7. “If you do this, I’ll show you my boobs”

8. “Has the fire revealed any secrets in the 15 straight minutes you’ve been staring at it?”

9. “Please don’t leave.”

10. “I’m here, it’s okay, no one will ever hurt you like that ever again”

11. “Guess we’re the only two idiots in the whole city stupid enough to go to a museum in the middle of a thunderstorm”

12. “You deserve to be looked after.”

13. “Give me a kiss, and everything will be alright.”

14. “I just want to die”

15. “We’ve got to hide!”

16. “Scream my name so everyone knows who fucks you this good”

17. "I'm sorry." "You have nothing to apologise for, darling.”

18. “Bend over, slut”

19. “Ned i postog a nin, ni bant” (When you lie beside me, I am complete)

20. *gets insulted* “aawww thank you.”

21. “Le i velethril nîn” (You are my love)

22. “A warrior out there, but in here, in this bedroom, you’re nothing but a little weak whore.”

23. “I just feel so drained.”

24. “What happened to you to make you so wise?”

25. “If I’m being mean to someone, I’m probably flirting.” “Is that why you’re always mean to (character)?”

26. “Thiol vae” (You look good)

27. “I just did it to make you jealous.”

28. “Stay nice and still for me, baby, just like that. Let me take care of you.”

29. “You know you sure do have a lot of teeth for someone so stupid.”

30. “They do realise I can understand what they’re saying, right?”

31. “Would you like to dance with me?” “only if you don’t get upset if I accidentally step on your foot”

32. “Fuck, I need you so bad!”

33. “I think it’s best I leave”

34. “I’ll never forget you.”

35. “How clever of an insult, and how quickly you thought of it. Very surprising for someone so dim witted.”

36. “I’m not afraid. Please touch me.”

37. “Of course you can stay.”

38. “I wish you well.”

39. “Come down here so I can kiss you!”

40. “Fuck, turn around for me, princess.”

41. “No gûn annin” (Bend over for me)

42. “You look so lovely on your knees, sweet boy.”

43. “You’re so pretty”

44. “What’s that?” “Trinket, I like trinkets”

45. “You deserve nice things”

46. “Our sweet girls pussy is so tight!"

47. “Take your shirt off!” “Why?!” “Distract them from the pain!”

48. “Darling I’m (hundreds/thousands) of years old, that isn’t vintage/old to me.”

49. “I’m doing this because I want to and not because you told me to”

50. “You belong here, in my arms, forever.”

51. “You lied to me”

52. “Borrow my jacket, keep it nice and warm for me”

53. “You look so divine when you dance.”

54. “You look lovely, Y/N.” “Please don’t lie or pity me so.”

55. “Le vaethor veleg” (You are a mighty warrior)

56. “Ni am gin anin lû hen?” (Can I be on top this time?)

57. “Stop fucking swearing”

58. “aran vuin” (Beloved king)

59. “I hope you don’t mind.”

60. "Those for me, sweet girl?" "Oh! It was gonna be a surprise but yes, yes they are."

61. “I love when you wear a skirt/dress, it’s so much easier to fuck you like this.”

62. “Life doesn’t feel so bad when I’m with you.”

63. “You don’t know a thing about me!”

64. “I failed them! They died and I failed them! It’s all my fault!”

65. “You’re such a little thing, and we can have you anyway we please.”

66. “Trust me, Y/N! (Character) likes you!” “Don’t lie to me!”

67. “Baby, tits arent supposed to be perky and perfect. They’re supposed to be soft and natural and beautiful like yours”

68. “I’m not your servant, I’m not your slave, but you could be mine if you like.”

69. “I know we don’t know each other very well but I’m really sick and I need you to pick me up from work, please.”

70. “It’s alright, my love, don’t be afraid, we’ll make it out together.”

71. “No, stay. You’re warm and soft”

72. “Trust me, I adore you.”

73. “Avo dharo!” (Don't stop!)

74. “You know I could kill you if I wanted to.” “Do it then, I really don’t care.”

75. “I might be little but I can still kick your ass”

76. “I just don’t know if I can do this anymore”

77. “Of course I will serve you, my prince/princess/king/queen/lord/lady.”

78. “You wouldn’t know anything about this (character), but it’s exhausting being this gorgeous, and I need a lot of sleep.”

79. “Its real cold tonight. You wanna come over and keep me nice and warm?”

80. “That sounded dirtier than I intended”

81. “You don’t have to be alright, you know”

82. “How can I love myself, when I’m so draining to everyone?”

83. “Please! I’ve been such a good boy/girl!”

84. “You just want to be used so fucking badly don’t you, sweet thing?”

85. “Please! I was a fool and I can not apologise enough! Please y/n…. Please….”

86. “Do you need a hug?”

87. “Come on, princess, hop on my back”

88. “What you makin’?” “Chocolate cake. You wanna help?”

89. “Don’t leave. Please?”

90. “Why do you always annoy me so much?” “Coz you’re sexy when you’re angry.”

91. “That’s better, isn’t it? You just needed to be filled with my cock”

92. “That’s the cutest sneeze I’ve ever heard.”

93. “Istog an challas perian maer” (You do know what hobbits are the right height for)

94. “Oh fuck, sweetheart”

95. “I’ll punch you in your stupid face!”

96. “Tonight I will be the powerful warrior, and you will be the tiny mortal beneath me. You will worship and praise me like the goddess I am.”

97. “Aaaaww! Aren’t you sweet!”

98. “Hey” “*flirting* Oh, heeeyy” “No! Absolutely not!”

99. “You don’t scare me.” “Yeh, but I bet I turn you on.”

100. “Are you going by to be good for me?” “Ye-yes.” “Good girl. If you do behave I’ll give you a reward.”

#dialogue prompt list #dialogue prompts #fan fiction #imagine #prompts #prompt list

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choco-pudding · 8 months ago

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Space Channel 5 Part 2: Sugoku Sugoi Guide Book p. 190-199 (Translation by @lavoszero and myself. Edits and typesetting by myself)

Second part of the character profiles.

Imgur link to all of the Sugoku Sugoi Guide Book translations we’ve done thus far.

Plain text below

p. 190

022: Heart Woman Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge A Profile: She’s a master of disguise, capable of fitting into any setting, through her training at the private investigation company “Superior Secret Agents." She’s ridiculously proficient at information gathering, even government agencies request her by name for investigations behind the scenes. Always calm and composed. Note, Item: One of two people involved in receiving the Ear of Corn item.

023: Nice Middle Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: Space Art Dealer. He cares not of a piece’s authenticity so long as it’s beautiful. He’s formerly the curator of a famous museum, but he recently went independent. Rather than setting up a specific gallery, he’s constantly traveling the galaxy with just a single bag. It works far better in theory than in practice. Note, Secret Input: Information for a secret input in Report 1 (see 111).

024: Neo Space Astronaut 1 Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: Inside the airtight spacesuit is a tall, kind father who lives with his wife and three children. He works at the post office in the Central Sector. Adores ninjitsu; on his days off, he indulges in reading books related to it, and sometimes he even practices it with his family. He’s living the dream. Note, Item: One of four people involved in receiving the Lantern item.

Sweet! 187

Left

p. 191

025: Neo Space Astronaut 2 Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: Wife of Neo-Japan Astronaut 1. Knowledgeable about Space Naginata blades, Space Rakugo comedy, and Traditional Space Dancing. She always moves with a steady form, making it difficult for others to find any openings. She’s also an established sculptor. Note, Item: One of four people involved in receiving the Lantern item.

026: Neo Space Astronaut 3 Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: Child of Neo Space Astronaut 1 and 2. He's the eldest of the three siblings. Has a striking resemblance to his mother. He's strong, which is hard to imagine considering his kind nature, demeanor, and body type. Joins in Judo Club and invented the "Full-Moon Galactic Throw." Note, Item: One of four people involved in receiving the Lantern item.

027: Neo Space Astronaut 4 Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: Child of Neo Japan Space Astronaut 1 and 2. The middle child of the three siblings. Really a stay at home kind of guy. He's kind of a loner, with a devotion to surprising anyone who passes him by as a daily goal. For some reason, he's currently obsessed about making karakuri puppets. Note, Item: One of four people involved in receiving the Lantern item.

Sweet! 186

Right

p. 192

028: Neo Space Astronaut 5 Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: Child of Neo Space Astronaut 1 and 2. Youngest of the three brothers and the calmest one in the family. Sometimes, everyone's strange behavior is to difficult for him to understand. Likes collecting lanterns. Notes, Item Received: After clearing Report 1, if you check his profile, then profiles 027, 026, 025, and 024—in that order—then speak to Neo Space Astronaut 5 again, he will give you the Lantern item.

029: Big Momma Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: A famous culinary heavyweight known across the galaxy. Best consultant in the biz; offers her advice on a variety of topics ranging like raw ingredient procurement, menu development, restaurant designs, to even management policies. She's always on the lookout for that undiscovered dish. And when she has the time, she's hunting down undiscovered places. Note: Only appears during the Space Symphony · Lounge B segment in World 2, Report 1 if no mistakes are made.

030: Afro Dude Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: A chair designer. He's a man that uses new plastic materials to create series of colorful and playful works of art. His most famous work is the "Leaf Fall Sofa." He's also responsible for the mass-produced product. About 250,000 sets have been distributed throughout the galaxy. Note: Only appears during the Space Symphony · Lounge B segment in World 2, Report 1 if no mistakes are made.

Sweet! 187

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031: Chef (green) Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge A Profile: He's the winner of the 255th Space Cooking Battle, in which 684,200 contestants participated in. He specializes in dishes using space konnyaku. Now, he's putting his ever-changing cooking skills to the test in order to satisfy his customers. He's a fanatic of high-tech cooking utensils. Note, Item Received: Appears in World 2, Report 1. Gives you the King of Frypans item if you check his profile after rescuing him.

032: Cook (aqua) Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: A cook who uses the "Legendary Egg Beater," a whisk made from an unknown mineral excavated from ancient ruins. His whipping skills with the whisk is nothing short of amazing! The whole process is mesmerizing, even though it's impossible to see with the naked eye. He has a remarkable fascination with vanilla beans. Note, Item Received: Only appears during the Space Symphony · Lounge B segment in World 2, Report 1 if no mistakes are made. Gives you the Legendary Egg Beater item if you check his profile after rescuing him.

033: Chef (yellow) Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: He's a strong man who's capable of using the "Super Ladle," which has a sturdiness of 8.3 billion dice, and is said to be one of only three in the galaxy. He's searching for a pot with the same sturdiness of the ladle, dreaming of the moment he'll become a cooking king. He's well studied and knows how to use over 640,000 kinds of spices, so his cooking is always exciting. Note, Item Received: Only appears during the Space Symphony · Lounge B segment in World 2, Report 1 if no mistakes are made. Gives you the Super Ladle item if you check his profile after rescuing him.

Sweet! 188

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034: Bartender Girl Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge A Profile: A professional bartender who works in the lounge of the Space Symphony ship. Always chooses the right drink to fit the customer’s tastes and lend those in woe an ear—mostly to satiate her own curiosity. She uses her exclusive insight gathered on the clock in her columns for a space women’s magazine. Note: Appears in World 2, Report 1.

035: Boozer Recording Location: Report 1: Space Symphony · Lounge B Profile: A waiter on the Space Symphony. Though this 57 year old boasts the ability to carry 36 beer mugs simultaneously, there aren’t too many opportunities to show such skills, much to his dismay. Note: Only appears during the Space Symphony · Lounge B segment in World 2, Report 1 if no mistakes are made.

036: Space Music Primary Schooler 1 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: An enigmatic boy, who cries out "X, X, X!!!!!!!" He’s an expert at imitating various instruments with his voice. When you save him, he hums a special melody! Note, Secret Input: Information for a secret input in Report 2 (see page 112).

[[translator's note: Bartender Girl's note and profile contain an error, stating she appear in Space Symphony · Lounge B rather than A]]

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037: Space Music Primary Schooler 2 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: A primary schooler with the skill to imitate instruments with her voice. She’s so skilled you’d swear you’re hearing a real instrument. When you save her she hums a special recorder melody! Note:

038: Space Music Primary Schooler 3 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: A rather proud primary schooler who’s a whiz at imitating instruments with his voice. He never preforms at a place unless he's completely prepared; it has to be the right place and the right time. When you save him, you’ll hear a special accordion melody. Note:

039: Space Music Primary Schooler 4 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: A real showgirl of a primary school kid who does drum imitations with her voice that are powerful enough to move the spirit. She's serious about hoping to heal people with her art. When you save her, she begins to hum a drum melody. Determined to get into a middle school specializing in music. Note:

Sweet! 190

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040: Glockenspiel Primary Schooler Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: Former child prodigy keyboardist. She was so famous that she was asked to appear on a special music program at Channel 5. But one day she was suddenly inspired by the soothing sounds of the glockenspiel. She's presently mastering the finer points of the 'spiel at an extraordinary speed. Note, Item: First person involved in receiving the Lollipop item. She will hand you a piece after clearing Report 2.

041: Recorder Primary Schooler Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: This primary schooler had a snake-charmer as a teacher. He learned and expanded upon the entrancing power of the recorder beyond snakes to control any small-sized creatures. He enjoys collecting ammonite fossils, but far from his hobby. Note, Item: Second person involved in receiving the Lollipop item. He will hand you a piece after clearing Report 2.

042: Accordion Primary Schooler Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: A gentle flower-loving accordion girl. She believes that the music of the accordion nourishes the plants, helping their leaves, roots, and stems grow healthily. Her dream is to become a Space Reporter; she’s even started training in secret! Note, Item: Third person involved in receiving the Lollipop item. She will hand you a piece after clearing Report 2.

Perfect! 191

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043: Drum Primary Schooler Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower A Profile: Drum it up! A young student who went head-over-heels for the entrancing sounds of ancient drums. Once he gets hold of a pair of drum-sticks, you’ll be guaranteed at least a six-hour smashfest. He drums away while en route to school, making him quite the lil’ celebrity in the shopping district he passes. He can even play while doing a flip! His playing always rakes in the tips. Note, Item Received: Fourth person involved in receiving the Lollipop item. He will hand you a piece after clearing Report 2. After getting all four pieces, you will receive the Lollipop item.

044: Mr. Nervous Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower B Profile: A nervous man known for his knee-knocking. He came to Space Park to supervise the students competing in the Space Music Festival. He got into a big mess with a man-eating plant, but Ulala saved him from melting into plant food just in time. He's quite fond of small retro game consoles. He sometimes trades games with students. Note, Secret Input: Information for a secret input in Report 2 (see page 112).

045: Class President Nervous Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Exhibition Tower B Profile: The fashion-conscious primary school class president. He puts a tremendous amount of effort into his hair, spending unreasonably long hours in front of the mirror each morning. Not so great at skipping, apparently his right hand and leg always raise in tandem. Note, Secret Input: Gives you the Folding Fan item if you check his profile after clearing Report 2.

Perfect! 192

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046: Space Bird Mistress Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Fountain Square B Profile: An ageless beauty with a lovely singing voice that has the power to control all types of birds. Due to the heavy weight (58 kg) of the remote-controlled Power Wings attached to her back, she always suffers from back pain. Note, Item: One of two people needed to obtain the Ice Cream Cone item.

047: Birdman 1 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Fountain Square B Profile: The first of the Birdmen, guys who are weird about weird birds. He uses all five of his senses—taste included—to show his love for any and all birds. Their high tech binoculars can spot Magellanic Clouds (available at Galaxy Gifts and Gadgets). Note:

048: Birdman 2 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Fountain Square B Profile: The second of the Birdmen, who are mad for birds like you’re mad for this game. With the help of his myriad of bird friends, he sometimes takes on the offenders of nature in battle. He can travel about eight kilometers in less than 40 seconds by jumping from vine to vine, not once touching the ground. Note, Secret Input: Information for a secret input in Report 2 (see 112).

Perfect! 193

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049: Birdman 3 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Fountain Square B Profile: The third of the up for it bird-lovers, whose binoculars hide his guise from morning to night. He even walks with them on, leading to embarrassing—and frequent—falls into ditches and ponds. Kookaw! Kookaw! Note:

050: Birdman 4 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Fountain Square B Profile: The fourth of the cuckoo bird lovers. Actually, a girl. She’s so infatuated with birds that she speaks to them in her sleep, “Birdy, birdy, where are you?" By the by, she dresses like a boy for her own reasons and anyone who tries to reveal her secret will be taken away by men in black… Note, Item: One of two people needed to obtain the Ice Cream Cone item.

051: Birdman 5 Recording Location: Report 2: Space Park · Fountain Square B Profile: The fifth of the legendary bird fiends. Studied with inhuman intensity to take the arduous Birdman Exam. After passing with flying colors, he became the latest addition to the Birdmen. Note:

Perfect! 194

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#space channel 5 #space channel 5 part 2 #Sugoku Sugoi Guide Book #translations

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athenawasamerf · 1 year ago

Note

What's life in Egypt like?

This is a very vague question so I’m not sure how to answer, really. It’s kind of tense these days, anyway.

Ig the day to day is pretty typical. I’m not exactly the average citizen, most of my time is taken up with med school so I don’t explore or go out as much as I should. I live in Alexandria, and I love it here. Coastal, the old section of the city is beautiful, lots of greenery. It’s pouring down rain all through winter, driving is near impossible because everyone is fucking insane (which is typical for Egyptian cities lol), it’s pretty densely populated, the food is phenomenal. We have a ton of museums and historical sites, and the library of Alexandria is pretty rad. The economy is shit and getting shittier, we’re under a military dictatorship (again but worse than last time), inflation is insane and the country is in a ton of debt to the point that the central bank of Egypt has stopped all foreign currency transactions on debit cards, and credit cards have a foreign currency limit of the equivalent of $250/month.

From a feminist perspective, it’s not the best place to be. Alexandria is better than most of the country, but I still get harassed regularly. Egyptian men are paternalistic and have a weirdly entitled attitude towards all women, we have in-jokes in feminist circles about the fruit vendor from down the street being mad at you for coming home late. Tbf I’m fairly open about my feminist opinions and that hasn’t caused me any trouble, and basically all my friends and acquaintances know that I wear a hijab in front of my family and take it off at school/when I’m out with friends, and 4 of my cousins know about the hijab thing as well. Dating culture is fairly normalised in Alexandria, so everyone in my circles including two of my cousins know about my love life (but not my sexuality). In some places of Egypt, I’d be honour killed for any one of these things, so I’m grateful to be where I am. There’s still a line of chauvinism running in the country, though that’s the least of our worries as feminists. I have a post about marriage and divorce in Egypt under my Egyptian feminism tag if you’re interested in learning more about that aspect.

From an LGB perspective, unfortunately the little progress we’d made in the late 00’s and early 10’s has been receding quickly. We’d gotten to a point of live and let live in some areas, but the introduction of trans ideology in the west caused a massive recoil in perception of LGB people here, and there’s been a crackdown on LGB-sympathetic ideas. Every time it’s brought up, you get a look of disgust and ‘they’re teaching kids to change their sex’. It’s going to take massive amounts of time and effort to repair this damage.

And finally, from a religious perspective, well. Not much has improved re acceptance of atheism or non-abrahamic religious beliefs. Egyptian law technically protects your right to freedom of belief, but, crucially, not your right to freedom of expression of religious belief. National ID cards must have your religion listed on them, and the only options are Muslim/Christian/Jew. Contempt of religion and ‘violating Egyptian family values’ laws are pretty strict and are used to prosecute everything from girls dancing on TikTok to blasphemy. I don’t see this improving any time soon, though foreigners (non-Arabs) are given some leeway.

I hope I’ve covered the most important points, but please feel free to reach out if you have more specific questions!

#ask #egyptian feminism #radical feminism #radfem #radical feminist #radfeminist

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notyourmajesty · 1 year ago

Text

Henry's Dog David, and How RWRB (the Book and the Movie) Explore the Meaning of His Name.

(GIF by @andysapril)

CW: Mentions of deaths, murder attempts, mostly from Bible verses.

An Easter Egg from the book that the film managed to incorporate in an entirely different context.

Henry naming his dog David is one of the things Alex comments on both in the film and the book. He finds the name particularly odd for a pet, and when Henry tells him later that the inspiration was David Bowie, Alex remarks that he could have just used the surname instead.

This is basically just me overthinking the way the book and the film added "David and Jonathan" to two totally different scenes haha.

David Bowie

youtube

There has been a lot of debate over Bowie's sexuality since the 70s, and possibly conflicting statements from Bowie himself over the decades, but he did leave quite an impact on queer people in his time (ref: this article). Henry both in the book and in the film has often turned to literature and art for inspiration, and solace, when it came to exploring his own identity as a gay man. All kinds of historical queer identities - both debated and confirmed - show up in the tapestry of people and ideas that have influenced Henry's own thoughts and ideas (Alex's too). So it definitely makes sense that he would name his beloved pet dog after one of those inspirations.

(notably, during Henry's dramatic entrance when Alex comes down to the UK for damage control, the song playing is Bowie's "Up the Hill Backwards". You also see him choose a Queen song for karaoke, which makes me want to really headcanon him as a 70s prog rock fan 😄)

David and Jonathan

In the book, Alex goes over the details of Henry's fact sheet with Nora and his sister June. When he mentions the name of Henry's dog, he claims his dislike for the name is because it sounds more like a "tax attorney" than a beloved pet (Ch 2).

In the film, it's his SS detail Amy who quizzes him. She responds to his quip about Henry's choice of name for a pet by telling him what she's named her own dog. It's a tiny, fun detail with no lasting importance in the film, but I feel it does work within the larger framework of how the film incorporates queer readings and figures too.

I see this as a reference to a popular reading of the Hebrew/Biblical story of David and Jonathan from the 2 books of Samuel. David was a shepherd anointed by the prophet Samuel (through orders from God), to succeed King Saul, and Jonathan was Saul's son who was extremely devoted to David and even saved him from his father's wrath. They were known to have made a covenant to each other soon after they met, and the first Book of Samuel gives us a picture of an immensely close bond between the two:

After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 18, 1-4)

Interpretations of their relationship have ranged from close friendship to a romantic relationship, and there have been many, many queer readings on this pair.

In Casey McQuiston's RWRB too, Alex references both a saying from the Book of Proverbs (24:13), and the story of David and Jonathan in the same paragraph. This is in Ch 10, when Henry takes Alex to the V&A museum. This particular sequence is in the inner chamber of the museum, shortly after the couple dance to Elton John's "Your Song".

He compares himself and Henry to "a lost David and Jonathan", and it's pretty obvious why when you think of their devotion, and the tragic end of the relationship of the latter. Like Jonathan, Henry is a prince utterly devoted to one man, and sure that his family too will be against their bond. Like David, Alex is an outsider who the royal family may view as a threat to their stability, and therefore must be kept away. David's love for Jonathan is immense: he makes the covenant with Saul's son soon after they meet, and when he mourns Jonathan's death, he says "Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women." (2 Samuel 1:26).

This amazing post from @elipheleh explores this metaphor more in detail (as well as St. Chiara, and a quote from Oscar Wilde, who is referenced both in the book and the film as a writer Henry is fond of). It also speaks about the verse from the Book of Proverbs that Alex remembers, partly in Spanish, partly in English - Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. (Proverbs 24:13-14)

(Jonathan in 1 Samuel also has his own reference to honey - there is a story that chronicles a tense moment between Jonathan and his father, King Saul, due to Jonathan eating wild honey on a day when the troops were bound by an oath to fast (he had not heard the oath himself). He almost faces death by Saul's hand for breaking the oath the latter had made, but is saved by the other people in the troops. (1 Samuel 14: 24-46). I've seen different ways of this passage being interpreted - as either Jonathan being judged for disobeying an oath even though he was not around when it was announced, or Saul being viewed as foolish for making such an oath in the first place. The main point is, Saul is ready to kill his son for breaching a certain protocol, and it is the people who save Jonathan.

Similarly IMO, Henry is prepared to live his whole life in the closet viewing his sexuality as something that would bring shame to his family, but eventually recognizes that he has support. Both within his family (in the form of his mother Catherine and his sister Bea), and in the public eye)

At this point in their lives, Alex and Henry see very little hope that things will get better soon enough for them to unite. It is more than likely that - in their minds - this one romantic visit will be their last for a long, long time. Of course David and Jonathan - who parted ways in the hope of being reunited after the battle with Jonathan's father, and whose friendship/love met a tragic end - would be considered a fitting parallel for the situation Alex and Henry find themselves in.

The book has the space and scope to explore many, many images and symbols that could fit Alex and Henry. Whether it's in the letters they send each other, the references Alex learns more about as he figures out his sexuality. The book can - at the V&A museum - describe the statues the two men linger at in loving detail, making us more aware how poignant their temporary separation will be and how bittersweet this last dance is.

The movie's focus is different - the V&A scene is a (presumably) final, deeply intimate moment that lets Alex see for real the weight of his role in Henry's environment, and how little he expects to see his dreams come true. It also lets Henry see how determined Alex is to make his every dream a reality.

Most moments of highlighting queer literature or history are pocketed away in smaller sequences in the film, as small references and Easter eggs (eg. the books they recommend each other), as the film focuses more on the relationship and it's effects both on the men and the world around them. The V&A is more a visual backdrop for that bittersweet last moment where the two can find equal ground and truly understand each other. I think mentioning the names of the statues would take away from that.

The movie didn't need to include David and Jonathan. Why is why I'm truly, truly grateful that they still did. Even as a tiny, cute Easter egg that is supposed to be banter about weirdly specific pet-naming protocol 💖

#Youtube #Spotify #rwrbmovie #red white and royal blue #alex claremont diaz #henry fox #henry george edward james hanover stuart fox #rwrb movie #henry fox mountchristen windsor #firstprince #taylor zakhar perez #alex x henry #nicholas galitzine #rwrb thoughts

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libras-interactives · 2 months ago

Note

I have two questions about the utdm gang, mostly just for fun. How would they dress in the modern age and what would their ideal day off look like?

Marius:

Dresses very well (when he can afford it...), clothes are always clean and hair always done even if his apartment is shit lol. In modern times he'd stand out bc he'd wear "old fashioned" 1920s dandy styles, or clothes "meant for women" like crop tops and cute shorts, and bright colors.

Ideal day off in both modern and 20's is going out to eat and dance with friends. You could convince him to stay in, but he'd still want to do something engaging and invite lots of people over. It's actually nice when he gets a boyfriend bc then hes out on dates all the time instead of bugging the far more introverted Jack and Eveline.

Jack:

Already has no sense of fashion lmao,,, doesnt change much in modern times. Jeans, work boots and a tanktop. Maybe a button down or flannel if he's gotta look nice. Denim overalls if he's gotta work, a baseball cap he got for free at a feed store to keep the sun outta his eyes. Owns more work clothes than "regular" clothes for sure, and knows how to mend them.

A day off where you actually got Jack to relax: walking in a nice nature reserve or forest with no people, or a friend or two. Maybe some fishin', and grilling said fish in the evening with some friends over a fire. Going to sleep actually at peace and content with himself. God bless.

Lottie:

Wears whatever's on trend at the time, albeit with her own spin. She can look good in basically anything, would def be one of those fashion insta girlies. An ideal day off would be a nice spa day followed by shopping or a night out with her best friends. They could be doing anything - restaurant, dancing, a horror movie marathon.

Eveline:

Likes thrifting (and antiqueing in general), and prefers to alter and sew her own clothes. She's very opinionated against fast fashion haha. She'd be the one buying handmade jewelry at festivals. An ideal day off would be some restful fucking sleep with no one interrupting her enjoying a quiet morning at a cafe, browsing an antique shop or little bookstore, and going home to cook something while listening to a podcast/radioshow. Marius can come over and bring his friends if they do the dishes afterward lol.

Little Lottie:

Buying clothing for LL is an Endeavor (tm) bc of her sensory sensitivities and the fact like, trying on clothes in Walmart or Old Navy would be an awful experience for her. Also, when she likes an outfit, she doesn't want to wear anything else. So when they find a favorite thing, Lottie buys like three or five of them in increasingly larger sizes so LL can still have that specific shirt or dress when she gets bigger. She'll wear her halloween costume for months if she loves it.

Little Lottie's ideal "day off" in modern is much the same as it would be in canon; she wants a warm, secure home with no sudden noises or women shouting or strange men coming and going. She'd want to have space to lay out her legos and books and stuffed animals, and not be bothered or interrupted, but not alone - she wants to look up and see Lottie or MC close by in case she needs them. And when she's done playing she wants to go to their side for a snack and juice and be read to.

(Playing outside would be fun too, but parks and zoos are overwhelming and have lots of people - so a big backyard with a sandbox would be like, perfect)

Slyvester:

Still dresses like he's in the 50's; he is not that old in the modern times, he's just stuffy and overly fastidious. At least he doesn't wear a hat and jacket all the time. Supposedly, there's photo evidence of him in a hawaiian shirt and sandals with socks in the myriads of family photo albums his wife keeps.

As for a day off - lord this man needs it - he has a list of places his wife Viviana wants to go, anywhere from museum exhibits to weird performative art installments to a tiny hole in the wall Greek place she heard about 4 years ago to the local Renfaire. In modern times it'd be much easier for her to get about with a wheelchair, so they can go out more. They're more restricted in the 1920s, but they try to make it work whenever Slyvester's off for a few days. Alas, big shocker, Flynn doesn't allow many of those.

Lightning bonus round Malwina is a normal happy teenager who likes going to ☆spooky☆ dead malls and doing tiktok dances with her friends and little sisters. Máire never left Ireland, is the reluctant mom-friend to her coworkers at the lesbian bar, and is v active in the Dublin punk & queer community. And is properly divorced LOL.

#flynn is also a soul sucking lawyer involved in shady shit in a modern au dont worry 👍🏽#also slyvester is very much his 1920s self in modern au but his wife is a massive geek #she was probably one of those women writing star trek fanfic in the 80s #(also i dont mention their sons bc theyre kind of irrelevant also they annoy slyvester endlessly even if he loves them LOL)#also also modern au LL has a montessori school lottie busts her ass to afford to help w her neurodivergence+developmental quirks #basically all her influencer money goes to that alkdkdsk but she refuses to be a mommy blogger #eveline and máire are shaking hands - never touched social media in there life #sorry this turned into lots of modern AU thoughts lmao #libra says #if:devil's moon

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chaoticbardlady99 · 1 year ago

Text

Lethal Woman- Chapter 4 (Astarion x GN! Reader)

Background- You are a Nightmask Death Bringer who was kidnapped by a Nautiloid Ship. Along with 6 strangers, you search Faerun for a cure for the Tadpoles in your heads- before it’s too late.

Author Note- I changed up the backstory a bit because I finally made a Tav that I really love. I am going to post a picture of her- please remember that you can imagine yourself as whatever race, character, etc you want. This is just the character I envision as “Rowan”. (half drow with draconic sorcerer blood from your mother).

CW: Gore, violence, death, murder (JUDAS NO!)

Chapter Five

Chapter 4: Astarion

Auntie Ethel’s Tea house had been nothing short of a shit show.

Between the possessed fighters, mysterious exploding spores, and the museum of suffering- the groups morale was at an all time low.

The fight had been absolutely exhausting and Mayrina was not helping with her screeching the whole fight. Astarion had considered shooting an arrow at her cage and letting it fall into the abyss. Except, you kept his mind off of her plenty during the fight.

Astarion had stayed next to you in combat- you moved together to become a deadly duo. You both moved and dodged in the right ways so that the other person could move in close and keep the hag distracted. He enjoyed this little dance of yours and a part of him hopes that you’ll continue fighting this way together.

However, that is the least of his concerns right now. Astarion watches as Mayrina screams in horror as you resurrect her very deceased husband.

Astarion has to stifle a laugh as he looks at your face- your features twist into something resembling disgust and horror. Mayrina looks at you and you hold out the wand to her- dropping it gingerly in her hands. Mayrina walks away and leers at the party as she begins to storm off. You wave awkwardly.

“Uh, I hope you guys live a long life together,” you shout flatly.

“Darling,” Astarion pipes up, “I think that ship sailed a funeral ago.”

He hears you choke back a laugh as Mayrina shoots him a glare- he tries to suppress the victorious grin that threatens to consume his face.

Karlach’s belly laugh is contagious and Astarion can’t help but laugh along with her. You are trying so hard to keep a serious face while shamelessly giggling behind your hand. Gale, however, just pinches the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh. He spies Gale’s small smile as he takes in your laughter.

How oblivious, he smirks, Gale is quite smitten with you and you are not even aware of it.

Astarion takes the chance to wink at you. He watches as a nice shade of pink dusts your cheeks and the tips of your ears. He lets a seductive smirk pull at the corner of the lips as you look away from him and try to help Karlach gain her composure.

Gale glares at him as Astarion flashes a shit eating grin.

He noticed the wizard’s affections for you a few days ago when Gale had been showing off his magic. Gale had been looking at you like you put the moon in the sky. You, on the other hand, had been fidgeting and tripping over your words during the entirety of the interaction. At first Astarion thought you fancied Gale, but when he had brought it up to you- you had looked at him with horror.

“No, definitely not.”

“Oh? You were so nervous over there darling, I thought you were going to practically melt into the ground from his affections,” he teases, trying not to let the worry find its way in his voice.

If you have fallen for Gale- what the hells was he going to do? How would he be protected? Would all the time he has spent developing a rapport with you be for nothing?

An unfamiliar emotion wound tightly in his chest- he was also fighting the little voice in his head that screamed at the idea of your attention being on anyone else. He enjoys the time you give him and he didn’t want to lose that time to Gale of all people.

You sigh, “No, I’m not interested in Gale- I just…”

He stared at you expectantly as you continued to avoid his stare.

“Dahlia didn’t really allow me to have social relationships. She said it would just be a distraction. The only real relationship that I have had and can truly remember was with Tessa.”

“Who is Tessa?” He blurted out.

He had been dying to ask since the night of the fire, the night you had run through the woods after crying her name in your sleep.

You looked at him sadly, “Just someone I loved. We dated for a while. From the age of like 13 to 16 years old. Dahlia didn’t like it so she killed her. Let’s just leave it at that for now.”

“Astarion?”

He snaps out of his head as you look at him with your hand on your hip- a quizzical eyebrow raised. He regains his composure and nods as if to say that you have his attention. You roll your eyes before flashing him a grin. He feels his chest squeeze tightly.

“Alright, you guys can go up ahead, I wanted to check out something really quick.”

“Do you want me to go with you, Soldier?”

You shake your head, “No, it shouldn’t take too long, I just didn’t take enough time to look at the Hag’s lair is all.”

Karlach and Gale seem content with this answer, but Astarion can tell you aren’t being entirely forthcoming.

As you part ways, Astarion slowly walks behind Gale and Karlach- waiting for your silhouette to be out of sight.

He stops and waits until Gale and Karlach’s voices fade away before following you. He snuck in between the bushes and the trees- not wanting to alert you to his presence. He knows you are more than capable, but a part of him can’t shake the uneasiness that fills up his chest whenever you leave.

The smell hits his nose first- metallic and sickly sweet. He scowls as his face contorts in disgust. Despite his better judgment, he keeps slinking forward. Your scent begins to intermingle and guide him to the source of the smell. He hears you voice and…

A man’s voice?

“So what are you hunting? Something exciting perhaps? Unfortunately, my companions and I have already killed the Hag, but you are welcome to pretend it was you,” you say, your voice sweet and flirty.

You are standing in front of a man- a Gur of all creatures. A low growl threatens to escape his throat as he watches the man eat up your attention.

“Nothing so dramatic. I’m searching for a vampire spawn.”

Astarion feels his whole body tense- if he had any blood in his veins, it would have frozen immediately.

If you were affected by what the Gur said, you didn’t show it. The confidence and sweetness looks so genuine on you that if Astarion didn’t know you, he wouldn’t be able to tell you were a socially awkward mess.

“His name is Astarion, but I fear he’s gone to ground. I was going to ask the Hag for help…” he says before offering you a pleasant smile, “but I’m sure I’ll find an alternative..”

You return his smile with ease. Astarion can’t see the emotions in your eyes, but the worry inside his stomach is beginning to rise up into his throat.

“So if you find this ‘Astarion’,” you start slowly with a hint of interest in your voice, “what are you going to do? Kill him?”

Why are you even asking that?

“No, I have orders to take him back to Baldur’s Gate,” he pauses, searching your face.

Astarion couldn’t see your face very well, but obviously something had changed.

“You wouldn’t happen to know this Astarion would you?”

The man’s eyes narrow as you pretend to think, tapping your chin with your index finger. A wicked smile adorns your face.

“For the right price I might.”

Astarion feels sick.

Maybe he has been misreading the situation the whole time. Maybe you had been tricking him and not the other way around. You got him to trust you by feeding him, spending time with him- getting to know him. He thought he was playing Chess while you play checkers, but obviously he was wrong. Your plan will succeed. However, your plan led to his death, not his salvation.

Astarion slowly reaches for his dagger- ready to jump both you and the evil Gur.

He watches as the Gur huffs in annoyance before pulling the coin purse from his pocket. Astarion shifts forward on his feet.

“It’s not much, but I-”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence. One of your hidden blades is buried in his right eye while the other is going up through the softness of his lower jaw, up into his brain. Astarion’s hand slips away from his blade as he slowly stands up to get a better view. You had certainly skewered the man- that was for sure.

“No hard feelings,” you say as you pull the blades from the man’s head- as you push him backwards.

The monster Hunter stares up at you, choking in fear as his own blood pools around him.

“I do know who you are looking for. Unfortunately, that means you are a complication,” you cock your head to the side, “by the way, you probably shouldn’t give people the name of your mark. Kinda leaves you open to being killed, but I guess you know that now.”

The man is hissing at you, trying to speak and you just stare at him until he calms down again.

Your smile is beautiful and cold, “Any last words?”

The man attempts to crawl away while his hands frantically reach for his belt where his weapons are. You step on his arm and Astarion hears the bones crack. The man lets out a gurgling groan.

“Well that was a bad choiceeeee,” you say in a sing-song voice before you unceremoniously dump a bottle of poison down the man’s throat- as if to add more salt to the wound, you pat his forehead and give him a cruel smile.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon.”

Astarion didn’t realize he was standing up, blowing his own cover, but he is too stunned by your actions to care. You had killed a monster Hunter for him.

The man is writhing on the ground for only seconds before he goes completely still. You let out a heavy sigh before looting him as Astarion continues to watch.

He hears you silently cuss as you dive into the man’s pockets. He hears you muttering something about a contract. Exasperated, you turn around on your heels and are about to walk when you stop dead in your tracks. You and Astarion stare at each other. The silence hangs in the air.

Your eyes soften when the initial shock fades and you give him one of your infamous lopsided smiles.

“I guess that Wyvern Poison from Nettie really works,” you chuckle, “I’ll have to let her know after the whole tadpole thing is taken care of. I can’t imagine she would be pleased that I used it for something other than its intended purposes.”

He wants to speak. He can tell you are waiting- he can practically smell the anxiety rolling off of you. Why you were anxious was beyond him. Why would he be mad at you? You just saved him for Gods’ sake.

When you realize he isn’t going to speak, you clear your throat.

“Well, let’s start heading back.”

________________________________________________

The walk home had been quiet and fast. Astarion watches as you collect your night clothes and head to the river to clean up. He pretends to be interested in the book he is holding as he contemplates the events of today.

His head is swimming with questions, but the one that bothers him the most is why. He hasn’t slept with you- hells he has barely even scraped the surface of his plan and you had brutally murdered an (arguably) innocent man for him. Astarion’s understanding of Deathbringers, specifically the Night Masks, don’t work for free and yet you haven’t asked anything of him.

There has to be a catch.

Astarion’s eyes shoot up from his book as you come walking into camp with Karlach on your heels. Your laugh sounds like music to his ears as Karlach does a crude impression of Mayrina and her husband’s future bedroom activities.

“Do you think it’s all still there? What if it falls off in side of her?”

Leave it to Karlach to ask the serious questions.

“Gods- do we even want to know?” Gale yells from his spot at the fire.

“My money is on it falling off,” Shadowheart says.

Quickly, the whole group is around the campfire besides Astarion. Everyone eats dinner while Karlach is enthusiastically describing the battle with the hag and the unfortunate end result.

Eventually everyone retires to bed. He sits on the edge of his seat as he watches you bid a quick good night to Karlach. You walk to your bedroll around the fire and just take in the flames. The agitation flares in his belly- you haven’t even made an attempt to talk to him since you got back to camp.

Oh to hells with it.

He gets up from his spot outside his tent and saunters over to the fire pit.

“Hello darling,” he says with his most charming tone, “this seat taken?”

You offer him a small smile and shake your head no. You turn your attention back up to the night sky. You both sit in silence like that for a while- Astarion pretending to read his book and you happily letting the flames warm your hands. Until the question bubbles up in his throat and Astarion can’t take the quiet anymore.

“Why?” he whispers.

“What do you mean ‘why?’” confusion paints your face as you lean towards him.

Why did you protect me? Why didn’t you turn me in? Take the gold? Lead him to camp and let him drag me away?

“I never thought I’d render you, of all people, speechless,” you say with a wide grin.

He can’t help but return your smile. He feels his eyebrows furrow as you give him your full attention.

“Why didn’t you take the money and turn me in?”

“Why in the hells would I do that!?”

Astarion winces at the aggression in your voice.

“Oh wait- no I’m sorry! I’m not-” you pause and take a deep breath, “I’m not angry with you Astarion. I just didn’t think you had so little faith in me.”

Despite your playful tone, he can still hear the hurt underneath.

“It’s not you- I just… I’ve never had anyone protect me before without wanting something in return.”

The sudden sadness in your gaze makes him squirm uncomfortably. The way you look at him makes him think you are peering into his soul- watching his secrets bleed through the facade he wears.

“Astarion,” his name falls off your lips like a prayer, “I don’t need you to do anything for me to protect you.”

Astarion’s eyes widen as he looks at you- searching for ingenuity, the lie. He never finds it, but he does find himself studying the planes of your face. Gods, you are beautiful. He won’t deny himself that truth, but the warm feeling in his chest makes it difficult to speak.

That pink dust pops up on your cheeks again as you notice his gaze. You look a little panicked and that awkwardness begins to appear.

You frantically follow up your statement with, “and besides, I feel like we fight relatively well together and we need all the hands we can get.”

Necessity- now that makes sense.

“Thank you,” the words fall from his lips softly, “no one has ever protected me before without there being a cost.”

Your gaze never leaves his- it’s his turn to look away with discomfort.

He continues, “I’ve always had to look out for myself so- thank you.”

Not even the sun could hold a candle to the smile on your lips.

“Of course Astarion. Don’t ever worry about not being protected- as long as you are with me, your chances of surviving are relatively high,” you contemplate for a second, “well unless you keep hiding Lae’zel’s daggers all over the place. I’m not going to stop her from retaliating.”

He let’s the warmth he feels dance across his features as he guffaws at you. That was another thing he had come to appreciate about you- it didn’t need to always be so damn serious.

“Darling,” he gasps, “I would never do such a thing. That is far too hilarious and I am a man of class.”

You roll your eyes at him, “Ah so Gale’s stretching mat just grew legs and walked off too then?”

He scowls, “if anything, I did us all a favor. Those ungodly groans at sunrise are enough to make an entire brothel blush.”

“Hm, apparently you haven’t been to very good brothels if that’s the type of behavior that embarrasses them?”

“Oh and you have?”

“That’s beside the point.”

“Hardly.”

He chuckles at the defeated look on your face and you stick your tongue out at him before settling back into your spot.

Astarion allows the overwhelming sense of calmness wash over him as he opens his book again. He attempts to read the first paragraph of the first page, but he can feel your eyes boring into him.

“Yes Darling?”

“What is the book about?”

Well that was unexpected. The last thing he thought you would want to talk about was his reading materials. Honestly? He had no idea considering he had picked up the book initially to look busy. He flips the cover over- “The World According to Bumpo”. Of course he picked the dumbest book to pretend to be interested in.

“I just started, but when I finish- I’ll let you read it-“ he says, “provided you give it back to me.”

“Oh, no that’s okay. Maybe you could just tell me about it?”

Astarion’s curiosity gets the better of him, “not a fan of the finer arts?”

You look at your hands and begin to pick at your nails.

“No, I just don’t… don’t really know how to read.”

Astarion wants to be surprised, but from what little he knows about this ‘Dahlia’character, it doesn’t shock him. Vampires will find any way to have the upper hand and you are very close to being as powerful (if not more so) than any vampires he has met.

“Would you like to?”

“Like to what?”

“ Learn how to read or-“ he clears his throat, trying to hide his insecurity, “or I could read it to you if you want.”

You perk up from your spot and cup your ear towards him, “I am all ears!”

He feigns irritation before he begins reading aloud.

#baldurs gate 3 #astarion x reader #astarion #astarion x you #baldurs gate astarion #astarion x tav #astarion romance #bg3 spoilers #bg3 #karlach

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iamnot-crazy · 9 months ago

Text

The Dance of Steel and Shadows

Summary:

Captain Kairi is the user of the devil fruit the blink blink fruit and has found herself on Trafalgar Law's list of pirates to steal their heart from for him to be granted the rank of warlord of the sea.

This is a Law x OC

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

*Word count: 1371*

Captain Kairi led the pirate crew the Echoing Phantoms from the island of Mu Echo Isles. Kairi and her crew don't chase riches or the legendary one-piece but rather their treasure is the stolen history of their island. Heirlooms that were taken from her island that rot in museums and homes of nobles who spread fabricated tales of the tragic extinction of her people.

Due to Kairi's undesired for riches and power her efforts as a pirate are often overlooked and underestimated which only granted this crew a bounty of 15 million berries placed on only the captain's head which is a small price compared to the other fearsome pirates who roam the grand line. But whispers were often fickle things, easily swayed by gold and ignorance. The truth, buried beneath the surface like a forgotten heirloom, was far more intriguing.

Kairi and her all-female crew of 20 had docked on an island where their next heist would take place but decided to rest for the night and party at the nearby tavern. Kairi sat at the bar next to her first mate carefully watching her crew mingle with the other patrons of the tavern. As she savored the moment of peace in a smoky tavern, the air crackled with an unseen tension.

Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death sat in the back of the tavern while his crew mingled with the Phantom Pirates. He had known her next target would be this island museum. Law was on his own mission to collect 100 hearts of Pirate captains who roam the Grand Line to earn the rank of warlord with the world government. Once Kairi turned her back to wave the bartender down for another drink Law stood up ready for his attack. His blue room covered the tavern his finger twitched to call his 'scalpel' and aimed toward the unaware captain.

Law's power pushed through the room toward his target but when the cube of the 'scaple' reached the bar it was filled with a piece of the wooden counter the captain had once sat Kairi had vanished. Her first mate jumped back in surprise seeing the piece of the bar floating in a blue cube and her captain missing. Law's eyes slightly widened in surprise but were short-lived as the fierce captain reappeared above him with her sword aiming downwards toward his chest.

Law was able to jump out of the way of the blade barely in time as he watched the captain embed her blade into the floor of the tavern. A stunned silence as all eyes landed on the two captains locking eyes. The two crews who roamed the bar reached for their weapons ready for a fight while the patrons fled.

Kairi pulled her heavy sword out from the ground of the tavern and pointed it threateningly at the Surgeon of Death. "And who are you?" Kairi demanded, her voice as sharp as the blade in her hand sending chills down the onlookers.

Law refused to answer but rather he smirked as a challenge glinted in his eye before he lunged at the woman but Kairi had vanished. Her Blink-Blink Fruit had given her a power that allowed her to move at a speed where if you blink you may miss it. She reappeared behind him and with a swift kick, sent him stumbling. Law, now angered, swung his sword as he spun around only to meet empty air as Kairi had seemingly teleported again, this time she reappeared from above ready to slash her attacker. With a sly maneuver, Law swapped himself with a nearby chair, leaving Kairi to strike the unyielding wood.

The two crews had entered their own brawl with swords clashing, and fists pounding. the Phantom Pirates were known for their agility and grace, their movements mimicked practiced dancers but with the strength of warriors.

Law began to push himself off the floor where the chair he shambled himself with once lay. Kairi saw the moment of weakness and was on him like a cat. She kicked his side forcing him to fall to his back before she dug her boot into his chest pinning him to the floor, she held his chin up with her cold sword, "What do you want, Trafalgar Law?" Her cold voice demanded.

Law laughed, "Oh, so you do know who I am. If you know who I am then surely you know what I am here to do." he smirked as a figure moved in the corner of his eye before twitching his fingers, "Shambles".

Law's form was replaced by Kairi's first mate who looked up terrifyingly at her captain. Kairi swiftly pulled herself off her mate distracted by the switch as Law took his advantage and sent everything skyward with his "Tact". Chairs and tables now flew in circles above them unforgivingly hitting everything in their path. Law smirked evilly at the chaos as he pulled his sword to his cheek with both hands gearing up his next move.

Kairi grunted as she dodged out of the way of Law's "Injection Shot", She rolled on the ground as she watched Law make contact with a floating chair causing it to explode. Cursing, Kairi Launched herself up and at Law, their swords clashed and echoed through the tavern drawing the attention of the crews.

To onlookers, they were a whirlwind of steel, their movement defied comprehension as they both vanished and reappeared using their devil fruit abilities. The two crews slowed their fights to watch their captains go toe-to-toe with someone of equal speed and precision and sight neither crew had witnessed.

"Your bounty does not reflect your skill, Miss Kairi." Law chuckled as he deflected a blow.

Kairi twisted away from his next swing, "I am not in the same bracket as the victims you collect hearts from!" she yelled as she surged towards him pointing her sword toward his chest, Law sidestepped and grabbed her from behind locking his arms under her and keeping her in place.

"Clearly," he growled in her ear, but before he could overpower her, she slammed her head into his chin allowing her to slip free and fall to the floor, sweeping at his legs, forcing him to jump back. He wiped the blood trickling down his chin, a grim smile playing on his lips.

"So Miss Kairi Why the low bounty, then?" he taunted.

Kairi laughed, "Because I am a Woman!" with a newfound anger she launched herself at him and disappeared before reappearing directly in front of him and digging her sword into his right shoulder.

She pushed her entire body onto his chest and leaned into his ear, "And it is Captain Kairi." She kicked herself off his chest and pulled her sword out of him causing him to scream holding his bloody shoulder. Law fell to his knees panting which caused the entire bar to fall silent. Law's first mate Bepo was the first to run to his captain's aid but only to be stopped by his icey glare demanding him to stay back.

Kairi stood triumphant, her sword a chilling reminder, "I employ you to leave and not attempt my life again. The only reason you are walking out of this alive is that I have allowed it." she ordered menacingly.

Law snarled but realized he had lost the battle and took down his "room" which caused everything that was once in the air to fall to the ground. Law gestured to his crew who all began to walk out of the back with minimal injuries compared to Kairi's crew. "You are right you are not like the other pirates I am after." he pushed his way up and began to follow his crew out. "Captain Kairi," he spoke once more turning to face her. "I look forward to our next fight." He whips around before disappearing out of the bar.

Kairi's crew stood proudly the all-woman crew had beaten the mostly male crew of the heart pirates. Law words rang through Kairi's ears, this wouldn't be the last time she saw this man but she couldn't help the surge of curiosity and excitement to meet him again.

***

Next Chapter

#one piece #one piece x reader #trafalgar d law x reader #trafalgar law #trafalgar d water law #fem!reader #writing #one piece oc #one piece original character #oc #Kairi #devil fruit

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