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taomyou · 8 months

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The Romance of Reimbursements - Chapter 5

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Reader Status: COMPLETED Summary: There’s a guy you see every Friday on bus 143, and you think he’s pretty hot. It wouldn’t hurt to tell your best friend about him, would it? or, you and Levi take the same bus home from work every Friday, and you fall in love slowly, clumsily, and with all the time in the world to fold as many paper stars as your heart desires. Word Count: 4.9k Tags: slow burn, friends to lovers, modern au, office au, fluff, romance, meet-cute, matchmaking

(A/N: this fic is entirely available on ao3 here if you would like to read it there instead!)

Chapter Navigation Accompanying Playlist

Not taking the bus today?

"You guys looked so cute walking back to your place when I had you over that one time!"

"Why are you even bringing that up, Hange?" You groan, writing in your signature at the bottom of the receipt.

"It's the truth! Please, let me set you up!"

Over the past month, Hange's been relentless in trying to get you set up with Levi. Bringing you along when going out with their crew, making you sit next to him, playing up your achievements when he's around.

Maybe if you were in high school, this would've worked, but you're all adults. It's more embarrassing, if anything, for them to try their hand at matchmaking with you.

It was especially humiliating when you met Mike and Moblit, and Hange tried making you out to be some millionaire hotshot lawyer when introducing you to them. It's probably worse for Levi, though, who Hange gloats as the youngest professor in Sina University history and the most sought after architect in the city.

At least Hange has half the brain to at least not say anything that hinted at your initial attraction to him. You wouldn't ever be able to live down the fact that you finding him attractive was what got you invited to that very first dinner outing together in the first place.

You can't be completely against how they've gone about it, though.

All the forced interaction desensitized you just enough to where your face doesn't heat up in flames whenever Levi's around, and it's become easier to keep up conversation with him with all the new information you get from Hange. After you and him spent the evening with Hange and Erwin in that disaster of a kitchen 3 weeks ago, on Fridays, he'll save a seat for you, even when it's not crowded, and when it's quiet enough, you'll ask each other about how the workweek went.

Nothing personal, nothing deep. You don't talk about any bad clients or how bad your workload is, and you suspect he doesn't delve into anything substantial when he tells you about his week either, but it's enough to rekindle a bit of your enthusiasm at the end of the week.

Speaking of work, it actually never ended up getting any better.

The following Monday after you and the lot baked at Hange's apartment, Erwin called you into his office to tell you that you're pretty much doomed to become even more overworked than you already have been for the last 3 years because of some fuck-up in management. He said something about it being privy to the higher-ups, so he couldn't tell you exactly what was going on.

Erwin actually used the more HR-friendly phrase of "going through some change" when talking about it, but you know what he really means. You and him have taken to talking about how work is going when you're waiting for the others in the group to arrive since the two of you are usually the first to get to the hangout spot, and he's dropped more than enough hints that he's dissatisfied with how work's going.

Admittedly, you've been doing a subpar job adjusting. You've taken to skipping your usual lunches with the interns, instead eating quickly and immediately going back to work while they eat in the breakroom, and you still had some trouble getting done for the day before you have to get home. Even when you do get home, there's other emails and whatnot to attend to, so you're not even free when you're out of the office.

Being a workaholic is definitely in the job description, but you'd been doing just fine before this sudden surge of work. Everyone else on the floor seems a bit more tense anyway, so it's not like you're alone in your struggle. Petra doesn't leave for lunch with Oluo anymore, Erwin doesn't come by to check on anyone, and the interns are running around all day to deliver papers. Still, the only rest you get at this point is over the weekend or when you're hanging out with your friends.

"Even if I did want you to get me a date, I wouldn't have the time."

Hange sighs in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But still! We need to get you out there!"

"And if I don't want to be out there?"

"Then I'll respect that, but I still think you and Levi would be great together!"

"Really? I never would've guessed. You've said no such thing before."

After the waitress comes to take your signed receipt, you tear paper strands out of the customer copy and fold them up before handing them to Hange. They wordlessly put them into their pocket, and the two of you leave a tip for the lunch you just had together and thank the waitress before you head out to your car. Hange pushes some buttons on your car tablet to connect their music, and you're off to drop them off for the day.

"Tell your intern 'happy birthday' for me!" Hange says, waving to you before getting out of your car. You sarcastically roll your eyes before waving back, rolling down the window so you can see them enter the building.

"I will, thank you! Have a good day at work!"

"And don't forget, we're having Valentine's dinner together! Just the two of us!"

Once you see that they've safely made it inside (and after they send you an exaggerated thumbs-up to let you know they're good to go into work), you shift your car into drive and drive yourself over to the grocery store on Rose.

In the back of your car is a huge cooler with a cake you baked for Mikasa and the rest of the floor last night. Erwin, bless his heart, somehow got management to give you the day off to prepare for Mikasa's surprise party today. Last November when it was Armin's birthday, he ended up getting sent to the courthouse to assist Petra with a hearing, so you and the rest of the floor staff couldn't arrange anything for him, but he insisted it was fine and a birthday party never happened.

Holidays like Christmas and New Years don't get celebrated at the firm totally not because divorce rates go up so much during the holidays and it's literally impossible to make time for any big parties, so birthdays end up being very special at the office. Maybe it's not a surprise since the interns have experienced a few birthdays already, but it's the thought that counts. Mikasa and the other two get off work at 6 today, so there's more than enough time for you to get everything you need and get back to the office.

You park your car as close as you can to the entrance and head inside, taking a cart as you pull your phone out of your pocket to check what you need to get. You haven't been here since you and Levi came to get those eggs for Hange a few weeks ago, so you're slow moving through the aisles, but you find everything you need in time and head over to the in-store bakery to get some candles.

There's more than enough cakes, cupcakes, what have you along the chilled shelves, and there's a good amount of numbered candles on the hangers, but you can't seem to find any '2's. Behind the counter, there's a girl in a baker's outfit, so you call out to her to get her help.

"Hi! I'm sorry, but do you have any more '2's? I can't find any here," you tell her, hand up in a wave.

She smiles at you and nods. "Yeah, I can check! Give me a second!" She heads to the back to where you assume is inventory, and when she comes back, she has an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry, I don't think we have any more. If you picked out a cake already, I can write the number on it for you."

You wave at her again, this time to let her know it's alright. "Don't worry about it! And I have a cake already, but thank you for letting me know."

She nods, but before you can turn to leave to go pay for your items, she speaks up.

"Actually, do I know you? You look really familiar," she says.

You pause for a second, trying to remember. She's a bit young, so you don't think she's a former client, but you don't recognize her at all from anywhere else. "No, I don't think so."

Suddenly, her eyes light up and she brings her hands together. "Wait, I do know you! You're friends with Mikasa, right? She's posted pictures with you before!"

You smile at the mention of your intern-turned-friend. "Yeah, I work with her."

"Oh my god, are you here to get candles for her birthday?"

You nod. "We're hosting a surprise party at work for her."

"Wait right here then!" She rushes off to the back, and seconds later, returns with something. She puts it on the counter between you and pushes it towards you. It looks like one of those musical candles, but you didn't see any space for them on the racks earlier to know the store even carried them. "I keep one in the back in case someone needs it! They always sell out really fast, but the inventory people don't ever order enough!"

You beam at her and take it gratefully. This isn't quite what you were looking for, but it's really cute. Mikasa would definitely like this more than numbered candles, as corny as it is.

"Thank you! What's your name, so I can tell Mikasa who I ran into?"

She smiles pridefully at you.

"I'm Sasha, I went to university with her. I'm actually getting dinner with her and our other friends later!"

You nod at her, remembering the name for later. "It's nice meeting you then, Sasha! Thank you for the candle, I really appreciate it."

"No worries! What's your name?" You tell her, and she smiles even wider. "She talks about you a lot, too! Well, she calls you Astraea, but she said that's a nickname. Thanks for taking care of her at work!"

At that, you blush a bit and laugh nervously. "She talks about me?"

"Yeah! She says you're super nice!" Your face heats up even more, and you can feel your heart flutter.

"That's really sweet. I gotta get going, but make sure Mikasa has a good time out tonight for me, alright?"

At that, she stands up straighter and gets in a mock salute. "You got it!"

The two of you bid each other farewell, and you make sure to put back the '5' candle before you leave and go checkout. The cashier, noticing the candle, wishes you a happy birthday, but you tell him it's for someone else and he nods.

"Make sure they have a good one!" He tells you as he hands you the receipt.

"Thank you! Have a good day!"

As you're walking back to your car, you see the flower shop from that time Levi drove you to Hange's. You did think getting flowers would be nice, and you check the time on your phone; 3:02 PM.

Yeah, that's more than enough time to get something for her and make it back to the office. After putting everything you bought in the trunk of your car, you put the cart back before heading over to Magnolia Floral Company. The floral arrangements are much more red and pink than before, probably with Valentine's Day coming up soon, but it's quite cute.

Stepping in, you hear the bell from the door again and look around. There's nobody at the counter right now, but you do see the girl you saw last time helping someone at the far end of the store. What was her name again? Isabel? She hears the bell of the door and shouts a quick "welcome in!" to you before going back to the customer with her.

You nod to no one in particular and start walking around, looking through everything. You aren't quite sure what color flowers Mikasa would want, so you go to get your phone from your pocket to text Armin and ask. Surely, he wouldn't be able to guess what exactly you'd need her favorite color for. You send a quick text asking, and he gets back to you almost immediately with "red." Convenient enough, since it's almost Valentine's Day and the whole shop is covered in red roses, but all the bouquets have Valentine's motifs on them.

He also asks why you're not in the office, and you quickly reply with the lie that you're across town on company business. It's not really a lie when Mikasa's birthday is technically the company's business, though.

Before you can pocket your phone, however, you get a text from Levi. Weird. You've never exchanged messages since that first time you sat together, and you almost forgot you even had his number. Even with all the hanging out you do, you never found any need for it, only talking in-person.

Levi - 3:15 PM

Not taking the bus today?

It didn't slip your mind that it was Friday and that you'd be missing out on your ride back with Levi, but you didn't think he'd say anything about it. Before you can think of what to say in reply, Isabel comes up to you and you put your phone away as a courtesy to her.

"Hello! You're the woman Levi brought last time, right?" She asks, her hands politely in her apron pockets. You nod. A lot of people sure do recognize you today.

Well, not a lot, but two is more than enough.

"I'm Isabel! It's nice to meet you!" She smiles at you. Her energy is so contagious, you can't help but smile back. You tell her your name and greet her as well. You break eye contact with her to look at the flowers next to the both of you, and she joins you. "What're you looking for today? Something for Valentine's?"

You giggle good-naturedly at her and rub the back of your neck. "No, no, nothing like that. It's my intern's birthday today, and I'm looking for something for her."

She nods in understanding out of the corner of your eye. "Do you know what she'd like?"

"Her favorite color is red, but I think maybe something white too would be nice."

Isabel takes a quick look around the shop before laughing. "Well, nothing here is really suited for a birthday. I could make something for you at the counter, if you'd like?"

You sheepishly smile at her while putting your hands in a prayer position.

"If it's no trouble."

"Nonsense! I wouldn't've suggested it if I didn't want to."

The two of you head over to the workstation at the counter, but Isabel quickly makes the cash exchange with another customer before sending them off with their flowers. She heads into the backroom, and you're correct in assuming she's gathering flowers when she comes back with a bucket of white and red flowers and some greens. She pulls out a sheet of white tissue paper and sets it down before shifting through some of the flowers. You feel a bit awkward just watching her, but she thankfully strikes up conversation with you.

"So, how do you know Levi?" She asks, grabbing a couple of greens from the bucket.

"I'm friends with Hange, they introduced us."

At the mention of Hange, Isabel perks up. "I love Hange! I wish I could hang out with them more often, but I'm usually at school when they're available."

You hum, smiling. If she's anything like Hange, you'll definitely get along.

"What're you studying, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm a biology and environmental science double major, but I'm studying for the MCAT right now," she answers, now getting some red flowers.

"Sounds like tough work. I can't imagine working during undergrad while doing all that." You wince, and she laughs along.

"It's a nice break, for sure. My parents actually own this shop, so I just help out when I can."

"That's really nice of you." She quickly pulls away to take care of another customer's purchase, then just as quickly returns to where she was working on your bouquet. She struggles to grab a pair of shears that's across the counter from her, so you step over to get it and hand it to her. She smiles in appreciation, then cutting some of the stems of the flowers.

"What do you do for work? You came in dressed all fancy last time, are you a lawyer or something?"

You chuckle, covering your smile with your hand. "I am, actually."

She laughs along with you, putting down the shears.

"Guess that explains why you didn't need to ask me how much it'd cost for me to arrange this for you," she jokes, air-punching your shoulder from where she is. You feign getting hurt, clutching at your arm, and you let the smile overtake your face. You shake your head.

"I have money now, but student debt had me living off take-out for ages."

"It's okay, that'll be me when I go to grad school." You both laugh again, and she grabs some white flowers now.

Remembering that Hange told Levi to bring back the egg tarts for Isabel and someone else named Furlan, you decide to ask how they liked them.

"A bit random, but how'd you like the egg tarts Levi brought back a while ago?"

Isabel pauses before she looks up at you dreamily, her elbows now propped up and holding her face. "They were so good! Me and Furlan keep asking where he got them, but he wants to be all gatekeep-y and not tell us!" She pauses again, then stands up straighter and points at you with a comically accusatory finger. "You! You can tell me where he got them, right?"

You put your hands up in mock arrest. "If he wants to gatekeep, I can't do anything about it."

She rolls her eyes and goes to get some white flowers, fiddling around with both them and the red ones to figure out how to arrange the bouquet.

"Do you actually know where he got them, though? He won't budge. Some of them were really ugly, though, so maybe he got them from a bakery about to close?"

If Isabel is anything like Hange, you understand completely why he wouldn't want to say anything about it to save face the same way you need to when Hange pesters you, but there's no harm in telling her if she hasn't asked anything weird or invasive, right?

So you hum. "We made them at Hange's after you saw us leave last time. Well, more like I made them. His were the unsightly ones, I'm guessing."

Before Isabel can say anything, there's a ring at the door.

"Isabel, do you need a ride back toda-" You turn to see Levi, who's now stopped mid-sentence when you make eye contact.

You sheepishly wave from where you are. "Hey, Levi."

He pauses for a second before making his way over to where you and Isabel are.

"Nah, I'm good. I was gonna go to the movies after my shift's over," says Isabel. Levi nods, then turning to you. "Oh, yeah! You bastard, she told me you guys made the tarts! Why didn't you just tell me that? Me and Furlan have been looking all over Yelp to try and find them, and you just let us struggle!"

Levi rolls his eyes. "Because, if I told you, you'd force me to make them for you."

"Damn straight I would!" Isabel whines while grabbing some more floral accessories. "You don't even know how to bake! Is that why some of them were so ugly?" You laugh, looking away from the pair to hide your smile.

"Yeah, Levi, why were they so ugly?" You can't see him, but going by Isabel's laughter, he's probably deadpan staring at you.

"Good one!" Isabel finishes with your bouquet, and after wrapping it up, she tilts it up to show it to you. It's a masterful blend of whites and reds, and the greens are just the right amount to avoid evoking Christmas. "How do you like it?" You smile at her.

"It's perfect! Thank you so much!" She heads over to the register to start ringing you up, but Levi's still staring at you so you look over to him. Your ears feel a bit hot, even after all the forced time spent together. "Why didn't you tell them where they came from?" You ask gently.

He shrugs, leaning back onto the counter. "Didn't want to bother you for the recipe if they asked for more of them."

You bite the inside of your cheek at that. "It wouldn't be a bother."

"I don't think I could make them anyway. It was mostly you," he says. You roll your eyes halfheartedly.

"Don't sell yourself short," you reply. "I could make them again for Isabel and your other friend too, you know? I don't mind."

Isabel calls to you from the counter, and you smile at Levi before hurrying over to her. You hand Isabel your card, she swipes it, and you tuck the receipt into your pocket immediately over to avoid looking at the total. Pulling out your phone, you see that it's now 3:45 PM.

"I should be leaving now, but thank you so much, Isabel! I'll be sure to get some more tarts to you, and I'll text you," looking at Levi, "the recipe when I'm home, okay? Bye!"

When you're out the door, Levi turns to glare at Isabel. She looks back at him, eyebrow raised.

"What're you looking at me like that for?" Looking between him and the door, she smirks, crossing her arms across her chest. "You want me to tell you who those flowers are for, don't you?"

✰

"Erwin just went with her to one of the conference rooms! Hurry in!" Petra says into the line, then ending the call.

Just a few minutes ago, you had the receptionist call down Eren and Armin to the parking lot where you were parked in a client parking space to help bring in the cake, flowers, and all the miscellaneous party items. They're quite surprised to see you, thinking you were across town, but they're happy nonetheless and don't ask any questions when you force them to bring everything inside. You steal one of the luggage trolleys near the entrance and motion for them to come and put their things on it, and you all push it into the elevator when it gets down.

"So, this is what you were up to all day?" Eren asks.

You nod, smiling back at him.

"Isn't this a bit much? Mikasa just texted me asking if I think she's about to get fired," says Armin.

You look over at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's all in good fun. I also thought I was getting fired the first time it happened to me."

The elevator beeps once you're at the 8th floor, and you all rush out of there to start putting things in place. You shove a box of kazoos and party hats into Eren's arms and tell him to bring them to the breakroom where everyone's huddled up and waiting, and you and Armin carefully follow after him with the cooler the cake's in.

You wave hello to all your coworkers once you're inside, and after bringing in the rest of the things, you open the lid of the cooler to show everyone what's inside. They all "ooh" and "ahh," and you feel warmth in your chest at their compliments. It's quite big, so you need help from Eren, but you get it put out and put it on the table at the center of the room, and everyone's quickly setting out random things: plates, utensils, napkins. Thank goodness the breakroom is so big, and the thirty people on your floor are able to all fit.

You hear a knock at the door to let you know that Erwin and Mikasa are back, so you quickly peel open the packaging for the candle Sasha gave you and put it on the cake. Petra quickly lights it, and the candle starts playing the familiar birthday tune.

"Come in!" You shout. Erwin lets Mikasa open the door, and her jaw falls to the ground. Everyone moves out of the way so she can see the cake, and Erwin laughs from behind her. She doesn't say anything, but when you cue for everyone to start singing Happy Birthday, her smile doesn't fail to make you light up. You run up to her after you're all done singing with a party hat, and put it on her before she hugs you and slams her fists into your back, probably as payback for making her think she was getting fired.

"I hate you."

You laugh, hugging her back. "Yeah, love you too."

✰

Finally, after you've showered and gotten ready for the night, you flop onto your bed and sigh happily, letting yourself relax. The birthday party was a great bit of fun, everyone getting to have some cake and destress after the hard month's work. You haven't gotten to bake for a big event like this in a long time, so it was nice to be able to set aside time for that. You feel a beep from your phone, and you check to see that Mikasa sent you a selfie with her and Sasha giving the camera a thumbs-up.

They look happy. You smile at the photo and send them back a thumbs-up emoji and tell them to stay safe. Clicking back to the general conversation screen, you see Levi's text from earlier. Your smile falls a bit, disappointed in yourself for not replying earlier.

You - 8:56 PM

sorry i didn't get back to you earlier yeah, i had work off today to plan an intern's birthday party

You sluggishly get up from your bed and head into the kitchen to grab your recipe book, too lazy to try and remember the recipe for the egg tarts off the top of your head like last time. You take a quick picture of them and send it to him, careful to make sure everything was clear to read.

You - 9:03 PM

here's the recipe! sorry, my handwriting's kind of garbage

You don't actually think your handwriting is bad, but it's better to insult it before someone else does. You put the recipe book back into the drawer and yawn before stumbling back to bed and turn off your lights, staring at your phone at your conversation with Levi once you're settled in. You roll over when you see the three dots appear on the screen, now on your stomach to be a bit more comfortable.

Levi - 9:07 PM

No need to be sorry I was just worried you missed our bus

He was worried about you? You slam your phone screen-down on your bed before picking it up again to hold it to your chest. You roll onto your back, then back on your stomach, then kick your legs. You look at the text, and you feel a blush growing on your face. And he called it your bus?

Okay, to be fair, you've been hanging around each other a lot more, and it's the logical thing to think you'd be late for the bus when work's been kicking your ass. You take a few slow breaths, and your face cools itself down. Calm down, you don't even want to date him. Or even be with him. None of that. You hear another beep, so you pick up your phone.

Levi - 9:09 PM

And I'm a professor, do you think I can't handle some messy handwriting?

You - 9:10 PM

i said nothing of the sort! but is it really that messy?

Levi - 9:10 PM

I can read it just fine Thank you for sending it

You - 9:11 PM

yeah, of course! let me know if you need help with any of it

Levi - 9:12 PM

I definitely will need it

You - 9:13 PM

i can also make them for you guys i really don't mind

Levi - 9:13 PM

You barely have time to sleep

You chuckle, bringing your blanket higher up on your body.

You - 9:14 PM

and how do you know that?

Levi - 9:14 PM

You look more tired nowadays

You frown at that.

You - 9:14 PM

that noticeable?

Levi - 9:15 PM

Yeah, no offense

You yawn again, your head no longer propped up and instead on a comfy pillow. You can barely keep your eyes open, but you manage to send a reply before you fall asleep.

You - 9:16 PM

none taken i'm in bed so i'm gonna go to sleep

Levi - 9:16 PM

Sleep well then

You - 9:16 PM

you too!

You see three dots appear again, but they're gone by the time you get to closing your eyes. You stretch your arms out above your head, humming as your pull your blanket closer to you. Before you're fully asleep, you laugh to yourself at the realization that even without the bus, you managed to see Levi on yet another Friday.

✰

Next Chapter

#levi ackerman x reader #levi aot #levi x reader #levi #tao.levi #the romance of reimbursements #attack on titan

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aceofspades-sml · 1 year

Note

jomike for the ask game :)

You KNOW I love Jomike thanks for giving me an excuse to rant about them

When I started shipping them : I think around a year ago ? I found out about them in a fic and they have been here ever since

My thoughts : they are everything. I love them so much and they are probably my favorite go-to comfort ship

What makes me happy about them : their dynamic is just *chief kiss* beautiful. I feel like they are both gay disasters but like in opposite ways (need to make a post about this later I have too much to say)

What makes me sad about them : they are wayyy too underrated like it's no even funny there is almost no content for this ship

Things done in fanfic that annoy me : babe there are like 3 fanfics about them I don't even have material to answer this

Things I look for in fanfics : I look for fanfics and I consider myself happy if I find one (crying it's not even a joke). Anyway when I can find them I go mostly for mutual pinning because at least one of them is always an oblivious idiot. Also jomike angst my beloved <3

My wishlist : I just want them to be appreciated because I think their shop dynamic has a lot of potential so really I just wanna see more of them

Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other : I kinda like the idea of Jojo x Henry and I feel like Mike could work with basically anyone

My happily ever after for them : they get together a bit after the strike and then grow up and share an apartment not far from Ike (who is with hotshot btw). Also I often go for angsty ending for them soooo I don't have a lot to say about happily ever after

#i love them okay #jomike newsies #anwered #thanks for the ask !!<3 #watch me sneak some ikeshot in here

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queenadabronx · 2 years

Text

Newsies Super Power AU

What super powers I think the Newsies would have

Jack: can sense if someone has super powers

Davey: Can come up with a solution to any problem, but he has to give the answer

Sarah: Can turn invisible

Les: Walking through walls

Crutchie: Can control light

Race: Super Speed

Albert: Can control Fire

Buttons: Has the ability to heal people

Smalls: Can change her size

Sniper: Perfect aim

Tommy Boy: Super strength

Elmer: Can tell if someone’s lying

Mike: Shapeshifter

Ike: Can mimic people’s powers

Jojo: Can make things float

Finch: Levitation

Romeo: Can get what he wants via flirting

Specs: X-ray vision

Spot: Immune to other powers (works with mind related powers AND powers like Alberts- the fire won’t burn him)

Joey: Can control emotions

Rafaela: Telekinesis

Hotshot: Teleportation

Graves: Can talk to the dead

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amazildoessomethingstupid · 8 months

Text

Chapter 82: Local Area (The Stacy Chapter)

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If you were to tell me years ago that one of the best chapters in BCB would be a fucking commissioned Mike X Stacy chapter, I would’ve said “Man! How bad must the new chapters be for THAT to be the best?” haha and you’d laugh and say, “yes…”

BUT! There’s a good reason why this is a standout chapter even among some of the best of BCB, because it highlights a key thing this series of chapters does that sets it apart from the rest: it expands upon the existing characters we’ve already been introduced to, and fleshes them out. Not by giving them some deeper character, or dark backstory, but rather by giving them a small new wrinkle for us to sink our teeth into that builds upon the pre-existing notions we’ve had. And this chapter with Stacy is a perfect example of that idea put to practice, as it’s all centered around Mike and Stacy forced to spend a day together to study. Which, yes. It’s a bare-bones excuse to have these two together, but credit to Taeshi even though it could’ve easily been phoned in and boring, it actually plays with the characters well and does everything it can to explore these two’s dynamic.

Including having a cute nod to one of the most early chapters and jokes in BCB by poking at the mass of love notes Mike got back in Volume 1! It’s great!

Although, I will say for the longest time I thought that was Amaya, but oh Volume 1 style. I love you~

But seriously, the chapter really does make you care for Stacy, despite her being one of the weakest characters who’s been bummin’ around since the middle school days. Getting to see her outside of her pairing with Katie THE weakest character still bumming around since the middle school days; allows us to see the character in a different light, thus allowing her to be presented through a more favorable lens and find out things about her that we otherwise would never have known like the fact that…

SHE’S A NERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD! Hahaha I love that bit.

But this is the exact thing I was talking about when I described adding a new wrinkle to a character to help flesh them out. For a character like Stacy who up to this point has been nothing but a one-note background character used as a strawman example of the “mean popular girls” stereotype, giving her a guilty pleasure like playing video games is a GODSEND! It brings new context to a character that most everyone wrote off as one-note and never gave a second-glance at, and makes her more tangentially involved in the story by also having this be a connection she shares with other characters like Susan, Amaya and Abbey in a way that doesn’t feel too forced. Seriously, I can not praise this chapter enough. It is the gold standard for what a “pointless” chapter can do, and what Taeshi can accomplish in not only crafting a great purely comedic chapter that is ACTUALLY funny, and delivers laughs to the most jaded hearts…

But also, it showcases Taeshi’s ability to expand and develop characters into being likable, enjoyable, and relatable characters in a natural and grounded way. Without compromising the one-note basis of the character they were, and just tossing it aside like it never happened.

And this is a crucial element to the Paulo show, because Pop Quiz hotshot… There’s someone I’m forgetting isn’t there? There’s a certain character I neglected to gush over last chapter wasn’t there? Oh I was so wrapped up with all the stuff that happened and that amazing scene in Take Heart, I forgot to talk about the Golden Girl! Well, it was a pretty busy chapter and I did not want to do my girl dirty by having my praises shuffled in among a bunch of other awesome moments. Not when there is a chapter right here that has her biggest scene and shows exactly what makes her… The best dog in show. The greatest girl. My hero. My absolute favorite character in this godforsaken comic… Rachel.

#rant #bittersweet candy bowl #Youtube

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broadwaycantdie · 5 years

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Newsies Couples ( mini ) Playlists - Modern Love ❤️

————————————————————————

Jack x Davey:

for him. - Troye Sivan

Stop Desire - Tegan and Sara

Sweet Creature - Harry Styles

When The Day Met The Night - Panic! At The Disco

Yellow - Coldplay

Spot x Race:

Brooklyn Baby - Lana Del Rey

Flaming Hot Cheetos - Clairo

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - Sleeping At Last

Like Lovers Do - Hey Violet

The Only Exception - Paramore

Elmer x Buttons:

5 Years Time - Noah and the Whale

Happy - Never Shout Never

I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Peach - The Front Bottoms

The Quiz - Hello Saferide

Race x Albert:

A Lovely Mess - Front Porch Steps

I Would Do Anything For You - Foster The People

Lucky - Jason Mraz

Sick of Losing Soulmates - Dodie

Stay With Me - Sam Smith

Albert x Elmer:

All My Loving - The Beatles

If I Fell - The Beatles

Lover Is A Day - Cuco

Take It All Back - Judah and the Lion

Youth - Troye Sivan

Hotshot x Mike:

Brooklyn In The Summer - Aloe Blacc

Earned It - The Weekend

Fallingforyou - The 1975

Juke Jam - Chance The Rapper

Mistakes Like This - Prelow

Kid Blink x Mush:

Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Hostage - Billie Eilish

Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran

Kiss The Boy - Keiynan Lonsdale

Specs x Romeo:

1, 2, 3, 4 - Plain White T’s

Fall For You - Secondhand Serenade

First Day Of My Life - Bright Eyes

This - Ed Sheeran

When I’m Sixty-Four - The Beatles

JoJo x Tommy Boy:

Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches

Fun - Troye Sivan

I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie

Lo Que Siento - Cuco

Tuyo - Rodrigo Amarante

Sarah x Katherine:

I’ve Just Seen A Face - The Beatles

Honey - Kehlani

Mr. Sandman - SYML

She Is Love - Parachute

The Girl - City and Color

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violetwolfraven · 4 years

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Newsies Fanfics

I need something to do so if y’all ship any of the tagged ships please request! Are some of these prompts oddly specific? Possibly! Just send me a ship and number(s)! Feel free to do it anonymously if that would make you feel better!

FYI you might get a really short fic or you might get a multi-chapter AO3 au. Who knows! ;D

Canon-era in general

Modern-era in general

Reincarnation AU (same universe of my fic ‘oh, it’s you’)

Soulmate AU

The Darkest Minds AU

Mermaid AU

Angst in general

Fluff in general

Hurt/comfort in general

During the strike

Pre-strike

Pining which turns out to be mutual

Double date (specify two ships)

Nightmares

First kiss

Cuddling

Dancing

Flowers

Movie night

One of us speaks a different language and teaches the other some stuff.

We both speak a different language and everyone thinks we’re dirty talking but we are literally just messing with them.

We both thought we were a secret but long story short all of our friends know.

We adopted a kid/kids.

One of us is singing to the other.

Our mutual friends set us up.

You have a scar and I asked about it and it’s really angsty

You have a scar and I asked about it and it’s really funny

What if we kissed because we were arguing and I really wanted you to shut up but we both enjoyed it? Lol jk... unless..?

I didn’t realize I was gay for you until someone else pointed it out and I’m a dumbass but can I be your dumbass?

I’m getting a shovel talk from your sibling/best friend.

I showed up on your doorstep because I have nowhere else to go.

We’ve been friends for a long time and I really want to be more but I’m too scared to say it.

You’re in the hospital and I’m pleading with you not to leave me and to please just wake up.

We broke up but I found the letters you wrote me before that and I still love you so wanna get back together? (did I copy this from one specific fic I read? Possibly.)

We dance and argue full-on Pride and Prejudice style.

We’re leaders of different rebel factions or gangs and kind of hate each other but we also have a ton of sexual tension.

We’re royals who are betrothed and we made a pact to hate each other when we were kids but long story short we failed.

I’m injured and I came to you because I didn’t want to tell my mom/Jack/whoever.

I thought I lost you and you need to be more careful you dumbass.

We’re playing love interests in a play and long story short I think I might actually be falling for you.

I was scared to come out and ask you out because I didn’t know our entire friend group was gay but I definitely know now???

You fought someone (physically or verbally) and I am s h o o k.

You fought me (physically or verbally) and I am s h o o k.

Following along with song lyrics (specify what song)

(Probably just javid but sprace or a couple others could make this work too) I’ve been lowkey parenting all my friends/siblings alone for a while and now you’re helping me and idk what to do with this???

Last but not least and one I’m sincerely hoping someone asks for...

46. For any pairing except javid) I have to tell Jack about my relationship but he’s basically everyone’s big brother and—

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mediocre-writerr · 3 years

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this is what it takes [quinn fabray]

Quinn Fabray x fem reader

Request: Quinn Fabray x reader, that takes place with Valentine’s kissing booth that Finn does (Reader is very outgoing and has a high status on the pyramid) and him and the r are competing for Quinn’s love and attention with a happy ending for Quinn and the r

*not my gif*

Out of all the shapes in the world: a circle, square, a freakin’ straight line! It was a triangle. You had to have been in a love triangle. With the quarterback and the head cheerleader.

With all the high school stereotypes, it seems as if quarterback and head cheerleader would have to be together. But you were also on the top of the social pyramid, you were the captain of the girl’s volleyball team.

Which had a better record than the football team...just saying.

You were walking down the hallway with your letterman jacket when you saw Finn at a kissing booth he had set up.

“Mr. Hotshot you’re literally gonna spread mono around the school.” you say leaning against the wooden board that created a barrier between the two of you, “All because Quinn Fabray doesn’t want to kiss you.”

“Ms. Wannabe last time I checked you couldn’t get her to kiss you either.” he says with his shit-eating smirk.

I chuckled loudly, “Woah guys! Hotshot here won one championship game in all three years of being the star quarterback and now he thinks he’s all that!” you exclaim sarcastically, “Try winning all three state championship games and a national champion AND the captain.” I say copying his own shit-eating smirk.

He looked at a loss of words before Quinn passed by. The two of you watched her as she walked by. You smiled to yourself softly. There was so many things that made you fall for the blonde.

How she carried herself. How she was so beautiful. How beautiful her voice was not only when singing, but talking. How intelligent she was.

God she’s beautiful.

But all Finn saw was beauty and social status, but she was so much more.

“Well, good luck lover boy.” you say patting his back, going to run off to catch up with Quinn.

As you ran towards her you were met with a bunch of people’s waves and high fives. You may have been on top of the social status, but you always tried to be nice to everyone. That’s how you became popular.

You touched her shoulder gently and she smiled at you softly, “Hey Fabray.” you say.

“Y/L/N, hello.” she says trying to fight back a smile.

“How are you doing today?” you ask politely as you swerve through the crowds of teenagers.

“Pretty good,” she says simply.

“That’s awesome!” You notice her shivering a little bit, “Are you cold?”

“A little. I underestimated how cool it was today.” she says rubbing her arm with her hand.

You immediately shrug off your letterman and place it over her shoulders, “Here take this! I have a hoodie in my locker that I can go grab.”

A smile appeared on her soft features, “Thank you.”

You nod smiling back at her as the two of you continued to walk, “You know Valentine’s day is coming up and I wanted to know if you would like to go on a date with me?” you ask confridently or as confidently as you can.

She stops to turn and look at you, a serious look in her eye. And you could tell that she was fighting back and forth in her head, “You don’t have to give me an answer right now. Just think about it okay?” you add on so she doesn’t feel pressured.

“Okay.” Quinn nods with a small smile.

No one has ever done that before. No one has ever relieved pressure on her and let her know that it was okay.

Finn? Never.

Sam? Never.

Puck? Oh don’t even get her started on that.

You give her a small kiss on the cheek before parting ways. Happy with how you left her and feeling confident in your stance on how she feels about you.

Glee club started and you took a seat next to Mike, waiting for everyone else including Mr. Shue to come in. You watched as Quinn and Finn walked in side by side.

Even though you couldn’t hear their conversation you could tell that Finn was trying to make a move of his own. They sit in front of you and you pretend you’re not listening, when in reality you really are.

“So ice rink for Valentine’s Day?” he asks still having his shit-eating smirk on his face.

“I don’t know Finn. Y/N already asked about Valentine’s Day.” she says and you smile to yourself knowing she’s still thinking about you.

He scoffs, “Really? You’re thinking about spending Valentine’s Day with Wannabe? C’mon Quinn, you and I have something special. Come with me.”

You roll your eyes at his attempt at persuasiveness, “I need time.” she says simply as Mr. Shue comes into the room.

“Then kiss me at my kissing booth! If you feel the fireworks you drop Y/N and go out with me.” he keeps pushing, but she’s not listening.

The entire glee club you were preoccupied in your mind. Trying to figure out ways to get Quinn to be yours.

She deserves better than what all the guys’ she’s ever dated have given her. Sam was the closest thing she got to something healthy and stable. You want to give her that.

And you had just the idea.

The next glee club you went up in front of the class for your assignment about love. Naturally, you decided to dedicate this song for Quinn.

While Finn is peer-pressuring her into getting him to kiss her. You decided to sing her a song to let her know that she can take all the time she needs.

“So I’d like to dedicate this to Quinn. You know, it’s no secret to everyone that I’ve had a crush on you for as long as I could remember. But this one’s for you.” you say, throwing your guitar over your shoulder, “But before I’d like to give you these.”

You hand her a bouquet of her favorite flowers and she smiles softly. Finn who was sitting behind her just scoffs, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

“Baby, tell me when you’re ready, I’m waiting. Baby, any time you’re ready, I’m waiting. Even ten years from now, if you haven’t found somebody I promise I’ll be around. Tell me when you’re ready I’m waiting, I’m waiting.” you sing the last verse and she’s smiling widely.

The rest of the glee club claps and a bunch of whoop’s fill the room.

“Yeah you win her heart Y/L/N!” Santana yells and you laugh softly.

She smiles at you softly getting up from her seat to give you a hug, “Meet me at Finn’s kissing booth after glee club.” she whispers in your ear and you nod.

Once glee club ends, me, Finn, and Quinn headed towards his kissing booth.

“Are you ready to kiss me Quinn?” Finn asks with a smirk.

She hands him a dollar and you start to question everything.

Why did she bring him here? Why did she make you watch? Why did she give him a dollar? Is she gonna kiss him in front of you? What?

He takes the dollar and puckers up his lips and it makes you feel a little gross. Like you can’t believe Rachel Berry wants to kiss those lips.

But to your surprise she cups your cheeks and pulls your face towards her. It took you a few seconds, but you finally start to kiss back. It’s so sweet and so soft. It was everything you ever imagined it would be.

You placed your hands gently on her waist, tasting her vanilla chapstick off her lips.

She finally pulls away and the two of you turn towards Finn. He was just staring in shock at how played he got.

“Valentine’s Day?” Quinn asks.

“Valentine’s Day.” you say nodding.

#quinn fabray #quinn fabray imagine #quinn fabray imagines #quinn fabray x reader #quinn fabray x fem

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the-cryptid-finch · 3 years

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!!NEW CHALLENGE!!

Make a one-shot, Fanart, aesthetic board, anything, for each one of these, like a 30 day challenge kinda thing

[ ] Genderqueer Race Higgins

[ ] Pan Spot Conlon

[ ] Agender Albert Dasliva

[ ] Asexual Albert Dasliva

[ ] Bisexual Jack Kelly

[ ] Genderfluid Crutchie Morris

[ ] Omnisexual Elmer

[ ] Non-binary JoJo

[ ] Bigender Smalls

[ ] Transgender Les Jacobs

[ ] Bisexual Davey Jacobs

[ ] Demiboy Tommyboy

[ ] Transgender Smalls

[ ] Non-binary Sniper

[ ] Pansexual Mike

[ ] Pansexual Ike

[ ] Gay Hotshot

[ ] Aromantic Asexual Smokes

[ ] Lesbian Sarah Jacobs

[ ] Polysexual Boots

[ ] Lesbian Katherine

[ ] Bisexual Henry

[ ] Transgender Buttons

[ ] Demisexual Buttons

[ ] Javid/Javey

[ ] Jackcrutchie

[ ] Spralfinch

[ ] Newsbains

[ ] Free card

[ ] Jojo x Oscar

Good luck!

Please tag me in whatever beautiful things you create and reblog!

#NewsiesCreativeChallenge2021

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importantbusinessdinosaur · 2 years

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Hey kids, comics!

Given I’m drawing all this X-Men stuff this month, you might have thought at some point “Is X-Men any good? Should I read it?”

Short Answer: No. It’s really, really, not. Don’t.

Long Answer: But there are some real good bits and pieces, so lemme recommend some comics to you of X-men and adjacent titles.

Seeing as we’re here, Domino 2018-2019, written by Gail Simone, drawn by David Baldeon. Gail has a big love for characters who fall into the gray area of good and bad and this is outstanding.

Speaking of, also it’s follow up, Hotshots

Seriously read this. Okay now let’s get to some other stuff.

Iceman by Sina Grace. Sina wrote about iceman when he was coming to terms with his sexuality and a whole bunch of stuff, it’s an amazing read. Big, big, caveat though, after his editor for the first volume left Sina got treated like absolute dirt you can read about it here if you want.

X-Factor investigations by Peter David. This starts as more procedural detective stuff and over the course of its run, goes a bit everywhere. This is the book which got me reading Marvel comics because it’s just, really good.

X-Men - Supernovas. Hey look at that an actual xmen title. Written by Mike Carey and art was split with Humberto Ramos and Chris Bachalo. Amazing team book consisting of no one you usually see on a team. We got Cable, sabretooth, mystique, iceman, rogue, lady mastermind and cannonball. This was after decimation so they got to be real loose with team composition and a bit less hero-y.

New Excalibur by Chris Claremont and at times, Fred Van Lente.This book is a love letter to Juggernaut, it’s not the best marvel UK (That’s captain britain and MI-13) but it does some good work until it turns into an absolute trainwreck oh wow does it go poorly at the end there.

S.W.O.R.D. volume 1 By Kieron Gillen. This was the real introduction of Brand as a character and is goofy nonsense. You can pick if an Englishman is writing a marvel comic because Death Head always shows up.

Okay almost done.

Cable/Deadpool, also known as Deadpool/Cable after he became more popular by Fabian Nicieza and Mark brooks. They gave deadpool a straight man to bounce off and it works amazingly. Please ignore the Liefeld cover, it’s a thing they grow out of.

Okay, New X-Men by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. It’s... good? Look Grant Morrison has a particular style of writing that either works for you or doesn’t, this is one of those comics where some dude will insist it’s a “Graphic Novel” so that should tell you a lot about it. Nice art, Quitely famously drew an entire issue in one day because he’s a monster.

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron, Chris Bachalo and Nick Bradshaw. Following some stupid ass whatever the hell event they were doing this year Wolverine moves to the savage land and opens up a school. It’s dumb and fun aside from some really out of character developments that are really uncomfortable.

Cable (2008) By Duane Swieryinzski am I spelling that right. You like lone Wolf and Cub? Cable and baby time travelling bada bing bada boom ayyy it’s the saviour of all mutantkind

okay final honorable mention not technically but technically

Unbelievable Gwenpool by Chris Hastings and GuriHiru (Damn that’s the best art, and the mini follow up Gwenpool Strikes Back by Rob Williams and David Baldeon. Gwenpool is a bit of meta narrative on comics at times, to the point where to make sure she doesn’t get written out of continuity, she rewrites her origin story to maker herself a mutant.

Okay thank you for humouring me and my taste in these comics, some of you may go “But where’s god loves man kills” or “days of future past” to which I say shut up did you not read the short answer part I like explosions and people sharing as few brain cells as possible got it good okay fine great amazing

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biggoonie · 4 years

Photo

Disney/PIXAR Monsters Inc. And Monsters University: The Story Of The Movies In Comics HC

TBD (W/A) On sale Aug 19 FC, 104 pages $14.99 HC, 6” x 9” Monsters Mike Wazowski and hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley,” are in for a wild ride as their competitive spirit gets them in trouble at both Monsters University and at Monsters, Inc.! Along the way they’ll learn the value of working together and just how powerful laughter really is in this hilarious and occasionally scary journey that brings Disney•Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University from the screen to your fingertips!

#Monsters Inc

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lesbianpervinca · 4 years

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Hogwarts AU

Bios

Henry - Hufflepuff, hamster Chips, three quarter blood, 15, half brother Elmer

Morris - Slytherin, cat Phoebe, half blood, 15, brother Oscar

Buttons - Ravenclaw, toad Gusset, muggle born, 16, brother Skittery

Finch - Ravenclaw, long eared owl Owo (also says OwO instead of hoot), pure blood, 16

Oscar - Slytherin, rat Squeakers, half blood, 14, brother Morris

Race - Gryffendor, feral green rat Shrek, doesn’t know, 14, adopted brothers Spot and Jack

Elmer - Hufflepuff, cat Mika, pure blood, 16, half brother Henry

Spot - Gryffindor, Sphinx cat Sphinx, doesn’t know, 16, adopted brothers Jack and Race

Albert - Gryffindor, cat Albert, pure blood, 16

JoJo - Hufflepuff, pygmy owl Baby, muggle born, 14

Mush - Gryffindor, frog Slimy Boi, muggle born, 14

Jack - Slytherin, pygmy puff Vincent, doesn’t know, 17, adopted brothers Race and Spot

Davey - Ravenclaw, barn owl Athena, half blood, 17, twin Sarah

Crutchie - Hufflepuff, pygmy puff Sunny, muggle born, 17

Romeo - Hufflepuff, screech owl Juliet, pure blood, 13, sibling Smalls

Specs - Ravenclaw, baby hippogriff Prometheus, half blood, 13

Smalls - Gryffindor, snake Slithers, speaks parseltongue, pure blood, 11, brother Romeo

Sniper - Gryffindor, golden snidget Smidge, pure blood, 11

Mike - Gryffindor, toad Lilly, half blood, 13, twin Ike

Ike - Gryffindor, toad Billy, half blood, 13, twin Mike

Hotshot - Gryffindor, firedwelling salamander (kept alive with magic fire and constant pepper) Tabasco, muggle born, 13

Tommy Boy - Gryffindor, kitten Whiskers, half blood, 15

Splasher - Gryffindor, beta fish Finny, muggle born, 15

Sarah - Gryffindor, snake Worm, half blood, 17, twin Davey

Katherine - Ravenclaw, cat Grissabella, pure blood, 17

Blink - Gryffindor, toad, half blood, 16

Darcy - Ravenclaw, cat Inky, pure blood, 16

Bill - Ravenclaw, burrowing owl Sandy, pure blood, 16

Boots - Hufflepuff, shared frog Jumpers, muggle born, 11

Skittery - Hufflepuff, shared frog Jumpers, muggle born, 12, brother Buttons

Ships

Henry x Morris

Oscar x Race

Finch x Buttons

Elmer x Spot x Albert

JoJo x Mush

Jack x Davey x Crutchie

Romeo x Specs

Smalls x Sniper

Ike x Hotshot

Tommy Boy x Splasher

Sarah x Katherine

Blink x Darcy

Boots x Skittery

Brainstorming

Albert and Spot were boyfriends first and saw Elmer and went wait we love him and they got him so many flowers and Elmer cried from happiness.

Henry gave Albert and Spot the talk about hurting Elmer and Morris had to carry Henry out when they started laughing so he wouldn’t fight them. He was 13.

Romeo and Smalls are chaotic siblings. Professors groaned when Smalls came because oh no another.

Their dad was married to Elmer’s mom and they had Elmer, then she got kidnapped and was presumed dead so he remarried to Henry’s mom and had Henry. Right before she got to give Henry childhood trauma, Elmer’s mom came back alive! So their dad quickly divorced Henry’s mom and remarried Elmer’s mom and they had a stable childhood together!

She just quickly escaped and spent a couple years riding wild dragons trying to get back.

Juliet screeches nonstop and has to stay in the owl tower.

JoJo was raised very catholic and had exorcisms when they saw him do magic. Then the head master managed to convince his parents that he was blessed, so all that was lost to infant amnesia and his magic left mostly undiscussed.

Smalls’s whole family are Slytherins, so when both Romeo and Smalls didn’t get into Slytherin, there was a lot of adjusting. But their parents are supportive of their kids! The family is only in Slytherin for their complete ambition and pigheaded stubbornness on not giving up. They’re actually nice people.

Denton is the DADA teacher and takes care of Morris’s dog Juno.

Medda adopted Spot, Jack, and Race at young ages. Magical foster mom.

When Race was 6, he accidentally turned Shrek, a random feral rat, green. He decided to keep him, and his parents just let him. Shrek hisses when anyone tries to degreenify him.

Owo fell out of her nest when she was a hatchling, so now she says OwO instead of hooting.

Buttons and Skittery have 5 muggle siblings. Two older, two younger, one in between.

Henry is a workaholic and gets cuddles from Morris whenever he works too much or gets anxious.

Skittery manages his anxiety by holding hands with Boots. A little squeeze let’s him know that he’s having a hard time, so they go away from everyone and just hug until he feels better.

Morris was gonna be a Hufflepuff, but willed the hat to put him in Slytherin.

Oscar has dyscalculia. He will never take runes.

Elmer’s favorite classes are herbology and care for magical creatures.

Race is trans and socially transitioned at 7.

Smalls is non-binary and socially transitioned 6 months pre-fic.

Spot and Albert have to stop Elmer from taking in any random animal.

#newsies au #hogwarts au #wow you can only put 30 tags #tw: hawkbae stop tweeting #newsies at hogwarts

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thequeerwitch · 5 years

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<OLD> Chapter 1: Her Middle Name was Troublemaker

Charlotte Russo: The Lost Angel of Empire Bay

Vito Scaletta x OC

EDIT: Hey guys, thanks for supporting this fanfic. I recently updated the outline for this fanfic which adds much more about Charlotte’s backstory and family. This version isn’t going anywhere, but if you’re interested in following Charlotte’s journey then you will have to follow the new storyline. Same story, same characters, but all new details and character interactions between Charlotte and Vito. Hope you enjoy and I hope to see you back for the new story!

Word count: 6170

Rating: M

This program includes violence and dramatizations of real events which may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Warnings: Rape, abuse, sexual themes, violence, cursing

Lurking in the shadows of Empire Bay, organized crime families commit heinous acts in attempts to gain control of the city. Alberto Clemente, Frank Vinci, and Carlo Falcone were the kings of Empire Bay. In 1951, the families were thrown in the middle of a crime war thanks to the actions of Vito Scaletta and Joe Barbaro, up and coming mobsters who made a name for themselves during the mob war.

“They made a real name for themselves in the mob world. They were good at what they did, couldn’t ask for one without getting all three.” –Anonymous “John”

But history has erased a key piece in the puzzle, the iconic ‘Scaletta and Barbero’ duo may have in fact been a trio, including Charlotte Russo. But who is this mystery woman? What part did she play in erupting the crime war? And how was she erased from history? Learn how the most influential woman in the mafia who history has completely erased, see how she became the first made woman in the Falcone crime family, and witness how her part in the Empire Bay crime war shaped the way the mafia is run today.

“Charlotte Russo was one of the most influential women in the Mafia. She was the first made woman under the Falcone crime family in Empire Bay, and she assisted in the murder of Carlo Falcone alongside Joe Barbaro and her then boyfriend Vito Scaletta, yet her name is barely mentioned.” –Jonathan Maguire

“Scaletta, Barbaro, and Russo were a team. They held a tight bond that was uncommon in the crime world, and it pains me to see how Russo has been almost entirely erased from the picture.” –Anonymous “Mike”

But how exactly did these three young hotshots get their big break? You’d have to go back to 1942, when the three came together. Scaletta and Barbaro had known each other since childhood and both were hit hard by poverty, while Charlotte Russo grew up under a father with close ties to Frank Vinci. However, her father’s untimely death left the Russo family in desperate need of money. With her mother slowly slipping into depression and no way to contact her older sister, Charlotte was struggling to keep food on the table, let alone pay rent. At the age of 17, Charlotte turned to the Kitten Heel, a sleazy cathouse owned by an even sleazier man named Sidney Penn. Penn worked under Don Alberto Clemente and owned the Empire Bay Cab and Co., a few distilleries, and a few cat houses including The Kitten Heel.

“Sidney Penn had a bit of reputation around our area. If his girls allowed him to violate them, he paid overtime. I remember he seemed to favor Charlotte most of all, and a lot of the other girls thought she was a skank. I didn’t think that, she told me every time how much she hated it, but she was desperate to keep a roof over her head, so she did whatever she could to keep money coming in. I don’t blame her…I never did…” –Margaret Young, previous employer at The Kitten Heel and friend of Charlotte Russo

Charlotte Russo found herself working for Sidney Penn in 1940, but she resigned from The Kitten Heel the following year.

January 1943

I always hated winter. Don’t get me wrong, the snow was beautiful, and the spirit Christmas was always nice, but I hated the cold. Mr. Penn, or “The Fat Man” as the girls called him, was too cheap to buy a proper heating system for the place and it was always too cold to perform properly. The clients like hard nipples, but they don’t like goose bump coated breasts. It’s not like it was our fault, it was our jobs to flaunt our bodies in lingerie. We couldn’t control it when the cathouse was colder than a penguin’s balls, but we still had to work. When the Kitten Heel closed for the night, I went back to the changing room with my friend Margaret. My robe was wrapped tightly to my body in an attempt to cling to any warmth left in my body.

“So, my brother’s coming home for Christmas. He’s bringing his new girlfriend Katie to meet the family,” said Margaret.

“Isn’t she the one from Michigan?” I asked.

“Uhuh,” said Margaret. “It’ll probably feel like summer to her when she gets here.”

I laughed and held the door open for her. I stole a glance down the hall and met the Fat Man’s gaze. He jerked his head towards his office and entered. I sighed. “I’ll be right back, I left something on the stage.”

“Sure,” said Margaret. Her tone told me she didn’t believe me, but I didn’t care. I had to just come clean with him, tell him I was done taking this “overtime.” I knocked on the office door and heard a voice from within grunt, “Come in.”

I entered and kicked the door closed behind me. The Fat Man was leaning against the desk with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “You did well tonight,” he said.

“Thank you Mr. Penn,” I said.

“So, let’s get this over with, shall we?”

He started to unbuckle his belt, but I blurted out, “No.”

He stopped and glared into my eyes. “No?”

I stood up straighter, pulled my shoulders back. “No,” I repeated, firmer this time. “I’m done taking this overtime, I don’t want you to violate my body anymore.”

The Fat Man cocked his head to the side. “I get it. You think because you’re the big shot with the perverts means you can talk back to me. You think you can do your job the way you want to, instead of listening to your employer and doing it the way I want.”

“This has nothing to do with that, I signed up to be violated by them,” I pointed back towards the stage, “Not you.”

The Fat Man stepped up to me and slapped me hard across the face. I doubled down, my hand flew to my cheek. He grabbed my hair and pinned me to the door. “You don’t get it sweetheart, working here means you work for me. If you don’t wanna do your job, I’ll be forced to terminate you.”

I hacked up a mouthful of spit and spat into his eye. His jerked down and his fingers went to his face. “Go ahead, I just gave you another reason to fire me.”

“You little slut,” he slammed my head against the door. “I own you, bitch! You’d better get that straight because there ain’t nothing that’s gonna change it!”

I pushed against his chest and he stumbled back. “Get your hands off of me! I quit, bastard! Do you hear me?”

The Fat Man straightened up and snarled at me. “Nobody talks to me like that, you hear! Nobody! Get your ass over here and apologize!“ He lunged at me and I kicked him hard in the leg, I heard a crack as my heel collided with his shin. My hand twisted around the doorknob and I fled into the hall. The girls from the dressing room looked back at me, but I didn’t have time to acknowledge them. I raced down the hall and to the back door, my heels clicked against the floorboards.

“Get back here you little slut!”

I shoved the door open and raced out to the street, the cold December air stung my cheeks. I bolted across the frozen parking lot and stopped at the sidewalk. If I could make it to the street and stop a car, I could get away. I saw two tiny pinpricks of headlights in the distance. I ran into the street and waved my arms above my head. “Stop!” The car sped closer and closer. I hopped up and down, screaming “Stop!” at the top of my lungs. The car made no attempt to stop. Well, getting run over by a car was probably a better fate than getting beaten to death, plus my mom could probably sue the driver if I died, so I closed my eyes and awaited my fate. The car screeched to a halt just as I hunched over, my hands met with the warm purr of the engine.

I looked up and a young man was getting out of the car. “What the hell lady?”

I looked down the alleyway, the Fat Man was limping over to us, a metal bat gripped in his fist. “You stupid bitch! Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

I shot back to the man. “You have to help me, he’s going to kill me!”

The man cocked his head to the passenger side. “Get in.”

I ran to the passenger door and threw myself inside. Before I could close the door, the Fat Man grabbed hold of the door and grabbed my arm. I kicked him in the groin and slammed the door on his fingers. As he let go of the car, I kicked him in the head and slammed the door shut. “Step on it!” I shouted over my shoulder. The car tore down the street way above the speed limit. I sat back in the leather seat, my heart pounded against my chest so hard I thought it’d shatter my ribs.

“Who the hell was that?”

I took in a deep breath, a laugh escaping my lips. “That was my boss, and you just witnessed my resignation.”

“From the Kitten Heel?”

“Yep.”

“What’re you doing working at a sleazy place like that?”

“Desperation, mostly.”

“So, you gotta name?”

I looked over at him, and I got a good look at him for the first time. I remember he was tall when he got out of the car, he had a toned body but his clothes hung loosely on him. The clothes looked old, probably hand-me-downs. His eyes were warm, chocolate brown, but hard and calculating, they never left the road. He was olive skinned, leathery, his hands firmly gripped the steering wheel. He had a full head of soft, raven locks. He had a mole on his chin, and full lips.

“Yeah, Charlotte Russo. You?”

“Vito Scaletta. Where are you headed?”

“Little Italy, just across from an old bakery.”

“You live across from Mikey’s?”

“You know the place?”

“Know it? I used to raid the dumpster for scraps with my buddy Joe.”

“I think I remember you. Mikey was a family friend, he gave my dad free bread up until his passing.”

“I’m sorry—about your dad, I mean. I lost my old man too.”

“I’m sorry. So, you live in Little Italy?”

“I live right behind Mikey’s in a tiny apartment upstairs, right through the alley on the side. I can give you a ride over.”

“That’d be great, thank you.” We drove down the block in silence, and when I saw my apartment, I said, “You can drop me off here.” He pulled up to a gray apartment building with a stairwell running up either side to more apartments.

Vito pulled up to the apartment and as I began to get out, he stopped me. “Listen, if you need anything at all, call me.” He handed me a slip of paper with his name and number on it.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

He smiled as I got out and closed the door, and I watched as he sped down the street and rounded the corner. I sighed, my breath coming in a puff of mist, and I went upstairs and into the apartment. The blue light of the television flooded onto the stairwell as I opened the door, and I could see my mother’s hand draped over the back of the couch, a liquor bottle abandoned on the floor. I checked that she was asleep before turning off the television, picking up the bottle, and putting it on the counter.

I went to bed for the night and I woke to banging outside. I threw on a robe and slippers and I went out to the porch where my mother was stumbling about with a bucket full of soapy water and mop. Her eyes were red and puffy with dark bags lining the lower lids. From the lower apartment, I heard a gravelly voice shout, “Hey, lady! It’s six o’clock in the morning!”

My mother turned around and slurred, “You fuck off! I’m jus’ tryna keep th’ stairs clean since nobody seems ta care!”

The older gentleman down the stairs made to climb the stairs and said, “You watch your tone lady, or I’ll have you thrown out for—”

I ran down the steps and grabbed my mother’s arm, pulling her up the stairs behind me. “I’m so sorry Mr. De Costa, I promise it won’t happen again.”

He pointed a finger at me, his eyebrows furrowed. “You said that last week, and the week before that! If she doesn’t stop, I’ll call the landlord and tell him all about this, and you’ll both be out on the streets! Ya hear?!”

“Yes sir, I’m so sorry again.”

Mr. De Costa turned down the steps, slipped on the bottom, soapy step, he turned up and narrowed his eyes at me, and he stomped inside.

I went inside, took the bucket of soapy water and poured it down the tub, and I went back to the kitchen. My mother was searching through the cabinets, slamming around and making even more noise than before. “Ma, stop! You’re going to make Mr. De Costa even angrier!”

“Shut up Charlotte, you’re just tryna embarrass me in front of the neighbors!”

“Look at yourself! I’ve told you about a hundred times that you can’t just clean the stairs whenever you want, you make too much noise!”

“That moron of a lan’ lord don’t do his fuckin’ job! This place is a mess, and I’ve already called about the rats again!”

“Ma, there are no rats in this apartment. You’re just drunk again.”

My mother flopped a finger towards the corner and said, “Look! Is’ right there!”

I looked and saw a cockroach by a small hold in the wall, but no rat. I shook my head and said, “You should come and lay down.”

I went to grab her arms, but she shoved me away. “Get your hands off me! I ain’t know handicap! I can walk!”

“I wasn’t saying that—”

She began slamming cupboards again until she found a full bottle of liquor. I took it from her and said, “Ma, you shouldn’t be drinking this early.”

My mother slapped me across the face and ripped the bottle from my hand when I recoiled. She opened it and took a long swig, then slammed it back on the counter. “Don’t you ever try an’ control me, ya hear? Tha’s exactly what your bitch of a sister tried to do, and she ran away cryin’! I won’t have this in my house!”

I straightened up, my cheek still burning. “You know what, fine. If you’re going to continue being irrational and drinking away my hard earned money—”

She scoffed. “What hard earned money? For shakin’ your tits in men’s faces? You stupid whore!”

“I’m done. I’ve had it with your drinking and you constant insults!” I turned and grabbed the slip of paper with Vito’s number on it. I began changing as I called him and told him to come get me, and when I hung up, I began packing a bag of clothes.

My mother sauntered into the room, her bottle of liquor now half empty. “Who was that? Where d’you think you’re going?”

“Anywhere that’s not here.”

“You can’t leave me! I’ll kill myself if you leave!”

“I don’t care. Alessandra didn’t care when—”

“Don’t you ever use that name in my presence, ya hear? She abandoned us!”

I closed my bag, took my change purse, and I shoved past her. “She didn’t leave us mom, she left you.”

“You’re just like your father! You stupid whore!”

I dropped my bag, ripped the bottle of liquor from her hands, and I smashed it against the wall. “You’re a crazy bitch who was never there for me. Why would I want to hang around when all I do is get insulted and punched around?”

Something flashed over my mother’s face and clawed at her features, turning her shocked expression into an evil snarl. “You’ll regret that!” She made to punch me, but I backed out of the way and she sent her fist into the wall. I backed up and grabbed me bag, I grabbed a coat from the closet, and I fled from the apartment, down the stairs, and out to the street. I looked behind me to check if she was following me as I turned into the alley, and I ran into someone. I looked up and met Vito’s gaze. His hands came to my shoulders and he said, “Hey, are you okay?”

As if on que, my mother threw the door open and began screaming at me in Italian, calling me every nasty name in the book. Mr. De Costa came out and shouted, “That’s it! I’m calling the cops! You and your daughter are out of here!”

“Mr. De Costa, you don’t have to worry about me anymore,” I said. “I’m sorry to leave my mother for the cops to scrape up.”

“You come and collect this bitch! I’m not—”

“Hey, who’re you calling a bitch, you stupid idiot?” my mother chimed in.

Vito pulled at my arm. “C’mon, let’s get you out of here.”

I nodded and walked with him down the alley and across to a tiny diner. We each ordered a coffee and talked for a bit.

“So, what happened to that car of yours?”

“Oh, uh…I seem to have misplaced it.”

I chuckled, my eyebrow raising. “You misplaced your car?”

“Yeah, it seems to have disappeared.”

“Y’think is was stolen?” I asked.

“Maybe, but what are the police gonna do?”

“Yeah, good point.” I sipped on my coffee and rubbed my cheek where my mother hit me. “What am I gonna do? I was already worried about getting a new job, but where am I gonna go?”

“Y’know, an apartment just above me opened up. I can see about getting you in there.”

“That’s really sweet Vito, but I don’t know how I’m gonna make rent at the moment.”

He hesitated a moment, the said, “How desperate are you for money?”

I scoffed. “Do I have to remind you where exactly you picked me up from last night?”

“Hypothetically speaking, how willing would you be to, I dunno, break the law?”

“Depends one what laws we’re breaking?”

“Would you be willing to steal?”

“Absolutely.”

“My buddy Joe and I have been in a bit of a rut lately, and we were considering attempting to rob a storefront tonight. You interested?”

I hesitated for a moment, weighing my options, and I finally said, “What percentage would I get?”

Vito Scaletta had invited Charlotte Russo to join him and Joe Barbaro in robbing storefronts. The three worked well together. Barbaro was the muscle, Scaletta was the brains, and Russo was the look out. Russo and Scaletta developed an especially strong bond as lovers, and the trio got along well for a while until Scaletta was arrested. With the choice of jail time or enlistment in the US Army, Scaletta chose to join the army and was assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. It would be two years until the three were reunited, and in the meantime, Barbero and Russo took up work with Alberto Clemente.

February 1945

It was warm inside the train station, but it was also muggy. It beat standing out in the snow, but it was uncomfortable as hell. “D’you see him?” I asked.

“No,” said Joe, next to me. “Wait—nevermind, it’s not him.”

I shook my head and stood on my toes. I couldn’t grasp how Joe was so comfortable in his thick coat while standing in here. I had to remove my own coat to avoid heat stroke. I scanned the crowd, looking for Vito to emerge from one of the trains, and I bounced on the balls of my feet with excitement. “He should be here any minute.” My heart raced in my chest, kicking me like a hummingbird’s wings. A train pulled into the station and Joe and I watched as a young man in a tan soldier’s uniform stepped out. I let out a shaky sigh. “That’s him!” Vito spotted Joe and I at the end of the crowd. I raced into the center and met him in a small clearing. Vito dropped his bag and pulled me into his arms, swaying me back and forth and planting kisses along my cheeks and neck. I pulled away and kissed him briefly before Joe broke us up and shook Vito’s hand. “Hey, there’s the soldier boy!” he said.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” asked Vito.

“I got my sources,” said Joe. “C’mon, I know you’re itching to get home but let’s grab some drinks real fast.”

“Sure,” said Vito.

Charlotte Russo assisted in the theft of the federal ration stamps, got Scaletta and Barbaro into a jewelry store to rob it for their wares, and eventually assisted in the murder of Sidney “The Fat Man” Pen.

“The fat bastard deserved what he got coming to him, he was a disgusting man and everyone at the cathouse hated him. The girls at the cathouse went out and celebrated our unemployment when we heard he’d died. I guess at the time, we assumed Charlotte hadn’t gone with us to celebrate because she was sick. I didn’t think she’d actually had something to do with his death…my god…” –Margaret Young, previous employer at The Kitten Heel and friend of Charlotte Russo

April 1945

Sidney Penn, that fat fuck who violated me and other girls with the excuse of, “overtime.” The minute I laid eyes on him, the vile sense of spite flooded through my veins and I felt my eyebrows furrow into a sickening snarl. The fat bastard whimpered and pleaded, “Please…I gotta wife!”

Henry put the barrel of his gun in Sidney’s mouth. “You should’ve thought about your wife before. Don Clemente sends his regards.”

A single gunshot silenced the bastard’s cries and Henry groaned, he crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around his leg.

My body went hot with rage and I felt as though my mind fled my body. Next to me, Joe said, “You stupid fuck, you’ll be sorry!”

Through tunneled vision, I saw the three of us raise our guns and empty our barrels into the fat man’s head and body. I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings, my whole body felt numb and I couldn’t hear anything, as if my head was submerged in blood. I kept firing, each pull of the trigger unleashing a new layer of pain and anger that I hadn’t realized was rooted within me. Anger that eventually stopped feeling targeted towards the portly corpse before me, anger towards my mother, my sister, and the entirety of Empire Bay. I finally felt a pair of warm hands close around my shoulders, and one slide to my wrist, my hand was still pulling the trigger even though my gun had been long since emptied. My hand began to shake, and suddenly the numbness faded to anguish, my fingers clenched around the grip and I threw the gun at his head.

“Charlotte,” said Vito. “He’s dead now, honey. You’re okay.”

I looked down at my hands, then up to Vito.

He nodded, trying to reassure me, “It’s okay, you’re okay. We need to get Henry to a hospital now, c’mon.”

I could only muster enough energy to nod, and I went and picked up my gun. I looked down at the fat man one last time, and I spat down at him before I turned and followed Joe and Vito out of the distillery.

Vito drove and I got in the passenger seat while Joe stayed with Henry in the back. We sped to the mob doctor just in the nick of time, and we dropped of Joe and Henry. The drive home felt longer than usual, and the silence clawed at my skin and made my squirm.

As we drew nearer to Joe’s apartment, Vito broke the silence. “Y’know what, I don’t really feel like going back home.” When I didn’t respond, he said, “Charlotte?”

“No, neither do I. I need a drink,” I said.

“Me too,” he said, and we drove passed the apartment. We pulled up to a small bar and went inside, we each got a beer and we sat in silence. The alcohol felt nice, and it didn’t taste half bad either. I drank until I could feel the buzz kick in, and then we munched on fried, listening to the music in the jukebox drone on and the chatter of people float around the room.

Vito took a swig from his bottle and sat back in his seat. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Better now,” I said.

“Do you wanna talk about what happened?”

I shot a quick glance over my shoulder and said to him, “Not here.”

“Yeah, right,” he said. I began to reach for my wallet but he slapped a bill on the table before I could look inside, he said, “Don’t you dare, put it away,” with a wink. I didn’t have the energy to argue so I just did as he said and left with him. He took my hand as we walked to the car, he opened up the passenger door for me, then we got in and we drove off. He drove up into the richer neighborhood, and we went further until we got to the top of a hill. Vito stopped at the guardrail and turned the engine off. I stared up at the crescent moon, feeling the buzz of alcohol waning on me. I got out of the car and approached the guardrail, and silver light of the moon contrasted the golden lights of the city, and stars twinkled overhead. It wasn’t until I felt Vito’s hands on my shoulders that I realized he’d gotten out of the car. I reached up and squeezed his fingers on one hand, leaving my other arm wrapped around my body. I took a step back into his warm chest and he wrapped his arms around my waist, his chin rested on my shoulder.

“Talk to me doll,” he whispered.

I squeezed my eyes shut and a tears dripped down my cheek. “That was my old manager, Vito, the one from The Kitten Heel. He violated all of his girls, but he took a special liking to me. It was my job; if I didn’t let him take advantage of me, I was fired. That night when you found me, I’d had enough and I told him to go to hell. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, and I ran. I thought that would be the end of it, but…” I paused and wiped a tear from my cheek. “All of that anger, and the fear, and the hatred, it all just surfaced when I saw his ugly face, and I hate to admit how excited I was to see that fate fuck get what he had coming to him. When he shot Henry, I just lost it. It was like everything came up, everything from him to my mother, all of my hatred, I let it out onto him…and I’m scared that I’ll lose myself if I don’t keep that part of me locked away.”

Vito pressed his lips to my temple. He came around to stand in front of me, the silver light of the moon cut across his features and darkened half of his body in shadows. He raised his hand and gently caressed my cheek. “It’s okay, he can’t hurt you or anyone else now. And I know you, Charlotte. I know that you’re one of the strongest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. When you get down to it, you’ve got a good heart.”

I scoffed. “A good heart? Neither of us are saints, Vito.”

“No, but I know that’s what you’re afraid of. You’re not about to let go of your humanity, you still have a lot of heart. It’s how I know I’m still human. At the end of the day, I love you, I love my ma and my sister, and I love Joe. We all have each other, and that’s all that matters.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. I pressed my head into his chest and listened to heart, his strong arms encased me in his warmth and his soft lips grounded me. I raised my head and met his lips, and heat sprouted in the pit of my stomach. A passionate warmth ignited in my heart, and I lit his fire with mine. We parted and I pressed my forehead against his. He said, “You’re too good for me Charlotte, and I love you.”

“I love you too, Vito.”

Shortly after the murder of Sidney Pen, Vito Scaletta was arrested for the theft and distribution of federal ration stamps and sentenced to ten years in Hartmann Federal Penitentiary. While Joe Barbaro moved on to do bigger schemes, it’s unknown what happened to Russo between the time Scaletta was imprisoned and when he was released.

“The thing about this case is that Russo was never prosecuted for assisting in the distribution of the gas stamps. It’s as if Scaletta took the fall for her.” –Jonathan Maguire

“I was there when Henry Tomasino gave Charlotte and Vito the assignment. She didn’t go to get the stamps, but she helped distribute them when we found out we only had about an hour to get them all out. She took half and distributed them across the east and north side of the city, while Vito went across the southern and western side of Empire Bay. But if you wanna know what I think happened, I think Scaletta and Tomasino did something to give her extra protection. ” –Anonymous “Mike”

June 1945

Vito came out and sat across from me, a thin chain-link cage separating us. His hair was shaved down nearly to the head, only a thin layer of stubble covered his scalp, and he wore a blue jumpsuit. He smiled as he saw me and he sat down.

“Hi Vito,” I said.

“Hey doll. How’re things in the free world?”

“They’re rather dull without you. I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” he said. “How’s Joe?”

“I haven’t talked to him in awhile.” I looked around and then leaned closer. I said in the faintest whisper, “I just can’t bring myself to do the things we used to do. ‘They’ won’t give me any big jobs to do and it’s starting to get tiring doing the same small jobs. I know if you were here, you’d be able to get me better work.” I leaned back and smiled at him. “So how’re things inside?”

“It’s different, and it’s lousy.”

“Well, that’s what you get for committing a felony,” I teased with a wink.

“Don’t lecture me, Frankie already did that a few weeks ago…” he trailed off, his eyes narrowing toward his hands.

“Vito, I heard about your mother. I’m so sorry. I’ve been checking in on your sister ever since. She and her new husband, Eric, they’re doing well. She told me to send her love.”

“About that Charlotte…” He looked into my eyes, a pained look set into his face. “Y’know with Frankie going off and a finding husband to settle down with, it got me thinking about us.”

My heart raced, a smile spread across my face. “I’ve been thinking about us too.”

“You know I love you,” he said.

“I know, I love you too.”

“You know I want to make you happy.”

I nodded. “You always do, just by being here.” He’s going to say it, he wants to marry me when he gets out.

He swallowed hard. “But we’ll be separated for a long time Charlotte.”

“I’ll always be here to visit you though. I can always check in and see you.”

“I know, but I think you should try and, y’know, settle down with someone nice.”

My heart stopped for a moment. “W-What?”

“A guy like me can’t make you happy from here. You still have time to live a normal life. You can find a man who’ll love you just as much if not more than I love you, and he’ll spoil you with gifts and give you children. He could make you happy, and give you a better life than I could.”

Tears prickled behind my eyelids. “Vito, I can’t! Wh-Why would you say that?”

“Charlotte, I love you so much. But they say that if you love something, you have to set it free. You still have an opportunity to turn your life around. You can live a normal life.”

“But I don’t want a normal life, I want you.”

“Charlotte, I still have nine years here. By then you could have a family, a husband and kids. You have an internal clock that’s ticking.”

“You don’t understand, I want that with you! I can wait for you, I can get a decent job right now and save up money, and when you get out we can start over. I’ll do anything, just don’t do this, please!”

“You don’t have to do any of that for me. If you want to do one thing for me, I just want you to have a good life. Just do that for me.”

We stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment until a guard came to take him away. Vito and I both stood at the same time and I put my hand against the cage. “I love you Vito.”

He placed his hand on top of mine and curled his fingers around mine. “I love you too.”

The guards took him back and I was left staring at the cage. My heart sank out of my body and as I left the penitentiary, I left it there with Vito. I got in my car and sat at the steering wheel. My fingers hovered over the key, but the tears flowed down my face before I could start the car. I sat at the steering wheel sobbing into my sleeves for god knows how long. When I finally composed myself, I dried my eyes on some spare napkins and I drove back home. I dug through my closet and found my old show dresses and lingerie. My fingers coiled around the lace, wrinkling the fabric into my fists.

A week later I had a job at The Blissful Angel, one of the nicer cat houses in town. It was much larger than The Kitten Heel with a long stage and a small band to play music. It was all I knew how to do other than rob storefronts, and I couldn’t bring myself to go back to that life without him. To my pleasure, I found Margaret was working there as well. She filled me in that The Kitten Heel had closed down a few weeks prior, said the Fat Man had a massive heart attack and his wife sold the place to get whatever money she could. I pretended to believe it, she didn’t need to know I had a part in his death. Having Margaret with me helped me transition back into the old life. I stayed with her for a few weeks, then got an apartment on my own. It was easier going back to my old ways with a familiar face.

A few months after I got the job at The Blissful Angel, I saw a familiar face come into the house. Joe and a few others stumbled in, clearly already tipsy, and Joe beckoned me over. We went into one of the back rooms, but thankfully he didn’t want that from me.

“Where the hell have you been kid?” he asked. “Ever since Vito got the can, you’ve been real distant lately.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” I murmured.

“What happened? I went to visit him a few days ago and he said you two’d gotten into a fight, that you hadn’t visited him since.”

“Please Joe, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Like hell you’re not. I thought you were my friend!” I gasped and covered my eyes to catch my tears. He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m really frustrated right now with this.”

I pressed my lips together, breathing slowly to prevent myself from crying and ruining my makeup. “He told me to move on from him, that I should think about settling down with a nice man and living a normal life. I can’t do that Joe, Vito is my whole life. You and him are my best friends.”

“Then don’t. I can get you hooked up with my new boss. I’m working with Carlo Falcone now. We can get you a good position.”

I shook my head. “No, I can’t go back to that life. For now, I’m just trying to scrape together whatever I can.”

“Are you going somewhere?”

“I’m gonna try to get out of here.”

“Where’re you gonna go?”

“I dunno, I haven’t thought about it. Maybe I’ll track down my sister, Alessandra, but I’m gonna go as far as money will take me.”

“Hey, you don’t have to do that. I can hook you up with my boss, we’ll get you some good work.”

“Just…just forget about me Joe. Forget you ever knew me.”

“Charlotte,” he began.

“Joe, please.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Fine. You want to break up our team, I won’t stop you.” As he left, I sat on the bed with my face in my hands. I took in deep breaths as the wave of anguish passed, and not a tear was shed. I sat up with my head high and my eyebrows furrowed. As I stood, I straightened out my dress, I put on my most seductive face, and I stepped out of the private room and onto the stage for my number.

#mafia 2 #mafia 3 #vito scaletta #fanfic #vito scaletta x oc #imagine vito scaletta #vito scaletta fanfic #vito scaletta x reader

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ragnarachael · 5 years

Text

Them.

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Word Count: 1,549

Summary: You should really think about your surroundings next time you try to help out people.

A Note: We’re back, you’re all gonna probably hate me for this. Also, our gunman may be written extremely out of character, i apologize. i’ve barely watched his individual show on Netflix.

Warnings: Gunshot wounds. Guns. Spider-Man sassing Daredevil. Fun times. Part One Part Two Part Four Part Five AO3

You had read about the different types of gun fights that happen in New York. Especially since you’d been warned about a new vigilante called The Punisher, thanks to Matt.

You never expected to end up being in the middle of one.

You were hiding under the metal counters in the kitchen while there was constant gun fire from what sounded like some automatic weapon before there were shouts and the sound of a gun making a clacking sound as it sounded like it was sliding across the floors of the dining area.

“See?” A gruff voice started, the sound of another gun smacking onto the counter of the breakfast bar, “That wasn’t so hard, was it Grotto?”

Hold on. Grotto?

Like, Nelson and Murdock Grotto?

“H-Hey man, listen, I.. I don’t want any trouble!”

Exactly Nelson and Murdock Grotto.

“You were askin’ for trouble the second you decided to go hidin’ from me,” The gruff voice replied before a sharp slap reverberated in the diner. “You really think you’re gettin’ off easy, hotshot?”

Scuffling was heard followed by more whimpers, you assumed it was some of the customers that couldn’t make it to the exit and were forced to watch and listen like you.

You hated it.

“No! No, no, no, I don’t-” Grotto shouted before he cut himself off with a grunt, another fist connecting to his jaw, the crunching noise sounded like it was right out of a film.

It made you shudder.

“Listen to me, and listen good. You’re gonna come with me, and we’re gonna have a nice little chat,” The man spat before the sound of the gun sliding off of the counter top of the breakfast bar was heard and Grotto’s hissing in pain was heard.

The small bell of the entrance door to the diner rang.

“Oh, hey! Can I get an order of-”

The gun went off as there was a distinct thwip coming from the far corner he stood in.

Spider-Man, thank god.

“That’s not very good customer service!” Spider-Man yelled, yanking his hands down so the webbing connected to the man’s gun would throw it out of his hands.

The sounds of a fight flew in through the diner loudly, grunts and crashes repeating constantly, the occasional scream from a civilian cutting through the fighting.

Grotto had the chance to escape from the other man’s sight as he rushed back into the kitchen before whispering aggressively.

“Where’s the exit?!”

You were quick to point at the emergency exit door that was through the hall that lead to the loading bay for orders. Grotto was quick to huff out a thank you before he practically flew to the door.

Inhale. Exhale. Press Yourself Against The Wall. Inhale.

You’re shaking as if you’re in Antarctica and your breathing is so ragged.

You should really consider moving from New York, your heart can’t take this bullshit.

The cooks you were sheltered with in the kitchen decide to look out into the main lobby to see what the hell was even happening.

It wasn’t good.

Blood was a new decor piece in The Square Diner, Spider-Man or the other guy’s, no one really knows.

The cooks scrambled back into their spots as they watched the man toss Spider-Man’s limp body into the doorway.

“Nice try, flyboy.”

“F-Flyboy? What kind of a ni-nickname is that?” Spider-Man coughed out, groaning loudly as he slowly sat up.

It wasn’t long before the man grabbed the fabric of Spider-Man’s suit and lifted him up off the ground.

You were immensely terrified. If Spider-Man was practically out of commission after just a few minutes of fighting some random guy, what would he do when he found out that Grotto was out of the establishment?

“Shut up!”

When the man barked out the order, you and your coworkers back in the kitchen involuntarily flinched.

The man took a breath to speak before the sounds of glass shattering and the clanking of pipes bouncing off of hard surfaces ended the breath he was intaking, the sounds of a body falling to the ground was heard.

“God dammit, Red.”

“Where’s Grotto?” Daredevil demanded, the man’s body soon being kicked into the stools that were cemented into the ground near the bottom of the breakfast bar.

The man’s chuckle was just as rough as his voice, almost as if he had to clear his throat just to continue speaking.

It made your stomach churn.

“We have to do something,” Jack, one of your cooks you were hidden with said.

“What the hell are we supposed to do?” Mike, the final piece to your puzzle in the kitchen hissed back in reply.

Inhale. Exhale. Shift. Glance Out Into The Lobby.

Jack and Mike started to bicker back and forth as the sounds of punching, grunting, and thwiping started to get louder again, the fight clearly having continued.

You had an idea.

A crazy one, sure, but it might be fine.

Keyword: Might.

You were quick to duck out and into the lobby, just barely missing the feet of Daredevil and the man that had the gun in his hand once more as you slid to the tables that were closest to the front door of the building, seeing some of your customers shaking and curled up wherever they could be.

This has to work.

Daredevil and Spider-Man together was a force to be reckoned with.

A lot of spandex material between the two, but still a force nonetheless.

“Hey, Clifford! Watch out!” Spider-Man called as he was thrown off of the gunman’s shoulder, landing behind the bar, groaning loudly in pain as he laid against the tile, the gun falling next to him with his web fluid still attached to the barrel.

“Never call me that again!” Daredevil shouted as he caught the gunman’s fist that was about ready to fly into his face and moved to twist it quickly, the cracking of his wrist sounding almost like a glowstick.

“Listen to me, Frank,” Daredevil whispered breathlessly, leaning close to the gunman’s ear, pinning his arm just between his shoulder blades.

“You’re gonna come with me to the police station, and we’re gonna walk away.”

While this was happening, you were carefully guiding the terrified customers out of the door, extremely thankful that the loud noises of the fight didn’t stop when you’d opened the door to cause it’s bell chime to echo.

You saw that for the most part, your mini evacuation was successful, but there was one person missing.

Emily.

Spider-Man was back up over the counter, no gun attached to him as he jumped over a knocked over table to join Daredevil and the gunman’s conversation.

“Like hell I’m gonna do that, Red. Grotto’s mine, one way or another,” The gunman hissed back in reply, eyeing the beat up Spider-Man in front of him before slamming his head back into Daredevil’s before turning around to sweep his legs out from under him.

Spider-Man tried to web him up to keep him from moving, but the gunman was too quick and jumped over the breakfast bar.

You found Emily hiding under a booth’s table, hugging her knees to her chest as she was hyperventilating.

You tried your best to calm her down and coax her to come out so you could rush her outside just as Spider-Man sighed aggressively, placing his hands on his hips as Daredevil climbed back to his feet, the gunman laughing once more.

“Thanks for the help,” Daredevil mumbled harshly, dramatically wiping at his suit while Spider-Man hummed in response, nodding firmly.

“You’re welcome.”

“Remind me to never call you for anything ever again.”

“That’s harsh, Elmo, you didn’t even call me!” Spider-Man sassed, letting out a grunt when Daredevil smacked at his shoulder harder than he probably should have.

You finally got Emily up and responsive and decided the best option would be to get up and walk fast to the exit.

You were both ducking down when it happened.

Emily was practically sprinting in her hunched over state to the door you had propped open while you were hot on her tail.

Daredevil and Spider-Man didn’t anticipate that the gun was still loaded.

Hell, they didn’t anticipate to see him fire either.

He was aiming for Daredevil. Daredevil would have been shot if Spider-Man didn’t shoot the web.

Spider-Man shot his web to wrap around the gun’s barrel again just as the gunman pulled the trigger, the bullet missing Daredevil’s chest completely as the bullet happily hit it’s next target.

You.

It felt like it was happening in slow motion, really.

You stood up straight and had turned around to the sound of the gunshot and didn’t even notice the bullet heading right for your chest until it hit.

Daredevil, The gunman, and Spider-Man were fighting when you felt the pain of not only the bullet, but the glass that’s shattered behind you as you fell against the door, gasping out in pain.

By the time you were fading in and out of consciousness, Spider-Man had stopped fighting and rushed over, calling your name as he eyed the entrance wound to the bullet and tried to keep you awake.

Instead you let your eyes close.

Inhale. Shallow Exhale. Inhale. Shallow Exhale.

Repeat.

#peter parker x reader #matt murdock #daredevil #frank castle #peter parker imagine #marvel imagine #rachael writes #who hates me now???#if it's horribly written i'm sorry #i took many breaks to try and keep the pace of the other two

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broadwaycantdie · 5 years

Text

Summer Fling - Newsies (Pride) Month . Day 20

( hotshot x mike ) + ( modern era )

a/n: this ain’t really your typical romantic cheesy summer fling but i kinda loosely based this off a favorite movie of mine so if y’all get it that’s cool :)

warnings: mentions of illegal activity, guns, violence

——————————————————————————

“There’s nothing we can do now, baby.”

“There has to be something!”

“I told you I was trouble. Yet you still chose to fall for me.”

Mike placed his hand softly on Hotshot’s chest as a tear ran down his face. He closed his eyes.

He didn’t want to say goodbye so soon, but they really had no other choice.

Flashes of their time together appeared in Mike’s head.

A whole summer all at once.

He saw the first time they met.

Suddenly he was transported back to Scotty’s Diner on Lexington. Three months ago. It was hot. The sun shined in the windows. Mike was working as a server.

On a day like any other, a boy walked in. He wore a red shirt, leather jacket, sunglasses, and had a sense that he didn’t belong.

Must’ve been from Brooklyn.

He and Mike exchanged introductions and got to talking. They started with chatting. Then moved to flirting. Which moved to Mike taking an early break to stay with him.

Hotshot looked around constantly, like he was waiting for someone to find him. Maybe that’s why he was in Manhattan.

Mike asked for a phone number but Hotshot kept multiple phones. Something Mike thought was odd but could look past. Sometimes after a call he would throw the phone in the trash. So he figured phone calls weren’t his thing.

He never said much on the phone, anyway. Sometimes not saying anything at all. But again, Mike could look past it. As long as he talked to him. Which he did.

Hotshot started coming to the diner every day. He was always alone. But after some time, his panicked eyes settled. He stopped looking around and started to just focus on Mike.

Days turned into weeks and eventually Mike gave him his number and told him that he wouldn’t save a contact for him. And whatever phone he called from he would answer.

Hotshot wished it didn’t have to be like that. But he had no control.

He really opened up to Mike. He was sweet and kind and had a smile that could lighten up a room. They really enjoyed their time together.

One day, Hotshot came into the diner with a group of Brooklyn boys. The first time he wasn’t alone. And he acted different.

Hotshot was quiet and barely acknowledged Mike. Pretending not to know him. It hurt. But he didn’t want to make a scene.

These other boys were big. Much bigger than Hotshot. And meaner. They pushed Hotshot around like he was nothing and he just took it. Hotshot wasn’t much of a talker.

Hotshot didn’t come in for a while after that.

He actually didn’t come in at all.

It was now August and all they had done was talk in a diner everyday for the last 2 months. No phone calls. No dates. No personal stuff. Just coming in. Sitting down. Talking. Eating. Flirting. And leaving.

Mike missed him. But he didn’t have a way to tell him that. Not unless he came back in.

Every time Mike’s phone rang his heart beat a little faster. It was never Hotshot. But he had hope.

A few more weeks passed. Mike’s phone rang again from an unknown number.

After answering he learned it was Hotshot. He was giggly and joyous. But Hotshot’s voice was serious and quick. Like he was being watched.

He spoke in codes. Saying things that could be taken any way.

Maybe he was being watched.

What Mike got from the conversation was to meet him in front of the diner after his shift ended.

He waited aimlessly for that time, staring out the window, waiting to see if he could make time move faster.

In Mike’s head, everything was perfect. He would go with Hotshot and that’s all he needed. Their life could be everything he wanted and more. He found someone to love. He wished to be with him forever. To move to the county and start a new life. A life away from the mundanity of adulthood. A life full of love and hope. He couldn’t wait to tell Hotshot.

In Hotshot’s head. He was scared. He couldn’t risk anything happening to Mike. He wanted a life without fear. Without having to watch your back all the time. Without talking in codes or meeting in back alleys. He wanted to move to the country and start a new life. A life without the dangers of his current one. But he didn’t know when that would be his reality. He just couldn’t hide from Mike anymore.

As soon as Mike’s shift was over, he went out to wait. Hotshot pulled up right on cue in a car he didn’t know anyone that young could afford.

As soon as Mike got in, Hotshot sped off. No words. Just the sound of the engine and music on the radio.

They got to a parking garage and pulled next to an equally nice car. Mike was told to get out and switch to the car on their left. Hotshot sounded serious.

Mike followed along and watched as Hotshot broke into a car and stared it without a problem.

They drove out of the garage as if nothing happened. As if it was a normal thing. Maybe it was?

This time, they talked more. Mike asked about what happened. He didn’t want to seem bothered, so he told Hotshot that he thought it was cool. That made Hotshot laugh. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Mike thought they were doing, but it was interesting to hear him try.

While driving, Hotshot noticed a car following them. He told Mike to hold on and trusted Mike would just continue to blindly follow his lead. Which he did.

Hotshot sped the car around turns, through tunnels, in and out of neighborhoods, and circled around crazy u-turns.

Mike’s head shook from everything that happened.

But the car followed.

He was as good as Hotshot which meant he was trouble. Mike couldn’t know, but he was beginning to get suspicious.

The following car sped around and drove in front of Hotshot’s car, causing him to stop. Quickly, he put the car in reverse and went the other way, turning it around as fast as possible.

The chase continued until Hotshot was pinned in a dead end. He’d run on foot if he were alone but he didn’t want to put Mike in danger.

The man in the following car got out at the same time Hotshot did.

Hotshot put his arms up, signally that the man had no reason to fight.

As soon as they made eye contact, a shiver went down Hotshot’s spine. He knew this man. He knew him well. He knew why he was after him.

He could see the man reaching for a gun and quickly dove towards the car. Gunshots rang out as Hotshot put the car in gear and drove around the shooter.

Through the rear-view Hotshot could see the man still at aim. He reached over and pushed Mike’s head down, shouting for him to duck while simultaneously trying to drive and cover himself.

A bullet shot the back window and made its way through the middle and out the front. Hotshot swerved the car and went where the man couldn’t see.

He was too easy to track.

They switched cars again.

By this point, Mike learned to just follow along and ask questions never. Hotshot wasn’t a talker anyway.

This wasn’t the summer romance Mike was looking for three months ago, but it’s what he got.

And no matter what happened he would rather be running from crazed drivers with Hotshot than at home alone.

They finally got a moment to relax and just drive normally. It was at this time Hotshot thought an explanation was well past due.

He explained to Mike that he was dangerous. That he was trouble and he didn’t want Mike mixed in it. But he was now and he was sorry for that. Mike, again, reassured him that he just wanted them to be together.

Hotshot brought more details to the picture. Explaining that it was part of his job to steal cars. He had to be good with wheels or he’d be dead. He was mixed up with the wrong people and now there was no way out. He didn’t want Mike to get hurt. But he couldn’t leave him. They knew about him now, so the safest place would be together.

They loved each other.

They shared a gentle moment. The most vulnerable Hotshot had let himself be in a long time.

But then more cars started following them.

He just couldn’t get a break.

Hotshot was chased down to the Brooklyn Bridge. A place he knew very well. But when he got there, he knew it was a mistake.

Police cars lined the bridge, making it impossible to cross. And the cars behind him wouldn’t let him leave either.

Hotshot knew it was time.

He would’ve had to get caught eventually. It was just a matter of time. He just wished he hadn’t met Mike before this moment because now he actually had something to live for.

Police pointed their guns at the car. Hotshot got out with his hands up upon their request. Mike followed along to show he was not a threat.

They both walked up towards the police together. Getting closer and closer until they were looking at each other in the eyes.

Without breaking eye contact, Hotshot began shouting that Mike wasn’t a part of this and it was him who they wanted. He told them that Mike didn’t deserve this and he was innocent. He was too good for a life like this.

The police remained frozen. Aiming at Hotshot like an animal in the wild. But not moving as to not scare away the prey.

The two boys shared their first and last kiss. It was full of sadness and remorse. Hotshot never wanted this for Mike. But in this moment he was thankful he got to experience someone like Mike at least once.

Mike never knew he needed someone like Hotshot. He brought interest and mystery. It wasn’t what he planned but it’s what he loved. He loved Hotshot. Mike didn’t know what was going to happen after this moment, but he didn’t care. He had Hotshot, if only for a moment.

When their lips broke, a police officer walked up to Hotshot and put him in cuffs. He didn’t fight back. There was no use. He was guilty. Everyone had the proof. He was trouble and he knew it.

The flashes in Mike’s mind faded.

He opened his eyes to where his memory stopped.

He was trying to hold out this moment as long as he could before his love would be taken away.

His hand slid down Hotshot’s chest as the cuffs clicked on his wrists.

“I didn’t chose to fall for you, Hotshot. But I’m sure glad it came out to be that.”

Hotshot got into the police car and as the door closed he let out the one thing he never thought he’d say.

“I love you, Mike. I’m not gonna forget you. I’ll be waiting for you when I get out.”

They both knew it would be a long time until he got out. If he even got out at all. Crazy things happen to crazy people. But they both knew that.

“I love you, Hotshot. I’ll be right here when you get out.”

Only time would tell if it was a lie.

But one thing was for certain.

As Mike watched the police car drive down the bridge, he felt a pain in his chest. Like a hole. He felt a piece of his heart leaving as the car drove further and further away.

At least he knew...

It was better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

#newsies pride month #summer fling #mike x hotshot #newsies #fansies #toursies #broadway #newsies broadway #newsies on broadway #newsies on tour #newsies bway #nyc pride #pride 2019 #lgbt pride #newsies fandom #newsies fanfiction #newsies fic #summer

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eddycurrents · 5 years

Photo

For the week of 3 June 2019

Quick Bits:

Batman #72 essentially gives a bit of recontextualization for what has been going on during the series, giving a summation of events, in this third part of “The Fall and the Fallen” from Tom King, Mikel Janín, Jorge Fornés, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles. It’s all right, with some glorious artwork as always, but it kind of feels like we’re treading water here.

| Published by DC Comics

Bettie Page: Unbound #1 builds on what’s come before and the magic of her unicursal hexagram pendant, but you needn’t have read anything previously as this first issue does a good job of weaving in the relevant information to inform this adventure. I quite like what David Avallone, Julius Ohta, Ellie Wright, Sheelagh D, and Taylor Esposito have been doing long term with Bettie Page and this is another fun start to the next chapter, blending Lovecraftian horror with a jaunt through pastiches of Dynamite’s current properties.

| Published by Dynamite

Birthright #36 returns from the trade break with the start of the next stage in dealing with the weakening walls between realms and what terrible things may happen as magic keeps building up on the threshold of our world. The artwork from Andrei Bressan and Adriano Lucas remains absolutely stellar as they, Joshua Williamson, and Pat Brosseau continue one of the best fantasy adventure series that strangely keeps flying under the radar.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Black Cat #1 is a highly entertaining debut, leaning hard into history and heists, with three tales spotlighting the Black Cat and the Black Fox. Jed MacKay pens two of the tales, one in the present illustrated by Travel Foreman, one in the past by Mike Dowling, both coloured and lettered respectively by Brian Reber and Ferran Delgado, that play stylistically off one another as they build up the respective crews and show them in action. There’s also a very cute two-page heist with cats by Nao Fuji.

| Published by Marvel

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5 begins a long dark night for Xander’s soul as he’s struggling with overcoming the demon trying to take control as a vampire. Great bits building what he means to Buffy and Willow. David López takes over line art duties here, and it’s definitely a change, darker and scratchier than what’s come before, but it suits the raw emotion of the story.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Captain Marvel #6 begins a tie-in to War of the Realms with Carol and Natasha trying to find Doctor Strange in South America. It’s a fun start to this story from Kelly Thompson, Annapaola Martello, Tamra Bonvillain, and Clayton Cowles with a Freaky Friday twist as they try to stop Enchantress.

| Published by Marvel

Criminal #5 begins “Cruel Summer”, which Ed Brubaker promises to possibly be the longest arc yet, kicking off an investigation into a woman running from an abusive affair. Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips give us an intriguing start to this arc through a sad sack private investigator in Dan Farraday

| Published by Image

DCeased #2 continues the destruction of the DC Universe through a “not zombie” zombie plague. Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano, Rain Beredo, and Saida Temofonte are telling a great horror story here, with some big casualties wiped off the board pretty quickly.

| Published by DC Comics

Deadpool #13 is another War of the Realms tie-in, dropping Deadpool into Australia to tackle Ulik and his trolls. It’s a decent start from Skottie Young, Nic Klein, and Jeff Eckleberry with some funny Wade/Blind Al moments and Wade trying to convince the Australian heroes of his worth as an Avenger.

| Published by Marvel

Deathstroke #44 is part one of “RIP”, with Priest, Fernando Pasarin, Ryan Winn, Jeromy Cox, and Willie Schubert kicking it off with Slade’s funeral. Some interesting bits of possibility as to who might pick up the Deathstroke mantle.

| Published by DC Comics

Descendent #2 continues this conspiracy-laden thriller from Stephanie Phillips, Evgeniy Bornyakov, Lauren Affe, and Troy Peteri. This one’s a bit heavy on the shadowy organization being shadowy and light on explanation, but there are still some entertaining character moments.

| Published by AfterShock

Eclipse #16 brings this series from Zack Kaplan, Giovanni Timpano, Flavio Dispenza, and Troy Peteri to a close. I find it kind of funny that the reason for the solar activity and underlying state of the world aren’t answered, but that’s been part of the through line of this final arc, focusing more on the characters and the heart that keeps people going.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Fallen World #2 continues this wonderful exploration of the new state of 4002 AD by Dan Abnett, Adam Pollina, Ulises Arreola, and Jeff Powell. The threat of Father-possessed Bloodshot in horrifying and the future is looking pretty bleak. Also, I think this is some of the best artwork I have ever seen from Adam Pollina. He’s really giving it his all for this series and it shines through on the page.

| Published by Valiant

Giant Days #51 deals with the fallout of McGraw’s loss as we head towards the end of the series. The shift in behaviour for Esther to more responsibility and adult attitudes also seems to be a sign that John Allison is giving us that the end is near.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

The Green Lantern #8 is one of the weirdest Green Lantern/Green Arrow team-ups you’re going to come across. With awesome demons from Liam Sharp.

| Published by DC Comics

Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 gives us a trio of tales and a framing story, focusing on the other heroes who were sucked into oblivion in the first issue, and where some of them have ended up now. Great work from all of the creators involved and hope to see them usher more stories of the characters.

| Published by Marvel

Incredible Hulk: Last Call #1 is another of the 80th Anniversary specials, this time reuniting the classic Hulk team of Peter David and Dale Keown for this one-shot. It’s an interesting tale of Bruce wanting to kill himself and an old co-worker of Betty’s trying to talk him out of it.

| Published by Marvel

Justice League #25 concludes “The Sixth Dimension” from Scott Snyder, Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Tom Napolitano. Gorgeous art as always, and an interesting bit of the League being more than the sum of their parts to choose a different way. There’s also a prelude for the “Year of the Villain” even from James Tynion IV, Javier Fernandez, Hi-Fi, and Napolitano and it’s a little grim. While they were gone, the world has been doomed.

| Published by DC Comics

Meet the Skrulls #5 brings this excellent series to a close, with hints of something even bigger than a Skrull invasion lurking within the Marvel Universe. Robbie Thompson, Niko Henrichon, Laurent Grossat, and Travis Lanham have provided a taut thriller through this series, but also shown that the tightest bonds in the field are really with your family.

| Published by Marvel

Savage Avengers #2 continues slowly bringing together the team in the Savage Land, along with revealing the long time Conan villain pulling the strings. It’s bloody, violent, and great. Mike Deodato Jr. and Frank Martin are making this look gorgeous.

| Published by Marvel

Stronghold #4 goes in some very interesting directions as Michael and Claire escape from the Stronghold’s clutches and go searching for the Apostate. Some absolutely marvellous artwork from Ryan Kelly and Dee Cunniffe, with some great repeated variations on layouts as Michael cycles through different lifetimes.

| Published by AfterShock

Uncanny X-Men #19 catches us up with what’s been going on with Emma Frost since her X-Men: Black story across Astonishing X-Men and the beginning of this series, and, well, it’s also bleak. And there’s more death. Also a reminder that the Vanisher’s name is Telford Porter. TELFORD PORTER.

| Published by Marvel

War of the Realms #5 is kind of a mess of pieces, I don’t recommend anyone trying to reconcile appearances and locations in this book with any of the tie-ins, but on its own, it’s one hell of a gathering storm for the finale. Russell Dauterman and Matthew Wilson are unparalleled here with the artwork. It’s drop dead gorgeous.

| Published by Marvel

Witchblade #14 slips back to the present to deal with what happens after Alex and co. get ported off to the future. I love how Caitlin Kittredge, Roberta Ingranata, Bryan Valenza, and Troy Peteri are presenting this, rather than just leaving us confused in the future.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Young Justice #6 concludes “Seven Crises” with some answers, kind of, but not any particularly satisfying ones, more just a bunch of hand waving. Which is not to say this isn’t good, Brian Michael Bendis, John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb, and Wes Abbott deliver a very entertaining excursion into Gemworld, with some funny moments and great action. It’s just that the questions about how and why any of this is happening or who these versions of the characters are and out of which continuity remain.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Other Highlights: Age of X-Man: Prisoner X #4, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #2, Beasts of Burden: Presence of Others #2, Black Hammer ‘45 #4, Dead Man Logan #8, Domino: Hotshots #4, The Dreaming #10, Elvira: The Shape of Elvira #3, Female Furies #5, Hashtag Danger #2, Hotel Dare, Jim Henson’s Beneath the Dark Crystal #10, Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #2, Marvel Action: Avengers #5, Marvel Team-Up #3, Noble #18, Old Man Quill #6, Paper Girls #29, Red Sonja #5, Ronin Island #4, Section Zero #3, Shadow Roads #8, Sharkey: The Bounty Hunter #4, Six Million Dollar Man #4, Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #9, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Luke Skywalker #1, Star Wars Adventures #22, Thumbs #1, Tony Stark: Iron Man #12, Vampirella: Roses for the Dead #4, Volition #6, War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #4, War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #3

Recommended Collections: Avengers - Volume 3: War of the Vampires, Captain Ginger - Volume 1, Cemetery Beach, Cloak & Dagger: Agony & Ecstasy, Die - Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker, The Dreaming - Volume 1: Pathways & Emanations, Hack/Slash Omnibus - Volume 6, Impossible Incorporated, Maxwell’s Demons - Volume 1, Mind MGMT Omnibus - Volume 2, Mirror: The Nest, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars Adventures: Destroyer Down, The Thrilling Adventure Hour - Volume 2: Residence Evil

d. emerson eddy is all thumbs.

#This Week in Comics

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