#i dont know if i should be stressed or gleeful

[moo-oon]

i wish, if only for a moment, to understand all the levels of insanity that have occurred this weekend.

[thenixkat]

also the president gave shoot on sight orders for the Joker. I dont think anyone would care if a superhero murdered the Joker who's orchestrating the mass death of thousands at this very moment, Nightwing. Get off yer fucking high horse

of course the Jokerization is randomly killing/dropping villains now. We can't have this ass pull have any real long term effects

faces

they got paid. so the doctor that diagnosed the Joker with a brain tumor was playing a prank on the Joker and didnt think it would go horribly wrong

folks making deals with that fuckin brainworm that i know is usually up to some shit

ok just spread the jokerness via tainted rain, sure, whatever

you were just fleeing from Joker the other issue why are you demanding being taken to him now? Fuck it, let Harley go to the Joker so he can rape and kill her, it's what she fucking wants right now. Let her get her dipshit ass killed.

also Dr. Langstrom is that Dr. Langstrom, the werebat. In this he turns when stressed.

there's a protocol in place for getting Dr. Langstron to calm his shit when he goes werebat. They shot him with some calming drugs

meanwhile, Harley is getting cavity searched for a 3rd time apparently by an overly gleeful lady soldier, cause sexual assault is funny when its lady on lady apparently.

Oracle calls in Huntress, a hero known for killing fuckers, to do whatever she feels necessary to save Robin and clear out some jokerized villains. Just dont tell Batman

jokerized, ugh, Killer Croc called dibs on some Robin wings

Nightwing you know better than trying to reason with the fucking Joker. Also staple gun

oh hey Batman put tracking devices in the costume upgrades he gave his allies. Gotta love that paranoid big brother bs. Someday folks are gonna get tired of that shit and beat Batman's ass

like that's rude as hell also fucking boob socks on the fucking bulletproof vest is a shitty art decision

i doubt Tim-Robin got eaten that quickly and Killer Croc is still fucking hungry. Tim's a decent-sized child, with plenty of meat

again, I don't think Tim-Robin is dead. An offscreen death in a miniseries that doesnt focus on him? I dont buy it

and even if he was he'd be back sooner rather than later

also since when does a superhero need to be sanctioned? I doubt Batman can keep every hero he doesnt like/wont bow to him out of Gotham

oh so now Nightwing is ok with killing Joker. It only took the Joker killing Jason, crippling Barbra, and killing Tim too. Damn, fuck you Nightwing

The Joker has to murder and maim multiple people that Dick is close to b4 dude would consider killing him. Man, I'd be pissed off at Nightwing if I lived in this world and had folks I knew murdered and maimed and the heroes only get serious when it gets personal

yeah, these heroes should have more enemies with the common people just for that alone. 'You had teh chance to stop a terrible fucker and chose not to. Repeatedly even tho the bodies kept pilling up' also the folks in charge with stopping the prison riot are …alive after getting sucked into a gravity well. B/c gravity wells transport fuckers to a pocket dimension instead of crushing the shit out of things in this world. They've been dodging the aquatic villains and murdering one villain who's power is he gets a new power every time he dies which is extremely unethical

Oracle switched positions and wants Batman to stop Nightwing from murdering the Joker.

let him kill the Joker and get him some therapy after, yall making this more of a problem than it needs to be

No shit Tim-Robin wasnt dead. They didnt even put a whole issue between the fake out and him being back

fucking bleeding hearted saps feeling bad about killing the Joker. Couldn't be me

Batman you should have let him die. Everyone the Joker kills after this is directly on your fucking head.

yall weak ass bitches. Everyone the Joker kills after this is on you all for reviving the fucker.

the put the Joker back in prison instead of just killing him. so he can escape again at some point for more adventures. Lex Luthor is the president, its not like he has fucking morals or that the global public doesnt want the Joker dead. Just kill him

and that's the end. There's no good reason for anyone involved to not just fucking kill the Joker

the villains dont like him, the heroes should kill him for the greater good and they'd actually be justified in this one case more than anything else, the world governments should want the Joker dead. No one benefits to the Joker continuing to be alive

[purfuratta]

Episode 10, Love Between Fairy and Devil and Grapling with the Morality of Abduction and More Importantly, Why The Fuck WOuld You Not Tell Her She Was About To Be Executed.

It started as an unambiguous rescue and with all the stress that he can actually feel happening, sure, postpone telling her the situation till she had a good night's rest.

But a signifigant part of his problems is caused by him refusing to communicate.

Tell her that they are linked. Honestly, after the umpteenth time she misinterprets his super vague statements of ownership as romantic he should have gotten a clue.

Tell her going back is suicide because she won't have a chance to explain, she was about to be executed after she passed out.

Yknown that execution that only came about because they discovered the bracelet he put on her without consent right before she was about to walk into an examination.

Dont get me wrong I am a big fan of not letting her run back to the murderous emperor with his public torture and execution without trial. But she deserves to be informed of all the things.

It's all soooo unromantic even though romantic music keeps playing.

I do not mean this in a complaint overall way. I am totally watching it for the hilarity of mr. Super Serious Dark Lord being stuck humoring the Goddess of Saccharine, it is absolute PEAK Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing. Like it's really good at having fun filling this scenario with over the top hilarity.

But by god, this story is gonna need to put in a looooot of work before I want them tying the knot. Can't be candy only, my darlings. Gotta have that protein and vitamin too.

By which I mean it needs a hard cold arc where this fucker understands his domineering attitude causes himself the problems he wants to avoid. Everyone now knows he has a soft spot for the exact target he does not want people aiming at. Because it will kill him. Orchid, sweetie, I am so sorry for you.

[delimeful]

(dont) take this the wrong way (6)

warnings: misunderstandings, trauma responses, illness

-

Patton and Roman went in circles for a moment on who should carry Logan, eventually settling on Patton, since Roman was the quicker between the two of them and they were alarmingly unsure of what the small mer was planning— or how negatively that plan would affect the little guy.

Roman couldn’t help but be a little jealous anyways at the sight of the human pressing his tiny face against the palm of Patton’s hand, still mostly unconscious despite the jostling. It was unfairly adorable, and he never got to hang out with humans that weren’t terrified or fled at the sight of him.

Logan had started off scared too, sure, but after they’d cleared that little misunderstanding up, the human had shooed him away with an itty bitty stern look.

He’d listened, of course, he certainly owed these two that much, but internally he was gleeful at how bold Logan was when hanging out with them. Maybe he’d even come back and they’d learn more of his language and he could needle the nerd into telling him more about surface life—!

But of course, that required that he get better first.

It seemed obvious now, with the feverflush to his skin and the subtle tremor even as he slept, but the signs were so tiny on him, they might not have noticed for ages yet. He was inordinately grateful that the little mer had brought it to their attention, even if it also meant learning just how lowly the little guy thought of them.

When they returned from the air room, the tiny mer hadn’t twitched from his spot, though he looked as though he wanted to vibrate right out of his skin.

Agonizingly, he only seemed to get more stressed at the sight of Patton’s cupped hands, gaze darting between them for a moment before he flitted forwards and pressed an earfin to the makeshift airseal, staying in place only long enough to catch the sound of Logan’s little raspy breaths.

Roman opened his mouth, arms sliding up to gesture, and the tiny mer shot all the way back across the room like quicksilver. He had a moment to realize that with that speed, they’d never have ‘caught’ him in the first place if he hadn’t been trapped by that net, and then he felt immensely guilty for clearly spooking the little guy.

“How about you lead the way?” he asked, trying to distract their flighty little friend before he started tearing hair out. “The exit is one cave down, we’ll follow to wherever you think is the best place.”

He was shaking his head before Roman even finished. “No, I’ll follow, you— whoever stole him, you have to take him back to that beach. You remember... right?”

Roman turned to glance at Patton, who nodded firmly. “I’ll get us started then, kiddo.”

He cradled his cupped hands to his chest and swam deeper, easily twisting through the exit tunnel into the open ocean. Roman nodded at the little mer and followed, hoping that the little guy wouldn’t just vanish.

Only a moment later, he flitted out after them, and Roman caught the desperate longing that crossed his expression for a moment at the sight of wide open terrain. It vanished after a single glance at Patton’s cargo, replaced by a grim scowl.

If it weren’t for the human, Roman had the feeling that the mer would have turned and vanished, too quick and small for them to ever see again.

Instead, he hovered carefully out of lunging reach as they traveled, watching their every move with narrowed eyes. Every unconscious twitch of Patton’s hands seemed to make him flinch in response, as though he was expecting something horrible would happen to the human at any moment.

Normally, Roman would have been quite offended about this implied slight against Patton’s character, since his friend was just about the gentlest guy he knew. With circumstances what they were, however, he remained silent. He knew that this wasn’t really a reflection on Patton, but rather someone else entirely, a phantom presence that was still haunting the small mer.

Roman let out a breath of relief when they finally resurfaced, a human beach visible nearby. Patton unfolded his hands as soon as they were above water, and they both peered nervously down at the human.

“He doesn’t look like he’s gotten any worse,” Patton murmured, angling his hands so their small tagalong could see as well. “This is fairly close to the beach I found him at!”

“It seems the early hour has served us well,” Roman added, making sure not to gesture as he usually would. “There doesn’t appear to be anyone else around. Should we set him on the beach?”

The tiny mer jolted when he realized that they were both looking to him, flitting back and forth in nervous motions. “Uh, yeah— Yes. But be careful. And make sure you put him high enough that the tide can’t drag him back.” He continued in an undertone, “With his luck, it’ll be ages before another human appears.”

“I’ll do it!” Patton announced, already pushing forwards to shallower waters. “Roman’s likely to beach himself if he goes too far inland, and that’s shore to make things difficult!”

Roman groaned, flicking his fingertips at the siren. “That was one time! One-time incidents don’t qualify for pun-based bullying!”

Patton’s muffled laughter got quieter as he shifted to lay vertically, scooting forwards until his chest was scraping the sand and his arm could extend to set Logan gently against the beach incline. Logan’s head lolled to the side, but he seemed unlikely to go anywhere, and was in plain sight of anyone passing by.

Roman glanced down at the tiny mer, who was staring over the waves at the human, finally looking a little less stiff and stressed.

Patton wiggled back until he could tread water upright again, sharing a little cheer with Roman at a successful quest. Their guest’s tension returned immediately, that little shadowed gaze snapping back onto them.

Roman and Patton exchanged a glance, uncertain of how to proceed, but before anyone could speak, they heard a small, hacking cough.

Logan was awake, just a little too late for him or Patton to say goodbye. He probably wouldn’t have understood, but it would have been nice anyhow. Roman watched as he rolled to something resembling upright, his limbs trembling weakly. He was looking back and forth, not just noticing the new decor, but searching.

Roman glanced down to the small mer, who had set his shoulders and continued looking firmly away from the beach. He sunk a little lower in the water, trying to make eye contact. “Would you like to go and say goodbye before he leaves? Or, tell him what’s going on, perhaps?”

He shook his head once, sharply, and Roman felt a little pang of sympathy at the way his ear fins kept angling back at every noise the human made.

Logan was calling out now, the same word repeated at increasing levels of urgency. “Virgil?”

The mer still refused to glance back. “I’m not breaking the deal. You upheld your half, and you’re going to keep upholding it, and I’ll uphold mine. I’m not going anywhere.”

He’d drifted closer to Roman as he spoke, but it didn’t feel like any sort of progress. He’d tucked all those extra flares and frills away, smoothing himself down as though he was calm— or resigned.

Roman glanced up at the beach, where Logan still called. As he listened, that little voice cracked midword, desperation slowly turning to despair. He moved to cup his hand underneath the little mer, his heartstrings pulling at the way he let out a slow, shaky breath and closed his eyes, even as Roman lifted him up from the ocean entirely.

Patton opened his mouth as if to speak, but Roman met his eyes and shook his head, promising with his gaze alone that he knew what he was doing. His friend glanced down at the little guy worriedly, but held his tongue.

With one strong push, Roman slid up to the beach’s edge, grimacing slightly as the water became shallower and shallower. His arms were longer than Patton’s, though, and so he had little trouble reaching over and depositing his handful of seawater & tiny mermaid directly next to Logan.

“Virgil!” the human said, relieved, and he reached out to latch onto the mer, confirming Roman’s name suspicions.

‘Virgil’ had yelped like a baby seal upon being upended onto the beach, and he was now blinking between Roman and Logan with an air of extreme bewilderment.

“Virgil,” Logan said again, now in a very different tone. He wore a tiny, furious expression as he launched into what sounded like a somewhat-feverish lecture. He also reached over and pulled the mer into a hug, confirming Roman’s ‘he had no idea Virgil was going to pull this’ suspicions.

Roman was so right about so many things today. Everyone should listen to him all the time!

He wriggled back a little, intending to give them some privacy to talk, and made absolutely no progress. Uh oh. He glanced down at the others.

“I am just a little bit, slightly, somewhat, completely beached again,” he told them, his face growing hot. “I hope you two appreciate that I did this even though Patton is absolutely never going to let me live this down.”

“Need me to reel you back in, kiddo?” Patton called, right on cue. Roman sighed, planting his face in the crook of his elbow for a moment.

“Just a moment,” he called, and then met Virgil’s wide eyes from over Logan’s shoulder. “It seems like there’s still much for you both to discuss, my undersized acquaintances. We shouldn’t stay so close to land for long, but I imagine you’ll feel better if you keep him company until someone comes for him, right?”

Logan’s brief spark of energy seemed to be flagging, but every time Virgil attempted to disengage from the hug, he clung on tighter. After a brief moment of hesitation, Virgil conceded to the clinginess and simply nodded at Roman, still half-braced for something awful.

Roman gave him his most reassuring smile. “Then that’s what you’ll do. You know where to find me or Patton, if you need us!”

“Really?” Virgil asked, hands fisting in the back of Logan’s shirt. “You’ll let me-- you’ll leave us alone? Just like that?”

Roman nodded, lips twisted in sympathy. “Just like that.”

Virgil’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, fins flattened against the sides of his head-- and then he took a deep breath, loosened his grip just slightly, and nodded back.

[call-signtracer]

Talon's Claws Part 1A

This will be a little long so it will be cut into parts. I'm still writing the rest but though I should share what has happened so far. hope you enjoy and all that jazz.

@runephoenix6769 Special thanks to Runepheonix here for helping me actually go through with writing a fic and being there as my first audience as well as to bounce ideas off of.

Lena couldn't remember much about what happened that day. One moment she was zipping along the field, pistols blazing, and the next she was knocked in the dirt and everything went black. Groaning Lena sat up and found herself unable to see or move her arms and hands above her waist. Sitting still she began to think, but the only thing that came to mind was she wasn't on the battle field anymore. The distinct noise of medical equipment beeped and whirred in the background; the opposite of the screams of the terrified bystanders and the injured, the pops and bangs of guns firing as she whirred by, a flash of blue among sparks of orange and puffs of grey smoke. Was she back in Angie's lab? But if so, why the need to bind her hands or the blindfold? Did she get hurt worse than she thought? All of these questions bounced around in her head before Lena finally voiced her concerns.

"Eh, Ello... if there's someone here could they maybe tell me what's going on?" She chirped, when no one responded she sighed, "Roight, so now what Lena?"

Swinging her legs to where she hoped the floor was they made contact with a solid surface and she managed to stand. Wobbling slightly she padded forward and found herself running into a counter top. Using her bound hands she felt along the edge until she found the corner moving along so she wouldn't run into it. She forced herself to move slower, cautiously feeling her way. Letting go of the counter when she reached the end she found herself in open space. Taking small baby steps she worked her way across the floor thankfully not hitting anything else. That is until she heard the sound of a door sliding open and she walked straight into someone.

"Oye watch where!" Lena managed to bark out before the other spoke.

"Oh ho ho, so you're awake now are you? Well good. I was told to get you out of here before you break something. Come on Spikes, let's go."

Lena froze as the familiar voice washed over her. No. No no no no no no no! That was the bloody hackers voice! Where was she that Sombra was here to retrieve her? Bristling Lena opened her mouth to object but Sombra was not having it, the woman reached out and grabbed the collar of her jacket and tugged her forward.

"Vamos chica! I dont have all day!" Sombra laughed tugging the Brit out the door. "And don't even think about blinking, or zapping, or flipping through time whatever you call it. That part of your doodad has been temporarily disabled."

Lena let out a disagreeing grunt but quickly fell into step beside the hacker so she didn't fall flat on her face. Silently fuming Lena was led down corridor after corridor, the many twists and turns quickly making Lena lose any sort of map she had of the place in her head. A few minutes later she heard the tell tale taps of Sombra's talons tapping away at a screen and a door slid open that Lena was quickly shoved through. Stumbling Lena fought for balance and managed to catch herself before hitting the floor. Straightening up she turned only to feel a hand clamp down on her shoulder and push her back down towards the floor.

"Sit. Stay. Good Spikes." Sombra chuckled patting the spikey hair before flopping into her chair and typing wildly on her screens.

"Where am I? What do you want?" Lena snapped, shifting into a more comfortable position sitting cross legged.

"Shhhh Spikes, I'm in the middle of something. And where do you think? You really think Overwatch would let me waltz around their base?"

Lena froze as this sunk in, okay so this was some sort of Talon base. No biggie, she would just need to get to an unlocked computer or her com and she could send word for backup. First she would need to get away from Sombra. And second... okay she wasn't sure what she would do afterwards but she could get to that later. Scooting along the floor Lena made her way over towards the door only to feel a yank on her jacket.

"Aww, come on Spikes where are you going? I thought we were having fun!" A gleeful chuckle teased, "Do I have to tie you to my desk?"

"I was just taking a stroll, after all you said you were working wouldn't want to be a bother. So I'll just nip out if you would be so kind as to point me towards the exit." Lena replied flippantly, rolling her eyes under the blindfold.

"Come on now, don't be like that. Do you know how annoying it was to get you out of there without anyone noticing? It takes a lot of effort to expand my camouflage to cover someone else."

Lena was dragged back towards Sombra's work station and true to her word, she produce a rope and anchored it to her desk the other end looping around Lena's waist. She sat there a moment before working her way to her feet and walking to the end of her rope. It gave her about 3 feet of leeway, okay she could work with this. Making her way back towards the tapping sounds Lena sat down on top of the desk, enjoying Sombra's annoyed exhale.

"So, Sombrero. Is this usually how you handle captive agents? You tie them to your desk?"

"Keep quiet or I'll add a gag to your ensemble of gear."

"Hmmph, I'm just making conversation. You're in charge after all. Does it look like I'm going anywhere like this?" Lena held up her bound arms as high as she could to illustrate her point

Sombra snorted and turned back to her screens when one fizzled out of her reach and she whirled around finding that bumbling time twerp laying on top of her desk. It took a moment for her to figure out what was happening before she shouted.

"What do you think you're doing mujer loca?!"

"What? I'm staying put!"

"Off off off! Do you have any idea how expensive these things are?!"

Sombra grabbed a magazine she had lying around and rolled it up swatting the Brit over her head until she sat up. Fuming Sombra hooked the panels back together and huffed running her fingers through her hair before tapping the screens again bringing up where she was at before. Lena came up behind the hacker and spoke.

"Oye! Are you sure I can't help in some way? I hate to just stand around leaving all the work to you."

"Aye! Chica I swear if you don't be quiet and stay out of my way... are... are you singing?"

Lena smirked at the talon operative and continued to belt out God Save the Queen as off key as she could before dissolving into snickers at Sombra's indignant squawking.

"Wha? You sound stressed, you really need to get out more. Being a shut in can't be good for you. Why don't I take you down to the town, there's this amazing pub on the corner, well that's if you lot haven't blown it off the map yet. I gah!"

Lena yelped, as the rolled magazine found her head again and again. Ducking she moved out of the way laughing as she dodged Sombra's fury, taking satisfaction in the swear laden rant that followed. Her laughter was short lived when she came to a halt forgetting about the rope around her waist cutting her retreat short and back in arms length of Sombra. The magazine fell a few more times before the woman stalked off untying the rope from the desk. She took it and grabbed Lena by the straps of her accelerator and began dragging her out the door. They travelled down various hallways Sombra cutting off every sentence Lena started with harsh words she couldn't understand. The spunky Brit registered the sound of heavy footsteps passing by them followed by whispers but she wasn't given a chance to respond until another door opened and she was pulled through.

With a shove Lena fell back onto something soft, she wriggled sitting up and felt the rope Sombra had looping around her upper body before being tied off somewhere to her side.

"There! Now you're going to stay here puta and I swear if you touch anything!" Sombra let out a few exasperated grunts before breathing in deeply through her nose. "Let's see what she thinks of her gift. See you around, maybe."

With that Sombra left the room leaving Lena alone to wonder if that had been a mistake and who or what awaited her now. Tugging at her bonds she found the knots were secure so she let herself relax on what she was assuming was a bed. Minutes or even hours passed she wasn't sure how long it took but at some point she had fallen asleep. It wasn't until she heard the scraping of the sliding door open that she stirred with a new sense of unease. The door slid shut again and Lena could tell by the way the blindfold lit up near the edges that someone had turned the lights on. Boots clicked ominously along the linoleum floor making Lena shrink down into the bed as the noise came to an end next to her. She winced as the blindfold was ripped from her head along with some of her hair. Her eyes snapped shut at the sudden flood of light and she looked to the floor. Slowly she opened her eyes and was met with the sight of familiar heeled boots. Swallowing hard she lifted her head eyes taking in the shapely legs clad in tight purple spandex, climbing up to full hips where the suit began to split open near her stomach. Knowing what was coming but unable to stop her eyes continued over the pale purple skin, up the half covered breasts she tried not to stare at, and finally resting on the neutral face with piercing yellow eyes.

"I uh, h-hiyah Luv..." Lena smiled sheepishly, sinking farther into the bed under that cold stare.

Widowmaker continued to stare at the trussed up girl on her bed, her eyes gliding over the rudimentary but secure knots and she clicked her tongue hissing a single word. "Sombra."

She lifted her hand, a finger wavering over the comm in her ear before she thought better of it. Dropping her hand she instead crossed over to the bathroom and entered. Once inside she stared into the mirror trying to make sense of what was happening. One half of her was purring like a satisfied panther that had cornered its prey, but the other weaker half of herself was stirring up feelings of concern for the girl. Scowling to herself she banished those thoughts from her mind and went about her buisness. Slipping from the suit with practised ease she stepped into the boiling waters of the shower feeling nothing. Knowing she would have to go out there sooner or later she still took the time to towel off and brush out her hair. Clad in nothing but a large white towel she exited back into the main room towards the dresser set into the wall. She knew those sappy brown eyes were on her the moment she entered, with good reason half of her purred. The girl had seen it time and again before being forced back down onto sheets that were not Widowmaker's. Foolish girl, letting the assassin into her home, her bed; submitting to her will, letting the monster take the reins to do as she pleased. Widowmaker shook her head to clear it, it was always that damned girl's fault. She never felt indecision any hint of anything until that girl came waltzing in and mucked it up. Dropping the towel and stepping away Widowmaker leisurely rifled through the drawers pulling out underwear and a bra, followed by a plain shirt and form fitting yoga pants. Once dressed she knew it was time to deal with this new development. Sidling back over to the bed she lifted one manicured brow in expectation, enjoying how the brown haired girl squirmed under the strength of her gaze.

Lena couldn't help but stare, her face heating up as Widowmaker dropped the towel and got dressed. Once again that calculated golden stare was on her and she felt like she would drown in it as she fumbled for her words.

"Look Ameli..." Lena started but cut off with a sharp glare from Widowmaker, "R-right, Widowmaker. I'm just as confused as you are. I kinda... woke up. Like this."

She finished lamely wishing she could disappear into the covers. With a soft snort Widowmaker turned away in thought. Rolling her eyes she moved to the headboard and tugged the rope loose tossing it aside. A devilish smile reached her lips as she straddled the young Brit, eliciting a surprised squeak before a well placed look silenced her. Leaning over her she reached underneath the pillow closest to the bed's edge and drew out a slender blade, twirling it between her fingers thoughtfully as she felt Lena stir beneath her.

Tutting to herself Widowmaker slid the thin steel under a section of rope and with a quick flick of her wrist sliced through the thin straps. "My my, it seems this little fly is intent on being caught in every sort of web. Shall we see about cutting you loose?"

The sultry purr in her voice made Lena swallow hard, instinct making her body shy away from the deadly knife so close to her skin but her heart tried to reason that Widowmaker. No. Amelie wouldn't hurt her. At least, that's what she hoped. Widowmaker took her time, analyzing each knot and strap as she sliced through them, rolling her eyes at the little bow that had been added in over the chronal accelerator attached to the girl's chest. Sombra was always one for unnecessary flare. Bits and pieces of rope were tossed aside as Widow worked, slowly making her way up Lena's sides and working her way towards her chest. She tapped the knife's point along the clunky metal of her anchor in time before sliding it under the last strap.

As the last bit of rope fell away Lena took a deep breath arching slightly off the bed and moving her arms and wrists to stimulate blood flow back into the aching muscles there. Unable to avoid it any longer she looked up and locked eyes with the sultry siren atop her. Settling back down on the bed Lena racked her brain for something to break the silence as it grew thicker with each passing moment.

"Thanks Luv, that was getting a little uncomfortable."

Widowmaker's grin turned predatory as she watched Lena stretch. "Hmm, but of course. The only ropes you should be tied up in are mine."

Lena's eyes grew wide as her face quickly turned several shades of red her ears burning with embarrassment. She sputtered unable to come up with a witty response before Widowmaker swung to the side getting off of her and replacing the knife under the pillow. Sitting up Lena scrubbed her hands over her face in a vain attempt to remove the color forming there and she risked a glance over at Widowmaker who had moved to the desk across the room and was scrolling through various light screens. Swinging her legs off the bed Lena sat there her hands nervously smoothing the blanket as she watched Widowmaker. Taking a deep breath she took a small jump off the bed and joined Widowmaker on the other side of the room. Lena could tell by the way the assassin's chair shifted slightly towards her that Widow was aware of her presence but her face never left the screen.

"So um, whatcha doin?"

Widowmaker let her eyes wander and give Lena a blank stare before turning back towards the screen. Giving up on conversation Lena slid down on the ground leaning back against the desk.

"Report."

Lena perked up at the single terse word tossed in her general direction but it was progress.

"Okay, what on? I was never good at writing up my own reports but I could totally help if you..."

Widowmaker looked down and lifted a brow giving Lena a look she interpreted as, do you really want to know what I just finished doing? A sinking feeling in her stomach, Lena pulled her knees up to her chest and set her head on it. She had felt a small bubble of hope seeing Widowmaker again, they had a past more than Widow could remember, and she thought that maybe the woman would help her. But it seems any sort of comradery they had developed would not show itself inside the serpent's nest. It had become easier over time to draw that blasted woman from her shell when they met on the field, every time she found Widowmaker grappling through her window at some god forsaken hour late at night, but in here she might as well be a stone wall. Swallowing back frustration and hopelessness Lena rested her forehead against her knees burying her face in her thighs. Her arms wrapped around the underside of her legs as she curled in on herself trying to work a way out of this mess.

Widowmaker stared at the screen, mechanically detailing everything she had done and seen on her mission the dull work helping distract her from her intrusive thoughts for a time. Once the report was done, she found herself simply scrolling through the database to avoid the girl at her feet but her mind wouldn't let her.

"Come now, she's already here let's have some fun! We've been dying to break into that little Snips apartment anyhow, and now she's been hand delivered!" Widowmaker argued in her head.

At that Amelie railed, "How could you even think that? She's been brought here against her will and been tied for God knows how long...!"

"She likes being tied up!" Widow thundered before sneering, "Or don't you remember?"

Amelie was quiet before her voice came out softly, "Just look at her. She's been kidnapped, she's scared, and no doubt that is the farthest thing from her mind."

Widowmaker's gaze snapped down to the pitiful curled up ball of orange and brown next to her desk. Her inner voices quieted leaving Widowmaker blessedly alone inside her head. Rubbing her temples to ease the headache she always found after those two argued in her head; she continued to watch Tracer letting her eyes exam every inch of her noting the scuffs and rips on bits of her clothing. She drank in the helpless vulnerable position the Brit was in, there would be nothing she could do if Widow decided to grab her by the throat and end everything but something held her back. Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it, she reached down and carded her fingers through those ridiculous spikes she insisted on perfecting every morning.

It took a moment to process what was going on but when she did her head snapped up and she stared wide eyed at Widowmaker delicately poised in her chair and continuing to run her fingers through Lena's brunette hair. The soothing feel helped ease Lean's frantic thoughts and she leaned into the hand as her eyes closed with a sigh. Inside Widowmaker snarled and Amelie let out a sigh of relief before the two were banished once more to the back of her mind. The two of them sat there in relative silence as Lena slowly began to uncoil and relax at Widow's attention. A low gurgle broke their silence and Lena sheepishly wrapped an arm around her stomach.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have a mess hall around here, would yah?"

Widowmaker snorted softly, "Oui, though I do not go down there often."

"Don't suppose you could show me the way?"

Rolling her eyes Widowmaker stood and gestured for Lena to as well. Quickly getting her feet under her Lena fell into step behind Widowmaker only to find herself led into the bathroom. She turned a questioning look to Widowmaker.

"You're filthy. Food will be brought later but right now you need to shower."

"Wha! I am not!" Lena objected, but the thought of a hot shower was incredibly tempting.

"Says the miscreant covered in rubble, blood, and sweat?"

Right. Lena had almost forgotten what she had been doing before she ended up here.

"Strip." When she saw Lena open her mouth to object she crossed over and gripped her jaw firmly digging her nails in. "That was not a request. Leave your clothes outside the door, I will get you new ones."

And with that Widowmaker left leaving Lena rubbing her jawline where the others nails had left indents. Christ fine, she thought as she slid out of her jacket and carefully set the chronal accelerator in a safe place before taking the rest of her clothes off. Folding them haphazardly she set them outside the door and hurried into the shower. Biting back a moan of relief as the hot water cascaded over her sore muscles Lena stood there a moment before reaching for the shampoo bottle. Curious she sniffed it before shrugging and lathering up, it smelled like Amelie so she was fine with it. She made sure to scrub herself down completely and spent the next 10 minutes simply soaking in the hot water and relaxing. In the mean time she had heard the door open and close again, so either Widowmaker was out there waiting for her or she dropped off some clothes. Lena hoped it was the latter, she was too overwhelmed for Widowmaker's games. Turning off the water she slipped out of the shower and found the stack of clothes on the sink. Hurriedly tugging them on she found them a little too long in the legs and arms but she could live with it. Strapping on the accelerator she edited the bathroom and found herself alone. The thought of escaping crossed her mind but the sheer improbability of success kept her there. Shrugging Lena scooped up the bits of rope that had been cut from her and made a neat little pile on the desk. Crossing over to the only chair in the room she sat and waited. Widow reappeared not too long afterward followed by an Omnic plastered with the Talon insignia carrying a tray. Setting the tray down on the desk he then began taking the bedding and replaced it with a fresh set Widow provided, after which he left.

[dipifica]

need help/new story!

hey everyone!!! i know ive been m.i.a. when it comes to the fanfic scene but i have the first chapter of a new story and its......a 10 things i hate about you au! i love this movie a ton and really love the idea so i thought i would try it out! under the read more below is the first draft of chapter 1! i dont usually do this but i would totally appreciate any comments or suggestions on this first chapter (also if you want more/would read until the end, etc.) since im busy and have been having personal problems i feel it would help me be motivated if people were interested! this is a rough draft so things can change but for sure couples are dippica (dipper/pacifica) and wenbel (wendy/mabel) ages are moved around as well but only so i can have the whole gang in high school at once. anyways yeah! please tell me what you think!

Wendy Corduroy adjusted her baseball cap for the final time before deciding that, eh, that will do. She had never been one for nervousness, frankly she considered herself to be one of the chillest people she knew (except around family, but who was stress-free around their family ever?), but today was a brand new day full of brand new people in a brand new place.

Wendy and her family has moved to Gravity Falls only a month ago because the work was good for her lumberjack father. With the world moving faster and faster everyday, Wendy’s father couldn’t seem to keep up and decided a quieter, more rustic town would do well for the entire family. Luckily, the Corduroy children weren’t incredibly disappointed. Wendy was a starting her senior year somewhere new, but she tried to look on the bright side. If she loved it here, she will be happy, and if she hated it, hey, she’s in college next year anyway.

She got an E-Mail the night before instructing her about the school’s transfer policy, each transfer student would be assigned another student to lead them around the school, answer questions, and be a “friend” although Wendy knew well that the school couldn’t make her be friends with anyone. Still, she thought it was somewhat unnecessary, the school wasn’t huge and she was a senior, the last thing she needed was to look lame asking someone younger than her about her school.

“Name, please?” A man asked her as she approached the main office.

“Wendy Corduroy.” She stated, the school was a lot smaller than her last with far less students. Maybe her adventure would turn out to be a dud after all.

“Gideon Gleeful?” The man called to a group of student leaders. Wendy turned to see no one answer, than out from the corner a boy with white hair, dressed business-casual stood up.

“Yes, sir!” He replied.

“Your transfer. Wendy Corduroy, this is Gideon. Gideon, Wendy.”

“Nice to meet you.” Wendy shook the boy’s hand thinking how he even looked too young to be in high school.

“To you as well.” Gideon replied.

“If you have any questions, Gideon will answer them for you. Now, go ahead and start the tour. Next in line?”

“Right this way, Ms. Corduroy.” Gideon exclaimed.

“Wendy is fine, thanks. You are…..chipper.” Wendy chuckled. “If you don’t mind me asking…how old are you?”

“I’m 15 years old!” Gideon seemed to get somewhat angry. “I’m a sophomore this year at GFHS and I am so sick of people asking my age…” He muttered.

“I’m sorry, dude.” Wendy apologized. “You know, it’s good to look youthful.”

Gideon sighed. “Not when you are trying to get a girlfriend. Well, let’s start the tour anyway, you are gonna need a lot of help from me!” Gideon perked up and started his journey down the south east hall, Wendy trailing behind him.

—

“And that wraps up the English department. Next we have-“

“Gideon, can we just end the tour here? I think I’ll figure it out.” Wendy slumped over and sat down in front of a locker. Her feet killed as Gideon insisted on taking the stairs everywhere.

“We have so much more to see, Wendy!” Gideon exclaimed. “We still have the art wing, the back alley, the make out tree!”

“I really think I’ll catch on.” Wendy sighed and hung her head.

“‘Cuse me?” A perky, girl’s voice called from above. Wendy pulled her head back to see a beautiful young girl. “So sorry to bug you but you are blocking my locker.”

“I-uh…yeah. No, I’m sorry.” Wendy picked herself off and moved out of the pretty girl’s way.

“Hey, don’t be!” She smiled. “Are you new? I’ve never seen you around before.”

“Yeah, I am. Wendy Corduroy.” Wendy stuck her hand out.

“Mabel Pines!” Mabel trapped her hand and shook. Her hands were soft in Wendy’s and Wendy suddenly felt light as a feather. “You’ll love it here. Always something going on.” Mabel grabbed the book she needed from her locker and shut it. “I gotta go, but it was great meeting you, Wendy Corduroy!”

“You too, Mabel Pines.” Wendy replied, her heart dancing inside her. She usually wasn’t one for love at first sight but…wow. Mabel smiled once more and turned to join two other girls waiting on the corner for her.

“Don’t push your luck with her.” Gideon snapped Wendy out of her love-filled day dream. “Mabel Pines doesn’t date. Not allowed in fact.”

“Oh really, why is that?” Wendy asked, eyes still on the beautiful junior before her.

“Protective parents. You know, I even heard she’s not allowed to date until her brother does.”  

“Brother?” Wendy questioned.

“Twin brother, Dipper Pines. Basically the biggest dork this school has ever seen.” Gideon chuckled.

“That’s not you?”

“Watch it newbie.” Gideon glared. “No one will go out with him.”

“Hey, can you do me a favor?” Wendy batted her eyelashes.

“Ugh, Dipper is straight and so am I.” Gideon groaned. “And we aren’t that close yet, sister. Maybe you could…”

“Hi,very gay.” Wendy responded. “Plus, I’d feel bad…”

“But you were ready to throw me into the ring, huh?”

“Look, there’s gotta be some way to get her brother a date and get her to…is she gay?” Wendy asked, deciding in the moment it would be best to get that settled before she devised any schemes.

“Heard through the grapevine she’s had summer camp flings with girls and guys. So bi?” Gideon shrugged.

—-

“Ladies!” Gideon called over to two girls who did not look pleased to see him. Wendy trailed behind, listening in on the conversation.

“What do you want Gideon?” The larger girl sighed.

“Just a quick question, Mabel, straight or…?”

“She’s not into you.” The smaller girl rolled her eyes. “She can’t date, you know this better than anyone.”

“Right, right, right, that was last year. I actually am on the market for someone new.” He winked to them, which they groaned and turned their backs to him in response. “So she is or?”

“Bi, weirdo!” One yelled back.

“Wait like, she’s bi, or like goodbye to me?” Gideon yelled back.

“Like she’s bi, idiot!”

“Okay, thanks!” Gideon scurried back over to Wendy who was now crouched behind a trash can.

“You had a thing for her? Should I be worried?”

“Last year, Wendy. Last year.” He waved his hand in the air. “Although Mabel did at one time own my heart, she made it clear even if she was to date…it wouldn’t be me.”

Wendy placed a hand on his shoulder. “I have your blessing?”

“Yeah, but you have to help me find a lady of my own now.”

Wendy laughed. “Okay. In the meantime, tell me more about Dipper Pines.”

—-

Wendy and Gideon sat at the table across from Dipper’s, watching him read a book that was in a language Wendy could not understand. “Damn, you really weren’t kidding. No friends?”

“Dipper can come off as a know-it-all jerkface.” Gideon whispered. “Half of the student body thinks he’s an weirdo nerd, the other half is afraid of him.”

“Afraid of him?”

“He’s got an interest in the paranormal. Really freaky shit.”

“I mean, that’s not that weird…”

“He’s had a few incidents at school…” Wendy raised an eyebrow. “Look, by now you know Gravity Falls isn’t exactly a normal town, we are home to some weird, unexplainable stuff. Dipper…exploits it. Brings it to school. We’ve basically had a lot of lockdowns because of him. Even his perfect grades couldn’t keep him out of multiple suspensions, and causing mass panic every few months doesn’t make him that popular.”

“Damn.” Wendy breathed. “So finding someone to date this guy is going to be…”

“Impossible? Yes.”

“No one comes to mind? Come on Gid, there’s gotta be someone willing and desperate!” Wendy whisper-screamed. “Maybe someone we can even blackmail?”

Gideon perked up and suddenly smiled widely. “Oh, I have just the person. This tour is about to get way more fun than what I expected.”

—

“Her?” Wendy asked. “She’s gorgeous.”

“And my only lead.” Gideon muttered. “Play it cool.”

“I always do!” Wendy scoffed as she followed Gideon towards the beautiful blonde standing at her locker.

“Pacifica Northwest, how are you?” Gideon greeted. The girl visibly sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Gleeful, a new school year is not going to make me forget how big of a weirdo you are. Move along.” She spat.

Gideon let out a chuckle and Wendy caught on he was most certainly enjoying this. “Actually, darling,” He grinned. “I think you should be a bit nicer to me from now on.”

“Psh. Why would I ever show you any sort of kindness? Get lost.” She slammed her locker and started to move away.

“Welcome to Posh Burger, can I interest you in some fries today?” Gideon stated simply, still grinning, causing Pacifica to stop dead in her tracks.

“No. Way.” She muttered, turning back. “Listen, you-“

“No, you listen.” Gideon interrupted, pulling out his phone revealing multiple pictures of Pacifica working at a burger joint. “I’ve got proof here that Miss Gravity Falls herself, works at Posh Burger two towns over. What happened Paz? Daddy ran out of money?”

“That is none of your business! And this right now, is just about the creepiest thing you have ever done!” Pacifica rose her voice. “Delete them.”

“The students of GFHS have a right to know what their homecoming queen does on the weekends. It would take one simple click…”

“What do you want? Is that what this is, some sort of blackmail?”

“Gideon, maybe we shouldn’t-“ Wendy started, not wanting to ruin some junior’s life on her first day.

“Wendy, you are new around here, but trust me, 85% of the school population would expose this brat the second they could. I’m a saint.” Gideon turned his attention back to the blonde. “It is a blackmail thing. We want you to take Dipper Pines out on a date.”

“He’s even worse than you.” Pacifica sighed. “Why would you ever care about Dipper Pines’ dating experience?”

“Wendy’s got a thing for Mabel Pines. Mabel doesn’t date until Dipper does. It’s simple really. You date Dipper, Wendy woos Mabel, and these pictures stay safe with me. In return, Wendy’s basically my slave and you have to date Dipper in the first place. Satisfying enough for me.”

Wendy shrugged and for the first time wondered what she was getting herself into.

“You’re cruel. This is going to ruin me.” Pacifica sighed.

“I think these pictures will more so.”

“Maybe I’ll take my chances.” Pacifica glared.

“No, wait! I’ll-uh-I’ll pay you for every date.” Wendy offered.

“Corduroy, what’s the deal?” Gideon whispered.

“I’m starting a new job over the weekend. I’ll pay you for every date you take him on. And-And we won’t leak the pictures. Deal?” Wendy stuck her hand out for a handshake.

Pacifica eyed her hand, then eyed Gideon who’s finger hovered over a send button. “…Deal.” She shook her hand. “Gideon, you just made it to the top of my shit list.”

“I’m humbled.” Gideon put on hand on his heart. “As an added bonus, I’ll be your information guide. Dipper usually hangs around Lab 324 after school, I think. Best to start the courting early.”

Pacifica cringed. “Whatever.” Pacifica finally got to storm away without interruption and as soon as she knew she was alone, she let out a frustrated scream.

——-

Pacifica paced outside Lab 324, she peeked her head through the small window and saw Dipper Pines sitting with headphones in and writing quickly in his notebook. She didn’t know why she felt so nervous. She tried to convince herself it was the fact this guy had almost destroyed the school and town multiple times, but she knew what it truly was, and feared fulfilling Wendy and Gideon’s task would be far harder than seducing just any nerd. This wasn’t just some nerd, it was Dipper Pines. The Dipper Pines that helped her a few years ago and showed her how horrible her parents could be. She now had to face, trick, and lead on the one who believed she could be better. She was going to prove his belief in her wrong all over again.

She thought back to the photos and sighed. It’s just this one guy. She thought. It’s not like he is a saint either. She recalled all the mean things he said about her that same day of the party.

The memory drove her to finally open the door, alerting Dipper to turn and pull his earphones out. “Pacifica.” He stated, he didn’t seem confused as to why she was there.

“Hey, Dipper.” She said, awkwardly strutting in and leaning on the table next to him. “How have you been?”

“Oh, so now you’ll talk to me?” He spat right away. Pacifica hoped he would be polite and act as if they had no past, but no one was around them to fake for.

“Don’t be like that, I was just a kid-“

“Just a kid two years ago when you refused to acknowledge my existence in front of your popular friends.”

“A lot can change in two years.”

“Yeah, but not that much.”

“Dipper, come on, I know I’ve been a real jerk to you in the past, but I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime. You know, like old times?”

Dipper stared into Pacifica’s eyes. “…What do you want?”

“To hang out with you.”

“No, what do you want? You choose now to suddenly rekindle our…semi-friendship almost four years after the fact? Is there another ghost in the manor?”

“No, I want to hang out, Dipper. I’m sorry if you felt like I ditched you.”

“I didn’t feel any way, you did ditch me.”

Pacifica remained silent, backed into a corner by Dipper’s words. She couldn’t argue it wasn’t true, the two had connected, even if it was a short time. By the time freshmen year pulled around, Pacifica learned fast how to survive in a bigger school: cut off the people that didn’t fit in.

“You know I’m right. You are so easy to read.” Dipper scoffed, packed up his things, and left the room.

Pacifica was left standing on her own, feeling guilty and frustrated.