#it's official: 10k in 3 days. holy shit

[dragimal]

[daring-the-devil]

large black coffee - 6

You own and operate a new specialty cafe in Hell's Kitchen. One day, a blind lawyer walks through the door, and the trajectory of your life is changed for good. (~1900 words)

author's note: part 6 has arrived, signaling the start of the second arc of this series! you and matt have a night in. this full series is also officially over 10k words now, making it one of the longest fanfics i've ever written (holy shit!!!!!!). this takes place post-season 3 of daredevil, so there will be spoilers for the entire show in this series!

fic note: no use of y/n or gendered pronouns

warnings: some strong language, kissing (it's mostly just fluff tbh)

read part 5.5 here | start at the beginning | series masterlist | request guidelines

~*~*~

Matt rests his chin on your shoulder, his breath fanning out along your cheek. “Have you decided what you want yet?”

Your eyes flick over the menu in front of you. “Pad Thai?”

He kisses your cheek. “Good choice.”

It’s been over two weeks since you joined Matt and his friends at Josie’s, almost three since you had your run-in with Daredevil. You still haven’t told anyone that you saw him, not even Eliza, who had asked at work the next day why you’d left baking supplies all over the place. The sprained wrist had been easy to explain: you’d fallen down the stairs, tried to break your fall. You’d wrapped it up yourself. The baking supplies, you excused with your own forgetfulness. It was easier than telling people what had happened to you. 

It wasn’t that you were upset that Daredevil had saved your life. Rather, you just figured you wouldn’t worry anyone else by telling them. It had already happened—why bring it back up?

So now, you stand in Matt’s apartment, ordering Thai food with him to be delivered to his apartment, and you're determined not to let these weeks-old memories ruin an evening for you. There was no sense in making things bigger than they were when there was no need for it, right?

Matt pulls out his phone to place the order, leaving you to sit on his couch and stare at the mountain of papers in front of you. It’s half-date night, half-“let’s try to prepare Matt for court tomorrow morning.” In the time since you started dating, this is the first time you’d been around for one of Matt’s bigger cases. Needless to say, tensions are high at Nelson, Murdock, & Page, and to help out, you volunteered to help Matt run through the details of the case. 

To put it simply, you’re feeling overwhelmed. 

“It should be here in about thirty minutes,” Matt says, joining you on the couch. He winces as he sits, his hand briefly flying to his side. 

“Everything okay?” you ask, straightening up a little. 

He nods, hand moving to take his glasses off and set them on the coffee table. “I’m fine. Just—pulled something at work yesterday.”

You scoff, your eyebrows going up. “Are you getting old or something?”

“Shut up,” he says fondly, leaning over and pulling you in for a kiss. You smile into it, relishing in the feel of him under your hands, and try not to show your disappointment when he pulls away. “Okay. Are you sure you want to help me with this? It’s boring.”

“Unless you’d rather hear me ramble about baking tips,” you say, bracing one elbow against the back cushions and resting your head in your hand. 

“Well, I wouldn’t mind that,” Matt says. “You have a nice voice.”

Your face goes hot at that. “I’m sure you tell that to all of your dates.”

“Eh, only the ones I like,” he says, grinning. You huff and roll your eyes. 

“All right, hotshot,” you say. “Lay it on me.”

By the time dinner arrives, your head is swimming, but Matt seems to be growing more and more confident and energized as the minutes pass. He practically bounds over to the door to pick it up, his energy palpable in the air, and it’s only once you smell the food does the fog in your head clear a little. 

“Wow, I’m…kind of glad that I didn’t go to law school,” you say, helping him bring plates and utensils and drinks over to the coffee table. 

“It was hard, and expensive, so I don’t blame you,” Matt says, kissing your cheek as he sits down. Your heart jumps in your chest. 

“But you love it,” you say, watching him as he pops open his container of curry. 

Matt’s smile is almost shy, turned down at his food, and you catch a glimpse at the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. By day, out in public, this man is damn near intimidating in his suits and glasses. But here, when it’s just the two of you in his apartment, he’s soft. Present. 

You only just manage to resist the urge to reach out and pull him in for another kiss and instead direct your attention to the steaming container of Pad Thai on your lap. “So. I have a question.”

He tilts his head in your direction. “Yeah, sure.”

“About Daredevil.”

That makes him pause. He stops what he’s doing for a moment and turns his blank gaze in your direction, hazel eyes glinting in the light of the billboard outside his window. “Why?” 

You lift one shoulder. “Jacob was asking about him a couple days ago—something he saw on the news. He asked me to ask you guys for information, since you’ve worked for him before.” It wasn’t totally a lie. Jacob had told you once that he’d been fascinated with superheroes since the Battle of New York, and while none of you were positive that Daredevil was a superhero, there was no doubt in any of your minds that he was a hero. 

Even if his style of hero-ing was less flashy than the Avengers. 

“Well,” Matt says, his brow furrowing. “As far as I’m aware, he usually works alone, especially in the field. One of my former clients was actually one of the few people he has worked with.”

Your jaw drops. “Who?”

“Jessica Jones.”

Jessica— “Patsy’s sister?”

The corner of Matt’s mouth turns up. “Yeah, but she’d kill you if you called her that to her face."

You let out a disbelieving laugh, falling against the back cushions of the couch. “Holy shit.”

“We have had an…interesting variety of clients, shall we say,” Matt says. 

This, you know very well. Hell, the Punisher case even has its own Wikipedia page because of how sensational it had been. Finding out Matt had had Jessica Jones as his client at one point? Weird, but in an even weirder way, it made sense.

“She seems so cool,” you say distantly, stabbing at the Pad Thai with your fork. 

Matt wrinkles his nose. “I can introduce the two of you, if you want. Eventually.”

“Oh, Jacob would flip.” You take a bite of food and barely manage to contain your excitement about it. “Goddamn, this is good. Where has this been my whole life?”

“Right down the street,” Matt says. 

“I’d flip you the bird, but I don’t know how big of an effect it would have on you.”

“You’re too kind.”

Then, you really do flip him the bird, but if he notices, he doesn’t show it. 

You finish your food much quicker than you would have liked, and then it’s back to work for both of you. Mostly for Matt, though, because your job is to sit and listen and give him feedback. 

Not that there’s a lot of feedback that you can give him, since your only experience with the law is two episodes of Law & Order reruns that you and your cousin watched four years ago, but still. Matt insists that your presence is more than enough. 

Before you realize it, it’s past ten o’clock, and reluctantly, the two of you start clearing away takeout trash and reorganizing the papers. Matt has to be at the courthouse early, so he won’t be able to stop by the cafe before he heads in, so this is the last time you’ll see him until it’s over. It won’t be long, it’s not like you’re going a week without seeing him, but you hate it. 

“I’ll miss you,” you say into his shoulder. 

His laugh rumbles through his whole body. “I’ll call you.”

“You better.”

“Get a cab,” Matt says softly, kissing your temple. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

You smile, leaning into him. “I will.”

“Good.” He gently tilts your face up so he can kiss you on the lips, gentle and hot at the same time. You can’t help but melt into him, your hands going to snake up his back and draw him closer to you, his hands sliding along your jaw and holding you in place. His tongue brushes against your lips, and you’re almost tempted to let him in, and then—

Foggy! Foggy! Foggy!

You separate, both of you groaning as Matt fishes his phone out of his pocket and brings it up to his ear with one hand. 

“Hello?” he says, still holding onto you. 

“Am I interrupting anything?”

“Yes,” Matt grits out. You press your fingers to your lips to hide your smile. 

“Oh. Sorry. Anyways, Karen found something else for the case. Might be useful. Can I run it by you right now?”

“Give me a minute and I’ll call you back,” Matt says. 

“Okay, so just—”

Matt shuts his phone off, and you finally let out the little burst of laughter that you’d been keeping in. He turns his face up to the ceiling, exasperation written all over it. 

“I’m so sorry,” he says.

“No, no, it’s okay,” you say, reaching and pulling his face back down. “Good luck on the case tomorrow. Call me when you can.”

“Okay,” Matt says, kissing your forehead and then your lips again. “Get home safe.”

“I will,” you reassure him as he opens the door. 

“Goodnight,” he says. 

Only once you’re at the elevator do you hear the door shut. 

The cab ride to your apartment isn’t long, thankfully. Once you’re in your building, it’s another quick elevator ride up to your floor, and then a short trip down a hallway to your apartment. 

You step inside and hang up your bag before heading to the kitchen, flicking on lights as you go. You pour yourself a glass of water and down half of it, then move to the stairs that lead up to the roof. Matt has yet to show you his roof, but you don’t mind, considering how you have your own space with your own view—and what a damn good view it is, too. 

Sighing, you lean against the railing, and even though the breeze that blows by you is cool, you feel warm inside, all happy and soft from the time you spent with Matt. You keep your eyes on the skyline, the high rises and skyscrapers glittering in the distance, the old Avengers tower like a gleaming monolith in the middle of it all. 

Superheroes, huh? You rest your chin in your hand. What a world you live in. 

Something clatters behind you, and you spin around, hand going instinctively to your phone (it’s barely left your side since the attack). For a moment, you see nothing but the shadows that cling to everything on the roof—shapeless forms that line the walls and pipes and loose bricks that lay scattered around the place. And then, your eyes land on a spot that seems darker than the rest, and your heartbeat quickens. 

“Who is it?” you demand, though the pull in your gut tells you that you already know. 

The shadow melts away from the wall, coalescing into one solid form: black and dark red, hard lines and broad planes, the man that saved Hell’s Kitchen—and you. 

Daredevil.

part 7

taglist (let me know if you want to be added!):

@your-not-invisible-to-me @hellskitchens-whore @l-a-y-n-i-e @a-girl-called-herby @u23r2p4m @dyzlks @lucypaulette @father4giveme @feliciab1990

[confusedgoldenflower]

SURVEY: I have about five other wips I haven't posted yet, and can’t decide which to do next.

1-- Another Calamity!Mu Qing AU. Mu Qing dies tragically just after Xianle's fall. He gets to the Kiln before Hua Cheng (yes I'm making it open more often). He and HC work things out, but when it comes to Xie Lian, he works in the shadows. But over the centuries, he develops a habit of annoying a certain southern god. His calamity name is Silver Sun Xuan Zhen. And he torments the sinful via dreams; that's also his "realm." Touching reveal.

I have about 10k words for it so far. No smut.

2-- Now, bear with me (I blame exhaustion sleepy brain for this). Xianle Quartet AU. Mpreg--non-mpreg. Xie Lian doesn't tell the Demon of Mei Niang Bridge to LiveLaughLove, and XL convinces them to let him keep Hong Hong-Er around. It's roughly ten years post his ascension, MQ, FX and HC are his officials and it's real nice. This is all thrown into a tailspin when through god-stuff and canonically being both genders (it is there), XL winds up pregnant. He gets "morning" sickness super duper bad and when he's complaining about it, Mu Qing says, "fine, I'll do it." So then Fem!MQ to be self sacrificial--I mean to save the day.

I'm doing so shit at summaries rn holy shit. 9k words thus far. No smut.

3-- Exhaustion sleepy brain: 2, Me: 0. Omegaverse--WAIT--because it'd be HILARIOUS to see them all in a tizzy because some drunk idiots thought it would be a funny idea and it spread like wildfire. Slight PQ and very jealous FX. FQ fic, as usual. No smut.

Don't ask how this became a thing, just accept it lmao. 2.2k words thus far. No smut. Non-traditional ABO.

4-- Mu Qing and Hua Cheng bro AU. Mu Qing doesn't save Hong Hong-Er from the fall, but he does in a different way and since then, the boy won't leave the stressed, working teen alone.

Very big bro MQ. 2k words thus far.

5-- Another C!MQ. God Rabies. Feng Xin kills Mu Qing. All the angsty feels from FX. He wears a cat mask. FX secretly ghost marries him but not in like a ghost-wedding way. Mostly FX point of veiw so far. Touching reveal.

4.8k words thus far. No smut.

Two Dark!Feng Xin (NOT in a non-con way) ideas. FX can't let MQ's "betrayal" go.

6- FX sabatages MQ’s goodhood to keep a torture fodder. MQ ain’t about to let him have his way. (Incorporates prompts 171. "You don't even know how lucky you are. I protect you and provide for you. Don't act so ungrateful. 170. "Do you think I like hurting you? Because I fucking love it.' 177. "I imagined my life without you and it was better. I was happier" 182. "Stick a knife in my chest, it would hurt less." 80. "i think i might be in some kind of love with you? 34. why are you so cold? 129. "This world doesn't deserve an angel like you.") Sorta leaning Wrath!MQ if not Calamity.

7- FX sees an opportunity to let MQ die during a mission and keep his hands clean and he takes it. He’s a real POS as he lets him die. MQ grows into an esp resentful ghost. FX eventually sees he was very much in the wrong and is terrified when MQ finally confronts him bc he’s an idiot and assumed after a while that MQ moved on. Sorta leaning Wrath!MQ if not Calamity.

No don’t just like this post pls I need guidance

[girlindelusionn]

oh my god HELLO i just logged back into tumblr and i screamed when i saw the two chapters you posted 😭 THEY ARE SERIOUSLY everything i could’ve dreamt of and more holy shit u are now my fave person in the world. also yes dw i did mean lover by taylor PLS. u have seriously made me the happiest person on the planet and i will be reading all 10k+ words. ily never stop writing

HI LOVE IM SO GLAD YOU'RE LIKING THIS 😭 you're officially my fave person in the world too, ily and thank u for such sweet words!!

here's chapter three <3

i want them all, robin x you (part 3!)

"We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call"

part 2! part 4!

You leave the living room to go find more ice and smile like an idiot when you see her cleaning a couple of cups on the sink. Seeing her exist so naturally in your own house still made you unreasonably happy. 

She was always beautiful, but tonight it was almost too much. Happiness did that for her. And, against all odds, she had been wrong all those times before. People, or a few of them, weren't that bad. Having friends was not a time bomb, a catastrofe waiting to happen, an eternal countdown. It was pretty cool. And it made her happy. So happy. 

This year had been absolutely insane. It was exhausting to even think about it. But along the chaos, hatred and tragedy you two had grown closer to people you'd never in the world would’ve thought. I mean, fucking Steve Harrington was in your house right now! And you were okay with it! You were more than okay. You –and don't you ever tell him– kinda liked him..? Sophomore you is probably calling you a traitor in every language possible, how could you like that idiot?

Honestly, it had been just as surprising as it sounds. It’s not like you planned it.

But Robin and you desperately needed jobs during the summer –cause again, the running away thing– and the mall had recently opened so that was the most obvious choice. Besides, it meant spending all that time together without thinking excuses for your parents, and for two hormonal teenagers who had started dating just a couple months before, it was the best news in the world. Until you found out who was the third person that was gonna be working there. No joke, you almost quit on the spot. Not Steve! Literally anyone but Steve. And you knew Robin felt the same, even though she assured you pretty much every day that Tammy Thompson was not someone she thought about anymore.

But he was pretty chill now that he was out of Hawkins High. Which only proved your theory, school was a monster. He was great with kids, (he had a lot of kid friends, that was kinda weird) he knew how to handle customers (unless it was pretty girls) and he would always cover your shift if you needed to. He was also falling for your girlfriend, which wasn’t great but it was a bit amusing. Overall, he was a good guy. 

But you liking Steve was only the beginning of the crazy things that happened during the summer. First there was the code, then the fucking elevator, then the russians (how could you forget the russians?) and then the magic kid and the giant monster.  

So it was safe to say, summer had been wild. 

Autumn had flown by after all that mess, and senior year had been good so far. Nobody tells you how exciting school can be when you have someone to secretly make out with in the bathroom. Your relationship was as good as it's ever been, keeping secrets was basically second nature for both of you. As sad as that might sound. 

Good thing is, your mom and dad had decided to take a vacation for the holidays. Three. Entire. Weeks. Of an empty house and a possibility for you two of, inside these four walls, having a normal life. She had packed a bag and told her parents you were going to yet another break up and were in the urgent need of a “girls week”. Sometimes, like two percent of the time, being gay ruled. 

You had spent these weeks cooking, reading, singing and wearing down every vinyl on your collection. Doing all those things you normally wouldn't. And it has been the best time of your life. Every time it got clearer and clearer that Robin was who you wanted to spend your life with. Even if that was something you would never confess to her right now. Even if legally that couldn’t even happen. 

“You’re staring” she says. You just snort and hug her from behind. Struggling to get to her shoulder. 

“Who gave you the right to be this tall, huh? Who do you think you are?” she laughs at your tease, pretending she can't hear what you're saying from so far above. With that she earns a light punch to her side.

“Ow!”

“You deserved it” you say with a smile that gets quickly attacked by her kiss. Surprised, you look at her with your eyebrows up. “What was that?”

“Oh, it's just something called kissing…” she jokes “I can give lessons anytime soon if you want. Ow!” another punch to the side.

“I mean– we have guests in the house”

“So what? They’re over there and it wouldn’t be so bad either if they found out, right?” your face shows confusion but you keep your smile. “Why are you looking at me that way? If you don’t want them to find out, I won’t tell them or do anything in front of them. At least not on purpose, but you know how hard it is for me to actually shut up! I mean the other day Steve heard me say goodbye to you over the phone and I had to tell him my grandma calls me babygirl and–- “

You kiss her again just to shut her up. A very recurrent situation in your relationship. 

“I don’t care, Rob. But I thought you did…” you hug her a little tighter and you feel her relax in your arms.

“I mean, it’s not like I want the entire school to know about it… But maybe just Steve?”

“You wanna tell Steve?” you ask once again just to make sure she’s really okay with it.

“Yeah”

“Alright, then we’ll tell him.” you smile and she follows right after “We wait until Nancy and Jonathan are gone?” she nods and you let her continue with the dishes. The music sounds muffled from here, but you can hear laughter above it. 

“So, just for the sake of the tradition…” you ask, sitting above the counter, next to her. “Where are you thinking of running away this year?” 

She smiles to herself and thinks for a minute before answering, gaze never leaving the cups. 

“Honestly… nowhere.”

You gasp, jokingly. “Who are you and what have you done to my girlfriend?” 

She laughs a bit, but she’s serious when she says:

“What have you done to me? You made Hawkins a livable place!”

That thought, the fact that she didn’t care about where she was physically as long as she had you, made you melt with love. She was the sweetest person and you loved her so much it hurt. So, naturally, before leaving the kitchen with the ice in hand you have to steal one more kiss from her. You had planned a simple, quick kiss, but your girlfriend decided to grab your face and deepened it. You had cero (0) complaints, of course, but when you hear Jonathan’s steps in the hallway you barely have time to pull away.

“Guys? Steve just landed on the sacred stair and he might have to go back all the way to the start!” he explains as he enters the kitchen. You both hope he wont realize the faint traices of sexual tension left on the air. Or how you two are a liiitle closer than usual “Hurry up!”

You grab the ice and follow him out of the kitchen, not before shooting Robin a grin. 

The other two were still in the living room playing some kind of game Dustin had invented. It made absolutely no sense, but Steve had promised to learn the rules and play with him. Robin had landed in some kind of pit so she had lost fifteen turns. Jonathan was a little ahead of you, but he had terrible luck with the dice. You were doing pretty good, but had drawn a curse card at the beginning of the game, which made it impossible for you to advance more than five steps at a time. And Nancy and Steve were currently fighting for the win. Nancy, who had landed on the “silence cave” and could not talk for the next two turns, was four steps behind him, but now Steve had landed on the “Sacred Stair”.

“So now if you get anything but a three you're doomed?” you ask, incredulously, as soon as you sit back on the table. 

Nancy nods, Jonathan checks the handwritten manual for the fifth time, and you can’t help but laugh at Steve’s worried face.

“C’mon, Steve. You can do this.” he cheers himself up. You hear Robin scream “WAIT FOR ME” from the kitchen. A couple seconds later she's back at her spot next to you.

“Give me a three, a three, a three…” he throws the little dice a little too hard, it rolls and rolls and falls under the table. “NOBODY MOVE” All of you four find it hilarious how seriously he was taking this game.

“ITS A FIVE” informs your girlfriend with a smile on her face. 

“NO WAY”

“YOU LOST!” joyfully screams Nancy, who was also taking this more seriously than she should.

“WHERE IS IT?”

“Now you have to go back to the book of secrets, babe” laughs her boyfriend. 

“ITS A FUCKING FIVE. OH, C'MON!” he laments “After all the time that I spent trying to get the fives for the Philosopher Monster!”

And for a second everyone is happy –except for Steve, obviously– and for the first time in your life you are certain you have found your people. 

The rest of the night practically flies by and when you all notice it’s ten thirty. Jonathan and Nancy had promised to be home by eleven, to celebrate with their families, so they say goodbye and thank you for the invitation. Nancy doesn’t lose the opportunity to make fun of Steve one more time before leaving. 

“Let’s do this again sometime!” says Jonathan, kind as always.

“Yes! Can’t wait to beat you again, Steve!”

“Oh, shut up”

After a little more bickering the couple is gone and Steve stands by the door awkwardly. You know the problem, he didn’t have any family to spend the night with and he was also too embarrassed to tell you both, which was ridiculous.

“Well… I should get going too…”

“Steve, dingus, you can stay over '' clarifies Robin. His face lights up a bit, but he’s still a bit unsure. 

“You’re sure?” he asks you, the owner of the house.

“Of course, Harrington.” You smile and he gives you a hug that catches you off guard. He even takes advantage of the height difference too and lifts you a little off the ground. You laugh and hit him on the back of the head, jokingly. “Put me down, idiot!” he does so and thanks you once more “Now, when you had the genius idea of knocking the board off the table–“

“Nancy’s fault!”  

“… you also knocked the little carrots, I want them out of my floor by the time I’m done with dishes. Robin you’re in swapping duty, or the spilled soda it's gonna end up sticking to the floor”

“Yes, ma’am!” They both say. Posing as soldiers, with hands on their foreheads. You roll your eyes, and make your way to the kitchen.

After a while of tedious cleaning, —those damn carrots had flown everywhere— you take downstairs the couple of mattresses you kept for visitors and make a big bed in the middle of the living room. Steve’s early Christmas gift for Robin and you, a Queen record, was playing softly in the background and the clock on the wall marked fifteen minutes till midnight.

Steve’s in the bathroom but Robin and you are already in bed. She’s nervous, you can tell. She’s slightly trembling and fidgeting with her hands. It isn’t really the first time you both do this, but it’s as terrifying as the last time:

You two walk the distance between your math class and Mr Hauser’s classroom as you damn this fucking school for being so closed minded. All you wanna do right now is hold her shaking hand.

“We don't have to do this, you know?”

“But I want to.” She reminds you. You’re unsure “I really do. I'm just a bit nervous.”

“Are you sure this is gonna be fine? Maybe we could start with someone safer?” you offer when you face the door. Robin shakes her head no.

“Trust me, there’s no one safer than Mr Hauser.” you’re still not a hundred percent convinced, but she looks sure of her words and you would trust her with your life, so you knock on the door.

You both enter after you hear his “come in!”. He looks surprised to see you. 

“Robin! Y/N! How nice to see you both” he greets. 

“Hi” says Robin, who’s getting more and more nervous every second that passes. 

“Hi, Mr Hauser.”

You occupy the first two seats as you chat about your winter break. Well, you and Mr Hauser, Robin is weirdly quiet because of the nerves. You try to help by holding her hand under the table.

“All the way to California?” the teacher is telling you about the winter break he spent visiting his family “That must have been nice"

“Yes! Great weather. And I even managed to find a copy of–” 

“SO WE'RE DATING” says Robin out of the blue. You look at her astonished. “Y/N and I, we’re kinda– not kinda, we’re dating.” she explains. Her face is the same shade of red as her converse.

“Oh…” he says with a confused smile. You hold your breath, you know how much Mr Hauser means to her and not having his support would be devastating for Robin. “That’s great! I’m happy for you both"

You continue with the conversation, Robin actually participating this time. You even get to tell him all about your traveling plans. You also find out Mr Hauser was already aware of Operation Croissant, apparently Robin told him all about it, and he confesses he pretty much knew there was something going on between you two. 

You’re having a really good time, but after a while you need to go. Today you had a geography test and you needed every second possible to study so you say goodbye to her and the teacher and make your way to the library. As soon as you leave Robin turns back to see Mr Hauser, who’s looking at her with a grin, waiting for her to talk. 

“I know that you feel like I'm rushing into this, and it's probably a bad idea to make all these plans when we’re so young and delusional but—” she starts to ramble.

“Robin…"

“No, no, I know what you’re gonna say. ‘That’s just me being really in love for the first time’ but honestly it feels like i'm never gonna love anybody but her. Which I know sounds ridiculous cause we’re only seventeen and we have all our lives ahead of us an–”

“I was going to say that you look genuinely happy for the first time, Robin.” he explains with a small smile. 

“Oh…” she breathes “I am. I really am.” 

“Then there’s nothing more to say.”

So the whole telling Mr Hauser had gone well, and chances were telling Steve would go just as good. But it still felt awfully scary. 

“STEVE, CAN YOU HURRY UP, DUDE?” Robin yells at him. She just wants to let it out.

“IM IN THE BATHROOM” he complains.

“AND WHAT’S TAKING YOU SO LON—?”

“WE DON’T WANT DETAILS. I REPEAT, WE DO NOT WANT DETAILS” you look at her with an ‘are you insane?’ look. Robin shrugs and you sight. “Rob, it’s gonna be okay, dummy. It’s just Steve.”

She looks at you and you know she’s really trying to believe you, but it's just not that simple. 

“I know, I know. It 's just… too much, sometimes.” She shows her trembling hands and this time you do kiss her, taking advantage of the fact Steve’s still in the bathroom. Starting to realize this might be the last time hiding kisses. At least from him.

That sounded wonderful. So wonderful you kiss her even fondly. She accepts it, running her hand through your hair. 

 “WHAT?”

Oh, fuck. 

You drift apart from your girlfriend, who is still too shocked to even speak. She has the same guilty smile as you do. Like two kids caught red handed.

“…WHEN? W— WHAT?” 

You might have broken Steve.

“YOU TWO ARE…” he starts to guess. 

“Dating, yeah.” You explain. But that doesn’t erase his frown and confused gaze.

“For how long?” He says after a few seconds of silence.

You turn to Robin with a knowing look. “…a while”

“FOR HOW LONG Y/LN?” He’s not mad, just surprised. How could he have missed this completely?

“Nine months.” you reply.

“WHAT? SO YOU WERE ALREADY DATING WHEN I MET YOU?”

“Technically–” finally speaks Robin “ …yes. But only for a few weeks.”

“Wait, and all that time I…”

“Wanted to bang my girlfriend?” You complete his sentence “Yes, that was funny. But I don’t blame you, though, look at her.”

“Oh, shut up” complains Robin, rolling her eyes at you. You respond by sticking your tongue out. She tries to hide her smile, but, as always, fails miserably. 

You’re about to make fun of her yet again, but remember Steve’s still sitting in front of you. He’s wearing one of your giant t-shirts, those he's been trying to steal for the longest time, you make a mental note to make sure he actually gives it back before leaving tomorrow morning. He’s still processing, you think, but just to make sure Robin asks:

“Are you… Are you okay with it?” there’s worry in her voice and that makes him snap out of his thoughts. 

“Of course!” he assures and you feel her breathe again. It physically hurts to see her that anxious. She didn’t deserve a single bad thing. Ever. “I mean it’s a lot. And I feel like an idiot for not noticing–”

“Oh, that’s old news, Steve.” Robin chuckles, he doesn't find it as funny. 

“Well I was gonna talk about how you two are actually a match made in heaven and how I'm so happy for you guys, but whatever...” 

“Dear God, you’re such a drama queen.” 

“Come over here, you dingus.”

You three hug and when you drift apart Robin’s smile could light up the room. You have never seen her smiling so big. It takes you every bit of self control to not kiss her right there on the spot.

Then you remember. You can! You can kiss her right here right now! In front of someone!

So you do.

“Gross!” Jokes Steve. Earning not one but two punches, one in each shoulder. 

[superbatbigbang]

The Superbat Big Bang 2019 Masterlist

We’ve officially come to the end of the 2019 edition of the bang. What a fantastic turnout we had: 27 teams posted, and all of our teams that went into art claims made it across the finish line. Our participants put in an amazing effort this year–I hope you’ll join us in giving everyone a hardy round of congratulations.

Click through and/or scroll down to see all of the work posted during the 2019 bang.

Week One

June 29th Detachment bonehandledknife, Sdiosb, SDeeyS (NSFW profile) Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 29k, Explicit (DCU) Bruce is politely poked in the cheek by a flying dick one night. Hijinks, and more worldbuilding than you can shake a dick at, ensue. fic on Ao3 | art by sdiosb | art by SDeeyS (NSFW) | masterpost — June 30th Again I Go Unnoticed Sam4265, TKodami Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor/Bruce Wayne, 42k, Explicit (Smallville) Bruce Wayne moved to Smallville when he was eight years old, beginning a friendship with Clark Kent that would come to define the world. But for now they’re just teenagers in love with all the wrong people, running in circles until they finally find their way to each other. fic on Ao3 | art on Ao3 | masterpost — July 2nd The Incandescent Rose truc, lesbidar Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis/Dana Tan, 9k, Teen and Up (Batman Beyond) Terry McGinnis (the new Batman) impulsively asks marriage proposal advice from his mentor and grumpy father figure Bruce Wayne. When the older man describes a proposal in which he had been yelled at and abandoned, Terry can’t help investigate the matter by seeing some of Bruce’s most knowledgeable friends and family members. This search prompts someone else into action. fic on Ao3 | art on Ao3 | masterpost — July 4th Flowers in the Dustbin G.G. Kinko (Cheese_kun), magpiebee, SDeeyS Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 9.6k, Explicit (No Specific Continuity) Bruce, now in his early sixties and married for nearly twenty years, was caught off guard by a sudden thought that he suddenly hated the sight of Clark. In an attempt to salvage a marriage that was threatening to fall apart due to Bruce’s sudden indifference, he booked a vacation to remake the bond…from one landmark to the next. fic on Ao3 | art by magpiebee | art by SDeeyS | masterpost — July 5th Mercy for a dreamer Dino_Cattivo, Jayjayverse Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 25k, Not Rated (No Specific Continuity) Clark is happily married to Bruce. But his husband starts acting strange and Clark gets suspicious. At first Clark suspect Bruce of cheating but there is something bigger at work here affecting everyone around him. And Clark is set on finding out what it is. And with every piece of the puzzle he finds the situation just gets more confusing. Clark just wish he could wake up from all of this and go back to the times before everything fell apart. fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost —

Week Two

July 7th The Game of Love Kaizokuhime, lovelastart Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 12k, Explicit (Alternate Universe) In WayneTech VR Augmented Gaming, a guild of superheroes has arisen who volunteer to help police that reality. One of these superheroes, Superman, has had a crush on his fellow member, Batman, for many years, but thus far has had little success on asking him out, even as fellow guildmembers. How will their relationship progress? And how intimate can they truly become without knowing the other’s identity offline? fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost — July 12th Recontre Icedlemon, Ms. 3, Santheum Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 13k, Teen and Up (DCU, Alternate Universe) Life has a way of bringing people together, even if they’re from different planets. fic on Ao3 | art by Ms. 3 | art by Santheum masterpost — July 13th The Opposite of Love Butterflyslinky, mirybdraws Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, 10k, Explicit (Alternate Universe) Twenty years ago, Batman and Superman formed a bond to stop an alien threat. Now that Bruce wants to get married for real, he and Clark will have to travel to an alien planet to break that bond. fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost —

Week Three

July 14th Clark Kent, of Krypton TerresDeBrume, stuvyx Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 98k, Mature (DCU, Alternate Universe) Batman crashes on Krypton a few days before the Turn of the Year celebrations and Kal-El’s life takes a sharp turn to the left, on a path that will ultimately lead him to becoming Clark Kent. fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost — July 15th Through a Glass Darkly susiecarter, lesbidar, Santheum Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 111k, Explicit (DCEU) Post-BvS AU: Batman killed Superman—and then Metropolis was wrecked by Doomsday, not long before Steppenwolf arrived and conquered the world with innumerable swarms of parademons. Bruce’s nightmare has come true, in every way but one: what’s left of humanity is fighting to survive in a hostile wasteland as Steppenwolf manipulates the power of a pair of mother boxes to gradually reshape the planet to serve his needs. But rumors of a threat that could be greater still are finally forcing Bruce to consider taking truly drastic steps. Like bringing Superman back from the dead. fic on Ao3 | art by lesbidar | art by santheum | masterpost — July 16th Bodyguard missigma, Ischa Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne/Female OC, 12k, Explicit (pre-New52 Comics) Today, it is not Batman who is under attack, but Bruce Wayne. Mired in a court battle, he fights to keep his company out of bankruptcy and himself out of jail. But that fight is quickly forgotten as he barely survives an assassination attempt. Clark rushes to his side in Gotham City. With the help of Dick Grayson, he comes to the terrifying conclusion that not only is someone trying to ruin Bruce Wayne, but that person must know his true identity. To protect Bruce, Clark appoints himself as his bodyguard. Despite Bruce’s protests, he accompanies him as Bruce attempts to rebuild his tattered reputation with a new business deal. fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost — July 18th Alternative Beginnings Ischa and Icalynn, with-your-poncho-on Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 25k, Explicit (Alternate Universe) In which Clark’s parents sell the farm and join the circus to keep Clark safe and Dick and Clark grow up as brothers. When Clark is sixteen he falls in love with the very handsome Thomas Kane–but as suddenly as Kane joins the circus he disappears, leaving Clark without a word and brokenhearted. Five years later they meet again in Gotham on the day Dick’s parents die. Clark, feeling guilty about letting the Graysons die and determined to not fail Dick, leaves the circus to get Dick back–and get some answers from Bruce Wayne. But of course Bruce Wayne isn’t the only one with secrets. Meanwhile Dick is out for revenge. He wants the man who killed his parents: Tony Zucco. Dick’s and the Batman’s paths are about to cross. fic on Ao3 | art on Ao3 | masterpost — July 19th I Would Go In Chains (Just To Set You Free) BatsAreFluffy, adumbtree-draws Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 23k, Teen and Up (No Specific Continuity) After an offworld mission goes horribly awry, Clark begins to wonder if the past is really behind him and Bruce. And what better way to deal with the issues than with planetary peace talks, forced transformations, and a psychic bond that doesn’t allow for lying? fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost — July 19th I’ve Seen Your Flag On The Marble Arch minT (justiceleague), mirybdraws, Dino_Cattivo Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince/Lois Lane, Past Clark Kent/Diana Prince, 18k, Mature (Animated Movie Verse) He draws Clark to sitting position and pulls him close, hands on either side of his head. He feels the rise and fall of Clark’s chest against his body, and he doesn’t let go because he needs to feel it, to be sure. There’s a crackle over their comms, and Barry’s voice cuts through the noise around them, jarring. “Holy shit, are Batman and Superman hugging?” A reimagining of the events of - and preceding - the Death of Superman, if Clark had fallen for Bruce instead of Lois. fic on Ao3 | art by mirybdraws | art by Dino_Cattivo | masterpost —

July 20th Faal Dovahkiinro Wund dippkip, liodain Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 19k, Teen and Up (Alternate Universe) Ever since that fateful day in Helgen, it seemed Clark’s life in Skyrim was doomed to be anything but simple. Dubbed “Dragonborn” but offered little guidance, Clark must muddle his way across the unpleasantly cold countryside with only his reticent friend Bruce for company. Together they will hunt down a serial killer, save a young boy’s life, and kill a few dragons along the way - all in a day’s work for the Dovahkiin. fic on Ao3 | art on Ao3 | masterpost —

Week Four

July 22nd A Knight’s Heart LilisBooks, carry-on-my-wayward-artblog, boomdeyadah Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne; Lex Luthor/Clark Kent (one sided), 15k, Mature (Alternate Universe) King Bruce is fighting a war he has no desire to be in whatsoever, especially since the war cost him more than he could’ve ever thought, just before it all began. Clark is just a knight fighting for what he has lead to believe is right, unsure of the reasons behind the war King Luthor has against all kingdoms. Is when these two men met that their beliefs are shaken to their core and the connection they share is more than it first leads the eye. This is a tale of knights and Kings, of war within kingdoms and a search for truth and justice with a tad of love along the way. fic on Ao3 | art by carry-on-my-wayward-artblog | art by boomdeyadah | masterpost — July 23rd A Beautiful Lie Killer_Rabbit_of_Caerbannog, JolBalrok Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, minor Clark Kent/Diana, minor Clark Kent/Lois Lane 16k, Explicit (DCEU with nods to Injustice) ‘Pet Sematary’ Barry had said, and Clark wonders if he’d somehow been right about that and he’d come back to life… wrong. False memories tangle with whispers in his head, a future Darkseid promises him, and through it all Clark tries to remember that in this world, his world, he doesn’t know what Bruce Wayne’s kisses taste like. fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost — July 24th Supplicant Holdt & spacewolfcub, Ms. 3 Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Pamela Isley/Bruce WayneBruce Wayne/Other(s)Clark Kent/Other(s), 51k, Explicit (DCEU Alternate Universe) The training and scars of Nanda Parbat run deep— Bruce has always fought the demons that make him want to stalk the night and rend pain unto the deserving. After a decade of trying to stay afloat, using BDSM as both punishment and moral compass, he turns to The Agency. Through them, he finds Mistress Ivy, whose Services help him keep ahead of the encroaching darkness… until he finds his lifeline gone without warning when Ivy’s extreme methods and poison play are revealed and she is exiled. The Agency has a reputation to uphold, secretive as they are. For years, they’ve offered him a chance at salvation—for a price. It is no different now and Bruce grasps desperately at their offer. Can the Service Provider known as Mr. S, the so-called “SuperDom,” help him rein in the Bat? fic on Ao3 | art on Ao3 | masterpost — July 25th The Words We Never Said Mechformers, susscx Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 13k, Explicit (DCEU) Bruce is done pining. It is time to move on, time to heal and live out the rest of his life away from the man of steel. But what is two lovesick puppies to do, when they both need each other, as they need air to live? Misunderstandings are bound to happen, feelings trampled and cast aside as the two greatest men alive try to figure out the ancient wonders of confessions. fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost — July 26th The Shape of my Heart Brenda, Selofain, carry-on-my-wayward-artblog (CrocInCros) Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 27k, Explicit (DCEU) Bruce is impossible, stubborn, willfully self-destructive, and so self-sacrificing it's a wonder he hasn't suffocated under the weight of it. And Clark is stupidly, dizzyingly, crazy about him. Or, post-Justice League, five things Clark learns about Bruce that make him go all heart-eyes, and the time he finally does something about it. fic on Ao3 | art by Selofain | art by carry-on-my-wayward-artblog | masterpost — July 30th The Greatest Way lesbidar, haljords (barrybinary), androbeaurepaire Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 17k, Teen an Up It’s Diana that ascertains their problem. She has an uncanny way of discovering truths that are best kept buried. After a year together, Bruce and Clark are having troubles. To save their relationship, they agree to answer a series of questions designed to foster emotional intimacy. It goes about as well as you’d expect. fic on Ao3 | art by haljords | art by androbeaurepaire | masterpost —

Amnesty

July 31st No More Heroes (In a World so Cold) ComposerofDiscord, SDeeyS Hernan Guerra/Kirk Langstrom, Pre Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 27k, Teen and Up (DCAU/Justice League: Gods & Monsters) Clark and Bruce are visited by an Amanda Waller from another world. She asks for their help with her Superman, Hernan Guerra, who has gone rogue. Clark accepts, and Bruce goes with him When they arrive, Clark wishes to see who Hernan is and what he has done, while Bruce investigates the day Hernan went berserk. With what Bruce has gathered from his investigation and what Clark has seen of Hernan, they must decide who they can trust in the GnM universe: Waller or Hernan, or is there something much larger at play? fic & art on Ao3 | masterpost — August 1st A Golden Bell Hung in My Heart cattyk8 Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 9k, Explicit (DCAU and DCEU Mashup) After finding themselves transported to Faerie, Superman and Batman must navigate an enchanted forest in order to get themselves back to their own plane of existence. Which would be easy enough—they’re not the World’s Finest for no reason, after all—if not for the fact that they’ve been cornered by a unicorn attracted by Superman’s virginity. Of course, who better to pop the Man of Steel’s cherry than Gotham’s Dark Knight? fic & banner on Ao3 masterpost — August 3rd that dwell in dust flirtygaybrit, g.g. kinko, TKodami Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 53k, Mature (DCEU) Things are different after Clark Kent returns to the world: tainted things are made beautiful once more, a long-dormant seed begins to grow, and eventually, nature reclaims its own. Or: Clark plants a garden, Victor keeps a terrible secret, and Bruce faces the consequences of bringing someone back from the dead. fic on Ao3 | art by TKodami | art by G.G. Kinko | masterpost — August 4th Extra Art for The Game (of Love) lovelastart Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, art only art of game characters | flying dance — August 4th Catch a Falling Star architeuthis, G.G. Kinko, mashimero Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, 22k, Explicit (DCEU) Bruce is in the middle of a stakeout when Clark returns from an offworld mission, full of ideas. fic on Ao3 | art by G.G Kinko | art by mashimero | masterpost — August 4th On The Cusp vesper_house, milki3way Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince/Lois Lane, 47k, Explicit (DCEU Alternate Universe) Clark’s life isn’t what he imagined it would be. Instead of having a flourishing journalism career, he makes coffe at the Typewriter - coffee shop owned by Lois, his old crush who’s currently dating Diana. He’s lonely, he’s broke, and the only thing that makes him happy is his charity work. However, it takes just one day to turn everything round. Internet fame, investigations, billionaires with secret identities and homeless cats follow through. fic on Ao3 | art on tumblr | masterpost — August 5th Rewrite the Stars crypt_mirror, albilibertea Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, ~20k, Explicit (DCEU Alternate Universe) Clark Kent the Superman, Bruce Wayne the Dark Knight, their soul marks fated them to be together. But fate and destiny seem to have other plans. Even as they play their part, they pay the price. Could they ever rewrite the stars? fic on Ao3 | art on Ao3 | masterpost —

Inktober & Art Prompt Challenge

alienswearglasses (ComposerofDiscord) | When All I Wanted Was You: Day 12, Restraint ariesnohope | Week Six: Snow Day carry-on-my-wayward-artblog | morning kiss, kryptonian styled batsuit, Couch Cuddle, Kidnapped!, Day Four: Rescue, Day Eight: Rainbows, Disco! dino_cattivo | Day One: Capes, Day Four: Rescue, Day Five: Space, Day Eight: Rainbows, Day Nine: Sun, Day Ten: Watchtower, Day 11: Feat of Strength, Day 13: New Costume, Day 15: Interrupted, Day 16: Bat Gadgets, Day 17: Kryptonite, Day 18: Blindfolds, Day 20: Last Son of Krypton, Day 22: Tentacles, Day 23: Flying Together, Day 25: On a Farm, Day 26: Tender Embrace, Day 29: Inopportune Robin, Day 30: Low Effort Joke, Day 31: Soft Vore kaizokunohime | Day One: Capes, Day Two: Masks, Day Four: Rescue lovelastart | stabbed, Day Two: Masks ms. three | superbat practice, Day One: Capes, Day Two: Masks, Day Three: Costume Switch, Day 12: Restraint sdeeys | Good Morning Kiss+Manly beard, Day Six: Teamwork, Suit Porn + Swing Dance, Day Three: Costume Swap, Day 12: Restraint, Day 31: Soft Vore steals-thyme | Week One: beards (manly), Week Two: Kidnapped! sunaddicted | Day One: Capes, Day Three: Costume Switch, Day Five: Space, Day Six: Teamwork, Day Seven: Alleyway, Day Nine: Sun, Day 12: Restraints, Day 13: New Costumes, Day 14: Notebook Doodle, Day 15: Interrupted, Day 16: Bat Gadgets, Day 17: Kryptonite, Day 18: Blindfolds, Day 19: Bad Disguises, Day 20: Last Son of Krypton, Day 21: The Dark Knight, Day 22: Tentacles, Day 23: Flying Together, Day 24: A Stately Manor, Day 25: On a Farm, Day 26: Tender Embrace, Day 27: :peach emoji:, Day 28: NSFW Bars in unlikely places, Day 29: Inopportune Robin, Day 30: Low Effort Joke, Day 31: Light Vore

And that is it for the 2019 Superbat Big Bang! Please be sure to drop our authors and artists kudos, likes, and reblogs and let them know how much you enjoyed their hard work!

[holyfluck]

Long time no write, internet journal. I’ve come today to place my circling, taunting thoughts in a *somewhat* physical space, to give them form outside of the neverending loop inside this noggin. Holy shit. This bear market is testing me. This time last year my nest egg was nearing a million dollars. I only imagined it ascending more and more until it got to the heavens and I never had to fear lack of resources again. Jokes on me! I’ll always admire my cute little optimistic brain. Fast forward a year, we are now 7 or so months into the bear market and fear for my survival has gripped me at every turn. My nest egg is well under 200k. Now, I know this is still a fortune and I am wildly lucky to possess it. HOWEVER! I have taken some risks that have brought my monthly expenses to be well over 10k per month. I feel that I am bleeding money. In fun ways, I’ll admit. But still, 200k is a fragile fragile fortune. Not only that, I have racked up each of my 7 credit account and am now camping at about 60k in debt. YEEHAW! I honestly can’t decide if I am being horribly irresponsible or just taking the necessary risk to become a successful business owner. I think I change my mind minute by minute. It’s a war in here, let me tell you. There are alarm bells ringing constantly. I think today I have a bit of humor married with it, which helps a lot. 

I guess I should probably elaborate on what I’m building/investing in. I have a fashion brand! I won’t say what the name is yet, because the trademark hasn’t been officially approved yet but YEAH! It’s a sexy, romantic women’s fashion brand. Shit that I would wear. I’ve hired a very expensive but incredibly talented consultancy team to help me Frankenstein my dream into reality. They’re killing it. They’re helping me with the branding and the apparel. Yesterday I received the first round of logo mockups and I am DYING for them. They’re perfect! On the apparel side, we’re producing a 5 piece collection consisting of 3 uniquely gorgeous dresses, a dope pair of cargo pants, and a corseted crop top. I’m in love. We just got approved for our first round of sampling at a factory here in the New York Garment District. IT’S ALL HAPPENING! I am ecstatic about it. The cost is freaking me the fuck out on the regular. There are so many hidden costs that I was not expected that keep on swinging at me. But alas, I have the money and I’m going to keep throwing it at the brand until I’m fucking dry. Something has got to give. The collection and the brand should be up and running this spring and then it’s GO TIME! Bitch is gonna sell, sell, sell until I am blue in the FACE. I swear by it. 

Not only am I nurturing the fashion brand to life, I have also continued with making my tiled light sculptures. I have an art studio that I’m renting that I go to most days of the week to spend time fabricating my ideas into existence. The sculptures are really cool. I do everything on my own, of course, so they are not exactly perfect. They’re definitely handmade. Their finishings need some work. I am not entirely sure how I will sell them, but I have some ideas. I’ve shown some photos to some design shops and gallery owners here in Brooklyn. Positive reactions. My plan is to finish the 3 pieces that I have, have them professionally staged and photographed, make my website, and then reach out to local shops and galleries. Again, something has got to give. At the very least, I will have produced a dope portfolio that *should* qualify me for a cool job under a senior designer/design studio. The overhead for my art studio and supplies is another major dig into the nest egg. Freaks me out sometimes but I’m still going. I know that I could definitely spend more time working on my stuff. I could push more to finish things quicker and to move the needle more each day. Knowing this and knowing that I am not doing this is a huge source of insecurity and self doubt. But I’m still showing up! And I am continuously learning. I film most of my work for TikTok. It’s got some attention, which is encouraging. I’ll keep going, one way or another! I do love it! 

ANYWAY! I’m considering getting some kind of job now. Somewhere in the art and design world to gain some experience, make a little dough, and network within the community. I am also probably going to hit the strip clubs for dollars sake. I need to hustle. It’s not an easy thing to do after I’ve had these couple of years with all of my time being my own. I feel under qualified. BUT FUCK IT! I have 2 awesome businesses that I’m building and I feel a sense of purpose. I’ll likely lose this apartment, which breaks my heart a little but you gotta do what you gotta do. I MUST keep my dreams alive and the rent here is just stupid high.

I feel good writing this all down. All of this is to say that I am taking some crazy risks that will either pay off or crash and burn. I guess this is just life, eh? At least I’m going for it! I feel crazy most days. I like to say to myself when I’m in a panic spin “What if this all works out?” WHAT IF!!! That would be fucking AWSOME. Here’s to hoping, and pushing, and dreaming, and working. Please universe, bring on the bull market soon. 

[disnerdkatie]

Continuing the saga of Katie’s First Trip To Disney In Fourteen Months! Yesterday I talked about our trip through Thursday, so today I’ll cover Friday to home.

As is the key theme for a runDisney weekend, I was up way, way too early. I think I “slept in” until almost 3:00 a.m. for the 10K. Yeah. Only at a runDisney event would 2:53 a.m. be considered “sleeping in”! But it was fine, I made it to the staging area just in time to join Nikki and Lisa in line to see Sporty Mickey. Uhh… I’m sure he has a name that doesn’t make him sound like an honorary member of the Spice Girls, but whatever. He was sporty Mickey. Even though it was crazy early, the race went well enough. I was worried because it was during the 10K a couple years ago that my knee went out, but no issue this race!

After the race, and after I showered, Michael and I headed back to the expo to grab some visors for the half and full, and to look at the official runDisney merch when it hopefully wasn’t so crowded. We had reservations at Beaches & Cream at noon, but it was early enough that we weren’t worried about taking bus transportation. And in fact, we got to Beaches & Cream a full half hour early!

Now… normally I’d spend a whole post writing a review, and I still might for Our Disney, but I’m just gonna rant here for a minute. This was the absolute worst dining experience I have ever had in a dozen years of Disney vacations. First off, we got there a solid 30 minutes early, and once we checked in we went over to the wall less than 10 feet away from the hostess podium. We were right there… and they never called our name. They never texted that the table was ready. So even though we were waiting for over 30 minutes, since our actual reservation wasn’t until noon I didn’t bother going up to ask what was up until closer to 12:10. Guess what the hostess told me? “Oh, you were a no show.” What. The. Actual. Fuck? I was fuming. I didn’t say anything (because I didn’t want to be a bitch, and if I started to complain full bitch would have come out), but Michael says that if looks could kill then no one at the restaurant would still be alive. Oops. Did my face say that?

So, we finally got seated, and it took almost 10 minutes for the server to come take our drink orders. I know, because I actually started the timer on my phone. I told Michael if she wasn’t there by the 10 minute mark I was walking out. She came up with just a minute to spare. Even Michael ordered water, because holy shit I kid you not, the sodas were $4.29. Even for Disney’s overpriced pricing that just seemed insane. I got excited when I saw they had my favorite cider, but since they were selling it for TEN DOLLARS for a bottle, yeah, water it was. Anyway. So. We ordered waters and our food, and sat there.

Side note: the table next to us was piled with dirty dishes when I looked in the window at about 12:05, and it was still piled with dirty dishes as we sat there waiting for our food… at 12:45. And that wasn’t the only table covered in dirty dishes. I kept fixating on the cherry stem stuck to the booth back next to Michael. At that point, between sleep deprivation, extreme hunger, achy legs, lowgrade headache, and extreme frustration with the situation, I was literally in tears. You can sort of tell in the one picture I took inside the restaurant, the selfie with my sandwich. I only took that because I wanted photographic proof that we were there so we didn’t get charged a no show fee on top of paying for the shitty ass lunch.

Okay. Well. Moving on…

After leaving Beaches & Cream we just sort of piddled around the resort for a while before swinging by the pool. I had thoughts of sitting in the hot tub with a drink, but the hot tub was looking pretty crowded… so I got a piña colada to go and camped out in the amazingly huge jetted bathtub in our room. After a while I was calm enough to get ready for bed, for yet another really early morning.

The morning of the half wasn’t a great start. Maybe it was karma kicking my ass for my death glares the day before, but traffic was worse than I’ve ever, ever, ever encountered on race morning, and it took me about 45 minutes to get from Old Key West to the start staging area. Nikki and Lisa were waiting for me with coffee, and we got into the corral and waited for go. It was a long, slow race with lots of walking and lots of character stops (I literally did double the character stops in this race than I’ve ever done in all my previous runDisney events)… but the frustrations always go away when you start running down Main Street at see Cinderella’s Castle waiting for you at the end. That just never, ever gets old.

After the race, Michael and I headed out of Orlando over to Bartow. He knows the owners of the Lenny’s out there and wanted to stop in. That was fine with me, I was pretty desperate for a chicken philly at that point. I might have threatened to cut a bitch if anyone got in the way of my chicken philly, actually. Even though I didn’t throw out my knee, it was feeling a little bit wobbly and so Michael let me borrow his brace. It didn’t last much longer than lunch though – wearing it made me walk so funky in compensation that I was afraid it would do more harm than good.

And for the last day before we headed home… Sunday… Marathon day. Spoiler alert: I again did not complete the Walt Disney World Marathon, and I again do not have that beautiful Dopey medal. But at least this time I stopped without an actual injury. I might have been hurting, but I wasn’t broken. And then I might have stupidly told Michael that I would never try for a challenge again. Yeah. I’m already regretting those words. Ugh. Someone engage that filter in my head so I won’t say stupid shit like this anymore.

Anyway… after a long day of napping and limping around Disney Springs, we met up with all the roomies and with Lisa and Nikki for dinner at Artist’s Point, a very nice, swanky, sit down restaurant at Wilderness Lodge. Not to be confused with Artist’s Palette, the also very nice but totally counter service restaurant at Saratoga Springs. Artist’s Point is a character dining experience where you can see Snow White, the Evil Queen, Grumpy, and Dopey. Yeah, we went there for Dopey. But I felt a little more affinity with Grumpy that evening.

After dinner we finished packing up, and crashed hard. No more before dawn wake up calls! YAY! But we still needed to get up fairly early to say goodbye to Natalie et al, and load up the car and get on the road ourselves.

On Monday, we had a loooong drive home, but we did it all in one day. Michael did most of the driving, because the one time that I started driving we hit insane traffic combined with torrential downpours and I kind of freaked out. We were in his car and it is an actual car, lower to the ground than my nice big SUV, and I panicked. But eventually we made it home, back to my babies and my kitties!

SORRY IT IS LATE! But here's the quickie lowdown of what Michael and I got up to during the second half of our recent Disney vacation. Continuing the saga of Katie's First Trip To Disney In Fourteen Months! Yesterday I talked about our trip through Thursday, so today I'll cover Friday to home.

[amoua]

4/30/17

I’m sure I’m not just speaking for myself here but my gosh, yesterday my body felt so beat up from the day’s events.  Between running a 10K and smelting in rough waters last night, I was jello all over; I haven’t even been running for the last 3 weeks before this run.  My body was aching so much, I couldn’t stop laughing out loud what agony I was experiencing when I tried to strip my drenched socks off my leg while trying to mobilize my frozen fingers as we were preparing to come home.  I felt like my hips weren’t even there anymore either.

Holy shit, last day of the month!

Well!  I’m going back home to Mosquito Control District!  The start of this week will be the official two weeks until I start out in Oakdale as the Field Operations Supervisor and I couldn’t be any more excited!! I am very blessed to have this opportunity to continue doing something in an area of works that I have a great deal of passion in and I can only hope this leads to greater accomplishments down the line. I don’t think many people ever have the notion to ever go back to a former employer of theirs but I can certainly be an exception.  Having second chances and opportunities like these probably doesn’t come by often, or perhaps they do, but for me, I have been doing exactly what I needed to do in order to obtain such opportunity--getting offered the opportunity is another story.  

It’s strange, this feeling, of starting elsewhere new, but exciting at the same time, but sad to leave those of your past behind.  The routine, the responsibilities, all my scheduled obligations and expectations within the last 3 years, gone! I’ll still be in touch with the most important of colleagues though of course, but even with the change of environment and schedules, we’ll see how this goes. 

I toured my new facility in Oakdale last Friday, embarrassingly arriving fashionably tardy due to getting lost. This new facility is well hidden and bares no signage at the street.  I arrived with my Regional Operations Manager with a few of my soon to be colleagues, watching as I briskly drive by and parked-- I know I’ll get teased for this one.  It’s different to come back to a complete field-style of work.  The difference between an entirely clean warehouse full of food to a more dirty warehouse full of chemicals and a fleet of trucks and other goodies.  I’m excited because this facility bares all the materials for the District and a lot of goodies, as well as many other cool opportunities that’ll allow me to keep busy.  It is also at the Oakdale site that the District tests new equipment and come up with most of the innovations.  I met a few of Inspectors on my team so I was pretty thrilled about that. Saw my bare office as well, but that’ll soon be different for sure.  I’m super excited about my new job and my placement in life. Maybe Voos is right, perhaps 2017 will be my year after all =))

[shadywinters]