#Like imagine the bats think she won't come back with them out of fear of rejection.

[magicpiano]

#puberty blockers!!#that’s a super easy way to explain Dani looking younger#the day danny shows up Damian thinks Danny is a clone#or just totally bsod’s#endless potential here tags via @gayandfullofdismay

Oh that is such a good idea! Puberty blockers! Genius!

Also obsessed with the idea of people accusing Danny of being the clone. I imagine that Dani might encourage it as revenge for him never mentioning having a twin before lol.

I have seen a few DC x DP crossovers where Danny and Damian are separated twins who meet again. But what I haven't yet seen, and think would be really funny, is an AU where Damian meets Dani, looks at her, and thinks, 'oh in the years since we last saw each other my twin has become transgender. Good for her.'

(Maybe Damian thinks Danny died, and it took a while for him to come back and that is why Dani looks younger? Or maybe he just thinks she is short for her age idk. Don't question this part.)

Anyway, Damian is trying so hard to be supportive, reconnect, bring her into the family and let her know that he is no longer with the league. He thinks Dani is pretending not to know him. Dani has no clue who he is because Danny never mentioned a secret twin.

Dani is like, 'why does the wayne family keep trying to adopt me???' She just thinks this must be a weird rich person thing, after all more or less the same thing happened to Danny with Vlad, right?

Lots of comedic miscommunication potential here.

[zweiginator]

how are you gonna leave us like that again w/ perv!art & patrick again 😭😭 pleaseee another part!!

the flash of patrick's phone camera hurts your eyes. your lips are bitten, red like summer cherries, sore and swollen. but you blink at the intrusive force. your tongue swirls around the head of their cocks.

you should be disgusted by this. you should bite their fucking dicks off and scream at them. but you don't. maybe it's the thrill of not knowing what their plan is. not knowing how fucking sick they are. would they share it with their friends? with a perverted little chat forum they are admin on?

it would be a bad move, given what you know about them. what they share with each other, more than willingly. awaiting the other's pleasure as if it were their own. a mutualistic, sick relationship that is likely fueled by an unknowing third party. but know you know. and you stayed.

patrick and art--to you, and to most people who knew of them--do not seem exactly innocent. they have that inherent sexuality programmed in young men their age. but they go to stanford on full-ride scholarships. they play good matches in tennis and get decent enough grades. they stay out of trouble and listen to their coaches.

but they like that their perversion lays right beneath a thin veil. that sometimes, that veil sways in the wind and then their secret is subtly revealed. a nudge to each other when a female teammate's skirt flies up, batting their eyelashes to girls at bars and telling them they are still virgins. acting innocent, needing guidance.

"you think you can take a video of this?" you ask, maintaining eye contact not with them, but with the camera. you stroke their cocks slowly, run your thumbs over their aching tips and watch as patrick's hand grows shaky.

"i am, aren't i?"

art looks confused; for once he isn't in on the plan. he has no idea what patrick has up his sleeve, what the end goal is.

"you want everyone to know what fucking freaks you guys are? sending perverted texts about unsuspecting girls? that you cum thinking about each other, touch each other?"

patrick groans. he reaches down and touches both of their cocks. a ring of your spit, tinged pink from your lipstick soaks his hand, making the scene sound pornographic. it is pornographic in every sense of the word.

"and aren't you a freak too? for liking this? watching me and artie push our dicks together? making you fucking take us down your throat?"

art follows in patrick's lead. rubs the sensitive tip of his cock over your lips. he revels in how soft they are. how you moan at his length, the desperate color, how heavy he is.

"maybe the whole school should know how easy you are. i think me and art would be seen as legends if this got out. you, not so much." patrick is exploiting your fear. knows the sick double standard of being a woman. and he's getting off on it.

you don't know if you believe him. in one sense, art and patrick have revealed that they don't think rationally, not when their dicks are hard and there's a pretty girl to win over and get on top of. but he's right--a leaked video for two D1 athletes with so much prestige and privilege would maybe make waves for a week or two until the next best wind of gossip comes out.

art smoothes your hair back. feeds his cock into your mouth. "maybe if she's a good girl and makes us feel good we won't do it. little fucking whore." he fucks your throat. looking up at him, he looks much, much taller. his abs are slick with sweat; his balls heavy near your chin. and the boy who was stumbling on his words, humiliated at what you found on his phone is gone. a figment of your imagination. a pretend part he played to lure you in, to make you think it was just an accident, that boys are boys and he didn't mean to. he can manipulate with those eyes and he knows it.

patrick knows it. so patrick and art planned this. when art talked about the pretty girl in his class, they knew it would be easy to get close to you. just enough to where you knew of him, but not too close to where feelings could get involved or things could get messy. art pretended to need help with studying. and patrick inserted himself. came home late that night and introduced himself. they saw how your pupils grew when you saw the two of them together. they did with every girl. so art continued with the innocent, naive facade. gained your trust and took you away from the rest of the party.

"it's getting late." he told you. you had come with him, so you told him you would leave when he did. you didn't know anyone else as much as you knew him.

when you were charging your phone at your apartment while you got ready, art unplugged it. and patrick texted at just the time art said he would leave with you. texted and kept texting, over and over for good measure. and he sent a video, that if you had paid attention to the background, had art's legs next to patrick's.

you realize, with art's cock in the back of your throat, that they don't want to release this to anyone. of course they don't. but they want to use you, scare you, take control of you. they want you to perform for them, and they want it on video. they do this all the time.

you'll play along. it's not like they aren't fucking perfect, towering over you and petting your hair. calling you a little slut and taking turns pushing their cocks between your lips, passing patrick's camera back and forth, back and forth.

"get on the bed." patrick orders. "i'm gonna hand you my camera and you're gonna film it so we can see your pretty face and us fucking you. is that okay?"

you take his phone from him and nod, obediently. "yes." you realize he wants you on your stomach; that would be the only way they could see all of you, if you flipped the camera.

"can't decide if i want her pussy or her ass." art spanks you, squeezing your ass as the sting lingers. you yelp; your back arches. they laugh at you.

patrick leans forward. lets a long string of spit fall from his mouth onto your tiny little asshole. "i want her here." his thumb rubs at the entrance and you gasp as he pushes it in. "is that okay princess? if i fuck you here?"

you nod. you're embarrassed of how wet you are. they don't know yet. but art pushes two fingers inside, easily. the slick squelch of your pussy sucking him in, begging for more, makes both art and patrick groan.

"god she's fucking soaked. knew she was a dumb little whore. she likes all of this. i dont think it will be enough if just one of us fucks her at a time."

you look back at them; your cheeks are red. tears sting the corners of your eyes and stain your face and you're so desperate for them but you won't beg for them. you don't realize that the furrow of your brows, the way your body preens for them, arches.

"you want me to fuck your ass while art fucks your tight little cunt?" patrick yanks your hair back. makes eye contact with the camera. you nod fervently.

patrick sucks his teeth. "oh, sweetheart you're gonna have to use your words."

"please fuck me--want you both. want it so bad."

art lays down, has you get on top of him. you sink down on him slowly. his fingers dig into your ass as a low, gravelly moan emits from the depth of his throat. "fuck." art takes the phone from you, props it on the lamp on his nightstand. "want everyone to see you fucking yourself on me. how much of a filthy fucking girl you are." he pushes the back of your head so your lips meet his, and he kisses you sloppily, tongue swiping the inside of your mouth, spit dripping down your chins, moans vibrating the back of your throats. he's so big, stretching you out. his balls slap against your ass as he forgets what he just said and fucks into you instead, his arm muscles rippling as he grasps onto you.

and they mock your moans and whimpers. patrick uses the wetness from your cunt and rubs it on your hole. chuckles as you arch your back so he can push a finger in, and then another. you wince at the intrusion, but it feels amazing, having them inside you, begging for you, needing more and more and that still never being enough.

"ever been fucked here?" patrick asks. you feel his cock lining up with your ass.

you say no.

"hear that artie? she's letting a perv like me fuck her here first."

art stops fucking you to watch patrick fill you up, his own cock gripped by your aching cunt. the boys revel in being inside you, together. and they match a rhythm, starting out slow and meticulous. art fucks into you again from beneath you, pushes his hand against your lower stomach. "so fucking deep."

patrick is animalistic, fucking you with the sole purpose of making himself cum. you're a vice around his cock. and it hurts in the best way possible.

you're all loud. there's nobody to hide it from. and you all forget about the camera.

"hit me. fucking hit me please." you beg them. they smirk at each other.

"want me to fucking slap you?" art squishes your cheeks and you nod, your nails scratching into his chest, his abs, his neck. he does it. and patrick spanks you. the way they use you, the way art reaches down to rub your clit in tight little circles--it makes you cum. makes you spasm and yell their names and gush around them.

they pull out and cum on your tongue, like they planned to all along. and they assure you they won't share the video. they'll just add it to their collection.

you leave and they kiss your forehead.

a week later you're at a bar. you see patrick talking to a pretty girl, pointing to a dejected-looking art in the corner. patrick sees you, smiles, and holds a finger to his lips.

[steviewashere]

Death Embraces You as I Kiss Your Skin

(also on ao3)

CW: Mild Cannibalism (Just Steve savoring a droplet of Eddie's blood), Major Character Death (They both die in the end), Unhappy Ending, Minor Religious Imagery, Canon Typical Blood/Gore

Rating: Mature!!!!

WC: 1,783

Tags: Secret Relationship, Breaking Obtuse Promises, Steve Asks That Eddie Doesn't Forgive Him, Vecna is Defeated, Grieving Steve Harrington, Loving Something That Death Can Touch

Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Dustin Henderson, Background Nancy Wheeler

------------------------- It goes like this:

Steve and Eddie have had a private—extremely private—relationship in the background between Steve and Nancy's breakup to 1986: The Spring Break Showdown. Kept secret even from Robin.

They've made plans. For the future. Things involving leaving Hawkins in the rearview mirror. Finding a quaint little apartment. Stuffing the rooms with furniture and decorations and clutter—more than Steve's ever been able to have in his childhood home. Making holiday meals and celebrating joint holidays, like Hanukkah and Christmas; Steve was raised catholic and Eddie's born into a Jewish family and it didn't make sense to either of them to erase histories. Going to schools or finding a band, working minimum wage jobs, coming home to each other's waiting arms. Getting kissed on the forehead and cuddles and something more when they get to the bedroom. Maybe adopting a few pets. Getting married, if America ever allows it. Having children. Retiring to California to enjoy the warm beach and cool, glistening ocean. Dying some days apart.

They've planned it all.

But, in comes March of 1986.

Steve's always known that Eddie's little "gig" of drug dealing was going to crumble to pieces sooner or later. Though, he didn't imagine it happening by means of him possibly killing Chrissy Cunningham. And, it may seem unfaithful, but for a very long while (knowing what he knows) Steve believes Eddie actually did. He's strong. Can carry upwards of 120 pounds on his own. And Steve's seen Chrissy—she's petite, easy to throw in the air at basketball games, flexible and maneuverable. So to believe Eddie could kill, that's less of a breech of trust, but more a welcome of pure and simple logic.

Dustin convinces him otherwise. Meaning that, Steve is forced to be on the lookout. Forced to bring supplies. Forced to find Eddie.

And they do, and that's great! However, it's relieving to see the fear in Eddie's eyes, well as relieving as vomiting profusely, nonstop, for days on end. To finally explain himself—the bruises and blood and loose nails alongside a weapon of a baseball bat and why Steve knows so many children. "It's unnerving, Stevie," Eddie had said, "That the nerds I attend school with are, somehow, in your social circle. Don't make me think you're a creep.” They had laughed.

So they band together. And they traverse the Upside Down. The heavy comfort of Eddie's denim laid across Steve's back. Eddie's closeness. His warm breath. But he tries to convince Steve to go back to Nancy, and not because of true love actions or whatever garbage he tries to say at first, but because Eddie thinks he won't make it out of this. "But you will, Eds," Steve promised, "I'll make sure of it."

He breaks that promise. Because of course he does.

The axe falls from his grip. Heavily to the ground. His hand burns from the tightness he held onto the handle. Palm a dull red, fingers aching. His body trembles, knees weak and legs like splintering tree trunks, ready to land sideways on the dusty, dirt ground. 

At his feet is Eddie's mangled, bleeding, cold corpse. Eyes glazed and far away. Mouth agape, lips parted enough for mumbles to fall through. Hair fanned around his head like the saint halo depicted on Saint Francis' portraits. Blood. There's so much blood.

Dustin's off to one of his sides. Mumbling and sobbing and dry heaving. Saying something like, "He was saving us. It was—He died for us."

And there's nothing in Steve's power that he can do to remedy the horror. He carefully shifts the necklace from around Eddie's neck to go above his tangle of hair, loosely fisted in Steve's hand, and passes the guitar pick off to Dustin.

"Get him through the portal," Steve tells Nancy and Robin, head jerking to Dustin. Voice short, firm, demanding. ”I’m going through with Eddie's body."

"Steve—" Robin calls out to him. His back is turned to them. Eyes wet and downwards at Eddie. "It's no use. He's just going to be extra weight. We need to make sure Lucas and Max are okay,” she attempts to persuade.

He stiffens. Shoulders hunching to his ears. "Then...Then—Nancy will drop me off at my house with Eddie first. You guys will check on the others. I can't do this right now."

"Steve, it's—There's no po—"

"Robin," he growls. He sighs through his nose and looks warily, though exhausted, though heartbroken over his shoulder. Ribs cracking under his skin, heart shriveling, stomach bursting with bile. She looks so devastated. She looks like she wants to reach out. She looks at Steve like he’s an untouchable, gravely injured dog. ”He was my everything," Steve whispers, "This is—I promised to make sure he'd be safe. He's everything to me. You have to understand that."

From where Steve can see, he takes in that Robin slumps defeated. She is no longer pleading, however. Rather, at a nasty fork in the conversation. Her eyes lock with his. No longer determined. Sad, though. Sympathetic. Her head jerks once in a nod of finality. "I'll make sure Nancy knows that there was a change in plans. I hold myself to that," she promises, devotes more like.

With nothing else to say, the words caught on Steve's forked tongue, he turns back to Eddie. Leaves his supplies adrift on the dirty ground. And kneels to his side. He's able to see the sinew of Eddie's insides. His moist muscle. His young bones. His tattoos, the ones Steve was present for. The ones he'll never get to trace again, when they're warm. When Eddie's skin is supple.

He lays his finger along Eddie's newest one. It wraps around the left side of his ribcage, hiding underneath his back. A dragon. One he drew himself. Scaly and long. Breathing fire. Fanged, sharp teeth. Steve thought it was the prettiest thing Eddie had ever sketched. He draws the tip of his finger around the large, left eyeball of the creature's face. It appears to be crying blood, Eddie's blood. The blood Steve promised to keep below the surface. In the moment, his tongue craves the intimacy of knowing Eddie's skin. Knowing who he is, his everything about him. Carefully, a still dewy drop of blood on his finger, Steve brings it to his chapped mouth. Laving the fluid. Savoring it around his wet insides. Feeling cohesive, congruent, melodized with Eddie's soul. But it’s enough, even if it never will be.

Steve is gentle when he lifts Eddie’s corpse. As if he’d simply fallen asleep. Like he does—used to—on the sofa. As if he’s being carried to bed. He’s heavier because of his clothes. Lighter, at the same time, because of the blood and the chewed holes in his skin. He’s mine, Steve laments, He was mine. Not the demobats’. Not Vecna’s. Nobody else’s but Steve’s.

It’s trouble, getting him through. Relying on Robin and Nancy to catch Eddie’s body. To lift him from the mattress and give him back what’s his. Steve can feel their eyes. Imploring. Burning into him.

In the back of the RV, he lays Eddie on the couch. Pets his hair. Runs his knuckles over Eddie’s right cheek. Kisses his forehead. And at his home, carries Eddie through the door, lays him out on his bed, and gazes.

He looks…peaceful, oddly. Satiated almost. Asleep.

The bandana wrapped around his head is still colored as if fresh from the wash. Steve takes it in his weak grasp and wipes away at the blood. At the dried spit at the corners of his mouth. He lays the now dirtied rag in his lap, hands stained a dark, deep red—different from when the axe was in his grip.

Steve doesn’t know what to do. To bury Eddie’s body would be like burying half of his soul. Leaving him to decompose would be a sorry fate, Steve wouldn’t be able to leave the room. He’d have to keep his body glued to the edge of his mattress as Eddie turns green and marbled and all to bones.

He thought he finally had it. The love he sought after since childhood. Something that rooted him to the soil and wrapped in tendrils over his naked body. And in a way, he surely did. Because Eddie doted. He loved with his whole body—in sex and hugging and simply holding hands and words so soft they get lost in the dark and kisses so gentle, Steve could cry. They planned. They promised a lifetime and a half to each other. But Steve would give Eddie everything, all of forever, the moon if only he could grab it with his bare hands.

Maybe it’s me, Steve ponders mournfully. Maybe it’s his body and his heart and his brain. It’s his voice in a quiet, dark room. It’s the way his eyes trace the rain on his window. Over naked bodies and how his fingers trace pubic hair and hip bones and scars from falling accidents. It’s him and him and him, it has to be. 

What fate is worse than death?

Loving him, apparently. To love and want love. To hold and cherish. To hunger with great need.

Steve cups Eddie’s uninjured cheek. “I’m sorry, honey,” he whispers brokenly. Throat twitching with his breath. It’s almost incredible how he’s managed to keep himself sewn together. And now, in a room he’s never favored, on a bed he’s shared with only two people, after a long strenuous night of near death impulses—he bursts, unravelling. He cries and cries. Softly and whimpering. Unable to keep his eyes open with the weight of his eyelids. The weight of all that this means. His future, dissipated. His love, lost. “Don’t forgive me,” he murmurs. His free hand wraps around Eddie’s. Palm cold. Fingers limp. Skin pale.

He thinks, at this moment, he finally understands the ending to Romeo & Juliet. 

If only. If only this were the play. And they were performing their parts.

Steve lays on his side, tucked under Eddie’s lifeless arm. Head cozied to his shoulder. His own wounds uncovered and bleeding onto his sheets. A hand on Eddie’s stilled stomach.

He never thought of a life after Eddie. He always thought he was going to die first. Considering his history. He thought it would be anticlimactic and beautiful all at once. He never thought Eddie was something that death could touch.

“My love, you were everything,” he whispers to…nobody.

But maybe, if it was only believable after all he’s seen and all he’s lost and all he couldn’t save, God delivers messages.

------------------------ First time writing an unhappy ending, oops. Hopefully this was good, though.

[dracarialove]

📄 Posting my finished fics here, too 📄

*Check the 'shadow's heart' tag if you haven't read chapter 1

[Chapter 4: Complication]

Rouge's smile dropped the moment the call ended. She stared at her home screen, at the picture she'd taken of them in bed – mostly centered on the hedgehog as he slept, less so on herself – and wished she was back home already.

Of all the times for G.U.N to send her away from her fabulous life, it had to be when a crimson storm was trying to brew, leaving Shadow to deal with it instead of her being able to tell off the echidna herself. The bat cursed Commander Tower's timing under her breath.

She hesitantly pulled up her contacts and went to the 'blocked' list, where Knuckles' phone number resided; and stared some more. Should she even consider opening that can of congealed worms? What could she say that wouldn't come off either too hostile or too friendly?

And could she reign in the emotions that would likely spring up from speaking to her ex-fiancé again? Rouge wasn't as composed as Shadow; he'd probably be able to speak neutrally, if it were him. But just thinking about it made the spy's heart speed up.

'I shouldn't,' she decided, backing out of her contacts and putting down the phone. 'I know it won't go well...'

She wondered how Shadow's confrontation with Knuckles might've gone – if her man had acted with the calmness she knew he was capable of. She could picture him, lean and serious in his uniform, his arms crossed as he told the echidna to leave the premises of her business.

That was what she thought of him if she imagined it, knowing how controlled he was all the time. He certainly wasn't the type to fly off the handle, so she assumed he wouldn't do anything to escalate the issue. Then again, the last time those men had seen each other...

A sigh escaped the lady's glossy lips and she sunk into the chair occupying space in her tent. Maybe it would be best to just ignore it and hope Knux would get the hint. But... then he might show up at the club again, getting himself banned.

Yet still, she felt she had nothing for him. Their relationship ended in a whirlwind, just as it had begun, and she was now caught up in a much more comforting storm; the kind she and Shadow sometimes watched through the window while cuddled up in the recliner.

Safely shielded from the harrowing rain and wind enough to find the beauty in its darkness – that's where she was with him, the quiet, introspective hedgehog. She wished she was there now, wrapped in one of those moments, rather than camping out with the humans.

Rouge looked over at the entrance to her tent and the vague blob-shaped figures of the overlanders moving around outside. The talents she possessed were being wasted on such a simple mission! It made her more irritated and she thought that her return to domestic bliss couldn't come soon enough.

***

Shadow sat on the stoop, his fingers interlaced between his knees, staring vacantly into his palms and thinking. How likely was it, really, that she would want to leave if he told her the truth? She loved him, of course, so she'd want to stay beside him through anything, right?

But then, things could change... it was easy to say she wasn't afraid of the future, but what about when mortality starts to creep up on her? Surely that was something to worry over; something that needed to be considered.

He didn't want to think it, but he couldn't rule it out – Rouge could potentially feel the fear of aging and impending death in a decade's time while Shadow remained youthful.

Wouldn't that scare her, a little? The bat cherished her beauty, and although he would adore her no matter what, how could he be sure she knew that?

Was the conversation even necessary if they could just go on living their life as it comes to them, happy and fulfilled until the aging process actually mattered? Maybe she wouldn't even notice...

"No..." Shadow mumbled to himself. "She would notice..."

While he stewed in his thoughts, the hedgehog was unaware of Silver peeking out at him through the bay window, so it surprised him when the front door cracked open.

The Ultimate Lifeform turned around and was met with his friend's concerned expression, white brows curved upwards while a kind smile played on his lips.

"Hey, Shadow. The food's done..." He hesitated, then asked, "You okay out here?"

"Fine." He glanced away. "Just sorting some thoughts. I will join you two in a minute."

Silver's smile tensed and Shadow could tell he didn't believe him. "With all due respect, I know you're naturally reserved and everything, but I feel like something's off."

He walked through the open doorway, closing the entrance behind him and joining the dark hedgehog on the step. Planting his palms on his knees, lemon-hued irises locked onto Shadow's wavering maroon gaze. "Whatever's going through your head, I'd like to help. I'm a good listener."

He offered a soft smile, one that told his compatriot he was without judgement, welcoming of any hardship that was burdening the speedster's mind. Shadow's wrists rested on his knees and his fingertips bumped together while he pondered how to begin sharing his woes.

"Rouge called, and... she said something that got me thinking about a reality I haven't been entirely truthful about. A reality of myself..."

He trailed off and Silver asked empathetically, "Do you feel comfortable sharing it with me?"

Shadow paused, unable to look at his friend. His old tendency to clam up and keep his secrets crept towards the surface, but he quelled it with a deep breath and reminded himself that he had friends for a reason. "I'm immortal. I can't age. And I can't die unless I'm killed."

Silver was quiet for a few seconds, then whispered, "Woah..." He gathered his thoughts enough to ask, "And you haven't told Rouge?"

Black quills swayed as he shook his head. "She knows that I was created artificially, and how that affects certain aspects of my existence... but I neglected to tell her that I won't grow old or die naturally. That I'll... outlive her..."

He glanced at Silver, whose mouth was open in a display of nonplus as he stared at the Ultimate Lifeform. His silent reaction made Shadow look away again, uncomfortable with how the white hedgehog almost looked amazed.

"That's crazy... not you, I mean!" Silver rubbed the back of his neck. "The immortality... sounds like it's a burden to have to carry around with you."

"Yeah, it is. So, you see why I didn't want to put that on Rouge, too. I don't even know how she'd react to news like that."

The light-furred man thought for a second, then furled his brow and said definitively, "I may not be as close to Rouge as Blaze is, but I've been her friend long enough to know that she doesn't give up easily – especially not on people she loves. And she isn't quick to frighten, either."

He gave Shadow another firm squeeze on his shoulder, this time out of reassurance. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, although I understand it's not always easy to be optimistic. Those thoughts linger, but... you should try to remember that we all care about you unconditionally."

When the quiet lifeform looked at him, Silver let a smile grow again, then stood up from the stoop and offered his hand. "Come on, I know you're hungry. We'll have a nicer conversation over lunch."

***

Tall trees and thick brush flanked every side of the military crew as they swept a section of the jungle. Rouge still wasn't sure what they were looking for, if anything, because Tower refused to give her specifics.

Whether that was for a real reason, or just because he wanted to annoy her, the ivory agent couldn't tell – the old man did have a penchant for doing things a certain way to get under her skin.

She thought it might be due to jealousy, as she held a closer relationship with the president than he did, and Tower's pride seemed to be very precious to him.

If so, it was silly. All it did was make her want to go home even more. Thoroughly fed up after following along behind the team for half an hour, shimmering lips pouted as she huffed out a burdened breath.

Teal eyes trailed over to Topaz and she announced, "Ya know, I've about had it with this mission. If someone doesn't tell me what the hell we're supposed to be 'surveying,' I'm bailing and going home."

"Retain some professionalism, agent!" Topaz warned, shooting Rouge a cold glare. "Your job is to do as you're told; you don't need to know everything."

"Jeez, somebody's cranky today." The treasure hunter smirked at her human teammate. "Even more than usual, it seems. Did you run out of anti-aging cream or something?"

An offended grumble escaped Topaz's mouth and she turned away to search in a different direction. "Cram it, and stick to the mission at hand."

"But I don't even know what we're searching for!" Rouge whined, adding a bit of a bratty tone to her voice. "If you sticks-in-the-mud would give me something, maybe I'd be surveying more thoroughly!"

This time she was ignored, watching Topaz steadily move away from her. None of the other soldiers bothered to speak up, either, continuing on with their tedious sweep of the grassy area.

Rouge was too bored to care about what her assigned purpose might be; she just wanted to get away from the people-drones and have a moment to do what she wanted.

So, the mischievous spy slowed her steps until the rest of the group were ahead of her, then slipped away to explore elsewhere. She soon found a thick, mossy tree with bushels of leaves curving above the trunk to form a dome-like cover above the jungle floor.

Up it, she also noticed a sturdy-looking branch sticking straight out from the green-brown bark that looked perfect for lounging on. One last glance around her confirmed the bat was alone – her crew far ahead and none-the-wiser – and she flew up to the naturally-occurring bench.

Resting with her back against the tree trunk, Rouge laid her legs straight out in front of her, crossing one ankle over the other. She then retrieved her cell phone, mentally patting herself on the back and smiling at her own genius of sneaking the phone and a signal receiver out of the camp.

Tower would blow a fuse if he found out she'd taken along two electronics she wasn't supposed to have while fulfilling a task, but who cared about his desires, anyway?

He was the reason the jewel hunter was away from her favorite person and the more enjoyable life she had outside of G.U.N. Although she didn't want him to have a rage-induced heart attack, she also felt the mission was pointless so far. She had better things to do.

Rouge opened up her contacts again, but this time the winged woman went nearly to the bottom and looked for Sonic's name. She couldn't keep from wondering how she was supposed to handle the predicament with Knuckles, but the Blue Blur seemed to always have an answer when it came to tough situations; even if that answer was often to face the problem head-on and adapt to the outcome.

He'd known both her and Knux for years, and although he was friends with the echidna first, he also proved to be a pretty neutral party following their explosive breakup, which she was grateful for. She thought for a moment about what she should say to him.

It was difficult to find the best words to open with on such a complicated issue, but she didn't want to handle it alone. And she couldn't involve Shadow any more than he already was – she remembered the stress in his tone when he'd told her about Knuckles' intentions.

He was already dealing with running the club without her. Bane and Jay were there to give him the support he needed, of course, but she knew part of the reason he'd accepted the job was to be around her more often. Otherwise, the duties of running a business were draining.

So, Sonic was the best choice to give her advice. Perhaps he could even provide some profound insight she hadn't considered; a rare occurrence for the hyperactive hedgehog, but it was possible. One line at a time – because the only way Sonic noticed his texts was by the constant beeping of his cell – she typed out,

"Hey sonic maybe you can help me with smth

"So I heard knuckles showed up to club rouge when I wasn't there wanting to talk to me

"And I'm not really sure what to think about it

"Like idk exactly what he wants but im not sure if I should even get in touch with him...

"But I know if I ignore it he might show up again and cause a scene

"You know us both pretty well

"So what do you think?"

She interlaced her gloved fingers, cupping the phone between them, and leaned her head back against the tree. When her turquoise eyes dragged up to the lush green canopy above her, she saw slits of golden light piercing through the bundles of leaves.

It was pretty, and so peaceful out in the jungle; the only sound around her being the distant sweet chirping of little birds. Then the purple cell vibrated against her hands and she opened up Sonic's response.

"Sounds like he finally wants to apologize

"I told him to like a year ago

"But of course he'd wait this long

"So ummm

"I'd say do what feels right

"I know that's kinda vague

"But like

"You always trust your gut instincts right? So do that!"

Rouge sighed. Sonic was being even less helpful than she'd initially expected. But she thanked him anyway before putting her phone away and crossing her arms.

Looking back up at the slender beams of sunlight illuminating the overhead greenery, she thought over the advice he offered, musing about what her instincts were telling her was the right call.

[actuallycassidyiambusy]

I fear i may be as jealous as Buggy, but i dont have homicidal tendencies so i just have to deal with it (i’m single so idk why i’m like this)

I get it. I really do. Jealousy and possessiveness is a real fuckin bitch to deal with. Especially when you can't control it.

A little not so fun fact about me is I have an intense case of BPD. Now what I'm about to let you in on I in no way condone of real people and I'm not particularly proud of it. Anyone who has it can testify that it's hell.

I was a violent teen. My BPD made me overly impulsive and insanely possessive. Not just in romantic relationships, but friendships too. I developed fight response due to severe trauma. My dad never got me help because he ignored what happened to me and he liked having a "tough" kid. People around me would glorify it. "oh it's so cool you can beat the shit out of whoever you want" like no it's not fuckin cool. I can't fuckin control it and I feel like a goddamn puppet to my own disorders.

It doesn't help that I have other diagnosis' that I won't address in this post.

So, to the point. I was in the end my junior year of HS when my girlfriend at the time brought me to a bonfire her friends were having to celebrate going into our senior year. Now, this guy that I already didn't fuckin like was there and he had a major crush on my gf. He'd harass her and just tail her like some lost fuckin puppy.

I based Buggy's ex, Mia, in the fic off of this girl I dated bc she loved the attention and she loved when I'd snap. She made it worse by touching this guy and laughing at his shit jokes. I don't remember too much of what happened. Just what people tell me. I had grabbed a bat and took it to the back of this dude's head. Nobody was able to pull me off of him. Personally, I don't think anyone really tried. Apparently, I had dragged him over to the fire and had his hair in my fist. I put his face near the flames. I'm sure I said something to him, but I really can't remember. My blackouts were really bad. That boy avoided me the rest of the time we were in school. I eventually caught in to what my gf was doing and broke it off shortly before senior year ended.

I had an idea of the disorders I was dealing with before I was diagnosed, but because I was denied help, I got worse and worse. The town that I lived in at the time was small, racist and extremely homophobic. We had some shitty house next to this gravel alley. My brother is a few years younger than me and he had come out as gay. Three different boys who used to be his friends were picking on him in that back alley and I was in the back yard at the time. I'll describe what happened in my brother's words.

"you jumped the fence and immediately attacked them. You dragged them into the dirt and just went off on them. One ran off but the other two you beat until they started bleeding. You slammed one of their faces down and literally ground them into the rocks. Dad had to pull you off of them. You had blood on your face and hands."

My knuckles were busted and raw from hitting those guys. Next thing I know, I'm getting questioned by cops. I won't go into all the legal shit that went down, but I'm sure you can imagine. I've seen the inside of a cell. I know what it's like to be caged because of something I had no control over. The charges were dropped though. I embarrassed those boys and their parents even though they should have been embarrassed by their own kid's behavior.

I don't excuse my behavior. In fact, I hated the blackouts I went through because I hurt people. My jealousy and my desire to protect my friends and family spilled over into physical violence. If I hadn't gotten away from that town and my dad, I would have killed someone eventually. I know this and that's why I got help the moment I was old enough to get approved for Medicaid.

I've been on medication for my disorders for almost four years now. I still have violent thoughts and my emotions are written all over my face, but I can control it better. My impulse control has improved drastically. I've improved my relationships and even found a partner who keeps me tame. I own what I am and I know it will never fully go away. I've still gotten into altercations and I'll get in a fuckers face if they get too cocky, but I no longer fear that I'll kill someone.

What I'm saying is, it doesn't hurt to get yourself looked at. If your jealousy and possessiveness is ruining your life and keeping you from maintaining relationships, you should try to look into it. If it is something deeper but you don't like the idea of medicine, there are tons of natural ways to deal with it. Some that even I use from time to time. For me, it was way too late. Even though I hate the idea of being medicated, I know it's not just about me, but the people around me as well. I'm keeping myself and them safe.

You can be jealous of your friend's friendships with other people. You can be jealous of a significant other's friendship with other people and it really sucks. Especially when you feel like there's nothing you can do about it. Just know that no matter how bad it gets, you can talk to me. I will not judge you for a damn thing because I guarantee I have done worse while I was untreated. I'm a safe person to come to and whatever you tell me will stay with me. I'm sorry you feel so stuck and if there's anything I can do, just let me know.

I gave Buggy the same disorder in the fic because not only does it help me cope, it makes for great dark fiction. Some of the things he's done out of jealousy are thoughts that I've had myself that I've never acted on. I would never wish it on real people though. Never.

[f-o-x-t-r-o-t]

Do you think Jason would ever try and adopt kids of his own? I imagine he'd be beyond happy to have a family of his own even if he would need to leave the vigilante lifestyle behind but also wouldn't really imagine something like that being possible for himself in the first place. For several reasons.

First and foremost, we all need to be on the same page that Jason is canonically really good with kids. It's also canon that Jason has some of the worst familial luck in the world.

I think, to Jason, starting a family would be one of his pipe dreams. He knows intimately not every person should be a parent. That it's a parent's job to put their kid first and not every adult is capable of doing that. Jason predominately had to raise himself and had very little guidance as a young child from the adults around him. He's been on the receiving end of taking care of the adults who should've been taking care of him and has had their trauma/issues projected onto him his entire life. Jason has no idea where to start with raising a child. The only stepping stones he has are "Don't do what was done to you as a child" and "What did I need as a child?" Which can be helpful tools, but aren't stable foundations to raise a child on. To this day, Jason still doesn't know how he should actually be treated as a living human being. While he can usually reciprocate needs to others, he's constantly overshadowed by this weight that he's doing everything wrong.

Jason is pretty self-aware and he knows how damaging it is to be on the receiving end of a parent who's not capable of raising a kid. Whether he faults those adults or not, he would blame himself because he would be actively choosing to have a kid. Jason knows he's fucked up and he wouldn't want to fuck a kid up like how he was. Especially because Bruce did do that with a multiple of his: "I didn't want them to turn into me." Even further, Jason doesn't even pursue most (romantic) relationships because he's well aware of his many issues and enemies and how that can lead to many problems. In what world would he feel comfortable putting a child in that position if he fears projecting onto and/or damaging a fellow adult? I think he'd even view it as being selfish. How he's only adopting a child because "he wants one," "wants to help them," "etc." because again that didn't turn out well for Jason. The man knows he'd have to achieve a spectacular amount of healing before he'd be capable of raising a child and Jason doesn't fully know how or if he can heal from the life he's led. Besides that, Jason would constantly be worried about his old life coming back to haunt his new one.

The only way I could see him adopting kids would be if he left the vigilante business (which neither he nor I see happening) and probably somewhat cutting ties with the bats. Whether because of rocky relationships or because he knows being in contact with them would only allow trouble to lead back to him and the new life he's made. Like if Jason was hypothetically a parent, I don't think he'd trust himself to leave his kids around Bruce. If something were to happen to his kids (like killed by an enemy hypothetically), he knows damn well Bruce won't do anything about it except try to stop Jason from putting an end to whoever hurt his loved ones. He would Especially not let them be his sidekick. I know Scarlett and Duela, two girls people like putting as "his" (which ignores the fact that he and Duela used to be the same age. Before that, her older than him), were already loosely ~in the bizz~ so to speak, but he actively encouraged both girls to leave and be something more. Tyler, on the other hand, I hate how fandom always forgets his mom is right there and still around? Yes, she was in the hospital, but people forget that she got better and is getting help. Very dismissive and, to me, comes off as incredibly uncouth.

This isn't to say Jason doesn't know anything about kids and child care. I think Jason knows logically that X is abusive and can do Y to a child's development. But I think his own fears, insecurities, and rightfully placed concerns+considerations would get in the way of ever truly considering kids of his own. In fact, I think that's one of the things that could make Jason a really good parent: He knows that not everyone should be one.

TL;DR No, I don't think Jason would ever adopt/have kids in general because he fears doing to them what was done to him. I.E. Pushing and projecting trauma onto a kid because he knows he doesn't have the skills to be a long-time caretaker to a child. Let that man heal. Slapping him with a kid won't actually do that. You can argue he could "break the cycle of abuse," but I truly think Jason is too terrified to even attempt that because he knows that kids are actually their own person too and deserve to be treated as such. He would never adopt "Just because he's always wanted a kid/start a family of his own."

Really, most takes I see with giving Jason kids are because people either want to squeeze him out of vigilantism or so he can "be more like Bruce" with the adoption tendencies. Neither falls in line with canon Jason while also confusing long-term care = "being good with kids" which are not the same things.

[triplexdoublex]

I think wats messing me up about this whole thing is that my parents are going through a very similar situation where my mom was the extremely toxic one who cheated, said some extremely horrible lies about my dad and all of that stuff, then they seperated, and my dad got very suicidal and me and my sis had to watch him just spiral down hill and then like a few months later right when he was getting better, my dad let her just walk right back in like nothing happened and she never saw wat she did wrong and coudint understand why everyone was so upset, and now literally won't face any of our family and is only happy when she's spending his money. And I'm not saying this for sympathy or anything but I'm saying this from experience it doesn't matter how old the kid is when they have to sit there and watch their dad become suicidal and depressed over a women (doesn't matter if they are ur real mom, step mom, cousin, aunt, grandmother idc) but if ur kids watches u become suicidal over a women it not only breaks something inside of them but it makes them become extremely angry and not trusting to that said women. And him staying in this very openly toxic very public relationship is very damaging to Casie and I can almost garentee Casie despises Megan and is just waiting for her to leave/mess up again and I can also almost garentee she isint facing his family (the crew) anytime soon. Hell he's already trying to hide it from his other family (est) so I can only imagine how the crew feels about this

TW// domestic violence, blood, death threats, guns

I’m so sorry you had to go through that I unfortunately know exactly how you and Casie must feel. Growing up my step mother was extremely jealous, abusive and manipulative towards my dad even before they got married and it destroyed my relationship with him. She would take off her rings and have me hold them while she went and beat my dad up over the stupidest things like glancing at the Victoria Secret poster ads in the store window while walking by at the mall, she even once accused him of checking ME out that’s how crazy and jealous she was. One time he hurt his back at work and she accused him of “walking like he just had sex” and broke a small wooden baseball bat over his face , took pictures of him all bloody and then showed them to me and was basically like “this is what’s gonna happen if your dad keeps cheating on me.” My dad wasn’t allowed to attend any life events of mine birthdays, graduation, my wedding. She always had to tag along to every weekend visitation or vacation I had with my dad, and would never let my dad buy me things when we were out because he “already pays enough in child support” ( $55 a week 🙄). He worked as a janitor at my school and she made him quit because she thought he flirted with my teacher. She literally made him tell my teacher “I have to quit because I jerk off thinking about you” and she stood there and made sure he said it. At her and my dads wedding she told me “I’m your mother now and I will smack you” because I wouldn’t give two of her friends a ride home. Eventually they thankfully divorced when she cheated and decided she was done with my dad, but not before having 4 more kids and fucking them all up. Even after the divorce she continued to fuck with him and would claim all the kids on her taxes when the agreement was to split it or do every other year. So one time obviously extremely angry my dad said “I’m gonna kill you” purely out of anger and she called the police ( all of who my dad was friends with because he used to be a firefighter— another job she made him quit) and one of my dads own friends had to come to his house and confiscate all his LEGAL hunting guns and bows because “she feared he would use them to kill her” So after all the shit she put him through now he was the bad guy! I fear Megan’s gonna do the same thing to Kells and push him to a breaking point where he either says or does something violent so then she can spin the narrative and play the Amber Heard victim card and be like “see he was really the bad guy all along this is why you should always believe women, this is why I’m such a powerful feminist” 🙄 Sorry for the rant I can just see from experience how badly this can end for him and Casie’s relationship as well as his already tarnished reputation.

[puppetmaster13u]

Okay but like, Damian was literally grown in a lazarus-womb, he's definitely more than a little liminal. So imagine when he learns he will be growing claws. No one will be safe.

Crane, wild-eyed with a thermos of fear toxin at 6am: I swear if I have to wake up at an ungodly hour to convince you to go to sleep One More Time I am coming out of retirement and Frights will join me, don't think he Won't- This is the 8th time he's been called this week, and it's only Wednesday, he wants to snuggle with his boyfriend damnit!

Damian is pleased with his new alliance! He gets to pet the dogs and go on rides with the winged nightmare horse! Titus now has a playmate, as does Goliath! Crane and Jazz both have to tell Ellie and Danny that no they cannot have a demon-bat-dragon, put those summoning sigils back or no cookies.

Jason is unsure as to if he has a crush or what, but he's learning so much new stuff and he's felt better than ever! He even managed to give Timmers a hug without getting the urge to rip into him, which is great. And at least now he knows it was because Tim stank like fear so much that it was just sending him in a feeding frenzy. He uh, yeah he's definitely going to need to find a way to apologize for the whole... nearly tearing his throat out in the tower that one time...

Meanwhile the Justice League is raining hell down upon the GIW with Batman and Martian Manhunter taking the lead. MM is furious because he's lived through the type of shit they've made legal, he's been there, stuck in a lab with experiments. And Bruce is on a batdad-fueled barely-not-murdering not-going-to-lose-any-of-his-children-again rage mode. Clark and Flash have somehow ended up the morals in the group, Diana isn't helping and is egging them on for straight up murder because she's right there with them.

Prompt 41

Hear me out, DP and DC crossover where Scarecrow is cousins with the Fentons. 

 His mother was siblings with Jack’s father, and both Jazz and Danny met ‘Uncle Jonathan’ during one of the many Fenton-Nightingale family reunions that happens every few years. Honestly, perhaps it’s what gets Jazz interested in psychology, hearing from her ‘uncle’ about fear and its effects.

 And honestly once they start having to deal with ghosts and having had to deal with their parents for years it’s not really hard to talk with their uncle. Crane still doesn’t know how he became these kids’ favorite uncle, or even all of the family kids’ favorite uncle-cousin, but that’s just how the family is. 

 Really he’s not even the only villain of the family, with both Jack and Maddie being close but not quite, even if they’re definitely mad scientists. Their son becoming a local hero, even if they’re not aware of that fact, is just ironic. 

 John knows. The two kids told him when they found out that Danny may or may not need to feed on fear now that he’s half ghost, and well he’s the specialist about the emotion so…

 At least they have someone to stay with when Jazz goes to Gotham university and brings Danny with her, even if the local vigilantes are concerned as to why Scarecrow attacks have suddenly took a nosedive…

[imagination-mess]

When Kazutora joins your small family

Canon Au but Kazutora doesn't kill Baji in his universe, Shinichiro was killed by Kazutora. But you still stay and support him by sending letters, because his parents didn't give permission for his friends to visit him. You were more like a real mother to Kazutora comparable to his own birth mother.

Random Drabble/Imagine/Post

Before: Interference in the Bloody Halloween Gang Fight

More Context: Please refer to The Adventures of The Sano Family

Kazutora was only expecting Baji to wait for him outside. He was taken back seeing you waiting for him with Baji with your motorcycle beside Baji. Baji informs him, you are the reason why he was able to get out more early. You had hired the best of the lawyer with the help of you as the fiance of the person he had killed along with Mikey helped to lessen his sentence. Kazutora didn't touch your letters because of the guilt knew he caused you pain. You understand and had a suspicion he didn't read them because he sent letters back and forth with Baji, his best friend. You were still healing after Shinichiro, but couldn't hold it against him. They were just children who didn't know anything better. Kazutora was raised surrounded by pure violence growing up. You offered to let him stay at your place with Draken whom you talked to beforehand. He understood why, but also expressed how he truly felt. You took it into consideration, but you ensure if Kazutora would be staying with you guys. He will be getting help for his childhood abuse, trauma, and mental health. He isn't gonna him, he does. She will deal with it when that situation arises. Kazutora declines, but you ensure him that he can come to your home anytime. He will be safe in your home, like always. A few days later, at midnight of the night. There was harsh knocking at your door and Draken had gotten the baseball bat that against the door. He was ready to swing because you guys aren't expecting anyone at this hour especially. You open the door to reveal Kazutora's face was covered in bruises. "Can I com-" The bruised boy's eyes showed pure desperation

"Kazutora!" He flinches at the voice of his father calling him.

You were pulling him without any hesitation and closing the door behind him, already hearing his father climbing up the metal staircase that as behind the shop up to the apartment. "No matter what, stay out of it. Draken. I know how to handle this." You told Draken, knowing he will step in. You already have a plan for how to deal with his father once for all.

The door slams open and his father comes in clearly livid with rage.

"Is this the bitch? You stay, instead of coming home! Huh!" "Let's have con-" A slap echo through the apartment. Draken was about to step in but was pushed back by Kazutora. "Wait." Draken sees you were holding yourself but why. You push him back to only get punch this time. You created a false start of a sob with tears running down your cheeks. You hold your bruised cheek. You catch his father putting on a smug smile seeing your trembling figure. He thought it was from fear, but with your bangs covering your eyes from his view.

"Women will always be weak, now mov-" His father gets punched in the stomach. You kicked him on all men's weak spots, before slamming him on your dinner table.

Your dinner table collapses due to the force. You glared down at the fallen man on the ground.

"Men are so gullible. I wasn't shaking out of fear. I was shaking out of anger." You stand over him and grabbing him by the collar.

"Men like you love making a woman cry, you would think you won the fight. You messed with the wrong woman coming in here as if it was your place." You punched straight in the face, hearing bone cracking.

You dropped him and standing up straight.

"Now, you will sign over your guardianship to me and I won't press charges against you. I don't think prisoners like a woman abuser to child abuse."

"Why would I do that!?" His father was groaning from the pain.

"You broke into my home and assaulted me. Why do you think I let you punch and slap me? I needed proof. I have security cameras that captured everything. I also have evidence of your abuse of Kazutora." You calmly say as you walk over to the living room to bring out a piece of paper where his mother had already signed.

"I am a powerful man! I can take everything away from you!" He yells at her as he stands up.

"I am also a powerful woman. Do you have connections in the court system, even yet in prison? You may have the money, but I have the connections and money." You slam the pen on the paper on the counter.

His father was taken back by your own confidence and had already planned for him to come here and let him assault you before beating him up little.

"You bitch?!"

"Yeah, I am that bitch! Hurry up and sign, get out of my sight before I break every bone in your body!" You glared at him.

You could see he was trying to think about his options, but he couldn't think of any. He couldn't find a way to counterpart your claims. If you do have evidence, you can easily bring him down.

Draken and Kazutora were shocked to see you manhandle a man twice your size without breaking a sweat. You threaten and corned man to do what you want. You played the woman in distress letting him drop his guard to only attack him back twice as hard.

You were badass.

After his father accepted his defeat and leaving out of the house. You double-check his signature and hum in approval.

"Now, let's go to the hospital. Kazu, get you all checked out."

He was confused. "I thought you were not p-"

"I lied. I am not letting that bastard free. I am pressing charges." You give a smile that reminded both of them. Mikey smile when he does something devilish or being a menace.

Ever since you had become Kazutora's guardian and raised him along with Draken. Draken got used to him living with them. Mikey was trying to forgive him. He also went to community service along with getting the mental health services he needed. Baji also tagged along in your little family tradition which you didn't mean at all. Baji never wants to leave, but he had to before he made his mother worry about him.

Mikey and Kazutora would fight over your affection more like who gets to be laying on your lap when you aren't looking. They want to get their hair played by you.

Emma would help you in the kitchen while Draken tried to get them to get apart from each other.

"She is my future wife!"

"As if! She is way out of your league. And She is my mother!"

The two boys argue back before once again horseplay once more.

"Banana peel!"

"Midget!"

You call out, "Boys! Dinner is ready!"

The boys fought over who would sit next to you by playing paper, rock, and scissors. Emma would sit on the other side of you. Both of you were sighing at the sight, but smile seeing how happy all of them were despite arguing with each other.

Mikey would sneak by the males and sit next to you with a smug smile on his face. He can't be taken out, because you put a rule down whoever sits beside the other two can't wrestle him out of it.

"CHEATER!"

[hintofelation99]

The Justice League Hangs out with Duke

Bruce: Duke, it's time we had the talk.

Duke: Uh... nope. No thank you. I'm not getting the sex talk from Batman.

Bruce: What? No! The Robin talk.

Duke: But, I'm- I'm the Signal now? Isn't it a bit late for a Robin talk?

Bruce: Son, it's never too late, not for this.

Duke: Um. Ok.

Bruce: When Dick, Jason, and Tim first started as Robins they created a tradition. A tradition that continued with Stephanie, Damian, and now you.

Duke: And that tradition is?

Bruce: Taking down the Justice League. By being annoying and slightly terrifying.

Duke: OHHHHHH. Is that why no one from the Justice League talks to me?

Bruce: Yes, yes it is. But don't worry. I made an arrangement that will allow you time alone with league members to continue the tradition. You have a week to prepare.

——————

Duke: Cass, what do I do?

Cass raises an eyebrow at Duke.

Duke: For the Robin tradition thing. I have to take down the entire Justice League in a night using creative, outlandish, and original methods. But it's already been done by Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Steph. So what do I do? How can I be better than all of them.

Cass smirks: Take them down too.

Duke looking at Cass like she's crazy: What?

Cass: Take. Them. Down.

Duke: Holy shit, you are terrifying.

Cass just smiles and leaves.

-> One Week Later <-

Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Steph gather in the Watchtower.

Duke: Hey guys, Batman just wanted to go through some training exercises with everyone. He'll be a little late. Harley and Ivy escaped Arkham and are trying to grow penis shaped shrubs in all the public parks. But, don't worry he asked me to go ahead and start with out him.

Green Lantern: Why are you leading this meeting?

Duke: Batman is running late and he wants me to practice leading meetings.

Green Lantern, glaring suspiciously at Duke: Are you about to do that stupid Robin tradition where you torture all of us?

Duke: What Robin tradition? Also, I'm not even a Robin? I'm the Signal.

Green Lantern continues to glare at him.

Superman: Calm down Green Lantern, the Robins never do this in front of each other.

Every League member seems to relax at this.

Duke acting confused: Uhhh, yeah. Ok, we have a few housekeeping things to do according to the list Batman left. So, I'll have everyone pair up for sparring while I handle these individually.

------

Everyone is in the training room working out or sparring. Duke approaches Tim.

Duke: Hey Tim, Bruce wanted you to look in to that Bludhaven case. Is that ok with you?

Tim: Yeah, why wouldn't it be?

Duke: Oh, I just thought it might be difficult considering what Dick did.

Tim: ...What did he do?

Duke: Wait, you haven't noticed? Oh no, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything.

Tim: Duke. Tell me what he did.

Duke: Well, Jason said that he replaced all your coffee with decaf.

Tim: THAT BASTARD. No wonder I've been feeling so tired! I'm going to kill him!

Duke: Wait, just stop! I heard that he hid all of it in Green Lantern's room.

Tim: Wait, why there?

Duke: Something about you being afraid of him.

Tim: WHAT?! I'm not afraid of the Green Nightlight! I'm gonna find that coffee then make Dick pay.

Duke: Oh, well cool, good luck!

------

Green Lantern: Um, what are you doing in my room?

Tim: Where is it?

Green Lantern: Where's what?

Tim: You know what I want. Give up now or face the consequences.

Green Lantern: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Tim: Fine. Consequences.

------

Steph, sparring with Duke: So, what's it like being the first meta bat?

Duke: Not too bad, but I could do with out the whole 'predict the future' thing.

Steph, laughing: What? You can not see the future.

Duke: I bet you $50 I can

Steph: Your on.

Duke, makes everything around him light up and uses a weird voice: In the next thirty minutes Green Lantern will flee the Watchtower in fear. Soon after Dick will be attacked by Tim.

Steph, snorts in obvious disbelief.

Steph: That was so fake-

Green Lantern runs out of the tower looking terrified.

Steph: No way.

Tim tackles Dick and they start fighting like three year old's on the floor.

Steph, handing Duke $50: Holy shit Magic Man.

Duke makes things light up and does the voice again: Oh my god.

Steph, looking excited: What?!

Duke: The- the sushi. The sushi you brought today, it's made from-

Duke pretends to choke back a sob.

Duke: It's made from the fish who was the maid of honor at Aquaman's wedding.

Steph: HOLY SHIT.

------

Steph and Aquaman sit beside each other for lunch, she pulls out her sushi and looks at Aquaman sadly.

Steph: I am so, so sorry for your loss. But just know that her sacrifice is not in vain.

Aquaman, looks confused for a second then sees the sushi: NOPE. Not this again! I'm leaving.

Steph: Wait! I'm sorry!

Aquaman leaves as Steph tries to chase him down.

------

Jason is laughing and filming as Dick and Tim fight.

Duke, whistles: Man, imagine if that video went on YouTube.

Jason, looking confused: What?

Duke: I'm just saying if the video of Red Robin and Nightwing fighting like kids ever got on YouTube, it'd go viral. Oh and they would be so pissed!

Jason, laughs: Too bad B would kill me if I uploaded this.

Duke: Yeah, I guess so. And you can't upload it here because then Superman would get in trouble.

Jason: Why would the boy scout get in trouble?

Duke: Cause he always uses his YouTube account on the Justice League computer. So it'd look like he uploaded it and B would find out that Superman watches cat videos while he's on monitor duty.

Jason, smirking: Huh, so you're saying if I upload this on the League computer I'd piss off Bruce, Tim, and Dick and get Supes in trouble?

Duke, acting innocent: Huh, I guess so.

-> A Few Minutes Later <-

A call from Bruce comes up on the main computer.

Superman: Hey Batman, what can I do for you?

Bruce: You, Red Hood, cave now.

Jason: What? Why me?

Bruce: Because I saw that little home video you uploaded of your brothers.

Jason: What, that wasn't me!

Bruce: I could hear you laughing while you filmed.

Jason: Dammit.

Jason and Clark leave for the cave pouting like kids.

------

Duke: Hey, Black Canary?

Black Canary: Yes Duke?

Duke: I'm sorry to do this on such short notice, but I'm very worried about Dick and Tim.

Black Canary: Why?

Duke: Well, Tim keeps claiming that Dick is out to get him. Something about Dick messing with his coffee? And Dick feels like he's just being attacked for no reason and is worried about Tim's health. Is there anyway you could intervene?

Black Canary, looking sighing and looking exhausted: Usually I have three days of preparation before dealing with bats.

Duke: I know it's just-

Duke gestures to Tim and Dick rolling on the floor fighting.

Duke: They really need help.

Black Canary: Alright, I'll see what I can do.

Black Canary attempts to intervene only to get pulled into the fight. Now the three of them are tangled in a huge, confusing fight, that's filled with yelling and hair pulling.

------

Duke: Damian! Quick!

Damian: What is it Thomas.

Duke: I think somethings wrong with Dick and Tim and maybe even Black Canary. They're all fighting and won't stop! Can you help me contain them so that we can figure out what's going on?

Damian: Fine. I shall help.

Duke: Ok, just try to herd them into this containment cell.

Damian joins the fight managing to get everyone, including himself, into the containment cell. As Damian is trying to leave Duke closes the cell. Damian angrily yells and bangs on the sound proof walls.

Duke: What? Sorry, can't hear you! My hand slipped!

------

Wonder Woman: Very well done Signal.

Duke, acting innocent: Hm?

Wonder Woman: You tricked Red Robin into scaring Green Lantern away, then into fighting Nightwing. Once that fight broke out you tricked Red Hood into uploading a video to the internet using the Superman's credentials. By uploading that video he caused both himself and Superman to face Batman's wrath. You also used the fight to trick Stephanie into annoying Aquaman to the point of leaving. Then you involved Black Canary in the fight, which was her downfall. And, as a final touch, you managed to get Robin into the fight and trapped all in a containment cell. You successfully eliminated 9 foes with one trick.

Duke: You mean 11.

Wonder Woman: What?

Duke: 11. You see, I didn't trick Red Robin, I tricked Nightwing. I had a week to prepare. In that week I convinced Dick that Tim needed to cut back on the caffeine and that Dick should help by switching all of Tim's coffee with decaf. I also convinced him to hide that coffee in the watchtower, in Green Lantern's room. So that was all true.

Wonder Woman: But, that still does not make 11?

Duke: It does. Because This morning I moved the coffee. I replaced the Flashes decaf with Tim's ultra caffeinated coffee. You see Tim has it specially manufactured to increase the caffeine levels. And, while Flash doesn't usually drink his coffee in the morning, he's always running late and forgets, he does drink coffee during training breaks. Which is now. So in about five minutes we will have an incredibly caffeinated speedster in the Watchtower. And since you're the only one around right now with a chance of catching him, that's your problem.

Right as Duke finishes Flash runs by, majorly hyped up on caffeine.

Duke: Checkmate.

------

Martian Manhunter: It appears that I am the last remaining League member.

Duke: Yeah, I don't really understand this tradition but apparently every Robin ends it by picking a favorite league member.

Martian Manhunter: Out of all the League members, why have you chosen me?

Duke: Your smart and have a lot of cool powers. Also, I dunno, I hear you sometimes feel like an outsider with the league. Cause, the whole martian thing. And I know it's not the same but, sometimes I feel like an outsider with the bats, being the only meta and all.

Martian Manhunter: You have chosen me so that we may bond over our lack of connections?

Duke: Uhhhh, yeah?

Martian Manhunter: Hm. Very well, I assume that this is your “Robin Weakness”. Apparently every Robin has one.

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

<- Previous |

[yandere-wishes]

Sacrificial Bride Part 1//Twisted Wonderland X Reader//

Alright well, that's enough writing for the next few days if you excuse me I'm going to go sulk in my corner. Huge thanks to @softyswork​ who’s story about reader being sent to Malleus as a bride inspired this series. Also, I REALLY want to make some sort of modern-day Frankenstein it would be an amazing scientific breakthrough! You'll understand what I mean when you get to Idia's part lol.

💚🐉Malleus Draconia🐉💚

It was a common rumor around your village that ever since the death of the sleeping princess your settlement had never been the same. For you, this was nothing more than a fairy tale meant to spark a scrap of hope in the hearts of naive, suffering children who were still too young to fully understand why their fathers never returned from their hunting trips or why there was barely anything to eat for dinner.

Every time you heard this dreaded tail, you couldn't help but scuff. For as long as you've been alive your town had been in utter disarray and chaos. Monsters from the woods -what the town's folk called "fae"- attacked the village daily. Stealing jewels, destroying homes, sometimes even swallowing children or sucking the blood of the dormant. There was also the looming threat of the green flames. Blazing emerald fires who couldn't be subdued by neither water nor dirt. They advanced further into the territory of the village by each full cycle of the moon. Leaving behind in their trail, thick impenetrable thorn bushes that had taken the homes of many and the lives of many more.

Awful, dreaded creatures those fae where...

But alas you did not yet know just how cruel they could be.

On another periodic morning, your younger sister jolted you awake, dragging you to the town center before you got a chance to change out of your nightgown.

In the center of the square was short man..no...not a man you noticed his pointed drawn back ears. "Fae" you gasped under your breath. But unlike the monstrous fairies that ravished your town taking on the appearances of trees and woodland creatures, this one resembled a boy of 15. The young-looking male began to speak, his voice was clear like crystals, and to his tone bats began to flock overhead. "Truly dreadful, these fairy folk are" your sister uttered in terror as she buried her face in your side.

"Heed my words, mortals. The young prince of thorns has decided to take a wife. By the setting of the sun a full day from today, two of his guards will come to collect your offering. If you chose to disregard this Wa-- friendly advice, then what is left of your town will be decimated before the end of summer. Your children eaten, wives imprisoned and husbands killed!" An unsteady hush rippled through the crowd. Some hothead youths began to throw rocks at the stranger only for the bats hovering above to shield him from the stones. Mothers hugged their children close begging for the man to "just leave".

"If" the man's voice rose once more like a cadaver emerging from the grave " my young master is pleased with your sacrifice than we shall reward you! Bring good health and prosperity to your otherwise sick and decaying village." His last words melted into the open air before he vanished in a cloud of squealing bats and ebony smoke.

The town's folk erupted in screeches, cursing at their deities while simultaneously praying to any god that would listen.

"Help us!"

"save us!"

"Don't let them take our daughters!"

The screams escalated to the point where you had to cover your ears with your shaking hands. Your eyes scanning each of the villager's faces, a pathetic lot they were, you thought to yourself. Scared by the words of a young magician. In a flash, your heart sped up, adrenaline pumping through your veins, as you marched to the center square where the boy had been mere moments ago. You stood tall, cupping your hands over your mouth.

"Listen well you disquiet, mindless lot!"

All eyes turned to you. Some holding looks of confusion, whilst others harbored glances of hope.

"This fae is lying! No way will they be satisfied with just one measly girl! No matter who we sacrifice to their so-called master, they'll still come after us! They'll still destroy our village! Let's not be stupid! Let's find a way to barricade the city instead of arguing over who to sacrifice!"

For an endless second all was quite. It was like the world had stopped turning, frozen in its place in the universe trying to decide what to do.

Then it happened,

Chants reverberating through the air

"Sacrifice her!" "Sacrifice her!"

"Sacrifice her!" "Sacrifice her!"

"Sacrifice her!"........................

WHAT!

NO!

DID THOSE MORONS NOT LISTEN TO A SINGLE WORD YOU SAID!

The crowd started advancing. Eyes locked on your figure like those of a leopard on its prey.  Their mouths were all a gap, chanting the words "sacrifice" over and over again. From behind the mob, your eyes locked with your sister's. You could practically feel the despair rolling off her figure as she covered her eyes and fell to her knees, her whole body rattling with a sort of distant rage...

A full day....it's funny how time passes all so quickly no matter what you do. Day in and day out nothing changes, pain is still pain, laughter is still laughter. Time just keeps slipping from between your fingers like sand. Even in the direst of times, Time doesn't show mercy, never once does it cease. It just ticks and ticks away until the inevitable moment arrives.

Your sister and aunt -the only two relatives that you hadn't lost to the fae- were in charge of preparing you for your so-called "wedding". Since your town was poor and isolated from other civilizations there wasn't much they could do to enhance your beauty. Smashing some berries to add color to your lips -and fervently ravishing the remains- using some coal to add shade behind your eyes, as well as around them and patting the dust of rose petals against your cheek. By the end, you hardly recognized the person staring back from the mirror. Sure the adjustments were minor but this was the most stunning you'd ever looked. "Is it almost time" your voice quivered, failing to hide the tears that began to fall. "Please don't cry sweetheart, we don't have any more coal to fix your eyes with." Your aunt's tone was monotone almost bordering on heartless. You couldn't really blame her, she'd gotten so used to having her loved ones plucked from her. One more would be no different. Sniffing as to keep the tears at bay, you nodded slowly. Your glossy eyes locked with your aunt's you could see the same fear and exhaustion in her fading irises as the night her son was slaughtered in front of her.

"Just a few reminders" your sister's voice was cheery like the chirping of early morning birds, but her face mimicked that of a kicked puppies. "Remember when the prince...fae...when he..you know...Oh, Lord please tell me he won't" She was shivering again. Her face twisted in horror. You knew what she was thinking, she was imagining you laying in the bed of that...that thing. She was imagining him entering you, kissing up and down your neck. Leaving patches of red skin over smooth flesh, bruises wherever his clawed hands touched you. She was imagining what was no doubt going to happen to you tonight...

the mere thought made bile rise to your throat.

"Darling, just keep saying how much you like it. It's all any man wants to hear." again your aunt or rather her lackluster form of speech was the rope binding you to your sanity.

"Do fae even have...those parts like humans do?" Your sister asked, only to be met with a glare from your aunt. "Stop wasting time on pointless questions! Hurry up and see if this dress fits your sister."

Sure enough, as you were escorted to where the thorn bushes met the village, two men, one standing tall and proud, whilst the other looked like he may topple over from fatigue at any moment, were awaiting you.

The green-haired man let out a haughty laugh, his blazing eyes scanning you from head to toe. "She's hardly worthy of the young master!" His dreadful voice was like the booming of thunder clouds. "It doesn't matter, Malleus-sama needs to be wedded off quickly so he can produce an heir. None of us are getting any younger by standing here debating the "worthiness" of yet another measly human" the silver-haired male's voice was the exact opposite of his comrades, his voice was soft and breathy like light drizzle after a storm.

The green-haired man looked ready to argue once more, but before he could open his mouth, his violet-eyed counterpart waved something thin in the air casing a pathway to open between the hedges.

It was dark between the brambles. The air was thick, stuffy, every breath was a struggle. Although it seemed neither of your traveling buddies minded the discomfort. Did fae even need air to survive?

After what could have been no less than a couple of hours, your small group made it to a large clearing where only a few rays of the sun leaked through the thick smoky clouds. Miss matched flowers in shades of grey littered the rocky barren ground. Maybe at some point, this place had been beautiful, stunning even...but whenever that time had been it was long gone now.

As you ventured farther into this monochrome land of loss and sorrow, the three of you approached a castle. It towered over everything else, grim in all its glory. "Young master Malleus is awaiting you inside..." The green-haired male's voice trailed off as his speech was interrupted by the deafening creaking of the doors parting open. Without another word the two men dragged you inside, pushing you through spiral staircases and long bleak passageways. Until you arrived at a lavish-looking room, a large throne sitting smugly in the front of the room. It's black, spiked appearance was enough to make you gasp in horror, you didn't desire to meet the monster that perched atop that throne. "Don't be so afraid." the silver-haired man whispers, his head is almost resting on your shoulder. "Malleus-sama is kind and fair. He is sure to love you better than any human ever could." you catch a hint of nostalgic sadness in the last part, like a long lost part of the lavender eyed boy's past caught in his throat like a glass shard.

Trumpets roared through the room blaring as two men, one short and fickle whilst the other tall and brooding walked in. "Malleus~" The short one sang as they both stopped in front of you "Say hello to your lovely new wife." the tall man's emerald eyes landed on you. His lips parted in a threatening smile...or maybe it was a smirk? He didn't seem to be too good at displaying emotions. Slowly he descended onto one knee, slipping your hand into his and kissing the top lightly.

"Hello, my darling little wife."

🧡🦁Leona Kingscholar🦁🧡

The After Glow Savanna was an absolute hell to be born in if your family did not belong to some royal inner court class. The endless days spent scavenging for scraps of food, walking miles for a simple glass of water, had become a sort of broken, habit beaten into the residents of the smaller less fortunate districts.

Eventually, you too would follow in your parent's footsteps, working odd jobs around the neighborhood, getting married to some guy, having kids, and giving them the same dreary life your parents had given you. It was simple -miserable- but simple never the less. In an odd way, you found a sort of comfort in how everything was set in stone. How you'd suffer through a few years then die of starvation or some disease in your husband's arms.

But little did you know that the only comfort you had in your horrible life was also going to be swiped from you.

When Ruggie, a dear childhood friend of yours returned from his prestigious school for the winter holidays you were overjoyed! A week with your best friend was the greatest gift you could ask for! But that excitement soon dulled when he announced to the neighborhood what the royal family had planned for the underdeveloped parts of the country.

"They want to demolish the homes and build parks and shopping strips instead"

The people of your tiny community gasped, shock and hopelessness mixing over their dirty, worn out faces. Some older siblings shielded the ears of their younger kin, some mothers hugged their children closer to their chests. "They can't do that to us!" Your voice was like a beacon through the thick fog of confusion. "We can't let them!" You turned to Ruggie who was seated next to you. His blue-grey eyes held a foreign sadness that you had never seen before. He was hiding something...something so grim that he was forced to shove it into the depths of his soul, locking it up and throwing away the key.

"There is a way..."

For such a hopeful phrase, Ruggie's tone harbored no happiness. You could practically see the tears that were clouding his beautiful eyes. "Tell us" someone from the crowd demanded, others soon joined in with their own chants. For a long moment, Ruggie said nothing, the shouts of despair falling on deaf ears.

"If.." his voice trailed off, as his gaze grew distant.

"If someone from the neighborhood were to marry the second prince..." Gasps of fear filled the air. Even the mere mention of the second prince's name was enough to send chills down people's spins.

"Then they could, as the newly appointed  princess, convince the royal family and counsel to scrap this monstrous plan." No one uttered another word. No one was brave enough to face the man who could destroy anything with a simple touch.

But the sake of these people, people who had nothing but their families and a muddy roof over their head was on the line.

Do something, a tiny voice in your head screamed, save them, it begged. You shifted your head so to get a glimpse of Ruggie's face. "I-" you began but were cut off before you could even finish.

"I know you would say that."

His voice broke over every syllable. He knew you would give up your depressing nostalgia for the sake of others. Life in the castle would be hell, being married to that monster would be something worst than the dwellings of the devil.

It was a speedy arrangement, so fast that your head didn't have time to process anything. In the end, it almost seemed like the royal family was desperate to find a spouse for their youngest son.

Just marry him! Was what all the absentee looks told you.

Early that morning, Ruggie had dragged you to the castle, all tears, and grumbles. The palace guards let him in with no restrain, it almost felt like he'd been here before. Your childhood friend led you to a room in the further corner of a grand hall. He told you to stay outside as he went in to chat with the prince. Moments later the newly appointed king and queen came to usher you into a privet room and discuss the marriage. Not an hour later your fate had been sealed, you'd be married off to prince Leona tomorrow at sunrise. For "historical purposes" your neighborhood would be preserved and even taken care of. 'Historical purposes' you thought 'more the like a bribe to get you to marry this beast.

that night you were dragged this way and that by the queen herself. Taken for fitting after fitting. Trying on hundreds of wedding dresses who's prices could feed every mouth in your neighborhood for months! "Leona isn't very classy" the queen sighed in disappear. "He would probably prefer you to be in something laxer, shorter if you will" the tailors ran around trying to find something that would fit her vague description, as you stood facing her royal highness.

"What's he like?" you asked soullessly

"Spoiled, although not as heartless as the rumors make him out to be"  She didn't seem to like giving straight answers

"will he harm me? It was an honest question, although the lack of thinking it took before the queen replied made your heart skipped a beat.

"Quite possibly, he is rather...aggressive at times. Just don't let his degrading comments get to you. He's not used to being around people"

The more she described the second-born prince the more it seemed she was actually speaking of some feral dog that had raised in isolation.

Oh, how doomed you were.

The wedding was even faster than the preparation. Ruggie walked you down an aisle of flowers, walking over the petals, killing them once and for all, ending their pointless existence. You stood by your self at the altar awaiting your husband to be. It took a rather long time before the doors were flung open and the king waltzed in carrying his struggling brother under his arm. "No need to worry, Leona was taking one of his catnaps again and forgot about today's events" the king announced, in what could only be described as a mock lively tone.

How on earth does someone forget their wedding! This prince really wasn't a typical human...heck you where beginning to think that the feral dog would have made a better groom.

snap, snap

A few magazine pictures here, a couple of family photos there...

Everything was so bright and loud...

right before you and the second prince were thrown into the darkness of his room. In the obscurity, you could ONLY make out the glowing of his emerald eyes.

You could feel him shifting closer, all the while you took shaking steps backwards. " I thought wives were supposed to leap into the arms of their husbands? Tell me little herbivore do I frighten you?"

Your voice refused to leave your throat, too afraid to come into contact with the prince.

"What's the matter? Did they not teach you to speak in on the streets you grew up on. Poor thing~"

Leona pounced across the room, tackling you to the ground. His sheer weight pinning you to the carpeted floor. The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the silence.

How careless these royal were was the only intelligible thought that came to your frenzied brain.

Goosebumps littered your skin as Leona's claws cut into your flesh. His lips kissed over each wound as he made his way up to your cherry painted lips.

"You look so cute, you know, like a little mouse about to get devoured by a starving lion."

💙💀Idia Shroud💀💙

The rhythm of his heartbeat was slowing down, it felt like the patter of ants atop one's flesh. He was dying...this was an irreversible fact. The love of your life was dying and there was nothing you could do but sit idly by and watch the life fade from his pale bruised face. Your thumb ran over his knuckles in robotic-like strokes. Hours had passed, you'd shed all the tears that you had. He was gone...that was all there was to it.

For a hopeless second, you flicked your eyes to the open window on the opposite side of the room, There was never any sun on the island of lamination but regardless today seemed brighter than any other day. "How cruel" you muttered in a deadpan voice. Outside something...or better yet...someone was running through the fields, chasing what looked like a butterfly. The young child had blazing blue hair a symbol of the Shroud family...

THE SHROUD FAMILY

Your breath hitch in your lungs, your heart began to pound furiously in your chest. They could help you though hopefully. There family where distant relatives of the god of the underworld and a few years back -to your regulation- the hair of the family had been able to semi revive his younger brother. If he was able to bring back a child from the dead than surly they would have no problem returning your lost lover to you.

Your eyes waltz over his dormant face one last time before you got up and ran for the door.

"This is all for you my love, all of this is for you"

The Shroud family mansion was located at the top of one of the many hills that plagued the island. It was a dark grisly building that resembled the castles from old tales, where monsters laid dormant. Rumors spiraled around the rural civilization, some saying that the family was cursed by the lord of the dead, whilst others claimed that the shroud family were the long lost descendants of the lord of the dead and the maiden of spring. The curse had been placed on the family by the temperamental mother of the maiden of spring, anathematizing the family to be plagued with death and disappear for the rest of eternity.

Regardless of what their misfortune was, they may very well be the last people on earth who could help you. Surely if the family had brought back their youngest than they could bring back your lover!

You knuckles tapped furiously at the old metal doors of the frightful residence. The rhythm was unkept, unsteady, it's mere sound radiated urgency.

"PLEASE HELP ME"

Your throat burned as you screamed out those three lousy words.

After what felt like forever, the doors cracked open, revealing a tall man obscured by the shadows. Any light that touched the interior of the house seemed to die acidity, making peering inside nearly impossible.

"What business do you have?" The man's voice was croaky as if his vocal cords hadn't been used in years. For a split second, you closed your eyes, trying to organize the thoughts in your head. "My...my...h-hus...lover, my lover is d-dead...o-or rather he is dying....probably fully gone by now..." despite the mess of stuttered letters and mixed-up words, the man seemed to understand your situation. With a long sigh, he pulled you into the somber house.

Fingers still wrapped tightly around your wrist he pulled you around, guiding you through the darkness until you reached a large room lit only by the mysterious blue flames of the fireplace. Sitting by the warmth was a...well it was hard to tell, her face -despite it displaying every bone of her visage coupled with dark sunken eyes- resembled that of a woman no older than thirty, whilst her body resembled a decaying skeleton. What was she? Was she the lady of the residence or yet another monster this bizarre family had created.

"My, love" the man began to speak, his voice was somehow cleared like it had been given some sort of jolt. "This young lady needs Idia's help, she wants to bring back her lover from the dead."

The woman said nothing, her eyes staring ahead, burning a hole in the wall right by your head. "What will she give him in return" despite her "deteriorating" appearance her voice was like soft silk on one's skin, melodious and fair.

"Why herself!" This time the man's voice boomed across the house, echoing through the hallways and falling on you like a cave in.

"M-myself! What the hell do you mean!"

"It sounds fair" the women agreed "my darling sweet son saves your lover and instead you agree to marry him! Oh how wonderful, just like in the tales about grandfather Hades!"

She seemed too thrilled about this, her snow-white eyes gleaming with a sort of delusional passion.

"Idia! Idia honey! Come down your father has a surprise for you!"

The hollow sound of footsteps soon filled the quiet air. Followed by another soft blue glow.

Was there no normal fire in this house?

But it wasn't fire, not exactly. When your eyes fell on the heir of the Shroud family, you suddenly felt a nervous wave crash over you. There was something -even more- unsettling about him, he looked nothing like his charming little brother. For one his hair wasn't...well hair! Sure you'd expect a small batch of blazes heading upwards but this was something else entirely! It resembled a large bonfire that floated towards the ground, rouge sparks falling in every which direction, sizzling and then dying abandoned on the floor. And his eyes, Miosis like pupils floating around in a pool of lemon yellow.

But all the physical appearances aside, the most unsettling thing about him was the gloomy aura that leaked off him, suffocating anyone in his presence. Nervously you took a step back only to be yanked forward again by the taller man.

"Idia baby!" His mother ran over to him, cradling his hands in hers "This cute young lady has agreed to marry you if you can save her lover, just like in that old tale about your great grandfather! Oh, my this is all so romantic!"

It seemed like no one here understood that you were in love WITH SOMEONE ELSE! Or maybe they did and chose to disregard it. Instead, using the bits they retained as kindling to feed their raw excitement. You shifted your gaze back to Idia's face. To your utter terror, he was...smiling? Could that...look...even be called a smile? It seemed more like the way a shark would bare its teeth at a defenseless seal! Oh, gods please don't let this...thing...be your future husband!

"It should be easy enough," His golden gaze landed on you "W-when did...did he die?" it took a few moments before you register that he was talking to you or technically asking you something. "A...A  few..." your voice cracked, tears streaming down your eyes.

"So recently...okay that shouldn't be a p-problem." He turned on his heels and walked back into the seclusion of the halls "I'll grab some things and meet you by the front door"

A few things ended up being a pile of wires and bolts. Something that looked like a light blue ball of energy and so many tools whose names seemed to go over your head.

Idia was kneeling by your lover's bed, pulling apart the skin and fusing metal in its place. Your darling's chest was cracked open, his ribs poking out towards the sky as if praying for life from the lord of the sky. Every once in awhile Idia would pull out a long tool with smoke floating from the top. He'd lay it on an organ watching as the tissue fiber sizzled away under the heat. He would then tie wires and small circular batteries inside.

"His heart stopped working, I'm guessing from some sort of shock"

You just hummed in response, too caught up in how the man you loved was beginning to look like a modern-day Frankenstein rather than a human being.

The sun had long since faded when Idia finally got up from his spot. His bones cracked and screeched at the sudden change, his muscles giving out halfway leaving him to rely on the wall for support to stand. Your lover's chest had been sewn back and covered with a silver piece of metal. His neck was wrapped in the same sort of alloy. His left arm had been cut open so Idia could shove the energy ball inside than cover it, leaving a small enough gap for wires that stretched from his chest to weld into the ball.

"He just needs a boost" Idia murmured that shark-like grin overtaking his pale face once more. From the side table, he plucked up to jumper cables and clipped them on either side of his neck. Jolts and crackles filled the room and sparks flew in every direction, the once-dead body shuffled around, arms and legs moving at random. You shrieked and duck behind Idia.

Only then did he pry the clips from his neck.

Nothing

for too long nothing happened... then there was a slight wiggle in one finger, then another. His eyes slowly began to prey open, looking over his surroundings. The moment his confused gaze feel onto you. Idia turned you around to face him, clumsily smashing his blue chapped lips onto yours.

From the corner of his eyes, Idia watched as the other man began to understand what was happening...even if he was just resurrected there was still agony at the sight of his lover kissing another...

Good! That should show him who you belonged to now!

[engagemachine]

Hey ☺️ I'm just sitting in my room thinking about zombie! AU to Burn and like, wowza. The Joker would be on a hunt for Batman, knowing the rich and corrupted of Gotham are burrowed away to safety, I can imagine the Joker would want to draw the Bat out, the Joker knowing full well that Bruce Wayne wouldn't be able to do the cowardly thing and hide out like the other elites. Batman would put on the cape and try to save any survivors he could, and the Joker would be trying so desperately to maintain their dynamic in the midst of it all since it's all he has and it's his biggest purpose. Meanwhile his second biggest obsession, at least I'd hazard that she is, Taylor, would be by his side and terrified. She would know that if anything happened to Mr. J and Ressling she would be Royally Screwed. The Joker would do what he could to keep her safe and alive, making her wear a big ugly denim coat so bites won't go through just in case. She would be tucked as small as possible in the backseat, all scrunched up on the floor while they drive along, and she would pass time by sketching and trying not to think about what might happen next. Her hair would be kept up in a messy bun almost always because she has this fear of an undead monster grabbing her by her hair and yanking her away (even though she's constantly sandwiches between the two men when they're walking for obvious reasons). I imagine she would adapt surprisingly well, simply being used to trauma and uncertainty when it comes to her safety just in every day life. Ressling and The Joker would have to sleep in shifts and they'd have to be careful risking fires to cook too often. One night Taylor might wake up, startled by something she can't explain, lifts her head up from Mr. J's lap and instead of being asleep leaned up on the window like she thought he was he's just staring down at her, eyes black. He shushes her and tells her to go back to sleep, and Ressling would turn the radio on softly to drown out the screams in the distance, mostly for Taylor's sake. They'd eat canned foodsnand sleep in the car, parked deep in the forest so theyre hidden as possible. They would see horrible things like bodies eaten away laying out on the roads, the Joker might chuckle at a couple of them and Ressling would be unfazed, and Taylor would be having to try and hide PTSD attacks because she would just see Anders cut up all over again. She might even have to close her eyes sometimes. Anyways sorry for going on I'm smoking weed and that's prolly making me ramble lmbo

"I'm smoking weed and that's prolly making me ramble"

anon, I love you so much for this. omg.

Also, like, the fact that you would get high and then choose to think about Burn? Specifically your Zombie AU? And then headcanon about my characters???? you are the real MVP. that's so sexy of you.

anyway, UGH, this AU haunts me!!! I love the images you described. And, my gosh, that bit about how she wakes up in Mr. J's lap (and not leaning up against the window like she had thought... boi!!!!) and he's just. staring at her. Maybe pets her hair before telling her to go back to sleep. But she can't, she can't, she's scared because she can hear them. And Ressling, in the front seat, watching the exchange from the rearview mirror, knows that that's his cue to turn up the radio (they listen to the same five CDs on rotation, because obviously there is no radio to listen to anymore, it's all just static).

And how they'd live out of the car most days, but then occasionally they stumble onto an abandoned safehouse, and for Taylor's sake, they make it "home" for a little while. It's not safe to stay in one place for too long, so Taylor knows she shouldn't get attached, but she still cries every time they have to get back in the truck and leave. Sometimes she's especially stubborn and refuses to get in. The last house was like that. It was a cottage in the woods--fairly well-kept, somehow, despite everything--and it even had running water still, from a well somewhere on the property.

They hunker down there for three weeks, which is the longest they've ever stayed anywhere in one place. It starts to feel like... almost like home to her, and she puts her little touches everywhere. There are flowers growing in the backyard--weeds, really--but she collects them and finds a vase under the sink, arranges the flowers just so and puts them on the kitchen table. She picks up all the overturned furniture and rearranges it in the way she imagines how it used to be, before the outbreak. Tries to imagine what the family who had lived here before might've been like. There's some old clothes in the closet in the single bedroom, and when she's alone she goes in there and presses her face into them, trying to smell.... sometimes she thinks she catches a lingering scent. It's been a long time since she's seen another human who isn't Mr. J and Ressling. A really, really long time. For some reason, one of the things she misses about people most of all is their unique scent. What a weird thing to miss.

She sleeps in the single bedroom with Mr. J, and Ressling sleeps on the couch. That's how it always is. And when she's not tidying up the cottage, she's carefully rationing out their food, or searching for more. Most of the kitchen shelves and the pantry have been ransacked, but she miraculously finds a can of unopened corn, and it's like finding a precious diamond.

She surprises them with it at dinnertime, hot and piping corn--so yellow, she forgot food could be so bright--and it's the best thing she's eaten in months. She's careful to divvy out their portions, making sure they all get an even amount--although, if she's honest, she always gives a little extra to Mr. J.

She had loved that cottage. She'd wanted to stay forever. She could picture the three of them living there, making a life for themselves, living off the land... what else was there?

But Mr. J told her they had to go, and Taylor stomped her foot and told him no and threw what might've been her biggest hissy fit ever. She actually clung to the porch rail while Ressling packed up the truck, and when Mr. J threatened to leave her there to fend off the zombies all by herself, already turning his back to her, Ressling was the one who had to carry her instead--kicking and screaming--back to the truck.

[shelby-love]

JAY HALSTEAD

Parenting Struggles

Requested: yes

Prompts: none

Warnings: mentions of underage drinking

Authors note: I don't know if marihuana is legal or illegal in Illinois. If it isn't illegal then for the stake of this imagine it is. 💕

~

"I swear to god Trudy if you don't let me upstairs to see my son I will hunt y-" Your raging voice dripped in motherly venom was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from the place you so eagerly want to visit.

Jay Halstead - your high school sweetheart and now husband joins you by the front desk. His eyebrows are furrowed in worry and you doubt your eyes when you spot a few grey strands of hair in his soft and dark hair.

And then you remember the reason as to why your husband is like that.

"Where. Is. He." You ask him through gritted teeth.

When he called you half an hour ago you did not expect to hear him say what he did. His news made you bolt out of your office and straight to your car. Then you arrived at the District in lightning speed, low bun out of place for the first time and eyes like the deepest parts of hell. Completely on fire.

"Before I leave you in a room with our son I need you to know that Y/S/N won't do it again." He rambled quickly and when the fire in your eyes didn't leave he let out a sigh in pure desperation. "Jesus Y/N... Calm down."

You narrow your eyes at him and lower your voice enough for others not to hear you but just enough to show Jay just how angry you are.

"I won't calm down Jay! You called me half an hour ago to tell me that you arrested our 16 year old son for underage drinking...and marihuana possession?!"

The moment that sinful word leaves your mouth your husband clamps his hand over your mouth. He makes a bludge with his hand just enough so you can't bite his fingers in attempt to get his hand off.

"Ss it ss seris!!" Your voice comes out muffled but your eyes still scream fire.

"Yes it's serious Y/N. Of course it is!" He urgently tells you and removes his hand. "Thanks Sargent Platt for letting me know my wife is here."

"Yeah Trudy... Thanks a lot!" You grab your husband's hand and he leads you upstairs.

"I feel like I've birthed a serial killer. Why is he in the interrogation room?" You ask Jay. You expected your son to sit at his dad's desk with a chocolate bar to eat. You were very wrong about that.

"I figured we need privacy." He replies simply.

Your surge of protectivness and anger slips through and you nod. "Good thinking honey."

***

"Are you insane??" You barge in the small plain room. "What were you thinking?!"

Your teen son stares at his father with pleading eyes. He adopted the puppy dog eyes from you. It used to be very cute and amusing when he was a toddler. Now you curse at the fact he inherited them from you.

"Dad..."

"No Y/S/N. Don't you dare look at your father right now. I'm talking to you!"

"Why is that such a big deal mom? I didn't even try it. I told Rick-"

"Y/S/N do you even have the slightest idea of what could've happened to you?" You shudder at the thought of something bad happening to him.

You and Jay did everything in your power to give him a good life. You gave up so much to raise him in a good neighbourhood, to send him to a good school. To give him a life in which he wouldn't even be thinking about these things.

You had him a month after you turned 18. You gave up everything to give him a good life. Your love for him was bigger than your love for yourself.

And so to be here after he did the things you desperately tried to shield him from - it broke you and made you think you failed as a parent.

Jay noticed your sudden change and placed his hand on your shoulder in a matter that looked simple to other but was so deep for you. Your husband knew your every thought.

"Mom I'm sorry..." Your son broke the long silence. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"No I'm sorry." You say and wipe a few fallen tears away. You haven't cried in a long while. "I'm sorry you have to chase after your delinquent friends in order to have fun. But Y/S/N this is serious. You saw what your dad goes through at work. These things are dangerous."

"Your mom and I work to give you the best life possible Y/S/N. It's what we vowed to do the moment your mom found out she was pregnant." Jay says. There isn't an ounce of anger in his eyes. Disappointment. Yes. "We were teenagers forced to grow up and we wouldn't change it for the world because we got you in return.

We want you to have fun and live your life like a kid your age does. But this isn't it. You're 16! We don't want you to forcefully grow up like we had to no matter the consequences. These things will end you before you even get to blink son."

You reach for your sons hands across the table. "Is the school bad? Do they make you do things you don't want to do? Y/S/N talk to us."

You feel him squeeze your hands as he lowers his eyes to his lap. He's embarrassed. You know he feels bad about what he did. You know that because your son is a good kid.

"It won't happen again. It's just... School ended early today and you two weren't home so Rick asked me to hang out with them for a while." He starts to explain and you almost hear his voice break at the end of each sentence. "I didn't want to do it but I guess I just wanted to fit in."

That's what you were afraid of.

"D-dad I'm sorry if I embarrassed you today..."

Jay's hand immediately left your shoulder as he went to his son. You shakily released his hands and let him embrace his father. Once the two of them let go of each other you allowed yourself to dip inbetween and shower your son with hugs and kisses.

"Mom... Stop."

You cupped his jaw in your hands and shoot him a stern look, ignoring your motherly effusion of love that happened 10 seconds ago. "I'm still very angry at you mister and don't think that your dad and I will let this go without consequences. You. Are. Grounded."

For the first time your son experienced genuine fear. "But dad said I won't be grounded."

When your eyes met Jay's you gave him your coldest look. Unlike Jay, whose cold look could freeze the Pacific ocean you found yours to be good enough to freeze a small pond.

"Your dad just wanted to tell you that he won't arrest you..." You turned back to look at your son and looped your arm over your sons shoulder. "You're lucky your dad's in Intelligence. Let's go boys."

Jay followed behind you two as you walked out of the room and into the comfort of the units office. Adam Ruzek put his hand on his heart dramatically once his eyes landed on the three of you. "Thank Jesus the kid is alive."

"But I'm grounded." Your son told him.

"Trust me Y/S/N. When I saw your mom walk through those doors I prayed to god that you come out of there grounded." Adam told him and it surprised you to see how serious he is.

At that moment Kevin chose to pipe into the conversation. "Y/S/N if you ever need a quick save just call me. You don't need to call your da-"

"O-kay. We better get going. You," Jay shared glances at Kevin. "Are dead when I come back."

Your eyes started to see red again, "Yeah honey. You handle him so I don't have to come back with your baseball bat."

MASTERLIST

[amethystpath-writes]

Secret Caretaking

Tumblr is acting extremely dumb so there's a high possibility that this will post twice now.

@badthingshappenbingo

Original Work

Secret Caretaking

Angel and demon whump, anyone?

@whatwhumpcomments

******

The halls changed as Angel walked through them. She did this often, walked, and watched what her Holy Land provided her with- what she desired. It was such a delicate system, one always so soft and comforting, but one that only ever served as a happiness while you explored it.

Usually she saw Earth's puppies and baby alligators- goodness she loved the alligators. All of the other angels disliked them- didn't hate them, but weren't particularly fond either. In any case, Angel loved them.

There were other rooms, of course.

Another room she loved passing through was the cloud rooms. Sometimes the clouds were painted with an early sunrise. Other times they were sunset. And the remainder of the times were solid colours that made the clouds look like something the humans would make with cotton and the coloured bulbs they created.

The Holy Land knew her well. Of course it did. It knew every angel inside and out.

Today, the land brought Angel something it never did before. As she walked through the ever changing hall and forever open doors of glorious joy, she spotted a closed door, one black and with a slit at the top with thick metal bars.

Angel stopped, peering at it from a few feet away. She...well, she didn't really like that door. It kind of frightened her. Why was the Holy Land giving her such a dark door? Angel didn't understand. But the Holy Land always knew what she wanted. Surely whatever was inside could be deemed relevant to herself.

With a deep breath, she collected herself, straightening her spine, lifting her chin until it was parallel with ground. This was how Angel walked when things were normal, and this- this completely normal door- was normal. Normal, normal, normal.

There was a handle, one that looked like old, rusting iron. This is normal. This is meant for me. Angel gripped the handle and pushed it forward until she was stepping and sliding through the crack. She watched her feet, careful not to trip over them.

When the door shut, she looked up to see her own light illuminating the room- more than that, she was illuminating a-a form. She didn't dare think the real word, even as she squealed in a sudden fear and let her back slam against the door she'd just slipped through.

"Ah, another of you."

Angel's light dimmed to almost match the pitch black the room had been before. But her light could never be dimmed all the way, especially in her silky white hair which glowed with a faint yellow-orange. Angels couldn't shave their hair, or else they lost their purity. It's why the man in front of Angel terrified her so. His hair was cut short- previously shaved, but now fuzzy, and no longer white or glowing. His skin was the colour of ash- grey, black, and white, like a fire burnt out. He was Fallen.

"You shouldn't be here, y'know?" His voice was barely a whisper. It made Angel wonder how it was so deep, how it penetrated her absent mind so easily. She was usually so good at blocking things out around her. Right now, Angel couldn't even think passed the fallen man's voice, the way he was stretched out before her, wings spread with rings punched into the thick leather and then attached to the walls on either side. She imagined those rings in her own wings and let out an involuntary whimper.

Her hand reached for the handle. She would pull herself up and then open the door and walk out. Simple. But it wasn't so easy as that. Her whole body trembled, shook like when Earth's tectonic plates shifted over one another.

"Come now. Won't you say anything?" The fallen man paused, waiting for a response of any kind. Then, when he received none, he said, "I may be in no position to tell you to leave, but maybe I could scare you out. That is, if you don't give me proper company. You did intrude. It's only polite that you give me your name."

His voice pinned Angel where she was. She wouldn't look up at him, not again. He seemed so large. Was it because she was cowered on the floor or was he really so big as that? She swallowed, still trying to clutch and pull herself to her feet.

"Alright, then."

Angel screamed and hid her head behind her clutched knees as the fallen jerked his wings forward. There was a persistent, but not quite repetitive, sound of something being pulled tight- a chain maybe. He was flapping his wings wildly and with each thrum and pull of it, Angel's body clenched tight like she was preparing for the man-thing to break free and hold a hand against her throat.

She didn't realize she was crying until the fallen stopped moving and told her, "You shouldn't be crying. I'm the one shredding myself over here."

"Shredding yourself?" Her voice was quiet. She hardly even heard herself. With closed eyes, Angel focused on her breaths. When she felt her limbs finally relaxing just a bit, she opened her eyes and looked at the wings before her. She didn't dare look at his face; she was too afraid of what she might find there, but his wings- his wings were destroyed, a torn line down each one from the rings he just hurt himself with. Angel stood in an instant.

"Why would you do that to yourself!" She clamped a hand against her own mouth. Angel spoke to the fallen man. She said something to him. There was no rule against it, per say, but- well, angels didn't talk to the fallen. Maybe it was a fear that, despite there being no rule, if they talked to one of the fallen, they would fall themselves. Maybe they would accidentally introduce themselves to the fallen- and therefore doom themselves.

Even with this terror in mind, Angel touched the bat-like, membranous wing in front of her. She stood at the right wing, shaking her head when her finger made contact and as a shudder traveled through her. Angel breathed shakily with the shudder, stiffening with eyes rolling back for a moment. She withdrew her hand.

"Will you heal?" Angel croaked.

"Of course I will." His voice was louder than a whisper now, but still quieter than his regular volume, Angel could tell. "Just not as quickly without your light."

"I won't give you my light," Angel said, dead-panned.

The fallen man laughed, and Angel watched the wing in front of her bounce as he did so. Her legs were still tensed as she stood. Damn him- literally- for getting her to speak by hurting himself.

"Oh no, no, no, no, dear angel. You would never give your light to my kind. But you would lend it, wouldn't you? Lend it if it were put to good use?"

Swallowing, Angel turned her head towards his own. Her tongue was pushed against the roof of her mouth.

His eyes were like fresh embers.

"You can still be saved," she observed by the glow of his eyes. Without herself realizing it, she took steps closer to his center mass, reaching a hand towards his face. His teeth snapped at her fingers and she yelped, retreating her hand. "You seem perfectly demonic to me. The Holy Land can't possibly see any angelic qualities in you."

"Now, if that were true, you wouldn't be here."

"And how would you know?"

He chuckled at Angel, and she hated the way his eyes glowed brighter when he did. She hated the beauty they portrayed. His eyes were the equivalent to Angel's hair.

"Did you forget I was an angel once, too? The Holy Land led you here. I take it it's because you desire to feel helpful." His eyes dimmed; he was manipulating her and she knew it. Still, he was right. All she ever did was wander around her halls and rooms. She was useless. But- "You could heal me, y'know? It's about the only way you'll feel any fulfillment in this hellhole you call heaven."

Angel thought about it, disregarding his aversion to her home. He had no right to be calling the Holy Land a- a...the word he said.

"Healing you might cause me to fall." Her voice was quiet, but seeing as she was directly in front of the fallen man, he heard her.

"The Holy Land would lure you into a trap?" He smirked, and she knew what he was implying. How holy could the Land truly be if it deceived its own angels?

"Well, yeah. You were tempted, weren't you? The Land is testing me. You- you're a test to me." Which also meant-

"If you walk out of here now without doing anything to help, I'll be hurt worse for attempting to escape." His eyes flared with an orange-red colour again. "I have a feeling they won't make you my tormentor. So, walk out and forever know you're a failure to yourself. Or, satisfy your one and only desire and heal me. Help someone real, even if it's a Fallen One."

He's right. You know he's right, she said to herself. As lovely as the puppy rooms, alligator rooms, and rooms of colourful clouds were...they would never be enough for her. Because she did want to help. It was all she ever wanted, to be a true angel, not just an emergency one- one that stepped in only when there weren't enough angels to help with a catastrophy on Earth with the humans.

"What if-" Angel turned her gaze down, ashamed that she was even thinking about doing this. But...but it was the only way she could feel eternally happy. She needed to be useful. "If I just heal you and leave, they'll know. Because if this is a test, they'll be waiting for me to come out of this room. And if you're healed, they'll know. They'll see my light in the once damaged parts of your wings."

The fallen man hummed as she spoke, agreeing with eyes burning something hot. He didn't feel it, of course, but his vision was always clearer when his foolery and trickery were in play- and succeeding.

"I'll heal you, and you can use the same light to make an illusion that the light is gone. A cloak. The fallen can still use light if they can still be saved. Your eyes reveal your cunningness, which means the Holy Land still accepts you enough that at least one angel will know to help. And I will. I'll help you, if you help me, too."

"You'll have yourself a deal if-" The fallen's lips curled and split to reveal yellowed and dirtied teeth. Four of them were sharpened, like a wolf's. Two on top. Two on bottom. The other angels said the Fallen used them to feed on their light so that they could return. It was terrifying to say the least, but even with teeth like his, the Fallen were beautiful creatures. Angel hated them- hated him, but he was her ticket to true happiness. "-you give me your name."

"What?"

His shoulders lifted and relaxed. "You heard me. I want your name."

"No." She shook her head. "No. No, you know I can't do that."

"It's the only word I'll trust of yours. Your promise, your word...it comes with your name. It's the only way I can trust you'll come back and heal me when the others inevitably torture me again."

Angel felt a fury she never felt before. Holy Land, she didn't even know what fury was. Melancholy, yes. Anger, no. "You don't need my name," Angel seethed. "The only thing you could ever use it for would be to- to return to Holy Land as an angel yourself and- and damn me in the end. Angels aren't allowed to give their names to the fallen. But you know that."

There were too many conflictions in this all. If she left the near-demon here without healing him, she'd never be content. But if she healed him and walked out without giving him her name, he wouldn't cast the illusion to save her skin. And if she did give her name, well he could use it at any point against her, to condemn her to Hell.

"How do I know you won't use my name the moment you learn it?"

The fallen man rose a brow, slid his jaw askew. "You think I want to be an angel even after they casted me away. No. But if I have to choose between being an angel and being tortured by them, I'll take the former unless I can escape- which you are going to help me do."

"But you didn't say-"

"It should have been a given, dear angel."

"I'll damn us both," she said, crossing her arms. It was cute. Wrath and cunning didn't match her features or personality. "I'll heal you for my satisfaction and if you won't cast an illusion to save me then your one chance at escaping will be gone because they'll take my feathered wings. I'll be fallen like you and you'll still be in this room being tortured."

The Fallen One sighed in a dreamily way. "You won't let yourself fall. It terrifies you. I wouldn't know it as well as I do lest you had reacted differently when you realized what was behind that door when you walked in. And again when I flapped my wings. You. Flinched. Every. Time." He laughed. "But here's the thing. You aren't afraid of me. No, you're afraid of becoming me. You're going to give me your name. And you're going to hope with all your angelic being that I'm an honest 'near-demon', as your kind likes to call my own, wishing for God or the Devil's good grace."

Angel blew her nose like a bull, a huff more-like. "I shouldn't," she whispered to herself. "I can't." But the Holy Land says he can be saved. You have to try, Angel.

With a deep breath, she got to work. The glow in her hair gathered into her scalp before sinking into her blood. "My teeth aren't sharp enough to pierce flesh," she said, and swallowed like so many times before while she'd been in this room. She needed to wipe her light on his wings to heal him, but she couldn't get to her light on her own. "I- I need you to..."

"To bite." The Fallen One smiled, on corner of his upper lip lifting further than the rest. "Gladly," he said, and licked his teeth, lip curling a little too long on his sharpest ones.

Angel shook her head, took a shuddering breath, and hovered her index finger in front of the near-demon's mouth. He bit, closing his lips against her finger. Angel gasped, feeling the way his tongue lapped against her skin. "No. No, please! Stop!" But he wasn't stopping. He was going to steal all of her light. "My name is Angel!" His mouth opened. She stole her hand back, clutching it to her chest with her other. Angel nearly sobbed with relief, and also dread as she had just exposed herself to the Fallen One.

"You thought you were clever." His tongue wiped across his teeth where a bit of Angel's blood remained. "You thought with your little ramblings, I'd forget you never told me your name. Angel," he drawled. "Almost as delicious of a name as is your light. No matter. I have the light I need. You'll come back every week to give me more, or else I'll introduce you to Dear Ole Luci."

Angel took a step back, nose scrunched. "You can't be saved," she spat at him.

He sighed. "Didn't I already tell you I didn't want to be saved?" The Fallen One hummed. "Is that more light I see coming through the slits in the door? Looks like you're running out of time to leave my cell, Angel. I'd be scurrying along now."

She had to suppress the urge to scream and tear into him, not only because she might be caught, but because thoughts like that would earn her a ticket to Hell more quickly than what the other angels could tear her wings and throw her there themselves. "If," Angel stressed this word. "If you trick another angel into this evil bidding, I will sacrifice my wings in order to rip your own to pieces."

"Feisty," he mused in return. "Go on, now. I'll look forward to our next visit."

One last huff and she rushed out of the door. Damn him, she thought. And damn me for being fooled so easily.

******

If this weren't for a prompt, I would have split it into two 😬

[old-hyper-super-clover]

Squeeze that bunny tail!

Part 5 (final part)

Description: The RAD student council as well as the exchange students help out at a bar where, oops, the staff´s dress codes are those sweet bunny outfits that we all know and thirst for. The MCs, Violet and Clover, play a game of who can touch the most bunny tails over the evening without getting caught. Prepare for fluff, funny innuendos as well as my thirst over hot boys in bunny outfits.

This is the finale of this way too long "one shot". Find the prior parts here!

Story continues under the cut. You´re almost finished!!

Continuing to work at the bar for a while, Violet found a surprising guest on the other side of the counter.

“Clover! What are you doing here?"

Clover sank down on one of the chairs.

"A double shot, please" Clover joked, but probably wouldn't say no to a little refresher either.

"Tired?" Violet laughed, handing her a glass of water instead.

"Mhm..." Clover rubbed her face. "I´m slowly running out of energy... Well, how are your squeeze-points doing?"

They exchanged their data. While Violet was doing pretty well with a total of 17 points, Clover had (still) only gathered five points so far.

"Meh... I knew I'd loose" Clover mumbled.

"It's still not too late" Violet tried cheering her up. There's still plenty of time to touch Solom-"

"DONT." Clover shot her giggling friend a glare. "Look, it's not even anything personal, I just... Feel very weird inside when I imagine me walking up to Solomon like this."

Violet's smirk widened.

"You mean like... The fluttery feeling of butterflies in your stomach? Clover, could it be...?! That you lov-"

"I will eliminate you if you end this sentence."

She couldn't hide a smile at the joke, but soon Clover had to realise that her persistence to not squeeze Solomon's tail would have drastic consequences.

"You know...” Violet thought out loud at some point. "We never thought of a price for the winner of our challenge, did we?"

"... Nope."

The ideas kept processing in Violet's head. Then it hit her.

"Or maybe... Rather than thinking of a price, let's do a penalty for the loser."

Clover's eyes wandered up to meet hers, her face curling into a "I don't like where this is going" expression.

"How abooouut... The loser..." Violet began.

"Don't."

"... Has toooo..."

"Please don't."

"...Touch..."

"Why do you hate me."

"... Solomon's tail?" Violet grinned proudly.

"... You really hate me, don't you?"

"Come on, Clover" Violet cheered. "There's still time for you to score some points~!"

Clover wanted to reply something when a weird round of girly giggles caught their attention.

Around the dining tables, a group of female succubi where currently being served by Beel.

But they didn't seem to be interested in the drinks in his hand, but much rather in the man holding them. Even from the bar, the human girls could hear their excited squeals as they kept batting their eyes at the demon.

Clover's head landed on the bar counter in a depressed sigh.

"Whatever... I don't really care about the game anyway..."

In an instant, Violet's whole tone had changed.

"Clover..." She mumbled, voice soft as the patted her friend's head.

"It's been like this the whole evening" Clover grumbled, eyes pointing to the group of succubi. "I can't blame them, but... When I hear them thirsting over Beel, I…"

"Just go up to him" Violet said. "You know Beel, it's not like he'd be interested in some random demons."

The frown on Clover's face deepened. "... And in no random human, either..."

"Stop saying that. You know he likes your company. Likes you."

Clover shook her head.

"Just... Leave me, okay. Thank you, but... I'm just a little angry at myself. I also had so many chances to squeeze his tail but... Yeah..."

Violet clearly remained bothered, but Clover was quick to change the topic.

"Did you get that Luci-butt already?"

"... No" Violet cried. "He dashed away to grab Mammon, and they vanished in the staff room."

"... That's why Mammon was tied to the ceiling fan!" Clover called out. "Explains a lot."

Violet gave a nod, however continuing with her trail of thought.

"It's been quite a while, though... He should have been around the casino area, but wasn't there... And now he's on break, but, again, I have no idea where he is."

"Go search for him" Clover said. "I'll back you up here. I need something to do anyway, so... Go get your man. There's still his tail in need to be squished, right?"

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

They argued a little, but in the end, Violet accepted Clover's offer and excused herself into an early break. Violet was searching through the whole club. Asking some of the brothers, too, but none could give her a clue. She wasn't able to find him anywhere, so in her desperation, she went up to Simeon.

"Hey, Simeon? Have you seen Lucifer anywhere?"

The angel turned to greet her as well.

"Hello", he smiled. "Does he have a shift right now? If not, maybe he is using the restroom."

"Hm... I've been looking for him for a while now, though..."

Simeon mustered her for a moment.

"He might also be outside to catch some fresh air" he continued his trail of thought. "But I fear he might get a cold if he stays out for too long. Would you mind taking care of him?"

"Huh?" Violet's eyes widened in surprise.

"Lucy always had a bad habit of taking too little care of himself. So, could you check on him? I am sure he would be delighted to see you."

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

When Violet pulled open the heavy doors of the bar's back entrance, a head turned towards her immediately.

"Lucifer...!" she called out, looking down on the demon sitting on the stairs.

"Violet... Did something happen?"

He was already in the movement of standing up, worry spreading in his face.

"No no, everything's fine!" Violet quickly assured him. "I just came looking for you."

He stopped mid-motion, but in the end sat down again.

"Why?"

Violet bit her lip. She decided to plonk down beside him.

"I'm also on break now. I thought we could spend it together and relax a little."

She felt his gaze on her, but as soon as she turned to face him, he was looking off into the distance.

"I am pleased to hear you decided to grand me your free time" he smiled. Then, he gave a sigh.

"However... I should probably head back in soon. Someone might need my help-"

"S-stay!"

Violet impulsively grabbed Lucifer's arm before he could escape.

They stared at each other. Until Lucifer let out a breathy laugh.

"Well, if you demand my presence that much... I fear I cannot turn down a request from you."

A little silence came over them. From the side glances Violet threw him, the demon looked kind of... Odd.

"Ah... Is there something you need from me, perhaps?" Lucifer asked. "Or why is it that you want me to stay so badly?"

And from how he looked at her, his perfect attire not shattered, but shreds of exhaustion glistening in his eyes, Violet knew that he wasn't okay.

"I'm good", she replied. "I simply... Wanted to check if you're doing good, too."

Surprise crossed Lucifer's face.

"Of course" he replied. "I am used to working until late."

However, Violet kept inspecting him.

"... Are you worried about me?" he asked. She did not really answer with more than a guilty glance off to the side. "Your worry is misplaced. I am nothing out of the usual."

Violet almost gave a grumbly noise. So he wasn't going to break through his perfect face so easily, huh?

"Okay", she said, tone almost as if she didn't really care. "You know, because I feel kind of exhausted."

Lucifer was hesitating. "... Explain."

"We've been running around for hours" Violet began to list. "The music inside is rather loud, especially near the dance hall. Mammon keeps causing trouble... Well, not only him. It's always tricky dealing with an angry Satan, too, or Beel when he's hungry, or with Asmo when he's... horny..."

The demon interrupted her by giving a huff. He had seen through her plan.

"... So you've come to pity me? Do I seem that weak to you?"

"What? No!" she exclaimed. "I would never think of you as weak!"

She made a little pause. A little nervous, she stretched out her hand to link her pinky finger with his.

"But I... Also don't think it's a sign of weakness to share your exhaustion with others... Let alone to be exhausted in the first place."

His crimson eyes met hers.

"... Why would I be exhausted?" he mumbled. "Dealing with this scumbag of a brother, keeping Beel from illegally eating food supplies without paying for them... Asmo groping strangers, Satan mocking me on purpose... Levi clinging to my side, whining that he wants to go home like some toddler... Oh, did you know Belphie locked himself in one of the toilet stalls to sleep? For two whole hours?" he was waiting for her to laugh, but had to endure her worried expression. "And then there's Lord Diavolo... Mixing his own sparks of crazy into this chaos..."

Mumbling the last part, he looked down on his clothing... Or rather the places where he normally would wear some.

Then his head perked up again.

"Why should I be exhausted?" he asked again. "All that is... Nothing out of the usual..."

Violet's lips curled into a sad smile.

Now she placed his whole hand into her palms.

"You work really hard, Lucifer."

He tried a cheeky smirk. "Words of flattery won't be enough to convince..."

But Lucifer's voice trailed off.

One could even debate that his mouth fell open just a slight bit, seeing the look Violet gave him.

So warm that it truly caught him off guard...

As if admitting his defeat, Lucifer went silent.

He enjoyed how her thumb gently brushed over his hand for a while as he was taking breaths of the fresh midnight air.

Violet was patiently waiting for him until eventually, he would speak up again.

"Aren't you cold?" Lucifer asked. "Your human body surely isn't used to the temperatures of Devildom nights..."

"Huh? No, I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"Oh, surely you are..." The teasing tone in his voice was back. "And I'm sure your outfit is only helping, isn't it~?"

He shot Violet some obvious glances, leading her to instinctively cover her body in a blush.

"Like you're one to talk...!" she mumbled.

"You got me there..." he chuckled. "I would lend you a jacket if I had one, but..."

Lucifer silently gestured at the arm sleeves, shrugging in a manner of "nothin doin".

He got a laugh out of her, and his relief immediately showed on his face.

"Your smiling face will have to keep me warm, then" he said.

Violet's smile turned into a blush immediately.

"Oh~?", he smirked. "A blush is fine as well, thank you~"

Struggling, Violet turned away slightly, trying not to embarrass herself even more.

Then, she felt arms being wrapped around her.

"However, I fear I have to take responsibility for keeping you warm as well..." he murmured close to her ear. "After all, it is my fault you have to sit here..."

The girl turned, and wrapping her arms around him as well, nuzzled her face into his warm skin.

"It's not your fault", she replied softly. "I chose to come and find you."

"... I still don't understand why."

"I told you" Violet smiled. "There's nothing wrong with taking a break from time to time. And if I, in any way, can help you with that, I'd love to do so."

She heard him breathe softly as he was searching for a response.

"... Thank you", he decided to say.

She squeezed him tightly. "You're welcome."

"...Stay like this for a little longer" Lucifer asked of her when it felt as if Violet was trying to pull away.

Of course, she agreed, and so they relaxed into each other’s embrace for a little longer.

Without meaning to, over time Violet's arms were sliding down his body a little, just enough to accidentally brush over something fluffy with her fingertip.

But, oh well, who would even mind gathering points for some silly game when there was something -- or rather, someone else to focus on...

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

They only parted after Lucifer's phone pulled them back into reality.

Sighing, he announced the end of their break.

"I'm glad we are closing soon..." he mumbled and helped Violet stand up. "Although, cleaning the place will probably leave us with another hour of work until we finally get to head home..."

"It will be exhausting… But we'll power through it" Violet assured, squishing his hand in encouragement.

"Yes..." Lucifer nodded.

Then, he pulled her closer one last time, wrapping one arm around her waist while looking down into her eyes.

"However... I would much appreciate it if we could keep our break a secret."

"Uhm..." the girl blinked, confused. "Sure, but may I ask why?"

"No reason in particular... I would simply ask that as a personal favour."

Then, he leaned in closer. Resting his chin on her shoulder, his hand reached to her lower back.

And Violet gave a gasp as she felt how he provocatively played with her bunny tail.

"In return, I will keep your secrets safe, too."

He pulled back, responding to her dazzled expression with a sly smirk, before passing her to open the door.

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

Being the gentleman he was, Lucifer held the door open, smiling at the lady as he gestured her to step inside.

"Thank y..." Violet was about to say,

Then both of them looked inside the kitchen.

Beel stood there, together with Clover, both giggling as they snacked on some sweets.

Violet wanted to smile at the sight… But the "shit, we got caught" expression on both of their faces, paired with Lucifer's tangible anger, made her frown instead.

"... Oops" Clover and Beel pressed out, simultaneously letting go of the meringues they had in their hands.

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

To understand how that situation came to existence, we should go back in time to take a look at Clover's side of the story.

She was cleaning the tables when yet another giggle pulled her out of her thoughts.

The girl felt tired, and had started to count down the minutes left until she could finally go home.

She was really done with life. And those certain giggles made it only worse. She would admit that she wasn't good with things like jealousy.

She just couldn't deal with it.

Not in a way like Mammon, for example, was expressing his tsundere feelings.

No, her way of coping was more... Self hating (like Levi I guess),

And hearing for yet another time how some hot demon girls called a certain waiter over to them drove her insane.

"Do you want to try my cake, Beel~?"

Clover flinched.

She peeked up to see how a demon caressed Beel's arm as she waited for his answer to her question.

Clover couldn't see his face, but, judging from his tone, he was wearing his usual frown.

"... I'm not allowed to eat the food we serve..."

"Oh, don't be like that..." The demon responded, loading some cake onto her fork. "It's my cake now, so I decide who gets to eat it. And I really want yooouuuu..."

She stopped, then one of her friends giggled.

"Are you going to finish that sentence?"

"It's already finished", she purred, seductively winking at Beel before leading the fork up to his face.

Beel was hesitating, for two whole seconds, before chomping down on both, cake and fork.

"Oh... Not again..." He mumbled.

The girls gave a giggle.

"Beel, you're such a beast!" The main (bitch) demon hummed. "That's no good, though... I wanted to feed you another bite, but how, without fork...?"

"Guess you´ll have to do mouth to mouth feeding...", Another chick chuckled.

And as the demon girl stood up to do exactly that, Clover stomped away impulsively.

In her fury, she didn't notice how someone was calling for her. She targeted the table in the most opposite corner possible as someone pulled her arm.

Belphie was staring at her, holding her by her wrist.

"... You're pathetic" he said.

"Thank you, tell me something I don't know yet." Clover pulled her arm out of his grip. "And, what, you've got nothing better to do then watch me be pathetic?"

Belphie blinked in surprise. “I would usually agree that it´s pretty funny to watch you get angry, but I´ve seen you be like this all night. What´s getting you this agitated?”

A deep frown spread on her face, but Clover didn´t answer. So Belphie looked back to Beel.

“Is it because of the succubi? Because of Beel?”

“… Please, leave me alone…”

She didn’t see his worried expression as Belphie was trying to figure the answer to his question.

“… Are you really this insecure?��� He finally decided to ask.

As her only response was a short side glare with wet eyes, Belphie understood she wouldn´t talk about it.

“Really… Both of you can be such a pain to deal with…” Belphie breathed before leaving Clover alone.

And Clover felt even worse now.

Not only being so horrible inside, but Belphie tried to help her and she rejected it.

She fought tears as she furiously wiped the already clean table.

Pathetic. Yes, she was so pathetic. Honestly, Beel was probably in better company with those succubi than with an idiotic, childish human like her-

Clover got lifted off of the ground.

Squealing, she noticed too late how arms had wrapped around her thighs, leading her to now flail in the air in panic.

"Wh-what?!" Clover panicked.

"It's time for a break" She felt the culprit cheering into her back.

"... Beel?"

Beelzebub began to head through the local, the girl still in his arms.

"Let's go to the kitchen" he said. "Belphie just told you need a break, and I need your help with something..."

Clover gave some more confused noises, but it was impossible to move in the demon's grip anyway.

"O-okay, but... You don't have to carry me, I'm probably heavy..."

She felt him chuckle. "Heavy? I can carry you with one arm. Look!"

He stretched out his right arm to demonstrate. Beel led them into the kitchen.

The local wasn't serving any food at this late hour, so they appeared to be alone here.

"U-uhm... Beel, are you going to put me down somewhen soon, or...?"

"Yeah, soon..." he mumbled, then walked up to one of the shelves hanging on the wall. "Do you perhaps see anything on top of the shelf?"

Clover tilted her head.

"Yeah, there's a box of... What's that...? Meringues?"

Absolutely delicious meringues!"

Clover gave a little chuckle at the excitement in his voice, but her expression did a full turn when she saw the note attached to the box:

'BEEL. DO NOT EAT.'

"Could you get them for me?" Beel smiled innocently.

The girl hesitated, so Beel asked again. "Please, I can't reach them alone. The shelf is up too high."

"Well... I'm guessing someone hid them there on purpose..."

"Please, Clover... I'm so hungry..."

But as he realised she wasn't going to hand him the box that easily, he let her down to rest on the counter they had been standing in front of.

"Beel, I know you're hungry, but..." she began, however halted as she noticed how terribly tired he looked.“... Are you okay?"

The demon gave a little sigh. "No... I'm exhausted... Not like after training, but just... drained." He leaned against the counter next to her. "What about you? Aren't you tired? Have the customers been nice to you?"

"Huh? Yeah, they have."

"Good" he nodded. "We were afraid that some of the guests might harass you or Violet, but I guess Lucifer's official warning was enough to scare them off..."

Clover fiddled with her fingers.

"There was no need to worry, though. I don't think anyone would have approached us… or me, at least" she said, laughing awkwardly. "I don't have a fair share of people crushing on me like you, hahaha..."

Beel looked at her. "Good. You don't need any demons trying to seduce you. I wouldn't want you to go through a hassle like this..."

"... You don't like the attention?"

He shrugged. "Not really... But I have to be nice to them, so I tend to just ignore what they say. I won't say no to free food or extra money, but... I don't really see why they behave like this."

Clover chuckled, feeling relief at his words.

"Diavolo already said it... Good-looking staff makes more profit."

Beel blinked at her, processing her words. "... Thank you."

"Nothing to thank me for" Clover smiled shyly.

He went silent.

"No... No, there is", Beel then suddenly said, pushing himself off the counter to stand in front of her again. "I've been hit on the whole evening, but... somehow, it feels nice if you're the one to compliment me... You always make me feel nice inside. And for that, I should thank you."

He blessed her with a smile that, obviously, was directly followed by the girls' heart exploding in the love she felt for this man.

However, he still gave off odd vibes.

"...Beel?" Clover called out, seeing how he was deeply contemplating something.

"I was thinking of thanking you with some... Meringues" his smile widened.

"... Beel."

"They're supposed to be delicious! I could feed them to you... If I manage to contain myself. But I'd try really hard, because it´s for you.”

"Beel..." Clover sighed, watching as his puppy grin spread on his face more and more.

"Wouldn't that be nice to feed each other a nice treat...?" he changed into begging puppy eyes.

They stared at each other.

"Beel."

"Clover?"

"We both know you have wings, or could have simply climbed onto the counter if you wanted to get those sweets."

"... But I wanted to share them with you...?"

"We also both know how Lucifer tends to cast spells on the things that you are absolutely not allowed to eat. But those tend to apply to demons only most of the time."

Beelzebub went silent.

"What was that earlier?” Clover continued. “About you not wanting me to be lured by demons? And now, I find myself sweet-talked like this?"

His face had ultimately changed into sulking puppy mode.

"... But I... I'm... I really mean what I said…"

Clover crossed her arms.

"You're a sly demon, mister" she scolded. "And to think you'd take advantage of me like this...!" She fake cried in disbelief.

"I'm sorry..." he pouted.

Silence came over them, in which Clover fully knew that he was thinking of both, how to make it up to her AND how to achieve his goal anyway.

His idea surprised her, though.

"... Want to touch my bunny tail?"

"... Huh?"

"I've seen you and Violet do this to the others" Beel said. "I don't why, but you seemed to have fun, so..." He turned around to expose his tail. "AND I'll treat you with some of the meringues, of course", he added as he noticed Clover was seriously considering his offer.

Clover was grunting something. "Lucifer will kill us", she said.

"He doesn't have to find out."

"... You're evil..."

"Well, I AM a demon, after all" Beel laughed.

And as he teasingly wiggled his tail at her, Clover gave in to the temptation...

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

"Beel... Clover... Would you care to explain what I have to look at right now...?"

Lucifer crossed his arms as he spoke.

Yeah, they were SO screwed.

"... Uhm..." Beel started to mumble while Clover felt her stomach turn in guilt.

"Beel" Lucifer called out again. "Could those be the meringues that I have personally bought and reserved for me to enjoy after work?"

"... There was no name written on it" the avatar of Gluttony said.

Lucifer pierced him with an angry stare. Then he turned towards Clover.

"And you" his tone had the girl shiver visibly. "Demons were unable to touch that box. Hence, I assume it was you who got them? AND ate them, as well?"

"I forced her to do it" Beel immediately chimed in.

"Huh?” Clover blinked in surprise. "Beel, no... I got them! And asked Beel to try them with me. It's my f-fault" she lied.

Now Beel was the one to look confused, and the two kind of drowned in a spiral of trying to protect the other one. But the ruckus only fueled Lucifer's displease.

Already stressed out, he felt like he was about to explode.

If not for Violet who kept him steady.

"Lucifer" she mumbled in a mellow voice, stroking over his arm in a calming gesture. "Don't stress yourself. They will buy you a new package."

Lucifer shot her about the same angered glare as he had done with the others, but softened as he mustered her comforting smile.

With a sigh, Lucifer stepped closer to Beel and Clover.

"... You are lucky to have Violet standing up for you..." he mumbled. "As compensation, I order three boxes of those meringues. Oh, and when we close the bar, do not expect to leave until everything is as tidy as can be."

"Y-yes, sir...!"

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

Slowly (very slowly I know) but steadily, the evening came to an end...

A lot has happened, way too much to fit into this... One shot... Story... * glances at the total approximate reading time of one hour*

...Well. Let's not talk about that...

A little after 4 AM, every last customer had left the bar/ had been carried out of the dancing hall (like, a few of the most drunk ones literally had to be yeeted out of the local.)

Now everything that was left was cleaning up the local.

Lucifer took it upon himself to punish all of his brothers - and Clover - for annoying him at some point during this event. So those appeared to have an extra load of work, while he pulled Violet aside with him for some more leisure cleaning.

Around five in the morning, it seemed like the bunny crew was finally finished.

"Alright..." Barbatos mumbled, stepping out of the last hall he needed to check. "It seems we are done. All that is left is to take out the trash as we go."

"... How are we supposed to take out the trash? Mammon is still tied to the ceiling" Belphie mumbled casually.

"WHO DID YOU JUST CALL TRASH?!" Some Mammon screamed from the staff's room.

Clover mustered them in amusement, when Violet walked up to her.

"Ooooh, Clooveerrrr...." the girl hummed in a rather... Scary tone.

"... I don't like the look on your face" Clover stated in growing fear.

"You know... We still need to see who's won the challenge" Violet grinned.

Clover crossed her arms. "... Do we really need to compare?"

"Yes."

"Uggghhh..." Clover frowned. She pulled out her phone:

-------

Clover: Lord Diavolo? May we ask how many points you have?

Diavolo: I managed to gather 12 points, fair and square. How many do you two have?

Violet: I have 20 points in total... Although I'm not 100% sure if Lucifer noticed me earlier...

Clover: ...

* Clover has left the chatroom *

------

"Violet, I don't want to do this."

Clover's friend mustered her with a smirk.

"Well..." Violet hummed. "I'm not forcing you, but... You did loose, after all..."

"Violeeet..."

"And look" she pointed at the hall in front of the dressing rooms. "He's standing there, alone, for some reason... It's fate, Clover."

Clover gave the ugliest growl.

But in the end she walked up to Solomon.

She didn't even know how to approach this. Should she try to make it sneaky, or just awkwardly ask?

Legs wobbly, Clover came to a stop behind the sorcerer, reaching out her hand in the same moment that he turned around to face her.

"Oh, hello", Solomon cheered. "Can I help you?"

She flinched backwards.

"Uuhhhh..."

Solomon gave her a confused look, but didn't get to say anything.

Coincidentally, Levi happened to walk up to them as well, wanting something from Solomon.

The human turned around as the two talked.

And finally…

Solomon's bunny tail got touched.

...

Clover escaped immediately. Avoiding any kind of interaction, at all costs.

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

The last thing to do before everyone could return home was getting dressed normally again.

And everyone felt so tired that they really just wanted to hit the hay, when...

A panicked scream rang out of the stall Clover was changing in.

"... Clover?" Violet called out, already dressed normally again.

The girl gave continuous panicked noises, pressed out random “What is happening-?!”´s.

Then, all of a sudden, silence came over them.

“Cl… Clover…?” Visibly concerned, Violet was standing in front of the stall´s door, unsure what to do. As she didn´t get an answer, she was trying to open the door, but it was locked.

She had to hurry to get someone to help, and as her face screamed “we have trouble”, most of her friends came to look what was going on.

Barbatos had to help open the stalls door, and when Violet carefully pushed it open…

They saw a small, brown bunny sitting on the floor.

Its green eyes were staring up into the countless pairs of puzzled eyes as they tried to understand the situation.

Violet was the first one to move again. She slowly lowered herself, reaching out to the animal.

“Is that you… Clover?”

“HUH?!”

Half of the people there stared at the girl in disbelief.

“You´re telling me THIS is CLOVER??” Mammon asked with big eyes. Violet had picked the bunny up and stepped out of the stall to get a better look at Clover.

“What happened to her?” Beel asked, worry spread over his face.

Bunny Clover seemed to understand their words. Or at least, she suddenly turned her fluffy head, staring directly at Solomon.

And, well, the sorcerer stared back, an amused smile on his face.

"Ah... So Clover DID touch my tail, after all!"

"... What."

The whole group was now demanding answers.

Solomon chuckled, placing his gaze on Violet now. "I was waiting until one of you would finally approach me and touch my tail... But oddly, none of you seemed to have interest in touching it... I thought I had made myself an easy target, but I must have made it too obvious..."

Violet´s mouth fell open a tad bit.

"... So you really knew of our challenge?" She dared to ask.

But Solomon would only continue to laugh.

"I honestly thought my efforts would go to waste..." He mustered the bunny in her arms. "Don't worry though, the spell will wear off eventually."

"Eventually??" Levi repeated.

"Yes, in a few days or so."

"WHAT?!"

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

The whole way back to the house of Lamentation, Violet had to deal with this grumpy, pissed, simply angwy bunny in her arms. Clover couldn´t speak, but the little facial expression she could give said it all.

“Hey, Cloverrr…” Violet attempted to cheer her up. “Don´t look at me like that… It was fun, wasn´t it?”

Bunny Clover snuffled grumpily.

Yeah, yeah, she thought. It´s all fun and games until it´s about Solomon.

Meanwhile, Bunny Clover had to endure how the brothers kept poking her fluffy fur or took pictures of her.

If she could, Clover would have given a big sigh.

THIS is exactly why I don't trust Solomon... Never did, never will...

[cowboahhoe]

The Viper - Arthur Morgan x Reader

A quick imagine, could do more parts if you want?

Warnings: mention of abuse

Summary: upon fleeing an abusive relationship, the reader finds themselves being chased by lawmen, bounty hunters and a few members of the Van Der Linde Gang after a night in Valentine.

(gif credits to whoever owns it)

———————————————————

The last few months had been far less than ideal for you. You were on the run from the law, just you and your horse Nellie. You hadn't ever foreseen your life going this way - you had always been for all intents and purposes a good girl. That was until you had met your first husband, Blake. Your birth father had decided that money meant a lot more to him than his only daughters life, so he had sold you to the highest bidder which seemed like an outdated and abusive practice; even in 1899. Blake had money in oil, and used you as arm candy but had no real love or respect for you. You were nothing more than a maid, house wife, punching bag and toy for his sexual pleasures for far too long. One fateful night your fuse had been lit, and you fought back. A shroud of red flooded your body as you pointed his own pistol between his eyes - finally feeling power against the vile man who had held you captive for a year, and you felt no remorse in applying pressure to the trigger.

The next few moments went by in a blur, you had packed a bag with all the money yourself and Blake had around - alongside necessities such as food, and weapons. After packing your loyal horse, you had faded into the night. Leaving Saint Denis, heading west. You knew there would be repercussions for your actions but there was no way to tell just how intense the manhunt would be for you, nor how large the price on your head would be for one small murder. $500 for your return to Saint Denis alive meant that you'd come across your fair share of bounty hunters in your time living off the land; you quickly realised you could only trust yourself, and your horse. This brings us to your lonely (but free) present day.

You sit in the saloon in Valentine nursing a whisky, your third of the evening. You'd been in an around the Valentine area for a few days and knew it was only a matter of time before you had to move along and set up somewhere else. Perhaps Rhodes? Although you quickly shake the thought from your mind - that may just be too close to the scene of the crime. Just as you suckle the final dregs from your glass, you spot a curious group of men walking into the saloon. You daren't take your eyes off of them, memorising every feature behind every person in the group, you want to be able to recall their identities should you need to 'silence' them. One man wore a black hat, black hair slicked with pomade and nearly down to his shoulders. He wore a black coat, and a black vest with a red breast pocket. This man seemed to have an unmatched charisma; this much you could tell simply from the way he stood. This wasn't an innocent man. Then again, who is? Next to him, a slightly smaller, scrawnier gent. With grey hair, and wearing a blue vest this man seemed to have kinder eyes, which may just be part of his play. Finally, a rugged man wearing a black hat, detailed with brown rope - you noted the bullet hole in the rim of the hat. He wore a tattered, dirty blue working shirt, and wore worn black trousers with cotton suspenders tying it all together. Although, with this man you struggle to focus so much on the clothes that cover his broad frame and pay particular attention to his features. Sandy brown hair, a messy - somewhat scratchy looking beard. The beard had a few holes in, which seemed to be due to the placement of some scars; the most prominent of which was on his chin. Then there came those eyes. Even from across the saloon you could tell they were bright blue with a twinge of green. The handsome man simply dipped on his beard whilst the other two men spoke quietly to the group, he didn't seem like the leader of the trio by any means, but it didn't seem that was important.

Just then, blue eyes looks at you and makes eye contact while taking another swig from his beer. For a moment, you're worried he may have recognised you but that fear quickly diminishes when he simply nods his head your way and turns his attention back to his friends. With new found courage, you move toward the bar. Intent on ordering a new beverage when you hear the black haired man pull something from his satchel, and start speaking to the man with grey hair in a hushed tone.

"Hosea, I told you. She's the viper, the one they want in Saint Denis... our boy John was right. We hand her in, it's a good honest days work" the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, as you realise your time in Valentine is over - that and you need to play the next few minutes very wisely.

"I don't know Dutch, doesn't it seem unfair we're using a woman's bounty to help us flee our own misfortunes with the law?" Scrawny replies, suddenly he has become your favourite of the bunch. Blue eyes doesn't chime in at all, but you can feel his eyes on you as you stand at the bar, awaiting a cue to either whip out your pistol or flee the scene.

Adrenaline pumping through your veins, you decide the best solution is to try and slip away whilst the group argue about your fate. You know that they're outlaws, and if there are three outlaws coming after you... then you probably don't stand much of a chance. You make a beeline for the entrance, and whistle for your horse as soon as you reach the open air feeling the eyes of Dutch, Hosea and blue eyes on you as you make your exit. The unmistakable shuffle of boots accompany your exit, and you know that the men are right on your tail - the discussion of your fate seemed to be silence by your exit and only one objective remained. Get her.

You hop on the back of your horse, Nellie. She's an Arabian White and so you prayed that whatever horses this band of thieves had were slower than your girl. In seconds, you were off. You had made a instant decision to head in the direction of Emerald Ranch, hoping to lose them on the way then loop back round and head west toward Strawberry - although admittedly tactic wasn't at the forefront of your mind. Fight or flight had well and truly kicked in and you knew you needed to get away, far away. The thunderous chorus of hooves colliding with the hard ground rung through the night as the three horses chased your dear girl a cross the plains of the heartlands. Admittedly, you should have gone up through Cumberland forest as there was more cover to hide and slip away undetected. Though you had come across bounty hunters, and lawmen you had never come across a group of outlaws intent on handing you in and so the city girl who lived within you shook in her boots, and used instinct and not her brain when plotting which escape route to take.

"We just wanna talk miss" Dutch called in the dark.

"Like fuck you do Mister, I heard y'all talking about taking ma bounty" you curse back; relying a lot on your horses innate sense of direction to guide you through the hills and trying to guide her to help you both disappear. One of the men take a shot at the floor near your horse, probably trying to spook her but being that your horse is tough as nails she barely bats an eyelid.

"C'mon miss we really don't wanna hurt ya" an unfamiliar voice shouts. You realise this must be the man with blue eyes, his rough voice matches his rugged appearance well - although you don't have much time to think about the dreamy mans voice as you hear the whirl of a lasso from behind you.

You duck, and make unpredictable movements on Nellie in order to avoid the grip of the rope around your body. You feel silent panicked tears roll down your cheeks as you realise your luck had run out; not knowing your fate with these three outlaws. Just then, the rope whips itself around you and you're pulled from your seat and thrown against the floor. Your head collided with a rock, making you see stars as your horse comes to a stop and stands beside you as if waiting for you to get back up. She doesn't realise this is likely your final ride. The three men come to a stop, and blue eyes hog ties you with the lasso before turning you onto your back.

All three men stood over you, as you shook and tears leaked from your eyes.

"take me then, I don't regret what I did to him. He deserved it more than anyone I have ever known" I spit with venom.

"My dear, did the countless bounty hunters, lawmen and innocent folk who got in your way deserve the same end?" Dutch replies. Bending his knees to move closer to your face so he is crouched over you as you lay on the dirt staring up at the night sky.

"If someone tried to have you swing for self defence and would you roll over and let them take you? Or would you fight?" You respond. Looking the man right in the eyes. Giving him the coldest look you can muster up while your cheeks are stained with tears. Dutch chuckles, looking up at Hosea and Blue eyes with a jovial expression.

"Darlin' im gonna give you a choice. You can go to Saint Denis and swing, or... you can come join us. We're a group of misfits and outcasts and we're always in need of more guns. You'd have to earn your keep, of course but from what I've heard you've had no issue wrangling an income for yourself."

"Dutch is that really wise? We have plenty of people to feed we could just let the poor lady go?" Blue eyes replies to Dutch. Causing him to whip his head up.

"Enough, Arthur! She can help in ways most of those women back at camp won't, besides - If she outstays her welcome we could always take her on a trip to Saint Denis." He smiles down at you while making his threat.

"I'll go with you." You reply begrudgingly. Whenever you can make it happen, you'll escape their camp. But for now this beats swinging.

"Well then, Arthur would you be so kind as to place this fine lady on the back of your horse?" Dutch says, walking over to his own beautiful steed.

"I have a horse of my own I can ride!" You shout back to him as Arthur removes me from the floor and places you face down on his horse.

"I know, but I don't want to risk you cutting off before meeting everyone and seeing how we do things. I happen to think you'll like it once you're not all tied up" he laughs. Arthur makes sure you're well seated before getting on his horse and coaxing it into moving to follow Dutch and Hosea. You whistle for your own horse who follows behind, with all your belongings.

"I'm sorry about this miss, uh, miss..." Arthur begins. Making it clear he knows you as only your pseudonym of 'the viper'.

"Y/N, just call me Y/N Viper" you respond, already out of breath from the movement of the horse pressing up against your chest and stomach. Compressing you're ability to breathe.

"well miss Viper, we have quite a ride ahead" Arthur replies, you huff in response and Arthur chuckles. Kicking the horse into moving a bit faster so as to catch up with Dutch and Hosea. You glance back at your beautiful horse and watch as loyally follows behind you.

Rolling your eyes, you exhale again.

This is going to be a long night.

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Needless to say I hope you liked this? Can do additional parts if you want, or I mean if you have any ideas please feel free to let me know. I'm not sure how tumblr works so idk comment or message any ideas or recommendations or anything if you feel like it.

ALSO do let me know if you think this is trash because I’d rather know I just was having a touch of fun writing a little bit this evening. I’m also pregnant and my brain is completely useless so I really appreciate feedback 💖

Thanks so much 💖