#do i have to activate Labs then opt-out?????

[13oddballbooks]

🚨⚠️ATTENTION FELLOW WRITERS⚠️🚨

If you use Google Docs for your writing, I highly encourage you to download your work, delete it from Google Docs, and transfer it to a different program/site, unless you want AI to start leeching off your hard work!!!

I personally have switched to Libre Office, but there are many different options. I recommend checking out r/degoogle for options.

Please reblog to spread the word!!

[yannawayne]

vi. what's up danger?

SYNOPSIS: "Alright, let's do this one last time. My name is Y/N Kyle. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, And I've been the one and only Spidey in Gotham. I’m pretty sure you know the rest." PAIRING: Older! Damian Wayne/Fem! Reader TAGS: Established relationship, Wounds, Violence, Surgical procedures, Panic Attacks, Arguments AO3: yenwayne SERIES LINK: gotham's only spidey

<- PREVIOUS | NEXT ->

NOTE: THIS IS PART 6. I POSTED 2 CHAPTERS TODAY! PART 5 IS HERE

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"No sign of activity. Just monitoring. Slow night."

"Figured," Nightwing's voice spoke up. "There is a storm."

“Ishth Gotham,” Jason's voice chimed in, muffled as if he was chewing something. “When isn’t there a storm?”

"Are you eating right now?" Tim's voice squeaked with disbelief, the sound sharp and incredulous over the comms. "Again? Really?"

"Yeah?" Jason retorted, taking another bite of whatever he was munching on. "A guy's gotta eat. Maybe if you actually ate more, you wouldn’t be so scrawny, Timberland."

"I'm fit!" Tim snapped back, voice cracking. "And can you please stop using my name? We have codenames for a reason."

"You're the genius who called yourself 'Drake'."

 ༻⊰───⋅

Friday, 8:35 AM - Gotham Academy, Gotham City.

The halls of Gotham Academy buzzed with the usual chatter and laughter—a total disconnect from the storm of nerves brewing inside you. You zigzagged through the crowd, your trusty, battle-worn Converse scuffing against the linoleum. Damian’s varsity jacket hung over your uniform, the hood pulled low to hide the cuts on your face.

Morgan had ditched you at the entrance, probably off to plot some mad science in the labs. Not exactly your idea of fun, so you opted for aimless wandering instead.

And if I only could I'd make a deal with God.  And I'd get Him to swap our places.  Be runnin' up that road.  Be runnin' up that hill  Be runnin' up that building. 

Your headphones were snug, the music offering a temporary refuge as you walked, your head instinctively nodding to the beat. Even with the volume cranked up, you couldn’t shake the awareness of every shift in the crowd, the way the jacket rubbed against your sore muscles, or the stiffness in your back and arm from the muscle tear. Concerned whispers drifted past you, catching on the currents of passing conversations, but you kept moving, trying to lose yourself in the rhythm of the song.

When you reached Damian’s locker, you leaned against it, letting the cool metal soothe your aching back. You adjusted the hood of his jacket, tugging it further down to hide the cuts around your face. With your free hand, you quickly typed out a message to Damian, your fingers flying over the screen, each tap a small burst of nervous energy.

You:

"At your locker."

You hit send, slipped your phone back into your pocket, then immediately pulled it out again. This time, you opened Twitter, your thumb instinctively scrolling through your feed for any updates on the recent incident.

Tweets about the attack were already trending, paired with blurry photos and clickbait headlines. You cringed as fan accounts for #Nightcrawler started flooding in. It was wild how fast the public’s attention could flip from genuine concern to a full-blown obsession with the latest hero—or villain. 

You sighed, the tension in your shoulders building as you scrolled through the flood of posts.

“Beloved?”

A tanned hand brushed gently against your arm, followed by the sight of polished brown dress shoes stepping into view.

“Dami,” you murmured with a relieved smile, leaning into his hold, your head still bowed.

Damian instinctively pulled you into a hug, his arm wrapping around your shoulders. The embrace was firm but careful, as if he feared you might break under too much pressure. He could feel the stiffness in your muscles, your body wound tight with unspoken tension. His eyes narrowed with concern, but he stayed silent, letting the quiet speak for both of you.

His gaze flicked to your phone screen, catching sight of the trending tweets.

“Nightcrawler…” Damian murmured, and you lifted your head just enough to meet his eyes.

Sighing, you shifted so your cheek rested against his chest, the cool scent of his cologne grounding you. You kept scrolling, clicking on a particularly cringeworthy tweet and wincing at the fanatical comments.

“Can you believe these people?” you murmured, frustration seeping into your voice. “It’s insane.”

Sometimes you wondered how Damian and his brothers dealt with all the fanatics, the constant drooling over their hero personas—or even their civilian lives.

Damian’s grip tightened as he held you closer, his brow furrowing in disapproval as he read the tweets over your shoulder.

Repulsive. To him, it was a grotesque spectacle. The media had managed to paint the Spider into a celebrated hero, a figure of admiration, when in reality, the person behind that mask was nothing more than a monster, cloaked in deception and false heroism.

“They’re utterly obsessed,” Damian scoffed. “It’s as if they’ve completely forgotten there’s a real person behind that mask.”

“I know, right?” You sighed, closing Twitter and slipping your phone back into your pocket. “Like, I really don’t want to see those posts. They’re just—so much.”

Damian noticed your distress and instinctively started rubbing soothing circles on your back. But as his hand moved, a sharp muscle spasm seized your shoulder. You cursed, a wince escaping you as the sensation left you momentarily frozen. It felt as if someone had taken a wrench to your shoulder, yanking and twisting until every fiber protested in sharp, jarring bursts. 

Damian’s hand froze.

Muscle tear. He realized.

Without a word, he guided you gently into a nearby janitor’s closet. The door clicked shut behind you, cutting off the noise of the bustling hallway and granting you both some much-needed privacy. 

Inside, he carefully placed his hand on your elbow and began to stretch the affected muscle. You winced as a sharp twinge of pain flared, but Damian’s voice was soft and soothing.

“It’s okay,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to your temple,  offering a small but comforting distraction from the pain.

Gradually, the pain eased, and you let out a sigh of relief. Your shoulders relaxed, the tight knots unwinding.

"I love you and your weird Robin skills," you said with a grateful smile, rolling your shoulders and feeling the tension dissipate.

Damian’s lips twitched into a faint, approving smile, though his voice remained gruff. “Love you too.”

He continued to watch you with a keen, sharp gaze, noticing the hood of your hoodie pulled up. His eyes traced the shadowy outline of your face, and he realized he hadn’t seen it clearly. His expression shifted to one of concern, a frown creasing his brow.

“Why haven’t you taken your hood down?” he asked quietly, his voice low and probing.

You pursed your lips, trying to edge toward the exit. But before you could make a clean getaway, Damian’s hand shot out, gripping your arm and yanking you back into him. You collided with his chest, and for a second, it felt like you’d just hugged a brick wall in a hoodie.

“And where do you think you’re going?” 

“Uh, nowhere, apparently,” you sighed, realizing escape wasn’t in the cards today.

“Look. I just didn’t want to get my hair messed up,” you continued, trying to sound casual, but the words felt hollow in the small, enclosed space.

“Oh yeah…?” Damian murmured in disbelief, his voice thick with something darker. His eyes narrowed, and without warning, he bent down to your height, his rough fingers sliding up your jacket. You felt the fabric shift and the warmth of his hand against your side.

You swallowed hard, your hands instinctively bracing against his shoulders. Your nails dug into the fabric of his uniform as you tried to push him back.

“Pull the hood off,” he demanded, his hands working insistently to tug it up. You sputtered out protests, swatting at his hands, but Damian was relentless. “Habibti, let me see! Pull it up—let me see!”

Your grip on the hood tightened, your knuckles going white as you held on for dear life. But Damian’s concern bulldozed through any resistance you put up. He mumbled curses, and suddenly shifted tactics. Bending down, his hands slid under your thighs, lifting you effortlessly. He pinned you against the wall, your legs wrapping instinctively around his waist as your weight pressed into his hips.

"Damian, stop!" you groaned, trying to push him away.

But he ignored your plea, yanking the hood off. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the full extent of your injuries. Cuts and bandages marred your face, some fresh, others scabbing over. Dark bruises colored your cheek, spreading out like ominous clouds.

“Who did this to you?” he demanded, even though he was already cursing a certain spider vigilante in his head. Damian dipped his head low, his dangerous glare cutting through you. “Tell me who hurt you, and I’ll make them pay.”

“Baby, you’re being melodramatic. It’s just a few bruises,” you deflected, avoiding his gaze. “I’ll survive.”

“Plus, it’s not like you can just go around punching everyone who hurts me,” you huffed, wincing as you tried to pull your hood back up. Damian scowled and yanked it down again.

“Yes, I can.”

“Oh my god,” you said, raising an eyebrow and trying to stifle a smile. “I hate you so much.”

Damian tightened his hold, his eyes flashing with irritation. “Our relationship status says otherwise. And I’m not letting go until I get answers.”

You squirmed in his embrace, attempting to free yourself, but he held you tightly. “Seriously, let go.”

“No.”

“You’re going to miss your first period.”

“And?”

“Your education will be in ruins.”

“Beloved, my GPA is already at a 5.0. I’ve been at the top of my class since junior high. Missing one period won’t ruin my future.”

You groaned and grabbed the nearest object—a mop. Raising it in a mock-threatening manner, you declared, “I’m seriously considering hitting you with this until you let me go.”

Damian gave a flat “Tch,” raising a hand to the metal handle. With a casual squeeze, he bent the metal in half effortlessly. You blinked.

Okay, that's a little annoying, but also super, super, super hot.

“Seriously? You’re showing off now?” you huffed, crossing your arms.

“Showing off?” Damian arched an eyebrow. “I’m merely proving a point.”

“I can handle myself!” you insisted, frustration creeping into your voice.

“Clearly,” he shot back, eyes narrowing. “That’s why you’re covered in cuts and bruises.”

“Fuck you,” you snapped, your irritation bubbling over.

“I would be delighted to,” Damian replied, his tone dripping with syrupy sweetness that was equal parts enticing and infuriating.

"Ugh!" you groaned, pulling the hood back over your face in a futile attempt to hide.

“Drop the theatrics and tell me what happened,” he sighed, tugging the hood back down. “I need to know so I can handle it.”

“I already handled it! I just need some rest, okay?” you retorted, rubbing a hand over your tired eyes. "I can fight my own battles, thank you very much."

Damian’s jaw tightened at your response, setting off alarm bells in his head. He’d need to dig deeper—because if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that you weren’t giving him the full story.

"You're not telling me everything," he said firmly. "But I’ll find out. I always do."

“Uh-huh, sure," you said, rolling your eyes as you grabbed him by the front of his uniform and yanked him closer. “You’re such a control freak, you know that?”

Damian scowled, leaning in until his forehead pressed against yours. “And you’re impossibly stubborn.”

“Yeah, well, you’re nosy.”

“Nosy?” He raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking. “I prefer the term thorough.”

“Right,” you said, barely holding back a laugh. You shook your head with a smile and leaned in, brushing your lips against his. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, honey.”

Damian’s eyes softened as he closed the distance between you. You melted into him, pulling him into a tender kiss. Damian hummed softly, the vibration tickling your lips and adding a cozy warmth to the moment. He kissed you again, and again, each one a little more affectionate than the last. Your laughter bubbled up, breathy and light, as you both got caught in a playful rhythm. His nose nudged against yours, and you couldn’t help but giggle.

The sudden ringing of the school bell cut through the moment.

“Mmph!” You pulled back slightly, a smile tugging at your lips as you gently stroked his cheek. “You… probably should get to class.”

It took a few more (okay, a lot more) minutes before Damian finally let you go. You practically had to wrestle your way out of his arms, like he was a kid clinging to a favorite toy. When you told him to go back to class instead of tagging along with you and Morgan, he sulked like a toddler.

Despite his stormy mood, you managed to convince him to head back. As you both stepped out of the closet, Damian trudged away with a grumble, throwing one last dramatic look over his shoulder.

“Behave yourself,” you laughed, waving him away before setting off to find Morgan.

When you finally spotted her by the entrance, she was holding up a flash drive like it was the Holy Grail. Meanwhile, you looked like you’d just been through a whirlwind: your hair was a tousled mess, your jacket was askew, and your tie was twisted at an odd angle. 

“Got the goods?” you asked, breathless as you straightened your tie and smoothed down your messy hair.

“Yep,” Morgan said with a grin, her eyes darting to your state of disarray. “Damn. A janitor’s closet, huh? I see it got pretty heated in there.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you said, scoffing and giving her a kick to the shin. “Nothing happened, you ass. We were just talking. I had to practically wrestle my way out because he was going nuts over my injuries.”

Morgan chuckled, tucking the flash drive into her pocket. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full with him.”

You raised an eyebrow at her. "How did you know it was the janitor’s closet, anyway?"

“CCTV,” Morgan simply shrugged. “Was checking out the live feed for security. And I figured you two were up to something when I saw you both ducking out of the room. The system was laughably easy to hack into. I was honestly surprised.”

“You’re Tony Stark’s daughter,” you snarked. “Anything less than government-level encryption is basically child’s play for you.”

Morgan grinned. “True that. But there’s one tiny issue.” She raised a finger and twirled it in the air. “I might have tripped a few alarms.”

WEE-OWW-WEE-OWW!

The distant blare of sirens cut through the air, growing louder with each passing second. Red and blue lights began to flicker through the windows.

You stared at Morgan, incredulous. 

“What. What the fuck!? What did you do?”

“Let’s just say security’s gonna be a bit more interested in our location now. Oopsie!” Morgan’s grin widened. “I had to shut down some things to avoid detection. So, the power’s going to go out in 3…2…1.”

As she finished her countdown, the lights flickered erratically before plunging the hallway into complete darkness. A heartbeat later, the wail of the announcement system cut through the silence, urgently repeating, “Please evacuate the building. Please evacuate immediately.” The strobing red emergency lights cast frantic shadows, and chaos erupted as students screamed, darting from classrooms and colliding in the dark.

Morgan spread her arms wide, a triumphant grin plastered across her face as if she’d just dropped a mic. “Boom.”

“What the hell about this screams ‘stealth’ to you?” you whisper-shouted, grabbing Morgan’s hand and pulling her toward the exit.

Morgan’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she squeezed your hand in return. "It’s way more fun this way."

You both sprinted down the dimly lit corridor, your footsteps echoing through the hallways and mingling with the blaring alarms.

Turning a corner, you nearly collided with a group of students stumbling through the chaos. Their faces were masks of panic. One of them tripped, sprawling onto the floor with an undignified thud.

“Watch it! Are you okay?” you shouted, skidding to a halt and kneeling to help the fallen student.

Morgan, unable to hold back, burst into laughter. “Dumbasses!”

You shot her a half-angry, half-exasperated look. “Just get us out of here before we get arrested for public disturbance!”

“Right behind you!” Morgan said, grabbing your hand again and pulling you both into a sprint. As you neared the exit, the muffled voices of security personnel grew louder, rushing to restore power. With one last burst of speed, you burst through the exit doors, the alarms fading into the distance.

Morgan looked over at you, her face glowing with sweat and a victorious grin. “And that’s how you make an exit.”

 ༻⊰───⋅

Friday - The Safehouse, Gotham City.

After your adrenaline-pumping escape and a bumpy ride across the city in an Uber that looked like it had seen better days—note to self: next time, cab— you finally made it back to the safehouse.

Morgan was already at the main table, surrounded by a chaotic sea of files and documents spread out across multiple screens. Her eyes were locked onto the flash drive she’d pulled from the school, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she sifted through the data.

A few steps away, you were hunched over a cluttered workbench in the tech area, surrounded by spools of web fluid and a mess of metal tools. The entire day had been spent tinkering, but finally, your whip project was coming together.

With a few final tweaks, you picked up the whip and gave it a few test swings. 

You couldn’t help but think back to when you were a kid, watching Selina work her whip with that effortless skill. You’d sit in the corner of the training room, eyes wide, totally mesmerized. She made it look so easy, so natural. Inspired, you’d sneak off to your room after her sessions, grabbing whatever you could find—a belt, a rope, anything that even remotely resembled a whip. You’d slam the door behind you and practice in secret.

Sometimes you’d catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror—awkward, stumbling, and kind of a hot mess—but you didn’t give a damn. You’d keep at it, again and again, dead set on matching her skill, even if it meant looking like a total idiot in the process.

CRACK!

Morgan jumped, her chair spinning around as she stared at you with wide eyes. You couldn't help but grin as you sauntered toward her, twirling the whip around your body. The webbing swirled through the air, curving gracefully around you in a move straight out of Catwoman's playbook. With a final flourish, you cracked it down onto the floor, the sharp snap echoing through the room.

Morgan’s ears flushed red, and she shifted in her chair, clearly taken aback. “Woah. That’s hot as fuck.”

You laughed, tossing her a wink. “Glad you think so. I was channeling my inner Catwoman.”

Still a bit flustered, Morgan cleared her throat and extended her hand. You placed the whip into her palm, and she inspected it closely, her fingers tracing the intricate details of your craftsmanship.

“Seriously, though,” she said, looking up at you, “Where’d you learn to handle a whip like that?”

You shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Just a little bit of practice, you know? I’ve had some pretty good teachers.”

Your gaze then shifted to her screen, where a file on Ivy's toxins was open. Charts, chemical structures, and old lab notes cluttered the display.

“Thought you were going through Octavius’ files?” you asked.

“Oh, I was," Morgan handed the whip back to you with a shrug.

"But then I stumbled on this.” She pointed at the screen. “Insane, right? Did you know Gotham University lets their Botany majors examine Ivy’s toxins? There are detailed reports from student lab projects—college students analyzing some seriously dangerous stuff. Who thinks that's a good idea?”

You arched an eyebrow. “It’s Gotham University. Top in the country. They probably consider it a rite of passage. It’s not like the city holds back on the bizarre.”

Morgan shook her head, her disbelief morphing into a bemused smile. “Seriously, though, it’s even in their chemistry curriculum. ‘Advanced Chemistry: How to Survive Ivy’s Toxins 101.’ Like, what kind of class is that?”

You chuckled. “Sounds like standard Gotham fare. The city has a way of turning even the most mundane academic subjects into survival skills.”

As you stared at the file, your mind drifted to Ivy—Pamela Isley, who had once been a big part of your life. Back when she was close with Selina, you even used to call her Aunt Isley. It felt right at the time, natural, given how much she was around.

One memory stood out: Ivy had to leave town, and she’d entrusted Selina with her beloved plants. You were just a kid, but you remember how excited you were to have Ivy’s vibrant greenery filling the place. Selina had promised to take good care of them, but… she forgot. Just plain forgot to water them.

When Ivy returned, the plants were withered and dead. For someone like Ivy—an eco-terrorist with a green thumb so legendary she could probably make a cactus bloom in a snowstorm—this was more than just a mistake. It felt like a betrayal.

The fallout was brutal. Ivy was livid, and Selina was wrecked. If you hadn’t been there to calm things down, Ivy might’ve strangled Selina with a vine on the spot.

Morgan sighed dramatically, pushing her chair back from the screen and stretching like a cat. "I’m so over these files," she announced, spinning around to face you with a mischievous glint in her eye. "We need to do something fun."

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued as she started navigating through a map on her command center. "What are you up to?"

"Finding us a little adventure," she replied, her grin widening as she zoomed in on a spot on the outskirts of Gotham. "Look at this—an old, supposedly abandoned greenhouse. Rumor has it, it’s still full of Ivy’s plants. We should go check it out."

You blinked, taken aback by the suggestion. "You want to go trespassing in an abandoned greenhouse filled with potentially dangerous plants?"

Morgan shrugged with a carefree grin. "Why not? It’s way more exciting than sitting here with these boring files. Besides, think of the intel we could gather! Maybe even some samples. If you're serious about this hero thing, having some cures on hand could be pretty useful."

You raised an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, my focus was on tech companies. Not plants."

Morgan leaned back in her chair, throwing her hands up. "C'mon, it’ll be fun! We could call it a ‘field trip’ for our mission."

You scoffed, but a smirk tugged at your lips as you grabbed your glasses. “I thought you were supposed to be the smart and responsible one among the two of us?”

Morgan shot you a playful smile as she grabbed her jacket. “Smart enough to know when we need a break.”

She slung her jacket over her shoulder with a casual flick. “And who knows? We might stumble into something interesting or at least have a hell of a time.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Fine, but if this turns into a mess, you’re the one explaining it to Tony.”

“Deal,” Morgan grinned, heading toward the door. “Now let’s get out of here before I lose my mind.”

 ༻⊰───⋅

Saturday, 12:34 AM - Ivy's 'Abandoned' Warehouse, Gotham City.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the overgrown landscape as you swung through the rainy Gotham air. Raindrops pattered against your suit, mixing with the cool breeze as you guided both yourself and Morgan down toward the warehouse’s perimeter. You landed softly on the other side of the fence, the wet ground beneath you squelching slightly.

The warehouse loomed in the distance, shrouded in shadows and engulfed by a thick veil of greenery. Vines and creeping plants had swallowed the building, twisting their way up the walls and breaking through the broken windows. Shrubs and wild foliage sprawled across the once-smooth concrete, creating a tangled jungle that had overtaken the area.

You and Morgan navigated through the thick underbrush, your footsteps muffled by the lush carpet of foliage. 

“Welcome to the jungle,” Morgan whispered, adjusting her glasses as raindrops collected on the lenses. She reached for a flashlight, flicking it on to cut through the gloomy darkness.

“Did you really have to pick the creepiest spot in Gotham?” you muttered, glancing around warily. Your spider senses buzzed faintly, a low hum that told you to stay alert, though you weren’t entirely sure what you should be on the lookout for.

As you approached the warehouse’s entrance, you noticed the heavy wooden doors were slightly ajar, propped open by a stubborn vine wedged in the gap. You took a few steps back, then charged at the door with all your might. It crashed inward with a resounding clang, sending splinters flying and the vine recoiling.

CLANG!

You kicked the door aside and stepped into a scene that looked like something straight out of a botanical horror movie. The interior of the warehouse was a riot of green. Hanging plants and tendrils formed a dense canopy overhead. The remnants of old plant pots and scientific equipment were half-buried under layers of creeping vines and moss.

“Keep your eyes peeled for anything useful,” you said, stepping inside.

The plan was simple: infiltrate the location, gather as much information as possible, and leave before anyone even noticed you were there.

Your boots squelched slightly on the damp ground as you made your way further into the labyrinth of greenery. Morgan followed close behind, her flashlight beam scanning the surroundings.

“Looks like she really made herself at home. Can’t believe she’d leave all these beauties behind,” she murmured.

After a few minutes of searching, you stumbled upon a makeshift lab tucked away in a corner of the warehouse. Old tables and shelves, now covered in a thick layer of dust and grime, held an assortment of glassware, old notebooks, and strange samples.

Morgan’s eyes lit up as she approached the lab. “This must be it! Look at all this stuff.”

Kneeling down, she began sifting through the clutter, her flashlight revealing dusty glassware, faded notebooks, and a variety of botanical samples in various states of preservation. She carefully picked up a few jars, examining the contents with growing fascination.

You stood guard by the door, senses on high alert. The slow hum of your spider senses gradually intensified, morphing into a persistent, almost blaring buzz in the back of your mind. It felt like a magnetic pull, drawing your focus to every flicker of shadow and rustle of the unseen. 

Morgan, oblivious to your heightened alertness, was engrossed in a particularly worn notebook.

"This is so fucking cool," she said, her eyes wide with excitement. "Check out these notes—they look like they’re from Ivy’s earlier research. She was experimenting with ways to boost plant growth, mixing toxins, and even concocting some kind of antidote."

As Morgan continued to study the notebook, the buzzing in your senses grew stronger. You tensed, feeling a prickling chill race up your spine and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. There was something else in the warehouse—something you couldn’t immediately identify, but it was there.

“Morgan,” you said quietly. “I’m getting a bad feeling.”

Morgan looked up from her work, fingers curled around a test tube. “What do you mean?”

“Just keep your eyes open,” you warned, eyes narrowing as you scanned the shadows. “Start packing up and be quick. Something doesn’t feel right.”

Morgan’s fingers flew over the lab equipment as she grabbed several samples and shoved them into her bag. The air seemed to grow thicker, the plants rustling with an almost eerie liveliness.

!!!

“We need to go. Now!” you hissed, urgently grabbing Morgan and pulling her to her feet.

Morgan flinched but scrambled up, stuffing the worn notebook she’d found into her jacket. “Alright… let me just—”

Before she could finish, your spider senses exploded into a full-blown scream of warning.

DANGER.

“Get down!”

Without warning, you grabbed Morgan and pushed her down behind some crates, your suit beginning to uncloak.

A thick vine lashed out from the shadows, slamming into your side with a force that knocked the wind out of you. Pain exploded where the vine struck, radiating through your ribs as you skidded backward and crashed into a metal rack.

Your helmet hadn’t fully materialized in time, and the impact with the shelving unit sent a jarring shock through your skull, leaving you dazed and disoriented.

"A little spider has wandered into my web~"

Shit.

Warmth trickled down from your forehead where the impact had split the skin. With a shaky breath, you pushed yourself off the rack, using it for support as you steadied yourself.

"Hello, crazy plant lady," you quipped, your helmet materializing as the voice modulator kicked in.

You weren’t her estranged niece now; you were Nightcrawler, Gotham's latest hero.

From above, Ivy unfurled herself from the ceiling, smirking as she lounged on a sprawling leaf. Vines curled around her with languid grace, reacting to her slightest gesture as if extensions of her will.

"Ah, Gotham's newest little hero," Ivy's voice was a melodious yet chilling purr, her laughter echoing softly through the warehouse. "What brings you to my sanctuary?"

The slits in your mask narrowed as you drew your claws and unclipped your whip from your belt. Ivy’s eyes narrowed at the choice of weapons, a flicker of recognition in her gaze. She was clearly connecting the similarities between you and Catwoman.

"Oh, just swinging by to see what all the fuss is about. Heard you've been busy in Gotham."

Ivy's smile sharpened, a glint of admiration lighting up her emerald eyes.

"Hm. Spunk," she purred, hands moving to tangle in her hair. "I do appreciate that in my visitors."

Out of the corner of your visor, you spotted Morgan inching away. You gave her a discreet nod, signaling her to keep going while you kept your focus locked on Ivy.

"So, this place wasn’t as abandoned as I thought," you said, trying to keep Ivy talking and distracted. "For someone who supposedly retired from the spotlight, you sure know how to throw a party."

Ivy threw her head back and laughed. "Retired?" she repeated. "Oh, honey, you have no idea."

Around you, vines stirred, their sinewy tendrils snaking up your legs like snakes. Unfazed, you subtly shifted your weight, and then, with a swift slash of your claws, the vines split apart. You flipped away, slipping out of their grasp with ease.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice when my darlings are disturbed?” Ivy’s voice dripped with mockery. “Just when I finally manage to reclaim this space from concrete and steel, pests like you decide to get curious.”

“Look, I’ve got a busy schedule,” you quipped, narrowly dodging a lashing vine. “So how about we skip the tango and save us both a night of pain?”

“Oh, you’re simply delightful,” Ivy purred,sultry and chilling. “Very well, little spider. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

In a heartbeat, Ivy was in motion. Vines shot through the air like whips, each one aiming to entangle or strike. You sidestepped a thick vine that snapped past your ear and rolled under another that slammed into the floor where you’d just been. Your senses were on fire.

Beep!

In the corner of your visor, Morgan’s face flickered into view—a welcome sight amid the chaos. The camera feed was shaky, but you could make out her anxious expression as she huddled behind a stack of crates, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

“Are you okay?” you hissed through the comms, trying to keep your voice steady despite the whirlwind of vines around you.

“M Outside! Sorry! I…I didn’t realize Ivy was here!” Morgan said, her voice tinged with panic. “I thought this place was a total ghost town!”

“Apologize later!” you shouted back, ducking a swinging vine. “Just stay out of sight. I’ll catch up with you once I deal with the plant lady!”

With a quick flip, you barely managed to dodge another flurry of whipping vines. You drew back your whip and snapped it towards the incoming tendrils, slicing through them. 

Ivy scowled, her eyes narrowing as she watched her plants get cut down. She retaliated, sending a fresh wave of vines hurtling toward you.

You dodged and weaved, the thick, green tendrils brushing against your suit. Each crack of your whip was followed by a sharp hiss of defeated foliage.

You charged through, ducking and weaving to avoid the onslaught. When you were close enough, you landed a solid left hook to Ivy’s face, the impact echoing with a satisfying thud. Ivy’s head snapped back with a sharp yelp of pain. You laughed, not giving her a moment to regroup, and threw another punch straight to her jaw.

JAB!

“Had enough, or should I keep going?” you taunted.

Ivy’s eyes flared with rage. “You little—”

Leaping onto a stack of crates to dodge another lash from her vines, you shot a web at Ivy. The sticky strands wrapped around her wrists, pinning her securely against a nearby support beam.

Ivy struggled against the webbing, her vines twitched with agitation as they lashed out. You kept your whip and claws at the ready, prepared for any sudden moves.

“Alright, listen up,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady. “Unless you want more of your precious plants turned into mulch, I suggest you calm down.”

“Calm down?” Ivy hissed, her frustration barely contained. “You’re the intruder here, desecrating my sanctuary. I won’t tolerate this!”

You took a deep breath, trying to defuse the situation. “Look, I’m really sorry about the intrusion. Didn’t mean to step on your botanical toes. We were just here to explore—”

“Explore?” Ivy’s brow shot up. “Is that why your friend took of my vials and papers?”

You stared at her, blinking a few times. Then, with a sheepish shrug, you said, “Okay, to be fair, you left that stuff lying around. It kind of looked like it was up for grabs. Plus, we didn’t exactly see a ‘Keep Out’ sign.”

“So, it’s a case of ‘finders keepers,’ then?” she scowled. “And here I thought you were a little more refined than that.”

“Hey!” you said, walking towards her until you were just a foot away. “I’m just calling it like I see it, lady. Maybe if you knew how to clean up, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Ivy tossed her hair over her shoulder, the golden-orange strands cascading like vines down her back. She leaned closer, her lips brushing against your jaw, her breath warm and tantalizing against your skin.

“Well, if you’re so keen on exploring,” she purred, her voice a sultry whisper, “I could show you something that’ll really satisfy your curiosity.”

!!!

Your spider senses flared with urgent warnings, but before you could react, Ivy thrust a slender vine beneath the edge of your helmet. In an instant, a cloud of pollen erupted inside your mask, catching you completely off guard. You gasped and choked, stumbling backward as your vision blurred and your nose was overwhelmed by the suffocating, heady scent of the pollen.

Your visor’s alarms blared, vitals flashing urgently:

TOXIN DETECTED.

“Damn it,” you grimaced as a searing heat began to radiate through your skin and bones. The prickling sensation quickly escalated into an intense burn, making it feel like your blood was boiling beneath your skin.

“Morgan!” you called out. “Find me an escape route, now!”

"Underestimated me?" Ivy cackled. "Thought you could resist my charms, did you?"

Morgan’s shaky voice crackled through the comms. “I’m searching for a way out! Just hang in there!”

“Oh, you won’t be escaping that easily,” Ivy sneered at you, still trapped in your webs. Despite her restraints, her vines writhed and twisted with a life of their own. “This is my domain, and you’re not leaving until I say so.”

You gritted your teeth, struggling against the searing pain as the vines inched closer. “Alright, I’m really sorry for this, but I’m done playing nice.”

With a sharp flick of your wrist, you shot a web at a vase perched precariously on a high shelf. The vase tumbled through the air and crashed down onto Ivy’s head, shattering into a shower of shards and a splash of crimson.

Ivy screamed as the shards rained down, a flurry of leaves and flowers cascading over her head and shoulders, momentarily obscuring her vision. 

Morgan's face reappeared on your visor, her brow furrowed with worry. “There’s a clear window—no vines blocking it! Hurry! I marked it on your map!”

Glancing at the map in your visor, you spotted the indicated window. 

"This was nice, but I’ve got places to be and people to save," you heaved, your voice breathy as you kicked away a lashing vine. "So if you don’t mind, I'll be taking my leave."

THWIP.

Launching yourself through the open window, you felt the cool, rain-soaked Gotham air slap your face as you soared into the night. The roar of the storm and the distant hum of the city below filled your senses. Behind you, Ivy’s furious shouts pierced through the downpour, her curses mingling with the crack of thrashing vines slamming against the walls.

“PEST!”

 ༻⊰───⋅

Saturday, 1:05 AM - Crime Alley, Gotham City.

"Robin, status?" Oracle's voice beeped in from Damian's earpiece.

Damian was perched on a rooftop, jade eyes scanning the dark expanse of Crime Alley below. The rain poured down in relentless sheets, the cold droplets cascading off the edges of his hood and dripping onto his shoulders.

From his vantage point, he could see the dilapidated buildings lining Crime Alley, their broken windows and graffiti-covered walls illuminated by the sporadic flashes of lightning. The streets below were deserted, the few brave souls out in the storm moving quickly, their faces obscured by umbrellas and hoods. Puddles formed in the uneven pavement, reflecting the occasional flicker of streetlights.

He lifted a gloved hand to his communication device, the wet leather squeaking slightly against the earpiece.

"I'm in my usual position," he reported, his voice steady. "No sign of activity. Just monitoring. Slow night."

"Figured," Nightwing's voice spoke up. "There is a storm."

“Ishth Gotham,” Jason's voice chimed in, muffled as if he was chewing something. “When isn’t there a storm?”

"Are you eating right now?" Tim's voice squeaked with disbelief, the sound sharp and incredulous over the comms. "Again? Really?"

"Yeah?" Jason retorted, taking another bite of whatever he was munching on. "A guy's gotta eat. Maybe if you actually ate more, you wouldn’t be so scrawny, Timberland."

"I'm fit!" Tim snapped back, voice cracking. "And can you please stop using my name? We have codenames for a reason."

"You're the genius who called yourself 'Drake'," Damian scoffed as he kept his eyes trained on the rain-soaked expanse below.

"Demon brat's got a point," Jason drawled, the sound of him slurping a drink faintly audible over the comms. "Harley still calls you Duck-Boy."

"Just focus on the job," Nightwing interjected, his voice slicing through the bickering with an authoritative edge. "Tonight’s a washout. Red Robin and I are on patrol near the docks. We’ve encountered a few low-level crooks, but nothing major."

"Alright," Oracle’s voice came through again. "Stay on high alert. Let me know if anything changes."

As the comms went silent, Damian pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up against the storm's backdrop. For a fleeting moment, his stoic expression softened. A nearly imperceptible smile tugged at his lips as he glanced at the lock screen—a picture of you, warm and content in one of his shirts, your face framed by tousled hair and a genuine smile.

He noted the time—1:05 AM. Given your unpredictable sleep patterns, you were likely still awake. Damian's finger hovered over the screen, caught between sending a quick message or making a call. But before he could decide, a sharp gust of wind swept across the rooftop, making his cape snap and sending a chill through his soaked uniform.

He slipped the phone back into his belt, shook off the cold, and refocused on the scene below. His eyes scanned the shadowy expanse: dark alleys, rain-slicked roads, and flickering, rusting shop signs.

Then, a sudden, unexpected movement shattered the monotony. A flash of red and white streaked across the skyline, its vibrant colors stark against the darkened sky. A web shot out, glinting briefly in the intermittent lightning before anchoring itself to a nearby building.

THWIP.

There was a pause.

Damian’s lips curled into a sharp snarl. His fingers tightened around the grip of his grappling gun, his mind shifting into high gear. With a scowl, he tapped his earpiece.

“Oracle,” Damian began, boots crunching as he moved to the edge of the rooftop. “I have visual on the spider vigilante. Engaging in pursuit.”

Without waiting for a reply, he fired the grappling gun. The line shot through the air with a metallic twang, slicing through the rain-soaked night. He felt the jolt as the grappling hook latched onto a distant anchor, pulling him forward.

As he swung through the storm, a fierce thrill coursed through him, like a bird unleashed with new wings. With the city sprawled out beneath him and the rain pelting against his face, Robin was ready to do what he did best.

Hunt.

 ༻⊰───⋅

"It's going to take hours to get this smell out of my suit," you heaved, wrinkling your nose as you fired a web into the distant skyline. The line stuck firmly to a building, and with a jarring lurch, you swung deeper into the city.

Morgan clung to you for dear life, her voice barely audible over the rush of air. “Not the time to worry about laundry! Focus on not crashing into something! And maybe on not dying from the poison?!”

"Hey, I’m just saying," you shot back with a strained chuckle, “if I survive this, I’m gonna need to have this suit professionally cleaned.”

Morgan’s grip tightened, and she shouted, “Survive first, clean later!"

With a yank of your web, you aimed for the next rooftop, but as you hurtled through the air, you realized that you’d miscalculated the distance. The rooftop was rushing in too fast, and panic surged through you like ice.

Your stomach lurched, and in a split-second decision, you threw Morgan forward, trying to cushion her fall. She landed with a thud, a breathless gasp escaping her as she hit the roof.

You, however, weren’t so fortunate. Your foot snagged the edge of the roof awkwardly, sending a sharp pain shooting up your leg.

CRACK.

The sickening crack of bone snapping echoed through the air as your ankle twisted violently. The force of the impact jolted your entire body, sending you sprawling onto the rough, gravelly rooftop.

“Great…” you muttered through gritted teeth, struggling to push yourself up onto your hands and knees. Your body felt like it was on fire from the inside out, the toxin’s effects amplifying the pain with each passing second.

You bit down hard on your tongue, the metallic taste of blood bubbling into your mouth. You fought to keep yourself upright, but your legs felt like lead, and you crumpled onto the rooftop, unable to fully bear your weight.

“Shit!” Morgan scrambled to her feet, her face a mask of panic and concern. “Are you okay? What happened?”

"Just… a little off target," you panted, wincing as you assessed the damage. Your visor had taken a hit during the fall, causing the data to flicker erratically. Through the static, you could still make out the crucial info: a broken bone.

“It's fine… Just a broken ankle,” you added, trying to maintain your composure despite the sluggishness creeping into your movements. 

“You’re getting brain fog and dizziness,” Morgan said urgently, her fingers flipping through the notebook she’d snatched earlier. “It’s a side effect of the toxin. We need to get you to the safehouse—”

Before she could finish, you shook your head with a groan. “No. You call a cab and head there. I’ll swing.”

“Are you insane?!” Morgan nearly shouted, grabbing your arm in panic. “You can barely stand, let alone swing through the city! We need to get you help, now!”

You pushed her away, trying to ignore the throbbing in your ankle. “It’s not like I have much of a choice. The suit’s tampered, I think. Look.”

You attempted to uncloack, but the metal sputtered and glitched erratically. “See? I can’t uncloack. If you’re seen with me, they’ll find us out in no time. I can’t risk that.”

Morgan’s eyes darted between you and the malfunctioning suit, her face a mix of worry and frustration. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry. I should have—”

“Stop,” you cut her off, wincing as the pain intensified. “It’s not your fault. Just get to the safehouse. I’ll manage.”

Tears of frustration welled up in Morgan’s eyes. “I can’t just leave you like this!”

“You don’t have a choice,” you said firmly, trying to steady your voice. “If we’re both caught, it’ll be worse. Now go! I’ll be fine.”

With one last, apologetic glance, Morgan pulled out her phone and dialed for a cab, her hands trembling.

 ༻⊰───⋅

Damian, concealed in the shadows of the rooftop, landed with a muted thud. He crouched behind the crumbling ledge of an old brick wall, the slits in his mask narrowing as he took in the scene unfolding just a few feet away.

He watched as you struggled to regain your footing, your movements pained and uneven. The girl beside you—her rain-soaked silhouette a blur against the storm—was clearly in a panic, her phone clutched tightly as she fumbled with it.

‘A civilian,’ Damian thought, frustration lining his features. Launching a direct attack now would be reckless. He had to be certain the vigilante was genuinely on their own before making a move.

After a tense moment, the girl finally moved and dashed down the fire escape, her figure barely visible through the downpour. Damian squinted through the sheets of rain, straining to catch a glimpse of her features, but the storm blurred his view into an indistinct smear of color and motion.

The moment she was out of sight, his attention snapped back to you. You took a deep, ragged breath, bracing yourself. Then, with a sudden burst of movement, you launched yourself into the night. 

Damian followed, his movements fluid and precise as he pushed off from the ledge. His cape billowed behind him like a dark, flowing banner, and he darted into the storm. 

Below, the streets were a chaotic blur of honking horns and glaring headlights, their harsh lights slicing through the darkness like knives. Heavy sheets of rain hammered down, obscuring your vision and drenching you to the bone. Water seeped through the cracks in your suit, each drop feeling like an icy needle against your overheated, feverish skin.

The sensations were overwhelming. It was too much. The pain, the heat, the storm—it was all too much.

Your breath came in ragged gasps, every inhale bringing more of Ivy’s insidious toxin into your lungs.

In one desperate swing, you miscalculated the web’s trajectory. It shot out too low, sending you plummeting uncontrollably below.

Cursing through gritted teeth, you were hurled down into traffic. Everything was a blur as you slammed into the side of a car, metal denting and screams deafening your ears. Your shoulder bore the brunt of the collision, sending shockwaves of pain through your bones.

For a brief, suspended moment, everything went dark.

A cold, mechanical voice sliced through the void, its tone harsh and insistent. Maggie’s synthetic voice, though devoid of human warmth, was tinged with urgency.

“Immediate response required. Vitals are critically low. Consciousness levels decreasing. Current status is life-threatening. Please respond.”

Abruptly, your senses snapped back into sharp focus. You jolted awake with a ragged gasp, your breath coming in frantic bursts. Your vision was a fractured mosaic of blinding lights and shadowy figures. The sounds of blaring horns and panicked shouts crashed back into your ears, tires screeching all around you.

Morgan’s voice crackled through the static, panic evident in her tone. “I’m at the safehouse! Where are you? I couldn't reach you! What’s going on?”

“Change of plans,” you managed, your voice strained. “I won’t make it to the safehouse in time.”

You tapped the side of your visor, making a map flicker to life through the cracks and glitches. The display was unstable, but it highlighted a route to your apartment.

“You know where my mom's apartment is, right?” you heaved. “That’s where I’m heading.”

Entering your apartment was risky, but with your condition worsening and death looming, it was the closest refuge you could manage.

Damian, hidden in the alleyway, watched you with a furrowed brow. What he initially wrote off as rookie mistakes now seemed out of character. Your disoriented movements were starkly different from the precise maneuvers he had seen in news footage and CCTV feeds. He had been tracking your case closely, and this chaos didn't match the profile he had built.

He watched as you struggled to stand, your legs shaking with each attempt. The driver's shouts were drowned out by the storm of noise around you. Your strained apologies were barely audible. Desperation marked your actions as you fired another web, using it to pull yourself up and away from the wrecked car and the angry crowd.

Damian cursed under his breath and quickly took off after you. 

He tracked your erratic path through twisted, narrow streets until he saw you aim for an apartment building. With a quick stretch of your arm, you shot a web toward a balcony, but your aim was off again.

Another sloppily thrown web sent you slamming into the windows of the apartment. The metal edge dug into your ribs with brutal force, knocking the wind out of you. You gasped, your lungs burning as you struggled to draw in air. Pain radiated from your side, and shards of glass sprayed everywhere.

Damian, perched on the rooftop across the street, stared in disbelief. This was Catwoman’s apartment—Selina Kyle’s. The worst possible scenario unfolded in his mind. To him, it looked like a break-in. His jaw clenched tightly, and his fingers gripped the edge of his grappling gun, knuckles whitening with the force of his anger.

Pest.

Without hesitation, Damian leapt into action. He aimed for the fire escape with single-minded intensity, propelling himself toward it with a powerful thrust. His boots hammered against the metal steps, causing them to buckle and the entire structure to groan and rattle under the force of his descent. 

In the corner of his eye, he saw your figure slip into the window.

Tunnel-visioned and driven by a surge of protectiveness, Damian kicked the door to the fire escape open, the metal panel scraping roughly across the floor. His father would have his head for causing unnecessary public damage—something Robin was frequently under fire for—but at that moment, he couldn't have cared less.

"Was that a crash?!" Nightwing's voice crackled through the comm line.

"I think it's coming from demon brat's side. What's the report, squirt?"

Damian merely growled in response as he began to stalk down the hallway. His tall figure, cloaked in shadows, cast long, dark lines across the floor as he moved. He cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp and menacing over the comms.

"Someone's about to learn the price of crossing me."

 ༻⊰───⋅

Dazed and disoriented, you slipped into the building, the rough edge of the window scraping against your battered body. As you tumbled through your apartment, you hit the floor with a heavy thud, the impact shaking your entire frame. Your head struck the ground with a thump, stars exploding in your vision.

For a brief, haunting moment, there was silence—deep, oppressive silence. Then, a cold, creeping dread slithered through you.

You clawed at the floor, your body shaking.

"Mom? Mom, please! I need you!" Your voice cracked, a raw, fear seeping through every syllable. "Mom, are you there? Please, help me!"

Tears streamed down your face, mingling with the sweat and blood as you cried out into the empty, echoing apartment. The lights were off, casting the space into a suffocating darkness that seemed to press in on you.

Desperately, you stumbled into Selina’s bedroom. Your heart sank as you noticed the absence of her suit—no sleek, black leather or whip. She must have been out on patrol.

A deafening crash shattered the silence as the apartment door was ripped from its hinges. Before you could fully react, a rough hand clamped down on you, throwing you to the floor.

Your vision blurred in and out of focus as you were pinned to the floor. A heavy foot pressed mercilessly against your chest, crushing your ribs with every breath. The weight lifted, then slammed down again, ripping through your suit with a sickening crunch. The suit uncloaked, its torn pieces clinging to your clothes, leaving you exposed in just your undershirt and pants.

Through the dim, flickering light, the outline of your attacker became clearer. A katana was unsheathed with a chilling rasp, its cold blade pressed menacingly against your neck. The steel gleamed ominously, catching the sparse light and reflecting a deadly shimmer. The edge was so close you could feel its icy touch, a mere breath away from slicing into your flesh.

The thought of that forced you to tilt your head back, exposing more of your neck to the shadowy figure looming over you.

Tall and imposing, the figure was clad in grey and black armor, with a black cape flowing behind them. A red emblem, unmistakably the symbol of an R, was stitched onto their chest.

A cold realization cut through the fog of pain and fear—Robin?

<- PREVIOUS | NEXT ->

 ༻⊰───⋅

dundunDUN

whatchu think bookiebears

surely the batfam will handle this well

[blindmagdalena]

hey so first of all you have platinum hands in terms of writing, so succinct and well-paced and silky. second of all i have a fixation on names and their significance because my formative memory is hearing the myth about how the fey knowing your full name gives them power over you. so. two things.

homelander being reluctant to tell the reader his 'john gillman' name both because of vulnerability reasons and because of his lack of identification with his human self.

the reader being someone to whom names mean a lot, someone who calls people by their name when she starts to care about them; lacking a human name, still having the urge to call homelander something, she opts for 'home'.

do you see the vision. being called 'home', his superhero title being repurposed into something warm and down-to-earth and familiar. being named in a way he wasn't by a parental figure: out of love and choice. i think he'd lose his marbles.

thank you! that's such a delicious compliment.

as someone who loves all things fey and all the etiquette associated with them, yes yes yes! i love this! Homelander is such an interesting character to explore this with because he actively rejects his name. it's something he was called at the lowest, weakest point in his life.

he only gained some degree of autonomy and freedom when he became Homelander. that's the name he most associates with his true self. it represents his escape from the lab.

i'm deeply smitten by the thought of someone just... accepting that, and not pushing for him to embrace something that is deeply traumatic for him. instead accepting his new identity and helping to shape it into something more than just a persona removed from his humanity.

AAHH imagine calling him homes. sherlock homes when he's bein' nosey. 😭

[artful-aries]

Can I please have possessive/jealousy headcanons for scaramoche dottore zhongli Childe and pantalone? Thank you in advance 🤗

I am not dead everyone!!! Mother’s Day and TOTK releasing this weekend have me hella preoccupied. Anyway, I’ve actually already done this for Zhongli and Childe, but I did the other three!!

Content Warnings: Dottore’s section is pretty manipulative and unhealthy, this is your warning.

When They Are Jealous (Dottore, Scaramouche, Pantalone)

Dottore:

This man is very possessive at all times, even when he’s in a good mood. He doesn’t get jealous, that would require him to think he might not measure up to others, but he definitely does not take kindly to others thinking they can have access to you

Would not hesitate to cut someone’s eyes out if they stared at you for too long, and likely would find some use for them in his various experiments

Dottore sees you as an extension of himself, or more accurately, one of his possessions. He is far too prideful to let any mediocre being come close to thinking they could even speak to you without him allowing it

This results in your borderline isolation from anyone who isn’t Dottore (with a few exceptions, such as the Harbingers). You tell him that you feel lonely? Too bad. He’s not going to budge on this. You’re his, and not just anyone can speak to you or lay eyes on you

It doesn’t take much to make the Doctor jealous; simply disrespect his wishes and talk to a random Fatui agent, or even just a Snezhnayan merchant, and you’ll have him scowling underneath his mask as he watches you. He knows exactly what you’re doing, and doesn’t like it one bit

What he does entirely depends on his mood; He will either lay a chilling hand on your shoulder and ask you to speak to him privately, or if he is in a foul mood, he likely wouldn’t hesitate to maim or kill the other person on the spot.

Don’t think you’ve escaped punishment either, you’re just as much of a guilty party in this as they were. Dottore isn’t going to kill you or disfigure you, no, he is going to opt for a more psychological punishment for you

Nothing makes people more desperate and malleable than a lack of affection, so he will actively withhold any affection until you’re begging for forgiveness and for him to give you an ounce of attention

Is it manipulative? Absolutely, but Dottore doesn’t care. This gets him the results he wants and enables him to observe how you behave under emotional and psychological stress. He likes to see just how long you can last before you’re caving to him

Should you go out of your way to make him jealous by being too friendly with another Harbinger, you’ll have him seething, but this just makes things worse for you since he can’t take out his frustration on the other Harbingers though he does briefly consider baiting Childe into a fight once he sees you hanging off of the man’s arm

Dottore would scoop you up immediately without a word, carrying you into his lab where he plans to have a very stern “talk” with you about not throwing yourself at the nearest person when you want attention from him

There are very rare occasions where he will “let” you do as you please, flirting and getting touchy with anyone and everyone just to make him jealous, but he uses this as an opportunity to study you and your actions. While the behavior irks him, there is valuable data to be collected in allowing it to happen. Once his data collection is complete, he’s ready to punish you for trying to provoke him despite the benefit he received out of your antics

Scaramouche:

Another one to easily get jealous, he will turn into the biggest brat alive over the simplest things. You could greet someone cheerfully because you’re in a good mood and he will immediately have a snide remark to say about it

Whether you intentionally made him jealous or not, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to have an attitude with you no matter what

Scaramouche just doesn’t have it in him to be upfront about the fact that he’s upset, or communicate why he is upset. You’ll have to deal with him being cold and distant aside from his rude comments until he eventually gets over it himself or you piece together what his problem is

When you do confront him, he will adamantly deny that he was ever jealous, “What am I, your keeper? Do what you want.”

Yet it’s very clear by the permanent scowl on his face that Scaramouche doesn’t want you to do what you want. He’d never admit it, but he wants your focus on him and only him, he wants your unwavering devotion. It makes him feel like his existence is validated

The most you’d be able to pull out of him is what made him cranky in the first place, but his admittance is indignant and dismissive. Part of him just wants to stay mad because deep down he feels like this is just you getting ready to betray him. He’s been burned too many times and has a lot of trust issues

When you reassure him that your earlier actions held no underlying meaning and that you aren’t going to abandon him, Scaramouche’s expression will not change; however, there will be a slight release of tension in his shoulders. He’s not completely relieved, but it’s enough to get him to stop being entirely unpleasant

For a little while after his initial withdrawal, he’s going to stick uncharacteristically close to you, almost as though he is making sure that you’re true to your word

Again, he would never admit this, but in reality Scaramouche just wants to be in your comforting presence for a while

If you were to ask him why he’s hanging around so much all of the sudden, he will lie through his teeth and just say he was bored or just happened to have extra time on his hands. Even if you tease him about it, he will never admit just how much he enjoys your presence

He also makes sure to cut off and interrupt anyone that tries talking to you when he’s with you. They’re cutting into his time with you, and he won’t hesitate to be rude as hell in order to get them to go away

Pantalone:

He is a difficult man to make jealous; he is incredibly confident in himself, to the point that he doesn’t view most people as competition

If he were to get jealous, it would likely be you giving attention to the other Harbingers, especially a Vision bearer

Pantalone would freeze for a moment at the scene, his eyes narrowing as he takes in how you interact with them. The sight alone made his stomach churn a little bit. He doesn’t think he is beneath them, but he can’t help but wonder if there’s a part of you that prefers the power that Visions bring, something that he can’t buy with his wealth

He will saunter up to you and place a hand on your shoulder; not threateningly, but just to remind you of his presence as he works his way into the conversation. Though he doesn’t have much patience and finds a way to politely end it soon after joining. He’s got a lot that he wants to say to you in private, gently pulling you away

Once you’re alone, he smiled sweetly at you, but there’s an edge to it as he asks you why you were paying so much attention to another person rather than him

He’s not outright threatening you, and he doesn’t intend to hurt you physically because of his own jealousy, but his tone indicates that you need to choose your words carefully

If you explain yourself and say that you were just being friendly, Pantalone will happily drop the subject, wrapping an arm around you as the two of you walk together. He knew he was good enough for you, but liked the reassurance that you weren’t seeking more than he could provide

If you were to admit that you were actively trying to make him jealous, then he would give a small chuckle at your response. You wanted to make him jealous? Well, mission accomplished, but now were you prepared to deal with the consequences?

He’ll pull you to his office, not explaining himself as he locks the door. He intends to remind you of just how much he has to offer, and how you won’t be happy with anyone else, even if they were blessed by the gods

Pantalone is possessive by nature, wanting anything and everything his heart desires, you included. He’s spent too long working for his wealth to fall short with you

[oneshlut]

Ok, first off, love love Love your yandere Flug headcanons! I am injecting them into my veins as we speak. On that note, could you write something branching off of that base idea but with the twist that reader is 100% supportive of Flug being a yandere? Could be anything from just accepting his love to actively encouraging him to kill people for them. Thank you for your time, hope you have a great day!

A/N: ooh, of course!! i was actually planning to do this with yandere dating hcs for flug since someone had requested for a general pt2 of these hcs, so thanksies for the request!! accepting x yandere is so horrifically adorable <33 (also SO HAPPY you liked my previous hcs!!)

Two of Hearts (Yandere!Dr. Flug x Willing!Reader) [Headcanons]

Rules For Requesting

Characters I Will Write For

Masterlist

WARNINGS: Mentions of homocide, depictions of blood, unhealthy obsessions, yandere themes, general dead dove contents!!

Summary: General headcanons for a yandere Dr. Flug with an accepting/supporting reader for his behavior

Extra Info: This does NOT condemn yandere behaviors irl. Purely fictional scenario, do not support this toxic behavior in others. im sure you all know that though <33

Love can escalate. When it does, it escalates fast. This escalation can range from a proposal in a matter of weeks, a date in a matter of days, to murder in a matter of hours. Often times, Flug's love escalated to murder. He has before for you, and he would again.

Being a "real" villain gives Flug some sort of confidence boost. He hardly stutters, never cowers in fear, and opts to make extremely bold decisions. Decisions he wouldn't normally make. Well, the first and most obvious would be homocide--but he also gains the confidence to confess to you.

He wouldn't dare kidnap you, though! Of course, not if you took it well! Luckily, things didn't have to go that way, since you agreed to be his boyfriend.

Wait, what.

It wasn't that huge of a shock. I mean, he knew you'd either say yes or no, but he was fully prepared to receive a no. I guess that chloroform-laced cloth in his pocket wasn't necessary after all! He was ecstatic to be yours! As long as you didn't find out about anything he was doing, the two of you would hold up well!

Hah, that wouldn't last long. He was confident with himself at first, but now that you're together for real? All his confidence was immediately swept away when you kissed him for the first time--that or when you first told him "I love you". It really made him put things into perspective--he was yours. And you were his. Flug was more lovesick than ever, more than he had realized. It was adorable, watching him trip over himself anytime you walked into the room.

It was now over a month of the two of you being together, and both of you were happy with your relationship! Flug was still pretty confident you wouldn't find out about what he was doing, and you were.. Actually, you were slowly gaining suspicion.

Over time, you began to notice small flaws in his usual behavior. Very small flaws, yes, but not too small to go unseen. Some of these would be nice, such as Flug going out of his way to get you something on an outing. This would be normal, if it wasn't every outing. And on other days, he would just switch up and do the complete opposite--not noticing you when you greeted him, spacing out while just.. staring at you.. or he would respond to you in two word sentences. He was either in a whole other world, or completely caught up in yours. It was distracting how easily he could just.. switch. It put you off, but you decided to ignore it for the most part.

One day, he came home extremely silent. Actually, you hadn't even noticed he had left in the first place. You watched as he retreated to his room--seperate from his lab. Not even a hello, nor an answer to your simple questions as he walked. You began to fear that he was ignoring you. What could you have done wrong..? That, or he was just spacing out again, which felt a bit unlikely.

Slowly gaining curiosity, you decided to take a small visit to his lab. Maybe 5.0.5. knew something? In all honesty, you weren't just "curious".. you were worried. Unfortunately, taking this visit to his lab didn't help with that feeling of worry at all. Opening the door with a painfully loud creak, you were stunned to find the place in shambles. It wasn't messy in the way it looked like a break-in--no, it looked man made. Some of the lights were turned off, his materials were scattered over his multiple desks, many syringes laid out across the floor--most still had chemicals in them. Watching your step, you made your way to his main workplace, the mess being no different from the rest of the lab. Unlabeled papers of research and crumpled up papers laid sprawled out on his desk. The entire scene was extremely unusual of him--he was always so in order, so organized, sometimes he'd have panic attacks when things were out of order! And yet.. it looks like Dr. Flug made this mess of his lab himself. Sure, you hadn't been to his laboratory in a while, but how much could he have done to his space in that time? Saying the situation was confusing would be an understatement.

But out of everything in the room, one thing stood out to you the most. His closet--normally nice and organized.. it was now dirty, rustic, and one of the latches on the door was now broken. The atmosphere around it was.. intimidating, to say the least. The inside was extremely dark, with some of the darkness spilling out into the already dim laboratory. Hesitantly, you approached it, opening the unbroken door.

It looked somewhat like you suspected--heaps of clothes on the floor of the closet, instead of neatly hung up. Things were looking normal.. except for the blood on some of the clothes. Your mouth silently gaped open as to not draw much attention as you crouched down to inspect the clothes. Horrified, you found many more pieces of clothing with blood. Actually the whole pile. And it wasn't looking like it was his blood--no, it wasn't seeped into the clothes from the inside. It was splattered on, it was somebody else's.

You took a few shaky steps back. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Flug wouldn't.. kill people, right? Part of you was open to the idea--he was a villain, after all. But he never went out of his way to kill..

You looked down at your now bloody palms. He wouldn't kill anyone in this fashion, either. ..Would he? Was he really that.. gruesome of a person? And you had no idea..?

While caught up and reeling in your own thoughts, you lacked the attention to notice Dr. Flug approaching you.

The last thing you remembered was blacking out.

Dr. Flug never intended for you to find out about any of this. The mess of his mental state, the mess of his lab, and the mess he's been making of.. other people. Maybe he could develop a mind erasing serum? Or.. would that be too easy? Perhaps he could just manipulate you into believing it was all a dream.. Either way, he was glad that chloroform-laced cloth came in handy after all.

So, as far as he knew, you would definitely not be supportive of what he was doing. He was doing all this for a misunderstanding in his eyes. You're always full of surprises, though. That's what he loves about you.

When he found out that you were totally okay with his obsessive tendencies, perhaps even supportive, Flug was completely over the moon. If it was possible to fall even deeper in love than he already was, he definitely did at that moment.

Knowing this, he doesn't keep you to himself. Now that he knows how much you love him in return, he has no reason to not trust you! Things can finally start going back to normal.. if uh.. homocide and killing sprees count as "normal" to you.

He's either smothering you with attention or as shy as a mouse. There's two sides of Dr. Flug that clash with each other when it comes to you. He wants to be forward with you--confident, mainly. But when he does, he backs out, becoming immediately flustered. Honestly, when the idea of you enjoying the idea of him killing for you settled into him.. he almost passed out. You really did make him the happiest scientist in the world.

The fact that you supported his actions just made him all the more confident about himself. Sometimes a bit upstuck. You thought what he was doing was righr, why shouldn't he? Whenever he killed someone, he no longer felt remorse. Instead, he felt excited to tell you what he did when he got home. And every time, you would give him the same praise and reassurance. Believe me, Flug is a sucker for praise.

Dr. Flug likes to brag to you about the horrible, awful things he's done. Sure, he loves praise, but actually recieving it makes him extremely flustered. Any "Good job" or "I'm proud of you" made him crumble on the inside. You were gonna be the death of him one of these days.

The two of you prefer to keep your relationship a secret for now and the forseeable future. After all, if Dr. Flug had got himself caught when murdering for you, you would be in trouble for just being associated with him. He wouldn't want that! Not in a million years. But of course, he would never let that happen.

Turns out, this seemed to be the best ending. I mean, who knows what would've happened if you denied him your love? Well, Flug would probably just develop a love potion of sorts. Either way, he's absolutely ecstatic things turned out this way. Despite the obviously very unhealthy relationship, the two of you were happy.. and that's all that mattered.

..Right?

[theperksofbeingstupid]

spiderbit fluff or fright DÍA CINCOOOO!!! for the prompt: family fluff, as always, inspired by johannis' fantastic wonderful amazing art

"Stop moving so much," Cellbit holds Richarlyson's face with both hands, squishing his cheeks and deforming his attempt at a pout.

Richarlyson glares at him, the intensity diminished by the fact his hair is falling in his face and his mooshroom hat is close to tipping over. He places a sign down on the vanity, scribbling furiously: pai it's been three hours.

"You're the one who wanted fake blood!" Cellbit complains. His hands are all stained now, his fingers painted the same shade of red as the hems of Richarlyson's lab coat.

Richarlyson merely giggles in response. It's fine, Cellbit can use the fake blood also, it fits with his costume.

The sun will start setting soon, but it's still light enough for Cellbit to see clearly as he smears fake blood around Richarlyson's mouth and the collar of her shirt. Roier is going to kill him for ruining these clothes. It's worth it for the face Richarlyson makes at him when she tastes the concoction.

"You're not supposed to eat it, Richas," laughs Cellbit.

Richarlyson replaces her sign with one reading: -_-

"Gatinho!" comes a yell from somewhere outside Cellbit and Roier's bedroom. The words echo and warp strangely in the halls of the Castelo.

"Tamo no banheiro!" he yells back.

Richarlyson wriggles free from Cellbit's grasp and he lets them go. They adjust their lab coat and peer over the counter at the mirror, repositioning their mooshroom had properly on their head.

"Alright, Richinhas, off you go," Cellbit wipes off his hands on a towel, pretending that he doesn't see his hands leaving streaks of red on the white cloth, "I have to get dressed."

The sun will be setting soon and he's just now changing out of his pyjamas. In Cellbit's defence, he's been finishing up Richarlyson and Pepito's costumes, as well as shooing Roier out of their closet to maintain the surprise.

The door to the bathroom creaks open and little footsteps march out. Cellbit keeps attempting to wipe down the counters. Luckily they opted for a dark marble so the stains aren't as noticeable.

Everyone on the island has come together to give the kids the best Halloween ever. And as much as Cellbit is a sucker for hosting activities for the kids, this also means that he's stressed out of his mind trying to rush them all out of the house and down to spawn to start their trick-or-treating route.

Cellbit doesn't even notice Roier has arrived in the bathroom until a pair of arms are wrapping around his waist and a chin is digging into his shoulder.

"¿Qué haces?" asks Roier.

Cellbit relaxes back into his husband's hold. "Limpando sua bagunça," he replies easily, smacking Roier with the damp towel in his hands.

"¡Oye! I'm so clean, you don't even know. Some people call me the cleanest person on the island. Limpoier."

Cellbit hums in agreement, "Hmm, I'm sure, guapito."

Roier manages to catch his wrist before Cellbit can smack him with the towel again, and uses it as leverage to spin him around so they're face to face.

"Olá," Cellbit whispers.

"Hola," Roier smiles at him, "Are you ready?"

Cellbit glances at the clock mounted on the far wall of their bedroom, visible through the open door of the bathroom. Oh shit, he's so late.

"Guapito!" he cries out, scrambling out of Roier's hold and slamming open the closet doors, "We're late!"

Roier meanders far too slowly behind him, following him into the bedroom. "It's 6:30 pm, gatinho."

"Yeah! We have to meet up at spawn in an hour and Pepito isn't even dressed," Cellbit stops suddenly, hanger in hand as he rummages through their clothes, "Puta que pariu, guapito."

Roier is leaning on the wall behind him, hands in his pockets and looking for all the world like there's nothing more he'd rather be doing, "Mhm?"

"The kids don't have their baskets," Cellbit drops the hanger, wood clattering loudly on the floor.

"Cellbo, Cellbo, gatinho," Roier is holding him tightly by the shoulders, shaking him with every word. "Calma. Pepito is in his costume, and Richas is helping him with his shoes," Cellbit brings his hands up to hold Roier's, "You bought the baskets last week from Tina, remember? She barked at you and said the only reason she wasn't charging you double is because she loves the kids."

Cellbit nods slowly, "And you barked back..."

"Exactly," Roier smiles at him and drops a kiss on his forehead. "Now go shower because you smell like shit, and I'll leave your costume on the bed.

"But-" Roier begins shooing him back into the bathroom, "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Gatinho tontinho," he starts tugging on Cellbit's shirt, "We're doing matching costumes. There's no way I'm letting you be a sexy vampire without me."

"Oh."

"¡Ahora báñate! En serio hueles a culo."

"Hey!"

[triassictriserratops]

Rebel Heraldry of the Mockingjay

I have this idea that The Mockingjay was a symbol of the rebellion and was likely used in the Capitol to denote undercover operatives long before Katniss came onto the scene. What we know: 1.) Mockingjays are an unintended byproduct of the Capitol through the mating of their lab created muttation, the Jabberjay, and the local Mockingbird. 2.) The Mockingjays mimic sounds and vocalizations (not words, but cadence and song, yes.) 3.) After Katniss is reaped, Madge Undersee gives Katniss a gold Mockingjay pin. We later find that this pin belonged to Maysilee Donner, Madge's aunt who was a fallen tribute in the 2nd Quarter Quell and a district partner and games ally to Haymitch Abernathy. 4.) Recycled background footage of the ruins of District 13 included a shot of a Mockingjay in the corner of the screen. 5.) After the war, Plutarch was appointed to Secretary of Communications. Meaning that he is in charge of televised programming. 6.) The rebellion/mentors used bread as a form of communication during the Quarter Quell. The District bread representing the day and the number of loaves representing the hours. 7.) Bonnie and Twill showed Katniss a wafer/cracker with the Mockingjay symbol stamped into it. Speculations I have made considering the above: 1. & 2.) The rebels used the mockingjay to send coded messages to each other through song. Songs like "The Hanging Tree" being a call to arms, a warning, or an echolocation tactic. Rue mentions using the mockingjays to signal to the workers that their shift is over. Peeta remembers hearing Mr. Everdeen sing to the mockingjays. Mrs. Everdeen was absolutely furious when she learned that Mr. Everdeen had been singing this song in front of their daughters. All of this leads me to believe that the mockingjays were co-opted by the rebellion to communicate with each other where they otherwise would have been unable to. There is plenty of evidence in human history of music being used as a code. So none of this seems unlikely. 3.) Madge, likely knowing SOME of the history of the mockingjay given her father's status as Mayor gives this pin as a sign to Haymitch. She's cashing in her chips for Katniss in the hopes that this message gets to whoever it needs to in order to help her. Madge places a HUGE importance on Katniss wearing the pin right away. Even going as far as pinning it to Katniss' dress herself. This makes me believe that The Mockingjay symbol didn't become important because of Katniss. It was ALREADY important, and Madge was COUNTING on that. Later we learn that Rue specifically trusted Katniss because of the pin. I wonder if in District 11 especially, the Mockingjay is connoted with trust, safety, freedom, and hope. This could be an interpretation passed down from the First Rebellion and the Dark Days that has loosely made it's way into Rue's generation as just a generic symbol of "good" 4. & 5.) During the Victor rescue mission of Peeta, Johanna, and Annie, we learn from Haymitch that undercover operatives within the Capitol will likely have their covers blown as a result. This tells me that there are likely significantly more people in the Capitol that were part of the Resistance than we are aware of. I believe that there were likely already people undercover within the airwaves that Plutarch eventually took over. I do not think that the continued use of the District 13 footage with the mockingjay was an accident or an error. I believe it was completely intentional and was a message to the right audience that District 13, and the Rebellion, was still active, if laying low. It is no coincidence that both Bonnie and Twill, and Lavinia and the boy she was with, were all likely heading to District 13. That was the intended purpose of the footage. A sign to all possible refugees that District 13 wasn't as "gone" as it was made out to be.

6. & 7.) I believe that the districts and the rebellion always used consumables, specifically bread, to send messages along with mockingjay calls. Katniss says in Catching Fire, "Real rebels don't put a secret symbol on something as durable as jewelry. They put it on a wafer of bread that can be eaten in a second if necessary." On bread they could print symbols, simple messages, use parts of the bread to denote date/time. Use the "lines" in the bread to create rudimentary location maps. I theorize that Katniss' parents generation had their own, low level rebellion. Enough to necessitate a harder life of non-rare whippings than what Katniss grew up experiencing. "Don't worry." says Haymitch. "Used to be a lot of whipping before Cray. She's the one we took them to." "So it's starting again?" she says. "Like before?" This next part is heavier speculation so take it with a large grain of salt. I think that some of the trades between the Baker and Mr. Everdeen could have been coded messages regarding secret meeting locations and times. The purpose of these visits could have been forwarned with the mockingjay song, as stated above. (leading to the memory of Peeta seeing him sing to the mockingjays outside of the bakery) As a trader, Mr. Everdeen could have easily been the conduit to pass the message along to multiple people without drawing overt suspicion. I have more thoughts about how the mine explosion that killed Katniss and Gale's fathers was likely intentional and a way to subdue the hints of uprising that had been brewing in District 12. But that's for another day.

[thewildsophia]

.For When I Don't Rember My Beloved. WordGirl//Dr. Two-Brains

Dr. Two-Brains/Steven Boxleitner x Reader

Word Count: 4130

"Read More" placed due to length

The henchmen Charlie and “Meatloaf” were the first to aid Dr. Two Brains in the cheese-centric havoc he rained over Fair City. Dr. Two Brains was a strange man, to say the least, but he was weird in an endearing way…ehh, kinda. But you must have thought so too since you were soon to join him, being recruited just a few days after them. 

It was strange really. One day you didn’t exist to them and the next Dr. Two Brains was strolling you into the lair stating that you would be his first in command and that they should report to you. Oh well, there's not much they can do otherwise.

At least you were nice enough. You didn’t yell and berate them like the doctor would — quite the opposite. You were kind and reasonable to them, never placing unattainable expectations on them. You were slow to anger, but they may catch you in a foul mood on a particularly awful day. Overall, you were very normal, very sane, and nothing like their boss which confused them so much about your sudden employment. Yet oddly enough you never told them your name, opting to have them address you as “Commander.” They’re not even sure they’ve heard Dr. Two Brains call you by your name either.

They figured the doctor valued you more than the actual henchmen since you were also a doctor yourself. You didn’t speak much about that fact, but the lab coat and PPE you always wore or at least had on hand clued them into the fact that you were probably an associate of his before his accident. When they asked you about what kind of doctor you were, you were very short in your response, only telling them you specialized in cellular biology and worked at the local hospital at one point.

They watched how you interacted with their boss and were shocked at your boldness towards him. You weren’t shy about voicing your concerns with his plans much to the boss’s dismay, frustrating him even more and forcing him to revise his plan twice, thrice, however many times until you were satisfied. Yet despite his irritation with your feedback, he always acted on what you said. In addition, you were the only one he let aid him in constructing his machinery. Your involvement would range from handing him tools to constructing parts of a larger machine depending on how complicated the schematic the doctor had drawn up, often time being tweaked by you before he began construction. You’d even talk to the boss about his health, pushing him to stay active even in small ways and to try and incorporate small items into his diet that weren’t just cheese. You’d even cook for the man!

To the henchmen, you seemed more like a friend to their boss rather than a worker, and they supposed that’s why you were his “First Commander” instead of another henchman. 

Yet Meatloaf couldn’t help but notice the longing looks you would shoot the doctor, an unreadable expression on your face. He listened to how you spoke firmly but gently to the boss, never once raising your voice no matter how belligerent and unreasonable he would become. Charlie saw the lingering touches you would brush against the doctor’s skin, not wanting to pull away yourself yet not having the heart to stand when the boss would inevitably push you away from him. He watched as you would care for him in small ways like organizing his tools or draping a blanket over him when he would pass out on the couch. They both figured you had feelings for their boss as strange as the man was. That would explain why you so willingly allowed yourself to be hired by their insane boss and why you did things that most certainly weren’t part of your job description.

Oh, how close yet so far they were from the truth with this idea in their mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You practically lived in the lair with Dr. Two Brains, so it was no surprise that you were there before Charlie or Meatloaf. What was surprising was that you were nowhere to be found when the two henchmen came in that morning. You’d usually be busying yourself with some minute task in the main part of the lair, yet today you were not there. 

Just a few minutes earlier, right before the two henchmen had arrived, you had been called over by Dr. Two Brains to help in his “office,” which was just a small back room that was mostly stable and had a partially functioning door on it. He said he wanted your input on his schematic for a ray that would turn gold into cheese. You didn’t go to him immediately, opting to finish what you were doing in the front of the lair before helping him. Your concentration drifted from that task when you heard the crashing of books and the scattering of papers coming from his office. 

You’re quick to sprint over to his office, calling out to him in worry all the way there.

“Doc?” You asked, rounding the corner of the hall, “You alright?” 

You peeked your head into his room to see it in complete disarray. Papers fluttered to the ground and the few reference books you had managed to steal get for him were scattered about without care. Your eyes were drawn to Two Brains in the corner, back against the wall, and head in his hands, his mouse brain pulsing.

He groaned as he tried to soothe his aching head, yet the pain would not let up. You slowly made your way over to him, tiptoeing over the scattered papers and open books. 

“I’m here, Doc,” You whispered, kneeling in front of him and placing a hand on his knee. If he knew you were there, he didn’t acknowledge you. His hands gripped his head harder with strands of his white hair sticking to the rubber of his gloves and slipping between his fingers. He muttered something, but you couldn’t understand him.

You scooted even closer and placed your hands on his own before gently pulling his fingers out of his hair, though they would not leave his head. You rubbed his hands through his gloves and softly spoke to him,

“I’m right here for you, Doctor. Just tell me what’s wrong and I’ll help you.”

Dr. Two Brains’ muttering stopped and his movements stilled. His hands gently gripped your own and slowly he let you pull his hands away from his face where you placed them on his knees.

His eyes were irritated and red-rimmed, much more than usual, and tears were caught in his whiskers on their way down his lithe face. His cheeks were flush, most likely from crying so hard and unable to breathe properly. He licked his lips and inhaled a shuddering breath before trying to speak again. He was unable to through his raw throat.

“It’s okay,” You whispered, rubbing your fingers comfortingly on his hands, “Just breathe.”

His dark eyes looked into your own E/C ones and for a moment you saw recognition in them. 

“Y/N?” Dr. Two Brains questioned, and it felt as if the breath was forced from your lungs. 

Eyes blown wide you’re silent for a moment, unable to force even a breath from your body. Your hands grip him harder and you feel your eyes burn from unseen tears and your face warm. Your bottom lip trembled but you forced your jaw to unclench and answered unsure,

“Steven?” And he hummed in response.

Dr. Two Brains, Steven, looked around the room and sniffed before looking back at you. 

“What’s…going on? Where are we?” Steven asked, but you were still unable to say anything in response. In an instance, you moved his knees aside and fell into his chest, wrapping your arms tightly around his torso. He groaned from the hard impact, but quickly wrapped his own arms around you and rested his chin on your head with a chuckle. 

“What’s wrong, Darling? Why are…” Steven’s question trails off as he wipes the tears off his cheek, “We both crying?” 

You wanted to answer him, but you couldn’t force a single word from your mouth, opting to press your face harder into his chest and hug him tighter. You breathed in his scent, laced with some cheddar cheese but still him, before pulling away to look at him and God…

How long has it been since he’s looked at you like this? 

Eyes soft but still that rodent red, he gazed at you with so much love you felt as if you could just die of love for him. 

You steadied your breath and brought a hand up to cup his cheek, wiping away any remnant of his tears before answering him.

“Nothing's wrong,” You sighed, hands never once leaving his body, “I’ve just missed you so.”

Steven chuckles before kissing your cheek and you shuttered at the strange yet familiar sensation. He pulled you in closer to him, moving you to straddle his thigh that was outstretched in front of him, and pressed his cheek against yours in a movement that you hadn’t felt in so long yet remembered so well. His whiskers tickled your cheek the same way his stubble used to.

“You’re such a sweetheart. I’ve been in my lab the whole time, haven’t I?” Steven chuckled, “Where have I been to you?”

You tilted your head to kiss his cheek, not minding the gentle prodigy of his whiskers.

“I know where you’ve been,” You quickly answered, “I’ve just been busy in my own lab at the hospital.” You lied. You didn’t want to risk reminding him of who he had become. 

“The long hours, plus the strange times I have to work, have completely taken me away from you. I just miss being in your company,” You whispered.

Steven shifted you in his lap, pulling back and cupping your face with both his hands and the rubber of his gloves cooled your flushed cheeks. He peppered your face with light and innocent kisses; from your cheeks, your forehead, your nose, the space between your eyebrows, and finally one last kiss to your lips. You hummed into the kiss, one hand gripping his arm and the other trailing up to brush a few strands of hair out of his face. Eyes closed, he wiped the last of your tears from your face. 

Pulling back, Steven rested his forehead against yours and sighed.

“How did I manage to end up with such a loving spouse like you, hmm?” He questioned, eyes soft and unfocused as he looked at you with complete adoration. Your hands fall to his shoulders and you squeeze them, never wanting to let go of him again.

“No, it’s me who is lucky to have ended up with you, my beloved,” You answered in a hushed tone. You pressed your lips to his in a chaste, sweet kiss, savoring the feeling of his soft yet chapped lips against your own. 

The feeling of his body against your own was one you hadn’t felt in so long, yet it was all too familiar at the same time. Hesitantly you pulled away from him and immediately felt another wave of tears build up behind your eyes. You leaned forward and pressed your face into his neck with arms wrapped around his chest tighter than before. You tilted your face to speak into his neck,

“Please don’t leave me,” You whispered, voice small from the unshed tears that burned your face, “Not again. Not ever.” 

“Ohh, sweetheart…What has gotten into you?” Steven questioned, arms wrapped around your shaking frame, “I’d never leave you. Not now, not ever.”

You tried to wipe the tears that fell from your eyes not wanting to soil Steven’s lab coat, but you knew he never minded. He always said that he could just wash it.

Steven’s hands are gentle as they caress your body, careful not to snag his gloves on your clothes or pull your hair too hard. His touches soon falter before he pushes you away from him slightly and for a moment you’re worried that he would push you off of him altogether. 

With his hands on your shoulders and eyebrows furrowed, Steven finally takes a good look at you, his eyes trailing from your head to your feet, then back up to your face.

“Are you alright?” He asked, voice laced with worry, “You look so much thinner than I remember.” He commented. You tried to shrug off his concern, but he persisted. 

“And your eyes,” Steven began while tracing your under-eye with his thumb, “You’ve got terrible eye bags. Not that you look bad! You just seem…tired. More than usual.”

You placed your hand over top of his on your face and smiled softly, yet you knew you had to come up with a lie.

“If I’m honest, I haven’t been sleeping well lately,” You started, eyes drifting away from his own, “The long hours I’ve been putting in have made it difficult for me to rest at night. And being away from you hasn’t helped.”

You shifted under his gaze uncomfortable at the probing but still managed to finish.

“But I feel much better now that I’m with you,” You smiled, meeting his eyes again, but a frown had etched itself on his face.

“Y/N, please don’t lie to me,” Steven whispered, and you cursed yourself for having been caught, “What’s troubling you so much? Where have I been?” 

You frown yourself, gripping him harder and sniffling. You pulled his hand off your face and rested it in his lap, rubbing the tops of his hands with your thumbs. 

“You’ve just…been away,” You mutter, tears brimming in your eyes, “Away from me. I’ve missed you.”

“But where have I been?” Steven asked again.

“I-I don’t know. You’ve been here, but you just haven’t been yourself,” You answered while using your shoulder to wipe your face, “But you’re here now. You’re yourself now! I just want to stay with you…”

Steven pulled his hands from his lap and held your waist, kissing your cheek and shushing your sobs.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered against your skin, “I won’t leave you. I promise.”

You hugged him, arms wrapping your arms around his back and hooking them over his shoulders, and rested your head on his shoulder. His hands on your waist rubbed you gently and soothed the tension you hadn’t realized had settled there. You exhaled a shuddering breath before speaking up,

“I love you, Steven,” You sighed. He holds you tighter.

“I love you too, Y/N,” Steven responded.

Your right-hand falls from where it was resting and trails down his left arm to his hand. There was still something you needed to know. Slowly, Steven lets you pull the glove off his hand and it falls to the floor.

You feel a sob bubble up your throat as your eyes lay on the simple gold band nestled on his slender ring finger. You can’t help but caress the ring, relieved that he still wore it even when he wasn’t Steven. Shakily, you lifted his hand to your face and kissed his knuckles. Pulling away, you lace your fingers together and smile at him, a smile that he returns. 

Steven’s grasp on your hand falters before his arm falls limp. He looks around the room with furrowed eyebrows and gears turning in his head. 

“Why am I on the floor?” Steven asked, voice hoarse and not the same tone he had been speaking to you with. He shifted back from you and you in turn moved away from him.

“Please, just stay a little longer,” You thought, but you knew your plea would not be answered.

“And why are you sitting on me?” Steven, no, Dr. Two Brains asked, and you’re quick to pull away altogether. The doctor rubs his hand subconsciously and quickly notices his left glove is missing. He looks around panicked before finding it on the floor and swiftly pulling it on his hand and over his elbow. He rubs where his ring is under the glove and glares at you.

“What’s going on here?” Dr. Two Brains asks again, yet you couldn’t come up with a lie quick enough, “Answer me, Commander!”

“I-You fell!” You exclaimed, moving to kneel in front of him, “You fell after you called me to look at your schematics. I was just making sure you didn’t hit your head too hard is all…” Your voice trailed off as determination seemed to die down in your throat. 

Dr. Two Brains glares at you for a moment longer before his face softens, but it’s clear his suspicion remains.

“Right…” He draws out while swatting your outstretched hand away and lifting himself to his feet, “Did you look at the schematics yet?” 

“No, not yet,” You answered, dusting the dirt off your pants and fixing your coat. 

“What am I paying you for then?” Dr. Two Brains groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut. He opened them a moment later, sighing and looking over to the door of his office.

“And why are you guys just standing around?!” The doctor shouted, drawing your attention to the two henchmen standing in the doorframe. 

“Just how long had they been standing there?”

From the look they gave you, it was clear they had been there long enough.

“Sorry, Boss. We’ll get right back to work,” Meatloaf said before motioning for Charlie to follow him. They glanced at you one last time before disappearing somewhere in the lair. 

Dr. Two Brains turned back to you and just as he opened his mouth to say something he cut himself off, unsure.

“Are you crying?” Dr. Two Brains asked. 

“Were you crying?” You thought as your eyelids fluttered and you tapped your undereye with your fingertip, immediately noting the moisture there. 

“Uh-” You stutter, unsure of how to answer him. You felt that an affirmative ‘yes’ would make things more awkward than it already was.

“Oh, geez. I didn’t think I was that harsh,” Dr. Two Brains said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Was I?” 

“No-” You clear your throat while trying to quickly dispel the discomfort that had gathered between you two, “It’s nothing. Just…allergies!” 

You scrubbed the tears from your eyes roughly and stood up straight, yet Dr. Two Brains was still cautious.

“Um, alright,” He muttered, “Just look over the schematics when you can.” He gestured to his desk before sitting down himself. You’re quick to pick up the offending schematics and scurry out of his office with a teary-eyed smile.

His gaze lingers on you a moment longer than it should have, his hand subconsciously coming up to caress the golden band on his left hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You found yourself on the upper side of the lair on a “balcony” of sorts, schematics long discarded on a table in the main room. You’d look later. You pull the cigarette from your lips in your left hand, exhaling that smoke in one big sigh. 

Bad habit, you know. But sometimes you just want to forget the same way he does.

You hear footsteps approaching you on your left and aren’t surprised to see Charlie and Meatloaf peering up at you, unsure if they were allowed up there with you. With a sigh, you motioned for them to join you. They climb up and rest on the railing on either side of you. Meatloaf clears his throat as you take another drag from your cigarette.

“Sooo…” Meatloaf begins, dragging out his single word.

“Sooo…” You copy, not looking over at him.

“You and the Boss are a thing?” He asked, looking at your face for an answer. You frown and drop your cigarette on the ground, stomping out the few burning embers. 

“Do you two know my name?” You ask, fingers playing with your glove on your left hand.

“No, the Boss just calls you our commander. He never told us your name,” Meatloaf explains. Your eyes remain down as you take a step back from the railing and pull off your glove. You hold up your left hand for them to see the gold band that rests on your ring finger.

“I’m Dr. Y/N Boxleitner,” You said, dropping your hand back down to your waist and placing your glove back on, “Steven is my husband.”

Charlie’s mouth is agape as Meatloaf stutters out a few incoherent words before taking a deep breath and trying again.

“You’re Dr. Two Brains’ spouse?! I had no idea he was married!” Meatloaf exclaimed, and you chuckled bitterly.

“Yeah, he seems to forget that too,” Meatloaf is silent and Charlie places a hand on your shoulder, forcing you to look up at them.

“We noticed…” Meatloaf whispered, trying his best to be comforting. Meatloaf rubbed your other shoulder and looked over to you in concern. 

“We’re sorry about what you have to go through. While Charlie and me don’t know much, we can’t imagine how hard it is for you,” Charlie shook his head affirmatively as Meatloaf spoke. You place your hands on theirs and sighed.

“Thanks…” You muttered out quietly, “It really is hard. After the accident, I thought Steven was dead until I saw the news broadcast about him.” Charlie and Meatloaf nod as you continue.

“In a way, he sort of is. He doesn’t even remember me most of the time,” You lean forward and press your face into your hands, elbows resting on the guardrail, “Everytime he forgets…It’s like losing him over and over again.” 

The tears finally fell freely down your face and the two henchmen looked at each other panicking, not knowing what to do to comfort you. They let you cry while rubbing your back and Charlie offered you a tissue when most of your crying was done.

“Thank you…” You sniffled before wiping your face and blowing your nose.

“Does the Boss really not recognize you?” Meatloaf asked hesitantly. You shook your head.

“Most times, no,” You answered, shoulders slumped and legs tired, “But I took that vow, ‘In sickness and in health.’ How funny…”

The henchmen are silent.

“I mean, really. What horrible act did I commit to deserve this outcome?” The tears were back with a vengeance and you rubbed your eyes extra hard to rid yourself of them, ignoring the sharp sting of your lab coat rubbing your delicate skin so rough, “It’s n-not fair. I’ve don’t nothing but love Steven with all my heart, and when he looks at me-”

You cut yourself off with a sharp inhale, suddenly unable to breath properly.

“He doesn’t even remember me!” You shouted, banging your fists on the railing and noting the small dents in the metal, “It hurts…More than anything, it hurts so bad.”

The henchmen stayed with you for the rest of the night, even helping you cook dinner and having a small sleepover that Dr. Two Brains wasn’t a part of. You looked absolutely tired when the three of you sat down to watch a movie and you ended up only making it half way through it before you were out like a light. The two covered you with a discarded, mostly clean towel that was lying around -- it was the closest to a proper blanket -- before leaving the lair for the night. Charlie glanced at your sleeping form one last time, sympathy for you overflowing, before Meatloaf called him over to the truck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Less than an hour later, Dr. Two Brains made his way into the main part of the lair, finding you passed out on the couch. As he approached, he pulled the towel off of you with a disgusted sneer and immediately noted the smell of cigarettes on you. It was faint even for the mouse nose, but it was definitely cigarettes he was smelling.

Dr. Two Brains grumbled to himself about forcing you to quit while grabbing a proper blanket and pillow from the storage area of the lair. He came back and covered your now shivering body with the thick comforter. There were a few holes in it and it smelled a little funky, but it was better than the damn towel that’s for sure. 

Ever so gently, Dr. Two Brains lifts your head and squeezes the pillow underneath it before dropping you back down. He watched you turn your head in your sleep and sigh. 

The Doctor felt odd as he stared at your face, subconsciously tucking a loose strand of hair out of the way. 

But the longer he looked at you the more you reminded him of his own spouse...

He always did wonder where they went after his accident.

[tanoraqui]

marriage of convenience + gothic for el/orion, please!

[give me 1-3 tropes + 2-3 characters!]

(the gothicness comes from the whole environment of the school ok)

War came to the Scholomance the year Galadriel Higgins and Orion Lake were Inducted. Oh, it took a while to warm up—everyone had to get settled into their torments of classwork and survival. But there were two new monsters in the school, each worse than Patience and Fortitude combined, from diametrically opposed worlds with diametrically opposed destinies. War was inevitable.

By their junior year, the bloody conflict had settled, and the battlegrounds mostly returned to neutral territory. The defensive spell that blocked all but Enclavers from entering the alchemy lab was fully taken down, the petrification traps that activated only against Enclavers were removed from the library stacks. All cafeteria doors were left unguarded except, of course, against maleficaria.

There were so many maleficaria, and they were so hungry. Despite the active war broken out between the haves and the have-nots, between Orion Lake’s ceaseless heroism and El Higgins’ savage determination to look after every person who turned to the Dark Queen for protection, more students were still alive than in any year on record, in every class.

They didn’t have mana or even malia to waste blockading each other from classrooms, study materials and food anymore.

So the righteous, noble students of the Enclaves, led by their silver-haired hero with his shining sword (wrong, he was so wrong inside, twisted and hungry; couldn’t they see past their own greed) and the stubborn, righteous students of the exiles, led by their destined destroyer of worlds (who never once cheated for power, not once; all the great and terrible spells she cast to keep them safe were with power given freely)—briefly, for the first time, they not just called a truce but actually allied, to fix the mechanism, burn the school, and set the graduating class free.

The next year started… Well. They had energy to spare again. But they’d worked together. (Orion had saved dozens of her people, maybe hundreds by now, just as easily as he saved his own, and never demanded anything for it. El’s mother’s message scrolled before her eyes, but she wondered…) (El was so rude to him, all the time. When he’d saved her life, when he’d tried to kill her once or twice—she was never scared, she was never admiring, she was just rude. Like people were rude to…other people. Never to Orion, before.)

Magnus said they should attack while the witch-queen was recovering from the battle in the graduation hall and busy trying to recruit as many freshmen as possible. Liu grimaced and said they should attack while the Enclavers were recovering from the battle in the graduation hall and settling in their excess number of freshmen (the graduating seniors has told their parents what was happening in the school, and some had reacted fast enough to cut local non-Enclavers from Induction.)

Liesel said, “El, if you really don’t want this conflict to spill over into the rest of the world, we have to stop it in here, decisively. You’ve heard what the freshmen are saying—Shanghai is halfway to co-opting the movement, if they don’t flip and side with the Western enclaves instead. An unknown malificer destroyed Bangkok, and people are dying in the hunt for them… The second you and Orion graduate, it’s going to be war out there, one way or another.”

“What do you suggest?” El snapped. “Other than killing him. I’m not killing him, I’m not killing anyone.”

“I know you’re not,” Liesel said, which what she, personally, felt was infinite patience. “I think you and Lake should get publicly married—or, technically, engaged, since as far as I’m aware, nobody in here is an accredited justice of the peace.”

[aphrodisiac-siren]

Ettore X Fem!Reader

Summary: A deadly virus has begun spreading, a disease attacks the brain and causes victims to lose their humanity, rendering them violent and insane creatures. You were chosen, along with a bunch of others, to help find a cure for the same. Along your journey at the organisation, you meet a certain someone who is as daunting as he is captivating.

Warnings: swearing.

!! Read chapter 6 first !!

Masterlist

<<Previous Chapter

Alternate Ending 2~ You chose 'b. Call it quits for now"

To say Ettore was beyond confused would be an understatement.

It absolutely crushed your heart and soul but you knew it was for the best. The punishments here were rather brutal and were only used to discipline rogue and uncooperative subjects. You had witnessed one of these 'procedures' and gods have mercy, it was a sight that left you feeling both sorry and afraid in equal measure.

You did not want Ettore going through any of that.

He at first thought he'd done something wrong. He pried for an answer even after you'd told him it had nothing to do with him.

"Is it because of my past? Or perhaps you've found another chap, someone who doesn’t get into fights almost every single day?"

You tried to explain to him, that you just couldn’t afford to continue with something so risky and that this decision was just as beneficial for him. You both would still talk whenever you had any sessions together but beyond that, all of your scandalous endeavours had to come to a halt. You took back your access card as well and Ettore was rather annoyed about it.

So annoyed that he barely even smiled at you in the cafeteria, and made minimal to almost no conversation in the labs.

He blamed himself mostly, for being stupid enough to fall for you and to further hope you'd fall for him as-well.

As time went on, you were sent to Denver and even though the news scared you at first you were assured that you were being sent to work alongside the doctors. You missed Ettore terribly and your darling Aris. You did manage to make two new friends who worked alongside you and were the same age as yourself- Thomas and Teresa, both of them working here for three years now.

Your job was to record the subjects' activity in the maze, sometimes even help with the operations that involved installing little chips in the back of subjects' necks that would help track their brain activity. You weren’t very fond of the excessive blood at first, but eventually, you got used to the sight. You never really had to perform the surgery, just assist them with retrieving tools they would need.

You had worked at the new place for almost two years now. You thought of Ettore a lot, almost every day. You wondered what he would be upto; if he still was notorious for getting into constant fights. You wondered if someone cared enough for him, the way you did, to tend to his injuries after the fights. You wondered what he looked like now, was he taller? More intimidating?

These would be the times when you desperately wished you were allowed to make phone calls. You would be happy to even opt for the old-fashioned letter writing as well, just something that would let you know he was okay.

Yet all you could do was think of him and only hope that he still thought of you as well.

~

You smoothed out your dress, looking in the mirror in the hallway for the millionth time that evening.

"You look fine, Y/N" Teresa gently nudged you with her elbow, offering you a warm smile "a literal goddess"

You rolled your eyes at her exaggerative compliment and burst into a fit of giggles. It was nice having a girl for a friend after years of only having a boy to fill in for the job. There were other girls who were elites back at the previous establishment but none of them seemed to get close enough to you to be called your friend.

"Never thought we'd be here" Thomas interrupted you "it's been years since we first arrived at W.I.C.K.E.D."

"I know" you hummed a sigh, a small smile appearing on your lips "I had almost given up hope, yet here we are"

"Four years later, at this grand party which celebrates the discovery of a cure" Teresa beamed, linking her arm with yours "so many people's lives are going to be saved. The flare will finally be controlled and eventually terminated"

"I would like you to put your hands together and applaud our doctors and group of elites who we couldn’t have done this without"

You heard Ava's voice boom over the mic just as the doors opened to make your entrance dramatic. You walked in along with the doctors, scientists and a few other elites who worked at the Denver establishment.

You were welcomed into the large hall, walls covered with mirrored gold tiles and ceiling decorated with glass chandeliers, with loud cheers and claps. You walked with the others up onto the stage, the floor made of black marble.

You found it a bit upsetting that she was giving major credit to you lot instead of the many subjects who had died in some of the trials, thus quite literally giving up their lives in the search for a cure.

As Ava continued to congratulate and thank all of you, your eyes began to scan the large hall, looking for those familiar blue eyes.

"Looking for him, are we?" Teresa whispered playfully into your ear. Over the years, the both of you had gotten quite close; close enough for you to tell her about yourself and Ettore.

"I don’t even know if he's here" you mumbled, heart beating with anticipation "I haven’t seen or heard of him in years"

"He will be, he wasn’t part of the maze trials" Teresa tried to remind you that there was almost no chance he was among the ones who had sadly passed along the way.

When Ava's long speech finally came to an end, you walked off the stage toward the bar. You hadn’t touched alcohol in years and you felt that you had finally earned yourself a pass to drowning in a few drinks. On your way there, you ran into your old friend who you didn’t recognise at first but then immediately smiled once you realised who it was.

"Oh my god, Y/N look at you" Aris threw his arms around you, pulling you in for a tight hug "You look absolutely stunning"

"Me? Look at you!" you pulled away to compliment him. His arms were a lot more buff than before and you could tell by the outline of his physique that he had been making use of the gym all those years you'd been away.

"You call this a fuckin' whiskey neat? Mate, I can tell its got fuckin' water mixed in this"

Your eyes widened just a bit. You would recognise that voice anywhere.

Aris too seemed to notice and threw you a smirk, excusing himself to let you go and make conversation.

You took a deep breath and exhaled slowly when your eyes landed on him. He was taller and his dusty blonde hair was a bit longer. He was clad in black from his black dress shirt and tie to his leather shoes- typical, daunting as ever. His jawline was sharp, neck tattoo right under it, peeking out from beneath the collar of his shirt. His lips were just as kissable and his demeanour was still intimidating.

When at last he took notice of you, his pretty eyes meeting yours, It was as if time had stopped.

You saw his lips part ever so slightly as he stood there frozen, probably contemplating like yourself if this was a dream. He left his glass full of whiskey at the bar, eyes not leaving yours even for a second as he pushed past a few people to walk toward you.

"Hi" you breathed out once he was standing right in front of you. He smelled of cigarettes and whiskey, which meant he had already had a drink before you found him.

"Hi" he said in response, suddenly forgetting how to speak.

He was truly at a loss for words and it didn’t help that you were dressed up in a glamorous gown with your hair and make up all done. Ettore knew he'd always found you attractive and now with you all glammed up, he found it surprising that you could get even more beautiful.

"You’re looking pretty" he said gruffly and you almost giggled at how rigid he was. You were rather used to his cocky persona.

"And you’re looking handsome" you took a minute to admire him from head to toe, eyeing him shamelessly. God, you had really scored with Ettore, he had grown into a handsome young man in the years you'd been apart "I missed you"

"You’re the one who ended things" he said almost immediately but then quickly cleared his throat, not wanting to start something as soon as he was reunited with you "I.. I liked you and you-"

"You know why I had to. I liked you too, but we didn’t have a chance back then" you sadly told him, gingerly reaching out to grab his hand as your heart started to beat even faster upon hearing him confess he had a crush on you "but there wasn’t a single day when I didn’t think of you"

Ettore just stayed silent, now looking at your intertwined hands.

"Did you.." you hesitantly proceeded to ask "did you think of me too?"

Again, he didn’t say anything. He just simply reached into his pocket and retrieved something that he held up in the palm of his hand to show you. It took a minute for you to recognise what it was: an old, crinkled-up wrapper of the jolly rancher that you'd given him on the night when you both had first kissed. You looked up and saw that he had broken into a sheepish grin that you found absolutely adorable.

He pocketed the wrapper again, taking a step closer before he hooked a finger under your chin to make you look up at him.

"I missed you too Y/N" he softly told you "more than you could ever know"

This time it was your turn to break into a smile.

"Friends?" you playfully asked, quoting him from years ago.

"I think I've waited long enough to become someone more than just a friend" he graced you with that familiar cocky grin of his just before he dipped down to capture your lips with his in a sweet kiss "now that we're just Ettore and Y/N, can I take you out?"

You bit your lip to keep yourself from smiling as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss right as you mumbled a 'yes'.

Alternative Ending 2: You and Ettore finally get into a relationship after going on multiple dates (not secretive this time) and Ettore has never been happier, to at last finally have found someone he can love and call his.

[autobot2001]

A Fun April Fool's Prank

Author: Autobot2001 Genre: Fanfiction Fandom: Transformers Rating: E Warning: None Pairing: None Description: Crosshairs has a great idea for April Fool's Day. Inspired by this art. @whumpril day 8: reckless

After learning what April Fool’s Day is, Crosshairs had to play a prank on Drift. He figured Sideswipe never told him about this day since Crosshairs and Drift were always in Jamie’s dimension around the beginning of April. He knows Sideswipe is planning jokes on everyone around the base. Crosshairs has one task on his mind. Using his bipedal form, Crosshairs walks down the hall to the Autobots’ science lab. He is looking for a simple desk chair and some rockets. He still finds it funny the scientists wanted to build a few Cybertronian-sized desk chairs like the humans have.

Once in the lab, Crosshairs finds a few of these chairs. He didn’t know the scientists added leather to the chairs like the humans’ desk chairs. He’s not sure if he’s taking a risk of destroying the chairs with his goal. The metal frame shouldn’t melt should the leather end up on fire. He finds the rockets he needs. He found the rockets quickly, which made him concerned about the lack of security for them. Even if he needs them for his prank.

Crosshairs was aware that the process of attaching rockets to the chair and setting up a switch would be time-consuming. He started this project at ten. Getting a message from Drift has him realize the time. Drift: I’m giving in to Jamie’s desire for McDonald’s for lunch. Crosshairs sees a perfect opportunity for the prank. Crosshairs: I’ll get it. Drift: ok. Crosshairs smiles, knowing there’s an easy way to get the chair to the hangar and he can hide it until he gets back.

After hiding the chair, Crosshairs opts to drive to McDonald’s instead of walking. He transforms, activates his holoform, and drives out of the hangar.

Crosshairs knew the trip would take twenty minutes due to it being noon.

Once back in the hangar, he placed the McDonald’s bag and drink tray in his subspace that’ll keep the food warm and the drinks cold and not tip over. He deactivates his holoform, transforms, and messages Drift to come to the hangar. He quickly gets the chair. “Why’d you want me to come here?” “You think we could bring this chair to Jamie’s dimension?” Crosshairs didn’t think Drift would sit on the chair. Making it easier to do what he wants. He wheels the chair out of the hangar. “Crosshairs, what are you doing?” Drift asks. Crosshairs pushes the chair, jumps on the back of the chair, and activates the rocket, “Crosshairs!”

The chair speeds down the hall. Drift is relieved traffic in the hallway is non-existent. Most are already in the cafeteria. “Get out of the way!” Drift yells to the few in the hallway. Those observing the events inform Prowl and Optimus.

Optimus sees what’s going on. He stands in the hallway by the wall along with Prowl, Lightning’s holoform, and Jamie. “Crosshairs! Wall!” Crosshairs only laughs. Optimus, Prowl, and Lightning didn’t think Jamie would laugh seeing her two guardians on a chair with a rocket attached speeding down the hallway. She stops as the two mechs crash into the wall. The crash damages the rocket and chair. “Are you two ok?” Lightning asks. “I think so,” Crosshairs replies. Drift ended up with a nosebleed. Energon oozing out of his nose. “What the frag was that?!” He yells. “Crosshairs what you did was reckless,” Optimus scolds, leaving out how Jamie was laughing, “overnight in the brig should be punishment enough.” Prowl takes Crosshairs to the brig, while Drift goes to the medbay for his nose. Uncertain if he damaged it that requires repairs. Lightning and Jamie go with him.

While Jamie and Lightning wait for Drift, Prowl’s holoform walks into the medbay. “Here, the lunch Crosshairs got,” he says, handing the bag and drink tray to Lightning, “you can tell Drift that Jamie found the rocket chair funny, but we’re not sure if we should tell Crosshairs.” “Crosshairs is not like Sideswipe. He won’t do this again, regardless of Jamie’s laughter.” “I’ll let you and Drift decide.” Prowl leaves the room.

Drift walks out of the medbay ten minutes later. His nose did need repairs. He goes to the hangar, transforms and activates his holoform. His holoform nose is undamaged. Which is a relief to Drift that the damage to his bipedal form didn’t happen to his holoform. He goes to his room with Lightning and Jamie.

Later that night, Lightning tells Drift Jamie was laughing at the scene and Prowl is leaving it up to them to decide to tell Crosshairs. Believing it’s a good idea. Drift agrees, understanding Crosshairs won’t make the same mistake, but they all want to hear Jamie laugh instead of seeing her depression.

[ahiddenpath]

Japan Trip 2023

I just returned from a two week trip to Japan! I'll be slowly releasing material about it- where I went, my experience, what I purchased, etc. For now, here are the broad strokes beneath the cut!

Itinerary

First we went to Tokyo and stayed in Toyosu, which is close to Odaiba. After that, we moved to a hotel near Shibuya, after which we moved to a hotel in Osaka. From Osaka, we commuted to Kyoto twice and Nara once.

I want to start by saying that I have never been on a vacation like this. It was physically demanding!

Highlights:

-Team Labs Planets in Toyosu

Team Labs is basically... A group sensory experience? I don't want to spoil it in case anyone wants to go, but basically, you and a bunch of strangers enter a series of rooms with sensory stuff going on. People of all ages are encouraged to play, truly play and engage. My husband and I were giggling the whole time. I've never done anything like it, and genuinely, it's making me want to have a serious deep think about what it means to engage and play, and how our senses are connected to that.

-Doing shrine activities that I have researched at Sensou ji

Shrines have featured in several of my fanfics, so I was so pumped to A.) Know what was going on, B.) Have a general idea of what to do, and C.) GET TO DO IT MYSELF!!! I showed my husband how to purify your mouth and hands with the sacred water. We both pulled our fortunes, and because we both got bad fortunes, we tied them to the rack and bowed and clapped our hands to dispel it (not sure if that last part is necessary, I just copied a Japanese person). The line to pray was long, and I was fretting over praying correctly... And then someone got tired of waiting and CHUCKED THEIR OFFERING MONEY OVER THE CROWD and into the giant offering bin. My husband said, "I maybe wouldn't worry so much," lol! I also bought some shrine charms!!!!!

-Wandering Odaiba

I was upset because our plane to Japan was delayed five hours, meaning I lost time in Odaiba... But I still hit some highlights! I really wanted to see the gazebo and Akemi Bridge, for example. I also saw the Rainbow Bridge, the Statue of Liberty replica, Fuji Station, Diver City, Aqua City, and Tokyo Big Site. I really wanted to check out the apartments where the Chosen live, like Odaiba Kaihin Koen, but there just wasn't time. I didn't really get a sense of the layout of the place, either :/

-Diver City and Gundam Base

I'm not particularly a Gundam fan, but the 1:1 Gundam outside of Diver City on Odaiba???? As if it existing wasn't cool enough, it LIGHTS UP does a SHOW??? According to Google, "It undergoes a transformation four times a day (at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm) into 'destroy mode'; light shows take place on the half-hour between 7pm and 9.30pm"

THE NIGHT SHOW WAS AMAZING! It plays music and projects visuals from Gundam Unicorn onto Diver City, all while the Gundam lights up and physically shifts between its two forms. And it does it all autonomously!

For scale, I am 5'8". I did not go up to its ankle.

-Tokyo Disney Sea

My husband and I love theme parks, and so does Japan! We were in Japan for two weeks, so we opted to only visit one park, the one that cannot be found anywhere else: Tokyo Disney Sea. This park is themed around exploration, and has rides found nowhere else, like Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It also has a truly kickass Little Mermaid section for wee kiddos.

I admit that, because we knew we may never come back, we did the bougie thing of paying to skip lines to experience the most popular rides. Our crowd level was 2/5, and still, the park was JAM PACKED. There were waits of 180 minutes for some rides, so this was the only way to see most (but still not all!) of what we hoped to see. If you're ever planning to go but don't have much time to dedicate to it, I would keep that in mind.

-Seeing Kabukicho and having the best alcohol of my life at Golden Gai

Kabukicho is the main setting of LAD (Like a Dragon), a popular video game series about the Yakuza. And I saw it with my own two eyeballs! We arrived at about 7 PM, way before the nightlife crowd, but that does mean I was able to peek around in peace and have table space at the microscopic bars in Golden Gai. I had the best alcoholic drink of my life, a dessert umeshu, at the Blue Dragon.

One thing to note about Kabukicho, if you ever plan to go. It's a red light district. Sex workers and barkers for sex workers line the streets (don't take your kids here!!!!). Automated messages play in English, warning tourists not to trust touts. Touts are apparently different from barkers. Barkers stand outside of their venue and say stuff like, "Come in and meet our girls," etc. Touts promise you free drinks and will half physically pull you into their establishment. There have been cases of them drugging those "free" drinks and then charging their victim thousands of dollars.

Kabukicho was the only place in Japan where I was nervous, safety wise. Just keep walking if someone tries to get you to go somewhere.

-Nakano Broadway

Nakano Broadway is a giant ass nerd mall in Nakano, a special ward west of Shinjuku, that is mostly owned or rented by Mandarake. Mandarake is a chain of second hand stores for nerd shit (anime merch, collectibles, vintage toys, ball jointed dolls, idol merch, etc). I found most of my digimon stuff here. There are a ton of Mandarakes spread throughout Japan, but the others that I visited were mostly too crowded, packed, and hot for me to browse.

Nakano was like a dream. Most of the stores I wanted to visit were several train rides apart, and each station had several flights of stairs and little to no AC. Nakano had dozens of cool stores in THE SAME WELL AIR CONDITIONED BUILDING, with two bathrooms per floor. The opportunity to hang out for hours in a single comfortable place was enough to make me cry in gratitude. I'm not kidding. This is not hyperbole.

Now, as a warning, it helps to be able to read Japanese in these stores. Most directional signs in Japan are written in Japanese and English, but store directories and labels often are Japanese only. My husband can read well and speak decently, so he was able to navigate stores and read the organizational labels on the jam packed shelves.

Nakano Broadway is also a main setting for Digimon Cyber Sleuth!

-Konansou Ryokan at Kawaguchi

So we wanted to book a ryokan, or traditional inn, at Hakone, home of some of the most luxurious inns around. Unfortunately, you need to book those at least three months in advance to get a room, so we ended up in Kawaguchi, a popular getaway for Tokyo folks located near Mt. Fuji, which is called Fuji-san in Japan.

This is easily the most luxurious thing I have experienced in my entire life.

The room was a gorgeous suite with a HUGE outdoor bath facing Mt. Fuji. It had a genkan and an entry with sliding doors to the living area, bedroom, and bath area. The floors were tatami, and guests were provided with yukatas and a lounge set. The dinner was indescribably fancy, and was delivered straight to our room.

Our only regret is that we only spared one night for the ryokan. The time passed like blinking. I truly hope to stay in a ryokan again someday!

Also, Kawaguchi was my favorite area of Japan that we visited, for its beauty and relative calm, crowd wise. I am not a city person, so that tracks.

-Dotonbori

Look, Dotonbori was crowded AF, especially on Sunday. But it's a delight to the senses at night. LOOK AT THIS STUFF, ISN'T IT NEAT?!

Absolutely try to look up "walk with me" videos in Dotonbori at night. The signs! The lights! The competing street performers! The FOOD!

-Osaka Aquarium

I met two whale sharks! WHALE SHARK!!!! WHALE!!!! SHARK!!!!!

-Todai-ji Daibutsuden (Hall of the Giant Buddha) and Nara Deer in Nara

Nara was a daytrip for us, about 40 min away from Osaka in practice, but functionally longer, at least for us, lol. Okay so like- The giant Buddha? It was. GIANT. Like... house size. Like... utterly jaw dropping.

And the Nara deer were so cute! They were EVERYWHERE! They will bow if you show them a deer cracker/senbei. Just be careful and only offer it to a deer that is alone, and don't let them see the senbei before you are ready to interact with them. The deer can be aggressive, especially in colder months.

Interacting with them was truly some Disney princess shit, it's incredible. I also enjoyed walking around Nara a lot, it feels much more friendly to me than the cities. Also, this is where the most locals talked to me of their own volition, even though we were only there for a few hours. Like literally, in those few hours, more people approached me than almost two weeks combined in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.

-Ikebana classes at Kinse Inn in Kyoto

Yes, I took an ikebana class. Yes, it was mostly for Puits d'Amour. I had an absolutely lovely time, I enjoyed the hell out of it. The lessons were given by an American living with her Japanese husband, whose aunt welcomed her into her ikebana school. Learning her story and meeting her family was awesome, and I also loved hearing about how her husband re-opened the gorgeous inn (seriously, it's beautiful, check out the website) after it sat in disuse for a generation between her husband's grandparents and her husband.

I truly cannot express how much this experience meant to me. I am going to try ikebana at home, too! Check out this freestyle arrangement I made!

Is it good? No idea! Do I love it? YES!

-The entire final day in Kyoto (Fushimi Inari, Gion/Sannenzaka, Kiyomizu-dera)

OKAY RAPID FIRE!

Fushimi Inari is a Shinto Shrine! It features hundreds of red gates going up a hill (mountain?). It's some straight up Ghibli shit! It's magical! The way the trees surround and embrace the gates is stunning, I wish I had good pictures, but they are full of tourists (it was crowded). Definitely look it up on YT if you're interested! I've never seen anything like it and never will again! I also hung my ema, or wishing plaque, with the wishes of hundreds of other visitors, which is something I dreamed of doing. It was shaped like a fox head!

The Gion/Sannenzaka shopping area was gorgeous omg!!!

And of course, the famous Kiyomizu-dera shrine among the trees is beyond compare! I also had a group of young Japanese ladies in kimonos ask me to take their picture, which was so fun!!!! People rarely talked to me in Japan- I always forget how uncommonly friendly Americans are- so this made me so happy!

-The Food

Japan has incredible food! The ramen, okonomiyaki, and taiyaki were my faves. I also really enjoyed MOS Burger, it was way better than any fast food I've had in the states, which annoys me so much lol! It was piping hot and was made with real gouda cheese, not the gross yellow American cheese that tastes like plastic that all the fast food places use here. And the ryokan meal was an experience like no other.

The bad part is that I could barely eat in Japan, as I'll expand on below.

Rough Spots:

-The heat

Tokyo gets hot, and a lot of the old buildings simply don't have adequate AC. In fact, as I understand, central heating and cooling are kind of an American thing? Add the immense crowds and high lighting in stores, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Normally, in late September/early October, temps are historically in the low 70sF. It was 80-90F all but one day of this trip, with high humidity and sun. The good news: no rain and no typhoons (my BIL went a few weeks before us and lost a day and a half to a typhoon!). The bad news...

I have never sweat like that in my life. It rolled off my body and onto the pavement. On the 90F day, I took THREE showers, because I could tell my husband and I stank. I promise, this isn't normal for us, lol! I nearly fainted a few times, especially on the Akihabara day.

It's just, everywhere we went, we usually had to go to several train stations, all with a few flights of stairs and a lot of walking involved. We were walking at a brisk pace all day for two weeks, from 9 AM to 9 PM ish, in the blistering heat, with no real AC relief (except for Osaka. For some reason, the AC seemed to work better in Osaka? Maybe it's just comparatively less crowded than Tokyo?). And like- god almighty, standing on those packed trains with your face in some stranger's armpit, with a stranger's face in YOUR armpit...!

Most days, we were only able to eat one meal, and even then, we were forcing ourselves to do it because... You know... Humans need food. I would be shocked if I didn't shed weight this trip. Something about being that hot made us unable to eat.

-The crowds

I have a low stimulus threshold, and the press of all three cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto), but Tokyo most of all, was absolutely bonkers unbelievable holy shit. If you make a wrong move, which is common for tourists in the subways, you're going to cause a collision. There were whole areas of Tokyo where I could not see any of the stuff I came to see. I saw people smushed against windows in trains, with their palms adhered to the glass.

It was an actual nightmare. I don't know how else to say it.

-The laundry fiasco

We had a two week trip. We took a week's worth of clothing each and chose a hotel with a washer/dryer for the mid point of the trip. Most Japanese people, as I understand, hang dry their clothing. The washer/dryer in the hotel was a combo unit that could not fit a whole load. We were also forced to use their auto detergent, and as I've mentioned, we were sweating like pigs in hell.

And the dryer didn't dry the clothes.

My husband spent FIVE HOURS trying to get space in the four machines to rerun our clothes. Some of our things were dried FIVE TIMES and STILL CAME OUT WET, and the detergent wasn't strong enough to handle our western sweat glands in "hey you might actually die" mode.

There's no nice way to put this: our clothes did not get cleaned, and we spent an entire evening on this. Worse yet, we did our clothes the day before shipping off our luggage to the next hotel, meaning we did not have extra nights to air them out.

My advice for anyone visiting Japan is to find a hotel with a nearby laundromat. The ones we passed had impressive-looking machines with separate washers and dryers, not that tiny combo disgrace.

I don't want to talk about this any more, lol!

-Akihabara

Akihabara is a nerd area of Tokyo, with a high concentration of anime/video games/ball jointed doll/entertainment merchandise. Anime characters line the buildings, anime music plays everywhere. This was one of the places I was most excited for. I brought my backpack to carry my inevitable purchases.

I bought four items, and three of those were from the spacious Volks doll store. Most of the stores were so packed with people and merchandise that I could not see a damned thing. The crowds, heat, humidity, lack of AC, and the harsh display lighting made the stores indescribably hot. This was the day I nearly passed out a few times. I ended up almost crying on the street by about 5 PM.

I should tell you that I loved the Radio Kaikan building, which had a ton of great stores in it, was big enough to almost accommodate the crowds, at least comparatively, and had proper AC somehow. I also liked the Eorzea Final Fantasy XIV cafe, although I needed my earplugs because of how loud it was.

Everything else? An actual level of hell. Denden town in Osaka was similar, but had proper AC and was large enough to actually see what you are shopping for. I am not exaggerating, you cannot turn around in the aisles at most Akihabara stores, and they are packed solid with shoppers.

-Japan hours

Don't ask me why, but most businesses in Japan don't open until 11 AM. Like literally, I'd be looking for coffee and have trouble finding it before that time. Even breakfast opens late??? Japanese stores are also off on random days, and often restaurants close in between meals, meaning if you don't eat at noon, you might not be able to find a full meal until 6 PM (although you can always get a snack at a conbini). We had to schedule our days around certain closures, etc.

This is fantastic for people who work with customers in Japan, everyone should have adequate time off. But damn it's hard to deal with as an American on a tight vacation schedule. In the states, most businesses are open every day from like 6 AM to 10 PM, or 10 AM to 8 PM at least. We missed out on a few things because of this.

-Other Tourists

Japan attracts a ton of tourists, and as I've mentioned, its cities are DENSE. Think of common obnoxious tourists. Now multiply their numbers by 1,000 at least. Now cram them into an already crowded local population.

It's bad. Real bad. I got bodily shoved aside so many times that I finally cracked and began shoving back. It was always tourists, at least judging by the languages they spoke.

-That one creep with the camera

So. There are a few signs in public transit showing a man sticking a phone under a lady's skirt saying basically, "Do not take unwanted photos."

So yeah. I saw a guy doing that. Absolutely repulsive. This isn't a Japan specific thing, of course, but they apparently know it's an issue.

-My own anxiety about fitting in at Japan

So, part of my problem with the heat is that I dressed, to the best of my ability, according to Japanese sensibilities, as informed by interviews with Japanese people I found on YT. And they were correct: Japanese women rarely show their legs, and even less so their bust and tush areas. They wear long sleeves and pants in 90F weather. Maxi dresses and long jumpers are also in. Anything flowy, long, and oversized.

Do you see where I'm taking this? My dumb ass didn't bring short sleeved shirts or shorts. I tried to buy them at Uniqlo and H&M. They were not in stock. Not a single pair of shorts. I was forced to buy what I suspect are men's lounge shorts from the clearance section, they literally had ONE pair. I did manage to find a t-shirt, too. I wore those shorts more times than I care to admit.

So yeah, maybe only 10% of ladies wear shorts on a hot day, and a lot of them are foreigners, but do you know what is nice? Not fainting from the heat.

Also, there are a lot of behaviors that are considered okay in America and not okay in Japan. I watched a ton of videos and really stressed out over behaving as properly as I could. And guess what? Within a day, I saw people speaking Japanese do all of those forbidden things, like drinking and eating while walking, talking on the train, and so on.

If you do go, try to be respectful and informed, but please don't feel anxiety/fear over it. Just say "sumimasen" if you think you made a mistake, the locals will get it.

I have so much more to say about the trip, but that is all the brain juice I have right now! Take care!

[transsextual]

absolutely no obligation to answer this at all but i saw your post abt yr hysterectomy and i was wondering if you are receiving that procedure as gender affirming care or something else ? i just have been trying to look into how to go about something like that and if it’s a gac thing i’d love to hear more about yr process ! regardless i hope the procedure goes well & am sending you good thoughts

hello!!! yes, it is considered gender affirming care. i'm getting my procedure done thru kaiser permanente, and i'm from CA. i'm also a little over a year on testosterone, and in order to start testosterone i had to get a diagnosis for gender dysphoria from a kaiser affiliated therapist (done in one 45 minute session (with a trans therapist!)). given that i already had that diagnosis, i can't say for sure that you'd need one within kaiser to be approved for a hysterectomy as GAC, but i'd imagine you probably would. my process was long & inconsistent because it consisted of mostly phone calls + appointments + reading&signing contracts, all things that almost physically pain me, but here's what it has looked like thus far:

- talked to my primary doctor about a referral to the center for reproductive health for fertility preservation + hysterectomy as gender affirming care

- she gave me a referral to the kaiser offices in the bay area, since that's where most of northern CA's gender affirming surgeries + procedures happen

- got a call from an RN to schedule an appointment with a fertility preservation specialist + a gynecologist

- gynecologist appt was first, she gave me the rundown on types of hysterectomies & told me i had the option for fertility preservation and that, because i live in CA and have non-MediCare insurance, i have partial coverage for fertility preservation services in a situation where i'm undergoing an operation that could lead to infertility.*

*we have a bill here, SB600, that basically illustrates that if you are undergoing a medical procedure that could result in infertility (like a hysterectomy or hormone replacement therapy) AND your insurance is something other than MediCal, fertility preservation care is at least partially covered by your insurance, and is treated as medically necessitated basic care.

- i said yes, I'm in the process of taking care of fertility preservation stuff & that is really valuable information to me, thank you!

- she referred me to a therapist to discuss different hysterectomy procedures + recovery time + resources for care, as well as a surgeon to have a consultation with

- few weeks after that was my appointment with the fertility preservation specialist, and we discussed how egg freezing works, what my options were in terms of continuing/stopping testosterone for a while*, and established a loose timeline we wanted to follow. she also ordered some labs (blood drawings) for me.

*the most research about egg freezing has been done on menstruating people, so while it's an option to stay on testosterone during the process, i opted to go off of it just because there are less unknown variables there, which comforts me

- met with surgeon for consultation, she read the notes my fertility preservation doc had taken, asked me some basic medical questions (re: drug use, sexual activity, etc), and we settled on a tentative date for my surgery

- had a mostly useless therapy(?) session to discuss hysterectomy recovery, settled on the operation i wanted, took notes about recovery time, etc, but most of my questions had already been answered by my surgeon + fertility preservation specialist.

- that brings us to about now. i haven't had any other appointments, but my current to do list consists of:

getting those labs done for fertility preservation

signing contracts about health+safety info, legal info, and other services related to fertility preservation

getting my birth control removed

right now, i'm aiming to have my birth control out by the middle of the month (June), egg retrieval complete by early July, and my hysterectomy is scheduled for the end of July. fertility preservation has been and will be by far the most annoying part of the process for a number of reasons, but if you're just looking into a hysterectomy it should be much more straightforward.

[twstgameplay]

Hey Mods! It's twstfan-san!

I got myself in a bit of a struggle. I am trying to get an A in the Omni Exam, but I'm currently stuck at a B. The first picture is my team composition which has worked well for me thus far. Beans Floyd and Beans Vil have a Duo, as well as Gala Leona and NY Kalim. All are above(or at) Lvl 50. I also have Robes Floyd, Lab Idia, Lab Rook, Apprentice Riddle, and NY Deuce(if that helps). What should I do?

Thank you for reading this! I greatly appreciate what you Mods do! :)

Hello! EN exams have changed at this point, but you can still make notes for future Omni Basic exams! Leveling up is key to getting higher scores, but here are additional notes that you can take note of:

Since you have Riddle, here's what you can do:

Dorm Riddle Robe Azul Robe Cater Dorm Ace Birthday/Robe Deuce

Riddle is a very strong card, so I highly recommend using him as your finishing duo, all the more that you have his ATK buddy, Cater, on team.

Dorm Ace gets an ATK boost from Cater as well, hence why he's on the team.

If you choose to do this composition, it would only provide 2 duos and almost no water elements, but it would be enough for A.

If you want more duos and/or greater variety in your elements, I suggest either:

Beans Floyd Dorm Jade Robe Vil FG Leona NY Kalim

or

Birthday Lilia Dorm Jamil FG Leona NY Kalim Lab Rook

If you opt for the Beans Floyd team, your strongest duo would be either Floyd's or Jade's. Jade's would only be strong if his 3T ATK M buff is activated whereas Floyd's ATK is boosted by his Vil buddy. If you need, you may swap out Robe Vil for Beans Vil, but it's best to level up Robe Vil if you have him because not only is he an Attack card, his second spell deals two strong hits at Lv.5.

If you opt for Birthday Lilia team, your strongest duo would be Dorm Jamil because his ATK buddy, Lilia, is present.

Beans Floyd team has greater element variety (3 fire, 4 water, 3 flora) than Birthday Lilia team (2 fire, 3 water, 4 flora, 1 cosmic). Both teams have 3 duos.

~ 🐙

[pixelplanetig]

☄️ v, rutek!!

🌓 v of course

✨ matt, tanya

🌗 arin

☄️ (short POV about their average day)- V:

Ok, I’m gonna be so fr right now, but I don’t have the energy to write in character for this atm, so I’ll just describe their typical days and their feelings on the events!

V typically wakes up around 0700 hours, after which she pops over to Rutek’s room to make sure they actually get out of bed. However, she does tend to pull all-nighters often, so sometimes she’ll be trying to wrap things up in her lab before she heads up to check on Rutek. She’ll typically have a quick shower, and maybe a cup of tea before heading out to go to the Andromeda’s bridge! Before she heads to the bridge, she stops and picks up Rutek (at least if they are still in their own room, she does, but both of them tend to hang out in each other’s rooms so sometimes she won’t have to go next-door to pick them up!) Although she could very well save time by teleporting to the bridge, she always opts to take the turbolift with Rutek since they like spending time together and having a chat! Sometimes they’re joined by other members of the crew also heading up to the bridge. At 0800 hours, the senior staff hold their daily staff meeting to just brief each other on their latest news and updates in regards to each of their respective jobs and tasks! V usually gives a small update on the various projects that the science teams are working on. She also eats a small breakfast at the staff meeting, as Krish’na typically cooks food to bring to their morning meetings. She’s not a picky eater, so she doesn’t really mind what they have to eat, as long as it fits her dietary requirements! After the meeting is let out, she will typically make her rounds of the ship, checking in with all of the individual science departments and discussing what they are working on and how it’s going! She likes having these little check-ins so she can make sure everything is going smoothly. If nobody requires her attention or assistance, she’ll then head down to her lab/office and do whatever work she has to get done (usually filling out lab reports and paperwork and shit.) Many people tell her that they find that stuff boring, and while she knows it’s not the most thrilling thing in the world, she loves to do it! She loves her job, even the parts that aren’t actively running experiments or going on away missions. It’s what she’s wanted to do since she was a very little kid. Speaking of away missions, if the crew gets sent on one, she is usually required to go, since she is the Andromeda’s second officer, and second officers are usually required to be present on away missions. She typically likes going on away missions, but if she has to stop her work to go on one, she can get a little annoyed. If she ever has to be on the bridge during the day, like using the bridge science stations for instance, she will try and have a little chat with Rutek! They don’t get to actively spend a lot of time with each other while they are on duty because while V works all over the ship, Rutek has to stay on the bridge since they’re the helmsman. These chats are usually only telepathic, but they will talk about just about anything! (Even gossip! Vulcan spice tea is not the only type of tea that they like, lol.) If any of her friends notice that V has been holed up in her lab all day, one of them, (usually Diaz,) will come harass her to go take a break or eat something. This usually doesn’t work, but sometimes it does! When she gets off-duty and she isn’t pulling an all-nighter and fueling her workaholic tendencies, she usually teleports herself back to her quarters! She typically opts to just stay in her quarters for a while, but if she’s in the mood (or it’s been previously scheduled,) she’ll engage in some form of recreation! Her favorite thing to do is go swimming in the pool, since she loves to swim, but she does also have some prescheduled events with her friends that she does! She attends a book club with Marianne and Arin, she spars with Diaz in the holodeck, and every week, the entire senior staff meets for game night on one night! She sometimes finds herself looking for excuses to back out of game night, as sometimes the social interaction can get quite overwhelming.

However, her friends are really chill and if they notice her getting overstimulated or overwhelmed, will make sure to give her space and let her fuck off to go recharge or something! In the evenings, she likes to spend time with Rutek. They don’t even have to be doing anything in particular together, they just like to hang out in the same room. Sometimes they’ll grab dinner together or sometimes they’ll just vibe. V will also use the evening time to go out on the whole of the ship and stargaze! that’s one of her favorite things to do, since her father used to take her out in space all the time when she was a little kid, but she stopped being able to do that after he died, but now that she works in space she can go out there again! She’ll eventually start getting ready for bed, at which point she’ll meditate as is customary for Vulcans. She likes to do this alone. Even if she plans on sleeping over in somebody else’s quarters, she’ll go to her own to meditate first. When she meditates, she burns the same incense that her mother used to use! She doesn’t even particularly like the scent itself, but it reminds her of her mom and her home, since her mother always smelled like it! Then she’ll finally get in the bed! Sometimes she chooses to watch her old holo-videos of her parents and her as a child before she goes to sleep, sometimes she just goes right to sleep.

Overall, this isn’t a strict routine of what happens every day, since you can never be sure how a day is going to go when you work on a starship like the Andromeda! This is just one idea of how a typical day for her can go.

☄️ (short POV about their average day)- Rutek:

Some glimpses at Rutek’s day can be seen in the description of V’s, but since they’re not together all day, I’ll yap about their day too! As previously stated, Rutek is typically woken up in the morning by V! They’ll Drag themselves out of bed and start getting ready, and if they have time, they’ll have a look over of all of their plants to make sure there aren’t any glaring issues that need to be taken care of when they come back to their quarters later. They typically take a little bit longer than V to get ready, since they have to do things the normal way instead of teleporting everywhere and using Q abilities to get things done, but they appreciate the fact that she always wakes up for them! Then the pair head to the bridge together! After attending the daily senior staff meeting, they relieve the night shift helmsman of duty and take their post at the helm of the ship! Their duties are not anywhere as riveting as V’s, but they do you get the benefit of getting to hang out on the bridge all day so they get to spend their time chatting with all the other bridge officers! They like their job a lot! They aren’t quite as passionate about it as V is about hers, but they still find it quite enjoyable! Sometimes, they will have to pay visits to other parts of the ships to check on things that might affect the ship’s flight at all. For the most part, their job is a rather mundane one, but their favorite days are whenever the ship needs some fancy flying done! If the ship is ever in need of a quick getaway or in a situation where they have to dodge things, Rutek is an EXCELLENT pilot! They also enjoy the days when a shuttlecraft is needed for an away mission, as that means they get to go on a mission and leave the ship, which they don’t often get to do! They know they couldn’t handle all of that excitement on the regular themselves, but it is nice to get a change in scenery every once in a while! They will typically have a break sometime in the afternoon, during which they like to head down to check out whatever V is up to! They hang out with each other for a bit, which usually consists of V working on some thing in her lab while Rutek loiters around in the background (and scopes out any glassware they can repurpose for their plants because they love to steal V’s stuff,) but then eventually they have to dip and go back on duty. When they get off for the evening, it’s time to take care of their plants! They have a very meticulous routine on taking care of all of their plants, making sure that each one is thriving! They find this time extremely relaxing. They also will sometimes pop back up to the bridge to take care of the plants in Elroy’s ready room since he doesn’t bother to do that himself. After they finished tending to their plants, Rutek will journal! They have kept a journal ever since they were young! They put just about anything in their journal. Some days they use it like a diary, other days they use it to log any interesting plant facts, and sometimes they even do a little creative writing. They even draw in it! They wouldn’t consider themselves an artist, but they will make the occasional observational sketch if they’re in the mood! They will then make themselves some dinner before either hanging out with V or heading out to see what the others are doing! They enjoy spending time with their friends, but they are also pretty spontaneous and don’t plan ahead, so they will just kind of show up at peoples doors and be like hey wanna hang out? A lot of times, people do want to hang out, as Rutek is very endeared to everybody, but sometimes everyone will be busy so they just go and chill in the ship’s arboretum, which is their favorite spot on board.

Whenever it gets time for them to start heading to bed, they will typically hop in the shower for a little bit before they get out and do their nightly meditation! They have a little rocky water fountain that they run while they meditate as they like the sound of the running water. It’s not quite the same as the sound of the ocean waves they have back home on Vulcan, but they like the little trickle that the fountain makes too! After that, they might opt to do a little bit more journaling before bed, or they might just go right to sleep!

🌓 (what her funeral would be like)- V:

She’s thought about it a lot, especially after actually dying once. V wants to be buried next to her parents back on Vulcan when she dies. Her tombstone would be the same type as her parents have, a black stone slab, engraved with her name in gold Vulcan lettering. She would want to be buried in a photon torpedo casing, even if she didn’t die on duty. She just thinks she would really like that. Although typically when an officer dies in space and a photon torpedo casing is used as a coffin for them, they sometimes actually get shot into space, but V wouldn’t like that, since as previously mentioned, she wants more than anything to be buried next to her parents. She also hopes that Rutek will be buried next to her eventually. She doesn’t want anybody to get emotional over her death. The idea of that happening kind of embarrasses her. (She doesn’t want to be perceived.) She knows it would happen anyway if she ended up dying before the other crew members, because that’s just a sacrifice you have to make when you make friends with such emotional beings as humans. Oh well. At least she’ll have her parents to complain to about it. (Although don’t tell her that. She’s not sure if her seeing her parents after she died was real or not.)

✨ (What makes their heart race)- Matt:

Matt loves a good thrill! The excitement of fighting to defend his ship. The suspense of who will win a good game of chess or how the superheroes he reads about will end up saving the day. He lives for stuff like that!

✨ (What makes their heart race)- Tanya:

Companionship makes Tanya’s heart race! She didn’t have many friends her own age growing up, so now she thrives on being part of a friend group! She loves it when people come to her for help or advice, as it makes her feel appreciated.

🌗 (How much they care about their appearance)- Arin:

Arin definitely doesn’t obsess over his appearance, but he does like to keep himself well groomed and relatively put together! Although his hairstyle is pretty simple, just a bun with an undercut and shaved sides, he always makes time to brush and style his hair in the mornings, and has regular haircuts! As for the clothes he wears, he doesn’t have to worry about that for the most part since he is normally in uniform, but he dresses pretty well when wearing civilian clothes! His favorite types of outfits are short sleeved floral patterned button up shirts worn over a plain T-shirt and some skinny jeans. He will accessorize with little bits of jewelry here and there if he really feels like it, but he doesn’t care that much. The one thing he does really care about is that weather permitting, he always tries to dress in a way where people can see his tattoo! His tat is very important to him since he got it to match with his twin sister Olivia before he left earth for his first Starfleet assignment. He got a half-sleeve of ocean waves on his right forearm to represent Olivia, who works as a marine biologist on earth, and Olivia got a half sleeve of galaxy and planets on her left forearm to represent Arin working in space! Even the specific arms that their respective tattoos are on represent each other, as the pair have mirrored moles, with Arin having a mole on his right cheek (hence Olivia getting a tattoo on her right arm,) and Olivia having a mole on her left cheek (hence Arin getting his tattoo on his left arm.)

[krasnayavedma]

amusement park. our muses go to an amusement park, where they can relax on a log ride or risk it all with a daring ride. (doesn't have to be for steve, pick any of my muses across all my blogs!)

Wanda rests her head against Steve's shoulder and lets out a content sigh. Opting for a slower ride as a way to end their day, she was appreciative of spending the day out with her friend — even if the different sights and sounds was something she wasn't used to.

Being an experiment at Hawkins Lab didn't allow for first time experiences like this; and so, being initially overwhelmed by it all would be an understatement. So many rides to go on and games to play and food to eat. It briefly crossed Wanda's mind that it was fun adventures like this that she missed in her childhood and it made her resent Brenner even more.

For most of the day, Wanda let Steve lead the way; however, as the hours went by, her nerves went away and she suggested a few things she wanted to do — like go on the current ride they were on. ❝ Thank you, ❞ she says, clutching the Woody Woodpecker stuffed animal against her - a souvenir that Steve valiantly won for her at a game she was almost certain was rigged. ❝ For today. I didn't understand the appeal at first, but I think I get it now. Maybe we can come back sometime? ❞

love is in the air / @hairoic !

———

Wanda lets out an apprehensive sigh, unsure of exactly how she felt about going on the ride Ethan chose — the most adventurous one in the whole amusement park, as it turned out. With two different loops and various twists and turns, along with a staggering 61-meter drop at the very top, Wanda's feelings were in a jumble. She was nervous while somehow simultaneously looking forward to it. She squeezes his hand which she hadn't let go of since they got in line. She glances at him, green eyes meeting his, and she allows a small smile.

It was Ethan's adventurous nature that brought out a side to her that made her want to actively try new things that she otherwise probably wouldn't have; and she loved him even more for it. Although, sometimes in the moment, she also hated him for it; such as times like this, inching ever closer to the front of the line. ❝ If we make it through this ride, you owe me one, ❞ she informs him. ❝ I want to go sailing again. ❞

love is in the air / @coogars !