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 Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 8:20 pm
Allies in the Dark (1576 words)
The first video is about the night she was attacked and it’s uploaded outside of her regular schedule which confuses a lot of fan and yet -
She still gets over ten thousand views on it, with numbers still growing.
It’s probably one of her most emotionally raw videos and she attributes that to the why when she thinks about all of the hits it gets. It’s still startling, since she thought it’d only really be relevant to her fans in Destiny City but -
Most of the comments left on the video are incredibly charming with multiples being concerned about her health, checking in to see how the bruising healed and if they could help with anything. Her response is always the same, carefully worded to avoid any way to connect her to the ‘vigilantees’ she talks fondly of.
She’s one of them now, but it’s very important to not let anyone know about it. Jade is smart, she knows how to be just vague enough to show what side she supports without actually tying herself to them.
The video is something simple, with Jade dressed in an off the shoulder shirt that shows off the bruising around her neck, the marks on the slope of her shoulder. Her makeup is minimal, mostly just mascara and eyeliner painted in a wing. It’s done deliberately, to make her appear innocent and vulnerable.
Jade never expected to rise to YouTube stardom but once there she’s certainly learned how to capitalize on it.
Most of it is just her talking to her fans, expressing her gratitude that they’ve followed her over the years and how without them, her life would be drastically different. Then, in a slow turn she addresses the marks on her neck.
”I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’m making this video. It’s not Tuesday and it’s certainly not the usual tone of my videos but - something happen a couple of days ago that I wanted to talk about. I feel like it’s appropriate to say that this video is about to go towards some darker themes and if you have to exit out, I understand.
I respect that.
That being said, I was attacked last Saturday when I was on my way home from a club. Now, I don’t know how many of you are aware but Destiny City has some...issues. I love the city and most of the time it’s amazing. Usually it’s pretty safe even if there’s like property damage happening more frequently than it should.
Anyway - I’m getting off track.
For those who don’t know, Destiny City has a problem with these...sailor scouted terrorists. They attack people, leave them unconscious in the streets or wherever they feel like. There was a wildfire a few years back started by one of them, it destroyed a large chunk on the city.
Well, one attacked me. Pinned me against a wall and tried to kill me claiming I was some - I don’t know I think he was trying to say I was part of their opposing gang or something. It was a case of mistaken identity but he didn’t care.
He wanted me dead.
Someone saved me, a vigilante from the opposing side I assume. They’re all part of an organization built to protect the city from the terrorist and guys, I have to be be honest. They’re incredible.
The woman rescued me and all she cared about was making sure I was safe and that I was unharmed. Outside of the bruises you can see, I’m fine.
It’s just - I never thought I’d weigh in on this turf war. It’s like - it’s like picking Team Cap or Team Ironman in the upcoming moving Civil War without having enough information but now? Now I think I’ve got enough to pick a side.
I’m team vigilante.
…
What side are you on?
The video cuts out with a soft, uncertain smile, and Jade looking soft, pliable. Relatable.
She doesn’t do another pro-negaverse video for a while. She wants to let the waves she made when she rocked the boat settle, besides it’s not so great for her public image to keep talking about it without any positive footage.
Jade still wants to do another video, especially since most of the comments left were positive ones but - she signed with Levi’s company, she’s gotta focus on a non-controversial topics. Unless they’re pop culture relevant.
So she does a video about how Mad Max Fury Road and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are paving the way for a new era with the way the focus on heroines rather than heroes and how neither story is focused on romance.
She talks about the MCU, waves her Team Cap flag, moves on. She uploads a video called things adults never told you about adulting and a two-parter things girls will never tell you and it’s accompanying video things boy will never tell you.
All and all, everything is well received and her ratings spike.
Jade thinks Levi is probably pretty pleased with her and the company keep booking her for live events which she considers a good sign. Especially when the clubs and bars fill up pretty quick. She even makes arrangements with Po to feature her in a video.
Once some of her fans found out that she knew Porsha Webber, well they flipped. Both women liked the spotlight enough that they were a good combination together, or at least she thought so.
Levi helps, a lot, especially when she’s struggling with a new idea for a video. It isn’t the first time she thinks that she got lucky when it came to being scouted.
She’s certain most don’t have someone who has faith in her like he seems to.
Jade’s always been a confident woman and between the support of Porsha and Levi, she only grows more confident, more assured. It’s nice knowing she’s got good people to have her back, even when she stumbles or ******** up.
Of course, Po knows about her other life. Levi on the other hand...he doesn’t, but Jade’s starting to think that maybe it’s time to broach it with him. She’s really good at talking up the organization, the Negaverse, and they spend enough time together for her to be pretty confident in the fact that he’s not on the White Moon side of things.
She should probably bring it up, especially if she wants to post more pro-nega videos. It seems like something he’d see and bring up even if he hasn’t mentioned that first video. Of course, if he was following her regular video schedule he could’ve easily missed it but -
He’s a large fixture in her life, she should talk to him about it.
Unfortunately she couldn’t begin to fathom how to broach the subject, but Jade was smart and she’d figure it out.
Eventually.
Until then, she worked on planning out her next few weeks of videos. It’d been awhile since she’d done a character makeup video, so she jotted that down. Then there’s be a video on ‘fake geek girls’ with the upcoming Captain America movie, because Jade would have none of that sexist patriarchal bullshit.
Still, she kept circling back to the words vigilantees and terrorists.
She couldn’t help but think about how she might be able to increase the positive image of the Negaverse or, if there was a negative connotation attached to it - though she knew there were some out there but of course there was - then she’d work on fixing that image. Slowly but surely, she had enough followers.
Jade’s used to making waves, what was a few more in the sea of opinions?
She stares at her piece of paper for too long trying to keep making a list of ideas and yet -
All she can think about is wanting to talk to Levi - to know what side he would pick if he had to and it’s almost overwhelming. When it becomes almost too much and the pattering of her heart won’t calm down, Jade bites the bullet and pulls out her phone, unlocking it with the pad of her thumb against the home button and pulls up her message thread with Levi.
[Text to Levi: We need to talk]
It’s short and to the point and she doesn’t even think about how it might come across especially with no warning until she looked at her phone five to ten minutes later, when she’d gotten nervous and hadn’t gotten a message back.
He was always so good at responding to her quickly.
We need to talk.
Even she winces at that when she reads it. Oops.
[Text to Levi: That sounded bad. Sorry. I just mean I wanted to talk to you about something.]
That was better, still bad but better. It’d be easier to explain when she saw him, probably, once she eased into the conversation, but he knew she was pretty straight-forward and blunt and if it wasn’t something serious she would’ve brought it up to his face.
This wasn’t serious, but it still important.
Now all she needed to do was wait for him to get back to her.
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 2:46 pm
Protect Yourself (2162 words)
The idea comes to her on a Sunday while she’s in the living room of her second apartment, the one in the building run by Porsha, sitting on the couch spooning frosted flakes into her mouth. She’s wearing one of those elastic headbands to keep short strands of white from sticking to her face after she’d gone running - at five in the morning, what a dreadful time to be awake but that was the price she paid when she got involved with a woman like Porsha Webber - and she’s still in athletic shorts and a sports bra. The loose fitting tank she’d worn on her run is discarded in the corner somewhere, shed almost immediately like her shoes which are strewn across the entry way.
She should be showering because Metallia knows she’s sticky with sweat and generally gross from the run, but instead she’s choosing to eat sugary cereal because exercise always leaves her starving.
So, she’s on the couch eating her frosted flakes contemplating the rest of her day when the idea hits her. Luckily, it’s when she’s almost done with her bowl because the spoon clatters into it and she practically jumps up - an action she immediately regrets because she’d been sitting cross legged and her muscles are sore and stiff.
Po’s been teaching her how to fight like an MMA fighter.
She could do an instructional video on how to use those skills, or at least the basics, to outmaneuver a bigger, stronger opponent. For safety reasons. To teach her younger fans how to get out of a potentially dangerous situation. Give them the knowledge she lacked when she was attacked.
She can even have Po demonstrate on her, then she can demonstrate on Levi. Probably.
Jade’s pretty sure she can convince him to participate. After all, he seems to have a hard time saying no and the white haired woman is very convincing when she wants to be. It means she’ll have to wait to film all of it until after his head wounds heal - and she’s definitely been making sure he’s not doing any more fighting until it’s better, come at her general Labyrinthite. She’s not scared.
But, the stuff with Po? She can do any time. That’s the beauty of running a YouTube channel, everything didn’t need to be filmed at once. That was what editing was for.
It’s still far too early to actually arrange anything, but Jade’s thrumming with energy - possibly even being effected by a sugar rush - just from the mere idea of it all.
She deposits her bowl in the sink before striding towards the bathroom so she can mull over specifics while she showers.
It’s about 9 AM when she finally gets around to messaging Porsha.
[Text to Porsha: I need your help with a new video, can we use your gym for it?]
It’s quick and simple but gets the point across and she’s grinning when she gets a response. It comes as she towel drying her hair, with the phone buzzing across her bathroom counter.
[Text from Porsha: Whatever you need <3]
[Text to Porsha: You’re the best!] She responds, adding a couple of heart emojis and a smiling cat face.
They arrange a time to get together that fits both of their schedules, with Po giving her a recommendation for the outfit to wear when they meet. She brings a bag with a few towels, wraps for her hands in case they shift to actual training after, a small first aid kit, and a change of clothes for after with her to the gym. The purple haired woman is already there waiting for her and she lights up when she sees Jade step through the door.
Levi and Porsha know how to make Jade feel adored and the woman can’t help but beam a bright smile back at the MMA fighter. There’s a quick exchange of a chaste kiss, because Jade is affectionate and she knows that Porsha likes being reminded of how important she is to the YouTube star, then she takes a moment to set up her equipment. A simple, middle-end camera for filming set up on a tripod and positioned to catch every part of their little spar.
Porsha goes through the movements slowly, clearly with her voice strong and confident as she explains what she’s doing. They’re just doing basic self-defense; how to break out of a grip on the wrist or arm, what areas are weak points, etc. Then, they transition to using the opponent’s weight and larger frame against them. It’s not as effective between Jade and Porsha as it would’ve been between Porsha and Levi, or Levi and Jade, since the height difference and build between the two women don’t differ that much but it gets the point across.
By the end of it, Jade’s got at least twenty minutes of filming and she’s covered in a light sheen of sweat. Porsha shows some level of exertion, but this whole thing was practically child’s play for her.
Jade is sitting cross-legged on the mats, tipping a bottle of water back so she can re-hydrate, when she takes a second to look at Porsha, who’s stretching out her muscles and preparing for a real training session. All the white haired woman can think is, my fans are going to go wild over her. She dabs at her face with one of the towels she packed and then she’s climbing to her feet, legs feeling slightly like jello from sitting too long after the mild workout and then -
She’s walking over to the purplette without thought, sliding her arms around the other woman’s belly and resting her chin on her shoulder. “You’re amazing,” she says quietly, pressing her nose into Porsha’s neck. The smaller woman had tensed when Jade first approached, out of instinct, but relaxes almost immediately upon hearing Jade’s voice, even leaning back and letting her support her weight. “You know that right?”
“Of course I do,” Porsha practically purrs when she twists in Jade’s grasp and reaches up to cup Jade’s face. “But hearing it from time to time is appreciated.”
Jade laughs, because that’s just another reason why she likes the MMA fighter so much. Confidence is contagious, as far as she’s concerned. She let’s Porsha pull her down for a kiss less chaste than their earlier one, then reluctantly lets go when she’s told that she should go stretch.
There are so many other things she’d like to do than to keep training, but she’d shown up with the expectation that after the filming that they’d do an actual session. Besides, she knows she can’t really complain when all the training is the whole reason she came up with her new segment. So, she lets go and stretches until Porsha’s ready for her.
By the time they’re finished, her knuckles are bruised and she can’t quite catch her breath. Her muscles are sore from the exertion but there’s a thrum of exhilaration and adrenaline that’s coursing through her that makes her feel like she can do anything. And really, with Levi and Porsha supporting her, Jade doesn’t feel like there’s anything she can’t do.
It’s incredibly empowering all in all.
She spends the next day editing the footage and then films a few additional pieces to work in. By the time she’s posts it, she’s really pleased with it and might even consider it one of her best pieces yet. Anything that highlights strong, independent, and fully capable women is definitely her jam.
It, unsurprisingly, blows up in the first six hours of it being posted. She’s got over a hundred comments when she glances at her channel again and the total views just keeps skyrocketing hitting over twenty-thousand views before twenty four hours passes.
Her favorite comments are from the starstruck fans like:
Asskickinbabes2123: U kno Porsha Webber???? Gurl crushes rite here.
Avidfanz1898: dude best instructional video ever. More kthx
And so many more like that. Of course there’s some hate mixed in the comments but most of them are positive and Jade loves it. She makes a point to respond to the first 100 or so comments, because she can’t feasibly respond to all of them, then promises that it’s only the first of many.
The overwhelmingly positive responses are exactly how she convinces Levi to assist her in the next one. He’s not exactly happy to be used as her co-demonstrator, but he caves, just like she expects him to. After all, he seems to have a hard time saying no to her and she’s the best at lobbying for stuff. It’s part of her charm.
Porsha lets them use the gym again but doesn’t stick around this time, because she’s got other stuff she’s gotta take care of. Jade doesn’t press but she knows that both of her important people aren’t exactly comfortable around each other. It’s fine, she doesn’t need them to like each other as long as they understand that neither of them are going anywhere.
Jade gets everything set up like last time, changing into bike shorts and a sports bra, and sits in the middle of the mats while she waits for Levi. He’s wearing something akin to basketball shorts when he makes his way over and the woman takes a moment to appreciate his bare chest and the slight formation of muscle that’s beginning to become apparent.
It’s always been clear to her that he doesn’t enjoy training the way she does, but damn if she doesn’t appreciate the way it’s made him fill out. So, she stares appreciatively and definitely shamelessly before she stands up and explains the routine they’re going to film.
Jade’s movements aren’t as smooth as Porsha’s, but she’s also way less experienced so she chalks it up to that. Well, and Levi’s mass. It takes at least five different times before they get a clean take, with Jade using Levi’s size and weight against him to throw him over her shoulder.
She tries to be mindful of the fact that he just got over his concussion and general head trauma, but it keeps making her screw up and the movements choppy. Eventually, she has to go <******** it and not over concern herself with his head.
They play out a generalized, very basic, assault scenario and Jade dispatches Levi cleanly. Unlike last time, she’s got over an hour of stuff to go through and edit because it just wasn’t as smooth as working with Porsha. She doesn’t mind, not really, because editing one of her favorite parts but she’s way more exhausted than she thinks she should be.
Levi’s in the same boat. In fact - he hasn’t moved from the floor where she tossed him more than ten minutes ago.
Jade packs up her things and makes her way over to him, plopping down on the ground beside him and pokes his face. “You okay?”
Levi just groans in response, eyes opening slowly only to squint against the light flooding his senses.
Jade laughs, ducks her head down to kiss the tip of his nose, then nudges him between the ribs with her knee. “Come on, let’s get some food and then I’ll figure out some way to thank you for your help.” There’s a playful smile on her mouth when she hops to her feet and extends her hands to him.
He accepts and with little effort, they’re both on their feet with Levi slinging an arm across her shoulder and Jade tucking herself against his side like it’s second nature. They stop and separate long enough for her to sling her back across her torso and then they exit the gym together with Jade letting Levi lead them to whatever eatery he wants.
He sticks around after too, opting to watch her work in the apartment she’d turned into a studio for work since Porsha asked her to move into the other complex. It’s surprisingly peaceful, to have Levi sitting behind her with his arms looped across her stomach watching with interest as she works on her laptop and when she posts the video she gets a similar response like the first one. Instead of fans ogling Porsha, she gets a flood of people who are very appreciative of what Levi brings to the table.
It makes her laugh and eases the slight worry she’d hidden about people not liking these segments.
When she expresses that to Levi he chuckles lowly and just says, “Trust your instincts Jade.” He kisses her cheek in a surprisingly sweet manner and adds, “I do.”
And Jade can’t help but think how lucky she is to have people like Levi and Porsha in her life.
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