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motherloads · 2 years ago

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Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight

Disclaimer: I absolutely love Jenny in the film! Too bad I like writing miscommunication. No bashing of Jenny!

The reader was supposed to be brooding and menacing? But she’s a wreck with a symbiote lol.

My spanish is also pretty meh in writing despite being Mexican myself. I speak better than I write! Pls keep that in mind ◡̈

Summary: The reader watches on the sidelines as Jenny and her longtime crush, Jaime Reyes become close to one another. Being Milagro's closest friend, she dreads when she has to come over and see the lovebirds.

But who says her little friend would allow this to happen? And who says what she sees is true?

->Pairings: Jaime Reyes x F!Reader

-> Use of (Name).

-> Marvel/DC crossover (mentioned Eddie Brock, Peter Parker, and relations to other fic)

->Warning: So much miscommunication, murder talk, and spinal cord removal :(

Once again, please ignore grammar mistakes.

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I'm the sweetest girl in town so why are you so mean? When you gonna ditch that stupid, you got? It's me you should be seeing.

"Are you just going to continue to stare?" Milagro questions her close friend, who stares at her brother with a pair of love-sick eyes. "Dude, just go talk to him."

"Can't really do that," Her friend hums in response, "Look, Kord is walking over to him. Now he's going to have the brightest smile ever and then they'll hug Then she's going to pat him on the back and start helping him with your house remodel. Look! They're doing it!"

Exactly at that point, Jaime laughs as Jenny pushes him over, grabbing the paintbrush on her own and assisting him with the cream-colored outer walls. Jaime shakes his head in response, nudging her back.

"So what? I'm his sister, and what I can tell you is that they are NOT together. They're just really good friends!" Milagro explains, quieting down when Jaime looks over. "Come on, clear it up. I don't want to see my best friend so sad."

"I'm grieving," She pouts, lowering herself into the chair, "You don't see what I see. They are definitely together."

"Si no lo preguntas, nunca vas a saber," Another voice exclaims. Both girls turn their heads to her mother who shakes her head at them. "Don't be shy! I don't want my future daughter-in-law to lose her chance."

Feeling her face heat up, she looks away from the older woman's words. "I know he's your son, but I can't. I'm sorry."

Maybe if you weren't such a pussy, you would have gotten the guy. Does the K-dramas we watch together not mean anything?

The sudden voice caused her to jump straight into her seat. Narc had been quiet since she had arrive at the Reyes’ house hold. She hadn’t expected them to speak at all since he rarely did when she was at their residence. At first, it was off putting to never hear the familiar voice, but she slowly grew used to the silence.

Born out of wedlock from the original symbiote, Narc had been the symbiote who had begun their stay before she arrived in this Universe. They were the only connection she had to the life she once had. Or was it the other being stuck here as well? She wasn’t sure, she ignored all contact to the woman connected to her in more ways than one.

"K-Dramas are not real, idiot." She hissed under her breath.

"Did you say something, Mija?" Mrs. Reyes questions, resting her hand under the woman's chin. "You often talk to yourself, just like little Jaime."

"Mama!" Jaime calls out, "I'm not little anymore! Come on, don't tell her that!"

"You are little, cabrón. Don't you remember the incident? Naked con tus chiquito huevitos." His Uncle Rudy cackles, "Don't you remember that, ama?"

Their Nana shakes her head in response, smiling broadly at the memory. Milagro begins to laugh as well while Jenny sits beside the girls with a small nod in the direction of (Name). She returns the gesture, crossing her hands as she ignored how hard her heart hammered.

"I'm lost," (Name) murmurs, "So, so lost...But anyway, I have to head out. Thank you for having me!"

"Come by anytime, (Name)." Jaime grins, walking up to her and hugging the girl tightly, "Just remember to ignore anything they say about me, okay? Don't want them ruining anything."

"They're your family, I don't think they are capable of doing so," She pats his back, looking down at Milagro who fake kisses the air in front of her. Jenny seems to notice as she raises her eyebrows at the duo still hugging.

"You can let me go now, Jaime." (Name) murmurs into his ear, "Don't want her getting the wrong idea."

Jaime pulls away, smiling at the girl in front of him. His eyes flickered down for a second before he looked back at her, "Sorry?" She smiles sadly at him as she moves towards her vehicle. She refuses to look at the family behind her as she hears the conversation pick up again.

I think we should kill her.

"Absolutely not. There is a new hero here, Narc. We can't just murder a well-known figure and expect to get away with it." She groans, buckling her seat belt. She looks back at the family once more as she shifts her gear to drive.

We've done it once. And we can do it again.

"I don't think killing the Green Goblin counts for anything! He was already crazier than us, so the headlines were thanking us!" She exclaims.

His brain was nasty anyway.

⋆｡°✩

"Do you think Blue Beetle is cool?" Milagro asks, absentmindedly moving her straw around in boredom. "Personally, I think he's a huge nerd. What do you think?"

"Who says you can bother me on my shift?" (Name) frowns, cleaning the bar top in front of her, "And how did they let you in?"

"I have my ways," Milagro grins, "Answer my question. I need to know."

"I think he's...unique? From the news I have seen of him, it's obvious he is of Hispanic Descent. His suit is otherworldly, so I'm assuming it's some kind of alien tech he is using. Definitely not Superman, though." (Name) shrugs, moving the alcoholic beverages aside as she begins assisting the bartenders alongside her.

"Do you think he's cute under his mask?" Milagro leans closer, "Would you date him?"

I would eat him.

"I wouldn't eat him," (Name) responds instead. She pauses as the conversation around her began to quiet down. Some stared at her while others whispered to their compadres nearby.

"I...didn't ask that? I asked if you think he's cute and if you would date him. Dude, where the hell is your mind thinking right now?" Milagro whispers, eyeing the men nearby, "God, I’ve always hated this bar. A bunch of chismosos who are almost always cheating on their wives here. They're always eyeing you too. How do you handle that?"

"First, I can't tell if Blue Beetle is cute based on his voice. Second, I wouldn't date him since I am sooo hung up on your brother." Milagro snorts. "Lastly, this is the only bar that offers the minimum wage. I can handle drunk men well, I've always had."

The conversation began to pick up again as most began focusing on the news displayed in front of them. Blue Beetle was shown on live television, fighting off rogue soldiers from Victoria Kord's force. Despite the woman being long gone, the impact she made had not quite disappeared.

"I knew you were still into him! I say you ask him out! You ain't a homewrecker if he isn't in a relationship!"

"Didn't you say Kord and Jaime kissed? That your whole family cheered for the couple?"

"A fluke! It's a fluke I swear, but it is complicated! Just ask Jaime, please? It would be so cool for us to be family."

"If our lives are ever in danger at this very bar, then I'll ask." (Name) turns away from Milagro's eyes, "That means it will never ha-"

Her voice gets cut off when bullets begin hitting the bar's windows, causing the occupants to duck down to safety. Many of the drunken men tried to escape but most were quickly shot down by the bullets.

Milagro screams, ducking down into a crouch as the bullets continue. (Name) ignores the danger as she maneuvers her way through the destruction. She grabs Milagro, forcing the girl to look her in the eyes. "I need you to hide behind the bar, okay? The bullets won't get you. We will protect you.”

"W-who's we?" Milagro cries as (Name) pushes her behind the bar. There was silence for a moment as screams echoed in the bar. "(Name)? Where are you going?" She pushed Milagro down, moving her way from the bar corner as she looked at the bodies around her. Many men stayed below tables, looking at her in fear as she counted the people alive.

"Nobody get up. It’s not ove-" Her words get cut off when bullets pierce through her whole body. She is flung against the countertop as a bullet pierces too close to her heart. She hears her name being called out as Milagro tries to find her way to the woman.

She smiles at the tear-stained face in her vision. The fear in the other girl's eyes was evident as she continued to scream her name. At that moment, smoke bombs are thrown through the window. The screams had begun to mesh together, the fog covering the vision of the little who were still alive.

She feels the blood oozing out of her mouth, the familiar metallic filling up her mouth. She sputters, not being able to breathe.

It's your turn.

My turn.

Shoes stepping on glass were all everyone heard as the perpetrators stepped through the mess they caused. They held their gun up in return, moving through the fog stealthily. As they communicated with one another, they grew unnoticed by the thing they had angered.

"Find the Reyes girl. She is to be left alive." One spoke up, "Kill every survivor." The main soldier calls out. They await the confirmation of the others but they hear nothing. "I need an affirmative."

The soldier gets smacked in response, feeling themselves recoil from the weight against their body. When they look down at the unfamiliar weight, they begin to scream.

The weight crushing them was there comrade. Left unrecognizable with no head in sight. The blood wafts through their mask. They begin to gag as they try to pull the body off of them. They freeze up when a bloodied helmet rolls closer. Empty and dented, the helmet hits their shoe with a loud clank.

The fog begins to clear up, displaying the mess left behind. The soldier tensed when they noticed the bodies presented around the room. Many hung from the lights, their necks cracking from the added weight of their helmet. Others were hazardously thrown against tables. One had a table leg pierced through their helmet.

"Why must humans be so selfish? Is this fun for you, you pathetic piece of shit?" The soldier whimpers in response, turning their eyes away from the figure crouching in front of their face.

The creature, despite crouching, was still overlooking the only soldier left alive. The disarray and multi-color of the night sky reflected back to the onlookers who began to murmur about the new being. They tilt their head and leaned closer to the soldier, their bright, soulless eyes stared into the helmet. They licked the sharp smile forming from the fear they felt radiating off the soldier.

"Unlike the Blue Beetle, we do not care about the lives of our victims. What do you think happens next?"

"W-What the hell are you?"

"If you must know, my host has named us Narc. Will you beg for your life now?"

The Soldier rips their helmet off, looking at Narc with a look of fear, "Please. Please. I'm sorry. I'll never do this again, please!"

"He had once told us the same. You are just like the others. Pathetic. Unworthy. A perfect meal."

A scream is ripped through his victim's vocal cords as Narc bites down. Blood seeped through their mouth as they ripped out the spinal cord in one sharp turn. Narc stands, spitting their leftovers to the side.

"Hey, ugly!" A voice called out, "What the hell are you doing, man?"

Narc cranes their neck towards the entrance of the bar, watching as Blue Beetle floated at his place. They both stared at each other, unmoving.

"Blue Beetle!" A voice calls out, Milagro moving from her hiding spot to the blue-and-black-clad hero. "My friend is gone! She was just--where is she?" She turns her head towards Narc, who stares down at the shaking girl.

"Get away from it!" Blue Beetle yells, flying through the bar as he centers himself between Milagro and Narc. "Take it up with me and not the civilians!"

"He just--he ate all the soldiers--" Milagro gasps, stepping behind Blue Beetle, "I saw what he did--"

"You--What the hell are you?" Blue Beetle points his palms toward Narc, who continues to stare in silence.

"Does my figure scare you? I can hear your heartbeat." Narc cranes their head towards Milagro. Blue Beetle blocks her from their eyesight. “Worry not, we do not hurt the innocent.”

With those words, Narc feels their familiar bulking figure die down to their less impending figure. The duo are lost for words at the new figure presented in front of them.

"I'm so sorry I think I misgendered you--" Milagro's eyes stayed pinned to the pair of boobs Narc had.

"Where's (Name)?" Blue Beetle turns his head around, "Khaji-Da says she is still here! She was working, right?" His questions are to Milagro.

None of the three seemed to notice the survivors running out of the bar.

"She is here. With me." Narc hums, moving closer to Blue Beetle, "Is Khaji-Da your symbiote?"

"Symb--what? What do you mean (Name) is with you?"

"Jaime Reyes. You are a host are you not?"

"Stop avoiding my questions! Where is she?! How do you know my name--That is not my name! I do not know Jaime Reyes. Do you?"

"I have known of the scarab on your back since the beginning. Do not worry, (Name) remains clueless, for now."

"Why are you saying her name as if you know her?" Milagro questions.

Narc purrs, tilting their head closer to Blue Beetle who stepped back hesitantly. "We have known each other for a long time. We are bonded together until she dies. She is my key to survival in your world. She is me. I am her. We are one. We are Narc."

“Like Narcotics? Did she get you from a drug? She doesn’t seem like the type to do drugs.” Milagro questions, stepping closer to the duo, “And why are you so close? I can smell you from here!”

“We are host and symbiote. We am not from here, you see. Your alien won’t know of us.”

Milagro and Blue Beetle share a look, communicating with silent words. Blue Beetle lowers his hand, allowing Narc to step closer. The symbiote smiles, their purrs growing louder.

“I see why she likes you.”

With those words, Narc sinks into (Name)'s skin, leaving the woman defenseless from the eyes of her long-time crush and friend. She drops to the floor, her wounds patching over themselves with a familiar goo.

Blue Beetle drops to the floor, bringing (Name) close to his body. He rocks her back and forth as Milagro stumbles beside him. Her eyes were bloodshot and the tears that disappeared has formed all over again.

"Why didn't she tell us? Why didn't she tell me?" Blue Beetle, now Jaime who removed his helmet. He leans his forehead on the woman and murmurs into her hair. He kisses her temple as Milagro continues to cry.

"Why didn't she tell us her hero name is literally short for Narcotics?!"

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(Name) awakes to a horrible headache splintering her head. She groans as she shifts closer to the warmth of an unfamiliar body. She nuzzles in closer to the warmth, groaning at the light against her eyelids.

"Narc turn off the lights...I feel like I've just been shot." She moans, gripping her blanket tighter against her body, "I'm going out with Milagro later. I have to go buy cat food..."

"Milagro is taking care of Eddie, don't worry." A familiar voice whispers against her head, "Just go back to sleep. I'll block the sunlight."

"Thanks, Jaime..." Processing the name that came out, she jumps away from the warmth. She stares at Jaime, who stares back in equal shock and sleepiness. His hair was a mess, pointing in different directions. She presses her hand to her mouth, gasping behind it.

"Oh my god. We didn't have sex, did we? If so, that would be awkward because you are my best friend's brother and you literally have a girlfriend. I can't even get drunk so it's impossible for me to forget--oh my god am I in your house?"

"Hey, Hey," Jaime soothes her, smiling at the woman freaking out in his bed, "We didn't have sex and we were not drunk. You were...shot multiple times and some things came to light, but it's okay now, I promise."

"I'm still sleeping in your bed though! You could have left me, being shot doesn't stop me! We were holding each other?! What would Kord think if she saw this now?" She grips the unfamiliar sweater covering her body, feeling her legs shift through from under the sheets and hit against Jaime's.

"Jenny? What about Jenny? We aren't...We aren't dating if that's what you're worried about." Jaime grabbed her by the face, locking eyes with her who looked anywhere but him. "I can't just leave you when you were hurt."

"Milagro said you two kissed."

"We did once have feelings for each other. But it's long gone now, it was just a...heat of a moment kind of thing." Jaime brings her cheeks towards his chest, which she just noticed had nothing covering him from her eyes. Her hands stopped short on his stomach. She felt his stomach flutter in response.

"Besides, I like someone else. I like you."

She feels her heart stop at his confession.

Knew it.

"No shit." She exclaims, looking up at Jaime who smiles down at her doe-like look.

"I do." He whispers back. They both stared at one another until he leaned closer to her face. She felt his breath fan her face as she wrinkled her nose.

"You stink." She snorts, moving her hands to the back of his neck. He laughs at her words.

"Yours smells much worse. Now, come here--" She cuts him off, smashing her lips to his. He holds her waist, bringing her to sit on his lap. Her tongue finds his, leaning closer as her hand moves to stay on his chest. Biting his lip, she softly sucks it lightly. She opens her eyes to find his eyes half-lidded, enjoying the moment.

When she pulls away, her lips find his neck, kissing down to his collarbone. Pulling her hand back to his neck, she inhales his scent.

"Couldn't have waited until I was asleep. You are always like this. The same exact way with Peter Parker."

They both jump at the new voice, turning their heads towards Narc who floated their head around the room, reading the boxes that held different items. She turns her head to Jaime, eyes wide, waiting for him to begin screaming.

"Narc-uh. They explained more about your origins with each other. After finding them standing in a bloodbath, Milagro and I thought the worst had happened but someone--something told me to let Narc explain."

"They told you about our.... situationship?" She questions, gripping onto Jaime's bicep. "You're supposed to be running away--not making out with me!"

"And you! You aren't supposed to be out. You're grounded!" She growls, pulling Jaime's face into the crook of her neck, "You told him everything, huh? Why can't you ever keep secrets? She'll be angry our cover was blown!"

She ignored the look Narc gives, opting to continue her rant, “Asshole, is it because I’m not letting you meet Red Robin? You know it isn’t allowed!”

"The other youngling saw you get shot. Was I supposed to act as if I ate you instead?"

"Actually, yes! Nobody is supposed to know, you promised. We promised Eddie."

"You made a promise to your cat?" Jaime's muffled voice questions. Despite the situation, he bites her neck. "Who is Peter Parker?"

She glares at Narc, who innocently whistles. "No one Jaime, he is no one."

"Former boy toy." Narc responds instead, "Hell of an amateur kisser."

"You kissed him! Not me!" She turns to Jaime, pulling his head back to stare at him, "I'm so sorry, I don't know why they're acting this way. I'll go right now, seriously. I don't want you in our mess."

"Relax," Jaime comforts, grabbing her hand that stayed on his cheek. He smiles at her, "I can protect myself. Look--"

She felt him shift from under her, watching in shock as his body began to be covered by a familiar suit she had seen countlessly on television. Everything except his face was covered in armor. Whilst she analyzed the markings on his suit, Narc moved closer as well.

"Does your scarab only speak to you?" Narc asks, "It is unlike anything I have seen on my planet. Do you feed them as well?"

"They aren't really fed? They don't need sustenance. Khaji-Da only talks to me in my head so they're like a second voice...and planet?"

"This is going to be a long talk," She sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly, "At least you don't have to feed them human brains..."

"What?" Jaime recoils, looking at the two with wide eyes, "I'm sorry? Brains? Like Zombies? The Walking Dead? Like zombies from The Last of Us?!"

"I thought you told him everything!"

"I would never tell of my eating habits! Humans are judgemental!"

#blue beetle #blue beetle x reader #jaime reyes x reader #milagro reyes #symbiote #marvel universe #dc universe #crossover #i lauv xolo #reader insert #lol y r ppl so messy

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silverzoomies · 7 months ago

Text

Angels

peter maximoff x reader

warnings: peter being a goober, he watches porn for like half a second, it's highkey a stranger things crossover, my dialogue is goofy as hell

word count: 5,240

a/n: had a lot of fun with this one !! a while back, my buddy @quickandsilvers (now deactivated, and i can't find their new acc) requested a fic where he works in a video store and makes a fool of himself. i think i strayed from their prompt a lot, but i hope they don't mind. sorry about the stranger things crossover !! it happened naturally while writing it, and i couldn't stop thinking about steve and peter interacting. lol

Like a responsible adult, Peter spent the span of an entire month “studying” for his GED final. His rapid fire attention span made focusing a tough feat, even past his years of high school age hyperactivity. Which was the very reason he had to study so friggin hard for his GED in the first place. Peter never graduated high school. And because he never graduated high school, he didn’t really know what real studying was. “Studying” for him mostly entailed speed reading, once or twice over. Before he called it quits and bolted away to do…Peter stuff.

He was honestly really proud of himself for sticking it out, though. Much to his mother’s most pleasant surprise. Peter carried a perfect attendance streak through all his classes. A wildly stark contrast to his self proclaimed, unmatched ditch streak back in high school. In hindsight, that wasn’t something worth boasting about.

But all his hard work and bonafide effort proved supremely disappointing…when he flunked the final anyway.

Peter’s chest ached, as though someone tore his heart out, stomped on it, then double tapped for good measure. In a fit of unbridled frustration, Peter raced across the entire planet to burn out his rage. His blood boiled hot in his veins. After circling the globe about a gajillion times, he finally skidded to a stop. Somewhere in Indiana.

His clothes were all tattered and covered in holes. Burned from supersonic force. The soles of his favorite shoes turned to ash, crying smoke like a bonfire. Painful blisters littered his feet. But in his defeated haze, he couldn’t find the energy to care. Barefoot and blistered, Peter walked to the nearest payphone, his head tipped back in shame.

He could only imagine how devastated his mom would be.

It broke Peter’s heart, knowing he’d have to call her and ruin her day. After she promised to take him and his sisters out for a celebratory dinner. All you can eat Chinese! - she said. Being on the receiving end of bad news was one thing. But delivering said news to one’s mother - after an entire lifetime spent letting her down? That sucked unimaginably more.

At the payphone - after tossing his desecrated shoes in the trash - Peter hesitantly brought the handset to his ear. Deep breath in. Now, breathe out. He leaned against the glass of the phone booth. Over the line, his mother’s voice lost all liveliness. And a moment later, Wanda took over instead, sounding majorly peeved off. She threw all kinds of accusations at him - Did you even try, Piet? I thought you were taking this seriously! You said you studied! You totally dashed mom’s hopes!

Peter rolled his finger through one of the holes in his Queen shirt. Mannnn. Friggin sucks. He got that one from the totally sick Hot Space Tour. He even took Wanda with him, and they had the most righteous time. With her so disappointed on the phone like this, it hurt to recall any fond memories. Peter pinched the bridge of his nose. He tried cracking a half-assed joke to lighten the mood.

“Soooooo…no Chinese tonight then?”

Yeah, nah. Sis didn’t take to that one too well. Peter hated arguing with her, but the two spat back and forth for about five minutes. Peter bumped his head against the glass as his stress ran up to mach ten. Gathering whatever patience he had left - a microscopic amount, at this point - he apologized, told his sister he loved her, and hung up. Once he stepped outside of the phone booth, he heaved a long groan.

Peter’s fingers twitched at his sides. Taking a quick glance upward, he noticed a nearby video store. A Family Video, nestled in a strip mall next to an arcade. Narrowing his eyes, Peter chewed his lip in contemplation.

And he made a supremely stupid move.

A millenia passed since Peter gave into his klepto compulsions. Maybe old habits die hard, as they say.

At the Hawkins PD, the chief lingered nearby in a rickety, metal chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The night seemed to drag for eons, as Peter paced barefoot in restless circles…within the confines of a lonesome jail cell. Since Hawkins was such a small town, hardly any of the feds were familiar with the X-Men. Mutants were a rare commodity. They sooner thought Peter was a hobo the chief picked up off the street.

Come next morning, Peter got an earful from Chuck. Thankfully, the generous prof forgave Peter for his colossal fuck-ups. He even paid Peter’s bail. And while the speedster felt even more sick with guilt because of it; he was grateful he wouldn’t have to spend another second in nowhere town Indiana.

Tormentous boredom aside; for some reason, the place gave Peter the creeps.

Falling victim to his own compulsions proved a major setback on all fronts. After Chuck chewed Peter out over the phone, he broke even more bad news. Apparently, the Family Video manager made a major stink about Peter’s thievery. Even called in a complaint to Xavier’s school. The guy went so far as to blame mutants for their “dishonesty.” A completely baseless generalization. All because of some dumb knucklehead’s reckless behavior.

Chuck convinced the asshole to let Peter off the hook. Only if the speedster made up for it by working a summer’s job at Family Video. A short-term punishment. At least until Autumn, when Peter got another shot at his GED. The professor basically grounded Peter from X-Men stuff. Awesome. Heck, technically, he grounded him from the mansion altogether. Cool beans. Thumbs up. Hunky dory.

Hell no. Peter was an adult. Not a teenager who needed to be disciplined after disobeying papa’s orders. He didn’t even really have a papa. In fact, papa disappeared off the face of the planet just a few years back.

Peter digressed. Whatever, right? Grown men messed up all the time. So what if he made a few minor missteps on the road to personal development?

And he would’ve argued these points, had something in Chuck’s honest voice not guilted him into silence.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to wear a stupid vest or anything.

The sweltering hot month of June.

Quicksilver should be out kicking ass, causing trouble, stealing hearts (playing video games, tampering with tech, being a total nerd).

Instead, he found himself leaning on the counter of a Family Video register in Indiana.

Peter had never worked an everyman’s retail job in his life. And holy smokes, was it slow. The days ran slower than a sloth in cement shoes. At any given moment, Peter swore he was nanoseconds away from dying of boredom. Literally. Call him melodramatic, but the monotony of day-to-day living sucked the speedy soul out of him. Only a few weeks passed since he “joined the Family Video team.” But all he ever did was idle behind the counter like a chud, gorging on snacks and watching MTV.

Whenever the news reported another X-Men victory, achieved without the help of the team’s one and only speedster; Peter felt the urge to run around the globe again. All he wanted was to shake off his temperament until his legs gave out. But alas. His feet stayed planted on freshly mopped linoleum, in the confines of VHS rental hell.

On the flip side, at least his new shoes were still intact.

Peter spent his days doing mind-numbing activities like reorganizing shelves, sorting movies by genre, and mopping floors. Playing with the label maker was kinda fun. Totally not even a little boring. Nope. Peter never daydreamed some psycho might rob the place, just so he’d have an excuse to be Quicksilver again.

Why would he? When he could play with that sweet label maker.

Yawn.

Thankfully, he wasn’t completely alone. Not that he minded much either way. Solitude and Peter went together like Han Solo and Chewy. But another guy worked the same shift as Peter. Some dude named Steve, with great hair and a metric fuckton of pins all over his vest. He swore up and down, his friend Robin insisted he cover himself head to toe in them. Because something something “chicks totally dig a guy with accessories.”

Peter never met Robin, since her hours were all jacked up. But judging by the Rainbow Brite, Care Bear, and Garbage Pail Kids pins all over Steve’s vest; Peter knew she had to be pulling her pal’s leg.

Which…alright. Cool. He could respect that.

Steve was a decent enough guy and super chill to talk to. He got along great with the group of hellions who always came in, looking for nerdy flicks like Clash of the Titans. Peter once spent a whole afternoon debating Star Wars logistics with them; arguing whether or not Ewoks had any justifiable place in Return of the Jedi. But, come on, those fuzzballs were kinda cool.

And Peter refused to admit he had a few Ewok figures in his collection back in Westchester.

Neither Steve, nor his munchkins seemed to have any qualms about mutants. The only thing he ever bitched about was Peter’s effortless ability to stay in tip-top shape.

“It’s so bullshit, man.” He blatantly complained, “You can pig out on Twinkies all day and still look like that. What does your metabolism run on? Jet fuel?”

Peter’s beady eyes darted swiftly back and forth, across the pages of Lord of the Rings. One of Steve’s little minions gave the speedster a used copy. Worn at the edges. Barely held together by the spine. Peter hadn’t read a real book by choice since middle school. As he skimmed through it at a remarkable pace, he spoke through a creamy bite of Twinkie.

“Flux Capacitor.”

Shame. Sucks for Steve. The dude was obviously good looking. But he somehow fumbled his attempts at flirting with cute chicks. Not to mention, his opportunities came so few and far in between, with Peter there to steal the show. And while some small-town ladies had a tendency to scrunch their noses and sneer at the presence of a mutant - others recognized him as a hero. One of the X-Men. On the rare chance a cutie walked in with her besties following along; they sometimes whispered amongst each other.

"Isn’t he with the X-Men?” “Oh my god, he is!” “Which one is he?” “I think he’s the fast one.” “How fast is he though?” “Oh, he’s, like, so mega fast. Like a speeding bullet on legs.” “Whoa. He’s kinda cute.” “What do you think his calves look like?” “I like his hair.” “What’s he doing here in Hawkins?” “Do you think he’s undercover?” “He looks so ripped.”

Chewing his gum and secretly listening in, Peter cheesed a grin from ear to ear like a doofus. And he soon fell into a shameless habit, letting awestruck girls cop a feel of real, superhero muscles and speedster calves. Hard as vibranium, vascular like Commodore 64 wiring.

What?? Give him a break! Back in Westchester, girls never gave him a second glance.

The endless quiet and steady pace of everyday living drove Peter up a freaking wall after a while. A month in, he felt himself going stir crazy. Peter continuously thought about zipping out for a quick run. One whole second tops. Just to make a break for a slushie at the gas station down the street. Steve even swore he wouldn’t rat Peter out if he bailed and came back. Cuz, like, seriously…who would notice?

But in the back of his mind somewhere, Peter heard Chuck’s voice. A guilty reminder to slow his roll. Stop and smell the roses. The speedster had his impulses, sure. But he wasn’t so weak willed. Peter knew, deep in his heart, he could do better. Hell, he was better. A true master of self control. No problem-o.

Except…he totally wasn’t.

Hand to god, Peter was, and would always be a colossal jackass.

He affirmed this brutally honest fact with himself the first time he met you.

That night, the store seemed like a barren ghost town. Not a customer in sight. Most of the town’s locals were out having fun at a traveling carnival. Steve even took the day off to chaperone his hobbit posse. He stopped by just to give Peter his pin-covered vest, and left his esteemed colleague to stew in his own boredom. Wasting away behind the counter, restless as ever; Peter dreamed of carnival funnel cake.

And why not sneak away for a quick sec? Just to grab himself something sweet. He liked to think he earned it.

Peter zipped to the carnival, paid for some funnel cake, tied Steve’s shoelaces together, and returned to the store in a flash. Leaning comfortably back on a metal stool; he stuffed his gullet with fried delights. Sweet, doughy goodness. Powdered sugar coated his fingers and dusted the corners of his mouth. Peter kept his legs hiked up, dirty sneakers crossed on the countertop. Whatevs. He’d wipe ‘em down before he closed up shop in two hours.

His lidded eyes gaped lazily at one of theTVs hanging from the ceiling. Peter shamelessly watched a wildly inappropriate porno. A filthy flick he snatched from the restricted section and popped in. Partly out of boredom. Mostly out of morbid curiosity. Angels of Passion. Peter sat through an hour of hilariously raunchy scenes - all featuring steamy, angel hanky panky. Talk about divine intervention. He snickered to himself as heat pooled in his cheeks.

A blonde bombshell gyrated her hips in some dude’s lap, rolling her bush, bouncing to the beat of a catchy, unidentifiable song. Her explicit moans echoed lewdly over that earworm of a tune. Jesus, she was really going for it. Looked like she, uh…liked it, actually. Blood in Peter’s cheeks rushed south at warp speed. He felt a familiar tightening in his groin. With funnel cake crammed between his powdery lips, he adjusted himself in his jeans. Smearing powdered sugar carelessly over his crotch.

And he nearly choked to death when a voice he didn’t recognize called his name.

“Wow. Quicksilver? Is that you? Whatcha watchin?”

Oh. Oh, it wasn’t just his name name. But his hero name. Peter whipped his head around, his dark eyes widening as he met yours. Brows raised. Gazing humorously at him as though he were a bozo. Just his luck. A random customer - a very cute customer - picked the most optimal time to walk in. And there he was, the X-Men’s famous speedster; covered in powdered sugar, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk, Care Bear and Rainbow Brite pins all over his vest, a stiffy in his jeans, a nasty porno playing in the background.

What a huge lamebrain, you probably thought.

Peter blinked, and so did you. Time seemed to stretch in a long, awkward moment. Someone should honestly just shoot him and be done with it. From his perspective, an hour passed before he got his shit together. But from your perspective, he was there in a second. Leaning casually over the counter on his elbow, his other hand on his hip. The TV blared reruns of MTV music videos, with Madonna singin’ loud. The very same TV you caught him watching dirty movies on - just for the hell of it. Purely for entertainment’s sake, mind you.

And bizarrely enough, your expression held no judgment.

Furrowing his mercury brows, Peter wiped the last trace of powdered sugar from his lips. He cleared his throat and gave you a careless nod of his head. Stay cool. Stay collected. It wasn’t like his mom caught him with his pants down or something. He put on his best customer service smile. A grin so fake, his dimples vanished into hiding. Time to get the ball rolling before he lost whatever dignity he had left.

Peter hated Indiana. Like, really hated it.

He spoke fast, the words tumbling past his lips at the speed of light.

“That?Thatwasnothing.” Peter blurted out, his mouth running a hundred miles an hour. His fingers tapped anxiously on the countertop. Your curious gaze flicked down to them, before looking into his coke-brown eyes again. His face erupted in flames as he kept rambling, punctuating each sentence with an uneasy laugh, “I wasn’t watching anything. Just some lame religious documentary. Y’know. A real snore fest. I swear, I was this close to takin’ a nap.”

You laughed.

No lie, he wasn’t expecting you to laugh like that. The sound sliced through the tension in the air, catching him off guard. Peter’s breath caught in his throat. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His forced smile curled up involuntarily, revealing his dimples for real this time.

“Yeah? Huh. For some lame documentary, you looked pretty into it. I’m surprised you heard me at all.”

“Eh, you’re not wrong. Puts a whole new meaning to goin’ heels to Jesus, doesn’t it?”

You let out another laugh, and your voice cracked. Blush creeped over your face from the neck up. A surge of shyness overtook Peter. Running a hand up through his hair, he searched for any words to say. And then he remembered he had a job to do.

“Anyway. Sorry. Can I help you with something?” Peter smoothed out his (Steve’s) vest, brushing powdered sugar from it like pesky snow.

“No biggie, dude. Just wondering where your horror section is.”

Peter arched his brow, “Horror, huh?”

With a cheeky smirk, he disappeared, leaving a swift gust of wind in his wake. You gasped a small peep. Pressing your hands to the counter, you leaned forward as though you were looking for him. He took the opportunity to admire your ass from where he stood between the aisles. Politely, of course.

“They’re over here.” The speedster called from his spot, keeping himself nonchalantly propped against a stand of horror mags. Your gaze flitted down to the Walkman hanging at his hip. His easy going stance made you laugh yet again - man, you made him feel like the king of comedy. You made your way to the horror section. Peter kept his eyes on you while you glanced over the tapes, “You lookin’ for anything in particular, orrrrr…”

“Nope, just looking.”

“Just looking. Got it.” Peter clicked his tongue, nodding, “Cool. Well, if you need any recs…I mean, I’m kind of a movie aficionado, so…”

“Oh, you are, are you?”

Aw, you actually humored him.

“Pfffbbt. Yeah. My twin sis is, like, super into sitcoms and stuff. But I’m the movie guy of the family.”

“And what kinda movies do you like?”

Peter didn’t miss a beat, “Star Wars, definitely. But I like Bladerunner too. ET. Robocop. Alien. Oh! Rocky’s awesome too. Scarface. I can do a crazy good Tony Montana impression. Clint Eastwood movies are cool. Conan the Barbarian. Can’t get enough of Arnold. And I’m not sayin’ Flash Gordon’s my favorite, but-”

You gaped at Peter like you saw him get hit by a car or something. He stopped himself short, pausing as he named off movies on his fingers.

“What? Not a fan?”

“Not a fan of wh-”

“Flash Gordon?”

“Is that what you said? I didn’t understand a single word of that, dude!”

Oh. Guess he got a little too amped up. The apples of Peter’s cheeks turned pink. Scratching the back of his neck, he sheepishly laughed.

“Sorry, uh…lemme start over…I like Star Wars.”

“So do I! I love Star Wa-”

Peter raised his head, fixing you with a squinty eyed, analytical look - mostly playful. He quickly cut you off again.

“What about Ewoks?”

“They’re like little teddy bears! What’s not to love?”

Points for you, cute, mystery babe.

“Oh, bitchin’. Yeah, uh-”

And like a huge doofus, Peter leaned a little too hard against the magazine stand. It tumbled to the floor as he knocked it over unintentionally. Catching himself, he flashed his teeth in a humiliated smile.

“Uh…I totally meant for that to happen.” He clarified.

Even though you laughed yet again - and sounded so, unfairly cute too - Peter vanished to the restroom to smack himself in the face a few times. Returning only to clean up the fallen magazines. Another microsecond later, he appeared behind the counter. At the register again. His summer hellscape. Purgatory.

And for now, after making such an ass of himself, he’d leave you be. Let you come to him.

You eventually did.

“Just these.” You muttered bashfully, sliding a few tapes across the counter.

Peter glanced up to look at you every few beats. Tapping away at the keypad, his agile fingers danced across the keys with finesse. And despite the speed at which he normally worked, there was an unmistakable lag in his movements. Almost deliberate. He took special care as he typed your information and logged your rentals. It was as if he prolonged the interaction on purpose, drawing out everything at a leisurely pace.

Very unlike Quicksilver.

You eyed the pins all over his (Steve's) vest.

"Nice pins." You said.

"Thanks. Care Bears are the shit."

You held back another giggle, covering your mouth to conceal it.

“Say, uhm…forgive me if I’m being too nosy. But what are you doing all the way out here in Indiana, Quicksil-” You paused, tilting your head innocently to the side. Your eyes squinted into thin slits as you read his nametag, “Peeeter? Peter, yeah.”

Peter flashed a lazy, cat-like grin, snapping his fingers and throwing a finger gun your way.

“Bingo, you got it. But, yeah, everyone else calls me Quicksilver. Except for the oldies who have no clue who I am. It’s insane being recognized sometimes. Cuz I’m just a glorified track-and-field star who ended up a wage monkey, I guess. The job sucks ass, honestly.” He chuckled, leaning against the counter, resting his weight on an elbow, “As for what I’m doin’ here? It’s top secret X-Men business.”

“Ooooh! What, like…some kinda covert op-”

“Covert operation? Yeeeeeaaaaaahhh…nah, I’m totally messin’. Let’s just say I got into some trouble and this is my punishment.” Peter chuckled softly, glancing at the films you picked out. His eyes widened as he scanned the titles, letting out a low whistle, “H’oooh. Some pretty gritty stuff here. These are brutal. Blood, guts, limbs flyin’ all over the place. You tryin’ to give yourself nightmares?”

“Eh, it’s all fake anyway. Just cheesy, dumb fun.” You giggled, taking the horror flicks from him. A jolt of electricity shot through him as your fingers brushed his own. The contact was brief, but it left a flutter in his stomach he couldn’t shake. Parting your pretty lips, you teased, “They’re way more interesting than any lame, religious documentaries.”

Peter raised a brow and gave you a bemused look, your playful comment catching him by surprise. He crossed his strong arms, restlessly tapping his finger against his bicep.

“Mhm. But that “documentary” had some pretty hot angels, not gonna lie.” He joked. Peter smirked, his eyes flickering up and down, giving you a quick once-over. He snapped his fingers again, keeping his tone casual, “Hey, speaking of, are you gonna be wingin’ it back to the pearly gates anytime soon? Or are you stickin’ around for a while?”

Aha! So, you weren’t immune to his natural charm. Your eyes shot open, your blush sending a righteous wave of satisfaction buzzing through him. Peter pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek and wiggled his brows. His confidence soared beyond the stars. Shrugging off any remnants of awkwardness, he eased himself back into a state of carelessness. You broke into another cute giggle fit.

You scratched the back of your neck, looking bashfully down at your shoes.

“Nice save. I think that one actually made me blush.”

Peter blinked laxly, drawing out a satisfied hum.

“Oh, yeah, it did for sure. Looks cute on you. What can I say? I aim to please.”

A warm smile graced his face as he slid you the last tape.

“Flash Gordon?” He asked.

If you blushed any more, you’d probably explode.

“I couldn’t keep up with the way you were talking…but you mentioned that one. You said it was one of your favorites, right?”

Peter’s heart skipped a beat.

The banter between the two of you seemed to flow so naturally. Time lost all meaning. And as the minutes passed and you said your goodbyes, moving towards the doors; Peter’s foot tapped at a frenzied pace. A powerful urge to chase after you swarmed him like a pack of angry bees. He knew he wouldn’t be staying in Indiana for much longer. Only a month more, at the most. But, man…there was something about you.

Ah, screw it. Act now, face the consequences later.

A fwip, and Peter materialized before you at the doors. You stumbled back and erupted in another surprised squeal. His hands instinctively reached out, grabbing your shoulders to steady you before you fell.

“Sorry! Sorry. Uh, any chance you’d wanna stick around for a while longer? It’s just so dead here tonight. We could kick it back, chill, and hang. And fingers crossed, I promise I won’t make you watch any weird, religious docs or nothin’.”

Miraculously, you agreed. Peter couldn’t believe his luck. And he spent the remaining few minutes of his shift, along with the rest of that night, hanging out with some cutie he met on a whim.

Maybe Robin was right. It was the vest, wasn't it? Chicks were totally into guys with accessories.

The impossibly hotter month of July.

Some might call Peter a little irresponsible. And true to form, he was. But you were legit the most fun thing to happen to him in months. Up there with the bitchin’ funnel cake he swiped from the carnival, the same night he met you. He hadn’t stopped thinking about it since. Both you, and the funnel cake.

Carpe diem or whatever.

In the cramped shadows of a video store supply closet, Peter pulled you oh-so-close against his body. Hot as hellfire. His heartbeat ran on bubbly fumes of anticipation. Peter’s chapped lips confidently claimed yours, a moment after you gave him a bashful peck and confessed the cutest thing ever-

“Pleaaaase don’t go back to Westchester!! I really really like you. I think you totally rock. I’m gonna miss you too much if you leave.”

D’awww. You were all soft on him. Your pouty lips and innocent eyes made his chest warm and tingly. Peter never imagined someone could win him over so easily. But after the front doors chimed, and you walked into the store wearing a Grace Under Pressure shirt - of which you told him you wore only because he got you into Rush; Peter thought he heard wedding bells. But, oh…wait. No. The doors chimed again.

Peter felt his resolve instantly weaken around you. Whatever aloof front of speedster confidence he held onto seemed to melt away. Mostly. Partially.

In the closet, he grinned into the kiss, tasting your giggles on his tongue as he coaxed you into something deeper. You were such an undeniable sweetheart. A ray of sunshine, casting light on the most boring summer of his life. Clinging bashfully to his intense kisses, you followed the motion of his tongue. Your own tongue raveled delicate threads with his. Overzealous, he tangled those threads in frantic knots. Peter breathed the softest groan, running strong hands down your back and just above-

Passionate rock songs rang out love ballad riffs in his head, and the music halted to a disappointing stop when - all at once, a veil of blinding light washed over you both. Moment ruined. What asshole would even dare? You pulled away from his kiss, but an eager Peter chased your lips. He only stopped himself once he noticed a figure looming in the closet doorway. Steve looked unamused, holding a broom and dustpan in hand.

“Can I help you?” Peter sarcastically quipped.

“Really, man? Really?” Steve scoffed, cheeks pinkening. Clearing his throat, his dark eyes shifted. Away from the couple getting a little too cozy. He stated in a matter-of-fact way, “FYI, you’re still on the clock, yanno? Jesus.”

“Jesus? I’m flattered, Harrington, but you can just call me Peter.”

A soft snicker erupted from your swollen lips. Your small hands curled shamefully into Peter’s work vest, narrowly avoiding the band pins stuck in the fabric. Ultimately, you failed to keep your giggles at bay. Peter always had a way of making you laugh til you cried. His own hands rested just above your booty, a centimeter away from some spicy grab action. Damn you, Steve. Damn you. Teasing an indignant sigh, Peter reached out to lazily snag the door handle.

“Ever heard of knocking?” He joked before easing the door closed, sealing your cute chuckles inside.

The icy cold, freeze-your-balls-off month of January. Post New Years.

Bundled up in a warm, turtleneck sweater and matching, black jeans; Peter cozied up next to you on the sofa. At his mom’s place, Wanda was perched comfortably on the floor. She kept her back against the foot of the couch close to Peter. In one of the loveseats, Lorna sat with her legs tucked under her. A blanket draped over her small frame. The faint hum of infomercials in the background went ignored, as Peter fell into a long winded info dump about the Lord of the Rings.

Peter’s mother padded into the room from the kitchen. A hand-made shawl covered her shoulders, knitted by Wanda and given to Magda as a gift. Carrying several glass bottle sodas, she passed one out to each of her kids before delivering the last one to you. Magda breathed a chuckle. She noticed the way you narrowed your eyes, as you struggled to follow Peter’s speedy rambling. His family seemed to have no problem keeping up. They understood every word, without asking him to stop and reiterate.

Lorna rolled her eyes affectionately. Wanda gazed up at her brother like he held all the secrets of the universe - and she wanted the details on every single one.

When Peter’s rambling eventually ceased, his mother asked him if he had any plans for the future. He poked inside his empty box of chow mein with a pair of chopsticks. A bit embarrassed, Peter grinned. Now that he finally scored his GED - he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He just hadn’t told anyone aside from Wanda yet. She patted Peter on the knee. A gesture of encouragement, pushing him to open up. With a timid sigh, he confessed - he wanted to teach at Xavier’s.

He got a big ol’ hug from mom for that one.

When she left for work, Peter snuggled up on the couch with you and his sisters. You were all crammed in like warm penguins on a chilly night. Until Peter randomly pushed himself out of the pile. He stumbled forward, checking his watch. Waving his soda in your face, he winked.

“Babe, hold this for me? I almost forgot I wanted to do something.”

Before you could ask, he zipped away and returned in a nanosecond. Peter threw himself into the cuddle puddle.

“Where’d you even go?” You asked, scooting aside to give him more room.

Peter snatched his soda and shrugged, lazily smirking.

“Dropped by Family Video. Tied Steve’s shoelaces together.”

#peter maximoff x y/n #peter maximoff x you #peter maximoff x reader #peter maximoff #quicksilver #steve harrington

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inlovewithfootballplayers · 10 months ago

Text

Happy birthday - Jude Bellingham x reader

Summary: through the years, Jude (a famous football player) and Maia (a famous tik toker) always wish each other a happy birthday on social media A/N: my first smau in honor of jude's birthday! Reader's name is Maia. Also, I wanted to do a little "crossover" with the TikTok world because I'm just missing old days. English is not my first language, sorry if there are grammar mistakes!!!

Inspo: @i-care-4u

2020

judebellingham

liked by itsmemaia, jobebellingham and 100.300 others

judebellingham happy birthday dear Mama! You are already one step away from 18! But today you turn 17, you are not old yet…. I want to thank you for all the advice you have given me. And I promise you that in the future we will live in Madrid!

view all 300 comments

itsmemaia thanks juju, you will always be my best friend!! (did you have to post these pics?)

judebellingham itsmemaia sorry mama. I don't have good pictures of you

itsmemaia judebellingham i hate you

jobebellingham lil sisssss

judebellingham jobebellingham she's my lil sis not yours

user1 isn't that the new TikTok girl?

user4 user1 yeah! she met charli a week ago

user2 Jude's prime is going to be released because of this girl. Save this comment

user3 is Jude's girlfriend?

user5 she's the new girl on the hype house

itsmemaia

liked by judebellingham, jobebellingham, charlidamelio and 87.909 others

itsmemaia Happy Birthday Juju!!!! I hope that we can celebrate many more birthdays together. I still remember the first day we met, from that day I knew that we would be ass and shit as our parents say.

view all 250 comments

judebellingham thank you little one! I'm obviously the ass, and you're the little shit

itsmemaia judebellingham no, you're the shit

jobebellingham that hair.....

judebellingham jobebellingham shut up Jobe

user1 we love jude

user2 friendship goals

2021

judebellingham

liked by itsmemaia, erlinghaaland, gioreyna and 150.00 others

judebellingham Mama, one more year by your side, your long-awaited 18th, I know how much it means to have me by your side although this year it couldn't be, but I swear that I will repay you when I return home. You are the best friend a person could ask for! And yeah, I continue to keep my promise to live in Madrid in the future, but there is someone (and I won't say who) who has moved to Los Angeles, and we are further away.

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itsmemaia juju, you're the most important person in my world, thank you for always being by my side. You know I love Dortmund ;)

judebellingham itsmemaia i'm not going to pay you a trip to come see me in Dortmund, you can pay it with your TikTok money

itsmemaia judebellingham fine, I'll stay with Jobe, he's nicer

jobebellingham itsmemaia thank you!

erlinghaaland gioreyna ready for our birthday post on jude's instagram?

gioreyna erlinghaaland yessss

judebellingham gioreyna erlinghaaland i only do this with her, I don't even do it to my brother

jobebellingham judebellingham true :(

user1 is she the hype house girl?

user2 happy birthday Maia!!! (only the true fans know her)

user3 I wish they could be a couple, they're so cute!!!

itsmemaia

liked by judebellingham, erlinghaaland, vinniehacker and 500.000 others

itsmemaia Juju, even though we are far away, I hope your 18th birthday is the best of all. You are the best friend one can have, and I want to be by your side in every achievement you make. I am so happy to know that you are in a wonderful club. I love you, Juju.

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judebellingham I'm glad that I have you by my side Mama, I love you too. Remember that we'll we always in each other's paths no matter what.

itsmemaia judebellingham that means that i can meet Reus? :)

judebellingham itsmemaia no ;)

larray is he your boyfriend?

itsmemaia larray NO. STOP

larray itsmemaia shut up, you love him

petroutv I think I already know what the next video will be about….. spoiler: your room full of photos of Jude

itsmemaia petroutv DON'T DO IT

user1 i love the fact that they always congratulate each other on their birthday

user2 i hope they date

user3 user2 no, i think she's with vinnie hacker

user4 i want a friendship like this :(

2022

judebellingham

liked by itsmemaia, erlinghaaland, vinniehacker and 800.000 others

judebellingham congratulations to the girl who has been putting up with me for so long, I sincerely hope you are happy doing what you do, I am very proud of what you have achieved in such a short time. I just hope you don't forget me, even though we are thousands and thousands of kilometers away. I love you Mama (yeah, the promise of going to Madrid is still there)

view all 2.654 comments

itsmemaia Juju, i love you. You're my favorite person ever <33

user1 i'm glad she left the hype house

user2 these two are going to marry

user3 happy birthday maia!!! all Jude fans love you!

itsmemaia

liked by judebellingham, jobebellingham, charlidamelio and 977.900 others

itsmemaia Dear Jude, there are no words in this post to thank you for everything you have put up with and loved me. You are the best person I have in my life and I swear that our dream of going to Madrid will come true because you are a very hard-working boy and I know that you will achieve everything you set your mind to.

view all 2.040 comments

judebellingham the best person ever! i miss you Maia!

user1 i swear to god if these two don't start dating i will die

user2 i love how they support each other

user3 next WAG?

2023

judebellingham

liked by itsmemaia, vinijr, erlinghaaland and 4.000.000 others

judebellingham Dear Maia, congratulations, you don't know how happy I am to know that I can celebrate another year of your life by my side. I hope you liked the flowers! And I can't wait for you to see some excellent news in the next few weeks.

view all 10.090 comments

itsmemaia the flowers were beautiful Judie, thank you, you're the best! And as always, you will tell me the news the night before…

judebellingham itsmemaia hehe

jobebellingham sister-in-law?

judebellingham jobebellingham shut up!

user1 please tell me that you're both moving to Madrid

user2 everyone loves their friendship

user3 he's so in love. i can tell

user4 WAG?

itsmemaia

liked by judebellingham, vinijr, charlidamelio and 2.903.000 others

itsmemaia Dear Jude, I cannot express in words everything I feel for you, you are the best friend I can have, and I hope that in all possible universes our paths will always meet. I'm so proud of you, Judie.

view all 3.000 comments

judebellingham you have always been there for me, thank you for everything Maia

larray GIRL HE'S LIKE WINE

itsmemaia larray don't

jobebellingham lil sis-in-law

itsmemaia jobebellingham what?...

judebellingham jobebellingham itsmemaia jobe i swear to god

user1 they're definitely moving together

user2 new WAG at Real Madrid

user3 this is their annual custom

2024

judebellingham

liked by itsmemaia, vinijr, realmadrid and 8.000.450 others

judebellingham Maia, you're the love of my life, since we were kids I knew that one day we would be together, it has always been you, no one else makes me feel what you make me feel, happy 21 my love I hope we spend our whole lives celebrating our birthdays next to each other. Above all, I am happy to know that I kept my promise to go to Madrid, together, with the club and the woman of my life.

view all 200.030 comments

itsmemaia I love you in every universe Judie.

vinijr vamoooos hermano

realmadrid our golden boy with his biggest trophy

jobebellingham it took you years

user1 I KNEW IT

user2 THE WAG ERA IS COMING

user3 I'M SO HAPPY. MY PARENTS

user4 ugh

itsmemaia

liked by judebellingham, minabonino, mishelgerzig and 7.980.098 others

itsmemaia my champion, your first champions and la liga in the club of our lives, I swear that I have no more pride in my body to see you fulfill all your dreams. I love you, Jude Bellingham, I love you so much it hurts. Our next promise is to stay together until death separates us.

view all 199.890 comments

judebellingham I promise you Maia, forever the ass and the shit

minabonino que lindo Maia!

realmadrid new wag on the ship! welcome, Maia!

user1 In the end, they kept the promise

user2 they're so cute

user3 take him to the moon for us

#football imagine #football player x reader #jude bellingham #jude bellingham x reader #football #jude bellingham fanfic #jude bellingham imagine #bellingham #smau #jude bellingham x you

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britt-kageryuu · 5 months ago

Text

It's very much likely because I've been reading alot of Monkie Kid fan fics, but what if the concept of Courtnapping, exists in Yokai Culture in Rise TMNT?

It would make sense, since we know next to nothing about Yokai in Rise.

Plus it kinda fits what happened with Splinter/Lou Jitsu/Yoshi Hamato, Big Mama kinda courtnapped him, but then probably freaked out about her instincts, aka might eat him, so she tossed him to the arena to show him off... kinda.(?)

Then Draxum, under the self induced excuse of using Lou for his experiments, courtnaps Lou to his lab.

But things went wrong because no one is really explaining this stuff to Splints, and he escaped with his newly acquired Turtle Children.

Now fast forward to when the Turtles are at least mid teens, post Kraang/Krang, and they keep having odd interactions with the Yokai of the Hidden City. Maybe an attempted Courtnapping or two.

So they either go to Hueso or Draxum to learn WTF is Going On!!! (They will never go to Big Mama because she'd make them take a deal or owe a favor or something.)

The Turtles definitely have mixed reactions to learning these new things about Yokai culture. Though whoever they go to is slightly confused/concerned on why they don't already know this stuff.

From here it all just depends on if there are any specific pairings with the Turtles. Like adding crossovers, dimensional travel, ect, ect.

Like maybe one the turtles get the urge to courtnap someone, maybe they have to save April from being courtnapped, unless it's Cass, then they're like 'Good Luck Sis', because Cass is scary.

Though the image of someone trying to courtnap Raph is more funny than it should be. This is how Raph may fall for the person, or just gain a slight crush.

I have a partially scraped LMK/Rise crossover where the whole courtnapping thing is brought up, and they wonder if by some demon/yokai law, Big Mama and Splinter are technically married, but not officially. I just haven't bothered to write it out because I keep getting stuck on exposition and like little to no plot!

The amount of times I've typed Courtnap/Courtnapped/Courtnapping, and how not weird it sounds now is interesting if weird.

#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #lego monkie kid #lmk #rottmnt au #rottmnt leo #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt raph #rottmnt splinter #rottmnt draxum

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companion-showdown · 14 days ago

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Who is your favourite companion?

Susan Who and Alan Turing tied, giving the best performing losers a chance to return

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

Propaganda

Alan Turing

He has all the traits of an excellent companion: gay and a nerd

Rory Williams

The ultimate Wife Guy. Pathologically reason-minded & common-sensible. Beyond done with everything including the increasingly absurd number of times he dies. Holder of the single brain cell except when he throws it out the window to save Amy. A NURSE! (@buggreawlthys )

Zoe Heriot

Zoe is fucking awesome!!!! Shes bright and smart and wears miniskirts and sparkles whats not to love?? Here is my favorite Zoe moment, her talking a computer into exploding while wearing a feather boa 😂😂😂😂😂 https://youtu.be/W6AHMFXtmls?si=VXMG8QEebiRqvv0t

Figured out how to break an ai the way we break them today and then it blew up!! She is the first 21st century companion and she’s from space!! She also once became suicidal in the Captian Scarlet crossover novel because she was enslaved then watched her boyfriend/boss/owner get blown up in front of her. It was weird. She had the most tragic departure in which the companion survived on screen she forget all the joy and pain she had her life ripped apart by the time lords and was left without many of the pieces.

Maxwell Edison

ok I just saw my boy Max is on this so im going to recycle my propaganda from the weirdest companion tournament, because frankly why he's weird is also why he's awesome in general. listen. max defeated a GOD through nothing but the power of being a weird fucking freak literally the doctor and nyssa were both immobilized by it but this GOD couldn't control MAX THE WEIRD FUCKING FREAK *max: ""you never could control me. because i never fitted in. i was never really a part of the village."" the doctor: ""of course! maxwell edison; the loner, the nutcase, the village laughingstock! and the ONE PERSON with a MIND OF HIS OWN!""* and then he PUNCHES AN ANCIENT GOD IN THE FACE in his free time he rides around on a motorcycle with a dowsing rod looking for aliens AND ACTUALLY FINDS THEM -- he thinks the doctor is from venus and won't be persuaded otherwise -- he's probably like 0.001% rutan but that's explicitly NOT the reason for any of this also he's a comic book character and comic book reader how cute and meta is that?

Peri Brown

Look, I cannot understate how much I love that Peri's intro theme is effectively 'do it. what if I'm scared? then do it scared' and that ends up being a carry through thing for her the whole time she's in the TARDIS. She's in scary situations but she powers through - even in her first story where she's on an alien planet completely out of her depth, being chased and threatened by the Master, she's scared and still doing everything she can to either get away or do the right thing! He threatens to harm her, to kill her, and she's powering through a stammer to tell him to go pound sand! And she's the same with Six as well - he scared her badly early on and was more than a little bit of a jerk to her after that but she still stands up and does her best, not only to get through their adventures and help people, but to be a good friend to the Doctor, even when Six gets loud and confrontational. She's a vastly underrated companion. (@nvzwho )

Vislor Turlough

The worst assassin in the entire universe who honestly has some of the funniest lines in the Fifth Doctor's era. Just a Strange Guy™️. (@gothicacetheatrekid )

he's a self-professed selfish coward of COURSE he's the kindest and bravest person you'll ever meet (remember that time he went back alone to face off the creatures that literally had him CATATONIC with ancestral trauma based fear half an hour earlier, giving away his only good luck charm as he went?! And people still think he's a selfish coward! Please! it's a mask!!!) stunning character development snark absolutely off the charts. you like Donna Noble? try Vislor Turlough! also the real first unambiguous redhead companion total freak. he once paused while SCUTTLING (only word for it) away from monsters for his life in order to rebutton his jacket, the jacket that is the school uniform from a school he utterly and openly HATED, which for some incomprehensible reason is the only thing he wears. There's nobody else in the universe like Vislor Turlough

There are so many angles I could take with this. He's a bitchy gay alien and the least deadly assassin. He is a meme. Also he's the first Fifth Doctor companion to get a sort of happy ending. In the constant tragedy of Five's era, he finds his brother and makes it home safe. He is a rare moment of hope in a very grim, cynical era of the show, while also being the last person you'd expect to be a moment of hope. (@cringecompanionapologist )

#showdown 2k25: tiebreak

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scarlette-foxx · 3 months ago

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Crossover Danuary Week 2025 Day 1- Podcasts

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62536915

A normal day in Night Vale :)

In a world unseen, what is unseen is known. In a unknown world, what is unknown is seen.

Welcome To Nightvale.

There have been reports of a green glowing ooze peeking through the fence of The Dog Park.

“At first I thought this was one of the many visits from our friend, the schmooze,” says John Peter, the farmer, “But I soon realized that this was not the case when it burned my hand.”

After investigating the borders of The Dog Park, I, too, found that the substance burned my hand! It still kind of hurts.. The shadowy hooded figures surrounding The Dog Park didn't even bother with sending the Sheriff's Secret Police after me as they seemed to be busy taking samples of the substance and pushing it back inside the border of the park.

As a Night Vale resident since my youth, I still remember what my Boy Scouts of America handbook says about evil oozes.

“Leave these things alone. It will probably not devour all that you love, so don't bother it. Focus instead on gaining your blood pact scout certification, and you may not even miss the devoured people!”

And so, Night Vale, following the advice I returned to the station, where I found a very interesting surprise.

Khoshekh seems to have made a friend! It is a small green puppy who is also floating about four feet above the sink in the men's bathroom. I'm so glad that Khoshekh has seemed to find a companion in these tough, slime-filled times. We can all take a page from-

Oh. Oh it seems, listeners, that the puppy is not confined to the space four feet above the sink. Hello, little green dog. What are you up to?

[Barking yap noises]

Oh, that's not a toy little guy, can you drop that chord? I need it to broadcast-

[The voice goes a little quieter, as if walking away from the microphone]

Hey. You need to drop that. NO! THIS IS NOT TUG OF WAR!

[A growling is heard]

Uh.. listeners.. I seem to be in a bit of a situation. This puppy has grown in size so large that he almost doesn't even fit in the recording room anymore.

…Good doggie?

It seems while I take care of this, I'll have to take you all now, To The Weather.

[https://youtu.be/GLi1tlCOwzM?si=uKQo-H3N1AZqw3wa]

Welcome back, listeners. While you were listening to the weather, it seems the puppy's owner heard my broadcast and came to the radio station to retrieve his dog.

It was much of a relief, listeners, as the puppy was able to shrink back down to a more manageable size once the owner was in control.

The owner said something about going to the dog park, but despite my insistence that the dog park was neither for dogs, nor actually a park, he still seemed determined to travel there. Hopefully the evil ooze will distract the shadowy figures long enough for the owner to realize that the dog park is not a place he wishes to be.

Speaking of which, Intern Mike has gone out to investigate The Dog Park's mysterious evil ooze as well. He has stated that it does not taste good in a drink and it cannot help destroy the doors that keep appearing randomly despite its acidic properties. He will soon return to gather more of this bright green, glowing ooze.

It seems Intern Mike wishes to step into my dear Carlos's realm of science. Foolish Mike, we all know that scientists can only be born, not made.

And now, traffic.

In an instant your whole world is dark. The fiery burn spreads through your hand, your heart, your soul. Like liquid magma it burrows into your muscles, your bones. In an instant your whole world is bright. You scream in agony but no one hears for your vocal chords dont even exist. In an instant, you are forever changed.

This has been traffic.

An update from intern Mike, who says that the green ooze is retreating from The Dog Park. The ooze had begun to boil and rise, before surrounding all the people surrounding The Dog Park, both Night Vale citizens and hooded figures alike, before swallowing them all and disappearing, including intern Mike, leaving only the voicemail intended for me as a last whisper into the cosmos.

Ah, yes, to all the friends and family of intern Mike, we leave our solemn wishes to you and yours for your loss.

Anyways, with the glowing ooze gone now, we may never know what its true purpose was. I apologize for earlier assuming its intent to be evil. Perhaps it had been friendly. Did we scare it off?

Stay tuned for introspection of the universe and an interview with our friend the schmooze.

Goodnight, Night Vale. Goodnight.

#crossover Danuary Week 2025 #wtnv #welcome to night vale #dp #danny phantom #scarwrites #dp x wtnv #dp crossovers #dp crossover

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lopez-richter-fangirl · 1 year ago

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The Tin Can Bros have launched a kickstarter to celebrate their 10 year anniversary with SEVEN new projects, and they need our help!

Read on to find out how:

This is Brian Rosenthal, Corey Lubowich and Joey Richter

You may know them from Team Starkid, or you may know them from their own group the Tin Can Brothers (creators of projects such as Spies Are Forever and the Solve it Squad), formed in 2014. To celebrate 10 years, they’re raising a goal of $200k in order to stage seven projects

They’re currently a week into their campaign and have raised almost $50k with 675 backers. But they still have a way to go! And to help, we need to spread the word

TINLIGHTENMENT PROMO SCHEDULE:

Saturday 10th - The Great Debate

What is it?

A live comedy game show featuring Joey, Brian, Corey and special guests pitted against each other to win a debate. It gets silly!

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows in LA (and potentially other places!) throughout the year, digital tickets, and eventually some ‘episodes’ on youtube!

What can I share?

If you’ve been lucky enough to see past great debates on Patreon, talk about favourite topics and moments!

If you haven’t, share moments and clips from the first public great debate livestream happening on Thursday! (I think - if plans are changed then they’re doing a terrible job letting me help them)

Talk about guests! They talked about a Dropout crossover which I know people have been asking for with Starkid. I don’t know what that is but tell the people that do!

Tuesday 13th - Gross Prophets

What is it?

A brand new comedy musical featuring Joey, Brian and Lauren with music by Ali Gordon and Angela Parrish (shitty broadway! https://youtu.be/AZ-bOPiDqo8?si=F6guq3Pk_lOkCB5B)

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows (some workshop-y) in LA leading up to a run at the Adelaide Fringe, with digital tickets and eventual youtube release

What can I share?

We don’t know a whole lot about this project yet, but we do know it’s got a great cast and creative team - talk about those people!

That it’s going to Adelaide!! Australia is frequently in the top backing countries on kickstarters, and those people finally get a chance to see a TCB show live!

Theories on what the show might involve!

Saturday 17th - SIS at the Fringe

What is it?

An Edinburgh Fringe run of the fucked up Scooby Doo parody, with the original cast!

How will I be able to see it?

Live shows throughout the entire Edinburgh Fringe run in August, or a digital ticket!

What can I share?

This is an existing TCB property, so talk about what you love from the original! Share art, gifs, edits, anything!

That it’s going to Edinburgh! As above, UK fans have been desperate for this for ages, now’s our chance! Make sure people know about it!

Tuesday 20th - Spy Another Day LA and London

What is it?

A live concert screening (Hollywood Bowl meets Rocky Horror!) of Spies with most of the original cast for LA and TCB plus Lauren for London!

How will I be able to see it?

A live show in LA in Spring (likely April) with a digital ticket option, and a live show in London in early September following their SIS fringe run

What can I share?

Like with SIS, anything and everything you love about the original show! Angsty fics, art, memes, it’s all good

Joe Walker. To me personally he’s just A Guy, but some people are still shocked to be learning he’s doing a show again! Get those OG fans to support this!

That it’s going to London. I need Joey doing a passable to decent depending on how much he’s practiced English accent in London! And again, an opportunity for one of the highest backing cities to see them LIVE

Saturday 24th - TCBoB at 54 Below

What is it?

The songs from their musical This Could Be on Broadway in concert at 54 Below in New York City, with Joey, Brian, Lauren, Esther, Bryce and Clark, plus more performers to be announced!

How will I be able to see it?

Live in NYC in November, with a digital ticket option

What can I share?

The first workshop only got a digital ticket release but if you caught that, share favourite parts! And the soundtrack is available, so talk about how fucking good the songs are

The fact that it’s an opportunity for people to hear these songs live!

Tuesday 27th - Intelligent Life

What is it?

A reading of TCB’s queer sci-fi comedy TV pilot

How will I be able to see it?

Live in LA in early Summer, or by digital ticket

What can I share?

Like with Gross Prophets, this is a brand new (to us) project so we don’t know a lot! But we do know it’s gays in space! We love space gays

Remember, these are just ideas. Share anything you personally are excited for and think other people might be interested in! The aim is to make sure people are aware of these projects, what they entail and why they need to happen! Any other way you have of getting the word out about the projects and the campaign in general is valuable!!

Join our discord for more ways to help or to ask questions! https://discord.gg/4VNEBzpA

And if you’re hearing about all this for the first time, check out the campaign! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tincanbros/tinlightenment-world-tour

#i’ll probably share a lot of this info again when it comes to the promo days #cause this is a lot to read lmao #just wanted to get it all out there #tinlightenment #tin can bros #tin can brothers #tcb #starkid #team starkid

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sasheneskywalker · 9 months ago

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Weekly Batman/DC Fic Recs (1)

This week I've read two delightful character studies, one focused on Barbara Gordon and the other on Jason Todd. There's also a hilarious SI/OC fic from the perspective of Tim Drake and two fantastic fics where Lonnie Machin/Anarky plays a major role. Apart from that, two delicious smutty fics got an update: Bruce/Dick/Jason college au and Slade/Jason western au. We also have an amazing DCU, MCU and X-Men crossover oneshot! Hope you enjoy the recs <3

Delta T by Havendance In one universe, mere seconds stop Barbara Gordon from sniping Black Mask. In another, she takes the shot.

G | No Archive Warnings Apply | Batman (Comics) | Helena Bertinelli & Barbara Gordon

this city is the place to be by Jezebunny Gotham city is going to be destroyed in twelve hours.

Jason doesn't see any point in stopping it.

What does he owe anybody, anyway?

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Batman - All Media Types | Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne

Domestication Protocols for Nocturnal Fauna by rozaceous, vermillion_crown It’s been years since Tim's thought about the secret identities of Gotham’s winged wonders. A chance encounter while searching for college roommates that won’t burn the place down gives Tim a lead and the hope of new accommodations. The only thing he has to do is pretend that he doesn’t know anything.

Easy.

("—and they were roommates!" SI/OC edition)

T | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Batman - All Media Types | Jason Todd/Original Female Character(s), Tim Drake/Original Male Character(s), Dick Grayson & Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) & Original Male Character(s), Tim Drake & Original Female Character(s)

The Assassination of President Luthor by the Radical Lonnie Machin by NiteWrighter "Hi. I’m Lonnie. So I guess I should start out by saying, I don’t believe violence is a sustainable tool. It’s not. It’s a reflection of our ugliest, most base instincts. But it is the current language of the state, so I apologize for bringing my voice to the conversation."

President Luthor has been brutally killed by a magical weapon, and Anarky has claimed responsibility. The Justice League is struggling with the ensuing fallout, instability, suspicion, and speculation, while a power vacuum opens up in the world of the Rogues. What does a world without Lex Luthor look like? Is he truly gone? Has a greater chain reaction been kicked off by this single death?

T | Major Character Death | Superman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, DCU (Comics) | Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Diana (Wonder Woman) & Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Lana Lang/Pete Ross, Tim Drake/Lonnie Machin

The Half-Life of Sixty Seconds by sunnymusings "The problem with thinking like a detective is not actually that thinking like one is too strict or structured. There’s organization on a document, but Tim’s mind is not a bullet journal. It’s not a legal form, it’s not a spreadsheet, it’s not a ledger.

It’s messy and human and creative. Loose, unstructured, instinctual. Detectives aren’t good at solving cases because they work like machines; it’s much the opposite. It’s that creative mess which aids in seeing between the structure of presented facts, reading the code, and then cracking it. It’s like tracing a spider web back to its center. There’s an observable track leading exactly where one needs to go— a veritable method to the madness— but it’s still art, all the same, even to the broom that ruins it.

So, when Tim is presented with a countdown, it’s not just a mechanical, factual understanding of time that pushes hard against the inside of his ribs; it’s a too-clear visual of a digital clock-face, neutral and unyielding, counting down from sixty in his neocortex. Artistic and messy and emotional.

There is only one place to go once one is caught in the web."

Based on Red Robin #16. Missing Scenes and Relationship Building.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics) | Tim Drake & Lonnie Machin, Tim Drake/Lonnie Machin

Making The Grade by MelodramaticMrTails Jason partners up with the rich and beautiful Dick Grayson and quickly finds out the Wayne family secret- and that Dick wants him to join in on it.

E | No Archive Warnings Apply | DCU (Comics), Batman - All Media Types | Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd

Nothing to Nobody by Jae_Cillian The kid—Jason—stared at Slade with wide, alert eyes. Big and round like a doe—startled in its grazing, frozen in the sights of a predator. He leaned forward, one hand still gripping the pistol but the other anchoring his weight against the floor as if to stand and chase after Slade. But with Slade’s eye on him, Jason didn’t dare move an inch. All tense lines and silent shudders of breath that Slade could see quake along the kid’s ribs, Jason reminded Slade of a stray dog. Snarling and snapping its canines when he got too close, but whimpering and whining when he walked away.

Slade wondered how long it’d take to tame the kid; and, thereupon, realized he might enjoy the challenge of it.

In which Slade, while chasing after the Joker gang's bounties and stolen payroll, finds Jason—battered, beaten, and abused at the gang's hands—alone in the mountains. Intrigued by the kid's feral tenacity, he offers Jason a chance at revenge.

E | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics), Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics) | Jason Todd/Slade Wilson

Five Supersoldiers Walk Into a Bar by bittercape He spots him through the binoculars, far away and disappearing fast. Logan is, more than anything, a hunter. He knows how to watch, and he watches the sniper moving away, after a single well-placed shot. He moves just like Barnes did. Everyone has a particular way of moving, if you know how to watch. And Logan, as mentioned, knows how to watch.

Logan knows it cannot be him, knows he died, falling from a train. No normal human could survive that. And yet …

He drops down from the watchtower. He’ll catch hell for this, sure. But he has to know.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men (Comicverse), DCU (Comics), Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics) | Logan (X-men) & James "Bucky" Barnes, Logan (X-Men) & Natasha Romanov, Logan (X-Men) & Slade Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Slade Wilson, Natasha Romanov (Marvel) & Slade Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers & Slade Wilson

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abrthephantomq · 1 year ago

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🌋Additional fun facts about Uendo Toneido!

In tha original Japanese version, it's a bit more obvious that tha alters are fictives of sorts. Kisegawa retains her name from tha rakugo story of 'Omitate', but Patches's original name was 'Ippachi' while Owen's original name was 'Sadakichi Isoda'. They're both rakugo characters that feature in a number of stories, Ippachi especially.

While Uendo's original stage name was 'Bifu Senputei', Uendo Toneido functions as a real Japanese name! (Ya can even see it a split second written on the fan they threw) Translating roughly to "Feather Performer", we believe.

A right cute detail is the fan symbol pepperin' their design is not only a mechanical fan, but one with specifically 4 blades.

Them gettin' drunk off of a sake bun is actually a rakugo reference! 'The scary manju bun' is a tale of a man claiming that his biggest fear, one that makes him pass out, are manju buns. When his friends prank him with a bunch of them, he eats them all and goes 'hmm... my biggest fear now is... a bottle of alcohol...' 'r somethin' like that!

Number of mats a rakugo artist sits on can be indicative of how popular/well liked they are! Can't get full details on this but it's 'parently a gag in rakugo shows/series that this can happen. So it's fair ta say that Uendo is fairly well liked as a performer ('n probably does give out autographs!)

Uendo calls Geiru "big sis" and Athena "sis" in the original Japanese

Uendo actually falls in line with a specific theme of Spirit of Justice, which I can only really describe as being themed ta spirit channelin'? Albhi and the dog being able to talk somehow, the magician twins pretending to be one person, Uendo and co. all seem to be sort of allusions to that element. In a sense they're kind of a parallel to Maya Fey, in fact they're actually the same age as her in canon, if ya look closely! It makes sense, if ya consider Maya and Mia are basically two characters in one. 'N with how many cocouncil characters allude ta Maya (if ya haven't played the Professor Layton one the gal in that is uh. The most blatant one, we'll say.), Uendo sorta... inadvertently confirms the whole dang series has been awfully plural for a long time? It's interestin'.

Can't remember anythin' else atm, but hope ya liked all that! - Helen

Mannnnnnn. I am absolutely loving all of this. ❤️ Thank you for stopping by with these fun facts!!

I haven't played the crossover game (I desperately wanna tho), but ... Yeah. I def see what you mean about things being System- coded.

These little facts just make everything so much better, though. And tbh I'm not surprised that the Uendo's headmates may be fictives - considering how large rakugo is as a piece of their shared life.

Idk it seems like they did a decent amount of research for rep that actually felt reasonable within the context of the AA universe. Especially with these added little facts. ❤️

#uendo toneido #ace attorney

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alphashley14 · 9 months ago

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One of Us

A Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated/Mystery Skulls Crossover

Chapter 25

Erase Me (Original Demo)

Mystery Incorporated didn’t talk much in the few minutes before they arrived at their destination. There had been plenty of idle chatter about Hatecraft’s new boyfriend. And plenty of speculation about what exactly Mystery had said to Mr. Ellison. Or what he may have shown him for that matter - the writer had been very pale when Mystery had brought him back.

Then Lewis had dropped a bomb on them about Arthur’s flash drive. And if they had to use it, it would fall upon at least one member of Mystery Incorporated to watch it.

… All things considered it made sense why they hadn’t heard about it before now but the timing was still shit.

Daisy Blake’s impressive property, as with many wealthy homes, was surrounded by a tall wrought iron fence, and the road was blocked by a gate. Given such, when Mystery Incorporated and the Mystery Skulls pulled up to it, it fell upon Daphne to get them buzzed inside. She leaned over Fred on all fours, reached her arm out the driver’s side window, and- hesitated.

“We’re doomed,” Daphne gulped.

“Is your relationship with Daisy really that awful?” Lewis asked over the two-way radio. Having three (albeit adopted) sisters of his own, he sometimes struggled to see how siblings could be anything but inseparable. With Daphne however, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“It’s pretty bad,” Velma said back. “She commissioned us to retrieve a necklace of hers once after it was stolen by a Hodag, and she was super rude the entire time we were here.”

“Ugh, this is a bad idea. Even if it is the only one we’ve got,” Daphne groaned.

“Come on though. She can’t be completely heartless, right? I mean she’s a doctor. Isn’t caring about people in her job description?” Vivi asked.

“Yeah you’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Daphne griped. “Well I’ve never seen her at work but I can definitely say I’ve never seen her flex a selfless muscle in her body outside of it. As for Steve, he’s… I haven’t talked to him that much but he seems like a good guy. But don’t be fooled. He’s from… ‘our world’. So he can slither around in a den of vipers just as well as Daisy.”

“Be that as it may,” Mystery interjected. “What choice do we have?”

“And if all else fails, there’s always the flashdrive…” Lewis reminded them all.

As if they needed reminding.

Without further ado, Daphne rang the buzzer.

They waited.

Daphne rang it again.

Just as she was about to hit it a third time, a voice drawled through the intercom, “Who is it?”

“Hi Daisy!” Daphne said as nicely as she could. Though there was an ugly grimace on her face seen only by the other occupants of the Mystery Machine. “Iiit’s Daphne.”

“Daaaphne. Finally taking me up on my offer to bring your little trap-maker by for polo?”

“Fraid’ not, sis. We need to talk. I’m calling in an I-owe-you from when my friends and I braved a Hodag on your behalf. Unless you’ve forgotten?”

“An I-owe-you?” Daisy scoffed. “And here I thought favors among family were supposed to be unconditional.”

Daphne took a deep breath as if she was about to shout, but Velma placed a hand on her shoulder. “Gently, Daphne….”

Daphne let that breath out, then took a second deep breath to gather herself. “Daisy,” she finally said, “you’ve made it abundantly clear my entire life that asking anything of you is pointless. That’s why I stopped trying years ago. Do you really think I’d come to you now if it wasn’t important?”

Daisy said nothing on the other end of the line.

“Please, Daisy!” Daphne groaned. “I need your help right now more than I have ever needed it in my entire life. Just- hear me out and I will never ask anything of you again. Please.”

A moment’s pause.

Then there came a loud BZZZZZZT, and the gates swung open.

Daphne sighed with relief and sat back in her seat. Much to Fred’s relief - Daphne hovering over his lap like that was giving him some weird feelings. But for now, they would have to go into a box to be sorted out later. A big, thick steel box with the best locks his brain could conjure.

They had a job to do.

Three minutes later the two vans were parked and Daisy’s mansion was towering imposingly before them. Once both groups were squeezed onto the front porch, it was one again time to ring the doorbell. “This is going to be a dumpster fire,” Daphne groaned.

“Come on. I know the odds are against us, but she’s your sister,” Vivi said, trying to be supportive. “If you go in thinking this is going to go badly, then it will. Just think positive!”

“Okay - I am positive this is going to be a dumpster fire.”

Vivi opened and closed her mouth before finally pulling out her phone. “Ya know what? That was funny. I’m writing that down.”

“Regardless of how this goes, with or without using the footage, the result will be the same,” Mystery said. “I want to avoid it if I can, but know this: we have exactly one plan and are pressed for time. Daphne - I will put a spell on your sister if I have to. So for her sake, you’d better use every bit of cunning and charm that you possess.”

“So like, it’s a good thing Daphne has so much of both!” Shaggy said, flashing her two thumbs up.

“Reah!” “You’ve got this Daph!” Scooby and Fred cheered.

With a heavy sigh, Daphne moved to hit the doorbell, but the door swung open a split-second before she could. And there was Daisy Blake, looking not too pleased to see her sister there unannounced. And even more displeased when she saw just how much company she’d brought with her.

“Daphne.”

“Daisy.”

“You sure brought a lot of friends. I didn’t realize you had this many outside your little mystery club.”

Daphne’s eye twitched. “Well - you learn something new every day, don’t you?” she said through gritted teeth. “You’ve met Fred, Velma, and Scooby. This is Vivi, Lewis, Arthur, and Mystery. Is Steve home?”

“Yeah, and he’s enjoying a quiet morning in. He worked a twelve hour shift yesterday,” Daisy said, not-so-subtly hinting that they should make this quick. Unfortunately, everyone but Daisy knew that would not be happening.

“Then we’re sorry to disturb him,” said Vivi. “But we need to talk to both of you.”

“To both of us? Just what kind of favor do you have in mind?” Daisy scoffed.

“I have a patient for you,” Daphne said. “And to say the situation is complicated would be an understatement. Can we talk about the details inside?”

To the untrained eye, Daisy’s expression did not change. But the older mystery solvers could all see a calculating glint hiding behind her mascara as Daisy gave a deceptively nonchalant shrug and waved them inside.

Daisy led them through a maze of large rooms and clean, geometric shapes. Where Hatecraft’s home had celebrated the gothic past, Daisy Blake’s home was grounded in the future. It was dominated by whites, grays, and blues with dashes of magenta, and the art on the walls was inspired by the human body.

It all made Vivi extremely uncomfortable, and she knew Arthur would hate it here if Shaggy wasn’t walking around in his body right now. The medical motifs and overall lack of character reminded her of a hospital or a doctor’s office. And indeed, many of the “modern” light fixtures and furniture looked as if they’d been taken directly from the couple’s profession. Vivi had spent enough time in hospitals for a lifetime - staying by her friend’s side while he recovered from having his arm ripped off.

Daisy led them into a spacious living room and sweetly called out, “Stevie darling, we have company.”

And while there were many less-than-pleasant things that could be said about Daisy Blake, there was real tenderness in her voice for her betrothed, and her face softened when he turned around from where he sat on the couch watching a medical drama.

Steve Poindexter was as wealthy as he was handsome. Nothing less would please a woman like Daisy. And while he was quite a few years older than her (Daisy was twenty-four and he was thirty-five) there was nothing untoward about their relationship and they were very much in love.

“Who is it, Daisy Belle? Friends of yours?” He asked, pausing the TV and getting up.

“Not at all,” Daisy said. “You remember my littlest sister Daphne, I’m sure. And these are some of her little Mystery-solving friends.”

“I know who you are,” Steve said. “Some of my colleagues were there the night you captured a Headless Horror at the hospital. And I was called in to treat one of the victims of the cicada attacks for nerve damage after the bugs wrecked his car. He couldn’t sleep through the night until you kids caught the perpetrator. And for that you have my thanks.”

Mystery Incorporated straightened a little from the uncommon moment of praise for their efforts.

“-But I get the impression this isn’t a social call.”

“I’m afraid not,” said Daphne. “We need your help. Specifically: we have a patient who needs your help.”

“That’s right - you said something about a patient. So, who is it and what’s the problem?” Daisy asked.

All seven of them glanced at each other.

“Can we sit down?” Daphne asked.

Daisy raised an eyebrow, but allowed it. And once they were all seated around the room across from Daisy and Steve, they began to tell their story.

“You said you treated a victim of the cicada attacks,” Velma said.

“I did,” said Steve.

“Then you must be familiar with Destroido.”

“Uh, who in Crystal Cove isn’t familiar with Destroido?” Daisy asked in a do-you-think-we’re-stupid? tone of voice.

“Fair,” Velma shrugged. “Getting to our point, you might have heard about those kids that disappeared in the caves twenty years ago.”

“Kids that- Oh yeeeah, those weirdos. I was a few years younger than them, but I saw them around school every now and again,” Steve said. “There was always weird stuff happening around those freaks. And their parrot gave me the creeps.”

“Oh yeeeah… I was like super little when that happened,” Daisy drawled. “Didn’t you find them though? ...Some of them, anyway? Mommy and Daddy hosted a party for trap-boy’s parents here a while back, right?”

“Yeeeah…” Fred sighed.

“Ohhhh that’s right. You’re the kid the old mayor got locked up for kidnapping,” Steve cringed.

“That’s me…” Fred said awkwardly.

“Anyway!” Dahne interjected. “We actually did find all of them. In fact the other two had both been living in Crystal Cove under new identities for some time. Cassidy Williams is actually Angel Dynamite, the DJ at K-Ghoul radio.”

“Wait- The one that exploded? Didn’t you used to be there all the time?” Daisy asked.

“That’s the one,” Daphne said, shocked Daisy had paid her enough attention to know that. “-And the last one, Ricky Owens, has been going by Mr. E… he’s the owner of Destroido.”

If Steve or Daisy had been drinking something, they undoubtedly would have spat it out. “Whaaat?”

“It’s true,” Vivi said. “And he’s also the patient we need you to treat.”

“Isn’t the owner of Destroido like… a billionaire? And a total recluse?” Steve asked.

“Yeah. How the heck did you get involved with someone like that?” Daisy asked.

“And for that matter, why doesn’t he just hire us himself if he needs treatment? Or go to the hospital? Why would he need some kids to seek out our services for him?” Steve asked.

“Like- hoh boy, those are all excellent questions,” Shaggy gulped.

“And that is what we meant when we said this situation was complicated,” said Velma.

“But before we tell you anything else - Daisy, Steve, I need you to promise that none of it leaves this room,” Daphne said. “If we don’t have your discretion, people could get seriously hurt. Possibly even die.”

Daisy started to laugh. But then she saw the look on her sister’s face, and the haughty facade melted away a little bit more. “Oh… oh shit, you’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Like I said,” Daphne sighed, “I wouldn’t have bothered coming to you if it wasn’t important.”

Daisy and Steve looked at each other and came to a silent agreement. “Alright,” said Daisy, “you have my word.”

“We’re no strangers to confidentiality,” Steve said with a nod. “But I reserve the right to use my best judgment.”

“If you have any respect for yourselves, your profession, or your patients,” Mystery growled, “you’ll treasure the trust being placed in your hands and keep your mouths shut.”

Daisy and Steve stared at him. “Just so we’re clear… that dog just talked. Right?” Asked Steve.

“See, Darling? I told you weird things happen around Daphne. But I thought that was the one who talks.”

“Reah. I can talk too,” said Scooby.

Steve blinked at him. “... Huh.”

“Ha! If you think that’s weird, you are not prepared,” Vivi scoffed.

“So? Do we have your confidentiality or not?” Asked Mystery.

Steve was now wearing the same calculating look as his betrothed. “...Alright.”

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Cassidy Williams woke very suddenly to an empty room.

What in the world? How did I- Mystery! That son of a bitch! Grumbling curses under her breath, Angel sat up with a groan, stretching this way and that to relieve the stiffness in her limbs before her eyes wandered to the empty spot on the couch where Ricky had been. Then she spotted two pieces of stationary on the coffee table. After reading them, she realized that he must’ve woken up a while ago and wandered off to find something to do.

Cassidy stood and stretched once more to loosen the sore muscles in her thighs and buttocks, and then there came a happy trilling sound. When she looked up, she found two Dead Beats floating into the room towards her. “Hey babies, how you doin?” Angel chuckled as they snaked around her neck and torso for pets. “You mind showin’ me where that fool Ricky got to?”

The little ghosts gave an affirming chirp and made a “follow me!” motion with their nubby little arms.

They found Ricky in the kitchen. The lights were off in the daytime and the only light was streaming in from a window above the sink. Bubbles drifted lazily through the air, catching the light with sparkling rainbow sheens before popping in a shower of tiny droplets like falling stars. And standing at the sink, jacket tied around his waist and his bare arms elbow-deep in soapy water, was Ricky. Well- Ricky-in-Shaggy’s-body, that is.

His back was to the door, and he was working his way through the mountain of dirty dishes from their huge breakfast that morning. There were also Dead Beats all over the place. There had to be at least twenty! Ricky would finish a dish, inspect it, then hold it up and a Dead Beat would take it and either find a place in the dishwasher or carefully stack it in one of the cabinets. Those that weren’t helping were hanging around the room watching Ricky work. There was a radio on the counter playing one of their hosts’ more upbeat, hopeful-sounding songs, and Ricky was lightly bobbing his head along while the Dead Beats pulsed and hummed to the beat.

“-In this life, it changes for the better, babe. And right now, I feel it, overtaking meee~…. Oooh. “Said please baby, please. Erase me. Erase my mind again-”

Cassidy hadn’t seen him so content since she’d arrived. For a few moments she was content to lean against the doorframe, arms crossed, and watch him. But she knew she couldn’t lurk forever.

“Hey, baby.”

Shaggy’s body jumped in a way that was utterly and completely Ricky, and when he spun around his entire face was as pink as the Dead Beats. “Ca-Cassidy! Uh- hi. I was just- dishes,” He stammered. In a way that was just as stupid as it was endearing, and his own embarrassment only turned his face redder.

“And just like before, we’ll fall in love.”

Cassidy snorted and crossed the room in a few strides, brushing the mob of ghosts away as they tried to crowd around her for attention. “Here. It’ll get done faster with two,” she said, standing at the large sink beside him. He scooted over a little to give her room, but her hip still ended up brushing against his thigh. His blush wasn’t going away. Interesting.

“We’ll fall in love again.”

“I’m uh- glad you’re up,” Ricky said as the two of them got into the chore. “I woke up a while ago and hung around for a while but… then I got hungry and when I got to the kitchen there were all these dishes so I figured… might as well, am I right? Anyway - did you sleep good?”

“Well given that a spell was put on me, I don’t think I got much of a say in how I slept,” Cassidy grumbled.

Ricky snorted. “Me neither. Though I at least wanted the sleeping potion, even if I was the idiot who took it at the wrong time. Still - do you at least feel better? It didn’t occur to me how long you must’ve been awake.”

Cassidy pressed her lips into a thin line. “Yeah… I do.” She admitted dryly, but then she waved a sudsy ladle at him and scolded, “-And if you tell Mystery that, I’ll smack you silly!”

Ricky laughed. “Don’t worry - I won’t. Can’t give him the satisfaction after pulling one over on us, now can we?”

“Definitely not,” she agreed.

As the song came to a close and the two worked in silence, Cassidy gradually realized that Ricky was tensing up again. His brows were furrowed and there was a troubled look on his face. Was he considering telling her whatever it was everyone seemed to be tiptoeing around? Or was there something else?

“So…?” Cassidy finally said, not looking at him.

Ricky jumped. “So?” He echoed, pretending not to know what she could be “so”-ing about.

“Is there anything you wanna tell me?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him starting to sweat, and the nervous bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. “Uh-huh,” he croaked.

Cassidy paused what she was doing, forearms resting on the edge of the sink, and looked at him. Waiting.

Ricky looked petrified.

Probably on account of the fact that he was petrified.

He had been thinking about this, dreading this, since he’d hung up the phone with Lewis. But all those thoughts had done was draw a new weariness over him. So heavy on his shoulders it had been tempting to lie back down, close his eyes, and return to that familiar, comfortable blackness where he wouldn’t need to think about it anymore. That was why he’d left the room in the first place. Watching Cassidy, still blissfully dozing, he’d found himself envious of the peace written on her face. But now that her beautiful black eyes were open and expectant, the words were shriveling on his tongue.

What sort of expression will you make when you find out what kind of man I became without you? Ricky wondered. Will you be able to look at me at all, once you know what it took to change me?

His hands were shaking when he took them out of the water and hastily dried them with a dishtowel. “I- uh…” He opened and closed his mouth a few times.

A moment passed.

Then another.

Then finally he shook his head.

“... I can’t.”

Cassidy bit her bottom lip. She was frustrated. And honestly a little hurt. But instead of getting angry she asked, “Why not?... The others know. So you told them. Why not me?”

Ricky didn’t say it, but he knew exactly why.

Because whatever care or respect you have left for me is one of the few things I have left to lose.

“When I… told them,” Ricky began shakily, fiddling with his hands, “it was right after- well- this happened.” He gestured to himself, in Shaggy’s body. “I was emotional, and it was an emergency. But now… the words’ve just left me.”

“Then you don’t have to tell me everything yet,” Cassidy sighed, resigned. “But… can you try? Just- start wherever makes sense and tell me what you can.”

Ricky still looked absolutely terrified, but he nodded. “... okay.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment.

Then another.

Then finally-

“I said no,” Ricky said, right as Cassidy was starting to worry he wasn’t going to say anything at all. “Professor Pericles was spiraling. I’d gone along with… things I’m not proud of. But after a certain point… what we were doing didn’t make sense anymore. He was hurting people. And it was as if he was enjoying it. And that- wasn’t what I signed up for. At least I didn’t think it was. And I’m ashamed to say it, but I think it was his reckless spending that snapped me out of it. He’s spent millions. Hundreds of millions, Cassidy. Of Destroido’s money - my money. Often without permission, and never with so much as a ‘thank you.’ And ya know what? Yeah - that pissed me off. Enough that money-related questions led me to the questions I probably-definitely should have been asking all along. I knew I had to do something so- I locked him out of the system. I was losing control of the group and figured if they needed me to access every cent, then I could filter what they did with it. And uh… he- didn’t like that very much.”

Ricky still remembered the surge of fear that went through him when Pericles had launched himself off his perch. Could still feel the sting on his cheek. “-Idiot human mascot!”

“So he uh- anyway- he attacked me.”

“I’m sorry. He attacked you? How? Were you hurt?!” She demanded.

“It was just a slap!” Ricky said quickly. Only to immediately kick himself. Why is your first instinct to defend him??? “But uh… he’d- never hit me before, ya’know?” He said with a half-assed smile. “He’d- said some pretty nasty things but he’d never- so it uh… really smacked some sense into me, huh?” He laughed halfheartedly at his own joke, trying to lighten the mood.

Cassidy wasn’t laughing. Cassidy looked horrified. Ricky looked away so he wouldn’t have to see that look on her face anymore.

“It- made it clear to me that I was gonna have to do something drastic, so I went to Brad and Judy. He was out of control. Losing his mind, really. And he wasn’t even pretending to listen to me anymore. I thought if I could get all three of us to throw him out, or at least threaten to, then I could make him see reason. But uh…”

His voice cracked, and he had to swallow and pause before he could talk again. “They uh… they lied to me. They told me to my face that they were with me. But then they went straight to him. And uh… he uh…” Ricky choked back a sob, his vision blurring with tears.

‘Tell her…’ that pitiful part of him whimpered once more. ‘Come on! Just say it!’

Cassidy’s arm, still wet from the sink, slid around his. And she gently interlaced their fingers. She didn’t say anything, but she was there. Grounding him. Listening. Waiting.

“They- they drugged me and they- he put s-something…” Ricky shuddered, but he just couldn’t get those last few words out. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her about the thing in his back. How dirty he felt all the time knowing that there was something inside him that could turn on him at any moment. The torture. The way Pericles had laughed while Ricky screamed…

“Cassidy, I messed up. I-I messed up so bad. I’m in so much trouble… I couldn’t refuse him anything anymore, I couldn’t leave, and I had no one to go to for help. I’m- I’m a prisoner in my own home. Then this happened, and now Arthur’s in my place. But he’s- he’s not me. He’s smart, he’s brave, and he has friends. I’m fucked - but Arthur has a plan to get me un-fucked, and he’s doing it with my body.”

Ricky paused to sniff and rub the wetness from his eyes with his wrist. “The others are uh… in Crystal Cove right now. They’ve gone to one of Daphne’s sisters for help, but in order to prove what’s happening to me and show her what we’re up against… Arthur and Hot Dog- Marcie - hacked Destroido’s cameras. Anyway… they uploaded all the footage they could onto a flashdrive and uh- and right about now the kids are probably watching it.” And his eyes were wet when he turned and smiled at her. “-And when they get back… I think I need you to see it too.”

Cassidy was staring at him with an expression that was almost unreadable. “Ricky,” she said at last. “I won’t push too hard. But please- please at the very least tell me this: Ricky… Ricky, they didn’t!”

Confusion stabbed through his other emotions. What’s with that face? “Didn’t what-” Then he thought about what he’d said, and realized what she was insinuating.

“Oh! Oh shit- NO! Nonono! It was nothing like that! I swear!”

She stared at him for a long moment, searching his face for honesty. Then quietly, she pressed her forehead to his shoulder and all but sagged against him. “Thank god…”

Oh no… “Cassidy…” When was the last time she’d- it had been years since he had last seen her this upset. He knew the sadness in her eyes. He knew the longing he either ignored, denied, or pretended not to see. And he remembered her anger. The night she’d stormed into Destroido on her bike, the night he’d been found out for being behind the Oblitheratrix, the night they’d stopped working together… he remembered her anger. He remembered the shouting, the screaming, the arm-waving and circle-walking as she raved and berated him for his foolishness. He remembered hurled insults and both of them saying things they regretted later.

And most of all, he remembered that one last tearful look over her shoulder when she left his home and never came back.

But she wasn’t angry now. She was relieved and she was scared. For him. He dared to turn so her head was on his chest, his free arm came around her shoulders, and then… he dared press his nose into her curls. “I’m sorry, Cassidy. I didn’t mean to- it really wasn’t anything like that… I’m alright… Nobody- nobody touched me.”

And yet… the connection Cassidy had made bothered him. Was it really ‘nothing like that?’ He couldn’t help but wonder. Even if nothing overtly sexual had been done to him… now that Ricky was thinking about it that way: they had drugged him. Snuck into his room while he was sleeping. And while he was defenseless and vulnerable, they… put something inside him. And after that, he could never say no again…

He remembered that dirty feeling. Then a whole new wave of revulsion washed over him as he realized fully, perhaps for the first time, just how truly violated he had been. How he was still being violated now. Professor Pericles, along with Brad and Judy, had taken over his home, his finances, his autonomy… and even if not in the way Cassidy had assumed - they’d violated his body too.

“Promise me, Ricky,” Cassidy said at last.

Her eyes were wet when she looked up at him. And they were simmering like hot coals. She didn’t know the full truth yet. But he knew that look.

Rage.

“Swear to me that they didn’t violate you. Not like that. And not in any other way. Swear it!”

He wanted to.

But he’d also promised himself that he wouldn’t lie to her anymore.

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Daisy and Steve were looking at them like they had lost their minds.

To be fair though, if someone had come to them with the same story two days ago, they probably would have reacted the same way.

“So. Let me see if I have the facts right,” Daisy said, disbelieving. “There was another mystery-solving group that got chased out of Crystal Cove twenty years ago by their psychotic genius talking pet parrot and the former mayor in a monster costume. But the parrot escaped from the animal asylum after a robot dog disguised as your dog attacked the place. And has now joined forces with two of the aforementioned missing kids - who happen to be trap-boy here’s long-lost parents - and trapped a third one, Ricky Owens, who has apparently been living as this “Mr. E” guy for… who knows how long, in some kind of domestic violence-type situation-”

“It really does get more and more bonkers the more you put it into words, doesn’t it?” Lewis muttered. Vivi, Mystery, Shaggy, and Scooby all nodded in agreement.

“-So you’ve come here to ask my beautiful fiancee and I to surgically remove a small capsule of- mutated cobra larve from his lower back. Which the parrot has been using to torture and control him. Do I have that right?”

Daphne took a deep breath through her nose and said, as seriously as she could, “Daisy. You do not even have all of the facts for how absolutely bat-shit insane this situation is. But yeah - that’s the gist of it.”

“Oh my God, you have lost your mind.”

“Daisy-”

“Get out.”

“Please, sis-”

“You must think I’m either crazy or stupid to believe one word of this!” Daisy shouted! “Now get out!”

“We can prove it,” said Lewis.

Daisy faltered, her eyes widening with surprise. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting proof. Mystery Incorporated stiffened. Right… the flashdrive.

Lewis pulled it out of a pocket inside his vest, and all eyes locked on the small purple piece of plastic and metal pinched between his fingers. “- We’re not just rescuing Mr. E. He’s also working to rescue himself. With a little help, he hacked his own system. There’s hours of security footage and multiple notes and photographs on this flashdrive, proving everything we just told you. If you take a look and still refuse, then there’s not much we can do. But you have no idea what he risked to get this out of Destroido. We owe it to him to use it… Please, Dr. Blake…”

Daisy’s eyes were narrowed and her lips were pursed, tapping one manicured nail against her crossed arms. Thinking. Then finally, she looked over at her fiance. Steve shrugged his shoulders with a look that said ‘I’m kinda curious not gonna lie…’ And Daisy rolled her eyes to the ceiling with an exasperated sigh. “Fine. We’ll have a look. But no promises.”

“Thank you,” Lewis sighed. “Now Velma, if you would please get out your computer, I’ll leave this with you and we’ll be waiting in the van. Give us a call when you’re done or if you need anything.”

“Wait- where are they going?” Steve asked.

“You seeing that footage is us using it as intended, and Ricky gave them permission to see it. Not us,” Vivi shrugged. “It’s only right to honor his wishes.”

Velma waited a few moments for the Mystery Skulls’ retreating footsteps to disappear altogether before she opened her laptop, plugged the drive into the port, and began typing away to access its files.

And then, there it was.

File after file after file, letters and numbers stark white on a black background. Hours worth of footage, just waiting to be played. “Holy- Jinkies, there it is,” Velma said shakily.

“What? Have you not even looked at it yet?” Daisy scoffed.

“We only just acquired this footage last night, and the contents are some sensitive stuff,” Daphne said.

“Like there’s so much of it. Where do we even start?” Shaggy (still in Arthur’s body) asked. Daisy, who paid little attention to her sister’s friend group, didn’t pay his appearance any mind.

“And before we do… is everyone here ready to see this? And do you want to?” Fred asked his friends. “We don’t really know what we’re about to see, and it’s like the Mystery Skulls said - it’s our choice who in our group does. If any of you walk out now, I won’t judge.”

“Like… I feel like we owe it to Arth- to Mr. E to see it, after how hard he worked to get this to us,” Shaggy gulped. “And like- Ricky said he wanted us to see it… so like yeah. I’m not going anywhere,” Shaggy said.

“Ree too,” Scooby nodded.

“In spite of everything that’s happened… I feel like I need to see this,” Velma agreed.

Daphne and Fred looked at each other and came to the same silent agreement as the others: they weren’t going anywhere.

“Right… as to where we start,” Velma said, “It looks like Ar- Mr. E and Marcie have made a small legend at the top of the file list for things that happen in each video, and each one has a title and description too.”

“What’s the first video say? Is that when… it first happened?” Daphne asked nervously.

“I don’t think so. Look at the legend,” Velma pointed out. “He’s used a small icon that looks like a red circle to indicate each time the remote was used, and there isn’t one on the first video.”

“There are icons there though,” Scooby said. “Rut do those mean?” Scooby was talking about two icons beside the video’s title - “Confrontation1” The first one he was pointing to was spiky, orange, and yellow. Like a collision. The next was a man’s head, his mouth open and lines coming out, like he was talking.

Their eyes wandered to the legend.

💥 Physical abuse. 🗣️ Verbal abuse.

Velma hit play.

The video started out with Mr. E - the real Mr. E, still in his own body, sitting in front of his monitors. Velma recognized at once where it was - on his island office in the middle of his dramatic-ass shark moat.

“Who’s that?” Daisy asked.

“Your patient,” Fred said.

“That’s Ricky Owens?” Steve balked. “Damn - he let himself go.”

“It’s called depression and it happens to people when they suddenly lose everything at age seventeen,” Daphne snapped. And the rest of her friends were glaring at him too. Steve quickly shut his mouth.

Whatever Mr. E had been up to, the glaring light in the dim room prevented any of them from making it out on the screens. But he jumped and quickly turned it off when Professor Pericles appeared onscreen with an angry shout.

“Ricky! Ricky what have you done?! I’ve been locked out of the system!”

“I know - I did it on purpose,” Mr. E snarled, rising to his feet. “You’re out of control, Professor Pericles! And I’m putting a stop to it! I’m in charge - I built Destroido from the ground up! While you were cooling your beak in prison! It’s time that I-”

WHACK.

The five Mystery solvers went rigid with shock.

They’d heard about some of the things Professor Pericles had said and done to Mr. E. Seeing it themselves was another matter entirely. And Ricky had never said anything about- he hit him. And when they heard what he said next, their jaws dropped.

“You are in charge of nothing, Ricky Owens! You have never been anything other than an idiotic human mascot! A shoulder for me to perch upon!”

The Mr. E on the screen was so startled- so genuinely frightened of the very creature he’d deluded himself into seeing as a friend, that he was silent for a long moment. Then he gingerly touched the red side of his face, wincing. “... You don’t mean that,” he said quietly. Pitifully hopeful. Still in denial. Still desperate for something that wasn’t there, and maybe never had been.

Professor Pericles sneered down at him like a bad seed in his bird feed. “You will restore my access by the end of the day.”

“And if I don’t?” Ricky growled. Stubborn. Trying to be brave when it was clear even through a screen that he was terrified.

Professor Pericles smiled at him in a way that didn’t reach his eyes. One foot came up to touch Ricky’s large nose with deceptive tenderness.

Then he dug his talons in.

Not enough to break the skin, but just enough to hurt. Ricky hissed with pain. “You’re a very valuable egg, Ricky,” Pericles sneered. “I’d hate to have to break you.”

“Pericles- stop. That- ow! That’s enough!” Ricky shouted. He shoved the parrot off of him with a great flapping of feathers as the parrot perched himself on the edge of the chair. Ricky got to his feet before he could regain the upper hand.

“Restore. My access,” Pericles demanded.

“Really? That’s all you care about?! You hit me!” Ricky barked.

For a split-second, Pericles’ expression turned positively venomous. But then it softened. “Ricky,” he said in a jarringly tender voice. “How are we to move forward when I don’t have access to our resources? The treasure is at hand. Whatever investment we make in attaining it will be returned to us beyond calculation.”

“You mean whatever investment I make,” Ricky corrected him. “How much of your own money have you spent, exactly? Or Brad and Judy’s? Why is what I worked for worth so little to you?”

“Und here I was under the impression you’d grown up,” Pericles tutted disappointedly. “I didn’t realize you were so selfish. Isn’t locking me out rather childish?”

“I- you- shut up!” Ricky shouted! And Mystery Incorporated suddenly remembered what Ricky had said, about how Pericles knew exactly what buttons to push. “Shut up and get out! I don’t want to talk to you- I don’t even want to look at you right now. You want your access back? Earn it back!”

“After everything I’ve sacrificed-”

“You’ve sacrificed?! What about my sacrifices? You’ve cost me everything, and still you find more to take.”

“Vögelchen… You told me once that I was family. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“Did it mean nothing when you betrayed me?! But unlike you, yes. It means something. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you or that I trust you. Not for back then, and certainly not for that shit you just pulled. Now get out.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you stop acting like a child!”

“Fine! Then I’ll leave! There’s plenty of places for me to go! It’s my house!”

“Don’t you turn your back on me, Ricky Owens!”

“Watch me!”

And Ricky wasn’t kidding. Mr. E stormed over the bridge, went out a side exit, and when Professor Pericles tried to follow a steel door slammed shut within an inch of his beak.

Then Professor Pericles was alone. But the video wasn’t over yet. He flew back over to the island and perched himself on the top edge of that ring of monitors, looking up at the fish swimming in the lake above. What he said next couldn’t be heard very well, with how quietly he was speaking and the way German was mixed in. But they could make out this: “My Master… my master was right. Mein Vögelchen ist only human after all… no different from…”

He was staring off into space when the video ended.

They stared at that last frame for several long moments. Visibly unsettled.

“Well- um- that was-” There were holes in Daisy’s unbothered facade. “So like- I guess he really is Ricky Owens, huh?”

“That was definitely the same parrot…” Steve muttered. “Knew he gave me the creeps.”

“Like um… that was like…” Shaggy stuttered.

“Yeah,” Fred said. None of them even had the words.

“I didn’t see any torture though…” Daisy scoffed.

And even if the way she said it was insensitive, she was right: they hadn’t seen what they needed to just yet.

The second, third, and fourth videos, according to their captions, were of Brad and Judy conspiring with Professor Pericles against Ricky. There wasn’t any footage of Ricky going to Brad and Judy with his plan to turn on Pericles, as he’d been smart enough to avoid the cameras in case Pericles was monitoring them. But because the others weren’t nearly as familiar with the placement of the cameras as Ricky, a lot of their activities were on camera. Which added yet another layer to the tragedy: if Ricky had only checked his footage at the right time, what happened to him next could have been avoided.

Then, along with video evidence of their verbal conspiracy, there was a short clip of the Original Mystery Incorporated having dinner together, and Arthur had managed to find the exact moment Brad’s hand moved nonchalantly over Ricky’s drink. Then when it cut to the end of the meal, it showed Ricky walking with a slight stagger into the hallway where his rooms were apparently located, unaware he’d clearly been drugged. Then there was a clip with a timestamp about two hours later of Brad, Judy, and Pericles entering that same hallway with a briefcase, then leaving thirty minutes after that. But there weren’t any cameras in the rooms themselves or joining hallways, so there was no footage of them actually committing the crime.

Then there was the seventh video.

The first one with a big red circle beside its’ title:

“Confrontation2+Confession 🔴”

Velma clicked on it.

Again, it was on that central island in Mr. E’s lair. Ricky was pacing to and fro across the floor, arms crossed, while Brad and Judy stood side by side watching him as if they hadn’t committed an unforgivable sin just the night before.

“He’s late,” Ricky griped.

“You know he shows up when he means to,” Judy said. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon, don’t you think Brad?”

“Right you are, Judy. You know he’ll be looking to get his system access back, and making you wait isn’t the way to do it, Ricky.”

“Suppose you’re right…” Ricky grumbled. And he looked proud. Proud of himself for standing up to Pericles for once. Happy that he still had two old friends who had his back. Hopeful that after this, things would be better. That they’d change their approach, and no one else would have to get hurt once he took the reins back.

The new Mystery Incorporated were on the edge of their seats. Daphne was holding Fred’s hand, Shaggy and Scooby were hugging each other, and Velma was anxiously tapping her heel. Even Daisy and Steven, who weren’t involved yet, were tense. There was a sort of hopelessness to watching this footage. Like watching a train wreck: they all knew how it ended.

Then Pericles arrived.

He landed with a flutter on the edge of a desk beside Brad and Judy. And when he spoke his voice was jovial, yet his remaining green eye glinted with malevolence.

“Ricky. Brad. Judy. Do forgive my tardiness. Now Ricky, what did you need to interrupt my work to talk about?”

“This isn’t a talk, Professor Pericles. It’s an intervention. Things can’t continue as they have.”

“Oh? Und how have they been?” Pericles asked. And there it was - that hostility. Almost a ‘how-dare-you?’

“As you know, I’ve revoked your system access.”

“Ja. And you still haven’t returned it, as I told you to.”

“And there it is!” Ricky exclaimed. “You can't order me to do anything, Professor Pericles. When I agreed to this partnership, it was a part-ner-ship. That means you and I. Working together towards a common goal, each respecting the other. But you haven’t respected me or anything of mine since almost the beginning. You have spent tens of millions without my permission on plans that you have gone through with behind my back. You have poked your beak into parts of my life and business that don’t concern you and I didn’t want you in. And overall - you have gone too far. It isn’t just the expenses that bother me. The collateral damage of your last few schemes have been insane.”

“Bah! One cannot make a genius omlette-”

“‘-Without breaking a few worthless eggs.’ Yeah - that’s what you keep saying. But you know what? People aren’t eggs. By the time you actually told me about that ridiculous skull cattle plan of yours, you’d already spent a fortune making them. Then by the time we expunged what was left of them out of my company, they had eaten twenty-nine of my best scientists. And at least forty of my other staff. My people, Pericles. People with families who I was responsible for. I told you I thought it was insanity, but did you listen? Their deaths are on me because I didn’t stand up to you sooner. Not to mention all the casualties in Crystal Cove, or the homes and businesses they destroyed. All for a plan that didn’t even work! I don’t care how much of my money you’d already spent on those creatures. I should’ve had them all killed the minute I found out about them!”

“But you didn’t,” Pericles said. “You’re judging my sins, Mister E? Then you're a damn hypocrite. What if not blood is your kingdom built upon, Ricky Owens? All you are is a false king sitting on a throne of poisoned land and ruined lives!”

“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT?” Ricky roared. “YOU THINK I LIKE THE PERSON I’VE BECOME? When I was a boy, I had a different dream for this company. I wanted…” But then Ricky gritted his teeth and looked away. “Nice deflection,” he grumbled. “But I’m not letting you do that this time. Because I might be a piece of shit, but we’re not talking about me. We are talking about you: Out of control and out of your damn mind. But you know what? I can see it on your face. I could talk myself hoarse, but you’re not listening.”

“My ears are working just fine, Vögelchen.”

“Don’t. Call me that,” Ricky seethed. “There is a difference between hearing and listening, Pericles. And if you won’t listen to me, then you’ve not left me with much choice: Get out. And I don’t mean out of the room this time. Get out of my home, out of my company, out of my life. I can’t exactly make you leave Crystal Cove, but us? I’ve talked to Brad and Judy about it already, and we’re all in agreement: you’re done. Out.”

“Out? You think you can banish me?” Pericles smirked.

“Yes. I do. Destroido is mine. So you see Professor Pericles, it’s over! You’re not the boss here, I am! And you’re out of the group!”

The camera caught Pericles pulling a big red button out of a pocket in his scarf and there came a collective gasp of horror.

The instant Pericles pushed it, Ricky’s body froze in a position that wasn’t natural. His eyes widened with shock. Horror. Confusion. In so much pain he couldn’t even muster the breath to scream.

“Oh Ricky, Ricky,” Pericles tutted. “My loyal Brad and Judy told me of your little mutiny. So, last night while you were asleep, I put mutated cobra larvae in your spine! Every time I push this button… a little venom is released.”

And there it was. Straight out of his own beak.

They saw it all. They heard Pericles boast about what he was planning to do, and they heard him laugh. They saw Brad and Judy, smirking at one another as if they were proud of what they’d done. And they saw Ricky. They saw him fall to his knees, unable to stand. They heard the sound that found its way through the audio - somewhere between a whimper and a grunt. Then finally, as the torture continued and Pericles still didn’t let up, a damn burst and Ricky cried out!

None of them would ever forget that sound.

He was convulsing, shaking, crying, begging for it to stop, making any number of promises between sobs.

And Pericles was enjoying it.

That was when Velma slammed the laptop shut with a snap, unable to bear watching a second more.

Not a soul stopped her or asked to see the rest.

And for a long minute, they were quiet. The silence was only broken by the sounds of Daphne quietly sniffling. Fred was stunned stiff beside her. Scooby was huddled as close as he possibly could to his boy, and Shaggy felt as if he was going to be sick. As for Velma? She was thinking. Thinking so much so fast that her brain was overwhelming itself. Or perhaps not. It was more like her brain was so horrified that she couldn’t conjure any thoughts at all. Silently, she put both feet up on Daisy’s expensive leather couch and hugged her knees to her chest, still staring at the closed laptop.

They would wonder to themselves later, if they lost something when they watched that footage.

Subsequently, they would also wonder what they gained.

Either way, they got what they came for.

Daisy left the room.

She straightened her back, arms crossed, and briskly yet gracefully walked out of the room, her heels clicking against the tile. Looking almost as disturbed as his betrothed, Steven rushed out after her.

They didn’t come back for a very long time.

And there it is! Chapter 25! I know I promised to post it on Sunday and I'm technically posting it on Monday, 2am isn't thaaaat late, right? I spent all day working on revisions and that lllovely little piece of fanart that I put so much of my heart and soul into. (My one regret is that Tumblr is going to condense it so, SO much 😑) I was having a really good conversation with @angorwhosebabyisthis a while back about SDMI, specifically about Ricky, Pericles, and their relationship, and they pointed out to me that the way Pericles physically abuses Ricky using a device that he has literally inserted inside of him is quite obviously an allegory for rape. And I'm not going to lie - I had never drawn that comparison before. But once I saw it I couldn't unsee it. And I think it's extremely important that more adult fans do and that it gets talked about in the SDMI discourse. Because if more people have realized it, and I certainly hadn't, then I certainly haven't seen anyone else talking about it and I haven't read about it in any other fics. Likely because in spite of its' extremely adult, dark themes, SDMI is for all intents and purposes a "kids' show." Not to mention it's an extremely heavy and oftentimes taboo topic even among adults. But while it is the former, I don't believe it should be the latter. I rated this fic M for mature from the start and have piled on the angst this much already. So even if it isn't a comfy subject, I saw no reason why it shouldn't be here. All the same, I hope my writing didn't upset or trigger anyone and that anyone disturbed by such things heeded the warnings I put at the beginning of the chapter. SO! On to talking about the rest of the chapter! Any room for doubt the kids may have had is no longer existent. How will what they've seen affect their behavior and actions moving forward? And Cassidy finally has at least some idea of what's happened to Ricky, but how will she react to the full picture? Much less when she sees it. Daisy Blake is a character I've been looking forward to playing with because we saw so little of her in SDMI and what we did see was extremely two-dimensional. Which is one of my favorite characters to write in fanfiction because it means I can do whatever interpretation of her I want, and who's to say I'm wrong? Not to mention Daphne's complicated relationship with her family in SDMI is an interesting dynamic to explore. Same goes for Daisy's dear fiance Steve, who for all intents and purposes doesn't actually exist in the canon of SDMI. All that is canonically known of "Daisy's fiance" is that he is rich and a neurosurgeon. That is it. He's basically an OC. I literally said to myself, "What is the first basic af white boy name I can think of? Steve. And what's the first sorta fancy and less-than-common surname I can think of? Poindexter." (As in Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye, the Marvel villain.) And so it was. I got sidetracked into another project (look sometimes autism makes you spend three days on cross stitch, okay?) so I unfortunately haven't gotten more than a few paragraphs into chapter 26 of One of Us. So while I do hope to have it done by next Sunday as I hope, I also can't make any promises. But rest assured I do have a plan, and I intend to have it to you as soon as I can. And people... please go onto my ao3 and leave comments on my fic there once the chapter posted. Seeing the number go up on my inbox and getting to read your words means more to me than you know. Chapter 25 should be posted to ao3 tomorrow morning, and it definitely will be tomorrow afternoon.

Last thing: a while back I said I would be starting a tag list for One of Us, and unfortunately I forgot about it when I posted Chapter 24. So sorry about that. Here's to all my readers who either asked to be tagged when new chapters are posted, or liked that post. Cuz I can't tell if liking it was asking to be added to it or not and I wouldn't want to leave anybody out. If you want to be added to this list or want to be removed from it, then feel free to DM and let me know!

@void-lioness @nikicherry1234 @angorwhosebabyisthis @lunasummers04 @orithereticent @mysteryskullsblog @the-moogle-of-your-nightmares @sfcabanasstarcgs

Chapters 1-24 of 'One of Us' are presently posted on Archive of Our Own!

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irondad-creator-awards · 1 year ago

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Author Spotlight - Ob_Liv_Ious_Writer

In the run-up to the 2024 Awards we’ve asked some previous winners if they would be interviewed by us. We’re kicking off with @ob-liv-ious-writer author of No Ulterior Motive, which won Best Homeless Fic in 2023

Summary: When Peter saw a spelling mistake on the Stark Industries website, he decided that he had to fix it, no matter what the consequences could be.

When Tony saw that the hacker that managed to evade him was a reckless, too-skinny foster kid, he decided that he was going to offer him an internship.

No ulterior motives.

Not at all.

Excerpt: Ned was still too over the moon to properly fanboy. It felt like a miracle to see Peter happy again. Ned was glad. If anyone deserved a miracle, it was Peter Parker.

Hey, Ob_Liv_Ious, Thank you for answering our questions...

How did you get into Irondad? Honestly? I first found the fandom through a crossover fic from my marauders days. I don't remember what fic it was, but it kickstarted my spider-man obsession, and from there I found Irondad.

What's your favourite Irondad scene? My favourite scene has still gotta be the rooftop one. Hits different.

When did you start writing? For writing in general, I have been doing it my entire life. For fanfic, I think I remember reading everything I could find and then writing my own so that I had more to read.

What do you like about writing most? My favourite thing about writing is the way that it draws me in and lets me lose myself in the life of a character. It's always been a form of escapism, plus it's nice to have a product at the end.

Which of your stories is your favourite and why? No Ulterior Motive, it has to be. It's a story that I wrote at a very pivotal time in my life, plus it's one of the rare stories that I can look back on and still be proud of.

What's your favourite trope to write? Anything hurt/comfort honestly.

What inspired the story? It was long enough ago that I don't really remember, but I think the idea of Peter hacking SI just randomly came to me and I immediately had to write it lol.

Can you tell us a little about the experience of writing it -- did anything stand out or was there a particular person that helped more than others? Again, this was quite a while ago now (I wrote this fic when I was in my senior year of High School and now I'm in my second year of Uni lmao), but I remember writing most of this on the hallway floors between classes. The particular person who helped more than others was absolutely my girlfriend at the time, who motivated me and beta read. Additional points go to all of my old friends who had to put up with me talking about it 24/7 haha.

How did you feel to be a winner of the Awards last year? Epic!! I think this is a really cool project, even though I'm not very active in the community anymore since I don't have enough free time lol. It was nostalgic to look back on my fic, and it makes me really happy that something that helped me so much during my formative years is still being enjoyed by people.

Thank you again Ob_Liv_Ious_Writer for answering our questions and being part of the Irondad Creator Awards.

#irondad creator awards #irondad #spider-man #iron man #irondad and spiderson #spider son #fanfic #fandom awards #writers #Irondad Creator Awards 2024 #Story Spotlight

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lady-hallowtide · 3 months ago

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HALLOWTIDE RECOMMENDED FANFICS 2025

Labyrinth, Solo-Levelling, John Wick, The Witcher, Skyrim, Overlord, Hunger Games, Sherlock, Bleach, Hitman Reborn, Final Fantasy, Hobbit, Teen Wolf, Magnus Archives, Stranger Things, Walking Dead, The Untamed, Jurassic World, Code Geass, Assassins Creed, Hannibal, Scum Villain, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, DCU, MCU, Naruto, Harry Potter

LABYRINTH

• Her Kingdom As Great by MarbleGlove

What's said is said, and Sarah said, "My Will is as Strong as Yours and my Kingdom as Great." And then, of course, she lied.

SOLO-LEVELLING

• Dragon Ascending by Aeraneth

Park Ryung was a simple man with a simple goal, once he realized he was in the world of Solo Leveling. Make Sung Jinwoo's first few miserable years of being a Hunter- a little easier. Surely he was capable of giving some support to the protagonist if he really put his mind to it.

He had no idea how that backfired so hard.

JOHN WICK

• Made Men by manic_intent

“With you it’s always ‘Father this’, ‘Father that’.” Gianna sniffed. “It’s an obnoxious habit. Very childish. Act your age.”

“Oh? And trying to interrupt a stranger about his business isn’t obnoxious?”

“You’re such an asshole,” Gianna said, incredulous. “I can’t believe you said that. We’re trying to save a life.”

“If you were remotely interested in charity of that nature you wouldn’t be in the family business.”

The stranger was staring at them now, blinking owlishly. It wasn’t an unfamiliar reaction to anyone exposed to his sister and their quarrels. “Do you guys mind?” he said finally. His voice was rusty, seldom used.

THE WITCHER

• Born in a time of darkness, you will learn the trick of making. (You shall make your consolation all your life) by llamallamaduck

(WitcherXAssassins Creed Crossover)

Every now and again—typically late at night, when his mind was trying and failing to internalise the hurricane of weird shit that happened to be his life—Desmond wondered about how all this will end. Abstrego can throw around technical-sounding jargon until the cows go home, but even they probably knew that rendering genetic memories in three dimensions just meant fucking around with soul magic. Or Every guy can be a babygirl but it takes a man to be a single mother.

SKYRIM

• Shakespeare in the Park by Vodkassassin

He wakes up in a horse-drawn cart to see a scruffy man, with shaggy blond hair, bound and sitting in front of him. He knows exactly how this story goes.

The question is, how can a theater kid from modern America convince an entire fantasy world that he belongs there?

OVERLORD

• Momo-ji by Kat_o_nine_Tails

Suzuki Satoru had always liked children, but as a bachelor he had given up on having any of his own early on. But now that he has found himself in this New World and became his avatar, Momonga, he has inadverently become a father and he is determined to do his duty to the best of his abilities.

The fact that his children were mostly adults, some wanted to get into his pants, and all of them were actually NPCs created by his friends was completely irrelevant.

HUNGER GAMES

• Impetus by Crunchysunrises

(BuffyXHunger Games Crossover)

For one ethereal moment, Haymitch thought that his tribute might finally kill someone, maybe everyone. Then he remembered who he was dealing with. (Buffy had already decided: she was going to burn this place to the ground.)

SHERLOCK

• Whispers in Corners by esama

(Harry PotterXSherlock Crossover)

Everything started with a stumble - his new life in a new world as well as his surprisingly successful career as a medium.

BLEACH

• The world turns (to the rhythm of a god-king's rage) by CheshireSense (cywscross)

Betrayal is a choice that should only be made when you are prepared to accept whatever retribution follows.

HITMAN REBORN

• Russian Roulette: Reloaded by Vixen_Tail

No one ever said an SI gets a place in canon events, or that they would be ideally placed at all. How much would you recall if you had decades to go before anything in a long forgotten story comes to be?

FINAL FANTASY

• Red Sands by Vixen_Tail

Reeve Tuesti was quite literally the only decent man in FFVII's Shin-Ra Electric Company. Let's add another.

• And They Say You Can't Change The Past by NervousOtaku

Well, Rufus thought to himself, second chances weren't to be squandered.

HOBBIT

• Blessings and Rituals by esama

In which Dwarves have a religion - and Hobbits don’t.

• Into The Fire by blackdragonqueen

He was given one year to try again and make things right.

TEEN WOLF

• In the roots of our town, hearts beat by graveltotempo

After the Hale fire, Beacon Hills yearns for blood. Few know what the Hales are (werewolves, the eyes and the fangs whispers).

Most know what the Hales really are (protectors, the broken bones and unhealed injuries remember).

So when the house catches fire, and two shellshocked children cry while covered in ash, and a man burns and burns and burns (and screams and screams and screams), the people know.

Even when the words ‘electrical fire’ come out, even when two broken hearted children run, even when there is no proof: Beacon Hills knows, and the Nemeton knows, and her people know.

And they wait, in bated silence.

And they whisper, as they wait.

And they write, as they wait.

And they wait, they wait, they wait.

• Prowl by wynnebat

Laura's body is never found, but instead of continuing with his murder spree, Peter gets distracted by the scent of his mate. Stiles gets very distracted by the huge wolf that starts showing up at his house all the time.

• Touch Therapy by syriala

“You’re hugging Peter,” Derek said from behind them, confusion very obvious in his voice.

“Yep,” Stiles gave back, not moving from his current position, speaking more into Peter’s hair than anything.

“Why are you hugging him?” Derek asked, and Stiles shrugged as best as he could, with his arms still around Peter.

“He just woke up from a coma. I don’t even want to think about how long he went without a hug,” Stiles gave back.

Or the one where Stiles derails Peter’s plans by aggressively hugging the shit out of him.

THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

• Chrysalis by thesnadger

What if Jon stopped resisting? What if he fully gave in to the dreadful power that has a hold on him? How much would Martin be willing to turn his back on in order to keep the one he loves?

• Perks of Beholding by Serazimei

Jon gets distracted from paranoia by learning he can now understand animals. This somehow solves all their problems.

Or: Jon turns into a Disney princess the fic.

• See the Line where the Sky meets the Sea by The_Floating_World

When Jon is a child he looks into the infinite abyss of space. The Vast looks back into him.

STRANGER THINGS

• Without a flashlight in the dark by jurassicqueer (gaybirdkid)

The lights go out. Steve keeps his eyes fixed just left of the thing, can just barely make out a shoulder and sort-of head in the light of the moon, and tries to swallow back the sickening feeling of being hunted. He wants to run for his house but he can’t. He can’t, because if he takes his eyes off the thing for even a second, he won’t know where it is, and that’s scarier than seeing it.

But then- then Steve’s vision blurs for just a moment too long, and when he blinks away the tears and looks, it’s gone.

Steve lunges for the house doors. When the patio lights flicker back on, the poolside is empty, and Steve Harrington is missing. No one notices.

Or: Steve Harrington gets dragged into the Upside Down instead of Barb Holland. Someone else comes out.

THE WALKING DEAD

• We're waiting on a heartbeat (can anybody hear me?) by jurassicqueer (gaybirdkid)

Glenn is all his three month old nephew has left when the zombie apocalypse reaches Atlanta. He's going to make sure he's enough.

OR: Glenn really didn't anticipate finding a life partner while raising an infant, but the end of the world is as good a place to start as any.

• Leaping into Lori by Fleurtygirl

Waking up as Lori Grimes kind of sucked because she rated as my least favorite person. Then again, she became universally hated because of her ongoing unhelpful and hostile actions during a zombie freaking apocalypse. Waking up before the apocalypse would hopefully help save lives.

THE UNTAMED

• Sail Away Sweet Sister by sami

“Are you the same Jiang Yanli I have known since infancy?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever been anyone else?"

"No."

"So you've lived another life... but as yourself. You had a child. And you were dead."

"Yes."

Jiang Yanli starts again from the beginning.

• Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller

He can’t get Jin Guangyao’s words out of his head.

If he’d only believed in Wei Wuxian, if he’d only been willing to stand up for him, could it all have been avoided?

• Intriguing by nirejseki

Nie Huaisang hates, hates, hatespaperwork. Life would be so much better if only Meng Yao (now officially recognized as Jin Guangyao) were available to do it for him...but unfortunately, his brother never did end up swearing brotherhood with him, which means that Nie Huaisang has no basis to go ask him for help.

If only there were another position available where Jin Guangyao could just run the Nie sect –

(in which Nie Huaisang decides to matchmake his brother and Jin Guangyao together for his own selfish reasons)

• Burnish Brass to Gold by tuesday

The weak link was, as ever, Lan Xichen.

• Casting off (why not take life as it comes) by

Nemainofthewater

Lan Wangji was a master swordsman and loved his uncle; it was only that that allowed Lan Qiren to summon Xinfei in time to block his brother’s sword.

In which Lan Qiren either has an extraordinarily vivid dream or has managed to travel back in time.

JURASSIC WORLD

• Wild Frontier By RunawayDeviant

The five of them turned to face him - him, specifically, not the rest. His girls and their new best friend.

Owen stood up.

• Tainted by Macx

Owen Grady had always had a talent for animals. Like his grandfather. It was a talent that ran in the families.

Masrani Global recruited him to train raptors. It was an intriguing, novel idea, something only a crazy or insane person would attempt.

Owen wasn't crazy or insane. He knew he could do this.

He just didn't know how deep he would get into it, how strong the connection to the pack would become, how close... they, the four of them, would become to him.

His grandfather had always warned him: don't get too close. Don't let them connect. Well, it was too late for that now.

• The Perils of Witch Slaying (Or How Buffy Ended up in Dinoland) by pprfaith

(Slight BuffyXJurassic World Crossover)

- Three things Buffy knows:

1. witches suck

2. reincarnation sucks

3. prehensile claws are kind of cool

CODE GEASS

• Rise of the Unholy Trinity by LokasennaHiddleston.

The Zero Requiem was successful, but to some, the price was too high. C.C. does not care about world peace, not when she has lost the last person who gave her existence meaning. Suzaku Kururugi takes refuge in the last orders from his emperor, but he aches for what could have been.

They hate each other, but in a world that so eagerly accepts Lelouch's sacrifice without thanking him for it, they cannot help but take refuge in one another. And when C.C. hatches a plan to turn back time and bring Lelouch back, Suzaku eagerly welcomes it. She will be his shield and he will be his sword, and this time, they will get it right.

• Abandon Thyself By Sanjuno

A Geass... is like a wish...

All Demon Emperor wished for was a kinder, gentler world for his loved ones to live in and be happy...

All the Knight of Zero wished for was to die...

(Neither of them got what they wished for, in the end.)

The World of C has decided to grant the dearest wish that resonated in the heart of their Champion.

• The Sun Also Rises by Sanjuno

The night is darkest just before dawn, but dawn will come regardless.

Driven by his love for his sister, Lelouch Lamperouge vi Brittania became the Demon Emperor, feared and hated the world over. Very few people knew that the assassination of the ninety-ninth Emperor was actually an honour suicide, assisted by a dear friend and retainer in a long-held Japanese tradition. Zero Requiem went... perfectly to plan. Lelouch died, and took much of the world's hatred with him.

The Collective Consciousness of Man is not people, and they will not let their Champion remain lost to them.

Lelouch wakes to life after his death by the blessing of the World of C... and the possibilities available to him are endless.

ASSASSINS CREED

• Impermanence by esama

In which Desmond ends up back in time and doesn't so much decide to use it to deal with some hangups he had about Ezio's life as much as sort of... falls into doing it because of bitterness and spite and some very questionable medicine.

• Desmond ex Machina by esama

In the library of Altaïr, Ezio isn't as ready to let go of his destiny as he thought.

In the Grand Temple, Desmond isn't ready to face his.

HANNIBAL

• Inevitable by sifshadowheart

(Criminal MindsXHannibal Crossover)

Will didn’t know how this was happening.

He didn’t know why.

But it was.

Even if he couldn’t trust his eyes, not always anyway, he trusted what he felt, tactile sensation, and everything he felt said that this was happening. His body didn’t have the aches and pains and scars he knew. There was no knot of scar tissue causing issues with his shoulder from being stabbed. No smile across his stomach from a linoleum knife or bullet wound in his non-stabbed shoulder.

He was his relatively untouched teenager self, brain too much for most to handle and awkward social abilities that had landed him a full-ride to Tulane off of his high IQ and ability to pass a test – so long as it wasn’t a psych exam, though now that he knew what he knew he’d be willing to bet that was changed.

In fact…as plans and plots started to come together, he was counting on it.

It would be a long game.

Almost twenty years.

A different Will would be sorry for all those who would die between then and now, let alone those that would come after, but as he sat down and began the first of many lists that would shape his future for the next decade or more, he didn’t feel any guilt at all.

• Oddbodies by toffeecape

Will is an off-brand sentinel. Hannibal is a reputable guide. What could go wrong?

• Wage Your War by Della19

To say that Will Graham is still an unmated, childless omega at the age of thirty-eight is his own choice is true. It is not to say that it is his preference. Will wants a mate and a family just as much – perhaps even more – than the next omega. He’s simply never met that one person who fit the bill before. And then he walks into Jack Crawford’s office and meets Hannibal Lecter and well that, as they say in the business, is that.

Now all he needs to do is convince Hannibal of that. But well, this is Hannibal Lecter he is dealing with. It must be done a certain…flair. But that isn’t a problem for Will. Not at all.

After all, snakes may kill mongoose, but one must never forget this as well: mongoose hunt snakes too.

It’s Will Graham’s turn to wage his war.

Or, here is a fic about omega!Will Graham manipulating alpha!Hannibal Lecter into getting exactly what he wants.

THE SCUM VILLAINS SELF-SAVING SYSTEM

• Shen-shixiong by Ourliazo

Shen Qingqiu is a bastard, but he's Cang Qiong Mountain's bastard. That doesn't actually justify anything but god it feels good to point Shen Qingqiu at someone and watch him tear through.

(The peak lords are ride or die despite it all.)

• The Grand Unified Theory of Shěn Qīngqiū by 00janeblonde

Shěn Qīngqiū new game pluses himself into a happy ending and unlocks some premium content along the way.

• We should stick together by pennydaniels

Shen Jiu is drowning on Qing Jing Peak in his struggle to become Head Disciple and then hopefully Peak Lord. He's always been good at surviving but somehow can't help wanting more than that. He just wants to make the right decision.

(In which Shen Jiu is just trying to keep his head above water dealing with his faulty cultivation and capricious Shizun, has more than a few illuminating conversations with the brothel ladies, gets caught in a sex pollen disaster with Liu Qingge, and watches the other try their best to make it right.)

• Forever and ever and ever and ever by pennydaniels

Shen Jiu saves Liu Qingge's life. Liu Qingge isn't the type of person to let debts go unpaid.

• What Is Seen by CaveteDracones

…is not [always] the real truth.

Truth-compelling artifacts in the hands of an enemy to one side, SYSTEM-mandated silence on the other, and Shen Qingqiu caught between the two. Is it too late to go back to the Water Prison?

• Fly With Broken Wings by VermilionRain

Shen Yuan has been getting nightmares since he was young. They were about a fantasy world that centered around Shen Qingqiu, a subjectively evil man. It wasn’t until he read a certain cash grabbing book that everything clicked into place. Shen Yuan was receiving memories of Shen Jiu (They were horrible and now he empathizes with the immortal) Now, after finally receiving his degree he gets transported into said book. He might as well fix this plot hole ridden shit until he gets to go back.

• Nobody Deserves a Second Chance (But Honey I Keep Getting Them) by Bluethursday

Luo Binghe finds himself unsatisfied with his life after his wives attempt a coup and devises a plan to acquire a Shen Yuan of his very own.

"He couldn't help but think that his life and efforts amounted to nothing but a joke played out for the amusement of the Heavens. His efforts were nothing in the eyes of those he had done his best to protect. His entire life—from crawling his way out of the gutters of the small town he grew up in by the Luo River, from being saved only by the kindness of a woman whose life was dependent on the scraps given to her by her wealthy employers, his mother’s hands ever-calloused from scrubbing filth and sweat from the clothing of those too ignorant to realize how much work it took to keep their lives comfortable—his entire life was spent working his way into a position where no one could leave him stranded, begging on the street for a bowl of congee, and for what?"

• Tongfang by The Feels Whale (miscellea)

Shen Yuan is reincarnated as a cannon fodder character and eventual murder victim in one of the whodunnit arcs in Proud Immortal Demon Way. Things escalate quickly.

Or: that one where young Luo Binghe’s career goal is ‘Bride’.

• Belonging (Object), Belonging (Condition) by ParueCake (MiraEyeteeth)

When they were children, Shen Jiu promised that he would marry Yue Qi, and show everyone in the world that Yue Qi belonged to him. Yue Qi took that declaration very seriously.

GAME OF THRONES

• The Balance of Ice and Fire by Sanjuno

(Star WarsXGame Of Thrones Crossover)

What would change about the Song if three former Jedi and a former Galactic Senator were reincarnated into the world of Westros?

• Down a Rabbit Hole to Westeros by Lamia_Kuei

A SI into Selyse Florent, later Selyse Baratheon. Refusing this time around to be vexed by a mustache, lack of indoor plumbing, and no more guacamole in favor of keeping her eyes on the prize: Surviving the upcoming Long Night and not letting Melisandre go Full Melisandre.

• Poetry is what he thought, but did not say by llamallamaduck

(Game Of ThronesXBlack Panther Crossover)

Erik knows very well who he is and what he is for. If Bast thought placing him here would humble or punish him, They do not know him as well as They think. Erik may wear the body of a slaver, but his mind and his choices are his, as they always have been.

He lived by the sword and died by it; he sees no reason to change the bedrock of his personal ethics the second time around.

• The lone traveller, standing strong by bubblewrapstargirl

Sansa wakes to find herself a girl again, and quickly realises she must find a way to marry a decent man before Robert Baratheon comes North, prevent Jon from taking the Black, tie Theon to House Stark before Balon rebels, and save all her siblings from the wrath of the Lannisters. Sansa refuses to be a bystander to tragedy any longer, but can she ever hope to win the game of thrones?

• Now go and fail again by Nothingmare

She will be damned if she lets the Greens have a grasp for her Throne. Not again.

• The Lioness and the Sun by BonnieBee101

Rhaegar and Lyanna are the scum of the earth and Elia deserved so much better!

Remembered:

Elia HAD to marry him it was arranged.

Rhaegar didn't HAVE to break her heart and run off with a little northern girl.

• Lex Talionis by lostchildofthenewworld

Two women died, one on a cold marble floor and another strewn across a bed with her son's blood covering her. Lady Fortuna has sown those two souls together with a red string, from two separate entities they became one.

• Queens by phantomphaeton

It wasn’t a hero in the end. Not a grand savior, nor magic, nor prophecy, nor destiny, nor a promised prince. In the end, it all boiled down to three young women who had decided that they—by that point—were fed up with disappointment.

STAR WARS

• The Way of Conquest By Pagination

All Din wanted to do was find the Child a sorcerer teacher, pick up a job or two, and follow his Creed.

Three out of three is good, right? Right?

• Sith Lord Swell by AMournfulHowlInTheNight

“Well, looks like we're all Sith Lords, now. I hope you've all been practicing your most menacing laughter for our first run in with the Jedi Council."

Ben could only sigh and raise a distasteful eyebrow at the cross shaped, red lightsaber he was given. Down the line other students were also handling their new weapons and robes with a raised eyebrow here and quizzical expression there.

"Really, uncle?"

"Really. I don't want to compete with the local Jedi population."

Why did Jedi politics and time travel have to be so difficult?

• Water in the tiger's mouth by blackkat

After Scipio, Thorn wakes up on Coruscant, in a palace built over the bones of something that used to be familiar. General Kenobi is there, though. General Kenobi will fix it.

General Kenobi, Thorn is sure, is going to fix everything.

• Concessions By Emrys_Fae, mneiai

After Order 66, Obi-Wan just wants to disappear. He flees to Mandalore, hoping that the newly triumphant Mand'alormight grant him sanctuary. But his former lover demands a price. A simple concession.

• New Meetings (Scenes from an Alternate Galaxy) by teacup_of_doom

A collection of AU scenes in which Anakin and Obi-Wan remember their past lives, Obi-Wan is female, and Jango Fett would very much like to act on his burgeoning feelings for the Jedi Master. Anakin is overprotective, Padme is amused by all of this. Somehow, they muddle through.

• Rebirth in the shadows of Dathomir by lunaemoth

Obi-Wan was dead, one with the Force and at peace, when he was ripped from it and shoved into a tiny body once again.

On Dathomir. Among the Nightsisters. Fifty years in the past.

• Walk by faith/tell no one what you've seen by Killbothtwins

After the end of the war with the Empire, Obi-Wan wakes up in his twelve-year old body. Now all he needs to do is convince everyone he's psychic, trick his Master into taking him on before he's sent to Bandomeer, redeem a few bad guys, and try not to have a nervous breakdown. Pretty easy. It's not like the Sith are lurking on the horizon, waiting to devour the Jedi Order.

• The Solider, the Queen, and the Hunter: Truth and Fiction by kj_feybarn

The galaxy is a step away from war when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala find a clone army.

That's where it starts, with convenient wording in a contract, a broken sith spell, and a desperate attempt to turn their tragedies into a story that could catch the hearts of a galaxy.

“Now sit still,” he told them all as he leaned forward. “And I’ll tell you the story of the Soldier, the Queen, and the Hunter.”

• New Order by esama

The galaxy changes and Obi-Wan must change with it to protect what little he has left.

DC UNIVERSE

• Nothing But The Dead And Dying (back in my little town) by Umei_no_Mai

(DCXDanny Phantom Crossover)

Dan has just been rescued and is feeling a bit shorter than usual. Jason Todd has just been petitioned like he's a feudal warlord, which has never happened before but he could maybe get used to.

They can probably make this work so long as Batman doesn't stick his nose in. Yeah, like that'll happen.

• Baby Birds and Bat Caves by IzzyMRDB

Gotham was built on a cave system. Batman has referenced a Bat Cave before. Tim is currently in the cave system. He is in the cave system that he entered from Drake Manor. Drake Manor is right next door to where Batman- The Bruce Wayne- lives. Holy Cavern, Batman! Tim had just accidentally wandered into the Bat Cave’s cave system.

Tim, having found a weird hole after a storm, decides to go exploring ignoring the fact that This Is Gotham and They Probably Have Cursed Stuff Down There.

Luckily, it was just a cave system that spans the entire Gotham underground. Unluckily, Tim is a very curious child.

• Sleep with a gun (and keep an eye on you, son) by destiny919

The kid in civvies knocking on the door to his apartment shrieks Jason's name and launches himself at Jason, who catches him on reflex. He realizes it's the Replacement at the same time he notices the kid is so tiny he could barely pass for twelve, let alone fourteen. "Jason," his Replacement mumbles again into his chest, and Jason finally regains the presence of mind to move them backwards into the apartment.

If he's murdering the kid now, better to do it with privacy.

• Reasons are better than rules by destiny919

"No one will actually explain Father's rules to me," Damian blurts out. "They tell me we don't kill, and killing is wrong, and Father would never do it, but no one ever actually says why! As if repeating the rule is the same as explaining it! As if I am supposed to just know, when I do not!"

Drake is quiet, eyes on something in the distance that Damian cannot see. "Damian, may I tell you a secret?"

• Loading and Aspect Ratio by JUBE514

So, it didn’t start out like this.

Alfred would scoff at the statement, about how Bruce was trying to justify the whole situation to himself. It had started out as a simple design, black everything with black outlines and black hood. It got a little more intense as the world went on, got wind of his ghost on the streets, and became scared of The Bat . So Bruce got a little more creative with it, Alfred and him had a good laugh over the name, the scare, and Alfred had a vicious streak of humor that he had passed onto his ward-

So now the suit had a visible bat-theme, an insignia to drape in the shadows and to paint across the streets of Gotham.

It only took a year into the whole charade of heroism for Bruce to overhear a conversation between some goons- some low level thug hired by the Riddler this week- about nothing at all pertaining to what the hell the Riddler was doing in the sewers but instead:

“The Batman can fly, you know, I’ve seen his wings.”

• Trained by the best by destiny919

Damian has his orders: present himself to his father so that the Batman will finish his training and Damian can take his proper place at his father's right hand.

However, Damian has also had caution and the need to maintain an upper hand in every situation ingrained into him for even longer than he has known how to hold a sword. Accordingly, he takes his time once arrived in Gotham. He learns his father's patrol routes and not much else, but in the process begins studying the other vigilantes in Gotham—the other children in his father's life. Perhaps they will give him a better idea of how to please his father, and if they have been trained by Batman themselves, there may even be something of value they can teach Damian.

• Kingmaker by destiny919

When there's a knock on the door of Jason's safehouse, he figures Black Mask managed to track him down and thinks he's clever. Instead of opening the door to a loaded automatic weapon, Jason finds a teenage boy he's never actually met but can still recognize despite one crucial detail:

He's covered in blood.

• Baby on board by destiny919

He studied the Tower schematics very carefully, including the vent networks. Accordingly, Jason is already waiting in the upstairs lounge when Replacement emerges from the ceiling. "Thanks for dropping by, Rep-" Jason stops dead, staring at the Robin turning to face him.

That is. That is a whole child.

• Wants and Needs (Well, Mostly Wants) by Rhiw

Tim wakes up inexplicably in his two-year-old body. Which: odd. But just think, how many people would kill to have an opportunity to redo their life! And Tim has so much he wants to change, so much he wants. He wants to feel important to Bruce. He wants to be Dick's favorite. He wants Jason (his childhood hero) to think he's cool. He wants Damian to need him. And really, is it manipulation if his family benefits from it?

• Trade my Tomorrows (For One Yesterday) by Zell_Hatoule

Things I don't see in DC yet - Dick Grayson time travelling, deciding to join Talon just so he can fuck them up from the inside and then forcibly joins Bruce at 12. Bruce has no idea what to do with a murderous assassin kid who has more of his shit put together than he does. Also, not Dick vicariously adopting all of the Robins and Bruce faced with three smaller children sitting at his table every night looking at him accusingly.

• Time (to Protect You) by Blueseabird2

Losing Damian not only hurt beyond measure but also made Dick the last Bat standing. He had nothing keeping him in a broken world so goes back in time with only one ally (Damian begs to differ) and no plan except to protect everyone he can, at any cost.

Dick starts with making sure Jason never dies at the hands of the Joker and proceeds to track down and love his siblings (while maybe also plotting the destruction of the League of Assassins). He just doesn't realize that a clan of highly trained vigilantes are more than capable of realizing that Dick is not okay, and of returning his devotion with their own.

• Jim Gordon's pal, the Shadow demon by I_go_by_Faith

The shadows of Gotham had come alive. The creature was massive, taller than a man, writhed in shadows, that seemed to move with an unnatural breath. It was made of shades of black, the darkest forming its head, hands and feet, and pooling around it, resembling a cape or wings, like those of a bat. Tall horns extended from it’s head, reminiscent of the ears of a bat, long claws tipped it’s hands. The only part that looked human at first glance was the lower half of it’s face, which was the grey of a corpse, traceries of black veins visible beneath the skin. It’s eyes glowed white, almost seeming to suck him into them. (...) Gordan swallowed, trying to clear his throat, not to scream, a scream would be useless in Gotham, but to ask a question. The creature reached out cautiously toward him with the back of a hand, the way a human would approach an unfamiliar cat “Are you the one who has been leaving criminals tied up outside the station?”

• Doubting Gets You Places DustToDust

Tim's never regretted his decision to go to Barbara Gordon when Batman began to fall apart after Robin's death. He does reserve the right to complain when strange men in masks begin to use him as an intermediary for Oracle though.

MARVEL UNIVERSE

• As bridges burn by apathyinreverie

(MarvelXWitcher Crossover)

Tony promptly waves off Steve's demand. “Ah, don’t worry. I already have all the data you could possibly want on these feather-lizards.”

There is a sigh of exasperation from Geralt where he is currently wiping down his swords. “Cockatrices,” he rumbles, though in a tone that says he isn’t expecting Tony to actually listen.

“Mhm,” Tony hums in cheerful agreement, grin genuine in a way that Steve rather misses seeing when it’s just the team anymore. “Isn’t that what I just said.”

(Set some time after CW, in a 'verse where Tony met Geraltand his trio of troublemakers while trying to fix everyone's messes. Suffice to say, Yen and Geralt are less than impressed with the team.)

• The Better Man by apathyinreverie

Tony doesn’t lash out in Siberia.

And Steve had been relieved, assuming that them not coming to blows would make everything so much simpler in the aftermath, would make reconciling easier, would help them regain the trust now lost.

It doesn’t. Quite to the contrary.

• Who is this Guy? By ArcticVulpix

Few people get a second chance. Few people get the opportunity to make the right decision after a mistake.

If you got a do-over, what would you do? What would you change?

There aren't many who get the chance to actually make those decisions.

But Steve Rogers did.

And he saved the world.

Just not in the way he thought he would.

• Unleash Your Demons by Keira Marcos

Tony Stark can’t live with the damage Thanos has done. Infinity Stones in hand, he makes a choice that will alter the fate of the universe.

• A Father's Son by dnky

JARVIS wakes up during infinity war.

• #standbylegion by esama

(AvengersXKingsman Crossover)

V-day takes out the Avengers. JARVIS copes, one tweet at a time.

• Simon Says by Hyliian

Reality… glitched.

I wasn’t spontaneously teleported to another place. Monsters didn’t start pouring out of holes in the fabric of time. No otherworldly voice spoke words of wisdom or warning in my ear. Had I… had I hallucinated that whole debacle? Did I just imagine the world shifting three degrees sideways and tilting diagonally backwards? No one else was reacting to what had happened, so I had to conclude with a sort of grim resignation that I was obviously losing my mind.

Resolved to pretend nothing had happened, I took a step towards the door.

Abruptly, I was somewhere else entirely.

• The Devouring of Hearts by RayShippouUchiha

(AvengersXAddams Family Crossover)

Toni’s gums ache for a split second, fresh blood flooding her mouth before she swallows it.

And in that next second that curl of darkness inside of her sits up and decides that this, that Howard’s continued cruelty and abuse, will no longer be allowed.

Toni licks the blood from her now too sharp teeth before she plants her hands on the floor in front of her and pushes herself back up onto her feet.

This time when Howard lashes out at her Toni ducks low to avoid the blow.

Crouched on the hall floor, sharp nails digging into the dark wood beneath her, Toni hisses, takes a moment to calculate, and then she leaps.

• The Guiding of Death by RayShippouUchiha

“Hades and Persephone reborn huh,” Fury states then more than asks, “no need to ask which is which.”

Toni’s brows furrow even as dread begins to squirm to life inside of her.

But before she can say anything, before she can open her mouth and set the record straight, she hears it.

A murmur as loud as a scream from somewhere in the tomb silent bridge.

“That whole Merchant of Death thing,” someone off to the side faux whispers, “makes a lot more sense now.”

It echoes across the bridge like a gunshot.

• Rule 48 by Hyliian

“I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.”

Rule 48. It was a lesson these asshats swarming around the Asset’s cryochamber really should have learned by now.

• Death to the memory of an ideal by graveltotempo

What if there was someone in the car Steve Rogers stole during the chase scene?

• unforgiven (I'm a villain) by graveltotempo

anchor (noun): a person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation.

Tony loses his anchor.

The Avengers die.

• Iron Infinity by DuncanIdaho2014

Dr. Strange saw NO future where Thanos didn't win and wipe out the universe. Still, they valiantly try. Broken and defeated, Stephen enacts a desperate gamble, using the Time Stone to send Tony ten years into the past, right back to when he met Yinsen. Armed with foresight and terrible resolve, Tony WILL protect the planet. OR, how Tony accidentally became a God.

• Disasster by esama

In which Tony welcomes his (begrudging) AI overlord and Bucky somehow gets caught in the middle.

NARUTO

• Compass of thy Soul By Umei no Mai

Being reborn into the Uchiha clan during the Warring Clans Era is surprisingly idyllic, so long as you don't mind hard work and are too young to know any of the people who are actually dying. But innocence never lasts, and trying to help family stay alive is a road strewn with a surprising number of pitfalls and last-minute diversions.

• discendo docemus by llamallamaduck

There are some things a seven-year-old psyche is not ready to endure. An S-ranked torture technique preformed by a traumatized thirteen-year-old is one of those things. Sasukedoesn’t enjoy hallucinating memories of his murdered family day in and day out, but he’s learned to be philosophical about such things. It’s everything else that’s the problem, really.

• To dwell inside (a hearthfire heart) by Ellory

Senju Tobirama is not a samurai. He is not bound in oaths of honor. Yet, he finds himself revealing a long-kept secret to settle a debt with Uchiha Madara. A brother’s life for a brother’s life. That is the only reason he saves Uchiha Izuna from the Hagoromo.

• Targes of jubilant flame (have hung my heart) by Ellory

Allowing a child to die via non-interference is not, technically, child-hunting. However, Tobirama knows Madara well enough to be certain he will not care one whit for technicalities should his young kinsman perish while the Senju could easily turn the battle in Hikaku’s favor.

• If the seas catch fire (trust your heart) by Ellory

The Uchiha trespasser on Senju lands is not an adult with an inability to completely disguise their chakra levels. It is a child, younger even than Itama was.

• Rotted Rowan By Darkpetal16

Not everyone can be a hero. Sometimes you have to play the villain in order to save everyone.

• Dirt and Ashes, or: The One-and-a-Half Body Problem by Tozette

The invasion of Konoha during the chuunin exam didn't fail. Team seven is broken, people are dead, and Sakura is hurt and frightened and a very long way from home.

Alternative summary: In which Sakura carries half of Hidanacross two countries, leaving a trail of blood, bodies, and other people's legs.

• Doing the Work by MarbleGlove

There’s more to peace than the absence of war. The work is as hard and uncertain as any Shinobi mission.

AKA: A highly self-indulgent fic in which a civilian woman helps an orphaned Sasuke and winds up saving the world.

• Uchiha Kyōya By Tsume Yuki

(Hitman RebornXNaruto Crossover)

In a world where Fugaku has three sons, he wishes he'd stopped at the first one. There's nothing wrong with the youngest, it's just... The middle child.

• Complete disarray by Shializaro

(Dreaming of Sunshine AU)

In which Madara is a little too late, Tobirama is a little too early and, as usual, nothing ever goes as planned for Shikako and Sasuke, accidental time travelers and trouble magnets extraordinaire.

• General Nara by JohnBurtonLee

(Dreaming of Sunshine AU)

(NarutoXStar Wars Crossover)

It should really be harder to take over a clone regiment. Shikako basically showed up, flashed her lightsaber - which wasn't even a real lightsaber - and clones were falling all over themselves to follow her orders.

• An Unexpected Training Trip by JohnBurtonLee

(Dreaming of Sunshine AU)

(NarutoXHero Academia Crossover)

Trapped in another universe, Sasuke and Shikako decide to go to hero school until they find a way back. The idea was that as hero students they wouldn't draw unnecessary attention while training. This works about as well as you would expect from a couple of people whose idea of subtle is to fake a natural disaster.

-or-

How Shikako single handedly eliminated the social stigma about therapy in UA High School.

• Children Of The Leaf by DawningStar

(Dreaming of Sunshine AU)

What if Shikako Nara, by a strange quirk of timeline, ended up in Tenzou's experimental batch...and survived?

• Si Iterum Eodem Modo Vicero... by JohnBurtonLee

(Dreaming of Sunshine AU)

(NarutoXMarvel Crossover)

-It says something about Shikako's life that leading an invasion of another planet isn't even the worst thing she's done on accident. It's probably in the top three, though. Probably.

• The White Sun's Passing Brightness Fades by VagabondDawn

(Dreaming of Sunshine AU)

(NarutoXScum Villain Crossover)

-Five-ish times Shikako Nara meets the Peak Lords of CangQiong Mountain Sect and one time Liu Qingge meets some ninja.

• Another Life, Another Lecter by muaaimoi

(Dreaming of Sunshine AU)

(NarutoXHannibal Crossover)

In which Nara Shikako is reborn as Hannibal Lecter's twin. It changes everything and nothing at all.

HARRY POTTER

• Unfogging the Future by Naidhe

Lavender takes one step forward and – just like the snap of a finger, the blink of an eye, the drop of a pebble – Hogwarts is left behind. There's no jump, no flashes of light, no whirlwinds of disconnected images. Just one little step; behind stood her war and in front stands 1947. "Huh," she says to herself, "didn't see this in the tea leaves."

• Time to Put Your Galleons Where Your Mouth Is By TsumeYuki

Harry had never been able to comprehend a sibling relationship before, but he always thought he'd be great at it. Until, as Master of Death, he's reborn one Turais Rigel Black, older brother to Sirius and Regulus.

• To play the Prince of Castaways by llamallamaduck

Six-year-olds don't understand what having children entails. Six-year-old boys even less so. Six-year-old boys kept in cupboards, who barely get to speak a few words each day, are almost guaranteed to have a very fanciful grasp on the miracle of life.

Harry James Potter didn't know what having a baby meant, who could have them and why they might wish to do so. Harry James Potter just wanted one. Desperately.

• Shadow Magic by Lomonaaeren

Harry was born with a power the Dark Lord knows not: the magic to see into shadows, to walk the shadows, and to send the shadows everywhere. This changes his life rather dramatically.

• Uvidimsya Zavtra by TreacleTeacups

In which Harry realises he owes the wizarding world nothing and runs before he can compete in the Triwizard Tournament. It may cost him his magical core, but the price of freedom is worth it.

• Collision by Hyliian

A bemused SI-OC watches as an entirely unrelated SI-Harry Potter attempts to take the wizarding world by storm, and fails miserably.

• Sweet Dreams by TreacleTeacups

In which Harry's dreams are sweeter than life.

• The Flaw in the Plan By Little.Miss.Xanda

In the end, Harry could do nothing but surrender.

• The Games They Play By Little.Miss.Xanda

He had always known he was different. Then, his brother was born, and he knew his brother was just like him. They were as far from normal as one could possibly get. They embraced it, caring nothing for what others thought. They had each other and their dad, after all, what more could they need? Well, maybe a way to quench their boredom.

• House of Luxventi by Darkpetal16

In which Tom M. Riddle Jr grew up in a loving home, with a good mother, and never knew the horrors of being an abandoned orphan.

• Harveste Addams by Kyaru (Thumbie)

(HPxAddams Family Crossover)

A little death can change so much. Delightful, isn't it?

• Obsidian's Desire by Lomonaaeren

Marcus Flint doesn’t really know what to do with his life after his father dies; his father always told him what to do. So he consults a piece of obsidian, and it directs him to Harry Potter. And, well, Potter has friends, but he doesn’t have a husband…

• Seventh Horcrux by EmeraldAshes

The presence of a foreign soul may have unexpected side effects on a growing child. I am Lord Volde...Harry Potter. I'm Harry Potter. In which Harry is insane, Hermione is a Dark Lady-in-training, Ginny is a minion, and Ron is confused.

• Property of the Half-Blood Prince by Lomonaaeren

Harry indulges in an enormous eye-roll at the universe when he wakes up on his nineteenth birthday with “Property of the Half-Blood Prince” written on his neck like a collar. He goes on to live his life like normal, without being too upset about it—and without telling Snape, who he’s sure wants his freedom now.

• The Dead Master by FalconLux

Dumbledore’s schemes took everything from him, including the man he loved, but now Harry has devised a means with which to travel back in time to his younger body before he started Hogwarts. He’s going to get another chance at his life, and this time Dumbledore won’t be getting in his way.

Lessons Learned (Lessons Relearned) by cywscross

Percy closes his eyes after another late night and opens them a decade in the past, back at the start of his fifth year, back before Percy had made any of the decisions he'd regretted later on, back before his family had shattered and learned to live with the remaining pieces, back to the beginning of an ending that might not be so inevitable after all.

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