#like the fake joints wear out too and you have to get them replaced sometimes

[dilfsisko]

I know I joke a lot about how bad my joints are but as of a few days ago I genuinely can’t lift or bend my right knee

[jujutsu-headcanons]

Gojo Satoru general headcanons

Let's get one thing clear: this man is absolutely chaotic. He is always full of energy. His energy levels never reach below 50%. He is loud and proud, always running, and never takes a minute to relax.

Do not give him Monster. Shoko did that once and it took her forever to get him off the ceiling. Also, avoid caffeine. Shoko replaces his normal coffee with decaf and he still hasn't noticed the difference. Keep it that way.

He was the class clown when he was younger. He wasn't exactly a trouble maker, but he may as well be. I cannot word that sentence and I am sorry. Next.

All of his teachers assumed he never listened in class, so they always called in him when they thought he wasn't paying attention. It still shocked them every time he rattled off the correct answer.

Not only did he answer the question correctly, but he could also explain his reasoning behind the answer, and if it was multiple choice, explain why the other answers were wrong. 

This tall man child would march up to the board and absolutely fill it to the brim with work, turn around, drop the chalk-like a mic drop and walk back to his desk with the smuggest look on his face.

That doesn't mean he did the work tho

Idk how schools in japan work but we all know schools in America only care about the amount of work you do and not what you actually know so we'll use that for the sake of the headcanon: he had straight D's bc he never turned in his work

Despite not doing the work snd goofing off, teachers actually really liked him

A lot of people liked him and he was super popular, but he still felt alone

Fake friends, you know how that works, he didn't meet any real friends until he became a shaman

Clean freak. This dude actually makes his bed. He scrubs his bathroom twice a week. His desk can get cluttered but he straightens up once a week. He's not exactly a germaphobe because

He cannot respect your personal space and that's actually canon but let me take it a step further 

He's a slapper. Especially when he laughs. It doesn't hurt, it's playful dw. He hugs you from behind especially when he's cold. He picks you up and carries you around. He will grab your wrist, arm, or hand and lead you around even if you're following him. He lays his legs across you or lays across your lap. Puts his head on your shoulder. Platonic cuddling between friends is mandatory. He's just so hands-on it's ridiculous.

Unless you explicitly tell him you're uncomfortable he won't stop

Don't worry, if you aren't in that type of relationship, your no-no square is safe. Except, if you seem chill, he will slap your ass regardless of friendship status. His ass is also slappable. You can't tell me Geto and Gojo didn't run around slapping each other asses, okay

He was weird and scrawny as a child. He didn't start beefing out until he started training to be a shaman and he's still kinda smaller than most beefy boys

He can pick you up and throw you around easily. He carried around a 170 pound Yuji like a sack of potatoes and can easily carry around three times that weight

It's amazing he's so tiny because you remember 2014 Shane Dawson making all of those wack ass desserts that was just s pile of chaos wrapped in chocolate?

He can eat every last bite of one of those monstrosities without getting a stomach ache, gaining weight, or dying basically

He knows bc Yuji dared him to do it

He has really cold hands and feet

He sounds old. Let me elaborate. He's constantly cracking his joints. They also creak when he moves. He complains about body pains like he's 80 y/o

He also shares wisdom with the kids as if he's actually 80 y/o

It's irrelevant advice that doesn't make sense but is also useful. Megumi can't count the number of times he's asked Gojo for feedback on his technique but had been told to remember to chew 40 times or never go to bed angry

Starts off sentences with "now son" and "when I was your age"

He uses his blindfold as a headband when he wants his hair out of his face. He also uses headbands as... Headbands... When he wants to wear sunglasses but get his hair out of his face

He owns so many pairs of sunglasses but he always wears the same pair

He's only bought a handful of them himself, most of them are gifts

No one knows what to get him for Christmas or his birthday bc he has everything, so they resort to sunglasses

His favorite pair is a pair that Shoko and Geto bought him as a gag. He thought they were dead serious, though, so he wore them around for a month

They were heart-shaped, rose-tinted glasses

Can you believe this man doesn't use any gel or anything to keep his hair spiky with the blindfold on? It just naturally defies gravity when the blindfold is on

Tell this man he's pretty because he already knows. He's narcissistic but not the cringy kind

Photogenic as hell. Takes great pictures from any angle. 

He gives everyone a different story as to why he covers his eyes. Sometimes he says it's because his eyes are too pretty and are a distraction. Sometimes he says it's because the sunglasses/bandages/blindfold look cooler than his eyes. Sometimes he says it's to protect the six eyes from seeing things he doesn't want to see. The world may never know

He's tried covering his whole face before, but he thinks he's too pretty for that. He at least wants one of his many amazing features to be shown at all times.

So about his driver's license;

He knows how to drive. He can be a good driver. When he wants to be. He just doesn't have a driver's license.

Now he TELLS people he just never got around to getting one, however, there's a rumor he lost it due to too many parking tickets

It's amazing the only tickets he's ever gotten have been from that and once he got caught without a seatbelt; he would have gotten out of that one if he hadn't been flirting with the police officer so bad

This doesn't stop Gojo from driving places though

He steals Ijichi's car a LOT and Ijichi DOESN'T KNOW HOW like??? The windows are never broken and it doesn't look hotwired-

Gojo has a key

You're not even supposed to be able to duplicate car keys but Gojo did 

Also; none of the first-year trio knows he doesn't have a driver's license, though that much should be painfully obvious

He whips around corners, speeds up at yellow lights, goes "watch this" and does a donut, it's just a mess

The poor students have to sit in the backseat too. Just imagine Megumi with all three seatbelts around him like that one meme.

He thrives off of Nobara and Yuji screaming from the backseat, and he can see Megumi being smooshed because he thought the middle seat was the safest through the rearview mirror

Which he doesn't even need because of the six eyes

Despite being such a reckless driver, he knows when danger will happen, so he's never once gotten in a wreck

He blasts the radio, which makes up for the driving.

Has a habit of getting in a car and ending up in the McDonalds drive-thru

Steals other people's fries and keeps the fullest one for himself.

He was rebellious as a kid and teenager, but hey, at least his juvie record is sealed 

He's been detained and in the back of a cop car many times, but the reason was never really bad enough for him to be arrested. Mostly he's just being mouthy. And the time he got caught spray painting on the side of a building. And that one time he and Getou hopped the fence to get into the local pool. And that other time-

It got worse after Getou wasn't around to get him out of trouble. Suddenly, breaking the rules wasn't fun anymore and he mellowed out. 

Tried alcohol and cigarettes before he was legal. Decided neither was his thing, however, he did start drinking occasionally when he was legal.

He's a fucking chaotic drunk. Oh my god he's absolutely feral

Most bars in the vicinity know him by name and they sigh whenever he walks in

Shoko is his emergency contact. She hates it

Shoko has to drag drunk Gojo home at least twice a month and is not happy about it

Once she left him in an alley. He made it home okay so she guesses it's fine

Once he got so drunk he spilled beer on his sock. The thought the fastest way to dry them was by sticking them in the microwave. Forgot about it until someone asked, "Who the fuck is cooking socks???"

I feel it important he was in the break room of the local grocery store and no one knows how he got there

As he was escorted out he stole a grocery cart and rode away in it while singing Don't Threaten Me (With A Good Time) by Panic! At The Disco

He has no alcohol tolerance at all what so ever

He will literally just stare at you and giggle

It's funny he's really flirty but also doesn't seal the deal. Literally, every woman in that bar is willing to get in his bed but he declines every offer. No one knows why

Its because he respects women

He helps his students break the rules as long as they're within reason. Once night Yuji was really hungry and after having a temper tantrum he couldn't order Uber eats bc the school is supposed to be secret Gojo helped sneak him out to get food. Who needs curfew anyway.

The shirts in his closet range from like twenty bucks to the iconic rich bitch shirt the kids ruined in that one chapter we all know the one 

He still wears that by the way, he calls it "art" 

When he was younger, Megumi drew a picture of Gojo being eaten by his shadow dogs. Gojo found it and now it's framed in his room.

He keeps up with current trends and memes like no one's business. This is how he bonds with his kids.

Don't call him old, but also, he'll tell you to respect your elders it's a mess

He has a lot of games on his phone. You can usually find him holding his phone sideways playing some RPG game he probably spent too much money on 

He did hop on the Pokemon Go hype train but after becoming overpowered he got bored

This happens to a lot of games. He pays way too much money, gets to be the strongest in the server, and gets bored

He likes games where you can kill other people's troops and likes to watch as they lose all their power

I canon him as being borderline sadistic

This is why he's Sakata Gintoki reincarnated

White hair, sweet tooth, black leather clothes, dad vibes, never takes anything seriously bc when he does he's scary as fuck, the works.

He is Sakata Gintoki

He liked Gintama growing up. He watched a lot of iconic shows as they aired. He considers himself an og

He's hella bilingual

Because he's the strongest he goes overseas for missions a lot. Because of this he speaks a lot of languages and knows a lot about international cuisine 

He takes pictures of himself eating disgusting foods like snails. He never likes them but he loves the idea of Nobara gagging back in japan

Has paperwork sitting untouched on his desk from three months ago that he will not touch for at least another three months

Does the crossword puzzles in the newspaper every week

Uses humor as a coping mechanism and it honestly just became a personality

Constantly popping his joints. I'm sorry if you find this gross I too find it gross.

Probably brought home every stray animal he ever met ever until he was at least like 22 y/o

Tags: @wasabito @kittaliapenn

[lethargicsunlight]

'Demon' Chapter 3 : For The Mission Bakugou x Fem!Reader (book 1)

Hello~

First of all, Thank you for reading!

You can also read this chapter and the previous ones here on my AO3.

Or, you can find the previous chapter here.

I will come up with a better linking system soon, but I gotta get back to work real quick :(

WARNINGS: Injury, bodily fluids, angst, SFW

Please enjoy!

👹🖤⛓🔪💣

You knew running was a losing game, as speedy as you could be. He was saving his energy by using his mutation quirk for movement.

You pull loose a throwing knife from the holster on your side, keeping the blade bared outward to defend yourself as you take in your blurring surroundings. You make a turn, decidedly veering away from the direction of the bar you'd just left; the last thing you needed was for your pursuer to call in reinforcements that could teleport.

Despite sliding through sharp turns, you couldn't manage to get far enough ahead to fake him out. With the tough exoskeleton they possessed, he was easily driving his extra limbs into the walls and using them as leverage to fling himself forward--closing in on you much faster than you wanted.

"What is it little Demon?" He screeches, mandibles scratching and gnawing together as his mouth stretches open. "I thought you would be a much more riveting opponent than this!"

...Sometimes, you gotta give them what they want.

Mid-run, you locate a window going into an abandoned office building. Throwing your knife, it punctures the glass and leaves hair-line fractures across the surface--you can see the reflection of Sting's eyes within the shards as you thrust your weight into the opening.

In a circular motion, you manage to unsheathe one of the longer blades at your back and parry  his limbs in the air before you're tumbling over the broken glass. It hurts, but you don't allow yourself to slow down. You roll back up, unsheathing the second blade with your free-hand as you crouch, ready to strike.

Now you at least had one advantage over him. More cover.

"Heh," he seems to hesitate, finally setting his body back upon solid ground as he evaluates you. His gaze is filled with confidence after watching you run away from him. Like prey.  In his pause, you have a few seconds to analyze his structure. The exoskeleton would to be too hard to cut, so your focus had to be the areas you could see flesh exposed. You were aware the legs could retreat into his back, which guaranteed a lack of access there. All you could see was his face and his hands--though peaking out from beneath a tucked scarf, was the smooth skin of a throat.

You had made an oath long ago that you would never kill again. But in defense of your mission... you could manage an exception. It would all be over soon anyway.

Instead of coming at you straight on, he throws another knife at you to get everything back into motion. It has you leaping backwards unto a filing cabinet--and he's charging at you finally with the ferocity of essentially four swords. Due to his extra limbs' reach, you realize you won't get a hit on him this way.

It becomes a tangle of blades as you parry and block and twist around his advances, kicking up papers and folders to distract him as you move up and down over obstacles. The venom in your arm begins to dance through your veins, tingling beneath the skin--you are running out of time.

You can see his face twist into a smile; he's sure he's going to win.

Good.

As he makes the mistake you were waiting for, drawing one of his limbs back for a final attack; his mouth is open to announce his triumph. As the air begins to leave his lungs and form syllables in his mouth, time slows down for you. Your blade held up to parry drops from your hand, sending his stinger forward to scrap across your shoulder; close but not too close to your neck. You grab the knife on his belt that you had been eyeing since his first advance in the alleyway, and slice through the joint.

It brings him to a halt, howling as he moves backwards. Green ichor sprays across your face and drips from his new amputation, his other three limbs curling around his body while his hands grope his shoulders.

You pocket his knife and retrieve your blade from the floor.

"Noo! Nonono..!" He's wailing--it sounds grief-stricken now. While there were questionable 'doctors' among villain society; no one has the ability to bring back a limb. Especially one like that. You had mired him, for the rest of his life.

You prepare for a death blow--but the flash of skin beneath the fabric of his shirt causes your hesitation.

You don't have to kill him. It's relief that floods through your tense and calculating mind; briefly before being replaced with pain. As you had expected, a minute in and his neurotoxic venom has seeped into the muscles of your arm. It feels like a chemical burn--acid turning flesh to sizzling nothing. The arm goes limp, but you force your grip on the blade--you had to appear stable.

"I'm going--I'm going to kill you!" He screeches, and there's a squeal behind it like the voice of the insect part of him was a separate entity.

"...You can't kill me." You say slowly, approaching with your good arm raised. You swallow, then let your voice drop an octave as fear seeps into his eyes. There's a button you managed to press a moment ago, that makes the eyes glow from your mask. A cerulean color--a color that was a remnant of your past. "I'm not human."

From the look on his face--he believes you. Your charade is working. You grit your teeth, forcing your shaking and screaming arm to lift and move to the back of your head. It's a movement that suggests you'll remove your mask.

"N-No, no!" He shifts back again, and unaware of his surroundings he trips and lands among the broken glass. His remaining extra limbs curl in close to his face, leaving his abdomen bare. "You're lying! You can't steal people's souls, you're just--you're like us!"

"Then why are you hiding your face?"

"Wh--" With the distraction of speech, he doesn't block when you throw the hidden blade from your hood down into his abdomen. It's a solemn thwack, and then the harsher crack of his skull when you flip the blade in your good hand and swing it between his stinging limbs to ram into his bare temple.

He's out. He's internally bleeding, and he'll never be the same... but he'll live. Maybe when he wakes, he'll have a different outlook on life. Or, most likely, he'll want to hunt you down.

You suppose that should scare you. But given the note you had received from the hero agency you worked with, your time was going to end anyway. He wouldn't have a chance.

"Hrk--" You crumple to the ground, clutching the arm that felt like it should be bare bone rather than flesh. It's like the nerves are exposed; the grip from your clothed hand sending shockwaves down your spine.

You couldn't help but brood--seeing as how moving was so difficult--at how opposite this situation had been compared to what it seemed.

While you had delivered a blow based on skill--you won the fight by lying. Like an illusion, you'd expertly hidden behind the smoke and mirrors to make him believe you were bigger than you actually were. Like you had won easily, rather than by the skin of your teeth.

You wheeze, tears pricking at your eyes while you force yourself to rise. You needed to get back to base. Especially before he did, and preferably before anyone decides to investigate the noises of your chase earlier.

You stumble out of the building through the window you had broken, and slowly creep through the alleys of Yokohama once again.

---

Every television in the base was alight with the bright colors of the Sports Festival.

You were pretty sure that H.H. kept cameras within those screens, ever watching the faces of his lackeys and agents--judging their actions and expressions. Another advantage to always wearing a mask.

You stood, back pressed to a wall in the shadow of a corner as you side-eye the screen. Watching the students filter out unto the field causes a bitter-sweet fluttering in your stomach.

You remembered the first time you had watched the event. You were much younger, sitting with your knees pressing into the floor and palms crushing a few stray sheets of paper. Really, you had never been all that interested in television, mostly because the other kids at the foster-care center were rambunctious when they sat in front of it.

But this time, the only two souls whose eyes were glued to the flat surface were yours and your new foster brother's, who had been the one to convince you to watch it in the first place.

"You gotta watch it--I'm gunna be on it one day!" He says, arm extending to offer his hand. You stare at it, bug-eyed.

"Oh," you meagerly utter, taking his hand and letting him lead you. He laughs and pulls you along until your both sitting in the living-room floor.

"Don't worry," he leans in towards you, "I'll keep the volume low. Trust me though, kay? You gotta watch it, it's really fun!"

You don't believe him, but before long you're both cheering with the crowd and talking avidly about your favorite contestants. He--

You draw yourself out of the memory as large letters appear in your peripheral. The first game had been announced. A race.

There was a sinking feeling in your chest to know that he should have been there amongst them, maybe a year ago. There wasn't a doubt in your mind that he would have won. Maybe even every challenge.

Even at that young of an age, he had always been so full of righteous fire.

He could have been a hero of heroes...

If not for you.

----

You catch pieces of the Sports festival as you move through the base in search of an old 'escape plan' map. Head Honcho had certainly made modifications since the water-treatment plant had been adopted as his new lair, but you could draw them out if only you had a layout of the place.

Chemical spills did happen, so you could only hope that the escape plans had been forgotten when everything was moving in. In a storage closet somewhere, on the door of an outlet box, above the water control panel--somewhere.

Moving through an old lounge, large screens portrayed the ongoing of the race that had long-since started above the heads of a few agents. They were newer, but they noticed you when you walked in.

The looks in the eyes of those whose faces were exposed was that of mixed admiration and loathing. But, fortunately for you--Head Honcho had made it very clear that you were to be left alone. Treated as exalted, as though separate from everyone else on a holy level. Not that they worshipped you--but that he wanted you to be considered the entity you played as. A demon.

The rumor was as much to his advantage as it was yours.

Their eyes follow you in the dark as you move around them, but something suddenly has their eyes whipping back to the screen as the closer viewers make noises of surprise. You decide to look too, selfishly; and you're rewarded with something familiar.

A freckled green-haired boy. He's flying through the air after a massive explosion, rivaling the two that had been effortlessly charging towards the finish from the beginning. The three of them are suddenly close together, faces etched in the effort to win--and you find yourself openly admiring them.

Beneath your mask, you're smiling. Your heart is pounding and you want to cheer like old times, throwing popcorn in the air and rejoicing--no matter who won. You could practically feel your foster brother's spirit next to you, tugging on your heart. You should be there, enjoying this. You hear him say.

Your breath catches in your throat as there's another explosion--Midoriya had managed to throw the bit of metal he'd carried with him all this way and use another surge of momentum to carry him forward. Everything stills as you wait, holding that breath until finally--finally--it is him that enters the arena in first place.

Adrenaline explodes and rockets around your ribs and your heart--but you're still. You mouth the word 'yes', but didn't dare utter a syllable. Controlling yourself, you make for the exit of the room, intent now more than ever to carry out your mission. To help ensure the safety of those three boys that fought so hard to be recognized as heroes.

For those three boys that reminded you so much of him.

[theorajones]

OR IS HE?

I present to you, the Michael Knight Manwhore Index! 

This was shamelessly ripped off from inspired by Sara_merry’s Michael Knight Sex Project on LJ, which tragically appears to have been abandoned after the first 14 episodes. But having a) a ton of spare time on my hands due to the ongoing Coronapocalypse, b) a steadfast dedication to sitting around in my pajamas watching Knight Rider instead of cleaning the gutters or replacing my car’s valve cover gaskets and c) a burning need to know how accurate my estimate of Michael’s conquests was in my last trashy fanfic, I persevered.

Methodology: I assigned each prominent female guest character (and the occasional male and/or regular character) a probability of having gotten it on with Michael, based on my subjective interpretation of how much they flirted/made out/made plans for a romantic getaway/actually went on a romantic getaway. Episodes in which at least one character had a 50% or greater probability (including with characters who were talked about but not seen onscreen) were assigned a value of 1. Episodes with a 49% or lower probability were assigned a value of 0. Values were totaled to calculate each season’s MKMI number.

TL;DR results:

 (# denotes probable sexytimes with someone who wasn’t seen onscreen, * denotes Michael’s participation was most likely non-consensual)

Season 1 MKMI number: 13

04 - Good Day at White Rock 05 - Slammin’ Sammy’s Stunt Show  Spectacular 06 - Just My Bill # 07 - Not a Drop to Drink 08 - No Big Thing # 09 - Trust Doesn’t Rust # 10 - Inside Out 11 - The Final Verdict 13 - Forget Me Not 15 - Give Me Liberty... or Give Me Death 16 - The Topaz Connection 17 - A Nice, Indecent Little Town 20 - Knight Moves

Season 2 MKMI number: 6

06 - Return to Cadiz 07 - KITT the Cat 08 - Custom KITT 14 - Diamonds Aren’t a Girl’s Best Friend 18/19 - Goliath Returns * 23 - Let It Be Me

Season 3 MKMI number: 7

09 - Dead of Knight 12 - Custom Made Killer # 13 - Knight by A Nose 14 - Junk Yard Dog 15 - Buy Out 17 - The Nineteenth Hole 22 - Circus Knights

Season 4 MKMI number: 5

03 - KITTnap 08 - Many Happy Returns 12 - The Scent of Roses 16 - Redemption of a Champion 22 - Voo Doo Knight

Conclusion: Michael is not nearly as much of a manwhore as people think, at least based on what we see onscreen. Although he clearly does have a social life outside of what we’re shown in every episode, so there’s still a world of possibilities...

Detailed episode analysis below the cut:

s1e01/02 - Knight of the Phoenix

Lonnie - Don't seem to know each other very well, no signs of other than professional interest. Probability: 0%

Tanya - Some kind of working relationship as Michael Long, but she doesn't seem to recognize his voice as MK. Plus he was possibly still engaged to Stevie as ML.

T: "I can promise you a very rewarding... *partnership*." M: "Not this time."

Probability: 5% (as ML)     0% (as MK)

Maggie - She expresses regret at not going for him at the end, but also seems more interested in finding a father figure for her son. It's implied that Michael left town before anything could happen. He did say he'd come back and visit. Did he ever? Would Maggie be up for a fling even though she knows he can't settle down? Potentially but not necessarily.

Probability - 30%

s1e03 - Deadly Maneuvers

Robin - They keep things mostly professional during the investigation. Michael goes to his own hotel room. At the end, it looks like he and Devon are leaving together. Michael is wearing a different shirt in the last scene than in the one where he rescues Robin from the munitions range so it's unclear how much time has passed. Theoretically sexytimes could have transpired but there aren't really any strong suggestions that they have.

Probability: 10%

s1e04 - Good Day at White Rock

Sherry - "Keep driving." "For how long?" "Until one of us runs out of gas."

Probability: 95%

s1e05 - Slammin' Sammy's Stunt Show Spectacular

Lisa - She's definitely interested. And he's sticking around for another 3 weeks, so definitely some opportunity. He doesn't seem as flirtatious with her as he was with Sherry but it's definitely a possibility.

Probability: 70%

s1e06 - Just My Bill

Sabrina (offscreen) - Devon breaks Michael's date with her. Not enough info to draw any conclusions about whether it's a first and/or last date. A definite possibility.

Probability: 50%

Senator Maggie - That would have been subversive af, but alas, no.

Probability: 0%

Jane - Doesn't seem that into him at their first meeting. At their breakfast date he asks her how she slept, which presumably he'd know if he'd been there. She does go out to lunch with him and Devon at the end. Possible but not conclusive.

Probability: 25%

s1e07 - Not A Drop to Drink

Francesca - They have kind of a "channel the sexual tension into arguments" thing, but like Maggie in the pilot, she's probably looking more for somebody who can settle down. Another one where he talks at the end about coming back to visit but we don't know if he ever does. Maybe?

Probability: 50%

S1e08 - No Big Thing

The Unnamed 200-Mile Diversion Girl (offscreen) - I doubt he drove 200 miles out of his way just for coffee and friendly conversation.

Probability: 90%

Carol Reston - They have dinner together but seem to be keeping things strictly business. No apparent indication that they're romantically interested, no "Come back and visit sometime."

Probability: 0%

s1e09 - Trust Doesn't Rust

Rosalyn and/or Rosalie (offscreen) - "What's wrong with a little 'companionship'?"

Probability: 90%

Bonnie - They almost kiss after defeating KARR, but mutually think better of it. Presumably the moment passes and stays passed for another few seasons of UST.

Probability: 0%

s1e10 - Inside Out

(This ep has a higher than average amount of sexual innuendo, including KITT's breathless response to Bonnie adjusting his components, Michael commenting that Bonnie knows how to turn KITT on, KITT straight-facedly giving Michael an accounting of Bonnie's measurements after Michael wonders whether there's a real woman under her jumpsuit, and Michael & KITT's "Maybe I can get something from the girl"/ "I wouldn't touch that line with a 10 foot driveshaft" conversation. "Don't worry, I'll distract her."/"I'll bet." "What was that all about?"/"Biology.")

Linda - WTF was up with him grabbing her in the woods like a skeezoid rapist when he just wanted to give her dinner? She doesn't kick him in the balls so I guess that counts for something. They hug after a conversation in her room later, hold hands and smooch before she goes off to do... something mission related. She saves his ass and helps him drop off the bad guys at the prison. Do they celebrate later? Maybe.

Probability: 70%

s1e11 - The Final Verdict

Cheryl - They're pretty touchy-feely when he visits her in jail, and she gives him a pretty good kiss at the end. Odds are good that they had/will have a romantic relationship at some point.

Probability: 90%

s1e12- A Plush Ride

M: I wanna search Margo's room. K: I've heard that one before. M: It'll give you something to brood about during the night.

Margo - (spoiler alert) She's a terrorist. They get physical when she catches him searching her room but it doesn't turn into anything more than fighting. He kisses her (in front of everybody, wtf) after she (supposedly) saves him from being murdered by Jacobs. But the next time we see the two of them together, she's taking him prisoner. She's pretty touchy-feely with him while he's tied up but there's no time for her to do anything (and presumably he wouldn't be into it if she did, what with her being a terrorist and all).

Probability: 0%

Bonnie - Uncharacteristically flirtatious, appears to be a bit tipsy. No real implication that anything happened, though.

Probability: 0%

s1e13 - Forget Me Not

Maria Elena - They're flirting up a storm in their first scene. And their third one. And fourth one. Also she's frequently scantily clad around him. Michael to KITT in the last scene: "See you in two days, buddy." Oh yeah, he was planning something.

Probability: 95%

Micki - She's a little flirtatious too before she loses her memory (although he starts it by fake-flirting with her). And also feels comfortable enough to just run around in Michael's shirt and little else after she loses her memory, although she says she doesn't just meet guys at parties and go home with them (she thinks). He tells her she's a nice lady but doesn't seem that romantically interested in her.

Probability: 10% Until...

Maria Elena & Micki - They've become fast friends by the last scene and both kiss him on the cheek at the same time after he brings them both flowers (at KITT's instigation). Why do I get the feeling "Anybody wanna cruise a hamburger joint?" was as close as they could get to implying a threesome on 80s family hour tv?

Probability: 60%

s1e14 - Hearts of Stone

M: KITT, don't fall in love with one of these beautiful cars and run off on me, huh?

K: I wouldn't dream of it.

Angie - She's with Roberto. Also (spoiler alert) a scam artist criminal.

Probability - 0%

The blonde lady at the bar - They flirt and she tells him she hopes to see him later, but no indication that she ever does.

Probability: 5%

Devon - Oh man, the way he's eyeing Michael up in his hotel room. And if we're still in the pilot universe, Michael is a dead ringer for a young Wilton, whom I will never be unconvinced Devon wasn't either secretly in love with or a relationship with, s2 Devon Miles Heterosexuality Minutes be damned. We never really get any indication that Michael swings that way, though (at least with non-automotive males, *wink*).

Probability: 0%

The nurse - In the novelization she flirts with him and kisses him, but no indication of romantic interest in the actual episode.

Probability: 0%

s1e15 - Give Me Liberty... Or Give Me Death

Bonnie - He tries to ask her out, but she's busy spending the night with KITT. :D She also doesn't seem very impressed with his Liberty drama.

Probability: 0%

Liberty Cox - When she shows up in his room, he seems a lot less interested in her than she is in him, but he doesn't exactly fight her off when she starts kissing him. He tells KITT he went to bed and she went back to her room, but she's sure more pissed about not getting to ride along with him the next day than you'd think she'd be if all they'd done was smooch. Also she's back at FLAG HQ at the end so maybe she's spending some time in town.

Probability: 90%

Dorothy Ackridge - He tries to be flirtatious but she has no time for his shenanigans. she's grateful when he saves her life but doesn't express any romantic interest in him.

Probability: 0%

s1e16 - The Topaz Connection

Lauren Royce - She takes half the episode to warm up to him but they have fun in Vegas. "You do the cake, I'll do the champagne, and we'll see what else comes to mind." "Deal." Things look like they might be headed in a steamy direction as evidenced by the romantic music playing but they get cockblocked by Bob. They smooch before she gets on the bogus plane. In the last scene they kiss some more and she tells him they have some unfinished business.

Probability: 95%

s1e17 - A Nice, Indecent Little Town

KITT: Michael is... indisposed. Devon: Oh. That means he's either with a young lady or in jail.

Jobina - He's definitely turning on the charm. She helps Michael escape from jail (with KITT's assistance). "Is there anything this car can't do?" "I think a woman would be a better judge of that." "I beg your pardon?" I don't even know what that's supposed to mean but I want to believe it's something saucy. Not actually much indication onscreen that anything happened but in the last scene Michael says he hopes Jobina will stay in town and Bonnie asks if that's so he'll know where to find her. Michael responds, "Yeah, that's a thought." Possibilities here.

Probability: 50%

s1e18 - Chariot of Gold

Dr. Charlene Litton - He chats her up at the party, but it's in the line of duty. She's kind of condescending to him. She does break away from the creepy IQ cult and help Michael foil their plans, but isn't seen again.

Probability: 0%

Bonnie - They do their usual UST thing, and dance at the party until Devon cuts in. He's extremely protective of her. He talks her out of her brainwashing by telling her "We're a team, we love each other." He makes her breakfast and brings her a rose at the end. Still, no overt indication that anything beyond camaraderie happens.

Probability: 0%

s1e19 - White Bird

Stevie - Presumably they've gotten it on in the past but there was too much going on in this episode for anything to happen. Also presumably Wilton didn't do any renovations below Michael's neck so if they'd gotten it on she would have known with 100% certainty who he was.

Probability: 95% (as ML)     5% (as MK)

s1e20 - Knight Moves

Terri - He asks her to go dancing. She turns him down but finds him likable/trustworthy enough to let him give her a lift home. They seem to be bonding but when he goes in for a kiss she says goodnight and goes in the house (alone). His little smile afterwards suggests he's up for the challenge. After he saves her life and her other driver threatens to quit she tells him she really likes him and hugs her but doesn't push it further than that. She tells him the next day that it was the first time she ever wanted to kiss a man (but that she had before anyway D: ). At the end they do go dancing (and she puts on a dress because heaven forbid a tough woman should ever fail to embrace conventional femininity immediately upon being found attractive by any halfway decent dude) and it's a reasonable assumption that they did more than just *dance* until dawn. I kind of want to roast Michael a little for not being more aghast about the fact that she's kissed dudes she didn't really want to and for encouraging her to give up her Tomboy Terri persona but it was a less enlightened era and at least he didn't hit on her when she was vulnerable which is more than a lot of dudes of his time (or this one, for that matter)  would have done so I'll cut him some slack.

Probability: 90%

s1e21 - Nobody Does It Better

Connie - He's checking her out on the tennis court but (spoiler alert) she gets murdered.

Probability: 0%

Flannery Roe - Things are off to a rocky start. She seems to take his "do you like to play?" at the club as a come on, pulls a gun on him (not entirely unjustifiably) when he corners her in the cul-de-sac and has him arrested on suspicion of being a stalker and/or rapist. She warms up to him a bit after he provides a comforting hug when she finds Connie's body but still gets a little shirty with him at the restaurant and turns down his offer of a ride home. She's antagonistic toward him when they meet again at the club. He saves her from the bad guys and for some reason she's back at the Foundation HQ at the end but they don't do any huggy-kissy stuff so odds are minimal.

Probability: 1%

s1e22 - Short Notice

K: Since you haven't asked, I'll tell you. It was demoralizing, demeaning. M: What? K: Police impound. M: Oh. You had me worried there for a minute.

Nicole - She keeps him at arm's length initially (understandably since she's hitching). Turns out she's another single mom, so her main preoccupation is getting her kid back, and she doesn't really care if she dicks Michael over in the process. He does get along well with her kid when they find her so that probably gets him a few points in her eyes. They hold hands after he beats all the bad guys in the western town and hug at the end but don't kiss. She's probably looking for a new dad for Natalie. He tells Natalie he hopes they'll see him again but nothing conclusive.

Probability: 10%

s2e01/02 - Goliath

Rita Wilcox - Another one where there was possible interest but probably wasn't time for anything to happen. She spends half the episode either pissed off at him or faking a relationship with Garthe, and then they're busy trying to take out Goliath. They hug after Garthe and Goliath are out of commission but don't kiss. At the end she's on her way out of town. It's unclear how much time has passed between that and the last scene but when she implies he should look her up if he's in LA, he doesn't mention that the Foundation's home base is in SoCal (or so it appears)? I don't think he's the type who wouldn't go for a woman he was interested in just because she'd hooked up with his evil twin (even if he was a little judgy when he found out she was shacking up with Garthe again), so maybe he's just not that into her.

Probability: 25%

s2e03 - Brother's Keeper

Lisa - Things aren't exactly off to a great start when he kidnaps her. She warms up to him a little by the end and they give each other a fairly chaste goodbye smooch. He says they'll see each other again and she says she hopes so. Maybe?

Probability: 30%

April: He's on a kidnapping spree and drags her to the beach at the end. Still, no real indicator that anything romantic is going to ensue.

Probability: 5%

s2e04 - Merchants of Death

Camela - They seem to keep it professional except for a goodbye kiss. Not even a "We'll see each other again." Odds are minimal.

Probability: 5%

s2e05 - Blind Spot

Julie - She's in some kind of platonic lifemate relationship with John, which may end up being more than platonic thanks to Michael's yenta-ing.

Probability: 0%

s2e06 - Return to Cadiz

Jennifer Shell - They have dinner together and she seems to open up to him but it isn't overtly romantic. They have a spat but hug and make up when he finds the secret treasure cave. She kisses him after he rescues her from the bad guys. An undisclosed amount of time has passed before they have dinner and he heads out but they do the "Will I see you again?/count on it" thing before she kisses him goodbye. It's possible, maybe even likely.

Probability: 50%

s2e07 - KITT the Cat

Grace - She's definitely flirting with him when she invites him to the party. And then tries to convince him she's not the burglar by making out with him. At the end he kisses her goodbye pretty interestedly while promising to keep a closer eye on her. Odds are good.

Probability: 85%

s2e08 - Custom KITT

Suzanne Weston - She's pretty overt about her interest in him, but when she shows up in his room he seems relieved when KITT beeps him on the comlink. She tells him he knows where to find her if he's ever in the mood for something other than "good, clean" fun, so by implication he hasn't been.

Probability: 0%

Carrie - She's into him enough to get jealous when she thinks he hooked up with Suzanne. "If our plan works and the thief tries to steal KITT tonight, you can thank me." She kisses him first, but then he kisses her and tells her that's "very close" to his way of wanting to be thanked. The implications aren't particularly subtle. They enthusiastically hug after catching the bad guys. When she wins the car show, they smooch with more "I don't know how to thank you... but I'm sure I'll think of a way" innuendo. He tells her he'll see her later, and I think it's a strong possibility that he will.

Probability: 90%

s2e09 - Soul Survivor

M: Devon, I felt something in here... I don't know, a presence... KITT's presence.

K: Oh Michael, do I look just dreadful? Be honest. M: KITT, what matters to me is who you are, not what you look like. Sure we don't have the car. So we can't turbo boost. So we can't go over 200 miles an hour. It was all icing on the cake anyway. It wasn't you. K: It wasn't? M: No, the car was fantastic but if you break it down it was steel, rubber and glass. We can always make another one. But you, you are a lot more than silicon chips and fancy circuitry, You're my buddy. You're my partner. KITT, you're one of a kind. K: Thank you, Michael. The feeling's mutual.

K: What was it like, Michael? M: What, KITT? K: Seeing my body functioning without me? Or you? M: A little spooky, let me tell ya. K: Did it seem like me? M: Yeah, it did and it didn't. It looked like you, but somehow it just wasn't the same. K: I don't understand. M: It didn't have your soul, KITT. Without that, it could never be the same. K: Thank you, Michael.

Adrianne - She techno-roofies him and the way Randy sticks his head in the door and then guiltily ducks back out as she's leaning over him on the couch kind of suggests he's walking in on something he knows he shouldn't see. Still, Michael appears to be fully clothed when he wakes up in a ditch. Adrianne is totally a creepy douchebag and/or rapist (as we will see more of in Goliath Returns) but she was probably too preoccupied with stealing KITT to do anything in this ep.

Probability: 20%

s2e10 - Ring of Fire

(This is one of two eps where Michael utters the phrase "come on, baby" to KITT while trying to get out of a jam. Obviously NBC's censors had to ruin our fun because it never happens again after this season.)

Layla - She's still married. Doesn't really express romantic interest in Michael and the hero of an 80s family hour tv series probably wouldn't have gotten it on with a married woman no matter how much of an abusive dick her husband was. They do kiss goodbye at the end and he tells her if she ever decides to leave the bayou, she knows where he'll be. If anything ever happens, it's probably in the distant future.

Probability: 5%

s2e11 - Knightmares

M: Whoa, you are hot! K: Quite true, Michael.

Cara - She tries to look out for him after he gets amnesia, but not a lot of indication that she's romantically interested in him, and he's too busy trying to figure out wtf is going on to hit on her. They hug after he rescues her from drowning but we don't see any more of them together.

Probability: 5%

s2e12 - Silent Knight

Marta - No real indication of romantic interest on either side. We  don't see what they're doing as Tino is saying goodbye to KITT but considering he offered her a handshake and not a kiss or even a hug, it's probably safe to say nothing happened.

Probability: 0%

s2e13 - A Knight in Shining Armor

Katherine - She's a little young for him (Michael tells her the treasure was supposed to be her 21st birthday present so presumably she's legal but the fact that she's still in prep school makes her seem younger). Also this is another episode where he begins their acquaintance by first rescuing, then kidnapping the female lead. They don't particularly like each other at first, but hug after his "if nobody can hurt you, then nobody can love you" chat with her, again after he rescues her from the bad guy (again) and after escaping the cave collapse. It seems more friendly than romantic, though.He takes her hand in the cave but it comes off more as sharing a moment than a romantic overture. They kiss at the end but he tells her goodbye and leaves. No indication that they're going to see each other again.

Probability: 5%

s2e14 - Diamonds Aren't A Girl's Best Friend

Lauren - She makes out with him when he first shows up as part of her cover story and he clearly doesn't mind. He's pretty committed to maintaining their cover in subsequent scenes. In the last scene she tells him she'd like "to do it for real" but she's pretty clearly referring to kissing, not *it*. By implication they haven't done more than kiss at this point but when she asks if she'll see him again, he tells her "unless you change her name and move to Okinawa." Future potential.

Probability: 50%

Lauren's boss - She's kind of flirtatious with him when they first meet but no indicator that anything happens.

Probability: 0%

s2e15 - White Line Warriors

Cindy - She's with Ron, who is apparently pretty understanding since he doesn't seem to object to her giving Michael a thank-you kiss at the end.

Probability: 0%

s2e16 - Race For Life

April - He's emotionally supportive and her niece has been introduced to Michael and KITT but no significant indications of anything romantic.

Probability: 0%

s2e17 - Speed Demons

Sabrina - He comes to her rescue when Wade is harassing her at the party, They hug after she talks to him about Kelly. They give each other a chaste goodbye kiss but no real indication of romantic interest.

Probability: 0%

s2318/19 - Goliath Returns

Adrianne - This one gets an asterisk, because whatever happened in Garthe's creepy dungeon after the cutaway to a scandalized KITT didn't look consensual on Michael's side. She pretty obviously went down to there to sleep with him, and the way she staggers out in her bathrobe the next morning while Garthe bitches about how she slept in pretty strongly implies that she actually did, but Michael really seems the opposite of into her and her basically telling him "please me [in bed] and maybe I'll make sure my psycho boyfriend doesn't murder you" is rape by coercion if not by force. Did he grit his teeth and do it just to hedge his bets? Maybe.

Probability: 80%*

s20 - A Good Knight's Work

Gina - He's obviously interested and kisses her before he goes to MMM, but (spoiler alert) she's playing him. Except maybe she's not so bad because she lets him talk her out of shooting him and then they hug. They kiss goodbye at the end but she's going into witness protection and there isn't really any indication that they'll see each other again or that anything romantic transpired.

Probability: 10%

s2e21/22 - Mouth of the Snake

Joanna - She was more interested in Dalton. I deeply want to believe Dalton's invitation to Michael to hang out with them at the end was really an invitation to join them for a threesome because it's the only thing that would make this episode interesting, but Michael takes a rain check and heads out of town.

Probability: 0%

s2e23 - Let It Be Me

Stevie - She's still pretty broken up about her boyfriend's death. He kisses her when they go back to her apartment and she tells him she still dreams about him. The next scene they're wearing different clothes and seemingly some time has passed so maybe something happened after the cutaway?

Probability: 50%

s2e24 - Big Iron

Lucy - She was the woman who was coming out of the hotel room at the beginning. He seemed to be checking her out in that scene but obviously he's not going for a married woman even if she didn't have some other drama going on.

Probability: 0%

s3e01/02 - Knight of the Drones

Bonnie - They hug when he shows up at the university and he makes the "You can sail with me anytime" comment to her at the marina at the end and they link arms to walk to the boat, but not really anything more romantic than that.

Probability: 0%

Margo - She fakes romantic interest in him and he plays along, but (spoiler alert) she's setting him up to be murdered.

Probability: 0%

s3e03 - The Ice Bandits

Bonnie - They walk arm-in-arm into the diamond place, but Michael was making innuendoes about other women when she was sitting right next to him in the car 30 seconds previously so probably nothing really going on.

Probability: 5%

Jody - She's engaged to Charlie. Michael tells Charlie "She's not the one I'm interested in, it's *you*," with his standard flirtatious grin and god, that's hot. Spoiler alert: Charlie is a crook. Even after she finds out the truth she doesn't really express romantic interest in Michael although she does paint his portrait.

Probability: 5%

s3e04 - Knights of the Fast Lane

Diane - He's too preoccupied with Stacy's case to flirt. She hugs him after he rescues her but we don't see them together again.

Probability: 5%

The random cheerleader - She seems interested, but we don't see them together again either.

Probability: 5%

s3e05 - Halloween Knight

Bonnie - He's very protective. Tinhats would probably make something of the fact that her costume is Scarlett O'Hara and his is Rhett Butler. Still, nothing too overtly romantic.

Probability: 5%

Esmerelda - She'd probably put a love spell on him in a hot minute but I think he finds her a little terrifying.

Probability: 5%

Denise - She's friendly but not overly flirtatious. Also she gets murdered before anything can happen.

Probability: 0%

s3e06 - KITT vs. KARR

Mandy - She's with John. No indicators that they're interested in a threesome.

Probability: 0%

s3e07 - The Rotten Apples

Marilyn - They're hardcore flirting and she says she hopes to see him again. They kiss after he wins the mechanical bull contest, but then she catches a bus out of town. She kisses him goodbye and he does this "oh yeah, I still got it" move but we don't get any strong evidence that anything else happened.

Probability: 10%

Rebecca - Not a lot of flirtation, and the kids are always around cockblocking.

Probability: 10%

s3e08 - Knight in Disgrace

(I was almost too distracted by KITT and Michael in this ep to pay attention to the GOTW, lol. KITT's hurt confusion when Michael leaves and him being a total bitch to Michael's would-be replacement and the way he goes with Michael even when he thinks he's on the wrong side of the law, I'm *dying* here...)

Linda - She comes onto him and roofies him at the bar and he wakes up with his shirt undone, but she's Boyd's girlfriend and (spoiler alert) another hapless single mom so she probably didn't do anything untoward, assuming he was even conscious enough by the time she got him home. After she gets to know and trust him she doesn't make any moves on him and they don't smooch or anything at the end.  

Probability: 5%

s3e09 - Dead of Knight

Cindy - It's not entirely clear what their relationship is. At the beginning it looks more like he's trying to pick up on her than they're actually dating. He's obviously really invested in helping her but he'd undoubtedly do the same for anybody who was in mortal peril because of him. At the end in the ambulance he calls her "baby" and says they have a date. In the last scene Cindy is leaving for Broadway soon but they're all together at the Foundation and it's unclear how much time has elapsed. Not conclusive but suggestive.

Probability: 50%

Renard's girlfriend -  She's putting the moves on him while he's feverish and loopy and somehow his shirt has gotten unbuttoned but there's a guard in the room so probably nothing happened.

Probability: 10%

s3e10 - Lost Knight

"If I may be so bold, what on earth were you *doing* down there?"

(LBR, Michael is too busy angsting about KITT to try and get laid in this ep.)

Doug's mom  - In a relationship, although at the end she decides to break things off with her boyfriend so she can focus more on her son. She and Michael kiss goodbye but it's improbable that there's anything more than that since she just said she doesn't need another man around right now.

Probability: 0%

s3e11 - Knight of the Chameleon

Tonie Baxter - They seem to know each other from a previous case. He kisses her on the forehead at the end of their first scene. They don't really seem to interact romantically during this episode. Michael gets distracted by KITT's contest winnings before they have a chance for a goodbye kiss.

Probability: 10%

s3e12 - Custom Made Killer

Unnamed Dancer (offscreen) - Devon: "You've been rather difficult to reach lately. Particularly last night." Michael: "I got a weakness for dancers." HIs protest that they're "innocent girls working their way through college" leaves little doubt about what kind of dancer this was.

Probability: 95%

Joan - No evidence of romantic interest. Also (spoiler alert) she's collaborating with the bad guys.

Probability: 0%

Debra - He flirts at the end and she kisses him goodbye. Lewis says "He'll be back" and she gives a suggestive eyebrow raise. Possible but not conclusive.

Probability: 25%

s3e13 - Knight By A Nose

M: KITT, how close are you? It's getting stuffy in here. K: Any closer and I'll have to marry this limo.

Maxine - They hug and he calls her "sweetheart" when he shows up. Devon accuses Michael of being biased because Max is attractive but he describes her as "a very, very close friend." Yet we never actually see them kiss. Maybe they really are just friends?

Probability: 25%

s3e14 - Junkyard Dog

Fran - He's too preoccupied with KITT to do much flirting for most of the episode, but they're having a picnic/makeout session together in the semi, seemingly alone, at the end. It's a reasonable assumption that things escalated at some point, even if they didn't want a scandalized KITT watching and commenting at that particular moment.

Probability: 80%

s3e15 - Buy Out

Mel - They keep it professional for most of the ep but after he catches the bad guy he tells her she's attractive without her welding mask and they kiss. We don't see them together again but it's possible that more happened.

Probability: 50%

s3e16 - Knightlines

Janet Morgan - She's recently widowed and not in the market yet. No romantic interaction.

Probability: 0%

s3e17 - The Nineteenth Hole

Daisy: Is that thing blown? KITT: I beg your pardon?

Jamie - After they fake being married at the hotel she kisses him before the race. Not a lot of other romantic interaction but he and Bonnie and Devon do seem to be sticking around to watch the race so something could happen.

Probability: 50%

Daisy - He flirts with her a little at the meetup but no indication that it goes beyond that.

Probability: 0%

s3e18 - Knight and Knerd

Allie - She rides off into the sunset with Elliot.

Probability: 0%

Receptionist at Gifford's - He flirts but no indication that it goes anywhere.

Probability: 0%

Vanessa Sutton - Apparently he gives a really good massage but she's (understandably) pissed off that he wasn't who she was expecting the massage from. Also she's a villain and is too busy setting him up to get murdered for anything to happen.

Probability: 0%

s3e19 - Ten Wheel Trouble

M: Hey, are you hungry back there, partner? K: Perhaps a little lonely, Michael. But rather enjoying my independence.

Sally - He turns on the charm when they first meet but things go south rapidly when he talks her brother into going to jail. By the end he's back in her good graces and she likes him enough to steal a kiss from him before he says goodbye. You know her hormonal teenage brain is thinking about it but for reasons that should be obvious, he isn't going there.

Probability: 0%

s3e20 - Knight In Retreat

KITT: Of course, there is one other possibility. Devon: What is that? KITT: The lady of the retreat. She's quite attractive. Of course, knowing Michael the way I do, it would strictly be in the line of duty.

Bianca - She seems to find him physically attractive, and maybe if she hadn't been so busy torturing him she would have tried to have a little fun with him. But considering what he suspects her of, he probably wouldn't have gone too far unless he absolutely had to.

Probability: 0%

Monica - She flirts with him at the bar and comments on what a waste it is to kill him, but nothing is likely to have happened due to both time constraints and her being Bianca's henchwoman.

Probability: 0%

s3e21 - Knight Strike

Sheila - She acts jealous when he makes the date with Tyler but he seems more exasperated than romantically interested in her. They kiss before he goes into the warehouse but it's fairly short and chaste. At the end, she goes off with O'Malley.

Probability: 0%

Tyler - She makes a date with him at the gun range but it's just a distraction. He flirts with her but it's all in the line of duty.

Probability: 0%

s3e22 - Circus Knights

Bonnie: I have to admit, Devon, he looks fantastic. Devon: Yes, in spite of that ridiculous costume he's wearing. Bonnie: No, I'm talking about KITT!

Terri - They keep things professional at first, although when they're in the car together she asks if circus-folk camaraderie is the only reason he's interested in helping her. He says he's be lying if he said yes and presumably she reads it as him being interested romantically. After his near-murder in the ring they have a heart-to-heart talk and kiss. At the end he tells her to call him if she needs anything. *Anything?* Hmmm...

Probability: 50%

Tiger - She hits on him but he's not into it.

Probability: 0%

s4e01/02 - Knight of the Juggernaut

K: I'm asking you how I look. M: You look great, same as always!

Marta - They have some chemistry in their first meeting. He asks her out when they get back to her apartment. But (spoiler alert) she's part of the conspiracy to steal the cernium and sets him up to get murdered (twice). He cools it on the flirting after the first incident (understandably, since if he takes her story at face value she was assaulted and possibly worse) although he still acts protective of her. After she helps them get the bad guys she's hanging out with the Foundation crew at the end but we don't see any more romantic interaction.

Probability: 25%

Jennifer - No overtly romantic interaction. They're antagonistic for most of the episode although they make up at the end.

Probability: 0%

s4e03 - KITTnap

Karen - She's doing her doctoral thesis on KITT and spending a lot of time with Michael in the progress. Judging by the way they're holding hands in their first scene and then making out at her apartment, there's obvious romantic interest. And she clearly has more than academic interest even after (spoiler alert) she gets held hostage by the bad guys so it's a reasonable assumption that if they weren't already banging they're going to at some point.

Probability: 95%

s4e04 - Sky Knight

Bonnie - He's pretty touchy-feely at the airport and they hug after saving the day but no overt romance.

Probability: 5%

s4e05 - Burial Ground

Susan - They keep it professional for most of the episode. He tries to hit on her at the end but she's in a relationship with Eagle. That doesn't stop her from giving him a goodbye kiss but no indicator that it goes any further than that.

Probability: 0%

s4e06 - The Wrong Crowd

Ann - She spends most of the episode being menaced and/or held hostage by the bikers and we don't really see them interact with each other in a non-case-related way.

Probability: 0%

RC - Michael is very tenderly concerned when he finds him knocked out by the side of the road. But probably neither of them swing that way.

Probability: 0%

s4e07 - Knight Sting

Gaye - She seems young. And also kind of annoying. He hugs her in the hospital but it doesn't look particularly romantic. No evidence of interest on either side.

Probability: 0%

Bonnie - He flirts with her when they're planning the operation and she shows him her dress. The rest of the episode they're too busy with the mission for any shenanigans.

Probability: 0%

RC - He's clearly been raiding Michael's closet for that sweater. But Michael is cool with it. No overt indication that they're more than bros, though.

Probability: 0%

s4e08 - Many Happy Returns

Amy - He's flirting up a storm but whoops, Devon is cockblocking and she's actually there with a mission for him. However, it's not all business and she surprises him with a birthday cupcake and some birthday smoochin', until duty calls again. She makes some innuendo about "getting to adolescence and maturity later" as he's leaving so she's obviously willing to take a rain check. She's back in the semi with them at the end and Michael invites her on vacation with him. We don't see her answer but it's a safe bet it's a yes.

Probability: 95%

s4e09 - Knight Racer

Elena - At first it's all business but they seem to be having fun dancing at the reception. They have a heart-to-heart talk in the parking lot until the hit man shows up. They hug after the big reveal about Elena's dad and the fight with Wayne's partner but don't kiss. Maybe Michael would think twice about getting involved with a friend of Bonnie's.

Probability: 10%

Unnamed track bunnies - Michael says it wasn't easy ignoring all those trophy queens and their phone numbers, implying that he did indeed ignore them (maybe more because he had to get back to the office than out of disinterest).

Probability: 0%

s4e10 - Knight Behind Bars

Julie - He agrees with KITT that she's cute, but they don't really express romantic interest to each other beyond a hug after he tosses Nelson into the ocean. Also at 20 she's a little young for him.

Probability: 0%

Gymnastics instructor - She flirtatiously tells him she's free the rest of the day, but he isn't. No indication that they see each other again.

Probability: 0%

s4e11 - Knight Song

Bonnie and/or RC - They're all playing hookie together and conspiring to keep it from Devon. Shenanigans?

Probability: 5%

Sanford - No indication of romantic interest, also she's a villain.

Probability: 0%

s4e12 - The Scent of Roses

K: I'm sorry, they don't allow cars in hospitals. I would have been closer. M: I know you would.

Stevie - They appear to have been staying at the beach house together so it's a safe bet, even if (spoiler alert) they never got to consummate their marriage.

Probability: 95%

s4e13 - Killer KITT

"Not now, Michael. I have a headache."

Bronwen - She and Michael barely interact, plus she's probably Berio's girlfriend.

Probability: 0%

s4e14 - Out of the Woods

Sam - He's flirtatious when they first get reacquainted but too busy working on the case for anything to happen before it's revealed that (spoiler alert) she's a villain. He does hug her when she surrenders at the end but I assume that trying to murder him is a dealbreaker.

Probability: 0%

Ellen - No real evidence of romantic interest and she says goodbye with a handshake rather than a kiss.

Probability: 0%

s4e15 - Deadly Knightshade

Bonnie - She's more preoccupied with Templeton. He does give her a swan in his magic act at the end.

Probability: 0%

Nancy - He's too busy with the investigation to even do much flirting.

Probability: 0%

s4e16 - Redemption of a Champion

Miss Cooper - Michael obviously has a hot date that most likely would have ended with some lovin' if he hadn't once again been cockblocked by KITT and Devon. At the end, Michael is dressed up for Date Night, Take 2, but gets called back to the semi again. Does she give him a third chance? I mean, *I* would...

Probability: 50%

Nurse Tremount - He flirts with her to get info and comforts her after she breaks down and confesses to the scam but no indication that it goes further than that. Plus she’s in an adulterous relationship with the villainous doctor.

Probability: 0%

s4e17 - Knight of A Thousand Devils

Claudia Terrell - She's a villain. When she makes a pseudo-date with him it's just to set him up.

Probability: 0%

Agent Jonas - They bet dinner on the arrest and Michael seems to be taking his death extremely personally. Juggernaut slash ships have been built on less. If he were a chick I'd say "extremely probable" except for the fact that Jonas was married with kids. Not that it stops some people, but it would most likely stop Michael.

Probability: 0%

"Ana-Lucia" - She keeps him up all night working on her car and he says he's going to come back after the race is over and demand equal time. Her response: "You won't have to demand." Plot twist: She's actually a Federale. We don't see her again after they apprehend the bad guy so it's questionable whether their flirtation was still valid for her real identity.

Probability: 10%

s4e18 - Hills of Fire

Sandra Rusk - Barely any interaction and also she's a villain.

Probability: 0%

Tess Hubbard: No significant romantic interaction. Probably too busy with her charitable work to go chasing after pretty-boys.

Probability: 0%

s4e19 - Knight Flight to Freedom

Lisa - Too busy dealing with a revolution for any shenanigans.

Probability: 0%

s4e20 - Fright Night

Karen - They keep things mostly professional but she buys him lunch at the end. No real indicator that it ends in anything romantic, though.

Probability: 5%

Liz - They flirt a little when he interviews her ("I appreciate your interest." "I'm interested!") but it doesn't really go anywhere.

Probability: 5%

s4e21 - Knight of the Rising Sun

N/A - No female guest characters and nothing particularly shippy with Bonnie.

Probability: 0%

s4e22 - Voo Doo Knight

Harana - She's a little flirtatious at the party. When she puts one of her zombifying earrings on him, she gets a little touchy-feely and tells him they could have had a future together but there are two of her goons in the room and she's sending him to the soon-to-be-demolished building so she probably doesn't have time to take advantage of him even if she wanted to do it with an audience.

Probability: 0%

Elizabeth - Michael nudges Devon into letting her stay an extra few days, and she seems pretty good with that. We don't see them kiss but they're engaged in a pretty intense hug at the end.

Probability: 90%

...at least he got to go out with a bang?

[fallinnflower]

solemn vow

jun x reader (arranged marriage!au, non-idol!au, angst)

“Good luck in your marriage,” someone says. Too many people have come by to say that at this engagement dinner for Jun to keep track, and the champagne he guzzled through the night isn’t helping. They’re probably an important business partner, he wagers, so Junhui bows and thanks them, closes his eyes so he doesn’t feel so dizzy at the sudden movement. He only looks back up into the gentleman’s eyes when he lets out a soft laugh, 

“You make a lovely couple.” Jun can’t help but smile as the man walks away. It makes his chest swell with pride to hear those words, years of pining after you feeling as though they’ve come to an end. How could he be anything but happy when he gets to marry the woman of his dreams, his best friend: you?

That is, until he notices the almost imperceptible hunch of your shoulders, the tiny sigh you let out as the man walks away. You glance at Jun out of the corner of your eye, and give him a tired smile. He’d almost forgotten, until he has to nudge you with his elbow to get you to genuinely grin, that you two weren’t really engaged — in your own words, that is. And maybe you’re right, Jun himself hadn’t asked you with anything more than ink on a sheet of paper his and your parents typed up for the sake of their fortunes, but it didn’t make his feelings for you any less real.

Except you didn’t know that. Because if Wen Junhui was one thing, it was an incredible actor — even when it came to his love for you.

You shift your gaze to an approaching elderly couple, and Jun feels his smile stiffen. All he can think for the rest of the night is a dull if only every time he looks into your eyes and seems to see stars, and he reconsiders — maybe he shouldn’t have had so much champagne. 

The first time Wen Junhui asks you out, it’s on a playground. 

It’s a typical Monday at daycare, and over the weekend one of his older cousins had taught him how to make a ring out of a daisy. You happened to be wearing his favorite color shirt that day and so, logically, the two of you get married by the swing-sets. 

Sometimes Jun wonders if you remember that day. He’s surprised he still can, to be honest. 

The thing is, Jun has asked you out so many times, but never as straightforwardly as then — and never with anything close to that level of success. He’d save up his allowance to buy you something nice for White Day, even though you probably only gave him chocolates on Valentine’s Day because he was your best friend and one of the only boys you talked to. He keeps lists of what you want for holidays, knows how to order your favorite foods and drinks, always knows what you need to hear and when. 

Jun is the textbook definition of boyfriend material, but being your best friend comes first. It always has, and as far as Jun is concerned it always will. Even if it isn’t romantic, you’ve entrusted him with your heart and he’s determined to never, ever break it. If he has his way, it’ll never gain so much as a scratch. 

It’s the one time Jun doesn’t actually try to ask you out that you end up together: your parents collectively arrange your marriage. After years of writing you love letters that he then had to laugh off in fear of scaring you out of his life, your whole relationship ends up dictated by your parents. He’s convinced the universe just really has something out for him, because now he has to plan a wedding with you by day and by night listens to you rail and rage against both of your parents. 

Because you don’t love Jun. And he’s always known it, but it’s never been so obvious and in his face. He knows you don’t mean to break his heart, but you do, night after night — and then he finds himself loving you more day by day when you have to do fiancé things like taste cakes and choose flowers. 

He asks you to have daisies in the bouquet, like the ones that grew outside the daycare, and you just laugh and allow it. 

He realizes you don’t remember. Everything hits home then, that you never knew and you never should know how he feels about you, really. 

While you’re engaged, he sleeps very poorly. 

Wedding planning is awful. Junhui isn’t the type of person who can handle sitting in a room and having a long conversation about minute details, he has too much energy for that. It doesn’t help that you’re simultaneously bored and agitated, that he can tell you want to bounce off the walls but for an entirely different reason. Jun is excited to marry you. His energy levels are boosted because of his nervous excitement, meanwhile you’re filled with a murderous rage that tedious tasks only fuel into further violence. 

It’s also awful because every decision feels hollow and one-sided. Jun wants to give you everything you could possibly want on your wedding day, but what is that worth when your heart isn’t in it? So what if he chooses your favorite flavor of cake, and all your favorite foods and colors and flowers — what does it matter if you’re unhappy? No amount of material things that are beautiful about the ceremony are going to make you less bitter when you look back. After all, you’d told him only a few days before that you felt as if your life was being signed away.

He goes with you to every appointment except the one for the dress. Call him selfish, but he wants to be a little traditional; even though you tell him you don’t care whether he sees the dress before the wedding or not (what’s the point in being superstitious when it’s all fake, when it doesn’t matter if the marriage is good or bad — just the money?), he cares. For him, seeing you in that dress is going to be a dream come true. He only hopes you can manage to smile at him for real as you walk down the aisle, even if it’s only as a friend.

Your wedding date inches closer and closer, and you seem more dejected with each passing day. It breaks Junhui’s heart, but there’s nothing he can do — nothing he does seems to ease the stress for you. 

It’s the night after the engagement party when Junhui can’t take it anymore. Or, more accurately, it seems both of you have hit your breaking point, and he can’t stand to see you the way you are anymore. It drives him out of hiding in the guest bedroom to where you are in the master suite. He can hear the television playing beyond the wood as he gently knocks against it. Your voice sounds so small when you call to him,

“Come in.” 

The room is a mess, which Jun should have expected but which breaks his heart nonetheless. You’re leaned back against the pillows, your hair still wet from your shower and one of the leftover bottles of champagne from the party set on the bedside table beside you. You barely move your gaze from the television when he enters, only truly acknowledging him when he takes the remote and turns the volume down. For a moment, the two of you simply stare each other down. The words Junhui seem to have dried up in his throat, so that all he can manage is a lame,

“How are you feeling?” You shrug noncommittally. Junhui moves into the bathroom and finds a dry towel and your comb. 

“You’ll catch a cold like that,” he says,  gently nudging you so he can squeeze into the bed behind you. It takes you a moment, but you do eventually oblige, visibly relaxing as Junhui slowly drags the comb through your hair. He gently dries your hair, the television softly playing in the background and casting shadows across your face. The bags beneath your eyes seem exceptionally dark, and he feels his heart squeeze.

“Y/N,” he starts, softly, and you hum in acknowledgment. “I’ve been thinking.”

“That’s dangerous,” you mumble, and Junhui can’t help but smile at the familiar joke. He pokes your cheek before continuing to dry your hair for you.

“I don’t think us being married for a while is going to be so bad,” he begins, trying to gently nudge the conversation into motion. You let out a heavy sigh, and Junhui quickly backpedals, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. “Am I really that bad?” 

You pull away from him, only to turn and replace the towel in his hands with your own hands. The both of you seem frozen for a moment in time, just looking down at your joint hands between you on the bed, steeping in heavy silence. Eventually, you look up at him, expression serious and tears glittering in your eyes. 

“It just doesn’t seem fair,” you begin, your voice soft and wobbling with the threat of tears. “I just— just want you to be happy, Jun. I want you to be free to follow your dreams. Whatever makes you happy, Jun, I want you to follow that!” Your expression is so serious that Jun almost can’t help but laugh. 

“You really don’t see it?” He asks. You look at him curiously, eyes boring into his own, and Jun lets out a gentle sigh and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. He allows his hand to linger by the curve of your jaw, wondering if this is the last time he’ll have the opportunity to be so close to you. You very well may run from him after hearing what he has to say, and this time he knows he won’t follow — he’ll let you leave and bear all the consequences, under these circumstances. 

“You’re what makes me happy, Y/N. I’ve been pursuing you for years.” 

Junhui is unable to count how many times he’s imagined telling you outright how he truly feels, and yet somehow he feels completely unprepared now that he’s actually doing it. The expression on your face is priceless; if he weren’t so concerned he’d probably laugh, but as it is he thinks he might be going into cardiac arrest. He watches you struggle for words for only a moment longer before gently stroking your hair. 

“It’s okay,” he says. “You don’t need to say anything. If you still don’t want this, I won’t force you to marry me. If you want to run away, I’ll take the fall — so don’t worry, okay?” For once, he thinks his acting skills might really be paying off, because he’s managed to continue smiling at you even as he’s breaking his own heart. 

Suddenly, you burst into tears and throw your arms around Jun’s neck, burying your face in his shoulder. 

“Jun,” you cry. “How can— how can you still be so nice?” He rubs circles on your back, closing his own eyes as he feels tears pricking at the corners of them. At your question, he can’t help but laugh, although it’s humorless at best.

“Because I want you to be happy too, Y/N,” he whispers, afraid his voice will break if he speaks any louder. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. So— so, we can call this whole thing off, if that will make you happy.” I’ll do anything for you, he thinks. Anything.

For a while, you just cry in his arms, unable to calm down, and he does his best to keep his breathing steady so he, too, doesn’t become a blubbering mess. When you do speak, all you do is apologize over and over — and Jun gently shushes you each time, stroking your hair. Eventually, you exhaust yourself, falling asleep in his arms. Despite what he wants, he disentangles himself from you and quietly exits the room and goes back to his own, where he too cries himself to sleep, just alone.

Junhui rises late the next day, so much so he can’t call it morning anymore. The house is quiet, as always, but somehow he knows things have shifted. 

There’s a folded sheet of paper stuffed halfway under his door, as though someone had tried to slip it under and had been unable to get it all the way through. He pulls it out and barely has to see your familiar handwriting to know what it says. 

He drops it back on the floor where he found it and goes into the kitchen. The only sound is his spoon clanking against his bowl, the coffee maker purring in the background. He stares out the window and thinks it’s funny, how sunny the day is. 

He checks the master bedroom, only to find that everything is tidy again, just the way you like it. He wonders if he should start sleeping in there. 

He doesn’t. 

When he finally returns to his room, he picks up your note again. In it, you tell him you have a safe place to stay — but he knows you can’t tell him where, not now and maybe not for a very long time, if ever. Jun is going to have to pull off the performance of his life if you’re going to truly get away. You can’t tell him where, but he knows you well enough to guess; for your sake, he doesn’t call, doesn’t text, just lets it be. 

It’s the night before the wedding. The house is eerily still, as it is every night, but Junhui feels as though he can’t even hear his own heartbeat anymore. After hours of staring up at the now-familiar ceiling of the guest bedroom, he wanders into the untouched master. 

He walks to the closet, pulls back the doors, and finds a phantom. 

For the first time since you left, Jun cries. Maybe he should’ve gone with you to the dress fittings after all. He can’t tell which would be crueler, seeing you unhappy in a wedding dress or seeing a wedding dress destined to hang empty for eternity. 

He wakes up on the floor of the master bedroom before sunrise, goes to make a cup of coffee, then changes into his tux like nothing is amiss. 

His groomsmen meet him at the venue, and he cracks jokes with them and laughs at their playful ribbing. There’s no sense in ruining their fun, he thinks. At least the cake will be good. 

While everyone else is busy, he walks down the aisle by himself. Surrounded by daisies, bathed in the light of the stained glass, Junhui can’t help but smile. 

Everyone is panicked, wondering where you are, and Jun can only let out a weak laugh as he stares up at the empty altar, thinks of the empty wedding dress in the closet, the empty space in your heart he wished he’d occupied—

Everyone is wondering where you are, when you’re supposed to be here, but Junhui can only wonder where he’s supposed to be, because he’s been here all along. 

He plucks a daisy from one of the arrangements, softly humming to himself as he fashions it into a ring — one big enough for an adult, and slips it onto his own finger. As he stands at the altar, watching everyone waiting for you, he thinks he’s even fooled himself into thinking he’s alright without you. Only time will tell, he supposes. 

But at least the cake is good. 

[jackbabewang]

New addiction

Pairing: Jaehyun x Reader Genre: Tattooist!au, Smut Word Count: 4,063

“Welcome to your new addiction.” There goes the slogan of Empire Ink, a place you’ve found to build the little dream of yours, a place where you discovered your new addiction.

Note: There’s something magical that I have to tell you guys—Few days ago, I stumbled across a tattoo of Jaehyun on my insta feed. Then, there’s a post where Jaehyun said that in his dreams he had a tattoo on his body. And I just had my tattoos touched up weeks ago. All this happened when I’m in the middle of writing this. Hope this turns out well! First attempt with suggestive content and then I have this one dollar photo shop quality, please bear with me. Thank you! (Not proofread, changes will be made in the future.)

Over the last decade, tattoo parlors burst forth within the districts of Seoul, like desert flowers blooming after a rain.

The body art was no longer viewed as a sign of trouble or gang affiliation and it was pretty common nowadays, even among the ladies.

You weren’t in the exception either. Well, not in a way like covering your skin with tattoos because you knew you would definitely regret it in the future.

Preferably, you are good in sketching and you’ve always had the idea of bringing your artworks into life. The canvas you wanted to work on was human skin, that would provide the pieces of art the mobility as they went down the streets of the city, showing off to the eyes of the public like a walking exhibition of your own.

Instead of chasing after the end goal, you chose to start it small with getting yourself a part time job during your breaks, to keep yourself motivated. Although you knew the possibility of you holding the gun is close to none, you wouldn’t mind either as long as you get to make your designs known.

You’re glad that the store you’re heading to did show a lot more interest in your artworks besides the multiple owner’s you’ve contacted, which they were looking for someone that could actually handle the machine.

A minimalist signage on the shop front, Empire Ink, large double-door of oak and glass serves as the entrance. The exterior was already welcoming.

With a genuine smile on your face, you push open the door, revealing a wide studio with high-class and modern interior. It looks as if it was an art gallery instead of the ideal place you were looking for. You’re in awe at how neatly the furniture and decorations were arranged. There’s a feature wall adhered with torn pages of sketchbooks with hand-drawn designs, the lightings in the studio making it more visually appealing.

You were lost in admiration when the sound of a friendly voice broke in, “Hello, how may I help you?”

You turn around and your eyes met with a guy who stood behind the reception desk, greeting you with a toothy smile. His hair was dark, with piercings that you couldn’t count on your fingers, wearing a black Hawaiian shirt patterned in hibiscus and palm leaves.

“Hey, um…” you begin hesitantly, unsure what to say when he continues to stare you down. “I’ve made an appointment few days ago, with Ten. It’s about the part-time job...”

“Oh, it’s you!” his smile grows even wider, eyes crinkling as he gives you a high-five instead of a traditional handshake, telling you to take a seat by a bar table while he gets some drinks for you. “I’m Ten, by the way.”

Slow and jazzy music booming through the speakers giving a comfortable feeling while you’re still doubting whether you’ve gone to the wrong place. It wasn't the tattoo parlor you envisioned.

“Relax. I don’t bite.”

He occupies the seat in front of you and props his chin on his hand, “So… I’ve seen your portfolio and I’m really amazed with your skills. I assure you that the others feel the same way too.”

Immediately a smile splits across your face, half appreciation, half embarrassment.

“Do you have any tattoos on yourself?” he wonders. The so called interview wasn’t as formal as you thought, it’s more of like a casual conversation where you get to know each other.

“No, I might regret it,” you chuckle, noticing the obvious differences on your skin. His was covered in elegance of floral line art, like the garden of Eden, while yours is a blank canvas.

And you begin to tell him about your story and the little dream of yours. You could sense the connection between him when he lets out ‘oohs and aahs’, putting you more at ease. The tiny seed of hope inside you was blooming when he said he sees the potential in you.

“That’s great! I can’t wait to work with you,” he squeals.

Your chatting gets interrupted when the entrance door opens, comes in guys in colorful hair and inked skin. You suppose they were visiting for their appointments, not until Ten calls over.

“Newbie!” he points at you and they wave in unison, greeting you with the same warmth-filled smile.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Leaving the place with a new excitement, you made a statement in your head: The whole studio just screams aesthetic, even the tattoo artists themselves.

Three weeks into your new job, you’ve gotten closer with everyone besides Ten, namely Taeyong, Yuta and Jaehyun. All of them are fairly nice and pampered you with food. While you’d help them in a lot of aspects like setting up the tattoo machines, arranging their schedules, snapping photos of their works, managing the official Instagram profile, the list goes on. You’ve done the most for Jaehyun, being busiest among the guys, that he somehow gave you the title as his personal assistant.

And when Ten needs your help, “Can you prepare my gear while I get the stencil done…”

“No, quit making her do things for you… She’s mine,” Jaehyun argues back.

It always turns out as their childish bickering with Ten defending that he was the one that brought you in while Jaehyun muttering bastard under his breath.

“How old are you? Five?” you accompanied the question with a jab on his chest.

That said, his expression brightens, the playful smirk was replaced with a fake pout and he whispers, “You poked my heart.”

You pull your hand away as soon as it was caught in his, spinning around to Ten’s workstation.

In a skillful manner, you set up the equipment and laid out unopened packages of needles, ink caps placed by the side. After one last check you had everything done, you return to your drawing desk.

The studio falls silent again, only with the soft music playing on the speakers, until you heard feminine giggles coming from Jaehyun’s workstation. Your head turns to the voice to see him entertaining his client, while she has her free hand covering her redden face.

Recently the parlor has attracted quite a number of females, each tattoo artist has one or two for a day while Jaehyun mostly have them for all of his appointments. Surprisingly they came in with the proposals to have your designs inked on their skin. Your artworks that were published on social media received thousands of likes and comments. Not to exaggerate on your achievement, you were grateful for that.

Your eyes train onto Jaehyun’s nimble hands as he works professionally, watching as the desired art piece slowly forming on her milky skin. The humming of the tattoo gun filled your ears and time just flew by when you had your full attention on the poking of the needles.

He must have felt your gaze so he raises his head, flaunting his dimples as he shoots you a cheeky smile. Something about him made you whisk away, blinking several times, clearing your throat. There was a sudden rush of emotion you couldn’t pin point but you felt your cheeks burn and your heart picks up a beat.

Jaehyun was a charming guy, you could say that’s a fact, which explains why he was flooded with the females. He is playful at times, serious when it comes to work. He gets all lovely around you and you’ve always thought it must have been their nature to be flirty and such.

The other guys have left earlier when you both were occupied with work. About half an hour later, Jaehyun is finally done, greeting his client goodbye, and he makes his way to you.

Your arm moving in a frenzy, forehead furrowed in concentration that you didn’t realize he’s lying on the bed by your side. A hand propping his head and he watches you, mirroring your actions from before.

Then all of a sudden, he breaks the silence, “I'm bored.”

He stifles a laughter, amused seeing that he gave you a little jolt of shock at the sound of his voice. Your hand jerked in reaction and you stare at your messed-up drawing, which was almost done.

“Shit. I hate you.” The pen flew across the table and you rise on your feet, lunging forward the guy who appeared to be giggling. “You’re so annoying sometimes…”

His laughter growing louder when your hands reach to his neck, strangling in a playful manner and you shove his chest.

“Are you a man,” he chokes out.

He shifts on the cushioned surface and settling to lay flat on his stomach, arms draping the sides of the bed.

“My back hurts, can you help me?” he groans painfully when his spine straightens in his current positionㅡthe drawbacks of being a tattoo artist. They often crane their necks, bend and stoop for long hours practicing their craft. They do stop for breaks to stretch their bodies, but the ache they put themselves into were incomparable.

“I wasn't hired for this…” they sure never did. None of them had you done something that ever requires physical contacts, something like giving a massage. Jaehyun was relatively comfortable with you, way too comfortable you suppose.

“Please…”

Convinced, you climb onto the bed, your knees by the sides of his thighs and you begin working your fingers on his tense muscles. He lets out grunts and hisses, squirming underneath when you reach the trigger points. Cracking sounds can be heard when he moves his head, the joints in his neck popping like a glow stick.

“I might need your help next time… You’re really good at this,” his voice muffled between folded arms.

“Pay me.”

He chuckles, basking in the silence before he speaks up again. “Hey, I’ve caught you watching me for a couple of times. I suppose you were studying the procedure, or should I say you were checking me out?” he just couldn’t let a day go without teasing you.

Perhaps, he has a secret satisfaction about your baffled, flustered and bewildered reactions.

Rather, you remain quiet. Your silence didn’t go unnoticed when he suddenly turns on his back, facing you completely. The position had your eyes grew the size of saucers, you’re practically straddling on top of him in a considered intimate position. Words caught in your throat and you find yourself avoiding his eyes, a flush starts at your neck and creeps to your cheeks. A slow panic begins to set in at the thought of getting caught, especially by the guys.

Bolting upright and trying to scramble off the bed, but Jaehyun won't let you pass. He grips your hips and holds you down, having you sitting on his thighs.

“What are you doing?”

He smiles cockily and warning signals flickered suddenly in your head.

“What do you think, babe?”

“Babe?” your brows furrowed in disbelief, you felt your heart thumping, almost jumping out of your chest. This time he loosens his grasp, letting you crawl off the bed just when Ten walks in.

The innocent guy has his eyes flitting back and forth between the both of you, staring quizzically at Jaehyun who's still lying on the bed, grinning from ear to ear.

“Please don't tell me you guys just done something like what I have in mind.”

“What-”

Jaehyun rolls off the bed and stands, “She's an expert I can say.” A contented mewling sound slipped past his lips as he stretches his body.

Laughing once again at Ten's remark. “Oh my god, you guys are nasty.”

“We didn't!”

And from that day onward, Jaehyun just stays on your mind, in your brain, your head. The voice that called you by the pet name ringing your ears, the warmth that clasped on your body making your stomach churns in a good way.

He’s always there, within your radar. Light brushing of skin which was once overlooked, you’re hyper aware of them now and they never failed to spark your curiosity. When your eyes meet occasionally, he returns it with a smile and for the first time, you realized that dimples are indeed adorable.

He does have some strange effects on you that you didn’t think it could ever happen.

In this decent size of a pantry, large enough for three people, you find yourself growing alert in his presence. He wasn’t even doing anything yet your fingers are trembling when you reach for the cabinet.

“Peach tea?” he questions out of the blue, as though he was watching you.

Jaehyun too, is having a hard time biting back a grin when he sees you like this.

You nod.

When you thought he left, suddenly, hands braced on either side of you, trapping you in place between muscular arms, inks on the skin that you can easily recognized.

“Jaehyun?” you duck your head to the side when his face closes in from behind.

“Why are you so nervous?” his voice resonates in your ears, laced with amusement.

“I- The guys-” your words came out stuttered and slurred. The last thing you wanted was to get caught red handed in this situation. Ten could hardly keep his mouth shut for weeks about that one time albeit it wasn’t even true.

“What if I say they've already left,” he turns you around, looking straight in your eyes, toothy smile still plastered across his face, “Does that allow me to do this?”

He grabs your empty cup, only a tea bag was dropped inside, and he puts it away, in one fluid moment. He wasn’t even forcing you into it yet you’ve already let your guard down.

It was his eyes that drew you in. They challenged you. Their intensity, their energy made you fall under his spell. You couldn’t move away as he holds your chin tenderly between thumb and the crook of his index finger. Jaehyun stares down at your lips. You felt the magnetic pull towards each other’s mouths. But he still didn't kiss you.

The entire time he hovers above you, his lips a hair’s breadth away from your own. Teasingly he grazes your lips a couple of times, his minty breath brushing lightly and a moment later, his tongue skimmed over your quivering flesh. Though he has the audacity to pull away, laughing softly when you chase after him.

“Back to work,” he sings, taking a sip from his mug before waddling out his way under the bamboo beaded curtain. Its tone of bright red of the millennial brand, Supreme, reflecting the shade on your cheeks.

There are times when things just come at you like a déjà vu, that you see with the familiarity when Jaehyun laid on the bed by your drawing desk while everyone’s gone. However at the present moment, he has his shirt removed, revealing numerous tattoosㅡan ornate cross with wings from his throat that stops between his jugular notch, tarot cards of the Sun and the Moon clad on the left side of his rib cage, a gun on his pelvic which was pointed to his groin.

His body is beautiful as it is, muscles of a Greek god that seems almost unreal.

“C'mon, don't be scared.”

The tool in your gloved hand which you were more than familiar with its assembly, feels so much different when you're going for the real deal, despite practicing it couple of times on apples and pears.

With thick, hesitating articulation, you put the question which your eyes asked mutely, into words: “Are you sure about this…”

“I’ve never doubted my decisions and it’s not like you’re gonna stab my insides with the needle, unless that’s what you’re intended.”

“Now that you’ve mentioned, I’m more towards the idea of it.”

You weren’t in a rush for the hands-on experience though, while Jaehyun thinks otherwise. He even listed out the many reasons that manipulated you into the current situation. Whether it was made up or not, you find it hilarious when he said he’s uncomfortable working on female areas that are labelled as body boundaries. Aren’t those what the ladies want in the first place? You just have to poke fun of him. But what are the chances for them to walk in and tell it straight to their faces that they want their vagina or nipples tatted when the studio is crowded with fine men.

“Just do it exactly how you practiced and I’ll guide you,” he assures.

You draw a breath and will a note of confidence into your voice, “Alright.”

Your back hunched over as you lean on the edge of the bed, fingers lightly pressing on the patch of skin just above the waistband of his Calvin Klein underwear. Purple colored stencil of a lipstick print mark works as a combination of visual simplicity and detailed lines to achieve greater realism.

You tighten your fingers on the barrel, trembling slightly when the needle vibrates at a consistent speed upon pressing the footswitch. You begin with drawing in the outlines, taking a good amount of time due to your inexperience. The first lines are often most painful as the needles need to penetrate deeper to create distinct lines but Jaehyun doesn’t budge or flinch, as if it was nothing. Well, it isn’t, if it were to be compared with the ones that are done on certain parts of his body closer to the bone.

To be frank, there’s a slight discomfort during the process. When you pull back to wipe the skin with a sanitized wipe to clean away any extra ink, he fakes a dramatic yelp and wince. Immediately you drop everything onto the utility cart, glancing over at him in concern. “I’m so sorry, does it hurt very bad? You should tell me to stop.”

“I’m only kidding,” he says, laughing a bit. “Relax, you’re doing great. Try not to press too hard and remember to pause between few seconds.”

Once the outlines have been drawn, you concentrate on shading and coloring. This time there’s no pain, just a slight tickle. Jaehyun watches your intense eyes on his skin, the needle steady in your hand. The red ink flowed down the syringe as the design gradually forms its shape.

The session took longer than usual as it is your first. Staring at the tattoo for a moment, he gives you a nod of approval. Surprisingly the end result looks better than you’ve imagined and you couldn’t hide your glee, bursting with joy over your achievement.

“You good?”

“Content.” He sits up and throws his legs over the side of the bed, eyes glued to the back of your head.

“Now that you’ve left a mark on me-”

You listen carefully, slipping the rubber gloves off your hands and tossing them into a bin.

There's something in his voice of the authoritative tone, something which has the effects of flawlessly circular pancakes, perfectly swirled ice-cream cones or a truly seedless watermelon.

“It’s my turn.”

Without a warning, an arm loop around your waist from behind, then draw you against him. The warmth of his breath heats your delicate skin when he runs his nose along the side of your neck. He takes a whiff of the fragrance you sprayed on earlier and boldly leaves a trail of open mouth kisses, enjoying your gasps.

“Jaehyun,” you mutter weakly, but you have no idea what you’re going to say next. His mouth closes over a spot behind your ear and all you can do is melt into the pleasure.

To finally be wrapped in his strong arms feel heavenly, and if you thought you have any strength to resist before, it has now been obliterated. You lean back, sinking into the seductive caress. He tightens his grip affectionately, filling you with a deep, needy longing.

“God, I want you.” He groans impatiently, gently biting on your neck with the obvious intention of descending further.

Turning your body to face his, he pulls you flush against his bare torso. You pray you won’t swoon when he touches you, because you’ve been obsessing about him and his kisses for too long.

Incredibly, he presses his lips onto yours fully for several seconds before taking it up a notch. It was nothing like the kisses you had before, so desperate and urgent. His tongue seeks entrance and you open to him, angling your face to allow him total access. His hands found themselves in the back pocket of your jeans, squeezing the solidity of your cheeks.

Many minutes passed, you aren’t sure for how long but you’re beginning to feel lightheaded when he has literally taken your breath away. Jaehyun pulls back just in time and his lips move onto the column of your neck. His large hands massage their way up either side of your body until they found your breasts. With his thumb, he rubs a tantalizing circle around your nipple over the fabric of your shirt. The sensual shivers wrack your body as each kiss heightens your sensitivity to his touch. Sweet, hot desire shot through and you moan.

Your middle soared to life, and the moisture between your legs grew.

You’ve worn a tank top, granting him free access to your bare skin all the way to the upper swell of your breasts. He takes advantage of it, pressing small, nibbling kisses all over and tasting with the very tip of his tongue. Splotches of red and purple bloom at his wake, your body as a canvas to his vandalism.

“Please,” you whisper, begging for more. Your fingers curling into his thick tousled hair, tugging on the roots with a little force. A small, animal-like sound of need, passes through your lips when his mouth hovers just above your skin.

“Easy, princess.” He laughs softly. “I want to take my time with you.”

His hand finds the hem of your top, pulling it over your head until your bra-encased breasts are revealed.

“Gorgeous. So beautiful. All for me.”

Words became lost in your throat. You’re too busy experiencing the way he laves your cleavage with his tongue. It feels like you can come right then, without any further preliminaries.

Jaehyun kisses on your mouth again, a hand moving its way down your body, undoing the button of your jeans. You shudder uncontrollably when his fingers dip into your laced underwear without warning, reaching your sex. Brushing through your folds, seeking and finding that nub that brings you ecstasy. His thumb plays across the swollen wet flesh of your clitoris, caressing, teasing.

“Oh my…” you gasp, and soften against him when he touches you deeper. The slickness of your arousal spreading his skillful fingers. “You’re so good at this.”

Devilish laugh resonates in your ear. As he kisses and nibbles your neck, a finger slides deep into your body, grinding the heel of his hand against your most sensitive spot. And he adds another. Then, a third.

“Baby, you’re taking me so well.” He curls his fingers, rubbing your walls and pushing them further to reach the spot that could make your eyes roll back in your head.

Hot breath fanning your cheeks when he inches closer, whispering lowly in your ears, “I can’t wait to bury myself inside you.”

In a few short moments, you feel yourself on the verge of a climax as his fingers work expertly, flickering over the nub. His thrusts picking up pace, ramming harder like he’s going to destroy you.

“Let go,” he prods.

Soon, like a command, the building tension explodes and you cry out his name and arch against him.

When all the explosive sensation subsided, you find it difficult to look at him in case he looks smug, you won’t be able to handle it.

However there’s an urge within you, that you want to touch him, you need to. Blindly, you lean forward, kissing anything you come into contact with—his forehead, his eyelids, his cheeks. Your lips travel south until you reach the fresh tattoo, and pressing a gentle kiss on it.

The permanent ink of your lips that you left on him.

A smile makes its way on your face as you stare at your work in admiration, satisfaction, with accomplishment. The idea of it was endearing, an indication where the man before you, is yours.

You may have found your new addiction.

[blueyesandleatherjacket]

The summertime of our lives, 6/6

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 6/6.

Pairings: Ninetoo x Rose.

A/N: Written for @doctorroseprompts summer bingo. Five summer-themed words: Animal, Boat, Breeze, Magic, Wave (BINGO!). Tagging @thebookster on her demand.

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” - William Shakespeare.

CHAPTER 6:

The fair was crammed with people. The summer was beautiful and hot and people preferred staying outdoors than going back home where they wouldn’t sleep because of the persistent heat. The Doctor wasn’t complaining. He liked the heat, the summer. After surviving a cold and harsh winter, he definitely preferred summer. But that summer, the first one he was sharing with Rose, was as special as fantastic. He wanted more of them. He wasn’t ready for winter to come back again with its colds and winds and rains. So he was enjoying this warm night out with Rose. They had shared an ice-cream, bought the banana shorts – he had even accepted to wear them tonight – and had had dinner in a nice little restaurant. Since then, they had been wandering around in town. He had been quite uncomfortable surprisingly. With Rose’s hand in his, nothing could go wrong. Just like the old times. Their steps eventually led them to the fair and Rose and acted like a five-year old child around the attractions. As a former Time Lord, this was all trivial pursuits. He had had no time for that when the universe kept calling out for help. Today, he was living a human life and his time was limited. He had to enjoy every minute of every day. He went on the merry-go-round with Rose, rode the ghost train – none of them were scared and they had a good laugh – jumped on trampolines, drove small karts – Rose mentioned something called Mario Kart but he didn’t get the reference. They spent lots of money in many attractions – the bumper cars were fun, especially when he was playing against an expert like Rose, and stopped for giant candy flosses. It was a break in their night of fun. The candies tasted different. He had never eaten something like this before and didn’t know if he liked it or not. It was sour and fizzy. Weird. And the faces he was making were amusing Rose. They were casually zigzagging between people when Rose’s eyes fell upon something that really caught her attention. Since her mouth was full of sugar, she just bounced up and down, a hand holding her candy floss, the other pointing at what she had seen. Her eyes were sparkling with joy and excitement. He followed the direction of her finger and sighed. Of course. Typical. Cliché. This was the attraction all the girls and women loved and every boy and man had to prove themselves on it. Rose was pointing at a giant unicorn plushie which was the biggest prize of their shooting attraction. Grab a gun, shoot the heart of the target and you were the winner. But the game was rigged and it was impossible to win. Here, the targets were replaced by old stuffed toys that weren’t up for sales because of flaws or wears. Small ones so they were harder to shoot. He could see where this was leading him. “It doesn’t fit in the car.” “I don’t mind.” “Do you known unicorns are fake animals created by humans?” “In our original universe, they are fake.” “And not in this one?” “I’ve seen one in my many attempts to get back to you.” “You kidding?” “Nope. The only proof is in Torchwood.” “You brought…” “I would never condemn anyone to that.” She finished her candy floss and tossed the stick in a bin. The Doctor imitated her and joined her in a couple steps toward the shooting attraction. She had such an aversion of Torchwood that she surely knew more about their activities than she was telling him. It wasn’t only because they had tested her. There was something else and she wouldn’t say a word about it. He wasn’t cleared to hear that information. When he would be the Doctor with his TARDIS again, he would dismantle the whole organisation brick by brick. “Win the unicorn for me?” Her aversion was gone. She was back at smiling and pleading him for that huge animal plushie. He could boast about him not doing domestics, about him being a strong male, she would always do all she wanted of him. So if she was watching him like this with begging eyes and batting eyelashes, he would give in without a second thought but with an annoyed sigh. And just with that, she knew she had won. She grabbed his hand and ran toward the attraction. They had to wait until the group of males before them was done with pretending they were any good to finally access the game. Rose dropped money on the counter. “One round for mister Big Ears.” “Oi!” protested the Doctor and Rose at the same time. “Pick your gun, shoot the toys. If you have them all, you win the giant unicorn.” The Doctor looked all the guns on the counter. There were different sizes and models. He picked a Sig Sauer. A Smith & Wesson would have been better, lighter, but it would do. He was given five little fluorescent green marbles. He slipped them in the charger and unlocked the security. He aimed. “Don’t shake like this, mate. This isn’t a real gun.” The man had no idea of what this gun reminded him of. Rose did. She realised she had done a mistake. Putting a gun in the hands of a war survivor, in the hands of someone deeply traumatised by the horrors caused by weapons. She put her hand over his. “Doctor,” she began softly. “You don’t have to do this. I’m sorry.” No. He didn’t want to give up. He wasn’t about to kill anyone. Not ever. He was the man who never carried a gun. His children of Time, as Davros called them, were his weapons. It wasn’t any better. In the end, there always were victims around him. He lowered the Sig. He had to clear his mind. “Sir, it’s just a game. If you don’t wanna do it, I give the money back.” To prove he was a man of his words, the stallholder pulled the money they had given him out of his cash case and pushed it back toward Rose. She was about to take it back when he clenched his teeth, aimed the gun and pulled the trigger five times. Only then did he put the weapon down. “You’d be a very bad killer,” commented a Scottish accent. Alec Hardy had joined them. He was on duty tonight, watching over the town in his grey suit with a messy tie. He was patrolling around when he had seen them. Seeing Maxence Spitz with a gun had caught his attention. He wasn’t an expert but he wasn’t a beginner either. He could hold a weapon but he wasn’t a good shooter. He had missed all the targets. “Would you be better?” the Doctor defied him in return. “I’m not armed, but I’m trained to fire so it wouldn’t be fair.” The detective was showing no hostility to him. He wasn’t entering the game. Had Rose talked to him? Or had he seen that he wouldn’t stand another chance? He simply asked how they were and dropped the news: a suspect had been arrested but he wouldn’t talk for now. This brought memories to the Doctor’s mind. Him, on the deck of a boat, a man above his body. He was sat against the railing, a cigarette in hand, and was meticulously burning the bruise skin of his torso; A laugh was echoing. It was disgusting, revolting. “Doctor?” He snapped back to reality. Rose and Hardy had taken him aside, away from the attraction, from people. Rose had her hands on his shoulders but her voice wasn’t getting to his ears. There seemed to have cotton in there but he could hear the music loud and clear. It was deafening; He cleared his throat. He had had an off moment but he was back. “Sorry, got lost in my thoughts. Happens often.” “No,” refuted Rose. “There was more to those thoughts. You had a memory.” Of course. He should know better than to lie to her. She would always decipher his mind. It was easier now that he was human. His brain was simpler, working like hers instead of working like one of those quantum computers they used in their advanced technology. It was rather frustrating sometimes. “’s nothing. I was on that boat, cigarette in hand and…” he swallowed, mimed the gesture of pressing a ciggy on his chest. “And someone was laughing. Nothing else. No face, no name.” Alec was writing down in his small notebook, Rose was stroking his hand with her thumb. Anger was boiling in her veins but she was unshaken. Except for him, no one could read her feelings. She was tough. Torchwood had changed her. Both in good and bad ways. “Anything else you’d remember?” The Doctor as about to snarl but the detective was just trying to help him. He was doing his job. The Doctor focused, gathered the little memories he had of that failed party. The deck and the laugh came back naturally. He was back on that boat. It wasn’t the yacht Rose and him were sharing. It was smaller. They were several like him, enslaved, compelled to do terrible things but he was alone when he was found. What had happened to the others? He concentrated on the laughing guy. He must have seen something. Anything that could help. The face as always blurred. He couldn’t see the features but there was… “On his arm. The right. He had a tattoo.” He was pointing at his own arm. Up the forearm, right before the elbow joint. A medium dark tattoo. It was representing some sort of logo. Something he had already seen. He drew it approximately on Hardy’s notebook and, from the corner of his eyes, he saw Rose’s face turning pale. She recognised the symbol. “That’s Torchwood. They have a special unit. All the members have this tattoo.” “What’s that unit up to?” “They’re like the SWAT or else, except they’re operating on paranormal stuff.” “There’s nothing paranormal.” “You’d be surprised,” replied the Doctor and Rose. Alec Hardy was too rational to believe in something extra-terrestrial or paranormal. That was better this way. The less he knew, the safer he was. That’s certainly why Rose had kept him in the dark on some aspects of her life. But like everyone in this world, he knew about Torchwood. At least about their activities on the face of it. Pharmaceutical researches and alien experiments. They were playing their cards close to their chest. “If he’s really from that special unit, you won’t get anything from him. He’ll be out before tomorrow morning. They’re untouchable.” That was highly displeasing for the detective. He put his notebook a pen back in the inside pocket of his jacket. He would do his own researches on that case. Rose had to leave them alone for a moment. Leaving the Doctor with Alec wasn’t the best of ideas because of their stupid rivalry but he was the only one she trusted to protect him just the time for her to call someone and settle a score. When she came back to them, the Doctor was hugging the giant uniform plushie with a gleeful grin on his face. Next to him was a moody Alec Hardy. They had spent the time she was gone to win the biggest prize. This was unusual for Alec. She grinned and hugged the soft toy and the two men, thanking Hardy for his work and help, thanking the Doctor for this unicorn for her. Their night of fun was over. The Doctor still needed rest and it was getting late. And Hardy still had work to do.

x

The window was slightly open and a fresh breeze was stroking their bodies. The night was hot and the Doctor couldn’t find sleep. Neither could Rose. So they were just lying there in bed, talking to each other. It was only light talks, funny words and projects for the near future. It was nice to think of the future. Of a future with Rose. He couldn’t imagine the rest of his life without her. “What about the tattoos?” He had noticed that she had the same and he had insisted on getting back the ribbon he had when he was found on that boat. He was keeping it with the sonic screwdriver. Precious objects. Her tattoos were as fresh and delicate as his. They couldn’t touch it yet. They had to heal first. They were getting itchy. “Oh. Yeah.” It seemed to sadden her that he didn’t remember this part but it wasn’t his fault. None of this was his fault. None of what had happened was his fault. He was the victim here even if this word would never be used in front of him. Calling him a victim would lead to a fight. It would hurt his ego, hurt his feelings. That’s not what she wanted. She wanted him to believe in himself again, to find a real self-confidence he was lacking of. So the word was forbidden. “One of the guests told us he was a specialist in particular weddings ceremonies like hand fastening. Your face lit up like Tony’s on Christmas morning. You said that it was what you wanted for us instead of a formal boring ceremony in white and, to be honest, the way you described the ceremony… I really wanted it. I wanted us to be married forever. And we did it. It was magical.” He could see the tears brimming in her eyes. They were tears of happiness because it had been such a beautiful moment. She found his hand and held it as while she told him the whole ceremony the vows they pronounced, the ribbon fastened around their hands and wrists. The memories were coming back to him – or was it his imagination – accompanied by the soft sound of her voice. Magical indeed. Maybe they had taken this decision too fast but he wouldn’t go back. He was Rose’s husband now and forever. And to seal the magic of the moment, they made sure to never forget that they were bonded by this ribbon, they had found an exceptionally open late tattoo parlour and asked for a matching tattoo. They had been lucky with the result. “What do you think Torchwood was doing here?” “Looking for something. The drug was only working on people not entirely human.” “You were affected too.” “Bad Wolf.” “But they weren’t after us. Or they wouldn’t have left us behind.” “Pete knows my opinion on the subject. If he lays a finger on you, Torchwood goes boom.” “That won’t stop them.” “I know.” “What do we do?” “Make no waves. Lie low. Then, we leave forever.” The Doctor couldn’t help but smile like crazy. Make no waves. As if it was possible for him not to make waves. He wasn’t running into troubles. They were finding him everywhere he was. Even when he was enjoying holidays with his now wife. And despite the inconveniences, it had been the summertime of their lives. One he would cherish for the rest of his short life…

THE END

The summertime of our lives © | 2019 | Tous droits réservés.

×××

← Last

English version:

AO3 ||TS.

[tomorrow-i-will-be-blog]

PSA- pls let action heroes wear braces bc that shit hurts.

So one of my friends is in a media program at my school, and as an assignment she had to make a fictional film trailer that was being graded on attention to detail for the most part. So she and another girl in her class did a trailer for some fake action superhero movie so they could do some cool fight scene shots and use some neat tech that another person we know has. (I think it might also be an excuse for friend to blow things up for shots) anyway, for attention to detail, they sat down with a couple of people, including me, and talked over the scenes.

Now side note- if you don’t see my posts (which are out at weird times and never consistent) then you probably need some context. I’m a second degree black belt with experience in a bunch of different fields of martial arts and have worked with enough weapons to be knowledgeable. So I’m good at over anylizing fight sequences and knowing what sort of shit would hurt.

Since it’s supposed to have extrem attention to detail, my friend wanted to make sure that the moves their hero would be doing would be at a consistent skill level. And some of the things they did was a bunch of fight scenes, a few parkour scenes, something where hero jumps out of a helicopter (can’t wait to see how they do that). All in all it was pretty well written. Pretty sure they’ll get an A on the assignment. But like?? Those things that they had hero do? That shit fucks up your joints. We’ve all met someone who did Sports and can’t properly Bend a knee or fell one time and is low key crippled for life. And I really just realized? Why do we not let action heroes wear braces and take care of their joints?

Like take me. In the ten years I’ve been doing martial arts and the three years before that that I did really heavy gymnastics, i’ve definitely done my fair share of damage to my joints. And hey, I accept that when I was a kid, I was kind of awful at making sure that I never hurt myself anymore than I had to. But now? On a regular day, when I go do my martial arts shit, I normally have at least one ankle brace, normally both knees wrapped, sometimes elbows wrapped, sometimes shoulder taped and definitely both my wrists in braces. Because the sort of shit that you do as a movie action hero, or like a superhero comic book character? that’s definitely going to lead to mandatory joint replacements 10 years down the line. Let me give you an example. when I was in the seventh and eighth grade, I played recreational softball after school. now one year of playing catcher for that team ended up fucking my knee up when some kid didn’t slide into home, instead just friggin nailed my knee straight head on with her cleats. Now think of that one injury that was caused by accident by another tween. If your a superhero action hero, you’re going to be hit in the knees with the butt of the gun all the goddamn time. Knees serve as an easy target and it’s easy to make the person you’re going against aim for them. No that one knee injury I got almost 4 years ago now has literally fucked me up since then. Every time I step down too hard, or put too much pressure on my single leg, or even if I’m just walking normally and it doesn’t want to work, my knee will buckle or give out and really screw me over for the rest of the day unless I wear a brace. so I’m assuming that most action heroes, considering they get hit around all the goddamn time because dramatic affect, are going to have some pretty fucked up unreliable joints.

so for fucks sake please let your heroes wear braces on their joints so they can continue to function and keep saving the fucking world

sincerely,

this fucking karate netd whose knees literally hurt thinking about this. xx

[camsthisky]

The Ache for Home

ao3 | ff.net

Summary: Dick goes missing, and Jason looks for him. He wonders, though, why he's the only one looking.

Happy Birthday to @laquilasse! Thanks for being a wonderful friend <3 (Also, this is only part one. Part two will come along sometime soon)

“Let me go!” Dick cries into the emptiness, straining against his restraints.

His gloves and boots are halfway across the room, and that’s the only reason that Dick hasn’t managed to break out of the leather straps holding him to this table. If his gear hadn’t been taken he’d probably be halfway out of the joint by now. But he’s trapped. He can’t do anything except wriggle uselessly and yell obscenities into the darkness.

He doesn’t even know where he is, right now. Somewhere under the city, maybe in the sewers by the feel of the air and smell of the place. He doesn’t remember how he got here, or even why he’s here. He doesn’t know who has him, or for what reason they’re keeping him here.

The only thing that he really knows for sure is that his mask hasn’t been taken off. The spirit gum is still holding strong, and he knows he’d feel it if the mask had been peeled off and the replaced. It doesn’t make any sense, but Dick’s not an expert on criminals—okay. Well, so he is a little bit. But he doesn’t even know who snatched him this time. The Joker’s never been interested in identities, so maybe this guy isn’t, either.

Still, he needs to get out of here. He doesn’t know how long he’s been here or if anybody’s on their way because he didn’t check in, but even if someone’s coming for him, he needs to at least try to meet them halfway.

Dick pulls against the restraints again, desperate to find a weak spot, but it’s useless. Dick can’t maneuver his wrists far enough either way to find something sharp to cut them with. All he can do is pull, and all that’s doing is rubbing his wrists raw.

Dick yells incoherently, and the sound echoes around him. He lets himself slump back against the table he’s strapped to and wonders what he’s supposed to do now.

“Well, well,” a voice says, and the sound of it sends a chill up Dick’s spine. He strains to see the person in the shadows, but they’re hiding too well. All he hears is a voice. A hoarse, creepy voice that reminds Dick of the nights he used to spend under the covers recovering from fear toxin. “You’re awake.”

“What do you want from me?” Dick demands, pulling at the leather straps again.

“Information,” the voice says, echoing around the dark cavern-sewer place they’re in. “You see, Bat Brat, you’ve got something in that brain of yours that I need. And you’re going to give it to me.”

“Like hell I will,” Dick snarls.

“I didn’t plan for the information to come voluntarily,” the voice tells him, and Dick’s blood runs cold at the implications. Torture. Dick’s going to get tortured for information. Good thing he’s had so much practice, that little voice in his head chimes in

He politely tells it to shut the hell up.

“Even if you could get it from me,” Dick says, “Batman knows I’m missing. You won’t have enough time to find whatever you’re looking for before somebody comes for me.”

“Except,” the voice whispers into his ear, and Dick tenses. He hadn’t even heard them move, and yet they’re so close. Close and fast enough to rival Wally, and silent enough to rival Batman. That’s more terrifying than Dick is willing to admit. “Except, I’ve got a little trick up my sleeve, Bat Brat.”

Dick shivers. “What trick?”

There’s a definite in the voice’s tone as they sing-song, “No one is coming for you. No one even knows you’re missing.” And then the voice is gone, their cackle the only thing that’s left behind as it echoes around him.

Dick tries to stay calm, but whatever cool he’d had before—which, it really hadn’t been much—has left him, and he thinks he’s this close to a panic attack. He doesn’t know what the voice had meant by any of that “trick” stuff, but Dick thinks that he should be preparing himself to escape on his own, because it really hadn’t sounded like the voice had been lying.

Jason’s pissed off. Incredibly pissed off. He wants to hit something, and he’d prefer it if it were Dick’s face.

The bastard was supposed to meet up with him to drop off some information he needed for a case last night, but Dick had never showed. Dick won’t even answer his phone or his comm. And since Jason actually needs the information and can’t do anything without it, he’s been hunting the Dick-headed moron down all day, to no avail.

Seriously. The guy hadn’t been at his apartment, the penthouse, or any of the safehouses. Roy and Wally haven’t heard from him, and Jason had even had to try Clark. No, the last possible place that Jason can try is the one place he absolutely does not want to be. But it’s the only option.

Maybe he’d been hurt or something. Or maybe there’d been an emergency. Jason doesn’t know. Tim, the only person Jason even has a number for besides Dick, isn’t answering his phone, either, so it’s possible. But still, whatever the case, it doesn’t change the fact that Jason’s fucking pissed.

So when Jason pulls up on his motorcycle in the Cave to see Bruce and Tim and Alfred not in the middle of any emergency, it’s understandable why his mood darkens even further.

“Where is he?” Jason demands the moment the engine cute, and he throws his helmet aside because he’s really fucking angry. And Bruce can look at him all disapproving as much as he wants, but it’s not going to change that Jason’s regretting letting Dick help him this one time instead of gathering the info himself like he should have done.

“Where is who?” Tim asks, looking kind of annoyed. “And why did you call me twelve billion times?”

“Because I can’t get a hold of that fucking Dickhead!” Jason seethes, doing the stupid thing and ignoring the look Alfred throw his way. Whatever. Jason’ll make it up to the butler later, when he’s not pissed ten ways to hell. “He was supposed to have info for me last night, and he didn’t show up.”

“Jason—” Bruce says, but unless it’s a damn good excuse, Jason doesn’t want to hear it.

So he cuts in, “Did Damian scrape his elbow and the bastard come running like the overprotective mother hen he is? Or does he actually have a good reason for narrowing my window of opportunity on this case?”

Throughout his rant, though, all three faces before him only grow more and more confused, and Jason’s honestly about to say screw it and start searching the manor himself. Except—

“Jason,” Bruce says again, brow furrowed. “Who are you talking about?”

“Who am I—You’re kidding, right?”

Jason seriously can’t believe this is happening right now. Tim and Alfred might play dumb sometimes, but Bruce never does. It’s against whatever code he runs on, or whatever. The same code that orders him to brood all the damn time. But all he’s getting right now are blank looks from all three of them.

“No?” Tim says, leaning forward. “But if you needed info for a case, you should have just texted me or something. You didn’t have to—”

“Dick,” Jason yells, throwing his hands up in the air, and the room goes silent. “I’m talking about Dick Grayson. Nightwing? Wears ridiculous crap and pretends it’s fashion? The same guy that was supposed to meet me in Robbinsville last night?”

Bruce’s face hardens, and he swivels his chair around so that the back is facing Jason. Tim winces and sucks down into whatever the hell he’s working on. And Alfred—Alfred looks at Jason just like he had when Jason had first shown up back at the manor for the first time since coming back from the dead. Like he sometimes still does when he sees that damn case and thinks no one is watching.

Only, this time it’s not for Jason.

“The fuck is wrong with all of you?” Jason asks. “Did Dick—Did something happen to Dick last night or something?”

“Get out, Jason,” Bruce says, and his voice, it’s—it’s full of grief.

“The hell I will!” Jason cries, getting angry again. There’s something tight in his chest, and he can’t help but glance towards the cases—but there’s no memorial. Not like Jason’s. Nightwing’s costume isn’t even there. Jason turns back to Bruce. “If something happened, I deserve to know just as much as everyone else!”

“For god’s sake, Jason,” Tim says, shooting him a wild look. “What are you even—”

“Enough,” Bruce hisses, standing up from his chair. “That’s enough. We’re not talking about this anymore.”

“Newsflash, Bruce,” Jason sneers. “We haven’t talked about it. It’s just been you pushing me to the side. Again. Whatever happened, I’m not going to take being sidelined like this.”

Alfred even looks troubled now. “Master Jason, really—”

“Did you have Dick fake his death again? Or is Dick actually dead?” Jason asks, his heart beating a mile a minute. He’s going to pay for cutting Alfred off later, but he can’t focus on it right now. “And why won’t you look me in the dam eye?! What happened?!”

Jason’s hands are trembling. He knows he’s automatically jumping to the worst-case scenario, but all of them are acting like Dick’s name is taboo or something, and with Bruce being so evasive, Jason doesn’t have any choice but to guess or search the manor himself.

And if Dick is dead, well. Jason doesn’t want to think about that. Last time Dick had been dead, Damian was dead, too, and Bruce hadn’t been able to look anyone in the eyes, and Tim had been crushed. And Jason? Jason had had two choices. Stay and take Dick’s place as big brother, or run.

He’d chosen the cowardly option. He’d run. He wonders if this time will be the same.

“Jason, why are you—” Tim says, his face twisting up weirdly, but Bruce cuts him off again.

“Dick is dead,” Bruce tells him, and Jason’s breath catches in his throat. But before Jason can say anything, Bruce is talking again. “He’s been dead for years. I know you two didn’t get along very well, but that’s no excuse for you to play game like these again. We’re done. Get out.” And with that, Bruce storms out of the Cave and up into the manor, and Jason can only watch him go.

Years? Dick’s been dead for years? That doesn’t—That makes absolutely no sense. Jason had just talked to Dick a few days ago to make sure Dick was getting that info. Wally and Roy hadn’t acted like Jason was crazy for asking. Not, it was just—just Bruce, Tim, and Alfred.

And a part of him, the part that watched that movie with Dick a few days ago and actually had a good time, breathes a sigh of relief against whatever grief had built up during that conversation. Jason’s not wrong, but he is missing something, and if he can get answers, he can prove that whatever grief is left is completely unfounded.

He turns a sharp gaze to Tim. “Do you want to explain what that—” he gestures towards the stairs leading to the manor, “—was about?”

Tim shoots him a glare. “Just give it up, Jason. I don’t know if you’re trying to get back at Bruce or whatever, but—”

“What in the hell,” Jason says. “What the actual fuck are you talking about? Get Bruce back for what? And if Dick were dead for the past couple years do you really think that I’d pull something like this?”

“Maybe you—”

Jason ruffles his hair with one hand. “For fuck’s sake, I literally talked to Dick on Wednesday. And Wally talked to him like Saturday or something. The hell are you all on?”

“Dick’s dead,” Tim says. “He died before you did. Did you finally snap or something?”

Jason drops his head into his hands and tries just to breathe. Whatever’s going on, something’s not adding up. Drugs? Big elaborate prank? Fake death? Fear Toxin? None of those seem plausible for the kind of reaction Tim and Bruce are giving him, and Alfred had looked so sad. They genuinely seem to think that Dick has been dead for years.

But Jason spoke to him a few days ago. He remembers punching Dick in his stupid face for daring to fake his death however long ago it was. He knows Dick’s still alive—or he’d been alive recently, at least. Jason has to dig. He’s a detective. He’s going to figure this out, with or without Tim’s help.

Marginally calmer, Jason looks back up, looks Tim dead in the eye and says, “I snapped a long time ago. But this time, I think it’s you guys that need to seriously evaluate what’s going on in those heads of yours. Dick’s alive, and I don’t care what I have to do to prove it.”

And with that, he picks up his helmet, slings a leg over his bike, and leaves crazy town to continue life without him.

Alfred’s spent years in the manor, cleaning, cooking, and raising unruly children.

It had started with Bruce, a child so deeply caught up in his own trauma he’d shut himself off to the point nothing seemed to get through that wall of his. Not until he’d become Batman and brought home a young child one night, and Alfred suddenly had another charge to look after.

Not that he minded. In fact, he’d been more than happy to help Bruce raise the ray of sunshine that had been Richard Grayson. He’d been almost Bruce’s opposite. Open, bright, and determined to be happy, no matter how much of his own trauma he had on his own shoulders. Sometimes Alfred was afraid that that determination would turn into something deadly. Something that would get him or Bruce killed at some point.

He had only been a boy, after all, and boys aren’t known for their caution.

And of course, Alfred had been right.

The details are fuzzy all these years later, especially after Jason’s untimely passing and subsequent resurrection took the forefront of worry in his mind.

However, Alfred knows that he can never forget someone like Richard Grayson.

Bruce, he knows, will never forget Richard, either, though perhaps different reasons. Where Alfred will remember a hyperactive child running through the halls of the manor, sliding down the banisters, swinging from the chandeliers, Bruce will remember the first Robin, the soldier he’d help create, Nightwing, the fights.

Bruce will remember what he thinks is his own failings.

The odd thing, though, is the way Bruce is acting. Alfred notices the moment they enter the study that it’s not grief sitting heavy upon Bruce’s shoulders, it’s anger. And while that’s not an emotion Alfred is unfamiliar with when it comes to Bruce, it’s odd that whenever Richard is mentioned in his memories, Bruce reacts the same way as he does when Jason’s death is mentioned.

And yet, it’s different now.

And Alfred himself, he feels sad, but not impossibly sad. He remembers what it feels like, to have a weight sitting on his chest, crushing his lungs and making it hard to breathe. But when Alfred thinks of Richard’s grinning face, all he has is the urge to bake a batch of chocolate cookies and wait in the kitchen for a boy who will never come home again.

“I’m going out,” Bruce announces, and Alfred follows him to the door, helping Bruce into a coat. There’s no need to ask where Bruce is going on such short notice, seeing as he goes up to the top of the hill to stare at a grave every time he grieves, but Bruce is agitated, and this isn’t a normal visit.

Alfred hopes, as Bruce walks out the door without a word over his shoulder, that whatever it is that’s happening, it is resolved sooner rather than later.

And something is happening, of that he has no doubt. But for now, he’ll stay here, in the manor, and wait for his children to come home. And he barely dares to think it, but he’ll even wait for all of them, no matter how much heartbreak he’s setting himself up for.

Something’s wrong, Tim thinks.

At first, he’d written off Jason’s ramblings as getting dosed with fear toxin or trying to get back at Bruce or something. Jason’s tried to kill all of them before, so it’s not like it’s hard to imagine Jason doing something horrible.

But it’s also been months since Jason had finally stopped all of that, and for the life of him, Tim can’t remember why. He also can’t get, did Dick fake his death again? out of his head, because there’s something in his chest, and it twists every single time he thinks of those words.

So Tim does what he always does when he’s looking at a particularly hard case: fills a thermos with freshly made coffee and starts breaking things down.

It’s hours later that Damian comes down to the Cave and immediately zeroes in on him. Which is perfect, because despite wanting literally nothing to do with the brat, he’s just what Tim needs right now.

“What are you working on now, Drake?” Damian drawls, seemingly uninterested. But there’s that glimmer of curiosity in his eyes that Tim is actually glad to see for once. But he doesn’t speak, knowing that if he answers now, Damian will refuse to even stay in the room. Damian’s eyebrows scrunch up as he watches Tim type. “Why are you looking into old case files from fifteen years ago?”

Tim spins his chair around and looks Damian in the eye. “This is top secret.”

Damian scoffs. “Everything we do is top secret, Drake. I’d have thought that you’d have known that by now.”

“I mean secret from Bruce.”

Damian straightens, his shoulders tense up. “What warrants the secrecy?”

Tim leans back and rubs a hand over his face. He’s been staring at the screen too long. “Lots of things. The biggest being that I think Jason’s right and Bruce isn’t, no matter how sure he seems.”

“What are you going on about?” Damian asks. “And what does Todd have to do with it?”

“Who made you Robin?” Tim decides to throw out.

“Father,” Damian tells him automatically, looking irritated. And then his expression turns vicious. “If you think you’re taking back the position—”

“Shut up for a second and just answer my questions, okay?” Tim snaps. “This is actually important, and I only have a little bit of time before Bruce realizes I hacked the cameras.”

Damian, amazingly, shuts up.

“Okay, Bruce was lost in time when you became Robin,” Tim tells him seriously. “So that means it couldn’t have been Bruce that gave you the uniform, because as soon as it was given to you, I left Gotham to go find Bruce.”

Damian opens his mouth, and then shuts it, staring at the floor in some cross of contemplation, confusion, and realization.

“So someone else gave it to you,” Tim says, feeling breathless as that thing in his chest twists again. “Do you know who it was?”

Damian shakes his head, and when he speaks, his voice is quiet. “No. I can’t remember.”

“You mean you have gaps in your memory,” Tim confirms his hypothesis. “Someone looked out for Gotham with you while I was looking for Bruce and Cass was in Hong Kong and Jason was still having his identity crisis. Someone else was there, and we’re missing him.”

“Who?”

Tim licks his lips and stares at the ground, barely daring to believe that he’s about to say this aloud. “Jason came in here earlier screaming his head off about—well. About the first Robin. Richard Grayson. I thought he was having a mental breakdown or something, but now—"

“He died,” Damian says, his eyes on the cases in the corner when Tim looks back up. His brows are furrowed and there’s a quiet horror in his voice. “Richard Grayson is dead, but there’s no memorial for him. But there’s one for Todd. Todd has been revived and Father still won’t take it down.”

“Yeah,” Tim says, his heart fluttering in his chest as he thinks about it and the pieces start to come together. There’s something in him that hurts, and it shouldn’t, and he thinks that’s what solidifies this. It’s not supposed to hurt like this when he’s never even met the guy “Combine all of it together, it points to one thing.”

Damian looks him in the eye, and Tim can barely breathe anymore.

“It means Jason’s right,” Tim whispers. “Dick Grayson is alive.”

“Are you sure?” Wally asks from the other end of the line for the fifth damn time. “I mean, why would they forget and not us?”

Jason makes an irritated noise into his phone, cradling it between his shoulder and his cheek as he looks through his case files for clues. For something he might have missed. “They didn’t forget. They think he’s dead. Two different things here, West.”

“But still,” Wally says, and Jason can hear the frown in his voice, “that doesn’t make any sense. Especially if they’re saying he died before even you did.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Jason snaps. He grabs the phone with one hand and straightens up, the other hand ruffling his own hair in his irritation. “Dick’s not showing up anywhere and suddenly the whole damn family thinks he’s dead? You think I don’t know that’s weird?!”

“Calm down, Jason. I’m just saying—”

“It’s insane!” Jason yells, pushing himself to his feet. “And for some reason it’s only them! If I hadn’t gone over there, no one would even…be….”

Jason freezes, the gears in his head turning over and over as he tries to think through this. If Jason hadn’t needed Dick last night, it might have been days before someone had realized that the Waynes thought Dick was dead. Meaning no one would be out looking for him until it was too late.

“Oh god,” Jason says, horror twisting his stomach painfully. “Someone took him.”

“What?” Wally asks, his voice actually quiet for once in his life. “What are you talking about?”

“Think about it,” Jason tells him. “Someone went through the trouble of altering the memories of the people that Dick are publicly connected to, and only the people he’s publicly connected to. You, me, Roy, Clark. We weren’t affected by whatever it was, but we’re not in constant contact with him, either. Bruce and Tim are.”

“So what are you saying?” Wally wonders. There’s some kind of murmuring and rustling in the background, but Jason is barley paying attention.

“I’m saying that Tim and Bruce and Alfred didn’t just happen to think Dick was dead, and they’re the ones that Dick has constant public contact with,” Jason tells him. “Which means that someone did this, and they’re probably just buying time to get something from Dick. They took him.”

Wally’s silent for almost a moment, and Jason feels a flutter of irritation rise up in his gut again. If he’s right, if someone’s just trying to stall for time, that means that they don’t have much of it to find Dick. From the way this is set up, this isn’t supposed to be a permanent situation. Not everyone was brain-washed into thinking Dick’s dead, which probably can mean two things.

One, it’s like Jason told Wally. Whoever took Dick is stalling for time, which would suggest that they want information and Dick isn’t giving it up easily. It’d make sense, given the circumstances and who Dick was trained by.

Two, the person didn’t have the juice. Whatever mind melding powers they have might not be powerful enough to affect the entire world.

Jason’s money is on both.

“Okay,” Wally says, and Jason startles back to the present. “Okay, I’m on my way over.”

“You’re what?” Jason asks, but before he can really even blink, Wally’s there. In the middle of his apartment. Making half the papers on his table fly up into the air from the force of his speed. Jason jams the end call button on his phone harder than necessary. “How the hell do you even know where I live?!”

“Dick,” Wally says, pulling out his own phone. He scrolls through his contacts, settles on a name, and puts it on speaker.

“Who are you calling?” Jason asks, his brow crumpling, making a mental note to chew Dick out later for giving Wally his address if they find him.

When, he chastises himself. When they find him.

But Wally doesn’t answer. Instead, the person on the other end picks up, and it’s Barbara who says a in a soft and somewhat confused voice, “Hello?”

“Hey, Barbara,” Wally says easily.

But his shoulders are tense and his eyes are troubled, and he kind of looks like Dick does sometimes, when he wants to make it seem like nothing’s bothering him because he’s a giant masochist. Wally’s doesn’t seem to be doing it for that, though. Jason thinks that Wally doesn’t want to give away just how much shit they’re actually in. At least, that’s what Jason would do.

“Wally. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m looking for someone,” Wally says, setting the phone down on the table and leaning on the back of a chair. “He was in Gotham last night, and he was wearing a Nightwing suit.”

There’s silence for a moment, and Babs says, “Is this some kind of sick joke? Because if it is—”

“It’s not,” Jason cuts in. “Honest, Barbara. We’re telling the truth.”

“Jason?”

“Yeah,” Jason says. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“Come on, Babs,” Wally says, his voice soft. “You know what the suit means to me. To all of us. Will you please help us?”

“Fine,” Barbara tells them, her voice steely. “I’ll look. But if this turns into some prank, I’m setting Cass on the both of you and you can forget about any support from me for an entire year.”

The three of them fall quiet, and for a long time, almost two or three minutes, Jason thinks, there’s absolutely no noise beside the small clicks of the keyboard on Barbara’s end of the line. A sharp intake of breath breaks the silence, though, and Jason finds himself leaning over the phone.

“What?” he demands. “What is it?”

“You guys were right,” Barbara says. “Corner of Fourth and Main, 2:17 am.”

“Is he doing anything weird?”

“He’s just…sitting on the roof.” Jason ignores the quiet waver to Barbara’s voice, but he appreciates when she takes a deep breath and seems to find her calm. Good. Jason’s not sure he can handle anything like a break down from her, right now. He’s already so close to the edge himself, being one of the only people to believe that Dick is even alive.

Barbara takes another breath, and then there’s more typing.

Jason’s fists clench. “What’s going on now?”

“Do you have your laptop open?” Barbara asks. “And on?”

Jason swivels around, looking over at his coffee table, where his laptop’s plugged in and open to his desktop screen. He doesn’t use it for much since it’s a cheap old thing he got for a couple hundred bucks and sucks at running more than three programs at once. “Yes? Why?”

“I’m sending you the video footage from last night,” Barbara says. “I’ll help you take this guy down, but I need you two to figure this out where he is by yourself. I can’t—that uniform is—”

“Got it,” Wally says. “Thanks, Barbara.”

“Just figure this out, West,” Barbara says, and then there’s a click, and the line goes dead. She hung up.

At the same time, Jason’s email pings annoyingly, and he plops down on the couch, opens his browser up to access his account, and clicks on the new email from Babs. It’s a few videos, different angles of Dick sitting on a rooftop last night, the same rooftop that he and Jason were supposed to meet at. Dick was almost an hour early, though, and Jason thinks that maybe that had been his downfall.

It’s as they’re watching the first video, though, that something weird happens. One minute, Dick is sitting on the ledge of the roof, and the next, he’s crumpling backwards, like a puppet with his strings cut.

“What the—” Jason starts to say, but Wally leans over his shoulder from the back of the couch, and when Jason turns to look at him, his green eyes are wide.

“Play it back.”

Jason raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I thought I saw something.”

Jason plays it back, and they watch Dick crumple again, and this time, even though Jason knows it’s coming, he barley holds back a wince as he watches Dick fall unconscious seemingly unprompted. He pauses it afterwards, and turns to Wally.

“Well?” he asks.

Wally shakes his head. “Never mind.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Wally breathes. “I thought I saw a person, but it’s not there anymore.”

Jason unpauses the video, and they keep watching.

Nothing else happens for a few minutes, just Dick unconscious on the rooftop, and then the camera goes black for almost ten seconds, and when it cuts back in, Dick’s gone. Checking the other videos reveal the exact same thing, and Jason shuts his laptop in frustration, scrubbing at his hair.

“That was absolutely no help,” Jason snaps.

Wally sighs, forearms resting on the back of the couch. “I mean, it gives us a place to look, right?”

“I guess,” Jason says, but he feels sort of sick. He’d told Tim that he was going to prove that Dick was alive, and all he has to go on are a couple of tampered videos and the fact that only the people closest to him seem to think he’s dead. “God, this is so messed up.”

“Yeah,” Wally agrees, and he looks as tired as Jason feels. “So what do we do now? Do we go out and look for him?”

“It’s like three in the afternoon,” Jason snorts. “I don’t know how it works in Keystone, but we don’t go in the daytime, West.”

“I know that but—”

Jason’s phone rings, then, and Wally cuts off. One glance at his caller ID, though, has Jason furrowing his brow in confusion. He answers with a hesitant, “Tim?”

“I believe you,” Tim says immediately. “Dick’s alive. I believe you.”

Jason sags back into the couch. “What made you change your mind.”

“Things aren’t adding up.” Tim pauses, and there’s some murmuring on Tim’s side. Sounds kind of like arguing, and Jason thinks that Tim might be there with Damian of all people, calling Jason. Geez, when Dick disappears, the Bats go to crazy town, don’t they? Tim blows out a breath. “Okay, meet me and Damian on that rooftop where Dick disappeared in an hour.”

Tim hangs up, then, and knowing Tim, Jason thinks he probably hacked his way into the cameras, too. From what Jason knows about him, Tim’s almost as good as Barbara is when it comes to technology.

So Jason saves the question for later, looks up at Wally, and says, “Suit up,”

It looks like they’ve got a stray bird to rescue.

Dick’s been here for a while. Long enough that someone should have noticed by now that he’s been gone too long and come looking for him.

During his stay down here in Sewerville, Dick’s pretty sure the voice has managed to half kill him without even letting Dick seem them. There’s blood pouring from every part of his body, he’s bruised and beaten, and his voice is wrecked from constantly screaming. He feels like he’s about to die, and he thinks that the only two reasons he’s even still alive is because one, his captor hasn’t gotten their information, and two, he still has that little bit of faith that someone will find him. That Bruce will find him. No matter what the voice keeps telling him.

But after the first few hours of mouthing off, Dick’s wrist gets crushed and he’s half-strangled to death, and his words become few and far apart, until he finally stops talking altogether. After that time passes by in bits and pieces. One minute he’s alone, the next he’s getting electrocuted. One minute he’s getting stabbed with a knife, the next he’s by himself again. It skips and pauses, like an old record, and Dick can’t seem to hold onto it for more than maybe an hour at a time.

That’s bad, he thinks, but he can’t remember why.

Right now, though, there’s a bigger problem to worry about. Namely, the syringe being plunged into his arm. Dick cries out as it breaks the needle breaks the skin and the contents injected into his veins.

“What was that?” Dick calls out hoarsely. “What did you just give me?”

“Tell me what you know,” the voice demands for the millionth time. “Tell me what you know and I’ll let you go. This will all be over with.”

Dick chest heaves for precious, precious air as he stares up at the ceiling, and he’s not going to cry, but he can’t help it when his voice cracks a little when he says, “I already told you, I don’t know.”

“You must know something.”

“I. Don’t. Know.”

“I don’t believe that the first Robin doesn’t know where the Justice League Headquarters are. You must know.” The syringe clatters to the ground. “And that serum will help you waggle your tongue.”

Dick shivers. “I don’t know where it is. I don’t know.”

“You’re lying,” the voice hisses, and Dick flinches away from the voice. “You’re lying. Because I’ve seen you in it. I just need to know how to access it. That’s all you have to tell me and you’ll be free.”

“Even if I did know,” Dick says, trying his best to keep his voice calm and steady, “I would never tell you.”

“We’ll see how you feel after the serum runs its course,” the voice cackles. “Have a nice sleep, Bat Brat.”

Dick’s vision wavers, and his last thought before everything goes dark is, Please let Bruce find me. Please.

[apanamaobatkankerpayudara]

What To Look Out For If Buying Classic Furniture

  Buying classic furniture can be actually a superb way to inject some vitality in your house. West land London stocks unique antique furniture and has experts onsite to allow you to select an item that you will want for quite a few years to come.

However, if you are shopping to get a brand new part in an flea market, online or at another retail store, then you definitely have to know how to spot a classic gem. Here is everything to look out for if buying antique furnishings

Check out the construction

If you should be purchasing antique furniture, then you also are going to wish to understand how the piece is stored jointly.

You should be searching for indications of quality craftsmanship.

Open any dividers and examine the sides for dovetail joints. In the event that you fail to observe any then that suggests the item is held with the advanced technique of glue and nails.

In the event that you are able to observe dovetailing, this implies the part could be handmade.

But in the event the joints search too flawless then the piece may be machine-made. Slight irregularities at the fittings are a promising indicator.

Ensure that the frame is stiff and made. For instance, if a seat wobbles, the joints might need to be re-glued or repaired.To read more details about vintage furniture: discover more here.

Look for harm

Regrettably, poor care can lead to an antique currently getting ruined.

You should carefully examine your piece just before handing over your cash.

Firstly, assess your antique has everything it needs to. Is there any some dividers overlooking? Will there be a gap which should have something in it?

Your next task is going more than your item attentively.

Unique forms of home furniture wear down in different sites. By way of example, thicker things may have been hauled instead of improved through recent years. They could likewise have been standing in damp conditions, which can cause your legs and feet to rot.

This could lead to damage or strain to the furnishings, therefore get down and assess the toes and bottom of the piece.

Assess for indicators of woodworm. If you see are as with small holes scattered round this piece, this is very likely to be a sign of woodworm. Make certain the item is treated until you take it in to a house, because it could distribute to another furnishings!

Check for replacements

Ideally, even when you are buying antique furniture, you are on the lookout for a completely original slice.

This usually means no contemporary addons. It may possibly be an older bolt has been replaced with a newer a brand new drawer was installed.

Possess the handles already been substituted?

Check carefully to see whether every piece is an original classic.

Find a title

Throughout your inspection of this item, you should be checking to get a label, signature or stamp.

If you are fortunate enough to spot one you could be able to find out who left this piece.

You may also be equipped to delve slightly more to its history. Advice for example, exactly how, where and if can be shown using a excellent signature.

Check everywhere but especially about the back and underside of all drawers, behind the bit and the decreased edges.

You may possibly discover something but signatures and tags may likewise be falsified. Watch out for a similar degree of wear on the label, and feel the paper to see whether there is a age to it.

Stamps and tags start to seem much more extensively on furniture out of the 19th century, so so don't expect them on earlier bits. So in the event you think the antique you are scrutinizing is elderly, then you ought to bear that in mind.

Watch out to reproductions

The demand for classic furniture has observed a lot of fakes appear available on the marketplace - and sometimes they are able to look nearly the same as the real thing!

To be certain that you're buying genuine classic furniture and also not really a knock-off, you will need to acquire your magnifying glass out and also do some true detective workout.

Examine the item to get tear and wear. When there exists only just a tiny bit here and there, that might imply a old slice. You also ought to start looking for filth from the corners of drawers that, once more, suggest age.

[ecotone99]

[HR] A Day Off for Jane

This was not an ordinary day for Jane McCabe. Not because of anything scandalous happening, but precisely because nothing was. Jane wasn’t fighting back over zealous paparazzi or being carted from dark cars into nondescript building entrances by armed guards. She wasn’t dodging hordes of ravenous fans clamoring for a piece of her or feeling the blood in her veins turn to ice as tabloid photos of her bare, tanned body parts inexplicably surfaced, clogging up media outlets.

Yes, this sweltering and stagnant summer day in Los Angeles was a rare day off for someone as famous as the incomparable and alluring Miss Jane McCabe. Her schedule was absent of photo shoots, back-to-back interviews, or hours paralyzed in a make up chair being painted and coiffed to appear as alive as possible thanks to meager portions of peaceful rest obtained after parading about at various late-night gatherings. Not today. Today, Jane was going to do nothing but hide away in her ivory, Spanish-style bungalow, sipping glass after glass of juniper scented Gimlets, reading true crime novels, and finally getting the chance to hack away at the overgrown bougainvillea on her back patio. She had informed her agent that she was on “Do Not Disturb” mode for the next 24-hours, taking deliberate effort to hide her phones, turned off, in a drawer in the kitchen.

It had been nearly eleven months since Jane could remember having so much alone time, the last occasion being the day after her 30th birthday when, in the aftermath of a costume party gone wild, she had snuck away, still in her Black Dahlia costume, and locked herself in her guest house waiting for all the ass kissers and blood suckers to scatter. She had achieved nearly twelve hours of solitude in that 100-square foot box, reading, and often just breathing while she stared glassy-eyed at the ceiling thinking about how different her life had become.

Jane was raised in Lynchburg, Tennessee, a far cry from the star-filled hills of Los Angeles. Her parents, Don and Wilma McCabe, owned a local funeral home, one of the busiest in town. Jane’s parents were not highly educated but they were compassionate, sincere people who saw funerals as a person’s last chance to leave an impression on the world, a final curtain call so to speak, and took great effort to ensure their “clients” went out as dignified as possible. Jane can remember, around the time she was ten years old, watching her mother transform the stiff cornflower blue face of an elderly woman into a living, breathing grandmother again. A flick of eyeliner here, a stroke of bronzer there, the careful dusting of pink upon the lips just to brighten things up, and Jane swore the old woman would be back baking cookies after waking from her nap.

Sometimes, if Jane had done an outstanding job on her chores around the funeral home, Wilma would let her choose from a kaleidoscope of eye shadows to use on that day’s client. Jane nearly always chose something as close to gold as possible. She thought any color that resembled such a valuable metal would be a fitting tribute to someone as they passed over to the other side. Jane had read in school about elaborate Egyptian burials, adorning their dead with dazzling jewels and precious metals, gilding them to the max for their last limo ride. As a kid, Jane always had a hard time telling hearses and limos apart, especially since limousines were such a rare sight around Lynchburg. Whenever one would go by, Jane imagined herself a sparkling starlet, waving gingerly through the open window at her adoring fans. She could practically hear the rousing applause vibrate through her body, see the flashes of cameras exploding like fireworks all around her. She would emerge from the limo, one long beautiful leg at a time, wearing a glimmering ruby gown like Dorothy’s slippers. Her parents hated the idea of their innocent little Jane living in a wicked city like Los Angeles. But Jane couldn’t be convinced to abandon her dream of a life brimming with decadence and glamour. She craved it like the customers at the funeral home craved seeing their loved ones again. It was the only thing she imagined could ever make her whole.

Jane mixed her morning cocktail with the finesse of a veteran bar tender, one of the many skills she picked up working odd jobs while trying to get her big break in the City of Angels. She preferred any drink with gin in it because the aroma reminded her of pine trees and the winter time, her favorite season. At least, it was, back when winter meant snow dusted window panes and nutmeg spiced cobblers sizzling in the oven. Jane was determined to see her parents for the holidays this year, having been too busy out on location the last four Christmases. The sight of another cheap fake tree set up in her trailer, blinking its sorrowful lights like the neon sign of a backroad strip joint was too depressing to suffer through again. This year, Jane McCabe was going home.

Jane pushed open the accordion of glass panels that walled in her living room, breaking the separation between inside and outside. She didn’t mind the summer heat here so much, having grown up in the humid muck of the South. The bone-dry air of Los Angeles was nothing compared to summers in Lynchburg where the dense atmosphere suffocated you after more than five minutes outside. She rested her drink near the book she intended to disappear into later and went to work on her flower bush. As the magenta buds fell around her toes, Jane McCabe reveled in her brief moment of freedom.

Weeks later, as the summer heat wafted away to be replaced by the savior of autumn, the tabloids were abuzz again, incessantly running stories and flashing explicit photos with no end in sight. The talking heads on television gobbled up every last morsel they could find that would guarantee their ratings stayed up for another week, even if the public was becoming physically ill at the thought of another rehashing of the same tale. It was simply too hard to resist. Like vultures they circled and circled, fighting over scraps, and proudly exhibiting their blood-soaked feathers.

It was the story of the century, they said. Jane’s body had been found first, roasting in the sun on the back patio of her Los Angeles home. Her head took longer to locate, but was said to still be stunning, with gold dusted eyelids and cotton candy pink lips. They paraded about photos of her blood-spattered legs emerging from beneath her red silk robe, showing just enough ass cheek not to require censure. A crazed fan had scaled the young star’s privacy wall, and armed with garden shears, easily entered the open-air style home. Miss McCabe’s agent had little comment on his deceased client and rebuffed his alleged failure to protect the actress, except to say that she had “requested the day off.”

submitted by /u/barrygoodewriter [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/3hTGW36