#hell even harper's parents are interesting

[lonely-night]

how come every side character of happiest season is interesting except the two main characters lmaooo im sorry but they're both just so bland imo

[zhelin-thames]

A Ghostly Text Mishap

Danny flopped onto his bed, phone in hand, glaring at the screen. Another long day of dealing with Vlad's manipulative nonsense had left him frustrated beyond belief. He opened his messages, found the contact labeled Trucker, and began furiously typing.

Danny: You will NOT believe what Plasmius did this time. The absolute NERVE of this guy. You’d think being half-dead would make someone LESS petty, but nooo, this man’s ego is bigger than the Ghost Zone.

Danny: He tried to "buy" my parents' company AGAIN. He offered to “help” with ghost containment tech but really just wants to snoop around for weaknesses in the portal.

Danny: AND he had the audacity to call me “Little Badger” like it’s a term of endearment. I swear, if I hear that ONE MORE TIME, I might go full ghost and dropkick him into the Fenton Thermos.

Satisfied with his venting, Danny tossed his phone onto the bed and buried his face in his pillow. Unbeknownst to him, he had made one critical mistake.

Jason Todd, aka Red Hood, was sitting in his safe house, polishing his guns when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen.

Unknown Number: You will NOT believe what Plasmius did this time…

Jason raised an eyebrow. “What the hell is this?” he muttered, scrolling through the tirade. By the time he got to “Little Badger”, he was smirking.

He typed back:

Jason: Kid, I think you’ve got the wrong number. Unless this “Plasmius” guy is a Gotham villain I’ve somehow missed.

Danny’s phone buzzed, and he rolled over to check it. His heart dropped when he saw the reply.

Danny: Oh no. This isn’t Trucker, is it?

Jason: Nope. But you’ve got my attention. Who’s Plasmius, and why does he sound like the type of guy I’d shoot on principle?

Danny hesitated, then decided to just roll with it.

Danny: Short version: he’s a half-ghost fruitloop billionaire who’s obsessed with ruining my life, becoming my creepy stepdad, and taking over the world. Think Lex Luthor but undead and ickier.

Jason burst out laughing, earning a curious glance from Roy Harper, who had just walked in.

“Who’s got you laughing like that?” Roy asked, setting down a bag of takeout.

“Some kid who texted me by mistake,” Jason replied, showing him the messages.

Roy skimmed them and snickered. “Plasmius? Sounds like a knockoff vampire villain.”

Jason’s fingers flew over the keyboard.

Jason: Okay, kid, you’ve officially got my interest. I don’t know who you are, but if this Plasmius guy’s half as bad as you say, I’ve got some creative ways to deal with him. You in Gotham?

Danny stared at the message, blinking. Who even was this guy? But... he did sound like he knew how to handle problems.

Danny: Uh, no. I’m from Amity Park. It’s kind of a supernatural hotspot, so I’ve got it covered. But thanks for the offer, I guess?

Jason smirked.

Jason: Supernatural hotspot? Kid, you’re talking to someone who’s been resurrected. Ghosts don’t scare me.

Danny froze. Resurrected? Oh no. This guy might actually know about the supernatural.

Danny: ...Wait, who ARE you?

Jason: Name’s Jason. Most people call me Red Hood. Ever heard of me?

Danny blinked, then groaned. “Of course. I text a vigilante. Just my luck.”

Danny: ...Yeah, I’ve heard of you. So, uh, thanks for not tracking this number and showing up at my house or something.

Jason: Yet.

Danny felt a shiver run down his spine.

Danny: That’s not funny, dude.

Jason: Relax, Little Badger. Your secret’s safe with me. For now. But hey, if you ever need help dealing with your undead billionaire problem, hit me up.

Danny sighed, shaking his head.

Danny: Sure. Thanks, I guess?

Jason leaned back, grinning as he saved the number under Ghost Kid.

“Roy, I think I just found the weirdest contact in my phone.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Roy replied, tossing Jason a burger.

“Not bad. Just… different.” Jason chuckled. “Plasmius, huh? Sounds like fun.”

[inkyquince]

I just saw a post about parents building their son a cool new bed and being excited for him and his special interest is dinosaurs and you can tell and I was hit by insane baby fever

So I'm just thinking about Eden, hand making your kid's bed. Carving each piece of wood, whittling tiny designs in it. Your kid is getting too big for the cot and he'd rather die than have them in bed with you two so he sits, bare foot and surrounded by different pieces of lumber, perfectly measured to slot together and puts it all together.

Avery, who orders your kid a new bed, making sure it's one of the cool ones. A bunk bed with a lil play area underneath, with safe stairs for them to climb down from instead of a ladder. He bought the cot and made sure it was aesthetically pleasant, soft white painted wood and all pretty but loves your kid enough to indulge. Has other people build it while they're at school but watches you excitedly set up the play area and tucking their toys in and making up the bed. Something in him feels it's because you didn't get to be excited about a new bed. The other part brushes it over and kisses the back of your neck.

Wren yelling fuck as he hammers his thumb again. Grumbling loudly. Whines for a kiss every time you pop your head in. Wren was going to buy a cheap IKEA bed and make it up cool but Remy caught wind and sent over one of those fucking beds that takes forever to put together, has drawers built into it, everything. Remy smoothly told you it's because he makes sure his people are happy but Wren knows for a fuckin fact that it's because he already owned it and wanted to get it out of the manor. He's more excited to pick out sheets and new toys, because a kid needs a cool fuckin bed!

Bailey leaving halfway through, crumpling up the instructions. Snaps at you to leave him alone when he leaves the house. You feel uneasy, and try to take over, but shit, it's complicated... Where the hell is slot G? What's rod C? Its not even funny to make it into a sex joke anymore. You sit there, desperately checking the time, wanting your kid to get to come home to a upgraded bed after nagging Bailey to stop being a cheapskate. Then the door flings open and arguing voices spill over each other. The asshole drags his friends who all currently owe him a favour in, making them help him or god HELP THEM, he will start throwing hands. Briar idly questions your choice in the design, as Harper SWEATS, bullied into being the one who holds up the balancing edge of the bed frame. Remy and Bailey arguing about instructions and are so close to hitting each other until Wren smugly points out they've been reading it upside down. When it's actually put together, they all go to the kitchen and steal your beers as Briar stays behind and idly watches you make up the bed, offering tips on how to make it look cosier.

And of course your kid lets themselves in with their key, ignores all the men who did the work and flings themselves into your arms, babbling out thanks yous for the cool new bed! The ensemble quietly reminds each other to get vasectomies and Bailey just gives you the evil eye.

[digenerate-trash]

More head cannons that I have but for non-love interests. mostly teachers and Bailey and Harper. 

Bailey used to be a normal person who cared if the orphans got hurt but over time in order to keep the younger kids safe from the town he needed to start charging the older ones rent to keep this rinky-dink shack above water eventually it became too much for him to care about every victim he sent out onto the street to make rent so he stopped. Either by dissociation or worse. now he's just a heartless asshole who protects only the kids in the youth ward and even that is hard for him to do. The road to hell is paved with good intentions after all. 

Harper is afraid of blood. Straight up. He’ll faint if he catches sight of it that's why he prefers needles and brainwashing no blood is involved if you do it right. He's giving some real “I never got my doctorate” energy and I don't think this town cares because he's the best they have. He's definitely jacked off over an unaware patient. Has a kink for making patients cum hands-free (it's a power thing). Almost agreed to work for Remmy for free because he got too excited about brainwashing people into mindless cow hybrids. moral compass? Whos she? 

Leighton is such a fucking freak of nature. Would not be surprised if he went from teacher’s aid to head teacher solely through blackmail and other underhanded means this dud has always been a straight-up freak. Like Kylar but instead of being obsessed with one person, his passion is corrupting innocent people and once he's done and he's gotten off it's off to the next unsuspecting victim. This dude probably doesn’t know how to use a modern cellphone though so thank god for that. 

Sirris. Mommy? sorry. Mommy? sorry. I mean Mommy? Sorry. For real though giving milf energy. Probably really loved her dead husband to the point where she's not getting married again. (which is the real crime) but deeply cares for her kid, and even though she has no idea the extent of  Leighton’s abuse she has threatened to kill him and go to church the next day if he even breathes near her kid. Owns a sex shop purely to exploit this town's obvious sex addiction issue and is probably saving for Sydney's future as well. The only good parent I’ve seen in this game.  

River is a virgin for life. my man has never seen a pussy and is physically afraid of it. (same goes for cock but a little bit less so) has an avid believer of the church's teachings and he has a kind of friendship with Sydney but refuses to give them any special treatment because it wouldn't be fair (although Sydney is his favorite). Prob wear’s a chastity belt since he was 18 and has absolutely refused to take it off its like a security blanket now. No one is getting their filthy hands on this dick.

Doren is one of those freaks who has crushes on his students and sees nothing wrong with it, he cares about them and wants the best for his students but the power dynamic is hard to ignore for his students and even though he wants to be kind and a friend to all of them most students will avoid getting too friendly with him. He does his best to protect the students he likes best giving them snacks at lunch being extra patient with them during lessons helping them out or bumping up their grades just because they asked but if you’re a nuisance he lets you fall by the wayside because his love and care are conditional. 

Winter is heavy into costumes and BDSM but that's not a surprise super into weird sexual history and also has a huge denial/edging kink. Surprisingly the teacher she gets along best with is River. They hang out in the teacher's lounge and bitch about students. Leighton has absolutely harassed her for information on her students like which ones squirm during her unorthodox lessons but she refuses to play into his antics. When she's working at the museum she is the most content. It's her real passion but it doesn't pay the bills. Probably got hired because Leighton thought she would be an easy mark but it turns out she's a total dom and now he's afraid to fire her. 

Mason is the guy Dorent wishes he was. Students are always trying to feel him up during lesions and asking if he's single. But he really just wants to be left alone. At one point he was good enough to be on a national swim team but for one reason or another, his life fell apart and now he's burnt out and living in the worst town in Britain at the ripe age of 25. The dude probably wouldn't hurt a fly unless he had to and even then he would be crying for a week afterward. Bottom energy.

[melien]

Eden: You sure it's not my fault?

Harper: No, Eden, no! It's just my own deeper feelings about myself. And I've always known it will be an inevitable part of getting older. It's more like... Well, the whole time I've been growing up, I always had to see all these romantic relationships, and all that comes with them. It was like the good was outweighing the bad, and it was an experience no one could miss out on. Our parents being a love story for the ages, our cousins dating around, and now you also have April. I'm really, really happy for you, don't get me wrong! But... for me it's different. For me, it was always enough to have you, our parents, and a few friends I've had. I felt fulfilled with you guys by my side. It was like my little comfort unit.

She sighed, looking particularly vulnerable. Eden was listening with intent. Harper often played a part of a caring older sister and didn't particularly open up about her own problems.

Harper: I know it's just who I am. I don't get all these romantic crushes or even casual sex. And I have always focused on my platonic, familial relationships the most, putting my all into them, but now I feel like it's unfair of me to expect this... loyalty of people. They're not like me. They will all have a special person sooner or later. Hell, that's all they talk about. And I can't even feel left out or anything, I don't have the right. I know I don't even want that type of thing. I'd feel bad about myself if I went against my wishes. But... it feels lonely sometimes. It feels like people like me... we're doomed, in some sort of way.

Eden: Harps... Man, I wish I could be there for you.

Harper: That's the thing... I know you don't have to. No one has to. But it stings sometimes, you know? That I won't have this one person, or that all my friends and family will just move on... Maybe it's about feeling special to someone. I mean, maybe it doesn't have to be romantic. I could find someone to just chill out with and share my interests with, to travel with and come up with the coolest outfit designs. But it feels... pretty much impossible. Everyone wants a love story nowadays.

Eden: I feel like there may be a lot of people like you out there. They're just not showing themselves. Or forcing themselves to live the life they despise.

Harper: It could be, dear. I don't want to be alone, you know?

Eden: You'll never be alone. I think of you daily. Even if things change, you're still my closest person in the world, and it will always remain so. But I'm sure you'll find your community as well.

[lacrimosathedark]

hey!!!i just wanted to know what is your lian harper?and cheshire?and roy? i personally love them what about you

I'm guessing your asking my opinion on them?

I love Roy Harper. He's been through so much and struggled and been treated like shit but damn if he doesn't do his best to be the best dad ever. Man turned his life around entirely when he learned he had a kid and I genuinely love that for him. And when he's not written by dickbags he's also just so sweet as a whole while still acting like a cocky asshole and I love that about him.

Lian is a fucking angel, she's so sweet and pretty funny sometimes, and now she can kick ass and has blue hair and tats. Hell yeah. Love her. I also admittedly love the idea of heroes having kids. It makes stories so interesting, especially if you can get the kid's perspective. And gosh, little Lian also just loved her daddy so much it breaks my heart sometimes. At like not even 4 she could tell her dad was consistently depressed and didn't want to sleep and leave him alone I love her so much.

I hate Cheshire with the passion of a thousand suns. Jade Nguyen is a cold-blooded killer who actively enjoys the suffering she causes, takes pleasure in poisoning and murdering people, and not even her immense love for her daughter is enough to make her stop. To me, she is the worst fucking thing possible; a genuinely loving and not awful parent who is an unforgivably awful person. Lian's gonna have to face that eventually, and it won't be pretty. Unless they change Jade's entire character in an attempt to redeem her.

But last time Cheshire played anti-hero and protected Alleytown, not even a week later she tried to kill Jason and was talking about how she'd wanted to for a long time and was having a blast with it. She is irredeemable to me. Fuck her (but not literally that's caused historic changes in reality)

[thebisexualdogdad]

Hi! Can I get a harper row x gn! Reader? Specifically were catwomans child

Harper Row x GN!reader

● being the child of catwoman made you an expert thief

● as a kid she would set up simulations in your apartment to teach you how to avoid security systems and break into safes

● and took you on your first real heist at 8 years old

● it's not your typical parent-child night out but she did take you for ice cream afterwards to celebrate a successful jewel heist

● you grew a taste for the finer things just like her

●one of those finer things that you had your eyes on was Harper Row

● you met when you both happened to be robbing a museum on the same night

● Harper "who the hell are you?"

● "Y/N, Y/N Kyle and who might you be beautiful?"

● Harper blushing "Harper… that's my brother Cullen and that's Duela"

● Cullen "did you say Kyle? Like Catwoman Selina Kyle?"

● "She's my mother yes"

● Duela "I don't care who you are if you're here for the painting we call dibs"

● "I'm here for the diamonds you can have the painting… but I would like your number" you say smiling at Harper

● Harper is still flustered by you flirting with her but Cullen and Duela both are suddenly interested in more than just a painting "diamonds? We're in"

● you and Harper are like a game of cat and mouse

● for months Harper pretends like she isn't into you

● but every time you run into each other you she falls for you a little more

● after finding your social media Cullen really wants you two to get together

● "Harper look at this photo on their Instagram, they have a yacht, a freaking yacht! Please go out with them so we can hang out on a yacht"

● Duela "I second this, yachts always come with champagne and personal chefs"

● Harper "I'm not going out with Y/N just because they have a yacht"

● Cullen "how about for this insane penthouse they live in?"

● you find the abandoned building Harper, Cullen and Duela are living in, sending her a text to meet you up on the roof

● "how did you even find this place?"

● "I was born to be a thief sweetheart, I do my homework"

● "so why are you here?"

● "Do I really need a reason to come and see you? Or are you still pretending to not like me as much as I like you"

● Harper scoffs and rolls her eyes, grabbing you by the jacket and bringing you in to kiss her

● "So you do like me"

● "you are so annoying"

● "I prefer the word charming"

● "shut up and kiss me again before I change my mind"

[starmieknight]

Sing Me A Story (of the bravest of them all)

Chapter Three

Pairing: Buggy x Original Female Character

Summary: Josie Harper doesn’t know what her family's connection to the One Piece world is exactly. That's not going to stop her from trying to figure it out and how to use it to get back home.

She just had to survive what it throws at her first. And keep from falling under the allure of the future Pirate King and his crew.

--------------------------------

“Joooosieeee.” a ghastly voice whispered.

Goosebumps erupted across her arms and she rose to her feet in preparation to run.

There was a thud, the sound of something heavy landing on the carpet, and followed by a wet squelch. Like a soaked towel being dragged over the floor.

What the hell was that?

Contents: Isekai, Freeform Greek Mythology, Reincarnation, Recreational Drug Use, Ghosts, DubCon, Pining, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut

Chapters: Prologue, One, Two, Three

Josie stripped and sank into the hot water with a long moan of pleasure. It was amazing the relief a bath could offer, especially after a day or two without access.

The bathroom itself was amazing, a dark tiled room with matte black walls and gold accents. It suited the muted air of the mansion perfectly, offset from being depressing by the greenery dispersed around the room. There were small potted trees flanking the big, arched window and the marble fireplace. There was no fire at the moment, but the room was pleasantly warm and steamy from the heat of the water.

The bathtub itself was the centerpiece of the room, settled in the middle of the tiles with a long bench table pressed against it, a beautiful clawfoot painted black on the outside and a pure, clean white on the inside. The scent of sandalwood was prominent, several candles burning the smell into the air from their place on the table and mantlepiece.

Josie sank deeper into the tub, feeling her stress and anxiety float away along with the grime leftover from Buggy’s circus and her time spent sailing to the Gecko Islands with the Straw Hats. She finally felt like herself again and could almost pretend that she was vacationing in a fancy hotel rather than a stranger’s house in another world.

In the privacy of the bathroom, it was all too tempting to avoid thinking about what she had gone through so far.

Still, this was the first moment alone she’d been given — here, she could take a moment to process her situation without intrusion.

Josie thought back on her last disastrous dinner party, her last meal in her own world, to be precise.

It had felt like an entirely normal evening with her grandmother. There had been the usual small talk made between them in favor of catching up. Josie had little interest in the day-to-day happenings of the local country clubs or the social gossip about her grandmother’s associates. And Grandmother held very poor comprehension of the complexities of Josie’s job in administration and customer service towards the parents that used her center.

The older woman just didn’t understand the concept of working for someone else.

There had been a slight… discrepancy to their usual conversation, though.

Grandmother had asked, rather bluntly, when Josie planned on marrying and settling down.

The question wasn’t an odd one — Josie often heard the same from her mother’s family. But the topic of marriage had often been reserved for cousin Sterling and had been dropped altogether after he married his high school sweetheart.

In all honesty, Josie thought Grandmother just didn’t care if she or any of her half-siblings ever got married, let alone had any children. The matriarch didn’t expect much from her most promiscuous child’s progeny except for proper behavior in her presence.

Maybe it was a good thing their dinner had been interrupted — it had saved Josie the trouble of answering.

She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to marry anyone, even if she did want kids of her own some day.

These days, it wasn’t like you actually needed a partner.

No, Josie was perfectly happy to continue her single-woman lifestyle and enjoy the pleasures that came with casual hookups instead of the drama that always seemed to accompany relationships.

Buggy would have been a pleasure, her brain traitorously supplied.

Josie flushed and ducked her head under the water. Perhaps if she stayed submerged long enough, that part of her brain would drown.

If only she could be so lucky.

She couldn’t help but remember the sensation of the man’s tongue and teeth on her skin, her neck still feeling tender from the excessive attention.

She resurfaced with a gasp and scrambled for the small hand-mirror on the table beside the tub, angling it all the places Buggy had paid special attention to.

Her skin was clear and she sighed in relief.

“Thought he would’ve left a mark, hard as he was going in on me.” she said to herself, then giggled at her unintended innuendo.

Heh, hard.

And he had been — strong hands that gripped her legs and breasts so firmly, thick thighs that had felt so solid beneath her, a muscled chest built on a lifetime of working on ships and battles.

Hard, brutal kisses that had threatened to consume her entirely.

“Fuck,” she moaned, covering her face with her hands. “Why did the clown have to be so hot?!”

She dragged her hands down her face and stared at the ceiling moodily.

Even now, after he’d turned on her, Josie couldn’t deny that the man had played her perfectly. He pushed her buttons and got her more hot and bothered in a matter of minutes that she’d been after an entire night with former partners. As much as she hated to admit it, she and Buggy clicked together like flint creating a spark. It was a sexual tension she’d never experienced before.

“Maybe I should have let him fuck me.” she sighed gloomily. “At least I wouldn’t be wondering about how good it could have been.”

She was certain that sleeping with Buggy would have been one of her Top Ten Sexual Encounters — if not among the Top Five.

Josie had never hated anyone enough to find out if hate sex was truly as good as people claimed, but there had to be something about it to keep people coming together like that. She might have been tempted into it herself, had she not been spooked so badly.

To think, she had missed out on hot, kinky sex with a Devil Fruit user with so much potential in the bedroom.

“Every part is detachable,” she despaired, cheeks flushed and eyes wide. “That’s so weird… but stupidly hot. Flexibility isn’t even an issue with him.”

Josie whined and dropped her head against the side of the tub. Her fingers ran idly over her thighs as she considered the lost opportunities.

How things might have gone if she had decided against fighting back.

Buggy had been well on his way to getting her clothes off, at the very least…

Buggy pulled back with an annoyed huff, bringing both hands up to the buttons on Josie’s blouse and undoing them with a speed even the most skilled masters of Soru  would envy.

She flinched when those hands dove beneath her shirt, sliding along her ribs before pressing against her back, urging her closer again. Josie gasped, head falling back as Buggy laved his tongue over the exposed swell of her breast. Her own hands rose to his head, knocking his hat and bandanna out of place so she could bury her fingers in his long locks. They were cool and as blue as the ocean, sliding over her skin like silk.

Buggy groaned, lashes fluttering, when she gave his hair a tentative tug. Whether she was trying to pull him off or pull him closer was anyone’s guess — even she wasn’t sure what she wanted.

But he was less uncertain and the action certainly seemed to get his motor running.

“Off.” he demanded, lifting his head to watch the slide of fabric over her shoulders. Her blouse came off with little struggle, baring her smooth, pale skin to his ocean eyes — falling along with her bralette.

She hadn’t even noticed him unhook it!

Josie yelped, her face red, and lifted her arms to cover herself.

“Don’t—”

Buggy caught her wrists in one hand and pulled them over her head, forcing her to rise and arch her back to avoid straining anything. Forced her to put herself on display for the pirate captain.

His eyes roamed the picture before him with satisfaction, taking in Josie’s heavy, teardrop breasts and pink nipples.

“Now that’s more like it,” he said quietly, lust turning his voice into something dark and silky. “You’re center stage material, doll.”

Josie shuddered beneath the praise, hips rocking down on Buggy helplessly.

“Oooh, she likes that, doesn’t she?” the clown laughed, his free hand drifting back to his newly exposed prize. “Go on and sing for me like a good girl, hmm?”

Josie moaned as Buggy cupped her breast, running a gloved thumb over her nipple. The bud perked and tightened almost painfully beneath the gentle touch. That had always been a sensitive zone for her, fire burning a path from her breasts to settle warmly in her weeping core.

He grinned in triumph, blue eyes hooded and dilated near black, before putting his mouth back to use on her unattended breast. He laved his tongue over the bud before sucking it inside his mouth, catching it with his teeth.

The sound that escaped her was nothing short of a wail of pleasure as Buggy plucked at her sensitive peaks, switching lazily from one side to the other to get a strong reaction. He punctuated his control of her body by resuming the steady rhythm of his hips, grinding freely against her core as he swirled his tongue around her nipple.

“More…” she finally whimpered, face a furious crimson as she caved to the desires of her body. She felt so weak, giving into the pirate with just a little foreplay, but she had never liked denying herself simple pleasures. She refused to join up with him, but she could at least enjoy the experience while it lasted.

Buggy’s eyes lit up with delight and he pulled away from her breast with a quiet ‘pop’, enjoying the way she shuddered.

“Well, it’s about time.” he huffed, releasing her hands in favor of holding her hips again. The rough texture of his gloves drew goosebumps across her hips, his thumbs dipping beneath the waistband of her jeans to draw circles on the smooth skin there.

Josie responded by sliding her fingers back into his hair and drawing the pirate in for another kiss.

This time she gave as good as she got, tugging on Buggy’s long locks to angle him where she wanted, and took control of the kiss until he moaned beneath her. She nipped at his lip, the grease paint heavy on her taste buds, and slipped her tongue into his mouth. He gasped when she ran the appendage over the back of his teeth, his hips stuttering beneath her. Josie pulled back to admire her handiwork.

The man looked rather dazed, his hands drifting mindlessly over her ass and thighs, petting her absentmindedly. Lips swollen, eyes glassy and face flushed beneath his stage makeup — Buggy painted a prettier picture than Josie ever thought he would.

“Buggy,” she murmured, drawing him from his trance with a more gentle kiss.

He hummed in response, meeting her eagerly with a lick against the roof of her mouth, and urged her closer until she was flush against his chest again. His fingers ran across the inseam of her jeans with intent, finding her clit through the thick fabric.

Josie’s breath caught on a gasp and she broke the kiss to hide her face in his neck, mouthing desperately at his skin.

“Please.” she whined.

“There’s the good girl I’ve been waiting for.” he sighed, voice hoarse. “Just you wait, doll — I never leave my audience unsatisfied.”

Josie bit her lip, eyes wide with anticipation, and pulled back to watch as Buggy unbuttoned her jeans. He barely waited for the material to part before sliding his hand inside, detaching the appendage at the wrist for better maneuverability. Nimble fingers slid right where she wanted, pulling the gusset of her panties to the side and swiping across her sodden core.

“Fuuuuck!” she moaned blissfully, hips thrusting into the firm touch.

Buggy’s gaze snapped over her shoulder, eyes narrowed and a snarl curling his lip.

Josie’s brow furrowed in bewilderment and she looked over her shoulder at the door as a knock sounded.

“Josie, you all good in there?” 

The boatswain sat up in alarm and groaned as her head spun. She leaned against the side of the tub, feeling dizzy and more than a little woozy.

A side-effect of sitting up too quickly, she reasoned and blinked the spots from her eyes.

She had been deeper in her head than she'd thought.

The water had gone tepid and flat, the bubbles that once surrounded her now gone.

Josie shivered and jumped as another knock came against the door.

"Did you fall asleep?" Nami asked, a slight touch of concern in her voice.

"Ah, just a bit." Josie admitted, dragging a hand over her face. She frowned at her puckered fingers and stood. "I'm coming out now."

She stepped out onto the bathmat with only a slight wobble, already starting to return to her senses.

Having a bath really did make a difference.

She lost some of the tension that had been plaguing her and was surprised to find herself looking forward to dinner.

It was rare that she attended any sort of formal function outside of family dinner nights at her grandmother's house. Not having the woman's judgment hanging over her head all night would be refreshing.

Even the looming presence of Kuro couldn't dampen her enthusiasm.

Josie had full faith in Luffy's ability to defeat the man — he would have her back and if Kuro did try anything with her, the rubber captain would return it tenfold in favor of his friends.

If she didn't know Luffy's character as well as she did, Josie would find her confidence comparable to the low level pirates who thought their power hungry captains would defend them and avenge their defeats.

She was no blindsided Bellamy — Josie knew Luffy would expect her to do all that she could to succeed while on their journey, to fill in the spaces where others couldn't for all their benefit.

She just knew she could expect the same from her captain.

Josie slipped on her robe after drying off and wrapped her hair with a fresh towel. It would take longer for the thick mass to dry and she needed to get started on styling it right away.

Nami's eyes narrowed at the side of the boatswain and the tired look on the older woman's face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" The redhead asked brusquely, crossing her arms. "You look exhausted. I don't think anyone would have a fit if you just skipped dinner and went to bed."

Josie smiled reassuringly and gently pulled Nami back towards the wardrobe room.

"It's fine. I want to go."

"If you're sure." Nami pursed her lips. A mischievous glint entered her blue eyes. "Just can't wait to see your butler boyfriend again, can you? He's a bit prickly, but I guess anyone's better than the clown."

Josie flushed at the tease and gave the redhead a gentle shove.

"Quiet you. The butler's not my type — I just think something's off about this place. Opening an avenue to investigate won't hurt anything."

"Only if he doesn't fall in love with you and get his heart broken." Nami mocked and exaggeratedly batted her eyelashes.

"We won't be here long enough for anyone to fall in love." Josie scoffed, making air quotes with her fingers. She smirked. "Unless it's Usopp and Kaya, but I think they may be already at that point."

"You really think anything could come from it? She's a rich girl and he's just the guy working for her. I can't see it working out."

Josie hummed thoughtfully. "They may struggle at first. I admit, they do come from different worlds, but the odds aren't impassable. Their story reminds me of Aladdin and Jasmine's."

"Who?" Nami looked at her blankly, causing the older woman to stop short.

"Aladdin. And Princess Jasmine." Josie repeated, dumbfounded by the lack of recognition. "The genie and the lamp? The Book of One-Thousand and One nights?"

"Is that some kind of fairy tale?"

"I am in physical pain right now. You have no idea." The brunette clutched her chest dramatically. "You don't know Aladdin?! What about Cinderella? Snow White? Sleeping beauty?!"

Nami's shoulders relaxed and she rolled her eyes. "Never heard of them. I wasn't one for things like that. As a kid, adventure stories were always better."

"You'd love Mulan, then. Oh, no — Moana would be better. It's the story of a girl from a small island who sets sail in search of a demigod to save her island."

The resemblance to the tale was rather ironic — even shape shifted like Maui.

Despite the satisfaction Josie got from the comparison, Nami looked unimpressed. The girl's expression closed off as they reached the wardrobe room.

"You'll have to tell the story when we're not so pressed for time. Any idea about what you want to wear?"

Josie allowed the subject change without further comment.

The girls fell into silence as they stepped inside the room, stunned by the sheer amount of clothes on offer.

She had been in malls with less options.

It was like a lifetime of outfits had been crammed into the space, what little light there was muted by the layers of fabrics along the walls. It might have been a bedroom at one time, but had been repurposed with long poles running at different level overhead. Fabrics of every kind, from lace to leather and silk to corduroy, hung above the occupants. Nami had disappeared into the lower racks, only the subtle rustle of fabric signaling that she was still in the room.

In the center of the room, sprawled out over a long padded settee, was Luffy. The boy was laid out on his back, staring into the depths of the room with a frown.

“Why would anyone even need this many clothes?” he wondered in genuine confusion.

“Different occasions call for different styles.” Josie muttered absentmindedly, running her fingers over a collection of ballgowns that hung from an upper rack. She disregarded them with a shake of her head, moving on to what looked like an entire row of cocktail dresses.

The more childish part of her heart begged her to go back and at least try a few on, but the more rational side of her mind reminded her that dinner was quickly drawing near. She needed to find something suitable for a stranger’s birthday dinner instead of satisfying her inner Disney Princess.

But, boy was it hard.

“It’s not about need with these people.” Nami called from somewhere in the back of the room. “It’s about want.”

“What are we even supposed to wear?” Luffy sat up and looked at Josie for help, obviously out of his element.

The woman paused her browsing to consider the boy, thinking through the few times she’d seen him formally dressed in the animations.

His sharp suit from Strong World came to mind, but she had little hope that she could convince him into something like that so early in the game. No, it was easier to give him something he was comfortable with for now.

Josie looked back at the clothing racks, fingers combing through the clothes before they landed on a black, three piece suit. She pulled the outfit down, setting the jacket aside before presenting the remains to Luffy.

“Wear this.” she said simply, relishing the way he lit up at the suggestion. It was just his style. “Give me a second and I’ll find some shoes to go with it. Should I even worry about socks?”

“Nah, I never wear them!”  the boy denied cheerfully, already shucking off the button-up shirt he’d worn all morning. It looked like something Garp would wear on vacation. Actually… it might be a hand me down from the man.

Josie averted her eyes at his shamelessness and looked at Nami instead when the girl finally emerged.

“Well?” she asked, twisting to show off her black dress. “What do you think?”

“You look like Nami.” Luffy cocked his head obliviously, eyes wide as he searched for the difference.

“It’s a no for me.” Josie shook her head. “That skirt doesn’t suit your frame. Go for something more streamlined.”

Nami’s face smoothed from the irritation that came with Luffy’s naivety, the navigator looking thoughtful as she dove back into her search.

The light from the hallway dimmed briefly, catching Josie and Luffy’s attention.

They watched Zoro pass the room, only to reappear a moment later. He looked rather lost.

“Hey, Zoro!” Luffy called cheerfully. “Whatchu gonna wear?”

The swordsman looked around the room with consideration.

“Something black.”

“How edgy.” Nami snorted.

“Hey.” Zoro looked at Josie suddenly, eyes intent. “Does that butler seem familiar to you?”

“Yeah, I think he was at the last dinner party I attended.” Nami said sarcastically, sticking her head around the corner so he could see her eye roll.

“No, he’s right.” Josie said quietly. She looked nervously at the open door before hurrying to close it. She didn’t want to chance anyone overhearing their conversation. “Which is bad, considering I’m not from around here and the only way I would recognize someone from around here is…”

“Is if they were a pirate.” Zoro concluded grimly. He sat down in the corner and looked unimpressed when Nami came to show off another outfit.

“You’re just paranoid. No way a pirate would be someone’s butler.” She dismissed before twirling. “How’s this?”

“Still Nami.” Luffy grinned.

Zoro looked mildly offended. “I said I’m wearing black. And I’m not paranoid — Harper agrees with me.”

“Why are you calling me by my family name?” Josie asked incredulously. “You don’t call Luffy, Monkey.”

“Your name is childish.”

“And Luffy isn’t?!”

“I hate you guys.” Nami declared flatly before stomping away.

Josie threw a pitying look in her direction.

“That dress was better, but the jacket was a bit much.”

“I feel kinda bad for Kaya.” Luffy stated as he zipped up his slacks. He glanced up at all the clothes around them. “All this stuff, all this space. It’s gotta make a person feel… lonely.”

Josie regarded him somberly. She remembered his words to Ace and Sabo about having no one. It made sense that he would identify with Kaya; with Usopp.

(With all of them, really.)

Nami was less sympathetic.

“Rich people don’t have the same emotions we do.” she said coldly. “This stuff doesn’t make her feel lonely — it makes her feel important.”

“It’s really sad that you think like that.” Josie scoffed. Her cousin Sterling was relatively wealthy and he was one of the most empathetic people she’d ever known.

“This coming from the woman with a steady job in administration.” Nami said, quirking a brow at her. “You wanna tell us how much you make in a month?”

“Not nearly enough.” Josie said bluntly, staring the girl in the eye.

The redhead snorted, some of her good humor returning. “I bet.”

“Well, Usopp likes her and she invited us to dinner.” Luffy continued with his train of thought. He smiled to himself. “I’m sure we can work out a way to get that ship.”

“No way.” Nami denied firmly. “Rich people don’t stay rich by giving things away.”

Luffy smirked at her, the light of challenge shining in his eye.

“You wanna bet?”

Nami paused, turning slowly to look at him with interest. He didn’t seem the type, but if he was willing to play then so was she.

“What are the terms?”

“I bet I can convince Kaya to give us that ship.” he said cockily, moving closer to the navigator until he was practically in her face.

“And when you can’t?” she tilted her head, unmoved by the close proximity.

“We go with your plan — steal one and move on.”

Nami smirked. “You’re on.”

They shook on it, confidence radiating off the teens.

Luffy was convinced that there was more to Kaya than just her money and was willing to stake his dream ship on it.

Nami firmly believed that Kaya only cared for herself and wouldn’t be willing to help them at all.

“My money’s on Luffy.” Josie whispered conspiratorially to Zoro.

He cocked his head at her. “You don’t have any money. Besides, the witch won’t be able to resist stealing something. It may as well be something we can use.”

“Well, if I had any money, I would still put it on Luffy. He’s got too much charm for your heart to handle. If Kaya’s not at least a little in love with him by the end of the night…”

Zoro shook his head, but his smirk said it all. Even he couldn’t deny the effect Luffy had on people — after all, he was a victim of the boy himself.

“What are you wearing?” he asked instead, eyes roving over Josie’s still damp bathrobe.

“I wanted to find a nice cocktail dress, but none of these look like my size.” she admitted, worrying her lip between her teeth. “I may have to improvise.”

“Well, when you have an ass that big…”

Josie looked down at Zoro in amusement.

“You’ve been looking? Damn, it must be nice if it caught your attention, considering all you ever seem to do is sleep and drink.”

The swordsman flushed, glaring up at her.

“It’s not like I looked on purpose.” he snapped. “You’re just always in front of me when we walk.”

“And a good thing, too.” Josie leaned down to pat his cheek patronizingly. “You’re not the best with directions, honey.”

Zoro sat up straight, eyes flashing with fury, but was knocked back by a flying shirt.

Nami grinned at them, a knowing look in her eyes as she watched the first mate deal with the boatswain’s teasing.

He shook the shirt out, raising an appreciative eyebrow.

“Nice.” he hummed before standing and nearly running Josie over.

“Men.” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. An idea crossed her mind. She called sweetly to the navigator. “Nami! Could you come help me? I think I know what I’m looking for now.”

The redhead took one look at the older woman’s mischievous expression before tossing her head back and laughing until she was red in the face.

Sailing with this bunch… was actually kind of nice.

Josie followed Nami down the stairs. She stepped carefully, the train of her dress securely in hand and her focus on keeping her pace slow and steady.

It was, in part, a way to announce her presence with a graceful descent down the stairs. Mostly, however, it was simply an effort to keep her heeled feet from slipping on the rug.

“Oh, wow.” a familiar voice whispered from the foyer below. Josie risked looking away from her feet to find Usopp staring at her and Nami with wide eyes. “You, uh, look great. Both of you.”

Nami looked exceptionally pleased.

“That’s what you say when a girl asks how she looks.” the redhead told Luffy pointedly as she stepped down beside him.

He just blinked in confusion.

“I don’t get it?”

“And something tells me you never will.” Josie teased gently before blinking in surprise when a hand was offered to her. The man at the foot of the stairs was familiar, though they had never met. “Oh, thank you. I don’t believe I saw you earlier.”

“You’re quite welcome, madam. My name is Merry. I am Miss Kaya’s accountant and family lawyer — I just arrived for her birthday dinner. And I was ever so pleased to find her friends attending as well!”

Josie smiled sweetly at the man, charmed at once by his kind and gentlemanly demeanor. This man, at least, was genuine in his love for the birthday girl.

“I’m pleased to meet you. My name is Harper Josie and this is Nami. I think you already met the boys.”

Merry chuckled. “Oh, yes. They’re quite energetic. I’ve known Usopp since he was a child.”

She grinned. The boys had left the girls quickly after donning their suits. They had no interest in waiting around for her and Nami to do their hair and makeup.

“Well, I’m glad they haven’t broken anything, at least.” she teased with a gentle touch to Luffy’s shoulder, earning a grin in return.

“What’s up with your dress?” Zoro huffed, eyeing her gown.

“Like it? It reminds me of someone, but I can’t place the name.” She grinned and twirled to give him a better look. “Did I do good? It’s not black.”

“It looks like Josie.” Luffy grinned obliviously, not really seeming to register the difference. “Your hair is so shiny!”

She touched a hand to her curls, feeling the added weight of the diamond pins holding it away from her face. They matched the simple necklace she’d found.

Josie had chosen a long evening gown with very little embellishment, the smooth fabric a muted phthalo green that hugged her body in a mermaid style before falling to just barely pool on the floor around her feet. The bodice was a simple sweetheart neckline with thick, off-the-shoulder straps and barely noticeable panels that criss crossed over her breasts.

It was a basic choice that showcased her cleavage and her figure without revealing too much.

Unlike her last encounter with a pirate where Josie felt uncomfortably on display, this time she did so with a purpose. The dress was her battle armor for dinner with the enemy.

“It’s green. That’s my color.” Zoro grumbled, crossing his arms and averting his eyes from the way the fabric hugged her backside.

Josie looked over her shoulder at him, mischief in her eyes.

“And black is mine. Are you embarrassed to match? What a shame — I was hoping you would escort me to dinner…”

“In your dreams!” the swordsman barked, ears red.

“Of course.” Josie nodded sagely. “The only way you’d find the way would be if it were a fantasy. But don’t worry — this is reality and I’ll be the one who makes sure you make it to the dining room. Would you like me to hold your hand?”

Zoro made an unintelligible noise of rage before stalking over to a side table full of cocktails. He downed one immediately before going for another.

The boatswain lifted a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggle.

“Oh, dear.” Merry said with amusement. “He’s quite sensitive, isn’t he?”

“Much too easy to tease.” she agreed. “It’s quite hard to resist. I must admit, sometimes I feel like Beatrice facing down Benedick — I hate to let him have the last word.”

“Is your friend in danger of a predestinate, scratched face?” Merry chuckled, catching her literary reference. It gave her pause, surprised that Shakespeare was well-known in this world as well as her own.

She laughed.

“Scratching could not make it worse, were it such a face as his.”

Nami snorted at the jibe, though the boys looked lost behind her.

Their attention was quickly taken by Sham, who had arrived with a tray of horderves, and they hurried to stuff themselves with pre-dinner treats.

“If you will excuse me,” Josie demurred, looking around the foyer with barely disguised interest. The penguin sculptures were adorable, if a bit out of place among the gilded tables and walls painted with detailed scenery. “I’d like to explore a bit before dinner.”

“By all means.” Merry released her hand and pointed to an open door to the side of the stairs. “There is a lovely music room through there, if that sort of thing interests you. As well as a collection of books and pottery. Having such a refined taste as your own, I think you will enjoy it.”

She beamed at him, squeezing his arm in thanks. “I’m sure I will.”

“You go have fun with your books.” Nami smirked sultrily, sidling up to Merry. “I think I’ll stay and enjoy the company. So, you manage all of Kaya’s finances?”

Josie laughed quietly to herself as she left the man to the navigator’s tender mercy.

He was more kind and charming than she expected and she was quite glad to see him there.

It was better for Kaya.

Josie stepped into the music room with a gasp of awe.

One of the things she had loved most about her grandmother’s home was the old world style of it. It was like stepping into a scene from a Jane Austen novel. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy could step out and nobody would blink an eye there.

Kaya’s mansion was no different.

Modeled in the French Renaissance style, the music room was paneled in red oak, the ceiling above possessing the same wood in a darker stain. Large beams of shining wood crisscrossed the ceiling in a square pattern. On the far wall, there was a beautiful marble fireplace, unlit for the moment, and tiled with blush pink tiles. Above the mantel was a faded print of a towering city shaped like a fountain.

A homage to the grandest city of shipbuilders — Water Seven.

On either side of the fireplace were the books Merry spoke of, an elegant collection of dark covers and gold embossing. The smell of them filled the air, giving Josie the much loved feeling of stepping into a library.

Despite the title of the room, it was quiet. The sounds of conversation from the foyer were distant and muted, despite the close proximity.

A small table, painted with a pastoral scene of a fox hunt, sat before the fireplace. A pair of embroidered chairs with similar scenery bracketed the table. To the side of them was another chair, padded and comfortable with a music stand in front. A well-loved violin rested on the seat, gleaming in the muted light from the walls.

Scattered around the room was a collection of complimenting memorabilia, hand painted vases and beautifully cut sculptures. There was even a harp placed to the side, taller than Josie and the strings shining.

The true centerpiece of the room, however, was the gleaming black Steinway piano in the center of the floor.

Josie’s eyes glimmered as she approached the instrument and sat on the bench.

Her fingers danced a light melody over the ivory keys, an upbeat tune that filled the air. It was a reflection of the joy she’d felt upon entering the music room.

Josie loved music, loved the way it affected emotions and clung to memories. She particularly loved the way it worked in the brains of children — the way rhythm and melody helped teach them.

She couldn't wait to meet Brook.

The thought of the silly skeleton with the outrageous afro brought a smile to her lips.

It would be quite some time before they met, but she had a feeling that the time would fly by and she'd be able to look back on their early adventures fondly.

They just had to get through them first.

The changes in the world were... somewhat alarming. So far, things had been parallel to the events Josie was familiar with, but being invited to dinner with Kaya was a surprise.

It was like navigating the dark with a candle.

She could make her way around the things she remembered but couldn't account for those unknown in the shadows.

Thump.

Josie froze, her fingers suddenly cold against the piano keys. Her quiet melody came to an abrupt halt.

There was something moving in the corner.

Splitting off from the rest of the crew was totally a horrible idea.

She thought back to the crowbar in her rucksack and mourned leaving it behind in the wardrobe room.

In any way, she was screwed.

Buchi and Sham had played Zoro for a fool in the animation — she was just a preschool administrator. Not a fighter.

“Joooosieeee.” a ghastly voice whispered.

Goosebumps erupted across her arms and she rose to her feet in preparation to run.

There was a thud, the sound of something heavy landing on the carpet, and followed by a wet squelch. Like a soaked towel being dragged over the floor.

What the hell was that?

Now uncertain if there really was an enemy pirate in the shadows, Josie peered closer at the speaker.

“... who are you?” she asked quietly, not daring to move closer.

“Joooosieeee.” the voice rattled.

It sounded almost… drowned. Like someone trying to speak through a mouthful of water.

“How do you know my name?!” she demanded, a sense of panic and dread settling in her stomach. Her heart rate kicked up and her voice rose in volume.

“Help ussss…”

"Help you how?" she asked, glancing nervously at the empty doorway to the room.

None of the crew or servants had come looking for her yet — she was alone with whatever was hiding. Even if she screamed and caused them to come running, she'd have to deal with the presence first.

"Open the doorsss..." The voice whispered, drawing her attention back into the room.

A strangled shriek escaped her when Josie suddenly found herself face-to-face with the specter.

The woman was dead — it was perfectly plain to see.

She wore a long gown that may have once been considered elegant and beautiful. Now it weighed her down, torn and soaked with seawater. Seaweed clung to the sleeves and barnacles laced the hem, creating a discord of sound when they dragged over the carpet.

The woman's face was blue and bloated, swollen with salt water and the natural gases that accompanied death. Eyes, lidless and shining like white marbles, stared blankly back at Josie.

The boatswain gagged at the smell of the specter, rotting death and dark water seeping into the carpet beneath them, and fell back. The carpet felt damp beneath her fingers, the water flowing from the specter quickly rising around them.

The dead woman paid her distress no mind, leaning forward to speak again.

"Open the doorssss... and run."

Josie screamed, scrambling to her feet, and bolted from the music room like the very devil himself was on her heels.

She hit a wall and wailed again, fingers clawing at the barrier with wild hysteria.

The wall reached out and grabbed her wrists, forcing a stop to her struggles. It shook her once, her head snapping back and shocking her into silence.

"Josie!" the wall barked sharply.

She panted, feeling half-blind as she focused on the man before her and realized he was no wall at all — it was Zoro, his face pinched with concern and eyes hard.

He had her pinned against the wall with his back to the music room. A solid defense against whatever had been pursuing her. Once again, he offered her protection from the unknown, not even hesitating against a potential threat.

A whimper left her involuntarily as Josie realized they were alone. Her legs gave out beneath her, suddenly jelly-like in their substance, and she felt herself beginning to slide down the wall. Her face felt hot and waxy, like the skin had been pulled tight and solidified in place.

Zoro caught her quickly, pulling her to his chest and holding her upright. He smelled like steel and some sort of cologne that balanced on the edges of musky and sweet. An odd choice for someone like him, but Josie found it soothing all the same.

“There’s something wrong with this place,” she gasped after finding her voice. “I don’t want to stay the night here.”

The swordsman’s eyes narrowed, looking over his shoulder at the empty room before turning back to his crew mate. 

Her previously well-kept appearance was flagging, her hair ruffled and her dress bunched up. Her skin, a normally sun-kissed tan, had gone pale and sallow. The most obvious sign of distress were her eyes. They were wide and wild, the chocolate color nearly blown black, and were starting to brim with tears.

The man felt a surge of his own panic at the sight of them and he patted her awkwardly on the back.

Please, don’t let her start crying.

“What happened?” he demanded brusquely, fighting the urge to pull away from their embrace. There was no telling what would set her off into tears and he didn’t want to risk it. No matter how uncomfortable he was.

Still, he needed to know what they were up against. As far as he could tell, she had been alone in the room. Luffy and Nami had remained in the foyer with their new companions, along with all the staff for the house. Which meant that there was another face unaccounted for — someone capable of frightening Josie into hysterics.

Their boatswain, soft as she seemed, had a hidden spine of steel.

This was the woman who faced down an insane clown and came away still swinging.

“I don’t know.” Josie finally mumbled, staring at the empty room. “I saw… something. Something impossible. I know it sounds crazy, but I can tell there’s something more going on here than we can see.”

“Think the butler’s behind it?”

Josie’s eyes hardened, the threat of tears dissipating, and Zoro felt the stirrings of relief flow through him. He loosened his hold on her and was pleased that the woman stayed on her feet.

There was that steel.

“I’m sure of it. Don’t you think it’s odd?” she asked, her eyes imploring him to understand her reasoning. “That some rich girl gets so sick that she doesn’t have the energy to leave the mansion and has to stay in, isolated from the rest of the town? That they won’t let the person she calls a friend into see her — actively keeping him away from her. The only person outside the walls that would miss her.”

“You think they’re after her money?” Zoro surmised, brow furrowing. The fact that they were on the same line of thought seemed to please her, an encouraging smile curling her lips and causing him to avert his eyes. “Making her sick so they can control her.”

“Exactly.” Josie murmured, looking down the hall furtively. Being overheard now would be a mistake. She didn’t notice Zoro’s sudden awkwardness. “Keep your eyes peeled during dinner — we may get some answers.”

“Considering there’s no way we’re getting out of here until Luffy gets something to eat,” the man snorted, turning to continue down the hall. “Not to mention his bet with Nami about the ship.”

Josie caught him by the hand, a touch of color returning to her face as she grinned.

“Not so fast, detective. The foyer’s the other way.”

Zoro froze before doing an about-face and hurrying off in the correct direction in silence, using their linked hands to drag Josie along with him. She stifled a giggle and hurried to keep up.

Dinner, of course, was a disaster.

They made it through the early courses easily enough, enjoying crisp salads and a light broth soup before the main course of a delicately baked fish was placed before them.

Josie, sat between Zoro and Merry at the end of the table, tried not to let her displeasure show.

She’d never been fond of fish, not for the taste nor the texture, and it quite made her stomach sour to have one on her plate — eyeballs still intact.

It smelled wonderful and looked pretty enough on the plate — but she still didn’t want to eat it.

It was staring at her!

What had happened to the hog Buchi had been preparing, anyway?

She was silently contemplating how difficult it would be to slip the fish across the table onto her captain’s plate without anyone noticing when Sham returned to the dining room.

The maid carried a silver tray with a solitary bowl, some strange earthy scent wafting off its contents.

She made to pass the table, but was forced to pause when Zoro stuck an empty wine bottle out in her path.

“Keep this coming.” he commanded, ignoring the maid’s disdainful expression.

“Are you planning on getting any protein in tonight, or are you going for an antioxidant diet?” Josie teased, lifting a bottle to look at the label. “Is this a grape wine? How health conscious of you!”

“Anti-what?” Zoro frowned, causing Josie to giggle.

“Antioxidants.” she enunciated. “They help your body prevent damage from things like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Though, I’m joking about using wine to do it — alcohol actually has the opposite effect.”

“Are you a doctor, Miss Harper?” Kaya asked, rather interested in the subject.

Josie smiled, remembering how the girl had chosen to become a doctor in the animations.

“No, but being health conscious doesn’t hurt as long as you don’t overdo it. I’m actually an administrator at a preschool, but before that I was a teacher. Making sure the children in my care had a healthy diet was a given.”

“And yet she smokes reef in her free time,” Zoro snorted, returning to his wine.

“And yet,” Josie rolled her eyes at the jab. “There are multiple health benefits to smoking, especially for those with chronic illness or pain. Trust me — if I didn’t smoke, you’d be dealing with a much more unpleasant side of me.”

Kaya ducked her head to hide a smile, ignoring the disapproving look Kuro gave Josie for the admittance of illegal drug use. Her smile faded as Sham reached her, the girl staring at the bowl of soup with dismay.

“I’d love to try the fish tonight.” she hedged hopefully, so earnest that even the maid looked guilty for bringing her something else.

Kuro, however, was unabashedly stubborn and didn’t seem to falter in the face of those big, brown eyes.

“I’m sorry, Miss Kaya.” he said before Sham could reply, killing the younger woman’s hope. “But that is not possible.”

“Maybe just a small piece?” Kaya pleaded quietly, seeming a bit embarrassed by the denial in front of their company but still unwilling to back down just yet.

“It does seem a shame to ignore the birthday girl’s wishes.” Josie frowned, turning from Zoro to back their host up. The blonde shot her a grateful look.

Kuro looked between both of them with careful disapproval.

“Now, Miss Kaya knows that certain foods can affect her constitution.” he gestured for Sham to serve Kaya her entree. “Here — Buchi has prepared your special soup.”

“Kaya, it’s your birthday.” Nami joined Josie in speaking up, the girls sharing an exasperated glance. “You should be able to eat what you want.”

“Surely the fish can be prepared in a way that won’t upset Kaya’s stomach.” the boatswain agreed, arching a brow at Buchi in challenge. If he wouldn’t get back in that kitchen and make Kaya something she wanted on her birthday, then Josie wouldn’t have any qualms about marching back there and taking care of things herself. She was no stranger in the kitchen — Southern women were raised there from the time they could hold a spoon and shell peas.

The apparent chef looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Josie had always been plagued with intrusive thoughts about hitting them when she drove at night. Just once — for the experience of it.

“Miss Kaya’s medical condition necessitates that I closely monitor her dietary needs.” Kuro stated obstinately, a scowl now curling his lips.

“Does that mean you also speak for her?” Nami asked coldly, looking just as displeased with the argument.

At the head of the table, Kaya looked miserable.

Kuro tilted his head, the dining room lights creating a glare on his glasses. Josie couldn’t get a read on him, but she already knew his character well.

Which is where the dinner began rolling downhill in earnest.

Luffy, the sweet idiot, raised his hand with oblivious innocence. “I’ll take her fish.”

Josie dropped her face into her hand with a silent sigh. Of course, thinking with his stomach would be his first instinct.

At the other end of the table, Usopp looked similarly discomforted. His eyes darted between Kuro and the confrontational women with poorly disguised anxiety. He gulped and plastered on a crooked grin.

“Luffy, isn’t there something that you wanted to talk to Kaya about?” he asked hopefully.’

The rubber man perked up.

“Oh, yes! Usopp told me that you own the whole shipyard.”

Kaya smiled a bit awkwardly. “Um, actually my parents founded the shipyard and Merry’s been running the business since… well, since they passed.” Merry lifted his glass in gentle acknowledgement of the situation. Kaya’s smile strengthened and she brightened slightly. “But, all of that’s about to change. Tonight, at midnight, I will become the sole owner.” 

She turned to share a look with Usopp, whose anxiety faded in favor of a fierce pride for his best friend.

Josie nudged Zoro’s foot with her own and subtly inclined her head towards Kuro. There was a greedy gleam in the butler’s eyes that was hard to miss.

Zoro seemed to catch her meaning, nudging her back as he continued guzzling down his wine. His eyes remained sharp and alert, despite the copious amounts of alcohol he had been consuming over the course of the night.

Luffy looked pleased and took a sip of his grape juice before speaking.

“Ah, well that’s great — because we want to buy a ship from you.”

Josie raised her eyebrows, wondering just how he expected to pay. It wasn’t like he had his Pirate Fund (or whatever it was the ASL brothers had called it) stashed in the lining of his hat.

Whatever he proposed was sure to be entertaining.

“I see.” Kaya said pleasantly. “Usopp mentioned that you’re sailors.”

“Nope, not sailors.” Luffy grinned. “We’re pirates.”

Across the table, Usopp promptly choked on his wine and did a spectacular spit-take back into his glass.

Josie was mildly impressed at his lack of spillage.

Then again — world’s best sniper.

At the end of the table, Merry sat down his fork and knife. He looked mortified by the turn of events and gave Josie a betrayed look.

She shrugged impishly as Nami shared a horrified look with Zoro.

It was what it was, now.

Whether they got thrown out or not at the end of the night, it was clear to her that Luffy was only beginning his spiel and they were his captive audience until he was through.

Because, really — did anyone actually have a chance at stopping the boy once he got going?

Josie had yet to see the rubber man fail to bounce back and come out on top.

Even Kaido couldn’t keep him down for long.

Zoro looked to be joining her train of thought, a smirk curling the corner of his lips.

“This ought to be good.”

Kaya was visibly struggling to maintain her composure. “Pirates?”

“Yep.” Luffy nodded enthusiastically. “We haven’t sailed together for very long, but we have already defeated an evil clown, raided a Marine base, and taken down a captain with an axe for a hand.”

Josie nudged Zoro again, the pair watching as a flash of emotion crossed Kuro's face. It was a brief expression of fear and derision before he composed himself again.

 “These sound a lot like your adventures, Usopp.” Kaya tried to laugh the boy off.

The sniper chuckled awkwardly, his silver tongue seeming to fail him. “Yeah, that’s… That’s crazy.”

He wiped the remnants of his drink from his chin.

“Oh, yeah. And we’re just getting started.” Luffy seemed to grow on the attention, quickly climbing onto the table with drink in hand.

Josie screamed out a laugh, hurrying to save her wine from the boy's path. She giggled at the staff's appalled expressions and sat back to watch the show with open amusement.

“What are you doing? Get down from there at once!” Kuro was less amused and scolded the teenager. He rushed to Kaya's side, apparently ready to pull her from the line of fire.

The blonde, however, was caught under Luffy's spell, an amazed smile curling her lips as she watched him draw near.

“Being a pirate has been my dream for as long as I can remember. And I’m finally making it a reality.”

Zoro looked similarly taken by the young captain's speech, his wine forgotten in favor of dreams.

“We’re heading out to the Grand Line, where even more adventures await us. And at the end of the journey, I’m gonna find the ultimate treasure — the One Piece. And become King of the Pirates.”

Despite jumping at every clatter of the silverware, Kaya was unable to look away.

Josie noted with amusement that Buchi was also jumping with anxiety as Luffy crossed the table, the man's eyes fixed on the food like a mother with a newborn.

It was an unexpected quirk that made the man more sympathetic.

Though, Josie had no such sympathy for an assassin like him.

“You’re… serious?”

Reality seemed to be dawning on Kaya as Luffy handed Kuro his glass. The butler took it reluctantly, a heavy sigh of annoyance escaping him, but didn't stop Luffy from crouching down and taking Kaya by the shoulders.

“Kaya, you have a beautiful ship out there. A caravel with a sheep figurehead. It spoke to me.” Nami looked annoyed by the speech, no doubt thinking of their bet and her own seemingly lost dreams. “That’s the ship we need to follow our dreams. I promise you, we’ll take care of it. Maintain it, treat it like any other member of our crew — because a ship is also a home.” 

Finally, Kuro seemed to reach his boiling point and snapped.

“That will be quite enough! I should have known Usopp would bring riffraff to our doorstep.” 

Josie scowled, feeling affronted about being called riffraff, and felt her dislike of the man grow. She didn’t think it was possible to hate the man any more than she already did, but stranger things had happened.

“Klahadore, it’s okay. I—” Kaya tried to reassure him, only to fall victim to a coughing fit. 

“Now look what you’ve done! You’ve upset Miss Kaya. All of you — out of this house at once!”

“No.” Kaya shook her head firmly as Kuro gestured for Buchi and Sham to come help her. She met the butler’s eyes defiantly, putting her foot down as the mistress of the house. “It’s late. Let them stay the night.”

“As you wish, Miss Kaya, but they are out first thing in the morning.”

Josie's expression pinched as she tried to keep her smile, but Zoro saw through her.

His hand dropped heavily onto her leg, giving her thigh a quick squeeze. She looked at him questioningly.

"It'll be fine." He murmured only for her ears to catch. "You're not alone."

Her smile regained its strength and she covered his hand with her own. 

Merry caught the exchange. His expression fell briefly before he shook himself into a better mood.

"Well, this has certainly been a birthday to remember." He cleared his throat as he stood. "Since the others are busy seeing to Miss Kaya, I believe it's up to me to get you settled for the night. Come — I believe I'm familiar enough with the house to find you appropriate quarters."

"That would be lovely," Josie sighed in relief, thinking about a comfortable T-shirt and some pajama shorts. She looked to her captain first. "Luffy — any objections to turning in for the night?"

"Nope," the boy grinned, gesturing Merry forward. "Lead on."

The rest of the crew released a collective breath, hoping to get a respite from the excitement of the day. 

Josie glanced out the window as they filed out of the dining room.

The full moon watched her from the sky, a beacon that called out all sorts of strange behavior in people.

Josie had seen it often enough while working with children — she doubted the effect would be any different on pirates.

[lucius-morningstar]

More fun facts of my Morningstar Family

This involves fun facts about Lucius, Esperanza, Liam and Eris.

Luicus: - He is secretly a fan of trashy romance novels. He knows they're shit and knows they're predictable. But he can't help it.. Unfortunately this secret did not stay secret for long Niffty found most of them in his room and to this day Angel still mocks him about it. - Yes he is also secretly into Hell-A-Novella. To be fair the whole hotel is secretly-not so secretly into it. He'll play it off like it's stupid but eventually he'll come back to watch it and bitch and argue with some of the other staff about plot holes, characters being stupid or the most shocking them coming back from the dead or having an evil twin. "Why are there always evil twins?!" - Ironically while Lucius is super uncomfortable at hearing about his sister (or AU sisters) sex lives, heck he doesn't even like to talk about his own in front of them. He doesn't care too much when it comes to his AU brothers and an even more funny/ironic twist in the other AU's he's in (Heavenly AU mostly) He's kind of the opposite, he makes crude jokes and tends to talk or brag about his own sex life.

Eris Fun Facts/Tidbits: - Despite having a somewhat bubbly personality like her mother and mostly in front of everyone. Her temper tends to get the better of her when she's alone fighting obvious anger and frustration towards others who've upset her or hurt her. She tends to keep it at bay most of the time because she fears what her true form might look like. Is she sure of what it looks like, no. But figures if she keeps most of her negative feelings at bay then she'll never have to know. - As stated her love interest is eventually going to be Molly but their relationship doesn't start off all that healthy as it's more of a one sided flirting that Eris doesn't ever take seriously because Molly flirts with just about everyone. So their friendship is a touch complicated. - She has a habit of trying to hide her horn more often then not but it's easier said then done. It's a singular horn that for a while she genuinely dislikes about herself. Of course as she gets older that changes, it just takes time.

Liam Fun Facts/Tidbits: - Liam was a last minute addition but i kinda liked the idea of their baby boy falling for one of children of the very exorcists that caused them the most trouble. He knows his mothers are less then thrilled about his choice in a partner not that anything has happened. - Most of his time is often spent with his grandpa, like Charlie he does enjoy hearing some of his old stories. His interest in heaven and the stories only grew when he met Harper. (I am still debating on Harper or Eden being his love interest.) ----

Esperanza Fun Facts/Tidbits: - As I've stated more often then not, Esperanza is the most chaotic out of my Morningstar next gen. Many joke that this is just the Morningstar Demon at play that Lucius let loose during her creation. Now she has no idea what that means and he's grateful for it. - Esperanza often goes by Rani because her name in her eyes is too long. The only ones who use her full name is her Abuela but she finds her a bit intimidating and doesn't really mind her calling her by her full name. However she knows when her parents us it, it's never for a good reason. - Her middle name is Serena and it was chosen because a friend of mine technically voted it as Esperanza's OG name and I felt bad that it didn't win the poll so I made it her middle name. - Esperanza often uses her wings and tail for well kind of useless reasons. She likes to climb with the little clawed hooked wings and tries to use it as a means to ambush family members. Her favorite victims are usually her cousins and Auntie Vaggs, she has tried doing it to her Abuela but some how she always knows when she's near by. She never seems to get angry about it or at least she thinks she does. She doesn't get mad like the others do. - She also likes to use her tail to hang upside down, us she does fold her wings around herself like a little odd cocoon. Why does she do this, she's not sure. She just likes it.

[astra-galaxie]

sooo I dug up an old au I had when i first got into cc and it’s called single! dad! nathan! au! and it also contains some harpthan the context and explanation is during the events of CC season 1 nathan has a 14 year old daughter named Robyn-Anne (Her DOB: 11-24-1999) and nathan and his gf at the time had her they were 18 years old.

Robyn’s mother, Arielle bailed on Nathan shortly after Robyn was born which left him depressed. Arielle’s parents would’ve been disappointed in Arielle for abandoning Nathan and their daughter but gladly help Nathan out with raising Robyn-Anne while he goes to college. While Nathan’s parents are also disappointed and upset in their son and wonder what the hell he’s gonna do but also try to support him as best they can. I have a hc that Grace, Nathan, and Jones were childhood bffs so the two were shocked that Nathan had a kid right after high school and Grace and Jones being Robyn’s god parents.

Now with Robyn as she’s growing up she’d act just like her father and a mix of her mom, she’d look more similar to Arielle and sometimes the way she acts would remind Nathan of her mother. As a kid Robyn would be energetic and outgoing while sometimes she’d cling to Nathan’s side and wonder about him being a coroner. With the GPD Robyn would be close with them and her dad, having some banter with the GPD and a funny thing being her having beef with Jones and Alex.

At the age of 14 Robyn would still be energetic, but would have a much more quiet and reserved personality. She’d act more like Nathan, and would want to be a coroner like him. Robyn would despise her mother for abandoning her and Nathan and for not even bothering to try to see her or at least call. After the events of snakes on the stage and her dad is dating Harper stone, Robyn would be distant at first with her dad’s new girlfriend but would warm up to her.

Now after the events of there will be blood, Arielle would come back after 14-15 years. She’d see Nathan has moved on, and would try to get back with him and try to take and see Robyn and this pisses Nathan and everyone off because of how Arielle deciding to come back after 15 years and thinking how she can just come and take their daughter, now in it the GPD would have to refrain from jumping Arielle. Robyn ends up lashing out on her mother telling her that she’s not her mom you abandoned me and dad and now you want us back for your own gain, Arielle tries to manipulate her into thinking that she wouldn’t do something like that but fails and promptly gets kicked out

Oh! That's an interesting AU! I first thought Arielle would come back as a suspect, victim or killer. But her return outside of a case and immediate attempt to force her way into her daughter's life works well!

I imagine no one was happy with Arielle trying to "play mom" and pretend she hadn't abandoned her kid. I don't blame Robyn for hating her mother, and good on her for sticking up for herself and her real family!

This idea would make for an interesting fanfic! Thank you for sharing!

[playedbetter]

Elias Info

Name: Elias Acker

Gender & Pronouns: Bigender (He/She)

Orientation: Omnisexual

Age: 34

FC: Robert Sheehan

Background

Elias was born into a poor family plagued by problems such as his dad Thomas's gambling issues, to his aunt Denise regularly crashing at their tiny Brooklyn apartment to avoid her children, to his mom Harper being an overworking perfectionist prone to fits of despair due to her untreated and undiagnosed bipolar, which Elias inherited. There was love, but also glaring problems that circumstance kept them from ever dealing with.

Elias from a young age felt the pressure of the family's future and trying to help them. He was a good kid, incredibly straight laced because he knew there weren't second chances for him. Also incredibly polite and prone to suppressing his own problems because he knew everybody already had enough on their plates.

In highschool he was getting pressured to go into med school to become a doctor so that everybody could get what they needed. This left Elias with little personal time between studying and extracurriculars picked up to look good on an essay. He had few relationships, the most notable being with a girl from another school who dumped him after about three weeks. He also worth what little time he did have pick up poetry, which became a passion of his which he couldn't pursue.

He managed to land a spot in a decent med school, and while he wasn't a natural at it, he did put a lot of effort into his studying. His family were thrilled and dreaming of what they'd buy with his first paycheck. His few friends already were planning a party at his place for when he landed his first job. Elias was absolutely miserable, only riding the highs of caffeine and nicotine to keep himself going.

It was an impulse buy on the afternoon he finished his undergraduate, he was picking up a pack of smokes and saw that the powerball was drawing in only a few short hours, he grabbed a single quick pick and forgot about it till the next morning when he looked up the winning numbers and found out he had landed the jackpot.

In his excitement he told his whole family and his friends, who were all thrilled, and all wanted a cut. By the time he even got the money several people took out high interest loans and got him to pay them off, and everybody wanted their debts wiped clean. Elias wanted to help so gave them that. His parents wanted a house, his aunt wanted a car, his friends wanted to go to Tokyo and Disneyland, his dad wanted more tickets, his uncle wanted a boat, his cousins wanted presents, everybody wanted everything from him, and Elias just wanted them to be happy so he gave it to them.

It was only when he realized he hadn't put anything into retirement or getting himself a house or vehicle or even paying off his own debt in full and the money was down to six figures that he realized he had been completely exploited. People were still asking him for stuff while he was budgeting so he'd be okay for just a couple years. He completely exploded at a family dinner when his uncle complained about how small his boat was and implied Elias had been stingy, Elias screamed at all of them until his throat went hoarse and then stormed out the door in a blind rage wishing that he would never see any of them, to be somewhere without them in it, he wasn't even sure where he was going.

But where he ended up certainly was not what he had in mind, as the world around him looked like the blown out rubble of war. At first he wandered around thinking he was having a complete break from reality, then some roving bandits found him and chased him, eventually he fled back to where his apartment was to try hiding until things went back to normal, however there he found in the rubble a dead version of himself. He backed out the door wishing to be anywhere else. His bad luck continued for a while until he was put on an earth with no danger or life, which gave him a chance to have a panic attack and figure out what the hell was happening.

After that he got a handle on his powers, and for the next four years went through the multiverse looking for his purpose in it, and becoming an expert on his own powers. Surely it wasn't random he had powers. Surely there was a point to this all. Surely he could make things better and that would improve his own life.

It was exhausting, and he fell back into bad habits of letting others exploit him. The breaking point though was finding a universe where Eli had cut everyone off when he won the lottery and everyone was better off for it, even his friends and family were happier. Everyone would have been better off if he had just been selfish. And for every universe he helped, there was an infinite amount of them suffering. Every sacrifice felt pointless.

Everything was pointless.

He broke. He decided to only live for himself, with reckless abandon for literally everything. To not control his urges and impulses, and refuse the part of himself that cared too much about everyone and everything. He changed his look and outlook on life.

About a year ago he met the only other known universe hopper by pure coincidence, Leah Kravitz, and he was immediately endeared even outside their brief prior connection. He found himself taking her under his wing and trying to keep her away from the pitfalls he fell into when first exploring his powers. They bonded a lot, and Elias found himself loving her, and found himself scared that he was going to get zir hurt in one of his self destructive impulses.

She confronted him over his reckless behavior and he made no attempt to defend himself, both knowing she was right, and hoping for zir own safety she'd leave. He even went so far as to claim he only cared about his own entertainment, which at that point was a lie. She did leave to have her own adventures, which he has kept tabs on.

Since then he's been traveling mainly on his own, causing trouble and killing time quite frankly. Occasionally letting people tag along his travels or staying in a universe for an extended period to try to fight a growing loneliness in him; unaware that it will take honesty with himself to defeat.

Personality

No matter at what point you met Elias you'll be met by a charming and empathic person who can lend a shoulder, give good advice, and is humorous. She likes to meet new people and tends to be rather talkative. He also is smart with people, technical information, and most of all the way things work, what makes them tick (hence the first two things). Hidden under some sort of persona she is incredibly self destructive and prone to feeling worthless; in manic episodes these traits show up as overachieving and risky behavior like unprotected sex or putting himself into dangerous situations; in depressive episodes it takes the form of pure nihilism, lack of even basic self care, and self isolation.

Despite whatever persona he might have he's also always concerned with what he considers the greatest good, which depends on his circumstances. The health and safety of the whole multiverse is always there though, whether he knows it or not.

He used to be a sweet and deeply compassionate person, more worried about everyone else than himself. He was the friend that always offered her shoulder and had time and never complained. Rather timid and a pushover to those close to him, he didn't know how to say no to people because she didn't want to disappoint anybody. His own problems he'd just suppress as to not burden anybody. Very self destructive though when left alone, putting himself at risk and working herself to the bone.

After finding his powers but before his big breakdown he was withdrawn and mostly quiet, going along with things to gather information and asking a lot of questions, not talking much at all about himself. He was looking for his greater purpose in everything, and thus approached everything with an earnest conviction to put his all into it, and to try to help. She still was working himself to the bone, and would try on any role given to her for at least a little bit no matter how he liked it.

After his breakdown he's decided to only do what entertains him in some way, and follow any and all of his impulses. This can range from incredibly destructive and chaotic lash outs to just trickster like help depending on his mood and connection to the people affected. This also includes his own self destructive impulses. Ultimately despite his attempts to suppress it, he is still capable of caring about people, and when he does he'll go out of his way for them and keep tabs on how they're doing.

Eventually he's going to learn that everything does matter despite its infinite nature, and at that point he's going to have a lot of amends to make, but she isn't there yet.

Powers

Reality Hopping: He can travel the multiverse by going through anything that looks like a doorway, gateway, or opening. If unspecified he arrives in a random universe in a random location near a similar gateway. He can specify what universe he's traveling to by qualities (such as what year it's in, human population levels, if magic is present, etc), by people he knows or knows of (The one with the Jane Doe I met last week), or by any name he knows the universe by. If he specifics a universe absolutely impossible to exist she arrives in a dark void. He can bring people with him as long as they have a grasp on him through some means and goes through the same gateway in up to five seconds of him. (This power inspired by @chaosmultiverse)

Multiversal Consistent: In every single universe some version of him has existed. They might be dead in the present year, or might exist in the future of the universe. They share his basic traits and have a name that at least sounds like his if not the same name. They don't necessarily have to be human, or even sentient. This is what connects Elias to the whole multiverse.

Abilities

Marksmanship: He has training with basic firearms and has some experience with all conventional types of guns.

Medicine: He has the training of a medical student circa the 2010s, not advanced in any field but leagues above basic first aid training. He can treat standard injuries, illnesses, and has knowledge on disabilities and mental illnesses.

Equipment

Throughout threads he might gather helpful items. This will be updated as items are obtained.

Bracer of Storage: He can hold up to five items in this, and can stow items by touching them. When retrieving an item it either appears in a free hand (favoring his left) or in front of him if he has no free hand or the object is too large to hold.

Universal Translator: Picked up in a magical universe, this ring lets her understand anything he hears and lets anybody understand what she is saying.

Phone: Has a cross universe data plan. Extended battery life. Requires a signal.

Chalk: For on the fly gate creation.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Oh.

by AlexaAffect His eyes flicked to Roy’s lips at the last second, just making out the words can’t walk. He watched Jason flush, just barely noticeable in the dim light, and Damian’s interest was piqued. Even more than it had already been. It didn’t take Damian long to put two and two together. Jason was injured. Hiding it apparently or rather trying his best to. Failing miserably, more like it. He glanced back over to Roy and Jason, watching the blush on Jason’s cheeks deepen when Roy started to whisper again. Damian paid closer attention this time, reading the entire sentence off of Roy’s lips. And he snapped his head away so fast that he gave himself whiplash. Oh. If there had been one thing that he hadn’t needed to know, it was whatever the hell went on in Jason’s bedroom. Words: 6161, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), DC Extended Universe, Batman: Wayne Family Adventures (Webcomic), Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Jason Todd, Roy Harper, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth Relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Batfamily Members & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Roy Harper, Barbara Gordon & Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon & Roy Harper, Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain & Roy Harper, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Roy Harper, Stephanie Brown & Roy Harper, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Roy Harper & Damian Wayne, Duke Thomas & Jason Todd, Roy Harper & Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd Additional Tags: Jason Todd is a Batfamily Member, Batfamily and Jason Todd Have a Good Relationship, Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Domestic Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Shenanigans (DCU), Caring Batfamily (DCU), Established Roy Harper/Jason Todd, Jason Todd Has a Crush on Roy Harper, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd Has Issues, Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, Cassandra Cain Knows, Jason Todd and Bruce Wayne Have a Good Relationship, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Damian Wayne is So Done, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Protective Dick Grayson, Jealous Dick Grayson, Protective Barbara Gordon, Barbara Gordon in a Wheelchair, Good Sibling Barbara Gordon, Good Sibling Stephanie Brown, Stephanie Brown Appreciation, Good Sibling Duke Thomas, Duke Thomas is So Done, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Good Parent Alfred Pennyworth, Relationship Reveal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Attempt at Humor, Humorous Ending, Light Angst, Bisexual Disaster Tim Drake, Gay Jason Todd, Bisexual Roy Harper, Protective Roy Harper, no beta we die like jason via https://ift.tt/fEA2ieo

[booksandwords]

Medium, Sweet, Extra Shot of Geek by R. Cooper

Read time: 1 Day Rating: 3/5 Stars

The Quote: Tommy was using his intense voice, the one he used on the phone and when he felt the need to stress how frightening Daleks and weeping angels were. — Tavio

Warnings: From Cooper herself "Mention of DADT, Adjustment to life outside the military"

This is a bad review written a year after I read it initially with notes and highlights as a guide. It was used as a quick story to serve my commute at a time when I was reading a lot and not having time to review. Medium, Sweet, Extra Shot of Geek is a well-executed, simple getting-together plot.

I adore these two protagonists. Tommy and Tavio are a smart seemingly opposite atttracts pairing. I like former soldier Tavio as a representation of the stoic. He is highly intelligent but just not quite ready for our world yet. Tommy is all kinds of surgery madness. He feels like a child perpetually hyped up on sugar. Tommy has a daughter, 9-year-old Kaylee, her mother is Savannah. There is no cheating, Kaylee was an alcohol-driven high school accident between best friends who remain best friends as well as co-parents. Kaylee and Savannah are fantastic. Kaylee in particular is cute as hell. There is a soft queer storyline beyond the obvious sexualities if you want to see it. I was surprised and pleased to see DADT running through both Tommy and Tavio's lives.

Some quotes and a comment.

Looking at the years in play for Kaylee. Kaylee is 9, Medium, Sweet, Extra Shot of Geek was published in 2013, Firefly was released in 2002-3, 10 years earlier. It is almost a given that the super, super geeky Tommy named his beloved daughter after Kaylee, a character who represents so much of what you would want your daughter to be. Seemingly most of her nicknames are equally geeky and several of them are equally strong characters.

 “Of course, I’m still going to see it. That’s what real fans do. Watch it and love it and tear it to pieces online—with lots of crying and mutual masturbation. First, you have to talk about the old versions to show how cool you are and how long you’ve been a fan. Then someone else gets to do it, so you can see whose nerd hard-on is bigger. Then, with the pleasantries out of the way, you can admit that you liked the new version even if it sucks. Geeks have rules about this sort of thing. Though some jerks never get to the fun part and just keep complaining and causing trouble. A lot of people are like that. I don’t get it. It’s more fun to enjoy things together than to jack off alone—metaphorically.” — This is so early in the novella but it made me laugh. It is a brilliant introduction to Tommy's geekiness and personality. At best guess given publishing dates, he's referring to Star Trek Into Darkness. As far as I can tell the novella isn't set in a previous time frame. (Tommy)

He never shut up and got excited about ordinary things like kids got excited for Christmas. Which was how he acted—like every day was Christmas—and how he looked at Tavio—like Tavio was something he wanted waiting for him under a tree. — I appreciate good descriptive passages. If you have met someone like this you know it. (Tavio)

“Thank you, Tavio. You are the best. The dark and broody highlight of my mornings. The bringer of caffeine and life-giving sugar.” — Am I the only one who has felt like actually saying this to the person you buy coffee from? This or something very similar. (Tommy)

“Kaylee Sugar Pop Pumpkin Pie River Song O’Shaughnessy Harper, do not talk like that—around your grandma, at least. She always blames me. Like when you wanted to be Jayne from Firefly for Halloween. Somehow that was my fault. It was a plastic knife.” — What Kaylee says is "They don't completely suck.". But I can only imagine a little girl like her dressed as Jayne. Oh and a horrified grandparent when they see what their beloved granddaughter is dressed as. (Tommy)

Okay, so I want to share a passage that I found really interesting. I'm not actually sure what R. Cooper meant by this, it isn't really explored. "“No.” It had been all Tavio had been able to say. If people had known about him—and he assumed they had, because no one could remember to switch pronouns all the time, even someone who barely spoke—they had never reported him. But they could have, anyone could have, true or not, and he would have been out. Disgraced and dishonored, without anything to show for his service except the knowledge that his family—his mother—would find out in the worst way possible the thing he had never intended for them to know." (Tavio). This is Tavio's response to “Like getting booted for having the wrong lifestyle for the Army. That’s no fun.”. Does this read as Tavio being trans to anyone else? It's never mentioned. It just feels like an odd thing to include and not do anything with. I don't know it just feels off to me.

3⭐ only because while I appreciate how the ending fits the tone of the book and the story they tell... I wish it was just a little longer. I wish we got to see them on a proper date. I wish we got to see more of Kaylee and Tavio. I wish we got more of Suzannah and Tavio (or Tommy and Suzannah) because they are great together.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Based on the cover, I was originally pretty skeptical of this book, but then I read all of Roan Parrish's other books and now she's one of my favorite authors. This is one of her earlier books (maybe her first? not sure) but it's really good. It's got my favorite things—complicated relationship with father and brothers + traumatized young man who doesn't know how to love himself. Also gay sex. Genuinely though, I really loved Daniel's and Rex's love story.

Now this one surprised me. This was an Illumicrate book which I fully expected to not enjoy, because the summary didn't sound very interesting. But it was GREAT. Listen, my opinion that will get me canceled is that I typically don't read books with female protagonists anymore, because they're so often written horribly. This book has wonderfully written women. The world is really unique and cool, and it was just generally an interesting take on the When is a monster not a monster? Oh, when you love it trope.

I read Young Mungo (Douglas Stuart's second novel) last year and loved it, so I snatched this book up when I found it used in my local bookstore. It was pretty much exactly what I expected: sad but lovely. I enjoyed Young Mungo more, but that's because I enjoy romance more than mother-son relationships. It's not a knock on this book at all, which is a devastating portrayal of a child trying to parent his alcoholic mother. Anyway yeah, read it. And read Young Mungo, too.

This was such a fun read! It doesn't break any new ground and it's completely predictable, but that's fine, it's an adorable YA romcom, and the point is to see the end coming from a mile away. I laughed out loud quite a few times as I was reading, and I was definitely rooting for Micah and Elliot. I also am always a sucker for stories that have an evils-of-fame storyline.

So this is a series that I used to love. It's very All Creatures Great and Small, only it's with human doctors and it takes place in Northern Ireland in the 1960s. I don't know if it's that my tastes have changed or if the series just isn't as good anymore, but I really didn't enjoy this book. At all. Patrick Taylor is...not actually a very good writer? Like he's constantly clumsily info-dumping and it drove me crazy in this book. The others must have been the same way but I probably overlooked it because I enjoyed them more.

The sequel to In the Middle of Somewhere, which follows Daniel's older brother Colin. Which was a brave fucking move on Parrish's part, because in In the Middle of Somewhere, Colin is a horrible asshole to Daniel. He's cruelly picked on Daniel ever since Daniel was a young teen, and without going into a lot of details, it was all pretty homophobic (to the point of a physical altercation). He's just a dick, basically.

Anyway, I guess I can't really talk about this one without spoiling the first one, but as it turns out, Colin is gay, has known it for many years, knew it when Daniel came out to him, and was still a dick for all that time. He is very very closeted and wants to please his father EVEN MORE than Daniel does in the first book. I actually like this one even more than the first book, because Parrish takes this character who is nasty and awful and turns the whole thing around. It's really a master class in unreliable narration (CS Pacat might be the only other author I can think of who pulls it off this well). Colin's and Rafael's love story is really beautiful, too.

Ginn Hale! Gay demons! Fantasy noir! Blood! Hurt/comfort! What's there not to like!

This is actually two novellas in one book. The first novella is from Belimai's (the demon's) POV, and is a mystery. The second is a sequel from Harper's (the detective's) POV and deals with the fallout from the first novella. I absolutely loved both but that's not saying anything because I love everything Ginn Hale writes.

This book was weird as hell but really good. The basic plot is, two young men help a goddess escape captivity, but that just like...does not do it justice. The beauty of this book is in its prose and its weirdness. And its slow burn romance. Highly recommended, but it's not light reading. Also isn't that cover gorgeous? I spent a lot of time just staring at it.

Like the cover says, the prequel to They Both Die at the End. It's not as good. And there was some really forced plot stuff that made me roll my eyes. Still a decent read, especially if you liked the first one.

I'm currently reading this one! I'm already loving how it's building on the events of the second book, and appreciated the wonderfully gory opening, haha.

[bad4amficideas]

Bat!Reader Childhood HCs

I'm posting random drafts. incomplete. And so. English with translator. I suppect this maybe even double posted. Uhm. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Note: English is not my language, so I hope you will be understanding of any flaws you find.

🦇Look. You wanted the robins (you already called them all robins even if there was more bats than birds) to become such. You wanted Dick, Tim and Duke with their parents alive and well. To Jason, Stephanie and Harper with the best family circumstances they could muster. Barbara, Luke, Carrie being carefree in their lives, Cassandra adopted in a happy place, maybe with Steph who was not her best friend in the comics for nothing. You wish you could have helped Kate (you were working on Helena and Azrael but were working in his legal name in this moment). Mother of God, you wanted to kill Batman for what it cost you to track down all these people, and even so you know you were missing people but you did pretty well and hell, you were working on it as you could.

Spoilers: Duke, Carrie, Harper, Helena, Azrael (Jean Paul & Michael), Luke Fox, and his predecessor Zavimbe. Batwoman's partner, all "saved" (because I don't know them well enough to write about them and part because the Joker died, the rage is over). Most of them now works or gonna work for WE or the GCPD (it's getting competent) anyway.

🦇But. You walked through your home, looking at empty rooms and fantasized about which one would be filling with each batfam. With how they would be in the mornings, growling, sticking their heads out or snorting at each other.

🦇 Having managed to get Alfred, your father in many ways, to move to a room closer to yours; (and you didn't know the peace of mind that gave you until he did it) a part of you longed for more.

🦇As Y/N Wayne you have a special relationship with Oswald since in your childhood circle he was the one who least infantilized you and you could go with him to do silly things and perhaps some "little savagery"

🦇This is important because with your onset of poison resistance your overall status and appearance as a child was always, regardless of your build, "fragile" looking, and most people tended to overprotect you. Someone from the Gotham paper even turned "Wayne's Treasure" into "Wayne's Gem" into "Wayne's Diamond" (more accurate than they think, hard, but brittle).

🦇Even Roman and Thomas were careful not to go too far in their abuse so people wouldn't say anything to them, which is what started the “they do that to you because they like you"- crap. It also doesn't help that you cousin (who was in her own traumatic moment) was one punch away from letting both of their noses loose. Like, minefield.

🦇Bats met Harvey Dent in high school. And Bats it's very surprised how easy it's to surround oneself with vips (villains-in-progress) in their city. In this AU, Harvey met "the gang" at Gotham Academy for a scholarship since he comes from a middle-class background here. So, to him find the golden child of Gotham being kind and humble and always treating him as an equal and taking his ideas into account. That touches the ego of any adolescent.

🦇Not that Bats didn't know a lot of other people, but Harvey was the only one who put up with the bullshit and bullying of Bats "friends" (putting him further on the road to district attorney ironically). Bats is sure they recognized the names of some Batman's love interests, or at least one female journalist, but they couldn't get close enough to find out.

🦇Their -Harvey's- friendship quickly gelled. Both idealists with similar political positions and true desire to do good for Gotham. A breath of fresh air for Bats, surrounded by two cynicals and a girl in a conflicting phase. Despite the fate that hung at the end of the Dent line Bats couldn't help but think how good it would be to have someone like Dent on their side, especially with the owls swarming and all the normal villains that would have to be put forever behind bars first, if they wanted to even think about the ones in colored costumes.

🦇Anyway, shortly after that year/s there was a disconnect with the world as Bats was abducted by the League of Assassins and then trained for 2 years until they was 18 when they ran away, comes back to Gotham and became Bats (and almost at the same time the tragedy of the circus happened but you're still catching up and you don't know that)

🦇I just realized, mathematically, I've made Dick a terrifying murderous prodigy. Fear, enemies of the Court, now the rhyme is legitimately scary.

🦇Continuing with LoA, Reader, you were there for two years and apart from apparently they trying getting you married and being a worthy possible successor, you left –run away- without having a clue what those people wanted with you. Problem. that's exactly what they wanted, the same thing they wanted in another world with Batman, you weren't going to get anything else no matter how much you snoop, but you refused to assimilate that idea, because “why me?” (If you wanna know, among others, they had noticed your private training and how you had been moving to "take Gotham" and other key points on the planet, as if it were your chessboard)

🦇At that time you really didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Or whether to be deeply indignant. This SURE didn't happen to Batman. Wasn't he volunteer to train in the League? Or after 18 anyway? You were already mixing things by stress. Or maybe were the multiverses in your head. What the hell were they doing kidnapping you to train you and shit about weddings? Okay, a couple thing happened to Bruce, but, You were a teenager. What was the word, grooming? Didn't these people have better things to do, like take over the world? to kill people? Also, what's the point of wanting a successor, IF YOU'RE FUCKING IMMORTAL, let's explain.

🦇And then. After you come back, you, Reader, have a lot of people to catch up with and a lot, LOT of explaining to do. And the damn entry into high society and active involvement in Wayne business... But hey, no one appreciates that you escaped from a cult group of super assassins ninjas who btw were still discussing who will you marry when you left. In order not to let women inherit, they are very progressive in everything else.

🦇 At least Alfred believes you. At least you can tell him the truth. On the other hand, it's the truth, imagine if he didn't believe you, having spent two years with a family that has been grooming you at the same time that training you to kill in 50 forms with a spoon. And luckily the batcave was almost set up, you only needed the suit and put together a coherent story of your two years of disappearance (because there is no way you will go through the high school for the third time, being that the League had homeschooled you those years, again). Oh, but some villains were teachers in college. And maybe that could delay your entry into the world of work. Maybe that was worth the try?

🦇The worst is that. Two years and your careful planning went almost all to the fret. Your straps, broken. Dent, thank God, is an attorney and there is nothing unusual about him. But the other two according to the intel you're starting to gather go already for Hush and Black Mask and have the underworld criminal city terrified, Oswald has some dirty things going, you know nothing about Kate but your guess is in the Military Academy, you will inquire, all doctors of their specialties are loaded in their guns (as who says) and, dammit two years and you weren't even in vacations! not fair!

🦇 Aggg, all hurry up and running now. Luckily you had years of planning, but you were afraid of making a mistake. And as soon as you got dressed, the clown would appear because that’s how Murphy works. Some things had been sped up, some had changed, you should start tracking all the robins for their safety...

🦇And you would throw some money and ideas at the Justice League and have them manage without you. They had a forensic and a demigoddess of war and truth, by all deities, they would manage.

Moar spoilers: Villains who did not pass the look of Bats or have been permanently "secured" in Gotham before do actual -big- damage: Falcone, Maroni, Zucco, Professor Pyg, Man-Bat (Ally, it never get to go through that crap), Jeremiah Arkham (diagnosed by out burn before it out of hands), King Tut (who the hell is this??), Clayface, Calendar Man, Condiment King, Deacon Blackfire, Dollmaker, Flamingo, James Gordon Jr., Jane Doe, King Snake (Bane did this), Prometheus (Green arrow doing), Sewer King (no kids in Jason watch), Solomon Grundy. And not just kill anyone who recreates in the pain of others.

🦇: Damn it, I'm one (1) Bat. I'm. NOT. Batman.

[dont-be-so-shy]

Can I just say - I am so interested in what it would be like if Duke Thomas was introduced pre-Flashpoint. 

[get ready for. a lot of background info] 

Because like, everything post-Flashpoint is weird as hell, for me at least. Jason and Tim are close? (I know everyone wants them to be [including me], but they’re not.) The Bat-Family being an actual functioning family working in the same city? Barbara being Batgirl? Cassandra as Orphan of all things? 

If Duke were introduced just before Flashpoint, say, when Bruce is off starting Batman Inc. and there are two Batman’s, and then Flashpoint never happened? 

I believe the most recent Batman comic pre-Flashpoint was Gates of Gotham, during which Cassandra, Tim, Dick, and Damian team up (Damian and Cassandra’s first meeting). 

At this point, Tim is back in Gotham with Tamara Fox and the Neon Knights initiative, getting back into the swing of things, faking Lucius Fox’s death, getting fake-shot and becoming fake-crippled for a year on live TV, Dick is Batman working with Damian’s Robin, Stephanie’s Batgirl, and Alfred. Alfred, Damian, and Dick live in Wayne Tower, I believe. Jason (very murderous) was recently a patient in Arkham Asylum and later, a prisoner at Gotham Penitentiary and has just rescued his kid sidekick Scarlet. Helena Bertinelli is working with Dinah Lance and Barbara in the Birds of Prey. 

Barbara is an assistant professor at Gotham University and she and Jim Gordon have recently fought Jim’s son and her cousin, James Jr, a psychopath killer. Cassandra is in Hong Kong, having taken the name Black Bat, using Bruce’s name idea and a suit Tim made for her, working as a member of Batman Inc. As far as we know, Bruce and Tim are the only people actually speaking to her. Bruce Wayne just publicly revealed that he has been funding Batman for years and starts Batman Inc. (Batman Inc. is basically Bruce [and/or Bruce!Batman] recruiting a bunch of vigilantes from different countries to act as the “Batman” of that city). At this point, Bruce and Damian aren’t working together. Bruce loves Damian as much as any father, but that does not mean that they mesh. 

(Also, if we are working with True Canon!Bruce, AKA abusive!Bruce, then this is a good time for Duke to become a member of the Bat-Family, in terms of Bruce’s mental health and the fact that he’s out of Gotham so much.) 

(And just for the full Background Knowledge, the Teen Titans team consists of Cassie Sandsmark, AKA the leader, Lorena Marquez, Jaime Reyes, Amy Allen, Christopher Freeman, M’gann M’orzz, Rose Wilson, Virgil Hawkins, Tim Drake-Wayne, Raven, Bart Allen, Kiran Singh, Mas y Menos, Roy Harper, and powerless Eddie Bloomberg. Damian has just quit the team, saying that one Robin is enough.) 

This is the Bat-Family Duke comes into, one where everyone is kind of disjointed and Helena is the only normal person ever. (Barbara is usually also normal but she just fought her psycho cousin-brother, so no.) In fact, Duke would probably be recruited by Damian (who showed no qualms about taking in Colin Wilkes without consulting anybody). Stephanie probably wouldn’t have a problem with him, Dick and Barbara might, and who even knows what Tim thinks at any point in time? 

Imagine being a newly-discovered metahuman with parents dead to the Joker just trying to train and protect the city in its daylight hours, having to deal with suddenly social media-savvy Red Hood, whose trying to turn public opinion against you while also running about wreaking havoc, weirdos like Professor Pyg, Harley Quinn who is no longer dating Joker but still a criminal, and the nerves of not knowing how the Head Honcho (AKA Bruce Wayne) will react to you. 

I think he would probably work with the Birds of Prey a lot and I imagine having a team up with Tim at one point, which I think would be completely hilarious. (Him meeting Jason, on the other hand.)