#aka there is now a midnight city au for him. Not good | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fountainpenguin · 3 months ago

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Everyone wish "Happy birthday" to the most specialist boy in the world!! SnifferMyFeet is 1 year old! 🎂

A face many beyond his mother do love!!

Ah, it feels like only yesterday I critically injured Joel in a 'fic chapter and left him in desperate need of grafts from someone with similar biology, not knowing where I'd go from there... and then I woke a few hours later to find THIS GUY dropped in our laps?? sdlkfj, that will never happen to me again... Sniff, my beloved brain-chemistry-altering deus ex machina...

Anyway, I have a multi-chapter 'fic about Sniff being oh so very baby... So baby, in fact, that he's a newborn hybrid who refuses to nurse from his mother dragon. Huh... What's up with that?

Well, never fear! The Fox Dragon and her hybrid son Rhetoric are on the case! Rhetoric's raised hundreds of foxes... Feeding one little endermite should be a breeze!

- Collector's Fee -

🚥 Pixels Imperfect AU

It was only a matter of time before Grian’s off-color soul attracted the wrong attention in the server hub. The thing about foxes is… they like to take. And the Fox Dragon is no exception. Meanwhile, a nurse plots to kidnap a baby. AKA - Grian gets locked in a museum with newborn SnifferMyFeet. Etho and Joel plot to rescue him.

Chapter 1 - Mama Ender - 5,200 words

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 T - Ongoing multichapter

💚 More MCYT 'Fics

This story takes place in the Between dimension, where server hubs lie. It kicks off with a focus on OCs (and SnifferMyFeet), with Etho, Grian, and Joel on deck to show up soon. Enjoy!

“Why aren't you also wishing PiglinMyNose a happy birthday?” -> He's Joel's cam account (LazyBeans26) who changed names; Sniff was new :) Born...

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

💙 🧡 💚

There's really something to be said about flying west on your mother's back, the sun arcing behind you like a phoenix from the dust. Everything's fuzzy in the early light. Morning's reach casts a great, winged shadow over permafrost and pebbles. Endermen scatter, poofing in zigzags. Ohhh, yes… Rhetoric latches his fingers more tightly in his mother's white and ginger neck fur. His tail streams behind in the wind, flapping like the edges of his open jacket. What a rush. It fights against him, threatening to rip him from the dragon like a picked-off scab.

Look at it all. A rosy pink, purple, and orange glow seeps across the hills. Blue shadows paint their undersides in lumpy triangles hundreds of blocks high, like they were painted with a brush too big for precision. The dropped brush itself could've created this waterless valley. Stray goats and wraiths flicker into view with every hill they pass. They dot the sagebrush and glacier chunks… or what's left of them these days. Slithering monsters with rattly bones and three great necks roam these lands now. Rhetoric can't see them even from the air, but the black roses below wave in the whistling breeze.

They're fresh. Someone would've plucked them up for dye.

The flowers stain the ground in rows like memorial stones. Sculk seeps from a deep scour in the earth just beyond them. Some hybrid in a midnight blue hoodie fights the good fight below, striking with a stone hoe. It's a slow and sticky process; the sculk clings in goopy lines like saliva in a yawn. Yikes. Write home and tell me how that turns out for you.

Charlotte beats her wings and flies beyond it. Rhetoric blinks. Her shadow skims the dry valley below. One by one, flowers slip out of render distance behind them.

The Ender Dragon lurks underground, deep within the cave city of Lower Evernight. Charlotte circles the hill twice, then swoops straight towards the sagebrush and ice. Rhetoric clings to her neck like a bur, arms and legs clamped like honey. The ground blocks blur together, then vaporize in a sweep of smoke. Fox Dragon and hybrid rider drop into the depths of the cave. With a twitch of Mother's claws, her world edit commands repair the gash. Rhetoric shifts, peering past her wispy fur as Charlotte glides across the underground city like a fluffy kite.

This isn't his first time visiting the City of Ever-Shifting Blocks. Granted, it… might be his second. But the cave's no less breathtaking than he remembers, and that's saying a lot for a guy immune to drowning. Endflame lanterns gleam far below, lighting the darkness with pricks of purple. Everything's arranged in a circle like a giant chocolate chip cookie. It'd take all 98 of the Between dimension's dragons to devour one of those, and he snorts at the thought. His mother's mane ripples against his cheek and he nestles tighter to her fur.

It's easier, traveling with a dragon in a place like this. The aboveground world's in anarchy and a city filled with enderman never keeps its streets and signposts for long. Everybody wants pretty things. The easiest way to keep things involves taking them when you see them around. In a way, it's no surprise Jean and Charlotte are thick as, well…

(He chuckles at his own joke.)

Jean's nursing cave lies tucked away, high on the underground city's wall, where her children can reach her if they need to, but will probably think twice before making the effort. Beyond triplet endflame lanterns (one to either side of the door, one above) and a small viewing platform encased in a fence, it lacks decoration. Only on the outside, though… What professional thief openly displays her goods in a city of pickpockets? Hm. Rhetoric's last trip to Evernight ended on that viewing platform. Will Jean step out again this time?

Or are we going in? The ever-present itch - the need - to go deeper coils in the backs of his hands.

With a few swishes and swoops, Charlotte lands like a perching parrot in front of the iron door that divides it. She folds in her wings, almost knocking Rhetoric straight off. Not today. Her form blurs, melting in size and color, until she's standing like a hybrid with a swishing ginger tail. And from there, she slides Rhetoric from her arm to the ground. Charlotte wore her fox-eared hoodie and baggy pocket-covered pants for this trip. Out of place? Undignified? Below her status? Perhaps… but Rhetoric can't blame her. Showing up at her mother's door in her usual treasure hunter's garb probably wouldn't go over well. At least this way, she's inconspicuous in a crowd. Only the five glowing dots pulsing on the underside of her left wrist would give her away.

Rhetoric unbuckles the saddle still hanging from her back. Since he has no inventory space himself (Born without it; long story), he goes to set it on the ground… then stops. He glances over the rail at at the violet lights of the city far below. Hmm…

The thing about Evernight is, not only are there thieves lurking here, and not only can they see in the dark, but endermen and endermites alike can teleport. They could be watching him as they speak. And there's a drop straight to the Void down there somewhere. Endermen and endermites can swim in the Void. Fox hybrids can't. He tucks the saddle under his arm instead.

Charlotte keeps her ear pressed to cold iron. "I don't hear babies," she reports. "Let's give this a shot."

"I'll be ready to grab."

Charlotte presses the button beside the door. It pops open, whacking her arm, and they both jump back. No babies scramble for freedom from the nursing cave, but the small hall between them and the next door is filled with water. Clever… Baby enderman probably make one attempt to escape and never again.

They wade over, taking careful steps in their boots. This iron door, though, must have its button on the other side. To be polite, Charlotte takes the stick from the wall and knocks, introducing herself with a call… but the grunt they get in response is as much of a "Let yourself in," as you'll ever get. Fair enough. With a wave of her hand, Charlotte dissolves the neighboring blocks with world edit, then steps around the door in the place they used to stand. Rhetoric follows with the saddle, ducking out just before the blocks rematerialize behind him.

Oh. Hels. Yes. Now, this is the treasure-filled cavern he'd envisioned on his last visit, lying awake in the embassy kicking and squirming, unable to lie still unless his eyes and fingers could caress secret ores and gems. "Kick me, Mother, for I am dreaming," he mutters.

❤️ Read on AO3

#hermitfic #trafficfic #mcyt #AO3 #SnifferMyFeet #Collector's Fee #ridwriting #I just really like when Sniff is BABY...#Pixels Imperfect #fic announcement #Sniff and Pig #Tag a friend you also want to fuse with! (Do not do this)

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cantillat-moved · 2 years ago

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@ad-simul 1 and 2 buckle my shoe /shot and 14, 15, and 7?

1. Which muse(s) is/are your favourite(s)?

I don’t think I have a favorite muse per say, but currently my most active ones are the Emiyas. I have been considering roleplaying as Shirou and Archer since circa 2013 give or take, but at the time the seething hate towards Shirou thanks to the studio DEEN adaptation butchering his personality made me afraid – I’m pretty sure this is a feeling that Umineko fans can relate. It was before the release of the UBW anime – in fact, the DEEN version of UBW was the one floating around. Another muse that was dear to my heart back when it had his own blog is Narukami. I loved the original game when I first played, but when I finally got the Vita version I was in a similar headspace : I was moving from one of the largest cities in the world back to my hometown, a place with tons of fog and my parents’ place is right next to three communications towers. You can pretty much hear “Who’s there?” playing during raining days. And, of course, Snoopy. One of my former classmates says she recalls me liking Snoopy since my daycare center days so I’m like… Fan of him since I was 2 years old? Technically speaking that’s the longest I’ve been fan of anything lmao (and everyone likes a fluffy mascot).

2. Which muse(s) do you wish had more interactions?

So many to be honest. Kiritsugu has been just chilling, Waver and Gray are good beans too. I also wished my Code: Realize muses had more interactions but I understand they are very niche. Some of the muses in my new secret menu are in there because they seldom got any interaction and some are new and I’d like to take them for a spin. I also have promised myself to try to have more interactions with my OCs.

14. What is your favourite fandom to write in? Why?

I love the Fate fandom and its universe. It is also pretty compatible with crossovers for anything that happens in the real world. Persona? Sure, the Palaces, Metaverse and the Midnight Channel could be forms of Reality Marbles for example. Madoka Magica? Well, Kyubei could be a foreign entity up to no good. Fatal Frame? Just look at how often ghosts show up in the works. So on and so forth, all we need is to sit down and brainstorm a bit.

15. What is a fandom you wish to write in one day?

Right now I don’t think I have any particular fandom I’ve been eyeing. Maybe something niche like the long dead Shadow Hearts or Phantasy Star.

7. Do you have crossover verses for the muses on your blog?

…Puyo. I do have a Fate AU for Snoopy as a Servant (he is a Ruler, but he can also manifest as a Rider in his Ace form fyi). Believe me: if I don’t currently have a crossover, I’d love to make one. I do have a Persona 5 AU for Shirou and a prototype Pokemon verse for him. I also have a fully fleshed-out Pokemon and Fate AUs for Hajime. I also have an Opera Omnia verse for Rufus (aka: the Dissidia verse so he can interact with any FF muse). Give me ‘em AUs. AUs, crossovers, verses, I love them.

#ad simul #. meme reply

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jianqzai · 3 years ago

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In honor that this semester of hell finally ended and that I was able to make it alive thanks to podfics, here is a rec list of my favorite ones.

Just a heads up that all of them are long, because that’s what I needed to keep myself engaged in my assignments, sorry if that might not be your thing, maybe I will make one with shorter ones later.

beneath six layers of silk

Written by: darkredloveknot

Read by: Rhea314 (Rhea)

Length: 1 hr 36 min

Rating: E

Summary: While exorcising a haunting, Lan Wangji gets cursed with a brand of honesty, and is forced to speak his every thought out loud.

(I love all Rhea podfics, but this is definitely my favorite so far, the narration was so good that for a couple of minutes I totally forgot that only one person was reading)

all your life you'll dream of this

Written by: Attila

Read by: esbielle

Length: 2 hrs 42 min

Rating: T

Summary: A very loose Cinderella AU, featuring Lan Wangji as Cinderella, Wei Wuxian as Prince Charming, Lan Xichen as fairy godmother, the forehead ribbon as glass slipper, and GusuLan bedtime as midnight.

(Wangji is the oblivious one here for a change, so that’s refreshing. I love the change in intonation they use with each different character)

the stars in the hazy heaven tremble above you

Written by: cicer

Read by: rivendellion

Length: 6 hrs 20 min

Rating: G

Summary: (In which Wei Ying, a fugitive from justice, sneaks into the palace, steals from the imperial family, and eats his words.

AKA, yet another Cinderella AU.)

(I also love the change in character voices. Their narration is also amazingly engaging in action scenes, I couldn’t sleep until I listened to the end of one of them)

Seasons of Falling Flowers

Written by: merakily

Read by: Spinifex

Length: 4 hrs 40 min

Rating: G

Summary: Over the seasons, Lan Qiren slowly pieces back together his relationship with Wangji and learns to like Wei Wuxian in the process.

(Look, I never thought that I would ever sympathize with Lan Qiren but then this fic happened. It was an amazing experience, and the narration was amazing as well)

Let the Streetlights Guide You Home

Written by: tellthemstories

Read by: jellyfishfire

Length: 4 hrs 20 min

Rating: M

Summary: Wei Wuxian was the most infamous street racer of his generation. They still speak of him now, the stuff of legend: the reckless abandon, the hair pin turns, midnight races over dangerous tracks. His death, racing through the streets of Nightless City with his sister in the passenger seat, the moment when his luck finally ran out.

10 years later, Mo Xuanyu enters his first street race.

(I also love all of jellyfishfire podfics but this is my fav, because it was already sexy when I read it, but listening to it with the music and noise effects? Yeah)

To be of use

Written by: Erisette

Read by: isweedan

Length: 7 hrs 03 min

Rating: G

Summary: Love was not forbidden in the Cloud Recesses, despite what was whispered by the common people and, often, even by the other great sects.

(Or: how Lan Wangji became both a father and the object of worship to a generation of juniors in 13 easy steps 13 long years)

(I haven’t finished this one but so far I am melting, everything is so soft)

Meng Yao vs. the Board of the Homeowners' Association

Written by: Ariaste

Read by: Rionaa

Length: N/A

Rating: M

Summary: Two gremlins, their husbands, and the horrible HOA board. As long as nobody gets arrested for arson or murder, we're gonna call it a win. Wei Ying & Jin Guangyao friendship.

(I give all the kudos to them because they don’t laugh at all, you don’t even listen to their voice waver, and that is the most amazing accomplishment because this fic is so hilarious. Also, this is a series and each fic has a different length time, so that’s why I didn’t list a general one)

You, Asleep and Dreaming

Written by: etymologyplayground

Read by: knight_tracer

Length: 1 hrs 07 min

Rating: M

Summary: Wei Wuxian moves into the Jingshi. They sleep together.

(I love the cadence of their voice, it works amazingly well with this fic specifically. The amount of Yearning this fic made me feel, I had to stop because I really thought I was going to start crying on the middle of my project, lol)

live from new york

Written by: varnes

Read by: siriliyi

Length: 8 hrs 45 min

Rating: E

Summary: the one where they all work at SNL, Yanli's ex-boyfriend is hosting, and that's just the beginning of everybody's problems.

(This is weirdly specific but I just LOVE the way they pronounce "Lan Zhan" with Wei YIng’s voice, it's the best)

#mdzs #the untamed #wangxian #podfic #fic rec #m posts

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pi-cat000 · 3 years ago

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BNHA: something sad (Implosion)

Summary: The last time Katsuki sees Izuku alive the other boy is rushing to save him. A ‘the Sludge Villain incident gone wrong’ aka Izuku dies.

Characters: Katsuki Bakugo

Fandom: My Hero Academia

WARNINGS! Major Character death, swearing, heavy angst, graphic descriptions of violence

Other parts in this AU: (Something Sad), (Anger), (Grief)

...

(Katsuki gets a taste of vigilantism)

“GET OFF!” Katsuki struggles against the hands pulling him down. Down. Down into never-ending darkness. Ahead of him is Deku, trapped in a swirling cocoon of shifting green sludge. The idiot is smiling, so bloody pleased with himself like he isn’t seconds away from death. He yells and struggles but the shadowy figures holding him are unaffected. All they do is watch with empty eyes.

Katsuki flings himself upright, taking several hash breaths. The air is still, the silence oppressive. Around him, the walls of his bedroom loom, the single remaining All Might poster he still has up glaring down at him. He is shaking drenched in sweat, hands twitching, itching, eager to blow something up. Anything to loosen the knot of empty, pointless frustration stuck in his chest. In between breaths, Katsuki rolls out of bed, yanking a jacket from where it is slung over his lopsided desk in the same move. He is not wearing a shirt and he doesn’t want to go out completely exposed.

The front door is deadlocked and needs a key. A change brought about by his continued unsanctioned trips outside. Luckily, it is not his only exit option. Katsuki yanks open his bedroom window, sticking his head out, scanning the narrow walkway that runs between his building and the next. Nothing moves, the dark space is empty save for the apartment’s collection of communal garbage bins. Quickly, he shimmies out through the narrow opening, twisting so he can drop feet first.

It is four stories down and he lets himself fall, forming twin blasts in both hands to slow his descent.

He had long theorised that he would be able to increase and decrease his momentum with controlled explosive bursts. Pain shoots through his ankles as he lands in a crouch next to the bins but it’s not bond-breaking, so he guesses his theory is correct.

Katsuki straightens, listening to the muffled sounds of a TV playing somewhere in the building next to him. It doesn’t seem like the sound of his blasts had caught anybody’s attention. The air outside is muggy, still warm from the day's heat. Another beat passes and he is strolling off down the street, hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, bare feet silent on the sun-warmed pavement. Slowly, his breathing returns to normal. Now, if he could only find something to distract his dumb brain from re-playing the scene of Deku’s final moments that would be great. He needs something to fuel his anger and rage so he can distract himself from the new empty bitterness, burrowing into his chest.

The few people he passes are salarymen returning from an evening drinking and they all give him a wide berth. He glares, daring one of them to comment on his appearance or take issue with the fact that he is a middle-schooler roaming the streets at midnight. None of them do. The cowards.

Katsuki is cutting through backstreets, making his way towards one of the busier sections of the city, when a faint groaning sound catches his attention. He freezes, listening, eyes darting over the plain brick walls, scanning the taller office buildings and apartment complexes for the source. There…around the corner… two streets down…there is someone groaning. He stalks forward, following the murmur of angry voices. In between angry muttering is the yelp of a person in pain.

Katsuki breaks into a jog, turning in the direction of the noise, following till he can make out conversation.

“I told you to pay up old man. You stupid or something.”

“Please. I don’t have any money…”

There is the thunk of something solid hitting flesh.

Katsuki comes to a stop near the entrance to a shadowed alleyway just big enough to fit a small car. There is a group of three adults in loose clothing, looming over a downed fourth person. A tall lanky man with a metal bat, a shorter guy with bulging arm muscles, and a greasy-haired man holding a knife are focused on an older man who is holding a briefcase over his head like a shield. Thoughts of Deku fade to be replaced with single-minded determination.

“Hey losers,” he strolls out into full view, “How about you fight someone who’s not missing his geriatrics appointment.”

All three would-be muggers, he’ll call them Tiny, Lanky and Grease-Hair, freeze, turning as one to stare at him. In his chest his blood seems to come alive as his heart rate ramps up.

“What the hell?” Tiny looks to his fellow muggers for confirmation, “it’s a kid?”

There are few seconds of disbelieving silence before Grease-Hair shakes off their collective aneurism. “Hey kid! Why don’t you fuck off? This is none of your business.”

“You weak, wannabe-thugs got a problem with the truth?” He smirks, fingers twitching. His response has three, four if you include the Brief-Case man, incredulous looks directed his way.

“You got hearing problems kid? He said to fuck off,” Lanky steps forward, resting his bat across his shoulder in a display of aggression.

Katsuki cracks his knuckles as loudly as possible and settles into a semi-crouch, ready to use his blasts to propel himself forward. It was time to put his newly confirmed quirk ability to the test.

“Guess the standard for criminals around here just really sucks.”

“You got a death wish brat?” Grease-Hair brandishes his knife, coming to stand beside Tall-and-Lanky, “I’ll make you cry so fucking much you shit stain.”

“HA! as if you could!” All at once his anger, excitement and frustration spike into a wave of adrenalin.

Before Grease-Hair can take another step toward him, Katsuki launches himself forward, propelling himself with as big a blast as he can manage without breaking his arms. As Katsuki is naturally hardier than the average person-a secondly quirk characteristic- the blast ends up being pretty damn big. WHOOOM! It rattles the glass in the adjacent windows. His last coherent thought before he lets his mind succumb to the rush of exhilaration is that he needs to take out one of these guys as quickly as possible to even the odds.

Crunch, is the sound Grease-Hair’s face and nose make when he slams his knee into it. The snap of bones breaking is unnervingly satisfying. Grease-Hair topples over, eyes blank, expression of shock frozen on his face as he takes an express trip into dreamland. The knife clatters on the concrete.

“Holy crap!” The two remaining men offer shouts of alarm. The bat comes hurtling towards his head and Katsuki hurls himself to the side, ignoring the stab of pain that runs up his shoulder when he lands at an awkward angle. He flexes his hands, throwing both arms up in direction of his attacker who is now trying to bring the bat down on his legs.

BOOM!

Fire and smoke erupt between them, throwing them in opposite directions. The bright flash of light and heat provides enough cover for him to roll on his feet. Tiny and Lanky stumble backward and Brief-Case man makes a run for it while they are distracted. In the main street, several car alarms go off. Katsuki, being unaffected by the explosion, recovers first and leaps through the smoke, fists clenched. Moving his arm around in an arching swing, it smacks into Lanky’s head. He barely feels this sting in his wrist and knuckles as the skin on his knuckles break against his teeth. Blood sprays into the air.

It is at this point that Tiny recovers enough to retreat a few paces and make a slashing motion with his hand. Some invisible force slams into Katsuki’s side and he is flung sideward away from Lanky. Pain blossoms in his ribs and he lets off a clumsily blast to slow his momentum. He still hits the wall of the ally hard enough to leave cracks in the brick. Blood fills his mouth from where he has accidentally bitten into the side of his tongue.

A quirk effect? Something invisible that hit hard and had some range to it. Not great for him. He pushes off the wall, crouching, ready to dodge. Tiny drags Lanky to his feet. They are both glaring at him, eyes dark.

He coughs, and, even as the distant realisation that this might not have been a good idea tugs at his thoughts, he grins, “You pieces of trash are weak shit.”

“You’re fucking dead,” Lanky fumes.

Unfortunately- or maybe fortunately- Katsuki never finds out what the two thugs would have done next in retaliation because there is a loud, amplified shout from the ally entrance.

“FREEZE COMBATANTS.”

A blinding white light flickers on and illuminates the entire alleyway, making him wince and bring an arm up to shield his eyes.

“Shit. Cops.” Both Tiny and Lanky turn, obviously intending to make a run for it, only to realise that the ally ends in a tall stone wall.

“WOULD ALL COMBATANTS TAKE FIVE STEPS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND FACE THE WALL!”

Katsuki glowers in the direction of the megaphone-enhanced voice but can only make out the silhouettes of almost a dozen figures against the spotlight. Well, he’s definitely in shit now.

“ANYONE WHO DOES NOT COMPLY WILL BE SUBDUED BY FORCE!”

“Shit. Damn it.” Both men throw their hands in the air in a display of surrender not willing to try and take on what looked like half of the Musutafu police depo. Katsuki begrudgingly follows suit, his breath beginning to even out as the rush adrenalin dips now that the fighting was over.

“Turn around and face the wall,” Is shouted once more, “Keep your hands in the air.” The silhouettes begin their approach. And they all awkwardly stand in a line and stare at the grey brick. Around them, blasted fragments of asphalt and ripped up concrete stand as damning evidence of his involvement. Guess he’ll be taking that ‘trip to the station’ after all. No way the bastards were going to let him off with a stern lecture after this.

“I hope you’re happy you psycho shit,” Lanky snaps, drawing his attention and he notes that the man is now missing one of his front teeth, “Got us all fuckin in arrested.”

Katsuki spits out the blood that has been collecting in his mouth since he hit the wall. It spats on the ground near the man’s feet, “You got beaten up by a middle schooler. I did the criminal underworld a favour getting your weak asses off the street.”

That hits a nerve going by how the man’s face twists into a snarl of rage “Why you little…” Lanky lunges towards him and is immediately blocked by a swarm of police officers who have since surround them and tackle the man to the ground. “HEY, DON’T MOVE!” “GET ON THE GROUND” There is a lot of yelling, swearing, and spitting but the thug is quickly overwhelmed.

“All right, you, the one standing on the left…”

Katsuki shifts his attention from watching Lanky get wrestled into cuffs to the tired-sounding cop standing a few feet behind him. Is it just him or does the guy sound annoyingly familiar?

“Put your arms down and cross them behind your back…” the sentence trails off.

“Bakugō?”

Katsuki squints over his shoulder at the familiar face of Senior Officer Watanabe. So…not just him. Fucking fantastic. Said familiar face is frozen, surprised, hands half way to opening a set of bulky cuffs.

There is a long exhale, “What have you done now.”

“Done?” Katsuki sneers, “I saw these assholes beating the shit out of some old man so I beat the shit of them instead.” Now the fight is over, that feeling of irritable restlessness is creeping back.

The Senior Officer shakes his head in disbelief, “Geeze kid, this isn’t like setting off explosives in the park, vigilantism is a serious offence.”

“What? I was supposed to do nothing then?” He grits his teeth. There, he can feel it, the anger flaring up again.

“You’re supposed to call for help. You’re lucky we got reports of the altercation and responded as quick as we did. You’re a mess kid.”

“Tch. I was handling it.”

The man looks at him funny before letting out a long exhausted breath, “Are you going to come quietly so I can get an EMT to look you over or do I have to put you in these suppressant cuffs?” A pause, “ And where is your shirt … and shoes?”

“Do whatever old man.” Katsuki ignores the second question.

A firm hand lands on his shoulder, which he tries and fails to shrug off, pulling him off towards the entrance of the ally. The cuffs are handed off to another officer. They pass Tiny and Lanky who are both now sitting cross-legged on the ground, hands secured behind their backs, facing the wall. Grease-Hair, still unconscious, is being fussed over by two men in white and red paramedic uniforms. There is a small crater where Katsuki had let off his larger blast.

“Your handy work I presume?” Watanabe asks.

“Hell yeah it is.”

That gets another sigh, “This is all going on your record. You do understand that, right?”

It must be the remaining adrenalin that has him laughing, “Like I give a shit.”

#bnha #mha #Baku no hero academia #my hero academia #katsuki bakugō #graphic descriptions of violence #major character death #coarse language #lots of swearing #vigilante bakugou #bakugou swears and gets into fights #Sludge Villain incident gone wrong #aka izuka dies #fanfiction #fanfic #bnha fanfic #angst #nightmare #something sad au

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dottie-wan-kenobi · 5 years ago

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DOTTIE’S BATFAM FIC RECS

hi!! so, no one asked for this but,,, I wanted to make one anyway! I really love the batfam a lot and I see a lot of ppl in the fandom wishing it was easier to find good fics. this is by no means all of them but they are some of my faves, generally not too fanon-y! all fics are gen/family fluff with little to no ships (which are not bat/cest).

feel free to message/ask me about triggers if you’re unsure!! and lmk if I forgot to tag anyone ❤️

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Homecoming by Ionaperidot / @iowriteswords on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10966704/chapters/24414906

Summary: “Your son’s grave. It’s been disturbed.” In which people actually notice when Jason breaks out of his grave, and Bruce finds him before Talia does.

My thoughts: Bruce’s voice in this is seriously perfect, plus Dick, Jason, and Tim are great as well!! This fic honestly helps inform me of my Tim characterization!

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The Wound Begins To Bleed by audreycritter / @audreycritter on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13295661

Summary: Now that Tim’s moved back to the manor, he just wants a few afternoons a week without Damian around. Funny how getting that was the catalyst for him becoming a better big brother.

My Thoughts: it makes me emotional okay it GETS me right in my HEART!!! both Dami and Tim are so so so good I can’t rec this enough

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just hold a smile by RecklessWriter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22777705

Summary: That's the thing about smiles, Dick thinks. If you flash the right one, no one knows there's something more going on inside. Five times Dick faked a smile and one time someone saw through it.

My Thoughts: Dick & others, including Tim and Cass. Dick is really good at hiding his feelings from others, and I love how in this fic, a lot of times, he’s hiding them to “protect” whoever it is

(more under the cut!)

life, if well lived by CaptainOzone

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18378512

Summary: Jason wakes up from a time-travel mishap to find Thomas and Martha Wayne hovering over him. Just another day in the life, right? ...Not quite.

My Thoughts: this one had me crying like a baby!!! the characterization is great and I love CO’s Thomas and Martha

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one shot, two shots in the night by discowing / @dykewing on tumblr, @/wlwdiscowing on twitter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18871864/chapters/44792710

Summary: The New York Times ✓ @nytimes · 4h

“A Shot in the Dark” remains on our bestseller list for the fourth week in a row! Read our review of @brucewayne’s tell-all memoir here: nyti.ms/3Fs9k2E

My Thoughts: TALK ABT MAKING ME CRY. this gets me every time, and it’s absolutely worth ALL of the rereads. such a great Bruce.

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The View From Jade by lowflyingfruit

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11329791/chapters/25359972

Summary: Being transported to the past is not the sort of thing one normally expects. But this having happened, and with no easy way back, Jason's determined to make the most of it. Though the Bat still stalks Gotham's streets, the city's crime is run by the mobs instead of the rogues. There's no Joker yet. There's no Robin. Maybe there shouldn't be.

My Thoughts: Jason & Dick, and also Bruce somewhere in there too. this is SO! GOOD! I absolutely love Jason’s voice, and Dick is so in character. plus Bruce and Alfred are awesome as well!!!

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The Birds Who Smile by Raberba girl / @raberbagirl on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12972324/chapters/29656290

Summary: "Dark Nights: Metal" AU where Bruce adopts three of the Robins who once belonged to the Batman Who Laughs.

My Thoughts: I think this was the first fic that introduced me to Duke, actually! and while there are a LOT of characters involved, they’re all pretty great and realistic. they have their moments to shine and it’s,,, *chef’s kiss*

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The Thing about Apples and Trees by Cdelphiki / @cdelphiki on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22192747

Summary: When Jason agreed to let Bruce adopt him, he thought that meant Jason felt happy and safe in Bruce's home. But when Jason's nightmares only increased, and his panic attacks and meltdowns started happening more often, Bruce was at a complete loss for what to do. But then, Jason finally opened up to him, and he was able to quell some of Jason's worse fears. Perhaps a midnight chat and a few hugs wouldn't fix everything, but it was a step in the right direction.

My Thoughts: this is part of a series but might be okay to read on it’s own? tho really I suggest the entire series, it’s amazing. but this fic specifically has great kid Jason characterization (and also made me cry, I think!)

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Kitten by lurkinglurkerwholurks / @lurkinglurkerwholurks on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18194294

Summary: Bruce opened his mouth, prepared to give the unemotional, no-nonsense explanation he had cobbled together between his walk to the car and now. Instead, his mouth went dry and nothing came out.

“Bruce?”

Bruce was saved from answering by the thin cry that cut through the silence. He winced, then reached back with one hand to shush the dimpled, kicking legs.

“Bruce, tell me I did not just hear what I thought I heard.”

My Thoughts: so so so cute! plus the gangs all here!!!

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Yes Ma’am by lurkinglurkerwholurks

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22004695

Summary: Jason had shuffled into the bedroom and had just finished pulling his shirt over his head when he paused, arms still trapped in the fabric. A pair of eyes glowed at him from the bed, reflecting the dim light from the hall.

My Thoughts: I also have to include this one bc it was a gift to me, and it’s so cute & angsty & just dkjsfsdjkhfksjah I love it so much

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The D-Word by AutumnHobbit / @autumnhobbit on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9597686

Summary: "See, Tim?" Jason called over his shoulder sardonically. "Dad agrees with me."

He turned back to his food for a moment before the thought suddenly occurred to him that the Cave had gone near silent. He cautiously glanced back at the others. Alfred was still working away at stitching Tim up. Tim looked a little pale and sweaty, but he was glancing over at Jason with a look that was a mixture of concern and confusion. Bruce was standing stock-still, seemingly staring off into space.

My Thoughts: I constantly reread this when I want funny and then heart breaking Jason & Bruce feels. I always know what’s coming and it STILL GETS ME

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baby wonder by drakefeathers / @drakefeathers on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1887807

Summary: (baby!damian AU) Bruce dies, Dick becomes Batman. But the Damian that Talia leaves in his care isn’t a ten-year-old warrior, he’s a ten-month-old baby.

My Thoughts: oh my goddd this is so good, it hurts but it’s SO CUTE at the same time??? ugh dskjfhkjsadhf

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a hat fashioned from tin foil by discowing

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14356020

Summary: nightwang @karakurachou – 8 hours ago

jason todd is alive and faked his death so he could become robin: a conspiracy theory thread

Batfam conspiracy theories meet social media.

My Thoughts: !!!!!!! so good!!!! seriously one of the best social media fics I’ve ever read.

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Bet Your Bottom Dollar by jerseydevious / @jerseydevious on tumblr and twitter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17971160/chapters/42447017

Summary: Dick's been having kind of a hard time, recently. When it boils over, Bruce is there for him.

My Thoughts: I reread this one a LOT when I need Dick & Bruce feels

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Metanoia by AlannaOfRoses / @alannaofroses on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21943249

Summary: Jason's bleeding out, Dick's overtired, and a half-serious offer turns into their new normal. Sometimes you just need somebody else around.

My Thoughts: this one was also a gift to me!! it’s got amazing brotherly bonding and it made me laugh a LOT

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a hundred miles through the desert by acrobats

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18197330/chapters/43045388

Summary: Finding himself nearly three decades into the past hadn't been part of Jason's plans for the day, but he could manage. Having no idea how he got there, no clear path home and a recently orphaned Bruce Wayne determined to drag Jason into his search for his parents' killer - that might be a little more complicated.

My Thoughts: ughhh this is such good Jason content (and such amazing Jason voice, too) I adore it

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oh, where do I begin? by LazuliQuetzal / @lazuliquetzal on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21988693

Summary: “No, no, nothing’s wrong,” Jason says. “We’re a-okay. Just peachy. Good times.”

“Oh,” Duke says, lamely, working himself out of crisis mode. There’s an awkward silence for a moment before he speaks up again. “Why did you call?”

“Right, right," Jason mumbles, which seemed a little out of character to Duke. His sort-of wayward brother was generally intimidating, even when he wasn't trying to be. "Uh, Dick said that you had a guinea pig when you were younger. How do you take care of a guinea pig?”

_____

AKA, not-exactly accidental guinea pig acquisition

My Thoughts: this was ALSO a gift to me but it’s so funny and sweet and there’s amazing Duke & Jason bonding so I absolutely must rec it

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Latchkey by goldkirk / @goldkirk on tumblr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21672928/chapters/51685639

Summary: or, How Tim Drake Found A Family, Became A Photojournalist, Learned To Love Coffee, and Grew Up, not necessarily in that order.

Tim Drake is thirteen, runs the famous BatWatch blog that has spiraled hilariously out of control, has absentee parents that suit his purposes just fine, is training himself to run the streets at night, and is doing absolutely peachy, thank you.

Alfred and Jason disagree, and get Dick and Bruce involved in figuring out their weird nextdoor neighbor kid’s life. Everything goes uphill from there.

My Thoughts: this is SO GOOOOD the Tim feels are amazing!!! the family interactions!!! everything! sdkjfhsjdfhksdhfajh

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Blood in the Water by MishaBerry

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12734052/chapters/29037474

Summary: We all do stupid things when we are lonely, and in faraway lands, we hardly expect the consequences to follow us. Bruce certainly never thought twice about an American woman in Jaipur after one night with her. He hardly expected to see her ever again.

The universe, on the other hand, had different ideas, and the tides of time and chance brought Tim Drake to Bruce's life over and over again.

My Thoughts: this one is more AU than a lot of the others on here but it’s a lot of fun!! it has Tim & Damian & Jason feels, plus the rest of the family on a smaller scale

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so these are just SOME, and honestly you should go and check out other works done by all of these authors!! also would like to suggest reading the fics of @renecdote , @caramelmachete , @redtruthed , @rredarrow , and @schweeeppess !!!

#batfam fic recs #batfam #batfamily #dc #fic rec #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #cass cain #duke thomas #steph brown #damian wayne #i do love all of these fics but im thinking there should be more w cass and duke #both in general and on the list #i'll just have to make another one w more of their fics dkjfkdjsafh

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alidravana · 3 years ago

Photo

Waiting for Your Love (Ch.4/4)

Written as a gift for @laelipoo for the Firehouse 126 Discord Soulmate AU Exchange & Day 4 (Writer’s Choice) for @911auweekend.

Thanks for everyone who has read, liked and shared, I hope you all enjoyed it! I have a tentative sequel planned once we get more content and another story in this setting for Tarlos, so stay tuned!

Pairing: Nancy Gillian/Marjan Marwani (aka Marcy)

Rating: T

Word Count: 921 (Ch.4)

Summary: Marjan has a soulmate to rescue.

Can also be read on A03.

*****

Chapter 4: hey my love

Marjan didn’t mean to startle Carlos and Cap when she pulled into the parking garage, but in hindsight, the lower levels were super creepy. With it being after midnight, the adjacent mall was now closed, and only a handful of vehicles remained. As the light above them flickered, she ignored the frown on Cap’s face and focused in on Carlos, needing an update. Carlos caught on and quickly filled her in, that the van looked like the one that was involved in the recent bombings and bank robberies and that he had found T.K.’s 1-year sobriety chip laying on the ground.

“That wasn’t by accident,” Marjan said confidently, proud of T.K.’s actions. “He was telling you that he was here,” she added, reaching out to grip Carlos’s arm reassuringly, glad to see Carlos’s nod in response. “So you two think they needed medical assistance? I didn’t see the ambulance on the way in at all - do you think they took them somewhere?” Her hand started to tremble as the ramifications of the situation that Nancy was now in started to come into focus. This wasn’t a break down, a car accident, or a drug robbery. This was much, much worse. Pulling her hand back so she could wrap her arms around herself, she waited for a response, needing to know what steps they were going to take next.

“Yeah, we are going to go check out Charles’ restaurant,” Owen replied, motioning for everyone to climb in his car. At this point, he figured that he wouldn’t be able to talk Marjan out of coming either. Letting Carlos take the wheel again, he turned to look at Marjan, who was sitting in the back seat. “It’s nearby and I’m hoping that Tommy might have suggested it as a good place to hole up at.”

Marjan nodded, crossing her fingers physically and mentally. T.K. had already shown that he was thinking on his feet by leaving his chip, so it stood to reason that Tommy was thinking clearly too. Hopefully that also meant that none of them were badly injured. She tilted her head down as Carlos raced through the city, and prayed.

XXXXX

Marjan felt her heart drop at the loud bang that filled the restaurant, knowing instinctively that it was the sound of a gun being fired. But then the pieces started to come together as the man by Tommy dropped to the floor, and she turned to see the gun in Cap’s hands. Her gaze had narrowed in on Nancy as soon as they entered the building and she couldn’t take her eyes off of her. Nancy had had her knee dug into the back of one of the kidnappers, who finally succumbed to her injuries, and lost consciousness on the floor.

Realizing that it was safe, Marjan flew past T.K., knowing that Carlos would be able to help him. Marjan threw herself down on the floor next to Nancy, her hands ghosting down Nancy’s body, frantically checking for injuries. But then Marjan could hear the hitch in Nancy’s breathing, and she immediately refocused on her soulmate, gently cupping her face in her two hands, and leaning her forehead in to touch Nancy’s. She didn't care who saw them, she was sure that Nancy needed the contact as much as she did.

As a few tears trickled down Nancy’s cheeks, Marjan carefully wiped them off, not breaking her gaze. Then, leaning in closer and trying to communicate her intentions clearly, she gently pressed her lips against Nancy’s. It was like time stood still. The walls got closer, the world warmed up, and she was losing her breath while drowning in the presence of her love. Marjan’s only focus was Nancy in her arms, their mouths on each others’. She could feel Nancy’s hands on her back of her hijab, pulling her closer, and deepening the kiss that she never wanted to end.

Finally feeling the need to breathe, Marjan pulled back out of the kiss, smiling brilliantly at Nancy. “Hey, my love,” Marjan said quietly, placing her hands on Nancy’s knees. “I have something to show you,” she added, pushing her sleeve up to her elbow, revealing her mark to Nancy. The crescent moon was completely full now, with a beautiful set of rainbow stars.

Nancy gasped out loud, startling Marjan who was still feeling self conscious about showing her mark to someone else for the first time. Nancy reached out, stopping Marjan from rolling back down her sleeve. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Nancy said, frantically pushing up her own sleeve. “I just….never really expected to find my match,” she confessed, showing Marjan her mark. Just like Marjan’s, it was located on her forearm but instead of being an exact match, it was a complimentary symbol. Nancy’s mark was a five-pointed star that was completely full of small crescent moons, which glowed when it was exposed next to Marjan’s.

“I’m not really sure where we go from here -” Nancy said, as she gently traced Marjan’s mark with her fingers, the two of them still sitting on the floor next to each other while the police led out the now arrested criminals, both still oblivious to the events taking place around them.

“-But we’ll figure it out together.” Marjan interrupted, finishing what Nancy started to say, tangling her fingers in Nancy’s, bringing her hand up to place a kiss on the back of her hand.

Together.

#911 lone star #911auweekend #Soulmate AU #nancy gillian #marjan marwani #marcy #femslash #getting together #tattoos #love

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samiii-p · 3 years ago

Text

miss temptation (I don’t think you know) 1/?

aka The Maryan Roommate AU no one asked for 🙃 ao3

“You need a home address by next week or I’m writing you up.”

Fuck

Scratching an 'X' over another available apartment listing in the newspaper, Ryan grunts, blacking it out in her frustration. This one was her last true option within her price range and it was about the size of a walk-in closet with a communal bathroom to boot.

And no, just no. God no.

At least the last one had a view. It was a brick wall of the neighboring apartment but one nonetheless.

“You know for someone who needed this job, you sure don’t look the part.”

Sucking her teeth, Ryan glances up from her troubles, spots Luke in his custom three piece suit, grumbles and glances back at the paper where the only options left cost an arm and a leg to stay. Gotham wasn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but selling her organs on a monthly basis just to get by didn’t seem all that appealing either.

“What do you want, Luke?”

“Can’t a guy just stop by?”

“Sure.” Ryan says, flipping the newspaper to the next page, maybe she could find something outside of town. The commute would be hell, but at least she’d have an address and her parole officer would finally get off her back. “I take it that’s not what you’re here for though.”

She hears him harrumph and nothing else. He does it a second later, again … and again.

“Okay, how can I help you?” She asks, sliding her current issues down the counter. Another 18 months in jail won’t hurt, let alone leaving the city in shambles when Batwoman disappears again .

Luke tilts his chin, hard line forming between his brows, a look Ryan has grown accustomed to over the past few weeks. Even though he’s apologized and promised to give her a chance until Kate’s return, there's still a tiny bit of friction lying beneath the surface no matter how much they both try to ignore it.

Reaching into his breast pocket he unearths a photo and slides it across the bar into Ryan’s line of vision. A picture of a black mask, outlined like a skeleton, stares up at her with cold hard eyes. In the corner a coiled snake is drawn with Luke’s handwriting underneath.

Snakebite - fear toxin/mushrooms

“Um, who or what am I looking at?”

He thumps the photo twice. “I was hoping you could tell me. You said you run in similar circles-”

“- ran.”

“As Victor Zsasz, I was hoping you could tell me a little about our friend here.”

“Sorry to tell you this but, no.” She pushes off the bar with a huff, nodding at the photo. “Whoever this person is, is new in town. At least to me.”

“Yeah, well his snakebite is hitting the streets like a plague and no one knows its source. There’s only this photo as a possible supplier but there’s no name, no facial recognition, no origin or leaks, no nothing.”

“So what do we do?”

“You suit up.”

Heat signature enabled, Ryan takes a look around the abandoned building noting two low level street hands Luke identifies as TJ Pillar: 1 to 3 strike for armed robbery and Curtis Armstrong: out on parole for possession.

“Come on, dude.”

She totally gets how uneasy it is to get back on your feet after spending a little over a year incarcerated but at least try to do better.

“What?” Luke asks through the coms, Ryan ignores him, scouting more of the building. It’s been over an hour and nothing. They wouldn’t be here if no one was coming but it’s growing closer to midnight and she has to be back at work at nine.

“Can’t I just bring them in? It’s late.”

“I mean you could, but it’ll be a waste of time. The guys on the street don’t know anything except to wait for the drop here.”

“And we couldn’t call in Gotham PD or the Crows for surveillance because..?”

“Hey, you wanted the job, this is what it entails.”

Behind the mask, Ryan’s eyes roll, mocking this is what the job entails meh meh, like she's a child grounded for the night, which, all things considered…

“Besides, it’s not like you have anything better to do.”

“Okay! Okay!” Over the coms, Ryan hears hushed voices arguing, a muffled ‘no’ then the sound of chairs being switched, Luke’s voice replaced by Mary’s, “heeey, girl. How ya’ doing?”

She smirks, attitude vanishing the moment the heiress speaks. Call it a general preference to all things sans-Luke based but she’d one hundred present rather talk to Mary until the butt crack of dawn instead of Mr. Kate would do it like this and Kate would do it like that. For starters Mary’s a lot nicer. Calmer. Funnier, I mean the girl’s one liners are top tier, bone tickling funny.

And well, she was a hell of a lot prettier too.

“Oh, you know, just pulling an all-nighter right before my day shift.”

A hiss sounds dramatically over the intercoms, the image of Mary’s twisted face pops up and Ryan can almost see the apple of her cheeks bunching and her eyes closing in that cute ass scrunchy face she makes when she’s thinking hard or embarrassed clear as day.

“Don’t worry about it, you can always come in later.”

“You enable her by making exceptions.”

“Luke!”

“What!?”

More muffled noises, a bang and yelp later Mary comes back on. “What I was getting at is that if you want to come in a little bit late, it’s totally fine or we can even change your schedule to mid-day, as your boss and fellow bat accomplice, I would totally understand.”

The corner of Ryan lips quirks up, “you don’t have to do that.”

“I do. We don’t know for sure how long you’ll be out tonight. Coming in afterwards is going to be draining-”

“It’ll be draining for all of us.” Luke yells.

“Shh!”

Unfortunately, Luke has a point. It's not fair on the team if she’s the only one taking the easy way out when they all have lives and responsibilities outside of the cave to adhere to, and a mid-day shift would never work anyway. Mid-day is Officer Steven’s favorite time of day to intrude on Ryan’s life.

“No that’s okay,” Ryan says, “Luke’s right. I have to put on my big girl panties and suck it up like everyone else, besides, I’m going to be too busy selling body parts for an overpriced cardboard box in the foreseeable future or it's a one way ticket back to Black Gate-”

“Wait, what-?”

“Oh, hold up.” An engine alerts Ryan to an incoming vehicle speeding into the warehouse disrupting their conversation. “We got action.”

Censors pick up on a lone body inside, facial recognition scanners kick on and work to identify the driver’s profile as well as the car’s make, model design, vehicle number and license plate number are all shot over to home base for further analysis. She twitches them off once complete just in time to see a window roll down and a hand throw two duffle bags out the window before speeding off.

“Did we get anything?”

A beat passes before Mary’s back on, “Not yet. Gotham PD and the Crows database has no facial identification, Luke’s expanding the search but the car is unmarked, plates false, even the tires vin numbers have been scrubbed. Whoever this person is, really doesn’t want to be found.”

From Ryan’s personal experience, news like that is never good. Someone that deep undercover either has a checkbook large enough to make themselves disappear or an iron grip so ruthless the utter mention of their name is probable cause for permanent removal. This was going to be harder than any of them expected.

“Keep me posted.”

Kicking off the beam she leaps down sticking another perfect grand entrance; hoping the acclaimed symbol printed on her chest will be enough to scare off the bad guys for once.

She is really tired after all.

Unfortunately, Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb both reach for guns, shooting before she can warn them to stand down. And there goes her ‘early’ night. Figures.

“Ya’ll know I’m fucking bullet proof, right?”

Another bullet ricochets off the suit as she takes a step forward. Idiots. Surprisingly they keep at it until the clip clinks, empty, and Ryan comes face to face with Curtis who tries throwing a punch she easily ducks, coming back up to head butt him so hard his knees crumple. His coworker steps up and he’s a bit more of a challenge throwing blow for blow with her until she ducks up under him and comes back with a roundhouse kick to his Adams apple. He clutches his windpipe, now down on one knee she delivers the final blow to the bridge of his nose.

She picks up the bags and hightails it out of there, latching onto a high beam for an easy escape, and heads towards G.C.P.D where she drops the contraband with a note attached of where they can find the assailants tied up and ready for arrest.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re homeless!?”

Ryan wonders if disrupting her day as a civilian was going to become normal protocol for Luke and Mary going forward and on a recurring basis.

“I wouldn’t say homeless.”

“How else would you classify living out of your van down by the docks?”

“Surviving on wheels – ow!” Ryan giggles, rubbing her shoulder and doesn’t know whether to cower or soothe the frustrating scowl rapidly spreading across her friend’s face. “How’d you find out?”

“I had Luke track you after you left last night.”

“Wow, talk about invasion of privacy.”

“And for good reason, why didn’t you say anything?”

Ryan flips an empty glass, dries it out before placing it on the rack and considers how to move the conversation forward, possibly far, far away from this topic all together. The best she comes up with is, “it’s handled.”

Handled ends up being a 200 square feet one room apartment Mary demands to see. The bedroom, kitchen and living room are all one in the same but at least she has her own bathroom. The walls are paper thin, she’s pretty certain the constant dripping sound is coming from the kitchen, one she can easily fix after a YouTube tutorial or two, and a hotter than hell furnace the landlord warns her not to touch when the temperature is anywhere over 60 F unless she enjoys suffocating.

She watches Mary take in the room, the petite brunette moving in a slow swirl on her heels, lip turned down and Ryan just knows it’s not good when they make eye contact.

“Nu-uh.”

“What do you mean nu-uh?” Confused, Ryan watches Mary storm past her and out the door. “Mary! Mary, what does that mean? Mary!?”

Mary breaks her housing contract. When Ryan tries to object she quickly learns that all 5’2 of Mary Hamilton-Kane is nothing to play against and a powerhouse forced to be reckoned with.

… It kind of gets Ryan hot under the collar watching Mary tell her landlord exactly what’s about to happen, and cutting a check like it's nothing in the process.

Assertive has always kinda been her type.

“You’ll be staying here.”

Mary says, showing Ryan around her penthouse in the upper echelon of Gotham City. The apartment is just shy the size of a department store, the lounge being big enough to take up most of the square footage, built in with four bedrooms, one now officially hers, one for guests and another used for office space and three huge bathrooms big enough to house a football team.

“Jesus,” the name slips under her breath as she takes it all in. This place is – is. It’s too much. “I can’t afford this.”

The carpet under her feet probably cost more money than she'll ever see in her lifetime.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not asking you to pay anything.” Ryan quickly gets shut down as Mary carries on, “until you can save enough money to get back on your feet. It’s the least I can do. Being this city’s vigilante is hard work. The last thing you need to worry about is where you’re going to lay your head at night.”

It makes sense, but still. “I’m not comfortable asking you - I won’t use you.”

“You’re not.” The med student emphasizes. Mary takes the box out of her hands and places it on a dresser. “My home is yours now, bestie. Stay as long as you want to.” And before Ryan can prepare herself, Mary’s arms are snug around her waist and her cover girl smile is beaming up at her.

This is going to be terrible.

It’s worse.

Far worse than Ryan could have ever predicted. Not only is Mary super considerate of her new roommate, but she makes her resources Ryan’s own. She’s never slept so good, ate so well or drank water so delicious for that matter. Until recently she thought water was just water but Mary’s fridge is full of this alkaline stuff straight from the mountains, and Ryan swears she can never look back.

“You want pickles?”

Ryan visibly gulps, sitting on the couch, eyes focused on anything other than Mary prancing around the kitchen in her underwear. Mary’s always been super comfortable in her skin but especially at home when she’s surrounded by her things in her place of peace and why shouldn’t she be, this is her home. Ryan wants her to go about as she normally would, actually prefers if Mary pretended Ryan wasn't there altogether. The last thing she wants is to intrude or take up space but she can only take so much. It’s been nearly a month of coming home to Mary asking how her day was, waking up to Mary smiling at her over homemade breakfast or passing out on the couch cuddled together after another failed movie night. There’s only so much she can take.

What they’re doing is borderline domestic. And Ryan’s too gay for this.

“…pickles?”

“Hmm – what?”

“I asked if you want pickles on your sandwich?”

"Uh, sure."

Handing her a plate, Mary plops down on the couch leaving no space between the two and licks the pad of her thumb, humming pleasantly at the taste.

Ryan bites the inside of her cheek. “So, what are we watching?”

Hopefully something gory, and bloody staring a cis-het white male. Anything to take Ryan’s mind off of Mary Hamilton.

Mary chooses Its Okay Not to be Okay on Netflix and by the end of episode 2 both girls are huddled together, simping hard for all the three leading actors. Mary is obsessed with Kim Soo-Hyun's entire face and Ryan’s pretty sure if Seo Ye-Ji stomped on her in six inch heels and dragged her through the mud, she’d thank her.

At least they can agree Oh Jung-se is a freaking king and is killing his role as Moon Sang Tae.

It's nearly midnight before they start to turn in, cleaning up the little mess they made, Ryan shuts off the lights and walks Mary to her room; the first door to the right.

“Night.”

It kind of feels like a date, which is absurd. She knows. But can you blame her when pillow soft lips press against her cheek and Mary breathes, “sleep tight, Ryan” in her ear. Its stupid. She’s being stupid, and seeing things that arent there. Or maybe she needs to get laid. Whatever she needs to do, Mary can’t be a part of it.

After weeks of failed interrogations the team finally manages to catch a break. A source looking to get out and start over leaks the warehouse location where a scheduled supply of ingredients are due to be shipped in at any day now. Niko of course makes Batwoman promise to protect him at all cost and that means working with the Crows.

“Where’s the shipment being dropped?” Sophie asks.

“Unimportant.”

The lieutenant cocks her head to the side, unsurprised at how this conversation is going. The Bat has never worked well with authority in this town, no matter who dons the emblem.

“The only thing I need is for you to make sure Niko is somewhere safe, undetected.”

“Is he at least willing to stand trial in the event you manage to catch this guy?”

“I think that all depends on if your team can keep him alive. Crow.”

The alley is dark, damp and the chill fogs Sophie’s breath as she sighs. “You're going to get yourself killed. I know you have something against my badge and everything it stands for, but it can do some good if you let it. Now, tell me where the shipment is and I can have my team there as back up in seconds. We can get this drug and these thugs off the street.”

That word makes Ryan's jaw tingle. Thug. Of course a Crow wouldn't understand that sometimes people do bad things to make ends meet, but it doesn't make them bad people. To a Crow they’re all the same and need to be locked away never to see the light of day again. Including her.

“Focus on our informant. If I need you for anything else I know how to find you.” And she’s gone, vanished in a cloud of fog.

“Nice job pissing off potential allies.” Ryan switches her coms off.

The warehouse is guarded heavily by six men up top, double the number at the bottom not including the others unloading trucks full of supplies. Photo analysis identifies them and sends the information to Gotham P.D. before she strikes.

“Hope you’re ready for this. If we’re lucky this can all be over tonight.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Taking it as his cue, Luke hits the lights covering the warehouse in complete darkness. Motion sensors switch on and Batwoman moves into action. The training her team insists she go through pans out as she’s able to take out four guys twice her size in fast compact moves. One guy goes over the railing after she cracks him in the nuts with the steel toe of her boot. His strangled whimper is heard all the way down, but hey, no one ever said this was going to be a fair fight.

The team at the bottom catches on and gun fire immediately follows, running across the bridge Ryan spreads her arms and flies through the air, her red and black cape bellows behind her as she sticks another perfect superhero landing. All at once it seems like twenty people are coming at her from all different angles but as always she's quick on her feet tying a handful of them up by their ankles and running through the rest with a non lethal taser, just enough to subdue until she can contain everyone before she starts asking questions.

“We ain’t telling you shit!”

Another guy spits on her shoe, the red of his blood splattering against her boot and she rolls her eyes. There’s no need to be nasty.

“Look, I’m trying to help you guys out here.” Spotting a pair of boobs in the corner, she course corrects, “and girls - theys? Whatever! I’m trying to help you all out here. This thing,” she holds up a box of snakebite, “is killing the community and while it may bring you all brief satisfaction, financially, what’s it going to do for your futures when you get caught, to your families?”

“Who knew the new edition of the Bat came with such a bleeding heart?”

“Well, she does. So if anyone here is willing to tell me anything that’ll point me in the right direction of your boss, I promise I can protect you, get you somewhere safe.”

From the little the authorities have been able to dig up about this gang, anyone willing to betray their leader either winds up dead or living their last days in a vegetative state. That’s why it’s so important to have Niko, no matter the length it takes to protect him, it was for the sake of Gotham.

“I said-!”

“I heard you the first time,” Ryan says, cutting him off, “And I don’t know what you’re used to but I’m only going to tell you how this is played once. I ask the questions and you give me the answers, if you don’t, have fun rotting in jail or better yet … I can let the little I do know out onto the streets.” She bends down right in front of the man and lifts his rabbit mask, exposing his face. In seconds she knows his name. “I’m sure your boss would love to know who’s ratting him out, huh, Robert Michael Humprey?”

The terror in his eyes says it all.

#ryan wilder #mary hamilton #batwoman #maryan

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lovemeafterhrs · 4 years ago

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new years eve | t. kuroo

nye shitshow based HEAVILY on mal blum’s new years eve and the mess of drafts i’ve written at 3am for the past week. im a sucker for a good tetsu fic and i have quite a few in the works,, kinda weird coming from an akaashi main but it is what it is i guess

~~~~

new year’s eve had always held a lot of value deep in her heart; her need to say goodbye to the past was never fleeting, and most things ended with the resolutions of many years before.

but that year was different.

college was a new, welcome surprise that took her by the horns and dragged her through complete chaos day after day. most of the casual destruction was traced back to kuroo tetsurou, her (not so) beloved roommate and destroyer of ikea furniture.

among the cast of revolving characters that passed through their shared apartment, bokuto was definitely the most interesting.

he just so happened to also be the root of kuroo’s evil.

as months passed and the seasons began to shift around her, she became accustomed to dealing with the duo and their crowd of volleyball misfits.

but nothing could compare to the horror that awaited her on new year’s eve.

she hadn’t taken into account that people would arrive long before her roommate did, and most of her time would be spent observing his friends downing shots from the small kitchen island.

yachi had been the first to approach her that night, noticing the concern that marked her features as she struggled not to check the time.

the girl brought a sense of comfort that had previously been missing, and her face brightened at the wine in the other girl’s coffee mug.

the two sat at the kitchen island together, eating guacamole and drinking boxed wine from coffee cups. they observed the many drunken behaviors of the people around them, giggling to themselves with pink dusting their cheeks.

by the time kuroo stumbled through the door, the clock on the coffee pot showed 11:58 in a bright red glow. yachi’s tolerance had gotten the best of her, and two wine bottles laid empty on the counter next to her. the girl was entirely trashed, and abandoned her post at the island for a necessary trip to the bathroom.

kuroo’s apologetic smile met her eyes, and the disappointed look on her face was enough to keep him at arm's length for the rest of the evening.

yachi had returned shortly after, and the two sat together as the clock struck midnight. shouts were heard from all around her, but she could only focus on the rooster headed man’s drunken smile as he leaned in to kiss tsukishima.

that of course, was met with complete and utter disgust. but that’s entirely besides the point.

~~~~

365 days later, and she’s found her way back to the marble of her countertop.

much to her dismay, yachi had been out of town that year. instead of joining the crowd of rowdy 20-somethings, she chose to sit back and remember the moments that began the year.

the year prior had been disappointing considering her expectations, but she hadn’t forgotten all the memories she’d made.

she didn’t enjoy cleaning bokuto’s vomit out of the carpet the next day, and she could barely remember how the night played out in the first place. the shrimp tsukishima brought had given half the guests food poisoning, but the night lived on in her heart regardless.

in the middle of her tipsy daydream, kuroo sunk himself into the stool next to her; a drunken smile plastered on his face as he moved for the bowl of guacamole.

“this year’s already over,” he stated, glancing over at the other guests. “how crazy is that?”

“it’s really weird, actually.” she sighed, and his eyes snapped over to her as she continued. “last year, yachi ate that entire bowl of guacamole. now it’s barely been touched since the party started.”

“hey, don’t be sad! it’s about to turn midnight, and you can’t be upset when the new year starts!” his attitude was enough to make her smile, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes as the people surrounding her started to count down from five.

something clicked in kuroo’s brain as the clock struck midnight, and before he could think it through, his lips were on hers.

it only lasted a moment, but in that time she began to realize that maybe things could be different.

~~~~~

sometimes, observations of the situation are not enough to determine the outcome. in a whole year, they had managed to avoid the one topic that left far more questions than anything else.

instead of letting the year replay again, kuroo had made plans on the opposing side of the city. while she had intended to stay home with the long-forgotten guacamole, yachi had convinced her to spend the new year without the thoughts of her troublesome roommate.

that was how she came to stand at the bar of a bustling nightclub with her blonde companion, much too drunk for the loud and overwhelming atmosphere.

the clock had already signaled the beginning of another year, but it didn’t feel resolved.

there was no resolution.

instead of roping yachi into dealing with her problems, she decided to go back to the apartment she had spent many beginnings and endings in.

fumbling with her keys, she struggled to focus on the door handle as memories began to flood her senses.

kuroo dodged her calls for many days after he kissed her that night, and things never really felt the same. there was tension unlike before; the fear of being alone together and making another mistake compromised their ability to spend time in each other's company.

but he was also so kind that it hurt her. there was no ill intention within him, only fear of ruining what was previously established.

the realization sunk heavy into her heart as the door closed behind her, and her subconscious shouted for answers of what or who he was doing while she was sliding to the floor against the cold frame of the door.

it was possible to assume that he only flirted to pass time, but something about the way he looked at her scared them both into silence.

the fun, playful manner of their relationship came to an abrupt halt after new year’s eve, and neither of them could grasp quite what went wrong.

but she did know something; that even if she didn’t want to, her feelings for kuroo were becoming more and more obvious with every day. she couldn’t ignore it anymore, and that upset her more than him not being present in that moment.

the realization shocked her into getting up from her place on the floor, and shuffling over to the liquor cabinet.

drinking straight from the bottle, she took a seat on the kitchen island and placed her head against the cold marble of the counter top.

“here i am again,” she laughed to herself, disregarding the jingle of keys from the hallway.

the door swung open, and kuroo immediately took notice of her presence in the kitchen. he was obviously drunk, but the look in his eyes said the many things that he had never voiced to her.

“i don’t like it when you’re not here.” he stated, and she looked at him with confusion gracing her features. “new years wasn’t the same without you.”

“then we can have it here next year-”

“i don’t think you get what i'm saying,” he sighed, preparing for the worst out of his sudden confession. “i.. don’t think i want to spend it with anyone else.”

“oh..?” the surprise on her features was blatantly obvious, but the smile that followed brought all the certainty he needed. “our kitchen island has two chairs for a reason.”

“good. maybe next year, we can make guacamole.”

“i’d like that.”

masterlist:

#kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo tersurou #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu #yachi x reader #first of many kuroo trash fics xoxo #THE GUAC HAS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE SONG DONT COME AFTER ME

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daminettes · 5 years ago

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Coming Home (1) - Hunger Games AU

hey guys! francine and i (aka @fsketchart) decided to collab for @april-angst-apocalypse!!! we kinda snapped doe

she wrote marinette’s pov while i wrote adrien’s pov, and we both wrote damians. i hope you guys like it!

It's the annual 100th Hunger Games. As per every twenty-five years, they will be doing a special reaping. This year, two families per District are chosen to sacrifice a child from each family to fight to the death in the arena. After training for years, Damian is prepared to fight. But is Marinette prepared? Will Damian choose to save himself? Will either of them come home to their families? Afterall, there can only be one winner in the death match.

WARNING : Hunger games includes murder, we don't condone it & we don't write it in detail. However, if it can still be triggering for you this is not the best fic for you. No shame if you're uncomfortable with it! You take care of you and your needs first! The hunger games has 24 children from ages 12-18 tossed into an arena, and are forced to battle with only one tribute allowed to keep their life. If you're not comfortable, we hope you find an AU that better suites your tastes!

WARNING 2 : If a character is killed off, it's to highlight that everyone that was killed in the hunger games (as there can only be one winner) was killed off NOT because we "hate" the character, but because we felt like it would be more important to remember that the people killed were not faceless characters. There were good people killed off, the hunger games doesn't ever really have a true victor. Everyone loses someone or something in the end. So if a character you like is killed off by someone else it's because we didn't want characters to kill off faceless people. We don't want anyone to forget that the people who are killed were real people with families.

Marinette stepped down the wooden steps, slowly as they creaked. Her mother and father were there, gathering their belongings.

“Come on, grab your things, we need to leave within the hour,” her father spoke. Sabine blew out the candles, leaving only the natural light through the windows as their source of light. Tom flipped the sign outside to closed, as he put on his worn jacket. Marinette adjusted her braid, jumping when Sabine walked behind her and adjusted the ribbons. Sabine tied a red ribbon in her hair with tears threatening to spill. Sabine, silently held her daughter’s face in her hands, staring into her eyes, as she kissed her nose and walked away to the door. Marinette followed her mother and father to the door, shutting it quietly behind her.

As they walked in the streets, no child raced ahead of their parents. No child was jumping with joy. They gripped their parent’s hands tightly, as they all stepped into the streets, making their way step by step to the center of the city. Everyone was silent in the entire town, everyone scared. The only sound heard was the tip taps of the shoes in the streets. Everyone was heading in one single direction.

Many wore designer clothing, perfect colors, perfect hair, perfect shapes. They were expected to be above perfection, nothing else was allowed. Most people in their town were clothing makers.

This was, of course, was expected of District 8. District 8, the textiles and fashion district. Marinette’s family was one of the few who did a different profession, baking. The Capitol expected nearly every family to deliver the finest quality of luxury clothing for them to wear. No one dared rebel against the Capitol’s orders, not after the previous rebellion, where the Capitol wiped out the 13th District, who created nuclear weapons. Each district was assigned a different task, each one was a slave to the Capitol’s wishes. Marinette shudders at the thought. So many were left dead from that fight, no children were spared.

Marinette gripped her father’s hand. This year was the 100th annual hunger games. Normally, each year they held the hunger games, where ages 12-18 would compete in the hunger games in bloodshed. Two tributes, one male and female, of each District, would have their name reaped from a bowl and forced to compete in a death battle for the Capitol’s entertainment. Another reminder that the Capitol controlled every aspect of their lives. The Hunger Games only ended when one tribute was chosen. Some people put their names’ in multiple times in exchange for food. Other Districts like District One or Two, the wealthiest Districts, would volunteer to be part of the Hunger Games, believing that joining in the blood battle would be a high honor. Marinette shook her head at the thought, before facing forwards once more.

Ahead of her, she saw Adrien. He was walking with his father, with bags under his eyes. Marinette couldn’t blame him, he lost many important family in the Hunger Games. Marinette has lost many people close to her in the Hunger Games as well. She walked over to him and took his hand, nodding assuringly. Adrien refused to make eye contact, as his father pulled him closer to him.

Marinette remembered when they first met. Marinette was doodling the people passing by the bakery. She saw a beautiful boy with bright green eyes. She immediately began drawing him, paying close attention to his eyes. She could remember those eyes so clearly, and furiously drew on the paper, no longer bothering to look up at her reference. She was so caught up in her sketching she didn’t even notice when said boy walked inside the bakery. She finally noticed when he appeared over her shoulder, absolutely flattered by her work. His green eyes lit up as he started posing, asking her to draw more. He spent the entire afternoon at the bakery that day.

When they finally turned seven, her parents let them play in her backyard without supervision, as long as they remained there. They would lie on their backs, with the grass tickling their toes. They could smell the fresh air outside, the sounds of birds chirping and the grass blowing from the wind. The sun hit their faces so brightly, as they stared at the skies. They would spend hours, cloud watching. Marinette adored the boy with green eyes and vowed to remain by his side.

Marinette and Adrien were cloud watching once more when they were ten, when Marinette noticed a small, tiny cloud out of the corner of her eye. She smiled at the little heart-shaped cloud and tugged on Adrien’s jacket to show him. When she looked at him though, his eyes were elsewhere. She followed his line of sight, to see a beautiful girl standing near the fence of the backyard. She was drying clothing outside, the breeze carrying her midnight hair behind her. Each of her steps were elegant and graceful. Each step was with purpose. Never once did she trip or fall. With perfect posture, she carried on her day. When she looked over and noticed Adrien staring at her, she smiled softly and shook her head while chuckling.

Adrien quickly became fascinated with the girl with green eyes that could rival his own. He tried to get to know her, and each day, he would come over to Marinette’s house, talking all about the girl with green eyes. Marinette would just smile, and listen, chiming in here and there.

She never held it against him and moved on after a long time. She tried her best to support him as his sister and began distancing herself from him. But she always made sure to be there for him when he needed her.

As they neared the center of the city, Marinette braced herself. Up ahead, she could already see the Peace Keepers up ahead. The Capitol Peace Keepers were threatening District Citizens, ordering them to file in place, as the escort and advisor for District 8 stood at the podium. They fired off warning shots at their feet as the children screamed. Ivy who was selected as the coach for District 8, adjusted her hair as she stared at District 8’s citizens with disgust. She ruffled her hair and touched up her makeup, with bright colors in her outfit. It highly contrasted the outfits of District 8, who were all cloaked in dark colors, in hopes of blending in with the crowd.

Marinette followed her parents in line, blending in with the other terrified children, as the reaping began.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Adrien, wake up.” A voice came that followed with a knock from behind his door. “We are leaving in an hour, get ready and go down to eat breakfast.”

“M-Coming Father,” Adrien muttered while struggling to get himself to wake up.

It's The Reaping Adrien thought to himself. He dreaded this day. Of course, his father refused to let him volunteer for the Hunger Games, not after what happened to his mother, but still, there was something that scared Adrien today. It was his first time being eligible for the Hunger Games. Just a short few months ago, he turned 12. Now he could very well be walking to his death. The chances of being picked were slim, but there was still a chance.

Adrien sighed and pushed the dark thoughts that came to his mind away and got out of his warm soft bed. Light shined through his large window as he walked across his large empty room. He slowly walked towards the closet and picked out his outfit for the day. He reached into his closet and grabbed out the suit Natalie had left for him. His father would never let him leave the house without looking up to standard. He carried them with him as he made his way into the shower, and let the warm water try to calm his thoughts.

Adrien stood in the shower for about ten minutes before actually washing himself off. He just stood there and thought about how much his day could change him. His tears blended in with the water, as he pleaded to whatever god that may be out there. Please don’t let him end as his mother did. He was still young when she died, but he could still remember fragments of that day. His mother was pregnant at a young age with his father, and they were planning a beautiful wedding. Everyone was supposed to be there, his friends, his neighbors, even the Dupain-Chengs. But then came the reaping. Almost no one thought Emilie would get picked. Almost every year the lower class was selected, the rich seemed untouchable. No one could fathom the idea of Emilie being chosen. And yet she was. And not a single person volunteered to take her place. And so Emilie fought, and died in the Arena, after having just given birth to Adrien in the arena. Gabriel was sobbing as he locked himself in his home, a home that was meant for a family. Adrien, although young, remembered rewatching the hunger games on his father’s computer, and standing horror. Watching that old video was one of Adrien’’s greatest regrets. He knew some of the people in that arena from business deals, and he saw how they quickly turned into murdering monsters. He turned off the warm water and was hit with a cold breeze, he quickly shivered and threw on his towel as quickly as he could. He made his way to his room, got changed, and headed downstairs.

Adrien quickly made his way down to the dining room and quietly sat himself down into his seat.

“Good morning, father,” Adrien spoke quietly, while shoving a piece of toast into his mouth and taking a sip of his tea.

“Good morning, Adrien. Slow down we don’t want you choking. Agrestes are not slobs.”

“Apologies, father...”

After the short conversation, they both settled in awkward silence, Adrien slowly eating his toast while Gabriel read a book that Emilie used to enjoy. After finishing his toast and tea he beckoned Natalie forth to bring his dirty dishes to the washing machine. Adrien cleared his throat, before looking at his father. Gabriel turned to him with tired eyes.

“Father...if you don't mind...before we leave may I take a few minutes to visit mother's statue in the garden?”

Gabriel paused for a long time, as he stared at the table. Natalie put a hand on his shoulder, and Gabriel looked up at Adrien.

“Alright, but make it quick. We need to make it to the center in time for your reaping.”

“Thank you, father!” Adrien said while running towards the gardens.

As he made his way towards the garden he was hit with the pleasant smell of roses and daisies. His mother's favorite.

He slowly made his way towards the statue and plopped himself down.

“Hello, mother. I miss you, like a lot… Please give me your strength to get through this. I hope you miss us too. I love you,” Adrien heard Natalie call his name. “I'll see you soon, mother,” Adrien spoke while standing up and brushing away any leftover dirt from his pants.

Adrien and his father made their way to the center, with Natalie and the Gorilla following close behind them.

They walked in silence with the other hundreds of families. Suddenly, Adrien felt something grip his hand. It was soft and warm, as he looked down to see Marinette. Adrien felt his father pull him closer to him. Marinette dropped his hand and gave him a small, forced smile. Adrien returned the smile before she walked off.

Gabriel turned to Adrien, softly speaking. “Adrien, no matter what happens today. I will always love you.”

Adrien was surprised, before hugging his father. “I love you too, father.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Damian sighed while looking up at the ceiling in his room. It was 6:30 in the morning and he had no idea how this day would go. Just a measly two years ago he would’ve been excited, almost grateful for this day to come. Yet now, after meeting his father, he dreaded this day. He let another sigh escape him while he pushed himself away from his bed.

Training with Talia was hard. Extremely hard. Damian would spend multiple days with non-stop training for these games. Talia told him that to compete in the games? It would be an honor. Many people in his District, District 1 of luxury goods, would pray to get chosen. He should be prepared. He is prepared. But he doesn't want to be prepared. Because after meeting his father, he realized how bitter it would be to die in those games, to turn into a monster in those games. He’s seen what the arena has done to Talia and his grandfather. He never wishes to become them. Two years ago, Damian would’ve volunteered for the hunger games. But now? He will do anything to avoid them. He is the last child in the Wayne family to be eligible for the games, with Tim turning 18 just a few months ago. Damian was determined to stay with his new family, but that doesn’t mean the fear doesn’t go away.

Bruce knocked on the door to his room. Damian called for him to enter. Sitting down, Bruce sighed. They sat in silence, neither sure what to say. Bruce starts.

“Damian, I want you to know, this has never been easy for me. It’s never easy for anyone. And I know that this will be your first year entering into the Hunger Games. It’s been hard, with several children. It hurt me, even more, when Jason was chosen one year, and when no one volunteered to take his place. But I promise you this, should you ever get chosen, I will make every deal, pay off any price, do anything it takes to make sure you don’t go in those arenas. I will do anything to make sure you come home safely.” Damian stared at Bruce, with nothing to say. “I promise,” Bruce spoke, holding out his pinky.

“Father, what are you doing?”

“Your grandmother used to make pinky promises with me when I was much younger. A pinky promise is never broken, Damian. I promise you, you will come home safely to us.” Damian nodded, and looped his finger with his fathers’.

Soon, Alfred called to them to begin the journey to the center of the city. Everyone began dressing in their finest jackets, as they made their way to the door.

Damian sighed, leaving the entrance of his house. His brain was telling him not to move. To stay there. But his feet moved on his own, following his family .

“Hey, it’s okay, baby bird. Don’t worry about it. You won't get picked.” Jason said ruffling his hair.

“He's right, Damian,” Tim chimed in.

“Hey, and even if you were picked, there’s a lot of children who want to fight in the Hunger Games, someone is bound to volunteer!” Dick included.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” he spoke while lowering his head to try to prevent the tears from shedding.

“Don't worry Damian. We’ll protect you,” Bruce said while kneeling down to his level. “Don't worry. We promised to, remember?” He said while showing him his pinkie. “And we don’t break promises.”

Damian nodded. Instead, he avoided eye contact. “I understand, father.”

“Now let's go!” Jason cheered.

They all started to walk ahead leaving Damian behind. Damian took a deep breath, as he quickly sped up his pace to catch up with them.

Soon enough, they were reaching the center. They could hear the warning shots ringing out from the center of the District. It was time to start The Reaping.

#maribat #maribat april angst apocalypse #daminette #maridami #marinette x damian #adrien agreste #yall mlb stand better not attack me

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kurtty-drabbles · 4 years ago

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Postwoman au (Part 8)

N/A: Kitty meets Chernobog. He is smitten by her. Kitty is being loyal to himself without knowing.

@dannybagpipesarecalling @tieflingteeth @muninandhugin

The city is fulled of people carrying offerings-it looks like offerings. No one seems to be carrying flowers and painting their door for just aesthetic reasons- and Kitty is carefully watching the moves. Mingling among the crows is easy, no one seems to mind how Kitty has no flowers.

She has, however, a traditional braid. So traditional many other ladies are spotting the same style. Kitty is so easily blending among everyone else. No one is minding the new welcomer.

"Come on, the midnight is coming" Kitty caught one of them speaking in a hushed tone. "We must paint the doors now. Come on" they said and ignore Kitty strolling among the streets.

"The midnight is coming...oh no, I think he´ll be worse than last year" one of them replies.

Kitty is not aware of what they´re saying. She´s, however, noticing some of the draws crafted at the doors.

"My boss has one of them..." mutters softly. Her gaze can be intrusive if you´re the owner of the said door who gave a mean stare at her.

"Beat it, lady...I can´t house another one..." his grimace shifts slightly. "You´d have a place to stay, right? Midnight is approaching and he shows no mercy"

Kitty blinks and tilted her head. Should she show how she has no idea what he´s talking about or go with the flow?

"Of course, I´m just doing an errand...he´ll be worse than last year?" Thanks for Kitty for listening to some gossips. She has a small idea of what she´s dealing with.

Or so she hopes.

The man let his door wide open as his wife-or so she thinks, the woman is putting her hand over his shoulder in an intimate way- have the word. "Oh, this year he´ll be worse...his wife dishonor him...fool, and Chernobog is not in a good mood." she shakes her head. "He made a poor decision. I was rooting for that Romani woman, see. She wouldn´t have done such foolish thing and ...we, mortals, wouldn´t have to deal with the outcome"

Chernobog? Kurt mentioned him...

I promise to you, Kurt, I´ll be away from him and I´ll fulfill my promise.

"Thank you, and even don´t worry. I´ll not stay here to see this festival" Kitty promised. "I just need to catch one little thing and I´ll be out of everyone´s hair"

The woman and the husband look at each other confused.

"What hair has to do with anything? Miss, are you healthy in mind?"

______________________________________________________________________________________

The Slavic culture is not something Kitty can say she knows so intimately. Sure, some animes drop some names here and there and the same can be said to games, but nothing that could be helpful here.

Chronos for his part is just like games depicted him. The man even lives in a library. Oh, and to be lost in this library would be a dream. "Is this Alexandria's library?" Kitty dares to ask taking the shelves, the art, including the books in all their glorious details.

Chortle as she repeats the question to herself. Chronos takes his time-pun intended as he controls time or is he time itself- to answer Kitty´s answer.

"Not quite, the real one is fantastic as you can only imagine...but I saved some copies" winks conspiratory at her. The old sage man comes closer. "And what a lovely thing as you are doing in this library today of all days?"

Is that a pun?

"I´m looking for magic rocks..." Kitty confessed as she´s not lying and is all she is looking for.

No reason to lie to a God...so soon.

"Oh, right...is your time to pick those rocks...tell me, where you live there´s no more?" a conversational tone is used. Pleasantries can do wonder.

"Yes, pretty much" Kitty is not lying. Kitty is not telling the truth either. The devil is in the details.

The man has a contemplative look on his face. Stroking his beard for a minute almost makes him like Gandalf. Almost.

"Then you´re not a real witch!" stops his acts. "A real witch would know to not make any ritual tonight...so, is not about where, but when you come from...the stones are out of their time already?"

"Kinda" Kitty shurgs. "Do witches have a different smell or something?"

"That´s a timeless question, isn´t it?"

"Do you like doing puns?"

"Eternally!"

Kitty scoffs. You can scoff and still be polite to a God of time. Kitty can teach this lesson to anyone who wants to learn.

"Can I take the stones or am I forbidden?" Kitty dares to make this question.

Chronos just shrugs. "I control time, lady if you travel through time to pick magical stones...be my guess...just be careful with him...the older God loves a pretty thing, and you´re far too lovely to go unnoticed by him"

Kitty has the mind to not blush.

"My boss talked about Chernobog. I promise to you I´ll be extra careful"

"Krampus? That´s his name...in the future?! Interesting"

"His name is Kurt" Kitty confessed grinning. His name is easy on her tongue. Or does he have a Germanic name? "Krampus will work after midnight?"

Chrono smiles in a fatherly way.

"Careful, Krampus doesn´t exist in this time...yet" and winks at her as he points to the hill. "The stones are there...are you fated to do this task might as well do right. On your time, of course"

"How many puns can you do?"

"Eternally, my dear"

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The hill is not exactly high. The task is not exactly complex. The moonlight is shining, shimmering even and all Kitty has to do is to rock that glow as well. It´s too easy, in fact, is too easy that Kitty must have jinxed somehow. "So...why I thought this would be easy? Silly me, I should have expected ghosts and ...whatever the hell that was" she looks up to see the skeleton creature flying away from her.

She has 5 rocks in her pocket. All glowing in the primordial colors and Kitty sighs as she is ready to conclude the mission. "If he wants more..." she stops talking as her eyes widen to the hill, or so she thought, starts to move.

A dark chuckle is heard and Kitty sees golden eyes.

The eyes are so similar to Kurt and for some illogical reason, to illogical to go completely unnoticed to Kitty.

The woman is not terrified as she should be.

The creature senses. The creature is intrigued.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Kurt, in his present time, is pacing back and forth. Looking right and left. Until his good friend, Nicholas aka Saint Claus snaps Kurt from his little world with a forcefully pat on his shoulder.

"Kurt, you´re making me nauseous going back and forth" Saint Claus jokes.

Kurt is not smiling.

"Let me ask you this. Why you never told Kitty who you were in the past?"

"I...don´t know" and his golden eyes widen as his face fell. "Oh no...she meet me...in the worst way"

#Postwoman au #kitty pryde #kurt wagner #opsie should have tell her elf #kurtty #time travel and failing in love #I guess

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hey-hamlet · 5 years ago

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BNHA AU Ideas: Lab-brat

also on AO3

TL;DR:

Age 7, Izuku is taken from the family he knows to become a human labrat for the league of villains.

Age 13, he escapes.

izuku is a lil quirkless kid, born to an absent dad and a really great mum

like hisashi? he vanished when it came out izuku was quirkless. little did they know, he was actually trying to do right by them by doing that

because when izuku turns 6 hisashi's boss finds out about his quirkless son. dr tsubasa has new nomu fodder

hisashi tries to stop them but he doesnt want his son to suffer this alone if they kill him, so he gives in, they take izuku on his 7th birthday. bakugo is angry because no one will tell him what happened to izuku, because no one knows. inko moves in with the bakugos

now, they've never made a nomu from a quirkless kid before, but afo has given quirks to quirkless people before, and they didn't have any negative effects, which he's interested in. so they ask izuku if hed like a quirk and izuku says yes please! because he doesnt know hes been kidnapped, because his dad is there

afo is honestly just very interested in where this is going, he doesnt ever expect to really use izuku as a nomu, more a lab rat than anything. plus, the kid is cute and plays well with tomura so he might be useful

he asks izuku what type of quirk he'd like and izuku rambles about quirks for a little bit happily and tsubasa is Very Interested because if, like he thinks, the extra quirks dont break this kid's brain, hes going to have one very helpful labrat

also yes in this au shigiraki calls him "lab-brat"

so izuku eventually comes to the end of his quirk ramble and says "something minor but that can be used creatively"

so afo gives him a hardening quirk that can be used on a meter square of skin at a time

afo tells him it might hurt a bit but izuku says hes brave! so he takes it without crying and afo tells him hes very strong

izuku asks when hes going to see his mum. afo smiles and hisashi has a bad feeling

"your mum didn't want you anymore, she asked your dad to take care of you because he didn't like that you were quirkless. i didn't think that was fair so i told your father he could bring you to stay here."

and izuku is upset but his mum was never very supportive of him,,, she was nice? but other than that she just kinda exsisted. afo tells him its ok, sometime people are very mean without meaning to be and izuku is allowed to stay with dr tsubasa and his father so izuku cheers up a little

the doctor says hes going to work as his lab assistant as homeschooling and izuku is very excited to study quirks!! hisashi feels kinda bad bc he didn't want his son to be a villain but he's in awe of afo's ability to lie his actual ass off and his son is happy now so it's all good

basically: they know izuku has a hero complex a mile wide, so instead of breaking him, they play into it

anyway, extra quirks don't seem to degrade his mental function, afo tells izuku his quirks are from villains, trades and donations,,, which,,, he's not really lying ab that

izuku is priceless as a living growing experiment so they are very kind to him and pretty fond of him, he ends up getting a lot of healing quirks to compliment his role as lab-brat/nurse

so he has a much less powerful rewind quirk than eri, its like only 3 times normal speed in reverse, activated by choice

he has a pyrokinesis quirk (he got it for his birthday, he wanted to match his dad)

a feathered wing quirk (requested by dr tsubasa bc it would he "practical" (aka dude has issues))

he no longer has the hardening quirk, it went to an "employee"

also has a night vision quirk, a disinfection quirk, a jump quirk and a mild resistance quirk

most of the quirks he has a helpful ones, but ones that couldn't be used on nomu bc they needed an actual strategy to use. he had an emitter with mind mutation qualities at one point? so hes kinda a mismatch of a fluffy, glowing, lanky green child

v e r y smart, also very pale! because he's been outside very rarely

hes been told hes doing contract work for the heroics commission

so he does quirk testing (hes given the quirk for a bit and mucks around with it, then gives it back) and analysis

hes always thought something was wrong? because his big brother tomura hates heroes and ways always upset, his dad and tsubasa looked sad sometimes and sensei got hurt really badly one day and he had to help fix him

(he almost threw up bc afo had n o f a c e and izuku had to touch him, tsubasa couldn't convince izuku afo was alive until he had his eyes back)

and bc izuku is a soft boy he just wants to save them! so age 13 he goes to the part of the lab hes not allowed to bc its too "dangerous"

and

its filled

with what once

were people

he runs

afo isnt surpirsed exactly, he was expecting this and had a tracker implanted in the kid. but he thinks this could be interesting, new data to collect. the chip can read his vitals/location etc. so they dont need him by their side to collect data on him

so he just tells tsubasa and hisashi to let him go, afo will collect him if he gets too hurt. shigiraki is sad bc his mariokart buddy is gone but the labbrat with be back soon, because heroes are terrible

so they move the lab just incase, but dont really expect izuku to sell them out

so izuku is on his own in a city he doesnt know

hes not treated very well by strangers because hes very "mutant" looking, and has no money to his name. he doesnt trust police, he doesnt trust most heroes

a lot of the heroes he did analysis on turned out to be shady at best and hes nervous they'll throw him back to sensei

then he remembers nezu

nezu was a labrat, just like him.

and he thinks he might have a hope

so izuku knows the heroes that work at UA

he knows they are all good people too. heroics teaching pays well, but not as well as patrolling can, so they must value the kids over fame. however, he also knows rocking up in front of them asking to see nezu is a terrible idea

but its the only one he has

so, before he does all this he gets nezu's email and explains that he needs to talk to him, knowing nezu wont respond but at least he'll know of izuku if this stupid idea works, so he becomes a hero chaser

mics fight? shows up, heals mic and tells him he needs to talk to nezu then he runs away bc the police are coming

midnight? blocks a knife with his wing and heals her wounds, telling her he really needs to talk to nezu

aizawa? finds him bleeding in an alley and sits with him for an hour while he heals his wounds, tells him he really needs to talk to nezu

so at this point, nezu is very intrigued mostly because mic, midnight and aizawa have no idea what this kid's quirk is, and they have described him as looking different each time

so when the alarm goes off at UA before school starts hes not particularly alarmed, and he asks everyone to wait before responding

hes rewarded when he sees a sheepish izuku knocking on his window

anyway, izuku isnt doing too hot. in fact, afo was a few days away from picking him up because he was starving, cold and in pain

nezu opens the window and the first thing out of izuku’s mouth is "i was a labrat too" and nezu is Very Very Interested

izuku spills all he can and its clear to nezu that even though izuku thinks hes been treated well? he hasn't been

so nezu asks izuku if he has anywhere to go. which he doesnt, because his mum "gave him away" nezu asks if he'd be ok if he stayed with some of the teachers and izuku says "no i dont want to be a bother, ill find somewhere!" and aizawa walks in and says "lol nope come with me"

so hes just turned 14 fyi, aizawa is teaching some 3rd years and after they graduate hes getting a new class of first years (which hes going to expell all of them.)

so anyway, izuku tells them ab his quirks and nezu has a bad feeling so he calls all might and allmight has the worst feeling bc fuck its afo the bastard isn’t dead

#bnha au #labbrat au #midoriya izuku #principal nezu #izuku #aizawa shouta #eraserhead #AFO #hisashi midoriya #shigaraki tomura #dr tsubasa #midoriya #yamada hizashi #present mic

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noradarhkpalmer · 6 years ago

Text

Rider, Massachusetts

Title: Rider, Massachusetts

Rating: PG

Pairing: Nora Darhk/Ray Palmer aka Darhkatom

Warnings: Minor swearing

Summary/Notes: AU Based on an ask prompt: only two people in this hotel/inn and sitting in my room alone wasn’t fun so I’m invading yours.

Nora Darhk checks into the Storybrooke Inn after getting lost in the storm, pausing her road trip to be anywhere but Star City after the death of her parents. Ray Palmer's GPS stops working on his way home from a business trip in New York and that brings him to the small picturesque inn. They're the only two guests checked in and decide to be lonely together.

This started out as an ask prompt thanks to @jakelovesamy and now it turned into all of this. I am so please and so stoked about this. I've always wanted to write an ooey gooey holiday fic like this but never had the right idea.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH EL REALLY YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY. Enjoy everyone! El I hope you love it! PS there will be a bit of an epilogue type chapter after this just so Maude can gloat.

She hadn’t planned to be here. Neither had he. When the snow got bad somehow, kismet, serendipity, fate, maybe even God, led them to both pull into the Storybrooke Inn. Coincidence or not, the Inn looked something straight out of a storybook. It was still covered in Christmas lights and decorations as was the small quaint town of Rider, Massachusetts. Ray was in New York for a business meeting when his GPS suddenly stopped working and he got lost. Nora was trying to be anywhere but Star City. She was a long way from home, across the country to be precise, she’d been taking the cross country trip ever since her parents were killed in a car crash just before Christmas.

Nora had arrived first. She walked into the just as equally decorate foyer of the inn and then walked up to the front desk, ringing the bell. She glanced around to the adjoining living room, seeing presumably locals since there was only one other car than hers in the parking lot, probably the owner’s, playing cards, chess, reading, just sitting somewhere to get warm and be a little less lonely on New Years Eve.

An older woman came from another adjoining room that she couldn’t tell what it was and smiled warmly at her.

“Can I help you?” Nora looked the woman over and the warmth didn’t seem to fade, she was embodiment of the holidays and everything Nora never had growing up.

Nora nodded. “Yes, I got a bit lost and the storm is making it pretty impossible to get anywhere so I’ll be needing a room for the night.”

“Well we’re happy fate brought you to Rider either way. I’m Maude Mills, I own the inn.” She extended her hand to Nora and Nora shook it.

“I’m Nora… Sorry, my hands are still a bit chilly from the storm outside.” Nora quickly retracted her hand and watched as the woman reached behind her for keys off the very full key rack behind her.

“That’s alright, dear, just sign in here.” Maude pointed to a pad in front of her on the desk and Nora filled out her basic information. “You’ll be our only guest, if you get too lonely up there, a lot of the locals like to stick around late into the evening to ring in the new year. You’re welcome to join us.”

Nora smiled sadly, not quite in the New Years Eve mood and nodded. “Thank you, but the warm bed in the room will probably just put me right to sleep.”

Maude nodded. “Okay, well, we’ll be here if we change your mind. Let me walk you up to your room.”

xxxx

Ray pulled up to an inn that he hoped was open. He saw just a few cars and was even surprised to see the Washington plates on the car next to his. Of all the gin joints. He walked inside with his bags, seeing an older woman at the front desk as he strolled up, glad that the inn was in fact open.

“Hi there!” He greeted.

“Well hello there! What a treat, I get two guests in the span of an hour. I’m Maude, who you might you be?”

“I’m Ray… I got a bit lost in the storm and need a room for the night, please tell me you’re not all booked up for the holidays?” He asked and going off the full key rack, save for one set of keys missing, it probably wasn’t.

Maude waved him off and laughed at his joke. “Nope, you’ll be my one of two guests. Just sign in here and I’ll get you all set up.”

Ray obliged and noticed the only other name on the guestbook. Nora Darhk. He’d heard that name before but he couldn’t place where. He finished and took the keys from Maude and let her lead him to his room.

xxxx

Nora looked up from her book when she heard shuffling and voices move past her door. Maude? Another guest? She heard a deeper, charming, male voice chatting with Maude. She heard a door open near her and shut a few moments later. Nora shivered slightly and stared at the unlit fireplace across from her bed. She really didn’t want to start a fire and possibly set something else on fire in the process so she resolved to sitting on her bed in her thickest sweater and coziest socks.

Another few hours passed and Nora, despite moving under the covers now, was almost completely freezing. She looking at the time 10:13pm. Less than two hours to midnight. To a new year. To the first full year ahead of her without her parents. She swallowed thickly, trying to not let herself be sad about it. She let herself grieve and mourn up to the funeral and the wake after but quickly locked that part of herself away after that.

Nora was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a loud noise from the room next to hers. The clunking of logs and a satisfied sigh. Whoever was next door had started their fireplace. She sighed. Who was she? Sitting in here all pathetic by herself on New Years Eve. She couldn’t even be bothered to start her own fireplace. Nora, now in her pajamas, grabbed her robe and slipped on her houseshoes and padded out of the room. Wait what was she doing?

Not being alone. That’s what she was doing.

Knocking on a complete stranger’s door two hours to midnight? They could be a serial killer? Or they could just make her feel a little less lonely.

Nora gently rapped on the door next to hers and she sucked in a breath as a very tall, handsome, and shirtless man answered the door. She was so stunned her hand was still raised as if she were still knocking.

“Hey, can I help you?” The man greeted with a smile.

Words stuck in Nora’s throat as she tried so hard not to stare at the man’s muscular chest and arms. “Umm… I just heard you starting your fire and I really don’t want to set my room on fire so I was wondering if I umm wow this sounds so stupid now that I am saying it out loud but… I was wondering if I could hang out in here?”

The man looked down after Nora was noticeably staring and realized he was still shirtless. He fetched his shirt from the bed and slid on the plain black tee. He leaned against the doorframe and listened to her request. Something inside him told him to let her in.

“Sure. Come on in, get warm, you look cold.”

Nora smiled in thanks and walked inside, wrapping her arms around herself, not sure what to do but thankful for the good 10 degree difference between his room and hers.

“I’m Ray by the way, Ray Palmer.” Ray held out his hand to Nora.

Nora shook it. “I’m Nora, Nora Darhk.” She smiled and then puzzle pieces clicked in her brain. “Like as in Ray Palmer of Palmer Technologies?”

“That’s me.” He grinned.

Nora guffawed. “What in the world are you doing at this tiny little Inn in Massachusetts?”

“I was on a business trip in New York and got a bit lost.” He shrugged. “Guess you can’t always count on GPS’s huh?” Ray offered her a seat on his bed and she gingerly sat down, pulling her legs up to her chest. “It seems we’re the only two guests so… what brought you to Rider?”

“Same as you… I mean… I got lost because of the storm. I’ve been on a cross country road trip since Christmas Eve.”

“Are you the one with the Washington state plates? Are you driving across the country to see different family members?”

Nora nodded. “Yeah… that’s me, why? And no… I don’t have any family, kinda why I took the roadtrip. To get away from that small fact.”

Ray had a sudden flash. An obituary in the paper for a Ruve Adams and a Damien Darhk, killed in a car crash, survived by their daughter… Nora. “You live in Star City, don’t you?”

Nora furrowed her brow, now suspecting this man was either a stalker, serial killer, or too good to be true. “Yeah… why do you know this much about me?”

Ray realized how all of his questions sounded and waved her off. “No it’s not like that… I saw your parents’ obituary in the paper a couple weeks ago… I’m sorry for your loss. That must be so hard losing them so close to the holidays.”

“Yeah well… that’s just how fate likes to treat me.” She shrugged. “I lost my job back in September and then this… I basically emptied my savings and found myself on the interstate on Christmas Eve, which is a bitch to dive in by the way, I’ve just been trying to be anywhere but Star City or any place that reminds me of my parents. I was on my way to Boston when I got lost and ended up here.”

Ray reached out and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I really am. Four years ago… I lost my fiancee, we got mugged at gunpoint and… he shot us both I somehow survived. I don’t know why or how… it doesn’t seem fair. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why she died and I got to live. I spent a lot of time with that pain, I wish I had the agency you did to just take off and deal with it in whatever way you pleased. If you want to talk about it more, I’m here, I know we just met but maybe opening up to a complete stranger you’ll never see again might be easier.”

Nora wiped away a stray tear that she was pissed she let fall and shook her head. “You never know, you might bump into me on the streets of Star City. But, I know what you mean. I’m sorry you lost her, but maybe you’re still here because of a greater purpose. I read the papers, your tech company is not only successful but gives back and really makes an effort to change things at a grassroots level, that’s revolutionary. None of that would be possible if you weren’t still here.”

Ray hadn’t thought of it that way. It didn’t make the pain of losing Anna any less worse four years down the line but it did make him breathe a little easier thinking about it. She was right. He had found purpose in those four years even though some of it was because he had thrown himself a little too much into his work but, he was still proud of all that he had accomplished.

“So, what’s this job that was stupid enough to let you go?” He asked, trying to move onto a lighter tone to the evening.

Nora tried to hide her smile. “I didn’t technically lose it, it’s just over for the season. Don’t judge… but I work at a Renaissance Fair. I’m considering not going back next season because my boss is a jerk so I kind of decided to lose my job.”

Ray tried to hold in his laugh. “Of all the things I thought you would say, that was definitely not it.”

Nora rolled her eyes. “You can laugh, go ahead. It wasn’t my first choice in jobs either. I have a teaching degree but no one wants to hire a drama teacher in the age of STEM.” She sarcastically airquoted ‘STEM’ and realized she was talking to a man with probably multiple degrees all in STEM fields. “Sorry.” She blushed and looked away.

Ray shrugged. “No, it’s okay. I love the arts. I have a lot of paintings in my apartment I commission from local artists and I love musicals. The arts are still important no matter what other science fuddy-duddies say.”

Nora smiled and realized they were still holding hands, she tried to retract, realizing he probably hadn’t meant to hold her hand this long but he simply put his other hand on the other side of hers and smiled, so she kept it there.

“So you like musicals?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Do I? Singin in the Rain is my favorite movie of all time.”

Nora grinned. “I’m more of a Grease girl myself, but I can appreciate Debbie Reynolds in her prime.”

“What else do you like to do other than watch musicals and what exactly is it that you do at the Ren fair?”

“I’m a witch. I tell fortunes and pretend to cast loves spells or curse enemies. All very Morgana Le Fey type stuff.” She found herself now playing with his fingers as he let off one of his hands off and she tangled their fingers together. It felt almost instinctual to do this. And she wasn’t sure why.

“You continue to surprise me, Nora Darhk.” He shook his head and gazed at her longingly, he really truly hoped he’d bump into her one day in Star City.

Nora moved their hands so they were in a position to thumb wrestle and gave him a smirk. They absently started thumb wrestling as they continued to talk.

“And to answer your other question, I like to draw, paint, I dabble a little bit in photography, I sort of do a little bit of everything since I don’t exactly have the most stable job in the world.”

“Paint anything I might have seen in a gallery or coffee shop?”

She shook her head. “I’m not that good, I’d love to start a photography series called Faces in the City where I just capture Star City for what it is, the good and the bad. Maybe it’ll help bring change, I’d love to donate and proceeds I make off of selling prints to homeless shelters around town.”

His heart swelled. This woman had had the worst few months of her life and there was still room in her heart for people less fortunate than her. She was a marvel.

“I could help you with that,” he offered.

Nora realized he meant financially and she waved him off. “No… you don’t have to do that.”

“No, come on I think it’s a great idea, maybe if not with that but with the drama teacher gig. I give a lot to STEM camps but I also give a lot to art programs. Summer programs that teach kids how to write, draw, paint, do theatre, music, dance. They’re always looking for qualified instructors.”

“I had one real year of teaching before they cut the funding at my school so I’m not exactly what you would call ‘qualified’,” she said.

“I think you’re plenty amazing and any school would be lucky to have you shaping and encouraging the future minds of this country. Teachers don’t get enough credit. If you ever need a recommendation while you’re job hunting, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Nora choked out a laugh. “You’ve known me for an hour, why would you want to do that?”

“Because I see that there is something incredibly special about you, Nora, and I’m really glad whatever it was that brought us here together tonight did. I don’t know how we ended up being the only two residents of this inn but I’m thankful it meant we got to meet.”

Nora face flushed. What exactly did he mean by all of that? Was it romantic interest? Plantonic interest? Was she even ready for romantic interest? She’d known this man an hour. She glanced at the clock 11:15pm. Forty-five minutes until 2019. She looked into his eyes and smiled. “Me too.”

They spent the next forty minutes talking about life, laughing at how rowdy the locals downstairs were getting, Ray showed her some of his personal invention ideas that he just had to get on paper somewhere, he wasn’t sure if they’d ever come to be, but they all revolved around making the world a safer and better place and Nora’s heart swelled at his heart for humanity. It was now five minutes to midnight and they had moved to sit in front of the fire. Ray had snuck downstairs and nabbed a bottle of sparkling grape juice and two glasses. He poured them each a glass and settled down next to her in front of the fire.

Nora had shed her robe, it was too hot to have it on and sit in front of the fire but now it was almost like she was just still a smidge too cold to be comfortable.

Ray noticed her shivering and fetched a blanket, he sat back down across from her and draped the blanket over the both of them, their legs brushed together. Nora looked absolutely beautiful next to the fire. An absolute angel if he were honest. Maybe one day she would be his angel.

The minutes ticked by and they sat in a comfortable silence, two minutes to midnight now.

“Hey, Ray?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever kissed anyone at midnight?” She asked, looking a little apprehensive to even broach the subject of the New Years Eve tradition.

Ray nodded. “Anna and I did every New Years we were together. What about you?”

Nora shook her head. “If my dad was awake he’d kiss my cheek and say ‘Happy New Year, Nora-doll’ but other than that, no.”

“Why do you ask?” He couldn’t help himself now, he reached for her free hand and tangled their fingers together.

“Will you kiss me at midnight?” Any boldness she had left her body the minute she asked and immediately tore her hand away to cover her mouth. “I’m sorry… that was really forward wow are you sure this is non-alcoholic?”

Ray chuckled. “Yes.”

Nora looked up at him. “Yes to what?”

Ray heard cheering from below and a clock tower chiming in the distance. Midnight. He smiled and pulled her in for a soft, sweet kiss and then pulled back. “What do you think?”

Nora smiled in return and pulled him back in for another kiss. “I’m really happy we decided to be lonely together.”

“Happy New Year, Nora.” If she hadn’t just met him tonight, she’d consider the look in his eyes to be of complete adoration and love.

“Happy New Year, Ray.” She knew now that 2019 would be her absolute best year yet.

#darhkatom #ray palmer #nora darhk #ask #prompt #au #ooey gooey #fluff

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julia-highstorms · 6 years ago

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The Girl With The Leopard Print Coat (Damien x OC (Ellie)) - NSFW

Summary: A sketchbook, punk music and a leopard print coat were everything that Damien Nazario remembered of that night.

Author’s note: this fanfic takes place in my “The Third Park” AU, before the events of PM, even before Damien met Allen and Nadia and Alana. This is a special part showing that Ellie was the first ‘Park cousin’ D actually met.

Copyright: Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, only Ellie is mine. Damien is 100% human here and mine is a Male!MC named Allen. Santiago Cabrera’s, Ni Ni’s and all the gifs don’t belong to me.

Songs: 4ever by The Veronicas and Get You Alone by The Donnas are the songs that most inspired me to write this story, but I made a playlist with the songs that were playing during the rock show, songs that Ellie listened to as an emo-punk rocker girl (AKA what I listened to when I was a teenager and still listens to sometimes lol). The links for each song is in the fanfic!

Pairing: Damien x Ellie (OC)

Rating: +18 (drugs, sex and rock n’ roll)

Word count: 5260

Tagging my TTP readers: @christopher-powell @boneandfur @kennaxval @writtenbycandy @thequeenchoices @client327 @damienazariostan @never-ending-choices @walkerismychoice @laniquelovely @confessionsofabrokegirl @dangerous-capri15 @parkerattano @clarissafics @pilitella @hellomynameisdeviblaire @odetomars @cocomaxley @her-imperial-hangman-s @endlesswoods @miss-cordonia-deactivated201808 If you would like to be tagged, please, tell me!

The girl was wearing a band t-shirt, black ripped skinny jeans, a leopard print coat, combat boots and a choker with spikes that matched her rocker style. She had a straight short black hair and, despite the bang partially covering her face, Damien Nazario could see that the stranger - she probably was around 20 - was pretty. Her curious dark eyes scanned the train car as she brought the sketchbook in her hands closer to her face.

From the spot where he was standing, Damien couldn’t see what she was doing, but using his investigative skills and basing on the way she kept glancing between the people in there and her sketchbook, the man guessed that she was drawing them. She already was doing it when he entered the car.

Then, her eyes locked on his. He gave her a small grin which she responded with a coyly smirk, her cheeks getting a shade pinker. Damien concluded that he was her next target as her hand expertly moved on her sketchbook.

Eleanor Zhou was a junior at Hartfeld University and one of her favorite hobbies was drawing strangers in trains. Especially when they were dashingly gorgeous like that one.

She had just finished sketching an old lady reading a book across her seat and was looking around, wondering who she should draw next, when her eyes locked on a standing figure a few feet from her.

He had his hair cut very short, clever brown eyes, a chiseled jawline, super kissable lips and his nose and dark eyebrows brought harmony to his handsome face.

Ellie felt a heartleap when she noticed that he was already staring at her - but not in a creepy way -, curiously. The attractive stranger - he was a few years older than her, in his mid-twenties - grinned slightly, as if he was allowing her to draw him and so she did. They exchanged a few more glances and smirks, until it was her stop. The girl quickly put her sketchbook and pencil in her backpack and hopped out of the train.

She saw him looking at her one last time as she walked down the platform of the Brooklyn Bridge subway station. The train and the gorgeous stranger were soon gone.

It was October’s last Saturday night and twenty-year-old Ellie was in New York City, her favorite city in the whole world (not that she had seen much of the world, but still). Her parents had let her go there to watch the show of her favorite and obscure femme punk band, Coagurot (they would never tour near Cedar Cove, her hometown, and they weren’t known enough to go to Hartfeld), only if one of her cousins agreed to go with her.

“Yes, Mom, I’m on my way to meet Nadia, and then we’re going to the bar where the band is going to play.” - she spoke through her phone. - “No, Allen won’t go with us because he’s out on a date... I don’t know when it will end, there are a lot of other bands playing tonight and I want to listen to them too.” - she heard her mother’s concerned voice from the other side. - “Yeah, I’ll text you when we get home, but you and Dad will probably be sleeping. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay and I’ll be back to Hartfeld tomorrow evening. Love you too, bye.”

She ended the call and let out a relieved sigh. Her mom always worried way too much. She was just going to watch a concert with her favorite cousin (and okay, Nadia Park wasn’t exactly the most responsible person in the world, but Ellie knew that that small cinnamon bun would fight anyone to protect themselves). If her mother knew about all those parties Ellie went to in Hartfeld and what happened there…

“Oh my God, you’re here!” - Nadia squealed as she pulled her cousin into a tight hug. - “Did you find your way easily? The subway map can be a little confusing!”

“Yeah, it was all good. Thanks for letting me sleep here today, by the way.” - Eleanor entered the small studio apartment. It was a mess like always, but at least the couch was free.

“Good! I’m sorry I didn’t meet you at the station, I was too busy looking for the perfect look!” - Ellie chuckled as she put her backpack down.

“You know we’re going to a punk rock concert, right? Not a fashion show.”

“I know!” - Nadia rolled her eyes and shoved her cousin playfully. - “But I have to look the part, you know! If they find out that my favorite band is Coldplay, I’ll be massacred there! So!” - she spinned on her toes. - “Do I look like a punk princess?”

“The tutu certainly gives you a princess look and the ripped pantyhose and combat boots are punk-ish. They’re beautiful, by the way, just like mine.”

“Girl, how can you wear them everyday?! They’re so heavy!”

“I guess we just get used to them.” - she shrugged. - “Besides, they’re way easier to walk around than high heels.”

“Hey, don’t you dare say anything about my heels! You got lucky that you’re tall!” - Ellie chuckled. Nadia was always the same. - “Anyway, when will the bands start playing?”

“They will start at 10 o’clock, but I guess Coagurot will play only around midnight.”

“Then we have enough time to gossip and grab something to eat before the show!” - Nadia said, applying a heavy makeup to her pretty face. - “So, any news?”

The bar was located in Manhattan and they ate hot dogs from a street food vendor on their way there. When the two girls arrived, a band was already playing.

“Oh my God, it’s Black Flag!” - Eleanor squealed excitedly, walking through the crowd to get closer to the small stage of the place, with Nadia following her close behind.

“The guitarist is cute!” - her cousin observed, making Ellie roll her eyes.

They enjoyed the rest of the show and more two bands played before Coagurot was finally announced.

“You used to love me but now your heart is cold as ice…” - the singer sang intensely, the crowd cheering wildly. Eleanor singed along, flipping her hair around as she rocked back and forth.

Even after Coagurot had finished their set and were substituted by another band, the two cousins continued dancing into the night, energized by the electric vibe of the place.

Damien Nazario asked for his fourth beer and another shot of Bacardi of that night. Maybe if he kept drinking, the alcohol would make all that noise more bearable. He was on his favorite dive bar, he liked to go there whenever he felt like celebrating - or just drinking, to be honest - and to listen to the people who performed there. They usually were jazz bands, but that night it was happening some kind of a music festival, with a lot of punk bands taking on the small stage.

Punk wasn’t really his scene; he liked the good old rock n’ roll better.

And he knew that he could just simply go home - it was past midnight already and he had to go work early on Monday -, but he saw a certain girl with a leopard print coat in the middle of that mosh pit.

And Damien firmly believed that coincidences didn’t happen; that it was some kind of sign. What were the odds of meeting her twice in the same night? He should go talk to her when he had the chance.

...But she still was in the middle of the crowd, dancing alone and singing along to the song, so beautiful looking like she was having the time of her life. He watched her from the bar counter, sipping on his drink.

After he finished his beer, the man decided to go outside to smoke a cigarette. He was trying to quit it, but smoking always seemed to make the time pass faster, and the girl didn’t seem to be leaving the dance floor so soon.

After two hours of uninterrupted dancing and jumping, Eleanor Zhou’s legs and her dry throat were begging for a break. She looked around, searching for Nadia - who disappeared during the pit; she still wasn’t ready to be a part of it -, when she saw her cousin in one dark corner, making out with a long haired dude. Ellie chuckled to herself as she headed to the bar counter.

The girl asked for a bottle of water when she noticed a broad shouldered and not completely stranger figure walking towards the backdoor of the bar. After she got her drink, she followed him, heading outside, which turned out to be a smoking area.

The place smelled like nicotine, pot and piss, some people smoked in groups and there were couples with their tongues down each other’s throats, but Ellie didn’t care; her eyes were locked on the lone figure leaning against the building’s wall.

It was him. The guy from the train. That was a sign. It had to be. What were the odds of meeting him twice in the same night? She simply had to talk to him now. Besides, she was leaving NYC the next day. That was her only chance to talk to him.

Taking a deep breath, she walked towards him, her heart pounding inside her chest.

Of course Damien Nazario noticed the girl with the leopard print coat approaching him, but he just kept searching for his lighter, with a cigarette on his lips.

“Uh, hey.” - she greeted him with a coyly smile. He looked up to her face. She was even more beautiful closer, with her cheeks flushed due to all that dancing and jumping around. - “I guess I saw you at the train earlier.” - he finally got to light up his cigarette.

“And I saw you.” - he grinned back at her. - “How was the drawing?”

Her smile widened slightly. She felt happy that he remembered her. And he seemed easy to talk to.

“It turned out okay. If I had the sketchbook with me here I’d show you, but I left it at home. It’s a little hard sketching on a moving car, but you were great standing still. Thanks for that.”

“It was my pleasure. I’m Damien by the way. You?”

“Ellie.” - they shook each other’s hand. His hand was big and warm and hers was smaller and softer.

“So, Ellie… I was about to offer you a drink… but I guess you’re not old enough yet, based on your drink choice.” - he pointed to the bottle of water in her left hand. He liked the sound of her laugh.

“Well, I still can’t buy myself a drink, but if you’re really willing to do that, I won’t deny it.” - he chuckled softly. She was smooth.

“You really shouldn’t be telling me this.”

“Why, are you a cop?”

“Detective.” - he quickly showed her his NYPD badge. She seemed impressed but not intimidated by it. - “I’ve been promoted recently. This is why I’m here, actually. Celebrating on my favorite bar.”

“Oh yeah, you definitely seem to be on a celebrating mood. Drinking alone and smoking on the corner.” - she mocked him. His grin widened slightly too. She was bold and sarcastic; Damien definitely liked her.

“Well, I’d be happier if there wasn’t so much noise inside.”

“It’s not noise; it’s music.” - Ellie corrected him.

“All I can hear is a lot of yelling and no melody.”

“Oh my God, don’t tell me you’re that kind of guy who considers only ‘classic rock music good’. This is such a turn off.”

“I’m not saying this… but I kind of agree with it.” - she rolled her eyes.

“And what do you consider ‘real music’, then, Mr. Detective? Which is your favorite band?”

“Dire Straits.”

“...Okay, they are good.” - she agreed with him, making Damien chuckle again. - “But that doesn’t mean that today’s music isn’t good too. They’re going to be tomorrow’s classic.”

He partially agreed with her.

“So you came here tonight for the show?” - she nodded at him, taking a sip of her water. He glanced at her rosy lips, wondering what was her taste. - “Which one?”

“Coagurot, a femme punk band from Texas. But they played like an hour ago and I’ve been enjoying the other bands too. Unlike someone.” - he decided to ignore her mockness.

“Hmm… and are you leaving any time soon?” - he saw a mischievous shine on her eyes.

“I don’t know.” - she shrugged. - “My cousin simply vanished after the mosh pit. I think she is making out with some random guy somewhere. What about you? Leaving soon?”

“I was planning on going home, but I guess I can stay a little longer.” - he scooped closer to her. Their lips were just a breath away, his thumb already brushing off the hair of her pretty face, when she suddenly pulled out, smirking mischievously.

“You know what? I guess you really should give another chance to my ‘noisy punk music’. What do you say?”

Damien knew she was playing with him. But he agreed to play her game anyway.

“Okay, sure. Why not?”

She smiled widely before shoving him back inside. He put out his halfway smoked cigarette.

“Hey! What are you doing?” - Ellie asked when Damien stopped walking suddenly.

“I told you that I would give another chance to punk music by listening to it, not by going in there.” - he pointed to the crowd jumping around like crazy right in front of the stage. The girl rolled her eyes.

“Hmm, are you scared of getting caught in the middle of a mosh pit, Mr. Detective?”

“No.” - he frowned and she knew that he clearly was lying. He was afraid of it.

“Okay, okay, we can listen from afar then.” - she said, leaning against the wall in the back of the bar, right next to him.

The listened to the edgy music in silence. Ellie bobbed her head following the rhythm of the song.

“Seriously, you have to confess that the beat is energising.”

“It certainly is… but how can someone dance to it? And by ‘dancing’ I mean using your body, not just your head.” - he kept criticising it. She rolled her eyes one more time before turning to face him.

“It’s simple; I believe we can dance to pretty much anything. All you need to do is move accordingly to the rhythm.” - and then she started throwing her head back and forth, her arms in the air, her hips swinging to the music in the right tempo. - “And feel the music.”

Damien watched the girl dancing in front of him, arousal building up inside him. He could have said that it was because of the alcohol, or because of that look in her eyes and her cheesy smile, or even the strangely sexy beat of the song that was playing, but the true was that he wanted her so fucking bad.

Without saying a single word, he suddenly pulled her in and Ellie felt herself pressed against his broad and firm chest, his arms already tight around her waist and the scent of cigarette mixed with the leather from his jacket and his perfume hitting her hard.

Her cheeks immediately got hotter and her heart beat faster, but she didn’t pulled out. In fact, she slowly looked up to his face, seeing his brown eyes darkened with lust searching for hers. She felt an exciting shiver running through her spine as he slowly leaned in and their mouths met.

To Ellie’s surprise, the kiss was incredibly gentle, but super hot at the same time. Damien’s lips lingered on hers, while his hands explored her body expertly, making her breath speed up. She deepened the kiss, throwing her arms around his shoulders, trying to get even more closer to him.

Suddenly, he changed their positions and Eleanor felt her back against the wall and Damien’s weight pressing her there, the warmth of his body enveloping her, his heart beating as fast as hers. Her head spinned and she felt so intoxicated by him as they tasted one another. It almost felt like the world had stopped around them.

She groaned softly when she felt his crotch hardening against her, and that was enough to make a heat pool between her legs too. Oh, she wanted him so bad.

They pulled apart when they needed some air, both feeling hot and bothered.

“Hey…” - Ellie murmured as Damien hid his face on her neck, softly sucking the smooth skin there, making her feel dizzier. She had no idea how long they’ve been making out, but she didn’t care.

“What?” - he asked, his thumb contouring the shape of her swollen, soft and delicious lips.

“What do you say we go somewhere a little more private?” - she proposed, a mischievous smirk already on her beautiful face.

The man grinned back.

“I’d like that. I want to get you alone and have you all on my own since we were in that train.” - he whispered in her ear, making her crave for him even more, if that was possible. He watched Eleanor biting her bottom lip seductively before guiding him through the people, her hand on his, their fingers intertwined.

As soon as they entered the restroom - they had no idea in which one they were, men’s or women’s, and if there were people around; they couldn’t care less - they stumbled together into the small stall, their mouths already tasting each other, their bodies eager for each other’s touch.

“Wait, wait.” - she whispered, stopping kissing Damien for a second. But it was really hard to keep her mind straight with his hands roaming all over her body like that. - “You have a condom, right?”

“Of course I have.” - he muttered back as he impatiently unfastened her tight skinny jeans.

“Well, it is always good to kno— oh…” - she moaned when his fingers found her sensitive core, underneath her clothes. She already was so wet and hot down there.

“Do you like this?” - he smirked, his forehead on hers, watching Ellie’s breath speeding up as he circled her clit. She nodded.

“Fuck me...” - she ordered before kissing him hard, in a way to contain her moans, fully aware that they shouldn’t make any sound. It all turned everything even more exciting.

Damien groaned when her cold hand found his stiff length, pumping it, her lips already on his neck, putting light and delirious kisses there. He felt himself getting dizzy.

When he couldn’t hold back anymore, he quickly fished a condom inside his wallet and put it on, while Eleanor took off her leopard print coat and hanged it on somewhere safe. She bought that coat with her own money from her internship and it wasn’t exactly cheap.

Suddenly, he turned her back to him, his hands already on the waistband of her jeans, sliding it down, along with her underwear, just enough for him to have access of her. Ellie hid her face on the stall wall, muffling a gasp when he slid inside her. Damien had to bit her neck to hold a moan as he filled her slowly, letting her and himself get used to the sensation of their bodies connecting. Fuck, she was so tight.

“Uh, fuck…” - she cursed when he started pressing forward and deeper insistently, his big hands gripping on the soft flesh of her hips. Again, it felt both tender and passionate. How could he do it? Make it feel almost gentle when they were fucking in a stall? That man was something else. - “This feels so good…”

“Shh, they’re going to hear us…” - he whispered on her ear, his hot breath against her skin. It felt so damn good inside her.

Arching her back, they moved together, gradually speeding up their pace, trying to contain their moans, their bodies tensing, craving for more. Ellie squirmed when one of his hands was back to that sensitive spot between her legs, bringing her close to the edge, until she felt like her whole body exploded in a million pieces. Damien let out a low curse, feeling her sex throbbing, her walls tightening around him, until he couldn’t handle it anymore and hit his own climax too.

“Holy shit…” - she murmured, feeling his weight pressing her against the stall wall and his arms still all around her, holding her tight.

After their breaths and heat gradually slowed down, he discarded the used condom away, they pulled up their jeans, sharing mischievous grins, and she put her coat back on. When they walked out of the stall, sharing another kiss, the restroom was empty, thankfully.

“Is that drink offer still up?” - Ellie asked him as they returned to the saloon, hand in hand.

“I won’t buy you anything alcoholic.” - Damien stated. She laughed but agreed that a soda was good enough.

As they waited for their drinks - a coke for her and another shot of rum for him -, the girl noticed that she had several texts and voicemails from her cousin.

“Where the fuck are you?! I couldn’t understand a single thing you were trying to say!” - Eleanor shouted on her phone, over the noise of the bar.

“Ellie! I am out… outside like in the back, you know?” - her cousin was talking in a slower pace. Fuck, was she drunk? Although Nadia was old enough to drink, she was such a lightweight. She could get drunk with a single beer.

“Yeah, I know, the smoking area. Are you alone?”

“No… I found this super nice dude… and his friends…” - she heard chuckles and giggles on the back.

“Alright, wait for me, I’m going there.” - Eleanor shoved the phone inside her pocket. - “I gotta go.” - she told the man standing next to her, who watched the whole exchange attentively.

“Already? Is everything okay?” - Damien asked.

“I guess. My cousin is drunk, and this means that this is my cue to go before she does something stupid.” - she put a light kiss on his cheek. - “Tonight was lovely, Mr. Detective.” - she whispered playfully on his ear before turning and walking away hurriedly.

“Ellie, wait!” - he put the money on the counter and tried to follow her, but a mosh pit started all of sudden and he almost got caught in the middle of it.

And then, the girl with the leopard print coat simply vanished in the crowd.

“Ellie!” - Nadia waved at her, surrounded by some guys. - “C’mere!” - Eleanor didn’t like the way they looked at both of them. She momentarily wished she had brought Damien with her, but she could handle them just fine.

“Nadia, it’s time to go. The last train leaves soon.” - she said, pulling her cousin closer. - “Did you smoke?” - she asked, smelling the distinctly sweet scent on her cousin’s breath.

“Hey, calm down, baby! Why the hurry?” - the long haired guy she saw earlier with Nadia said, circling them. Ellie glared at him, her hand gripping harder on Nadia’s forearm. - “Brad, give her some pot! It will make you feel all good and chill, baby!”

“No, thanks, Brad.” - she hissed, pulling her cousin out of the circle. All of the dudes seemed intimidated by her and let the girls go anyway. Thankfully all of them were too stoned to try anything. - “Did they do something to you? Did you smoke?” - Nadia giggled as she was being dragged back into the bar by her cousin.

“Juuuust a little… and, uh, it felt so amazing for a while, you know?! I felt like I could dance through the whole night…!”

“Oh my God, Nadia, you know you’re a lightweight and genuinely thought it was a good idea to smoke pot?!” - Ellie frowned disapprovingly.

She scanned the saloon, her eyes searching for a certain Mr. Detective, but he was nowhere to be seen. She mentally cursed herself; she forgot to give him her number. Maybe she would find him on Facebook or whatever later. Though he didn’t look like the type of guy who had any account on any social media. Hm, maybe on the NYPD website?

They walked out of the bar, back to the Manhattan streets.

“You worry way too much, Ellie, I feel great! Oh, do you have something to drink? My throat feels so dry!” - Nadia kept mumbling before taking a look around them, totally lost, not recognising the streets they walked through. - “Ugh, where are we going?”

“Home. If we‘re lucky, we’ll be able to take the last train.”

“Oh, okay.” - she turned to look at her cousin. - “I’ve had so much fun tonight, we should definitely do this again! And bring Allen with us next time!” - Ellie thought that it was a good idea; Allen had always been more sensible than Nadia and, if he had been there with them that night, they both would probably have been able to stop her from doing something stupid. Eleanor definitely was missing her other cousin that moment. - “Omg, he’ll be so mad when he find out how much fun we had!” - Nadia laughed hysterically for a quick second before turning to face her younger cousin. - “You had fun, right?”

“Oh, yeah.” - Ellie said as they entered the nearest subway station, unable to hide a mischievous smile as she remembered of a certain broad shouldered figure, the taste of his super kissable lips and his warmth and weight pressing her against a wall...

“Omg, I know this look! You have to tell me everything!!!”

“Later. First, let’s get you home.”

Although Damien and Ellie looked for each other after that night, both their lives turned upside down little after - he volunteered to take the case of Leon Rolph and met Alana; and around that same time, she lost her mother - and the memories of each other and that punk rock show and the bar’s restroom small stall were long forgotten from their minds.

8 years later…

Eleanor Zhou is in her bedroom, surrounded by a box filled with her memories of college times. She knows she should be helping the hired private investigator - with whom she has developed a casual relationship - in her living room, but she’s been feeling a little gloom lately with thoughts of her best friend, Lucy James, marrying that colossal misogynist asshole that is Robert Zucko. So, Ellie is looking through old pictures she took with Lucy when they were students at Hartfeld.

The woman puts the album back into the box and finds an old sketchbook. She flips the pages filled with drawings one by one - her favorite hobby back then was drawing strangers on public transport - until she stops short at a specific page, her jaw dropping open as she recognised the eyes that are staring at her. And then, memories flow back to her mind. Memories of a small stall, punk music, kisses that tasted like nicotine and the hickey left on her neck that lasted for days.

“Holy fucking shit!” - she murmurs when she sees the handsome and (now) very known face. - “D!” - the woman jumps and sprints out of her bedroom.

Damien Nazario’s eyes scan thoughtfully Northbridge map, marking all the places where Robert Zucko seems to have a connection. The private detective was hired by Eleanor to investigate the shady pub owner and has been working on this case for a month now, but little progress has been made.

“D!” - he hears Ellie shouting, walking towards him, grinning from cheek to cheek.

“Have you found any dirt on Zucko? Any new clues?” - she stops by his side.

“Actually, no. But I found this!” - he grabs the sketchbook she extends to him.

Damien sees a portrait of himself, but years younger, with less facial hair and no dark circles under his eyes. But it definitely is him. And then, memories flow back to his mind. Memories of a small stall, noisy punk music, muffled moans and a leopard print coat.

He looks up to the woman with a wide smile on her lips standing next to him.

“Holy mother of god. You’re the girl in the rock show.” - Eleanor giggles excitedly.

“Seriously, what are the odds?! I can’t believe we actually met like, what, eight years ago?!” - she laughs as she plops down on his lap. Damien’s arms are automatically around her, although his attention still is on the sketchbook in front of them. - “I remember I kept cursing myself for a whole month for not giving you my number. I tried to locate you, but as I suspected, you didn’t have a single account on any social media! I even searched through the NYPD website, but when I found out that there were more than 50,000 employees, I gave up.” - he chuckles softly. - “To be honest, I kept waiting for you to find me somehow, since you were a detective. But you never found me and I assumed that NYPD had terrible detectives.” - he turns to look back at her.

“Hey, this isn’t fair. I’ve just had been promoted and everything I knew about you was a nickname. And how would I know that you weren’t from New York? Even detectives need more information than that.” - she laughs loudly, throwing her head backwards and her arms around his shoulders. - “And I searched for you. I looked for a punk girl and her sketchbook on every train I entered for a couple of months after that night, but I eventually gave up too. And then, I got obsessed with work.” - he frowns as he reminds of that time.

Just a few months after that brief encounter with Ellie, Damien Nazario met Alana Kusuma, and his life changed forever. And then he met Allen and Nadia and that thing with those Matches from Eros happened… that punk rock show just seemed to have happened a lifetime ago and the girl with the leopard print coat became a “whatsername”.

Eleanor notices the sudden shadow covering D’s face. Probably it has something to do with that ‘dark time’ he passed through before meeting her cousins, that Nadia had told her about.

Gently, she cups his handsome face and kisses him softly.

“Well, you found me now.” - she smirks at him. - “Seriously, I can’t believe you’re that Mr. Hot Detective guy. My mom was right, life is a crazy ride.” - he chuckles.

“Yeah, it is.” - he agrees, taking the sketchbook again and admiring his portrait one more time. Ellie snuggles closer to his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. - “I always wondered how that drawing turned out in the end.”

“And do you like it?” - he looks back at her, a wide grin on his lips.

“A lot, yeah.” - Damien says, before leaning in and kissing her sweetly, his lips lingering on hers. And Eleanor Zhou gets the same sensation she had all those years ago when he kissed her for the first time. How it felt both tender and passionate at the same time.

“...Maybe I should make another portrait of you…” - she murmurs, feeling his big and warm hands dangerously exploring her thighs, beneath her skirt, making her heart beat slightly faster. - “Later…”

“Yeah, later. What do you say we reminisce on what we did on that stall?” - Ellie can’t hold back a laugh.

“Hell no, that thing was too small and dirty! God, the things we do when we’re young and reckless.” - Damien chuckles as she turns to face him, still sitting on his lap. - “Here is good enough.” - she grins cheesily at him, already unbuttoning his shirt. He smirks back at her.

“I guess we can take a quick break from work.”

#the third park #damien nazario #damien x oc #perfect match #playchoices #perfect match au #perfect match fanfic #choices fanfic #playchoices fandom #choices fanfiction #playchoices fanfiction #ns*w

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i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend · 7 years ago

Text

Missed Connections ~ Steve Rogers x Reader College!AU (Part 2/7)

A/N: Hi my lovelies! Happy weekend! I decided to continue this one and it refused to be put second to Primary Colors lol. Just kidding I’ve been writing both but this one got finished first so I figured I’d share. Enjoy!

Summary: It’s been a whole semester of missed connections with Steve, will you talk to him before you head home for break?

Characters/Pairings: Eventual Steve x Reader, Natasha, Pepper, Bruce, Tony, Wanda, Bucky, Sam, Thor, Clint and Vision mentioned (like I said, the whole gang)

Rating: T (minor language)

Warnings: Nothing really

Word count: 2013

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

“I’m loving the earmuff and peacoat combo, y/n.”

“Thanks,” You smiled at Wanda as you waited for the subway.

“I’m partial to the pompom hat look,” Natasha grinned.

“I didn’t want to mess up my hair,” you admitted.

“Hoping to run into somebody?” Tony asked as he waggled his eyebrows.

You glared at Pepper’s boyfriend who shrugged as he held her hand. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Tony had been extremely amused when he heard about your “ships in the night” romance as he liked to call it. And he took every opportunity to tease you about it.

“If you run into him today, will you please talk to him?” Pepper begged.

Your friends had been pressuring you to strike up a conversation all semester, but so far you had only managed to smile and wave (which you considered an accomplishment). The conversation was interrupted when the subway arrived and you all hurried in. Luckily the car was almost empty so you sat on either side of the aisle.

“So? Will you?” Tony prompted.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Come on, running into him on campus is one thing. Running into him roaming around the city is a sign.”

“Okay, maybe it’s a sign,” you conceded. “If I see him tonight, I’ll go say hi.”

Your friends cheered, excited you were finally going to take a leap.

“How come it wasn’t a sign when we saw him at the museum?”

“Bruce!” you hissed.

“Wait, wait, wait. You saw him at the museum?”

You sighed and glared at Bruce before answering.

“We may have passed each other when we were roaming through the modern art wing.”

“And the Aztec wing, and the China wing,” Bruce added unhelpfully.

“So that’s why you were so happy when you got back. I assumed you just really liked art.”

You rolled your eyes at Pepper’s observation.

“That boy’s face is art,” Wanda sighed wistfully.

“Forget about his face. His ass is art.” Nat winked at you and you flushed scarlet.

It was a relief when you finally got to the tree lighting, because your friend’s were too busy enjoying the holiday cheer to rag on you. The six of you roamed around, popping into stores to do some holiday shopping.

The rest of your friends went to stake out a good spot to watch the tree lighting from while you purchased the ornaments you had picked out for your parents. By the time you had made it through the line, the marketplace was filled to the brim and you had no idea where your friends were.

When none of them answered your calls or texts you decided to just weave through the crowd towards the front. You had made it about twenty feet when you saw him. He and his friends stood well above most of the crowd and even in the chaos his laugh was recognizable.

You froze. He hadn’t seen you yet and you still had no idea where your friends were. You could either walk towards him and hope he noticed you or you could walk the total opposite direction. Before you could make your decision you heard Nat yell your name.

You finally spotted your friends standing on the stone wall that surrounded one of the trees. You caught her eye and waved and started weaving through the crowd. Once you had fought your way through to them you eyed the two foot wall warily.

“Get up here, y/n!”

You planted your foot on the wall and pushed with all of your might but it wasn’t quite enough and you were quickly falling backwards. Before you could hit the ground though, a pair of hands grabbed you and pulled you up.

“Thanks, Bruce.”

“No problem. You alright?’ He asked still holding onto your hands.

You nodded and self-consciously fixed your jacket as you glanced at your friends. Clint and Viz had joined the group so everyone was paired off except for you and Bruce. You and he shared a wry smile as you stood together.

Tony had tried to set you up on multiple occasions. And Bruce was a good friend but you just weren’t attracted to him. Besides he had a massive crush on this girl, Betty, in your bio lecture. Still more often than not you were the awkward single friends together. It was a comfortable arrangement, so it was no surprise when he wrapped an arm around your shoulder and you wrapped yours around his waist.

As you listened to the last few performers before the tree was lit, your eyes scanned the crowd. You easily spotted Steve and his friends. They were all looking at you, but before you could smile and wave, they abruptly turned around and you frowned.

Hoping it was just a coincidence you focused on the music and the lights. It really was beautiful. Once the crowd thinned after the tree was lit, your group made your way to the front to take pictures. Once Tony started formulating plans to steal an ornament off the tree that was surrounded by security guards, you all decided it was time to go.

When you got back to your dorm you passed Steve on the way to the elevator and smiled and waved, but his return smile was just a bit dimmer than normal. You wanted to say something but before you had the chance he was gone.

You didn’t have time to look for or even really think about Steve in the following week. You were in the Science building by five a.m. every morning and you left long after midnight. You pretty much only came out to take your exams.

By the time you finished your last final (you had the last exam slot in the entire week, naturally) you were exhausted and all you wanted was food and your bed. You groaned internally when you walked into the dining hall and realized they had closed the majority of it since most people had headed home.

You unenthusiastically loaded your plate with pizza and grabbed a drink before trying to find a seat. Clearly the dining hall had overestimated how many people would leave early for the holidays because every chair was taken and every booth was filled. You made one final loop before spotting an empty chair at a corner table, a table full of Steve’s friends, although he was nowhere in sight.

You took a deep breath and forced yourself to walk over to them. You felt like there was lead in your stomach as you approached the rambunctious table.

They abruptly stopped talking when they noticed you.

“Hi,” you squeaked out. “Do you mind if I borrow that chair?”

There weren’t really any open tables but you could just sit in a corner somewhere.

“Why don’t you just join us?” The dark haired boy who you saw Steve with most often offered.

“I don’t want to bother you,” you shook you head slightly.

He grinned and you knew immediately he was aware of how charming he was.

“You’re not, doll. I promise.”

“Well, thank you. I’m y/n by the way.”

“Bucky. It’s nice to meet you.”

You slid into the open chair and took a sip of your water as the other two guys introduced themselves. Their names were Thor and Sam.

“So, y/n, what’s your major?” Sam asked.

“General biology. For now,” you added before biting into your pizza.

“Are you thinking about changing?”

“Probably not changing, but I might specialize. What about you guys?”

“Poli Sci and Econ,” Thor reported. “Kind of a family thing.”

He didn’t sound thrilled and you nodded understandingly.

“I’m a psych major. And Bucky’s an engineer,” he added elbowing him when he noticed his friend was busy texting.

“What?” he looked up suddenly. “Yeah. Engineer.”

“I’ve seen you around the science building,” you admitted nonchalantly.

You so desperately wanted to ask about Steve but you didn’t want to be creepy. They all smirked though at your comment. Obviously you hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Stevie and I have seen you around too.”

“Oh is he an engineer too?”

Bucky snorted slightly.

“No. He’ll probably be bio. He’s pushing off declaring an actual major until the last possible second. Aka May of this year. But he is pre-med. Which is why we’re taking orgo right now. Actually, I think we have orgo with your boyfriend.”

You gave him a confused look.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Sam and Thor looked smug and Bucky looked relieved.

“Really? Dark-haired, glasses, really smart.”

It clicked then.

“Oh you mean, Bruce.”

“Yeah. Him.”

“We’re not dating,” You chuckled. “We’re just the only single friends in our group so we get shoved together all the time.”

“Got it.”

After a moment of awkward silence, you asked about their plans for break.

“Sleeping. And eating home cooked meals,” Bucky grinned.

“Sounds about right,” you agreed.

“Excuse me. I’ve got to make a call.”

You smiled and turned your attention to Sam and Thor.

“What about you two?”

They were both going to spend some time hitting the slopes and their conversation quickly devolved into an argument about which snow conditions were the best. You used the distraction to finally scarf down the pizza.

When you glanced at your watch you realized that it was after nine and you still had to pack for your five a.m. flight.

“It was really nice meeting you both. I hope you have a great winter break.”

“You’re leaving?” Thor asked, disappointed.

“I’ve got to pack. I need to be at the airport in a few hours.”

“Well, have a great break. I’m sure we’ll see you around.”

“Say bye to Bucky for me.”

You quickly dumped your dishes on the conveyor belt and exited the dining hall. You were waiting for the elevator when the fact that you were done finally hit you and you started to do a little happy dance. You weren’t expecting the doors to slide open to reveal a yawning Steve as you were doing said happy dance.

“Just finish finals?” he asked, clearly trying to hold back laughter.

“That obvious?” you asked as you switched places in the elevator.

You were surprised your voice came out as steady as it did, considering most of your brain was cataloguing what he looked after a nap (you suspected). His hair was stuck up at odd angles and he was wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a half-zipped hoodie without anything under it. Your imagination was having a field day.

He shrugged. “That’s a classic post finals happy dance.”

The elevator started dinging angrily for you to either get in or out at the same time his phone started ringing.

“See ya. Have a good break,” you said quickly before hitting the button for your floor.

“You too. Oh, wait.”

He started to say something else but the doors closed before he got it out. You leaned against the wall heavily as you giggled to yourself. You were slightly mortified but mostly you were just giddy.

As you were waiting to board your plane, your phone vibrated twice. Once for a facebook notification and once for a text from the group chat you had with the girls.

You opened the facebook notification first. It was a tag from Natasha in another Missed Connections post.

MC#578: To the beautiful y/h/c girl who I (still) see all the time. I finally got to talk to you tonight but I was too flustered by your killer post finals happy dance that I didn’t manage to catch your name. But I’m still calling it progress. Next time maybe I’ll manage to introduce myself. But for now thanks for ending my semester on a high note. Have a great break. See you in January.

You covered your mouth as you tried to suppress the giddiness that was rising. When you managed to get it under control you opened the text. It was a one word command from Nat.

Natasha (4:15AM): SPILL!

Unfortunately for her that would have to wait until you landed.

A/n: So there you go. A little bit more fluff. I am going to continue this story. I have like three more parts planned so let me know if you want to be tagged! As always thanks for reading and feedback is appreciated!

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