Tumgik
#solo (the hero) is not okay
feelingtheaster99 · 5 months
Text
Brennan was really COMING AFTER the intrepid heroes in Fearful Symmetry. He asks most all of them their fears and just describes these brutal, psychologically devastating situations for all their characters (except Kirsten but only because oh yeah he KILLED HER).
Like Emily tries to say, oh yeah Fig’s greatest fear is seeing her friends and families hurt and Brennan’s like NAH it’s actually the fact that you believe you are putting up a charismatic front and not good enough for anyone
386 notes · View notes
myheroacademia-polls · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Top right - Japanese
Top left - English
Bottom right - Spanish
Bottom left - French
13 notes · View notes
i-bring-crack · 29 days
Text
JINWOO YOU ARE GOING TO CATCH THESE HANDS JINWOO
JINWOO STOP FUCKING AROUND AND KILL THAT BOSS JINWOO
JINWOO WE ARENT EVEN AT THE MIDWAY POINT OF THE STORY STOP FUCKING AHHHH
9 notes · View notes
ladyelainehilfur · 1 year
Text
people will treat girls with a crush on the MC in action webtoon like they're the scum of the earth smh
21 notes · View notes
Text
Reading Blue Beetle: Graduation Day and I have to ask. Since when does Jaime listen to the Justice League.
#i'm reading blue beetle graduation day only now bc i was waiting for it to finish btw#i've also tried my best to avoid as many spoilers as physically possible#barely on issue 2 but enjoying it fine so far#but the fact that superman CAN ground jaime is so weird to me. like that's not his boss??#i'm assuming it's a post-flashpoint thing#presumably his relationship with the justice league is better since he. y'know. never got left in space for a year#but it's still weird. jaime isn't a sidekick?? he's a solo hero??? why does the justice league have the power to just. ground him.#like it's not like they came to him and said 'hey we intercepted the reach's transmission and it looks like they're planning an invasion'#'we're worried about you and would like you to sit this one out if possible. we'll call if we need help'#and then waited to see how jaime would respond. they just went 'jaime you're grounded' and jaime said 'okay boss'#also i realize that they're clearly setting up some '(attempted) hijacking' arc with jaime and i'm assuming batman realizes this#but still. bruce wayne really benching the world's foremost expert on kicking reach ass because the reach is invading.#i'm sure that won't backfire in any way shape or form#like. buddy. pal. if ur worried about jaime getting hijacked by the reach then putting him to the side isn't gonna help#and if ur not ur just being phenomenally stupid#trying very hard not to judge this series by pre-flashpoint standards bc that's unfair#but man. i miss the jaime who got a transmission from oracle and blasted his computer to shut her up#pre-flashpoint jaime to infinite frontier jaime: personally I would NOT let that thing slide#liveblogging#my posts#jaime reyes
2 notes · View notes
Text
let’s be so astronomically real with ourselves there is no way no where no how that plastic ono band is a better debut album than mccartney. i’m embarrassed for john with this one
3 notes · View notes
asteralien · 2 years
Text
watching how to play mandolin videos and as a former piano kid it absolutely drives me up the wall that you have to dance all over the fucking instrument to play a simple scale. i am a good piano kid and the proper way to play a scale is in a tidy linear sequence, not with your hands in seven different positions for each note, this is bullshit
4 notes · View notes
astranne · 2 years
Text
the event will probably open the next few days, as soon we hit 200 followers, i‘ll be writing snippets. i still don‘t know how long i‘m going to host this event, but no longer than two weeks. and you can request more than once, anything and everything you‘d like!
but you‘re free to send requests already! i‘ll start posting and linking them when the event opens.
3 notes · View notes
dcxdpdabbles · 9 months
Text
Phantom's number 1 Fan. Part 2
Tim wakes a few days later, half submerged in liquid and hooked to various machines. He is in a tub shaped like a bed, obviously meant to sleep in. Around him is what he hopes is a hospital room with medical tools scattered about and soft blue paint that turns to the night sky the higher it goes on the wall.
On the ceiling are paintings of various constellations. It's rather beautiful.
Tim also notices he feels no pain. None. Not even the aches of his bones after years of abuse while fighting crime. He thinks that's a bit strange since the last thing he could clearly remember was barely escaping Ra's al Ghul, losing his spleen, and gaining more wounds from angry assassins on his way out.
He had been flying half-blind, blinking in and out of awareness. He thinks at one point, Cassie had attempted to call him, and he may have answered, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what he told her.
He did remember what she said in response. She sounded so desperate as she begged over the S-Batplane speakers. "Please, Tim, you're not well. Let us help you. Just tell me where you are."
Too bad for her, since the S in S-Batplane stand for Secert because Tim had built that one on his own in Secert. There was no way she or any of the hero community could track him in it since they had no idea it existed until Tim had taken it and his supplies on his solo mission to save Bruce.
Tim will admit that he is happy they noticed he went missing- even if it was three months too late. Not that it mattered much. The rest of the Bats wanted nothing to do with him. The world only saw him as a young easy wallet as a shiny new CEO. And his friends were all dead or convinced he was insane by Dick.
Tim didn't have anyone to notice he was gone anymore. But Bruce needed him to push through the ache and get him home.
As the Robin who Bruce trained to put the mission first no matter the cost, the one that came after Jason's death so, Bruce stopped allowing himself to think of Robin as a son and more along the lines of a soldier; he quickly shut down the crying child that wailed for someone to believe him, to support him.
Sometimes it felt like Tim was still waiting by the door of Drake Manor, waiting for someone to come and care for him, to stay for him.
The door to his room opens, snapping Tim back to the present. He automatically stiffens, expecting more of the League of Assassins. He can't remember much, but he guessed he was captured by the fact he was sitting in a green glowing water.
He was not, however, expecting a Yeti to walk in, reading a clipboard.
The Yeti looks up, bearing its teeth at Tim when he notices him awake. It takes a moment to realize the action is supposed to be a smile. "Great One's Honored Guest, I am so glad you have awakened. I am FrostBite, your doctor for the remainder of your recovery."
Okay. Ra's has Yetis at his disposal.
He was the only person that Tim knew as the "Great One." Usually, his most loyal operatives too, which means he was deep within Ra's territory.
FrostBrite pauses for a response, but when Tim remains silent, he holds up his board. "It seems to me that most of your wounds have healed. The only problem is that your spleen could not be salvaged due to the damage."
Tim fights to keep the despair off his face. He figured that was the case, seeing as Ras's had it in a jar, but he had hoped.
"...I understand this may be a difficult adjustment. You will always have to be careful when being ill. Even a simple cold could be disastrous." Frostbite steps close, taping one giant claw on the tub's edge. "The Great One has ordered we keep consistent Ecoplasm Baths at the ready for the remainder of your natural life."
Fuck. The Yeti is saying Ra will never let him leave again. It's a threat disguised as a offer of help.
Tim glares down at his hands. They lay within Lazarus' water, gently healing his small scars. This must be some of the purest Lazarus he's ever seen. It must be Ra's own special blend.
The only reason he is wasting it on Tim is that Ra's wants an heir from him. Or for him to become the Heir. He doesn't know, which makes him feel worse but he does know what lust looks like.
It's one that Ra's has aimed at him for too long.
He may as well get this over with. Learn as much as he can. Plan an escape. The best way to do all that is to simply ask.
"When is the wedding?"
Frostbite freezes. "I beg your pardon? Whos wedding?"
"Th Great One and mine" because the madman would never allow a bastard to inherit his empire.
"You and the Great One....are paramours?" Frostbite sounds awe. Shoot his medic doesn't know anything. The Yeti is likely low ranking.
Tim looks away, and the giant white creature jerks into action. "I apologize for not treating the Great One's beloved properly. I shall have servants bring up a meal while you soak. And the finest robe we have! Sweets and messages....offers of gold?....humans always like gold."
He waits until the Yeti leaves, mumbles of giving him the royal treatment echoing in his wake. Tim sighs, sinking into the water. He knows he is being watched as that's what he would do, so for now he needs to stay put and heal.
He's never going to get Bruce back if he acts too rashly without knowing where he is and what else Ra has under his control. Yetis were no easy feat to beat on his own. He like to avoid....a vampire or something too.
Half an hour later, FrostBite returns with the promised meal and change of clothes. Smaller Yetis help him dress in threads of the finest silks. They feel like heaven on his sensitive skin. Tim feels soft and warm all over, pampered beyond belief.
It's been so long since he just had a moment to rest.
He asks for a walk which he is only permitted after Frostbites clears him. It's while he is wandering that he realizes he is in some winter castle. Everywhere he looks, there is ice, snow, and yetis.
He notices all the guards and makes mental maps of possible weak spots. He wonders why he's not freezing despite only being in a thin silk robe. A form of magic?
A few yetis- servants he can tell by their mannerisms- bow as he wanders about. He can't tell where he is based on the sun or the environment. It's....somehow different.
"That's him?" A young female voice asks. He turns his head slightly to catch the speaker in his provisional vision. It's one of the smaller Yetis....he assumes she's a child? Hard to tell when she still towers over him. "The Great One's future spouse?"
"Yes, I heard King Frostbite, himself, tell the Head Butler"
"He's weak," another Yeti says with disapproval. He sounds male but young as well. Not even a teenager. "He does not even have a core."
"He is a human." A much older voice replies. She sounds like Tim's age based on vocal cords. "Humans are not meant to have cores. Despite this he is a formidable fighter. He has to be to have attracted the Great One's eye."
"Maybe not. I heard humans enjoy being cared for like children. They even call partners things like Mommy and Daddy."
"Why?" The boy Yeti sounds horrified.
"Apparently it's seen as attractive"
"That's disgusting."
Tim turns a corner cutting off the conversation as the Yetis snap to attention. They bow low at the waist as he walks by.
He nods at them, which seems to startle a lot of them. Not that he's surprised. The AL Ghuls likely treated them like decorations and never fully acknowledged them.
Tim barely hears the young boy gasp. "He's beautiful."
"That's likely why the Great One is so bestowed."
Tim sighs walking back to his room with a escape plan half formed.
Elsewhere, the rumor mill in the Ghost Zone is running over time as news of King Phantom's human husband-to-be is spread far and wide. Leaders of the Ghost Zone quickly prepare for a ball that will likely be called to celebrate the union.
They have gifts gathered, each wanting to gain favor with the King. The Far Frozen gets overwhelming requests to visit the future Consort, but seeing as King Phantom had to return to the human world, thus leaving his fiancé in their care, they reject all. They do not want the boy to be overwhelmed or caught unawares if he is not tried in any form of politics.
It would not allow him to become a threat to the King's authority's pawn.
This led to even more rumors starting.
By the time they reached John Constine- the only human who has any form of contact with the Realms- the word is that King Phantom's human was currently carrying their child, wanting to marry before the baby was born, and that he was running from a group of humans known as "The Bats."
He was as beautiful as the King Phantom was powerful- which meant he was utterly breathtaking for a human- and that King Phantom was currently in the human world hunting down those who threaten his family.
Across the dimension plane, Danny is blissfully unaware of the misunderstanding as he is busy filling out college scholarship applications. He has only one more year before he graduates, but he would like to go somewhere away from Amity Park.
The Wayne Scholarship is a long and lengthy process, but it will be worth it. A full ride with board and meals? Yes, the housing will be in Gotham but it's a small price to pay.
He wonders if his number one fan has awakened. Frostbite would have contacted him if his guest had escaped the coma.
Tim Drake had been asleep for nearly a week, only kept healthy due to Danny bathing him in his Protective Core ectoplasm and the Yeti's multi-species medical knowledge. As it were, Tim appeared to only be taking a small nap, none of the adverse effects of long slumber appearing on his thin body, but Danny was getting worried.
At this point, he didn't even care how Tim knew his secret. He just wanted him to be alright.
A flash of green light causes Danny to spring away from his laptop, body falling into a natural fighter's stance only to blink at the giant gift wrap present laying on his bed. Cautiously he inspects the gift finding it from Princess Dora.
"May your love lead the Realms into a wonderous future, and may your union bear many children." He reads the small note she had attracted to her gift "What children?"
Pulling open the gift, he stares at two sets of King robes decorated with rubies shaped into snowflakes. More miniature robes and a few booties surround the pair, obviously meant as a family gift.
Tuck to the side of the box is a long and deadly-looking sword. It's pitch black, with a scull as a handle. Dora had tired a scroll to its blade, where she had written My armies are ready to yield to you. You need only to swing this sword, and they shall come to your aid. The Bats will not harm your treasure.
What in the world?
2K notes · View notes
arguablysomaya · 5 months
Text
Nightwing's weird fem-coding
! LONG POST !
Finally got around to jotting down my thoughts on the weird way that Dick Grayson (Nightwing) often occupies female-coded roles without being a particularly feminine guy. This is entirely due to me procrastinating on my finals. Okay!
Dick has often been cited as the hero who plays into the "female gaze", and he takes up some key roles that are typically reserved for women characters.
Tumblr media
A large portion of Dick's fem-coding is contingent on his being with his family, and when he's not with them, this fem-coding kinda drops away, such as when he's with his various teams or acting solo.
His most prominent (and imo, complex) femme-coded role is:
-> Eldest Daughter + Widow
Eldest daughter syndrome means " frequently feeling like you’re not doing enough, like you’re struggling to maintain a veneer of control, like the entire household relies on your diligence." It's born out of the unique way that first-born girls are expected to take on adult roles around the household before they've had an opportunity to fully experience childhood (an opportunity their younger siblings will have, in part due to this sacrifice). It creates a strong sense of independence and a desire to be a good role model, but also leads to undue pressure and perfectionism.
Dick acts as a central emotional pillar for those in his family. To the point that when he fakes his death, it breaks something fundamental in the family dynamic:
Tumblr media
Not only is it repeatedly made clear that Bruce depends on Dick to act as a lifeline for his own mental struggles, but moreover, his siblings do as well. In a very literal sense, the maintenance of the batfamily rests on Dick's shoulders. Bruce is so rarely available for emotional support that these children turn to the next best thing, which, to be fair, is better than what Dick had growing up. He has to clean up so many breakdowns, it's honestly pretty staggering.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
As the OG sidekick, Dick receives quite a bit of hero worship, particularly from younger heroes/sidekicks, who look toward him for guidance. As a naturally upbeat and welcoming person, Dick ends up in the position of bringing light to everyone, not just Bruce. For example, here's Cassandra:
Tumblr media
This balancing effect is unique to Dick's skill set. However, this can (and does) backfire very easily. The same pragmatism Bruce engages in hurts extra bad when coming from Dick: like when Dick had to take Robin away from Tim. Not to mention just how intimidating Dick's legacy is, which can create resentment when his successors aren't able to play this role so easily. For example, Jason both before and after his death expressed insecurity that he felt he was constantly being compared to Dick, and falling short.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
As the original character that people think of when they think "sidekick", DG Robin (and his successors) had the advantage of not losing prominence even as his contemporaries (Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl, etc.) were de-prioritized in favor of independent teenaged heroes (like Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire). But that means Robin as a concept now has to deal with questions that weren't so prominent in the earlier decades, such as: "How do we justify a grown-ass man using a child (and in fact, children) as emotional crutches?"
It's icky to think about, but there's no denying that early Batman and Robin got side eyes for homosexual subtext. I mean, they literally call each other "partners". So while that "subtext" was, and remains, just audience speculation, given Dick is literally Bruce's adopted son, there is room, I believe, to call into question how healthy it is for Bruce's oldest kid to be taking on a nearly-parental role and be a core pillar of Bruce's emotional regulation.
Hot take here, but I think Dick's relationship with Bruce was/has been pretty emotionally incestuous for a long time.
-> Emotional incest
"Emotional incest[...] is a type of emotional abuse performed by a parent. In cases of emotional incest, parents rely on their children for significant emotional support, which is a reversal of roles. Emotional incest is more than just relying on your kids on occasion—rather, it is an extreme dependence on them." (There's a pretty good argument to be made that Bruce has been emotionally incestuous with all his Robins, especially Dick and DEFINITELY Tim, but y'know. Small steps.)
Tumblr media
Emotional incest is a semi-common consequence of eldest daughter syndrome; the natural conclusion of deputizing a child to manage the other children combining with an inability to see the child as a child, still in need of emotional guidance, but more like an adult capable of shouldering the burdens of grown-ups dumping their traumas on them.
To be clear here, while emotional incest may not be incest in the most traditional, taboo sense, it is still abuse. It's putting a burden on a child they shouldn't have to carry, even for children that aren't dealing with such extreme burdens as "grown-ass man running around in a fursuit needs me to keep him from getting himself killed". It's a perversion of a healthy parent-child relationship, where the child is treated more like a partner than a child. In Dick's case, it further exacerbates the parentification he already experiences. This is made more explicit when Bruce "dies" and Dick is cast into a sort of "Widow" role.
Dick reluctantly dons the cowl in an attempt to bring order to his family members. He's also left to parent Damian, alone. He has to make the decision to take Robin from Tim, and try to deal with the fallout from that decision. He has to put a stop to Jason's fratricidal rampage. He's made into the de-facto head of the family.
Tumblr media
And the thing about this is: Dick's not even bad at it. In comparison to Bruce's litany of disasters-in-parenting, Dick does a pretty bang-up job of managing his siblings, heading the Justice League, and being Batman. But the crucial point is that he does this at the expense of his own mental health, which is the crux of eldest daughter syndrome. There's no denying that at the time, Dick was most certainly the best choice for New Father Figure, but it was a choice he was pushed into, and a sacrifice he had to make. When this sense of responsibility to the point of self-sacrifice is pushed to its logical conclusion, it has the effect of making Dick a Martyr-type figure.
-> Protector/Mama Bear/Avenger
Dick has shown repeatedly that his hot button is his family. From Tony Zucco to allowing Blockbuster to be killed after the villain targeted Haley's Circus, going after Nightwing's family is a pretty good way to earn yourself an asskicking. Probably the most infamous example of this is when Dick thought the Joker had killed Tim, beating the clown to death to avenge both Tim and Jason.
Tumblr media
And while this role isn't particularly feminine, I do think it's interesting that Dick protects his family members from each other with almost the same frequency that he protects them from outside threats. He's pretty notorious for wrangling Damian and Tim, foiling Jason's murder plans, and most importantly, beating the shit out of Bruce whenever he crosses a line, such as when Bruce asks Dick to conceal being alive from their family to join Spyral or when Bruce wanted to abandon the Bruce Wayne persona after the murder of Vesper Fairchild. Or of course, more recently after Bruce's latest MK-ULTRA shenanigans.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
This basically puts Dick in the position of being the glue that holds the family together, at basically all times, but especially in times of conflict. This also means he's put in the dangerous position of bodily defending his younger siblings from Bruce's wrath or irresponsibility, a position made even more awkward given the whole emotional incest thing.
That's not to say that Dick's relationship with his family is 100% unhealthy. Dick and his family members (including Bruce!) feel legitimate affection and care for each other. There are times when the dynamics here are indeed healthy. And like most people with eldest daughter syndrome, the unhealthy nature of this dynamic is usually understated. Oldest sibling syndrome is often just an unavoidable consequence of how parenting works. So while I am of the opinion that this dynamic is often unhealthy, hot take: I'm fine with that.
Tumblr media
Now, though I've just listed some tropes that he only falls into around family, Dick also falls into some fem-coding all the time, regardless of who he's with, and these have to do mostly with his sexuality.
-> Sexual Assault & Harassment
Yeah, so nobody is surprised that this is a factor. Look up any list of the top ten hottest/sexiest/most attractive male superheroes, I guarantee 9/10 times Nightwing is number 1. However, unlike his father, whose attractiveness is usually played as a part of the male wish-fulfillment fantasy, something people aspire to be, Dick's attractiveness more often makes him an object of desire- very similar to how most attractive female characters are perceived.
Tumblr media
And as an object of desire, Dick Grayson is constantly having to deal with being objectified.
Now, Dick Grayson being an attractive character is not the problem. Dick Grayson being sexually assaulted isn't even the problem. the problem is that he keeps being harassed, assaulted, and raped in ways that are flagrantly nonconsensual, and yet it's not treated with the seriousness it deserves. In fact, it took a full decade for Devin Grayson to retract her previous statement and admit that yes, the rooftop scene with Catalina Flores was in fact rape, and it's never been acknowledged in-universe (though, comics have always been atrocious at calling out sexual abuse of all kinds, let alone that which targets men).
Hell, even when he in-universe calls it out, he's dismissed immediately and the story continues like nothing happened.
Tumblr media
Like???
Dick's adult sexcapades (which were consensual and enthusiastic) have long contrasted with the numerous times he's been harassed; times in which he comes across as bored, exasperated, and even frustrated with his own attractiveness and the vulnerable position it often leaves him in.
Tumblr media
This puts him in the rare (in comics) position of being a male character who consistently and near-exclusively has his sexual agency and boundaries violated by women - a position that authors uniformly refuse to examine despite writing him into it all the fucking time.
Other characters around him frequently make comments passing off this harassment and assault as a natural consequence of Dick's own attractiveness, making "jokes" that essentially amount to "I understand why someone would want to assault him". Which- UH?
Tumblr media
There is also, of course, the unavoidable reality that as an acrobat and an aerialist, he receives a very specific type of sexual harassment
Tumblr media
the nature of nightwing's fight style necessitates a type of tight-fitting suit that male heroes typically don't go for: an extremely slick suit with bare-minimum armour that again, makes him vulnerable in a way most male heroes aren't, but a style female heroes wear all the time, whether it makes sense for them or not. This of course then allows artists to draw attention to this fact by posing Nightwing in poses usually reserved for femme fatales:
Tumblr media
And unlike the Hawkeye Initiative, these poses are (largely) unironic, and not played for jokes. Dick isn't arching his back or looking over his shoulder to poke fun at how female heroes are treated; he does so because the artist (clearly correctly) sincerely believed these poses would play into the unironic gaze of the audience, and also probably thought it was hot. It's the same line of thought artists use when posing femme fatales.
He's even been known to use his sexuality as a bargaining chip, much like more traditional Femme Fatales. In Batman and Harley Quinn (2017), he refers to sleeping with Harley Quinn after being kidnapped by her as one of "the things I do for Gotham", to which she responds "I'm taking that as a 'yes'." And that's uh- not how consent works.
Tumblr media
And this particularly sucks because- HELLO? The opportunity to explore the very real and tragically underacknowledged phenomenon of sexual violence against men is literally invaluable, especially with such a prominent character. It's one thing to ignore that men face sexual violence, it's another, entirely more unforgivable thing to continuously and explicitly depict such scenarios and play them off as jokes or not as serious as they clearly are. But what did I expect from an industry that has never had a good track record on sexual violence anyway.
-> Queercoding?
Tumblr media
There's also of course the fact that DC has been, as of late, dropping hints that Dick might be bisexual.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
That on it's own doesn't mean anything, but when paired with the fact that DC has been angling toward giving Dick a similar playboy persona that Bruce has, just with men included, it's just very interesting.
Tumblr media
(BTW: The likelihood DC actually commits to making Dick bi is, uh, not a lot, but if they're gonna stick with this weird closet stuff for a while, let's hope they do so in a way that doesn't make him sound like a cross between Donald Trump and Harry Styles next time? Please?)
Anyway, all of this is basically to say I am forever fascinated by the gender dynamics of Dick Grayson, likely due to the fact that I'm projecting all my eldest daughter traumas onto him, and that someone who's background is in Gender Studies needs to get on this shit if they haven't already. I just love this character sm.
Tumblr media
664 notes · View notes
dark-night-hero · 9 days
Text
Imagine Sung Jinwo with a significant other who was a few multiple hunter crush. But he does not know that. So by the time there was a world hunter gathering as the two of you attended, it was quite chaotic.
Imagine the way in the middle of interview, as you stand there by his side with no signs of answering, just letting your lover answer the questions thrown to him and you. You eyes boredly wander around despite all the flashes when someone thing- one caught you eyes.
Imagine the way you unconsciously tighten your grip in his arms causing him to eyes to twitch for a moment in discomfort, making him look at you with concerns gaze. At the same time, you were looking at the blonde hunter for afar, all while repeatedly talking to yourself mentally that you need to calm down, you have a lover, your lover was just right beside you. But damn, that was Lennart Niermann, the blonde german that you have taken quite admiration of long ago.
Imagine, of course he was nothing compared to Jinwo, your lover. It was a different kind of admiration after all. Jinwo was special, very special to you. Still, it was not every day that you get to see the blonde german hunter right in front of you. Causing you to squeeze your lover's arm once again.
Imagine the way your lover unexpectedly pull you close to him, place his hand on your chin making you look up to him before leaning down to kiss you. Hard. The way your eyes widen in shock as well as the rapid flashes of camera right now. Simply you tried to pull away, but you cannot seemed to. His hold on you kept on place and maybe you are not even trying that much. Because you are not.
Imagine the way you rest your head on his neck, desperately things to hide your red cheeks when you felt him move his hands on the back of your neck. "Look only at me. Hmmm?" Pulling away from him, you met up his tempting gaze. "Okay." There was a smile on his face.
Imagine, not too far away from you two was the certain blonde german hunter. Goosebumps all over his arm as he recalled the way the korean hunter looks at him. What did he do?
[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2024°
: a chronicle from my Solo Leveling FF on quotev, wattpad and oa3 (The girl from another world)
216 notes · View notes
bucketofpaint · 2 months
Text
#5
The last of criminals were being loaded up to be taken away.
"Meet at the base. We need to talk about something." Robin informed the team.
The team was all together at Mount Justice watching as Robin typed furiously on a computer, mumbling to himself.
"Hey Rob, what you'd want to talk about again?" Wally asked.
Robin stopped typing and stood up. "During the mission me and Artemis were helped out from a super powered individual."
"Another hero?" Kaldur asked.
"I doubt it, I've been searching everywhere for any information, but I got nothing."
"What did they look like?"
"They had white hair and green eyes."
Connor and Wally's eyes widened.
"Did he by chance glow?"
"Yeah..why?" Robin asked, narrowing his eyes.
" I may have met him before." Wally said, avoiding eye contact."
"You met him before! When!"
"Uh, do you remember my solo mission a little while ago?
Robin just glared.
" Well, i'vemighthavegottencapturedandhewastheonetosaveme."
"And you didn't tell anyone!"
"In my defense, I had a concussion."
"Okay, anyone else met this person and didn't say anything?"
Connor sheepishly raised his hand.
Robin signed, "When?"
"During the rescue mission."
----
Danny was miserable. Tucker had asked him, 'Hey Danny, want me to enroll you in school?' And sure Danny liked school. He got pretty good grades before phantom, and he would definitely have plenty of time. So he stupidly said yes, and now he was suffering. He had forgotten about the english essay that was due the next day.
Danny couldn't think. His mind wouldn't stop wondering about the events from before. Why would regular thugs have those guns? Whatever it was, it looked like Danny would be interacting with Baby Justice more. Danny groaned.
362 notes · View notes
thesassypadawan · 15 days
Text
Prove It (Knight Anakin x PadawanFemReader)
Tumblr media
Summary: Unbearable, painful, soul crushing. That’s it felt like after closing off your bond with Anakin. It wasn’t a decision you made lightly, only doing so after you caught him running around with a certain little senator. However you are willing to reopen it, but only if he can prove that he does indeed want you more.
Warnings: 18+ (minors dni), because of all the lovely smut. Cheating Anakin, makeup sex…and Ani’s big dick. Padawan Reader is of age.
Notes: Happy Hayden's (And Mine) Birthday Event! In honor of the man, the myth, the legend; I will be posting nothing but Anakin, Vader, and Hay stories all April long!
A little something for a lovely anonymous! I really enjoyed writing this, it was truly a pleasure!  I know it's like only a hint of angst in here, but I tried my best (still learning how to write for it). Hope you like it! ❤️
The sound of knocking filled you shared quarters, startling you out of your restless slumber. It wasn’t completely uncommon for you to struggle with sleeping; some nights were better than others. Tonight, or rather the past couple of nights, though had been the worst yet.
Unbearable, painful, soul crushing. Were just a few ways to describe how it felt. How it felt to be completely closed off from someone through the force. Someone who you cared for deeply, someone you thought was…
Not caring that you were only in a certain someone’s oversized tunic, you quickly made your way to the door. Knowing fully well who you would find on the other side.
A mix of emotions ran through you as you were greeted by the sight of a very disheveled looking Anakin. His face was red, eyes puffy. Tear tracks shining in the faint corridor lights. It seemed like you weren’t the only one who couldn’t get any rest…good.
Leaning against the frame, you crossed your arms across your chest. Gaze hardened, voice cold. “What do you want, Skywalker?”
“I… I, um…” The great hero without fear stuttered, cowering a bit before you. His hands twitching and trembling at his sides.
Noticing this, you had taken a step back. You didn’t need a bond to know what he wanted to do; to scoop you up in his arms and hold you close. And as much as you desired to give in, you refuse to do so. “I’ll ask again… What do you want, Skywalker?”
Despite your actions, he still reached out for you. Long fingers tentatively grazing and touching your side, before you slapped them away. “Fine,” he sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping. “I came here to talk to you…to try to make things right. Please…can I come in?”
You should have turned him away right then and there. But he looked so lost, so pathetic…you just couldn’t. “All right,” you huffed, stepping aside. “Get in here, don’t need you attracting unwanted attention.”
Ani perked up a bit and gave a small nod. “Thanks,” he muttered, quickly dipping inside.
The scene was all too familiar. Him sneaking into your shared quarter late at night. You both trying to contain your enthusiasms while you snuck off to your room. Hoping your master would remain in his deep slumber or, in instances like this, grateful to have him away on some kind of solo mission.
However, one thing was different…
“I’m surprised you’re here,” you said spitefully, closing the door behind you. “Shouldn’t you be at your precious, little senator’s apartment?”
You watched him flinch, your words clearly having the effect you hoped they would have. “No,” he replied, placing his big hands on your arms. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
“Oh, really? Is that so?” You laughed, a hint of mockery in your tone. “If that’s the case, then why did you go somewhere else? Why did you feel the need to go run off to another woman’s bed, when you had a perfectly good one here?”
His hold on you tightened and he let out a shaky breath. “Okay, I deserved that. You have to hear me out though…please. Please?”
There were so many things you wished to say, to yell. Instead you just stood there; staring up at him, your expression unreadable.
When you didn’t reply, Anakin leaned down a bit. Brushing his lips across yours, whispering softly. “Hatari, I made a huge mistake. I don’t want her, only you. I love-”
“Prove it,” you boldly interrupted, a fiery glint in your eyes. “Show me right now and…I’ll consider reopening the bond.”
Silence fell between you two, the air grew heavy with tension and underlying lust. He was so close; you could feel his hot breath fanning over your face. Lips inches away from one another. “With pleasure,” he chuckled.
Giving you a chaste kiss, he pulled away. You were about to whine in protest, so touched starved, when he slipped out of his robes. Cock springing forth, wonderfully hard and deliciously leaking. That smug smirk on his face.
In an instant, Ani had hooked his strong arms under your thighs. Squeezing them, hiking them up onto his hips. Wrapping them tightly around his waist, pressing you firmly against the door.
Crashing your lips together, you kissed each other hungerly. Your hand reaching and fumbling to position his fat tip at your dripping entrance. “No panties? Were you expecting me, angel?”
“Shut up,” you growled in his ear. “And just kriff me already.”
“Maker you’re sexy when you’re angry,” he groaned. Pushing his impressive length into you, both of you moaning and hissing in unison.
Your hands flew to his shoulders, nails frantically scratching. As he pounded your needy cunt over and over. Grip nearly painful, fingers digging into and bruising your subtle flesh.
The sounds of skin slapping against skin filled the air while he slammed into you. Desperate mewls escaped you from him hitting that perfect, toe-curling spot. The coil in your stomach only winding tighter with each passing moment. “Faster… Kriff… Harder… Going to… Kriff…”
Spurred on by your encouraging words, Anakin’s thrusts grew sloppier. Invisible fingers drawing circles on your clit, trying to coax your orgasm out of you. “M-Me too,” he grunted, face buried in the crook of your neck. “Let go; let it all out f-for me.”
That’s all it took, and you were sent spiraling. Waves of pleasure washing over you. Whole body convulsing around him. Making him crash, spilling his hot cum deep inside you. All that pent up energy finally getting released.
You two stayed like that for a minute or two. Catching your breath, foreheads pressed together. Sighing in relief and happiness as your bond reopened.
“Missed you,” you giggled.
“Missed you too,” he laughed softly. “Forgive me?”
A wide, slightly twisted grin spread across your face. “Of course, Ani. But just know, if I ever see you with that little senator again… I’ll have to make you ‘prove it’ in a more aggressive way.”
Tag List: @espinathena-17, @myheartwillgoon2022, @cacti5539, @wifeofasith, @princessswifie, @kenobiskywalker16, @loverforoldermen
155 notes · View notes
laxxarian · 3 months
Text
Danny, is by all means, forgetful.
It was the same reason from time and time again that he gets beaten up quite easily before actually remembering certain skills that he could use like his intangibility and ectoshield.
And the fact that he was a bit of a not so smart person, didn't help him defeat Desiree quickly ages ago.
So Danny may have powerful skills in his arsenal, he can't really use them because of his frequent forgetfulness or that he's a C minus student.
So whenever Danny helped in fighting villains with the Young Justice or the Justice League, they became quite concerned for the young halfa (if the ghost really is young).
The way Danny crashed into buildings, punched and blasted, stabbed and electrocuted, they couldn't help but feel worry. Danny heals quickly and the pain gets numbed whenever he's Phantom but for the heroes, it seemed painful by the way Danny is acting and that's mostly because of the human side of his, it's still thinks he's alive and had to create expressions appropriate for the situation he was in.
Not only that, the heroes deemed him to be weak but can't do anything about it since he's not in the team or in the league. Danny was a solo hero, he told them that he's only here, in Gotham, for a 'vacation', (it's a school field trip), and will be away after a few days.
But what's more is that Danny and Phantom are split once more, Danny decided to use that dreamcatcher like machine made by his parents and split into two. Having Fun Danny to focus on the field trip and Hero Danny to focus on protecting him and everyone else and that was why Phantom is always with the heroes defeating a villain.
And then, by the end of it all, when the field trip ends, Hero Danny bids his farewell to the heroes and goes to an alley. Phantom doesn't know that he was being followed by the heroes and when they saw a kid with a machine next to him, they all got curious.
Fun Danny: Wassup, dude.
Hero Danny: Greetings, weak human!
Fun Danny: Seriously?
Hero Danny: No time to dilly dally now! We have to get back to the bus or we'll be late!
Fun Danny: Relax, man. We can just fly our way back anyways.
Hero Danny: And that's the kind of an irresponsible son would say.
Fun Danny: Okay, fine, let's get this over with.
And that's when those hero stalkers saw that a human boy got possessed by the hero ghost with the help of the machine.
And a misunderstanding ensues, causing the heroes to make plans and go to this place called Amity Park.
263 notes · View notes
psychhound · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
[ID: a banner for a TTRPG. there is a light tan background and large brown text that reads "the narrator paradox". smaller blue text beneath it reads "all you've ever been is a storyteller ... now the story is fighting against you". there are tilted blue and orange boxes behind the word paradox. end ID]
There is a way the story is meant to go. You have seen the future. The past and the present. You know the hero of this tale, and where they end up. You know why they go there and every ally and foe along the way. Every fleck of sand moved beneath their boot has been foretold and defined and the words that tell of it slip from your lips like the oldest of hymns …
So if that little bastard could just STOP going off script that would be really great. What do you MEAN the protagonist isn’t listening to you!? This is a STORY—don’t they know they’re in a STORY? They aren’t meant to have … have … AUTONOMY or whatever other silly thing has gotten in their head.
You need a raise. Not that the human concept of money influences your role as a narrator in any way. But, like … anything would be nice. A raise. A swift kick in the head. Maybe the undefinable concept of storytelling will talk about a union.
Sorry—they’ve done WHAT now? Okay, chat’s over. There’s a protagonist to wrangle. 
Tumblr media
[ID: a lineart drawing of one open book and two closed books on a light tan background. end ID]
The Narrator Paradox is a one page solo-narrating game where you try to tell a story ... if your protagonist will let you. In it, you determine the five acts of your story based on an oracle, then make rolls for your plot beats to see if you can wrangle your protagonist into the prescribed narrative. If you can't, they defy you and take the story into their own hands. Wrestle the story into shape against a rebellious hero, or lose them forever and have to finish the story without them in it. 
What you'll need:
The Major Arcana from a tarot deck 
Two 6-sided dice
A coin 
The inspirations for the game include The Stanley Parable, The Princess Bride, and Stardust
Get the game now on itch!
156 notes · View notes
abiiors · 2 months
Text
queen of hearts // matty healy x reader
Tumblr media
valentine's week - day 6: queen of hearts
a/n: this is. Not Good. the burnout is hitting me now lol this is okayish now after the major edit wc: breakups i think but that's it cw: 4.1 k
Tumblr media
“i can be your date to the awards.”
matty’s words freeze you in your tracks and you whip your head to him, almost dropping your coffee in the process. he’s half-leaning half-sitting on the table, flicking through a trashy tabloid of all things that you wish would set on fire right about now. but it doesn’t. and so matty continues to flick through it without even looking up at you while he’s just dropped this bomb on you. 
you know what’s caught his fancy… you know there’s going to be some iteration of “the queen of hearts suffers heartbreak” in there. (because let’s face it, the tabloids are never creative enough to think of other headlines and they’ve used this one almost every time you’ve had a public break up before) 
you suppose you should count your lucky stars they didn’t find out right away, that you at least got three months to yourself before the news first broke. 
“what makes you think i need a date?”
he thumbs over to another page, still looking just as insufferably cool as ever. “your ex is going. ooohh, ouch! he’s going with someone you’re up against in almost every category, babe.”
“i don’t care,” you turn your nose up at him, “and don’t call me babe.”
matty puts the magazine down and finally looks at you. 
from the corner of your eye you catch the headline—the queen of heartbreak—along with a photo of you and jack, a dramatic slash going between the two of you. you remember that night, you remember going to a charity gala with him and sneaking out to make out in one of the forgotten hallways. you remember feeling invisible in the best of ways for the first time in your life. 
a pang goes through your chest and you bring your attention back to matty. 
“in fact, i might not even go.”
“really?” he raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms in front of him. your eyes betray you by flicking to his biceps that strain against the sleeve of the flannel he’s wearing, but you quickly look back at him and blink the thoughts away. 
you sigh, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. “no, that’s– yeah, no. skipping's not an option. my publicist would kill me. plus, they already have a dress for me and it’s too gorgeous to be wasted like this.”
“and you think going solo is a good idea,” his eyes flick to the tabloid and you can already see the headlines that would be written about you. all the staged and well-timed photos of you sneaking even a single glance at jack and his date, all the speculation of jealousy and cheating. just think about it makes your temples ache. 
“no… i guess not.”
matty grins, “so take me as your date then.”
you take a moment to assess him. he’s certainly hot, (objectively speaking, of course) and going with him would create a…splash to say the least. and if you were being honest with yourself, you kinda dig the anti hero persona he’s got going at the moment. 
on the other hand, your publicist might blow a blood vessel trying to clean up your image. 
you look at the tabloid again, at the “queen of heartbreak” printed in big bold ugly letters all across the front page. it’s fucking tiring being so synonymous with love songs. it’s tiring singing about romance and yearning and love while your happily ever after comes crumbling all around you. 
“okay,” you say and matty smiles wide. you smile back. 
and for the first time in three months, it’s a real genuine smile. 
Tumblr media
you see him around the studio a few more times after that—sometimes with his band, sometimes alone. mostly he’s running around, busy with his own thing and not really playing much attention to anyone around him. you on the other hand, sit in the twin of his studio space.
on most days your head feels empty, not a single song lyric or even a catchy riff in there. not a single thing scribbled in your notebook for months. you know what’s expected of you—another romance pop album to sweep everyone off their feet. your management has been very clear about that—it’s what gets the numbers and it’s what they want from you. 
it doesn’t matter what you want. it’s never mattered. 
you try everything—walking around the property with your notebook in your hands, hoping to find some inspiration. you listen to your old songs, cringing at how empty they sound, how soulless and exactly like the one before. happy to the point of feeling cognitive dissonance. 
as a last resort, you even look up photos of you and jack, just to see if it would spark…anything. 
all it does is annoy you more. he’s already got a new girlfriend, the same girl who’s supposed to be his date. you imagine the buzz around their red carpet debut and then think back to your own—how much the tabloid had gushed over you, calling you the perfect couple. a couple that just “made sense”
the perfect king to their queen of hearts.
you close your eyes and lean your head back against the bark of a tree. it’s nice here at least, it’s calm. the place is so far away from the city, you could just disappear for a few months and just not do anything. 
but peace has never come to you without a price. 
not even five minutes later, a loud guitar riff splits the air followed by raucous laughter. (it’s surprising to you that you already recognise matty’s laugh) standing up, you dust off your jeans and follow the sounds. the guitar only gets louder the more you walk, until you see a group of people around a little barbecue. 
matty’s holding his guitar like a classic douchebag rockstar, sunglasses dangling over his nose and arm muscles flexed and veins taut against his forearms as he strums the bright red guitar. it’s so much different from what their music usually sounds like. the notes aren’t very loud or angry but they’re certainly powerful. stronger than anything you’ve ever played before.  
it makes you stop in your tracks and watch him. 
you just stand there—captivated by the music, captivated by him. it only takes matty a couple more seconds to notice you, and you look away, flustered. 
“enjoying the show?” he asks, a sly grin playing on his lips. warmth creeps up your cheeks. 
“no, sorry. i was just round the corner and heard you. sorry didn’t mean to intrude—”
“relax,” he laughs and sets the guitar aside. you recognise the others behind him—his band, for one. you’ve seen the other three men with him in countless photos and award shows but the others are unfamiliar. 
“that was… really good,” you laugh and tuck a strand of hair behind your ears. matty’s eyes follow the movement. “something new?”
“something old actually. very old. it’s called 28, from when we used to perform under drive like i do.”
that’s news to you so you just nod your head, unsure what to say. “it sounded really good. powerful.”
matty’s eyes flick over your face for a moment, taking you in with such intensity that you feel utterly shy for a moment, almost like a part of you is laid bare—there’s no creative makeup to conceal imperfections on your face, no team of stylists to dress you and style your hair. in front of matty, in just jeans and a t-shirt and your hair in a braid, you’re just…a person. as ordinary as it gets. 
“didn’t think it would be your kind of music,” he says after a second and you look down, toeing the grass. 
“i didn’t either…” the words are so soft, they’re barely audible. matty opens his mouth to say something but panic shoots through you like a spear. you know he’s going to ask you to join, and music is the last thing on your mind. 
“i gotta go,” you mumble, already backing away. matty’s face shifts from a smile to a confused frown. he lifts his hand, almost wraps his fingers around your wrist but matty thinks better of it at the last moment and drops it. 
you don’t stay long enough to hear what he says, you just run back to the studio and try to forget this ever happened. 
Tumblr media
the days leading up to the awards are a whirlwind of preparations—from dress fittings to speech preparation to meeting with stylists, it’s exhausting. at least it keeps your mind off, well, everything else. but mostly it keeps you too busy to interact with any more journalists or paps. the most they get are photos of you going to a couple dress fittings and back to your car. 
none of it distracts you from matty though. even though you haven’t since him the weeks that you’ve been back in the city (he’s still back in the studio), you find yourself lingering on thoughts of him throughout the day. even though you haven’t talked to him since then, you find yourself wishing you’d exchanged phone numbers. 
but most surprisingly, you don’t think about jack at all. not even once (unless his face just so happens to be on some magazine cover or the other). he simply exists in the periphery, mostly out of sight and out of mind. 
your publicist, emma, does blow a blood vessel when you first tell her about bringing matty as your plus one. she’s older than most other people on your team, has been in this industry far longer than you have, so her disapproval stings a bit. 
“matty? healy? are you sure about that?” she side-eyes you when you first break the news to her, taking you aback just a bit. 
“why, what’s wrong with him?”
she chews on her bottom lip for a second and you hold your breath, waiting for her to flat-out say that this is a bad idea. “he’s not the most…popular right now.”
you roll your eyes. “well if that’s the only thing that’s wrong with him then i’d still like to take him.” and then as an afterthought, you add a “please”. 
“fine,” she shrugs and that is the end of that. she asks no more questions, makes none of her personal feelings known. and while on some days you appreciate that degree of professionalism, on others you just need…a friend. 
but emma goes back on her phone, already making a call to someone and you swallow all the words that are on the tip of your tongue. 
Tumblr media
your heart’s in your throat from the moment you step inside the limousine. it’s standard for you—get inside the car, stare outside from the heavily tinted windows until it’s time to compose yourself for the cameras. somehow, tonight feels different, and definitely not because you have more nominations than you’ve had ever before. 
“where’s matty?” you ask emma who’s texting on her phone. 
“oh, we’re picking him up from his hotel. ten more minutes.”
with trembling fingers you unlock your phone, getting the pin wrong twice before searching him up on instagram. without his number that’s the only way you have to contact him and you wonder if he’s even going to check his instagram dms. but you send out a quick prayer and type out a message anyway. 
ready for tonight?
i guess i should say sorry in advance for all the dating rumours we’re about to fuel
then you cringe and stare out the window again, wondering if that was too forward of you to say. it has been weeks since you talked to him afterall. who knows if he’s even excited about this anymore or if he’s simply doing it as an obligation. 
your phone buzzes with an incoming dm. 
ready and waiting :)
and being linked to you doesn’t sound so bad
in spite of the rumours, that makes you smile, and the car takes a turn towards the driveway of a swanky hotel. almost reflexively, you fix your hair (they’re perfectly done) and smooth any folds in your dress (it fits you like a glove). it’s only the lack of a mirror that stops you from obsessively checking your makeup but you still take a quick glance at your phone’s screen and make sure everything’s in place.
it shouldn’t be this nerve-wracking. it’s just an award show, you’ve done this a hundred times in the past but then the car rolls to a stop and suddenly someone’s opening the door. 
you smell him before you see him—expensive perfume and cigarettes, like it’s his signature scent. and then you see him. 
matty’s in a sleek black tux, curls tamed for the night with some hair gel and even then some of them manage to escape, falling on his forehead and into his eyes. his eyes look darker somehow, more intense, and they widen when his gaze lands on you. 
against your better judgment, you feel a sense of satisfaction when his gaze trails down to the low, low neckline of your dress and back up to your red-painted lips. then back to your eyes before matty clears his throat and gets inside the car. you take advantage of his distraction to steal another look at him. and yep, he’s just as hot as always. 
if anything, the tux makes him almost irresistible. 
“hi,” he smiles, right next to you now and you try not to lean into his warmth. 
“hi” you smile back, uncharacteristically shy. “ready for tonight?”
“you already asked me that.”
colour blooms on your cheeks and you look away for a second, mortified that you have nothing else to say but a second later matty snickers making you roll your eyes at him. 
“relax, sweetheart. we’ll be great.” his eyes slide up your face again, dipping to your mouth just for half a second, quick enough that you would have missed it if you blinked. “why are you nervous anyway. thought you’d be a pro by now.”
“‘s not that, i just– the vultures,” you surprise yourself with how intense you sound then, how angry. “sorry, the press. they’d probably leave no chance to find links between me and jack and i’m just… fed up. i’ve had enough now.”
“the vultures,” he says pointedly, “can suck my dick—”
“matty!”
“no i’m serious.” 
you look at him properly then, at how earnest he looks. then matty places his hand right next to yours, palm up and open. “we’ll do it together.”
you can only manage a nod, and then you place your hand in his, mentally preparing yourself for the chaos. 
Tumblr media
as the car pulls up to the red carpet, everything suddenly feels charged as a livewire. the flashing lights, the screams of fans, and the swarm of photographers are all part of the routine. still, it never gets old. 
still, you never fully get used to it. 
matty’s first to step out, extending his hand out to you—the absolute portrait of a gentleman—and so you take it, stepping out of the limousine. the moment your feet touch the carpet, the cameras go wild.
matty’s hand around yours is warm, comforting. it astonishes you how familiar it feels despite holding his hand for the first time. and even though you can barely hear anything over the camera shutters and the shouts of “look over here”, you can make out him mouthing “i’ve got you.”
right as you walk up to the centre of it all and stop for photos, matty turns towards you and leans in. you freeze, trying hard to hold the camera-ready smile on your phone but his face is so close to yours, his hand so big around yours. 
“by the way,” he says, his lips grazing your ear, “you look stunning tonight.” 
the cameras erupt into more clicks, the shouts and cheers go wild. you know what moment they’ve just captured—matty, almost kissing the shell of your ear and you going the same shade of red as the carpet. your stomach swirls with butterflies even though the nerves are ever present. a pleasant shiver runs down your spine. 
matty’s already facing the cameras once again, staring them down and giving them a gorgeous smile that has your heart skipping a beat. 
before you have the chance to overthink it, you stand on your toes and press a kiss to his cheek, leaving a perfect red lipstick mark behind. his jaw goes slack, his grip around your hand loosens. not even a second later, you feel the same hand around your waist, pulling you into him, surrounding you with his scent. 
“oh we’re giving a show tonight huh?” he smirks. 
you smirk back, feeling the adrenaline rush through you. “thought that’s what you wanted,” you reply, your voice a low whisper that only he can hear over the chaos of the red carpet.
matty's eyes sparkle with mischief as he leans in, his lips dangerously close to yours. “well then, let's make it a performance they'll never forget,” he says, his thumb lightly brushing against your waist. 
before they have a chance to ask more questions, you move on—arm around matty’s waist, practically leaning into him as your head swims with the almost kiss. sure, he did it for the cameras but the dizziness you feel is real. the way your blood rushes is very fucking real
“ready, darling?” he asks just before you’re going to step in. 
you bite your lip, actually excited this time. “ready as i’ll ever be.”
Tumblr media
but the excitement drains away the moment you leave the cameras and step through the massive doors to the auditorium. this is the true test—the outside cameras would only catch a glimpse of your evening, the first look at your outfit and hair and a look into your excitement for the evening. but the inside cameras capture everything!
you remember the utter scandal from a few years ago when the cameras caught a musician rolling his eyes after his rival won a big award. you remember the memes on twitter for days after, the snide remarks from other industry peers, the hateful comments. you remember emma mentioning how his publicist had been fired two days after. 
you remember the instagram live meltdown. 
and now as you see jack in front of you, arms linked with his date, you wonder if it would be you next, if history would repeat itself. 
“alright?” matty’s voice cuts through your spiral and you stop instantly, causing him to walk into you just a little. matty’s arms tighten around your waist, steadying both of you and he frowns. 
“yeah,” you give him a tight smile. “jitters.”
“‘s that it?” matty looks skeptical, cocking an eyebrow at you, which somehow makes his whole face turn sharper. it’s the kind of sharpness that’s lethal… if you weren’t careful. 
in an attempt to steer the conversation away from yourself, you shake your head. “how come you’re not nervous?”
“who says i’m not?”
a laugh spills out of you, sharp and unbelieving. you’ve never seen someone more confident, more self-assured in your life before. hell, you’ve seen their concert videos now and matty is fucking electric in all of them. he looks like he owns the place, owns the attention of everyone around him. he looks impenetrable—an utter fucking rockstar. 
“well, you– you…”
“i…? what?” his eyes turn playful, his lips curve upward. “i look so dashing and sexy and in control all the time?”
“sure,” you drawl, fighting the smile that’s about to make its way onto your face. “that’s what i was goin—”
“hi, babe!”
your blood turns cold and a sour taste coats your tongue at the sound of his voice. 
jack looks exactly like he did the last time—the same dark wavy hair, the same piercing blue eyes that captivated you all those years ago, the same full lips that… you cut that train of thought before it could lead to places you’d rather not. instead, you stare right at him and give him a tight-lipped smile. 
“hi jack.” the babe doesn’t go unnoticed; neither by you, nor by matty, and he straightens, standing up to his full height. jack ignores him entirely.
“was wondering if you were coming.” you resist the urge to roll your eyes at the loaded sentence. you know exactly what he’s referring to—the fucking pathetic pap walk, the absolutely embarrassing amount of pda. it’s curious that he’s here alone now, smiling wide at you with unnervingly straight, white teeth. his date is nowhere to be seen.
“yeah, me too, actually,” you smile turns saccharine, “considering you don’t have any nominations this year.”
matty chokes back a laugh and jack’s face reddens a little. still, he manages to hold up pretty well. 
“oh, feisty! aren’t you, babe? isn’t she?” the last part is addressed to matty who stiffens, pulling you closer. a part of you wants to give into the butterflies swarming in your stomach. a part of you wants to lean into him and feel protected. 
you expect matty to come up with a witty response, something that would put jack in his place, but matty turns to you instead, looking down at you with… adoration, almost. it’s not like it’s real, you tell yourself, it’s only for your ex. only for show. 
“is that the guy you were telling me about, darling? the boring one you dated before?” 
now it’s your turn to choke back a laugh. you try not to dwell too much on the darling, or his low, almost seductive voice. you certainly don't dwell on how it makes your insides flutter and feel warm. instead, you focus back on jack and relish in the way his jaw tightens. 
“i see,” he mutters, but matty clearly isn’t done yet.
“she can speak for herself, won’t you say john—”
“jack.” his voice is terse now, and as much as you’re enjoying this little interaction, you’d rather it get not picked up by cameras and even more tabloids. the headlines that would be splashed on them tomorrow are already predictable enough. so you tug on matty’s arm and smile up at him sweetly. 
“shall we go find our seats, love?”
the iciness in his eyes fades at the one word, and you try not to let that do funny things to you. (even though it’s practically too late now, even though you can almost feel your heart doing somersaults in your ribcage). matty presses his hand to the small of your back, the skin of his palm so deliciously warm that it seeps through the fabric and you have to swallow back a groan. 
god! he’s fucking attractive… 
and fuck! you might just be in trouble. 
jack stares daggers at you when you let matty steer you away, the stare so intense that it almost burns into the back of your head but the electricity from matty’s proximity is something else entirely… 
“love?” he teases, the moment you’re out of earshot and you blush deeply. 
“i said it for him, not for you!” but even you know the retort lacks conviction. 
“whatever you say…” a shit-eating grin appears on his face, melting away all the sharpness from before. and suddenly matty’s just… a handsome boy. curly-haired and smiley and soft. his eyes crinkle in the way that makes you think how used to he is to smiling and laughing—as often as he wants, as freely too. 
he’s beautiful like this, you think, different from the rest of them too. you don’t constantly feel on guard around him for one.
his finger lightly taps you on the forehead, catching you off guard. “what’s going on in there?”
what is going on is you waxing poetic about how hot he is but his ego does not need that particular ego boost. but try as you might, you can’t think of a sarcastic remark, nothing teasing or mocking. all you manage is a genuine smile. 
“just that… it’s not so scary anymore.”
“yeah?”
you nod, giving his hand a squeeze. “who knew bringing you as my fake date would be a good idea, huh?” 
“fake date…” matty smirks, and lets his eyes roam over your face. it’s the type of stare that’s hard to look away from, the type of stare that holds you captive. matty lets out a shaky little breath and takes one small step closer. just one. “i don't know, seems pretty real to me.”
Tumblr media
lemme know what you think <33
taglist: @scooby-doodoo, @partoftheairforce, @justgoatsbreakinghearts0855@beachesgetpeaches, @you-muppet, @mcabister, @alexmarie29, @at-her-very-foreign, @hfkait, @squishysoupy@sierraeslaprincesa@harrie-fic-center @alien-girl-violet@thereisaplaceintheheart @kennedy-brooke @lolidontknowanymore @theoriginalwhatsername@celestcies @sugarkane1001 @ari-turner @thewaywewereinsaigon @daphnesutton @beliefandsayingsomething @ros3chu @nothingrevealedeverythingdenied @zzzhealy @mattymybeloved @fck-off @indiaamars @sofaritsalrightt @k4tie75 @wondersecret @humptyhoran @indierockgirrl @hanbiior @moreyoulove-moreyouknow @rossgirly @if-my-heart-bleeds @little-lovely-darling @abriefnirvana @renitypoem @sinarainbows @lady-may-targaryen @love4agesss @angrylittlebaldman @oneluckygirl @sinarainbows
add yourself to the taglist
118 notes · View notes