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britcision · 2 years ago

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OKAY FRIENDOS

This chapter fucking fought me, not least because I wasn’t actually sure what exactly Danny wanted out of meeting Waylon… and then I realised that was because Danny wasn’t sure either

I did consider just letting this one run long and posting in two parts when all was said and done, but this was where I’d have had to break the chapter in two for Tumblr anyway, and it’s actually a really good place to end… so one more chapter for Waylon!

And then tumblr mobile decided not to let me fucking paste the chapter in, and I am fucking DYING with the laggy piece of shit that is the mobile website. I crave death. Let me join the boys.

First Chapter and AO3:

Previous Chapter:

——————

A Good Excuse To Be A Bad Influence

Jason wasn’t exactly expecting to roll up to Danny’s dorm to thumping stripper music, and yet as he turned off the bike… that was definitely what was happening.

Flicking the visor up, he soon caught sight of the cause, a visibly frazzled Danny hurrying over. His pocket seemed to be having an independent party that Danny himself was not invited to.

“I have sinned against the almighty Tucker and am being punished for my crimes with an endless loop,” he explained flatly without being asked.

Jason snorted, reaching back to unhook the new helmet from the back of the bike and hand it out.

“Oh? And what did you do to upset his highness?” He teased, a smile tugging across his lips in spite of himself.

In spite of the certain knowledge that Tim would absolutely be latching onto this form of punishment the second he found out.

He’d not really felt like smiling since he got in last night, yet the second he saw Danny his anger eased.

Didn’t hurt that the pit was practically vibrating in smug satisfaction, clearly appeased that he also wouldn’t let them be kept apart. But there was still an open happiness all Jason’s own in watching his new friend suffer.

Danny sighed, pulling out a heavily wrapped sock-sausage that eventually contained his phone, and scrolled to show Jason some messages.

Jason scanned through them quickly, because the music was fucking loud entirely unmuffled, then passed the phone back to be reburied.

“You knew what you were doing,” he told Danny entirely unsympathetically, and Danny snickered.

“Sometimes he needs to be told when he’s being a dramatic bitch. So were you there for the whole,” he waved a hand vaguely, the other stuffing his phone back into his pocket.

Which meant Jason had to think about the cave again. And the phone call he’d gotten an hour after ignoring Bruce’s summons.

:::

Jason was actually on his way to bed on time for once in his life, the early end to patrol and lack of crime lord duties giving him a chance to get a full five hours sleep.

He should have known he wouldn’t get lucky two nights in a row; Constantine wasn’t around to distract Bruce anymore.

He’d contemplated not answering. Contemplated trying not to shoot Bruce in half an hour if the fucker showed up at his window.

The pit growled.

It was the worst thing he’d ever heard. The worst thing he’d ever felt. And he did feel it, vibrating in his very bones.

It sent shivers creeping up and down his spine, muscles tensing as if to run away from something inside him.

He answered the call, hoping it wouldn’t show in his voice.

“What.” Flat, unfriendly. Not encouraging conversation.

“You didn’t come to the cave.” B’s voice was equally flat, but in his case it sounded like a condemnation. An accusation.

Jason gritted his teeth.

“I have shit to do in the morning. Make it quick,” he snapped, giving his bed a glare it definitely didn’t deserve.

His pillows had never done anything to hurt him.

There was a momentary pause before B audibly decided not to push it.

Good.

Jason was in a mood to bite.

“We have intel on the Infinite Realms. I’ve sent the report. You need to stay away from Danny Fenton, for your health,” B said, still cold, still clinical.

Like he didn’t care. Like what Jason wanted didn’t matter.

Jason’s grip tightened and the phone case cracked.

“Yeah, no. Fuck off.” He spat the words, adding “get new phone” to his list of chores for the morning.

He’d been doing so well with this one. Of course B had to ruin it.

At least the old man didn’t seem surprised by his reaction.

“Jason. It… he. His abilities may affect your condition,” he said slowly, sounding tired. Old.

The pit snarled, sensing weakness, and Jason kinda wished he was still lost in its rage. Back when he was, it was easy just to hate those moments.

B showing signs of humanity fucking hurt.

“He is. He’s making it better,” he shot back, brooking no argument.

“We don’t know that, Jason. Please, just… just for a few days. Until we can talk to the League, understand what he’s doing to you.”

Was.

Was that Bruce begging?

It froze something small and soft in Jason’s chest, stuck him in place. And did nothing to stop the flood of icy rage from filling him up.

Filling his chest, crushing his lungs, making it hard to breathe. Because of course, anyone and everyone else’s judgement was worth more to the man than Jason’s.

Begging Jason to listen to him, when he would never, ever, fucking ever listen to Jason. When it didn’t fucking matter if Jason begged.

“And why the fuck would the League know better than a doctor from the Realms?” He finally snapped, ignoring the way his throat tightened.

There was a long silence.

“A doctor?” Bruce asked softly, his voice still so flat and emotionless that only his kids could have read the confusion. Jason rolled his eyes.

“Danny brought me to a doctor. I’m gonna be fine,” he ground out reluctantly, part of him resenting Bruce’s constant insistence on knowing everything.

But… well. If it got the guy off his fucking back.

There was a long silence, one that Jason was fully aware B was likely spending working this new information into his latest paranoid fantasy.

Jason seriously considered just hanging up and going to bed. He was about to do it when Bruce spoke again.

“Would this doctor be willing to speak to the League?” And there it was again, Batman voice, clinical and distant and always, always fucking suspicious.

Jason rolled his eyes harder. With emphasis. Willing to be interrogated by first the Justice League and then separately also goddamn Batman.

Actually, now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure B wouldn’t get anywhere with Frostbite. Frostbite took his work seriously and was, yeah, king of a full realm of yetis.

None of Bruce’s pointed silences, menacing looming, or vague growls would bug the guy who got Danny through Fucked Up Ghost Puberty.

(And would probably be helping Jason through his own Fucked Up Ghost Puberty… joy of joys.)

It might actually be fun to see him try. If just being here wouldn’t put Frostbite in danger, because hell fucking no that wasn’t happening. The guy may not be his king but Jason would still die first.

But of course, in all his paranoid bullshit about the Realms influencing Gotham, B had somehow conveniently missed what America was doing to the Realms.

Like Jason hadn’t even done the full write up.

“Not while the fucking League are required to hand him right to the US government for torture and experimentation. Which, by the way, did you read my report on the Anti Ecto Acts?” Jason asked sarcastically, doing his very worst fake concern.

And again he was met with silence. Fuck, maybe Bruce hadn’t read it. Jason had dropped it in the day before all this gala bullshit had started, and it had been a busy two days since.

Maybe B deadass hadn’t put the pieces together. Might as well hammer it home for him.

“You know, the one that says you, me, Cass, and Damian are all non-sentient because we’ve been exposed to the pits?” Jason added, eyes narrowing.

Which wasn’t technically true, since it was the resulting liminality and ability to process ectoplasm that made them count, but Bruce didn’t need to know that yet.

Finally he spoke again, voice gruff and clipped.

“I’m looking into it. But for now, Jason, please-” he said again, the cover of Batman beginning to slip.

But Jason was done. No fucking chance Bruce was giving him orders when he hadn’t even bothered asking for Jason’s opinion.

He wanted to spout off about dangers of the Infinite Realms after talking to some wet paper bag of a man who hawked his soul like it was a pokemon card. Hard pass.

And even after hearing that Jason knew what was going on a damn sight better than Bruce did, he still wanted to push him around?

Fuck that.

“Sorry B, legally non-sentient, guess I can’t be blamed for my actions,” he drawled, then turned his phone off and dropped into bed.

He had a lot of shit to do before picking Danny up in the morning.

:::

Jason shook his head, partially to clear it but also in answer to Danny’s question.

“Hell no. Tim told me he was being a paranoid old fuck again so I went to bed,” he growled, a little surprised by the sudden rush of anger the memory brought.

It must have been strong enough that Danny noticed it, because he could feel Danny’s worry too.

He sucked in a sharp breath, pushing the anger back down. He still hadn’t turned his phone back on.

Actually it might still be beside the bed in his apartment. It didn’t really matter.

Danny took the new helmet from him, leaning up against Jason’s side in a soft wave of comfort-sorry-amused.

Amused?

Before he could ask, Danny had turned the helmet over to look at the visor.

“So I’m guessing, from what we talked about in the car, what Tucker told me, and what you’re not telling me, that Bruce thinks you should be far, far away from me?” He asked innocently.

The pit fucking growled again, raising the hair all along Jason’s neck, and Danny trilled soothingly to it.

Even knowing what to expect, the sudden and complete lack of rage still made Jason shiver.

“Thanks,” he said before Danny could apologise.

For managing Jason’s unstable emotions for him when Jason couldn’t. Although…

If they actually were the pit’s all along, that’d explain why it had been so hard to push through. It was weird that the idea was actually starting to feel comforting.

Danny gave him a slightly relieved grin, nudging back.

“Yeah, well, not like you recently bound your entire soul and afterlife into keeping me safe. Not like either of us know what the fuck that’s gonna mean,” he said, all flippant and glib, and…

Yeah, he’d almost have a point, except Jason had put himself on the chopping block to keep others safe since he was thirteen years old.

He shook his head, chuckling softly.

“Oh, I didn’t get on with the old man long, long before you came into the picture,” he assured Danny with a dry smile, rolling his eyes.

Danny snickered, spinning the helmet and looking “innocently” up to the sky. Whatever the fuck came out of his mouth next, Jason was ready for it to be a doozy.

“Yeah, well… if I’m the bad influence boyfriend your dad wants you to stay away from…” and that sentence alone almost made Jason choke, without even the kicker, “can I drive your motorcycle?”

At least it stopped Jason from coughing. He shot Danny a sudden suspicious glare.

“Do you even know how to drive a motorcycle?” He asked with a full awareness of what the answer would be.

Danny shrugged, giving Jason his best “innocent” smile.

“Definitely motorcycle adjacent?” He offered sweetly. Jason shook his head firmly.

“Nope.”

“Oh come on!” Danny pouted, tossing both hands into the air, his new helmet held tight despite the dramatic gesture.

Jason shook his head again, in case Danny had missed the point.

“Nnnnnnnope,” he drew the word out, popping the p, and Danny rolled his eyes at him.

“It’s not like a crash would kill either of us anyway,” he huffed, and while he may have that kind of confidence in his ghost powers, Jason’s core hadn’t formed yet.

He wasn’t about to fucking risk it.

“That doesn’t mean it’ll be a fun experience. They’re called “donor-cycles” for a reason,” he told Danny archly, definitely not moving from astride his girl while this was “up for debate”.

Glanced back to find Danny staring at him, clearly holding back a snicker.

“That sounds waaay more like something the Disapproving Dad Who Doesn’t Like His Son’s Hot New Motorcycle Boyfriend would say,” he pointed out, rising on tiptoe to rest his chin on Jason’s shoulder.

Jason licked him. Mostly on the cheek.

It was a stupid impulse, the kind he usually didn’t even get with anyone but Dick, and he might have regretted it immediately if it hadn’t fucking worked.

Danny jumped back, cheeks flushing, and while Jason was pretty sure his own had pinked up, well, behind him Danny couldn’t see that.

But he pulled on his helmet just to be doubly sure.

“Yeah, well, protecting your ass includes not letting you kill us both in a fiery wreck. Or maim us,” he added before Danny could voice the protest Jason could clearly taste.

Silence from behind him, and then Danny sighed and pulled his helmet on, climbing aboard behind Jason again. Who decided to throw him a bone.

“I’ll teach you how to drive it first,” he promised, and Danny cheered loudly, thrusting both fists into the air as they pulled out.

Neither really noticed that Danny’s background music had changed to Radar Love.

When they’d finally dragged themselves to bed, Tim had offered to let Tucker use one of the manor’s nearly infinite guest rooms.

They’d picked one out and everything, changed into pyjamas (Tucker borrowed an old pair of Dick’s), and sat on the bed in Tim’s old room talking about technology until they both fell asleep.

Probably around 8am.

Tucker hadn’t had a proper slumber party since leaving Amity Park, but he was kinda getting used to waking up tucked next to a still-sleeping Wayne adoptee when his phone buzzed around 10am.

Foul treachery from Danny. As usual.

Tucker barely woke up, hand crawling from the pile to rest against the PDA, and that was all he needed. His awareness slipped from the device to his phone, always linked.

From his phone to Danny’s. Into Danny’s music app, where he picked a suitable vengeance even as he slipped back into sleep.

Watched Danny through the phone as if it were a dream, easily filtering out the sounds of his own music as Danny flailed around, trying to turn the music off, trying to turn the music down, failing on all counts, and flailing his way out of the dorm.

Down to meet Jason, his phone now buried in six layers of socks that did nothing to stop the music from being heard, or Tucker from watching.

Tucker cranked the volume a little more anyway. The thought had to count for something.

If Danny wanted to call him petty, well, Tucker Foley could redefine “petty” all on his own.

Providing his friends with a semi-mocking soundtrack really was the least of his abilities; he was literally doing it in his sleep.

Honestly, driving in Gotham wasn’t even all that exciting from Danny’s perspective. After being tossed around the GAV despite the seatbelts, a couple of cranky fellow drivers just didn’t register.

If they hadn’t been going through the city, maybe going highway speeds it might have been different, but he’d kind of worked out how loud he had to be to be heard.

By Jason snickering when he screamed at pedestrians.

If they didn’t want to be screamed at they shouldn’t be trying to loom menacingly.

Of course, that just meant now was the perfect time for him to use his new power for evil. Danny flipped his visor up, straining as high as he could to yell to Jason.

“SO, THAT CONSTANTINE GUY?”

There was a sudden click in his ear and he jumped as Jason’s voice came through, quiet and definitely amused.

“There’s a radio in your helmet, Danny.”

Oh.

News to fucking him, he was pretty sure that wasn’t standard in motorcycle helmets, but not from any lived experience. Johnny 13’s dead experiences were a little out of date.

Poking around the sides of his helmet, Danny soon found a button.

“Sweet. Looks like you finally forgot to mention something,” he teased, and heard Jason snort loud and clear.

Didn’t have to hold the button to talk then. Good times. He’d get Tucker to take a look on the way home after he ecto infused it. For now he flipped the visor back down.

“Looks like,” Jason agreed dryly, swerving them around a cluster of traffic.

He wasn’t exactly sticking to the letter of the law, they were definitely half again over the speed limit, but they hadn’t gone on a sidewalk so it was nothing to a Fenton. There was even an empty slot in the lane he merged into.

“So what about Constantine,” he prompted, and while it broke Danny out of his musings, it also reminded him of the exact thing he’d planned to do to make the trip more interesting.

“Oh, I own his soul. Like, a dozen times over,” Danny chirped perkily, grip tightening just before Jason had to slam on the breaks to keep from hitting the car beside them.

They sped off again before the sudden swerve caused comment, and passed a block or two in silence. Then Jason sighed.

“Of fucking course you do that for everything and not just Mariokart.” He mostly sounded resigned, so Danny allowed himself a snicker.

“What, it’s not like we’re gonna die. You’re even still on the road,” he dismissed easily, waving a hand to show just how unconcerned he was.

Did not expect Jason to huff, reach back and grab his hand, and pull it back around himself.

“I’m reconsidering teaching you to drive,” he told Danny flatly, and Danny pouted but took the hint and held on.

“Oh come on, you can’t say that, you haven’t even seen me try!” Danny protested.

Jason made an unimpressed noise.

“Your town’s weather includes reports of if your parents will be on the road.”

Which, by the way, was totally unfair of him, since he’d never have known that if Danny hadn’t told him. Or Tucker hadn’t told Tim.

Same difference.

“My parents, not me,” Danny argued anyway, shrugging, “and it wasn’t their driving that killed me.”

This time he was close enough, snugged tight to Jason’s back, that he felt the guy’s whole body shiver with a loud and rumbling growl. The same growl he’d heard and soothed earlier.

Something had really riled up Jason’s pit ghost.

Danny hummed another quick soothing trill, stroking his aura gently across Jason and his extra passenger.

Sort of trying to do it unobtrusively; he would actually really prefer that they didn’t fully crash. It kinda worked, in that Jason managed to unlock suddenly solid muscles enough for them to make the next turn.

“Sorry,” Danny said quickly, kind of to both of them, “guess Pitty doesn’t like the death jokes today.”

They passed another few buildings in silence, and Danny had definitely noticed by now that they weren’t heading for the manor. Didn’t matter so long as Jason knew where they were going.

Danny waited him out, long enough that he almost wanted to make another joke and lighten the mood. Again though, Jason broke it first.

“Pitty.” He did not sound impressed. But he didn’t feel mad. More what the fuck just came outta your mouth.

Danny gave him a quick squeeze, and almost felt the pit purr.

It was kinda getting stronger the longer they hung out. Technically that probably meant that both cores were making progress.

“Well, technically you probably get to name it, but until you come up with something I’m calling it Pitty,” Danny explained, and rather felt that Jason should be grateful.

Unlike the rest of his family, Jason had seen the full list of how Jack Fenton named things. Danny preferred to think he took after his aunt.

He coulda called it the Fenton Pit Friend or something. Really, it wasn’t hard to think of anything worse.

From his aura, Jason now seemed to be intentionally ignoring him.

Stewing in indignation-disbelief-confused-confused-confused. Well, that was his call.

Anyway.

“Back to Constantine though, I wasn’t kidding. I do actually own his soul,” Danny said casually, since they’d gotten distracted from his previous attempt to make the drive more interesting.

For a moment he wasn’t sure if Jason would rise to the bait this time either, and then another sigh came over the radio.

“Y’know, somehow, that’s the least surprising thing you’ve said. Man sells his soul so much everyone seems to have a chunk,” Jason grumbled, and Danny snickered.

“Oh, pretty much. He’s the Caterpie of human souls. He never made a deal with me directly though,” he added quickly, without being fully sure why.

He was pretty sure Jason wouldn’t jump straight to “Danny is a soul trader”, but honestly he’d gotten used to getting ahead of wilder trains of thought.

“Oh? How’d you get twelve then?” Jason shot back, clearly warming back up to things.

Mission accomplished. Danny grinned.

“Well, previous Ghost King was in nappy time for a couple thousand years, but he had this whole thing about collecting souls to add to his army of thralls, so basically anyone could sign their soul over for a chunk of power. Real charmer,” Danny snorted, rolling his eyes.

It was so far from the worst thing Pariah Dark had ever done, but so far it was definitely the longest lingering annoyance.

“I got the impression,” Jason agreed in pretty much the same tone, prompting Danny to continue.

Which. Yeah. Was more fun than thinking about the mountain of thrall contracts still awaiting their owner’s deaths, which the Observants were still fussing over.

Nobody wanted more thralls, souls wiped clean of everything that made them, well, souls. Just unliving batteries. Even ghosts found them creepy.

On the other hand, there was nothing the Observants loved more than rules. And the rules said a signed contract had to be honoured.

Really they shoulda expected Danny to ask who the fuck signed for Pariah, since he was (again) in nappy time prison. He hoped nobody else died while they sorted that out.

“Danny?”

Ah. Yup, he did it again. Danny shook his head and sighed, kinda missing the wind in his hair. It kept him more present than the enclosed space of the helmet.

“Sorry. So, John Constantine, clever bitch, wrote himself a contract that signed his soul over to the Ghost King, not Pariah Dark. Got through whatever screening was in place no problem, and now he’s my problem.”

A problem that Clockwork had presented Danny with on his fucking birthday no less.

That had been part one of the soul screening process; who was stuck with Pariah by name, and ho boy that was a depressingly long list… and still growing, though it had slowed recently.

News of Pariah losing his crown was slow to spread, and frankly Danny himself could be doing more to help that, except. Well.

Not taking the damn crown himself until he had to. Not wanting to give the creeps of the world anything to call him.

There were a lot of good reasons, okay? And Clockwork had specially singled out Constantine’s contract and delivered it to Danny himself as a birthday present.

“Well, that explains one,” Jason agreed with a snicker, pulling to a stop in front of the police station, “but what about the other eleven times?”

Danny snorted a laugh, sliding off the bike and stretching. As much fun as hugging Jason at high speeds was, he didn’t like being still for too long.

“Tax season,” he explained cheerfully, pulling off the helmet and looking around, “I guess we’re meeting Harley here?”

Snickering to himself, Jason pulled off his own helmet and tucked it into the storage on the back of his bike. Danny passed it over, noting that Jason had also had to get a second little pod for the other helmet.

He wasn’t gonna ask. Maybe they were in storage?

“Yeah, we’re meeting Harley here. Better not to swing by the manor for a while,” Jason added, his expression souring.

Which did make Danny feel a little bad actually. He didn’t want to cause trouble for Jason with his family…

But before he could say anything Jason ruffled his hair roughly, shaking his head.

“It’s not your fault, Danny. This kinda shit happens every other week, Bruce gets on his bullshit and I steer clear. He’ll calm the fuck down eventually and remember to mind his own business,” he explained dryly, nodding towards the doors.

Danny hesitated before moving to follow. It felt true, he could feel Jason’s sincere-exhausted-familiar-still over it clear as day, it just.

“I’m still sorry I wound him up though,” Danny finally decided, heading after Jason up and in. Jason who rolled his eyes and held the door open.

“Danny. He winds himself up. You could be a literal angel and he would not fucking care. You couldn’t unwind him even if you miraculously found the key. We’ve all tried,” Jason said with a sigh, though at least the anger seemed to have burned off into just…

Tired.

Jason just felt tired.

Probably cuz he was off fucking around with Cass last night, but Danny wasn’t about to call him out on it.

Not when they’d just walked into the police station (ew) and the wild sight of Harley Quinn, hair in pigtails and dressed in her signature red and black, sat on the duty officer’s desk with a bat. Filing her nails.

Total silence filled the room, broken only by the swing of the doors opening as Danny and Jason stepped through.

The whole room was watching her in a kind of terrified awe, like she was a particularly dangerous bomb waiting to go off. Danny’d swear they weren’t even breathing.

She looked up as the door opened, grinning broadly at the sight of them and waving in a large, exuberant gesture.

“Oh, there’s my boys! Hey boys!” She called in obvious delight, and half the room flinched.

Didn’t seem to matter that she hadn’t even been in Gotham for ages, let alone being her former roguish self. She had the kind of presence that left a lasting impression.

No wonder Danny liked her. She coulda fit right in with his ghost friends.

Maybe she’d come join them for fight club.

Pulling himself slowly from sleep just a little past noon, Bruce had to admit he was feeling better. The headache had dulled to a low throb but he felt clearer.

More aware of himself, and after a glass of water, more like he could take on the day.

It was far from his first concussion and he was well used to navigating the symptoms over the next few days. So long as he didn’t get any serious memory loss he wasn’t going to worry about it.

He had far more serious things to worry about, but even they seemed more manageable after almost nine hours of sleep.

Honestly… he wasn’t surprised that Jason hadn’t come to the cave. Hadn’t agreed to stay away from Danny when asked.

It had felt like a reasonable request at the time, like the bare minimum of common sense. But they didn’t have that kind of relationship anymore.

Jason didn’t trust him. Didn’t trust Bruce’s judgement, in how to deal with criminals or anything else.

Jason hadn’t been the boy who’d looked to Bruce with such trust, such wonder and awe, even before he’d died.

Sometimes Bruce wondered where he’d gone wrong.

But there was no use dwelling on the past. Bruce would like to re earn Jason’s trust some day, but he wouldn’t ignore their present relationship.

Jason wouldn’t trust that Danny was a danger to him without proof, so Bruce would find that proof, if it existed. Hopefully before Jason’s condition became proof itself.

The first and most obvious step would be to consult the Justice League Dark at today’s meeting, and then make arrangements for this doctor from the Infinite Realms.

He’d have to look into those laws Jason mentioned ahead of the meeting. Perhaps bring them up to Constantine, see how it might affect matters with the Infinite Realms.

A bitter part of him mused that he wouldn’t be surprised if the magician was completely unaware of most international laws, let alone the ones of the various lands he travelled, but still.

The man had been so adamant that the Infinite Realms were completely beyond their ability to handle. That they should cut and run at any cost.

Bruce could hardly imagine he’d be pleased that the US had apparently declared its inhabitants the targets of its newest genocide.

Of course, changing the laws and having them struck down would take time, but Bruce still hoped that the act of beginning might be enough.

Enough for him to visit Jason’s doctor in the Realms or some other neutral ground, since the doctor couldn’t come here.

Jason had said that he would be fine, not that he was already fine. Bruce wouldn’t have believed him if he had, not really; Jason hadn’t been fine since he’d been dunked in those damn pits.

Their poison had stuck with him far longer than anyone Bruce had ever heard of.

Hells, Bruce had had his own dunking. He could just barely remember the rage that had forced itself down his throat, into his lungs as he was brutally thrust back into the land of the living.

He had controlled it, had mastered it quickly, and now it was nothing more than a faint scrap of memory. Even that was still enough to grant his deepest sympathy to Jason’s struggles.

If the rage had never left him…

But no, he decided, going through his morning routine like he was still the young playboy Brucie who never showed his face before 3pm.

There was no point in indulging those thoughts either. He had mastered the pit’s fury, and it released him. For whatever reason, Jason hadn’t.

And now they all had to deal with the consequences.

Still, Bruce let himself hope for the future instead.

If his children were right, if Jason was right… if Danny or this mysterious doctor from the Infinite Realms could help him with the pit rage…

He might one day see that little boy again. The boy who looked at Bruce like he’d hung the stars, who could fly because Robin made him magic.

There was nothing in this world or any other that Bruce wouldn’t give to see Jason whole again. To see him happy.

The United States government were going to learn (again) what it meant to come between the Batman and the safety of his sons.

The Justice League’s meeting would be in another four hours. He had plenty of time to do some research and amend their presentation.

So long as Jason was right.

And speaking of Jason… there was just one other thing he’d like to do this morning. Heaving a sigh while he had the privacy of his room, Bruce pulled up his phone again.

He didn’t quite indulge himself as far as making a face as he punched in Constantine’s number, because concussed or not he was an adult. And he was going to need the man’s help.

Surely Jason wouldn’t object to a single check in with a trusted practitioner?

As the phone rang, Bruce once again cursed the circumstances that kept Zatanna off world. He was about 75% sure that Jason actually liked her.

But maybe the extent to which Constantine annoyed Bruce would also cheer him up.

The call went through, and Bruce snapped his wandering attention back. Maybe he’d take the rest of the day off after the meeting. Heal up a little more.

Alfred would be proud.

“Constantine. A moment of your time before the meeting?” It even sounded like a question, not a command. Sleep really had done him a world of good.

Part of Jason wished he could say he was surprised that Harley had taken GCPD HQ hostage just by showing up, but he honestly wasn’t.

Part of him wished he didn’t think that was exactly her intention, but… he didn’t particularly like lying to himself. Harley was fun.

And got results, even if she also tended not to end lives. He could respect that.

And promised not to rat him out to Danny, even if she made no promises about Waylon, who definitely also knew both his identities.

That… Jason wasn’t really surprised by that either. They’d never talked about it, but Waylon had definitely known he was the second Robin for some time.

A few of the rogues did, or at least assumed as much from the way the Batman would either obsessively chase or obsessively avoid him in mask.

Jason personally preferred and egged on the side that thought Red Hood was Batman’s evil twin brother. Or clone. Mostly because Bruce hated them.

Knowing civilian identities was a step beyond that Bruce would certainly never admit that more than one or two knew, but Jason had (slightly) less issues.

It was kinda an open secret among the rogues who’d been around since the glory days; Bruce Wayne is Batman. As Danny so rightly said of Dick, the butts matched.

(Jason was considering adding more padding to the body armour in his pants, if only to change the silhouette, because that was a fucked yet accurate identifier apparently.)

Most of the rogues didn’t fucking care, Joker and Two Face especially, but it was something that no one talked about.

And that they all specifically agreed to keep from Riddler for as long as possible.

(It was his punishment for being obnoxious at trivia nights in Arkham; no one bothered to suggest banning him or asking him to behave.)

For rogues like the Gotham City Sirens? Hadn’t been a secret since Bruce took off the mask for Selina.

Killer Croc probably wasn’t technically one of the sirens yet (and wouldn’t that be fun?) but he hung out with Harley, and despite his size he wasn’t stupid.

The only thing Jason was a little worried about was Waylon mentioning his current alter ego in front of Danny, but honestly the fact that they were at a police station would probably keep his lips closed.

All vigilantes were illegal.

Red Hood was illegal and a serial killer.

And probably couldn’t get the silent and terrified reverence Harley currently held over the station even if he walked in with a rocket launcher.

She beamed at them, hopping down off the desk with her bat over her shoulder. A little closer, Jason noted that this bat was also bedazzled, but in a different pattern from the one she’d had last night.

Or the same bat, redone, but he wasn’t putting money on it.

She hopped down off her desk and skipped across the room towards them, and Jason wished for half a second that he could command half as much menace doing something so… well, innocent.

But no, he just put heads in a bag, that wasn’t scary apparently. Fucking Gotham.

He obediently bent down for Harley to kiss his cheek, not wanting to be yanked around in the cop shop (even as a civilian), and still managed to be surprised when Danny also accepted a cheek kiss and then returned it.

Harley squealed in delight and ruffled his hair, then pinched both Danny’s cheeks.

“Awww, ain’t you all cute and cosmopolitan! So, shall we go see my big green bestie!” She declared happily, releasing Danny and turning back to lead the way out of the room.

Didn’t go for the keys. Didn’t address the question to anyone who should have been leading them down. Just got going, the way Harley always did.

No one moved to stop them.

Surprising precisely no one, Harley absolutely knew the way down to the cells at the GCPD. Not from a lotta personal experience, o’ course.

Nah, Harley usually went from crime scene to Arkham back in the day, but she’d known people and busted people out of holding before.

It had taken a couple real big favours to get Waylon kept here instead of shipped back to Arkham, but that was what favours were for. No one liked having a Harley-debt over their heads.

And Brucie’s word was gonna get Waylon released on her recognizance, once she scooped some shivering copper out from under their desk.

He’d have to actually behave this time though. No big bat-centric events, nothin’ above ground.

Honestly… she might ask him ta head home. Being in Gotham wasn’t good for either of them. Too many old patterns and bad habits, and Waylon had been doin’ a real good job keeping his nose clean.

If he wanted ta head back to Coney, they could get ‘im a ride. And if he didn’t, well, she’d have someone to watch the new show with.

Her two baby birds were following her like good little ducklings too, absolutely adorable. Although… she paused for a second, cocking her head.

“Is there a reason we’ve got theme music?” She asked with a delighted giggle as the song clicked.

It was a little muffled, but Styx’s Renegade? Ballsy choice for a trip to the cop shop.

The question seemed to surprise both boys though, and then Danny sighed, reaching back to pat a weirdly bulging pocket.

“Yeah, I upset my techno-god bestie this morning. Apparently my punishment is a soundtrack of my life,” he said dryly.

Jason paused, a slight frown on his face as he listened too.

“Wait, it changed? I thought you were on a loop?” He asked, and that was an interesting development.

Danny just shrugged.

“Yeah, he’s probably keeping an eye on us and changing it up when he thinks it’s funny. I think I know this song,” he added with a slight frown, brows furrowing as he listened.

Jason listened a moment longer, then snickered and shook his head.

“Tuck’s got good taste in music,” he said simply, and yeah, Harley remembered Tucker from dinner. Another lil cutie, all tucked up with Timmy in their own little world half the time.

Damn good at Mariokart and Spiderheck too.

Danny snorted and flipped Jason off.

“Suck up.”

And immediately the music changed, flipping straight to Pink’s Slut Like You, suddenly louder… although that mighta also been the song.

Danny groaned as his pocket loudly declared that he was not a slut, and Jason laughed at him entirely unapologetically.

“And that’s why I’m not the one with the soundtrack,” he declared smugly and Danny sighed, raising both hands in unequivocal surrender.

“Yes, yes, I’m a bad and naughty boy and I’m getting my just punishment. Can we just get going?” He asked almost rhetorically.

The music changed again, sultry twanging of a guitar before Lil Nas X began to sing Montero. It took Harley a moment longer to place it than the boys, both of whom now looked confused.

“I can’t tell if he’s encouraging you or not,” Jason said finally, and Danny sighed.

“Well I’ve pole danced into Hell before, so I’m taking it as a compliment either way,” he decided with a shrug, trying to shove what looked like an overstuffed sock deeper into his pocket. “I swear the volume shouldn’t get this loud.”

“Joys of a touchy tech friend,” Harley opined with a snicker, glancing around to see if there were cameras Tucker could be watching from. She blew both she found a kiss, then spun to continue their quest.

And realized that neither of the boys had followed her, both now watching her warily.

“What?” She asked, frowning and turning to see if she’d stepped in something. Nope, just clean floors.

“Danny’s sin was calling Tucker overdramatic,” Jason explained, and oh. Yeah, that explained the looks.

Harley waved a hand cheerfully, deliberately brushing it off.

“An’ now he’s givin’ ya life a soundtrack, so I dunno that he disagrees,” she said lightly, skipping back towards the stairs, “c’mon!”

And when no new burst of music began to switch out Lil Nas, the boys got to following again, Danny grumbling about unfairness.

Harley liked Danny. He had a refreshing lack of fucks to give, a good sense of humour, and he doted on Jason, who fucking deserved it.

They’d be so good together, and Harley was gonna have the time of her life watchin’ them work that out.

Which, now that she thought of it…

“Hey, by th’ way, ya said ya didn’t wanna meet at the manor?” She prodded, turning to walk backwards down the steps to the cells, frowning at Jason, “what’d Brucie do now?”

And watched the ease in Jason’s face freeze, muscles tightening, and Harley sighed. Yeah, a trip back to the manor was definitely in order.

“Just his usual bullshit,” Jason grumbled, running a hand through his already wild helmet hair. Danny snickered beside him and gave her a broad grin.

“Jason’s officially banned from hanging out with me,” he explained far too smugly, since there wasn’t a chance Jason would have listened to any Bruce-ban.

But, he was beside the tall and handsome stud he had a crush on, so Harley wasn’t gonna argue. She grinned back at him, just as her foot nearly slipped on a step.

Before the fall could fully start, she pushed off harder with the other foot, dodging both startled hands grabbing for her, and turned the fall into a backflip down the rest of the stairs.

Taking gymnastics as a kid really should be a prerequisite for villainy. Especially with the Robins flipping around all over the place.

She landed almost perfectly, stepping onto her back foot and then raising both arms and giving the boys a little bow. Then she sighed, resting her bat over her shoulder and mock pouting, tapping the side of her jaw.

“I guess I’m just gonna have ta go back and give ‘im a lil percussive maintenance… bet he hasn’t been restin’ right since he got that concussion either. Maybe I’ll call Selina ta keep ‘im in bed for a week,” she mused. Jason mock puked.

“I thought you wanted him to rest,” Danny snickered, earning himself a glare from his one true love. A consequence that did not phase him in the least.

Harley laughed and waved a hand lightly, skipping ahead to get the door into the hall that held the actual cells while they descended the rest of the stairs.

“Oh, she’s a big girl, Selina can do the work,” she teased, laughing louder when Jason groaned like his soul was being sucked out.

There was a cop still sat behind the desk just inside the door, an older man whose stocky frame had started softening with age.

He didn’t quite jump out of his seat as she entered, but dark eyes widened and ruddy skin paled when he saw her. Which, yeah, she had that effect on people.

“Why are you here?” He demanded, voice only shaking a little.

Harley gave him a sceptical once over.

Not someone she’d run into personally, though probably on the force when she’d been active. Off the streets now, probably not far from retirement and trying to make it all the way there.

Not a lotta Gotham cops did these days, in spite of the rampant corruption. Being in the Penguin’s pocket did sweet fuck all to protect ya when Scarecrow was having a hissy fit.

This old bugger had probably joined back in the bad ol’ days when they could just ignore mob crimes, hassle the homeless, and look the other way if a situation got violent.

These days between Gordon, the bats, and the increasingly dramatic rogues (among which she still counted herself even if Batsy didn’t, she had a reputation to uphold)?

Lookin’ the other way wasn’t the protection it used ta be, and bein’ conveniently “late” to a crime scene didn’t help much either.

This guy? Probably folded like cheap laundry at the first sign of trouble, but he’d stayed in place. That’d make her job easier anyway.

Smiling sweetly at him, Harley strolled forwards and propped her bat on the floor, both hands on the handle as she leaned forward over it.

“Pickin’ up a friend,” she told him sweetly, nodding to the line of cells down the hall, “Uber for Mr Waylon Jones?”

The guy (Officer Perkins, said the name tag, but he’d not really proved himself memorable yet) swallowed visibly, hands shaking but still visible above the desk.

Not going for a weapon. Not surprising.

No one who’d seen a gun pulled on Harley before tended to try it themselves. Just like the Robins, she was a tough target. You had to be real sure.

“Do you have the appropriate paperwork?” He rasped, a Gothamite accent still prominent despite the quiver.

Harley raised an eyebrow, letting her smile go deadly sweet.

“Would ya stop me if I didn’t?” She cooed, rocking forwards on her toes and grinning when his chair slammed back almost two feet.

The shaking had progressed to a full body shiver, sweat dripping down a blotchy brow as he slammed a ring of keys on the edge of the desk, as close as he was willing to get.

Harley scooped them up and straightened, tipping him a wink as she sauntered past.

“Thanks bud! But yeah, I do actually have the paperwork, Judge Thompson’s gonna fax it all along this afternoon,” she told him brightly, twirling the ring of keys around one finger as she skipped back towards the cells.

The judge’d fax it after she had another lil chat with Brucie. They’d cut things short last night, apparently too short for even their actual chat to finish sinking in.

Gotta fix that.

And remember to mention Waylon.

And maybe see if he had any info on her own little issue. Though she might hit Barbara up for that first, bring some treats down library way.

It was gonna be a busy day for ol’ Harley, but at least she got to spend time with the kids first.

“Was that really necessary?” Jason asked with a raised eyebrow, following her down the hall with barely a glance at their shaking audience.

“Necessary?” Harley asked sweetly, glancing into the first couple cells and skipping on. “No. Fun, yes!”

“See this is why I like her,” Danny decided with a sage nod, and Harley shot him a wink, “she knows how to have a good time.”

“I know how to have a good time,” Jason said immediately, and holy shit that was just sooooooo cute she nearly dropped the keys to go pinch his little cheeks again.

Just all pouty and defensive and they weren’t even talkin’ about him! It was too much, Harley couldn’t stand it!

“Yeah, and I like you too,” Danny replied in what he probably thought was a cool way, but no, that was just fucking adorable too.

Too.

Cute.

Harley was gonna die.

And maybe get herself a cool glowy transformation sequence apparently, which would be kinda cool. She’d always kinda wanted a magical girl moment.

She could be their fairy-ghost-mother!

And, to be fair ta Waylon, she had definitely gotten side tracked again. Almost forgot who she was here for.

But really, it did not mean he had to make a grab for her when she almost walked right past his cell! She coulda done him an injury!

He released her arm before the bat came down though, chuckling in that growly way of his and raising both hands.

“Hey. Didn’t want you goin’ right past,” he said innocently, and Harley sighed fondly and reached her bat through the bars to bonk him gently on the head.

“Hush you, I’m not that distractible,” she scolded him, completely ignoring any disbelieving noises from her two little love birds, “an’ anyway, you gotta be nice to me. I’m bustin’ yer ass out.”

She jangled the keys at Waylon instead, then began swiping through them for the right one.

The big guy obediently stepped back to let her look, his attention shifting past her to Danny and Jason.

“An’ you brought company,” he growled, a wry grin on his face. She had to wonder if he’d noticed how dang adorable they were already at the gala.

She’d missed soooo much! But he’d catch her up, because that’s what besties did. And cuz she’d kick all the kittens out of his room if he didn’t.

Jason shrugged, coming up behind her to lean on the bars.

“I had a passing interest in why you wanted to use me as bait for Two Face. We’re not exactly close,” he explained, the edited down version for their legal listeners in.

“Ya got balls for a rich kid,” Waylon chuckled just as Harley found the key. One quick victory fist pump and she got to work on the lock.

Really, there was a reason modern stations had one key ta open all the cells. Or electric locks. What if there was a fire?

But then, it was Gotham. They’d happily let all their perps burn. An’ probably keep usin’ it as an excuse why they all needed a fat budget increase.

“Victory! An’ he’s my adorable lil nephew, Croccy, so you’re gonna play nice,” she warned Waylon sternly, swinging the door open and wagging a finger at him sternly.

Again, for the benefit of their audience, but also because she enjoyed putting on a little panto. A bit o’ show.

(She’d have to remember to tell him Danny wasn’t in on the whole Hood secret though. She’d slip it in somewhere.)

Waylon grunted in amusement and stepped through the door, stretching to his full height and breadth in the hallway. And stopping.

“Who’s playin’ music?” He asked, head cocked as he tried to trace the muffled sound.

Honestly, Harley’d kinda forgot it was playing until he said it.

Danny sighed again, at his most put upon, and raised a hand.

“I have offended the technogod and am being punished by soundtrack,” he explained in a tone so dry it desiccated. And didn’t exactly help.

Harley patted the now-more-confused Croc on the elbow.

“He’s upset one of his lil nerd friends by callin’ him dramatic, so his friend hacked ‘is phone to make it play music,” she explained much more helpfully for sure.

Again, Jason and Danny took slight steps away from her.

Again, nothing continued to happen.

Harley’s smile grew more smug.

“An’ apparently said friend still can’t get inta mine,” she declared brightly, shooting another glance up at the security camera and tapping her pocket.

Waylon grunted again, clearly not needing to ask further because her explanation was perfect, and gave Danny a nod of recognition.

“An’ is that why you’re here? Mood music?” He asked, heading off down the hall back towards the doors. Which, yeah, they had places to be.

Danny brightened right away, grinning up at Waylon and moving to let the big guy pass.

“Unless you want a rematch? I haven’t been tossed around like that in a while and I could use the exercise,” he snarked, and yeah, this was why Harley liked him.

Waylon clearly did too, snickering and clapping a massive hand on Danny’s head on his way by.

“Mouth like that’s gonna get yer killed one day, kid,” he grumbled, ignoring the still cowering cop as they made for the stairs.

And Danny, bless him, angel of timing, just laughed and followed along, shooting Jason a wicked grin.

“Oh, it’s way too late for that,” he said light as air, making Jason let out a snort of laughter.

Waylon glanced down to Harley again, fully aware he’d missed something. She gave him another pat on the elbow.

“Jason an’ Danny met at Dead Kids Anonymous. Kid’s got himself a ghost transformation an’ everything,” she explained simply, which didn’t have to be completely true to get the point across.

It made Waylon snicker again, even as Danny cackled along behind them.

“Now THAT is what we’re telling everyone else. We might as well have,” he rasped between laughter.

His pocket music seemed to have changed to Thriller. Appropriate.

Jason rolled his eyes, but he was still grinning.

Harley didn’t think she’d seen him smile this much the entire time he was alive again. It was nice; most of the times she’d seen him as Robin they’d been fightin’, but he’d always been havin’ so much fun.

At least he looked like he had. Poor kid deserved to smile a whole lot more too.

Waylon was taking the news of Danny’s lack of mortality pretty well, giving the kid a thoughtful look. They’d made their way mostly out of the station now, their little bubble of terrified silence moving with them.

That’d get old one day, but until then Harley was gonna take advantage.

“Maybe we’ll have another tussle then,” he agreed with a low chuckle, holding the door for the others to leave through. Real southern gent. “Good t’know I won’t break ya.”

Danny bounced through the door as chipper as Harley herself, giving him a beaming smile.

“Hell yeah, we’ll find somewhere nice and out of the way. Oh, we had some questions too though,” he added almost as an afterthought, giving Jason a sheepish look that again: too cute.

Maybe that was how he’d really died. Too cute to live. Though she’d let him make that joke himself.

Jason didn’t seem bothered, though he did look a little more tense. Not sure where they’d be taking this, more’n likely.

“Once we get somewhere private,” Waylon agreed, glancing between Jason and Harley himself.

That probably meant it was on her to pick a destination then. Well, Harley had a place in mind that (while not technically private) wouldn’t involve onlookers.

“Yeah, I know a spot! I’ll send ya the address, Jayjay, an’ we’ll meet ya there. Don’t think we’ll get four on that bike,” she teased, pulling out her phone.

She knew the perfect spot, and it’d give her a chance to loop Waylon in. All good news.

Jason held up a hand quickly.

“Not got mine on me. Text Danny,” he called, and Harley waved her phone over her head in acknowledgement. It might give Tucker a way to jump into her phone, she wouldn’t know.

Tech wasn’t her shtick. Just a good thing they’d all exchanged numbers the night before.

It was a weird feeling to have his body shaken while his consciousness was so far from it.

Feeling his face pull into a frown not quite mirroring what he felt it should be. Tucker could never have explained precisely what part of him entered his devices; just that it was him.

Quintessential, pure essence of Too Fine. Everything he was without the meat he was born in.

But then he did have to slot back into that meat, and trying to do that without matching positions always left him feeling weirdly off kilter the next day. Like he’d put on a shirt but the shoulders were skewed too short.

So despite not being conscious of a face on his extended form, Tucker tried to form it into a frown anyway, sliding back under his own skin like a teen sneaking back through a window after curfew.

Hadn’t those been heady days?

Eyes slowly opening, it took Tucker a moment to remember how to focus them. That they weren’t cameras. But then Tim Drake-Wayne came into focus, and the frown changed to a grin even before he fully “woke up”.

“Morning,” he mumbled, rolling and stretching, getting used to the feeling of a body again. It was a little weirder each time, which he might have worried about if he didn’t see himself as an extension of his PDA anyway.

“You were singing in your sleep,” Tim told him without preamble, returning the smile.

Tucker hesitated for a moment, suddenly embarrassed. If… well. If he’d been singing along, that…

Look he’d picked songs that’d embarrass Danny, he wasn’t gonna give a fuck about it. The only actual question was, did he tell Tim?

Who else would ever understand better just what it meant to interact with tech the way he could? Could get excited with him about how cool it was?

He wasn’t fucking gushing to Technus. No way. Tuck was easily the one winning that ongoing hackathon, but it was the principle of the thing.

To the zone with it. Tim knew about Amity Park, he knew about the ghosts and the liminal tech. And while they hadn’t exactly discussed liminal people, it’d come up.

Tim could have a sneak preview. As a treat.

Decision made, Tucker gave the younger man another broad smile because yeah, bragging about your super powers to a very cool and impressive person? That felt good.

Tim might be a vigilante too, but Tucker was pretty sure Jason was the only souped up Robin. Most of the bats were famously power free.

“Oh, yeah. I was bullying Danny,” he explained with a light chuckle, glancing up to find his beloved PDA, Ida. She was half under a blanket now, so he tugged her back out.

Tim chuckled softly, leaning back and stretching himself.

“Good dream?” He asked and Tucker snickered, stroking gently across the screen.

“Danny wishes it was a dream.” Tucker paused, frowning a little at the confusion on Tim’s face. “So you remember we kinda talked about the whole liminal thing?”

That seemed to jog Tim’s memory, confusion fading into an analytical frown that Tucker was already becoming familiar with. That good ol’ geek face.

“The humans with budding ghost powers,” he agreed, and Tucker had to wonder if maybe he just hadn’t put the right pieces together yet.

He hadn’t exactly said that most of Amity Park were liminal, but it was a little hard to remember he had to. Like, they lived on a portal to Hell.

Maybe he shoulda.

Well, at least it was a cool way to introduce it to him.

Tucker pulled Ida into his lap, flipped her over, and tapped the plain plastic backing to demonstrate.

“Mine’s a low level technopathy at the moment,” he explained as the PDA hummed and then began playing… well, still Montero, so he flicked it again and changed it immediately to Country Roads.

Tim was watching him with a kind of hungry fascination, and Tucker turned the music off with a thought, then passed her to Tim so he could check for secret touchpads.

“It’s not something I can do with anything,” he explained with a modest shrug, grinning with pride as Tim immediately got to scanning the casing.

All simple plastic, not even biometrics; what would be the point? Even touching the PDA was pretty much a formality at this point. She was a part of him.

“Technopathy? So you can control it with your mind? Why not with anything?” Tim asked eagerly, hands stroking over the plastic, eyes darting between it and Tucker.

Like he wasn’t sure which was more interesting, Tuck or tech, and Tucker absolutely took that as a compliment.

“It has to be a device I’ve really gotten into. Like, down to the source code, or something I’ve cracked before a couple times, and then I can just feel how all of it works.”

Tucker wiggled his fingers demonstratively and the PDA beeped to life under Tim’s hands, making the other man gasp. And yeah, totally envy in those cute blue eyes he turned all balefully on Tucker.

“How many of the functions can you use? Anything the PDA can do, or…” Tim trailed off, clearly thinking of everything he’d already seen the PDA do.

The real question would have been what couldn’t Ida do. And honestly? Yeah, Tucker remembered the trial phase.

He gave another shrug.

“Technically? Yeah, anything she can do, but I still prefer hacking the old fashioned way. Most of the network stuff too, cuz I’m only really “in” the PDA. Or Danny or Sam’s phones.”

Tucker hesitated, wondering how best to really explain the difference. Danny had never been any good at it, Tucker’d had no idea what he was talking about from the video game thing right up until he’d been sucked in himself.

Which… was probably gonna be a next-hangout adventure for Tim and the bats. And Oracle, if he could swing it.

For now he gave up, giving Tim a hopeless grin.

“Honestly it’s something you’ve really gotta feel for yourself. Danny’s great at the transition from real world to code, but he always just punches things, y’know? Turns out knowing how code is actually supposed to work doesn’t translate well to being part of it,” he added with a sigh.

Because frankly? It was bullshit unfair. Tucker could code an entire other galaxy around Danny with his eyes closed, but put them in the same metaphysical layer as a firewall and Danny could just.

Punch it.

Which, theme for the week, was also not how firewalls fucking worked. At some point Tuck figured he’d either gain a new level of understanding through liminality, or give up and ask Technus a couple questions.

Technus was currently Tucker’s subject instead of Danny’s anyway. They’d made a bet.

Which meant Technus shoulda told him about their shenanigans in time, which was probably what Tucker would hold over his head for the whole firewall thing.

It was so nice when things just worked themselves out.

Tim looked a little disappointed, but mostly still intrigued. Tucker could see his fingers just itching for his own tablet to take notes.

“Do you think that’ll change?” He asked, blurting it out like he couldn’t hold back now that Tucker stopped talking, “I mean, if you become more liminal? Or just practice your abilities more?”

And see, this was what Tucker loved about Tim Drake-Wayne. They were on the same wavelength. He grinned back.

“Probably. But I mean, it’s kinda cheating too. For now I kinda like that I have to do things the way I always used to first, before any ghostly powers kick in. It’s more me, y’know?” And like hell he’d let anyone think his code skills were just some meta ability.

He’d worked damn hard for those skills, and he was damn good. One of the best, and he was also good enough to know he still wasn’t actually top of the charts.

That was the Oracle, although knowing they still hadn’t cracked his servers felt really good.

Tim was all but vibrating, clearly full of questions, but they were both interrupted by a loud growl from Tucker’s stomach. Immediately echoed by Tim’s, so at least he wasn’t alone.

The two shared sheepish grins, and then Tucker stretched.

“So, breakfast and then Twenty Questions?” He offered cheerfully, and Tim nodded at once, thrusting the PDA back and rolling off the frankly massive bed.

“We can start while we eat, everyone else has probably gone out by now,” he said over one shoulder, stripping out of his clothes from the previous night and hurrying for his closet.

Ah hell, Tucker had only brought the one change of clothes… which Alfred had laundered yesterday after the snowball fight. Which would mean they were.

In a place.

Probably in the manor.

Maybe in the room they’d talked about setting up?

He looked to Tim, and only then noticed that his tech idol was shucking off his boxers in exchange for new ones, entirely unselfconscious.

Tucker frowned back down at his current borrowed shirt instead, waiting til he at least heard both feet on the floor before looking over again. Tim might not care, but in case he did, Tucker could be a gentleman.

And then he could ask the important question.

“Speaking of Alfred… my clothes?” He asked hopefully, and yeah, the way Tim’s mouth dropped open and his brain visibly blue screened?

Just like Danny. They were gonna get along great.

Of all the top secret, private places in Gotham to go and have a villainous chat… Danny never would have expected a milkshake bar. But like he’d said last night, that was kinda what made it perfect.

Who’d expect to find Harley Quinn and Killer Croc, properly Waylon, sat in a pastel pink corner booth in the back of the bar?

Honestly, none of the staff seemed surprised. But they might not have been to see all the bats walk in; it was Gotham. Rogues happened. If no one pulled a weapon, don’t be the reason that changes.

It made him feel right at home, really. Just like Amity Park.

And they made a damn good milkshake. Danny took another deep slurp of his, cookie butter and cheesecake was definitely a combo he’d been sleeping on.

If pressed, he couldn’t really explain what he’d wanted out of this meeting.

Something in what Harley had said last night had struck home in a way he hadn’t expected, but with Waylon in front of him now… well, for one thing he seemed a lot more like just some guy who happened to be green.

And who was just adorably happy with his cotton candy milkshake, complete with little umbrella.

At the gala, he’d been big and menacing and monstrous, all things Danny was very used to and meant “friend” more often than they meant anything else. He’d still take a rematch, but he just…

Well, that was just it, wasn’t it?

Waylon really wasn’t all that monstrous, if you looked the faintest scratch past sharpened teeth and scales. He was polite to the servers, a happy straight-man to Harley’s jokes, and he could have teased Jason more for Danny’s tastes but it was definitely effective.

Jason was much more at ease here with two rogues than he’d been any time his adoptive dad was around. That… well, Danny knew full well he didn’t know much about Jason’s life.

It felt like he’d learned a whole lot more just today already, though again, it’d be hard to explain exactly what.

The conversation had been light, easy, and full of banter so far, and Danny really wasn’t sure how to segue from that to “so you were called a monster all your life”.

Because while for the most part Danny now only had to deal with the GIW calling him a monster (and they’d been quiet for years now, still rebuilding after the whole “bomb the ghost zone” bs)… the things his parents had called him still hurt.

The things people thought he was, ghosts and living alike, he just… he didn’t know what to do with it. These days he could mostly ignore it, and unlike Waylon he could even pass for living.

(Never for a ghost though. He’d never be able to stop any ghost from seeing him and knowing immediately, instinctively, that he was other.)

In some ways it felt like meeting Vlad all over again, but without the crushing disappointment. Well, what it might have been to learn there was another halfa if he hadn’t preceded it by being a massive creep.

It was… complicated. And all tangled up in his feelings around Jason, because Jason actually was like him and really did get it, or would soon.

And Jason clearly liked Waylon, for all he grimaced and bitched about the deadpan teasing. Waylon had a lot of interesting stories about Jason’s cape days, most of which Jason hurried to try to interrupt.

Harley had more, and they’d sat at opposite ends of the table before the boys had arrived, almost certainly so Jason couldn’t shush them both at once.

If he clapped a hand over Harley’s mouth, Waylon would either take up the tale or start one of his own, and vice versa. There was just no way Jason could win.

It reminded Danny of his own rogues, though maybe more Fright Knight than Ember or Johnny. The ones he got along with, but more respectfully than just his friends.

Kinda like watching Harley with the rest of the bat-brood.

Danny was very nobly doing his best not to enjoy it too much; within a week or two it’d be his turn roughhousing with his rogues, and he was hoping Jason would return the favour.

There was no way he could get any kind of ghost fight club going without his usual players, and those were the ones with all the most embarrassing stories of his early days.

Johnny and Kitty especially had blackmail material for days, so as much as Danny was loving the lil baby Robin stories (carefully never actually mentioning the name, since no one was masked)… no, his feeling was kinda more impending doom. It’d be his turn soon.

And Ancients help them if Harley and Waylon met Johnny and Kitty… nope, not thinking about that. Suppressing a shudder, Danny deliberately tuned back in to Waylon’s story about the time he’d kidnapped Bruce Wayne.

At least Jason was having fun with this one.

Of course, it couldn’t have the obvious ending; whether or not Waylon had known at the time that he had Batman, you couldn’t mention the punch line out in public. It’d be rude.

He left the story at the Robin beat down instead, declaring that the big Bat himself hadn’t even bothered to show up. Didn’t quite go full stage wink, but it was pretty much the next best thing.

Danny laughed along with the table and Jason shook his head, settling back into his seat with a low huff.

“Fun as this is, we did have some questions,” he said, voice just a little lower than before.

Danny was a little surprised he’d bring it up in such a public space. Right up until Harley glanced around, nodded, and settled back into her seat.

“Clear too. Any o’ the gawkers ‘ve been seen out,” she agreed with a slight nod.

Danny startled, looking around himself. The milkshake bar was… about half as full as it had been when they arrived. His confusion must have been obvious, because Waylon snickered.

“It ain’t the Iceberg Lounge, kid, but this is one of Dr Freeze’s more self sustaining operations. Can’t all be heisting diamonds,” he added with a slight shrug.

Not noticeably less confused, Danny turned to Jason instead. Jason chuckled softly, shaking his head and giving Danny a grin that was almost proud.

“Shit, you’ve lived in Gotham a year and it’s a fucking miracle how little you know. Iceberg Lounge is the Penguin’s upscale club. This place is run by the guy we talked about last night, freeze rays and diamond heists,” he explained quickly.

Harley snickered, draping her arms over the back of their booth.

“An’ if some o’ his ol’ Arkham buddies come in ta chat, his people know ta clear out anyone tryin’ to listen in too hard,” she added, nodding to one of the servers.

Well.

That tracked.

Danny had also definitely thoroughly demolished his “keeping away from rogues” spree, which kinda sucked. But then, since he’d basically gone from one extreme to the other?

Maybe that’d be fun to tell his classmates about too. It definitely tracked more with Danny’s understanding of his own luck. A whole year, no trouble? More like no chance.

Also meant this had to be a safe place to talk, apparently. What was it about rogues that made them so eager to get on with each other but nobody else?

Well, Danny got on with most of his now. But still.

Jason leaned forward, arms folded on the table.

“So what’s going on with Two Face, Waylon?” He asked quietly, still apparently aware of eavesdroppers.

Waylon glanced around the bar, then shrugged, settling back against the booth.

“Hard to say, with ‘im. Coulda been a coin flip, coulda been somethin’ else, but he wasn’t just gunnin’ for the gala. Somethin’ about you specifically put a bug in his ass, kid,” he added with a frown, nodding towards Jason.

Something in Danny tensed, not liking the idea of anyone targeting Jason. Of course, it must have happened before… when he was Robin.

And he’d died.

Danny hadn’t even noticed he was clenching his fists until Jason nudged his foot under the table.

Safe-worry-you okay? Jason’s aura was getting clearer, and Danny did his best to smile back. Sometimes his Obsession still snuck up on him.

Forcing himself to relax, he grabbed his milkshake instead. It felt warm, which was odd until he realised his hands were icy cold.

Not quite literally, but closer than he’d come in a while.

Neither of the rogues seemed to have notice, Harley playing with her milkshake while she frowned at Waylon.

“An’ you decided the best thing ta do was hit the gala first?” She asked dryly, her tone neatly conveying just what she thought of that idea.

Waylon shrugged.

“Not like I coulda swung an invite to get in nicely. Sounded like he had somethin’ real nasty planned, kid,” he added, shaking his head and leaning back in his seat.

Jason frowned, giving Danny another soft kick on the ankle as he leaned forward. Unnecessarily, for sure, Danny totally had his shit under control now.

“But no one said anything about why? I don’t think I’ve even met him,” Jason asked and yeah, that probably meant as Jason. Maybe even post Robin.

Waylon shrugged again.

“It’s fuckin’ Two Face. Maybe he ran outta matching targets and figured two lives had ta count?” He offered, though it looked like it was still bugging him too.

Harley huffed and shook her head, blonde ponytails bouncing.

“I’ll keep an ear out too. There’s a couple people who’ll prefer talkin’ ta me over you, sugar,” she teased Waylon as he grunted, a tinkling laugh falling from her lips.

Waylon snorted, but a reluctant smile curled his lips.

“More likely to spill to ya,” he agreed in a low grumble, poking his straw around a mostly empty milkshake.

Harley nodded brightly, clapping her hands.

“Exactly! ‘Specially if they don’t want any of their own special lil secrets told,” she agreed with a truly wicked smile. Then she paused, a slight frown curling her brow.

It was still a little weird to be able to see the moments where her brain revved up. Danny had to assume it was having been raised by Jazz; it was clearly easy for people to get lost in the bubbly exterior.

Fingers drumming on the table now, something had clearly jogged her memory.

“Might be somethin’ ta do with Black Mask too,” she said more quietly, gaze unusually serious as she caught Jason’s eyes, “he’s been quieter ‘n I like lately. Keepin’ ‘imself out of trouble.”

Danny might just ask if Jason could get him a rolodex of the Gotham villains to match the server Danny had provided for the Zone.

It did not help that they all had their own wild code names. He was used to dealing with people who had a lot of personality, sure, and theatrics. But ghosts usually just had the one name.

Except apparently for Frighty, or Halloween as Danny would have to start calling him now. It’d take some getting used to.

Jason noticed his desperately pleading puppy eyes and sighed.

“Look, I’ll give you the rundown on everyone tonight. Black Mask is a whole ass problem. Crime boss for the False Face Society, really likes skinning peoples’ faces. Red Hood kicked him out of Crime Alley a couple years ago, he firmed his grip on the rest of Gotham, and him being quiet is never fucking good.”

And as if that didn’t sound bad enough…

“An’ he really doesn’t like Jason,” Waylon growled, shoulders tightening and straining his shirt.

Something in Danny tensed again, and he forced himself to take a long, deep breath. Closed his eyes and took another.

This was why he’d avoided the whole subject. Until now.

He could taste Jason’s concern like a tang in the air as he spoke up.

“There’s fuck all he can do while I’m in the Alley though. Unless something’s really changed he can’t challenge Red Hood,” he explained quietly, leaning in until their shoulders brushed.

Harley heaved a dramatic sigh, raising a hand and waving to one of the servers.

“Yeah, yeah, you jus’ take care of yaself, kid. Roman’s a pain in the ass an’ if ya let him kill ya again he’ll be intolerable,” she grumbled, the tone at odds with the cheery smile she gave the first server to glance over. “Another round!”

“Anything different?” The server, a young man with shaggy blond hair asked.

Danny considered it, since the menu was both extensive and interesting, but really? It’d complicate things, and he didn’t want to think about something else.

Just the idea of some asshole gangster trying to kill Jason was bad enough. But he sucked in another deep breath and reminded himself that this was pretty much all speculative.

Black Mask was quiet, not actively threatening, and Gotham had an army of vigilantes to keep an eye on him even before Harley and Waylon got involved. An army of vigilantes who all seemed to like Jason.

Jason wasn’t worried. Danny wasn’t gonna go all protective mama bear on the guy just because rogues existed.

The one thing he’d always promised himself was that even with a Protection Obsession, he was never gonna be as bad as Jazz at her clingiest.

He loved his sister, she meant well, but he’d hated her constant fussing. Danny had actually died sure, but he’d come right back and she hadn’t noticed for months.

Jason didn’t have a scratch on him. Or any reason to put up with a clingy almost-stranger, Danny reminded himself as he accepted his new milkshake, hiding a smile behind the glass.

Hell, if Jason being Fright Knight meant he’d sense if Danny was in danger, maybe that could work both ways. That’d be worth asking Frostbite about, and they had to see him for Jason’s core checkup soon.

Having survived one Clockwork encounter without a lecture, Danny wasn’t pushing his luck.

And if it turned out that it wouldn’t be that easy… well, there were other ways Danny could know if Jason was hurt, and unless they had a way to change dimensions? No Gotham rogue could take Jason anywhere that Danny couldn’t find him.

The feel of another halfa was still faint for now, barely noticeable unless Jason was in the same room, but it was already stronger.

Or Danny was more used to looking for him. More used to the feel of his energy, the boiling rage of the pit tangled up in everything else that was Jason.

Kinda a lot still angry, but tempered. Mixed in with that wonderful sense of humour, dry sarcasm and death jokes, and determination.

Danny was pretty sure he could find Jason pretty much anywhere on Earth right now if he had to. And it would only get easier.

With the question of Harvey Dent settled as much as it would be (and if a flip of a coin was all he needed, maybe as much as it could be), the conversation turned lighter.

Harley and Waylon stayed off the topic of rogues, probably to minimise the need to keep filling Danny in. They also mostly avoided embarrassing baby Jason stories though.

No, instead they filled Danny and Jason in on what they’d been up to down on Coney Island.

Danny had never expected to enjoy another circus story again, let alone an actual freakshow, but somehow? Hearing Harley tell it, he almost wanted to drop by.

Not see the damn show. Nope. Hard pass.

But hanging out with the performers, Harley’s tenants? That sounded like fun. They were just ordinary people, if a bit to the left.

Roller derby sounded great, even if Danny wouldn’t play it with humans. In the Ghost Zone though? They could probably make a rink. And baseball bats.

Waylon’s stories were way more domestic too; there was just something about a 7’ crocodile man telling you about his efforts to finally hold the skittish little grey kitten upstairs.

It was just… well. Like hanging out with Kitty and Johnny, or Wulf. Maybe the only people who could understand what it was like to be a vigilante were the rogues who fit the other half of the mold.

They all lived lives skewed away from the normal, didn’t fit in. The more they talked and shared stories, the more Danny settled. Relaxed.

Which was when the last piece finally fell into place. He knew what he wanted to ask Waylon now.

Still on edge from the night before, Constantine wasn’t exactly thrilled to bits to be hearing from the Big Bat again so soon.

Honestly, why couldn’t he have a nice, normal emergency? Just the world ending, some arch demon jumping for the throne of Hell, a wayward amateur magician or cursed artefact?

Why did it always have to be Amity fuckin’ Park?

Still, after they’d given the whole League the rundown, John was planning on washing his hands of the whole affair. They’d be up to date, they’d have his recommendation (leave well enough alone), and whatever they did after that?

That could be Zatanna’s problem. Or Shazam’s. Which didn’t really matter.

So of course there was just one more thing that Batman wanted from him first.

“A health check on yer revenant?” He asked skeptically, arms folded as he scowled at an annoyingly refreshed and rejuvenated looking Batman.

Who just nodded patiently like he hadn’t said anything crazy.

“Nothing strenuous. Just a check in, and then we move on to the meeting,” he agreed blandly, watching John from behind the cut outs.

Constantine pinched the bridge of his nose and drew in a heavy breath. Let it out. Decided not to think about all of the things that could go wrong tangling with a fuckin’ revenant.

Bats was still here, hale and healthy, so the kid was clearly used to extreme provocation. How bad could John’s company be?

Way, way worse the little honest part of him supplied, but…

Well. The worst of it all was, no matter how damn annoying the man was, how fucking insistent on poking into shit that’d get ‘em all killed?

Constantine liked him.

Just a bit. The tiniest, littlest bit, that he firmly ground under his heel at every opportunity, and especially when that poking was getting close to end-of-the-world levels.

It was the only reason the League had his number at all, because John Constantine sure as shit was not a hero. He liked the world not ending, yeah, but he coulda had Zatanna call him for those.

He just. Had maybe the very smallest soft spot for how earnest the Big Three all were, deep down. Wonder Woman especially, there was a lady who’d been in the game longer than John himself, and yet it never fuckin’ touched her.

They still looked at the world, at an old shit like John Constantine, and saw something worth saving.

So even when he was tired, stressed, and wondering just how deep he should dare to probe to check the Bat’s explorations in Amity Park hadn’t garnered the wrong kind of attentions…

He huffed another reluctant sigh. It did not help knowing that even if he refused, the Bat would just argue him down until John gave in, or the meeting started.

It was three hours before the meeting was due to start.

Constantine would rather jump straight through the damn Fenton portal.

“Fine,” he growled, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his trench coat. If the revenant got cranky, he could always hide behind the big Bat.

The bastard didn’t even bother thanking him, just nodded like he’d expected John to agree all along, and made for the exit.

Were they fuckin’ going out in full costume? In the middle of the day?

Well heavens forbid Bruce Goddamn Wayne do anything subtly.

Tim’s afternoon was going great. Thanks to Tucker, he’d had a full and hearty brunch, which made Alfred happy.

Tim wasn’t much of a gourmet himself, probably as a result of having to survive on what he could find in the house between his parents’ visits. So long as it went down his throat and kept him alive, he was happy.

He knew Alfred’s cooking was great, it always tasted fantastic, he just… didn’t get excited about food.

Tucker though? Tucker gushed enthusiastically over every bite, moaning loudly as he dug into pancakes, sausages, bacon, and even black pudding.

He enjoyed his food almost as much as Wally, and Tim found himself savouring his own a little more as he watched. Usually he’d swallow half of it whole, just to get back to work.

But he didn’t have a new case today. Sure, there was still work to do on Amity Park (and rewriting all of the Justice League reporting protocols, ugh).

But he had Tucker here to help, and really, today could be about getting to know the guy. He’d more than learned his lesson from the last few days.

It turned out that food tasted a whole lot better if he actually stopped to chew it.

They’d talked while they ate too, Tucker often with his mouth full like he just couldn’t stop and wait to swallow.

It was kinda adorable.

Tim had shared some stories about the missions he’d been on with Young Justice, Tucker had told him more about Technus. There may have been a secret side trip to Amity Park in the works so Tim could meet him.

And introduce Cassie to Pandora.

There may also have been a secret side trip to the Ghost Zone being planned too. That one was gonna have to be extra-double-top-secret though, since Constantine put a bug in B’s ass about the Infinite Realms.

But honestly, how bad could it be if three completely untrained teenagers could just hop in and out on a whim?

Sure, there were risks. Some of the bigger, scarier ghosts that Tucker told him about. And just the air of the realms itself, which wasn’t great for humans in the long term.

That, Tim was a little less sure about. Tucker could say it’d never done him any harm all he liked, but he was kinda half dead now. Dead enough for super powers.

Not that Tim wanted super powers. It’s not like he’d ever needed them to keep up with his super friends. He didn’t need them, not even to interface his brain with his computer…

Nope.

But that was also how they got around to how Tucker would be getting home, because Tim finally twigged.

“Wait… when you say Danny flew you here, you didn’t actually mean what you said about the plane, did you?” He asked cautiously when they’d migrated back to the bat cave (with a plate of cookies and juice. Alfred was totally taking advantage of a chance to feed Tim).

Tucker grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

“Well, I didn’t know Danny was gonna just go off like that right away. But yeah, he just came and grabbed me and we flew through the Ghost Zone.”

He seemed to think Tim might be upset with him, but honestly? This was great news. They might be able to wrangle a little extra time.

“So… needing to go home today was because of Danny?” He asked hopefully.

Tucker caught on at once, like the genius he was, tracking Tim’s grin and beginning to smile in return.

“Well, technically I do also have classes on Monday, but so long as I’m back tonight I can fake it if you have another way to get me home, like… say, a bat plane?” He asked innocently, head cocked to one side.

Tim snatched up his phone, sending a quick text. Of course, there was always the chance Connor wouldn’t answer. Or that he’d be busy. Or that he’d have school.

As if he wouldn’t have dropped pretty much anything when Tim called him. God Tim loved his boyfriend.

“I was actually thinking of something a little more discrete than the bat plane… especially since you have some experience being carried.”

————————

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Next chapter:

#dp x dc #danny fenton dead and loving it #dc x dp #dead on main ship #danny x jason #chapter 14 #a good excuse to be a bad influence #it’s finally heeeeere #despite the world’s best efforts #the musical interlude

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madameiudex · 2 years ago

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Emmet x Reader

It's been a while since I wrote this for a friend but I made it x reader now for fellow Emmet simps! Enjoy! (Note: y/n is gender neutral and I will use they/them because why not)

Emmet's Pov

I am Emmet. Ever since I met them I can't be the same person anymore. "She's veerrryyy pretty. And so veerrryyy cute.. W-wait- what am I saying?" I thought to myself. So ridiculous to caught myself blushing and daydreaming at work-

Evening rush hour in the station. So many people that you couldn't see the colour of the floor at all. One hour away from them. Waiting like a loser on my seat on the train. So stupidly falling into my thoughts. I wanted to see them so bad..

"Will I ever be able to ask them out? Will I ever have the chance to.. taste their lips..?

I caught myself thinking that way while Ingo was talking to me. I was blushing veerrryyy much. Coughed and agreed with whatever he said like a lost soul. He looked at me. Oh boy.. he knew exactly what was wrong with me the past month. Talking about them like knowing a superstar. Admiring them like a pathetic simp *sighs*

Silence. All the sounds were blurred. Time was going slow almost frozen. I was only staring at them when they entered the same train as me and my brother. Ingo surprisingly disappeared without me realising at first. "That bastard! He's the best brother but what in Unova??!? INGO DON'T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE! *inside scream*" They came closer to me to greet me. I was feeling the heat all over my body, my face and even my cheeks. Such beautiful eyes that were giving me light and hope to continue breathing. I couldn't hold back anymore.

"Hi Emmet! It's been a while. How are you?"

But I just nodded. Lost. Into their eyes..

"Next stop: Nimbasa City Center"

Holding them close. They laughed when they saw me so silent and lost. As I touched their lips everything disappeared even more. It was just me and my sweet passenger. My beautiful angel.. I am Emmet. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. Their chest against mine. Their hands around my neck. My tongue fighting with theirs in our mouths. I didn't want to let go.

Suddenly the train stopped. We both fell down. We laughed it off like it was nothing. That sweet laugh. It always gave me aggressive butterflies. I love them so much ♡

That was for my friend Paper but I thought yeeting it in public!

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percontaion-points · 2 years ago

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Covet chapters 96-99

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Chapter 96

“And so one of his men—eager to stop what he saw as a threat against himself and all gargoyles—went to the vampire king and told him how to kill gargoyles, a secret nobody knows. He thought Cyrus would use it only against the gargoyle king—”

“But he used it on all of them,” I whisper in horror. “He killed them all.”

WHY THE FUCKITY FUCK WOULD HE THINK THAT A POWER-HUNGRY VAMPIRE KING WOULD STOP WITH MURDERING ONE GARGOYLE?!

Hudson’s eyes narrow in understanding. The vampire queen was telling us Cyrus is as desperate as we are to find the Crown. He needs power. What would he do with it if he got the Crown before us? Nothing we’d survive, of that I am sure.

Chapter 96 summary: The crone continues on with her story and says that gargoyles were created in a last-ditch effort to bring peace between the warring fallen goddesses.

Inside of Grace’s mind, the unkillable beast speaks up for the first time in a while. He warns Grace to get out of there. However, despite every instinct inside of her warning her to get the hell out from there as well, she silences him and turns her attention back to the crone.

She eventually asks that if they’re supposed to be so immune to magic, what ended up killing them in the end? The crone explains that it was the last gargoyle king, who broke with everything the species was created to do. He fell in love with a human, and sided with them. This angered the other gargoyles, so one went to Cyrus and told him how to kill the king. But obviously Cyrus didn’t stop there, and slaughtered the entire race.

This only makes the others question that if Cyrus knew the entire time how to kill Grace, why didn’t he when he had his chance? The crone replies that Cyrus has lost all of his magic, and the only thing left to him is his venom. The others realise that Cyrus must be as desperate to get the crown as they are… if only to retain his seat of power when he himself has fallen powerless.

Chapter 97

She sighs. “It’s not a gift, dear. It’s your—what did you call it?” she asks Flint. “Your get-out-of-jail-free card? All you have to do to cash it in is die.”

Chapter 97 summary: Grace had been on the urge of a panic attack as the crone explained the reason why gargoyles were created. But now as she realises how desperate that Cyrus actually is, she begins to have a bad one. Hudson has to calm her down.

Eventually, they tell the crone that she knows why they’re there. The crone asks if they’re ready to pay the price for getting out of the prison, but none of them are certain. The only one who says yes is Grace. The crone says that Grace owes her one favor in the future, but Grace makes the woman promise that this favor isn’t going to actually hurt other people. Be they friends, family, or literally anybody. The crone agrees to this.

She hands Grace a bunch of flowers that she’d been gathering when they all showed up on her island. She warns Grace not to sniff them, that they’re highly toxic. She says that the way to get out of prison is to die. Which… that’s one way to do it, I guess.

Chapter 98

Without waiting for any more objections—or for Hudson to try to stop me—I plunge my hand straight into the bowl of floral liquid. Romeo and Juliet, here I come.

Chapter 98 summary: Naturally, everybody is like “You want Grace and Hudson to what while they’re in prison?” The Crone explains the plan: I’ve been genetically engineering these flowers so that they’ll only mostly kill you. While you’re in your state of temporary death, the guards will yeet you out of the prison. Because hey! You’re dead! (The crone seems convinced that the guards do not bury the dead prisoners.) After that, they’ll wake up and go skipping off to free the unkillable beast.

Doubt is strong. Flint compares the situation to Romeo and Juliet… You know. The part where they FUCKING DIE FOR REAL. The Crone tells them that they came to her, and it’s up to them if they want to go with her plan or not. Grace takes the bowl of flowers and thanks the crone. But there’s the obvious implication that the two of them aren’t going to go skipping off to the prison this second.

The crone points out that the flowers are going to die before they can get a chance to use them. And anyway, the guards won’t let them bring flowers into the prison. She tells Grace to stick her hand into the flower liquid (story’s word, not mine). It icks Grace out how the crone calls it “liquid” rather than water. Hudson says that he’ll volunteer, but the crone tells him that it won’t work on vampires. Grace says she’ll do it.

Chapter 99

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Jaxon snarls. “This is all your fault! You and your mating bond are the reason she might die in prison, and you think you’ve got the right to put your filthy fucking hands on her?”

JFC there’s a lot to unpack here.

I get how Jaxon is upset. Not only at losing his mate and learning that the mating bond was forced on him by the bloodletter. But literally none of what happened was remotely Jaxon’s fault. Not the bloodletter forcing the bond on him. Not Cyrus encouraging that one student to break the bond between Jaxon and Grace.

But none of Jaxon’s hurt is in any way an excuse for him to turn around and intentionally hurt Grace. Yes, he is screaming at Hudson, but at the same time… come on. Who else is in the relationship with Hudson?

Any sympathy that I might have had for Jaxon left some time ago. He’s turned into that suicidal piss-baby ex who stalks you on social media and starts sending you harassing messages whenever you post a picture with your new boyfriend.

“Grace.” It’s an agonized whisper, but as he focuses on me, it’s enough. His hold on his power slips for just a second, and Hudson strikes.

Chapter 99 summary: With three flowers branded into the palm of her hand, everybody returns to the school. Once there, Hudson and Grace start making googoo eyes at one another.

However, the sight of them reminding Jaxon of what he lost sends him over the edge. He screams at his brother to stop touching her, and the two of them start to violently fight. The others try to get in to stop them, and Macy tries to call her father.

Grace knows that Jaxon’s power is going to tear the school apart quite literally. So she steps in between them and gently calls out to Jaxon. Tells him that the northern lights are outside. He seems to go back to himself for a second.

#Crave series #Covet (Crave 3)#chapter 96 #chapter 97 #chapter 98 #chapter 99 #Cyrus Vega #Grace (Crave)#shitty leaders doing shitty things #Hudson Vega #Flint (Crave)#jaxon vega #unhealthy coping mechanisms

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oidheadh-con-culainn · 3 years ago

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psa about book piracy

the publishing industry does not work like the film/tv industry or whatever other industries you’ve decided make piracy a victimless crime. it does actively and directly hurt authors

many authors are paid an “advance”. this is occasionally large, but more frequently is small (~£2k) and even more frequently is somewhere in the middle (~£10k). this may be the only payment they receive for what is frequently years of work. in order to earn any royalties, they need to sell enough books to “earn out” (make the publisher back the money they spent on the advance). if they don’t earn out, they will never get royalties. also, the advance for their next book will probably be smaller.

if their book is part of a series, later books in the series may be cancelled because the first book didn’t sell well enough

even if a book isn’t cancelled, the print run may be reduced (=how many copies are printed) which means the book will be in fewer bookshops which mean there are fewer opportunities for it to sell copies

all of that conspires to mean... the author’s next advance is smaller, a series gets cancelled before it’s finished, and generally you have fucked over the person whose work you were stealing

(if they have earned out already, it may not directly fuck over their future books as much, but you are directly taking royalties out of their pocket, so)

if you’ve ever been mad because the 3rd book in a trilogy you were reading never got published, it’ll be because the first two didn’t sell enough. maybe the market was wrong at the time, maybe they took a while to take off, or maybe -- and increasingly frequently -- it’s because too many people pirated them instead of buying them.

(this is also why waiting until a series is complete to buy any of them is more likely to result in the series never being complete. the publishers need to know it’s a good investment. better to buy the books and wait to read them, if you’re concerned about cliffhangers, than to refrain from buying them entirely.)

“but the book is still there after i download it so i haven’t technically stolen anything” read the above bullet points again and understand that what you have stolen is not the book per se, it’s the sale, and therefore the goodwill with the publisher that makes them buy that author’s future books and pay that author money

do not @ me about “but what if it’s the only way to access english-language books in your country” because that is not the situation i’m talking about or the majority situation in the general scheme of things. 90% of people who pirate books do so either because they don’t realise it hurts authors or they don’t give a shit

also if your justification is that authors are “rich” i would like to point out that a recent report showed average earnings for an author in the uk to be £10.5k/yr in 2018. that is substantially below minimum wage (for full-time work), so genuinely, fuck off with that

you have no idea what somebody else’s financial situation is, and i know several authors who have been told to their faces that it was okay to pirate from them because they were rich when those people were in fact struggling to make ends meet

(not to mention that authors are technically self employed which means no benefits; this is particularly challenging in countries without universal healthcare)

whatever bullshit “net worth” estimate you’ve found online or whatever bears absolutely no resemblance to most people’s financial reality

so if you think you’re being clever by only targeting authors you’ve decided are wealthy, consider that there’s a high chance you’re wrong

yes books are expensive and yes big publishing companies are the ones seeing most of the benefit of that. but it’s not the big publishing companies that get hurt when you steal them, because they just squeeze that money out of the authors instead to make up their bottom line. does it suck as a system? obviously! does that make piracy a good way to resist it? no, because it only hurts the people on the bottom

some people think that piracy doesn’t affect sales. it does. it has been demonstrated over and over again that piracy impacts sales (see maggie stiefvater’s experiment with the raven king for an example). “it’s helping people discover the books” doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. all an author gains from this is more people who will steal from them. exposure doesn’t pay the bills. exposure just kills ya.

many places have libraries. libraries benefit authors, because they buy books. in some countries, like the UK, authors receive money based on how many times their books are borrowed. libraries frequently offer ebooks, so if you’re not able to access them in-person you can still get books. libraries are good! if you can use your local library, you should. free books for you, without fucking over the creators. you can often request books that they don’t carry, which then means that other people also get to read that book.

(“my library doesn’t carry queer books” i sympathise and i realise it can be challenging to request those in a conservative area but also consider that books by marginalised authors are exactly the ones that publishers will yeet if they think they’re not making a return on their investment, so unfortunately, pirating those is extra bad. publishers will drop “risky” shit like a hot potato if it’s not making them money. those are exactly the books we need to show up for.)

obviously in an ideal world we would have UBI or whatever and therefore people’s ability to put food on the table would not be dependent on monetising creative pursuits but that’s not the world we live in. in the world we live in, writing is work and work deserves to be paid for. stealing people’s labour because you feel entitled to it is not more justifiable just because that labour is creative.

the fact that people write as a hobby does not negate the challenges of writing as a profession. the two are actually pretty different. writing as a hobby isn’t easy, but writing as a profession has a whole heap of extra behind-the-scenes work that you don’t see, in case you’re tempted to take the “but it’s not real work” argument. besides which, “but people do it for free on the internet” is a shitty reason not to pay people for their work.

if you can’t afford a particular book, that sucks, i often cannot afford a book i would like. the solution: read other books that you can afford / which your library does carry / which are out of copyright. not: steal the book because obviously you should have whatever you want whenever you want it.

don’t be a dick

stealing screws authors over

in conclusion: stop trying to justify piracy in my notes or in the replies to authors who complain about it. stop telling authors to their face that you don’t value their work and their time. it’s not cool, it’s not clever, it’s not revolutionary. it’s just fucking over people who are already underpaid and living precariously.

#also while we're here stop telling people to pirate music #spotify is shit for artists but piracy is worse #buy their music on bandcamp if you want to avoid ads and big corps #but unless they're like world-famous musicians #piracy also fucks them over #source: my brother is a musician #meanwhile source for this post: i literally work in the publishing industry #and a bunch of my friends are authors #in a bunch of different genres and age groups #so i have a reasonable grasp of what goes on behind the scenes #book piracy #books #anyway i've had this rant in my drafts for a while but i saw people being dicks about this on twitter so i guess we're posting it now

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local-ground-apple · 4 years ago

Note

I saw requests are open for Pomefiore, so please... How about Pomefiore being absolutely in love? How would they react and think? They would confess to their love?

So, I didn’t do it yanderish and I wrote a small scenario per each.

I seriously need to stop writing Vil kissing scenes 🙃 🙃

🦚 oh, he fell for a potato? Well, you must be a refined potato then, if you managed to catch his attention,

🦚 at first Vil seems indifferent. He’s not the type to rush into action after localizing his target (like Rook) or dwell on his feelings (like Epel). No, he takes his time getting to know you better,

🦚 you won’t even notice that he may have developed feelings for you. You’re convinced that your another target, just like Epel and you do your best to follow all the routines Vil implored on you. After all, being in Pomefiore was never supposed to be easy. You were certain he was treating you just like any other student from his dorm, making sure you look presentable, being strict and calling you potato,

🦚 yet Rook notices small slips and hints Vil is leaving. Soon he refrains from adressing you as a mere potato and calls you by your name, he won’t scold you for tiniest mistake brushing it off and pretending he hadn’t seen it or inviting you once for a smoothie, making everyone gasp in shock. Rook clearly see that you’re special,

🦚 Vil gets impatient soon. He craves your affection and wishes your attention would be focused on him. He wants to shower you in small kisses, leaving the trail of them on your neck, gently run his fingers through your hair and brush his lips against yours. Oh, he wants you so bad,

🦚 sometimes, Vil may seem distant, engrossed in his thoughts, yet he denies it when Rook confronts him about his behavior. He is just thinking of the perfect way he could confess to you. He absolutely wants it to be flawless,

🦚 he seems confident that you won’t reject him. After all, who would reject Vil Schoenheit? Yet, he feels tad insecure deep down. Vil will never admit it, but the countless “what if” scenarios are playing in his head before confession,

🦚 you’re probably one of the few persons who managed to mentally frustrated and make Vil Schoenheit’s heart flutter. You achieved unachievable,

🦚 it was Neige Leblanche who pushed Vil to yeet his perfect confession plans into void and aggressively take the lead, (it’s always Neige or Lilia that either start apocalypse or change the course of history),

Vil clicked his tongue in annoyance as exasperated sigh left his lips. He was tapping his heel impatiently, his arms firmly crossed on his chest, as his gaze was fixated on you.

Why were you taking so long talking with Neige?

Neige out of all bloody people.

Vil watched you giggling at some sort of joke Neige had made. Your bright and broad smile you were gracing Leblanche with, was driving him up the wall. Vil ignored Deuce and Ace bickering in the background, as well as Rook laughing at them, while Kalim and Jamil were nowhere to be found. Probably they were occupying food stalls.

Vil frowned. You all were supposed to have a rehearsal on the stage day before VDC, yet you all run into Neige who was more than eager to meet you.

Especially you.

Vil was fully aware of how Neige hand brushed against yours, how he leaned a bit too close, how his fingers tuck strands of your hair behind your ear. Vil didn’t fail to notice how Neige’s eyes would stop on his annoyed form, clearly enjoying his visible jealousy or how we would smirk whenever his face was mere inches from yours and dorm leader was close to exploding.

Enough!

Here he was, Vil simply had to save you from Neige’s sly clutches. With a barely audible “tsk”, he aggressively walked to you. You slightly jumped, startled when Vil gripped your arm rather firmly. He didn’t give you the time to bid farewell to Neige.

,,Excuse us”

With that, Vil began dragging you away. You flashed an apologetic smile to Neige, trying to keep up with dorm leader’s rapid pace. Well, you weren’t blessed with long legs, like him. You quickly realized that struggling was pointless, his grip was too strong for you to wriggle out.

Vil was practically fuming with anger, ignoring your questions about what was going on. He soon stopped before a close room, pushing you inside and closing door. Now, you were beginning to feel nervous and, well, curious. Vil was never the type to personally drag you somewhere, it was always Rook’s job.

You raised your eyebrow, eyeing Vil with pure confusion written all over his face. He run his head through his hair and sighed deeply in frustration, before his gaze pierced through, making you take a step back. He looked so intense.

Vil quickly cut the distance between you two, his fingers firmly grabbing your chin, making you look straight in his eyes.

,,I don’t want you associating with that…that potato”

His words were dripping with disgust and malice, as a frown flashed on his face. You opened your mouth to say something, yet your words were muffled by soft lips pressing on yours. Your eyes widen and your hands subconsciously clutched the cuffs of his jacket, pulling Vil closer. He smirked, not breaking a kiss.

He pulled away, his lips gently brushing against yours. Vil eyed you for a brief moment, before clicking his tongue. His thumb gently grazed over your lips, gently smearing the remaining lipstick.

,,My, my, looks like you need to apply it once again”

You nodded, still in shock, as your fingers touched your lips in disbelief. Vil only chuckled seeing your reaction. He swiftly turned around on his heel, briefly glancing at you.

,,I’d love to take you out for a nice lunch after rehearsal. I have a important confession to make”

With that Vil left, leaving you completely stunned with a fluttering heart.

🏹 Rook is rather quick to realise his burning feelings for you and he’s a man who would immediately began to act,

🏹 he does a research on you beforehand. Before he even approaches you and starts talking to you, he will spend several days observing you, taking notes about your habits and paying attention to your dislikes and favorites. Rook doesn’t view this as stalking, non, non, it’s just an extensive research,

🏹 when Rook feels that he had gathered enough informations, he’s first to approach you. He complimets your dazzling beauty and starts a small talk with you. He absolutely doesn’t hide his attraction towards you, non, non, he rather makes it crystal clear,

🏹 Rook would flirt a lot. You would see him popping up in most random moments, always when you’re alone, meeting you by “pure coincidence”,

🏹 he worships your beauty even before he asks you out. Rook probably worte multiple poems or serenades concerning you and he’s more willing to read them to you on a proper date. You always get embarrassed and hide your frustrated face in your hands, when he showers you in praises out of blue,

🏹 Rook asks you out rather quickly. Maybe after talking with you like three or four times. This man takes the risk without batting an eye,

🏹 and he’s rather dramatic about it, practically giving you a heart attack,

You quickly scanned through your notes, knowing very well that even this rapid revision wouldn’t save you before Crewel’s class. You were absolutely doomed and you were well aware of that fact. You sighed defeated, staring at complicated notes concerning potions you had absolutely no clue about.

,,Prefect, watch out!”

You jumped, papers dropping from your hands and flying in the air, as the arrow pierced through the wall inches from your face. You could feel it teasingly brush against your cheek, yet not cutting your skin. Your eyes widen and you tried to steady your breath. You were sure your heart would jump out of your chest. Letting a heavy sign, you hesitantly and reluctantly reach for the note attached to the arrow.

You frowned, not understanding first few lines written in French.

Should have studied this bloody language when I had the chance.

You scanned neat, cursive handwriting and you could feel your heart flutter. You bit your lip, lowering your gaze, as you giggled slightly at the cheesy confession and invitation to romantic dinner with candles. Normally “in the middle of the forest at the ungodly hour” would make you concerned, but you were too flattered reading the attached translation of the poem basically worshipping your beauty.

You raised your head and looked around, trying to find a certain hunter behind bushes, but to no avail.

,,I accept!”

You yelled, ignoring Ace’s and Deuce’s “what the hell human” look.

,,Très bien!!”

You could swear the source of that voice was somewhere in bushes.

🏹 Rook won’t hesitate to confess and he declares his love to you on first date. Like literally, you would be enjoying your dinner, while he’s planting small kisses on your hand, making you beyond frustrated and almost choking on your food and suddenly Rook declares his feelings to you,

🍏 he’s confused at first. Very confused. What is this weird feeling in his stomach whenever he sees you?

🍏 you two went from classmates to “we-escape-from-Vil-on-daily-basic” friends to “fuck-we-escape-from-Rook-too besties to finally best friends. Epel has viewed you as a friend for quite a long time. You were always there to listen to his problems, help sneak out of Rook’s eagle eyes and you comforted him whenever he felt upset,

🍏 Epel realized his feelings, when certain hunter began cooing over how “stunning you had looked surrounded by rough nature”, all that while sniffing your hair and holding your hand. He got jealous, frustrated and practically dragged you out of there,

🍏 Epel is rather shy and hesitant to confess. What if you turn him down? What if you don’t reciprocate his feelings and want to stay as friends? What if you find Vil more attractive than him? What if…

🍏 those constant questions haunts and torments Epel practically all the time he’s around you or you spend time in the company of other males,

🍏 you live in his mind rent-free,

🍏 when he finally gathered courage to confess everything went wrong. Rook crashed his confession unknowingly (or on purpose, who knows) and you got dragged away by Vil to attend to “urgent matter”

🍏 needless to say, Epel was beyond furious and fuming. If the whole world was set on stopping his declaration of love and prevent him from speaking from the bottom of his heart, then he will aggressively take the action,

Sometimes you truly questioned your ventures to Diasomnia or more likely questioned why you had refused the escort Sebek or Silver were willing to provide. You sighed heavily, mentally facepalming yourself. Oh right, you wanted to show Malleus that you by no means were scared walking back to your dorm practically in absolute darkness.

Oh, how wrong you were.

Where was your prince on the white horse?

Apparently nowhere to be found.

,,Y/N”

Oh how you wished you weren’t so squeamish and easily scared. You let out a blood-curling scream, when a hand roughly turned you around, pressing you into the wall. Your heart was beating so fast, you thought it could jump out of your chest, when your back collided with the cold surface. One hand rested beside your face, while the other one gripped your chin.

Before you could scream one more time and alert anyone, soft lips roughly crashed on yours, making you gasp from astonishment and pure confusion. You couldn’t see in the darkness face of the person desperately kissing you, yet the fragrance of fresh apples and gentle locks tickling your cheek smelling like Vil’s latest shampoo line, made you realized who it was.

Epel was kissing you.

Your hands tangled into his hair, pulling yourself closer, as you deepened the kiss. His hands landed on your hips, cutting any distance between you two. Your chest gently collided with him. Epel pulled away, when he felt you were breathless.

You placed the hand of your heart, taking few deep breaths to calm your racing heart from fear and sensation of soft lips on yours.

,,What the?! You scared the hell out of me!”

“Well, that’s the only moment I can confess in peace without Vil’s chattering. And if you hadn’t screamed, I wouldn’t have to kiss you before telling you that I’m in love with you”

“WHO NORMAL CONFESSES LIKE THIS?!”

,,WAIT, LET ME CONFESS”

🍏 you accepted his messy confession either way, yet you did scold him few times for practically giving you a heart attack,

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namedofficiallynotfakeman · 3 years ago

Text

I thought of doing some killers that I would like to see in Dead By Daylight

Luke Lerner aka The Child

The Entity has taken notice of his actions during Better Watch Out, some that they would love to see happen again and again.

His power, Deceptive Lies. When activated this ability changes the current status of every survivor, by that I mean the status they see next to the names are changed. Even to the killer, this will last 30seconds with 15second cool-down.

His weapon is a smashed drink bottle, from the first ‘date’ he had with Ashley. Or maybe an empty pistol would be better.

The perks could be

Fake Friend. “Look at what you made me do.” Crows are the only friend this boy deserves, so Stillness Crows required time to spawn is decreased by 6/8/10%

Love at First Fright. “I know what women like.” How… lovely, each time the killer attacks a survivor while the obsession is in the terror radius, the obsession will scream and must do a skill check if they’re on something that uses a skill check.

Nice Guy. “Why won’t you kiss me?” Missed attacks give a 4/6/8% speed boost.

Momento Mori will be tying a rope around the survivors neck and them slowly rising up choking to death.

Tucker and Dale aka The Bestfriends

The Entity has watched the events of Tucker and Dale with glee, but it didn’t realise that Tucker and Dale didn’t plan or want to kill those teenagers.

Their power, Cliche Hunt. Instead of one, two killers are playing these rounds but to make it fair. Only one can kill at a time, leaving the other to wonder the map. You can switch between them with a 25second cool-down and the transfer takes 2seconds. When someone is close to the person you’re not controlling a scream that can be heard anywhere is made by the other killer.

Their weapons are. For Dale it’s a scythe, the one he has when he talks to the collage kids. For Tucker it’s a rusty chainsaw.

The perks are

Vacation Time. “This vacation sucks.” When in your terror radius, chances for skill checks are increased by 20/25/30%.

Killer Hillbilly. “You want a killer hillbilly, I’ll show you a killer hillbilly.” Hooking survivors gives you a token, with each token the action speed increases by 3/6/9%.

Vs Evil. “This is a suicide pact.” The more generators running speeds up the sacrifice timer by 3/4/5% and turns the maximum amount of generators into 6.

Momento Mori is both the killer and survivor running together and said survivor running into a tree branch.

Monika aka The Lover

The Entity has brought many weird things into their world but a living glitch is new.

Her power, Code Changer. Whenever this ability is used, her stats will be randomised. But if one stat becomes very good then one stat will become very bad. Or changes into another Doki Doki character, like turning into Sayori will be a faster character or Natsuki being a sneak character.

Her weapon is a knife but has a glitchy effect to it.

Her perks might be

Just Monika. “We meet again!” The obsession aura will be active for 5/10/15seconds after hitting with a basic attack.

Game Over. “Please don’t remove me again.” The obsession will change after hooking the current one.

LOVE ME! “THE ENTITY WON’T KEEP ME FROM YOU!” After putting a survivor into a injured state 15/14/13 times, then you can kill them after knocking them into the dying state.

Momento Mori will be Monika just yeeting the survivor out of existence. Nothing glamorous or something, just touches them and they disappear.

#dbd concepts #dbd killer #dead by daylight #dead by daylight concepts #better watch out #tucker and dale vs evil #doki doki literature girls

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stanzoeywade · 4 years ago

Text

Dating Poppy Min-Sinclair

I lowkey headcanon Poppy to look like blonde Chungha, and omfg she looks so good in this gif.

Summary: An enemies to friends to lovers trope, sign me the fuck up. I hope you guys enjoy and if you want more please like or reblog. If you want to be added to the tag list please reply. :) I'm also working on the third part of my Poppy x MC series and I oop I'm gay.

Taglist: @somewillwin @origmansello @kamilahtrash @poppysminion @captain-hanadeleine

SFW

It was hate at first sight (sure, jan), but in all honesty your first impression of Poppy was that she was gorgeous. The scowl on her face did nothing to change your mind. The very first words she uttered to you was "Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to worry about who she is. It's me you have to worry about.

As soon as those words leave her mouth, the only part of the sentence your brain focuses on is the word 'sweetheart' and the way she said it, voice dripping with sarcasm. It did nothing to stop you from thinking how hot Poppy was.

You're suddenly pulled away by Zoey, who tells you about the whole ranking system and she takes you out to hang out at a speakeasy, with your new outfit.

In order to get your mind off of Poppy, you decide to flirt with the stranger at the bar (who ends up being Professor Kingsley), but even as you spent time and slept with them, all you could imagine was Poppy, and how she would feel under you.

You learn that Poppy was the resident HBIC of campus, and a sort of rivalry forms between the two of you.

Poppy won't admit it to anyone but she actually found you attractive when she first saw you, even though you were wearing non-designer clothes. Probably annoyed that she actually found you attractive, she acts extra mean, because she's confused and not good with feelings. (PB please let me romance Poppy)

Not anyone is safe from Poppy's wrath, and its extra hard for you because she becomes extra mean, her words are harsher and actually stings a little.

Poppy seems shocked that you actually got hurt, and opens her mouth about to apologise until she remember that she's the queen bee, she doesn't apologise.

You don't back down and insults are exchanged between the two of you, whenever you meet or bump into each other.

Poppy actually starts to look forward to your banter with each other, and she makes an effort to bump into you a bit more.

When you learn of Kick-off day, you and the quarterbacks team up to create a performance for half-time.

Poppy for sure gets annoyed because who do you think you are trying to compete with her, the queen of Belvoire.

After you show her up and kiss Zoey, she feels a pang of jealousy, which she mistakes and takes out as anger against you. She has a meltdown, breaks up with Carter and everyone stares and start to berate her.

Poppy walks out the field and you run after her, feeling shitty because even if she was mean, she didn't deserve to be shit on in public like that. You feel really bad and run after Poppy to make sure she's okay.

You catch up to Poppy find her all the way on the other side of the campus, she's by herself and you see her crying her eyes out. Her eyes are red, and once you see her your heart breaks a little because seeing her like that made you feel like the worst human being, especially since she was crying because of you. Even though, she's crying she looks as beautiful as ever and you can't help but stare.

You approach her and she notices and sneers at you. "Come to kick me when I'm down? Go ahead, newbie. Here's your chance."

And if you thought you couldn't feel worse, you felt you heart break even more as the words escapes her lips.

You put your hands up in surrender and let out a sigh. "Look, you don't have to believe me but I just really wanted to apologise. Even if you were being mean, you don't deserve that." She eyes you suspiciously and says "What's it to you if I'm upset, Farmsville? Just fuck off, I don't need your pity."

Not backing down, you stare at her in the eyes and say sincerely. "I never really wanted to be part of this stupid ranking thing you guys have, I don't even want to be the queen bee. Especially, if it means that you or anyone else gets hurt in the process."

Poppy looks at you stunned, like she can't decipher why you're being so nice to her, and you continue "Plus, I can't say I didn't enjoy our banter, that was fun." You wink at her cheekily and she can't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

You smile at her softly, happy that you managed to make her feel a little but better and you realise that Poppy has such a soft laugh and you want to hear it again.

Poppy's eyes soften as she stops crying. She looks at you and says "Thanks Farmsville, I needed that." You don't know whether your eyes are playing trick on you but you can swear that you can see her blush.

Meanwhile, Poppy feels her cheeks burn and her heart beat a bit faster. 'Damn you for being sweet.'

Smiling sincerely, you ask "Truce?" and Poppy raises her eyebrow at you amused but agrees albeit nonchalantly.

This then starts your sort of friendship with Poppy, but instead of hurling insults at each other, the both of you engage in playful banter (no one knows that you guys are friends). She turns a bit softer, in a way where she always looks at you with an inquisitive gaze to check if you were okay with the banter.

Cue the late night messages, where the both of you stay up late to talk about random nonsense that happened that day, or when Poppy's annoyed she sends you rants where she complains about how stupid everyone is, and vice versa.

Both of you being confused af because is she flirting with me or is she being nice???? (basically is he gay or European but lesbian) The two of you have each other's back, if someone says shit about either of you the other one is quick to defend. Zoey notices your change in attitude towards Poppy and she asks why you're defending your "enemy". You shrug it off by saying "If they're gonna say shit, they should say it to her face, not talk behind her back." Zoey finds that a little bit suspicious, but she doesn't say anything.

This then leads to an actual good support system for both of you, and an actual friendship is formed.

This is when Poppy realises that she actually has feelings for you, and she's quick to yeet out of there, because ewww feelings. She starts to act distant and you're confused because you think you did something wrong.

It's not that Poppy wants to avoid you, she's just really confused about her feelings and she doesn't want to ruin the friendship you two have. Chloe notices that Poppy is acting weird and decides to confront her about it.

Whilst Chloe is usually oblivious, even she suspects that something is going on between the two of you, and she begins to ask Poppy questions. That's when she finds out that Poppy has feelings for you. After her small 'EUREKA!' moment Chloe decides to tease Poppy, and queen bee is not amused. "If you tell anyone that I have a crush on her, I will have you cremated and eaten by the dogs." yells Poppy as Chloe just laughs in amusement.

Chloe lowkey trying to be a wingman, but Poppy tells her off and you just think that Chloe's just being weird, and it just confuses you even more. Like what???

Mutual pining, because the both of you are too stubborn to confess how you feel. Poppy just doesn't even know what to do because feelings. And you don't know whether she likes you back and don't want to risk your newfound friendship with her.

Cue Poppy seeing you flirt with someone else, (Carter, Zoey or Veronica or whoever) and Poppy loses her shit because she's jealous.

Thinking with anger and not her head, Poppy decides to kiss you in front of the whole school. Long story short, everyone sees and it's all over social media, that's how they find out that the queen bee has staked her claim.

Poppy is touch starved and craves affection. This probably comes with the fact that her parents weren't really the affectionate type, which is why she acts the way she does. Her parents probably ingrained it into her head that she has to be #1 for everything and anything below that is the same as being nothing.

She would never admit it but Poppy adores cuddling and lazy days where the both of you just chill out and share soft and sweet kisses, in which neither of you stop until your lips are bruised.

She's also the little spoon (fite me), and you don't mind because she's so soft and you're weak for her.

Poppy is also the type to pamper you with expensive ass gifts, even when you tell her that she doesn't have to give you anything, but it makes her happy so you're happy.

Waking up next to her is probably the equivalent of seeing an angel. She looks so peaceful when she's asleep and you can't help but stare because you don't have the heart to wake her up.

Poppy can't cook for shit, because why would she need to know how to cook, she's rich??? Probably so bougie she's never had fast food in her life, so the first thing you do is take her ass to McDonald's.

Arguments usually occur when both of you are stressed and this leads to angry make out sessions where both of you are marked up with hickeys for everyone to see.

This girl needs some TLC, so please be gentle and patient because she's not used to affection.

NSFW HCs

People probably think that Poppy's a pillow princess and sometimes you joke and tease her about it, but in all honesty she can top. Her strap game is impeccable, 10000/10 would reccomend again.

When you go down on her she always tugs at your hair, and you can't help but groan as her nails brush against your scalp. Additionally when she's bottoming, she becomes a little bratty and you have no choice but to play rough and she doesn't mind.

When the two of you argue, this can lead to some intense angry sex, all bets are off when you're arguing, everything is messy, rough and passionate. The two of you don't remember the reason why you were arguing after.

The moans, groans and noises that comes out of Poppy's mouth is music to your ears. It's probably the sexiest thing you've ever heard, and you can't get enough.

When she rides the strap, it's the hottest thing you've ever seen. The way her sweat clings to her body making it glisten, and the way her body moves and convulses as she's riding makes you go insane. 10000/10 would do again.

The type to annoy you by sexting you in class, purposely riling you up, she especially enjoys annoying you when it's Professor Kingsley's class because she's petty like that. It gets to the point where you're so riled up that you just get up and leave class. She loves sending you photos with nothing on but her underwear, almost always pink or white. It's one of her favourite past times really. You can't even get angry because each photo is so good so you can't complain.

She's also the type of girl to get flustered when you sext her back, and it's honestly the cutest thing. It becomes a game of who can rile up the other person more.

These are just my headcanons and you don't have to agree with them hope you enjoyed reading. :)

#poppy min sinclair #poppy x mc #queen b poppy #queen b choices #queen b #queen b zoey #veronica lombardi #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices hcs #this is just my headcanons #makepoppyali2020 #poppydailychallenge #squint squint im working on another part of the fic but enjoy this first lmaoooooo #chloe st. james #chloe queen b

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chibimyumi · 4 years ago

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hello! i just came across to your post about your thoughts of emerald witch arc if it's got adapted into musical (and why it's more solid arc to be so). i re-read the arc again, and i kinda wonder, based on your opinion, what's the best possible interpretation for the musical towards the dutch dialogue, as we know that in the manga they use square dialogue bubble, while in the anime (as in book of murder ova) they speak the respective language (i.e french), i'm interested with your view to this

【Reaction to post: Emerald Witch Arc as Musical?】

Dear Anon,

Oh that is a wonderfully good question (Ó艸Ò) For the post you referred to I just kinda went ahead and dreamt about it without thinking about the practicalities (≽▽≼) Dear @midnight-in-town and @kuroshitsuji-effervescence wrote about the challenges regarding the French in “Book of Murder” here in this amazing post. So in the same way, German might indeed prove to be a bit of a challenge too!

Ermmm, after giving the technicalities some thought thanks to you, I have different proposals for different situations... I just don’t know whether it’d work in practice. HOWEVER, IN THEORY..........................!!!!!

1. Establishment of Situation

In theory, I think the most important thing in the first stage is to establish that our protagonists will be in a German setting where people communicate solely German. A little note like in chapter 87 can easily be dropped with just a TINY tweak (which I added in pink) without it feeling like a tiresome exposition.

In this way the audience will in a short time have the most important pieces of information for the entire musical, namely:

The setting is very far away from a familiar place, probably in Franconia.

Ciel is language-wise like a fish out of water: he tried to learn German, but not enough to actually communicate at all.

Sebas not only knows German fluently, but can even understand and translate local dialects.

A hypothetical WitchMyu wouldn’t be the first to have changed lines for the sake of information. In Tango on the Campania too for example, they gave Sebas the following extra line:

It was not in the original manga, but it worked wonderfully well to establish master and servant’s dynamic, on top of informing the audience of the boy’s awful stamina.

2. Setting of Language Barrier

I can’t think of one perfect way to do it, but perhaps coloured stage light might do its magic?

After it has been established that the locals speak German, I propose to just let the Japanese actors speak Japanese. (I mean, the standard setting is England but they also just speak Japanese). In specific cases when the portrayal of a language barrier is necessary, perhaps they could colour code the lights, that people who do understand each other have one colour, and the person (Ciel) who doesn’t also gets his own colour. This would also give Ciel’s actor a great chance to show how good his acting is if he can show the audience he can’t follow the conversation with silent acting.

3. Communication with Language Barrier

There is this one scene in the Werewolf Arc wherein Sieglinde and Ciel try to communicate, but neither speak each other’s language fluently. As it has already been established that the Germans only speak German, and they are the “locals”, I think it would be weird to make them stop speaking Japanese and suddenly switch to (badly spoken) actual German.

Especially in such a scene on stage, I think it would be great to use colour-coded limelights, and make the audience’s understanding of the language barrier dependent on the actors’ acting. If an actor is good and the script is well written, it should be clear that both parties are speaking their own respective languages without a mutual understanding.

Later in the arc Ciel tried to communicate with Sieglinde with whatever little German he could muster. Even though Ciel’s German would be worse than beginner’s level, it’s still German. So I think it’d be good to give him also a green spotlight and just make the actor speak in very cryptic Japanese.

They could make Sieglinde first speak naturally in Japanese, and as she realises how bad Ciel’s understanding is, make her speak slower and simpler.

4. Communication without Language barrier

Most scenes in the Arc was actually just Sebas communicating normally in German with the Germans, or the English speaking English among each other.

In cases where there is no language barrier at all, the lime lights don’t need to be colour coded, because then everyone is “neutral”, and the conversations are centered around the content, not the language. The audience should just know by then that the mains all speak English, and that the Germans... well, speak German.

I hope this idea wasn’t too ridiculous and might theoretically work out in practice too.

5. P.S.

Just a crack proposal that did actually jump into my mind...unbidden. Namely that all actors would carry a small flag of the languages they can speak, and raise the flag of the language they are speaking.

Don’t worry, I yeeted it out of the window immediately. Just wanted to share, because just IMAGINEEEE the ridiculousness!!! (≽ 艸 ≼;;)

Furukawa Yuta in multi language

Furukawa Yuta in ...En...glish?

French in Book of Murder

#Kuromyu #language #Emerald Witch Arc #German #Green Witch Arc #Werewolf Arc #multilanguage #The pooor pooooor actos #also for the scenes that are mostly in German they'd have to JP-sub it...that wouldn't work

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silverbastardgoldenfool · 4 years ago

Text

Realm of the Quarantine Reread End-of-Book Questionnaire: Assassin’s Quest

Any differences between your first/previous reading experience and this one?

Keep in mind I’m writing this months after finishing the book lol (it’s mental illness innit). I have LOTS of notes to go off but yeah, things aren’t as fresh in my mind overall. With that said the biggest difference I can think of between my first and second experience with AQ is my feelings towards Kettricken. I think the first time around reading you know that Fitz is an unreliable narrator but you are still limited by his viewpoint so you can get a bit trapped seeing things the way he does. For this reason, I think I pretty much just forgave Kettricken when he did on my first read, whereas on this read I was like……. Waiting for her to actually apologise and show some sympathy towards Fitz and it just…. Never happened.

Like, don’t get me wrong, I still love Kettricken as a character and I fully recognise that she has been traumatised. I don’t expect her to be nice or act rationally, and in the case of being willing to take Nettle for the crown… It’s cold but she’s doing what she feels she has to. My issue is - do what you have to, but don’t expect Fitz to understand or forgive you (same with Starling). But I think what bothered me the most was how Kettricken would constantly confide in Fitz and break down to him and he was always there to let her do so, yet she NEVER gives Fitz the chance to do the same. The one time he does “open up” in a sense is when she forces him to air out his traumas in front of everyone, and she didn’t show him any sympathy for what he’d been through then or later. She has been through hell, absolutely, but while her plight may not have been any better than Fitz’s it certainly wasn’t any worse. She pretty much had two modes in this book: completely cold or a crying wreck - but she was only ever crying for herself. She lets Fitz console her but she never consoles him. Again, this is a result of her own trauma and I don’t expect her to act any differently, but it just reaffirmed for me that while she and Fitz care for each other deeply it is not an equal relationship. Fitz feels an obligation to serve her and she - knowingly or not - takes advantage of that. Like, after realising that this is their dynamic it is so obvious that the same is true in Royal Assassin as well, and it will be interesting to see how it changes (or doesn’t) in Tawny Man as I don’t remember it well enough to say.

Must reiterate: Kettricken is still a great character and I still have a lot of respect for her, unfortunately she just falls into the overfull camp of people who love Fitz but have an unhealthy power dynamic with him.

The other big difference I noticed was that the Verity stuff just wasn’t as devastating this time. Not because it was any less sad but it just didn’t tear out my heart like it did the first time. That’s not a fault with the writing at all, I think it’s just the fact that, knowing what would happen to Verity and that we wouldn’t see the real Verity again, I kind of already let go of him at the end of Royal Assassin.

Something you can’t believe you forgot

I guess more of a misinterpretation/wishful thinking but like, realising that there is no passage explicitly stating that Fitz and the Fool were actually spooning in the mountains murdered me and spat on my corpse.

Oh also!!! Fitz yeeting himself out the window at Tradeford castle jskaskjf

Favourite character introduction moments/scenes

I love Kettle in general and the way we’re introduced to her as a cranky old lady sets her up perfectly

Favourite character arcs

Man they’re all so fucking sad lol but I guess the Fool? He goes from thinking Fitz is dead and his purpose failed to reuniting with Fitz, their relationship growing into something really real for the first time, and actually completing his mission - at least for now lol. This book is really the first time you get to see the Fool be properly vulnerable. Even when he was getting beaten up by Regal’s guards he always had his veneer of snark and superiority to hide behind - and I doubt when he went through his sicknesses at Buckkeep he would have revealed his weakness to anyone in order to be helped. But in the mountains he lets so much of that facade of the King’s Fool fall away - at least when it’s just him and Fitz. When he and Fitz meet again he lets Fitz see his grief and pain and hopelessness and joy as the Fool looks after Fitz, and then later when it’s the Fool who needs looking after he lets Fitz look after him. When was the last time the Fool had anyone really care for him like that, ya know? Had someone protect him purely out of love? Ouch dude!!!!

Also he gets to kiss Fitz at the end so good for him!!!!!!!!!! Be gay ride dragons!!

Favourite quote/s

“I would kill Regal. It only seemed fair. He had killed me first.”

“I had looked into the heart of my enemy. I still could not comprehend him.”

“The more I drank, the less tolerable my situation seemed. And the more intolerable I became to my friends.”

“I had never thought to be disdained by a tree.”

“The Fool, the Fool, only the Fool. I sought for him. I almost found him. Oh, he was passing strange, and surpassing strange. He darted and eluded me, like a bright gold carp in a weedy pool, like the motes that dance before one’s eyes after being dazzled by the sun. As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind. I knew his beauty and his power in the briefest flashes of insight. In a moment I understood and marvelled at all that he was, and in the next I had forgotten that understanding.”

“When you can either laugh or cry, you might as well laugh.” - the Fool

Favourite relationships

Fitzandthefoolfitzandthefoolfitzandthefoolbahslbghabfhalgngjba

Also fitz and nighteyes (speaking of which, Nighteyes’ arc in this book is also fascinating and surprisingly complex) and Fitz/Nighteyes/Fool mwah magnifico chef’s kiss

Favourite setting

Kelsingra baybeyyy. I remember the first time reading this having no fucking clue what was happening in that chapter but I guess it was the gay agenda all along

Favourite chapter

It’s gotta be the chapter where Fitz and the Fool reunite, right? Catch me just gradually losing my grip on reality with every lingering stare

Most loved character

Foooooooooool

Most hated character

Ya know, for a minute I was actually wondering if I would like Starling this time round but yeah no lol. She was actually okay for a while but as soon as she sold Fitz/Nettle out she became The Worst, just as I remembered her. It’s not even because she betrays Fitz but because, like Kettricken, she expects Fitz to forgive her for it, to the point of running to tattle to the queen because Fitz isn’t giving her enough attention (I’m also not impressed with Kettricken for actually getting involved instead of just telling her to grow up). Not to mention her constantly misgendering/gendering (??) the Fool or just assuming the Fool’s gender and loudly fucking proclaiming it to everybody is just truly fucking disgusting. Like I cannot even explain how furious I was reading her incessantly using she/her pronouns for the Fool despite no confirmation that her theory is right or that the Fool is comfortable with this and despite EVERYONE ELSE using he/him pronouns. God I’m mad now lol. She just acts like a spoilt brat and it makes my blood boil. But that’s probably because I have known many people like this so… Good character writing lol congrats

Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimised by Robin Hobb (most heartbreaking and/or visceral moments)

The whole first chapter/s are just so heavy and carry on that gut wrenching feeling from the end of Royal Assassin. Fitz just has no real desire to live and watching him systematically severing the last few ties he has to his human life is just so sad.

Even though I wasn’t as attached to Verity this time, his goodbye to Fitz still made me cry

As did Fitz giving Kettle her skill back

Verity using Fitz’s body to have sex with Kettricken really got to me this time, mostly because I either didn’t notice the first time or had forgotten just how much it affects Fitz. It’s no wonder he doesn’t want to acknowledge Dutiful as his son when the event that brought that fact into being was so fucked up and traumatic. It’s really upsetting.

Burrich saying he almost took Fitz to Chivalry and he should have never let the Farseers take Fitz just …… breaks my heart. Just seeing Burrich so raw like that in general is so unusual it really takes you aback.

Details, observations, spoilery notes made with the benefit of the full picture

Strap in lads this part is lonnnngggggggg

Is it bad to immediately want to cry just from seeing “Sandsedge” on the map and thinking of Sandsedge brandy

I never really thought about how poor Hap didn’t get the real Fitz all those years and how their relationship could have been if Fitz hadn’t been partially forged

Pls I have no idea why but to picture someone as emotionally repressed as Fitz actually sitting down and writing about his life makes me want to fucking cryyyyeeeee

Fitz in the prologue talks about needing a purpose as something to distract himself from sinking [into his chronic pain, mental illness and addiction] and boy howdy if that ain’t relatable. As someone with mental illness and chronic pain Fitz is just painfully relatable way too often.

“I have never forgiven myself the triumph I ceded him when I took poison and died.” Fitz :(((( my guy :((((((( forgive yourself for surviving however you could baby!!!!!

This book mentions Bingtown providing slaves to Chalced

It’s so funny to me when people expect Fitz to have social skills as if he didn’t literally live as a fucking wolf for weeks at a time. It’s a miracle he bloody speaks

The state Fitz is in at the beginning of this book was literally Burrich’s greatest fear for him, yet Burrich doesn’t just say I told you so and leave. He stays, is patient and even optimistic.

“He (Burrich) is not bigger than I.” Why does this feel so wrong lol??? I just can’t picture Fitz as bigger than Burrich

“When you were younger and not supposed to go into taverns without me…” So it’s fine if the child goes into taverns and gets drunk as long as you’re also there. Got it, Burrich.

Fitz calling Chade “the grey one” wow get rekd old man river

Seeing Chade and Burrich interact is so bizarre

Fitz is still having seizures at the beginning of this book! I had forgotten that

God okay so idk if I can articulate this point super well but the whole thing of Fitz going through this extensive abuse and then essentially becoming an animal feels like a metaphor for the way your brain’s “higher” needs and functions just shut off sometimes under certain levels of stress. Like in order to cope with the trauma you don’t think about concepts, or long-term goals, or other people. You just take care of your basic needs - food, sleep, shelter, water - long enough that you start to feel safe and secure again, at which point your brain can open up a bit more and allow you to really think again; to want again, to plan again etc. Like obviously literally becoming an animal is a heightened version of reality, but the functionality of it is the same; our wounds and our fear stop us from fully embodying ourselves.

Burrich be like, Fitz was getting way too dependent on drugs before all this so let’s steer clear of those. :) LET’S GET HIM ABSOLUTELY SHITFACED INSTEAD

I love how Fitz has his own unique relationship with Lacey and she’s not just Patience’s servant in his mind

Fitz talking about how even his memories from before his time in the dungeons are soiled by his trauma :( baby boy

Dude it’s so rich Chade lecturing Fitz about not making a life for himself, having friends or just chilling out like???? WHO TRAINED HIM TO BE AN ASSASSIN CHADE?? Like I get your point but what the hell kind of life did you think he was gonna have? Who ever took the time to teach him the importance of making connections with people for their own sake, and when would he have ever had the time anyway? I think Chade himself doesn’t actually know what he expects from Fitz.

Fitz saying he’s bad at making decisions because he’s never actually been allowed to make any is literally a point I’ve made lol. This is what happens when you teach teenagers how to murder in lieu of any basic life skills.

Burrich + Chiv were luv at first sight. No I will not elaborate.

“We kept you a boy, looked after you too much.” Huh??????? Fitz was never fucking sheltered lol. He didn’t have autonomy. There’s a difference.

I’m so fucking glad Fitz hugged Burrich before he left and that they actually left off on okay-ish terms. I didn’t remember that and it vaguely dulls the blow of knowing we don’t see Burrich again til Fool’s Fate (and that he thinks Fitz is dead the entire time between now and then).

“If I shaved my hair back from my brow” bitch disgusting

“Honey was the older of the two women. Perhaps my age.” jskfjnajgbl my guy those aren’t women then those are children!!!!!! U freak

I was wondering for ages why Fitz doesn’t mention the Fool like literally at all bc that’s so unusual right? Even in Assassin’s Apprentice he thinks of him when he goes to Moonseye and just in general the Fool usually enters Fitz’s thoughts pretty frequently. So why now, when Fitz doesn’t even know if the Fool is okay, is he just not thinking about him? And then I realised that that is exactly why. Because the only two people from his old life he doesn’t think about are the two people whose fates he knows nothing of: Kettricken and the Fool. So he can let his mind wander to think what Patience and Lacey might be up to at Buckkeep, or who Molly is with or whatever, because he knows they are all safe. But in such a fragile state I don’t think he can bring himself to really wonder whether Kettricken and the Fool made it to their destination - he probably doesn’t really believe they could have, and that is far too painful a road to go down when you are trying not to think at all.

I know the first act of this book is slow and that bothers some people, but I think it is so necessary, not only for Fitz’s arc but also because it really demonstrates just how severe the situation has gotten with the red ships and forged ones AND it shows just how destructive a king Regal is. Without this perspective it would probably be much harder to buy that the extreme measures taken at the end of the book are really worth the sacrifice.

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit A: when Honey is coming onto him, all he can think about is Molly.

Fitz is so scared of the Forged ones :( his trauma affects everything. He has no faith in himself and less heart for the violence than ever.

Speaking of trauma metaphors: the way Fitz tends to drift off into the wit or Skill after a traumatic experience is… pretty much just dissociation but magique

I forgot that witted folk can apparently communicate with each other mentally, not just with animals

“Her head was the size of a bushel basket.” Ah, yes, a bushel basket, a thing whose size we are all intimately familiar with.

Fitz finally finds others like him and even then he is not fully accepted. Told he is doing the wit wrong. Othered by the Others. It’s the queer experience innit.

Also forgot that apparently the forged are attracted to the wit as well as the Skill?

“I wondered if I had as many wolf mannerisms as they had halk and bear.” Yeah no probably not you only bloody LIVED as a wolf, Fitz.

Okay I know it doesn’t need saying but Patience is just so fucking cool!!!!!

Jesus fucking christ, Fitz skilling out to Molly when he knows Will knows he’s alive and is looking for him is just… so dumb. So so dumb. I know he’s just fixating on her because he’s miserable and she’s like this unsullied thing he had before everything went wrong but holy moly is it frustrating

Not to mention he doesn’t connect the dots between the fact that Burrich went to “help a friend” and every time he reaches out for Molly he sees Burrich sajkdbshkhja dude

Nighteyes leaving just goes to show that Fitz cannot rely solely on Nighteyes for companionship. No matter how innately the same they are they are equally as innately different. Fitz needs Nighteyes but he shouldn’t have JUST Nighteyes (which is why he, Nighteyes and the Fool are the holy trinity). When Nighteyes leaves, Fitz is in way too fragile a state to be left alone, but Nighteyes cannot think of the future or what might happen. All he knows is he’ll be back at some point and that’s all that matters.

“My anger fed my competence” whatever you need to tell yourself sweetie

I think I had blocked out the fact the Regal was keeping animals trapped in filthy cages so they could ravage people in the king’s circle uggggghhhhhhhhh I hate him

Fitz is down on himself saying that without Shrewd’s largesse, Chade’s information and Verity’s protection his idea of himself has been stripped away and that he’s not actually competent etc. but like. This is an extreme situation!! You’re literally alone in the wilderness with nothing and no one!! Who would thrive in this situation? And nobody gets by without help anyway! The people in our lives do define us to an extent. You don’t have to be able to stand 100% on your own at all times with zero resources to be considered capable. It’s human to depend on others. Yes I am chiding myself as much as Fitz here :))))

Burrich’s earring is the repressed gay earring. No I will not elaborate.

Fitz refusing to sell Burrich’s earring is frustrating yet something I would 100% do lol

Direct from my notes: Celery hiding out in caves?? Bad bitch

“I felt I was within the flames looking deeply into the Fool’s eyes” um okay gay

It’s actually surprising that Fitz admits he would not have gone after Molly even if he had known she was pregnant when she left. On one hand so self aware yet this doesn’t stop him from completely idealising their relationship.

And then you have Molly who says he was supposed to come after her “so she could forgive him”, that he was supposed to be the one to light the candles for her childbirth etc. The fact that she in any way thought he was mature enough to be a father just shows how little they really knew each other.

Burrich treating Molly like a horse while delivering Nettle is way funnier than it has a right to be jskakjasd makes me think of Dwight treating Phyllis’ back injury in The Office lol

The first thing Burrich notices about Nettle is that she has Chivalry’s brow are you fucking kidding me. Gay!

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit B: He had no interest in Tassin whatsoever until she literally started kissing him. At this point his body reacted, which is normal, but as soon as he got a second to actually think about it he stopped, because for him it would not be satisfying to sleep with someone he didn’t have feelings for.

“It seemed to take years for the dried beans and lentils to soften.” Okay mood

I love how Fitz just assumes Molly will take him back. “I have a woman and child awaiting me.” Says who bitch?

Small ferret? More like big legend

Ya know, we give Fitz so much shit but honestly with so much physical, mental and emotional stress on this journey how can we expect his mental faculties to be at 100%? I wouldn’t be making good decisions either, in fact I would be long dead.

Starling telling Nik that the earring once belonged to Chivalry is truly a smooth brain move

“Do not fear, little brother, I am here to take care of you again.” Words can’t explain how much I love Nighteyes and how often his dialogue makes me smile :’)

It’s so cute how Nighteyes is worried about Molly and Nettle until he knows that Burrich is taking care of them

It’s really interesting when Fitz claims “I’d rather be with Molly even if it meant rocking a crying baby in the middle of the night” because, well, he’s literally made other claims to the contrary, saying he wouldn’t have gone with her even if he’d known she was pregnant. Because at the end of the day as much as Fitz is compelled by others to do work for the greater good, I think deep down a lot of the time it is what he would do anyway. Like I really don’t think he could actually enjoy being with Molly knowing that the world is burning down around them. He would want to get out there and help somehow; not only to secure their own future but to reduce other people’s suffering as well. He’s an empathetic boy even though he’d like to be selfish.

Every time Fitz calls Molly his wife I lose ten years off my life

Again, I understand why he’s thinking like this, but Fitz’s ownership of Molly is just so uncomfortable. The fact that he can’t imagine her not having a place ready and waiting for him in her life when he returns just illustrates that she is not a fully realised person to him. She is just a comforting idea.

Oh yes, it was definitely Starling’s “pillowtalk” that got you captured and not the fact that you fit the exact description of the witted bastard right down to having Chivalry’s earring and a whole ass wolf

Somehow forgot that Jhaampe is basically a city of tents with only a few permanent buildings and people constantly coming and going

Fitz’s first words to the Fool are “I’ve come to you.” I’m gonna fucking die

Literally every single word from the moment Fitz realises it’s the Fool and starts describing him is a full body assault and personal attack I am seeking reparations

God the tenderness, the angst, the relief……… shall i pass away

“I doubted he was much taller, but his body was no longer a child’s.” My dude this is a gay awakening if I ever saw one

Fitz be like *spends 87 pages describing the Fool in painstaking detail* anyway I love being a heterosexual male

I’ve heard ppl cite Fitz’s descriptions of Kettricken as evidence of a crush (hard disagree) but literally nothingggggg even comes close to the way he describes the Fool. Not just this once but over and over again it’s insane.

“Talk fell off between us. The bottle of brandy was empty. We were reduced to silence, staring at one another drunkenly.” skjakfnajghajgnaLNGJ is it gay to silently gaze into thine homie’s eyes

The Fool protecting Fitz from everyone - especially Starling - in Jhaampe is often hilarious and always heartwarming

Realising Fitz was skinny enough for the Fool to lift on his own ahhh no wonder he said the famous “When I recall how beautiful you were” line, Fitz is a total wreck

I love that the Fool actually gives Chade shit for his plan to take Nettle. I love him.

“Too few folk cared for me. I could not hate a single one of them.” Oh, Fitz :(

I always wonder how the Fool really feels about Molly. Is he jealous? Does he compare himself to this woman Fitz idolises and he doesn’t know? Does he know that Fitz is barking up the wrong tree or is he stuck thinking Molly must really be Fitz’s soulmate since he won’t shut up about how much he loves her and can’t wait to get back to her? He just never really lets on how it makes him feel when Fitz has relationships with women. We know Fitz gets jealous of the Fool (for litch rally like no reason lol), so with the Fool being much more honest with himself/in general about his love for Fitz and having much more legitimate reason to be jealous, is he? Or is it just something he’s made his peace with, that these women give Fitz something that he cannot? Is he okay with that cos he has to be or does he have a different, less monogamous view of love and relationships (he does have three parents after all). I dunnoooo dude I just have so many questions. Like obviously - OBVIOUSLY - if Fitz and the Fool didn’t have romantic feelings for each other before, there is no doubting that romantic feelings appeared the moment Fitz appeared in the Fool’s hut. Fitz won’t admit that but mere chapters later the Fool is talking about how he loves Fitz in every way so like. He knows. So how does he feel when Fitz is calling out for Molly in his sleep, or openly speaking of seeking her out when all this is over, and lying to the Fool to protect Molly and his daughter. Really makes u think!!!!

Fitz reuniting with Sooty and going to see her every day in Jhaampe is so cuuuute and made me so happy. Sooty is a good girl :’)

Fitz be like *leans against the table where the Fool is carving and watches his fingers at work like a true repressed gay*

Verity is literally so strong???? He submerged himself in skill and was able to pull himself back from the stream can u imagine? Go off king!

Bro I literally can’t with the Fool mentioning Jofron so casually and Fitz immediately thinking wow oh my god they’re definitely fucking oh my god the Fool has a girlfriend - Fitz sweetie calm down

I love how Fitz and the Fool just naturally walk together :))) and Nighteyes babysitting Kettle is so cute

Molly never once says that she misses Fitz. She says she always expected him to do the right thing, to come after her and not leave her alone with a child. But she doesn’t look back on their time together fondly or have much positive to say about him as a person. And all that is fair, but it’s also just… Not really the behaviour of someone who’s been separated from their soulmate. It’s more just someone who’s been left in a shitty position by someone they cared about but hardly knew.

Fitz asking the Fool what is between him and Starling when they’re literally just being civil is sooooo fucking funny. Not everyone finds the Fool as irresistible as you do, Fitz.

The Fool just casually finding a pretext to call Fitz the light of his life

Fitz telling Kettricken firmly that he will not travel if the Fool is ill is one of the only times he ever puts his foot down with her GEE I WONDER WHY

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again…… there really do be something about the way Fitz can’t meet the Fool’s eyes………. It’s not like they’re weird and colourless anymore like they used to be!!!

The Fool already talking about Clerres in this book!

Fitz and the Fool and Nighteyes playing in the stream is too fucking pure omg, it’s what they deserve

And then Starling has to bloody ruin it bc she’s homophobique

But seriously, Fitz actually lets go for the first time in ages and has a nice evening only for Starling to go tattling to Kettricken, and Kettricken having the gall to confront Fitz about it. And then Fitz solves the problem by saying he doesn’t disdain her when like!! He has every right to!!!! She sold him out, sold his daughter out. She never even apologised but instead has just been totally petty and self-righteous and stirring up trouble amongst the group. She hasn’t earned or even asked for his forgiveness. So fitting that she’s the one constantly judging Fitz for his relationship with Lord Golden in Tawny Man lol, she just cannot let Fitz and the Fool be the queer icons they are!!!

Verrrrrrrrrrry interesting that Fitz only “suddenly missed the human warmth and comfort” of Starling taking his arm or sleeping against him literally IMMEDIATELY after the plumbing and love confrontation with the Fool. I mean he has been doing all of those things with the Fool (sleeping together, walking arm in arm etc.) so it’s not about human touch at all, it’s about convincing himself that a WOMAN’S touch is somehow inherently different.

He does the same thing with Starling as with Kettricken. She technically apologises but it’s not sincere and that’s not why he forgives her. Same as Kettricken, she tells her sob story and he can’t hold onto his anger. It makes sense, but it’s just very toxic. It would be nice if at least one person would really recognise how much they’ve hurt Fitz and really, genuinely want to atone for it, or apologise without expecting forgiveness. The onus should not be on Fitz to forgive Starling but on Starling to grow up and not need Fitz to like her in order to remain civil and do what they have to. Also “I do not find your wit bond offensive” has the same energy as someone telling you out of nowhere like “It’s fine that you’re gay :)” like wow thank u?? lol

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit C: “I wanted her with a desperation that had nothing to do with love, and even, I believe, little to do with lust.”

“By his love he is betrayed, and his love betrayed also.” So fate agrees with me, Fitz and the Fool are in love? :)

Anytime the potential that Fitz might have to choose between Molly and Nighteyes I lose brain cells. That’s ur brother Fitz!!! It’s not even a choice!! How dare u

It’s just sooooo intentionally laid out for us in this book that Fitz’s relationship with Molly really wasn’t good or healthy and that his fixation on it is misguided, and I think that’s why I struggled sooooo hard with the ending of Fool’s Fate, because it kind of implied the exact opposite. I’m hoping on this reread I will pick up on it being laid out as a result of Fitz getting his memories/teen feelings back rather than it just feeling like a lowkey retcon, but I guess we’ll see lol

“I felt I was a bit in love with him, you know. That sort of lift to the heart.” the confirmation that the Fool KNOWS HOW IT FEELS TO BE IN LOVE sends me deep into the swamps goodbyeeeeeeeeeeee

“The one who loves him best will betray him most foully.” So fate agrees, the Fool loves Fitz best :)

“You do love me! … Before, it was words. I always feared it was born out of pity.” Godddddd Foooooooooool!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything about Fitz, the Fool and Nighteyes meeting in the skill for the first time is just truly perfect iconic unparalleled.

Fitz’s love for Verity hurts my heart so much. Just think of the relationship they could have had if they weren’t stupid royals.

Kettle’s whole speech about Fitz and Molly… Just yes to every word.

Look I’m just gonna say it… The way Burrich reacts to Molly’s advances … like I know it’s probably not intentional but it just reads as very much fitting in with my headcanon that he is gay. As soon as she makes it clear she wants to sleep with him he like leaps across the room lol. I do believe he cares for her and loves her in his way, but it does feel mostly like he’ll just do whatever he needs to to care for her and the baby. Sowwy

I wonder why the Fool wasn’t as affected by his giving up of memories to Girl-on-a-Dragon?? Or was he, and he just gets them back before we see him again in Tawny Man?

“Take my hurt that I never knew my father, take my hours of staring up at his portrait when the great hall was empty and I could do so alone.” um this is so fucking sad

It was the Fool who sent Starling to find Fitz after Verity uses his body and again I have to ask, wtf is going on in your mind, Fool!

Fitz is Demisexual, Exhibit D: Even once he actually sleeps with Starling he has no enthusiasm about it, he just kind of goes along with it, likely to prove to himself that he has really let go of his past/Molly.

I always wonder why the Fool leaves now. Is it because he thinks their work is done and doesn’t want to risk messing things up by hanging around his catalyst like at the end of Tawny Man? Does he intend to come back and find Fitz again but get sidetracked by a lead or a new dream? Like it’s just weird because at first he was like “Prophet and Catalyst stick together” and was gonna stay with Fitz - or was that just an excuse because he was obsessed with Girl-on-a-Dragon? Fool u spicy lil enigma

It’s blood and the wit that wakes the stone dragons so does that mean King Wisdom was witted? Or is that obvious lol

Fitz isn’t even bothered by the Fool’s kiss, just shocked. I am looking.

Patience shouting orders at Verity-as-Dragon is beautiful ksjjk

Of courrrrrssse Burrich names his first son Chivalry

In the epilogue, the Fool is the only one Fitz actually says he misses. Exquisite.

I know some people have an issue with Regal’s death but personally I find it delicious

Okay that’s all (I say as if this wasn’t 139841989 pages long). See y’all in 92 years when my sister finally starts reading Liveship!

#realm of the elderlings #realm of the quarantine #assassin's quest #long post #fitz and the fool #Fitzchivalry Farseer #rote #ehhh idk what else to tag lol #if u read all this congrats and i'm sorry

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annqbthchse · 4 years ago

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SGE Headcanons

✨ OTK SPOILERS ✨

You know that thorn scene from book 1 and how Agatha and Tedros got scratched up a bit, well some of those scars never healed and they still have some - Agatha has a couple gnarly ones on her leg - Tedros loves them

During their reign at Camelot Agatha and Tedros sometimes take a few days off when things get a bit fought and stay at the house in Avalon for a few days maybe a week for some cute quality time together. This way they still the chance to be all domestic and stuff without the pressure of an entire kingdom - They never sleep in the master bedroom tho - they’ll mainly sleep either by the fire or cuddle on the couch (let’s just pretend that if they leave sophie in charge she wouldn’t cause total chaos and destruction when they’re away)

When anyone uses a really powerful spell or something their veins and eyes start to glow up with their finger glow colour

Hort has a pirate ring he got from his father that he keeps a secret from everyone but Sophie - he eventually gifts it to her

Yara is a music prodigy

Kei constantly wears those big oversized ugly sweaters, Rhian swears he hates it cos it’s not 𝑎𝑒𝑠𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐 but he secretly loves how cuddly they are

Tedros is actually really educated (I mean he is a prince and had Merlin as his tutor) but he’s just a dumbass by nature like he can immediately tell you the DETAILED history of any kingdom in the woods but if you ask him what the main ingredient in pasta is he’ll short circuit - it’s the himbo in him

When Agatha returns to Gavaldon in AWWP she had trouble sleeping for several months so Callis was very worried. So, when Callis saw Agatha and Tedros sleeping so soundly together once she was just like” hmmm maybe he’s not that bad” and it’s then that she realises that although she may not like him 100%, he’ll always be there to protect her little girl 🥺

After the events of OTK however it’s Tedros who has trouble sleeping (he did get BEHEADED fuck) and its Agathas turn to be the comfort cuddler

Somehow the red pendant that Agatha wore to the circus of talents was given to her by Tedros. She still has it and took it with her when she left in QFG (I don't know how exactly this works but its cute sefbjsdg)

At Camelot Agatha cannot be fucked wearing royal dresses all the time so when nothing “official” is going on she just dresses super casual in like pants and t shirts with her hair in ponytails or what not (Tedros doesn’t care all that much because Agatha in pants is hot)

Sophie constantly tries to sit in Nicola’s lap because she’s so smol and while she loves her to death she has to literally pick her up and yeet her off if she’s ever gonna get anything done

Nicola is a great chef and her and Sophie have these cute little dinner dates where Nicola makes all the food and Sophie buys all the wine

One of the first things Tedros does after OTK is commission a statue of Chaddick to honour him - it’s of him shooting an arrow into the distance

When August and Evelyn were growing up she definitely pushed him down a well once and he probably used to make up things about her future just to purposely piss her off

Tedros doesn’t actually know how to play rugby he just grabs ball and run

Chaddick tried to explain it to him once but it turns out he doesn’t actually know either

Yaras the only one who does but finds the whole thing entertaining so she refuses to say anything

Kei is very into astronomy, Rhian not so much but he still listens very attentively to everything Kei says because he just looks so darn cute when he rambles and is like “hmmm yes pls go on bb ♡ᴗ♡”

They also used to sneak out to go stargazing and watch the sunrise

On Tedros’s first birthday after OTK Agatha really wants to make it special considering the past year so she gets him a baby golden lab

This Labrador becomes his best friend - sometimes when being king gets overwhelming and Agathas not there it’s his best golden friend that calms him down and makes him feel better

Millicent’s a vegan

Sophie and Tedros still have their little late night rooftop convos

Ravan secretly loves rocking chairs and will literally just sit in one the entire day just rocking back and forth - he just finds them soothing

Dots a really a bad gift giver but no one has the heart to tell her or the courage to face Hester and Anadil

In QFG before Chaddick went off on his quest and while Tedros was ignoring Agatha they hung out a bit and had some great times. He also showed her some basic fighting tactics and how to use a butterfly knife after watching her attempt to hold her own against a punching bag. He immediately wondered how in the fuck she was still alive

When they were at graves hill tedros thought Agatha's baby portraits were adorable and constantly teased her about it - Agatha does the same

Rhian has a sweet tooth- Kei would always sneak extra sweets for him

#i just want domestic tagatha and nicphie nfjdjsjjsja #is that too much #sge #the school for good and evil #school for good and evil #avani says shit #headcanons

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one-abuse-survivor · 3 years ago

Note

hi, it's the milky way again

it's been a while since i've dropped something in your mailbox

i've now finished the school year and the grades and reports are coming in tomorrow or the day after. i'm kinda scared of them because i know they dropped a lot since last year but i'm pretty sure i passed most if not all of my courses so i think it'll be fine.

i started working a summer job a week ago and i'll be working the next week too. it's mostly because i need the money so i can replace my broken phone but also because we had to do some kind of job/workplace experience thing because of our school (that was voluntary though because of covid). the job pays really well so i might also get a new binder with the money since the one i have now is falling apart. on the other hand, working 8 hours a day for five days straight has really taken all of my energy and i can't listen to music while working which makes it a lot harder. the last week i've mostly been coming home in the evening, maybe eating something and going straight to bed.

(also i got my period last thursday and i hate hate hate it so much it makes everything so much worse even without the dysphoria it's just so messy and annoying to deal with)

a week ago i finally jumped over my shadow and talked to my mom but it was a huge disappointment. i'm pretty sure i couldn't get my point across in a way she'd understand and she kinda just admitted not being able to help after saying a bunch of things that really hurt. i removed myself from the situation by "going to bed" aka going to my room, locking my door and crying myself to sleep. i was just really pissed off and talking to her was kinda my last resort for when i realized i couldn't help myself anymore.

anyway, the day after that was monday (when i started working) and me, running on barely any sleep because the night before was a disaster, had to somehow survive work and i'm pretty sure i ignored or snapped at a lot of people that day which i feel kinda bad for.

on wednesday after work i talked to my mom again because i was pissed off and couldn't let it sit. she said the same kind of bs she had used on sunday and we got nowhere, since then i've probably been a lot less friendly to her but i'm just not ready to give up so much energy for her.

her favorite arguments we're things like "but others have it a lot worse" (which is a mindset i've worked on getting away from for quite a while) (also my mom was referring only to my grades with this but little does she know that the only reason why my grades aren't dropping that badly is because no matter how bad i got mentally, i yeeted stuff like self-care before school because school had always been structured and mostly clear while life in general was just. not.)

other arguments she used were "just get off your phone and set a timer for 45 minutes and concentrate on what you wanna get done" and "just pull yourself together, it's not that hard" (those were about me saying that i struggle with starting tasks and getting shit done)

lastly she also said that my expectations are just way too high and that if i didn't expect only the best from myself (this was about grades too) i wouldn't get so disappointed if i didn't get that great grade i was hoping for. and like, she's not wrong but if you've only ever been good at one thing in your entire life and you were really good at it, then you'd just expect nothing but the best from yourself because you know reaching that isn't impossible.

and she ended it with "what do you expect me to do?" and "i can't help you" and i realized later that i just should've said that she should help me get someone that *can* help me, like a therapist or something.

anyway, i'm proud of myself for finding a summer job and finally talking to my mom and not so proud of my grades and the fact that i can't seem to get the point across to my mom

thank you for creating this safe space for people like us, i wish you a happier time than the one i'm having :')

milky way here :|

got the reports and grades and stuff yesterday and i'm just :| about it. like, yea i know i'm still somewhere at the top of the class and that i'm more than one and a half grades better than some others in my class but i'm still upset about my grade in maths for example but my parents laughed/chuckled at me when i was upset and that really hurt

and afterwards my mom said something along the lines of "yes you're allowed to be stressed but because of your good grades you don't have the right to complain about being stressed" which is absolute bs and i still don't understand how having good grades disqualifies one from complaining and i'm sure as hell not gonna ask her

i just wanna scream in her face but i'm pretty sure she'd slap me if i did that

i'm almost done with my summer job and since monday noon i had the chance to work in a different part of the factory which is a lot less uncomfy to be in because it has AC and since it's not in the lab itself, i don't have to wear a hair net, an overall, steel-toed boots and rubber gloves.

today i set myself a few goals for the summer break and for the next school year and i really hope i can get through with those because it'd make future-me extremely happy

have a great great time :D

and PS: since tumblr has been eating a lot of notifs lately i missed a lot of your posts and i tried filtering by the milky way anon tag but only one post showed up. i'm not sure what's up with that tho

Hi again! Don’t worry, I got you. Here’s a link to all the asks you’ve sent up to this point: first, second, third. All of them are tagged, but the tumblr search engine isn’t exactly known for its accuracy. I use the tumblr original post finder site for this stuff, but I just realised by looking for your asks that the site takes capital letters into account, so the ones that were tagged with a capital M in Milky weren’t showing. They all do show now that I changed the M to lowercase. So I’ll have to try to be more consistent with that from now on 😅

On to your asks. First off, congrats on finishing your course! And I really hope you can replace your phone and your binder :D sorry about getting your period, though, that really sucks :(

I think the conversation with your mom that Sunday is the one discussed on the third ask I linked. I'm really sorry the same thing happened on Wednesday. It's not your fault you can't get across to her—she's the one who should be open to helping you and offering possible (actual) solutions to the problems you're bringing up to her, and not you who should spell out every single thing she can do to help you. You're not being unclear to her—she's being obtuse and refusing to listen.

You're not meant to know how to just "pull yourself together", and you're absolutely right that your grades not dropping all the way doesn't mean you're not struggling, and you still deserve help so you don't have to jeopardise your mental health for your grades. And while she's right you don't deserve to be so hard on yourself or to expect perfection from yourself, that's also something that you deserve professional help with. Again, you're not meant to know how to just turn off those emotions and thought processes.

*hugs* sorry your math grade wasn't as high as you'd hoped. It's okay to be upset and disappointed by that, and I'm so sorry they laughed at you. You do have every right to express your emotions, and you're not being unfair to anyone else for being unhappy with your own grades. I often feel the same! I get really good grades (as I think I've already said), and I also often feel disappointed when a grade isn't as high as I'd hoped. There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. I'm really glad you know what your mom says is bs, because it really is. It's no wonder you feel like screaming in her face—she sounds incredibly frustrating, exhausting and invalidating to deal with. You deserve so much better than this 😔

I'm so glad you're proud of yourself! I'm really proud of you too for everything you've accomplished despite her being so unhelpful and invalidating, and I really hope you're enjoying the rest of your summer holidays and you can reach your goals! And if the occasion arises and you do end up using the "you can help me find someone who can help me" line, I hope it goes better. But if not, again, please know this is an issue of her refusing to listen, and not of you being unclear about what you need.

Sending a huge virtual hug ❤️

#ask #neglectful mother #Abusive mother #milky way anon #Covid mention #emotional neglect tw #Dysphoria mention #abusive parents #Toxic parents #Ableism tw #Dysphoria tw #Milky way anon

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butterbeeryuta · 5 years ago

Text

johnny as your boyfriend; radio!au

a/n: thIS was requested a looooooong time ago, and i am so sorry that i only wrote this now. My mocks are finally done, and they actually went pretty well, so i hope my results will match whatever i am claiming skdjkjd. This headcanon was really fun to write, and it was overall just adorable oof alright, imma head to over to my next oneshot now. Hope all of you have a great day.

Okay so ya’ll are in uniVersity (as expected because I am writing this)

You met johnny 2 years ago when you were freshman looking for a job on campus cause um,,, college is a bitch

And you saw this uni radio show ‘Night Night’ which went live every wednesday at 9 in the evening

You honestly had no idea what they talked about since you’ve never listened to one

Despite the fact that your roommate Sicheng always talks about it and claims how great it is

BUT ANYWAY

You always enjoyed radio shows in general, and saw that they were hiring for another radio show personality

HMMmmMmmmM i wonDEr wheRe tHIS Is gOInG

You were one intellect my dear; you were studying political science at Konkuk University, meaning, you were one opinionated ass individual

But, you also had your crack side acCording to ur roommate

You fucking chased Sicheng around with those incense sticks cause you couldn’t find your go-to rolling pin to scare the shit out of him for eating your pack of strawberries

I swear the two of you are great friends ya’ll just show love to each other in quite a unique way

ANYWAYS

YeAH so you went to ask for the job cause you need money to buy a safe for your precious strawberries

You brought whatever requirements they asked for, and nyyOoooOOooooOOOOnged your way over there

It was a pretty old building, or radio station per se. not that it was bad or anything but, it isn’t exactly a place you would like to step into

Going up the stairs, you just saw a really TALL and attractive guy clearing out a few things in the booth. Your guess was that he was also probably new to this and whoever lent him the place didn’t exactly clean up the place.

With whatever courage you had in yourself

Or i guess how much sugar you consumed this morning cause you casually just walked it without contacting the guy

‘Uh... hello?’

HE JUMPED, whatever shit he was holding? Yeah it dropped

Which caused you to jump too, not expecting the huge ass pretty guy to have that big of a reaction

he looked over to you, surprised to see a person in the radio station because um,,, nobody ever goes there except for him

‘Hello to you too??? uhhh, not meaning to be rude or anything but, why are you here? Are you lost?’ He asks, looking extremely concerned

You just shook your head and deadass told him that there was a job offer for another radio show personality, and he looked eveN more concerned

Sorta like a ‘are u fucking serious’ face

‘Oh! Right. That job has been open for about a year now so I didn’t expect anyone to come at all...’

OHHhhHhh????????

Well,,,, i guess you have a better chance of getting the job?

‘Well.... do i get a higher chance of being accepted then for being the first to show up? You ask, unsure if whatever you said made sense, or was even socially acceptable

Imagine going to a job interview being like: ‘so i saw ur job offer, and since i actually showed up, I’m accepted right?’

Babe i dont think it works like that, but let’s continue

Johnny honestly had nothing to say against you though. You were right in a sense that you had no competition since you were the only one that actually came to apply. At the same time, he wanted the quality of the show to still be good even if there was a limited audience

‘Higher chance is indeed right. But tell me, uhh, what’s your name again?’

‘I actually never introduced myself, but it’s _______’

‘I’m Johnny by the way. So _______, why do you want to be a radio show host for Konkuk University?’

you had two ways to answer this question: (1) be blatantly honest that you really need the money, and talking to earn cash seems pretty great in your opinion or (2) repeat whatever the fuck sicheng has told you about the show

And of course, you were going with the first option

‘i honestly need the money because college is a bitch. And also talking and having discussions is a pretty fun and interesting method to get some cash in. Also because my roommate loves your show and why not ruin it for him by including me in it’

Babe

BABE SKDJKSDJKDSJKSDJSKDJKSDJ

Johnny actually wanted to accept you immediately. I mean for starters, he found you pretty adorable marching up to the radio station determined to get the job. And not only that, you were quite the talker, which is something that could spike up the show since it was just always johnny speaking

And also because he was feeling quite lonely but he would never admit that

‘Alright _____, meet me this friday to talk about next week’s segment’

OOFT

And let me tell you, tall boi’s assumptions were right. During your first show together, the two of you decided to talk about the book ‘1984’ by george orwell and although it may sound boring on a superficial level, yOU made it sound pretty interesting and johnny was actually just laughing the entire time

You and johnny just clicked in an instant, and your way of describing things made ‘Night Night’ known by the students

Nobody could ever forget your infamous line about the book: ‘george orwell’s sexual frustration is honestly so transparent in the book; all he needed was to get his dick wet then maybe he wouldn’t have let julia and winston be caught by the thoughtpolice.’

And things like this happened every wednesday. The pattern of your radio show just included you being you, and johnny trying to make shit be on track

The two of you were doing it for a very long time now, and back to toDAY where ya’ll have been doing it for two years, well... it would be a lie to say you hadn’t developed feelings for johnny

of course the man was beautiful and well-built. But his personality and laugh? Yeah sicheng should’ve warned you about that.

He is probably one of the most open-minded person in the world, and he knows a bit about everything, making him so well-rounded. And and and he’s to kind???

If you tell him that you can’t make it to the radio show, he says it’s okay and even gives you snacks the moment you come back and he just makes you so soft in general i—

Meanwhile for johnny, damn is he in love with you

Over the past 2 years, you definitely helped him open up more. With the way you speak along with your galaxy brain, he couldn’t help but fall for you? You were intelligent, you had your own mind, and being friendly and funny in general is something johnny really liked about you

The time when he realised he loves you was when you curled yourself up against the seat while you were discussing about what to talk about next week, and you just fell asleep. He noticed how soft and peaceful you looked, and that he would want to see you like this on a daily basis

Shit this is getting me all soft i wasnt planning on this nsndnsndnd

So yeaHHHHH this week’s segment, you guys were talking about the spanish conquest of mexico and peru woohoooo

AND you were very excited for this because this was one of your (my) favourite topics you learnt during your time in high school

‘OKAY, good evening everyone I am ______D,’

‘And I am JohnD, and welcome to’

‘Night Night. Oof, we’re getting better at our introductions aren’t we JohnD?’

‘Nope, you just learned how to say it without cringing’

‘Touché’ and ya’ll began your discussion. And things actually got pretty interesting.

‘So _____ you’re telling me that it was Cortes’ leadership that allowed the Spanish to successfully take over Mexico?’ He asks you in disbelief.

‘No you tall dumbfuck, it’s one of the attributes that led them to succeed. Both Cortes and Pizarro had disease on their side and better weapons, so of course they’d win. I just wanted to include leadership as i don’t know, to see the defeat of the aztecs from a new lens?’ You respond, deadass looking at johnny in the eye

‘Well, i don’t think i can argue with that, mainly because i am too scared too. That is it for today, but before we end this, i would like to add one more thing.’ Johnny says, which took you by surprise

huHhh?

You looked confused, in fact, you were confused.

What the fuck was going on?

‘This academic year is ending, and this so happens to be my last year here at Konkuk University...’

Oh shit

Your eyes softened at his words, just realising now that johnny was two years older than you, and yeah, he’s graduating this year

‘... this year has honestly been one of the greatest years here at Konkuk, but for me, I think of my my most memorable memories here was when ______D entered the station and giving me a huge fright’

You laughed a little, remembering how much you scared the man

‘Taking this opportunity, ______D, I want to ask you something’

Shit

BRUHHHHHHHHH

‘I just want to congratulate you and thank you for joining “Night Night.” You made the show livelier and massively increased the viewer rate with that big brain of yours—‘

‘I prefer the term galaxy brain’

‘—yes, galaxy brain. I hope that you can continue this radio show, and maybe recruit someone else while i’m out in the world of disgusting adults. So yes, thank you ______. And because we won’t be colleagues in a bit, will you be my girl/boyfriend?’

You were initially teary eyed, buT yEET those tears out biTCH what????

You wanted to say yes, bUt how?????

Do you just nod at him and go ‘ye,’ or do you like, confess?

You felt weird in the stomach. Not that you can exactly do 459343948 cartwheels in one go, but that’s exactly what your stomach was doing. If you were to speak, you could have vomited.

Idk what happened to you, but you took off your headphones, and went to the tall boy and just hugged the shit out of him cause umm,,,, SAME????

And johnny wasn’t sure what that exactly meant so he just hugged you back, bringing you to his lap and holding you tight against him cause honestly, when will he be able to do this to a person he genuinely loves

There was a moment of silence of you two just holding each other, until you realised you were still live with lord knows how many people were listening.

‘U-um, yeah Johnny, I w-will gladly be yours—‘

‘_____ I love you’

OKAY RETRIEVE THOSE TEARS BISH YOU CRYING NOW TF

You sorta just placed your head on the crook of his neck, quietly whispering to him

‘I can’t believe I love your tall ass too...’

‘SHE SAID SHE LOVES ME TOO!’

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angelofthequeers · 5 years ago

Text

Hold Me By Both Hands: Chapter 39

Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.

Season timeline? What season timeline?

@smolplantmum tagged as requested :)

Chapter 38 | Chapter 40 | AO3 link

This. Is. Not. Fair.

“Good job, Marinette,” Luka says. His hand is warm on her shoulder under her side braid, soft and encouraging as she strums chord after chord on his guitar, and she must totally suck at it but Luka’s looking at her like she’s the most talented guitarist in the world and this is not fair!

“Adrien? Kagami?” Alya gasps from over on the soft blue couch. Marinette beams when she catches sight of her friend and her boyfriend, Adrien with their fencing bags slung over his shoulders and Kagami with a white cardigan rolled to her elbows, a red button-down shirt, and sleek black slacks. Marinette’s never seen Kagami without a skirt before, and the way the slacks cling to her legs is gorgeous, why doesn’t Kagami wear them more often –

Marinette freezes. Shit. This can’t be happening. No, no, she’s already got Adrien slash Chat Noir as her boyfriend and she’s losing her mind over Luka, this can’t happen, it can’t happen –

In all honesty, it’s not like the feelings are new. But considering the clusterfuck that her life has turned into, is it any wonder that Marinette’s been trying desperately to ignore them?

“Hi, Adrien!” Lila beams and waves and makes to jump up and greet him, but one look from Kagami keeps her rooted right where she is. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re officially at fencing practice right now,” Adrien says with a mischievous little grin. “But oh no, Kagami, isn’t this the wrong address?”

“Oh dear, I think you’re right!” Kagami says and then she and Adrien dissolve into fits of laughter, and Marinette focuses very pointedly on anything but how cute Kagami is when she laughs like that.

“It’s a good thing Adrien’s found someone he can get out of the house with at last,” Luka says, and his voice sends shivers down Marinette’s spine, and why is she like this?

“Your hair is…beautiful in that style, Marinette,” Kagami says. Marinette’s insides are flooded with warmth like she’s been dunked in a hot bath without a chance to steel herself.

“I – uh – you thank! Thank you!” Marinette babbles. She takes a deep breath. No. She’s not doing this again. “Yours is beautiful too! It’s nice and shiny and really silky – not that I’d know unless I touched it – which I won’t, that would be just creepy –”

Kagami tilts her head, while Alya, Mylène, and Alix smirk in the background. Marinette resists the extremely strong urge to flip them off and give them that petty victory.

“I don’t see how if you asked for permission,” Kagami says.

“It’s not – I don’t –” Marinette groans. “Just ignore me. I’m a mess.”

“Do I intimidate you?” Kagami says. “I apologise if I do. I know I can come across as…standoffish. And I don’t always know what’s appropriate, so please tell me if I cross a line.”

“No, no!” Marinette waves her hands so frantically that she nearly yeets Luka’s guitar halfway across the boat. “Me intimidate? Don’t you – I mean – you don’t!” With another groan, she covers her face with her hands.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Luka says, and that’s the tipping point, because there’s no way Marinette can handle his smooth voice in conjunction with Kagami being adorably…Kagami.

“Bathroom!” Marinette blurts out, shoving the guitar at Luka and nearly tripping and breaking her neck in her haste to get away from the situation. Once she’s barricaded herself inside, she drops her face into her hands with a groan, wincing when her healing arm twinges.

“You okay, kiddo?” A warm little presence nuzzles against Marinette’s hand. Marinette groans and uncovers her face.

“I’m a mess, Plagg,” she sighs. “I like three people at once! How is that possible? How is that fair to Adrien? I mean, I know that liking people doesn’t make me a cheater, and it’s normal…”

“Uh, hello?” Plagg says. “Polyamory? Honestly, am I the voice of reason around here?”

“That’s about the one certainty in my life right now,” Marinette mutters. Plagg smirks.

“Kid, listen,” he says. “It’s perfectly normal to like more than one person. It’s perfectly normal to be with more than one person. I remember one of Tikki’s bugs ended up in a relationship with four people.”

“Four?” Marinette splutters.

“Yep,” Plagg says. “And his partners were dating others as well. You’re not a mess.”

“It’s just…” Marinette sighs and rubs at her eyes. “Part of me wants to be with Luka and Kagami too. But part of me thinks that means I’m unhappy with Adrien, even though I really am happy!”

“How secure in your relationship with my kitten are you?” Plagg says.

“Super secure!” Marinette says. “I don’t feel like adding another person or two would be to fix any problems, if that’s what you mean.”

“Then there’s your answer,” Plagg says. “Hold on, lemme channel my inner Tikki.” He clears his throat and adopts a high-pitched voice that leaves Marinette giggling. “Only you know what you truly want, Marinette! I can give you all the advice in the world, but I can’t know what’s really in your heart.”

Before Marinette can reply, her phone pings, and her eyes widen at the notification from Adrien that reads @everyone akuma at the couffaine houseboat calls herself desperada. Oh, no! Who’s been akumatised? Has Luka finally succumbed to Hawkmoth’s influence like Juleka and Anarka had? Or have one of them been akumatised for a second time?

“Plagg, claws out!” she cries desperately, as though slapping on the mask will solve her crisis.

“Where are you running to, wannabe?” Desperada grins at Luka and Adrien, blocking their way off the houseboat. Adrien gulps and takes an instinctive step back towards Luka, who grabs his arms as though trying to protect him. Something hot explodes in Adrien’s gut at the touch.

“Stop this, Vivica, you’re giving rock ‘n’ roll a bad name!” Jagged Stone cries. “Just ‘cause I tried to get Nanarchy and the blueberry kid to play with me –”

Desperada immediately shoots a cloud of yellow gas at him with the trombone-gun in her hand, and he vanishes in a puff of smoke. With her jet-black hair in a low ponytail, a face that’s chalk-white with black skull makeup and music notes across her cheek, a black and gold rock ‘n’ roll pantsuit, and a star-shaped guitar case slung across her back, Desperada bears a striking resemblance to someone who might be seen on Day of the Dead, and Adrien can’t help but fleetingly wonder if she has Mexican heritage.

“Nice instrument,” quips a blessedly familiar voice. Rena Rouge twirls her flute around her fingers from where she’s perched on top of the houseboat’s cockpit. “Bet I can play better than you.”

“Don’t make bets with akumas, Rena!” Lady Noire lands next to Rena Rouge. “I thought we taught you better than that.”

“Two against one?” Desperada smirks. She tosses her trombone-gun, causing it to vanish in golden smoke, and instead summons an axe-like guitar. “Unlike your duet, I prefer to solo!”

“Come on!” Luka grabs Adrien by the wrist and tugs him away from the fight. Adrien barely manages to resist, because he needs to transform but he can’t just ditch Luka, especially not since Kagami got dusted trying to protect them, and his heart is racing, and what the hell even is his life –

“We’ll be safe here.” Luka pulls Adrien behind a massive chunk of stone, where they can safely watch the fight between Lady Noire, Rena Rouge, and Desperada. The problem is that if they get hit, they don’t get brainwashed or frozen or otherwise potentially useful for a convoluted Lucky Charm plan; they totally vanish, no do-overs. And considering Desperada’s speed and ferocity, she’s one pissed akuma.

Adrien’s so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t even notice Luka’s absence until the sound of Luka’s guitar reaches his ears. Luka’s out in the open, strumming on his guitar to distract Desperada, and shit, he’s an easy target, Desperada’s going to get him and Adrien can’t just stand by and let that happen –

“Tikki, spots on!” As Misterbug, he dives out of cover and manages to tackle Luka out of the way just in time.

“Thanks,” Luka pants. In the background, Ladybug’s busy wrapping her yo-yo around the bridge to make it cave in on itself and buy them some time against Desperada. “Where’s Adrien?”

“Safe,” Misterbug says. Heat floods his cheeks when he realises that he’s still got his arms wrapped around Luka’s waist, and he clears his throat and jumps to his feet, helping Luka up. “Don’t worry about him.”

“About time!” Rena Rouge says to Misterbug, then she turns to shout at Lady Noire, “That won’t keep Desperada down for long!”

But Marinette’s always got a plan, whether she’s Ladybug or Lady Noire. This plan happens to involve hiding out in the sewers, which Misterbug is less than enthusiastic about, although if it gets Luka out of Desperada’s sights then he’ll suck it up and deal with it.

“You shouldn’t put yourself in harm’s way like that, Luka!” Lady Noire scolds once they’ve finally skidded to a halt. Then her face softens and she adds, “But…thank you. I appreciate it.”

“I think we need a bit of luck,” Misterbug says. He tosses his yo-yo into the air and calls, “Lucky Charm!” and a ladybug-patterned saddle falls into his hands. “I think I would’ve preferred a lucky horseshoe.”

Lady Noire rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, hold your goddamn horses,” Rena Rouge says into her flute. Misterbug shoots Lady Noire a sideways smirk at that. “Just keep her busy, okay? Lady Noire’s plotting.”

“Was that Carapace and Honeybee?” Lady Noire says when Rena Rouge hangs up.

“Yep. They’re wondering where the hell we are.”

“Well, if they can distract Desperada for long enough, we can come up with a plan,” Lady Noire says. “Luka, you find a place to hide.”

Thanks to their teammates keeping Desperada busy, Misterbug, Lady Noire, and Rena Rouge are easily able to sneak out of the sewer without her catching sight of them. But Lady Noire’s stomach plummets at the sight of Desperada gleefully catching Carapace and Honeybee in a puff of golden smoke.

“They bought us the time we needed, milady,” Misterbug says when Lady Noire just stares out at Desperada silently for a moment. “We’ll take down Desperada and save them.”

“I know…” Lady Noire sighs. “I just…feel responsible, is all. Everyone looks up to me as the team leader, yet I sent them to get dusted for us. What kind of a leader am I?”

“The best one.” Misterbug grabs her by the shoulders and looks her straight in the eye, and the urge to lean in and kiss him is so overwhelming that Lady Noire stumbles forward ever so slightly. “You didn’t send them off to be sacrificed. They just got caught doing their job. And you’re the only one who can fix everything, kitten, so don’t feel guilty when we take the fall for you. We know you’ll always save us.”

“That’s the kind of pressure that’ll make me lose it one of these days,” Lady Noire says with a weak laugh.

“I might not know just how hard it is to be a super Ladybug, since you’re still the one calling the shots, but I’ve always got your back,” Misterbug says with a wink. “You and me against the world.”

Lady Noire nods and squares her shoulders and smiles. Her bugaboy always knows just what to say! “Thank you, lovebug,” she says.

“What he said, minus all the gooey stuff,” Rena Rouge says. “Got a plan?”

Misterbug and Lady Noire exchange looks, then grin and nod. “Always,” they chorus.

“Great job out there today!” Marinette says when Misterbug deposits her next to the Couffaine houseboat after their battle, where Rena Rouge had distracted Desperada while Lady Noire had Cataclysmed the guitar case containing the akuma. Not that she needed him to bring her back, but when she’d detransformed and almost immediately run into him, well, who is she to refuse a ride from her superhero boyfriend?

“You were watching?” Misterbug preens. Marinette rolls her eyes and slaps him on the arm.

“Don’t be an idiot, lovebug.”

“Well, so long as the akumas don’t get you, my princess is always more than welcome to watch her knight defend her honour,” Misterbug says with a smug little grin. This time, Marinette tries to push him into the Seine, but he’s protected by layers of magical spandex and creative power and so he doesn’t budge an inch. “You’ll have to try harder than that, kitten.”

“Oh, shut up,” Marinette mutters, then stands on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss goodbye before he has to disappear and detransform. With a low purr left over from being Chat Noir, Misterbug slides his hands to her waist and pulls her closer, deepening the kiss, and his earrings beep a warning and then –

“Oh my god!” someone shrieks. Marinette yelps and jumps away from Misterbug, but it’s too late to convince a wide-eyed Alya, who’s obviously returning from detransforming, that they’d been doing anything but kissing. “You – Marinette – oh my god!”

“What?” Rose comes rushing out from below deck, followed by Juleka and Lila and then everyone else. Marinette turns to enlist Misterbug’s help, to get him to make up an excuse since he must be used to doing so to protect his identity, but he looks like a deer caught in the headlights of her friends and…yeah, he’s not gonna be any help.

“Marinette – and Misterbug! Chat Noir!” Alya squeals. She fumbles in her pocket. “I gotta –”

“No!” Marinette bounds forward and grabs Alya’s wrist to prevent her from grabbing her phone. “I’ll explain! Just – don’t put it on the Ladyblog! Please!”

“The Ladyblog? Why the hell would I do that?” Alya wrenches her hand free of Marinette’s grip. “Someone’s gotta tell Adrien that his girlfriend’s been cheating on him! Really, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I thought I knew my bestie better.”

“How could you do that to poor Adrien?” Lila cries, clutching at her heart.

“Oh, Adrien knows,” Misterbug says. “And he’s super okay with it.”

“What?” Alya’s eyes bulge.

“Have you seen Adrien?” Kagami says.

“No,” Misterbug says. “But Desperada didn’t get him, so he’ll probably be back soon. I didn’t hide him very far.” His earrings beep again, so he offers a quick salute and bounds off.

“So,” Alix says. “Got something you wanna share, Marinette?”

Marinette gulps. But there’s no getting out of this, not after getting caught in front of so many witnesses, so she squares her shoulders and follows her friends down into the houseboat, where she’s pushed down onto the couch and surrounded by the interrogation squad.

“Hi! Hi!” Adrien comes skidding down the stairs, then pauses and frowns at the sight before him. “Um…what’s going on?”

“Marinette has some explaining to do, doesn’t she?” Lila says, tilting her head at Marinette.

“Or we could respect her relationship with Adrien and let them sort it out themselves?” Kagami says. Marinette shoots her a grateful look.

“Well, we’ve already seen it,” Mylène points out.

“Seen what?” Adrien says. Marinette sighs.

“Fine, fine,” she says. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t trust any of you, but we kind of did want to keep it as lowkey as possible so that Hawkmoth couldn’t be a dick about it.”

“So, it’s true?” Rose bounces on the spot. “You’re really dating Chat Noir – uh, Misterbug? As well as Adrien?”

“Oh, is that what this is about?” Adrien says. He winks at Marinette and grins when her eye twitches with the effort of not scowling back at him in front of everyone. “Of course I know about it, guys. We’re in a polyamorous love fest.”

“I’m gonna pass out,” Alya murmurs.

“And Lady Noire’s okay with that?” Lila says, looking vaguely constipated.

“Well, yeah,” Marinette says. “Misterbug told me that she said something about not letting Hawkmoth rule over their daily lives and win that way. To be fair, this one was my fault – I could’ve kissed him literally anywhere else, but I forgot that we were in public…”

“So…” Alya says with a mischievous grin. “Is he a good kisser?”

“Alya!” Marinette whines, while Adrien flushes a deep red in the background. Ha. Payback’s a bitch, Adrien Agreste.

“What?” Alya says. “My bestie’s been dating a superhero in secret as well as her own boyfriend and you think I’m not gonna squeeze her for details?”

“Am I the only one who doesn’t understand the point of forcing your friends to reveal personal information like this?” Kagami says.

“I’m with Kagami,” Luka says.

“Thank you,” Marinette says. “You’re my favourite people right now.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll drop it,” Alya says.

“Thank god,” Alix says. “This romance shit makes me sick.”

Later that night, Marinette snuggles against Adrien on her chaise, sketching a rough plan for some Kitty Section-themed jackets. The band’s not that big yet, but they’ve certainly got the talent, and Marinette wants to get in for them before anyone else has the chance, especially because they’re her friends.

“I can’t believe we got busted today,” Adrien grumbles.

“To be fair, making out in broad daylight will probably do that,” Marinette says. “I just can’t believe we got busted in front of Luka and Kagami.”

“I know what you mean,” Adrien grumbles. Then they both freeze.

“Why does it matter that we got caught in front of Luka and Kagami?” they say together. “Um – you go first – no, I’ll go first – gah!”

They lapse into an awkward silence, both trying to gauge each other and figure out when the other will speak. Just before Marinette can open her mouth, Adrien gets in first.

“I, uh…” He scratches the back of his head. “You know I really like you, right, Marinette?”

“Y-Yeah,” Marinette says, trying not to dissolve into a puddle of goo because damn her, she’s a romantic at heart. “But…you like another person as well, don’t you? You mentioned it on our date.”

“Right, yeah. I remember.”

“I’ve, uh…got the same problem. I’ve got a major crush on Luka. And, um…Kagami. And it’s getting to me, because I’m pretty sure I’m polyamorous and Tikki says that it’s perfectly normal and it doesn’t mean I like you any less, but I’ve been freaking out because what if you don’t approve, especially of Luka and Kagami, and I don’t want to break up with you or make you choose or anything, but I also don’t want you to think I’ll go and cheat and –”

“Marinette!” Adrien wraps his arms around her from behind and squeezes. “Oh my god. I can’t believe you like Luka and Kagami.”

“Is that a problem? I mean, I chose you first, so I’ll always –”

“Mari.” Adrien presses a kiss to the back of her head, and Marinette shivers and melts against him. “No. It’s not a problem. It’s just hilarious because, well…Luka was the other person I liked when I brought it up on our date. And I think I’ve been falling for Kagami too, for a while now.”

Blink. Blink. That’s all Marinette can do before she doubles over in peals of laughter, her sketchbook slipping from between her fingers onto the floor and her pencil rolling away.

“Are you serious?” she chokes. “We both – we both like other people too – and they’re the same people – oh my gosh –”

“We really are soulmates, princess,” Adrien says, mirroring what he’d said to Ladybug all those months ago as he gently undoes her braid to let her hair fan loosely over his chest. “So, uh, when did you realise?”

“Oh. Luka was easy – I got so flustered around him when we first met, and it just went from there.” Marinette wipes her eyes as her laughter dies off into hiccups. “And I realised recently that I’ve kind of got a massive crush on Kagami too.”

“So, what d’you wanna do about it?” Adrien says. “Talk to them and see where they stand?”

“Oh my god, no, I have to talk to them?” Marinette groans and covers her face with her hands. “And I was a total disaster around them today! They were just both so cute and I got so flustered and I ran off and – how does anyone even like me when I’m such a mess?”

“Because you’re an adorable mess,” Adrien says, twirling her hair around his fingers. “Why do you think I call you my angel? You’re so gorgeous and way out of my reach but you can also destroy anyone who crosses you, just like an angel. And I kind of like having nicknames between our civilian selves that don’t relate to our alter-egos.”

Marinette’s cheeks flood with hot blood. Is that really how Adrien sees her? Out of his reach? No way. He’s so far out of her league!

“Also, if you think I’m a functional bi, you’ve got another thing coming,” Adrien adds.

“We’ll both be disaster bis together,” Marinette giggles, then twists to press a quick kiss to his lips. “So, what now? Do we both pull Luka and Kagami aside and talk to them?”

“Well, you’ve got more of a chance with them than me,” Adrien says. “We could probably get away with the polyamory thing with you, but me? Adrien Agreste? My father would blow a gasket. And I can’t date them as Chat because someone’ll eventually put two and two together when I’m never around at the same time as Adrien.”

“Okay, so that’s a no for the time being,” Marinette says.

“What? No! Just because I can’t yet –”

“We both like the same people, my sunshine.” Marinette laces her fingers with his and lifts his hand to kiss his gleaming silver ring. “It’s not like I like someone else that you’re not into and it’s not fair for me to go ahead when you’ll have to sit back and watch us be happy together. That’d hurt you, and I’d never want to hurt you, Adrien.”

“I think…” Adrien sighs. “I do want to date Luka and Kagami as well. And I’m willing to come out as bi and polyam, especially if it helps anyone who looks up to me. Just…not yet. I need a bit of time.”

“Take all the time in the world, lovebug,” Marinette says softly. After a few moments of silence, Adrien groans.

“As much as I’d love to stay, princess, this dashing knight had better get going before his absence is realised,” he says.

“Can’t you stay?” Marinette whines. “Wouldn’t you rather be here than at home?”

“Of course, darling kitten,” Adrien says. Marinette slaps him on the arm for the darling comment. “But if I don’t get home, Father will get angry. And then I can’t come in the future. A small sacrifice for now.”

“Ugh, fine.” Marinette pushes herself up with a groan, then turns to pull Adrien to his feet. He grins and bends down to peck her on the lips.

“Until next time, kitten,” he says. Then, before she can react, he’s transformed into Misterbug and is slithering out onto the balcony, and the room feels just that little bit emptier like it always does when he leaves.

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