#Gargoyles Bad Guys

[disneytva]

Dynamite Comics Launches Kickstarter for GARGOYLES Classic Comics As Part Of The Show's 30th Anniversary.

Dynamite Comics and Disney Comics are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Gargoyles with the first-ever Kickstarter campaign featuring brand new graphic novels collecting long out-of-print Gargoyles comic books.

Dynamite Entertainment brought back Gargoyles as a comic series in 2022 to great acclaim. Now the publisher is crowdfunding a reprint of the classic comics based on the beloved animated series. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Dynamite is excited to offer three beautiful tomes collecting all of these previous tales for fans. The set is initially being offered on Kickstarter to reach and communicate with diverse fans of all ages directly.

“I’m honestly thrilled that these three volumes will finally give Gargoyles fans easy access to these great stories, including the canon SLG tales!” said Weisman. “I think the Dynamite Kickstarter is a great way for Gargoyles fans to get the word out and to reserve their copies. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I hope our fans don’t miss out!”

The first volume is the hotly anticipated compilation of the first-ever Gargoyles comic series from 1995. This 11-issue title was originally released by Marvel Comics and is set loosely between the first two seasons of the original TV show. The memorable first issue featured a jaw-dropping cover by artist Joe Madureira, one of the biggest superstars of the era from his work on Uncanny X-Men. The series was written by Martin Pasko (Superman) and Mort Todd.

The second and third volumes of the Gargoyles Classic Years will be an incredible treat. From 2006 to 2009, a new Gargoyles comic series was launched from SLG Publishing in association with CreatureComics — the first written by Weisman. The main series, often referred to as “Clan Building,” was joined by a companion title, Bad Guys. Issues #9-12 of Gargoyles and #5-6 of Bad Guys did not see release and were only printed in paperback collections with small print runs. They were produced at a smaller digest size and have been incredibly expensive for years on the secondary market. 

The three-volume set is available in multiple variations for different kinds of fans and collectors. Each is available as either hardcover or paperback. Deluxe hardcover editions with signed tip-in pages are being offered. For the Gargoyles diehards, the most premium option will be the Gargoyles 30th Anniversary Premier Editions limited to just 1,000 copies each!

In addition to the books at the center of this celebration, the campaign will offer several add-ons for backers, including lithograph prints of Jae Lee and Amanda Conner’s covers for Dynamite’s Gargoyles #1. The most premium art piece anyone can get will be a deluxe signed and remarqued giclée print of Lee’s Gargoyles art.

In addition to the reprint of the full series, fans can get special facsimile editions of the very first issue with gold or purple foil stamping. Sketch cover options are also available, as well as commissioned original art from Lee. Plus, collector packs of variant cover sets or premium limited editions and metal covers for Dynamite’s series can be added.

[noybusiness]

If you loved the Buffy/Angel TV series and comics, then with my whole heart I should recommend watching two other character-focused masterpiece series that started on TV and received canonical comics continuations (that are still ongoing). Avatar: The Last Airbender and Gargoyles. The former was continued by Dark Horse comics. The latter was first continued by Slave Labor Graphics and is now being continued by Dynamite Comics (the Dynamite series is a direct followup from the last issue of the SLG series). Both have that certain je-ne-sais-quoi that Buffy and Angel and other truly great series have.

The "third season" of Gargoyles on air (subtitled The Goliath Chronicles) was made without the involvement of the original showrunner, Greg Weisman, and is universally agreed to be poor quality, but the comics, which are written by Weisman, totally replaced and de-canonized it (apart from the first episode of that season, the only one Weisman did write, which was retold in the first two SLG issues and then they went in a completely different direction). So I'd only recommend watching the first two seasons. They're great! More than I can convey with a written description.

The Gargoyles comics have even managed to have spinoff miniseries for two of the many spinoffs that Weisman had planned when the show was airing (namely Bad Guys and Dark Ages), with the possibility of more to come (i.e. Pendragon, TimeDancer, Gargoyles 2198, Heroes of Ulster and The New Olympians - the Gargoyles setting was originally supposed to be Disney's answer to the DC and Marvel universes).

Welcome to Buffyverse

If you can believe that, I’ve lived to my adult years (as in serious job/taxes/health insurance way) without seeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel. And now that this horrible mistake has been corrected, and considering the fact that half of it happened in the comics, I have to talk about this. Because all that: both shows, and their respective comic continuations, that was my life for the past month.

First of all, I have to say, I’m glad that I wasn’t a kid when I saw the shows. I wouldn’t have understood the complexity and depth of the characters and their journeys, my judgement would’ve been childish at best. And there is a chance, it would’ve turned me away from this universe. Which is not the case now, on the contrary: give me more.

The existence of this show presents a few issues: it’s a ship centric blog, and the show is heavily ship oriented. And I’m not ready for another big ship war. The first happens when you watch the shows with your best friends and you end up on different sides of it.

But I will say that: regardless of which team you end up joining, there’s no need to be reasonable. It’s not life and death.

But the second big issue is that after reading the comics, I’m left with a feeling that you have to pick and choose your canon. There are stronger and weaker seasons, and there are pretty powerful standalone issues. Like Season 6 of Angel was perfectly in tune with the show. You know this is how it could’ve ended had it been on TV longer.

And then Season 8 of Buffy is at times no less than weird, while occasionally presents you with some character insights that make perfect sense. But hey, at the end of the day it’s all optional, now we have a comic reboot that somehow still works for me.

Even more, because it takes unexpected turns at every corner, and corrects some issues that I personally might have had with the show. Either way I’m extremely happy with this addition to my obsessions, as if Marvel, certain DC and Star Wars weren’t enough.

And if anyone wants to chat Buffy and/or Angel - I’m right here.

[yakult-kettle]

Saw this in my new year's dream so I felt compelled.

[dusty-sketchbook]

27 - A Gargoyle that pretty much wants every human to unalive in the most gruesome way possible.

[setyourphaserstoslutty]

I Never Post dogs at my work but Good God look at this Furby

[rachaelmayo]

Continuing with the Disney Gargoyles theme, this is a friend's OC, Maelificus. I don't remember this fellow's backstory, but he's Not Nice.

I adore this color scheme. I love the way the highlights and shadows worked out here. I used a photo of a leaping dancer as my point of reference for anatomy and lighting, and I really need to do this again one of these days. So muscle; much flex; WOW.

Prismacolor pencils over watercolor over an ink drawing.

[volvolts]

When I heard Keith David now I’m like “oh wow that’s dr. Tenma from Pluto”

[thoughtfulfangirling]

@docholligay replied:

It's a pastiche of western movie scenes and style, but the poncho is a direct reference to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, one of the most commenly referenced westerns

I forgot to reply to this forever ago. I hope it looks like it did an okay job with it's pastiche! And yeah, I did watch The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly exactly once, so I wouldn't have remembered.

I definitely see it though. Lmao the toothpick for the Gargoyles version. XD It's such a funny cheat. X-Men Evolution did that too for Wolverine. Amazing

Paging @docholligay !

Any idea if this is referencing any actual famous West

[disneytva]

Dynamite Comics Launches Kickstarter for GARGOYLES REMASTERED Comics As Part Of The Show’s 30th Anniversary.

Dynamite Comics & Disney Comics Launches Kickstarter for GARGOYLES Comics As Part Of The Show’s 30th Anniversary. Dynamite Entertainment brought back Gargoyles as a comic series in 2022 to great acclaim.

Now the publisher is crowdfunding a reprint of the classic comics based on the beloved animated series. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Dynamite is excited to offer three beautiful tomes collecting all of these previous tales for fans. The set is initially being offered on Kickstarter to reach and communicate with diverse fans of all ages directly.

[azlrse]

hello, can I request boyfriend gush for Malleus please?

[boyfriend gush/drabble: malleus draconia]

cw: spelling errors (pls do tell so that i'll fix itt) pure fluff & slight book 7 spoilers

a/n: wrote this while in a boring family function lmfaoo (maybe leona is next on the list)

malleus didn't expect that the one creature who would took his heart is none other than (m/c) themselves. if the princess of briar valley is alive along with her own husband, malleus would say that the both of them would be in a state of shock; skeptical even that their own son would chose a magicless human as his lover. his own mother would disapprove of you but for the sake of her son's happiness, she would accept you.

his grandmother on the other hand, is on the same page as her deceased daughter but over the course of time, maleficia saw you as her own and accepted you into the family.

he is also the type of fae who is deeply in love with them so much that he could get mad if someone would bad-mouthed them. malleus also remembered on how he confided into his caretaker, lilia, regarding his feelings for you. a romantic feeling to be percise. upon seeing and realizing on how malleus's eyes enlightened whenever he talks about you for months, lilia is delighted and excited to hear that malleus finally found true love on his own. he even encourages him to court you the way his own kind does.

when he does court you, he is surprised to see that you accepted his gifts but quite oblivious on what he's indicating. for you, these gifts are his way to thanking you for being his friend but for the prince, it's his way of saying that he's in love with you and wants your hand to be his significant other. this excruciating shenanigan went on for months until sebek had to intervene through a letter.

the student even pointed out that malleus is deeply in love with the prefect and couldn't shake off on how solemn his face looks after giving you another trinket but didn't say anything other than "thanks", thinking that you rejected his own feelings for you.

you felt really bad and immediately ran towards the diasomnia dorm just to apologize to the headwarden, mistaking his gifts as simple souvenirs and reminded him that this is the first time a fae courted you without actually knowing it. malleus also apologizes that you didn't know these acts of courtship because of you being a human and are unfamiliar of the said acts.

for your first date (you introduced that concept to your fae boyfriend), malleus invited you to sightseeing gargoyles in different locations within the school. malleus isn't used to explaining gargoyles and dragons to someone due to the latter's lack of interest but to you, you listened tentively and stared into his eyes as he introduced you to different statues. you didn't know a thing about statues but seeing how malleus explained each and every single statue puts you in a trance on how handsome he looks.

if (m/c) is the type of person who loves whole cakes, malleus would be amazed on how you ate lots and lots of cakes and not having heartburns nor a stomach ache. malleus knows that he despised those pastries due to an incident that took place sometime in his life. for him, (m/c) is known to be a sweet tooth and takes notes that he could give you cakes and sweets from his kingdom if you plan on visiting.

over the course of him dating you, this guy would occasionally scare you to bits by surprising you; malleus appearing in front of you out of nowhere, hanging upside down and surprising you (like how lilia does) and even hugging you from behind. he likes it on how skittish you are and the way you hit his arm as he laughs at you. he would apologize to you if he scared you to an extent or making you uncomfortable due to his antics.

he's also the one who gave you your first kiss. during one of your walks, you mentioned that you dated for quite sometime but didn't receive any kisses from him. at first, malleus thinks that giving you cheek kisses are enough but you murmured that you haven't got your first kiss on the lips. unfortunately, he heard the said plea and asked you if you really wanted that kissed.

you nodded and puckered your lips, preparing for his lips of touch yours when all of the sudden, he dips you down and kisses you. you were surprised, yes, but quickly melted into the kiss as you placed both of your hands into his face. malleus really likethe way you hid your face with your hands and the said kiss. he didn't say anything but placed a chaste kiss on your forehead as you recovered from the surprise kiss your boyfriend gave you.

note: want this but with your twst character? send me an ask!! <33

Do not republish, edit, or repost to other websites.

Reblogs and likes are appreciated! 💕

[kidasthings]

Noa and Mae: A Taboo Affair?

Hi, there! Kida checking in again with yet another controversy - you've been warned.

I see a lot of people on Tumblr and Reddit pointing out that a Noa/Mae (#NoMae?) pairing would be at best controversial, at worst beastiality.

I mean, he IS a CGI ape, right?

Not so fast.

I'd like to break down a few points, if I Mae (pun intended!), and address this argument. I'll be using a few of the comments I've seen on the web already to do so, on the part of the dissenters to the pairing.

1st Argument: "Planet of the Apes wouldn't show a kiss between a human and an ape. Ew."

Reply: Oh, they already have, my friend. Not in the full-blown sense, but they definitely did film Zira and Taylor kissing lips to muzzle in 1968. You can view that lovely bit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEp7yunwVF8

I apologize in advance for impinging on your delicate simian sensibilities. #sorrynotsorry

2nd Argument: "Why would they even depict a human/ape couple? Humans and apes can't even reproduce in the franchise."

Reply: They can't? News to me. There was a Hum-Ape written into the early scripts and screen tests for Beneath the Planet of the Apes in 1970. Seems the Planet of the Apes franchise truly thought it was worth exploring back then. You can read all about that little guy right here: https://planetoftheapes.fandom.com/wiki/Hum-Ape

Aww, just look at that adorable lack of face-fur!

3rd Argument: "The audience of today isn't ready for that kind of thing."

Reply: And the audience in the 1960's/early 1970's was? I didn't know we became even more conservative 50+ years later. I'll be sure to adjust my high neckline and clutch my pearls in absolute horror at the thought of all of those deviant libertines living before me. Excuse me, I must go confront my parents about this.

BUT, before I do, I do want to point out we seemed to accept an on-screen kiss between Goliath (a gargoyle) and Elisa (a human) during a certain Disney children's cartoon show in the 1990's - anyone remember that?

Disgusting. I bet his breath smelled like rancid pigeon.

Additionally, we have more recent films such as Avatar, The Shape of Water - which won 4 Academy Awards, including best picture (not bad for a human and a fish-man pairing), and Beauty and the Beast.

And hey, if a living monster is not your thing, you could always opt for Warm Bodies. Think female human and male zombie. Necrophilia, anyone?

4th Argument: "Okay, fine, I see your point on the Taylor/Zira thing. But that only worked out because it was a human in a monkey suit, and we all sort of knew that. It didn't make it so strange. As for the other films you listed, well, those creatures don't actually exist so it's out of the realm of true possibility anyway. Noa is depicted as a real chimp, and him getting with Mae just makes it hit too close to home for comfort."

Reply: #Ishetho? Let's take a good look at what a "real chimp" looks like:

He's so damn Chimpy.

Okay, now let's look at our leading man--er, ape:

Looks like Chimpy had a love-child with Owen Teague. #shudder

As you can see, the two are pretty different. Chimpy has a true muzzle and a mouth that curves around it. Noa has a flatter, human face with an actual nose bridge and wider-spaced eyes.

And the EYES. My god. If you don't see the humanity in those baby-blues you might want to get checked for psychopathy. Besides that, Chimpy lacks eye-whites and has rounder eyes than Noa. Additionally, that pronounced brow ridge on Chimpy has thunder clouds gathering beneath it. Don't get me started on the ear comparison between the two, I'm sure it goes without saying!

Anyway, I think it can be safely stated that no chimp alive on this earth looks like Noa. He's too physically humanized to resemble an actual chimpanzee of the typical zoo variety. Thus, I would place him safely in the category of fish-man, the tall, blue cat creatures from Avatar, and those barbaric blue aliens that keep cropping up on certain ice planets in books #ifyouknowwhatImean.

---------------------

All that said, everyone can ship what they want. If you want Noa playing house with Caesar, never mind that trifling little timeline issue, you go with your fine self and write that fanfiction. Create an account on DeviantArt.com and fill it with their anthropomorphic babies who eventually grow up to be the first ape astronauts. Someone out there is going to love it and eat it up, I promise you.

For the points above, this is about Noa and Mae. They've got something, something tangible. Whether or not it becomes canon is yet to be seen.

For now, it lives on in our minds. With our inner eye, we can see it just fine.

[schoenpepper]

Isekai'd Chronicles 4

Intro: Octavinelle in an isekai AU.

Warnings: bad writing, awful grammar, proofread by quillbot, the fish mafia deserve their own warning, mentions of death in all of them, Floyd in his mer form

A/N: Floyd's one of my favorite characters, but I must admit that Jade's part is probably my favorite one that I've written.

Masterlist

It seems like you have the braincell in your trio today. When your idiots come to you with tears in their eyes and a sea anemone on their heads, there's a little part of you that wants to tell them to deal with it on their own. But you don't do that because sadly, you're a good friend. Instead, you trudge on over to the cafe run by the shadiest people on campus, and you meet the second shadiest person on campus.

Shady, sleazy little octopus, the man is. Another duke-in-line, this one to the merfolk, so he has the same status as you really, Azul Ashengrotto is another hard mode capture target and one you can't afford to cross. You sit down in his fancy VIP room and he tells you that he wants to make a deal with you. He'll shorten your friends' time working at the lounge if you work alongside them! Isn't he such a benevolent soul? You agree of course, and reading through the contract, there's not a lot of pitfalls that can even be made with such straightforward terms. You realize pretty early on that getting you on board was only Azul's road to getting Kalim and Leona to blow way too much money on the lounge, and according to the contract, you can't ask them to stop even if you wanted to.

He's not a bad boss at least. You stomp over to his office and demand to eat lunch there, because the break room has a certain pair of mers you'd be smart to avoid. He doesn't stop you, and he even makes for good conversation while you eat. You share the littlest bits and pieces of your life with him for the same crumbs he's willing to give out. You force him to stay and chat with you when you're on a closing shift because the ADeuce combo are in the back washing dishes. Slowly, it starts to feel like you're more than just acquaintances, and you start to think he's quite a nice guy if he just stopped trying to pull you into stupid deals.

Really nice—he even ends your and your friends' contracts with the lounge earlier, in exchange for you coming by often and hanging out with him.

The octopus won't kill you. You're not a hundred percent sure, but it's enough to cross him off the list of capture targets who might kill you without blinking.

At the very least, Azul will shed mock tears for you.

"Azul senpai, I brought you some snacks!" You saunter into his office comfortably, proudly presenting a wicker basket full of baked goods. He raises an eyebrow and sets down his pen, a questioning look on his face. "And what do you want in return?"

You pout at him, faking an expression of hurt. "I don't want anything!"

"Liar. Tell me what you came for."

You laugh and the facade breaks, cracking into pieces as you pick up your phone and show him some pictures. "This weekend, there's a festival in the sea, right? I got permission from the headmaster and my parents, so can you play tour guide for me, senpai?" Azul's smile stiffens slightly, and he coughs into his fist as he turns away. "Fine. But only if it's just the two of us. My services won't be bought with pastries if you want to bring someone else."

You still don't have a club! That's a shame, don't you think? No. You don't think it's a shame, because you don't have an interest in any club when your friends seemed clingier and clingier recently, barely even getting you time to yourself. Not that you minded of course, but wait, why are clubs mandatory now?

Let’s see…gargoyles? You'd rather avoid the fae prince. Basketball with Ace and Jamil and— no, the mer is there. Film research has that elf, maybe spelldrive with Leona, but oh? What's this? A mountain lover's club? That was never mentioned in the game, but it sure peaked your interest. You submit the papers to Kalim because he's the leader of the dorm it's more Jamil but whatever, and when you reach the club room for your very exciting first club meeting, who do you see but the shadiest person on campus? The best thing to do would be to close the door on this guy, but he...looks so happy? And he trained you as a server at the lounge anyway, so you know he's not too bad.

Jade Leech tells you he's been looking forward to having another member in the club, and when he looks at you with that sharp toothed smile, your dumb little human heart forces you to sit down and complete your club registration.

Yay, you?

The game itself was vague regarding the tweels' family background, but they were nothing to sneeze at for sure. The danger is swept to the back of your mind when the club president is so giddily talking about terrariums and mushrooms and when he asks if he's saying too much, you can only shrug and reply that you don't mind listening. You even jot down notes every once in a while, and it's really nice to see him so happy. Even if he is the shadiest guy in school. Thus, every Friday after class, you two go on hikes up hills and mountains, and you play assistant as he looks for new mushrooms or different things to use in his terrariums. When the sun sets, you have yourselves a little bonfire and roast some random food that maybe shouldn't be roasted, looking up at the stars and talking about everything and anything.

You still don't doubt he'd likely kill you if he must, but you think he'd rather not lose the only other member of his club and would thus warn you first before murdering you.

The stars are beautiful, but the moon is hidden away by conveniently placed clouds in the sky. "I wish I could see the moon." You whisper to Jade, sighing wistfully. When you look at him, there's an oddly dreamy look in his eyes as he replies.

"I wish I could have the moon closer to me. I wish the moon would let me touch it, run my fingers over its grooves and imperfections. I wish...I could hide the moon away so that no one else would yearn for it the way that I do."

Floyd Leech has something out for you, you just know it! He's been following you around and teasing you and calling you names, and you can't do anything because just remembering the way the villain died in Floyd's route has shivers going down your spine. He's whining that Azul and Jade have been acting all weird recently, but what does that have to do with you?! Your friends try to shield you from his bone crushing squeezes every once in a while, but they're all so busy these days that you can't even use them as sacrifices anymore. So you pop yourself into the school's store and pick up a cute little keychain. It's shiny and pretty and you decide to buy one for yourself and one for Floyd as an offering, praying to whatever deity existed that he'd chill and leave you alone. But with the way he looks at you after, with stunned, wide eyes and all, it makes you think you don't really know what exactly you did. He does kind of calm down after that. Emphasis on kind of.

He tells you he finds you real funny, and he now sort of listens when you tell him you can't breathe in between squeezes. He serves you at the lounge whenever you come by, giggling and gossiping about stupid customers even when he's supposed to be working his shift. He badgers you to attend his basketball games and practices, and you suck it up and go the extra mile by bringing sports drinks and towels for everyone in the team, if only because Ace and Jamil were there too. He's not awful once you've gotten to know him, and you've managed to wrap your head around his idea of fun enough to actually find it fun, running around in the school to find places to parkour and even going incognito outside campus to shop for shoes. You think you've found a way to maybe coexist peacefully with him, even having the guts to lightly scold him as you wrap up his injuries from grabbing some poor kid for Azul.

Well, to be honest, you still see him killing you as a possibility, if only a smaller one. At the very least, you think you're close enough that he would choose a more painless death for you should he want to get it done. Fingers crossed.

You find him mesmerizing in this form. All muscle and shiny teal skin, even his razor sharp teeth look so beautiful like this, and the webbing between his fingers were so cool, and his claws were so awesome, and his tail was downright majestic!

"Neh, Shrimpy, you've gone all quiet. Don't tell me you're scared~?"

You shake your head and come closer to the glass wall, pressing your hands up against the glass.

"Floyd senpai, you're so pretty." You whisper in a daze, eyes chasing after the flick of his tail. He freezes for a few seconds before laughing, swimming closer to you.

"Hey Shrimpy, you're real funny, ain'tcha? I think I'll keep ya'."

[salem-witch-slut]

Of Bartenders and Bodyguards

Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader x Abby Anderson

SYNOPSIS: After a disaster goes down at the bar the night before Thanksgiving, Abby and Ellie come to your rescue and the two quickly become all you can think about.

WARNINGS: Offensive words used (such as dyke, rape), mentions of sexual assault, alcohol, Ellie typical violence, polyamory, reader described as femme

WORD COUNT: 4.8K

A/N: You guys have been waiting for this one to come back. So here's this, and I'm currently working on a part 2, so look out for that!

Dividers made by @cafekitsune

The night started out as any other night.

Prep for service, make ordered drinks, clean up after, check IDs to make sure the bouncer at the door didn’t overlook anything, and stay vigilant in order to not let anything bad happen in the club. After doing this for 3 years, you could say she was a bit of an expert on spotting bullshit and diffusing chaos. She’s seen it all and dealt with it all.

“Ready for tonight?” The auburn-haired bartender glanced up from the countertop, pausing her knife strokes in cutting up various fruits she knew that she would need for the many cocktails she would make that evening. Leaning on the freshly wiped down countertop, the tall and muscular blonde woman wearing that freshly ironed button-up black collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up just under her elbows and the matching black dress pants. Her hair was pulled back in that same braid she almost always had, and those black fingerless gloves that the bartender had a massive thing for all the time.

“Psssh,” The bartender smirked, handing the headset over from under the countertop and watching the blonde hook it up to her ear. “I’m a professional, always.”

“Try not to threaten anyone tonight, Ellie?”

“I’m good, Abby. 100 percent. The gun will stay under the counter, I promise.”

Abby smirked before she watched Ellie offer her a glass from under the countertop. Before Abby could accept it, she raised a brow and smelled the liquid in the glass. “Just seltzer, right?”

��Dude, I’m not trying to get fuckin’ fired tonight,” Ellie began placing several bottles underneath the bar and folded up some of the towels under the counter, lining the edge of her station. She looked at the clock and saw it was 8:47 PM. Only a little while longer until the doors opened up.

Abby quickly downed said seltzer and left the glass on the countertop, giving Ellie a small wink before she took her own place at the front of the club to watch everything that was going on. All of the workers were bustling around to get ready for tonight’s service. It was bound to be insane; it was something that the service industry called Black Wednesday. An influx of out-of-towners would be flooding inside the day before Thanksgiving and the max capacity would be reached in a matter of an hour.

When the clock struck 9, patrons began to flood in almost uncontrollably. Abby was her usual broody self, standing in the corner, prepared to throw someone out in a moment’s notice, watching over everything like some gargoyle on the rooftop of a chapel.

Her arms were crossed, accentuating those gorgeous muscles in that shirt as the hours carried on until almost midnight. She had thrown out several individuals so far, and Ellie had been true to her word; the pistol under the counter for emergencies had stayed strapped to the wood, the safety on, but preloaded and ready to use just in case. Hopefully it wouldn’t be like it was on Halloween when Ellie genuinely had to threaten someone before they jumped over the counter.

The night had been going smoothly so far… So far.

The next flood of customers came in, and Abby had seen many individuals enter the bar that night… she’s seen so many girls come in, wearing the shortest skirts and the tightest dresses known to mankind, and she didn’t ever bat an eye… Until she saw you.

When you entered the club, her heart skipped and she openly gaped. She had never seen anybody quite like you before… A wine-colored blouse with off-shoulder bell sleeves down to your wrists, and a white pleated skirt that was short enough to cover your rear but leave almost all of your thigh on display. And somehow, you found red heels the same shade as your shirt, which anyone knew was nearly impossible. There was a gilded hairclip in your locks in the shape of a rose, the edges golden and shiny, and there was a butterfly tattoo on the back of your neck.

Abby’s never faltered before… well, maybe when she met Ellie for the first time during her training? But beyond that, she’s never been speechless before. There was only one problem, though… That man with his arm wrapped around your waist, skimming dangerously close to your ass. Every few seconds, you would force his hand back up, but he would continue to push the envelope, pissing him off by the millisecond.

When you two sat down at the bar, the man snapped his fingers in Ellie’s direction as she spoke to another patron. At hearing the sound of fingers snapping over the booming music, followed up by a whistle, she openly rolled her eyes at the man who dare interrupt her.

“I’ll be right with you,” She snapped, accepting the $100 that the other patron gave her. She folded up the bill, stuffed it into her apron pocket before standing in front of the arrogant man, and then she looked at you. Her cheeks went pink, and she had to grab at her shirt for a second to calm herself down.

You were gorgeous… But you looked embarrassed. Was it because the man called Ellie over like she was a fucking dog?

“What can I get you two?” She spoke mostly to you, watching as your eyes lit up and you smiled warmly. It made her feel fuzzy inside for a second and she almost jumped out of her skin at hearing Abby’s voice inside of her headset.

“She’s adorable, isn’t she?” The blonde smirked, forcing Ellie to look up for a second. She resisted the urge to flip Abby off and waited patiently for the order.

“Two margaritas,” The man spoke quickly, and without even looking in your direction. You had this face of disdain and before you could speak out, he hushed you. “You’ll love it, I promise. Best thing this place has to offer.”

“Actually,” Ellie butted in. “All of our drinks are good, so she doesn’t need to get—”

“Did I ask for your opinion?” The man barked, his unkempt brows creasing with aggression. Ellie didn’t even flinch but looked disgusted as she turned to look at you, seeing the poor puppy-dog eyes from you and all of her anger began to melt away at how guilty you acted. Of course, the bastard man wasn’t done insulting her yet. “Just do your job, dyke.”

“Michael!” You shouted, your voice almost piercing the air as you bristled with this uncomfortable air around you. He barely even looked at you as Ellie leaned on the counter for a second, licking at her lips and giving a soft little click to the underside of her teeth before walking off and doing what he asked for.

“C’mon baby, she was askin’ for that,” The man, Michael, reached out and gently grabbed at your chin. Even from where she was standing, Abby could see you were uncomfortable. And when Ellie returned with the drinks, Michael reached down once again and this time, grabbed a handful of your ass. Abby’s fist curled into the fabric of her shirt, and she seethed with anger at how you reacted. It would be different if you liked what he did, but you looked disgusted.

Very carefully, you grabbed at the drink in front of you and gave a little sip before immediately putting it down. It was clear that you didn’t like it but couldn’t speak out because of the death grip this asshole had on you. His hand was now on your thigh, just below the hem of your skirt, and you looked absolutely frozen in fear, like a deer in headlights.

It wasn’t until everyone was distracted that Abby saw something that had her moving almost instantly in your direction. One of the servers dropped a glass on the ground and the sound had everyone, including you, looking in that direction. And in that split second moment, your so-called date slipped something into your drink.

The packet of white powder was dumped in the liquid and fizzed before dissolving almost immediately.  When you went back to the drink to try it again, a hand closed around the glass, making you look up in surprise. Abby took the glass from your hands, putting it on the counter and leaning down to speak so you didn’t need to strain to hear her.

“Don’t drink that, sweetheart.”

Abby felt you shiver as she gently released your wrist, looking at the man next to you who was glaring at her, fire burning in his eyes. Before he could say a single thing, Abby got Ellie’s attention as she was in the middle of handing off a scotch to another customer.

“Ellie, call the police,” Abby said without hesitation, making you immediately fear for the worst. The drink in front of you looked unsuspecting, and then Abby watched you slowly dip your pinky finger into the alcoholic beverage. Everybody watched as your blue nail polish turned purple and your entire face twisted in abstract rage.

“You tried to…” Michael stood out of his seat, almost like he was going to run away. Your voice faltered as you looked at Ellie, and then to Abby, your heart twisting uncomfortably in your chest. Almost like an instinct, your fists curled into the fabric of your dress. “Why?”

“Come on baby,” Michael smirked. “You been playin’ hard to get for weeks now. You come out, dressed like that, and think I ain’t fuckin’ tonight?”

His entire demeanor made Abby even more pissed off. She heard Ellie call the police almost immediately after he spoke and very cautiously approached the man. “Sir, you’re gonna want to stay away from her.”

“Don’t even try that shit,” Michael jeered, still grinning like a wolf. “Look at her; she’s askin’ for it.”

Very slowly, you sat back down on your stool and felt a single tear race down your cheek. Michael wasn’t the nicest person, but he never acted like this before… Was tonight just a ploy to get you in bed with him? You had been seeing him for a few weeks now, and every time you gave a small kiss on his cheek before you went back home.

And each time, he acted more and more agitated and short-fused. And now it was making sense why; Michael was pissed you didn’t put out on day one… That’s what you get for using Tinder, huh?

Ellie could see your hands shaking as you went to clutch at your chest, trying not to look at Michael and focus on anything else. Ellie hung up the phone and looked at Abby, simply holding up four fingers and then tapping the inside of her wrist. After working with each other for 3 years, they knew how to communicate basic things without needing words. The cops would be there in four minutes, and she told Abby to restrain him.

“You need to back off, now,” Abby said, calmly and collectively. Michael was on the opposite end of the spectrum and began screaming immediately.

“Don’t fucking talk to me, bitch! I’m not goin’ anywhere,” He got closer and closer to Abby and you began to get back off the stool, backing away and nearly stepping into another patron in the process. Michael noticed this, and he went to reach for your arm… and then, all hell broke loose.

Abby reacted first. Her veined hand wrapped around Michael’s wrist and she pulled his entire arm over his head, grabbing the back of his shirt and slamming his face down onto the counter. Ellie watched as the man struggled, kicking at Abby’s shins to try and get her to let go. The sound of a gun cocking had Michael finally going still and he looked up, staring down the barrel of a pistol in Ellie’s hand.

“Think again, motherfucker,” Ellie hissed, her tattooed arm flexing as she held the gun to his face. The safety was still on, but she wouldn’t hesitate to fire a clip directly into his skull if necessary. The look of terror on your face spoke volumes as you wrapped both arms around your body and began to slowly sink down onto the floor. Tears flowed freely and you curled in on yourself… It was truly a heartbreaking sight to see.

When the cops finally showed up, Abby all but tossed Michael in their direction, watching the man get shoved in the back of a police car. And unfortunately, because of this kind of incident, the bar had to be shut down. Police were swarming all over the place, and the owner decided the best course of action was to close the doors for the night. It would kill his revenue, but it was better than people being scared away by the police.

Abby was the first to give her statement to the cops, and then Ellie, and finally, you.

You had mostly been in shock the entire time, sitting on an outside seat as the officer questioned you. He asked you if this kind of thing had happened before, to which you responded no, but gave him the details about how Michael got more and more aggressive with each date you two went on.

As you sat there, with your face in your hands, you could hear the cops talking as they ran a screening on Michael… “Fake ID. Mitchell Loomis, arrested for aggravated and sexual assault… was released on parole last month.”

And then suddenly, you felt like the biggest idiot in the world. You willingly went out with a criminal. And not just any kind of criminal; no, you were dating a rapist! And had it not been for Abby and Ellie, you would have probably been next! You looked up at the two women who acted like your guardian angels that night, and you immediately started crying again.

Your sobs were so quiet that no one could hear you. Ellie was too busy beating herself up, looking down at her shoes and grumbling in anger. “Fuck, they were sitting right in front of me. How did I not see it?”

Abby frowned, putting a hand on her shoulder. “El, it’s the busiest damn night of the year. One person can’t see everything… that’s why I’m there to watch your back, yeah?”

“I know,” Ellie sighed, rubbing at her forehead and flinching at the cold air ruffling up her short auburn locks. The November air was especially brutal tonight, and Ellie suddenly got worried about you. Considering what you had been wearing, you must have been freezing. She looked over and saw you curled forward in the chair, your entire face buried into your thighs as your tears stained the fabric of your skirt. “Shit, poor thing…”

“Come on,” Abby tugged on Ellie’s sleeve before they both approached you. When Ellie reached down to gently place a hand on your shoulder, you shot back up, eyes wide and bloodshot with fear before you relaxed, seeing their faces.

“Easy, easy…” Abby knelt down in front of you, reaching her hand out and gently placing the warm skin against your cheek. You immediately grabbed at her wrist and pushed your face into her palm, tears staining her knuckles as your makeup smeared. Even with your runny mascara and lipstick stains on your face, you still looked beautiful even in this moment. “You’re okay… you’re fine, it’s alright.”

“I feel… so stupid…” You said through hiccups, tears tracking down your cheeks. You stared into Abby’s gunmetal blue irises, trying to find a reason to calm down. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart, you looked so shattered. “H-how could I… n-not see this coming?”

“It’s okay,” Ellie sat on the table next to you, reaching out and gently tucking a lock of hair behind your ear before she softly caressed your jaw. The action was comforting, even if her hands had rough callouses on them. “It could’ve happened to anybody, you know… I’m actually impressed you have that nail polish. That’s ingenious, actually.”

The color had gone back to blue in the time you had been sitting down and you looked at your semi-short nails. Ever since you began your Tinder escapade, you had purchased the special nail polish, just in case something bad happened. You wore it all the time, and it was a plus that it was a pretty color too, so no one expected a thing… And now, you just wanted to take it off. You had done it to every single drink before tonight, but not this time… why not this time?

Very slowly, Ellie was removing her jacket and draped it over your shoulders in order to try and keep you warm. The shivers began to slowly subside, and you pushed your face into the tough leather, inhaling the scent that rolled off of it. You could smell rustic like cologne, and something that reminded you of your dad in a weird way, and you instantly felt better.

Abby noticed how you were pushing your whole face in Ellie’s jacket, and she elbowed the bartender when she smirked at the blonde. Suddenly, it felt like a competition to see who could comfort you more and you calmed down in seconds with how sweet and doting they were both acting. Ellie had gotten you a bottle of water and Abby was holding your hands the entire time to try and keep you focused on anything else but what happened to you that night.

When the minutes carried on, the night got later and later… Until you looked down and saw what time it was on Abby’s watch, you had been fine. And then, you jumped up from the chair, making Ellie nearly fall off the table she was perched on. You reached down and grabbed Abby’s wrist, her cheeks turning a soft pink at your grip. “Ohmygod, is that the time?!”

You pulled out your phone and began to aggressively type something into your phone. “Oh fuck, finding a damn Uber is gonna be like… $50 right now? Are you kidding me?” The emotions crossing your face were wild, making Ellie and Abby worry at the same time. Both of them stood up as you began pacing like mad, hair whipping in the wind and the cold having you shivering again.

Just as Abby glanced down, seeing your knees wobble, her face got even redder as a certain gust of wind lifted your skirt, but you were far too frantic to notice. Wow, even your panties were white, how cute!

“If you want,” Ellie stepped forward, holding her hands in front of her and gently tugging on her fingers with a certain sad look that made your heart ache. “I uhm… I could take you home?”

“El, after what happened tonight—”

“Just straight to your home,” Ellie defended herself against Abby’s words. Your face turned a deep red as you looked at the price of the Uber on your phone, and then back up to Ellie… The woman who had threatened your date with a weapon for you… Could she be trusted? “I promise you’ll get there safe.”

After many minutes of being worried, you decided that getting into the bartender’s car was somehow safer than getting into a complete stranger’s car. And yes, Ellie was a stranger, but… If you tried to rationalize any harder, you would get a headache. “Okay. Yeah, sure, I would really appreciate that, miss.”

Ellie pulled her keys out of her pocket and looked at Abby once again, watching her roll her eyes. She put a hand in her pocket and fiddled with the lighter inside of her pants, attempting to calm herself down when she watched Ellie wrap an arm around your shoulders and lead you towards her 1989 K5 Blazer. The deep blue color and shiny exterior made you slightly nervous.

The gorgeous bartender opened the door for you, giving a soft smile before she noticed that you looked uncomfortable. Ellie immediately frowned. “Somethin’ wrong, sweetheart?”

“I…” You hesitated. It wasn’t that you were nervous about her being in the car with you. No, it was something else. “I feel like I’ll degrade the value of your car if I get in…”

Ellie chuckled slightly before she watched you slide into the passenger seat and slowly closed the door behind you. The car smelled so clean, like leather polish and an air freshener. Your stomach twisted a little in you as Ellie quickly joined on your left side, kicking the car into gear and heading down the road.

“You’ll have to guide me there, sweetheart,” Ellie smiled, turning the heat on to a comfortable level and keeping both hands on the steering wheel. “You can turn on the radio if you want, I don’t mind.”

“I’m okay,” You mumbled, leaning back into your seat and pushing your face into the side of Ellie’s jacket. It kept you so warm, and it smelled so nice… You wish you knew more about its owner. You had climbed inside of this car, and you didn’t even know this bartender’s name. Your face turned a soft shade of pink as you looked over at the woman driving, and you felt your heart skip like rocks on a river.

She was beautiful… Absolutely breathtaking. The soft curve of her nose, those intense green eyes, the freckles that dappled her cheeks and forehead, the various tiny scars littering her skin, and the intense scar over her eyebrow; the shade of her hair tied back in that half up, half down fashion, the sharpness of her jawline, the slight pout of her top lip…

If you had met her before tonight… someone would need to drag you out of the bar kicking and screaming to get you to leave her alone. And then, your thoughts wandered to the blonde bouncer that spotted what happened in the first place. What was her name?

That woman was… wow. You remembered how her brows creased when she first approached you. The warmth of her veined, massive hand that closed around your wrist. You could feel her strength without it even being shown, as she was so gentle and caring with you even though her job was to be the enforcer. The caress of said hand against your cheek in the cold weather outside, how she smiled when you two talked so casually, the way her bottom lip snagged under her teeth when she bit it to try and hold back a giggle… Fuck, they were both hot!

Before you knew it, Ellie was pulling up to your apartment building. You frowned for a second and glanced over at her before reaching into the top of your dress to pull out a collection of bills that you prepared for tonight. There was about $150 stashed away inside your bra and Ellie did not miss you removing it either. She blushed a deep crimson and bit down on her lip as you flipped through the bills and attempted to hand her a $20. “That should cover the gas to get me here, right?”

Ellie gave a breathy chuckle, smiling and closing her eyes for a brief second. The sound of her deep, grumbly laugh had you squirming in your seat. “Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. Knowing you are home, safe and sound is payment enough for me.”

And just like that, you were back to turning red. You bit down on your bottom lip and tucked the money back into your bra, inhaling deeply and going to step out of the car before Ellie was ripping off her seatbelt and nearly jumping over the jeep’s hood to get to your door in time. She opened it up and offered her hand for you, which you accepted without question this time around.

“Allow me, miss,” She smirked, winking at you as she walked you inside of the building and towards your door on the third floor. As soon as you reached the apartment door, you fumbled with your keys for a brief second before turning around and looking at Ellie who tucked both hands into her pocket.

Honestly, you expected for things to go south… after the night you had, it would make perfect sense for shit to go wrong right now, right? But Ellie was true to her word. She kept her hands to herself and stayed a person’s length away from you at all times, only admiring you with her eyes. Before you could fully step inside your apartment, you immediately jumped in place.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Very slowly, you pulled Ellie’s jacket off your shoulders and handed it back to her. She accepted the leather wordlessly and tucked it over her arm. “Thank you… I… I don’t even know your name, miss.”

“Ellie,” She bowed her head, that loose lock of auburn hair falling in front of her face for a second before she tucked it back behind her ear. She held her hand out for you to take, which you did without realizing and then, you were blushing once more!

The bartender bent down and pressed a kiss to your knuckles, like you were a princess. Her lips were soft and gentle as she kissed your skin and then immediately released your hand, looking up at you and bowing her head with respect. “Goodnight, sweetheart. I’m happy you’re safe and that we were able to help you.”

And as quick as she was in your life, she was getting on the elevator and leaving without another word. You leaned against the door and frowned, putting a hand over your chest to try and still your fast beating heart. “Goodbye… Ellie…”

Abby looked up from the phone, her hair still damp and dark after her shower. The front door opened up and she watched Ellie drop the keys on the table next to the entrance and slam her entire body against the wooden surface to shut it behind her. Ellie had this silly little smile on her face and Abby just rolled her eyes and leaned back. “You didn’t make her uncomfortable, did you?”

“I don’t think I did,” Ellie draped her jacket over the back of the reclining chair and flopped down next to Abby, leaning up and gently kissing her cheek. “Tonight, was definitely one of the more exciting ones, yeah?”

“Your tellin’ me,” Abby rolled her shoulders a bit as she looked at her phone, double checking to make sure she wasn’t on schedule tomorrow. She and Ellie had the day off together, which was a luxury few could afford due to the holiday. “Gotta go in tomorrow to pick up my paycheck though, that sucks.”

“Before open, babe,” Ellie said, standing back up and slowly unbuttoning her white shirt, untucking it from her dark denim jeans and tossing it onto the couch next to Abby who immediately locked her phone just to watch the show. Ellie smirked, stripping her clothes off piece by piece until she was standing in just her sports bra and boxers. “I’m gonna shower, okay?”

Before Ellie could walk off, Abby was gently grabbing her hand. “Wait, hold on. I… I had uh… something I had to ask.”

“Yes?” Ellie smiled warmly.

“You remember when we talked about… having a uhm… you know, a polyamorous thing? Bringing another girl in with us?” Abby stumbled on her words, her cheeks heating up as she thought about you and how sickeningly adorable you were. “You think that uh… maybe she could—”

“Abby,” Ellie reached down and ran her entire hand across Abby’s cheek, rubbing her jawline and making the blonde lean hard into her touch. If she had a tail, it would be wagging. “If we ever see her again? Maybe. But we don’t even know if she’s into girls, or if she likes both of us.”

“Were we lookin’ at the same girl?” Abby chuckled. “She may as well have a bisexual flag tattoo on her forehead, El.”

“Okay, point taken,” Ellie smiled. You did give off bi vibes, and that was the only reason she felt confident enough to give you that hand kiss without pissing herself. And when you didn’t shove her away, it was a very good sign. “But still, she has to like us both… But I mean, not to brag, but I’m pretty sure she likes me more.”

Abby was on her feet in seconds, racing after Ellie as they both went into the bedroom where the shorter woman stepped into the bathroom. “I beg to differ! She only likes you more now because you got to flirt with her! That’s an unfair advantage—”

“Excuses, excuses,” Ellie mocked, sticking her tongue out and hopping into the shower to clean off the smell of alcohol from her skin. “If we see her again, I bet I take her out on a date before you do!”

“Oh, it is so on, Williams.”

“What’s the prize for the winner?” Abby didn’t even need to see Ellie to know she was smirking.

Abby grinned like a wolf. “Loser gets strapped.”

“Ooooh, almost want to lose now, baby.”

[h2llish]

⁀➷ ˖ tough love

notes ─── we love rollo <3 so this is my contribution to @cloudcountry 's event!

ROLLO FLAMME ─── if you don't care, you're not sure anyone will.

warnings ☆ fluff, some comfort, can be read platonic or romantic, gender neutral, reader is not yuu, playful teasing, lowercase intended, takes place after the event btw

the sky had become dashed with yellows and pinks as the sun began to set, and many of your peers began to retire from the rush of class. you would've liked to join them, but like clockwork, your routine left you climbing the belltower as the time on your watch struck six, with your books abandoned at the bottom for you to come back to. (if anyone stumbled across your belongings, they knew to leave it be, far too used to the routine of you and their president.)

you believe you had come to recognize every miniscule difference in the planks with how often you'd climb them, navigating the corners like your body had memorized every turn. and perhaps it has, since you've been climbing the belltower for more than a year every day to meet him at the top.

"there they are!"

you smiled and tilted your head respectfully as you reached the top of the tower, greeting the gargoyles that lived with the bell. they'd come to recognize your face, knowing you by name, and always waiting for you to reach the top at the same time, every day. ─ you'd only ever been late once, when you hadn't been aware of the quicker passage to the top. but since then, you'd always be there, even when you fell ill with a cold, or found it difficult to walk after a bad bout of food poisoning (specific, perhaps, but it did happen, and yet you still came at the exact time in which you promised you would. even if that did lead you to receiving a long scolding).

one of the gargoyles, who had always been more talkative, and seemed much older compared to the rest, waited to gesture over to the bell, where you could just barely see someone sitting on the other side. "we're especially quiet today."

"is that so." you sighed, gripping the bag on your shoulder with a lazy shrug, nodding at the gargoyle in your thanks.

rollo hardly batted an eye when you took up spot beside him, setting the bag down safely, and leaning back on your hands with an exaggerated sigh. "you know, having to climb all these stairs every day, gets exhausting." you said ─ a jab, you always made sure to poke at him. it was a test, something you've done since you were kids. you'd learned that his reactions to your jokes always told you how he was feeling, how open he was to talk to you.

"then stop climbing every day." he replied, rolling his eyes but not giving you the satisfaction of a glance your way.

you gasped, as dramatic as he'd known you to be, "but this is my time where i have you all to myself! i'm offended you'd say such a thing!"

"you're ridiculous."

"says the guy who is brooding all alone here in a tower." you snickered, and he finally looked at you, sending you a glare. but you hardly felt any anger behind it; at least not at you. ─ the anger you were used to seeing since the incident was always directed elsewhere, stewing, grieving.

"i'm not brooding." he scowled, and you raised your eyebrows, as if challenging that claim.

"sure you're not." you clicked your tongue and grinned.

he was talkative today, expressive ─ a rare occurrence with him. you'd consider it your lucky day if you didn't know he's only ever like this when his guard is down because he's simply too tired to keep it up. he's known you since you were small, you'd been there since the start of it all, and yet he still found it so difficult to relax. ─ you knew why, and you grieved for him when he could not.

he went silent, a scoff his final jab at your teasing, turning his head back out to the city that the bell overlooked, watching over it like a knight to its queen. the same city you can still vividly remember being covered in flickering flowers that drained you of the magic you built up if only to be at his side when he got into the college. ─ you remember being in the dorms, attending to any students who might need your help. and you remember when they started to fall unconscious. you remember looking outside as the flowers spread, until you too, went dark, only to wake sometime later with the mission of finding rollo to make sure he was okay. (he was, and you think you know why.)

"are you hungry?" you asked, crossing your legs and leaning forward.

"no."

"liar." you quickly rebutted, turning your head to him with narrowed eyes, "you didn't eat lunch."

"and how do you know that?"

"i know everything, my dear rollo." ─ you always made sure he was taking care of himself, always there to support even when he remained oblivious to it. you remember making that promise to yourself as a kid, to look out for him when no one else would, when he didn't know how to grieve, and he scowled and cursed at every mage that crossed your sight.

you grabbed the bag at your side and reached into it, pulling out sandwiches and bottles of water, "i brought you something to eat." you held it out to him with a look that told him he had to take it. he did, and he didn't need to say thank you because you knew that when tomorrow comes, he'll have your favorite pastry waiting for you, like he always did when you make sure to care of him where he lacked. "i would've cooked for you, but alas, i simply had no time."

"thank the stars." he sassed, and you would've gasped in surprise if you hadn't been expecting. ─ he really was so talkative today, lucky you.

"we are still sitting at the top of the tower."

"your threats have no effect on me." he scoffed, before taking a bite of the unwrapped sandwich.

you snorted and glared at him with faux annoyance, "see if i ever come back here."

a side glance as he chewed, before he jabbed back, "what happened to having me all to yourself?"

"i can manage."

"you're much too terrible at lying."

he's right, but you think that applies only when it came to your care for him.

and you know it will be the same tomorrow. ─ just as your watch strikes six, when the sky is painted with yellows and pinks as the sun begins to set, and many of your peers begin to retire from the rush of class. and although you would like to join them, you'd still find yourself at the belltower, like clockwork, with your books waiting for you to return to them, and a bag on your shoulder with sandwiches inside because you'd know he'd probably forget to eat lunch. and you'd find something else to jab at him about, to see how he's feeling, and know what he needs you to be.

because you made a promise to care for him, because you're not sure anyone else will.

do not repost, translate, copy, or run my writing through an ai

[redflagshipwriter]

Red Hot Ghouls Chapter 13 part 1/2

masterpost

The next patrol night, Jason’s shoulder was still a little sore from how hard Jack Fenton had pumped it to say goodbye after they’d gone ‘ghost chasing- not hunting!’ in the family van. The van and the family were both growing on him. He was going to really hate it if he had to arrest either of the Fenton kids. It might damage his relationship with Jack and Maddie.

“How was your trip?”

“Might have gotten adopted but I’m not sure why,” Jason said. He shot his grapple and aimed to get a good view of the neighborhood. He winced as it reeled him up. It was a quiet night and cool air buffeted him hard from the side. He didn’t expect trouble. He’d been seen, which was the main deterrent Crime Alley needed at this point. “Did a bit of journalism. Had an impromptu refresher on tactical driving.” He hit boots-first with relief and immediately rolled his shoulder.

“...You’re doing that shitty thing where you make it sound like you’re blowing me off with lies, but then later I find out it was all true and you make some jackass comment about being an honest guy,” Tim diagnosed. He sounded cranky about it, too.

Jason just shrugged. “Did Gotham miss me?” Horns honked in the distance. He looked in that direction on reflex; but no explosion or crash followed. He relaxed again.

“Not even a little bit. But something happened while you were in the air, actually, that might be relevant. Have time to watch?” A little red cursor appeared on the feed inside his helmet.

Jason retracted his grapple and settled in on the ledge like a gargoyle. “Go for it.” He rested his elbows on his knees and crouched. Then he redirected his focus from the real world around him to the little screen that Tim was hijacking.

“Yeah, you’ll like this,” Tim said under his breath. “Just a sec. No theory yet, but check this shit out.”

Jason grimaced preemptively.

The shared screen switched to an Arkham security camera, complete with logo in the bottom right hand corner. It showed a single occupancy low-security cell at night. A man was sleeping in the bed. The quality was crappy enough that Jason doubted he’d be able to identify the prisoner if they looked directly at the camera.

“That Waters?” he checked.

“Sure is.” A button clicked. “Here we go.”

It was hard to tell that the video was playing, aside from the seconds ticking by on the display. Jason resisted the urge to fidget. Tim had selected this part for a reason. Maybe that reason was to be a dick, but probably he was serious.

The screen went black. Then static. Then the feed started wavering across the screen in lines.

“Huh.” Jason lifted his eyebrows. “Not great quality.”

“Reminds me of the quality of Jasmine Fenton’s phone calls,” Tim muttered. “But hold on. It’s hard to see, but-”

Waters was sitting up in one frame. In the next, he was scrambling out of bed and to the floor to prostrate face down in front of absolutely nobody.

He had to make a dry comment. “Wonder why he’s in Arkham.”

Granted, Jason knew the guy was kinda right about the afterworld. But he really wasn’t conveying ‘I am a stable member of society who won’t try any more human sacrifices in a community center rental room.’

Jason squinted. “Does it look like he’s talking to you?”

“Sure does.” Tim sounded frustrated. “No sound, and there’s no chance of reading lips on this even if the angle was better.”

Jason checked the full view of the camera angle again with a sharp eye for any anomalies. Lots of people had special powers that let them go unseen. There was usually some kind of sign, though. A shadow? Something small on the floor that was disturbed? An indication that something moved because someone touched it?

If there was anyone in that room, they didn’t touch anything, and they didn’t stay long. Waters wrenched himself up and threw a fit, hitting the floor and pulling at his hair. Jason watched impassively, waiting to see how long it took for something to happen.

“Response time isn’t too bad,” he remarked. Two orderlies appeared outside of the cell and began trying to talk Waters down.

“Over two minutes,” Tim said judgmentally.

Jason rolled his eyes, because he lived in the real fucking world where that was a short amount of time to notice and reach a cell at night. On the screen, Waters started to respond to whatever was being said. He uncurled from his ball on the floor. He gradually got up. He nodded a few times. The rest of the clip seemed utterly unremarkable and Jason had to assume they were only watching it to be certain they were thorough.

When it was finally over Jason leaned back and contemplated the night sky. “You think that Jasmine Fenton is connected?” he had to ask.

“She did look up when his cell transfer would be and this happened half a day later, the last night before he got moved. I can’t think of how she’d be connected, unless you believe- well.” Tim cleared his throat. “I looked up the Fentons. They say they’re, uh.” He sounded embarrassed just to say it.

Jason could have cut in at any time with ‘ectobiologists?’ Instead, he sat back and enjoyed how uncomfortable his shitty little foster brother was about mad science. Bit rich, coming from the mental breakdown cloning guy. But hey, free schadenfreude source.

Tim sighed so hard it sent static across the feed. Jason turned on the recording function just in time to capture Tim say, “They’re ghost hunters. Ecobiologists. Hey, you sack of-”

Jason ended the recording. “Imma trim that,” he muttered to himself, and saved the file where Tim couldn’t access it. “Gonna be my ringtone for you,” he lied cheerfully. He could think of much better uses for ‘they’re ghost hunters.’

But in the interest of fairness-

“They’re not ghost hunters,” Jason clarified. “They’re ghost chasers, now. Like storm chasers.”

“Wow,” Tim muttered. “I’ll take that note down for my diary.

Jason stood up and ignored the sarcasm. “You’re theorizing that there might have been a ghost in that cell?”

[red-viewe]

general lilia x reader thoughts 🔫 (part two✌)

COLORED TEXT IS FAE LANGUAGE (tw: metions of bl99d, swearing)

Part 1 part 3

---

'Fuck my life.'

Here's the tea. You found a half-dead but sexy asf fae on your sidewalk and decided, 'Hey! Let's bring him in, warp him up and fall asleep!' Which was a stupid decision, because now, you're leaning against Mr. Hot Guy's head, pretending to be asleep, because right now, THE FAE GUY IS AWAKE AND HE MIGHT KILL YOU.

After about 5 minutes of awkward silence, this happened.

"I know you're awake."

He said, as he slowly started to get up from the couch. "W-wow, i didn't think you would notice..." God, get yourself together, dude.

"Where am I?" He says, turning to the very sweaty(?) you. God, this man is so hot.

"You're in my house...in the woods, a-and you shouldn't stand up right now, you're still injured.

" You abruptly stand and gently push him down back on to the couch.

"I'm Y/n L/n, by the way... " Mr. Fae still seemed to be om guard.

"Why did you save me? Don't you know about the war going on right now?" He asks in a stern tone (which was kind of hot...).

"Well, war is stupid when you can literally solve everything without death." You say as you walked away into the kitchen.

"...Is that so.." He mumbled.

---

It toke time for the fae to tell you his name, you respected that. You wouldn't tell a stranger your name either. (Expect you did, but we ignore that) Afte a while, he finally said to juat call him Liliy. Being shot in the stomach with an iron arrow, it toke Liliy time to be able to actually move, but it was progress.

Your days suddenly became more interesting, as you spent more time with him, learning more and more about him.

Like how he's insanely good at games, even when he doesn't try, or when he sometimes helps you prepare for the day before you open the bar.

---

"I'm not playing with you anymore." You cry in a joking tone as you lose yet again another game of chess.

"Pft, if you'd like, perhaps you'd desire an easier game? May i suggest rock paper sissors?" Liliy says with mischievous smirk on his face.

"Oh, screw you."

'Is this man trying to poison me?' Was the first thought you had when you opened the lunch Liliy attempted to make for you.

"It can't be that bad..." You say out loud, slightly gagging when you scooped up some of the meal(?) onto your spoon.

---

And...sweet moments, which made your heart beat a little faster and your cheeks warm up.

---

"Sleeping late, beastie?" Liliy said, as he toke some of your hair into his hands and started combing playing with it, making you blush when you felt his breath a little too close.

"Mhm, I'm doing some stinky taxes before i go to bed." You said, writing down information. After a while of liliy playing with your hair, you started to feel drowsy and fell asleep, waking up the next day on your bed, with a half asleep liliy next to you, staring at you with half closed eye lids and a blush on his face.

'How are you so freaking fine?'

---

You honestly did not know when you and the fae started getting so comfortable with each other, but are grateful for your friendship with Liliy.

---

The some of the buildings were set ablaze, others half torn apart, and human bounty hunters were tearing the town apart looking for Lilia Vanrouge. Rumours of the infamous general seeking refuge with someone spread far and wide, wide enough to reach the ears of the royal family. The bounty on his head was more than 9 million thaumarks, and bounty hunters were eager to find the fae.

'Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck' You screamed on your mind as you swiftly ran back to your home in the woods, running from the danger.

"LIliy!" You burst into your home, praying that your fae would still be there.

"Y/n." Liliy was dressed in the armour you found him in, with his gargoyle mask on this head, carrying his weapon. "I have something to tell you, beastie."

"That you're Lilia Vanrouge, I know." You're not stupid. You saw the bounty posters. Bro.

"Are you leaving..?" You silently said, eyes meeting his.

Lilia stepped closer, his voice now low and soft.

"I have to. If I don't I- You- my queen needs me, and it's too dangerous for me t-" You hug him, eyes watering. Lilia's arms gently embrace you, and he kisses your forehead. "I swear I'll be back, my love"

Tears fall down your face, as he slowly releases you and leaves, turning back for one last glance of you.

'Please come back'

--

Authors note

This one was a bit sad😭 maybe if i finish part 3 i can make some side stories with crack and stuff 😭🙏Would you like that ?🤔

(Also just comment if you want to be tagged if theres a next one)

(Tag list: @anonima-2)