#i was definitely feeling some stuff? not sure if that's the midnightness talking though

[thelingering]

sometimes i feel like i am Not Enough

fortunately in those times i remember that i Am Enough to those whom i care for

[dante-mightdie]

long awaited part three of lowselfesteem!reader and simon

part two

invisible clothes

that’s what you called them, the rags you don when you have to integrate with the general population but you would much rather not be noticed. clothing that is so bland that it isn’t nice enough catch an eye but not hideous enough to catch any negative attention

you had told simon about them once, when he called you out on wearing them every time you stepped out in public, including your dates with him. especially since he knew you had a very elaborate wardrobe with a tailored sense of style

clearly they aren’t invisible enough to hide you from johnny’s guilty eyes from across the store aisle. you sigh when he comes up to you, tapping your shoulder to get your attention. he shifts uncomfortably on his feet

“I know ye probably hate ma guts, lass but ye should ken that simon shut down all of that bet talk after your first date. Ah just bring et up to annoy ‘im.” johnny says, with a nervous chuckles at the end. you don’t laugh alongside him

“okay, fair enough. look, he’s miserable without ye! he comes to the pub just to get pished and mope about how he fucked it all up with ye.” johnny continues, a pleading look in his eyes, “he’s supposed to he coming by to drop off some things of yours tomorrow. just hear him out, please, lass.”

you roll your eyes at him, continuing to grab what you need from the shelves in front of you. not even bothering to look him in the eyes when you finally begin to speak

"why should I? why am I always expected to think of other people even when they hurt me? you and simon didn't think about me or my feelings when you made your stupid bet. neither of you stopped to consider that I was just a person who simply wanted to be left alone." you say with a scoff, "he'll be lucky if I don't slam the door in his face."

johnny shifts on his feet, looking down at the floor since he feels too uncomfortable to look directly at you, "fair enough. take care've yerself, hen."

you bite back tears as you watch him skulk off in the corner of your eye. you stand there for a few more minutes, staring at the stacked shelves in front of you to distract you from the war raging inside of your head

-

it's late at night, nearly midnight, when there's a knock at your door. you let out a sigh, already knowing who was disturbing your doomscrolling at this hour. and when you open the door, you see him. you’re brooding prick of an ex-boyfriend. he at least has the decency to look guilty, like a dog caught ripping up the couch cushions

except he wasn’t a dog, he was the love of your life. and your heart isn’t so easily replaced like a cushion. though he definitely treated it like somewhere to rest his head

“hey.”

you scoff, you’re not sure why. there isn’t anything inherently wrong with what he said but it still annoyed you. he annoyed you. with his stupid stormy eyes and his stupid jokes and freckled shoulders that you used to connect like dots late at night

“just give me my stuff and go, simon. don’t have time for this bullshit.”

he doesn’t flinch. he saw that hit coming, and sometimes you gotta let them swing at you especially when you know that you deserve much worse

the exchange is quick, a box with small memories passed over to you. a couple items of clothing, a book and some toiletries. before you can slam the door in his face, he jams his heavy boot into it

“wait… love, I… there’s somethin’ else. I never gave it to you but it’s yours. got it for you and I’ll never give it to anyone else.”

the glare you give him only falters when he places a small velvet box in your hand, he pauses the speech you can definitely feel coming on. looking at you expectantly to open it. you do, waiting for him to laugh at you when you find nothing in there. ridicule you for even thinking he would consider making you his wife

but all he does it look on solemn, the beautiful ring twinkling as a devastating reminder of what could have been

“I kno’ I ‘ave no right to ask. I wouldn’t insult you like tha’ lovie. you can hate me, I deserve it. but you don’t deserve it. I won’t let you hurt yourself over what I did. you deserve to know the real extent of how bad I fucked up. maybe it’ll help to look at tha’ ring and know that I’ll spend the rest of my life having to know I lost the woman who should be my wife.”

there’s no chance to respond, not like you’d know what to say anyway,

“I’m sorry.”

and then he’s gone.

[firstkanaphans]

Hello! Sorry to jump on the train of asking you stuff about the couples😅 but i have to ask, you put earthmix and aouboom on the definitely dating list. Earthmix i have no questions about it😂, but i know next to nothing about aouboom, and id really like to know more of your thoughts on them, if that's ok with you😊💞

[Thank you to @doublel27 for helping me compile this list.]

The first thing you need to know is that AouBoom are like FK on steroids. Take the codependence of First and Khaotung, turn it up to 11, and you have AouBoom. They met on the set of Enchanté and have been inseparable ever since—so much so that they’ve talked about how some people at GMMTV don’t even know which of them is which. They just call them both AouBoom.

One of the main things I look for when trying to determine whether two actors are dating is whether they live together. I’m not sure if AouBoom have ever actually talked about their living arrangements, but if they aren’t living together, they’re certainly sleeping over at each other’s houses enough for it to be suspicious. 

Here’s a compilation video of them wishing each other happy birthday. The first is from 2022—way before they were ever paired. The second is from this year. Boom took the video at midnight as Aou was walking out of the bathroom in his pajamas, so clearly they were having a sleepover 😂

Aou also drives Boom to and from set every day and if you’ve been following Memoir of Rati at all, you'll know that they’ve had a bunch of late nights and early mornings. I'm talking filming until 3AM late. I just can't see any logical reason for him to do that unless they were living in the same place.

Another thing I look for when I'm trying to determine if two actors are dating is whether they take vacations alone together. AouBoom do. A lot. My favorite was their trip to the beach on Valentine's Day of this year when Boom posted this video which is still pinned at the top of his twitter page. 

They’re also just very attached to each other and frequently attend each other’s solo events even when they are hours away. In particular, LL showed me this video of Aou and his dad showing up to one of Boom's events several hours outside Bangkok.

Boom has also become Jasper’s de facto manager. He attends every single event they have and what I find most amusing is that no one teases him for it the way they do when Phuwin or Perth or Dunk show up. It's almost like it’s just a given that he's going to be there.

I don’t know, guys. There’s just something about them. It’s in the way GMMTV sent them to all of their marriage equality events even though they weren’t technically a branded pair at the time. It's in the way directors always give them the high heat roles in otherwise very tame shows. It's in the way Aou talks about being jealous of Boom's crush on "The Vet" as if it's a conversation they've actually had in real life and not just something they bust out for fan service.

Oh, and they have matching jewelry. Y'all know how much I love matching jewelry.

All in all, I'm less confident about them than I am about EarthMix, but I still think they're way more likely to actually be dating than any of the other CPs. I just think they're neat 🥹

I'm also going to tag @lazzarella, @elliebirdwrites, and @sherrymagic because they all know these two much better than me. Feel free to educate us if you have any additional lore you would like to share!

[pnutbutter-n-j-elyy]

I'm not sure whether your request box is open or not, but if you do, I want to drop an idea

How about ot8 sleeping habit?

Thankies!

🧠🫶🏻

hehe this was fun... this is all my own personal opinion, not facts or based on anything specific

Bangchan

Sleeps like a Dad- he is ready to wake at any moment, ranging from a faint noise to a kitchen fire. (Most definitely not caused by Felix or Seungmin...)

Usually passes out mid writing session, with his notebook or laptop within arms reach

One of those is most likely being used as a makeshift pillow

Loves to sleep facing outwards on his side, arm tucked under his pillow (or laptop or notebook or other arm because lets be real he probably isn't aslepp in bed)

Likes sleeping outwards because it makes him feel safer, like he could easily spring into action if needed

Rarely moves when he falls asleep from pure exhaustion.

If he falls asleep on normal accord, he moves like a madman

Has a secret stash of hoodies he uses only for sleep

But even then...he likes sleeping naked. Only wears clothes if he's not sleeping at home. (dude literally walks around naked...)

Lee Know

Sleeps like royalty. Perfect posture. Doesn't move.

His cats tend to join him, claiming half the bed, and he does not mind that at all

If his cats don't join him, he'll let out little pspspsp's until at least one comes (and if none of them come he will go to sleep grumpy)

Prefers absolute silence, but if he is tired enough he'll sleep through an earthquake

Tends to sleep talk, but denies vehemently that he does (he knows he does, and he knows its mostly him mumbling about choreography)

Likes to throw his sheets in the dryer to warm them up when he is feeling fancy

Usually takes a while to fall asleep

Wakes up at least once a night

Usually its because he gets a paw up a nostril

Changbin

Likes to be surrounded by plushy comfy stuff

If he is sharing a bed, radiates warmth and tends to be clung to like a teddybear (he is NOT complaining about that)

He snores, but gets embarrassed if someone mentions it

Always has to shower before bed

Lots of thinner blankets (for some reason he gives me the type to love to be warm but hate comforters?)

Overheats easily thus why he loves the thin blankets he can peel back (he just seems like a warm bodied person)

Likes falling asleep to music but will get really upset if he wakes up with it still on

Seems like he's have a nightlight ngl, not because he is scared of the dark, but because he genuinely can't see for shit in the dark

Wakes up to go pee like three times a night because he'll drink a ton of water (and still continues to drink it even though he just went to the bathroom)

Also occasionally loves a midnight snack

Hyunjin

Dramatic sleeper. Dude is sprawled out everywhere yet somehow it looks artistic

Has to put his hair up or else it will be frizzy in the morning

Tosses and turns because he dreams vividly, often about very random things

Needs the room to smell nice- candles or an essential oil diffuser is a must (typically uses a scent that aids in sleep or health, like lavender or mint if his head hurts)

Opposite of Binnie- he gets cold really easily and needs all the extra comforters he can get

Loves doing before bed skincare. Its almost ritualistic for him. (it helps soothe him)

Like how he has a set routine for skincare, he has a set routine for sleep. Goes to bed and wakes up at the same time everyday

Or at least he tries to. He tends to sleep in a lot on the weekends due to staying up late painting throughout the week

Sometimes, he'll paint things he sees in his dreams (usually pretty abstract)

Jisung

Falls asleep wherever and whenever. No questions asked (has been found by numerous staff just snoozing around the jype building)

Occasionally its due to complete burnout, but usually its just because he likes sleeping

He also tends to have really vivid and random fever dreams (once dreamt of Felix being eaten by a Cheerio and wouldn't allow him to eat cereal for a week)

He talks in his sleep. Full on conversations that don't make sense 97% of the time.

When its actually time for him to go to bed, he has a specific set up for his pillow and singular plushie he needs (one pillow on the right side of the bed, then the plushie and then the second pillow on top of his head as he sleeps- don't ask its just what he needs)

Tends to kick off all of his blankets during his slumber, usually waking up with just his plushie on the bed, both pillows and all covers trashed on the floor

But if someone else is in the bed dude is as stiff as a rock

Usually falls asleep to funny videos, since it helps quiet his mind

Unfortunately, that means he laughs a lot in his sleep which is a bit creepy (scares the shit outta people)

Sometimes things are so funny he'll wake up from laughing so hard.

Felix

Sleeps like a literal baby. Quiet and still.

Enjoys soothing sounds like rain or waves to go to sleep.

Rarely snores

Sometimes wakes himself up with soft giggles (usually its because someone cracked a joke in his dream)

People sleeping next to him say he radiates a calming warmth. Like sleeping next to sunshine.

He usually hugs something while he is asleep, a pillow or a plushie (changbin body pillow ?????)

Likes falling asleep to the room being chilly, but needs it to be warm or else he refuses to leave bed

Meaning he needs to get up in the middle of the night to turn off the fan.

He is the type to "accidentally" steal blankets (he does it on purpose 100%)

Seungmin

The most disciplined sleeper; sticks to a consistent bedtime and wake-up routine no matter how busy his schedule is.

Prefers sleeping on his back with perfect posture, almost as if posing for a photoshoot.

Rarely moves in his sleep, waking up in nearly the same position he fell asleep in. (sometimes its a bit creepy)

Needs complete silence and will actively seek out a quieter spot if his surroundings are noisy.

Hates feeling too warm while sleeping; he often cracks a window or adjusts the thermostat.

Keeps his bed tidy with just one pillow and a light blanket. (its gets too stuffy with too much stuff on the bed)

Occasionally hums softly or sings a lullaby under his breath before falling asleep.

Gets annoyed by anyone who wakes him unnecessarily and isn’t shy about showing his irritation. (jisung is usually the one to wake him up with excited screaming- tied with changbin)

Wakes up refreshed and ready for the day, often teasing others about their grogginess.

Jeongin

Sleeps face down with his arms hugging his pillow tightly, often burying his face in it. (dude is literally close to suffocating himself, more often than not chan rolls him over)

Snores loudly but adorably, puffing his cheeks out as he exhales a snore that sounds like a 6.0 magnitude earthquake.

Loves being bundled up in a mountain of blankets, even if he ends up half-buried under them (again with the suffocation, he stresses chan out)

Wakes up with his hair sticking out in every possible direction, but it is heartachingly cute.

Talks in his sleep occasionally, mumbling random things (most of the time one of his Hyung's names comes up followed by an evil giggle, leaving them paranoid about what their precious maknae is plotting)

Kicks off the covers in his sleep but then immediately searches for them when he gets cold.

Prefers sleeping with the lights off but needs his phone nearby to check before bed.

Wakes up easily if startled but can fall right back asleep like nothing happened.

Usually wakes up groggy but his mood instantly changes at the mention of breakfast (which he finishes in about 4 bites max)

@abovenyx @wolfs-archive @oddracha

@iyeeeverydee @parisanmorovati @seungmincenteric

@panbish-1209 @fxiry-vtt @sseawavee

@shuporanporang @amarecerasus @softkisshyunjin

@whoa-jo @meanergreener @rikibun

@ayyonoona @shinywombatcrusade @y4yayael

@skzstan12345 @mariteez @allys-reads

@jazziwritesthings @skzstannie @yongbokkiesworld

@kkkeopi @neverendingstay @moony-9

@minsungsthirdwheel @everlastingspring143 @joyofbebbanburg

@leezanetheofficial @tr-mha-fan @bubbly-moon

@night-storm7 @missmajdastark @axel-skz

[supernovafics]

Hi I was wondering if you could do a next part for just a feeling where reader does let it show that she doesn't feel comfortable about vanessa and steve and that she's jealous and you could add whatever else you'd like but also if you could include steve canceling the date with Vanessa (him not gonna see her again/anymore)

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐖

"i'll be there for you" universe masterlist

pairing: bestfriend!roommate!steve harrington x fem!reader

word count: 3.3k words

warnings: explicit language, (slightly)jealous!reader, smoking weed (reader and steve), some angst

summary: in which the kids stay over at your and steve’s apartment for the night. when it’s long after midnight and the kids are asleep in the living room, you find steve sitting out on the fire escape. a late night conversation full of honesty ensues, and it manages to bring up more questions than answers

author's note: thank uu for the request !! i was already in the middle of working on this when i got it lol so some stuff is a lil different. hope you enjoy though🫶🏾

general note: everything in this universe/series can be read as standalone oneshots but to understand the full “lore” it would prob be best to read the other stuff too<333

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Winter 1985

Somehow in the five months of you and Steve living in your apartment, a sort of “tradition” quickly managed to form where once a month the kids would stay over for a night. 

They’d set up camp in the living room; Max and El always got the couch, while the boys spread out their sleeping bags on the floor.

It was a proper sleepover, and why it was happening at your apartment instead of at any of their homes still confused you and Steve a little, but neither of you really minded; you both really enjoyed spending time with the group of teens.  

Tonight was a little different, though. While you and the kids were playing a particularly heated game of Uno circled around the coffee table, Steve was out on a date. With Vanessa.

It was only their third date, but those always felt pretty defining to you, and at this point you were just waiting for him to tell you that things were serious with her, or getting there.

Steve hadn’t really talked about her that much to you, and you couldn’t help but wonder if that was more your fault or his. You definitely hadn’t been as adamant with asking questions about how things were going as you’d been with other girls he had gone on dates with. 

Vanessa was in one of your classes and over the last few weeks she told you more than enough about her and Steve, even though you never asked; how great their first date getting dinner at some restaurant had gone, their second date to the movies, and their long phone conversations that would happen practically every other night. 

You did not need to hear all of that from him too.

But still, you expected him to tell you something about what was going on with him and her. 

If you were going to solely take Vanessa’s words for how things were going, which you kind of were since she was the only one you heard anything from, you would believe that everything was sunshine and daisies between them, and it was only a matter of time before he was telling you that he had a girlfriend.

The last time the two of you had a conversation like that was when he told you about Nancy. It was only two years ago, but it somehow felt like so much longer. That conversation— which happened one night at Steve’s house; his parents were gone like usual and yours were too busy to ever notice you sneaking out and biking twenty minutes to his house almost every night— went perfectly fine because you were getting into your own relationship then too, so the timing felt ideal to say the least. 

If only things could be that serendipitous this time around.

Because you weren’t sure you’d be as excited when he told you now. Not when you could barely remember the last time you went on a good date, and you hadn’t even managed to find anyone to simply have a crush on lately. 

Other than the fact that you had hated most of your classes this semester, you were glad that it had finally ended yesterday because it also meant that you’d, hopefully, see completely new people in your classes next year.

If Steve was about to get into something serious, maybe you could too. 

It still didn’t fully make sense to you why you felt so affected by it this time around; why you were still feeling jealous for reasons that felt simultaneously stupid and completely valid.

You figured that ultimately you just didn’t want things to change. 

“Your turn,” Dustin said, bumping your arm and pulling you out of your thoughts.

“Oh, my bad,” You responded as you placed down a card and then El went. 

“What were you thinking about?” Lucas asked.

“Um, nothing, really.” You shrugged. “Just school stuff.”

“How is college?” Will asked. “I think you’re the only person we know that’s in it right now.”

You thought about your answer for a moment. “In order to make sure you guys stay inspired and excited to go to college in four years, I will respectfully decline to answer that question.”

Max laughed a bit. “So, what you're saying is, it sucks.”

“Technically, I didn’t explicitly say that. So none of your parents can hate me or call me a shitty influence,” You responded. “Anyway, though, are you guys hungry? I should probably order the pizza now.”

“Great subject change,” Mike said with a laugh.

“Thank you,” You smiled as you got up from your spot on the arm of the couch, which had been entirely uncomfortable but worth it so that the kids were comfortable. “You guys can skip my turn for now. And I will be taking my cards with me because I don’t trust any of you to not look at them while I’m gone.” 

“Good choice,” You heard Dustin say as you walked toward the phone in the kitchen.

You ordered three pizzas— a pepperoni, cheese, and one that was half of each— from the place that you and Steve would always go to that was only five minutes away. You were saying a quick, “Got it, thanks,” to the guy on the other end of the line who had just told you that the pizza should be delivered in about thirty minutes, when the squeaky front door opened and in walked Steve. The kids’ chorus of Hi’s and Hey’s were immediate and Steve smiled back at them and said a quick “Hi” of his own before heading into his room. 

That very short interaction gave you no indication on how the date went; if Steve seemd happier than when he had left earlier that evening or if he was the same. But, you wanted to know what happened tonight. You felt like you needed to know, and surprisingly you actually wanted to ask him. If something big had happened, you knew that he would have to tell you sooner rather than later, but you’d rather just get it out of him now. 

Maximizing on that small surge of courage, you gave his door a quick courtesy knock before walking in and closing it behind you. 

“Hey,” You said as you sat down on his bed. “How was your date?”

He was pulling off the blue short sleeve Polo he had on and slipped on a T-shirt that you immediately recognized because you had gotten it for him a couple Christmases ago. It was a dark green shirt that had a tree and a bear on it and said “Yosemite National Park” across the top. You found it at a thrift shop and thought it was cool even though neither of you had been to that park or even to California. 

Steve met your curious gaze. “Long story short, we won’t be seeing each other again.” 

“Oh,” Was all you could say at first because hearing that answer completely confused you. You also felt like a complete asshole for immediately feeling relieved by his words. “Oh, um, okay… Can I have the long version of the story?” 

“Maybe later,” Steve said, and for the first time in a long time, it was actually hard to read your best friend right then. He didn’t look sad, but there was something about his words that kind of felt sad. “I’d much rather just play Uno with you guys right now.”

“Okay,” You said with a nod. You were still so curious about everything— your mind was already cooking up a plethora of potential scenarios of what could’ve happened between him and Vanessa tonight. But, you decided not to push him further on it right then. “I hope you’re also in the mood for pizza and watching Ghostbusters. It was pretty much a unanimous decision by the kids.”

He smiled at that. “That’s honestly not surprising.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You weren’t entirely sure why you couldn’t sleep. 

It wasn’t because of the kids making noise, like what would usually happen, because they all knocked out around midnight; right after raiding the freezer and eating pretty much all of the ice cream you and Steve had in there. 

Maybe you were hungry again. You didn’t really think that was it, but you’d rather just go with that thought process than continue to lay restlessly in your bed.

You got out of it and wrapped the throw blanket that sat folded across your desk chair around you before walking out of your room. You tiptoed around the boys and their sleeping bags scattered around the living room and headed to the kitchen counter where the pizza boxes were; you hoped there was a stray slice in at least one of them.

Before you checked any of the boxes, something outside the large window that led to the fire escape managed to catch your eye. The Christmas lights that you and Steve strung up a week ago around the railing of the fire escape were shining brightly like they did every night. But, unlike every night, right then, Steve was out there sitting on the old metal stairs. 

Your eyebrows furrowed as you went over to the window, once again maneuvering around the kids and their sleeping bags, and then opening it wide enough so that you could step out onto the fire escape. When you smelled what exactly was happening out there, you quickly closed the window behind you. 

“I feel very offended that you didn’t bring me out here for this,” You said to Steve, eyeing the joint between his fingers as you sat down next to him. After immediately getting hit by the cold night air, you were glad that you had a blanket wrapped around you, and you gave some of it to Steve. 

“I didn’t wanna wake you,” He said, grabbing the end part of the blanket that you slung around his shoulders and adjusting it.

“You can always wake me up for this,” You told him as you pushed yourself even closer to him so that you both were nicely huddled within the throw blanket. “And for anything, really.”

He smiled at you. “So, whenever I find a spider in my room, I can wake you up to kill it for me?”

“I’m not even going to dignify that question with an answer because you already know that Eddie is our designated bug murderer,” You told him with a small smile before taking the joint from him and bringing it to your lips. 

Things became quiet aside from the random street noise below, and it stayed like that for a bit. It was freezing out, and the thin blanket actually wasn’t providing a lot of warmth, but you didn’t mind the goosebumps starting to rise on your skin right then, especially your bare legs.

You turned your head a little to look at Steve. “Can I finally get the full story now of what happened tonight, or do I still have to live in suspense?”

At first, he didn’t say anything, and you almost thought that he still wasn’t going to tell you everything. But then he took a quick drag of the joint and then started speaking. “We got takeout from this burger place that she likes and then went back to her apartment to watch a movie. After the movie we were talking and she asked if I thought that what we’ve been doing could lead to something serious because that’s something that she wants right now. And I told her that I’m not looking for something serious right now, so she said that we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”

You weren’t sure what you thought Steve was going to say, but it wasn’t necessarily that. It didn’t sound like the dramatic and abrupt ending that a part of you expected to hear about. The way things ended between them made sense to you— they wanted different things. In your head, that was probably the most civil way things could end between two people. 

“Oh, okay,” You said with a nod. “You seemed so weird earlier, like kinda sad, so I fully thought you were going to tell me something really bad happened. But, that doesn’t sound too bad.”

Steve looked away from you then. “It’s just… I kinda feel like shit about lying to her, though.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed as you passed the joint back to him. “What did you lie about?” 

He was quiet for a long moment and you wished that he was looking at you so you could read his face. “For the most part, I do want something serious. But, I just couldn’t really… see that with Vanessa. I couldn’t picture any sort of a “future” with her.”

“Oh,” You breathed out. You fully didn’t expect to hear him say that, and it was easy to tell how bad he felt about that brutal honesty. “Don’t feel like shit. It’s good that you lied.” You lightly bumped your knee with his so that his eyes met yours again. “If you had told Vanessa that you do want something serious with someone but that someone’s not her, it would’ve just hurt her more.”

“I just don’t get why I couldn’t see it, y’know. And that’s the most confusing part about everything,” He said with a shake of his head, and it was you that felt the need to break the eye contact this time around. “She’s great and things were going really good. Us being together and having something serious would’ve made sense.” 

“I think that sometimes the stuff that feels like it should make sense just doesn’t end up feeling right,” You said, your gaze solely focused on a car driving below and you couldn’t help but wonder what the driver was up to this late at night, or early in the morning, depending on how one looked at it. “And I know that was probably the most cryptic and fortune cookie kind of answer, so I’m sorry.”

He laughed a bit. “No, I think I understand what you mean. Kinda.” 

You gave him a small smile as he gave you back the joint. You took a slow drag from it and then exhaled out into the freezing Winter air.

You weren’t entirely sure how much time had passed over the next few moments. All you knew was that you were nicely high, and all too quickly the cold didn’t bother you so much anymore because of that, and you suddenly felt the need to let out your own version of brutal honesty.

You closed your eyes and then let out a breath. “I’m sorry.”

Steve’s eyebrows furrowed at your words. “For what?”

“That your date went bad. That I’m kind of relieved that it did.”

You knew that you would’ve told him that eventually. It was hard keeping secrets from him, it had especially been hard not telling him how you’d been feeling the past few weeks. And it felt easier to say it all now because your mind was a little fuzzy and felt a lot less chaotic.

Steve was quiet for a second, letting your words linger in the air as he took another drag. “Why are you relieved?”

You sighed, already knowing that your next words would be somewhat of a lie. “I don’t know…”

He lightly bumped your knee. “That’s not true.”

“I was kind of jealous and really annoyed about you going out with Vanessa,” You said and then sighed again. “Because… It’s just… Things are so much easier when it’s just me and you, I think. When neither of us are in relationships.” Your eyes were still closed and you were leaning your head against Steve’s shoulder as you spoke. “And I know we both want to find someone, and eventually have something serious and long-term and whatever. But, that doesn’t change the fact that when it’s just you and me… it’s really fucking nice.”

“I agree. Completely,” He said, voice soft.

The sigh you let out that time was one of relief. “Good. It’s nice to know that we’re both selfish and clingy in this friendship and just wanna keep each other for ourselves.”

You were only slightly joking with your words. 

“In that case,” Steve started. “Maybe we should just date then.”

You let out a giggle as you finally opened your eyes and lifted your head before taking what was left of the joint away from him. “Okay, and I think that’s enough weed for you tonight. I think it just killed all of your most important brain cells.”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” He told you and poked your side, which only made you laugh harder. “But, you’ve never thought about it before? Not once?”

“When I’m drunk and high, yes. At least, I think I do. Most of the time I can’t fully remember,” You answered, your giggles finally subsiding. “But, when I’m sober, no. I never think about it.”

Steve laughed at that.

“What?” You asked as you placed the small bit of what was left of the joint on the ledge of the window.

“I think I’m the same way. I only think about it when I’m so fucking drunk, or high like right now.”

You thought about his words for a second. They felt funny to you just like he thought, but they also felt like something different too. 

“Is it weird that we do that?” 

His gaze left yours for a moment. “I don’t know. Probably. Maybe.” 

Maybe you two should’ve talked about it more; what that all meant, if anything. But you didn’t say anything else because it was easier to just convince yourself that all of what was said just then meant nothing, instead of even thinking about the slim possibility that maybe just maybe it could actually mean something. 

So, you kept your mouth shut instead of asking a potentially friendship altering question, and you hoped to God and the universe and whatever else was out there that you wouldn’t be able to recall this part of the conversation in the morning. 

“It’s snowing,” Steve said, and you were so grateful for the abrupt subject change because of his observation right then, and you hadn’t even noticed that it was snowing until he mentioned it. 

It already seemed to be coming down a fair amount and you smiled at how pretty it looked. You had always loved snow, and you especially loved it even more after you met Steve because you then finally had someone to have snowball fights and build snowmen with. 

You wiped away a snowflake that landed on your cheek. “The first fall of snow on the first day of Winter. How poetic?”

“Very,” Steve nodded. “Hopefully it’s not too bad by the morning. The kids will be annoyed if they can’t go to the diner for breakfast. And then we’ll sadly get stuck with having to cook them something.” 

“Do you think that they just use us for free food and rides?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Wanna go inside? I think the cold is making my high wear off too fast.”

“I would say yes, but I think my ass is now permanently frozen to this stair.” 

Steve looked down. “Woah, shit, I didn’t even notice you were wearing shorts.” 

“Wow, such a bad friend. You didn’t notice my suffering?” You said sarcastically with an overdramatic shake of your head. “And to think that I came out here to be a great friend and make sure you were okay and not wallowing out here alone. I even let you use some of my blanket.”

Steve laughed at your dramatics as he shrugged the blanket off of his shoulders and fully wrapped it around you instead. “Come on, let’s go inside. You can use the heated blanket that my mom got me last Christmas, if you want.”

“Aw, maybe you are a good friend,” You said jokingly. 

He playfully rolled his eyes at you and stood up. “I just know that if you get sick, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

You smiled at him as he started pushing up the window. “You know me so well.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

let me know ur thoughts<333

(requests are open for stuff you wanna see in the universe/series!🫶🏾)

[suzukiblu]

D8 , A10 , TimBerKon

“Please,” Tim says, and Kon . . . hesitates, and doesn’t leave the bedroom yet. He doesn’t know why Tim wants him to stay–why Tim or Bernard wants him to stay. Like, they did the fun sexy “guest-star-in-the-bedroom” game and he let them both boss him around and tell him what to do for it, but now it’s, like, after midnight and he feels all weird and spacey like he gets after this kind of thing sometimes and they should just wanna have their afterglow and cuddle up on each other, right? Like, he’s in the way of that, if he’s here. 

So they shouldn’t be asking him to stay, and especially shouldn’t be saying “please” about it. 

“Uh, I dunno. It’s kinda late,” he says, trying not to let the uncertainty or discomfort show. He doesn’t like–he doesn’t really like being around people when he feels like this. Like . . . it just feels . . . 

He just doesn’t like it. 

He’s safe, obviously. He’s fucking indestructible, and also it’s Tim, and–

He’s safe. Obviously. 

But being around anybody else when he’s like this sure doesn’t fucking feel like it. 

“So just sleep over,” Bernard says with a shrug. “No reason not to, right? Crash here, hog a couple of the blankets, maybe we can all have breakfast in bed and score our respective morning wood some morning sex. You know, whatever sounds good. Play it by ear.” 

“Uh–okay,” Kon says, a little less hesitant about the whole idea after hearing that. That, like–makes sense, then. For why they’d want him to stick around. If either of them especially likes morning sex or if they’re just in the mood for it right now, or whatever. And he can just . . . be normal, he tells himself. Not make it weird just ‘cuz he feels a little weird. Especially if they’re going to sleep soon anyway. 

Sometimes he wakes up feeling pretty hungover after feeling like this, admittedly, but . . . only sometimes, so . . . it’s fine, right? It’ll be–fine. Yeah. 

Tim–relaxes a little, weirdly. Like, Kon can only tell because his TTK’s a little bit all over the place right now and he felt it, but . . . but it’s weird, yeah. 

Nowhere near as weird as his brain’s being, though, so–yeah. Whatever. Just . . . 

“Um,” he says, and glances a little awkwardly at the bed, not quite sure where to get back into it, or if Bernard actually just meant he could crash on the couch, or– 

“Cool,” Bernard says easily, and holds out both hands towards him. 

Kon . . . blinks, and the part of him that feels all weird and spacey really, really wants to just . . . 

He’s not sure what it wants, actually, but it definitely, definitely wants it right now.

He slips back into the bed and Bernard tugs him in close and kisses–just his cheek, not anything, like, productive, for some reason–and Tim slides a hand up his back, and it feels sort of . . . it’s kind of . . . 

Kon ends up a little bit sandwiched under the covers between the two of them, Tim still petting his back and Bernard petting his hair, and then they both start talking about what they liked doing tonight and asking him what he liked doing tonight, what made him feel the best and stuff like that, and it’s a very weird and unprecedented experience in his life, but . . . 

Well. He’s already feeling kind of weird right now, like he said, so maybe it’s okay. 

And it feels . . . kinda nice, honestly, weird or not.

[britcision]

Hey guys

I have present for you

Not sure if there will be a WIP Wednesday this week since I’m con crunching and we leave on Thursday, soooo… this will tide you over I’m sure! The completed chapter 15!

Previous Chapter:

First chapter and AO3 link:

————-

I’ll Take The Highway

Time was almost slipping away too quickly in the milkshake bar, and Danny wished he didn’t have to keep an eye on it.

(Well. Seriously hoped. Even in the privacy of his head, he couldn’t make it a wish.)

He had to get Tucker back to MIT though, and back to Gotham in a reasonable time frame to get to bed before class tomorrow.

If he got to bed before midnight, there might be a chance for he and Jason to run to the Far Frozen in the morning. Or after, Danny’s classes didn’t run late. Or…

He was missing out on the fun today, trying to plan tomorrow. Much as Jazz would love him being more organised, he pushed it to the back of his mind.

They’d visit Frostbite soon. And find out how Jason’s core was, though Danny was beginning to think he knew. Here, when Jason was happy and relaxed? Not tensed, shut down, or angry?

Danny could definitely feel something he hadn’t before. Not exactly the same as another ghost, or any of the other halfas, not yet.

But it was almost like Box Lunch’s fresh core seen through a house of mirrors.

Maybe that was what had him so close to the edge today? It was taking some pretty serious effort not to react to even the mention of an old threat to Jason.

Jason, the sweet baby ghost.

And if his smile was a little sappy at that thought, well, that was no one’s business but his own. At least he had something to sit on for when his rogues started embarrassing baby stories.

Finally he couldn’t put it off anymore. Too much to do, friends to fly across country, and he still hadn’t found a good way to ask Waylon his question. He just… well.

He’d given Jason all the server info, the stuff about who his rogues were, how he beat them, the things they’d learned about the Infinite Realms. They’d even shared some stories around different bits.

That didn’t exactly explain what he wanted to ask Waylon about. And it really wasn’t something he was comfortable sharing just yet, even if he already knew it was dumb.

Jason was a good guy. Who hung out with Batman, who was apparently an asshole. He wouldn’t judge Danny for having some dark and fucked up stories in all the zany ones.

Fuck, maybe Waylon could tell him how Jason would react. It was gonna come up, it’d have to, and Danny really would feel better having someone else’s opinion.

He was reluctant to interrupt their good time, another story devolving into laughter, but it was getting into the afternoon and… well, he also had no idea how long this would take.

“Hey, uh, by the way. I’ve gotta head out in a bit, dropping Tuck back off in Massachusetts, I just wanted to talk to Waylon for a minute first? In private?” Because if Danny had learned one thing?

Direct worked best.

It worked now, Harley nodding along and hopping up, cartwheeling her way along the table and out of the booth.

“Say no more, Danno! C’mon, Jayjay, I wanted ta catch up with you on somethin’ too, so this works perfectly!” She declared cheerfully, giving Jason a fond tug to his fluffy white streak of hair.

Jason shot Danny a look that was half commiserating, half curious as he slid out of the both after her, but Danny was too busy staring into an imagined hellscape where Harley met Jack Fenton.

Fuck Dan, the world couldn’t handle that.

By the time he came back to himself, he and Waylon were alone in the booth, the big man watching him curiously.

“So, what’s on yer mind, kid?” He asked in a low voice, folding his arms on the edge of the table and leaning in.

Secret villain hideaway or not, this wasn’t something Danny wanted just anyone overhearing, so he beckoned Waylon closer to his end of the booth first, tucked into the wall.

The big guy slid his way surprisingly delicately down the seat, then leaned in again, watching Danny expectantly.

Which was when Danny realised he shoulda probably thought about a good way to put this.

Blunt it was gonna have to be.

“So… you… Harley said people called you Killer Croc before you ever hurt anyone?” He said in a rush, flinching at how bad it actually sounded said aloud.

Waylon… did not have eyebrows to raise, and it was really fucking weird that he was noticing that now, but it was definitely what he’d been doing, and Danny was distracting himself again.

“They did,” Waylon agreed a moment later, his voice low and even. Guard up, but not defensive. Not closing the topic off.

Danny huffed out a sigh, and found he couldn’t quite meet the man’s eyes. Found himself intently examining the diamond pattern on the formica tables. His own hands, twisting in front of him over that pattern.

“You… you became what they said you were. A monster.” The words caught in his throat, hard to spit out and shit he thought he was past this.

It had been years.

A scaled green hand covered his, and Danny found himself surprised by how smooth the scales were. Far from soft, but not rough. Almost smoother than the table.

“Who called you a monster, kid?” Waylon asked softly, his voice gruff with something too close to understanding.

Danny’s head snapped up and he shook it quickly, sucking in a deep breath.

“Oh, no one. Not for like, a really long time now. And they said sorry and everything, it’s not that. It’s… you gave into it. Let them make you something wrong and dangerous, and you stopped. How did you stop?” He asked quietly, finally finding it easier to look at Waylon’s face.

He looked surprised.

**

Finding Jason had been harder than usual. He’d never turned his phone back on after last night, and Bruce was still wrestling with one of his least favourite (and most common) side effect of a concussion; light sensitive headaches.

Even with the screen brightness all the way down, it was hard to even look at the batcomputer while he waited for Constantine to arrive.

None of his usual tricks were helping, spikes of pain jabbing behind his eyes every time he tried to scan the cameras for Jason’s presence.

It was Babs who found him in the end, taking her lunch at the library late to help him out. She had whole programs to scan the security cameras of Gotham for her, trained to recognise any bat or rogue from any angle.

False positives happened, but usually didn’t take more than a look to confirm or deny. They were extremely accurate.

Bruce would know.

He had copies of the same programs.

They just weren’t running properly.

He was probably still tired. He’d been pushing himself while injured, as usual, and as usual Alfred would be eager to tell him he’d been overtaxing himself too hard to work efficiently.

And then Constantine was late.

By the time the magician arrived, Bruce was regretting having taken a break to sleep at all. He should have sorted this out last night, before ever calling Jason.

They could have picked a time to meet, and while Bruce was fully aware Jason might have just told him to fuck off, he might not have. Especially if Bruce had promised to leave him alone.

He knew better than to ask Jason to introduce Danny to Constantine.

Barbara had generously kept an eye on Jason in the interim, and by the time Batman and Constantine were ready to go he seemed to have settled in Freeze’s place.

The Frozen Fields. Named for his wife, who Bruce’s top scientists still wouldn’t be able to save.

Along with Harley, Waylon Jones, and Danny.

Of course he was with Danny.

Half the city seemed to be intent on frustrating him today. They’d taken the Batmobile, and while he tended to only drive it in emergencies (and after dark), it still barely sped the journey through the city traffic.

It always felt wrong, sitting and waiting with the rest of the cars in the Batmobile. Didn’t match the “lurking justice in the shadows”. Which Constantine was quick to remind him.

Bruce just gripped the steering wheel tighter, sucked in a deep breath, and nearly bit his tongue when they finally edged up to an intersection only for the light to turn red.

**

Waylon sat back in his seat, back scraping against the wall of the booth as he surveyed the kid in front of him.

Little squirt was tougher ‘n he looked, that much was definitely true. Harley had given him the short run down on their way to the milkshake bar, all the powers she knew he had.

And that he’d been hunted by his folks for a while. Waylon knew how that kinda shit could mess ya up.

He appreciated the heads up too, cuz this kinda shit coming up outta nowhere? Also pretty damn rough. He’d wondered if the kid just wanted to come along for another fight.

If he just wanted another chance to say he’d looked Killer Croc in the eye.

But there was no real bravado there, not even when he challenged Waylon to a rematch. Shit, the kid treated him more normal than most of his henchmen had ever managed to.

Made sense, knowing he was part a ghost an’ fought ghost rogues, but it left Waylon wondering. Apparently he was getting his answer.

Same damn question he’d asked himself a thousand times, ‘specially around the kind of young vigilantes who’d taken a turn to the bad.

Didn’t mean he had a good answer.

He regarded the kid for a long minute, watching the fidgeting, the sudden shyness from a boy who’d literally tackled him from behind on a whim.

This wasn’t just an idle question. Something made him sure of that, and he’d never been involved in all that much of the really weird shit. You heard stories, especially in Arkham.

So he decided to give the kid the best answer he had.

“Cuz I was the worst version of myself. I let myself be the monster they thought I was, got pretty good at it. But it never made me happy.” He paused, mulling it over.

Chuckled softly and looked down into his half drunk milkshake. It was kinda funny how obvious it seemed, in hindsight.

“Shit, there was never even anythin’ I wanted. Not like Penguin, Freeze, or the others. People treated me like a monster so I tried to be one, cuz why the hell not? Couldn’t be worse, could it?”

His gaze shifted back to Danny’s face, watching the kid’s expression. No judgement, which was nice. But he did look confused.

“So you just… got sick of it?” Danny asked, his brows furrowed as he played with his fingers.

Waylon chuckled and shook his head.

“Kinda. Spent a while thinkin’ if people couldn’t treat me with respect, fear’d do. But it ain’t the same. An’ I never had the drive or creative cruelty to stand out in Gotham.”

Danny looked a little incredulous at that, eyebrows rising, but he caught himself before commenting. Snickered and shook his head.

“Yeah, I guess being in a city that’s used to people like Scarecrow and the Joker puts “big and green” into perspective,” he agreed dryly, and Waylon laughed.

It felt good to laugh.

“Oh yeah. City’s got more than its share of low level thugs anyway. I spent a while as extra muscle for the big boys, but I ain’t the takin’ orders sort,” he explained with a modest shrug.

Danny grinned, folding his arms on the table and leaning forward.

“What, a shy and retiring guy like you?” He asked, clearly teasing, and Waylon waved a hand dismissively.

“I’m lucky it was Gotham,” he added after a moment, reflection sobering his mood. “Got sent t’ Arkham. Met Harley. An’ the Bat’s not all that bad. He tried gettin’ me outta the life a couple times.”

Danny cocked his head, a slight frown returning to his face. Following Waylon’s lead.

“How did Batman try and get you out?” There was a little too much intensity for it to be a casual question, and Waylon noted it. Not that he’d figure it out on his own.

Just tryin’ to make sure he didn’t damage the kid.

“Oh, there were a couple ways. Got me moved down to Florida once. Out in the green, away from people. I figured bein’ a wild animal might be more my speed, but it wasn’t. An’ it got messy when I left. Like that whatever he tried, really. There’s lines you can’t uncross.”

Lines like being a cannibal.

Not that he was sobbin’ on a preacher’s shoulder about it. Most of the people he’d eaten were assholes who’d deserved it, and it’d been a preference, not a need.

For all people loved to go on about him eatin’ kids and babies, he’d never actually done it. A guy had to have standards.

Made it easy to stop, once he was in a better head space. He and Harley had talked a lotta old shit out.

Kid didn’t need to know those grisly details though, at least not from his own mouth. Watching Danny a moment longer, Waylon came to a decision.

“Look, kid. There’s a lotta reasons people go bad. Some of ‘em can’t be helped. But if they’re not gettin’ anything out of it, if there’s no goal? The appeal runs out. And sometimes all it takes is someone willin’ to reach down an’ haul yer back up to the light.”

He wouldn’t ask if that was the case with whoever the kid wanted to help. Everyone heard stories, ‘specially about heroes meeting their evil selves.

The fear looked personal, but the asking coulda been for anyone. Waylon was in no rush to judge.

Danny mulled over his words for a while, lips moving soundlessly as he frowned down at the table. This time when he looked up, there was a peace in his eyes.

He’d come to a decision. Good for him.

“Thanks, Waylon. You seem like a pretty great guy to me,” he said simply, and Waylon definitely did not feel a lump in his throat.

“This is after years o’ Harley workin’ on me,” he grumbled gruffly. Shaking his head, he slurped down the last of his milkshake quickly.

Nothing like brain freeze to explain being a little misty eyed.

**

Jason didn’t exactly object to being led out of the bar by Harley; Danny wanted to talk to Waylon in private.

Jason had figured Danny had something to ask the guy about. He hadn’t exactly expected not to be part of the conversation, but that was fine.

He’d know if Danny got into trouble. Fuck, Danny could handle any trouble Gotham could dish out, probably. And the rogues had some basic manners; not starting shit in Freeze’s place was one of them.

Penguin might put the squeeze on and make your life uncomfortable if you lit up the Iceberg Lounge. Dr Freeze’s cold shoulder was a lot more literal, and he didn’t do “proportional response”.

So yeah, he could be cool and give Danny some space.

It wasn’t exactly a surprise that Harley wanted to talk to him either, although he still didn’t see the point. But he let her guide him around the side of the building to a back alley anyway.

“Still fine, Harley,” he said before she could get started, both hands raised in front of him.

She gave him an all too knowing look and hopped up to sit on the dumpster. Put her about a head taller than him. Not that he cared.

“Sure, kid. You’ve been goin’ through a lot though, so I gotta ask; is there anythin’ ya wanna talk to Auntie Harley about?” She asked in her sweetest voice, interlacing her fingers under her chin and batting her lashes.

Jason snickered and leaned against the other side of the alley.

Shit, he wasn’t even annoyed with her play acting. The pit was a happy little puddle in his chest, all sunshine and roses.

A week ago he’d have walked away. Been pissed at wasting his time, getting in his way. How much of that had been because of the Lazarus pits, the problems with the ectoplasm he’d apparently been supposed to be solving?

Was that why nothing had ever been enough? Why he always had to keep pushing? Carve himself a patch of Gotham, keep going. Cut the crime out of Crime Alley, not enough.

Take up with the Outsiders, keep himself busy, rushed off his feet so that when he fell into bed for a couple hours a day he didn’t even dream?

When was the last time he’d taken a breath and just… relaxed? It all felt so long ago, but it had barely been a week.

It just. His whole life had unclenched, like it was a muscle he’d finally stopped using.

Fuck, maybe he should talk to Harley about it.

He got the feeling she knew though, those eagle eyes tracking his every move. They’d never really hung out, but he was uncomfortably aware of how well she’d known him.

How much of him was still the boy she’d known?

She was waiting for an answer, and all of a sudden Jason wasn’t sure what he’d say. Knew that if anyone in the world understood, it just might be Dr Harleen Quinzel.

He sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck, unable to meet her eyes. Fuck, he was getting as bad as Bruce.

And if that thought didn’t kick him up the ass…

“You ever wake up one day and realise your whole life’s been going wrong?” He finally asked, glancing up from the corner of his eye.

She’d dropped the cutesy act, leaning forward with her arms braced on the edge of the dumpster, her face professionally calm. Open. Sympathetic.

“Think I might know just a lil about what that’s like,” she agreed softly, and Jason snorted.

“Yeah. Well. Turns out ever since I came back from the dead I’ve been haunted. Literally. And no one ever noticed.”

He hadn’t even come all the way back, but he couldn’t say that. Not yet. But maybe he could share some of the rest.

Harley nodded slowly, giving him her full attention. Just waiting for him to go on.

It kinda felt like being under a microscope, but not in the cold, analytical way Bruce did that always pissed him off. Like she really cared, and was looking for all his broken parts so she could help him fit them back together.

Fuck, if his kid self had ever known he’d one day trust Harley Quinn over the whole Justice League…

Shit, he didn’t even know how much she already knew.

“The pit rage… it’s a psychosis people get, coming out of the Lazarus pit. Makes you angry, violent, stronger, like a blind rage. For most people it goes away. Mine didn’t.”

He almost wanted to laugh, bitter and sharp.

“Because it wasn’t just the psychosis. I’m not fucking weak, I’m not fucking broken, there’s something else living inside me and it made me so fucking angry all the time…”

The frustration was building again, but this time it was his. All his, not a bubble, not a stir, and part of Jason thrilled with it. He could feel however he wanted, just him.

He cut it off though, forcing himself to relax before Danny could notice. Could worry about whatever he was projecting in his aura.

He could kinda still feel Danny’s, which was new. Not brushing against his, not touching like they were close, but he was aware in a way he hadn’t been before.

Like if he shut his eyes he could point in exactly the direction Danny was standing.

“Danny’s the only one who noticed. Well, really, he’s the only one who could. It’s a ghost thing, and he… he got me help. I feel like myself for the first time since… since I came back.”

He hadn’t even noticed how much the background rage burnt through him until it stopped. Until he could look at his family and see their prodding for what it was; concern.

It was still surprising him, and maybe would for a while. Kinda hoped not though. It wasn’t the most cheerful train of thought.

Seeing that he’d run out of words, Harley gave him a moment to find more, then reached over and ruffled his hair. It was barely a strain in the cramped alley.

“Kid, anyone with two eyeballs t’ rub together can see Danny’s real good for ya. So why’s Bruce tryin’ so hard to keep ya apart?” She asked gently, and Jason snorted.

Rolled his eyes and folded his arms, caught himself doing it, and forced them back to his sides.

“Not rubbing his eyeballs together?” He asked dryly. Harley just snickered.

“Please, if we could get ‘im ta stop overanalysing everything that’d be the miracle. So what’s got ‘im on edge?”

Jason hesitated for a long moment, thinking about it. Finally he shrugged; as always, Bruce was a mystery to him. The man who’d taught him all the tricks to pick apart any mystery. Except himself.

“No idea. We played a prank on him and the Mansons at the gala like we told you last night?” He offered, already aware it wasn’t likely to be the answer.

Harley shook her head in agreement, which almost threw him off.

“Nah, you’re right. The whole making-out-in-a-closet shtick is classic, even if he didn’t see through it yet he’s never cared about you boys smoochin’ before,” she agreed, then sighed and tugged him in to press a kiss to his forehead.

“Whatever his problem is though, it is his problem Jason, an’ what he pulled at the gala has nothin’ t’ do with you or Danny. I already told ‘im off about not talkin’ to ya and I’m gonna do it again when I catch him. Right now I just wanna hear you say you know it ain’t your fault,” she told him firmly, cheeks held between both hands.

Jason fought the urge to roll his eyes. And the rising lump in his throat.

“I know Bruce’s bullshit isn’t my fault, Harley,” he grumbled through smushed lips. Harley squeezed his cheeks a little tighter.

“Then say it anyway. It ain’t your fault Brucie has a bug in his ass, and ya ain’t done anything wrong to deserve it.” She was firm as the wall behind him, utterly unrelenting.

And she could go on for hours, if memory served. Long enough for Danny to come out and see. That was why Jason told himself he gave in.

Nothing at all to do with the way her words ached and bled a gentle warmth into the icy void in his gut where the anger still roiled.

“It’s not my fault B’s got the emotional capacity of a wet newspaper. I don’t deserve his helicopter bullshit any more than anyone else,” he told her obediently, doing his best not to be too sarcastic.

Harley placed a kiss on his nose and released him.

“That’s my good boy. Now, more about this haunted thing. You boys got a plan?” She asked sharply, head cocked as she watched his face.

Cheeks red, Jason leaned back against his wall and pretended it made him out of reach.

“We do,” he said curtly, looking down at the trash strewn ground. Trying to explain it now would take too long, Danny would be out soon.

Of course Harley noticed, nodding thoughtfully and leaning back, kicking her legs.

“Well, if ya ever want to tell me more, you’ve got my number. An’ I’ll get Brucie off ya back for a while, even if I’ve gotta call in the Boy Scout. Whatever you aren’t tellin’ ‘im, don’t let ‘im rush ya,” she told him firmly. Jason had to smile.

“Aren’t you the one always telling us to communicate?” He asked half rhetorically. Harley grinned and hopped off her dumpster, making her way to the front of the alley.

“It only works if ya wait til you’re ready. Pushin’ an’ rushin’ only makes it worse,” she explained airily, stepping out into the street.

Turning, and freezing like a hound on a scent. Eyes narrowed, she patted Jason on the chest as he stepped out after her, not turning her head.

“Jason darlin’, be a dear an’ run get Auntie Harley her bat. The bike’s parked ‘round the back,” she said ever so sweetly, and that tone combined with the narrow eyed glare meant Jason knew exactly who she was looking at before he turned.

He did it anyway, eyes widening as he caught sight of Batman, in full gear, coming down the street towards them. Accompanied by John Fucking Constantine.

Had he seriously come to chase him away from Danny in person? In fucking costume?

The anger surged, his and the pit’s, held back only by the small woman in front of him. The dainty hand on her chest, that’d turn into an iron bar if he pushed it.

Sure, she couldn’t actually hold him back, but she didn’t need to. Whatever Jason wanted to say or do to Bruce, Harley could do a whole lot worse.

Anger melding into a vicious satisfaction, he turned straight back down the alley with a spring in his step.

**

Bruce was a little relieved to arrive outside the bar and see Jason already there. Batman walking in wouldn’t have been out of the question, but he’d rather avoid the theatrics.

Danny not being in sight didn’t come into the decision one bit.

But then Harley said something to Jason and he turned away, leaving immediately. Bruce sped up, planning to follow Jason down the alley-

“Hold ya horses, Batsy,” Harley snapped, stepping directly into his path. He could have gone around her, certainly, but he stopped.

If there was even a chance he could get her on side, that would help immensely.

“I just need to talk to Jason,” he said in Batman’s low growl. Constantine had stopped too, well back of whatever was going to happen.

At least he wasn’t a complete fool.

Harley folded her arms, giving him her very least impressed look.

“An’ if the words you’re sayin’ ain’t “I’m so sorry please forgive me I’ll never do it again”, ya don’t actually need to. Ya need ta speak to me.”

Bruce almost frowned at her words. Why now? They’d spoken before, but she’d seemed satisfied. What had changed between now and their last conversation?

Batman’s face remained impassive as ever.

“Harley. It’s important.”

“He wants me to give the kid a magic checkup,” Constantine put in from behind him, still well back. He waved at Harley when she glanced his way.

Harley’s eyes narrowed for a moment and then Jason was jogging back down the alley, holding her bat.

What the hell had changed since their last conversation?

Pinning Constantine with a piercing glare, she held it for a minute before turning her attention back to Bruce. Snapping her fingers in front of his mask before he could even open his mouth.

“Uh uh! Johnny needs ta talk to him fer that, not you. YOU need to come talk ta me. Now.” She held out her other hand without looking, and Jason slipped the bat into it.

Had he really upset Jason that much at the gala? He’d thought he understood about the public apology, but this felt… well, worse than he’d expected.

More urgent. More vehement. She was more angry than she had been.

He’d gone wrong again, some time between now and then, and he had a Justice League meeting in an hour. Less, counting in the travel time back to the nearest zeta terminal.

Did he have time for this?

Jason was glaring at him, flat and unfriendly, but with a decided undercurrent of anticipation. Bruce’s presence would only make Constantine’s job harder.

Ignoring the part of him that thought the magician deserved to have it a lot harder, he nodded and refocused his attention on Harley.

“Fine. Here?” Better to get this over with. He could put aside all of his personal thoughts and feelings for the meeting, but at least he’d have answers.

Harley gave the surrounding street another sharp look, then shook her head, crooked her fingers, and led him into the alleyway.

“We’ll go ‘round the back. You’re bad for business,” she told him archly, and Bruce followed without a word.

He didn’t tell Jason to stay and speak to Constantine; he was self aware enough to know that would have the opposite effect. The magician would just have to sort himself out.

Part of him almost hoped she would actually use the bat this time. It served its purpose as a visual symbol, but everything made much more sense when people just wanted to beat him up.

Navigating their emotions and separate interior lives and expectations was… messy.

**

Constantine and Jason stared at each other for a long moment after Harley and the Bat disappeared down the alley.

Then Constantine sighed and nodded after them.

“If they’re goin’ round back, we can take this off the main street. If you don’t mind?” Not that the boy had much choice.

They’d caught him unmasked, which raised again the fuckin’ question of why Batt-o was so intent on being masked up for this one.

Maybe he just didn’t want to change. It looked like a lot of kohl on under that mask. Probably took a while to switch in and out.

Jason narrowed his eyes back for a moment, then shrugged. His whole posture still screamed annoyance and aggression, but moved back into the side alley anyway.

“Whatever. Not too far though. I need to hear if my friends leave.” There was something about the agreement that didn’t quite sit right for John.

Too easy. He didn’t have much (any) experience with the kid, never having willingly gotten near a revenant, but… well, this? This was weirdly passive.

When he’d seen the kid coming back with a weapon, that had made sense. He’d half expected Jason to take a swing personally; the dead-or-dead-aligned tended to have a different understanding of acceptable violence.

Handing it off to Harley was basically trading a gun for a nuke, but he didn’t seem at all upset that it hadn’t been used. Hadn’t gone for Batman’s throat, no matter how much Harley seemed to think he’d be justified.

What the hell did the Bat do now?

Something was off with Jason, something that made Constantine almost rethink his earlier guess.

Kid dies, shows back up a couple years later in a storm of blood and violence, demanding revenge? Yeah, that was classic revenant. Physical body, jacked beyond anything the kid shoulda grown into? Ditto.

Even the rage the Leaguers reported checked the boxes, but a revenant shouldn’t be this calm. Not in the face of any kind of threat.

Good news, really; he probably wouldn’t go for Constantine’s throat. John was more than happy with that, though he did regret getting the Bat all worked up.

Not that there was another version of the story Batman might take better, mind. Whatever the hell Jason Todd was, the kid wasn’t human anymore, and for ol’ Batsy the rest of the details didn’t much matter.

They got out of sight of the main thoroughfare, Jason leaning back against a wall with his arms folded and a smirk on his face that was just all challenge.

Constantine didn’t rise to it, brows furrowing as he raised a hand and murmured the beginnings of a spell.

Felt it instantly crash around him, smacked down by a power so titanic he’d have fallen if the side of a dumpster hadn’t caught him. A power so old, so wrought with death, so fucking familiar that it blacked out every sense.

No way in fucking hell any kind of fucking revenant, wraith, zombie, ghost, anything could leave that taste in his mouth. No, that? That was a personal signature.

And not something that could be done lightly either. A power like that… no, this power, Constantine knew exactly whose it was.

This kind of power, reacting this strongly? This instantly, even here on Earth? That was the full force of the Infinite Realms, which had to mean…

Eyes wide and shaken, John scrabbled at the lid for support, staring at Jason. Who actually looked more than a little surprised himself.

It took him a moment to find the words, longer to steady the shake in his voice.

“You… you… holy fucking hells, Jason, do you have any idea what you’ve done? You’ve bound your fuckin’ soul to-”

“The same guy you sold yours to?” Jason drawled, raising an eyebrow.

And alright, fair, that was a pretty good fuckin’ point, but Constantine was well aware he was a dire warning, not a good example.

Damn hard to argue that to a smugly reclining something-or-other that had bound himself so tightly to that same king that John couldn’t even do a gentle magical probe.

He’d been planning on being polite and everything. Noninvasive, Jason wouldn’t even feel it.

Shit, had he felt the spell shut down too? Constantine was about to ask, but Jason wasn’t done talking. Or smirking, looking distinctly amused that he’d shut the mouthy magician up.

“Did you know he owns your soul eleven times by now? That seems a little low to me, surely you’re down to hocking scraps,” Jason noted with a dry chuckle.

Constantine shrugged defensively, well aware that his battered soul was nothing to write home about. Still mostly trying to work out what the fuck was going on.

What use would the Ghost King have for a bat? A use important enough to fold Jason, who’d only be risen six years, into the high court?

Sure, the kid was good, he’d proved that in Gotham’s underworld, but to the Realms? He was barely an infant, and cuttin’ off heads would not impress there.

“No one buys just a piece of a soul. Every deal’s for the whole thing, which is why they keep me alive rather’n letting me kick it and tearin’ up the bits,” he explained distractedly, giving Jason another slow once over.

The good news was, nothing about the guy smelled like a revenant. There was power there, sure, a hint of a magical signature just on the borders of recognizable, but he couldn’t quite pin it down.

Jason hummed in acknowledgement, or maybe interest, but Constantine needed him to keep talking. Needed more clues to work out what the fuck this guy was.

“Pretty sure I haven’t had anyone make the same deal eleven times though,” he commented cautiously, trying to appear as casual as Jason while watching him closely, wishing he’d accepted some bat-training, “most people only make that mistake once.”

“Yeah, I asked about that,” Jason agreed with a dry chuckle, and the bottom fell out of Constantine’s stomach.

A position that let him backtalk the king of the Infinite Realms? Triple not good, not least because that lot were volatile and fuckin’ possessive, but not more so than goddamn Batman.

“Apparently people handed you over for some kind of tax season. You’re a low value trading card over there at this point.”

And that knocked every other thought out of Constantine’s head as he straightened, unreasonably affronted.

It’d be fucking nice to be low value. People might ignore him.

And since when did the Infinite Realms collect taxes?

“Low value? Princes of Hell are fightin’ over my damn soul, it’s the only thing keeping me kickin’,” he protested, and Jason snickered.

Gave John a smug, superior smile.

“And ten entities gave your soul up for tax breaks. Let’s face it, it’s not like you have rarity on your side,” he pointed out smugly.

“It’s still only one soul,” Constantine pouted idly, his mind suddenly spinning mile a minute with the implications.

The kid couldn’t have had this much presence last night, whatever else was true. John would have noticed.

It might just have been now that he knew to look for it, but Jason practically glowed with the essence of the Realms. He’d also somehow not just gotten himself bound to the Ghost King, he had a position where he could question them.

And have his questions answered, if not hugely coherently. Maybe that was just the translation through Jason, though.

That could be a good thing. A good sign at least, for the temperament of the new king. Pariah Dark never listened to questions by all accounts; people never got the opportunity to ask. He just conquered.

Of course, John knew enough magical entities to know that “willing to talk” did not mean, friendly, helpful, safe, or even “not prone to constant and complex lies”.

Thing was, he could handle liars. Tricksters. Anything of the sort, usually, cuz if nothing else? Being willing to talk before shooting meant Constantine had a chance to confuse them.

He was bloody good at that, all else notwithstanding. Almost his most useful talent.

It might be worth trying to find a little more about the Ghost King. Doubly if Jason was willing to help, but that’d have to be careful. No way to know what the kid had accidentally sworn to on that soul bond.

Hell, how was he gonna work out what the kid even was with magic off the table? It’d be back to the fuckin’ books and Undead 101.

At least he was still in his own body. That put a limit on the possibilities, but there were still a lot of options. Bats was going to be unbearable.

Because worse yet… the one thing John did know, with absolute certainty, was that the kid was getting stronger. If he hadn’t manifested any powers yet, it was just a matter of time.

Whatever Jason was, whatever deal he’d managed to pull, the damn halfa wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg. Something was feeding the power in him, whatever had yanked him back to the land of the living to start with.

Plus side? Batty could get off his ass about the kids hanging out. Jason had already taken a fuckin’ jet across whatever influence hanging out with a ghost could do, and pushed right the way to the other side.

He might as well be fuckin’ drinking ectoplasm at this point. Kid could carry Danny around on his back and not make a lick of difference.

Course, if it was the halfa who got the kid to make his deal… well, Batman would have another reason to worry about them hangin’ out together, but the damage was already done.

It wasn’t a soul buy, not to John’s experienced eye. Not a leash around the kid’s neck, not a claim stamped into his being. If anything, this was worse.

Somehow Jason had gotten himself so tightly wrapped to the Ghost King that the other’s power all but flowed in his veins. Even from here, far from the Realms, Constantine didn’t even finish the spell before it was smacked down.

That… that was new. Nothing he’d ever seen before, and he was well used to possessive metaphysical assholes who didn’t like anyone else touchin’ their shit.

Fuck, did Jason even know?

Constantine sucked in a breath and gave damn near instantly on even trying to form a tactful question a bat would understand. Kid was playing in his kiddy pool now, like it or not, and John had to know how deep he’d gone.

“So what deal did you make?” He asked bluntly. Not that Jason apparently minded in the least, still smirking as he gave the magician a cool once over.

“Y’know, I’m pretty sure it’s rude to ask. Not discussing paychecks and all that,” he drawled casually, eyes still dark with that barely covered aggression.

Constantine rolled his eyes.

“I had three princes of Hell gettin’ a little too cozy and a cursed rock lookin’ to turn the world to pink tourmaline. The Ghost King was big enough to shut ‘em up and let me push the rock to a different dimension where it’s never gonna be our problem again. Now quit bein’ an ass, I know a lot more about this kinda shit and I can tell ya if they hid any clauses.”

That did shut Jason up, the kid’s eyes widening for a moment like he hadn’t expected Constantine to share.

Tough titties for him, John already knew Batman was gonna be a bitch about this so doing the due diligence early? Pretty much their only hope.

He considered it longer than John thought was justified, since it was inarguable. John Constantine, soul selling expert. He should have business cards made.

Finally the kid shrugged. He still looked prickly, defensive, but he was listening.

“Well I didn’t sell him my fucking soul.” Which.

John stared at him, mouth agape. Snapped shut and narrowed his eyes.

“Kid, you could not be more marked if you wore a neon sign. You signed something over, the Ghost King ain’t the sort to give prizes for free.”

A Ghost King Jason seemed to think was a he, so that was a useful little piece of intel. He’d definitely know better than John if they were already on ask-questions stage.

Jason scowled and shrugged, arms still crossed.

“Lucky me. Protection from big scary human wizards, for the low low price of my service. And some help with my Lazarus problem,” he added, as if the last was the only part he though worth mentioning.

Constantine sagged back against the wall, sinking down to sit on the alley floor. Bracing his elbows on his knees he ran both hands through his hair, holding his head up.

“Great… just fucking great,” he muttered, voice muffled by his new position. Part of him wanted to laugh, but he was pretty sure it’d come out a sob.

Hysteria beckoned.

Jason made another noise that might almost have been concern, and Constantine forced himself to suck in a breath. To keep it together.

Forced his head up so he could glare at the kid who now looked just way too confused.

“You get that that’s worse, right?” He snapped, eyes narrowing. “You get that selling yourself into service is fucking worse?”

Jason glared back down at him, drawing himself up like size and muscle was gonna impress a magician.

(It might have if Jason was a decade or two older, but not the way the kid intended.)

“What the fuck d’you think will happen when he takes your soul?” He snapped back, aggression rising fast enough that Constantine forced himself to stop again.

Deep breath in. Hold. Out.

One more in. Hold. Out.

He got to ten, the kid watching him with visible confusion, deflating the longer John went without pushing back. Yippee for him.

When he thought he had his voice under control again, John forced himself to his feet.

“I sell my soul, and if anyone ever actually claims the damn thing they can do whatever they want to it for eternity. It’ll fuckin’ suck, kid, but the one thing they can’t do, no matter who it is?”

He just sounded tired now, which only wrong footed Jason even more. Why had he even gotten out of bed at all?

Maybe if he left now he could just go back. Tuck himself up in the House of Mystery, feed his League communicator to something pandimensional, and just hide for a while.

The Bat would probably come after him.

Taking another bolstering breath, John did his best to sound calm. Not patronising. Because the kid damn near definitely had no idea.

Which was why people should leave magic to the fuckin’ professionals.

Catching Jason’s eye, he held it, hoping to impress the seriousness of what he was about to say into the kid’s soul.

“They cannot compel me to action. They can try all sorts of force, all sorts of fucked up shit, but I get the last say. They say jump, I say fuck off, no jump. But selling service?”

Jason’s eyes had widened now, and John could just see all those little wheels turning. Well, set the little fuckers spinnin’ faster.

“They say jump, you’re on the way up before you can ask “how high?”. I dunno what you think you signed up for, kid, I dunno what deals with the new king are like cuz I didn’t fuckin’ ask. But you get a copy of the damn contract and bring it back to me. I’ll see if there’s anything we can do about it.”

It was the only logical option, especially with an entity this powerful. Constantine was betting the kid’s hatred of being used, being controlled, would make him agree even if he hated it.

He probably could have been nicer, though.

Jason’s eyes flashed, actually flashed a bright, ecto green as he shot John a glare that promised bloody dismemberment.

There was something else too, something that definitely wasn’t there a second ago but filled the alley now. Something hot and angry and powerfully vicious, something that wanted his blood.

If there were space to back up, he would have. As it was, he let his hand slip behind his back, ready to teleport. He had no doubt that any kind of binding would meet exactly the same fate his inquiry had.

Even in civvies, Jason Todd cut a menacing figure as he stalked the two steps across the alley to put himself directly in Constantine’s face.

“For fuck’s sake, I am not a fucking child! I don’t need you to hold my hand, I don’t need your fucking help, and I don’t need your fucking permission to live my fucking life!”

Constantine actually leaned back, his head brushing the wall behind him as Jason shoved a finger into his face, his every muscle taut with barely restrained violence.

“Like you just fucking said, you don’t know shit! So maybe, just fucking once, the whole fucking lot of you sit the fuck down, shut the fuck up, and stay out of my fucking way!”

This close, Constantine could feel Jason’s hot breath on his face. This close… something clicked.

He could feel Jason’s anger, projecting out of him in a way that definitely wasn’t human. Choking and visceral and absolutely nothing like the pulsating bloody rage that forced itself down his throat.

There was something fucking else inside Jason. Something that tasted of the Infinite Realms and wanted his head on a stick.

Something that wasn’t the Ghost King. Didn’t carry the touch of his claim.

John was about to teleport away, fuck Batman and all of Gotham, when Jason turned around sharply and marched out of the alley. Almost like the kid was running.

Slumping back against the wall, John Constantine closed his eyes and breathed in the city smogs, only happy that none of it actively wanted his blood.

**

Harley let Batman precede her around the milkshake bar to the parking lot at the back, a quick glance confirming that they were alone.

For the best, really; anyone present might get entirely the wrong idea.

Taking a casual roll of the wrist for added momentum, Harley took a quick shot at the back of Batty’s knee, stepping up quickly beside him to use the return swing to catch him in the gut.

Caught off guard, he crumpled, landing on one knee and glaring up at her.

“Harley…” he growled, and her eyes narrowed.

She’d done this the nice way last night. He hadn’t listened, so now they were doing it his way.

“Batsy,” she shot back, cutting him off quick and direct. Tapped her bedazzled bat gently off her other hand. “We had us a talk already this week.”

No specific times; not in an unsecured location. He’d know anyway.

From his silence, he wasn’t quite ready to admit it. But he didn’t try to rise. Conflicted, then.

Like that was new.

Harley pressed the bat gently under his chin, tipping his head up to face her.

“And yet somehow, despite you assurin’ me you’d listened real close, a mister Jason Todd is out here tellin’ me you tried to ban him from hangin’ out with his new boyfriend?” She asked sugar-sweet, her expression all danger.

She could just about see the moment it sank into his head. Even with his actual eyes covered, that cowl was still plenty expressive.

Kinda freakishly expressive. Not ideal for the crime fighting to her mind, but what would she know? She much preferred committing the crimes.

He tried to argue, frown so deep he’d have wrinkles within the day.

“This has nothing to do with that, the Fenton boy is dangerous to his condition-”

Harley cut him off by poking the end of her bat almost into his mouth, her eyes narrowed. And sure, she was bein’ delicate with his head outta concern for that concussion, but there were limits.

“An’ what d’you think ya know about Jason’s condition that a half dead kid don’t?” She asked sceptically.

Batman hesitated. If he pushed the bat away, they’d have an actual fight on their hands. One he might let her win, if he just needed the tussle.

She’d never known a man so eager to have someone put him on his ass, and so incapable of ever lettin’ it actually happen. Well, other than Jason.

Musta run in the family.

Bruce sagged back, sat on the cracked asphalt of the parking lot.

“Constantine believes that Danny’s energy may strengthen something inside Jason. Something dangerous,” he explained, still in Batman’s rough growl.

She was gonna get him a vocoder. Just for shits and giggles.

Fuck, was that why Jason wore the whole helmet for Hoody? Now that she thought of it, there was a voice changer in there.

Two cranky little peas in matching muscly pods.

She dropped to sit cross legged on the ground across from him, bat laying in front of her. Talkin’ again, take two. Time to make it stick.

“Have you actually talked to Jason about this?” She asked sceptically.

The eye slits in the cowl narrowed. Harley was not impressed.

“Have you talked to him at all, since he an’ Danny have been hangin’ out?”

Bruce glared at her for a moment longer. Did not fold his arms or pout, but she could tell he wanted to.

“I spoke with him last night. He’s irrational, angry, unwilling to listen to reason…”

“He’s sick of ya tellin’ him you know what’s best and not listenin’ ta what’s wrong,” Harley corrected flatly.

Watched his shoulders sink just a little. As much as he could deflate in the suit. Even his growl lost most of its sandpaper.

“He said Danny was taking him to a doctor. More exposure to the realms could make things worse. Kill him, or give the pit another chance to take over. I can’t…” he cut himself off, voice tight and garbled around the forced gravel.

Harley watched him for a long moment.

He’d come out in the suit. It had to be for a reason.

She couldn’t ask the questions that would break him apart in the suit. Couldn’t guide him through the revelations and the grief. Not if there was somethin’ else he had ta be doing.

Another damn time then. She’d get ‘im here again.

“Batsy.” Her voice was gentler this time, and drew his face back to hers. She made sure to catch his eye. “He already died. Seems ta me somethin’ in there never really let him go.”

She didn’t know much about the Infinite Realms… or anything at all, really. All this magic and mayhem and ghosts was fun an’ all, and she always liked to play, but it wasn’t her wheelhouse.

Didn’t have ta be. She knew how to listen to the professionals.

Bruce had stiffened, the mask of Batman pulling back, and she cut him off with a raised hand.

“An’ you only have ta look at Danny ta know that whatever all that is? Jason ain’t the first. Won’t be the last. Someone’s gonna know what went wrong, and Jason believes they’re helping him. You need to believe Jason.”

“But he could be wrong.” It was barely more than a whisper. Low and grinding and completely devoid of Batman growl, like it’d been pulled right out of his soul.

Harley gave him a gentle bop on the head with her bat.

“Then we deal with that then. But all ya doin’ by bossin’ him around an’ not listenin’ is pissing him off and makin’ him more likely ta run right off to these Realms. He’s not the sweet kid followin’ ya shadow anymore, Batsy. He’s a man, and he gets to make choices. And mistakes.”

This sure as hell wasn’t one of ‘em, but Bruce had never been good at taking that on faith. He had to be shown, and he’d never stop waiting for the tables to turn.

Which was how he usually made things worse. But he did at least know that.

He still looked mutinous, scowling across at her, so she gave him a slightly harder bop on the shoulder.

“Batman, listen ta me. I know you mean well, but Danny makes him happy. All Jason’s seein’ right now is that he’s happy, an’ you wanna take it away.”

That hit harder than any of her blows, though she wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t known him so long. His whole body stiffened, sudden hesitation in even his breathing.

Harley stared him down through it, then nodded in satisfaction as his shoulders lowered, just a fraction.

“I can’t lose him again, Harley,” he whispered, barely audible even less than a foot away.

She gave him an even harder bop on the other shoulder.

“Then stop driving him away. You ain’t even said sorry for the other night yet an’ now you owe him another apology. There’s always that things might go wrong; he might get hit by a car crossing the street. The only sure thing is that if you keep treating him like this?”

She leaned forwards, grabbing his chin and forcing him to face her. To look at her, and see how serious she was.

He was reluctant to meet her eyes, but even under the white outs Harley knew when she had someone’s attention. Good. He probably knew what came next.

“You will lose him, Batsy. And it’ll be no one’s fault but your own.”

**

Danny couldn’t have missed Constantine making his way up the street blindfolded and with his ears plugged. It might have been the whole “owned his soul” thing.

It also might have been the vortex of swirling magical attention that followed him like a cloud. The guy clearly wasn’t trying to advertise his presence, but to something like Danny…

Well, trying to hide that hard always caught his attention. A magical “nothing to see here” tasted like liquorice in the back of his throat.

Maybe the trench coat was actually cursed, in more than just the unfortunate fashion sense.

Part of him wondered if this had anything to do with them. The rest, well aware what his luck was like, wondered if he’d come barging into the restaurant.

It wasn’t like he shouldn’t be getting ready to go anyway, but he just… well, he was having a surprising amount of fun just hanging out with Waylon.

The guy was old enough to be his dad, but he was a great listener. Really encouraging, and he’d told Danny another couple of stories too, some from his darker times but all with happy endings.

He was probably trying to make Danny feel better after their talk, and it was definitely working. It just… well, he didn’t even really like thinking about Dan.

He’d asked Nocturn to put him to sleep not long after becoming king, to give the guy something to do other than stew in a thermos and plot vengeance.

Part of him still kinda expected that to bite him in the ass, but even if Dan broke out of Nocturn’s dreams, he couldn’t break out of Soup Time. For whatever reason he’d never learned Danny’s portal trick.

All the people who kept souping Danny were dead in Dan’s timeline.

Danny had almost been ready to wrap things up with Waylon (as little as he wanted to; they’d already exchanged numbers) when he felt Jason’s rage bubble.

He didn’t realise he’d blanked out until Waylon tapped the table in front of him with a claw, concern on his scaly face.

“Somethin’ th’ matter, kid?” He asked in a low growl.

Danny shook his head, staring down at the mostly empty milkshake and chugging the rest.

“Probably nothing… just got a bad feeling about Jason,” he explained with a shrug.

Reached out just a little, extending his senses but not aura. If Jason was already mad, that might send him over the edge.

Just as he reached out a sudden flare of fury made his hand clench, the glass he was still grasping shattering. Great, he had a hand full of milkshake and shards.

Shaking both free, Danny shoved his way out of the booth at the same time as Waylon, the big man going from concerned to battle ready in an instant.

For the first time, he almost looked dangerous. Danny was glad to have him at his back for the visual component at least; anyone who didn’t think twice about pissing off a tank like Jason wouldn’t even blink at Danny.

Killer Croc though? He got that name on his looks alone, long before he earned it.

They didn’t even make it across the bar, wait staff scattering to what were clearly well established positions in case trouble came in.

Trouble didn’t; barely.

Jason Todd did, all but vibrating with rage and steaming green with Pitty’s contribution.

Wait; steaming? Jason had mentioned the Lazarus pits did that, but Danny had never seen ectoplasm steam before. Could everyone see it?

Whether Waylon could or not, it didn’t stop him from hurrying forward, attention fully focused behind Jason for anyone following.

It was maybe the teeniest bit cute that even so angry he had a personal heat haze, Jason didn’t even think Waylon was going for him. His attention was fixed somewhere else; somewhere internal and probably bloody.

Instinct pulled Danny forward, Jason slipping easily into his aura and for a moment Danny felt like he’d drown in Jason’s rage. Answered it himself a moment later, stroking across the anger with worry-protect-safe now.

Jason twitched just a little as the aura washed around him, looking around on automatic until he faced Danny.

The rage softened just a little as he caught Danny’s eye, shoulders sagging. His jaw unclenched enough to talk; visibly enough that it must have been painful.

“Just fucking B again, treating me like a fucking child,” he spat, fists still clenched tight at his sides.

The effort it was clearly taking not to go out and start swinging kept Danny on edge, even as Waylon relaxed.

“Yer a long way from that, kid,” the big guy agreed with a low chuckle, still between Jason and the door, and rested a large hand lightly on Jason’s shoulder. “Want me to go have a word?”

Jason shook his head sharply, the smallest of smiles flicking across his face before the anger replaced it. Yeah, definitely cute.

“No thanks. You’ve only just got out, you don’t need bat trouble again already,” he said through gritted teeth, then nodded to Danny. “I just wanna get out of here.”

Danny nodded immediately, going from maybe-fight to flight. Which was kinda literally an option. Ghosts knew how to make an exit.

“Do you wanna take your bike or just disappear?” He asked simply.

Jason gave him a tight smile, barely layered over anger he was still struggling to control. Fuck, if this was what he’d been dealing with every day before Danny came along…

“Harley’s out back with Batman. I just want to fucking go,” he growled, shaking his head.

Danny nodded again, turning and crouching a little for Jason to hop onto his back.

“Phantom Express it is then.”

And yeah, he knew it looked stupid without Waylon’s confirming snort of laughter.

So did Jason, and the tinge of mirth that coloured his rage-burning-break in his head was more than worth looking silly.

Seemed like Jason was finally starting to trust his strength too as he hopped up without question, Danny not reacting in the slightest to his added weight.

And definitely not the way Jason now towered over him, or having those thighs wrapped around his waist. Nope. No horny in the aura today.

Giving a last nod to Waylon, he turned them both invisible and flew up through the roof, intangibility phasing them through at the last second.

Once they were high enough to be beyond any eavesdropping, he slowed to a stop, not quite looking back at his passenger.

“So, where do you wanna go?”

As Danny had kinda hoped, the sudden exhilaration of flight had tamped Jason’s anger back down until it was less a physical presence. It still seethed and boiled inside him, but it was losing steam.

About half of what he could feel from Jason now was just tired, and honestly? Couldn’t blame him.

Danny had been told how bad his pit rages had been, a visceral wrath that almost possessed Jason and made him lash out in all directions. And by all accounts? He still hadn’t seen the half of it.

It made his core ache just thinking about living with that much rage stuck inside. Feeling like that all the time… Danny had always respected Jason, but this? This demanded a whole new level.

And a little bit made him want to put Jason in a nice ectoplasm hamster ball so he could roll around the streets and nothing would ever hurt him again.

Gonna have to keep that under wraps too, since apparently Danny was losing his fucking mind all up in Gotham.

(Not that he’d never hamster balled anyone before. It was just usually a punishment for Tucker, or Wes if they were being assholes. Derogatory hamster balls were totally fine and not evidence of losing anything at all.)

The man himself was quiet for a long moment, struggling with just everything that was going on inside him.

Danny waited, turning them both intangible again just in case Jason could still be affected by the cold. At this height, it wasn’t exactly pleasant.

Made him side eye all those pictures of witches in dresses and long socks on broomsticks. Good way for the living to get pneumonia, in Danny’s opinion.

Jason didn’t even seem to notice, letting out a frustrated huff of air.

“We’ve gotta get Tucker home. If B is off being an asshole we can at least go to the manor,” he grumbled.

Danny paused for a long moment himself, considering another solution. After all, for ghosts it was simply unthinkable that they hadn’t even had an introductory brawl yet.

Whenever he got that pissed, getting the shit kicked out of him had always helped burn off the energy. But maybe Jason’s was different.

Danny was pretty sure he’d never been that pissed, not even at Pariah. Not even at Agent K.

Danny wouldn’t judge. For now, he nodded, turning to head towards the manor.

“We can go to Frostbite after we’ve dropped Tuck off. It’s been long enough, and you definitely feel stronger?” He offered, kinda hoping it might help Jason feel better.

The grunt he got in return didn’t sound convinced, but Jason also didn’t argue.

Neither of them were expecting to run into traffic in the Gotham airways though, at least not below airline level. Or to be interrupted.

With a sudden loud gust of wind, another black haired young man in a black leather jacket pulled up in front of them, looking around with a frown.

“Hey, I heard someone up here? Jason? Where are you?” He asked loudly, brows furrowing like he was still listening.

Danny’s confusion was better than words as Jason gave his shoulder a quick squeeze.

“Superboy the first. Tim’s boyfriend,” he explained quietly, and Kon’s head whipped around to follow the sound.

“Okay Jason, I know you’re up here, what the fuck?” He asked impatiently, which was when Danny remembered.

Still invisible. Hiding from the Bat and also concerned citizens. He popped them back into visibility with a sheepish grin, waving at… Connor? Or Con? No, kinda sharper. Kon.

It might have been a secret third level of alias, but Danny was pretty sure the bats had called him by a couple names over the various stories.

“Hey… sorry, forgot we were invisible,” he explained, trying not to laugh. Mostly at himself, but best not give the wrong impression.

Superboy’s eyes locked on them for a moment, narrowed briefly, and then his face broke into a grin.

“So, I’m gonna guess you’re Danny, Tucker’s friend that Tim has been gushing about?” He asked eagerly, reclining comfortably in the air. Then paused. “Well, gushing about Tucker. You were mentioned, though.”

That sounded about right.

Danny snickered and nodded, giving Jason a careful reshuffle. If they weren’t gonna be travelling for the moment, they could get a little more comfortable.

Thick thighs tightened around his hips and Danny very specifically did not melt into a puddle of goo. Not even a little bit.

“Yeah, we were just gonna go get Tucker and head out. Are you coming to see Tim?” He asked, kinda half wanting to wait around long enough and see what Tucker and Connor made of each other.

Kon if he was here in official capacity? But he wasn’t exactly wearing a super uniform, or logo. But Jason hadn’t mentioned a name, because Jason wasn’t a helper.

There was one easy way around that though. Bouncing Jason just a little more roughly than strictly necessary, Danny stuck out his hand.

“Danny Fenton, by the way. Since we haven’t been fully introduced.” He gave his best cheerful-but-totally-human grin. No point unnerving the first official alien he met, even if he was only half alien.

The boy reached out easily, giving him a firm handshake back.

“Kon El. Connor when we’re on street level. And yeah, I was just heading the same way when I heard you guys. Tim asked if I’d bring Tucker home though, he wasn’t sure what you guys’ plans were so if you had anything else to do?” He glanced from one to the other, so clearly not asking that he might as well have.

Could Kryptonians see the heat haze of Jason’s anger too? Or did he just know the family well enough, know Jason well enough, to know the signs?

Danny hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at the other halfa. He could almost taste Jason’s indecision, holding each other this close. Bitter and tight in the back of his throat.

How much did he want to deal with his family, with that rage still burning inside him? Hell, they hadn’t even worked out what Jason would do while Danny took Tucker home.

Danny kept quiet though, leaving the choice up to Jason.

It didn’t take long.

Sucking in a deep breath, Jason let out a heavy sigh, a wave of pure relief washing over him.

The anger was still there, a hot little coal right between the dual cores, but it couldn’t drown out the gratitude-sorry-safe. Barely tempered it anymore.

His voice was still gruff when he spoke, still stiff with emotion, but Kon seemed to understand.

“Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks Kon.”

The younger man tipped them both a sarcastic salute, straightening in the air and turning towards Wayne manor.

“You’ve probably got like, a text from Tim about the change of plan, if he even bothered to mention it, but I’ll let him know I saw you. Seems like you’re sticking around, so I’ll probably run into you again, Danny.” He gave them both a cheery nod and flew away.

A tiny part of Danny was sorry that they wouldn’t be around to watch Tucker spiral when confronted with Tim’s boyfriend.

Tim Drake Wayne was a hottie, no point denying it, and he was easily Tucker’s second biggest tech crush beside the mysterious Oracle. With all that hero worship though?

Tucker probably hadn’t actually noticed he was also hot yet. He’d have been in love with him if he’d looked like a snail.

Kon El though? Kon El had exactly the kind of leather jacket, too cool for school, sculpted good looks that Tucker fell head over heels for on any gender.

(Danny absolutely was not a hypocrite, he’d be the very first to admit that he and Tucker had very similar taste in partners, at least as far as appearances. Tucker just preferred a little more “step on me” energy.)

In all the reminders that Tim had a boyfriend, no one had said his boyfriend was hot.

Danny didn’t mention it. It wasn’t like he’d have been able to fully enjoy things anyway; the night before had proved that, and Jason’s mood had been rosy by comparison.

He did offer just one comment though, watching Kon fly away thoughtfully.

“Should we have warned him that Tucker is going to spontaneously combust if Kon tells him to ride him?” He asked mostly hypothetically, fading them out of visibility and tangibility again.

It startled Jason into letting out a snort of laughter which became a cough with his last rasp of thinner air.

“You just did, with Kon’s hearing,” he managed once he could talk normally again, and Danny considered feeling bad about it.

That sizzling coal of rage was almost buried under amused-anticipation-relief.

Nah. No matter what form Tucker’s next wave of vengeance took, this was worth it.

“So, where to next?” He asked, again… kinda hypothetically. From Jason’s sigh the older man was just as aware of what the answer had to be.

“Let’s just fucking go see Frostbite. If I keep looking at the city something’s gonna piss me off again.” He sounded reluctant, resigned, but a slow creeping glow of amazement spread through his aura.

About to pop open another portal, Danny tipped his head up as far as he could and made them visible again, looking for his face.

“What’s up?” He asked, willing to put dimensional travel on hold if there was anything they might be able to do to actually help.

Jason shook his head to focus himself, glancing down at Danny and quickly looking away. Was Danny imagining that sweet pink blush in his cheeks?

“It’s nothing.”

Danny waited, secure in the actual empathic sensation of Jason warring with himself on his back. Finally he won (and also lost, as all civil wars end) and sighed.

“Just. I’ve never come out of the pit rage this fast before,” he admitted gruffly, glaring down at the sparkling lights of the city below. Like this wasn’t something to celebrate.

Danny let them fade back to invisibility, since Jason pretty clearly didn’t want to be looked at.

“Hey, that’s great news! We’ll just have to short circuit Tucker’s gay ass every time you need a boost,” he chirped brightly, and popped the portal open to Jason’s laughter.

**

In his heart of hearts, Bruce knew why Harley was taking him to the parking lot.

If there was any chance of witnesses, any possibility of being overheard, he couldn’t listen to her. Not in the suit. Couldn’t show what any of his rogues (who hadn’t met Harley) might misconstrue as weakness.

If there was a single place in the city which could be trusted to be unsurveiled, it was the parking lots to his rogues’ side businesses. They had their own professional courtesies.

He appreciated it, in his own way. The closest thing to privacy they could have outside the Batmobile at the moment (and even then his children could listen in).

The baseball bat had been… well, not a total surprise, she’d had Jason fetch it in front of him and it wasn’t likely to be an empty prop twice in a row.

Still, he wasn’t as prepared as he could have been, and the first two blows hurt. His fold to the ground was mostly genuine, though part of him was definitely leaning in.

Concussion be damned, he’d been taking an emotional beating this week. At least exterior bruises would show him when they were healing.

But he hadn’t had time after her warning to do anything but head to the meeting.

Had he?

All he remembered was the seriousness of her face, the weight of absolute certainty in her words.

He would lose Jason, because he himself had pushed him away. Because Jason didn’t think Bruce trusted him. Thought Bruce would take away his chance at happiness.

Maybe Danny had been right. Maybe Jason didn’t even know Bruce loved him.

Things were so much worse than he’d made himself believe.

He knew he’d risen when his alarm went off, giving him ten minutes to head to the zeta tubes. Found Constantine again in the alley, since the man was with him now.

Couldn’t remember talking to him. But that wasn’t unlike himself anyway.

There was a hidden zeta tube downtown, only just far enough to justify the Batmobile, but Bruce would rather not leave it to drive home from Freeze’s place anyway.

He set it to return to the cave as he climbed out, at the end of another dark alley. The sun was already beginning to sink, painting the city in yellow and gold.

Constantine tapped carefully on the hood of the Batmobile between them, then jumped back as the car drove itself away, swearing. By the time he finished dusting himself off, Bruce was watching him again.

“Are yer back in there?” The magician asked cautiously, his own voice rough.

Bruce took a moment to assess his colleague. Never exactly tidy, Constantine looked more dishevelled than he had before Bruce and Harley left him.

Jason’s checkup likely hadn’t gone well.

Of course it hadn’t. Not if Jason felt the way Harley said… no. The way he’d told Harley he felt. Because Harley asked.

Something deep and weary in him tried to pull his shoulders down to sag, but he ignored it with the aid of long practice. Just gave Constantine a stiff jerk of the head.

“Hn.”

The man rolled his eyes, turning and heading for the defunct phone booth disguising the zeta tube.

“Great, monosyllables. Well, since yer back, listen up.”

The results of his examination, if Jason even let him perform it. Still, maybe the man would have something? It wasn’t like he couldn’t have cast a few spells without Jason knowing.

“First of all, yer boy ain’t a revenant.”

That jerked Bruce to a stop, his brows furrowing as he turned to face Constantine head on again. The magician had pulled a cigarette from somewhere, likely because they were heading for the Watchtower.

Bruce didn’t bother trying to stop him. He was too busy trying to process.

Constantine didn’t look happy either, so this probably wasn’t actually good news?

“What do you mean?” He growled, stepping closer and lowering his voice to avoid eavesdroppers.

Constantine rolled his eyes, waved his free hand, and the smoke from his cigarette crackled briefly in the air.

“None o’ that cloak and dagger shit, Bats. No one’s gonna hear us. But the kid, Jason? He’s not a revenant. Not sure what he is, actually, an’ not too keen on lookin’ deeper.”

It might have been the longest Bruce had heard him speak without saying “fuck” since the Amity Park question came up. The fact that he looked distinctly uneasy made that less reassuring.

“Why not?” Bruce growled, a little grateful to be able to step back and away from the smoke. Harley had left his head be for the most part, but it was already pounding again.

Constantine fixed him with a slow, speculative look.

“See, here’s my issue,” he began, raising a hand to cut off a growled protest and pointing directly at Bruce. “You? You’re Mr Worst Case Scenario. Can’t stop pokin’ at shit til it gives you an answer, or bites yer head off.”

That was certainly true. It was something that Alfred… Selina… Clark… Dick… Diana… almost everyone close to him had complained of.

Bruce wasn’t convinced it was a shortcoming, but he knew it about himself. It had been an underlying theme this whole investigation; Constantine telling him things because otherwise he’d go poking.

So what changed?

“You’re not gonna like whatever I tell you. An’ I could try an’ temper that by lyin’, or I could treat you like a fuckin’ adult on yer promise the you don’t go punchin’ inter shit yer don’t understand.”

Constantine stared expectantly at him, taking another long drag on his cigarette.

Ah. Waiting for Bruce to choose an option. As if there was any doubt?

“I swore your oath,” Bruce reminded him gruffly, and Constantine rolled his eyes again.

“An’ I’m fully aware you’re a tricky piece of shit that’ll try and work around it the second it comes up. That’s why it’s generic. You hear about the Ghost King, you back the fuck off, shut the fuck up, and run. That’ll include any of yer precious reports.”

He took another slow drag of his cigarette, watching Bruce the whole while. Bruce stared back, unsure what he was looking for but determined that he’d find nothing.

Shit. So much for having Red Robin and Oracle prod around for him. Though he had been planning to warn them to be delicate.

It barely occurred to him that showing nothing might tell Constantine more than anything else before the magician sighed and shook his head.

“Listen, B. The shit you need to know? Actually, really need to know? Jason’s… safe. There’s not a damn thing in the Infinite Realms that can hurt him now, whatever he is. I’d even put money on him bein’ demon proof, with the wards on him now.”

And wouldn’t it be so, so nice to believe that Constantine had put those wards on him? Bruce could feel the wish for it, a flight of fancy he rarely allowed himself.

Bruce let himself indulge in the want to believe for about the same length of time as that ominous pause.

“What wards?” He asked flatly, the low rumble not exactly hiding how he felt about the situation, but since he’d almost rather yell, he considered it fair.

Constantine, again, was not impressed. He folded his arms and prodded at Bruce with his still smoking cigarette.

“See, there’s that prodding. I’m trying to do this the nice way, B. Give you answers instead of just shutting you down, but you aren’t gonna know everything without a couple decades of practice, and you need to get over that.”

The magician took another drag, closing his eyes tightly for a second. When he opened them again, he looked entirely uncompromising.

The stern professional Bruce had only seen previously in life and death situations, and ones getting worse at that. Was this situation that dire?

“I could speak a word and make you forget this whole damn thing. Four more, and you’d have no choice about droppin’ it,” Constantine growled, clearly bitterly regretting not choosing that option. Bruce’s eyes narrowed in response.

He’d clearly ruled it out, but he hadn’t wanted to. Whatever he didn’t want to tell Bruce, Constantine expected him to have a powerful response.

Which meant that is was very bad, but also that Bruce’s natural response would make things worse. He could work around that.

He chose not to address the remark at all, just waiting for Constantine to continue. The man stayed silent just long enough that Bruce wondered if he was changing his mind on trying to make him forget.

This was why he hated magic. But he’d broken through it before. No spell could stand up to intense, detailed scrutiny, and he would surely have plenty of clues to remind himself when the problem was with his own son.

Finally Constantine sighed, flicked the butt of his cigarette to the ground, and crushed it under one heel. He seemed to have come to a decision, new purpose under the fear he’d been hiding since he first arrived.

“Let’s just get this over with,” he sighed, heading for the zeta tube. There was just a little more spring in his step.

Bruce frowned and moved to block him.

“The wards,” he pressed, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. This conversation was important.

Constantine looked surprisingly chipper actually, raising his chin to give Bruce a sudden and almost startling smirk.

“Oh no, big guy. You had your chance to promise to behave like an adult, so we’re going with option three.”

He’d noticed Bruce’s lack of comment. Obviously, but Bruce hadn’t really thought he’d need to say anything.

Investigating was what Batman did. He knew how to do it tactfully, and without stepping on toes. He just wouldn’t promise not to do it.

None of which explained Constantine’s suddenly improved mood. It was almost the same satisfaction he’d show when he’d worked out how to pawn an unpleasant job off on someone else.

“And that is?” Bruce asked warily, suspecting he wouldn’t like whatever made this not Constantine’s problem. Constantine waggled a finger at him, like he was nothing more than a naughty child.

“I let you ask questions, after Wonder Woman promises to keep yer in line.” He said it with the finality of a lead weight, and it dropped through Bruce’s chest like one.

Shit.

Diana… Diana knew him far too well. If Constantine convinced her of whatever gave him this level of caution, she would camp in the bat cave to stop him if necessary.

Diana didn’t tolerate what she considered risk. If Bruce could convince her he was right instead… she could be a very useful ally. And she had always liked Jason.

Jason adored her. Wonder Woman had always been his favourite hero, even as a child. If Diana asked him, he might even agree to a consultation.

Bruce still didn’t know what had happened with today’s consultation, and apparently he wouldn’t even find out until they spoke to Wonder Woman.

He could extrapolate from that alone, frankly, even if Constantine wasn’t visibly rattled.

Bruce stepped aside somewhat reluctantly, letting Constantine step into the zeta tube first. They could technically fit in together, but he wasn’t exactly in the mood to play sardines.

The magician’s vehemence was troubling him, as was his conviction that Wonder Woman would be the answer. It was possible that Bruce had miscalculated the scale of the threat they were facing.

Whatever had warded Jason must be touchy enough to dislike any form of questions, and powerful enough to have its displeasure matter. And if it would be able to detect the questions being asked…

Contrary to popular opinions, Bruce did know how to temper his investigative instincts when called for. People only had to ask.

And.

Impress on him. A few times. That they meant it.

Honestly if they just told him why and what to expect, set some limitations and boundaries, it wasn’t like he was unreasonable. He just liked to verify data through his own sources.

Justice League Dark were a perfectly reputable source when he had to involve himself with magic. He could cross reference things between other members if he needed to check Constantine’s intel.

The unfortunate fact of the matter seemed to be that however little Bruce liked it, he did now need to learn more about magic. He’d been content to leave it to the experts for as long as he could, but…

But it now concerned one of his children. His second son, the one he’d lost.

At the very least, he needed to understand enough about the Infinite Realms to know how to keep Jason safe. What he would need, if there was anything they should be doing for him.

Not that the JL Dark had bothered to let him know when they thought Jason was a revenant. That might have been nice, even if apparently he wasn’t.

He’d already planned to start with Constantine’s attached reading on the Infinite Realms, and the Ghost King in particular for his new researches.

(Just the thought sent a shiver down his spine, and Bruce stepped into the zeta tube a little faster than necessary. Was that his oath? On just the thought?)

He could get information on these specific wards too. Cross reference with Zatanna when she was available. Perhaps contact Dr Fate.

The Justice League Dark had their own sections of both reference materials and secured artefacts in various bases around the world.

Studying those should be a sufficient compromise; he wouldn’t reach out to the Infinite Realms directly, not until the Anti-Ecto Acts had been dealt with.

Then they could get in touch with Jason’s mysterious doctor, provided he was willing. Have the dismantling of the acts as a show of good faith.

He’d have to ask Constantine about a sufficient apology too. And mention the acts themselves; somehow there just hadn’t been time today.

Stepping out into the Watchtower, Bruce was maybe just possibly anticipating the magician’s reaction, in a dark way. Let someone else have a bad day for a change.

The poor man had been so upset with the idea that Bruce might ask questions about the realms. The fact that the United States had declared a kill order on all its occupants was not going to go over well.

And all that sass and defensive aggression could be pointed at someone other than Bruce for a while.

Actually? He should wait until Constantine was sitting down. He could add it to his meeting notes, bring it up to the whole League at once.

There would be someone on site if the magician actually fainted.

Or if Bruce’s head actually exploded.

Bruce made a mental note to check their medical supplies and defences, in case there were any unpredictable reactions. He could swing by the infirmary before they got started.

Giving Constantine a quick parting nod, he turned away from the hall and walked quickly towards the infirmary. Just to check in.

Today’s meeting was just the Justice League, with Constantine as the sole representative of JL Dark; Dark’s members all seemed to know about the Infinite Realms and Amity Park already. They didn’t need the briefing.

They’d have to read Bruce’s meeting notes now though. The same ones he was fully aware most members of the League just ignored, considered wasteful paperwork.

They expected to be told directly if something was important. As if he had all the time in the world, and they had no personal responsibility.

The lights thrummed softly as he walked, all the little noises of the satellite’s systems ticking over in perfect order helping Bruce settle into his purpose.

Jason’s report had been thorough, and though Bruce could easily see the bias around his son’s words… in this case it was more than justified.

The wording used to describe Jason and others like him in the acts contained less expletives, but were no better. The veneer of detachment only made the disdain shine through more clearly.

As if his son were beneath contempt. If Jason were to be believed (and Bruce would confirm with Constantine and Shazam) then most of his family were ecto-contaminated.

It was almost nice to have a tangible problem to solve. An enemy he could face and defeat in simple, easy manoeuvres. It was unlikely to be a physical fight, but that hardly mattered.

The delicate machinations of politics were better left to Wonder Woman, Aquaman, damn near anyone but Batman. No, Bruce Wayne was far more influential in that arena.

A little money in the right places, press coverage, a big “himbo with a heart of gold” performance. They weren’t his preferred weapons, but he knew they were effective.

And for Jason, there was nothing at all he wouldn’t do.

Purpose and the time limit combined hastened his step, his cloak billowing around him as he stalked the halls of the Watchtower. The infirmary was empty; always good.

Their stocks were full, and there were three nurses on duty that Bruce had personally selected. He trusted all of them, and none looked worried at his visit.

Batman was well known for overpreparing. It always came in useful.

He was just making his way back towards the meeting hall, feeling markedly better himself with a firm goal in mind, when Superman rounded the corner ahead of him.

The man of steel was heading his way, worry writ large on his face. If he’d heard Bruce’s talk with Harley… actually, if he’d been able to overhear Constantine’s talk with Jason, that would be very useful.

Bruce prepared a few brief words to reassure his friend as succinctly as possible, and get them both moving back towards the meeting. They could actually talk afterwards.

He never got to say them. Superman ignored his little nod of greeting and hurried up to him, standing close enough that they couldn’t be overheard. Blocking Bruce’s path.

A thrum of dread wormed its way back into Bruce’s heart as he looked up into his friend’s earnest, deep blue eyes.

Clark kept his voice low, urgent and concerned as he whispered five words that shattered the world.

“Bruce? I can’t hear Jason’s heart.”

—————————

😈

Now quick, for extra bonus points, who can name what was supposed to happen at some point in the last two chapters and didn’t? This is your chance for a treat from the beginning of the next chapter

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Next chapter!

[luckyarchivist]

Cuddling with Mhin….or just Mhin headcanons in general

Sure! This time I'll do both, I hope that's okay :) I'll start with the general headcanons!

Mhin: General HCs

They're intersex!

They are canonically pretty science-y, so even though they're not at a doctor's level, they have a decent amount of medical knowledge—especially the combat-useful stuff. I bet they'd give a pretty good massage!

If they don't already have one, they'd really like a hands-on hobby like sewing or knitting or even, like, woodcarving.

Family is something they long for. They both deeply want and are incredibly scared of the prospect of having their own family one day.

They are super attached to all the stray cats they feed. At first, they tried not to give them names—after all, when you give something a name, you're asking to be attached to it—but it became too confusing without all of them having some kind of name. Mhin gives them simple names that match their appearances (Stripes for a striped cat, or Midnight for a black cat) to keep up the illusion of not caring for them.

I definitely just got this from a Red Spring tweet, but there's no way Mhin's not lactose-intolerant. I just know some cheese would fuck them up.

Mhin: It's Cuddle Time!

Mhin is not really a cuddler, but sometimes they need comfort, you know? They're only human. They're more likely to settle down with you for a nice cuddle sesh if you're the one who needs it, though.

They'll ask to hold you if they think you need it, and give you a chance to get comfy and grab a blanket if you want and so on. It's a little harder for them to ask for themselves, so you'll need to look out for them, too.

They are definitely a lay-down cuddler and not a sit-up cuddler, so you'll need to take the bed or a couch that can fit both of you width- and height-wise.

No matter your size, and no matter which of you needs comfort, Mhin will want to hold you instead of be held. They like feeling like they can protect you here, too.

They won't talk much while they hold you. They enjoy just hearing your breathing, knowing that you're there next to them, without you "saying anything annoying" (That's mean, Mhin!). But, if you prefer to talk, they'll keep up a quiet, relaxed conversation with you.

They won't want to talk about it if something's bothering them, and won't necessarily feel comfortable prying into what's wrong with you. But they'll talk about other things. Ask them about what the latest drama with their stray cats is: that's sure to get Mhin talking, in a low tone that's equally fond and exasperated.

They are going to hold you for...a while. Like, a long time. Which is one of many reasons why they don't do it often! It's a big time commitment and they only have so much time!!

Thank you sm for my very first ask!

[tiredandoptimistic]

i think your posts are so so cool, so when i saw that you were asking for asks i was wondering what i could ask, only to realise that i don’t exactly know which parts of tsc you feel strongly enough about to talk about them, so if any of this isn’t interesting to you i’m so sorry andjdhdj (and of course feel free to ignore this in that case)

do you have any thoughts on tda that you’ve wanted to share? i’d love to hear your thoughts on emma’s arc (i feel like it had sm potential but fell a little flat on some counts), or the manyyy different plotlines, or thule, or on lady midnight (the book, not annabel, though that’d be interesting too), but really anything about the trilogy that you’d like to talk about! :) i’m sorry for the many options - not tryna be overbearing ahh, this is just bc i’m genuinely not sure what exactly about the trilogy you like and didn’t wanna put you into a box

Thanks for the ask, I'm glad you like my blog! Historical TSC is definitely my favorite, but I've got a lot of love for the modern stuff too (especially TMI). As for TDA though, that's admittedly not a series I'm super into. I only read it once, back when it was coming out, so it's been a little while. That's one reason I'm looking forward to rereading it in the lead up to TWP, because I'm interested in seeing what I think of the series now that it's been a couple years.

I don't remember much about Emma outside of her relationship with Julian, so I would have liked to see more of her as an individual.

My favorite plotline was Kit, Ty, and Livvy's whole deal. I know that I'm not as enthusiastic about them as the rest of the fandom, but I do enjoy that group and I'm excited to see more of them in TWP.

Thule is something I remember really disliking, mostly because I had enjoyed the buildup to Annabel as a villain and it felt disappointing to just kill her off and focus on AU Sebastian. I liked seeing Raphael alive and hearing his reaction to Magnus naming a kid after him though, since he's one of my favorites. I'm intrigued by Janus as a character and to see how he interacts with the TMI crew, and I hope he feels like a consistent extension of Jace.

I think that's most of your prompts, and I definitely don't mind that you sent so many!

[jacobsbigmelons]

Also...face sitting with jacob 🤭 like him whimpering and whining because readers tongue just feels so fucking good

Midnight fun

Jacob Custos x Male reader

cw: nsfw, face sitting, face riding, handjob, masturbation and my bad execution of these fics by always starting out in the cabins 💀

i love seeing jocks like jacob being the ones who are eaten out, go fuck a top rn

Jacob was scratching at his underwear as he was trying to get comfortable underneath his sheets, his crop top dangling off the side of the bed frame about to fall to the floor if he keeps moving around. Though the sound of a singular drop of liquid in the quiet cabin made him perk up for a split second before trying to get back to sleep.

You spat out a drop of saliva into your hand as you began to stroke your cock quickly trying to imagine any kind of explicit imagery in your brain though due to Mr.H taking all of the councilors phones you haven’t been able to get off as easily as you used to unless you spent some time with Jacob of course.

At this point Jacob was just staring up at the ceiling as the sounds of a sort of sloppy wet noise began to come from underneath him, he furrowed his brow as he felt his cheeks heat up a bit as the bulge in his pants only got bigger. He opened his mouth as if to speak. “Yo dude…are you…getting off right now?”

His voice caught you off guard and quite frankly kinda freaked you out as your heart raced a bit, eyebrows shot up just a second as your hard on began to go soft pretty quick. After all your friend…with benefits? just caught you going at it. “Shit- uh…my bad, look I can go somewhere else to finish.” You said with a quiver to your voice, looking up to the wooden boards holding up the mattress above you.

“Dude, I fucked you like not even a whole 24 hours ago. If you gotta bust do your thing man.” Jacob stated so nonchalantly but at the same time he did have a point, you guys fucked early in the morning so it shouldn’t be weird if you were to merely jerk off in his presence. “Could I ask a favor?” you said as Jacobs crop top finally made its way to the wooden floor.

“What’s up?” A curious tone laced Jacobs words as his mind was predicting the question might be related to helping you out somehow. “Could you come down? Maybe help me out a bit?” You shrugged slightly as if Jacob was able to see you despite not even being down there. Silence filled the room for a few seconds before the sound of Jacob getting up made the wooden boards holding his bed up squeak a bit as his foot made its way to the wooden ladder. You were pleased with the sight despite the lack of light available to you except for a few of the outside lights illuminating the place as well as the moonlight.

“Alright what’re we doing? Bj? Missionary? Sneaking out? Maybe 69’in-“ “Jacob!” Jacob quieted down as he heard you raise your voice despite you trying to call out to him about 3 other times but he just kept talking. “I was wondering…if we could do some face…riding…sitting? Face stuff let’s go with that.” You said questioning your request, hopefully Jacob was able to keep all that you said in that brawny noggin of his.

“Oh hell yeah dude, so what you sit on me and i just kinda eat you out or…?” He said as he took a seat next to you, his hand already rubbing your thigh as a way to get you hard again which was definitely working despite him not even knowing your soft. “About that…I wanted you to be the one on me.” You softly stated, bracing yourself for the possible rejection, you wouldn’t mind if you were the one being on top of him but you’ve had this on your mind for awhile so why not try it.

“O-oh…me? Uh…I mean, sure yeah let’s- let’s do it” Jacob was clearly nervous a bit, he scratched the back of his neck which definitely gave it away. “We don’t have to if-“ You were cut off by his hands yanking you by your waist just enough to get face to face with him as he kissed you very unprofessionally and may have accidentally dinked noses just a bit due to the lack of light but he had to make it known he didn’t mind.

“It’ll be new to me but that doesn’t mean we can’t try it” Jacob said with a playful tone, the light barely reflecting off the shine from his teeth. “Alright, nice um so just…” you laid onto your back once again as you maneuvered Jacob closer to you, his legs climbing onto your mattress as you felt him turn around, the sound of his boxers being pulled off. “Just go ahead and sit, this face is all yours.”

You said with a grin on your face as you backed Jacob more and more closer to you, he was definitely a bit hesitant as he was right in front of you, ass to face as you slowly pulled him down. He cooperated but you felt him shift some of the weight to his legs. “Why aren’t you putting all your weight on me?” You softly asked not to make him feel bad “I don’t wanna hurt you is all, I weigh a lot with all this muscle.” He giggled at the end as you shifted your face out from under him for just a second “I want you to put all that weight on me, I can take it. Trust” you said in a way Jacob could tell you were smiling despite not seeing you.

You repositioned yourself as you pulled him down slowly again as you felt a lot more weight be put atop of you as you made a satisfactory grunt, your tongue now rapidly moving around his hole and the area. Jacob cursed out quietly as the sudden pleasurable feeling surrounded his body and made him feel warm all around. He put one hand in between the crevice of the wood and mattress above him and the other on the wall next to you just to keep himself steady as you kept going.

Your arms wrapped around his waist as you practically had him held down on top of you as your tongue massaged around and inside his hole “mmmhmm” your muffled moans gave Jacob the slight reassurance he needed to know you enjoyed what you were doing. “Fffuck dude your tongue feels so good” Jacob heaved as his hand in the wooden crevice moved to your dick. You didn’t expect him to make a move like that which made you pause which in that case you decided to slightly push Jacob up a bit just to take a breath. “God your ass is amazing, you gotta let me play with it more” you said getting as much air as you could before putting him back down onto you.

Both of you were doing your own thing, it was hard to focus as you so badly wanted to thrust into Jacobs hand and it was hard for Jacob not to cum right then and there. You began to move his hips back and forth, your tongue slid around as his ass moved around your face, Jacobs quiet whimpers became more apparent the more you did that which only made you wanna go harder somehow. You added your teeth as you began to bite around his ass whether it be one of his cheeks or around the hole itself. A mix of slight pain and pleasure only made it better.

It was obvious you both were at the point of cumming, Jacob could only whine whenever you bit or licked and as he stroked you the more you moaned which only caused vibrations which made the feeling for him even better. You couldn’t stop especially when you moved him where your nose could actually receive air so you were on autopilot. You wanted him to do badly cum but at the same time you couldn’t help but feel a sense of domination over him since you were the one guiding him after all. You stopped moving him around as you stopping tongue fucking his hole which made him stop as well. “W-why…why’d you stop?!” His whiny tone was a tune to hear as his whimpers and whiny breaths made it clear he was desperate to finish, almost as if he was right there. “Cmon babe please? I was just about to blow my load…” Jacob whined out as he creased his lips, the small giggle you let out not helping the situation.

“Say it again.” You stated, “oh my fucking god…please please please just- just keep going dude.” Jacob pleaded, if he could he would probably even get on his knees and beg and as hot as a sight like that would be you also were super close to finishing so you might as well humor him and totally not continue to finish yourself off too. You wrapped your arms once again around his waist as you pushed him down onto you as your tongue felt even more euphoric than before.

“Ohh-ho-hah..ho oh my fucking god for fucks sake i’m- oh fuck i’m gonna fucking cum-!“ Jacob moved his left hand from the wall onto his cock as he jerked it just as quick as he was with yours in his right hand. “mmM- fffkkk!” You moaned as loud as you could though Jacobs ass practically muffled it as you felt yourself nut which shot all across your stomach and a bit on Jacobs thighs. Though that didn’t stop you from going on his ass with what energy you got left, your nails now gripping sharply into his torso area as you moved your head quicker and quicker until Jacob was a moaning and utter mess and you felt like you were gonna crash.

“Jesusdude i-im fucking sensitive- a-oh-ho-hhh” Jacob ended his sentence with a long breath of pleasure as you finally nudged him off of you as he made his way to the edge of the bed, heavy breathing following as you sat up next to him copying his breathing. “W-was that okay?” you said, sweat now covering your top half as the moonlight reflected a lot more of that. “That was fucking awesome babe, shouldn’t have doubted your…well experienced tongue” Jacob took a second to think of what to say as he picked his boxers up again, as you stood up to put yours back on as well.

Jacob sat back down as you did the same, his arms wrapping themselves around your neck as you two kissed for what felt like a small infinity. Though Jacob pulling away only to climb back onto his bed gave you both the opportunity to think about what tomorrow has in store for you both.

[coff-in]

thank you so much for doing my request!! if you’re comfy with a pt 2 I’d love to read it!! seeing reader cope with becoming a parent and how reader copes with getting raped by andrew … how the dynamic at home changes, andrew as a daddy and ashley as a aunt!! does andrew force reader to marry him? <3 if ur not comfy w doing it as a req then maybe ramble or do it in any other form like a hc! thank youuu 🥹🤍

notes from coff-in: it's past midnight right now where i am (as it it's closer to 1:00am) but i need to write. this is definitely a ramble but thank you for clarifying that i could do that! writing properly for ficlets and headcanons take a bit out of me but i want go give you guys the best that i got, you know? sorry, sorry... on to your ask!

[fem] reader-insert, [afab] reader-insert(?), NSFW, rape, talks/mentions of pregnancy and abortion, incest in the last bits but it's skippable really

the biggest thing that i wonder about is how [reader] met andrew and ashley. how long have they'd known each other? were they quarantined together (was [reader] quarantined at all)? i think i'll leave it up to the reader's interpretation/imagination but these things feel like they should impact the story, you know? um... [reader] doesn't really take to being a mother too well. she doesn't want to be a mother, so it makes sense. ashley wouldn't let her get rid of the child, either. she doesn't like [reader] all that much but she does try to recognize potential opportunities to keep andrew close in this... situation.

the last thing a parent wants to do is to make their child sad. if ashley could get close enough to andrew's child (she'd love the child ofc, it's an extension of her brother) then she could keep andrew close to her, too. any separation of them would also affect the child and until it's born who knows how that can go. ashley doesn't like [reader] all that much. she could come to like [reader], but when i was writing the original piece i sort of didn't write it with ashely in mind... so any relationship they build would be after the rape event.

andrew. andrew andrew andrew. he... he wants the child. it's possibly a new chance for him to have a new life. not necessarily an ordinary life (years of sexual tension between him and his sister build up somehow to him raping a women they sorta kidnap/escaped with from an apartment after demon summoning, murder, and cannibalism) but it could be considered close enough if you squint and tilt your head. again, when writing the original piece i didn't really write with andrew and [reader]'s deeper relationship in mind, just the surface level stuff

andrew has come to care for [reader] to some extent, and the child makes him try to enforce that bond and relationship. he would reflect on his own parents and their parenting and how he raised ashley when it comes to his baby. trying to figure what to avoid (i think putting in the effort would be way better than what his parents did, though. it's not even a battle). he gets touchy feely with [reader]; sleeping in the same bed, holding their hand or resting it on their hip, brushing her hair, etc etc some of the stiff we've seen with ashley. i think he'd also talk to the baby bump, too.

[reader] isn't expected to kill people anymore or to do excessive physical labor. i don't think she takes part in the cannibalism as much either. i'm kinda leaving her vague because i want you guys to really just imprint on [reader] i guess when it comes to this situation. andrew would be a fairly good dad though. uh... sort of dozed off a bit trying to think about him as a dad. he would be way more attentive that his own parents, that's for sure. he's the voice of reason along with [reader] (ashley is that "cool aunt" that the kid loves), but andrew is also still a bit of a doormat or pushover. he can't stay too mad at this kids.

do i think andrew would force [reader] to marry him? maybe. it would probably be good for taxes and other legal documents but i don't know if he'd put such a high value on marriage. i think he'd like the intertwining aspect of it, the legal binding it brings. i doubt ashely would enjoy this but it's also dependent on your relationship.

mixing this idea with incest ideas because i can't help myself right now, fell free to skip this: andrew and a sibling [reader]. especially a younger one. i don't know but i kind of enjoy the idea of him during quarantine (or right after) just... losing control one night. it's not violent or loud or out of hate; it's quiet and gentle and out of frustration. he takes his younger baby sibling while they're sleeping as a way to just let it all out. the tension and stress and repression of his feelings for them... he just lets them go. ashley's dead asleep and so is [reader], as ling as he's quiet there are no immediate consequences to this action. he raised [reader] since they were a fucking baby and what a wonderful adult they had turned out to be (as wonderful as a graves could be).

aaaaahhh, i'm tired. sorry for the weird sleepy rant response. i feel like i should mention again: i have never been raped nor do i know friends or people personally who have been raped. i haven't really read anything scholarly about it so take all i say with a grain of salt and an open mind. thank you for requesting, 'nonnie. i love it when people ask for expansions or explanations in previous posts (reminds me of devious anon, i miss them)

anyway my eye saight is losing focus so i'll end it here. good day/night/evening whatever you are

----

coff-in

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

It was tough! Although I watched, and really enjoyed, Yellowjackets during season 1, I got super into it, and obsessed with Nat in particular, while season 2 was airing. I remember towards the beginning of the season I was looking up bts stuff and seeing JL wasn't super happy about Nat's storyline and then reading someone on reddit saying they met her on a plane and she told them she was done with tv and would be sticking to movies, and I was like "uh oh..." but still had hope thinking she was talking post YJ. But then all the hints at Lottie's compound about a sacrifice being needed were eating at me and then as soon as 2x08 aired I was like, fuck, it's happening, the incoming parallel with what happened with Javi was so obvious. Plus the writers kept mentioning how Nat seeing Misty at the bonfire was gonna come up again, and then with what happened with Krystal, the Misty killing Nat parallel was also obvious. I remember after 2x08 aired I went to a party and when I found out some of the ppl there also watched the show I started drunkenly ranting about how scared I was they were gonna kill Nat off and how much I loved her and it got kinda awkward cuz ppl just weren't matching my emotional investment, lol. Anyway, I stayed up 'til midnight to watch the ep, and was dreading it the whole time, and I remember Christina Ricci making an instagram post an hour or two before the episode dropped and, if i'm not mistaken, I think she was talking about how grateful she was to have worked with JL, or something like that, all but spoiling it, and then deleting immediately after once she realized. Then midnight struck and I immediately jumped forward to see if Nat made it, she didn't, and I cried all night. 😭😭

What bothered me (one of many things) was how many ppl were quick to justify Nat's death with her story coming full circle from that Javi moment, talking about how everything makes sense and how she got to make amends for what happened etc, but as a viewer it felt so unsatisfying to watch bc they set that up in 2x08 to immediately call back to it, and wrap it up, in 2x09. So even though, sure, things came full circle, as a viewer the pacing of this big reveal and then parallel/resolution felt so rushed. Not to mention the messiness of adult Nat's season 2 storyline overall, her changes in attitude/beliefs were so sudden (I remember many ppl were thinking she was actually faking going along with Lottie and was going to betray her in the finale).

Oh wow I would have absolutely lost my shit if I was watching S2 as it aired. I honestly feel lucky that I started the show right after S2 finished airing because having Nat’s death spoiled for me beforehand actually allowed me to process it as I watched the show and got to know her character. If I saw that death scene at the level of obsession with this show that I’m at now, things would’ve been bad lol. But having that knowledge before let me appreciate some of the foreshadowing and signs of her death throughout the show, along with recognizing how her arc was shaping while knowing how it ends.

I also got Jackie’s death spoiled for me before watching the show, too, though, and I must say I really wish I had gone into that part blind. I feel like the impact would be so much more intense and I wish I got to experience that.

And omg I had never heard about the Christina Ricci spoiling it thing! That’s wild. I love that she couldn’t wait to spread the JL love until the episode aired lol.

What you described about feeling that worry about Nat potentially dying going into S2 and seeing all the signs of it is how I feel right now about Lottie in S3👀 Laura Lee popping up in the season finale is suspicious to me along with Courtney Eaton and Simone Kessell filming scenes together at the end of the season… Idk things aren’t looking good. But also I feel like it would be wild to kill off (arguably) the show’s two fan favorite characters two seasons in a row. But I definitely feel like one of the main survivors is going to die at the end of Season 3, just can’t tell who it is yet.

Also, I totally agree with you about Nat’s death feeling rushed. I’ve talked about it before, but Nat’s rapid character development at Lottie’s compound didn’t feel natural to me at all, and it seemed like the pacing of Nat’s storyline was so slow until like the last two episodes where it was suddenly so fast without explanation, context, or time to process anything. It felt like they were trying to wrap everything up with a nice little bow but it just ended up being a disservice to the character. I appreciate the way Nat’s story ended and the resolution of her survivor’s guilt arc, but I didn’t appreciate the lack of time that was put into fully fleshing out that arc and making her death feel worth it. Also, I really really would have liked to see Nat in the adult timeline paralleled with her time as leader in the wilderness timeline (especially Nat and Shauna’s interactions in the adult timeline paralleled with their leadership conflicts in the past) but now we never will I guess🤷‍♀️ Overall, I feel like they let go of Nat’s character too soon and what we did get of her in S2 was definitely rushed. Her wilderness storyline was perfect though👌

[punsmaster69]

12/JAN/20XX

"......."

".........."

"Okay, but it's not past my bedtime technically."

"it is definitely-"

"wait, friday."

"Midnight bedtime, babeyy!!!"

i glanced at the time.

"alright, you've got about thirty minutes before i hang up."

"Thirty five."

"ok. thirty five. but do you wanna spend that five minutes arguing about what time it is?"

"No."

"anything specific you called for this time?"

"Uhh..."

"Wellness check."

".....𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬."

"Wellness check."

"like they do for the elderly?"

"You ARE the elderly."

"nuh uh."

"As far as I'm concerned, you are."

"is there a level past elderly? 'cuz both your parents surely hit that one."

"..Both my-?"

"......"

"hm?"

"I guess he kind of is.."

"old?"

"My parent."

"Visiting him feels almost the same as seeing, like, Undyne and Alphys though."

"And I usually call him Asgore."

"you referred to him as 'dad guy' for a little bit."

"Then stopped."

"Every time I would, Mom would..."

"make 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 face."

"Yeah."

"Someone else comes to mind when I think of who my 'dad' is, anyway."

"he sounds cool."

"Yeah."

"great, even?"

"............."

"he'd be a better influence, y'know."

"He's more like my awesome uncle."

"true."

"Plus, it doesn't make sense to call him 'dad'. He doesn't have the hots for my mom."

"wow."

"those thirty five minutes went by so fast."

" 'night."

"NO-"

it didn't last long.

my phone started buzzing once again.

"Sans."

"frisk."

"You can't hang up on me for that."

"i did."

"Was I wrong?"

"i will again."

"Fine, okay, we don't have to talk about it."

"Eventhoughit'sdefinitelytrue-"

"Just don't hang up on me again."

"we'll see."

"You never did answer the wellness check."

"Are you well... Ness?"

i gave them a long stare.

"Come on."

"It was right there."

"a n y w a y."

"sure. i'm of the wellness. having much well."

"The best answer you can give is 'sure'?"

"you want me to list every symptom, dr. frisk?"

they pretended to hold an imaginary clipboard.

"Yeees."

"Tell me everything, patient."

"is that your impression of a doctor?"

"Yes it is. Now, are you good or not?"

"i'm good."

imaginary pen scribbling.

"Noticed one of your eyes has been back on."

"indeed."

"That's good, but why just the one?"

"𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 supposed to tell 𝘮𝘦 that, doc."

"Oh."

"Uh."

"..Well."

"It was the left one that does the magic glowy stuff, right?"

"yep."

"And that's the one that blew up."

"mhm."

"Whatever Papyrus said happened when you did your special attack... probably worsened that."

"So that's why. I think."

"thanks for the diagnosis."

"what do you suggest?"

"Hmmmmm."

putting their fingers together in thought.

"Nighttime phone calls where you spill all your weird skeleton secrets..."

"at really abhorrent times, got it."

"And a big fat kiss from Mama Goat."

"goodnight."

"AAA-"

they called again.

i rolled over the other way.

——

at least twice a week, usually about three in the morning or so...

i'll wake up.

for seemingly no reason.

sometimes i can get back to sleep if i lay there for long enough, but tonight was not one of those times.

while in there for some cold water and likely a light refrigerator raid, something surprising met me in the kitchen.

actually, met 𝘮𝘦 isn't quite the right wording, considering 𝗶 scared 𝗵𝗶𝗺.

sitting on our kitchen floor, cradling the basically empty milk jug, was my brother; long limbs folded criss-cross on the tile.

his troubled gaze focused on nothing in particular, almost trance-like.

"hey."

he snapped out of it.

if not for being a skeleton, i'd say papyrus jumped out of his skin.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP AT THIS TIME??"

"wonderin' the same of you."

"I ASKED FIRST."

"i'm gonna raid the fridge. get some water."

proceeding to do just that, light from the refrigerator spilled into the darkened room. papyrus narrowed his sockets slightly and turned away from it.

"you?"

"....."

tapping his fingers on the side of the milk jug for a moment.

"I DON'T KNOW."

his glance to the side, followed by slight tensing.. it was all too familiar.

i parked myself next to him on the cold floor.

unable to be bothered with washing up an actual fork, i grabbed a plastic one and opened a container of leftover pasta.

"what was it about this time?"

"......"

"puzzle mishap?"

"underground again?"

"mtt's show cancelled?"

"NO..."

"I BARELY REMEMBER ANY OF IT."

"but you remember a little?"

"THERE WERE-"

"AROUND ME, I WAS..."

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING EXACTLY, BUT I KNOW I DIDN'T ENJOY WHATEVER I WAS BEING MADE TO DO. I'M NOT SURE WHY IT WOULD BE..."

"VINES, OF ALL THINGS."

".........."

a part of me flickered with anger, but it fizzled out just as soon.

i sighed.

"just a weird metaphor, probably."

"you know how dreams are."

"I GUESS."

"..gotta ask."

"what's with the milk?"

"OH- UH."

"WELL IT.. THERE WASN'T THAT MUCH LEFT, AND I FIGURED I WOULD FINISH IT OFF, SINCE I WANTED SOME ANYWAY-"

"too much effort for a glass, huh?"

"IT'S NOT A LACK OF EFFORT!!"

"IT'S MORE EFFICIENT LIKE THIS. I DON'T NEED TO WASTE TIME WASHING A PERFECTLY GOOD CUP WHEN IT IS ALREADY CONTAINED WITHIN THE JUG."

"i dunno. sounds like you were being lazy to me. not wantin' to wash a cup, drinking straight from the jug..."

"IT'S 𝘕𝘖𝘛 LAZY."

"if you say so."

"think i could get a swig of that before you finish it off?"

"HERE."

"thanks."

"alright, you can have your comfort milk back."

"SO LONG AS MY BONES ARE ASSURED TO BE STRONG, I WILL BE AS WELL!"

"you're always strong."

"AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT GOT TO BE THAT WAY?"

"daily training."

"....YES, THAT. BUT HAVING PLENTY OF MILK FALLS INTO THE REGIMEN AS WELL!"

"including the rest of the jug."

"THIS IS A ONE-TIME THING!!"

"so this where its been disappearing to at random all this time.."

"NO."

raising the jug to his mouth.

"LIKE I SAID, ONE-TIME THING."

"uhuh."

"I HEARD YOU SPEAKING A WHILE AGO."

"i was on the phone."

"WITH WHOM?"

"frisk."

"AGAIN?"

"yep."

"ISN'T IT PAST THEIR BEDTIME?"

"nah, it's friday."

"AH, RIGHT."

"suppose it's technically saturday now."

"REALLY? WHAT TIME IS IT?"

"uhh, let's see..."

after being in the dark for so long, we 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 turned away from my phone screen light.

dimming the brightness, i showed him the time.

"IT'S FOUR ALREADY??"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE DOWN HERE SO LONG."

"me either."

"let's get back to bed, huh?"

papyrus silently leaned against me.

"...ok. sleeping bags?"

"JUST THE COUCH."

"i'll grab our pillows."

[ilkkawhat]

the latest doctor who episode awakened me like a sleeper agent. used to hang around here for Midnight Mondays. would love to hear your thoughts. love RTD commitment to destroying the earth to toxic and did I catch a few bars of 9's theme as Bel and the Doctor were landing?

you're the second person to bring up midnight monday in the past couple days and i just wanna first and foremost say i'm glad it seems like people look back on that fondly enough to remember me and my uber-hyperfixation on that one singular episode cause i worry it was maybe a bit cringe (which i feel like i am in general at times 😅) though i do remember how people would kinda scream with me about how great that episode was and i forever appreciate that as someone who doesn't have many IRL people to talk to about it (the cousins that were into DW were more into 11's seasons and i didn't wanna idk. scare them off with how much i was obsessed with a single episode lol) and hooooooooooooo boy yeah. it woke me up too though i will admit DW's been on my mind a lot lately, have had dreams about it, watched some of tennant's episodes as 14 (i can't remember why i didn't finish? cause i definitely loved the first episode and i think i started the second), still kinda like, casually look at tags and stuff just to see what's been going on, i'm sure i'm just gonna snap one day and rewatch everything and properly catch up like i did with csi back in 2018/2019

and that being said, the second i found out they did a midnight sequel? my heart LEPT. in intrigue, in joy and excitement

and i know midnight was such a great episode on its own, the perfect standalone bottle episode that came before all of big finale stuff of that season, the story was buttoned up and the only thing left to linger was the doctor's very....off feelings at the end of it, clearly exhausted and unsettled after he told donna everything. half-heartedly smiling with his molto bene until donna repeated it and he just like, doesn't snap but pleads with her that she not do that again and the episode ends on just that...haunted look of his, and then like most adventures, we don't hear really anything more after that (at least so i remember--admittedly been years now since i watched midnight, i meant to watch it yesterday but some...stuff happened and it didn't feel right)

[putting my thoughts of The Well under a cut just cause of spoilers]

SO. going in knowing it was a midnight sequel was definitely a thrilling prospect for me. I think i did admittedly cheat and see a gifset even before i watched, specifically one of ncuti (who from what i have seen, I very much enjoy) crying and knowing RTD is back in chargem so i knew it was going to be good, hearing Toxic immediately took me back--when i ultimately watch this episode again i'll have to keep an ear out for 9's theme!!

and as a fan of horror and sci-fi and esp put together, the setting of the stage of exploring this desolate planet with a mining facility was already checking off so many boxes for me.

And then the shadow appeared--and I commend this episode for still not showing us the entity in full!!! I love that shit so much!!! keeping the mystery but keeping the terror the characters experience. I'm usually not a fan of jumpscares but boy that one got me (and legit i saw a gifset of it right after it happened while i was watching lol)

and i love how they slooooowly built up hints, like the radiation and how nobody could live on the surface, etc until that reveal and the doctor also putting the pieces together, what, 5 regenerations later? and seeing his reaction was just!!!!! he was so scared still and for a character like the doctor who has such a long history to be scared over something he experienced literal lifetimes ago, AND NOT TO MENTION THE FLASHBACKS AND SHOWING TEN'S TERRIFIED FACE THAT'S BEEN BURNED INTO MY MIND SINCE THE NIGHT I FIRST WATCHED IT. I. fucking. LOVED. IT.

and the talking about it, how the entity "played a game" with them UGH again, just checking off so many boxes for me as someone who not only lives to see the whumpy traumatic events happen, but to see the aftermath that comes after.

and yet since he's still the doctor, he's still curious, he still tried to connect to this entity that literally possessed him the last time they met, still trying to understand what it is, trying to learn, trying to see it. and again, while we had the doctor constantly looking for that shadow we still as an audience never got to see it even at the very end when it's revealed that it got on the escape ship.

maybe cause of the setting but it also almost gave me a bit of the impossible planet/the satan pit vibes which now makes me selfishly wish this ep could have been two parts

so yeah. huuuuuuuuge fan of this episode, probably the best way they could approach a sequel to such a classic as midnight and definitely gave me some much needed serotonin even if it was only for a few hours. 15/10 would recommend

(also inb4 i now start thinking of 15 going back to visit 14 at some point and tell him what happened and RIP to all those midnight fics i never started or finished back in the day lol)

((also--thank you for this great distraction during a rough start of the week 💜))

[potatoesandsunshine]

ok for the benefit of everyone i am putting my ttpd thoughts under the cut bc i had a lot of them. i did listen to the album and i had a fun time writing my opinions as i went! i haven't done any of the extra songs yet but i probably will tomorrow.

overall thoughts: i like this album pretty well! definitely more to my taste than midnights. i'm not instantly in love with it, but i will listen to at least some of the songs a lot and i'll give the whole thing a few more chances to grow on me. kind of a 7/10 for me personally - i'm not sold on songs as vehicles for Lore, i need to think it's a good song to listen to if i'm going to like it. i wanted more differences in tempo or dynamics throughout; at times songs felt a little same-y. anyway, my first impressions song by song!

Fortnight: honestly i just don't love the word fortnight there are too many T's in it. overall 7/10. i like it but i want a tempo change or something.

TTPD: the lyrics... babe. but at least she figured out how to say fuck like a normal person. "Gonna troll you" is also a lot. 5/10 doesn't hugely do it for me, would skip.

MBOBHFT: like this one more. she's doing that thing she does where there are more words crammed into the verse than she needs but the chorus really does it for me. 7.5/10

Down Bad: i like the dreamy vibes. weirdly reminds me of another song? specifically fuck it if i can't have him; my brain is itching. anyway 7/10? WAIT if i can't have you kelly clarkson. (not totally convinced that was it. still can't place it)

So Long, London: wish it had instruments? interesting cadence, reminds me of Lana a little. i wish she didn't use so many modifiers but it's a decent song 7/10

BDILH: y'know i like the message. she's right fuck swifties. we're handshake about this. this one is pretty good! 7.5/10. too long though. has the staying power of like a 4 min song (i think everyone was so extremely weird about this situation and it makes sense that she thinks so too)

FOTS: again i just want less synths. i like the chorus a lot actually. kinda over how she uses American. wait what's happening to this song. solid 7/10

Florida!!!: Florence!!! this one was a guaranteed hit for me. fav so far for sure. 9/10 going on the playlist (the no-skip tswift playlist)

Guilty as Sin?: starting to feel a little samey! not a ton of tempo differences on this album. wild to write a song about wanting this hard. feels kinda honest which is refreshing after midnights. not super my song but i don't hate it. 6.5/10 JESUS COMPARISON??? (this added a point. i feel like people throw out 'unhinged' about her when she's always struck me as an extremely precise planner but this was still a big moment for me. she should do more stuff like this. she should get weirder.)

WAoLOM?: stranger things ass imagery. i like the scream i want more variation in dynamics. pretty good song! i like it as a continuation of anti-hero. 8/10. on the playlist

ICFH(NRIC): we love talking about him and smoke i will be listening to colors. i wish it was faster! but i like it. 8/10

loml: again with the modifiers. nice lyrics in this one imo. kinda sounds like you're losing me. 8/10

ICDIWaBH: very mastermind intro! again w/ the thesaurus problem. thank you. thank you. faster song. 9/10 on the playlist. get a therapist fr girl

TSMWEL: she said you get one fast song. piano!!! honestly i like the way it builds and i like the paranoia. again, feels honest. 7.5/10

The Alchemy: i like it! reminds me of the archer + willow. god she loves a sports metaphor. i will listen to this more. 8.5/10

Clara Bow: kinda feels like an Olivia dig. been very interesting to see the progression of The Lucky One -> here. can't pretend you're not the establishment. 7/10

and just for fun - here it is in the glitter gel pen :P i had fun with this! i'll probably do it for the other tracks too - it was like pretending to be a reaction channel

[mysticsparklewings]

Obscutober 2024 Day 8: Inflorescence 💐

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Inflorescence (n.)

the flowering part of a plant or arrangement of flowers on a stalk; the time and process of budding and unfolding flowers.

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So begins Week 2 of Inktober! 🖋️

I am pretty pleased with today’s art, but my posting time probably says it all: Not everything was coming up roses in the making-of process. 😅

Click the "Keep Reading" and we'll talk about it! ✨

⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️

---------- Whew boy Sparklers; If I seem a little "off" or this description comes out a bit short, that's because (to the surprise of absolutely no one) I got a bit of a later start on this mandala than I'd hoped and it also ended up taking longer than I wanted. 😅 Thus I am now very acutely aware that I have much less time to get this description type and everything cross-posted than I'm really comfortable with.

Granted, this isn't the Cinderella-esque race against Midnight that I've very "used to" from Inktobers' past, but in some small ways that almost makes it worse because I know I've technically been doing much better than usual this year and the further I push that "better" envelope, the more anxious I become. 🫠

So let me stop wasting time rambling about that and get to talking about the art!

I think the main reason this one ended up taking so long is because I hyped it up too much—The idea of getting to draw a mandala made of flowers àla Adult Coloring Book-Style was so enticing that I did that thing us artists tend to do sometimes; I got in my head about it being "good enough" and "right" and all that, as if this is somehow the only opportunity I'll ever have to make a flower mandala so it "needed" to be perfect. 🙄

And, in a strange kind of other sense I think I had a little too much confidence going in because I recently spent quite a bit of time drawing intricate flowers in a similar style for a project you Sparklers haven't seen yet but my Ko-fi Members have. [And hopefully you Sparklers will get to see it soon, too, I've just been too busy to squeeze it in yet!] Mostly, I underestimated my own standards for what translating those flower drawing skills into this mandala format would be like. 😅

I also kind of hurt myself in that I decided I really wanted to get roses in here somewhere on top of trying to make sure I got at least one flower that had more obvious stages of blooming (per today's deifnition), rather than all of them being full-bloom. Naturally, I picked the most difficult option of having the roses be said multi-stage flower. 🙃 I'm sure I don't have to tell any of you Sparklers that have attempted to draw them before that roses are among some of the trickier flowers to draw, particularly in a more doodle-y style like this. I have semi-successfully handled roses before, but I think it's been literal years since the last time I drew any. 🫣 [Maybe not, but I don't feel like I have the time to dig through my posts and check to be sure right now!]

You can see that I did manage some results I'm decently happy with in the end, of course, but I probably spent about half of the total time I worked on this mandala on the roses specifically. 😵‍💫

And then of what was left, probably about half of that was spent on the "final" swirling vines that have different little pink flowers on them. Which is to say I think that was the second most challenge part to draw, even though it's one of the more simple elements present.

I could have stopped before adding those final swirls and it probably would've been fine, but the outer corners just felt so empty compared to all the flower and leaf stuff going on elsewhere, particularly the center-most ring. (That's what I get for adding lines to look more like a vague suggestion of roots below the big leaves!) I wanted to fill just a little more space badly.

If I hadn't felt timing ticking down so strongly, I would've definitely bothered to figure out something a little more involved for those swirls, but it just wasn't meant to be today. I couldn't stop thinking about the time and it seemed like every other false start I has either wasn't right or tested my patience too much.

I very nearly put some more sunflower-esque flowers in the corners instead, but I didn't like the idea of looking myself into a more specific color palette in that way and I didn't like the idea of not being able to either "attach" them to the rest of the mandala or the fact that I couldn't think of a way to make them more vine-like on their own. Therefore, the sunflowers sat this one out. [And besides, they already had a small cameo last week!]

The leaves, fortunately, didn't give me much trouble. Those largest leaves that I put down first where probably the most difficult, but only because they were made using a criss-cross line method I observed in some mandala techniques on Pinterest, rather than other more typical ways I go about drawing leaves. They really weren't too bad, though. And I think they were the right choice because they kind of set up a shape foundation that directed a lot of the rest of the mandala.

Likewise, this may have been the easiest color scheme to decide apart from Day 1 because of the leaves. I set up with that green foundation, pushed it to be a little more teal/aqua, and then went with most pink flowers since that's complimentary, but then a soft blue for the...They're sort of lilies-of-the-valley but maybe not exactly. I think the blue I picked is a touch too dark for that, but since I was very sold on this off-white/cream background, I went with the deeper blue so the color would be more obvious.

I will admit I originally wanted to avoid pink or red roses, but I made the outermost flowers pink first, dared to touch the roses with a bit of a darker pink, and promptly threw that plan out the window. I did try to mix a little purple int here so they weren't a super-traditional rose pink, but I think I overblended it so that effect was mostly lost. 😅 But I did stand firmly behind no-red roses, though. Against many fibers in my Alice-in-Wonderland-loving being, but it felt too stereotypical and like a bad fit for the more aqua-green leaves, which I really didn't want to change at that point.

Yesterday and Day 2 are still gunning for my favorite, but this one isn't super far behind despite the choices I maybe would've handled a bit differently if I'd felt like I could afford more time to puzzle over them. If anything, I think this will be my favorite as a coloring page, if I do end up making coloring pages out of these. [Which yes, is an idea I've been toying with—I think I mentioned it on Day 1? Maybe?]

You Sparklers will have to tell me if that sounds like something worth bothering with. 😉

Let's see...I think that's everything I wanted to mention for today, so I should probably be getting on with that cross-posting now; I'll see you Sparklers tomorrow, hopefully at least a little earlier in the evening... 😅 🤞

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See the Prompt List

Artwork  © me, MysticSparklewings

Obscutober Concept Inspired by nikolas_tower

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⭐️ Like My Art and Want to see more of it? Here's All My Links! ⭐️