#the new binoculars are clearly better

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

People seem to lack a sense of “obsolescence.” Something old might not automatically be garbage even if something new and better has come along. The older thing that is no longer in use might have been genuinely bad, but it’s very possible that it worked and maybe even worked quite well in its time—it may still work quite well now—but the new thing is still better or more effective. This is a question of societal and personal values and it has practical consequences.

I am trying to research vintage (and replica) rifle scopes right now, and it is extremely unhelpful to read people say that such and such thing is “garbage,” because I don’t know if that means garbage for its time, subjectively bad to the person speaking, or simply inferior to a modern high quality optic.

To give an analogous example, I have a pair of WWII binoculars. They’re clearly well-made, durable, good materials, and when you look through them, you can indeed see a thing that is far away as though it were closer. But my younger brother has a good pair of modern binoculars and when you look through them not only is the image better resolution than real life, it is brighter and I’m pretty sure you see colors invisible to the naked eye. It’s insane how good they are.

The old binoculars are still perfectly functional. The new ones just do the same thing much better.

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

I was rewatching The Stone Forest and I really like to think that Hilda had to pass by the Bell Keeper’s outpost on her way out of the city limits. I like to think that idiot looked at what was happening, shrugged, and said ‘eh, she’s the scariest thing out there’

[jenicaclarisse]

YUNO GRINBERRYALL

Dating the notorious Yuno!

summary: dating the vice captain of the Golden Dawn is an experience you don’t want to let go.

genre: fluff (obvi) had to get him on here. How can he be so pretty? fanfic + headcanons cause I spoil all of you

A/N: I’m still an active member of the BC fandom and I’m thinking of making this a series. Please send requests of characters you want me to do!

;not proofread (💨)

———

Yuno isn’t the type to actively seek relationships, mostly just the type of person to reply and talk to somebody when first approached. And or somebody paired him up for a mission. So taking an interest in something other than being the best of the flock is new territory.

Getting to know him is getting to know him entirely. Despite his detached nature, Yuno is actually very open to getting to know you. Already seeing you as a romantic interest despite his goals, ambitions and dreams.

When actively entering the courting stage, Yuno is very competitive. Striving to let you know that you are one of his priorities and doesn’t see this “courting” as a one time thing. Don’t even bother speaking with other guys, Yuno will let you know he is interested.

His behavior changes, his demeanor is different too. It gets to the point his squad notices his absence after being done with a mission and is somehow nowhere to be found.

Klaus and Mimosa are naturally curious. What was he doing? What was he thinking of? Or who?

It’s perfect timing he was back in town.

“Do you think Yuno’s been disappearing lately?” Mimosa asks, walking with Klaus in the hall. She looks up at Klaus who was comically adjusting his glasses and posture.

“Yuno is responsible! We don’t need to worry! I think we should mind our own business!” Klaus shouts as he looks back at Mimosa who clearly knows better.

“You’re curious too.”

“..I’m not.”

Klaus continues to deny but is inevitably shut down. Mimosa has seen through anyway as he adjusts his glasses again with a resounding cough.

-

“Where do you think he went?” Klaus nervously asks, both he and Mimosa hiding behind a wall. Yuno looks to be waiting for somebody as he decides to indulge himself in some bread.

“Do you think we should even be spying? He’s a good man I assure you. Do you honestly think he’s being suspicious? Why do you-“

“Shhh shush!”

Mimosa puts a finger on her lip, effectively shutting Klaus up as he grumbles.

They continue to wait until they heard a voice. A magic knight from another squad! A girl…

“Yuno!” You happily greet him as you hugged him. Yuno is quick to reciprocate, patting your head as you let go of him. Yuno is seen with a soft smile as well.

“WHat!” Klaus’ voice breaks.

“Shhhh!”

Mimosa is quick to shut him up, but this time she puts a hand on his mouth to shut him up. Maybe she should’ve done the spying with a different partner.

“…They’re on a date.” Klaus surmises. After an hour pf following You and Yuno around town, he had made his conclusions. Klaus and Mimosa obnoxiously disguised themselves with accessories to prevent being recognized. Seeing the both of you holding hands and buying street food was convincing enough.

“Obviously!” Mimosa replies, holding a pair of binoculars as she continues to zoom on the both of you.

“Ahhm” You feed Yuno a piece of your crepe as he leaned down to eat his share. He goes back to his position as he hummed.

“Yummy.” Yuno wipes a piece of whipped cream from the corner of his lip.

Klaus is appalled!

Pointing and looking back to both of you, then mimosa, and again.

“Will you please calm down?” Mimosa exasperates.

“I just find it hard to believe!” Klaus is practically hyperventilating. “I didn’t take Yuno for the type!”

“He’s allowed to date.” She deadpans.

Eventually, the date comes to an end as Yuno walks you back to your headquarters. Dutifully letting you ride on his broom for more convenient travel. And an excuse to hold him (wink wink).

Both You and Yuno get off the broom as you dust yourself off. Yuno is quick to ruffle your hair again. Affectionately smiling at you as you hugged him goodbye.

“I really enjoyed my time.” Yuno tells you as you nodded.

“Thank you. It was really fun.” You smiled back at him and by the lords. You are beautiful.

Yuno gives you forehead kiss goodbye as you waved back at him and begin to enter the headquarters’ gates. Gazing at his back for a few more moments to savor more time to look at him.

You definitely have a story to tell much later.

Yuno stops in his tracks as he deadpans.

“I know you’ve been stalking me.” Yuno lets out a heavy sigh. Somebody flinches from behind a wall as a guilty Mimosa and Klaus makes their appearance. Klaus is adjusts his glasses again and clears his throat.

“We congratulate you!” He obnoxiously bows, as Mimosa scratches the back of her neck in an embarrassed manner.

“Impossible.” Yuno sighs and walked past the both of them.

“We did not think this was your after duties!” Klaus is quick to follow as well as Mimosa who right behind.

“How could you never tell us! We are your friends! Squadmates!” Klaus goes on a full rant. “We are supposed to tell each other everything! Aren’t we closer now?”

Before he gets to shout any further, Yuno was already on his broom and leaving.

“What idiots.”

———

HEADCANONS

When push comes to shove, you were eventually revealed as Yuno’s significant other. Causing an uproar with the people he was close with, particularly a certain sylph and an obnoxious person.

Needless to say Belle wasn’t the most happy. Grabbing and pulling Yuno’s face and hair in protest about getting a girlfriend. Her obvious glares towards and sometimes even stomping her feet.

“This is fairrr!!!” Belle screeches. “I was supposed to be your only love! Not that witch!” She grabs a fistful of Yuno’s cheek as she complained and complained. Glaring at you once again.

“Who even are you?!” She accuses you with a finger as you chuckled. “This isn’t a laughing matter!”

Yuno pushes away with his hand eventually, causing her to quiet down as she settles on his shoulder. She still doesn’t like you, but is afraid of Yuno’s disapproval. So she keeps put. But the jealousy is bleeding.

Meanwhile, Asta is swearing up and down like crazed man as he confront Yuno as they come across each other again.

“You jerk! You weren’t supposed to beat me in that department!” Asta holds his head as he rolled around on the ground. Passerby’s whisper as he whined. A child throwing a tantrum? Yeah. Looks like it.

Yuno merely smirks triumphantly.

“You pretty jerk!” Asta exaggerates. Continuing to get up on Yuno’s face as Yuno smirks, lifting his head up when Asta moves closer. But his screams eventually reside.

“But I’ll be wizard king! I’ll definitely surpass you!” Asta declares.

“No way.” Yuno counters.

“I’ll definitely will!” Asta is dragged off by Noelle. “Do you hear me? I definitely will!!”

Noelle slaps him across the head.

Yuno is genuinely so sweet to you as well. You cannot even deny the fact that he puts in effort to understand you more than he does with others. He makes you feel seen and heard.

And if you are the tempestuous type, he’s definitely the cool that’s gonna make you see reason.

He mostly calms you down with a gust of wind to your face and or he playfully teases you by messing your hair up.

You guys indulge in little challenges! Who gets to the end of the bridge first, who can finish a mission the fastest, or who can unlock a new spell in your grimoire. Let’s be honest, you loss on most of these things.

But Yuno lets you win from time to time, purposely running slower or maybe even challenging you to more activities. But don’t be fooled, it’s just a five second head start before he overpowers you. (Haha)

What he loves about you is that he feels comfortable around you (which is canon btw. His type is somebody who makes him feel comfortable. Which I believe you influenced that)

The fact that he can also participate in a conversation with you and or listen actively to you is his favorite past time.

He loves picnic dates because he gets to view the sky (and you)

He thinks you are the most beautiful woman in clover.

Belle still does not like you (lol) but Yuno is starting to slowly change her mind. But as of now she merely tolerates you.

Yuno absolutely loves food dates. Believe it or not he actually likes to get some scrub himself. As per charmie’s constant food she often gives. But mostly to restore his mana.

He loves trying new things with you. The relationship is rarely boring.

Whenever he’s busy he communicates with you with the communication wand. Often in private as he wonders off from the rest of his team. He definitely uses that communication device to his advantage to keep himself updated with you.

He thinks his fangirls are a pain.

Charmie wasn’t too happy with the news. She fainted with heartbreak but eventually accepted the power of the fates.

In conclusion Yuno’s a great boyfriend

———

reblogs, comments and likes are very much appreciated!

[00-jammy-00]

🫧 anon.

what about like. a baker yandere who owns the shop beside florist shop owner reader, yknow? like baker brings pastries to florist and he tries to be casual about it, but he gets sooo flustered because reader is just so sweet and nice and beautiful and wowowowwwww.

and they give him flowers for his shop, to be nice, but to him it’s essentially a marriage proposal……

Yan!Baker HC’s

Yan!Baker x GN! Florist! Reader

Content warning - Yandere themes, obsession, implied murder, nsfw mentions, masochist yan, possessiveness, HE MAKES YOU EAT CUM BREAD, stalking, horny yan, kind of dumb yan

A/N - I realised that I haven’t been doing enough masochist yanderes (in my opinion because I’m not insane.) so I decided to make this reader rude and cold but still somewhat friendly. If you want an alt version where the reader is kind, I will gladly write it if you send a request xoxo

——————————————————————————————————

Yan!Baker who knew it was love at first sight when he saw you angrily slam open the door to the dusty shop next door to his. That place had been empty for years so it was shocking to see someone finally buy it out.

Yan!Baker who hypes himself up in the mirror on his desk before finally marching over to give you a basket of fresh baked goods, all made by his own hand. He stumbles into the door after he decided to try and push the door that was clearly labelled “pull” before sheepishly stepping into your shop.

Yan!Baker whose heart swooned when you glared at him with those terrifying eyes. It made the hairs on his neck stand and his cock throb. You were so hot! He introduced himself shakily and gave you the basket before running off with a hard on.

Yan!Baker who made it a habit to drop by your shop every single day to deliver new pastries. He claimed to have added a special ingredient, yeah, the ingredient was pretty fucking special. It had him sitting alone upstairs jerking himself off into a bowl just to see your face scrunch up as you begrudgingly complimented the taste of the new bread he’d made.

Yan!Baker who, when he wasn’t delivering you homemade baskets, was watching you from his upstairs bedroom with a pair of binoculars held in one hand while the other was used to fist his dick. God you looked so good when you were tending to those flowers.

Yan!Baker who tripped on his own feet and slammed into his counter when you had given him a tiny pot plant for decoration. You are giving this to him? Willingly? Is this love? Do you love him? You want him, don’t you?

Yan!Baker who becomes so much more obsessive, any person who dares flirt with you is gifted to you as fertiliser asap. You’re his, you gave him that little plant to show your growing love. You knew everything, didn’t you? You knew he watched you in the shower, didn’t you? That’s why you ran your hands down your body like that. You’re so sly!

Yan!Baker who will do anything for you. He would sell his whole family business if you some much as asked. Glare at him, you look better that way. Roll your eyes and degrade him, only makes him love you more. You call him creepy? Nonsense baby, you must be thinking of someone else! He’s looking out for you. And looking at you. Always looking at you. Only you.

——————————————————————————————————

Likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated, requests are open <3

please do not copy, repost or translate any of my works on other platforms without my permission.

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

Hi! For the kink thing you're doing - could we please please get a Billy Russo competency + overstim kink (or competency and praise, whichever pairing you prefer). In my mind the reader gets *ideas* when Billy is building something (bc those damn IKEA dressers are difficult) or maybe she goes to Anvil one day and sees him doing like training with recruits or something? Anyway, sorry for the ramble and thank you in advance!

I am!

Masterlist

In the Sniper's Nest

Contains: Consent and kink negotiation, hand kink (you get an extra one), competency kink, fingering, overestimation, P in V, fluff.

1.5K words

You check out the new instalment at Anvil, a sniper's nest that Billy seems to love.

Despite his ear protection, he still heard you ascending the steps of the sniper's nest. It was Anvil's newest toy, the tall structure standing out above the skyline of the flat warehouse. He pulled aside his ear muff and pulled the earplug free, pushing himself up from his position lying on the table in the middle of the room to rush over to greet you. "Hi."

You tapped your own ear muff with a smile. "What?"

He pulled them off your head and placed them around your neck as you yanked the earplugs out. "These are a good look for you."

You chuckled. "Yes, that gun is very loud."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss you, his hand soft on your cheek as you leaned against him. He pulled away, brushing your hair from your face as he looked down at you lovingly. "Now what are you doing here?"

You sighed. "I missed you, you've been busy and we've been missing our lunch dates." You furrowed your brow. "Why are you in your suit?" Normally during training, he wore his grey fatigues.

He sighed. "I just got done showing our client our new space. They were very impressed."

You took the chance to look around the small room. It was set up like an embedded sniper outpost, the walls covered in large charts about wind speed and bullet type, even though it was furnished like a dining room in a dilapidated apartment. The only things that really stood out were the new couch in one corner and the shelves of binoculars and PEE along one wall. "It looks even better than the photos." It really felt like you were in enemy territory.

He took your hand and led you to the table, gesturing to his rifle with a smile. "You wanna watch?"

You nodded, and he walked around the table to the shelves, picking up a pair of safety glasses and a set of binoculars. He placed the binoculars on the table and pulled you close, sliding the safety glasses over your face before booping your nose as you held back your giggles. "You're being silly, Billy."

He bent his head and kissed you again before helping you climb onto the table and settling next to you. His shoulder was back bracing the riffle as you looked through the lens, and the shot shook the room while smoke billowed from the barrel. You didn't see anything until he tapped your shoulder and pointed to one of the trees at the very edge of the property. Another look clarified what he was shooting at as another shot rang out, and a left was blown clear of its branch.

It happened like that each time, the green leaves disappearing in a puff as the boom of the gun jerked the table until he ran out of bullets. When he finally placed the weapon on the ground, you still found yourself unable to look away from the sight, he hadn't missed a shot the whole time. He ran his hand all the way up your back, finally breaking your attention away from the tree. You removed everything from your head and turned backwards to face them. "That was very impressive."

He was smiling, his ego clearly boosted by the look of amazement on your face. "I gotta go back to the armoury and clean my rifle. You wanna come?"

You nodded. "Of course I do."

The trip was short, only down the stairs and through a door before you were standing in an expansive space loaded with guns. He made his way to the large table with you following close behind and began to dissemble the weapon, taking it apart piece by piece before cleaning each part with care, his face a mask of concentration as the burnt gun powdered turned into shiny metal.

"You see something you like?" He looked so smug.

You most definitely did, each movement of his slender fingers was precise and controlled more like a dance than a tedious process he could do with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back. "Yes, many things, would you like me to list them?"

If you thought he was smug before, that was nothing compared to how he was now. "Nah, I think I have a pretty good idea."

The gun was put away in his personal spot, and he washed his hands in the slop skin as you watched on, swaggering up to you and lifting you onto the table when he was done. "You need something from be gorgeous girl?"

You nodded. "Many things."

He settled between your spread legs, his fingertips playing with the hem of your jeans as he gazed into your eyes. "Are my fingers one of them?"

It was hard to concentrate on anything when he was touching you, but you knew if you didn't answer, nothing would happen. "Yes, I would like that very much."

He smirked and popped open your jeans, slowly undoing the zip if only to toy with you before his fingers met your core. "You got something you need to tell me about, because there's no way my poor landscaping and the smell of gun oil has got you this wet."

He wasn't pulling any punches, there was no tease or slow build, he was doing exactly what he needed to bring you right to the edge before your brain could catch up. "You're very good at things…" You took a deep breath to gather yourself as heat spread out from where his fingers were on you. "And I like that you're good at things."

The feeling of his fingers leaving your skin shocked you into action and you tugged at his clothes while he tugged at yours, and before long, you were both naked with your clothes in little piles around you. "You know what else I'm good at?"

You knew exactly what answer he was looking for by the way his thumb was rubbing at the inside of your thigh. "Yes, yes I do."

He smiled and returned to touching you with the same insistence as before. It didn't take long for the pressure to build in your core, and he knew it. His beard scratched your skin as his lips worried at your neck, and he smiled into your skin as you clenched around nothing. He didn't stop there, his long fingers filling you before the aftershocks could fade.

Everything was so steady and practised, the fingertips on your G-spot, his lips on yours, each move intentional and purposeful until you were once again cresting the hill into bliss. He was unrelenting, pushing and pushing and pushing until one orgasm faded into another and space reduced to just the two of you in the empty Anvil warehouse.

"Please, Billy, I can't take it anymore." That was only half a lie, you could have told him no if you needed to.

He chuckled warmly, pulling his hand away and sucking his fingers into his mouth with a groan before speaking. "So you don't want me inside you?"

His tone held just a hint of mischief, and you nipped his shoulder as he chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."

You nodded. "Yes please."

His forehead fell against yours as he slid inside you, taking a careful pace as you leaned your weight into him. He wrapped his arms around your body, controlling the pace as you wove one hand into his hair and held the table with the other. As his speed picked up, he pulled back to watch your blissed out face, grunting like an animal with every thrust as he took in the sight of your screwed tight eyes and heaving chest. "Billy..I."

He kissed you softly, whispering against your lips as his fingers made their way to your clit. "I know, gorgeous, I can feel it. How about you be a good girl and cum for me again."

You were powerless to resist his request, not when he said it so sweetly and as you were swept into the undertow of it, his teeth sunk into your lower lip as he followed you.

You stayed together for a breath before he finally stepped back, smirking as you twitched. "Sorry."

You huffed. "No you're not."

He kissed the corner of your mouth with a smile. "You're right about that."

He reached down for your clothes, dressing you piece by piece before dressing himself. Your eyes went wide, and he paused, looking at you intently as if he could decipher your worry. "Umm, is Jerry watching the cameras?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "I made sure they were turned off when we walked in here."

You fained offence and shoved his shoulder playfully. "You ass, you planned this from the start."

He nodded and kissed you again. "Yep. You can't be mad, you love me."

You sighed. "I do but I'm expecting you to make it up to me, I can't have you scheming all the time."

The look of lust on his face told you what he was thinking. "Oh, don't worry, I will."

Fin

@thegirlwhowritesfics

[unreliablesnake]

MDNI. Dark!Simon. Mention of sex and masturbation. Stalking. Afab!reader.

Simon noticed you didn’t have curtains when you walked to the window on a chilly morning to close it. It would have been a perfectly innocent act had you not done that wearing nothing more but lacy black panties. Your perky tits and hardened nipples made his mouth water, then he took a better look at your face and he could feel his cock twitch inside his jeans.

From that day on, he often found himself drinking his coffee by the window with the best view of yours, and he even took out his binoculars to see you better. It was amazing how often you walked around naked or wearing your lingerie only, clearly not worrying about how well anyone could see you.

Or did you do this on purpose? Were you looking for the attention of someone?

Watching you cook in a thong that showed your perfectly curved ass to him and a tank top that barely covered your breasts was his all time favorite activity. You were making pancakes today, and while he was sipping on his beer by the window, Simon found himself wondering if he could ever get himself to make a move on you.

Something told him if you turned him down, you would suddenly notice him staring from across the street and start to either wear more clothes or put curtains on the windows. He didn’t want that. Seeing you was usually the highlight of his day. So he chose to stalk you a little longer, spending hours by the window on slower days at home to catch a glimpse of you.

He could see your bedroom too. Simon watched you sleep several times, saw you pleasure yourself with that pink dildo you seemed to love so much, and there was one time when some guy fucked you until you passed out. He could do better. He knew he would be able to show you a whole new world if he had the chance.

This is why he wrote you several letters. One for every other day, short and sweet, maybe a little creepy if he looked at it from your side. You’re cute. You’re beautiful. You look sexy in that sequin dress you wore the other day. Was that guy your boyfriend? Would you ever have a threesome with that redhead friend of yours? God, I wish I could show you stars, love.

After the fifth letter, you paced the living room with a terrified look on your face until you finally broke down and cried on the floor for the next hour.

“Don’t worry, baby, I’ll make you feel safe,” he whispered as he pulled out his cock and began to pump his hand. You looked so lovely with those puffy red eyes.

[plainclothesdisaster]

Red Knight Chapter 3 - Ghosts in Gotham

DP x DC | Dead on Main

Jason Todd encounters one Danny Fenton in the streets of Gotham and suddenly he's thrown into a world of ghosts and monsters. Will he embrace this life? Or will it just end up with him dead again?

Read on AO3 | Beginning | < Prev | Next >

--

Jason didn’t go home. Instead, he melted into the shadows across the street from the diner and waited. A few minutes later Danny emerged and got on his motorbike. He revved the engine and began to speed away.

Jason would find out who the hell this guy was. (And if he was totally full of shit). He waited a moment before shooting a grapple line and pursuing.

Fifteen minutes later he found himself on a rooftop across the street from a simple apartment on the fourth floor of an old building. Using the binocular zoom on his helmet he watched Danny inside. He looked tired and utterly human as he went though the motions of getting ready for bed. As he took off his shirt Jason winced at the scars all across his body— most noticeably the Lichtenberg figure that cascaded up his arm and over his shoulder. The amount of electricity needed to leave that kind of mark— something like that should have killed him.

Maybe it had.

Minutes later Danny turned out the light and went to sleep. Jason didn’t leave. The pit was quiet. It stayed quiet all night.

In the morning Jason followed as Danny took the train across the city to Gotham University. Jason blended with the other students as he tailed him through the halls until Danny entered what appeared to be an upper level mechanical engineering lecture. Instead of following him in He headed back to Danny’s apartment.

He opted to pick the lock— better not to leave a trace. Inside he found a fairly typical college apartment. Sparse furnishings, a couple faded band posters tacked to the walls, game controllers strewn about. It was homey. Nice.

Jason found nothing out of the ordinary in the kitchen, nor the closets. No laptop or phone— must have taken them with him. Jason rifled through papers on the messy desk- lecture notes, sketched diagrams, grocery lists- and started to think that he really wan’t going to get anything good on this guy. Then he touched something that jolted him with an electric shock.

Jason pulled his hand away with a whispered curse while shuffling off the remaining papers, revealing some kind of metal belt. It had wires sticking out, chips exposed, clearly an unfinished project. What gave Jason pause was the faint strange glow about it, green with the same energy he saw in Danny’s palm and in his eyes.

He reached a hand toward it again. As soon as his fingers got close he felt the buzz of energy start to sharpen. The pit under his heart snarled. He pulled his hand back.

Mysterious gadgetry certainly was a little suspect, but by itself didn’t point to any nefarious intention. He thought about taking the belt to study it further, but doing proper diagnostics would require help from Tim, or worse, Bruce. No, thanks. Too many questions he didn’t want to answer.

He glanced at the papers again. He saw a full name there. Danny Fenton.

Danny Fenton. A powerful not-meta meta. Also, by the looks of it, just some average guy. That didn’t mean Jason would take his guard down. He knew that metas and monsters often hid in plain sight. And the ones that did it well were the most dangerous.

//

Jason went back to his apartment and slept through the rest of the day.

He woke up that night with a gun in his face.

A shadowed smile leered down at him. “So you are the new ghost boy. You’ll make a fine addition to my collection.”

A green blast split his bed down the middle as he leapt out of the way just in time. Who the fuck?

Jason grabbed the bat he kept next to his nightstand and took a wild swing at his assailant. As the sleep cleared from his eyes a seven foot tall robotic guy with a flaming green mohawk came into focus. His attacker stopped the bat in his hand with surprising strength.

“Ah good, you do have some fight in you.”

The robot guy punched Jason in the gut, launching him across the room. That hurt, way more than a hit from a common goon. What the hell was this guy made of?

Jason pulled himself up and grabbed a gun off the kitchen counter. He leveled it with easy precision. He planted one shot in the robot guy’s chest, the other between his eyes.

His aim was perfect.

Neither shot connected.

The bullets passed right through him. Jason’s mouth went dry.

“Hah, those puny weapons won’t work on me. Now this-“ what could only be described as a rocket launcher emerged from the robotics on the robot guy’s shoulder- “this is a real gun.”

The rockets fired, fueled again by that green energy. Jason bolted for the window and crashed out onto the fire escape, taking a hit to the side as he did. The blast burned but thankfully didn’t break the skin. Still hurt like a bitch though. The pit screamed, but the rage felt more focused now than it had before. Methodically he swung his way down to the street, landing bare-footed and in his sweats, unmasked and unarmed except for the useless gun in his hand. His attacker pursued, emerging through the wall and flying after him.

Jason gritted his teeth. The green energy, the familiar powers— it was too much to be just a coincidence. Ghost, he named his attacker in his head. Like Danny.

He ran.

The ghost caught up with him before he’d made it two buildings down. “Is that all you can do? Scurry around down there like a scared little mouse?”

More blasts assailed him from more varieties of guns. Jason dodged, but just barely. If he could just make it to his safehouse then— then what? He could shoot this guy with more guns that didn’t work? Hide behind walls that the ghost could walk right through?

He heard the next shot too late. A glowing rope wrapped itself around his ankles, sending him stumbling to the asphalt face first. Weak, he thought as he spit out gravel. He’d never felt so weak, not since coming back. For the first time since he emerged from the pit he no longer felt invincible.

His attacker landed with a metallic clank. Jason glowered as the ghost cracked a jagged smile. “That’s it? Your combat is weak. Your banter is lacking. Your head is hardly worth mounting above my mantle.”

Anger smoldered beneath Jason’s heart, pulling in on itself versus the usual explosion. His legs were bound but his hands were still free. He tightened his grip on his pistol.

With a roaring yell he heaved himself half up and swung the gun on the ghost again. He focused his anger, focused that pointed energy, and pulled the trigger.

A bullet shrouded in green flame exploded from the barrel. It connected with the ghost’s stomach, sending a shower of sparks spraying as it tore through the robotics.

The ghost looked down in shock.

Jason smiled in triumph. “How’s that for a real gun.”

Then Jason unloaded, pulling the trigger as fast as he could make it go. He kept shooting even when he should have run out of ammo, each shot a flaming green spark that took a chunk out of the robot ghost with every hit.

“What is this? Impossible!” The ghost took off yelling, retreating back down the street. Jason ripped the rope from his ankles and got on his feet to chase.

Ghost or not, this part Jason knew. Bad guy on the run, him in pursuit. He let his shaken nerves melt into a familiar resolve. The ghost shot back at him but Jason’s focus was unshakeable. His phantom bullets took the guns clean off the robot suit till it was covered in shredded metal.

Finally the ghost flew up, desperate to get out of range, defeated. “I underestimated you whelp. Until next time.”

With that the ghost activated his jet pack and flew away into the night. Jason kept shooting till he vanished over the rooftops.

//

That was not the last attack. They came nightly after that, some new kind of ghost would appear and stir up trouble. He’d notice them on patrol now- glowing vultures on the roofs or a green lion stalking in the park or translucent octopi floating down the streets. Had they always been there and he just hadn’t noticed? Or had they just showed up? The more he watched the more it seemed that other people didn’t see them.

Or maybe they just didn’t care. Just another one of those Gotham things.

Most ignored him entirely but caused trouble in different ways— lurking in sewers and tugging at people’s hems or floating through stores causing electronics to malfunction. Harmless mostly. But ever present. Those ones eventually noticed Jason watching and they’d always look back at him with surprise or curiosity or a sick kind of delight.

Sometimes Jason would pick the fight. He punched a ghost creep following a lady too closely as she walked down the street. Chased off a demonic possum that was oozing some kind of goo into the river. Other times the fight would pick him. He stared too long at a vulture and it swooped down on him, brandishing impossible teeth. A headless guy jumped him outside his safe house. He looked awfully similar to one of Gothams former gang bosses.

He was getting bette at harnessing that green energy and he could reliably shoot energy bullets from any of his guns. He also found that an old fashioned punch would also do the trick.

Once he saw an oily black creature at the edges of his vision, larger and more sinister than any of the other ghosts he’d encountered. A brawl in the street broke out a moment later so he didn’t get to investigate but somehow that one made him feel more unnerved than all the rest.

He didn’t understand where they were coming from or why they were here. He knew someone who probably would.

During daylight hours he gathered intel on Danny Fenton- or at least he attempted to. It was like the kid didn’t exist before he showed up as a student at Gotham University. The internet was shockingly clean of any records or photos.

Jason was beginning to think Danny Fenton was just a pseudonym until finally he got a relevant hit. He found an article published in a now-discredited scientific journal by Dr.s Jack and Madeline Fenton, detailing their paranormal research. The paper theorized about a separate dimension of post-concious beings. Suggested ways to make a portal there. It was too similar to what Danny described to be coincidence. Those were his parents, that was the portal that killed him. Maybe it was all true.

But Jason didn’t find any evidence that they had successfully created the portal. The paper talked about it in theory, not practice. The only evidence of them making it real was Danny himself. If he even believed Danny’s story.

Using a trick he stole from Tim he searched the housing records database and found a property under their names in Amity Park, Illinois. Satellite imaging showed a house that looked like a ufo had crashed landed on top of it. He chuckled to himself. That must be the place.

He was out grabbing a bite of dinner and considering a little field trip to Illinois to investigate further when the next ghost attack happened.

One second he was biting into his sandwich, the next three giant glowing green rats, just like the nasty ones that roamed Gotham’s sewers except 10 times bigger, burst out of the kitchen of the restaurant and out into the street.

Jason abandoned the sandwich and chased them out the door, pulling out his gun as they ran down an alley.

“Quit causing trouble on my turf,” Jason growled as he loosed a few blasts in their direction.

The rats stopped and turned back toward him halfway down the alley. The biggest one sat up and looked at him with sharp eyes. “Your turf? You got it twisted buddy. This here is our turf.”

Out of nowhere a fourth rat tackled him from behind. It’s boxy teeth clamped down on his shoulder with a sickening crunch. Jason yelled as he was thrown to the ground and suddenly all of them were on him, clawing and biting.

Jason clawed and bit back. He carried a gun even in his civvies (obviously) but couldn’t reach it in the thick of it.

He was truly starting to get pissed when suddenly the temperature dropped ten degrees. A voice came from down the alley.

“Hey.”

The rats froze. As a group they all looked toward the voice. At the mouth of the alley, plastic bodega bag in hand, face stern, stood Danny.

“What the hell is this?”

The head rat spoke up. “This is our turf. Tell the new guy he needs to buzz off before we make him.”

Danny folded his arms. His face was stoic but his voice had an icy edge. “I think you should be a bit more friendly to your neighbor.”

The rats reacted immediately, untangling themselves from Jason. “Jeez your majesty we were only joking. Mi casa es su casa and all that.”

“Good. Now scram.”

They scrambled away down the alley with a skittering of claws, running like they had hellfire under their asses.

Jason let out a long breath. Danny looked at him with complete recognition even though he was bare faced and in street clothes. Of course he could clock him out of costume. Why didn’t that surprise him?

Jason propped himself up on one arm. “Your majesty?”

“They don’t mean it as a compliment.” Danny huffed as he knelt down next to Jason, reaching out a gentle hand to inspect his wounds.

Danny’s jaw tightened as he ran a thumb over a gash in Jason’s arm. Jason pulled back.

“I’m fine.”

Danny reluctantly sat back. “There has been more ghost activity lately. Sorry I didn’t catch these guys quicker.”

“It’s okay. I dealt with the rest just fine.”

Danny tensed. “The rest?”

“I’ve been dealing with them since we got coffee. Nearly every night.“

Real anger flashed in Danny’s eyes for just a moment. It surprised Jason, and reminded him how much Danny wasn’t telling him.

“Why didn’t you call me?” Danny looked at Jason with such bare concern it made his heart feel sticky.

Jason grumbled. “I had it handled.”

“How??” Danny whined.

Jason pulled out his gun, pointed upward. Danny frowned, skeptical, until Jason pulled the trigger. A green blast shot into the sky. He shouldn’t have gotten so much satisfaction from surprise on Danny’s face.

“Oh,” Danny said. “Neat trick. That’s new?”

Jason nodded.

Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Despite that, there’s no way I’m letting you deal with these ghosts on your own.”

“Let me?” Jason scoffed. “I don’t need your help.”

Danny raised an eyebrow. “So you were planning on being rat food just now?”

“I almost had them.”

Danny chuckled. Jason didn’t waver. Then Danny got that glint in his eye.

“Okay. Then prove it.”

“What?”

“Show me you can actually handle a ghost attack and I’ll leave you alone.”

Jason wanted that, right? To not have to think about Danny Fenton popping up randomly in his life again? He ignored the twist of confusion in his gut.

“How? There’s no ghosts.”

Danny stood up and gestured to himself with a smirk.

“You’re joking.” Jason deadpanned.

“Try me.”

Guess that was always how this was gonna shake out. Sure, why not. Stone-faced and without hesitation Jason pulled a second pistol out of his belt and shot a green blast directly at Danny with a sizzling crack. Danny took the hit on the shoulder with barely a flinch. He glanced down at the burn hole on his shirt. The skin beneath was unbroken.

Danny’s smile widened, and there were those fangs again. “That it?”

Jason clenched his teeth and sprang into action. He launched to his feet as he brandished both guns in front of himself, shooting rapid fire.

Danny moved like a practiced fighter, ducking and weaving around the shots. A handful hit him but they didn’t break his focus or his stride. Jason stepped back to keep distance but Danny was quicker. Suddenly he was close enough that Jason felt the coolness of his breath.

His fist came quick. Jason threw up his arm to block. He barely managed to keep his feet under him. The next punch connected with his gut and sent him shuffling backwards, but still upright. He used the space to pull up his guns again and fired.

Danny jumped and suddenly he was lighter than air, floating and flipping over Jason’s head. Jason tracked him with the guns and spun as Danny landed, again too close.

Jason holstered the guns and opted to grab Danny by the front of his shirt with both hands. He turned and slammed Danny into the alley wall.

“You are strong I’ll give you that,” Danny said, the amused grin on his lips mere inches from Jason’s, “But ghosts have tricks.”

Suddenly Jason was holding nothing but air. His fingers clenched into fists.

Barely a breath later Jason felt a cheek next to his, behind him.

“Boo.” Danny said directly in Jason’s ear. Jason elbowed backward reflexively, connecting with Danny’s gut. Danny let out a satisfying oof before slipping out of reach.

It fell into the rhythm of a brawl then as they traded blows. But even with the bits of ghostly flair Danny threw in, it felt off. Danny wasn’t fighting like the other ghosts he’d faced. He was fighting like a human. He was holding back.

Jason ground his teeth together as his anger bubbled to a boil. Stepping back to steal enough distance, he pulled out his pistols. He let the anger swirl and coalesce under his heart. He focused and pulled both triggers at once.

A massive green fireball exploded from the combined gun barrels, hurtling toward Danny.

There was no time for Danny to dodge. Jason relished the surprise on his face. But right before the fireball collided, Danny extended a palm and a translucent green shield appeared, covering him. The fireball dissipated on impact.

Jason groaned in frustration. Another power he didn’t know about? How was that fair?

“Why are you holding back?” he demanded.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Danny’s shield disappeared. “But I could ask you the same question.”

“What?” Jason was barely keeping up as is.

“I think you can do better than this.” Danny challenged.

Jason tightened his grip on his guns. Danny relaxed his fighting stance. “Can’t you go toe to toe with Batman? Even my sister would at least be making me sweat.”

Again that roiling focused anger under his heart, swirling like a supernova. Danny just looked at him with that shit-eating grin. He let the fire of anger burn hotter to cover the rising of something else underneath.

“Be serious.” Jason growled.

“Make me.”

With a roar Jason blasted another huge fireball and the fight was back on.

Jason actually wanted to hurt Danny now. He wanted to prove to himself that he could. He moved faster, punched harder, let out more of that fire with each shot.

The next time Danny got up close and Jason swapped to his fists, Jason noticed a green fiery glow had formed around his hands. Danny did too, when he winced for the first time after a punch connected. The pit under his heart hummed in triumph.

After that it was less easy for Danny to slip away into intangibility, more easy for Jason to press the offensive. Finally Jason swept Danny’s legs from under him and pinned him to the ground, a mirror of the first night they met.

Jason’s breath came in pants. He gripped Danny’s shirt tight in his fist.

“Not bad.” Danny flashed his fangs.

Jason lifted a fist to punch that stupid smile off his jaw but Danny threw up a hand and caught his fist, inches before it hit, stopping it with unshakeable strength.

“Believe me now when I say I’ve got it handled myself?” Jason kept his tone even.

Danny eyed Jason’s still-glowing fist. “More now than before, yeah. But-“ Danny pushed Jason’s fist aside with infuriating ease. He pulled his legs out from underneath Jason with intangibility and floated smoothly to his feet.

“I’m still going to help you.”

“That wasn’t the deal. You said if I-“

A blast of green energy to his stomach cut him off, stronger and faster than any of the punches they’d traded. Danny grabbed Jason by the jacket and they flew, up to the top of the twelve story building. Danny looked at him with empty eyes. And dropped him.

Jason didn’t scream. He scrambled for his grapple gun. He was falling too fast. He got a hand on it, too late- but it didn’t matter. Danny swooped down and pushed him intangibly through the ground at the moment of impact. He felt himself being dragged up through darkness until-

He was stuck in the alley pavement up to his waist. Danny crouched next to him.

“I promise this is a warning not a threat. I didn’t realize that patching up your core would put you over the threshold to get ghostly attention. They won’t stop bothering you. And they won’t all be small fry. If you won’t let me take care of them for you, at least let me give you a fighting chance.”

Jason glowered up at him. “You’re not going to let me out of here unless I say yes.”

Danny smiled, the most brilliant thing in the dark street. ��Bingo.”

Next >

[theteasetwrites]

The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 96: There's No Place Like Home

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: language, violence ❧ Word Count: 5.6k

❧ In This Chapter: You've finally returned to Alexandria, but it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The Commonwealth has taken over, and it will take some sweat, blood, and tears to get it back. Emphasis on the blood.

❧ A/N: Happy New Year! And man, we don't have very many chapters of this series left... I am hoping it will end at Chapter 100 (nice, satisfying number), but we will see how well that works out. I am hoping to also include some sm*t before the end... Just for old time's sake. Lots of exciting stuff coming up. By the way, please ignore the fact that in the show, it is snowing during the windmill scene. Idk what the writers were thinking, but they clearly fucked up the timeline because in the show, there is a Halloween event (which is obviously in October), and then it cuts to 6 months later, so there's a six month time jump, and that means that all this should technically be happening in APRIL, and it doesn't snow in April so I am just imagining it's April for my own sanity ok? And because I want Wes to be an Aries thanks.

You had watched through Daryl’s binoculars, sitting idly by as Negan struggled against the Commonwealth soldiers that tackled him. You were home now, on the outskirts of Alexandria, but security was high, and brutal. 

You didn’t much care for Negan getting beaten, you had to admit. Some old wounds would never heal, and as much as you tried to reserve sympathy for him, it was difficult. What worried you, however, was Ezekiel, Nabila, Princess, Kelly, Connie, Magna, even Negan’s wife, Annie. What worried you most, of course, were the children. 

The town had been turned into what you could only describe as a labor camp, with a redheaded man in a dark grey coat barking orders to exhausted workers as soldiers stood by menacingly with their rifles in hand. You didn’t see the children. Wherever they were, it couldn’t be much better than this. 

You and Daryl met back up with the others, further outside the walls, where you couldn’t be seen by the guards. 

Maggie was disturbed by the news, and even more disturbed to hear that the children were nowhere to be seen from yours and Daryl’s vantage point. “But they have to be there, right?” 

You met her gaze, releasing a heavy sigh. You were about to speak before Rosita spoke for you. “Okay, we need to go in now.”

“We can’t,” replied Daryl. “There’s too many guards. We’ll never make it.”

“So, she turned our home into a prison,” said Gabriel. “After promising to give it back.”

“She never planned to give it back,” said Maggie. 

“Wait,” you said, an idea suddenly coming to you. “The sewers, we can go in through the sewers, right?” You lifted your gaze to meet Daryl’s, who seemed to follow your line of thinking. “Like before, when the Saviors attacked. You escaped through the sewers.”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Good idea. You and me, down shit tunnel.”

How romantic. 

The group split, with Maggie and Carol taking the south sewer, you and Daryl taking the north. Gabriel and Rosita stayed on lookout outside the walls, much to Rosita’s dismay. You understood that—she wanted to get to her baby as soon as possible, so did you. 

So you told her that if you got to the kids first, you’d be sure to check in on Coco, to make sure she was safe and healthy. It wasn’t much, but it was all you could do. 

Daryl climbed down first, shining his flashlight down on the tunnel floor. It always made you nervous, watching him go first into dangerous situations. Still, he always insisted.

“Be careful!” you whisper-yelled down to him, yourself shining your own light on his hands as they moved down the rungs of the ladder. “Watch out for walkers.” As much as you trusted Daryl to be smart, you were always going to worry about him a little too much. 

“Shh!” He held his finger over his pursed lips, then let go of the last rung to drop feet first on the ground. He held up his hands to beckon you. “C’mon!” he whisper-yelled back. “Ain’t got all day.”

You rolled your eyes as you turned to climb down. “What’s it like down there?”

“Smells like shit.”

You stepped on the fifth rung down, now catching a whiff of said shit. “Besides that.”

“Dark and wet.”

You gave up asking by the time you got down, but now you could see it for yourself. Indeed, it was dark, wet, and it did smell like shit. 

“This way,” said Daryl, pointing towards the beam of the flashlight that illuminated the tunnel. l. “I’ll go first, stay behind me.” 

You ignored him, walking alongside him instead. 

He huffed, shining his light just below your face. “You never listen ta me,” he said. 

You tilted your head and made a sour face. “And you always baby me.”

“Pfft…” Well, he wasn’t going to deny it. He did baby you, but it was for a good cause. “Jus’ be careful.”

The two of you silently stalked the length of the tunnel for a while, until you stumbled upon an overgrown maze of leafy vines hanging from the sewer grate just overhead. Entangled in those vines was a walker, flailing its arms and growling as the two of you approached with your flashlights trained on its rotting face. 

“How the hell did it get down here?” you asked. 

Daryl spared no time, bending over to begin clearing out the overgrowth with a series of grunts. You followed his lead to help make a path. “Musta found its way in ‘ere somehow. Got all tangled up.”

The walker’s sounds got louder the closer Daryl got, until his knife plunged into its head, ending its growling and flailing. He shined his light further, making sure that was the only one. “S’all clear now,” he said. “Come on, this way.”

You trudged through the brush, grabbing Daryl’s hand when he lent it to you. The path was still not quite stable, though, and a wrong step between the branches caught the toe of your boot, causing you to stumble. 

Daryl’s grasp tightened, with his other hand grabbing your other wrist to keep you steady. You didn’t fall, but you stumbled enough for a flash of white to cascade from your coat pocket. All you had in there was your photo, as you always kept at least one with you. 

“Oh, no.” 

You turned to frantically search through the leaves, while Daryl looked on in confusion as he held his flashlight with the beam concentrated on your hands. “What is it?”

“Nothing, just…” You found the polaroid nestled among a few leaves, and you sighed in relief. “Thank God.”

You turned the photograph over in your hands, revealing the face of your daughter. She smiled wide, with Dog posed beside her as her arm wrapped around his neck. That photo was an older one, taken a few summers ago. Robin wore her favorite white linen overalls, decorated with daisies lovingly embroidered by you, and her floppy brown gardening hat. Even Dog sported a yellow bandana tied loosely around his neck, with his tongue hanging out to the side as his mouth humorously curled into a wide grin. 

Robin’s eyes looked so blue here, like two little sapphires shining between caramel colored bangs that hung a little too low on her forehead. You remembered trimming them not too long after you took that photo. 

You slathered her exposed skin in sunblock that day, making sure she didn’t get any burns. Her skin was sensitive, like yours. She burnt easily, but when she rubbed her eyes that day, the sunblock seeped in, irritating her. She came up to Daryl crying, her fists balled up in her eyes as she rubbed them in an attempt to get the sunblock out. You were bringing out the lemonade, and Daryl dropped his hot dogs to see what was wrong with the little girl. The poor thing sobbed so much she couldn’t make out any words, and you came out onto the front porch to see Daryl in a parental panic, Robin bawling her eyes out, and Dog feasting on sausages. 

At least you had gotten that photograph before all Hell broke loose. You had managed to get your two children to sit upon the porch of your home in Alexandria, taking a break from playing in the unforgiving midsummer heat of Virginia. It was nothing compared to Georgia, Daryl always reminded you, but it was all Robin had ever known, until you left. 

We never should’ve left. 

“Hon?”

You sniffled, holding back a few tears. After all these years, you still couldn’t stop yourself from crying. Everyone else had gotten so good at it, it seemed. Sometimes, you wondered if you had gotten even more sensitive. 

“It’s… I forgot I put this in my pocket.” You chuckled slightly under your breath, just now noticing how filthy Dog’s paws were from digging holes and trying to catch gophers. “Sorry.”

You reached down to return the photograph to its home, but Daryl’s hand stopped you, gently holding your wrist. “Let me see.”

With another sniffle, you held it out to him, and he took it in his own hands. “She was so little,” he said, his lips quirking into the slightest crooked smile. “Even Dog looks younger.”

“They’re precious,” you said, your voice beginning to falter. “I wish… I wish I’d taken one of Wes before we left.”

He looked up to study your face, now with one tear running down your cheek. You quickly brushed it away, sniffling again. 

“We should keep going,” you said. 

“Wait a sec.”

Odd. Daryl was usually the impatient one of the two of you, and though neither of you wanted to spend more time in this stinking hole, Daryl couldn’t go on with you like this. He didn’t have to ask. He knew what it was.

“We’ll find ‘em,” he said. “We will.” As he held out the photograph to hand it back to you, he cupped your hand over his, as if Robin’s portrait was protected by both of you. Well, it was. She was, so was Wes. 

“H-how do you know?”

His eyes softened in the way they only could for you, his angel. “I just do.” He let your hand go, so you tucked your photo back into your pocket. When your eyes looked back up at him, he rested a hand on the spot where your neck met your shoulder. His thumb reached up to rub your cheek, where his touch warmed you. 

“Dad instincts,” he added with a smile, much to your amusement. A small chuckle erupted from you, but it was bittersweet. 

“You’re such a good dad.”

He could feel himself beginning to choke up, your emotions and your words overwhelming him, too. The empathy link between you and him was always strong, to the point that your hurt was his hurt, and vice versa. Not only that, but he was terrified, too. Still, one of you had to be strong for the other now. 

“And you’re a great mom.”

“No,” you said, though you leaned into his touch. “I tried… I tried not to let them take them away.” Guilt washed over you then, and he could feel it, like it was flowing from your body into his from the point where his hand touched your cheek. 

He pulled you in, against his body. His arms formed a protective barrier around you, as they always did. His pride was in keeping you safe, like you were entrusted to him forever. It was a great responsibility to protect the most precious thing in the world, to love her and make her happy as much as he could, but he was never one to give up easily. Besides, loving you was easy. It came naturally to him. 

“I know.” He let his chin rest upon your head, while his hands smoothed over the ripples in your coat on your back. “I know you wouldn’t just let ‘em get taken. You did what ya could.”

“It wasn’t enough.”

“Hey, I lost the kids, too. They jumped us. Hell, you just had a baby. You weren’t in any condition to fight back, you know that.”

He pulled back, but you still looked down. His hand came up to hold your chin, lifting it until you were forced to face him. Your eyes were weighed down by tears tugging at your waterline, threatening to trickle down your reddened cheeks. Your lips quivered slightly as you tried to hold it together, for him. He was always so strong for you, you had to try to be strong for him, too, even if he had strength for the both of you.

“If we… lose them—”

“Stop it.”

“But we could—”

“No.” Both hands held your cheeks again, this time with more pressure. Not too much, but just enough to let you know he was serious. “Listen to me. There ain’t no damn use in thinkin’ about what might happen or what might be happenin’. All we gotta think about right now is how we’re gonna find ‘em, and what we gotta do to find ‘em. I know you ain’t ever gonna stop worryin’, ‘cause that’s just who you are, and I love you, but you gotta trust me.”

You gotta trust me stuck with you.

“I trust you… Do you trust me?”

“You know I do, angel.”

You held him back, squeezing him as hard as you could, like a human stress ball. “I love you, Daryl Dixon.”

He took advantage of the space where your neck was exposed to leave a small kiss there. “I love you, too… And when all this is over, I’m takin’ you somewhere nice.”

You turned to face him with a weak chuckle as you wiped away the last of your tears. “What?”

“Like a vacation.”

Sometimes, Daryl surprised you. It was a rare occurrence, since Daryl was always rather predictable, which you liked, but there were times like these where his impulsiveness would come out, perhaps just to distract you momentarily from your worries. He knew exactly how to do so. 

“A vacation?” you asked. “There’s no such thing. You used to say that vacations were impossible now.”

“Yeah, but… What if we just get on the bike and go? Ain’t gotta be far, just a little ways away, just you and me.”

You shook your head in playful dismay. “Daryl Dixon,” you said, “you seem to be forgetting that we have no less than four children we are currently responsible for, two of which are our children, one of which is a baby.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be gone long… And we could wait till Wes is older, when everythin’ calms down. Maybe things will be better again, like they were before.” He studied his surroundings, the dark tunnel in which you were standing, which wreaked of putrid musk. “Now let's get outta this shithole, and get our kids back.”

By the time you raised the sewer grate, stepping out clandestinely inside the walls of Alexandria, it was dark. With only two flashlights to lead the way, you immediately recognized where you were. It was the middle of Morgan Street, your street. 

It was empty, though, too empty for comfort. 

“Where is everybody?” you whispered. “The guards…” You trailed off as the beam of light you held in your hand illuminated a distant house, its windows dark inside and the familiar rose bushes you had once kept so meticulously pruned were gone, ripped from the recently tilled dirt that once housed their roots. “Daryl.”

He turned to follow your eye line, and sadness welled within him like a tidal wave. The house was repaired to some extent, but it looked so different now. It looked dreary, empty. The home he’d made with you was no longer boisterous and full of life. 

He could still hear the patter of Robin’s little feet upon the hardwood floor as Dog chased her. 

He could still smell your potpourri experiments, cloves and oranges and magnolias and lavender and rose and whatever else you could get your hands on. 

He could still feel your weight leaning into his chest as he held you, sitting upon the couch as a roaring fire crackled in the fireplace, keeping you both warm into the wee hours of the morning, when he’d more often than not carry you upstairs to your bed. 

He could still remember watching Robin help Lydia with her homework, the girls’ hushed voices concentrating on their assignments as you looked on proudly.

So many memories in that house, so many voices had been carried in its walls. Voices of people long past… Old friends no longer here to see what this place has become, for better or for worse. 

What was once home was now just some house. 

Wordless sadness floated aimlessly between the two of you, but sadness didn’t get things done. Persistence did, and you were both persistent in your search for the children.

You didn’t have to slink around long before you saw it—in the center of town, just in front of the windmill, a small army of Commonwealth guards had gathered, along with what seemed to be all the prisoners. From the looks of things, they’d been woken up, taken by force to the square. 

Unfamiliar light posts had sprouted on either sides of the crops, spewing harsh, cold lights to illuminate the scene. The place was grey, sterile, a far cry from your memories. Alexandria had once been a bright, colorful place. It had once been a collage of eras, memories and moments in time that defined the settlement’s journey. 

There were the suburban townhouses and model homes from the old world, then the corrugated fence that kept out the dead, marking the beginning of the new world. When the fence was expanded, Alexandria grew, encompassing more land to build. Bare bones buildings put together with the most basic, yet sturdy, of materials dotted the place, giving it that craftsman charm you always admired. Nothing looked perfect, it was always built by hand, trial and error. The windmill you now gazed at was the biggest landmark. The majesty of it symbolized to you human innovation in the face of stagnation.

Now, it was covered in blood.

What shocked you more was the line of guards that stood with their guns held high, aiming to shoot at the people you knew—Ezekiel, Nabila, Princess, Magna, Connie, Kelly, Negan, Annie… 

They were making a stand. Of course they were. They were your people, and that’s what your people had always done. 

Ezekiel stood before them all, his arms outstretched in a gesture of protection. He spoke loudly, his voice reverberating in the night. “You don’t have to do this! This world is broken, but we don’t have to be!”

At the end of the firing line stood the red-haired man in the dark grey coat you’d seen earlier. He was in charge, you gathered, and he was the one who wanted your people dead. 

You noticed a movement in the firing squad, a soldier stepping out of line. The others lowered their weapons to see what was happening, as the soldier who stepped away raised his. 

He aimed for the man in charge, much to your shock. When another soldier attempted to shoot him, he shot back. 

The red-haired man scurried in a panic, grabbing poor Kelly as he held a pistol to her head, walking backwards as if to eventually make a run for it. 

“No!” shouted Magna. “Kelly! Kelly!”

The others held her back, as there wasn’t much to be done. If she moved, he’d kill Kelly. Luckily for you, you were behind him, wrapped around the other side of the windmill, and he was only inching closer. 

Daryl moved faster than you this time, procuring his knife as he moved past you, towards the man as he backed up into the darkness in which you were hiding. You were right behind him, your knife drawn, too, just in case.

You didn’t need it, of course. Daryl always aimed just right, plunging the blade into the base of the man’s neck where his spinal cord met his brain. He did it so coolly, with no emotion behind his eyes. You always knew that something shifted whenever Daryl went into that mode—he’d turn off his feelings for a split second, turn off any parts of him that might object to murder. What prevailed in those moments was his sense of justice, revenge, and order. If there was anything Daryl could do, it was kill.

Silence strangled out all the sounds of panic that began to fade. The man fell immediately after Daryl’s stab, no doubt losing all ability for his head to control his body. Kelly was embraced by her sister, and now you both stood before the others in a bittersweet reunion. 

Out in the crowd of other prisoners, there was no objection to the end of the tyrant’s rule. Even the other guards stood down, seemingly returning Alexandria to the people. 

But the taskmaster hadn’t been killed, not yet. Daryl had only paralyzed him, and he was on his way out, but he was still alive. Negan came forward, picking up the man by his jacket collar and dragging him out towards the crowd. He picked up a rock large enough to hold with two hands, and just before he struck him with the final blow to end the man’s misery, a voice called out.

“Negan!” Rosita burst forward as Gabriel flipped the man till he was facing up. “Don’t kill him!” she shouted. 

“Where’s my daughter?” She leaned over the man, grasping his collar as she yelled, “Where is she?!”

There was an unmistakable quiver in her voice, a kind of desperation and rage that only a mother looking for her child could have. He didn’t answer, not that you heard from the distance you stood, anyway. 

What you did hear, though, was the unmistakable wheezing and growling of a walker. Your head pivoted like a finely tuned machine, your hand instinctively grasping for the handle of your knife. The soldier that had been shot had turned, and the walker was slowly but surely rising to his feet. 

Rosita was faster, though. She tugged on the walker’s uniform, pulling him towards the nearly lifeless man’s body with a wild groan. 

She held the snapping, starving walker to the man’s face, shouting again, “Where the hell is she?! Tell me where she is!”

You could only look on, somewhere between understanding and horror. It sent a shiver down your spine—she hadn’t been able to find Coco, what if Robin and Wes weren’t there either?

Frozen in your fear, you only heard the red-haired man faintly say one phrase to Rosita. “You will lose everything.”

Just then, she dropped the walker, letting its teeth sink into the man’s face. “No! No! Ahh!”

Before you looked away, you saw the bright red flesh tearing away as the walker dined on his eye socket. No one made a move, not wanting to disturb the creature’s feast. It would have to be put down, but not only the man was made to suffer. 

You didn’t care now, though. With the man still screaming, you turned swiftly, only your children’s safety on your mind. 

“(Y/N)!” Daryl followed after you, his breath heavy as he tried to keep up.

“Not my babies,” was all you could reply, panting as you ran towards the nearest house, ready to raid each and every one. 

The townhouse you chose to search first looked lived-in with candlelight glowing in the window of the second floor. You hurried up the steps of the porch, knife drawn and ready to kill if anyone got between you and the children. 

Of course, Daryl tried to go in front of you, but, in an unusual display of roughness, you pushed him away with more force than he’d ever known you to have. You looked at him with wild, electric eyes, your hair falling out of your hat in an untamed mess. You didn’t have to say anything, he knew what you meant to say: I’m fucking going first. 

So you did, kicking open the front door with a grand crash. It was a far cry from your usual more subtle, quiet approach, but there wasn’t going to be any stopping you now. The soldier that almost immediately greeted you was caught off guard when your knife slit his forearm where the armor wasn’t covering. It caused him to drop his gun while you slit his thigh, sending him writhing in pain on the floor. 

It happened so fast that you lost conscious thought of the things you were doing, but Daryl watched your every move, making sure you didn’t make a wrong move. You quickly armed yourself with the soldier’s gun, wielding it as you inspected each room on the first floor, each empty. 

You huffed, blowing a stray strand of hair away from your face. Then, you heard what sounded like muffled, higher-pitched voices coming from the floor above. They were children’s voices, you knew that for sure. 

As you ran through the hallway, jumping over the writhing soldier to flee up the stairs, you began to hear the wailing of a baby. Warm tears flooded your vision, but you were steadfast in your search. You used your back to throw the first door open, holding the gun ready. 

When you laid your determined eyes on an eleven-year-old girl with long brown hair, they softened immediately. 

“Aunt (Y/N)!” Judith ran to you across the room. Her arms outstretched to hug you, so you dropped the gun and leaned down to receive her. 

You peered over her shoulder to see more familiar children—Nabila and Jerry’s kids, whose names you admittedly lost track of at times, were among them, with more you recognized from the Commonwealth. And, of course, RJ was in Daryl’s arms, but the reunion couldn’t last too long—Robin and Wes weren’t here, and the crying had stopped. 

“Judith,” you said, both sternly and with a tremble in your voice. “Where’s Robin and the baby?”

The crying began again, coming distinctly from across the hall. This time, Daryl moved first, knife drawn to slam through the door of the room where the crying came from. 

You followed behind, peering over his shoulder to see light brown-haired girl, cowering in the corner of the room and facing the wall, rocking back and forth with a bundle of something in her arms. You knew the back of her head anywhere, the shape of her little body. Her hair was tied in a low half-ponytail, and her knitted sweater of seafoam green was unquestionably the garment of your daughter. 

“Robin!” Daryl shouted out. 

She turned immediately, her face red and puffy from crying. Westley, bundled up in a sloppy swaddle, flailed his limbs and wailed in her arms. She must’ve been trying to keep him quiet, having heard the scary noises downstairs. 

“Daddy?!” she called out in confusion. “Mama!”

She lifted herself to her feet, still clinging to her infant brother, as you came forward, arms ready to snatch her up and never let her go. 

You couldn’t form words as you held her and the baby, all you could was cry tears of joy and relief. But, out of fear of squishing Wes, you loosened your hold on the child for a moment to delicately take the infant into your embrace. 

“He won’t stop cryin’,” she said with a sniffle of her own. “I was so scared, I thought…”

Daryl leaned down to hold her, and she lost of train of thought when she plummeted her head between his neck and shoulder. “S’all right,” he said quietly, his strong, warm hands gently rubbing her back. “Everythin’s all right now, birdie.”

Westley’s crying calmed intermittently as you rocked him, but he was hungry, and neglected. 

When Daryl left momentarily to touch base with the others, you stayed behind with the children. Maggie and Carol met up with you in that townhouse, where they’d brought Hershel, Gracie, and some more children that they’d found being held in one of the other houses. It was the biggest children’s sleepover you’d ever seen, though it was still a rather solemn night. 

Coco was still nowhere to be found, and a few other babies belonging to some of the Commonwealth prisoners weren’t there, either. It chilled you to the bone, and you wouldn’t be able to sleep that night. 

Daryl wouldn’t, either. He instead helped draw up a plan of attack with some of the others, planning on returning to the Commonwealth first thing come sunrise. They were going to get the rest of the children back, and they were going to take down Pamela for what she’d done, or tried to do. 

Though it would’ve been a great historical moment to witness, you stayed in the townhouse to help watch over the children, and to nurse Wes. Even Dog, who’d been chained up outside the house, seemed starved of attention, so you brought him in, and he welcomed you with a myriad of slobbery kisses.

It wasn’t until almost sunrise when Maggie paid you a visit, knocking gently on the door to the bedroom you’d planted yourself in. 

You smiled up at her, folding your blanket over Westley as he nursed. Robin laid next to you, her head using your belly as a pillow. She was curled up, tucking her legs into her chest as she slept soundly, small, dainty snores and little wispy breaths filling the air. As he slept on the foot of the bed, Dog’s snores helped create a strange little symphony. 

Maggie smiled back at you. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know—”

“No, no,” you replied quietly. “You can come in… She’s a heavy sleeper.” You looked down at the sleepy baby, his heavy little eyes trying to stay open as he fed from your breast. “Oh, um… If it makes you uncomfortable, I can—”

“I’ve seen your tits before, (Y/N).”

Oh. 

You’d almost forgotten about that. When you live on the road with someone for so long, and in tight quarters at a place like the prison, you get to know everyone a lot more intimately. In other words, Maggie walked in on you changing or bathing more than once. 

“Right,” you laughed under your breath. “Come in, sit down.”

You gestured loosely to the armchair in the corner of the room. It sat beside of a small bedside table, upon which was a gas lamp that gave off a warm, dim glow in the dark morning mist. 

“I don’t think I got to properly meet this little one,” she said. “Westley?”

“Mhm… We’ve been calling him Wes for short. Well, Daryl likes to call him scout.” 

Maggie smiled, and sometimes you forgot just how beautiful and sweet her smile was. It could light up every room, you didn’t even need that old oil lamp. “That’s cute. Wes lucked out. He was born into a pretty great family.”

“Mm, a big family. So many aunts and uncles… I think Aunt Maggie is going to be a favorite, though.”

She shook her head. “Think Aunt Carol’s got that distinction, least with Robin.”

You reached a hand down to lightly caress Robin’s shoulder over the fleece blanket that Daryl had draped over her before he left. “Give it time,” you said. “Soon you’ll be her hero, I just know it.” You paused to adjust Westley, moving him to the other breast as carefully as you could so not to disturb Robin. “How’s Hershel?”

“He’s all right,” she sighed with a nod. “Sleepin’ like a baby. All of them are. Don’t think they got much sleep since they were taken.”

You didn’t think anyone would get much sleep until all this was over. You knew you wouldn’t. “Poor things. They’ve been through a lot.” You looked down at Wes, who’d now fully fallen asleep in your arms. You smiled and gently maneuvered him so you could button up your blouse. “He was so hungry.”

Maggie nodded solemnly, her serious side coming through again. “They’ll pay,” she said, even more quietly, just in case Robin or the other children stirred in their sleep. “For everything.”

“Maggie,” you said, “you were right not to trust them… I should’ve been more skeptical, I just—”

“You were doing what was best for your family,” she interrupted. “For Robin and the baby. You were thinking about them. Any mom would’ve done it.”

You looked confused, and you were. Wasn’t Maggie a mom too? “But you didn’t.”

“I was just doin’ what I thought was the best thing to do,” she said. “Now here we are, in the exact same place.”

“We’re home,” you said. “Did you ever think… when we came here, all those years ago, that we’d be here right now?”

“No,” she replied with a grin. “It’s so surreal. I—I remember how… how excited Glenn was.”

You remembered it, too. Glenn was one of the first people in your group to want Alexandria to be your home. He believed in it. He was the spark of humanity, reminding you all that you could no longer live on the road, always on the brink of starving and never able to turn your back. He wanted you all to have a home.

Alexandria had been through so much. So many people and so many things had been lost, but what always remained was Alexandria. 

“This place is special,” you said. “Glenn saw that.”

“He did… I miss him everyday.”

You untucked a hand from underneath the baby, who stirred a little, but soon settled back into sleep once your hand outstretched to hold Maggie’s. “We all do. He’d be so proud of you, and everything you’ve done.”

She sniffled as she bowed her head, nodding all the while. “You know, you’ve always been my best friend.”

Your face melted into touched surprise. It’d been years since she’d told you that. “You’re my best friend, too… We’ve come a long way since the farm, huh?”

“Yeah,” she laughed. “When you asked Glenn for…” She leaned in closer, whispering even lower. “Condoms.”

“Shh!” you laughed. 

“Coulda used a few more, huh?” She nodded her head towards the baby in your arms, and you nudged her with her elbow, shaking your head. You couldn’t help but smile, though. 

“Shut up.”

~

Thanks for reading! Likes, comments, and reblogs of any kind are always appreciated!

Series Masterlist Next Chapter ➳

[sofia-bach]

Mother's Day

The seeds and breadcrumbs Sofia sprinkled around her barely had a moment to touch the ground before a flock of birds flapped their wings and pecked at the generous offering of food. Sofia smiled and chuckled, engulfed by a whirlwind of color and movement. Slowly the birds gathered by her feet to continue their meal. Sofia emptied her breadcrumbs bag and sighed. She had already finished her daily morning chores, washed the breakfast dishes, and the sun was shining bright on that beautiful Saturday spring morning.

The red binoculars had been gathering dust on her desk, Sofia thought. She had been too busy with her babysitting job, which had replaced her weekly studying and moved it to the weekends, effectively eliminating the time she usually reserved to walking in the woods to birdwatch.

That day, though, Sofia was free.

The afternoon would be spent baking, she was sure of that, but on that morning, she would actually spend some time with her favorite, most neglected pastime, one which was perfect to welcome the new, warmer season. Some of the birds, American robins, white-throated sparrows and European starlings, stayed in the garden, tweeting and fluttering about, but a few left already, satiated. Sofia gazed at those ones flying away towards the clear blue sky. She thought of the path in the Redwood forest she liked the most, and quickly calculated how long it would take her to go on a relaxed stroll and come back before it was time for lunch...

But then –Sofia was startled –she saw Guinevere watching her from the study window, half shadowed by the heavy curtain. Guinevere kept staring at her stepdaughter for a couple seconds more, and then gestured at her to come back inside.

Sofia crossed the front garden pathway, away from the sunshine, through the shade of the porch of the Orchard House.

Guinevere was dressed elegantly, as always. She was checking her makeup on the mirror by the entry hall just as Sofia walked in. Her stepmother kept fixing her hair and turning her head to admire herself from different angles, keeping her eyes glued on her own reflection, as if she hadn't even noticed Sofia was there at all.

"An online purchase might arrive today. Receive it if I'm not here when the delivery comes."

"Yes, of course."

Finally, Guinevere looked back at her. She stared at Sofia for a brief moment, her blue eyes feeling like a perfectly subtle, incredibly thin needle pressed right in the middle of Sofia's brow. Then she walked past her, heels tapping quietly on the entrance hallway carpet, left the house and closed the door.

No matter, Sofia thought. It was Mother's Day tomorrow, after all, and even better still if she could bake her present of cookies early on, in case she made a mistake and needed to redo them. There was also the matter of making an appropriate package for them –maybe even a card. The project had her excited.

A whistling song reached her from the open window, and Sofia turned to look at the handful of birds that were still by the front garden. She smiled. Maybe the next week.

Just in case, she didn't listen to her music that day. Sofia needed to be able to hear clearly if the bell rang. She wondered what Guinevere's purchase was. Maybe she would be able to guess by its size and shape when it got there. Or maybe Guinevere would hide it, so as to keep it a secret from her stepdaughter. In any case, Sofia hoped the goods arrived undamaged.

So she stayed inside, waiting for the package, and decided to go ahead into the kitchen and bake the sugar-free banana cookies with the recipe that Tiana had sent her.

First of all, she checked she had all the necessary ingredients. She turned on the oven for preheating, copied the instructions on her phone on her recipe notebook, and tied the apron around her waist. The sunlight streamed in through the kitchen windows, giving it a faint glow. Sofia realized she had never given Guinevere a Mother's Day present, since she wasn't her mother, but her stepmother. Could it be that that was why she behaved so coldly towards her? If Sofia had known so, she would have given her a gift, a beautiful gift, a long time ago.

Sofia mashed bananas, separated egg yolks, sifted flour, weighed butter, chopped walnuts. Once she put them in the oven, the kitchen was nicely filled with the sweet warm smell of cinnamon and vanilla. Baking was an activity she loved nearly as much as birdwatching. It allowed her to focus completely on one task, and keep herself happily occupied. She used to gift cookies to her classmates at the beginning of each school year, and even if it didn't change the fact that she was still woefully shy and didn't have friends at all, seeing their thankful faces brought her joy, nonetheless. Besides, Sofia was well aware of Guinevere's sweet tooth, how much she loved the little treats her stepdaughter baked every once in a while. Even if she didn't seem thankful, Sofia knew she was. She rarely showed it, but she knew that Guinevere appreciated all she did. If Guinevere did all Sofia did for her, she would definitely appreciate it, after all.

In any case, helping was its own reward.

After preparing herself a quick sandwich lunch, her timer soon went off. While the cookies sat ready on the wire rack to cool, Sofia decorated them with grated coconut and the chopped walnuts. She tasted one and was glad to know that they were just as wonderful as Tiana had told her.

She spent the afternoon sitting by her desk, alert for any sudden bell ring coming from downstairs, while measuring and cutting and gluing a spare piece of cardboard she had in her bedroom, making it into a lovely box which she painted a soft lavender color. While it dried, she searched for her botany book, and using that as a reference, Sofia painted white and pink lilies with her watercolors on a rectangle of card stock paper, and wrote 'Happy Mother's Day' in her best cursive. She even found a white silk ribbon in a drawer, which she occasionally used to tie up her hair. In the end she decided it would be better suited to be used for decorating her little lavender box, tied neatly in a bow.

Once the cookies had cooled properly, Sofia placed them carefully on the tissue paper she had put inside the box, three lines of pretty cookies ready to be gifted. She was quite happy with the present she had assembled, and wished her stepmother was as happy with it, too.

Only when Guinevere arrived back home, when the sun was already setting and it was time for her afternoon coffee (she wouldn't have her tea, since she would have to stay up late that night) did Sofia realize the package hadn't arrived yet.

That Sunday, before leaving for the library to study, Sofia put the box of cookies in Guinevere's office, on the big dark mahogany desk which had used to belong to her father, and now was where Guinevere did most of her work. She had considered handing it herself later that afternoon, once she came back, wanting to see her reaction to it, her wonder and, hopefully, her delight. But in the end, Sofia had decided against it, preferring for it to be an earlier surprise.

Just as she walked in after returning from the library, Guinevere was walking out of the study.

"It's time for tea, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'll get right to it."

Guinevere shot Sofia another piercing look and went upstairs to her bedroom. Sofia watched her for a moment, just in case she turned around and made another request, and went into the living room towards the kitchen.

She stopped when she saw a sudden change, a small new addition to the decorations of the room.

There, standing still and looming on the chimney mantel, was a taxidermy black-shouldered kite, its snowy-white wings half outstretched, its eyes red as blood, gripping a small field mouse in its stiff golden talons.

[messrmoonyy]

can we have a snippet of the new one shot 👀

You can. And it’s a nice big chunk because I love you guys 😌

This one shot will be posted at some point this week. It’s about 90% finished and then I have to proof read. Looking at about 10k words of prawn with plot unless I cut some stuff out

You trailed a little behind her as she walked, simply so you could get a better look at her. Even there when there was no one else around, no one she needed to look tough for. She still oozed confidence. The way she walked. The way she kept her head held high. No attempts to shrink away. To hide. To walk in the way Ellie had done when you first met her, like she was too afraid to take up space.

Tess wanted to take up space. She wanted people to know who she was and what she was about. She wasn’t afraid… of anything it seemed.

In fact. You knew she wasn’t.

You’d heard the stories. The rumours. The things that Ellie had told you. That Tess and Joel weren’t… good. They didn’t do good things. They hadn’t. But a twisted part of you liked that. Wanted to know more. Details. Wanted to hear about what she had done and all she was willing to do to stay and alive and to protect the people she loved.

You wanted to be one of those people. Wanted her to do sick things to protect you, to prove all she was willing to do to keep you safe.

You craved a love like that. A desperate and all consuming kind. A kind you knew she could give you.

If she would just stop holding herself back.

“ got some runners “ she said looking over the ridge to one of the towns in the distance. They were pretty far out, looking almost like little ants dashing around the place from so far away.

You watched as her hands moved into a comfortable and familiar position with her gun, pulling the trigger and taking down the strays with ease. You were fixated. On her face, the way her eyes narrowed as she aligned her shot through the scope, the way her lips parted slightly as she steadied her breath. Ammo was precious and she made every shot worth it. You watched her fingers, how long and slender they were. You wanted to melt between them. Wanted to feel what it was like to turn to mush beneath her finger tips.

You had spent many nights dreaming of how they felt. How they’d feel in your hair, trailing across your back, wrapped around your throat, curled up inside of you.

You felt your cheeks flush with heat.

“ alright. Let’s keep moving “ she snapped you out of your daydreaming as she lowered the gun, one look over now showing the little ant like runners were motionless on the ground.

“ that was impressive “ you said, clearing your throat lightly in some attempt to distract your thoughts.

“ it’s practice “ is all she said, carrying on along the track. You wondered if this was some old hiking trail or something. If people had come through there years ago, walking that same path for fun. Not to shoot infected. Though you weren’t entirely sure how anyone could find trekking through the woods fun. But maybe that was because your idea of it was so tainted.

It was pretty. You couldn’t deny that. The morning sun in the mountains and the flowers in full bloom. But you had a much better view.

As you watched her you wondered if she ever thought things like that about you. You had caught her watching you before. Many times. And she wasn’t sheepish about it either. She didn’t immediately look away if she saw you had caught her, would hold it another second or two and then look away.

It did make you think.

She came to a stop again looking out at a town slightly futher out than the last. She pulled some binoculars from her pack and looked though them for a moment.

“ wanna take ‘em? “ she asked, lowering her binoculars and looking over at you. The sun was catching her just right, enveloping her in golden light like the goddess you so often heralded her as. You were very obviously staring but you couldn’t bring yourself to stop. Maybe it was because she could clearly see that you were. And were certain you saw her lips quirk into a smile. Just a subtle one. But a smile “ hello? Are you suddenly mute? “

She waved a hand in front of your face and you shrugged, not even a sliver of embarrassment in your face. You wanted her to see you. Wanted her to know you were looking.

“ my gun doesn’t have a scope “ she held out her own gun to you, swapping it with your own

“ have at em “

“ alright “ you moved to stand closer to her, looking through the scope at the small group of runners aimlessly wandering around across the way.

You were a pretty decent shot. Better than others in town for sure. But you were no one if not an opportunist. So you missed your first two shots. And then your third. Repressing your smile when you heard her slightly frustrated sigh.

“ I’m getting there im getting there “ you said, missing a fourth shot.

“ you’re wasting all my fuckin ammo that’s what you’re doing. Come here “ she moved to stand behind you, her hands falling over yours to readjust your hold, her chest pressed firmly against your back. You didn’t hold back your smile that time, unable to hold onto the giant grin that spread across your face at her closeness “ now try “ she said, stepping back but holding her hands to your shoulders.

You made the shot. Of course you did. Even if it did take a second longer than normal to steady your aim, Tess’ hands on you throwing you off.

“ that’s it “ she praised “ good girl keep that up “ that threw you again, freezing a little at the term of endearment. The praise. From her. God you were fucked.

You cleared the ridge of infected and turned your head to look at her with a beaming smile.

“ pretty good huh? “ she was much closer than you’d thought, so close you could see the individual lashes on her eyelids, the freckles that sprinkled across her nose.

“ pretty good “ she confirmed, she had a slightly quizzical look on her face as she looked at you. Her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

[the-sidekick-club]

Tea on the rooftop garden ☕

@heroes-villains-side-blog★​​@tratieisdabest★@just-a-space-rabbit​​  

TW: Past Traumatic Event Mentioned, Serious Injury

❘〣❘〣❘✿❘〣❘〣❘

“Thank you for inviting me over for tea, Kim,” Mender said as she took another cinnamon roll. 

Kim smiled in reply. “Well, tea and cinnamon rolls are always better when you can share them, and sorry for the spontaneous message.”

They were sitting on the terrace of Kim's apartment building. When Kim had moved in they'd asked the landlord if they could make a garden on the rooftop, and they were allowed to, but on the condition that they would get half of everything Kim produced. 

But despite that, Kim liked spending their free time tending to their little rooftop garden. And since it wasn't harvest season yet, the two strange friends were enjoying the last of the summer sun in Kim’s little green haven. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Mender said, munching away. “These last two weeks have been so hectic, I really needed this break. And to just get away from all the hard work with the agency for a bit.” 

“I can imagine it’s been hectic, dealing with Dragonfly and all that. I mean, Nizorro Blimp News still hasn’t stopped talking about you!” Kim said with a light smile, but when Mender was not smiling back they pivoted, “Sorry… guess it’s been a lot. Is everything okay?”

“It’s getting better,” Mender answered after a small pause. “Because of the prolonged exposure to the Desolite in the power suppression cuffs, I had to spend two nights in the med-bay, though one of those days was just for observation. Still, I don't think I’ve ever felt that ill and weak before in my life.” 

Mender looked back up at Kim, who had remained silent, and part of her wanted to ask them about that night. Mender wanted to confirm her suspicion that it was them who had actually sabotaged the weapon, which helped to save both her and Shadows... But she knew that Hirra had already tried talking to Kim about that, and that they had denied doing it. Although Mender certainly didn't believe that Kim was telling the truth, she knew that she was not going to get Kim to talk about it yet. “Just glad that Lady Alexandria took all the interviews for me, so I didn’t have to,” she finally said after the small silence.

“Well…” Kim said, “let’s just hope the worst is over and that you get a nice event-free week.” 

“Ha! In this city? Keep dreaming!” Mender said, smiling.

Meanwhile, only one block over, Hirra was sitting on another rooftop, spying down at the two with her binoculars. “I can’t believe this!” she grunted. “That crime-stopping, goody two-shoes of a hero sidekick! That's my sibling! You sibling-thief!” she yelled as she saw the two laugh at one of Kim’s jokes, still unaware of her presence. Finally, she whispered, “Time for some sneaking!” and began to move closer.

“What recipe did you use for the cinnamon rolls?” Mender asked Kim just as she was about to take another one. “They taste so different from the ones my family makes.”

“It’s a Northern recipe,” Kim answered, “it’s less sweet and has different icing. Shadow and I have been making these for years. I can give you the recipe if you like–”

“NO! YOU. WILL. NOT!” Hirra jumped down in front of the two. 

Mender immediately took a battle stance, startled. But didn't get out of it once she realized it was just Hirra. While the two were sort of friends after the creating the sidekick club, and regularly had study sessions together, the two were nemeses… ish. Anyway, to prevent harm to either friend, Kim quickly got in-between them both. “Hirra? How long have you been spying on us?”

“Long enough! How dare you? You can't just give out Shadow's secret recipe like that!” Hirra said, tone clearly indicating outrage. 

“Secret recipe? Oh, Hirra…” Kim said, trying to calm their sibling. “Shadows and I found that recipe online! It’s not a secret.”

“It’s secret as far as I'm concerned! ALSO!” Hirra yelled even angrier, before mumbling quietly, “Why did you only invite her…?” She looked over at Mender, who now felt awkward and confused. 

“Because,” Kim said, while planning their words carefully, “sometimes it’s NICE to only have one person visiting at a time. Like, as a completely random example, a movie night with homemade stew and snacks this Friday.” 

There was a silence that fell over the trio before Hirra let out a single “Oh… you only invited me?”

“Yup!” Kim said, slightly sarcastic but still gentle. 

“Right…” Hirra said before turning to Mender. “HA! You only get a dumb tea party with Kim, while I get a full movie night!” But before Mender got to make a comeback, Hirra had already gone for the cinnamon rolls “But I’ll still take those!”

“OI!” Kim yelled as Hirra jumped off the building and ran off,  “HIRRA! Get back here with our cinnamon rolls!” they yelled, but it was too late, as she was already gone.

“Do you want me to go after her?” Mender chuckled, as she looked down to the streets below. 

But Kim only smiled before turning away, “No, you’re still on break! Now, if you'll excuse me for just a moment.”

“Where are you going?” Mender asked as Kim opened the doors to the stairs. 

“Getting more cinnamon rolls! I always make a double batch of them. I’ll be back in just a moment!” they answered as they closed the door behind them.

Mender was just about to sit back down before Kim suddenly got back out again. “Hey!” they said, grabbing Mender’s attention.

“Yes?” Mender asked, slightly disappointed that Kim had come back empty-handed. 

“Do you want to watch a movie? As revenge on Hirra for the stolen cinnamon rolls,'' they asked, grinning. 

Mender grinned back; they would absolutely love to watch a movie, and rub it in Hirra’s face. 

So, a few hours later, as Hirra finished munching the last cinnamon rolls, she got a notification on her phone. It was from… Mender? She rarely sent Hirra texts. What if she and Kim were hurt?! She quickly clicked on the notification to see… A SELFIE OF THEM AND KIM WATCHING A MOVIE WITHOUT HER and… MORE CINNAMON ROLLS??? Those backstabbers… 

Then again, maybe she should have seen it coming that Kim would do something in retaliation for their stolen snacks… 

“Touché.” she mumbled to herself. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[ali-annals]

The Meeting

G | Jason apprehends a burglar. Marinette gets a secret admirer or two. | 0.4k 

Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4     Part 5     Part 6     Part 7   Part 8     Part 9

Hood lowered his binoculars. Someone in a black leather and armoured costume was slinking around his base. No one should know it was his base, much less that he was here, so was this someone for Talia, who was letting him crash here?

If so, were they for Talia, or ‘for’ Talia?

Deciding it was better safe than sorry, Hood returned his helmet to his head and took off.

~~~~~

Lady Bug leapt to the window, having carefully calculated the momentum she needed and the correct timing so the sensors wouldn’t go off. She gasped as something grabbed her ankle and yanked her down.

Twisting to face her opponent, she withdrew a baton from her belt and extended it. Opposing her was a tall, built man in dark grey and a red helmet. Guns and various knives were strapped all over his body.

“Who are you?” they blurted at the same time.

“I’m Red Hood, who are you?”

“Lady Bug. Why are you here?”

“I live here. Why are you here?” he repeated.

“To visit someone. Clearly they’re not here,” she sniffed.

“Who’re you looking for, Little Bug?” he straightened from his defensive posture.

She bristled. “I’m not a little bug. Why I’m here is none of your business.”

“It’s my business when you’re breaking into my place to get it,” said Hood dryly. “It’s in my interests to help you, so you don’t get taken out by one of my extensive security precautions. Cleaning up bodies is so boring after a while.”

“Especially when they’re where you live,” she agreed. “Fine, I’ll go.”

She turned and leapt up various hand and foot holds to the top of the fifteen-foot barrier around the property.

Perching at the top, she paused and called down, “I don’t suppose you’d tell me a clue to the Dragon’s new quarters, would you?”

“You suppose correctly,” he called back cheerily.

Flipping him off, she dropped off the wall and disappeared into the night.

~~~~~

The next day Jason called Talia.

“Hey, T, it’s me. Do you know why a Lady Bug was buzzing around my place last night, looking for you?”

“Lady Bug, you say?” mused Talia. “Hm…I believe I do. If you come across her again, do give her a clue to my whereabouts. I’m curious about this one.”

Talia, curious about someone? That person was valuable, Jason considered. Lady Bug had two new admirers.

[sankta-starkova]

BURN IT DOWN

005; THE AXE FORGETS

previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

summary: the one where harlow kaz goes into a new mission with her best friend to help the rebellion but ends up meeting a man who changes her life completely

wordcount: 1.3k

It was finally the day to leave and go on the mission and Harlow wasnt ready, she never would be ready but she had decided that she had to be.

She walked along the mountainside, remembering the Bonfire last night as she walked away from the last five months spent with her best friend in Aldhani.

"What's an imperial Lieutenant getting involved on this?" Cassian asked, breaking the silence between him and Vel.

"What difference does it make?" Vel questioned, now understanding why Harlow always said that he asked too many questions.

"Everyone else seems to know," he said and she sighed, looking over at the group before quieting her voice.

"He fell in love with a local woman and they killed her, he lost his taste for the empire," She explained, looking over at Cassian, "Everyone had their own start to a rebellion,"

"And Harlow and Cinta," he asked and Vel shook her head.

She knew what he meant, a man doesn't just look at a woman in that way if he didn't have some sort of feelings towards her.

"Don't get too attached. Me, Cinta, Harlow and Nemik are heading back to Coruscant as soon as this is over," she said, looking away from him.

"I'm just curious," he said, stuttering over the first few words slightly.

"You're not thinking with your head," she said, practically spitting the words at him.

"Who are they?" He asked, his voice more forceful this time.

Vel sighed, "Their parents and village were killed by stomtroopers and they moved in with a rich family on coruscant," she explained.

Cassian nodded his head slightly, now it made sense as to why she hated the empire so much, why she had gotten angry at luthen when he mentioned his dead father.

They were going to make it out alive and that wasnt a doubt, she had planned this perfectly and if they stayed on time it should work out.

They walked for around another hour before Vel called a break, the group stopping in a clearing.

Harlow turned around to see Skeen holding his knife to Cassians throat, her eyes going wide as she watched the scene unfold.

"Don't move, cause you know what'll happen," Skeen said, focusing all of his attention on Cassian.

Harlow jumped into a fight or flight mode. She started to walk over against her better judgement, holding her gun out and pointing it at Skeens head, "Put the knife down Skeen," she ordered.

He looked back at her and pulled the knife towards him, slicing off the necklace around Cassians neck. He held it up and they all looked at the blue sky kyber that Luthen had given him.

"I knew it, I knew you were lying," he said, showing the necklace to everyone, "Sky kyber, he comes here with nothing but a 30,000 credit necklace,"

He steps away from Cassian but she still pointed the gun at him, her resolve clear as she cocked the blaster.

"He won't say why he's here and Harlow won't stop protecting him so please explain it to me," He said

"Put the gun down," Vel said, looking at Harlow and she shook her head. Vel repeated the statement again and Harlow held her hand up in surrender, putting the gun back in the holster, "We don't have time for this,"

"You know exactly who I am and you know I'll kill you for it," Cassian said, his voice clearly angry as he took a step towards Skeen.

"Everyone stands down," Taramyn said, his hand hovering over the gun in his holster.

Nemik called out that there was a ship coming and they all froze, stopping their fighting until he shook his head, looking through the binoculars, "I think we're okay, it's not heading here,"

"Well talk when we're safe," Vel said.

Vel walked in the back with Cassian, questioning him about the mission when he asked her about the

"I'm being paid," Cassian announced and everyone turned to look at him, "To be here, you need to know and that's it. I'm here for the money and if you can't live with that then I'll walk away and wish you luck,"

She stood with Taramyn, the two talking about the mission when she heard Vel let out an angry noise.

"The day before is always hard, too much time to worry," Cassian explained, "To take a risk like this, there's a difference between fear and losing your nerve,"

He looked out at the group of people around him, their scared faces that they tried to hide with confidence but he saw through it.

"You want out of this, make a choice, don't use me as an excuse," he said and everyone stood there, silent

"Harlow?" Taramyn questioned, "Did you know?"

"I knew, actually I'll come forward and say I brought him here when I saved his ass from the empire," She explained, not afraid of what she'd done.

"Who's paying him," Skeen questioned, narrowing his eyes at him.

"I can't tell you," she stated. Harlow wasn't going to give him up.

She stood there as everyone was silent for a second, "Is it your dad?" Taramyn questioned.

"He's not my dad," she said.

Cassian looked at her, curious as to what was going on. She seemed angry when she said that, almost like she didn't want people to hold this over her.

"Cinta?" Taramyn questioned, his suspicious eyes and interrogation moving over to her.

"They didn't tell me," she stated and he nodded, believing her.

"Lets get to the camp in one piece and you can kill us when we get there okay," Vel said, stopping the arguing as she began to walk off.

"You knew this?" Taramyn asked, looking at Vel.

Everyone started to follow her, Harlow and Cassian walking silently in the back, both of them feeling like outcasts in the group.

He could tell that the group was a lot more tense now and he hadn't meant to cause such an issue within the group.

"Yeah, I did," she said, looking over at him, "I joke that I saved you but uh, you kind of saved me there too,"

"Is he your father? That man?" Cassian asked and she shook her head.

"No, and that's a long story," she said, looking away from him. She had only known him for a few days and wasn't willing to share her entire life story with him yet.

"I've got time," he said, a half hearted smile on his face and she shook her head.

"I don't, now pick up the pace," Harlow ordered, walking faster and leaving Cassian slightly behind.

When they stopped walking, she stood in the back still, not wanting to cause any more uses than she'd already caused.

"We need to signal soon, let's get a fire up, let's go," Vel said, looking over at Skeen who started gathering wood.

Nemik walked over and stood next to her, neither of them saying anything and honestly, she didn't want to say anything.

"I'm sorry for not telling you Nemik," Harlow said, looking at her friend.

"It's okay 'Low, I get it, you had to protect him," he said, a smile on his face, "I trust you,"

"The choice was take him or call it off," she admitted, looking around at the shocked faces of the group.

She didn't know how to respond to that so she just stood there, taking a deep breath as she prepared for the mission that would change their lives.

"You didn't have to stand up for me like that," he said, looking into the distance at the rest of them.

[aelwynoshaughnessy]

got possessed & wrote a drabble

Kristen Applebees drives her guardians insane.

This is nothing new, seeing as she's been one of Jawbone's strays since she was fourteen; she is chaotic and loud and clumsy and she never remembers to switch her food out of the fridge before it goes rotten.

That does not mean, in any respect, that her guardians don't love her just as fiercely as the rest of their kids. Ergo, the current scene.

"Gimme," says Sandra Lynn, nudging Jawbone lightly so he passes over her ranger binoculars. "Any intel?" "She's just... God, I have never seen her sit this still for so long," Jawbone murmurs. Sandra Lynn fixes the zoom Jawbone fucked up so she can get a better look until Lydia pulls the binoculars from her hands.

"I still think we should've gone with the kids," Lydia says. The Bad Kids, off their own insistence and Kristen's slight bafflement, are perched in the singular tree outside Krom's, Riz hanging by his tail so he can read Kristen's lips.

"I think that would have gone poorly," Jawbone says gently. "Her parents hate everything we are. We've got to let her take the leap safely-- and that means watching from here. Anyway, Aelwyn threw like six wards on Kristen. If her folks try anything, they're going to get blasted all the way to Mumple."

The three adults of Mordred Manor reflect on that for a moment before Sandra Lynn groans and throws up her hands.

"I'm going insane." "Go do a lap around the house, babe," Lydia suggests. "I'm not going to run a lap. One of my kids is talking to people who hurt her really badly and god damn if I don't want to kill them. I'm staying right here."

"So are we," Jawbone soothes, squeezing her hand. "Lyd, can I borrow the thingy?"

"You know they're called binoculars, you're just annoying me," Sandra Lynn says.

"Oh, absolutely. That's my job! I'm a bit guy!"

The three of them smile at each other for a second and Jawbone checks on Kristen again. "Okay, they're arguing, but Kristen's clearly got the upper hand. We're good. Oh, come on, Fabian, put the sword away--"

Once the discussion leads-- as it always was-- to the Bad Kids teleporting through the window and causing a ruckus, Sandra Lynn sighs and drops her head against Lydia's shoulder.

"We should work on grabbing Kristen's brothers, too. We don't have enough kids here."

Jawbone snorts and Lydia cackles.

"I'm not kidding," Sandra Lynn says, stubborn as anything, as both her partners press a kiss to her forehead.

"Oh, we know you're not," Jawbone replies.

"Before Ragh n' Track left they tried a jailbreak and only stopped on Kristen's insistence," Lydia reports. "The second Kris gives the go-ahead, those boys are comin' right here. It'll be good for 'em."

Jawbone stands and stretches. "Okay, 'm gonna make biscuits for Kris when she gets home. Can you two make sure to tell her all her feelings are valid ones n' shit?" "I'm gonna threathen to make her parents my new target practice," Sandra Lynn vows, and Lydia holds up her spear in solidarity.

"That works, too." (When Kristen Applebees gets home, all three of her guardians hug her long and tight. It's exactly what she needs.

Across town, Bucky Applebees stares at his bedroom ceiling and allows himself to wonder about paths outside of the one he's been given.)

Kristen meeting up with her parents in Krom's Diner is funny to me because it conjures the image of Sandra Lynn, Jawbone, and Lydia watching through a Mordred window with binoculars making sure that nothing bad happens

[mconsent]

What the Future Holds for Eye Care Offices | mConsent

Providing comprehensive eye care to infants and children requires specialized approaches and tools. Pediatric patients have unique needs due to challenges with cooperation, communication, and accurate testing.

Fortunately, recent innovations are equipping optometrists with better technologies and techniques to enhance pediatric vision care.

Implementing these advancements will help optometrists detect issues sooner, slow progression of disorders, and improve vision outcomes for children.

1. Advanced Photoscreening Systems

Photoscreening devices provide a critical first vision screening for children as young as 6 months. The handheld devices use infrared cameras to photograph the eyes and detect several amblyopia risk factors within seconds without child cooperation.

This allows lifesaving early detection of issues like strabismus, high refractive errors, and media opacities that warrant further evaluation.

2.Enhanced Handheld Autorefraction

Devices now allow quick, portable autorefraction and keratometry testing on pediatric patients.

The animated displays with familiar shapes and characters keep children engaged and minimally distracted for more reliable readings even on pre-verbal patients. This aids early detection of significant refractive errors.

 3. Myopia Control Methods

New techniques like overnight orthokeratology, low-dose atropine eye drops, and specially designed contact lenses have proven up to 60% reduction in myopia progression in children.

Starting these interventions promptly at the first signs of myopia allows prevention and slowing of pathologic high myopia severity later on.

4. Expanded Amblyopia Treatment Options

Traditional amblyopia treatment using eye patching has expanded to include new modalities like iPad apps, Bangerter filters, and office-based vision therapy activities.

These can improve compliance and outcomes by offering more varied stimulation and treatment engagement. This reduces long-term visual deficits.

5. Objective Accommodative Testing

Dynamic retinoscopy and handheld devices allow objective measurement of focus and accommodation abilities.

This aids early diagnosis of accommodation anomalies like deficiencies and infacilities that can significantly impact learning.

6. Immersive Binocular Testing

Virtual reality headsets allow advanced 3D testing of binocular vision function using immersive games and activities.

This allows earlier identification of issues like convergence insufficiency, lazy eye, and subtle depth perception problems that may be missed on static clinical testing.

7. Pediatric-Friendly Refraction Tools

Refraction apps on iPads allow game-like activities to keep pediatric patients engaged during the subjective refraction process for more accurate and efficient prescriptions. Automated phoropters also minimize the need to switch lenses manually.

8. Genetic Testing for Diagnosis

Genetic tests from dry blood samples can identify over 300 inherited retinal and optic nerve disorders. This allows earlier diagnosis and management guidance without requiring child cooperation for imaging procedures.

9. Specialized Contact Lens Fitting

Smaller contact lens diameters, customizable peripheral curves, and advanced fitting techniques accommodate children's eyes as they grow. This expands contact lens correction options for pediatric patients.

Conclusion:

From photoscreeners to genetic tests, groundbreaking technological and clinical advancements are shaping the future of pediatric optometry.

Implementing these innovations will equip your practice to provide optimal eye care for infants and children. Leveraging the latest pediatric vision care tools and techniques demonstrates your commitment to helping every child see clearly and thrive.

[lifewithchronicpain]

I can’t believe the eclipse is almost here. I have been waiting for it ever since I looked it up in 2017 when the eclipse back then was nowhere near me. I’ve packed my suitcase and made sure to include the eclipse glasses and my binoculars only to be use during totality.

I’m glad I get to experience it with family but I feel bad for the niece, she’s 3 so she might not remember or if she does it might be vague. Nephew is 5 so he has a better chance of remembering the event more clearly.

I’m also looking forward to the clear night skies during a new moon for some excellent constellation viewing.