#but here we have it! no prizes for guessing what's coming tomorrow for day 100

[sportsthoughts]

Day 99 of offseason gifs - In The Room S05E08 - 2016 Stanley Cup Final Game 6

[udretlnea]

Like Nascent Light

100 Follower Event Prize for Winner #2: @simbodi​

Summary: You and Sucrose struggle to complete a rather difficult assignment. Then, suddenly, help comes in from an unexpected person.

Word Count: 2.2 k

Proofread by: @bornofchalk

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

“I don’t mean to sound cynical, but I think we’re screwed.” You cover your face with both your hands. “I mean, we’ve been working for an hour and we haven’t made much progress on this assignment.”

You hear a voice beside you sigh. You turn and see Sucrose, your friend, skimming the text in vain. “Why would our professor hand the class an assignment on a topic we haven’t even discussed in class yet?”

“Perhaps he made a mistake?” Her mouth flattens into a line. “It’s just a theory though. But more importantly, it seems we’ve hit a wall. Why don’t we call it a day and try again later? Or tomorrow? My brain is fried.”

“Mm, in a minute. Maybe I can try to work backwards,” she says with a hint of stubbornness. The greenette picks up her pencil and absentmindedly starts chewing on it; her eyes are focused on the text in front of her.

“Hey, you're doing it again.” You reach forward and gently pry the pencil from her mouth. “Whenever you start fixating on something you only burn yourself out, remember?” 

Sucrose pouts, but her eyes tell you that she agrees. “You know that this assignment is due in two days. If we don’t complete it by then, our GPA might seriously suffer.”

“I know. This assignment won’t go anywhere though. Besides, if we still have 48 hours left, we can spend a few on a break. It’s the least we deserve.”

She looks at the worksheet in front of her with a determined look. Then she snatches her pencil out of your hand and starts packing up; you do the same with your stuff. The both of you exit the library, backpacks in tow.

 ///

The two of you go to grab lunch at the university’s food court. After waiting in line for an awful amount of time, you finally sit down with a golden chicken burger; Sucrose sits in front of you with a bowl of ham-and-veggie bake.

You sigh, satisfied at just looking at how delicious it is. “Ah, I’m gonna savor this moment a little longer.”

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

“Okay! Savoring done. Time to eat!” You eagerly pick it up and take a decent bite out of the burger. Your taste buds rejoice when the sauce combines with the vegetables; the tenderized meat feels just right on your tongue and tastes as great as it looks. You close your eyes. In your mind’s eye, you can see yourself floating among the clouds. You feel joyful as you forget all your troubles at this moment. Today was gonna be a good day. When you open them again, your burger is gone. You frown. “What? Oh…I guess the moment’s gone. Hey, Sucrose, how’s your ham-and-veggie bake?”

You look across the table to see your friend eating it at a regular pace. She makes a pleased noise. “Hm? Oh, it’s quite delectable. If only I could eat this every day, though I imagine I would quickly grow bored of the taste.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, I should finish this as soon as possible. That way, while I’m feeling my best, I can tackle the assignment.”

“Hey, take your time. Remember, that worksheet isn’t going anywhere.” You pick up a handful of fries and shove them into your mouth. 

After a while, you both finish your food. You throw away your trash, then sit back down; Sucrose wipes her mouth with a napkin before fishing out her worksheet and setting it on the table. 

“Let’s see. Where did we leave off again?” 

“I think it was question number five, part d,” you tell her as you take out your copy.

“Hmm, so it’s asking us to find f(x,y). So here we multiply both denominators to the opposite numerators right?”

“Yes, but we tried that before, and even after getting rid of y the answer for x isn’t rational.”

“You’re right. Then, how about-”

“Excuse me, but would you two happen to be trying to do the assignment Professor Albedo gave out?” The two of you look up to see a young woman with golden eyes and long dark blue hair. She has bags under her eyes as if she had pulled consecutive all-nighters. 

You felt as if you’d seen her before-wait, did she mention Professor Albedo? Then, wouldn’t that mean she also takes the same class as you? What was her name again? La…Layla?

You put a hand to your chin. “You’re Layla, aren’t you? Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you take the same class with Sucrose and I?”

“That’s right. I’ve seen you two in class working together,” Layla says with a cheerfulness that doesn’t match her appearance. 

“Oh, uh, I didn’t realize we were in the same class,” Sucrose speaks up. “Professor Albedo is known for being a professor for teaching a rather difficult topic. The only reason Y/N and I took it is because it’s on our education plan.”

“I see, I see. Say, while we’re on the topic of Professor Albedo, I couldn’t help but notice that a lot of people were having difficulty with the latest assignment,” she says with a hint of frustration. “Lately, I’ve been getting a lot people asking me for help. It’s actually kept me awfully busy. I hope the other me isn’t too-er, I mean, would you two like some assistance?”

“Huh? Why are you the one asking us? I thought it was the opposite way around?” you ask. 

Layla shrugs. “The way I see it, you two were bound to seek me out sooner or later. Me meeting you here while I was on break was a coincidence.”

“Well in that case, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask, right? My answer is a yes, but how about you Sucrose?” you ask, putting her on the spot. 

“M-me? Um…well, hang on, let me think.” Sucrose taps her pencil rhythmically against the table. You can see gears turning in her head. Finally, she opens her mouth. “If you’re not busy-I mean, really busy, then I guess-I guess it’s alright. To ask for your help I mean.”

Layla smirks. She sits down, takes out a pencil from her pocket, and picks up your worksheet. “Alright, listen up and pay close attention. So what you want to do is…”

Layla begins giving you two a crash course on derivatives. She smoothly goes over the questions in a step-by-step method; she easily answers any question the two of you ask her. By the time you three are finished covering the questions on the front and back, the sun is just now setting. You relax in your seat with a smile on your face, tired, but in a good mood.

“Somehow I always feel a lot smarter than before after I watch someone explain it to me. Thank you for your help Layla. I appreciate it, I mean it. You practically saved both our behinds.”

“Y/N’s right. We’ve been struggling with it ever since Professor Albedo assigned it. We had already had difficulties figuring it out together.”

Layla waves you two off, but the smile on her face tells you she accepts the praise anyway. “Don’t mention it, really. You’re not the first people who’ve said it. Anyway, now that that’s done, I hope you don’t mind if I take off early. I’ve got other assignments that need my attention.”

“Of course, goodbye Layla. Take care!” you tell her.

“Until we next meet Layla, which I guess would be in class in two days,” says Sucrose.

Layla simply flashes a smile and gets up. She turns a corner and disappears from sight.

“Well, then, I guess back to our dorms? Unless, there’s anything ya wanna do? We have the rest of the night off after all.” 

“Um, I was thinking of taking some more notes for my other classes. Maybe next time we can do something that’s fun for both of us Y/N?”

“Sure! Goodbye! ” 

“I’ll see you soon Y/N.”

///

Two days later, both of you are sitting in Professor Albedo’s class; some of the class seems pretty well-rested, apart from Layla who is snoozing on her desk. You sneak a glance at the bluenette. A part of you cringes at how spent she looks while another feels guilty that you and Sucrose had asked for help.

Oh shut up. She offered her help, remember? She was being generous. What were we supposed to do? Decline and fail this class? You hear your thoughts argue back.

“It has come to my attention that a lot of you have been struggling with the latest assignment. It is with sincere regret that I must announce that I accidentally gave you all next week’s assignment and not the one for this week,”  Professor Albedo explains. He puts a hand over his heart. “My apologies on my behalf.”

A murmur of groans and mutterings rings out.

“Aww man, what a lucky break.” “So I pulled all those all-nighters for nothing? Great.” “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Let me finish.” Albedo holds up a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. The class quiets. “Knowing how much effort you all put into this, I will not discount the assignment. Those who have completed it are eligible to receive .5 extra credit for every correct answer. Does that sound acceptable?”

Everyone nods, including you.

“Very well. In that case, please pass your worksheets to the end of your rows so that I may come and collect them.”

///

“So, when should we thank Layla for her help?” you ask Sucrose. You lean against the wall while watching her pack her stuff. “I was thinking after class right now, but she’s asleep at the moment. It feels awkward.”

“Well, why not tell her right now while we’re both here? We might not get another chance in the future,” she says as she slings her backpack over her shoulders.

“Hm. Sounds good to me.”

You both walk towards Layla, who is still resting her head in her arms, and stop in front of her. You decide to take the initiative by being the one to tap her shoulder. When she doesn’t respond the first time, you tap again, harder this time. Layla wakes up.

“Huh? What’s going on?” Her brows furrow in confusion when she sees you and Sucrose. “Um, may I…help you?”

“Uh…it’s us, Y/N and Sucrose. You helped us out yesterday? We just wanted to say thank you for your help,” you tell her. When Layla tilts her head, it’s your turn to furrow your brows in confusion. “Do you…not remember?”

“I’m sorry. I’m afraid that yesterday was a blur to me,” she says in a tired, submissive voice. “The last thing I remember is that I was reading a book in the food court and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in my dorm room sitting in front of my desk. I’m-I’m sorry if I forgot about you two!” 

You raise your hands disarmingly. “It’s alright! No harm done. It happens to the best of us.”

“But…but…!” 

“If it’ll make you feel better, why don’t we introduce ourselves again?” You flash one of your more charming smiles at the bluenette. “I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you, Layla.”

Sucrose chooses that moment to finally join in. “My name is Sucrose. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Layla rubs her eyes before sitting up straight.

“Hello Sucrose, Y/N. I’m Layla. It’s nice to meet you both too,” she says with a quiet voice. She scratches her ear in a way you think to be endearing.

“It was nice to finally meet you, Layla. We both gotta head to our other classes, but maybe we can keep in touch?”

“Huh? You mean, you want to exchange phone details?” You nod. “Of-of course! I’ve never had friends, even after I transferred here. Let me get my phone…”

In a few minutes, you and Sucrose share contact info with Layla and vice versa. You both wave at her before walking away; you have several questions when you exit the classroom. 

“Is it just me or did she act like a different person compared to last time? Her mannerisms, tone of voice, and even her speech pattern sounded different.”

“I noticed them too. I thought about asking her about it, but decided against it. It’s probably something she doesn’t know about or even refuses to talk about,” explains Sucrose. “It’s probably best if we don't bring it up.”

“Whatever you say.” You shut your eyes when sunlight fills your vision the moment you two step outside; it only takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. You glance around as you continue walking. “Huh, the sun’s out…that must mean things are going to be lively again.”

“You can tell it’s gonna be busy just from the weather?” You nod.

“Normally, I hate to sound positive, but I feel like things are going to be alright going forward.” You raise your arms and put your hands behind your head. “Call it wishful thinking, but I have a good feeling about this year.”

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

Mon 14 June ‘21

Louis Tomlinson Cooks is here!! Yeah it’s 100% for sure as delightful to watch Louis make himself a sandwich as you might have hoped, but how was his cooking? Well I’ll let Louis rate himself-- “I’m not gonna lie not that appetizing is it, I mean look at it,” he says when it comes time to taste his creation, plus, “chopping peeling slicing not great to be fair- everything else I’m all right” (he’s… not wrong, even aside from the peeler issues has this man ever held a knife??) but- “it probably tastes nice though as I said it’s not about presentation for me… [munches cutely]... it’s actually pretty banging, that’s actually quite nice!” Success! Maybe it’s cause he knows the secret to faking good cooking- “as you can see I don’t have a lot of cooking ability so the more butter the better,” I mean the experts can tell you, that’s advanced stuff right there! #Louis-aChild! Substituting mustard and ketchup for coleslaw is a bit of a bold move, but in a belated attempt to convince the kiddos to eat some healthy veg even though he won’t he does bravely try the cucumber strips despite being “not really a man for cucumber” and makes a pained attempt to be positive- “bit of crunch.” Oh and speaking of crunch I’m relieved to have learned that the waffle is NOT a waffle, it’s a crispy waffle shaped bit of potato; a much more reasonable fish sandwich addition than the American version of a potato waffle! Full Time Meals polled to see what people think of Louis cooking; the two choices are “it was amazing” and “the best,” THEY GET IT. My kind of Louis poll! Helen Seamons rated him a “10/10 for effort and entertainment”, Masterchef acknowledged Louis as one of their own, and Marcus Rashford keeps it simple- “my guy” with a lil heart. YEAH, SAME.

Harry showed up in Italy, where he was papped in Venice being driven around (with PA Luis) on a boat (as you do, in Venice). He’s in a cool embroidered Bode shirt and shades and fancy hair, looking good. He’s seen carrying his suitcase, taking photos, and resting his head on his arms looking like a model. One might think, since we just saw the My Policeman cast and crew on set celebrating the wrap of the shoot, that they were done filming and Harry was off to do something different, but nope, he’s there to film! The book has key scenes in Venice that folks had been wondering about the filming of, and David Dawson is also being boated around Venice for the paps, so, it seems that was just for the wrap of the *UK* filming, which makes sense I guess since it would mostly be different crew I imagine, and perhaps some of the main cast are done as well.

Liam’s NFT sale is happening tomorrow! If you’re confused and want more info, I’M NOT GONNA HELP THAT MUCH… uh but I mean you can check out Liam’s youtube video explaining though I would guess that won’t help much (even Liam thinks so; “there’s probably websites that explain a lot better than me” he admits). There is a roundup now posted of what’s on offer for the buyers of the NFTs but I’m gonna be really honest with you, I’m more confused now than I was before. It’s clear that there are only SIX LONELY BUG NFTs right? They for sure said that I believe. But the packages for each different piece (token bundles) seem to me like they’re available to multiple buyers? Like maybe you don’t get the NFT but multiple top bidders on each get the extras? Like they can’t be selling multiple copies of the NFT... can they?! Isn’t the WHOLE POINT that only one person gets to own it? I DON’T FUCKING KNOW I AM SORRY. What I think I understand to be true: the six NFT buyers get to go to “a once-in-a-lifetime immersive dining experience at Resorts World Las Vegas” (this is the dinner with Liam and “a selection of crypto leaders from around the world” which takes place on display inside a giant glass box) and also “a bespoke commemorative presentation box containing the world’s leading holographic display... with audio... and a custom made Lonely Bug commemorative coin,” and “a unique QR code directing the owner to a special ‘Director’s Cut’ edit of the short digital film ‘Making Of Lonely Bug Collection’ which features unreleased footage from the day of the drop showing the creators' reactions when the winning bids came in” (I mean YEAH I would think it’s unreleased it literally hasn’t happened?) But then there are really a lot of other extras including tickets with Meet & Greet access to any Liam Payne headline show around the world, admission to pool and cinema parties in Vegas with Liam, signed art, non-Liam extras (I will literally bid to NOT have 20 minute phone calls with those crypto entrepreneurs PLEASE… but that’s just me), and access to an online party hosted by Liam; I really get the impression many of these, especially the last one, are just crypto tokens that are for sale that aren’t linked to the main Lonely Bug NFTs and many more than 6 people can buy them but a lot of the extras I’m not clear on which it is. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll understand better WE WILL SEE.

Liam also dropped by the discord last night to say some hellos (after a “long long day”) and that he “bought a piece of NFT art of myself tonight I’m going to give it as a prize Monday night so someone can own a piece of art that was owned by me” (an even less tangible bragging point than simply owning an NFT wow that’s an achievement) and the most important update- “I want a French Bulldog”! Oh and he said “that’s like one I did myself” in his fanart channel to a pic of a tiny crocheted illustration of Louis and Harry holding up a rainbow flag. Didya Liam?? (...Liam is crocheting??) Anyway I recognize who it’s supposed to be because it’s based on a familiar piece of fanart, but Liam definitely might NOT realize it’s meant to be someone specific, and tbh I’m more <eyeballs> at him saying that at the rainbow flag crocheted thing than at it being shippy.

Our Song acoustic version is out this Friday!! And Niall talked about NH3 some in an interview today; “I’m in the studio most days, it feels really good. I’m kinda in the latter stages of it and then I’ll go get a band together and go in and record the whole thing. I’ve just kind of been writing for the past 9 or 10 months and really enjoying it” and “It sounds like a complete album. God knows when it’s coming out because I’d like to be able to get around the world to see all the fans as well” and “It’s different. It sounds a lot more grown up. I’m 27 so it’s about time. I really wanted to kinda cement a sound. The singles I’ve released previously have all been kinda different sounds. I would like to have my ballad sound & like a cemented uptempo sound.” He and Anne Marie also talked about one of the other songs they wrote together saying, “It’s kind of like a, how do you describe it- guitar driven meets Tom Petty meets Katy Perry meets…” but say “We haven’t really decided if we are putting it out yet, the conversations are kinda happening... but it’s completely different (from Our Song).”

[jeonshookith]

I wanna share all of the jikook fics I have saved in my phone tabs (1/2)

if you see a reoccurring theme no you don’t

these are all so so good and a majority of them are chaptered or longer one shots since i don’t like reading shorter fics!!

99% of them are completed

these are in no particular order, just as they are opened in my tabs

i did not write any of these fics. i am not claiming ownership.

these are ALL ao3 links

Illuminate -incomplete as of 01/12/2021 but the author updates regularly-ish. (Its 54 chapters so far!)

The Gentle Centaur and The Sea Flower

Waiting on the One (Peace has decided to release this as a book! available on the Kindle App with Kindle Unlimited! u can search the title)

bone appétit

Rubies for A King

the prettiest prize.

heavenly bodies

you put a spell on me

Dazzle Me With Gold

Winter Song

i'm packing a bag of bad ideas (every time i'm thinking of you)

Chasing Broken Dreams

set my love on fire

why don’t you review me?

count your blessings

My Heart’s On Fire For Your Love

the nightbird and the kitten

Paper Planes

Smash or Pass?

Promise I’m Still With You

The One

Flowers in Hades

My Promise

The God of Fertility

Vanilla Baby -chef’s kiss 😘

Rain and Tangerines

Greece and Roses

Tender Peach

Park’s Anatomy

Nanny

Let's Tessellate ♡

In violence I found you -incomplete as on 01/12/2021. The author updated the title issuing hiatus. 2/3 chapters so far.

(Pick me up) - Playing With Fire

Wax, Wane

Strong eyes -update as of 08/27/21 :( i wanted to reread this and realized (i’m devastated) this is not finished. 12/? hasnt been updated since 03/2020

Black Rabbit -incomplete as of 01/12/2021. i’m not sure on this one since the author hasnt updated since 07/03/2020 so.. 31/?

Be My Eyes

Nemesis: Sex

Cutting the Braid -chef’s kiss 😘 i’ve read this like 8 times.

Hotter Than Hell -incomplete as of 01/12/2021. uhm the author hasn’t updated in almost a year but they have been writing this since 2018. its a good read though! 11/?

call it what you want

Favorite Clothes

until the spring comes again, until the flowers bloom again (stay here a little longer)

i have died every day waiting for you (but loved you for a thousand more)

The Dreaming of Escape

Never Judge a Book by its Cover

What Do You See?

A Guardian “Angel”

(my heart beats) for you

Listen Closely

longing: a yearning desire

warm me up (with your lips)

love, the shoreline where you and i meet

Be Not the Slave of Your Own Past

mi casa

to the end of this imagination, i’ll go

unwrap me (and see the present underneath)

Stolen Kisses Under the Sheets

we kiss like lovers (and laugh like best friends)

bndwboy

Chamomile and Honey

知己 (Ego)

Baptise in your Thighs (‘Till It Hurts)

at the edge of your touch

How Do You Say ‘Fuck Me’ In Swedish?

he smells like wolf, Jimin

You Don’t Need Your Airplane Mode

Cherry on the Cake

Hard to Get

false impressions

the seaweed is always greener

Dissonance -this is part of a WHOLE ASS series. these authors are amazing. this is just the jikook fic that belongs to the series.

Adoptions

The Dreaming of Escape

sun and moon

Blank Space -unfinished as of 01/12/2021. 3/4 chapter so far.

You’re Safe Now

love is a wild thing

3 nights

a bite that burns

Almond Dream

sweetener

Matcha Frappe, No Whip

stay a little longer

The Golden Flower

You had me feel the world

Your Song

jimin, I love you

Tangled Up In You

fuck the feral out of you

touch me more

from yesterday, for tomorrow

i wanna feel you in my bones

Talk Nerdy To Me

lets fall in love for the night (and forget in the morning)

Lemon Tree

Fold It Up Like Oragami

Peach in the Garden

laughs and kisses

I hit the 100 link per post limit 🙃 So I’ll do another one I guess? Part 2 posted here!

[skellebonez]

Prompt 69 with Syntax, except he's the one doing the glaring but at who, you decide!

So uh... what would have happened if MK didn’t just run in to get the sign in episode 9? What if, before grabbing it, he heard a certain voice that he recognized and went to investigate? Yeah, consider this an AU. Need a name for this one, I am accruing many now.

You see that death glare means she (he) likes you

This was... not exactly the predicament that Xiaotian expected himself to be in. At all. Not after being chased away from Spider Queen by her spider trio. He had just wanted to get Pigsy’s sign back... and he did! Eventually! 100% A+ marks on that! He just... hadn’t expected to find Macaque there as well.

Or some back with him and another... straggler.

"So... Syntax, was it?" Pigsy said roughly, earning a glower from the spider demon in turn.

They were inside Pigsy’s noodles, away from prying ears but still in their night clothes. Not that they had time to change. Not when Syntax was immediately interrogated and started explaining, and then Xiaotian had tried explaining over him, and then Macaque just. Revealed everything in one sentence. And that lead to a very tense, very uncomfortable explanation of exactly what was going on.

Xiaotian didn’t tell them Macaque was from the shadow play. Or what he did before than. Only that he was someone he knew through Sun Wukong who had tried to teach him before and wasn’t on good terms with his mentor, which wasn’t exactly a lie. And oddly, Macaque didn’t say anything either.

"Care to tell us exactly what the plan was for dealing with this "immense evil power" you were tricked into assisting at the cost of your entire clan's deaths?" Pigsy continued, brandishing his spoon he was using to make an emergency meal at him.

"Pigsy!" Tang chided with an exasperated look. "We don't know if they're dead."

"Could you maybe stop saying dead please?" Xiaotian asked quietly, curled up at a table in a corner away from the others, so quiet that the only person who seemed to have heard him was Macaque.

They wouldn’t be here having this conversation if MK hadn’t heard Macaque yelling in frustration so he supposed that was a slight victory. If Xiaotian was being honest with himself... he probably wouldn’t have told the others anything about what had happened. You can’t exactly hide a suspiciously familiar monkey and a very familiar spider when the three of you crash land on a roof together.

Going to see what was up let him free the immortal from the draining webbing he was tied up in, and had alerted Syntax to their location. If he hadn’t insisted on going back for the sign and that had not lead Syntax after them.. That would not have lead to the Spider Queen almost, almost, agreeing to work with him, and if he hadn’t grabbed the other at the Spider Queen’s insistence maybe...

“We were attempting to rebuild the mech from new years, if you must know,” Syntax answered haughtily. There was a shaking in his hands that no one pointed out, but Xiaotian could tell at least Pigsy and Macaque picked up on it from their expressions, as he did something with the gadget on his arm. Schematics, bright digital holograms, displayed in the air before them. “It would have worked, I’m positive of that! The White Bone Spirit is powerful, but not unbeatable as she is right now. Unfortunately, even if the Monkey Boy-”

“Kid, but if you’re going to call him the wrong name at least call him a man,” Tang said, a slight glower shining through his glasses.

“Monkie KID,” Syntax corrected himself tersely, returning to look at the schematics with a frown. He looked... genuinely upset as he reviewed them. “Even if he hadn’t interfered by coming for the sign my bots stole from you, we wouldn’t have had enough time or material to finish it before she found us out. It was... inevitable that something like this happen if we couldn’t convince our Queen to leave. And we couldn’t.” Syntax reached up, massaging his head as the hologram dissipated. “And we weren’t going to leave her alone. If only Huntsman had started asking questions sooner...”

At the mention of the eldest spider demon Sandy frowned, something deeply sad that Xiaotian couldn’t quite understand or parse from it. But clearly something had happened between them when he went to get the flower for his hiccups. He hadn’t hid their encounter from them, even if he didn’t tell them exactly what happened.

Syntax on the other hand went quiet, the mention of his comrade seeming to be the last thing to make him need to sit down at the counter and hold his head in his hands. “You know... he was annoying. Always trying to one up me, get the approval of our queen over me. But seeing him like that... and Goliath... they didn’t deserve that. He was good at what he did and I never got to tell him I didn’t actually hate him.”

The room went quiet after that. Xiaojiao moved to sit beside Xiaotian, wrapping her am around his shoulder. Tang stayed sat at the counter across from Syntax, watching him from the side with the barest tilt of his head. Sandy sat at a table away from the others, pulling something out his his pocket and cradling it in his hand. Pigsy continued to cook, more focused on it than he had been before.

And Macaque... Macaque stood in the middle of the room and scowled. Probably because he was so drained from the webbing that if he sat down he looked like he would pass out on the spot.

“There is... one good thing,” Xiaotian said after a moment, reaching into his jacket pocket. “Maybe? I-I was kinda distracted by the, you know. Spiders. Macaque screaming he was going to ‘send WBS to a realm even she can’t escape from when he escapes’, but I passed this room full of stuff...”

That got Syntax’s attention. “What room full of stuff?”

“It had the Trigram Furnace in it,” Xiaotian continued. “And a bunch of other stuff. Like this.” He pulled his hand back out and uncurled up on top of the table, letting his prize gently float down. Bright and golden-orange and as vibrant as the day Sandy had picked the whole thing. “I thought since Huntsman tried so hard to steal it from Sandy it might be important?”

“You stole back the Crimson Jimsonweed!?” Syntax yelled, jumping up and using his spider legs to nearly catapult himself in Xiaotian’s direction. “That... that may have been the most dangerous thing you could have done! And... and the smartest!”

“What?” Xiaotian asked deadpan, looking at the spider in confusion.

“The White Bone Spirit needs that flower petal to finish whatever she is making with the furnace!” Syntax continued, now pacing back and forth between the table, a smile slowly forming on his face. “Without it, she can’t finish it properly! She may be able to try, but there is no guarantee it would work, if she takes the chance and it does work than she will be significantly weakened by the lack of a key ingredient! She-she probably doesn’t even realize it is missing yet! YOU!” He pointed a spider leg in Sandy’s direction, making him jump in surprise. “Huntsman said you were knowledgeable of the flower’s properties, and I know there is a way to make it into a non-tea like medicine. Do you know of it?”

“Y-yes!” Sandy said after a moment of surprise. “It’s not hard to make, I could make it with what Pigsy’s got.”

“Good, make it immediately before she realizes,” Syntax continued, smirking. “She needs that petal whole and in tact. If you can break it down and make multiple small doses of medicine out of it-”

“Then she wouldn’t be able to use it because it wouldn’t be enough and what is left would be contaminated by the other ingredients!” Sandy finished, jumping up and rushing to the back of the shop. “PIGSY I’M USING YOUR SUPPLY CABINET!”

“What the hell is happening?” Pigsy asked in confusion, looking around.

“Your Monkey Man accidentally figured out the best way to mess up everything that was being planned,” Macaque said with a smirk, nodding in Xiaotian’s direction. “Gotta say, Kid, I’m impressed.”

“Wait, won’t this WBS person figure out what happened?” Xiaojiao spoke up. “She probably won’t be happy about it, she’d probably going to come after it!”

“....so we leave,” Xiaotian said, looking to everyone. “Maybe not all of us, but some of us should leave the city, stay in the forest or the desert so that if she does come back for it no one else will get hurt. Besides...” he smiled, finally, kind of sheepish. “I, uh.. think we should maybe stop squashing the city when we train. I think the neighbors are starting to get annoyed.“

“I think... that’s an excellent idea,” Pigsy said with a smile, taking his finished soup off the stove. “And you ain’t leavin me behind!”

“Or me!” Tang spoke up, turning in his chair to smile at Xiaotian as well.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE AGREEING TO BUT I’M IN!” Shouted Sandy from the back.

“And you know your girl is not getting left behind!” Xiaojiao laughed, pulling Xiaotian into a proper hug.

“Great, a whole gang,” Macaque said with a sigh, looking to the everyone before smirking in Xiaotian’s direction. “I know you’re not gonna let me just walk away, so I guess I’m stuck with you. But remember how I told you that you couldn't have too many teachers? That offer’s still open.”

“Tomorrow,” Xiaotian said firmly, more serious than his friends had ever probably heard him before. “We can start tomorrow. Real training, no tricks.”

The answer seemed to genuinely shock the immortal monkey, his un-glamored eyes wide in surprise. “Uh... ok. Tomorrow it is. No tricks.”

If everyone was confused by what they meant they didn’t say anything.

Syntax, moved back to the counter, tapping his hands and fingers against it in nervous energy. “I supposed I am stuck with you, after all my Queen said to go with you, and I can give you any information you need. Help with tech. That sort of thing.”

“As long as you don’t steal my dang sign again,” Pigsy scowled, depositing a bowl in front of the spider. He looked at it with suspicion, like he didn’t trust it to not be poisoned, much the way he looked at Pigsy in turn. “Or I’ll be the one squashin ya.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Syntax countered, his bright tone betrayed the severe lack of threat he felt at the other’s words. His glower though...

“Don’t worry about him,” Macaque said with a laugh, gesturing to Syntax. “You see that death glare means he likes you.”

“I DO NOT!” Syntax protested quickly and sharply, turning back and grabbing the bowl of soup and shoving a spoonful of noodles in his mouth before pausing. He said nothing, just looked down at the bowl before proceeding to devour it like a starving man who had been trapped on a desert island for weeks.

And for a moment everything seemed hopeful again.

It was the first time Xiaotian felt like this in a long time. He just didn’t expect it after revealing his secrets and with two of his enemies in the same room.

As they left to get on Sandy’s drone an hour later, full and ready to get more sleep after landing, Xiaotian couldn’t help but notice that Macaque stood father back from everyone else. Masked in shadow at times but still close enough for him to be seen. Syntax, on the other hand, seemed to have situated himself between Pigsy and Tang, talking to the scholar and the chef spiritedly about his recipes and the science of gastronomy (did this guy just know random stuff?). Which was weird, but at least they weren’t fighting.

Things felt... like maybe they could be alright.

[tuiccim]

The Partner Trap

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader     Word Count: 1438

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, sass

Prompt 31. Pranksters trap Person A and Person B together.

Summary: You and Bucky have an abrasive relationship at best until your teammates decide to trap you together.

A/N: This is for @adorkably​ 100 followers writing challenge! Congratulations, Angelcake! ILYSM!

Tony had bought out the entire fair for Stark Industries and the Avengers. The fairgrounds was alight with music, laughter, and squeals of delight. The Avengers team laughed as Bucky and Clint competed at water guns. Clint proudly carried his prize around and needled Bucky as much as possible. You and Natasha danced around to the band playing. Steve told stories about Coney Island. Sam dragged everyone to the wildest rides. The entire team had a blast as you went from ride to ride together. 

The only sour note was the bickering between you and Bucky. Today, it had started when the two of you were forced to sit together on one of the rides and Bucky purposefully took the seat you wanted. It got to the point that Tony threatened to duct tape both your mouth's shut. Natasha and Clint were sent in to separate the two of you. 

As the day was coming to a close Nat dragged you to the Mirror Maze. The two of you giggle as you got lost and confused by the maze. You hear someone coming around the corner and turn with a grin expecting Natasha. However, you run into Bucky.

"Ow." You say as you slam into his broad chest. 

"Such a whiner." Bucky grouses.

"Such a jerk." You brush past him.

Suddenly, the lights in the maze turn out and you hear doors slamming. 

"What the fuck?" You say.

"Hey, you two still in the Mirror Maze." Tony's voice comes over the loud speaker. "You didn't make it out in time, so now you get to stay here until tomorrow morning. Why don't you figure out why the hell you have such a problem with each other. Good night, losers." Half the lights come back on as Tony finishes.

"Tony!" You yell. 

"I'm gonna kill you, Tony. Clint, too!" Bucky yells. 

"Why Clint?" You ask.

"He's the one that drug me in here." Bucky says.

"Nat made me come in. Those three assholes planned this." You look around at the predicament you find yourself in. Stuck in a disorienting maze with the biggest jerk on the team. "Payback's a bitch!" You yell.

"They're gone. Why are you still yelling?" Bucky snarks. 

"Because I fucking want to!" You shout.

"Why are you so annoying?" Bucky yells.

"Why are you such a jerk?" You holler back. 

"Whatever." Bucky walks away from you. 

"Yeah, go! Go find a way out." You say.

"If I do, I'm not bringing you." Bucky throws over his shoulder.

"Ditto, asshat." You wander through the maze and make your way back to the beginning. There's no way out you can find and the doors are padlocked from the outside. Turning back, you wander until you get to the end where you find Bucky. 

"It's padlocked from the outside." He says.

"Same at the front." You say, deciding to try to be civil. 

"I could try to punch through it. Metal doesn't seem too thick."

"Oh, yeah, that'll work. I mean we'll be cut to ribbons as the mirrors around us shatter, but go for it." You snark.

"Well, what do you suggest, princess?"

"Don't call me princess, geezer." You lean on one of the mirrors and cross your arms.

"You're the one that started the name calling."

"I believe you called me whiner first." You shoot back.

"Not what I meant, genius." Bucky throws out. 

"Oh my God! When are you going to get over that! I called you Mister instead of Sargeant when I met you. It was a slip of the tongue! I wasn't calling you a name." You exclaim.

"It was disrespectful." Bucky growls as he stares into you. 

"So was refusing to shake my hand." You spit.

"Well, after the looney bin comment you really expected me to?" Bucky comes toe to toe with you. 

"Is that what made you so mad?" You say in disbelief. "I didn't know you had such great love for Senator Nichols. I'm so sorry I offended you." You roll your eyes. Being a supporter of the senator gave you another reason to dislike Barnes. Senator Nichols was an egomaniac with delusions of grandeur. 

"What are you talking about?" Bucky looks at you and you see some of his snark melt into real confusion.

"Senator Nichols. I said he needed to be in the looney bin, not joining us for a party. That's why you hate me so much? Because I made a stupid comment about a senator I don't like?" You look at Bucky and watch his face move through an array of emotions. "Barnes?" You try to snap him out of his thoughts when the realization hits you and your mouth drops open. "You thought I was talking about you. You thought I meant you?"

"I, uh, yeah." Bucky says contritely.

"No wonder you hated me. I wouldn't be too keen on me either." You say, reining in a smile. 

“So, that comment really wasn’t about me?” Bucky asks. 

“I’d never met you. Why would I say something like that about you?” You ask incredulously. 

“Because I was a brainwashed Hydra assassin?” Bucky says.

“Well, I guess that’s true. Some asshat might make that comment because of that.”

“Why did you hate me so much then?” Bucky asks.

“Uh, let’s see. You refused to shake my hand, reprimanded me for calling you mister instead of sergeant, and proceeded to treat me with disdain every time I was anywhere near you. Didn't make you very likeable."

"Guilty. I, uh, I'm sorry." Bucky says while rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Thanks." You look at him for a second. "Want to start over?" He asks. 

"I don't know. I'm pretty good at hating you now. I mean I could do a dissertation on your faults." You grin at him. 

"Come on, Doll, give me a chance to prove I'm not a total jerk." Bucky holds out his hand.

You stare at it for a second before putting your hand in his and shaking. "Okay." You smile. 

Eventually, the two of you end up sitting across from each other and talking. A few hours go by as you talk, laugh, and learn about each other. You find Bucky sweet and funny. You can tell Bucky's opinion of you shifts as well. 

"You're shivering, Doll." Bucky notices.

"It's a little cold." You flash a smile.

"Come sit with me. I'll keep you warm." Bucky grins. You move next to him and cuddle into his side as he wraps an arm around you. "That's better, right?"

"Yeah, thanks." You look into Bucky's eyes. He stares at you and then his gaze drops down to your lips for just a second. You lift your chin and his lips brush against yours lightly. 

"Is this okay?" Bucky asks after he pulls back.

"No." You say and reach up to cup his jaw. "I want more." You smile as his lips descend on yours more firmly and his tongue finds its way into your mouth. 

Abruptly, the rest of the lights come up and Tony's voice comes over the speaker again. "Okay, you two, that's enough. Break it up. Time to go. You didn't really think I was going to keep you here all night?"

"Still gonna kill you, Tony!" You say as the exit door opens revealing a grinning Natasha and Clint.

"Hey guys. Have fun?" Clint laughs.

Bucky smiles at Clint and then takes off in a chase.

"Won't take Bucky long to catch Clint. Hopefully, he doesn't actually kill-OW!" Nat cuts off when you punch her in the arm. 

"Really? You lock us in together?" You seeth.

"Yeah. Did you finally figure out why he hates you?" Nat asks.

"Yeah. He overheard the looney bin comment I made at the party." 

"Oh, crap. Did you apologize?"

"For what? I was referring to Senator Nichols with that comment." You smirk.

"No, you weren't. You… you lied to Bucky?" Nat furrows her brow. 

"Better than grovelling." You shrug.

"You have to tell him the truth. Apologize." Nat says.

"No. We're in a good place now. He and I can finally be friends. And more." You grin devilishly. "And you won't tell him either."

"What's to stop me?" Nat says.

You simply raise an eyebrow at her. 

Nat's eyes widen, "Fine." She says as she stalks away. 

A few minutes later, Bucky reappears, "Clint will think twice before pulling a stunt like that again."

"So will Nat." You laugh. "Ready to head home and maybe we can continue our discussion there?"

Masterlist

"Sounds good, Doll." Bucky says as he wraps an arm around your waist.

Part 2?

Permanent: @bubbabarnes @badassbaker @thefridgeismybestie @strangersstranger @cherthegoddess @buckyluvrs @sherlocksmanwatson @cap-n-stuff @finleyjayne @caplanreads @connie326 @daydreamerinadazedworld

Divider by @whimsicalrogers

[murderousginger]

Written In The Streets

Peaky Blinders fic

Cops & Robbers Part 4

Warnings: Sex. Murder. Fluff. Angst. They're criminals guys, they do bad things.

Words: 3.8k

--Note: Happy Tuesday! I had a 3 day weekend and got excited during a rewatch of Peaky Blinders season 1. This is a little spicier and violent, but it very much is in the realm of the show. Enjoy!--

Tagging: @imagine-that-100 @blinder-secrets @rae-you-gotta-be-kidding-me @theshelbyclan @peakascum @sweatydragoncloudknight

It was midday and you were busy about the house when a knock came upon your door. You paused, listening hard before you moved toward it. You hadn't been expecting anyone. You paused at the door, staring hard at it before you finally unlocked it and opened it a crack. 

"Come with me," Tommy said as he grabbed your hand and pulled you out of the sliver in your doorway.

"Tommy," you shrieked and fought back but his grip on your wrist was too strong. "at least let me lock the door."

He looked back at you and loosened his grip wordlessly. You turned and grabbed your purse from the hallway and locked the door, turning back to Tommy. He grabbed your hand again, this time with less strength, and led you to his car.

The ride was quiet and thoughts raced through your head. You stole a glance at Tommy, white knuckled and eyes locked on the road ahead of him. You had no way of knowing where he was taking you and you grew more worried the longer it was quiet. You itched to relieve the tension, but you feared it at the same time.

Tommy stopped the car at the side of a bridge over The Cut and got out of the car, rounding it to open your door. He held his hand out for you and you took it without hesitation, stepping out of the car and following him down a set of stairs to the canal. He stopped you a few steps from the bottom and sat you down, looking off at the water, his hand still holding yours. You watched him closely as he nodded out to the canal.

"This," Tommy said as he looked over the water, "is where I come to think sometimes. When it's quiet. When my mind won't be."

You sat quiet, watching his blue eyes scan the horizon. You looked out into the canal, surveying the waterway and the bend up ahead with fresh eyes to try to see what he saw.

"And this," Tommy rumbled, "here, here is how I found you and John." 

Your head snapped up to look at him, Tommy's gaze squinting over the water. You ripped your hand from his as if he burnt you. He pointed to the bank a few hundred feet down and nodded. 

"You came running into the water there," he said evenly. "Harping at John to turn his back as you threw off your dress." 

Your cheeks burned in embarrassment. Your head dipped when Tommy finally turned his attention to you.

"Nothing to see in the 2 a.m. black," he said softly before returning his attention to the riverbank and the story. "John turned, I'm guessing. Perhaps not. Your clothes went off, and that's when I realized you were the one occupying our John's nights."

"Our John," you repeated with mirth. "Your John. Esme's John. Not mine."

"He's as much yours as ours," he said. "There's few things he'd choose above you. More he'd fight."

"But he would choose above me," you said.

"Can't have that, can you?" Tommy teased dryly. "Our (Y/N)'s greedy."

"Business before me," you said stiffly. "Blood before me. Not a woman."

"Not a woman," Tommy said. "And when the business keeps the man from your bed? And coppers or Italians pull you from your door because they think they can leverage you from who you're fucking?"

"That life I know," you said softly. "As long as he's honest."

"If you want to work in my organization, you have to make sacrifices," he said. 

"All I've made is sacrifices," you retorted with a snort. "Who wants to date a Blinders girl, Tommy? There's always been rumors I'm either carrying a dick or being passed around by you lot. Any men that weren't deterred by that were sure as hell scared of you boys." 

"Well," he said with an amused look, "could always have left Polly's rule for search for a husband, if that's what you're after."

"I'm not after a husband, Tommy," you shot back. "My mother detests me I have no close kin, no husband, no love. Blinders are my life." 

Tommy reached for your hand again and slowly brushed his thumb along your knuckle. 

"You're family, (Y/N)," Tommy said quietly. 

"I'm not Shelby," you said. "You may be my boys but I don't belong."

"You'll always belong with us," Tommy said. "It's all about where you want to be."

"And where is it you want me to be, Tommy?" You asked softly.

Tommy let go of your hand with a pat and looked back out to the canal. All moments of softness hidden behind an air of business.

"I want to see what you're made of," he said. "I've paired you with John. Tomorrow you'll go with him to The Yard. Got a man named Wilks that works for us. Word is he's got loose lips on the whiskey. Find out who he told what to."

"You trust me with John?" You said with a raised brow.

"I trust that what's done might be done again," he said evenly. "But I trust he'll watch out for you more than anyone but me."

"Tommy--" you started.

"Go see him in the morning and do the job," Tommy cut you off. "To prove yourself."

"I've already proven myself," you argued. "Years ago."

"You proved yourself to Pol, not me," Tommy said cooly. "Pol's not running things anymore. And if you want to keep your place you'll need to keep up." 

"Fine, Tommy," you said with a sigh as you turned back to the canal. "I'll show you my worth."

"I've no doubt you will," he said as he looked over the water. 

----

The next morning you got ready in the twilight. You decided on a simple dress and boots and stuffed your pockets with a small knife each. You cursed yourself that you never got around to a gun, but you had never found a good way to conceal one and your shot needed work. 

When you were done, you slipped out of your apartment and headed toward John's home. You moved quickly through the streets as the sun rose and the birds started to sing their morning songs. After a few blocks, you looked up to John's house and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. 

A young girl opened the door and looked up at you expectantly. You nervously smiled. 

"'lo," you said, rubbing your sweaty hands along the front of your dress, "is John -- erhm your dad home?"

The girl eyed you shortly before opening the door the rest of the way and walking back to a seat next to a baby in a chair. Nothing was said as she went back to feeding the baby.

"John," you called, hesitating in the doorway before you walked in. "Where are you?"

Kids were all over the kitchen. One of the girls was perched on a stool cooking on the stove, two boys were wrestling on the floor yelling, and of course the baby being fed by the girl that let you in. None of them paid you much mind as you walked through the kitchen and into the other room. You saw a closed door, guessing it was a bedroom.

"John" you yelled and kicked the door with your boot. It gave way much easier than you expected and swung open to reveal the sight before you. 

Esme was on top of John, riding him like a prized racehorse. She barely stopped her rhythm as she wrapped the sheet around her more to hide her chest. John lay back grinning with his hands disappeared into the sheet. He laughed as she saw you in the doorway.

"Tommy finally get tired of interrupting us hisself?" Esme said in between breaths. 

Your eyes widened as you realized what you were witnessing. 

"Oh god--" you exclaimed and turned back around, walking back into the kitchen. 

You sat down on the other side of the table from the kids and waited, mouth shut as you tried to look anywhere but the doorway you came from. 

A sharp yell of passion erupted from the other room and you bit your lip nervously as you watched the girl at the stove. 

"You staying for breakfast?" The girl said, eyeing you as she stirred. You smiled nervously. 

"No thank you," you said quietly. "I'm just here to see your father."

Esme appeared in the doorway, still flushed but dressed in a navy flowy dress and shawl, and looked at you with an amused quirk of her lips. 

"Here to see John, eh?" She said over the scuffle on the floor as she wrapped the shawl around her shoulders tighter and sat next to the girl feeding the baby. 

"Boys, go wrestle elsewhere," Esme said sharply. 

They both sounded a "yes mum" as they got off the floor and pushed and shoved each other into the other room. 

"Yes," you said as the kitchen quieted. "Tommy sent me. I'm (Y/N). I'm s'pose to go with John to handle business at the dock."

"(Y/N)," Esme said as she looked at you. "His little friend from childhood? I've heard of you. Prettier than I expected, running with Shelby boys for so long."

You blushed and ducked your head with a murmur of thanks. 

"You're not one I should worry about, are you?" She said, leaning back in her chair and placing a hand on the table in front of her.

"No," you said with a laugh. "I'm not anyone's second priority. And you and the children are rightfully first." 

"Good," Esme said with a small smile. "I think I like you. It'd be a shame to kill you." 

"Knives or guns your specialty?" You asked with a grin. "You should have seen this man the other night when I threatened to cut off his balls."

You both laughed, equally relaxing in your seats.

"Is that my favorite girls getting along?" John said as he entered the kitchen while putting on his belt. 

John grinned at you as he put his arm around Esme, placing a kiss on her head. 

"Mornings are best when started with sex or breakfast," he laughed as he kissed Esme on the lips before turning to you. "When it's both it's better."

He nabbed a biscuit off the table and bit into it and winked at you.

"Shame you've been keeping us apart, John," you said with a look. "Esme and I could have been giving you a run for ages."

"Likely drive me mad," he said with a laugh. "Both of you on whiskey together would be more trouble than it's worth."

"Promise?" Esme said grinning. "We must have a night then, (Y/N)."

You nodded as John rolled his eyes. 

"Right, then," he said, ruffling his daughter's hair and giving Esme another kiss. "Let's be off before you can make more trouble in my kitchen."

You scoffed with a laugh as he shooed you to stand and pushed you out the door. 

"Nice to meet you!" You called behind you.

"You can't hide her anymore, John," Esme yelled as you both left. 

John guided you down to the car and opened the door for you. You smacked him as you climbed in. 

"What was that for?" He exclaimed and pushed your shoulder before he closed your door and made his way into the driver's seat. 

"I like her," you said. "And you're a dick." 

John chuckled and drove to the dock. 

----

John drove to The Yard and parked. You both got out of the car and made your way through the streets looking for the man named Wilks. 

"John boy!" A voice boomed. You both looked over to see a gruff older man with a big smile headed your way with open arms. 

"Uncle Charlie," John called back as he hugged the man. 

"I see you've got angel with you," Charlie said with a grin. 

You grinned back as Charlie let go of John to hug you. 

"Charlie," you said, "still up to no good?"

You both chuckled and John looked on at you quizzically. Charlie's arm hung around your shoulders as he faced John.

"Angel?" John asked. "You two know each other?"

"Your aunt Pol used to send this one down with orders," Charlie said, squeezing you in a side hug. "She refused to tell me her name for ages. Shy thing, she was. I told her angels had no names. So we all called her angel at the docks. Sweet thing she is, too sweet to run with you boys."

John's brows raised in shock. 

"Well aren't you full of surprises," he said as he grabbed a pick from his pocket and rolled it in his mouth. "You've got all kinds of names and secrets, it sounds like."

"And you're shortly learning them all," you grimaced. You turned your attention to Charlie. "We're looking for a man named Wilks, seen him?"

"Aye," Charlie said, watching you both closely before pointing. "He's down there by the dock."

"Right," John said. "We'll need to talk to him alone. Send the rest on break."

Charlie nodded and you all walked down, Charlie quietly sending the others away as he discreetly nodded to a pudgy man near the edge of the water. You both cornered the man, his eyes widened as he backed up and his heel teetered on the edge of the dock. You raised your hands to halt him. 

"We're only here to talk," you reassured with a smile. "Heard you might have gotten a little drunk at a pub. Told someone something you shouldn't."

"I didn't mean to," he said looking between you and John's stone faced expression. "Was just a drink or two and then he asked me a question I found odd." 

"Who?" You asked in a soothing voice, hands still up as you stepped forward. "Did you know the man?"

John watched you with sharp eyes as you got closer to Wilks as if walking to a scared horse. He chewed on his pick, letting you do the talking. 

"I didn't know them," he said, scared. "Just a man asking what it was like to work at docks. If we had any openings. If we moved anything odd. Anything to note."

"And what did you tell them?" John said, taking a step forward but still a good length behind you. You were nearly next to the man as his eyes darted between you both and behind him as he looked for an exit. 

"I told him we move the normal stuff," he said gruffly, "and sometimes we move what Shelby's ask. He perked up at the name. Said it must be exciting to work for criminals. Must see some crazy cargo. I shrugged. Just told him sometimes you have shipments. Anything from guns to medical rations. Told him a shipment went to Camden Town not too long ago."

"Shouldn't have done that, Wilks," John said darkly as he took another step forward. "We don't take kindly to business being passed around." 

"I didn't do nothin'," Wilks protested. "I've got a wife and kids to feed." 

"Should have thought of that before you went talking," John said. 

Wilks grabbed your wrist and swung your body around, his calloused hand gripping your throat and the other around your waist. John cut the distance in a stride and stopped as Wilks lifted you by the throat, pressing your back to his chest.

"I don't want no trouble," he said, eyes darting for an exit. "Let me go home."

Your hands flew to your throat and your feet kicked as he lifted you higher. You could barely breathe in through his grip.

"Shouldn't have done that," John said with a glint in his eye. He pulled out his pistol and aimed it at him.

"Shouldn't have brought a girl for a man's job," Wilks growled in your ear as he squeezed your throat tighter. 

John's eyes were dark as he tried to aim at the man behind you. His face cycled between fear and anger as you realized he wouldn't have a good shot with Wilks holding you so close.

You gritted your teeth and kicked again. You felt your heel connect with his shin and he squeezed your throat harder as he roared. You dropped a hand from your throat and elbowed his chest as you thrashed in his hands. You clumsily made way to your pockets and pulled out a knife as your eyesight started to blacken. John lowered his pistol as you pulled back and stabbed Wilks in the thigh, making the man drop you. 

You stepped out of his reach and John raged forward with his fist cocked back. John's fist connected with Wilks’ face with a crack and the man fell to the ground. John continued pummeling the man as he writhed on the ground, your knife still in his thigh. 

You touched your neck, feeling the bruising that was likely to occur. You breathed deep, feeling the oxygen rush through you as you tried to stay conscious. As oxygen came back you turned back to John beating the man and grabbed John's arm as he cocked it back to hit Wilk's face again. 

As you grabbed his arm, he twisted in your grip and was about to punch you when he realized who you were and stopped himself. Wilks was beneath his feet in a bloody pile, his face almost indistinguishable. John's eyes met yours as you held his arm and looked at the blood that had spattered on his face and the wild look in his blue eyes. 

"John," you said hoarsely. Your throat was scratchy from being choked. 

His eyes softened and he pulled you to his chest. 

"Don't fucking scare me like that, yeah?" He whispered into your hair as you clung to him.

"I'm fine," you said. "But we need him alive to ask, yeah?" 

John let out a sigh as he deflated. 

"Yeah," he said. 

You pulled away and looked at his blue eyes worrying over you. You patted his arm and stepped out of his embrace to lean over the half conscious man under his feet. 

"Wilks," you said with a low growl. "Who did you tell?"

Wilks cried out as John kicked his ribs, finally stepping to the side so he wasn't under his feet. 

"I don't know," he said, screaming as you grabbed your knife from his thigh and pulled it out. "I didn't know the man. He had longer hair maybe? An odd accent. I'd never seen him before, I swear." 

You scowled at him, wiping his blood off of your knife with his vest. You pressed the knife under his throat. 

"Are you sure?" You growled. 

"Sounds like it could have been an Italian," John said as he spit on the man. "Maybe a Jew."

"I don't know," he cried. "Please."

You pulled your knife away and hid it back into your pocket. You looked up at John as he glared down at Wilks. 

"Your call, Shelby," you said, voice still hoarse. 

"I'll kill him," he said, kicking the man again. 

"No," you said. 

John scowled down at you, his jaw ticked as he was about to talk. 

"I'll do it," you said, sounding stronger than you felt. "This is meant to be my proofing water." 

John started again to fight you, but you raised a hand while you fished your knife out. Wilks started to thrash beneath you and John stepped on his chest to hold him still. John's eyes looked conflicted as you pulled the knife out of your pocket again and ran a finger along the blade.

You had hurt men before, but you had never killed. Most of your experience was from self defense. Tommy wanted to prove yourself, so prove yourself you shall. 

"You don't have to," John said defeated. "I'll tell Tommy you did it. You don't have to."

"No, John," you said solemnly. "I do. You aren't saving me from it. This is mine." 

You turned to Wilks and cut his throat in a swift motion. Blood poured from his neck as the light left his eyes. You stood up and stepped back as John kicked Wilks into the water. You watched numbly, knife still at your side. 

"Hey," John said as he turned around and rested his hand on your cheek. "Is'aright. Come here." 

He pulled you into his chest and you teared up but fought the urge to cry. You gulped it down, feeling the pain in your neck again. 

"John," you whispered. 

He pulled back to look you in the eye, one hand on your cheek and the other on your waist. 

"Let's get you back to your wife, yeah?" You said as you tried to feign a smile. 

You rested your hand on his chest before gently pushing him away. 

"Yeah, (Y/N)," John sighed. "Okay."

The ride back was quiet. You looked straight ahead as John drove, even though you could feel his eyes on you from time to time. When he offered to drive you home, you declined, telling him you'd rather walk from his home. 

You hugged him goodbye when you arrived at his home, and breathed deep the smell of him. He always smelled of gunpowder and pine, and you breathed it in deeply to comfort yourself. You said your goodbyes despite his worried expression, and walked down the road in a daze. You weren't ready to go home just yet. 

You stopped at a local bakery and bought a small piece of bread and walked to The Cut. You sat on Tommy's thinking place stairs and looked out over the canal, thinking. You sat for hours in a daze, eating bread and trying to process your thoughts. As twilight began to tease the sky, you snapped out of your thoughts. You needed to get home. 

You walked to your apartment and at the last minute you were grabbed by your neighbor. Gail was an older neighbor that always treated you kindly. You often brought her teas when you found a new flavor she might like. 

"Men came through asking where you were," Gail said in hushed tones. "They claimed to be coppers. They're in your apartment waiting for you now." 

You thanked her and left quickly back into the streets. It was now dark and getting colder by the moment. There was only one place you could think to go, so you walked to Tommy's house. You snuck in to sit on his bed and waited for him to arrive home for the night.

[malfoys-demigod]

Third Time’s a Charm - Tim Drake x Reader

A/N: This is set in the YJverse and you’re Batgirl since Barbara is now Oracle

Summary: M’gann and Conner attemp to play matchmaker on you and Tim Drake. 

The weekend at Mount Justice was awfully colorless. No missions, no plans, no fun for everyone. Everyone who had a significant other were lucky enough to spend time with each other, making things seem less lifeless at the Cave. Artemis was teaching Wally to shoot, Dick was constantly flirting with Oracle, Beast boy was out with Perdita, and so on. The rest who didn’t have significant others decided to entertain each other, playing games. 

For M’gann and Conner, being a motherly and fatherly figure, stood beside each other against the kitchen countertop, watching everyone get along with each other, with big heart eyes. That’s until she spotted two certain people alone. 

You were listening to your favorite music on your headphones as you stared at the window, looking at the magnificent view of Happy Harbour. 

Tim on the other hand was just on the couch, watching videos on his laptop while holding a coffee mug on his left hand. 

M’gann, bored out of her mind, noticed something between you and Tim. She whispered to Conner point at you two, “Is it me, or is Tim and Y/N the only people in this cave single?” Conner looked at M’gann disbelief, not realizing that as well. “Oh yeah. I can’t believe I failed to see this. It’s funny how they grew up together in Wayne Manor but barely talk to each other.”

The truth was, you and Tim weren’t exactly close. You both exchanged a couple of words throughout the day, but both of you were are always too focused on either your jobs or yourselves when you had nothing to do. Back at Wayne Manor, Tim spent his time being the best student in Gotham Academy while you spent your time being the best in your extra curriculars, such as being the captain of a varsity. 

Of course M’gann, wanting to play matchmaker, proposed the idea to Conner, “They have potential chemistry together. I say we play matchmaker and bring them together.” Connor looked at his girlfriend with a silly face, “You’re really bored, aren’t you?” 

“Don’t worry, it’ll only take three steps for them to fall for each other.” M’gann said with a mischevious smile. 

--

1. Friday night at the fair 

After M’gann making Tim ride with you in every ride possible, Conner whistles for Tim to look up, “Hey Drake, come over here.” 

Tim walks over with both hands on his pockets, “What’s up Conner?” 

Conner pulls out a wallet from his back pocket and holds 20 dollars in the air. “This should be enough for you to buy yourself some a large cotton candy.” Tim shakes his head and returns the money, “Thanks but I’m alright.” Conner pushes back the money to Tim with a serious look, “I insist. Go. Buy. Youself. Cotton. Candy. Now.” Tim nods, and walks away terrified. 

You just came back from the bathroom after fixing your hair when you saw Tim holding a huge stick of cotton candy. Your eyes widened and you ran quickly to him, jumping up and down. “TIM, can I have a piece? Please, please, please??” 

Tim not caring about the cotton candy gave everything to you. “Uh, you can take the whole thing.” he sheepishly smiled.

“AH THANK YOU!” you bursted with joy. 

“Knock yourself out, Y/L/N.” he scratched the back of his neck and chuckled. 

As you happily savored the taste of the cotton candy, all Tim could see was you and the background lights of the carnival at night. His eyes were focused on you. The way you smiled with a satisfied sound as you ripped small pieces of the cotton candy, piece by piece. This is where he started to take more notice of you. He tried to look away as you took notice of his staring. You smiled and motioned for him to take a piece and he did, just a little so you could have it all. “Thanks, Y/N.”

“No thank you, we wouldn’t have had this if you didn’t have bought it.” you smiled innocently. 

Tim thought, ‘I guess I have to thank Conner for lending me the money.’ 

Then as he looked around for Conner, he failed to find him but luckily saw a carnvial game stand. The particular one where you have to shoot all those plates with one try without missing a single plate. 

He noticed that nobody was lining up for it so he grabbed your hand and ran towards it, causing both of you to blush. 

“Where are we going, Tim?”

“How about I win you a prize?” 

As you both stopped, you saw the booth in front of you. “Tim, you sure you can do this?” 

He scoffed, “Have faith in me, Y/N. I’m getting you the biggest prize they have to offer.”

Thanks to Jason teaching him a few tricks, Tim successfully shot down all the plates with one try, making you gasp in excitement. “Oh my gosh, Tim! What’s the prize! What’s the prize!” you jump up and down. 

The person in charge of the booth handed Tim the biggest stuff animal, coincidentally your favorite animal, and 100 bucks!

As Tim lovingly gave you the stuffed animal, you spotted the 100 bucks, “What are we going to do with the money?” you shot Tim a curious look. 

Tim thought of a brilliant idea. “Would you like to go on a date with me, Y/N?” waving the money. 

“I’d love to, Tim.” you blushed. 

M’gann and Conner were just behind the booth, thanking the person in charge for handing their money to Tim as they knew he’d win. 

“Can’t believe this is happening.” M’gann hugged Conner. “It’s going all so well, Conner!!” 

“Can’t believe he hasn’t gave me back the change for the cotton candy.” he joked. 

--

2. SaturDATE 

Tim’s lunch date was such a Tim thing. He brought you to a coffee shop, but like one of those hipster coffee places where everything looked so colorful and vibrant. 

As you walked in, you gave him a curious look. “I know you’re a coffee guy but I expected the shops you’d visit frequently to be more dark and casual.”

“I wanted a change for today. Besides, this place reminds me of you. Colorful and vibrant.” he smirked. 

This day just got better and better by the minute. The both of you learned so much about each other as you started tackling simple questions to the deepest ones you could get to. 

“I regret learning more about you at such a late age, Tim! Who knew we had so much in common.” you said with doubtfulness. 

Tim sighed, “I totally agree. I could imgaine us right now as best of friends at Wayne Manor, staying up all night, watching movies together, and basically doing everything together.” 

“Believe me, I feel the exact same way. I tried doing these things with Dick, Jay and even Damian but it never felt right.” 

The two of you had so much fun that day that you were there from noon to evening, not even realizing that you both had a big mission the next day. 

It was 10pm and the both of you got voice messages from Dick and Conner saying, “Hey love birds, it’s nice to see you finally bonding but we have a big mission tomorrow. I expect to see you both at the cave in 10 minutes.” 

The both of you checked the clock and laughed at how neither of you knew it was getting SUPER late. “Well, we better get going.” Tim said as he held out his hand for you to stand up from the bean bags you sat on. 

--

3. Sunday madness 

Klarion, the witch boy, posed as Tempest and stole the remaining fragments of the stature, needing to resurrect Tiamat from Aquagirl. He made his escape through a portal, but was followed by Tula. 

Beta Squad, led by Nightwing, arrived on the scene in the Sacred Well of Marduk’s Temple. But Klarion threw the reconstructed statue into the pool which caused a giant water snake to come out. 

Klation blasted the water snake, knocking the tablet of Destiny which was bound to Tiamat ran off with it. Klarion chased after it, leaving the heroes to fight the water-snake form of Tiamat.

The watersnake knocked you out, leaving you unconcsious. Tim saw this and yelled, “Y/N!” He ran towards your body, checking for a heartbeat which he heard, sighing in relief. He stayed with you the whole time from when Aqualad came out from another room, saying the mission ended because the tablet was destroyed and Klarion escaped, to bringing you to the Cave, waiting for you to wake up. 

After a few hours, your eyes started to open slowly. You were about to stand up until someone stopped you. “Hey, it’s okay. Just lay down for awhile, you still have a concussion.” a familiar voice said. 

It was Tim. He smiled and stroked your cheeks with his thumbs. “Why don’t I get you some water?” 

“How about some coffee from that hipster place?” you weakly laughed. 

“I don’t want to be too far from you. I hope my coffee here will do.” he stood up and left the room when M’gann, Conner, and Dick came in. 

“Hey kiddo, how ya feeling?” Dick sat on your bed. 

“Better, especially that my favorite brother is here.” you said with a big smile. Dick playfully looked back hoping Tim wasn’t there to hear that, “You’re lucky Tim didn’t hear that! You would have broken his heart!!!” he whisper shouted. 

M’gann stepped forward, “He wouldn’t have been hurt by that. She sees him as something else, don’t you Y/N.” 

Before you could answer, Tim popped in with 2 mugs of coffee in his hands. “I hope she does because I see her as something else.” You blushed as you took a mug from him and kissed him. “I hope that answers it.” 

Before Tim could kiss you back, Dick pushed Connor and M’gann out, “Let’s give these two some privacy, after all they already have a room.” 

--

Dick crossed his arms and chuckled at M’gann and Conner. “I’m so disappointed in you two.” which made that look at each other with a confused look. 

“How come? The both of us managed to make them fall for each other!” M’gann said. 

Dick jumped in annoyance, “Don’t you see? ‘The both of us?’ YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME BE PART OF YOUR MATCHMAKING THING! I COULD HAVE HELPED A LOT! IT’S NOT FAIR! I SHOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY ADOPTIVE SIBLING’S RELATIONSHIP!” 

Connor patted Dick on the back, “Okay you can plan out their wedding all by yourself. In fact, your whole family can deal with the expenses while we sit back and relax.” 

“FINE.”

[dat-town]

Busan drift

Characters: racer!Felix & racer!You

Setting : street racing au (all I know is coming from the Fast & Furious franchise so excuse my shitty knowledge about cars and races)

Summary: A new face around the races in your beloved seaside town always means trouble, especially if he’s as cocky and arrogant as that mysterious silver-haired guy seems.

Warning: nothing really apart from good ol’ competitiveness

Words: 4.7k

For the one and only @lily-blue​! Love ya, dear! ♥

There's a smug smile playing on your lips the moment you cross the finish line, tires screeching against the asphalt as you step on the break and take a perfect U-turn to park your car in the middle of the impressed crowd. Adrenalin still rushes through your veins just as the car's engine still rumbles under you and fingers warm against the wheel, you let the satisfying feeling of winning hype you up before opening your door.

"That's my girl!" Chan welcomes you with a proud smile stretching over his lips, big palm patting you on the blade bones in congratulations before anyone else could. You grin at the brunette and reciprocate Changbin's half hug within the circle of your friends and admirers.

"Today's on me," you holler in the air followed by loud cheers and you know you gotta claim your prize for today's race before the sore losers would ruin your fun with their bitterness. A race is a race, there are no rules, so they cannot even call you out on cheating because technically there's nothing you could have done wrong. And well, everybody would laugh at them if they had to turn to such techniques against a girl.

It took you some time and definitely some nerve and thick skin to earn yourself a reputation and a title but by now, the Busan streets are like your playground and everybody who matters in this scene knows your name. You're the first girl who has ever won the local annual street race after all. Of course, you couldn't have done it alone. If it wasn't for your friends then you would have been nowhere near your current place. A lot of things had lead you to where you are now starting from your long friendship with Jisung who was your classmate in middle school. He introduced you to his friends, Changbin and Chan with whom you hit it off quite quickly. The eldest boy already had an interest in cars then and he was the one who taught you the most about how to pick a vehicle apart and then put it together thanks to his accurate technical knowledge. Changbin has been out on the streets for quite a while too, while Jisung mainly deals with the competitions: he gets the info about them, gathers maps about the routes and handles the prize money to make the most out of the cars.

But a bit of celebration never hurts, so you're off to go to your usual favourite place with the nice amount of cash in your hands when somebody steps in front of your and you have to halt your action. Annoyed, you look up at the tall guy in front of you and first, you think he must be one of those racers whom you left behind during the latest race. However, you are quite surprised when you see an unfamiliar face.

Busan might be a big city but the street racing scene isn't so big that you wouldn't know your competitors. It actually makes your job even easier because every driver has their signature type of driving and knowing them enables you to use this knowledge against them without them knowing.

"Impressive race," the stranger comments with a twitch in the corner of his mouth and you're once again taken aback but this time, it's because of the depth of his voice. He spoke up quietly but the deep rumbling resonated through the area.

"Thanks," you hum, not knowing why he has to stand in your way but at least, the guy doesn't waste your time and goes straight to the point:

"I can beat you, though," he claims confidently and he had some guts, you have to give him that but you laugh at his claim nevertheless. Not because you are that full of yourself that you think nobody can be better than you but taken the current circumstances it seems highly unlikely since you know the route well and newbie amateurs aren't competitors to you anyway.

"Ooooh do we have a Seoul boy here?" you raise a brow checking him out from head to toe not too impressed. He has slick, perfectly styled silver hair, showing off his undercut and dangling silver ear piercings. His facial features are defined by his high cheekbones, well-defined eyebrows and jaw as sharp as a knife. His dark eyes are like the night filled with fierce passion instead of stars.

Everybody can tell easily that he didn't belong here. It isn't just the expensive watch on his wrist or his weird dialect but the way he carries himself. There's some arrogance in it, as if he had some kind of privilege over countryside folks like you. But pity for him, whoever treats him as if he was a little prince, nobody here cares. He could have been the son of the president and nobody would have given a shit about his family background. On the Streets, nothing else matters just raw talent and what you have built for yourself. He couldn't just walk in him acting like he owned the place. That's very far from the truth and you take it upon yourself, enlightening him.

"You don't know how things work around here, do you? You can't just challenge someone like that," you tell him firmly and the crowd around you provides the sounds effects, gasping as if the guy just got burnt. He, however, doesn't seem too bothered. He merely raises an eyebrow back at you.

"Why? Are you afraid?" he mocks you, deep voice reminding you of deep waters. You wonder briefly whether it is possible to drown in a voice.

"Of course not," you snort since that's a ridiculous guess. Why would you have been afraid? Statistically he has like 1 to 100 chance to win against you. Busan is a maze made of beach strolls, mountain roads and tricky underpasses. Unlike him, you know these all too well, not used to the straight and wide roads of the capital city. "But I don't have to explain myself to someone who don't know or respect our rules. Educate yourself first." 

You don't do it on purpose but the crowd around you seems to enjoy your remarks. However, the guy doesn't seem to take it to heart. 

"Oh I know you have this open popup competition thing going on," he shrugs nonchalantly speaking so ignorantly talking about how your races are held that it rubs you off the wrong way. Doesn't he get that randomly getting notified of where and when the races are held meant that you have to be ready all the time? 

" I was just wondering whether you were up for an off-competition race. Think of it like a challenge. I will be here same time tomorrow," he said and flashed you a smirk before turning on his heels and leaving the scenes while being watched by numerous baffled eyes including yours.

"So… drinks?" Jisung broke the silence with his hopeful question and everybody seemed to share the sentiment.

Originally, you didn’t want to care about arrogant guys’ any random challenge because you knew that if you agreed to one, then more would come after him and each of them would call you a coward if you turned any down. However, as Changbin reminded you that stranger boy with his ridiculous undercut called you out in front of a crowd, letting everyone know about the time and place, so you could be pretty sure there would be quite an audience there later that day with or even without you. You hated to give in like that, but you pretty much have no choice but to go there and teach that brat a lesson. That things weren’t played like this on your streets.

"Yah yah yah, guys! You won't believe this!" Jisung runs to the garage where you're currently trying to start the engine when Chan, the one working on the gears, tells you, too. Jisung looks dishevelled and a bit panicked, so it should be something important. Keyword is should because he tends to act so dramatic even because of stuff like a slightly burnt toast. 

"What?" you turn towards him, having the urge to ruffle his already messy hair. Since you have a pretty casual brother-sister-like relationship with each guy on your team, it wouldn’t be something weird or out of line. However, you stay in place and turn the keys as Chan taps on the car hood, getting the engine finally fumbling under his handyman hands.

"The guy, you know, from yesterday… I found out who he is!" Jisung tells you all too proudly but he seems to jittery over such information. You guessed he must be a nobody from Seoul thinking car races on the streets of Busan are similar to the ones he had back at home, you even played with the idea, he only knew stuff like a wheel and gears from arcade games. However, when you shoot an uninterested look at Jisung, he whips out his phone and shoves a website into your face with the guy's unimpressed face on it.

He looks somewhat younger in the picture and his hair is wavy blonde instead of the short-cut silver like now but it really is him. That arrogant look in his eyes rubs you off the wrong way just by looking at his image with the description calling him Felix Lee.

"He's a legit car racer! The youngest one in the Australian national team!" Jisung basically shouts and your attention drifts to the headline of the article claiming that the boy abruptly moved to Korea.

Maybe you should be intimidated but you just snort. He acted so almighty just because he used to play with those super expensive toy cars within the set route of an arena? Hah, he would fail badly on the roads, especially if he isn't used to being done dirty by other racers. It wasn't some Formula 1 here, you have no such rules. 

"And? I can still beat his ass," you claimed confidently, knowing your skills. Winning against a newbie in street racing would be easy as a pie. 

"Still, keep it in mind that he isn't as clueless as we thought. He knows cars and is probably good under pressure," Chan a.k.a the voice of reason reminded you. You know that it's important to not underestimate your enemy but you're too annoyed by this prick and his arrogant attitude. 

"Sure, but we know that area better than anyone. I have raced there multiple times, I know the shortcuts and the dangerous turns. There's no way he could do better on first try," you claim fairly sure of yourself and you glance at the time, seeing you have a few more hours until you have to be there, at the bay, behind that warehouse with Hyundai written on its side.

"Don't be like that, guys, no need to get stressed, she will show him how it's done in Busan. He'll get the authentic taste of losing," Changbin speaks up waking from his nap and you grin at him, giving him a high five in gratitude for his support. You know that the others worry for your sake too but you don't need that, there's nothing to be anxious about.

Or so you thought. 

You start to get second thoughts when arriving to the venue you see Lee I Think I'm The Best Felix's car. A beautiful white Toyota Supra 2020. The paint on the sides seems brand new, the red strikes powerful and the smoke effect makes it aesthetic. But too bad, pretty cars are worth nothing if the engine is cheap and weak. But the thing is, you know this car. Or at least the type and you have been meaning to get your hands on one for literal years! It's just super rare and hella expensive. All your savings from competitions wouldn't be enough to get one. And now you're not only annoyed by the guy's behaviour but also envious of him. Huh, such a showoff though. Or rather a coward, you would like to think. Coming to race against you with a car that's being said to have one of the best acceleration speed. Compared to that, your baby is a veteran Nissan, having been used years and fixed up by Chan numerous times. But it's still running on high speed and you're familiar with every little thing, how to drift or how to use your nitro smartly, because of course, you have upgraded it over the years, even hand painted the 4RACHA sign onto its side.

"So… you came," the guy pushes himself away from his car, arms crossed against his chest and you don't like his content, bright smile. He seems genuinely glad to see you and seeing how much the crowd fawns over his fancy car, you're sure he came here to show off. 

"Can't have you think you can just walk into Busan so mighty," you roll your eyes, adding internally: can't have him think you were a coward. 

"Well, you can show me my place then," he chuckles all too amused and you press your lips together disapproving. You don't like how relaxed he is. As if he's already won regardless the result of the race.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna let you know about today's race to keep it fair and unbiased," atall, blonde haired guy from the Streets community walked up to you. Hyunjin is one of the organizers of the weekly and annual events too. They decide the routes, the prizes, the time and they invite everyone involved. They are pretty much the center of the Busan street race competition.

"I will be the one drawing the flag, you will receive the GPS coordinate you have to reach, there's no advised route. We will monitor where you are and see if you reach the point. The first one who makes it back will be the winner. Is it clear?" he asks looking from the new guy to you and when your eyes meet, you see his mouth turn slightly upward.

His smile has gotten you into trouble before and stupidly you still feel that nostalgic fondness towards your ex-boyfriend. It's been a while since you broke up due to the rumours that him giving out info helped you win so many races but you still care about him to a certain extent. You would have liked to stay friends but in this competitive world it's better not to keep too close attachments between organizers and racer. Too many people badmouth those.

"Sure thing," the newbie grins and you just nod. You have already known this after all.

"Alright, then get ready," Hyunjin tells you, a wavy blonde lock falling ahead into his eyes from his manbun. 

You shot one last look at the silver-haired guy and his shining dark orbs before turning on your heels you sit back into your car after receiving encouragement from your friends and some regular viewers.

Sitting behind the wheels you already see the red dot lighting up on your integrated GPS map and already know you will go along the shore to go there instead of across the town. Less distractions and obstacles.

Once Hyunjin and some others you know through the races send the crowd a bit farther, giving the two lined up cars enough space around the starting line. Your ex takes the black flag and white you use for such purposes and stands in front of you, between the black Nissan and the white Toyota. You start your engine, running it, warming it up while he waves the flag above his head. You hear the counting down, the echoes in the back of your mind and when Hyunjin suddenly brings the sign down, you step on the gas, car shooting ahead next to the guy's.

He speeds up quickly too, even getting a meter or two ahead of your car and when you reach a one small alley between two containers, you have no other choice but to step on the break to get behind him and not run into that metal monstrum. But you grin nevertheless because this way, you can watch him take a right turn going into the suburbs not knowing about the tricky little streets and the business of that area around these hours. On the other hand, you take the empty road alongside the beach, going at a high speed already.

It makes you slightly anxious that you don’t see him and don’t know how he’s keeping up but then Changbin basically screams into your earpiece you usually wear during races in case you can get insights from the guys.

“You gotta speed up, honey, because that kid is crazy. He’s going at a breakneck speed even in traffic,” he tells you sounding astonished himself while monitoring the GPS signals of the two cars.

“What the hell,” you murmur under your nose and step on the gas even more, paying extra attention at that 90° turn at the end of the road before you’d end up in the sea. You cannot lose to that arrogant bastard, you tell yourself and pass by a few cars as you got into the port area driving towards the assigned point.

Your Nissan Silvia slides out to the main road just before the white Toyota and your grit your teeth that he’s so freaking close to you. The two of you race towards the crossroad that seems to be the point that the organizers appointed as your first goal. However, going ahead is too big of a detour, so you know that you have the best chance to take a U-turn which is kind of crazy at the speed you’re going. But good for you, your car was basically made for drifting and you’re pretty good at taking well-aimed sharp turns.

So just before reaching the crossroad you keep accelerating, only to take your footing off the gas and you pull the handbrake in when you hear the GPS exclaim that ‘You’ve reached your destination’. The sudden stop makes the back wheels lose grip and you feel the force weight shift, the seatbelt keeping your body still despite the car’s yanking and when you see the road you’ve just taken now you let go off the brakes, stepping onto the gas hard. Leaving nothing but screeching sound and your traces on the concrete behind, you speed up again.

Your heart still beats overdrive when you take a quick look in the rear mirror checking on the guy and you’re quite annoyed to see him not too much behind. He’s keeping up well, you have to admit and you hate that. You’re used to being able to predict the result at this point of a race.

“You’re doing great, just keep that distance between you,” Changbin tries to soothe your nerves, knowing you all too well and you bite your tongue to not make a repost at such a useful advice.

Instead, you take the turn back to the beach but this time, the Australian guy follows you and no matter how hard you try, you can’t get rid of him. The closer you get to the finishing line, the more nervous you get wondering what he’s planning, whether he wants to pull a dirty trick on you but in the end, it’s your car that crosses the line first, his a few meters behind and the most annoying thing is that you aren’t sure he wouldn’t have been able to pass you by if he really tried.

So why? Why did he challenge you only to lose? You just can’t wrap your mind around it.

Maybe that’s why when you walk around with two beers in your hands and you approach him when you spot him in the midst of talking and dancing people at this impromptu party someone’s high quality loudspeakers and the music coming from them causes with the amount of alcohol present.

“Here,” you hold a beer out for him to take. You try to sound nonchalant but you aren’t so sure that you managed to do that based on the look he gives you.

Felix or how the hell he likes to be cold, looks up at you with pure surprise written over his features. He has shred off his black leather jacket since the last time you have seen him get out of his car and in the plain white shirt beneath he looks somewhat softer than before. Or it might be because of his expression as well because there’s nothing arrogant about him as he takes the can from your hand.

“Thanks,” he murmurs in his deep voice although he stares at you so doubtful as if he was expecting for a long scolding or at least a prank pulled on him. You want to laugh at that thought because you really aren’t that scary or intimidating .But okay, maybe you have those deadly glares like Jisung likes to state. (But maybe if he learned not to put your stuff away then you wouldn’t look at him like that.)

You don’t even ask, you just plop down next to the guy, sitting in front of the Toyota and watching the starry night above the Busan beach. He doesn’t ask why you do so when a few hours before you were so keen on proving him wrong and then celebrating with your friends that you indeed did. He doesn’t question you but you can feel his eyes on you even when he speaks up.

“That drift was pretty sick. You almost lost me there for a minute or so.”

He doesn’t say it like ‘wow you are a girl but you can drive’ which would have been kind of offensive but he seems truly impressed by your skills and that feels nice. You being a girl does not limit you in anything and it’s nice to hear others admit it as well. Bad for him, you’re not that good of letting go of your grunge even if it’s that baseless like the one you had against him for being rich show off kid with no talent. Although you would only take back the last part.

“Thanks. You weren’t that bad either, I guess,” you mumble out though and that’s already something from you! Changbin could tell him about it. You’re too competitive to admit something like that so carelessly.

“You guess,” he laughs at that, genuine and carefree. He has a nice laugh. It goes surprisingly high-pitch compared to his deep voice.

He doesn’t seem too stiff or distant, so you decide to break the ice and not beat around the bush. You have always been straightforward in your own way. And maybe that can of beer you have already drowned after the race helps your tongue to get loose too. 

“I heard you were a professional car racer. Why did you stop?” you ask, turning your head towards him, eyeing the pretty freckles over his cheeks and the way those silver strands sometimes get into his forehead. The thought of him messy haired and unstyled makes him younger in your eyes, more like his age. As someone who had been competing on the big screen from the age of sixteen. Like Chan said, that must have been quite the pressure and you wonder whether he ever felt so threatened like you did when he challenged you the day before.

“Oh so you did your research…” The boy turns around you, raising an eyebrow with a smug smile tugging on his lips and you want to smack him because of the teasing in his voice.

“I did not! Don’t get ahead of yourself!” You snort instead, rolling your eyes at him. You really did not, but if he doesn’t believe the truth like this, you won’t waste more time trying to convince him otherwise. Then, your comment is followed by silence and for a minute you think that he wouldn’t answer which you would understand. You’re a stranger after all. But in the end he shrugs, but his voice is sad.

“It’s just the typical sad reason. I don’t need your pity,” he says turning his gaze onto the floow, fingers intertwined in front of him and there’s a certain tenseness in his bones and moves.

“Oh I’m the last person who would pity someone who walked into my playground as if he was about to take it over,” you bite there, a bit playfully though and the racer laughs at that again, ruffling his silver locks casually in the meantime.

“My grandmother fell ill and someone has to be there for her, so I came back to Korea. I love being here though and grandma is the sweetest, I just miss racing,” he tells you in the end, words slurring together from the speed he’s talking but you guess he just wanted to get over with it quickly, like tearing off a plaster.

You can tell that he’s being sincere about his words, both about his love and caree towards his ill grandmother and his craving to race again. You can understand that, missing the feeling of the engine starting up under you, radiating through your body, missing the adrenaline and excitement of drifts and jumps, feeling like you're flying. That’s the only thing you’re really good at and you’re so invested that you don’t know what you would do if suddenly it wasn’t in your life. You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself. Maybe he’s just the same and he called you out only to feel that rush again. That’s why winning didn’t matter to him.

“You can always come and compete here,” so you tell him, letting him know that he’s welcomed to come back, to join the Streets and before he would think you have become sentimental, you gently tap the hood of the Toyota behind you. “It would be a pity to waste the potential of this beautiful car of yours.”

A soft smile appears on the boy’s face that only widens once he comes up with something equally teasing. 

“You can drive it if you want,” he offers as if he didn’t care about the millions he spent on this car. He really must have grown up in a rich household.

“So generous,” you snort playfully. Although, if he’s being serious then holy shit, really? It would be a dream to drive such a car. 

But the racer just chuckles, not getting offended by your remark. Then, out of blue, he adds: “I’m Felix by the way.”

“I know,” you hum, uninterested. At least you pretended to be seemingly. Once word got around that he came back to Korea, apparently everybody has been talking about him. 

“I never caught your name though,” You raise a brow at that. “Everybody calls you on all sorts of nicknames.”

You let out a chuckle at that, it's true though, you're the girl of the Streets. Obviously not the only one but the best racer of them for sure, so the guys here treat you like their sister. 

“Well, you can always ask. I’m pretty sure my friends would be happy to tell you,” you sigh, knowing your friends all too well. Sure, they wouldn't give out your contacts to every random stranger but Felix seems harmless. You're pretty sure Jisung would accidentally spill your name anyway. 

“Nah. Too easy. I’m considering to ask for another race to earn it,” the silver-haired guy remarks with an elegant raise of his brow and it makes you laugh. He's surprisingly fun to be around if he's willing to go to extremes such as racing to get your name.

“Well, good luck with that,” you snort but without malice this time and clink your can of beer with his for a toast. You barely know him but giving him a chance, you have a good feeling about him with all his giggles. It might be a good start of something new. 

[ashleyspinelliburnbook]

S1E11: Rainy Days/The Great Can Drive

What can happen in five days? Here are two examples.

Rainy Days

DAY 1

Ten o’clock arrives, and you know what that means — recess!

But wait! Something’s different today. It’s unclear why no one noticed until now, what with windows plentiful in Miss Grotke’s classroom. Still, as you and your friends sprint down the hallway for recess, Miss Finster suddenly appears and stands in the way of the door.

It’s raining, she says. Recess has been canceled, she says.

“The horror! The horror!” you hear your classmate Mikey cry. And it is. The horror of indoor recess in the cafeteria is one never joked about. There is nothing worse in this world.

Miss Finster’s disembodied voice on the loudspeaker, banning interpretive dancing, experimental filmmaking, or having fun of any kind. The board games, all missing pieces. The offer of playing a game of bingo led by Randall the snitch.

And still, worst of all, is the realization that this could be...no, you can’t even think it...the realization that this may not last for just one day. You were barely alive in 1989, but somehow, you remember that storm. Five days of indoor recess. Five days of abject misery — and more.

The horror; indeed.

DAY 2

The storm doesn’t enter your mind, even as it rages on into its second day.

You’re better than this, you’ve decided. You won’t crack under the pressure. You will remain strong.

This won’t last.

DAY 3

A classmate, Gretchen, is trying to get a radio signal, just as she has for the past three days. It has been fruitless, until today.

Expect sunny skies tomorrow...signing off from...Bombay, India.

You feel different today, detached. Scuffles are breaking out among friends around the cafeteria, but those who have no one to scuffle with are perhaps worse off, because all they have are their thoughts.

That night, you dream of boats, of houses, floating across the playground, the lackadaisical movement lulling you to a deep slumber, far from here.

DAY 4

You don’t remember what the sun looks like.

You don’t remember ever finding any joy in the word “recess.”

You don’t remember Outside.

DAY 5

Silence.

The only entity radiating energy is Miss Finster, and you can’t bring yourself to care. Caring requires too much energy, mental or physical.

But the stillness is disrupted from a sound in the corner. TJ Detweiler, glassy-eyed and pale, stands up. “It’s just water,” you hear him mutter. “It’s just water.”

Water is not good. Water is not something to be celebrated. Water is simply something that is.

Yet TJ is undeterred. His friends, too, are undeterred. They sneak out of the cafeteria, to the place known as Outside, but instead of melting under the weight of the constant raindrops, it’s as if it energizes them, gives them a reason to keep going. They’re covered in mud, they’re wet, and they’re happy.

Recess can take place Outside?

You watch from the cafeteria, and it’s enough. The sun comes out again.

Takeaway: Miss Finster fails at creative punishment once again!

The Great Can Drive

I blame Girl Scouts for introducing me to fundraising as competition. The cookie sales were to benefit us — most of the money went straight to our local council, and by extension, our troop — yet the real attention was paid to the rewards we’d get by selling enough boxes. Namely, the patches we could earn for our sashes or vests that would show that we sold 100+ boxes of cookies, 200+, or even 300+. A couple of my friends in my troop had these. I never did. I’d sell to my dad’s office, my mom’s book club, and I’d go door-to-door in my neighborhood, and I’m not sure I ever came close to 100. Most people had family in town they could sell to, and I didn’t. (Shipping cookies wasn’t a thing yet.)

Sure, selling the most boxes of cookies wasn’t the point. I mean, I was a kid — eating the cookies when they came in a couple months after collecting orders was the point. My mom was the one who got the shipment of all the cookies our troop had sold, so we’d have boxes and boxes of cookies in our living room for days that we’d have to separate by who sold them, so they could distribute them. And then we’d have a ceremony where we each got our cookie sale patches. Everyone got the participation patch for the year. Everyone but me, usually, got more than that.

And then we’d all do the same activities and go on the same trips together as a troop thanks to all our collective sales, and the cookie sale itself — and the competition therein — was forgotten.

Here, “The Great Can Drive” refers to a similiar endeavor: the class that collects the most cans in five days to feed needy people around Thanksgiving wins a turkey dinner. Immediately, TJ and the rest of Miss Grotke’s class want to drop out — if there’s no way they’ll beat Miss Furley’s class (namely, the Ashleys, who have won every year they’ve participated), there’s no point in collecting cans at all.

Mikey disagrees, and sets out to collect cans all by himself. His friends watch as he collects, apparently, more cans than anyone else ever has before against the Ashleys, all the while maintaining that he’s not doing it to win.

At lunch one day, the gang asks him if he’s going to quit, since he’s clearly not going to win. He reiterates that he’s doing it for “the betterment of mankind,” and that he’s sure the Ashleys agree with that sentiment. They, of course, immediately show up to prove him wrong, taunting him until the gang decides to join him — to beat the Ashleys, of course.

Soon enough, Miss Grotke’s class is right back in the race. The Ashleys are bringing in more cans with a forklift, but yeah, back in the race. Then Gus comes up with the brilliant idea that, hey, maybe they should get the rest of their class involved! The cans start piling up, and the classroom seems barely usable now.

Based on Gretchen’s calculations, the final tally is gonna be pretty darn close, and it is: Miss Furley’s class and Miss Grotke’s class are tied at 4,362 cans apiece. Luckily, there’s an easy tiebreaker! Eudora B. Finkelstein of the first graduating class at Third Street School (class of 1928!) happens to have a can in her purse...and pandemonium ensues to get it.

Mikey gives a speech about how they’re all acting like animals, how helping people is the goal, how they should put all the cans together and forget about the prize...until the other prize, the can, is flung into the air and hits the pyramid of cans. There are no (can) survivors when the dust settles.

But guess what? The next day, the gang — in conjunction with the Ashleys — tells Mikey he was right, and that they’ve all gone out and collected cans once more overnight. They’ve even gotten the Feed Bin store to donate a truckload of food to every homeless shelter in Recessville!

Mikey is touched by their generosity — and then Principal Prickly gets on the intercom to announce the holiday toy drive. Why get into that stress-fest again? Kids and their endless energy!

Takeaway: Yeah, yeah, competition isn’t as important as the thing you’re doing it for, but Miss Grotke was dressed up like a Native American this whole episode??? And she was the only one dressed up????? And no one said anything??? She also teaches a lesson about Columbus, which is...whew, Miss Grotke, it’s a lot, especially from you.

[iamfitzwilliamdarcy]

Title: from dust, arisen Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne (also ft. Dick Grayson and Tim Drake) Summary: When Jason is fifteen, he almost dies. Now, he grapples with the life he still has. (Jason Lives AU) (ao3)

I...got tired of opening this periodically from my incomplete Google docs over the past two years so...here we go. Will (maybe, hopefully) turn into a series of vignettes. Timeline is intended to make as much sense as possible but...comics. 

When Jason is fifteen, he almost dies. It takes half a year to recover fully, his breath rattling against broken ribs and raw throat. He was protected, mostly, from the blast and has only minor burns, but his right arm is broken and so is his left leg, his shoulder dislocated, he needs stitches in multiple places, and he’s covered in bruises. He has a concussion, too, but he’s alive, and he almost wasn’t.

He’s confined to his bed for weeks. Bruce and Alfred hover. Dick’s there sometimes too. He feels suffocated, near the end, but mostly he’s too exhausted to care.

When he starts getting bored and antsy, Dick brings over video games and movies and little 5lb weights.

“I can only use my one arm,” Jason tells him mournfully. “The right one is already smaller. I can feel it.”

Dick makes a face at him as he wiggles the fingers on his left hand. Says, “Well it’ll just have some catching up to do when you get that cast off.”

“And 5lbs are for babies,” Jason adds.

“Guess you’re a baby,” Dick says and sticks his tongue out him.

Neither mention he’s still sore enough that he can’t lift even the 5lb weight for very long.

But he can handle a control with his cast, so Dick tosses him one and they race cars and beat up bad guys and aliens and shoot terrorists. Dick even, Jason swears to God, brings him over some dumb as shit Harvest Moon game.

“For when I’m not here,” Dick tells him. Because when he’s not here Jason reads a lot, but there’s only so much you can read, and he alternates between being restless, bored beyond imagining, and, well, kind of depressed.

(Jason beats it and saves his damn stupid farm three times before his bed rest is over; his cows love him.)

Mostly Jason is just glad Dick isn’t looking at him like he might still drop dead at any minute, all furrowed eyebrows and blank faced like Bruce or downturned, concerned lips like Alfred. Dick laughs and jostles Jason’s shoulder, gentler than he would ordinarily, but at least he knows Jason isn’t going to fucking break.

Jason gathers that Dick is staying at the Manor again but he’s still fighting with Bruce. They rarely visit Jason at the same time, and when one comes in, the other gets all tight and excuses himself after a few minutes. Jason suspects they’re fighting about him.

He doesn’t ask. Dick doesn’t say anything.

They don’t talk about what happened.

********

Jason begs Bruce to let him back in the field for a month. He gives it some time, after he’s up and about, goes to his physical therapy when his casts come off, but Bruce still says no. No. Flat. That’s it.

Jason trains harder. He knows he’s not 100%. He knows he’s chubbier, slower, that he’s out of practice.

He knows Bruce doesn’t trust him anymore.  Not after…

It only takes a month for him to get fed up with being left behind. He sits in the Cave as Batman leaves, pretending to look at the notes of the case Bruce has left him. A consolation prize, he rolls his eyes. Something shiny to distract him.

He waits a half an hour, and then gets ready. He realizes, quickly, that he doesn’t actually have a Robin suit anymore. He flinches, thinking about fabric being ripped from deep wounds, from its tattered remains Bruce didn’t know he’d seen.

He shakes his head and regroups. There’s always one of Dick’s old costumes. Jason’s…not sure he’ll fit in any. His weight has fluctuated so much over the past several months, as he weaned himself off pain meds, got his appetite back, sat around unable to do anything, threw himself back into his work-outs as soon as he could, got told off for working too hard when he was still in recovery.

Besides, Dick has always been slender. At fifteen, Jason isn’t done growing, but he’s already almost as tall as Dick and a little broader.

He could always go out in his civvies and a mask, but—

--the Joker can’t take Robin from him.

Batman actually falters when he sees Robin. Almost gets hit in the jaw for it, but recovers in time to duck. Jason jumps. They’re only some low level thugs. Small fry. He could have been helping all along.

He tells Batman so. Batman just looks at him for a long time. Long enough Jason wants to fidget, but he doesn’t. He holds his head up, clenches his jaw. Defiant. He can wait out Bruce.

Batman turns and walks away. But he doesn’t tell Jason to go home. Jason follows.

He guesses it’s a start.

********

“He’s stuck in that moment where he almost didn’t get to you in time,” Dick tells him seriously.

He’s come to Dick’s apartment because Batman is suffocating him. He swoops in when Robin doesn’t need him to, nearly breaks the jaws of thugs who so much as say the wrong thing to Robin, follows him too closely. Jason’s going to go insane.

He’s turning sixteen tomorrow. He almost didn’t make it.

Dick shakes his head. “You know how he doesn’t let go of things. I think part of him is going to live in that moment forever.”

Jason’s learned about watershed events. He wonders if Ethiopia is theirs. His and Bruce’s.

“Why are you packing?” he asks abruptly, because he’s interrupted Dick. “Are you moving back home?”

Dick looks guilty, fiddles with the shirt he’s holding bunched up in his hands. “Not exactly. I’m going back to New York.”

To the Titans.

“Why?”

Dick shrugs. “It’s time,” he says. “And I’m failing anyway. Waste of time to stick it out.”

“You’re smart,” Jason snaps. “Fuck, Dick, you’re a detective. How are you failing?”

Dick gives Jason a look. A little surprised at his venom. Jason is too. Finally, he says, “Not all of us our cut out for the college life, kid. Maybe I’m squandering an opportunity I’m lucky to have. But I can’t sit in class all day and not focus on a case I’m working. Or fall asleep because I was out late the night before and was only able to half-ass my homework in an all-nighter.”

Jason doesn’t say anything, but he won’t look at Dick either.

Dick adds, “Anyway, Bruce is driving me crazy, too. Need some space.”

“You didn’t have to come back,” Jason says hotly. His face feels hot, too, and tight.

Dick reaches out and touches his shoulder. “You know,” he says, thoughtfully, when Jason looks up at him. “It’s not really the Titans if there isn’t a Robin on the team.”

********

Jason turns sixteen and Alfred bakes a cake and Dick comes over because he hasn’t left yet (because he maybe kind of sort of hasn’t told Bruce he’s dropping out yet either) and Bruce is looking at Jason in a way that he never has before (at least not where Jason can see) and Jason feels warm for the first time since Ethiopia.

********

He has to repeat tenth grade. Alfred suggests, gently, homeschooling for the year, but Jason’s missed enough time.

******** “I didn’t die, Bruce!” They’re on opposite sides of the living room from each other and Jason is yelling, his fists clenched, his face splotchy red. 

They’ve been going at it for a while, the room hot and Jason hot, when he finally says it.

Bruce draws up short, and the room chills, and Jason suddenly feels deflated. He clenches his fists, adds quieter, “Stop acting like it.”

Jason doesn’t give him a chance to walk away first. He storms up the stairs to his room. He packs a backpack and leaves through the window. He takes the motorcycle and makes it to New York before morning.

Dick doesn’t ask, but his mouth tightens. He feeds Jason leftover pizza and lets him sleep in his bed. Jason snags a few hours, but he wakes to Dick’s hushed, tense voice speaking into a phone.

“No I don’t—obviously—well, I--,”

He gets up and pads over to where Dick’s hunched over on the couch, throws himself on the ground, leans back on his hands and looks up. Laughs a little to himself at Bruce being the one to do enough talking that Dick can barely get a word in edgewise.

Dick looks up and gives him a stressed little half smile. Mouths Bruce, as if Jason doesn’t know. Jason rolls his eyes to tell him obviously. Dick holds out the phone questioningly, and Jason shakes his head. He doesn’t feel as angry and restless as he did earlier, but he’s not ready to talk to Bruce just yet.

“Sorry, B, he’s still asleep. Yeah, we’ll just hit the City some tomorrow. He’s fine, I promise,” Dick sounds a little annoyed. “Go to bed, I’ll call later.”

Jason kicks Dick’s ankle in thanks and feels a little bad about how exhausted he looks. No one else is here, not even Kory, and Jason wonders if he really interrupted Dick in anything important. A local case or something.

Dick just raises his eyebrows at him. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Fuck, no,” Jason says because he knows Dick won’t reprimand him for his language, like Alfred. And also because he really, really doesn’t.

Dick shrugs. “I’m going to bed then,” he says. He stands up and stretches.  Adds, “You should get some more sleep. I’ll take Kory’s room.”

Dick’s as good as his word to Bruce, and he takes Jason sightseeing in New York. They do the standard tourist things—see the Rockerfeller, the Plaza Hotel, the Brooklyn Bridge. They rent bikes and ride around Central Park. They sit on a bench and eat ice cream and look out at across the water at the Statue of Liberty.

(Jason turns down going to Ellis Island. He’s had enough family history to last a lifetime.)

Dick buys him bagels and pizza and soda and presses cash into the hands of the homeless they pass. He stops and talks sometimes, and Jason watches him. Envies how charming he is, how easy it all seems to come to him. Jason’s sixteen, and he’s not uncool, but he’ll never be Dick Grayson.

They go out into the city that night, as Nightwing and Robin.

The New York skyline is different from Gotham. It’s not their city.

Jason goes back to the Tower early. “So,” Dick says, mid-morning Sunday, over breakfast. Jason’s actually a little impressed with his scrambled eggs; they’re not Alfred level, but they’re pretty decent. “So,” Jason says back because he feels like Dick is evaluating him. Searching him for something. “So,” Dick repeats, rolling his eyes. “You can stay here as long as you want, you know--,” “But,” Jason prompts. “But,” Dick agrees, “I think you should give Bruce a call.” “I’m gonna go back today,” Jason says. He pushes his empty plate away, runs a hand through his hair. “I just needed some space.” Dick smiles sympathetically. “I get it,” he says, Jason tries not to let himself get pissed off because he knows Dick does, knows he and Bruce have spent too many years fighting for Dick to not get it but- -but he didn’t almost die. Because he’s fucking perfect. He didn’t screw up like Jason did. He doesn’t have Bruce breathing down his neck because he can’t trust him. Jason doesn’t say any of that, but somehow, Dick reads it on his face. He leans forward and Jason resists the urge to lean back. “Remember what I said before?” he asks. “About letting go?” Jason nods. Dick’s not helping. “Sometimes, and I know I’m a hypocrite for saying this, but sometimes, you do too.” Jason gets home after Bruce has gone on patrol. He lets Alfred feed him dinner, does a few rounds with a punching bag, showers, and goes to sleep. He wakes up in the dark, red numbers on his clock flashing 4am, a hand brushing the hair out of his face. He almost flinches away, but some part of his brain recognizes that it’s just Bruce and he relaxes. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” Bruce says, his voice a rough whisper. “’Sokay,” Jason says. He shifts, sits up a little, blinks blearily at Bruce. The fight from Friday lays between them. Bruce doesn’t apologize, but he pulls Jason into a  hug, holds him close. Jason doesn’t apologize, but he snakes his arms around Bruce and squeezes back.

********

He notices the Drake kid tailing Batman and Robin, snapping pictures of them, before Bruce does. He doesn’t see the kid every night, but when he does, he makes sure to do an extra special kick or flip just right or pause a little longer. It’s not posing exactly, but it’s nice to be appreciated. (And Jason won’t lie, he likes the attention.) Also  he’s a little curious to see how long it’ll take Batman to notice. Wonders if he already does and is ignoring it for some reason. It’s not like the kid ever lingers for long or isn’t as sneaky as possible, but Batman is, well, Batman. Jason finally gets a chance to talk to him about a month after he first starts noticing him. Jason’s by himself because, after their fight, he and Bruce are trying this new thing where Bruce lets him go off solo. At least a little bit. Because Jason’s sixteen now and not a kid and he’s not going to— The kid is startled when Robin drops down in front of him. He stumbles and Jason has to reach out to keep him from falling. “So what?” Jason asks. “Journalism class? You the next photographer for the Gazette?” The kid flushes and says “Oh my God” and “I’m sorry” and “Do you think he’ll be mad?” He’s stuttering over his words, and Jason finally takes pity. Says, “Chill out, I don’t care.” He sits down, swings his legs over the edge of the building, leans back on his hands and looks up at the kid. “Your parents know you’re out here?” He hesitates, then admits, “They’re out of town.” “Oh,” Jason says. He gets it. “Just for work,” the kid adds defensively. “They’ll be back.” Jason digs around in his belt and offers the kid a granola bar. He hesitates then takes it. After another moment, he sits down too, away from the edge. Jason leans back on his hands and looks at him, appreciates his mask lets him study without coming off as creepy. Kid’s scrawny, shivering in an overpriced jacket, can’t be older than 13, a giant ass camera hanging around his neck. He breaks the granola bar in half and offers the bigger one to Jason, who takes it. “What’s your name?” Jason asks finally. “Tim,” he says back. Glances up quickly, then back down. Back up again and blurts, “I’m glad you’re back. I wasn’t sure you would be.” Jason doesn’t say me too or me neither, but he wants to.   “You look familiar,” Jason says. “Have we saved you before or something? That why you president of the fan club?” “No,” Tim says absently. “But I’ve been to some galas at Wayne Manor.” There’s a pause where Tim’s eyes widen and Jason stiffens. Then Tim scrambles to his feet saying, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” and Jason leaps up and grabs his arm, demanding, “Who are you and what do you know?” They both still and Tim draws in a deep breath. He lets it out and Jason notices he doesn’t look scared. Nervous, maybe, a little, but not scared. He says, “I figured it out. Who Batman is. A few years back. Well,” he backtracks, “I figured out who the first Robin was and then…everything fell into place.” Jason doesn’t admit he’s a little impressed. He lets go of Tim, sure he isn’t a threat and won’t run. Asks, still a little suspicious, “How’d you do that?” Tim gets this little half-smile on his face and he says, “The quadruple somersault.” “Yeah?” Jason asks. “How’d you make the connection?” “I watched two of the only three people who could do it die,” Tim says. Jason does some quick mental math and says, “No way in hell you remember that.” Tim huffs. “Well, I do,” he snaps. “It was one of the best days of my life. I was with my parents and they managed to let me meet up with the Flying Graysons before the show. They took a picture with me. I didn’t forget.” They’re quiet for a long moment. The moon is almost directly overhead, bright and full. “Are you going to tell him?” Tim asks finally. He slides a glance sideways at Jason, who doesn’t know if he means Bruce or Dick. Jason shakes his head. “Not yet, at least.” “I should go home,” Tim says, but he’s looking down, scuffing his toe across the roof, so Jason says, “Yeah, me too.” They start to part ways, but Tim turn again. “I really am glad you’re back,” he tells Jason. “He was…different without you. It was kinda scary. Batman needs Robin.”

******** Jason can’t get that out of his head. “He was different…it was kinda scary.”  He turns the words around in his head over and over again, until he can’t sleep, thinking about it. He asks Alfred about it, after two days of thinking. Sidles up to him while he’s making sandwiches and soup for lunch. Bruce has to go in for a WE Board meeting (“On a Saturday?” Jason asked horrified and Bruce shrugged. “Guess it’s important. And I maybe missed it on Wednesday.” He winked and was gone.) He takes the knife without a word and starts to cut the sandwiches so Alfred can stir the soup. Tomato basil. “How was Bruce,” he asks abruptly, keeping his eyes focused on the sandwiches, “when I was hurt?” Jason hears the spoon stop stirring, can feel Alfred still next to him. A moment later, the spoon picks up again, slowly. It’s another moment before Alfred clears his throat and says, “He took it very hard. We all did.” “Oh,” Jason says. He keeps looking at the sandwiches even though he’s finished cutting them. He looks up when he feels Alfred’s hand on his shoulder. Alfred is looking at him with fondness and sadness and something else Jason doesn’t know what to call but it fills him up so much he feels tears pricking at his eyes. Alfred cups his face and his hands are warm and wrinkled and soft despite all the labor he’s put into this house over the decades. He says, his voice low with purpose, “You are very dear to him. To me. To Master Richard. I hope you know that.” Jason nods and Alfred lets his hand drop. Gives Jason’s shoulder a pat and says briskly, “Now let’s see about lunch.” He doesn’t ask Dick because he thinks Alfred has sugarcoated or lied to him. It’s only that, he has said very little and he loves Bruce differently than Jason does, the same way he loves Jason—they’re not blind spots, per se, but there’s some sense of duty, some sense of needing to protect. Dick is quiet for a long time when Jason asks over the phone. Jason starts to get antsy, wishing he had gone in person to see Dick, to ask. Finally, Dick answers, almost reluctantly, “He was furious. I’ve never seen him like that before. I thought—for sure, I thought he’d—you know.” Jason does know, but it makes him furious Dick won’t even say the Joker’s name, won’t say what Bruce wouldn’t do. “He would have deserved it,” Jason says savagely and is surprised out of his anger when Dick agrees, quietly, “Yeah. He would have.” There’s a long pause and then Dick adds, “But it wasn’t just him. B was…it was to everybody. A petty thief same as the Big Bads. It was like—it was like he really did. Lose you. And I didn’t—I wasn’t enough, then.” “Oh,” Jason says.

********

Jason doesn’t see Tim again for a while, worries he scared the kid off. He stays true to word, doesn’t tell Dick or Bruce, but he does keep an eye out for him.

When he doesn’t see him as Robin, Jason starts looking for Tim in school. He isn’t actually sure they go to the same one, it can’t hurt to keep an eye out. He doesn’t see him around the high school classes, and, remembering how tiny the kid is, Jason slips into Gotham Academy’s lower school during lunch and spots him right away.

Tim flushes when he notices Jason zero in on him, but he keeps walking with his nerd friend, determinedly ignoring Jason. Jason doesn’t like being ignored. He saunters over and slings an arm around the kid’s shoulder.

Tim’s flush deepens, but he says, almost valiantly, “Uh, hi?” He waves his friend off when he looks concerned and then shoves his hands in his pocket, like he’s trying to make his tiny self even smaller. “Can I help you?”

“Just haven’t seen ya around in a while,” Jason says. He tugs Tim outside with him and adds, “Let’s have lunch.”

********

“Why are you spending so much time with the Drake boy?” Bruce asks one night. They’re in the Cave, still in tuxes from some charity thing Bruce has thrown. Alfred will be mad if he knows, but he’s upstairs, cleaning.

Jason shrugs. “Just a friend. He goes to my school. ‘Sides, everyone else at those things is boring.”

“Not me,” Bruce says and Jason yawns extravagantly. “Especially you.”

********

He wants to tell Dick first about Tim because it’s Dick who helped Tim figure it all out. When he calls to see if he can come up for a weekend visit, though, Dick is distracted, sounds off.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jason finally demands and Dick sighs. Says, “I’m leaving the Titans. I guess I’m moving back to Gotham for a bit.”

It’s good timing, Jason thinks, and immediately feels guilty. He tries not to feel giddy about Dick being back. Tries not to worry about Nightwing, who’s lost teammates and just sounds tired lately.

“To the Manor?” he asks and Dick says, “God no. At least, not permanently. I just…need some time.”

“I have a secret to tell you,” Jason says. “When you get back.”

“I don’t know if I like the sounds of that,” Dick says and actually laughs.

******** Dick takes to Tim right away and Jason tries to squash down any jealousy boiling up in him. It’s not Tim’s fault they’ve come into Dick’s life at different places.

******** Bruce finds out with Dick and Jason both playing mediator, but he seems more impressed than angry, a concerned furrow etching into his brow.

“His parents aren’t home a lot,” Jason tells him, as if Bruce hasn’t noticed the kid sitting in his kitchen, doing homework and eating Alfred’s cookies on a near-daily basis.

******** He watches Tim spar and they way he pores over notes Bruce leaves for him when Batman and Robin go out, and he calls Dick the next day. Asks, “How did you know?” He’s woken Dick up and all he gets is a muffled, “Whu?” “How did you know?” He repeats, more insistently. “How did you know when it was time to move on?” “From what?” Dick asks and Jason lets out a frustrated sigh. “From Robin, asshole,” he snaps. “How did you know?” “Oh,” Dick is quiet for a minute. Then, he says, “I think if you’re asking, you already know.”

********

Jason was fifteen when he almost died. He was fifteen when he took back Robin, sixteen when he and Bruce started figuring each other out again.

Jason is seventeen today, poised on the edge of growing up. He’s seventeen and he is giving Robin away. Tim’s hands tremble when he takes the proffered uniform.

“But it’s your birthday,” he blurts, and then, “Are you sure?”

Jason glances at Bruce, suddenly glad he’s run it by him the night before instead of letting it be a surprise. Bruce doesn’t smile exactly, but there’s something encouraging in his eyes, reassuring, and Jason says, “Sure I’m sure. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. You’re ready.” I’m ready.

“What will you do next?” Tim asks, voice softer, almost reverent as he gathers the Robin uniform close to himself.

Jason shrugs, but he’s grinning. “I have a few ideas.”

He does, too, scribbled down, sketched in a notebook. Because he is seventeen and he did not die and the world is open before him and he is ready for the world.

[idolish7rabbitchats]

Kujou Tenn: 12 SONGS GIFT Rabbit Chat Part 4

T: Has everyone returned?

7: I’ve returned!

8: Yeah. I’m here.

6: OK

9: I'm ready too. I was hungry so I brought a snack.

1000: What are you eating? A vegetable stick?

100: A bone steak?

9: That’s you two’s food preferences.

10000: When I present something to Re:vale, I can only choose some carbohydrate-rich foods so it's hard.

5: So that’s why one day you bought cream puffs while saying, “Because it's carbohydrate" huh.

2: How about "oyaki".[T/N: It’s a stuffed bun type of food.] It has meat and vegetable ones.

T: Hearing all these food conversations is making me hungry! lol. Then, Kujou-san what are you eating right now?

9: Takanashi-san, try to guess.

T:Eh?!

9: If you get it right I’ll give you a reward.

T: A reward! Let’s see...

*T: Cookies?

9: Wrong. The correct answer is yogurt. I’ll send a picture of me eating it.

4: I’m back! What’re we talking about?

3: Talking about what Kujou’s eating!

Okazaki: I’ve returned. Yuki-kun you have an early day tomorrow so refrain from alcohol

1000: Kaaay. ^ ^

100: Since Okarin and Tamaki have returned, isn’t everyone here? The main person is here too!

9: Yes.

T: Then let's start again! Tsunashi-san, please take it away!

10: Got it!

10: The job I want to do with Tenn (which doesn’t mean I don’t want to do that job with Gaku!) is probably dance. I want to concentrate on dancing without any singing.

9: I see.

10: Was it unexpected?

9: Dancing with just Ryu would be a new experience. Wonder how it would be. Seems interesting.

8:  (I get it but this question makes me feel lonely.)

10: Sorry, Gaku!!

9: Sorry. Maybe I choose wrong question...

T: Of course everyone understands that TRIGGER is better as a group of three instead of two! But above that, it was great to hear what kind of job you two would want to do!

T: Tsunashi-san, thank you! Next up, Yaotome-san please!

8: The job I want to do with Tenn (which doesn’t mean I want to leave Ryu out!) would be a stage. Musical would be fine too.

9: Huh. You want to perform a play.

8: Yeah. An exchange of lines with intense long expressions seems fun.

9: If I do that with Gaku, it would be more enthusiastic.

10: (I get it but this question makes me feel lonely!)

8: Sorry, Ryu!

9: My bad… I'm not like I want to exclude someone or something.

9: But, you guys invited me to something you are good at. That makes me happy.

T: Yaotome-san, thank you! Next is Yamato-san please!

2: A chiiiiiiill talk show.

9: It’s chill huh.

2: Super chill. Like having some snack while relaxing.

2: Slovenly talking with Kujo would be fun. If you could drink alcohol, visiting a bar in Tokyo and drinking and chiiiiiiiilling would be good too.

9: It’s chiiiiiill huh.

2: It is chiiiiill.

T: I laughed with this conversations lol

T: Yamato-san, thank you! Next is Mitsuki-san please!

3: Can I say something lavish?

9: I’m happy. Say it.

3: I wanna do a live.

9: Saying this kind of thing is so like Izumi Mitsuki.

3: It would seem I’d lose to Kujou’s aura but I’d give it my all to not lose.

9: I respect you. Let’s do it. Someday.

T: Mitsuki-san, thank you! Next is Sougo-san please!

5: Close reporting for 24 hours...

9: You want to do close reporting?

5: If Kujou-san doesn’t hate it, I want to. I would carry a camera to do this.

9: You are passionate. Could I report on you too?

5: Of course. But that’s not very interesting.

9: I heard you are unique. Have confidence.

9: I'll practice carrying a camera too.

5: Thank you!

T: Sougo-san, thank you! Next is Nagi-san!

6: My wish is to draw a manga with Kujou-shi.

9: That’s not related to idols though?

6: Draw a manga, make it into a book, sell out at an anime event.

9: Selling a book we made ourselves. That sounds interesting.

6: Anime fans and idol fans are the same. If we achieve good outcomes, everyone will be happy.

9: I can't skimp the work if you say so. If this idea is realized, I'll draw lines with my best.

6: That's Kujo-shi for you. I’m looking forward to it.

T: Nagi-san, thank you! Next is Riku-san!

7: I want Tenn-nii to come as a guest on something I do!

9: Specifically...?

7: Any contents are fine, but I hope Tenn-nii has fun with it!

7: Since we were kids, Tenn-nii amused me so much, so it would be nice if I could return it!

7: Like I become a chef and making you food!

1: I think you should stop. 7: Like I become a tailor and make you costume!

1: I think you should stop.

7: Why you are so mean!?

1: Because any task requiring fine work would oppose the purpose of you wanting to make people have fun. In Nanase-san's case.

9: It's not. Riku is seldom occasionally being skillful in rare moments.

7: Yeah!

1: What you said means Nanase-san being skillful is special super rare stuff.

9: Looking forward to it.

T: Riku-san, thank you! Next is Iori-san please!

1: If I could do a job with Kujou-san, I’d want to have a long interview talk about idols.

1: I'm fine with any medium, like magazine or TV, but I want to have a serious discussion at the place where people are watching us with strained atmosphere.

9: Sounds interesting. You are sassy but it's good thing that you are greedy to get advice from others.

1:Thank you.

9: You want to do that on a job not on private time?

1: Because no one would interrupt us.

9: I won't interrupt you. I like discussing jobs too.

9: Sometimes I wish we have discussions in business books. I want people to know that being an idol is a great occupation.

1:I agree.

T: Iori-san, thank you! Last is Tamaki-san please!

4: I worked as a nursery school teacher on workplace experience before.

9: I know. Re:vale’s show huh.

4: I wanna do that. And then want you to visit my orphanage.

4: Cuz TennTenn’s nice.

4: Kids’ll be happy.

9: Sure.

4: [Celebration Pudding Stamp]

9: Yotsuba Tamaki’s a good older brother.

4: Ohh, I got praised.

T: Tamaki-san, thank you!

T: That’s it! Thank you everyone!

Anesagi: Thanks Takanashi-san. It’s great that Tenn could be celebrated by everyone too.

9: Yes. Thank you.

100: Happy birthday Tenn!

5: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Please have a great birthday.

2: Congrats. I'll pay for the celebration meal later.

7: Congrats Tenn-nii! Work hard on “12 SONGS GIFT”!

9: Riku too. I’m looking forward to your solo song.

9:Well then, everyone, thank you for celebrating me.

V2:

9: If you get it right I’ll give you a reward.

T: A reward! Let’s see...

*T: Yogurt?

9: Correct. This yogurt is delicious so I’ll give you one someday. The prize is a photo of Gaku and Ryuu coming over to steal my food.

4: I’m back! What’re we talking about?

V3:

9: If you get it right I’ll give you a reward.

T: A reward! Let’s see...

*T: Curry rice?

9: Wrong. But now I’m craving it. I’ll make Ryuu cook it soon. Ryuu’s curry is delicious.

4: I’m back! What’re we talking about?

[dailyaudiobible]

01/21/2019 DAB Transcript

Genesis 42:18-43:34, Matthew 13:47-14:12, Psalms 18:16-36, Proverbs 4:7-10

Today is the 21st day of January. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I'm Brian and it's a pleasure, of course, an honor every day to come together like this centering ourselves around the rhythm of the Scriptures. It's the joy of life. And, so, this is the 21st day of the year, which I guess means officially, right, three weeks into the year and we are definitely sailing forward as we continue to move forward. And man, what three weeks in the Bible will do right? A lot of the different aspects of life and a lot of different stories in the Scriptures have begun to unfold before us. And, so, we’ll continue and pick up where we left off. We’re reading from the English Standard Version this week. We’re reading the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis who has been reunited with his brothers who trafficked him into slavery. He knows who they are. They don't know who he is. And, so, there's some drama unfolding. Genesis chapter 42 verse 18 through 43 verse 34 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, Jesus has been telling stories about the kingdom of heaven. And, you know, the announcement of the kingdom, and the revealing of the kingdom is a central thing that was part of Jesus ministry. And, so, of course, he’s gonna talk about it. He’s telling stories and the net net of these stories is that the kingdom of God is something that will grow up among things that are not the kingdom of God, right, the wheat and the weeds. And, so, this is a good time to pause for a second because we have all kinds of ideas about the kingdom of God and what it will be and what it will look like and when it will come and how it will come and, you know, what we will do when we get there and all of this, we have these kind of a notions about things, but these notions are usually of futuristic, right, they’re things yet to come when we need to look at what Jesus is laying out and not miss the fact that He is saying what's coming is already happening. And that's a little bit of a rewire for most of our notions because…and we’ll see this as we go forward. Jesus is announcing a kingdom that is already begun and is within and among us already. And yes, the kingdoms fullness has not yet arrived. And yet we usually think it hasn't even begun, like that's something that happens later when Jesus announcement was, no, it's already happening and it's already among you if you have eyes to see and ears to hear. This is already going on and you need to get on board and be a part of it of what is already going on. Of course, most people missed what He was saying. Most people still do. A lot of times we spend our life thinking that what our mission on this earth to do is to is to be a good little boy and a good little girl and, you know, and try to be try to eek our way into eternity when what Jesus seems to be laying out, and we will be exploring this as we continue through the Gospels because He talks about this stuff a lot, but what Jesus seems to be saying is, you’re not supposed to live here so that you can die and get out of here and be in the kingdom. You are the kingdom, you are a part of the kingdom, it’s happening right now, the kingdom has a mission on planet Earth right now. This isn't just about something that's gonna happen later, you’re a part of that story. And, so, you know, let's ponder that today. We’ll have plenty of time to ponder it over time, but this is kind of a big deal because it reshapes what we believe our purpose is and a fully invites us into a collaborative relationship with God where there is actual work to be done on behalf of His kingdom. And, so, we’re getting the echoes of Jesus ministry about the kingdom, we’re just beginning to explore but we see Jesus keep saying, the kingdom is like this, it's like this, it's like this, and He's ultimately leading us to the revelation that it's happening right now.

And then in the book of Proverbs we should also listen up. We’re told that the beginning of wisdom is this, “get wisdom”, right? So, like, first, like the thing that I am going to get if I get anything is I am going to get wisdom, right? You set that before you. That is the target, that is the goal, that's what I'm after. Like, I'm not after a race. Like, I like a race. I'm not after the new car. I like the new car or whatever but the main thing that I'm going to get if I'm going to get anything is wisdom. And we put that before us and remember that in every decision then we can immediately essentially know whether we’re making wise choices and not. And the Proverbs goes on to say, “whatever else you get get insight, prize her highly and she will exalt you, she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland, she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” So, basically you can try to fight your way through life fighting against your culture to get what you can get while everybody else is trying to get what they can get and then we all have these piles of things that represents all of the efforts of our lives or we can get wisdom, make that the priority, and everything else will begin to flow in our direction. Plenty to think about in today's readings.

Prayer:

father as we dive into this, another workweek here at the beginning of the year, we ask that you show us how to get wisdom and how to make this the mission of our lives because we’re going to need to be wise to collaborate with you and participate in the redemption of this world and the revealing of your kingdom in it. So, come Holy Spirit we pray, plant the words of the Scriptures deep into the fertile soil of our lives and may it yield the fruit of the spirit as a bountiful 100 fold crop of wisdom. Come Jesus we pray. In your mighty name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to stay tuned and stay connected.

The Prayer Wall, of course, is a great place for community and a great place to, you know, to face outward and pray for your brothers and sisters even as you are being prayed for. So, be sure to check that out. That is accessible at dailyaudiobible.com. It’s also accessible inside the Daily Audio Bible app, you just push the little the drawer menu in the upper left-hand corner and you can that. So, pray for your brothers and sisters and stay connected.

If you if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link and it just lives on the homepage. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button and that's in the upper right-hand corner just across from the little drawer menu in the upper left-hand corner. And I thank you profoundly for your partnership. If you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello DAB family, this is Walta, the Burning Bush that will not be Devoured for the Glory of our God and King. Today is Wednesday, January 16th, 2019 and I heard a prayer request go out. A mother’s calling on behalf of her son who had a gun who said he’s a demon. I rebuke every lie the enemy is speaking over that boy’s life right now in the name of Jesus. And father God I praise You Lord that we’re overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the power of our testimony. My sister, I just want to challenge you to stand in the gap for your son. The word of God tells us that your salvation is strong enough to cover your family. And, so, continue praying for him, I’m gonna pray for him. I also want to pray, I’ve heard a lot of prayers go out for illnesses and sicknesses. And, so, father God I praise you for your family and those who are listening today, and I pray for your divine intervention, your divine healing God over this __ father. Whatever they are struggling with Father, be it mental illness Father or just physical ailments, illnesses that have been diagnosed and the ones that people do not even know what they are. Father God, by your stripes, Jesus by Your stripes we are healed. So, I pray for healing over this family right now in the name of Jesus. And Father God I pray for a miraculous healing God and just breakthrough in the name of Jesus. God, I praise you Lord for answered prayers. There was a man of God who called today and he just read a bunch of Scripture and he started by saying that he was suicidal. I just want to say thank you for sharing the word of God because that is…the word of God is a doubleedged sword and it’s so strong, it’s so powerful, it’s so __, and so soothing and I just want to thank you for sharing that. I love you guys. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.

Hello DAB family, my name is Tim calling from Michigan. Started this journey last year and I’m still trying to find faith and become a believer and I was making my way through the DAB Audio Bible and I got into about mid-May of last year. This was around November I started of 2018. And we got about ¼ way through the Bible and the New Year sprang and I went to listen to the next podcast and it had been reset. So, it’s funny how the devil always will try to thwart you or push you away or deceive you. So, I just kind of took it as a welcome new beginning into the Bible this year and we’re starting fresh and I look forward to completing it for my first time and I, you know, I hope you guys can pray for me to help get me through this and help me find faith and find Jesus and eventually one day become saved. I appreciate it, I listen, I love listening to the podcast, I love listening to the prayers. It’s outstanding how everybody comes together. So, that’s where I’m at. I appreciate it. I love you all and I ask for prayers. Thank you.

Hi, this is Max Madison. I haven’t been listening. I used to listen a lot more than I do. I started up again this year. I haven’t listened for a year and ½. This past year was very, very tough. I almost lost my faith several times. I even thought about suicide but one thread in faith in Jesus Christ is stronger than a __ of steel but __ inspired me to call in and as someone who used to hate Christianity, if I can just give a piece of advice, I mean, show your grandson and father love and compassion and people are tacked by the media showing a Christianity that’s mean spirited and hateful and the best way to show someone the love of Christ is to show them the love of Christ. Maybe ask them why, maybe they think Christianity is something that completely it’s not because, I mean, unfortunately Christianity, like Judaism in the time of Jesus is corrupted in many __ . And many people don’t hate God, they don’t know God, but they Christianity. And I hope this helps and my prayers are for your grandson because that’s was life does, life skills and destroys faith and I pray that your grandson will continue having faith and that your family will come to faith. Thank you. Bye.

Good morning this is Julie calling from Albany. The burden has been heavy. I’m praying for my brother. I’m praying along with my older brother. We speak often of wanting to help our younger brother. We pray that he surrender to God, feel peace, feel the love and a joy, everything that comes with trusting God. We pray for his physical and mental health and well-being. We pray for his happiness. We want our brother to be happy and not full of conflict and stress and anxiety and fear. We pray for his independence. We pray for his happiness. We pray for him to find God. We love him so much. We just are reaching out today to our Daily Audio Bible family. My brother and I listen daily. We thank you all for being part of our family and ask for these prayers this day for our younger brother. Let him find God and surrender. Let him find that peace and happiness when we surrender and listen and learn. Thank you. God bless you all.

Hello everybody it’s Tony the Painter in London here. I’ve possibly got pneumonia or a really really heavy flu. I think I’m gonna find the results out today, so please pray for me in that. And also, it just reminded me, and so I’ve come to my bookshelf, I’ve re-picked up Sneezing Jesus and I’m gonna have a read of this over the week I think. Thank you, Brian for that. Everybody, I’m praying for each one of you. I hear the messages that you…and the prayer requests. Also, Michael in London, really nice to hear that there’s somebody close by who’s in the DAB. And I’m actually planning to go to a Hillsong church in the next couple weeks possibly not this Sunday because I’m not very well but, yeah, so, who knows, I might actually be able to meet a DABber and hug their neck and say I love that you pray for me. Yeah, so, anyway, I just wanted to say that I love you all and Brian I’m gonna to be reading Sneezing Jesus as I’m sneezing flu-y pneumonia and looking for ways that I can turn this into something that’s gonna be really beautiful for Jesus. I love you all. God, bless. Bye-bye.

Hey Daily Bible Audio family, this is Andrea Delaine from Kentucky and I this morning I just wanted to call and I just wanted to give praise to Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, the resurrected Messiah and I just want to give Him thanks because this month 22 years ago I gave my life to Yeshua, He came to me in such a real way, transformed my heart. I had such a heart full of hatred towards God. I grew up in religion, but I did not know God. I was getting burned out from legalism and not being good enough and it was a nightmare and I was just 15 years old at the time, but I was always starting to cut my arms. And I was like, “God if you’re not gonna help me maybe Satan will.” It was that burden of legalism and the burden of religion that leads us nowhere except worse, but when you Yeshua Jesus Christ set me free he set me free indeed. And the word of God is clear, that the son therefore shall make you free, you are free indeed, and it’s the truth. When you find the truth, it is truly Yeshua Jesus Christ. And, so, this morning I just want to give praise to my Savior, 22 years, that He has kept me, that He has walked with me, that He has brought me through some dark valleys and through horrible things, that He has kept His word, that He is taking care of my life, that He has never left me or forsaken me, and I want to remind you today my brothers and sisters that no matter where you’re at today that if you’re in Christ, that if you are truly in Christ, His promise is to you that He will never leave you or forsake you. He is your Redeemer, Healer. He is everything to you. Call on the name of the Lord and He will save you, He will deliver you. Remind Him what He’s done for you, remind Him what He’s done for all of our brothers and sisters for the ages. He is…

[sizzlingpenguincollector]

Fear Factor: Season 3: Episode 1: Part 1

I hope you all like this special version of Fear Factor Season 3 with all your favorite cartoon characters.

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Fear Factor Season 3: Animation Edition

Imagine a world where your greatest fears become reality. Welcome to Fear Factor. Each show, 6 characters from your favorite cartoons battle each other in three extreme stunts. These stunts are designed to challenge the characters both physically and mentally. If a contestant is too afraid to complete a stunt, they're eliminated. If they fail a stunt, they're eliminated. If they succeed, they move one step closer to the grand prize: $50,000. Six characters, three stunts, one winner. Fear Factor.

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Episode 1: Counter Balance Beam; Weenie Roast; Swinging Rope Bridge

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The six characters walk towards their destination on a windy day in the San Fernando Valley. They have been brought here for one reason: Stare fear in the eye for a chance at $50,000.

Daphne Blake

Coolsville

Mystery Inc.

"Despite my so called pretty girl appearance," Daphne said. "I'm a fierce warrior. I take karate lessons. Once they realized they underestimated me, they're going to wish they didn't even met me. And if I win the money, I'm gonna give most of my winnings to my co workers because they've been good friends to me."

Timmy Turner

Dimmsdale

Average Kid who no one understands

"I'm a simple middle class kid," Timmy said. "I know I'm young, but I'm gonna use that to my advantage. I just hope I don't see any clowns on this show. That would be a line I do not want to cross."

Francine Smith

Langley Falls, Virginia

Housewife

"My husband happens to be a CIA agent," Francine said. "Years I spent living in the shadows of my house, not willing to take risks. I'm ready to prove to myself that I'm more than a housewife."

DJ

Canada

Total Drama Contestant

"Most people know me from Total Drama," DJ said. "I'm ready to shed my image of a simple soft guy. I'm also willing to finally overcome my anxieties for some real dough, dawg."

Nazz

Peach Creek

Cool Girl

"Most people think I'm a simple minded blonde," Jazz said. "But I'm much more than that. If I win the $50,000 dollars, I'm gonna throw the most rad party ever! How cool would that be?"

Todd

Pleasant Hills

Average Kid

"I guess I'm kind of the underdog," Todd said. "But I can use it to my advantage. After all, everyone loves a underdog. It's great confidence for people. When I win the money, I plan to buy out Fleem Co."

They then saw the host, Joe Rogan waiting for them. He smiled as he saw the contestants. "What's up? What's up?"

"Hey Joe!" Timmy, Nazz, DJ, and Todd greeted.

"Hi Joe." Daphne and Francine greeted. Joe then started the usual introduction.

"You six people have been brought here from all over the country for one reason: To stare fear in the eye as you compete for $50,000. Now to win the money you're gonna have to complete 3 extreme stunts. Stunts that will not only test you physically, but mentally as well. If you're too afraid to attempt a stunt, you're be eliminated. Try a stunt and fail to complete it, you're gone. However, if you do succeed, you'll move on to the next round and be that much closer to $50,000."

Now that the rules have been explained, it's time to play. "Alright, here's your first stunt." Joe then pointed to a platform that's hanging high above a dusty cliff. "Hanging over 100 feet in the air is an 8x24 foot platform that'll rock back and forth as you move. When I say go, you'll try to collect as many flags as possible while trying to maintain your balance and keep from falling off the platform. The two men and the two women who collects the most flags the fastest will move onto the next round. We have randomly selected today's order and DJ, you're lucky number one."

DJ's eyes went wide as he realized he was picked first. He was afraid of heights, but he was willing to do the stunt anyway. "Ready man?" Joe asked him.

"Yeah dawg." DJ said.

"Alright let's go." Joe walked with DJ to get him ready. While they were away, the other contestants got to know each other better.

"So, how do you think DJ's going to do?" Timmy asked.

"He looks tough. I think he'll do fine." Nazz replied.

Francine shook her head. "I think he's going to fall. Then you're all going to fall, and I'm taking the money for myself!" She said with her best ego voice.

Daphne smirked at Francine. "Is that how you wanna play it? With trash talk?" Francine nodded. "That went out of style with that shade of blonde in your hair a few year ago."

Francine frowned as the other players, except Nazz, snickered. "What's with the mood?"

Todd then approached Nazz. "So, you wanna get a soda right after the show?"

Nazz giggled. "You're so cute..."

As Nazz walked away, Timmy stood next to Todd. "She wants me."

"Yeah. I can tell." Timmy said sarcastically.

At the platform, Joe decided to make small talk with DJ. "So, DJ the nice guy from Total Drama. This is a big step."

"Yeah. I get a little tired of being recognized from it though. I hear you and Chris McClean were friends."

"Yeah. We actually went to the same college together. I actually gave him the idea for the Phobia Factor and Brunch of Disgusting challenges. So, what do you plan to do with the money when you win?"

"I'm gonna give most of it to my mama." DJ replied.

"Aw...That's nice. Remember. You're setting the bar. So, good luck." Joe then left.

"Hey momma!" DJ said to the camera. "About to win you 50 G's!"

Joe then approached the others. "You guys rooting on DJ to win?"

"Yeah. He looks tough." Nazz said with a smile.

"He's gonna fall!" Todd said.

"Come on. He's a nice guy." Nazz said.

"Yeah. Well, nice doesn't pay to win, Carrot Top!" Francine said. Daphne gasped.

"Like you're one to talk...Blondie!" Daphne shot back. Francine gasped.

"Looks like we have a cat fight in the making." Joe said playfully.

They then watched the platform rise with DJ on it. "OK DJ, I'm gonna ask you to stand up!" Joe called out. DJ did just that. He then started turning white as he saw how high he was. "You ready DJ?" DJ nodded. He was scared, but he had no choice. "Here we go! In 3, 2, 1...Go!"

With that, DJ got to his knees and started moving slowly as the platform started swaying. It was windy, making it hard for him to focus. He got the first three flags, but then started feeling himself slip when he got the fourth and fifth flags. "No! Mama!" DJ screamed as he thought he was going to die. Once the safety rope caught him, DJ breathed a sigh of relief. "Man. Five measly flags."

He then made his way back down and joined Joe and the others. "DJ. What happened? You only got five flags." Joe said.

"It's probably because of the wind. It makes it really hard for you to concentrate when it's blowing in your face." DJ explained.

"Well alright. You got 5 flags in 16 seconds. Let's see if that holds up. Timmy, you're next. You ready?"

"I'm ready man." Timmy replied.

"Alright. Let's go." Joe walked with Timmy.

"Good luck!" Nazz called out. She then looked at DJ. "You did a nice job."

DJ smiled. "Thanks."

"Please! You're nothing but a simple cream puff!" Francine said.

"Well, Mega Bitch Godzilla is on the loose!" Daphne shot back.

Francine grew furious. "You take that back!"

"Nope. It's already out there."

Joe then stood with Timmy next to the platform. "So Timmy, you learned anything from watching DJ?"

"Yeah. Don't get on your knees. Just do a little squat."

"Good technique. What do you plan to do with the money if you win?"

"I'm gonna buy a whole lot of video game systems."

"Good. That's typical for a ten year old boy. Now how many flags you think you'll get?"

"8 in 12." Timmy said with confidence.

"8 in 12. Good estimate. Well, good luck." Joe walked back to the others as Timmy got prepped. The platform rose again with Timmy on it. "Alright Timmy, I'm gonna ask you to stand up!" Timmy did just that. "You ready?!" Timmy nodded. "Alright remember, you have to beat 5 in 16 seconds! You do that, you are in tomorrow! In three, two, one...go!"

Timmy then got into position and started collecting the flags. "One...Two...Three...Four..." He was able to get seven before falling off. He then made his way down and back to Joe and the others.

"Timmy. Nice job! 7 flags in 14 seconds." Joe commented.

"Hey. It was almost a piece of cake." Timmy said.

"Alright. Todd, all you have to do is beat 5 in 16, and DJ goes home. Ready?"

"Yeah! Let's do it." Todd said.

"Alright." Joe then walked with Todd.

"Man little dude, I underestimated you." DJ said with a smile.

"Thanks. I did the best I could."

"Yeah little dude. That was so rad." Nazz said.

Joe stood with Todd next to the platform. "Alright Todd, tell me about yourself."

"Well, I have a older sister, a dad who's a daredevil."

"A daredevil dad like Evel Kenevil? That's cool. Let guess, you also have a spy mom?"

"Actually yes. How did you guess?" Todd asked surprised.

"Just took a crack. So, give me your best estimate."

"Eight in 10. Easy."

"Eight in 10. Great. Well, good luck buddy." Joe then walked back with the others. Todd then sat on the platform as it rose high into the air. "Alright Todd, I'm gonna ask you to stand up!" Todd did just that. "Alright Todd, you ready?" Todd nodded. "Alright. Here we go, in three, two, one...go!" Todd then got onto his knees and started collecting flags. But, he was only able to get five before sliding off.

"Man! Five flags! Dang it!" Todd complained. He then made his way down and back to the others.

"Cheer up little dude." Nazz said.

"Alright Todd. You got five flags. You're tied with DJ." Todd frowned, as he and DJ thought the verdict was clear. "But, you got them in 14 seconds." Todd smiled. He was moving on to tomorrow. "DJ. I'm sorry. It was nice having you here, but we got to send you packing."

"It's cool man." DJ said with a sad smile. "It was fun."

"Alright. Take it easy." Joe said as DJ walked the walk of shame.

"Bye DJ." Nazz waved off.

"I guess I still have to overcome some of my anxieties. I'm really disappointed that I didn't get far though. I just hope my mama doesn't get pissed at me." DJ said.

Joe then walked with Nazz to the platform. "Nazz, how are you feeling?"

"Totally pumped, dude!"

"Good to know. Anyone special you doing this for?"

"My sweetheart Kevin."

"Aww. That's nice. Listen, you're the first girl. So you got to set that bar. You got that?"

"Yep."

"Alright. Good luck." Joe then walked back to the others.

"Man, Nazz is cool." Todd said dreamily.

"Please! She's so not into you." Timmy said.

"What? You want her?"

"No. I already got a girl of my own back at home."

Nazz then got onto the platform as it started to rise. "Alright Nazz, stand up!" Joe called out. Nazz did just that. "Alright, are you ready?!"

"Totally!"

"Alright! Remember, you're the first girl! So set that bar high! In three, two, one...go!" With that, Nazz got onto her knees and collected as many flags as she could. After she got the fifth flag, she slipped and fell off. "Five in 18 seconds!"

"I'm so gonna beat that!" Daphne said.

"Well then, have fun falling, red head!" Francine smirked.

"You say one more insult, and I'll smack you!"

Nazz then made her way back to Joe and the others. "Nazz! Very impressive. 5 in 18. How was it?"

"Well, it was a lot like DJ said. Very windy. But, I did the best I could."

"Well, let's just hope that holds up. Daphne, you ready?"

"Yes Joe. I am."

"Alright. Let's get you prepped." Joe then walked with Daphne. "So Daphne, I heard you and Francine talking a lot of trash talk to each other."

"I just don't want her to win." Daphne admitted.

"I totally understand that. So, other than the money, what's your motivation for doing this show?"

"My friends at Mystery Inc. Even Shaggy and Scooby."

"Well, that's nice. Good luck."

"I hope that girl falls hard." Francine said.

"What's your deal?" Nazz asked, confused by her behavior. The platform then rose with Daphne right on it.

"OK Daphne, stand up!" Joe called out. Daphne did just that. "OK. You ready?"

"I'm ready!"

"Alright! You have to collect five in 17 seconds! You do that, you are in! Here we go! In three, two, one...go!" With that, Daphne got onto her knees and started collecting as many flags as she could.

"Fall now!" Francine called out, trying to throw Daphne off her balance. To Francine's shock, Daphne moved quickly and got 8 flags before falling.

"Nice job, Daphne!" Joe called out.

"How many I got?!"

"8 in just 9 seconds! You not only collected the most, but you got the fastest time! Congratulations! You are in!"

Daphne made her way back down and to Joe and the others. "Wow! That was so awesome!" Nazz said.

"Thanks. Let's see you beat that...Blondie!" Daphne smirked.

"Knock off, bitch!" Francine shot back.

"Alright Francine, come with me." Joe then walked with Francine. Francine was nervous. She had to collect the most flags or she was going home.

Francine decided to skip talking with Joe in order to get focused. She sat on the platform as it rose. "Alright Francine, stand up!" Joe called out. Francine did just that. "OK, are you ready?!"

"Just count me down!" Francine said.

"Alright. Remember, you have to get 5 flags in 17 seconds, or you are going home. In three, two, one...go!" With that, Francine moved slowly and grabbed the first and second flags. The wind really made it hard for her to concentrate. She was wasting a lot of time. She only got to the fifth flag before falling off. Francine knew she lost. "You know what?! F*** this! And f*** everyone of you!"

"She got 5 flags, but she got them in 25 seconds! Nazz, you are moving on!"

Nazz cheered and hugged Daphne. We now had four players who were closer to $50,000.

"Well, congratulations everyone. You are all moving on. Let's get out of here and see what tomorrow has in store for you."

"Let's move it!" Timmy announced. With that, the four contestants started walking away, to get some rest for tomorrow's stunt.

Stay tuned for the second stunt

[raisingsupergirl]

You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don't Take—A Deer Hunting Story

I feel like God's always trying to teach me things. I mean, I’m not always paying attention, but every time I do, there's something in my life that reflects some little nugget of wisdom. And this past weekend, I hit the mother load. Granted, I was paying attention since I was on vacation in the woods, but no amount of "real" world monotony could have possibly distracted me from it. But let me start at the beginning.

First off, I'm not a hunter. Yes, I go deer hunting every year, but only on the opening weekend of rifle season. For reference, I spend more time doing my taxes every year than I do hunting, but I'm definitely no accountant. Anyway, I go hunting because it's a vacation. This time of year is always crazy, and the prospect of going to deer camp without any electricity, running water, traffic, 'rona, or politics is the highlight of my fall. And that's saying something considering all of the drawbacks: the aforementioned lack of running water and plumbing, the waking up every few hours throughout the night to put wood in the stove, the waking up before dawn to march down to my tree stand, the bitter cold while sitting in said tree stand. Oh, and putting in all of that time, effort, and money year after year only to come home without even seeing a deer. That is, until last year when I killed my first doe out of a new tree stand. Which meant this year, I was pumped. There were actually deer in those woods! And I had a good chance of another successful hunt this year. So, with my energies renewed, my brother and I drove down to camp, we cleaned things up, I cooked some fat, juicy steaks, we spent a relaxing evening around the fire, and we turned in for the evening, visions of monster bucks dancing in our heads. I was pumped! Well, mostly. Unfortunately, there was a black cloud hanging over my head.

No, seriously. It was a rain cloud. The forecast threatened storms pretty much the whole next day. And cold plus rain equals a cranky Andrew. But when we woke up Saturday morning, guess what? It wasn't raining! The forecast still promised precipitation, but now it wasn't supposed to hit until late morning, which meant I didn't need to march out into the cold, wet hell with a raincoat and a prayer. No, I would suit up in my usual camo and keep my eyes extra sharp, and with any luck, I'd bag a deer before the first raindrops fell. That was the plan, anyway…

Okay, waking up before dawn might suck, but seeing that sun come up over the ridgeline is magical. And last Saturday morning was no exception. The forest was completely silent. No wind. No squirrels. A thin line of orange stretched across the horizon. It thickened, chasing back the dark. It painted the tops of the tallest trees. The first hints of shadows turned every limb into what looked like a trophy buck. My heart quickened. Even in the overcast sky, the sun burned with a promise—this would be a morning worth the effort. But it would have to be a quick one, because the rain was rolling in at ten.

I sat comfortably for an hour. Like I said, no wind, and the temperature was above frostbite levels. Life was good, and my eyes were indeed sharp. Around 8:30, I saw something white flicker off to my right. Yes, there, about eighty yards away, was a deer. A doe, if I had to guess, but there were so many trees in the way that I couldn't be sure. And I definitely didn't have a clear shot, so I waited. Ten minutes went by without much change. That thing must have found a mother load of acorns, because it wasn't moving. That is, until a few minutes later when another deer came trotting down the ridge from the right. Deer 1's head popped up, but they must have been buddies, because it greeted Deer 2 without so much as a grunt. The two of them occupied themselves with that same plot of ground for another ten minutes, and I STILL didn't have a shot.

This was getting ridiculous, and I was getting impatient. The sky wasn't getting any lighter, and the forecast wasn't getting any better. So I leeeaaaned forward, and I leeeaaaaned back, and still I couldn’t get a clear shot. Oh, did I mention that I hunt with an open-sights rifle? At that range, I could have taken either of those deer easily if I'd had a scope. But as it was, every time I tried to level my sights, all I could see was gray haze. My excitement was cooling by the second. And the frustrations of life started creeping back in. Nothing ever worked out like it was supposed to. 2020 couldn't get any worse. People were always fighting. They were always telling me what I should do, and no one ever listened. But not here. Not in the woods. Here, I made my own rules—my own destiny. And so, I aimed at my best approximation of Deer 2's heart and squeezed the trigger.

Deer 2 was gone. Deer 1 bolted down to the left. I kept my sights on it. I almost fired again. But what if Deer 2 was lying dead behind the trees? Too long. Too much hesitation. Deer 1 was gone now, too. I called my brother, who was in his stand about three quarters of a mile away. I told him I thought I'd downed Deer 2, and he told me to wait a while and go check. So, naturally, I immediately got down from my stand to claim my prize. And when I got there, no deer. No blood. Nothing but crushed hopes and impending rain. I returned to my stand for a bit, but I was done. I'd forced the shot, and I'd blown it. An hour later, I was back in the cabin, lying on my futon, listening to rain pattering on the tin roof, wondering where it had all went wrong.

But you know what? It was still a good day. I wasn't going back out in the rain, but the next day was supposed to be bright and sunny—zero chance of precipitation and pretty warm. So you know what I did the rest of the rainy day? I took a nap. Why? Because I could. No one to tell me otherwise, and no pressing tasks I should be working on. I ate snacks, too. And drank some beer. And listened to the rain outside and the crackling wood stove at my feet. By evening, I was feeling optimistic again. There were deer in those woods! And I had a good chance of a successful hunt tomorrow. Especially since I would have all day to wait for the perfect shot!

I slept like a baby that night. Well, I would have, had there not been monsoon winds and literal tornado warnings. The rain came in sideways. Literally. It came in the cabin through the upper window. It sounded like the walls were about to tear off and leave us for dead. And while I usually love storms, this one felt different. It felt like the storms in my real life. It felt like it was trying to tell me what to do, how to live. It threatened to determine my future and dampened my spirits once again. And when I did finally go to sleep around midnight, I dreamed anxious dreams. Dreams of hackers taking over all the electronics in America and rioters tearing down everything I loved.

But then, the strangest thing happened. When my alarm went off at 4:45, I felt great. Not groggy. Not anxious. Not cold. Optimistic warmth coursed through my veins once more. I was actually smiling. The storm had moved on, and outside, the stars were shining brighter than I'd seen them in years. And as I stood there looking up at them, I felt God's promise. He would bring me a deer this day. Maybe even my first buck.

When I got to my stand, the feeling continued. An owl hooted nearby. The sun rose again, brighter this time. The woods were practically glowing. I settled in and surveyed the landscape. I knew every tree, every limb, every hill, and every valley. If a deer came through, I'd see it. And I'd kill it. And a couple hours later, I saw movement.

It all happened so fast. The deer was trotting from left to right across the ridge. My gun was at my shoulder. I only had a few seconds, so I squeezed the trigger. But the deer kept running, faster now. I shot again. The deer changed direction. He was running down the hill now, straight for me, through the trees. After my third shot, he turned back to the left, but his run turned into a walk. And then I lost him behind some brush, and he never came back out. He HAD to be down. I called my brother again. "Is it the zombie apocalypse?" were his first words. I laughed. "Wait a half an hour," he said. Five minutes later, I saw movement. The deer was standing. Looking around. It was a buck. Then I lost sight of him again. I waited another ten minutes, but I couldn't wait any longer. God had promised me a deer, after all. So I climbed down and crept toward my kill. About twenty yards away, he jumped up and ran down the far side of the ridge. Crap. I'm an idiot. Why didn't I listen to my brother? I searched for blood. Nothing. Of course there was nothing. I was no hunter. I was no tracker. This deer was gone. But I followed him nonetheless, clinging desperately to a fool's hope.

Over the river and through the woods, but I had no idea where I was going. But it wasn't long before a suspicion tickled my thoughts--I was walking straight for my brother's stand. It was enough to keep me going (and yes, he’s a very responsible hunter and has zero track record of shooting people), and at the bottom of the hill, I heard the distinct sound of a deer's bleat. My brother assures me that's not the right word for it, but it's the only way I know how to describe it. After a few hundred more yards of walking, I heard a shot from the direction of my brother's stand. No way. I stopped and waited, afraid to get any closer to the kill zone despite wearing my "I'm not a deer!" orange. My pace quickened, and so did my pounding heart. Another shot. Then my brother called.

"Did you kill my deer?" were my first words. "He's laying right in front of me, looking right at me," he said. "I can't believe he's not dead. Want me to shoot him again?" After a few minutes, I finally said, "Yes." And he did. And it was over. The deer was dead at last. And it was a five-point buck.

We talked for a while, trying to figure out what the heck had happened, and then we inspected the kill. I'm not going to tell you how many times we shot it, but that thing was a fighter, that's for sure. And when I took it to the meat processing place, the guy literally shook his head. "Which one of you shot him in the butt?" he asked. He pointed out all of the holes, piecing the hunt together like a CSI analyst, then he promised me that he'd salvage as much meat as he could. That was fine.  I'd killed my first buck. Well, WE had killed my first buck. Do you know how weird that is? Do you realize the odds of that deer running directly from my stand to my brother's? Do you know how unlikely it was, considering the infinite amount of directions it could have gone out from that single point? Well, I don't either (math isn't my strong suit), but it's pretty danged unlikely, that's for sure. God had definitely delivered that deer despite my impatience. Despite my burning desire to make own luck.

It's impossible to unpack all of my thoughts and emotions as I replay the events of that hunt in my mind—the significance of the events of the whole weekend, really. But I'll try, and I'll leave the interpretations up to you. Like many of you, my life is a storm right now. I don't know what my future holds. I'm being pulled a thousand different directions. I'm trying so hard to make my own fate, but it seems impossible when everything's so uncertain. When each day brings a new, unexpected obstacle. But I'm not going to quit. I'm not going to let external circumstances bog me down or force me into a life I'll regret. And I keep thinking, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Now, before you smart people say anything, I know that's not how math works (despite it not being my strong suit). I know there can't be a percentage at all if the value of N is zero. But the sentiment rings true. I forced the shot on Saturday, and I missed. I forced several shots on Sunday, and I missed at least one of them, and I didn't truly hit my mark with any of them. And yet… God answered my prayers. Despite all odds, he used my brother to deliver my first buck in the strangest way I can imagine. There's no other way I can describe it.

Life is crazy for everyone right now. We're all doing our best just to hang on. The storm is still raging, but the forecast is looking better. There are times when we force the shot, but it's better than the alternative. We can't just let our hopes and dreams walk away over the ridge. If we do, we may never get another chance, and we'll regret it forever. We'll go home empty handed with nothing but a story about the deer that got away. So I, for one, will continue pulling the trigger. Why? Because I serve a faithful God. I know he is watching over me. I know he shakes his head at me every day, wondering why I don't see his signs, why I don't wait for the clear shot that he's setting up for me. With time, maybe I'll see a little clearer. Maybe I'll line up my shot a little more carefully. But for now, I'm doing the best with what I have. And I'll trust God to provide for me despite all odds. And next deer season, I'm definitely bringing a rifle with a scope.

[slapmeagain-blog]

COVID-19 Life

March 21 - Saturday

Escape from NY....

Last night I tried to sleep without taking any Advil PM.  No go.  I did take two regular Advil but was still awake at 3 a.m.  Oh, yeah. I didn’t even realize it until I was in bed scrolling the news at midnight that Illinois and NY have joined California and declared ‘shelter at home’ states for all residents, meaning we are all supposed to stay at home except for runs for food, medicine, walking the dog and exercise - in public spaces - but to maintain 6 foot distance from others.  That’s 20% of all Americans according to The Times.  Looking out my front door this morning when I went to get the paper (one glove on my left hand to pick it out of the bushes then washing hands glove on, then glove off), there were still so many people out walking, but very few cars on the road.

Just noticed the Saturday farmer’s market down at the corner at the entrance to the park is in full swing. That place is always so crowded.  I hope they’re wearing masks and gloves, whatever good that might be. There’s really  no way to control crowding in that space.  I’m surprised they haven’t shut them down. Sorry for the vendors.

We’re getting the house back in Kingston by month end, and will wait 3 days to let surface virus die, then clean and move in on April 1.  I guess we can’t even have housekeepers anymore.  Please keep paying your housekeepers!!!  

Of course if government announce further restrictions, say on driving or leaving your areas of residence (like they have in Italy), we will head up immediately to Kingston.  It’s impossible to plan without also making plans B, C and D as well.  Will we bring mom with us, even if she says, ‘no’?  She’s 91 and I want to get her out of the city as soon as possible.  I caught her at the beauty shop last week!  And I know she still wants to go to the market.  Grrr.... I don’t know if H is still allowed to work or not.  I don’t think so but who will enforce the rules?  If she does decide to actually work from home, she can get serious about taking care of herself, F and mom.  In Italy, in Marco’s home town, his mom got questioned by police while she walking to the pharmacy, to make sure she was a legitimate resident of the town.  Even with such stringent controls, look at the number of cases there.  Friends in Bergamo aren’t allowed to even leave their homes, period.  

As promised, it’s a chilly but sunny day today.  45 degrees.  Spring is in the air for sure.  Forsythia in bloom everywhere, trees turning red with leaf buds. I walked down to 7th Avenue to pick up an order from Shawn’s liquor.  Wine and liquor sales, Shawn tells me, are considered an essential essential business so they won’t be closing tomorrow with the ‘non-essential’ businesses.  But it it curb-side pick up only.  So I guess I won’t have to worry about a vodka shortage after all.  But just for good measure I bought two more half-gallons of Tito’s.  

I walked across the street to see if Key Food had posted signs with ‘senior’ shopping hours so those of us considered at higher risk don’t have to shop with everyone else.  Just as I got to the corner, a woman about my age stumbled and fell to the sidewalk in front of me.  I was first to reach her.  Trying play down her mortification, I crouched next to her and said, “For a minute I thought you were me,” and smiled. “You OK?” she smiled then started to reach to get up. “Just sit for a second and when you think you are ok, I’ll help you up.”   “I think I’ll do that.” she said and relaxed into a sitting position.  And while she sat taking stock I told her that I do the same thing regularly, because I forget to pick up my feet. It’s so embarrassing!  After a few seconds, she slowly got up and seemed to be OK. She thanked me and the other lady who stopped to help, and we were all away.  Other passersby politely ignored us.  A few seconds later, we stood side by side, reading the posted sign on the door of the supermarket, “Senior Hours: 6;30-7:30 a.m. M-F.” She asked if I was going in, too.  I said that I was just confirming what the senior hours were that I’d heard about.  She hadn’t known.  “Oh, that’s great.”  She went in, and I turned and walked up Carroll Street toward the park and home with my gallon of Tito’s. 

Earlier this morning, R called from Vermont to say how angry she is that some people are putting so many other people at risk by not self-isolating.  There seem to be fairly distinct camps, still, of those who believe we are over-reacting and those who believe we aren’t doing enough.  I’m still following M’s lead using Italy as a crystal ball for what the situation here will be in 2-3 weeks.  So far, it’s been pretty accurate in terms of growth in numbers of cases and in term of health and safety restrictions being enacted.  I do believe, however, that Italy was better prepared to assist those who are quarantined at home by delivering food etc.  Here, it’s not supervised, social services are providing little, if any support, and even a week after Trump promised that testing was ramping up, there are few signs that anything is getting at all better in terms of more testing, equipment for health care workers, or production of sanitary supplies.  He just continues to jaw-bone, lie, and blow smoke up our skirts like he always does. Quote of the day:  “We’re not shipping clerks.”  (Trump after being asked what was holding up the supply chain.) More than one friend said it feels like we live in a third world country, and the press have noted, that South Korea, who reported their first case on the same day the US did, is in far better shape than us because of early test-kit production and aggressive testing.  Two months in and we’re still not there.  WTF

After lunch, Marco and I decided to go for a walk in Prospect Park to get some exercise and fresh air.  The trees are really coming to life.  I wonder if they sense our anxiety in the air.  I recently read, “The Over Story” a novel about the life and evolution of trees and how they communicate with, and help each other, or are helped by other species such as massive fungus, protecting each other from disease and drought, predators, and more, winding all of that into the lives of the people that live among them.  It won the Pulitzer Prize. You should read it.

Parents urging kids to stay close (meaning to stay far from others), cringing while trying give them space to have fun at the same time.  I’d hate to be a parent of small kids now.  Just as I’d love to be young enough to not be aware of what if unfolding around me!  “Why can’t I go play in the sand box?” would be my biggest concern.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by the numbers of people in the park.  It is a beautiful day, it’s spring, most everything else is closed, and people are looking for distractions.  I understand a little better how Prospect Park was more crowded 100 years ago when there were far fewer amusements for people on weekends.  We tried to look for paths and areas less crowded and ended up on a path through a wooded area behind ‘dog beach’, a little lagoon where dogs can swim, then to one of the roads that bisects the park West of the Nethermead, then wound our way back through the woods on the other side of the steam to the Long Meadow near the Picnic House and along the West drive to Garfield and home.  Nap time.