#i said this was going to be a WIP forever. i then immediately went back to drawing it for the rest of the day. lol. lmao

[the-gayest-sky-kid]

so one thing about me is im actually a lying liar who lies... more at 11

(shirts)

[cbk1000]

wip game -- veterinarian Merthur AU

Tagged by @thesongistheriver. This is from the sequel to the fic that actually has a proper title on ao3, but will forever be known to me simply as 'vet fic' because that's what it was called for like nine months in my Google Docs. I don't know how long this snippet is supposed to be, but I haven't been posting much writing lately, so I'll just dump a good chunk here.

As a sober man he would have been embarrassed at himself; but as a slightly pissed one, he put his chin in his hands and stared at Merlin not unlike the child was doing. They were both looking at him like dogs, full of stupid loyalty, and love; and Merlin, looking back at him, suddenly flashed the dimples unbearably, so that Arthur could see he had showed them in the same helpless feeling with which Arthur was receiving them. He was never very sure in his love, of where he stood in its estimation. For him it was a thing which he could never be sure of having, but which he could be sure of losing. But Merlin’s whole face was lit up with it across the table, with the small boy for witness. He was just unabashedly doing it, where anyone could see he was smitten.

Then someone else came round to ask Merlin why their cat went, “Bleugh” and the boy was taken off for his nap by his mother, and the look was turned away from him, though he kept it safe, and warm in his throat. 

“You’re slightly pissed, aren’t you?” Merlin asked when they were alone once more.

“No,” Arthur said, which for some reason prompted a laugh.

“Yes you are, you big numpty. Want to go for a walk and have a bit of a drunken snog? I’ll catch up to you real quick. What, did you have a whole entire glass by yourself?”

“Two whole entire glasses,” Arthur replied crisply.

Merlin shotgunned his own, and a bit of whiskey to be safe, since the blood of drinkers was in his veins; then he grabbed his jacket, Arthur, and a handful of cheese tarts which he ate with no consideration for Arthur, who possibly might not have fancied snogging a man whose breath was now more onion than oxygen. They were heading out, jacket, cheese tarts, and the alcohol which was driving the semi-public indecency to come, when Merlin’s phone went. He fumbled it out of his pocket as they were crossing the lawn to the garden, said, “Gaius” to Arthur, and into the phone, “How are the cats, before Arthur can start nagging me to ask?” He reached out his hand for Arthur’s, which Arthur was just slightly pissed enough to take, in public, for the second time in the same day. “Yeah, I kind of figured they wouldn’t die immediately under your care.”

Arthur rolled his eyes.

Then they stopped in the middle of the lawn, under a second shower just beginning to start up as the first slacked off, though it was not yet, to any Briton, let alone two who were regularly on the moors in the worst weather that a cow could contrive to bring them out in, something to shelter from. Merlin had caused the halt by getting caught up in something Gaius had said, and now was making his Thinking Face, which wrinkled up his brow and lips whenever he was confronted with a case that confounded him, and which Arthur privately thought was cute; very privately, almost secretively even to himself, in case Merlin got wind of the fact that he was not superiorly hideous. 

“Hmm. Ok, yeah, can you send me a couple of pictures? Yeah, no, it’s fine, Arthur and I were just about to go for a walk. Yeah, that was a euphemism, but I can pop out for a minute. I’ll still be in the mood for a walk in a few minutes.”

“Could you not,” Arthur said.

Merlin dimpled at him. Then he dropped Arthur’s hand, gave him the jacket to hold, as if it would have given him too respectable an air wandering round with it over his arm, and said, “Meet me in the garden? Gaius and I are going to chat about a weird abscess thingy for a minute.”

“‘Weird abscess thingy’? Is that the technical term?”

“Yes it is.”

Tagging @kirythestitchwith @the-pen-pot @garglyswoof (I don't know if you have a WIP, I just want to pressure you into writing something) and @aemelia (for the same reason). Also anyone else who wants to do this, consider yourselves tagged. I'm not sure who all has a WIP right now. (I assume most of you dumpster fires here on dumpsterfire.com have several you're frantically juggling with your personal life.)

[xxvalkyriesxx]

It's been a little bit since I posted anything but I wanted to share some out-of-context snippets for Nessian week that starts tomorrow!

This post was inspired by @kale-theteaqueen, @wishcamper, and @unhealthyfanobsession wip posts!

Day Four - AU: 'Cause We Never Go Out Of Style

Ushers from the event advise the whole family to keep moving up the steps. Nesta and Cassian greeted other guests and reporters. They posed several photos including some with a blush brush Nesta made Cassian have in his pocket. Needless to say, if you knew, you knew.

“Nesta! Oh my gosh you’re literally beaming!” A reporter said as Cassiand Nesta reached the doors of the museum. 

“Thank you, you’re very beautiful tonight.” Nesta watched the young woman blush with a sheepish smile.

“So what can you do with a broken heart?” The reporter asked.

Day Five - Behind Close Doors: Keeping The Summer Nights Away

A small gasp echoed across the room as Nesta’s eyes filled with stars. Flipping back to the front cover she immediately started reading the novel. The premise was everything Nesta loved. A slew of tropes including enemies to lovers, a princess and a rebel leader, forced proximity, and one bed. The sheet laid on her face comfortably.

She was nearing fifteen pages in when the powder room door opened, Cassian standing in the doorway.

“I feel stupid.” He mumbled, a similar looking sheet mask on his own face. It barely fit his entire face as he settled down next to Nesta. She shifted looking up at him.

“Self-care isn’t stupid.” 

“But I look ridiculous right?” Cassian asked.

Day Six - Legends & Destiny: Death's End

NESTA! The voice screamed her name over and over again. The eldest Archeron looked up to the starless night, a single tear dripping down her face.

“From here on out you will not be allowed to use or give the Trove to anyone unless agreed upon. That is the only fair way I can protect you, Nesta. Without having my mate wanting to hurt you, or worse.” Her sister’s words rang through her mind.

If he dies, you can keep me on forever. You will never not have your mate with you.

She blinked the remaining tears away, her hand reaching through the magical weave, grabbing the Mask where she last put it, knowing full well Feyre and Rhysand would be able to feel the shift. A raging fiery sensation shot through her arm. Talons ripped at her shields right as she put the Mask on. The familiar call of power drove through her body. 

Everything went numb.

Day Seven - Free Day: Flying Changes Chapter Six

The door shut as Cassian walked through the threshold. The sound made Nesta’s shoulders tense, her heartbeat beating faster than normal. A sick familiar wave of dread anchored her belly, pinning her to the chair she sat in. Cassian crossed over to his desk speaking, but not a single word could she hear. Not as phantom memories filled her ears like water. Her eyes were casted downwards, afraid. Afraid of what she couldn’t tell. The anxiety of her rotten memories or the anxiety of the what-ifs littering her mind like landfills.

Will I ever break free from this cycle? Or is this the cycle the Mother doomed me to run in through until I’m six feet under, giving my skin and hair back to the world that created me.

Nesta.

Her name was called, but the voice was so distorted was it even real? Air suddenly felt like a right that she couldn’t have. As she breathed, the world around her began to shrink. The walls of the room pushed closer and closer to where she sat. The furintine scratched across the wooden floors. She knew because of the sound.

[autisticlancemcclain]

The actual Garrison had honestly been worse than the airport.

Middle school children were, notoriously, the worst people in the world, and Lance’s foreignism made him an immediate target for venting the frustrations of going through puberty. As much as the constant mocking of his accent and his English (he was ESL, not fucking stupid) were horrible, Lance was honestly pretty annoyed by the whole ordeal. Like, yeah. He wasn’t new to bullying. But at least the bullies back home tried, a little. They actually went digging for things that would genuinely hurt his feelings – which sucked but at least there was some fucking effort, y’know? The kid in fourth grade who looked him dead in the eyes and said he looked like Timmy Turner but with bigger teeth made him cry for days. These idiots just repeated anything he said in a stupid voice and laughed with all their friends. Where’s the refinement? The nuance? Did these dickheads think they were too good to insult Lance properly, or something?

Needless to say, his spite kept him going through that first year in Arizona’s most esteemed piloting program. Yeah, he was friendless, and lonely, and honestly pretty bored, but the faces of all those shit-for-brained jackasses when he was in the top three of the class, month after month, was beyond gratifying. Jerks.

His bad luck broke eventually, though – in the second year of the Garrison, he’d petitioned for a new roommate, and his petition had been accepted. That’s when he’d met the one and only Kealoha Garrett. The two of them had hit it off almost immediately: both visibly different and thus targets for the rest of the student body, with similar interests to boot. Lance remembers with fondness how many times they’d stayed up into the early hours of the morning, chatting and laughing and becoming the best of friends. Lance had been so delighted to find out that Hunk loved space as much as he did – he’d never been able to click with anyone else about that, much to his shock, since they were in a space exploration military school, but whatever – and the two of them had several memorable excursions taking the school shuttle to the next town over to clear out the library.

Lance still remembers the elation he’d felt on one of those trips – he’d found a particularly interesting book he thought Hunk would like, about the history of combustion engines in spaceships. Hunk had lit up when Lance had shown him – a beaming smile, teeth on full display, eyes all crinkly and joyous.

“Aw, Lance, you’re the best! I love you, man.”

Lance had choked out a quick ‘love you too, dude’, then excused himself to go cry quickly in the washroom. After months of only hearing the words from the tinny speakers of his laptop whenever his family had the time to call, the unexpected affection had him incredibly emotional. He’d really known, then, that he and Hunk would be forever. He’d known that their friendship would be solid and carry them through the living hell that was the American education system, military boarding school or otherwise.

He wishes that had been the truth. That he and Hunk were still that close.

He misses his best friend.

———

other part of this wip

[mothmage]

6. Show us a bit of a wip!

14. Is there a character or ship you were sure you’d never write/draw for but now you’ve changed your mind?

22. Give us a headcanon for Armand!

14. armand/marius!! i really disliked marius when i first read TVL (the classic "he comes across as so arrogant" and "how could he just abandon armand like that" crisis), but then i thought about it for longer and realized that, actually, theyre the perfect level of complicated and a little fucked up for me, so :)

22. oooooh i have many, ok a sort of silly one is that i think he really dislikes synthetic fibers, like all of his clothes are leather or silk, linen, or cotton (or hemp, maybe). i think this is a combo of enhanced vampire senses, human autism (another hc), and "if youre going to do something, do it right." that said, i do think he has a weird obsession with plastics more generally! he definitely collected bakelite trinkets and dishes and stuff. i bet he dragged poor louis to home showings all over the place. oh, that's maybe a second headcanon -- i think the loumand years pre-interview probably went like this: a period of hyper-romantic and suave love interest armand, a period of armand getting more comfortable and dragging louis all over the place and trying new things (the happiest period for both of them during these years, i think), and then a period where louis started to retreat into himself again and armand eventually gave up and left him (which, honestly, the fact that armand left is still crazy to me. but, to be fair, armand is much older and probably left knowing it wasnt the end of loumand and that he would be back, whereas for all louis knew, that was goodbye armand forever :sadtoad:)

6. little bit from my reverse devil's minion wip below the cut!!

The door swung open, the ruined lock cast aside. Daniel cringed back against the light from the street, a hand shielding his eyes.

There was a thud, a muffled cry, and Daniel opened his eyes to see that a man had been thrown down from the doorway, bound and gagged.

He didn’t hesitate, lunging and draining him immediately, without a second thought. He forced himself to break away just as the man’s heart stopped, breathing heavily. Then he turned to look up at Alexei, still standing in the doorway, haloed by the light from the street.

He wore thick clothing, something like wool, that covered him from neck to ankle, and wore a sharp-looking sword tucked into his belt.

Daniel just stared at him for a moment, his brain still trying to catch up. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he asked, hoarse. “What are you, some kind of…” He didn’t even know. “Serial killer?” He’d heard about those.

Alexei raised a brow. “Not very creative, Daniel.”

He huffed a laugh, almost hysterically amused. “Well, what the fuck else am I supposed to think?”

Alexei cocked his head, looking a little disappointed. “Really? What could a mortal possibly want with a vampire, you wonder?”

Daniel recoiled, repulsed by the idea. “What? You mean to – to force me to turn you? I could kill you now,” he said, suddenly enraged. “Maybe I should!”

Alexei grinned, sharp and a little mean. “No, Daniel. I don’t want you to turn me. But that’s a fair guess. No, I have something far greater in mind. I needed to see if I could do it, first, if I could capture a vampire. I thought it best to start with one as weak as you.”

Daniel laughed, shaking his head. “Stupid even for a mortal. Weak? I could kill you in the blink of an eye.”

Alexei raised a brow. “And yet, you kneel on the floor before me, even now.”

He stood, then, and moved in a flash to grab Alexei by the jaw, to hold him up against the wall. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you now,” he hissed, close to the boy’s ear.

He smiled, slowly. “You wouldn’t be asking if you didn’t have a reason already, Daniel Molloy. You’re curious.”

Daniel dropped him, stepped back with a sharp inhale. He put a hand over his face. “Oh, fuck me,” he groaned, barely audible.

Alexei looked smug. “Very good, Daniel. You’ll stay here while I take away your garbage? Like a good boy?”

Daniel just stared at him, expression twisted in disgust.

Alexei walked past him, bent to grab the corpse and haul it up over his shoulder.

“All that stuff you said last night,” Daniel asked, unable to help himself. “Was any of it true?”

“Any of it?” Alexei asked, amused. “Most of it was true, Daniel. All of it, one way or another. I’m not a liar.”

He brushed past him, and Daniel let him go, instinct making him cringe away from the corpse draped over his shoulder. “Which parts weren’t true?”

He stopped, just by the door, and looked back at him, a strange expression on his face. “My name is not Alexei. My name is Armand. That’s the name they called me in the circus.”

Daniel absorbed this. He wasn’t sure why he cared. “So Armand is your circus persona, right. Who is Alexei?”

“Alexei is no one. Who is Daniel?”

Armand shut the door before Daniel could reply, leaving him again in darkness.

[canonicallyobserving911]

WIP Wednesday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

FANON speculation for season 7

Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!” 

Chapter 10 will be posted soon.

I’m excited to finish writing Chapter 10 because a lot is happening and there's still more to come. At the end of Chapter 9, Buck and Eddie were trying to cope with everything that happened during and after Jonah's criminal trial. At the end of day two, Buck had a panic attack, he asked Eddie to get him out of the courthouse and Eddie drove them home instead of taking Buck back to the loft. Then Buck scheduled an emergency therapy appointment with Dr. Copeland and later that night, after Chris and Buck were already asleep, Eddie spent time trying to decide if he should make an emergency appointment with Frank since he's a trauma therapist. He was strongly considering it since they had to deal with the shooting again.

I'm editing Chapter 10 now and I'm about halfway through it. My goal is to post it soon.

___________

Here's a snippet from chapter 10 of one of Buck's and Eddie's conversations.

___________

Buck looks at the time posted on the gate board and realizes the flight will be boarding soon so he needs to call Eddie.  He presses call and Eddie answers during the first ring.

“Hey, what are you doing?”  Eddie cheerfully asks.

The gate attendant starts talking before Buck can respond.  “Boarding for Flight #324 to Philadelphia will begin in ten minutes.  Please have your boarding passes out and ready to be scanned when your group is called.”

The silence that falls between them is loud and deafening.  Buck really wanted to tell Eddie why he was at the airport but it’s too late since the gate attendant kind of did it for him.

Eddie feels like he’s about to lose it since the same fear that gripped his heart the night Buck said they needed a break followed by him abruptly leaving his house, completely immobilizes him but he manages to ask a question.

“Buck?  Are you… why are you at the airport?”

“I’m going to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.”

Eddie’s chest feels like someone is lowering a grand piano on top of it because he thinks his lungs might collapse.  He realizes he’s on the verge of a panic attack because Buck’s leaving him again.  He goes silent as he closes his eyes, inhales deeply and tries to count his breaths.  Then he pinches the bridge of his nose in an effort to ward off the panic.  He’s trying to calm down and he wants to ask him why but the only words he can manage to speak are a question he immediately needs an answer to.

“Are you coming back?”  He asks a little louder than he intends to.

After everything that happened with Philip and Margaret the last time Buck went to Pennsylvania, why is he going there again? And how will he answer Eddie's question👀?

___________

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 -Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 -After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are part of the foundation when a couple builds a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - Will be posted soon.

__________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

I’m enjoying writing this fic because it’s giving me the chance to unravel the mess that was the 6x18 ending for Buck, Eddie and Chris.  Also, it’s taking them places the show refuses to go including Buck finally having a mental breakdown and Eddie being there for him the same way he was there for Eddie in season 5.

Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading

Read chapters 1 - 9 are already available on AO3.

No pressure tagging: @spotsandsocks and @shortsighted owl. (My apologies if you've already posted.)

[ineffable-bisexual]

WIP Fix It Craic for GO S2

This takes place in the South Downs after EVERYthing dammit. They got a lot of trauma talk to do! I'll have to eat some actual food before finishing and posting lol what is my life today

-----

“Angel…that was a while ago. We’re past that. Right?”

“I’m not, Crowley. My actions nearly drove us apart for good. The moment I stepped off that elevator…I realized what I had done.”

Crowley felt his eyes burn with tears he thought he would never have to shed again. The angel told him all of this already, months after his return to Earth, but Crowley never told him what he went through after he left. The sleepless nights…how music didn’t sound the same…

…even wine tasted bitter.

“Darling,” he said. “I will never forget that day. Ever. As long as I’m existing.” Aziraphale’s bottom lip quivered, and Crowley took another deep breath. “But I forgive you.”

The angel’s sob finally broke free and he cast down his eyes. “Why…?”

“You know why, love. I told you everything that day. Laid it all out even though I knew it would be futile. Even when I kissed you I knew it would be useless. You had already made up your mind.”

“No!” he cried. “I hadn’t then! I hadn’t even given him my answer!”

Crowley sniffed to keep the tears from falling, but one trickled down his cheek and onto his jaw. “I could see it in your face, though, angel. You made the choice…and then you learned it was the wrong one.”

Aziraphale pulled a handkerchief from his waistcoat pocket and covered his eyes with it. Crowley’s chest felt heavy as he listened to his husband sob. It was full of regret and mourning over time lost when he thought himself so selfish.

Crowley thought that of himself, grabbing his only love in this universe and kissing him like that would magically change everything that happened.

One last miracle that would never manifest.

“I forgave you a long time ago, angel.” He wiped his cheek of another tear. “Before we met up again…when you came back to Earth…I was so angry at you…” The choked cry from his husband made his jaw tight but he continued, “And I was angry at myself. For not telling you how I felt sooner. You never left my mind, darling. And I needed to forgive you.”

“Crowley, why though?” Aziraphale lifted his eyes from his handkerchief. He looked defeated and tired, even after all the years they spent back together again. “I’m not worthy of your forgiveness.”

Crowley immediately left the chair and got onto his knees in front of the angel at the sofa and put his arms around him. Aziraphale sobbed into his shoulder and clung to him as he should have those many years ago.

Crowley pressed his lips to his wet cheek. “Don’t ever think that again. I had to forgive you because I loved you. I still do, I’ll never stop…it was my vow to you, wasn’t it? On our wedding day?”

Aziraphale took a deep breath and replied, “Yes…’I love you, forever in eternity.’ Oh…Crowley, I can’t do this...”

"It's obvious that you have to, love."

-------

LOL I'm weak help...

[dragon--sage]

WIP Whenever

tagged by @fadedsweater FOREVER ago but i am just now feeling like i have a grip on this not-so-cute meet cute i have devised for my latest untitled WIP (modern au, parisy val royeaux, magical elements bc i can't restrain myself) that has taken up all my daydreams lately. ANYWAYS tl;dr here is a little peak behind the veil. thank you for tagging me sweater!!! ✨

i'm tagging anyone else who'd like to share something they're working on because i LOVE to see it, and appreciate being tagged but overthink and fret over who else to tag! :')

“You are Dalish,” Solas said, as Ellana stepped into the weak moonlight filtering through the windows, and he made out her vallaslin for the first time. The word, on his sharp and admittedly honeyed tongue, came just shy of an insult. His eyes raked over her face and a look of cool dismissal instantly fell over his own.

“What’s the matter, allergic to halla?” She quipped back, crossing her arms over her chest and quirking her head to the side.

“The Dalish are as children, clinging to false memories of a long-forgotten past,” He snapped immediately, the accusation so practiced it was as if he’d uttered this exact sentence several hundred times before.

Sweet Sylaise—what an insufferable know-it-all, she thought.

“Oh, but you know the truth, right?” Ellana countered—voice acidic, mocking.

The degree of condescension in her voice was a bit shocking, even to her.

(How much and how quickly she had been riled, how easy it had been for him…)

His brow quirked and he smirked at the challenge in her response, apparently amused by her consternation. She fought an epic and nigh impossible battle to keep her frustration from showing on her face.

“I have seen things they—you—have not,” He said simply, with a small shrug.

“Oh, well that clears everything up. Thank you for sharing your infinite wisdom, hahren.”

“Felassan!” Solas snapped, eyes cutting from Ellana to the Slow Arrow. Felassan, having been examining an old satin curtain that framed one of the room’s many windows between his pointer finger and thumb, abruptly dropped it, straightening to his full height.

“Hm?” Came his eventual reply, after he’d cleared his throat. The moonlight filtering through the dusty windowpane glinted starkly against his pale skin and flashed in his violet eyes.

“Are you trying to be funny?” Solas lapsed into elvish (perhaps this was a habit of his, when he was feeling particularly peevish).

“Well, if I am, I’m not trying hard enough, am I?” Felassan shot back with a glare. He stepped closer, motioning to Lavellan as he went. “I bring you our best potential recruit in ages and this is the thanks I get?” He had switched back to Common, though Ellana understood their elvish well enough.

(Yet even while she understood them, there was something distinctly different about the way they spoke it that struck her—the pronunciations and emphases different from any she’d come across, even having met elves from Dalish clans all over Thedas in her twenty-nine years.)

They moved closer and lowered their voices, and spoke so quickly she could no longer make out what they were saying.

Suddenly, Solas stepped away from Felassan and looked at her. His eyes darkened and narrowed, just for the slightest instant, and then he smirked.

“Fine,” He said coolly. “As a first test: you are welcome in our city safehouse.” A pause. A moment’s silence to appreciate that, of course, there would be a catch. “If you can find it.” His smugness indicated that he believed he’d just given Ellana an impossible task.

Felassan gave a loud, indignant huff of breath, and made as if to speak, but Solas pointed an accusatory finger in his direction.

“No help,” Said Solas, interrupting whatever Felassan was going to say.

The Slow Arrow rolled his eyes and waved him off.

Solas looked at Ellana again. “The only hint I’ll allow you is this: numbers here mean nothing, the crowd is lonely.”

He turned from the window and headed towards the door Felassan had pulled her through earlier, the one that led to the back stairwell. Just before he disappeared into the mess of props that obscured the exit from view, Solas half turned, looking back at them over his shoulder.

“It was a pleasure, Ellana.”

The finality in his voice made the statement sound like a less-than-fond farewell. He turned away and continued out of sight. Then, the sound of a door opening and closing echoed sharply through the room.

“Bastard,” Ellana breathed, glaring in the direction Solas had gone. Her eyes cut to Felassan, widening in frustration and disbelief.

“Talks like a villain from a period drama on the OPB and dresses like a disgraced librarian living full-time out of his van with three feral cats! And has the never to treat someone like that? Who the fuck does he think he is?”

Once she began to complain it was difficult to stop.

Felassan shrugged, brows knitting apologetically, as if he had no idea how to answer the question.  

“If it makes you feel any better,” He said, after a long, slightly uncomfortable silence, “I actually think that could have gone much worse.”

[amrv-5]

HI PARKER!! D, N, & U 👀 (hope that’s not too many, im nosy)

HELLO AL!!!! THANK YOU these are very very fun and also got a song stuck in my head sooooo bad. just terribly bad. ska forever 🎺

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with [insert fic]?

okay I want to go with the extremely extremely obvious on the nose and embarrassingly skapunk answer of "Ghosts of Me and You" by Less Than Jake for, you guessed it, Moved On Memory, purely because it's been stuck in my head for 6 straight days now. Every time I wash the dishes, five seconds in, it's Less Than Jake o'clock. Horrible. Horrible. Ear worm of all time. hope you won't forget... hope you know that i'll always regret those things I said... hope you know that I can clearly see! (🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺) the ghosts of you and me! (🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺) I'm just a moved-on memory! (🎺🎺🎺) And you're (🎺) still alive! (🎺🎺) And I'm still (🎺) getting by! On these dead (🎺) end (🎺) streets! (🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺) And so on and so forth.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

Augh well. I currently have approximately 5 unfinished WIPs of various themes / concepts etc that generally revolve around treating Hawkeye soooo so nice and spoiling him terribly (I am giving up on shame here it's what I want to read so it's what I write) but anyway the main idea of one of these is something that came up while I was watching a show with Lisa and a male character wore a just gloriously 70s fur coat. Immediately I went, well, I think Hawk should get to go in a very soft and luxurious coat and BJ should fuck him in it in front of like, a warm fire on a soft silk chaise or something, and have the whole thing be a really intense study of texture / softness etc., but it is so far down my working priority list that at this point I just sort of assume it will either never be finished and thus never be readable by me, or it will whack me out of nowhere in 5-8 months or something with inspiration. So. That, generally, anything and everything in that lane that I am always writing and never really finishing LOL. Parker Be So So Nice To Hawkeye Agenda (Permanently Ongoing)

U: A pairing you might like to write for, but haven't tried yet.

AH!!!! McWexler (Better Call Saul). Sorry, not MASH, but MAN!!! Screen couples tailor-made for me with the problem of the writing is so impeccable I feel like I have nothing I could possibly add. Also, not technically a "pairing," but I think one of the trios I buy most as ambiguously shippy and want to play around with is Peggy/Stan and their ???friend??? Ginsberg (Mad Men). I HAD part of this written and abandoned it. If I watch more Mad Men any time soon I may come back. WHO KNOWS not me that's for sure.

[kdrama-preferences]

Holidays with Baekhyun: Chapter 1

this is a WIP FF I am writing at the moment and I decided to put the chapters on here as well.

Hayley and Baekhyun were preparing for their trip to the States, EXO had a couple of months off for the holidays so the two of them had decided they would fly out as soon as possible to spend time with Hayley’s family since last year they spent the holiday season with Baekhyun’s family. Hayley was from America so they were flying out so they could be there for Thanksgiving and were planning to stay till after Christmas but they’d have to see how things went. Baekhyun of course was nervous since this would be their first time traveling together for the holidays and his first time spending the holidays with her family but he was looking forward to it.

“So tell me again who all I’ll be meeting.” Baekhyun states. He was sure she had told him about three times already but he had already forgotten plus he was also trying to make sure he packed what he was supposed to.

“Well we’re getting there about a week early so you’ll probably just meet my grandparents.” Hayley states. Baekhyun had already met her parents and her sister and since her grandparents lived out of state they usually came in early and would probably be there when Hayley and Baekhyun arrived. Baekhyun nodded and zipped up his suitcase and sat it by the door. “What about after that?” He questions, his nervousness was clear in his voice. “Baek.” Hayley said, taking his hand since she could tell he was nervous. “You have nothing to worry about.” She adds. “But what if they don’t like me?” Baekhyun asks with a pout. Hayley frowned at the face Baekhyun was making. “Aw Baekhyunnie.” She says and hugs him. “They’re going to love you, I promise.” She states. 

Baekhyun nods and the two of them make sure they have everything before heading out to the airport.

The flight from Seoul to North Carolina seemed to take forever but once they finally landed and picked up their bags they headed to the waiting area where Hayley’s dad was waiting to pick them up. “Dad!” Hayley yells when she sees him and then runs to hug him. Hayley’s dad chuckles and hugs her back. “It’s good to see you too Pumpkin.” He says using her nickname. “You too Baekhyun.” He says acknowledging Baekhyun’s presence. “How are you and mom?” Hayley asks as they head out to her dad’s waiting truck.

“We’re doing fine.” He states and puts their suitcases in the back. “Your grandparents arrived about an hour ago and your sister is on her way over with her boyfriend.” He explains as Hayley and Baekhyun get into the truck. “Your mom needed some things from the store so your sister said she’d go get them.” He adds and Hayley nods. 

The entire ride from the airport to the house was filled with conversation, Hayley and Baekhyun were catching her dad up on what had been going on with them, this caused the ride to go by more quickly and they had arrived before they knew it. 

Hayley got out of the truck and then looked around to take in her surroundings, not much had changed since the last time she was home, the walkway from the driveway to the front door was still in tact and was covered in some fallen leaves from the oak tree in the front yard, the screen door still creaked a little when you opened it and the big red front door was the exact same except her mother had put out the fall wreath on the door, this one looked new since Hayley had never seen it before. 

“Look who I found at the airport.” Hayley���s dad says as he opens the door, which leads into the living room. Hayley, her dad, and Baekhyun all wiped their feet before entering the house and Hayley was immediately met with hugs from her mom. “Hi mom.” Hayley says with a laugh and hugs her mother back. “And how are you Baekhyun?” Her mother asks once she pulls out of the hug.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.” Baekhyun says. “You two make yourselves at home, I have to go check on some things in the kitchen.” Her mother stated before heading through the archway on the far side of the room into the kitchen. Hayley and Baekhyun took their shoes off by the door and then sat down on the couch. 

“I put your bags in your old bedroom.” Her father stated as he came back into the living room. “Ok, thank you.” Hayley says with a smile as her dad sits down in his armchair. “So how long has Hannah been gone?” she asks, wondering if they’d be back soon. “About an hour, your mother gave them a pretty long list.” Her dad explains. “What about Grandma and Grandpa?” Hayley asks. “They went to take the dog for a walk and should be back soon.” Her father states, and not long after he said that her grandparents came through the front door.

“Grammy! Pappy!” Hayley says with excitement as she gets off the couch and goes to hug them. 

“Hello sweetheart it’s good to see you.” Her grandfather states once they break the hug. “It’s good to see you too.” She adds. “And it’s very good to see Nugget.” She says bending down to pet her grandparents' golden colored Cocker Spaniel, which immediately started wagging its tail when she gave it a pat on the head. “And who is this handsome young man?” Her grandmother asked, nodding in Baekhyun’s direction. 

“This is my boyfriend Baekhyun.” Hayley says walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist in a side hug. 

“It’s nice to meet you Baekhyun.” Her grandfather says taking Nugget’s leash off of him and the dog immediately went and curled up on it’s bed that was near the fireplace, it was the only out of the way place for the dog bed since anywhere else you’d have to step over or around the dog and if you were carrying something there was the potential to trip and fall. 

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Baekhyun states, he must have been really nervous because Hayley had never seen him this calm or this quiet before. 

Hayley’s grandmother was about to say something when they heard a car door from outside. “That must be your sister.” Her dad said getting up from his armchair and heading outside to see if they needed help.

Chanyeol got out of the car and grabbed the heavier bags out of the backseat on the passenger side and then closed the door. “Do you two need any help?” Her dad asked from the doorway. “No we got it but thanks Dad.” Hannah says, grabbing what was left from the backseat on her side and closing the door. Her dad holds the door open for them since they had their arms full and Hannah was through the door first greeting her sister and Baekhyun before taking the groceries into the kitchen. Once Hannah came back from the kitchen she greeted her sister and Baekhyun with a hug. Hayley pulled out of the hug and then noticed Chanyeol. 

“Wait, what is Chanyeol doing here?” Hayley asks curiously.

“He’s my boyfriend.” Hannah states as if it was common knowledge or her sister should have already known that.

“How did we not know that?” Hayley and Baekhyun ask at the same time. “We wanted to keep it a secret for a while.” Chanyeol states.

A couple hours later, Hayley was curled up on the couch with Baekhyun, the two of them were watching a movie and had a blanket draped over them. Baekhyun had his arms wrapped around her and holding her close, they had finished dinner and there was a movie they wanted to watch so everyone left the two of them alone, so they could have the time to themselves. Nugget was curled up at the end of the couch at Hayley’s feet. 

Hannah and Chanyeol had gone out on a date since they hadn’t had one in a while, Hayley and Hannah’s grandparents had gone to bed already and their parents were getting ready to turn in. 

Hayley was starting to doze off when Baekhyun noticed and started to tickle her. “Baekhyun stop.” She giggles and playfully smacks his hands so he’ll stop tickling her. “If you’re sleepy, we can turn the movie off and go to bed.” Baekhyun states. “That sounds like a good idea.” Hayley says between yawns and gets up off the couch and grabs the blanket. 

Baekhyun gets up off the couch and takes the blanket from her and throws it back over the back of the couch where it had been. “Good night Nugget.” Hayley says giving the dog a pet on the head before turning the living room lamp off and leading Baekhyun to her old bedroom where the two of them would be sleeping. 

Hayley grabbed her suitcase off the floor and placed it onto the bed and unzipped it, she grabbed out her pajamas and headed into the bathroom to get changed. Baekhyun shut the bedroom door and so he could get changed since there wasn’t really any need for him to have to wait for her to come out of the bathroom. Hayley came out of the bathroom in one of Baekhyun’s t-shirts and a pair of leggings and then crawled into bed. 

Baekhyun had on a t-shirt and a pair of plaid lounge pants and crawled into bed next to her. He held her close to him and the two of them drifted off to sleep almost immediately. 

[thebreakfastgenie]

🌈🕯️💌🤲

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

A lot of my fics put me through the fucking wringer. safe travels was one. I rewrote the final conversation between BJ and Hawkeye a couple of times and I rewrote the BJ-Charles scene even more times. It languished at like 80% done for months. I had such a vivid image in my head of that Hawkeye-BJ conversation and I'm still not sure the final version totally conveyed it, but it got enough.

But the best answer here is The Emergency Room. I wrote a long, in-depth, self-indulgent post about writing this fic once and I'm glad I did because I forget what a hell writing it was. One of my anchor scenes was the one between Josh and Dr. Williams. It was one of those scenes I was so looking forward to writing! And when I got there I just couldn't. It took weeks. Maybe months. And then there was the ending. I had no idea how to end it. I mean, I really, really struggled with this. It was horrible. And then I just... hit upon it. And I've gotten comments about how much people loved the last line so I don't think anyone would guess that felt like a lucky break after days of torture. It's now one of my favorite last lines I've ever written, too.

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

I sort of answered this above, but The Emergency Room. I knew the general beats of it. I started writing it impulsively on Christmas 2020, when I'd recently gotten back into The West Wing and was trying to write a different Christmas fic I've tried unsuccessfully to write for seven or eight Christmases now. So I kind of thought it would be easy. It was not. I don't think the story went any place unexpected, but not one single step of the journey was expected.

I should also mention Campfire! The first half of Campfire was supposed to be about Josh's camp counselor being an asshole and Josh was supposed to stay a social outcast for the entire summer. And then some part of my brain was like, what if he had friends? And it ended up being a lot more about that. The loneliness is still there, because he doesn't share his grief and doesn't expect them to understand, but he has friends. It made the story a lot better, because it added a sort of parallel to CJ, Toby, and Sam.

Like I said above, safe travels gave me hell, but it didn't surprise me. It's always the fics where I know where they're going that give me trouble. The ones that surprise me are the ones that come easy.

One fic that took me somewhere I didn't expect was the play's the thing. Gloria's role ended up being much bigger than I originally imagined! She was just supposed to be the cute girl he used as an excuse for auditioning for the play. But I really love how she turned out!

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

I don't know when you're going to see it but I am so excited about everyone seeing chapter 2 of Ghost AU. This isn't a spoiler because it's the premise of the fic; chapter 1 sets up the conditions for Hawkeye's death and he dies at the very end of the chapter. So chapter 2 is everyone's immediate reactions. I'll share that it happens in the O.R. If you want more details you can ask... I may or may not answer (I'll totally answer if you DM me I'm shit at keeping secrets).

🤲what do YOU get out of writing?

Writing is a hobby and I love it! I don't know how not to do it. In terms of fic, it's really a way for me to process how I feel about events and characters. It's not that different from meta, really. When a concept is driving me crazy I write a fic about it and then it usually keeps driving me crazy forever anyway. It's an expression of passions.

[wandaromanova]

can you do a blurb with wanda x female r where r is still a virgin and wanda makes sure she feels comfortable and that she is okay and praises her?🥺

(18+ Only) Warnings: oral sex (r receiving), fingering, praise kink

blurb requests are open

| masterlist | request rules/guidelines | wips |

please do not repost or try and take ownership of my work. reblogs, likes, and comments are always welcome. <3

•❅──────────────── ᗢ ‎────────────────❅•

You were extremely nervous. You have never had any sort of sexual interactions with anyone, until now.

You were always full of doubt when it came to that territory. What if you weren’t good enough? What if your partner saw you naked and decided they didn’t love you anymore?

There were a lot of insecurities you had, but luckily, your girlfriend was more than happy to reassure you.

So now, you were laid flat on the bed in a heated make-out session with Wanda. She was straddling your waist and grinding into you as your tongue tangled with hers.

She detached her lips and began to leave a trail of sloppy kisses down your neck, her hands reaching down to the hem of your shirt.

“Stop.” You said suddenly and Wanda immediately sat up straight, a look of regret in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean t-“ Wanda went to apologize but you shook your head at her.

“No, it’s not you, I want this so bad, but I’ve never done… it before and I’m scared”. You spoke shyly, unable to meet Wanda’s eyes.

She smiled down at you softly and caressed your cheek.

“There’s nothing to be scared of, moya lyubov (my love). If this is what you really want, I’ll be more than happy to.”

You looked up at Wanda and contemplated. You trusted your girlfriend more than anyone else. You’ve given her your heart and soul, and now you were ready to give her your body.

You nodded and Wanda smiled as her hands went back to your shirt. She sent you a look, silently asking you if it was okay for her to continue, and you sent her a smile right back in confirmation.

Wanda quickly removed the piece of clothing, your bra following right after. She stared at your chest and you got insecure. You attempted to cover your chest, but Wanda placed her hands on your arms.

“You’re gorgeous, baby. I was just admiring the view.” You blushed at her words and removed your arms. Wanda went to work and sucked on your nipples, evoking a throaty moan from the back of your throat.

After she sucked and nipped at both of your breasts, she traveled down and took your pants off. She looked up at you as her hands gripped your underwear.

“Are you sure? We don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready, honey.”

You smiled lovingly at the Sokovian. She was so caring and it made your heart melt; she was definitely the person you wanted to do this with.

“I’m ready. I love you.” You said softly and Wanda smiled before pulling off your underwear.

She let out a sharp intake of breath at the sight of your wet pussy spread out in front of her.

“So beautiful and all mine. God, I love you so much, I’ll be gentle, pretty girl.” Wanda groaned out before licking a broad stripe up your cunt.

You let out a moan at the pleasure the action brought. She covered your mound with her mouth as she sucked softly on your clit, her tongue going back and forth on the sensitive numb.

You couldn’t hold back the moans that left your mouth. You felt one of Wanda’s fingers at your entrance as she pulled away slightly, her face covered in your slick.

“I’ll go slow, darling.” Wanda spoke before slowly entering her digit into your pussy.

You winced are the intrusion. It felt really uncomfortable and you let out deep breaths at the stretch.

Wanda stilled her finger for a minute, giving you time to adjust. You nodded your head, letting her know that she could move, and she did just that.

Her digit pumped into you steadily and you were suddenly overcome with pleasure.

When Wanda noticed you had gotten comfortable, she fucked you a little faster. Her mouth latched onto your clit again and you were practically buzzing from the pleasure.

“More. Please, more.” You moaned out and Wanda immediately complied. She entered a second digit into you, fucking you harder.

Wanda felt your walls clench tightly around her fingers and she moaned onto your clit as you fell apart.

Your back arched off of the bed, your body covered in sweat, as whorish moans left your mouth. Wanda would have the image forever embedded in her mind.

Wanda slowed her movements as you came down from your high. When you calmed down, she pulled her finger out of your cunt and licked up the juices before crawling up to your face.

“Was that okay?” Wanda asked softly as she moved some stray hairs out of your face.

You smiled up at your girlfriend and pulled her down by the neck into a searing kiss.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

“It was perfect. I love you, thank you.”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

“I love you too, detka (baby).”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────────

join my taglist!

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[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Warnings: vomiting, light angst due to body image issues (pregnant!reader)

A/N: i have been working on a WIP all day! it’s going to be my longest one-shot by far. if you would like a hint, click here (another hint: it’s not a retelling of the episode)

Masterlist

Chapter 28

Gradually over the summer, your bump started to peek out just a little bit. The bottom of your belly would poke out of your tank tops slightly.

Spencer loved it because it gave him better skin-to-skin contact. He would constantly be rubbing and kissing your tummy while whispering softly to the baby.

He would often visit you in your office for lunch so he could bring whatever you were currently craving. You learned this the hard way once when you packed a chicken caesar wrap for lunch one morning and by the time it got to noon, it made you nauseous just looking at it. Spencer brought you watermelon that day because it was the only thing that sounded good.

You were just finishing up an email when there was a knock at the door.

“It’s open,” you announced.

“Hi, love. How are we doing today?” Spencer inquired.

“Better now that you’re here,” you looked up from your computer to give him a kiss.

“I brought you your fruit salad with extra watermelon and your prenatal vitamins. Also, I don’t know how your stomach is feeling but I would like you to try to have some protein because fruit does not have much sustenance for you and little one. I brought tofu, peanut butter crackers, or a protein bar, whatever you think you can get down,” Spencer unloaded his bag.

“I finished the whole 64 ounce water bottle before noon. Aren’t you proud of me, babe?” you beamed, proudly displaying your empty bottle.

“So proud, I’ll go refill it right now so you can take your vitamins,” Spencer lifted your blouse up and placed a gentle kiss right on your belly button, “Daddy will be right back, little one.”

-

You awoke to the sickly twisting feeling in your stomach and you carefully rose from the bed in an attempt to not upset your stomach any more.

Spencer was up and out of the bed as soon as he heard the first retch. He grabbed a hair elastic and tied your hair back, rubbing soothing circles on your back.

“Spence, I can’t be sick today,” you cried.

“Jo will understand, love. I’ll tell her you are taking care of little one.”

“I don’t want to miss her first day of first grade,” you sobbed into his chest.

“I will facetime you and take so many videos and pictures, you won’t miss a thing,” he promised you.

“I’m going to call you out of work. Then, I’m going to get you some tea, plain crackers, and iced water,” he kissed the top of your head.

“Will you be okay in here by yourself for a little?” he asked quietly.

You sniffled and nodded.

“Okay, shout if you need me. I’m going to go get that stuff for you and wake Jo up.”

“I want to at least say bye to her. I want to see her in her first day outfit,” you insisted.

“Of course, we’ll be back up in a little,” he assured you.

About 15 minutes later, Spencer returned with a tray of just about every drink and food you had been craving for the past week.

“I love you,” you smiled.

“I love you more,” he replied, setting the tray down on your nightstand.

“Mommy, brother or sister is being bad?” Jo asked.

“No, baby,” you motioned for her to climb up on the bed with you, “They are just growing and it is making Mommy a little sick but it’s okay. I’m sorry I can’t drop you off with Daddy today. But luckily, I heard your new teacher is super nice and you have Henry in your class again this year.”

“Bye, Mommy. I’ll miss you,” she hugged you, “Bye, brother or sister,” she waved to your belly.

“Bye, Baby J. I am expecting a full report on everything that happened as soon as you get home,” you smiled.

“I’ll be back in 30,” Spencer helped Jo off the bed, looking at you worriedly.

“Spence, I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” you assured him.

“Call me if anything happens like even if you just think you’re about to throw up, call me,” he insisted.

You nodded, “Have fun!”

-

“There’s my big first grader!” you smiled with open arms.

You were waiting on the couch for Jo and Spencer to come home from pick up time.

“Mommy!” she ran into your arms, “Ms. Moore is so nice. She let us color whatever we wanted for an hour during craft time today and she had a whole bin of dinosaur books in the library. And, me and Henry played on the big kid swings at recess today and I jumped off into the air!” she exclaimed.

“Oh my gosh! What a fun day you had!” you smiled.

“And you didn’t even hear the best news yet, Daddy signed up to be a classroom helper,” she beamed.

“Did he now?” you grinned, turning your attention to Spencer.

“Ms. Moore had the sign-up sheet out at pick-up time. How can I resist spending more time with Jo? I’m going to get lonely when both my girls are at work and school,” he plopped down on the couch and squeezed you both.

-

You couldn’t find a single cute blouse that still fit you that morning. You had to wear an ugly wrinkly gray one from the back of your closet that you bought a while back and hated but never got around to returning. You brushed through your hair quickly and forwent any makeup because you already felt like utter crap.

You would have called out sick but you had an important department meeting today that you had to sit through. Luckily, that meant little to no talking but you just had to pray that your stomach would settle.

At the end of the long day, you went home and changed into sweats. In an attempt to cheer yourself up, you drove to Jo’s school to see Spencer in action. It was his first day as class assistant.

You approached the classroom to see Spencer surrounded by a group of moms. They were all over him, practically swarming him like bees to honey. These were the exact moms that were horrible to you last year. They were all dressed in high heels and skinny jeans, stuff you couldn’t wear anymore.

You turned around and headed back out to the car.

-

Spencer immediately noticed your car wasn’t in the driveway when they got home.

“Love?” Spencer called out, setting his keys on the table when they entered the front door.

No response.

Spencer tried your cell but it rang out.

He immediately had Garcia on the phone next, “Penelope, I need you to track Y/N. She’s not home yet and not answering her cell and I’m worried.”

“Oh, McDonald’s? Okay, yeah thanks. That’s been one of her cravings recently,” Spencer hung up the phone.

“Why did Mommy leave school and now she’s not here?” Jo questioned.

“Mommy wasn’t at school today, Princess. I think you are confused,” Spencer furrowed his brow.

“Daddy, I saw her,” Jo stated.

“Okay, I believe you,” he picked the little girl up and exited the house once again.

-

You didn’t want to be the crazy pregnant lady in a McDonald’s crying with a chocolate milkshake and a large fry but that is who you had become.

You heard the bell chime but you didn’t look up, dipping your next fry into your milkshake.

“Love, what’s wrong?”

Spencer was standing over you, looking very concerned and carrying Jo on his hip.

He set her down and whispered, “How about you go play in the play place for a little, Princess. Daddy will order you a happy meal.”

Jo looked at you with the same amount of concern in her eyes before deciding it was best to just follow what Spencer said. She ran off and Spencer took the seat across from you.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he spoke softly.

“Not particularly,” you took a long sip of your milkshake.

“Jo said she saw you at the school today,” Spencer stated.

It didn’t take a profiler to see the way your face sank even more and you stopped sipping your shake.

“What upset you so much, love? I need to know if I’m going to fix it,” he grabbed your hand and kissed it.

“Nothing fits,” you stated.

“We’ll buy you more maternity clothes,” he replied quickly.

“I look ugly,” you protested.

“Completely and unequivocally false,” he answered sincerely.

“Those moms are going to steal you away from me,” another tear slid down your face.

Spencer’s face softened, he moved from the seat across from you to right next to you.

“You are probably feeling some residual feelings of abandonment because you had to do this alone last time,” Spencer stated softly.

You buried your face into his shoulder as confirmation.

“Love, I am never leaving you or Jo or little one ever again. There’s nowhere else I want to be. This is what makes me happy,” Spencer looked around, “I’d gladly stay in this crusty McDonald’s forever if you and Jo are here.”

Your giggle was muffled by his cardigan.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Spencer smiled, wrapping his arms around you.

A/N: i named Jo’s teacher ‘Ms. Moore’ as a little shoutout to @homoose !!! moore...moose, close enough. she was one of the writers who inspired me to start writing my own fics

taglist: (just ask to be added or removed!): @samuel-de-champagne-problems @g0lden-cth @spencerreid9 @averyhotchner @coldlilheart @k-k0129 @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange

[weirdoartist21]

○~𝕊𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕦~○

(Author note: I'm alive! So sorry for disappearing, major things have happened to me and It made me really stress so I needed it break, bit I'm feeling much better now! And I'll be getting back to continuing Cold war Switch au and a few things will be changing since I've done a bit kf planning so I'll be switching Hudson spot to be Perseus, since well both are old and whatever I just found that black wasn't much interestjng to me, so anyway! Can't wait to see what it become and your welcome to use the cold war au for you own stories! I would love to read them, might help me with darn writer block ;-; Anywhoooooooo I'm back in business, and I'll be still working on the comic for it and making concept art for it, but also I wanted to try and improve my writing so there will be Grammer mistakes so bare with me-)

A small wip~

The music from the radio was the only thing keeping this car ride from getting awkward. Cipher watched the smoke flow from Bell lips, memorized by it. He couldn't help it, he had nothing else to do other then stare out the car window or him along to the music. Bell chewed on their cigarette before taking it out to blow a ring of smoke. Their mask slightly down enough to reveal the scar that was forever plastered on their left lower jaw.

"We're here." Bell spoke finally, as they got out the car and threw their cigarette on the ground crushing it. Cipher got out following Bell towards a woman with blonde braided hair waited. "Waith ." Bell hummed as Waith nodded in response and pulled up the garage door.

"Cipher." Waith spoke looking at him, giving him a small smile. Cipher nodded towards Waith as he followed the two in.

"Team round up." Bell spoke as they moved towards the board covered in photos and bits of red string. A few people walked over to Bell and Cipher watched from the side. He didn't know any of them that much only names and what Bell had told him. Minus Stone, Cipher knew him, they were in Afghanistan together, along side with Bell of course. But the others didn't know , Waith looked oddly familiar but he paid no attention to it.

"Now you all were chosen for this special mission to put a stop to Hudson." Bell spoke as they pointed to a picture of the suppose 'Hudson'. "He's going to be older but this was the only picture of him we were able to nab." They explained. "To find more details we will have to go back... when he first appeared on our radar. "

"Dhu qima always knew that mission would come back to haunt us." Stone chuckled as he leaned back.

"Yup, look back in every file we have on it Waith you can help, who knows what we've missed in those countless files." Bell explained. "Stone you need to remember ever detail you can on the day we found out about Hudson and bring it through with Waith." They explained as Stone nodded and went to work along with Waith.

"Knight you go back to what you were doing originally, need those weapons prepared for when our missions lead us on foot. "

"Yes captain. " Knight hummed and went over to the table full of ammunition and guns. Cipher but his lip wondering if he would have to do something, but immediately stood straight when Bell's eyes laid on him.

"And Cipher your goi going to do the same thing as Stone, but also your skills in decoding will come in good use these Americans have brilliant ways of hiding important details things in plan sight on a simple piece of paper, that's why I made sure I had you on the job." Bell explained. "Without you I don't think we will get close to Hudson." They hummed, causing Cipher to smile slightly at the praise Bell had given him.

"I'll do my best!" Cipher said proudly making Bell chuckle.

"Of course you will..." Bell said. "If you have any questions come talk to me, but in all hopes I want a red string leading straight to Hudson picture.... think you can do that for the team?" They asked and rose a brow, and Cipher nodded.

"Great to hear... well Cipher Wₑ gₒₜ ₐ ⱼₒb ₜₒ dₒ."

[ananicoleta]

Together Again

(A Space Jam 2 FanFiction)

Ok, so I imagine that after Bugs "died" in Space Jam 2, he didn't show up immediately. Instead, there were needed a few days for him to reappear, time during which the Looney Tunes thought he was dead. This fic shows their thoughts during that time, as well as a surprise at the end.

Enjoy!

WARNING: angst + kinda long

Daffy crept around the forest, always looking over his shoulder to make sure no one had followed or seen him. Not that it was very likely to happen. None of the Looney Tunes paid that much attention to anyone or anything anymore, so his absence would probabpy go unnoticed. All of them - him included - were trapped in their own thoughts and regrets, and the outside world just didn't matter anymore. The dynamic, the jokes, the atmosphere weren't - couldn't - be the same. Not ever since Bugs had...

Shaking his head, the duck snapped out of the thought that threatened to cloud his mind with pain and fog his eyes with tears. He had promised himself he won't let that happened. Just focus on the road, Daffy. You're almost there.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he reached his destination. The glade he knew so well looked just the way it did when he had left. The fresh grass, wet from the rain, shone into the sunlight as if it was made of cristal. The lively river cut its path through the strong rocks, running like a carefree child, while the birds happily sang their lovely tune.

Right in the middle of the glade, stood the well-known oak tree, tall as always, like a nobleman, proudly wearing its green attire. On the trunk, there could be spotted a poster that read: Duck Season. That was what Daffy was looking for.

He walked quietly towards it, still paranoic that someone might be there and see him. They for sure would ask him what was he doing and, honestly, he didn't know either. All he knew was that if he stayed one more minute alone in his house, trying to not think about Bugs, while automatically thinking about Bugs and missing him dearly, he'd go insane. He needed to feel the taste of their old game again, even if he had to play it all by himself.

Standing near the tree, he took a deep breath and began.

"Wabbit stheason!" He said, ripping the Duck Season poster.

Then, moving to the side opposite to him, he said in a quite accurate Bugs Bunny impression.

"Duck season!"

After, Daffy moved to the other side again and repeated the procedure. This went on for a while and it was, surprisingly, relaxing. It took his mind off of things and if he pretended hard enough, he could actually see and hear Bugs...

"Daffy?"

The duck slipped and fell right in the pile of posters that he had torn. When he lifted his head, he saw none other than Elmer Fudd, looking down at him, confused. He wore his usual clothes, complete with the hat and hunting gun.

"Didn't your mother tell you it wasth rude to sthcare people?" Daffy snapped, getting back on his feet.

"Sowwy, didn't mean to cweep up on you, duck." Elmer said apologetically. Then, peeking at the pile of sheets behind Daffy, he asked.

"Uh, what were you doing hewe?"

"I could ask you the sthame question." Daffy responded, not wanting to explain himself.

Elmer sighed and sat on the grass, his expression turning sad. In that moment, Daffy realised that the reason the hunter decided to come in this specific glade was the same as his.

Sighing as well, the duck sat down near his friend, feeling the depression taking control of him again. None of them spoke for a few minutes. They just sat there in silence, listening to the forest's whispers that seemed to mourn as well, as if it could feel someone was absent.

"You miss him as well, don't you?" Daffy asked after a while.

Elmer nodded. "I nevew thought I would miss him so much. He always annoyed me, always made me cuwse him. Now, though, I would give anything to heaw him again, to do pway 'Wabbit Season! Duck Season! Fiwe' just one mowe time..."

Elmer let out a stranggled sob and Daffy bit back his tears. If he had known that a few months ago would be the last time he, Elmer and Bugs would go through their hunting routine, he wouldn't have left, no matter what Al-G Rythim would have promised him. He would have listened and stood by the rabbit's side. But he was too selfish, as usual. He wanted to spread his wings, to be the hero of his own story and didn't care when Bugs practically begged them all to not go. And now it was too late. The rabbit was dead and there was nothing he or anyone could do.

Looking over at Elmer, he saw tears falling down his cheeks. Daffy extended his hand and gently wiped them away, ignoring how wet his own eyes were getting.

"Come on, Fuddsey." He said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go home and do something else. There's nothing for us here, anymore. Maybe we can help Granny with that big dinner she wanted to prepare for all of us."

And with that, the two left the glade that held so many happy memories, never looking back, afraid that they might get a glimpse of the past, one that would make them lose their composures completely.

/////////

Porky walked through Tune Town, making his way to Granny's house. He had recieved a message that morning from her that kindly asked him if he wanted to come over and help her make a delicious meal for the family, since cooking alone was a bit depressing.

Although she didn't say it, he could tell from her tone that the reason she wanted him near was so she wouldn't have the opportunity to think about Bugs. Who could blame her? None of them wanted to think of Bugs. And they all tried so hard not to.

The pairs of enemies, like Road Runner and Wile E., Sylvester and Tweety, Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyard, went right back to chasing and teasing each other, though Porky could see the lack of energy and how forced it looked. Toons like Yosemite Sam, Marvin and Speedy were always away, probably somewhere where there was just them alone and their thoughts, where no one could bother them. Then there were the ones like Garnny, himself and occasionaly Pepe Le Pew and Penelope, that tried to cheer them all up, while they themselves were almost dead on the inside.

And it hurt a lot. It hurt to look at their dishearted family, trying to do anything in order to forget, even for a moment, that Bugs was dead. It hurt to feel so powerless to put an end to their pain, to hear them crying their hearts out, knowing that no matter what he said, it won't make a difference. It hurt to see them separated and not wanting to interact with anybody.

This was the main reason Granny had proposed the dinner.

At first, he didn't think it was such a good idea, but then he figured that they couldn't just stay in their houses forever, watching time fly by, grieving their friend. As painful as it was, he knew he had to put it all behind him and accept that they would never see Bugs again. If only they wouldn't have left...

"Hi, Porky." Came a voice from nearby.

Wipping his eyes quickly, Porky greeted his friends as well.

"H-Hi, Da-Da-Daffy. And hello, Elm-Elmer, t-too."

Seeing the black duck and the toon human cheered him up a bit. His family always managed to do that.

"Whe-where you guys o-off t-t-t, uh, going?"

"We thought we might stop at Gwanny's and hewp her with the cooking." Elmer said.

"Oh, re-really? Th-That's great, 'cause I was he-hea-heading there a-as we-we-we, uh, too."

As they walked down the road they continued to chat about this and that, just for the sake of making conversation and not walking in silence. They climbed the hill that led to the valley full of nice, suburban houses, meaning they were almost at Granny's.

When they made it to the top, Porky simply glanced in to the distance... and his heart caught in his throat. Stopping dead in his tracks, causing his other two friends to bump into him, he stared forward convinced that his eyes must be playing tricks on him.

"Hey, what gives, Pig?" An annoyed Daffy asked.

Seeing as Porky didn't answer, they followed his startled gaze, and saw exactly what had caused the pig to react like that.

Down in the valley, right near the entrance of Tune Town, there was a silhouette walking towards the suburbs. It might've been just a trick of the light, or maybe a product of their grief-struck minds, but the creature (that also appeared to have grey fur and long ears) looked an awful lot like...

"BUGS!" Daffy shouted and before one of them could do something, the duck broke into a run, all while screaming the rabbit's name at the top of his lungs.

The silhouette also started running, and in less than ten seconds, the two crashed, warping their arms around each other in a tight hug.

At that moment, Porky felt an uncontrolable smile spread across his face. All the negative feelings that had polluted his mind until then, evaporated. Instead, his heart swelled with pure and utter happiness. He also heard Elmer repeating over and over, excitedly:

"He's awive! Gwacious, he's awive!"

Letting out a joyous laugh, both of them ran as fast as they could, to hug their brothers.

Behind them, the rest of the family, that had probably heard the noise and came to see what was happening, shouted with surprise and glee, and ran right after them.

Slowly, one by one, every Looney Tune joined them in a giant, family hug that warmed their hearts and casted off their sadness.

Finally, they were all together again, and they were never ever separating.

[preciousthingsareprecious]

In Line at the Prize Counter

So this fic was originally intended to be part of Dick and Damian week, but life intervened and I didn’t end up finishing it anywhere near on time. That said, I found it too much fun to write and didn’t want it to live forever in WIP form. So, I hope you all enjoy this adventure featuring one Very Done Damian as he’s forced to rescue Dick from a Bomp n’ Stomp. 

Characters: Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne

Words: 4,965

Summary:  When Dick Grayson is kidnapped, Robin is the only one who really believes he's being held at the Bomp n' Stomp entertainment center. So he rolls up his sleeves, and heads into the dreaded building to rescue his brother from the likes of ball pits, twisted slides, and yes even go karts.

AO3 Link

~

Of all the places in the world Damian Wayne expected to walk into, a Bomp n’ Stomp was not one of them. In fact, he had argued viciously against ever entering the indoor playscape when his brother had suggested they spend a Saturday there.

To make matters worse, in an attempt to convince Damian of it’s legitimacy, Richard had called it an arcade.

An arcade .

The nerve of the man to sully that term by applying it to this ball pit filled, gum ridden, dirty carpeted, sticky establishment. A true arcade, like Shelly’s JoyCon, home of Cheese Viking, would never allow it’s door handles to leave a strangely greasy film on Damian’s gloves as he moved his search from a back room back out into the main area.

The inside smelled of old pizza, spilled soda, and that strange almost chalky scent of fog machines. It was, in a word, disgusting. Damian felt a pull at the bottom of his boot every few steps, like the carpet was coated in something sticky. He wrinkled his nose.

No, this was nothing like his favorite arcade.

Granted. It was also closed for renovations, with the promise of things like all new games, flooring, and yes even door handles. Still, Damian thought nothing could quite erase the smell of greasy pizza. That was a scent that stuck.

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about greasy pizza and continue working on why he was truly here. Some odious criminal had thought it a good idea to kidnap Richard on his way into Gotham.

It would not be stood for. Not someone snatching his brother. Nor holding him up in a place as terrible as this. To top things off, whoever had taken Richard had deprived both he and Damian of a perfectly excellent evening that should have been spent at the Observatory.

Damian sniffed and picked his way past skee ball games, an overly large wheel with inane words like “Double Prize Winner!!” in bold peeling letters on it, and the playscapes namesake, a Bomp n’ Stomp game.

At the Bomp n’ Stomp, he stopped to peer down at the curious game. It was obviously broken. The machine was little more than a garishly painted box with various holes covering the top. Out of one peeked a chipped plastic facsimile of a mole. Hanging off the machine were two objects strung on cords that looked ready to snap at any moment. The first was a toy hammer, it’s fabric ripped and leaking stuffing, the other a boot attached to a stick.

“Tt.” Damian discounted it and looked back up.

Whoever thought a game designed around attacking moles was a good idea surly must be a criminal.

He’d neared the end of the ‘arcade’ portion of the building and was entering a larger more open space. The carpet changed from soiled red to blue spotted tile. At the change, the ceiling rose at least a second story above him, towering high enough to fit a series of large structures.

To one side of this new area rested a climbing wall. It, out of everything Damian had seen so far, actually looked interesting. Even from here he could see portions that might make for a mild challenge in climbing.

Next there was a multistory play set filled with slides, jungle gyms, large netted areas he supposed children were expected to crawl through, and so many tunnels it would put most professional guinea pig enclosures to shame. A sign outside the entrance indicated that somewhere towards the center of the structure rested a huge ball pit.

Damian really, truly, hoped Richard had not been placed within that. If the rest of the Bomp n’ Stomp was sticky and dirty, the ball pit must be truly foul. He could not even imagine what had happened within it or what--he grimaced-- fluids could have coated the orbs.

He turned to the last attraction, a small go kart area. Perhaps the climbing wall was not the only redeeming quality to the establishment. Provided of course that the carts actually moved quickly.

So far, he had seen no hint of Richard. His brother had not been hidden behind a garishly colored game, and he did not seem to be dangling from the climbing wall. After a brief examination (and admiration of the engines on the small cars) Damian determined that his brother was either being held in one of the staff areas indicated by the back wall or-- He glanced at the huge play place.

After a moment’s hesitation, Damian squared his shoulders. As detestable as it would be to crawl around in there, he would do it if it meant rescuing Richard from being trapped inside. He could not imagine being held within the structure longer than a few minutes. It would be torture indeed.

The truly strange thing about his investigation so far had been that no one had attempted to stop him. There were no guards at the front, nor the back, and the building was empty of signs of life. The power was on, with some games sluggishly lit or playing bites of music, but Damian had not seen anyone besides himself.

He considered this as he made his way to the entrance to the play structure. He knew for a fact that Richard was here, even if Father did not.

Damian pushed the plastic draping away from the domed entrance and stepped inside the structure. He was surrounded by net, his feet no longer on solid ground, but pressed into some kind of foam. Ahead of him was a rope ladder that looked designed to be as unstable as possible. He sighed and began to climb.

Of the three possible locations Richard could have been taken to the Bomp n’ Stomp had been deemed least likely by his Father due to the fact that it was not altogether abandoned. While, over the weekend no one would be inside, the possibility of a worker coming in was high enough Father had assumed any capable kidnapper would discount it.

The other two locations, an empty ice cream parlor, and an abandoned junk yard, had been deemed higher priorities and dangers. But something had told Damian that the Bomp n’ Stomp was the right location, and he had argued that it should be checked out.

So while his family was split between the other two locations, Father had reluctantly allowed Damian to check out his hunch, promising to meet up with him after they'd cleared their own locations.

The ladder exited onto a platform made entirely of the netting Damian had seen from outside the playhouse structure. Tentative, he pressed a hand into the thick black cording, and when it gave less than he’d assumed it would, he climbed atop it.

Balance was a tricky thing on the strange floor, and Damian could not help but think the League would benefit from installing something of the kind in one of their training rooms. It turned a normal floor into something to be treaded on with care or risk getting a toe caught between the net. If he was unlucky he might end up tumbling to the ground or twisting his ankle. Damian couldn’t imagine it filled with children.

He was keeping his ears open for any sounds of either Richard or the kidnappers. From the letter and accompanying picture Father had received there were at least three men holding Richard, but there were sure to be more.

Father had immediately identified the men as being part of a relatively new gang in Gotham. Their motive was both money and an attempt at scaring Bruce Wayne into cooperating with them in the future.

Damian scoffed at their foolishness as he hopped off one platform and onto another. His eyes went wide as, instead of the net he’d grown used to, the floor rolled under his feet.

He bit back a yelp as his feet slipped forward, and he went tumbling, hands pinwheeling out beside him in an attempt to catch his balance. He stumbled back, then forward, then one leg was in the air, followed by the other and Damian was staring up at the faded yellow ceiling of the play place.

For a moment, he lay there blinking up at it. Wondering about the strange flatness, and remembering this thing had another level above him. If someone was above him, would he see imprints of feet? Sections weighed down by a kid stepping over it?

It did not matter. What did, was finding Richard and escaping this cursed place.

Damian felt the floor under him, and realized it was not a single solid piece, but four cylinders that each rolled on their own. Whoever had designed this place was a madman. Putting a trap like this in a place where anyone could fall could only spell injury on a normal day.

He grunted, and carefully pushed himself up, moving off the shifting section and onto firm foam again. Well, not quite firm. It sagged with every step Damian took, but it was far better than the rolling part or the net.

The next hurdle came when Damian reached the tunnels. He had seen them of course, out looking up at all this. Plastic, colored brightly, sometimes one segment a different color altogether than the last, little windows dotting the sides. But he had hoped he’d find Richard before having to crawl through one.

He crouched and stepped inside. After a few moments he realized he was going to have to actually crawl. He wrinkled his nose as he pressed palm to plastic and began moving. At one point his palm stuck and after a moment, he pulled it up to reveal gum pressed into the green of his glove. Richard had better be thankful for what Damian was putting himself through to rescue him.

The space was tight, and as a defensible position it was terrible. If a fight took place within the tubes it would not be good. Even Damian, as small as he was, would have a hard time maneuvering within them. He’d have a better chance of winning a fight in some of the Batcave’s tighter spaces.

They were also impossible to be silent in. Every inch forward created squeaking or creaking or the echoing sound of a knee hitting against plastic with a series of thumps that were anything but rhythmic. Any chance of silently finding his brother was dashed a minute after he entered them.

Once Damian realized that, he no longer bothered trying to move slowly through. Instead he hurried, around turns, down dips, and up tiny plastic hills. He was thankful for the extra padding over his knees and the leather of his gloves. If not for them he was certain his palms would be red and irritated and his knees bruised.

Damian was in such a hurry to get through the tunnels that he missed the slide. One moment his hand was pressed into plastic, the next it fell into nothing. His momentum was such that he’d assumed it was another dip, a temporary fall.

But no.

His next hand hit nothing, with the other was still in air, and then Damian found himself staring down the tube of a slide, and hurtling down it face first. It twisted, and turned, and at one point his chin caught on a portion of the plastic that was raised. Damian winced, feeling the plastic scratch his skin, sure he’d be wiping blood away if he ever exited this terrible contraption.

At last, he burst out. He got one good look at a space enclosed by netting and more slide exits before he saw what was below him. To his growing horror, the ball pit waited. Staring at the pit in bullet time Damian decided this whole place was ridiculous. A death trap made for children . Even Nygma could not come up with something so fiendish.

Nothing Damian could do would stop his crash. Balls of yellow, red, blue, and green exploded around him, bursting up and into the air even as his trajectory took him down, deep into the pit. He was drowning, and yet not.

After a moment he realized he’d stopped moving. The balls around him had coalesced into a kind of solid form that still allowed him to move. It took some work, but eventually Damian righted himself and managed to semi-swim upward, kicking off against the ground before shooting back up. And at last, his head popped out into clear air.

“Robin!?” The surprised voice came from his left.

Damian shifted, careful not to sink again, “Richard!” he cried, then corrected himself, he was in uniform and Richard was a civilian. Even here, the kidnappers might be watching.

“Mr. Grayson, I am here to rescue you.”

Richard actually snorted, an aborted version of what would have been a startled laugh. He was half buried in the ball pit himself. His torso and head above the sea of color. Rope was tied around what Damian could see of his chest, presumably holding his arms back, but otherwise he looked fine.

It was a miracle Damian hadn’t plowed right into his brother during his wild exit from the slide. He’d landed a foot or so away from him, close to the middle of the pit. The problem was, figuring out how to get both himself and Richard out.

Damian glanced around the enclosed space holding the pit. He counted four slides at various sides of the netting, and two rope ladders leading up. One to another tunnel, and the other to what looked like a real ledge.

“So, Mr. Robin , what’s the plan?” Richard asked, his tone far too delighted with their situation.

A scowl crossed Damian’s face, “Do not patronize me. It is your fault we are in this mess at all. Do you know how unsanitary this all is? From the pit to those cursed tunnels. Even the door was sticky.”

Richard gave him a patient smile, “But it’s not all bad right?”

“Tt. It has been horrendous. I do not know how you have survived.” Damian said, and began wading over to his brother’s side.

It was difficult to push through the pit, but he found that thankfully, the closer he got to an edge, the higher the ground under him was. It went from almost nonexistent, to high enough he could stand on his toes beside Richard. It was not ideal, but at least he was no longer at risk of being swallowed whole.

“There has to be at least one redeeming quality about this place.” Richard continued, “Even Robin must have liked something the old Bomp n’ Stomp has to offer. Maybe one of the games?”

“Nothing.” Damian answered, defiant even as he thought of the go karts and climbing wall, “Especially not the games. This place is childish, Richard. Childish and demeaning, and even you would not stoop so low as to drag me here.” he ranted, forgetting that he was Robin with a civilian and not Damian and his brother.

His brother’s smile was full of delight now, “You protest too much. I bet at least one thing caught your eye.”

“I said nothing.” Damian declared again, and sending balls flying, “Now come on, we do not have time to waste speaking of such moronic things.”

Richard cleared his throat, “Uh, Robin, aren’t you forgetting about something?”

Damian turned to see his brother shrug, plastic balls rolling away from him, and Damian caught sight of the ropes still binding his brother.  

Fire lit hit his cheeks. He swallowed down the embarrassment and moved again to hastily slice at the ropes holding Richard’s arms to his sides. Even in his rush, he slowed as the blade neared his brother, the night would only be worse if he accidentally hurt him.

The ropes fell away easily, and soon Richard was massaging his wrists and stretching his arms up into the sky, “That feels great, thanks, Baby Bat.”

Damian ignored the nickname, and Richard’s attempt to reach out and ruffle his hair. He ducked and turned towards the ladder by the platform, “Come along, I would like to get you out of here as soon as possible.”

Richard hummed, “Yeah, I have no idea when those guys will be back, so haste is probably a good thing. Unless you already took them out?”

“The building was empty when I entered.”

Damian scrambled out of the pit and up onto the ladder. He climbed up, only to realize Richard had not followed him. When he turned to frown at his brother, he could see the man had stopped at the ladder, his eyes focused on the rungs.

“Richard?” he asked, voice quiet.

“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy. I’ve been sitting there a while, my arms and legs are tingly and just waking up.”

“What else is wrong.” Damian did not ask, but demanded the answer.

His brother shrugged, “I might have sprained my ankle when they tossed me in?”

Damian nodded, assessing the situation.

“Can you climb?”

If it were Damian in Richard’s shoes, he’d power through the ache, but he did not wish to press his brother into doing something he couldn’t. He could support Richard as they moved, and they could utilize a slide to exit this structure, but if he could not climb, getting him out of the pit might prove challenging.

Richard nodded, “I think so.”

He placed his hands on the rungs and started up. It was not an overly high ladder, but even so, Richard made it a few rungs before he paused wincing.

“Here.” Damian said.

He knelt down and reached out for his brother, “I will pull you up.”

Richard gave him a look that could only be described as incredulous. Damian glared at him in return.

“I can handle lifting you a short distance. Push off with your good foot and let us get this over with.”

After another moment of hesitation, Richard reached up and took one of Damian’s hands. His other, he kept pressed to the bars for leverage. Damian pulled as Richard pushed himself up. Below him the ladder wiggled a threat. However, he managed to grab hold of Damian’s other hand with a tight squeeze.

Richard was heavy, but together and with another awkward step onto the ladder, Damian managed to help drag him up. For a moment, they sat together looking at each other.

“Well.” Richard said, “I guess we should keep going?”

Damian nodded, “Indeed. I believe there is a slide exit in that direction.” he waved in the general area he remembered seeing one. At least he hoped it was there. His internal map of the structure felt a little turned around after his dive into the ball pit.

He helped his brother up, and they began moving through the rest of the structure. Damian stuck close to Richard, who insisted he didn’t need to lean on him yet. Still, he kept one eye on his brother, ready to assist if he showed the slightest sign of wavering.

They reached another area where solid panels switched to a rolled floor and Damian threw an arm out to stop their progress.

“Careful, that part can be deceptive.” he said, pointing down at them, “Allow me to  walk you over them, so you do not injure your ankle further.”

Richard had an odd look on his face, a smile that seemed as if it hid another emotion, but Damian wasn’t going to worry about his brother’s reaction to his protectiveness. He always seemed to blow things like that out of proportion anyway.

They traversed the trap easily, and had just about reached the slide when a question that had been bugging Damian burst to the surface.

“Why were you in that ball pit? Surely there was an easier place to hold you.”

“Apparently, I talk too much.” Richard chuckled, “In truth, I was seeing if I could irritate them into letting me go.”

Damian couldn’t stop a surprised laugh at that, “It does not seem to have worked.”

Richard shrugged, “It was worth a try, it’s worked in the past.”

At last they reached the slide.

“I will go down first, so I can look for trouble and assist you if you have any problems.”

This time, Damian’s trip down a slide was a controlled one. It was a not altogether unpleasant experience sliding at a quick speed, and turning round and round in a spiral.

He couldn’t help but think back to watching Father, back when the man had lost his memory, playing with children on a large playground. A pang of want, not as strong as then, lodged in his chest. He tried to swallow it back as he popped out. Landing on his feet before he hurried forward to get out of the way.

Damian turned his attention away from lost memories and onto the rest of the Bomp n’ Stomp’s interior. His eyes ran from the go karts, paused at the entrance to the arcade portion, and moved over to the climbing wall on the far side of the room. Still empty.

“You may come down, it is clear.” he called up the slide. His voice echoed slightly up the plastic tube, sounding a little hollow and odd.

“Yeah!” Richard cried, his voice bouncing loudly down to Damian.

He could hear his brother swish and bump down the slide as he traversed it, the plastic rumbling as he reached the end. When he came out, he stopped himself with his hands at the exit, and carefully pushed himself to his feet, grinning.

“I don’t care how much you hate these places, we’re coming back.” he declared.

Damian rolled his eyes.

Before he could respond, there was the sound of metal on concrete. He spun on his heel and turned as a large metal door labeled Staff Only rolled up to reveal four very angry looking men carrying guns. By some stroke of luck, they hadn’t noticed Dick or Robin yet.

“We’re leaving now.” Damian said, grabbing Richard’s hand.

He made to run back towards the exit, but Richard yelped, his hand staying behind Damian. He froze, and turned on his brother, eyes looking over him. Richard was wincing and Damian remembered the man’s ankle. It must be worse than he’d let on.

Damian cast his eyes around him for something to get them out of there safely. He stopped when he saw the go karts.

“Can you make it there?” He pointed at them.

Richard’s eyes lit up, “Yes. That’s a big yes.”

Just in case, Damian hooked an arm around Richard’s waist to help support him, and together they hurried at a not quite run for the go karts. Just as Damian was helping Richard over the barrier separating them from the karts he heard an angry yell.

He glanced up to see the men running towards them, a cacophony of voices yelling at them to stop. Damian knew they had moments before the shooting started. He shoved Richard into the nearest kart that had two seats, and ran around to fiddle with the exposed engine. His earlier examination had been brief, but enough to tell him that the karts had safety measures equipped to limit their speed. That would not do.

His fingers were fast and clever, even working on an engine he’d never worked with before. It was moments and he was throwing himself into the open chair. Thankfully, a key was in the ignition and Damian had the kart roaring to life after a moment.

Just as he revved the engine, the gunfire started.

Damian threw the kart to the side, thankful the area the karts were in was somewhat open, and made a large loop, letting the cart pick up speed as he moved.

“Robin--” Richard’s voice was a question, “Just what’s the plan here?”

They were roaring towards the plastic partitions they’d only just hopped over. Damian was confident they were flimsy enough to ram, especially at the speed they were going.

He grinned, “We are going through them. I would suggest ducking. I do not wish for you to get shot while we escape.”

“Damian,” his brother hissed, “There’s an opening to the outside behind us.”

“To an enclosed area. The walls are high there, we would be trapped. This is our best option.” He'd seen the area when entering the Bomp n' Stomp earlier.

Even as he spoke they were nearing the path of no return. The kart raced towards the partition, the men racing towards them. Damian pressed his foot harder against the pedal and then the pointed front of the go kart was slamming through the short plastic partition, breaking apart the multiple pieces that kept it together and sending them flying.

Damian could not help but grin as one piece caught a kidnapper in the side, sending him tumbling to the ground.

He wove the kart through the remaining three as they yelled and one of them got off a shot. The bullet pinged off the side of the kart.

“Whohoo!” Richard cheered as they blew past the last man and sped through the building.

Damian pulled them back into the part of the building filled with various small games. The kart shook as it shifted from tile to carpet. The sound it made changing from a flat rumble to something more muffled.  At the bump, Richard winced again. Damian frowned.

“We will be exiting soon.” Damian said by way of comfort.

He could hear the rumble of feet behind him, and even the sound of another go kart having been started. Damian snorted, unless they’d modified it, he and Richard still had the advantage. To make sure, he glanced behind him.

There was only one kart chasing them down, another two seater, with both seats filled. Unfortunately for them, it did seem to be running quickly. Damian swore as it began closing the distance between them. He threw himself back against the seat as the man who wasn’t driving leveled a gun at them and fired.

The bullet sped past them by a wide margin, but the danger was still there.

“Hold on.” he told his brother and pulled the cart around one of the games, twisting through the maze of Jurassic Park simulators and skee ball machines hoping they’d shake their pursuers.

“He’s still there.” Richard said, now taking Damian’s place in watching their backs.

“Lean back, you’ll get shot.” Damian hissed, “We need only make it out the front doors.”

Richard followed his lead, just in time as more shots rang out around them. Damian caught sight of Richard's worried expression out of the corner of his eye, but he didn’t have time to turn to him. He kept the cart moving forward, dodging games left and right.

At last, the doors were in front of them. Damian prayed the cart would trigger the door’s automatic response. As they sped closer and closer he started to wonder what it would be like to just plow through those too.

Then they swung open and Damian and Dick burst through.

Behind them, Damian could still hear the squeal of the pursuing kart. That didn’t matter however, as Damian’s eyes lit on the Batmobile. Father was already out, Red Robin beside him. It took them a moment to understand the extent of the chaos Damian had dragged outside, but soon they were moving too.

Damian pulled the kart around them, and heard the distinctive pop pop of something exploding. The men in the kart behind them yelled with surprise, and the sound of the kart cut off with a sudden deafness.

Feeling safe, Damian pulled his foot off the gas, slowing his own kart and turning it to drive closer to Father’s car so Richard would not have to limp far.

Turned now, they could see the other kart coated in foam. One of Drake’s newest experiments, and a successful one at that.

As they stopped, Damian grinned over at Richard, “See. As I said, we only needed to make it outside.”

Richard was grinning, and Damian found himself relieved to realize his brother was fine. Their mad dash did not seem to have resulted in his injury.

They sat in the kart as Batman and Red Robin took care of the two men in the other kart, and then moved inside to deal with the other two goons.

Damian leaned his arms on the steering wheel and gave Richard a small smile.

Richard, leaned forward to mirror him, elbow bumping against Damian’s, “Admit it, you had fun coming through there to rescue me.”

Damian considered the thought for a moment, “Never.”

“Ha! I knew you did.” Richard sat up, delighted.  

“I said nothing of the like.”

“But your face did.”

“The go karts were acceptable.” Damian admitted.

Richard reached out and tugged Damian into a half hug, “Good, we’ll do go karts when we come back, and try the rock climbing wall. And I’ll win you enough tickets to get one of those giant stuffed bears.”

“Father could buy me one for less than it would take you to get those tickets.” Damian pointed out.

“That,” Richard said sternly, “is not the point. It will be a thank you, for the rescue and one of the most exciting nights I’ve had in a long time.”

Damian snorted, but leaned a little closer into his brother’s side. Watching as Batman and Red Robin led the remaining two men out of the building.

“I can accept that. I will allow you to bring me back to the Bomp ‘n Stomp when they reopen. Even if the doors are still sticky.”