#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

[htchnr]

꩜ 03 missed kisses 𑣲 B. POINDEXTER.

𖦹 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𖦹 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐤𝐨-𝐟𝐢!

「 ꜜsummary,, Dex discovers that you've been sketching him + your first official meeting. author notes at the end. 」

「 ꜜcontent,, not beta'd yet cus i'm tired ⋆ stalking ⋆ obsessive behaviour ⋆ small talk ⋆ slight teasing/flirting(?) ⋆ Dex's brain short circuits ⋆ delusional thoughts. ꜜwc,, 1,7k. 」

© 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐇𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐍𝐑. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫!

it's late in the evening, the summer sun has started to set as you and Dex sketch away. your new favorite show is playing in the background-- Criminal Minds-- and Dex finds humor in the show of choice.

the volume's low, barely audible for Dex. he knows you'll have it on a reasonable, yet clearly audible volume. unlike your upstairs neighbor, you actually take into account that you have neighbors and dislike having anything turned up too loud.

besides, he knows you've got sensitive ears and are very sensitive to migraines.

his watch beeps as the current episode ends, eleven o'clock. it takes you a few minutes, assumably to finish up your current thought while drawing, before you pause the credits and get up to stretch.

you exhale deeply and dramatically, setting your sketchbook on your coffee table. you mosey into your kitchen, making a mug of tea for yourself. Dex hums, tea does sounds good right now. but his strong curiosity for what you're drawing drowns out the thought of tea.

he picks up the binoculars with two lazy fingers, moving to hold the object better as he peers through them. once he gets a clear, slightly slanted view of your sketchbook, his breath hitches and his eyes widen. it's a sketch of him.

he lowers the binoculars quickly, his heart rate picking up a tad. he swallows, looking down at his own sketchbook; it's a sketch of you, while you're drawing.

for him it makes sense, he knows you. but you don't know him. maybe you've seen him down at the store? or maybe in the foyer in passing? no, he would've known.

you come back into view in your living room, setting your fresh mug of tea down on the coffee table. you pick up your sketchbook again, looking over the drawing. you're smiling.

Dex can barely stop a smile of his own stretching across his thin lips, his hazel eyes wide in awe and disbelief at the whole sight.

it's safe to say, that he'll carry this moment with him for weeks and months to come.

⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎... ⋙

it's been three weeks and four says since that day, and it still brightens Dex's day each time he thinks about it. he's walking through the park out front of the apartment complex, you're sitting on a bench beneath a tree, sketching away peacefully.

he observes how your bench is the only one with extra space, seeing as it's in the shade and slightly away from the main area. all the other benches are occupied, everyone's enjoying and soaking up the sun.

he takes a deep breath, trying to steady his heart rate as he slowly meanders in your direction. he shoves his hands in his pockets, deciding that this will be the day you officially meet.

" i'm sorry to bother, do you mind if i sit next to you? " his voice is steady, his expression neutral, but warm. everything that would make him seem as harmless as possible.

you look up, eyes a little wide. Dex watches your face heat up a little as your eyes meet his. you swallow, angling your sketchbook away from him ever so slightly. " uh, yeah- sure! " you smile up at him, and Dex's brain is going haywire.

he returns the smile, sitting down beside you where you've made a little extra space. he's quiet for a few minutes, pretending to be interested in the view off to the side. when in reality he's trying to soak up as much of your perfume as possible, the scent is so very you and he cannot get enough of it.

" great weather this week, huh? " he asks, keeping his eyes ahead of him.

you hum from beside him, your pencil scratching away at the paper. he feels the slight weight of your eyes every few minutes when you try to glance subtly at him. he's guessing it's to get his features just right.

" yeah, i'm so glad the storm's passed. nothing quite beats drawing in the park with weather like this. " you smile, not lifting your eyes from the paper.

Dex teasingly glances to the side, " drawing? " he's grinning oh-so wide internally. " mind if i ask what you're drawing? " he knows what you're drawing, it's a sketch of him, but he wants to hear you say the words.

you look up, a shy yet equally teasing look on your face. you angle the book away a little more with a smile. " an artists never spills their work-in-progresses. "

Dex grins, this day will hang around in his thoughts and dreams for the rest of his life, he thinks. he nods, leaning back as he visibly settles against the wooden bench. " guess i'll just enjoy the weather while i wait then? " he watches you grin from the corner of his eye, the expression reaching your eyes.

it's comfortably quiet as you two sit together. Dex listens intently to the sound of your pencil against the paper, the scratching soothes his thoughts about work the past few weeks. he smiles to himself as he imagines the next episode of your show playing, closing his eyes as he immerses himself in the fantasy.

you, curled up beside him on the couch as you both draw. the show playing in the background at a volume between the two levels you two prefer-- a loving compromise.

it's so soothing, Dex actually loses track of the time a little. the beep of his watch is the thing that pulls him out of his thoughts. he blinks, his eyes adjusting to the sun again. he looks over to the side, finding you hastily looking away with warm cheeks. he smiles.

he turns to face you, an arms swung over the back of the bench. " have i seen you around here? " he squints a little, all part of the perfect act.

you look up, a sheepish smile on your lips. " maybe, " you trail, gauging his reaction. when he leans in a little, feigning suspicion, you cave. " i live in the apartment complex back there, " you nod to the building. " i've seen you around in the foyer a few times. "

Dex's heart skips at your words-- you've noticed him. his lips twitch, trying to keep his mask up. " ah, that must be it. " he nods, taking a choreographed glance around the park to take his eyes off you. in a few seconds his eyes return to yours. you've returned your attention back to your drawing, a warm smile on your lips.

he grins, " so, potential neighbor. any chance i can sneak a peek before i head back inside? " he teases. he doesn't actually want to head inside, but he's noticed the buzz of his phone which could only mean a case.

you look up, holding the sketchbook to your chest. you squint at him, as if dramatically thinking about your answer. " that depends. " you offer.

Dex raises a brow before leaning in. he's never one to back down from a challenge. " ..on what? " he returns curiously. externally, he's calm and playfully interested. internally? he's a smiling, hopeful mess.

you grin at his response. " i'll show you a peek, if you give me your name. "

Dex mirrors your grin. this afternoon is going even better than he imagined. he holds out his hand, keen hazel eyes watching your face for any signs.

you reach out, and Dex tries to mentally brace himself for the feeling of your hand. and to his credit, he only lets a twitch of his brow slip as your hand embraces his. " it's Dex. " he nods, trying to keep his voice neutral.

Dex almost fears that you can hear his brain malfunction at the feeling of your painfully soft hand in his rough and calloused one. his hand is much large than yours, yet you've still got a firm handshake.

you grin, " Dex? huh, it suits you. " you chuckle. he can feel himself almost drown in the way you say his name, as if you're testing how it feels on your tongue. he's so caught up in replaying the sound that he just barely catches your name. he knows your name, but it sounds so soft and pure coming from your lips rather than his thoughts.

you two let go, his hand returning to his lap and yours returning to hold your sketchbook. " well.. given the time, i'm going to head back up as well. " you say as you glance down at your phone. right, he had gotten that message he needed to check. he had almost forgotten while swimming in the warmth of your hand.

you stand up, pulling a page loose from your sketchbook. Dex cringes internally at the sound, an action he'd never do to his own book. his hazel eyes widen as you gently push the piece of paper into his view, a happy yet sheepish smile on your lips. " you can have it. "

Dex takes the page, and before he can properly take in the contents you've already started walking away. " have a nice rest of your day, Dex! " you call out, waving in his direction with your free hand.

he scrambles around his thoughts, a little overwhelmed by each thing he wants to respond to. " you have a nice day too! " he returns, mirroring your small wave as he watches you turn around and disappear through the front door to the complex.

he glances back down at the paper, his wide eyes sweeping the page eagerly. his own face stares back at him, drawn from the side. he's smiling in the drawing, a genuine smile. Dex finds that he can't wipe the muscle-aching smile off his face even if he would want to.

and at the bottom of the page, written in neat handwriting;

'to Dex :)'

「 ꜜauthors note,, they finally officially met!! i kinda wanted to drag it out longer and have it be a while till they met, but this idea popped into my head and i just hadddd to write it. 」

「 ꜜdex taglist,, @imnez-daydreams @lovelydivs @babyangeldex @cosmic-marauder @13eyond13elief @weallhaveadestiny @princessstar655 @kittytw0 @karinas-void @dragonamongwolves @madelynneb @sotragedynut . 」

𑣲 join the taglist ٠࣪⭑꩜.ᐟ

[cuckoo-on-a-string]

Pay the Piper Verse 2

mdni

Chapter summary: The pirates won't fuck off as requested. Problems abound.

Master list

Chapter warnings: blood, violence, bullets, implied threat of massacre, language (as always)

A/N: I alternate "verses" (main story arc chapters) with "leitmotifs" (critical flashback chapters with contextual adventures). It's a play on One Piece's own style and a way to keep things fresh.

I do not curate tag lists, but I do reply to comments when the next chapter goes live!

“What are they doing?”

The captain grunted. “Thought you were the clever little genius.”

You glared from the corner of your eye, refusing to lift your chin from its rest on your folded arms. “Clever doesn’t mean psychic.”

“Obviously.”

Together, you watched the problem trailing in your wake.

Although they hadn’t done as you’d requested, your hunters hadn’t closed on the Marines’ tub. Not when they refused your kindly plea to fuck off. Not in the hours after. You sat on the aft railing, puzzling over the situation.

Every time you lifted your spyglass, you caught sight of Red Hair himself, relaxing in the same place. Watching you just as you watched him. The fucker waved when he caught you peeping.

You nearly swallowed your damn tongue.

The world really had gone mad.

A spar shrieked with strain, and you patted the ship, apologizing for the chip you’d dug out of her paint the day before. It wasn’t her fault she’d survived so many years at sea without appropriate reward for her good service. The poor thing was just doing her best. If she survived, the Marines might finally retire her, and she’d be sold off to a civilian fishing venture. Her final days would be full of quiet sailing in shallow waters with a home port to shelter in every night. Fish guts were better than men’s, you imagined, even if you were a boat.

You eased back, freeing a hand to tap the folded spyglass against your forehead. Eyes closed, you begged the thing for vision. Some insight. Perspective, maybe.

This mission had enough obstacles without bloodthirsty pirates.

They were clearly playing with you. But you didn’t know what they’d take as a prize if they came aboard. If they even wanted to come aboard.

Fuck it all.

Grunting you dropped to your feet and turned your back to the enemy. This close, anyone with observation haki – or a particularly good pair of binoculars – could read lips.

“What do you plan to do?”

The captain snorted, dropping his arm across his face. He wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even he knew the absolute basics of strategy. Don’t tell the enemy your plans. Hopefully, he didn’t consider you one.

“Taking orders now?” he asked.

“Of course not.” You secured your telescope, shoulders loose and feet spread, hoping you looked calm from the pirates’ point of view. You were trying to run on ice, and if the captain decided to act of his own volition, you’d all sink to hell together. “I just like to be informed.”

His grip flexed around the binoculars, eyes darkening. Jaw ticking, he glared across the water.

“When they make their move, we’ll be ready to fight.”

You threw your head back and laughed.

Exactly what you’d expect from a marine with more brass than brains. Grinning with all your teeth, you rounded on him.  

“Adorable how you assume they’d cross blades instead of just broadsiding us.” Stepping closer, making sure you couldn’t be overheard, you took aim at his confidence. Hesitation on his part could stall the inevitable long enough for a new avenue to appear. Ego be damned. You wouldn’t die for a man’s pride.

“There won’t be a fight. Even if they don’t blow us to splinters with their superior range, Red Hair is one of the most fearsome men in the world. He blinks. We die. Don’t be thick. He fells vice admirals with his haki alone. You either got a hell of a promotion before we left, or you’re batting out of your league.”

Your shot landed, and the man snapped like a wounded animal. He snarled, shoving you out of his path, and you obliged, spinning away to his blow barely grazed your shoulder. You wanted to make a point, not pick a fight. Let him lick his wounds in peace. You’d be an adult and keep watch.

He stomped down to the main deck, the wood groaning under his assault. If the pirates didn’t destroy the ship, a few temper tantrums might just do it.

Without the captain of your ship eating space and sanity at your side, you felt the eyes of the other captain stabbing into the back of your head. Why did it feel so personal? So targeted? His determined fixation would get people killed. Not that a pirate would care, but – fuck’s sake – why couldn’t he just take the loot and leave?

Elbows on the rail, you dropped your head into your hands, fingers sinking through your hair and pulling until it hurt.

You refused to get your spyglass out again. You could still see his figure, even if his expression remained a mystery. From afar, you saw him raise an arm, holding something you deduced to be a cup when he brought it to his face.

A toast.

This bitch.

You wondered what to send him to express your regard. A barrel of shit. Rotten fish. Live rats. A pair of crushed walnuts.

He hadn’t played these games with the captain, at least not that you’d witnessed. You could imagine what stunning shade of red the man would turn if a pirate dared carry on with him in this manner.

So, that left the question: why you? The sea was a lonely place, but you doubted an emperor would be so desperately horny he’d chase down any ship with a woman aboard. And he’d been too far away to make out any figures at the hunt’s inception.

What did that mean?

Once he’d taken your necklace, the pirates kept up their pursuit, but they’d maintained that distance – close enough to see each other, but far enough to let everyone breathe.

It was like he wanted a conversation, like he was just waiting for the opportunity to pull alongside without escalating tensions to the breaking point.

Food for thought.

Honestly, you’d let him. If not for the marines. Red Hair would get what he wanted, one way or another, and appeasement might work if you were willing to give it another shot. A very, very risky shot. That the captain would not agree to.

This was why you traveled alone. It was impossible to make decisions with so many variables, so many others to consider…

An electric prickle ran up the back of your neck, jerking you out of your head.

Your intangible third eye snapped awake, staring wide into a scene of blood above deck and below. Casualties and regret and irreparable loss.

It sprang from the ship’s forecastle, from a sniper rifle’s barrel. The marine’s shot never fired. A bullet found his skull, scattering his thoughts into the thirsty deck. Men shouted. Weapons came to bear. Bullets picked them off. A canon shot cleared half the deck. Warped, aged wood couldn’t hold back the onslaught, and aborted screams rose with wailing cries from the hold before a crackling wave of haki left everything still.

You moved, and you felt the future alter with your steps. It flexed with your plans, two wills working over a chess board.

If you deflected the first shot – other marines fired. The end result was the same.

If you threw all your cards on the table and commanded the marines – you couldn’t see that future. It spun too far, but you knew what that gamble would cost. You didn’t need any special talent to see bounty posters and shackles creeping out to chain you. An end to your life, in one way or another. If you fell off the tightrope, the world would swallow you whole.

One option might work. The idea sprang from the waving figure of the pirate captain, his laughing refusal to simply fuck off, and the toast he raised to your frustration. He didn’t want treasure. He was after some sort of connection, chasing some link that tied back to you. If he just wanted to teach the marines a lesson for trespassing, you’d be dead already.

The plan would give you a few more minutes for a miracle, and a few minutes were always better than none at all. Besides, there was much less blood this way, and the old ship deserved a respite from violence.

You raced across the deck, ignoring the captain’s shouting as you rushed to end his little scheme. You’d definitely miscalculated there. His ego was too fragile to even look in a mirror. At the first pressure from reality, it shattered, and the shards would cut you all to ribbons.

Three steps from where the sniper lurked, peeking out from behind a mast on his knees, you felt your options narrow.

You were out of time.

“The fuck are you doing!”

You jumped in his way, shoving the barrel up so he fired into the clouds. There wasn’t time to brace the way you’d planned, and a bullet punched straight through you. It sent a shower of splinters from the prow, and a spray of your blood blinded the sniper. Rattled, the man didn’t even try to reload.

You fell against the mast, barely catching yourself as pain pounded through the shock. How bad was it? Not good. But not immediately fatal. You would’ve seen your death if it was that close.

You had your minutes.

Blinding rage flooded the ship, reaching over the waves to seize control. Conqueror’s haki. The sniper wilted at your feet, and the force of Red Hair’s oppressive aura knocked the wind out of you. You kept your feet, though, stumbling around to see a deck full of prone, useless men.

No canon shots, though. And only one bullet. Better than the alternative.

Still. The pirates were coming, and you had a job to do.

Usually, you had impeccable sea legs. Rough water and high winds meant nothing. But you couldn’t walk a straight line at the moment. Your vision swam, your brain struggling with a purely physical reaction to a serious wound, and cold dread curled around your heart as you pressed a hand to the hole. It was very warm. Very wet. You must be bleeding quite a bit.

You made it down to the main deck, swaying down to grab a pistol from a fallen marine as you headed below. Before you closed the door separating the crew quarters from the open air, you saw the Red Force’s dragon figurehead rise over the sails.

The sheer scale of the thing underlined the stupidity of it all.

It underscored the scale of the miracle you’d need to pull through this, too.

Well. The marines were down, anyway. No one around to see you break the rules.

Red Hair’s haki dropped off quickly. In tandem with the marines. Taking a deep breath that hitched on torn muscles, you pulled your focus together and flung it back. You had no hope of taking out the commanders, but every sword mattered in a fight, and you’d settle for clearing minions.

The dragon snarled closer, and you shut the door. Barricaded it. Limped your way deeper into the ship as you heard feet clatter aboard. You reached the door to the hold just as the first shoulder slammed into your little roadblock. Drums of war.

You knocked on the hold, hoping against hope Red Hair’s haki hadn’t reached below deck.

There was no response.

Winded, exhausted, you slid down the wall, aiming your pistol at the corner the pirates would have to turn to reach you. You didn’t have the energy to keep standing and hold the gun steady.

Hiding was out of the question. And you were the last line of defense.

Maybe if you lasted long enough, everyone would wake up and follow the emergency plan you’d drilled since leaving port. That meant facing a Yonko and his entire crew. Alone, just like you’d wanted.

The hall was better than the open deck. At least this way, you’d only have to face a few at a time. Though, depending on who came first, you might not get through any of them. You would not win against a Yonko. You would not win against his lieutenants, either, especially bleeding out with your back to the wall and something to protect.

Something snagged in your chest and you coughed. Iron and salt tinged the back of your throat with your next breath, and you wondered how much time you’d really won for yourself.

The door you’d blocked shattered, and running footsteps took on a new timbre in the ship’s hollow belly.

Your defenses hadn’t lasted a whole minute.

How, exactly, had this been the best outcome?

You were going to haunt Garp.

“Oi, oi!”

Far too friendly for the situation, the voice bounced down the passage. A sandaled foot slipped halfway out of cover, showing the speaker stood at the end of your little death tunnel. It wasn’t hard to guess who it belonged to.

Fucking fuck.

“That pistol won’t do either of us any favors. Put it down and let’s talk.”

You felt his haki pushing – far more gently than before but strong enough to turn the air thick in your mouth. You barely even thought of reacting. Instinctively, your haki slashed against his, feral and out of control. You took such pride in your precision. Shame you were going to die hissing and spitting like a cornered cat.

You cocked the hammer. “Can’t do that.”

“I’m standing in your blood.” Though still friendly, the voice grew heavier, less playful. An adult speaking to an adult, not a miscreant flirting his way out of trouble. “How long do you think you’ll last like this? Put down the gun. We have a doctor. He can help you.”

“Would’ve helped if you left when I asked.”

“You told me to fuck off.” He sounded delighted. You could hear his smile.

Your head thumped against the wood, a jarring little strike to keep you focused.

“I said please.”

Laughter you’d seen but never heard echoed through the space.

“That you did.” The man around the corner sighed, and you wondered how long you could spin out this standoff before he got bored. “You’re just the way I remembered you.”

What.

What?

“I don’t believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of a yonko’s acquaintance.” Staring even harder through the shadows, you waited for a trap, for a rush to take advantage of your distraction.

He must be lying. You’d never met Red-Haired Shanks.

But if he’d mistaken you for someone else…

“We never did have a proper introduction,” he agreed. “But I’m sure you remember.”

“I don’t know what you’re -”

A wobbly little voice said your name. Asked it, really. A frightened child looking for an adult. In the quiet belly of the ship, it was much too loud.

“Shit.” You glanced away from the end of the hall, shouting, “Don’t open the door!”

The child, a purple-haired squirt named Tevon, if you remembered right, sniffled, a wail haunting his words. “I fell down. All the mommies and aunties are asleep, and they won’t wake up.”

The yonko’s heavy sandal scraped over the boards as he adjusted his stance, and your gaze flicked back to the threat. Even if enough of the civilians behind the door woke before the pirates made a move, hiding was pointless. They’d been exposed.

You lifted a knee, snarling against the pain, and propped up your wrist to steady your sights.

“Ah.” The jubilant pirate captain turned serious. The warmth in his voice faded. “I think I understand.”

When in doubt – “You don’t know shit.”

He chuckled. It was dry. Almost derogatory.

“A bunch of women and children with a civilian escort on a Marine ship that barely deserves the name.”

In the quiet, you heard an infant start fussing. Because things couldn’t get any worse.

“Refugees?” Red-Hair asked. “And pirates are a particular threat. Enough for you to sacrifice something precious.”

A light chain rattled, rasping over callouses, and you had no doubt he was looking at your sacrifice as he spoke.

And he knew how much it mattered to you.

But you’d never met. Surely you’d remember…

“Families of the fallen from Marineford,” he concluded. “Am I right?”

The pistol wouldn’t stop him. You weren’t stupid, but you clung to it anyway. It made you feel like you could still do something.

“If they are?”

“Then you can put down the gun. We don’t hurt civilians.”

It sounded too good to be true, so you suspected it was. There would be a catch. A cost. Even merciful pirates were no angels.

“Then what do you want?”

“For you to stop bleeding!” After a moment’s rustling and vague cursing, an open hand appeared around the corner. “I’m unarmed, see? I’m gonna come to you, alright?”

You didn’t lower the gun, even as he slipped entirely out of cover.

“And I won’t shoot you because…?”

“You don’t want to.”

He took the journey one cautious step at a time, giving you plenty of time to study the great pirate effortlessly disregarding your last stand. Even in the gloom, you could make out his red hair and the long scars over his left eye. His black cloak whispered around him as he moved, strangely ominous in contrast with his colorful trousers. His attention stayed on you, just as yours fixed on him.

It felt eerily familiar.

Once he was close enough, he crouched in front of you, face even with the pistol. With two fingers, he casually pushed the barrel aside, and the weapon fell from your weakened grip.

He smiled wide. “See? Told you so.”

You glowered.

You should’ve shot him.

Rising, Red-Hair rapped his knuckles against the door to the hold, waiting until the growing sounds of shifting and groaning stilled. He only spoke when he had a rapt audience.

“You’re welcome to settle in my territory if any of you wish, and this ship has safe passage for as long as you’re aboard.”

He glanced down at you, and you found it increasingly difficult to look at all menacing from the floor, all labored breathing and numb hands.

“Unfortunately, your friend here was hurt in a misunderstanding, so she’ll be coming with us so our doctor can treat her.”

“Oh, hells no, I won’t.” Maybe it wasn’t too late to put a bullet in his smug face.

He ignored you.

“Tell the marines whatever you like. It’s a friendly kidnapping, but it is what it is.” He paused, considering. “Since we’re taking part of your defenses, I’ll have a crew flying our colors escort you. Apologies for the interruption. I hope you find your new homes soon and you have smooth sailing the rest of the way.”

Turning on his heel, he looked down the hall and called, “Beck! Have Hongo prepare the surgery, and tell Bonk Punch to come down here.”

You followed his line of sight just in time to see a tall, grey-haired man smoking a cigarette nod and head back towards the deck. “Got it, boss.”

Red-Hair knelt beside you, and you lashed out, planting your foot in the middle of his chest so he couldn’t get any closer.

“Hey, you’ll just bleed out faster if you fight like that.” He swept around the offending limb, getting his arm under your shoulders and hoisting you to your feet.

The pain was dazzling. For a moment, everything went white, and your ears rang. You felt the pirate captain all but dragging you along like a rag doll, and staying conscious took too much effort to even try resisting again.

“Here.” He handed you off to someone with two arms. You felt them curl around you, and suddenly your feet weren’t on the floor.

Yelping in agony and indignation, you threw your fading haki out in a wave.

It did nothing.

“Be careful,” the captain said, smile and mirth returned. “She’s a fighter.”

“I got her, Captain.”

Red-Hair’s voice faded as he walked away, and you blinked after his retreating figure. “I’m going to find our guest’s quarters and make sure we don’t leave anything important behind.”

The pirate carrying you climbed the steps to the main deck, angling your combined bulk through the shattered door, and the sun blinded you all over again.

You panted, fingers twitching in a vain effort to reclaim control as you were taken. A few marines had woken, and they sat at gunpoint as the pirates completed their business. They were hardly friends, but you still tried to plead with your eyes as the man carried you off.

Each one looked away.

Fucking cowards.

Over the deck, across the boarding ramp, and onto the pirate’s vessel – you were officially stolen goods.

[madrone33]

SPOILERS for Andor season 2 episodes 4-6

I've seen some people thinking that Bix and Cassian went rogue at the end of episode 6, and killed that man without Luthen sanctioning the mission, so I just want to clear up what exactly happened.

In episode 4, the same night Cassian and Bix semi-argued over dinner, Cassian wakes up and finds Bix by the window. He asks if she couldn't sleep because of Dr. Gorst again, but she replies, "Not tonight," and hands him some binoculars, saying, "Have a look. It's flashing."

When he looks out the window, he zooms in on a distant tower where the blue light at its tip is flashing:

Cassian sighs, laments, "We just got back," and then it cuts to Luthen talking to him about Ghorman.

This establishes that the tower light is a signal, a way for Luthen to discreetly alert them when he has a new mission for them, without the danger of using comms.

Luthen tells Cassian that Ghorman will be a solo mission - to Cassian's displeasure - and Bix has to stay behind when Cassian leaves at the end of the episode.

A lot happens in episode 5, but what's relevant is that while Cassian is en route to Ghorman, Luthen checks up on Bix and evaluates how she's handling things, which is not well, understandably, but that's not ideal for him. Cassian only finds out this happened when he gets home in episode 6, where he then recklessly confronts Luthen directly, pissed off that Luthen specifically waited till Bix was alone.

They argue. Luthen thinks Cassian is holding himself back because of Bix, and says, "I want her as strong as you do" but that she "has to pull it together," and Cassian is bitter that Luthen would've preferred if Cassian didn't have any attatchments and Bix wasn't in the picture to have to work around, accusing that, "It would just be easier if I was alone," which is a point that Vel and Cinta will also later talk about between themselves.

Cassian leaves after telling Luthen, "I came with you to be part of something. You want my blood? You help me work this out."

The scene directly following is with the ISB, where Major Partagaz tells Supervisors Lonni and Heert that the people in Military Intelligence have "convinced the Emperor that Dr. Gorst is too valuable to be a one-man, ISB asset. He's to be expanded into a program." Partagaz goes on to say that "the Navy's donated a facility here in Coruscant," and assigns the both of them to represent the ISB and keep watch on the program.

Lonni, being Luthen's spy, presumably informs him off-screen that same night.

A little later, between the scenes of Vel and Cinta planning with the Ghorman Front, it cuts to Cassian once again waking up to find Bix watching the window. She says the tower light's flashing again, and after he uses the binoculars to confirm, she tells him, "Whatever the mission is, I'm coming. Do you hear me?"

Cassian agrees - since he hadn't been happy with leaving her behind last time anyway - and the scene cuts back to Vel and Cinta.

What's not shown, is what Bix and Cassian's mission briefing actually entails. The episode doesn't show us when they meet with Luthen before he has to leave for Sculdon's party the next night, so we don't know what mission they were given.

Not until the end of the episode, when Bix and Cassian assassinate Dr. Gorst.

Reading between the lines, Luthen likely gave them this mission to kill three birds with one stone.

1) Gorst is clearly becoming more of a threat. It was bad enough when he was alone and just with the ISB, but a whole program being dedicated to him means that his device might be produced in a wider capacity and spread around. Better to stop it before it even begins. Now that they have the man's confirmed location, he has become a prime target.

2) Giving this to Bix puts her back in the game. Perhaps if Gorst was any other Imperial torturer, Luthen wouldn't have thought the risk worth it - blowing up a Navy facility right in the middle of Coruscant - but he did this with the intention that it would give Bix both revenge and closure, and thus help her heal and move on, at least a little. Taking out a dangerous military tool is a win, yes, but gaining back a skilled operative at the same time is an even bigger win.

3) Helping Bix will bring Cassian back in line. His weak spot has consistently been his family. But Maarva and Brasso are dead. Kerri and Bee and Wilmon are out of reach. Bix is all he has left. And that's both good and bad for Luthen, because Cassian will fight harder and fiercer to return to her, to keep her safe, but he will also fight more cautiously so that he can return to her, and might not take missions at all to stay and keep her safe. So getting Bix back out there - strong and determined and fighting - will put Cassian back out there with her, less protective and defensive, knowing that she can take care of herself, while at the same time proving to Cassian that Luthen does care about his agents and will take action in their favour, thus smoothing over the rift that was beginning to form between them.

Not super relevant to Bix, but in regards to Luthen's portrayal these episodes, in the scene where Mon asks him about Vel, he completely misses why she's asking, assuming instead that something happened and she has important information she needs to convey. When he asks, "Something urgent she needs knowing?" her stony reply is, "Yes. I care about her."

One big part in his character is how because he's lost and burned away everything about himself until all that's left is the Cause, he's forgotten that the people around him don't just think according to what's the most pragmatic and utilitarian thing to do.

Relationships within a community and a family and to each other are what ultimately drives a rebellion, because people care about each other and want to protect each other, want to fight for each other. And I think Maarva and Cassian and Mon reminded him of that.

[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 >

[daughterofevil158]

What kind of dates would each of Damon’s soulmates take him on?

(Toshiko is helping everyone set up and stalking watching them with binoculars to make sure everything's going okay)

◊ Diana: my heart tells me picnic date. Something simple but effective. She makes sandwiches and cuts them into hearts (and they probably taste delicious). She also spends the effort the night before to make melon pan from scratch for dessert (Damon if you fumble her i'm punting you). Diana would definitely be holding a fork out to Damon like "Say ah!" and bro is redder than her hair but does it (and returns the favor)

◊ Ulysses: Thinking strolls to the library, an hour or so of reading, then to the coffee shop afterwards. It's more about simply being together than the activities themselves (Damon looks up from his book to see that Ulysses is red-faced while reading a romance novel for better ideas. It's not even a spicy one man, and Damon's clearly not opposed to your current date ideas). Damon prefers this over something extravagant anyway.

◊ Wolfgang: something extravagant mostly kidding, but he doesn't go for anything super pricey because that wouldn't be fair to the others. Cliches are such for a reason: they'd go to drive-thru theaters so they can bring their own food and talk without being rude. ("Maybe we could kiss through the scary parts?" "I thought this was a romcom." "Yes, and?")

◊ Cassidy: 100% arcade dates. She teaches him the best games to go for and tricks to get the most tickets. Promises to get Damon the biggest prize they have that day and delivers most of the time (unless there's a different prize he has his eyes on or he's insisting that this time he's winning her a prize. Not that she'll let him beat her so easily or else he'd pout)

◊ Desmond: Probably an outdoorsy date. Definitely not hikes or anything extraneous on account of Damon's (poor) stamina, but maybe just a walk thru the park. If they're close to the coast, I can also see beach dates as an option (imagine Desmond collecting the prettier shells knowing they'll end up in Damon's room). If there's a carnival in town, Desmond is also winning all the gifts through decimating the accuracy-based games.

◊ Kai: Imagining ice cream dates. They'd get either two small bowls or a large sundae to share (only once has Damon given in to Kai's request for a large milkshake with two straws). Kai definitely lies about Damon having something at the corner of his mouth as an excuse to smooch him, and while photos of the ice cream might end up on his account, any shots he takes of Damon are solely for him (and maybe the others) to gush at later ("Dude, you look like a little chipmunk!" "Delete that.")

◊ Jett: my heart insists on scenic drives. Taking half a day to just go out of town and check out all of the nearby attractions, stopping at a diner they've never been to to try out the food, and heading back. It's all about new experiences here. (Jett introduces Damon to the wonderful concept of "fuck the rules, you can have waffles for any meal")

◊ Mark: ("Do we...need to be doing more that what we already have?" *sounds of getting smacked by a paper fan*) He goes for less...outgoing places, for lack of a better word (there is markmon aquarium date fanart that i've been rotating in my brain since i first saw it). I'm envisioning Mark quietly bringing up the idea of going to a cat cafe only for Damon to jump up with an excited yes before blushing and trying to play it cool. Also, slow dances to music from shared earbuds, methinks.

◊ Eva: (*sounds of getting smacked by a paper fan x2*) Probably nonchalantly invites Damon to go to a local convention then only realizes when they get there that "Wait, is this a date?" (Girl you are the one who asked). Conjuring up them getting little Gengar+Serperior keychains into reality. Damon doesn't know even half of the fandoms she's in but is completely engaged when she talks about them (yapper x listener).

[wowbright]

Anderson’s Guide to the Birds of North America, Chapter 8: Show Me Love

Summary: Fourteen scenes from the lives of Blaine Anderson, grad student and avid birder, and Kurt Hummel, clothing designer and Vogue writer, from before their first meeting during the COVID lockdowns of spring of 2020 through falling in love. Written for the Klaine Valentine’s Challenge 2025.

Also on AO3.

~~~

Chapter 8: Show Me Love

“Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your bucket!”

Kurt heard the call through the open window. He slammed his laptop shut and climbed out onto the fire escape. “What are you doing here, handsome? I was just about to get on Zoom for our chat!”

Blaine was down on the sidewalk, craning his neck to face Kurt. “I wanted to see you in the flesh! Plus, I have a present that cannot be transported over the internet.”

“A present? You know the ways of my heart!”

“Maybe. You should wait to make that judgment until after you see the present.”

Kurt reached back through the window for the bucket they kept there for deliveries ever since building management sent out a notice that the corridors and elevators were getting too crowded and people needed to spend less time in them. It was attached to a long rope Kurt had braided together from fabric scraps since the hardware store down the street was still closed.

As Kurt lowered the bucket down, Blaine rubbed his hands with sanitizer and pulled from his backpack a bundle the size of a very large bagel, wrapped in multicolored cloth with a pattern Kurt couldn't make out clearly from this distance, but seemed to match the fabric of Blaine’s mask.

The package felt slightly heavier than a bagel as Kurt hoisted the bucket back up. When he pulled the package out, he saw the fabric was a densely woven cream cotton muslin dotted with impressionistic illustrations of birds and their calls written next to their beaks in thin black cursive.

The brown bird with a yellow breast and black mask caught his eye. It was singing “witchity-witchity-witchity!” He pointed to it and called down to Blaine, “Is that a common yellowthroat?”

“You know what it is!” Blaine bounced on his toes and clapped.

“Of course I do!” Kurt had been reading the Field Guide to the Neighborhood Birds of New York City and Birds of New York City rather obsessively since borrowing them from Blaine. It was better than doomscrolling social media. “I figured I needed to learn the ones with ‘common’ in their names first!”

“You can keep the wrapping if you want. I’ve already made enough masks of it to outfit every birder I know with a different one for each day of the week.” Blaine pointed to his own mask.

“‘If I want’? As if I ever would have given this back to you! I have so many ideas for it already.”

“Of course you do.” Blaine chuckled. “Now, about what's inside, it's not brand new, but I cleaned it, and of course you could fumigate it with whatever except for … well, I'll tell you in a minute.”

Kurt untied the bundle and found, at its center, two masks of the same fabric and a neoprene case inside of which was tucked a pair of binoculars. “Blaine!” he squealed. And then again, “Blaine!”

“I couldn't stand that all you had were opera glasses to look through. These are going to give you so much better resolution. You'll get so much more detail, and of course the image is bigger, too. They were my introductory pair before I upgraded and I've always kept them around just in case and … Well, now’s my ‘just in case.’ They have a tight seal so you can wash them in soap and water—rinse them, I mean, don’t submerge them—and I already did that and I sanitized the outside with a diluted bleach solution and the lenses with rubbing alcohol and I wore gloves and I put the case through the laundry but you can do all that again if you want. Oh, and the masks have a polypropylene layer in the center because that’s supposed to be better for filtering …”

Kurt sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his freshly laundered sleeve. He'd become an old hand at not touching his face in the previous weeks. “Thank you so much. I can't—” He sniffled again.

“Oh,” Blaine said much more quietly. “I didn't mean to— Did I do something wrong?”

“No, dummy. It's perfect. You're perfect.” It wasn't just the binoculars. It was the fact that Blaine kept showing up for Kurt every single day since they had first met, that he so freely and unabashedly shared himself and the things he loved with Kurt and got equally excited over the things Kurt loved, and that he kept coming up with little and big ways to make Kurt happy during what would otherwise doubtless qualify as one of the shittiest times in Kurt’s life.

“Well, then. I’m glad you like it.” Blaine’s eyes danced. “And that you like me. I think you're pretty perfect, too.”

[starlitcorgi]

Fic Preview: Dragon AU

Tags: GoYuu, Dragon AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Aged Up Characters

Hi Guys so I don’t usually do this but it’s been ages since I’ve posted new works or updates. I’m finally all moved into my new house yay but it’ll be a few more days until I have time to really sit down and write. So I thought I’d post a section of a fic I’ve been working on for a while. I’ve wanted to do like a Dragon AU for a while so hopefully you guys enjoy this snippet. I’ve also been working on an original idea for like a light novel that I plan to give a GoYuu twist this year something fun and different. So yeah lots of plans as well as hopefully finishing off some of my ongoing works.

“Sensei are you sure about this?” Yuuta asks his voice laced with unease.

“You were right Yuuta, he’s here I can sense Suguru’s cursed energy. It was my screw up in Shibuya that lead to all this. There’s no way I’m letting him live a second longer than I have too” he states matter of factly.

“I get that you want him gone sensei but still we’re in another alphas territory and if it weren’t for his omega stepping in last time I wouldn’t be here to bring you here right now” he sighs running a nervous hand through his hair. He shudders as he recalls that unpleasant encounter with a being he never wanted to cross paths with again.

At first he’d thought the alpha he was looking at was his sensei despite the fact that said sensei had been sealed in the prison realm during the culling games. But in his defence they were identical, the only difference being that the immense power radiating from that alpha was not fuelled by cursed energy. It had made his hair stand on end and his alpha shake in fear, even Rika had been cowed under that forceful gaze.

Had it not been for the timely arrival of its mate he’s pretty sure he’d be dead and buried right now. Honestly if he’d not sensed Kenjaku’s cursed energy residuals around the perimeter of that things den, he’d have kept the entire ordeal to himself. But that omega had saved his life, had even been kind about it…so he owed him.

Whatever Kenjaku wanted from this bonded pair it can’t be good, so for better or worse he’d relayed the information to Gojou not long after he’d been freed. Of course the moment he learned that Kenjaku was lurking around here he’d wanted to track him down. Clearly this was personal for Gojou, his pride had been wounded not to mention the trauma of seeing his dead best friend being worn like a cheap suit by that parasite.

Still though he has an awful feeling about this…

“He really does look like me…how is this even possible?” Gojou murmurs clearly thinking out loud.

Not having the benefit of the six eye, Yuuta is forced to rely on good old fashioned binoculars to observe the scene playing out in a clearing a few meters ahead. Gojou inches forward manipulating his cursed energy, effortlessly concealing himself so he can get closer to listen in. It took everything Yuuta had not to shout out in surprise when his sensei yanked him along with him. Seriously would it kill the idiot to warn a guy instead of dragging him around like an unruly pup, it’s humiliating.

It’s things like this that piss his Kohai and senpei off, the man’s alpha seems to take pleasure in asserting his dominance at every given opportunity. Gojou is the strongest and when he’s not forgetting to impart important details he’s a pretty good sensei too but he has a mean streak. He hides it well behind false cheeriness and bratty behaviour until he doesn’t.

They crouch behind an ancient looking camphor tree, even with limitless wrapped protectively around them both Yuuta isn’t convinced they’re truly hidden. Luckily for them though Gojou sensei’s doppelgänger has his ire firmly fixed on Kenjaku and Uruame. Those radioactively blue eyes glaring down at the duo like a displeased god about to unleash punishment on unworthy worshippers.

“Leave” his voice rings out like splintered ice echoing off the surrounding forest.

“Not without my son” Kenjaku fires back, despite the appearance of strength he’s trying to convey Yuuta can hear the way his voice shakes, can smell the recoil in his scent. For now at least his sensei seems content to watch events unfold.

“Your son?” the alpha lets out a sharp bark of laughter “You dare call yourself a parent after what you did to my omega, what you plan to do to him?”

“Your omega?” Kenjaku questions right back “He’s barely an adult and you’ve tied him to you already? They say it’s impossible for two of you to exist at once but seeing you now…that insufferable arrogance…you’re a Gojou through and through” Kenjaku spits.

“Bite your tongue parasite, don’t speak of things you can’t even begin to comprehend. I’m no sorcerer and I haven’t been for a few millennia now” the alpha snarls baring fang. Uruame is shaking so violently it looks like they’re in the midst of a seizure, the air temperature drops as ice spreads along the ground.

“More to the point don’t speak of arrogance to me, you used these culling games to overturn the natural order. Your god complex is showing sorcerer, unsurprisingly though you don’t have the strength or the cultivation to back it up. What a pathetic god you’d be, you’re weak and inferior in every aspect and you dare to come to my home and try to abduct my mate” the air surrounding them is artic and were it not for Gojou’s infinity blanketing them they might just freeze to death.

“Don’t underestimate me” Kenjaku threatens but it holds no weight, he’s no match for this alpha and everyone here knows it. Clearly they’d been hoping to snatch the young omega from under his alphas nose because there’s no way they could beat him in a challenge “If you hadn’t interfered I’d already have won”

“You sorcerers are all the the same” the alpha taunts “you think cursed energy and Jujutsu are the only powerful forces in this world when in reality cursed energy is the weakest of all energy. So you sealed my descendant, did you really think he was the only one capable of stopping you?” he snorts in disbelief.

“So tell me then just what are you?” Kenjaku demands.

“I am what your dear friend Tengen should have become if he hadn’t allowed his cowardice to hold him back” the alpha smiles a smile so sharp you could cut yourself on it “I’m a dragon spirit and this is merely my human form”

“Nonsense” Kenjaku bellows clearly not prepared for such an answer, though why he found it so hard to swallow Yuuta wasn’t sure. He himself had been on the receiving end of that menacing aura when he’d accidentally found himself here last. It was obvious that the energy flowing through this alpha was potent and ancient. Being a mythical being suits him.

“Is it? I think you know it’s the truth, otherwise how could I have concealed him from you for all this time? If that child hadn’t stumbled into my domain during your little experiment you’d never have found us” he tilts his head smiling wider so his alpha fangs are on show.

“It can’t be, this wasn’t supposed to happen…you can’t…” Kenjaku growls in frustration.

“Ironic isn’t it? You worked so hard to create the perfect vessel for Ryomen Sukuna but instead you created the perfect mate for me. If you’d just stayed away from us I’d resolved to leave you for the sorcerers to deal with. Jujutsu affairs have nothing to do with me after all but if you insist on trying to feed that filth to my mate then I have no choice but to act” the air crackles with icy energy, he’s the living embodiment of winter.

It’s not obvious at first the way the air around them has changed, they’re protected by infinity after all. Until he looks at Sukuna’s follower more closely, he’s seen this curse user manipulate ice to torture his Kohai before. So he can’t help the satisfaction at seeing the element turned back onto them, like karma coming home to roost.

Great shards of ice spring from the ground piercing the sorcerers body, blood gushing from the wounds soaking through their pure white robes and turning them crimson. Uruame takes gasping breathes trying to breathe through the agonising pain but it’s clear that each one brings them closer to death.

It’s then that Yuuta realises they’re breathing in crystallised ice on the atomic scale, particles so small they can’t be seen by the naked eye. Death by a thousand cuts both external and internal, blood drips from their nose, their ears and mouth, even their tears are tinged red. The curse user is bleeding out in front of their eyes but as gruesome as it is he can’t seem to look away.

Even more terrifying he realises that the alpha gave no verbal commands, he didn’t use a hand gesture or seal meaning he didn’t need too. This alpha was so powerful that all he had to do to activate his abilities was to think it and if that’s the case he could attack them without any warning at all. It makes him shudder when he realises just how easy it would have been to end up in Uruame’s place. After only a few minutes the writhing and rattling breaths stop, Uruame is dead, unable to heal themselves with reversed curse technique.

Kenjaku just watches in horrified silence, he too is breathing in the same air as his underling but it seems the alpha doesn’t want him dead yet. There’s a mania in his eyes, one that looks so familiar and yet not quite right.

“One down” the alpha almost sings in a low rumble but unlike his sensei it’s not playful, it’s gloating.

“A thousand years of planning and this is how it ends” Kenjaku mumbles.

“Oh come now don’t be like that, weren’t you going to make yourself a god? Isn’t that what this was all about hmmm? You came here for my mate aren’t you at least going to challenge me?” the alpha taunts.

“Hah, hah, ha, ha, ha. Challenge you? You’re a freak of nature whether you’re a sorcerer or a spirit or a god. You say that like I even stand a chance, no matter what you always come out on top whether you deserve to or not” Kenjaku huffs in disbelief and yeah Yuuta gets it, to outsiders it looks like Gojou and this alpha were simply born powerful. Had he never become a sorcerer Yuuta himself may have succumbed to that line of thinking.

He’d noticed it, the way others looked at his sensei, the way they assumed that Gojou had merely been handed everything he had on a silver platter. That he’d woken up one day and instantly been able to master his cursed technique. Kusakabe sensei was a prime example, grousing about how easy Gojou had it, clearly jealous of his sensei’s strength and skill. But those who knew Gojou, really knew him, like Shoko, Nanami, Yaga and the previous owner of that body…they knew different.

His sensei may have been born with a coveted technique but he’d still had to master it, he’d still lost people he cared about in the process. And his life certainly wasn’t easy, the man did nothing but work, he had no real life outside of exorcising curses day and night. Even with everything he sacrificed to prop up their society nobody thanked him for it, not really. It was just expected that he would do it, that he’d put his society above all else until he broke.

“You really are weak aren’t you? Where’s your pride sorcerer? Are you sure you’re an alpha?” The alpha goads only to smile when that pulls an indignant snarl from Kenjaku.

“You’re insufferable just like him” Kenjaku growls “I can’t stand the sight of you”

“The feelings mutual” the Alpha smiles “but enough of this idle chatter, I’m not one to leave a seed for future trouble. You have to die for what you’ve done to my mate and for what you’ve schemed to do and I don’t plan to make this easy for you”

The moment the Alpha launches himself into the air Kenjaku runs, he doesn’t even try to fight but he doesn’t get far. When he tries to exit the clearing he activates one of the many seals surrounding it and is thrown back inwards. Gojou perks up beside Yuuta, watching in quiet disbelief, the way Kenjaku is picked up by that invisible force…it looks exactly like limitless in action.

They don’t have time to dwell on it though because in the blink of an eye the Alpha is on Kenjaku, he uses pure martial arts to beat the parasite black and blue. Yuuta can only imagine how jarring this must be for Gojou to watch, even if they both know it’s Kenjaku, it’s Suguru’s face he’s wearing. His sensei just stays eerily still taking it all in, he’d say something but honestly he doesn’t want to draw unwanted attention to them.

Of course Kenjaku tries to fight back, tries to heal himself too, every curse he releases is instantly destroyed by the alpha. His spiritual energy clearly every bit as toxic to curses as cursed energy is…huh?

“Is this really all you’ve got?” The alpha asks him in disgust “You really came to my domain, to take my mate and this is all you’re capable of? Pathetic. Even if you got your way and used Yuuji to reincarnate that false king, you still would have ended up here. The only difference is it would have been Sukuna who finally put you in the ground. Since the king of curses is unable to join us allow me to be of service” he sneers meanly.

“I rarely use this ability, it’s rather gruesome but given everything you’ve done I think you’ve more than earned it. Oh and don’t worry about Yuuji he is exactly where he belongs” the next moment what look like human hands made of ice rise up from the ground. They grab onto Kenjaku by the arms and legs and then they begin to pull the curse user apart slowly. The scream that leaves him is bloodcurdling, he feels his sensei recoil beside him but still they don’t speak. The silence is deafening, even more so than Kenjaku’s cries of pain, he knows the alpha is purposely drawing this out by the cruel smirk on his lips.

“They’ll come for him” Kenjaku manages to get out between screams.

“They can try” the alpha simply replies “but I’m his alpha and he is my omega, I’m well within my rights to kill anyone stupid enough to challenge our bond”

There’s a sickening crunch as Kenjaku’s limbs are torn off before his torso falls to the icy ground with a dull thud. The alpha crouches down beside him before touching his index and middle fingers to Kenjaku’s forehead, there’s a pulse of energy from his fingers and then Kenjaku is gone.

The screaming and gurgling noises stop as Kenjaku draws his last breath. Yuuta looks over at Gojou, his eyes are wide with…horror? He reaches out a hand and squeezes his sensei’s shoulder reassuringly, in a way this is good. Now at least Gojou won’t have to be the one that kills that body again.

The alpha doesn’t waste a single second, the moment he rises to his feet the body of Getou Suguru is engulfed in blue flame. It turns to ash in mere seconds and is scattered on the fall breeze across this tranquil clearing.

“If you think I can’t sense you, you’re as stupid as that parasite. Leave my domain before you join him, descendant” he growls in anger and frustration. It’s the same frustration he’d spoken to Yuuta with a few weeks ago. Before either of them can respond they’re both thrown back out of the clearing, the infinity like force casting them out into the surrounding woodland…

[blackwatercowboy]

A video.

[Arthur and Hosea are hanging around the homestead that their new contact directed them to. Both of them are staring at the farmhouse with binoculars, murmuring in low tones.

"I see the barn in the back, stagecoach has to be in there," Hosea muses, leaning on a nearby rock.

"You see anyone?" Arthur's voice is low.

"No." Hosea stows his binoculars again. "Okay. I reckon we can do it now. I could distract them, put on a little show, and you go inside, take what you can, then get the stagecoach. Nighttime is a bit more risky, what with your glowing miracle of a horse."

"Morgana's a fine horse, but not exactly inconspicuous, no." Arthur rubs a hand over his chin. "Alright." Hosea's face breaks into a mischievous grin, and he boxes Arthur in the shoulder.

"Up and at 'em then and let's get on with this, Mister Morgan." The older man rolls his shoulder, clearly raring to go. "Let me head up there and make a fool of myself."

"With pleasure." Arthur stows his own binoculars, giving Hosea a nod.

"Just... Don't get caught. They might have one of those fire breathing dogs, like Pearson. And it's me they'll hit first." His piece said, he walks off, with Arthur staying crouched relatively low behind the rock, waiting a bit before Hosea is getting closer to the house proper. "Wait until I have them distracted, then sneak into the house."

What follows is clearly very well practiced. Arthur practically glides through the grass around the farm unseen, knowing just how to keep himself quiet and hidden despite his bulk, and with Hosea being rather much an expert at playing what he termed a fool.

One can distantly hear Hosea talk about spinal alignments of all things, clearly laying it on thick, but it is more than enough to distract the occupants of the house from Arthur sneaking inside and taking just about everything that isn't nailed down, including some carrots and cheese wedges. Sticky fingers easily pilfer watches, necklaces, money clips, before Arthur slinks back outside and towards the back of the barn, still unseen.

He waits for a bit, before standing up and approaching Hosea, who is clearly done with his show, and looking rather pleased with himself.

"You done, Arthur?"

"Yup. No fire-breathing dogs to speak of, here. Covered my tracks well enough they won't even know I was in there. Unless they'll miss a cheese wedge or two." They both enter the barn, eyes on the big prize.

A rather beautiful stagecoach, looking right at home in the 19th century, is sitting in the barn, a pair of mudsdale still in the harness, one of them even a Shiny.

"Good job. Let's grab this stagecoach and get out of here." Hosea looks at the seat with an unmistakable glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Get on, dear boy." Neither of the Pokémon seems to care overly much about the two men climbing onto the seat of the coach, and only seem marginally annoyed when Arthur flicks the reins, making them move.

"Nicely done, Arthur. We got everything we needed. Slow down a bit though. Don't want to alert everyone that we are on the run now, do we?"

"Yes, yes, As you say, 'Sea..." How the occupants of the farmhouse miss their stagecoach leaving the barn is a mystery, but Arthur seems rather uncaring of that, a bit busy staring at the herd of Miltank and Tauros in the fields, and evading a small herd of Bouffalant that seem to be migrating and crossing roads. "Pretty sure they never even knew I was there."

"The less people know about us right now, the better. Now we just need to get this back to Seamus, and it's a good day's work."

"Easier than fighting that thousand pound grizzly your fox monster conjured up anyways," Arthur needles, making Hosea laugh wildly.

Eventually they reach the barn, with their nervous fence in front. "Hello Seamus! We met your cousins," Hosea drawls, pulling his hat ever so slightly lower.

"How was it?"

"Fine, nice people." Both Hosea and Arthur jump off the coach the moment it is safely in the barn, approaching the jumpy man, whose eyes are wide enough that it is all but certain he didn't actually expect them to steal from his cousins.

Money changes hands, before the group parts ways, with Arthur and Hosea riding back towards camp together. The video cuts off with a staticky glitch at that point.]

[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.

[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.