#it involves mistaken identity kidnapping

[eggplantemoji420]

Looool im in a group chat and we were talking about st Patrick’s day and one of the girls I’m new friends with who doesn’t know much about me or where I’m from just asked how I know so much about the ira like girly there are not enough hours in the day for me to explain to you the long and complicated history my northern Irish family has with them… if it was a tv show, you’d say it’s over-the-top unbelievable

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for a fic...

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1. I'm kind of in the mood for jiang free wangxian fics, where the the extent of jiangs involvement in the plot are just brief mentions / For ITMF, a longer canonverse wangxian fic that doesn't heavily feature Jiang Cheng on page. Canon divergence is very welcome but not mandatory.

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2. hi! do you have any fics where lwj struggles with his sadism? canonverse please and bonus points if they are E rated ;) @chellsky

still waters by piggybo (E, 3k, WangXian, Consensual Kink, Light Sadism, Light Masochism, Outdoor Sex, Painful Sex, Spit As Lube, Kink Discovery, Light Bondage, Internal Conflict, CQL!verse, Post-Canon, not as explicit as the tags make it sound, but still pretty explicit)

bb!Sadist by Betty (T, 3k, WangXian, Non-Sexual Kink, Sadism, Modern AU) not canon but a good read cause it's abt the Struggle

💖 Magical Marriage Ribbons series by starandrea (M, 1M, WIP, wangxian, ongoing, animal transformations, weddings) in the Magical Marriage Ribbons series, Teen!Wangxian continuously need to discuss around LWJ's reluctance to admit what he wants sexually in earlier parts that's very lovely!

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3. Hii!!! Im back for another ITMF! I've been seeing a lot of art of spider-man aus for wangxian and I was wondering if you knew of any fics with either one or both of them having spider-man powers? Thanks so much! @loveshinesbrightly

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4. hiiiii it's me again for the next ITMF I was reading a fiction and lqr said that : "He could definitely picture an alternate reality wherein he didn’t overhear their conversation, and Wangji ended up impulsively withdrawing his entire trust fund to elope cross-country with Wei Wuxian and start a new life together - all to avoid having to face the disapproval of their families." do you know any story where it actually happens ????? thanks✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ @ihaveasoftspotfora-yuan

keep your electric eye on me, babe by ilip13 (M, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, Fluff, Falling In Love) is mostly a meet-cute fic but does involve lwj running off with wwx at the end

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5. Hey, I'm looking for some Daemon AU fics. @the-dolphin-queen

🧡 like speaking to my heart by SnowshadowAO3 (T, 613k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Daemons, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canonical Character Death, Some people live!, additional warnings in specific chapters, if you don't know what daemons are that's ok because I explain it in the author's note, also by slow burn I VERY much mean slow burn)

Daemons and Sentient Swords Comp

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6. hi! i was wondering if you knew of any mafia au fics? 💖

🧡 Rule Number One: Never get attached. by KizuKatana (E, 130k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O, Criminal underworld AU, Fluff and angst, Crime boss LWJ, Rouge criminal genius WWX, Explicit Sex)

Miscalculated Misreckoning by LadyVamp (E, 5k, WangXian, Modern AU, Organized Crime, Attempted Kidnapping, Murder Husbands, Blood and Violence, Violent Sex, Married WangXian, BAMF LWJ, BAMF WWX, YLLZ WWX, Hair-pulling, Office Sex, Desk Sex, Dark LWJ, Protective LWJ, Dark WWX, Partners in Crime, Gun Violence, Gun Kink, Crime Syndicate Qíshān Wēn Sect, Arranged Marriage, Crime Lord LWJ, Crime Lord WWX)

of demons and the good they bring by mimi123meg (M, 1k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mob, Crime Boss LWJ, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, BAMF JC, Slight Violence, not too graphic, but definitely there, Established Relationship)

Take Some Advice Paesano by FeelsForBreakfast (M, 8k, wangxian, modern, mob au, mafia the 🤡 version, humor, mistaken identity, getting together)

You & Me Baby, We'll Eclipse The Sun Series by 2501987 (M/E, 130k, WangXian, XiCheng, MIND THE TAGS, Modern AU, Mafia, Murder husbands, Torture, Possessive Behavior, Blood and Violence, Older JC, Younger WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Dark)

The Damage You Do by stiricide (E, 87k, WIP, WangXian, Modern AU, Dom/Sub, Dark LWJ, Mobster LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Sex Worker WWX, Sugar Baby WWX, WWX adopts LSZ, Dubious Consent, each chapter has sex tag notes on it, BDSM, Sounding, Panic Attacks, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Due Process by Kytrin, Mslead (E, 279k, WangXian, XiSangCheng, ZhuiLingZhen, Modern AU, Canon-Typical Violence, Foxxian, dragonji, Genderfluid WWX, Wwx identifies as male, Organized Crime, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, mentions of child abuse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Found Family, Reincarnation)

Naughty Kitty Go Meow Meow: An Urban Romance From The City of Dragons by Hinu (E, 160k, WangXian, NieLan, RuoXian, Modern AU, Mafia, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Dragon LWJ, Cat Hybrid WWX, Porn with Plot, Organized Crime, Pole dancing, Possessive LWJ, WWX has a Vulva, Omegas have a vagina, GNC WWX, Good Person WZL, Dark LWJ, Sexual harassment, Non-Consensual Bondage, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Eventual Fluff)

Beautiful Nightmare (Sweet Dreams) by Cy_an_Blue (E, 79k, WangXian, Modern AU, explicit depictions of torture, explicit depictions of violence, Dark LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Crime Boss LWJ, Mafia AU, Kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome, (Kinda but not really), Implied Sexual Content, Sexual Harassment, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Not by WangXian, Dubious Consent, Age Difference, Kid Fic, Heavy/Dark Themes, Cheating, not wangxian, 365 days (2020) inspired, Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, Past QingXian, Minor LWJ/Other(s), Homophobic Language, Derogatory Language)

To Protect My Family I'll Give You Anything by stiricide (E, 4k, WangXian, Modern AU, Alpha WWX, Omega LWJ, Bottom LWJ, Gangsters, Gangbang, Fisting, Public Sex, Public Humiliation, Knotting, Mating Bites, Happy Ending, Dark LWJ, Dark WWX, Spanking, Dubious Consent, Top WWX, Threats of Violence, but not between wangxian)

there is a mafia au comp !!

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7. A) In the mood for wen Ning and Wei Ying being close

B) Is there any wangxian book which is like omniscient reader's viewpoint? Fusion or similar. I just plain and simple love it to the end of the world. @whateverweilanlovechild​

7A)

Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 63k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war, WIP) 

All Things Belong by kuroi_atropos (M, 65k, WRH & WWX, wangxian, WN & WWX, Wen WWX, abuse, whipping, manipulations, smart WWX, possessive behavior, implied/Referenced rape/non-con, past rape/non-con, WIP)

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8. ITMF superhero wangxian!! i’m not too particular on the context, be it only one of them, or both of them, or hero/villain. the more explicit the better, though 🌝

mission report by bosbie (T, 13k, WangXian, Modern AU, Superheroes/Superpowers, Fluff, Humor, First Meetings, Falling In Love, Getting Together)

a wild heart to tame mine by theroyalsavage (G, 10k, WangXian, Superheroes/Superpowers, Strangers to Lovers, bookshop owner lwj/superhero wwx, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Wangxian-typical tenderness)

Tired of the Sunset by julomaiboulomai (M, 55k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Superheroes/Superpowers, Identity Porn, Secret Identity, Parent-Child Relationship, Grief/Mourning, Canonical Character Death, Also Canonical 'He Gets Better', Unreliable Narrator, superhero fights, Major Character Injury, Major Character Undeath, Slow Burn, But also somehow, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, JC-LWJ Mutual Hate Society, Domestic Fluff, Co-Parenting, Making Out, well slowish burn, Fade to Black, Brief mentions of suicide, Angst with a Happy Ending, Art Embedded)

🧡 Of Ghosts and Heroes by The Silverfish (ZephyrAndTheSilverfish) (T, 51k, AS & WWX, AS/YH, WangXian, BNHA/MHA Crossover, Dimension Travel, POV Outsider, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Angst) Sort of? It's a crossover with bnha and I think a few mdzs characters become heroes in it

Free Wifi for Heroes by JJSparrow (E, 50k, WangXian, XuanLi, Modern AU, Pro Heroes (MHA), Switching, Engineer!WWX, Hero!LWJ, CEO!WWX, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Inventor!WWX, Top/Bottom Switch WangXian, Explicit Sexual Content, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff and Smut, First Kiss, First Time)

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9. Hi, thanks for doing these recs!

For the next itmf, I'd like wangxian in the Cloud Recesses Study Arc, kinda like Stunted, Starving Juvenility. Preferably long, like 50k+, but any length is fine!

Thank you! @moonlightflora-101​

Silenced With A Kiss by NinjaKK (E, 88k, wangxian, cloud recesses study arc, flirting, fluff, teen romance, happy ending, secret relationship, falling in love, first kiss, first dates, inventor WWX, genius WWX, protective WWX; protective LWJ, happy ending, ripple effect, first time, fluff & smut, supportive LWJ, BAMF WWX, WIP)

The initial parts of 💖 Magical Marriage Ribbons series by starandrea (M, 1M, WIP, wangxian, ongoing, animal transformations, weddings, link in #2) also fits for 9, I think

O, What Learning Is! by Comfect (T, 60k, WangXian, XiCheng, Canon Divergence, No Fall of Lotus Pier, No Golden Core Transfer, Fix-It, Butterfly Effect, Fluff, Cultivation Theory, Cultivation Sect Politics, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, WWX-Typical Obliviousness, Unreliable Narrator WWX, The Undeniable Romance of Quests, Good Student WWX (for a given value of good student), Canon-typical treatment of children, Bad Parent YZY, Bad Parent JFM, Good Uncle LQR)

Three changes. by orange_crushed (M, 18k, WangXian, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Friends to Lovers, Romantic Comedy, Fade to Black, Mild Sexual Content, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot No War AU, Falling In Love, Non-Graphic Violence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Sparring, Harm to Animals, Don't Worry The Animal is Fine Wangji Makes Sure of That, Developing Friendships, teenagers in love, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Blood, First Time)

Unstoppable by Netrixie (T, 149k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Eventual Happy Ending, Unreliable Narrator, Slow Burn, Minor OC's, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Wolf-shifter WWX, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, Fix-It, Shapeshifters, Sunshot Campaign)

In Walls of Glass by Comfect (T, 43k, WangXian, XiCheng, Good Uncle LQR, Teacher LQR, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Yet Another Butterfly Effect Fix-It, JC friendly, Family Feels, Demonic Cultivation, Cultivation Theory, Tagged CQL not MDZS, POV LQR)

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10. Hello! ITMF where WWX is super duper Mary Sue. I just read “The Darkness Before Dawn” by PsycheStellata707, and I loved how WWX was just the most beautiful, the most powerful, the most smart, the most loved, the richest, the super bamf. It was indulgent and fun. Any other fics like this?

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the   asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation) (link in #14)

🧡 Rule Number One: Never get attached. by KizuKatana (E, 130k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O, Criminal underworld AU, Fluff and angst, Crime boss LWJ, Rouge criminal genius WWX, Explicit Sex) (link in #6)

Whatever you do by apathyinreverie (T, 8k, WangXian, somewhat darker cultivation world, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, BAMF LXC, not Jiang friendly, YZY Bashing, wwx is appreciated, genius wwx, everyone is a little darker in this, except for wwx, Fluff, Possessive LWJ, Fix-It)

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11. Hi hi, hope everything is going well :) Sorry if this has been asked before, but for either ITMF or Fic Finder are there any good fics with Yunmeng trio shenanigans/slice of life?

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12. hello! sorry to bother you, but theres any new wangxian fic with mpreg? especially (only) pregnant wei wuxian, please and thanks! 💖🙏🏽

--

Hello, can you suggest any fluffy wangxian fic where wei Wuxian is pregnant. Would love it if it is long. Thank you 😊😊 @mayavsworld​

In which Lan Qiren eavesdrops and gets a new nephew (and grandnephew) out of it by h0peless_oblivion (M, 64k, WIP, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Mpreg, Teen Pregnancy, Shotgun Wedding, Good Uncle LQR, Madam Yu's A+ Parenting, Fluff and Angst, Family Feels, Unspecified Setting, Probably ooc, WWX Has ADHD, A-Yuan is Wangxian's son, Pregnant WWX, Humor, non-graphic birth, Family Drama, The Lans love wwx, Male Lactation, Mild Smut in later chapters, wangxian's canonical breeding kink, Tooth-Rotting Fluff) it's marked as a WIP but the main story is over the rest are sides stories

My Heart is a Cavern of Longing, Please come home? by LadyVamp (E, 28k, WangXian, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, Bitch WWX, Forced Marriage, Accidental Baby Acquisition, YLLZ WWX, Oblivious WWX, Módào Zǔshī & The Untamed Combination, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Forced Bonding, Forced Pregnancy, Depressed WWX, Sex In A Cave, Uncontrolled heats, JZX Lives, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Pining LWJ, Pining WWX, Child LJY, LJY is WangXian's son, Unplanned Pregnancy, Pregnant WWX, Mpreg)

Bonded Fate by Missty0foxx (E, 19k, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Canon Divergence, Dubious Consent, Mating, Mating Bites, Knotting, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Angst with a Happy Ending, Self-Lubrication, LWJ Has a Big Dick, Teenage WangXian, Time Skips, Mpreg, Caring LWJ, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Pregnant Sex, Pregnant WWX, Mating Cycles/In Heat, WangXian Have a Breeding Kink, LWJ Has a Biting Kink)

The Beautiful and the Damned by Anonymous (M, 15k, WangXian, Wingfic, Immortal LWJ, Demon WWX, Mpreg, Pregnant WWX, Wing Kink, Human JC, mmortal LXC, Immortal LSZ, Immortal LJY, Crow WWX, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, WangXian Are LSZ's Parents, Gambling, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Spanking, CNC and Dubcon elements, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Unplanned Pregnancy)

Pregxian & Pregji Comp

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13. Hey guys hope all is well , I’m in the mood for a fix with bodyguard Lan Zhan just out here protecting wei ying idk if anything like this exists but I’m intrigued.

Thank you for all your hard work x @red-spacekitten

Bodyguard king by 74243 (E, 8k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, Idol WWX, Bodyguard LWJ, Female NHS, Platonic D/s, Loss of Virginity)

lightning in a bottle by nighimpossible (E, 12k, WangXian, Modern AU, Bodyguard LWJ, Scientist WWX, Mutual Pining, Blow Jobs, (light) Rope Bondage, Kitchen Sex, Anal Fingering)

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14. Itmf for fics where LWJ has friends!! Who teases him!! And are there for him!! I've often seen Mianmian with him and I've enjoyed those fics alot!! Preferably canonverse but modern au's are fun too!!

❤️ save a sword, ride a socialist by sysrae (E, 33k, wangxian, modern w magic, college/university au, fake/pretend relationship, single parent WWX, homophobia, light angst w/ happy ending, idiots to lovers, fluff) is really good

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the   asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation) Scarlett storm does a great job of showing lan zhan with actual friends and a support system , however this one in particular is great !

mating rituals by detectorist (E, 16k, WangXian, XuanLi, JZX & LWJ, Modern AU, College/University, Humour, Pining, Getting Together, Idiots in Love)

correspondence of two fools madly in love by serenedebeautea (G, 2k, WangXian, XuanLi, LWJ & JZX)

forget-me-not by mellowflicker (E, 31k, WIP, WangXian, Modern AU, Sugar Daddy WWX, Sugar Baby LWJ, Professor WWX, Student LWJ, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, Secret Relationship, Age Difference, Hurt/Comfort, Chronic Pain, JZX & LWJ Friendship, Family Issues, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiāngs)

Orchids in Lotus Pier by Vamillepudding (G, 21k, WangXian, JC & LWJ, Canon Divergence, Romantic Comedy, Mutual Pining, Protective JC, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings)

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15. Hi there! Hope you day is going good!!! I need your help to find me a(lot) fan fiction with dragon lan wangji/human wei wuxian please 🙇‍♀️🥺 @mahamhere

Coil Tightly by Thunderstruck (Blueyed_Impala) (T, 50k, WangXian, Dragon LWJ, Shifters, Modern with Magic, WWX is oblivious to magic, Slow Burn, Fluff, Attempt at Humor, References to Animal Abuse but the animal is LWJ, Hurt/Comfort, WWX Has Self-Esteem Issues, WWX has abandonment issues, Possessive LWJ, Clueless Flirting, OC Lan disciples for plot reasons)

These Mortal Treasures by ChilianXianzi (T, 9k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fantasy, Dragon LWJ, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Possessive LWJ, Domestic Fluff, implied eggpreg, The Cultivation World's canonical fuckery, eggyuan!, Gift Giving)

Love at first bite by luckymoonly (M, 14k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern setting with dragons, Falling In Love, NMJ and JYL own a bakery together, Interspecies Romance, Crossdressing, Everyone lives in the same building, First Time, Fluff and Humor, Mpreg, LWJ's canonical big dick, Horny lwj, Smut, LXC and LWJ are dragon princes, Lingerie, Dating, Medium Burn, Possessive LWJ)

wind and rain by hauntedotamatone (E, 15k, WangXian, Dragon LWJ, Porn With Plot, Size Difference, Mildly Dubious Consent, Spit As Lube, Fairy Tale Elements, Double Penetration in One Hole, Rough Sex, Biting, Curse Breaking, Teratophilia, Fuck Or Die, but not for who you'd think, Meet-Ugly, Rimming, Past physical abuse, consensual and sane but not 100 percent safe, Non-Human Genitalia, Come as Lube, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation, Copious Amounts of Come)

Jaws of the Dragon by celerydragon (Not Rated, 7k, WangXian, dubcon, Exhibitionism, Nonconsensual Exhibitionism, Bestiality, Belly Bulge, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Breeding Kink, dragonji, LWJHas a Big Dick, lwj can transform into a human)

other earths and skies by binghecarer (T, 53k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, (but not in the typical way?), Slow Burn, Canon-Typical Scars and Injuries, Curses, Hurt/Comfort)

fell by you by Vrishchika (E, 44k, Dragon LWJ, Fantasy, Explicit Smut in Last Chapter, Pining, POV LWJ, Canon Divergence, Immortals, Deities, Canon-Typical Violence, Dragon WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending)

this river runs to you Series by aubreyli, sundiscus (T/E, 66k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Mutual Pining, Dragons, Literal Sleeping Together, Tender wound tending, First Time, Oral Sex, Coming Untouched, Porn with Feelings, Established Relationship) 

Making Mouths at Dragons by athena_crikey (E, 10k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Mpreg, baby fever, near PWP, Dragon sex, also human sex, Rimming, Size Kink, Egg Laying, Family, Feel-good, hints of self-worth issues, Dragon LWJ)

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16. hello!! for the next itmf, any fanfics where they elaborate on wei changze and/or cangse sanren? secret families, they survive, even pre canon, just some wei family feels. thank youu <33

I Will Call You By Name by DisasterMages (T, 73k, WangXian, WWX raised by XXC, Canon Divergence, Family Feels) does ´I will call you by name’ by DisasterMages count they’re a few flashbacks about them

tall as the mountains that sheltered us by thelastdboy (M, 4k, CSSR/WCZ, CSSR & WWX & WCZ, wangxian, canon divergence, CSSR & WCZ live, crack treated seriously, childhood friends to lovers, genius WWX, inventor WWX, bg character death, happy ending, WCZ pov) wcz & cssr are saved by the lan.

The Long Winding Road Home by Admiranda (T, 12k, CSSR/WCZ, wangxian, time travel, post-canon, not JC friendly, fluff, family reunion, mocking LQR to his face, mocking JC to his face, wild rumours) wcz & cssr return after 30 years trapped.

Silver (Bloodshot) Eyes by GeminiWillow (T, 15k, WangXian, WCZ & WWX, WCZ & JL, Not Jiāng Chéng Friendly, JC Bashing, YZY Bashing, Yúnmèng Jiāng Sect Bashing, BAMF WCZ, Ghost WCZ, JC Canon Characteristics, Mentions of WWX's Canonical Child Abuse, Child JL, JL Needs a Hug, Revenge) vengeful ghost wcz torments jc during the timeskip. jiang bashing.

The Wei of family by HikariNoHimeWriter (E, 46k, WangXian, WCZ/CSSR, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, CSSR and WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Male omega with vagina, Vaginal Fingering, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Vaginal Sex, First Time, Falling In Love, some violence, Genius WWX, WWX Has ADHD, CSSR Has ADHD, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Eventual Smut, Love Confessions, Mating Bond, WangXian Elope, Kinda, Not JC Friendly, not yzy friendly, Mpreg) omega wwx grows up with his family and finds love

a burden of figs by spookykingdomstarlight (T, 16k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, CSSR and WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Breaking Up & Making Up, Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, Injured WWX, caretaker LWJ, Mutual Pining) rogue cultivator wwx dating to breakup to makeup.

somehow, someway, we all get to someday by Stratisphyre (T, 75k, WangXian, CSSR/LQR/WCZ, MDM Lan/OFC, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, Canon-Typical Violence, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Parenthood, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Threesome - F/M/M, Family Feels, Not JFM Friendly, Not Lan Sect Friendly, past emotional abuse, Demisexual Character, Inclusive discussions of reproductive rights) jfm & yzy die on a nighthunt and wcz & cssr run the jiang as regents for jc.

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17. Hi!! ITMF for submissive LWJ with a praise kink. Whether he's top or bottom doesn't matter.

Shatter All Barriers by YunmengLotus (E, 11k, WangXian, Modern AU, Painplay, Light Dom/sub, very brief subdrop, Praise Kink, Wax Play, Temperature Play, Sex Toys, Communication, light blood play (really light but there is blood), BDSM, Intercrural Sex, thigh fucking, Non-Penetrative Sex, Coming Untouched, Piercings, Needles, Sub LWJ, dom WWX, kind of, Getting Together, piercer wwx)

Maybe You're the Reason by Clearpearls (E, 67k, WangXian, College/University, Phone Sex, slight D/s, Secret Identity, Praise Kink, Phone Sex Operator WWX, slight internalized sexual repression, Fluff, Light Angst, Dirty Talk, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Slow Burn, Sub LWJ, Bottom LWJ, Vibrators, Aftercare, Introspection)

old wounds by BloodRedCarnation (E, 23k, WangXianYu, Established WangXian, PWP, Kink Negotiation, Switch WangXian, Age Difference, Power Dynamics, Threesome, healing through sex, Breathplay, Light exhibitionism kink, Praise Kink, Dom/sub, Virgin MXY, Post-Canon, Fix-It of Sorts, Double Penetration)

Caffeine, Small Talk by mistergoblin (E, 144k, WangXian, Modern AU, Friends With Benefits, Enemies to Lovers, or more accurately: frenemies to fuck, buddies to lovers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, touch-starved lwj, Slow Burn, high levels of sexual tension, Misunderstandings, Getting to Know Each Other, Switching, Bottom LWJ, bottom WWX, slight D/s, Happy Ending, side yanqing, lwj's patented horny grip, Sub LWJ)

Here Comes The Heat (Before We Meet) by mistergoblin (E, 15k, WangXian, Fluff and Smut, Getting Together, D/s elements, Sub LWJ, Bottom LWJ, but they switch wbk, Collars, Praise Kink, Rough Sex, Spanking, Explicit Consent)

a new kind of silence by deliciousblizzardshark (E, 11k, WangXian, Modern AU, Autistic LWJ, Communication Disorder, Trans LWJ, Protective WWX, Pregnant LWJ, Panic Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Getting Together, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Soft WangXian, POV WWX)

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[biocrafthero]

Wolves Den

After being held hostage for months on end, a small group manage to rescue our protagonist from their kidnapper. Despite the feeling of safety the three bring, questions about why they were taken in the first place still remain unanswered...

(More about the story and cast under the cut)

Wolves Den follows Shay and the few days of their life leading up to their encounter with the Wolf and subsequent kidnapping. They’re held hostage for months with no apparent reason, time slipping through their fingers. But one day, for similar unanswered reasons, they find themselves rescued by a trio claiming to help them, named Mei, Cain, and Elias. It doesn’t take long before Shay begins to feel safe around the three of them, but questions still linger in the back of their mind despite everything. Will the answers they seek be worth it, or will they find themselves entangled in an even greater danger than they had initially believed to be?

This story focuses heavily on themes of paranoia, obsession, and trauma. It will contain scenes involving violence and bloodshed, but nothing beyond what I as an author have already posted online.

Characters (in no particular order):

Shay (they/them) - The unfortunate victim. Normally more confident and outspoken, but faltering after what they've been through. This doesn't stop them from being curious enough to take risks, of course. Improvises plans while in the moment and does what they can with a bad situation.

Cain (he/him) - All smiles and all teeth, very social. Definitive strongman of the group and pretends not to understand concepts like personal space. Can be teasing at times, but means well. Reads people like open books. Enjoys hunting with a permit.

Mei (she/her) - College student who's close to graduating, takes online classes. Stubborn at times, but easily mistaken for being timid. The kind of person you'd want to go to if you needed help. Knows how to pick both locks and pockets with ease.

Elias (he/it) - The one planning most operations and "heists" the group pulls off. A man of few words if he decides to speak at all and has a bad habit of staring blankly at people. Adverse to most touch unless he's initiating or if you're Cain. Takes a liking chess and other strategy games.

The Wolf (??/??, use any) - The hunter. Identity currently unknown. Erratic personality. Very capable and extremely dangerous.

[7association-was-here]

This report is brought to you by our sponsor, K corp… Ah, just kidding. That was a “joke” Ryoshu came up with. She insisted I put it somewhere in the report. Although K corp did assist somewhat here.

So, Outis reporting in with the results from the interrogation of K corp employee “Samjo”. Or shall I say former K corp employee by now.

After being taken in as hostage by Ryoshu for “treason against the R.B.” as she calls it, he was identified and was revealed to be a former employee of the K corp food department. To clarify, we did check in with K corp themselves before the interview and they have confirmed as such. (Meaning we will not be in legal trouble for his kidnapping.) With some helpful coaxing methods suggested by Ryoshu, our hostage answered nearly all of our questions cooperatively. In fact this has been the most successful interview out of all the other ones enacted for this case (perhaps Ryoshu really is useful…)

So the following is the questions and answers compiled in a simple list format.

Q: Why is he no longer a K corp employee and if so why was he in their underground area? -> A: He explains that his leave was of his own volition caused by the need to enact personal vengeance. He was able to keep—or in more accurate terms steal—his employee ID after quitting, which granted him access to the labs and buildings still afterwards.

Q: What “Personal vengeance”? -> A: Vengeance for the false accusation, abduction and death of his higher-up “Dongrang”.

Q: Then why would he want Yi Sang dead? Shouldn’t he blame K corp or the unknown faction who took him? -> A: Samjo explains that Yi Sang is part of the organization who abducted Dongrang, and is the leader of it in fact. (mirror identity?) K corp only plays a relatively small factor in this according to him. The organization he mentions may be the same one our “whistleblower” told us of who aim to “liberate technology” it seems. (“he was a jealous simp.” —Ryoshu’s input.)

Q: Knowledge on the technology liberation alliance? -> A: Described exactly as our whistleblower did, not much gained.

Q: Knowledge on an individual named “Shrenne”? And why K corp cancelled on Dongrang’s case? -> A: He knows Shrenne as a former colleague at K corp, but he claims that K corp has never cancelled the request on the retrieval of their missing former employee Dongrang. Rather it’s the opposite as he remembers from the last days he was there the director was particularly pressed about the case dragging on for such a long time, and Seven not having answered any of their emails.

That concludes the questioning for now. I thought telling him “Dongrang is not dead” according to the whistleblower wouldn’t be of much use other than to cause some hysteria or emotional drama. Samjo also has no knowledge on the mirror phenomenon.

I made sure to share the necessary information to K corp, specifically regarding the false case cancellation, Samjo’s whereabouts at our office in case they’d like to reprimand him or such for unauthorized trespassing, and an explanation for not answering any of their emails. Because in truth we have not received a single word from K corp until recently as was mentioned at the beginning. I know this because I manage all of the association’s official business emails. Could it be that this Shrenne individual is also canceling emails? We’ll be waiting on an update on that from their part.

In the meanwhile I’m not very sure what to make of all of this information and whether any of it would be of use at all in our current case. We did get confirmation of the existence of a Technology Liberation Alliance being involved in this, yet that doesn’t give us any further clues to the true puppeteers of all these seemingly unrelated syndicates collectively flocking around the mirror technology.

Although, there is that name again. “Dongrang”. It seems I was not mistaken last time, that is indeed the same Dongrang mentioned by the artisan Yi Sang as I did some research regarding the former League of Nine Littérateurs. I could not see anything particularly noteworthy from their past other than Yi Sang’s involvement.

Hm. Perhaps… The reason Dongrang has been supposedly captured by the TLA was due to his past being in the League? Considering the leader is a mirror identity of Yi Sang the possibility isn’t very far off. Perhaps just like with the artisan, this iteration of Yi Sang is less passive.

But then why else? Why capture Dongrang other than revenge? It seems they’re using him for far than just that since Faust reported he was in that tube back at the L corp facility, was that simply a cruel murder method? Why did the whistleblower claim he was not dead then?

Well… It seems we’ll see soon enough.

This has been Outis, end of report.

[hedgiwithapen]

Dhd prompt: Elliott Spencer and Shawn Spencer try to save Gus, who was kidnapped because he was mistaken for being Hardison

"You know, I think you got more badass," Shawn said. "You just punched that guy and he--"

"I think you got more annoying." Eliot said. "What the hell did you get yourself into? Aren't you pretending to be a psychic?"

"Don't tell me dad actually put that in the family newsletter," Shawn groaned. "I was very specific, I said "psychic detective" and I'm not preten--" he cut off at Eliot's glare.

"Right," Eliot said. He'd checked into it right after the Rand case, just to be sure.  His most annoying cousin-- 3rd cousin, once removed, to be exact, not getting into the adoptions-- was not scamming anyone, though he made it a point to make sure. Shawn wasn't the kind of guy the team was ever going to need to run a game on, though he had the annoying habit of making enemies, and hunting criminals. It paid to make sure none of his crew ended up on his radar. "He didn't. Now tell me again."

"We were investigating a murder. Same old same old. I tell the secretary, you know, Hi, I'm Mr. Spencer, consultant for the police, this is my associate, Sir Alexie Hardenflan, blah blah blah, can we see your computer--"

"You told her what?"

"Actually the secretary was a very nice gentleman named Tye," Shawn said. “I mean, he seemed like a nice gentleman.  Except for the whole being the real criminal mastermind part.”

Eliot took a breath to calm down. Then another. Then two more. Then he gave up on calming down "You told. Your suspect. In a murder case. Which involves the Mob. That you were Mr Spencer and your friend is...a name that sounds an awful lot like Alec Hardison. Why? Why would you do that? I thought his name was Gus?"

"It is! It's a cover identity, he loves it."

"Yeah, I bet he loved being mistaken for my hacker boyfriend, by the mob, which we sto--confiscated a lot of money from a while back."

"Oooooh, that would explain the ransom demand."

"You got. A ransom demand. And you didn't tell me? You don't think that was relevant?"

"Eliot, when emails go to my spam folder and have numbers like 40 million most people assume it's a scam."

"I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna help you save your friend and then I'm gonna kill you."

"That's the spirit," Shawn beamed. "Ooh, two more guys --"

"I heard em. Now shut up and do not, under any circumstances-"

"Mention any of this at the next reunion. Got it." (they save Gus. Shawn absolutely tells all the aunties. Lassiter is convinced that Shawn’s Cousin’s Girlfriend is an art thief but is unable to prove it. Juliet tells him to stop being paranoid. Hardison gives Gus tips for next time, and Gus tells Shawn there better not be a next time.)

[taralaurel]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

I was watching these all get posted and thought they were so fun and 'lo and behold this has been sitting in my inbox!

As everyone I've seen get tagged is a Tarlos writer, I will stick to a list of my top 5 Tarlos fics that I've written:

1. just coffee

Alternate first meeting involving coffee and a crime.

Why It's In My Top 5: Tarlos being "a pretty good team" stopping a criminal together, plentiful banter

2. grounded

TK comes home to find Carlos sleeping on the job. The babysitting job, that is. The Vega twins and Lou II were just trying to be helpful...

Why It's In My Top 5: weighted blanket TK Strand, Lou II shenanigans, funny banter, hurt/comfort

3. something new

TK and Carlos are barely halfway through their first official date when a familiar face shows up, revealing secrets from TK's past to the man he's only just started to get to know.

Why It's In My Top 5: obligatory Alex fic, supportive Carlos, early Tarlos feels, TK stands up for himself, S1 TK shares actual feelings, "And cops."

4. i wanna hold your hand

After a long shift, TK has an adrenaline crash. His hands shake and he can't help but be brought right back to every other time they trembled like that. The detoxes. The snowstorm. And the one time he waited for them to start after finding out about his uncle.

Why It's In My Top 5: caring Carlos,

5. Lost (And Found)

Carlos is just trying to get through his shift at the bar so he can get back to helping Michelle search the city for her sister.

TK is just waiting for his blind date, Alex, to finally show up.

Both busy looking for something else, somehow - they find each other.

Why It's In My Top 5: alternate first meeting, lots of hurt/comfort, smut, Tarlos falling in love with each other while actively trying *not* to

This is a WIP with 3 chapters posted and sitting at around 12k words posted and 20k words written. It is shaping up to be my longest, and possibly my favorite, Tarlos fic once complete.

BONUS:

If I was including non-Tarlos fics, #1-3 would remain, but be pushed down two slots to include:

I'll Stand By You

A story about coming out, and coming home.

Why It's In My Top 5: found family, all the hurt/comfort, self-acceptance, some of the *BEST* interactions with readers through comments and messages.

Identity Theft

What happens when a kid dresses up as their favorite hero, but gets mistaken as the real deal and kidnapped by a group of villains?

Why It's In My Top 5: some of my best action/fight/suspense scenes I've ever written, readers falling in love with a teeny one-scene OC enough that he gets his own chapter and helps save the day (Jerry the Uber driver for the win)

I believe @lemonlyman-dotcom made a master list of all the self-rec'd fics posted from these earlier this week so you should go check out those authors/stories!!

[scatterbrainedgremlin-writings]

Of the multitudes of fic ideas I’ve had, one of them is for Nexo Knights and is Lance centric (mans getting development. It’s what he deserves) and when I told my friend about it they said it reminded them of HTTYD. It has one OC, her name is Aizzayd, and she’s a fucking gremlin child. I also have a head cannon that any mythical creatures mentioned in Nexo Knights (aside from unicorns) are considered endangered and under protection by order of the royal family. Dragons especially since poachers tend to go for the babies instead of adults cause they haven’t fully developed their scales yet, and the elder dragons are considered dieties to some towns. 

Basic plot goes like this (under cut cause it’s pretty long)

Aizzayd’s parents were both mayors of an island town and had a deal with the nine elder dragons (each dragon controls an element, will be explained later) where they would give some wealth and fish for safety. Sometime after Aizzayd was born, shit hit the fan and everyone had to evacuate to a coastal town they had a trade deal with and Aizzayd’s dad, named Aries, gave her to the dragons to protect her. She pair bonds with a baby sky dragon named Coisu who refuses to leave her side.

16 years later she meets Lance after he accidentally gets mistaken for just another shiny object by one of the elder dragons and after some banter he brings her back to the Fortrex where she becomes absolutely chatoic. Season 2 happens, she gets kidnapped by Jestro, but she’s so rambunctious that he gives her back (she still scares him even after season 2 ends).

During this time the dragons reveal that Aizzyad wasn’t actually found orphaned and was given to them by her father who is still alive and in his 30′s or 40′s. She has an identity crisis where she lays on the floor in the holo training room listening to the Nexo Knights equivalent to MCR. The knights all agree that’d be best to try and find her dad, and they do, and he’s happy to see that she has died in some ridiculous fashion.

After season 2 when everything settles down and before the knights start up their side hustles, Aizzyad and Coisu get shot down just outside the town her dad is now mayor of and she gets kidnapped by poachers (they didn’t kill Coisu because they didn’t have the means with them). Aries finds Coisu injured and without Aizzyad and immediately assumes the worst, and contacts the knights.

Knights arrive to a panicked Aries and he explains what’s going on. Lance, who tried very hard not to get attached to the tiny gremlin but is now attached to said tiny gremlin, is the first one to say they need to get her back (the elder dragons approve).

This is all I’m putting cause I’m tired, but I will post a part 2 with the characters involved and some memes that my brain has decided to make up before posting this.

[jpriest85-blog]

Recently completed @foxofsunholt character sheet for my Fey-fox Zahia.

It has compelled me to come up with more information and headcanons about Zahia:

In a classic adventure rpg she would definitely be a bard since she's charming, flirtatious, musically inclined, can cast spells, and would just as easily steal your heart as well as your wallet. 

When on the road she'll often busk or look for musical gigs in Fey friendly establishments when she needs to make legitimate money. I headcanon she plays her mother's Oud as it's one of the few things she was able to keep from her mother.

While Zahia has limited literacy when it comes to the written word, she's very skilled at reading and writing sheet music. So she's more familiar with musical notes than the alphabet. 

Zahia can be just as vain as Yoon when it comes to her hair, despite having to often rough it in the wood she makes sure she always has supplies for hair care amongst her necessities (possibility some sort of magical hair dryer with diffuser, and containers of homemade conditioner, cleansers, and styling products)

Probably has warrants in several cities because of the work she did for her uncle mostly involving petty theft, B&E, and larceny. 

Her Fennec fox form often gave her an advantage when she used to steal for her uncle. Her adorable appearance ment people often  lowered their guard so she could pick their pockets or steal any jewelry they wear. Her smaller frame made it easier for her to sneak into places, and make quick escapes. She also has very sensitive hearing due to her larger ears which was very useful when picking locks and safe cracking. 

There was an incident when Zahia was briefly "kidnapped" due to a mistaken identity. An elderly woman saw Zahia in her Fey-fox form and mistook her for her missing Chihuahua, Gigi. Unfortunately, the elderly woman was almost entirely deaf, so she didn't understand Zahia when she was squirming and trying to explain to the woman she wasn't her dog. Yoon was sent to find Zahia when Yalik became worried about her being missing for so long. When he finally found her he was delighted much to Zahia's horror, that the old woman who "abducted" her tucked fox Zahia into a bassinet and dressed her in a frilly little doggy pjs with matching bonnet and booties. Despite the humiliating dress up, Zahia's time with the old woman wasn't unpleasant. She was very sweet and dotting, if a bit eccentric though it seems the old woman was entirely alone. So at first she refused to leave with Yoon when he came to rescue her. Zahia felt too guilty to just abandon the old woman, so she convinced Yoon to help her find the real Gigi before she could return. He did eventually find the dog, although Gigi was a jerk to him. She refused to have anything to do with a shady mutt like Yoon. He doesn't even have a pedigree! No, she's going to wait right here for her Mamá to come find her. Until Yoon tricked Gigi by making her think her Mamá just replaced her with an even worse mutt than himself. Eventually, both Gigi and Zahia safely returned home, although whenever Yoon brings up the incident, Zahia reminds him she wasn't the one who was verbally dragged by a purse dog.

[mysteryloversbookshelf]

Some of My Favorite Mystery/Thriller Books Categorized by Tropes

Like every other book genre, mystery/thriller novels have several tropes that you either love or hate. I personally am a huge fan of mysteries involving otherwise normal suburbs, spouses where one or both have a secret, and locked room mysteries with complex puzzles. Here is a list of common tropes and books that I've read that fall into those categories:

Agoraphobia

The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn

Book Within a Book

Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery Series - Anthony Horowitz

Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz

Creepy Children

Baby Teeth - Zoje Stage

The Only Child - Mi-Ae Seo

The Push - Ashley Audrain

Final Girl

The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix

Feuding Neighbors

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng

Haunted House

The Death of Jane Lawrence - Caitlin Starling

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Heist

The Monsters We Defy - Penelope Leslye

Portrait of a Thief - Grace D. Li

House Sitting Gone Wrong

The Last Word - Taylor Adams

Lock Every Door - Riley Sager

Inheritance from Distant Relative / Stranger

The Death of Mrs. Westaway - Ruth Ware

Jane Austen Inspired

A Most Agreeable Murder

Kidnapped Baby

The Couple Next Door - Shari Lapena

Locked Room Mystery

The Mystery of the Yellow Room - Gaston Leroux

Secret Staircase Mystery Series - Gigi

Mistaken Identity

Are You Sara? - S.C. Lalli

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

The Request - David Bell

Nomad Protagonist

Frankie Elkin Series - Lisa Gardner

Overbearing Mothers

The Favorite Daughter - Kaira Rouda

The Mother-in-Law - Sally Hepworth

Reality Show

The Golden Spoon

Return to Childhood Home & Unsolved Mystery

Fierce Little Thing - Miranda Beverly Whittemore

The Resting Place - Camilla Sten

Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

Return to Summer Camp & Unsolved Mystery

I'll Never Tell - Catherine McKenzie

The Last Time I Lied - Riley Sager

Single White Female

Social Creature - Tara Isabella Burton

Sole Survivor of Family Massacre Seeking Truth

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

Those Empty Eyes - Charlie Donlea

Time Travel

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle -

Wrong Place Wrong Time - Gillian McAllister

Snowed In

No Exit - Taylor Adams

True Crime Podcast

Girl Forgotten

The Sorority Murders

Unreliable Narrator

Sometimes I Lie - Alice Feeney

Wedding Gone Wrong

The Couple at the Table - Sophie Hannah

The Guilt Trip - Sandie Jones

The Guest List - Lucy Foley

You're Invited - Amanda Jaytista

[engshoujosei]

Snow White with the Red Hair

24 volumes (in English as of 4/14/2023, ongoing)

Licensed by Viz Media

Shirayuki is a young woman born with unique apple-red hair. After catching word about her hair, Prince Rajin sends orders for her to become his concubine. With nowhere else to go, Shirayuki cuts her hair and escapes to a neighboring country. While traversing through the forests, she meets a young man, Zen, who helps her after she boldly cures his wounds. He soon, however, becomes poisoned by an apple meant for Shirayuki. What will happen to Shirayuki? What is Zen's true character? 

A refreshing fantasy story between an optimistic heroine and a prince who constantly stays on her watch.

Anime Start/End Chapter:

Starts at Vol.1, Ch.1 (S1); Vol. 4, Ch.17.5 (S2); Ends at Vol.4, Ch.17 (S1); Vol.8 , Ch.32 (S2); Alternative ending

Related Series 

Natsu Yasumi Zero Zero Nichime (Side Story, oneshot not licensed)

Status in Country of Origin 

25 Volumes; 126 Chapters (Ongoing, hiatus?)

Tags:

Adapted to Anime

Aristocrat/s

Assassin/s

Attempted Murder

Based on a Fairytale

Bodyguard/s

Capable Female Lead

Conspiracy/ies

Emancipation

Emotionally Strong Female Lead

European Ambience

Forbidden Love

Friends Become Lovers

Historical Fantasy

Important Non-Romantic Relationship/s

Important Secondary Character/s

Independent Female Lead

Kidnapping/s

Kind Male Lead

LGBT Character in Non-Yaoi/Yuri Manga

Love Triangle/s

Male Lead Falls in Love First

Medieval Setting

Mistaken Identity

Orphan/s

Pharmacist/s

Politics Involving Royalty

Rivalry

Scholar/s

Slow Romance

Smart Couple

Strong Female Lead

Studious Female Lead

Subtle Romance

Warm Ambience

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

If I had a nickel for every billionaire that tried to kidnap me, I’d have two nickels- which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice

by bongo_balderdash

Look, in Bruce Wayne’s defence, he has a lot of children with black hair and blue eyes, and he’d had a very long day. But in Danny’s defence, he has no idea what’s happening right now and, according to his previous experience in being kidnapped by billionaires, his reaction is incredibly reasonable.

Overall, it's just a very stressful series of events for everyone involved.

Words: 3228, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Bongo's DP/DC Zone!!

Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Danny Fenton, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake (mentioned)

Relationships: Danny Fenton & Bruce Wayne, Danny Fenton & Dick Grayson

Additional Tags: Danny Fenton is a Little Shit, Danny Fenton Is So Done, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, (But he is also kidnapping Danny by accident so. Make of that what you will.), Mistaken Identity, Attempt at Humor

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/44556208

[alexilulu]

Books I Read in 2024 #15: Slow Horses (Mick Herron, Soho Crime, 2010)

River Cartwright is an up-and-coming MI5 agent on the rise, until he flubs a terrorist bombing training exercise due to a case of mistaken identity. For his crimes, he is banished to Slough House, a remote London clandestine ops site that the 'slow horses' are banished to, consigned to endless drudgery until they quit rather than force them out. When a young second-generation Pakistani immigrant is kidnapped by far-right British nationalists planning to execute him, and River identifies one of the drudgery jobs he's been placed on as connected to the kidnapping, drawing all the Slow Horses into a tangled web of mistaken identity, murder and foul play.

I've already talked about how much affection I have for the British spy novel, so I won't belabor that point here. I like em, and Shannon's mom recommended the show to us and watched the first episode with her during a brief visit in town, so I grabbed the book and ended up finishing it before we finished Season 1.

Slow Horses is an interesting novel. Reckoning with the advent of modern British racial politics in the pre-Brexit era is a hell of a topic, and...It does alright. It's fine.

Slow Horses strengths are in its use of voice and feeling to build rapport with the cast, as it spends a fair bit of the story bopping around between Hassan, River, and the other Slow Horses. They're all very strong voices of their own, and they all rule in their own right. Every one of them has a good, fairly straightforward reason to have been relegated to the back of the pack, so to speak; River's botched exercise that caused MI5 to take a publicity hit due to everything that went down, Min forgetting a Top Secret document on the tube and finding out on the radio, Ho being just so genuinely unpleasant that he had bounced around 10 times before landing in the Horses. It's all good, well thought out characterization, and it's the meat on this bone for me.

What this novel does not do great with is acting as a mystery, or a story you can solve (I know, this again). There are several points during the novel in which it cuts away key information for you to build suspense. It's a crime thriller by way of the security services, that's just how it is. I enjoyed it, and it gives a good cinematic feeling, but it's a little bit like the spy thriller by way of modern James Bond; it's got a lot of handwavery involved to get where it's going.

The real star of the novel is Jackson Lamb, a Cold War MI6 relic who made it home and was the founding member of the Slow Horses for unknown reasons. Lamb is odious, cruel, callous and a habitual liar, a man who conceals hidden depths behind a mask of lazy slobbery, which is quickly put paid to by some slightly hack-y dialogue time and again. He's a man who takes care of his people, even if he seems to be acting to the contrary. He's a bit like if George Smiley were a piece of shit.

Ultimately, it's a perfectly serviceable novel, with only a light bit of movie hacker shit to move the plot forward

All that said, the TV adaptation (streaming on apple TV+ and available anywhere you can run a VPN and type 'torrent television' into your search bar') is actually great. Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb and a bevy of british TV and movie talent have been cast in breezy 6-episode miniseries seasons adapting the (at the time of this post) first 3 Slow Horse novels, and there are a great deal of adaptational moves for the series that is flat out just better decisions than the novel made, both as a story and as a means of adapting the broad strokes of the story. It's just straight up good.

All of that said, I did get the second book, more out of a desire to get more Lamb than anything else. We'll see if I regret that or not. But we're definitely watching the TV series.

[newswireml]

Mexico Tragedy Reveals Reality#Mexico #Tragedy #Reveals #Reality

It’s like the opening scene of a bad action movie – or, for the people involved, a horror story: On Friday, four Americans were kidnapped by armed men, likely members of a cartel, in northeastern Mexico. It was apparently a case of mistaken identity, with the kidnappers believing that the Americans were Haitian drug smugglers. #Mexico #Tragedy #Reveals #Reality

[cheri-translates]

Season 1 Plot Review

This fan-made summary was written by 冰苏打桃 and 恋与剧情侦查站 on Weibo, and I have translated and reposted it with permission!

🍒 Warning: As of 22 June 2021, Volumes 9 and 10 have not been released in EN. If you wish to avoid spoilers, please stop reading at that point! 🍒

[ VOLUME 1: Ch 1 - 10 ]

MC’s company is facing imminent closure. After obtaining an investment from LFG, the company is rescued from bankruptcy

MC meets the four male leads

Time Folding Incident (Planned by Black Swan. Gavin saves MC)

Bullet Incident at the orphanage (Planned by BS. Gavin deflects the bullet while MC is with Lucien)

Kidnapping Incident in Loveland High (Planned by BS. Gavin saves MC, then continues investigating in STF)

Hacker Consortium Incident (Planned by Lucien to awake QUEEN and obtain the Solomon Key. MC escapes with Kiro)

Lucien’s Dream Experiment (MC sees Lucien’s childhood experiences)

HBS Escape Room Incident (Planned by BS. MC escapes with Victor)

BS plans to stimulate the QUEEN Evol in MC in order to gain access to Black Cabin

-

[ VOLUME 2: Ch 11 - 14 ]

MC is attacked while in the hospital (Victor stops this)

MC enters Grandpa Chuck’s special dimension for the first time

Greenwood Hotel Incident (Planned by BS. Gavin and MC escape from the strange dimension)

Gavin loses control of his Evol

MC and Lucien investigate the out-of-control Evol incidents, and discover that the source of the disturbance comes from Loveland TV Tower

Lucien discloses his true goal to MC. In order to obtain the trust of BS, he injures his right eye

MC and Kiro head to the TV Tower to switch the controller off

Kiro is taken away by BS. MC successfully switches the controller off. MC and Gavin fall from the TV Tower

-

[ VOLUME 3: Ch 15 - 18 ]

Victor loses control of his Evol and is sent to a Loveland City ten years in the future

A flu infection spreads in Loveland City (Hades’ “Reset Plan” commences)

Gavin follows his convictions. He leaves STF and accepts the NW Modification Project

Hades traps MC and Lucien in a dream world. They escape, but MC forgets everything that happened in the dream. On the other hand, Lucien is able to retain his memories because of a pill

Kiro returns to BS in the capacity of Helios

Shaw and MC meet for the first time

MC meets Helios while investigating the hospital, and he rescues her from people clothed in black

John uses MC to force Helios to hand over the “key”, and reveals that the car accident MC’s father was involved in wasn’t an accident. Helios deals with him

Black Queen appears and repeatedly attempts to induce MC into following her

MC realises that she’s unable to change the future. A woman she had once rescued ends up dying in an even more cruel way

As a member of NW, Gavin arrives at the site of the celebration to control the chaos

MC manages to see through the fake “Victor”. The real Victor returns from ten years in the future

The Quarantine Incident. In order to stop Black Queen, Victor “kills” MC, sending her away through a time rift

-

[ VOLUME 4: Ch 19 - 21 ]

MC enters a dream world created by Cyril. Cyril continuously tells MC about the beauty of this world, encouraging her to remain in it

MC summons her courage to face reality. She decides to leave the dream world

However, MC does not return to her original world, but a parallel world - the world of Eternal Winter

In this world, MC never existed. As such, nobody recognises her, including the four male leads

Gavin has joined the NW Organisation, and Kiro has become Helios

MC meets Shaw, and finds that he actually remembers her

MC has a premonition about an explosion at the bridge

The existence of Evolvers has been revealed, and they are termed “EVIL” by the people. Even the bridge explosion is blamed on Evolvers

A mysterious person behind the EVIL Incident kidnaps MC, but she is rescued by Helios

-

[ VOLUME 5: Ch 22 - 24 ]

MC uses the alias that Shaw gave her, “Mary Sue”, and enters STF as a cover while Shaw steals intel

Shaw and MC’s operation is discovered, but they manage to escape

Cyril gives MC two tickets to his piano concert

On the North Mountain, MC and Gavin discover that the person behind the Eternal Winter Incident intends to use satellite signal coverage to radiate the entire world with the eternal winter affecting Loveland City

Gavin loses control of his Evol and is brought back by NW

With less than 24 hours till the satellite is used, MC decides to get Shaw’s help to infiltrate STF and investigate further

In STF, MC meets Helios, who is there to steal a black box i.e. the key to Black Cabin. After getting injured by anti-Evol gear, MC helps Helios flee from STF, but they get into a car accident

Lucien saves MC and Helios, and takes MC to the BS Headquarters

With Lucien’s help and guidance, MC enters Black Cabin and sees another version of herself - Black Queen, who had lived and died in another world

Lucien disguises MC and brings her into a meeting with the Twelve from Black Swan. From the meeting, MC learns that the person behind the Winter World Incident has the alias Hypnos, and he is a rebel with the name Cyril

MC also discovers that the satellite is out at sea. The address on the tickets Cyril gave her is the HMS Victoria

Hades offers a partnership with Victor but is rejected. While planning to get rid of Victor, Victor kills him, which alerts members of BS

Victor uses MC as a hostage, and the two leave the BS Headquarters

MC boards the HMS Victoria and tries to stop the satellite. However, she loses consciousness after hearing the sound of Cyril’s piano. Fortunately, Helios wakes her up in time

Just as Cyril is about to pass the controller of the satellite to MC to decide the fate of the world, MC successfully enters Black Cabin, consolidating the other world lines and leaving MC’s original world as the final world line. She manages to stop Cyril’s plan

-

[ VOLUME 6: Ch 25 - 28 ]

With Kiro’s help, MC returns to the original world, waking up at Twin Leaves Orphanage

The four love interests retain fragments of their memories from the Winter World. Shaw retains all of his memories

In the half year that MC wasn’t around, a name list of the Evolvers in the original world was disclosed by the STF

The STF takes away all the Evolver children from Twin Leaves Orphanage, claiming that they have to manage Evolvers who are minors

MC tries to use her Evol, but realises that she has lost it

Cyril appears in this world. He has also lost his Evol and is now an ordinary person

STF’s Commander Leto publicly announces the existence of BS, and calls for the arrest of Hades, who had created the flu. At the same time, he expresses that STF already knows the identities of the core members in BS

Lucien manages to produce a vaccine for the flu, resolving the Flu Incident

Lucien sets up the Ultima Bioresearch Centre

Over the past half year, Lucien has been experiencing hallucinations of MC because of how much he missed her. He even decorated his house to look like MC’s

Following the address given to her by Shaw, MC heads to an abandoned warehouse to investigate. She meets Litton and learns that Gavin is currently in a facility meant for evolution, and is part of the first batch of subjects to undergo experiments

To rescue Gavin, MC takes on a fake identity with the assistance of Litton, pretending to be a male and successfully entering the facility

MC and Gavin discover that nobody has survived the pre-experiments, suggesting that Evolvers are unable to withstand the final evolution

Gavin and Litton coordinate, causing an explosion and a power cut in the facility. Gavin and MC seize this opportunity to escape and head to the evolution accelerator. When they reach the base, they realise the accelerator has already been taken away

MC finds a design for an intricate machine part which resembles the black box

Black Queen and Leto are working together

In the Observation Centre, MC hears about a mysterious organisation called “No Man’s Island” which helps Evolvers with nowhere else to turn to

Through a flyer, MC finds the location of “No Man’s Island”. She boards a cargo ship, and discovers that the Boss behind the organisation is Victor

Leto has grown suspicious of Victor’s cargo ship, and often conducts surprise investigations. Fortunately, the Evolvers on the cargo ship leave in time and evade the STF

MC receives Kiro’s text and heads to the amusement park as arranged

On the outside, it appears that the amusement park was blown up by BS. In reality, Leto hid explosives underground

The STF publicly declares that Hades has been dealt with, and Eli volunteers to enter the evolution accelerator

Through intercepting a live broadcast, Helios announces that he will be formally challenging the STF

-

[ VOLUME 7: Ch 29 - 32 ]

“Kiro” suddenly announces that he will be returning from retirement with a concert

MC rushes to BS to look for Kiro. Since Helios is there, it is revealed that “Kiro” is simply Anole disguising himself using Evol. The concert was also organised by Anole

MC learns from Helios that the evolution accelerator had already existed 17 years ago. However, it’s unable to operate without the QUEEN gene. Because MC’s Evol has been obtained, the accelerator is able to function

Anole flees in defeat, and Kiro performs on stage

A kidnapper from Trio-Stars pretends to be a writer from “Entertainment Weekly”, drawing MC away from the concert venue. MC is knocked unconscious and brought away by the kidnappers

From the conversation between the kidnappers, MC discovers that she was mistaken to be a chemist of devo serum (i.e. Black Queen)

Shaw appears and saves MC

As a condition to participate in this matter, MC has to assist Shaw in completing a mysterious transaction in Agio Street. The buyer is willing to pay handsomely for the devo serum and the chemist who formulated it, and the seller is a local gang that had been established in Agio Street for many years - Trio-Stars

Shaw disguises himself as an informant from the Trio-Stars, and MC disguises herself as a drug manufacturer

In a bar in Agio Street, MC bumps into members from the Trio-Stars who are looking for MC. Shaw joins in the scuffle, and the two of them flee

MC ends up at a fortune teller’s, and finds the medium very familiar

The medium is actually Black Queen, and Cyril is there too

To continue the investigation, MC pretends to be an informant for the Trio-Stars and heads to the location for the mysterious transaction. She meets the “buyer” - Victor

The boss of Trio-Stars exposes MC’s disguise. Fortunately, MC and Victor work together and manage to escape

MC learns from Victor that the devo serum might be related to her loss of Evol

In the Ultima Bioresearch Centre, Lucien’s research on the devo serum shows that it is unrelated to MC’s genes. While her genes have a stabilising effect, it doesn’t have the ability to cause Evol devolution

Kidnapping Incident at Twin Leaves Orphanage (Dr Song). Lucien and MC rush to the scene

The head of the orphanage steps out to explain that the missing kids were actually playing hide-and-seek, and they weren’t kidnapped. Dr Song, who has lost her Evol, is taken away by the STF

From the kids, MC learns that “MC” (i.e. Black Queen) had invited the kids to a game of hide-and-seek

MC and Lucien meet Artemis at the bridge, and she forces MC to hand over what Dr Song gave to her. Lucien uses space folding to send MC away

Along the way home, MC bumps into Gavin, who is investigating a murder in Agio Street. The victim is an Evolver, but the autopsy report showed that the victim no longer had Evol

MC and Gavin discover that the victim used to be an equipment caretaker in Loveland High, and they head over to investigate

In Loveland High, there’s a sudden earthquake. MC is responsible for evacuating people who are still in in the building, and meets Eli who is leading the Special Operations Team in a mission to apprehend an Evol criminal. In fact, Eli’s true motive is to find Gavin (and to retrieve the experiment report for the accelerator)

Gavin and Eli engage in a fight. In the end, Eli leaves a weakened Gavin trapped in a classroom. The building collapses, and Gavin manages to push MC outside the building

While searching for Gavin, a second collapse occurs. MC enters a time subway created by Cyril

Gavin manages to escape from the building

Based on MC’s consciousness, Cyril created his final work - the time subway

MC boards the time subway and sees the experiences she shared with the four male leads as the subway travels forward. She also “meets” the four male leads during their younger days

MC starts running in the opposite direction of the subway in order to break free from this cycle. The time subway becomes a gift from MC to Cyril - he has always craved for a perfect world

After leaving the time subway, MC awakes in the hospital and is told that she had fainted along the street. Cyril bids her farewell

At the convenience store, MC meets a youngster who escaped from the Observation Centre. The other escapees are attempting to search for a place which can give them the devo serum. MC claims to be an Evolver who escaped from the Observation Centre, causing the escapees to accept her into the group. She boards a truck with them

MC gets a premonition of the youngster’s future, and realises that her Evol has returned

While on the bridge, the truck meets with an accident. In order to stop another sedan from tumbling into the ocean, a middle-aged man in the truck uses his Evol, revealing his identity as an Evolver

Because of the Evol energy waves, STF captures the escapees, resulting in a brawl between the two sides

One of the Evolvers loses control of his Evol, and accidentally sends a bullet and car flying towards MC

Victor appears and stops time, rescuing MC. However, he collapses because he interfered with the laws of nature

MC reveals the truth of how Evolvers in the Observation Centre were being used as experimental subjects for the evolution accelerator

Gavin leads the NW squad to investigate, and announces that he will take responsibility for everything that happened in the Observation Centre

After locating the evolution accelerator, he sends the coordinates to Helios, who heads over to destroy it

The four male leads meet

-

[ VOLUME 8: Ch 33 - 34 ]

Miracle Finder discloses the truth about STF

Leto invites Evolvers to a party, including MC and the four male leads

MC attends the party with the four leads (split routes), and discovers that the invitees are all influential people in society

At the party, Leto uses a sound wave manipulator to influence the brain waves of Evolvers using music. By controlling these influential people, there will be less objections to Leto’s plans

MC and the four male leads successfully resolve this incident in their split routes. Unfortunately, Leto escapes

Leto’s misdeeds are exposed

Gavin becomes the new Commander of STF

MC receives a text from Shaw, who tells her to bring her father’s notebook to Twin Leaves Orphanage

MC learns from Lucien that the replication Evol he lost was stolen by Leto

Through Shaw, MC learns that Leto used the replication Evol to kidnap the kids in Twin Leaves Orphanage, and also installed explosives in order to threaten the STF. Leto requests to see QUEEN, and MC heads there with Gavin

Under Leto’s request, MC enters the orphanage by herself, but meets Shaw in the dilapidated building, who tells her to look for the kidnapped children first

MC meets Leto in one of the rooms, and he has a black box which can be used to steal Evol. He has copied the Evol from the four male leads, and plans to steal MC’s Evol too

MC tries her best to fight against Leto, but ends up unconscious

Upon waking up, Black Queen and Anole have also appeared in the dilapidated building. They have not only taken away the notebook, but have also ended Leto’s life. The black box is also broken

The kids from the orphanage are rescued by Shaw

Victor and Zero return to the Space and Time Administration to fix his Evol

-

[ VOLUME 9: Ch 35 - 36 ]

With a recent spate of unnatural disasters occurring in Loveland City, a Relief Centre is built to house Evolvers who are discriminated by society and have nowhere else to go

MC chances on Shaw in an alley, who is severely wounded due to an overuse of Evol. She sends him to the hospital

Before he loses consciousness, Shaw returns her the notebook (belonging to her father) that Black Queen took away from her

In the hospital corridor, a youth hands a black card to MC and tells her to head to the address written on it in order to get rid of her Evol

MC learns from Shaw that these black cards were specially made by Black Queen, and they contain Evol which can influence their consciousness. Whoever touches the cards will think that Evolvers are the prime reason for the unnatural disasters, and that only by getting rid of Evol can the disasters be stopped. Shaw’s Evol has also been damaged by Black Queen

MC also learns that Black Queen’s Evol is the ability to cause a deterioration of Evol. The more she deteriorates Evol, the more powerful she becomes

When MC asks Shaw about which side he’s on, Shaw expresses that he is someone who walks among history, and hence does not belong to any side. He simply wants to find the truth, and push for the truth to be discovered

MC and Minor pretend to be siblings and head to the address stated on the card. They bump into Gavin, who is there to investigate

Under the guise of wanting to get rid of their Evol, MC and Gavin search for Black Queen. In the process, they are pulled into a strange dimension behind the North District Waterfall. MC realises that her pretence of being siblings with Minor was discovered early on

Gavin uses his Evol to destroy this strange dimension, and they leave it together

Gavin tells MC that there are many spots in Loveland City where Evol can be removed. Through the strange dimension of the North District Waterfall, Black Queen has been able to create even more of such spots

Lucien takes MC to a space where MC can see where Black Queen is, but not the other way round

MC witnesses Black Queen failing to use her devolution ability. Lucien tells MC that as long as MC’s strength grows, Black Queen’s strength will weaken, and she may even become powerless

The reason why Black Queen still exists is because MC left out one world line while consolidating them. Black Queen is urgently harnessing power to destroy MC in order to bring these two world lines together

There’s a sudden uproar at the Relief Centre, and Lucien uses his new Evol to calm everyone down

Shaw tells MC that Black Queen intends to become the world’s true QUEEN the next day

Victor returns to Loveland City from the Space and Time Administration

During Black Queen’s coronation ceremony, Kiro uses his Evol to command Black Queen to return the strength she stole

Black Queen seizes an opportunity to escape. MC looks for Black Queen and they engage in a final battle

MC falls into Black Queen’s trap, and the latter absorbs a large amount of Evol

Victor suddenly appears. Through turning back time, MC regains the Evol she had lost

With Victor’s help, MC defeats Black Queen

The people who were influenced by the black cards begin to return to normal

Through Black Queen’s memories, MC sees how Black Queen had experienced the deaths of the male leads in other worlds (but these images may have been falsely created by Black Queen to make MC feel fearful about the ending awaiting her)

In Black Cabin, Black Queen closes the world line that belongs to her, and starts to disappear

The STF, Ultima Bioresearch Centre, LFG, the hacker KEY and BS’ leader Helios work together, initiating a “New World Plan” in order to deal with the unnatural disasters and conduct rescue efforts

-

[ VOLUME 10: Ch Ch 7 ]

The X1917 comet cluster will reach earth after a month, and the world will be destroyed

MC discovers that one new page has appeared in her father’s notebook. The ambiguous words tell MC what she can do in the face of the incoming comets as QUEEN

With Shaw’s guidance, MC uses her Evol to look through his Dragonfly Eye, enabling her to read the words hidden in the notebook

At the very last moment, MC will be called to “the other place”

MC spends her final moments with the male leads. She bids them a proper farewell and make a promise to reunite with them in the future (split route)

MC is brought to “the other place”. In the world behind the door, she meets a mysterious person

MC sits on the throne belonging to QUEEN, and wears the QUEEN’s crown. The world begins to shift backwards to 17 years in the past

When MC opens her eyes and pushes the door before her, she enters a narrow corridor. The scent of disinfectant is in the air, and she sees a signboard saying: Research Room.

Official S2 Plot Reviews: here

[ Permission to translate ]

冰苏打桃: Thank you for liking it! 😘

冰苏打桃: Of course you can 👌🏻

[writingtoforgetreality]

Stockholm Syndrome (Helmut Zemo x Reader)

[Marvel-Masterlist]

Summary: During the fight with the Dora Milaje in his safe-house, Zemo made an exit. But not alone. For inexplicable reasons, he dragged you along. Probably because he wanted to mess with Sam & Bucky. Would the Baron kill you? Or worse?

Words: 4,083

Warnings: language, angst, fluff (?), kidnapping, spoilers for TFATWS, (Let’s put the angsty shit in this part & the fun stuff in the second one.), (Y/E/C) = your eye color, REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

The fight in front of you held your entire attention. Eyes focused on moving bodies, kicking, punching their way through. While you were not inexperienced when it came to battling, you preferred holding back. Bruises were not necessarily your favorite. Not these kind of bruises at least. All your ears could make out was the grunting radiating from the combat. Hence why the movements behind you stayed inconspicuous. Only when a cloth pressed against your nose & you had no choice but to breathe in, did you notice the jeopardy of the situation. Darkness enveloped you. The last thing you perceived was a dark silhouette picking you up. As much as you wanted to fight back, to defend yourself, it was impossible. All strength had dissipated. Whatever was happening, you hoped you would wake up again. This could not be how you died. You would not die.

Pain woke you up. But you were not hurt. At least that was what you remembered. Then it came to you. Someone had kidnapped you. If your eyes did not open soon, you would regret it later. Heavy eyelids slowly opened. Though it took many attempts to keep them that way. You scanned the room. There were no windows, no light which would have made that task easier. It took a few minutes to adjust to the obscureness. And once you did, you found yourself as perplexed as before. No restraints were obstructing your motions. Technically, you could up & leave. But it was never that simple, was it? The door was opposite of you. Your muscles were still sore. The act of standing up & waltzing over seemed like too much effort for you. The bleakness of the wall your back rested against was a more welcomed sensation. Your knees scooted closer to your chest. Arms raking around them, you hugged yourself. Hoping it would bring you a bit of comfort. Your brain failed to work properly. Because you were stumped. Who could have possibly seized you? Walker was busy getting his ass kicked. Lemar imitated his partner, pretty much. Sam ordered Bucky to help out & went into the battle right after. And Zemo was… Yeah, where the hell was Zemo during all of that? If you recalled correctly, he held a drink in his hand. Like you, he kept away from the fight. And then? You were aware that the Baron was not a saint. Neither were you. But you did not believe he would pull something like that. Then again, it was Zemo. Nobody knew his next step. Nobody but himself. Your foot tapped a rhythm on the cold, grey pavement. Usually, when your anxiety acted up, you distracted yourself. Fiddling with your hands or bouncing your legs. Something you could focus on that was not life threatening to your mind. The unknown beat managed to calm you down the slightest. Whoever held you hostage would be back soon. Your gut feeling told you so much.

Maybe you dosed off again. Because your body flinched when a creak reached your ears. Quickly, you looked around for possible threats. The only thing that had changed was the door sitting ajar. Only a diminutive gap. It was noticeable due to the light illuminating the room. There was no piece of furniture which meant that nobody lived here. It resembled a cell. But even cells had a bed, a chair. Something. The room turned dim again but only for a second. A shadow, you figured. Your captivator was here. So close, in fact, goosebumps erupted. A chill ran down your spine. This single interaction could modify your imprisonment. You still needed time to consider a successful escape plan. Which meant that you needed to observe the person keeping you here. Movies displayed such situations more than once. It was manageable. If they decided to show themselves & reveal their identity. Your eyes fell to the boots first. Black or a dark brown that was not detectable due to the lack of brightness. Next were the pants. Black again. The end of a coat came into view. Dark grey, almost anthracite. Your thoughts instantly went to one person. You could be mistaken. He was not the only one with a coat like that. Your gaze flickered up to his hands. The leather gloves were proof enough. Your (Y/E/C) eyes locked onto his brown ones. There was no shock written over your features. After all, deep down, you awaited this sight to be met with. As much as you wanted to withhold it, your eyes rolled & the sigh that left your lips was one of pure exhaustion. Zemo never made a secret out of it. His dislike for you started off the moment he first laid his eyes on you. From then on, it only seemed to increase steadily. You were a simple person. If someone treated you like shit, you returned that favor with pleasure & ten times worse.

“You are awake.” he stated the obvious after his frame entered through the doorway.

“Pretty sure I’m still dreaming.” you replied sarcastically, your elbows propping onto your knees. A smirk formed at the corners of his mouth. Whatever you said, it was the wrong thing.

“You dream about being locked inside a small cell? And I make an appearance as well? This does sound problematic, (Y/N). Nothing I would not be able to help you with.” he enjoyed this. Disgust made itself shown onto your face.

“Yeah? How could you possibly help me with that?” it took you a second to fully realize what you said. Immediately, you corrected yourself. “You know what? I don’t even wanna know.” your head rested in your hands, slightly embarrassed by turning this conversation awkward. Maybe it would have been more convenient if you just kept quiet. Zemo chuckled shortly but did not comment on it again.

“I assume you wonder why you are here.” the Baron observed your small frame on the floor. It was easy to recognize how uncomfortable you were.

“Your assumption might be correct.” your head tilted upwards, trying to hide the fear. Burying it deep down. You needed to think clearly so you could escape him.

“Would you like me to declare your purpose?” he questioned, eyebrows raising.

“Enlighten me, Baron.” you wasted no time with your reply. Maybe you imagined it but you could have sworn that his muscles tensed up when you called him by his title. You were the weaker one here so you kept your jokes at bay.

“I have no desire to get involved with the Wakandans. A getaway is more enjoyable with a suitable associate.” his hands gestured & you fathomed the seriousness behind his words.

“Oh, so that’s what I am now? An associate? Could’ve sworn I was your enemy. Improvement, I guess.” you focused on a lighter spot that interrupted the evenly dark color of the cement wall.

“I never declared you my enemy. That is solely your imagination.” Zemo stared at you but you would not give him the satisfaction of holding eye contact with him. He did not deserve it.

“I prefer my imagination then.” you stated & earned another chuckle from the Baron.

“Our departure is soon.” he let you know & left you alone once again. Great, so he did have a plan for you. But it did not seem like he wanted to murder you brutally. Basically, you could do nothing. The lock of the door clicked. No way out of this room. And your cellphone was no longer with you. He probably removed it from you while you were unconscious.

The drug Zemo had you breathe in really affected you. Tiredness rushed through you still. Falling asleep once again was inevitable. A steady, loud noise stirred you from your slumber. When your eyes opened, the chair you were seated in felt familiar. Your surroundings were not new to you. It was Zemo’s private jet. No sight of him. No sight of Sam & Bucky. The only company was the engine of the small plane, creating a ringing in your ears. Surprisingly, you were well rested. Your sleep schedule was messed up. On a good day, you slept for three hours. On a normal day, though, you were lucky if the dreamland even invited you in. Did that mean that you should thank Zemo? For drugging you? Your gratitude could stay inside, for now. It was kind of embarrassing to admit that you had enough rest because of him stunning you. All it would do was feeding his ego. He had enough of that already. Would it be clever to hop out of a plane that was thousands of feet in the air? A clever suicide mission, maybe. Zemo would not harm you. If he truly wanted to, you would be a ghost already. Where was he anyway? Certainly, he would not leave your side after kidnapping you. A look down your lap confirmed what you had feared. The trembling of your hands was noticeable. Almost worse than usual. If push came to shove, you could defend yourself perfectly fine. The Baron did not strike you as a fighter type of guy. Sure, he could handle a gun. In reality, the one thing he could really handle was his alcohol. If you had been in a cell for almost ten years, you would not be able to cope with this world either. Now that you were thinking about it...when was Zemo not drinking? Ever since you guys had teamed up, he had taken every chance to get some liquor into his system.

“How are you feeling?” a voice startled you. The cause of it was your dear captivator. His strut brought him over to you, taking a seat right opposite of you. Plopping down onto the soft cushion with a sigh, he intertwined his fingers in front of his chest. His chin rested on the back of them. The intensity with which he eyed you was unsettling. Your body curled together, shifting away from his rigid glance. The man in front of you frowned. Never before had you behaved that way. Usually, you were sarcastic, humorous. Your current state was uncommon. The fight or flight instinct kicked in. If you played by his rules, the cards were on your side. So the only natural thing was to answer him.

“Okay.” it was short but the tone held much meaning.

“Okay is not good.” he mumbled quietly, though you could still make out his words. The clouds outside of the window you were sitting next to looked like cotton. Smooth, soft. Perfect if you wanted to jump in. The sunset colored the sky in various, bright hues. A phenomenon. That was something that had always fascinated you. “Astonishing, is it not?” the silence broke when he spoke up yet again. You nodded, still gazing outside.

“We will arrive soon.” another voice joined you. The startle from your side could not be stopped. You hated how jumpy you were. Especially during such a situation. The strong, independent woman you usually were was gone. Right now, you were like a little girl, awaiting punishment for misbehavior. Apparently, the Baron was a mind reader because he soothed your worries immediately.

“You did nothing wrong, if that is one of your concerns.” he started. His eyes then flickered to the other man on the private jet. “Thank you, Oeznik.” small smiles were exchanged between the two of them. The assistant disappeared through a door again. Zemo being the only company left.

“Where are we going?” you had to know.

“Somewhere safe. Where nobody can locate me.” as his eyes met yours, he finished. “Us.” your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His explanation was not helpful at all. You were still left in the dark. Your destination was unknown but he assured you that you would be safe. Zemo would never lie about something so significant. This bugging feeling was still present. If he did not tell you more about the location, maybe he could elucidate this.

“Why me? Why, out of everyone, did you kidnap me?” slight anger was behind your eyes but one could only notice if they looked precisely. The Baron’s head tilted. In amusement, you guessed. His forming smile held a hint of another emotion you could not quite identify.

“Kidnapping is such a harsh word, don’t you think?” was it mockery you could hear? “I believe there is no need for us to repeat our previous conversation. I told you why you’re here.” he stood up from his seat, dragging his body to the very end of the plane. There, he picked up two small glasses. The liquid of the half empty bottle of scotch poured a good amount in both of them. Evidently, one for him & one for you. His hand stretched out towards you & he offered you the drink. You eyed it suspiciously. While you were not one for drinking alcohol, maybe it would assist to calm your nerves. In the end, you reached for it, touching his hand in the process. The skin contact sent an unintended chill down your spine. Goosebumps were forming. The pit of your stomach felt odd. Never before had you experienced such a sensation. Though, & you had to admit that, it was everything but unpleasant. Your body language spoke louder than you would have liked. And it did not go unnoticed by the man in front of you. To avoid an awkward tension, he decided against commenting on your body’s reaction.

The first sip made you wince. A burning sensation washed down your throat. The Baron handled his alcohol way better than you did, that much was obvious. Unfortunately, the liquor did not numb your anxiety right away. The effect was awaited but luck was not on your side. Would it be rude to ask for another drink? The downside was not realizing how strong it was. If you got wasted then Zemo could take advantage of your state. Depended on how he defined taking advantage of you. The conversation that had died down for a while was resurrected. This time, it was you. This shocked not only you but also him.

“I don’t like you.” you stated monotonously.

“I am aware.” he chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

“You don’t like me either.” one of your eyebrows raised.

“An incorrect assumption.” his hands gestured to emphasize his words. You rolled your eyes, throwing your arms up in frustration.

“A freaking obvious fact.” you breathed out, falling back into your chair. The softness caressed you tenderly. A hum left you & your previous desperation was replaced by some sort of relaxation. Why did your emotions change so quickly? One moment, you were scared. The next, you were furious. Then, you untightened. All in the presence of the man who had kidnapped you.

“What is going through your mind right now?” seemed like he was eager to talk to you. Comfortable silence with Baron Zemo was not possible. It was either awkward or not quiet at all. Your head snapped into his direction. He was deep in thought. Occupied with whatever his mind came up with.

“I-I don’t know.” you were being honest. Spending more time with him meant no lies. At least not about such things. The next question came naturally. “What about you?” one corner of his lips lifted slightly. The first step in the right direction. Deep down, Zemo was aware that you did not exactly hate him. Liking him would be too far but at least, you tolerated him. Accepted his presence.

“I am quite fond of bringing you with me. Sam & James are irritating. Helpful but irritating. You are a delight to be around.” he confessed & you had the urge to call him out on his ridiculous behavior.

“Sounds fake but alright…” your annoyance was audible.

“I beg your pardon?” he abandoned his glass, placing it on the small table nearby. Elbows propped onto his knees & his upper body leaned forward, closer to you. But not close enough to make you feel uncomfortable.

“Ever since we met, we’ve been arguing non-stop. This is the first normal conversation between us.” your fingers pointed to him & then to you, signaling what you were talking about.

“Arguments are not an indicator for antipathy.” Zemo explained.

“Oh, they’re not?” the sarcasm was more than obvious. “What then?”

“They are concealing true emotions, burying your urges deep within.” casually spoken, as if he had prepared this exact speech multiple times before.

“My urges?” you questioned, making fun of his statement.

“Indeed.” he wore a winning smile & you hated the effect it had on you.

“Sure.” you chuckled, shaking your head in disbelief. “My only urge is to punch yo-“ both of your heads turned into the direction of Oeznik who unknowingly interrupted your conversation.

“We’re here.” he claimed, nodding briefly, & left you alone again. By the way his face changed, he looked like he was sorry for bothering the two of you. Truthfully, you were glad that he joined you because without him, you would have said something regrettable.

Paris. He dragged you to France. If your situation were any different, you would have felt excited to be here. Before you exited the private jet, Zemo threatened you. If you had the glorious idea to speak up before you arrived at your destination, you would regret it later. Basically, you thought he would kill you. Of course you had no clue that the Baron would never hurt you in any way. After all, you were a victim of his kidnapping. Whether he called it that or not. The small alleyways were decorated with narrow buildings sitting next to each other. The cobblestone street underlined the atmosphere perfectly. Eyes wide, you were overwhelmed by the impression of the beauty of the sweet town. When one of his hands reached for yours, you did not even flinch back. Because, if you were honest, it felt good. Your intertwined fingers brought you warmth. A feeling that spread out through your entire body. Sparks, almost like the beginning of a firework, started forming. The sun shone brightly. Your eyes closed contently. Hence why you did not notice Zemo watching your every move. He reminisced your features closely. The sunlight brought out the beauty of you in a way that was worth remembering. Your body sensed something. It was in your nature when someone stared at you. Carefully, your eyes opened, showing the (Y/E/C) colors that glowed almost mysteriously in the light. Warm brown ones locked onto yours. The two of you exchanged an honest, almost shy smile.

“What?” your head tilted to the side, observing his face. Looking for a sign. Any sign. But Zemo was a clandestine guy. It was almost impossible to look through him. Something inside you took that as a challenge. Maybe you could make his walls come crashing down. Maybe you were the one to change him. Wait. Why were your thoughts running down that road? He was the person to take you away from your friends. The sympathy that started building up was wrong. That much you knew. Resisting felt like a tough task. What did he say during the flight? Something about pushing down your urges. This was the first time you understood the meaning.

If you thought the town was pretty then the apartment you entered was stunning. It was on the top floor. Spacious, furnished in a minimalist way. Overly white, accentuated with colorful artwork. Special pieces to complete the look of it. It screamed expensive. The process of taking everything in took a few minutes. It was overstraining. In the best way possible. You should screw down your excitement. After all, you were part of an incredibly dangerous situation. But you let his touch linger on your skin. Just for a fraction longer. If you really wanted to, you could have retreated. Something told you that Zemo would not have forced you to hold onto him. That thought alone calmed you down a little further. Technically, he was not a stranger. Throughout the missions you had performed together, with Sam & Bucky, you two had become acquainted with. You were associates, apparently. And associates were not supposed to fear one another. Then again, associates would not kidnap each other. Your body was overthrown with mixed signals. Unknown what was wrong & what was right. Your friends would probably describe you as insane, reckless. Maybe you were. Maybe the last few weeks had formed you into a different type of person. That type who sympathized with a criminal. With a criminal who broke out of a high security jail. Since when had criminals become your type? And why were you starting to think in a very friendly, almost amorous way? Looked like you really were insane.

Who would have thought the Baron to be an excellent chef? Definitely not you. But here he was, preparing a meal for you. This was actually pretty sweet of him. His body behind the stove & his eyes focused on the task. It was a sight for sore eyes. Only, of course, if he were not Zemo you were referring to. While he cooked, you set the table. He assured you that you did not have to but it felt like the right thing to do. It was the least you could do. What were you even saying? He kidnapped you, for God’s sake. Your body, your emotions, should be damned.

“Is this something you do often?” Zemo’s question caught you off guard. For a moment, you halted in your tracks. Cutlery was being put down. A deep breath left your mouth.

“What?” your bewildered expression made him chuckle. Funny to watch your perplexity.

“Living in your head more than in the present.” his proclamation cut through the tension.

“I…um, haven’t realized that, actually.” you answered awkwardly. Your hand raised to the back of your head, resting behind your ear.

“You do. When spending time with Sam & James. And now. It is quite entertaining.” he eyed you closely. It made you slightly uncomfortable.

“Why?” your curiosity got the best of you. That was nothing new. Even before he brought you here, your nosiness was on of your more obvious characteristics.

“Because the light in your eyes shifts. You are more at ease. Not to forget your smile…” Zemo trailed off at the end of his sentence, voice a little softer than usual.

“What about my smile?” you really were curious. Would it be in your favor or not? There was only one way to figure that out.

“It differs from when you are actively engaged in a conversation. The corners of your mouth lift in a softer way. No hesitation or restriction.” he finished, his sparkling brown eyes meeting yours. Due to the embarrassment, you could not keep eye contact. So you averted your gaze, facing the almost empty plate in front of you.

“You talk like you’ve known me forever.” your whispers were almost missed. The tone so quiet, even your racing heart was louder.

“I am simply skilled at reading people. You facilitate that process, actually.” every single word he spoke made so much sense that it almost did not make sense anymore. There was no other way to describe it.

“I do? How?” your constant short questions were amusing to him. On one hand, you wanted to distance yourself from him as much as possible. On the other hand, you inquired every single time he finished talking.

“I assume it is because you do not fear opening up to me & letting me in.” people who did not know your history would have believed you two had been friends for years. By the way he discerned the small, almost unnoticeable details about you. Details you did not even know existed in the first place.

“You assume an awful lot, Baron.” you teased, eyes moving to his face gingerly.

“Tell me I’m wrong.” but you could not. Because it would have been a lie. A smirk made its way onto his face when you did not give him a reply. Unintentionally, you mimicked his expression. He had you. Right here, he had you. And he was not the only one aware of the shift in the situation. You were just as deep in it as he was. It was a game with fire. Who would get burned in the end?

~to be continued~

Published (04/28/2021) by Cathy

Tags: @yallgotkik, @noavengers, @lieutenantn, @birdieofloxley, @aisling1985, @trelaney, @hiddlestoner-cumberbitch, @msmarvelsmain, @friday18eo, @crackerjackharkness, @waiting-for-motivation, @obsessedwithfandomsx, @friday18eo, @bibliophilewednesday, @princess-yuna, @trenton007, @pedropascallovebot, @your-lovers-heart, @stressedoutsteph (thanks for your support <3)

[imagine-nation20]

Sunshine and The Art of Picking Your Battles

Summary: “I wasn’t planning on rescuing anyone today, but it looks like my plans just changed.”

Requested By: Anon

Request: “I wasn’t planning on rescuing anyone today, but it looks like my plans just changed.” for Jason Todd (with the reader being kidnapped by any villain you want)

A/N: Jason Todd will forever and always be the best robin and I will not take criticism. Also I love writing established relationship with superheroes where one doesn’t know the other is a vigilante, so enjoy some reader having no sense of self preservation, and Jason outing himself as the red hood.

~~~

You hated Gotham. Or rather, you hated the criminal underbelly of Gotham, which wasn’t so much an underbelly as it was a very obvious toupee on the top of the head of the city. Gotham was built on crime, and it would probably crumble under the weight of crime. Most people who lived there were either involved in crime, or involved in the vigilante justice served by the masked crusaders.

Running a bar in Gotham was bad, running a bar in the crummy part of Gotham was worse. That is, if you could claim any part of Gotham wasn’t crummy.

Still, it was a better job than some of the other options. Who could blame the owner of the place appointing you manager and fucking off to his apartment in the only part of Gotham that could afford working deadbolts.

So it was no wonder that you got jumped on your way home after a particularly grueling shift.

Three men dressed in suits too nice for the area. It was pretty much common sense to learn some form of self defense if you were going to live in a city like Gotham, however, three against one wasn’t exactly fair odds.

They tied your wrists, dropped a bag over your head, and then hit you with something heavy and blunt that was probably going to leave permanent damage.

Waking up was a headache, to say the least. Your head pounded like a drum, the blood rushing through your ears sounding like the waves against the harbor. Or maybe that really was the harbor.

It didn’t really matter, because you had a bigger problem to worry about than whether or not the ‘whooshing’ in your ear was blood or water. 

A man, dressed in an expensive suit, stood a few feet away. His head was covered in the dark, slightly shiny material of a mask, shaped like a skull. Beady eyes peered through, staring you down.

“So, what is a bartender like yourself doing associating with the Red Hood?” Roman Sionis was easily recognizable, and his identity was not a secret to the citizens of the city. He seemed almost proud to lord the fact that everyone knew who he was, but couldn’t put him away for anything tangible.

Unless of course that person was Batman or one of his many disciples.

“What the fuck are you on about?” You slurred. You cursed yourself internally for your inability to keep your mouth shut. Most of the time you were okay, but you were tired, and in pain, and this was the third time this week you had been assaulted, so you were over it. Criminals and crime lords were a dime a dozen, and despite his very intimidating reputation, you could not care less about Black Mask.

He laughed, and it almost sounded genuine, “I’m talking about the fact that I have on good word that Red Hood has been in your shitty little bar almost every night for the past week.”

You were going to kill Kallista.

You avoided associating with vigilantes, but your coworker, and the woman who worked most night to day shifts, was known for giving vigilantes free drinks when they dropped in. Now, it seemed you had been mistaken for her. Serves you right for having the audacity to pick up her shift when she was sick.

You had seen a few of them drop in on your way out, but never Red Hood. She probably told him not to catch you, since you would have reemed her for it. Red Hood wasn’t a criminal, but he was known for incurring their wrath like no one else, and that usually ended up in situations like this.

Yes, Kallista was going to die… so long as you made it out of this.

“Listen pal,” you started, glancing around the room for a way out. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

You weren’t a bad friend, and you certainly weren’t going to sick Roman Sionis on your friend. Even if she did get you in this situation in the first place.

“Don’t fucking lie to me!” He yelled, taking quick steps towards you. You winced back, hearing the flick of a switchblade, and feeling the cold press against your cheek.

“Listen, if I was associating with the Red Hood, I would have told you by now.”

“For some reason, I just don’t believe you.”

“Well well well, look what the cat dragged in,” A voice echoed through the warehouse. From above, you could see the familiar brown leather jacket, and bright red helmet of the Red Hood. He was reclined against a support beam, legs dangling off the one he was sitting on. “I’m going to be honest with you, I wasn’t planning on rescuing anyone today, but it looks like my plans just changed.”

Hopping down from the beam, he landed, knees bent, feet light. It was almost impressive, the way he could silently drop. If you weren’t so tired, you might have taken the time to marvel at the way his pants bunched and stretched. Kallista was right after all, there was a certain appeal to the vigilantes in uniform.

Roman shifted around you, knife going to your neck. You took in a sharp breath, glaring at the Red Hood as he faltered in his pace.

“Take another step and she dies,”

“I was gonna say thanks for coming, Hood,” You glared, “but you’ve kinda made the situation worse.”

You could almost see the tick of annoyance through the mask. His fists clenching slightly, he grumbled, “This is the thanks I get?”

“I’ll thank you when I don’t have a knife to my jugular.”

Black Mask tightened his grip on you, knife digging in a slight bit. You didn’t think it had pierced skin yet, but you couldn’t be sure. 

The next few seconds seemed to go by in an instant. The shattering of glass, the whizzing of something through the air, the knife nicked your neck, then was gone, and so was the grip of Roman Sionis.

Red Hood moved towards you, gloved hands untying the ropes that kept you bound to the chair. You looked to the side, seeing Black Mask passed out on the ground, a strange arrow sticking to the outside of his helmet. You could have sworn you saw little strings of electricity still moving over the black material.

The masked vigilante hoisted you from the chair, his arms slipping behind your back and beneath your knees.

“Seriously?” You deadpanned, “I can walk, you know. My legs aren’t broken.”

It didn’t seem like he cared, as he scoffed, “I still haven’t heard a thank you.”

“I didn’t think heroes were so egotistical.”

“Not really a hero, sunshine,” you could hear the smile in his voice, even through the strange effect his helmet gave off. You went stiff at the name.

Jason faltered mid step, and you knew you had him. Spewing a flurry of curses, you wriggled out of his hold and onto the gravel below. The rocks bit into your skin, and Jason moved to crouch and help, but you were already up and slapping at his arm.

“You son of a bitch, Jason,” you whisper shouted, “you’re so stupid. How long have you been the- no, I don’t want to know.”

“Sunshine-”

“Don’t you sunshine me, Todd,” you growled, “You didn’t think to tell me you were a fucking vigilante? And moreover, you were getting free drinks from my coworker while she ranted to me about your thighs?”

“What?” Jason asked, shaking his head. “No, no, I wasn’t… I was looking out for you! I was trying to make sure you got home safe! What about my thighs?”

You paused, mouth hanging open. You hadn’t known Jason for very long. He had come in during one of your shifts with a busted lip and a dazzling smile, and left with your number and the promise of a date. You should have guessed back then, if you were being honest, but you believed him when he said he had gotten jumped. Maybe he had been telling the truth, just not the whole truth.

Stalling so that you didn’t give in to his guilty look so easily, you glanced around. So it had been the ocean you were hearing. You turned back around, trying and failing to hold the vicious glare.

“You better have a ride back to my apartment, cause we are about to have a long talk about impulse control, honesty, and the art of picking battles.”

“You sound like my dad.”

Silence.

“OH MY GOD IS BRUCE WAYNE-”