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locked-tomb-shenanigans · 2 years

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If you’re still doing prompt, I’d love to see some asexual harrow. I’m also far to asexual and honestly started headcanoning her as ace because I absolutely could not (and honestly still kinda can not?) pick up on any sexual tension in book lol

Fun fact about me and sexual tension: I legitimately keep forgetting it’s a thing that exists. It seems fake to me. I can’t see it. I don’t really understand it, either. Even when reading books where characters actively sleep together on page I’m reading these sexual tension scenes and being like ??? That’s a real thing?

Like good for you guys but i just really do not get it XD

I tend to headcanon Harrow as acespec anyway (usually demisexual) because that just feels right to me, but fully ace Harrow is good too 😌

CW for some internalized aphobia (which is caused less by asexuality as an experience and more by societal expectations sucking and Harrow struggling with her self-worth in general).

I also wanted to lean a lot into a thing I commonly see with allo people writing ace characters, which is them assuming that either 1) ace characters can’t date allo characters or 2) that the allo character must be missing something and seeking sex elsewhere for the relationship to function, and work against both of these depressively common assumptions.

I did admittedly start working on this concept a while ago because of takes like that but this ask kicked my ass about finally finishing it :)

Sorry about this being kind of angsty, anon (though I promise it ends happily), if that’s not what you wanted I can write something else for you!

Majority under the cut again because this got long, I seem to be really bad at writing short things for these prompts, I will have to work on that, lol

Harrow had known she was a lesbian since she’d been a child with an unfortunate crush on the monster woman from a horror movie she should never have watched in the first place.

She wanted to hold her hand. She wanted to stroke her hair. She wanted to kiss her. She was maybe ten at the time, and had never held any particular interest in guys, friendship or otherwise. Girls were objectively pretty.

Where Harrow’s crushes stayed the same, those of her classmates became different as they grew older. They started talking about others having a ‘nice ass’ or ‘great hips’.

They were nonsense words to Harrow. Some people were objectively pretty, but which qualities did an ass have to possess to be ‘nice’? What made hips ‘great’?

The google search Harrow attempted in utmost confusion was inconclusive.

The good researcher that she was, she tried looking at pictures find a reliable measurement for it, try to scale it for herself, but it was useless. People’s hips and butts remained just that, the utterly uninteresting body parts of strangers.

That was when she came across the term ‘asexual’ for the first time.

It was confusing, at first, because Harrow knew she was a lesbian, so how could she not be attracted to anyone?

The good researcher that she was, Harrow did not let this initial confusion deter her from investigating further.

It took a few attempts, but putting the terms ‘asexual’ and ‘lesbian’ together gave her the answer she was looking for.

There it was, written in black letters on white background, logical and easy. There were different types of attraction. Harrow felt romantic attraction, but not sexual attraction. This was not weird, and it was not childish. It was just who she was.

Harrow found the same relief in knowledge that she always did. She was asexual. She was also a lesbian. She was perfectly content with that.

The first real issue with her sexuality came when Harrow fell in love.

Her second, arguably even more unfortunate infatuation was with one ginger idiot with perfect golden eyes.

Harrow had known Gideon since she’d been three years old, but it took until all the way to adulthood before they actually started getting along. And when they did, well… Gideon was kind, and she was brave, and she was handsome, and Harrow fell helplessly in love with her.

Harrow chided herself for even considering this, but from the way Gideon acted, she… almost thought the feelings were reciprocated. Harrow didn’t know what to do with that. She had never been wanted before. Not in any way that mattered. But it couldn’t last. Harrow knew Gideon wasn’t asexual. The fact was, despite Harrow not understanding it beyond procreational purposes, sex was an integral part of most relationships. Even if her feelings were reciprocated, and even if Harrow hadn’t been broken beyond repair in other areas, Gideon would have to give up on something she wanted if she decided to be with Harrow. She wouldn’t be able to fulfill societal expectations on how relationships worked. Worse, perhaps, Harrow wouldn’t be able to make Gideon happy.

So she tried to pull back on Gideon, before their situation inevitably had to end in mutual heartbreak.

…except, Gideon wasn’t the kind of person one could easily remove from their life. When Harrow wrote into the group chat that she wasn’t showing for board game night, Gideon immediately sent her several worried private messages asking if she was feeling okay and if she needed anything.

Harrow left her on read, but only briefly, because it made Gideon feel awful and made her ask if she’d done something wrong, which wasn’t what Harrow had wanted. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just have a terrible headache, so I’m going to bed early.”

Thirty minutes later, someone threw a package of Advil and a bar of her favorite chocolate through her letter slot, a little sticky note attached saying “Wasn’t sure if you were still awake, otherwise I’d have rung the bell. Feel better soon :)”

Harrow avoided Gideon for two more weeks before Palamedes informed her that Gideon was sick and kept asking for her and Harrow finally admitted to herself that she couldn’t fucking do this.

She spent the rest of the week bothering Gideon with tea and soup and the occasional antifebrile, and on Sunday Gideon asked her to stay for a movie and fell asleep on her shoulder.

It would have been perfect, had Harrow at all known what to do with loving and being loved in return.

The following weekend, Gideon invited her over for dinner. This was something they did frequently, so Harrow thought nothing of it. Except, when she got there, she realized that they weren’t going to order out like they usually did—Gideon had cooked for her.

Dry rice with barely flavored sauce and steamed vegetables. There was something so terrifying and so beautiful about being known almost wholly that Harrow very nearly cried.

The whole meal they spent chatting and laughing and, occasionally, Gideon would make her a compliment, and Harrow would reciprocate, and it all felt so terribly easy.

Harrow tried to ignore the looming feeling that this felt more and more like a date—a date that she wanted to be on, except she hadn’t found the right moment to talk to Gideon about her asexuality yet, and so it would just hurt them both.

She ignored it right until the moment when Gideon walked her back to her apartment and asked if she could kiss her. Fuck.

“There’s something you should know before this goes any further,” she said, turning away from Gideon to inspect the hallway’s hardwood floor.

“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Gideon said sheepishly. “If I completely misread the situation that’s totally embarrassing, but it’s not on you, and if I didn’t misread it but you’re just not ready to kiss me yet, or don’t want to for any other reason, that’s totally cool, too. It’s not… I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to.”

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you,” Harrow admitted, feeling terribly ashamed for leading Gideon on. “I am asexual. Sex-repulsed, specifically. This isn’t something I can compromise on. I understand if that means you no longer wish to kiss me.”

“Oh, is that it?” Gideon sounded weirdly relieved. “Cool. I totally still want to kiss you.”

Harrow blinked, completely taken aback. That was not how she’d imagined this conversation would go. “You don’t have to say that because you don’t want to upset me. I understand perfectly if this is a dealbreaker for you. I know it is for some people. I found myself unable to deny the romantic attraction I harbor for you, but I don’t want you to date me when I’m clearly not enough for you.”

“You are, though. Just you spending time with me is more than enough.” Gideon gently put a hand on Harrow’s jaw. “I know you’re the queen of overthinking things, but trust me when I say that I still want to go out with you just as much. My ideal relationship is someone who holds me when I’m sad and buys me comfort food to cheer me up, even though it’s bad for me, and who falls asleep on my shoulder, and who maybe sets my head straight when I’m being an idiot. You do all of those things. Why would this feel like a loss to me when I have all the rest of you to gain?”

Harrow only almost cried. “I really did make this so much more complicated than it needed to be, didn’t I?”

“You totally did,” Gideon said gently, and kissed her.

#the locked tomb #tlt #Griddlehark #prompt writing #gideon x harrow #harrowhark nonagesimus #Gideon nav #tlt fanfic #Griddlehark fanfic #asexuality #asexual #especially the beginning part is largely based on my own experience with asexuality #the image of Harrow aggressively looking at asses to figure out a system she can use to rate them is endlessly funny to me #asks #anon #eleena’s writing shenanigans #probably gonna post this one on ao3 also

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redheadbigshoes · 1 year

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Sorry I just want to vent about something….the past week I’ve seen multiple posts come up on my dash about how lesbians can have sex with men because “you can have sex with someone you’re not attracted to”.

As a late bloomer lesbian (shoutout to comphet), I find that hard to fathom. I’ve had sex with men before realizing my sexuality but one of the most agonizing things about being a late bloomer lesbian is having to live with the fact that I put myself and my body through all that; I can never take any of those experiences back no matter how badly I wish for it. I still have days when I break down because I wish I’ve realized my sexuality sooner so I wouldn’t have had to force myself to have sex with men just to “fit in”. The hardest pill I’ve had to swallow is that I’ve consented to all of it because I thought that’s what I wanted to do and well it wasn’t. For years, I felt so uncomfortable in my own body because of it. Thinking about those times makes me feel nauseous.

(This tiktok better encapsulates how I feel: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8dNo6XB/ definitely recommend this tiktoker btw, she makes content about being a late bloomer lesbian)

If you’re genuinely not attracted to someone, why would you put yourself through the trouble of having sex with them anyway? Especially if you’re aware you’re not attracted to them? I don’t get it.

You guys can go on about how everyone has sex with people they’re not attracted to all the time but don’t fucking act like there are zero emotional repercussions for doing so. It has taken me a long time to heal from all of that and idk maybe I am being over dramatic but it just feels like a big slap in the face seeing people say it so nonchalantly.

I will end this ask on a positive: I made some new sapphic friends this week and they invited me to an lgbtq summer halloween event!

Don’t apologize for venting!

It really is infuriating… Like, there’s obviously some exceptions when we talk about having sex with men as a lesbian such as 1) the person might have had relationships with men before figuring out their identity 2) the person knows they’re not attracted to men but they live in a dangerous place to be out as a lesbian and is influenced to/forced to be in a relationship with a guy just to fit in 3) or maybe the person is a sex worker and it’s their job…

But when it comes to someone who has sex with men simply because they want to, without it being their job, without them being forced or influenced to anything, while not only knowing fully well they’re a “lesbian” but also identifying as one… well that person isn’t a lesbian.

You wouldn’t have sex with men (considering all the things I’ve mentioned above) while knowing you’re a lesbian if you were actually one. Why would you willingly have sex with men if you’re not attracted to them?

Those people really have no idea how dangerous what they’re saying is. They completely forget how lesbians are major victims of corrective rape and how creepy men are when it comes to us. They’re only contributing to men thinking we’re deep down attracted to them.

And it’s really just like you said as someone who also had relationships with men before figuring out my identity: it’s agonizing even thinking about how I put myself and my body through that.

I’m so happy for you! I hope they’re very nice and that you enjoy this event!

#stephanie answers #anon #long post #tw corrective rape

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transfemininomenon · 11 months

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who's your fav p5 character so far? or if you feel like it, what do u think about each of the phantom thieves?

aside from the forced in "im gonna become a cop" bit I've always had makoto resonate with me a lot going back Years to the other times I've played but never Finished p5. just her entire vibe of feeling like a burden to those around her & making rash decisions to try and proof them wrong on top of her having to really learn to let herself rely on others instead of pushing them away whenever she has a problem all just really Hits Different for me

truly i love em all though genuinely a delightful cast of characters especially once royal came out and actually like. let the cast be friends with each other lmao

joker: love this guy, think it's so funny that he simply can't meet someone and not have them a month later be like "so you're a phantom thief right" because they mentioned a problem person in their lives who then mysteriously changes their ways

ryuji: he Tries so hard constantly and even at his rudest i simply can't help but cheer for him, hes also simply SUCH a good friend to joker he loves his bro so much. let him say fuck

ann: man she's just. so sad. poor girl is just SO sad all the time. but it really does just make it so much better when she does stand up for herself & commit to things because you can tell its NOT easy for her to do and when she does you simply feel so proud of her. i think she's like a year away from realizing she's a lesbian

morgana: fuck the haters i love this guy. "ohhh he's so annoying not letting you go out" that's the game! not him! if he werent there joker would just be like "im too tired lets not do that". yeah hes annoying and selfish at first pretty much every character is he GROWS he LEARNS genuinely he has some of the best character growth in the game. im a morgana stan first and foremost

yusuke: ADHD/broke bitch representation we need & deserve. hes also SO funny and you can tell he isnt even trying to be. his dynamic with futuba is one of my favorite character relationships in the game. dumbass to dumbass communication

futuba: very VERY closely behind makoto for me as favorite. as someone who has spent her entire life dealing with several anxiety disorders who has also made a LOT of big progress with those over the last few years her arc really did hit so close to home for me. im eternally gonna be such a fan of how her change of heart didnt immediately Fix her and instead more gave her the chance to fix Herself because its simply so real to how recovery actually goes. shes also just so Weird and silly that you cant help but love her in such a younger sister kind of way, which on that exact note her sibling style relationship with joker on top of her arc of really learning to see sojiro as her father ? incredible. cried when when she first called him dad.

haru: im only really just now getting to fully experience her because my first time playing p5 stopped at the end of her introduction and other playthroughts before meeting her, but i gotta say shes so NOT the character i was expecting but in a good way. love that shes kind of fucked up. she loves to kill. love that she has a Big Axe. love that she's otherwise very sweet & she gels so well with the rest of the thieves that you forget how late she joins

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meikuree · 9 months

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3, 5 (for "the lightness of a foreign sky") and 45 please!

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

trope wise… I either write hard-won joyful/bittersweet cathartic endings, shawshank redemption prison escape scene style, or write about lesbian psychological torture with no in between. or worldview clashes and parries and mutual respect as the height of romance, detached from actual common romantic gestures like kisses or [romantic milestones], that are romantic exactly because romance is beside the point /o\ I love dwelling in ambiguity!

also, based on what I’ve heard from friends:

endemically melancholic voice/perspective, or: "your writing gives me sad vibes?"

alliteration disease; I like to daisy-chain similar words together. some egregious examples: "respite repeated reservedly", "all affectation effaced". and I enjoy playing with words close in sound but not meaning (e.g., "fit for the museum of a bed, not so much the mausoleum of a marriage")

not an angst or fluff writer but a secret third thing: a realism writer; "there's nothing exaggerated just to induce pathos in your works [...] your writing is more about the extrapolation of themes and ideas canon has already left there." (cr @bothzangetsus)

surgical prose, absence of filler: "If your writing was a steak it wouldn't have any of the fat in it."

a preoccupation with aftermaths, catharsis or post-catharsis; separately on characterisation: "you have a way of capturing a person who feels almost tired of their own complex motives."

I try to avoid what brandon taylor calls trite physicality, but I can also forget that people are embodied beings and are made up of parts other than eyes, mouths, and lungs, and disapproving hand gestures

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about the lightness of a foreign sky? Answer it now!

just going to use this as a blank cheque to ramble:

some commentary on the source material first -- one of black water sister’s big aspects is how it depicts the experience of inhabiting different, sometimes clashing, cultural contexts unevenly, all distilled through but not revolving around the metaphor of being a lesbian; the main character is jess, a malaysian-american lesbian who returns to her parents' hometown in penang, malaysia.

I like that it wasn’t strictly a story about lesbianism as such, and was defter about it, using it as one element to evoke commentary about insider/outsider positions in culture. it also imploded usual conventions in malaysian fiction about divisions between the westernised, cosmopolitan affluent overseas malaysian and local, 'left behind' malaysians, who are often more invisible and considered parochial characters in the global fiction landscape; jess's grandma and her literally share a body and her grandma is a tour de force in her own right, strategically overpowering jess at points, but they also work together. it also couched ah ma's (jess's grandma) nonplussed-ness and then eventual roundabout acceptance of jess's sexual orientation not in terms of... contemporary americanised scripts about sexuality and coming out but developed a vocabulary that was more organic to the malaysian context ("aiyah, we dealt with so many ghosts and spirits and corporate espionate and the odd pontaniak throughout this book, you being a pengkid is the least of our problems", in a paraphrase of how it... happened).

also, at the start, jess is conversely a fish out of water in her 'native' malaysia, unused to hokkien and unable to fully participate in cultural rituals at first despite being aware of them; she literally gets shuffled around by her relatives at extended family gatherings.

i'm usually prejudiced against southeast asian diaspora fiction that only focuses on appealing main characters/subjects, like well-educated overseas people whose inner worlds and struggles are held up as far richer and sophisticated and cultured than 'backwards' locals in their homelands -- as if alienated cultural elites represent the height of their communities' socioeconomic/cultural woes and ills -- but this pushed back against some of those assumptions, so i was pleasantly surprised. i like that zen cho puts jess through the grinder in struggles where her harvard accolades and accomplishments have little objective use. although jess struck me as a little naive at points for someone who graduated from harvard. then again, having met people from the ivy league/other top universities... i believe it, honestly.

I got feedback on this that Jess reads as far more familiar with Singapore than she would be as someone who'd only been there a few times as a child, and I totally take point on that, and wish I could've incorporated more lines about that uneven inhabitation of cultural identities i mentioned earlier. this is more an explanation than justification of why i wrote it that way: I don't like writing about places from the viewpoint of a tourist gaze, gawking at spectacles or common motifs (too much... othering fiction about malaysia/singapore that could otherwise be good reaches for the easy setting details like humid sweltering temperatures, palm trees, durians, etc.), so I left in a lot of details in a way that presumes jess is used to them.

so, sorry jess! I butchered your characterisation somewhat! but I liked writing this.

I also wanted to give more attention to the lesbian interracial relationship (especially a malaysian chinese-singaporean indian one, unlike the more common white-poc interracial relationships you see in media) that was present in the canon.

45. What's something you've improved on since you started writing fic?

I like 'unlocking new sentences' as a mutual of mine once put it, and I think I'm better at that; also incorporating dialogue; I still wish I wrote in a more breezy or conventionally palatable (read: less dense) way! but I've resolved that the first person I want to please when I write is myself and my own impulses of creativity, so.

I'm going to sidetrack and be negative/critical for a second: I recently participated in a class exercise where my classmates shared pieces of fiction/poetry they'd written, and the originality and agility of their turns of phrase and unexpected combinations 1) sobered me, because it reminded me how depressingly 'safe' a lot of ao3 fare and even pubbed fiction is out there (in both content and the question of aesthetics, and I include myself in this), 2) sparked joy and desire in me to experiment again. so with that I leave some quotes that express why I enjoy writing: because i view it as an opportunity to participate in a linguistic laboratory, exploding and pushing at the limits of expression:

Within Surrealist culture, chance was worshipped as a kind of spirit guide, a trickster who could jam the conveyor belt of deductive logic. Gatherings centered on word games, blind selection, collage, and collaboration. In Exquisite Corpse, a paper was passed around the table, each writer folding over what they had written, a systems approach to narrative that produced phrases like The wounded women disturb the guillotine with blond hair. The point was to elicit dissonant analogies, cross-pollinated metaphors, images that were shocked to find themselves as bedfellows. Many of the poets relied on collage techniques, cutting up newspaper stories and reassembling them into odd configurations.

and writing is a medium that allows me to reach for the simplest form of transformation: making sure the word that follows isn't the expected one

I write to be read. I’m not an experimentalist. But while I don’t think my writing is unclear, it’s not to everyone’s taste. I think some people prefer a kind of journalistic plainspokenness, even on the question of aesthetics, which is not my impulse. Very early on in my “career,” an editor said to me, “You do something that we don’t really do here. I noticed that in your sentences, the word that comes next isn’t exactly the word you’d expect to come next.” And I remember thinking: of course it fucking isn’t. Otherwise why would I write it?

(fic writer asks)

#meikuree answers #writing #long post #black water sister #zen cho

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a-crash-in-time-collection · 1 year

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Chapter 36: HELLO_WORLD

It was a bit of a cooler day than the ones recent to memory, even the robot could tell that. It made sense, however. Summer was finally starting to end, and the cooler and more bearable season of fall would be upon them. It was still a little crazy to think the clan had been here for about half a year. Surely the government was resting well on their earth, smug about the fact they got rid of the toppats for good. Oh, Platinum couldn't wait to hear what they had to say when the toppats got back.

Something felt…a little off about today though. He didn't know why. He felt like he was supposed to be remembering something but no one seemed to have any idea what he could be forgetting. What's more, Hat Girl was able to get some of the others to visit the place. There was no reason why, just 'Hey, come over'. It was strange but Platinum didn't want to question it. He finally got to show Adalyn around, and it was fun watching her steal things from the members while invisible.

As the day went on, he briefly saw Snatcher and Cooking Cat at one point. But they didn't seem to notice him and didn't seem like they wanted to be seen by him. Did he upset them somehow?

Maybe they just had to get some sort of work done, who knows? Platinum knew Snatcher had something happen recently in his forest. Didn't know the exact details, just faintly overheard that something happened while Macbeth was talking with Burt. As for Cooking Cat, she could be talking to anyone about anything. He didn't know her too well and hadn't tried much. Part of him was still annoyed about the cruise when she managed to figure out about his crush on Van…

He didn't let those thoughts stop him during the day. Even if the question of why things seemed off kept swimming around his mind like a fish in a bowl. It was afternoon now, getting late. They had headed to Hat Girl's room just to vibe. They pulled out a card game and you think Platinum, being a robot, would have an advantage. No, he was just struggling the whole time. In his defense, the random noise in the background didn't help his focus.

"Ugh, I can't get this phase for the life of me. Couldn't we have just played uno?" Platinum asked as he sat his cards down on the floor, leaning back a bit as Mu rolled her eyes nearby. He gave her a glare. "Don't give me that look. You got your phases in the first three turns easily!"

"She just got lucky, darling." DJ Grooves said as he pulled Dianna closer to him, gently. Apparently the mother was busy that day so the little penguin had to come with him, which no one minded. Apparently Hat Girl had also invited the Conductor's grandkids but they were all going to be busy with stuff today. Why didn't she just invite them for a later date? "Oh, speaking of which. Hat Girl, darling. Do you have a special someone yet? You're about that age."

"Don't rush me Grooves. I'll find her and tell her when I get the chance." Hat Girl said as she led back, before Platinum rose a brow briefly before smiling. "Oh yea, I'm lesbian. Didn't want to tell anyone until I was fully sure. I already told our Dads, would've told you too but you were busy with Van at the time, brother." Hat Girl said, glancing at Platinum with a smile. She gave a chuckle. "What's with that look in your eyes. You promised them you would be there that night."

"Well first, congrats on coming out. And second, our normal way back from that area of the woods was blocked by a fallen tree, so we had to go the long way." Platinum stated, rolling his eyes but giving a slight smile. Hat Girl went to say something else and he held up his hand to cut her off, giving a tiny chuckle. "And before you ask 'Couldn't you just, gotten back on the path after the tree', don't you remember from my first powering on how weird with my choices I can be?"

"Huh, to be honest I forgot you had to be powered on for a 'first time.'" Stated Adalyn from nearby while Hat Girl shrugged to Platinum's question. Platinum looked at the lazy paw gang member as he shrugged and got on Hat Girl's bed, rubbing his sleeves a bit to get some dirt off. To be honest, he kinda forgot at times he had a first 'power on'. "What was it like? Did you go try to break into a vault or something in the first, like, five minutes of you existing?"

"From what I heard of the story, no." Van said for Platinum, rubbing their arm as they took a small step back from the group. Platinum got up and headed over to them, pulling out the chair by his sister's dresser and letting them sit in it. Maybe it didn't help, but Platinum knew Van got shy easily in situations with people they didn't know well. "Thanks Platy.." Van said before sighing. "I, think he freaked out a bit actually."

"Huh, why am I not surprised." Conductor stated nearby, the card game they were playing having been forgotten by this point. Platinum started to head over to a small stack of books currently on his sister's dresser, maybe he could read one while they did something else. Considering how fast he discrated them from the game, it would probably be best to stay out of it. "Well, lad. What did happen. You can't just mention stuff like that and not expect us to be a wee bit curious.”

"Plus, it wasn't like you were aware before turning on the first time, right?" Mu asked. "I'm a little curious with someone just, coming into existence with the intelligence of a teen."

"Why would that be something of… actually now that I think about it, that does seem like a crisis waiting to happen." DJ Grooves said after having to pull Deinna back before she could begin to climb up to one of Hat Girl's relics, him briefly apologizing to the alien as he did so. Platinum glanced at Van who gave a shrug, not really sure on, anything. "How did you handle it? Were you ever used before you were you?"

"He was, but he doesn't really have too many memories of back then, from what he's told me and our Dads." Hat Girl said as Platinum gave a nod. She then glanced over at Platinum, and patted a spot on the bed beside her with one hand while motioning for him to come over with the other. She gave a smile as he just blinked. "Come on, I'm a little curious myself, never heard the full story. I just know Dad was glad he decided to turn you on before we met."

"Yea, I am too looking back. Wouldn't have been a good first impression." Platinum glanced at Van, who was looking up at him in a bit of curiosity. He then sighed. "Well, I guess I have time to explain a bit."

He walked over to his sister and sat down, jokingly pushing her aside, gently of course. As he began to think of how to start, he found himself pausing. Briefly glancing at his sister. It was funny, it was so easy for him to not exist as who he was now. He was also one of dozens, maybe hundreds of topbots. It was so easy for it not to have been him. To never feel the joy of being alive…

It was, scary when he thought about it. Which was more often they others may think.

"Alright, now let's get one thing straight. Like you all, I was curious about the exact details of my creation, so this first part will be what I got from my wonderful creator and father. If it's not exactly what happened." He shrugged. "Sucks for you, because again, I wasn't there."

"Platinum." Mu said with some frustration as the robot chuckled. And after a moment, begin to recount the tale of his creation…

It was around a little over three years ago, the evening that started his creation. Back when they were still on the airship, the orbital station only beginning to be worked on. Back when Right Hand Man had no clue one day half his body would be replaced by metal. Back before they knew one day they would be stranded on an alien planet by the government. Back before it seemed that one man came and almost managed to turn the clan's lives around for the worst…

It had been a busy week for the leader and his right hand at the time, so since they finally got some downtime, they decided to spend the night with their daughter. Sure, they tried to do this even when they were working, but this week made that near impossible. Lots of things to do and very little time. So it was in order, at least in Reginald's mind. And Hat Kid was happy, just messing around with the two all night long.

Although near the end Reginald had noticed something off. She didn't really talk about what she did the past week, something she normally did when they had the time for these talks. She loved to talk about what little messes her and the other kids got into.

"So Hattie, Mr. Macbeth said he caught some kids gluing glitter all over the walls despite the fact they know they aren't supposed to." Reginald said, glancing over at the girl who glanced to the side. He didn't mean to put her on the spot, but he was just curious and wanted to see if he could get her to talk. "He didn't give me any names, but it seemed like something you and the others would do." Reginald stated as Hat Kid nodded. "Were you one of them?"

"No… Even if I wanted to, they wouldn't let me." Hat Kid said, looking at Reginald with an innocent expression. Reginald paused what he was doing, and glanced over at his husband, who looked to confirm he caught the wording as well. Reginald turned back to Hat Kid, who was whistling. Must have realized what she said. She then glanced at them. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have stickers on my face or something."

"Why did ya phrase it like t'at?" Right Hand Man asked, being careful to have his voice in a more gentle tone as he came over, raising a brow. "Because t'ey knew you would get in trouble, and you were our kid?"

"Maybe? I'm not really sure." Hat Kid explained, before covering his mouth and mumbling something about not wanting them to be in trouble. Reginald led Hat Kid over to the couch in their room and had her sit down with him, Right Hand Man following. It took a second of silent reassurance that nothing bad would happen, before she sighed. "The kids haven't been playing with me lately. I'm not mad I just, don't get why?"

"Have you tried talking to them?" Reginald asked, and Hat Kid gave a small nod. He sighed, glancing to the side for a moment. Was it because she was getting older? She was about twelve, almost a teenager but not quite yet. He remembered his time in that awkward state, wasn't the best. He glanced down and slightly readjusted his daughter's hat. "I'm sure they'll let you play with them again eventually. And in the impossible chance they don't, you can start hanging with the teens."

"I've tried that, they won't let me either." Hat Kid said, sighing. "Something about 'getting hurt' or something, I dunno…" She yawned.

"Oh, I didn't even realize the time. Why don't you go get ready for bed?" Reginald said after he took a glance at the clock, it was already a bit past Hat Kid's normal bedtime. Luckily, she rarely put up a fuss when she was told that and this wasn't one of those rare moments. With a nod she said bye and left the room. Once the door was closed and a few seconds had passed, he turned to his husband. "I should have noticed something was up."

"Reg, don't start on yerself, she understands we're busy." Right Hand Man said, getting up with a stretch as he went to go take care of the little bit of paperwork they had left from that day. They already had to give a lot to Sven this week, so they didn't want to toss more. The man needed a break. Right glanced over his shoulder as he worked. "Still, I do find it a little strange. Is t'is normal? Ya know I wouldn't know."

"Maybe?" Reginald asked with a shrug, going over and unbuttoning his overshirt to help cool off from the heat in the room, helped him get ready to sleep easier, especially when he was worried. "Still, she doesn't deserve to be alone when we're not around."

"I know Reg, I know. Not muc' can be done t'ough. We can't make t'em be 'er friends. T'is is a criminal clan." Right Hand Man said, a small yawn in his voice. Reginald gave a sigh as he nodded and glanced at the ceiling as he layed in his bed. The idea of her being 'alone' worried him more then her not having a playmate, however. "Finally." He hard Right Mumble before heading over to the bed, untieing his hair for the night.

"What if something happens to us one of these days and she has no one?" Reginald asked as he turned his head slightly, glancing up at his husband. He saw Right pause for a moment, before sitting down beside him without an answer. She wouldn't be alone, they both silently reassured themselves, or at least tried too. "I know the clan would protect her but still, what if something happens and they can't? They're only human after all."

"We all are. Nothin' we can do about that." The future-cyborg said, leaning beside Reginald and allowing the man to run a hand through his hair. Right kept his annoyed mumble quiet, Reg needed this. "It's not like we can have her in a metal suit in case things go wrong." He tried to joke.

"No we cannot." Reginald said with the faintest chuckle in his voice, but the mention of metal brought an idea to mind. The topbots. They were rarely used and likely would be scrapped once they got the station up in a few years. Maybe he could take one, and reprogram it to keep an eye on her and keep her safe if anything happens. Who knows? Maybe he could even program it with some games. Make it act like a friend to her, maybe even like a brother…

"Ya ok Reg? Ya stared off into space again." Right Hand Man asked with a snap of his fingers, tilting his head as Reginald glanced at him. Reginald simply responded but quickly pulled the man closer, as fast as he could, and gave a kiss. Right rolled his eyes at the act, but didn't break for a few seconds. He chuckled as he glanced at him. "I swear I never understand what goes t’rough yer head sometimes, Reggie. I mean it."

"Maybe I like it that way?" Reginald asked, raising a brow as Right Hand Man chuckled. He then let out a yawn. "I'm heading to bed, night." He said as he closed his eyes.

"That quickly?" he could hear the head shake in his husband's voice and refused to move as he pulled the blanket out from under the 'sleeping' man. Reginald eventually got a 'night' in return as he felt an arm wrapped around him. Reginald smiled a bit more. He didn't know it then, but his and his son's fate had just been sealed.

Working on the topbot was strange. It felt like it took forever yet no time at all, as the time went by quickly once he had the freetime to work on it. He originally just played to reprogram it, but after deciding to lean into the 'brother' aspect as much as possible, ending up speaking a week alone remodeling the robot to look more human, especially more teen-like. Don't even ask him how he got the hair, he just black out mentally and it was there when he came back.

It all went smoothly, from the programming to the redesigning. The only incident he had was when he was working on some of the coding, something happened and he got shocked. He was fine and it wasn't even a bad shock, but something did feel a bit… odd afterwards. He couldn't quite place it however, so he didn't make a big deal about it. Would risk people finding out before he was ready. After at the very least a month of actual work, he felt the topbot was ready to test.

He didn't have the best place for the test, and he didn't want to use the same old, dusty space he’d been using to keep the topbot a surprise. So he snuck it to storage on a day he knew no one should be there, leaning the robot against a tank and removing the cloak he used to cover it while moving it, in case anyone saw.

"There we go…" Reginald smiled a bit as he glanced at the topbot. Its orange eyes were dull now, but he knew in a matter of moments they would glow with the light of life. If only he knew how true that statement was. He grabbed a few things from the box he brough, mostly just stuff for any adjustments he needed to make. "Well… no sense in holding back." He took the remote to the topbot, and pressed the 'on' button. He glanced up at the machine, no idea his world was about to be turned around.

ACTIVEING_UNIT-78… … RENAMING_PROGRAM… … ACTIVEING_PLATINUM… … HELLO_WORLD

The topbot's eyes lit up, and slowly blinked. It moved its head up yet its expression was blank. Reginald sighed inside, he was hoping he could get it to smile when he turned it on. But no matter, he could adjust that. Or maybe he just needed to give the topbot coding time to adjust to the new coding of being a protector, a brother. The robot glanced at him with the blank expression, tracking his movements faintly with its eyes.

"Hello Platinum." Reginald welcomed, despite knowing the topbot should know who he was. He grabbed a picture of Hat Kid he had brought, and held it up. He saw the topbot's eyes lock onto the picture quickly. "There's many things I programmed you to do. But…" He smiled. "Your main purpose is to keep her safe."

"Keep her safe…" The robot repeated his words, using the voice he spent a whole day working on so it was near-impossible to tell he recorded its lines… But that… wasn't one of them, was it? Inside the topbot's head, questions started to form… questions? thoughts? It didn't make sense… And that was when the new files began to try and find their place in it's- no, his head, and his eyes went wide.

"Platinum?" The man in front of him questioned, and the topbot glanced at him, shaking a bit as he stepped back. Platinum. Who was Platinum? He was Unit- No, No, His name was Platinum. How could he not know that? Why did he have a name? He glanced at the man in front of him, briefly words appeared in his vision and made the machine shout a small bit as he jumped back into the thing behind him. "Wait- Are you alright?"

"Am I?!" The machine asked, covering his mouth. That was an emotion in his voice, in him. He didn't know what it was, but it wasn't something he was supposed to feel normally. He then pause, he covered his mouth? He closed and open it, feeling the movement. He didn't have that before, did he? He didn't… He didn't do anything before, did he. Of course he did. He was a… "What's going on?! Why can I… feel." Platinum moved his hand slightly, watching with a mix of emotions he didn't know.

"How is this…" Reginald had begun to reach for the remote, but paused. The topbot in front of him seemed truly scared…

"Shouldn't you know Chef- No, Reginald- No, Dad?" Platinum asked in that one emotion, the words under the two hatted man kept changing as the files updated his information. The files, they were acting too quickly for him to try and focus. Trying to give him information on things he had zero clue on yet. Trying too, he didn't even know. "I-I can't do this. I-I can't, I'm broken. I-I can't do anything, there's too much, I-I-"

"Platinum, it's ok!" Reginald reached for the topbot's sleeved arm as the robot looked at him, his orange eyes shaking and some oily tears just starting to form in the bottom of it. He didn't understand why the topbot could be acting this way. He shouldn't be acting this way, it wasn't how he programmed his script… but maybe he wasn't running on it. "I don't know what's going on, but if you calm down, I'm sure we can work it out."

"Work on…me? Work means off!" Platinum backed up, pulling his arm away from the man. Something told him he didn't feel this way about being turned off against his will before. But that was when he didn't feel anything, when he didn't have a will. "I-I just wanna be left alone!"

"Platinum, I-" Reginald reached for him again, but Platinum pulled away and bumped his head into the thing behind him. He glanced back at it, and looked up slightly. He didn't know what it was, and it seemed the files in his head were racing to find an answer for him, which hurt his head more. But on top of the thing appeared to be an opening. "Wait, you can't go in that-" Reginald said once he saw the robot begin to climb up the tank.

"J-Just give me a moment!" Platinum cried out as he managed to open the tank and hop inside, closing it before Reginald had a chance to catch up with him. Platinum glanced around the dark space, letting out some shaky breaths as he got to his knees, taking his hand to his chest. He heard the entrance tried to be open, but he reached up and kept it closed. "P-Please! Leave! I don't know what's going on! I-I swear I'm not…"

Reginald was quiet as he listened to the sobs inside. "Ok… But you can't stay there forever. It's not safe." He said, gently patting the hatch. Even if he wanted to go in, Platinum had locked it so he couldn't get inside. "Just try and calm down.." he said as he began to head down the tank.

Once he was down on the ground, he sat for a moment, and thought.

Somehow, Platinum wasn't just an AI running on a script like he intended. He was alive, fully aware. Was every topbot like this? Having its own hidden soul waiting for the chance to express itself without being controlled… No, judging by his son’s reaction to, well, everything, it seemed Platinum had no idea what it meant to be alive. Just throwing the gift of life seemed to have caused him his panic.

"Well, know I wished I did this is small session." Reginald said, burying his head in his hands and letting out a mumble. He wasn't upset Platinum was alive, far from it. But he wasn't expecting to be the first to create a fully aware robot. One that was now sobbing inside the tank. It made him feel awful. If he knew, he would have taken it slower. Give Platinum time to adjust slowly.

It was too late for that now. Reginald glanced at the remote. He could turn Platinum off and move him somewhere calmer, but he was scared by the idea of being off… Which meant he was likely scared of Reginald now. He couldn't bring Hattie to him like this… that left only one option.

Right Hand Man was in his room, cleaning his bat with the tiniest hum coming from his voice. He just got back from a robbery and he got blood on it. Hey, it wasn't his fault the cop got in his way and refused to step away. He didn't hit hard enough to kill, so he was sure they would be fine after a month or two. That was just what you got when you messed with the Right Hand of the toppats. He wouldn't let himself or anyone else be taken away, not when he was around.

He heard the door open behind him and gave the smallest smile as he looked over his shoulder, seeing his husband. The smile faded a bit even as Reginald gave a small wave. Right Hand Man was no idiot. He could tell something was off. But he also knew just flat-out asking likely wouldn't hurt. Reginald had a bit of pride in him after all, and wouldn't acknowledge what was wrong unless it was him who acknowledged it. So Right would need to find a way to get him to do so.

He got up, tossing the cloth to the side as he went to put the bat back with the rest of his weapons. He glanced over as Reginald sat on the bed, glancing to the side with a look of questioning in his eyes.

"Everyt’in' went well at communications?" Right Hand Man started, Reginald giving a small nod. Perfect, he might be able to get Reginald to say it in conversation, without realizing it. Still, the nod seemed genuine as that was the only thing Right was aware of Reginald needing to do that day. And Burt wouldn't be the one to get the chef worried about something, that was Sven's job. "Good. Burt 'asn't 'ad any added stress about t'e eventually station plans?"

"He says he's sure he can handle the orbital station when the time comes." Reginald said with a smile. He looked at Right and sat beside him, and it made him sigh. God, how was he supposed to start this out. 'So, I made a living AI and he's our son?'. Right didn't even want anymore kids and he didn't mean to push one on him like this. He sighed. "Do you, remember when we first got Hattie?" He started, glancing as his husband nodded.

"Not sure I could ever forget." Right Hand Man said, glancing out the window nearby. The sight of that crashed spaceship would never leave his memory. "Why do ya ask? Because of 'er friends issue?"

"Perhaps… do you remember how she was sad about that rumba of hers?" Regianld asked, getting a nod after Right took a few seconds to fully remember. He could tell back then that it meant a lot to her, but she could tell they were a bit confused so she was doing her best not to seem too emotional over it. He didn't understand why but he wasn't going to question it. "I wonder what it must have been like for her, all alone with nothing but her little robot friend."

"Well, judging by her reaction, they were close." Right Hand Man said. He was a little confused by the way Reginald was taking the cover nation. Why bring up something she seemed to have moved on from? Was he, trying to fix it? He did catch Reginald going through parts of stuff they stole and borrowing tools, all while he thought Right wasn't looking. "Reg, why are you bringin' this up?" Right finally decided to ask as Reginald glanced to the side.

"I… might have done something…" Reginald said, like a child trying to avoid getting in trouble. Right just rolled his eyes and waited for Reginald to finish. The man sighed. "So I… took aside a topbot and reprogrammed it."

"All on yer own? Self taug't?" Right asked with a brow raised, and Reginald gave a sheepish smile as he nodded. Right was still full of questions, new ones like 'why' being added into that pot inside his brain. But he couldn't help but be at least a little amazed, he suspected Reginald was working on something machine based, but programming was a nightmare from what he understood. "Dunno w'y ya did it. But ya should be proud, Reg."

"I am. It's just… my programming went a little too far… and I accidentally gave him life?" Reginald said sheepishly, looking at Right. Right was caught off guard by that, and his face showed. Reginald had to hold in a chuckle as he explained more. "I made him to act like a brother to Hat Kid. Someone too keeps her safe even in the worst case scenario… I also had us programed as his fathers just for more of the heck of it, but now he's alive and-"

"Ya basically made us a new kid?" Right summarized it as Reginald nodded. He let out a sigh as he brought a hand down his face, shaking it slightly. "Reg, I love ya. But couldn't ya 'ave at t'e very least ask me first? We just got used to bein' Dads for Hattie."

"In my defense, I wasn't trying to make an actual son! Just more of a toy? …That sounds wrong knowing he's alive now." Reginald said, shaking his head as Right Hand Man nodded. He was a bit annoyed but it, couldn't be helped. He just had to live with it. Besides, it was a robot child so hopefully he would be a little easier then Hat Kid, and he had experience. "I should have told you, I'm sorry. I just wanted him to be a surprise."

"It's ok, but no more kids after this, please Reg. We're the leaders of a criminal organization, that alone puts our kids at risk." Right Hand Man said, and Reginald nodded. After a moment Right paused. He didn't know if the robot was listening in on the cover nation. He got up to check, ready to talk to him about things since he could have made him mad. "Well, I guess I should go meet him. He's outside waiting, isn't he."

"No, he's in a tank." Reginald said, and Right looked a little shocked. "When I turned him on the sudden self-awareness gave him a panic attack, he climbed into it and I couldn't get him out. I was hoping you could come help me?" Reginald asked. "I think he might be scared I'll just turn him off against his will."

"I suppose the concept is horrifying when you are a machine." Right Hand Man said with a sigh, adjusting his bandana around his neck so he could breathe just a little bit easier. Reginald got into the hall with him and they began to head to storage, Reginald silently hoping nothing had happened while he was gone. It was only about ten minutes at max, but it felt like an hour, somehow. "So, what did you name him? Or does he not have one yet?"

"His name is Platinum. It's not very creative but, I felt it fit." Reginald said, as Right nodded. Platinum Copperbottom, had a ring to it he suppose. He felt Reginald grab his hand and Right glance up slightly at him. He could see worry was starting to get to him. He just had his hand a slight squish and Reginald nodded. "It'll be fine, he'll be fine. We'll just have to take things slow. Hopefully he isn't mad."

"If anything he should be glad once he calms down." Right commented as Reginald glanced at him. "Not everyday you're the lucky one out of hundreds of soulness machines to be given life."

Reginald nodded, and couldn't help but think about it. Would 'Platinum' have ended up different depending on which topbot he used… Why was he wondering that? Platinum was Platinum. He just hoped they could get him to see that…

Platinum wasn't sure how long he was in what he now knew was a tank. It felt like forever. But he didn't mind it. He had managed to get the files to slow their uploading inside his head, and that allowed him to think more clearly, process things clearly. Looking back, he was a bit embarrassed about how he reacted in front of his father, but what was Dad expecting? Him to just turn on and be chill and ready to go? He just tossed awareness onto an object, of course the 'object' would panic.

He slowly glanced at his hands, moving them. Watching as the light from his new orange eyes shone off them. He was still fascinated. It was strange. His memory of being today was blurred. There was stuff but it was hard to recall because there wasn't any Platinum there to remember. He wasn't sure how to feel about this in the long run. But he couldn't stay inside this tank forever. He had a battery that needed to be charged eventually after all.

He climbed back to the hatch, and he took a breath. He didn't need to breathe, but it helped soothe the small nerves building up. He glanced outside the tank when he opened the hatch. Reginald was gone. Huh, he was honestly expecting his father to be waiting. At least he seemed to represent his space…

"Thank goodness he didn't turn me on in front of her." Platinum sighed as he rest his arms in front of him. By now he had fully recovered his programmed purpose, to be a brother to Hat Kid. And he wanted to be a good one, he genuinely did. He just didn't know how he would make any relationship if she saw him panic like that… he paused as he glanced down at the tank. "You know, I could get used to this." He went to go get a look at the controls.

"Oi!" A voice called and it made him jump a bit. Already the files were trying to speed up again, there weren't too many left, but he didn't want to risk freaking out again. He glanced over and saw his father come in with a man. Somehow the man looked familiar, probably had info but he had stopped that file to calm down easier. "Platinum, get out of the tank!" The man said. Platinum gave a smirk, he was programmed to be a troublemaker after all.

"You're not my dad." Platinum started with a chuckle, leaning back with a smug smile. The man looked confused and glanced at his dad. Reginald shrugged at his husband, he could only assume something went wrong in Platinum file's trying to be uploaded.

Right Hand Man tried not to get mad, just annoyed. "Get out of t'e freakin' tank, I am yer Dad!" He called, and Platinum pulled his head back to laugh right as Reginald nodded to his husband's words, so the robot didn't see it. Right glanced at Reginald again and he just mouth the word 'troublemaker'. Of course, Right rolled his eyes. The perfect kind of friend for Hat Kid but not the best type for getting a teen to listen.

"You’re not my Dad!" Platinum started with a chuckle, ducking his head back in for a moment as he heard the man let out a mumble of frustration. He wasn't lying, was he? And besides, this was who he was. It was his first day, they could give him some slack if he was pushing it. He glanced back out with an innocent smile on his face as the red haired man sighed. He glanced at his Dad and gave a thumbs up as Reginald sighed as well.

"Yes I am yer Dad, get out of t'e freakin' tank!" Right Hand Man said as the topbot teen laughed. He sighed. "Ya could get hurt!" He added.

"I'm in a tank and you're not!" Platinum stated boldly, glancing at the man. His bold smile faded when his files finally began to finish processing. And he was instantly hit with the relation that not only was this the second in command of all the toppats. He was, in fact, his Dad. He wanted to hop back in the tank but, he already made himself a bit of a fool here. "Alright, I'll head down. Sorry, my files just finished uploading, Pops."

"Good, but I'm makin' sure that tank is moved to a ground base." Right commented, the teen grumbling a bit as he came down. He glanced at Reginald and then back at the topbot. Now that the 'inside a deadly weapon' issue was taken care of, they were able to take in the fact that Platinum seemed fine now. That was good. "Just don't head into somethin' like that next time you get scared. I understand, but if you pressed a button, things could have gotten bad fast." Right stated, as Platinum nodded faintly.

"At least you're ok." Reginald finally spoke, glancing at Platinum with a smile. Platinum gave a look of 'why wouldn't I be?', but knew what he was referring to. Reginald faintly glanced at the box he still had nearby, with everything he had planned to use earlier if readjustments were needed. He scolded his past self a bit before turning back to his son. "Are you feeling alright? You're systems haven't overheated, have they?"

"I'm fine Dad. Just was… surprised?" Platinum said, looking at the two. To be honest, he still wasn't sure if that was the word he was looking for. He knew what emotions were now but actually pin-pointing the ones he was feeling was still a bit of a challenge. He assumed he would pick up on it quickly though. Just needed the chance to feel more. "Sorry to scare you, just, didn't know how else to react… And besides, you know how you made me."

"I do." Reginald said, a small chuckle in his voice as Right Hand Man rolled his eyes. Even as the man did so, there was a small smile on his face. Sure, Platinum was meant to be a surprise and he’d rather have been aware, but hey. He was his son, nothing would change that. Reginald glanced at Platinum. "Do you feel like you're ready to meet-"

"Dad, Papa? What's with the robot with you?" A young voice called that spook all three of them, at least a little bit. Platinum was the first to recover from the spook, glancing to the stairs where Hat Kid was heading down with a head tilt. She seemed to be eyeing the robot in curiosity and just a hint of worry. "Why is he looking at me, is he a topbot?" She asked. Platinum glanced at his Dads, and got a nod of 'go ahead' from Reginald.

"Well Hat Kid." He said as he headed over, being slow as to try and not spook her. He bent down to her level when he got close enough. "I'm Platinum! Dad and Pops have been working on me for awhile now, mostly Dad. I'll be your big brother and I'll make sure you'll never be alone!" He could have sworn he saw sparkles enter her eyes as she let out a small gasp of excitement. Before quickly hugging him. "Hehe, so you like me?"

"Yea! Thank You Dad, Thank you Papa!" Hat Kid said, calling over her new brother's shoulder at the men, before breaking free of the hug and grabbing Platinum's arm. "Come on, there's so much I wanna show you. Oh, the others are going to be jealous!"

"I bet!" Platinum said, before quickly running off with her, making sure she was in his sights at all times.

"Well, t'at went smoot'ly." Right Hand Man commented.

"Yea… You know, I didn't program every little thing about Platinum. I wanted to see if the script could make its own choices…" Reginald glanced back at the hall. "I can't wait to see who he grows to be."

"And that's pretty much it. Yea, My first few moments weren't pretty, but hey, I'm here today and that's all that matters." Platinum finished as he turned back to the group. For whatever reason, Hat Girl told him to tell the story on the go since she wanted to take them somewhere. A little odd seeing how it was almost over anyway at the time, but he didn't question his sister. He glanced back at the others. "Thoughts."

"Ye should have fired the tank and seen what would've happened." The Conductor said, Platinum chuckling while DJ Grooves and Mu facepalmed. He turned to the chuckle of his sister and smiled. He… wasn't the best at the protection role he was programmed for. But he made sure she never was alone. Back when Dad and Pops were gone, he rarely left her side. He didn't know what would happen if he lost all three of them. "So, what's yer birthday anyway?"

"It's around this time of year actually." Hat Girl said with a smile. A smile that seemed a bit too knowing for Platinum. He paused and sighed, glancing at his sister with a brow raised. "You finally got it, didn't you?" She asked. "You forget every year."

"Wait, really? Today is your birthday." DJ Grooves asked. "And you forgot?" Platinum let out a grone. He could see why they were excited, sure. But he was always just happy to be alive. And while he never told anyone, his birthday brought back the fact he was once a normal topbot, and it easily could have been another one who got the life he now would fight for… "I'm surprised they're not throwing you a big party right now."

"Oh, there's a party waiting, they just never make it big because they know I rather my own be small." Platinum said, pausing when Hat Girl opened the door. Shadow Kid jumped out and grabbed his leg, and he gave a small smile talking about what was inside. There was a sigh as Right Hand Man peaked his head out of the room, shaking his head. "You all weren't going to surprise me. And even if you did, there wouldn't be much of a reaction."

"Just get in 'ere Plat." Right Hand Man said, with an eyes roll yet a small smile. The room wasn't anything fancy, and there wasn't too much going on inside besides a few people who were welcomed to come. But if Platinum had to have his own party, that was the way he liked it. He chuckled slightly with an eye roll.

Luckily, he had been in this kind of situation twice before so he was decent at getting through the typical convos and stuff that came when you were the one the party was celebrating. The only thing he really had to do was eventually open the gifts, well, besides having fun. Luckily, his parents or Macbeth would step in if it was clear Plat was feeling a little lost in one convo and just wanted out. He thanked them for that, at least.

He ended up spending most of the time with Van and Hat Girl, just hanging out like it wasn't anything special. And it made it feel special. He found himself glancing at Van when he was sure no one was looking because they just looked so pretty today. The lights that Macbeth had dug up for the party almost made them glow and it seemed only he saw that. It actually made him a bit glad he had a party for once. At least he knew what he might be able to do for Van's…

Hat Girl eventually caught him and he had to snap out of his self-trace before anyone else noticed. Sure basically everyone on the station knew he had a crush on someone now, but he didn't want those who didn't know whom yet knew it was Van. Less of all let Van know.

"I'm surprised you aren't trying to sneak away and do something, if you really don't want to be here." Mu commented as she leaned against the wall while speaking with him, eating a bit of the cake. Platinum couldn't eat it but he didn't really mind because he didn't really care for food anyway. Because he couldn't eat. "It does seem nice for you, even if it's not anything grand… better than anything I've gotten." She whispered to herself.

"Sorry.." Platinum said, having heard her. Mu just shrugged like she didn't care, and Platinum stepped away and went over to his fathers. "Dad, is it ok if I open my stuff and go. I may have stayed up late the last few nights so my battery isn't as charged as it should be." A lie, but it allowed him to go with a nod from Reg. He made sure no one really noticed. Hat Girl thought about calling attention to it, but didn't. She knew her brother.

He stuffs the wrapping paper in his pockets to hide it as he opens his stuff. There wasn't too much, but he liked it that way. He always told his Dads never to get him much of anything, and they confusedly did so.

He did pause when he opened one though. "Woah." He said to himself. It wasn't anything too grand. It was just a jacket in the same style of the one he always wore. But the colors were those of the pan flag. He should've known his Dads would've gotten him that after coming out, but still. It stood out for some reason. Maybe because it reminded him of the joy it was to be yourself, even if it was a different type of 'be yourself' then the colors represented. He threw it on quickly, standing up and smiling at it. "Hey, thanks!" He called to his Dads nearby, before turning to the others.

He saw Van glancing at him. Was that a.. blush on their cheek? He decided to get a closer look. He heard a "Yer welcome!" From Right as Platinum went over to his crush.

"You look really good in that, Platinum." Van said with a smile on their face, the topbot giving a happy nod as he took a step back and did a little spin to show off… before almost losing his balance. Van quickly grabbed him and stopped, letting out a chuckle. "We know you're a star of the show, but try not to break a leg."

"Star? Nah, I'm more of the disco ball. Does that, even make sense." Platinum asked, tilting his head. Still, he felt his faceplates warm up a bit at Van's comment. But then he saw Van raise a brow. "What is it."

They hesitated for a moment. "Um…Did you get updated again recently?" Van asked. Platinum gave a confused nod, it was two days ago. Just replacing some parts that may have broken. Add any features Reginald could add, as long as they didn't risk messing with his code. "It's faint but… you're blushing."

"What?!" Platinum caught sight of his face using his hand. Van was right, it was faint but there was some sort of light shining through his plates like a blush. "How-"

"Oh, that was me." Hat Girl chuckled as she bumped between the two. "Dad had to leave to take care of an emergency while he was replacing some of the wires in your head, so me and Snatcher made a quick upgrade."

"You're welcome!" The ghost called from nearby.

"Sis, because it's my birthday and I'm generous, you get ten seconds. RUN." A timer appeared in his eyes as Hat Girl quickly darted out of the room with a laugh. Van shook their head a bit.

"If it makes you feel better. I think the blush looks nice on you." Van stated. That made Platinum's blush feature activate more. But yet, he couldn't help but smile.

He was so lucky to be alive…

#a hat in time #the henry stickmin collection #hat girl #hat kid #right hand man #a hat in time fanfic #ahit snatcher #henry stickmin fanfic #topbot #henry stickmin oc #reginald copperbottom #copperright

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boileddogchicken · 2 years

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i feel like most blorbos of mine that qualify as oc's are ones made within the context of either a ttrpg or a video game, that's cool and all but i should try to make one not confined by any particular setting tbh, although knowing me i'll inevitably turn said character into someone within something anyways i still have thoughts about the thirsty sword lesbians campaign i gm'ed even though it's over, one of the npc's has become the template for so many characters i've made, so there's the original one, there's the star wars 5e one, the dungeons and destiny one, there's like half of a pathfinder one (i need to play pathfinder fr), also i keep thinking abt the species she was and coming up with more lore abt how they work and in the silly college au i think abt from time to time where all my oc's just get to be normal (except marina of course, she will never know peace) the TSL bird woman and the star wars 5e bird-adjacent woman are dating oh and also my WoL just fights everyone oh yeah i still need backstory for my D2 guardian, also i should throw her into the blender that is the My OC's University™️ AU im new to using tumblr how long is the character count for a single post??? wowww i can just keep typing and just keep going honestly tho, if my brain just wants to keep writing stuff i might as well take the time to write that ffxiv thing i've been thinking abt lately but haven't been able to put together if it ends up being stream of consciousness like this post that's fine, tbh it'd make sense for b'rsh to write in that way but wait i was gonna write in third person. hmmmmm i'll have to think about what i want to do in that case also i need to think more about how exactly b'rsh is connected with all my friend's WoL's bc like *one* has been properly flushed out but the others are almost entirely vibes yknow? maybe i'm just tired and forgetting things since i'm so bad at memory but idk iverelle and b'rsh's dynamic???? or like backstory stuff???? like b'rsh and etrii hang out on weekends and shoot the shit but no one else has been properly developed i mean b'rsh likes to bother narail and also she has an auntly vibe with just abt every other WoL belonging to my friends but how did that come to be yknow??? wtf was this post abt when i started wait it was me wanting to make oc's outside the confines of specific settings/ttrpgs/games eh whatever if i make my own character and i think they're neat who cares right? i think the closest thing i have to a fully independent oc is Dusk, she's a wild west but fantasy outlaw who was cursed with absolute silence, meaning she can't cast spells or speak but also it makes her so hard to track so yeah but also i had been thinking of using her in a ttrpg. but honestly i don't think i will tbh if i'm being honest- but yeah that's the gist of it i'm still not at the character maximum for tumblr- is there one? or can i just keep going until i decide that it's time to stop. hmmmm do i really want to try to push tumblr to its limit or should i just stop now and press post

#phoenix aesthetics for characters are so good i keep making fire themed bird adjacent women

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daxwritesstories · 1 month

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Fabulously Wealthy: Episode 1 - Ace

SCENE 1

INT. Nightclub - Night

The club is full of people, dancing, drinking, and chatting. It's a queer-looking crowd. Drag queens and kings, punks, goths, butch lesbians, bears, twinks, crossdressers of all kinds. There are birthday decorations everywhere and some people are wearing party hats.

In the middle of the dance floor, there is a young woman with red and black scene hair, Cyra Drake. She is wearing black short-shorts and a top made of just straps, along with dark makeup and thigh-high black boots.

Dancing with Cyra is Alex, a tall, genderless person with white hair. They are wearing jeans that have been intentionally ripped to shreds and a pink crop top. They also have a lot of makeup on.

Cyra and Alex are dancing extremely close together, grinding on each other. They obviously know each other well.

ALEX: Happy birthday, sexy.

Cyra smiles mischievously.

CYRA: You're sexier.

Alex suggestively bites their finger and winks. They glance to the side and their expression changes.

ALEX: Look who's here.

We cut to a shot of Ace Diamond walking into the club. He is beautiful, with long blonde, wavy hair, surgically enhanced facial features and hips, perfect makeup, and lots of tattoos, including on the whites of his eyes. He is wearing a skin-tight pink dress that only goes less than halfway down his thighs.

We cut back to Cyra and Alex. Cyra stares at Ace for a moment and then looks at Alex again. She sighs.

CYRA: Excuse me...

Alex smirks and watches as Cyra walks away.

We cut to wear Ace is standing. Cyra approaches him.

CYRA: You're late.

ACE: I didn't wanna come. Just be happy I showed up.

Cyra nervously fixes her top.

CYRA: You look amazing.

ACE: I know.

Cyra pouts. Ace smile and rolls his eyes.

ACE: But thank you. You look alright.

CYRA: You don't like my outfit?

Ace shrugs.

ACE: I was just expecting you to wear something crazier for your birthday party.

Ace takes a step closer to Cyra and slides his finger under one of the straps on her shirt.

ACE: I like this though.

Ace flicks his finger up, snapping the strap against Cyra's skin. Cyra flinches in excitement.

CYRA: Can we go on the balcony?

ACE: Sure.

Cyra and Ace walk off together.

SCENE 2

EXT. Nightclub balcony - Night

Ace and Cyra walk out onto the balcony. No one else is out there. Ace rests his arms on the railing and leans forward, looking out at the city. Cyra leans just one arm on the railing, facing Ace and staring at him. Ace glances at Cyra for only a moment before speaking.

ACE: What's with the serious face?

CYRA: I'm 18 now.

ACE: Yeah, no shit.

CYRA: So...

ACE: So what?

CYRA: You know what.

Ace sighs.

ACE: I was hoping you forgot.

CYRA: I would never forget.

ACE: Wishful thinking, I guess.

CYRA: You promised me! I even got that shit in writing!

ACE: I know.

CYRA: Okay, so? Now what?

Ace gives Cyra a conflicted look. He sighs again.

ACE: You promised me something too.

Cyra immediately reaches into her bag and pulls out a check. She hands it to Ace without any hesitation. Ace snatches it from her.

CYRA: You really thought I wasn't gonna hold up my end of the bargain.

Ace reads the number on the check and then looks at Cyra quizzically.

ACE: This is more than I asked for.

CYRA: I adjusted for inflation.

Ace rolls his eyes.

ACE: You're not funny.

Cyra doesn't respond, just keeps staring at Ace.

ACE: I'm assuming you stole this money from your parents?

CYRA: Yes. They haven't figured it out yet, but they will soon.

ACE: Hm...

CYRA: You know what's gonna happen to me now, right?

Ace smiles and puts the check into his purse. He looks at Cyra, this time adoringly.

ACE: I guess you're just stuck with me now.

Cyra smiles excitedly.

CYRA: Promise?

Ace puts his fingers on Cyra's chin and kisses her.

ACE: Promise.

SCENE 3

INT. Ace & Cyra's house - Day

Ace opens the front door and walks into the house. He looks around with a focused expression, like he's trying to find anything that's out of place.

It's a nice house. Fully furnished with a lot of open space. The kitchen and living room are spotless. All the appliances look shiny and new. There is a lot of color, particularly a lot of hot pink furniture.

Cyra stumbles through the open door, struggling to drag two large suitcases inside.

CYRA: Jesus fucking Christ, what is in these?

ACE: Careful. I don't want any of my stuff breaking.

CYRA (mumbling): You could at least help me then.

ACE: What?

CYRA: Nothing.

Cyra finally gets the suitcases inside and looks around.

CYRA: Whoa! This is almost as nice as my parents' house.

ACE: Eh. It looked nicer in the pictures.

CYRA: Oh.

ACE: We'll get it looking better eventually. Or maybe we could just move again...

CYRA: Uh... I have to get the rest of the bags.

Cyra leaves and Ace calls after her.

ACE: Be careful with mine!

Ace walks to the kitchen and sets down his purse. He runs his finger along the countertop, checking for dust. Once he's sure it's clean, he starts looking through the empty cabinets.

His phone starts ringing and he closes the cabinets again. He looks through his purse until he finds his phone and answers it.

ACE: Look who finally decided to call.

ROMAN (through the phone): It hasn't been that long, has it?

Ace stretches out his hand, examining his long nails.

ACE: It's fine. I know you're busy.

INT. Roman's house - Day

We cut to Roman's living room, where he's sitting on the couch. We can't see his full face yet, just from the nose down. He's smoking a cigarette.

ROMAN: Never too busy for you.

We hear Ace laugh through the phone. Roman smiles.

ROMAN: I heard you moved.

INT. Ace & Cyra's house - Day

ACE: Nosey. I just got here.

ROMAN (through the phone): Well, word gets around pretty fast in this neighborhood.

ACE: Perfect. Just what I wanted.

INT. Roman's house - Day

Roman takes a drag of his cigarette.

ROMAN: So when are you gonna come see me?

ACE (through the phone): When I have time. I'm sorry to say you're not a huge priority for me anymore.

Roman smiles again.

ROMAN: Yeah, we'll see about that.

INT. Ace & Cyra's house - Day

Ace looks up as Cyra walks back into the house with two more suitcases.

CYRA: I didn't know you had this much stuff!

Ace doesn't respond. He speaks to Roman instead.

ACE: I have to go.

INT. Roman's house - Day

We hear a dog bark.

ROMAN: That's fine. I think my dog wants to go outside anyway.

We hear Ace giggle through the phone.

ACE (through the phone): Talk to you later~

Roman laughs.

ROMAN: Bye, gorgeous.

Roman hangs up and puts his cigarette out in an ashtray. He gets off the couch and walks away. We still can't fully see his face. We hear a dog bark again.

ROMAN: Alright, Chester, I'll be right there.

INT. Ace & Cyra's house - Day

Ace puts his phone back into his purse. Cyra hurries over to the kitchen.

CYRA: Who were you talking to?

ACE: Just an old friend.

Cyra stares at Ace, wanting more detail.

ACE: Don't worry about it.

Ace walks away. Cyra glances down at the floor.

SCENE 4

INT. Cyra's bedroom - Afternoon

Cyra is alone in her bedroom. The boombox on her side table is playing "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" by Scissor Sisters. Cyra is unpacking her suitcases and boxes, bobbing her head to the music.

The room is large for a bedroom. Her queen-sized bed takes up less than a quarter of the space. Same with the small walk-in closet. The red and orange walls are lined at the top with fairy lights and there is one red lamp in the corner of the room. Those are the only lights, keeping the room dim, aside from the sunlight coming in through the windows.

Other than the bed, the only other furniture is a couple of cushy chairs and a grand piano next to the door. Cyra has already hung up a lot of posters and banners. She is now unpacking her clothes and stuffed animals.

Cyra stops for a moment to sing along to the chorus. She has a great singing voice, carrying the notes with ease and even adding some extra inflections and runs.

CYRA (singing): But I don't feel dancing when the old Joanna plays

Cyra claps her hands twice.

CYRA (singing): My heart could take a chance but my two feet can't find a way...

Cyra turns her attention to a large cardboard box that's nearly as tall as she is. She grabs a knife that was sitting on another box and cuts the tape.

When she opens the box, she looks inside and smiles. She reaches in with both arms and lifts a giant stuffed dragon out. She awkwardly carries it over to the closet and sets it down next to the door.

CYRA: You'll go right here, Hell Spawn.

Cyra straightens out the stuffie's arms and then pats it on the head. She then stands up straight again and looks around the room, thinking.

CYRA: Where's your friend?

Cyra walks over to one of the already-opened boxes and looks inside.

CYRA: Ah! There you are.

She pulls a much smaller teddy bear out of the box. The bear is a light pink color and it's holding a heart-shaped pillow. It also has a red bow tied around it's neck with a tag attached to it.

Cyra unfolds the tag and silently reads it. The tag says "I hope this will keep you company while I'm gone –Love, Ace". Cyra smiles with glee and hugs the teddy bear tightly.

After hugging the toy for a moment, Cyra hurries back over to Hell Spawn and sets the teddy bear down beside it.

Cyra is suddenly distracted by the song again and she brings her hands to her chest as she sings the chorus.

CYRA (singing): You can't make me dance around

But your two-step makes my chest pound

Just lay me down...

Cyra trails off when she notices movement outside one of the windows. She hurries over to it and looks out.

We cut to a shot of the pool through the window. Ace is out there. He puts on a pair of sunglasses and then unties the shawl he's wearing.

Cyra bites her lip and watches closely as the shawl slides off of Ace's shoulders, revealing a pink one-piece swimsuit. Ace folds up the shawl and sets it down on one of the pool chairs. He then walks over to the pool and sits down on the edge of it.

Cyra smiles and backs away from the window. She glances around and then excitedly clenches her fists, bringing them up to shoulder-height. She smiles widely and shakes her fists, trying to contain her excitement.

SCENE 5

INT. Ace's bedroom - Night

Ace walks out of the bathroom, wearing a robe and slippers. He had his hair up in a ponytail, which he is already in the process of taking out. We can hear a bathtub draining in the background.

He walks around the room divider to where his luxurious bed sits. The room is beautiful and spacious. The bed is in the center, on top of a large rug. The walls are almost entirely made up of windows. It's completely dark outside, no lights to be seen.

Cyra is sitting on the floor, leaning against a large rectangular piece of furniture that's in front of the bed. It's difficult to tell what it is exactly because it is covered by a large blanket.

Cyra looks distraught, covering her ears and closing her eyes. Her phone is on the floor next to her and is ringing non-stop. Ace stops in his tracks when he notices her.

ACE: What's wrong?

Cyra whimpers and shakes her head. Ace looks at her phone, making the connection. He walks over to where she's sitting.

ACE: Who's calling?

Ace crouches down and picks up the phone. The caller ID on the screen says "Mom".

CYRA: They won't stop calling. They're gonna kill me.

ACE: Have you answered?

CYRA: No.

Ace stares at the phone for a moment, thinking.

ACE: Well, you did steal, like, half of their savings.

Ace stands up, still holding the phone.

CYRA: They'll be fine. They have more than enough money.

ACE: You're right.

Ace calmly answers the call.

ACE: Hello.

Cyra stares up at Ace in panic but doesn't move.

ACE: What? You don't remember me?

Ace rolls his eyes as he listens.

ACE: I didn't make her do anything. It's not my fault you raised a lying thief. Maybe you should have been paying more attention.

Ace suddenly pulls the phone away from his ear as the person on the other end starts yelling. He looks at Cyra. She just stares back in fear, looking like she's about to cry. Ace hangs up and walks to the patio door.

CYRA: Wait, where are you going?

Ace doesn't respond. Cyra scrambles to her feet and follows him out onto the patio.

EXT. Patio - Night

Cyra's phone begins to ring again as Ace makes his way to the railing.

CYRA: Wait, what are you–

Ace holds the still-ringing phone over the railing and drops it into the pool below. He casually walks back towards the house without saying a word.

Cyra looks down at the pool in horror.

CYRA: My– phone...

Knowing she can't save it, Cyra turns around and hurries after Ace.

INT. Ace's bedroom - Night

When the pair get back into the house, Ace yawns and sits down on the bed.

CYRA: I had important stuff on there!

ACE: You have backups. Come on, I've known you for years now.

CYRA: Well... Yeah, but–

ACE: You don't need your phone. Your parents probably had a tracking thing on it anyway. It's best if they just can't find you.

Cyra sighs.

CYRA: Yeah. I know...

ACE: You can just get a new one tomorrow. With a different number.

CYRA: Okay...

Cyra glances around the room nervously.

CYRA: Can I sleep in your bed tonight?

ACE: Why don't you sleep in the thing I bought you? It was expensive. I want you to use it.

Cyra glances at the rectangular thing at the foot of the bed. A smile slowly grows on her face.

CYRA: Okay!

SCENE 6

BEGIN FLASHBACK

INT. Ace's old apartment - Night

Cyra is pacing back and forth angrily. She looks a bit younger and her hair is brown, not red and black. She's wearing an over-sized t-shirt and thigh-high socks.

Ace is lying on the bed, watching Cyra's pace. He looks bored.

CYRA: God, my parents are the worst!

ACE: I know.

CYRA: They had me homeschooled for half my fucking life and now they're mad that I can't make friends my own age? Everyone at my school thinks I'm crazy!

ACE: Well, you are.

CYRA: And I'm not even allowed to invite people over because they can't even be bothered to fly home from their stupid jobs once in a while. Even if I just said "fuck it" and brought people over anyway it would make me look even weirder. How am I supposed to explain why my parents are never there?

ACE: Hm...

CYRA: And don't even get me started on the whole thing about my grades! As if they'd ever waste money and time on sending me to uni. They just want me to work for them for the rest of my life!

ACE: Cyra.

Cyra suddenly stops pacing.

CYRA: What?

ACE: I didn't invite you here just so I could listen to you complain all night.

CYRA: I thought you were too tired to–

ACE: I am. But you need to just relax and stop thinking about all that for a while. You're supposed to come here to escape, not worry about it more.

Cyra's demeanor changes and she glances around thoughtfully.

CYRA: Yeah, you're right...

ACE: I know. Come lie down and we can watch a movie or something.

Cyra obediently walks over to the bed and climbs on. She lies down next to Ace and stares at the ceiling as he searches the side table for the remote. She's silent for a while. Ace eventually finds the remote and starts pressing buttons on it.

CYRA: We're gonna be so rich one day.

Ace responds in a patronizing tone.

ACE: You really think you can pull that off?

CYRA: I know I can. I can do anything for you.

Ace snickers. Cyra looks at him.

CYRA: What?

ACE: You are the most determined bitch I've ever met.

CYRA: I'm just in love with you.

ACE: Like I said, determined.

Ace puts the remote back on the side table and lies back down. Cyra looks up at the ceiling again.

CYRA: Maybe...

END FLASHBACK

INT. Ace's bedroom - Morning

Cyra wakes up in a strange-looking bed. It's a twin-size bed with bars on the sides and overtop of it, caging Cyra inside. It's quite tall, so Cyra has enough room to sit up.

She immediately looks at Ace's bed and sees that it's empty and has already been made. Cyra looks around the sunlit room but she doesn't see Ace anywhere. She turns her attention to the side of the cage and pushes the unlocked gate open. She slips out through the gate, feet first. It seems that she's pretty flexible as she effortlessly moves her body through the small space.

Once out of the bed, Cyra stretches out her arms. She then frowns and glances around, as if checking to make sure no one is watching her. When she is satisfied that the coast is clear, Cyra makes her way to the stairs.

SCENE 7

INT. Kitchen - Morning

Cyra sleepily makes her way down the stairs. Ace is in the kitchen cooking pancakes. He glances at the stairs when he hears Cyra coming down.

ACE: Good morning, lover.

Cyra snorts out a laugh.

ACE: What? Don't like the romantic talk?

CYRA: I know you're joking.

Cyra stands next to Ace and watches him cook. Ace glances at her again.

ACE: Hope you're hungry.

CYRA: Starving. Always.

Ace laughs. Cyra walks around to the other side of the bar and sits on one of the stools. Ace puts the last few pancakes onto the plate and turns off the stove. He then walks over to the fridge and starts looking through it.

ACE: Do you remember the plan?

CYRA: Yes.

ACE: Good! I made some changes to it.

Cyra suddenly looks a little upset.

CYRA: Changes?

Ace grabs some syrup and butter from the fridge and closes the door.

ACE: We came up with that plan years ago. I just made a few revisions to update it. Trust me, it's much better now.

Ace starts dishing out two servings.

CYRA: But what about my ideas?

ACE: I didn't change those, don't worry. You just won't have as much time for them, that's all.

CYRA: What do you mean?

Ace places the two dishes on the bar and then walks around to sit next to Cyra.

ACE: I have much bigger dreams now. I don't just want to own a designer brand, I want to make even more of a name for myself than just that.

CYRA: So... you want to be famous?

ACE: Yes. And I have a very detailed plan for how we're going to make that happen.

CYRA: Oh.

ACE: Don't worry, we can still do your singing thing, or whatever.

CYRA: It's not just my "singing thing". I'm gonna be a popstar!

ACE: Right, right. That's still in the plan.

CYRA: But you want me to put your part of the plan first?

Cyra sounds disappointed. Ace looks at her thoughtfully, deciding what to say next.

ACE: How much do you love me?

CYRA: More than anything.

ACE: More than money and fame?

CYRA: Yes.

ACE: More than singing?

Cyra hesitates.

CYRA: Yes...

ACE: Then prove it.

Cyra sighs and stares down blankly at her food.

ACE: I thought you would do anything for me.

Cyra's eyes widen and she looks at Ace again.

CYRA: I would!

ACE: Then what's the problem?

CYRA: It's... It's just that this year is really important. In the music industry it's all downhill after you turn nineteen. For girls, at least.

ACE: You think I don't know that? The clock's ticking for me too. And I passed eighteen a long time ago.

CYRA: I know, but–

ACE: I've seen you multitask, you're quite good at it. And you hardly ever sleep. Once you're determined to do something, nothing can stop you. I know you can do both.

Cyra gives Ace a skeptical look.

CYRA: You really think I can?

ACE: Of course.

Cyra sighs again.

CYRA: Fine. We'll do your version of the plan.

Ace smiles and ruffles Cyra's hair.

ACE: Good pup.

Cyra blushes and smiles. Trying to hide her excitement about being praised, she starts eating her pancakes.

The pair eat their food in silence for a while. Ace eventually speaks again.

ACE: Are you dead-set on doing pop music?

CYRA (with her mouth full): No.

Cyra quickly swallows her food.

CYRA: Why?

ACE: I have a friend who lives around here. I was talking to him on the phone yesterday. He's a musician, but he makes rock music. I think meeting him might be good for networking.

Cyra stops to think for a moment.

CYRA: Is he nice?

ACE: No, but I think you two would have a lot in common.

CYRA: Hm... Okay! Can I meet him today?

ACE: Nope. We have to go look at some shops that are for sale.

Cyra groans in frustration.

SCENE 8

INT. Vacant store - Day

The front doors open and the real estate agent, Bess, leads Ace and Cyra into the building.

BESS: Here it is! Now, this is the most expensive one in the area, but the old owners took great care of it and the furnishings are to die for!

Ace looks around. Cyra checks over her shoulder to make sure no one followed them inside.

ACE: When was the last time it got remodeled? The wallpaper looks old.

BESS: It's been over a decade. The previous owners were able to keep it open for a long time.

ACE: Hm... The carpeting needs to be redone too.

BESS: Um, well...

Cyra walks behind the front counter and starts pressing random buttons on the cash register. Bess looks panicked when she notices this.

BESS: Uh– Please don't touch that!

ACE: If this place is the most expensive, then I'm assuming it also has the highest property taxes?

Bess turns around to address Ace again.

BESS: No sir! The property taxes are mid-range because of the lot size. There is one drawback though... It has a negative eco-footprint.

ACE: Is that a problem?

BESS: Not from a financial standpoint, but there is a Neighborhood Action Plan in the works that's supposed to promote a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

ACE: I see...

Ace watches Cyra as she examines one of the mannequins. Bess doesn't notice since she's facing the other way.

BESS: I wouldn't worry about it too much. I've designed and renovated plenty of beautiful buildings that were super eco-friendly! It's a lot easier than you might think.

ACE: Uh-huh...

Ace isn't fully listening to Bess anymore, more focused on what Cyra is doing. We see that Cyra is now standing behind the mannequin, running her hands down its sides and along its hips.

ACE: Cyra.

Cyra jumps and quickly pulls her hands away.

CYRA: Uh- I was just–

ACE: Come here.

Cyra shuts up and walks over to Ace.

ACE: What do you think?

CYRA: Well... We liked this one the best when we were looking online.

BESS: It is our most viewed property on the website!

ACE: Are there other bidders?

BESS: Just one at the moment. But if you want to buy it right now then it's yours. They're bidding below the asking price so anyone who's willing to meet the asking price gets it.

Ace glances at Cyra. She just nods. Ace thinks for a bit longer, tapping his finger on his chin.

ACE: Okay. We'll take it.

BESS: Really? I mean– Perfect! I'll just get the paperwork from my car!

Bess hurries out of the building. Ace wanders around a bit more.

ACE: Well, it could be better, but every other place was a dump.

CYRA: We'll make it better.

ACE: Yes. We'll make it perfect.

Cyra walks up to one of the mannequins near the front door. She runs her finger along its collar.

CYRA: So... Which shop should we buy for my store?

ACE: Let's put that on hold until later.

CYRA: What?!

Cyra turns around, looking confused and upset.

ACE: Relax. Just wait until my investment return comes back.

CYRA: Investment? What investment?

ACE: I invested a portion of the money you gave me. I'm expecting a return within the next couple of weeks.

CYRA: You didn't tell me that.

ACE: I don't have to. Let's just take things one step at a time, okay? Once we figure out how to run my store, then we can move onto yours.

Cyra doesn't respond.

ACE: There's no point in starting two business when we don't even know how to run one of them.

CYRA: I guess so...

ACE: I promise we'll get to yours. Don't you trust me?

CYRA: Of course I do.

ACE: Then learn to trust the process too.

Cyra glances to the side, conflicted.

SCENE 9

INT. Ace's bedroom - Night

Ace is sitting on his bed. Cyra is sitting on the floor next to him. Ace stretches out his arms and yawns.

ACE: What a long day.

CYRA: I know, right...

ACE: It's gonna be like this from now on.

CYRA: I'm okay with that. As long as I'm with you.

Ace giggles and ruffles Cyra's hair. Cyra smiles when he touches her. She then rests her head against the mattress and looks up at him.

CYRA: Can we try something tomorrow?

ACE: What is it?

CYRA: I've been reading up on hand and foot massage techniques. I haven't been able to practice on anyone yet though.

ACE: A massage? Well, why didn't you say so?

CYRA: You like massages?

ACE: Of course! Who doesn't?

Cyra giggles.

CYRA: You have a point.

ACE: Why don't we try it right now?

CYRA: I thought you were sleepy.

ACE: Not too sleepy for a massage. In fact, it will probably help me sleep better.

Ace stands up and walks across the room. Cyra watches him, looking a little sleepy herself. Ace walks over to a cushy chair in the corner of the room that has a foot stool in front of it. He sits down on it and beckons Cyra with his finger. Cyra stands up without hesitation.

ACE: Which do you feel more confident in? Hands or feet?

CYRA: Hands. Feet are a little more complicated.

Ace gestures at the foot stool.

ACE: Sit.

Cyra sits on the foot stool and Ace holds one of his hands out for her.

ACE: Go ahead.

Cyra gently takes Ace's hand.

CYRA: This might hurt.

ACE: I can handle pain. It hurts to look this good, you know.

Cyra laughs. She looks down at Ace's hand, focusing as she begins to massage it. She carefully works her thumbs in circles on the back of his hand, watching his face for any sign of pain. When she sees no negative reaction, she gradually moves down to his long fingers.

When Cyra gets to Ace's knuckles, he makes a pained noise. Cyra immediately stops.

CYRA: Are you okay?

ACE: Yeah... I must have a lot of tension there.

CYRA: Should I stop?

ACE: No. Just be more careful.

Cyra takes a deep breath and focuses as she massages Ace's fingers.

CYRA: You know, the main cause of tension in extremities is stress.

ACE: I'm always stressed.

CYRA: Why?

ACE: Life is stressful. I need to unwind every day and if I don't, it takes a toll.

CYRA: And do you unwind every day?

ACE: No. I don't have time.

Cyra stops massaging for a moment.

CYRA: You need to make time. You need to take care of yourself.

ACE: Most people don't need to unwind every day.

CYRA: That doesn't matter. You have to do what you need to do.

Ace raises his eyebrows.

ACE: Keep going.

Cyra starts massaging Ace's hands again.

SCENE 10

INT. The Diamond Label - Morning

Ace and Cyra are in the same store that they purchased in scene 8. It has a lot more furnishings now. Chairs, more display tables, and fancy wall decorations. The wallpaper and carpet have also been replaced. The carpet is now a light pink and has floral designs in it. The walls are now pink and white, with brown and black lines in a diagonal, geometric design.

Ace is standing in front of one of the mannequins, holding up two different fur coats in front of it. Cyra is across the room from him, accessorizing an outfit on a different mannequin.

Cyra wraps a collar around the mannequin's neck. She expertly buckles it up and pulls the excess leather through.

CYRA: Ace! What do you think of this?

Ace turns around and looks at Cyra's mannequin. He sighs and then places the coats he's holding on one of the empty display tables. Now that his hands are free, he walks over to Cyra's mannequin.

ACE: It's far too tacky.

CYRA: What?! But I thought the jacket matched the shirt perfectly.

ACE: It's not the outfit, it's the accessories. You can't just slap knee socks and a collar onto everything and call it a day.

CYRA: What's wrong with the socks?

ACE: They're too thick. The skirt and coat are already made of hefty material. If you want to add socks to it they have to be made of thinner fabric to balance it out. Even nylon tights would be better.

Cyra looks over the outfit again, thinking about what Ace said.

ACE: And you shouldn't put a collar on this type of outfit. It's too formal for that kind of accessory. It needs a thin necklace, preferably made of silver.

CYRA: A mini-skirt is formal?

ACE: It is if you have the legs for it.

Cyra's eyes widen in shock. Ace just ignores her and walks over to one of the tables, which is stacked full of packaged jewelry. Ace thinks for a moment, examining the options, before selecting a box containing a thin silver bracelet. He opens it up as he walks back over to Cyra's mannequin.

ACE: This will do nicely.

Cyra quickly takes the collar off of the mannequin. Ace gently replaces it with the necklace he picked, clipping it behind the neck. Ace takes a step back and admires their work.

ACE: See? Much better.

CYRA: How do you do that?

ACE: Years of practice. You'll learn eventually.

CYRA: I hope so...

Cyra slouches and pouts. Ace notices this and pats her on the head.

ACE: Don't worry. It's a hard craft to master.

Cyra nods, giving Ace puppy-eyes. Ace squints at her.

ACE: What?

CYRA: I just... like it when you touch me.

Ace giggles.

ACE: I know.

Ace walks back to the mannequin he was working on.

ACE: If we can get this place set up today, maybe I'll touch you more.

Cyra gasps in excitement.

CYRA: Okay! What else do we need to do?

ACE: Well, you could start by unpacking the rest of the boxes.

Ace points at a stack of boxes in the middle of the store.

ACE: Organize everything into categories and put them onto shelves. Make sure all the items are spaced out, we're a luxury boutique, after all. Everything that won't fit on the shelves and tables should go in the storage room in the back.

CYRA: Uh... Right! Got it.

Cyra hurries over to the stack of boxes and gets to work, cutting them open with a pocket knife she pulled from her back pocket.

CYRA: So... when do I get to meet your friend? The one who does music.

ACE: When we have time. He's been asking me to come see him next time I'm free, so I'll just bring you with me.

CYRA: Oh, cool! Um... What's his name?

ACE: Roman.

CYRA: Roman...

ACE: Have you heard of him? Apparently that's his stage name. Just "Roman".

CYRA: I don't think so. I'm bad with celebrity names though. Maybe once I see his face I'll know him.

ACE: He's not that famous. He's considered a D-lister in the business. But he claims that's just because he's newer to the scene.

Cyra giggles.

CYRA: You sound like you don't believe that.

ACE: Not really. He has quite the ego...

Cyra laughs again.

CYRA: I think you need an ego to be famous.

ACE: Then you and I will do just fine.

Ace smiles and looks at Cyra. She smiles back at him.

SCENE 11

INT. Kitchen - Evening

Ace is cooking pasta on the stove. Cyra walks out of her bedroom, wearing a crop top, comfortable panties, and thigh-high socks.

CYRA: I smell pasta!

ACE: It's almost ready.

Cyra rushes over to where Ace is standing and wraps her arms around his waist from behind. She presses her hips against his and watches the pot over his shoulder.

CYRA: Thanks for making dinner.

ACE: I don't trust you around a stove.

Cyra snickers.

CYRA: I can cook just fine.

ACE: Whatever you say, dear.

Cyra smiles and brushes Ace's hair to the side, keeping her other arm tight around him. She slowly runs her tongue up the back of his neck, stopping behind his jaw. Ace smiles but doesn't take his eyes off the pasta.

ACE: What's up, pup?

CYRA: You taste really good.

ACE: I know.

Ace turns off the stove and picks up the pot. Cyra lets go of him so he can drain the pasta in the sink. She looks him up and down, licking her lips. Ace notices without even having to look.

ACE: You're staring.

CYRA: I can't help it.

ACE: I know. And I don't mind. I mean, why wouldn't you stare at me?

Cyra smiles and bites her lip. Ace finishes draining the pasta and pours it onto a large plate. He walks back over to the stove and grabs a second pot, which has been sitting there with a lid on it. He takes off the lid and pours the sauce onto the pasta.

ACE: It's ready.

CYRA: Uh-huh...

Ace put the pot back on the stove top and looks at Cyra.

ACE: What?

Instead of responding verbally, Cyra steps into Ace's personal space and pins him against the counter. She greedily kisses him and Ace just lets her do it. He raises an eyebrow at her when she pulls away though.

ACE: You're being brave today.

CYRA: I... um–

Ace rolls his eyes and puts his hand on Cyra's shoulder. He forcefully pushes her down to her knees.

ACE: Have you forgotten who's in charge here?

CYRA: No! I just, um...

ACE: I think I need to remind you.

Cyra's eyes widen and she shuts her mouth. She just stares up at Ace, waiting for instruction.

ACE: Hm... That's a bit better. Do you know what I want you to do?

Cyra shakes her head.

CYRA: No.

ACE: Exactly! Good pup.

Cyra smiles.

ACE: Do you remember what to do when you don't know what to do?

CYRA: Listen and obey.

Ace smiles down at Cyra.

ACE: Right again! So you're going to listen to me, right?

CYRA: Right!

Ace gently grabs Cyra's jaw. She smiles proudly.

SCENE 12

INT. Ace's bedroom - Morning

Cyra wakes up in Ace's bed. When she realizes where she is, she looks at Ace, who is still asleep next to her.

Ace is sleeping on his side with the covers just above his hips. The sunlight from the large windows is glowing through his blonde, wavy hair. His surgically-enhanced hips stick out under the covers, creating a perfect curve.

Cyra bites her lip and compulsively reaches her hand out towards him. Before she can touch him though, she stops and closes her fist, trying to control herself. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She seems a little conflicted.

When Cyra opens her eyes again, she extends her fingers and reaches out. She almost touches Ace's hips, but the doorbell suddenly rings. Cyra freezes and then puts her hand down.

Ace groans and his eyes flutter open.

ACE: You get it.

CYRA: It's probably just someone trying to sell something.

ACE: Just answer it.

Cyra groans and gets out of bed. She's still wearing the outfit she had on in the previous scene.

ACE: Come get me if it's important.

Cyra rolls her eyes.

CYRA: 'Kay.

INT. Living room - Morning

Cyra unenthusiastically hurries to the front door. She doesn't even bother looking out the window before opening it.

When the door opens, Roman is standing there on the front porch. He has long black hair, which has been excessively razored. He's wearing all black and his arms and chest are covered with tattoos. To top it all off, he has dark eyeliner around his eyes. Cyra is a bit caught off guard by his appearance.

CYRA: Whoa, hi.

ROMAN: Hi. Is this... Ace Diamond's place?

Still in the process of waking up, Cyra blinks a couple of times.

CYRA: You know him?

ROMAN: Yeah. I'm an old friend. My name's Roman.

That wakes Cyra up.

CYRA: Oh you're Roman.

Roman gives Cyra a confused look.

ROMAN: You've heard of me?

CYRA: Sort of. Come in.

Cyra steps to the side so Roman can come into the house. She closes the door once he's inside. Roman looks around.

ROMAN: Nice house.

CYRA: Ace picked it.

ROMAN: He has good taste.

CYRA: Yeah...

Cyra is glaring at Roman, sizing him up. Roman notices this, but he seems amused by it.

ROMAN: What's your name, by the way? I didn't know Ace was living with someone.

CYRA: Cyra Drake. We just moved in together.

ROMAN: That's an interesting name. Does it mean anything?

CYRA: It means sun dragon. Although "Cyra" can also mean throne.

ROMAN: Wow! You sound like a big deal.

CYRA: Eh. My parents are just dramatic.

Roman laughs.

ROMAN: You're funny. But I have to ask, why do keep glaring at me? Did I say something wrong?

CYRA: No. I just... wasn't expecting you to be–

ACE (from upstairs): Roman? Is that you?

Roman and Cyra both look at the stairs. Ace slowly descends them, craning his neck to see into the kitchen.

ROMAN: There he is!

Ace giggles.

ACE: What are you doing here?

ROMAN: I came to welcome you to the neighborhood.

ACE: I didn't even tell you where I live.

Ace reaches the bottom of the stairs and rushes over to hug Roman.

ROMAN: Well, it's the only house that sold recently.

Cyra folds her arms and frowns as she watches them hug each other. Ace lets go of Roman to talk to him more.

ACE: You really couldn't wait until I called you back?

ROMAN: Nope!

Ace laughs.

ROMAN: Come on! It's been a while since I last saw you.

ACE: Mhm...

Ace gaze wanders over to Cyra. Remembering that she's there, Ace gestures to her.

ACE: This is Cyra. She's–

CYRA: I'm his girlfriend.

Roman raises an eyebrow at Ace.

ROMAN: Girlfriend?

CYRA: You got a problem with that?

Cyra takes a threatening step toward Roman.

ROMAN: No, not at all. It's just been a good ten years since Ace has had a girlfriend.

ACE: It's probably been more than ten, actually.

CYRA: So? That shouldn't matter!

ACE: Cyra, relax.

ROMAN: It's okay. I know she's been sizing me up since I walked in the door.

Ace glares at Cyra.

ACE: Picking fights with my friends isn't going to get you on my good side, pup.

Cyra glances at Ace and takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She closes her eyes, swallowing her pride.

CYRA: I'm sorry. It's nice to meet you, Roman. Ace has told me a bit about you.

Roman smiles.

ROMAN: What has he told you?

ACE: Cyra, why don't you get us some food? There are leftovers in the fridge.

Cyra nods and makes her way to the fridge, looking pissed off. Once he's sure Cyra is doing what he said, Ace turns his attention back to Roman. He nods toward the dining table.

ACE: Have a seat.

Roman smiles back and grabs a chair. He and Ace sit across the table from each other.

ACE: Cyra wants to be a singer.

Roman starts laughing. We cut to Cyra frowning and glancing over her shoulder as she dishes out the leftovers.

ROMAN: What kind of singer?

CYRA: I can sing any genre!

ACE: She mostly does pop music, but she also listens to a lot of rock and metal.

ROMAN: Interesting.

Roman raises his voice to speak directly to Cyra.

ROMAN: Do you want to perform solo or in a band, Cyra?

CYRA: Either sounds fun.

ACE: Roman is a solo act.

ROMAN: Yeah... But I've been thinking about starting a band.

Cyra finishes dishing out the food and brings the plates to the dining table. She sets them down and sits at the end of the table, between Ace and Roman.

ACE: You haven't told me that.

ROMAN: I haven't really told anyone. It's just an idea for now.

ACE: Hm.

Ace starts cutting up his food. Cyra joins him but Roman doesn't touch his yet. Cyra's hunger quickly takes over and she starts greedily shoving food into her mouth.

ROMAN: So, when did this happen?

ACE: When did what happen?

ROMAN: When did you two start dating? How did you two start dating?

CYRA (with food in her mouth): None of your business!

ACE: We started dating about a week ago.

Roman looks surprised.

ROMAN: A week?

ACE: I made a promise to Cyra a long time ago. She kept her end of the promise, so I kept mine.

Roman smirks and glances at Cyra.

ROMAN: What was the promise?

Cyra drops her utensils.

CYRA: Why do you care?!

ROMAN: I'm just curious.

ACE: It's a long story.

ROMAN: I've got time.

ACE: Well, I don't. Cyra and I have a lot of work to do today. But you're welcome to come by this weekend, then I'll tell you all about it.

CYRA: What?

ROMAN: Well... My manager wants me to do a show this weekend...

Ace pulls out his phone and checks his messages.

ACE: Oh, that's too bad.

CYRA (angrily): Maybe another time then.

Roman glances at Cyra again, sensing her anger. He thinks for a moment and then talks to Ace again.

ROMAN: I don't really wanna do that show though.

CYRA: What?

ACE: Perfect! So you'll come see me then?

ROMAN: Of course.

Cyra glares daggers at Roman. He just smiles at her.

SCENE 13

INT. Cyra's bedroom - Evening

Cyra is alone in her room. She's punching Hell Spawn repeatedly and making angry noises after each hit.

CYRA: Guh!

Cyra shoves the stuffie and then kicks it.

CYRA: Fuck this shit!

The door suddenly opens and Cyra turns her head to look. Ace walks into the room. He raises an eyebrow when he sees what Cyra is doing. He notably has his hands behind his back, hiding something.

ACE: What did Hell Spawn ever do to you?

CYRA: He doesn't have feelings. I can take my anger out on him.

ACE: What are you so mad about?

Cyra slumps her shoulders and sighs.

CYRA: It doesn't matter.

Ace rolls his eyes and shuts the door. He walks over to Cyra.

ACE: I know you're jealous of Roman.

Cyra doesn't say anything. She looks conflicted.

ACE: It's alright. You've never had to deal with feeling jealous before, right?

Cyra still doesn't respond.

ACE: Come on. I know you've never dated anyone before. Not much reason to be jealous when you're not attached.

CYRA: I never liked anyone enough.

ACE: I know. You only ever liked me.

Cyra glances around nervously.

CYRA: What are you trying to say?

ACE: Jealousy can be painful, but there are ways to manage it. I'll teach you.

Cyra frowns.

CYRA: I didn't like the way he was looking at you.

ACE: And I don't like possessiveness.

Cyra's eyes widen. She doesn't respond, suddenly afraid. Ace nods toward the bed.

ACE: Sit.

Cyra makes her way to the bed without another word, sitting on the end of it.

Once Cyra's sitting, Ace reveals what he was holding behind his back. It's a black collar made of some type of metal. It's folded open in two halves, separated by a hinge. The ends have round edges, perpendicular to the rest of the collar. The edges have holes in the center of them that look like they will line up when folded shut. In the other hand, he has a padlock.

CYRA: What's that?

ACE: It's for you, pup.

Cyra looks shocked. She brings her hand up to her neck and gently strokes it.

CYRA: For... me?

ACE: Don't you remember that part of the deal?

CYRA: Of course I do... I was worried you forgot.

ACE: How could I forget? It's the one thing I've wanted to do since I first met you. I doubt I could ever truly love you, but you still belong to me regardless.

Cyra's demeanor completely changes. She looks like she's about to burst from excitement, but she also looks like she's about to cry. She takes a deep breath.

CYRA: It looks, um, heavy.

ACE: It's lighter than it looks, but it's sturdy. Metal, not plastic. Waterproof, or so I was told. It opens and closes on a hinge, and it has a hold for the padlock.

Ace closes the collar and hooks the padlock through the hole.

ACE: Like so. And without the key, you would need a power saw to get it off.

CYRA: So, I wouldn't be able to take it off? Ever?

Ace points at the necklace he's wearing. It has a key hanging off of it.

ACE: Not without this.

Cyra gulps nervously, but she still looks excited.

CYRA: What are you waiting for then?

Ace smiles and takes a step closer to Cyra. She stares up at him with wide eyes full of wonder and awe. Ace opens the collar up again and holds it up behind Cyra's neck.

ACE: Don't move. I don't want to pinch your skin.

Cyra holds still as Ace closes the metal device around her. Once closed, he hooks the padlock through the hole in the front. Cyra inhales sharply when he snaps it shut.

ACE: There. Now you're mine forever.

CYRA: Forever?

ACE: Forever, pup.

Cyra smiles and blinks tears out of her eyes.

NEXT TIME

CYRA (voiceover): Next time on Fabulously Wealthy...

INT. Ace & Cyra's house - Evening

Roman is standing on the front porch. He smiles when he sees Ace, looking him up and down.

ROMAN: Well damn. I didn't know we were getting dressed up tonight.

EXT. Poolside - Night

ROMAN: So, when do I get to hear the story I've been waiting for?

Ace sighs.

ACE: Oh boy...

INT. Ace & Cyra's house - Noon

Roman is playing a guitar and Ace is watching him while he eats lunch.

CYRA: Hey! That's my guitar!

ROMAN: I'm just borrowing it. I didn't bring mine.

CYRA: I never said you could borrow it!

ACE: Cyra, relax. I asked him to play me a song.

Cyra bites her tongue, scowling at Roman and pressing her lips together.

EXT. Roman's house - Afternoon

When Roman opens the door, Cyra is standing there.

ROMAN: What are you doing here?

CYRA: I got bored.

INT. Roman's house - Afternoon

ROMAN: Can I get you coffee or something?

CYRA: Ace says I'm not allowed to have coffee.

Roman laughs.

ROMAN: I think I'm starting to get why Ace likes you.

#cyra’s world #creative writing #tv show script #original characters #the sims 4 #this is a weird one #because it's based on a sims 4 save file I have aaaaand it's more of a vent piece than anything else #runaways #age difference #recovery fantasy #fabulously wealthy

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dirtmunch · 1 year

Text

wall of text abt dating troubles if ur into that

Ok my gf and I r officially broken up, mutually might I add cuz we r both moving like in the next couple days, I should b sad ig but honestly Im kind of relieved which is terrible but It was rlly obvious she liked me way more than I did and was getting too invested, which, since we started dating on the explicity pretense that it was meant to be very casual and temporary, made be kind of uncomfortable and fenced in. Kinda felt overall to me at least that we fundamentally didn't mesh, and I found myself privately annoyed a lot because she would always speak over me and assume I didn't know things that I obviously would in my line of study. Also not that I don't love being a gay thang, but I'm not fully out so having it pointed out to me by her (you look so nb!! Oh the way you xyz is just so lesbian! <- said in public very loudly) constantly and in public too made me feel reduced to those labels and somewhat unsafe which I really hate. I am uncomfortable with a lot of pda in general, gay or not, but she would always ignore or "forget" and get very handsy in public even though I would tell her constantly to knock it off. She brought up once kind of annoyed at me for it and tried to frame it as some internalized homophobia thing even tho it's really not and is just something I've always felt. Even after in explained it she kept doing it, I remember once she grabbed my ass in the library LOBBY and I got so mad I almost walked out and went home. The worst though was any time is bring up my move to TX for grad school, her immediate response would be like ooooo be careful, they HATE lesbians down there! Like thanks. Yeah sure I put in over 5 years of effort, countless hours of art making, paper work, and thousands of dollars to reach this point and to get to work with one of my favorite artists in a huge next step in my education and career, but instead let's focus about how everyone there HATES me and I'm apparently going to inevitably get hatecrimed and curb stomped instead! Such an encouraging thing for my gf to say wow! In the end we both were dating each other bc of convenience and proximity...

#Needed to get that off my chest #To be clear and in my defense I was never a bad gf to her and tried to be the best gf I could be #But I am just like #A bad person in a broader sense instead

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9tzuyu · 3 years

Text

who you are

note: mostly made this for my own comfort, but i do hope it helps and/or comforts any fellow lesbians :]. i normally wouldn’t specify sexualities on any characters because obviously everyones going to feel differently about different characters, but like i said this started off for my own comfort bcs i was hashtag goin through it.

prompt: basically just reader struggling to accept themselves as a lesbian. sorry non lesbians :(

warnings: heavy heavy heavy on internalized lesbophobia. talks about comphet (trying to force oneself to like men) and wanting to be ‘normal’

thank u ally for proofreading <3

not tagging anyone just because i don’t want to trigger :[

. . .

you were wrestling with something, natasha could tell that much. your eyebrows were drawn together, eyes lost in a gaze. it wasn’t until the third time tony called your name when you snapped out of it.

“sorry,” you mumbled.

“well are you going to answer the question?”

natasha noted the tapping of your foot, knuckles cracking beneath the table. it was obvious you weren’t in the right state of mind to be answering any kind of question. foolishly, no one else picked up on that except for the redhead.

“what was the question?”

tony sighed, his patience growing thinner by the second.

“i asked if your report was done. it was supposed to be handed in three days ago, remember?”

your foot tapped faster.

“yeah- yeah, i’m almost finished.”

it wasn’t like you to be so late on things like this, you were usually on top of everything.

“you told me you would have it ready by today. this is the fourth time this month that you’ve done this. you’re dragging your ass and the rest of us are getting pretty tired of it.” a collective agreement could be heard from the team. all eyes were on you waiting for a reply.

if you hadn’t felt anxious before, you most definitely did now.

“it won’t happen again.” tony blew off your statement and rolled his eyes. you shifted uncomfortably, nauseous from all the negative attention.

you couldn’t help but wonder if they knew. maybe that’s why they were being so short. it made sense after all.

natasha tried making her way towards you, but she was stopped by steve’s hand on her shoulder. you were well past gone by the time she managed to scramble away from him.

your back pressed flatly against the wall, tears steadily falling down your face. hatred was all you felt. hatred towards yourself.

why couldn’t you be like the rest of them? why didn’t you belong?

whywhywhywhywhywhy

granted, you knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with being gay. that was never the issue. the issue was the fact that it was yourself, that there was no possibility for you to ever be attracted to men.

you were sure it would be a phase, that it would pass, that you would forget about it and never think about it again. you tried to go on dates, tried to form a relationship, tried to enjoy having sex with them. none of it worked, no matter how much you forced yourself to believe it would.

all you could think about was how sick and disgusting you felt. and the shit representation didn’t help your case at all. the media hardly ever portrayed a good, well-rounded lesbian character that wasn’t problematic, over-sexualized or dead.

the media only reiterated the fact that you were supposed to want men. you were supposed to find the right guy and fall in love with him, call him your husband and start a family.

a knock on your door pulled you away from your thoughts. you shuffled your way back to your feet, drying your eyes for good measurement.

natasha stood patiently, eyes drilled on your doorknob. if it were up to her she’d be picking your lock, but she knew that would be crossing a boundary. she went to knock again when your door swung open.

“hi nat.”

“hey,” her voice was soft. “you’ve been crying...” she pressed her hand against your face, thumb rubbing the top of your cheekbone.

you shrugged. it wasn’t like you could deny her, your red eyes had already given away the truth. “yeah.”

she hummed, “may i come in?”

you hesitantly moved out of the way to let her through, cursing at yourself for finding her so attractive.

“you know you can talk to me, you always do. why haven’t you said anything?” natasha moved to sit on the edge of your bed. “you’ve grown quiet these past few days, it’s not like you.”

“i’m just tired, worn out from work i suppose.”

she nodded, though she knew better than to believe such a lie. natasha could always tell when you were lying, something you both hated and loved at the same time.

you sat next to her after a friendly tap on the bed. her gaze made you feel like a little kid in trouble. it was as if she already knew and was prepared to say the worse.

“i don’t believe you.”

“well, i don’t know what you want me to tell you, nat.”

“how about the truth?” you scoffed purely out of defense. “and what good would that do?”

“it might relieve whatever you’ve got on your heart.” you met natasha’s eyes and your lip immediately began to quiver.

“i’m afraid you won’t be able to look at me the same.”

she softened, taking your hand in hers. “there’s nothing in the world that would change the way i see you.”

“you say that now, nat, but-”

“i wouldn’t say it if i didn’t mean it.”

you thought about it further. natasha had never been one to judge someone based on the things they’ve been through, the things they’ve done or the things that make them who they are. she saw people the way they were, nothing more, nothing less.

but what if she didn’t like you or see you the way you were? you weren’t sure you could handle the aftermath if that were to be the case. it was bad enough you struggled to accept yourself, natasha’s disapproval would only break you.

“i’m a lesbian.” a lump in your throat began to form and you found yourself crying once more. “i tried so hard, i tried everything i could think of, but i can’t, i don’t like men.”

you coughed, choking on your words.

“i don’t understand, nat! i don’t understand why i can’t be normal. why can’t i do it? if i just liked men i would be okay, i would be fine, i would be fucking accepted.” you paused for a breath of air. “i just want to be normal.”

natasha was taken back by your confession. it was nothing near what she thought it would be. she expected you to tell her you’d been stressed or that you were scared for the next mission.

“i’m sorry, i-”

the spy quickly cupped your face, tilting your chin upwards as a hint to meet her eyes again.

“look at me, c’mon, hey. you have nothing to be sorry for, don’t ever think that you do. i love you for who you are. there’s nothing wrong with being a lesbian. you’re normal, you’re who you are, who you’re supposed to be. you are real. i promise you are.”

without thinking you leaned into natasha, clinging on to her for dear life. her arms found their way around your body, hands rubbing your back up and down.

“you should be proud to be who you are, not ashamed. and if you’re not proud of yourself then please know that i am. i am so, so, incredibly proud of you, sweetheart.” she finger brushed your hair as you continued to cry. “shhh, you’re alright baby. i’m sorry you’ve been dealing with this alone.”

“it’s okay nat.” she gave your body a small squeeze, frowning at your response. “you shouldn’t have to feel like you need to force yourself to be someone or something you’re not. you don’t deserve to struggle so much for your own acceptance as a lesbian.”

you nodded, though she could tell you weren’t fully convinced. “the only opinions you should care about are your own and the people you love and cherish. i know that’s easier said than done, but it’s true. besides, what you told me just gives me something more to love about you.” natasha finished off with a delicate kiss to your forehead.

“this means a lot to me, nat. thank you, for everything really.”

“oh sweetheart i should be thanking you for trusting me with such an important part of you are.” you shied away, a growing smile forming on your face as you leaned into her shoulder.

natahsa smirked, clearly aware of the effect she had on you. “who knew you could be so cute?”

“nattttt.”

she rose her hands up in surrender, “alright, alright. i’ll stop on one condition.”

“what’s that?” you mumbled.

“would you let me take you out for dinner tonight? i’ll show you just how beautiful it is to be with a woman.”

“yeah, yes- yes please, that’s fine.” natasha could’ve sworn she heard your heartbeat quicken and she had to refrain from letting out a small laugh at your flustered state.

“we need to clear that little mind of yours. i’ll be back here at seven on the dot, okay?” a pat on the leg caught your senses as you watched her stand. the last thing natasha heard was the soft “okay” fall from your lips as she walked out the door.

you’d never been happier to be a lesbian in your life by the end of the night.

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanov x reader #black widow x reader #natasha x reader

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