#i only have whats left of the lightest purple and black to do!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

yenvengerberg · 4 years

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becca’s mega coloring tutorial

i’ve gotten a lot of requests recently asking me to make a tutorial for my 'colorporn’ gifsets, and i think i’ve finally gotten over the traumatic incident 3 years ago, when i spent all day writing out a coloring tutorial only to accidentally hit backspace causing the entire thing to be wiped. so, here it is, buckle up folks! it’s going to be a long ride but here’s hoping it’ll be helpful.

so we’ll be going from left side (no coloring) to right (coloring & color porn):

let’s get started! you will need some sort of photoshop in order to do this, i use photoshop cs5 so this tutorial will be based around that, but i imagine you can adapt it for whichever one you use.

this is more of a coloring tutorial than a gif tutorial, but if you’re not sure how to make gifs then this is a pretty good all-encompassing tutorial, although i use 0.05 as my frame delay speed.

we’ll start from your have your basic gif, re-sized cropped and sharpened like so:

step one: curves

so i’m going to start off with basic colouring! the first thing i’m going to do is a curves layer to sort of ‘balance’ the gif out. to do that i go to layers > new adjustment layer > curves. on this window, right next to the graph, are three little droppers. i’m going to click the very bottom one right here:

this basically allows you to set your ‘whitest’ point in the gif, aka the point that should be the brightest. so i then go to my gif and click on the ‘lightest’ point. there’s a lot of light coming in from the top left hand corner of the scene i’ve chosen, so i’m just going to click it on that point (circled below) and that immediately brightens up the scene.

next i’m do something similar, but with the ‘blackest’ or darkest point on the gif. to do that i’m going to use the very top color picker:

and i’m then going to hit what the blackest point to balance out the light:

what this is basically doing is using your white and black points as color markers to not only brighten and darken the gif in places, but it also acts as a sort of color balancer. it’s very common that shows put a sort of colored ‘filter’ over their scenes, for example the scene i’ve picked has a sort of yellowish filter over the top. you might find that some scenes it doesn’t really affect, but others it makes a tremendous difference. personally i like doing this to get back to a ‘neutral’ ground on the scene, which is particularly useful when we are taking a scene with a warmer color tone (yellow) and trying to make it a cooler tone (purple).

if you are using a darker scene you may have to put a brightness/contrast layer on before you can complete this step, or even add an auto curves layer (hit the ‘auto' button on that same window) before you have a ‘white’ and ‘black’ spot to work on. i love this trick but this is precisely why i say i have no ‘general psd’ because it is entirely scene specific! but here we are at the end of step 1:

step 2: basic coloring

i’m just going to add a few adjustments to round off my basic coloring! i added just a little increase in curves to make the gif a little brighter (a), added a levels layer to enhance the contrast (b), and added some color balance. for this i worked with adding magenta and yellow tones to enhance the skin tones in the gif. i also made the midtones a bit more ‘purply’ (c) (as this is the end colour i want to achieve) and also did the same for the shadows (d).

for a darker gif i would probably add more curves and an additional brightness/contrast layer. color balance is also a really important tool to just play around with, ‘warmer’ scenes need more cyan/blue balance, while ‘colder’ scenes need more yellow/magenta balance. our final product is:

step 3: painting colors

if you wanted, you could probably leave your gif right there, but i like colors and i’m going to embrace them!

now there are three methods that i bounce between and they really depend on the type of gif you’re working with. an ideal scene would have a strong background color (see step 4) already for you to work with, but the truth is the majority of scenes don’t. as this scene is fairly neutral in background coloring, you’ll see we can’t just use selective colors to get the purple we want, so instead we’re going to do something a bit different. warning: this method won’t work for scenes with a lot of movement! for that you need step 4 or step 5.

first, something i always do with colored gifs, is i add a gradient map layer of black + a light shade of the final color i am trying to achieve, like so:

i then set this layer to ‘soft light’ and lower it to an opacity that i think suits. for this gif i lowered it to 20%.i think this makes the darker colors a little more ‘purply’ and overall gives a smoother affect what we’ll do next.

next is the fun part! we’re going to start adding in the purple. to do this, we want to create a new layer right at the bottom of all your coloring layers, so sandwiched between the actual gif and your first curves layer. then i grab my paint brush (you want one with the blurred edges, not a solid brush), use the same purple tone i selected for the gradient mask and paint around yen’s face and body.

i like to split my left and right side into separate layers. this is because i like to use a large paintbrush to solidly paint the left hand side of the gif, and then use a large eraser to get rid of the color from her face/body. the larger eraser you use, the smoother it looks (i’m not saying try and use a 600px eraser, just a 100px rather than a 10px creates a better effect). now it looks like this:

don’t worry that it looks very white, that’s just because it’s under all the curves layers! so now all i do is change it from normal, to multiply, and as you can see we have a nice purple background:

repeat this process for the right hand side:

you may find that if you’re working with a darker gif, setting these layers to ‘hue’ or ‘color’ is better. and again, the opacity may need a bit of playing around with. remember it’s ok to play around with effects and what might work for one gif will not work for another just because scenes and lighting vary!

then i just painted a line across the bottom, over her chest area, and lowered this to a 41% opacity. this just helped to enhance the purple feel of the gif. now we’re left with:

so a few finishing touches, i noticed that there was a spot by her right arm that as she moves, exposes a bit more of a ‘yellowish’ band. to fix this, at the top of all my coloring layers, but under the gradient map, i added a layer and just put a small purple dot on top with my paintbrush, and set the layer to ‘color’.

lastly, i wanted to make the right side a deeper purple, so i used selective colors to manipulate the magentas to the shade i wanted. then with the layer mask, painted black over the right hand side of the gif so it didn’t affect this coloring.

and there we have it! i have my finished gif!

tips: sometimes it’s nice to enhance lighter and darker parts of the gif further. i didn’t with this one as i already thought the natural lighting did it well enough, but of course this might not always be the case!

while i liked the coloring of this gif, i wanted a bit more variation in the purple tones. so, under all the coloring layers again, i painted some black on the right hand side, set this to softlight, and played with the opacity (it ended up on 65%). then added another purple layer on the right hand side, but set this to overlay instead and again lowered the opacity (to 58%) and got this:

you can play around with this to get different tones, and you can even change the color of what you’re painting on to create a gradient effect! for example, if i change the black softlight layer to a dark blue, and the overlay purple layer to a lighter pink, i get this:

and then you can use blue and magenta selective colors to play around with that even more. it’s all about experimenting and seeing what works!

step 4: selective colors

to do this method, you need to have a gif that has a strong background color. it doesn’t matter what that color is, or even if it has two, but it doesn’t work well with a netural background. for example this gif (which i’ve already done my base coloring on), is perfect to work with:

as we can see it’s very yellow in the background which is perfect! so the first thing i’m going to do is is create a new hue/saturation layer, set this to ‘color’ and then on the drop down menu change the color to ‘yellow’. from here i just dragged the hue bar till it was pink/purple.

because i’m working with yellow, which is a skin tone, we find that her skin has also gone pink. now i don’t really want this effect as i’d like her to look natural! so all i’m going to do is grab my black brush, paint on the layer mask, and erase this from her face. this won’t be so much of a problem if you’re adjusting cool tones, such as blues or greens.

i then used some selective colors to adjust the magentas and the same ‘tip’ i used for step 3 to add a little bit of gradient variation and all done!

step 5: all the time in the world

sometimes, you have scenes that won’t conform to either of the two methods listed. either they have too much movement for step 3 to work, or too neutral a background, or the selective colors won’t work for the overall color of the gifset. also, if you’re working with something of a yellow background with a lot of movement, the selective color method doesn’t work great because it ends up disturbing the skin tone of the person you’re giffing.

for example, for this gif i did all the steps in step 3, and got this:

now i love the coloring, but it’s messy. the movement of her hand means that her hand dips in and out of the yellow, but leaves background exposed.and the turn of her head means half her head ends up yellow. so instead of giving up, because i am a stubborn bitch, i take my yellow layers i’d painted on, merge them into one and start coloring them frame by frame.

to do this i adjust the timing of the yellow layer to fit each scene, and fill in/erase the yellow around yennefer as required. it ends up looking a bit like this:

i must say this can be pretty time consuming. it’s fine for shorter gifs, but it doesn’t work for a gif with a lot of frames. i don’t mind cos i just do this in the background while watching a movie, but it’s not for everyone. you might just prefer to play around with selective colors as in step 4, but you also might find if you’re adjusting warm skin colors, that you’ll need to use a layer mask frame by frame to still get the clean affect you want!

anyway, i added a slight yellow layer set to ‘hue’ over her dress to round it all off, and after coloring it frame by frame i got the affect i wanted:

obviously if you did all gifs like this it would take all week, but in mixing all three techniques i end up creating the sets i want!

the end

and that’s it, i hope this has actually semi-made sense and is of help. if you have any further questions or points you want elaborating on please feel free to ask! a lot of this takes time, practice and experimenting, so my biggest tip is just be patient and play around with what works for you :)

#fyeahps #completeresources #itsphotoshop #coloring tutorial #gif tutorial #i can't even remember who's asked for this except for everyone but i hope it actually helps?? and lives up to your expectations??#saved this every 5 seconds due to paranoia lol #tutorial #tutorials #ps help #1k

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carelesscreativity · 3 years

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NightKiller Broken Bones w/ Uncorrupted!Nightmare for LateNightBarista: Commission For Ko-Fi

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(SFW, Blood[?], Angst, Fluff)

It was worse than usual. Usually, when Nightmare had a bad day, the castle would feel electrified and tense. Going out into the hallway or to the kitchen was a risk. Nightmare would be near delirious and attacking anything that seemed even remotely threatening. The gang knew that Nightmare couldn't help it. When he was having a bad day, Nightmare's past memories were kicked into full gear and he would be drowning in old pain. Trying to talk to him was out of the question and trying to touch him was a suicide mission. They usually all just hid. But today seemed different.

The castle held the same charged feeling, but none of them had heard anything. There was no screaming. No breaking of furniture. No feverish rambling about not wanting to be touched or seen. Nightmare hadn't even left his room. It was quiet and there was a heavy aura of pain surrounding the castle like a thick smog, slightly choking each of them. Killer couldn't even focus on sharpening his knife in his own room. His hand wasn't steady enough and he had to give up before he permanently fucked up the blade.

It had been almost four hours since the feeling had settled over the castle. Nightmare usually started his reign of destruction and terror as soon as he woke up. Killer knew that, if he was wrong, he would be risking quite possibly all of his limbs. But he was the boss' right hand. So that meant he had to look out for him. Or something like that. He hopped down and teleported before his feet even hit the floor. He landed in the hallway right outside Nightmare's room. He paused. He couldn't hear anything from inside and it was still eerily quiet. He slipped his knife back up his sleeve and paused. He raised his hand and for once in his life, Killer actually knocked.

He waited a few moments. The aura wasn't becoming any more charged. His target soul gave an uneasy waver. Killer's brow furrowed and he knocked again, a little louder. "Boss??" He called, knowing he had a strong enough voice to carry through the door. There. He heard a small shuffle and the faintest hint of a sharp inhale. Killer furrowed his brow and moved a little closer to the door, listening. He could just barely hear raspy breathing. "Boss, I'm coming in." It was more of a warning than anything. It was also Killer signing off on his death wish if Nightmare decided to freak out.

He turned the knob, only to find it locked. He sighed and teleported inside, disregarding the door completely. The aura of pain was thick in the room. Every negative feeling was swirling around like fumes and Killer gave a momentary tremble. The breathing was louder. It was practically a death rattle, but it kept going and for a split second, Killer felt a small pinprick of fear that Nightmare really was dying. The thought made him ache in a way he couldn't describe. He had yet to turn around and face the bed, where he could hear the breathing coming from. "Boss. I'm gonna turn." He said, bracing himself.

He wasn't even sure what he was bracing himself for. He turned and the first thing he became aware of was the staining. Black stains were spattered across the walls and leaked into the carpet around the bed. And good stars, the bed. The bed was bleached black, all hints of the dark purple sheets gone. The thing on the bed caught Killer's attention and it shook him to his skeletal core. He managed to actually focus. The monster in the middle of the corruption was unmistakably a skeleton.

But the only parts that seemed to be connected were the head and the torso. The lower half had been broken off at the spine and all of their limbs were completely shattered off as well. The remains of a shredded purple tunic somewhat covered their upper half, but not enough since Killer could still see what was left of the ribcage. Any ribs that were still there were cracked or dangling. Regardless, the ribcage still moved up and down with each breath. There was a dented, stained and lopsided crown on their head that looked like it might've once been gold.

Black liquid was freely pouring out of every crack and orifice on their body, Killer able to tell how much of a struggle it was for them to breathe around it. The limbs were splayed around them and Killer could tell that some pieces were missing. A couple fingers and toes. He finally focused on their head. The entire left side of it was busted open in a wound that would put Horror's to shame. An eyelight was fixed on him in the other socket, muddled violet and cyan. The second Killer met their gaze, he felt a shockwave straight through his body to his soul.

His soul snapped into an inverted heart and his vision became crystal clear as his eyelights flared to life. He vaguely recalled hearing something about this form. Everyone knew the story of Dreamtale. He could still see bruises on those stained bones. He was snapped back out of his thought by a wheezing, violent cough. He winced as something snapped and he saw one of the other's ribs break off and fall, becoming dust against the bedsheets. Based on why he could barely see underneath the taters of the tunic, Killer didn't want to guess what the other's back looked like.

His eyelights moved up to the meet the other skeleton's once again. The corruption looked like it had unpeeled and melted around them. Killer didn't say anything at first because he needed a moment to piece everything together. It was a given that Nightmare was blind on his left side, but he hadn't quite realized the extent. Sometimes, he'd catch Nightmare stumble randomly while walking or in the middle of battle and, seeing his broken legs, it made sense to Killer.

The black-eyed skeleton could also see the way Nightmare's palms were cracked and he was simply missing quite a few fingers and the boss' occasional difficulty with physically grasping and holding things was so much clearer. Everything was so much clearer. Killer started to slowly move over. "Boss." The word alone seemed to make Nightmare flinch. He wasn't. He wasn't Boss. He couldn’t be. Not like this. Never like this. Everything hurt and his pain had amplified six times over once Killer had seen him. He hadn't wanted anyone to ever see him in this form. He could only breathe though, completely useless to speak. Killer's shoes squished along the carpet as he got closer, finally stopping next to the bed.

He was on his blind side, the bastard. Nightmare still remembered the origin of that wound like it was yesterday. He recalled vaguely the goop beginning to spill out of his eyesocket at a frightening rate. It hadn’t been too alarming at first. He hadn't been ready for the corruption to literally explode out the side of his skull in a way that felt like he'd been shot from the inside out. He was yanked out of his memories with a sharp inhale as he felt the slightest shift in the bed. He managed to turn his head, his neck creaking a little to see that Killer had picked and begun to fuse the broken pieces of his left arm back together. What was he doing??

Nightmare managed to make a questioning noises and Killer, forever on the same page as him, glanced up. "What's it look like? Putting you back together." He replied to Nightmare's unspoken question. Nightmare stared at him for another few moments. Killer kept glancing up at him before sighing. "No, I don't think any less of you, okay? You don't have to keep looking at me like that. I won't tell a soul." Killer was always so hard to read. His emotions were always so faded and while it helped in battle against Dream, it didn't help with complicated conversations like this.

But Killer's soul was inverted right now, which meant... Hesitantly and painfully, Nightmare probed at Killer's emotions. The slight brow raise signaled that Killer could tell was he was doing, but he wasn't going to stop him. Nightmare could sense truth. He could sense truth and trust and devotion and... Nightmare didn't realize he was shaking until he felt Killer's hand give the lightest touch over his sternum to still him. Nightmare was crying. It would be difficult to see his tears through the black liquid running down his face, but Killer had always been a perceptive son of a bitch.

Nightmare continued to stare at Killer as he worked on fusing his broken, battered body back together. Where was it? Where was the amusement? The disappointment?? The pity??? Every emotion Nightmare would've expected from Killer simply wasn't there and all he could sense was his devotion, his respect and his admiration for him. There was another feeling. One that Nightmare could barely recognize, but didn't want to acknowledge. Not yet, at least. He furrowed his brow, twitching slightly at the pain that it sent through his skull. He continued to stare before Killer glanced up. "Deep breath." Nightmare did so, but still whimpered as Killer popped his arm back into the socket. "There we go..." Nightmare could feel soft pulses as Killer sent soothing magic through it. "Boss."

The title made the invisible smog of pain in the room worse, so Killer took a breath and tried again. "Nightmare." The broken skeleton opened his eye and looked at him. "I don't know how you do it..." He moved to his other side and Nightmare felt a little more relaxed since he could see him better. He watched Killer pick up the other arm and get to work on it. "You... live like this... and still manage to be everything I admire. I've seen you fight amazing battles and this was the kind of body you were working with underneath?" He gave a soft scoff of amazement. "Unbelievable... You’re truly amazing.”

Nightmare really didn't know what to do for a moment. All he could sense was truth and it was overwhelming him. He wanted to cover his face and he managed to shift his reattached arm just a little. Killer seemed to notice immediately and reached over him, gently placing a hand on his arm as a gesture to keep it still. "You don't need to hide from me." He said softly. Nightmare made a weak noise. If he could blush, he would've. Killer finished with his other arm and stood up. "Deep breath." Nightmare did so, still unable to stop the sharp cry of pain as Killer reattached it.

Once again, he relaxed into the soothing pulses Killer gave. After another moment, Killer reached out and flicked the tatters of his tunic. “Probably can’t take this off of you all the way without fucking something up, but you mind if I start working on your ribs?” Nightmare didn’t answer for a moment and Killer blinked. “I could also start on your legs, but that would mean cutting open what’s left of your pants.” Nightmare gave a weak huff and Killer nodded. “Ribs it is, then.”

He pushed the fabric out of the way and Nightmare nearly started crying as he felt the pain slowly beginning to lift away into dull aching as Killer’s magic began to spread through him. He screwed his eye shut and kept his head turned away. He inhaled shakily as he felt a hand slip under his cheek and he managed to look back at the other. Killer had his other hand on his sternum. “I’ll fix you up. Nightmare... if you were able to do what you do with a broken body, imagine what you could do with a mended one? Stars, you’d be unstoppable.” Nightmare blinked before managing a very small, weak smile. He wanted to laugh, but he was sure that would fuck up whatever Killer was doing.

Killer chuckled, rubbing his thumb over his cheek bone at the sight of that little grin. “You can relax a little. It’ll be a while.” He watched as Nightmare closed his eye and tipped his head into his hand. Killer’s grin had already returned in response. He kept soothing and healing. It would take a bit, but for Nightmare, he had magic to spare and all the patience in the world.

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rizahawkais · 3 years

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Hi Nia! You're gifs are so pretty! Is it possible for you to show how you get your WandaVision gifs too look so clear and hd? And how do you do your colorings too? (specifically the wanda maximoff in episode 3 gifset ITS GORGEOUS) I'm new to giffing and all the tutorials are kind of old. It's okay if you don't want to though! I understand it may be time consuming.

omg no! never feel intimidated to ask!! i don’t mind at all!

so, i’m going to show you how i made and coloured this gif

mostly bc it’s the only gif in that set w text and i’m going to share my text settings too!

tutorial is below :)

WHAT KIND OF VIDEOS ARE BEST?

.mkv files (the bigger the better BUT i usually think anything above 5 gb is excessive and unnecessary for an episode of television BUT for a movie worth it) itunes downloads (logolesspro on twitter, hd-source on tumblr, live-action-raws on tumblr have some DEPENDING on what you’re looking for) (also, there’s a chance that if you search "show/movie hd download tumblr” you’ll find a tumblr with its itunes download available)

THAT IS IT NO OTHER TYPE OF FILES MAKE YOUR GIFS LOOK GOOD

- my suggestion is always if its new (like just came out the past month) t*rrent it! it’ll be downloaded quickly and .mkv files look the best! BUT if not check the sources above see who has the BIGGEST file if they even have what you’re looking for and then if not then you look to t*rrenting!!

here are the wandavision files i use so you can see!!

SCREENCAPPING

-if you have windows use potplayer! i have a mac so i can’t show you how to use it and it’s not available for me :( HOWEVER back when i had a windows potplayer was the best method in screencapping!!

-I HAVE A MAC! so i use mpv!! (go to mpv.io and follow the directions) BUT DON’T DOWNLOAD THE LATEST ONE (it has a bug that skips frames) try each before the latest one bc from what i heard different ones work differently for everyone!! and i don’t know which one i use (yikes!) THERE ISN’T THAT MANY I PROMISE AND IT’S WORTH IT BC MPV IS THE BEST (i used to use adapter but they didn’t take impressive screencaps in my opinion and it was evident in my gifs you can see it too! )

create a folder for your screencaps! and make sure to rmb the directory order! now we want to create a text file on our built in textedit app on mac! type up all this down below (i like jpg but you can replace jpg w png if you want) AND SAVE THE FILE AS mpv.conf THIS IS IMPORTANT SO DON’T FORGET IT! save it somewhere you’ll find easily and NEVER delete it until you don’t use mpv anymore

just in case you don’t know what to insert after, go to your screencaps folder

now you want to open mpv and go to the corner towards mpv -> preferences and they’ll tell you that there is no .conf file SO GO LOOK FOR THE TEXT FILE WE JUST MADE AND DRAG IT TO THE FOLDER THEY OPENED FOR US AFTER SAYING THERE IS NO .CONF FILE

(i learned all this from @kylos tutorial!! so if any of what i just said about setting up mpv makes NO SENSE to you check out their tutorial at kylos(.)tumblr(.)com/post/178497909311)

now we can screencap!

so let’s find the scene we want RIGHT BEFORE and MAKE SURE SUBTITLES ARE OFF

i pause and then press (option/alt + s) and then SCREENCAPS ARE BEING TAKEN!! and to end the screencaps being taken you once again press (option/alt + s)!!

now we want to delete the excess frames! and put it all into one folder!! DO NOT DELETE FRAMES IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT YOU WANT TO GIF!! WHEN YOU SKIP FRAMES IT WILL BE NOTICEABLE!!

MAKING THE GIF

this method isn’t used that much BUT I LOVE IT so this is how i put my frames in! first i check to see the size of my frames: 1920 x 1080

so i create a NEW file on photoshop with those dimensions w these settings

now i set my tool on photoshop to path selection tool bc if you have it set on smth like move tool or crop tool at the end you might end up moving or cropping frames you don’t want to!

ok so now we select ALL our frames and drag it on top of our new file on photoshop and the MOMENT we see our first frame in photoshop JUST KEEP CLICKING ENTER until all the frames are loaded!!

you can do file -> scripts -> load files into stack but it is WAYYY slower in my opinion!

now i crop out the excess BUT i don’t resize the gif yet! the dimensions wandavision is filmed in is 4:3 so i go to crop and set the settings to this:

MAKE SURE IT’S ON RATIO SO WE’RE PRESERVING THE ORIGINAL SIZE JUST CUTTING OFF THE BLACK EDGES!! We are going from 1920 x 1080 to 1440 x 1080 this is the dimensions after i cropped

WE ARE KEEPING THE QUALITY BY NOT CHANGING THE DIMENSIONS OF ANYTHING INSIDE !!

now we want to go to actions and create an action!! open up actions w one of these two depending on what your dash looks like!!

so we create an action with this button on the bottom of actions and we’re gonna title it making a gif and hit record!!

NOW LET’S GOOOOO!!

1. make sure you have timeline on your dash!

2. create frame animation (if you see create video timeline just click the arrow next to the button to see your other option which is frame animation!!)

3. now let’s meet our best friend!! the little bar in the top right corner that has all the commands for making our gifs and MAKE FRAMES FROM LAYERS

4. WE HAVE TO SHARPEN OUR GIFS NOW BUT TO DO THAT WE NEED TO CONVERT TO A SMART OBJECT SO NOW WE ARE GOING TO CONVERT TO VIDEO TIMELINE there are two ways: the button in the bottom left corner or the button in the top right corner w all the other commands!

5. select -> all layers DON’T MANUALLY SELECT THEM ALL BC THE ACTION WILL ONLY SELECT THAT SAME NUMBER OF FRAMES SO IF THERE ARE MORE FRAMES YOU WON’T GET THEM IN THE SMART OBJECT!!

6. filter -> convert for smart filters

7. NOW WE SHARPEN!! (filter -> sharpen -> smart sharpen) i sharpen twice!! first, make sure we are on legacy w more accurate and remove gaussian blue! the first sharpening will be 500% with 0.4 px radius. NOW SHARPEN AGAIN (filter -> sharpen -> smart sharpen) also w legacy, more accurate and remove gaussian blur BUT this time 10% with a 10.0 px radius!

8. it’s hd now!! so let’s flatten frames into clips!! go to the top right magic button again!! and you should see a pop up saying layers are being made

9. now we convert back to frame animation w either the bottom left button or our magic top right command center!

10. make frames from layers

11. select all frames w our magic command button

12. set the animation delay to 0.05 THAT IS THE BEST ONE ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS only use 0.06 when the character is moving really fast in the video itself and it makes the gif itself look awkward BUT NEVER GO ABOVE 0.06 it’ll look slow and laggy and we don’t want that and don’t go below 0.05 bc then it’ll be tooo fast and we don’t want that either!

13. now delete the very first frame on the timeline bc it is an oversharpened duplicate of the second frame! end the recording w this button!

this is what your action should look like expanded! if you made mistakes on the way and it shows up you can just click the specific step and press the trash can on the action tab to delete in from the order!!

NOW AFTER LOADING YOUR FRAMES AND CROPPING THE EDGES OF YOUR FRAMES IF YOU NEED TO JUST PLAY THE ACTION AND THEN YOUR GIF WILL BE MADE FOR YOU!!!!

now i delete some unnecessary frames in the beginning and end and this is what my gif looks like (the size was 46 mb and the limit is 10 mb so the dimensions of the gif are 540 x 405 to get it to 5 mb BUT I HAVEN’T CROPPED IT YET SO THIS IS ME CROPPING JUST TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE)

CROPPING THE GIF

in my opinion if you want your gif to look hd you shouldn’t crop before you sharpen!! i believe that if you crop before you sharpen you don’t allow photoshop to sharpen all the pixels whereas if you crop beforehand there is less to work with!!

dimensions is all up to you!! just make sure to go by tumblr rules!! 540 is the max width and if you want to make two gifs per row then my suggested width is 268 and for three gifs per row my suggested is 177 px! Just have the right width and the length can be whatever you want!!

now i’m going to crop my gif to 540 by 590!!

NOW THIS IS WHAT MY GIF LOOKS LIKE!

COLOURING BASICS

let me show you the best adjustment tools in my opinion and a brief explanation for what they do!!

brightness/contrast: pretty simple increase/decrease the brightness/contrast BUT one of my techniques for when i first start colouring a gif is i select all my frames and do nothing to the settings of the adjustment but i set the layer to screen LIKE THIS

curves: ik others use curves to change brightness/contrast w the squiggly thing BUT i like it to set a white point and black point, this is also a technique i use when i first start colouring a gif when screen doesn’t look good for me SO you use white point to select a pixel on the gif to set as the lightest color on the gif (setting the white point) and you use black point to select a pixel on the gif to set as the darkest colour on the gif (setting the black point) usually the white point makes it TOO bright and that’s why we use the black point to counter it and same goes for when i use screen with brightness/contrast, it gets too bright so i use black point to counter it below is the button for white point and the button for black point, respectively they are shaped as color picker tools

vibrance: generally, i never use this except for color p*rn sets but they work really well in making colors seem more strong

hue/saturation: like vibrance, i never use this except for color p*rn sets but this adjustment is to help change the colors or hue of a color for example: turn blue into purple or turn a blue into a little lighter shade of blue

color balance: I ALWAYS USE THIS!! except for in black and white gifs BUT THIS IS MY GO TO AND IF I DON’T USE IT MY GIFS ARE JUST BLAND i feel like color balance is what essentially balances the colors on your gif and adds dimension to it, it makes your gif go from looking way too yellow to a more golden neutral look and it is an essential adjustment in my opinion

channel mixer: i rarely use channel mixer BUT it is so so useful when you are working w a dark scene just play w the settings and all of a sudden all the blue in a dark scene will be a little more yellow and red and your scene will kind of just look brighter and more visible

selective color: THIS IS ALSO AN ESSENTIAL this helps SPECIFIC colors pop you’re working on a scene where there is too much red on someones face you use this tool to remove the magentaness from the yellow section OR when you feel someones face is TOO yellow and needs more blush you add more magenta in the yellow section of selective color

gradiant map: gradiant map is perfect when you’re lazy if you feel like your gif looks more neutral and you want some red in it but you don’t want to mess with any other adjustments just set a red to black gradiant on soft overlay with a very low opacity and BOOM slightly red but not too much red added!

NOW TO COLOR THE GIF!

today i have decided to start with a brightness layer set on screen

and this is what we got!

now that’s a little to bright and washed out in my opinion SOOOO to counteract it, i’m going to use my black point tool in curves and i’m going to select this point on the gif (it’s better to choose smth in the background and not smth that’s paid attention to such as monica’s hair or either of their eyelashes)

now my gif looks like this! the base color is complete!

now i think i need to balance all this yellow and red! SOOOO WE GONNA USE COLOR BALANCE!!

i think the best way to use color balance is to keep swinging the balancer until you see what you like and then keep going midtones i think i want more red and i don’t want a cyan midtone and then for shadows i think i want more cyan to counter the redness of the gif but highlights i don’t touch that much NOW HERE ARE MY SETTINGS SO YOU CAN SEE

and this is what my gif looks like

now you can stop here if you want but in my opinion i think the gif looks a lil too dead still SO IMMA USE SELECTIVE COLOR

i think there needs to be a lot lot more RED so i amp up the yellow magenta and black in the red! but i also think the yellows need to be LESS RED so i remove magenta from the yellow! and bc there’s some cyan and blue bc of monica and the flowers in the background im going to make the cyans more cyan and the blues a lil more black! i’m going to remove some yellows from the magenta!! and i add more black to the neutrals and black!! i think it’s always important to add more black to neutral and black bc it adds more depth to the gif by not just making it a bunch of bright colors and having dark colors to contrast to!! my settings are below!

and the result!

now let’s see everything together!

and the before and after!

I HOPE MY COLOURING EXPLANATION MADE SENSE!! if not you can always ask me more questions i don’t mind!!

ADDING SUBTITLES

we want to grab the text tool!

make a text box from anywhere in the middle from the left to right edge. this is so we can make sure our text is centered and will be in the same place for when we have sets w more than one gif w text!

type your text out and make sure you highlight the whole text so that all the settings apply to EACH character! you can find the alignments (for center) in the paragraph tab!

now lets right click on the text layer and go to blending options! add stroke and drop shadow!

now drag it to the desired height you would like and make sure to keep it in mind for when you have more than one subtitled gif in a set!

NOW TO MAKE SURE THE TEXT STAYS IN PLACE AND THE BLENDING STAYS YOU HAVE TO CONVERT TO SMART OBJECT!!

if you want to only have the text applied to certain frames instead of all frames, select the frames you don’t want by clicking the first frame in ur don’t want section ON THE TIMELINE and WHILST HOLDING SHIFT click the last frame of ur don’t want section and then toggle the eye switch next to the text layer

now you see the text

now you don’t

tip: use opacity to fade the text in and out!

the text is going to be on all my frames so i don’t need to toggle the eye but i just wanted to show you just in case!!

now here’s my FINAL RESULT

save for web (file -> export -> save for web)

your gifs have to always be under 10 mb! so, if your WAYYY overboard YOU HAVE TO DELETE FRAMES! or you can divide the gif in two and have two gifs instead of one! however, if you plan on going the deleting frames route MAKE SURE YOU DELETE FROM THE BEGINNING OR END OF YOUR SELECTION i promise you that most of us won’t notice that your characters dialogue is being cut off BUT WE WILL NOTICE IF FRAMES ARE BEING SKIPPED so, don’t delete frames in the middle of ur gif!! idc how little you do it IT WILL RUIN YOUR GIF AND I SAY THIS FROM EXPERIENCE i would delete every fifth frame to cut down my gifs and that may seem like not that big of a deal BUT IT IS my gif looked choppy and poor so it is way better to cut from the end/beginning of the gif

ANOTHER LAST PIECE OF ADVICE in the bottom left of when the save for web menu shows up THERE’S A PREVIEW BUTTON click on it! it’ll show you your gif on your default browser and show you what it’ll look like once uploaded! this is perfect to check the speed of ur gif and the colouring and to notice if there’s a problem with your subtitles or maybe there’s an obvious jump in frames you never noticed before!! i always use preview bc the built-in photoshop viewer of ur gif shows the colors differently and the speed is NEVER ACURRATE!

I USED THESE SAVE SETTINGS!! many say to use selective pattern but i DISAGREE and i think these save settings are the ✨ best ✨

OK NOW THAT IS THE END OF THIS VERY LONG GIF TUTORIAL!! I HOPE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK I SINCERELY DON’T MIND!! JUST DON’T BE RUDE OR ANYTHING BC PPL HAVE BEEN RECENTLY :(

I WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK AND FUN IN YOUR GIFFING ADVENTURES !!

#tutorials #asks #sourceblog #allresources #completeresources #itsphotoshop #dailyresources #resourcemarket #chaoticresources #onlyresources #hisources #sibylresources #dailypsd

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laylaskeating · 4 years

Text

blending gifs tutorial

requested by anonymous

anonymous asked: “hi! would u be willing to make a tutorial on how you made the blending in ur jatp title tracks set? its stunning”

hi! first of all, thank you so much🥺 i spent a lot of time and energy on that set so i really appreciate it<3

secondly, of course!! i’m the worst at explaining things, so bear with me and feel free to ask if anything is unclear and/or you need more explaining :)

let’s go!

PART ONE

okay so first, i pick my clips (tip: make sure the “main” one has as little movement as possible, otherwise it’s gonna make things way more difficult. also, choosing clips that have matching colors helps A LOT). i import them into photoshop and do the usual, which is sharpening and coloring. if the two gifs don’t have the same amount of frames, delete some from the longer one so that they do, but i’m sure everyone knew this already. so now we have these:

(in this case i added a layer set to soft light and with a very soft brush painted around julie using a purple color so that it matched a little bit better, you might need to do this depending on the scene)

then i copy the frames of the second gif and paste them over the first one and immediately group them and set the group to screen, like this:

next, i lower the opacity and hit cmd+t (or ctrl+t for windows users) so that i can move the second gif around and still see the other one that’s lying below and i can decide where to put it. when i’m done doing this, i add a mask to the group (aka the second gif) and with a very soft brush set to black i start deleting the parts that i don’t want to show up (basically everything over julie). in this case i did leave some (like, ever so slightly) over her hair because i felt like it made the blending more seamless, but it very much depends on the scene and of course personal preference! now you should have something like this:

if this is what you want, you can stop reading! but i added a few more steps in my set which i’ll explain now :)

PART TWO

open the group where you have your second gif’s layers and on top of everything, add a gradient layer (do not choose which gradient/the colors yet! i mean of course you can but i’ll explain in a second what i did in mine) and set it to hard light.

choosing the gradient colors:

now’s the part i’m gonna have the most trouble explaining so again, just bear with me.

the angle of the gradient is really important in this case: i always set mine horizontally (so around 0° or 180°, even if not perfectly at those angles, if it makes sense), with the darkest color on the same side of the first gif (for example, in this case julie is on the right, so the darkest color of my gradient will be on the right and the lightest on the left). for the actual colors, i use the color picker to select the darkest color and i pick from the background of the first gif (sometimes you’re gonna have to mess around a little to find the perfect color but don’t move away too much or it’s gonna become messy, in my experience at least). for this gif, i picked from around here:

for the lightest color (which i already did in the screenshot above) i usually use the color picker again and pick a color that’s popping in the first gif, in this case from julie’s dress (if there is no popping color it’s okay! you can just move around the color board and find the one you like best - of course you have to remain within the shade you want to use!). just mess around with these shades until you get your desired result.

and voilà, you’re done!

sometimes the colors in the second gif (the blended one) do not match at all what you’re trying to do and that can be a pain in the ass. in those cases, it helps me to add a black and white gradient map (set to normal, 100% opacity) underneath the gradient.

i only used this trick on one gif (the other side of hollywood) but nothing prevents you from doing it all the time! it’s gonna look like this:

this is it!

as you’re gonna realize, it’s much easier than it looks, all you gotta do is practice and mess a lil bit around with the colors until you get the perfect result.

i hope this has helped and if anything is unclear or confusing just hmu!

#ask #anonymous #ps related #tutorials #resources #yeahps #completeresources #ps resources #ps tutorial #itsphotoshop #allresources #there were quite a few typos in the other one lol

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bugsandchatons · 3 years

Text

when you weren’t mine to lose (7)

Summary: Change is a scary thing, especially when it feels like nothing has stayed the same.

It’s been a year since Marinette became the Guardian of the Miracle Box - a year of struggling beneath a burden she never asked for, a weight that has her leaning on her partner more and more as the hours fly by, of letting him come to her, too, when he needs a soft place to land. A year of falling for the boy who takes on the world by her side with a smile made of sunlight, and fighting the growing urge to tell him what he means to her.

After all, they’ll have time enough for that when Paris is safe.

But when the unthinkable happens, Marinette learns the tragedy of loving someone quietly, and the lines she’ll cross to save him.

A/N: So sorry this took an extra week to get out! I wanted to make it as good as I could get it, since it’s all the Talking and Hugging and that good stuff. Thank you to @emsylcatac for looking over it!!

[[AO3]] {from the beginning}

****

[seven: will you still love me when I’m no longer beautiful]

As abruptly as it started, the battle ends, leaving pure chaos behind.

There’s ice in her veins. It’s crystallizing under her skin, freezing her to where she stands.

Ladybug drags air into her lungs and tries to find it within herself to take a step - the movement is slow, sluggish, and forced. It’s not until the distinct sound of an animal in pain reaches her ears that she can process the scene before her and move.

Her partner is on his knees, hands flying over a person on the ground, but never once making contact. Chat’s nearly hyperventilating as the girl before him is consumed, so slowly by the black, unforgiving touch of his Cataclysm.

Ladybug blinks. Just beyond them is Félix, one hand raised to his temple. A purple butterfly struggles free from the speared face of his watch, several feet away.

She stumbles over to Chat and rubs a hand on his back, sliding it up his spine to squeeze his shoulder, the touch as grounding for her as she hopes it is for him. He glances up at her, something uncomprehending in his gaze before his attention snaps back to the girl before him.

Ladybug’s still not sure where she came from. One minute it was just her, Chat, and Mirror Image on the rooftop. Then, between seconds, it wasn’t.

Something more is happening here, she’s sure. She bends down, mind racing, grappling for an explanation.

When the stranger’s glazed blue eyes meet Ladybug’s, they sharpen. She reaches out with a surprisingly strong hand, grabs Ladybug by the shoulder, and jerks her in close.

“Don’t wait,” she gasps. “Don’t throw it away.”

“What?” Ladybug asks, startled. The girl’s eyes flick to the hand on Ladybug’s shoulder, and she drops her own gaze to follow. There, dangling from her wrist is an unactivated Black Cat Miraculous and a shadowed version of the charm she’d last seen in her purse. That paralyzing ice is back, spreading through her blood until all she feels is cold. “You-”

The black rot of Chat’s magic spreads up her arm. An Akuma peels out of the charm as it crumbles to dust and, between blinks, the girl dying on the ground changes. Her hood falls away, and what’s still visible of her suit morphs from black to red. It’s unmistakably her.

Ladybug.

“Cast our cure,” she whispers, and closes her eyes.

Chat makes a horrible broken sound and rears back, falling on his splayed hands. His eyes dart rapidly between the two of them, something manic in his expression, and it spurs her into motion. Ladybug grabs for her yoyo and snaps it out to catch the two fluttering Akumas before reaching for her Lucky Charm. In the red and black spotted mirror, she meets her own eyes in the reflection for just a second before tossing it high and calling for her Miraculous cure.

“Don’t cry, mon rêve,” the other Ladybug whispers. Her voice is lost in a ragged sound as the black tide climbs her throat. Chat lets out a low whine and as the Miraculous magic flows over them, the Ladybug that lies prone on the rooftop vanishes.

Ladybug blinks and the world flashes white.

******

When she opens her eyes her vision swims, and she gasps for air. Chat kneels in front of her, calling her name. He has tear tracks on his cheeks and soot on his hands, but he’s alive.

Her heart skips a beat before picking back up, double time. Something broken inside knits back together.

“Chat,” she gasps. Her fingers grope for his wrist and find the racing pulse there before she presses her palm flat over his beating heart. She breathes when he does, and it’s the lightest she’s ever felt. “Chaton,” her trembling hand finally finds his cheek as tears stream down her own. “You’re okay.”

She lifts her gaze to his and realizes he’s not, not entirely. His gaze darts frantically from her face to the spot where she’d lain as Ouroboros, and there’s something very fragile on the verge of breaking in his expression.

“Okay,” she says softly as she takes his chin in her hands and coaxes him to look at her, only at her. “Stay with me, Kitty.”

He blinks rapidly, but nods. She nods back. Her earrings beep, nearly in perfect time with his ring. With a herculean effort, she looks away from Chat and turns to glance at Félix. “Are you injured?”

He looks pale but otherwise unscathed. “I - no, Ladybug.”

She rises to her feet and, reluctant to pull her hands from Chat, simply tugs him up with her and keeps her fingers twined with his. She crosses the rooftop to the fire escape. “You can get down from here,” she says to Félix, before scanning the crowd. “Alya,” she shouts when she finds the face she’s looking for, “will you make sure Félix gets back to the Agrestes?”

The girl in question makes her way to the front of the crowd, her cell phone gripped tight in hand, and nods. “Of course.”

With that, Ladybug turns her full attention back to Chat. She lifts both of his hands in hers and holds them to her cheeks until he meets her eyes. “Come with me?”

Both Miraculous beep a second warning. Chat’s eyes widen as her meaning lands, but he nods, his hands trembling against her skin.

Ladybug offers a weary smile before wrapping an arm around his waist, pulling him in close, and swinging them both away.

*****

When her feet touch down onto the rooftop of Master Fu’s old apartment, Ladybug lets go of Chat only long enough to drop her arm from his waist and take his hand instead. She slides her fingers into the gaps between his and presses their palms together, leading him down the fire escape and into the vacant rooms through the window. He follows along in her silent footsteps, as pliant as a newborn kitten.

The dusty apartment has been undisturbed for at least a year and empty even longer. Dust clothes drape over the few pieces of furniture that were left behind when their owner fled. Cobwebs gather in the corners. Ladybug wrinkles her nose. All things considered, it’s been forgotten, and forgotten places make the best spots to hide.

Her earrings beep a loud warning and she turns to face Chat Noir, her mouth going dry. There are so many things she has to tell him, and she can’t imagine where to start.

He isn’t looking at her. Instead, his gaze roams the dim room, perhaps noting the same things she has or nothing at all. Only one way to find out.

“Hey,” she says, barely more than a whisper. Slowly, he tilts his head in her direction, before his gaze slowly follows. He meets her eyes, searches hers, and then his stoic expression crumbles.

“Oh, Kitty, no,” Ladybug hurries to soothe. Her hands find his shoulders and tug him into a tight hug. She feels his gasp more than she hears it when their chests bump together, and then he’s clinging - his hands grip her hips with the slightest bite of claws before sliding around to her back to clutch her in an embrace that might have crushed bones, were it not for her suit.

“I hurt you,” he chokes on the words, his body trembling in her arms. A sob rips through him and tears out of his throat in a tattered breath. “I killed you, my lady, how -”

“No, you-” she stops and holds him tighter. She’d known, hadn’t she? She knew what stopping his Cataclysm would do to both of them, and she’d been the one to make him do it. Lying about it would do nothing to benefit either of them now. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but I’m okay.” She presses her cheek to his, murmuring beside his ear. “I’m right here. I’ll explain everything, but I need you to breathe with me first, okay?”

Chat tucks his face into her neck. She can feel the dampness on his cheeks against her skin and the way his heart pounds in time with hers, frantic but alive.

Alive, alive, alive.

The relief brings with it the release of every bitter, horrible thing they’ve been through, the stress of two terrible days forced into one. It floods through her and knocks her to her knees, and he goes down with her. She tangles her fingers in his hair and presses her face into his collarbone until it hurts, until she can chase away the burnt scent of ashes and soot with his sunshine and leather, until all she can smell is something like home.

“It’s okay, mon chaton, everything will be okay,” she whispers the promise into his skin and feels the slightest bit of tension slide away.

He shakes his head against hers but doesn’t draw back. “We’re about to-”

The final, wild beeping in her ear drowns out the rest of his warning. “I know,” Ladybug says softly, pulling away just enough to see his face. She plants one of her hands flat against his chest, wanting to hold on to the feeling of his heartbeats. With her other, she wraps her fingers around his wrist and guides his hand to where he can count hers. “We’re okay.” She lets her forehead come to rest against his. “I’m right here, and so are you. Breathe with me, Chat.”

He closes his eyes and takes a deep, shuddering breath, and she does the same.

Her transformation wears off in a bright pink flash that mingles with the green light of his. It illuminates the room briefly before fading away. There’s soft cotton under her touch instead of worn leather and his racing heart is even more apparent, pounding into her bare hand as though it’d like to break free and make a home there.

She opens her eyes and sees Tikki barrel into a surprised Plagg with a squeak before the kwamis disappear into the shadows. She looks at Chat’s unmasked face to find his eyes screwed shut. Her lips curve into a soft smile and she whispers, “You can open your eyes, Adrien.”

Either the sound of his name or the invitation startles him into obeying. She sees wide green eyes before he leans back, only far enough to see her.

“Marinette,” he breathes, and finally, he breaks into a small smile.

The sight of it takes a massive weight off her shoulders. She holds fast to his hand like a lifeline for fear she might float away. “You don’t seem too surprised.”

His gaze darts over her face with something endlessly soft in his expression that warms her from the inside out. “I’m not. Of course it’s you,” he says, the way one might announce the rising sun - a sure, indisputable thing. He lifts his free hand to her face and traces her cheek with his thumb, following the curve of where her mask usually rests. “My Everyday Ladybug.”

The admission steals her breath and her face flushes with heat. Just as quickly as it’d come, his smile fades. “I cataclysmed you,” he murmurs.

He draws his hand back, but Marinette reaches out to catch it. “No, listen,” she starts. “You did, and you didn’t. But - it was my fault?”

He blinks and tilts his head. “You’re not making much sense, my lady.”

Tikki phases through Marinette’s purse with a pink macaroon in hand. She settles onto Marinette’s shoulder, suggesting, “Start at the beginning.”

“If only I knew what that was,” Marinette says, watching as Adrien pulls a piece of cheese out of his shirt pocket and automatically offers it into Plagg’s waiting paws. The sight would make her laugh, were it not for the concerned furrow of his brow and the weight of his unwavering attention. She swallows her nerves and straightens her spine. “Okay. So, you remember Timebreaker, right?”

“Yeah. There were two Ladybugs,” Adrien says immediately.

Marinette’s mouth twitches up into a smirk. “That is what you’d remember best, isn’t it, minou?”

The small smile he offers is all Chat Noir, unabashed and mischievous. Reconciling her partner with Adrien is somehow as implausible as it is simple - a paradox she can only hope will grow easier with time. She continues on. “Well, this story is a little like that one. I’ve lived today twice, and the first time-” her fingers tighten reflexively around his, and he squeezes back. “The first time we fought Mirror Image, it went horribly wrong.”

Adrien frowns. “Did he hurt you? Did he get your Miraculous?” he fires off questions concerned only for her, and something bitter rises in Marinette’s throat.

“No, Adrien, he killed you,” Marinette murmurs, watching as the tight line of his shoulders relaxed. She feels the perplexing urge to punch him for it. “He reflected your Cataclysm and you died right in front of me.”

“Oh,” he says, dropping his gaze to their tangled fingers. “Well, I mean. I’ve died before. You always bring me back though, right?”

She can hear what he means but doesn’t put words to. Why does it matter now?

Marinette lets out a slow breath, blinking back the burning tears in her eyes. “I couldn’t this time. My Lucky Charm didn’t work and you were gone.” He opens his mouth, but she doesn’t stop, doesn’t want to give him a chance to chime in with a protest that might break her heart. “So I went home, got the Snake Miraculous, and went back in time.”

He raises his eyebrows. “How-” he blinks, and she sees it when the horrifying revelation hits him. “You were akumatized,” he whispers. “On the roof, that was the akumatized Ladybug.” Adrien looks up with anguish in his eyes. “You got akumatized because of me?”

She wants to shake him. “Adrien,” Marinette starts, her heart aching. “The only reason I had time to come up with a plan and run home instead of being akumatized immediately is that Hawkmoth was too distracted to try it right away. You’re my partner, Chaton, mon coeur, of course losing you was enough to akumatize me.”

He looks devastated by the prospect. “But you...you shouldn’t have-”

“I let him,” Marinette says fiercely. “I knew what I was doing. I knew an Akuma would make the Miraculous limitless, I knew I could restart the day, and don’t you dare say I shouldn’t have done everything I could to save you, because I refuse to hear it.”

Adrien snaps his mouth shut, meeting her glare for a moment before glancing away, his free hand rising to the back of his neck. In the silence that follows, Tikki nudges Marinette’s cheek. “Tell him everything, Marinette. There’s no point in keeping secrets now.”

She hesitates, but slowly meets Adrien’s eye when he looks back up. “It gets worse. I know who Hawkmoth is.”

“Why would that be worse?” he perks up for just a moment before he picks up on the heaviness of her words, the solemnity of her expression. He deflates, then takes a deep breath. “Tell me.”

She bites down on her lower lip. “Not long after the battle, I was still with you. He...Hawkmoth came. He said he’d suspected Chat Noir might be his son before -” at that, Plagg gasps. Adrien goes rigid and shuts his eyes. Marinette holds tight to his hand. “But Adrien disappearing the same night that Chat died seemed to confirm it for him.”

For several minutes, Adrien sits perfectly still and stays silent but for the whistle of his ragged breathing, in and out of his nose. Then, he lets go of her hand, stands up, and crosses to the window. His fingers curl into fists. He pounds them into the window sill with one loud thud, before tapping his knuckles to the glass, careful and controlled once more, even while turmoil crackles through him like a livewire. When he turns around, he doesn’t look at her. “I suppose you’ll be wanting my ring back, then.”

Plagg drifts close to him, his ears pressed flat to his head. “Adrien?”

Adrien doesn’t look at him, either. He keeps his gaze resolute on the wall somewhere over her head.

Marinette blinks once, twice. When she finds her voice, it’s strained. “Excuse me?”

His face is blank, but she can see the way his fists tremble. She wonders if he’s ever once been able to let go, or if everything he keeps locked inside is just going to keep rising until it hits a boiling point. “My Miraculous. You’ll want a new Chat Noir, one who’s not the son of a supervillain, of a terrorist.” His voice starts to shake. “One who couldn’t possibly have missed what goes on inside his own house, and-”

Marinette crosses the room and grabs onto his shoulders. He flinches, his expression twisting. “Chat,” she begs, “Stop.”

“He hurt you!” Finally, his mask breaks, and a tear streaks down his cheek, followed by another, then a stream. “Over and over. He’s hurt so many people.” He shakes his head. “He’s a monster, and god, did he even care when I died?” Adrien’s voice cracks and Marinette pulls him in. One hand sifts through his hair and pulls his head down so he can hide his face in her neck, and the other fists in the back of his shirt.

“None of this is your fault,” she tells him, her voice thick with tears of her own. “Not one thing. You are my Chat Noir, no one else could take your place. We’re going to get you out of that house, and we’re going to figure this out together, okay? You and me.”

He crumbles into her, boneless in her arms, and she holds him steady through the storm. Tikki nestles into her hair while Plagg curls into Adrien’s collarbone.

When the rain passes and Adrien calms down to the soft rumble of Plagg’s purring and the murmur of Marinette’s soothing, he slumps back against the wall and sinks to the floor, bringing Marinette down with him. He sighs, his eyes red-rimmed. “Tell me the rest?” he asks, his voice hoarse.

She nods and tucks herself under his arm, lifting her hand to rest over his heart. “Okay. I restarted the day. I already had a clue you might be Chat, so I followed you -” at this, Adrien huffs a short laugh. “What?”

He shakes his head before leaning it on top of hers. “All day, I had the weirdest feeling I was being watched, but I never did see you, that’s all. Go on.”

Adrien stays silent through Marinette’s retelling, nodding along as she goes through the day. He stiffens when she tells him about Bunnyx and her ominous warning, but still, he doesn’t interrupt again. When Marinette reaches the battle, the parts he remembers, she glances up to find him frowning, his blond brows furrowed.

“So I knew I had to be the one to catch your Cataclysm, or else it could have rebounded again, or you could’ve hurt Félix, and well, you were there for the rest. So you didn’t kill anyone, not really. I...I knew that once the other me got a real Lucky Charm, this time everything would be fixed,” she says, her own mouth curving down when his expression remains one of displeasure. Marinette folds her hands, tangling and untangling her fingers as nerves turn her stomach into knots. “So...that’s it.”

Adrien’s quiet for several moments, his severe demeanor unabating. When she squirms against his side, he finally says, “I don’t know what to say.”

“You could try thank you,” Marinette says, aiming for lightness as she stretches her aching legs out in front of her.

He shakes his head. “You shouldn’t…” he trails off and swipes a hand through his hair in one frustrated stroke before trying again. “The last thing I want is for you to risk your life for me - to die for me. Marinette, you can’t...you just can’t do that, okay?”

Her stomach drops and her throat starts to burn. She pulls away from Adrien and fixes him with a glare that has him shifting in place. “I did what I had to do, and saying I can’t is a little ridiculous coming from you, don’t you think? You throw yourself in danger for me all the time for much less!”

“That’s different,” he says, his frown settling into a stubbornness she’s rarely seen on Chat and never on Adrien. He crosses his arms and lifts his chin. “Ladybug is more important.”

“That’s bullshit,” she cuts in, startling him. “You know it is. Sure, I’m the one who purifies the akumas and repairs the damage, so I have to make it to the end of the fight. But Chat, you take hits for me constantly, sometimes when it’s not necessary at all. You’re reckless.”

“So what? You can bring me back,” he insists.

But she hadn’t, not this time - she’d only fixed a failure with an extra Miraculous and a lot of Ladybug luck. That was the point, wasn’t it? Her partner believed her to be infallible and himself expendable; and while from a purely tactical standpoint, he might be technically correct, the thought made her sick.

She’s always told herself that a great superhero only listened to her head, but it was messier, now; the heart that had shattered upon watching him turn to dust had only grown louder and louder. “You act like your life is just something to throw away.”

The minuscule shrug he offers is enough to have her eyes stinging. “LB, you know Paris doesn’t need me as much as they need you. It’s different. You just can’t die for me,” he says again, rising to his feet and brushing dust off his knees.

The cold logic in his voice, the finality, has Marinette pushing to her feet, suddenly more furious with him than she’s ever been. In seconds, she’s back in his space, nearly nose to nose with him. “Don’t you get it? I need you. There is no Ladybug without you!”

He shifts his gaze away from hers. “Don’t say that,” he argues, losing some of his steam. “You would be okay, my lady, you-”

“I wouldn’t be,” she snaps. She may be a hero, but if she’s learned anything at all from the past twenty-four hours, it’s that she’s only human. “I’ve lived it, and I was not okay! I would do exactly what I did today all over again if it meant saving you.”

Adrien lets out a breath that could have been a laugh, if it had any humor to it and none of the desperation. “Why?”

“Because I love you!”

Marinette’s confession, loud and sudden as a thunderclap, seems to startle them both. It echoes through the empty room and leaves only silence to rain down upon them in its wake.

Adrien’s lips part as his mouth drops open, a disbelieving sort of fragility wiping away any remaining traces of the will to fight. “You-” he blinks. Something like hope tugs up the corner of his mouth, the beginnings of an incredulous smile. “You love me?”

She softens at his smile even as part of her still wants to cry. She lifts a hand to his cheek and he draws in a sharp breath, his eyes going wider still. “I didn’t really want to yell it at you, but yeah. I’ve wanted to tell you for ages. It’s what I’ve been so scared of, but when I lost you...I couldn’t just do nothing.” Her eyes tighten and her smile slips. “I would have given anything to have told you every single day, Kitty.”

Adrien takes both of her hands in his and brings them to his face until he can press a kiss to each of her knuckles, his gaze on hers warm enough to make her melt. “This must be a dream,” he murmurs, sounding dazed.

Marinette’s knees threaten to give out, unwilling to hold her up much longer. Breathlessly, she asks, “If it were, what would happen next?”

His eyes drop so quickly to her mouth she might have missed it, if she weren’t hanging on his every move. His chest hitches before his stare snaps back to hers, drowning her in green. He turns her hand over in his and brings her palm back to his mouth, then kisses the inside of her wrist. His throat works as he swallows, then, with his lips moving ever so slightly against the sensitive skin there, he says, “Something like this.” He kisses her wrist again before continuing, his voice low, “What do you dream of, my lady?”

She’s forgotten what oxygen is for, to say nothing of remembering what happens once she closes her eyes for the night. She’s lived through a nightmare, but this - this feels like sweet relief upon waking; of Chat Noir’s tender fingers brushing hair off her cheek, of sleepy smiles and muted sunlight in their eyes. Now, Marinette feels like her every nerve is wide awake.

Adrien waits, endlessly patient, and finally, she puts words to the truth. “You, Adrien. You.”

His answering smile is radiant. His hands come up to cradle her cheeks and she meets him halfway in a kiss impossibly soft. Her fingers find their way into his hair and a small, helpless noise catches in his throat. Marinette sighs, thinking only of the dawn after night breaks, of the sun bursting through the clouds with daylight so strong not even time can put it out for long.

Adrien’s ragged breath plays across her cheek as he rests his forehead against hers. Marinette’s about to dive back in for more of him when a loud, dramatic sigh hits her ear.

“Are you not done yet?” Plagg demands. Marinette feels the slight weight of him on the crown of her head, his little paws in her hair.

“Plagg!” Tikki scolds him, and the sound of Adrien’s laugh sinks into Marinette’s bones and floods her with peace.

Adrien rubs his cheek against hers, so much like a cat that her mouth quirks up in an unstoppable grin. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“No, don’t,” Marinette coos, scooping the kwami into her hand and rubbing his ears with her finger while Adrien looks on with a pout. “We lost him too, you know.”

At that, Adrien pulls her back into a hug, squishing Plagg in between them while Tikki settles onto Adrien’s shoulder. He tucks his face into Marinette’s hair and asks, “What are we going to do now?”

For a moment, Marinette says nothing. Outside, the night waits - there’s a city on the verge of sleep that trusts their heroes to keep them safe, and a villain looming larger than ever as the shadows close in. She shuts her eyes, listens to the sound of them both still breathing, and leans into Adrien. “I’m not sure,” she says, “but we’ll figure something out together.”

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fics #ladynoir #adrinette #ml fic #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #lovesquare #fic:when you weren't mine to lose #finally we get some cuddles

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amongtheshadowandlight · 3 years

Text

In Twilight: 6 of ?

Chapter Six: Within The Forest’s Glow

It was almost...comforting, so to say, stepping into the twilight once more. In some way, her body craved the feeling of being in this covered realm. The energy she could feel running through her veins was like nothing she had experienced before, she was somehow stronger here than she was in uncovered land. Maybe, also, it was the hidden beauty she could help but admit. It held its own sense of beauty, and Ombretta couldn't stop staring; everything enrapturing her attention. The little squares appearing from nowhere, seeming to be endless, how the trees of Faron seemed to glow in the light of dusk;

Midna with the wooden shield over her face.

Ombretta bit down on her knuckle, fighting the urge to laugh as she watched Midna, who was perched on Link's back once more, looking around with the wooden shield over her face, the sword in her hand.

"Hmm! So these are the weapons of your world?" Midna asked, her voice muffed by the wood. She took a couple of blinded swings, much to Ombretta's amusement and Link's annoyance as he ducked his head quickly. "You really think these will slay the creatures of twilight?"

"It's the best we got, Midna."

With a huff, Midna pulled the shield off her face and plopped it onto Link's, along with tossing the sword into the ground. "Well, I won't use these."

"Here..." Ombretta giggled softly, lifting the shield off of Link's face and picking up the sword, giving it a twirl. "I'll use 'em for now!"

"Alright, a promise is a promise...I trust you enough to help."

"And the catch?"

"In exchange for my help, I need you two to gather some things for me."

Ombretta simply raised an eyebrow.

Midna sighed, "listen, I can't tell you the details right now. But it'll be easy, trust me. But enough of that, can you hear that? The lamentation of spirit that had its light stolen."

Ombretta frowned. The song was quiet, yet, desperate. Desperate for someone to hear, to come...to help. Her hand flew to her hair, gripping it tightly as a ripple of pain ripped through her skull. Less intense than the ones before, but enough to cause Ombretta to wince.

"What's up with you?" Midna asked, along with a whine from Link.

"Nothin'..." Ombretta hissed, slowly releasing her grip and shaking her head.

"Well, better get going, don't you think? Don't blame me for the fate of your world if you can't find that light."

"Don't have to be a jerk about it, y'know." Ombretta muttered as she began walking.

"I heard that."

"That's nice."

Ombretta kept silent after that,trying to focus more on the song than anything else around her. It wasn't like she didn't know where the spring was, on the contrary; she probably could find the spring with her eyes closed if she so wanted to, but it was like something deep was stirring with the lamentation. Like her very soul was trying to reach out to it. Why?

She let out a loud gasp at the booming sound behind her. Whipping around, Ombretta's shoulders sagged at the sight of the pillars in Ordona's spring, caging them in once again. You’ve gotta be kidding me...

Ombretta's heart dropped to her stomach as she watched not one, but three of the shadow beings drop from the sky, picking themselves up off the ground, unaffected from the fall.

"Aw! We're penned in again! Who do they think they're dealing with? No need to take these out one by one." Midna said before floating off. "You two can handle this on your own, right?"

"Wait! Midna...! Oh... she's gone." Ombretta scowled, cringing at the shrieks the creatures’ let out, two coming closer to the two of them. "I'll take the one on the left, you take the one on the right?"

She wasted no time. Swinging the sword towards the creature, slashing away at its body as rapidly as she could, grinning once the being fell to her feet. Turning around, She grinned triumphantly to see the second fall to the ground. However, the grin fell from her face as the last one standing let out an ear-piercing screech, hands instantly flying to cover her ears, watching in disbelief as the recently slain two seemed to rise.

Almost as if nothing happened to them at all.

What in Hylia's name is this!?

Ombretta could only look to Link before jumping out of the way, the hand? Claw? Coming down where she just was. She barely caught Link lunge at one of the beings once again, a loud shriek echoing from the beast as he latched his jaws tightly, effectively bringing the beast down. Backing up, Ombretta observed the other two, who kept swinging towards Link, none of them minding their fallen friend.

"HEY!" Ombretta called out, the two beings instantly turning her way. "OVER HERE!"

She could feel her palms begin to sweat as she watched the shadow creatures run towards her, forcing herself to stay in place, waiting for them to get closer. Readjusting her grip, steeling herself, with a loud cry, she spun around with the blade, slicing through the bodies, both of them hitting the ground at the same time. Her chest heaved as she dropped her arms to her sides, watching as the black masses turned into the dark squares, floating up to the sky. Her sword clanked as it hit the ground, signalling their enemy’s defeat… for now.

"Well, took you long enough!" Midna sighed out, flopping back down on Link. "Glad you figured out how to beat them."

"Yeah, with no help from you."

"I had faith."

"Uh huh. My ringing ears say otherwise." Ombretta shot back before continuing on the pathway, Link tailing close behind. "Seriously...those shrieks..."

"Hey! What's that?"

Turning her gaze to match what Midna was pointing at, Ombretta spotted the dull glowing light hovering over the water of the spring, the lamentation growing stronger the closer they moved towards it.

"Please..." A similar voice floated to their ears the more they got closer. "Be careful....this woods have changed... dark clouds of dusk cover this land...In this Twilight, those who live in the light become as mere spirits....I am...a spirit...of light..."

Even though the whisper was so quiet, gentle, Ombretta could still hear the lament weaved into the words, like he was fighting so hard to stay aglow, the desperation and the tireless making her ache to her very soul.

"How can we help you?"

"Please...look...for my light..." The spirit replied. "Retrieve the light stolen by the dark beasts...And keep them....in this vessel..."

Ombretta flinched at the bright flash, the wonder quickly filling her as she watched the manifestation of said vessel appear in front of them. She attentively grasped the vessel, the glass bulbs incredibly smooth to the touch, fragile. It felt like the lightest touch could shatter it.

"In the shadows of twilight...the insects are invisible...to those of normal beings...find...the insects of darkness..."

"Um, not to interrupt..." Ombretta spoke up, looking back up at the ball of light, the light dulling more by the second. The more she gazed at the ball of light, the more questions began to flood her mind. Too many. Her head felt like it was spinning. "But what do they look like? The insects?"

"The dark insects...they are a form taken by evil...once they attach to our scattered light...find...them..."

"Hey! Wait!" Ombretta huffed as the light dimmed out in what she assumed to be a sign of the spirit finishing what he had to say. "Well, that's kinda helpful...?" She looked down to Link, "are ya ready to save the woods?"

A bark, followed by a nod.

"Hm, well, I think we should start heading deeper into the woods," She pointed to the covered pathway to the left before starting down the path. "I wonder what they look like-" She trailed off, at the sight of a purple spark a little ways ahead of her, scurrying along the ground.

"Uh, I think I found some..." Ombretta called out, gasping when the sparks disappeared to what Ombretta could only describe as disgusting. The glowing insects were enough to make Ombretta's skin crawl, taking a few steps back as to not wanting to be near them a moment longer. She let out a small yelp at the flash of grey and a growl as Link rushed past her, his jaws instantly latching onto one of the bugs, spitting it out before lunging at the second one.

"Oh my goddesses, that looked absolutely disgusting." Ombretta said with a grimace. "Glad it's you and not me."

Link huffed, shaking his head.

Shaking her own head, Ombretta glanced at the two small balls of floating light that came from the insects. "So how do we get these into here?" She took a single step closer, only to jump back as the balls of light rushed to her, only for them to go into the vessel still clutched in her hand.

"Well, I think we figured that out."

"I guess so huh?"

"Well, that’s two down, and a lot more to go!" Midna dug her heels into Link's sides. "Let's go!"

"Again, so glad it's you and not me." Ombretta let out a slight chuckle, attaching the vessel to her Ordonian wrap that was still around her waist before following down the path.

Soon, they reached the fork in the road, spying a purple spark scuttering underneath the gate, leading deeper into Faron. Ombretta looked down at Link, who shared the same look as her and promptly turned to the left, to the decently sized clearing.

"Hm, I wonder who lives here." Ombretta thought aloud as she viewed the shack that was tucked away to the side. "If anyone does actually live here… it looks abandoned."

Link barked, making her look at Midna.

"There is a person who lives here, he sold me a lantern."

Ombretta hummed, still not fully believing that someone would live in a condemned-looking shack willingly. Maybe, just maybe, it's nicer on the inside.

"A'ight, do we see any more of those nasty things?"

"You really don't like them much, do you?"

"Normally I don't care but these just...I'unno, make my skin crawl." Ombretta shuddered once more, looking under the large iron pot sitting above what she guessed to be a campfire. "And the fact we have to collect sixteen? Ugh."

"Uh, not to interrupt your lovely rambling, but Link just got another, by the side here!"

"Oh!" Ombretta shuffled over to where Link was sitting, the ball of light floating just mere inches in front of his face before flashing into the vessel. "Y'know, I saw an opening to the house on the other side, looks to be an open window or fallen wood or something."

"Let's go check it out."

"Wait, what? You can't be serious?!"

"Why not?" Midna asked, crossing her arms. "If someone is in that house, it's not like they can see us."

Ombretta pursed her lips together, she had a point. With a resigned sigh, Ombretta took the vessel off her wrap, holding it out for Midna to take. "I'm not going in, but here. If you find anything."

Midna took the vessel, "thanks."

Ombretta nodded, "Just be quick, the sooner this is over the better." She watched as Link ran to the other side of the shack before scanning the area, trying to catch a glimpse of those purple sparks, if there even were any more in the area.

A loud knock caused Ombretta to jump away from the shack, her eyes scanning the outside walls rapidly, her heartbeat beginning to pound in her ears, the sword now out and held in front of her. She ultimately let out a sigh as she saw Link land on the ground, walking towards her, Midna holding up the now brighter looking vessel.

"Goodness, what was that loud knock?" She asked as she slid the blade back into its scabbard before taking the vessel back from the imp, eyeing up the newly filled sections.

"Oh, well wolfie here went to lunge at an insect and ended up bashing into the wall."

"Aww..." Ombretta giggled, going down into a perch and petting Link's head softly. "Still not used to this body, huh?"

Link huffed, shaking his head.

"Well, it'll be over soon enough I'm sure. Speaking of which," Ombretta stood back up, "how many, exactly?"

"Two."

"Perfect!" Attaching the vessel to her wrap once more, she pointed to the forked path. "Well, now down there we go. Saw the one that went under the gate."

A bark.

"Midna?"

"He asked how you're going to get past the gate."

"Oh!" Ombretta looked at the gate and pursed her lips. "I could climb it, but first...you kill the bug first." She waited until Link had dug under the gate enough for him to crawl under before scaling the gate herself, sitting at the stop. She watched as Link chased the bug around the opening of the caved over pathway. She jumped down as Link finally sunk his jaws in the insect, walking close enough to the ball of light to get it into the vessel.

They made their way into the cave, the light becoming more scarce, soon the only light being from lit torches a little ways ahead of them, guiding their path. The familiar squeaking of keese making her scowl, sword at the ready as they walked, making sure to dodge what Ombretta assumed to be Deku babas that had been infected by the twilight and the same monsters they encountered in the sewers. The less they fought, the more they could conserve their energy.

Ombretta couldn't help but sigh as they walked out from the cave, but the relief was very short lived as she looked out deep Faron,

Or what should've been deep Faron.

Instead of the familiar lush green forest and remarkable flora she knew so well was now covered in a purple mist, the mist covering as far as she could see. Slowly, she inched forward to the edge of the mist, hand held out, but stopped at the loud bark Link let out from the left of her. Looking over quickly, Ombretta swiftly made her way over to her friend, who was sitting in between two more balls of light.

"I didn't see those there!" She said as she watched the light go into the vessel. "I was looking at the mist, something tells me that it's dangerous."

"Did you touch it?"

"Actually, no! You stopped me from doing that. But call it a gut feeling...something is up with that mist."

"Okay, say the mist is dangerous and we shouldn't touch it...how are we getting through these woods?"

Ombretta shrugged, "haven't thought that far ahead."

"Hey...Think we could get across there?"

Ombretta looked to where Midna's was pointing, seeing a twisted branch sticking out of the mist, her eyes zoning on the small flat part just above the surface.

"Yeah, that could work. You go first, I'll follow your path." With a snap of her fingers Ombretta followed as Midna guided Link across the mist, leaping from branch to stump to a patch of uncovered land. "How many times are we gonna do this? It's a big area."

"As many times as we need to!"

Ombretta just let out a single groan as she followed them up a steep hill, snapping her fingers once again following them to a wooden platform, her staying back as Link lunged at the two bugs scurrying about, mauling through them in almost record time.

"Ugh, you're getting good at that..."She said with a shudder, making sure that the light was in the vessel, Ombretta followed them to the other side of the platform, jumping from the ridiculously large stumps, narrowing dodging from the snapping infected Deku babas, jumping higher branch by branch before stopping on a flat part of a tree. She assumed that the tree had been cut down ages ago.

She slouched forward, her hands landing on her knees, "give me a moment here...." she panted out, waving a hand. "Just because I can do that jumping thing, doesn't mean it doesn't tire me out." Exhaling once more, she pushed off her knees, "alright, let's go."

She jumped from branch to branch after them, yelping as a Deku baba snapped at her, barely nicking at her hip, landing another wooden platform. "Why are there swinging hammers up here!?" Ombretta cried out, timing just right to jump across, lest to be hit by what looked to be a broken piece of a tree trunk fashioned into the likeness of a hammer.

They jumped down from pillar to pillar, finally, to Ombretta's relief, onto solid ground. Without giving a second thought, Ombretta flopped herself onto the ground, the coarse grass digging into the exposed skin of her arms and calves, but she couldn't bring herself to care. What did catch her attention was Link, as he looked to the ground, occasionally pawing at the dirt.

"What...are you doing?"

"Saw the insects dig themselves underground."

"What? I didn't see anything-" Ombretta screeched and leapt to her feet as she saw the unbearable shadow likeness of the insect scurry beside her, Link wasting no time digging his paws into the ground, making the insect pop out. "I hate these bugs...."

"You'll get used to it." Midna chided as Link dug up the second one, making it join it's brethren soon after.

"Yeah, I doubt I will." Ombretta bit back, looking down at the vessel before heading up the path ahead of them. "Oh luckily, it's only two more."

They silently walked the pathway, enjoying the peace. However not for long as they came up to a clearing, instantly spying three more of the shadow beasts sauntering around.

"You take one and I'll take the other two?" Ombretta sighed, pulling out the sword once again. "Same as last time?"

Link nodded, stalking towards one of the beings while Ombretta stalked towards the other two, yelling out to them. Adjusting her grip on the hilt, she once again waited for them to get closer before swinging towards them, the blade slicing them both across the middle, just as the one Link attacked fell. After watching them explode into the small squares, Ombretta turned to face her furry friend, twirling the sword.

"You okay over there?"

Link nodded, making Ombretta smile as she sheathed the blade.

"Good, now, time's a-wastin'!" Almost with a newfound vigor, Ombretta led the way continuing down the pathway, scanning the area for the rest of the godsforsaken bugs. "I...don't see anymore, do you?"

Link barked, looking towards the temple.

"Okay....I think I know what you're saying and you think they're by the old temple?"

"Would it kill us to look?"

"No, but that would be ridiculous if they were there." Ombretta stated, heading up the winding path towards the weathered building. "Such a long way to be if you ask me-oh look." Ombretta frowned once she spotted the tiny glowing bodies scurrying around the entrance to the temple. "Link..."

In a flash, Link lunged at the insect, his jaw latching on both of them at the same time, both balls of light floating up from Link's mouth. Ombretta moved to the lights close enough for them to fill the vessel, letting out a cheer as the vessel glowed to its brightest, not a single section empty.

"Yes! Finally!!" Ombretta cheered, but began to falter as she felt her body begin to tingle, her skin glowing a shade of blue. "Uh, Link? Why are we glowing?" She could barely hear the bark before she felt her body become weightless, her vision going white.

#link x reader #link x oc #twilight princess #twilight princess link #Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess #legend of zelda #TP Link

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when-i-was-your-angel · 3 years

Text

Hues of Blue

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes (40's and Present)

Word Count: 1486

NSFW: Non-Explicit

TW: Rage attacks, Steve being angry

Tags: ANGST, Minor Fluff but mostly Angst

A/N: This is set between TFA and TWS! Steve still thinks Bucky died in the war. bold sections are flashbacks.

Summary: Steve tries to paint a portrait of Bucky. What color were his eyes again?

Inspired by my good friend Meral, @/CAPSBVRNES on twitter. Love ya, doll.

Steve had a long day.

Said day started with a rather pleasant dream about waking up with Bucky in between his legs. This was quickly ruined by his alarm clock. Little Steve hadn’t seemed to notice that it was, in fact, only a dream. After Steve had er- taken care- of that problem in the shower, Tony called. There was some life or death mission debrief he was needed on. So he drove two hours through New York City traffic to get to the tower, only to find out Tony needed his opinion on what qualified as a “classic” suit. Steve didn’t even dignify him with an answer before he stormed out of the building. Now, four hours later and his day wasted, he was finally arriving back home.

Steve unlocked the front door of his Brooklyn brownstone and stopped dead in his tracks.

Boxes. Boxes upon boxes of… art supplies? Based on the pictures and labels on the boxes they were filled with paints, canvases, brushes, pencils, easels, and more. Steve looked around nervously and spotted a note on top of one of the many cardboard boxes.

Sorry, Capsicle. Had to get you out of the apartment so I could deliver this shit.

Paint me something pretty.

-T.S.

A hesitant smile made its way onto Steve’s face. His day just got a whole lot better.

- - - Three Hours Later - - -

A few hours, a shit ton of cursing, and a helping of elbow grease later, Steve had himself an art studio. He had set up the three easels Tony got him, positioning them in front of the windows in the office of his brownstone. There was also a simple desk in one of the boxes that he rather enjoyed the look of. It was simple but made of solid oak. He could just picture Tony saying ‘It’s old fashioned, like ye ol’ Cappie.’

With a slight grunt, Steve stood and looked around his new studio. He hadn’t had something so… domestic in years. He smiled and unwrapped a canvas, sitting down in front of an easel. He raised a pencil to his canvas to begin sketching… and nothing happened. “S’pose seventy years and a cryogenic freeze gives you art block.” He thought.

Steve stood and walked around the few rooms in his modest house, looking for inspiration. His gaze flickered over his photo album. “That’ll do.”

He picked up the leather book, flipping through it. There weren’t many pictures. It had been difficult to get a photo back in the 40’s, and he didn’t have many people to take pictures of nowadays. A few pictures of his ma, one of him in the third grade, and- Bucky.

A black and white version of his best friend sat before him. He was told not to smile in his military ID photo, but the little shit found a way to flash a grin right as the camera clicked. The photographer had been too lazy to redo it- and that was it. Bucky was smiling like a damn runaway criminal in his personnel file. Steve worked the picture out of the clear film holding it in place. He had gotten the photo from SHIELD’s files. It was one of few pictures of Bucky in existence. Less than a dozen original copies were left on this earth. He ran his fingers over the sharp of his Bucky’s cheekbone and the plump of his lips. He remembered all the cold New York nights when those lips sat on his neck. Bucky would spoon him- ‘For warmth’ - he said. But the pink lips on the shell of his ear, on the pulse carrying his life’s blood, said it was for so much more.

So Steve went back to his new art studio and sat down in front of his easel again. He clipped the small photo to the wooden frame and picked up his pencil. He took a deep breath and started sketching. He bit his lip in concentration as he worked. After thirty minutes or so, Steve had a drawing that resembled something like his best friend. He smiled and set to work mixing his paints.

Steve always started with the skin. Habit of his from before when he was using cocktail napkins and a waiters pen to draw. He managed to nail Bucky’s complexion pretty much spot on. The cool shades of his under-eye and the baby pink ones of his cheeks.

Then came hair. Shades of brown highlighted with yellow and pink in the lightest of spots. Bucky always hated how thick his hair was but loved the effect it had on the ladies. Said it was a pain in the ass to take care of but it was all worth it when he brushed a hand through the locks and had all the girls positively swooning.

Next was clothes. The green of his fatigues wasn’t perceptible in the black and white photograph but Steve knew that color better than the color of his own eyes.

Eyes.

What color were Bucky’s eyes?

Blue. But there were a million shades of blue. Cerulean, teal, turquoise, baby blue, stormy blue- Ah. Yes. A stormy blue-grey color. He could see them now. Staring into the crisp ocean of his eyes as Bucky kissed him for the first time. He was smaller back then, barely came up to Bucky’s chin, but he didn’t care.

December 1941 - Four Days Before Bucky Leaves

“Hey, Stevie.” Bucky said after Steve opened his door to the frigid New York City air.

“Hey, Buck. What’re you doing here?” It was a reasonable question. It was midnight and Buck hadn’t been by in days.

“Can’t visit my best guy before I ship off to war?” Bucky gave him his smirk but Steve could see the fear in his eyes. The unspoken ending to that question- ‘before I never come home’. Steve smiled and stepped aside, letting him in.

Steve smiled at the memory. He looked down at the paints before him. Blues and whites and purples and reds. He started mixing them carefully, hoping to put a physical representation of the color he still saw in his dreams.

“C’mon. I’ll make you something to eat.” Steve said, walking towards his very empty kitchen.

“You don’t have’ta-”

“None of that. What would Mrs. Rogers say if she knew I wasn’t feeding my guests?”

“She’d call you smart and tell you not to waste your food on a dead-” Bucky stopped himself. That’s not what Steve needed to hear. Steve was quiet as he made his way across the threshold back to Bucky. He stared down at his hands, picking at his fingernails.

“You’re going to come back. You’ve gotta.” His voice was small. Bucky’s heart nearly shattered at the sound. Bucky took Steve’s hands in his, squeezing them slightly.

“I will. I promise.” Bucky stared into Steve’s eyes to reassure him that above anything else, he meant the words he was about to say.

The colors weren’t turning out right. Greens were too blue and blues were too purple. Everything was a mess. Steve felt himself growing frustrated and brought his mind back to simpler times. Times with him.

“I’m always going to come back to you because-” His breath hitched and Steve took notice, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“Because I love you, Stevie.” Steve tilted his head in confusion. Why did Bucky seem so nervous? They had said they loved each other before.

“Yeah, I love you too, Buck- why’re you-”

“Oh, not like that- for Christ’s sake.” Then Bucky was kissing him.

‘So this is what love is.’ Steve thought. Then Bucky’s tongue was tracing Steve’s lips.

Oh.

Paint was everywhere. Frantically, Steve mixed colors in a blur of tears. ‘It’s not right.’ He thought. ‘That’s not him.’ ‘That’s not my Bucky.’

Bucky shared his bed that night. Unlike other nights, however, they were both naked. Pressed against each other for ‘warmth’, should anyone ask. Steve watched Bucky long after he fell asleep. The crease in his eyebrow, the setting of his jaw, the way his eyes moved behind closed lids- chasing dreams. Soon enough, Steve curled into Bucky’s body as he always did. They spent the next four days like that. Wrapped in each other. And for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t cold.

Steve screamed as he threw his palette out the window. The glass shattered and rainbows of light filtered through the broken glass- mocking him. Steve kicked and cried and punched until the entire studio was a mess. In the aftermath of his rampage, Steve lies on the floor. Surrounded by glass, paint, splinters, and blood, Steve sobbed. He broke because he was gone. He crumbled because they didn’t have enough time. He was wrecked because ‘if only we had known. If only we had tried earlier.’

Steve lies on the ground in a brownstone in Brooklyn.

Numb.

Broken.

Cold.

#steve rogers x bucky barnes #stucky #angst #marvel #fanfic #bucky barnes #steve rogers #the first avenger #the winter soldier

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tradgicworks · 3 years

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Heartfelt:P-1 A World of Sorrow

When a student of a private school disappears during stormy night, three strangers come together to look for her and end up discovering the dark secrets of the world around them. WORD COUNT - 3134

The light of the setting sun peered into the old diner. Black clouds dotted the sky. Sophie took a long sip from her milkshake and stared wistfully at the horizon. Her golden bangle bracelet slid down her arm as she did.

“What’s wrong?” Gwyneth asked as she noticed her gaze.

Gwyneth brushed her bangs aside. Her dark brown colored eyes were filled with concern. She had voluminous long black hair that covered her shoulders like a fluffy mane. She wore a uniform which consisted of a long skirt, a simple tucked in blouse, and a blazer- all in different shades of purple.

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m just thinking about some stuff,” Sophie said with a meek smile.

"What kinda stuff?" Gwyneth asked.

"Midterms, winter vacation, piano practice. The usual," Sophie replied.

“Wow, not even trying to hide the fact that you weren’t paying attention to my story, huh?" Gwyneth gave an exaggerated sigh.

"I'm sorry," Sophie awkwardly smiled.

“It's okay, I forgive you. Anyways, remember that girl that went missing a couple months ago, she was a freshman, um, vice president of the chess club or something. Well some of the older students have been talking about how this isn’t the first time that it has happened,” Gwyneth ate one of her few remaining fries. “Near the end of last year’s spring semester a different freshman suddenly moved away. This normally wouldn't have been seen as strange except for the fact that it was right in the middle of finals. Supposedly, one of her friends decided to call her parents to ask about what happened only to be told that the phone number had been out of service for weeks.”

“Spooky,” Sophie commented simply.

“Mhm. So, the older girls started talking and it turned out that a lot of students went missing over the years. They say that it's been about fifteen students in total that have suddenly disappeared. For every single one of them there was a convenient excuse for why, but all of it just seems too coincidental,” Gwyneth leaned in for dramatic effect. “Me thinks there’s a conspiracy afoot.”

“Really? I suppose it is strange, but it could just be that the seniors get overactive imaginations with how much free time they have during finals,” Sophie sighed.

“Aw come on, humor me at least," Gwyneth leaned back. “Don’t you think it’s weird that the academy has a dedicated security team that answers directly to Capital City’s police department? We even have a creepy name for them- Wardens- that’s not normal!”

“Well, given the kind of students that attend it’s not that strange,” Sophie said.

“You really are playing devil's advocate today, huh?” Gwyneth gave a friendly smile.

“Sorry,” Sophie lowered her gaze.

Gwyneth’s smile turned to a face of concern.

“Hey, are you sure you’re okay-'' Gwyneth started before she was interrupted by the chimes of their phones.

“Curfew,” Sophie swiped at her smartphone. “It’s time to head back.”

“Right...” Gwyneth gazed at her for a few seconds as she packed up her things and got ready to leave before following suit.

The two left a tip for the waiter and headed out into the cold air of the coming winter. The sleepy sky matched the energy of the few students that remained outside, all of them in a quiet hurry to get back to the main campus of Dorothy Elaine Atham's Private Academy for Young Women, or “the academy” as the students plainly referred to it. It was originally constructed in the early 1940s, yet it managed to remain one of the most prestigious high schools in Capital City. This was mostly due to the academy having the support of the Capital City Police Department. They would employ off-duty officers to act as the academy’s security team, or ‘Wardens’ as they were officially referred to. As a result the academy set itself apart as one of the safest private high schools in the entirety of the United States. Strict curfews, no relationships, mandatory dorms, quarterly inspections by the Wardens, uniforms and an arduous curriculum were some of the measures taken to keep the students safe. Wealthy families from all over the country enrolled their children with peace of mind that they would be safe, allowing the school to afford top of the line facilities, staff, and to further its reputation even more. It was said that the academy was so stern with its policies that even the lightest violation could lead to expulsion. Of course that was just a rumor.

Sophie and Gwyneth eventually found themselves back at the main entrance of the academy. Tall walls made of brick and black fencing led to two large half open gates. A flower bed filled with wilting violet roses that matched the student’s outfits sat underneath them. A tall Warden stood at the side of the entrance. Her bright green eyes filled with overwhelming sternness locked with Sophie’s. Sophie averted her gaze and made her way in alongside Gwyneth.

“W-Well, see you tomorrow,” Sophie said to Gwyneth as she took out a pair of wireless earbuds.

“Wait,” Gwyneth gently grabbed her arm before she left. “How about we walk back to your dorm together? I got some more spooky stories I want to tell you about.”

“You won’t make it back to your dorm in time if we do that, you’re on the other side of campus.” Sophie replied.

“I could just stay at your place, y’know like a sleepover,” Gwyneth doubled down as she let go of her arm.

“We both know you can’t do that,” Sophie let out a long breath and held Gwyneth’s shoulders. “I’m fine, really. I know you’re worried about me but I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep. That’s all.”

“Are you sure?” Gwyneth asked.

“I’m sure,” Sophie looked her in the eyes. “I promise that I’m okay.

“Breakfast?” Gwyneth asked dejectedly.

“Of course, breakfast sounds great,” Sophie gave a convincing enough smile. “Now let’s hurry, before the dorm doors lock.” She said as she let go of her.

“Yeah, goodnight,” Gwyneth smiled slightly.

“Goodnight,” Sophie replied before putting in her earbuds and selecting a classical music playlist.

The sun was halfway nestled into the horizon by the time they split. Night was rapidly approaching. The pitch black clouds moved as a mound, thunder rumbled in the distance. The academy resembled a small college more than a high school. Four buildings took up the majority of the campus, each housing their respective grade. A well decorated plaza rested in the middle of the four buildings, where the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors could interact with each other during lunch or after classes. The dorms sat a few hundred feet from their respective buildings. Wilting but mostly green grass took the majority of the empty space in the campus. Trees and flower beds stood beside the lamp posts that lit up the sprawling walkways. The campus barely had enough room for everything that was built on it, but it was efficient nonetheless.

Sophie’s brows furrowed as the freshmen dorm came into view. It was tucked away in the farthest corner of the campus. While the other dorms enjoyed a nice view of the academy, the freshmen dorms were greeted with the old auditorium. It was by far the oldest building on campus and in a desperate need for renovation. Unfortunately, the construction was inexplicably postponed until the end of the semester- leaving the freshmen with the sight of an ugly, half finished, and decaying building.

Sophie glanced at the front doors. A girl leaned against the doors as she chewed gum. Sophie overlapped the ends of her blazer together and averted her eyes. The girl stopped chewing as Sophie walked to the entrance. Sophie quickly took out her ID card and pressed it against the door’s scanner. The girl swatted her ID to the ground as it finished scanning.

“Whoops,” The girl, Eva, leered in a pretentious tone as she put her arm around her shoulder. “Didn’t see you there princess.”

Eva blew a bubble with her gum and popped it with a sharp snap. Her dyed ash blonde hair was tied into a messy bun. Her hazel colored eyes were flecked with dull orange blemishes. She wore a thick black hoodie and a short skirt which barely fell within the academy’s dress code. A faint but irritatingly smug smirk stretched across her face.

“What do you want, Eva?” Sophie said meekly.

“Nothing much, nothing much at all. I just wanted to talk to my dear friend for uh,” Eva glanced at her wrist watch. “Five minutes.”

“We’re not friends,” Sophie kept her gaze glued to the floor.

“It hurts me to hear you say that,” Eva squeezed her shoulder until she winced from the pain. “Listen, I need a little favor. As you know, winter break is in a week and I’m running low on funds, so I was wondering if you can help me. It’ll run you about five thousand dollars, but of course that’s nothing compared to all the allowance money your mommy and daddy are giving you, right?”

“No,” Sophie muttered.

“Excuse me?,” Eva tilted her head until she met her gaze. “You need to speak up, I can’t hear you through your teeth.”

“I’m not giving you anything,” Sophie pushed her off of herself. “Leave me alone or I’ll report you to the Wardens!”

“Oh, really now?” Eva chuckled dryly. “I think you and I both know you can’t follow up on such a threat, not without putting that friend of yours in a whole lot of trouble…Well you do have a point, I can’t take what’s not in my hands after all…” She glanced at her watch and gave a sadistic smirk.

“But neither can you,” Eva said before sweeping Sophie’s legs and causing her to trip backwards.

Sophie yelped in pain as she just managed to catch herself. By the time she got up Eva was already inside of the dorm with her ID in hand. She rushed to the doors only to find that they were already locked. The sound of a grandfather clock chimed through the PA system signaling the start of the curfew.

“It’s a good thing you managed to scan the door before you dropped your ID, huh? That way it's on record that you got in here before curfew. Your perfect attendance is not in danger, though it was a real shame you lost your ID. Don’t worry though I’ll turn it in to the lost and found in the morning. Have a nice night, princess! I hear it's going to be a dark and stormy one,” Eva laughed while waving Sophie’s ID in the air.

“Wait!” Sophie pleaded as she desperately tried to open the door, but no matter how much she pushed against them, the doors refused to budge.

She froze as she felt a cold drop of rain fall down her neck. She looked up at the rumbling dark sky. It began to pour. Sophie clung to what little shelter could find at the side of the building. She took out her phone and tried to call Gwyneth, only to find that her screen had shattered completely from when she tripped. She looked around for a Warden but found none. She yanked out her earbuds and angrily threw them into her bag in frustration. Pathetically faint music leaked out of them. She leaned against the wall and sunk until she was sitting with her knees to her chest.

Despite its claims to security, the reality is that the school can’t keep everyone safe. With the majority of students coming from wealthy backgrounds, treating one too harshly could lead to the parents withdrawing their donations. Without those funds, the school would cease to function- something the academy avoided at all costs. As such, there was an unwritten rule that the wealthier the family, the more lenient the punishment. Though many students did not take advantage of this reality, after all attending the academy was a privilege. All except for Eva. Nobody really knows why, but the school would turn a blind eye to her many misdeeds. Some speculated that it was due to her role as one of the academy’s star athletes, others thought that she was secretly related to the headmaster. Regardless of the rumors, the reality was that she was cruel, spiteful, and above all, manipulative. She made a habit of harassing students that had unfortunately drawn her attention. Whether it be through blackmail, harassment, or slander, she would abuse her victim until they were forced to do whatever she wanted. No matter how much students tried to retaliate she always seemed to have the upper hand and the academy would turn the other way. As a result she had gained an infamous reputation amongst the freshmen and sophomores as someone to be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately for Sophie, Eva seemed to be obsessed with making her time at the academy as miserable as possible. Eva’s persistence was so overwhelming that Sophie ended up being isolated from the rest of her class out of fear of Eva alone. The only person brave enough to still talk to her was her closest friend Gwyneth. She did her best to make sure that Sophie was rarely alone and felt safe. However, even that backfired. Eva had somehow managed to take a photo of Gwyneth that would lead to her expulsion if revealed to the public. Ever since then, Eva has hung that threat over Sophie’s head and she couldn’t let anything happen to her best friend. As such, Sophie felt so alone. She felt as if she was left to fend for herself against the clutches of a monster.

Sophie pressed her face against her knees, frustration weighing at her heart, and began to cry. Harsh winds began to pick up and slam waves of rain against her. Sophie took a shaky deep breath and slowly rose to her feet. She looked at her surroundings to try to find better shelter. Her gaze eventually lingered on the auditorium. She choked down a cough before grabbing her bag and heading towards the unfinished building.

. . .

The outside of the auditorium was a mix of moldy wood and peeling paint. Its towering size gave it the imposing essence of a Victorian mansion. Overgrown vines and unkept leaves dressed the entirety it’s walls. Sophie steeled herself as she approached the entrance. She stopped under a small awning that hung over the front doors where no rain seemed to fall. Lightning followed by thunder struck as she gripped her rain soaked skirt and wrung out the excess water. She shivered from the cold as she dried herself the best she could. When she finished, she leaned against the door.

“The dorms open up at 6 am, I’ll be able to get my ID back then,” She thought to herself as she stared at the hole riddled awning. “Maybe father will buy me a new phone, it was pretty old anyways.”

She grabbed her wrist and felt for her bracelet, her only reminder of warmth. A wave of sadness surged through her.

“Mom, Dad, I want to go back home,” She whispered to herself.

Chills spread out through her entire body as the door she braced herself against suddenly flung open with a sharp clang. She regained her balance and turned around. The door’s handle laid on the floor completely broken. The darkness of the auditorium greeted her with a gust of musty, but warm, air. She took a step back only to have the freezing rain fall on the back of her neck. Sophie looked at the entrance with an uneasy face. After a few moments she hesitantly walked in.

The building was much larger than it appeared. A few work-lights left turned on lit the auditorium with sheets of inconsistent light. Door frames to rooms that were used for the construction’s storage lined the walkways. The long hallways on either side of Sophie curved out of view. In front of her sat two large doors. She pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside. She found herself in the academy’s theater. Rows of weathered red fabric seats stepped down into the center stage. The stage’s walnut flooring was scuffed from years of use and subsequent neglect. Two large maroon curtains blocked the view to the backstage. A small podium sat at the front of it, its paint flaking off to the bare wood. She climbed onto the stage, its visage faintly lit by the work-lights that peered through the half opened doors.

Sophie stared at the seats in a silent awe. She imagined what the theater would look like if it were full of people and wondered why the academy refused to finish renovations. As she pondered, her gaze lowered to the podium. Her eyes narrowed. Faint scratches lined the bottom of it. She wiped a layer of dust off with her hand and revealed a string of faintly recognizable letters.

“Save me?” Sophie slowly read out loud.

“Heard.” A breathy and raspy voice that stretched out every syllable echoed through the theater. “You.”

The doors slammed shut, snuffing out the work-lights and leaving her in complete darkness.

“W-Who’s there?” Sophie stammered.

A bittersweet melody of hums snaked through the dark and into Sophie’s ears in reply.

“Show y-yourself,” Fear gripped at her heart, she clutched her school bag ready to swing it whatever was lurking in the darkness.

“Heard,” The voice repeated, this time more strained. “You.”

“T-This isn’t f-funny, please stop!” She said with a slight whimper.

“Save. You. You. Want. Me. To. Save...” The voice called from behind her causing her to jump in fear.

She swung her schoolbag wildly but it collided against nothing.

“Go. Somewhere. Safe. You. Want. To. Go. Somewhere. Safe. Somewhere. Home...” The voice grew louder.

“Stay away…” She said silently.

Her breaths grew frantic. An overwhelming dread welled in her gut. Panic coursed through her entire body.

“I. Can. Help.” The voice whispered.

A raspy strand of flesh wrapped around her feet before she could react. Her horrified scream was cut short as another strand that gagged her mouth shut. More and more threads wrapped around her body until she was stuck in an airtight cage. She shrieked in muffled terror as she was yanked behind the curtains. Lightning flashed illuminating the theater in a pang of white before decaying back into darkness. Silence followed. The night continued as normal as a stormy night could. Though a few freshmen swore that they heard strange noises coming from the old auditorium that night. Screams of struggles, pleads for help, and a blood curdling shriek to name a few. Of course nobody took it too seriously. It was just a rumor after all.

#oc #ow #writing #mystery #thriller #horror #anime inspired #female protagonist #heartfelt #cw bullying #First time using tumblr and writing online please be patient C:

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kneamet · 3 years

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Angel of cards (6/16)

Trigger Warning: yandere, obsession, obsessive thoughts, kidnapping.

Summary: Joker, Mr. J, anarchist psychopath, Tom Hiddleston. He had many nicknames. Joker was Gotham’s most dangerous and insightful man, with sharp makeup and horribly memorable scars on his face in the form of a smile. He was absolutely crazy and deadly. No one knows his real identity and everyone is afraid of his cruel jokes. But what happens when he becomes obsessed with an ordinary girl?

She belongs to him. No one can take her away from him. Even The Batman.

Chapter six: unpleasant actions

The Joker didn't particularly like the fact that his angel didn't even participate in his actions and their pleasures. Didn't she enjoy their first reunion? Wasn't she as happy about it as he was?

He was just giving her pleasure. And the Joker was pretty sure she was happy about it, too. As if she wasn't flattered by the idea of becoming one with him.

He knew that his angel was a virgin, and so was he. He was sure that she had deliberately kept her virginity for him, just as he had kept it for her. That would be a perfectly logical and understandable explanation.

The Joker had always wanted to enjoy those moments of their first touch. He had always felt that this was why they had such a strong bond.

The man, his fingers clenched on the sink until they were red, slowly, leaning on trembling hands, climbed to the square mirror against the wall. He pressed his lips into a thin line and looked closer at his image. He didn't particularly like the way he looked without makeup. It was as if his bad self was being removed by removing his makeup.

His hair, still green, no longer curled. He was not used to looking at himself in the mirror without makeup. He felt like a freak. Thin compressed lips, very stylishly bitten from teeth with stripped red skin. Those terrible scars marring his face. The only things Joker liked about his appearance were the purple suits he wore day after day and the blue ones with grayish and green hues.

But even though he didn't accept himself, he was sure that his angel loved him and would even be able to accept his appearance so much that she would like his bitten lips and scars, which sometimes still showed blood from their constant scratching. He kept touching them.

His angel. Oh, how he wanted them to make love again. The Joker didn't think it was rape. On the contrary, it seemed to him that this was how they expressed love. And what's the big deal about her resisting a little?

However, Tom didn't particularly like what the Joker was doing to Blake. Yes, the Joker was his personality, getting along with it, but what to consider a real rape-

The Joker shook his head quickly. What the fuck is this cute romantic waking up in his mind again. He chased him away, literally locked him in a dungeon.

Tom will not be able to break through and harm (release! shouted Tom in the back of his mind) to his angel. They can't get along. She is now only his and the Joker will not let anyone take his angel.

He sighed and stood up straight, reaching for the powder and paint with quick movements and shaking hands. White powder and white paint combined perfectly and it became very easy to wash them off.

The Joker began to act sloppily with paint, not even worrying about well-being. He didn't have to worry about anything that day, since he needed to visit his angel right now, and he was sure that she would stay with him for the whole day and no one would be able to stop them.

After finishing his makeup, the Joker put everything in the pockets of his coat. In the building in which he, with some of his assistants, began to live, it was quite cold. Although for his angel, he definitely gave the warmest place.

The Joker quickly left the bathroom and made his way to the kitchen with quick, basic movements. The kitchen was small. The man hadn't been here yet, but he immediately noticed the interior of the room, which had a colorful tile floor. On the walls are pasted wallpaper, painted even in some places.

The kitchen was not very well furnished. By the window is a small dining table, where one of his very close subordinates was sitting. Not that he was attached to him, but he was definitely smart. The Joker had a bad memory for names, but he knew the man's name very well. Robert Hill. He was not a particularly handsome man: dark-haired, with black eyes and a very thin build. However, the Joker only encouraged intelligence, strength, and courage. He noticed that Bob was smoking a Stutton. The man grimaced slightly. He just hated those cigarettes.

The Joker wasn't particularly interested in Robert right now. He was more concerned about his angel, who was probably hungry and begging for food.

To the left of the countertop is a kitchen stove with four gas burners and an oven hidden behind a glass door made of dark striped glass. On the right is a large bright white two-chamber refrigerator, on the doors of which a whole collection of magnets with landscapes is pasted.

Joker wanted to make them sandwiches. It was the lightest meal, and given that it was early, it was possible to take a light breakfast. Quickly slicing the bread and sending it to the toaster, which he did not know how to use, he continued to cut the food.

After a few seconds, the bread jumped out of the toaster and the Joker carefully put all the ingredients in it. I had to do two such operations.

Joker ate and slept very rarely, but for the sake of his angel, it was fashionable to sacrifice the usual daily routine and eat.

Quickly, like a hyena, he picked up the tray with a trembling hand, on which he had already placed plates and mugs of water, and ran lightly, like a tribute, to the door of his angel. It's their first dinner. It will be so wonderful! Their first meal together!

Joker quickly opened the door, holding the tray with one hand and closing it with the other. His angel had to be protected. And letting it out would be a rash decision.

The man put the tray on a small table that stood near her closet, opposite the door, quickly distracted from it. He turned back, looking for his angel.

He licked his lips when he saw her curled up in a ball. He saw her flanks move quickly and he heard a soft whimper. His eyes opened quickly and he ran to her with quick movements, hugging her.

"W-what?" his angel whispered softly, and he saw her look up at him with her lovely brown eyes. He could feel the bewilderment in them at first, but then it turned into fright and she tried to pull away again, which the Joker didn't allow, only tightening his arms and leading her to the table where the tray was. "What is it?"

The man saw the bewilderment in his angel's eyes, but he just put everything in its place, and he sat down at the table on an uncomfortable chair that was smaller than him.

Joker could see that the girl looked confused and afraid. He reached out to her with his hand and stroked her hand that didn't even resist his. With his gloved hands, he slowly rubbed the delicate hand of his angel. Ah, the Joker stifled a groan, she's amazing.

"Is he poisoned?" pulling his hand out of the Joker's grip, his angel asked, lowering his hand to his knees, continuing to hold the Joker's heavy and intense gaze.

He didn't particularly like the way she was dismissive of him. He didn't like it, but he wanted to calm her down. To say that everything is fine and he would not poison the food.

"Don't worry, my angel, death by poison is very boring, and I have no desire to kill you. I swear I love you with all my heart, " the Joker said, letting out a small chuckle.

He watched as his angel nodded, picked up the sandwich, and took a small bite. He licked his lips as he watched her eat. He eats slowly, gracefully, biting off small pieces, lowering his eyes down and striking with his submissiveness.

The Joker himself didn't eat anything. He wasn't interested in food, especially now that he had such a rare and lovely diamond in front of him. So beautiful.

He could see her wiping food crumbs from her mouth with the sleeve of her sweater and then shaking out her sleeves. His angel looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes and said softly:

"What time is it now?" she looked down, apparently unable to look at the Joker, which he didn't particularly like. She must look at him! And give your precious attention only to him! His angel should be interested in nothing but him.

"11:11," Joker muttered automatically, watching intently as his angel got up from his chair and shook out his pants. Without even tasting his breakfast, he stood behind her, towering over his helpless angel in a way that wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Thank you for breakfast, Mr. Joker," his angel muttered, not really bothered by the Joker. After all, her beautiful and melodious voice was simply amazing, however, like herself. Her lovely lips continued to say something else, but he did not betray it.

Tom leaned into Blake and pulled her into a gentle and attentive kiss. He didn't bite her lips. Tom's kiss was soft and simple.

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inkribbon796 · 3 years

Text

Six [Ate] Ain’t Seven Ch. 2: Repairing the Seam

Summary: The Host and Patton go into the tear to save their future, and fight their past along the way.

Chapters: 1, 2

The two heroes were standing back outside the warehouses, but this time right in the parking lot to the east side of the warehouses. Logan and Virgil nowhere nearby. Patton was still in the suit, but the Host had changed.

He was in a pinstripe black shirt, a notebook in hand, but the thing that caught Patton were his eyes.

Namely that they weren’t just black sockets covered by bandages. They were there, his pupils the same color of brilliant gold that was normally streaked into the front of his hair.

“Ughhh!” The seer shielded his recently restored eyes from the sun. It had been a long time since light had hit his nerves like that. His visions and narrations had been his eyes but now having his old ones back were agony.

“Host!” Patton gasped, rushing to the Host’s side. “What can I do? Should I call Iplier?”

“He would not recognize the Host, and if the Host and Patton leave the warehouse parking lot without this reality’s anomaly they will have to re-enter and try again.”

“Yeah, but,” Patton began before the Host’s aura wrapped around his eyes to lessen the pain and disorientation. After a couple minutes he shakily got up, helped by Patton.

“I could go in alone,” Patton offered.

“Morality would not be able to find his way to the anomaly to retrieve it,” the Host denied. “Being alone would only increase the likelihood of failure.”

With that the Host began to lead Patton towards Dark’s main warehouse, with each step he gained strength, but also felt the Author trying to smother him out. People parted for them at even the sight of the Author. Dark was out dealing with a problem, the Host had made sure of it before even setting foot into this reality. So entering the office was easy.

The Host walked over to the huge family portrait and used his aura to tip it out of the way far enough to crack the safe open and extract a single black day planner. He then closed the safe and restored the portrait to its natural position.

“Is that what you were looking for?” Patton asked in confusion.

“Yes,” the Host answered. “Morality should not be fooled by the anomaly’s current appearance. This is a magical artifact that has the ability to destroy realities if used improperly.”

“Okay, so, we have it, then we can leave?” Patton looked around uneasily.

“Yes, and the Host and Morality should be quick,” the Host checked over the office to make sure everything was in order before starting to lead the Side out. But as they started leaving the warehouse the pull to return was only getting stronger.

Patton was mentally fading in and out of himself, like he was drowning at sea and barely able to keep his head about the frothy depths of his own mind. It felt like some part of him, some gaping, empty hole in his soul wanted to pull him back in. It was some cautious, hungry creature and Patton didn’t like him.

All it would take was the lightest shove to his attention, and he would be gone. He could see the parking lot in the distance. They were almost safe.

The Host was doing so well, the Author was trying to steal back control. But he was distracted when Illinois came stomping out of a portal with King following him. An errant squirrel scurrying off of him, and out into a random warehouse. King’s usual cape was gone, as was his child that typically clung to King. He was in his suit instead.

Illinois looked pissed, as if he’d kill the next person who spoke to him. As Illinois and the Host passed, the seer’s newly restored eyes tracked of their own volition and as he glanced at Illinois a sadistic sense of victory came over him. King was glancing between them in uncertainty.

“How’s it going lover boy,” the Author baited, the distraction giving him the push he needed. His feet stopped.

“Not now, shitbag,” Illinois grumbled, glaring at him as he kept walking.

“Not my fault you dug your grave with Mr. Right,” Author dared. “I mean, he gave you everything and you burned his base down. I’m a certified sadist, but at least I clean up after myself and don’t fucking get involved with my food.”

“Shut up,” Illinois seethed.

“I mean, did you see his face?” Author continued to goad, “I mean the one fucker you don’t kill and instead you fuck up so badly that he dumps your ass.”

“Shut up!” Illinois shouted, King and Patton looking between each other in unease. The two young men were attracting a crowd.

“I mean, you should have just fucked him and run, would have saved you both the trouble,” Arthur dared and Illinois screamed in a heartbroken fury before throwing himself at his brother and the two starting a fistfight.

Patton and King both called for Dark with their stars, not wanting the two to kill each other.

Dark immediately ripped open and portal and froze when he saw the fight. He saw the screaming and knew he’d been wrong to leave Illinois alone with his brothers while he was still so emotionally raw.

“Philly!” Dark shouted and yanked his adopted son through a portal. “A word!”

“He started it!” Illinois shouted in a rage before the portal closed.

Author had the good sense to wait until he was sure Dark was gone, reprimanding Illinois, to start cackling like a madman. The weight in his pocket was almost nonexistent.

“Did you see his fucking face?” Author laughed. “I think he was crying.”

“You’re a fucking dick, Art,” King glared at him. “You know that right?”

“Come on,” Author stood up and brushed himself off. “He deserved it. Besides it’s not like one slip up is going to kick Daddy’s favorite off his pedestal. I need to try much harder for that.”

“If you weren’t such a complete asshole, I might agree with you,” King glared at him. “Come on, that hero he was dating was the best partner yet.”

“And Phills chose his side,” Arthur reminded. “We all did. I don’t get why he’s so upset that his boyfriend didn’t like his choice.”

“Just once I’d like you to get a taste of your own medicine,” King sighed, before he turned to see a couple squirrels rush over and he let them climb up his leg and onto his shoulder while they chittered at him. “Gotta[1] go, one of the heroes is causing trouble over by warehouse six.”

“I’ll come with, it’s been a while since I had some fun,” Arthur grinned.

“Hey, maybe we should,” Patton began to suggest as the two other Lost Ones looked towards him, “go back inside, Author. I think you’ve had enough fun for now. We can fight them next time.”

Author was about to protest before Patton sent a calming wave towards him, and immediately there was this glazed look to Author’s eyes. He huffed out, already stomping away, “Yeah, whatever fun police. I hate that the Old Man stuck me with you.”

Patton rushed to catch up with his adopted brother, “I just don’t want you to get in trouble, or get hurt.”

“Too late for that Pat-attack,” Arthur reminded.

Patton smiled warmly, a smile that despite Author’s best efforts he couldn’t hate. The guy was sunshine personified. “Come on, I’m gonna[2] lose my touch if you keep smiling like that. I’m gonna[2] have to punch you in the gut or something.”

Still smiling, the two were about to head into Dark’s main warehouse, when someone walked over to them.

“Umm, Author?”

Author and Patton turned to see a young man standing not too far from them. He had an oversized purple hoodie with a green swirl on the front and back. He had a thick book held to his chest.

“You talking to me?” Author asked, pointing to himself.

“Yeah,” the young man nodded with a smile before pulling out a folded up note from his hoodie pocket. “Philly wanted me to pass this on. You know, to keep it off the record.”

“Oh,” Author smiled, suddenly overly smug and sure of himself. He plucked the note out of the young man’s hand and opened it.

Written in Illinois’s handwriting was:

“I want you outside 5th and Center St. We can settle this where Dark won’t see. I’m sick of your shit. Be there, or I WILL find you.”

Author chuckled, writing his bat back into his hands, “Well, well, if Daddy’s favorite wants his teeth kicked in, I’m more than happy to oblige. Hey buddy, you wanna watch a narcissistic asshole get his hopes and dreams crushed?”

The young man’s left eyebrow hitched up as he gave the Author a knowing look, “That’s certainly one way of putting it. Sure, I like watching a train wreck in motion.”

“Alright,” Author smiled. “I like you, I promise not to kill you immediately.”

“Thanks, I guess,” his tone clearly insulted. “You gonna[2] go, or should I go and jump off the roof of the closest warehouse? I got stuff to do.”

“Hmmm,” Author hummed. “You got a name?”

“Karl Jacobs,” Karl smiled again as he watched Author write down his name. “With a “K” and it’s not short for “Carlton” either.”

“Boy, aren’t you just dumb as shit?” Author chuckled to himself as he crossed out the first spelling and wrote the correct one.

At that Karl just glared at him, but didn’t say anything.

“Not my fault this is your first day on the job,” Author smiled.

“Hey, uh, maybe we shouldn’t,” Patton began but stopped when he saw the look in Author’s eyes.

“Not my fault Ills wants his teeth bashed in,” Author waggled his finger before he turned and started heading towards the parking lot again, moving quickly to get to where he thought Illinois was. “Come on, I’ve been dying for a rematch.”

“Yeah, but,” Patton tried to interject.

“So give me some motivation,” Author told Karl as they kept walking, ignoring Patton completely. “What makes you tick?”

“Well, one of your dads killed my dad,” Karl admitted.

“Well, Wil kills a lot of people so you’re going to have to be specific,” Arthur shrugged, slugging his bat over his head, causing Patton to quickly duck as he was racing to keep up.

“No, I meant Dark,” Karl corrected. “My dad was doing some dumb things, hoping to blackmail him. But he died and now I have to deal with the bridge.”

“Ohhh, that was your dad,” Author realized. “Man, he was an idiot.”

“So do have, like, a grudge against us then?” Patton asked as they were weaving around cars.

“Kinda,”[3] Karl admitted, “but only to Dark, and don’t worry it’s not enough to screw you guys over. You guys weren’t even adopted yet and Dark was just looking out for his kid.”

The suspicious part of Arthur’s brain lit up like a series of waved semaphores, how did this asshole know I’m adopted and not their actual kid‽

“How—” Arthur asked as his feet finally crossed the invisible barrier of the parking lot, and the Host woke back up. He had just enough time to pull Patton along with him as their exit ejected them out of the little pocket reality.

The three of them stepped into the white of the In-between. Patton suffered the most disorientation.

“You back to normal?” Karl asked.

“Yes,” the Host started coming back to himself more and more, fighting the vestiges of the Author still left inside of him. His eyes were gone again and covered with bandages, but blood was coming from the sockets. “The Host is in control.”

“Good,” Karl told him, before slapping him in the arm with his huge book. “That’s for being a jerk.”

“The Host deserves that,” the Host flinched away from the blow.

“Yeah, yah[4] did,” Karl agreed.

“Is everyone still okay?” Patton asked fearfully.

“Yes,” the Host answered, talking out the day planner. “There is still time for the Host to fix their mistakes. Thanks to Karl, the Host and Morality can still remember everything.”

The Host turned his attention towards where his aura was telling him Karl was, “The Host cannot thank Karl enough for intervening.”

Karl shrugged, “You’re the one who gave me the note, I’m just here to help.”

“So we’re going back home, right?” Patton asked. “I want to go home.”

“The Host has what they need,” Host promised. He turned to Karl. “Does Karl need assistance in returning back to the city?”

“I’m stuck here until I die again,” Karl sighed, looking at the castle in the distance, his breath stuttering a bit. He was not looking forward to the pain, nor the disorientation, that always followed moments like this. Usually dehydration or starvation got him.

“The Host can help with that,” the Host’s aura gripped the back of Karl’s head. “After all, Karl did save the Host, it’s only fair for the Host to return the favor.”

Karl felt the sensation of failing before his mind fell out of this reality, right into the white void of the In-between, and then he was yanked back upwards and into a hospital room where he was weak but alive. Hospital machines beeping and giving him life, and the dull chatter of a nurse talking with another doctor.

He stirred and the hospital room flew into action, the nurse immediately paging Quackity who would rush from a meeting to sit by his fiancé’s side as he started his recovery treatment.

Back in the In-Between, the Host used the anomalies to keep the hole he’d ripped open for Karl pried open so that they could easily step through.

“Morality should go first,” the Host ordered the Side. “The Host is hesitant to take the anomaly through before Morality. In case it strands him alone in the In-between.”

“Oh, thanks,” Patton said and stepped through, his suit changing back to his superhero outfit and his freckles fading behind his mask. He felt a hum of his magic surge back, and a connection with Thomas was restored as if he was waking back up from a terrible dream. Patton hadn’t even realized he’d been disconnected from it in the first place.

The Host stepped through after, two black day planners in his hand. The tear was still there but fragmenting by the second. Curling his aura around the day planners they began to turn into dust and swirl together until a single planner was held in the Host’s aura.

With that the tear that had been long since been a nuisance and a threat to the Host was fully disconnected. It became one of the hundreds of thousands of alternate worlds loosely ringed around theirs. No more a danger to him than the dark mirror world that the Host and his allies had found themselves in not so long ago.

“Morality!” Logan yelled as he and Virgil were running over.

With a couple narrations, the Host sent the Sides back to their home to rest, Virgil would be salty and upset at the Host. But the Sides would be together, and that was what was important.

The Host ripped a portal into Dark’s office and saw Illinois sitting and talking with Dark. The Entity was discussing some Network business and some details about Illinois’s upcoming wedding.

The seer stalled a bit, not expecting to see Illinois at this moment. He felt apprehension, his actions under the Author’s insidious influence came back to his mind.

“You okay?” Illinois asked, noticing the hesitant way the Host was holding himself.

“No,” the Host answered. “The Host does not deserve the adventurer’s kindness, nor his consideration. The Host is a terrible brother, he always continues to be so.”

“Hey, hey,” Illinois kicked his feet up and walked over to the Host. He signaled over to Dark, who summoned a portal and seamlessly sent them to the Manor. It was not ideal for the Host but the action had already been done. “What’s this about?”

The Host began explaining to Illinois, to the best of his physical abilities, what he had done. The situation of their missing brother. That Patton had been the price to keeping them safe, but also he told Illinois of his barbed words to Illinois. How at his core he was not any different than the Author.

“Host, Host,” Illinois cut in, curling his aura around the Host, instead of suddenly grabbing onto him, so he didn’t startle him. “Yeah it does concern me that you can just make one of us permanently disappear. I don’t know who this “Patton” was but I’m certain that if he helped you then he was one of the best brothers we ever had. But you’re not a terrible person, you’re doing your best. You were just trying to look out for us.”

“That does not excuse what the Author has done,” the Host cut him off. “Or what the Host has done.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Illinois agreed seriously. “Artie was a lot of things: a pain in my ass, desperate to reenact “Lord of the Flies” and kill me. But he was my brother, and besides Kay, he knew what it was kinda[3] like to be unwanted for a long time. I think both of us forgot that. But now you’re here, and you’re my brother too.”

A smile came back to Illinois’s face, “Besides, you being so worried about me proves that you don’t mean to hurt me. That we’re brothers.”

“The Host supposed that Illinois may have a point,” the seer reluctantly agreed.

“Of course I do,” the adventurer gave him a smug smile. “Trust me more, we’re both in this together. Although, I should admit, I do appreciate not being attacked or threatened with a bat on a regular basis. That, plus you helping me protect 아빠[5] makes you a much better brother than he ever was. If that makes you feel better?”

“The Host is somewhat eased by the adventurer’s words, yes,” the Host agreed.

“Alright, you want to spend the rest of the day with me, or should I take you to the heroes, your eyes are bleeding pretty badly.” Illinois was looking in concern at the seer’s face.

“The Host originally had important matters with the Entity, ones that he cannot put off,” the Host corrected. “The Host was not expecting to see Illinois in his office.”

Illinois lightly whistles, a huge smile splitting his face. “I threw you off your game? Never thought I’d see the day.”

“The Host was pressed for time, he couldn’t check before he opened the portal,” the Host snapped back.

“Sure, I got yah[4],” Illinois chuckled, taking off his hat and tapping on the bronze star hidden inside. “you’re still seeing your boyfriend after this though, your eyes need cleaning before they get infected.”

Dark came to them in an instant, a flurry of overprotective worry.

“Is everything alright?” Dark asked as he portaled in, he was looking Host over for any wounds or signs of a fight. The Host let him fret as he looked at him.

“Yes, the Host was merely discussing something with Illinois,” the Host reached into one of his pockets with his aura and pulled out a plain black day planner. “The Host merely wished to return this to the Entity.”

“Oh,” Dark patted himself down to find his planner was missing and quickly took it back. “Thank you, I didn’t realize it was gone.”

“Yes, the Host had to borrow it for a little while,” the Host told him. “He thanks the Entity for his assistance.”

Dark paused to think about that, confused and suspicious, but he chose not to comment on his thoughts. He turned and headed back to his office.

Host watched him go, aware of the presence watching them. Watching Dark’s every move. Carefully the Host spoke wards into being and they quietly curled around the Entity, protecting him from harm. The Host would have eliminated the threat completely, but such was not in his power. He wasn’t strong enough to disrupt the anomaly entirely, but he would protect what was his. He would protect his family from the Actor, or any other threat.

No matter the cost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post A/N: Information on Lost One Patton: his superpower was empathy manipulation. He was the emotional heart of his family and helped keep Author from getting too violent with his siblings. As such Patton and Author were close. His codename in the Network was: Pathos. Also since he has a January birthday, and Author had a February one, that makes him the eldest Lost One, by barely a month.

Accessibility Translations:

1. Have to

2. going to

3. kind of

4. you

5. Dad; used informally. Phonetically reads as: Appa.

#Superhero AU #Masks and Maladies #footnotes #the Host #Patton Sanders #ahwm illinois #illinois the adventurer #king of the squirrels #karl jacobs #magically tampering with the bounds of reality #magic #angst #existential dread #existential dread hour #magically deleting your brother from your family #and then getting away with it #overprotective Host

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youcanteatmysins · 3 years

Text

It's starting to get cold outside.

The air is crisp and the sky is grey. The plant life, for the most part, have started turning to more lighter and paler colors. The lightest of greens and yellows brushing the very edges of trees and grass alike. This isn't too much different than most days on Coruscant, given the lack of natural life left in the area, but it is noticeable. There usually isn't much time these days for basking in the weather, but one sometimes has to stop and enjoy these little changes. It's nice, Obi-Wan thinks. He's been here, doing all sorts of duty related missions for the Jedi Council, for most of his life. It is easy to let the days, months, and seasons pass without as much as a thought, especially when you're having to fight an ongoing, never-ending, intergalactic war.

Sometimes though, even as insignificant as it may seem, it's nice to stop and remember all the small things that happen around you that go unnoticed. One of those small things, is the scent of blended spices and legumes in the air. Sometimes the scent is more sweet with floral notes behind them, drawing the attention of many of the youth and elderly alike. Other times, it changes to a more bold scent, often there are notes of peppermint when the planet is at its coldest, or fruits such as shuura or meiloorun when the outside temperature is warmer. On occasions like these though, when the outside is barely starting to chill, is when the scent changes to his favorite blend spices; cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Obi-Wan finds time, be it on more scarce occasion, to stop by the local caf shop in the morning. He isn't too picky, anything with enough caffeine to jolt his systems is usually enough. But this scent? This lovely aroma of blended spices enchanting him with its charm? He can't pass this up for a regular espresso.

The shop isn't packed in this particular hour of the morning. About one and half hours after the caf shop opens and people are headed to their respective duties, it gets quiet. This is usually when Obi-Wan likes to show up.

Upon entering, there is a small bucket and a sign reading "please donate to your local shelter!" What kind of shelter? Obi-Wan thinks as he walks fully into the shop. The inside of the caf shop is layered with different shades of mute purples and browns, small 2-4 person tables are dotted to the left side of the entrance and two sofas line the wall. The relaxing atmosphere and caf filled aroma already makes Obi-Wan feel more ready for the day he is preparing to take on.

"Hello there" Obi-Wan greets the mikkian on the other side of the counter. The barista, who is tending to the pastries displayed on the counter beside the register, looks up to greet the man in front of them.

"Hi! What can I get for you this morning?"

"Can I have a pumpkin spice latte?"

"Of coarse! Anything else I could get for you?"

As Obi-Wan goes over in his mind if he is forgetting anything, he remembers Anakin complaining this morning about going to class, as well as the fact that Anakin would be upset with him if he found out he had gotten this sweet caf without him.

"Yes, can I make that two please? And that will be all"

"Sure thing! Will be ready in just a moment"

As Obi-Wan waited for his order, he began to reminisce on how his day was going, and what needed to be done for the rest of it.

Today wasn't terribly busy, actually far from it. It was one of the few days Obi-Wan had a few extra hours to spare for himself before picking Anakin back up from his classes. He wasn't really used to it these days, having to spend hours alone. Ever since his master had given him the responsibility of teaching Anakin, he was used to either having him around to keep the mood light or having other Jedi masters around to discuss their duties. He had recently picked up teaching Anakin how to play Sabacc; since the boy was already 16, he'd figured he would need the knowledge incase one of their missions required they gamble their way through it. He seemed to look forward to coming out of his classes to play the game, and Obi-Wan took comfort in that fact. There must be a lot of stress on that boy, with the war and his training, but at least he could enjoy these few things. Plus he got to talk with Anakin when they played. Sometimes he could even get Anakin to share some of his stresses with him, which made Obi-Wan feel better about his role as his master and guardian. Before they could sit down and play sabacc though, duties came first.

Anakin went to his classes from early on to the evening, and while Obi-Wan was usually busy during this time, he found he had a 3 hour gap in his schedule today. He decided to spend the first hour at the local library, remembering that he'd been needing to find a new book to read. Yes, the temple had a library of its own that Jedi can borrow and read books from, but there's only so much history and biographies one can handle; he wanted something new. It wasn’t too far, just about a 10 minute ride from the temple on a speeder. After spending an hour weighing his options of books and chatting with the librarian (who has a fine taste in literature), he decided on getting something warm to sip on and going to the local park.

Obi-Wan was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard "Here you go sir, your order is ready." He realized he had been standing by the counter and was starring off at the wall opposite of himself. His felt a slight bit of heat form on his cheeks.

"Thank you so much" Obi-Wan said as he turned to grab his coffees. He placed 10 credits in the barista's hand before asking "Oh and what kind of shelter is the sign for?" The barista looked confused for a moment before turning to the sign at the front entrance. "Oh! Yes that is for the local animal shelter. Since there isn't much plant life on Coruscant anymore, the shelter has taken in any animals that have been found wandering the streets, since of coarse they don't have the means necessary anymore for survival here."

An animal shelter? Obi-Wan is surprised. He hasn't ever heard of an animal shelter on Coruscant before.

"Sounds lovely. I'm glad someone has taken care of what's left of natural life on this planet. Such a shame that they even had to leave." Obi-Wan, coffee's in hand, dropped a few credits into the bucket.

"Thank you! Have a wonderful day" And with that, Obi-Wan was headed to the park.

Obi-Wan arrived at the park and, out of habit, went straight for his favorite reading spot. It was on the outskirts of the park, a place particularly picked out for the fact that hardly anyone ever bothered to venture off there. He sat under one of the large trees, making sure the sunlight would reach his book, and started reading.

About 20 minutes in, his mind started wandering. The parks were lively and chirping with people. Tourists coming to see Coruscant and locals just spending the day out with their families filled the sidewalks and fields. It was something that Obi-Wan found warmth and pride in. He was never really given a choice to join the order, and although he curses himself for it, he sometimes wonders where he would be if he was. What kind of life would he be living, or would he be living at all? Would he still have gone to the order, or would he be elsewhere? The toll it had taken out of him, from the loss of his master to the toll on his mind and heart from the war, was he really meant for this? He ached everyday he couldn’t tell himself he was. That this was something good and he was doing the right thing by being a part of it. Looking around at these people, seeing children running and laughing, people enjoying something as simple as an ice cream as they walk freely about the city, Obi-Wan was able to make it possible. He was fighting a war for this. For these people. He liked to think that anyway. The idea gave him comfort and some sort of ground as he went off to help fight an impossibly long wa-

Something was off.

He felt something watching him, or someone.

Obi-Wan lowered his book only to jump about an inch off the ground in surprise, as there was someone he foolishly almost didn't recognize standing but 3 feet in front of him.

"And the fates speak again" The figure said. He knew that voice.

What a good time for his mind to remind him of how the man in front of him looked. The man, in which fate had decided, who he had crossed paths with far too many times to count by now. His red and black skin so smooth and intricate with design, sometimes too difficult to break away from its alluring pattern. His hard-to-hide-under-a-hood horns that somehow add to his charming figure. Those eyes, oh those eyes of his that haunt his dreams and daily trains of thought. How they take hold of Obi-Wan and keep him captive. Eyes so deep with stories and scars, watching him as they burn holes into him.

"Maul" Obi-Wan had muttered out, surprised to see the zabrak here in the busy Coruscanti park. "Aren't you a delightful surprise" Obi-Wan said sarcastically, although he feels he somewhat means it.

Maul was the last person he'd expected to see here. The last time Obi-Wan saw him was on his last mission about 2 weeks ago, which took place on a cargo ship hiding slaves going to some spice mines. Apparently Maul was there on his own mission to steal some of the supplies off the ship, and hadn't known about the slaves. Not like Maul cared much about the slaves though.

Obi-Wan placed a bookmarker on the page he left off at and fully closed the book. Maul was staring at him calmly, not showing any signs of being hostile, but not entirely friendly either. He was always unreadable though, so even if he was plotting Obi-Wans demise, he wouldn't be able to tell just by looks. Come to think of it, Maul and him hadn't been hostile towards each other for a long time now. Ever since Maul had uncharacteristically declared he had only wanted to spar with him and had no interest in killing him anymore (about 4 years after Naboo), they'd been slowly growing on each other. Or at least Maul has been growing on him, even in this current situation.

"I can say the same to you" Maul said as he smirked.

Obi-Wan knew he felt flustered, but that didn't mean he wanted to look it. He met the other man's eyes and focused on keeping his exterior calm and collected, no matter how he felt. Why was Maul here in the first place? Actually, bigger question, why was he standing front of him? He looked around for his caf and gabbed the extra one; he'd remember to buy another one for Anakin later.

"Do you like coffee?" Obi-Wan said, offering the cup of still hot but not unbearably so caf. Maul looked at the cup and back at Obi-Wan, probably searching for malice in his expression as proof of it being poisoned, before taking the cup into his hands. Obi-Wan patted the ground next to him.

"Would you stay to chat for a bit?" Obi-Wan said. Maul eyed the spot where he had patted. "If you're not busy that is." After a thorough inspection of the area he was invited into, he finally sat down next to him. "So what brings you here?" Obi-Wan asked, both out of genuine curiosity and suspicion that he's up to no good. Before Maul answered, he lifted his caf to his lips, sniffed, and took a sip. Obi-Wan watched him with interest, wondering if the man would even be used to the spices. Maul held a blank expression, starring into the cup he just sipped from.

"…" Maul took another sip from the drink and rested his elbows on his knees, avoiding Obi-Wans gaze and instead settling for looking to his right, the shapes of people in the distance squirming in his vision. "It's… adequate. I still don't understand why you people indulge in these sorts of things. But to answer your question, I'm here on a small smuggling mission."

Since the zabrak was sitting so close to him, Maul's words hummed in the air between them, that strangely beautiful voice reaching his chest and warming him from the inside out. Obi-Wan felt himself relax at the sound. Fuck him for having such a damned soothing voice. Wait. What did Maul say?

Obi-Wan, being distracted by the sound of the other mans voice, didn't hear a thing that was said to him. Luckily it didn't look as though Maul minded much.

"How much was this caf?" Maul asked, still not looking at him. "I think about 5 republic credits each, but if you're counting the amount to the local animal shelter, then 30."

At this Maul did turn to look at him. Obi-Wan looked back at him to notice his lips curled slightly in a smug expression. "Thank you for you're contribution" Maul said in a just as smug voice. Obi-Wan was confused. "Do you own an animal shelter?" He said incredulously. Since when did Maul of all people care about animals? The other took a moment to think before answering. "Partially. I don't own the front, but I own the business in the back. I told you I was here for a smuggling run." At that Obi-Wan chuckled. "I knew you were up to no good. Why would you tell me that? I could tell the authorities and you wouldn't know"

Maul starred at him, studying him almost. They stayed like that for a while. "You wouldn't." He said this confidently. It was Obi-Wans turn to stare off into the distance. "I guess you're right."

He heard Maul chuckle. "Oh, what the Jedi would think of you."

"What they would think indeed."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They sat and chatted for a little while before Obi-Wan stood up.

"I have to go pick up Anakin soon, I better get going." He looked at Maul, who was still sitting in the same spot as when he first arrived, drink now empty. "Will I be seeing you around?"

Maul looked thoughful for a moment. "I don't leave for anothed week from now"

Obi-Wan took that as a yes, and in turn, for a reason he couldn't pinpoint, made him hopeful. "Well, if you have any free time this week, send me a message and I can show you some more kinds of caf I think you'd enjoy." As Obi-Wan said this, he handed Maul a slip of paper with his comm number on it. Then he blushed, if only just slightly, while saying "It's to my personal comm link, so nobody can see the messages but me." Maul took the slip of paper and held it up, reading the contents of what Obi-Wan claimed to be his number.

"I'll see you around, Maul." And with that, Obi-Wan left the park and never looked back, too embarrassed to see what Mauls reaction was.

I know it's not anywhere near october, but I thought this was a nice prompt and I really wanted to do it so here you go, hope you enjoy

#ObiMaul #sorry i havent posted much guys #been pretty busy in my life #Darth Maul #Maul #Obi-Wan #Obi-Wan Kenobi #Star Wars #Star Wars Fic #ObiMaul Fic #i know this is ssooooo late but im really bad at timing so #Qui-Gon died of other causes #not by Darth Mauls hand #in this story at least

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