#chapter 10 snippet!

[britcision]

This just seems like the very best place to put this and let you all enjoy the answer to the question…

Happy WIP Wednesday everybody!

—————

Reconvening at Wayne Manor was… well, chaotic. Even more so than the gala the night before, though that might have been because this time, none of them had a firm plan.

Jason and Danny arrived first, greeting Alfred on the way in. The butler was not hugely impressed by the “foresight” which had led to a snowball fight when Danny was wearing an oversized sweater, sweatpants, and little else.

Any protestations that Danny was fine and was normally this cold anyway quavered under an archly raised brow and Danny privately swore never to let Clockwork meet Alfred.

They would get along far too well.

And that’s how Danny ended up actually using one of the spare bathrooms while Jason, who had worn a proper coat and thus escaped Alfred’s wrath, grabbed him a change of clothes.

The fact that this once again included one of Jason’s shirts, when Tim, Dick, Duke, and Steph all existed and also had spare clothes here, felt a little targeted.

It hung from Danny’s shoulders like a kid in his dad’s clothes, but Jason was probably also the only one with a shirt that said “Soup Powered Fuck Machine”, and the bit was fucking worth it.

Danny tied off most of the excess fabric into something just a bit longer than a crop top and settled in to drink hot chocolate with Jason and Duke and wait for the others to come back down.

(Which, by the way? Best hot chocolate he’d ever tasted. He was stealing the recipe 1000%, it was so rich and creamy and thick and had grated curls of chocolate on top of the whipped cream.)

Any lingering questions Duke might have been hiding about the shirt? Answered themselves when Tucker walked into the room, saw Danny, and laughed so hard he wound up in the fetal position.

Yeah, Jason was never getting this shirt back.

This was Danny’s shirt now. He was gonna wear it for his next fight with his rogues.

Sam actually did have her own clothes, so she’d accepted the offer of laundry while she showered (though she was a little annoyed the laundry room was so far from any of the bathrooms that she couldn’t do it herself), so she’d rejoined them in a mix of Steph and Cass’s clothes while she waited.

She had also been unable to keep a straight face upon seeing Danny’s new country girl fashion statement, rolling her eyes and punching his shoulder as she dropped to sit next to him.

“We call the thermos Soup Time,” she explained when Cass cocked her head curiously… which probably actually confused the rest of the bats a little more.

“The thermos you threw at Killer Croc?” Dick asked, still towelling his hair dry.

Sam raised a very slow eyebrow at him, her smile toning down to a smug smirk.

“Yeah, sure, I definitely threw it at Croc,” she agreed dryly and Dick cackled, throwing his towel down on Tucker’s still curled body.

Without even seeming to open the door Alfred appeared with another tray of hot chocolates, handing them out to those who hadn’t yet gotten one and taking back empty mugs.

He even had a second hot chocolate for Danny, who was going to marry the man. Even if he was old enough to be his grandpa.

Maybe Tucker did have a point about trying to get into the Wayne family for the perks… which Danny was never going to stop teasing him about, now that he and Tim were getting on so well. Boy could make his own ins, he didn’t need Danny.

Even Tucker roused himself for a mug, crawling out from under Dick’s towel, glancing at Danny and bursting out laughing again. Still, this time he could keep himself steady enough to stand, take the mug, and join Tim on another couch.

Alfred gave a quick glance around the room, probably counting heads, and cleared his throat.

The assorted vigilantes quieted immediately, and Danny’s respect for the old man grew just a little. It was already pretty fucking high. Not much more room to rise.

And somehow that perfectly serene, composed face managed to convey a deep sense of satisfaction.

“I am afraid we are presently waiting only on Master Bruce to begin dinner. If you would all proceed to the dining room?” It was phrased as a polite request.

The Wayne brood leapt to like it was an order. Danny pressed his lips shut on a laugh as he followed, catching Sam’s eye to see her grinning.

Up in front, Dick hurried to walk alongside Alfred.

“Oh, is Brucie not home? Or do you want me to go dig him up?” He asked brightly, and Alfred gave him a tight smile, pushing open the door to the fucking plainest most normal dining room Danny’d ever seen in a mansion.

Sure, the table was huge, but rather than being ornate, heavy, or flashy, it looked to be hard wearing oak. Clean, well polished, and not even that polish could hide the dents.

The chairs too were comfortable, nice, and a lot more tasteful than the Manson’s or Vlad’s. Well padded, well used, but not… fancy. Even the walls were simple, the elaborately framed portraits and art pieces on the wall replaced with…

What looked like kid’s drawings. Framed, cherished, and it clicked.

No chance in hell that this was the manor’s formal dining room.

The table was huge, but not that big with the number of people in the room. More than half of it was filled with just the kids, and sure there was space for the Amity Parkers, but not a larger group.

This was the family dining room. And that was fucking adorable.

Steph’d definitely walk him through every picture on the walls to help him find Jason’s. Today was going to be great.

He almost completely missed Alfred’s reply to Dick.

“I’m afraid not, Master Dick. He was expected back nearly two hours ago, and yet…”

Even deep within the manor no one could have missed the sound of the front door slamming open, and anyone who did would have been alerted by the bellowing yell that followed.

“OOOOOOOH BRUCIE! I TOLD YA WHAT’D HAPPEN IF WE HAD TO HAVE THE BOUNDARY TALK AGAIN!” An extremely loud, very chipper voice given… well, everything voice filled the room.

The Gothamites’ heads all snapped around with expressions ranging from delight to exasperation.

“How the fuck did she get here so fast,” Duke hissed, leaning in towards Tim, but not far enough that Danny couldn’t hear, “weren’t she and Ivy in Brazil?”

Tim, definitely the exasperated one, gave a helpless shrug. Whatever he replied with was lost under Dick, bellowing back with clear glee in his voice.

“FAMILY DINING ROOM, HARLS! FIRST HALL ON YOUR LEFT!”

So, they were all going to meet Harley Quinn today. That’d be fun. Danny had always wondered what she was like in person, and apparently she was a close enough friend of the Waynes to be welcomed in.

Sam and Tucker’s faces would be fun.

Alfred’s was a perfect mask of patience that even Clockwork would envy, and he had already pulled a new place setting from a chest of drawers.

It didn’t take Harley long to find them, striding down the hall wearing some fucking unseasonal shorts, a baggy long sleeved sweater, and her trademarked blonde pigtails with the pink and blue tips.

And a bedazzled baseball bat slung casually over her shoulder, just in case anyone missed the mark.

She greeted Dick with a kiss on the cheek, then chased down as many of the others that hadn’t immediately fled to the other side of the table. Barring Damian, none of them seemed to mind.

Jason had made an attempt to flee, but no. No, that wasn’t happening, and Danny “accidentally” got in his way. Boxed him in between chair and table, grinning all the while until Harley made her way to them.

“And there he is! My poor suffering boy!” Harley cooed, cupping both of Jason’s cheeks in her hands and yanking his head down with a lot more force than a woman her size should have been capable of, pressing a large smooch on each cheek.

For all the glares he shot Danny, he managed an almost sheepish smile for the woman herself.

“I’m fine, Harley. Really. You didn’t need to come,” he protested with absolutely none of his heart in it, a pink flush rising to complement the sparkly pink lipgloss smooch marks.

“Nonsense, baby boy, if Brucie needs his head pulled from his ass I’m always here,” Harley told him firmly, patting his cheeks and rounding on Danny.

It was kinda less funny now that she was bearing down on him, all of her airhead dramatics belied by the piercing, analytical stare she pinned him with.

“Huh, did Brucie pick up a new one while we were gone? It’s been like a week, we’ll talk about his adoption issues too,” Harley declared firmly, snagging Danny by his collar and yanking him in for a cheek smooch too.

And yeah, holy shit, she really was a lot stronger than she looked. Like, almost ghostly levels of super strength.

Batman’s “no metas in Gotham” rule was looking flimsier and flimsier, cuz while she’d been a rogue in the past, this? This was not a rogue’s welcome, and Danny actually did like most of his rogues.

Just not “kisses on the cheek”, although the grabbing and pulling was familiar.

Still, better not let Vlad know. Wouldn’t do for him to feel too welcome in Gotham.

Harley released him a moment later to give him a dazzling smile.

“Hi, you’re a little older than most of Brucie’s new kids but that’s fine, I’m your Aunt Harley now and if you ever need any help with anything, especially getting Brucie’s ass in line, you just call me, okay doll?” She told him firmly.

Jason was fucking grinning at him over her head, and it just plain wasn’t fair that he was a whole head taller than them. Danny flipped him off behind her back, and gave the woman herself a sheepish smile.

“Actually, I’m not one of Bruce’s, I’m just-“

“Jason’s-boyfriend,” Steph stage coughed behind him.

Harley’s eyes widened, Danny had a go at kicking blindly behind him and hurried to correct her.

“Just Jason’s friend,” he stressed the word and suddenly those almost frighteningly piercing eyes were roaming across his face again.

It was like if Jazz had been dunked in a vat of glitter but could still see right through him. Then Harley grinned again and patted his cheek.

“Sure thing, sugar. Still, if you stick around long enough Brucie’ll make a go of it, so be careful,” she warned him cheerfully, then lunged for Steph, got her in a headlock, and smooched pink lipgloss into freshly washed hair.

Danny couldn’t help chuckling softly as Harley scanned the room, clocked a bemused Tucker and wide eyed Sam, and her eyes narrowed for a moment.

Then she nodded, apparently deciding they probably also weren’t new niece and nephew, and skipped back over to Alfred.

“So! Not that this ain’t great, but ya clearly got some company over so if ya could just point me towards the B-man I’ll borrow him right quick?” She offered with a broad grin, not actually grabbing Alfred.

Up went the respect-o-meter again. Restraining Harley Quinn was hard for seasoned heroes, her restraining herself? None of the birds could claim that apparently.

Alfred gave her the same polite smile, setting her a place at the table.

“I’m afraid Master Bruce has not yet returned from his lunch appointment, Miss Quinzel. He should be returning shortly if you would care to join us for dinner?” It almost didn’t seem like a question, given what he was doing.

Harley waved a hand easily, making a face that was almost apologetic.

“Oh, nah, I’ll just go get ‘im for ya and send ‘im back over. Maybe with some new bruises,” she added almost as an after thought, then shrugged and grinned. “So! Where’d ya last see ‘im?”

It seemed like their missing Brucie problem was about to be solved, and the rest of the Gothamites were now taking their seats around the table.

Tucker, who’d cautiously followed Tim’s retreat around the table after Harley’s chaotic entrance, was now sat between Tim and Damian, and probably regretting his life choices.

Sam, whose parents hadn’t actually specifically forbidden her from speaking to Harley, seemed to be trying to make up her mind about something. Probably going to talk to Harley directly.

Steph and Jason had considerately left two spots in between them as they sat, and Danny let himself drop into the chair next to Jason as Alfred answered.

Well. Nearly into the chair.

“Master Bruce’s lunch appointment was approximately four hours ago in a private room at Chez Vous with one of our gala’s guests, a Vlad Masters.”

Yeah. Danny missed the chair, thunking all the way to the floor with a startled squawk.

“He fucking WHAT?!” He exclaimed, yanking himself back up, staring around the table at the equally startled Waynes.

Like they hadn’t spent the first part of the gala telling these people specifically that Vlad was a fucking mind controlling sociopath who was targeting their dad. What the hell.

Alfred raised an eyebrow very slowly at him, concern now creeping into his expression.

“He went to met Mr Masters in a private room for a late lunch, Mister Fenton. I am not aware of any other plans, but-“

And Danny was probably committing a cardinal fucking sin by interrupting him but he couldn’t hold in the groan, sinking down into the actual chair this time and thunking his head off the table.

Across the table, Tucker snickered at him.

“Let me guess. You forgot Vlad was still in town?” He asked, and Danny let out another utterly heartfelt groan.

“I forgot Vlad was still in town,” he whined as Jason stifled an entirely inappropriate bout of laughter.

There was one more important piece of business though, and Steph jumped straight to it.

“Wasn’t someone supposed to warn Bruce about Masters last night, so this couldn’t happen?” She asked in a low voice, leaning into the middle of the table.

Tim made a face, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I said I would, but… I got distracted…”

By beating his brains out against Amity Park’s ghostly firewalls apparently, and Danny did feel kinda bad for completely forgetting to mention that. In his defence, he hadn’t technically known that the Batcomputer was not ghost virus proof.

Tucker, who still had no idea about the vigilante thing, was quick to reassure Tim.

“You had a medical emergency, of course you were distracted,” he said quickly, patting the younger man carefully on the shoulder and glaring at the other assembled Wayne brood, “and any of them coulda mentioned it too!”

Dick raised a hand with a half smile that was mostly apology.

“Actually… Bruce went straight to Tim’s side after the gala. Think he stayed all night, but I never actually saw him. We coulda texted though,” he added sheepishly as the rest of the family made general noises of agreement.

Except Duke, who shrugged.

“I only learned about Masters when I met you guys this morning,” he pointed out, and Danny kinda doubted that but Duke had missed the original Masters debrief so he had the best excuse.

Alfred stepped closer to the table, and for the first time his presence actually registered as something other than the polite, nigh-unnoticeable model of efficiency.

Which probably meant he’d picked up on Danny’s super subtle hints that the situation was not fucking good. Good for him.

“And precisely what information was supposed to be shared with Master Bruce?” He asked, still politely, still calmly, but there’s a hint of warning that had most of the table stiffening up.

Tucker answered, giving Alfred an apologetic smile.

“Vlad Masters is a super creep and probably using his mind control powers to try and make Mr Wayne sign over everything he owns,” he explained easily, like it was nothing.

Harley’s eyes had widened, but she didn’t seem overly worried, just shouldered her bat again.

“So it’s also gonna be a rescue mission, huh? Vladdie a local boy or are they still gonna be in the same place?” She asked, the rest of the table tensing as one.

Because yeah. Next step was extract Bruce, and kick Vlad’s ass, and probably maybe try and get any contracts Bruce had signed in four hours? Which could now be anywhere.

Sighing heavily, Danny hauled himself to his feet. Feeling like a fucking idiot aside, he probably should have already left. He was pretty sure he knew where Chez Vous was?

“No, you guys stay put, I’ll go get him,” he said as cheerily as he could, cracking his neck.

Harley’s brows drew down in a frown and she prodded him with the bat.

“No offence kid, but ya look like a stiff breeze will flip ya over. You’re not going alone,” she told him firmly, and yeah, Danny could also feel Jason damn near vibrating from beside him.

Concern-worry-protect-coming too.

Putting a hand on the big guy’s shoulder before he could rise, Danny pushed just enough to keep him in his seat. Felt the moment of shock course through the much bigger man, and his grin became just a little more genuine.

“Sorry but if any of you come along, you’ll only make it harder for me to get Bruce back safely. Vlad’ll just take you guys over and make you fight me. I really wouldn’t worry too much though, he’s never actually beaten me,” he added with a reassuring smile.

Sam snorted a laugh, dropping into the empty seat beside Steph and crossing one leg over the other. Reassuring the Gothamites with her own complete lack of moving.

“Yeah, Danny’s been cleaning his clock since he was fourteen and it’s something like 700-5. You’d think he’d give up eventually,” she added, rolling her eyes.

Cuz yeah, Vlad might have gotten the upper hand through sneaky traps a bunch of times, but in a straight fight? Danny usually won, even before he had the power of the Infinite Realms at his back.

It wasn’t that all eyes turned to Harley. It was more that suddenly a bunch of them weren’t looking at her so pointedly they might as well have.

She regarded Danny and Sam a moment longer, then shrugged and dropped into the chair at the head of the table.

“Guess I’m stayin’ for dinner, or at least til Brucie’s back. And hey, it can be hard for folks ta come to terms with things like that. ‘Specially if they’re adults takin’ offence ta gettin’ their butt kicked by kids,” she added, a bright gleam in her eye.

Sam snickered, leaning back in her chair.

“Voice of experience?” She asked innocently and Harley tipped her a wink.

“Hell nah, you ever seen a Robin fight? ‘Sides, most of the folks who’ll shit a brick at bein’ beat by a kid get just as huffy at gettin’ beat by me,” Harley explained with a broad grin, flexing her own muscles.

It was just a little hilarious to see the differing reactions from the young vigilantes around the table.

Damian was still noticeably grumpy, though he almost felt more worried to Danny’s expert empathic eye. But then, his dad was in the lion’s den.

Dick and Tim looked like they were sharing an inside joke, and Danny had to figure they were the other Robins that went against Harley the most.

Steph, Cass, and Duke all looked decidedly self satisfied. Jason…

Jason was ignoring the rest of the table, still frowning up at Danny but not fighting his grip anymore.

“I should still come with you,” he argued like the rest of the conversation hadn’t happened, his voice low and urgent. And… yeah. Protection Obsession, 1000%.

And his Fright Knight now, fuck you very much Clockwork, but he was also not even fully formed. No way Danny was taking him to fight Vlad as his first ghost.

He gave Jason’s shoulder a quick squeeze, lowering his voice under the rest of the conversation.

“You’ll know if I need you, Jay, but Vlad used to be able to control me too. He’s not a great first run,” he explained softly.

Jason very clearly didn’t like it, brows drawing in even further, and Danny made his grin a little brighter by contrast. Brushed confidence-easy fight-be back soon across his aura.

“Besides, he’s more a sneaky fuck than an actual fighter. Not worth both of us heading out,” he tried, rolling his shoulders.

Jason raised an eyebrow, entirely unimpressed.

“By that logic it should be me going instead of you,” he pointed out, and Danny pouted. Fuck him for technical accuracy.

“Look, next time, okay?” He whispered, leaning in til his mouth was next to Jason’s ear. Tim was now watching them rather than Sam and Harley’s banter.

Perceptive little shit. But he wouldn’t catch shit if Danny covered his mouth to talk. For now, he had to persuade a cranky protective halfa not to go kick Vlad’s ass.

How the turntables and so on.

“Once you’ve got your powers in you can take him every time, alright?” He whispered, then leaned back and grinned at Jason. At least he wasn’t glaring anymore.

“I’ve got this. I’ll be fine,” he said as reassuringly as he could. And then. Pausing. “Uh… but I’ll probably… y’know. Do the thing to find him.”

Vlad couldn’t hide from Danny’s expanded aura, not without leaving this dimension. But that’d mean Jason also got another dose.

The understanding dawned across the big guy’s face, fell into a complicated expression. Finally he nodded stiffly.

“Fine. But leave it up so I know how it’s going?” He grumbled back, lips barely moving. Probably as a countermeasure for Nosy Little Brother.

Danny grinned and ruffled Jason’s hair, stepping away.

“Sure thing bud. I’ll be back with Bruce as soon as I can,” he said more loudly, more to the whole room, and let his aura flare out into the city until it touched Vlad’s.

Yeah, that beat trying to navigate the city from above for the second time ever.

A sudden absolutely awful impulse hit him, and his grin stretched just a little beyond what was humanly possible.

Why the fuck not? The reveal was gonna drop soon enough, Tuck and Sam already knew how much he wanted to show.

And most of the table were watching him.

Danny rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, and had a brief moment of nostalgia. Because if he was being theatrical…

“I’m going ghost,” he called as loud as he could, letting the glowing rings of his transformation wash over him, changing him to Phantom in front of a table of gawking bats.

Then he jumped into the air and flew out of the manor through the wall, Sam and Tucker’s laughter ringing in his ears.

Now he just had to hope he could reach Bruce before Vlad did anything he couldn’t easily fix.

—————

And yes, yes Danny is going to fight Vlad in a shirt that says Soup Powered Fuck Machine on in his human form. By complete accident and I forgot half way through, but I’m so fucking happy

Tag List: @welcometosasakiworld @kyrianclawraith @someonebored0100 @stealingyourbones @starkcravingmad @frostedthroughghost @akikkobara @rainbowbunny0159 @littlefeather345 @violet-catsarelife @serasvictoria02 @wolfjackle @blacksea21090 @secretdestinywerewolf @anime-hipster-the-amazing @undead-essence @skitscratched @blackroserelina @snoodly-boop @trickerdi @mayoota-blog @xysidhe @idkmrpianoman @little-apricot-the-writer @chaoticmistake @the-legal-shipper @bun-fish @aroranorth-west @demon-cat-goes-woof @eonic @onyxlightdragon @larks-and-katydids @peachesandcreamfemboy @jesus-camp-the-sequel @may-rbi @mothman-the-mothman87 @viyatrix @stargirl1331 @idfk-man10 @thedepressedrobin @skulld3mort-1fan @rootsmudge @ravenshadow17 @cankoking @phantom-dc

Apropos of nothing how do you guys think the bats will learn Danny’s secret in Dead and Loving It?

[thingsthatbleedfic]

Mind sharing another snippet from the next chapter? 👀

Sure anon! Here's another snippet <3 also you'll be happy to know that we officially finished a beta draft of chapter 10 and have now moved to finishing chapter 11!

The building is in a nondescript part of town, much of it under construction. The imposition of scaffolding and cement masons has left it bereft of citizens, especially at this hour, when not even the crews linger.

The building that the Doctor has chosen for this meeting is one of the more finished structures on the block. It stands primarily in concrete, dressed in poly sheeting.

It towers above them now, an obelisk. Only the ground floor entrance emits light. It’s a sour white light—a clear signal, intended for Yassen alone. This is where he’s expected. The automatic doors sigh open.

The lobby is bare. A skeleton of a room, without even flooring laid over the foundational pour. It’s composed in shades of gray. Stairwells sit either side, symmetrical, on the far side of the lobby. A bank of elevators sits center, and the only furniture is a sprawling, multi-sided desk, moored in the midst of the space.

Dr. Three would not come alone—it was an easy assumption to make, but only confirmed by no effort made to conceal the fact. Four armed guards cover each exit.

Several paces ahead, Dr. Three mars the scene. Dark suit and placid face like a thumbprint on an otherwise spotless pane of glass. His hands are folded behind his back, and a smile plays over his face. The picture of pleasantry, framed by the guards flanking his sides.

Two of the door guards silently step into Yassen’s shadow. Yassen feels anything but pleasant.

“Doctor.”

Dr. Three inclines his head. “Cossack. Lovely to see you—you look well.”

[definitelynotshouting]

18 for the ask game! (I want to say something that goes in depthto my feelings and opinions of lost in the dark but it's almost 2am here and im eepy)

fic writer asks

EJDBWJDJR GODSPEED EEPIEST SOLDIER ON THE BATTLEFIELD 🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡 I HOPE U GET GOOD REST AFTER THIS!!!

18.) if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

I think everybody would be disappointed if i didnt pull from hunger au for this one SJDBSJDJJS so here is a rough draft interaction i had to regrettably cut due to the direction the latest chapter (before i split it) ended up taking

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

For trouble (make it double) can we have a version of the bar conversation where Nyx tells his friends that Regis thinks they are brothers?

Because I don't think many people know that Crowe and Nyx share their bio-father but not the mother, so it would be just the two of them making a meaningful eye contact, while Lib is just eyeing both of them like they're about to start trouble. The rest of their friends are not aware of the potential drama.

The evening was murky and lukewarm as Nyx finally found Libertus, Crowe, Pelna and Luche occupying the usual table in that little outdoor eatery they all frequented regularly. They sat there, cups of something steaming hot with a bitter smell in front of them, and a platter of striped meat covered in what counted as a sorry excuse of edible seaweed in this city, between them. They had clearly been waiting for him.

Without so much as a greeting or paying attention to his friends' curious faces he stole Libertus' cup, who only gave a token of resistance, and drank it down in two large gulps as he plopped down on the only free chair left. It scalded his tongue but he didn't really care. This hot the strong bitter-leaf tea was even semi-palatable. He was kind of put out, however, that it wasn't alcohol. Nyx set the cup down harder than he needed to, proceeded to lay his head on the table and groan pitifully. Bellowing laughter was his answer and if looks could kill every single one of his friends would be dead now.

“Where's the alcohol?” he asked – more like whined but he would never admit to it – and forced himself to sit up when Pelna set a cup in front of him without a word. Had he mentioned that he was his favourite friend right now?

Nyx took a sip from the cup – it was something that burned all the way down, cheap and Lucian – and as he finally looked up again, saw four faces in front of him with expressions ranging from exasperated to down right ready to strangle him. He resisted the urge to needle them a bit, if only to evade the dreaded subject for a few seconds more. They all stared at each other for a bit longer until Libertus made a noise at the back of his throat.

“Shit, man. What by the Depths happened? The last time you looked at me like that...” he didn't finish the sentence and shook his head, clear worry in his eyes now.

“It was a shit show from the very start,” Nyx forced himself to say and took another burning mouthful of the cheap alcohol. It tasted like piss. Or worse. He hadn't quite decided that yet.

“It's the royal house of Lucis we're talking about here. What did you expect? Also, aren't you going to take that out?” Luche gestured at the left side of his head where the debtor's braid still hung, heavier than it had any right to be.

Nyx grimaced and tugged at it. “Have to go back later. And I need you to come with, Crowe.” Which was also the reason why he hadn't changed out of his service dress yet. Still, he finally shrugged out of the overcoat with its stiff collar and heavy black and grey fabric. Luckily what he wore underneath that was made of breathable fabric and light, even with its long sleeves, the black colour and the intricate silver embroidery on it. The latter a poor attempt at cultural acknowledgement. There was no rhyme nor reason to the patterns that would normally be carefully arranged in meaningful compositions mostly used on the northern islands. The most one could read out of it was 'Prosperity for Death' if one squinted and tilted the head just so.

"Awwww. You need me to hold your hand?" Crowe teased, however there was an undercurrent of worry in her voice. Her magic pinged at him, promising support. Nyx shot her a grateful look.

"What? Why?" Libertus asked and managed to sound indignant and put out at once.

Oh, how to answer that? Nyx shot Crowe another look, heavy and deliberate. She blinked, first in question, then in realisation, and groaned. Libertus looked between them both, head swivelling rapidly.

"Well, shit," he said. "What do you plan to do now?"

Nyx and Crowe exchanged another look before both shrugged at the exact same time with the exact same facial expression.

"Not much we can do but comply," Nyx said taking another gulp of alcohol. "We knew this would happen sooner ot later the moment we entered Insomnia."

"Woha, stop right there," Pelna cut in, both hands raised like he could touch their words to make sense of them. "What exactly is going on here?"

"I would like to know as well," Luche said, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed and eyes calculating.

Crowe looked at Nyx. "Coerl's out of the jungle with this one. Do you want tell them or should I?"

Nyx gestured towards her. "By all means. I already had to sit through one meeting with the King, and I'll probably do the talking when we get back again in a bit."

"Better you than her," Libertus muttered.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Guys! Hey, guys! I know you love to bicker, but please, stop stalling," Pelna cut in yet again. For once it was clear he was reaching the end of his patience. Whatever instinctual response had been laying on Nyx's tongue, died a swift death at the look in his friend's eyes.

"Nyx is my brother," Crowe said, rolling her eyes. The words landed bewteen them in a graceless heap. Both Pelna and Luche looked mildly confused.

"That is not news to us," Luche said.

Libertus snorted.

Crowe shook her head and looked at Luche like he was a toddler. "No, no. He is my brother."

And here Crowe put extra emphasis on the word brother. Fatrun. She had used 'fatrun' and not 'tahrun'. Both meant 'brother', though their context was different.

"That... explains a lot," Pelna said into the shocked silence.

Nyx and Crowe gave identical shrugs. Libertus groaned. "Do you know how hard it is to herd two of them? I'm only one Ostium."

"There certainly is a resamblance shared between them," Luche said, eyeing the siblings with a calculating eye. "I am guessing that whatever the King wants you for, has something to do with your shared parent?"

"You know, Luche, you've always been way too sharp," Nyx said.

[starlightvld]

Because you all are being so patient as I finish up chapter 10 of Broken Bones and Shattered Hearts, here's a snippet for you!

––

They end up at a trendy gastropub west of Birmingham's city center. The decor is dark wood mixed with black and white accents, and though it's nice, it's not exactly "dress-up" nice. A thought niggles at the back of John's brain, but he doesn't have time to dig into it as they're led to a secluded wooden booth. Kyle and Belle slide into one side while Simon and John take the other side.

It isn't until they're left to look over the menus that the niggling thought finally resolves into realization. John watches Kyle and Belle snuggle into each other while they pore over a single menu, her arm around his back and chin resting on his shoulder as they softly murmur back and forth about options. 

John slowly lets his gaze travel over the dark wood walls and table to stare at the side of Simon's face.

It's just the four of them: Kyle and Belle and him and Simon. Simon is wearing his equivalent of fancy dress clothes, and they're sitting in next to each other in a cozy booth as if—

"Is this a double date?" he blurts.

Kyle and Belle go quiet, but that only lasts until Kyle slaps a hand over his mouth in a poor attempt at covering an incredulous laugh. John doesn't take his eyes off Simon, though he does direct a particular finger at Kyle — which only makes Kyle laugh harder.

A faint hint of pink dusts the tips of Simon's ears as he sets down the menu he'd been reading...

[kirnet]

found a bunch of notes app actium and kirnet drabbles from a few years ago...

[timeofjuly]

Chapter 10 of Resisting the Current is up!

Black’s face falls like a broken elevator when Quinn leads you back into the kitchen.

“What now? Do you have more delusional accusations to levy at me? Your boots are disgustingly scuffed; is it my fault that you’re too inept to polish them?” he says. He’s acquired an apron in the time that it took to handle the tire situation – a gift from her that’s embroidered with the words ‘IT’S NOT BURNT, IT’S FLAVOUR’ - and the kitchen is full of the rich aroma of onions and garlic meeting heated olive oil.

“Nope, that’s all me,” you reply, looking down at said boots. “Too much time crawling around underneath houses, they get beat to shit. If you ever piss me off again, actually, I’m a size -.”

“One more for dinner tonight!” Quinn interjects.

[e17omm]

Its growing increasingly likely that next chapter I post will be chapter 89 of Snippets.

Last chapter was on 25th of May. A little over 2 months ago. Longest break Snippets ever has had between chapters.

Chapter 89 will be a followup on chapter 84, continuing Sirin, Bella, Mei, and Kurikara's investigation into World Serpent's Arctic Base.

And having all these handful of Flame-Chasers still alive?

Project Stigma is progressing.

Chapter title is "Reunion and conflict" and its unlikely to change.

[flowercrowngods]

*whispers* he's so fucked up

[gorbo-longstocking]

hi updated the blog and the pinned post so if you noticed any major changes…. yeah this is basically just a straight up writing blog now. AYOOOOOOO

[tightjeansjavi]

Snippet Sunday part 2!!!

Thank you for the tag @corazondebeskar-reads 🤍

Here is a snippet from chapter 10 of Slow Hands

Np tags: anyone who wants to participate, and who hasn’t already <3

[ratcandy]

While chapter 9 and 10 of fwct cannot exist for various reasons I said nothing about a hypothetical chapter 0

[absoloutenonsense]

(almost) exes-to-lovers Sunday Snippet

“Louuuuuuuu,” Harry whines, but there’s a giggle behind it that makes Louis smirk. He doesn’t say anything.

His boyfriend is sitting at the tiny kitchen table in their minuscule apartment, that is doubling as an experiment-center right now. He’s blindfolded and his hands are in his lap, as he was instructed.

“Louuuuu,” Harry singsongs this time. “This is taking forever, let’s just go get ice cream.”

“It’s been six minutes,” Louis says, crossing his arms as he leans back against the refrigerator across from him. “And ice cream is the reward once you get through all of our run-through.”

“Don’t you think I deserve a reward already?” he asks, grinning hard enough that his dimple is in full force.

“No, I don’t,” Louis lies. Harry always deserves a reward.

Harry pouts. “I always deserve a reward.”

Louis shakes his head and tries to keep the laughter from puffing out of him.

Harry sighs when there’s no response. “Okay,” he huffs. “Go on, give me the last one.”

Louis stands up straight and grabs the final part, a kitchen-towel-covered mason jar and brings it over to the table, right in front of his boyfriend’s face.

“What do you smell?”

Harry takes a small whiff, scrunches up his face, then takes a bigger smell as he leans forward. “What did you bring into our home that would smell that rank?”

Louis snorts and blushes, still not over it being their home. “It’s not one thing, baby, I told you. You got too good at single smells. C’mon, what do you think it is? Talk it out.”

Moving forward again, it looks like he’s about to bring his arms up onto the table, but he catches himself and keeps his hands on his knees. It’s better to focus on only one sensation at a time, to try and solidify each one before moving on.

“Well, you’re clearly using something we just washed because I can smell our fabric softener, so thanks for that.”

Even through the blindfold, it looks like Harry wants to roll his eyes. Louis just gazes fondly at his cheeky, observant, playfully stupid boyfriend and waits as Harry gets another good waft of something and concentrates.

“Like… rubber?” he asks more than says and continues sniffing it out. “Intense rubber. Not… not tires? But not, not tires? Ugh.” He tips his head back.

“Keep going, you’re doing great,” Louis says.

“Something sort of citrus-y,” Harry says. “Not heavy like a lemon. A… grapefruit? Maybe? And… cinnamon? Or, no, nutmeg.”

“What’s your final guess?”

“Well… okay I guess… okay. It’s grapefruit, nutmeg… and a tennis ball?”

“Take off the blindfold,” Louis says, finally sliding down into the seat across from him.

Harry pulls it off, giving a wide-eyed look as he shrugs and looks at the still-covered jar. “Well?”

Grabbing the corner of the dishtowel, Louis pulls it off to reveal what’s inside.

“Wait a minute,” Harry says, reaching out for it and pulling it to his nose again. “What did you do to this lemon peel, it doesn’t smell like lemon.”

“It’s a yuzu,” Louis says, pointing at it unnecessarily.

“A yuzu? Where did you find a yuzu?”

“That Asian supermarket that opened up a few weeks ago. Went after work yesterday.”

“You went without me?” Harry asks, affronted.

Louis laughs as he says, “You’ve never mentioned it!”

“That because I didn’t know about it, but now I want to go. Do you know how long I’ve been searching for a good kewpie mayo?”

“It’s gotta be years for how put out it made you.”

“And it might as well be for how much damage this betrayal has done to me!” Harry says, looking back down at the jar.

“So I should never go anywhere new without you ever again, is that what I’m hearing?”

“Yes, I don’t know how much clearer I could’ve been,” he says. Harry points at the jar. “What did you do to this poor tennis ball?”

“It was an old one from the community rec center,” Louis says. “They were going to throw it out so I snagged it.”

Nodding, Harry opens his mouth but then stops to look up with confused and fearful eyes. “You didn’t use my nutmeg I ordered from the Banda Islands did you?”

“Of course not,” Louis says. “I wouldn’t touch anything in that kitchen unless you put it in my hands. I got a small packet from the corner store.”

Throughout Louis’ answer, Harry’s face softens.

“So you’re telling me I got a 66%?”

Louis takes the jar back and looks at it considerately. “Nah. Yuzu kinda smells like grapefruit. I think you passed with flying colors, baby.”

“A hundred percent?” Harry asks, like he’s in awe of himself. “Well, that definitely earns at least a large sundae, don’t you think?”

Louis grins at him. “Whatever you want. You earned it.”

Harry holds up the blindfold. “So… I should… put this away?” There’s a spark of heat in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

“I don’t think so,” Louis says, leaning across to take it from him. “We’ve still got to run through sense of taste. Think this’ll come in handy for that.”

“Mmm finally,” Harry says, getting up from his chair and taking the step towards him, lacing his fingers through Louis’ hair as he bends down. “You know that's my favorite test.”

“Mhm, mine too,” Louis says, right before his boyfriend kisses him.

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Can we get Regis' reaction when he's first told Noctis run away? Or Clarus and Cor, if Regis is too spoilery?

3. 31. 751 ME Insomnia, The Citadel Kingdom of Lucis

If one were to ask Regis what he would remember best from that day, he would gain that far away look in his eyes Clarus and Cor hated with a passion, and remember the thundering sound of a door slamming shut.

It had been such a good day, too. The weather had been nice, if cool, and preparations for the night market had been in full swing. His meetings had passed in a timely manner, so he had thought to spend some time with his son.

A son who was no longer there.

Had run away like the daemons themselves had been snapping at his feet. Regis stoodin his living room and felt his knees grow weak, the sound of the door slamming shut reverberated in his ears.

"Regis!"

At once Clarus was there to guide him to his favourite armchair. It was an old thing with stains where Noctis would climb up as a child, hands sticky with chocolate or some other sweat and-

"Noctis." The name left Regis's lips like a strangled prayer. "Clarus, my son. He-"

"I know, my friend. I know."

"Why?"

The corners of Clarus's mouth twisted downward. That was the question, wasn't it?

"We will ask him once we have found him, Regis. And we will find him. Cor will not stop until Noctis is safely back here."

Regis barely heard the words. In his mind's eye he saw his son's face, so young and yet so angry. He had thought it teenage rebellion, something every child went through, learning to assert themselves. What had their argument even been about? The time Noctis spent in the royal archive? Was it so bad to have a son who liked to read and history more then fighting lessons?

Of course not.

But that had been their argument, hadn't it? And now he was gone. His baby was gone.

In his imagination he heard the door slam shut yet again. The sound rang with the tune of finality. He shuddered.

Please, he begged in the roaring silence of his mind, please com back.

[gendervapor14]

two fights for freedom ~ out of context spoiler snippets

sometimes i need a little push to remind myself that future chapters are good and i should keep working on this story. about a month ago i stopped writing and haven’t really touched it since. SO to hype myself up, (and hopefully a few of you), i’ve decided to post five snippets from future chapters. there will be no context. enjoy the chaos. i’ll put it under a cut so those of you who want to remain unspoiled can 👍

anyway, enjoy! ♥️

chapter 13 ~ taking liberties:

She hit him with a cheeky wink before sitting at the table, crossing her legs. The slit of her robe draped open and revealed a glimpse of slim legs, healing abrasion scars around the knee. She leaned back over her chair and waved him over. “Come on, make yourself comfortable. These chairs too small for you?”

chapter 14 ~ refrain:

For a moment, all felt balanced. Blood for blood. In the haze of her assault, catharsis seeped in and urged her to shove the bottle deeper, revel in his scream. But she should have retreated. She should have fled in that window of reprieve because in the next second, his two cohorts were on her. 

chapter 16 ~ taking the plunge:

Nami flung her defeated hand on the table. “Paul, I think your dad is gonna be our dad.”

chapter 17 ~ patching the cracks:

“You called him a different name.” She said confidently, “Law, was it? You called him Law in your little…outburst.” Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer and he gritted his teeth. “You’re not who you say you are. Who are you to tell me about my future if you can’t even be honest about the present?”

chapter 19 ~ settling in:

Cora and Bell-mère did look a little too chummy in that hallway, but he only ever had one sister. It would stay that way.

[bubblegumflavor]

For the WIP tag game, I am curious about all of them but this one caught my eye: dancinginthefire.odt

Hii<3

Dancing in the Fire is the story that I am currently writing! Daniel LaRusso is a professional dancer in his early 20s who moves to New York because he wants to make it at Broadway. He rented a room in a stranger's appartment (Johnny Lawrence) whom he has a bad start with, but for the moment he has no where else to go, so he has to make it work somehow. He soon meets new people and starts to bond with them, but they all seem to be enemies of Johnny Lawrence and his gang, which doesn't make his situation at home any easier. Especially the odd guy who lives across his window, Dallas Winston, is the one everyone is warning him about.

We follow the story through Daniel's eyes, it is a Crossover AU set in the 80s with characters from TKK/CK, The Outsiders and Stranger Things. 9 chapters are currently published and I am about to finish chapter 10. =)