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prosegalaxy · 9 months ago

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Love and Magic Unite in Aeloria's Balance

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the enchanted land of Aetheria, the powerful sorcerers, Eldric and Arabelle, stood side by side in their tower. The air was thick with magic as they prepared to cast a spell that could change the fate of their world. Eldric, an experienced sorcerer, had been mentoring his apprentice, Thane, for many years. Thane admired and respected his mentor, but he couldn't help but feel a deep connection with Arabelle, Eldric's apprentice and a skilled sorceress in her own right. As they stood together, their eyes locked, and the tension between them was palpable. "Thane, what do you see?" Arabelle whispered, breaking the silence. "I see... possibilities," Thane replied, his voice barely audible above the hum of magic in the air. Arabelle smiled, a look of pure mischief in her eyes. "And I see love," she teased. The two apprentices exchanged glances, their hearts racing with anticipation. Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled as an insurmountable obstacle emerged from the shadows. A terrifying creature, a fusion of darkness and magic, threatened to destroy everything they had worked for. Eldric and Arabelle braced themselves, knowing that only their combined power could hope to defeat this menace. "Thane, now is not the time for distractions," Eldric warned, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. "We must focus on our task at hand." But Thane's love for Arabelle had only grown stronger. He knew that together they could face any challenge, and so he reached out to her, their hands meeting in a comforting grasp. "You are right, Eldric," Thane said, his voice filled with conviction. "Together, we can overcome this." As the battle commenced, Thane and Arabelle fought side by side, their magic weaving together like threads of silk. With each spell cast and each blow struck, they grew stronger, their love for one another a beacon of hope that lit up the darkness around them. In the end, they emerged victorious, their bond stronger than ever before. With the insurmountable obstacle defeated, the world of Aetheria was once again safe. Eldric and Arabelle, now fully-fledged sorcerers, continued to mentor Thane and their fellow apprentices, their love for each other a testament to the power of unity and passion. The sun had just begun to set, casting an orange and pink hue over the landscape as Aria and her apprentice, Liora, practiced their spells. The two powerful sorcerers were known far and wide for their abilities, but no one knew about the budding romance between them. They practiced together every evening, honing their skills and bonding over their shared passion for magic. Aria, a fiery redhead with piercing blue eyes, focused her energy into a burst of flame, while Liora, a tall woman with raven hair and icy blue eyes, created a swirling snowstorm in response. Their magic danced around them, a beautiful display of their combined talents. As they finished their practice session, Aria hesitated before speaking. "Liora," she began, her voice soft and uncertain. "I've been thinking... I can't imagine a more capable apprentice than you. And as for me..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I find myself drawn to you in ways I never expected." Liora blushed, but she returned Aria's gaze with an intensity that mirrored her own feelings. "Aria," she whispered, "I've felt the same way for some time now. You are my mentor and my friend, but more than that, you are... everything to me." The two sorcerers leaned in and shared a tender kiss, their hearts swelling with newfound love. But they knew their happiness was far from guaranteed. An insurmountable obstacle loomed on the horizon, threatening to tear them apart. The Enchanted Spellbound, a powerful artifact that granted its wielder immense magical power, had been stolen by an enemy sorcerer. If not recovered, this could mean the end of all they held dear. In a climactic battle against the dark sorcerer and his minions, Aria and Liora fought side by side, their combined magic a force to be reckoned with. As the dust settled and victory was won, they embraced once more, their love stronger than ever before. Through adversity and personal growth, they had overcome the obstacle and found happiness in each other's arms. In the mystical land of Aetheria, two powerful sorcerers, Master Eldric and Master Gavriel, trained their apprentices with unyielding dedication. Among them were the talented but introverted Kael and the fierce and determined Elara. Despite their vastly different personalities, they found solace in each other's company, forging a strong bond over shared interests and dreams of becoming great sorcerers. As their powers grew, so did their feelings for one another, and they could no longer deny the undeniable attraction between them. However, a forbidden love between apprentices and masters was strictly prohibited in Aetheria, and Master Eldric and Master Gavriel were relentless in their efforts to keep Kael and Elara apart. The insurmountable obstacle that loomed over their relationship was the ancient prophecy that predicted the end of Aetheria at the hands of a powerful sorceress named Morgana. To prevent this catastrophe, Kael and Elara had to learn an enchanting spell from the forbidden tome, "The Enchanted Spellbound." The book was said to contain the secrets of the most potent spells in existence, but to access its knowledge, they had to face a trial that tested their courage, wisdom, and love for each other. As the trial commenced, Kael and Elara found themselves battling hordes of dark creatures, overcoming seemingly impossible challenges, and deciphering cryptic riddles. Through it all, their love only grew stronger, and they realized that their bond was their greatest strength. With newfound confidence, they cast the enchanting spell from the forbidden tome, which unleashed a powerful force that banished Morgana and her army of darkness from Aetheria forever. In the aftermath of their triumph, Master Eldric and Master Gavriel finally acknowledged the depth of Kael and Elara's love, as well as their own undeniable feelings for each other. The sorcerers and their apprentices embraced each other in a loving embrace, vowing to support one another through all trials and tribulations. And so, the four sorcerers continued to learn, grow, and thrive together, with their unbreakable bonds of friendship and love guiding them towards even greater heights in Aetheria's mystical realm. In the mystical land of Aeloria, two powerful sorcerers, Eldric and Eadric, were renowned for their mastery over arcane magic. They each had a talented apprentice - Lyra, a fiery redhead with a quick wit, and Kael, a calm and composed individual with a gentle demeanor. The four of them were inseparable, sharing adventures and secrets as they honed their magical skills. As time passed, a fierce rivalry between Eldric and Eadric began to brew, fueled by their differing beliefs on the use of magic. This tension soon affected their apprentices, with Lyra and Kael finding themselves drawn together in a quiet romance. Despite the growing rift between their mentors, they cherished their moments alone, sharing whispered confidences beneath the stars. One day, an ancient spellbook was discovered in the depths of Aeloria's greatest library. The tome contained an enchantment so powerful that it could grant the caster's deepest desires. However, there was a catch - only one who possessed both immense magical prowess and unwavering purity of heart could wield its power without being consumed by it. Eldric and Eadric, sensing the potential to settle their rivalry, began a frantic race to obtain the spellbook. Lyra and Kael, desperate to protect their love and the world they lived in, joined forces to thwart their mentors' schemes. Through cunning and teamwork, they managed to seize the enchanted tome before it could be used for destructive purposes. With the power of the spellbook in their hands, Lyra and Kael faced their greatest challenge yet - using the enchantment to bridge the divide between Eldric and Eadric. The two sorcerers, witnessing the unwavering love and courage displayed by their apprentices, realized that their rivalry had been futile and destructive. United once more, they used the spellbook's power to heal Aeloria and bring about an era of peace and prosperity. Through their trials, Lyra and Kael grew stronger, both as individuals and in their love for one another. Their journey taught them that true power lay not in rivalry or enchantments, but in unity, understanding, and the unyielding bonds of friendship. In the mystical land of Aeloria, two powerful sorcerers, Eldric and Eadric, had been rivals for decades due to their differing beliefs on the use of magic. Their apprentices, Lyra and Kael, were also bound by their master's rivalry, though they secretly admired each other. One day, during a fierce magical competition, Eldric and Eadric discovered an ancient spellbook hidden within the heart of Aeloria's enchanted forest. The spellbook contained an enchantment so powerful that it could grant the caster's deepest desires, but only if used with immense magical prowess and unwavering purity of heart. Eldric and Eadric became obsessed with obtaining the spellbook, believing it to be the key to ultimate power. Their apprentices, Lyra and Kael, knew that the spellbook could cause untold destruction if used incorrectly, so they decided to protect their love and the world they lived in by seizing the enchanted tome before it could fall into the wrong hands. Lyra and Kael found solace in each other's company as they guarded the spellbook, and their quiet romance blossomed amidst the chaos. The two young sorcerers vowed to use the spellbook's power for good, and together they began learning how to harness its immense energy responsibly. One fateful day, Eldric and Eadric finally discovered where the apprentices were hiding the spellbook. A fierce battle ensued between the two groups of sorcerers, with spells and enchantments flying through the air. As the conflict raged on, Lyra and Kael knew they had to find a way to end the fighting and protect their love. In a moment of inspiration, Kael cast a powerful spell that caused the entire forest to tremble, capturing the attention of both groups. As everyone stared in shock at the display before them, Lyra stepped forward and used the spellbook's power to bridge the divide between Eldric and Eadric. The two sorcerers, moved by the sight of their apprentices' love, finally put aside their differences and united their magical forces. Together, the powerful sorcerers healed Aeloria, bringing about an era of peace and prosperity. Through their trials, Lyra and Kael grew stronger in their love for one another and learned that true power lies in unity, understanding, and the unyielding bonds of friendship. In the mystical land of Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric rival sorcerers raced to obtain an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. Lyra and Kael, their apprentices, protected the spellbook and developed a secret romance. They seized the enchanted tome before it could be used for destruction. Using the spellbook's power, they bridged the divide between Eldric and Eadric, uniting them to heal Aeloria and bring peace and prosperity. Through their trials, Lyra and Kael grew stronger in their love, learning that true power lies in unity, understanding, and friendship. In the mystical land of Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric, rival sorcerers, raced to obtain an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. Lyra and Kael, their apprentices, protected the spellbook and developed a secret romance. They seized the enchanted tome before it could be used for destruction. Using the spellbook's power, they bridged the divide between Eldric and Eadric, uniting them to heal Aeloria and bring peace and prosperity. Through their trials, Lyra and Kael grew stronger in their love, learning that true power lies in unity, understanding, and friendship. In the mystical land of Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric, rival sorcerers, raced to obtain an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. The spellbook had the potential to destroy the balance between light and darkness in their world. Lyra and Kael, the apprentices of these powerful sorcerers, were entrusted with the task of protecting the spellbook. One fateful day, while guarding the spellbook, Lyra accidentally stumbled upon a hidden chamber containing Kael, who had been searching for the enchanted tome himself. Their eyes met, and an instant connection sparked between them, igniting a secret romance. Unbeknownst to them, the spellbook they sought was in their possession all along, hidden away in the depths of their shared chamber. As Eldric and Eadric's rivalry intensified, the balance of power shifted dangerously. The apprentices knew they had to act. With their hearts pounding and their love for each other growing stronger by the day, Lyra and Kael seized the enchanted tome before it could be used for destruction. Realizing the true nature of the spellbook's power, they decided to use its enchantment to bridge the divide between Eldric and Eadric, healing Aeloria and bringing peace and prosperity to their world. Through their trials, Lyra and Kael learned that true power lay not in sorcery or rivalry, but in unity, understanding, and friendship. Their love had brought them closer together, and their determination to heal Aeloria had forged a bond between them that could not be broken. Together, they stood as a symbol of hope and love, proving that even the most insurmountable obstacles could be overcome with the help of an unyielding heart. In the mystical land of Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric, rival sorcerers, raced to obtain an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. The spellbook had the potential to destroy the balance between light and darkness in their world. Lyra and Kael, the apprentices of these powerful sorcerers, were entrusted with the task of protecting the spellbook. As days turned into weeks, Lyra and Kael found themselves drawn closer together as they guarded the spellbook. Their shared responsibility forged a bond that soon blossomed into love. However, they knew their feelings could never be revealed; they had to maintain their focus on protecting the enchanted tome from those who sought its power. One fateful day, Eldric and Eadric discovered the apprentices' affection, and a heated argument ensued. Eldric accused Kael of betraying him by falling in love with his apprentice, while Eadric reproached Lyra for deceiving her master. The tension between them reached its peak as they threatened to expose their apprentices' relationship to the world. Lyra and Kael knew they had to act quickly. They decided to seize the enchanted spellbook before it could be used for destruction, hoping that this act would bring the rival sorcerers together. With a combination of cunning and teamwork, they managed to outwit Eldric and Eadric and obtain the spellbook. As Lyra and Kael opened the spellbook, they realized its true power lay in bridging the divide between the two rival sorcerers. They channeled the enchantment into a powerful spell, which they used to unite Eldric and Eadric's magical abilities. The result was an immense force that healed the land of Aeloria, restoring balance and harmony. In the aftermath of their triumph, Lyra and Kael finally confessed their love to each other. Their love story became a symbol of hope for all in Aeloria, teaching them that true power lies in unity, understanding, and friendship. In the mystical land of Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric, rival sorcerers, raced to obtain an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. The spellbook had the potential to destroy the balance between light and darkness in their world. Lyra and Kael, the apprentices of these powerful sorcerers, were entrusted with the task of protecting the spellbook. Eldric and Eadric's obsession with the spellbook led them to clash constantly, each determined to claim it for themselves. Their rivalry extended beyond their magical abilities, as they fought over every aspect of life in Aeloria, from the most mundane to the most significant. Despite their apprentices' dedication, Lyra and Kael struggled to maintain their focus amidst the chaos caused by their masters. They had begun to develop feelings for one another, but fearing the repercussions of their growing attraction, they kept it a secret. Their bond grew stronger as they spent more time together, protecting the spellbook and studying its contents. One day, while Lyra and Kael were guarding the spellbook in hiding, they overheard a conversation between Eldric and Eadric that revealed their plan to use the enchantment to gain ultimate power. Realizing the impending danger, the apprentices knew they had to act. Lyra and Kael decided to confront their masters, hoping to reason with them. However, Eldric and Eadric refused to listen, and a heated argument ensued. As tensions rose, Lyra and Kael cast a defensive spell over the spellbook, preventing it from being used for evil purposes. The power of their combined magic surprised even them, and they realized that true strength came from working together. The apprentices confronted Eldric and Eadric once more, this time demanding they use the enchantment to heal the land instead of destroying it. Reluctantly, the sorcerers agreed, and with a powerful spell cast by both sides, the enchantment healed Aeloria's wounded lands, restoring balance and harmony. As the dust settled, Lyra and Kael acknowledged their love for one another, knowing that they had grown stronger through adversity and would continue to grow together in the years to come. In the mystical land of Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric, rival sorcerers, raced to obtain an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. The spellbook had the potential to destroy the balance between light and darkness in their world. Lyra and Kael, the apprentices of these powerful sorcerers, were entrusted with the task of protecting the spellbook. One day, while guarding the spellbook, Lyra and Kael stumbled upon a hidden chamber within the ancient library where they found a mysterious scroll. The scroll detailed an enchantment that could heal any wound or mend any broken bond. Intrigued by this newfound knowledge, they decided to test the enchantment on a small cut that Lyra had sustained. To their amazement, the wound healed almost instantly, and a warm, tingling sensation spread throughout her body. Realizing the potential of the enchantment, Lyra and Kael agreed to keep it a secret from Eldric and Eadric. As they continued to protect the spellbook, their rivalry slowly began to fade, replaced by a growing bond between them. Their shared experiences, coupled with their mutual desire to keep the world safe from the destructive enchantment, brought them closer together. "I never thought we'd be working together like this," Kael whispered one evening as they stood guard over the spellbook. "Me neither," Lyra replied, her voice just above a whisper. "But it feels...right." Their feelings for each other grew stronger with each passing day, but their mission never wavered. They were determined to protect Aeloria from the impending doom that threatened to tear their world apart. As the climactic battle between Eldric and Eadric drew nearer, Lyra and Kael knew they had to make a decision. They decided to use the enchantment on their masters, hoping it would restore balance in Aeloria without causing further destruction. As the powerful sorcerers clashed, Lyra and Kael cast the spell upon them, transforming Eldric and Eadric's rivalry into a deep friendship. With their newfound unity, the four of them combined their powers to defeat the dark forces threatening Aeloria. Through their trials, Lyra and Kael grew stronger in their love, learning that true power lies in unity, understanding, and friendship. In the mystical land of Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric, rival sorcerers, raced to obtain an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. The spellbook had the potential to destroy the balance between light and darkness in their world. Lyra and Kael, the apprentices of these powerful sorcerers, were entrusted with the task of protecting the spellbook. One day, while guarding the spellbook, Lyra and Kael stumbled upon a hidden chamber within the ancient library where they found a mysterious scroll. The scroll detailed an enchantment that could heal any wound or mend any broken bond. Intrigued by this newfound knowledge, they decided to test the enchantment on a small cut that Lyra had sustained. To their amazement, the wound healed almost instantly, and a warm, tingling sensation spread throughout her body. Realizing the potential of the enchantment, Lyra and Kael agreed to keep it a secret from Eldric and Eadric. As they continued to protect the spellbook, their rivalry slowly began to fade, replaced by a growing bond between them. Their shared experiences, coupled with their mutual desire to keep the world safe from the destructive enchantment, brought them closer together. "I never thought we'd be working together like this," Kael whispered one evening as they stood guard over the spellbook. "Me neither," Lyra replied, her voice just above a whisper. "But it feels...right." Their feelings for each other grew stronger with each passing day, but their mission never wavered. They were determined to protect Aeloria from the impending doom that threatened to tear their world apart. As the climactic battle between Eldric and Eadric drew nearer, Lyra and Kael knew they had to make a decision. They decided to use the enchantment on their masters, hoping it would restore balance in Aeloria without causing further destruction. As the powerful sorcerers clashed, Lyra and Kael cast the spell upon them, transforming Eldric and Eadric's rivalry into a deep friendship. With their newfound unity, the four of them combined their powers to defeat the dark forces threatening Aeloria. Through their trials, Lyra and Kael grew stronger in their love, learning that true power lies in unity, understanding, and friendship. Lyra and Kael, the apprentices of rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, must protect an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment that could destroy balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. As they grow closer and navigate their feelings for each other, they face the insurmountable obstacle of choosing whether to use the spell for their own gain or return it to its rightful place. In the end, they choose to preserve the balance of light and darkness and unite with Eldric and Eadric in a powerful spell to heal Aeloria. Through trials and challenges, Lyra and Kael grow stronger in their love, learning that true power lies in unity, understanding, and friendship. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the village of Lorenswood. Lyra and Kael stood side by side, gazing at the breathtaking sight. Their apprenticeship had been filled with intense rivalry and fierce competition, but as they watched the sky, a shared silence enveloped them. "Kael," Lyra began hesitantly, "I've always admired your dedication to magic." She hesitated before adding, "And I... I find myself drawn to you." Kael's eyes widened in surprise, but he managed a gentle smile. "Lyra, I never thought you'd feel the same way. But I... I do too." A sudden gust of wind swept through the village square, and they could sense something was amiss. The once calm atmosphere had shifted to one of urgency. They knew they had to act swiftly. "We must return the spellbook to its rightful place," Kael whispered, his voice laden with determination. "The balance of light and darkness in Aeloria depends on it." Lyra nodded, her eyes filled with resolve. "Together, we can overcome this insurmountable obstacle." With newfound purpose, they rushed towards the tower where Eldric and Eadric were desperately trying to unlock the ancient spellbook's secrets. As they entered, they found their mentors standing before an enormous crystal, its surface shimmering with the power of forbidden magic. "You've come to claim the spellbook," Eadric sneered. "But are you prepared to face the consequences?" Lyra and Kael exchanged a glance, then turned back to their mentors. "We choose to preserve the balance between light and darkness," Lyra declared, her voice steady. "And together, we shall heal Aeloria," Kael added, his voice strong with conviction. In that moment, they felt a surge of power coursing through them, stronger than any magic they had ever experienced before. They knew they were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead and that their love would only grow stronger as they faced the world together. Lyra and Kael, apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, were once inseparable friends. They spent their days training under their mentors, learning powerful spells, and exploring the magical world of Aeloria. However, as they honed their skills, a secret romance blossomed between them, unbeknownst to their masters. The powerful spellbook that contained an enchantment capable of destroying the balance between light and darkness had been entrusted to Lyra and Kael, and they knew their duty was to return it to its rightful place. ``` "We must protect this spellbook at all costs," whispered Kael, his eyes filled with determination. "It holds the key to maintaining harmony in Aeloria." Lyra nodded, her heart swelling with pride and love for her fellow apprentice. "I promise, we will do everything in our power to ensure the balance remains intact." As they ventured forth, Lyra and Kael encountered insurmountable obstacles, but their bond only grew stronger. They faced dark sorcerers, treacherous landscapes, and even the wrath of their own mentors. Through it all, they remained steadfast in their mission to protect the spellbook and preserve the balance between light and darkness. In the climactic battle against a formidable enemy, Lyra and Kael found themselves cornered, with nowhere left to run. But as they stood together, their love and unity summoned an unparalleled power. With a final burst of energy, they vanquished their foe and secured the spellbook's safety. As the dust settled, Eldric and Eadric finally discovered the truth about their apprentices' secret romance. Instead of anger or betrayal, however, they found understanding and love. With a powerful healing spell, the two sorcerers mended the wounds of Aeloria and brought harmony to the realm once more. In the end, Lyra and Kael's journey had taught them valuable lessons about love, sacrifice, and the true meaning of power. Through their personal growth and happiness, they had become not only powerful sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in Aeloria.``` Eldric and Eadric exchanged knowing glances, their eyes filled with worry and understanding. "We must find them," Eldric whispered, his voice barely audible. "We cannot allow the enchantment to fall into the wrong hands." They knew that their apprentices, Lyra and Kael, had been entrusted with the task of protecting the spellbook, and they would do everything in their power to ensure its safety. As Lyra and Kael ventured deeper into the forest, their shared secret weighed heavily on them. "I hope Eldric and Eadric don't find out about us," Kael whispered nervously, his voice barely audible over the rustling leaves. Lyra, however, was more confident in their mentors' understanding. "They are wise and compassionate," she reassured him, her hand gently touching his. "I believe they would understand." Their journey took them through treacherous terrain and dangerous encounters with mythical creatures. In a moment of vulnerability, Kael revealed the true depths of his feelings for Lyra. "You are my entire world, Lyra," he said earnestly, his voice cracking with emotion. "I can't imagine my life without you." Lyra, taken aback by his confession, found herself reciprocating her feelings. "Kael, I... I love you too," she stammered, tears welling up in her eyes. In that moment, they knew that their love could withstand any obstacle, even the perilous journey to return the spellbook. As Lyra and Kael's love grew stronger, so did their resolve. They faced insurmountable odds and overcame each challenge with unwavering determination. Their love and unity ultimately led them to triumph in the climactic battle against the forces of darkness, preserving the balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. With the enchantment secured and harmony restored, Eldric and Eadric discovered their apprentices' secret romance. Instead of anger or betrayal, they found understanding and love. With a powerful healing spell, the two sorcerers mended the wounds of Aeloria and brought harmony to the realm once more. Through their personal growth and happiness, Lyra and Kael became not only powerful sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in Aeloria. Lyra and Kael, apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, had been tasked with protecting an ancient spellbook containing an enchantment capable of tipping the balance between light and darkness in their realm of Aeloria. As they trained under their masters, they grew closer, secretly falling in love. The tension between the sorcerers was palpable, but Lyra and Kael's devotion to their task never wavered. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria. Eldric and Eadric, realizing the gravity of the situation, reluctantly agreed to work together. Their apprentices followed suit, combining their knowledge to return the spellbook to its rightful place. As they fought alongside each other, the two sorcerers watched in awe as Lyra and Kael's love seemed to empower them. Eldric and Eadric were moved by this display of unity, and when the battle was won, they embraced their apprentices with newfound understanding and respect. The powerful spell they cast brought healing to Aeloria, and in doing so, the sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well. As Aeloria flourished, Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming not only formidable sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in their realm. And though their journey had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, the power of love had ultimately triumphed. Lyra and Kael, two apprentice sorcerers, were bound by their shared duty to protect an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment that could disrupt the balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. As they trained under their rival masters, Eldric and Eadric, they couldn't help but grow closer, unbeknownst to their mentors. One fateful day, a dark force threatened to plunge Aeloria into chaos. Faced with this insurmountable obstacle, Lyra and Kael found themselves fighting side by side with their masters, Eldric and Eadric. In the midst of the climactic battle, they discovered each other's secret romance and realized that love had the power to overcome even the greatest adversaries. United in both love and purpose, Lyra and Kael returned the spellbook to its rightful place, restoring balance to Aeloria. As the dust settled, Eldric and Eadric saw the strength of their apprentices' unity and found themselves moved by the power of love as well. With a potent healing spell, the sorcerers mended Aeloria and brought harmony back to the realm. Through personal growth and happiness, Lyra and Kael became not only powerful sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in their world. And so, love triumphed over darkness, and the bonds between both apprentices and masters strengthened, forever changing the course of Aeloria's history. In the magical realm of Aeloria, two rival sorcerers, Eldric and Eadric, each had an apprentice - Lyra and Kael. These young sorcerers were tasked with protecting an ancient spellbook that held an enchantment capable of unbalancing light and darkness in their world. As they trained under their masters, Lyra and Kael grew closer, secretly falling in love. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria. Eldric and Eadric reluctantly agreed to work together, and their apprentices followed suit. Combining their knowledge, Lyra and Kael returned the spellbook to its rightful place, while fighting alongside their masters. As they fought, their love seemed to empower them, and the sorcerers watched in awe. Eldric and Eadric were moved by this display of unity, and when the battle was won, they embraced their apprentices with newfound understanding and respect. The powerful spell they cast brought healing to Aeloria, and in doing so, the sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well. As Aeloria flourished, Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming not only formidable sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in their realm. And though their journey had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, the power of love ultimately triumphed. Lyra and Kael, apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, found themselves bound by more than just their magical studies. As they trained under their masters, they grew closer, secretly falling in love. The tension between the sorcerers was palpable, but Lyra and Kael's devotion to their task never wavered. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria. Eldric and Eadric reluctantly agreed to work together. Their apprentices followed suit, combining their knowledge to return the spellbook to its rightful place. As they fought alongside each other, the two sorcerers watched in awe as Lyra and Kael's love seemed to empower them. Eldric and Eadric were moved by this display of unity, and when the battle was won, they embraced their apprentices with newfound understanding and respect. The powerful spell they cast brought healing to Aeloria, and in doing so, the sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well. As Aeloria flourished, Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming not only formidable sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in their realm. And though their journey had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, the power of love ultimately triumphed. In a land of magic and mystery, two apprentice sorcerers named Lyra and Kael found themselves caught in an ancient prophecy. They served under rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, both masters in their own right. Their task was to protect an ancient spellbook that held the key to tipping the balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. As they trained, Lyra and Kael found themselves drawn to each other, their hearts beating in unison as they secretly fell in love. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria, forcing Eldric and Eadric to put aside their differences and work together. Lyra and Kael, inspired by their masters' example, combined their knowledge and returned the spellbook to its rightful place. The battle that ensued was fierce, but the power of love they shared seemed to strengthen them both, empowering them to face their foes. As the battle raged on, Eldric and Eadric watched in awe as Lyra and Kael's love seemed to bring unity to their hearts. When the dark force was vanquished, the two sorcerers embraced their apprentices with newfound understanding and respect. The spell they cast together brought healing to Aeloria, and in doing so, the sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well. As the realm flourished, Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming not only formidable sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in Aeloria. Through insurmountable obstacles, the power of love ultimately triumphed, proving that even the most unlikely of connections can overcome the darkest of forces and heal a fractured world. Lyra and Kael, apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, protected an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment. They were tasked with keeping the balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. As they trained under their masters, Lyra and Kael secretly fell in love. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria. The rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric reluctantly agreed to work together. Lyra and Kael combined their knowledge to return the spellbook to its rightful place. They fought alongside each other, and their love seemed to empower them. Eldric and Eadric were moved by this display of unity, casting a powerful spell that brought healing to Aeloria. The sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well, and Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming beacons of hope for all who lived in their realm. And though their journey had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, the power of love ultimately triumphed. Lyra and Kael, apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, had been tasked with protecting an ancient spellbook containing an enchantment capable of tipping the balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. As they trained under their masters, they grew closer, secretly falling in love. The tension between the sorcerers was palpable, but Lyra and Kael's devotion to their task never wavered. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria. Eldric and Eadric reluctantly agreed to work together. Their apprentices followed suit, combining their knowledge to return the spellbook to its rightful place. As they fought alongside each other, the two sorcerers watched in awe as Lyra and Kael's love seemed to empower them. Eldric and Eadric were moved by this display of unity, and when the battle was won, they embraced their apprentices with newfound understanding and respect. The powerful spell they cast brought healing to Aeloria, and in doing so, the sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well. As Aeloria flourished, Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming not only formidable sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in their realm. And though their journey had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, the power of love ultimately triumphed. Lyra and Kael, apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, had been tasked with protecting an ancient spellbook containing an enchantment capable of tipping the balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. As they trained under their masters, they grew closer, secretly falling in love. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria. Eldric and Eadric reluctantly agreed to work together. Their apprentices followed suit, combining their knowledge to return the spellbook to its rightful place. As they fought alongside each other, the two sorcerers watched in awe as Lyra and Kael's love seemed to empower them. Eldric and Eadric were moved by this display of unity, and when the battle was won, they embraced their apprentices with newfound understanding and respect. The powerful spell they cast brought healing to Aeloria, and in doing so, the sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well. As Aeloria flourished, Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming not only formidable sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in their realm. And though their journey had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, the power of love ultimately triumphed. Lyra and Kael, apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, had been entrusted with a secret mission - to protect an ancient spellbook containing an enchantment capable of tipping the balance between light and darkness in Aeloria. As they trained under their masters, they grew closer, secretly falling in love. One day, a dark force threatened to unleash chaos upon Aeloria. Eldric and Eadric reluctantly agreed to work together, and Lyra and Kael followed suit, combining their knowledge to return the spellbook to its rightful place. As they fought alongside each other, the two sorcerers watched in awe as Lyra and Kael's love seemed to empower them. Eldric and Eadric were moved by this display of unity, and when the battle was won, they embraced their apprentices with newfound understanding and respect. The powerful spell they cast brought healing to Aeloria, and in doing so, the sorcerers' hearts opened to love as well. As Aeloria flourished, Lyra and Kael continued their growth, becoming not only formidable sorcerers but also beacons of hope for all who lived in their realm. And though their journey had been filled with insurmountable obstacles, the power of love ultimately triumphed. Lyra and Kael stood in the heart of Aeloria, their eyes locked as they felt the pull of destiny drawing them together. The enchanting air around them was palpable, the connection between them undeniable. "I never thought I'd find someone like you," Kael whispered, his voice barely audible above the wind. "Me neither," Lyra replied, her eyes filled with warmth and understanding. In that moment, they knew that their feelings were not just a fleeting infatuation, but something more profound. Their hearts pounded in unison as they realized that their love could be a force for good in Aeloria, the very realm they had been sworn to protect. But first, they needed to face the obstacles that stood before them - powerful sorcerers who sought to control the balance of light and darkness in their world. As Lyra and Kael trained under Eldric and Eadric, they discovered that the rival sorcerers were not all they seemed. They found themselves at the center of a prophecy, one that spoke of two apprentices who would protect a spellbook containing an enchantment capable of destroying balance in Aeloria. As they delved deeper into their studies, Lyra and Kael grew closer, their love blossoming amidst the ancient tomes and mystical spells. Their journey took them through treacherous landscapes and dangerous encounters, but it was the climactic battle that truly tested their resolve. With the world hanging in the balance, they faced off against Eldric and Eadric in a duel of magic and wit. But instead of anger or betrayal, Lyra and Kael found understanding and love. In that moment, they knew they had to protect Aeloria from the enchantment's devastating effects. With love and unity, they vanquished their foes and mended the realm, bringing harmony to all. Through it all, they grew and found happiness, their hearts forever intertwined in the magical tapestry of Aeloria. Lyra and Kael stood in the heart of Aeloria, feeling a strong connection drawing them together. They acknowledged their feelings and realized that their love could be a force for good in Aeloria. As they trained under Eldric and Eadric, they discovered that the rival sorcerers were not all they seemed. "Do you ever feel like we're being watched?" Kael asked Lyra as they practiced their spells. "I have my suspicions," Lyra replied, her voice low. "But we must remain focused on our training." As they embarked on a journey through treacherous landscapes and dangerous encounters, they found that their love only grew stronger. They knew that the balance of light and darkness in Aeloria depended on them. One day, Lyra and Kael confronted Eldric and Eadric about their secret romance. To their surprise, the rival sorcerers found understanding and love instead of anger or betrayal. Together, they discovered a powerful healing spell that could mend Aeloria and bring harmony to the realm. In the climactic battle against the enchantment's devastating effects, Lyra and Kael protected Aeloria with love and unity. Their love had transformed them into forces for good, and they found personal growth and happiness in their hearts forever intertwined in the magical tapestry of Aeloria. Lyra and Kael had always been apprentices to rival sorcerers, but their secret romance began to bloom in the heart of Aeloria. As they journeyed through treacherous landscapes and dangerous encounters, they developed a deep understanding of each other and the world around them. Their love for one another grew stronger as they faced insurmountable obstacles together. One day, Lyra and Kael stumbled upon an ancient spellbook containing an enchantment that could destroy balance in Aeloria. With their combined knowledge and skills, they protected the spellbook from those who sought to use it for evil purposes. As they continued to grow closer, they also faced opposition from their mentors, Eldric and Eadric, who were initially angered by their secret romance. However, as Lyra and Kael demonstrated their commitment to preserving the balance of light and darkness in Aeloria, Eldric and Eadric found understanding and love instead of anger or betrayal. Together, they mended the realm with a powerful healing spell, bringing harmony to all. The young apprentices had not only saved Aeloria but also found personal growth and happiness in their hearts, forever intertwined in the magical tapestry of Aeloria. Lyra and Kael stood side by side, their hands gripping the edges of the ancient spellbook tightly. The air crackled with magic as they whispered an incantation to protect its secrets. "Do you think we'll ever find out what this enchantment does?" Kael asked nervously. Lyra shook her head, her eyes locked on the mystical symbols before them. "We must focus on our training first. We are not ready for such power." The two apprentices trained day and night, learning to harness their magic under the watchful gaze of their mentors, Eldric and Eadric. Despite the rivalry between their masters, Lyra and Kael found solace in each other's company. Their friendship blossomed into a secret romance, their hearts beating in unison with every whispered confession. As their love grew stronger, so did the obstacles they faced. Dark forces threatened to disrupt the balance of light and darkness in Aeloria, and Lyra and Kael knew they had to protect the spellbook at all costs. With each challenge, their bond grew deeper, and together they overcame every insurmountable task. "I never thought I'd say this," Eadric finally admitted, "but you two have grown stronger than I ever expected." Eldric nodded, his eyes filled with pride. "It's true. You've both shown incredible growth and dedication to your craft." In the climactic battle against the dark forces, Lyra and Kael stood united, their love a beacon of hope in the face of despair. With a powerful spell, they vanquished their foes, and the balance of light and darkness was restored. Eldric and Eadric watched, amazed, as the two apprentices healed Aeloria with a spell of profound power. They found understanding and love where there had only been rivalry before, and together they brought harmony to their realm. Through it all, Lyra and Kael's hearts remained entwined, a testament to the strength of their love and the magic that bound them together. Lyra and Kael, both apprentices to rival sorcerers, found themselves drawn together despite the animosity between their masters. They shared stolen glances during lessons and secretly met under the full moon to discuss their dreams of a world where light and darkness coexisted in harmony. Their love blossomed like the enchanted flowers that grew only in Aeloria's magical groves. One fateful day, Lyra and Kael discovered a hidden chamber in the depths of Eldric and Eadric's libraries. Inside, they found an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment capable of disrupting the balance between light and darkness. They knew they had to protect it at all costs. "We must return this spellbook to its rightful place," Kael whispered, his voice laced with determination. "The fate of Aeloria hangs in the balance." Lyra nodded solemnly. "Together, we will face any obstacle and protect our world." As they embarked on their quest, Lyra and Kael encountered countless challenges. They fought fearsome creatures and deciphered cryptic riddles, growing closer with each triumph. Yet, the most insurmountable obstacle loomed ahead: confronting their masters and revealing their secret romance. Lyra and Kael, both apprentices to rival sorcerers, found themselves drawn together despite the animosity between their masters. They shared stolen glances during lessons and secretly met under the full moon to discuss their dreams of a world where light and darkness coexisted in harmony. Their love blossomed like the enchanted flowers that grew only in Aeloria's magical groves. One fateful day, Lyra and Kael discovered a hidden chamber in the depths of Eldric and Eadric's libraries. Inside, they found an ancient spellbook containing a powerful enchantment capable of disrupting the balance between light and darkness. They knew they had to protect it at all costs. "We must return this spellbook to its rightful place," Kael whispered, his voice laced with determination. "The fate of Aeloria hangs in the balance." Lyra nodded solemnly. "Together, we will face any obstacle and protect our world." As they embarked on their quest, Lyra and Kael encountered countless challenges. They fought fearsome creatures and deciphered cryptic riddles, growing closer with each triumph. Yet, the most insurmountable obstacle loomed ahead: confronting their masters and revealing their secret romance. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the small village where Lyra and Kael lived. They were apprentices to rival sorcerers Eldric and Eadric, masters who had been at odds for centuries. Hidden within their shared castle was a spellbook containing an enchantment that could destroy balance in Aeloria, a realm of light and darkness. One day, Lyra and Kael discovered each other's true identities as apprentices to rival sorcerers. Despite the danger, they couldn't deny their feelings for one another. Their love blossomed in secret, their stolen moments filled with laughter and whispered promises of a brighter future. As they trained, Lyra and Kael found themselves facing insurmountable obstacles. Dark creatures from the shadowy depths of Aeloria threatened to wreak havoc upon the land, testing their abilities as sorcerers. They overcame these challenges with determination and courage, honing their skills and strengthening their bond. One fateful day, an old enemy of Eldric and Eadric discovered the location of the forbidden spellbook. He sought to unleash chaos upon Aeloria, driven by a twisted desire for power. With the stakes higher than ever, Lyra and Kael knew they must protect the spellbook at all costs. In the climactic battle that followed, Lyra and Kael fought side by side, their love for one another giving them strength. They defeated their foe not with destructive magic, but with a display of unity and unwavering belief in the balance of light and darkness. Their actions saved Aeloria from a dark future. Eldric and Eadric, witnessing the power of love and unity, found understanding and forgiveness where once there had only been anger and resentment. They healed their rift, performing a powerful healing spell that mended Aeloria and brought harmony to the realm. Through personal growth and happiness, they came to understand that the true magic lay in the balance between light and darkness, and the love that united them all.

#ebook #sorcery #love #balance #Aeloria #Eldric #Eadric #Lyra #Kael #apprentices #enchantment #obstacles #personal #growth #happiness #unit

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invisibleanonymousmonsters · 4 years ago

Text

In Times Past

Character: Bruce Wayne x Fem!Reader

Summary: Bruce Wayne’s life doesn’t exist beyond the fake storylines he performs for the media and citizens of Gotham. Maybe the only person that can change that is someone who knew him before Batman ever even existed.

Word Count: 8,200+ [One Shot]

Warnings: Violence, mentions of sexual harrassment

A/N: As I teased before, this was inspired by this scene from Batman Begins.

Bruce could sense Alfred’s tension when he walked into the kitchen that morning. The man was not one to hold back his thoughts and feelings. It was both a blessing and a curse. But Bruce sensed it was the latter today.

Before Bruce could even get a sip of coffee in, Alfred tossed the Sunday newspaper in front of him.

On the front page was a photo of Batman, far too high of a resolution for Bruce’s liking. ‘BATMAN: SAVIOR OR MENACE?’ the headline read.

“A little too close for comfort, don’t you think?” Alfred asked with a hint of sass.

However, Bruce controlled his reaction.

“Not the first time I’ve been photographed, Alfred.”

“You’re dancing with the devil, Master Wayne.”

“So, what? You want me to lay down the cape because everyone in America has the ability to take a photo on their cellphone?”

“Of course not,” Alfred retorted. Though Alfred secretly wished every day that Bruce would say goodbye to the Batman. “I just thought perhaps you should be putting a bit more effort into Bruce Wayne’s life if you really want to throw Gotham off your trail.”

Then he tossed another newspaper. This one of Bruce Wayne, the other mask he wore.

‘Bruce Wayne Lights Up the Room at Charity Ball.’

Alfred points to the date…it was 9 months ago. And it was unfortunately the last time Bruce Wayne was in the press.

“You better start creating alibis, Master Wayne, or the dark web will start to putting two and two together…”

Bruce sighed. He knew Alfred was right. But he hated all that went with what he had to do. He’d rather face off with Gotham’s deadliest criminals than go galavanting around the city as the self-absorbed and reckless playboy persona that he’d created.

“There is a birthday party for Eaton Elliot next weekend. Naturally, being old family friends, you received an invitation,” Alfred explained. “Plenty of press will be there to note your attendance. Seems rather convenient."

Bruce recognized the name. It was the older brother of Thomas Elliot, a childhood friend that he slightly lost touch with. He’d see him or his parents at various events, and things were always cordial.

But it didn’t really matter how absent or quiet Bruce was when it came to maintaining such relationships. Everyone forgave such behavior when it came to saving face with the only living member of the Wayne family. Bruce could spit in the faces of Gotham’s elite and they’d probably thank him for it.

“Black tie affair, as always,” Alfred added as he slipped the invitation to Bruce. “Perhaps you could bring a date…”

Bruce glared up at the butler. “Dates make it harder to make a quick and quiet exit, Alfred.”

“Well, maybe that’s the point, Master Wayne.”

————

Just like he was on patrol or working on an op, Bruce had prepared for every single scenario. He made a plan that would be the most effective in the shortest amount of time. He didn’t want to torture himself any longer than absolutely necessary.

When Alfred asked him again if he was planning on bringing a date, Bruce had only replied with a mischievous smirk.

Because he walked in with a girl on each arm.

It wasn’t the classy or gentlemanly thing to do. And that was exactly the point.

Conversations paused, attention was turned, and flashes went off.

Bruce Wayne made his entrance.

He carefully fell into the groove of being the spoiled brat everyone had painted him out to be. It had been awhile since he played the part, but Bruce always found it easy when he was surrounded by these kinds of people.

Bruce made sure to slightly slur his words. He would get too handsy with his dates. He would rudely interrupt people to share his own useless opinion on whatever topic was leading the conversation. He never looked waitstaff in the eye.

But now it was time for the finale.

Bruce whispered a certain suggestion into the ears of his dates.

They shared a look that proved they were both game.

The three of them stumbled into a bathroom – one out in the open that most of the guests would be steered toward.

The kissing began and clothes were quickly shifted.

There was a split moment when Bruce wondered what this would feel like for a man who actually wanted to be in this situation.

The two woman managed unbuckle his belt, the clanking metal echoing in the all-tile bathroom.

But just as they unbuttoned and then unzipped his pants, Bruce’s cellphone rang loudly.

Right on cue.

“Ladies, ladies, ladies,” Bruce whined. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” his words stumbled out. “But I just have to take this call.”

“Aww. Brucie. You’re no fun,” one of the women fussed.

But Bruce gave off enough dominate energy that they didn’t try to fight him on it.

Hair disheveled, mouth swollen and pink, lipstick stains on his skin and his pants and belt barely put back together, Bruce stumbled out of the bathroom first.

The two women didn’t bother to stay back and spread out their exits, making it very clear what had just happened – or what it looked like just happened.

It didn’t matter that Bruce didn’t actually have sex with them, every woman in Gotham wanted to say they’d shared a bed with Bruce Wayne. His two dates would lie to save face and get street cred. Bruce hated that he knew that, that it was guaranteed.

Dozens of people, who were socializing near the bathroom, stopped what they were doing and watched with judgmental looks. Some men looked jealous. Some women looked disgusted and eyed the two women up and down.

Then there was the flash of a camera.

Bingo.

Bruce wouldn’t have to linger much longer now.

He played up being somewhat embarrassed.

But just as he put his phone to his ear to take the fake call that Alfred dialed, he saw the last person he expected.

It caused him to do a double take and freeze.

His focus fell for a moment as they made eye contact.

Why did she have to be here?

Why did she have to be one of his witnesses?

Why did it hurt so much to see how she looked at him as if he were a stranger?

And why did she have to look so god damn beautiful?

Y/F/N Y/L/N.

The Y/L/N family were another one of Gotham’s elite – well, they used to be.

Y/N’s father was once worth billions. But being born into wealth didn’t guarantee intelligence or the skills to properly run the family business. When Bruce and Y/N were in high school, Y/N’s father filed for bankruptcy and confessed that the family was about to lose everything. With the announcement, the press also exposed Mr. Y/L/N’s many lustful affairs.

What came next was a messy and brutal divorce that the media ate up.

Out of spite, Y/N’s mother remarried her ex-husband’s biggest competitor, maintaining her status and wealth, and making sure she still came out on top. It was the greatest revenge and even Y/N had to give her mother credit for the ingenuity of it all.

Bruce remembered how terrible it all was for Y/N, who was used as a pawn in her parents war against each other.

Having had enough of it, Y/N fled Gotham and chose to live with her eccentric great aunt in London and finished her last year of high school there.

But Y/N didn’t run away from Bruce. They emailed, texted, video chatted, called.

They had always been good friends.

The elites of Gotham always suspected the two would get married. But both Bruce and Y/N pretended to ignore such whisperings.

But when Bruce shifted his life, when he changed his life’s purpose, when he started becoming a vigilante…he stopped taking Y/N’s calls and he stopped returning them.

He told himself it was better that way. He couldn’t handle any distractions. Batman didn’t have time for personal relationships, so neither did Bruce Wayne. But more importantly, Y/N deserved someone who would prioritize her – even just as a friend.

Now Bruce needed to get actually drunk.

Putting the phone back to his ear, he broke eye contact and made a beeline for one of the bars.

“Did you forget to tell me about the guest list, Alfred?” Bruce muttered evenly to the phone, knowing that Alfred would easily be able to hear his anger and irritation.

“How was I to know who RSVPed yes or no…” Alfred bit back. But he knew exactly who Bruce was looking at.

Bruce frowned as he ended the call abruptly and asked for a whiskey.

“I don’t know, man. She’s not my type,” a man said to his friend.

The two of them were just a foot or two away from Bruce.

“What do you mean ‘not your type’? She’s fucking hot.”

“Don’t get me wrong, she’s beautiful. But she’s so stiff and uptight. Look, she’s had a resting bitch face all night.”

Bruce’s grip on his face tightened as he easily put together who they were talking about. It was moments like these that Bruce hated being lumped together with men like this.

“You’re an idiot,” the friend said with a laugh.

“Oh, yeah? Alright. If you’re so obsessed with her, why don’t you go over and talk to her?”

Bruce saw his window.

With a sloppy haste, Bruce turned right into the two men and just happened to spill his drink over the man who was about to make a move on Y/N.

Bruce laughed and spilled another drink on the bar as he tried to grab some nearby cocktail napkins. “Gentleman, gentleman…I so dearly apologize.”

Both of them were clearly annoyed, but then realized who he was.

Bruce gripped them by the shoulders and made sure his eyes were struggling to stay open. “I could be wrong…but it’s possible…that I have been over served.”

He broke out into a chuckle and both men forced their own laughter.

Bruce subtle glanced over to where Y/N had been standing. She’d disappeared.

He’d spared her…for now.

“I think it’s time I go home,” Bruce told them too loudly. “Do me a favor? Wish her congratulations for me?”

The two men looked at one another. “Congratulations? To who?”

Bruce frowned in confusion and looked around. “Isn’t this an engagement party?”

They tried to hide their laughter. “Wayne, this is a birthday party. For Eaton Elliot.”

Bruce’s brows shot up. “A birthday party? Look at that!”

Then he turned around, zigzagged his walk, and threw a wave over his shoulder.

But Bruce wasn’t that lucky.

Because when he made his way to the valet, he found Y/N waiting patiently with her back to him.

Her fancy dress and gloves seemed to do nothing to help protect her from the cold night.

Bruce could’ve left. He could’ve left her alone, gone back into the party, and made more of a fool of himself.

But next thing he knew, he was walking forward.

“Waiting for your car?”

Y/N didn’t turn to him, but it was clear that she heard his question and recognized who it had come from. “I didn’t drive. They’re getting me a cab.”

Bruce nodded slowly even though she wasn’t looking at him.

All charm had left his body now that he had quit the act. It wasn’t going to do any favors for him. He needed to do this on his own, as his real self.

Y/N finally turned with a slight attitude and Bruce was taken aback at how she was even more beautiful up close.

“What are you doing here, Bruce?”

He smirked. “I’m here for the party, of course.” He didn’t want to play the part anymore – not with her. But it was second nature at this point.

Her lips pursed at his response.

“Leaving so soon?” He asked.

Y/N sighed. “Between you and me, I’m only here as a favor to my mother. She wouldn’t get off my back about coming. I tried to leave sooner, but…”

One of the valets hopped up the steps. “I’m sorry, Dr. Y/L/N. It can take awhile to get cabs in the area at this time of night.”

Y/N gave him a sympathetic smile and opened her mouth to say she’d walk home.

“I’ll drive her home,” Bruce spoke before she could. Then he handed the valet his ticket.

Y/N looked at him with confusion and a bit of annoyance. “You really don’t have to do that.”

Bruce just gave her a look that said he absolutely did.

Then Y/N gestured back to the party. “You’re just gonna abandon your dates?”

The way she asked made it clear that Y/N had seen Bruce stumble out of the bathroom with the two of them. He also didn’t miss how she emphasized the plural.

“They’ll be fine,” Bruce told her.

He took a step toward her. “Let me give you a ride, Y/N.”

She took in a deep breath.

She knew she needed the ride. Only an idiot would walk home at this time of night, even if the walk to her apartment was a relatively safe one for Gotham standards.

Y/N just nodded.

A minute later, an Aston Martin drove up.

Bruce offered his arm to Y/N and helped her down the stairs before opening the passenger door for her.

He handed the valet a few bills, not even noticing they were all hundreds.

“Where to?” Bruce asked her.

“Oh, umm…” Y/N quickly gave him her address.

“I know you’ve been gone awhile, but you definitely shouldn’t be walking around the streets of Gotham at night.”

Y/N scoffed. “I’m aware. I moved back awhile ago.”

“Oh. I didn’t know…”

“Yeah. Well, why would you? It’s not like you kept in touch.”

The car filled with silence.

Y/N stared out the passenger window, looking at the skyscraper lights of Gotham

It seemed Y/N had no issue with staying silent for the whole car ride.There was nothing awkward about it for her.

But Bruce knew there were things he needed to say. “I’m sorry.”

This was the last thing Y/N expected and her head whipped to him.

But Bruce kept his eyes on the road. “For disappearing like I did.”

Y/N slowly turned back to the passenger window and said nothing.

Bruce didn’t expect to win her forgiveness. He would have to deal with that. But at least he could apologize.

“Y/N.” Bruce said it ever so quietly, like he was forbidden from speaking it. “This isn’t…I’m not…” Dammit. What was he even trying to accomplish right now? “Back there–”

“Back there?” Y/N interrupted his fumbling. “Oh, you mean the threesome you had in a bathroom at a party?”

Bruce’s jaw tightened.

Everyone bought his performance. Unfortunately, even Y/N.

Bruce pulled over and Y/N realized they were at her building already.

“You can say whatever makes you feel good, Bruce. Have at it.” Then she threw open the car door.

She put her hand on the handle to help herself out.

But she hesitated.

No. She wasn’t going down without a fight.

Y/N spun around to face Bruce, his blue eyes already waiting for her.

“You used to be kind. Strong and brave. You were better than all of them.”

And for the first time, Bruce really saw the damage he had done.

“Is that boy really gone?” She searched his eyes for the answer. “What is the act and what is the truth?” She whispered. “Huh, Bruce?”

He wanted to tell her.

Bruce had never felt the urge to expose his secret ever before.

But right now? Right now, he wanted to take Y/N back to the manor, drag her down to the cave, and show her all of his secrets – every single one.

But he couldn’t. And he knew that.

Bruce kept his face reserved.

His brow furrowed for just a second as he took Y/N in. All of her. Her eyelashes. Her lips. The styling of her hair. The dip of her neck.

“You became quite the woman, Y/N.” He told her. “And a beautiful one at that.”

Y/N blinked at the statement. Her mind desperately tried to decipher the hidden message in his words, in his actions from the night. But she came up with nothing.

She wanted to say that she knew he was using flattery to divert her attention from what she wanted to know. But it was also clear that he genuinely meant what he said as well. His eyes seeming to be taking in every moment of being in her presence.

If Y/N weren’t so irritated, she probably would’ve been more taken aback by his compliment, feeling vulnerable and almost embarrassed.

There wasn’t any point in pushing.

So Y/N took in a breath. “Thank you for the ride, Bruce.”

He just nodded. Then he watched her walk to the door of her apartment building. He probably lingered a few moments too long, but he couldn’t bring himself to once again put distance between them.

————

Alfred brought down food and an espresso to the cave.

When he looked up, Y/F/N Y/L/N’s face was on the giant screen.

“Working on a case, Master Wayne?” He asked with his usual sarcasm.

Bruce ignored the question. “She attended undergrad in Metropolis and then went to grad school in New York City.”

“Yes, I can see that…considering you have her student records exploited all over the screen,” Alfred responded with a smirk. “She’s been living in Gotham again for a few years, working as a psychiatrist. Even volunteers her services at Arkham – pro bono.”

That caught Bruce’s attention. He turned away from the screen to look at Alfred.

“I found no record of that,” he argued.

“Yes. Well, her mother is rather embarrassed by it. Thinks it gives the family a bad image. She insisted Y/N’s philanthropy was kept secret, even approved the NDAs herself.”

Bruce gave him a look, utterly confused how Alfred had access to such information.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “Never underestimate the power of gossip, Master Wayne. Most family secrets cannot be found on the dark corners of the internet.” Then he smirked. “You would gain quite the knowledge if you didn’t turn your nose up at it.”

Bruce smiled at that and turned back to the computer.

“So, I take it that it was good seeing her?” Alfred pressed.

Bruce tensed at the question. “Not entirely. I’m certain that she hates me.”

“Hates you or hates the character you’ve so carefully created?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m just Bruce Wayne to her.”

Alfred opened his mouth to say more.

“Leave it, Alfred.” Bruce cut off before he could.

“Well, it appears I’m not the one struggling with leaving it alone, Master Wayne.”

Like many of Gotham’s elites, Alfred had humored the idea that Bruce and Y/N would make a marvelous couple. Like Bruce, Y/N didn’t let money and power sway her morals or damage her good and kind heart.

Alfred had always enjoyed having her over and listening to her and Bruce’s laughter as they caused trouble around the manor and entertained themselves.

But he also saw how her departure effected Bruce, no matter how much the teenager had tried to hide it at the time.

Maybe Alfred was an optimist or a romantic, but he still believed there was a chance for the two of them. But Bruce, quite frankly, would have to get over himself and his stubbornness.

————

Bruce was looking down at the city from yet another rooftop. It had been a quiet night. And he hated nights like that. It was always ended up being the calm before a storm.

“Batman?” Alfred spoke into his comms.

“Yes.”

“It appears there’s been a breakout at Arkham. The media hasn’t caught wind of it yet. But law enforcement has already been dispatched.”

“I’m on my way,” Bruce announced as he slid down a fire escape and made his way to the batmobile that he’d hidden in the shadows of an alley.

“Master Wayne…” Alfred knew to only use codenames on comms.

Bruce tense. “What is it?”

There was hesitation from the butler. “Y/N was scheduled to work a shift there tonight…”

Bruce said nothing. But his foot pressed the gas pedal down further than necessary.

—

Y/N was sitting with a patient when the alarm went off.

The people that worked there called them inmates, and corrected her every time she chose not to use that title.

Harleen Quinzel had been sitting across from Y/N for almost 30 minutes when they were interrupted.

“Oh, fun!” Harley clapped and giggled as the sirens filled their ears.

Harley and Y/N had formed an interesting relationship. The criminal seemed to like her and looked forward to her visits. She never threatened Y/N or tried to manipulate her.

Y/N believes she won her over by addressing her as Dr. Quinzel and often asking her professional opinions on trends and news in their industry.

Most people there only referred to Harley as if she was property of the Joker, no matter how many times Harley clarified that she wasn’t his anything anymore.

“Does this happen a lot?” Y/N asked her, trying to remain calm.

“Not enough, if ya ask me!” She laughed.

Y/N made the mistake of opening the door and seeing that the majority of the cells had been opened and prisoners were slowly making their way into the hallway.

“Not good,” Y/N muttered.

“Don’t worry, doc. I’ll protect ya! Us gals gotta stick together.” Harley said from behind her shoulder.

Y/N whipped around and looked at her and then at the table she’d been sitting at. “Dr. Quinzel! How did you get out of your restraints?”

“Oh, I’ve always been able to. I just leave ‘em on to be polite.”

Y/N sighed. No one had explained any sort of protocol for such a situation.

“Where the fuck are all the guards?” Y/N asked.

Suddenly the lights shut off.

“Yippy!” Harley cheered.

Y/N turned to her and softly grabbed her shoulder, but gave her an insistent look. “Harley, we need to get somewhere safe.”

Her face did dip to serious for a moment. “You don’t need to worry about me. But you’re right. Not everyone in here appreciates a shrink…”

To her surprise, Harley starts pulling her through the darkness with a purpose.

Y/N had no idea where she was planning on taking her. It seemed all the doors were in lock-down mode, leaving her stranded. If she survived tonight, she’d definitely be bringing that up to the board.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Y/N yelped at the sound.

Someone had either gotten a hold of a gun or security guards were opening fire.

Either way, it caused chaos to erupt.

Suddenly the dark hallways were being filled with a stampede of prisoners. Either they wanted to take down the guard who was shooting or they were getting an adrenaline rush at the concept of their peers attacking their wardens.

The crowd ripped the two women apart. Y/N was shoved up against the wall and her head slammed against the cement.

Y/N swore under her breath from the pain.

“Is that…No, it can’t be…”

A voice called out over the madness.

A chill went up Y/N’s spine. She’d know that voice anywhere.

The Joker.

He wasn’t one of her patients. All researchers and doctors were forbidden to speak with him – especially after what happened with Harley.

But that didn’t stop the Joker from knowing who Y/N was. He whined and whined about feeling left out. “All my pals get to chat with her and all I get to do is look!”

Now, Joker was free from him isolation.

Y/N suspected he was behind the breakout.

And he was going to make a slight detour. A detour that was doing whatever the hell he wanted to with Dr. Y/L/N.

Y/N didn’t even bother hiding her fear. With a new found strength and endurance, she started shoving her way through the mob.

“I hear you and my pumpkin’ pie have gotten close.” Then his smile dropped. “Too close, if ya ask me.”

Y/N ignored him as another prisoner shoved into her shoulder.

“I don’t appreciate you putting ideas in her head!”

Y/N stopped, realizing she had miscalculated her escape and had come to a dead end.

So she slowly turned around to face him, putting her back to the wall. “And what ideas are those?”

“Independence. Self respect. A life beyond crime and incarceration,” he spat.

Y/N realized he had his goonies flanking him, only making her odds that much worse.

“Those aren’t ideas. They’re a reality, a possible future,” she defended.

Joker didn’t like that answer one bit. He threw himself against her, once again slamming Y/N into the wall.

He gripped her chin roughly and smiled with his yellow teeth. “You know…she’s not the only doctor I’d like to break in. And in more ways than one, if you catch my drift,” he giggled.

Then his eyes raked over her body, up and down. His hands slid down her hips and the side of her legs until they got to the hem of her pencil skirt.

Y/N shoved him away with all of her strength.

But that earned her a slap across the face from him.

Joker gripped her waist tightly pressing her between the wall and his body. “I’m in charge now, doc. And I’ve got a few lessons to teach you.”

His hands grabbed at the buttons of her blouse and with one jerk, he ripped open her her blouse.

But before he could go any further, a few of his lackeys cried out in pain.

Y/N swore she heard the sound of objects whipping through the darkness.

She didn’t want to let herself feel any relief. But she hoped Harley had made her way back to her. She’d probably pack an even heavier punch once she realized Y/N needed protecting from her asshole ex.

But when Joker turned around and Y/N followed his gaze, Harley was nowhere to be found.

Yet three men were on the ground, unconscious.

“Well, well, well,” Joker muttered in amusement. “Has Batsy come out to play?”

Next thing Y/N saw was a shadow dropping down out of nowhere and taking out even more of Joker’s men.

Joker seemed to be prepared for such an interruption. Because he grabbed a knife from somewhere hidden on his body and ripped Y/N off the wall. He pressed Y/N’s back to his chest and put the tip of his knife to her throat.

“Come out, come out wherever you are,” Joker sang.

To Y/N’s shock, Batman stepped into what little light was in the hallway.

“Long time, no see!” Joker screamed so loudly that Y/N flinched. “Did you miss me, Batsy? And you came all this way to see little old me?! How very sweet!”

“Your attempted escape was a failure,” Batman stated. “There’s nowhere for you to go. All the exits are blocked. Arkham has been contained.”

“What a shame! I really felt this one was gonna work!” Joker laughed.

Batman took a step toward him. “It’s over, Joker.”

“You’re probably right,” Joker shrugged. “But I really wanted to have some fun with doc here. So, if you could give us some privacy.”

Batman’s eyes flickered to Y/N’s for a brief moment. “Let her go,” he warned.

“How about…no?” Joker laughed.

Just as Batman was about to make his move, Y/N grabbed the wrist of Joker’s arm that held the knife. She twisted it and dived in such a succinct motion that it was obvious Y/N had been trained.

Whipping herself out of Joker’s grip, she twisted Joker’s arm so roughly and quickly behind his back that he had no choice but to drop his knife from the pain.

Then Y/N was now facing him, and with one swift swing of her leg, she kicked him right in the groan.

Batman saw his opening and rushed forward, cuffing Joker in place.

While Batman neutralized him, Y/N stumbled for the knife that Joker had dropped, still not feeling safe and out of danger.

She looked around, realizing that the police had filtered in and apprehended all the escaped prisoners. Some were already locked back into their cells. Other’s were in handcuffs with guns being pointed at them in warning.

“Dr. Y/L/N,” his voice made her whip back around.

How the hell did Batman know her name?

She squinted wearily at him.

“You can drop the knife,” Batman told her quietly.

Y/N blinked and looked down at her hand, having forgotten that she even grabbed the knife. And she now had a vice-like grip on it.

Her hands were shaking when she dropped the knife and the clatter echoed in the hallway.

She eyed the Joker, not trusting any sort of weapon to be in his vicinity, despite being handcuffed now.

“He’s not going anywhere,” Batman noted, as if he could read her mind and hear the concerns she was thinking.

Police officers surrounded them now.

“Until next time, doc!” Joker sang loudly.

Batman stepped between him and Y/N, shielding her from even being seen by the lunatic.

Y/N eyed him, wondering if he did that on purpose.

“This way,” he directed lowly as he led her out of the hallway.

Y/N was surprised when he escorted her all the way out of the building.

Wasn’t this supposed to be Gotham’s Dark Knight? A disappearing act? An urban legend that some people still didn’t believe in?

When they got outside, there were even more officers. The night was flickering blue and red from all the patrol car’s lights still being on.

Commissioner Gordon was having a field day with Arkham’s warden, yelling at him about lack of protocol and no protection for the volunteers and workers that had gotten caught in the crossfire.

But finally, the reality of what just happened was starting to set in for Y/N. And she realized that her entire body was shaking.

All of a sudden, a blanket was wrapped around her shoulders.

She looked up to see that Batman had draped it over her. When and where he’d grabbed it, she had no clue. But the warmth was helping, so she didn’t question it.

“Thank you…for saving me back there.”

Was that a smirk on his lips? Was Batman amused by her?

Why was it so comforting when he was a mere stranger?

And his eyes, even when they were surrounded by a cowl and dark paint, they still felt familiar. Y/N had a similar feeling to deja vu.

“Looked like you had it handled,” he replied.

“Oh, I definitely didn’t. But thank god for those self-defense classes.”

They looked into each other’s eyes for a second.

“Make sure you get checked out by the paramedics,” he told her gently, but insistent.

It was far too gentle for his Batman alter ego. But she caught how it sounded like it personally mattered to him.

Y/N looked behind her, where the ambulance was.

But when she turned back around, Batman was gone.

Next thing Y/N knew, she was being surrounded by two paramedics and Commissioner Gordon who was careful not to push her by asking too many questions at once.

“Does he always do that?” She asked him in a daze.

“Do what?” Gordon asked.

“Disappear like that?”

Gordon smiled and nodded. “Annoying, isn’t it?”

———

“What’s the gossip of the privileged this week?” Bruce asked Alfred at breakfast a few days after the outbreak.

“Something specific you’re looking for, Master Wayne?” Alfred asked as he poured Bruce a big mug of coffee.

Bruce glared at him, knowing he was playing coy with him.

But he put his pride aside. “How is she doing?”

Alfred took pity on him. “She took some time off work. But seems to be handling it better than expected. Makes quite a bit of sense, doesn’t it? Her being psychiatrist and all.”

Bruce just nodded with a dazed look.

“You could always see for yourself…” Alfred added.

Bruce snapped out of his daze and looked up him questioningly.

“You could go see her,” Alfred confirmed.

“Alfred, don’t you start.”

“Start what, Master Wayne? Pushing you to form any sort of relationship?”

Bruce sighed and got up from the breakfast nook. He didn’t want to fight with him, so he’d made his exit before that happened.

“Batman has plenty of friends,” Alfred stopped him. “But what about Bruce Wayne, hmm? Who are his friends?”

“You saying we’re not friends, Alfred?”

“I’m all you’ve got, Master Wayne. And that’s my point.”

Before the discussion could go on any further, the doorbell rang.

The two men shared a look.

No one stopped by the manor.

Alfred made his way over.

Bruce figured he’d wait where he was. But the front entrance was too far away from him to overhear any conversation.

A few minutes later, Alfred walked in with an unreadable expression.

“Dr. Y/L/N is here, Master Wayne. She is waiting for you in the drawing room.”

Bruce opened his mouth to tell him to make an excuse and get her to leave. But Alfred was already disappearing, making it clear that he would do no such thing for him.

When Bruce walked into the drawing room, he found Y/N’s back to him as she looked at the family heirlooms and trinkets that were displayed on the shelved.

She was dressed casually, which caught Bruce off guard since he’d only see her in formal wear and professional outfits since their reunion. Her hair was in a messy bun and she didn’t appear to be wearing much makeup, if any at all.

“Hi,” he greeted softly, making her quickly turn around.

“Hi,” she replied.

Bruce stepped further into the room. But neither of them moved to sit in any of the many seats that surrounded them.

“I heard what happened. How are you doing?” He asked.

She nodded and shrugged. “Alright.”

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Bruce admitted.

Y/N ignored his comment and her eyes went around the room. “I missed this place,” she thought aloud. Then her eyes fell back to his, softening. “I missed you.”

Bruce was taken aback from her confession. Seeing as the last time they were together, she was rather blunt about how disgusted and disappointed in him she was.

The energy between them felt so different than last time.

To his surprise, Y/N stepped toward him. And she didn’t stop until she was at a proximity that most would call rather intimate.

There was a voice in the back of Bruce’s mind, urging him to close the last bit of distance and place his lips on hers. But he managed to ignore it. That didn’t stop his heart from beating faster, though.

Y/N stared into his eyes for a few seconds, almost like she was searching for something.

“I have something that belongs to you…”

Bruce waited, not sure what she could possibly have to give him.

But then she pulled out one of his batarangs from her coat pocket, offering it to him.

She had found it embedded in the wall when she had gone back down to grab her personal belongings that night.

Bruce kept his face composed. “I’m not sure I understand.”

But he grabbed it from her anyways.

“He’s you,” she whispered. “Or I guess…you’re him.”

Bruce let out a breath, “Y/N…”

She took step away from him. “Don’t lie to me, Bruce.”

So he shut his mouth and said nothing instead.

“I’ve been doing some research. Things started lining up,” Y/N explained. “The first Batman sightings were right around when we stopped talking. The more Batman was in the press, the less Bruce Wayne was. And when he was, it was never positive – like it was meant to be a distraction.”

Her eyes went sad. “I never understood how the boy I used to love could grow into the man I’m so disappointed in. It never made sense.” She paused. “But when you wonder if the man himself is the mask, it all fits.”

“I’m sorry.” Bruce hung his head slightly. “I couldn’t tell anyone. Not even you.”

“I’d never share your secret.”

“I know,” he answered instantly.

Y/N couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer. Her eyes welled with tears. “Bruce…living like this has its consequences.”

Bruce said nothing.

She stepped forward and grabbed his hand. “You can’t change the world on your own. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Y/N wasn’t giving him advice. She was offering him something.

Her trust.

Her secrecy.

Her love.

He shook his head, but gripped her hand tightly. “You would just end up in the shadows with me. And I…I can’t do that to you.”

“I’m stronger than you think,” Y/N defended.

“I’ve always known how strong you are, Y/N.” His jaw tightened at even the thought of being selfish. “You deserve more than what I can give. Gotham will always come first. That’s the sacrifice I made. That’s what is required. I can’t be what you need.”

Y/N studied his face, knowing that there would be no winning with him.

She nodded once, not even slightly hiding her heartbreak and disappointment.

Then she stepped closer and gave him a slow kiss on the cheek.

“It’s not a one time offer, Bruce.”

Bruce couldn’t move a muscle. He was rooted in place.

He heard Y/N have a short conversation with Alfred, then the door closed, and she was gone again.

———

Bruce Wayne was a fool.

Alfred could probably make a list, in seconds, with a hundred reasons why.

But, no, Bruce Wayne was a fool for believing Y/N would give up so easily.

Two weeks later, Y/N was at Wayne Manor again.

Bruce knew something was going on when Alfred didn’t seem surprised in the slightest.

In one of her arms was popcorn seeds, twizzlers, sour patch kids, and chocolate covered pretzels. In the other arm was a case of beer.

Y/N barely said hi to Bruce as Alfred helped her out of her coat and took the things out of her grasp so she was no longer struggling to hold it all.

“I’m here to use your theater,” she announced.

And with that, she walked right past Bruce like she owned the place.

Bruce looked at Alfred and silently asked, ‘What the hell is going on?’

“I believe you have a guest to entertain, Master Wayne.” Then he looked at the items in his hand. “And I believe I have some popcorn to make.”

Bruce still didn’t move.

“You successfully closed yet another case last night, it’s Friday night, and you have a beautiful woman who decided she wants to spend her time with you. Best you don’t keep her waiting, Master Wayne.”

Bruce narrowed his gaze as if telling Alfred they’d discuss this matter at another time.

“I presume you shouldn’t go empty handed,” Alfred added quickly and handed Bruce two beers from the case in his arms.

Bruce chuckled, but started walking away. “I’m surprised you even let this stuff in the house, Alfred.”

When Bruce reached the theater, Y/N had already started a movie.

He watched her a for a moment before she could realize he'd joined her.

Y/N looked like she belonged there. Even after all this time apart, she just burrowed herself a cozy nook in Bruce’s life.

It was something she had been able to do even when they were kids. When Bruce had his mood swings or his depressive episodes, Y/N didn’t scare. She just found her way to stay at his side without upsetting him further.

Bruce grabbed the seat to the left of hers.

They weren’t really seats, more like small beds. A dozen were placed in the theater.

A couple could easily share one, but Bruce wasn’t planning on even approaching that fine line.

When Bruce sat down, he didn’t look at Y/N. But she gave a shy smile at his joining.

It was a long movie – almost a 3 hour run time.

And Y/N almost made it.

Without only 30 minutes left, Y/N had fallen asleep. Meaning Bruce’s attention was now taken from the movie.

He got up and grabbed one of the many blankets in the trunk hidden in the corner and placed it carefully over her, before silently leaving.

This was not a one time thing.

These type of visits continued.

Bruce knew Y/N and Alfred had to be in cahoots together.

Y/N seemed to always come to the manor when Bruce needed her most.

Alfred would force Bruce out of the cave and moments later, the doorbell would be ringing.

On the bad nights, she wouldn’t make him talk. She wouldn’t ask questions or try to make him magically feel better. Sometimes she would talk – mostly about mundane things. She’d tell Bruce about her day or how her neighbor always left baked goods at her door or about the new show she started watching. Sometimes she wouldn’t say anything at all, just sit there silently and make sure he wasn’t alone.

Sometimes she would bring coffee and pastries.

Sometimes Bruce would just walk into the library and find her reading.

Sometimes she would sit and chat with Alfred as if he was the reason she was visiting, and not Bruce.

Bruce couldn’t sleep one night. Nothing specific was causing his insomnia. Just the overall weight of being so many people.

It was 3AM when Y/N texted him to open the door for her because she didn’t want to wake Alfred.

When Bruce did so, Y/N was standing on the other door in sandals and a slightly transparent coverup that barely showed the outline of the bathing suit underneath.

He said nothing, but his face clearly showed that he wanted to know why the hell she was there in the middle of the night.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Y/N told him quietly. Then she shrugged a bit,“I decided I wanted to go for a swim."

Whether she was lying for his benefit, Bruce wasn’t sure. But he followed her to the indoor swimming pool like a sailor would follow a siren.

Without hesitation, Y/N kicked her sandals off and tossed her coverup on the nearest chair. And the next second, she was diving into the pool.

Bruce smirked at her nonchalance, but made sure to hide it when she breached the surface once again.

“Doesn’t your apartment building have its won pool?” He asked.

Y/N smiled and tilted her head back to get her hair wet again and out of her face. “They put too much chlorine in it.”

Bruce crossed his arms, “I see.”

“Coming in?” She asked teasingly.

He shook his head.

“At least keep me company,” she requested.

Bruce glared playfully at her, knowing the game she was playing.

But he finally sighed and nodded.

He was in cotton shorts and a t-shirt. But he decided to sit on the edge of the pool and dip his feet in.

He watched as she swam around, looking as natural in the water as a mermaid. She had always loved swimming as a kid and it appeared not much had changed.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” He finally decided to break the silence.

Y/N swam to him and crossed her arms on the edge of the pool to rest and tilted her head to look at him.

She shrugged, “The usual: stress, nightmares, insomnia, too much caffeine.”

Bruce’s concern spiked instantly. “Nightmares about what?”

She watched him for a moment, seeing how quickly her subtle comment triggered him.

“You’re not the only person who’s seen fucked up things, Bruce.”

An hour later, Y/N asked for a towel.

When she climbed out, she was taken aback by Bruce wrapping it around her shoulders and rubbing her down gently. It was innocent, but subtly intimate.

As their eyes locked for a prolonged time, and he seemed to realize what he’d done accidentally.

Y/N cleared her throat. “I should head home and let you try to get some sleep.”

“You could stay,” he offered. “I mean, we have plenty of bedrooms here,” he quickly added and saved himself a bit.

“Is that…what you want?” Y/N asked slowly.

Bruce knew what she was trying to ask. He didn’t trust himself to answer the way he should, so he didn’t answer.

“Let me drive you home,” he asked as they left the indoor pool and started toward the front entrance.

Y/N ignored the request until they were at the door. She turned to face him with a smug look, “I’m perfectly capable of driving myself. Thank you.”

She hesitated before kissing him on the cheek. “Get some sleep, Bruce.”

————

Months after Y/N’s visits started, Bruce was doing some research for a case on his tablet as he ate dinner.

“Margaret Caulfield’s engagement party is tonight,” Alfred broke the silence of the manor as he took Bruce’s finished plate.

Bruce looked confused on why he was supposed to care.

“Y/N will be there,” Alfred added.

But Bruce still didn’t understand what he was trying to say.

“Master Wayne, when you attend all those sufferable parties, what is the first question people ask you?”

Bruce thought for a moment. “When I plan on settling down, I guess.”

“Now imagine that, but magnified by about 100…and that is what Y/N’s experience is at those same parties. That young woman is one of the brightest people in Gotham and all those people care about is who will put a silly ring on her finger.”

Bruce leaned back in his chair, now understanding what Alfred was getting at. “I’m not her boyfriend, Alfred.”

“And you’ve made damn sure of that,” Alfred said a little too harshly.

Bruce watched him carefully.

“Y/N has fought off every one of your attempts to be a miserable recluse.”

Bruce opened his mouth.

“And don’t you dare try and tell me her efforts are wasted,” Alfred cut him off. “I’ve seen a change in you. And she has asked for absolutely nothing in return. She’d never ask you to pick her over Batman. Though she bloody well should!”

He wasn’t done.

“You’re not living, Master Wayne. And I won’t apologize for wanting more for you.”

Bruce just sat there and took it.

Alfred took in a breath, calming himself down. “There’s a suit waiting for you in your bedroom. I’ve decided I’m going for a evening walk.”

——————

Y/N didn’t know how many more champagnes she’d have to shrug to start feeling the buzz she so desperately needed.

Not even an hour of being at the party and she’s already been asked 15 times if she was seeing anyone. And when she answered no, half of those ended in them trying to set her up with someone.

As Y/N was trying to think of an excuse to escape, an old family friend approached her – a friend of her grandma’s unfortunately.

“Y/N, dear, let me see those hands!”

Y/N wanted to roll her eyes and snap, but she did as requested.

“No ring yet,” the woman teased, but she was also genuinely disappointed.

“That would be my fault, actually.” A voice said behind Y/N before she felt a hand on her lower back.

“Oh, Mr. Wayne, how nice of you to come!” The woman beamed. “Now, Y/N, why wouldn’t you tell anyone that you and Bruce are an item?”

“My fault again,” Bruce chuckled, “I’ve always enjoyed a good secret.”

Before she could ask more, Bruce smiled politely. “If you could excuse us for a moment.”

He steered Y/N to a private area of the party.

“What are you doing?” Y/N hissed at him. “The press are gonna have a field day. You and I will be every headline tomorrow.”

He smiled at her frantic concern.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m serious!”

Bruce captured her lips, silencing any further panic from her.

Y/N was completely caught off guard, but he wasn’t letting her go so easily. And soon, her hand went to the back of his head and she kissed him back.

Damn all the people who were probably watching them.

When Bruce finally let her pull away, he smirked at her dazed look and cupped her cheek.

She matched his smirk.

But then reality set in like a splash of cold water and she frowned.

“Am I – Is this your new cover?” She asked shakily, so scared that the answer was ‘yes.’

She could tolerate being Bruce’s friend for the rest of her life. But she wouldn’t survive being used in such a way. She couldn’t live in a fake relationship with a man she actually loved. She’d rather watch his sloppy persona with girls hanging off of him.

“No cover-up,” he muttered to her. “Just me and you – the real me.”

-----------------------------------------------------

I worked so hard on this 😩 Please let me know your thoughts.

#bruce wayne x reader #batman x reader #batman reader insert #alfred pennyworth #alfred pennyworth & reader #batman fic #batman universe #dc #bruce wayne fic #bruce wayne reader insert #batfam #batboys #batman x you #bruce wayne x you #bruce wayne angst #batman angst

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canary3d-obsessed · 4 years ago

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Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Ep 17 part one

(Masterpost of all the rewatches) (Canary’s pinboard of original content)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Inaccessible

Wei Wuxian hides in a boat among the lotuses next to a pier in Lotus Pier, the second-most-literally-named home in the show, after The Burial Mounds. This pier has a railing that goes all the way around it, without any ladders or anything. Not to be ADA on main but this means if you can't Jedi jump, you're fucked.

Hefeng Liquor

While Wei Wuxian waits and tries, not very successfully, to keep his shit together, he hears the guards talking about the local booze that they're going to drink at their murder victory party. We learn, in a desaturated flashback (that OP has done her best to resaturate), that this is lotus-infused wine invented by Wei Wuxian during happier days.

He kicks the flashback off with his favorite activity, Unnecessarily Erotic Beverage Drinking. (gifset) I’ve slowed this gif down so we can all appreciate the unnecessariness. The way his hand caresses that leaf OMG

Hopefully he is not drinking lake water out of that leaf. Side note: How is it possible that Xiao Zhan doesn't have a drinking water endorsement deal? I had to resort to Zhu Yilong's brand of water for this gag. I figure if it's good enough to pour directly onto a lightning burn like they do in The Lost Tomb Reboot, it's good enough for a leaf hummer chastely drinking out of a leaf

(more behind the cut!)

In his memory, Jiang Cheng tells him to stop fucking around and come help with the basket of lotus pods. Wei Wuxian responds by grabbing one for himself and then sitting his ass down and not helping. Cause he’s a motherfucking P.I.M.P.

Emotional Rescue

Wen Ning arrives on the pier with Jiang Chang, to Wei Wuxian's extreme relief. Look how much emotion Xiao Zhan is able to convey even with half of his face hidden, my lord.

Wen Ning carries Jiang Cheng on his back, in an echo of other significant piggyback rides in Wei Wuxian's life.

Wei Wuxian's relief is at war with his fear, seeing his brother in such bad shape. Remember, these are cultivators, who heal quickly and mostly don't get their asses beat this hard. The only time Wei Wuxian has been comatose was after the Xuanwu cave, and that was probably because of his prolonged contact with resentful energy/Yin iron.

Hibernating Zidian

Wen Ning gets ready for his first, but not his last, boat ride with an unconscious Yunmeng brother in it. He tells Wei Wuxian that Jiang Cheng is pretty fucked up but isn't dead.

Then he gives Zidian to him. Before we talk about Zidian, let's talk about BAMF Wen Ning. Wen Ning is an awkward goofball. He’s also insanely competent at just about everything--wine-drugging, dude-smuggling, corpse retrieval, dog acupuncture, drug pushing. As well as shooting rocks out of the air and, later, beating zombie ass, and resisting mind control. .

This is the foundation of their friendship; it’s not actually about Wei Wuxian being nice to the weird kid. He initially sought Wen Ning out for the same reason he sought out weird kid Lan Wangji--his martial skill. He accepts his weirdness and is protective of him because of his missing-spirit problem, but he did not befriend him out of altruism.

Wei Wuxian is so forgiving that he can smile fondly when looking at the weapon that whipped the shit out of him a couple of days ago.

Wei Wuxian puts Zidian down right next to Jiang Cheng's hand and...nothing happens. It doesn't recognize him or spark to life. This didn't seem meaningful when I watched it the first time, but rewatching...yikes. It KNOWS.

Wei Wuxian admits, with tears in his eyes, that there is nowhere safe for him to go with Jiang Cheng, and Wen Ning immediately offers care and shelter. Even though that is putting his own life at serious risk.

Life obligation is a common theme in CDramas. It’s often something a person chooses as a way of showing love. Guardian builds an eternal romance out of two people saving each other’s lives over and over. But accepting the obligation is a choice (in fantasy dramas, if not in real life). Love and Redemption has a gloriously harsh sequence where a life is saved, and the save-ee cooly rejects the saver.

Every time Wen Ning saves Wei Wuxian, he cites that one time that Wei Wuxian saved him from the water demon. And Wei Wuxian cites this rescue right here when he throws everything away to save Wen Ning. Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng doesn't acknowledge any debt to Wen Ning at all, only--grudgingly--to Wen Qing. And people are ok with that.

Basically all this is to say that I think Wen Ning leans into this life debt because he loves Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian leans into it because he loves him back. Non-romantically, I think...at least on Wei Wuxian’s part. YMMV.

They go to pick up Yanli from their Granny, telling her to go into hiding. She starts to cry, not knowing how she'll manage on her own. Wei Wuxian tells her that they will come back, as Wen Ning looks super unsure about that.

Of course Wei Wuxian can't know, at this point, whether they will come back. Wei Wuxian always wants to make everybody feel better, and sometimes you really can't make someone feel better except by lying. He compulsively says shit that he thinks people want to hear, almost as if he was beaten frequently and arbitrarily as a child.

Wen Ning is doing his best for the recreational boat ride industry, as he rows the Yunmeng trio through some amazingly beautiful scenery.

Core Melting Time

Meanwhile, back at Lotus Pier The Yunmeng Supervisory Office, Wen Chao is hung over, Wen Chao is angry, Yawn

For some reason, Wang Lingjiao has suddenly decided to talk to Wen Chao in the most cloying and annoying way possible.

Also, the fact that she still addresses him as Gongzi when she is totally fucking him is kind of great. This is like those fics where Elizabeth Bennet calls Mr. Darcy "Mr. Darcy" even when they're married and hitting it.

Wen Zhuliu demonstrates why he's called Core-Melting Hand, by punishing the wine guard. He's able to melt a guy's core by grabbing him by the throat, and also picks him up, Darth Vader style, for extra meltyness.

All that stuff I said last time about Wen Zhuliu feeling ambivalent about being a villian...yeah, he seems to have gotten that right out of his system.

Chilling in Yiling

Wen Ning is doing his best for the recreational carriage ride industry. Wei Wuxian, after presumably several hours in the cart, decides that now is a good time to get curious about where they are going.

Here we start to see a new side of Wei Wuxian. Before this he was carefree, other than specific worries about his friends. He confronted danger with lightness and humor, or with temporary fear, that he let go of once the danger passed. Now, after all the deaths and seeing Jiang Cheng so injured, he's twitchy, anxious, and angry.

Very, very angry.

When he realizes that Wen Ning has brought them to the Yiling supervisory office, he goes off, demanding to know whose home this was before the Wens took it and grabbing Wen Ning and shoving him into a decorative...decoration. He thinks Wen Ning brought them here to harm them.

I wouldn't have thought such a pretty dude could be so menacing, but holy crap.

The way he's confronting Wen Ning here is not his normal style. He's not trying to provoke a bigger fight like he usually does; he's not trying to create distance, the way Jiang Cheng does. He's very intimate, getting right in his face and maintaining eye contact. He trusted Wen Ning and feels personally betrayed.

Shy little Wen Ning is remarkably calm when confronted like this. Wen Ning really isn’t afraid of anything, despite his general air of nervousness. (Full gifset of Angry WWX over here.)

He calmly and kindly explains the situation. He doesn't appeal to Wei Wuxian's trust, saying "oh I would never;" he appeals to his logic, which gets through to him.

Wen Qing comes out and the guards start banging on the door and Wei Wuxian flips out again, grabbing a sword and pointing it at Wen Qing as she decides what to do. Wen Qing seems unruffled by Wei Wuxian's sword pointing, and we see her weighing up the situation.

She makes her decision, sending the guards away and deciding to help the fugitives, officially joining the Clear Conscience Club. She could probably get Wen Ning out of trouble by turning them in, but she opts to put personal loyalty and her belief in her own ideals ahead of her family's safety.

Wei Wuxian is not ok. He’s just not ok. He tries to act like it after they get settled in with Wen Qing, but he's not, and I think that plays into his next several choices.

Next comes a whole sequence of Jiang Cheng being unconscious with pins in his head--ow--while Wei Wuxian twitchily tends to him.

This sequence is kind of unfair to Jiang Yanli. What matters to the story here is Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's relationship, so that’s the focus of these scenes. But really, there is no way Jiang Yanli would not be at Jiang Cheng's side unless she was literally unconscious herself. Let's assume Wen Qing stuck a needle in her to make her rest while she has a fever. Shippers should also feel free to assume that Wen Qing spent hours at her bedside, tenderly wiping her forehead and holding her hand as she recovered. In his sleep, while Wei Wuxian sits by his side, Jiang Cheng calls for his sister, mother, and father, but not for his brother. Ouch.

Let's pause to appreciate Wei Wuxian's new outfit, which is the sort of getup most people in this society probably imagine Yiling Laozu wearing, rather than the low-key homespun stuff he actually spends his Yiling year in. This robe has fancy shoulders, shiny material, touches of Jiang purple, strange red hoody strings, and a fuckin' CAPE. He didn't bring any luggage with him from Lotus Pier, although he's still got his Yin Turtle Sword hidden in a bag of holding. So the most likely explanation is that Wen Ning hooked him up with this lewk. "Wei Wuxian is a nice person. He should have a magnificent cape."

Wen Wing and Wei Wuxian take a breather to stand on the porch and work out what their status is with each other, like a couple of fucking adults, which is amazing. Basically Wei Wuxian is ready to forget earlier Wen shenanigans, but is going to avenge Lotus Pier.

Wen Qing isn't enthusiastic about that but doesn't argue, just asking, mostly rhetorically, if he plans to kill her too. He's uncomfortable considering that; the role of avenger isn't one that's comfortable for him, although he turns out to be extremely good at it. He does not, of course, plan to kill her too. In a few months, imprisoned in a Wen dungeon, she will be the only Wen left alive after Wei Wuxian 1.5(No-Gold Edition) and Chenqing come to visit.

Jiang Cheng finally wakes up, and the first thing he does is to test out his spiritual power by hitting Wei Wuxian as hard as he can.

DUDE.

Look at Wei Wuxian's face, as he goes from happy, to shocked and hurt, to laughing it off. It's exactly like when Jiang Cheng shoved him in the Rock Lady temple. Has Wei Wuxian spent all of his years with Jiang Cheng going from affection, to hurt feelings, to pretending it's fine? God, I think he probably has.

This episode raises a question that will come up again later, but never be answered. That question is, what the fuck are these weird footies and why the fuck does Jiang Cheng wear them to bed?

Jiang Cheng reveals that his golden core is gone, that he can't cultivate any more, which means he can't avenge his parents or achieve any ambitions in life. Nobody has apparently given any thought to why Wen Zhuliu is called "Core-Melting Hand" before this, which is hilarious, frankly. If I fought with a guy called, for example, Brain-Eating Mouth, I think I would make certain assumptions about him and what he planned to do with my brain.

Something interesting is happening in this moment, because as he comes fully back to consciousness, Jiang Cheng pours out all of his trauma and horror to his brother, telling him about the core melting and practically wailing about his feelings over it all. And his brother understands, and ultimately finds a way to help him. What does Wei Wuxian do after his own trauma? Keeps it secret, so nobody finds a way to help him, although many people try to. So Jiang Cheng is, in this way at least...emotionally healthier than Wei Wuxian? That's unexpected.

Jiang Cheng is super upset and is mad at eternal scapegoat Wei Wuxian for saving him. Jiang Cheng would rather be dead than be a regular person. Whereas Wei Wuxian, faced with the same problem, is like, *shrug* I’ll adapt. These are both valid emotional responses to suddenly becoming disabled. Losing a golden core is definitely a disability, in this environment; it's not just about magic sword fights. Jiang Cheng's home is designed for people who can fly; Lan Wangji's home is designed for people who don't feel cold, and Wen Central is made of actual lava, for example.

Jiang Cheng is already struggling with a lot of difficulties. He was raised by shitty parents, he's got anger management issues, he has a crushing weight of responsibility. And now he's also lived through the deaths of most of the people who matter to him. If sword cultivation is the one thing that gives him joy in life (ok one of two things, obviously fashion also gives him joy because he WORKS it), he can't reasonably be expected to rally when it's taken away.

Oh, honey. Oh, baby boy.

Wen Qing picks the worst moment to come in and tries to tend to Jiang Cheng, who starts off being devastated that the girl he likes is seeing the wreck he's become, and then moves along to helpless rage when he remembers that she's a Wen, and he screams at her to get out.

Jiang Cheng is not able to put personal loyalty ahead of clan loyalty like Wei Wuxian is. Partly this is his nature, and partly it's his role as the lineal descendant of the clan leader. As a firstborn son of a gentry family, his destiny as clan leader is in his blood, and so is his responsibility to the clan. When Wei Wuxian praises Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen for caring less about bloodlines than about shared ambition, he is speaking from the position of someone who's bloodline ain't shit. Jiang Cheng will never be able to share that perspective.

Next: More of this excruciating episode!

Writing prompt: The Day I Discovered I Could Melt Your Fucking Core, by Wen Zhuliu Drabble prompt: Why I Wear Socks to Bed, by Jiang Cheng

#fytheuntamed #the untamed #the untamed gifs #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #wen qing #wen ning #restless rewatch the untamed #canary3d-original #my gifs #the untamed spoilers

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hisunshiine · 4 years ago

Text

—𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 |pjm|

⟢ pairing: Tattoo Artist!Jimin x First Time Tatoo!reader

⟢ genre: strangers2lovers | smut, fluff | oneshot | tattoo shop au

⟢ rating: 18+, nsfw

⟢ summary: You decided to get a tattoo when the $13 dollar deal is happening and find out it’s because your tattoo artist is celebrating his birthday, which falls on the 13th. His needle penetrates you, then he penetrates you. Happy Birthday indeed.

⟢ warnings: minimal blood and pain (she’s getting a tattoo)

⟢ kinks: pain kink (from the tattoo) teasing, semi-public sex, thigh kissing, oral f.receiving, fingering, cum eating, unprotected sex, breast play, is there a term for fucking the cum into someone?

⟢ word count: 2.2k

⟢ author’s note: the way they looked at the MOTS ON:E concert really fucked me. Happy Birthday to our cutie sexy lovely Jimin.

“I’m excited and scared at the same time.” You said, bouncing nervously on your toes. Your best friend eyed the display in front of her.

“I think this one is really pretty… Maybe I should get a piercing. I really like this one, YN.” She points out a shiny gemstone embedded in surgical grade silver, and you nod.

“I am so torn. I want to get a tattoo really badly, and today is the 13th, so they’re doing 13 dollar tattoos. But I also want to pierce my cartilage.”

“You ladies need some help?”

You looked up at the figure that had approached you from the other side of the counter. His smirk as he eyed you up and down left you feeling warm.

“Yes, ” your best friend began without looking up, “she’s looking to get a 13 dollar tattoo, and I’m debating on this piercing.”

Once she finally was done ogling the jewelry, she made eye contact with the man and almost gasped. He was taller than the both of you, roughly 5 foot 8, and lean. His grey/platinum blond hair was loose around his face, showcasing the cut of his jaw and the intensity of his gaze. Dressed in black and silver, you couldn’t deny how hot he was. He quirked an eyebrow up, turning back to you.

“Do you know what tattoo you want?”

“I do,” you answered shyly. “I want a simple one, just the outline of a heart, but, um.. Do you have any… female tattoo artists?”

He smirked again, and you felt embarrassed for asking.

“Bangtan Tattoo Shop doesn’t have any female artists or piercers currently… but I promise, I’ll be gentle.”

Your best friend inhaled again watching the exchange between you and the worker, nearly choking on the sexual aura he was exuding.

“Oh, are you the tattoo artist?”

“The one and only Park Jimin, at your service. We have a couple artists, but they’re all already working on someone and I just finished, so once you fill out the online consents, I’ll take you back.” He passes you a tablet that’s open to a consent form.

“Um, what about piercings?” Your best friend had finally found her voice again.

“I’ll send Hobi over, he’s the best we’ve got.”

Jimin hands another tablet to your best friends and disappears behind the curtain behind him.

“Please tell me that you saw what I saw.”

“That fine ass man? I definitely did.”

“I can’t believe you’re gonna let him touch you there...” Your best friend hit submit on her tablet and set it back down on the glass display case.

“It’s not like it’s that risque… it’s small anyways so it’ll be done in no time.”

The sound of the curtain opening ends your conversation.

“Ready, little lady?”

You nod and he motions you around the counter and through the black curtain. As you walk past him, you see a man with several piercings and multiple tattoos on his arms walking towards you.

“She’s right out there, boss. Had her fill out the waiver and everything.”

“Thanks Chim. Happy Birthday again!”

The man, despite all of his jewelry and tattoos, had a cheerful disposition, and radiated a fun energy. He looked tough and menacing, but when he smiled, all of that melted away. You felt confident he would do a good job on your friend.

“Andddd.. Right through here.” Jimin pointed you towards a doorway and you headed inside, eyeing the bed and tattoo equipment laid out. As he followed you inside and shut the door, you turned to ask him where you should sit.

“Alright, before I have you climb up on the table, where do you want this small tattoo?”

“I want it right here.” You pointed at a spot below your hip, right at the apex of where your bikini line meets your leg. You thought it was the perfect place for a dainty tattoo that would only be seen by the men who would be lucky enough to get your panties off of you.

“Ah, I see why you asked for a female artist.. Well, I will have you know that I have tattooed many a half naked woman. No worries. I’ll treat you right.” He winked, and it went straight to your core.

“Let me see the design you want, so I can get that drafted up and ready to draw onto you.”

You showed him a beautiful image of detailed line work that created a flower.

“This will look so good on you, send this to the email posted above the door.” Jimin pointed at a plaque on the wall above the closed door that listed the wifi information and an email to the shop.

“I’m just gonna have you strip from the waist down, and wrap this towel around you as best as you can to cover all the bits you're worried about, just make sure to leave the area you want done exposed. I’ll print out the design and I’m gonna grab the correct size gloves, they put the wrong ones in here again.”

Jimin left the room with a box of gloves in hand, and you quickly stripped down, winding the towel around your waist and climbing onto the table. Laying back, you tug at the towel, creating enough slack to cover your mound while still keeping the right side exposed for the tattoo. Getting comfortable, you logged into the wifi network and sent the image to the email address as requested. Waiting for Jimin to return felt like it took forever, but you knew that it was just your nerves talking. This would be your first tattoo.

“Ready, baby girl?” Jimin popped back into the room and you jumped, nerves getting the best of you. He adjusted the table so that you were slightly leaned back and your legs dangled at the knee.

“Let me wash my hands and glove up, then we can get started.”

You took the opportunity to eye Jimin as his back was turned to you. The way the black leather pants hugged his ass, showcasing his lean legs that were toned.

“It’s, uh, it’s your birthday today?” You asked, voice cracking just slightly.

“Yup! The big 2-5. That’s actually why we do the 13 dollar tattoos in October. I offer this rate to celebrate so I can spend the day doing something that I love.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. Happy Birthday!”

“Thank you. Alright, if you’re ready, I’m gonna use this wipe to remove any hair and then place this and you let me know if it’s where you want it or we can adjust.”

You could feel his gentle touch as he wiped the hair removal cloth along your skin before placing the trace of the flower there. Handing you a mirror, you eyeball the location and nod, letting him know that you approve of it.

You take deep breaths as you wait for him to start, trying to ease your nerves. Once the gun makes contact with your skin, you let out an indecent moan. You were expecting it to hurt, and while there definitely is some pain, there is also no mistaking the arousal that leaks from your core. The buzz of the gun is loud, but you’re sure that Jimin noticed the way you formed your mouth into an ‘O’ and closed your eyes. If you hadn’t been instructed to stay still, you might have arched into it, enjoying the way his other hand was braced along your hip, gripping you as he leaned over your lower half to follow the outline.

Sitting on a rolling chair and positioned between your knees, Jimin was very aware of the way you were reacting to the tattoo. It excited him, finding someone who looked as good as you did who reacted the same way to being tattooed as he had his first time. He tried to ignore the slight hard-on he got from hearing you moan from him decorating your virgin skin.

About 15 minutes later, Jimin had finished the delicate lines of the flower, and wiped away the residual ink. You sat back with your eyes closed, breathing heavily as you calmed down from the rush of endorphins. Jimin looked up at you, admiring the way your lashes highlight your cheekbones.

“Well done, baby girl.”

His breath tickles your inner thigh as he inspects his work, and you look down at him, perfectly positioned to fulfill your wildest dreams.

“It actually didn’t hurt like I thought it would.”

“Seemed like you enjoyed yourself through it.”

“Oh, you noticed that did you?” you ask sheepishly, failing to close your thighs to soothe the ache forming.

“I noticed quite a bit… This tattoo is gorgeous here by the way. The perfect surprise.” Jimin looks up at you, eye fucking you slowly. “I can see it now, the lucky bastard running his hands like this along your thighs,” Jimin had removed his gloves and placed his soft palms against your thighs. He slides them up, eyes daring you to stop him. You don’t.

“I can see him spreading your thighs apart, kissing up your leg...” He dips his head down and you shiver as his pouty lips make contact with your thigh, soft wet kisses dragging themselves higher and higher.

“Him removing all the clothing blocking you from sight...” Jimin grips the towel and you watch as it glides off of you, revealing your wet folds to him. “Baby girl, I’d really like something sweet for my birthday...”

You nod consenting to his statement, knowing he’s asking to taste you. He wastes no time, tongue tracing your folds as he sucks and licks you, tongue dancing across your clit as your hands bury themselves into his hair. His hands grip your hips, careful not to touch your tattoo. You can’t help the sounds you make, moans rolling from your lips as he pushes your legs farther open before guiding his fingers inside of you. His lips latch onto your clit, paying it special attention as he finger fucks you, but it’s not enough.

“Please, Jimin...”

He pulls away from you, chin glossy with your arousal, but continues to pump his fingers in you slowly.

“I want to feel you, all of you.”

You buck your hips suggestively, and he grins.

“Fuck, baby girl, I’d love to feel you grip me the way you’re gripping my fingers.”

With a lewd, slick sound, he pulls his fingers free, enjoying the way your wetness coats them. He spreads the two fingers that were inside of you and you can see the way the juices cling together, sticky between his digits. He brings them to his mouth, sucking them clean.

The sight along caused you to clench, a small mewl from your throat catching his attention.

“Such a dirty girl… That turned you on?”

Eyes hooded, you nod, biting your lip.

“Fuck, you’re so hot.”

His lips meet yours, and they’re as soft as they looked. You can taste yourself in his mouth, and you tense when you feel the flared tip of his cock sliding against your leaking cunt. He teases your opening before he pushes past, stretching your walls to fit his girth. The angle of the chair allows you to feel him well, the tip of his cock teasing at your g-spot.

His hands travel up your torso, pushing up your shirt until his hands are cupping your breasts, thumbs teasing your sensitive nipples through the lace bra you wore. He eases his face down until his tongue is lined up with your breast, the wet muscle laving the peak through the material. His hips move steadily, plunging him deeper and deeper with each thrust, and you can feel yourself building closer to climax.

“Shit, Jimin, you feel so good...”

He giggles, and it’s a beautiful sound, melodic and soothing, and you feel him speed up. A free hand rubs at your swollen nub, infinity symbols drawn against your pink clit. His teeth graze your neck and when you feel him bite you, you let go.

Legs trembling, it’s earth shattering the way Jimin takes you through the crests. He can feel each wave of the multiple orgasms he produced, and he takes advantage of the pulsing walls to join you in this euphoric state.

He wasn’t planning to fill you, so he pulled out and allowed his cum to pool on your mound. Due to the angle, it began to leak down across your clit and towards your opening, which he watched with desire. He really wasn’t planning to fill you, but he couldn’t resist fucking his seed back into you, allowing your satin core to milk the rest of him into you.

You had fully intended to only get ink on your skin today. Expected a little pain with every puncture. The pleasure of your tattoo artist's cock penetrating your pussy walls was just an added bonus, one you’re pretty sure the birthday boy enjoyed as well.

ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 𝔹𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕁𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕟, 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕖, 𝕤𝕖𝕩𝕪, 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕪

#hisunshiine #hisunshiine writings #hisunshiinewritings #bts fic #bts fanfiction #bts au #bts story #jimin smut #jimin au #jimin writings #jimin fic #jimin fanfiction #park jimin #park jimin au #park jimin smut #park jimin tattoo #park jimin tattoo au

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fansofvow · 4 years ago

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Interview with Eve Golden Woods!

Many of you know who is Eve is. She's a writer and artist, a part of Dreamfeel studios whose beautiful game If Found won Best LGBTQ Narrative and Best LGBTQ Indie game at the first ever Gayming Awards presented by EA games. I am really excited I had the chance to ask Eve some questions about herself, her time at Lovestruck and her creative process.

Congratulations on the two Gayming Awards (Best LGBTQ Narrative, Best LGBTQ Indie Game) for "If Found" from your game studio, Dreamfeel. What was the inspiration behind making the game?

If Found... was a game that emerged out of a collaboration between Llaura McGee, the founder of Dreamfeel, and artist Liadh Young. Liadh's background is as a comic artist, and so when they started working together Llaura had the idea of showing off Liadh's art by making a diary game, and using an erasing mechanic she had previously developed to let the player move through the diary in a fun way. By the time I came on board at the start of 2019, the game had already been in development for a while, so in some ways my work on that game was similar to the work I did for Voltage, because it was taking existing characters and concepts and writing a lot of scripts for them. Unlike Voltage, though, my work for Dreamfeel was a lot more collaborative and I had a lot more creative input. I really enjoy taking something and helping to make it the best version of itself that it can possibly be, but I was also really happy that I got to reflect a lot of my own experiences in If Found. Llaura and I both grew up on the west coast of Ireland, and although If Found... isn't autobiographical for either of us, it was definitely really meaningful to be able to tell a story that reflected our own experiences of growing up as queer teens in a similar kind of environment. Since the game came out we've had fans reach out to us and tell us that they also connected to the experiences of the main characters, and as far as I'm concerned, that makes me feel like I achieved everything I wanted to.

You are a writer and a visual artist. Does one come easier to you than the other?

I used to think of art and writing as talents, and I always felt like my art was at a very mediocre level (that's probably still true, lol). So when I was younger I focused a lot more on writing. It was only later that I started genuinely trying to improve as an artist, but when I did, I think I had a much healthier mindset, and approached it as a skill I could learn with patience and effort. Because of that, even though I still have a lot more confidence in my writing, I find art more fun and relaxing, and I don't stress about it as much.

Did you always know you would follow a creative path?

Kind of? Both my parents are artists, and I grew up surrounded by artists and writers, so it was something that was always very familiar and accessible to me. On the other hand, I didn't exactly have a clear idea of how to make it into a career, or what kind of work would be involved. But there's never been a point in my life where I wasn't doing something creative, even if it was only writing fanfiction.

What did your path to working professionally as a writer/artist look like?

I did a creative writing masters in college, but after that I spent years teaching English as a second language. That was really fun and I got to live abroad, but it was so busy and tiring that I didn't have time to do any writing outside of the occasional fanfic. I only started to take art seriously again when I became interested in games and comics as ways of telling stories. I did some critical writing, which led me to speak at a few local events and get involved in zine fairs. That was how I met Llaura, the director and lead of the Dreamfeel studio, and it's also what gave me the confidence to start applying for actual writing jobs.

Is there any work of art, visual or written, that you look to for inspiration?

So many! I try to read and watch as widely as I can, although there are touchstones I always return to, like the works of Ursula Le Guin and Terry Pratchett. Right now I feel very passionate about the actual play podcast Friends at the Table, which manages to combine really thoughtful worldbuilding and storytelling with cool, fun characters and great action scenes. I'm also reading a book called The Memory Police by Youko Ogawa, which has extremely beautiful prose.

Do you have a favorite piece of your own art, whether it is something you’ve drawn, a screenshot of something you’ve written or something else?

My favourite piece of art is usually whatever I finished most recently (I think that's true for a lot of people). Especially with visual art, once a bit of time has gone by you look back on it and start to notice all your mistakes, which is very annoying. But actually I do still really like the first piece of Fiona fanart I did last year. I managed to use some effects to give it a kind of nineties anime quality that I find really fun, and I think it conveys an emotion pretty effectively. That's always one of the hardest things to predict with visual art, whether the different parts will come together to create the exact mood you're looking for.

I also really like the compass I did for Bycatch. Krissy (@xekstrin) was the one who suggested filling it with fingernails, which was such a good, gross idea! As soon as I heard that I knew it was perfect and that I had to try and draw it.

Many people who read this blog know you as a writer for Lovestruck. When you look back on your time there, what stands out in your mind?

Lovestruck was very important to me when I first started because it was my first ongoing, regular, paid writing work. It gave me a lot of confidence and helped me to get into the habit of writing consistently and rapidly, which is a really useful skill to have. I know I was right to leave when I did, though, because I am just brimming with energy to work on my own projects, and channeling that power into something that you can't control will always end up disappointing you. Also, I made a ton of incredible friends, through Lovestruck itself but then even more so through VOW (@vowtogether), and that is more than worth all the difficult parts.

Is there any character that you would have liked a crack at writing?

Oh gosh, what a fun question! There are so many, but one I do sometimes think about is Axia, just because I know there are a bunch of fans who want her route, and because I had fun writing her as a villain in Zain's route. I can see in my head the shadow of a storyline that takes place after Zain's route is over, where she's in prison and trying to understand how she lost the battle with Zain and MC. I think there's, like, a gap there, where you could see her downfall forcing her to reconsider her assumptions about power, and that could build into a very interesting redemption story. But maybe it's for the best I never got to do that, because I would have wanted full creative control over it, and also I think the story in my head is very different to the sexy, in control, menacing version of Axia that her fans enjoy.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can talk about?

Most of my current work is under NDA, but I will say that I'm doing something very exciting with other VOW members that we should be able to talk about soon(ish). Maybe I can even give a little teaser... It's not a game, but it is something you can read, and my part involves cakes, swamps, and a museum.

Do you have a favorite quote or song lyric?

It's a big long, but there's a section from The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin that has stayed with me ever since I read it:

"For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of deserving, the idea of earning, and you will begin to be able to think."

It's such a profoundly radical way of imagining the world, so different to everything I was raised with, but whenever I think about it I feel like I can see something very beautiful and powerful that I hope to come closer to understanding some day.

And of course, "Solidarity forever, the union makes us strong."

I was a big fan of the show Inside the Actor’s Studio. Host James Lipton asked every single guest the same 10 concluding questions. I’ve picked 3 of them:

-What is your favorite word?

My favourite word: for sound, I like words you can really roll around on your tongue. Chthonic, alabaster, insinuation. For meaning, I think simple words that encapsulate big concepts have a kind of power to them. We use them so often we forget how big they are, how much weight they really have, but they give us the space to imagine new possibilities. Love. Freedom. Revolution.

-What is your least favorite word?

I've heard that "moist" is a lot of people's least favourite word but it doesn't actually bother me. My least favourite word is probably one where I feel like the sound doesn't match the meaning. One of the Irish words for rain is báisteach, which I feel has a much weightier and more onomatopoeic sound than rain. Rain is just very flat and uninteresting.

-What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Oh, so many! I love history, and I think being a historian/archaeologist would be fascinating. Or something that had a physical component to it, like being a potter or a carpenter. I don't think I'd be any good, but I'd love to take the time to learn.

What would be your advice to anyone who wants to pursue a creative career?

All the work you do matters. Even the failed experiments, the things you hate when they're finished. It all helps to make you better. Also, creative career paths are often really unexpected, so chase any opportunity that seems remotely interesting. Don't work for free for anyone who can afford to pay, but work for yourself and put it somewhere. On a blog, twitter, whatever. You'd be amazed how many people get noticed and get offered opportunities because of something they made in their spare time. You'll probably have to work another job for a long time, so don't be hard on yourself if you're too tired to devote much energy to creative work. Try to make art consistently, but don't feel like that has to mean every day. Don't chase after celebrities. Make friends with your peers.

#vowtogether #vow interview #writing #art #lovestruck #dreamfeel #iffound #gayming #gaming #mod atlas

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qvid-pro-qvo · 4 years ago

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headcanon: “what halloween costumes you rope the SVU boys into”

created in conjunction with @hurricanejjareau. female!reader.

sonny carisi - as soon as halloween starts approaching, there’s a glitter in your eyes every time sonny asks you about it. “we don’t have to do a costume,” he tells you, almost hopeful, but that option is off the table immediately. you’re doing a costume. and when you show him the pieces, laid out, he can’t help but feed off your excitement, especially when it’s all pieced together. the two of you look a vision, mary poppins and bert, and your eyeshadow is a good substitute for the soot, your lipstick staining his cheek. (sickeningly sweet, is barba’s comment at the party hosted by liv. shut up is liv’s reply.)

rafael barba - dressing up? rafael would never. but your eyes, wide and pleading and begging are enough to make him cave, just a little. nothing too extravagant is his stipulation, and when the idea comes to fruition he begrudgingly admits that, well. you did good work. after all, being morticia and gomez addams means he doesn’t have to really wear a costume, just his most menacing black suit and an added mustache. and he is also willing to concede that in your stunning black dress, floor length and fantastic, you’re the star of the show (as you should be, he hums, and the adoration he has for you matches gomez in it’s intensity).

nick amaro - zara is the perfect age for trick-or-treating, and she finds a wonderful ally in you. together, the two of you needle nick until he so graciously agrees to dress up. and then gil gets thrown into the mix, and there’s a full house on the 31st. little does your man know how elaborate the plan is, with liv and noah getting involved, too. after a rewatch, the night is bursting with energy. “monsieur incroyable!” you shout with delight as he comes down the stairs, with gil and zara cheering as dash and violet. with you as mrs. incredible, and noah making a special appearance as jack-jack, it is truly a night to remember (think we can be more flexible? he teases you while the kiddos sprint from house to house, and your response in public is a smack, and the private reply is just for the two of you.)

mike dodds - “let’s have fun this halloween, mike,” you needle him, the two of you working a late night in the precinct. it’s late and the moon’s shining through the windows, but with work the past few weeks he’s impossible to pull away. “what i’m getting is that you already have a plan,” he laughs, and you can’t help your sly smile. he’s a good sergeant, and a great boyfriend, but your mind starts roaming, wondering about the potential bad boy beneath. and with your incredible red lip, you lure him in, the handsome clyde to your beautiful bonnie. (no actual robberies, right? he teases, just to hear your chuckle, and you wholeheartedly agree, making sure to emphasize that he already stole your heart.)

peter stone - peter’s down for a halloween costume, because he loves the way you light up at the prospect. after all, the SVU crew is still getting used to him, and you know it’s a brilliant way to break the ice. but when busyness gets in the way of planning something too elaborate, your mind goes to work, and soon the solution is before you. “you’re stunning in pink,” he laughs, and your dress and plush dog pull together a wonderful elle woods. you’re the perfect duo, elle and emmett, and he can’t help but dream of a day that the two of you end up married, too. (and you know how i feel about your suits, you whisper to him, later when the party’s at its peak. his blush is seen by the whole crew, and when fin asks him about it he can’t help but smile.)

#law and order svu headcanons #sonny carisi x reader #rafael barba x reader #nick amaro x reader #mike dodds x reader #peter stone x reader #female!reader #sonny carisi #rafael barba #nick amaro #mike dodds #peter stone #law and order: svu #law and order svu

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itskatastrophe-x · 3 years ago

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Far Off Places (CH5)

Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6

Word Count : 2,748

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^

You blinked a few times as your surroundings came back to you and Ranboo was kneeling in front of you, shaking you gently. “Hey, sorry we took so long. We both can kinda talk for… Well hours.” You looked out the window to see the setting sun and you cursed yourself for being asleep for so long. You thought back to your dream and debated on whether or not to tell Ranboo about Dream visiting you. He seemed to catch on to your thoughts though and asked if you were ok. “Yeah, I’m just groggy and in pain from sleeping on stairs.” He apologized again but you waved him off as you stood and stretched. “Where is Foolish?” You looked around for the totem-god but he was nowhere to be seen or heard. “He went back to his summer home for some supplies but said he’d be back before morning. He told us to go home and not to wait around.” You nod and he takes that as his cue to lead you both out of the building.

The air outside was biting and small snowflakes found their way onto your shoulders. You wrapped yourself tighter in your coat and shivered. Off in the distance you could see the eerie glow of lava from the silhouette of the prison. You stared at it as you walked and ended up tripping, only just barely catching yourself, the snow on the ground slightly buffering your fall. Ranboo was quick to help you up and you thanked him, still staring at the prison. He caught onto your stare and cleared his throat. “Did you want to see it?” You look at him but he couldn’t meet your eyes. You said a short ‘yes’ and apologized. “No, it’s ok. You’re new and have never seen it. Of course you’d want to see it. It’s honestly pretty impressive once you forget there’s a murderer and manipulator locked in it.” He heads towards it and you practically have to jog to keep up with his fast pace.

You’re slightly winded as you finally approach the looming towers. There’s a shallow pool of water separating you and the grim walls, an ocean beyond it. You stare up at it in awe, admiring the handiwork and intricacy of it all. You wondered how long it took to make and what it looked like on the inside. “It’s called ‘Pandora’s Vault’,” Ranboo says in a small voice. “Have you been in there?” He nods, not able to look at the building in front of you. “I’m sorry if this is a bad topic, but what is he like? Dream, I mean. If you don’t want to-” “No, it’s ok,” he cuts you off. He finally looks up at the walls and sits down, patting the spot next to him. “He’s… He’s ruthless and cold. He acts like he cares about people and what they have to say, but only really cares about how it makes him look. The more power, the better. He’s killed people in cold blood and laughed about it. He… He’s in my head. He knows how to use my enderwalk to his ability, and even I don’t know what it is.” He pauses for a while and you both sit in silence, the sky clearing so the stars and moon shine down brightly on you.

“He used to be a mentor. Someone to look up to. He helped us with so many things. Taught us how to fight and protect ourselves. But then he snapped. I’m not sure exactly what caused it, but it might have been L’Manburg. People wanted freedom from his rule so they created a new country. He got power hungry. Killed Tommy and Tubbo over stupid discs.” You could see him fight back tears but then he steeled himself again, showing no emotion. “Tommy, Tubbo, and a whole bunch of other people ended up cornering him. Tommy took two of his lives and they threw him in there,” he gestured towards the prison. “Dream and Tommy were locked in there for a week together because…” He trailed off and his eyes glazed over. You watched as he sat there thinking, spacing off completely. He shook his head and looked over at you, finally meeting your gaze. “He beat Tommy to death with a grin on his face. Sam said he was laughing the whole time.” You stared at him in shock. “So, why didn’t Sam stop him?” Ranboo shrugged and looked away again. “Something about protocol. Not being allowed to let guests out when the prison was placed under lockdown.” You thought for a moment, a slight breeze making you shiver.

“Do… Do you think he can be saved? Like, do you think he could ever be the person he was before? I don’t know him, of course, so I wouldn’t know, but do you?” He chuckled. “Y’know… I never really thought about that. I’d say… Probably not. He’s done so many horrible things. I don’t think he can be redeemed.” You nod, silence falling over the two of you again. You don’t know how long you both sat there before you fell asleep, the sound of gentle waves splashing against the sand and a gentle breeze wafting the smell of flowers and sea salt to you. The moon shone brightly against you, basking you in a comforting glow as you slowly slumped over onto the beach below. Ranboo, too, was slowly falling asleep, barely able to keep his eyes open. The only thing that alerted him was you bumping his shoulder before descending slowly to the sand. He brought up his inventory sheepishly and brought out supplies to make a small tent for you, figuring carrying you in his tired state this late in the night would be too much of a strain. When he finished your tent, he made his own right next to yours and crawled in to fall asleep.

The smell of flowers carried into your dreams and you woke in a start. There, standing above you, was the man in green with the smile mask. The full moon positioned behind him cast a beautiful glow on everything around you. You looked around to see yourself laying in a field, the trees far off in the distance and a city in the opposite direction. Their tall buildings decorated in an oriental way and a giant dragon statue resting on a hill. You look back up to see the man has extended a hand to you. You bring yourself to your elbows but stay that way. He shrugs and drops his hand as he turns, steps sideways, and falls backwards. “I may have lied to you,” the man says. You look back at him in curiosity. “About what part?” He takes a second to decide whether or not to tell you. He takes in a small, hissed breath before answering. “My name. I may look like Dream, but I’m actually DreamXD. A separate entity, but the same in a lot of ways.” “So what does that mean? The same but separate?” He shifts slightly. “Well, I’m a god, essentially. I can do almost everything.”

You lay back down and put your hands behind your head and look up at the stars. “So why do you want me to help Dream?” He sits up and bounces slightly. “I’m boooored,” he drawls. “And… I’m not allowed to let him out. Or… I can’t.” You look up at him as he brings his knees to his chest and wraps his arms around them. “Can’t? Is that the ‘almost everything’ you said?” He nods. “Sam made the prison to keep Dream in… But also to keep me out.” He looks back at you, mischief hidden in his eyes behind his mask. You hum and close your eyes. “I’ve heard the things he’s done. I’ve never heard of you. Why is that?” There’s a low growling and you open your eyes to see the air around him ripple and sparkle. This only lasts for a couple seconds before he takes a deep breath and recollects himself. He falls back down and the air around him feels cold and lonely, and for a split second you feel bad for the man.

“So, are you saying you're bored of things that are happening? Is Dream really as bad as people make him out to be?” DreamXD laughs shortly. “Absolutely. Dream is horrible. He deserves to stay in prison, but the server… The pawns are boring me.” You furrow your brows at his wording but brush it off as just you being confused. The people here might call things by different names and words. “What happens if I do somehow manage to break him out? Why should I do that?” It’s his turn to hum. “Well, you don’t have to. Breaking him out could be suicide. Or it couldn’t. No one knows who you really are here. I doubt anyone really trusts you yet either. But Dream? Dream would see you as an ally if you break him out. You would have power. People would fear you. You could have your own land to call your home. Riches that no one else has. He would probably grant you immunity for his freedom and he would protect you so long as you don’t betray him.” You mull all of this over and sit up slowly, looking down at the man beside you. “And why should I trust you?” He sits up as well, facing you now and crossing his legs. “Why shouldn't you? I mean, really, who can you trust? You have so many choices you can make, you just have to take a leap and trust the fall. And if you could come across me in the real world… Well… Again, I’m a god. If you do this for me, you could have anything you wanted. It’s just all up to you.”

You run your hands through your hair before standing up and start pacing back and forth in front of him. You stop and look down at him. You can practically feel the grin on his face. “And if I don’t?” He shrugs and stands as well. He’s tall and menacing, but the energy radiating from him raises your adrenaline and excites you. “Who knows? He could get out on his own and you would be in his way. Or maybe he stays in and you get to live your secret life with Ranboo, Techno, and Phil. You just have to jump and fall. You’re an outsider. A nobody. Do you want to stay that way, or do you want to be known? You were royalty. You could be again, if Dream allowed it of course.” “If,” you repeat. “This is a lot relying on an if.” You turn and look out over the field leading to the city below. “Let me think on it.” You turn back to face him but he’s gone. You hear his chuckle and turn in various directions, soon realizing his voice is now in your head. “I’ll come back in a week. Have an answer by then and maybe I’ll have a reward if you choose to let him out.”

And just like that he’s gone. You stand there, body vibrating from excitement of now having something on the line. It isn’t until that second that you realize you don’t know your surroundings. The past couple of dreams you’ve had, you knew where you were since you had been there before. But this time was a new setting. The edges of your vision rippled and waved a green hue before everything faded to the bright color.

Warm. You were overly warm and sweaty as you rolled over. You noticed the sun wasn’t burning into your eyes when you opened them. Instead you were met with the sight of a large woolen blanket thrown over some logs as a makeshift cover. You sat up and a coat rolled off of you and onto the sand below. Everything was covered in a light dusting of mist and dew from the morning air and you could hear the gentle lapping of waves coming from a few feet past your tent and the crackling of a fire. You slowly crawled out of the tent, the chilly morning air combined with the breeze coming off of the water chilling you. Ranboo sat next to the fire, book in hand but not moving, totally spaced out. You crawled the rest of the short distance and Ranboo looked up at you and smiled. “Good morning! Did you get much sleep?” You sat across from him, the fire now in between the two of you. “Yes, actually. I never used to get much sleep because of my dreams, but lately they’ve been somewhat bearable.” He smiled politely at you and you smiled back, happy from the warmth coming from the fire and the thought of his kindness.

You both sat there talking for at least an hour about random little details about your lives, relishing in the sweet breeze. He asked questions about your dreams and you explained them the best you could. He listened intently as you recalled details about your life that you got to relive in your dreams. A lot of them were horrible stories to relive, but the dreams helped you resolve a lot of conflicts through the years. When the conversation finally switched, Ranboo told you stories about his life. He admitted to not remembering a lot of it, but he had been doing research and keeping track of things by writing them in his books. He flipped through a couple pages and let you look at a few. There were scratches of pictures and notes written in another language across various pages. He didn’t let you look much longer and shut the book quickly, seeming to realize something or had seen something. He went idle for a moment and you sat there in silence, the fire long forgotten about as the embers glowed.

“Ranboo?” His eyes glazed over, staring off towards the prison. His mouth made small movements, seeming to be whispering quietly to himself. “Ranboo,” you said again, this time reaching out to touch his shoulder. He looked at you slowly, mind clearly stuck in a fog. He looked at you inquisitively but said nothing. You remembered hearing him say something about an enderwalk state and assumed this is what he meant. It didn’t last very long though as his eyes came back into focus, regaining their vibrant hues. “Well, we should head off,” you said, happy to have him back but wanting to play it off in case it made him uncomfortable. He stared at you for a moment longer before nodding his head, getting up, and packing away the tent supplies.

The trip back was quiet and slightly tense, but still comfortable. There was a sense of calm and trust, but also caution and doubt. He didn’t ask what happened and you didn’t mention it. If he wanted to talk about it more, he would and that would be his choice. He seemed to shy away from the topic in passing anyway so why bring it up on purpose? Same went for your previous dreams. Thinking back on what DreamXD had said made you question so many things. You wanted to trust these people, but why should you? He made a very good point about that. Ranboo seemed to be the only one you could currently trust. But what did you want? He mentioned power, but it was never really about that… Right? Why were you a figure head before? You thought back about your time as a ruler, remembering certain details that pointed to you loving the power you had. The way everyone loved you and did as you told them to. The way you could get your hands dirty and still have people trust and fear you at the same time. People knew not to get in your way, but they also knew they could trust you with their problems and count on you to resolve things quickly without error. Maybe it really was about power? Or maybe you loved the thrill of being in control of so many people’s lives. Or maybe you just loved how people bent to your will without it being questioned. Whatever it was, you had a week to think about it before having to give DreamXD your answer.

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passionate-reply · 3 years ago

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This week on Great Albums: a fresh look at quite possibly the 80s’ most hated band, A Flock of Seagulls! Spoiler: their music is good, people in the 90s and 00s were just mean. If you want to find out more about how having the absolute best hair in the business ended up backfiring on these poor sods, look no further than my latest video. Or the transcript of it, which follows below the break!

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’m going to be diving into a discussion of quite possibly the most derided and lambasted music group of the 1980s: A Flock of Seagulls. With a strange name, a perhaps painfully stylish aesthetic, and equally trendy and of-the-moment music, that was, for a time, inescapable in popular culture, their legacy forms a perfect target for the ridicule all popular things must face in due time. But even moreso than that, I think A Flock of Seagulls have become not only a punchline in and of themselves, but also a summation of everything that was dreadful and excessive about the early 1980s, with its “Second British Invasion” of synthesiser-driven New Wave. I can think of no better example of this kind of abuse than a famous line from the 1999 comedy film, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The film is largely a love letter to the 1960s and its Mod aesthetics, and the protagonist, a super-spy unfrozen from this era in time, dismisses the history and culture of the 1970s and 80s as nothing more than “a gas shortage, and A Flock of Seagulls.” But at the time of this writing, we’re about as far away from Austin Powers as the film was from the release of this album, the band’s 1982 debut LP, so I think it’s been long enough that we can start to re-evaluate A Flock of Seagulls’ rightful place in music history.

While this self-titled album was the group’s first long-player, their first release was the 1981 single “It’s Not Me Talking.” Notably, this track was actually produced by the legendary Bill Nelson, who also released it on their behalf via his personal label, Cocteau Records. Ever since discovering this for myself, I’ve found the connection between Nelson and A Flock of Seagulls fascinating, and also satisfying. Despite the gulf between their respective reputations, I do think their work has a lot in common, at the end of the day: swirling washes of synth disrupted by screaming guitars, not to mention that shared interest in Midcentury rock and roll aesthetics.

Music: “It’s Not Me Talking”

These two acts would, of course, go their separate ways shortly after, and they ended up in completely opposite camps, with Nelson becoming a cult favourite with little crossover success, and A Flock of Seagulls going on to create what is, undoubtedly, one of the most iconic songs of the entire decade.

Music: “I Ran”

What does one even say about a song like “I Ran”? Over the years, it’s certainly gotten somewhat overplayed, but I can’t really hold that against it. It’s just a damn good song. Both ethereally menacing as well as catchy and rather accessible, “I Ran” takes the atmosphere suggested by “It’s Not Me Talking” and kicks it into another gear, with a harder-hitting hook and the introduction of that highly distinctive and of-the-moment echoing guitar effect. Some will hear it as little more than evidence that the song is hopelessly dated, but I’ve never thought of it as anything other than satisfying to listen to. If you ask me, I figure all art that exists is essentially “a product of its time”--nobody ever said Michelangelo Buonarroti’s David was a lousy sculpture, just because you can easily tell it was made during the Italian Renaissance. At any rate, I’d encourage everyone reading to go back and listen to it again, trying to maintain a little neutrality. I’d recommend the album cut of it, which is significantly longer than the single version, and features a rich intro that sets the scene before that famous guitar ever makes an appearance, which I think really adds to the experience. By some reckonings, A Flock of Seagulls are sometimes considered a “one-hit wonder,” but while they certainly are remembered chiefly for “I Ran,” this album’s other singles were moderately successful as well.

Music: “Space Age Love Song”

“Space Age Love Song” is perhaps the band’s second best-remembered single, and takes their sound in a markedly different direction than that of “I Ran.” “I Ran” won popular acclaim by finding a new home for the guitar, in the midst of a sea of synth, and pushed A Flock of Seagulls into a similar space as acts like the Cars and Duran Duran, who had enough mainstream rock sensibilities to sneak a lot of synthesiser usage onto American rock radio...much as one might sneak spinach into tomato sauce when feeding picky children. But I think “Space Age Love Song” is much more palatable to listeners of pop, synth- or otherwise. It’s softer in texture, and really almost dreamy, capturing the hazy, buoyant feeling of limerence as well as any pop song ever has. I’m tempted to compare it to another synth-driven classic, whose influence towers over this period in electronic music: the great Giorgio Moroder’s “I Feel Love.” Much like “I Feel Love,” “Space Age Love Song” combines simple, almost banal love lyrics with an evocative electronic soundscape, painting a picture of an enchanting, high-tech future where human feelings like love have remained comfortably recognizable across centuries or millennia. A similar theme of futuristic love pervades the album’s second single, “Modern Love Is Automatic.”

Music: “Modern Love Is Automatic”

While “Space Age Love Song” uses simplistic lyricism to portray the relatable universality of falling in love, “Modern Love Is Automatic” gives us the album’s most complex narrative. In a world where “young love’s forbidden,” we meet a pair of star-crossed lovers prevented from being together by some sort of dystopian authority. The male member of this union, introduced as the “cosmic man,” is apparently imprisoned for the crime of loving, but the text suggests that he may escape from this prison--or, perhaps, even be freed from it. The title, repeated quite frequently throughout the track, is perhaps the mantra of this anti-love society, a piece of propaganda being drilled into us as thoroughly as it is into these subjects: Modern love is automatic, with no need for messy, unpredictable human input.

It’s also worth noting that the song is consciously set in “old Japan,” deliberately locating it in the “exotic” East. While East Asia was strongly associated with refined, perhaps futuristic culture, I can’t help but think there’s a more pejorative sentiment operating here, rooted in stereotypes of Asian cultures unduly policing sexual freedom, and other forms of personal expression and self-determination. Ultimately, despite its futuristic trappings, “Modern Love Is Automatic” isn’t really a song about technology at all, but rather authoritarianism. “Telecommunication,” on the other hand, engages more directly with that theme.

Music: “Telecommunication”

“Telecommunication” was also released prior to the self-titled album proper, and was also produced by Bill Nelson. While structurally similar to “Modern Love Is Automatic,” with an oft-repeated title, brief verses, and a generally repetitive musical structure full of meandering guitar, its text quite plainly discusses the titular field of technology, in a seemingly non-judgmental fashion--though it could be argued that the fairly upbeat music suggests a positive outlook on things like radio and TV. The one hitch in all of it is the very end of the last verse, which sets the song in the “nuclear age”--a nod, perhaps, to the darker applications of 20th Century technology. “Telecommunication” is perhaps indebted less to figures like Moroder, and moreso to Kraftwerk, who first solidified the rich tradition of stoic synth thumpers about everyday machines like cars, trains, and, of course, nuclear energy. I’m also tempted to compare it to an earlier work of Bill Nelson’s group Be-Bop Deluxe, “Electrical Language,” another bubbly number that playfully bats this concept back and forth.

The theme of “quotidian technology” is also present on the cover of this album, which features an interior shot of a living room, centered around a television set. The TV displays a figure playing guitar--perhaps one of those heroic rock pioneers of the Midcentury like Buddy Holly, whom Nelson was so keen to imitate. But what’s most immediately striking about this cover is its beautiful colour palette, full of deep, saturated jewel tones, treated softly with an “airbrush” style effect. Despite being a somewhat mundane scene, the image also features fanciful, imaginative touches: the floor of this room is actually a miniature beach landscape, with the “floor” beneath the TV actually being the surface of the ocean, and the TV appears to be surrounded by a colourful, glowing group of birds. Given the beachy surroundings, we could perhaps interpret them as the titular seagulls. It’s tempting to think of this scene as a representation of how technology can sweep us away, out of our everyday existence and into something richer and more exciting.

But perhaps it’s not so simple--note also the open window in the top left, whose curtain appears to be agitated by some sort of motion in the air. Perhaps these birds are not the products of television fantasy, but rather have flown in from the window, and hence hail from the “real world?” Given how tracks like “Space Age Love Song” and “Modern Love Is Automatic” tackle the theme of the mundane meeting the fantastical, I think this complex and arresting image is a great fit for the album.

While their self-titled debut spawned multiple recognizable hits, A Flock of Seagulls never came anywhere close to recapturing its success. For the most part, they struggled to remain relevant as time wore on, largely abandoning the sonic footprint of their first album, and chasing after new trends in music technology such as digital synthesisers. They would eventually break up during the mid-1980s, and though they’ve reunited in order to perform live several times, the book is probably closed on A Flock of Seagulls. Personally, I can’t help but wonder what might have been if they had stuck to their musical roots a bit more. You get a bit of that on their third LP, 1984’s The Story of a Young Heart, which thankfully brings back that iconic echoing guitar, and does so without sounding too much like a simple retread of “I Ran.” Out of all their other work, it’s the album I would most recommend to admirers of this debut LP.

Music: “Remember David”

My favourite track on A Flock of Seagulls’ debut LP is “Messages”--not to be confused with the track of the same name by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark! Moreso than anything else on the album, “Messages” has this aggressive, insistent, driving quality, and feels less like yacht rock, and more like punk rock. Despite not being released as a single, I think it’s a very strong track that’s quite easy to get into. That’s everything for today--thanks for listening!

Music: “Messages”

#music #album review #album reviews #great albums #a flock of seagulls #flock of seagulls

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gintokisimp · 3 years ago

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Whatsername Chapter 2: Extraordinary Girl

More Angst and more Pain. This chapters theme is the song “Extraordinary Girl” by Green Day

Genre: Angst, Romance, Pining

Rating: M

Word Count: 3,568

She's an Extraordinary Girl In an ordinary world

The sun had already gone past the point where it was possible for it to shine it's rays into the city. The faint golden beams reflected on the metallic structures of the ceiling. It would have been a beautiful day, if it wasn't for the strange atmosphere and the deep, heavy clouds forming over Yoshiwara.

A womans delicate arms rested on the railing of a simple balcony in the middle of the shady town, right above a small shop and a busy street.

Beautiful, silky blonde hair was brushed behind her ears on one side and falling loosely over a noticeable big scar on the other half of her face. Her amethyst, dull eyes were fixated on something in the sky only she could see.

Suddenly, a rift that was the color of crimson formed in the dark clouds, shining the last light of the day down on her. The first raindrops hit her illuminated face, steadily growing into a heavy downpour drenching her white kimono decorated with an expensive flower patterns.

Despite the depressing weather, as if nothing mattered in a town of endless desire, an equally big flood of people roamed the busy streets of Yoshiwara.

The courtesan of the suns eyes flickered from the sky to the ground below over the horde of bodies, roaming over the busy streets beneath her. The colors of the vastly different individuals mixed together in her blurred sight, creating an almost homogenous mass of flesh and fabric.

Minutes went by without much change. The woman almost appeared lifeless to anyone daring to take a look up to the balcony.

By late noon, the sky had darkened up and turned the buildings of the town into lifeless gray tones. Only the buzzing electric lights faked a world full of wonders and salvation.

The skies split, a loud rumbling opened the gates of hell.

On days like these, she had weak moments. They invited her mind to spiral down the paths of sorrow.

Humans can have weak moments full of despair. It was ok. But still, it felt like she gave up everything that she had worked so hard on. She didn't want to feel like a woman desperately clinging to a man whom she couldn't reach.

The damsel in distress. The weak princess waiting for the prince to safe her.

That wasn't her.

And she can't seem to get away

The chains of Yoshiwara ceased to exist. They ceased with the death of Hosen, yet no one was really free.

She wasn't free.

She had other responsibilities that she couldn't escape from. Responsibilities she didn't want to escape from. But still, sometimes she felt like running away. Disappearing like he did.

Hinowa forced her to take a day off. Since he left, she had worked day after day. Tsukuyo had dressed well for the day. She wanted to go out, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the room. Her fear of someone catching her weakness kept her inside the house.

But everyone already knew how fragile she was.

She thought she had accepted that he would never love her back. She thought it was enough for her to know he was well.

And right now, she just wants him to be back home, wants him to be happy.

Without her.

She could live with that.

But knowing he was gone, she could not live with that.

A faint image of permed white hair in the crowd caught her attention. Without a second thought, the muscular women leapt over the railing, dashed through the mass, and made her way to the image she saw. Her heart was beating in her throat, tightening it to an uncomfortable degree.

But there was no one there..

The person she thought she had spotted was never there.

A hallucination.

He wouldn't come here.

Tsukuyo remained standing in the pouring rain. Lightning brightened the sky, but she didn't move an inch.

It has been two years. Get over him already.

Her eyes turned up to the silver clouds grazing the skies, mirroring the mess that was corrupting her heart. The heavens cried and so did she.

Heavy rain mixed with her tears, dripping down her porcelain skin.

No one could tell she was crying.

To the surrounding mankind, she was just a courtesan standing in the rain, probably waiting for a customer to take her away, take her to the promised paradise.

Would he still remember her if he ever came back?

He won't come back.

Her fingers touched her pinkie.

He lacks the courage in his mind

He dreamed of her every night.

Holding her Hand.

Holding her in his arms.

Sometimes she fed him Dangos with the warmest smile on her face.

The samurais body was completely drained of energy, yet it desired her deeply.

He dreamed of her hand touching his bare chest.

Her underneath him.

He wanted to hold her, hold her until he died.

Waking up was pure horror.

Dreaming was pure torture.

Sometimes he didn't sleep just to escape the feeling, staring at the dark sky, restraining himself from thinking at all.

Like a child left behind Like a pet left in the rain

Another sunset painted the sky in the most beautiful colors, drenching the giant rock beneath the fully shed tree in red shades. The crickets had stopped their singing, no wind was rustling through the trees, no sounds we carried over the dream like scenery.

It was silent.

Silent, like something went missing along the unstoppable movement of time.

The rock was empty.

No wood scratching over stone was heard, no silver hair was seen in the peaceful landscape.

Instead, slow steps carried a samurai through the streets of a small, lively town. Not paying attention to his surroundings, with no clear goal in mind, he stumbled through the clusters of people taking up the street. Nothing really caught his attention, but driven by hunger he subconsciously aimed in the direction of a small inn.

Unexpectedly, olive blonde hair in a familiar hairstyle passed him and he tensed up.

Tsukuyo.. Tsukuyo

The head he was focused on turned and revealed an old woman. Of course, it wasn't her. What was he thinking.

His limbs gave up and he landed on his back. Sulking in pain, he closed his eyes. The loud noises around him echoed in his head, but one voice was particularly obnoxious.

"Young man"

Gintoki opened his eyes and they met with and old wrinkled face. His throat was too hoarse to speak, he hadn't used it in months.

"What's wrong, are you okay?" His eyes only stared back at the man, uninterested in what he was saying.

"Everything okay?" The man asked again with a more worried tone.

Gintoki didn't reply.

"Get up young man, come with me, you look like you need some care." The man lightly shook his shoulder and Gintoki sighed before hesitantly getting up on his shaking feet. He was friendly and something made Gintoki believe, he was not allowed to say no to this old geezer. They entered the small Inn. It was packed with the towns residents, but the man led him through the masses, up a staircase into a hallway of private rooms.

"Go and take a shower and come downstairs when you're ready." The man said warmly, opening one of the doors.

"I don't have money" Gintoki replied.

"You don't need money. I can't let you meet your family like that"

"What family"

The man inspected him and replied after a long pause.

"I know they are waiting for you. You can't run away from them forever. You shouldn't meet them in this state."

"Why"

"In this town, we help each other and I'm sure you can do the same."

"..I hurt her" Gintoki whispered, ignoring what the man had said.

"You can drink and eat today if you promise me to meet her." And with that, he closed the door. Gintoki was left alone in the room. Still unsure about what was happening, he undressed and let the water stream run down his battered body. The water washed away his thoughts and he felt his body welcoming the change of sensations.

I don't deserve this.

There wasn't a lot of time spent in comforting silence. It came back faster than he wished.

Minutes later, he sat down at a table. No one dared to sit close to him. The old man brought him a full meal and Gintoki ate it voraciously.

After some time, a young woman sat down next to him, sheepishly looking at him, eyeing him with great interest. She would have been beautiful, if he had the eyes for that.

"Do you have a home?" The girl asked Gintoki. "Where do you live, I can take you home" She added suggestively.

Nowhere.

"You can sleep at my place" She whispered in his ear. "You're a handsome man, I can make you feel better" The woman placed down her hand on his, touching his ring finger.

Make you feel better.

Only one woman could do that, and she wasn't here.

Only one women was allowed to touch him like that.

Only this one women taking over his whole mind could make him feel better. Touching him in places that were eternally reserved for her. But she would never touch him.

She wasn't here.

She wasn't here by his side.

She will never be by his side.

The Samurai ripped his hand from under the woman's tight grip. His eyes glancing over to her, glowing with menace. She looked at him in fear, stumbling backwards before rushing out of his sight.

The Shinigami Tayuu is eternally mine. There was no place for any other woman.

Why did she reject him back then.

Why

If she just had said yes.

Or just... anything.

She's all alone again Wiping the tears from her eyes Some days she feels like dying She gets so sick of crying

All tears had already been shed. There really was nothing left that she could cry about.

Yet, she caught herself crying again.

Her cries had been noticed.

Yet, no one really heard her anymore.

She sees the mirror of herself An image she wants to sell To anyone willing to buy

No one needs a man to rely on. Care and live for yourself.

The champions of women, they couldn't be weak to men. She couldn't be weak for anyone, especially not for him. It was only leading a bad example, displaying a weakness they wanted to abolish. Be strong.

But was loving someone really a weakness?

He steals the image in her kiss From her heart's apocalypse From the one called Whatsername

What's worse than realizing you want something, besides knowing you can never have it?

I don't mind being only yours.

Lies. You belong to no one. You could never belong to anyone.

Loud creaking of wooden floor tiles caught the courtesans' attention. The sound crept in her ears, finally braking her endless stream of thoughts.

Careful, limping steps made their way in the direction of her door.

Or were they hesitant?

She's all alone again Wiping the tears from her eyes

Somedays he feels like dying

The sweet, burning liquid wetted his parched throat. Every inch of his body, every single cell revolted against the intruding poison, making him feel alive and close to death at the same damn time. It was his first cup of sake, but it intoxicated him like a whole bottle.

"More" he demanded. The old man who's name he had never asked for looked at him with worry in his eyes. Gintoki ignored that.

"Who's gonna pay for that, country samurai?" A mischievous voice bickered from behind him.

"Who're you calling a country samurai, ehhh you wanna fight?" Gintoki blurted back. Without waiting for an answer, he leaped from his chair and dashed in the direction of the voice. His fist made contact with a stubbly face and he smiled satisfied. A whole group of intimidating looking men stood up and gathered around Gintoki.

It was over in mere seconds.

The men were scattered over the floor, Gintokis hands covered in their blood.

It wasn't the alcohol that made him act like this.

He had disappointed the people that tried to help him. Again.

Suddenly, the room shifted. Everything reeled around him and his whole body tingled.

I need fresh air.

He stormed outside and stopped, leaning on a broken lantern.

Gintoki gasped sharply for air and his sight darkened.

Breathtaking sunrise loomed over a huddled silhouette, outlining the man holding a dead body in his arms. The morning sun reflected in the lifeless amethyst eyes.

Blood.

Blood everywhere.

Blood on the soft fabric of her Kimono.

Blood tinting her blonde hair red.

Blood on the tanto he held. The tanto that stuck out of her throat.

Its your fault.

Gintoki blinked and the vision was replaced by a different one.

The swirling mess in his brain turned into a hospital hallway filled with fog. Clean. Too clean.

Aggressive smells desperately tried to over stench the smell of death.

"She's going soon. Do you want to... ?" Asked a bodyless voice. It led him through a plain looking door. Big bouquets of red roses were placed around a hospital bed, obstructing the view on the patient. Floating closer, his eyes caught short white hair framing a thin face. The scar on her face was unmistakably. Her face had sunken in, but she wasn't old. It was something different.

"Gintoki,..'s that you? You're back.." Her white clouded eyes couldn't focus on his face.

"Tsukuyo, there's one thing I never told you." His hoarse voice echoes through the foggy room.

His hand reached out for her face. Black markings covered them, contrasting heavily with the pale skin. Gintoki touched her cold face and her lips formed words he couldn't hear. He leaned closer to understand them.

But he never needed to hear them. He knew them and he himself couldn't say them.

He cried.

Their lips met

and Tsukuyo cried her last tear.

Before he grasped what had happened, the scenery changed quickly.

A sunny day, a cup of sake in his hand, wooden railing under his finger, the smell of tobacco in his nose, a balcony in a familiar underground district.

He turned his head and saw her smile. Her beautiful smile.

Whether it's spring or winter, if I can be next to you like this once in a while and blowing poison gas in your face, that's enough to make me happy.

The way she looked at you. She loved you and it was killing her. And you were never able to reciprocate it.

Drenched in sweat, struggling for air, his left hand clawing a pole, stars dancing over his vision, his eyes focused on his strained limb.

The long gone strand of silky, olive blonde hair on his ring finger blazed his flesh.

It burned his skin crisp like an insect lost on a summer heated street.

It easily set his arm on fire like the small, unimportant dry twigs in a fire pit, spreading to his heart, causing an unbearable pain with every muscle contraction.

She had tied it on his ring finger herself. She deliberately chose to tie it there. Carefully placing the loops, lovingly knotting it.

A quick glance and he knew it.

She meant it.

He thought about all those things time and time again and still denied it.

Nothing else belonged there. No one was allowed to touch him there. Only her hair.

The promise they made to each other.

Don't die

The promise he made to her.

Yubikiri Genman

Gintoki tied his own strand of cursed white hair on her pinkie, knowingly, making the lovers promise. To her. Only her. Only her.

うそついたら uso tsuitara (if you say a lie)

I'll never leave you.

針千本飲ます hari senbon nomasu (I'll let you swallow a thousand needles)

I'm eternally yours.

指切った。 yubi kitta. (and) cut (my) finger.

She tied it on his ring finger... his ring finger. His ring finger.

And I broke the promise.

His soul died when he left Edo.

I broke the promise.

I left her.

You don't love her. You're alone. You just don't want to be alone. Stay away from her. She just makes you feel better about your miserable life, you don't love her.

Because you don't destroy people you love.

Gintokis body revolted. Leaned onto the lantern, he threw up. It felt to him like throwing up his long-lost dreams, throwing up his hope and throwing up his reasons to keep going. He had left all of those things in Edo anyways.

His shaking hands reached out, grasping for support. But there was no one to help.

No one to hold onto.

No one to aid him.

Even if she was there to carry him, his blood covered hand were in no right to reach out for her tender fingers. Reaching out for someone's hand is coming close to reaching out for their soul. Tsukuyos soul was so clean and pure, touching her would only corrupt it and doom her endlessly.

What happens if you constantly hurt someone?

They love you less. After a while they start to forget that they loved you at all.

I hope she's happy.

Happy without me.

I hope she didn't suffer.

You know she suffered and it's your fault.

It's all your fault.

Your fault.

His legs gave in and his back collided with the hard soil.

Somedays it's not worth trying

Crashing to the ground, his only line of sight that was left, was the deep night sky.

And there she was again.

The moon.

Above him, shining on him, taunting him, scaring him, mourning with him.

His ears caught the sounds of a small squad of men, probably the same ones he picked a fight with earlier that gruesome evening.

"He's totally wasted, easy target for us" He heard them mumble. The first face obstructed his fixation on the moon. A primal wrath began to rush through his veins, he hadn't sensed this instinct for a long time, wondering how his body still remembered this sensation.

Don't obstruct my sight.

Flooded with pure fury, the Shiroyasha watched them take their next move.

And they scrambled in fear.

Once again, the heavenly body brushed his silver hair, bathing him in silver light again, illuminating the tears rolling down his face.

Crimson eyes stared directly at the moon, battling for dominance with an inanimate object.

It was soothing. It was reassuring. It was like a silent pact.

He wasn't afraid of the moon anymore and what was to come.

It's worth trying.

The broken samurai dragged himself to his feet, in his new-found purpose of collecting the parts of his soul and body he had believed as lost. They were never lost, he just left them with someone. Someone who was so important to him, he couldn't form it into words.

Gintoki slowly stumbled his way back to this rotten town.

She had his heart.

Reality could only keep him away from her for so long.

Somedays it is worth trying.

Now that they both are finding

Tsukuyo.. I'm coming..wait for me

She gets so sick of crying

He's coming back, I believe in him. I want to tell him the things he missed, when he comes back.

The footsteps in front of her door stopped.

Hinowa.. please..

.. I don't want to talk.

She's an Extraordinary Girl

#gintama #gintsu #gintoki x tsukuyo #sakata gintoki #tsukuyo #fanfic #fanfiction #angst #pining #romance #銀魂 #銀時 #銀月

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your-lady-star · 5 years ago

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Fallen M!Corrin is Better Than Fallen F!Corrin

Bit of a hot take here for me to do, but I’ve honestly have had complications with Fallen F!Corrin for a while, and now that my baby boy has his own, I figured now is a better time than any to get into my issues with her fallen alt and why M!Corrin does it significantly better.

Now I’m not going to talk about their skills and usefulness in battle, mainly cause I don’t care about that at all, I’m going to be focusing solely on design and how well it connects to the thematic surrounding the story of Fallen Corrin. And that’s a good starting point.

I remember back when last years fallen banner was revealed and I saw a lot of people wondering why Corrin was on the banner since they never turn evil in game. I think people forget what the purpose of the fallen banner is; it’s not to show inherently evil characters, it’s to show, well, fallen heroes. Characters who’s mindsets, goals, an ethics were once just, but have been corrupted by a dark force, whether it’d be psychological or external. And, while it’s easy to forget, Corrin is fighting a psychological battle for his sanity every minute of every day.

Corrin’s dragon blood is very potent and very powerful, more so than any of the other royals, hence why he’s able to fully transform into a dragon. One downside of this is that dragons within the world of Fire Emblem are described as being inherently destructive and blood thirsty, something we clearly see with Corrin as his first transformation into a dragon had him go on a destructive rampage and attack Azura. He’s given the dragonstone for the express purpose of maintaining control of these urges and keeping his sanity in check.

The fallen version is meant to showcase what would happen if they couldn’t maintain control, whether it’d be from not getting the dragonstone in time or the dragonstone not being of much help or maybe a completely different reason; it’s designed to show what would happen if Corrin surrendered to their draconic urges and became the monstrous killing machine they dread becoming, especially with the implications that Corrin may have possibly killed Aura during the initial attack. A Corrin who is lost to destructive urges and has become a monster that cannot be stopped, that is the theme to their fallen counterparts.

And while M!Corrin does that job fantastic, F!Corrin not so much.

Now we can finally get into discussing the art for these two and how well they do at showcasing this theme.

Let’s start with their default stance.

M!Corrin has a wide stance and is slightly hunched over, akin to that of an animal, and his tail being out further plays into that. The way its wrapped out to the front of his body with the spikes facing outward not only gives his stance a bit of a defensive feel, but also threatening, as though to let other know what they’re getting themselves into by challenging him. The way his hands are tensed up to look like claws makes it very intimidating and the way his left hand is positioned in that almost “come here” gesture gives a sense that he’s daring you to try to stop his, furthered with the way his right hand is placed in that cocky arrogance fashion that FE has used before. But the most telling feature is his eyes and face. That sense of cockiness is present with the way his eyebrows are raised and the slight curve of his mouth as well as that feel of lunacy with the ways his eyes seem to be different sizes, which anyone who has ever watched anime knows is clue number one that a character is a f*cking psychopath. But the most interesting thing is the dead emptiness is his expression. As though he isn’t truly there mentally, that he’s completely surrendered to the madness and is just a vessel for his cursed bloods madness. It’s downright terrifying and incredibly intriguing all at once.

Overall, this default art is fantastic and does a great job at giving a memorable first impression and teases for whats to come. It’s one of the best artworks to come out of Heroes for not only how well it does at displaying the theme of the character, but for being able to say so much with a single image.

On the other hand...

Alright, so on an objective standpoint there isn’t anything wrong with the default art for fallen F!Corrin. It looks great, it’s nicely detailed and it’s clear that a lot of time went into it. My issue with it is how poorly it does at representing a corrupted Corrin.

I get that the idea behind her design is that she’s slowly wearing herself down trying to fight back against her dark urges, but the art doesn’t do a good job at portraying that. The only real indication of her supposed exhaustion is a single bead of sweat running down her thigh and (maybe) one on her cheek, and everything from her facial expression to the way her arms are placed to her general stance comes off looking “embarrassed” rather than “tired”. She looks less like a woman desperately battling a losing battle to maintain control over her humanity and more like a typical anime girl who was walked in on by her crush while changing. The over-beautification of F!Corrin’s design already doesn’t do much to help with that (but that’s a discussion I’ll save for another day). Even the tail, one of the most striking features on fallen M!Corrin’s design, doesn’t have the same presence. It being mostly behind her not only loses that sense of defense and intimidation, but it causes the tail to blend into her and become less noticeable. I’m not even joking when I say that I didn’t even notice that she had a tail until the third time I saw this art.

Like I said, the art isn’t bad, it just doesn’t do the core theme justice. Rather than looking worn down, she looks slightly perturbed at best. Rather than looking menacing, she looks meek. And rather than fitting into a banner themed around great heroes falling into darkness, this feels like something that would fit in more in a summer or Easter banner (which is extremely ironic considering what I’ll get into later). It’s a build up for a set of art that’s supposed to make me feel sorry for her, but only accomplishes in making me think of how much she looks like me when I’m waiting for my brothers to hurry up in the bathroom.

Once more the dynamic weight and posing in the artwork shines brilliantly in his neutral attack pose. Lunging forward keeps in with the animalistic nature along with his hands once more tensed like claws, one reeling back to get ready to strike. With the way his cape and tail, curled almost like a snake or scorpion, flow behind him create a real feeling of movement and his expression dark but subdued, it makes for this real intense energy coming from his as he lunges for his prey. My favorite aspect being how the shadows form on his face, hiding it just enough to conceal his murderous intent while still allowing the harsh red of his eyes to shine prominently. And while there isn’t any discernible difference in his hair, the way it’s wrapped around his face and flowing to his movement give that much needed edge to his glare. And with the dark purple miasma flowing and highlighting points of interest, it makes for a truly great piece.

This isn’t really a problem that’s singular to fallen F!Corrin, as IS does struggle to give dragon units unique attack art that doesn’t just have the character either standing still or slightly curved with their arms either out at their sides or holding whatever stone they use to transform. So I can appreciate that they tried to do something different with her attack art. But, again, the problem is how it doesn’t fit with what they’re trying to represent.

Her expression is that of either mild annoyance or boredom, giving no indication that she’s in pain from having to fight. There’s no real tensity in any part of her body, having more of a grace and fluidity that is commonly used on dancer units. Her tail is more visible, but nothing is really being done with it. It’s not extenuating anything or highlighting a part of her body, it’s just curled on her legs. And any sense of intimidation is lost because the most threatening part of the tail, the spikes, are no longer in the foreground. Sense of movement is also an issue here. The way her cape and hair are framed makes it feel like she just jumped off of something and is having a rough landing and there’s no feeling for how she moved to attack, no ferocity in her actions. Again, it’s akin to more of a dancer than a feral dragon.

And this is small nitpick I have, but it really bugs me. I don’t like how the purple miasma for F!Corrin is lighter than M!Corrin’s. It might seem like a minuscule thing to be worried about, but the darker tone on his gives a real feel of dread and despair. The lighter tones are hers don’t stand out as much and don’t give any real negative emotion to her state. Yeah, she’s supposed to be fighting to maintain control, but having them be darker would help to represent that desperation and hopelessness. You can still have lighter hues, but they need to work in tandem to the darker colors.

Because when you do, you get beauty like this.

Just look at this masterpiece. The lighter purple flames mixing well with the darker flames, coming together in the center like a twisted mockery of where the dragonstone would be in any other art, curling around his body like a charging beast quickly closing in on you. His eyes glowing an ethereal mix of his natural red and the miasma around him, giving them a horrific shine that stand out a mile away and full of pure demented blood lust. And his mouth; wide open, fangs bearing in a horrific grimace, ready to sink into whatever stands in his way.

I don’t usually throw this term around, but I don’t hesitate to use it here: this art is flawless.

This art, however, I can’t attach flawless to. The mix of purple and dark pink and the lighting it casts does look really good, but it’s an intense mix to a subdued reaction. Her eyes don’t look anymore ferocious than they do on any of her other alts and there’s no glow to them to make her look like her darker urges are beginning to influence her. The clawed hand could be a cool feature, but it’s hard to see since it’s being blocked out by all the pink! I actually didn’t even notice that her hand was clawed until I looked up her artwork for this post! Such a distinguished feature shouldn’t be this hard to notice. Not to mention, even if the claw was more visible, it doesn’t hold the same level of intimidation as her male counterpart due to how thin and spindly her arms and hand are. This feels like a slight upgrade to her original forms special art and is extremely disappointing.

After the Adrift banner, I am pleased to see a M!Corrin alt where his damaged art doesn’t tear his clothes off. But even with the minimal physical damage, you can’t deny how good this looks.

The rips on his left hand give it a jagged look that nicely compliments how tense his hand is.His right is clawed and raised, poised to attack and surrounded by the miasma in a way that highlights it without overshadowing it. His tail raised and thrashing about in a fit of rage, further complimented by his crouched over stance and, of course, his face. Corrin’s facial expressions across each form of his fallen counterpart has been his best feature, and this is easily the best of the four. That look of pure, unadulterated, unrelenting rage is so disturbing and amazing at the same time. Damage art in Heroes typically has the character looking shocked, sad, perturbed, or not phased by it. This is the only damage art I can think of where the character is f*cking pissed. That is a look that screams “I”m going to f*cking annihilate you for doing that” and it’s utterly glorious.

Oh boy, this art.

Nearly everything I praised about M!Corrin’s damage art is the exact opposite for the female.

The stance is very generic and holds no emotion other than “Ow, I’m hurt”. Her facial expression doesn’t register pain at all, looking more like she’s inconvenienced because someone splashed water on her. Her tail, despite being very dominant, is just sitting there with no fluidity. Physical damage is far greater here, but all it does is distract the viewer who is too busy getting off to her exposed legs and thighs! And whether it'd be because of shaky perspective or shoddy work, but her hands and arms are distractedly small and thin. It looks like her arms would shatter if she pushed someone too hard.

This is my lease favorite of her arts entirely because it exemplifies the main problem with fallen F!Corrin’s design and why M!Corrin did it better.

It focuses more on making Corrin look cute rather than having her actually represent the theme she’s supposed to be.

The titles for the two Corrin’s are Bloodbound Beast and Wailing Soul. M!Corrin perfectly embodies his title while F!Corrin struggles to just barely hint at. Both of them are meant to show a pure hearted and noble individual being corrupted by the very blood coursing through their veins, yet only one of them is really putting in any effort to properly represent this. And while I can’t give any concrete evidence of this, I feel like the main thing that kept the female variant from properly doing the job was because they got the wrong person to draw her.

And look, I don’t have anything against Sencha, fallen F!Corrin’s artist; they’re extremely talented. But looking at their record for art in Heroes can tell you that they weren’t the right one for this. This is the same person who did the summer and adrift art for F!Corrin (they also did bridal Tharja, but that’s not related here), and both of them have a distinctive style to them. They’re graceful, beautiful, serene, cheerful. Sencha is very good at drawing Corrin very pleasant and lovely. However, Sencha clearly isn’t that good at drawing Corrin miserable and withered. And that’s understandable. Making someone completely shift the genre they’re used to is a serous challenge and it’d be no surprise if they can’t handle it. So, despite my claim that they got the wrong artist for her, I don’t blame Sencha for not doing as well.

Then again, I doubt that this wasn’t a challenge for Argon, fallen M!Corrin’s artist. Their Heroes portfolio consists of mostly seasonal alts for various male characters, though they also did Cormag, which shows that they do more dynamic posing and harsher color saturation. If anything, the fact that they did such a phenomenal job on Corrin shows they got some serious skill at drawing more demented characters. Hopefully they get to do this more often, I need to see more of their work like this.

So, at the end of this long diatribe, I’ll once again reiterate that I don’t dislike fallen F!Corrin for any personal bias towards the male version or because the art is objectively bad. It’s a nicely done art, but one that doesn't suit what the character is to represent. And the fact that fallen M!Corrin utterly blew it out the water in his artwork really made it worse for her.

... Was this all just on big excuse for me to gush about fallen M!Corrin’s artwork?

Maybe.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got orbs to hoard.

#fire emblem heroes #fire emblem fates #corrin #fe corrin #m!corrin #f!corrin #character design #design critic #this banner sold me in the first two seconds #i think you can see why

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straykidsupdate · 5 years ago

Text

Stray Kids & Their Fans Are Growing Up Together

Adulthood has its side effects.

Strobe lights flash like firing synapses; Synths wobble and throb like a pounding headache. “머리 아프다!” — my head hurts — yell the members in Korean, pounding their fists erratically in different directions in the air. Stray Kids dance over the EDM-trance beat as a stern voice recites a string of aliments: “Common side effects include: nervousness, insomnia, nausea, agitation, anxiety, sweating, vision problems, numbness, psychosis, dizziness, headaches, weight loss.”

From the crowd of nearly 5,600 in New York’s Hulu Theater, the refrain to “Side Effects” rang out passionately from the K-pop group’s diverse fanbase, called Stay, caught somewhere between a battle cry and a cry for help. Stray Kids know that this feeling they’re communicating with “Side Effects” — one of disorientation, fear, and confusion that goes hand-in-hand with growing up — is one they share with Stay. After all, that’s what makes Stray Kids (who range in age from 19 to 22) so beloved by their passionate fans — they write and compose straight from their own experiences, painting a vivid picture of the feelings that young people share all over the world. And now, for everyone gathered in this dark theater, singing together is a catharsis.

Since their debut with JYP Entertainment nearly two years ago, Stray Kids’ discography has weaved a narrative that serves as an allegory for the joys and pains of coming of age. They begin as prisoners in the fictional dystopia of “District 9,” but even after making their escape, they must enter a labyrinth to face internal battles as they question their identities and their goals throughout each three-part I Am… and Clé EP series.

“In Clé 1: Miroh, we went into the maze really confidently,” Stray Kids’ animated Austrailian-Korean leader Bang Chan tells Refinery29 in our office ahead of their New York City tour stop. Even in more serious moments, the 22-year-old rapper and one-third of Stray Kids’ producing unit, 3RACHA, holds a warmth and playfulness in his eyes. “And then after that, in Clé: Yellow Wood, we asked ourselves, ‘Was this the right decision? Do we have regrets? Did we choose the right way?’ ‘Double Knot’ [off of Clé: Levanter] was where we said, ‘We're going to keep on doing what we're doing. We'll just keep going.’ But then with [our most recent single] ‘Levanter,’ we stress how you can't always just really focus too much on one goal. Maybe you might need to take a break to see the other options.”

There’s a certain rebelliousness that seems to run through Stray Kids’ music — if they’re not fighting against a higher power, then they’re warring with themselves. But rapper Changbin, another 3RACHA member along with rapper and vocalist Han, is clear that their mentality isn’t “us against the world.”

“There's not this big, crazy thing that we’re fighting against, right?” says Changbin, the chains on his shirt clinking together as he gesticulates. Changbin’s duality on and offstage is one of the most pronounced in the group — though he’s not the youngest, he’s known affectionately as the “baby” by his members. Catch him performing, however, and he turns into a growling menace as he spits bars.

“But just like in daily life, there are things that you're facing — issues, or roadblocks when you're on your way to a dream and things that you want to do in life. The theme of our music is that we want to overcome that together.”

Hyunjin, a striking rapper and dancer beloved by fans for his emotional intelligence, lays out what he feels people his age today feel they are most often up against: “There are two types of people. One is somebody who doesn't really know exactly what they want to do with their life. They don't really have a dream, so they're trying to find themselves and decide what they want to do. And then there are people who do have a particular goal or dream, and they're trying to wrestle with how exactly they’re going to achieve it.”

It’s not simply that Hyunjin and the seven other members of Stray Kids (a ninth, Woojin, left the company suddenly late last year for unknown reasons) are guessing what’s on Stay’s mind — they know firsthand, thanks to their uniquely close relationship that they’ve taken care to nurture over the past two years in a few ways. The first, and in many ways the most important, is by connecting through their music, which they’ve self-produced even before they officially debuted as a group. This creative license allows them to speak directly to their fans and reveal themselves in a truly authentic way. It is also the reason why Stray Kids’ music — often a creative mix of EDM, rap, and rock — sounds so distinctive in the K-pop landscape, and even beyond Korea’s borders. “All eight of us have different preferences and tastes in music, so we can each bring a different color to the music we make,” says Changbin. “It lets our music be more diverse and it allows us to try new things.”

They acknowledge that there’s a tension between wanting to take risks in your music and needing to make a chart-smashing hit, which is something that despite their overall success, the group has yet to achieve. But the goal is to always try to push boundaries, and not sacrifice their integrity.

You don’t usually see this kind of adventurous spirit in a newer group: usually, musicians start by imitating what they know and love. In Stray Kids’ case, that could’ve meant reflecting artists who Stay likely also share passion for: A bit of Ed Sheeran (courtesy of Bang Chan), Ariana Grande (Changbin), or maybe even Day6 (Seungmin). But they resisted the urge to copy, and instead created their own signature style. “Even if it might be a bit weird, I think we all really enjoy that, because it really excites us to try new things,” says Bang Chan, dimples punctuating his broad grin.

"I feel like our fans are really just close friends, to the point where they’re like family" - Stray Kids’ Bang Chan

Beyond music, they also communicate with Stay directly. The members share their thoughts in short video series such as Two Kids Room and One Kid’s Room, behind-the-scenes vlogs about their travels on tour, and often take time to talk to fans on VLive, a live-streaming app popular with K-pop idols. But they take it a step further: Bang Chan goes live once a month (it used to be once a week) in a segment he calls “Chan’s Room,” where he shares updates about his life, what’s been on his mind, and music recommendations. Hyunjin started a series called “Hyunjin’s Counseling Center,” where he addresses both his and Stay’s various inner thoughts and feelings, as well as give advice.

“I feel like our fans are really just close friends, to the point where they’re like family,” says Bang Chan. “I love spending quality time and just being like, ‘I'm doing this. I'm thinking about this these days. I want to show you guys this. I got my ukulele and am going to play something for you guys.’ I think the whole live system is really great because it makes us feel so close. It just tightens the relationship.”

“I think the best way for Stay to take care of themselves is to stay healthy and eat a lot of delicious food and listen to our music,” adds the affable and dynamic vocalist Seungmin, “so this is a way we check in and help them with that.”

It’s a beautiful symbiotic relationship. While fans certainly benefit from Stray Kids’ care, the artists readily admit that they’ve learned a lot about themselves since becoming idols and gaining fans.

“People think that it’s weird to be a celebrity if you’re an introvert,” says blonde Han, who opted for a seat in the center of the half circle, though a bit behind his bandmates. On stage and with his members, his charisma and sense of humor know no bounds, but the sole MBTI-certified introvert of the group usually takes a while to get comfortable in new environments. “I usually keep to myself, but when I’m on stage with the other Stray Kids members, I find this courage and strength that I didn’t even know I had,” he says, a smile widening on his face as he compliments the others in the room. “I get strength from my fellow members and the enthusiasm and energy of the fans, so that I can be confident and not come off as too introverted.”

“The feedback from fans has helped us grow so much,” says Australia-born dancer Felix, whose deep voice and shock of red hair counterbalance his lithe stature. His deep sincerity and good nature ratidate as he speaks. “We're always trying to show better work. So using all this direct feedback, I do try to improve as an artist and as... I guess it helps me try to be a better person in general.”

I.N., the youngest, self-proclaimed fox-faced vocalist of the group, as well as passionate dancer and cat-lover Lee Know, have both been more motivated to stick to their goals thanks to fans. I.N. explains his lack of willpower using cool slang (“작심삼일”) that stumps even the interpreter. “Basically I give up on things within three days,” he says. “I’ve been trying to overcome that.” For Lee Know, it’s a bit more simple: “I want to bulk up. So, consistency is so important. Stay are good at keeping us accountable.”

Hyunjin, ever-contemplative, sees the growth he’s gained from being an idol with fans as more introspective. “I’ve experienced a lot of feelings and emotions I didn’t have when I was a trainee,” says Hyunjin. “Being a celebrity or an idol, you're in the public eye and you're one person who is constantly interacting with and meeting many, many people. While talking to so many fans, I started realizing how much impact the words of a few people can have on a large number of people. It made me more thoughtful of what I say and I feel more responsibility for our music and performances. I want to do my best because of my fans. I feel that it’s made me grow into a more mature person.”

And while that seems like a lot of pressure to put on a 19-year-old, he maintains that he sees it as a responsibility he’s more than happy to take on. “I don’t really see it as a burden because the way I see it, you could say just one little thing, but that could really make a person's day or really change their mind for the better.”

#stray kids #200214 #era: clé levanter #t: article #refinery29

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az3422 · 3 years ago

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PeppersGhost's Proposal, I guess.

K/O Failure Scenario Hub » SPC-001 » PeppersGhost's Proposal, I guess.

rating: +263+–X

You are now connected.

[13:04] Topic is "Fuck credentials, fuck passwords, fuck secrecy, fuck everything. Just, fuck in general. Fuck like it's the end of the world, because it is. Fuck me, please oh lord im so alone | Welcome! If you're still alive to read this, good luck finding someone to talk to."

[13:04] DrTsega: Hello? Anyone here?

[19:32] DrTsega: I'll take that as a no, then.

[22:48] DrTsega: I can't be the only one left.

[22:49] DrTsega: Hey Queg, are you still running?

[22:49] Queg: Hello, DrTsega. What can I do for you?

[22:49] DrTsega: thank god

[22:50] DrTsega: !backscroll 10

[22:50] Queg: [04:33] SgtYitay: I've looked through the entire building

[22:50] Queg: [04:33] SgtYitay: Everyone is dead

[22:50] Queg: [04:33] AgentCaleb: No shit

[22:50] Queg: [04:33] AgentCaleb: I know nobody uses this thing anyway but DAMN it's been EMPTY

[22:50] Queg: [04:34] AgentCaleb: You think it's just the two of us?

[22:50] Queg: [04:37] AgentCaleb: You still there

[22:50] Queg: [04:39] AgentCaleb: Saaarrrrge

[22:50] Queg: [04:50] SgtYitay has been disconnected (Ping timeout)

[22:50] Queg: [18:22] AgentCaleb: oooookay well i think im gonna call it quits then. If anyone sees this tell my husband I love him

[22:50] Queg: [18:22] AgentCaleb: lol jk i'll see that dogfaced whore in hell 👍🕶👍

[22:51] DrTsega: hmm

[22:52] DrTsega: !seen Agent Caleb

[22:52] Queg: AgentCaleb was last seen 8 days ago saying: lol jk i'll see that dogfaced whore in hell 👍🕶👍

[22:52] DrTsega: shit

[22:53] DrTsega: shitballs

[22:53] DrTsega: shitmonkeys

[22:55] DrTsega: shit the nail on the head

[22:55] DrTsega: okay

[11:16] DrTsega: Good morning. If anyone sees this just ping me, I'll stay around as long as I can.

[09:48] DrTsega: I'm still here

[14:26] DrTsega: !quote CaptSumner

[14:26] Queg: CaptSumner: I may be shitting out of my pee parts but FUCK YOU I will WALK IT OFF

[14:26] DrTsega: haha what

[14:27] DrTsega: Good times, good times.

[14:28] DrTsega: I wish Sumner wasn't lying dead in the bathroom

[14:29] DrTsega: or anywhere, for that matter

[14:33] DrTsega: but especially the bathroom

[08:01] DrTsega: I'm still here

[12:55] DrTsega: Man, if anyone sees this later I'm going to look really pitiful

[05:51] DrTsega: okay I can't sleep so I guess I might as well do this

[05:52] DrTsega: !settopic Check the backscroll. Look for "Start here"

[05:52] Topic is "Check the backscroll. Look for "Start here""

[05:52] DrTsega: Start here

[05:53] DrTsega: If you're still alive to read this, congratulations. You survived.

[05:54] DrTsega: You also have access to working internet and enough knowledge about shadow governments to visit a (previously) private communications channel, so, hey, good on you.

[05:55] DrTsega: As a reward for being such a cool and alive person, I'm going to tell you the story of how we ended the world.

[05:55] DrTsega: For context, though, you'll probably want to start by reading a certain document…

[05:56] DrTsega: Actually, you can probably just skim it. A lot of this won't make sense to you anyway, so who cares?

[05:57] DrTsega: Anyway. I'll go find the link. If memory serves, they declassified everything when they realized we were all gonna die.

[06:13] DrTsega: How are these servers even still up? Isn't that just the craziest thing

[08:22] DrTsega: Found it.

NOTICE FROM THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE COORDINATION

AND PROJECTS OPERATION COMMAND OFFICE

There is nothing new to report regarding SPC-001 at this time.

Test subject displaying the results of his exposure to SPC-001.

Project #: SPC-001

Selachian Pugnātorial Capabilities: Individuals enhanced with SPC-001 display a dramatic improvement in pugilistic prowess and have consistently proven capable of easily dispatching 90% of squaloid entities in simulations, even with no prior training. Furthermore, SPC-001 subjects have reported a radical elevation in coastal requiescence position retention, even when under assault from extragranular sedimentary weaponry.

Project Components: SPC-001 is a manmade chemical substance which augments the biological strength and dexterity of human beings. After initial exposure to SPC-001, subjects will undergo a steady increase in muscle mass over the following 72 hours, accompanied by heightened energy levels and adroit perception of their surroundings. Increased lung capacity and resistance to deep-sea hydrostatic pressure are common side effects.

Following the DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION and the subsequent activation of the ALL HANDS ON DECK PROTOCOL, SPC agents embedded in the food industry began introducing discreet amounts of SPC-001 into numerous products intended for public consumption. Centre researchers have projected a full global saturation of SPC-001 to be achieved by the year ████. In the event that the DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION ends before global saturation can be achieved, more aggressive means of SPC-001 dispersal may be undertaken to prevent a complete End-of-World K/O Failure Scenario.

Nascency Impetus: On May 16, ████, all observed selachian entities across the globe simultaneously demanifested, including those in SPC captivity. No selachian entities or evidence of the continued presence of selachian entities have been observed since. A Maximum State of Emergency was declared soon after by the Executive Pugilist Assembly and the phenomenon was codified as the DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION. It is the belief of the Assembly that the selachians are congregating in preparation for the FINAL CONFLICT, an event foretold by Elder Pugilord Azmanititas in the Centre's original constitutional documents in 1451.

[08:23] DrTsega: Did you get all that?

[08:23] DrTsega: No? Okay, I'll break it down for you.

[08:26] DrTsega: I was part of a group known as the Selachian Punching Centre. An organization dedicated to fighting the menace that plagued our oceans. "We punch underwater so you can live on the land." That's what we used to say.

[08:27] DrTsega: I know what you're thinking.

[08:29] DrTsega: Yes. It was us keeping you safe the entire time. The Centre safeguarded mankind for centuries. Civilization as we knew it wouldn't have been possible if we weren't around. Our influence was unparalleled, extending to every level of every government, changing the course of world events, yet remaining a complete secret from everybody, which was really quite tricky.

Then, one day, the selachian menace disappeared. Our immediate reaction was one of disbelief, followed by euphoria, followed by raucous celebration. We danced. We drank ourselves stupid. We sang the songs of our forefathers. The orgies weren't officially sanctioned, of course, but boy howdy-doo were they tremendous.

Sadly, our revelry wasn't meant to last.

"DREAD PORPOISE COMMUNION", the Assembly called it. The prophesied gathering of every selachian, big or small. Every sharp, slimy, putrid horror that haunted our dreams, coming together in one place to bring about the end of all other life on our beautiful, green planet.

"But fear not," said our trusted Assembly. They told us that the human race would fight back. They said that when the selachians returned with their armies and squaloid murder-drones, we would be ready.

And they were right. We were ready. Thanks to SPC-001, we managed to get the entire human race fighting fit. At first people were alarmed when everyone started getting super ripped for no apparent reason, but then they realized it was awesome and the panic died down. Within a few months, every man, woman, and child was a lean, mean, punching machine. Even babies had abs you could wash your clothes on. It seemed like everything was going fine.

And that's how it went for the first couple of years: fine. Sure, boxing had to be outlawed once folks could punch with the same Newtonian force as your average car crash, and there were a few riots now and then over tank top shortages, but for the most part everything felt normal.

Year three, people started getting antsy. We had kept ourselves busy at the Centre by devising new weapons for selachian warfare, but every innovation felt hollow with a lack of anything to use them on. We grew listless. Surely the assault would begin any day, right?

Year four. There was an aura of dread hanging over the whole organization. I remember sitting in the Site-71 cafeteria, eating pickled cabbage and creamed corn salads with my comrades, when I finally heard someone ask aloud what we'd all wondered in the dark corners of our heads.

"What if they don't come back?"

It was Simmons who said that, of course. Of course. I kicked him in the face—a punch would have really hurt him—but the damage was done. It's a scary thought, losing your purpose in life. Faced with that kind of existential ennui, it's no wonder that everyone responded by flipping their shit. Hersberger screamed and started smearing her salad all over her face. Gertzler stabbed his fork tines into his cheek with no visible emotion. Bühler just broke down and cried until his tears turned to blood.

But Schwartzentruber was downright fuming. Started shouting all sorts of obscenities. Said he'd shove his fist down Simmons' throat and rip out his toenails from the inside. And Simmons was all defensive, "you all were thinking it" and that kind of stuff. The two kept going at it. We shouldn't have just sat there and watched, but no one thought fists would ever get involved. How could we have known?

I remember the entire cafeteria going silent. One moment, the two colleagues had been arguing. Next thing we knew, Schwartzentruber was wearing Simmons' face around his arm like a bracelet. Fist went straight through. Nobody knew what to say. Hersberger just picked the brain matter from her hair. There was no finishing our dinner after something like that.

We all tried to write it off as an isolated incident, an unhinged employee who forgot his own strength in a moment of pure emotion. That illusion was shattered when reports started coming in from the other sites. Similar incidents were happening all over the world, and within a few weeks it wasn't just limited to SPC personnel. These arms were made for punching, and that's just what they did.

As time went on, it became harder for us to fight the itch. Punching bags were laughable at that point, so instead we invented punching blocks out of a titanium-concrete composite. Even fashioned them into the shape of selachians to help take the pain away, but it still wasn’t enough. Whenever we came close to a cure, someone would end up atomizing the equipment with a flick of the wrist and we'd have to start over.

Eventually, one day I walked into the cafeteria and found the floor covered in what must have been two inches of blood. I thought maybe a pipe had burst until I saw Bühler sitting on a table in the corner. Guy was slathered in viscera from top to bottom, and he was wearing human heads around his arms like they were snap bracelets. I asked if he wanted to talk, but he didn't answer. He just stared at his fists and trembled. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was dead, hole in his beefy chest so big I coulda driven my Grampy's Volvo through it.

That was what broke me, I think. I had never seen someone self-pugilate before. I didn't know how many people were still alive in Site-71, but I knew that I would not perpetuate the carnage. I gathered some medical supplies from the surgical augmentations lab and tied a tourniquet around my burgeoning, well-defined bicep. Carefully, I injected myself with the nearest substance that resembled an anesthetic and bid my guns goodbye.

Screaming, writhing, I hacked off my arm using only a pair of rusty toenail clippers. Needless to say, I was dizzy from pain, blood loss, and the 5 CCs of green apple daiquiri I'd injected myself with, but somehow I managed to drag myself back to the cafeteria to cauterize my stump in the kitchen's oven. Barely clinging to consciousness, I set the oven to preheat, wrapped my stump in a tent of foil, and stuck it inside, turning regularly to promote an even cauter and applying a light baste to keep it moist.

When the bleeding stopped, I went back and repeated the process with my other arm. The second time was harder, I think. With no free hands remaining, I was forced to grip the toenail clippers with my teeth. I also ran out of baste. It was the most agonizing experience I could ever possibly fathom, but here I am. Alive. My cannonball deltoids still ripple with pugilistic vigor now and then, but the stubs are too short to be lethal.

And that's it. That's my story. That's how I ended up here, barricaded alone in an underground facility, typing on a keyboard with my tongue. I haven't been able to get in touch with any other Centre sites, and I can't leave the building. Every day I lose a little more hope. My personal hygiene has suffered, too—partly because I can't look at a pair of clippers without bursting into tears. My toenails are getting really long now. I'll probably have to use a pair of scissors or something. I could even use that electric carving knife I got for my birthday. Hell, I think there's a chainsaw in the supply closet. No shortage of options, really.

Even if I'm alive now, there's no telling how long that will last. Sometimes I hear people punching on the reinforced doors, desperate to break in and claim another victim to slake their drunken punchlust. Someday they may succeed. There's enough food left around to keep me going a while, though just for a while. I've kept my mind occupied and my spirits up by watching Dr. Cavender's Walking Dead box sets, but I can feel that post-Season-Six quality drop looming just around the corner.

Maybe this was their plan all along. Maybe they just left the planet, knowing full well we'd destroy ourselves. Maybe when the last human has passed their final breath, the selachians will return from wherever they went and feast on our tight, sculpted corpses. Or maybe they're happier where they are now. Maybe they're not coming back. I hope that's not the case. As much as it pains me to say it: I miss them.

I miss sharks.

[23:19] DrTsega: With all the squats I've been doing, I could probably pop their heads between my fucking thighs.

[23:20] DrTsega: pop 'em just like cherries. hell yeah

doomsday2018goi-formatshark-punching-center

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