#me: help? chance to help? I get to help kids like me?

[no-144444]

total wipe out- l.norris

summary: lando has a chance encounter that changes his life

pairing: lando norris x fem! single mom! reader

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Lando had a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This time, his skiing holiday had turned into a disaster when he fucking ran over a child. Impressive, I know. The second he did it he slowed down and started to book it back to the kid who was probably sobbing crying (he’d hit it at full force). 

“Are you alright?!” he stressed, picking up the kid (who had been stuck in the snow). 

And the fucker was giggling. 

“That was fun!” he cheered, clapping his hands. “Do it again!” 

Did he have brain damage? Did he just give a child fucking brain damage? 

“Alex!” you shouted, stopping beside the two of them. “Are you alright?” you asked, taking him in your arms and checking him over. 

“I’m fine mommy! I had so much fun!”

You stared at your son, unimpressed. The mini heart attack you’d just had was all for nothing. “You’re a weird fucking kid,” you mumbled under your breath, making Lando laugh. You turned to him. “I am so sorry about him, I always tell him to stay by me, but he doesn’t listen-”

Lando chuckled, holding a hand up to stop you. “I am almost sure it was my fault, so I am very sorry. I hope he’s alright and I didn’t give him brain damage or something.”

You laughed. “Let’s hope not,” you smiled. “Sorry again.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry too.”

And with that, you and Alex skated off. 

“What the fuck was that?!” Max shouted, coming up beside him with Pietra hot on his tail. “YOU JUST WIPED OUT A KID!” 

Lando rolled his eyes. Max, ever the pessimist. 

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As he sat in his cabin, just finished winning a game of poker, he sighed, thinking of you and Alex. Obviously, Lando hadn’t seen anything other than your hair (which he thought was gorgeous), and your eyes when you’d lifted your sunglasses to look over Alex. You had hauntingly beautiful eyes, and he was slightly upset with himself that he hadn’t tried to chat with you longer. You were sweet, kind, funny, beautiful (he just knew you were gorgeous). He wanted to know more. 

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Hanging around the same slope as yesterday in hopes of seeing you there was probably not his best idea, but alas, his dumb plan worked. He saw the familiar dinosaur helmet on the 4 year olds head, and he smiled when he noticed Alex whizzing up to him. 

“Alex!” he cheered, watching him come down the mountain, a bright smile on his face. 

Alex walked over and wrapped his arms around Lando’s legs. “Did you see?” he questioned, looking up at him. 

Lando’s heart ached, he adored children. Alex was definitely not helping his raging baby fever. “I did bud! That was awesome.”

“Are you a professional skier?” he asked.

“No,” Lando smiled, kneeling down to meet his eyes. Your eyes, just smaller. “But I am a professional athlete.”

“What sport?!” he asked, his eyes going wide. “My favourite sport is Formula One, but I like all sports anyway.”

“Who’s your favourite driver?” Lando asked, suppressing a smirk as he took his balaclava down. 

“Lando Norris!” he cheered, jumping up and down. 

Lando finally took off his goggles and Alex’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit!” he almost shouted, making Lando laugh. 

“Alex!” you scolded, walking over to him. “What did we say about bad words?” 

“Momma look, he’s Lando Norris!” Alex cheered, pulling on your jacket. 

“Holy shit,” you mumbled, looking at him. “Hi, I’m Y/n, and this is Alex,” you introduced. “We meet again.”

He smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Do you mind if Alex gets a picture with you? You’re his favourite driver,” you asked, trying to sound less awkward than it felt. 

“Of course, I’d love to,” Lando smiled, more than happy to get in a photo with him. Alex stood up beside him, hugging him, as Lando smiled wide and bright. You quickly snapped a picture and thanked him. 

“Momma, can we go again?” Alex asked, pointing at the top of the mountain. 

“We should probably head in for dinner darling,” you said. Alex frowned. “You’re hungry, I know you’re hungry.”

Alex huffed. “I want to go again though.”

“We’ll go again tomorrow,” you smiled, patting his back. 

“Alright,” he smiled. “Bye bye Lando!” 

“Thanks again,” you smiled at him. 

“I’m heading in too now,” he said. “Mind if I join you guys?”

You stared at him for a second. “Um, yeah, sure,” you smiled. “Of course.”

Alex beamed and held Lando’s hand as you all walked back to the resort. 

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Dinner was just listening to Alex ask Lando questions about his life, about the cars, about everything. It was cute, and Lando was so willing to listen to every question, and adequately answer them. As dinner went on, you noticed the way he kept looking over at you, soft, sweet, staring that didn’t make you uncomfortable. And when he was the one carrying Alex back up to your hotel room, and wishing him sweet dreams, he didn’t mind it. 

“Thanks for everything today, you’ve definitely made his year,” you chuckled. 

“It was nice to meet you guys. Alex is a lovely kid,” he nodded, but there was still something unsaid. He wanted to ask for your number, but didn’t want to overstep, and he could feel the tension between you two. “I’m just going to say this, and you can totally say no and I’ll back off but could I get your number?”

You stared at him. “Is that a joke?” you asked, unsure. 

“Oh shit, are you married? Fuck I didn’t know-”

“No, no! I’m not. It’s just… you’re… y’know, and I’m not. I’m a single mom and you’re a racecar driver.”

He shrugged. “And? I really like you, and Alex.”

“Be realistic Lando, what would people say?” 

“That I’ve got a very hot and sweet girlfriend and a cute stepson?” he smirked and you playfully pushed him. 

“You can have my number, but I’m not promising any of that,” you chuckled, grabbing your phone.

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Australian GP. First race of the season. 

And you were sitting in Lando’s hotel room before he had to go to the track. How your life had changed in the past few months. You were officially dating an F1 driver, you’d been to Monaco a lot, Lanod had visited London a lot, and you were happy. Alex adored Lando, they literally went on day trips together without you (Lando says it’s so you can have time with your friends, but you know it’s just because he wants to hang out with him). 

“You ready to go, bud?” Lando knocked on the door of the hotel bathroom, trying to get Alex out of there. 

“Almost, just need to wash my hands!” he answered. 

“You ready?” he asked, turning to you and pressing a kiss to your cheek. He was excited. Extremely so, to have you in his garage and to show you off to the world. 4 months of dating hardly seemed enough, but he had convinced you anyway. 

You nodded and took a deep breath, slightly terrified for this weekend. 

“You’ll do great,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you against him. “Everything will be alright.”

You nodded and smiled, taking his hand instead as Alex came out of the bathroom. “All finished mom,” he smiled and took your hand. 

Lando stopped you two and smiled. “Pre-race weekend selfie?” he smiled bashfully. You smiled back at him and lifted up Alex, all three of you posing for the photo. “Perfect,” he smiled, looking at the photo, then kissing your cheek. 

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[sophism84]

Don’t be mad but I feel so horrible but I hate my parents my dad is evil. I HATE THEM I HATE THEM!!! My mom after Aaron had twisted my arm behind my back and told me I was staying with him they both held my hand on either side of me. I felt so trapped I didn’t know how with both of them I would ever be free. That’s like tryin to ask which hell is worse? I have to support both of them and they just tell me how crazy I am one beats me one shoves pills down my throat and takes me to the mental hospital all the time.

Yeah you came home and we had knives ready I was ready for you to come home.

but you told them I was crazy and took me to the mental hospital I the lasy told me the only reason I kept my kids was because of you. I was trying to get us away from all of you. But I had to financially support you.

You trained this into me. You threw cold water on me, laughed at my pain, abused us all. Did we really need all that cough medicine? Or did you just keep us dosed up??

Huh??

What kid chooses their nightly cough syrup?

You told me my rape was my fault. You blamed me for my own abuse. You kept me being abused. You kept us being abused. Aaron drugged and raped me. Beat me w my baby in my arms, and hold twist my leg and the laugh when I would cry in pain.

I wish I fought back harder. I wish I had been stronger than him and not paralyzed in fear. And even when I did cal the police about being pregnant and assaulted they didn’t arrest him! They never arrested him!

Top security clearance?? Why would you ever trust such a man???

They don’t deserve to walk the earth.

I’m so sorry I let them beat me down over time. And isolate me from everyone that actually loved me.

I’m sorry I wasn’t better. I’m sorry.

I was afraid for you when I was showing up everyday. I was worrried. I called everyday they just told me to eat but how do you eat when you’re worrreid?

I needed to get them away from him.

But I’m just always crazy. Or paralyzed w fear. I was so weak.

I’m so sorry I didn’t do better. I should’ve just killed them when I had the chance. I held a knife to my mom’s neck when I was little but I couldn’t do it. I chickened out. I wanted my mom to love me. Why? Was she like this?

Your greatest influences are those that are closest to you.

I hate you all! You lied to me. Told me I was crazy. Shoved pills down my throat and stole my diaries. I lost myself. Because I had to return to what broke me the first time.

You’re all just evil I hate you

I hate Aaron’s parents too. You made him into what he was and paraded me around your living room. Well you sure tore me down the first chance you got! I wish I could scream and you would all cease to exist! I hate you forever and always don’t forget that!

I will not defend you or help you or ever see you ever again unless I’m dragging your body into a fire. Where you belong

[writing-flower]

“ Between life and death, death is tempting ”

First act: “From the roots”

Prologue: “Happy fifteenth birthday! (Again?)”

WARNING: Mention of blood and death.

My memory had never been the best, it was good, but not exceptional. Nothing out of this world.

I wasn't as smart as Damian or Tim, I wasn't as strong as Jason or Dick, nor was I as sharp as Bruce Wayne.

I wasn't exceptional, but I was good, but not good enough for them. For him.

God, I was so focused on getting his attention, playing sports, try to pass every subject with the highest grade, join any club like debate or math.

Anything, but all that never leads to anything.

Well, almost nothing, everything I did only caused Damian to see me as a desperate for attention, which, he wasn't wrong.

But still, it didn't make it hurt any less, every insult, malicious insinuation even the occasional threat flying through the air, each one was the result of three years of trying to get someone to look at me.

Sometimes that attention only appeared with Dick, on the few times that he came to visit and came across a scene of me with Damian, He immediately stopped him.

Forcing him to apologize, spoiler, he never apologized.

The first time it happened I thought that my attempts had finally yielded good results, but no, I dare say this was worse.

As if he gave me hope and then suddenly he snatches it away without any fanfare.

Oh wait, that's literally what happened.

And about the others, I didn't even have the chance to talk to them, simply because I was already tired and also because if Damian continued he would have more reasons to screw me.

And let's face it, nobody wants to feed the wolf because you know it bites.

In this case, the bird.

It didn't help that almost the entire family was going on patrol, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in being part of that, but then I remember Jason...I immediately got that idea out of my mind.

Mm, but if I stop to think, or rather, remember, another thing that I learned in my attempts to get my family's attention, I fell in love with dance.

It was the only class that I didn't drop like the others, I genuinely loved it.

Once in her class, the teacher made us all dance with large, long, and thin fabrics. She made us dance what we wanted, in her words: “Dance as if you were free”.

My companions danced with joy, I just stayed silent for a few moments watching them without knowing how to start.

But then I sighed to close my eyes, letting my body move as it wanted.

“Dance as if you were free” I thought, I started to imagine the music in my head. It was nice, I love it.

I went from knowing what the hell to do to starting to laugh with my classmates, I turned around and then curtsied, feeling how almost all the fabric covered my body.

I open my eyes and see my entire audience applauding, not just me, but also the rest of the dancers.

As soon as I turned eighteen I followed my teacher's advice. I didn't do it before because I was a minor, I needed my tutor's permission and blah blah blah...

Contact with my family at this point was zero, except for the new member, Duke, a sweet and kind boy.

Just looking at him made prayers come to mind for Bruce.

“If you let this kid end up like Jason, I’ll take care of throwing the Joker at you myself, you unhappy idiot.” I was thinking but also listening as Duke energetically told me what his first patrol had been like.

I used to have a certain respect for Bruce, I mean, he's Batman and he does everything in his power to make sure Gotham isn't in such a shitty place.

But then I remember that he keeps adopting children as if they were dogs to give them "A better life" by turning them into human weapons.

Sooooo, yeah, I wish that every day he wakes up with a backache and a headache.

"[Name]"

"Yes dear?" Through the mirror I watched Duke looking at me hopefully as I put on my makeup for the upcoming performance in an hour.

Oh no, I already know what he's going to ask.

"Why do you never come to the mansion?" God, I swear he does that look on purpose, brat.

I sigh as I turn around to look at him.

"You already know my answer, I have no reason to do it and I don't want to either." I said as I turned back to the mirror to continue.

"Yes! I know, but why exactly don't you want to?"

A silence reigned in the room, putting on my makeup but at the same time thinking about what to answer him.

As much as I resent the Waynes, they didn't do anything to Duke, until now, they treat him as he deserves and the last thing I want is to plant that seed of hatred towards them in Duke.

Because I know him, as soon as I tell him what my childhood was like in that mansion and those responsible, the first thing he will do is complain.

And at this point in my life I don't want any unnecessary drama with them.

I lowered the lipstick and looked at him.

"I never liked being in that mansion, since I was little I was always afraid of those giant, dark hallways, and I still am."

Duke stared at me in bewilderment. "Is that the only reason you don't want to come to the mansion?"

I nodded. "It sounds stupid, I know, but every time I walk down those halls it brings back bad memories."

That wasn't a lie.

Duke was silent for a few moments before coming up to me and hugging me.

"Aww, honey you are such a sweetheart sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Yeah, because you can be a brat sometimes too." I laughed as I ruffled Duke's hair until it was disheveled.

"A white lie won't hurt anyone." I thought while Duke laughed and tried to pull my hand out of his hair.

Without realizing it, it was already time to start. I said goodbye to Duke, telling him to go back to the mansion, but he insisted on staying.

Something I allowed, GOD, I should have begged him not to do it.

Because from one moment to the next while I was dancing, all the lights went out and when they came back on I felt like blood was flooding my mouth, like everyone was screaming in fear.

What happened? Why am I bleeding?

Duke, he was next to me trying to keep me awake, to not close my eyes.

It got to the point where I couldn't hear anything he was saying, it was complicated while I felt like a part of my body was bleeding non-stop.

I hate to see him cry, please look away... leave me here.

Please...

I don't want the last thing I see to be you crying...

Please...

She opened her eyes calmly and confusedly, all she could hear was the ringing in her ears. She thought she was in a hospital because of the light.

But when her vision stopped blurring, she realized that the light was not from a hospital spotlight, but from the skylight in the wooden ceiling.

"Wait...Skylight?" She muttered, feeling her voice raspy and her throat sore.

The bed wasn't that soft, it was really hard and uncomfortable but still [Name] didn't want to get up, after almost dying...

[Name] sat up in bed right away.

"I ALMOST DIE!" She literally jumped out of bed and ran to the closet to get her clothes.

She needed to see how Duke was doing, his desperate face and the way he held back the urge to cry and couldn't, broke her heart.

But it was when she pulled out a t-shirt that she realized.

"This isn't my size..." Confused, [Name] walked over to the mirror.

If Duke broke her heart, now she's literally having a heart attack.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" [Name] could swear that any living thing that was near her would have run away in less time than it takes a rooster to crow.

She touched her face carefully, as if it would disappear or break if she touched it hard, this is so weird...a woman in her late twenties trapped in her fifteen year old self, god, what a hell.

[Name] She stepped back without taking her eyes off the mirror while she sat back down on her bed.

On the other side of the door, she heard someone knocking on it two or three times. Accompanied by a soft but direct voice calling her name.

"Miss [Name]"

[Name] immediately turned around to stare at the door, for a few short moments no one said anything, there was only silence.

"Are you okay? You didn't come down to breakfast. That's not something usual for you." Alfred said once he got no response from her.

"Yeah, I'm fine Alfred...I just stayed up late last night that's all..." She didn't know what to say, obviously it wasn't okay, but she didn't want any more problems in her head, she just wanted to focus on the main problem.

She literally just got younger, which would be a good thing if it weren't for the fact that she also came back to this damn mansion.

"Okay, miss, I'll be waiting for you with your breakfast, you need to eat something before you start the day." [Name] was about to reply until Alfred stepped in. "Also, Happy Birthday Miss."

She didn't say anything, she didn't want to.

Alfred walked away from the door, [Name] could hear his footsteps moving away through the hallways and down the stairs.

"Was it always this quiet?" She muttered in her mind as she turned her gaze back to the mirror.

She thought about her life before coming back here, it wasn't good, she didn't earn much from dancing, but... it was her life, a life that took her time to perfect.

And now, I go back to the beginning? Shit, no.

"Alive or dead, I don't care, either way I'm getting out of here..." She said with some frustration and tiredness. "Happy birthday to me...that's new."

With nothing left to lose, she gets back out of bed to find some clothes to change into.

It was her birthday and she had to look good.

And hopefully, it would be the last birthday she would spend in this mansion.

NOTES: Hi, I hope everything is okay, even if it's better than me, I had finished the 'prologue' a while ago but I was feeling a bit unsure that something felt out of place or "weird".

I repeat and reiterate, I can understand English but in terms of speaking/writing it I am still learning. Until I feel completely confident for now I will continue using the translator (my savior).

But if there are any errors (probably some, I hope not many) let me know, I want everyone to be able to read comfortably and as long as I can I will make it happen.

Anyway, I hope you like it, I love you! Muak muak💋💋

TAGS:

@crazycaoticsimp @closetreader1864

[jinwoosbabyboo]

𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚕 𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚕𝚎 🍎

My personal headcanons for Boyfriend!Caleb after what I've seen and read about his character so far. A/N: All my ride or die Caleb girlies if you disagree with anything on this list im not going to argue with you please don't take my word as law. I love y'all dont fight me 💋 feel free to add more in the replies ‼️MDNI‼️ + cw: quick mention of cnc & primal play

[SFW]

wants to be in your skin wrapped around your nervous system and nestled in the wrinkles of your brain ; if this man could glue you to him he would

remembers everything that happened to him and mc when they were lab rats as kids which is probably where his mental health started rapidly declining

Cuddles ! ; he’ll also cuddle you while youre asleep constantly ; doesn’t matter if you’re in his bed, the guest bed or your bed he’ll climb right in and snuggle up

leaves you bowls/plates of fresh fruit and a glass of water on your nightstand

doing backflips if you tell him he can wash your hair for you ; the longer it takes the better

monitors your social media and online presence “You shouldn't post that no one needs to see you naked” “Im wearing a bikini Caleb” “Basically naked”

big on taking photos he wants as many photos together as possible

movie nights and date nights are his shit he’ll alway be down for that ; if you two have a show you watch together he is genuinely hurt if you watch an episode without him

holds your hand even when you don’t want him to ; would quite literally use his evol to hold your hand in place

if you’re sick he's at your bedside 24/7 with medication and home cooked remedies ; will spoon feed you if you let him

uses his body as a wall in large crowds to keep people from bumping into you

will beat the brakes off of anyone who dares to even look at you sideways and when you ask him what he did he’ll lie and smile in your face

PINKY PROMISES ARE LAW

will take you everywhere with him and will also follow you anywhere ; he’d stand guard outside of the bathroom stall if he could

although he does have some bolts rattling around (because they’re not loose they’re fully free) he will pamper the hell out of you ; he’s running you a bath, rubbing your feet and cooking dinner so you have a relaxed night and warm meal

when you do help him cook he’ll stand behind you and cover your hand with his while he guides your hand with the knife

will hold anything you hand him while he’s on the phone

has an entire closet of all the gifts you’ve ever given him

the type to close the door and immediately lock it if you’re in a room alone with him

hates to argue with you ; he’ll do it, but he regrets it afterwards apologizes profusely later with your favorites foods, sweets, treats and things

has to get a kiss before he leaves ; he’s not leaving without it

the type to wrap your arms around his neck when he goes in for a kiss

loves caging you between his arms and his body at any given chance

has to be touching you in some kind of way

the type to tuck you in every night

loves to give you massages because he loves touching you

[NSFW]

needs you to use your words “tell me how you want it” “don’t cover your mouth” “tell me you missed me” “how much?” “right there or right here? Tell me” “open your mouth” “how much do you love me?” “are you all mine? say it”

records your moans so he can listen to them later

pretty panty lover ; buys you lots of them ; loves to have you model them and you’re getting dicked down if you’re walking around the house in them

takes you anyway he can ; favorite position? ALL OF EM mans brain turns to mush just having his hand on you ; a dom that will punish you, but gives stellar aftercare

loves to tease you by getting you wet and just rubbing his tip over the fabric ; slides the panties to the side instead of taking them off because he loves to see them on you

a vocal moaner and a yapper when he nuts ; nuts inside every time makes him feel like he’s claiming you

Intentionally fails no nut November and says “we’ll try again tomorrow” turns you every way but loose for the entire month

massages your thighs and coochie so he can watch his cum drip out of you

a slurper and moaner when he eats it ; eats the pussy and the ass

puts the colonel hat on you

100% into cnc & somnophilia I will not argue with anyone about this ; not a fan of dacryphilia he hates to see you cry

you have to have a safe word because he gets pussydrunk extremely easily

panty stealer ; keeps a pair in his pocket when he goes to work ; clean or dirty doesn’t matter to him

into primal play would chase you through the woods in the Rina Kent - God of War mask and rearrange your guts right there with pleasure

would get jealous of your vibrator/dildo

[suksatoru]

another love; itoshi sae

itoshi sae came to spain with dreams bigger than the skies themselves. after watching his future be crushed to dust, he fails rin and decides he's not cut out for the big brother role. but then, itoshi sae meets you, and he realizes he has a second chance to try and be a better man. plus, if there was one person in the world sae could openly admit to loving—it was you.

a/n; sae and reader's relationship is platonic, reader refers to him as nii chan, rin is out of the future sae envisions for himself, indirectly replaced by your love instead.

in spain, there was only one person who made itoshi sae feel at home. you were a rebellious kid, reminding him too much of the one he had left back at home in japan. sae had just lost a brutal match to some guys who challenged him in hopes to win some money off of the foreigner, and he lays on the dirty field after being defeated for the first time ever in a football match.

the setting sun is hot as it beats down on him unforgivingly, and even as sae closes his eyes—he can feel a shadow hovering over him. with a barely restrained groan, he opens his eyes. they widen a fraction when he sees you, a young girl, peering over him curiously. your gaze flitted nervously between him and your older brothers, the ones chatting a few meters away as they bragged about their victory against sae to their friends. they were completely oblivious to your advances on their opponent as you bite your lower lip nervously

"are you okay?'

sae was still getting used to spanish, but he understood yours perfectly. his scowl deepens, and he sits up. he tries not to wince as he feels a sharp pain shoot up his leg, the same spot where he was kicked by one of your brothers for no other reason besides scoring a goal against them. you notice it instantly, crouching down and placing a gentle hand on his calf in hopes to soothe the pain as he jerks away from your touch.

"get lost, kid." he mutters bitterly, running a tired hand through his sweaty hair—the dark pink locks stick to his forehead, and he pants heavily from the excess strain on his body. you inch closer, ignoring his protests as your eyes squint.

"don't let them see you're hurt," you whisper quietly, crouched down beside him as he blinks back at you blankly. though the expression on his face gives away nothing, you can see the gears shifting in his mind as he realizes the situation he's in. sae was barely fourteen, and your brothers looked like they were almost eighteen—one match with them allowed him to learn the nature of their playing styles and personas. you on the other hand looked just shy of eleven.

"i-if they see you're hurt, they're gonna hurt you more. they're not nice."

sae's eyes narrow stubbornly, and he watches your brothers laugh loudly from afar as they skim through his wallet, pulling out hundreds of euros and pocketing the cash quickly.

"bastards," he growls, moving to stand because your stupid brothers were taking all of his money. he put a hundred euros on the line, sure of himself and his abilities to win. he thought he could take on all three players alone, but sae realizes he would've lost against just one of them in the end. his own weakness is apparent in the way he struggles to stand, and your eyes widen in panic as you push him back down

"no, no! it's okay, just, uhm—go home. i'll get you your money back, promise! but you can't fight them, they play dirty," you affirm, placing your smaller hands firm on his back and helping him get up. he stands quickly, an angry huff leaving his lips as he lightly smacks your hand away from him

"don't touch me, you brat. they can't just steal from me like that, i won't let them. i don't care if they beat me. that money is mine."

later, sae staggers all the way back to his dorm—body spent and bloodied as he returns empty handed. he hated getting lectured by the program's stupid teachers, but he couldn't deny that getting an injury that kept him from playing football for at least a week wasn't something to be proud of, either.

it's late one night when sae's laying in bed, his dorm mate out practicing football, that he hears a soft knock on his window. he ignores it at first, passing it off as an animal scurrying by. with his tongue poked out in concentration, he focuses on balancing his soccer ball on the tip of his foot before he hears it again.

he tugs out his switchblade, something he acquired from a street vendor after he landed in spain before he approached his window with purposeful strides. in a single, fluid movement—he rips the curtains away and peers out into the dark landscape outside

he's surprised to see you outside, small hand curled into a fist as you pause mid knock. you suddenly make a pointer figure, gesturing eagerly to the window lock as sae sighs, complying and pulling it open for you. he leans out the window, a bored expression on his face.

"did you follow me back here?" he accuses, brows pinched together in silent frustration as you take a moment to silently admire the boy in front of you. your brothers, the meanest brothers in the world, couldn't break this boy's spirit. he seemed just as determined and strong as he did when you'd first met him. even after getting beat in both the match and by your brother's brutal punches—he stood tall and strong, in all his glory.

itoshi sae was incredible.

"your wallet," you stammer, shoving the money forward through the window as sae frowns in confusion—looking down at the familiar cash, he blinks slowly, before raising his eyes to look at you.

"you didn't have to. i could've just told my supervisors i lost my wallet. they'd replace everything." he states, and sae watches your fingers curl uncomfortably into the fabric of your dress. it swayed in the summer wind, colorful flowers—rosettes—printed all over the fabric. your eyes are round, and sae thinks you kind of look like rin when you pout.

"i hope you're feeling better, 'm sorry they hurt you. i-if it makes you feel better, i made 'em think they lost your money on the drive back home!" you confess, smiling a bit as you peer up at him. sae scoffs, moving away from the window to throw the wallet back onto his bed before he leans back out the window. he stares at you quietly for a moment, before sighing.

"what's your name?"

he repeats your name a few times after you tell him, before he finally managed something similar to a smile. well, at least sae hoped it looked like a friendly gesture from your perspective. but he wasn't used to smiling, and it appeared more like a grimace in your eyes—your heart sunk at the sight.

"you're absolutely insane, y/n. i've never met anyone who defies their brothers of all people the way you just did. you're gonna get in big trouble one day, i can already tell."

your lips tremble, and you nod quickly in agreement. brothers are scary, you mumble quietly, and sae stays silent as he watches you. he knows the tell tale signs, thanks to rin. the way you stammer, the way your breaths come out in short huffs as you quiver—you're far too close to bursting into tears for his liking. he exhales through his nose quietly, before a rough palm is cradling your cheek—turning your head towards his as his hardened gaze softens just a fraction as he looks at you.

"not all brothers are so bad."

he started seeking you out more often after that day. you see him again after a few weeks, when you're dribbling a run down pink soccer ball happily as your brothers play on the field adjacent to yours. a lot of people liked gathering and playing football together, and your brothers let you tag along sometimes so you could go off and practice on your own.

you don't have anyone to teach you how to play—football is a boy sport, your brothers told you when you asked to play one day many years ago. they said you could kick it around if you wanted to, but you're not allowed in their games. so, you watched from afar. tried to copy their moves as you played aimlessly without a proper teacher.

the ball dribbles out of your control, before someone moves into view and stops it under their foot. itoshi sae stands proudly, not even a hint of the smile he shared with you that night weeks ago is present as he kicks the ball back towards you, expression stoic and bored as he hums quietly

"i didn't know you played football,"

his injuries have healed, and he looks a lot better than he did the last time you saw him. your brothers probably didn't even remember sae—just how many guys have they beat up in football matches after sae? too many, but sae's pink hair did stick out. luckily, your brothers were too immersed in their own game far away from the two of you, so you allow yourself to indulge in the foreigner you were growing quite a liking for.

sae teaches you how to dribble and pass, just a few helpful hints that worked wonders. he came back next week too, and the week after that. he could only come after his classes were finished with for the day, but slowly, surely—sae became someone important to you.

"you would say nii chan, that's what rin calls me."

sae only talks of his younger brother back in japan, nobody else from his home country is mentioned. you nod quietly, sipping on the mango smoothie he bought you as you repeat the foreign word back to him

"nii chan," you repeat, and sae nods firmly.

"you said you wanted to make me feel more at home, so call me nii chan."

and sae really was incredible. he taught you more than your brothers ever would. he bought you sweet treats every friday afternoon when he was allowed free time from his classes, and he invited you to his games—organized ones where hurting each other wasn't tolerated, and you were introduced to a new world of football. not the violent sport your brothers had shown you, sae showed you a game that involved thinking and skill—instinct and talent, he opened your eyes to a prettier picture than the muddied one your brothers had painted. a game where players high fived each other after matches instead of throwing punches.

"midfielder?"

sae nods silently, chewing slowly on his sandwich. you watch his adam apple bob up and down as he swallows, and he turns to you with a sigh.

"i can't be the best striker. not after what i've seen here—i'm nothing."

you strecth your legs out in front of you wordlessly, and sae takes your leg before his hand moves to slowly massage your lower leg—uncoiling the knots he found beneath your skin and easing the tension. for some reason, sae found the activity stress relieving for him. bringing you ease made him feel better, oddly enough.

"you're incredible, sae nii,"

he wants to tell you to stop lying, but he knows how persistent you are when it comes to him. your loyalty for him, your devotion—it truly was admirable. and sae hated making himself seem weak in front of you, he wanted to be someone you could look up to. but he is weak—spain taught him that. he's nothing. a waste.

"i've seen the players here in spain. everyday, my brothers watch matches from all around the world on our small tv, where i see even more people play. but there's something none of those players have—you're raw, like a diamond in the rough, waiting to be carved. you're special, i know that nii chan. please believe me."

neither of you speak after that. you sit beside him, feet idly swaying back and forth over the rocks you two sat on after you tug them out of his lap. the sun sets in the distant horizon—casting a golden blanket over sae's face. his eyes glitter like emeralds.

"when i go pro, when i leave this place—you're coming with me."

sae stayed true to his word. the program he was in allowed his talent to shine—he would travel the world now, maybe go back to japan—he tells you one night. sae tells you that you can do whatever you want, be whoever you please—he says with him, you can become something great.

it doesn't have to be football. sae took you out of your small town in spain so you could explore the world with him, it was always nii chan this, and nii chan that. there was something sae felt for you that was indescribable. you were rare. you cared for him when he was nothing, and only one other person had done that for him. but itoshi rin was long forgotten now, a lost cause.

right now, sae was warming up for yet another match. something about the u—twentys versus a place called blue lock, he'd told you. you help him stretch before hand, dutiful hands running up and down his back as the two of you prepare for the day's events. you're rolling around on the clean green football field now with a childish type of excitement that has his lips twitching upwards.

"nii chan, i had no idea japan's fields were so big! so clean, wow!"

"i know," sae muses as he lays down beside you with a sigh. he watches you from his peripheral vision, unsure if he should bring up his brother's name.

"wanna go one on one?"

the field was empty, not a soul lingered near you two. sae stays quiet for a moment, admiring the stars peaking through the clouds in the darkening sky above. sae almost always won when the two of you played one on one, nii chan was just that awesome. but sometimes, he slowed down to your pace and allowed your talent to shine—your smile after scoring a goal was far more important to him than his ego.

"you know i can't say no to you, y/n."

and there's something euphoric about the way you laugh, something that makes sae's heart soar as he remembers the real reason he began playing football. he thinks about rin, how he may not have been a good brother to him—but he could be a good brother for you.

your footsteps are fast, spinning around sae and making him dizzy. you wore one of his spare jerseys, and his eyes barely catch the embroidered name sae on your back whizzing past him as you score a goal. he wonders if rin would enjoy playing with you, too. rin and him were in a tough spot, but sae hoped he would eventually get over himself and see not everything was sunshine and rainbows.

but, if sunshine and rainbows were anywhere in itoshi sae's life—they were through you, a reprieve in the cruel world around him.

so, sae will indulge in you. he'll forget about his real brotherly responsibilities, he'll forget about the rules of football and help you win against him—because even though this sport is something near and dear to his heart, nothing is more precious than you and the soft sound of his honorific, nii chan, slipping past your lips—he had a second chance to be a good brother, and he vows not to break your heart the way he broke rin's.

[unofficialoracle]

This is such a great post, because it may actually be possible to pinpoint "where it all went wrong for us", and what we can do about it! I've been listening to the audiobook of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, and he has an entire chapter about how a number of factors (one of the primary being social media and smartphone prevalence among kids and teens) have significantly reduced the amount of true Play time children have with each other.

Humans learn how to navigate social situations best as children, when they are Playing with other children, without adult intervention or imposed structure. Human brains are primed to do exactly what OP is describing. Children naturally seek to mediate, to comfort each other, to find mutually beneficial resolutions to conflict that strength the group's bonds. Studies have shown that the strongest neural pathways are created when children get these experiences with other peers, through playing games with rules that the children create and enforce.

Letting children Play in this manner is how they develop both their agency (I feel capable of figuring this out myself) and their community building skills (I support the people around me, and they support me).

The children could not have found the base problem - Jessica was playing by unspoken rules that Arjun broke - had the rules of the game been created for them by OP. The adult rules would be better communicated to the entire group, and likely would have an imposed structure as to how to handle conflict. Much less opportunity for the children to practice their community building skills.

The children also could not have practiced agency had OP been one of the primary humans to engage with a crying Arjun or Jessica. Most kids are going to default to allowing the adult to handle a situation once an adult has decided a situation is worthy of their involvement. When adults consistently step in every time there is conflict, children feel less capable of handling future conflict on their own.

By letting the kids console Arjun, and mediate themselves, OP gave the children an opportunity that has become increasingly less available for them - the chance to figure it out themselves. And they did figure it out, because our brains are primed towards pro-social behavior, and because childhood is supposed to be a time for a human to be Practicing Skills of All Types in environments where failure is expected and low stakes.

These children have watched their parents console their sobbing sibling, they have gotten to continue playing games with their cousins because they successfully navigated conflict before a parent got involved. The behavior has been emulated for them, given to them, and they have done it before themselves. They are learning to Do Things, and they need practice.

We all know how practicing works, and skills are learned best when they are used over, and over, and over again. Children need to have thousands of experiences like what OP has described above over the course of their childhood to become pro-social, well-adjusted adults capable of mediation and conflict resolution. Nothing replaces the power of face-to-face Play when it comes to learning pro-social behaviors, unmediated and unstructured by adults.

In the United States especially (though data shows many other countries are showing similar trends), children don't Play together as much as they used to, depriving them of the opportunity to practice essential skills for navigating our society in a low stakes environment. The cost of failing a mediation when my brother stole my toy at 6, is much less than the cost of failing a mediation with my boss when I'm on a PIP at work when I'm 26.

What do we do about it, as a society? Easy - let those kids play and Figure It Out Themselves! Help them when they ask for it, or when the situation has progressed past their ability level (significant bodily harm has taken place, etc), but otherwise? Let them play, let them console each other and resolve conflict without interference as often as possible. Give them a safe space to practice agency and community building, where they have support and general oversight, and where the cost of failure is low because failure is an expected part of the process.

Perhaps we will find that in 20 years, these children will have grown into adults who feel capable of Figuring It Out because they can do things for themselves and because they have a community who supports them.

watching children successfully and compassionately self-mediate conflict and wondering if it's possible to pinpoint where exactly it all goes wrong for us

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

you've given me too much animorphs inspiration (animorspiration?) and I'm now drowning. help. I wrote like half an essay on The Tragedy of David and how it's not really about whether he deserved a chance to change but the fact that they just straight up did not have the luxury (or tools) to give one. I think that while rachel's only regret is not giving him a clean kill, at the same time she would have done almost anything to be able to throw david at a competent adult role model and watch him face a nonlethal and constructive consequence for his actions.

I think a lot of things about david, too many for the little shit. he's such an asshole, he's cruel and sexist and so fucking unpleasant to read about I can barely imagine the horror of actually being in a room with him. but he's also just fucking thirteen. I want to grab him by the scruff of his neck and send him to therapy. even better I want a story where his family lives and it doesn't magically make him a decent person, he's still awful because he's goddamn david, and *then* he's dragged to a good therapy program and has a real incentive to change. also I guess the child soldier thing would be happening too in the background or whatever.

I couldn't agree more, with all of that. The decision to nothlit him (and kill him) is excruciatingly well-justified in canon. He's so despicable that I often want to reach through the page and throttle him. He reminds me of myself when I was a spoiled, damaged 13-year-old sick to death of being The New Kid at every school.

Maybe I was never quite that misogynistic. But at 13, I thought Light Yagami had the right approach to ethics. I thought the world would be better off if people would just shut up and give more power to the government. I was naive, I was awkward, I was a rich white kid with more experience being excluded than befriended and my social skills reflected that. Oh, and did I mention my obsession with snakes and horror comics and trying to shock adults? Because that's the root of my personal desire to stomp David's face in.

He's a normal kid, with normal problems, with a normal amount of teenage self-centeredness and temperamentalism. And the other Animorphs have basically no choice but to kill him to get him off their team. Because he's not ready for the tremendous soul-crushing responsibility they're forced to take on, to keep their species alive.

You know that old joke, about including exactly one normal athlete on every Olympic team so that we can really appreciate just how astoundingly good all the Olympians are? That's David, for the Animorphs. He's not superhumanly selfless, and he's the only one on the team for whom that's true.

[billsbabydoll]

I ABSOLUTELY NEED A 2011 BILL SMUT WHERE HE TEASES (female) reader so bad to the point that 1 she gets mad and pulls his hair talking dirty into his ear and two cries to him because he's just so good at eating her out

𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞?

-contains:SMUT!

-summary:request!!!

-WARNINGS:reader and bill are just freaky asf, thank you and goodnight.

-notes:whoever sent this request, im so sorry it took me so long to post it (in exchange for my forgiveness ill gladly do the honors of slutting you out till the neighbors know my name bby<3)

—————————————————————————

his hands tangle around your waist, fingers fumbling with the hems of your underwear—his lips desperately moving against yours; both caught in a feverish frenzy…

he leans back slightly, his lips momentarily leave yours causing you to let out a needy whine,

“shh i know what you want darlin’..” he coos in response, he removes his hands away from your waist, his fingers teasingly playing with your bottom lip before making his way down to the floor.

bill settles in a kneeling position; placing both his palms on your knees, then gently beginning to slowly spread your legs apart.

“schon so nass <already so wet>?”

“cmonn, please..”

he couldn’t help but let out a deep chuckle, finding your wretched eagerness quite amusing. nonetheless he continued his tormenting…

bill lifted up from his position, peppering open mouth kisses from your legs all the way up to your clothed cunt. he stopped for a few seconds, staring deeply into your soul before latching his teeth onto your lace panties, sliding them effortlessly all the wayyy downnn.

your slick sex now on full display.

“i wonder if you taste as sweet as you look engel <angel>.”

tears suddenly began swelling up in your eyes, he hasn’t even started yet and your already a complete mess—impatient little slut are you?

“p-please bill i need you!” you loudly whimpered, making his eyes instantly dart up to meet yours again.

“need what huh,

need this?”

you open your mouth up again to argue back but were then shushed by a flick of his tongue on your clit, a groan of relief leaving out of your mouth. as soon as you received, you were then again left flustered; he suddenly moved his mouth away.

“nghh! baby please im begging you!”

“good, i love it when you beg..”

he centered his mouth back onto your pussy, sprinkling kisses around your wetness ever so softly, making you shiver at just the delicate sensation. his lips lightly graced all over your cunt; from side to side, up and down, edging you even further.

you angrily sigh and aggressively place your hands on both sides of his head, shoving him all the way into your walls, the tip of his nose bumping into your clit,

“gimme what i want,

you’ve had enough, you couldn’t bear the torture anymore, you simply snapped—

now.”

he quickly hums in obedience, the vibration of his voice sending immediate sparks straight into your core. his tongue began lapping and swirling around your entrance, occasionally sticking his tongue inside.

you throw you head backwards, letting yourself fall into the mattress, your hips now bucking into him seeking even further pleasure.

his saliva and your juices pooled on his chin, the sides of his mouth equally covered in the mixed liquids. you tasted ravishing, your taste so distinct and exotic it was the perfect combination of not too sweet not too salty; but just right.

you hands remain attached to his head, using thick strands of his hair as personal handles, fingers harshly tugging and pulling his hair any chance you could possibly get.

along with a collection of moans and groans, your tears from earlier finally fell down your face, a certain shock of ecstasy washing over your entire being.

he devoured you like a starved man, treating you as if your his last meal on earth, the biggest feast a man could ever ask for…

“ughh right there!”

“right there?”

“right there.”

—————————————————————————

bill please come back home the kids and i miss you, babe.

[yoonjae20]

Ric(hard) Fenton; Part 1

(Once again slightly inspired by @saltymarshmall0w 's prompt.)

Read on ao3.

Masterpost.

“B, didn’t you promise us as you’d tell if there was a possibility of another secret child?” Tim asks as he stares at the black haired boy, who looks like he had been to hell and back to get here, with blue eyes — because of course, they are blue —  in front of the Manor’s door. 

He can’t help but feel unnerved by the way the boy evaded their security measures and how he hasn’t said a single word since Tim opened the door even when he can see the boy’s hands tremble.

“Yes?” Bruce's voice floats from further in the Manor, his barely audible gaunt drawing near.

“Then who the hell is this?” he asks just as the man turns the corner. He freezes at the sight of the kid, literally blue screening as he takes him in. 

“Actually he’s mine,” a too chipper voice announces and Tim nearly jumps out of skin as he turns to Dick.

The young man must see both Tim and Bruce doing the mental calculations in their heads because he interrupts before they can draw the wrong conclusions.

“If Bruce can go around adopting children, I can do the same.” Then he turns to the boy. “You can come in, Danny.” 

Tim is eerily reminded of a wary, frightened cat as the boy — Danny moves inside. His steps are too silent for a mere civilian. 

Bruce and Tim share a look and Tim knows that they are both asking themselves when Dick met the boy and why he never mentioned him with how familiar he acts around him as he easily tucks him into his side. 

Although neither of them wants to accept it, Dick has changed since the one year where he disappeared without a trace. He’d told them that he was shot leading to him to lose his memories and that he only retained his memories a few days before he came back, but Tim always had a feeling the older man was not telling the whole truth, hiding it behind an easy-going smile. He didn’t speak a single word about what happened during that year, claiming he didn’t remember much of it ever since his memories returned.

Not only that, but it had become even rarer than before that any of them would meet Dick at the manor (even Jason was at the Manor more often) — and when he was present he was always studying them with an intense stare as if he was searching for something in their expressions.

“Dick,” Bruce starts but the man waves him off.

“Later,” he says. “I need to see if I have any fresh clothes for Danny.”

Dick pulls the boy away and they head up the stairs. Tim gives it a minute before he follows, nodding at Bruce, who does the same. He hears them stop in the hallway and he pauses in his steps.

“What’s going on?” Tim hears the man's question and he sneaks closer when he can’t hear the boy’s response. He subtly uses his phone’s camera to peek around the corner. 

“What about Mom and Dad?” Dick asks in a hushed whisper and Tim knits his eyebrows together — confused about who his brother is talking about.

Danny winces with a pained expression.

“The GIW got them in custody for affiliating with and aiding an ectoplasmic entity,” he explains. “You are my only chance.”

“Jazz, Sam, Tucker?” Dick almost seems desperate and when the boy just shakes his head after each name, he runs a hand through his hair and curses. 

“And you are sure we can’t go to them?”

Tim can’t help but ask himself who they are talking about that Dick’s voice is so full of disdain. Danny vehemently shakes his head, eyes squeezed together like he is remembering something painful and when he speaks his voice is shaky.

“I don’t know what to do, Ric,” he says, clutching the top of his shirt like his heart is hurting and Tim’s eyebrows climb to the top of his hairline at the unusual nickname. “I can’t- I can’t do this alone…” 

“Fuck.” Dick takes a deep breath as he hugs Danny. “Okay. Yes, of course I’m coming with you, baby ghost. Just let me grab my things and then we’ll go on our way.” 

“You will not go anywhere.” 

Bruce steps in Dick’s path before Tim can stop him and he narrows his eyes at the pair. Danny flinches away from the man and Dick steps protectively in front of the boy.

Tim knows Bruce and Dick had their rough patches in the past but never like this. Never had Dick looked at Bruce like he was a threat. 

“I’m not in the mood, B,” Dick warns sharply. 

“And I’m not about to let you go off with someone that I haven’t vetted.”

Dick lets out a bitter huff of a laugh.

“Of course that’s the only thing you would focus on.” His voice is cold. “You’ll bulldoze your way through, and prod and condemn, not caring if you hurt someone innocent in the process as long as you can justify your actions. I don’t even know why I’m surprised at this point. It’s what happened to Jason after all.”

Bruce reels back like he’s been punched. 

“Now if that is all, I have to go save the people who actually treat me like family.”

This time nobody stops Dick as he leaves the house, Danny in tow. 

“Master Bruce, Master Tim,” Alfred’s voice tears Tim out of his trance and startles Bruce who froze in his spot. “Where is Master Dick?”

Dick trembles with barely suppressed fury as he leads Danny to his car.

He wanted to believe that Bruce was better — that he wouldn’t have led the Justice League on a hunt after a child, but the longer he is back in Gotham as Richard Grayson — the longer he is around who were supposed to be his “actual” family, the more he grows unsure about that fact. There is no easy trust between them — not the steadfast determination that no matter what happens, they’ll take his side. Not like the Fentons have. (It’s been barely 2 months and he misses being Ric Fenton — misses being Jack and Maddie’s son and Jazz and Danny’s older brother.)

Bruce has contingency plans about them for fuck’s sake. And while he understands that there might be situations where they would be on other sides — the time where he and the Teen Titans had to fight their mind controlled mentors comes to mind — it’s a scary thought. For the first time since ages — since Bruce had taken Robin away from him — he feels like he is on his own. 

Back then he had turned to Clark — to Superman. He was the one who gave him the name Nightwing but Dick is plagued by the nightmares he witnessed Danny having. He doesn’t think he can look at his uncle ever the same again. 

At the same time, he doesn’t know if Danny and him can do this alone. He glances at the boy as he drives out the gates to the manor — he looks incredibly drained. He’s even paler than usual and there’s a sheen of sweat over his whole body as he leans back in his seat, breaths shallow. 

As he drives through the streets of the Bowery a sudden thought comes to his mind. He tears the steering wheel around, tearing Danny out of his doze. He blinks at Dick, eyebrows knitted together when he sees that they are still in Gotham.

“Where are we going?” he asks and Dick gives him a smile that is all teeth.

“Just a little pit stop.”

Jason and Dick don’t talk much — or to be more precise they don’t talk about the important stuff. Not about the — ‘I broke down when I heard about your death and I blame myself for not being there’ or ‘I was sure you hated me and you were glad I was gone’. They barge into each other's apartments, spar or get drunk together and cling to each other when they are sure the other isn’t awake to witness it. It’s not quite healthy — but it’s something better than when Jason was still Robin.

So when the door to one of his safe houses gets slammed open, Jason isn’t concerned. He knows Dick had been off the past few weeks and had been expecting his visit for quite a while now. 

The look in Dick’s eyes is different this time around though. It’s not quite the mix of depression coupled with anger he normally expects — it’s something stronger — righteous fury.

“I need your help,” Dick demands before Jason can question what’s going on.

Jason knits his eyebrows together. 

“What about Bruce?”

There’s a dark look in the man’s eyes for a moment before it passes and that’s the moment Jason realizes that this something more serious than the usual spats he normally has with B. 

“You are the only one I can trust with this.”

He spins around on his heels and is out of the safe house before Jason can blink. Getting a bit impatient and angry about Dick not getting straight to the point and still expecting him to follow — Jason storms out. What he doesn’t expect is the passed out half-dead kid in the passenger seat. A tinge of green enters his vision as he glares at Dick.

“What the hell is going on?”

The story Dick tells as they speed on the highway leaves Jason reeling. If the man’s tone wasn’t carefully monotone as he spoke about Ghosts and an entire town being shifted to a different dimension, Jason would have already declared that Dick finally snapped. He wants to question why he lied to the rest about losing his memories about the year he went missing, but the desperate look he sends him and the way his hands shake on the steering wheel hold him back. It’s only the boy’s quiet snores that have Jason’s volume not climbing above a hiss.

“Are you sure this all happened? That this is real?”

“I was there, Jay,” Dick’s tone leaves no arguments. “I almost watched Danny die, again — fighting Pariah Dark. I would have never forgiven myself if another of my brothers…” He gulps and shakes his head. “I was there this time. I should have made a difference and once again I was helpless”. He slams a fist against the radio, cursing when it turns on, blaring loud music. 

He quickly turns the volume down and both of them wait with bated breath as Danny stirs in his seat, before he goes limp again. Dick lets out a deep sigh.

“How do you think I felt once I realized the situation?” Dick questions. “I was in the middle of nowhere with no recollection of who I was. If the Fentons hadn’t found me-” He shakes his head. “Next I know I’m watching a kid fight fucking Ghosts twice his side and getting thrown around like a ragdoll like it’s a normal Tuesday. That shouldn’t happen Jay, it just shouldn’t.”

Jason stays silent.

“And worst of all, I still knew how to fight,” Dick barrels on. “But no matter how much I tried to help Danny and teach him, it was useless because it wasn’t humans or even metas he was up against. How could my moves counter beings that can fly and go intangible and invisible at will?”

Jason still can’t fathom why Dick hid this from them all — but he knows enough to understand why he needs his help. 

“So what’s the plan?”

Dick shoots him a relieved smile.

“We still have 12 hours of driving ahead of us,” Dick glances at Danny. “I’m reckoning he’s gonna be out cold for at least half of it if not more. I need you to switch with me after half of the drive so I can get a power nap in, then I’ll take over again.”

“Not trusting me with the car?” Jason teases.

“Show me your drivers license and maybe I’ll reconsider.”

They start bickering, and for a moment Jason can convince himself that this is a normal road trip.

Jason’s at the wheel when the boy wakes up. Dick is out cold and despite the man’s protests Jason can drive normally if he wants to. There’s no reason the man has to over exhaust himself.

They had tossed their phones once they crossed the border to Illinois and Dick had withdrawn a couple of thousand bucks. Jason had questioned why they hadn’t done sooner if they wanted to keep Bruce off their trail, but the man told him he’s not the one he is worried about. Considering what Dick told him about the elusive GIW, Jason can harbor a guess on who he is talking about. It’s after that, that Jason wrangled him into another nap — Dick was in no condition to drive any further. 

“Ric?” Danny questions sleepily as he sits up and Jason keeps an eye on him out of the corner of his eyes.

“He’s asleep,” Jason answers and it’s only because he’s used to Damian that he blocks the instinctual kick as the boy realizes he’s not alone. 

“I can see that Dick kept you sharp” Jason huffs out a laugh. “I’m Jason, in case he didn’t mention me.”

Danny blinks at him and shifts so he is sitting cross legged. He knits his eyebrows together, clearly thinking.

“You were the pit stop?” he questions.

“Apparently.” Jason shrugs. “Great work, by the way. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Dick this pissed.”

The boy frowns, gnawing at his lips as he stares out the window.

“You’ve died too, haven't you?”

Jason suppresses his initial reaction to snap at the boy. Instead he grits his teeth as he stares straight ahead, the road blurring together. 

“And?”

“Ric shouldn’t have let you come.”

He grips the steering wheel until his knuckles are deadly white, green hazing his vision. 

“They’ll cut you open too.”

It takes the wind out of his anger and he lets out a curse. The brakes screech as he stops at the side of the road, nearly catapulting them forward with the force of it. Jason finally turns to look at Danny properly. The boy peels down his t-shirt to reveal a gnarly, ugly red Y-shaped scar as he gulps.

“Ric doesn’t know,” he says as he releases the hem of his shirt, covering the scar once more. “I haven’t told him.”

“Then why me?” Jason’s voice rises without his consent.

“Because you’ll get it,” the boy murmurs. “How it feels to die.”

The boy leans back, turning away from Jason to look at the corn field.

“How it haunts you.”

Jason wants to puke and he lets his forehead fall onto the steering wheel.

“Fuck,” he says emotionally and the boy laughs — broken and hysterical. Jason doesn’t comment on the tears streaming down Danny’s face.

Jason starts up the car again, leading the car back on the road.

“Next time Dick asks for my help, I’ll send him to hell.”

Jason hides a smile when the boy snorts at that. 

Dick comes to himself as they are about to cross the border into Amity Park. Jason and Danny are quietly talking and he wipes away a little bit of drool as he sits up. It’s dark outside and Danny directs Jason as they enter the city. He leans forward as he enters the conversation.

“You’ll think the GIW’s detectors will sense us?”

Danny glances at Jason, before he turns his attention to Dick.

“We should be fine for a few hours at least as long as I don’t have to turn ghost,” he says. “Half of the town is liminal at this point so you and Jason shouldn’t raise any alarms either. They had too many false alarms in the months since you left.”

Jason looks at Dick strangely once they park where they can hide for the night.

“Since when did you have contact with Lazarus Pits?”

“Never,” Dick retorts. “But living above a portal to the Infinite Realms for a year will do the trick.”

Jason's face scrunches up.

“Who the hell builds a portal in their own basement?” 

Both Dick and Danny snort. 

“Gotta love Mom and Dad,” the boy says as Dick nods in agreement. “Only they are insane enough.”

Dick makes a face.

“I could do without reanimated meatloaf for the rest of my life though.”

“Don’t remind me,” Danny shudders.

Jason stares at them in bafflement. 

“You do know how crazy that sounds?”

“Crazier than Ghosts?” Danny questions with a smirk and Jason pinches the bridge of his nose, shaking his head

“To give it to Mom and Dad they did stop storing samples in the fridge after we lectured them about it,” Dick adds. At Jason's aghast face he just shrugs. “They are passionate about their work.” 

“Insane, absolutely insane,” the man mutters and Dick suppresses a smile.

It had taken him a bit to get used to the Fenton's and their flavor of insanity and chaos. At first he had been worried about them being neglectful at best, but it turns out that they just needed someone to remind them when they got into “hyperfixation” mode. He and Jazz had to stage an intervention and both Maddie and Jack were embarrassed once they realized they took it too far. Dick doesn’t know who is worse — them or Tim when he’s awake for more than three days. 

He was very relieved when his initial hunch didn’t turn out to be true after Danny revealed himself as Phantom to his parents. They did a whole 180 on their research, focusing on learning about the intricacies of the Infinite Realms, their culture and even politics instead — resigning from their high positions in the GIW. That’s when the trouble really started. 

Dick hadn’t lied about getting amnesia after he was shot and it was also true that his memories had only returned — thanks to Frostbite — two months ago. But the only reason he went back to Gotham had been to get Danny help (the longer they waited the worse the situation with the GIW became) — to find out if the Justice League could be trusted. Once he heard what happened with Freakshow and the Reality Gauntlet (and had the memories to properly realize what that meant) he had been horrified. He had given himself a deadline to — if need be, confront the Justice League by the time Danny’s birthday came around and find out the truth. (He had desperately hoped that this was all a misunderstanding, but Bruce’s words still taste bitter on his tongue.)

Dick knows bringing Jason along was a risk — considering Danny’s theory that the Lazarus Pit were corrupted ectoplasm, but they need the manpower to get through the GIW’s defenses. Even if he’s scared shitless about what they’ll do to Jason when they find out just how liminal he is. He knows this is a death mission. But it doesn’t have to be for Jason.

“We need to establish some ground rules,” Dick says reluctantly and Jason narrows his eyes at the wording.

“If we get captured, I want you to save yourself, Jason.” Jason scoffs and Dick raises a hand, silencing his retort before it can come. “I’m the sole reason you got involved in the first place. Me and Danny may be willing to die for them, but I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself for something that isn’t even your problem to deal with.”

“If you think I’m gonna agree to those, you are more than stupid than I thought Dick,” Jason’s voice is scathing. “It started being my problem when you came to me for help and we drove for 12 straight hours to get there. If you say those people are your family — then they are mine as well.”

His lips perk into a smirk.

“Besides, I want to meet the people that might be even more batshit insane than B and got you to call them Mom and Dad.”

Dick flushes slightly — the Fenton’s had always insisted on him calling them Mom and Dad and he doesn’t know when the titles became genuine. Even with his memories restored, Ric Fenton feels more alive  — more loved — than Richard Grayson ever did. 

Danny just shrugs as he leans back, arms crossed behind his neck and feet rested on top of the glove box. 

“I guess I have not only two sisters but two older brothers now,” he adds cheekily. 

“Brat.” 

Jason playfully shoves Danny and Dick gapes at the fond tone in his voice. 

“How?” he stammers — they should barely know each other. “When?”

Jason tucks Danny into his side, angle a bit awkward, but grinning as he ruffles his hair.

“You missed a lot, sleeping beauty,” Jason jests and Dick groans.

“I was only asleep for 1 hour!” he bemoans. 

“Two,” Danny corrects and Dick glares at him, raising a finger.

“Don’t you two dare gang up on me!”

“This is sweet revenge for when you and Jazz teamed up against me,” Danny grins.

“We were literally trying to help you!” Dick complains, shoving Danny’s face away as the boy cackles, Jason watching on with amusement.

Dick might have to leave Ric Fenton behind for good now that his two worlds have collided, but maybe he can still be Richard “Dick” Grayson-Fenton instead.  

[mediocre-shark-tales]

Brazilian GP

Masterlist

Trigger Warning- slow burn of increasing themes including sexism, SA, depression, and implied grooming

Arriving at the Brazilian paddock, the humid air immediately wrapped around me, thick and heavy with the promise of rain. I walked side by side with my race engineer, Landon, who was reading off his tablet as we made our way toward the team building.

“So, just a heads-up,” he started, glancing over at me, “the forecast isn’t looking great for the weekend. Heavy rain is expected during potentially during qualifying and also the race. The race might dry out, but it’s gonna be close.”

I grinned, feeling a little spark of excitement light up in my chest. “Rain, huh? Sounds like it’s gonna be fun.”

Landon raised an eyebrow at me, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. “You’re the only driver on the grid who calls rain fun.”

“Hey, can’t help it,” I shrugged. “Wet races are my thing. Blame teenage me for that.”

He smirked, clearly intrigued. “Teenage you, huh? What’d she do, enroll in rain driving school or something?”

“Not exactly,” I replied, the memory drawing a small laugh from me. “Off-season boredom was my teacher. Back when I didn’t have much to do, I’d find empty roads or parking lots when it rained, crank the wheel, and let the car drift. It was the perfect way to burn off energy and practice handling low traction.”

Landon gave me a mock look of disapproval. “And this is the kind of behavior we’re supposed to encourage in kids these days?”

“Absolutely not,” I said, deadpan, then grinned. “But you can’t blame me. Adrenaline deprivation is a serious condition for a teenager in the off-season.”

He let out a laugh. “I’ll give you that. Guess it worked out in the end. Your wet-weather skills are basically legendary at this point.”

“Let’s hope they hold up,” I said, my tone turning a little more serious. “If I can keep the car on the track and avoid anyone spinning out too close to me, I should be fine.”

“You’ll do more than fine,” Landon said confidently. “But just to be safe, let’s go over the setup for wet conditions later. I want to make sure you’ve got everything you need to stay ahead.”

“Sounds good,” I said, nodding.

As we approached the team building, the faint rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, a reminder of what the weekend had in store. While some drivers dreaded wet weekends, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation. Rain had a way of leveling the playing field and letting skill shine through. This was my chance to show everyone—again—why I deserved to be here.

And, as I reminded myself, it was a distraction. The rain would demand my full focus, leaving little room for the creeping thoughts of Henry or the weight of everything else going on.

The moment I stepped into the garage, I could already feel the weight of the dreaded engineering pre-weekend meeting with Henry looming over me. The hustle and noise of the team getting everything prepped for the weekend provided little comfort when I spotted him standing near the back, holding his ever-present clipboard. He was scanning the space until his eyes landed on me, a too-familiar smug grin spreading across his face.

“Ah, there she is,” he called out, closing the distance between us far too quickly. Before I could react, his arm draped across my shoulder. I stiffened instinctively, but he didn’t seem to notice—or maybe he just didn’t care.

“Let’s get started, yeah?” he said, steering me toward a small side room tucked away from the rest of the garage. “Got us a nice little space where we won’t be disturbed. Just the two of us.”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. I didn’t respond, just nodded stiffly as he guided me into the room. It was cramped, with a single table and two chairs, and the sound of the bustling garage was muted by the closed door.

As I sat down across from him, I reached into my pocket, pretending to adjust my phone, and quickly set it to record. I placed it face down on the table next to my water bottle, angling it just enough to capture the interaction.

At first, things seemed relatively normal—or as normal as they could be with Henry. He reviewed some data from the previous race, pointing out areas where the car could be improved for wet conditions. I nodded along, taking notes and asking a few questions when necessary, trying to keep the conversation strictly professional.

But it didn’t take long for the shift to happen. It never did.

“You know,” Henry said, leaning back in his chair with a grin, “I’ve always been impressed by how you handle wet races. It’s like you and the car just… click. It’s kind of sexy, really.”

I froze for a split second before forcing myself to brush it off. “Thanks,” I said flatly, trying to steer the conversation back on track. “So about the tire strategy—”

He cut me off, leaning forward slightly. “You know, I’ve been thinking. We spend so much time working together, maybe we should, I don’t know, get to know each other better. Outside of the garage.”

I stiffened, my hands tightening into fists under the table. “I don’t think that’s appropriate,” I said carefully, my voice steady but firm. “We’re colleagues, Henry. Let’s keep it professional.”

But my words barely registered. He smirked, pushing his chair back and standing up. My heart sank as he walked around the table, closing the distance between us. I leaned back instinctively, my chair scraping slightly against the floor.

“Oh, come on,” he said, his tone low and dripping with fake charm. “Don’t be so uptight. You’re amazing, you know that? Gorgeous, talented, a total package. It’s no wonder the team’s been doing better with you around.”

I stood abruptly, creating as much space between us as the tiny room would allow. “Henry,” I said, my voice sharper now, “I’ve told you before—I don’t like this. Stop.”

He chuckled, stepping closer. “Relax, I’m just trying to pay you a compliment. You should really learn how to take one.”

I felt a cold wave of disgust wash over me, but I forced myself to remain calm. Every part of me wanted to shove him away, but I knew I needed to stay composed—for now. “I’m not interested,” I said firmly. “And this conversation is over.”

Henry’s grin faltered for a moment, his expression shifting to something darker, more frustrated. But before he could say anything else, I grabbed my water bottle and phone, ending the recording as discreetly as I could.

“I’ll see you on the pit wall,” I said, pushing past him and out the door. My heart was pounding, my skin crawling, but I kept my head high as I walked back into the bustling garage.

I was going to make it through this. I had to. And soon, I’d have the proof I needed to make sure Henry would never pull this kind of crap again.

I practically sprinted to my driver’s room after leaving that suffocating meeting, shutting the door behind me with a force that rattled the frame. The sound of the lock clicking into place was the only thing grounding me in that moment, a small barrier between me and the world. My breathing was uneven, and as much as I wanted to hold it in, the tears welled up faster than I could stop them.

I sat down heavily on the small couch, burying my face in my hands. It wasn’t just what had just happened—it was the realization of how deep this went. Henry wasn’t just some creep I could report and be done with. He’d been with the team for years, a trusted member of the garage. I was the outsider, the new driver. No matter how good my results were, no matter how much respect I earned on track, it was my word against his.

And it was going to get worse before it got better.

The weight of that truth pressed down on me like a boulder, and for a moment, I let myself feel it. The frustration, the helplessness, the anger. My hands clenched into fists against my knees as a few more tears slipped free. I hated feeling this way—weak, powerless. But I wasn’t powerless, not entirely. I still had the recordings I’d started collecting, and I was going to keep at it. I’d do whatever it took to make sure Henry couldn’t keep getting away with this.

Sniffling, I wiped my face with the sleeve of my hoodie and forced myself to take a deep breath. One thing at a time. First, I had a job to do—a race to prepare for. And for as long as I was in that car, none of this mattered. It was just me, the machine, and the track.

Standing up, I grabbed my racing suit from where it hung neatly in the corner of the room. I changed quickly, letting the routine of suiting up calm my nerves. Each step—pulling on the fireproof base layer, zipping up the suit, lacing up my boots—was a reminder of why I was here. I wasn’t just some newbie. I was a driver, one who’d clawed her way into this seat.

By the time I pulled on my gloves, I’d forced the tears back and replaced them with a mask of focus. The weight in my chest was still there, but I shoved it to the back of my mind. I couldn’t afford to let it distract me now.

Heading back to the garage, I was greeted by the usual buzz of activity. Mechanics darted around, checking every inch of the car, while engineers monitored data on screens. I nodded to a few of them as I made my way over to my car, setting my helmet and gloves on the workbench beside it.

Landon approached with a tablet in hand, his expression professional but warm. “We’ve got a few adjustments based on the data from last weekend,” he said, walking me through the setup changes. “It should help with stability in the rain, but let us know how it feels during the session.”

“Got it,” I replied, keeping my tone steady as I reviewed the notes with him.

I went through the routine checks with the team, nodding and responding where necessary but staying mostly quiet. The focus I’d forced myself into earlier had settled in, giving me the clarity I needed. This was my space—the car, the garage, the track. And for now, nothing else existed outside of it.

Sliding into the cockpit, I felt the familiar rush of adrenaline as the mechanics strapped me in and adjusted the belts. The engine roared to life, and all the noise of the world faded away, replaced by the hum of power beneath me.

Free Practice 1 had gone smoother than I could have hoped for. The car felt balanced, the adjustments the team made held up well, and my lap times were competitive. By the end of the session, the data showed I was on track for a promising position for sprint qualifying. The rain everyone had been bracing for still hadn’t arrived, but the sky was a heavy gray, the forecast ominously predicting that race day was going to be a drenched battle.

After parking the car and climbing out, I took a moment to savor the positive outcome. Landon handed me a water bottle as he went over the session’s feedback, and I nodded along, already mentally preparing for what was to come. “Looks solid,” he said, giving me an encouraging smile. “If we can hold this pace, you’ll be in a great spot for tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” I replied, taking a long sip of water. I hung around the garage for a bit, leaning against the workbench while the mechanics checked over the car. It was a rare moment of peace—one I knew wouldn’t last long. I caught sight of Henry lingering on the other side of the garage, his eyes scanning for me like a predator seeking its prey. The sight sent a chill down my spine, and I quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the data screen in front of me.

Eventually, it was time to head out for the sprint qualifying session. I slipped back into the car, grateful for the excuse to leave the garage and Henry behind. As I made my way onto the track, the sky remained stubbornly dry, but the tension in the air was palpable. Everyone knew the rain was coming, and it was only a matter of time.

The sprint qualifying session was intense. The track was crowded, every driver pushing their car to its absolute limit. My focus narrowed to the black asphalt ahead, my mind in full race mode. The car felt incredible beneath me, the adjustments giving me the confidence to brake later, turn sharper, and accelerate harder. I fought tooth and nail to put in fast lap times, battling traffic and finding every ounce of grip on the circuit.

By the time the checkered flag waved, I’d done it—P3. Only Oscar and Lando had managed to edge me out. Pulling back into the garage, I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. It was a hard-earned result, and I was proud of it.

But my relief was short-lived.

The second I climbed out of the car, I spotted Henry approaching, his smug expression already making my stomach churn. I could see the congratulatory words forming on his lips, but I wasn’t about to stick around to hear whatever inappropriate twist he’d add to them.

Grabbing my helmet and gloves, I shot a quick glance at Landon, who gave me a subtle nod of understanding. “Gotta head to media,” I said quickly, not giving Henry a chance to corner me.

With practiced speed, I made my way out of the garage, weaving through the crowd as I headed toward the media zone. My heart raced—not from the qualifying session, but from the near escape. I knew I couldn’t avoid Henry forever, but every second I stayed out of his grasp felt like a small victory.

Once I reached the media area, I took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline from the session replace the lingering discomfort. Cameras flashed, microphones were thrust in my direction, and questions flew at me from all angles. I smiled, answered politely, and kept the focus on the track. For now, the spotlight was on my performance, and I was determined to keep it that way.

P3. A great result to start the sprint weekend. And with any luck, I’d make it count on race day—rain or shine.

The media duties were draining, as always, but I’d kept my composure, deflecting any tricky questions and keeping the focus on the race. By the time it was over, my cheeks ached from smiling and my voice was hoarse from repeating variations of the same answers. Heading back to my driver’s room felt like walking toward a safe haven.

Once inside, I shut the door and leaned against it for a moment, exhaling deeply. The silence was comforting. I peeled off my race suit, hanging it neatly in the small wardrobe before slipping into comfortable joggers and a hoodie. As much as I wanted to crash right there, the promise of my hotel room, a shower, and a good night’s sleep was too tempting. Grabbing my bag, I slung it over my shoulder and exited the room.

I didn’t get far.

Henry was there, lurking just outside my door like a shadow I couldn’t shake. My heart sank at the sight of him. His predatory grin made my skin crawl. “You’re really something, you know that?” he started, stepping into my path.

I froze, trying to keep my expression neutral. “I need to get to the hotel, Henry,” I said flatly, hoping he’d take the hint and move.

Instead, he leaned in closer, his eyes raking over me in a way that made my stomach churn. “Relax,” he drawled, his voice low and insidious. “No need to be so uptight. You’ve had a good day. I’m just here to congratulate you… personally.”

I tried to sidestep him, but he blocked my way, his smirk widening. “You really don’t get it, do you?” he said, his tone turning darker. “All this talent, all this potential... but you still need someone to guide you. Someone who knows what’s best for you.”

“Henry, I’m tired. Please move,” I said, my voice sharper now, though my hands were trembling.

He didn’t budge. Instead, he reached out, his hands clamping around my waist with a grip so tight it made me wince. “You’ll see reason one day,” he whispered, his voice cold and deliberate. “I’ll make sure of that.”

The words sent a chill down my spine, and before I could respond, he finally stepped aside, releasing me abruptly. I stumbled back, my pulse pounding in my ears as I watched him walk away, his confidence unshaken.

For a moment, I just stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to move. Fear and disgust churned in my stomach, and my mind raced with the implications of what had just happened. His words played on a loop in my head, each repetition tightening the knot of anxiety in my chest.

When I finally forced my legs to move, my steps were shaky, my breathing uneven. I hugged my bag closer to me as I made my way through the paddock, feeling smaller and more exposed with each passing second. The bustling atmosphere of the paddock, usually so energizing, now felt overwhelming, the noise pressing in on me from all sides.

As I passed by other teams and drivers, I kept my head down, unwilling to make eye contact. I didn’t want anyone to see the fear etched across my face, the way my hands were trembling, or the tears threatening to spill over. I had to keep it together, at least until I reached the safety of my hotel room.

But no matter how hard I tried to steady myself, Henry’s words lingered in my mind, a sinister reminder of just how far he was willing to go—and how alone I truly felt in this fight.

I was so deep in my own thoughts, replaying Henry’s words over and over, that I didn’t even notice someone approaching me. When a hand landed gently on my shoulder, I stiffened instantly, my entire body locking up as a gasp escaped my lips. Without thinking, I shoved the hand away, spinning around with wide, panicked eyes.

“Hey, hey!” a familiar voice called out, concern lacing every syllable.

I blinked rapidly, my vision clearing to reveal Charles standing there, his brow furrowed deeply. Beside him, Carlos looked equally concerned, his hands raised in a placating gesture.

“Cariño, what’s wrong?” Carlos asked, stepping closer but keeping his movements slow, cautious. “You never react like that. Are you okay?”

My pulse was still racing, and I struggled to breathe evenly as I realized how I must have looked. Panicked. Vulnerable. I couldn’t let them see that. Swallowing hard, I forced a smile onto my face, though it felt like a fragile mask threatening to crack.

“I’m fine,” I lied, trying to sound casual. “Just... startled, that’s all. Long day.”

Charles didn’t look convinced. His sharp eyes scanned my face as if searching for the real reason behind my reaction. “You sure? You seem... different tonight,” he said softly, his tone gentle but probing.

“I’m fine,” I repeated, more firmly this time, though my voice still wavered slightly. “Just tired. Really, don’t worry about it.”

Carlos exchanged a glance with Charles, doubt flickering between them, but neither pushed further. I couldn’t bear to stay there any longer, their concern feeling like a spotlight on everything I was trying to hide. Clutching my bag tighter, I stepped back. “I need to get to the hotel. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I said quickly before turning on my heel and walking away, my pace brisk as I left them behind.

In the quiet of the paddock, after she disappeared around the corner, Carlos crossed his arms over his chest and let out a heavy sigh. “That wasn’t normal,” he said, his voice low but firm.

Charles nodded, his expression troubled. “No, it wasn’t. Did you see how scared she looked? Like she thought someone was going to hurt her.”

“Exactly,” Carlos agreed. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling to the surface. “And the way she just brushed us off... She never does that. Even if she’s tired, she usually talks to us for a bit.”

Charles frowned, leaning against the wall as he replayed the scene in his mind. “Something’s going on,” he said quietly. “Something she doesn’t want us—or anyone else—to know.”

Carlos looked at him, his jaw tightening. “Do you think it’s... exactly as Max said?” he asked hesitantly. “Or maybe they’re just putting too much pressure on her?”

Charles considered this, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Maybe. But that reaction... It felt like more than just stress. It felt personal.”

Carlos let out another sigh, shaking his head. “Whatever it is, it’s not good. We can’t just ignore this, Charles. She’s our friend.”

“I know,” Charles said, his tone resolute. “But we can’t force her to talk, either. She’s too proud—too stubborn. If we push too hard, she’ll just shut us out completely.”

Carlos nodded reluctantly. “So what do we do? Just... wait until she’s ready to tell us?”

“Not exactly,” Charles replied. His gaze hardened with determination. “For now, we keep an eye on her. Pay attention. And if we see anything—anything—that looks off, we step in. Whether she wants us to or not.”

Carlos’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded. “Agreed. She might not think she needs help, but we’re not going to let her deal with this alone.”

With that, the two drivers fell into a heavy silence, their shared worry for their friend weighing on them as they stood there in the fading light of the paddock.

[ashen-char]

we can be pirates

ship: river (all souls) x reader (gender neutral)

summary: river wants to give her daughter the best birthday party possible. noticing that it's personal for her, you help.

word count: 2400+

notes: requested here. split into two parts bc it surprised me how long it was getting. title from taylor swift's 'seven'. TELL ME THE SKULLS DONT GIVE PIRATE VIBES

River sits on the couch you two hauled off the road just last summer, flipping through the pages of a worn-out book on crafts. Beside her sits her mini-me, her daughter Jade who always loves being dressed up just like her mama. Big brown eyes go wide with excitement as the little girl points at one of the pictures.

"Mama, we can make this for my party," she exclaims, her small finger tracing the outline of a paper flower.

River hums, a tight smile on her face. "Yeah, baby. It doesn't look too hard. That'll be great."

Jade giggles and marks down the page number, already a small list of ideas on her pad of paper, her legs swinging.

Despite her smile, River can't help but think of how she wants more for her little girl. How she hates that Jade already knows they have to cut costs like this. Maybe if she pushed down her ego that told her she can do it all alone, without a cent of Silas' dirty money. River shakes her head, willing those thoughts out. She focuses on the pride blooming in her chest that Jade's still so happy and content with homemade efforts. She's raised a smart, kind, and wonderful girl. God, she can't even believe her baby's turning six in a week.

"You wanna help me?" she asks, poking Jade's cheek, who has now moved on to the section about invitation cards.

"Of course!"

This is when you walk in, joining them on the couch. You were busy preparing dinner so you didn't catch the full conversation, but the apartment's small enough where you could catch bits and pieces even without eavesdropping. Before you have a chance to tell them the food's ready, Jade shoves the book in your hands.

"You can pick one! I like this and this and-" Jade's pointing all over the place, choosing invitation cards she likes the look of seemingly by random if you didn't know her well. Luckily, you've had the chance to. Under River's upbringing and her own endless curiosity, Jade loves so many things it's hard to think of one straightforward theme. She loves her monster trucks as much as her stuffed puppy, as much as the manga the older kids in the apartment complex show her, as much as nature and princesses and scary stories.

"Woah, woah, slow your roll, kiddo." You wipe your hands on the apron before putting your hands on the book, knowing you'd get glares if you greased it up. "What's this about a party? I thought you didn't want to do a big one," you question.

"She doesn't. Says she'd be alright if it was just the three of us sharing pizzas and watching TV," River answers, to which Jade nods. "But Jade's in school now, you know? All the other moms already side-eye me for having her so young. I don't wanna give them more ammo, or make them tell their kids not to hang out with Jade anymore."

River has complained to you extensively before about the mom politics going on. Invite someone's kid to a party and they don't invite your kid back? Consider yourself dead to everyone. Couldn't bring muffins to their stupid bake sale? Worst mom ever award.

"I want Jade to have fun with her friends and not worry about being teased about not having a huge unicorn cake, or whatever. So..." River gestures to the book pressed into your hands, and you note all the marked pages of ideas.

You know the deeper reason too. How deep down, River wants better for Jade than what she had, never wants her to feel like she's going without. She wants Jade to feel like the other kids. To be able to stay a kid for longer, not cutting back on the toys she asks for just because you two are going from paycheck to paycheck. That's your responsibility as the adults. She shouldn't have to worry, shouldn't be punished for being born River's kid. It's something you've assured River about over and over again, that Jade's lucky to be hers and that the little girl knows it. But you can understand that wish too. Jade's such a sweetie. If any kid deserves to feel special on their birthday and get everything they ask for, it's her.

So it's no surprise that River isn't sold on the whole DIY party vibe. Resourceful is one thing, but she hates feeling cheap. Hates asking for or needing cash. She'll let go of her pride if the situation gets tough, but damn does she hate when people assume she can't take care of her girl.

"Hey, Jadey?" you ask, scooching down to address her directly. The two of you have agreed to not talk about money problems in front of her, so you know she should be far away for this discussion. "Can you go to the kitchen and turn the stove off? And when you're done, how about you write down all your friends' names that you want there, and draw them all a special invitation?"

Jade perks up at the request, liking to go on 'special missions' to help you or River. She likes the responsibility, likes that her favourite people can rely on her. It's part of what makes her such a good kid. "OK! Here!" As she hops off of the couch, she hands you the book. "They're gonna be the best pictures ever!"

"Don't come back too soon, OK? We're gonna come up with lots of ideas to surprise you!" you call out.

You turn to River, who shoves the book aside, frustrated. "Fuck. I don't wanna be a wimp about this, honestly. Or make it all about me."

"Hey." Your hand goes to her shoulder, rubbing right where she always seems to get tense. "It's fine. It's your first time living too. Or whatever the phrase is."

"It's just- I would've done anything as a kid to have had a birthday party," she shares, shaking her head like she thinks she's being ridiculous. But River does melt into your touch, letting you start to rub up, getting to the junction where her neck meets her shoulder. "This sucks to say, but I was always too ashamed to take any of my friends back home. I'm grateful for it now, but it was tiny and it smelled and I knew it. Didn't want them to give me shit for it."

Listening intently, your fingers trail over her shoulders as River sits up and tugs her knees to her chest. "And I didn't wanna hassle my mom. She was already doing so much to take care of me and put food on the table," River tells you. "My friends invited me to ones with the fancy custom cakes and the goody bags filled with toys and snacks, you know? The parties where the kids get to wear crowns and the parents take a million photos. My mom couldn't afford to take a day off of work, and I didn't have enough allowance to buy a gift anyways. So I never went to any."

And you can understand that. It's not like being a loner is always a choice. Sometimes you know that even if you try your best, you won't fit in, so why try? Pretend it's a choice. Pretend you're above it all, too cool for it, when all you really want to do is have fun with everyone.

"She's turning six. We could turn a sprinkler on and call it a water park and the kids would scream and laugh more than at some expensive party," you say. They're easy to impress at that age, at least in your own memory of being a kid.

River shakes her head. She wraps her arms around her knees tighter, resting her chin on them. "A water park? Really? She's six. She wants a real party with her friends, not just an excuse to run around like crazy. And it's not like we have a backyard for them to run in anyways." Something in her throat trembles, and it makes her voice rise with frustration. "I want to give her something special, y'know? I want her to feel like a princess for a day, not a charity case. Throwing around some paper decorations isn't gonna make the apartment bigger."

You know that tone, and you want Jade to have the very best too, so you fix on a more serious face, not wanting your girlfriend to feel like she's alone in this. "Fine. OK, so what's... special but free? Botanical gardens? Beach?" you start to pitch and brainstorm. "What's the best space to pizzazz with these paper flowers that Jade's gonna kick ass at making?"

When your hand reaches her ear, she just melts. It's a soothing gesture that helps when River gets these horrific stress migraines, pinching and rubbing along the lobe to coax blood flow. River thinks for a moment, considering those suggestions. "Yeah, the beach could work," River says slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Jade loves the water, and I know her friends would have a blast playing in the waves."

"We'd keep an eye on them the whole time obviously," you add. "Section off an area just for the party, probably with whatever decorations Jade's picked.

More on board with the crafts now that they have a space in mind, she hands you the list of ideas Jade already jotted down. "Here. If you can read her handwriting."

Just like Jade's interests, her ideas are all over the place. Not that you don't appreciate her creative process, but cowboys, aliens, and dragons don't sound very beachy. There are pages that she scrawled down that go together though. The foam sword, the paper pirate hat, and a treasure map. You'll pour coffee on it, crumple it a little, and singe the edges with a lighter to make it look authentic. A pirate theme sounds like the ideal way to make everything cohesive, especially since it'll keep the kids entertained so no one goes home complaining to their parents.

"It could be like a scavenger hunt," River says. She's been steadily getting into the whole idea, pitching all sorts of ideas to make Jade's special day great. "Kills two birds with one stone. The map is something they actually use instead of a set piece and we'll know where they are when they run around. Make sure they stay where we can see 'em.

"Yeah, I like that! When I was a kid, I read these Skullduggery books and was like, damn, imagine digging something up. Me and my siblings buried this time capsule at the beach, but I'm pretty sure it just got swept away by the waves."

"You shoulda dug deeper," River teases, but pecks your lips when you pout at the memory. "OK, so that's settled for the main activity. What can we put in the chest that won't break the bank?"

Chocolate coins, obviously. The two of you take turns listing out treasures that you'd find for cheap, like candy necklaces and plastic swords that will be sturdier than the foam ones. Eyepatches are a must too. Plastic telescopes and octopus pop-its.

River writes down a note that Jade could make her friends a custom friendship bracelet to thank them for coming and commemorate the occasion. Plus, it would get that rainbow loom set you two bought her out of the storage. Jade went on a bracelet-making kick two months ago but got bored, so now you've got all these extra loom bands around.

The two of you get to throwing around food ideas (you, personally, wanna serve chicken nuggets but brand them as 'gold nuggets') when Jade comes out of her room.

"Ta-da!" the girl says, holding out her birthday invitations. All told, there are seven, with radically different drawings attached. There's a horse (which looks like a giraffe with the neck honestly), a robot, a ballet dancer... "I've got six best best friends, so they've all gotta come. Mackenzie's got a little brother that should probably come too since they're always together, so I made him a smaller one."

"It's very sweet of you to think of your friend's brother." River shoots you a look as she says this, since Jade has been very fixated on siblings ever since you moved in. You shrug. You're not opposed to the idea but babies are expensive so the conversation has never gone longer than "that'd be cool!"

"These are awesome, kiddo! Think you could add something to each of 'em? Me and your mama thought a theme would make your birthday even cooler," you say.

"A theme? Oh, what is it, what is it?" Jade's already got her crayons in hand, ready to add to her masterpieces depending on your next words.

"Mmm, let's just say that you could be a mermaid, or have a peg-leg, but you can't turn up as a land-lubber." You cringe as soon as you're done saying it (you had been writing clue ideas for the scavenger hunt for the last ten minutes, OK?), but it makes River laugh so it's worth it.

"Pirates?!" You think the windows might shatter, that's how loud Jade's shriek is.

"Hell yeah, baby girl!" River says. "You like it?"

"I love it! Thank you so so much!" Jade leaps between you two, her tiny arms trying their best to wrap around and hug you both at the same time.

Upon seeing River's excitement as she shows Jade the list of ideas you two came up with, you can't help but smile. Your two favourite girls in the world are so hyped now that they're not even thinking about the cost, which was what you've wanted from the start. Jade pores over the list, nodding and adding little notes to the margins. There needs to be vegetarian options for her friend, Priya, for example, and she doesn't want it soooo different from the other food that Priya feels like she's missing out.

The day ends with half-made paper flowers, hot glue on foam, and Jade's rainbow loom taking up space on the kitchen counter and dozens of tiny colourful rubber bands all over the floor. Not to mention the dinner you cooked, which has gone cold and forgotten still on the stove. But when you turn to see Jade passed out on the couch, River's eyes lock with yours. Tired and pissed off from watching too many DIY YouTube tutorials, your girlfriend mouths "thank you. Jade was so happy," and you wouldn't have it any other way.

[boyfriendchrisenthusiast]

how shy!matt and ladybug!reader met ꨄ

wc: 2225 words

warnings: none!

a/n: this is kinda long so I apologize.

dividers by: @bernardsbendystraws

Matt loved living alone. Being able to come and go without telling anyone where he was going, spending the whole day in his boxers, and sometimes not speaking at all the entire day. But after a while, he started to feel lonely. He knew he didn't want a roommate. Especially after living with his two brothers for 3 years prior to moving into his new home. He wanted to be able to be alone, but not feel lonely. which led him to the conclusion that he would adopt an animal.

Matt sits up in bed and reaches over to his nightstand, grabbing his computer. He flips it open and immediately opens a new tab. ‘Animal shelters near me’ he types into his browser. The first one that pops up is called “Purrs and Paws Rescue”. He clicks the website linked to the location page and is quickly brought to another page with dozens of pictures of animals. Cats, dogs, and even reptiles. He scrolls on the site for what feels like hours, smiling at all the pictures and clicking on them to read more about their personalities. He knew he needed an animal that was low maintenance but still provided him company and comfort. Which is why he ultimately decides to get a cat.

The next day, he climbs out of bed early. He was so excited to finally have a pet that was just his. He takes a quick shower, brushes his teeth and gets dressed all in only an hour. He does his final touch ups before he leaves, messing with his hair in the mirror. He walks out of his bathroom and grabs his keys off the kitchen counter on his way out the door.

It was a pretty typical day at work for you. Today, It was your job to help potential adopters meet their perfect match. Walking them through the facility and showing them animals that you think would make a good fit fir them and finally, giving these sweet babies the second chance they deserved. This was one of the parts of your job that you loved so dearly.

You sit behind the front desk with your coworkers, patiently waiting for customers to come in. It gets boring waiting around for people, but you pass time mindlessly scrolling on your phone until there is something better to do. suddenly the door chimes ring, you sit up straight to appear more approachable to the incoming client. In walks a cute brunette boy, a smile resting on his face as he waits at the desk. “Welcome in! What can I help you with today?” I ask flashing him a quick smile.

“I was looking to adopt?” He stuttered, immediately moving his eyes to the ground. A small blush creeps across his cheeks as he turns his head away.

“Yay!! What kind of animal were you looking to adopt today?” You respond with enthusiasm.

“Um I was looking at maybe a cat… you know something low maintenance.” He says looking into your eyes, trying to read your expression.

“Perfect! If you'd like to follow me I'll walk you through our facility and we can discuss what you're looking for exactly.” I stand up, motioning him to follow after me. He turns to follow behind me silently. “Before we start what's your name?” I ask him tucking my hair behind my ear.

“My name's Matt, you?”

“Y/n.”

“Pretty name” he mutters, almost barely audibly. He doesn't know what confidence washed over him, but it felt right.

“Oh thank you.” Your cheeks heat up, a pink blush washes over your face. Quickly you try to divert the subject off of yourself. “So, you're looking for a low maintenance cat? Do you have kids,roommates, a partner?” You technically didn't need to know if he had a girlfriend, but it didn't hurt to ask. Plus, you couldn't help yourself. He was exactly your type.

“No, no, and no. I live by myself. Just looking for something to keep me company. I've always loved animals so I thought it would make the most sense.” he explains while walking next to you now.

“We have a lot of options for you then! I can introduce you to some of my favorites and we can go from there.” I smile at him, noticing the way his eyes dart away. Almost hiding embarrassment or shyness. You turn the corner together into a smaller room, the walls lined with cat cages. Each cat having a name tag with their likes and dislikes on it. He was in awe seeing all of them here, even recognizing a few from the website he looked at. They had everything. Persians,Tabbys, Tuxedos, you name it. There was one in particular though, that caught Matt's eye. A shy calico cat, sitting in the back of the cage who is clearly uninterested in his presence.

You notice him stop at the cage, smiling softly at the small animal. “Oh that's Bea. Someone picked her up off the street a couple weeks ago and dropped her off here. She's only a year old, so she's still a baby. She's not super social, but she's a doll.” You explain looking between him and the cat. You found it cute how he'd chose the one that most people just ignore. “If you'd like, we can take her to the meeting room! See how your initial chemistry is.” you smile back at him, hoping he'd take you up on the offer.

“Yeah, I'd actually love that.” He thanks you, making eye contact for a little longer than anticipated. His shyness peaks through, as he nervously runs his hand through his hair, turning his head away. You open the door of the cage, putting your hand out gently for Bea to sniff, letting her know you weren't there to hurt her. She had always liked you, so she quickly rubs her head into your hand allowing you access to pet her. You suddenly scoop her up into your arms as she lets out a meow in annoyance.

“Ok if you wanna follow me” I motion towards me walking towards the door to the meeting room. “I think you're going to love her, it might take a little for her to warm up but she might be exactly what you're looking for.”

“Her colors are so pretty” He says admiring the cat, who's head is turned looking at him.

“Aren't they?”

You stop at the door, slowly opening it and bending down letting the cat free from your grasp. The room is decorated with pastel paw print painted on the walls, and various toys scattered across the floor. Matt follows behind you as you close and lock the door to the room. Bea immediately starts investigating the room, sniffing around all the toys and the small carpet in the middle of the floor. You open the door to the closet in the corner of the room, taking out two cushions for you and matt to sit on. You toss them on the carpet, sitting down on one and looking at matt to sit down next to you.

“Bea, come here baby” You coo at her trying to lure her over to where you and matt are sitting. You make clicks with your mouth trying to grab her attention. She trots over to you, rubbing against your side. Matt puts his hand out for her to sniff, as she determines whether she would trust him or not. “It's ok sweetie he won't hurt you” you talk to her, as if she could understand you. Suddenly she slowly walks towards him, testing the waters before allowing him to pet her.

“Hi there… you're so cute…” he speaks softly at her, scratching the top of her head. Your heart melts at the sight. It was rare to see a man, especially his age, be so gentle towards a cat. Most guys your age don't like cats. They say they're mean or not playful enough. While Matt is loving every second of this, getting lost in the act of loving on this sweet little baby. The room is filled with silence besides the occasional sound of meows and purs.

“So, Matt what do you do for work?” You ask wanting to know more about him. Becoming increasingly infatuated by his nature.

“Oh uh I work at a record store.”

“Really? I love music. I go to concerts like every 3-5 business days” You giggle softly.

He chuckles at your words, while internally admiring the sound of your laugh. “What kind of music you into?” He questions, wondering if your music taste is similar to his.

“Well honestly, I listen to a little bit of everything. I think my main genres are pop, r&b, and indie.” He smiles at this, realizing you did like some of the same genres. He looks down at the cat, still giving her attention as she purs in comfort.

“Maybe you should stop by sometime, we have all kinds of cool records. You know, only if you want..” He says nervously, hoping you'd take him up on the offer.

“Oh absolutely, I'd love to.” You smile back at him. The room falls quiet for a moment after, while matt struggles to find words to say. “You know, I think she really likes you. I've never seen her like this with anyone. Seems like she's met her match.” You point out, hoping he'd love her as much as you do.

“I really like her, when would I be able to take her home?” He asks looking back up at you.

“You can take her home today! I'll just have you fill out some paperwork and as long as you're able to pay then she's all yours.” you say standing up. “Do you feel comfortable holding her for a minute while I grab a travel carrier?”

“Yeah yeah sure.” He gently and hesitantly approachs her, attempting to not scare her. He wraps his arms around the small cat, carefully trying to keep her calm. He holds her in his arms, petting the top of her head gently. He watches as you leave the room momentarily. “You're going home today…” he whispers to the small animal in his arms. You walk back in the room quickly with a cat carrier.

“Ok here we are. If you just wanna put her in here. She might fight you a little bit but don't worry she's not a bitter or anything.” you laugh as he struggles a little bit getting her in the crate. She lets out loud, unamused meows from inside, clawing at the bars of the carrier.

“it's ok, you'll be out soon.” He whispers gently to her, trying to calm her down. “uhm- y/n I was just wondering. Do you want my number? Just to you know, check in on her maybe. Or if you still wanted to check out my store-” he stutters on his words, getting nervous you might reject him or shoot him down.

“Oh- yes please.” You interrupt his stuttering, pulling your phone out of your back pocket. “Here, you can type your number in.” You hold out your unlocked phone for him, anticipating him finally punching his numbers in. Quickly, he wipes his somewhat sweaty palm on his jeans hoping you didn't notice. He grabs the phone from you and swiftly types his number in and shoots himself a quick message, making sure it goes through.

You walk back up to the front of the building, Matt following closely behind you, now holding the cat carrier. When you reach the lobby, you walk behind the desk as he goes in front of it, ready to check out. You reach under the desk into a storage cabinet, grabbing out papers to fill out. “Ok so you'll just have to fill out your information on these papers, so if you'd like to take a seat and bring these back up when you've finished that would be great.” You explain handing over the papers attached to a clipboard, and a pen. He takes a seat in one of the chairs in the lobby, setting the carrier on the small coffee table next to him. Every few minutes he looks back over to you, catching you staring at him momentarily before you dart your eyes away. You put your head down blushing.

Matt finishes his paperwork, bringing it back up to where you're sat and lays it on the desk. You look over the papers, making sure all the information was there. “Perfect, and you're paying with card I assume?” You ask while he starts pulling out his wallet.

“Uh yeah card” He hesitates before taking out the card.

“Your total is $100” You confirm spinning the cars reader towards him. You watch as he swipes his card and puts it back in his wallet. “Well, looks like you're all set. Keep me updated on Bea yeah, I'm gonna miss having her here!” You add, almost a hint of sadness in your voice.

“Don't worry, I will. Thanks for all your help today. I'll see you around then, yeah?” He suggests, nervously twiddling his fingers.

“Yeah, uh- I'll see you.” You say, giving him one last smile before he turns around, cat in hand, and walks out the front door.

a/n: soo im finally putting out my first fic. I introduced this au a WHILE ago but I was really nervous to actually put anything out. I've been very nervous about being perceived or just opinions from peers in general. Also, I'm sorry there's not much actual fluff in here I'm trying to make this sound realistic and well thought out😭 Likes, reblogs, and positive feedback will be greatly appreciated. I love you all and I really hope I can do this au justice because I love them sm.

[batboyblog]

i live in the south, and i used to follow someone on here who lives in the same state as me, who i thought would've understood how difficult things are for marginalized people who live in red states and why we needed harris to win. but they kept reblogging posts about how both parties are the same and anyone who votes for harris is voting for genocide (as if letting trump win was going to be any better?? he's just started talking about wanting to "clean out the whole thing" and forcibly displace all remaining palestinians by making them move to jordan and egypt, an idea which every group who would be affected hates 🙄). i kept hoping they'd finally realize the very obvious fact that contributing to trump's win wasn't going to make things better for any decent person in the world but the last straw for me was when they posted something like "well i was going to go vote for [fictional character] but the line was too long so i just went home haha!!" i blocked them right after that, and now of course trump is in office and things are going to get so much worse for me and for them as those of us in red states have so much less of a chance to push back against our local governments and all of the bigots who voted for trump will feel more emboldened by his win. so yeah, i share your small fantasy that people like that will wake up and realize they were wrong for spreading these ideas. sorry for venting in your inbox though lol, you don't have to reply to this if you don't want to!

One of my best friends in politics is from Louisiana. He's gay and when he came out his parents sent him to a pray the gay away camp where... really horrible shit happened. And I think about that skinny kid coming out of just the most horrible shit imaginable and being a Freshman in college working his ass off for a Red State Democratic Senator, Mary Landrieu, Mary didn't win, but he worked SO hard for her. And we met working on Hillary's campaign together, boy has bad luck with Democratic women running for office.

Any ways the point is, I love red state Dems, I really do. My friend really loved John Bel Edwards, now I don't think either of us really fully agreed with Edwards, I know my friend was as feminist as a gay boy can be and believed in the right to an abortion totally, Edwards was/is one of the rare pro-life Democrats. But my friend understood, a Democratic governor would protect more people's rights, do more for the poor and the disadvantaged. Edwards' signed an order day one in office banning LGBT discrimination in the state government, when a Republican took over 8 years later, day one, threw that order out, a lot like Trump undoing all the pro-LGBT orders Biden did and rolling back trans rights/access to federal documents that came about under President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

I think thats the thing, in Red States and in America at large we share this big country with a lot of people most of whom are more conservative than I am, so how do I get as much of what I want as I can? Do I vote Mickey Mouse for President? no I vote for the candidate that will do the most good, I won't always agree with them, I don't agree with myself most of the time.

idk it's not... theoretical to me? I'm likely not writing my best work here but when it comes to voting I think about all the people in my life who needed help, if they got it or not, and the ways they were left behind or would have been life behind and all the kids out there, queer kids trans kids, the poor always the poor kids, you know and the loss they'll suffer because of 4 years of a Republican President. And yes Trump is a VERY bad Republican President but if we ever get to some future after him there will come a time where maybe a bland centrist Democrat will run against a business focused Republican, Bush V Gore? and people will say "oh there's no difference" and there is.

oh also I want to say, the little old ladies, the normie "cringe lib" wine moms and grandmas (and yes dads and granddads, but more women then men tbh) who struggle with a grand-nephews pronouns did more for trans rights by going out knocking doors for Harris one weekend, then shitty leftist posters (trans and not) who endlessly attacked Dems and voting.

any ways I'm sorry all this is happening, idk what state you're in or how bad it is or will be. I don't have easy answers for living through this long night of the soul. As Thomas Paine put it all those years ago "These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." it is trying my soul, but I will endure as we all must endure, we can not give up we cannot fail, we cannot allow ourselves to be ground down by fascists, and by their handmaids who act as if they're on our side, I hope everyone is looking to what they can do, and what the next chance they have to fight back and take back political power is.

[disappearintothegrey]

your writing is so good! If your still taking requests can you do something about being on tour with the band and there’s been some light flirting with Noah but you don’t take it seriously until one night he comes into the living room part of the bus while you are curled up reading. Instead of picking his own seat he just walks over picks you up and sits down with you in his lap. The rest can be up to you.

this is so cute!!! i had fun writing this!!! not 100% proofread sorry for any mistakes!

answering all requests in my inbox this WEEK! want to request something? message/inbox me!

want to be on my taglist and notified when i update? find it HERE <3

@tosoundlessdarkistare @lyinginbetween @alwaysfightforwhoyouare @xmads-omensx

READ BETWEEN THE LINES

warnings: none. some language.

Isabella couldn’t believe it when her manager told her she would be joining Bad Omens on tour as their merch girl. Sure, it was a small job, but it paid well and she was so excited to meet one of her favorite bands. Who could turn that down?

She also would be lying if she said she wasn’t mesmerized by their lead singer, Noah Sebastian. There was something about him that drew her to him, and it drove her insane. Because she never stood a chance, there’s no way he could ever like someone like her.

But the day that she met the boys before they hit the road, she swore she caught Noah’s eyes watching her every so often. Brown eyes locked with her blue ones, filled with mystery and curiosity. He was kind and always made sure she felt welcomed in the tour bus with the guys.

The flirting started out small. He would compliment what she was wearing, or feed her a funny pick up line. He loved to make her laugh, because to him, it meant getting to see her eyes light up…but he’d never admit that. The more comfortable she got, the more she started flirting back.

“I’m starting to see why all these girls fawn over you, Noah.” She said one night after a show, causing Noah to look at her with a cocked eyebrow

“Is that so?” He replied, throwing his sweaty towel over his shoulder

She simply nods, leaning over the merch table to look at him, “You had me wondering if it was the pyros or you making me sweat,” She winked, and she swore she saw him blush before turning away to finish packing for the night.

As for Noah, well, the moment he laid eyes on her he was infatuated. She was gorgeous, with her green eyes, button nose, and long black hair. He couldn’t deny the immediate attraction, and couldn’t stop himself from flirting and teasing her. But, he had no idea how she felt, or if she just thought he was kidding around.

Isabella was the first to head to the bus, the rest of the gang too busy trying to find late night dinner to notice her slip away. Her bones were exhausted from a days work, and she was excited to wind down and read her current book, The Butcher and the Wren. After changing into pajamas and washing up, she settled on the couch in the living room of the bus, turning some quiet music on her phone to fill the space.

She hadn’t felt herself drifting off to the sound of her music, the book in her hands becoming limp as she leaned against the couch, curling up into a ball. By the time she was in a deep sleep, the boys had returned, Noah quickly shushing everyone when he saw her sleeping.

After bidding everyone a goodnight, Noah debated whether or not he should head to bed knowing she was out there alone, and probably cold. Deciding at the final second, he turned on his feet to walk to her, taking her book carefully from her fingers and placing it on the coffee table.

Slipping an arm underneath her knees and around her shoulders, he slowly lifted her off the couch, swiveling to sit down and let her sprawl out on his lap. She barely stirred, just let out a small whine before nuzzling her cheek into his stomach as she turned over in her sleep. He couldn’t help but smile down at her, his heart thumping in his chest at the close proximity.

He spent the next few minutes rubbing her hip softly, reaching over to grab a spare blanket Nicholas had left and covering her with it. His eyes became heavy as he sat, settling into the couch himself and letting sleep take over. The last thing he remembered was feeling Isabella’s fingers touch his hand, her index finger wrapping around his.

Isabella woke up feeling rested, but when she opened her eyes to see Noah sleeping soundly beside her, she froze in her spot. Somehow they had found themselves cuddled up on the couch, Noah’s arm wrapped around her waist as his nose was buried in her neck. She tried to control her breathing so she wouldn’t alert him, clearly thinking this was some type of mistake.

But she swears she fell asleep alone last night, so how did he end up here?

It didn’t sound like the rest of the boys were up, the quiet lull of the bus serenading them as they traveled to the next venue. She shifted slightly in his grasp, turning to press her cheek against his chest, trying to soak up this moment before he woke up and got freaked out. His grip on her waist tightened, pulling her towards him as he moved to his back.

She’s almost back asleep when she feels him finally stir, her heart breaking silently when she feels his head turn to look at their position. She’s preparing herself to be pushed away, her eyes squeezed shut, but all that happens is she feels warm lips press to her forehead, and Noah turns to let her snuggle in his neck.

“I know you’re awake,” He says, his voice thick with sleep.

Isabella gulps, glancing up to see him already looking at her, a small smile playing on his lips, “Hi,” She squeaks out.

“Hi,” He responds, his eyes scanning her face, “You okay?”

She nods slowly, her eyebrows furrowing together, “I fell asleep alone…how did I end up here?” She asked quietly

Noah chuckles, pushing some hair out of her face, “We came back after you had fallen asleep, and I just couldn’t leave you out here by yourself. So, I decided to join you. You were on my lap when I fell asleep, but I guess we repositioned ourselves somehow,” He jokes, but she is panicking. He can feel the stress radiating off her, touching her cheek softly, “Hey, it’s okay, Bella,” The nickname slips from his mouth, and she gasps.

“And you’re okay with this? Being this close to me?” She asks, insecurity dripping in her voice, “Because I really like you and—,” The admittance is out before she can stop it, and her eyes widen as she tries to pull away.

Noah tightens his grip, holding her in place as he tries to make her look at him, “How could you not tell I liked you? I’ve been flirting with you this whole time,” He teases, and she groans.

“Because I thought you were joking!” She huffs, and he laughs loudly at that, causing her to smack him, “Hush!”

“Bella, I have liked you since the moment I saw you. This was just waiting to happen,” He replies, tilting her chin up to look at him, “And I’d really like to kiss you now,”

She gulps, feeling like a deer in the headlights. He wants to kiss HER?? How could she say no? Wait—HE WANTS TO KISS HER!

She just nods, feeling small in his arms. Instead of speaking, Noah leans in, capturing her lips in his in a gentle kiss. She kisses back just as gently, finding her fingers tangling in the hair at the base of his neck. He smiles into their kiss, his hands running up her back before he pulls away.

“So…” He starts, and Isabella just blushed, kissing him again before he could even finish his sentence. And he wasn’t complaining.

thank you for reading!!!!! hearts and reblogs always appreciated!! requests are open <3

[dykekarkat]

HTTYD AU?!?!?! pls tell me more.........

YIPPEE ^-^ A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT MY MOST BELOVED AU

i watched httyd 1 recently (one of my favorite movies of all time) and as i was sitting there i went "wow...wouldn't it be cool if this was all for the game" bcus i have terminal aftg disease.

basically in this au neil is hiccup, andrew is astrid, and kevin is toothless. originally, i thought about doing a simple 'neil on the run but this time dragons exist and the foxes run berk blah blah' but then i got the idea to put nathan as stoic which...oh it's so fun. so now you have a neil who's been with his father his whole life, the foxes who live in nathan's village, and the New Kids nicky, aaron, and andrew minyard.

nathan manipulating the situation on berk to make everyone hate dragons (neil character trait moment) and go to war against them with fervor while neil refuses to fight them (bcus men have always been the monsters in his life). all of the foxes would be the equivalent of hiccup's dragon riders so they're being trained to kill dragons, with dan being the best (and andrew would b the best if he gave a shit. which he doesn't). wymack is gobber bcus i am imagining a really elaborate hate filled slightly homoerotic dynamic between him and nathan (there's backstory here but basically nathan mutinied the village and stole the chief position from wymack), and also because having him as the one training the kids (more similar to self defense than anything) and the one running the forge with neil (ostracized similar to hiccup) is just right to me.

THE FUN STUFF is getting to introduce kevin as toothless ^-^ i'm stealing the concept of dragons being able to communicate with humans from the httyd book series, idk if i want to go the dragonese route (language in the book) or a telepathy route so tbd. neil is the one to injure kevin's tail, except this time it was purely on accident. his decision to create a way for kevin to still fly is basically him wanting to take responsibility, and because kevin is really adamant about getting back to a nest for some reason....kevin is still his haughty asshole self but now he's a dragon, and in the beginning neil and him spend a lot of time circling each other before kevin will accept his help.

IN THE BACKGROUND or well not really in the background because this will probably become a switch pov story, andrew is watching everything happening with slight curiousity. i'm not changing his canon backstory much, but know at this point drake and tilda are both dead, also no drugs bcus i dont want to <3. aaron and him are still not close / fighting, but they aren't in forced proximity at the same level bcus aaron is apprenticing under abby NOT training to kill dragons like andrew. in httyd astrid starts paying attention to hiccup out of jealousy / curiosity, but here it's more like andrew does not trust neil and he Especially doesn't trust their chief nathan so he's going to get to the bottom of it (also he's crushing not that he'd admit it). now just imagine kevin and andrew meeting for the first time similar to toothless and astrid, okay you've got that in your head right? now imagine andrew being the one forced to fly very high up on a dragon as neil pleads his case about not killing his only friend (the dragon).

anyway this got long and idk if any of this makes sense and maybe no one else cares but andreil with their dragon bestie kevin...it's everything to me...

[the-fyre-flie]

Bruce says he doesn't have a favorite kid, but he does and its 100% Damian.

Not for being his blood son, not for his skills. No. It's simply because Damian deserves it. He's too damn cute to not be the favorite.

When Bruce first met Damian, it felt like his heart was exploding and shattering and beating out of his chest all at once. It didn't get better during that first night with Damian in the manor, the boy scolding Bruce for peeking into his room every hour.

Damian, wide awake laying awkwardly in a large bed: Stop checking on me. I am fine.

Bruce, holding back tears as he closes Damians bedroom door: Okay...

Bruce got to be a father for Dick and Jason and Tim, but those were different. He found those boys (or they found him), but with Damian, the boy was hidden from him. Tucked out of sight and out of mind and Bruce felt guilty. He fathered at least 3 boys before his own son. He had at least 3 chances to get it right and he still hadn't. This one had to be perfect.

So yeah. Damian is his favorite. His favorite to coddle, his favorite to give gifts to, his to love and cherish and do everything right for. It helps that Damian is literally so fucking adorable and small and soft when hugged.