#I forgot to mention in the fic that Wally and Dick were absolutely working with Alya and Kara to get the two pining dumbasses together.

[mochegato]

Speedy Trap

Marinette tugged nervously at the hem of her shirt, pulling at the crop top in a vain attempt to cover a bit more skin. However, the action had the adverse reaction, pulling her already plunging V neckline down and exposing more cleavage.  She groaned and pulled her shirt back up again, deciding covering her cleavage was more important than covering more ribs.  

She really wanted to go home and hand out candy to adorable kids in adorable costumes, but she had promised Alya and Kara she would partake in the age-old American university Halloween tradition of dressing up as slutty versions of something that was clearly not intended to be sexy.  Alya and Kara had thought it would be hilarious to do it with other heroes’ suits. So here she was, in a slutty version of a hero’s old costume, surrounded by drunk strangers, regretting all her life decisions.

And honestly, it wasn't that bad. She was still more covered up than Wonder Woman or Kara’s suit and definitely covering more of her chest than Donna did.  She looked down at her outfit with a frown. On second thought, maybe she hadn’t dressed slutty enough to meet the party criteria.  She was actually fitting in with some of the superheroes rather than creating a slutty parody of them.  

But ultimately, it wasn’t how revealing her costume was that made her so uncomfortable.  No, it wasn't really a matter of how much skin was exposed, it was what was covering the rest; a snug, red crop top with cap sleeves and a V so deep it almost touched the lower hem of the shirt, aided by a super push up bra Alya had insisted on for her; elbow length, yellow gloves; red pants so tight, they might as well have been painted on; yellow pixie boots; and finally, a yellow bycocket hat.  

She glared at Alya across the room talking, presumably, with her friend who was hosting the party.  She couldn’t prove it, but she was positive she had somehow cheated to get Marinette in this costume.  They had put the names of all of the heroes they could think of and different versions of their costumes, into a hat.  Marinette had added at least thirty names just to reduce the odds of her picking the worst possible option.  And yet, despite the incredible odds, here she was… in his costume while Alya was slutty Carapace and Kara was slutty Brainiac 5.  She narrowed her eyes again.  The results were too perfect.  She had to have cheated, she just couldn’t figure out how.

Her only saving grace was that there was no way he would see her.  This was a party thrown by a coworker of Alya and Kara’s in Metropolis.  There was absolutely no reason for him to be in Metropolis, let alone here, and as far as she knew, he was out of the country… not that she kept up on his schedule. She just… needed to know… for missions… that’s all.  Point being, there was almost zero chance of him seeing her in his old suit and ridiculing her for the rest of her life, with that smug, cocky grin she just wanted to knock off his face.

She was brought out of her mental censure by Kara jumping into her hard enough to knock Marinette’s drink out of her hand.  Marinette sputtered, looking at her incredulously. “What the…”

“Oh!” Kara exclaimed in an entirely too innocent tone.  Her eyes widened overdramatically.  “I’m so sorry.  Let’s go get you another drink.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes at Kara, mind whirling through facts and scenarios.  The hit was just hard enough, but not too hard.  Marinette had received a full impact blow during a spar match.  She knew how hard Kara could hit if she wanted to. She’d also seen her accidentally bump into someone, she was always extra cautious around civilians, erring on the side of too soft rather than too hard.  She was controlling her strength with the hit she just gave Marinette.  She was up to something.  Maybe she had been glaring at the wrong person the whole time.  She turned back to check on Alya only to find her sending furtive glances back towards them.  Nope, they were in it together, whatever this was.  They both deserved the glares.

Marinette turned back to Kara slowly, allowing her to guide her toward the bar, because lord knows she deserved a drink right about now. “Kara…” she started carefully. She felt Kara stiffen slightly. Not enough to pause in her steps, but her smile tightened and her hold became tighter.

“Yeah?”

Marinette pursed her lips.  “Kara, sweetie, buddie, bane of my existence, who’s party is this?”  Her saccharine voice was dripping in suspicion.

Kara’s smile widened but didn’t loosen any.  “A, um, a friend from… work.”

Marinette stopped walking to glare at Kara.  “From the Daily Planet?” she clarified.

Kara looked away and continued pulling Marinette toward the bar. “Uh huh.  Yeah.  That’s where I work, yep.”

“Kara!” Marinette hissed, yanking her arm out of her hold. Kara deflated, waiting for the lecture and accusations.  Marinette opened her mouth to do exactly that but stopped when she heard a very familiar, very exasperated voice.

“No, I’m not Catwoman.  I’m Lady Noir.”

Marinette’s jaw dropped, any recriminations she had planned long since forgotten, because there at the bar, trying desperately to fall into a hole or drown his sorrows in his soda was the man himself, apparently back from his mission… and at the same party… against all odds.  Instead of his normal hat, he was wearing a black baseball cap with cat ears on it and instead of his regular clothes, he was wearing knee high boots, hot pants, gloves reaching mid forearm, and a skin tight, sleeveless top with a zipper down the front, all in the blackest black and trimmed with neon green.

Marinette blinked a few times, furiously fighting the dark crimson on her cheeks and spreading all the way to the bottom of her V neckline.  She glanced down at her costume and the blush intensified.  She turned on her heel and tried to dart toward the exit.  “Nope,” she muttered quickly.

Kara moved at super speed to block her way and shove her toward the bar before Marinette even saw her move.  Marinette let out a squeak as she collided with another body, strong arms wrapping protectively around her.  She let her body settle before looking up at Kara with a glare, the method of cheating suddenly rather clear.

“Hey, are you oka….”  He paused finally seeing her face.  “Marinette?”  He looked down at her costume and gaped, a strangled noise escaping from his throat as his eyes took in her outfit from the hat to the shirt, his eyes lingering a bit longer than he meant to on her neckline, down to her toned stomach and her hips and lean legs.  His face suddenly flushed, making it look closer to her regular suit’s color.  “Is that…” he cleared his throat in an attempt to make his voice smoother rather than the broken, raspy version he couldn’t seem to shake.  “Is that a Speedy costume?”

Marinette whimpered and looked down.  “You’re in a Lady Noir costume!” she protested instead of answering his question.  She pulled at her neckline again, still refusing to make eye contact.  “Kara and Alya cheated.”

Roy grinned and leaned closer.  “That is quite a costume.  I’ll have to thank them for their service.”

Marinette groaned and covered her face with her hands.  “Yeah, yeah.  Get it all out.”  Roy raised his eyebrows, snorts of laughter escaping despite his best efforts. Marinette dropped her hands, her eyes wide in realization.  “I meant the jokes!  Get the jokes out.  Not the…” she motioned toward his costume.  “Oh my God,” she moaned.

Roy’s snorts blossomed into full grown laughter.  “Are you sure?  It wouldn’t take much to make that happen,” he joked, motioning toward his costume.

Marinette pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.  “Okay, well this was fun.  Maybe we can both pretend this never happened.”  She started to move past him, but he stepped in her way, a concerned frown now on his face.

“What if I don’t want to forget?” he asked gently.  “What if I want to remember the vision of you in my costume?  Of you wearing my colors?”  He adjusted her hat slightly so it sat more securely on her head and let his fingers run slowly through her hair.  “What if I want to remember and cherish this image?”

Marinette stared up at him stunned.  “Well then…” she started slowly before, glancing up at him through her lashes, “I guess we could remember.”

“I like that,” he grinned at her and moved until they were close enough their chests were almost touching.  “I like that idea a lot.”  He licked his lips and his eyes darted down at her lips momentarily before returning to her eyes.  “And what if I want to remember finally, finally getting to kiss you?”

She grinned up at him and perched up on her toes so her breath was fanning across his lips.  “Well, I guess we can remember that too.”  

He grinned and closed the distance between them, his arms wrapping around her waist to pull her closer.  Their lips met in a tentative kiss that was far too short for either of them.  “Come on,” he pulled away, but entwined his fingers with hers.  “Let’s go make some more memories.”

Marinette grinned excitedly and sped up until she was brushing against him as she walked.  “Yeah, that sounds good.”  He matched her smile and wrapped his arm around her waist instead of her hand, pulling her into his side as they escaped together.

[nightglider124]

2020 Creator’s Self-Love Extravaganza/Creator Tag Meme/8 Favorite Works

Tagged by @tarisilmarwen  - Thanks for the tag, gurl! <3

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 8 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Well, shit. I have uploaded practically nothing in 2020 LOL. Like... I’m cheating with my answers but hey, we’re gonna count my favourite robstar week oneshots as individuals cos otherwise, I don’t even make half of the 8 lmao.

1.) Subscribe

Ahh, my current main multi-chapter AU fic that I actually started in August 2019 but I reckon it has seen most updating this year, tbh. It’s honestly one of my favourite AU concepts that my brain has ever birthed. A YouTube AU with Gar as the channel owner just feels like such a Gar thing and I’m so excited to keep going with it in 2021. 

2.) Nova 

I actually love this oneshot that was completed and submitted as part of my involvement in the dickkory zine that was created early 2020. I only posted the excerpt on tumblr which you can find by clicking ‘Nova’ as I thought I’d keep the whole thing just as an exclusive thing for the zine. But, I really loved writing that and felt my final piece was pretty great considering there’s a word limit and a specific theme to follow and it was such good fun, all in all so loved that one. 

3.) Simulation

I actually forgot about this oneshot until I was scrolling through my tumblr tags like ‘wtf did i even write this past year??’ and I remembered the atrocity that was JLD: Apokolips War and how the burning need to write a fix it fic for all my dickkory pals was literally overwhelming. I was actually pretty happy with the final product, despite it’s length. And also, it gave me the dcamu dickkory ending that I wanted lmao.

4.) Robstar Week - Day 1: Star-Aligned/Destiny

I think I was actually pretty negative about this when I initially posted it for Robstar week but since then, I have come to appreciate that writing anything during this last shit show of a year is a miracle so y’know, we’ll take it as a win lmao. I actually really did enjoy writing a oneshot that’s mostly between Dick and Wally and talking about Starfire cos it makes me smile. 

5.) Robstar Week - Day 3: Tamaran

Another addition for Robstar week that I actually really enjoyed reading as I love writing little moments such as these between the two dorks. Anything that is remotely adorable and intimate in a fluffy way is like heaven to me; whether I’m reading it or if I happen to be writing it XD.

6.) Robstar Week - Day 4: Fantasy AU

My absolute faveeeee for Robstar week, to the point, I am now in the midst of planning a whole AU multi-chapter fic around it. I fell in love with the idea of Dick basically being akin to a Witcher and being paid to ‘deal with’ Kory, a magic user which is prohibited in the lil made up world. I honestly vibed with the idea so much and even now, I love it. There’s so many more details and plot I wanna add into it so it will eventually be a whole fic but... it’s been shelved for a little while til I get Bound and Subscribe updated to where I want them. 

7.) Robstar Week - Day 6: Wedding Bells

I may start to sound like a broken record but this happens to be another submission from robstar week that I really smiled at whilst writing. It was great to take a fairly common prompt and just do an actual wedding so it was fun to slightly spin that around for how I wrote it instead. 

8.) Robstar Week - Day 7: Constellations

I already mentioned how I love writing Robin and Starfire in these little cute and intimate moments that are filled with sugary fluff. This is kind of another one. I really do believe they would have these little games or things between them such as a game revolving around constellations and guessing. Idk I just really enjoyed this one as well.

________

I honestly did not think there were gonna be 8 to list lmao. I wasn’t overly active in 2020 due to... *gestures around me* the state of the world for the majority of the year. I’m hoping 2021 will be a more productive year for me in terms of updating current projects as well as bringing some new things to the fic table. 

I taaag: @fireflyxrebel-writes @loubuggins @stefanotis @ships-bynoa and @spaceprincessem + anyone else who wants to jump in on this!! <3

[camsthisky]

Can you rec any stories?

Oh boy. You better strap in, because I have read a lot of fics. Most of these will probably be Dick Grayson centric, though, so just a fair warning. I’ve seen a couple people format fic recs like this, and I really like it. I hope it’s organized enough!

Of course, you can always go through my fic recs tag, too!

The Bonds that Tie by DawnsEternalLight Words: 59,507 (between 2 fics)Summary: A series exploring the Batfamily growing closer together.My Comments: Absolutely amazing and heart wrenching. The first fic in thisseries is finished, which is a lot more about Dick and Damian’s relationship,but the second is still ongoing, which is more about Jason and Tim. It’s a wonderfulseries!

To Pass Through This Night by DawnsEternalLightWords: 4,147Summary: When Dick was captured by the Syndicate he died, for a short period of time, but he still died. It’s a fact he kept from his closest friends and family to protect them. When Damian and Tim find out he has to face not only them, but the emotions he’s buried from the event.My Comments: It’s a forever evil fic. Like, you don’t even know how much Ilove this, especially because it involves the whole family’s feelings, not justDick’s.

Even When You’re Down by DawnsEternalLightWords: 4,628Summary: Jason is expecting pizza at his door, not a very sick Dick Grayson. When he can’t figure out what’s wrong with his brother he turns to the only person he can, Bruce.My Comments: Ahhh I love sickfics so much, and this one did not disappoint!Jason and Bruce coming together to care for Dick was amazing to read! To be honest, @preciousthingsareprecious​‘s fics are all amazing, and I’ve read so many of Dawn’s works. These are just my absolute favorites!

Stubborn by audreycritter Words: 20,359 (4/4)Summary: Dick is usually the one taking care of everyone else and he’s bad at asking for help.So bad, in fact, that he never even actually asks– but Jason shows up anyway.And then Dick returns the favor. And then they both do for Tim. And it’s just going to keep going from there.It’s probably Alfred’s fault. When your butler mom calls and says, “Go check on your brother,” you don’t argue. You just do it.My Comments: The first chapter absolutely killed me. It’s a sickfic, witheach chapter focusing on a different batkid. It’s so well written, and it’s oneof my all time favorites!

The Mechanics of a Hug by incogneat-oh Words: 4,154Summary: “So,” Tim ventures. “It's… what, a cuddle pollen?” Bruce just shrugs. “Something like that.” My Comments: It’s funny, it’s angsty, the dialogue is absolutelyamazing, and I would recommend this author’s fics (all of them, really) a thousand times over. This one is just my absolute favorite that I’ve read a bajillion times.

World’s Apart by Fernandidilly_yo Words: 37,169 (3/?)Summary: Dick’s world is falling apart. With all the heroes and Batman gone, the teen thinks this is the end, that is until Dick miraculously end up in an Alternet Universe where the world is whole and there’s a family waiting for him.My Comments: This is an AU that absolutely BREAKS MY HEART. There’s so much description and it’s such an amazing story. It has a lot of potential, and besides the occasional typos/spelling errors, it’s probably one of the best I’ve ever read. I’m looking forward to more!

Locked Away by AutumnHobbit Words: 3,021Summary: anonymous asked: would you consider writing dick being asked to empty jasons locker at school after jason dies?

“Uh, Wayne residence,” he said, cringing after the fact at how hoarse his voice sounded. He scrubbed a hand over his eyes in frustration.“Um, hello. Is, um….” the female voice trailed off hesitantly. “Is Mr. Wayne available at the moment?”“I’m afraid not,” Dick said, trying harder to channel his inner Alfred. “Can I take a message?”“…Yes,” the woman said. “It’s….well, it pertains to his son, Jason.”My Comments: THIS IS SO SAD. I still love it, because it shows a side of Dick that we don’t see often. We see Dick happy around his family, angry, frantic, but never this grieving boy mourning the loss of a brother, and it’s heartbreaking. There are a lot more quality fics by this author, as well.

there is a design, an alignment by irnanWords: 584Summary: Dick’s just had brain surgery. No wonder it hurts.My Comments: This is so sweet. But, of course, Bruce can only seem to show affection to his kids when they’re hurt or unconscious.

exactly how this grace thing works by irnanWords: 22,710Summary: Dick gets de-aged. You’d think this would be a routine thing.My Comments: Honestly, this is the fic that convinced me to stay in the fandom. It’s the fic that I will always aspire to write, quality wise. It’s an amazing piece about a de-aged Dick learning to accept the family that’s suddenly thrust onto him, and his family, in turn, learn things about him that they didn’t know before. The whole fic is amazing.

Who We Were by ZiZzyWords: 105,025 (33/?)Summary: When the Graysons fell their son went to his great-uncle to be trained as a Talon. Four years later he is rescued and taken to live at Wayne Manor. But, he is not the talkative boy he once was, in fact talking at all is a bit of a problem… A series of connected oneshots about how the Batfamily is formed when the older brother is not quite who he was meant to be.The timeline of each chapter is in the A/Ns.My Comments: It’s a little hard to get used to this fic, since most of them are read like one-shots in the same AU, but this fic destroyed me. Dick is so adorable, and he’s going through so much, and Bruce is so understanding. The last couple of chapters had me in tears.

Half Lost, Half Found by takadainmateWords: 23,632 (4/5)Summary: Driven underground, Batman fights to keep Nightwing alive. There is a fight. There’s always a fight.My Comments: I always recommend this story, but it’s amazing. There’s a lot of tension between Dick and Bruce, but they have to work together in order to survive. Sadly, this fic hasn’t been updated since 2013, but it’s only the last chapter that’s missing. It’s still a great story, even without it.

Family is a Crisis by LysicalWords: 4,172Summary: In their family there’s always some sort of crisis going on.“Probably a fashion crisis,” Jason muttered. “He probably dragged us all here so he could show off some chartreuse and fuchsia monstrosity.” “You aren’t making a new costume again, are you?” Damian added, nose wrinkling. “I thought we all agreed you were staying away from colors.”My Comments: This fic is hilarious.Seriously, as much as I wish Tim was in it, too, it is the perfect sequel to the one scene at the burger joint in Batman #16.

Grade School by KagSesshloveWords: 100,098 (13 fics)Summary:Imagine that Damian goes to a regular school full time. And has to do things that normal grade-schoolers have to do. This is his life now: pretending to be a normal 10 year old at school all for the sake of the public. But, honestly, the public would rather he not.My Comments: When I first found this fic, I think I started screaming at @stepichu to read it, too, I was so excited. I think I actually read it twice in one week? Please read this entire series. It’s hilarious and serious and just plain amazing. Sometimes the characterizations are a little exaggerated, but I still love it. It totally adds to the story! And the best part is that it was just completed!

the man with guns for eyes by 8swordWords: 22,056Summary: “Don’t blame him, little D. He gave me a choice.” “He always makes it a choice,” Damian mutters. “If you’re the one who makes the decision, it’s your fault if it’s the wrong one.” (Dick comes back from the dead.)My Comments: Hm. Okay, on the one hand I really like reading this fic, because the boys are all forced to talk to each other and try to work things out. On the other hand, sometimes this fic leaves me reeling. There’s a lot to get through in one sitting, and sometimes I have to break it up.

With Friends Like These by ChimaeraKittenWords: 4141Summary: How Artemis got to know both Dick Grayson and Robin before finding out they were the same person. My Comments: This is a YJ fic, but it’s really good. Like, I didn’t know I needed Artemis getting to know Dick Grayson so badly until I read this. There are also some other really good fics by @chimaerakitten​, but this one is one that I fell in love with.

Crowded Enough by CaraLeeWords: 18,744 (15/?)Summary: An AU built off of the titular line from the pilot episodes of Young Justice. Dick Grayson comes home from the events at CADMUS to the enjoyment of his various siblings, friends, and sibling-like people. Now extended: One chapter per episode of the first season. Plus a few extras.My Comments: I love this so much. Each chapter is gold.

Save You by ArsenicInYourPuddingWords: 6538 (4/4)Summary: The three times Wally West made sure Dick Grayson lived to fight another day, and the one time he didn’t have to.My Comments: Warnings for suicidal thoughts/actions. The bromance between Dick and Wally in this is amazing, and this fic got me through some tough times. The whole thing always has my crying by the end, no matter how many times I read it.

That’s just on ao3, and it’s getting really late, so I needed to shorten this a bit. I will say that you’re welcome to look through my bookmarks on ao3 and my story favs on ff.net if you’re looking for more. There are a lot of amazing fics out there that I didn’t mention. I probably will come back to update this sooner or later.

edit because I don’t know how I forgot these:

Interval of Shadow by CaramelMacheteWords: 41,403 (15/?)Summary: Nightwing, Robin and Red Robin take on Clayface. Nightwing does not emerge unscathed.Is this the end of Nightwing’s career? How will the rest of family react? Will Dick recover, and what should he do if he can’t?My Comments: My goodness, this fic is honest to god amazing. It shows the struggle Dick goes through and how his family scrambles to be there for him. The interactions between everyone is so spot on, and if you haven’t read this, read it. And then come scream at me or @caramelmachete about it.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by anon_nom_nomWords: 3,614Summary: Prompt from yj_anon_meme:Okay, so I always thought that the reason DCAU Dick turned into such a bitter little thing was because he only ever had Batman, and sometimes Batgirl, but he never had his Titans or his Wally or anything.So I would like so see something where Robin is starting to show early warning signs of this, maybe just frustration after a really bad night on the job in Gotham with Batman, and him actually having his team there to help him deal with it.In which Robin has a bad night, discusses poetry, and gets a massage.My Comments: This is a YJ fic that shows the struggle that Dick goes through as a partner of Batman, and I find it super realistic. It’s really fluffy with a hint of light angst, and all of the characters are spot on.

Fear by tristen84Words: 18,622 (6/6)Summary: While on a stake-out together, Robin and Kid Flash have a frightening run-in with Scarecrow. Dick-Wally friendship.My Comments: Another YJ fic. If you want Wally and Dick bromance, like, this is the fic. It’s a really good story, too, and it shows just how much both Dick and Wally care for each other. It’s a good read.

I’m probably still forgetting some, but these are all amazing, too, and please check them out!