#hunter was not allowed to be vulnerable. it was too dangerous to be. he also had NO ONE while under belos's thumb. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lollytea · 7 months

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in regards to that text post you tagged as hunlow followed by "listen to me". i have a chair. i am sitting down. i'm listening if you want to explain.

Waaah I am all jumbled up so this is not gonna be very eloquent but lemme do a little word vomit here.

Anyway. The poem 'Yes & No' by Natalie Wee and the complete huntlow overload it gives me every time I read it.

It works from both their perspectives on how they view the other person. Those parallels do be paralleling. I might blabber about it from Hunter's POV....another day. But because the poem is written by a woman and refers to a 'Him' lets focus on Willow's side of things. It's the side that gives me the most brainrot anyway. I really do love a good subversion. A girl who thinks she is too monstrous for a boy whom she views as too gentle.

I think very often about Willow's relationship with her own powers. The show went somewhat into depth about how being 'Half a Witch' destroyed her confidence. The part of her that could not excel at anything that wasn't plant-centric. There's nothing particularly complex about her feelings of inferiority. It's very easy to understand. She's Mildred Hubble coded.

HOWEVER it's also shown in her debut episode that Willow losing control of her emotions can lead to big destructive outbursts. This is the part that was touched on as a conflict in For the Future, but was never really explored at length.

This ability of hers is extremely dangerous. She can severely hurt both herself and the people around her. Surely, that must be a frightening reality for a little girl to live with.

I wonder when these outbursts first started. I wonder if that incident in the detention pit was the first time her own magic nearly killed her. I wonder if something happened on the day of Amity's birthday party when little Willow felt like she had lost everything. I wonder a lot of things. But mostly I wonder how being like this since she was young has effected Willow's mindset, her behaviour and her complexes. What does she think of herself? Is she afraid of what she's capable of? Is she afraid of her own emotions?

Anyway, with that in mind. Here is the poem. Beat by beat.

reasons to not kiss him:

1. you weren’t raised to love tender.

Willow was born and raised to be a sweet gentle girl with a soft spot for plants. She's silly and lighthearted yet mature for her age and tries to remain rational in irrational situations. She allows hugs from Gus and she allows Luz's touchy affection and cooing over how cute she is.

But by "love tender", I interpret it as Willow not knowing how to love and be loved in a way that puts her in a vulnerable position. The bleeding open wound kind of love. She's already been thrown away once in her life like she's something disposable so she has decided that it will inevitably happen again. Willow has already braced herself for Luz and Gus finding other friends and leaving her behind. She's loved them so sweetly this whole time but she's always been keeping them at arm's length, scared to pour too much of her heart into their hands. She's simply savouring the time she has with them until they drift away.

But Hunter is a different story. There is something about him that demands she love tender. And it's terrifying that she feels the pressure to do so. And it's even more terrifying that she so badly wants to.

2. when he’s around all you do is tremble. when he’s around you want to get on your knees. look how much power he has over you. it’s dangerous.

Willow is a girl who has been carelessly discarded like her feelings meant nothing, made to feel like she was a waste of an existence and who is also deathly afraid of herself and the unstable magical battery pulsing inside of her. This results in having to lock up her more reckless emotions in order to keep everyone safe, but also to protect her own heart. She's gotten good at it. And she's also now perceived as an iron clad witch who cannot be weakened.

But the presence of Hunter reveals something very concerning. She can be weakened. His smile and his voice and his entire disposition is a breach of the barriers she has spent years building. He is capable of puncturing her clean through. And the part that makes her lips tighetn is that he's not even aware of it.

It doesn't sound so foreboding on the surface. So what if he can make her smile until she can't stop smiling? So what if he can make her laugh until she's breathless? But then she'd have to regain herself and realize that as harmless as that is, it's a result of her losing control of her emotions. Which she rarely does anymore. And it's all because of him with his soft eyes and his kind smile and his shy adoration for her.

And if he can do that, he can do far worse to her. That's the scary part.

3. he’s too good at forgiving and you’re too good at violence.

4. you know what they say about monsters. you know what happens to the boys who love them. are you going to do that to him?

5. your hands don’t know how to be gentle. think about the last beautiful thing that shattered in your palms. the fresh rosebuds crumbling between your fingers like a bruise. you wolf-boy, you war machine. you wouldn’t know how to hold something magic and not destroy it.

Willow is not stupid. She's not unobservant. Hunter did not need to stay a word for her to realize that he is a boy who has been wronged by someone who he loved with his whole aching heart. He has been hurt in a way that will leave his heart aching forever and ever.

But it's a sharp sting to know that in spite of that, he continues to fall deeply in love with every person who shows him compassion. Nothing can burn out his warm glow. He loves and he loves until he's sick with the stuff. And Willow doesn't know how he does it, but his glow is so nice to graze in. Once you get too close to him, you don't want to leave.

When Willow hugs him, his fingers tentatively twist into the sleeves of her cardigan. She sees how he looks at her and she knows he'd like nothing more than to squeeze her tight and drown in her.

He's in love with Willow the way he's in love with everything and she desperately wants to give him everything.

She wants to place her hands on his cheeks and watch as she melts into her palms, finally satiated after all he had been starving for.

She wants to fall in love with him.

But she can't. Because she knows he'd fall in love with her too.

And then eventually, she would hurt him. Like he had been hurt before.

She can't trust herself to not hurt him.

And in the aftermath of the hurt, she would cry herself hoarse with ragged apologies.

And because she was kind and because he knows she didn't mean to hurt him, he would squeeze her tight and say "It's okay."

Then she'd hurt him again.

"It's okay."

And again.

"It's okay."

A painful cycle that spins until there's barely of him left.

And Willow is scared that by that point that she'll be too weak for his soft eyes to ever let him go.

She doesn't know what will become of her.

She doesn't want to find out.

So to stay on the safe side, they will never begin.

6. if you hurt him it might kill you

7. if you hurt him you might kill yourself.

8. you are very bad at rehabilitation. this is one addiction you’d fail to give up. he’s going to ruin you for all other kisses and all other boys and you’ll spend the rest of your life trying to forget his name.

Willow has analyzed the situation and she's come to the conclusion that if she allowed this sweet boy entry to her briar n' bramble guarded heart, they'd bend to his will, clearing a path to the delicate structure. And once he holds it in his hands, he'll leave his fingerprints all over it.

This is the damage she's talking about.

The damage he can do to her.

9. you still aren’t sure he isn’t a dream.

10. if you kiss him, you might wake up.

You would think, with all this lamenting Willow does over Hunter's existence, that he's making her miserable.

Far from it.

She's reluctant to admit it, even to herself, but she's already addicted to whatever it is that he's emanating. Like a flower stretching towards the sunlight.

Sometimes he doesn't feel feel.

Typical of an overthinker to not believe that could be as wonderful as it seems.

In an ideal world, they could both make each other happy.

If she doesn't ruin everything.

Mistletoe kisses. Parasitic in nature.

What if she leeches all the light left in him?

What if a kiss is her wakeup call?

reasons to kiss him:

1. because he’s beautiful.

He's so beautiful.

2. because he asked.

He's begging. He's begging every time he looks at her. He certainly doesn't mean to. Nor does he know that he's doing it. But somehow, without saying a word, he has crumbled to his knees begging for her to pour of a little of her heart into his lips to warm his blood.

He wants her to love tender and be loved raw. And he wants to do the same.

And if she said no, he would simply reply "that's okay."

But she doesn't want to say no.

She wants to give him everything.

That's the problem.

And even worse....she is pretty sure she is about to crack.

She will give him everything.

Because...

3. because he preceded please with, i’m not afraid of you.

#huntlow #man...#sorry im kinda unwell about them

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probablyhuntersmom · 1 year

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Since my brain won't shut up about Hunter and also opposite colours on the colour wheel..

Allow me to ramble a bit about three pairs of complementary colours, used as lighting in Hunter's character arc to reflect the significance of what's going on and to reflect his internal state:

Orange and blue: I noticed that orange - a really warm colour - is when he is the safest and happiest. Blue seems to imply great danger, since it's also Belos's monster glow colour. Orange is alluded to at the end of Hunting Palismen but starts to come into the picture for him in Clouds On The Horizon, and is contrasted with the medium blue in Eclipse Lake, vivid blue in Labyrinth Runners and dark blue in King's Tide:

The most vivid orange shade was when Luz told him "You're family now", versus the vivid bright blue right after he got possessed and had the absolute worst night in his life:

The Noceda house basement where he and Gus stayed was mostly orange. The Halloween Festival scene showed both colours, showing the transition from safety to danger:

Red and green: Flapjack was a vivid red colour, and the artificial magic used by Hunter and Belos was the same shade. Belos's goop colour is a sickly dark green shade. Something tells me that red points to Belos's portrayal of strength on the outside and his agenda as Emperor, since the most striking red lighting we see in the show is related to the Day of Unity. (Whereas blue might point to his chaotic internal state that unravels especially in King's Tide and the final act of Thanks to Them).

It's interesting that Hunter has red lighting behind him, holding Flapjack in staff form as support, during the first time he stands up to Belos:

Hunter witnesses Belos's 'death' in the frame with the most striking red, contrasted with his dread that Belos was in fact alive in the following episode:

But what stood out to me when he was so caring towards Willow in the most recent For the Future, was that the lighting was also dark green:

Maybe I'm reading too much into it but it's a really interesting colour choice for an overlap between Willow (whose theme colour is obviously green) at her lowest point and Hunter being in such a painful vulnerable place himself, to be able to connect with her from the emotional place of releasing some of his own immense traumatic grief.

Compare this point in his development where he has beautiful moments of vulnerability, to way back in Hollow Mind when we are faced with the big reveal and he's surrounded by red artificial magic as his world truly started to fall apart:

Finally there's the combination I have saved for last, yellow and purple, comparing Hunting Palismen and For the Future:

If you notice, a prominent portion of Hunting Palismen had yellow backgrounds and lighting (the location being Latissa), and clearly he was the character who stood out the most in that episode, being unmasked and all that.

Whereas For the Future showed a good deal of purple in the Boiling Isles - including what I think is a muted purple in the photo classroom of Hexside - since it is Luz's theme colour and was building up towards Luz gaining her staff and Stringbean hatching.

It's also interesting that 1) in Hunting Palismen, Luz had the major struggle of not pairing up with any palisman but goes through the challenge of rescuing the palismen that are taken by Hunter, and she ends up getting to know him. But 2) in For The Future, Hunter suffers from major grief after losing his palisman, and faces the challenge of accepting the loss while Luz gains her palisman:

In For the Future, there is this short scene where the lighting harks back to Flapjack fading away:

Some scenes with very low saturation of colour, but very light or very dark value, also marked significant turning points in his arc:

For obvious reasons, the lighting is neutral and not striking in more light-hearted scenes (though the first half of Labyrinth Runners is a bit of an exception here), such as the flyer derby scene in Any Sport In A Storm, or the thrift store scene in Thanks to Them.

How I wish I could've sat in the pre-production and production team meetings where these lighting-related decisions were made. Let's see what will happen in Watching and Dreaming!

#toh hunter #the owl house #toh analysis #hunting palismen #eclipse lake #hollow mind #labyrinth runners #clouds on the horizon #king's tide #thanks to them #for the future #loz writes a meta

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befuddled-calico-whump · 3 months

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WOAH ALSO just realized Vic coming in and convincing Hunter to take the brass knuckles to Sahota matches with what Sahota thinks in The Return. "Vic wants what Vic wants, and attempting to sway his desires only ever ends poorly." He made it clear that the crew was not going to interrogate Finley, but Sahota went against him for some reason. I can't quite place why though, and that bugs me. I suppose Hunter's guess that he's just doing it to prove the crew wrong is the occams razor, but I just can't totally accept it. The motives seem to match with Vic's when he gave the crew an opportunity to rescue Sahota. He wants to test the five, and doesn't actually think that they'll be able to pull through with the real mission. Except me and Hunter come back to the same thing, why don't they do what Vic wants? Sahota does not seem like he's in a stage to rebel, especially if it means clearly putting himself in more danger at the hands of people he has no reason to trust. Is he trying to prove to Vic that he can work and control the group without help? That he'll find some sort of praise for putting the crew in their place? It's infuriating WHY CAN'T IT JUST MAKE SENSE!!

-⌚anon

(because I'm not sure how much I'll be able to cover/hint at this in-story...)

Sahota has multiple reasons for doing what he did, not all of them obvious, even to himself.

On a surface level, he's giving the team a challenge he doesn't think they'll be able to complete, thus highlighting their own deficiencies (and hoping they'll learn from it), and putting the responsibility for killing Finley on himself, because he can do it quicker and cleaner

Digging a little deeper, he just came back from a mission injured, and most of the team is expressing concern, which is kinda pushing him towards vulnerability. Vulnerability is something he's only been allowed with Vic, and never ends well, so challenging them was also a way for him to regain control by giving them an opportunity to hurt him and prove to both them and himself that he's stronger than it and he can take it.

It's also due to a very buried level of care: he sees the team as too soft to kill someone. Meanwhile, he's desensitized to it. Part of his conditions for the challenge was that if they failed, he'd kill Finley, instead of letting Vic send the newbies to do it.

While he's training them to kill if necessary, and he's forced to take a neutral attitude to it, needless killing is still something that seats deeply wrong in him, and it isn't a responsibility he wants to force on someone else. This reason is a lot more sub-conscious, but it definitely played into him taking the risk

#it's also worth noting that he genuinely didn't know how vic would react to it. this is all new ground to him #and he's been given leave to train the team. this is technically training #he knew there was anchance vic would take it poorly but he didn't think it was a high one #he's also been left alone while training them so far so he thought it would still be the case #which of course as soon as the door opens and he hears Vic's tone he's berating himself for being so stupid because vic ALWAYS knows #t$$ ask #t$$ sahota #⌚ anon #:)))

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amaranthineoni · 10 months

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@starrkc || CONTINUED

there was a presence that watched him from the shadows. it lingered and always made certain not to make itself known. although starrk always knew it was there. even if he didn't give off any inclinations in that regard. today happened to be a day off and since it was summer that meant he could go outdoors and enjoy some fresh air for once. maybe even get some sun and heat that most people seemed to loathe. to him it was something new. something different. he liked how it lit everything up and maxed up that heat in the summer. and how people seemed to be sitting outside fanning themselves with paper fans or eating icecream. little things humans did in the summer to cool down. I had a thought, dear However scary About that night The bugs and the dirt there were also bugs. lots and lots of bugs in the summer. zooming past and being pests. it seemed the human realm had more bugs than humans at times. he kneeled down to observe a trail of ants on the pavement, a little past the green green grass. they apparently either sought out moisture or food. ants were curious insects. something akin to wolves in packs. but they worked harder and they were much, much more in number. and unlike them, he was completely alone. a lone wolf without a pack. as he watched the ants, the presence lingered behind him several steps away. he pretended to not notice and got up to continue on his way. Why were you digging? What did you bury Before those hands pulled me From the earth? walking with his hand in one pocket while the other held a cherry and lime-flavoured popsicle he walked leisurely onward. the grass was also much greener in the summer. or so he had noticed. in spring it was dull. as though regaining life after a long slumber. and winter had it completely almost dead. or maybe it did die and in spring it was born anew. hm. perhaps that's how it was with grass because the leaves in the trees were the same way too. one thing he enjoyed about this human realm was the way the seasons changed and each one was different in its own way. and still the figure continued to follow him. always several steps away. I will not ask you where you came from I will not ask you, neither should you once he turned a corner and immediately ducked out of sight behind a building, he waited. now being the hunter and not the prey. and when he felt the familiarness of the presence that had been following all day right there looking left and right in a rushed manner. he reached out a hand and held onto the shoulder. ' caught you. it's not nice spying on people. ' whoever you are. why are you following me, he thought not asking it just yet.

Allowing Aizen's former army into the living world is a trust exercise, and one that Tomoe personally believes should be taken with much much more caution than it is.

Sure, Nelliel and her brethren are pretty harmless. Not physically, but she is a dignified and honorable warrior, and more importantly, she's their friend. Her presence is always a pleasure, and Tomoe likes to see her around. She's safe.

The other end of the spectrum is Grimmjow. Kisuke has him on an exceptionally tight leash, though she's pretty sure he doesn't know, but he does. Kisuke watches him, leads him around by the nose and knows where and how to point him so he doesn't explode in the direction of a vulnerable human. But even then, he's dangerous and volatile. He's gone after members of the shoten more than once. She can handle herself, as can Kisuke and Yoruichi, but poor Ururu is outgunned and outclassed.

Her point is, Nel might not need a babysitter, but Grimmjow sure as hell does, and she hasn't decided if this one does or doesn't yet.

Her time with the arrancar was an unkind one, and it scarred her. She's not being unreasonable by taking this act upon herself.

He's a powerful man by anyone's measure. Tall and strong, but he's not imposing in his size, ,he hasn't done anything to tip her off, to offend or aggress anyone. Dark hair, light eyes, taller than most Japanese men, he almost stand out if not for his slouch and unobtrusive presence.

But a hollow is a hollow. She's just as certain that he has blood on his hands and in between the crevices of his teeth as she's sure every hollow does.

She's unobtrusive in her hunt, she doesn't mean to interrupt him. She doesn't let him know she's watching, keeping her pace behind, reiatsu suppressed. She blends with the crowd, contained in her gigai, a cap low over her eyes and bright clothes swapped for duller black and greys.

When he wanders around the corner, she waits a beat before following, it doesn't do good to follow too closely, but when she gets around the corner herself, he's gone. Senses stretches out - gold eyes scan the road, then sweep across the opposite side of the road. She can't see him. Where -

A hand, settles heavily on her shoulder, and she whirls around only to come face to face with her target.

"Ah-" busted. Not good.

Should she lie?

No, he clearly knows she's been following him, but she doesn't know how long he's know. Better to say nothing at all and see what he does. "Is it?"

#[ ic : el demonio ]#starrkc #shes gonna play dumb until she needs not to

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mcconnelllundsgaard64 · 2 years

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Some Ideas To Keep Your Cat Healthy And Happy.

There isn't any animal that compares to a cat and they are great pets for several reasons. Cats offer lots of entertainment, while also ridding the home of rodents. People often underestimate how helpful a kitty can be, and how much one can do to get rid of pests. Before acquiring a cat, be sure that you have the wherewithal to take care of all necessary vet care. Cats reproduce at an alarming rate, and spaying or neutering is essential to keeping cat population under control. Check spay, neuter and vaccination costs and packages with local vets and clinics and be sure you can afford to give your cat proper medical care. Choose a high quality food. The key to a healthy cat starts with nutrition. Take a look at the ingredients label. If you look at most "popular" commercial cat foods, you may be surprised to see the top ingredient listed is corn. Cats are carnivores, so look for a food with a real meat as the top ingredient. You may pay more up front, but these foods are often more nutritionally dense, meaning your cat eats less and the bag lasts longer. Protect your cat from strangling by making sure the cords of curtains and blinds are secured and out of reach. When you make or purchase a dangly toy for your cat, be sure to supervise during play. Put the toy away if you will not be around to watch. If you want to have your cat for many years, it is a good idea to keep them indoors. While a cat may enjoy going outside, it is statistically proven that outdoor cats live shorter lives than indoor cats. There are dangers to a cat that spends time outside, not least of all other animals. Put the right amount of cat litter in the litter box. Some people try to get out of cleaning the box by putting too much litter in there. Cats don't like walking on sand dunes! Two inches or so should be sufficient for the cat's needs, and you just have to be vigilant about cleaning the box out. Most veterinarians recommend that you feed your cat food that is in the can as opposed to the dry varieties in the box or bag. This is because the canned food contains more water, fat and protein than the dry variety. It is also easier to consume for cats with dental issues. Understand that your cat is easily influenced by its surroundings. Cats have superior memories and will usually retain training for a lifetime. Conversely, they also retain frightening experiences and it takes them a long time to get over their fears. Be encouraging with your cat and avoid situations that scare them. Expect it to take several weeks for your current cat to accept a new cat in the home. In the early days, you may see a lot of posturing from the cats including hissing and swatting at each other. However, if you allow them to slowly get used to each other, they will eventually become friends. Ensure that how to start an llc is spayed or neutered. This is important even if your cat will not be outdoors or around cats of the opposite gender. Studies show that spayed cats are less vulnerable to uterine, mammary, and ovarian cancer. Neutering your male cat decreases his risk of developing prostate cancer. Another benefit of neutering is that your cat will not feel compelled to mark his territory by spraying. Despite popular belief, you should never give your cat milk to drink. Cats' digestive systems lack an abundance of lactase, the enzyme used to break down dairy products. The reality is that this can cause your cat to experience diarrhea, vomiting, and other types of gastrointestinal discomfort. In this case, milk does NOT do a body good! If you will be out of town or gone for more than a few hours, make sure to hire a pet sitter to take care of your cat. Most people think of pet sitters as necessary for only dogs, but they are important for cats too. You need someone to check in on your cat, make sure he eats and give him some love while you are away. While a big dog might look like a better hunter than a small cat, it won't track pests the way a cat will. Cats are effective mouse-hunters, but they are also cunning and inquisitive. This makes them fascinating pets. With these benefits, you can have a truly great companion.

#how to start an llc

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agentgumsh0e · 2 years

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how their crush (obsession) started (yandere cypher, sova, yoru, phoenix)

word count: 700+

warnings: yandere behavior, stalking, unhealthy and controlling relationships, manipulation, and general creepiness. please do not read if you are sensitive to any of these topics. the behavior below is not condoned.

notes: been wanting to expand on my yandere headcanons for a while now, and now i can + we're going to say that nora is dead here regardless if it's canon or not. this is a mix of my other writings: yandere hcs and agents having a crush on you

cypher

when cypher met you in protocol, you seemed so vulnerable and defenseless to him, so much so that he could read you like an open book. he observed that you had a kind heart, much like nora, but look at where that got her. when you gullibly approached the sly-looking cypher, intending to break down his walls and befriend him, he knew you were too good for this world. as it turned out, you were too good for him too. so with a smile that was concealed by his mask and visibly crinkled eyes, he talked with you and fell deep into love along the way until at the end of your conversation, he concluded that he had to have you, protect you, and know everything about you. when he starts putting cameras everywhere, stalking you, and digging for information about you, he fully knows the path he's going down, but he can't help it. more like he doesn't want to because the feeling of protecting someone you love is so familiar and fulfilling. worse yet, this is only the beginning of his obsession.

sova

sova didn't notice your state when he first met you. he just thought you were a nice, albeit somewhat meek person, with the way your eyes widened ever so slightly as he towered over you. however, when he saw you injured and so dependent on someone else taking care of you, he realized that you were too weak to be on your own. and when he hears you laugh while messing around with his bow, he also realized that you were too pure to be around these beasts. before meeting you, he held most of the people in protocol in high regards, but soon he came to see everyone as predators trying to take a bite at you. luckily for you, he won't allow them to come anywhere near you since through your purity and obliviousness to the dangers he was protecting you from, he developed feelings for you. in his eyes, he's doing the right thing and going by his morals. it is mercy as a hunter to spare hopeless prey like you. as he watches over you like an owl lurking in the trees (much to your annoyance), he wonders what's so wrong with wanting to protect you.

yoru

yoru was a lone wolf for most of his life, but something changed when he met you. suddenly, he wanted to spend his life with you and try being with someone else for a change instead of staying on his own. maybe it was the way you liked to compete with him and how undeniably cute you were when you celebrated winning or moped around when you lost. he wanted to see more of your cute expressions and be in your pleasant company more, but all these idiots in protocol got in the way, talking to what's his and taking away his time together with you. unfortunately for the other agents, when he realizes that they'll have to be taken care of in some way or another, that ‘something’ snaps. he may not know that he’s getting more violent, aggressive, and eventually more manipulative as time goes on. alternatively, he may have deluded himself into thinking that these sick, twisted feelings and actions are that of pure love. but the question is: which one is worse?

phoenix

phoenix was used to hearing praise and brushing it off with a smug smile. when phoenix heard you compliment him for the first time though, it immediately went to his head and his heart. it was strange that praise felt different when coming from your lips, and he quickly returned the compliment, blushing red and slightly overheating. back then, it was just an innocent crush. but he soon found out that he craved the attention that came with every congratulation, wanting to hear you compliment him again and again and again—and that he got upset whenever you said such things to other people or even ‘got too close’ to others. when he starts subtly planting ideas into your head with manipulative words/looks and inserting himself more into your life to get you closer to him, he knows exactly what he's doing. in fact, he's smiling that big, cheery grin as you fall for it, and hopefully fall for him too. god forbid that you don't.

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rhymesswith · 2 years

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Poachers

They come at night.

Previously, the crown prince’s men have only ever come for them during the daylight hours. With A-Xu’s instincts and inside knowledge of the way they operate, it’s mostly been easy to stay ahead of them. They must have finally clued into the fact that they’re most vulnerable after the sun has set.

It’s the howl that alerts Wen Kexing to the danger. His ears are tuned to the musical notes of a wolf’s cry no matter how distant, it always makes his heart flutter to hear. This time, however, it seizes in his chest at the sound. The howl is one of anguish and terror. A wolf in trouble, in pain.

He’s on his feet and running without stopping to think, leaving the light of the fire behind to sprint into the dark forest. He can hear Zhang Chengling calling out in confusion behind him, but doesn’t stop. He has to find A-Xu.

The moon is full and bright in the sky, allowing some light to reach the forest floor. But it’s still rough going and Kexing stumbles, sleeves catching on branches and tripping on roots, falling hard once and jarring his wrist all the way to his elbow. He peels himself up and keeps running. In the distance the wolf is still howling, high fearful cries that trail into panicked yelps. A-Xu! A-Xu hang on I’m coming!

He follows the horrible sound of the wolf’s distress, getting closer and closer until it cuts abruptly off, replaced with the infinitely more horrible silence. No! No nononono A-Xu! He crashes through the trees half blinded by tears, until finally, he spills into a small moonlit clearing.

And in the clearing he sees; a wolf lying prone, tangled in a snare. A person crouched. A knife cutting, parting fur from muscle, slicing through meat and sinew. Blood on the grass. So much blood. Wen Kexing is on his knees unable to breathe.

Distantly he registers that Chengling is by his side, having somehow managed to catch up. He’s saying something urgently in Kexing’s ear but he can’t wrap his mind around the words. All he knows is the blood on the grass. The moonlight on the blood. The horrible horrible silence.

The hunter rises, a thin man wearing a fur cloak and a cruel sneer, stepping over the body. He moves toward them with a predator’s stalk, across the clearing, bloody knife held aloft. Kexing’s eyes stay fixed on the body behind him, heedless of the incoming threat. Chengling is tugging at his robes, pleading, trying to pull him away. But he can’t move, he can’t leave A-Xu here, all alone in the dirt. Do it, kill me with the same knife that killed him; that we may be together in this one last moment.

And then, in the distance, a wolf’s howl echoes. Wen Kexing’s broken heart stirs feebly, instinctively at the sound. In this moment of clarity he finally hears what Chengling is repeating, over and over like a chant. “It’s not him! Mister Wen, it's not him! We need to run, mister Wen please! It’s not him!”

Not...not him. Wen Kexing stares at the bloody fur. Silver in the moonlight, but also...silver. The fur is too light, shades of grey much paler than A-Xu’s. It’s not A-Xu.

Latently, he lets Chengling haul him to his feet and they turn to run. But it’s too late, the hunter is upon them, his knife drawn back to swing.

And then it’s like a piece of the inky black forest detaches, hurtling out of the night to slam into the man. A-Xu is a blur of fangs, a long snarl ripping the air. The hunter is the one howling now, his knife arm caught in the unrelenting vice of the wolf’s teeth. A-Xu jerks his head back and forth, dragging the man off his feet like he weighs nothing. There’s a sickening tearing sound and the screams reach a new pitch.

“Mister Wen! Let’s go!”

They run. Kexing calls for A-Xu over his shoulder, and with one last hard shake, the wolf drops the shrieking man and leaps to follow. As they flee it becomes evident that the man wasn’t the only hunter out tonight, torchlight flickers up on a ridge above them, the sound of raised voices.

Kexing grabs Chengling by the elbow and brings him to a halt. “We can’t go back to camp. They will have already found it. This way!”

The boy is gasping for breath, tiring fast. A-Xu is, of course, loping leisurely alongside them, unbothered. Kexing spares a moment to run a trembling hand over the silky fur between his shoulders, feeling the muscles gliding beneath the warm skin. The rise of his ribcage with his breath. The steady thump of his heart. Even as they run for their lives his head spins with relief.

They start off downhill, away from the torches and voices. But they barely make it twenty paces before more lights appear down the ravine. Kexing curses, they’re surrounded, they’ll never be able to make it away undetected.

At least, he and Chengling won’t. The wolf could, on swift and silent paws he could melt away into the shadows. Kexing cups A-Xu’s muzzle in both hands and implores the wolf to understand what he’s saying. “A-Xu run. You need to get out of here. They’re here to capture you.”

Big gold eyes blink up at him uncomprehending, pushing his snout into the crook of Kexing’s elbow. “No! A-Xu go!” Kexing pushes the wolf’s heavy head away, shoving roughly at his broad body. “Get out of here! Go! Scram!”

The wolf shakes him off and turns, coming back to press against Kexing’s legs. Kexing pushes him again, putting all the force in his body behind it. And then when A-Xu still just stares at him, he picks up a rock and throws it. This finally makes the wolf retreat into the brush, although only for a minute before circling back to them.

Kexing throws another rock, and another, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. On either side of them the lights are getting closer. A-Xu still isn’t running. “You big dumb animal get out of here!” He cries, “Save yourself! Run!”

But the wolf is too strong to force and too stubborn to bully. Kexing pulls Chengling close as the first hunter reaches them, putting his body in front of the boy. A woman slides out of the shadows, tall and statuesque in skin-tight leathers. Her smile only widens at A-Xu’s warning growl. “Hello naughty little doggy.” She croons, taking a nasty looking whip off her belt. “That’s no way to greet a lady.”

Wen Kexing wishes he’d thought to grab A-Xu’s sword, or at least a knife. He’s been so fixated on just finding the wolf with no room left for sense and now they’re completely defenceless. “Get away from us.” He warns the woman, doing his best to keep his voice steady. “He’s already torn one of your men to pieces.”

“Oh?” She shrugs, unconcerned, pacing forward. The tip of her whip swings, brushing the ground with a wicked barbed tip. “That suits me. One less way to divide the reward.”

****

Ye Baiyi is almost too late.

He should have just gone with them to begin with; it was naive to believe he could stay out of it. How he continues to be naive at this age astounds even himself.

He rides through the night to make up time, and catches up to them right when he’d expected to, three days and nights after leaving the mountain. But when he finds their camp he’s unpleasantly surprised to see that someone has beat him to it.

Hanging back in the shadows, he watches a pair of imperial soldiers milling about the ransacked campsite. There’s no sign of the two fools or their stupid kid, which hopefully means they’ve managed to escape. He’s about to retreat when he sees a glimmer on the ground by the fire pit. He’d recognize that sword anywhere. Internally cursing Qin Huaizhang’s disciple, he hides the horse among some bushes and shrugs out of his heavy top robe, leaving it draped over the saddle. He pops his knuckles and rolls his shoulders to loosen the muscles. It’s been a while since he’s had to fight.

Making quick and quiet work of the guards, Ye Baiyi scoops up the fools’ pack, shouldering it along with the sword. Leading Zhou Zishu’s horse to join his own, he remounts and strikes a brisk canter into the forest towards where the land falls away into the river basin, assuming the fools will have chosen to retreat downhill.

Sure enough he soon finds them squaring off with a single attacker menacing them with some flashy whip work. She’s obviously toying with them, more flash and flare than actual technique. Ye Baiyi leaves the horses and sneaks up behind her, grabbing the whip right out of her hands and throwing it into the trees. She barely falters, turning on him and pulling a curved dagger from her sleeve.

With the whip gone the wolf lunges forward, nipping at the woman’s heels. It’s honestly more of a nuisance than a help, as Ye Baiyi now has to be careful not to accidentally injure the beast while he fights. He takes stock of their situation, looking for the best course of action. The ninny Wen Kexing is standing there useless as ever, beside him the kid is gaping like a fish. Ye Baiyi needs to get them out of here. With two horses between two and a half men they’re already at a disadvantage, but they might make it if they go now, before the woman’s comrades show up.

Trusting the wolf to keep her busy, Ye Baiyi goes to the two ogling idiots and snaps at them to get their asses in gear. Wen Kexing, predictably, refuses to cooperate for a single moment in his life. “What about A-Xu? A-Xu come here!”

Ye Baiyi cuffs him across the back of his empty head. “Leave him, he’s better off than we are. He’ll catch up to us later.”

“But they-” He still seems set on protesting, and Ye Baiyi really doesn’t have time for this.

“Won’t you shut your fat mouth for once and listen to me! Do you want to die? Do you want the kid to die? No? I didn’t save your life just for you to throw it away again. Now get going, he’ll find his way back to you like he always does.”

Wen Kexing looks murderous, but something must finally click in his tiny brain and he ducks his head and follows Ye Baiyi. They mount up and kick the horses into top gear, spiriting off up the valley by the light of the moon.

Unfortunately Wen Kexing’s cooperation is short lived, he keeps dragging on the reins and turning in his saddle until Ye Baiyi snaps at him to keep his eyes forward. But since he was put on this earth to vex Ye Baiyi at every opportunity, he instead pulls his horse to a full stop. Cursing under his breath Ye Baiyi backtracks and yells to him, “We need to keep riding until dawn. Put as much distance between us as possible.”

Wen Kexing shakes his head and actually has the nerve to slide off the horse, leaving Zhang Chengling alone clinging anxiously to the saddle. “I’m not going any further. Those people were wolf trappers, I’ve got to make sure A-Xu is okay.”

Ye Baiyi joins him on the ground, immediately crowding into his space and grabbing the front of his robes. “Do not not test my patience, we don’t have time for this. I will knock you out and drag your unconscious body away if I have to.”

Wen Kexing sneers down his nose at him. “You wouldn’t.”

And it’s his haughty tone more than anything that seals his fate. “Oh I absolutely would.”

****

The man that steps into the cell is very young, barely out of boyhood. Zhou Zishu doubts that he yet possesses the ability to sprout hair on his face. But there is no mistaking his identity, not with the many accessories that he wears. Strings of carved bones hanging around his neck, tiny animal skulls decorating his long braids. He wears a scaled vest that gleams in the torchlight, and his robes are edged in exotically striped furs. And most telling of all, the pair of scorpion claws dangling in the centre of his chest.

His voice is soft, when he speaks, this fearsome boy-child who styles himself the king of hunters. Soft and low. “Hello Captain Zhou. You might not remember, but you and I met last night.”

“I remember.” Zhou Zishu replies coldly.

The boy’s large eyes fix intently on Zishu’s face. “Interesting. You are conscious when you take the form of the wolf? You can recall what happens during that time?”

“Conscious enough. How’s your friend?”

The boy laughs, throwing back his hair in a musical chime of bone on bone. “Furious. He was quite talented on the pipa. It will be very difficult to play with only one hand.”

“Shame. If it makes him feel better, he tasted delicious.”

The poacher sinks elegantly to his knees, to put them at eye level. In a move that is blatantly calculated, he brushes his hair to drape over one shoulder to better display the array of feathers that decorate the ends. “We’re heading out tonight, on another hunt.” He tells Zishu, absently stroking the trinkets. “I just wanted to stop by first. Meet the man behind the beast. Your predicament is very fascinating.”

Zishu’s heart thunders in his ears, but he tries to keep it from showing on his face. One of the feathers is plainer than the others, creams and tawny browns rather than the bright jewel tones of the others. “The crown prince has put out a new bounty.” The boy continues, eyes never leaving Zishu’s. “A silver mace for every dead hawk brought to the palace. Isn’t that odd? Such a common creature, the hawk. For a price like that every man, woman, and child will be out trying to kill as many as they can. It’ll be a bloodbath.”

When Zishu doesn’t rise to the bait, the boy turns to speak to the other man who came in with him, standing silent guard against the wall. “Mister Jiang how many do you imagine we’ll get before the day is out? Hmm? A dozen each at least, don't you think?”

While the scorpion king is young and beautiful, his companion is grizzled and repugnant.

He too, has donned hunting trophies. The skins he wears are barely treated, rough cut with hooves and heads attached and dangling. He glares down at Zishu with his single eye. His long rusty hair is matted with what looks like old blood. The scorpion king continues, speaking to this mister Jiang, but eyes remain on Zishu’s face. “Have you ever tasted hawk, Mister Jiang?”

The repellant man grunts, “Once or twice. Stringy little things. Lot of bones, not much meat.”

Without a word, Zhou Zishu stands and walks over to the bed, assuming lotus position and closing his eyes. He doesn’t respond to any more of their taunting, or to their farewells when they finally leave him alone. But despite his tranquil posture his mind is racing. A bounty. He would never have dreamed that Helian Yi would go so far. Yes he hates Wen Kexing, would lock him up, would put this damned curse on them, chase them around the country. But to sign a warrant for his death? To have him hunted down for sport? Just like that? No trial, no chance to defend himself?

He sags back against the wall and opens his eyes. The room has been lavishly appointed, with a soft bed and silk sheets, a screen for the latrine, a table to sit at and take the rich meals they bring him. One would barely guess that it’s a prison cell, from the surface appearance. The chain that leashes him to the metal grate in the centre of the room is the only real giveaway to what this truly is.

Zishu had been bluffing, a bit, when he told the scorpion boy that he remembers the events of the previous night. He never remembers much of his time as the wolf. It’s like trying to recall the scraps of a deep dream, just vague liquid impressions; the sense of running a great distance, the thrill of chasing prey. He knows that there had been a fight last night, he remembers the rush of adrenalin and the primal canine killing instinct. He remembers biting down and not letting go, the gush of blood and the terror scent of his prey.

He never remembers Lao Wen. He’s not sure if it’s part of the curse, or if it’s just not something the animal brain holds onto. Try as hard as he might, he can never bring forth memories of the time they spend together when Zishu is the wolf. The closest thing to it are warm, vague impressions that he wasn’t alone, that there was another at his side who the wolf understands as pack. He tries now anyway, closing his eyes and racking his mind for what had happened last night. Was Lao Wen okay? Was he hurt? And that soft, helpless child Chengling. He knows at least, from the poachers’ gossip, that they haven’t been captured yet.

Hopefully they have the sense to stay far far away.

***

Zhang Chengling doesn’t like this one bit. But when he voices his concerns to General Ye, the man dismisses him with his usual level of derision.

“It’s not hurting him, if that’s what you’re worried about.” To demonstrate, he reaches out and taps the top of the hawk’s head. Where usually the hawk responds to master Ye’s presence by trying to bite him, now it just stands there and allows the man to poke and prod.

And sure, Chengling knows that the leather hood and leg tethers aren’t causing the bird any pain, but it still feels wrong. Mister Wen - both as a hawk and as a man - is one of the most lively people Chengling has ever met. He’s always got something to say about everything, and the hawk is no less chatty, chirping and whistling all day. And he’s always in motion; Chengling loves watching him fly, soaring above them, coasting on thermals, spiralling back to visit and pluck playfully at their hair and clothes. Seeing him now, tied down and blinded, makes Chengling’s stomach churn. He’s so quiet and docile, not at all like himself.

“I’ve told you, this is for his own good.” General Ye says, not for the first time. “Those two have a damned homing instinct for each other, if we let him go he’d just fly himself right into the Prince’s hands. They’d kill him, you know, at this point.”

Chengling knows this too, but it doesn’t make him feel any less like a villain for keeping Mister Wen trapped against his will. In apology he offers the hawk a piece of jerky from the pouch that Minster Zhou usually wears on his belt. But the bird doesn’t acknowledge the meat, ducking his leather-bound head away. Despite the fact that his eyes are covered, he’s had his head tilted in the same direction all morning, like he’s gazing at something in the far distance. Chengling wonders if that’s the direction the trappers had taken Mister Zhou. The thought brings a prickle of tears to his eyes. “We have to go rescue him.”

“We aren’t doing shit.” General Ye replies. He’s got Mister Zhou’s pack down from the horse and is digging through it with no regard for personal privacy. “Did you forget that the prince also wants you dead? Did that fact fall out of one of those big ears of yours?”

And while of course Chengling hadn’t forgotten about it, everything that’s happened since then has made the events of those days feel distant. So much has happened since, and his peaceful life back in mirror lake seems like years ago, not months. He feels like a completely different person than that scared, devastated boy.

“It doesn’t matter! I’d have been dead ages ago if not for Mister Zhou. If I die trying to rescue him well…I think that would be okay.”

General Ye looks up from his snooping to direct a glare at him. “You are not permitted to die while under my watch, that clown Wen would never let me hear the end of it. I’m finding a safe place to stash you and you are going to stay there until this is over.”

“I can help!”

“Can you? What use are you to me? Have you miraculously become competent with a sword overnight? A bow? Do you have connections in the palace you haven’t mentioned? Do you know about a secret passage that can get us inside undetected? No? Give me a damn break.”

He goes back to the bag like the matter is settled, extracting one of Mister Zhou’s daggers from its scabbard and running a nail along the blade critically. Chengling chews his lower lip. “What about when Mister Wen transforms back?” He points out, “He’s going to be really mad at you. How are you going to get along with him when it’s just the two of you? If you take me I can help you convince him.”

The next scowl that General Ye directs at him is truly menacing. “You seem to have absorbed some of Wen’s disrespect, boy. In the future I’d advise you to plug your ears whenever he speaks.”

“Am I wrong?” Chengling presses, “When he wakes up he’ll want to kill you. But I can help keep him calm and we can all figure out a plan.”

General Ye is silent for a bit, which Chengling reckons is a good sign for him. “The plan is already figured out.” He eventually says, lifting his gaze to regard Chengling appraisingly. “You would really risk your life for these two? It has nothing to do with you, you can walk away from this with a clean conscience. You’re young, you can start a new life and live until a ripe old age, find a pretty girl and have loads of stupid children.”

“What about you?” Chengling challenges, “You’re helping them and you don’t even like them.”

The general drops his eyes back down to the bag and continues his rummaging. Finding the paper package of sweets Mister Zhou bought at the market the day before he peels back the wrapping and helps himself to a tart. With his mouth full he grunts, “It’s not about like or dislike. I’ve been involved since day one, whether I meant to or not. I need to get it off my conscience before I die, or else I’m afraid I’ll suffer for it endlessly in the afterlife.”

Chengling rushes to drive home his point, “And if I don’t help now, my conscience will be weighed down for the rest of my days. Also…” he swallows against the tightness in his throat. “When my family was killed I thought that my life was over. You’ve seen how silly and dumb I am, I’ve got nothing to offer anyone. So I thought that nobody would ever want me ever again and I’d be alone forever. But Mister Zhou and Mister Wen took me in anyway, even though I really just hold them back. Mister Zhou’s been teaching me how to fight even though I’m really slow. And Mister Wen is showing me how to cook and sew and make medicine. I feel like they’ve turned me into somebody worthwhile. Somebody who deserves to keep living. I owe them everything.”

General Ye stares at him, chewing silently. Wiping the crumbs off his chin he sighs long and loud. “Oh good god, fine if you want to die I won't stop you. I’ll tell you the plan, but you have to do everything I say exactly as I say. Do not question me, do not sass me, do not interrupt me. Got it?”

Zhang Chengling scrambles into a deep salute, “Yes sir, general sir!”

“Heaven’s sake get up boy!” Ye Baiyi is already regretting this decision. “And listen well, I am not going to repeat myself. Here is the plan...”

#ladyhawke au #word of honor #word of honor au #word of honor fanfiction #ladyhawke fic #WoH #shan he ling #rhymeswithwoh #wenzhou #wen kexing #zhou zishu #wenzhou fanfic #zhang chengling #ye baiyi #scorpion sect #she's a long one folks!#cw. animal death #this drabble goes with several illustrations #i'll add it to the masterpost shortly

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emperor-palpaminty · 3 years

Text

Payback

Hi welcome to part 2 of this horny disaster, which could also be called "Minty does not know how to write anything beyond hugging" or “Minty has been watching Oceans 11 too much please take it away”

Also this is rated 18+, go away children, I will give you a juice box, I cannot FUCKING write romantic buildup please don't hurt me, my one-shots are better, I am just a nervous mess, send help

Any great scientist knew to test a hypothesis before they execute it as fact. You were not a scientist, simply looking for revenge for the (finally) faded hickey on your neck. You were, for once, thankful that the body glove went up to your neck.

The Sepratist group affiliated with Farnbec were found to frequent a casino in Canto Bight, where dealings would also often go down among the rich distractions, where enough alcohol and gambling adreneline could turn many a blind eye to illegal activities.

Because Tech was the most knowledgable about (in Wrecker’s words) “fancy high class stuff” and you were (in Hunter’s words) “eye candy” for vulnerable separatists, you were both roped into the next infiltration mission. The whole situation was (in Crosshair’s words) hysterical and laughable. At least, that was what you picked up from his hysterical laughing.

You glanced sideways at Tech, next to you on the shuttle. He was reading some book on his holopad, eyes skimming it, consuming the information with a hunger you had begun to admire. You watched him for a moment, eyes flickering to his full lips, which were moving slights, perhaps tracing the words or formulas that came to him from the page of the books.

Those lips could do a lot of damage.

Your head turned quickly and fixated on the window, pressing a hand to your chin, fingers tapping against your lips. Tech, know-it-all and snarky and talkative Tech, had all the swagger of a womanizing God, and he... just didn’t show it. Ever. Until that gala, and now you couldn’t get his lips, his damn hands, off your mind, and you wanted them back on you.

Subconciously, your hand moved up to your throat, stroking it in thought. Maybe he would do it again, or more. Your throat bobbed in a swallow, thinking of your back to a wall, that same heat in his eyes, hands yanking at your clothes-

You were pulled out of the daydream by Tech’s hand gently laying on your arm. “We should be arriving shortly. The funds went for one of the... higher class locations.”

”It makes sense.” Your arm relaxed under the warmth of his hand, and you risked a glance back him. His lips were pulled into a small smile, which pressed further in a smirk as you glanced at those lips. Your gaze snapped back up to his eyes. “We have to match the whole... fancy role we’re playing.”

Tech bobbed his head in a nod, curly hair bouncing. “Yes. I believe this mission will be easy.” He stood, tucking the holopad under his arm, and smiled back at you, a devilish gleam in his eyes. “Especially if it’s anything like last time.”

You felt your brow press as you grabbed your bag, standing, hurrying out after Tech, snarling at him under your breath. Oh, it would be just like last time.

Maybe this time, the roles would be flipped.

___

You tugged at the clasp on your dress, hand fumbling for the other half of it. "Stupid-" You hissed. You twisted your wrist, trying to catch it, and you groaned, fingers brushing it but never able to grab the clasp. You paused, glancing back into the bedroom, and you popped your tongue in thought.

You smoothed a hand in your hair, toussling it slightly, and you leaned in the mirror, checking the red lipstick. You stepped away, clearing your throat. “Hey, Tech? I need a hand.”

“Coming,” The trooper called. You heard him shift, standing off the bed, and you leaned over the counter again to pretend to examine your lipstick once more. He entered, pausing at the door, eyes skimming your form momentarily, before he entered, eyes moving to meet yours in the mirror. Yours met his, and you pressed your lips together to set the lipstick, and his eyes- oh, those eyes, they flicked to your rosy mouth, and he ran his tongue along his lips, gaze slowly searing against you. “Nice dress.”

“Thanks.” You straightened up, examining your reflection innocently. “Can you get the clasp?”

He nodded and walked over behind you, softly taking your hair and moving it aside, fingers stroking your neck. You inhaled and glanced down at the counter, pressing your hands against the cool stone quietly. His breath was warm as he leaned close to your back, fanning your bare skin as he took his time clasping the back of the dress behind your neck, which still exposed a majority of your back.

You let his hands smooth down your spine, gingerly, softly, but you moved away from him quickly, flashing a smile at him brightly, tossing the hair he had just moved over your shoulder. “Thanks, Tech,” You purred, swaying as you walked away. Maybe, if you played your cards right, he would be helping you take this dress off, too.

___

The air of the casino was thick with luck and the scent of drinks. Tech had you on his arm, and he exhaled softly. “Alright, darling.” He said gently. “Let’s see where our friends are.”

You smiled and nodded, eyes scanning the high-life around you. “After you, dearest.” You let him lead you, watching his eyes skim the club. You could practically hear the gears twisting in his head. You took his hand, tugging it up and gently kissing the inside of his wrist. His fingers twitched, and you watched in fascination. You parted your lips, gently pressing your hot tongue to his wrist.

Tech’s fist clenched, and he looked at you, lips half-parting. “What was that about?”

“We have to look like a couple.” Your smile turned into a smirk, and you dropped his hand from your lips, gently weaving your arm in his. Tech's gaze flamed, and his lips matched yours, tugging into a smirk.

His gaze was caught by something behind him. "There." He said, interrupting the moment. "I found them."

You glanced back at the table, filled with fine and rich men and women, sitting around, dealing cards and throwing dice, drinking wine that was far more pricey than it should have been. "Do you know how to play?"

Tech nodded, calmly. "It's all math, I believe, and I play with Hunter all the time."

"Yes, because you play with our Sargent, you're fully prepared to go against some of the richest gamblers in the galaxy."

His brow arched, and he began leading you to the table. "Precisely."

You chuckled and shook your head, matching your stride to his. "Of course. I'll be your moral support." Your hand moved up and arched on his back, running it over the fine material of his suit. "You look confident, act the part."

Tech gave a curt nod, his own fingers slipping down to your waist. "Only if you do the same."

"Oh, darling," You whispered, bumping your hip to his. "You couldn't handle me if I went all out."

His fingers left your back as Tech slid into the extra, empty chair. You moved to sit on the arm of the chair, sliding your hand across his shoulders, massaging gently into the flesh- his armor made him look lanky, awkward, and like that word he disdained, cute. You felt his shoulders stiffen as your fingers traced up to his neck, skimming up and down the tanned lines of it up to his jaw.

You leaned down to look at his cards, nails tracing nondescript shapes into his skin. You watched him, his eyes glancing at each one, the ones splayed face-up on the table, and saw his lips moving, tasting each number that came into his head. He lowered his cards and tossed in a few chips, a dangerous calm settling around him as his free hand reached up and caught the one you had on his neck. His thumb began working in circles on your knuckles, and he tugged your hand to his lips and kissed it, slowly, glancing up at you, expression fierce with confidence.

You sat back and watched him, placid faced, until it came his turn to bet again. The process of calculating began once more.

Why was all of this so easy for him? And why should you have made this easy for him?

You leaned down to his ear, gently kissing his lobe, smoothing your hand back towards yourself. "Good hand?" You mumbled, voice low.

"Yes," Tech's voice was steady, but you watched as your hand skimmed around his lower back, and everything below the table was tensed up, stressed. "Very good hand."

"Good." You smoothed your hand gently along his thigh, leaning away from his ear. Your fingers squeezed the tense muscles gently, running down to his knee.

Without a word, Tech tugged you off the arm of the chair and into his lap, still keeping his face level as he looked over his cards again. No one looked twice, too drunk or too wrapped up in gambling. His free hand curled absentmindedly in your hair, and he leaned towards your ear. His lips pressed distractedly pressed to the back of your neck, and he set down his cards, calmly, declaring himself the winner of the round. "You," He huffed, gently squeezing you to him. "Are very, very eager."

You squirmed and his hand lazily drifted up and down your side, lips gently pressed on your ear. You allowed yourself to settle against him (partners and companions were commonplace here, it seemed), and then you swiftly rose, moving away from him, a smirk playing on your lips as he watched you, vague shock on his face as you leaned in, kissing him, and you felt him stiffen and heard him hum.

___

You tugged away, grinning, pressing a final peck to his nose. "I'll be waiting." You whispered, turning and swaggering away, hormones and buildup making your stomach flip.

With how his eyes followed you, and how his eyes seared into your back, the confidence in your hips, you knew you wouldn't have to wait very long for him to join you.

Tags for yall sinners:

@milkytheholy @shuttlelauncher81 @itskeletor @kittykollision

#tech x reader #bad batch tech x reader #bad batch reader insert #clone wars reader insert #tech #tech x you #clone force 99 reader insert #minty writes

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sleepingdeath-light · 3 years

Note

Hello :D can i request hunter with a tall s/o who's basically like a gentle giant person? 5'8 ft but very gentle and compassionate kinda,, Gender neutral please skdnskjd

Thank you and have a nice day <33

Gentle Giant S/O Headcanons | Hunter [Golden Guard]

thanks for requesting, anon!

reader uses they/them pronounced when referred to by other characters

Having a gentle and compassionate significant other would make it much easier for Hunter to be vulnerable with them and allow himself to let his guard down. So it’s likely that he would have at least somewhat opened up to you before you even got together because of how comforting he found your demeanour.

Your hugs are his favourite place by far - he could spent hours laying with you in his arms, his face nuzzled against your neck or into your hair

Your smile brightens his day; and your laugh is enough to make his heart swell with unadulterated adoration for you

Your gentleness is something that endeared him to you - trace the edge of his scar and smile at him, I can promise you that he’ll lean into your touch and sigh

Take his face into your hands and rest your forehead against his and you’ll visibly see his shoulders relax, finally at ease after the stress of his daily life

Your compassion also attracted him to you as it made you feel more trustworthy to him - like he could trust you, somehow, even if he hadn’t known you for long

Though this was mostly a consequence of his loveless upbringing

Equally, your “gentle giant” persona makes him feel much more protective of you - you’re his home, his person, and he doesn’t want to put you in danger; so he does whatever he can to keep you out of his work/any other conflicts that could stem from his “Golden Guard” persona or, later, his deserter status in the coven

So you can expect him to escort you whenever he can and place great emphasis on teaching you self defence in whatever ways he can (even if you’re a formidable fighter in your own right, he just can’t take any risks)

At 5’8” you’re just slightly shorter than Hunter and, consequently, the perfect height for nose and forehead kisses - as well as just tall enough for him to not have to bend too far down to kiss you. Your height is also helpful for a number of other things:

When laying down, you can bury your face in his neck and he’ll be able to comfortably bury his face into the top of your head - and when spooning he can comfortably be the big spoon (it makes him feel more able to protect you as his partner)

By leaning up on your toes, you can easily surprise him with lip or cheek kisses - both things that will make him flush deeply and stammer out an incoherent string of sentences before hurrying away

In that vein he also likes to surprise you with hugs from behind; wrapping his arms around you waist from behind and kissing your cheek/neck before resting his head on your shoulder and laughing at your reaction

Although you aren’t too much shorter than him, he will also make a point of picking you up and kissing you at random points; with his favourite ways being “bridal style” or lifting you by the waist

All in all, having a gentle and compassionate persona would be key in having Hunter open up to you about his past, passions and emotions - if only because he doesn’t feel like you’ll shut him down or scold him like his uncle or other members of the coven. He’d take to being protective and affectionate with you, using each of your heights to his advantage during intimacy and trying his best to learn how to be more gentle with you and others - to do for you what you could for him (and make you feel the same warmth and lightheadedness that he felt whenever you smiled at him or looked at him with so much love and gentleness in your eyes).

#sleepingdeath #reader insert #hcs #headcanons #toh #the owl house #toh hunter #toh golden guard #the owl house hunter #the owl house golden guard #golden guard #golden guard x reader #hunter x reader #gender neutral reader #fluff

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kimageddon · 3 years

Text

Star Wars Fics

I was challenged by @ashotofspotchka . So I did it.

The Prompt

Made this a Tech x Reader fic. I got inspired. And became a bit longer that intended.

I heard y'like Tech?? @eyecandyeoz @fallenrepublick (tag a fan!)

The Wedding

Well this was a right mess to be in. How had you even gotten into this situation? Oh of course… Cid. As much as you admired her, she was a tricky one. If not for her you would have never been invited to her salon, nor would you have met the most frustrating band of men you’d encountered. And their adorable little sister of course.

Had you not taken that job with them a few months ago, you would not have gotten to know them so well. Not been put in so many ridiculous situations and nearly losing your head. You wouldn’t have that new scar across your thigh… and you wouldn’t have grown to like them so much.

Damn it. Your mentor always told you not to get too attached to people, one never knew when they would find each other on opposite sides of the field so to speak. Casual acquaintances were one thing. Friendship was not a good idea. Anything more was downright dangerous. You told yourself it was alright to have a little affection for them. That it was alright to laugh and make jokes, to share a meal with them, to make them smile. That was alright… wasn’t it?

You let out a sigh wishing the ceremony would soon be over. Not that it wasn’t lovely. Of course it was. The venue was beautifully decorated, from the flowers to the guests, everything was stunning. A perfect picture of romance and love and devotion.

You usually detested weddings. There was one incident when you were young and… well it spoiled the idea of them to you. Though this was… actually rather nice. The group, you included, were tasked with providing security for the wedding as a favour to one of Cid’s associates. It was one of the more ridiculous missions… though even you had to admit, you cleaned up alright in a silken dress and heels. It had been a while since you’d had to go undercover and this was… well it was rather fun.

The downside of course had been seeing the boys in their suits. It wasn’t good for your heart. If they looked a picture of badass intimidation in full armour, then the five of them in suits were just perfect.

Hunter even had his hair swept back, though it took you a second to recognise him without the bandana. Wrecker had been a little grumbly about feeling unprotected but was very pleased when you told him he was very handsome. Crosshair had rolled his eyes at first, but gotten very offended when you snatched his toothpick from his lips. Echo had a moment when he was finally dressed. You’d been tying his bowtie when he’d let out a little huff and gave a small smile, saying he “felt human again.” Your heart broke at these words because even with his brothers he still felt… lesser. You had been quick to assure him that he was more human than anyone you knew and that the prosthetics meant nothing on that. Seeing him puff up with pride again was worth nearly getting shot last week.

Even Omega had a pretty dress on and flats tied to her ankles with ribbons. You and she had picked a dress to match Hunter’s suit specifically, she looked up to her big brother so very much, you often thought he was more like a father really, but kept these thoughts to yourself for now.

The last one to join you was the one that affected you the most of course. Tech stepped out onto the landing platform looking like a million credits and like he should have a hot woman on each arm. Like he could make any woman swoon with just a wink.

Hot damn.

Of course he would not do such a thing, and was just looking around, observing the surroundings for possible points of attack, vulnerability and in general taking in the surroundings. As you were also meant be doing. Internally you swore and after drinking in his obliviously gorgeous self, you’d returned to praising the way Omega had pinned her hair without needing your help.

Tech had of course been one of the members of the self-proclaimed ‘Bad Batch’ that you had found the most interesting. He always knew at least five facts about the planet or target or mission that the others didn’t. Always reading, always observing. His eyes behind his goggles were never still. One could think him cold if they didn’t look close enough. But he had a deep passion for knowledge, for technology… its no wonder he had chosen such a name. Practical. To the point. You liked that about him. You like quite a bit about him as you recently discovered. The way he could fix anything. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about learning new things. The way he was so damn efficient at his job, he knew the Havoc Marauder inside and out. The little smile when the two of you shared an inside joke. Or the way he rolled his eyes whenever one of his brothers exasperated him. The way he was always right there to help Omega over large stones or down the stairs of the ship. He was so thoughtful like that, despite not really talking about it.

Actually no. No, you didn't like that. It was just positive observations. That’s all. He was a colleague… maybe a friend. Maybe. There was nothing more to it, you told yourself. There wasn’t anything meant in the little brushes of your fingers when you two passed items between each other. Or passed in the hold of the ship. Or when you were squashed together when hiding from Imps. He didn’t think like that. Right?

Currently, you were standing on one side of the large room, waiting for the bride to arrive. On one side were you, Hunter and Crosshair, standing alongside the pews. On the other, was Omega, Echo, Wrecker and Tech. You wished Tech was on your side of the room, then he wouldn’t be in your vision at least. Not that it meant anything! You were allowed to admire the handsome technician of course, but that's all it was. He certainly wasn’t looking back at you every minute or so either. You were probably imagining it. You had to keep your eyes out for any breaches in security. Any guests acting strange. Certainly not staring at the drop-dead gorgeous clone in glasses across from you.

“Feeling alright, Feisty?” Hunter asked in a low whisper. You smirked at the nickname, apparently you had made an impression on them in the first mission when the client had gotten too mouthy. “Your heart rate is higher than usual.” He added, and you could hear definite amusement in his tone.

You pursed your lips together, trying not to smile from embarrassment. “I’m fine Hunter.” You replied out of the corner of your mouth. Another sweep of the venue with your eyes-- oh kriff Tech was looking your way. Your eyes met for just a second before you tore them away. You heard Hunter chuckle.

“You sure?” He muttered, folding his arms,

“Shut up, Hunter.” You retorted with a soft huff. He chuckled again and you felt your face grow hot. By the nine moons of Endor you wanted to run. It was then the music began and you steeled yourself. The ceremony was beginning.

It was lovely, really. Very sweet, lovely and romantic. The Togruta and his Twi’lek bride seemed very in love if the look on the groom's face was to be believed. He practically lit up like a beacon on seeing her. You had the brief thought... would anyone do that for you? Before immediately pushing it away. Those sorts of thoughts were dangerous. You were sure that it was going to be boring… but you couldn’t help but get a little distracted when they began to say their vows.

“...my darling. There is so much I want to say to you. So much I have felt and left unsaid, I am sure you know just how I feel just by the way I look at you.”

Your eyes instinctively flicked to the otherside of the room. You glimpsed his eyes on you and was immediately caught in the depths of his soft brown eyes. The gentle and kind look you had seen many times, but thought nothing of. He was just kind, that’s who he was. In this moment though-- you were sure there was… a little more to it.

“...It was not easy to let myself open up… to bring myself to acknowledge my feelings but in one moment I knew they were endless and unrelenting. I love you from the depth of my soul and I never want to be apart from you…”

Oh hells… these vows were so saccharine sweet that normally you would be gagging… but these ones hit a little too close to home. You couldn’t stop your eyes from being tugged toward the suited clone trooper opposite you, no matter how you forced them away, to scan the room for danger, they were always drawn back to him. Always him.

“...When I met you you were just so wild. Such a firecracker…!”

There was a laugh across the room and you almost jumped, reminding yourself you were in a crowd. Though none of them paid attention to you. Only one.

“...It was like seeing the sun for the first time, with you in my world colours were brighter, food was sweeter, I found myself longing for times when we could be together, even in the small moments…”

You recalled the times Tech and yourself had been together, doing maintenance, repairs, listening to the music through the entertainment channels. The little laughs, the simple things.

“...not everything was easy, and there has been so much danger…”

You remembered your last serious injury, the piece of twisted metal sticking out of your leg while you hauled ass back to the ship, firing behind you to cover the boys. The way Tech’s eyes had become as big as moons when you finally collapsed, and they saw how bad the injury was.

“... but I always trusted you to get me through anything. I love you, my darling. With all my heart, and soul and with every beat of my heart and breath in my body. I will be yours even after all the stars in the galaxy burn out.”

You had been unable to tear your gaze from Tech’s for the last minute or so and you could feel your face burn. It was only when the vows were done and the bride and groom kissed, their hands wrapped together in a red ribbon and the other guests clapped in support that you snapped out of your little reverie. You joined, half-heartedly in the applause but you felt… strange. You really wanted this mission to be over. Or a drink. Yeah, a drink would be good.

#tbb fanfiction #tbb #tbb tech #tech #clone tech #the bad batch #fanfic prompt #tag a tech simp #tech x reader #tech x you #tech fluff

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creativemessbyvd · 2 years

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Have this idea I just had :v

Fic Idea Vault #10: A Fix-It Fic set after Jedi Fallen Order and with a slight different Order 66

This is me wanting all my faves to be together and happy and fighting the Empire, enjoy

Very long post, and also SPOILERS FOR JEDI FALLEN ORDER, you have been warned:

- alternative Order 66, maybe some troopers retain some function that allowed them to not kill off the most vulnerable of Jedi a sort of 'well technically they aren't fully Jedi until they are Masters, just like Shinies don't loose that label until they have had their first battle' so lots of kiddos are stowed away, mainly those at the temple

- Unfortunately as commanders, many padawans did get caught in the crossfire which leads to Cal losing his master and getting stuck on Bracca

- Anakin is still Vader but he starts noticing small things like the troopers who don't follow orders completely and just let's it pass bc he is too wrapped up in trying to find out what happened to Padmé, Palatine allows this bc he already has the galaxy at his feet, he knows of he needs him Vader will do as he is ordered but keeping him around is depressing, Vader will only mope and be a nuisance so he lets him go and do what he wants and gives him the inquisitors to play with

- When he gets word of the Holocron through his inquisitors he becomes focused on them, he needs to find Obi Wan to find out what happened to his wife and child, and the Holocron can help him with that. They don't tell the emperor but only pass on that its an important mission dealing with rogue jedi

- When Cal steals back the Holocron they manage to get away with Trilla thanks to Merrin going with them too and keeping to the shadows

- Vader sents Cody after them and his band of 212 and 501 sorta under control but not. Cal decides to destroy the Holocron to keep the children safe until he sees that big spot of various children being together a it seems and they think maybe a Jedi survived and managed to get younglings to safety

- Actually it turns out it was the ones who were saved by the Clones and this sets the clones into high alert and it's a race against them

- Meanwhile, Ahsoka and Rex have heard of the Mantis' crew various adventures and also head to help out, theres a big chance this could be more recruits for the rebellion

- The clones lose contact with Vader (panicked) and he also sets out to see what happens, sending someone who is closer to stop them, the bounty hunter Boba Fett

- So now, Vader, Ahsoka & Rex, the Mantis crew, Cody with 501 and 212 clones, and Boba Fett are running to see about this kids

- Trilla is very hurt and also still sith but she is no longer being an ass to them, but she is very confused as to why if it seems it's an Empire facility, try didn't know it was full of younglings, they would have bought them to the inquisitors domain to turn them

- Rex and Ahsoka see Cody and the clones ship and decide to highjack them, surprised to find only clones there, setting about to getting them rid of their chips, once unchipped, it is tearful reunions later, there are younglings in danger so they continue

- At the base, they find the younglings mostly leaving normal lives on a backwater planet being taken care of by various clones who started being rotated, this time being in the care of the Wolf pack, who secretly managed to keep their heads when Plot Koon was not killed, they had liberated many brothers but Cody and his crew were too close to Vader for them to dechip

- As the Mantis touches down, they are taken in but Plo Soon recognizes Cal and Cere and the truth comes out

- Ahsoka and Rex and the freed Entourage of Cody's group also arrive, but uppon seeing Ahsoka (she was a prisoner to keep appearances since they didn't know of Wolf and the others) Plo Loon breaks too and everyone is glad everyone is not mind controlled or truly evil or dead

- Boba Fett has been spying on all of this and his blood boils, he might have a chip in his own head too, he is frightened and demands they confirm he is not a puppet for the empire, and also tells them Vader is on his way and people can't move fast enough

- Vader is thankfully alone but it will be bad as only Cal, Cere, Ahsoka and Trilla have sabers and Vader is too strong

- As they fight, Cal taps onto Vader's own memories, and with his strong connection to the Force this also gives Vader pause

- As they both go down, Cal is shaken to his core. He, like everyone else, believed that Anakin Skywalker had died alongside so many others, but he sees the truth

- And also, that somehow, Vader knew of the younglings, but never said anything. Ahsoka and Cere think fast and put three different force suppressant collars on him, Plo Koon keeping him down. When Cal comes to, he reveals Vader's true name to everyone's horror and shock

- Vader is silent but he does say that the younglings, the Jedi, clones, the galaxy at large do not matter to him. He needs to find Obi Wan and the Holocron may be the only thing that can help him find out what happened to his wife and child. Ahsoka and Cody both don't believe him about Kenobi being alive, until Anakin tells them he is like he is bc of the final confrontation. When he yells he wished Obi Wan had killed him Cere tells him that despite being a sith, no master would be able to take down their own Padawan, no matter who they were now

- Plo Koon is hopeful Obi Wan might be out there, but now they don't know how to proceed. They have two sith with them, various younglings to protect and a lot of clones that have been dechipped but that won't be enough. They need a new place to hide out in, were they might have some peace while they figure things out.

- Seeing as both Vader and Trilla kept the Holocron info between them and off the official channels, Bogano is the best option for them now as it is unknown to everyone, even the emperor

- Ahsoka knows of one person that might know fo Obi Wan and contacts Bail Organa to meet them before they head to bogano. Bail is very much not amused to find so many enemies in one place and specially not Vader, who he does try to attack for killing Padme. He confirms that Padme died but refuses to say anything to Vader about Obi Wan. He also confirms that Yoda was also alive but he doesn't know where he might be hiding either.

- Vader will only cooperate as long as they keep him around for him to find Obi Wan and his child. Bail is flabbergasted that Vader didn't actually do anything to the children to the clones to many others as he had heard so much destruction Vader had caused. Trilla admits that he is not actually anywhere with the inquisitors and that she was not actually tortured by Vader, mostly others and Palpatine, but Vader never did

- Vader admits that he had killed innocents before and that is why he fell, Plo Koon admits that maybe Vader is not without salvation if he is not bloodthirsty for everyone's death, and says they might have a chance to save him still

- Ahsoka is still angry and rants at him that the minute he finds his child, Palpatine will rest at nothing to twist them into something horrible, citing that the child could be as light as Padmé was, and that she would never have let palps near her child. Vader thinks, and thinks

- He doesn't want to continue being the emperor's lap dog. Admits that he was hoping to leave the order entirely after the war to settle with padme until the Council stopped him. Plo Koon, who was part of the Council reveals they were worried for him but not because of his attachment to Padmé but rather bc of his closeness with palps, who caused everything in the first place. It all comes back to Palpatine and Anakin finally thinks long and hard of what Palpatine truly did. From the clones to his closeness to spreading poison got the Jedi, he planned everything and never cared for anyone else.

- VaderAnakin has a new person to blame and he wants his child but that won't be enough. They need to lay low, and so they blow up the base that was the clone's safe heaven, effectively 'killing' all of them. Vader's suit is found in the wreckage and Palps is furious but can't do anything.

- Anakin is not actually that bad off, Palps death suit and his torture just made it worse, so he can be without it but they do modify alot of stuff for him. He still has no connection to the force but he is very good with parts. After a couple of months of him just chilling around Bail sends over two being that may vouch for Anakin if they can (BD-1 is actually the only one who approaches him, mostly everyone else goes in two or three people groups, being unnerve by the fallen Jedi, even Trilla and the clones)

- Seeing R2D2 and C3P0 again brings back many memories and Anakin actually cries a little. Their memories are restored thanks to BD, and R2 immediately goes for Anakin's throat but is stopped. R2 will not give them any info on Kenobi and will not trust Anakin after what he did, but does accept a look over once both Threepio and BD accept them, but he won't talk either way. He does say he might know something but this could lead to not just Obi Wan being in danger but the galaxy at large.

- The rebellion meets the new recruits and while they hide Anakin's identities, they do say him and Trill were inquisitors that wanted to desert, but people take a while to warm up to them

- The clones on the other hand, take in an unwilling Boba and keep watch over the kids, and soon they are heading to a new adventure, liberating Kashyyk, Cal wanting to help out As the planet was left to its own. There they meet the ninth sister who didn't die but is very not ok, she dies by Anakin's hand but it's a close call. Anakin is aware that he needs a lot of help yet if he is to see his child as he realizes his anger and dark side are very much present. Cere is willing to help him as someone who battles against the dark too and she takes in him and Trilla to help them meditate.

- Ahsoka is not able to forgive Anakin for his decisions but she starts to trust him and see him getting better. They still have hope that Obi Wan or Yoda will come to the rebellion but a couple of years go by and nothing. The rebellion grows but the empire still holds a strong grip

- Boba must continue to bounty hunt despite the protests of the clones and actually gets into a spot of trouble at Tatooine. Meanwhile, Merrin has heard of another nightsister running around and Ahsoka Cody and Rex feel this might be Ventress who fell off the grid and they believe dead. They had actually sent boba after this lead and that how he got into trouble at Jabba's. This prompts the Mantis Crew, Cody, and Anakin to go to he sandy planet. Cody is there as extra backup for Boba and Anakin wants to liberate the planet from Jabba and free slaves.

- On planet they encounter trouble and must run and hide from goons, Boba has managed to get out and actually finds Ventress, and together they help lay low. Ventress is caught up by Cody and Anakin, she laughs herself silly at their misfortunes and having turn to the dark, but is glad she isn't the only one left from the night sisters, unfortunately she never grew up as one as Merrin cannot connect with her but she is invited to the rebellion. Ahsoka and Rex must once again come and help them (they get the mantis hidden at Peli's but they need parts) and through them Ventress hears they are still looking for Kenobi. She knows he is here, and is hidden, but she can't tell them. She won't sell him out but does wonder why he wouldn't have contacted them.

- As they are trying to stay under the radar, a cloaked figure spies them moving around and panics, hard. BD and R2 both notice the figure and R2 actually recognizes him, he fights them and escapes, and they fear the worst.

- Boba tracks the figure and they follow him to his little hut in the middle of the dessert, where Obi Wan is waiting to be killed, entering into battle mode immediately against Anakin, Cody, Rex and Ahsoka

- When Cal intervenes as he realizes again through his force sense who he is, he makes everyone drop their weapons to calm the old Jedi down.

- The man they see is not the same Kenobi they remember. Obi Wan has not have the best 8 years of his life and is very much still thinking this is an Empire raid and that Palps has found him. But it takes them calling over Cere and the rest to convince him to hear them out. Ventress reveals she knew he was here but wasn't going to rat him out if he had yet to contact them himself, he had his reasons as she did to want to stay away from the empire and rebellion

- Ben hears them out, probes memories and is finally left to admit he might have panicked to see them, including Anakin. The force presence was too strong. He is more surprised to hear Anakin doesn't want to kill on site or that the younglings survived and he was now working on the dark within him with Trilla and Cere. He admits this is surprising and tells them how he needed to lay low and he knew Anakin even as Vader would not come looking into Tatooine

- He says he cannot join them, he fears what the empire will do to him and the knowledge he possesses if he were to fight another war

- He can't trust Anakin but he is surprised to find out that even Bail has started to see his change (nothing is said of Leia so he knows she is safesafe yet) Anakin only asks if his child is ok, but the force has other plans

- Jabba the Hut is still looking for them and he will try everything to stop them, and he has called in the empire to catch the rebellion members

- Things are going south, the Mantis is good and they still the ship Ahsoka and Rex came in, but they need to go now. Obi Wan must make a decision and quick, he tells them he will need to go and pick up someone and leaves as they try to get ready. He finds that he has been pointed out as helping the fugitives and the Lars' are being singled out. They are all taken to Jabba and find a small child being held hostage by the Hut for Obi Wan to give up the rebellion members: Luke

- A fight ensues, the empire grows closer, and Boba takes the shot and kills the Hut, in the process Luke uses the force and they all become aware he is very powerful

- As they leave with the Lars, Obi Wan must come clean to everyone that Luke is Anakin's son, one of two. The young boy is asleep and had already won them over even before. They must try to lose any empire that may be following them and then straight to Bogano, where the rebellion had made into a civilian safe place.very few people could make it there and Obi Wan is glad to see so many survivors of the purge and to see Plo Koon, who tells him of the process and growth of the various Jedi around, even Trilla and Anakin. Ventress didn want to be here but had no choice and soon she is also taken under Cere's wing to how to not let the dark control you. The children many now teens help them all and it is peaceful and hopeful.

- Bail comes around and knowing Obi Wan was there prompt him to bring Leia, the other Skywalker twin. She and Luke immediately have a connection and Anakin must excuse himself. She is just as Padmé had been but Luke had her spirit and he curses the day Palpatine and himself took everything away. The twins are told the truth and as all children they take it in stride, as Bail had already told Leia she was adopted but the keep who Anakin used to be and inform the children he is afraid of hurting them so he keeps his distance. Luke won't be deterred from the parent he had idolized all his life despite his sister, his aunt and uncle and everyone else telling him that Anakin was volatile and he could be hurt, Luke still tries his best to make sure everyone is ok and brings out Anakin more and more.

- He is never alone with them, purposely going to large crowds of other Jedi whenever Luke corners him, like he tries to escape a very determined lost puppy to make sure he is kept on check but he is also very patient with both children. Leia is demanding and he gets flashbacks of Obi Wan telling him he would get a child someday just like him (he meant Padawan but it also applies) and he understands now. Getting close to his children does help his image a lot amongst the others, and soon all the children stop being afraid and also seek him out for play time.

- Obi Wan is skittish the first months and avoids a lot of people around, but he gets dragged into consulting when the rebellion needs it, he was a general in various battles and his expertise and Anakin's own views make them a good team. New and old friendships are forged, as well as relationships. Boba and Cal argue a lot but they work well together and Cody still pins for his general, but even after Obi Wan tries to seek him out to talk, the commander will still avoid him. Rex and the others help them and they finally get to confess and be together. With time, Obi Wan finally feels he can leave and not feel anxiety at not knowing how Leia and Luke are, and he goes with Plo and Cere to find Yoda. Together they hope Yoda will believe them of what has happened and trust them to come with them.

- Yoda is a troll and thouh he is wary, he cannot deny their story. Plo is hurt from surviving O66 and Cere has the dark in her, which means they cannot be fragments of his broken imagination and their story checks out. He fears being unworthy to come back when he feels responsible for everything but they convince him.

- The kids love him and he makes sure to hit everyone he recognizes in the shins with his walking stick for their mistakes but does have a soft spot for Luke and Leia. Luke becomes his carrier but the young boy doesn't mind. He is skittish around the clones but they earn back his trust and he and the others speak of the trauma of O66.

TBC

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nanagoswife · 3 years

Note

Congrats on 100! I was wondering if I could request something?

I was thinking obi wan and padawan reader could be out on a mission, and then reader accidentally gets themselves in a dangerous situation; Obi wan comes in and saves them, ofc, but then scolds them because they could've gotten seriously hurt, and how could you have done something like that without thinking?? But then he realizes reader just went through a really scary experience, so he gives them a hug and comforts them and tells them how much they mean to him, and how badly it would hurt if he lost them 🥺

Romantic (reader is over 18, ofc) or platonic, totally up to you! ((if you go for romantic, bonus points if the comforting leads to obi wan to confessing his feelings!))

Thank you! And of course! Also, it was almost a no brainer that I did something romantically 😜 without further or do, here is the story...

Hanging From The Cliff

W/C: 2.5k

Warnings: violence, mention of attempted assassination, mention of blood, angst?

Tree branches and leaves whipped at your face as you ran through the forest after a bounty hunter that you and your master had been tracking. They had made a move against the senator from Kashyyyk that had narrowly been avoided thanks to you and your master.

Your master happened to be none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. In reality, he wasn’t much older than you. The two of you did a lot of training together when you were both padawans still. With your previous master’s passing, though, the council put you under the supervision of Obi-Wan for your last couple years of training.

The two of you were very close friends and you both worked extremely well together. That was why the council paired you with Obi-Wan. Though, some members of council disproved of the pairing for a time, due to how the two of you seemed a little too close. That was something you had to hide. You had always convinced yourself that, not only was it against the code, but that there was no way he felt the same about you.

It had been strange at first, calling him your master, but soon enough, it hadn’t mattered. The situation made for a good joke quite often.

Now, you weren’t focused on that, but rather the masked bounty hunter that you could faintly see through the brush. Obi-Wan had got caught in the rush of traffic, meaning that you were the only one to do this.

Slowly, you were gaining on them. Give it another bit, and you’d have them in binders, ready to be brought back to Coruscant.

That was the plan as you got ready to break out into the clearing ahead. It was the plan, until you were met by at least ten more bounty hunters all gathered together by a cliff. How did you not sense this?

Desperately, you skidded to a halt so that you could stay close enough to the trees for any potential cover. This proved to be useless as every blaster shot had you blocking and moving ever closer to the cliff.

All you had to do was keep this up until Obi-Wan showed up. You could only hope that he was almost here.

Suddenly, a wire spun and wrapped around your wrist that did not hold your lightsaber. Slightly turning your head, you saw that one of the bounty hunters had snuck his way so that he was just out of your vision.

With the wire around your wrist, he tugged at it to throw you off balance. Although it did make you take a step, you kept your attention on blocking the blaster fire.

Noticing this, the bounty hunter tugged at the wire harder, pain shooting through your wrist as it started to dig into your flesh.

As you kept this up, you kept drawing closer to the cliff until you were struggling to not shift your foot over the steep ledge. Catching a glance downwards, it was higher than you anticipated. Even with aid from the force, you wouldn’t survive.

Your hope for Obi-Wan’s aid started to dwindle. It had been quite a while since this all started. Surprisingly, you were only escaping with the scratches from the chase, the agonizing chafing from the wire, and a slight graze of a blaster that did more damage to your robes than it did your shoulder.

All of this considered, you didn’t know how much longer you could keep this up. There were no less of them than when this all started. You were more focused on staying unscathed than trying to lessen the numbers.

That’s when you saw five more bounty hunters join in. The once manageable task was now one that was mere impossible. Not only that, but it distracted you from the one that was still tugging at the wire.

What you hadn’t noticed was that they had managed to tie the other end of the wire to a tree. They had then snuck closer to you, enough that you still wouldn’t notice. Even when he kicked one of your legs out from under you.

Desperately, you tried to maintain balance. You desperately tried not to follow your instinct to plant your foot behind you. Despite your best efforts, you could not gain your balance back. So, you fell.

It was almost as if your heart temporarily left your body. That was, until searing pain shot through your wrist as your fall was abruptly stopped by the wire. It caused you to slam up against the cliff face fiercely. After a moment, your swinging stopped and you were left dangling vulnerably.

You tried to figure out a way to get out of this, but there were no solid footholds on the cliff. Then, if you tried to swing, you didn’t know if the tree that this wire was tied to would be strong enough. Not only that, but the bounty hunters were all still up there.

“Not so tough now, are you Jedi?” one leaned over the edge and yelled.

In response, you grimaced as they managed to jiggle the wire, causing pain to shoot through you again.

“As much as we would love to watch you fall, we think we’re going to leave you hanging. The pain must be excruciating!”

It really was, but you weren’t going to tell that to the very ones who were using this as entertainment. All you did was stay silent, afraid that the pain you felt would echo in your words. Not only that, but you were terrified. You had been this whole time, but none more so than now. On top of that, you were starting to lose hope that Obi-Wan would find you here.

Distantly, you heard more voices yelling about another Jedi that was approaching. You could only hear as they all scrambled to their ships and watched as they took off. Even though this meant that your mission had failed, you were relieved to know that he actually was almost here.

So, you dangled helplessly from your wrist until he got here. It was screaming in pain as the wire had now dug into your flesh and now was just irritating it further with any movement. You could feel as blood was starting to drip down your arm.

You waited for what felt like an eternity until you heard, “Y/N?”

“Obi-Wan,” you tried to yell as loud as you could. You could sense his worry as he could hear you but didn’t see you. “The wire,” you called out, trying to help him find out where you were.

After a moment, you saw his head pop out over the edge of the cliff.

“What are you doing?” he asked teasingly.

“Hanging out until you came to find me,” you quipped back only to wince as you moved too much.

Seeing this, Obi-Wan saw how the blood was running down your arm. “Okay, I’m going to pull you up but it’s going to hurt.”

All you could manage was a nod as you mentally prepared yourself, using the force to help brace yourself. You could feel as Obi-Wan had grabbed the wire and only slightly tugged at it. Although even that hurt, it was an indicator for you to prepare for much worse.

When he began to pull you up, everything happened in a blur. There was so much pain, but it seemed almost as though it took no time at all until you were laying on solid ground.

So much relief filled you as the pressure from your wrist loosened and wasn’t constantly rubbing.

Obi-Wan was by your side in an instant, checking how badly your wrist was cut up. It was bad, but it wasn’t bad enough that it would cause permanent damage with the aid of the bacta patches he had on him combined with further treatment later.

Carefully, he sat you up so that he could properly tend to your wrist with a gentle touch. You couldn’t help but be soothed by his fingers softly grasping your arm to hold it steady. His touch had always made you feel a comfort that you knew shouldn’t be there.

He had also seen the blaster graze on your shoulder, but that was a mere scratch compared to your wrist. Obi-Wan wouldn’t be surprised if your wrist was even possibly fractured or at least sprained from your obvious fall.

The treatment of your wound didn’t take long, as he didn’t have much with him in the first place. Not only that, but he started to think about how hasty you had been about this. He knew that you were too caught up with catching the single bounty hunter to think about how they were leading you to a trap.

“What in the blazes were you thinking?” he blurted out. “Did you ever think to stop and think about what was ahead of you?”

His tone was reprimanding and you didn’t know how to react. Obi-Wan was your teacher, your friend, the one that you had more feelings for than what was allowed. Now, he went from being gentle to hard in a single second. You were now hanging from a different cliff, this time unsure if he would pull you up or leave you to hang.

“I-I…” you struggled to find words. Not only was his tone hurting you, but everything came flooding back to you. From how you stumbled into the group of bounty hunters, how you were starting to tire out and let a blaster bolt graze you, how the wire had wrapped around your wrist, then finally falling and thinking it was all over.

Obi-Wan watched you and immediately regretted the way he had said that. He had seen how many ships had flown away before he got to you. Not only that, how you were helplessly dangling over the tallest cliff he had ever seen, it was a sign that showed just how bad the situation must have been. He had even sensed how terrified you were during many different moments.

Then, he saw as tears started to flow from your eyes.

“Hey,” he said more softly, placing a hand on your good shoulder before pulling you into an embrace. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not though,” you cried out, “I did everything you said. I didn’t stop to think-”

“That’s not what I really meant,” he cut you off.

You pulled back and looked at him with a confused gaze. How was that not what he meant? He was your master, afterall. It was his duty to correct you on what you did wrong, no matter the fact that you were only a few years his junior.

“How is it not,” you said in a broken voice. Not only was the terror from the previous events in your mind, but you started to think about how he didn’t seem as worried as you hoped he would be.

Little did you know, he was. Obi-Wan wasn’t thinking of how you didn’t think the situation through, he was thinking about how he could’ve lost you. He was thinking how, if he had lost you, he wouldn’t know what to do.

Looking into your eyes, he carefully brushed a loose hair behind your ear. With the same hand, he brought it to cup your cheek as he took a moment to gauge your feelings. He could feel all of the obvious ones, but he was searching for the one thing that he had felt from you for a long time. Something that he felt too, but never acted on because of the code.

After some time, he found it but could feel how it felt sadder than before. What caused this? Then, he thought about his reaction. He was more wrapped up in your strategy than your actual well being. How would you read his subtle nod to how he felt.

“That’s not what I meant, because,” he paused.

Was he really going to tell you now? If he didn’t, would that mean he would lose you before he could tell you how much he loved you? Feeling your love for him all these years only empowered him to push through, especially in the days after the events that led to his knighting.

That’s when he decided, “What I meant is that I don’t know what I would do without you.”

I took you a moment to realise what he was saying. Did this mean that Obi-Wan Kenobi actually felt the same way about you as you have about him all these years? Then, you took in the moment. His hand on your cheek, gently, and his cerulean gaze meeting yours, lovingly.

You were frozen. You never thought that this moment would ever come. Obi-Wan was finally admitting that he cared for you.

“W-what… I mean, I-” you couldn’t find the words. In this moment, one of the scariest you’ve faced in both the actual near-death experience and this quiet moment, you were unsure of what to say.

Obi-Wan watched your rapid thoughts and gave you a comforting smile. Then, to calm you further, he traced gentle circles with his thumb into your cheek. His heart started to pick up speed as he thought about how much he loved you. How in every moment he saw your smile, his heart warmed and sent a lighter tone his way every day.

He couldn’t help himself. Easily, while making sure he wouldn’t hurt you, he pulled you against him, wrapping his arms around you.

His embrace soothed your many racing thoughts. Even though you were trying to soothe yourself with his words before this, your encounter with the bounty hunters persisted. Now, it washed away all of those thoughts as you were enveloped in his arms. Without any hesitation, you hugged him back.

“I love you, Y/N. I don’t know how I could’ve lived with myself if anything had happened.”

You were shocked at his words and, out of instinct, you pulled away and met his eyes. Something in you expected to see he was joking, but his eyes were filled with sincerity. This was the moment you had been waiting for for years.

Now, it was your turn to bring a hand up to his cheek. Overwhelming happiness filled you as you looked into his expectant and hopeful eyes.

“I love you too, Obi,” you said, almost in a whisper.

Without realising it, you both leaned closer towards the other. There was no time to think about how the rest of this would go. Right now it was just this moment. Right now, he had pulled you up from the cliff. Right now, it was just feeling the sensation of his lips against yours.

#obi wan kenobi #obi wan x reader #ewan mcgregor #fanfic #obi wan x you #obi wan imagine #obi wan kenobi imagine #obi wan kenobi x reader #obi wan fanfiction #obi wan star wars #obi wan fic #obi wan #obi wan fluff #obi wan kenobi x you #master kenobi #obi wan angst #mrskenobi19’s 100 follower celebration #mrskenobi19s follower celebration

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wield-the-mighty-pen · 3 years

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Analyzing Marinette’s hairstyles

So, I’ve actually seen a bunch of different posts and takes of what Marinette’s hairstyles represent and symbolize especially in regard to the episode “Heart Hunter”, but I wanted to go through all the different styles of hair instead of solely focusing on the pigtails/hair down of that particular episode.

With that being said, in no particular order, here we go:

The Bun

This hairstyle is almost exclusively seen in the episode “Animaestro”. However if you’re paying close attention, you will see Marinette wearing this hairstyle, in the old class picture, featured in “Reflekta”. I find the fact that the show made this connection between these two (scenes? examples?) incredibly interesting and very telling. Putting the class picture aside for a moment, one must analyze Marinette’s behavior in the episode “Animaestro”. To be sure, it isn’t great. For the most part, Marinette acts foolishly and immaturely and her actions in this episode, indirectly lead to the akumatization. Marinette, in her jealous state, goes so far as to join up with Chloe (a person she despises), and attempt childish pranks on Kagami. In short, I think that the bun hairstyle symbolizes a sort of immaturity for Marinette. The fact that she wore this hairstyle when she was younger only goes to prove my point. Marinette is not a perfect character, but her actions in “Animaestro” are arguably some of her worst, and naturally when she has hit a low in her maturity level, she reverts back to a hairstyle of her youth.

The Braid

The braid can be easily shoved aside as not holding any symbolism, as just a way the design team chose to incorporate the tail in her costume. However, there were a number of ways the tail could have been incorporated into the Ladynoir costume, and as such the braid must be analyzed. Now, a braid can be considered an almost restricting thing, it carefully tucks back locks of hair and traps them better than an ordinary ponytail can. However, the Ladynoir braid almost has a ‘fun’ twist to it (pun not intended but appreciated). It is long (like really long), and we even see her flick it playfully over her shoulder. I think that the braid is supposed to represent that dualism between responsibility and fun that the job of superhero can have. I have heard a lot of people criticize “Reflekdoll” for its lack of parallels. In other words, Chat Noir learns something and better appreciates Ladybug, but the reverse isn’t true, and I would say that in many ways this is true, Ladybug is not privy to the lesson that Chat Noir is. However, I would argue that she did learn something. Ladybug learned that it’s okay for her to have fun and to joke around. Towards the beginning of the episode we see Ladybug chastising Chat Noir for his joking around, however by the end we see Ladybug embrace this approach and even make some jokes herself. The braid shows Marinette acceptance of balance, of the combination of enjoyment and responsibility within her life.

The Space Buns

This design as well can be attributed to the design team finding a way to show mouse ears, but I’m still going to try to analyze this. I have two different ways to possibly explain this hairstyle. The first being to draw parallels to the bun hairstyle as this is essentially the same thing but two instead of one. The correspondence between the two hairstyles could be seen through Marinette’s feigned naivety in front of Chat Noir. She “accidentally” reveals herself as Marinette and pretends to be less informed than she really is. The other way to translate this hairstyle is as a security blanket so to speak. I haven’t gotten into the metaphorical interpretation of Marinette’s pigtails yet, but I will briefly explain a part of it now (and go into depth a little later). The pigtails serve as a sense of security for Marinette, as a source of status quo. The space buns are that, but elevated. In the episode this hairstyle is featured, “Kwamibuster” (I don’t think I mentioned this before), Marinette is desperate to keep her identity a secret from Chat Noir and develops a convoluted plan (including Multi-mouse) to accomplish this. She wants the security of her identity and wants to use her comfort style at this moment. However, Marinette is trying to distance herself from Ladybug and as such she uses a slight variation of her pigtails in her alternate hero form.

The Ponytail

I’m gonna be honest and say that I can’t fully analyze this hairstyle as we have not yet seen the episode where this hairstyle makes its second appearance. So I’m just focusing here on the ponytail from “Optigami”. I might make another analysis on the ponytail after “Sentibubbler” comes out but it might make more sense to wait until after the whole season comes out, in case there are new examples of ponytails (or other hairstyles for that matter). I don’t want to say anything about Pegabug’s ponytail, because as I’m sure you know, Miraculous trailers can be very misleading. Anyways, after that ramble, I now focus on Ladybee’s ponytail. To be frank “Optigami” was a bit of a doozy. I watched that episode with a sense of dread that did not lighten by the end of the episode. This isn’t a bad thing, but it was intense for a typical episode of Miraculous, a show where my usual reaction is a mix of “oh this is cute” and cringe (to be fair I cringe easily). But what I like so much about season 4 is that we get more than that (I won’t go into this now because I’m straying from the topic too much). Ladybee comes at a time of great stress for Marinette, she gets stuck in an elevator with someone and is thus unable to transform (let alone the fact that that “someone” is Adrien), she is without the help of Chat Noir and most of the other heroes, and (unbeknownst to her for a majority of the episode) her friend has been replaced with a sentimonster. Yet, despite all of this, Marinette remains cool, calm, and collected. She, unlike Alya, does not fall apart and despair when Senti-Nino is revealed, she knows she has to get the job done. A ponytail gives an image of “getting the job done” of focus. Although the situation is dire and dangerous, Marinette displays her competence in crisis and the ponytail magnifies that trait. I have a feeling that the same will be true for Pegabug, but only time (and the episode coming out) will tell.

Hair Down

In the two episodes that we have seen Marinette wearing her hair down, they were both in connection with Adrien and her relationship with her. I want to separate the two examples because though they both wind up achieving similar goals in regard to their symbolism, they do it in different ways. Focusing first on “Chat Blanc” Marinette wears her hair down in part to distinguish to the audience the difference between the two timelines. Though the surface level explanation of her hair would be sufficient explanation, this choice of hairstyle also has a deeper interpretation. This being as a metaphor for Marinette’s vulnerability. She is allowing her feelings to be known to Adrien, she is allowing herself to be open and honest about her emotions and with that freedom she lets her hair free as well. It is also significant that she is free from her secret identity (albeit unknowingly) and as she allows Adrien to see the full spectrum of her personality, she frees her hair from its restraint. In “Heart Hunter” too, this hairstyle signifies vulnerability and freedom. In this episode we see Marinette having fun with Adrien and Kagami, without the worry of how she is being perceived by Adrien, without the stress about her feelings for him. It is of great significance that when she lets her guard down, when she “lets her hair down” (both literally and metaphorically), Adrien comments on her beauty. We already know, as viewers, that Adrien has fallen in love with Marinette’s personality as Ladybug. But as Marinette, Adrien has not been privy to her full personality. He has only been given glimpses, as in this episode, to the full extent of her persona. Marinette is seen later on in the episode to revert back to her old hairstyle once she is no longer comfortable, when she feels inadequate compared to Kagami. She puts back on her guise when she feels she needs the security. Which leads us to that source of security.

Pigtails

I feel a bit bad as I have simplified this hairstyle in earlier paragraphs to a symbol for security. While this definition is a correct one, this hairstyle has more than one explanation. As Marinette’s primary hairstyle, in both her every day and hero outfits, we see this hairstyle A LOT. Because of this, there is an array of interpretation as to what this hairstyle could mean. Starting with the aforementioned, this hairstyle works as a form of security for Marinette. The style required her to hold her hair back, to keep it in check, away from possible disasters and viewers (wind can tangle hair very easily). The pigtails are the antithesis of letting her hair down, a common symbol for freedom and relaxation. The pigtails therefore show that she is on her guard and is protecting herself. The pigtails also represent her quality of being a do-er. She likes to do things, she is an active person, she doesn’t stand aside or wait for things to happen, she works to make them happen. As a do-er she needs focus, she needs a restraint for her hair that could get in her line of sight, and the pigtails do that well. As Ladybug, the same is true. She is focused and determined to accomplish her goals, to succeed in her battles and she needs to tie her hair back to best accomplish this. There is importance in the fact that she chooses to focus herself with pigtails rather than the equally practical ponytail. This can be attributed to the child-like quality that pigtails have. Marinette, simply put, is still a child. Though as a whole she is particularly mature for her age, at times she can show a bit of immaturity. It is interesting to note that as the seasons progress, the more we see her with other hairstyles. As she matures she wears the pigtails less. The pigtails are also a girly hairstyle and show how Marinette is a girly-girl in a plain and easy way. Additionally, the pigtails give her the approachable, girl-next-door look. In simply looking at Marinette one gets the image of her sweetness and good nature. In visual media, it is important to make a connection between personality and visage. In cartoons especially, a character’s design should fit with how they interact with their world, and the pigtails are an immediate signifier as to Marinette’s character. This about sums up my analysis of her pigtails. I know that there are more ways to interpret them, and feel free to comment if you think of any other interpretations!

#mlb #mlb spoilers #spoilers #miraculous lb #miraculous ladybug #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #marinette #marinette dupain cheng #ladynoir #multimouse #ladybee

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