#vet clarke

[talktomeinclexa]

Code Blue at the Zoo

By: TalktomeinClexa

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: None

Status: One-shot

Summary: “Code Blue. I repeat, we have a Code Blue at the Snow Leopard enclosure. All personnel, insure the safety of our guests. Officer Woods, please locate Doctor Griffin and find the animal before it harms a visitor.”

***

The Grade 2 kids giggle as they follow their teacher into the exhibit. The bravest among them run to the glass panel and press their noses against it, while a few remain at the back, hesitant. Unsure if they are allowed to go near the enclosure.

“Don’t hit the glass,” Clarke reminds them, knowing well how overexcited children tend to get in a zoo.

Two boys look sheepishly at her, their little fists up in the air, inches away from the inch-thick window. Behind it, the penguins resume their swim and strolls, the sudden ruckus already forgotten.

“Okay, come closer, kids. Who can tell me what these are?”

“Penguins.”

“Pinguins.”

“Penaguins.”

Clarke bites the inside of her cheek to stifle a chuckle at the endearing answers. She should start collecting them in a notebook. “These are penguins, well done. And where do they come from?”

“Far away.”

“From the North Pole.”

“From the cold.”

“From the South.”

Aside from taking care of the animals, this is her favorite part of the job as a veterinarian for the Arkadia Zoo. Adults often have a good time and ask pertinent questions. But nothing beats the excitement and genuine interest of children.

“They live in the Southern Hemisphere, including in Antarctica; that’s right. It’s the polar bears who live in the North.” With a conspiratorial smile, Clarke bends forward to come closer to the small ears hanging on her every word. “Did you know that, although they are birds, they can’t fly?”

“Why not? They have wings,” a young boy says, visibly disappointed.

“Because their bones are too heavy and much stronger than other birds. Penguins can’t fly, but they are skilled swimmers. In fact, we don’t call those wings but flippers. Like dolphins.”

Before Clarke can tell them more fun facts about the beautiful black-and-white oviparous animals, a shrill ring echoes around the exhibit. Panicked children bundle closer to Clarke and their teacher, Ms. Vie, their little heads turning left and right in wonder.

“What’s that?”

“What’s happening?”

“I’m scared.”

“Everything is fine, kids. Don’t worry, we’re safe here. I’m sure it’s only a drill.”

Despite her forced smile, Clarke’s brows furrow at the alarm. The schedule didn’t mention any drill as far as she’s aware. Which leaves only two possibilities. A fire and an escape. She’s not sure which she would prefer.

Keep reading

[im-not-buying-it-ether]

Okay but now I feel compelled to wonder, in that fun AU of CC and Marilyn being Captain and Mary Marvel, what their lives as heroes would be like

Like, villains are the same for the most part with probable lack of antagonism with Sivana, he’s the dude who hired them for the dog in the first place with the public intent of a historical attraction at a park and on the side of the bus he’s campaigning for mayor. Other than that, villains seem to be the same from the brief moments we see.

They stay out of the limelight, they prioritize keeping their identities hidden for the sake of Billy and Mary’s saftey and childhoods, and they take their duties seriously.

But what’s tingling at the brain right now is how they’d interact with the rest of the world of DC, heroes and teams and whatnot, outside of Fawcett and the menagerie of characters there. We know CC accidentally stumbled onto some daring scene with Spy Smasher and the bunch (no joke, time was funky in Fawcett and CC was alive at that time) but I’d love to see him with other heroes

Like, say he fills the normal roles in comics Billy would’ve, joins JLI and, like his son, tries calling the other heroes out for acting like bigger juveniles than his actual kids and ditches bc apparently the people who save the world on the regular cant not try and fist fight the other every few hours. He’s on and off some team, focusing on his city and his family more and more, pops in for bigger fights when they occur but is mostly hometown based and handles his own issues.

Of newer stuff, I turn to YJ’s tv show for another idea. Aka, CC also being a chaperone for the Team at the same time Billy comes in but with a twist, turns out his kids have a percolation for magic and have been getting the hang of some spells so they’re joining the Team too while CC is on chaperone duty. So leads Billy and Mary’s attempt at a slow entrance into heroism that immediately backfires when they get captured, cue heartwarming scene of dad hugging his kids after a dangerous situation that follows him tearing the base apart looking for them. True dad fashion and all that. What becomes complicated is the World Without Grown Ups plot, in which I say have Billy and his had pre-the plot agree that Billy can have Shazam powers for super big emergencies and Billy definitely counts all adults disappearing as an emergency. Cue once more the fun father son bonding of Billy looking just like his old man with Shazam powers.

Onto Marilyn, who unfortunately doesn’t seem to have more beyond “clever” and “good mom” from comics, but she’s got her hutzpah and would probably be as active a hero as CC while still prioritizing her life and family over heroism. The whole Shazam thing is definitely more a job than it is what kind of person she is, she’s an archeologist and likes that profession more than she likes worrying about everyone else. She’s definitely more no nonsense and, if there’s a difference, she’d probably prefer the more grounded crime fighting than the mystical shenanigans CC would do in her stead. Billy and Mary end up closer to her in quality time since that focus of crime fighting keeps her grounded.

Also, the general vibes of the Captain Marvel tropes. Such as the identity shenanigans.

It is a fun thing of fanfic that, since his civilian identity is very vulnerable and people like their identity plots, Billy has his questioned or revealed a lot. Add in CC as Marvel instead and it flips a bit to be a man who is well known in his home city whose entire family, non-powered children included, could easily become targets if anyone knew who he was. And he’s deliberately secretive about it for that purpose, he’s protecting his children with his wife. So, perspective, there’s a new hero who comes in with a hero partner who is also their life partner. They have the power of actual gods and titans, they don’t explain anything past some nebulous Wizard they can’t name as to how they got their powers, they are very hush-hush on their normal lives but everyone knows they have to have one. It’s hard to contact them, you don’t know they’re working or traveling or with their kids because you don’t know they do work or that they have kids, so you worry what they’re up to for what seems to be every hour they aren’t begrudgingly saving the world with the rest of the heroes. You catch them talking to the other but the minute they hear you they clam up and change everything about how they were just a second ago, you could swear they were talking about digs or gods or bringing someone home but you don’t know anything because you don’t know them.

Cue the mistrust, the reveals, how it all goes wrong and someone gets hurt, be it the other when they don’t have their powers or their kids and suddenly you’ve pissed off the man who loves his family so much he was tearing the multiverse open to try and keep the timeline going where they were all alive and happy together and the woman who loves those kids just as much. Or, say that reveal had villains get both of the Batsons, and now those heroes have to look those orphans in the eye and beg forgiveness, and when fate still demands its heroes out comes two new ones that make it seem like the whole Batson sham was fake and no way Marilyn and CC were the Marvels, the marvels are still flying around after they’ve gone and gotten dead and buried. Cue those heroes looking at the new Captain and Mary Marvel, knowing it’s the kids they accidentally made orphans wearing the faces of the friends they betrayed.

[sweetluna20]

awwwwww

[rhymeswithfart]

For some reason I really like the idea of characters reading the dsm and Learning something (top picture is Lois Lane and Clark is there but isn't related to the Realization)

Since you're here, look at this please:

https://gofund.me/5604226a

Help Ayaa's family survive and get winter clothes in this Gaza winter. This campaign is vetted in this post.

[gailslunchbox]

Caitlin is more composed and more mature than 80% of the players in the W

[bellamyblake]

The world hurts less when I'm by your side

He was fine now, though and when they asked 'Why couldn’t he stand up now?' or 'had he seen a real rifle and shot one?' he answered them with ease he didn’t know he possessed until then. 

At some point one of the babies pushed his hat off and the scar he had on his head from the blast got out, now much visible with his shorter hair. They all climbed up on him and awed at that, asking if they could touch it.

“Do you have metal brains? Are you a robot, uncle Bell?” they asked and he laughed.

“No, not really, sweetheart.” he stroke a little girl’s hair while Andrew kept peaking at his scar.

“That’s badass!” he exclaimed “I want to be like you when I grow up.” that made Bellamy’s heart skip a beat, though and he carefully placed his hand on Andrew’s shoulder.

“Trust me, kid, you do not.” Andrew furrowed his eyebrows a little and tilted his head in confusion “You should leave the war games on the playfield, alright?”

“But I want to be like you and my dada!”

“And you can, if that’s what you really think you should do but what I’m trying to tell you is that there are other stuff out there too. You don’t need to carry the burden of your family on your shoulders, alright?” Andrew thought about it for a second and Bellamy wasn’t sure the kid let the words sink in but he shrugged a little, gave him a small nod and then ran off after Ares again. 

At some point they all gathered the kids back inside because the wind got quite harsh and cold. Bellamy patted Ares’ head too and laughed when he looked down at his friend-his tongue was out and he looked exhausted.

“Too old for that stuff, huh, big boy?” Ares whined as he followed Bellamy back inside just when sister Hannah welcomed him at the front door with her arms crossed over her chest.

“What made you think that being out in this horrible cold weather could be any good for your lungs, young man?” she scolded.

“I’m sorry, sister.” she huffed and came behind him, picking the wheelchair and pushing it down to the left hallway.

“Sorry sister, sorry sister, that’s all I’ve been hearing from you today.”

“That’s because I truly am.”

“Right.” Bellamy coughed a little and looked up at her innocently, making her roll her eyes at him “Come on, we're going to the clothing storage.”

“I was thinking of going to the library-” he began carefully but the look she sent in his direction was enough to make him completely change the ending of the sentence “but I definitely need clothes more than books now, you’re right.”

“That’s what I thought.” she commented “Silly child.” he smiled but when she fixed the hat back on his head and rubbed his shoulder, he knew she was trying to apologize for her harshness and he offered her a soft look in return.

What was really funny was that all the women and children joined them down the hallway and the kiddos kept jumping around Bellamy and poor tired Ares, asking for attention. They apparently had a shift at the storage room, distributing donated clothes and it just turned everything into a sort of game for the kids.

Sister Hannah wasn’t happy about it and was trying to put some order in it while Ares fell asleep under the table with a toddler sprayed on his back, a little boy with dark hair that refused to leave him. 

Bellamy pushed his wheelchair to the edge of the table while all the other kids, seemingly already in love with him, piled up all around him, Andrew, a few girls and some baby boys crawling all over the place near him while he picked them up and settled them on their tiny butts, hoping to keep them down for a minute.

The moms really had to work and so did sister Hannah, so the best he could think of was tell them a story.

“Okay now, shush...shush, let’s let your mamas work, huh? How about a story? Would you like me to tell you a story?”

“What story?” asks Andrew rather suspicious and Bellamy beams “We know all the fairy tales.”

“It’s not a fairy tale. It’s a Greek myth. Have you heard of those?” they all shake their heads and he picks up one of the crawling babies whose name was Leah and who was a bit of a menace so he puts her on his lap and jostles her a bit “Do you know about Hades and Persephone? Or Zeus and Europa? Or Promethius the man who dared to steal fire from the gods and give it to us, the humans?” the kids all shook heads but huddled together and looked at Bellamy with expectation in their eyes.

“Tell us.” Andrew asked and Bellamy smiled as he rested his back on his wheelchair.

“So Hades was the Greek god of the underworld and he fell horribly in love with a beautiful girl called Persephone-” he begins and they all collectively hold their breaths as he talks. He tells them all about it-their love, how Hades kidnapped her which elicited a responce from the others saying “That’s bad! That’s wrong” making him smile, then how the seasons came to be, how much Demeter loved her. 

Everyone listened instensely until he finished, even the mothers and sister Hannah were quiet in their work. 

When he was done some of them were half asleep like the baby in his lap and others were staring as if they just realized something big, Andrew among them.

Full chapter can be FOUND HERE

[loverboybrightsideghost]

every time someone acts like or thinks clark superman kent is a boring character an entire host of angels get their wings ripped off. btw

[cerealbishh]

"You get to see her understanding of how things really are. And so that becomes much more present on the surface. (...) In this season, we get to see her fall deeper in love with him but also navigate those challenges. And also becoming an anchor for Rhett but also struggling with his decision, 'Is this what I want for my future as well, as much as I love this man?'." - Isa in an interview with The Knockturnal(x)

[pbnbucks]

hiii, idk how to request so i’m going to request on here lolz. can you do a caitlin clark fluff where her gf surprises her at an away game which was the june 30th one against the mercury. after the first quarter, the fever are down. caitlin sees her gf in the crowd next to her parents as she’s determined to win. i kind of based it off of “melting” by kali uchis.

word count : 529

warnings : none

summary : your at her game

you sat front row to your girlfriends game, hoping to suprise her with the fact she didnt know you where there, it was your senior year of college and you where busy with your school clicks.

conversation streaked between you and caitlins parents as they saw you intently watching the game as you where never one to understand basketball or even a sports person unless it was hockey

“are you okay sweetheart?” her mom questioned as her soft voice could break rooms always making sure you felt comfortable and at home with them when you where around

“ive been seeing highlights of her with the rival teams and she always seems to get hurt, i dont want that to happen this time with everything she worked for” her moms arm finds its way around your shoulder pulling you in for a side hug giving you a kiss on your forehead

“i know baby but we have to remember its such a physical sport and its bound to happen, shes a smart girl and she knows her health she wont put herself in a place that would get her injured” the way the crowds roared caitlin’s name you would forget the indiana fever was loosing, caitlin kept her head held high but you could see through her act she was struggling,

it was the game everyone wanted to see as it sparked headlines for it being the game of ‘The Vet Vs The Rookie’ as the crowd was almost packed out. she would tell you about her biggest experiences, one was her legacy and the mark she left on people,

she wanted to be remembered for being a great person and they player she was. she was scared to let her fans down, she wanted to give them a show on why they spent their money to go see her play.

the halftime buzzer sounded with them down a few points with her walking out to the locker room, it was a game ritual that she looked for her parents before she left the game.

it was to her suprise she saw you sitting in between her parents as her look saddened when she realized you witnessed the entire first half of the game with her team down.

you saw her walk back onto the court with a whole new ego on why she was meant to be their. she was finally smiling for the first time tonight, but went away when the game was set back in motion as fouls where thrown left and right for both teams.

arguements scattered all around the court with the different egos all around the teams begging for the spotlight.

caitlins puffy eyes scanning through the crowd every once in a while looking for you finding a new idea of hope as soon as she sees you.

when the games over she finds herself standing in front of you as she kneels down to kiss you on the lips as photographers capture the intimate moment as she pulls away meeting you lit up smile.

“you played so well baby” you coo in her ear as she smiles at your response with a hum.

[whoops11]

exactly all of this right here ^^ her fans and the media did a big disservice to her and i do think she fed into narratives that they were pushing. now it’s her job to reach out for help if she really wants it

while it absolutely hurts me that cc says she gets no advice from vets i just can’t help but be so fucking annoyed with her fans complaining about it

for MONTHS and even before caitlin declared for the draft all her fans were doing were trashing the vets, calling them old and jealous but now have the audacity to be upset when vets aren’t approaching her????

if i was a vet i wouldn’t either because literally any time a vet is brought up in the same sentence as caitlin it’s to trash them

This what happens when yall create this weird energy around cc people tend to stay away from her like the plague

i’ll say it time and time again her fans are the reason she’s struggling so god damn much rn and they don’t even realize it

[cevansbrat0007]

The Do-Over

Summary: Everyone deserves a second chance, including jerks like Bounty Hunter, Ari Levinson. Takes place directly after the events in Hello, Duchess.

Warnings: Mature Themes, Ari Being A Menace, Bucky Barnes, A Deep Love of Clark Bars, Light Groveling, Bickering, Discussions of Grief, Threats of Violence, Gentle Manhandling, Brief References to Negative Body Image, Cursing, Minors DNI

A/N: Special thanks to my creative consultant, @curls-and-eyeliner. Part my Sweet Renegade Series. Semi-proofread, not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

An annoyed Ari takes a pull from his cigarette as he listens to his friend and fellow combat vet give him shit all the way from his office back in New Mexico. As soon as this was over, he was going to ditch this empty parking lot to find himself an ice cold beer and a goddamned steak. 

He was officially ready to put this day behind him. But first he needed a decent dinner.

“So let me see if I’ve got this right.” His friend begins, now that he’d finally stopped cursing up a blue streak. “Do you really mean to tell me that you took our best lead, which just so happened to be the perp’s girlfriend, and fucked it all to hell?”  

Okay, but just because that’s what happened doesn't necessarily mean that it was actually his fault. He’d just been a little off his game.

“Hey Buck, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re beginning to sound as dramatic as Rogers.”

“Steve would never fuck-up something this big for us.” He could practically hear the man flipping him off.

“I’m telling you this girl would’ve cut off Golden Boy’s balls and fed them to him for breakfast, okay?” He takes another puff, flicking some of the excess ash out his driver-side window. “Trust me.”

“Hold on.” An exasperated Bucky sighs into the receiver before placing the phone on his desk to speak to whoever had just walked into his office. He hoped whoever it was had better news than he did, otherwise he feared his old war buddy might have an aneurysm.

Sometimes he got the impression that Sergeant James “Bucky” Barnes was wound a little too tight.    

The silence drags on as Ari contemplates getting out of his car to stretch his legs. It’s another several minutes before Bucky is back on the line, and this time he sounds positively exhausted.

“We can’t afford to lose this one, man. Westbrook might be a piece of shit, but he’s an expensive piece of shit. So while I don’t care how you feel about the girl, you need to make things right. She could have some valuable intel.”

“Yeah, I know.” His mood darkens as he flicks the cigarette onto the pavement. As he watches it hit the ground, he finds himself wondering if it was finally time to quit the cancer sticks altogether. It’s not like he hadn’t thought about it before.

“Besides, what do you care if she was Westbrook’s fuck buddy?” Ari’s treated to the sound of his friend unwrapping something that sounded suspiciously like a candy bar. There was only one person who was known to keep that stuff at the office.

Which meant that shit had better not come from his personal stash, otherwise Bucky Barnes was a fucking dead man.

“I don’t.” Ari growls, sucking on his teeth. “And that had better not be a Clark Bar you’re eatin'.”

“Hate to break it to ya, pal. But based on what you told me earlier, it kinda sounds like you might.” There’s an unmistakable sound of a grin in his voice, which irks the bounty hunter to no end. 

“And I think it’s finally time you got your hearing checked, old man.” He growls back, although his words lack any real fire. 

“As for your precious Clark Bars,” he continues. “See, normally I’d pass on ‘em. But Pixie’s been on a health kick lately and she threw out all the junk food. So, I’m desperate.” Bucky gives an exaggerated groan. “Plus, she has no idea about your stash.” 

“Jesus.” Ari grumbles, firing up his engine with the intent to head back to the house he was currently renting. “I really wish you two would just suck face already and get it over with.”

“Mind your fucking business, Levinson.”

“Then keep your filthy hands off my fuckin’ Clark Bars, Barnes.” There’s a heavy sigh on the other line, prompting Ari to roll his eyes. All he wanted was for this conversation to fucking end.

“Look.” Bucky grunts. “You bring down this Westbrook fucker and I’ll buy you a goddamned case of those stupid bars. Alright?”

“You got yourself a deal.” Turning on his truck, Ari slowly heads for the exit as his stomach begins to rumble. Maybe he’d track down some shrimp to go with that steak.

“And fix whatever it is you fucked up with that bookstore broad while you’re at it.” 

“I’ll do my best.” He grimaces as his mind treats him to images of you threatening him with your taser. “But if that little spitfire puts me in the hospital you’re footin’ the bill.” And with that, Ari hangs up the phone.

As of now, he was officially done for the night.

A Few Days Later…

You’re sitting on the floor of your stockroom when you hear the tinkling of bells signaling the arrival of a customer. Groaning as you rise to your feet, you wipe your palms on the fabric of your pants and head to the front of the store. 

Business had been unusually slow today, so hopefully this patron - whoever they were - would be in the mood to buy something. As you were driving in this morning, you’d briefly considered holding another sale. Maybe it was time for another book fair. That seemed to be pretty popular the last time you’d done it. 

You’re in the middle of making a mental note to reach out to the local librarian when your eyes land on the absolute last person you wanted to see standing in your lobby: Ari Levinson. 

Not this guy again. 

“Yeah, it’s me.” He says, offering up an unapologetic shrug as he takes in the sight of you in your form-fitting yoga pants. 

Apparently you’d spoken out loud. Perhaps if you kept doing it, the man would eventually get offended enough to leave. Wishful thinking at its finest.

When the intruder realizes you don’t plan on speaking again, he decides to take advantage of the silence by doing something completely unexpected. 

“I just dropped by to, uh…” He takes a deep breath, rocking back on his heels. “Apologize for how our last meeting went. While it wasn’t my intention to insult you, I know that I did.” One big hand comes up to massage the back of his neck. “Just wanted to offer that, for whatever it’s worth.”

“Oh. Wow.” You reply dumbly, crossing your arms over your chest. For whatever reason, you got the distinct impression that he didn’t make apologies often. 

“You’re right, sweetheart. I don’t.” His lips turn up in an awkward grin as he takes a step toward you. “But a real man knows how to own up to his shit, which is exactly what I’m doin right now.”

“Okay.” 

Mouth suddenly dry, you go to take a step back, only to find that your legs no longer work. Next thing you know, Ari is in your space, his boot clad feet are now mere centimeters from your well-loved sneakers as he towers over you. 

He holds out his hand as a gesture of goodwill, silently imploring you to take it. Your eyes lock with his as yours moves on its own accord – almost as if you’d been entranced. 

Your hand feels so small and delicate in his grasp. And for a second, you wonder what it might be like to lace your fingers together. How it would feel to hold onto him so intimately for just a few seconds longer. You sneak a glance up at Ari, only to watch as his pupils dilate, his nostrils flaring just slightly. It’s enough to let you know that you’re not the only one affected.

“You think we might be able to try this again?” His deep baritone washes over you like a balm. “You have my word I’ll do a much better job of, uh, keeping myself in check.” 

Yanking your hand away, all you can do is nod. Part of you almost wished the man would go back to acting like an asshole. At least then you would know how to handle him. This so-called charming and apologetic Ari was a different beast entirely.

“I–” You swallow thickly. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Thank you for your kindness.” His easy smile has the nerve to do funny things to the butterflies in your belly. “And while I would hate to do anything that might spoil this good will, I would like to ask you a couple of questions right now.”  

Instantly suspicious, you open your mouth to deliver a curt “no”. However, having already anticipated this, Ari is quick to amend his request by promising not to be too invasive. He also insists that he’ll follow your lead. 

“If at any moment you want to stop, we’ll stop. You have my word on that too, darlin’.” He surveys the room, absentmindedly scratching at his jaw. “You good with me ensuring we have a little privacy?” Again you nod, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. 

Because at this point, it just didn’t make sense to kick the man out. Especially not when he seemed to be taking great pains to be respectful. You could only hope that he’d appreciate your cooperation enough to go bother someone else when you were through. 

Maybe it might be worth leading him back towards someone who’d actually appreciate his attention. Someone like your would-be frenemy, Charline Marshall. 

Seemingly encouraged by your response, the invasive bounty hunter hustles towards the door so that he could flip your sign from open to closed. And, unbeknownst to him, it also gives you a chance to begrudgingly appreciate just how good his ass looks in his Levi’s. 

Alright. So maybe you’d hold off on feeding Ari Levinson to Charline and her disciples – at least for right now.

“You know.” You cough, needing to give yourself a moment to recalibrate before you said or did something dumb. “I actually just remembered that I needed to fix a couple of things around the shop during my lunch break.”

An unruffled Ari simply smiles and winks back at you. “Thought you said you believed in your ability to multitask?”

You resist the urge to stick your tongue out at the smug bastard. Because he was right. You absolutely had said that. And then he’d had the gall to fucking listen. 

“Fine.” Shooting him a glare, you head over to the counter and toe-off your shoes. 

“Appreciate it, darlin’.” 

Just like last time, out comes his pen and tiny notebook. He flips it open to a new page before giving you his full attention. Meanwhile, you’re now hellbent on acting like he doesn’t exist. 

“How long have you owned your shop, Baubles & Quills?” 

If you were to look in his eyes at that moment, you would’ve seen them shining with genuine inquisitiveness. Almost as if he actually wanted to get to know you. 

“A few years.” You reply, bracing your hands on the flat surface of the desk. “I spent a large part of my childhood here, buried amongst books. My uncle left it to me when he passed. But I’m sure you already knew that.” 

Taking a deep breath, you send up a silent prayer to the Lord asking him not to let you fall before hefting yourself onto the counter with all the grace you can muster.  

“Maybe.” Ari concedes while jotting something down on his notepad. “But it’s different coming from – just what the hell are you doin’ woman?!”

“Checking out this light fixture.” You huff as you work to steady yourself.

“Any reason you couldn’t do that from the ground?” The bounty hunter surprises you by sounding more than a little stressed.

Confused by his response, you manage to spare a quick glance in his direction. Although your unlikely companion looks less than happy, you fail to fully grasp the nature of the problem. 

“Because I couldn’t quite tell if this whole panel was out, or just the one little section.” 

“Alright, well…” He drags an agitated hand through his already messy brown locks. “Now that you’ve seen it, how about you come on down from there?”

“Oh my goodness, Levinson.” An exasperated chuckle bubbles its way from your throat. “It’s just the counter. Save the freakout for when you find me on the flippin’ roof or something.” 

“You’re standin’ on the damned thing wearin’ nothing but socks. It’s like you’re askin’ to fall.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.”

“How the hell is my expressin’ concern about your safety bein’ dramatic?” 

“Next question, buddy.” You have to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing at the affronted look on the bounty hunter’s gorgeous face.

Ari forces himself to take a breath before attempting to return back to the task at hand. “I have it here that your Uncle is the late Lenny Barstowe. He was, by all accounts, an upstanding pillar of this community.”

“He was.” You agree, bending down to grab the duster resting near your feet. 

“You say he was your uncle, and yet you two don’t share the same last name.” He frowns when he notices your slight wobble. 

And for the tenth time in almost as many minutes he finds himself wondering why the fuck you didn’t hire someone to take care of shit like this for you? Hell, give him a ladder and a free afternoon and he’d handle things himself.      

“Wow. Nothing gets past you.” You sniff, trying to fight back a sneeze as dust goes flying. “They teach you those observation skills in private detective school?”

“Sure did.” Ari snorts without missing a beat, tucking the pen behind his ear. “First thing on the syllabus, in fact.”    

“Thought so.” 

“So glad we cleared that up.”

You can’t stop the small thrill that courses through you when you notice the newfound tick in his jaw. If you weren’t careful, you could find yourself growing addicted to that little zing in your blood. To that tiny spike in your pulse you felt every time you two sparred.  

“But if we could go back to your uncle, I’m sure losing him had to be hard – what with him being your only family.” He takes a turn fanning himself with his notebook. ”Was your friend, Martin, there for you during that difficult time?” 

That particular question actually makes you pause and reflect. You’d been so lost in grief back then, which is part of the reason it had taken you so long to claw your way out of that dark hole. And, if memory served, you’d done that majority of that clawing on your own.

“I’m sure he was around, Mr. Levinson.” Your answer sounds cagey, even to your own ears. “But I pretty much wore my grief like a sweater back then. And if I’m being honest, those first few months after losing him were nothing but a miserable haze.”    

“I know the feeling.” He murmurs as he scribbles on the page. 

“Look.” You blow out a breath as you attempt to gauge the distance between the desk and the ground. As of this moment, you officially regretted not grabbing your step stool. “I don’t know where Martin is or who he’s running from. All I know is that he was scared, but he refused to tell me anything more, okay?”

“Did he ask you for money?”

“Yes.” 

He’d also called you too. And while you choose to keep that little detail to yourself, you figure there was no harm in telling him about the money. At the time you’d had no idea you were potentially aiding and abetting a criminal. Or maybe you just hadn’t wanted to believe it.

“And did you give it to him?” The intense look in his beautiful blue eyes has you suddenly feeling foolish.  

“Yes.” 

It’s that one word, spoken barely above a whisper, that leaves Ari shaking his head. His gaze drops to the ground as he works to rein-in his temper. You have no idea what a struggle it is for him to do so – because he’s not upset with you. 

If anything, you’d just given him one more reason to run that slippery motherfucker into the goddamned ground. 

“How much did he get you for?” Even though Ari has calmed himself considerably, his tone still comes off harsher than he intends. 

“Almost $500.” You tell him, your face hot with embarrassment. “I suppose I should’ve asked more questions. You probably think I’m an idiot for –”

“It’s okay, darlin’.” He swiftly interjects, not wanting you to get upset. “You’re doin’ so great bein’ honest with me right now.” Unsure of what else to do, he tosses his notebook aside in favor of reaching for your hand. “I know this shit ain’t easy.”  

“I think I’m done for now.” You tell him, doing your best to avoid looking at your now joined hands. God, he really needed to stop doing that. “Please.”

“Okay.” He readily agrees as his thumb strokes along the ridge of your knuckles. “Then we’re done.” You watch his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallows. “Are you gonna let me help you down off the counter before you kick me out?”

“It’s okay. Don’t want you to hurt yourself.” You mumble as you busy yourself with trying to figure out the easiest way to sit and scootch your way out of your current situation.

The last thing you needed was this man accidentally throwing out his back over some misplaced chivalry. 

To his credit, Ari decides to ignore your feeble protests. “C’mon and let me help you.” He repeats, gesturing for you to step towards the edge of the counter so that he can grab you by the waist. “And then I’ll be on my way.”

“Really, I’m fine.” You attempt to swat at his hands, which doesn’t actually work.

“C’mon, darlin’.” He assures you gently. “Just trust me.” The next thing you know, you’re suddenly being lifted into the air. “I got you.”

“Ack – I’m too heavy!” You squeal, immediately caught off guard by the way your legs briefly dangle in the air. Try as you might, you honestly could not remember the last time a man had picked you up. 

Your heart speeds up as he effortlessly sets you down on your feet, allowing your body to slide down the solid wall of his chest. Instinctively, your hands fly to his biceps in an effort to steady yourself. 

“Thank you.” You’re suddenly having a hard time breathing around this man. “But you really shouldn’t have done that. You could’ve hurt –”

“Sweetheart, you ain’t nothin’ but a feather.” Ari rumbles, his hands still resting firmly on your hips. 

“Somehow I doubt that.” You whisper, knowing that you should demand that he let you go. Except your body is too busy buzzing to actually cooperate. 

“Happy to prove you wrong any time.” While you suspect that he hadn’t really meant to say that, his smile is full of promise. “But right now, I’m afraid I’ve gotta head out.” Although it still takes another second for him to release you. 

Not that you’re complaining any. Which deep down you know could spell trouble for you. 

Before he leaves, however, Ari reaches into the front pocket of his jeans to hand you what looks a lot like a business card. “What’s this?” You mentally smack yourself in the forehead the moment the question leaves your mouth. 

“My card.” He responds as he now heads toward the door. “That’s my cell, just in case you need it.”

“Oh.”

“Call any time, day or night.” Ari’s gruff, no-nonsense tone goes straight to your core. “You remember somethin’ about Martin? Call me. You lookin’ for someone to stand guard while you lock up at night? Call me. You need to hear a friendly voice in the dark? Fucking call me.” 

His offer takes you by surprise. So much so, that you’re temporarily rendered speechless as you clutch the stiff piece of paper in your palm. While you weren’t sure if you’d ever take him up on his offer, you could certainly appreciate his generosity. 

“Thank you.” You rasp, your teeth going to nibble at your bottom lip.

“Any time, Duchess.” His head dips politely as he exits through the front door. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

And just like that he was gone, which meant you could finally breathe normally again. Strange butterflies once again fill your belly as you take your time examining the card your bounty hunter had left behind. While you weren’t sure if you’d ever call him, you decide it’s worth tucking into a zippered pocket in your purse before getting on with the rest of your day. 

Little did you know that you would come to need that tiny piece of paper sooner rather than later…  

END

Sweet Renegade Series Tag List

@katymae12344

@identity2212

@hisredheadedgoddess28

@blackhawkfanatic

@jamneuromain

@queerqueenlynn

@pono-pura-vida

@daykrisr999

@jamneuromain

@ninacutebee16

@whiskeytangofoxtrot555

@emerald-writes

@gh0stgurl

[bellamyblake]

He’s so distracted and out of it that he doesn’t hear the waitress come back or his phone buzz in his pocket. With trembling hands he picks it up and makes out Clarke’s name.

It was late afternoon now, but her shift probably wasn’t over, so he knew he couldn’t make her come out here and get him. 

He had to get a grip of himself and do this on his own.

He picks up the fresh glass of whiskey the waitress left and drowns it in two long gulps. Surprisingly, the alcohol clears his head a little bit and chases the dizzyness away.

It takes him another twenty minutes to actually get up and when he does, he sways and almost falls. His legs refuse to hold him up but he grits his teeth so hard, he draws blood and he grips the crutches as if his life depended on them...which right now they did.

He somehow makes it outside and spots the bus stop on the opposite road of the diner. He crosses it with every car honking at him but no one stopping or reaching out to help him in any way. 

When he makes it there, he falls on the bench with a thud and a for a moment because he’s so out of it, he feels like he loses consciousness. his left pant leg feels wet and when he looks down at it he sees blood seeping from his jeans-the prosthetic must’ve rubbed too hard while he was in a rush to cross the road and it soaked his bandages. 

Then there was also his heart, which wouldn’t calm down, he kept coughing and his back protested with every little movement. His shoulder-the dislocated one screamed when he moved it a bit harsher and as a result his fingers wouldn’t properly clench.

He felt his body tilt sideways on the empty metal bench. He was cold and he felt really tired. His head rested on the glass wall behind him...or was it the metal back of the bench, he didn’t know but he lost himself for a little while, the way he did when he passed out at home on the floor.

He loses track of time-he can hear people talking distinctly, cars moving and he thinks that he should get up and try to catch his bus home but he can’t move, not for a while. He thinks he really passes out for an hour, if not longer, because when he wakes up again, there’s an older lady nearby staring at him judgingly and something’s vibrating in his pocket like there was no tomorrow.

He groans, pulls himself up a little and fishes out his phone, seeing Clarke’s name flash in angry green on his broken screen.

Before he can pick up, she hangs up and his notifcations scream in red letting him know she called twenty two times already and that it was almost five in the afternoon now, the darknkess of the winter evening catching up with him which meant he lost track of time.

He feels his body shake harder than it had back at his cold dark home and his fingers are so frozen, he barely manages to tap on the screen and press on Clarke’s name.

She picks up immideately.

“Bellamy!”

“Clarke-” he croacks and that gives him another bout of coughs. He pulls himself up and tries to sit again. The old lady keeps staring at him annoyed.

“What’s happening? Where are you? I came back to my place and found Ares crying by the bedside with everything still a mess.” she sounds exapserated and he hates himself for doing this to her.

“I...I’ll need you to come get me.”

“What did you do? Where did you go?”

“I’m at a bus stop...on the edge of town, corner of Harrison and Johnson, there’s an Irish diner nearby, do you know it?”

“I do. What the fuck are you doing over there, Bellamy? How did you even get there?” he coughs again and feels his heart beat louder again.

“Please...can you just...come? I can’t...I thought I could...catch a bus but...I..can’t get up.” there’s a moment of silence on the other end and he thinks that she may change her mind-that perhaps she’s had enough of him and she’ll just say no and leave him here, sleeping on a bus stop in the middle of a freezing winter night, all alone and fucked up. 

Maybe he deserved that. Perhaps it’d be a good end to his story, an almost poetic one.

“I’m on my way, don’t move!” she cuts off and he can tell even by the phone that something changed.

Her voice broke, she was angry beyond herself and she had every right to be.

He thinks he’ll cry then, that his eyes would fill with tears and he’d feel once again hopeless but the fact is that instead the only thing he can find inside his chest, besides his angrily beating heart, is emptiness.

He stares ahead and thinks of Murphy and the son carrying his name. He never even met his girlfriend, but he knew he was planning on introducing her once they got home. They had been so close...just a month and a half left of their tour. 

If Bellamy had just been a little bit quicker...but he wasn’t.

Read full chapter on Ao3 HERE!

[hotvintagepoll]

Danny Kaye (The Court Jester, The Inspector General)—Danny Kaye, idol of my childhood, maker of the weirdest faces! This man SETS HIMSELF ON FIRE and then puts himself out in a bucket in a movie based on a Gogol short story. In the same movie (Inspector General), he flirts by playing a carrot as a musical instrument. In Wonder Man, he's brilliant but struggles with things like riding buses. I have been envious of his fake Italian/French/German/Spanish monologues in The Court Jester for the past three decades. As Walter Mitty, he is SUPREMELY SILLY yet also somehow manages to be a comic foil for none other than Boris Karloff. All this is to say nothing of The William Tell Song (TV, thus not linked, but great.) I adore him.

Burgess Meredith (Of Mice and Men, That Uncertain Feeling, Second Chorus)—I first saw him in Idiot's Delight. He was standing next to Clark Gable on a balcony. I didn't even notice Gable was there, Meredith's scrungle game was too strong. -5'5 1/2 (1.66m) -He is THE weirdest little freak in That Uncertain Feeling, Merle Oberon picks him up in a psychiatrist's lobby. He's a concert pianist but he hates that people pay to hear him play, he can't stand them watching him. Vases offend him. He sees himself in an abstract painting. He's an absolutely chaotic gremlin and I love him SO much -He plays PENGUIN in the old Batman series!! What's scrunglier than that?! -"Was fascinated by the subject of non-human intelligence, particularly dolphins. He once believed that a dolphin somehow called to him for help in the middle of the night while he was staying at a friend's home on the beach. He ran out and found the dolphin, caught in a net under a dock down the beach, although there was no way he should have been able to know it was there. He released it, saving its life. He believed it had made some sort of connection with him, perhaps telepathic, to call for help." [IMDb] -He will forever be my favourite portrayal of George from Of Mice and Men, his speech about "seeds" and dreaming about a farm of his own wrecked me -In Tom, Dick and Harry, he's one of three suitors courting Ginger Rogers. It's zany and ridiculous, an absolute rollercoaster. He teachers to bowl with his sleeves rolled up. He drives a 3-wheeled motorcycle -He's in a MUSICAL with FRED ASTAIRE they're romantic rivals for PAULETTE GODDARD. He also wears a bucket hat. (Second Chorus) -His hair is VERY floofy in his early roles, I think that should be taken into consideration 4:54: [link to whole movie, editor has not watched it + can't vet but confirmed his hair is fluffy for the minute she did watch]

This is round 1 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you're confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here. Reminder that this is a movie poll, not a TV poll, in case any of you were flocking to any bird-brained ideas.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Danny Kaye:

He's so stupid. I love him.

Burgess Meredith:

Look at his face! He looks like a little field mouse, and a field mouse is scrungly. Admittedly I know him more from the Twilight Zone, in which he reached levels of peak scrungle, but I believe he deserves a place on this list.

[frownyalfred]

mx frownyalfred i will pay u -12 whole dollars to write the secretly-married-so-they-can't-testify-against-each-other superbats fic

I really want to 😫I actually spent some time today trying to figure out how you'd subpoena a vigilante with no name or address, and how you'd call Batman as a potential witness without vetting him first for eligibility. But I'm also trying to figure out how they'd end up in a situation at all where 1) Clark let himself get arrested and/or detained for a hearing (maybe like in BVS?) and 2) Bruce thought the best course of action was to respond to Batman's witness subpoena instead of just breaking Clark out of jail. And bonus 3) that Bruce thought invoking spousal privilege was a better option than answering the questions and using it as an opportunity to defend Clark. Hmmm.

[groose]

RECENT FUNDRAISERS

I've put together a masterlist of recent fundraiser asks I've received in the last week and fundraisers I've been made aware of that are low on donations.

Save Gaza: A Brighter Future for Aya and Her Family @ayaalanqarsblog | organised by Aya Alanqar | vetted by 90-ghost | €7,656/€15,000

Help us for the sake of God @abdelmutei | organised by Abdel Mutei Al-Habil | vetted by 90-ghost | €7,895/€50,000

Save Dr. Farhat's family from genocide in Gaza @husamfarht | organised by Farhat's family | vetted by el-shab-hussein | $2,759/$29,500

Get my relatives out of Gaza @ghaziyounes1967 | organised by Mohammed Darabaih | vetted by 90-ghost | $2,902/$50,000

Save My Family from the War Nightmare in Gaza @salem-baker | organised by Salem Alanqar | vetted by 90-ghost | €4,363/€38,000

Urgent Appeal: Save Ola' family evacuate Gaza war | organised by Ola Ferwana | not currently vetted but reverse image search suggests this is legit | €880/€35,000

Urgent Help Needed to Evacuate My Family from Gaza @ahmed-mohammed1 | organised by Ahmed Alanqar | vetted by 90-ghost | €3,083/€30,000

Save Mohammad's family and children escape Gaza Genocide @save-mohamed-family| organised by Mohammed Al Manasra | vetted by northgazaupdates | $8,112/$50,000

Support my uncle's family to survive the war @amjadshiltawu | organised by Hasan Alshetawi | vetted by el-shab-hussein | €3,848/€97,000

Help save my son Yousef @dima96yousef | organised by Kamel Shahwan | vetted by 90-ghost | €13,610/€25,000

Help Maysaa Evacuate and Secure Medical Treatment @tamer200333 | organised by Marcus Miller | vetted by apollos-olives | $9,616/$60,000

Help the Abu Shammalah Family Find Safety and Rebuild | organised by Ahmed Abushammalah| vetted by el-shab-hussein | €12,021/€100,000

Restoring our dreams, life and future @saratahrawi | organised by Matthew Clarke | vetted by 90-ghost | £1,854/£15,000

Help Mohamed's children escape from the Gaza war to Safety @save-salam-family | organised by Ahmed Awad | vetted by 90-ghost | €20,660/€40,000

Help me save my children from death in the Gaza war @dinamahammed99 | organised by Isabella Perez-Bonet | vetted by 90-ghost | $2,302 USD/$6,000

Help Mohammad & Shaima in Gaza! @wafans-blog | organised by Said As | vetted by el-shab-hussein | $52,340/$80,000

Support Hatem family in Gaza | organised by Wael Salem | vetted by el-shab-hussein | €315/€3,000

Please consider reblogging this post and donating if you are able to. If you are one of the fundraisers on this post and you want me to remove your tag, please message me. There are several more credible verifications for donation links by @/northgazaupdates , @/90-ghost, and @/el-shab-hussein, this list is just ones that have made their way to me this week. Please let me know if I have used any misdirecting links/names by human error.

If you receive asks for donations, you can use the archive and ctrl+F features to search their blogs for names/keywords. You can also access the VETTED FUNDRAISER SPREADSHEET painstakingly produced by @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi and ctrl+F the same way. It's ridiculous to see so many tech-savvy, well-connected adults try and excuse themselves when you know well and good that these resources have been passed around for weeks. There is no excuse.

Free Palestine.

[authenticaussie]

Thinking about that post that's like: I would do anything for you / okay fine then. Take care of yourself (threat). And I Know we love disaster Tim Drake in this house BUT ALSO.

Kon: you're my best friend Robin :) I would do anything for you.

Tim, fresh off of realising that Kon is amazing at presenting himself as the Coolest Cool Cat but has self-worth issues the size of the hole they left in mount rushmore: oh cool. I found these therapists that you can vet for me.

Kon: wha-

Tim: yeah go for like, eight months? That'll be enough time to evaluate their efficiency :)

Kon: But- I mean- like-

Tim: oh also did you know you're not eating enough? I'm also kinda bad at it too but I was talking with Batman and HE mentioned how much Clark eats and you do not eat NEARLY the same amount and since you said anything I figure we can fix that.

or, basically:

Kon: I would do anything for you

Tim: cool. Self care (threat)

Kon: wha…no. like. Die for you?

Tim: mandatory puzzle board game nights.

Kon: TIM NO