#Carnival Jacksonville

[cruiseandtravel]

Carnival Cruise Line will mark its 55th birthday

Carnival Cruise Line is gearing up to celebrate its 55th anniversary in 2027 with a series of unforgettable events at sea. Known for creating fun and memorable vacations, the cruise line will host three unique “meetup” events, bringing together multiple ships and their guests near exclusive destinations such as Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay. With 11 specially curated cruises…

[uniqueartisanconnoisseur]

Carl and the Ferris Wheel!

Keith and I both love the Ferris Wheel. It has been my favorite ride since I was a kid. Since Keith and I have been together, when we have the opportunity to ride the Ferris Wheel we take advantage. “I love seeing the view of the town from the top,” Keith said when we took a ride last weekend during the Pawnee Prairie Days. When we think of Ferris wheels, we think of our friend Carl Davis…

[downtherabbitholewithauntieblegh]

How a Music Festival on Water Handles ADA

By ~ Kristyn Edmonds, Disabled Author & Photographer

It’s been a little over a week since I went on Shiprocked Cruise 2025. Coming home and getting sick was definitely not on my bingo card, but here we are. This was my second time going on Shiprocked, and overall, it was better this year compared to last. Shiprocked has actually been around since 2011, and I had been wanting to go for years.

My dream became a reality back in 2024 and for the most part, it was a good experience. We aren’t here to talk about 2024, even though one of my absolute favorite bands in the world was on last year, Dayseeker. This year we had more lesser-known bands, but I’m good with that. How else do you expect to be exposed to new bands? Then you had staples of the metal community like Nothing More, Hollywood Undead, Parkway Drive and even The Struts!

There are two main locations on the Carnival Magic where shows are done ~ the main deck on ten and the theater down on three. There are two other smaller locations where bands do play, the Ocean Plaza and the Aft Lounge. Let’s talk about how Shiprocked handles ADA and ADA Laws, and the occurrences, both positive and negative, that happened this year.

The sail away was a nightmare, so my friend and I missed the welcome, family photo and Hollywood Undead’s sail away performance. They allowed the regular cruisers to overcrowd the ADA sections, and it was very claustrophobic. They blocked entrances and exits with no regard to ADA cruisers safety. Being previously trained in how to handle these situations and how to deescalate, I knew that if it happened again, the ADA cruisers would speak up. And that is exactly what we did.

Tuesday night at Nothing More’s theater show, there was a debacle before the show. There was confusion and we were advocating for our group as a whole. While we were trying to deescalate and get the issues handled, a female from the regular cruiser line yelled out, “I’ve been waiting for over two hours, and you all are ****ing entitled!” Trust me when I say, there is nothing entitled about being disabled. If I could remove my disability from myself and give it to you, I’d gladly do it. There are always going to be people like her in a crowd, and you just have to learn to overlook it. But, with proper education on ADA, ADA laws and disabilities as a whole, people like that female wouldn’t say stuff like that. I did speak with staff the following day and brought things to their attention along with my cabinmate, who is also disabled. We gave them a lot of suggestions on how to handle it, deal with it, etc. moving forward.

One thing I have to give Ask 4 Entertainment (the company that runs Shiprocked), is they outsource a security company that comes with them to handle security/safety issues. This company is Shield, they are based out of Texas, and this was their second time on Shiprocked as security. We honestly do believe there was some miscommunication between Carnival, Shield and the Ask 4 staff the first few days, and all it took was several ADA cruisers to bring it to their attention so they could address the issues, fix them and keep us safe. I never once blamed Ask 4 for any of the ADA issues that happened.

I specifically told them that they have to leave security at the ADA sections for our safety and protection, as I previously stated, both on the deck and in the theater, regular cruisers were impeding into our sections, and security would come run them off and walk away. After they walked away, the regular cruisers would just move back to where they were. To me, that’s just a blatant disrespect to the ADA community. Again, I think it should be a requirement for all cruisers to know and understand ADA Law.

There’s a really cool place on level five that they convert into The Music Experience. The Music Experience is super cool. TME is located out of Jacksonville, Florida and is run by a really cool guy who we call Squiggy. TME is for cruisers to go in and play instruments, as well as having some Meet and Greets in the area. They had a lot more M&G in TME experience. I do believe there was a total of 13 M&G in TME, and I did seven of those. When I get out of my shell, I can be very extroverted and doing M&G helps me come out of my shell. If I had the time, I would’ve done every single M&G they had this year, but it was virtually impossible.

After the first few M&G in TME, the bumps and bruises were fixed, and the ADA crowd knew what to do. ADA forms on the left, regular on the right. I had become friendly with the Shield security guard in TME because of my frequent visits, so he learned my name and face. I had gone later in the week, pretty sure it was for the Ghostkid M&G. Being that I cannot stand for a period of time due to my disability, I grabbed a chair and moved it to the left to sit down in it. When I did, a lady in the regular line looks at me and goes, “wow.”

I smiled at her; “I’m ADA.”

“Well, I’ve been coming for nine years.”

“Good for you.”

When I tell you these cruisers that have been going for many, many years (some would call these people lifers), they have somewhat of “entitlement” syndrome. Mind you, I’m not being negative towards this lady, but it was just her delivery of her statement that rubbed me the wrong way. Me, being the way I am, I let it go, and we were friendly with one another. My friend that was going to the M&G with me showed up and stood beside me.

When it was time for the Ghostkid M&G to begin, the security guard came and looked at me.

“You ready?”

“Yes,” I said with a smile.

“Come on in, honey.”

The lady in the regular line, from behind me says, “Really?!”

I heard the security guard respond to her, “Really.”

Again, people need to educate and learn how ADA Laws work, how they apply at concerts, land festivals and festivals on a cruise ship. We aren’t asking for privileges that are not offered to regular people, all we are asking for is respect and inclusion. We have just as much of a right to be there as you do.

One thing I do love about the bigger M&G sessions is they���re done in one of the dining rooms and you just shift around the room meeting the bands and getting your photo taken with them. The ADA for these M&G are great as we know where to go sit and wait. Loyalty members go first with ADA cruisers following.

I did notice that the ADA cruisers crowd was exponentially larger this year compared to last year. That was one of the things we asked Ask 4 and Shield to do for us in the theater. They did not have enough seating for ADA, and we had to ask for one more row, so we weren’t sitting on top of one another. I honestly think they need to move the ADA section in the theater to somewhere else or completely block out that entire section for ADA, so the regular cruisers aren’t impeding on us as a whole. Some of them would walk up and block our sight from the stage, as there are several ADA cruisers that cannot stand at all. The old adage is, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How would you like it if someone stood in front of you and you couldn’t see?

With the exception of the bumps and bruises the first two days, and the random regular cruisers complaining that the ADA crowd was getting special treatment, and we were entitled, overall Shiprocked was much better this year for us. I have to give a huge shout out to Peggy Meyer of Ask 4 Entertainment, as she is their employee that predominantly works with the ADA crowd. She listens, never judges and helps us with our issues. It’s people like Peggy that make dealing with regular cruisers who do not understand what it’s like to be disabled bearable.

I, personally, cannot handle land festivals due to my disabilities. Shiprocked makes it possible for me to enjoy a music festival on my own terms, and for that I’m grateful.

** Kristyn is an author and you can purchase Book One of her Dirty Little Fairy Tale series from Kindle, Book a Million and Barnes & Noble.

[icetwisterfl]

Planning an event in Orlando, Tampa, Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville, or Gainesville? Let Ice Twister Catering & Events take care of the food! From Ice Cream Sundae Socials to BBQs, Hot Breakfast, Carnivals, Corporate Lunches, and Weddings, we bring fresh, delicious meals and great service to every gathering.

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[cruiseplan]

Craving a quick getaway in 2025? Carnival Cruise Line’s got it covered. Depart for tropical paradise from Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, or Miami for just 5 days or less! Reasons to jump on board the “fun” ships: So many dining options: Grab a burger at Guy’s Burger Joint or upgrade your experience with a VIP dinner at the Chef’s Table Relax in an adults-only oasis: reconnect with your partner, finish that book, or do absolutely, nothing at Serenity. Endless entertainment onboard: Groove to the spicy sounds of Amor Cubano™, or Vintage Pop™ with its 20s-jazz-meets-modern-hits vibe. Join the fun both onboard and on shore with Carnival and book your next thrill-packed adventure! https://www.cruiseplantravel.com/partner/cruise/brandCCL

[fasgaming]

Jacksonville Hookup Websites — How to Get Laid Nowadays

doublelist jacksonville Hookup Websites — Ways To Get Set Right Now Okay, if you reside in Jacksonville you are sure that we are the most useful town when you look at the sunlight condition. Yes, Miami has its title recognition and Orlando has its carnivals, but Jacksonville gets the happiest residents in the condition. If you be solitary in Jacksonville the reasons why you should laugh tend…

[sky2starstravel]

Cruise News *BOARDING DAY MISTAKE* Major Cruise Line Updates & More

Cruise news headlines from across the cruise industry. Carnival Cruise Line has facial recognition technology at these U.S. homeports: Baltimore Galveston Jacksonville Long Beach Miami Mobile New York Port Canaveral Tampa Let us HELP YOU BOOK YOUR NEXT CRUISE! Email us at thetravelscouts@gmail.com Our FREE CRUISE PLANNING GUIDE: https://thetravelscouts.ck.page/b88b9e9648 Our FREE MARDI GRAS CABIN…

[ohioprelawland]

Two American Citizens Lost At Sea After Two Separate Overboard Incidents

By Jenna Kokish, The Ohio State University Class of 2024

June 5, 2023

18-year-old, Louisiana native, Cameron Robbins jumped overboard of a ship on Wednesday, May 24th in the Bahamas. The waters in which he jumped into, near Athol Island, which is northeast of Nassau are known to be shark infested. Robbins, a recent high school graduate, travelled to the Bahamas as a way of celebrating his graduation. Robbins was aboard, “Blackbeard’s Revenge” on a sunset cruise with other high school graduates from Baton Rouge. Robbins leaves behind his friends and family and has been remembered as a fierce competitor. In recent search efforts, no signs of him were found, leaving the Coast Guard to call off their search on May 27th. During the expansive, 325-square-mile search for Robbins, Robbins family headed to the Bahamas to assist in the search for Cameron, Brian Trascher, vice president of the United Cajun Navy told WBRZ, “When we offered to take them out in a boat to the area where he went overboard and some of the area they were searching… They went, which I know had to be very emotional for them, but they went.” Robbins was designated by authorities as, “lost at sea,” which in turn, equates to a death certificate.  With no confirmed details, it has been assumed that Robbins had passed away, but his cause of death remains unknown. Many are presuming a possible shark attack, or a drowning. It is alleged that Cameron Robbins jumped overboard due to a dare, but that is still alleged and yet to be proven. Along with the dare, it is speculated that alcohol could have played a part, the drinking age in the Bahamas is 18, which leads us to believe that Robbins, along with the other recent high school graduates were consuming alcohol upon the sunset cruise they took in the Bahamas. Consumption of alcohol can cloud judgements and decision making. A memorial service was hosted on June 4th, 2023, to honor and remember Cameron Robbins, prior to the service, his parents thanked the community and all those who have expressed care and concern and asked for continued privacy as they grieve their kind and funny son.

Along with Robbins being designated lost at sea, 35-year-old, Ronnie Peale Jr., has also been designated lost at sea. Peale went overboard a Carnival Cruise ship just days following Robbin’s going overboard. The coast guard confirms that crews in ships and aircrafts searched more than 5,000 square feet. According to his partner, Jennilyn Blosser, they attended the cruise to celebrate her birthday, it was Peale’s first cruise. She woke up and was unable to locate her partner, that is when she called his mother in hopes of her hearing from him that day. She later reported Peale as missing in the afternoon of Monday, May 29th, 2023. Surveillance footage has confirmed Peale had gone overboard from his balcony around 4:10 am on Monday morning, approximately 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The United States Coast Guard has suspended the search for Peale as of June 1st, 2023.

With the recent overboard accidents happening within days of each other, the discussion of putting more safety measures in place on ships is crucial. Many who have attended cruises and some who were on the cruise where Peale went overboard have stated that those balconies are hard to fall from, that they have the safety in place to keep people from falling into the water below them. As far as the Robbins case, why weren’t there taller and more restrictive boarders to keep patrons on the boat, how was an 18-year-old man able to climb over and jump from the boat. Others argue that it is common knowledge to stay inside of a boat and to not jump overboard, but others may also argue that being an 18-year-old who could have had alcohol in his system, with no parental guidance, and pressure from his peers, it was meant to be a silly joke, but such joke has turned into such a tragedy. With a boat such as Blackbeard’s revenge, which was carrying several hundred recent high school graduates, it is crucial that there be more safety placed along the edges of the boat to keep the patron’s inside of the boat. Even safety boats and other floatation devices that can be heaved into the water if a passenger were to go overboard could be useful in situations such as this tragic accident. Although these were both accidents that resulted in great tragedy, it is important to remember the victims, and their friends and family.

______________________________________________________________

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/26/us/louisiana-high-school-graduate-missing-bahamas-boat/index.html

https://www.unilad.com/community/man-buys-entire-cruise-ship-on-craigslist-015824-20221226

https://nypost.com/2023/06/01/cameron-robbins-family-retraced-his-final-steps-in-bahamas/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/30/us/florida-carnival-overboard-search/index.html

Photo Credit: QuietWest3764 / Reddit

[news2sea]

Search Called Off for Man Who Went Overboard, emergency A passenger fell overboard from the CARNIVAL MAGIC and was reported missing on May 29th. Unfortunately, the search, which spanned 60 hours and covered 5,171 square miles, was unsuccessful. The man has been identified as Ronnie Lee Peale Jr. He was reported missing in the late afternoon of May 29th after security camera footage revealed that the 35-year-old had leaned from his balcony and fallen into the water around 4:10 a.m. on Monday morning. In response to the incident, the US Coast Guard immediately deployed both air and water assets to the search area, located approximately 300 kilometers east of Jacksonville, Florida. Search efforts, involving both water and air assets, persisted from Monday night through Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Despite covering more than 5,000 miles during this time, no trace of the missing individual was found. It remains unknown why the man's https://www.news2sea.com/search-called-off-for-man-who-went-overboard/?utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=News2sea

[kendrickecheverria]

🔆P A R A P A R A D I S E. . . . . . @canonusa @vsco . . . . . @awesomelife.style @travelandleisure @tripadvisor @carnival @stjohnvirginislands . . . . . #StJohnUSVI #Carnival #Canon #CanonRebelT6 #VSCO #VSCOgram #VSCOJax #Kcrdnk #Paradise #TripAdvisor #TravelPhotography #Jacksonville #Florida #Igers #IgersJax #904 #OnlyInDuval #904HappyHour #VOIDLive #VOID (at Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsBFpE7g6ew/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1fduc4ynx0rdb

[amandaloves2cruise-blog]

We loved sailing on Elation last week. My daughter's first cruise. Her favorites were the water slides, pizza, and towel animals.

[volturiwolf]

Road trip to Fate - Paul Lahote x fem!Reader Imagine - part 1

A/N: The story takes place during the summer of 2018

A/N 2: Like always with my writing, it started as a one-part story, but there will be at least two more parts

No. of Words: 6300+

Mentions of: Self-doubt, Panic attack, Issues with parents, Drowning, Death, Ass, Many places around the US - where I have never been, TV series and movie references

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Tagging: @xxx-wounded-angel-xxx @eugeniapet @chocolatechipcookiesandcamembert @florence-end @emmy1148 @ilove-bts @crazyacegirl

(reply if you want to be tagged or removed for the next parts)

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(Y/N)’s POV

I was living the best life I could live right now. It was the summer after my college graduation, and I was traveling across the US with the best of my friends on a rental RV, driving through the country, camping, and staying wherever we liked. Trying to make the most of it, we promised each other that we would try to visit as many places as we could, especially if it was a place on our bucket list. Out of the ten people on this trip, only three people could drive; Vera, Jenny, and myself. So, we took turns driving whenever one was getting tired.

Starting from Queens, we traveled down through Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, and Myrtle Beach. We continued towards Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami, which was always a dream of all of us to visit. We passed through Tampa, reaching Tallahassee, which was my best friend Stef’s dream, ever since they saw “Once Upon A Time”, and said “it was Neal and Emma’s happy place, something to hope for”.

Then, we traveled through Panama City, staying in New Orleans for a few days. Apart from being a dream of all of us to visit the beautiful and vibrant city, it had also to do with a few.. vampires, believe it or not. My friend Anajda was obsessed with “The Vampire Diaries” and the “Originals”, and Stef and I loved the “Interview With A Vampire” movie, so neither of us could stop fangirling about the city. Add the rich jazz music history, the epic carnivals, the voodoo, and everything else haunted and creepy, and we were all hooked on discovering everything we could around the city. So, the three to four days we had planned in the beginning turned into ten days full of adventures, food, and overall amazement.

We were sad to leave New Orleans, but we couldn’t wait for the adventures that we would find along the way, as we traveled west. Leaving Louisiana, we passed through Texas, stopping at Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso, trying to taste as much of the Texan BBQs and Mexican cuisine as we could. For Jenny, Vass, and myself, the spicier the food, the better it tasted. The others just didn’t know what real food tastes like.

We passed through Phoenix, traveling towards California. We stayed in San Diego for a couple days, happy to be finally able to go for a swim, and enjoy the “Cali Life”. Was it the sun and the sea that made people around California seem more relaxed and easy-going? I didn’t know, but if it was, I could see why. I just missed swimming so much, and Queens, or New York in general, were not known for their beaches, or the relaxed lifestyle.

Leaving San Diego, we finally started traveling up north, passing through Irvine, before deciding to stay for two weeks in Los Angeles. We did all the classic “touristic” things; we saw the “Walk of Fame”; walked down the Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards; visited the Grauman Chinese Theater; walked up to the Hollywood sign; went up to the Griffith Observatory; walked along the Santa Monica Pier, and visited Marina Del Rey and Venice Beach.

Of course, we had to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour for the sake of our love for movies, Hollywood, and anything glorious and exciting. We collectively took thousands of pictures at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, having the time of our lives. We visited so many parks I lost count. But I appreciated every single moment I spent with my best friends, even if it was the last summer we spent all together.

After graduation, Jenny got a job offer to work for a multinational company in Bristol, England; Alex decided on following a completely different path, studying fashion and design in Italy; Zoe would continue on acquiring a Master in Linguistics, while also working as an English teacher; Stef was taking a year off to figure out what they wanted to do with their life next; Anajda would move to New York to live with her boyfriend, and see what life would bring next for her; Chryssa would continue studying on getting her nursing license; Nellie would start working in a publishing house, hoping that she would get inspiration for her poetry and literature pieces; Vass would start an internship at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World; Vera was offered a scholarship to study in the Netherlands.

And I... I didn’t know yet. Though life felt great now, I still felt like something was missing. Sure, I had moments of pure happiness and excitement. And still, there was something in me that prevented me from feeling complete. I felt like I had a void in me that no friend, no family, no new experience could fill up. I wasn’t given much of a choice by my parents either; it was either to find a job, or study for a Master’s, though I still needed some time to think about my life, and what I wanted to do with it. I wished I had more time with my friends, and more freedom to do what I wanted in my life.

I was really trying to make myself forget about all these things, for the sake of my friends; I didn’t want to ruin everyone’s fun with the drama I was living through with my family. I had worked too hard and too much to earn the money to pay for this trip. I had also managed to save a few thousand dollars to be able to study somewhere without my parents’ financial support this time, but I still hoped my good grades could get me a scholarship, as I knew I would never be actually able to pay for full tuition anywhere.

After Los Angeles, we drove up north through California, visiting San Francisco and Oakland for a couple days. I wanted to see the Twin Peaks, the “Painted Ladies”, the Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and most importantly, the Golden State Warriors, which was probably my favorite team - I knew I had to support the Brooklyn Nets or the New York Knicks, but I actually really like the GSW.

I also promised my parents I would visit Berkeley and the University of Berkeley to learn more about their Financial Engineering Master Program and see if I could get a scholarship there. I did visit the university, but I wasn’t completely set on attending just yet. Don’t get me wrong. Getting accepted would be a unique opportunity for me, but I wasn’t mentally prepared to go back to studying just yet - I felt like I could really use an extra year or so, before taking such an important life decision.

Leaving Oakland, we continued up north, traveling just outside of Eugene and Albany, stopping at Portland for a couple days, to relax and reorganize. We decided on following the coastal road for a more scenic route, through Astoria and Aberdeen. We were set on visiting the Olympic National Park and the surroundings, trying to include as much hiking and exploring as possible. The closest, most convenient, and rather big city around there was Forks - population: 3,782 people; not too small, but not too big either.

However, just 20 minutes away from Forks, there was a place called La Push. Many of the tourist guides we saw around Portland and Forks called La Push one of the best places if you wanted to explore nature, swim, cliff-dive, and experience a unique way of life by learning about the local history and traditions of the local Quileute tribe. That was definitely something I wanted to experience - anything other than my seemingly boring life. I needed the adventure, the rush, something interesting to move me.

There was a weird feeling in me as we got closer and closer to Forks; there was a feeling that calmed me down; the usual anxiousness I felt when I waited for time to pass was suddenly gone. I didn't know what it was, but this place, which was found under clouds and light drizzle, but surrounded by woods, nature, and green, filled up my soul with an unexplainable fulfillment and some sort of purpose.

Thankfully, we were able to find a decent place to stay in La Push, as there was nowhere where we could park the RV in Forks. The RV park we found was located 6 miles away from La Push, but at least we could still live under our own terms in the RV, which we already spent a significant amount of money for. Thankfully, the park manager was really helpful, helping us rent three cars to move around comfortably, and whenever we wanted.

We spent the first week there just hiking through the nearby trails, before driving twice to explore the Olympic Park - it was too big, and there was too much ground to cover to just go there once. The second week was spent around the First, Second, and Third Beach. We tried to experience everything around the area; we went swimming, diving, walking around the beaches, sunbathing, anything really.

That was until we saw a group of people cliff-diving, reminding us of the cliff-diving being a big thing around here. I wasn’t too fond of cliff-diving, if I were being honest - I had a terrible fear of heights, and though I was a good swimmer, the waters seemed a bit rough around the cliffs. Nevertheless, I agreed to go cliff-diving with my friends just for the fun of it; after all, I did say I wanted to experience the adrenaline, the adventure, and anything else to occupy my mind with.

The sky was cloudy as always, but there was no sign of rain yet; the air felt a bit warm against my skin, giving me a feeling of comfort, and sudden bravery. We promised each other we would only dive from the lower cliff, which was about 20 or 25 feet high. It was a bit too high for me, but it still seemed manageable. I would just close my eyes and jump, right? That was the plan I had created in my head.

However, the moment we arrived at the Second Beach and my friends saw a group of young, probably Quileute, men jumping from a higher cliff, which was definitely over 80 feet high, they couldn’t stop trying to convince me to go dive from that point. They practically had to drag me up there, which was still a nightmare for me to think about the height difference from up here down to the sea. I was getting dizzy just thinking about it - it reminded me of many weird dreams I had before, where I would jump from extremely high places, and a feeling of fear, but also relief would pass through me.

I was practically trembling, and I couldn’t sit up straight. I slowly leaned down, trying to gently sit on the ground, to keep myself calm and collected, as my friends were practically jumping around, preparing themselves to take the long dive. I, on the other hand, was grasping my knees too hard, trying to bring them as close to me as I could, while I rocked myself back and forth, trying to take deep breaths. I was on the verge of crying, and I was really pushing my limits just by being up here. There was no way I would willingly dive from that cliff.

But my friends, being my friends, thought otherwise. Yes, they always pushed me - in a good way - to go further, and achieve more, because they thought I deserved to give myself the best things I could, but bringing me up here compromised my sanity. I was clearly starting to experience a panic attack, as I could not think about anything else, but my fear. I was hyperventilating, and I couldn’t control my heart beating rapidly; so much so the only thing I could hear was my heartbeat in my ears. I didn’t even realize that my friends had actually managed to lift me off the ground, dragging me to the edge of the cliff.

“C’mon, (Y/N)! You promised! You will have to jump with us!” Vass was practically yelling by now, embarrassing me through my panic.

“No! I said I didn’t want to do it!” I was putting so much resistance on my feet, as they were pushing me forward to jump first.

“(Y/N), we are all with you. We will all jump after you, don’t worry.” Jenny tried to reassure me, but I couldn’t care less, as I was struggling under their force.

Finally, with another push, I felt my feet losing touch with the ground, as they managed to push me off the cliff. I felt myself falling for what felt like an eternity, as I was trying to hold on to my bikini, in fear of losing it into the sea. I felt the impact hard, as I collided with the sea underneath the cliff. I let out a gasp of pain, and that was enough for me to gulp a huge amount of saltwater, which burned my insides.

I wanted to cough; I wanted to breathe, but I couldn’t reach the surface. The pain that I felt all over my body prevented me from swimming up and reaching the surface. I thought I broke my legs, which I didn’t as I slightly moved them around. But still, I couldn’t move; as if the weight of the sea kept me down. I started losing consciousness, and that’s where I left my last breath.

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Paul's POV

Finally, after such a long time, it started to feel more like summer around La Push. Though the sky was still cloudy and moody, the warm air around us indicated that we were going through a hot, pleasant summer. It was the perfect weather and time for all of us to enjoy the surrounding nature and the beach. Thankfully, there were not many tourists around, apart from a group of people who were just arriving at the beach.

Though we were past our adolescent years, Jared, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Seth, Brady, Collin, and I still acted like children, reminiscing of our teenage years, when we first phased, and we went cliff-diving with Sam. Nowadays, Sam preferred to stay out of the action, taking care of Emily and their two-year-old twins. Going to the beach was something we missed a lot, especially when we went cliff-diving, feeling the adrenaline rush we hadn't felt in years.

We were all a bit calmer by now. When the Cullens moved away 5 years ago, it took us some time to adjust to our new reality. We did phase for a year after they left to make sure that no vampires came around our territory. When we were sure that they weren’t coming back, we could all relax and enjoy life. Though Jacob was really frustrated that his best friend chose to turn into a leech and then move away with the other leeches, he eventually came to terms with it when he met his imprint, Rami, about 4 years ago.

We were currently enjoying the peace at the beach, but I felt pretty lonely, being surrounded by happy couples. Everyone had found their imprints by now. Jacob had Rami, Embry had Ameyalli, Quil had Claire; these three found their imprints when they went away to study at a local community college. There are all in the same year, so it was easier for the guys to be close to their imprints all the time.

Jared had Kim, who was currently expecting their first child, a baby girl. Sam married Emily 3 years ago, and when they found out she was pregnant with twins, they were beyond excited. I was Sam’s best man, and their little girl’s godfather, while Jared and Kim were their little boy’s godparents.

Leah found her imprint in the face of Angela Weber, a Forks High School graduate. Angela was classmates with Bella, and they used to come by La Push often before Bella started dating Edward. About 3 years ago, when Angela came back for college, she visited La Push one day, and the moment Leah saw her, she knew she was the one and did everything she could so they could be together. Angela’s father was not supportive of his daughter’s relationship, but her mother and Sue supported the couple through everything. Leah was finally happy, and we had never seen her angry, frustrated, or disappointed since.

Seth had imprinted on a girl named Jaya in his senior year of high school; she was the new girl in school, and everyone took an interest in her, but the moment she and Seth saw each other, they didn’t have eyes for anyone else. It was a fact that Seth had earned a lot of girls’ attention through his school years, but Jaya was everything to him.

Even Brady and Collin had found their imprints during their freshman year of high school; they were both classmates in school - they only had one or two classes together, but the following year, they made sure to arrange their classes in a way that they could be together.

So, here I was, drowning in misery, as everyone else was occupied with their imprints, living in their own little world. Sometimes I wondered if I would ever find my imprint; if I would ever have a happy life like the people around me. I was always known as the “hothead”, the one who could never control their wolf nature, while all the others were able to “tame” the wolf inside them for the sake of their imprints.

In moments like this, I wondered if it was actually worth it to be around the pack. When they were away from their imprints, we were all equal; we could be funny, and do stupid things, though I knew that the thoughts of their imprints were always on their minds; they were their number one priority.

My thoughts were violently interrupted when some of the people from the group we saw coming to the beach earlier were running towards us, screaming obnoxiously, hands flying all over the place trying to get our attention. I looked at them confused, as they stopped right in front of us, throwing a bit of sand around, apologizing but still yelling all together.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Sam was moving his hands around, trying to stop them. “Calm down! What’s going on?”

“Our friend is drowning!” One person from the group started talking, clearly panicking. “We went up the cliff to dive, and we..we dragged her with us, but she didn’t want to dive, and we pushed her off the cliff, and she hasn’t resurfaced yet!” They were rambling, their hands shaking.

I turned to look at Sam, and he turned around, nodding to the whole pack. We quickly stood up, following the group who were running back towards the cliffs. The person who talked to us previously pointed towards the sharp rocks at the foot of the cliff, just as the waves crashed on them. “She landed a few feet before the rocks! Do something! Please!” They were all crying for their friend, desperation in their eyes.

I turned towards Sam. “Sam, I’m going in.” I was the only one who wouldn’t leave any responsibilities behind if something was to happen - I had no one in my life, and I was a pretty good swimmer, and strong enough to go against the waves which seemed to be stirring the sea now.

Sam looked around the pack, before turning back to me. “Okay, but be careful.” I nodded back to him, before diving into the sea.

The waters were muddy from the recent rain, and more and more waves were forming as time passed. I swam around, looking for the girl; I didn’t want to be pessimistic, but she was most likely dead by now. However, I continued swimming around, swimming back to the surface to get some air, before diving back in.

As I looked down, towards the bottom, I located a wave of (Y/H/C) hair floating around the water. I dove deeper in the water, locating the girl. I grabbed her from her waist and pulled us up towards the surface. I swam back to the shore with whatever energy I had left in me.

I lifted her in my arms, and slowly placed her on the sand, as everyone else started gathering around us. Her figure was frozen, and her complexion was almost lifeless as if all blood was drained out of her. I leaned closer, trying to listen to her breathing or her heartbeat. There was nothing but the weakest heartbeat I could hear, meaning that she was still alive somehow, so I could only try to make sure she would start breathing again. I blew air into her mouth, and then went on to press firmly, but not too harshly, on her chest, trying to bring her back to life. I blew again and went back to press her for about a minute.

I was starting to lose hope, but then, she started puking up the water and coughed manically. She was breathing quickly, and her heart started beating frantically, but she was alive, and she survived. She kept her eyes closed, as her friends started coming closer, but Sam asked them to give her some space. She didn’t say anything for a minute; she was breathing more slowly this time. For a reason I couldn’t understand, I couldn’t stop staring at her, her perfect features, the way her lips parted as she was breathing steadily.

And then, she opened her eyes, and lazily looked into mine, and I finally knew why. I felt my existence being so small; I was so small in front of her splendor; her beautiful eyes and lips engraved in my mind forever. I felt the whole world shift around us; there was no one there but us. It was only me and the beautiful girl that blessed my eyes with her presence. I had finally found the reason I existed; I finally felt whole. I couldn’t hear anything else but her slow, steady breaths, and her now frantic heart. We kept looking at each other for what felt like hours, not saying anything, just staring at each other.

“Paul? Paul?” I could faintly hear Sam’s voice, as I continued looking at the girl in front of me. “Paul!” He now yelled, waking me up from the images in my head.

“Yeah, sorry.” I said to the girl rather than Sam. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?” I felt an instant feeling of overprotectiveness towards the girl I just met before my mind started filling up with worry. What if I hadn’t gotten to her on time? How could I live with the thought that my imprint was so close to dying? With the thought that I would never meet her?

“I’m better now. Thank you.” She whispered with a raspy voice, smiling lightly at me.

Her hazy eyes that she barely kept open could never take away the slightest part of her beauty. On the contrary, she was even more beautiful, if that was even possible. How could all this beauty fit in a single person? My heart finally felt whole; I found my reason to exist in the face of this girl in front of me; this unknown girl that I barely knew; this unknown girl that barely knew me. I gulped, as I reached my hand to tug a few strands of her wet hair behind her ear, her shivering slightly under my hot touch.

“I think it would be better if we took her to Sue’s. She has to get checked, just in case.” Sam interfered, trying to break this scene in front of us. The familiarity I showed to this girl could easily be misinterpreted, and it would be better to give her time to rest anyway.

I turned to look at Sam, who was already looking at me. “Yeah, you are right.” Then, I turned to the girl. “Hey, we’ll get you checked, if you don’t mind…..”

“(Y/N).” Such a beautiful name. “No, it’s okay. Let’s go.” She went to sit up and stand up before I stopped her.

“No, no. Don’t move. I will help you.” I lifted her up in my arms like she weighed nothing, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. “We’ll take you to Sue. She’s a nurse. I’m Paul by the way.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of the girl in my arms. (Y/N).

“Hey, Paul.” She smiled up at me. “Thank you for saving me. You didn’t have to get involved in my stupid friends’ actions.” She turned to stare angrily at her friends.

For a few minutes, I forgot it was them who pushed her off the cliff. I was now staring angrily at them, temporarily forgetting about (Y/N) in my arms, as I felt my anger taking over me. Thankfully, Sam was there, once again reminding me to keep calm, as we could not expose our secret to outsiders. Of course, (Y/N) was not considered an outsider anymore, but having her so close to me - if I were to transform - would be deadly to her. I lowered my gaze to look back at her, and she was already staring at me, her eyes wider now, her lips parted slightly.

“I think we better get going.” I told her, as I walked us away from the crowd of people, and away from the beach.

“Wait.” (Y/N) stopped me. “I still have to take the car back with me. Someone will have to bring the car back. No one else can bring the car back.” She was panicking, shivering, and slightly stuttering, all at the same time.

“Don’t worry about it.” I smiled at her, as I brought her closer to me, trying to warm her up. “Quil will take your car back.” I nodded towards my curly-haired friend, who heard his name and came running towards us.

“Don’t worry, guys. I won’t get a single scratch on it.” He was all smiles, as always, (Y/N) telling him her friends had her bag, and the key was in the smallest pocket. He nodded, as he ran back to both groups, and we left.

I walked us to my jeep, opening the passenger’s door, and gently putting her in, making sure she wore her seatbelt. “Ehm.. Paul, I’m still full of sand.” She blushed, embarrassed to have littered my car with sand.

“Don’t mind it, babe. That’s the last thing you should worry about. Let’s get you to Sue, alright?” She simply nodded, and I closed her door, running towards the driver’s side, and climbing in the seat.

I made sure to turn up the heat, afraid (Y/N) would get cold, as she continued shivering throughout our ride. She didn’t say anything in particular; she just kept looking out of the window, lost in thoughts. I was taking a few glances at her with the corner of my eye, looking silently at her, without saying a word. Her perfect lips were parting slightly every now and then, as she was taking small breaths. Her beautiful eyes were staring outside into nothing in particular, but her heart was pounding heavily on her chest, indicating she wasn’t feeling completely comfortable.

“Are you okay, (Y/N)?” I heard her heart skip a beat at the mention of her name. “You seem kind of lost.”

“Hm? Yeah, I..I’m doing okay. I just feel a bit guilty for wasting your time like that; for worrying you and your friends without a reason; for ruining your car.” She was now staring at me, guilt and sadness clear on her face.

“That’s nonsense.” I replied calmly. “You almost drowned. There is no such thing as “wasting my time”, or anyone else’s, for the matter. Don’t feel bad for something that you couldn’t control; for something that could get you killed! Besides..I had nothing better to do anyway.”

“What about your friends? Weren’t you out, spending time with your friends?” She asked, still curious.

“Well, my friends have their mates, their partners. They don’t really have time for anyone else lately. You actually did me a favor for taking me away from there.” I chuckled quietly at the paradox that took place just a few minutes away.

“Don’t you have anyone in your life? You know, a relationship?” I turned to look back at her; her eyes were glistening with hope.

I grinned at her. “No. Not really.”

She hummed. “Weird. I thought a guy like you would have someone special in their life.”

“A guy like me?” I questioned her, smirking.

“Well..you know, dangerously attractive.” She was fumbling with her fingers; a sign she got nervous and embarrassed about what she just said.

I laughed at her statement. “Well, do you have someone special in your life?”

She shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t say I do.”

“Well, see? Dangerously attractive people do not always find that special someone. At least, not right away.”

She jerked her head and turned to look at me, raising one eyebrow, but not saying anything else for the remainder of our drive. About ten minutes later, we reached Chief Swan’s house, where Sue had been living for the past five and a half years, after marrying him four years ago. She came down to La Push often, but not as often as Leah and Seth hoped. Still, she always took care of us whenever we needed her, being the only one now who knew how to treat our supernatural selves in case anything ever happened to us.

She must have seen my jeep parked on the driveway, as she came out of the house and towards me with open arms. “Paul! It’s so nice to see you again! How have you been, sweety?” She embraced me tightly, rubbing her palms on my back - her way of endearment.

Pulling away, she turned to look at (Y/N), who was standing in front of my car. “Who is this?”

“Sue, this is (Y/N). She almost drowned at the beach today, and I tried to help her. I brought her to you so you can check her out; see if everything is okay.”

Sue gave me a knowing look, to which I nodded before she carefully took (Y/N)’s hand in hers. “Come on, sweety, let’s get you checked.”

We walked into the Swan Residence, a welcoming house painted with green tones, blending nicely with the greenery around it. Sue had not changed many things around the house since she moved in, but her good tastes had seemingly blended and upgraded the interior. She had added more carpets, pictures, and small decor around, making the house look more lively and habitable. Under Bella’s prompt, Chief Swan transformed her daughter’s old bedroom into a small examination room for Sue to be able to treat patients even when she was at home.

We walked up the stairs to the small room on our left, where Sue led us. She ordered (Y/N) to sit on the doctor’s bed, as she picked up her stethoscope and her “sphygmomanometer”, as she called it, to examine (Y/N). She first took her blood pressure, making sure it was strong enough before she proceeded with the check-up. She then placed the stethoscope on her chest, telling her to take deep inhales and exhales. As I was watching the stethoscope on her chest, I felt my palms burning under the memory of touching her cold skin.

“Sweety, it seems like you’ll be fine. I don’t hear anything concerning, but you should visit a hospital, should you feel uneasy, okay?” She smiled sweetly at (Y/N), before turning to look at me. “You are very lucky Paul saved you on time.”

I simply smiled as a response, trying to keep my blushed cheeks under control. “Ehm.. Okay, I think we should be going then. Leave you alone.”

“You know you can come by whenever you want, Paul.” Sue hugged me tightly, then turned to (Y/N), hugging her as well. “It was so nice to meet you, (Y/N). Feel better!”

“Thank you so much, for everything.” (Y/N) smiled shyly at Sue as they parted.

“Anything for family.” She grinned at me, as we walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house.

We got back in my car, and I realized that (Y/N) was still wearing her bikini, and was still covered with sand. “Hey, do you want to come back to my house? You know..to get cleaned and changed.”

“Ehm, yeah, but I don’t have anything to wear after.” She didn’t meet my gaze as I stared intensely at her face.

“It’s okay, babe. You can borrow my clothes for now.” I grinned at her, but her eyes widened slightly in embarrassment, still not looking at me. I just loved how cute she looked even when she was embarrassed.

In a turn of events, she bit her lip, thinking about my proposal. She then turned to look at me, raising one eyebrow and slightly puckering her lips. “Okay. Let’s go.”

I smirked at her sudden confidence, starting the engine, and driving back to La Push and my home. We talked a bit, trying to get to know each other and make time pass. She told me she was on a road trip with her friends from college, traveling from New York down the east coast, and then through the south until they reached California, and then started going up. They stopped here after everything they saw on many touristic guides about La Push and Forks - she liked the adventure, but she came to the conclusion she did not like extreme things like cliff-diving anymore. I chuckled at that and agreed that she better forget it for some time.

She seemed like a fun person to be around, and that was not the imprint talking; she was genuinely interesting and fun, and though shy at first, she quickly opened up to me. Talking to her was easy, effortless; I told her things that I wouldn’t tell anyone else, at least anyone apart from my friends and packmates. Though she insisted I didn’t have to if I wasn’t feeling comfortable, I told her how my parents got divorced when I was 8 years ago, and my dad moved us from Takoma to La Push, and I haven’t left since then. But I managed to make something good for myself, working hard at a local construction company, and eventually buying my own house 3 years ago.

(Y/N) seemed impressed, and thought I was really fortunate to get my own place. She told me that, for her parents, college was a no-brainer; that she had to get a degree and work hard to succeed in life. They weren’t wrong but she said she never had a real childhood because of how strict they raised her. They immigrated to the US when she was very young, so they had to work extra hard to make a good life for their family. (Y/N) learned that life is not easy for everyone, so she had to work harder, be better, just to prove herself among the others.

Growing up bilingual and immigrant put a burden on her relationships with others; sometimes she had trouble communicating and many people used to make fun of her. Thankfully, it was when she went to college that she made actual friends whose families had also immigrated to the US, so it was easier to share their experiences with each other, finding common ground between them. They were the friends I met today, who I had not completely forgiven for their actions, but (Y/N) let it pass.

We were reaching my house, a two-story building made out of a combination of cement and dark brown wood. It was sturdy and could withstand La Push’s humidity and weather conditions. I was proud to say that I built it myself, with some of my packmates’ help. I drove down the dirt road that led to my front yard and parked on my driveway. (Y/N) was about to exit the car, when I stopped her, stepping out of the car quickly, and running to her side. I opened her door and helped her climb out of the car. She looked flustered as I wrapped one arm around her waist, lifting her up, before slowly placing her on her feet.

“Welcome to my home. Come on. Let me show you around.” I carefully took her hand in mine, and, thankfully, she did not flinch or protest at all, as I led us in the house.

I opened the door, showing her around the living room. “Come with me. I’ll show you the bathroom.” I led us upstairs, to the bathroom in my master bedroom. I went on to grab clean clothes for her to wear, a large t-shirt and basketball shorts, and two fluffy towels, one for her body and one for her hair.

She looked unsure when I pushed the items on her arms. “Are you sure I can use this bathroom? You know, I can use a smaller bathroom, if there is another one?”

“Nonsense. Come on. Go shower now.” I turned her around, lightly pushing towards the bathroom’s direction. “I'll be waiting downstairs. Whatever you need, don’t hesitate to ask, okay?”

She slowly nodded and walked towards the bathroom. As she walked ahead, closing the bathroom door behind her, I couldn’t help myself and took a peek at her ass. It was still covered in sand but still looked perfect with the bikini she wore. I turned around and quickly walked downstairs, so I could give (Y/N) space and some quiet.

[dccomicsimagines]

What’s Lost is Found - Batfamily Imagine - Part Eight

Warning - Depressive Thoughts, Angst Content

Part One  Part Two  Part Three Part Four  Part Five  Part Six  Part Six.Five  Part Seven  Part Nine  Part Ten  Part Eleven

***

“So you knocked up Kori,” Jason said, taking a bite of his pizza. You snorted. Dick glared at Jason while Kori just shrugged. Jon bit his lip to keep from smiling.

“You really have class, don’t you, Jay?” Dick took a drink of his water. You had all sat down to dinner, and Jason decided to use this opportunity to piss off Dick. It was nice to see Dick annoyed with someone else for once. 

Jason winked at you. “Of course, classy is my middle name.” You smiled back at him. Dick glanced over at you, frowning.

“So why are you here, Jason?” Dick asked sharply. Jon took your hand under the table, still trying to keep a smile off his face. He was still on thin ice with Dick and had to be on his best behavior. 

“I told you. Jason is here for work,” Kori said, happily taking her fifth slice of pizza. You squeezed Jon’s hand. 

Jason eyed Jon. “Has Dick given you the talk yet?” He laughed when Jon’s face turned bright red. 

You smacked Jason’s arm. “Stop it.” Jon swallowed hard, turning away to cough into his arm. 

Jason crossed his arms, clearly enjoying himself. “To answer your question, Dickieboy, I came to keep an eye on things.” He shared a long look with Dick. Dick bit his lip. You felt the heaviness of a secret in their gaze.

“Hey, if it’s about the bounty on my head, I want to know.” You narrowed your eyes as Dick gave you a pained look. “I can know. I won’t get sick.” Jason raised an eyebrow curiously. You wondered if he was informed about your setback at Thanksgiving.

“Let’s not talk about this at the table,” Kori said smoothly. She put her hand on Dick’s. Dick sighed, focusing on his slice of pizza.

Jon squeezed your hand tighter. You caught his eye, knowing he shared your frustration. Silence hovered around the table, bordering on awkward. You played with your half-eatened slice before slipping it onto Jon’s plate. He happily finished it for you. “Can Jon and I be excused?” you asked, glowering at Dick, daring him to say no. 

“Of course,” Kori said before Dick could open his mouth. You quickly got up and headed up to your room. Jon followed once he downed his drink. 

“Don’t do anything that Dick would do,” Jason called after you. 

“Oh, give it a rest,” Dick snapped back at him. You and Jon shared amused looks before you both entered your bedroom and closed the door. 

Jon sat down on your bed. “Jason likes to cause trouble, doesn’t he?”

You smiled, laying down beside him. “He likes to push buttons. Always did.” Jon took your hand again. His warmth soaked into you. “I hate that they won’t tell me.”

“They think they are protecting you.” Jon laid back beside you, kissing your cheek. “It’s frustrating, I know. My dad does the same thing.” 

You hummed, staring up at the ceiling. “Maybe someone figured out where I was? That’s probably why Jason’s here. He’s here to provide more protection.” 

Jon’s finger traced your brow. “I love it when you get that focused look on your face.” You eyed him only for him to give you a dopey smile. “So, I wanted to ask you something.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “What?” 

“I know you’re graduating this year, and that you don’t really care about high school experiences.” He kissed your nose. Suspicion filled you. “But my high school’s prom is coming up and I wanted to know if you would go with me?” 

“Prom?” You sat up, shocked. “Like dress up and dance in a school gym?” 

Jon chuckled. “Yeah, but our prom is more exciting than that. We do a walk so everyone can take pictures, then we have fancy dinner and dance. After that, we all change into our prom t-shirts and we get to see a hypnotist and hang out at the carnival they set up for us.” 

You blinked. “Oh.” You pursed your lips. Even if it sounded painful, you realized you would get to share it with Jon. He looked at you with those hopeful, blue eyes and you could only give one answer. “Sure, I’ll go with you.” 

Jon grinned before kissing you hard on the lips. You laughed, kissing him back. Your fingers ran though his hair. “Great.” Jon sighed as his phone rang. He pulled away with a groan, answering the phone. “Yes Mom?” He winked at you, listening. “Yeah, I’ll be home in ten minutes.” Jon chuckled. “They said yes.” 

“Tell her not to tell Dick or Kori. I want to drop that on them,” you said, smirking as you thought of all the ways you could surprise Dick.  Jason’s presence must have brought out the mischievous side of you. 

“Mom said okay, but as long as you tell them soon, so they can work out plane tickets and everything,” Jon said after he hung up the phone. “Let me know how it goes.” He kissed you again before getting to his feet. You followed him downstairs. Dick, Kori, and Jason were whispering at the table. They stopped talking when you and Jon appeared. You frowned at them, but Jon took your hand and pulled you outside.

“You’ll text me when you get home?” You stayed on the front step, closing the door behind you for privacy. 

“Always.” Jon kissed your lips quickly. “Love you.” 

The blood rushed to your cheeks. “Love you too.” You waved as he jogged away toward the woods to fly home. Waiting until he was out of sight, you went back inside to find Jason at the window.

“Aren’t you a little young to be kissing and saying I love you?” Jason asked, glaring at the front step as if it was the cause. 

You snorted. “Why do you care?” Frustration from being kept out of the loop made your mood sour. 

Jason raised an eyebrow. “(Y/N), be nice,” Dick snapped as he started washing dishes. 

“I don’t have to be nice if you don’t tell me what’s going on.” You crossed your arms, glaring at Dick and Jason. 

“Well, we’re getting close to figuring out who placed the bounty on Robin’s head,” Jason explained. 

“Jason.” Dick slammed one of the dishes down. It shattered in the sink. “I told you to keep them out of this.” 

Your temper flared. “At least Jason is being honest with me.” Dick’s mouth twitched. Your heart skipped a beat, knowing you pushed him a tad too far. 

“Calm down,” Kori said, getting up to take Dick’s arm. “You said yourself that you thought it would be good for (Y/N) to know what’s going on. That way they understand why we are taking the precautions.” 

Jason eyed the two of them before looking back at you. He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. “We had a few reports of assassins in Jacksonville where you were spotted.” You bit your lip, somewhat guiltily. “But since you are all lying low, it appears the one who placed the bounty is getting impatient.” 

Your eyes widened. “What does that mean?”

“That’s enough.” Dick stepped in between you and Jason. “You don’t need to know more, honey. We’re taking care of it.” Kori came over to hug you as if you needed comforting.

“Why can’t I know? You always do this.” Your hand clenched into a fist, wishing you could punch Dick in his stupid, guilt-causing face. “You’re always hovering, always protecting. No wonder I want to go to college somewhere else. It’s like I can’t take a breath without you worrying about it.” 

Kori flinched away from you, tears running down her cheeks. Jason blinked, taking it all in. “Go to bed, (Y/N),” Dick said sharply. His voice colder than you ever heard it before.

You rolled your eyes, ignoring the guilt that ate you up inside. “Right, send me to my room. Why don’t you follow me to lock me in?” 

“You put a lock on their door?” Jason remarked. “What the fuck?” 

“Shut up, Jason.” Dick turned to Kori and hugged her as she sobbed. You turned to go up to your room, knowing you had already done enough damage. The fact you still had to tell Kori and Dick about prom was the last thing on your mind as you felt rotten inside.

***

Early the next morning, you crept down the stairs in your running clothes. Jason was snoring on the couch. You eyed him for a moment before going to the door. Picking up your shoes, you stepped out to put them on only to find Dick outside stretching.

“Morning,” Dick said, not looking at you. You grumbled in response. After you and Jon’s patrols had been exposed, Dick insisted on coming with you on your morning runs. It was annoying. He never stopped talking. Hopefully, he would give you the silent treatment because of last night. 

You did your own stretches once your shoes were on. Dick waited for you. He opened his mouth to speak, but you suddenly sprinted down the street. “(Y/N)!” You smiled, hearing him struggle to catch up to you. At least you could outrun him. Once you reached the woods Jon always took off from, you slowed to a steady jog.

“Okay, I know you’re upset, but you can’t run off like that.” Dick panted as he caught up to jog beside you. “It’s too dangerous.” You snorted, heading onto the jogging path in the woods. 

“Why is it dangerous?” You jerked to a stop, spinning to face him. Ice cold rage in your gut. “Tell me. I deserve to know. I already know it’s bad because Jason’s here. Just tell me.” 

Dick sighed, running a hand through his hair once he stopped beside you. “Honey, there are things that you don’t need to know. You don’t need to carry that burden, okay?” 

“I killed Bane. It is my burden.” Your hand shook. You pressed it against your side to keep it still. Dick noticed however. His hand rested heavily on your shoulder.

“No, it’s not.” He looked you in the eye. You saw desperation that you didn’t understand. “Let us take care of it.” 

Your heart threatened to pound of your chest. “I’m not some little kid who useless. I am Robin.” You narrowed your eyes, hoping you were giving him the same look you gave Green Lantern when he dared to say you were just a kid tagging along.

“Not anymore.” He cradled your cheek. “I know it’s hard. I know you feel like you don’t have control over anything.” You frowned, hating that the anger faded away. His concern and support was written all over his face. “I get it. I do. Your dad did the same to me when I was Robin. I hated it at the time, but I know he did it for my own good. There were things I didn’t need to be exposed to, and that goes for you too.” 

“This isn’t the same thing.” Your heart sank. You knew you wouldn’t get any information out of him. It would be better to make peace. Life was easier when you weren’t fighting him. 

“No, but I’m trying to protect you. You’re so young.” Dick kissed your forehead, smiling at you sadly. “Please just let it go, (Y/N).” 

You sighed. “Fine.” You pulled away from him and jogged away. Dick paused, surprised before he caught back up with you. The two of you didn’t speak the rest of the jog. Your mind kept going around and around. Maybe you could get Jason to tell you more? He seemed eager enough. Besides, you always did have Jason wrapped around your finger so to speak, even though he let Dick take custody.

Kori was waiting for both of you at the front door. She sipped a cup of water, smiling as if you didn’t make her cry last night. “Good morning, loves.” She kissed Dick’s cheek then yours. Jason’s snores echoed from the living room. 

A smirk pulled on your lips.  “Hey Kori, can you take me shopping today after school?” 

Dick raised an eyebrow while Kori practically glowed in delight. “Of course. Are we looking for anything special?” 

You went over to the fridge to get a glass of orange juice. Keeping your back to them, you bit your lip to keep from laughing. “I just need something so I can go to prom with Jon.” 

Silence followed. Suddenly, Kori swept you up into her arms. Orange juice almost splashed out of your glass. “Oh, that’s wonderful, (Y/N). The prom is an amazing tradition.” You peeked at Dick. His eyebrow was still raised, mouth twitching when you met his eye. 

“Jon asked you to his prom?” Dick asked, needing to confirm. 

“Yeah.” You pulled away from Kori who was already taking out her phone to look up stuff. “I didn’t really want to go, but he seemed excited, so why not?” You took a sip of your orange juice. Relief filled you as you noted the suspicion drained out of Dick. 

“I’ll have to call Lois to get more information, but we’ll make it work.” Dick crossed his arms, glancing at the clock. “You should go shower. School’s in an hour.” You made a face, finishing your orange juice before tiptoeing past Jason and up the stairs. Kori was buzzing in the kitchen. You smiled, glad you made Kori happy at least. However, a nagging feeling nibbled away at you. What was happening to get everyone so worried?

***

You ducked just in time to avoid Jason’s foot from smashing your face. “Cutting it close, aren’t ya?” Jason chuckled as you rolled away.

“If it isn’t close, it isn’t fun.” You threw a punch to his cheek, knocking him away. “Wow, you cut it so close that you got hit.” You danced away before Jason could grab you.

The two of you were sparring in the gym at Haly’s Circus. “Little brat.” Jason smirked at you, rubbing his cheek. You smiled back at him sweetly before using the wall for momentum to send a kick to his head. Jason ducked this time, grabbing your leg and throwing you to the ground. You rolled into the fall and hopped to your feet. 

Jason charged you. You easily flipped over him, wrapping your legs around his neck. Using all your weight, you slammed Jason into the ground.  “Wow, you learned that from Dickieboy?” He grunted, laying on the ground. You got off him, peering down at him worriedly. 

“Yeah.” Jason opened his eyes to look at you. “What? Did I break you?” 

“No.” He groaned, trying to get up only to fall back down. “I think I busted my back.” 

You bit your lip. “Do you want me to crack it for you? I used to do it for Dad all the time.” 

Jason rolled onto his stomach. “If you could.” He sighed as you stepped onto his back. Feeling your way, you found the right pressure points and dug in your toes. Something snapped in Jason’s back. He moaned in relief. “You do this to Dick too? Or do you take it easy with him?” 

“We don’t spar.” You stepped off, holding out a hand when Jason rolled onto his back. He took it and got to his feet with ease. 

Jason hummed, going over to take a drink of water. “I’m going to see if Dickie needs anything and then we can head home, okay?” 

You nodded, running over to the uneven bars and swinging yourself up gracefully. Jason paused to watch you, whistling his approval before he left. You made a couple of passes before flipping off and landing wrong. Your ankle twisted slightly, shooting sharp pain up your leg. 

“Damn it.” You limped over to a bench and felt the sprain. It wasn’t bad, just enough to sting if you stepped wrong. You got up and gathered your things while keeping your full weight on your good foot. 

Limping your way to Dick’s office, you jumped when you heard a crash. You followed the noise to the elephants’ pen. The elephants were in a panic, running around the pen. You peered inside to see part of the ceiling beam had fallen into their pen. Your blood ran ice cold when you saw a head of dark hair trapped under the beam. 

Without thinking, you dropped your bag and climbed into the pen. The elephants saw you, almost stampeding toward you. You rolled out of the way, scrambling over to the person. Once you were next to them, you recognized her immediately. 

“Lian, wake up.” You grunted, lifting the beam off her the best you could. The elephants stormed past, barely missing you and Lian. Dust filled the air. You coughed, pulling Lian onto your back. Slowly, you dragged Lian out of the pen. The elephants screamed again, racing toward you and Lian. Time slowly as you threw yourself and Lian with all your might under the fence and to safety. 

You coughed, panting as you sat up to check Lian’s pulse. It was steady, but she was still unconscious.  You checked her head to find a big lump on the side of her head. The breath rushed out of you. Suddenly, you saw your father in front of you with a similar lump on his head. You flinched. 

“It’s not you.” You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. When you opened them, Lian was back. 

“What the hell?” The elephant tamers ran up to calm the wild animals in the pen. You looked up to see Roy Harper running into the area with a few of his security guys behind him. He froze when he saw you over Lian. “Lian.” He sprinted over, kneeling down beside her. “What happened?” He demanded, shifting between glaring at you and checking over Lian. 

“I don’t know.” You tensed, crawling away from him as another security guy showed up with the first aid kit. “I heard a crash only to find Lian under the beam in the middle of the pen.” 

Roy gave you a curt nod. You relaxed, knowing he didn’t blame you. “(Y/N)!” Dick’s voice echoed from behind you and within moments Dick was on you. He checked you over, running his fingers through your hair. “You’re okay?” 

“Yeah.” You looked over at Lian. “Lian’s hurt though.” Dick followed your gaze. 

Jason appeared beside you. “Go help Roy. I’ll take (Y/N) home,” he said, helping you to your feet. You gasped, adrenaline fading enough for you to feel the pain back in your ankle. Dick hesitated. Jason supported you, scooping up your bag with his free hand. “Dick, go. (Y/N) will be fine.” 

Dick left to kneel down next to Roy as they tended to Lian. Jason helped you walk to his motorcycle. “You realize he’s going to blow up when he finds out you ran into that pen with stampeding elephants?” Jason chuckled. He sat you down and stuffed a helmet on your head. 

“He freaks out about everything.” You wrapped your arms around Jason’s waist once he settled in front of you. He started the cycle. You could feel him laughing some more. 

“That’s because you’re his kid.” Jason’s voice came through the comlink in the helmet. 

Your throat grew tight. “Is that why you didn’t fight him for custody?” 

“Kiddo.” Jason sighed deeply. He drove off toward home. “I don’t even have a home, much less anything to offer you. Besides, no one would have let me unless I kidnapped you and that is just a lot.” 

“You literally did that when I was seven. You picked me from school and took me to Brazil. Dad and Alfred freaked until Superman had to go get me,” you laughed, remembering it fondly. 

Jason laughed. “Okay, well. It’s different now.” You tightened your arms around him as rain drops hit your helmet. Jason turned the corner and quickly zoomed into the driveway. “Can’t give Dick a heart attack. Bruce could handle it, Dick can’t.” 

You snorted as Jason scooped you up and carried you inside. Just when he set you down inside, it started to downpour. You hissed, your ankle throbbing. “I should go shower. I got elephant dirt all over.” 

“Yeah, you do.” Jason took off the helmet, frowning when he saw the dust and whatever else inside. “I’ll make dinner, so take your time. Can’t let Kori make that...whatever that was again.” 

“I know. Neither of them knows how to cook anything.” You limped up the stairs. Halfway up, you stopped and peered over the railing at Jason who was watching you in a way that you didn’t understand. “What?” 

Jason cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize how much you grew up.” 

You wrinkled your nose. “Jay, now you sound like Dick.” 

“Oh god! He’s rubbing off on me!” Jason groaned, running a hand through his hair.

“Dick does that too. It’s one of his moves.” You laughed when Jason balked, staring at his hand as if it betrayed him.

“Go take a shower.” Jason marched into the kitchen. “I need a drink.” You snorted before starting up the stairs again. Your ankle still throbbed, but the laughter spilling out of you kept the pain at bay.

***

“You ran into the elephant pen! What were you thinking?!” Dick exploded just as you knew he would once he was home. Dinner was on the table. You, Jason, and Kori were already eating when Dick stormed in, soaking wet from the downpour outside. 

“I saw someone was in danger. I couldn’t just leave Lian in there. She would have been killed,” you said, wincing as you shifted your foot. You had it propped up on Dick’s seat with an ice pack around it. 

“Is Lian okay?” Kori asked, getting to her feet. She rubbed her baby bump.

Dick sighed, calming down. “Yeah, she’s going to spend the next few days in the hospital to make sure her head is okay and everything, but she’s going to be okay.” 

Kori, Jason, and you relaxed. You knew Lian would be okay, but it was good to know for sure. Even if she was rude to you, it didn’t mean you wished her dead. “Good. She had a big lump on her head,” you said.

All three adults went quiet. “Honey, are you okay?” Dick soothed. He picked up your foot and sat down in his chair. Your foot stayed in his lap. His fingers felt your ankle, making you grimace. 

“Don’t do that. I’m fine.” You tried to pull your foot out of his grasp, but he didn’t let go. “Ouch.” 

“Stop pulling. Let me look.” Dick frowned. “It doesn’t look like a bad sprain, but you should stay off it for a few days.” 

“(Y/N), you weren’t...hurt by seeing Lian like that?” Kori reached over to take your hand. 

“I’m fine!” You jerked away from Kori and Dick at the same time almost falling out of your chair at the movement. “It’s fine! Everything is fine!” 

You got to your feet and limped out of the room. “Hey, kiddo, come back here.” Jason chased after you and wrapped an arm around your waist. He carried you back into the kitchen and sat you back in your chair. “You don’t have to storm off. Eat. I know you’re hungry.” 

“I thought you were on my side,” you grumbled, picking at your food. Dick and Kori whispered to each other. You eyed them.

Kori met your eye, smiling and kissing your head. “You did a good job, (Y/N). Do not think we are not proud of you.” 

“You scared me.” Dick dished up some food on his plate. “I kept thinking what could have happened.” 

“So stop doing that.” You poked at your food. 

Jason snorted. “Yeah, stop doing that.” Dick glared at him while Jason smirked. You pursed your lips to hold back a laugh.

Kori shook her head at them, getting another serving. Dinner continued somewhat normally. 

***

A few days later, Dick and Kori were dragging you out the door. “But she’s not going to want to see me,” you protested. Kori was holding your hand, pulling you along.

“We’re going to visit because that’s what you do when someone is hurt,” Kori said firmly. Dick sighed, carrying the Tupperware full of the cookies you and Jason made the night before. You didn’t realize you had made them for Lian. Kori just claimed she had a craving. 

You stumbled. A hiss escaped you, your ankle hurting in warning. It had healed mostly, but it was still not back to normal. You wished Jon was here. “But she’s not going to want to see me,” you repeated.

“Honey, Lian asked for you.” Dick wrapped an arm around your shoulders to keep you moving. Kori let go of your hand to hug Roy when he opened the door. “It’s going to be fine.” 

“Fine.” You snorted. Dick gave you a funny look.

“Thanks for coming,” Roy said, hugging Kori back. He waved at you and Dick from over Kori’s shoulder. “Lian’s been bored. I honestly have no idea what to do with her.” 

Dick squeezed your shoulder. “I can imagine. I never enjoyed staying in bed for a week either.” Kori let go of Roy to head inside. “(Y/N) and Jason made cookies. Jay had to go do something, but he said he’ll stop by to see Lian later.” 

Roy nodded, taking the Tupperware and stealing a cookie. “Lian will love these. Thank you, (Y/N), for the cookies and for saving Lian.” 

You froze. Dick had to pull you inside. Roy’s house was the same floor plan as Dick’s, except his furniture was more mismatched and messy. Dick pinched your arm. “You’re welcome,” you said, robotic. 

“How’s your ankle?” Roy asked, leading you and Dick up to Lian’s room. She had the same bedroom you did. You eyed the family photos on the wall. Everyone was smiling, doing fun things. You tried to remember if you and your dad took a photo like that.

“It’s better, but they still have to take it easy.” Dick answered for you, noting how you were looking at the family photos. You found one with Lian and all the Titans. She was clearly loved by them, very different from how they all treated you. 

Lian’s laughter echoed from her bedroom as Dick pulled you inside after Roy. Kori was sitting on Lian’s bed, rubbing her leg. “Oh hi Uncle Dick,” Lian said, some of the joy fading out of her face when she saw you. “Hi (Y/N).” She looked away from you.

“Hey kiddo.” Dick hugged her. “I heard you were driving your dad nuts.” 

“When do I not?” Lian giggled. She was so childlike, relaxed. Maybe the bump on her head affected more than they all thought?

“They brought cookies, little monkey,” Roy chuckled, offering one to Lian. Lian took one and happily took a bite.

“(Y/N) and Jason made them,” Kori said. Lian almost choked on it. You turned away, feeling rotten inside. She had a bookshelf with knickknacks on it. You pretended to be focused on those. 

Lian coughed a little. “They taste good.” The rest of them fell into a natural, comfortable conversation. You didn’t join in, wishing once again Jon was here. He was always better at this sort of thing.

About an hour passed before Roy and Dick went off to work, leaving you and Kori behind with Lian. “Kori, can you get me a glass of water?” Lian asked sweetly. 

“Of course.” Kori got to her feet, kissing Lian’s then your head. She left the room, leaving the smell of her perfume in her wake. 

An awkward silence filled the room. You didn’t look at Lian. However, you could feel her eyes on you. “So...” You peeked up at her. She wrung her hands somewhat nervously. “I...I wanted to say thank you for saving me.” 

You blinked in surprise. “You’re welcome.” 

Lian bit her lip. “And...I wanted to say sorry for how I treated you. I know I didn’t really apologize when my dad forced me to.” She sighed, studying you. You almost wanted to cry. This was something you never expected from Lian. The bump on her head must have changed her a lot. 

“It’s okay.” You stared at her, unsure how to react. “I know I’m not easy to get along with. That I’m unfriendly.” 

“I wouldn’t say that.” Lian pursed her lips. “Jon wouldn’t be dating you if you weren’t a good person. I mean you’re already perfect.” 

You flinched at the word ‘perfect’. “I’m not perfect.” You shook your head in disbelief. “No one is.” 

“Yeah, you are. I mean Uncle Dick is always talking about how smart and talented you are. Kori talks about you like you are her kid.” Lian crossed her arms, pouting slightly. It hit you like a freight train. Lian was jealous of you. You ran your hand through your hair in shock. You always thought Lian hated you because you killed Bane. 

“I’m not.” You realized you were running a hand through your hair like Dick did, and stopped yourself. “I tend to hurt people because I get angry and say things. I made Kori cry the other day. I make Dick worry enough to get gray hair. I make mistakes that put my life and other’s lives in danger. I disrespected my father’s legacy.” The blood drained out of your face.

Lian eyed you. “Are you okay?” 

You took a shaky breath. “I’m working on it.” You shut your mouth when Kori came back with Lian’s glass of water. She handed it to Lian before focusing on you.

“(Y/N), you look unwell.” She laid her hand on your forehead. Her hand blazed against your skin. “Maybe you should head home and lie down? I’ll stay here with Lian.” 

You nodded, quickly leaving the room with a small wave to Lian. Lian’s apology and confession left you reeling. She thought you were perfect. You shook your head as you hurried back home. Perfection was something you would never reach.

***

“So are you excited?” Jon asked. You imagined him bouncing around like a puppy on the other end of the phone. 

“Sure. More to see you, but yeah.” You eyed your prom outfit hanging from your closet door, waiting to be packed into a suitcase. 

Jon laughed. You smiled at the sound. “I’m glad to hear that.” He paused. “Is it okay that Dick and Kori aren’t coming with you?” 

You pursed your lip, remembering when they sat you down to let you know they wouldn’t be there. Dick had to work on the circus’ summer tour, and he couldn’t afford the time off. Kori had a modeling gig she couldn’t get out of either. “It’s fine.” You shrugged. “Jason’s coming with me.”

“Jason?” Jon swallowed hard. You snorted. The fact Jason made him nervous was ridiculous to say the least. “Oh, I guess we’re not going to do what I thought we could.” 

“What did you think we could do?” You laid down on your bed next to your half-packed suitcase.

Jon coughed. “I thought we could...maybe go flying again. I found this place that I thought you would like to see.” 

“I’m sure we can go. Jason’s not as strict as you think he is.” You closed your eyes. “Jon, do you know what’s happening?” 

“Uh, like in the world? Not much, but Mom makes me watch the news,” Jon said. 

“No, I mean with the bounty on my head. It’s getting more serious. That’s why Jason’s here. He said whoever placed it on my head is getting impatient.” You froze when you heard Dick and Jason arguing downstairs. Jason must have pushed Dick too far again.

Jon was quiet. You started to wonder if you lost him when he finally spoke. “As far as I know, it’s taken care of. Dad said not to worry about it as long as we don’t go on patrol again.” 

You sighed. “I miss it.” 

“I do too.” Jon laughed. “We’ll get back to it someday, I’m sure.” 

“(Y/N)!” Jason shouted up the stairs. “Get down here!” 

“I got to go. Jason pissed Dick off again.” You got to your feet. “Love you.” 

“Love you too. I’m counting the minutes until I see you tomorrow night.” Jon blew a kiss into the phone. You laughed, hanging up. 

Slowly, you headed downstairs only to see Dick and Jason facing off across the kitchen table. “Jay, why do you keep setting him off?” you asked, eyeing the two men unimpressed. 

However, Jason didn’t smirk, glaring over at Dick. Dick’s mouth twitched. You suddenly realized this wasn’t just Jason getting under Dick’s skin. “Don’t you dare,” Dick snarled in warning, jabbing a finger at Jason.

Jason eyed the finger before knocking Dick’s arm away. “You can’t keep them in the dark. They’re going to know. This is getting big.” 

Dick turned to you. “(Y/N), go upstairs and finish packing. We’re fine here.” 

“You don’t look fine,” you mumbled. Your stomach twisted to the point where you thought you might throw up. “What’s happening?” 

“Honey, everything is okay. Just go pack.” Dick came over to run a hand through your hair. “You just stay excited for your trip.” He kissed your forehead and pushed you to leave. You wondered if Dick and Kori really couldn’t come because of work or if it because what they wouldn’t tell you.

“You’re such a piece of shit, Dick.” Jason exploded, slamming his fist on the table. “This is going to blow up in your fucking face if you don’t tell them.” 

“Jason!” Kori burst through the door, wearing designer maternity clothes that she must have gotten from her photo shoot. “Calm down!” Her hand glowed with a starbolt. Jason’s eyes widened at the sight before he marched out the door. He got onto his motorcycle and drove off. 

Dick pulled you into a hug. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” You stiffened in his arms. 

“Whatever.” You torn yourself out of his arms and quickly hurried upstairs. Once your bedroom door was securely shut, you collapsed onto your bed. A mix of fear and frustration came over you followed by the pain of regret. If you hadn’t killed Bane, none of this would have been an problem.

***

You sipped on your soda, watching Jason from across the table. Both of you were at the airport. Since your flight got delayed an hour, you were eating at a cafe. Jason hadn’t spoken since Dick and him had words when he dropped you both off. 

The food arrived. You smiled at the waiter, thanking him. Jason just grunted and dug into his burger.

“What can’t you tell me?” You asked after spending a few minutes picking at your salad. 

Jason looked at you. He took his time to swallow. “I can’t, kiddo. It’s Dick’s choice and he made it clear he doesn’t want you to know.” 

“Dick’s not here.” You smiled sweetly. 

“Sneaky brat. No wonder Dick’s hair is starting to go gray,” Jason chuckled. He took a big gulp of his beer. “But I have to respect his choice. He’s in charge of you. Besides, he told me how sick you got just from reading about Gotham.” 

“That was months ago. I’m better now.” You crossed your arms. “I deserve to know.”

Jason looked you in the eye seriously. “I know, but it’s not my call.” 

You snorted, taking a bite of the salad with disinterest. “Why are you respecting Dick now? You never had before.” 

“We all had to grow up when we lost Bruce.” Jason studied his beer, frowning. “Besides, we all made a promise that we’d get along.” You opened your mouth, but he held up at hand. “As well as we can at least.” 

“I wasn’t in on that promise.” You finished your glass of soda. The waiter showed up with another glass a second later. 

“No, Damian wasn’t either.” Jason finished his burger and sat back in his seat. “Just us old ones.” 

“Old ones? Tim and Steph are twenty-five.” You smirked, nibbling on a piece of carrot.

Jason laughed hard. “Timbo’s been fifty since he was born and Steph is younger than you are. The other day she put waffles in the Blu-ray player.” 

You blinked. “You got to be kidding?” 

“Nope, apparently she was a little drunk from girls’ night. Tim had to go pick her up, and when he turned his back on her, she just put one right in there.” Jason finished his beer, and waved for the check. 

“Wow.” You laughed harder than you had in a long time. Jason chuckled with you. Your worries went away for a while as Jason dished on more embarrassing things about Tim and Steph. 

***

Your smile dropped when you only saw Clark waiting at baggage claim. “Where’s Jon?” you asked, looking around him as if Jon was hiding behind him. 

“Jon’s at school. We’ll see him when we get home.” Clark chuckled, giving you a hug. “It’s nice to see you again, (Y/N). You’ve grown a few inches.” 

You wrinkled your nose. Your heart ached, knowing that your Robin suit wouldn’t fit anymore. “Sure.” 

Clark let go of you. “Hello, Jason. How was the flight?” 

“Good, considering we were next to a crying baby the whole time.” Jason came over with all the bags. He bit his lip awkwardly.  

Clark took a bag, clapping a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you.” The two men led the way while you pouted. You were so excited to see Jon only to have your hopes dashed by stupid high school. 

***

You endured the car ride and the two hours it took for Jon to get home. Eventually, you took to sitting on the front steps to avoid the small talk Jason and Clark slowly worked through. It was incredibly painful. 

An old clunker turned down the driveway. You raised an eyebrow at it as it came to a stop next to the Kents’ car. “(Y/N)!” Jon stumbled out of car. “Look at this baby! Isn’t it amazing?! I wanted to surprise you!” 

“Uh, why are you driving this?” You stood up, staring at the clunker. It backfired like a shotgun when he accidentally hit the gas as he leaned inside to turn the car off. He jumped in panic before killing the engine. 

“I bought it last week.” Jon ran to you, grinning like a child in a candy store. He kissed you hard before wrapping an arm around you. “What do you think? Isn’t it a sweet ride?” 

Your first thought was not very nice, and you had to suppress it. “What the hell?!” Jason came out the door behind you. “Why did you let him buy this piece of crap?”

“Be nice.” You shot him a warning look when you saw Jon’s face fall. Giving him a bright smile, you winked at him. “It’s great.” Jon cheered up instantly. It amazed you that you could make him feel better with just a smile. You only had that power over your father. Your eyes burned with tears. You forgot about that.

“I didn’t let him buy anything. This was all his idea,” Clark said, coming out after Jason. He crossed his arms. “Son, I told you to stop by the auto parts store to get that spark plug.” 

Jon bit his lip. “I...I’m working on it.” He blushed.

Jason walked up and popped open the hood. “Wow, this really is a piece of crap.” 

You pulled away from Jon and joined Jason. “You could fix it for him since you insulted it,” you whispered once saw Jon and Clark talking to each other. Jon looked uncomfortable. You sensed Jon was asking for money. 

“I don’t know if I can fix this.” Jason whistled, poking around. “But anything to avoid small talk with Clark.” He made a face. 

You snorted. “That was painful for everyone, trust me.” 

“But Dad...I swear I’ll work it off,” Jon said loudly. Clark shook his head, frowning down at Jon. Jason and you glanced over at them.

“I’m triggered.” Jason chuckled, looking back at the car. “I’ll tinker around and see what I can do. You go have fun with your boy.” 

“My boy? You make him sound like a dog.” You rolled your eyes, heading back over to Jon. Clark tilted his head, listening to something. Jon wrapped an arm around your shoulders and tucked you into his side. 

Clark glanced between you and Jon, then over at Jason. “I have to go. Earthquake in Nepal. Stay here and out of trouble.” You closed your eyes as Clark zoomed off.

Jon sighed. “But you like the car, right?” He turned to you, kissing your temple. 

“Yes, it’s great.” You patted his arm. “So why did you buy a car when you can fly?” 

“Because Jon Kent can’t fly, only Superboy can. Mom and Dad won’t let me drive to school until I got a car, so I did.” Jon frowned when he saw Jason removing something from the engine. “What is he doing?” 

“He’s fixing it.” You kissed his chin. “Jason needs something to do. You don’t know how much small talk we all went through before you got here.” Jon chuckled, nuzzling his nose into your hair. “So there was some place you wanted to take me, right?” 

Jon bit his lip, avoiding your eye. “Yeah, but we should stay here for now.” He looked at the house. “Do you have your prom outfit here?” 

You covered his eyes with your hand. “Yes, but no peeking.” Jon’s fingers tickled your side. A laugh escaped your lips, jumping away from him. “So what should we do?” 

“Well, I got some homework I should finish.” He smirked with puppy dog eyes. “I need a tutor.” 

“Oh you do?” You took Jon’s hand, intertwining your fingers with his. “I suppose I could try. Maybe something will get through that skull of steel.” 

“Maybe?” Jon leaned down to kiss you sweetly. 

“Get a room,” Jason shouted. You and Jon looked at him in surprise. Jason’s eyes widened, realizing what he said. “No, don’t do that.” 

You laughed before turning back to kiss Jon again. Jon chuckled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around your waist to lift you up against him. 

***

Later that evening, Jon picked you up in his arms and flew you into the sky. You glanced down over his shoulder to see Clark watching the two of you from a window. “Jon, your dad’s watching us.” 

“I know. I can feel.” Jon chuckled somewhat nervously. “Don’t worry about it though.” He flew faster. You closed your eyes and hid your face in his neck to avoid wind burn. 

Jon’s words didn’t sit right. “Do you know something about what’s happening?” you whispered against Jon’s skin. His arms tensed around you as he slowed down and landed. You kept your face in his neck, unable to look at him. He didn’t say anything for a long time. You felt the familiar weight of a secret coming from Jon, and you hated it. He used to be the one you could trust to be on your side. He had joined the others, protecting you by keeping you out of the loop.

“I can’t say...” Jon held you tighter when you didn’t move. “We’re here. Come on, take a look.” 

Tears filled your eyes in frustration and betrayal. You jumped out of his arms without warning. He moved to catch you, but you hit the ground and rolled to your feet with the momentum. “I can’t believe you’re siding with them.” 

“Woah.” Jon reached out to catch your arm, but you marched away from him. You noticed the beautiful meadow with all the wildflowers. The setting sun caught on all the different colors, making some muted and brilliant at the same time. It was magical, but you were too upset to be moved by it. “I’m not siding with anyone, (Y/N). I just can’t tell you.” 

“Yeah, right.” You glared at him. Jon froze. Fear flashed on his face. You realized you gave him the batglare. Huh, you didn’t realize your glare had the same effect as your father’s. It never worked on Dick. “You’re with them. I never should have trusted you. You want to keep me in the dark while everyone else goes out and risks their lives because I killed Bane!” 

“(Y/N), I’m on your side. Always.” Jon zoomed in front of you. You took a step back to stay away from him. Your heart broke into a thousand pieces when you found yourself aching to believe him. “This is for the best, I swear. Let’s not focus on that right now.” 

Rage filled you. Your fist went flying and cracked against Jon’s jaw. Pain exploded in your hand, but you bit your lip to keep from crying out. Jon fell to the ground, not prepared for the hit. “I’m not weak! I’m not someone who can’t handle themselves! Stop treating me like I’m invalid!” 

Jon rubbed his jaw. He looked at you worriedly. Your heart sank. He was looking at you like everyone else did. You walked away from him. Tears streamed down your face. You lost count on how many times he had seen you cry. “(Y/N).” Jon’s footsteps followed you. “Let me look at your hand.” 

“Leave me alone. I thought you were different.” You wiped your eyes with your hand, wincing when you saw how it was already starting to swell. Punching Jon probably wasn’t a good idea. 

“Please.” Jon grabbed your good hand. He brought it to his lips. “I’ll tell you what you want to know, okay? As long as you let me look at your hand and that you promise you won’t try anything crazy.” 

Your hand throbbed. Adrenaline wore off. Guilt soured your stomach and you couldn’t say no. “Fine.” You turned to him, making the mistake of looking at his eyes. He studied you with worry and concern, but you could see the love he had for you. A fresh wave of guilt flooded through you again. 

Jon sat you down on a nearby rock and knelt in front of you to study your injured hand. “Sorry,” he whispered when you winced from his touch. He turned to use his freeze breath to make a ball of ice and held it to your hand. “I don’t think you broke anything, but we should ice it before it swells too much.” 

You bit your lip. “Tell me.” 

“Okay, okay.” Jon sighed, keeping the ice on your hand. Your hand went numb from the cold. “Apparently, someone is planning a massive attack on Gotham. I don’t know the details, but everyone is on alert.” 

Your eyes widened. “I should be there. It’s all my fault.” You tried to get to your feet, but Jon’s grip on your hand kept you on the rock. 

“It’s not your fault, and it’s being taken care of. I promise if it gets bad or something, I’ll let you know, but we can’t interfere.” Jon leaned forward to kiss your cheek. “They didn’t even tell me everything. Probably because they know I’d tell you and we’ll both be inspired to help.” 

You eyed the red spot on Jon’s jaw. “I’m sorry I hit you.” 

Jon laughed. “It’s fine. You should be impressed. Not everyone can take me by surprise.” You raised an eyebrow as he leaned forward to kiss you. “I love you.”

“Are you sure? I just hit you.” You pulled away, not returning the kiss.

“(Y/N), sweetheart, you have a right to be upset. It sucks that no one will just tell you what’s going on.” Jon kissed you again. You smiled into it, kissing him back. “I forgive you.”

You found yourself getting excited, kissing Jon so hard that he toppled over with you on top of him. “Sorry,” you laughed. Your fingers ran through his hair.

“Never have to be sorry about that.” Jon tickled you. You screamed, rolling off him and away from his fingers. The pain in your hand disappeared from your thoughts. “What do you think of this place?”

You looked at the meadow again. This time you took in the beauty. “It’s wonderful.” You leaned down to kiss Jon again. Jon pulled you down on top of him as you two quickly lost track of time.

***

It was dark when you and Jon finally flew back to the farm. You rode on his back with your arms and legs stretched out, so you could feel like you were flying. 

“We’re going to get yelled at when we get home. I was supposed to have you back before ten. It’s eleven now,” Jon said, looking at his watch. 

“It’s fine. At least we’re in this together.” You wrapped your arms around him and buried your face into his hair. 

Jon chuckled. “You’re not the one who’s gonna get his balls shot off.” 

“Jason threatened you? Funny,” you laughed, kissing the back of Jon’s neck. “You know he won’t do that. He just likes to mess with people.” A smirk pulled at your lips. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt so relaxed. “Besides, he doesn’t have kryptonite bullets.” 

“Didn’t your dad have a kryptonite ring? Dad said he punched him in the face with it years ago.” Jon dropped slowly, hooking your legs in his arms as he landed in the Kents’ yard. 

Your arms wrapped around his neck to stay on his back. “Yeah, he did.” A shiver ran up your spine, aching for your dad. He would have flipped if he knew you were dating Jon Kent. Actually, he probably would have given you that ring just in case. You smiled sadly.

“Hey, don’t cry.” Jon turned his head to peek back at you. The blood ran to your face when you realized tears were running down your cheeks and dripping onto him.

“Sorry.” You slid off his back to stand. Someone cleared their throat from the porch. You and Jon jumped.

“Kinda late, aren’t you?” Jason said, stepping into the light. He rolled his eyes at Jon. “You should be embarrassed that you didn’t notice I was there. What’s the point of having supervision and superhearing and not use it?” He leaned against the porch post, frowning. “You okay, (Y/N)?”

You quickly wiped away your tears. “I’m fine.” You kissed Jon’s cheek. “I’m going to bed, but I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” 

“Yeah, I’m finally going to see your prom outfit tomorrow.” Jon smirked, relaxing when he looked into your eyes. 

“I hope so. I’m not going to go naked.” You brushed past Jason on your way inside the house. Jason made a face of disgust and disapproval. “Better stop or you’ll turn into Dick.” 

“Like that would ever happen,” Jason retorted, narrowing his eyes at Jon. 

Jon smiled, getting braver by the second. “I mean you already look alike anyway.” 

You laughed, heading inside before you could hear Jason’s response. You said good night to Lois and Clark who were in the living room before you went to bed.

***

“You look wonderful, (Y/N),” Lois said, kissing your cheek as she helped you fix your hair. The outfit fit perfectly. You looked at yourself in the mirror, smiling at how grown up you looked. “Jon will have his socks knocked off for sure.” 

“What if he knocks off mine?” You laughed. Lois finished with your hair, stepping back to look at you. 

She smiled. “Well, then you both might be more serious than we thought.” 

“Not too serious, I hope?” Jason asked, poking his head into the room. He froze when he saw you. “Look at you. Already a bombshell.” 

“Shut up.” You went over to hug him. “But you think I look good? Not like I’m playing dress up or something?” You bit your lip. Even when you had to dress up for one of your dad’s galas or parties, you always felt like it was a game. This time it was real.

“Nah, you look great.” He kissed your forehead, hugging you carefully back. “Dick’s gonna be mad he wasn’t here.” 

You hummed. “Is Jon downstairs? We want him to see (Y/N) as they come down the stairs,” Lois said. She pulled you away from Jason to adjust your hair one last time. 

“Yeah, he’s down there. I think he might be pacing a hole into your floor.” Jason smirked, winking at you. “Knock him dead, kiddo.” 

You laughed, giddy from excitement. Funny, how you didn’t want to go in the first place, but now you couldn’t imagine not going. Jason and Lois left the room. “Come down when you’re ready, honey,” Lois whispered before shutting the door. You sighed, turning to look at yourself in the mirror. 

A shiver ran up your spine. You frowned, the joy draining from you. Did you have a right to be happy like this? You murdered a man. Even if he was a bad man, you deserved to be punished. Your hands started to shake as you thought about the danger the rest of the family must be in. It was all your fault.

“Little one, are you going to come down? Jon’s not going to be able to wait much longer,” Clark said through the door.  You sank down on a chair. Your chest tightened, panting as if the air was being sucked out of the room. “What’s wrong?” Suddenly, Clark was beside you with his heavy hand on your shoulder. “Breathe with me. Calm down, little one.”

“I don’t deserve this. I killed Bane.” You pressed your hand to your chest as it threatened to explode. “I can’t be happy. I shouldn’t be happy.” 

“You can be happy. Your father wanted you to be happy.” Clark soothed, resting his hand on your cheek. “One mistake doesn’t define your life. Now breathe with me, little one.” 

Slowly, you copied him, catching your breath. You saw Clark listening to your heartbeat. It was rather like a dog listening for something. Jon did the same thing, which you realize is probably why you always associated with him a puppy. 

“(Y/N)! Are you okay?!” Jon asked, bursting into the room. You cursed superhearing. You quickly turned your back toward the door. 

“Jon, we’re fine. Go back downstairs.” Clark stood up, blocking Jon’s view of you. You were grateful for it. 

“But I heard...Wow.” Jon moved around his father to look at you. “You look amazing.” You peeked up at him to see that dopey, puppy dog grin on his face. He dropped to one knee and took your hand. “You’re beautiful.” 

A laugh cough sound came out of your mouth. The guilt faded away as it always did when Jon was around. “You don’t look bad yourself.” Jon kissed your palm. Clark watched you both, smiling softly. “I suppose they want us to take pictures downstairs before we go, right?” 

“Yeah, they do, and we’ll have to take pictures at the prom and do this long walk thing,” Jon sighed tiredly. “Are you ready to do this together?” He looked you in the eye like he just asked you to go to war.

You bit your lip. Your face heated up. “As long as you’re there with me?”

“To the ends of the earth,” Jon swore, kissing your cheek before pulling you to your feet. Clark shook his head and led the way downstairs. You and Jon shared one last kiss on the lips and went once more unto the breach. 

***

“Are you sure you can do it?” you teased, pulling on the end of Jon’s t-shirt. 

Jon chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, I can. You’ll get that giant stuffed banana if it’s the last thing I do.” 

You eyed the high striker game. “I appreciate the dedication, but I don’t think you need to put in so much that you’ll break the machine.” You glanced around the school gym, which had been converted from a dining room to a dance floor to a carnival in just a few hours. Jon and you had changed into your prom t-shirts to enjoy the games. 

“I got this.” He winked at you. The last kid only got halfway up and walked away with a mini stuffed bear. Jon stepped up and picked up the hammer. You glanced around again, folding your hands together to hide your nerves. Your mind kept imagining Jon busting the game and exposing his secret identity just in impress you. 

Jon slammed the hammer down hard. The lights flashed and the bell dinged at the top. “We have a winner,” the game operator said. People around clapped. Jon turned to look at you before he pointed at the giant banana. He received his prize and brought it over to you. You wanted to hide when you noticed people were watching you and Jon. 

“Come on, I didn’t break it,” Jon soothed, handing you the banana. You took it uncertainly. “It’s not going to blow up, sweetheart.” 

“Why a banana though?” You jumped when you heard some teens nearby laughing at your comment.

“Had to give them something to remember you by, right Jonno? Can’t measure up.” A boy clapped a hand on Jon’s shoulder. Jon laughed halfheartedly. You wrinkled your nose, glaring at the boy. He flinched and quickly left with his friends.

“So it’s a sex thing? Is that appropriate for a high school that has locked us in the school gym so we don’t leave to get into trouble?” You tucked the banana under your arm. Jon wrapped an arm around your shoulder, leading you toward the refreshment table. 

Jon snorted. “I think they just got whatever they could.” He kissed your temple and got a soda. “Well, we got about two more hours until the hypnotist show.” He took a sip before offering it to you. You took it, enjoying the intimacy of it. “You want to see how many giant stuffed bananas we can win?” 

“You realize I won’t be able to take them home. They will have to live with you.” You laughed at how wide Jon’s eyes got. 

“Oh, right.” Jon took the soda back and finished it. “Well, we can get another one for Jason at least.” 

“I’m sure he’d love it.” You imagined how Jason would react to it. Jon led you down to the basketball game. Your phone beeped while Jon mentally debated if he wanted to try it and how he would win the another giant banana. It was a text from Jason.

I got to go, kiddo. Stay with the Kents. 

Your blood ran cold. You quickly texted him back.

What do you mean? What’s happening?

There was a long pause. Jon noticed you were on your phone and peeked over to read the text. “Oh no,” Jon sighed.

“He’s not texting me back, Jon,” you whispered after a long three minutes. 

“I’m sure it’s fine. Maybe it’s not about...you know.” Jon took your arm and led you over to sit down on the bleachers. “Let’s just relax, huh?” 

You glared at Jon. “Stop protecting me,” you hissed, the rage coming back to you. 

Jon bit his lip nervously. “Okay, but we don’t know if it’s...what are you doing?” You ignored him, opening your web browser to find the Gotham Herald's webpage. “(Y/N)...” Your blood ran cold, heart skipping a beat when you saw the first news report.

“We have to go.” You showed Jon the news report about Gotham under siege from an army. The city had been evacuated. Police were the only ones there to keep the peace along with Batman and his allies. “How did we not know about this? Stupid Dick, blocked the news from my phone.” You got to your feet, leaving the giant banana behind. 

Jon grabbed your arm and pulled you out to the hallway for more privacy. “(Y/N), there is a reason they didn’t want you to know.” 

“Yeah, to protect me. Well, it’s time I stop being protected and face my crimes.” Tears of frustration filled your eyes. “Jon, I did this. I caused this.” 

“Sweetheart, we can’t go.” Jon ran a hand through your hair. You flinched. It was too much like Dick. You didn’t want to think of him at the moment. You looked back at your phone to refresh to find a new video. Turning up the volume, you played the video. Jon watched, his eyes going wide with horror as it show Batman being overran by soldiers and being locked down inside Gotham General Hospital.

“Jon, this is Damian.” You bit your lip, dreading the idea that Damian would have another reason to despise you. Deep down, you know you caused this by killing Bane. “We can’t leave him.” 

You saw Jon’s eyes flash. He and Damian might not have hung out since your father’s death, but he still cared. “Mom and Dad are going to kill me.” He picked you up in his arms. You barely got your arms around his neck before he zoomed out of the school through the woodshop door that apparently was always open. 

“Thank you.” You kissed his cheek once you both were high in the sky, flying toward Gotham. 

“Just promise to not leave my side, okay?” The fear on Jon’s face made you frown. You knew you couldn’t promise that.

“I’ll do my best.” You buried your face into his neck. “Take me to the cave.” Your heart fluttered at the idea of going home. Only your stomach sank, hating it had to be for a crisis you caused.

[cruisetravellive-blog]

Carnival Ecstasy Cruises From Jacksonville 2019

[racingtoaredlight]

RTARL’s 2020 NFL Season Week 11 Extravapalooza

Holy moly, we’ve already made it to Week 11. I’m honestly conflicted over whether or not this is a good thing. In terms of basic pandemic mitigation practices, the NFL conducting its season is fucking insane. These guys are all well-compensated pros, but they’re still taking risks well above and beyond what they normally do, and I truly feel pretty shitty about that. In addition, the fact that some stadiums are allowing thousands of fans inside during games is a crime against humanity, and it really lays bare how craven and sociopathic the ghouls who own sports franchises are. 

With that said, it’s extremely hypocritical of me to be so disdainful of the NFL’s current existence, since I watch the games, set my fantasy lineup, and generally enjoy all the stuff that comes with an NFL season. I usually bristle and roll my eyes whenever a sporting entity trots out the whole “We feel like we’re helping society by providing a distraction from everything going on” line, but in this case, with where we are right now as a country...the NFL really is doing that. For me, anyway. Is the stress-relief that the NFL provides to me and millions of other people worth all the bad stuff that comes with it? I don’t know. Probably not. But, I’d be lying if I said I’m not thankful that it’s there.

My picks are in BOLD, and the lines come to us courtesy of our friends at Vegas Insider. I use the “VI Consensus” line, which is the line that occurs most frequently across Vegas Insider’s list of sportsbooks. Your sportsbook of choice may offer a different number, and if you’d like my opinion on said number A) you are insane, and B) leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer at some point before things kickoff today.

EARLY GAMES

Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens (-6)

It’s odd to have a game between a pair of 6-3 teams widely considered contenders that feels like a “must win” for each scuffling side. A great man once said “Desperation is a stinky cologne,” and the Titans absolutely reek coming into this one, so I’m giving them the edge. Baltimore being down two starting defensive linemen when Derrick Henry comes to town also factors into my pick, but nobody wants to hear that nerd shit, gotta go with my GUT, baby!

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns (-2.5)

Hey, Cleveland doesn’t have to play in the middle of a tornado this week! There will still be driving rains, though. Fortunately, the Browns are built for the slop. RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are both ridiculous, but I’d like to give a special shoutout to G Wyatt Teller, who is currently Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded player...in the entire NFL. That’s some grade A beef! DE and straight-up superhuman Myles Garrett is out for this one, which is an enormous blow for the Cleveland defense. If I had any confidence whatsoever in Carson Wentz I’d think about taking Philly, but that young man is a mess.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars

I’m once again betting on the Steelers playing down to the level of their competition. The Jags kept things close against the Packers last week, there’s fight in them thar cats.

Cincinnati Bengals at Washington Football Team (-1.5)

I’m still extremely nervous for Alex Smith the entire time he’s on the field, but I have to admit there’s something magical about him making it all the way back to being exactly as Alex Smith-y as he was before (minus the scrambling ability, obviously). Washington RB J.D. McKissic has 16(!) catches on 29(!!) targets over the two games Smith has started. If this continues J.D. is going to owe Alex a cut of his next contract, and possibly the mineral rights to his legs if the need arises.

Today is Cincy RB Gio Bernard’s birthday, so LOOK OUT LADIES!

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (-3.5)

I’m making this pick based on the assumption that New Orleans really does roll with Taysom Hill at QB for the entire game, because that’s what all currently available information indicates will happen. I really do wonder if that’s going to be the case, though. I’ve read a couple of things speculating that the reason Hill is starting is that if Jameis plays he’s likely to reach various incentive clauses in his contract and cost the Saints a bunch of money. That seems utterly ridiculous to me, because why the hell would you bother signing him at all if this is how you were gonna roll? Then again, I’m not a Football Man, so maybe my un-browned normie brain just doesn’t understand.

Detroit Lions (-3) at Carolina Panthers

CATFIGHT!!!

The Lions are the orange kitty in this scenario, because Matthew Stafford will be playing through a torn thumb while not having WR Kenny Golladay or RB D’Andre Swift at his disposal. 

New England Patriots (-2) at Houston Texans

The concept of an “emotional hedge,” first introduced to me by RTARL commenter Beer, is in play here. I have NO idea if the Patriots are actually decent or not, and this has all the makings of a letdown game coming off of their unexpected win over Baltimore. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is expected to be back for the Pats in this one, which is very nice. RB Sony Michel is also likely coming back, which could muddy the backfield and take touches away from Damien Harris, which is less nice. 

The Patriots have an atrocious rush defense, but Houston’s primary RB, Duke Johnson, is far better as a receiver than as a straight-up runner, so I’m not sure they can take advantage all that much. In addition, Duke’s receiving skills are mostly squandered because QB DeShaun Watson hates checking down and seemingly prefers to take sacks while looking for throws downfield instead. Wait, why the hell am I picking Houston here??? Is this what hedging is? I don’t like it!

LATE GAMES

New York Jets at Los Angeles Chargers (-9.5)

It feels weird to lay 9.5 points with a 2-7 team, but such is the power of the Jets’ ineptitude. To New York’s credit, they were competitive in two of their last three games (against NE and BUF), but those two games were sandwiched around a 35-9 beatdown at the hands of Kansas City. We would all feel better if the cool, young Chargers steamrolled these sad sacks in a joyous explosion of big plays, and this pick is my attempt at speaking it into existence. 

Miami Dolphins (-3.5) at Denver Broncos

I don’t know why I have an affinity for Drew Lock, but I do. He probably appeals to the same part of my brain that delights in terrible movies and horrible jokes, which is the most backhanded compliment I have ever given anyone in my entire life. Drew's gonna tough it out and try to play through a rib injury this week, which is gutty and admirable and all that, but I can’t imagine it’s going to help his already shaky accuracy.

Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts (-1.5)

The Packers are getting their best defensive player back in CB Jaire Alexander, which will make life more difficult for increasingly-noodle-armed Colts QB Philip Rivers. Conversely, Indy’s defense is among the best in the league, so I don’t really see a carnival of offense coming from the Packers, either. Honestly, this should be a close, well-played game between two exceedingly competent squads. The kind of game where there will be long stretches where nothing major happens, but you can point out random shit that happens away from the ball and talk about line play and really sound like you know what the fuck you’re talking about. A tremendous game for fraudulent football-knowers everywhere.

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings (-7)

It would be an INCREDIBLY Vikings move to lose this game outright. The return of Andy Dalton is being treated like it’s something that’ll get the Cowboys somewhat back on track, but prior to his injury he looked like crap, so I don’t really know where that’s coming from. Also, while he was out with a concussion he had a bout with COVID-19 that “hit him hard.” It’s tough for me to imagine he’s going to play BETTER coming out of what sounds like a truly shitty few weeks.

SNF: Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5) at Las Vegas Raiders

A lot has been made about how pissed Kansas City is about the Raiders taking a supposed “victory lap” in their team bus around the Arrowhead parking lot after their win over the Chiefs earlier in the season, and I’m choosing to completely buy into this narrative because it’s fucking hilarious. If K.C. has already reached the “needing to exaggerate/outright invent slights to get up for regular season games against inferior opponents” portion of their reign, we’re in great shape for entertainment purposes going forward.

MNF: Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4)

I don’t remotely trust Jared Goff against Tampa Bay’s defense. I do think this is probably our SMASHMOUTH NOSEBLEED GRIND IT OUT Game of the Week, and I can already see Tom Brady screaming at his offensive linemen at some point after he gets popped a couple of times during a single possession. Should be fun!

Last Week’s Record: 7-5-1

Season Record: 65-68-5

[asher-west]

𝐓 𝐀 𝐒 𝐊   𝟎 𝟎 𝟗 :  

𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓'𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐒  

𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 : 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 : 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝, 𝐯𝐚 → 𝐦𝐲𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐬𝐜 → 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞, 𝐟𝐥 → 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐟𝐥 & 𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐢, 𝐟𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 ( @willoww-est ), 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐝𝐚𝐱 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭 ( @specdracers )

on may 29th, a very hungover asher and willow pack their things into his beat up car, and begin their road trip along the east coast on their route home

their first stop is richmond, va, where asher drags willow along to the botanical gardens and they stock up on snacks for the road

they drive to myrtle beach, sc, in just over five hours, arriving late at night and staying in a motel overnight. 

the next day, may 30th, they hang out on myrtle beach, and that afternoon willow drags asher to the carnival on the boardwalk

that evening, they make the two hour drive to charleston, where they set up at another motel for the evening and go out for food.

may 31st, they spend most of the day sightseeing in charleston, then make the four hour drive to jacksonville, florida, where they stop for the night 

june 1st, they take some time to stretch their legs, enjoying the city, and then make the final two hour drive to edgewater

their mom welcomes them home and asher spends a ton of time playing with dax, who is extremely over excited to see the siblings home

asher spends a lot of time catching up with his mom, telling her all about how him and willow are getting on at the ‘university of virginia’, and hang out at the diner a lot

asher and willow spend most of their time in the ocean, surfing and swimming

the following week, asher proposes a family trip to miami, and drives them down the next day, on june 14th, to stay on miami beach

it’s vera’s first real holiday in ages, and asher is happy to see her happy

they return to edgewater a few days later, and just relax for a little bit

landon comes down to crash with them for a bit, and asher tries to teach him to surf and willow takes landon driving in her old car

they then inevitably make the trip back to virginia ( this time, they do the thirteen hour drive in one go, alternating drivers every few hours ) on june 28th, promising their mom to send lots of pictures from berlin