#Winter break travel hacks

[365momme]

Budget-Friendly Family Vacation Ideas: Winter Break Edition

Winter break is the perfect time for families to come together, create lasting memories, and embark on exciting adventures. However, planning a family vacation during this time can often be a challenge, especially when you’re on a budget. But fear not! We’re here to help you with some fantastic and budget-friendly winter break vacation ideas that will delight both kids and adults alike. So, grab…

[vivwritesfics]

Horse Girl - LN4

High school sweethearts Lando and Y/N are very in love (she also happens to be Flo's best friend and they met through their yards) (any words you don't understand are probably just unimportant horsey terms dw about it) (also idk anything about flo's riding journey, so i made it mirror mine)

Lando Norris x reader

2.3K

"Flo," Y/N called as she appeared at the stable door. She had Gismo's bridle over her shoulder and her riding hat already on her head. "Think I borrow your martingale?"

Flo left her brush on her horses back and turned towards her friend. "I have conditions."

"Give them to me."

Flo held out her hand, checking things off on her fingers. "You clean it for me at the end of the week, you muck out for me tonight and we go on a hack."

Y/N let out a sigh. "I'm going out with Lando tonight," she said.

Being in a long distance relationship with an F1 driver wasn't easy. Y/N had to stay in England to take care of Gismo and Sooty while Lando was living in Monaco and travelling the world.

When Y/N could, she got somebody to look after the horses and spent a week with Lando in Monaco. When Lando could, he spent the week at Y/N's, visiting his family and watching her ride.

Y/N tried to spend as much time over the summer and winter breaks with him. But this year Y/N began competing Gismo. Lando travelled with her when he could during her competitions. He always had his camera with him, posting her on the jpg account.

Lando and Y/N had been friends for a bloody long time. When Flo started riding lessons, she was stuck behind a girl on a fat little pony that refused to do more than a walk. When their lesson activity had them riding side by side, Flo and Y/N became fast friends.

They went from a weekend lesson together to being at the yard every single day. They loaned the same horse, Y/N riding him for half of the week and Flo riding him for the other. Most of the time they'd be there on the same day, mucking out his stable together and cleaning his tack together. On Flo's day's to ride, Y/N was the one who sorted the jumps and picked up the shit.

When they were younger, when they'd spend all day at the stables, Y/N would sleep over at the Norris house. Flo lived closer to the yard so it just made sense.

Staying at the Norris house meant meeting Flo's big brother. Y/N had heard stories of him before, stories of his karting and his dreams of being in F1.

And then Y/N met Lando. He was the kind of boy who, when Y/N slept over, he wouldn't leave them alone. He was the annoying big brother that stopped by to make a comment on the film they were watching, steal some of their snacks and run off to play his PlayStation.

When they were teenagers, Y/N fifteen and Lando seventeen, things changed. He kept on with that whole annoying big brother image until he was around fifteen. And then he didn't care about teasing the girls - he was too busy winning in F3.

But at seventeen, he started to see Y/N a little differently. She was fifteen, almost sixteen when she watched him win around Silverstone. When he saw her afterwards, he saw her in a new light. Maybe it was that post win haze. But no, because the feelings didn't go away.

Lando waited two and a bit years before he made a move. He was in F2, then, waiting to take his place on the McLaren F1 team. Y/N and Flo were show jumping at the lower levels and Flo was Y/N's show groom for when she tried her hand at eventing.

Lando came up with every excuse in the book to join Y/N and Flo when they went eventing. He offered to drive the trailer for them, offered to groom and tack up Sooty for her. Of course, Lando had no idea what he was doing when it came to grooming and tacking up.

Flo was heavily judging her brother, but she let him come with them. He stood by the trailer, feeding Sooty mints while Y/N and Flo tacked up.

Before Lando entered F1, he knew he had to make his move. Y/N had agreed to help Flo with her horses for the night while she was off doing something unknown. It was November and Lando had just turned 19. It was now or never.

Lando made his way down to the stables. It was dark and freezing, the stables lit by floodlights. Y/N had mucked out Flo's horses and had moved onto hay. Her own horses hadn't yet been taken care of; she could deal with them once she was done with Flo's horses. Lando walked across the yard, trying to avoid getting mud on his shoes. "Y/N?" He called, looking from stable to stable.

Y/N emerged from a barn. She was in her black riding pants, mud splashed up the side. The mud disappeared under her coat and she wore a knitted beanie on her head. "Lando? What're you doing here?" She asked as she walked out of the barn with hay in her arms.

Lando let out a laugh when he saw the mud up her side. "Did you fall off or something?"

She let out a laugh as she threw the hay over the stable door. "Yeah, Sooty decided there was a gremlin hiding in the corner of the arena and freaked out," she answered as she bolted the stable door shut.

With Flo's horses done, Y/N started looking after her own. As she mucked out, Lando talked to her and gave Gismo attention. "So, McLaren, huh?" Y/N asked as she moved Gismo away from the stable door. "You excited?"

"You know it, baby!" Lando cheered. But his cheeks flushed with embarrassment and he scratched at the back of his neck. "Are you gonna come to any of my races?"

"Yeah I'll go with Flo."

But that wasn't what Lando meant. He cleared his throat and rocked on his heels. "What if Flo doesn't go to any? Will you?"

Y/N stopped and put her broom against the stable wall. She crossed her arms over her coat and turned towards her best friends brother. "What are you trying to say, Lan?" Because there was clearly something he wasn't getting across.

Lan. He loved it. He loved when Y/N called him Lan. He somehow went even more red as he looked at her. "I want you to come to my races with me, whether Flo is there or not."

Y/N's eyes went wide. "Oh holy shit, Lan. I'd love to." She looked back at Gismo. "But I can't. Not when I've got these guys."

"Let me take you on a date then, before I go."

That was five years ago. Now, everybody was waiting for the couple to get engaged.

They were in the process of trying to move in together, but that meant Y/N moving the horses with her. Trying to find a stables just outside of Monaco that wasn't over the top expensive seemed too be an impossible task. Lando was happy to pay any amount of money to have his girlfriend and the horses there with him.

But Y/N didn't want to do that. She didn't want to have to rely on Lando to pay for everything. She was going to make it to Monaco, to be there with him, on her own.

Until then they were stuck with the odd date night whenever Lando could come back to England. If Y/N could, she paid somebody to look after Sooty and Gismo while she went to Monaco or to the odd race.

"Is he meeting you here?" Asked Flo as they walked across the stables, towards where they kept their equipment.

Y/N nodded her head. "Should get here just before I'm done with Gismo," she answered. "Pretty good timing if you ask me."

Lando was an incredibly supportive boyfriend. He had to be, with Y/N supporting his Formula One career. Whenever Lando could he came to one of her shows. No matter if she was eventing or jumping or doing dressage, Lando was watching with his camera.

Flo let out a sigh as she passed the martingale to Y/N. "You know, it might actually be nice to see him," she said as she and Y/N made their way back over to the horse.

Y/N quickly got herself and Gismo ready. She led him out to the arena and mounted. She rode him around the arena, warming him up and sending him flying over jumps as she waited for her boyfriend to appear.

Boyfriend. It had been weird saying that at first. After he and Y/N had their first date Lando was whisked away into the world of Formula One. They called a lot in that time, but it was strange. Their dynamics had changed but they weren't together yet.

It was a while before they got to have a second date.

A month after the second they had their third. That was when Lando officially asked her to be his.

That was five years ago.

As soon as Lando turned up to the stables, he knew white trainers had been a mistake. Actually, bringing such an expensive car had been a mistake. But, he got out anyway, locked it, and walked to where he knew he would find his girlfriend.

Lando was in awe every time he watched her ride. He couldn't tear her eyes away as she sent Gismo flying over the jumps, throwing her hands forward to let his neck stretch.

Lando had sat on Gismo before. He was the calmer of the two horses, the only one Y/N trusted to take care of Lando.

When Y/N finished jumping and brought Gismo back down to a trot, Lando clapped. Once upon a time he had whistled for her, but Sooty had spooked and Y/N had fallen off. Lando hadn't done it since.

"Lan!" Y/N called as she steers Gismo towards him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," said Lando as Gismo put his head over the fence, searching him for treats. When he discovered Lando didn't have any, he resorted to getting attention instead. "Missed you as well, Gremlin."

Y/N took two minutes to cool Gismo down before she jumped off. She took him back to the stable and untacked him in record time, all while Lando watched. It was incredible watching her do the thing she loved, he realised. She must've felt the same way about him.

As soon as she was done, it was time for date night. Y/N finally managed to wrap her arms around Lando, holding him close. "You're gonna stink of horses," she said as Lando squeezed her even tighter.

"I don't care," he answered before he kissed her.

Keeping one arm around her waist, Lando walked her out to the car. Her boots were muddy on his cars interior, but Lando didn't care. She could have walked shit into his car and he wouldn't have cared.

"I brought that dress you like," Lando said. Before he'd gotten to the stables he'd stopped at Y/Ns apartment to get something for her to wear.

"You're the best, Lan," she said as she sorted the music.

I won't bore you with the details of their drive to their drive to the restaurant. Once they pulled up in the car park Y/N tried her best to get dressed in the not very spacious car, since their was no way she was getting in in her state. She combed her fingers through her hair, brushing out any hay.

"Goddamn," said Lando as she stepped out the car. Y/N slipped her hand into his and she walked in.

The restaurant was nice, rather fancy. The pair shared a candle-lit Italian dinner, with music playing softly in the background. Y/N listened eagerly as Lando spoke about his last race. "I really wish you were there, though," he muttered as he finished his dinner. "I can't wait for you to move to Monaco."

"I know, Lan. I can't wait either," she replied. They were making progress. Y/N had found a stables near enough by and it wasn't too pricy. She had a key to Lando's apartment, where she was staying for the weekend while he was away at another race.

As soon as they were finished eating, Lando asked for the bill. "No dessert?" Y/N asked with a frown. Lando loved his dessert, but today he was rushing.

"Nope," Lando answered as he paid. "My trainer would kill me."

As soon as he had paid, Lando escorted Y/N out of the restaurant. He walked her over to the car, stopping half way to do up his laces.

"Thanks for tonight, Lan," she said as she turned towards him.

But, when she did, Lando wasn't doing up his laces. He was down on one knew, an open ring box in his hand. Inside of the ring box was, well, a ring. It was simple, a band with a small stone, just the way Y/N liked it. "I know we haven't moved in together yet, but I really wanna marry you."

There was a moment where Y/N couldn't answer him. She was in complete and utter shock. The only talks of marriage had been tabloid speculation, no indicators from Lando himself. "Holy shit, Lan," she said, because that was all she could say.

It wasn't a question of whether Y/N wanted to marry him. Of course she did. She wanted that more than anything.

"Holy shit Lando Norris. Of course I'll marry you."

[cherrrydragon]

➤ find something worth saving (it's all for the taking)

CHAPTER FIVE: GOOD OLD-FASHIONED LOVER BOY

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SUMMARY ↳ Spider-Man and homecoming, when did that ever end well? He clears his throat. “May I… have this dance?” You stare at him dumbly for a second, making him nervous. “W-What?” Well said. “Well, I can’t dance with you during homecoming, so… let’s dance now.” His face is set in an adorable determination. Your heart soars. pairing: jon kent x gn!reader x damian wayne warnings: fear gas (people get affected but it's not described), spiking drinks (not with the intention of taking advantage of anyone) wc: 5.9k

Your mind is elsewhere as you perform your warm-up stretches in the dance studio. Progress with the particle accelerator had been slow. Tony Stark had access to all the materials he needed when he built it, but you don’t. Not to mention all of the welding, cutting and assembling you’ll have to do. You're occupied in your thoughts, but you still hear footsteps approaching.

Victoria. She has her hands on her hips and is looking at you like you’re the nasty chore she’s stuck with.

You raise a brow. “Yes, Vicky?”

Despite all of her faces of disgust when you call her that, she hasn’t demanded you stop calling her that.

“I don’t know why I expected you to be paying attention, clearly you are too airheaded otherwise,” she huffs.

“You’re right, dearest, I wasn’t paying attention. Please, enlighten me.”

“Our instructor has just announced a winter performance. For a grade, of course.”

You sigh. “Of course.”

“We,” she drags the word out, disgruntled, “are the leads.”

Your lips quirk up into a smile. “Oh. This’ll be fun.”

“I will not let you embarrass me, so I will make sure you are a suitable lead,” she huffs.

“And how do you plan to do that, my dear?” you sing, circling her. Your fingers tap her arms as you walk.

She clears her throat. “I will make sure you are paying well attention and are performing adequately.”

“Sounds good to me, princess,” you say, walking away and extending a hand to her. “Shall we?”

She sighs dramatically and puts her hand in yours. It’ll be a long couple of months.

Your extended leg rocks your web hammock back and forth as you think. A song is hummed under your breath, pondering your next move.

“How far is Metropolis from Gotham?”

“Depending on your method of travel, it could range from an hour to 4 hours.”

You have no doubt LexCorp is very well protected in terms of its security measures, but Lex Luther seems a bit of an arrogant man. If he were to find out you had managed to break in and swipe some material, he might not do anything in embarrassment of being had. On the other hand, he is also pretty paranoid, so you have no idea what type of crazy defenses he has.

WayneTech is a very hesitant maybe, for pretty much the same reasons. Batman will already be on alert from your little hacking show earlier.

“Perhaps we shall simply wait for the opportunity to present itself to us, [Name].”

“We’re trying to leave as soon as we can, K,” you whine, bouncing a web ball back and forth between the wall and you.

“You can’t rush perfection.”

“Oh, you flatter me, K.” You lean over and fall out of the hammock, landing gracefully. “But I can never argue with you, lovely. I guess I’ll just have to make due with stuff from the school.” Hopefully they don’t notice the decline of materials.

Patrol goes smoothly that night. You've gone back to listening to your certified patrol playlist now that you’ve gotten back in the groove of things. You hum to a beat as you walk alongside the roof, grooving slightly. You run through equations and formulas in your head as you think about your next headway with your project. You still notice the footsteps approaching, though.

“Which one are you?” you announce, shifting slightly. You don’t get an answer, so you turn around. The figure standing behind you is shrouded in darkness, but a glint of moonlight reveals a familiar silhouette.

“Nightwing!” you hum pleasantly. “Pleasure, quite a pleasure. To what do I owe the visit?”

Nightwing shrugs. “Standard stuff, really. Making sure Gothams latest pest problem isn’t up to no good.”

You chuckle. “That was pretty good.” You sit down on the ledge. “I assure you, blue, that I have Gotham’s best interest in mind.”

“Well I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that Gotham likes you, for the most part.” Nightwing sits next to you. “Of course, the webs you leave irk them just a bit.”

“They dissolve,” you defend.

“They do,” he agrees, and lets the conversation die. Distant sounds of sirens fill the silence. You can see the blue and red lights from here. You and Nightwing share a moment of calm amidst the chaos.

“Every time I think Gotham can’t get any weirder, I hear news of a ‘giant spider’ terrorizing the criminal underworld.”

You snort, “yeah, that was my bad. I totally had rumors spread about that.” You can see his eyebrow raise underneath his domino. “It was funny!”

“I guess Gotham attracts all kinds of people,” he hums.

“And yet… it’s home,” you whisper.

Another brief silence settled between you, tinged with unspoken tension that always sneaks up on you in Gotham.

“So, did the big Bat put you up to this?” you ask, breaking the quietude.

Nightwing shrugs casually. “Nah, this is all me. Don’t worry though, I’m sure B will corner you eventually.”

“Charming,” you huff dryly against his chuckle.

“And of course, crime never sleeps in Gotham.”

“And so, neither do we,” you smile.

He turns to you. “Surely someone as young as you should be getting more sleep?”

You hum. “So Robin told you about little ole me, huh?” He shrugs sheepishly, in a can you blame him? kind of way. “Like I told him, I’ve been doing this for years.”

“So what’s a young person like you doing spending your nights fighting crime?”

You scoff, “oh, don’t give me that. The first Robin was barely out of diapers when Batman paraded him around.” You ignore Nightwings dramatic gasp of offense. “I’m doing the same as you, trying to make a difference.”

“But no one would blame you for just trying to live a normal life in spite of your abilities.” You’re not sure what exactly Nightwing is trying to achieve here other than getting you to spill something about yourself. What’s it to him what you do in your free time?

‘Yeah well, someone once told me something. Kind of changed my life a little.” You take a deep breath and recite the famous spidey quote, “With great power comes great responsibility.” You turn to face Nightwing. “I can’t in good faith live a normal life when there are people that need me. I have the power to help people, why wouldn’t I do just that?”

You hope your speech passes whatever test he had for you, and the way he stares at you before nodding suggests that you did.

“Just…” he hesitates. “... be careful out there. Gotham’s a tough place, even for someone with your talents.”

You’re not sure why he cares so much, but Dick Grayson does have a sort of a bleeding heart. You watch Nightwing stand, nodding at you before grappling away. It was nice to not have a more violent encounter with one of the Bats (looking at you, Damian). You’re left with the quiet of your own mind.

The next few weeks are a whirlwind of dance rehearsals and lab work. Victoria, true to her word, pushes you hard. She ensures every step, every movement is perfect. You can’t help but admire her dedication.

“Remember,” she snaps one day during a particularly grueling practice, “lean into the spin. It will further your momentum, making your performance overall smoother.”

“Yes, ma’am,” you smirk. Your classmates take notice of the way the two of you dance around each other. You’re sure you both appear really intense to them.

One new development you’ve reluctantly acknowledged is homecoming . You don’t care much for it, you’d rather spend it working on the badassium or patrolling. However, it’s a good way to sneak in and take some more material, so you’ll probably show up for a bit then sneak away. You just have to get through all of the sickeningly sweet hoco proposals.

In other news, you’ve finished your painting that you were assigned for art. You stole one of Miles’ designs from his spray-paint pieces, you hope he won’t mind. It’s a figure outlined many times in all kinds of vivid and bright colors.

“What is it?” Pipes up Damian from your side. Lately you haven’t really interacted much, you’re far too busy trying to make this universe's history books.

“My project,” you reply vaguely. At his unimpressed stare you elaborate, “it’s supposed to be a bunch of different versions of one person. Different people living the same life, one person living different lives, yadda yadda.”

Damian hums, satisfied. You take a breath, spinning in your chair to face him. “So, Damian,” you start, smiling at the way Damian’s face automatically scrunches in irritation. “Anyone special in mind for hoco?”

Damian tsk’s at the thought. “I will not waste my time indulging in such a frivolous activity.”

“Yeah, spiked punch and sweaty teens grinding on each other probably isn’t your vibe,” you agree.

“Then what better things do you plan on doing?” You rest your legs on his side of the table, invading his space. He ignores it, to his credit. He’s gotten used to your antics.

“Doing something far away from you.” You bark out a laugh at his response. You retract your legs and massage your feet. For all your super strength and resilience, ballet is still killer.

Damian eyes your movements. “How are your dance classes progressing?” Damian’s gotten better at conversing, you’re just surprised he chooses to do so with you. But then again, you’re sure he still thinks you’re the number one suspect as to who Spinnerette is.

“Victoria is a delight, as always,” you roll your eyes. “She’s more of a teacher to me than the actual instructor. She’s thorough though, knows her stuff.” You pause. “Think she’ll say yes if I ask her to hoco?”

His eyes narrow. “You jest.”

You close your eyes and nod. “I jest. I stand no chance because she’s waiting for you to ask her,” you grin, eyeing his eye roll. You furrow your brow in thought. “They accept people from other schools, right? Maybe I’ll ask Jon…”

He straightens in his seat. “Jon?”

“Oh yeah, you guys are friends, forgot.” You didn’t forget. “Yeah, we’ve been hanging out lately.” It’s true, Jon frequents at least once a week for movie night. You’ve also exchanged numbers, affectionately naming him ‘please get this boy some brown contacts’ in your phone. “You think he’d say yes?”

“Do not even think about asking him,” growls Damian. Woah.

You hold up your hands in defense. “My bad dude, didn’t know it was like that.” Jeez, it’s not like you're going to corrupt Jon or anything. Then, you slump in your seat. “Maybe I’ll just skip it, then. Going alone is only cool if you’re cool.”

“If it means so little to you, why bother?”

“Opportunities, D. It’s all about opportunities. Plus, who knows? I could be missing out on the chance for something big. Like my rich future spouse.” Damian scoffs, and the bell rings. You grab your stuff and set off to practice, Damian falling into step beside you. You groan.

“Come on, man. Vicky’ll put me through hell when she see you with me.”

‘Maybe that’s my plan,” he smirks.

“One moment of peace with you. That's all I want.” Predictably, Victoria’s eyes narrow when Damian drops you off at the studio. However, she doesn’t waste time fluttering her eyelashes at him.

“Hurry, get dressed,” she demands, turning away from you two. You share a look of surprise with Damian as you step inside. Perhaps this show is more important to her than you thought. You get changed in record time, hurrying back out lest you encourage Victoria’s wrath further.

The hour passes in a blur of graceful movements. Your hands grasp Victoria’s waist as you lift and spin her. She spreads her arms and legs with all the elegance of a true dancer. You wonder if she wasn’t set to inherit whatever her parent’s set aside for her, would she have pursued a career in dance?

“You’re getting the hang of it,” she admits, a hint of begrudging approval in her voice.

“Only because of you,” you flirt, smiling with your teeth. She rolls her eyes but says nothing.

A knock sounds on the door. The instructor gets a giddy grin on her face and practically hops over to open in. You and the rest of the students stop practicing in curiosity. Behind the door is your typical jock type, with a bouquet and a poster in his hands that says ‘Will you PLIÉse go to Hoco with me?’ It’s clever, you’ll give him that.

“Victoria Hearst, will you do me the honor of going to homecoming with me?” Your classmates clap and cheer in awe of it. Victoria gasps, walking up to the jock, but pausing. To your huge surprise, she turns to you. Her eyebrows are furrowed, like she’s confused.

You’re not sure why she’s looking at you. Maybe she’s waiting for your approval? You can’t think of why she would want it. Personally you wouldn’t be caught dead with his type, but maybe he’s sweet on the inside or something. You give a smile and gesture her forward.

She purses her lips, before smiling charmingly at the boy, nodding. The class erupts in cheers once again as the pair hug. The instructor, for all her giddiness earlier, quickly snaps at everyone to go back to their places. Practice continues well into the evening. You get a small wave from Victoria when you depart home, a pleasant surprise.

You end up outfit shopping with Jon the day before homecoming. The boutique you’re in isn’t too fancy, even though you can afford more with Bruce Wayne’s ever so gracious stipend.

“Maybe I should wear blue, the same shade as your eyes. I like them,” you mutter, thinking. Nothing here particularly catches your eye. You suppose you shouldn’t care so much, it makes no difference to you. Besides, you won’t be spending much time at the dance anyway, you’ve got material to steal after all. But Tony has instilled the art of appearances into you, and you don’t want to disgrace his teachings.

Jon gulps beside you, still not used to your random flirting's despite the fact it’s been weeks. “I thought you had a thing for hot pink?” he asks as you pick up some simple heeled dress shoes.

“Yeah, but I’m not going for a bold look this time around.” You place your hands on your hips. “Maybe just plain old black is the way to go,” you say, grabbing a black suit off the rack and examining it. You hang it over your arm, deciding that it will be the way to go. It’ll be easier to hide in the crowd when you look like the rest of ‘em. “Now, for accessories…” you mutter, looking at the earrings on display. You pick up some faux emerald studs and examine them.

“I like this ring,” Jon pipes up. You turn around and see he’s holding a simple flowery ring with a blue gemstone in it. You hold out a hand and he slips the band onto your ring finger. It looks at home.

“Looks good,” you agree. You pack up the earrings, ring and the suit and take it to the register. You pay for it and Jon picks up the bag for you. What a gentleman.

The walk back to your apartment is filled with mindless chatter between the two of you. Nari greets you when you open the door, meowing real cutely. You press a bunch of kisses on his skull, because he deserves them. Jon places the bag on your couch.

“Well, since I’m not allowed to ask you the hoco, I’ll try it on just for you, yeah?”

Jon blinks. “Not allowed?”

“I mentioned it to Damian, and he made it very clear I was not allowed to take you.” You lean in and whisper in his ear, “between you and me, I think it’s because he wants to ask you.”

Jon snorts. “I doubt that,” he mumbles, watching you go to your bedroom to change. “I would have had to say no anyway, I’m… busy that day.”

“Well, I guess I was saved from an awkward moment,” you holler through the door. You make sure you look clean and put together before stepping out. You spread your arms and do a twirl.

“Well?” you ask.

Jon’s mouth is ever so slightly agape. His eyes seem to sparkle a little as he looks at you. Blue meets blue when he stares at the ring on your finger. You watch as he stands up, walking over to you.

He clears his throat. “May I… have this dance?”

You stare at him dumbly for a second, making him nervous. “W-What?” Well said.

“Well, I can’t dance with you during homecoming, so… let’s dance now.” His face is set in an adorable determination. Your heart soars.

You chuckle, abashed. He holds out his hand for you, waiting.

“Oh, wait!” you gasp. You dash over to your laptop, opening youtube. Jon watches as your fingers dash over the keyboard. ‘Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy’ fills your apartment. The song has always reminded you of him. You race back to Jon, finally putting your hand in his. He quickly pulls you close to him.

“Queen?” he chuckles, placing his hands on your waist. You throw your hands over his shoulders, scoffing. “Nothing wrong with Queen.”

“No,” he agrees, swaying with you. You spend the rest of the evening together.

Walking into the academy’s gym, you’re immediately blasted with loud music and colorful lights. Everyone is looking quite dapper, but like you suspected, a bunch of black suits. You fit right in.

You sip a bit of the punch, grimacing. Nobody spiked it yet? You’re surprised. Yeah, this is a prestigious school or whatever, but teenagers will be teenagers. You guess they’re all too pussy to do it. No worries, you’ll do it for them.

“I don’t believe this is wise,” says Karen as you pour some alcohol into the bowl. “It’s only a little amount,” you reassure. “Drunk people are less likely to notice things.”

You observe the people of your school. They’ve long gotten used to your presence, hesitantly making room for you. Still, you aren’t really a part of them. You sigh. You know you sound like a broken record, but you really have to get back home. The last time someone stayed on an Earth not their own was Miguel, and well… you know how that ended.

In other news, you’ve spotted Victoria! She looks real pretty, all dolled up. Her hands grip a cup of punch as she stands next to whats-his-face. He’s chatting with his jock friends, completely ignoring her! Hell no, you’re not gonna let that slide.

You wait for his friends to go away before sneaking up on him. “You better dance with her, asshole.” It’s satisfying to see him jump and look around to see who said that, but you already walked away. He scratches his head, before walking over to Victoria. It’s satisfying to see her face light up as they walk to the dance floor. Your job here is done.

You find your way to the gym doors, peaking into the hallways. No one’s there, surprisingly. You scurry down the hall. You visit the lab first, swiping any and all things you think you might need. The blueprints left behind by Howard Stark are kind of obscure. They weren’t meant for anybody but Tony, after all.

Next you make headway to your engineering workshop. Seeing it now, it looks pretty spooky without the lights on. You walk into the storage closet where all the materials and parts are kept. It’s actually pretty big. You think you might be in Heaven. You set your backpack down and go through everything. You stuff various metals and scrap into it, tools and switches, fans and whatnot. Then, you spot it. A glass chamber, hidden in the corner.

You grab it carefully, examining it. It’s the perfect size for your nanite chamber! You grin. You have no idea why there’s a big glass tube just in here, but hey, you’re not complaining. You carefully make room for it in your bag, hauling it over your shoulder. You poke your head out in the hallway, no one’s there. You sigh, content with your scavenge. Humming under your breath, you make your way out of the school.

behind you right behind you grabbing yOU–!

You turn around quickly, eyes wide. You just looked around, there was no one there! A hand lays outstretched in the air before you. Your eyes travel up the offender's arm and meet green. Damian. Of course.

“I thought you didn’t have time for such frivolous activities,” you blurt, for lack of something better to say. You grip your bag strap tight.

“Who else would keep an eye on you?” he grunts. You coo, “do I attract your eye, then?” Performing a spin, you miss the way he looks you up and down.

He reaches out and flicks your emerald earring. “Tell me why I shouldn’t report you for theft,” he says as he gestures to your bag.

“Because I’m… awesome?” you try. It doesn’t work, clearly. Damian’s looking at you like you’re the very epitome of ‘human disaster’. “It’s for my personal project, lay off.”

Damian steps closer to you, and you finally have the time to really take him in. He’s got a simple dress shirt covered by a black vest. Dress pants, dress shoes, all looking very expensive. An elegant satin green tie pulls it all together. You hum appreciatively as you look him up and down.

“And what exactly does this ‘project’ entail?” he murmurs, grasping your hand and examining the ring. Flirting with you to get you to spill? Smooth.

“You like it?” you ask, referring to the ring. “Jon chose it.”

Damian furrows his brow immediately, looking at you. You grin. “He said he liked it on me, specifically.”

Damian huffs, dropping your hand. “I’m not building a world-ending weapon or anything. I’m allowed my hobbies,” you say, laying a hand on his chest as a way to calm him. “Honest.”

He looks into your eyes for a moment, opening his mouth to speak–

BOOM .

The ground rumbles, Damian grabbing you and you grabbing him. You stay locked together as you stand still, listening. Screams erupt, coming from the gym. Damian pushes you towards safety in a nearby janitor’s closet.

“Stay here, lock the door,” is all he says before running off towards the gym, no doubt planning to save the day as Robin. Way to be subtle.

Karen already knows what to do, letting the suit emerge from your bracelets under your sleeves. You sprint towards the gym, opening the doors silently. People are hiding behind and under tables, whimpering. There’s a gaping hole at the end of the gym, no doubt the loud explosion you heard earlier.

The one and only Scarecrow stands in the settling dust. He sure lives up to his name, that costume is frighteningly ugly. He raises his arms, canisters in hand, and throws them into the crowd. They explode with a hiss, releasing plumes of noxious gas. Hell. No.

You spring into action, webbing the canisters to try and block the spread of the fear gas quickly. A few gasps are heard from the students. You turn to them. “The fuck are you waiting around, for? Run!” They heed your call, quickly finding their way to the doors on the other side of the gym. Scarecrow tries to throw a canister at the running crowd, so you quickly web it, sticking it to the wall.

“You cannot save them,” he taunts, gesturing to the few students that still got hit with the fear gas. “Their fears will consume them, just as yours will consume you.” Ah, right. You are standing right in the middle of where his first cans exploded. Time to find out if your suit blocks the fumes.

A batarang appears, knocking Scarecrow's canisters out of his hands. Robin, the man himself, lands next to you. You can’t help but quip, “I thought such a prestigious school wouldn’t be so easy to break into?”

“It isn’t,” is Robin’s dry reply.

“Well, looks like someone missed the memo,” you retort, eyes locked on Scarecrow. You survey your surroundings, there’s still some lingering kids, plus the one’s victimized by the fear gas. “Handle him, I’ll get them out of here,” you command. Robin nods in understanding.

You jump away, quickly webbing up the fear gassed victims so they don’t hurt anyone or themselves. They scream and trash, making you wince and mutter rushed apologies. You kick up a table, depositing them behind it. Robin is holding his own against Scarecrow efficiently.

A couple of rushed whispers escape you as you encourage the leftover students to follow you out. You guide them, ducking under tables until you reach the doors. You breathe, the only one left is–

Victoria. Where’s her date? Did he leave her to save himself? Asshole, you swear. You call for her. “Hey!”

She turns to you, looking worse for wear. Her makeup is running down her face, carefully tied hair now loose in disarray. Poor girl. She runs over to you, tripping into your arms. “It’s okay,” you whisper as you usher her to the exit.

“Spinner!” Robin yells. You turn around in time to deflect a throwaway can of fear gas. Victoria whimpers in your arms. “It’s alright, Vicky,” you say breathlessly. The last you see of her is her wide eyes as you shut the door.

Scarecrow growls in frustration. “You!” he points at you. “Why are you not affected!?”

A clawed finger clinks against your mask as you tap it. “My suit’s really cool like that.” Thank God , you weren’t sure if it would repel the gas. With a flick of your wrist, you send a web at Scarecrow to restrain him. He dodges, just barely.

“Or maybe I’m just already living my worst nightmare: a villain with a bad fashion sense,” you quip, weaving around. “Now let’s wrap this up before I start critiquing your escape plan.” You launch a web up at the ceiling, letting it carry you up. More webs grasp at Scarecrow, tugging him to you. Robin watches as you tie him up, Scarecrow flailing uselessly in the air.

You ignore his speeches about how ‘fear is eternal’ and ‘you’re delusional if you think you can stop it’ in favor of dropping him to the floor, roughly. You land next to him, leaning down and dragging him with you to the hole in the wall. “I’ll leave you here as my thanks to the GCPD.”

Robin comes to a stop next to you. “Call me corny, but you and I make a pretty good team, no?” you say, crossing your arms as you look at him.

“Do not flatter yourself, I did most of the fighting.”

You snort. “Yeah, but I got him in the end, didn’t I?” Robin shakes his head. “I’m just surprised you’re not shriveled up in fear like the rest of them.”

Robin crosses his arms. “I am capable of holding my breath.” Your mind wanders to inappropriate trains of thought, making you grin. The sound of sirens get closer, signaling the approach of the GCPD, and probably the other Bats as well.

“Well, I get terrible police anxiety, you know how it is,” you say, taking steps out of the hole. Robin follows you out. “Bye,” you say, before swinging away. You round the building, letting the suit retract back into your bracelets. You enter through a back door, avoiding cameras. You quickly straighten out your ruffled appearance, making your way to the gym. Some students are lingering around on their phones, either showing each other what they recorded or calling somebody to pick them up.

You pass Victoria on the way. She’s holding her arms, hugging herself. She raises her head and stares at you as you approach. You pause in front of her, not really sure what to say. She probably doesn’t want your comfort, so you’ll keep it brief. “Glad you’re okay,” you say as you awkwardly pat her shoulder. You quickly scurry inside the gym, feeling what you’re sure is a judging stare.

Just as you thought, some of the Bats are here, administering the antidote to the victims. You make a show of looking for Damian, just in case he’s watching. There’s an incessant buzzing in your pocket. Pulling out your phone, you swipe open Jon’s messages.

please get this boy some brown contacts

why did i just turn on the news and ga was attacked

hello?????

are you okay??????

please be okay

why arent you answering are you dead

please dont be dead

Your heart churns at his worry. You just want to gnaw on him, he’s so cute. You send a selfie of you throwing up a peace sign with the police and Batman in the back.

yeah lmao im ok

shit was crazy but damian shoved me a closet all romantically and then ran off

looking for him rn hope he aint dead

he told me he wasnt even gna come what a liar

oh my gosh youre alive no way 

are you sure youre okay im pretty sure you just experienced something really traumatic

YES jon like i said i was in a closet the whole time

well im glad damian shoved you in there

also yeah he is a stinkin liar sometimes

You chuckle and let the conversation die. You make sure to answer Sam’s concerned messages with the same selfie and reassurance.

“I see you are alive and well,” comes Damian’s voice behind you. He’s got his hands in his pocket casually, looking completely put together and not like he just fought crime. He’s good.

You huff and turn around to face him. “Yeah well, it’s hard to die when you’re chilling in a closet that somebody shoved you into,” you snark accusingly.

He scoffs, ”I practically saved your life.”

“And then ran off. Where did you go, anyway?”

Damian turns his head, surveying the law enforcement as they work. “I helped in aiding the other students escape.” Yeah, whatever.

“Oh, really? We got ourselves a hero type over here.” You cross your arms and bump him gently. His head lolls with the movement. “Maybe you really are Robin.” He ‘tsk’s, but says nothing. You let the silence consume the both of you, eyes wandering the scene. Concerned parents cry in outrage at their fear gassed children. You wonder if they’ll sue. Then, you notice something.

“Why is Batman looking at me like I just cursed his entire bloodline?” you ask Damian, making him drop his arms and look to where your eyes are. You’re exaggerating, it’s hard to tell exactly how Batman’s looking at you with the cowl and the distance, but he isn’t exactly being subtle.

“That’s just how he usually looks,” says Damian, trying to remain casual. You are pretty damn sure he’s trying to signal to B that he needs to chill. Karen confirms that he actually is in your ear. Your mouth twitches as you wrangle a grin under control.

“Well, tonight was lame. I’m gonna go home before the big bad bat decides I need to be ‘vengeanced’ or something.” You turn around and begin walking away. “See you around, Dami.”

Damian grabs your arm before you can get far. “Let me walk you.”

You raise a brow. “Trying to figure out my base of operations?”

“It is late and you shouldn’t be going home alone. Especially after tonight,” he gestures to the scene.

You shrug. There’s really nothing to hide at your apartment, and he definitely already knows where you live regardless. “My hero. Okay, if you insist. But you’re paying for the ticket.”

“What ticket?” he scoffs. “My butler will be driving.” Oh. Right.

You scoff. “Of course you have a butler.”

He places a hand on your back to guide you out. You risk a subtle glance behind you and see that Batman is still looking, but more so at Damian now. You make a stop to the closet Damian shoves you into to pick up your haul, ignoring his side-eye. It seems he has let it go, for now.

Cold air greets you as you step outside with Damian. Arguably one of the coolest characters in the DC verse stands beside a sleek looking car, Alfred Pennyworth. You’re a big fan.

“Master Damian, Mx [Name].” He greets primly, stepping aside to open the door for you both. Damian nudges you in, and you make sure to thank Alfred and give him your address as you slip inside. Damian settles in beside you, his arm pressing into yours. You look out of the window as the drive commences. There’s not much to say.

“Tonight could’ve gone worse,” Damian says, breaking the silence. “I suppose we should be grateful for that.”

“Grateful, sure,” you reply, not taking your eyes off the city lights flashing by. “Though I wouldn’t have minded if it hadn’t happened at all.”

He nods, a slight smirk playing on his lips. “True. But then, I wouldn’t have had the chance to save you.”

You roll your eyes. “Is that what you’re going to hang over my head forever? ‘Remember that time I saved you in the school closet?’”

Damian chuckles, a rare sound that makes you glance at him. “Perhaps. But I think you’d do the same.”

“You know me so well,” you say, a small smile tugging at your lips.

You lean back in the comfortable leather seat of the car, feeling the tension of the night slowly ebbing away. The drive through Gotham's streets is surprisingly smooth, with only the occasional sound of sirens in the distance to remind you of the chaos that unfolded earlier.

As you pass under the shadow of skyscrapers, you steal a glance at Damian. His profile is illuminated by the faint glow of city lights filtering through the car window. Despite the adrenaline of the evening, he seems composed, almost serene.

He catches your glance and turns to meet your eyes, his own reflecting a mix of lingering intensity from the night's events and a quiet contemplation that seems to soften his usually sharp features. The silence between you feels comfortable now, no longer laden with the tension of earlier encounters or the urgency of the situation you just escaped. You offer a smile, and this time he doesn’t have any reaction. Just a calm expression.

“We have arrived,” Alfred announces softly as the car comes to a stop, almost hesitant to break the silence. You step out of the car, giving Alfred a nod of gratitude before heading up to your apartment. You turn back one last time, meeting Damian’s gaze before unlocking your door and heading inside. As you settle in, you can't help but feel a strange mix of emotions—relief, curiosity, and something else you can't quite place.

You drop your bag next to your bed and collapse in it. Nari comes trotting over, hopping onto your mattress and curling up next to you. Tonight was anything but lame. And as reluctant as you are to admit it, Damian’s presence made it a bit better.

You close your eyes, letting sleep take your mind.

notes: i know in a lot of peter parker in gotham fics they have that "dick grayson is richard parker in a different reality" storyline so i think im gonna try to reference that just a tad, since reader is peter parker just not yk.

in other news, im gonna TRY to update every weekend or so. keyword try.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

(cw: body horror)

since stage 4 is just broken determination overload, i imagine it will be able to melt its body parts. like, it doesn't have a face - there's just one massive black hole with broken dt in its place. since it's melting like almagamates (literally it's an amalgamation between killer and chara held by determination), i also think it's impervious to physical attacks - its stats are all jumbled and incomprehensible. i'm not finalized on what the new abilities are, but some ideas i have are:

destructive dt? i guess the broken dt would be hazardous now to the point of just melting everything it comes in contact with.

absorption? since it's almagamate-like, it can fuse with other beings into a bigger pile of goo. imagine sixbones but worse, because only stage 4 is in charge.

infection/corruption? i think it's fitting for it to have some virus abilities, infecting and corrupting codes so as to spite and get over players/creators, and finally destroy timelines. it's like some sort of self-realized malware in a computer, in contrast with error as a self-proclaimed error handling response. (don't sue me, i don't know anything about computer science lmao)

multiversal travel? since it would be necessary for its/chara's goal of destroying worlds. though it would be interesting if it doesn't have that ability and has to rely on some mechanism (like hacking/breaking codes or sth).

~ crowshipping anon

Self realized malware sounds like such an interesting route to go for a character, especially in contrast to another character like error. Makes me wonder what error would think about stage 4, going around destroying timelines and basically doing his self appointed (?) job, because that is actually stage 4’s purpose. What it was made for.

I wonder if being able to corrupt codes would make its tasks a lot easier, such as turning characters against others and working on its side to decimate their timelines. And probably killing the corrupted characters before moving on, or potentially assimilating the characters into its form.

I think it’d be interesting if Stage 4 basically has to infiltrate the codes of an au, or a timeline, and maybe it can only start with timelines adjacent or variants of classic undertale, but is able to learn to infiltrate the codes of entirely separate aus with time. Like a program/ai that learns with time.

What that infiltration could look like, im not sure. Perhaps something to do with its determination, playing with the idea that if one is the most determined, they can then decide fate, etc. and it has “determined” this timeline or AU’s fate is to be destroyed.

Or maybe it must infiltrate the codes of a Sans or even a Chara, and potentially be “reborn” through these Sanses/Charas, before assimilating them into its original form after erasing their homes. to go with a more literal idea of “infiltrating.”

I’d imagine it’d have quite a few run ins with ink if it messes with the scripts or aus/timelines. Potentially the rest of the Stars, Core, and perhaps even Nightmare too since destroying timelines and aus means depriving Nightmare of negativity. And of course Color would obviously step in to try and save his friend, potentially alongside the rest of the Epic Sanses.

This version of Stage 4 could definitely fit the Winter Soldier’s theme well i think.

[synkseren]

ɴαмe: æ-KARINA

αppeαrαɴce deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-KARINA is an avatar created based on the data that KARINA uploads about herself on the internet, the perfect self. She has blue eyes, wavy bright purple hair, and a mole just like KARINA.

cloтнeѕ deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-KARINA wears a purple crop top with sparkly silver lines, underneath that is a darker purple mesh top with lightning bolts-like lines and long sleeves. On the bottom, she wears purple shorts with the same silver/purple print. Her over-the-knee boots are purple with lines similar to the mesh top and sparkly silver heels.

When the SIᑎK ᗪIᐯᕮ is activated, real-world KARINA and æ-KARINA become my-KARINA.

αвιlιтιeѕ: Rocket Puncher - Great Strength, punching, and physical power. Gauntlet - Made of a digital grid and it’s only visible during combat, can break anything.

ɴαмe: æ-GISELLE

αppeαrαɴce deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-GISELLE is an avatar created based on the data that GISELLE uploads about herself on the internet, the perfect self. She has hazel eyes and is the only æ with short hair, which is platinum blonde.

cloтнeѕ deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-GISELLE wears a black strapless crop top with mesh parts and mesh long gloves, however, she’s often seen with an orange sparkly jacket that hides the gloves. On the bottom, she wears black shorts with orange and sheer details. æ-GISELLE has a black belt that connects with her sheer tights that have a bolt pattern. Her shoes are dark gray boots.

When the SIᑎK ᗪIᐯᕮ is activated, real-world GISELLE and æ-GISELLE become my-GISELLE.

αвιlιтιeѕ: Xenoglossy - The ability to understand and speak any foreign language (including extraterrestrial language). Digital Goggles - Automatically translate anything.

ɴαмe: æ-WINTER

αppeαrαɴce deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-WINTER is an avatar created based on the data that WINTER uploads about herself on the internet, the perfect self. She has light brown eyes and long blonde hair with pink streaks.

cloтнeѕ deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-WINTER wears a sparkly dress of different pink shades and matching gloves. Her shoes are a pair of sparkly pink above-the-knee boots.

When the SIᑎK ᗪIᐯᕮ is activated, real-world WINTER and æ-WINTER become my-WINTER.

αвιlιтιeѕ: Armamenter - The ability to use all kinds of weapons. Plasma Gun - Unlike a regular gun, this weapon shoots light produced by Winter's willpower.

ɴαмe: æ-SEREN

αppeαrαɴce deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-SEREN is an avatar created based on the data that is an avatar created based on the data that SEREN uploads about herself on the internet, the perfect self. She has purple eyes, pale orange hair in a long high ponytail, and a sparkle-shaped jewel below her eye that alludes to SEREN’s symbol and her moles.

cloтнeѕ deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-SEREN wears a sparkly blue crop top, a black sheer mesh with bishop sleeves also with blue sparkles at the cuffs. On the bottoms, she wears black shorts with blue stripes on each side. Her above-the-knee boots are blue and have black stripes on the outside.

When the SIᑎK ᗪIᐯᕮ is activated, real-world SEREN and æ-SEREN become my-SEREN.

αвιlιтιeѕ: Portal Weaver - Create and manipulate portals, allowing instant travels and swift movements. Dimensional Daggers - Glowing blades that can cut through reality.

ɴαмe: æ-NINGNING

αppeαrαɴce deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-NINGNING is an avatar created based on the data that NINGNING uploads about herself on the internet, the perfect self. She has lilac eyes and gray hair with bangs and lilac-colored ends.

cloтнeѕ deѕcrιpтιoɴ: æ-NINGNING wears a matching sparkly black long-sleeved top and skirt, both with lilac, silver, blue and pink details. On the bottoms, she has mesh socks and sparkly black boots.

When the SIᑎK ᗪIᐯᕮ is activated, real-world NINGNING and æ-NINGNING become my-NINGNING.

αвιlιтιeѕ: E.D. Hacker - Can hack into systems and make her drawings come to life. Headgear - A device that helps the hacking and is also used for communication.

[bluerosefox]

Stories/Prompts List:

[In General Prompts]: |Moving On (Character moving on and away from the toxic people/places)

[Encanto]: |Everybody (in Town) Loves Mirabel

[Genshin Impact/Encanto prompt]: |Anemo Mirabel idea (Quick idea)

[DP]: |Rather Not |Middle Name |Entrance and Exists |New Title Idea

[DPxDC]: 2023 Prompt Lists 1 2023 Prompt Lists 2 2023 Prompt Lists 3 |Our Well Deserved Break (Danny decides he and a bunch of stressed out hero teens need a weekend break from...well everything.) |Supersons vs Ghost Gal (It started with Grandma’s Kent Cookies) (Jon is punished for stealing cookies and ropes in Damian to prove he’s innocent by catching the thief... Only there is a certain traveling ghost whose the thief who may or may not wanna troll them now) (read notes) |Uncle Damian Mode ACTIVATE (Twins!Damian and Danny, baby!Danielle, hints of good mom Talia. READ NOTES) (Damian is having a normal patrol... Until Danny shows up with a baby and going to hunt down a fruitloop for trying to clone him... Damian is going to be the best uncle) |Possessed Pearl’s (Danny finds a ghost needing help. Martha has a chance to get herself home to Gotham) |Ghosties and Black Bats (Hinted CassxDanny) (Danny gets a call from Dani and goes to help only to see a rather kick butt lady doing the job, and oh boy Fenton genes are in high gear) |Mystery Spouse (Dannyx???) (Danny and [Any Bat of choosing] get into a whirlwind romance and marry... they just forgot to tell their families though) |Presence Pressure (Twins!Danny and Damian) (Danny figures out how to hid himself from his adopted parents and the GIW radar, only he didnt take into account that they might pick up his twin’s corrupted ectopalsm) |Our Strengths (Danny and his family are taken by the GIW. Sam and Tucker hack and blackmail their way to save their best friend and his family) |Drake Siblings (Tim gets a call from a little Jasmine Fenton and finds out he has a half brother named Danny.) (Danny and Jazz are adopted Fenton. Danny is the son of Jack Drake and Dana Winter-Drake btw) |In Luminous Green Glow (TaliaxDanny) (Danny, CW’s apprentice, is inspecting a Pits, only to meet a blade to his neck) |Bittersweet and Sweetheart Exes (Past TaliaxBrucexDanny) (Talia and Bruce are bittersweet exes to each other but towards Danny he’s their sweetheart ex) |Family Resemblance (Daniel Wayne was kidnapped the night his and Bruce’s parents were killed. Years later Bruce gets a call from Damian about two possible poorly made clones or hidden blood children. Meanwhile Dan and Elle Fenton are calling their dad about a possible Vlad clone surviving) |The Amazing Adventures of Tim Drake and Little Baby Man Danny. AKA two feral raccoons loose on Gotham (Little Tim Drake makes a friend when stalking the Bats... and feral vibes with the baby man Danny) |One in the Same (Tim is tossed in the Pit during his RR run, and wakes his memories of being Danny Fenton/Phantom... and ponders what to do next to mess with the fruitloop Ra’s) |Fenton Coded (Tim discovers he’s not a Drake by blood... and he’s not a Wayne (like he and others suspected) but is a Fenton) (past DannyxJanet) |Ghost With Heartbeats (maybe Dead on Main?) (hinted Deaged Dani) (Jason used to have a penpal, a kid named Danny Fenton. Then he dead, came back and the thought of writing to his friend was forgotten... until he finds all the letter’s Alfred saved. Even letters Danny wrote to Jason after his death) |Invites (Hinted Dani(Ellie)xDamianxJon) (Wrath aka Ellie comes to the Watchtower to complain about a Ball being hosted in the Infinite Realms) |Kidnapped Persephone Style (JasonxDanny. Dead on Main) (Tim witness Jason being taken by a ghostly knight and tells the rest of the Batfam) |Gray and Graysons (Siblings Danny and Dick)(Dick remembers his baby brother before he had been given to the childcare system, so he isn’t ready to see him years later at the Watchtower as one of the new engineer hires) |Siblings Behavior (Ghost King Danny/Dad Danny)(the Ghost King summons the two factions of the DC verse, to talk about his two kids Wrath and Wisp) |Feral Gremlins VS Fruitloops (Deaged Danny and Tim) (Danny and Tim are deaged by their dumb Fruitloops, the two feral things meet and decide to team up and escape) |Mama Bat (Deaged Danny and Mama Cass)(Cass finds a baby in Hong Kong before being yeeted back to Gotham with baby stuff and a glowing sticky note) |The Flow of Time (Deaged Tim) (CW takes matters into his own hands when he spots a deaged Tim timeline where his family fails to save him from Ra’s plans) |Once Upon A Time... (Hinted JasonxDanny. Dead on Main) (Ghost Robin!Jason finds a sleeping Ghost Prince Danny when in the Realms. and a sticky note is hinting something) |That Good Ol' Fenton Charm (SelinaxDanny) (Deaged Danielle and Dan!) (Danny meets his neighbor Selina when one of her cats gets into his apartment one night!) |Little Danny's Big Adventure (Mentioned Regent Jazz) (Deaged/King Danny) (Little Danny gets yeeted into the DCverse when he was deaged, stops a villain and goes to a safe house for naptime!) |Always Favors You (Half-Brothers Danny and Jason) (Ghost Prince/King Danny) (Jason is invited to the crowning of the future Ghost King Phantom. Thing is the Ghost Prince is his half-brother he gave away years ago when he was a baby) |Masks and Moonlit Night (Anger Management) (Jason and Jazz meet at a masquerade ball and its a bit of a fairy-tale moment) |“Daddy! Mommy’s is having Ellie!” (Anger Management/Deaged Danny and Dan/Reborn Ellie) (Jason has a lot of secrets, one of them comes to light when one of his son’s call him while he’s Red Hood in a panic about their mom having their sister a bit early.) |Saying Sorry Will Never Be Enough (Dannny/Any of the Bats/Birds) (Danny is happily packing his apartment, about to move in with his partner, when he gets a knock on his door. Its his parents.) |Phantomish Rouges (When Team Phantom gets put into the DCverse, Danny is hurt and needs to be in a cryo sleep to recover. Team Phantom doesn’t have much of a choice and have to turn to some criminal activity to survive) |Dinner? (Spirit Halloween) (College age Danny is surprised when he opens his door and finds a recently dropped out of med school Bruce freaking Wayne at his doorstep and been asked out by the young man) |Striking of the Clock (Future Braindead/Deadtired) (Tim finds a way to get Bruce out of the Time stream, he has to summon the Ancient of Time. However it seems like he can’t so he summons the next best thing, the Ghost King. But... Why is the King flirting with him and why is the Ancient of Time calling him his new apprentice?!) |Disney Style Romance (Death Defying or NightBirds) (Dick is the family member that would have a Disney style romance when his dog Haley plays with a green puppy named Cujo) |Genie Gave Me a Brother AU (Reborn!Danny and Tiny Tim) (Tim figures out a artifact his parents sent home from one of their digs. He makes a wish for someone to be with him at the same time Danny is going on a reincarnation vaycay) |BREAKING NEWS! Youngest Wayne’s Secret Lovechild?! (Maybe Serious Chaos?)(Deaged Danny!) (Due to Vlad, Danny is deaged and a older teenage Ellie runs to Gotham to hide and take care of her template. However she is mistaken for Damian Wayne’s lover/baby mama and Danny is their son by the media due to being saved by the teen outside of costume.) |Her Astrophel and Sterling (Al Ghul Danny/Deaged Dani(Ellie)/ good Mom Talia!) (Instead of the Bats finding Danny (Danyal al Ghul) is alive, Talia discovers her son is alive first, and that she is a grandmother)

My Art Tag! (Random things I’ve drawn)

[full-on-sam]

Worldbuilding questions

Have you dived nose first into a new WIP? Me too. Have you planned your new characters? Me too. So now the next step before writing is worldbuidling! Some people love it, some people hate it, some people really struggle with it.

I will post a part two with political and cultural worldbuilding in a few days, as well as one about maps. If you have specific requests don't be afraid to ask!

So, here are some questions that should help you set up the world for your WIP.

Part 1: physical settings and time.

Because breaking it all down, makes the process less of an enormous task and more writer friendly

First thing first: decide where your book will be set. It seems given, but it can be more difficult than what it seems.

Is it a huge world with lots of nations? There is only one nation? Is it small or big?

There are big cities? Or small villages? Or a mixture of both?

The landscape: is it flat? Are there mountains/forests/a desert? If your world map is big, you might want to consider some biome variety. If it is smaller one could suffice.

Are there islands? If so, how many? Are they big? How are they connected to each other/ the mainland?

Some big natural events shape the landscape: is your world subjected to plates shifting/earthquakes/volcanic eruption/droughts?

How is the climate? If it is really hot and humid the landscape will probably be different than a place with lots of rain and wind. Small hack: plains can have a huge variety of climates.

Seasons. Does the landscape get different with seasons changing? If so, how? It seems given but you might have a story where everything is the same all year round (think The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion the Wardrobe and the Witch, where it's winter all year long.)

If your characters travel a lot it will be useful putting everything down on a map. It will help you keep track of where they are and describe te setting accordingly. (I will make another post on how to draw maps soon, and link it).

Maybe it is not a tradional world, and you will need none of those things. For example you might set it in space. In this case you will need to answer different questions.

Is your story set on planets or spaceships? Do your characters ever touch a planet or do they just travel inside a spaceship? If that is the case, remember to research how spaceships work. (Also are those future spaceships, present, or past? It will make a big difference or the technology used)

If your characters touch planets consider: how many they are? Are they livable (is there water/air)? Are there other living forms? Is so which ones? How far/near are to the main star of the system? Are similar or very different to our own?

Secondly you will need to decide a time period to base your novel upon. Even if it is in a fantasy world, you will probably need to take inspiration from real world.

Is it set in a world close to our present? Or do you take inspiration from the past? Is it set in the future?

If it is set in the past you will need to pick a century and do researches specific for that century. Here some things you might want to check:

Clothes (type of clothes, sure, but also of cloth and threads. How are they made and by who. The differences between classes)

Weapons (how are they made? how much do they cost? does everyone have them or are they reserved to the rich? Are they used in training or only in battles?)

Food (what food is more popular? Again there will be differences between classes. How is it cooked? By who?)

Royalty (how is it treated? is it liked or despised? What clothes/weapons/food have they different from lower classes)

Specific historical events that occur in your world. If it is real world be sure to make your researches. If it is a fantasy one, pick an event you can be inspired from and research that to be more accurate (e.g. you want to set your world in something similar to 1700/1800. In that case you might want to read about different revolutions and see if some of that can be applied to your world too)

If it is set in the future there are some implications too. You might want to establish:

Technology (how big is the impact on society? Pick specific items, such as phones or computers and understand how they evolved)

Transports (are they more efficient than the present? If so why? Are there new means of transportation? If so, what are they?)

Climate (has it changed? If so how has it influenced population? Which areas are now inhabited? Which are not?)

Food (crops can be influenced by climate change and/or new technologies. Some foods might not be available anymore because the ingredients stopped growing due to those conditions. Some instead might be new because technology or natural evolution has changed some food varieties. For example bananas used to have seed and now not anymore. Consider if something like that might have happened)

Of course you don't have to answer all of those questions and consider all of those issues. But they might be useful to better understand your world, even if you don't cite all those elements while writing.

[themculibrary]

Christmas Eve Masterlist

A Very Barton Christmas (ao3) - angelshotgun T, 5k

Summary: It’s nearly Christmas when Kate breaks her leg and Clint totes her back to the Barton Family Farm to heal. Hijinks ensue.

Christmas Eve Will Find Me (ao3) - kahn steve/tony T, 11k

Summary: Steve walked into his apartment to find Tony sitting on his kitchen counter, cross-legged, facing the door and flicking his thumbs against the screen of his futuristic phone in a way that meant he was either playing a game or hacking the security of some undoubtedly highly dangerous and deeply hostile organization.

“Hi, Honey!” Tony trilled without looking up. “Welcome back!”

Steve comes home.

Clint Barton and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Christmas Eve (ao3) - coulsons-hawk (allyoop) clint/phil, steve/bucky T, 6k

Summary: A holiday adventure with the Avengers in which nothing goes right on Christmas Eve; a dragon destroys an island, two boys from Brooklyn go missing, and all Clint Barton wants for Christmas is thirty minutes of peace on earth.

evergreen (ao3) - OnlyForward G, 24k

Summary: the story of how Tony Stark is Scrooge reincarnated and how Peter Parker is determined to change that

ft. civil war angst, tony being lonely as fuck, fun christmas activities and a nice happy ending perfect for the holiday season

Feelings at Christmastime (ao3) - nadir_zenith matt/foggy G, 1k

Summary: Foggy invites Matt to come to Christmas (Eve) Dinner with the Nelsons.

Fell For You (ao3) - sadsongssaysomuch steve/bucky E, 4k

Summary: Bucky and Steve have always been best friends, but on Christmas Eve, Bucky wakes up to realize that the way he feels about Steve is more than just friendly.

Find Ourselves in the Winter Snow (ao3) - rainpaint leo/jemma T, 6k

Summary: After a whirlwind of packing and rushing to the airport and literally running to board the plane, two small children who think the entire thing is great fun in tow, here they are. An hour from Jemma’s parents’ house, which is still too far for her mum, who doesn’t drive in a centimeter of snow, much less the several that likely cover every road between here and Sheffield.

So in all likelihood they're stuck at the airport. With two small children. The night before Christmas Eve.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like a Hallmark Christmas Movie (ao3) - cakeisnotpie clint/phil G, 13k

Summary: Phil Coulson is determined to get the big promotion; all he needs to do is spend a few days in a small town to close the deal then he'll be back in the Big Apple. Doesn't matter that it's two days before Christmas or that his best friend, Nick Fury, believes schmaltzy Hallmark movies are real life, he is not going to meet a handsome guy, fall madly in love, and move to the middle of nowhere.

Enter Clint Barton, dog trainer who runs a senior dog sanctuary and has biceps to die for.

Add a business mystery to solve.

Phil just might discover his happily ever after after all.

Memories that last forever (ao3) - ArabellaAM steve/tony G, 2k

Summary: Tony sighed, turning around all the way and asking with a tired, raspy voice, “Why am I hugging a pillow on Christmas Eve, Rogers?”

Or, Steve can't sleep and Tony asks him to tell him a story about his mom.

Mission - Steve and Bucky’s Best Christmas Ever (ao3) - LightningStriking steve/bucky G, 10k

Summary: Bucky has a plan. A carefully constructed, and meticulously plotted plan. Of how to give his best friend Steve the most wonderful, festive, and happy Christmas season ever. Culminating in a declaration of love, which hopefully will be returned. Can Bucky pull it off, and receive the best Christmas present of all - Steve as his boyfriend??

More Than Gravity (ao3) - JenTheSweetie steve/tony T, 20k

Summary: “Aw, time travel, no.”

On Christmas Eve, Tony came unstuck in time.

no sound, it’s all around (ao3) - winterkillz sam/bucky G, 9k

Summary: “They’re my relatives.” Bucky corrects bitterly and quietly. “I don’t… I haven’t had a family in a while.”

Sam pauses from his food and stares at Bucky. He would say that Bucky has always been an honorary Wilson, but he knows what he meant. Sam sips on his drink, making sure that he doesn’t drip orange soda on his newly dry-cleaned suit.

“You want me to go with you?” Sam offers instead.

(Or, Bucky gets invited to spend Christmas with Rebecca’s side of the family with Sam tagging along. Feelings ensue.)

On This Winter’s Night (ao3) - athena4lynn G, 6k

Summary: Five Times Clint Barton Found Something He Needed In A Church On Christmas Eve

Princess Perfect Pony Palace (ao3) -74days steve/bucky T, 3k

Summary: It’s Christmas Eve and Natasha’s daughter has just admitted to her parents that she asked Santa for a Princess Perfect Pony Palace. Which is currently out of stock in every store within 50 miles. It’s time for Uncle Bucky to step up and deliver the most wanted gift of the season - he just didn’t think he’d have to fight a hot blond for it.

Saved My Heart For You (ao3) - pensversusswords steve/tony T, 8k

Summary: Tony had been trying to propose for months, but it turned out that post-battle on Christmas Eve was the best time to pop the question.

Sorry About All The Sex Toys (ao3) - lola381pce clint/phil T, 2k

Summary: Clint draws Coulson’s name for the Avengers Secret Santa which in itself isn’t a bad thing. It’s just unfortunate he uses the same wrapping paper for Coulson’s gift as he does for Natasha’s. Regrettably, he doesn’t realise his mistake until the Secret Santa gift reveals on Christmas Eve with all the Avengers.

The Best Day of the Year (ao3) - orphan_account pepper/tony G, 2k

Summary: Tony finally mans up and proposes to Pepper on Christmas Eve.

Tony’s Christmas Carol (ao3) - kickcows pepper/tony G, 11k

Summary: Tony Stark was a mean, crotchety miser. He never felt he was doing wrong, until three spirits came to visit him on Christmas Eve, showing him otherwise. Or, a retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ set in the Marvel universe.

When the Snow Melts (ao3) - emptydistractions steve/bucky E, 4k

Summary: It’s the first time Bucky’s been off suppressants in nearly a century and all Steve wants is for his mate to be okay. Luckily, Christmas Eve has a little surprise in store for them.

You Are My Gift (ao3) - coeurlregina peggy/steve G, 757

Summary: 24th December, 1944

Captain America and The Howling Commandos were blessed with a moment's reprieve after their victory in the Battle of Metz (which came to an end on 13th December). They were sent back to Camp Lehigh to recoup and wait for further instructions, lucky for them, they were able to celebrate Christmas eve before being shipped off in the early morning.

[aghotel]

Winter Whispers: Enhancing Your UK Adventure with Savvy Travel Tips

As winter envelops the United Kingdom in its chilly embrace, a vacation to this enchanting region promises a magical experience brimming with festive cheer and stunning countryside. To ensure your winter retreat is a seamless, tranquil escape, consider this carefully curated collection of winter travel tips and hacks tailored for navigating the captivating landscapes of the UK.

Layer Up for Comfort: Prepare for the ever-changing whims of the UK’s winter climate by mastering the art of layering. Start with thermal undergarments for a warm base, layer with a cozy sweater, and top it off with a waterproof, windproof outer layer.

Weatherproof Footwear: Shield your feet from the wintry rain in the UK by choosing footwear that not only offers warmth but also boasts waterproof capabilities. Go for insulated and waterproof boots to keep your toes toasty and dry throughout your winter adventures.

Balanced Itinerary: Craft a well-rounded itinerary that blends indoor and outdoor activities. Explore museums, galleries, and historic sites during cooler periods, reserving outdoor adventures for sunlit moments.

Opt for Public Transit: Navigating wintry UK roads can be challenging. Opt for public transportation—trains and buses equipped with heating provide a comfortable and efficient means of exploring the country.

Indulge in Hot Beverages: Combat the chill by immersing yourself in the UK’s hot beverage culture. Whether it’s a classic English breakfast tea or a velvety hot chocolate, savoring a warm drink not only provides comfort but also lets you partake in the delightful tradition of British warmth.

Plan for Reduced Daylight: With winter comes shorter daylight hours. Plan your activities thoughtfully by seizing the early hours for maximum sunlight and saving evening strolls for well-lit locales.

Prepare for Rain: Alongside cold weather essentials, keep a compact umbrella and a waterproof jacket handy. Given the UK’s penchant for drizzly days, being prepared for rain ensures you can enjoy outdoor activities without getting drenched.

Immerse in Winter Festivals: Embrace the festive ambiance by attending winter festivals and events. From Christmas markets to seasonal celebrations, these gatherings enchant with their magical atmosphere and offer a unique glimpse into the warmth of UK communities during the colder months.

In conclusion, your winter expedition in the UK promises festive delights, historical wonders, and nature’s breathtaking beauty. Armed with these winter travel tips and hacks, you are ready to extract the most enchantment from your winter escapade. Embrace the brisk weather, indulge in the warmth of local generosity, and weave a tapestry of enduring memories.

AG Hotels Group provides top-tier hotel accommodations and exceptional guest service at affordable prices. Our hotels are strategically positioned across the UK in key gateway locations including London, Manchester, Derby, Blackpool, Huddersfield, Chorley and Peterborough to name a few. Our hotels are managed by a team of highly entrepreneurial, talented, and driven professionals who tirelessly work to ensure every hotel stay is a truly special experience. Book your stay at AG Hotels and enjoy a cosy and relaxing winter break with comfy rooms, hot breakfast and delightful dining.

Book direct for the lowest rates: www.aghotels.co.uk

[dr-simple]

Moby Dick

Entering that gable-ended Spouter-Inn, you found yourself in a wide, low, straggling entry with old-fashioned wainscots, reminding one of the bulwarks of some condemned old craft. On one side hung a very large oilpainting so thoroughly besmoked, and every way defaced, that in the unequal crosslights by which you viewed it, it was only by diligent study and a series of systematic visits to it, and careful inquiry of the neighbors, that you could any way arrive at an understanding of its purpose. Such unaccountable masses of shades and shadows, that at first you almost thought some ambitious young artist, in the time of the New England hags, had endeavored to delineate chaos bewitched. But by dint of much and earnest contemplation, and oft repeated ponderings, and especially by throwing open the little window towards the back of the entry, you at last come to the conclusion that such an idea, however wild, might not be altogether unwarranted.

But what most puzzled and confounded you was a long, limber, portentous, black mass of something hovering in the centre of the picture over three blue, dim, perpendicular lines floating in a nameless yeast. A boggy, soggy, squitchy picture truly, enough to drive a nervous man distracted. Yet was there a sort of indefinite, half-attained, unimaginable sublimity about it that fairly froze you to it, till you involuntarily took an oath with yourself to find out what that marvellous painting meant. Ever and anon a bright, but, alas, deceptive idea would dart you through.—It’s the Black Sea in a midnight gale.—It’s the unnatural combat of the four primal elements.—It’s a blasted heath.—It’s a Hyperborean winter scene.—It’s the breaking-up of the icebound stream of Time. But at last all these fancies yielded to that one portentous something in the picture’s midst. That once found out, and all the rest were plain. But stop; does it not bear a faint resemblance to a gigantic fish? even the great leviathan himself?

In fact, the artist’s design seemed this: a final theory of my own, partly based upon the aggregated opinions of many aged persons with whom I conversed upon the subject. The picture represents a Cape-Horner in a great hurricane; the half-foundered ship weltering there with its three dismantled masts alone visible; and an exasperated whale, purposing to spring clean over the craft, is in the enormous act of impaling himself upon the three mast-heads.

The opposite wall of this entry was hung all over with a heathenish array of monstrous clubs and spears. Some were thickly set with glittering teeth resembling ivory saws; others were tufted with knots of human hair; and one was sickle-shaped, with a vast handle sweeping round like the segment made in the new-mown grass by a long-armed mower. You shuddered as you gazed, and wondered what monstrous cannibal and savage could ever have gone a death-harvesting with such a hacking, horrifying implement. Mixed with these were rusty old whaling lances and harpoons all broken and deformed. Some were storied weapons. With this once long lance, now wildly elbowed, fifty years ago did Nathan Swain kill fifteen whales between a sunrise and a sunset. And that harpoon—so like a corkscrew now—was flung in Javan seas, and run away with by a whale, years afterwards slain off the Cape of Blanco. The original iron entered nigh the tail, and, like a restless needle sojourning in the body of a man, travelled full forty feet, and at last was found imbedded in the hump.

Crossing this dusky entry, and on through yon low-arched way—cut through what in old times must have been a great central chimney with fireplaces all round—you enter the public room. A still duskier place is this, with such low ponderous beams above, and such old wrinkled planks beneath, that you would almost fancy you trod some old craft’s cockpits, especially of such a howling night, when this corner-anchored old ark rocked so furiously. On one side stood a long, low, shelf-like table covered with cracked glass cases, filled with dusty rarities gathered from this wide world’s remotest nooks. Projecting from the further angle of the room stands a dark-looking den—the bar—a rude attempt at a right whale’s head. Be that how it may, there stands the vast arched bone of the whale’s jaw, so wide, a coach might almost drive beneath it. Within are shabby shelves, ranged round with old decanters, bottles, flasks; and in those jaws of swift destruction, like another cursed Jonah (by which name indeed they called him), bustles a little withered old man, who, for their money, dearly sells the sailors deliriums and death.

Abominable are the tumblers into which he pours his poison. Though true cylinders without—within, the villanous green goggling glasses deceitfully tapered downwards to a cheating bottom. Parallel meridians rudely pecked into the glass, surround these footpads’ goblets. Fill to this mark, and your charge is but a penny; to this a penny more; and so on to the full glass—the Cape Horn measure, which you may gulp down for a shilling.

[multinationalist]

Travel Hacks: How to Book an Affordable and Memorable Extended Layover

Top Tips for Booking an Unforgettable Long Layover Experience

You’ve just stepped off a long-haul flight feeling like you’ve been run over by a truck. Your eyes are bloodshot, your hair’s a mess, and your clothes are wrinkled beyond recognition. You make your way through the airport terminal like a zombie, dragging your suitcase behind you, and all you can think about is getting to your final destination as quickly as possible. But wait! What if I told you there was a way to turn that dreaded layover into a mini-vacation? That’s right, my friend, with a little bit of planning and know-how, you can transform your stopover from a tedious wait into a fun and memorable experience. When it comes to booking trips, a little creativity can go a long way.

What is an Extended Layover Anyway? Let's start with the basics. An extended layover is a planned stop in a destination for a longer period of time than your typical layover. Instead of just waiting around in the airport for a connecting flight, an extended layover allows you to explore a new city or country for a day or more. You might even consider it a mini-vacation within your main trip. The Benefits of an Extended Layover Sure, an extended layover might require a bit more planning, but the benefits are worth it. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider adding an extended layover to your travel plans: - Break up a long trip: If you're traveling a long distance, an extended layover can be a great way to break up the journey and avoid jet lag. Spending a day exploring a new city can help you adjust to the time zone and make the long flight feel less daunting. - Save money: Believe it or not, an extended layover can actually save you money on your travels. Instead of booking a direct flight to your final destination, you can book a flight with a layover in a cheaper city and save money on airfare. Plus, many airlines offer free or low-cost layovers, so you might even be able to score a free mini-vacation. - Discover a new destination: Who says your travels have to be limited to your final destination? An extended layover gives you the chance to explore a new city or country that you might not have visited otherwise. You might even discover a new favorite destination that you'll want to return to in the future.

Factors to Consider When Planning an Extended Layover

Now that you're convinced an extended layover is worth the extra planning, let's talk about the factors you should consider when planning your layover: Destination The first thing you'll need to decide is where you want to have your extended layover. Think about the places you've always wanted to visit or the destinations that are on your bucket list. Make sure to consider the weather and season of your layover destination as well, as this can affect the activities and attractions that are available. Duration How long should your extended layover be? This will depend on a few factors, including the time and budget you have available, as well as the activities and attractions you want to experience. A good rule of thumb is to plan for at least 24 hours in your layover destination, but you can also plan for several days or even a week if you have the time. Season As mentioned earlier, it's important to consider the season and weather of your layover destination. If you're traveling during the winter, you might want to choose a destination with warmer weather, while summer travelers might want to escape the heat with a cooler destination. Budget Of course, your budget will also play a role in your layover planning. Consider the cost of airfare, accommodations, and activities in your layover destination, and make sure you're comfortable with the total cost of your trip.

Tips for Booking an Extended Layover

Choosing Airlines that Offer Free or Low-Cost Layovers As mentioned earlier, not all airlines offer extended layovers, and those that do may have different policies and costs associated with them. If you're looking to save money on your layover, consider choosing airlines that offer free or low-cost layovers as part of their travel packages. Some examples of airlines that offer free layovers include Icelandair, TAP Air Portugal, and Emirates. Using a Travel Agent to Find the Best Deals If you're feeling overwhelmed by the planning process, consider using a travel agent to help you book your extended layover. They can help you find the best deals on airfare, accommodations, and activities in your layover destination. Plus, they can take care of all the details, leaving you more time to focus on the fun parts of your trip.

Searching for Layover Packages Offered by Airlines or Travel Companies Another option for booking your extended layover is to look for packages offered by airlines or travel companies. These packages often include airfare, accommodations, and activities in your layover destination, making it easy to plan your trip without having to do all the research yourself. Some airlines and travel companies that offer layover packages include Air Canada, United Airlines, and Expedia. Considering Alternative Modes of Transportation for the Layover While air travel is the most common way to plan an extended layover, it's not your only option. Depending on your destination and travel preferences, you might also consider alternative modes of transportation for your layover. For example, you could take a train or bus to your layover destination, or even rent a car and drive yourself. This can give you more flexibility in your travel plans and allow you to see more of the surrounding areas. In Conclusion When it comes to booking trips, an extended layover is a great way to break up a long journey, save money, and discover a new destination. By considering the factors outlined above and following these tips, you can plan the perfect extended layover that fits your budget and travel preferences. So why not add a mini-vacation to your next trip and experience all the benefits of an extended layover? Read the full article

[desertmountainapothecary]

Stop Seeking and Start Creating in 2023: New Year Inspirational Message

Happy New Year from Desert Mountain Apothecary!  It’s been a supremely beautiful holiday season here in the California Desert, with wild winter weather, great food, and a siphon’s draw or two of fine spirits. Some years I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions, but this year I’m brimming with them, and most of them are about keeping up with the basics, but some are about new experiences.  For someone who hasn’t been on the healing path for nigh on a decade, it can be overwhelming, and truly counterproductive to make New Year’s resolutions.  They never stick, and in a month or two you’ll be even farther behind than you were because you feel defeated and de-motivated.  

This year, I want to share something that has helped me so much over the years, and more and more over time, as I have learned to hone this skill.  This is the skill of creation, creating what we want rather than seeking it out.  Seeking is better than just being completely complacent and obstinate towards any positive change, but when you are seeking something, it’s by definition outside of you, and you don’t have it.  Worse still, you are dependent on what you are seeking, and by definition creating a need that can only be fulfilled independently of yourself.  

I had a friend many years ago who was depressed and asking me for help but being so resistant and negative in the process.  She had literally traveled the entirety of the world seeking enlightenment, peace, and inspiration, and was in a darker place than ever.  My advice to her was, “I don’t seek happiness, joy, inspiration, beauty, etc., in my life, I create them, every minute of every day.”  We create our reality to a very large degree, although obviously external circumstances dictate our lives, the way we react to them, and psychologically and emotionally frame them is within our power.

So today, and in this coming year, I urge you not to seek out happiness, love, a secret weight loss trick, an exercise hack, a tribe, a community, or inspiration, but to create those things.  There’s a wonderful saying from Denmark that I always hold dear, I don’t remember it verbatim, but it’s basically, “the happiness we have is what we make for ourselves.”  So plan your fun, put a smile on and laugh when everything is going wrong, and at the end of a bad day put a laugh out loud comedy show on and then laugh until you cry rather than just crying.

The most important thing this coming year is that we all need to make that extra effort to be more loving, and more present with the people we care about.  A great way to start off the new year is by giving back to worthy and reputable charities.  

Shelter From The Storm, Palm Desert, CA

https://www.shelterfromthestorm.com/

Shelter from the Storm helps these women and their children in many different ways including a 24-hour crisis hotline for victims, domestic violence outreach, and providing valuable consultation services to clinical, medical, legal, law enforcement professionals, and local communities about domestic violence.  They operate a community counseling center, and provide basic hygiene, personal care items, and nonperishable food items to clients in the shelter service program and those enrolled in services at the community counseling center.

Martha’s Village & Kitchen, Indio, CA

https://marthasvillage.org/

Martha’s Village & Kitchen is one of the largest providers of homeless and impoverished services in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County with over 8,000 people in need passing through its doors yearly. The organization began in 1990 when the founders served meals to their homeless neighbors, fast forward to 2021 Martha’s now has its main campus located in Indio, CA, and three satellite offices throughout the Coachella Valley. Today, from its campus and satellite offices Martha’s Village offers unique life-changing programs based on the nationally-recognized “continuum of care model” breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty.

ALS Association:

https://www.als.org/

The ALS association mission is to discover treatments and a cure for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.  According to the American Academy of Neurology’s Practice Parameter Update, studies have shown that participation in a multidisciplinary ALS clinic may prolong survival and improve quality of life.

From me, William Z. Brennan, and Desert Mountain Apothecary I want to wish everyone a joyful, peaceful, and healthy 2023.  Thank you so much for watching my videos, reading my articles, and supporting Desert Mountain Apothecary, I have several projects in the works for 2023 and I am very excited to be putting out a teaser for soon so stay tuned!

With lots of love and all the best,

William Z. Brennan

The Original Desert Apothecary for Mind Body & Spirit: Desert Mountain Apothecary

DMA Journal: https://desertmountainapothecary.com/blogs/blog/stop-seeking-and-start-creating-in-2023-new-year-inspirational-message

DMA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@desertmountainapothecary/

New Years 2023 Inspirational Message – by William Z. Brennan Desert Apothecary Palms Supreme Wild Siphon Mojave Roots Draw Relaxo Moon Botanicals Snake Vine Grateful Rancho Two Bunch Wicked

[slightlyspooky]

Gaunt Hollow

Always feed a hungry traveler, you may prevent the formation of a gaunt hollow. If you yourself are a victim of starvation know that it is better to die, and be called to The Wood, than to consume another person's flesh.

Unlike other hollows, which are creatures of excess, a gaunt hollow is a creature of scarcity. They are afflicted by a curse and destroying them is a mercy. Be wary during famine and winter.

Gaunt hollows can be identified by a number of characteristics:

Unnatural height. The more victims the greater the height.

Extreme thinness. Nearly disappearing when viewed from the side.

Sallow, papery skin with bones poking through (particularly ribs).

Meat chewed from fingers starting at the tips of the first two.

Sunken & bloodshot eyes common to hollows.

Scent of rotting flesh.

Insatiable, increasing hunger. Very little will remain of the victims.

Prefer physically isolated victims.

There are two methods to defeat a gaunt hollow that work. Both ultimately rely on cutting them into pieces and cremating them. Anyone who says gaunt hollows eat themselves after walking through blood is misguided.

Method one requires at least two slayers for every cubit in height the hollow stands. Equip the band with axes or heavy swords. Arrows & spears are ineffective. Hedge your bodies with thorns from osage or hawthorn. Wreath your heads with hook-thorned vines. But be careful these garments don't draw blood from a living person or they will be rendered useless. Track down the hollow, hack it to pieces and cremate it. A talented band can do this without major injuries until the hollow is over six cubits in height or until it has gnawed the flesh entirely from its hands.

Method two only requires one slayer. You will need enough roasted nuts for a meal and a bucket of stones wet with a living person's blood. You may use your own blood. Coat your fingertips in the same blood. Redden your eyes and coat your skin with ash. Hide rotting meat in your pockets. Find a secluded clearing to wait until dusk. The hollow will find you. You must convince it that you are a hollow too. Greet it as a friend.

Tell it that you've prepared a meal and have enough to share. Eat the roast nuts while offering the stones. Let it think that both the nuts and the stones are butchered meat. A gaunt hollow cannot feel with its fingertips, and in the darkness cannot distinguish between stones and meat. If you've done well the hollow will eat the stones, breaking its teeth, and filling its belly. This is the only time it has been satiated since it hollowed and satiated it will fall asleep. Hack it to pieces and cremate it.

Gaunt hollows can spread their curse. After they've become hungry enough they will begin to take multiple simultaneous victims. One person will be left alive to witness the hollow, and will likely be cursed. Anyone who survives such an attack should be quarantined for a fortnight. Feed them fatty, decadent food. If after one fortnight they haven't chewed their fingertips they can be released. Otherwise hack it to pieces and cremate it.

A Brief Guide to the Monsters That Prey Upon Us

Tallow Sirens Pt. 1

When cries for help are heard in the night keep your wits about you. You must act on these pleas.

Tallow sirens are most commonly found outside of rural villages. Their lairs are rarely indoors and will never include occupied structures. Turn to chapter four for indoor lairs and chapter five if you are alone or in an unfamiliar area. If you've encountered a tallow siren outside of typical conditions begin prayer and turn to part two of this guide.

Gather at least two other people, but more is better. Write down what you hear, then compare notes. If the notes don't match wait until dawn. If your note doesn't match what you hear wait until dawn.

Never travel toward the noise in groups smaller than three. Bring your brightest lanterns. Keep track of your location and surroundings. If familiar places become unfamiliar walk backwards three steps, then run back the way you came. If this happens wait until dawn to proceed. Stay together until you each cross the threshold of an occupied home.

In the absence of the above phenomena; administer aid as appropriate to whoever called for help. In the presence of the above phenomena continue reading. No alcohol should be consumed until the siren is slain.

Wait until dawn and prepare to do the following in a single day:

Gather in groups of three or more. As soon as the sky is bright and lanterns are unneeded carefully move towards the noise.

When the familiar changes to the unfamiliar walk backwards three steps. Mark your place on the ground.

Turn left ninety degrees then sing a short song once while you walk. After the song is done begin walking toward the noise again.

Repeat the system of walking marking and singing until the siren's lair is outlined.

Still in groups of three or more take turns cutting away the plants from the circumference of the lair. Use scythes whet with hearthstones and ensure the windrow falls within the lair. Trees and structures on this circumference may remain standing for the next steps, but spare no shrub, cane, or bramble.

Those not mowing must stay outside the circumference of the lair and keep eyesight on those who are mowing.

Set fire to the lair. Fire that escapes the lair should be dealt with in typical fashion.

Everyone who was near the lair must now cross the threshold of an occupied home.

Rest and recover for the next day. Alcohol is still not permitted.

Your local sorcerer or midwife should prepare at least one selmon of cleansing brew from black hellebore, sweet flag, silphium, or similar. From the one selmon of cleansing brew four jerboam should be split into separate bottles and one fifth should be sealed in a leaky stoneware jar. Use the remainder in the morning to wash the hands of the slayers. A shared bowl works well for this.

Wait until dawn. The siren will sound particularly tortured tonight, plug your ears for a better rest.

Gather in groups of three or more slayers. Draft as many strong people for slayers as possible. Do not include the faint of heart, the easily fooled, the weak of stomach or the prudish. Expect losses..

As soon as the sky is bright and lanterns are unneeded move toward the lair with a spear for each slayer, the cleansing brew, and a sword, axe, or other hewing tool. Clothing will be ruined, so many will prefer to go without for the following.

The Tallow Siren, so called for the waxy texture of the lure, will be at the center of the lair. Yesterday's fire should have burned away the grass that covers the maw of the siren revealing it as a pulsating, slippery, fleshy gash in the ground with the lure at one end. The lure is normally in the form of a distressed person, but the fire will have melted away it's features rendering it ineffective.

Fell the lure to silence it, then throw it into the maw. Pour a jerboam of the cleansing brew into the maw. Falling into the maw is certain death.

After a song the maw will begin to spew a torrent of blood. The blood is harmless to good folk, but will inflict a fatal wasting sickness on monsters who walk as men. The type this guide doesn't cover. Use your resources wisely.

If anything crawls from the maw during this process it should be slain quickly before it can orient itself. Do not listen to their words. Avoid eye contact with creatures you think you know. Throw the corpses back into the maw.

When the blood slows pour another jerboam of cleansing brew into the maw to repeat the above process. If the fourth jerboam does not bring forth blood throw in the leaky fifth and be done.

If the fourth jerboam does bring fourth blood wait for the torrent to end then throw in the leaky fifth. Leave the lair, cross thresholds, brew another selmon and wait until dawn to repeat the day's work.

After this ordeal slayers should bathe themselves lest they stain anything with the harmless blood. Drafted slayers who survive a tallow siren are eligible for entry to Riften CM without further evaluation.

Over the next month the sirens lair will shrink until only an arable mound remains. Do not enter the lair until a month has passed and the area surrounding the lair has continuity restored.

[houseofwolvess]

hhhh. im thinking about when i was sick in january and like,, i wonder if it was somehow covid or something??

[gogolucky13]

Please heed all warnings before reading any of my stories. Your media consumption is your own responsibility.

**I do not give anyone permission to copy, translate or repost my work.**

What I’m working on

Follower celebration masterlist

Smut💋 • Angst💔 • Fluff☁️ • Dark(ish)🌒

Ghost of You (complete)💔💋☁️

Bucky has worked hard to come to terms with his past and enjoy the new life he’s been given. But his mind is still plagued by nightmares of what he’s done and by the face of an unknown woman. What happens when the team is tasked with recovering another Winter Solider, causing Bucky’s past and present to collide in the form of the woman from his dreams?

Southpaw (complete)💔💋☁️

Tied up in the criminal world your godfather has built, you have no reason to leave, until you find one in the man they call Southpaw. (Boxer AU)

Little Bird (ongoing)💔💋☁️

While home for summer break, you find yourself spending time with and falling for your neighbor, who also happens to be your dad’s best friend. (DBF AU)

The Holiday Hack [Two, Three]☁️

You ask Bucky to be your stand-in boyfriend for your family’s Christmas party. (Modern/Fake dating AU)

Picking Up the Pieces [Two, Three]💔💋

Bucky chooses to stay in his tumultuous relationship knowing you’ll be there to pick up the pieces, until finally you’re not. (Modern AU)

Pretty Boy☁️

You make Bucky a pretty boy.

Twinkle Toes☁️

Bucky tags along to your day of pampering.

Riding Lessons💋

Bucky teaches you how to ride a motorcycle and you teach him how you can ride something else.

What We Are💋☁️

The team goes to karaoke night, then you and Bucky make some music of your own.

Then. Now. Always.☁️

Bucky loves you then, now, and always. (Modern AU)

Santa Baby💋

Bucky is picked to play Santa for the annual Christmas party.

Partition💋

Bucky likes to remind you he’s yours. (Mob AU)

Sexual Healing💔💋☁️

You ask a touch-starved Bucky if he wants to try something new in an attempt to take your minds off work.

Office Hours💋

Professor Barnes gives you a bad grade and you visit him during his office hours to find out why. (Professor AU)

Metanoia💔💋☁️

In the last stages of his recovery, Bucky goes on a spiritual retreat where he meets you, and finds more of himself along the way.

A Little Old Fashioned☁️

Bucky is a bit subtle in telling you he likes you.

Mile High Club💋☁️

You meet Bucky on a plane ride and things escalate quickly. (Modern AU)

Medicine💋

Bucky needs you like medicine.

Mean It💔💋☁️

You and Bucky get trapped overnight in the safe house after a mission. Everything should be okay, except he's your ex and thanks to his carelessness, the situation gets a little more complicated. (sex pollen)

Tainted Love🌒💔💋

As a rising star in the adult film industry, you catch the eye of a one Bucky Barnes, who is set on ensuring you only work with him. (70s pornstar AU)

Don’t Fear the Reaper🌒💔💋

One night, the Winter Soldier appears at your place of work to eliminate a target. He leaves you alive, only to return a few months later.

Toxic Love🌒💔💋

When you’re given the chance to work with a new co-star, Bucky gets jealous and has to remind you who you belong to. (70s pornstar AU)

Dead in the Water🌒💔💋

When the siren calls, you answer. Whether you want to or not. (Sailor AU)

Notam🌒💔💋

You’ve seen many things and met many people on your travels, but nothing could’ve ever prepared you for the White Wolf and what he has planned for you. (70s cult AU)

Comply🌒💔💋

With Hydra, everyone is a prisoner. (sex pollen)

Suck on That💋

Bucky gets some naughty thoughts while watching you suck a lollipop.

Bah Humbug!☁️

Bucky doesn’t like Christmas and you try to get him in the holiday spirit with a gift.

Fool For You☁️

Bucky and reader are awkward fools in love.

Safe💔☁️

Bucky is out for a late night walk when you’re in need of saving.

What’s An Advent Calendar?☁️

Bucky learns what an advent calendar is.

Enough💔

Bucky continues to act recklessly during missions and you’ve had enough.

Give and Take💋

You and the Sheriff have an agreement.

Please Me🌒💔💋

Your husband isn’t too pleased you’ve come home late again, and decides to make you show him how appreciated he is.

The Interrogation🌒💋

The sheriff brings you in for some questioning.

dividers by @firefly-graphics​

[falcor-thee-luck-dragon]

Love Cuts Deep

Chapter 1- She Ran With Wolves

Bucky Barnes x powered (f)reader Series Re-write (Civil War, Infinity War/Endgame, TFATWS)

Summary: You’re a survivor, always have been and always will be. After narrowly escaping the clutches of Hydra years ago, you’ve been keeping to the shadows for as long as time allows. With Hydra suddenly exposed and your secrets in the open, you’re on the hunt for the last part of your past, but is he ready to see you again?

Warning: angst, talk of violence, some fluff mixed in (a little); way more to come

Masterlist

Side note- This is a TFATWS Series Re-write!!! Obviously lol, anyways. Readers powers are heavily inspired by a certain Marvel badass and I just thought her powers would work so well for this. Also they’re cool as fuck.

September, 15th 2013

Location: S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters, Washington D.C.

This recent project Fury had sent her on was beginning to make itself quit the annoyance for Natasha this past of couple weeks, granted he always gave her the toughest assignments, understanding that no one else can dig up as much dirt as the Black Widow can.

But this? This was different, the target in question was practically a ghost, a legend among the ones lucky, or possibly unlucky enough to have been made aware of this dangerous individual. But no matter how much she asked around from her various secretive resources on the problem in question, this mystery person was simply just rumor to them. Or perhaps too much of a sour subject to seek into any further. Although one thing was always prevalent, people were scared.

But why?

The assassin leans back in her chair, a thoughtful expression crossing over her features as she stares bitterly down at the top secret file gifted to her by Fury himself. Suddenly a door closes, she shuts the file in an instant, only to be greeted with the apologetic face of Steve as he walks past her.

“Sorry. Fury told me you would be in here.” Begins Steve as he takes the nearby couch, something small and metal in his right hand, “Said you were assigned some impossible case. How’s it going so far?”

Letting out a jaded sigh, she shifts her gaze over to the window, “The absolute vagueness of this person is....frustrating to say the least. All I’ve been able to gather is that they’ve been part of some top secret experimentation on pregnant women. Somehow they’re involved with it....I just, gotta figure out how.” She adds with a conflicted expression dancing across her features.

Steve hums in thought, “Sounds complicated.”

“You have no idea.” Mutters Natasha unenthusiastically as her green irises shift back down to the annoying little file.

Steve palms the object in his hand before gaining his friends attention once again, “Here. Fury told me to give this to you.” Her brows furrow in thought as she reaches over and quickly accepts the strange hard drive looking object, “I think this will help. It has the location of the target and who they are. That’s it.....Well, the last reported location.”

“How did he?” She wonders aloud, face suddenly breaking out into an irked grin, “Fury you son of a bitch, about time I found a legitimate lead.”

——

Sitting on her comfortable apartment couch, Natasha sifts through the various encrypted files from the hard drive that’s currently plugged into her laptop. So far she’s spent about two hours breaking through the various encrypted file blockers and now at long last has finally made some real progress.

Studying the brightly glowing screen, she moves her finger, clicking another coded link that reads -V13X11- she’s immediately greeted with a black screen and the slightly blurred picture of a woman’s face who’s looking rather stoic and fearless against the camera flash. Her eyes are set and hard as stone, dark and almost angry behind lips that show the ghost of a forced smile. She’s noticeably an overall attractive woman, in kind of a terrifying and intimidating sort of way, like looking at a fierce lioness standing valiantly against a foe; nonetheless she stares defiantly at the person behind the camera. 

Her eye color, weight, date of birth, and presumably patient number, that's printed in big bold letters 00X13 on the glowing screen, right below her squared portrait. Furrowing her brows, Natasha scrolls down to see about a paragraph long of personal information given about the woman. Including, to the red heads tremendous surprise, a birth name, Y/N Valerious.

Oddly enough, the name indeed sounds a tad bit familiar, though she can’t quit place from where.

The file states that she was raised in a facility on the outskirts of Surinda, Russia; someplace in Siberia, close to the heart of the mammoth country. Trained by the organization Hydra and summitted into inhuman experimentation by the specific facility that held her, however the rest is all encrypted and impossible to translate into something comprehensible much to Natasha’s utter disappointment. 

Huffing in frustration, she slips out the hard drive before shutting down her laptop and slamming it shut. The room is darker by now with the sun gone, and tomorrow it appears that Natasha will be off to Sweden to confront this woman, Y/N, in hopes of gathering valuable intel into the people who created her, and any important information regarding her troubled past. 

If she’s willing to comply.

——

Closing your laptop, you stand and wander over to the opened window to stretch before taking a deep breath of freshly brisk winter air. The land here in Uppsala, Sweden is more beautiful and peaceful then you could have ever imagined since renting an apartment two months ago. In fact, this is probably the longest you’ve ever stayed in one spot since abandoning the life of an assassin many years ago.

Though you know it won’t be much longer until you leave again, but you can’t just yet, there happens to be a certain agent on her way to find you. Fury unknowingly received your encrypted hard drive with opened arms, foolishly under the impression it was sent from an old friend when he reached out for answers into your complicated history. Then when the Black Widow eventually clicked open your link, bam, you could see everything she was nosily sifting through. Everything you wanted her to see. You honestly wouldn’t be surprised if something dramatic happened to the people over in D.C. at this point, idiots, all of them.

For the past couple years S.H.I.E.L.D has become sort of a troubling snooping nuisance for you, constantly delving their way into your relatively uneventful lifestyle every couple of months, meddling around to figure out if you’re still currently active for Hydra and if not, are you willing to pay for your crimes or to join them like she did. Definitely not on your to do list any time soon.

Watching as a small black bird zips by, you quickly shut your window and close the dark colored curtains to block yourself from the rest of the chaotic world. Hastily making your usual rounds about the apartment to be absolutely certain all the possible openings are locked. Soon after you head for bed, ready to face the ex-assassin whenever she arrives in the following days ahead.

-

Seated at your kitchen table, you casually sip at your steaming hot tea while watching security footage from downstairs from when you hacked into their system, the same night you began renting the place. As expected, the notorious red head slips her way into the building and up the four flights of stairs until finally a light knock is heard at your old wooden door.

So she wants to do this cleanly.

Switching off the device, you stuff it in a nearby drawer before calmly walking down the tiny hallway over to the frontdoor and opening it, lock off and all. Her green eyes blink in curious surprise as you show her no indications of aggression; she’s about your height if not maybe slightly smaller, thick scarf and a winters coat about her person as she holds a normal sized black bag in her right hand. No doubt a gun concealed somewhere close, a light precaution in case things go south from here.

Trailing your wary gaze from her travel bag to her pale face, you raise an intrigued brow, “I assume you’re here for me?” You ask with the tinge of a confident Eastern European accent as she slowly nods, eyes calculated and calm as she studies your mellow yet slightly defensive stance.

Pursing plush lips together, she casually shrugs with a light hearted smile, “I only realized you must have sent that hard drive when I arrived in London...”

“Well I’ve gotten rather bored running away from your persistent bastards over in America.” You interrupt before opening up your door even wider, gifting her an open invitation instead of a fight, “Come in. I assume we have much to discuss.”

Following you to the table, she sets her bag on the closest chair as you take another sip from your tea. Cautious eyes trained on her every move as she shifts a bit uncomfortably in her chair, “So, I assume you’re not here to sell me that pretty bag of yours. Not that I’d want it.”

She smirks at your blunt sarcasm, pleased to know you’ve at least got a sense of humor after all you’ve endured, “No. I’m here to learn about who created you and if there are any more. Y/N, I’m well aware of how dangerous you truly are...but given the fact that you’ve had time to adjust, and let me into your home willingly. I came seeking answers. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Folding your hands together, you tilt your head at her thoughtfully, “Well that’s good. I didn’t really want killing the Black Widow on my conscience, though I’d speculate a few would be relieved.” You quip with a playful smirk before your face turns serious again, “I’ll tell you about the fuckers who made me. Then you leave and never bother me again. Understood?” You add in almost a growl.

Handing you a polite smile, she nods in agreement, “Of course. You have my word.” You take another sip of your tea as she reaches into her bag, a beige file suddenly plants itself atop your kitchen table. “This is the only surviving file on you. It’s enough, but there’s too many cracks that need to be filled. I need to know how they conducted the experiments and who else survived them. This is important for the safety of S.H.I.E.L.D and the rest of the world. Y/N, we’re trying to make sure something like this can never happen again. And well, any secrets on Hydra always helps.”

Setting your cup down, you smirk, “This should be filled with liquor if I’m going to be spilling some top secret Hydra business of this velocity.” You muse, setting aside your mug, your face quickly shifts to a more serious expression. “For starters this isn’t a very heartwarming story.”

“Neither is mine.” Begrudgingly admits the ex-assassin.

“Well, at least we have something in common then, Black Widow.” You assert with a pointed look before leaning back against the barred wood of your chair, thinking of where to start first. Your eyes trail over to the window as you begin your story, “This place, where they kept us. The scientists working for Hydra wanted to test out special DNA altering serums on the embryos of willing participants. Well, we weren’t willing....but they targeted the poor, feigning a program that would pay these mothers-to-be thousands if they participated. Plus a comfortable place to stay for awhile.” You reveal before taking another sip of your tea, “You see, I’m not originally from Russia, my home was some nameless village in Eastern Europe that I’ve forgotten the name of by now, it was so long ago. But anyways, I guess fate has a funny way of administering it’s business to the ones seeking safety in times of struggle. So my mother...” You take another sip of your tea to help clear your throat and head a little bit, God you hate talking about this.

Setting it down again, you continue, “Mine accepted. They took her and twenty-two others to this facility deep in the woods. This place was practically a paradise for them...” You chuckle miserably, “soon enough the scientists pumped them full of drugs and began their altering of the embryos DNA, genetic codes, and whatever else they saw fit to mess with. Nine months later we came into this world kicking and screaming.”

“Shit.” Mutters Natasha in astonishment, fully engrossed in your story as she starts to realize maybe her upbringing wasn’t as fucked as yours.

“They monitored us for the first few months, waiting to see if anyone acted strange....nothing, to their utter disappointment. Soon they drew blood samples and as it turned out, we all had altered DNA from the serum. Just as they’d planned.”

Her brows furrow in puzzlement before she asks, “How’d you get your powers then? I don’t think I missed anything.” Insists your guest questionably as you shake your head.

“You didn’t. But you have to understand that as we grew older, all of us basically became tiny super soldiers as fucked as that is, not only did they change our genetic code for meddling with later on when we got older. But this serum was so well developed that it completely fused with the fetuses genetic code, only causing us to grow stronger as we aged from toddlers to three-year-old's and up. Testing even revealed that it slowed down our ageing process just like with Captain America. But it wouldn’t be effective till we reached our mid to late twenties.”

Natasha takes a moment to process your words before she nods in acknowledgment, “Y/N. It’s my understanding that this is a buried secret from the organization for good reason, it’s just....what year did this all take place? It’s not in any of the records I was able to dig up, not even in yours, nothing except for your date of birth.” States Natasha curiously, stopping you before you speak of anything else.

Nodding you lean your arms against the wooden table, leaning in a bit closer now, “1953, after World War ll when people where still recovering from the heavy aftermath while the Cold War was still raging on when well, you know.” Giving her a lopsided shrug, you glance from an old faded picture on the wall then back to her, “Lets just say Russia wasn’t exactly having a stellar time, nor was my mother for that matter.” You Conclude before aimlessly pursuing your lips together, “Which yes, makes me at around 60 years old. Don’t I look pretty.” You add, voice dripping in sarcasm.

Natasha’s eyes concede silent astonishment as she blinks back surprise, “Even after all these years doing what I do, meeting the people that I have. I’m still left speechless every once in awhile. Y/N I can’t even imagine what you’ve seen.” Reveals the red head honestly as her green irises flicker from your file then back up to you, a conflicted expression dancing across her features, “How did they...how did you gain your powers, aside from what the serum gave you in the process?”

An apprehensive sigh escapes freely from your lips while you lean back into the creaky old chair, a troubled look darkening your features as you avoid her intrigued gaze, “They waited until we were twelve before testing us....in the meantime we lived as normal children; learning, playing, and training to survive. You know, the typical stuff.” You add with a small breathy laugh, though no humor finds your eyes, “We had our mothers until a year before they began the experiments. But it wasn’t that terrible of a loss since they trained us to adapt to our environment and never fully depend on anyone but ourselves.....it’s sick. And I’m not even sure what they did to them, I guess I never will.”

She nods as you make a disgusted face, an acidic hatred rising in your chest at the thought of your childhood, “I’m sorry, I can’t even imagine how traumatic that must have been.”

“Oh believe me, it gets better.” You joke bitterly, “In pairs of two they tested us, putting us into rooms where two doctors would strap us down and stick a needle into our skin. After that, they waited until something dramatic happened. Oh, and it sure as fuck did.” You conclude with a sneer.

Biting her lip anxiously, Natasha asks anyway, “How many survivors?”

Scoffing, you shake your head in revulsion for what those doctors did to everyone, an angry expression soon crossing your features, “One.” You sourly mutter, “All my other friends died of the new serum they gave us, either right then and there on the table, or in the following days. You see, it was supposed to blend with our altered DNA to create something powerful out of it, something beyond humans normal capabilities. It just ended up horribly mutating everyone except for me.” You whisper, clear sadness and hatred coating your very words.

Your eyes stare sharply at the peeling table top paint, a frown on your lips as you take in a deep breath before continuing, “What they did to me....no one should have to go through something so goddamn agonizing, I was only a child, just a little girl in a terrible place whether I knew it or not....and you know how it affected me?” She slowly shakes her head no as you smile miserably, your brows furrowed in pain, “I was gifted with bone claws that retracted out of my knuckles and one from each of my feet.” You confirm, eyes suddenly darkening in fury, “And you know what those goddamn bastards did to me afterwards? Like I hadn’t suffered enough from the pain of it all, they pumped me full of liquid Adamantium. Turning my claws to solid metal, the fucking strongest material on earth. Right in the body of an eleven year old child!” You shout furiously as she flinches back at your outburst, blinking hard, you let out a heavy breath before leaning back into your chair in defeat.

Calm down, Y/N. It’s just a memory now.

Strong brows dent her clear skin in thought as you await a response, after a few long moments does she soon gather her racing mind, lacing her fingers together she raises a brow at you, “That doesn’t explain how you’ve survived so long. The years working for Hydra, they turned you into a weapon....yet you’ve escaped and haven’t been killed yet. Not even a scratch to be found.....well, at least that I can see.”

Turning to face the puzzled assassin, you give her a lopsided grin, your chill composure coming back to you quickly enough, “I didn’t just get claws from the enhanced serum that fucked with my genetic make-up, it completely heightened my humanly abilities. Suddenly I was stronger, faster, and all my senses felt like they were on overload. Best of it all, I came to realize I had accelerated healing capabilities. Who would have thought that their shitty inhuman experiments would have gone so horrendously, yet with the one miracle of an exception. Me.”

“I had figured that branch of Hydra was meddling on dangerous ground, I hadn’t realized the extent of what they were doing. Did they try making any more like you?” She wonders.

“I was the last. Since I was the only compatible vessel, they didn’t want to waste anymore time or money on others who could possibly fail.” You explain with a shrug, “I became one of their most treasured assets.”

Pursing her lips together, she gives a slight nod before revealing a different file from her bag, you watch as she pauses for a moment before opening it up, you quickly take notice of the many white papers pinned together. Some with encrypted symbols and words while others are in plain English. Your brows furrow as she flips the first page to reveal...

“I know I came asking for answers about classified information, but this won’t be a complete mission if I don’t ask you about your time with Hydra.” Proposes the red head cautiously while she studies your face for any hostile reactions, not getting anything but skepticism, she continues, “I understand you were very important to them. It’s recorded you’ve completed about three dozen kills over an active period of about thirty-seven years.”

You scoff before muttering, “So it would seem. They gave me my first mission in 1971...when I was 17.”

“Right, but that’s not exactly what I’m seeking.” Her eyes immediately trail down to the files, “I assume you must have seen this man at least once...” She flips another page over and pulls out a playing card sized photograph, she turns it around and slides it closer to you. Instantly you recognize who he is, but how did she?..

“I haven’t seen him in years, nor heard of him for that matter.” You mutter, though your tone shifts to a more aggravated one.

Noticing this difference, Natasha continues, “That’s the look of someone who has met him for less then friendly reasons. What happened to the Winter Soldier?” You take a long moment to study his stoic face of icy blue and white, and black; its when he was in the Cryostacis chamber, the place where they would freeze him to keep their Winter Soldier locked away until he was needed for a new mission. All that you can fully witness is his sleeping face, though you know exactly what he looks like up close and with no ice crystals in his dark hair.

Letting out a heavy sigh, you slide the photograph back over to her folder, “I met him when I was 25 in 1979, Hydra needed us for a duel mission somewhere in South Africa, they needed their best. We were tasked with locating and stealing some precious metal which we later learned was Vibranium, because apparently they had used the last of the Adamantium on me.” You reveal with a casual shrug, “It went relatively well as expected...and well, we worked with each other many times after that, until I escaped and he was sent to kill me in 2009.”

“You knew him for almost twenty-nine years. Do you know where he might be now?”

Scoffing, you almost laugh, “Even if I did, you’d never get him. But if I’d have to assume, he’s probably frozen in some cryo tank somewhere in the middle of Russia. Waiting to be let loose again so he can take out a new enemy of the state.”

“Right.” Nods the Black Widow as she closes up her files, her green irises quickly on you again, “Thank you for your time, and for the heavy material you spoke of.”

“It was a long time ago, someone else should remember what those fuckers did to innocent mothers and their children. No one in this entire world knows except for me, you, and the doctors I haven’t killed yet.” You growl with venom lacing your every word.

Soon you watch as she swiftly rises to her feet, as you do the same, “I wish you well then.” Affirms the Black Widow as you follow her lead to the door, she stands on the other side for a moment before asking, “Is there any way I could find you again?”

Leaning against the door frame, you break out into a knowing smirk as she stands waiting expectantly, “If you’re lucky, you’ll never see me again. Goodbye agent Romanoff.” And with that do you gently close the door, leaving her in the hallway with a plethora of useful information, but still nothing significantly useful on the Winter Soldier, now only time will tell if he ever happens to show up on her radar again. Hopefully not, she thinks doubtfully before turning on her heels and sauntering off down the hallway.

——

Almost two whole years had passed since last you’ve spoken to the assassin, in that time you’ve watched her speak on live television when Hydra had finally been exposed to the world and all their secrets let loose for the prying hungry eyes of the public.

Even some of your own information had been leaked, the world knew who you were now, what atrocities you’ve committed for the organization during your time with them and that you’ve been M.I.A since 2009. Now you’re on an international watchlist. Fantastic. Apparently some very important leaders of the world and other prestige family members alike aren’t very fond of yourself for murdering their adversaries or filthy rich husbands. 

But it’s not like you had a choice, Hydra would always alter your memories when they shocked you into forgetting who you even were; thus you’d complete a mission and a couple days or so later would your mind stitch itself back together again the best it could from the electrical trauma. Only the killing part would be a dark and fuzzy memory, thus revealing itself to you in bits and pieces at a time. Soon everything blurred together and you just complied or face getting electrocuted multiple times a session, until your eyes remained empty and dangerous.

Considering you’ve been on the run since that information was released, in this time, you’ve tracked down past agents and doctors alike who had wronged you, considering you now had full access to their recent history. Hence increasing your body count as you went from one country to the next, making the world a tad bit lighter with their darkness whipped from existence.

Although soon enough you became unsettled with the loads of information expunged from Hydra, your mind inevitably making a one eighty back to a certain broody super soldier from your complicated past. He must be in the world somewhere, living as a secret civilian or whatnot. He has to be. And you’ve decided to find him before someone else does.

Maybe it was curiosity, or the fact that he was like you and shared a bloody history with Hydra, but your instinctual drive to find the Winter Soldier eventually drew you the beautiful city of Bucharest, Romania. Although he didn’t make finding him effortless in the slightest, after endless days hacking into network databases looking for even a snippet of information. You found a lead.

Turns out airport security footage is very useful, even more so, footage from around the city’s grant center; and from there you were able to track him to Romania. Eventually after a couple of days in the city, you were able to catch a glimpse of him at the local market place and thus followed him to his little shitty apartment without him as so much as noticing.

Once he left again, you slipped inside and began your wait for his eventual return. But will he even want to speak with you? Does he even remember you? Your memories hadn’t been continuously whipped like his were, granted you were forced into cryo more then once and electroshocked into forgetting your memories. It eventfully stopped once they realized your mind would just heal itself into remembering again, so instead they threatened you with a tracking device deep into your skin tissue that would blow up if you tried to run.

Clearly you eventually found a way around this, as terrible of a memory it gave you.

——

Looking out the window, your ears suddenly pick up the sound of boots stealthily walking down the hallway, they’re incredibly light against the tiles outside, perhaps he somehow knows you’ve been following him. A moment later the scent of a man fills your nostrils and you know he’s inside the apartment. You could barely hear the door.

He’s silent as a mouse, nothing indicating he’s even there except for his rapidly thudding heartbeat that pounds anxiously against his strong chest; you slowly turn to face him. His hat from earlier is gone, dark blue eyes stare warily on you while soft breaths emit from his slightly parted lips. He’s not afraid, but he is nervous.

Folding your arms over your chest, you take a glance around the room, “Nice place.” You confirm casually, eyes back on the Winter Soldier in a second as the corner of your lips pull into a humored half grin, “I’m not here to complete some personal Vendetta against you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Then why are you here?” His voice is more curious then cold, maybe he can be reasoned with after all.

Taking a step forward, you shrug, “Wanted to make sure you aren’t still on their side.”

He keeps silent for a moment as you watch him watch you, “I’m done with them.” Mutters Bucky, disgust dripping off his words. That’s exactly what you wanted to hear. Progress.

“Good.” You add with the tiniest of smiles before motioning towards his little kitchen table, “Mind if we sit and talk? As, well...I guess civilians now.”

Studying your face for any indication of falseness and hostility, he’s pleasantly surprised when he finds none. Bucky takes off both of his gloves and sits, metal hand shinning in the low lighting. A threat or a precaution? Maybe he just wants it off?

You follow his example, and soon the two of you sit not even three feet away from each other. Both yourself and Bucky hold an awkward silence for a long moment as the tension in the room rises, shifting your gaze from the counter behind him, you don’t really notice as he trails his eyes over your face, “I remember you.” Reveals Bucky to your great surprise, your eyes falling onto him in an instant, “They sent us on missions together, until you left and they woke me up to kill you for it.”

Smiling, you let out a humored breath of air, “Turns out you didn’t miss me after all. I gave you a nice scar for your troubles though, you still have it?”

Bucky purses his lips into the tiniest of shadowy grins, although no real joy is shown, “It’s a thin little line across my left rib cage. Just barely reached my bone.” Yeah, and I would have if you didn’t punch me in the eye socket first, you think to yourself from when the Winter Soldier had tracked you down. But that’s a long story.

“Glad it’s healed and they didn’t have you come after me a second time. I don’t think I would have let you live again.”

He thinks hard for a second as he processes your words, “You let me live? The first time?”

“Well,” You serenely admit, “I couldn’t exactly kill you...I guess, well....I don’t really know why I didn’t kill you when I had the chance. Guess I’m not as ruthless as Hydra wanted.” You mumble with a conflicted frown, the two of you keep silent before you break the odd tension, “Doesn’t matter now. I heard about what happened in D.C. just like the rest of the world. Gotta say, I was wondering what everyone over there had been getting themselves into.”

“They leaked everything.” Mumbles Bucky with a knowing flash of insight within his dark restless eyes.

“I know.” You add with a slow nod, “I’ve been traveling more cautiously for the past year and a half now. You’d think they’d let us live in peace, of course not. But I guess it means the world knows what a piece of shit organization Hydra is. So that’s something.”

“Yes.” Agrees Bucky, eyes trailing from your fingerless gloves to your face, of course he remembers what hides beneath, “What happened to you since you left?

Fumbling with your fingers as they lay against his table, you turn you head to the window, the ghost of a smile dancing across your lips, “Surviving. You?”

He shifts his gaze back down to his metal hand as you turn to face him, “About the same I’d say.”

Leaning back against your creaky wooden chair, you hand him a small yet friendly smile, “Well then. What of us now? Two ex-assassins alone in the world. With nothing but our wit and fists to keep us afloat.” You add with a low chuckle, he doesn’t crack.

Losing your smile, the two of you keep silent as ghosts for a long moment before Bucky shifts uncomfortably in his seat, “I got some tea.” Replies the admittedly handsome man now since you have a moment to really look; the briefest hint of a grin revealing itself against his lips for only but a flash of a second. But you still see it.

Fumbling with your fingers you give him a pursed lip grin, “I like tea.”